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Neale, who is not an MCC member but who has been given, she says, a tremendous reception, is bringing something unique. It is not that she knows nothing of cricket - that applies to some cricket writers - but that all her work is done with a Bic ballpoint. Her original work is done in an artist's sketchbook and then transferred to water colour paper But all of it is drawn with those black ink pens. It seems unfair that the company are not remotely interested in supplying her with her pens.A good walk spoiledFormer England captain Mike Gatting faces two imminent challenges. First, he is being asked to judge the entries in a competition being run by npower at the Second Test in Chester-le-Street next week. Restaurants in the North-east have been asked to design a special curry to mark Bangladesh's Test tour of England.Secondly, Gatting is leading the 1,000-mile, 38-day Ashes Walk to raise funds for the Chance To Shine project It starts on 13 June. Gatt, a man renowned for his appetite - which does not look to have diminished since his playing days - was adamant which task he would prefer "The walking," he said.
"I don't much like hot curries."Boycotting of FletcherAn unexpected record was set during the First Test between England and Bangladesh. No fewer than nine former England captains were engaged to broadcast on the match. They were, in chronological order of the first time they led England: Geoff Boycott, Ian Botham, Bob Willis, David Gower, Gatting, Graham Gooch, Mike Atherton, Alec Stewart (the latest addition for the recently resigned Dermot Reeve) and Nasser Hussain. Poor old Keith Fletcher, who was in the middle of that lot, must wonder what he did wrong not to get a commentating gig.. Just when even their passionate public had become so disenchanted with their continuing failures they could no longer bring themselves to watch, the West Indies were on course for a crushing victory over Pakistan after three days of the First Test here. It gave them an overall lead of 572 and left Pakistan the 213 overs remaining in the match to avoid defeat.
It was a daunting prospect without their two main batsmen with 165 Tests between them, captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, who is serving a one-match suspension, and Yousuf Youhanna, who has returned to Lahore to be with his ill father. And it became even more serious as they stumbled to 113 for 4 by close.That represented a recovery from a disastrous start to their second innings. The Left-handed opener Salman Butt edged the third ball from Fidel Edwards, the wrecker of their first innings, to Chris Gayle at second slip, stand-in captain Younis Khan was run out by Chanderpaul's direct hit and Yasir Hameed caught at the wicket off Daren Powell's perfectly pitched outswinger. England took the five wickets they needed to win the First npower Test in 17.5 overs and 90 minutes of the third day, long enough to allow the authorities to save part of a small fortune in ticket refunds but about a day short of allowing a rational defence of Bangladesh's fitness as a Test nation. The result of the match and the series has never been in remotest doubt since the moment the schedule was arranged. Perhaps their techniques and their heads will be in better condition. The audience, whose day's cricket ended at 11.50am, will be hoping so.. It all went pretty much as planned.
