The Aussies are worried about the worsening crime situation in Guyana.The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) has written the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) seeking "urgent advice" on what contingency plans are in place to amend the schedule for their tour of the West Indies in April and May.In a letter faxed to the WICB on January 13, ACB international cricket manager Richard Watson said his board was seeking the WICB’s guidance on the "reported deterioration in the security situation in and around Georgetown, which is of high concern to the ACB".The Australians’ worry was revealed at the Guyana Cricket Board’s annual general meeting Sunday by president Chetram Singh, a WICB director.Singh said he received a copy of the ACB’s letter from the WICB and had passed it on to Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj.Guyana is scheduled to stage the first of the four Tests April 10-14 and a three-day President’s XI match April 5-7.Watson indicated in the letter that the travel advisory status issued by the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs "warns Australians of the high risk to their personal safety and security when visiting Guyana, and Georgetown in particular".Watson said he had written the Australian High Commissioner on the matter and continued to monitor the situation through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra.

Jacques Kallis (RSA) needs 85 runs to complete 6000 ODI runs
Jonty Rhodes (RSA) needs 65 runs to complete 6000 ODI runs
Thomas Odoyo (KEN) needs 125 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs
Makhaya Ntini (RSA) needs 9 wickets to join the 100 ODI-wicket clubJacques Kallis (RSA) needs 112 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Jonty Rhodes (RSA) needs 146 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Lance Klusener (RSA) needs 162 runs to complete 500 World Cup runs
Herschelle Gibbs (RSA) needs 135 runs to complete his 500 World Cup runs
Steve Tikolo (KEN) needs 137 runs to complete his 500 World Cup runsLance Klusener (RSA) needs 7 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-club
Shane Pollock (RSA) needs 8 wickets to join the 25 World Cup wicket-clubAllan Donald (37) is six wickets behind leading World Cup wicket-taker Wasim Akram (43)

Matthew Elliott will make his long-awaited return to cricket in next week’s ACB Cup match against Tasmania in Hobart. Elliott has missed the Bushrangers past three ING Cup matches, as well as last week’s Pura Cup match against NSW due to severe bruising of his right knee.Bushrangers coach David Hookes said the match came at a perfect time for Elliott to gain some match practice. “It’s a great opportunity to get Matty down to Hobart and for him to get some much-needed match practice prior to our last two Pura Cup matches. He’s been a little frustrated by the slower than expected recovery of his injury, but Matty’s such an important part of the side. We felt it was too big a risk for him to play any earlier than this”.Melbourne’s Liam Buchanan retains his place in the side after scoring a brilliant 208 in this week’s match at the Junction Oval with the ACT.VICTORIA v TASMANIA
17 -20 February, 2003
TCA Ground, HobartVICTORIAMatthew Elliott (c), Liam Buchanan, Robert Cassell, Adam Crosthwaite, Brett Harrop, David Hussey, Nick Jewell, Brendan Joseland, Michael Klinger, Andrew McDonald, Bryce McGain, Chris StreetTASMANIAScott Kremerskothen (c), Chris Bassano, Graeme Cunningham, Xavier Doherty, Andrew Downton, Ben Hilfenhaus, Shane Jurgensen, Tim Paine, Adam Polkinghorne, Shannon Tubb, Nathan Webb, Luke Williams

The chairman of England selectors, David Graveney, has insisted that England’s World Cup campaign was not a failure, and refused to blame England’s refusal to play in Zimbabwe for their exit.”The bottom line is we had the opportunity to beat Australia and if we had wewould have qualified,” Graveney told Sky Sports. “When you get a side eight down for 135 chasing 205 you’d put that down as a golden opportunity.””It’s obviously got to be a disappointment not to qualify but I wouldn’t say it is a failure. I think we played some good cricket, gave Australia a good run for their money, beat Pakistan, had the up side and down side of playing day-nighters, but that doesn’t take away from the disappointment”Graveney added that ‘rain-days’ should have been built into the group stages of the competition, as they already are for the later stages.”It was much debated before the tournament. Unfortunately the West Indies have suffered and the game last night in Durban (between South Africa and Sri Lanka) came to a sad conclusion for the home nation. Why don’t we have them for the group matches?”

Corey Collymore has silenced an entire country over the last week or so.Written-off by cricket fans as past his best, Collymore’s selection in the Barbados team was questioned since his return from the World Cup in South Africa.The lion-hearted 25-year-old fast bowler from St Peter made everyone eat their words in the semifinals of the Carib Beer International Shield with a five-wicket haul against Trinidad and Tobago.Collymore stepped up to the plate again yesterday when Barbados were struggling to dismantle the strong Jamaica batting side in the final. Back to his incisive best and delivering outswingers at will, Collymore prised out Test scalp Marlon Samuels and the dangerous Ricardo Powell in one probing spell yesterday morning that turned the match on its head.He ended with five for 44 in 21 probing overs and stormed back late in the day to grab the wicket of Samuels for the second time in the match. It was proof that Collymore was really back with a bang.

Hampshire’s Pakistan overseas star Wasim AKram was rested for the Frizzell County Championship match against Gloucestershire at Bristol today. James Tomlinson took his place as the only change from the side that drew with Yorkshire last week.Tim Tremlett, Hampshire’s Director of Cricket told the Hampshire Web Master that Wasim had received a couple of niggling injuries after Yorkshire, and having played the three one day matches last weekend it was decided to rest him for the Oxford UCCE and the Gloucestershire matches.”Wasim has also gone back to Lahore for a week to sort out some business and family affairs”, said Tim “and is expected to play in the ECB National League match this Sunday at Old Trafford”.Hampshire had a good days batting on the first day at Bristol, despite losing Kenway (8) and Smith (a rare 0), four batsmen reached half centuries, with Simon Katich top scoring with a classy 96, before being decieved by the left arm spin of Ian Fisher just 4 short of a well deserved century. John Crawley spent the first 90 minutes of the day scoring three, before opening out after lunch, posting an second wicket stand of 142 with the Aussie.The afternoon following the loss of 3mwickets belonged to Will Kendall and Nic Pothas. Kendall following on his century against the Oxford students battled well for 69, and Nic Pothas showing off the form that has made him one of the countries leading run scorers this season, against proved what a wonderful asset he has become to the county.Hampshire reached their fourth batting point just before the close.

Hampshire Hawks inaugural match in the Twenty20 Cup gets underway at 5.30pm on Friday against Sussex Sharks at The Rose Bowl, in an evening that promises a large crowd, fun and games before the game and a pop concert after.The inovative event arranged jointly by Rose Bowl plc and the ECB, launches the new competition to the country in front the Sky TV viewers.Hampshire Cricket manager Paul Terry choses from 13 players, the same eleven that defeated Durham in the National League last Sunday, plus James Hamblin and Lawrence Prittipaul.Speaking to the manager yesterday, Paul intimated that James Hamblin could be brought into the side, his is an excellent player in the faster style that this competition needs.”There is a real buzz, about the Rose Bowl” said Terry, “we know we have a responsibility to put on a good show in front of an expected sell out crowd and the TV viewers.””We have played some good cricket in the past month, and I could not fault the players in failing to gain an extra wicket in the Championship match against Durham, it was tremendous to get 17 wickets in the day”.Hampshire Hawks 13: Derek Kenway, John Crawley (captain), Robin Smith, Simon Katich, Will Kendall, Nic Pothas (wicket-keeper), Dimitri Mascarenhas, Wasim Akram, Shaun Udal, Alan Mullally, Ed Giddins, James Hamblin, Lawrence Prittipaul.

Adrian Le Roux, who has taken up the position of physical trainer with the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) after vacating the similar post he held with the Indian cricket team, has termed his decision as a personal one. Speaking to Wisden CricInfo from South Africa, Le Roux said: “I sat down with my family and we decided that the opportunity to work for one’s own country will be something that I might not get again. It has nothing to do with the BCCI or the Indian cricket team … it’s just a personal one.”The Indian board had offered him a one-year extension after the World Cup, but Le Roux clarified that there had only been a “verbal conference with the BCCI”. Refuting statements by the Indian board officials that they were kept in the dark, Le Roux said that he informed the BCCI as soon as he made up his mind to take up the South African offer. “Once I had my talks with the UCBSA, I sent an e-mail and a fax to the BCCI office informing them of my decision.”Le Roux also clarified that the issue of late payment of salary had no role to play in his decision. He stressed that his relationship with the board and the players had been excellent. “In my opinion, I’ve done a good job for them, and we’re good friends. I have a very good working relationship with the board and the players.”Le Roux was unhappy with reports in the Indian media which suggested that he had “dumped” the Indian team. “I don’t think that’s the correct phrase to use. It’s an opportunity that I have [to work with the South African team], and it’s a long-term career decision.”Le Roux was offered a one-year contract with the Indian board after working with the team on their tour to South Africa in 2001-02. Along with Andrew Leipus, the physiotherapist, he improved the fitness levels of the Indian team significantly. Now, the Indian board have the onerous task of finding a replacement.

National League Division Two

Durham 267 for 7 beat Scotland 153 by 114 runs
Scorecard
Back in May Scotland started their inaugural National Leaguecampaign with a victory over Durham, but there was no repeat atRaeburn Place in Edinburgh as Shoaib Akhtar roared in to demolishthe Scottish upper order. After Durham made a handy 267 in their 45overs, with Gordon Muchall scoring 87, Scotland had no answer to thepace of Shoaib, who took four wickets in his first three overs to reducethe Scots to 6 for 4. Shortly afterwards Rahul Dravid was bowled by NeilKilleen for 5, and after that they did well to limp to 153. Majid Haqthumped 55 not out. It was Scotland’s fifth consecutive defeat, after theirfine start in the National League.

All Today’s Yesterdays – July 25 down the years

July 24| July 26

1986
The beginning of England’s tale of four wicketkeepers. When Richard Hadlee sent Bruce French to hospital in the first Test at Lord’s, England needed a replacement keeper. Bill Athey donned the gloves for two overs, and then Bob Taylor – aged 45 and at the ground doing PR work for the sponsors Cornhill Insurance – sheepishly came onto the field and kept so impeccably that it seemed he’d never been away. The next day Hampshire’s Bobby Parks stood in from after lunch, and then French resumed on the fourth day – for all of one ball, which was all it took to wrap up New Zealand’s innings. Oddly, none of the four took any catches.

1997
At Headingley, a pivotal moment in an Ashes series. With the serieslocked at 1-1, Australia were 50 for 3 in reply to England’s 172,Matthew Elliott poked at an awayswinger from Mike Smith, and edged itgently towards first slip – where Graham Thorpe dropped it. It was adolly. Off the very next ball, Dean Headley nabbed Steve Waugh, so theAussies might have been 50 for 5. Instead their fifth-wicket pair ofElliott and Ricky Ponting, who made his maiden Test century in his firstAshes Test, added a soul-destroying 288. Elliott, 29 when he wasdropped, plunged 170 daggers into Thorpe’s heart. England were pummelledby an innings – and Smith, who himself later dropped Elliott, never didtake a Test wicket.

1999
Lucky 13th for New Zealand. They had got close on a couple of occasions,not least on their previous visit in 1994, but at the 13th attempt, NewZealand won a Test at Lord’s. The architects of their nine-wicket winwere Chris Cairns, who took 6 for 77 to shoot England out for 186 intheir first innings, and Matt Horne, whose even 100 ensured that theinitiative was not lost. England, who had won an extraordinary match atEdgbaston to go 1-0 up, never recovered, and eventually succumbed 2-1.It was an inauspicious start to Nasser Hussain’s tenure as captain.

1957
The hat-trick taken by fast bowler Peter Loader against West Indiesat Headingley was the last by an England bowler in a Test until Dominic Cork in 1995. Loader dismissed West Indies captain John Goddard thenbowlers Sonny Ramadhin and Roy Gilchrist, as West Indies collapsed to142 all out. England replied with 279, which was enough to seal aninnings victory, and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

1914
At the age of 66, the incomparable WG Grace made 69 not out for Eltham away to Grove Park, his last innings in club cricket. He died thefollowing year.

1900
Living up to his reputation as one of the biggest hitters in history,Gilbert Jessop scored a hundred before lunch twice in the same match,for Gloucestershire at Bradford against a Yorkshire opening attack ofGeorge Hirst and Wilfred Rhodes.

1993
In an exciting one-day international at Colombo’s Khettarama stadium,India beat Sri Lanka by one run in the last over.

1964
A maiden Test century for Bob Simpson turned into a monumental 311 at Old Trafford. The match ended as a monumental bore.

Other birthdays
1968 Rudi Bryson (South Africa)
1930 Murray Chapple (New Zealand)
1925 Alistair Taylor (South Africa)