All posts by h716a5.icu

Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq put up a solid resistance against the Sri Lankan seamers but the hosts retained the edge at tea, having broken that partnership after inflicting significant damage in the pre-lunch session

The Report by Siddhartha Talya08-Jul-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Junaid Khan’s double-wicket spell boosted Pakistan in the last session•Getty ImagesThe SSC and Pallekele could well be on two different continents, such was the contrast in the nature of their pitches. After the highway at the SSC last week, the moisture in the Pallekele pitch – increased by the rain before the Test – and a hint of grass gave Sri Lanka’s attack early encouragement that lasted into the final session, justifying the home team’s decision to bowl first. The new ball was a powerful weapon, employed expertly by Thisara Perera and Nuwan Kulasekara, who also stood out for their stamina and helped their team have the better of most of the first day.But it was used even more menacingly by Pakistan’s fast bowlers, whose extra pace and difficult angles produced wickets and plenty of nervous moments for the batsmen. Pakistan’s 226 may be below-par, but an incisive spell in the final hour led by Junaid Khan revived their spirits and boosted hopes of a strong comeback.Sri Lanka are without their centurion from the first two Tests, Tillakaratne Dilshan, on leave to be with his unwell children. The openers Dinesh Chandimal and Tharanga Paranavitana were given a working over by Junaid and Umar Gul, who moved it both ways, beat the edge and struck them repeatedly on the pads. Junaid was more lethal when he went round the wicket in the sixth over, angling it in and then nipping it away from the right-hander. Chandimal was fooled when he was trapped in front with one that held its line.Kumar Sangakkara, fresh from missing two double-centuries in a row, was consigned to a duck the same over – done in by movement inward off the pitch, beaten through the gate twice, one an lbw not given and the other pegging back off stump. Gul should have had Paranavitana lbw, a close call that was turned down, but when Mahela Jayawardene failed to get his bat down to a Mohammad Sami yorker in the day’s last over – after the batsmen’s delaying tactics failed to meet their desired objective – Pakistan were back in it.Among their batsmen, only Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq put up any significant resistance; the others were out-thought by Sri Lanka’s bowlers, armed with movement, swing and discipline. Perera and Kulasekara bowling spells of nine and 10 overs respectively in the first session, in which the bulk of the damage was inflicted.The first sign of hope for the seamers appeared on the first ball, when Kulasekara swung one prodigiously and moved it further towards the batsman off the pitch. Perera mostly moved the ball the other way, and bowled fuller, creating more chances. It helped that the Pakistan openers also batted positively, though were edgy against deliveries bowled in the channel outside off.Taufeeq Umar was the luckier of the two. Kulasekara attacked with three slips, a gully and a short leg, and removed the option of Taufeeq walking down the track to counter the swing as he had done at the SSC, by having the keeper standing up to the stumps. As he moved it away, Taufeeq was dropped at first slip, and then had an edge fly past gully.In the eighth over, Perera beat Mohammad Hafeez with one that held its line before inducing a leading edge when he tried to work it square. Perera had his reward shortly after, as he slipped in a fuller delivery, had Hafeez playing forward and slightly away from his body, not expecting the ball to swing and then dart back in to clean him up through the gate. In his next over, Perera targeted Azhar Ali, unsettling him with an inswinger, then beating him completely with the away-going delivery and having him driving straight to gully off the next ball.Kulasekara dislodged Younis Khan in similar fashion, following up an indipper with one in the corridor that prompted Younis to feather a low catch to the keeper. When Taufeeq played down the wrong line, trying to force Perera through midwicket to be trapped in front, an ardous task lay ahead for Misbah and the middle order to rebuild.Misbah and Shafiq were reasonably adept against the spin of Rangana Herath and a shorter length bowled by the other two seamers – Dilhara Fernando, on his 17th comeback to the Test side, and Angelo Mathews. Under a good spell of sunshine, the Pakistan pair batted determinedly, leaving several deliveries outside off while at the same time capitalising on width as the swing disappeared and movement receded.Shafiq drove well but was more confident against the short balls, with Fernando providing a healthy supply. Both batsmen used their feet to Herath, Misbah charging down the wicket twice to dispatch him through midwicket, and Shafiq pinching the singles while also collecting boundaries through point. When Perera returned for a new spell, they opened the face and played the ball down past the slips and gully. Misbah, though,hung his bat out to a much wider delivery that left him, edging a catch to Prasanna Jayawardene after an 85-run stand, giving Perera his best Test figures.Harsh on width and elegant with balls pitched on the pads, Shafiq scored heavily square of the wicket, the flick and the cut – despite a deep point – producing the bulk of his boundaries. Support was lacking at the other end, however. Adnan Akmal was struck on the ring finger of his left hand by Fernando after warming up with a couple of fours, had to retire hurt and the pain would have been playing on his mind when he returned. He threw his wicket away, bowled trying an audacious sweep against Herath, who also got the ball to bite off the track. One such delivery accounted for Shafiq, who edged behind, and stopped Pakistan’s recovery short of what they had hoped. That’s before Junaid, yet again, reinforced the impact of Pakistan’s biggest strength, fast bowling – never in short supply from his country.

Should Warwickshire manage to emerge from this match with their sixth win of the season, they will deserve to be County Champions

Jon Culley at Edgbaston23-Aug-2012
ScorecardDawid Malan continued his development in first-class cricket with an excellent hundred•Getty ImagesShould Warwickshire manage to emerge from this match with their sixth win of the season, they will deserve to be County Champions. With a deficit of 305 to take into the final day, to which Middlesex will hope to add at least 50 with five wickets in hand, they face a tall task.The bedrock for Middlesex’s total came in the form of a stand of 203 between Chris Rogers and Dawid Malan, both of whom made accomplished centuries. Well though the two left-handers batted, however, Warwickshire know they could have bowled better on a pitch offering good bounce and carry.There were good spells, notably by Chris Wright with the new ball and by Boyd Rankin just after tea, but not enough of them. It will have been particularly disappointing to them that Ian Blackwell’s left-arm spin did not account for a single wicket in 26 overs.Rogers made 109 and Malan is 138 not out and barely offered a sniff of a chance during the 46 overs or so that they were together. Warwickshire will surrender the Division One lead if they fail to win and Sussex complete a victory at Taunton, which seems likely, although the advantage of a game in hand will maintain Warwickshire’s position as favourites. Sussex, though, would have won six times to their five.Middlesex were seen as contenders themselves at one time, although their realistic target has been to finish in the safe ground in the middle of the table. In that respect, the experience brought by Rogers, the 34-year-old Australian who joined them from Derbyshire two years ago, has been vital.Rogers is with his fourth first-class county. His latest century is his third of the season and 55th overall, of which 30 have been scored in England and eight for Middlesex. He is close to 1,000 runs during the current season and his career aggregate now exceeds 18,000, which are impressive statistics for a batsman whose colour blindness has been said at times to impair his ability to pick out the red ball if the backdrop is not in clear contrast.Although he might have been out on 33 when an uppercut off Rankin cleared Keith Barker on the third-man boundary, he played impressively well. But then so too did Malan, who survived a hostile spell from Rankin just after tea and needs only another six to pass his career best of 143.Twice Warwickshire thought they might take the upper hand. After they had been bowled out for 333, which gave them a lead of 46, a penetrative spell with the new ball from Wright had Middlesex quickly in trouble, bringing wickets in his first and third overs. He drew Sam Robson to play at a ball that left him outside off stump and was rewarded when Tim Ambrose took the catch, and struck again when Joe Denly flashed at a wider delivery and was caught superbly by Rikki Clarke, whose leap at second slip to pluck the ball out of the air seemed unaffected by the abdominal strain that is preventing him from bowling.But then Rogers and Malan bedded in and their progress was serenely without alarm, for the most part until Rankin, returning after tea for third spell, at last began to find the right length. The Irish quick bowler finished off Rogers with his third ball, which was cut to slip, and followed up two overs later when Neil Dexter, the first innings centurion, took liberties with a ball outside off stump and fell victim to William Porterfield’s excellent reactions at gully.Rankin then tempted Adam Rossington to pull with two fielders placed in anticipation of the shot and was rewarded with a top edge that Darren Maddy did well to get under.At this point, Middlesex’s lead was 206, which did not threaten quite such a daunting run chase. However, Rankin’s third success was the last of the batch in a contest that has generally seen wickets taken in clusters. Malan, who made his name initially as an aggressive one-day batsman but is maturing into a sound middle-order player in the four-day game, maintained his concentration after completing his second century of the season off 158 balls and found another useful ally in Gareth Berg.Berg is unbeaten on 53 in a partnership so far worth 99. The new ball is due but Middlesex will hope to add another 50 to their total at least on the fourth morning and probably bat Warwickshire out of the game.

Graeme Swann has been rested for the remainder of the one-day series in another indication of the concerns around his troublesome elbow

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2012Graeme Swann has been rested for the remainder of the one-day series in another indication of the concerns around his troublesome elbow which may require surgery in the future. James Tredwell, the Kent offspinner, will replace him for the final three matches.Swann will return for the Twenty20 series next month which precedes the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka where England are defending their title. Despite a lean summer Swann is still integral in all three formats which means there is precious little opportunity to find a long-term fix for his elbow problem which is caused by floating bone fragments.England play a four-Test series in India during November and December, which will be Alastair Cook’s first assignment as Test captain, before returning for a one-day series in the New Year, then there is a full tour of New Zealand which includes three Tests. If Swann does require surgery it cannot be left too late if he wants to regain fitness in time for next year’s Ashes series which is followed immediately by a return series in Australia.Swann, who was controversially dropped for the second Test against South Africa, has taken just 10 Test wickets this season in five matches during a summer badly disrupted by the weather. He was previously rested for the latter part of the one-day series against Australia after England had taken a 2-0 lead, but this time the home side are 1-0 down to South Africa after an 80-run defeat on Wednesday where Swann took 2 for 50.Tredwell was not included in the World Twenty20 squad – Hampshire’s left-arm spinner Danny Briggs was preferred – but remains Swann’s understudy in the 50-over format having played the final ODI against Australia at Old Trafford where he took 2 for 23. He has a good chance of featuring on the tour to India, too, having been included as back-up to Swann for the Sri Lanka trip earlier this year.

Australian cricket will have its first female board member in 107 years – and a much wider business knowledge base – following the announcement of a trio of corporate heavy-hitters to join Cricket Australia

Daniel Brettig28-Sep-2012Australian cricket will have its first female board member in 107 years – and a much wider business knowledge base – following the announcement of a trio of corporate heavy-hitters to join Cricket Australia as the governing body’s first fully independent directors.Jacquie Hey, the former managing director of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand, the Rio Tinto managing director David Peever and the former Colorado Group chief executive Kevin Roberts were approved as candidates at a CA board meeting in Melbourne on Friday, with their appointments expected to be made official at the annual general meeting on October 25.Wally Edwards, the CA chairman, had made it clear that he wanted three board directors who came from beyond the regular spheres of cricket, a description that each candidate fits although Roberts did play first-class cricket for New South Wales. They were chosen ahead of a field that initially numbered about 100, and included the former Test captain Mark Taylor.”They all bring a close interest in and knowledge of cricket,” Edwards said, “combined with significant experience and success at very senior corporate levels dealing with a wide range of diverse contemporary business challenges relevant to cricket, plus understanding and experience working with different cultures which is important to us as we strive to ensure cricket is a sport for all Australians of all backgrounds.”Most importantly, they offer us independent, expert insight from outside the day-to-day cricket world – we were focussed on finding three high-calibre candidates completely independent of cricket.”Hey’s appointment is most noteworthy. In addition to her time with Ericsson Australia, she has also held MD roles with Ericsson in the UK, Ireland and Saudi Arabia. She is currently a non-Executive Director with Bendigo & Adelaide Bank, and SBS.Peever has been the managing director Australia for the mining giant Rio Tinto since 2009, while he is also a Business Council of Australia councillor and Economic Policy and Competitiveness Committee Chairman, Vice Chairman of the Minerals Council of Australia.Roberts played 23 first-class matches for the Blues and also made 18 domestic limited overs appearances, scoring one century in each format. He has since gone on to become a non-Executive Director of Netball Australia and was formerly the Colorado Group/Fusion Retail CEO and the adidas Pacific Managing Director.

A round-up of the seventh round of Ranji Trophy’s Group B matches on December 17, 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2012
ScorecardAmol Ubarhande hit his maiden first-class hundred to lead Vidarbha’s strong reply to Karnataka’s huge total. The Vidarbha openers Faiz Fazal (22) and Shiv Sunder Das (53) could not go on to make big scores but Ubarhande and Shalabh Shrivastava had put on 209 runs by stumps. Ubarhande was more aggressive of the two, hitting 18 fours in his 129 while Shrivastava was unbeaten on 84 off 218 deliveries. The visitors had chosen to field on a grassy Mysore pitch and Karnataka’s KL Rahul had said the hosts would have done the same, but so far, there have been a double hundred, two centuries and four fifties in the game.
ScorecardThings slowed down at the Moti Bagh ground after Tamil Nadu gained a 22-run lead, but there had been plenty of excitement before that. Resuming the day on 166 for 6 in pursuit of Baroda’s 208, Tamil Nadu slipped to 182 for 8, before R Prasanna and No 10 M Rangarajan steered them past the hosts’ score. Tamil Nadu eventually made 230, Murtuja Vahora ending with 4 for 36. J Kaushik probed away when Baroda came out to bat, and dismissed the first three Baroda batsmen after each of them had got starts, the highest being Aditya Waghmode’s 39. None of those batsmen had a strike-rate above 40 and Ketan Panchal’s 38-ball duck summed up Baroda’s approach. The captain Ambati Rayudu was battling it out on 18 off 57 deliveries at stumps.
ScorecardUttar Pradesh recovered from an iffy 121 for 4 in their second innings through the efforts of Parvinder Singh and Eklavya Dwivedi in Lucknow. UP had already conceded a 49-run lead to Haryana, who could add just five runs to their overnight 271 for 8 before being dismissed. The fast bowler Ankit Rajpoot took his best figures of 6 for 68, his maiden first-class five-for. Tanmay Srivastava made 73 upfront for UP, but Mukul Dagar, Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina went cheaply, with Mohit Sharma and Amit Mishra sharing the wickets. Parvinder and Dwivedi, though, added an unbeaten 96 for the fifth wicket to ease the hosts’ nerves.
ScorecardDelhi have a daunting 270-run target to chase on a lively Roshanara Club pitch against Maharashtra on the fourth day. The Delhi team was guilty of allowing Maharashtra to surge to 266 in the second innings with major contributions from Harshad Khadiwale (96) and Ankit Bawne (55).For the full match-report, click here.

Peter Siddle has chewed up and spat out the suggestion that the absence of meat from his diet was the reason he was unable to recover from his Adelaide exertions

Daniel Brettig in Hobart12-Dec-2012Australia’s vegetarian fast bowler Peter Siddle has chewed up and spat out the suggestion that the absence of meat from his diet was the reason he was unable to recover from his Adelaide exertions in time to play in the pivotal Perth Test against South Africa.As he prepared to resume as the leader of the hosts’ attack in the Test series against Sri Lanka, starting in Hobart on Friday, Siddle flatly rejected the view – proffered by Dennis Lillee, among others – that meat was essential to the diet of a fast bowler. Siddle backed up his rebuttal with the correct observation that his ability to maintain high pace and accuracy for long periods has in fact been helped by the lifestyle change, which he made earlier this year.”I struggled to bowl over 50 overs [before becoming vegetarian] so, to bowl 64, I think that’s an improvement,” Siddle said at Bellerive Oval. “So I’m probably in a better place than I ever was. For people to say that’s the problem and that’s the reason why [I withdrew], they’re the ones kidding themselves. They’re not the ones out there having to do it and having to go through it. To still be bowling 140 kmph in my 64th over at the end of the fifth day in a Test match, that probably shows the improvements.”Siddle’s pre-season admission that he had foresworn meat has been the cause of some mirth among those who harbour cliched views about the dietry habits of fast bowlers, even though he made the change with plenty of support from Cricket Australia’s dieticians and support staff. The team performance manager Pat Howard has previously pointed to the decorated examples of the triathlete Dave Scott, the AFL footballer Brett Kirk and Martina Navratilova’s tennis mastery as examples of vegetarian success in elite sport.But Lillee’s comments to ABC radio during the Perth Test fuelled Siddle’s irritation that nearly halfway through the summer he is having to justify his choice of diet. “In India [at MRF Pace Foundation], our guys have got to eat protein even if they are considered vegetarian – they have got to eat fish and chicken,” Lillee had said. “I think you have to rebuild muscle after you have had a 50-over Test. I know there is more to it than clouds and grass but I have not seen too many (vegetarian fast bowlers) survive. [Colin] Croft tried it for 18 months and couldn’t do it. Sidds is trying it and good luck to him.”Irrespective of the vegetarian debate, Siddle is satisfied that he is ready to push himself again in Hobart, after making the call in Perth that a tight hamstring and general fatigue meant he would not have been up to the task. “At the time we made the right decision. It’s one I didn’t want to have to make,” he said. “It was just going to be the safest option. We didn’t want another circumstance like Adelaide that put us more out of the game.”Part of Siddle’s own planning for this summer and the tours of India and England that lie beyond it was his decision not to take part in the hustle and bustle of the Twenty20 BBL. “At the moment I didn’t want to play in the BBL,” Siddle said. “It was part of wanting to concentrate on Tests, the same thing I spoke about earlier in the year leading into the Test matches, I wanted to miss the one-day games and concentrate on the red ball. Just with the 12 months we’ve got coming up from now, it is such a big time for us as a Test team. The best thing for me was to focus on that, try and bowl as many overs as I can throughout trainings, in games and get the body ready and raring to go for Test cricket. That was my plan and that’s the one I want to stick with.”The call to avoid the shortest format may ultimately prove far more significant to Siddle’s success over the next 12 months than whether or not he has any chicken with his stir-fry.

Chris Rogers anchored Victoria’s innings before a Chadd Sayers burst with the second new ball pulled South Australia back into the contest

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2013
Scorecard
Chris Rogers anchored Victoria’s innings with his 57th first-class century before a Chadd Sayers burst with the second new ball pulled South Australia back into the contest on day one of the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval.Rogers’ innings provided another reminder of the technique and poise available to the national selectors should they wish to add an experienced batsman to their party for the Ashes later this year. But it was a less auspicious day for the potential India tourists David Hussey, bowled for one after flying to Adelaide on match morning from ODI duty in Hobart the night before.The Bushrangers lost Rob Quiney cheaply upon winning the toss and batting, but Rogers formed fruitful stands with Michael Hill and Peter Handscomb to seemingly blunt SA’s bowlers. The Test spinner Nathan Lyon had a barren day, as did the former Victorian club swing bowler Daniel Worrell.However Sayers pinned Rogers LBW with his first delivery after taking the new ball, and added the wickets of Hussey and Handscomb. Joe Mennie chimed in to dismiss John Hastings shortly before the close.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has called for balanced pitches to make sure Test cricket remains the prime format of the game

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-2013Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has called for balanced pitches to make sure Test cricket remains the prime format of the game. He said the shorter formats might be good for the globalisation of the game and might provide financial security to the players, but Test cricket remained the pinnacle. Gavaskar was speaking at the inaugural annual MAK Pataudi lecture in honour of former India captain, Nawab of Pataudi, also fondly known as Tiger, in Chennai.”T20 is the one that is helping to globalise the game,” Gavaskar said, “taking it to countries, to emerging countries and taking it to countries like America and China and maybe Europe as well. I think that is the format you probably need to look at if you want to globalise the game.”However, I still believe that Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game. I think it is, as all the players here would readily acknowledge, that is the medium, that is the format by which they will be recognised as good players or great players or just ordinary players.”The performances in T20, the performances in the 50-over format are well and wonderful but at the end of the day, it’s Test cricket … how do you do at Test level is what the players know they will be rated by.”Gavaskar said the onus was on the administrators to retain the primacy of Test cricket. “And that is what the administrators also need to make sure,” he said. “Particularly the major countries, the ten Test-playing countries – and out of that I would imagine there are four or five major Test countries – they are the ones who should ensure that Test cricket remains the pinnacle.”The pitches, he said, were crucial. “For that I think you need to have pitches with balance,” Gavaskar said, “rather than pitches which are one-sided. Pitches which give the opportunity for the best to be tested against the best. Test cricket is a test not just of skill or technique, but it’s a test of your courage and your temperament. And I have always believed that it is temperament that separates the men from the boys. It can only be found out in the cauldron of Test cricket. I would request all the administrators to have a look at it.”Gavaskar also said the administrators shouldn’t change the rules and laws too much. “I think – and this is what Tiger said as well – that we often tinker too much with the game. That we keep on changing this and we keep on changing that, which makes it difficult for countries which are not cricket-savvy to understand the game.”The success of football, of tennis and of golf is because the rules are very simple. It is easy to understand, therefore there is no confusion in the mind of those who have never played the game before and whose primary sport in their country is not any of these sports. I think this is something cricket’s administrators need to look at.”

Zimbabwe will begin the series against Bangladesh without their new coach Andy Waller, who has yet to be announced as he makes arrangements to leave the UK

Firdose Moonda03-Apr-2013Zimbabwe will begin the home series against Bangladesh this month without their new coach Andy Waller, who has yet to be officially announced as he makes arrangements to leave the UK. Stephen Mangogo, who was previous coach Alan Butcher’s assistant, will stand-in for Waller until he arrives.Waller has been working at a private school in Sussex, Eastbourne College, where he was the head cricket coach, and has just returned from a 12-day tour of Sri Lanka with the school’s first team. A source close to both Waller and Zimbabwe Cricket confirmed that Waller had accepted the job and needed time to tie up loose ends before relocating to the country of his birth.The delay has given Mangongo, who was also interviewed for the head coach’s position, an opportunity to take charge for the first time. He served as Butcher’s assistant for two years and has been intricately involved in the fabric of Zimbabwe cricket as chairman of Takashinga Cricket Club, which has produced many internationals, including Hamilton Masakadza, Tatenda Taibu and Elton Chigumbura.Mangongo promised a turnaround after Zimbabwe slumped to seven straight defeats across all formats on the tour of West Indies, which was marked by a failure to play spin adequately, something they will face in abundance against Bangladesh.”I believe a change of tactics is required here and it’s the route I intend to take during the training sessions,” Mangongo said. “I intend to find and weed out those players who are not doing their job. I have already presented my findings to the selectors and recommended a few new players I wish to take on board, so you can expect some changes during the Bangladesh visit.”Zimbabwe dropped Elton Chigumbura and left-arm seamer Brian Vitori for their Caribbean tour after both lost form, but Mangongo’s changes may result in their return. Others who could come into the reckoning are Logan Cup top-scorer Richmond Mutumbami, and bowlers Ed Rainsford and Glen Querl.Bangladesh will play two Tests in Zimbabwe – the first time the hosts are playing more than a one-off Test at home since their comeback in August 2011 – three ODIs and two Twenty20s. The tour begins on April 17. Waller’s arrival date has not been confirmed and it is possible he will only take over for Zimbabwe’s next challenge in the FTP, against India for three ODIs in July.

Derek Brewer, the MCC chief executive and secretary who arrived at Lord’s a year ago, will next week discuss a new offer from Rifkind Levy Partnership (RLP) for the development of the Nursery ground.

Ivo Tennant01-May-2013Derek Brewer, the MCC chief executive and secretary who arrived at Lord’s a year ago, will next week discuss a new offer from Rifkind Levy Partnership (RLP) for the development of the Nursery ground.RLP outbid MCC in 1999 for the head lease on the disused railway tunnels that run inside Wellington Road at the northern end of Lord’s. They have been attempting over the past 14 years to build apartments – and lately a hospital building – at the Nursery End in return for a cash offer to MCC. This has amounted to £100 million plus £10m to the cricket charity Chance to Shine. The latest offer, which Brewer says he will “forensically” examine, is £75m for a reduced development, enabling the club to retain 66 car parking spaces and a compound for television crews.The property developers have also stipulated that there would be no encroachment on the Nursery ground, which MCC believes to be “sacrosanct”. Mike Griffith, the club’s president, has been particularly adamant that this area, the club’s second ground, should be retained purely for cricketing purposes. This is also a stipulation of the ECB for allocating major matches.The original development committee, which was wound up in controversial circumstances in 2011, advocated that flats could still be built if the Nursery ground, traditionally played on by Cross Arrows and other assorted sides, was enlarged. The thinking was that it could enable Middlesex to play one day matches there and hence prevent over-use of the main square.The fact that the Victorian tunnels, still in good condition, fell out of MCC’s control has led to much contentious debate, resignations and sackings over a six-year period. The original development committee, including 11 eminent members such as Sir John Major, Mike Atherton, Tony Lewis and Lord Grabiner, worked in conjunction with RLP to come up with a £400m proposal for a wide-ranging redevelopment. The “Vision” for Lord’s.As Brewer emphasised at the annual meeting, clubs like Hampshire and Lancashire are now particularly well run and present a threat to MCC’s continuing staging of two Test matches a year. Various members suggested that an offer should be made to RLP for the head lease of the tunnels, but Oliver Stocken, MCC’s chairman, has been told that they are not for sale. Hence the dispute is set to rumble on. Nick Gandon, formerly the director of Chance to Shine and the leader of the requisitionists seeking to stage a special general meeting that would examine the termination of the “Vision” is still set on collecting the necessary 180 signatures of members.Given that the club’s 18,000 members will not be presented with a full proposal by the club for another year, they will have time to mull over whether to accept any offer that will be made direct to them.Robert Leigh, MCC treasurer, says there is no need to sell off what he terms “the family silver”. The members now have to decide if they would prefer to take this particular form of a pot of gold.