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| June 3, 2005 | Friday | Rabi-us-Sani 25, 1426 |
Thorpe set to join elite band today
CHESTER-LE-STREET (England), June 2: Graham Thorpe is set to become only the eighth England cricketer to appear in 100 Tests when the second and final Test against Bangladesh starts at the Riverside on Friday. And judging by the way the Asian minnows folded in the series opener at Lord’s, other pages in the record books are also in line for a rewrite.
Bangladesh’s first Test on English soil ended in an innings and 261-run defeat, the 10th biggest Test innings reverse of all time, with the match completed inside seven sessions before lunch on the third day.
But anyone thinking things couldn’t get any worse for Bangladesh should have paid attention to the tourists’ coach, Dav Whatmore, who was fearful of what could happen if his side batted first on the Durham home ground of England quick Stephen Harmison.
Not that anyone looking for clues as to England’s hopes of winning the Ashes for the first time since 1986-87 should read anything into this match, which unusually for a Test in England, is starting on a Friday not a Thursday.
The official reason for the switch was to ensure, in the unlikely event the Lord’s match went the distance, that players would have at least three days between games.
However, one way of trying to safeguard play on Saturday — traditionally the best attended day — is to start 24 hours later than normal.
Whatever the outcome, the spotlight will initially fall on Surrey left-hander Thorpe. The 35-year-old middle-order batsman angered the selectors by announcing on the eve of the first Test that he’d signed a contract to play cricket in New South Wales next year.
That appeared to confirm the widespread view that Thorpe, who scored a century on Test debut against Australia 12 years ago, will announce his international retirement at the end of the season.
However, it didn’t stop the selectors allowing Thorpe to become the newest member of England’s ‘100 club’ alongside the late Sir Colin Cowdrey, Geoff Boycott, Ian Botham, David Gower, Graham Gooch, Mike Atherton and Alec Stewart.
Only Gooch, coaching at Essex, will miss a special presentation ceremony featuring the other five living members of the elite group.
Michael Vaughan, the England captain, also paid tribute to Thorpe.
“Anybody who gets to 100 Test matches is getting to the stage of legendary,” he said. “The one thing I think about Thorpey is that when we need runs, he gets them.
“He’s a real big worker and I know his ambition is to play in that last Test match at The Oval against Australia in September. I fully back him because he has been a fantastic player not only for me but for England. We should cherish him.”
Teams:
ENGLAND: Michael Vaughan (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Graham Thorpe, Ian Bell, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones, Gareth Batty.
BANGLADESH (from): Habibul Bashar (captain), Khaled Mashud, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Ashraful, Javed Omar, Rajin Saleh, Nafis Iqbal, Aftab Ahmed, Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Mortaza, Tapash Baisya, Anwar Hossain, Shahadat Hossain.
Umpires: Daryl Harper (Australia) and Tony Hill (New Zealand).
Match referee: Alan Hurst (Australia).—Agencies
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