Cricket Diary: No fair play in the Board and Games spat

THE COMMONWEALTH will have its first official cricket champions next month. It is certain only that they will not be from the country which gave the organisation the game. England have declined to compete.

Whatever the reasons for their non-participation - and the England and Wales Cricket Board insist they are plentiful and valid - they will still be conspicuous by their absence when the tournament starts at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday next week. The official reasons for England's failure to send a team are connected with the climax to the County Championship.

"Can you just imagine what Surrey and Lancashire would say if their players were taken away for the last couple of matches," said the man from the ECB. "The Games were something that just couldn't be fitted into our crowded schedule."

The Games are therefore just about the only tournament of late that could not be fitted into the crowded schedule. The so-called mini-World Cup in Bangladesh, the Carling and United one-day series in Australia, the Sharjah Champions' Trophy in April, an A tour to Zimbabwe and South Africa, a Super Eight Tournament in Perth, Western Australia and even an Ashes series are all in the programme. But not the inaugural Commonwealth Games event.

"When it was felt that it wouldn't be possible to send a professional side because of the timing we thought it might be a good thing to send a strong amateur side not least because they don't get many touring opportunities," said the ECB man. "But that idea wasn't greeted favourably by the Games authorities, so there is no side going. It is very difficult with the crowded fixture list that now exists."

Seven of the nine Test-playing nations have teams in the Games and three Caribbean countries, Jamaica, Barbados and Antigua, are also playing. Australia are sending their first choice one-day side - "Yes, well that might be because they're just coming out of a fallow playing period and this could give them much- needed practice for their Pakistan tour," said the ECB - Pakistan and India are not.

The competition is to be played under international one-day rules, the teams are split into four groups with the winners competing in a knock- out semi-final. Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa and Pakistan are the likeliest semi-finalists but wouldn't it be fun if Barbados were to beat the might of South Africa and, particularly, if Antigua, with Richie Richardson back in the international game, overcame Australia?

IT HAS been a long journey to acceptability but Sri Lanka will be granted a series of three Tests when next they tour England. The ECB have at last agreed that the world's second youngest Test nation now merit more than one-off matches.

By the time they arrive here in 2003 they will have been playing Tests for 21 years. Only two summers ago the ECB chief executive, Tim Lamb, was offering reasons for England's reluctance to play them in a proper rubber, most of them connected with their perceived lack of drawing power.

But Lamb has now finally (and happily) announced that the thinking has changed. If this represents a triumph for common sense and good manners it is also a significant victory for the perseverance of Ivan Corea. As a Sri Lankan who lives in England - he is now secretary in this country for the Sri Lankan Board of Control - his campaign on behalf of his compatriots has been constant and insistent.

"It is very happy news," said Corea. "We were disappointed that we only had one Test this summer. It's the only way we're going to improve. I have written hundreds of letters to MPs and to the cricket authorities."

Corea and Sri Lanka may have won the propaganda war in the end but they will bear no grudge against Lamb. "We know how much he loves Sri Lanka. He's been to cricket grounds all over the island. He joked after he made the announcement that he was a prophet without honour in his own country."

Without underplaying the importance of commercial concerns, it is heartening to think that the ECB can think of the notion of prophets as well as profits.

SO, Sri Lanka have a pop-gun attack. The Yellow Pages speedster demonstrated at The Oval that Suresh Perera, their young fast bowler, averaged 81mph with a maximum speed of 87mph. This is faster than every England bowler except Darren Gough, who had managed 90mph briefly this summer. Oh, and the Sri Lanka off-spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan, master of flight and guile, recorded a top speed of 76 mph - quite as rapid as Gus Fraser.

BOOK MARK

"The World Cup here next year will bring immense focus on Lord's and MCC. The Committee would therefore like to resolve the the question of women as members now. We believe a vote in favour, far from being detrimental to members' interests, is vital for MCC and good for cricket."

Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie and Tony Lewis, respectively president and president- designate of the MCC, betraying perhaps a hint of desperation about the future in a message to members contained in last week's brochure: MCC and the future - Women Membership.

SILLY POINT

LITTLE else can so starkly embody the difference between the changing nature of what were once deemed to be the two national sports than the car park at the Riverside Stadium in Chester-le-Street. It is used both by Durham's cricketers who play on one stretch of turf at the centre and Newcastle's footballers who train on another. Side by side there last week were two huge Jaguars from the top of the range, the hard top belonging to Kenny Dalglish, the soft top to Alan Shearer, and a somewhat less exalted Proton saloon, the sponsored car driven by Melvyn Betts (above), the Durham fast bowler. Betts, an avid Newcastle supporter, may or may not be pleased that there is now a Jag going spare.