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Shaun Pollock, the former South Africa captain, has joined the MCC’s World Cricket Committee. He is currently playing in the Indian Premier League and accepted the invitation from Tony Lewis, the cricket committee chairman.Lewis, together with the MCC secretary and chief executive, Keith Bradshaw, and head of cricket, John Stephenson, has been in India to conduct talks with three World Cricket Committee members actively involved in the IPL. Pollock and Rahul Dravid on the playing side and Martin Crowe, who is chief cricket officer of the Bangalore Royal Challengers.”I am honoured and delighted to be joining the MCC’s World Cricket Committee at such an interesting time for the sport,” said Pollock. “The challenge for cricket is to embrace change for the good of the game whilst celebrating its rich heritage and the MCC’s World Cricket Committee has a huge role to play in this respect.”A lifetime’s involvement in cricket has given me so many great experiences and I hope my knowledge of the game can be beneficial. It’s a huge honour to be asked to contribute and I’m greatly looking forward to my next challenge in the game.”The next World Cricket Committee meeting will take place at Lord’s on May 12 and 13. The discussions will cover a range of issues including technology, the worldwide Twenty20 leagues and the conduct of players.”The strength of the MCC’s World Cricket Committee is in its independence, its ability to freely think and recommend change for the benefit of the sport,” said Lewis. “It is also a body that combines a huge array of talent from all over the world. Importantly, the MCC has the resource to support the work of the committee, with its increasing investment into research and development of the game. We look forward to discussions next week and anticipate a healthy debate and some forthright opinion.”

Gary Kirsten, the former South African opening batsman, is in Zimbabwe for a week-long coaching clinic with the Zimbabwe national team.On Tuesday he presented a powerful seminar on his own high-performance model, which he bases on his own personal experiences as a former top international.Kirsten, who currently runs a cricket academy in Cape Town will conduct further batting sessions with the Zimbabwean squad for the remainder of the week before returning to South Africa this weekend.He said of the current crop of Zimbabwe players “There are lots of players with talent – absolutely! There are guys who hit the ball well. It is what the guys are prepared to do to become great players that makes the difference.”Kirsten’s visit is a huge boost for the young Zimbabweans considering they take on South Africa in August.

Division Two

Chris Rogers struck a magnificent 319 as Northamptonshire piled up an imposing 628 against Gloucestershire Northampton. He already had 242 overnight and continued on his merry way until Chris Taylor finally prized him from the crease. Rogers left with his highest first-class score, beating the double-century he posted against Australia during last year’s Ashes series, and 50 fours and two sixes in his 417-ball stay. Still, Northants didn’t stop as the tail flung the bat. Lance Klusener and Steven Crook cracked rapid 40s before Steve Kirby wrapped up the innings with a hardworking five-wicket haul. Gloucestershire lost two early wickets in reply but Craig Spearman steadied their innings with a swashbuckling century.Surrey, and especially Mark Ramprakash, just can’t stop scoring runs. Following his triple-century last week, Ramprakash became the first batsman to pass 2000 runs for the season as Worcestershire were put to the sword at New Road. He became the first English batsman to pass the milestone since he did it back in 1995, before falling for 196 to the last ball of the day. Through Ramprakash’s effort, Jon Batty’s 104 – a second for the season – and a crunching, unbeaten 110 from Ally Brown, Surrey raced into the lead in familiar fashion. Only Mark Butcher missed out as he fell for a duck.Somerset capitulated on the second day against Derbyshire as they slumped to 151 all out at Derby. Steffan Jones took four wickets and Ian Hunter three as the batting showed precious little resistance. Only Neil Edwards, with 75, put up any fight until he was eighth out but Cameron White decided not to enforce the follow-on. Michael di Venuto then took the bowlers to the cleaners with a rapid century at more than a run-a-ball as Derbyshire sped into a huge lead. Simon Francis went for 32 off two overs.

Division One

Luke Sutton hit his first century for Lancashire as the Roses clash with Yorkshire at Old Trafford remained a tight battle. The home side lost early wickets in reply to Yorkshire, but they were settled by another fine century from Mal Loye, who followed his match-saving 148 against Sussex with an even hundred. However, Loye fell shortly after tea to Darren Lehmann with Lancashire nearly 100 adrift. Sutton had already passed fifty and took charge of the innings with some support from Glen Chapple and Kyle Hogg as Lancashire edged into the lead. Deon Kruis was the pick of the Yorkshire attack but the young supporting cast struggled to make an impression.Michael Carberry led Hampshire‘s fightback against Middlesex at Lord’s with an unbeaten 103 after they had conceded 422. Paul Weekes and Ben Scott claimed full batting points for Middlesex and then Chris Silverwood picked up the early wicket of James Adams with the new ball. John Crawley, though, continued his fine form and added 134 for the second wicket with Carberry before Middlesex hit back with three wickets for 18 runs. Carberry remained firm and reached his second century of the season shortly before stumps.Alex Loudon claimed 5 for 49, his best figures of the season, to give Warwickshire complete command over Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston. Warwickshire extended their first innings to 381 and the visitors were decently placed on 131 for 2 when Loudon made his impact. David Alleyne and Stephen Fleming had both passed fifty before falling to Loudon’s offspin and David Hussey was run out first ball. In the end Nottinghamshire could only squeeze a single batting point but Warwickshire didn’t enforce the follow-on, conscious of not wanting to bat last. They wobbled slightly, losing three late wickets, but are still well placed with a lead of 229.

Tradition may have been a big deal for the Fiddler on the Roof but for Steve Waugh and his Australian side it doesn’t mean much. Many of the game’s old habits have gone by the wayside in their relentless pursuit of excellence.Nightwatchman. Gone. Although Andy Bichel came out to bat against England in Sydney recently with 18 overs left in the day.Six batsmen, one wicket-keeper and four bowlers. Gone. The key is Adam Gilchrist who allows the side the luxury of picking him as a batsman. This allows the team a fifth bowler. The psychology of it should suit the Australians fine. If their six batsmen don’t score enough runs, the quintet of bowlers will look after it.If the bowlers allow the opposition batsmen off the leash, the Australian batsmen will make up for it. If that doesn’t work, Steve Waugh will throw the ball to someone unlikely such as Darren Lehmann or Ricky Ponting and they will take a wicket. In the case of an Australian collapse, the Australian tail will invariably wag.But the biggest change the Australian side has brought to the game is the pace of play. With them, Test matches are frenetic and so much seems to happen in a short period of time. One is convinced that it must be the fourth day and it turns out it’s only the third.Notwithstanding poor weather, it’s now a rarity that the Australian side plays on the fifth day. In days gone by, around three days were needed for both sides to have their first innings. From there it was up to the side batting third whether or not there was going to be a result.For the most part, unless there were collapses, at least some part of the fifth was needed. More often than not, the fifth day would meander into a dull and meaningless draw.Not with Steve Waugh and his team. In the 46 Tests he has captained, only 16 have gone into the fifth day on their own accord (as opposed to the presence of inclement weather). That is a staggering statistic.It also places incredible heat on the opposition side to be able to last the distance. The option to hold out for a draw due to lack of time is removed from them. There are now only two possible results – victory or defeat.Steve Waugh has captained Australia to only five draws and all of them were due to the Test being affected by rain.This is the way cricket should be played. Positive and entertaining for the spectators and most of all the players. What is the point of playing for five days for no result? Now Waugh and his side are illustrating the folly of it because there is no reason whatsoever why five days should be insufficient time.No matter what the sport, whether it’s the Dutch soccer side of the 1970s and their total football, Australia II and their winged keel, the Chicago Bulls of the early 1990s and their triangle offense or the current Australian cricket side, the hallmark of a great team is one which first revolutionises and then evolutionises the way it’s sport is played and leaves it the better for it.

Gavin Hamilton will continue his long-awaited return to Scottish colours at the ECC European Championships in Holland later this month. Hamilton, 29, was born in Scotland but after a solitary Test appearance for England in 1999, has had to wait the mandatory four years to be eligible to play for Scotland again.Hamilton was one of Scotland’s leading performers at the ICC Six Nations Challenge in the United Arab Emirates in February this year, where USA beat Scotland by 0.028 on net run rate to win the tournament. Hamilton scored 209 runs in five innings during the competition, but did not take a wicket. He has played five one-day internationals for Scotland, all at the 1999 World Cup, scoring 217 runs at an excellent average of 54.25.Hamilton has been released by Durham to play at the championships, but Dougie Brown, who also had a good Six Nations Challenge, will remain in England to fulfil his county commitments with Warwickshire.Scotland have never won the European championships, but put in a strong performance against Holland in an Intercontinental Cup match last month, though the game finished in a draw. However, they have won just one game in the Totesport National League this season, beating Durham by six wickets in Edinburgh, and are bottom of Division Two.Scotland also have injury worries, with Craig Wright, the captain, Paul Hoffman and Stewart Bruce all on the wounded list, though they are expected to be fit in time for the championships. Hamilton may have to pull out of the squad at the last minute too, as his wife is close to giving birth to their first child.Wright believes Scotland’s performances at the championships will serve as a good indicator of how far they have progressed as a national team.”Everything we do, whether it’s the Scottish Saltires competing in the totesport matches, or the European Championships, is preparation for the World Cup qualifiers next year in Ireland," said Wright, adding, "It’s important that we keep doing all we can to push our case at International Cricket Council level for achieving our goal of one-day international status.”Scotland squad Craig Wright (capt), Ryan Watson, Fraser Watts, Cedric English, Colin Smith (wk), Gavin Hamilton, Stewart Bruce, Bruce Patterson, Paul Hoffmann, Dewald Nel, Ian Stanger, Douglas Lockhart, Asim Butt, Gregor Maiden.Tournament Itinerary
July 18 – Ireland v ECB at Utrecht
July 19 – Holland v Scotland, Denmark v ECB at Deventer
July 20 – Denmark v Scotland at Rotterdam, Ireland v Holland at Utrecht
July 21 – Ireland v Scotland at Deventer
July 22 – Holland v ECB at Rotterdam, Denmark v Ireland at Utrecht
July 23 – Scotland v ECB at Utrecht
July 24 – Holland v Denmark at Rotterdam