Cricket: Glamorgan wait on Gillespie fate

Apr 9 2008 by Gareth Griffiths, Western Mail

GLAMORGAN will learn today if they must restart their search for an overseas player when the England and Wales Cricket Board finally decide on the fate of Australian seamer Jason Gillespie.

The governing body will decide whether to allow Gillespie to play for the Welsh county this summer after the Aussie ace figured in the rebel Indian Cricket League, which is unsanctioned by the International Cricket Council.

If the paceman is denied permission, the Welsh county face having to replace him just two weeks before they open their Liverpool Victoria county championship season against Middlesex at Lord’s on April 23.

Meanwhile, Robert Croft will return to action for the two-day friendly against Somerset at Taunton, which starts tomorrow.

The former England spinner was left out of the one-day friendlies against Sussex at Hove last week.

Dragons cricket manager Matthew Maynard has hinted veteran Croft will not be involved in the shortened version of the game this summer, but still has a major role to play in county championship cricket.

Meanwhile Tom Maynard, son of Matthew, has been included by the England Under-19 selectors in the squad to play in three limited overs matches next week against Middlesex seconds.

Glamorgan: (from) D Hemp (capt), M Wood, G Rees, M Powell, J Dalrymple, M Wallace (wk), A Wharf, R Croft, R Watkins, D Harrison, D Cosker, A Shantry

Former South Africa captain Kepler Wessels believes the Proteas will end a 43-year drought and claim a Test series victory in England this year.

Wessels has been enthused by the form of the current team, who have won their past six Test series and hold a 1-0 lead in their three-Test series against India.

“Since they have been together, I believe this (the win in India) was their best performance ever,” Wessels said.

“The current batch of players are playing so well together that in this form they are hard to stop and to be very honest, I’ve never seen many of them play better.”