On The Circuit

Clare extends Derbyshire deal

Tue, 13 May 2008 10:04:12 +0000

Jonathan Clare, the Derbyshire allrounder, has signed a new contract to take him through to the end of the 2009 season with a clause to extend it for a further year.

Clare has been in good form after breaking into the Derbyshire team early this season with five wickets at 18 and 157 runs at 78.50 in two Championship matches.

“Becoming a professional cricketer with Derbyshire was a dream come true and now having the security of at least two full seasons in which to prove myself is great for me," Clare said. “I have worked hard at my game since signing the initial contract and I will continue to do so as I aim for a successful career with Derbyshire.”

Head of cricket John Morris said: “I am delighted that Jonathan has signed a new and extended contract because he is a talented young cricketer and a potential star of the future.

“Having broken into the team and showed so much promise at the end of last season and earned his first professional contract, Jonathan has worked very hard on his game and has earned this extended deal.”

Schofield out for six weeks

Mon, 12 May 2008 10:29:51 +0000

Chris Schofield faces six weeks on the sidelines after having surgery on his broken left thumb. He sustained the injury while fielding to his own bowling during Surrey's Friends Provident Trophy win over Sussex at Hove.

Plunkett hit by injury blow

Thu, 01 May 2008 15:15:59 +0000

Liam Plunkett, the Durham quick bowler, could be out of action for as long as six weeks after picking up a side strain.

It is a blow for Plunkett who has been trying to re-establish himself among the next batch of England quick bowlers after slipping off the international radar since last summer.

Poonia to the rescue for Scotland

Thu, 01 May 2008 01:30:44 +0000

Navdeep Poonia will help Scotland by filling in for their captain Ryan Watson in the FPT double-header at the weekend, away at Derbyshire and Lancashire. Warwickshire agreed to loan the big-hitting Poonia, who has played for Scotland's international side, as Watson is expecting the birth of his first child any time.

Journalists get on their bike

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:37:54 +0000

How do you get from the Brit Oval to Lord's without crossing the Thames? Six intrepid cyclists are about to prove it can be done and all in a good cause.

They are cycling from Kennington to St John's Wood the long way round, taking in all 18 first-class county headquarters - a trip of more than 1,000 miles over 16 days.

The tour has been devised by two cricket writers who spend most of their time pedalling opinions on the game: David Lloyd of the London Evening Standard and Colin Bateman of the Daily Express.

Walters suffers fractured cheekbone

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:57:36 +0000

Stewart Walters, the Surrey batsman, will miss five to six weeks of the season after suffering a fractured cheekbone while playing for the second team against Essex.

Walters wasn't part of the first XI in the early-season games, but was hoping to push for a spot after a promising winter playing club cricket in Australia.

Hildreth extends Somerset deal

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:47:18 +0000

James Hildreth has signed a new deal with Somerset which will keep him at the club until 2011. He is considered one of most promising up-and-coming batsmen in the country and toured India with England Lions during the winter.

"I am delighted to have signed a new contract and am pretty excited about the prospect of where Somerset are going," he told Somerset's website. "I love it here and I am always going to play here. I feel that this squad squad can take Somerset forward, not just in the coming season but also in future years."

Yorkshire wait on Gough

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:08:44 +0000

Darren Gough is hoping to find a league match this weekend to try and prove his fitness after a stiff back has hampered his early season. He missed Yorkshire's FP Trophy match against Durham and has been ruled out of the their opening Championship match against Hampshire.

"We are hoping that Darren will be able to bowl in practice at some time during the Hampshire match," Martyn Moxon, the Yorkshire coach, told the Yorkshire Post. "He hasn't done any bowling because of stiffness in his back and he is looking, hopefully, to get a game next weekend in the leagues."

Matthew Hoggard, meanwhile, has overcome the stiff neck which also caused him to miss the FP Trophy match.

Yorkshire's pace-bowling stocks are being stretched in the early weeks of the season. Along with the injury to Gough they are also missing Morne Morkel who is on Pro20 duty in South Africa.

Hick out for a fortnight

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:20:18 +0000

Graeme Hick is to have an elbow operation that will keep him out of action for two weeks. He has some floating bone that needs to be cleared out of his elbow and a decision has been made to sort it now rather than later in the season.

Prince Philip to open new Notts stand

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:31:35 +0000

The Duke of Edinburgh will officially open the new £8 million stand at Trent Bridge on the first day of the third Test between England against New Zealand on June 5.

It is the first Royal visit to the ground since Prince Phillip accompanied the Queen on a tour to mark her Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977.

Nottinghamshire chief executive Derek Brewer said: "We are delighted. Given his love of cricket, we hope His Royal Highness is looking forward to visiting our refurbished venue."

Bedson elected Sussex president

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:23:52 +0000

Bryan Bedson has been elected as president of Sussex. He was chairman of Brighton & Hove Albion for five years, and he told the BBC that he was "delighted and honoured" with this appointment. "I'm a lifelong Sussex fan and to hold the presidency in a year when we are defending our title as county champions makes the post even more prestigious."

Nottinghamshire bolster seam attack

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:44:04 +0000

Nottinghamshire have added another pace bowler, David Pattinson, to their ranks for the new season as cover for Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad who will be on England duty from mid-May.

Pattinson, 28, is a swing bowler from Grimsby who spent his childhood in Australia. He has had spells in the Nottinghamshire second XI and penned a two-year deal. It follows the signing of 19-year-old Luke Fletcher.

Derbyshire close to batsman deal

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:08:48 +0000

Derbyshire are set to announce the signing of a young overseas batsman on a Kolpak deal after the player went for a registration interview with the ECB.

The name has yet to be released, and Derbyshire will have to wait until the ECB have a board meeting on April 9 for confirmation, but Tom Sears is confident the deal will go ahead.

“It went very well and we don't anticipate a problem," Sears told the Derby Evening Telegraph. "All being well, we expect to announce our new signing at the press day on Wednesday."

The club also hope to sign a Kolpak bowler in the near future as John Morris, the coach, completes his squad for 2008 after Wavell Hinds had his registration turned down by the ECB.

Hogg misses start of season

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:42:32 +0000

Kyle Hogg, the Lancashire allrounder, has been ruled out of the first four to six weeks of the season after breaking a finger on his right hand during fielding practice.

The injury doesn't require surgery or a cast and Mike Watkinson, the Lancashire coach, said: "It's a blow, but these things happen. We'll just have to cover for it."

And, in an interview with the Manchester Evening News, Hogg admits that a lack of opportunities at Old Trafford might force him look elsewhere if this season doesn't go well.

Underground Lord's

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:14:22 +0000

The tunnels beneath Lord's, two of which used to carry tube trains, could be converted into indoor nets or used as walkways to cope with pedestrian congestion which is expected to increase dramatically in the next ten years.

David Batts, the MCC deputy chief executive, said: "It would be great to turn them into something useful.One of the main planks of our masterplan for Lord's is to create a cricket academy. We need new indoor nets and there is no reason why they shouldn't be underground like the ones at the Oval. advertisement
"There are alternatives: the tunnels could become a storage facility, a car park, or a health club. We are receiving proposals from architects and we will come up with a shortlist over the next couple of weeks."

The tunnels used to house trains on the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines. A third tunnel still functions, carrying trains from Marylebone to Birmingham.

Read the full story in today's Daily Telegraph.