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Following the death of Clyde Walcott, the former legendary West Indies batsman, tributes have been pouring in

“Clyde had a powerful physique and his batting was based on power and strength. I first met him when we were about 11-years-old. We lived pretty close to each other and played together for many years. He hit the ball harder than any of us. Whenever I batted with him I enjoyed it and we had some great times together on and off the field. He was a pretty quiet person but would always find time to talk to you and find out what was going on. He was a great man, a great friend, and a great cricketer. We have lost a great man . . . I have lost a great friend.”
Everton Weekes, the sole survivor of the three Ws“On my first tour to England in 1976 he was my manager and he helped me a lot early in my career. I can give you one example of what Clyde was like. On that tour we’d played against Hampshire and I wasn’t very happy. I didn’t have the best equipment for English conditions, my studs were too short, and I was feeling sorry for myself. Clyde could see this because I sat at the back of the coach on my own and he just came up and sat down next to me – just to have a chat.After I’d told him the problem he suggested a talk to some the county pros and find out about how to get some new equipment. That was Clyde, he wouldn’t wait for you to ask him, he would approach you and try to help.”
Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding“He has been one of our greatest ambassadors. Clyde has always been a dominant individual as far as West Indies cricket is concerned. He will be a great loss indeed.”
Former West Indies offspinner Lance Gibbs“Sir Clyde was one of my closest personal friends and he will be remembered for his unique contribution as a player, coach, commentator and administrator.””Sir Clyde’s achievements as a selector, manager, board member, president of the West Indies cricket Board and the top administrator of cricket at the International Cricket Council (ICC) were outstanding – accomplishments that have brought great joy and pride to the hearts of most West Indians. No other West Indies player can come close to Sir Clyde in that regard.””We are greatly saddened by the news of the death of Sir Clyde. As well as remembering his contribution in 1950 to developing our passion for the game as schoolboys, we are particularly indebted to him as it was he who was the chairman of the ICC when we made our first presentations on the Duckworth/Lewis method ten years ago and his belief that revised targets should be fair to both sides was undoubtedly an important factor in our method becoming established. Since then we had the pleasure of meeting him on a number of occasions and got to know him as a kind and gentle man who would never miss an opportunity to be involved in the game. We especially remember how he honoured us with his presence at a lunch following a presentation we made to West Indian umpires and scorers in Barbados in 2004.”
“This news has saddened me greatly as cricket has not only lost a legend but also someone who devoted his life to the betterment of our great game. I never saw him play but people whose opinions I value have confirmed his greatness to me and his figures, with a Test average of more than 56 runs per innings, mean he will rightly be remembered as a giant on the field. As an administrator Sir Clyde was thoughtful and conciliatory and cricket in my homeland of South Africa owes him an enormous debt because he was instrumental in ensuring our return to the international fold in 1991.
“He was not only one of the greatest-ever post-War cricketers but also one of the finest people I have ever had the opportunity of working with. He took over as ICC Chairman at a critical time in the history of the organisation [the ICC’s first chief executive, David Richards, was appointed in the same year, 1993] and he succeeded in not only keeping it together but also enhancing it. Sir Clyde played a crucial role in shaping the ICC and for that, together with his lifetime of service to cricket, he has earned the unending thanks of a grateful game.”
“Sir Clyde Walcott was a good friend and a great Chairman of ICC. He was a true gentleman who was highly adept at calming troubled waters. He was a gentle but decisive man for whom cricket always came first and his own ego last. Throughout his impressive career he received tremendous support from his wife Muriel and my thoughts are with Muriel and the family at this sad time.”
“I don’t think he ever shied away from helping some young cricketer. I think that his presence would have inspired a lot of these players. I never really played with Sir Clyde per se. I was involved in some trials in 1957 in Trinidad and I think that Clyde captained one of the sides that I was playing in but that’s the nearest that I got to him on the cricket field. But afterwards, some of my fondest memories were sitting in selection meetings with him and probably afterwards when we had done the job, sitting with him and Lady Muriel (Sir Clyde’s wife), having a drink or two and discussing cricket. We sometimes incurred the wrath of Lady Muriel with some selections we might have made that she didn’t agree with.”
“Sir Clyde was an inspiration to many South African cricketers as a magnificent batsman, fierce opponent of apartheid in sport, and latterly as a most valued ally of unified cricket in South Africa.As a player, he was instrumental in changing the face of West Indies cricket and helped revolutionise world cricket which had then been very much a colonial sport. As president of West Indies Cricket and later as ICC president, Sir Clyde was particularly helpful in assisting the United Cricket Board of South Africa forge a new future for South African cricket after its formation in 1991. Cricket South Africa will always be grateful for the role he played in this regard, and our history will certainly record this.”

Tom Tikolo has been the chief executive of the Kenyan board for less than a week but he has already announced plans to spread cricket across the country in the next five years.Cricket is only played in Nairobi, Mombasa and a few schools in Nakuru and Thika at the moment, but Tikolo wants to extend the game’s reach through targeting schools. He does not think the task will be an easy one, but he believes it is achievable, having seen how such an approach has helped Uganda when he was their national coach last year.”Cricket culture in Uganda is much more than what we have in Kenya,” he told , a Kenya newspaper, after becoming just the second chief executive after Sammy Obingo.

Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has condemned Wasim Bari’s statements against the umpiring in the Videocon Cup final, saying that no board official should make such public comments. quoted Shaharyar as saying, “I think the media and the people are the ones who can make public comments about an umpire or his decisions. But as far as the board and team-management is concerned it must strictly abide by the ICC procedures. The ICC has a laid down procedure for such things and the captain and manager are encouraged to send their reports and give their grading about the umpires to the ICC after every match and that has been done after the Holland final.”Bari, the chief selector, had strongly criticised Shepherd and two decisions that went against Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana. He had also described Shepherd as ‘too old’.Shaharyar also confirmed that neither the PCB nor the team management had lodged any official protest against Shepherd. He added that the board had not made any request that Shepherd should not be appointed for any future Pakistan match.

Hampshire Hawks retain the same 12 that lost at Beckenham on Monday evening when they meet the Essex Eagles at The Rose Bowl on Wednesday (5.30pm).”We are in a very strong group” said Paul Terry, “we need to win these next three matches to reach the Semi Final, so tonights game is vital”.Hawks team: James Hamblin, Derek Kenway, Simon Katich, Dimitri Mascarenhas, John Crawley, Will Kendall, Wasim Akram, Shaun Udal, Nic Pothas, Alan Mullally, Ed Giddins, Lawrence Prittipaul

If this proves to be Steve Waugh’s swansong in England then those who werelucky enough to get tickets for the fifth and final npower Ashes Test at theAMP Oval will have witnessed something very special and ratherextraordinary.The Australian captain made an unbeaten 157 to take his side to declarationand feasibly their fourth win in five contests. From early on in hisinnings, the calf injury that forced him to leave the field by stretcher atTrent Bridge, stiffened up, restricting both his batting and his running,which made the completion of his 27th Test century all the more remarkable.It was not attractive to watch though it was his obvious pain anddiscomfort, rather than any untidiness in his strokeplay, that made many ofthe 18 000 crowd squirm in sympathy. There were a few balls that left thesquare two feet above the ground, which was unusual, but that apart it was agritty and truly inspiring performance from a man who has steel coursingthrough his veins.Waugh joined his brother Mark and Justin Langer in the centurions gang, twofinishing unbeaten – Langer retired hurt on Thursday for 102 and Steveundefeated – and Mark losing his wicket for 120 during the afternoonsession. The Waugh twins put on 197 for the third wicket, the second higheststand in their long career and it was ‘Junior’ who reached his centuryfirst, having faced 161 balls and hitting 13 of them for four and one forsix.Like his previous hundred at Lord’s, this exhibition was a lesson in naturalskill and timing and is bound to feature heavily in the Ashes serieshighlights, when they are compiled. It was attractive and entertaining andwas matched in importance only by his brother’s innings for its courage anddetermination.Six of the seven batsmen who featured in Australia’s first innings effort of641 for four declared, made 60 or more and only Adam Gilchrist recorded acomparative failure making 25 from 32 balls before he became a landmarkwicket for slow left armer Usman Afzaal, bowling for the first time in Testcricket and snaffling Gilchrist with a wide full toss which was despatchedto extra cover.Australia resumed in the morning on 324 for two and after giving England asimple chance with the fourth delivery of the day, forced them to wait until45 minutes after lunch before handing them another opportunity, which wasseized on rather more successfully.Had Mark Butcher taken the catch at first slip, with Waugh on 50, the storyfor the day may well have been different but what should have been an easytake ended up as an exercise in juggling which ended in failure. The scenewas thus set for the day and rarely, throughout the 70 overs of Australia’sinnings, did the smiles return to England’s faces.The pitch was flat enough to convince a delusional batsman he could bat likeBradman but for the bowlers, the figures were distressing. Andrew Caddicktook none for 146 while Phil Tufnell finished with one for 174.Australia’s spinner Shane Warne did not have to wait so long before hisboots started to fill. When the declaration finally came at 4.38pm, it lefta weary England with a tricky 18 overs to face in the muggy London heat.After fielding for the best part of two days in boiling hot temperatures,they could have done with an ice bath and a lie down.Instead Mike Atherton and Marcus Trescothick were required to put on theirpads and square up to Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, who had beenrelaxing around the cooler box for five whole sessions.Neither batsman showed signs of fatigue until the 13th over when Atherton,who had already faced two overs from Warne, was surprised by the spin andbowled for 13. England were 58 for one, needing 442 to avoid the follow on.Trescothick raced to his half century in 49 balls, with all but ten of theruns coming in boundaries and by the close, he was unbetaen on 55 with MarkButcher, the Headingley hero, not out 10.

Northamptonshire chief executive, Ray Payne, has admitted that the club are talking to the ECB about financial assistance but denied that they are considering selling their ground and moving to a new home.Responding to a report by ESPNcricinfo, Payne told the BBC that Northants were “not the only club talking to the ECB and local partners about how they might survive,” but insisted “the future of the club is firmly at Wantage Road.””We’re certainly not moving grounds,” he said. “I’m not sure where that story came from.”However, ESPNcricinfo understands the club produced a secret report which contains plans for a new ground near junction 15A of the M1 on land currently owned by the council. The ambitious plans included building a roof over the stadium, though its position on a flood plain might counteract such benefits.Progress stalled when it proved difficult to obtain the substantial investment required, though hopes remain that partners – quite possibly from India – might be found for the project.It seems unlikely Payne would be unaware of the plans but, a week ago, the club denied to ESPNcricinfo and the BBC that they had asked the ECB for financial assistance.”Any contributions are welcome,” Payne said. “We’re asking the ECB what financial support may be available. There is some debt, but not as much debt as some other clubs.”It’s not an emergency loan. It’s about longer term cash flow. It’s not do or die for the club. Dire is probably the wrong expression.”Is it half-a-million pounds, a million pounds or a quarter-of-a-million pounds? We don’t know. Is it in the form of a loan, a payment or for capital investment? That’s what we’re trying to establish.”First-class cricket has issues. We are not the only club talking to the ECB and local partners about how they might survive. But there is no panic and no worry at the club.”

Australia captain Steven Smith and India offspinner R Ashwin have finished 2015 as the ICC’s top-ranked Test batsman and bowler respectively. Ashwin finished as the No. 1 ranked Test allrounder as well, for the second time in three years.While Smith leapfrogged Kane Williamson, Joe Root and AB de Villiers to the top, Ashwin achieved the No. 1 rank by unseating Dale Steyn, who could only bowl 3.5 overs in the second innings of the Durban Test against England.Smith was ranked No. 4 at the start of Australia’s Boxing Day Test against West Indies but surged to the top following unbeaten scores of 134 and 70. No one had more Test runs than him this year – 1474 from 24 innings at an average of 73.70 with six centuries and five fifties. He was also named the ICC’s Cricketer of the Year and Test Cricketer of the Year last week. Smith is the third Australian batsman in the last decade – after Ricky Ponting (2005, 2006) and Michael Clarke (2012) – to finish as the top-ranked batsman at the end of the year.Ashwin finished 2015 as top-wicket taker with 62 scalps in nine matches. He started the year ranked 15 but rich hauls on India’s tour to Sri Lanka (21 wickets in three matches) and in the home series against South Africa lifted him to the No. 1 spot. Of his 62 wickets, 31 came in the four-match Test series against South Africa, where his performance ensured India swept the series 3-0.Ashwin, who became the first Indian bowler since Bishan Singh Bedi in 1973 to finish the year at the top-ranked position, also chipped in with the bat, scoring 248 runs in 14 innings, with half-centuries against Australia, Sri Lanka and South Africa.”Replicating what Mr Bedi did is something I am very proud of,” Ashwin said in an ICC release. “The former India captain was a master at his craft and I am very humbled to follow in his footsteps.”I would like to thank my Test captain Virat Kohli, who has been a big influence, and, of course, the team management, my team-mates and the BCCI for their continued support.”Among other batsmen, Adam Voges (11), Usman Khawaja (39) and Dean Elgar (28) finished the year at career-best rankings following centuries in the two Boxing Day Tests in Melbourne and Durban.Stuart Broad ended the year as the second leading wicket-taker – 56 scalps in 14 Tests – and sits at No. 3 in the bowlers’ rankings. Nathan Lyon, who won the Man-of-the-Match award for his seven-wicket haul against West Indies in Melbourne finished at a career-best rank of 14, while Moeen Ali, Man of the Match against South Africa, finished the year ranked 23.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

On a cold and overcast day at Southampton, England turned in a heart-warming performance with both bat and ball to thrash India by 104 runs – their third-biggest margin of victory against them – in the first of seven one-day internationals. Alastair Cook and Ian Bell set up the comprehensive victory with outstanding maiden centuries and a 178-run second-wicket stand to push England to 288 for 2, while James Anderson shut off all escape routes for the Indians with a decisive new-ball spell of 3 for 19 in eight magnificent overs – he eventually finished with career-best figures of 4 for 23.India had started the ODI series as favourites, but the only thing that went right for them today was the toss – Rahul Dravid won it and chose to field, deciding that the overcast conditions would help his fast bowlers, and that the ball would come nicely on to the bat later in the evening.Neither hunch turned out to be correct: there was little swing or seam on offer in the afternoon, while the extra zip later in the evening proved too much for India’s batsmen to handle as Anderson nailed both Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh in one over to effectively seal the contest.England’s decision to play both Cook and Bell – and drop Owais Shah – was a bit of a surprise, but it turned out to be an inspired move. India did reasonably well in the early part of the innings, allowing England just 40 in the first ten overs and 88 in the first 20, but that was when Cook and Bell decided to turn it on, putting together the second-highest partnership for England in all ODIs against India.

Before this game Cook had only played five ODIs, while Bell was more experienced only in relative terms, but both batsmen paced their innings as if they were veterans in this form of the game. On a big ground and a slow outfield, they placed the ball in the gaps, ran hard to take all the twos and threes on offer, and thoroughly exposed the woefully sluggish Indian effort in the field.Cook’s was the more deliberate innings, but his calm and unflappable approach at the start was just what England needed after Matt Prior’s dismissal in the 11th over. He never strayed far from the orthodox approach, worked hard for his runs – there were only eight fours in his knock – and paced his innings quite superbly: his first 50 took 74 deliveries, but his next 52 came at a run a ball, and included a couple of meaty blows to the midwicket boundary off the fast bowlers late in the innings.Bell, on the other hand, was all silken touch right from the get-go: his third scoring stroke was an on-the-rise drive through the covers off RP Singh, and that set the tone for the rest of his innings. Against the fast bowlers, he cut, drove and flicked with exquisite timing, while Piyush Chawla was dismantled with twinkle-toed footwork, one straight six over the bowler’s head being the stand-out shot.Both batsmen took full toll of the fifth bowler’s quota – Tendulkar, Yuvraj and Sourav Ganguly leaked 79 in 13 overs – and built the momentum perfectly. Kevin Pietersen chipped in with a cameo effort at the end as England finished just 12 short of 300.A daunting target of 289 needed a solid start from Tendulkar and Ganguly, but they lasted just 15 deliveries before Ganguly threw it away with a sloppy piece of cricket that typified India’s performance today: Tendulkar drove Stuart Broad for a single to mid-off, but Ganguly set off for a second run that was never on, and failed to beat a flighted but accurate throw from Monty Panesar.

With the breakthrough gifted away by India, Anderson charged in and shut out any chance of an Indian fightback with three quick strikes. Bowling at around 140 kph, he varied his length cleverly and asked questions of all the Indian batsmen. Gautam Gambhir flashed a drive and nicked to the keeper, while Tendulkar and Yuvraj fell within five deliveries of each other.Tendulkar might have fallen even earlier, but escaped being bowled when the ball brushed the stumps off his pads but failed to dislodge the bails. His luck ran out, though, when he flicked a half-volley on leg stump straight to short midwicket. Four balls later, when Yuvraj poked outside off and edged to gully, India had slumped to 34 for 4.From there, it was only a matter of damage control for India. Dravid hung around to score 46 without ever suggesting that the knock would do anything other than delay the inevitable. With Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he added 68 for the fifth wicket before Dhoni fell to an inspired Andrew Flintoff. Playing his first international match in exactly four months, he charged in, bowled consistently at around 145 kph, beat the bat, induced edges, and finally got Dhoni to glove a pull to the wicketkeeper for a painstaking 60-ball 19. Dinesh Karthik added a spunky unbeaten 44, but was also involved in two shambolic run-outs as England completed an utter rout.

Northamptonshire have awarded David Sales a benefit for next season. He is the captain and the club’s longest-serving player of the current staff. Sales, 28, joined in 1994 and has been captain since 2004.”I am very grateful to the club for offering me a benefit next year,” said Sales. “2006 has been a year of change and I am sure together we can help the club build on the foundations currently being laid”.So far in his first-class career he has amassed 8640 runs, at 39.81, with a highest score of 303 not out.

Imran Khan has joined the chorus of voices criticising the dustbowl at the Wankhede Stadium which produced a two-day Test between India and Australia. Speaking to Press Trust of India in Jaipur, Imran urged home associations to desist the urge to produce tailor-made tracks.”Every country has a right to prepare the kind of wickets which suit their own bowlers. But there has to be a limit. If something is not done soon to curb this trend, cricket is sure to suffer,” Imran said. “In order to gain victory in front of their own countrymen, every team is going too far to prepare pitches favouring their own bowlers. This will ruin interest of the spectators.”India achieved a consolation win at Mumbai, but the pitch for the game came in for widespread flak, with Ricky Ponting calling it “nowhere near being close to Test standard”. Forty wickets fell in 202 overs, 13 of them in a frenetic final session of play on the third day.