Date-stamped : 05 Aug97 - 11:13 Tea-time gossip dominates day at Worcester By Christopher Martin-Jenkins at Worcester First day of four: Worcs 58-0 v Kent IT COMES to something when the most momentous announcement of the day is that tea is now being served in the Ladies Pavilion. Not that, at Worcester, this is ever news to underestimate, but when it comes as soon after the lunch interval as it did yes- terday it is a fair indication that somebody is desperate to find a good reason to hold on to the crowd for as long as possible. The sponge cake, of course, was excellent but a spongy pitch in the middle had already yielded all its runs for the day and the light rain followed by bad light, which prevented Worces- tershire from adding to the 58 they had scored against Kent in the 16 overs which were possible before lunch, ended up by frus- trating everyone pre- sent. Originally, this included a crowd of such decent proportions that the car park was full well before the 12.15 start. Tom Moody, already captain of Worcestershire and West Aus- tralia and under consideration as the county coach when David Houghton has returned to Zimbabwe at the end of the month, is not a man to lead from behind and having won the toss he not only chose to bat but played the leading role in a largely untroubled opening with Tim Curtis. The pitch was white from a distance but a little damp and very slow. Dean Headley bowled eight very respectable overs, unfortu- nate- ly before the arrival of David Graveney, the chairman of the England se- lectors from Edgbaston. An inside edge by Moody to the fine-leg bound- ary and a couple which left him and zipped past the outside edge were all that Headley had to show. His opening partner was Alan Igglesden, who seems to be thriv- ing again after his two years without a championship match. Martin McCague is being rested, partly because there is only a day between the finish of this match and the start of Kent`s even more important match against Essex. The ease with which Moody and Curtis punished slightly short balls from Paul Strang when Steve Marsh brought his leg-spinner on after nine overs suggested that some contrivance may be re- quired if Kent are to make full use of their game in hand over Gloucestershire. Not that Worcestershire, who are giving their young fast bowler Maneer Mirza, brother of the late Parvez, his first championship game, are ruling themselves out. They have eight more matches without a break and it says something about the anomalies of the fixture-list that Graeme Hick should have played only five first-class innings throughout July. That three of them have been hundreds, against Sussex, Pak- istan A and Essex, is reason enough, Worcester folk feel, for Hick to be under consideration again by the England selectors. There was plenty of time for speculation. The dressing-rooms were alive with discussion about what seems now to be the for- mat for next year`s championship, comprising 14 games, played initially in three groups of six, with `play-offs` later in the season. There was talk, too, of other aspects of county cricket`s fu- ture. Mike Vockins, who doubles as Worcestershire`s secretary and over- seer of the second eleven championship, is eagerly awaiting next week`s blueprint to see whether it will allow more rest and practice time for the overworked young profession- als, and Brian Downing, chairman of the Board`s marketing arm, was at New Road to discuss fund-raising initiatives. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Leatherdale gets into full flow By Barrie Fairall at Worcester Second day of four: Worcestershire 409-7 v Kent IN the fencing for position at New Road, the hits scored on either side drew no serious loss of blood yesterday until David Leatherdale drew the sabre and scored a rattling, good century to keep Kent at bay. With the weather having had its way, the likelihood is that some wheeling and dealing will enter into this argument come Mon- day. In the meantime, Worcestershire needed to keep their heads rather than lose them on a wicket that held no terrors. As it was, Tom Moody and Graeme Hick were cut down by Matthew Fleming when well set and at 158 for four, Worcestershire were not feeling quite so comfortable as they might have been. Leatherdale and Vikram Solanki changed all that, however, with their best scores in the championship this season. Kent, riding third in the table before the start, had worked off their frustration at the loss of 88 overs on day one by rapidly sep- arating the openers when Tim Curtis, with a shake of the head, was given out caught behind in Dean Headley`s second over of the morning. That shake of the head? Well, one of the reasons could have been that Curtis was one of Headley`s teachers during his school days at Worcester Royal Grammar School. Disbelief, then, of one kind or the other, though Kent had a while to wait for their next success as Moody and Hick threatened carnage. Especially Hick, who seemed to enjoy singling out Julian Thompson for attention. If Thompson pitched short he was pulled and if he pitched the ball up he was driven. Hick in this mood is almost impos- sible to bowl at and Thompson was retired after conceding six bound- aries in three overs to the Worcestershire No 3. Hick and Moody had added 71 before they were separated, Flem- ing gaining an lbw decision against Moody when 60 and later tak- ing out Hick, who pulled to Graham Cowdrey at deep square leg when he was just four short of a half century. Suddenly, Worcestershire appeared vulnerable but the swash- buckling Leatherdale added 50 for the fifth wicket in compa- ny with Gavin Haynes and next featured in a century stand with Solanki. By the close, he was still there, too, on 120 by which time he had registered 16 fours and a six off 207 balls. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Ealham stands firm Patrick Murphy at New Road MARK Ealham led a vigorous counter-attack against the threat of the follow-on but a spell of four wickets in six overs tilted the balance Worcestershire`s way. Ealham came in at 100 for three as the earlier Kent batsmen continued this season`s practice of flattering to deceive. Eal- ham, amid the ruins of lower-order collapses, rewarded the de- cision to pro- mote him up the order and hit 50 off 45 balls. With calmer waters ahead, he and Graham Cowdrey then departed within six balls - Ealham the victim of one that stopped on him in Tom Moody`s first over. Paul Strang was part of the flurry of wickets, giving him even more time to contemplate an uncertain few weeks ahead. Kent face a dilemma over next season`s overseas player - whether to invite Strang back or revert to Carl Hooper, a cricketer of immense tal- ent but brit- tle on big occasions during his four seasons at Canterbury. International duties meant the West Indian had to give way to the Zimbabwean leg-spinner this summer and Strang has been an un- qualified success, showing the verve and all-round skills that impressed against England a few months back. After setting himself a target of 80 wickets and 600 runs in the championship, he will exceed his batting ambitions and though 42 wickets so far appears a mundane return, his economy of two- and-a-half runs an over in a wet summer is creditable for a leg-spin- nerand his fielding has been brilliant. "I`d dearly love to return to Kent," said Strang, "but if not I`d love to carry on playing county cricket. I`ve learnt such a lot this summer - about patience, that you can`t always get the pitch you want, that you need to be mentally strong to over- come fatigue. "It`s also harder now for a leg-spinner in English cricket than when Shane Warne burst on the scene four years ago. Fa- miliarity means they`re playing us more confidently." John Wright, Kent`s coach, admits the choice is difficult one but says of Strang: "He`s been a model overseas professional." Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Kent chase cut short By Barrie Fairall at Worcester Worcestershire (422 & 174-3 dec) drew with Kent (276 & 158-4) THE deal was mouth-watering, and the outcome finely balanced, but in the end the hopes of both contestants were washed away at New Road, Kent chasing four an over at the start of their second innings and Worcestershire gambling on gaining from a generous declara- tion. Thanks to the loss of overs at the outset of this match, it was back to the bad old ways of three-day cricket, when the pair came together first thing yesterday. For all that, the feast of cafeteria bowling fed Worcestershire brought with it the promise of a thrilling climax. Such renowned bowlers as Graham Cowdrey, Alan Wells, Trevor Ward and Ed Smith topped up the Worcestershire lead. David Leatherdale, who had scored a century first time around, made the most of this with a 37-ball fifty including seven fours and a couple of sixes. At this stage, where you had parked your car was an important consideration as Leatherdale laid about him. The slog might have continued too, but for a declaration that appeared to favour Kent. With Wells holding up an end in responsible fashion, after the departure of Smith, Ward went for his shots as Kent went in pursuit of 321 off a minimum of 80 overs. Ward, a perfectionist, has been working on his technique and now tucked into the medium pace of Gavin Haynes with relish. Having just reached a half-century with his eighth boundary, however, he was bowled by the promising Maneer Mirza, having raised 61 for the second wicket. Cowdrey was next out when Tom Moody had him taken at slip. By now, though, the clouds were building up and when Wells went for 43, only one ball remained before play was abandoned, with Kent denied precious points in the title chase. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)