LATEST NEWS

5TH FEBRUARY 2010

Bell stays on as a Bear

Ian Bell has extended his Warwickshire contract by signing a two-year extension, taking his contracted stay to the end of the 2012 season.

His availability for the county side may be seriously negotiated this season by his position within the England side, after returning to favour with a number of spirited and classy knocks in South Africa this winter.

While he was out of international reckoning in 2009, Bell appeared 13 times for Warwickshire in the County Championship making 986 runs at an impressive 54.77, including four centuries.

He has not played in so much Championship cricket since 2004 before he had made real inroads into becoming a fully fledged England cricketer.

The Warwickshire faithful will be pleased to see his elegant style appearing at Edgbaston till at least 2012, as and when his England career allows.



2ND FEBRUARY 2009

Yuvraj to link up with Gilly at Lords ?

After Sachin Tendulkar turned down the chance to join Middlesex for the Twenty20 Cup, Yuvraj Singh is the next crowd-pulling name to enter into talks with the club.

They have already snared Adam Gilchrist, and if they add another name such as the frustratingly talented Yuvraj, it would certainly enhance their chances of improving on a poor 2009 campaign in the same tournament, where they failed to get through the group stages.

"We have been in talks with Yuvraj about the possibility of him playing Twenty20 cricket this summer," Angus Fraser, Middlesex's director of cricket, told Cricinfo. "The contract is not in place at this moment in time, but we're in communication, and it seems to be going quite positively."


29TH JANUARY 2010

Hants swoop for McKenzie

South African Neil McKenzie joins Simon Jones, Kabir Ali, Ajantha Mendis and Shahid Afridi on the exciting list on new signings that Hampshire can boast ahead of the 2010 season.

With McKenzie currently out of favour with the South African national side, and unlikely to return at this stage of his career, he has joined the South Coast club on a Kolpak contract and will be available for the duration of the season.

McKenzie's pedigree suggests he should be an unquestionable success, the captain on the Highveld Lions, in South Africa, has 58 Tests and 64 ODI's under his belt, averaging just over 37 in both forms.

The stylish batsman returned to the Test fold at the start of 2008 after being out in the cold for just under four years. Since that period to his last Test to date he has averaged a more impressive 47.11, perhaps testament to his matured style.

It was during tbhis time that he made his name as an opening bat, thrust into the position he excelled displaying key attributes such as patience and concentration, yet more prevalent was his ability to play the moving ball late. When in form McKenzie would not push at the ball, he would let the bowlers come to him and play the ball absolutely under his eyeline.

His temperament, while owning a number of superstitions, is that of an unflappable nature, exemplified by his 553 minute vigil at Lords to help save the Test for South Africa in July 2008.

It must be said though, that his last visit to the County Championship was not so successful.

While playing at Durham, he failed to pass 50 in any of his eight innings during 2008. A year earlier he did show more of a liking to County attacks with three fifties in five innings for Somerset.

Regardless of what he has done in the past, over the course of a season, it is logical to expect McKenzie to play a pivotal role for Hants. With John Crawley retiring at the end of last season, the consistency, reliability, and experience you expect to miss will surely be minimalised by the signing of Neil McKenzie.



29th JANUARY 2010

Denly extends his stay at Kent

Kent's exciting opening batsman Joe Denly has signed a new extended contract with the club which runs till the end of the 2011 season.

Denly broke into the England limited overs side during the 2009 season, and his partnership at the top of the order with captain Robert Key has been crucial in all forms of cricket.

He will be eager to add to his nine One-Day international caps. Denly, 23, has showed glimpses of his potential at the highest level, innings of 67 against Ireland, and cameos of 45 and 53 against World Champions Australia, have shown his attractive strokeplay during the 'powerplay' overs can be effective at the top of the innings.

But it is a consistent County Championship season that Denly will be working towards, as he aims to put pressure on Hampshire's Michael Carberry, who seems to be the man England currently prefer as a back-up opener to Andrew Strauss and Alistair Cook in the Test side.

With Kent returning to the top flight in the County Championship, after winning the second division in 2009, Denly will be a key figure in ensuring they maintain their first division status.





27th JANUARY 2010

Surrey today announced the signing of Hampshire quick bowler Chris Tremlett on a three-year contract.

The 6'7" seamer made his fist-class debut for Hampshire back in 2000, when he took 4-16 against a New Zealand 'A' team.

Since then we have seen real glimpses of a top class bowler, that finally got his crack at Test cricket in 2007 during a home series against India. Tremlett didn't disappoint, his steepling bounce caused real problems for India, but as has been the case so often, injuries have meant he has slipped some way down the international pecking order.

Last season Tremlett, 28, managed just seven Championship appearances, taking 14 wickets at at 40.28. A statistic that does not do justice to the talent.

With Kabir Ali recently signing for Hampshire, they took the decision to release Tremlett from his contract and allow him to embark upon a fresh challenge in the hope of him rediscovering his top form, and perhaps more importantly, an injury-free campaign.

The Oval should be a place, certainly a wicket, that should suit Tremlett's attributes. While it doesn't possess the pace and bounce of years gone by, it should still offer enough assistance to encourage the paceman to bend his back.

His experience, and qualities, alongside the emerging Jade Dernbach and the raw pace of Stuart Meaker should give Surrey a cutting edge in Division Two, especially with the skills that Piyush Chawla can offer should the pitch it not be conducive to pace. Not to mention what Andre Nel brings to the table.

The key will be Tremlett staying out of the physio's room ,should he manage that, it may well prove a vital signing for Surrey.