Worcestershire County Cricket Club in 2005 are playing their County Championship games in Division Two and their totesport League games in Division One. Under their new captain, Vikram Solanki, they are tipped to go straight back up to the top flight of the County Championship, and start the season 9-2 second favourites to end up as Division Two champions. Vikram Singh Solanki (born 1 April 1976) is an English cricketer, a right-handed opening batsman. ...

They started the season with a convincing win against Derbyshire in the Championship, followed by a comfortable win over Northamptonshire in a rain-affected Sunday League game. Their second game of the Championship, against Durham at Chester-le-Street, however, was a humiliating 7 wicket defeat inside two days. They then lost a close game against Lancashire over four days, and another close game against Middlesex on the Sunday. Northamptonshire Cricket Club is one of the 18 major counties which make up the English domestic cricket structure. ... The Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street Durham County Cricket Club (Durham CCC) is an English domestic first-class cricket team based at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, County Durham. ... Chester-le-Street is a market town in County Durham, England with a history going back to Roman times. ... Lancashire County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club based at Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester External links Official Lancashire County Cricket Club website Categories: Cricket stubs | English first class cricket teams ... Middlesex County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club in England, named for the historic county of Middlesex. ...

Tables

Championship

The Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street Durham County Cricket Club (Durham CCC) is an English domestic first-class cricket team based at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, County Durham. ... Essex County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Chelmsford, though with grounds elsewhere. ... Worcestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at New Road, Worcester, England. ... Yorkshire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Headingley in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. ... Lancashire County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club based at Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester External links Official Lancashire County Cricket Club website Categories: Cricket stubs | English first class cricket teams ... Northamptonshire Cricket Club is one of the 18 major counties which make up the English domestic cricket structure. ... Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Taunton. ... Leicestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Leicester. ...

totesport League

Middlesex County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club in England, named for the historic county of Middlesex. ... Northamptonshire Cricket Club is one of the 18 major counties which make up the English domestic cricket structure. ... Glamorgan County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Cardiff, playing most of their games at Sophia Gardens, which is located by the River Taff. ... Essex County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Chelmsford, though with grounds elsewhere. ... Lancashire County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club based at Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester External links Official Lancashire County Cricket Club website Categories: Cricket stubs | English first class cricket teams ... Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Bristol. ... Worcestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at New Road, Worcester, England. ... Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club are a first-class cricket team who are based in the city of Nottingham in England. ...

Match details

Derbyshire v Worcestershire (13-16 April)

Worcestershire (21 pts) beat Derbyshire (3 pts) by 10 wickets

At Derby, Worcestershire won the toss an chose to bat. Stephen Moore was run out early for 19. He held his pose, showing off his defensive shot during an appeal for leg before wicket, as Moss came in on the blind side and threw the ball at the stumps. The other opener, Stephen Peters, stayed around though, and made 55. Once Moore was out, Moss was joined by Hick, who was given lives on 8 and 57, and made 80 off 119 balls before finally being lbw for 80 off one that kept low. Vikram Solanki then went for a duck, but Worcestershire were never in trouble, finishing on 305 for 6 at close. Derby (pronounced dar-bee ) is a city in the East Midlands of England. ... Worcestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at New Road, Worcester, England. ... In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket (lbw) is one of the ways in which a batsman can get be dismissed. ... Vikram Singh Solanki (born 1 April 1976) is an English cricketer, a right-handed opening batsman. ...

Worcestershire kept batting on the second day, before declaring after winning their fourth bonus point on 350 for 9. Derbyshire's batting was woeful, with no-one scoring more than 30 as their first innings ended on 135 all out, 215 behind. Mason (2), Sheriyar (3) and Wigley (3) were all in the wickets for Worcester. The follow-on was enforced, and Derbyshire were 10 for 0 when stumps were drawn.

Only 74 overs were bowled on the third day, with rain ending play at tea. Michael Di Venuto put up the Derbyshire resistance, scoring 111 in an innings that included 12 fours and 1 six before finally being stumped off Gareth Batty. Stubbings played the anchor role, and had made only 33 when the first wicket fell for 150. Batty bowled unchanged for a 32 over spell as Sheriyar and Wigley tried, and failed, to get di Venuto. Once he was gone, there was a flurry of wickets to 175 for 4. At close Derbyshire were within sight of a draw, being 11 runs behind with six wickets remaining.

Gareth Batty increased his second innings tally to 5 for 87 to dismiss Derbyshire early on the fourth day. Stubbings' innings ended with just 10 added to the previous day's score. By the time they were all out for 285, Derbyshire had set a target of just 71 in 68 overs. It took them only 14 as Peters and Moore won the match for them by 10 wickets. It was an easy victory for Worcestershire in the end, helped by Derbyshire dropping 6 catches along the way. Worcester coach Tom Moody said, "We haven't got our overseas players here but this was a good example of the depth of our squad. To have a successful season, you need players who can come in and stand up and be counted and they've done that. The game proved that catches win matches with Derbyshire dropping six while Worcestershire hardly missed an opportunity. We were let off the hook a bit in the first innings with some dropped chances but our catching was exceptional, particularly with the conditions being so cold. I think the cold weather was the hardest thing for Gareth because it's difficult for a spinner to get his hands warm and grip the ball." [1] (http://live.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/ENG_LOCAL/CC2/SCORECARDS/13-16APR2005/DERBY_WORCS_CC2_13-16APR2005.html) Tom Moody is a former Australian cricketer. ...

Northamptonshire v Worcestershire (17 April)

Worcestershire (4pts) beat Northamptonshire (0pts) by 31 runs (D/L method)

At Northampton, Worcestershire captain Vikram Solanki led fromt he front, scoring 119 off 137 balls, including 13 fours and 1 six. Support from his colleagues took the visitors up to 211 fo 4 off their 45 overs. Worcestershire director of cricket Tom Moody said of Solanki: "I can't see why he won't be in the mix for England section this summer. It depends how the selectors shuffle the deck, but I would imagine he will be in their minds for consideration at the very least. We were very confident he was ready for the challenge of captaincy and he has had a great start." This article is about Northampton, England. ... Worcestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at New Road, Worcester, England. ... Vikram Singh Solanki (born 1 April 1976) is an English cricketer, a right-handed opening batsman. ...

When Northampstonshire batted, Australian Matt Mason took 3 for 20, to leave Northamptonshire on 137 for 7 off 32.5 overs when rain prevented further play. Worcestershire won easily on the Duckworth-Lewis method. [2] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/fds/hi/statistics/cricket/scorecards/2005/4/11514/html/scorecard.stm) Northamptonshire Cricket Club is one of the 18 major counties which make up the English domestic cricket structure. ... In the sport of cricket, the Duckworth-Lewis method (D/L method) is a way to calculate the target score for the team batting second in a one-day cricket match interrupted by weather or other circumstance. ...

Durham v Worcestershire (20-23 April)

Durham (19pts) beat Worcestershire (3pts) by 7 wickets

Worcestershire won the toss at Chester-le-Street and chose to bat first. Peters and Moore started them off well as they moved to 75 without loss. Then Mark Davies, who is fighting for his first-team place, removed six wickets to reduce them to 120, before Steve Harmison (3 wickets) and Paul Collingwood (1 wicket) finished off the tail to reduce Worcestershire to 171 all out. Collingwood then returned with the bat and got to 88 not out, to leave Durham well-placed on 139 for 2 at close. Worcestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at New Road, Worcester, England. ... Chester-le-Street is a market town in County Durham, England with a history going back to Roman times. ... Steve Harmison (born 23 October 1978, Ashington, Northumberland) is an England cricketer, and a leading Test match fast bowler. ... The Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street Durham County Cricket Club (Durham CCC) is an English domestic first-class cricket team based at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, County Durham. ...

On the second day, Collingwood completed his century, finally falling for 129 when Durham were 229 for 4. The Durham tail did not perform, however, and they were all out for 286, a lead of 115. Liam Plunkett, who had a good first game but a quiet first innings in this second game, then returned to knock out three top-order wickets. The rest of the bowling unit performed well, and Steve Harmison took a hat-trick on his way to 5 for 61. Harmison later said, "The way I was feeling, my tail was up and I felt I could go through them. The position they were in I don’t think they were too keen to hang around. Before the last ball [of the hat-trick], I felt confident. It was a decent ball in a decent area and I was glad when he [Wigley] chopped it on."

Charminda Vaas top-scored with 42 not out, as Worcester were all out for 146. This left Durham a target of only 32 to win, which they got for the loss of 3 wickets to win with two days spare. [3] (http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/2005/ENG_LOCAL/CC2/SCORECARDS/20-23APR2005/DURHAM_WORCS_CC2_20-23APR2005.html?cilegacy1)

Worcestershire v Lancashire (27-30 April)

Lancashire (17pts) beat Worcestershire (6pts) by 76 runs

Lancashire batted first after losing the toss at Worcester, and were soon in trouble. At 81 for 3, Andrew Flintoff, playing his first first-class match after returning from injury, came to the crease. However, after facing 5 balls he was back in the Pavilion without scoring. It got worse for Lancashire as they fell to 97 for 6 and 196 all out, mostly thanks to an unbeaten 69 from wicket-keeper Warren Hegg. In reply, Worcestershire lost Stephen Moore early, but Graeme Hick and Stephen Peters were there at close, with Worcestershire on 59 for 1. Lancashire County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club based at Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester External links Official Lancashire County Cricket Club website Categories: Cricket stubs | English first class cricket teams ... Worcester is the placename used around the world: Worcester, England, the county town of Worcestershire and home of: Worcester Cathedral Worcestershire sauce The Royal Grammar School Worcester North American places (named by English immigrants): Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester, New York Worcester, Vermont Worcester, Wisconsin Worcester County, Maryland Marquette, Michigan, formerly known... Andrew Flintoff (born December 6, 1977, Preston, Lancashire) is an English cricketer and one of the best all-round cricketers in the world, bearing comparison with Ian Botham. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... A wicket keeper in characteristic position, ready to face a delivery. ... Worcestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at New Road, Worcester, England. ... Stephen Moore refers to multiple people: Stephen Moore is an English actor. ... Graeme Ashley Hick (born 23 May 1966) is a former England cricketer. ...

Hick dominated the second day's play as he moved from 32 not out to 176 in 231 balls, his 127th first-class century and his 97th for Worcestershire. This now puts him tenth in the list of all-time century makers, just ahead of WG Grace. However, no other Worcester player scored more than 27 as Muttiah Muralitharan picked up 5 wickets, and they finished on 306, 110 ahead. Lancashire were 47 for 1 in reply at stumps. William Gilbert Grace (July 18, 1848–October 23, 1915) was an English cricketer who, by his extraordinary skills, made cricket perhaps the first modern spectator sport, and who developed most of the techniques of modern batting. ... Muttiah Muralitharan (born April 17, 1972 in Kandy), also simply referred to as Murali, is a Sri Lankan cricketer specializing in off spin bowling. ...

There was cheer for England fans on the third day, as Flintoff was back to his belligerent best, scoring 83 from 101 balls. Stuart Law also made 83, but was slower, taking 152 balls. With support from Dominic Cork (57), Lancashire were able to set a fair target. Their 377 left Worcestershire 268 to win. They lost Peters first ball, and Moore also fell, but with Lancashire pitching short to Hick, it was 58 for 2 at close.

On the final day, 3 wickets from each of Cork and Muralitharan helped dismiss Worcestershire for 191 runs, with David Wigley unable to bat because of a broken hand sustained when James Anderson bowled a beamer at him in the first innings. After the match Cork talking about his match performance of 7 for 115 said, "The ball is coming out well at the moment. I've worked hard with Mike Watkinson over the winter with it. It's early season and these sort of conditions suit a bowler like myself." Watkinson, in response, spoke of Lancashire's determination to get straight back into the first Division after the disappointment of relegation last season, ""We talked about the start of the season and the need to start well and to get a positive number in the wins column is a good feeling. We have two home games now coming up against Derbyshire and Durham and maybe we can kick on from here." [4] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/fds/hi/statistics/cricket/scorecards/2005/4/11539/html/scorecard.stm) James Anderson can refer to: James Anderson, administrative head of Norfolk Island James Anderson, a founder of the Scottish Enlightenment James T.M. Anderson, Premier of Saskatchewan from 1929 to 1934 James Anderson an actor James Anderson, a tennis player James Anderson, a cricket player James Anderson, a Harvard University...

Middlesex v Worcestershire (1 May)

Middlesex (4pts) beat Worcestershire (0pts) by 3 wickets (D/L method)

The Worcestershire Royals put on 201 for 7 in their 44 overs, with David Leatherdale making 72 from 83 balls in an innings in which Graeme Hick became the heaviest scorer in the Sunday League's history. Middlesex made heavy work of overturning this total, even though they had 104 on the board before the first wicket fell. But ultimately they retained their 100% Sunday League record with 3 wickets and 1 over left. [5] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/fds/hi/statistics/cricket/scorecards/2005/5/11544/html/scorecard.stm) Worcestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at New Road, Worcester, England. ... Graeme Ashley Hick (born 23 May 1966) is a former England cricketer. ... Middlesex County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club in England, named for the historic county of Middlesex. ...