Cricket: Thorpe comeback call.Byline: MYLES HODGSON GRAHAM THORPE Graham Paul Thorpe MBE (born August 1 1969 in Farnham, Surrey) is an English cricketer who played for Surrey and England. Naturally right-handed in everything but batting, when he was six years old Thorpe changed his stance to make it harder for his two elder brothers to get will resume his career for England in the final npower Test against South Africa South Africa, Afrikaans Suid-Afrika, officially Republic of South Africa, republic (2005 est. pop. 44,344,000), 471,442 sq mi (1,221,037 sq km), S Africa. this week confident he is ready to perform again at the highest level after a year's absence from the international arena. The Surrey left-hander was the only major change to the 13-man squad, revealed by chairman of selectors David Graveney David Anthony Graveney OBE (born 2 January, 1953 Westbury-on-Trym) is a leading figure in English cricket as the chairman of the England Test selectors since 1997. He led a successful first-class cricket career between 1972 and 1994. yesterday, whichEngland hope can bounce back and level the series following the disappointing defeat in the fourth Test at Headingley. Thorpe replaces old friend Nasser Hussain Nasser Hussain (born March 28 1968, Madras (now Chennai, India) is a former Essex and England cricketer. He was born of an Indian father, Jawad (also known as "Joe"), and an English mother, Patricia, who changed her name to Shireen on conversion to Islam. , who broke his left big toe big toe n. The largest and innermost toe of the human foot. batting in the last Test, whileWorcestershire off-spinner Gareth Batty Gareth Jon Batty (born October 13, 1977 in Bradford, Yorkshire) is an English cricketer, more specifically a spin-bowler. The off-spinner has been largely backup to Ashley Giles throughout his career, though he did play four Tests in the English tour of the subcontinent in 2003, as returns to the squad after missing out at Headingley and takes over from Sussex seamer James Kirtley Robert James Kirtley is an English Test cricketer, who was born on the 10 July 1975 in Eastbourne in the county of Sussex. He is a right arm fast to medium bowler and a right hand batsman. He also studied at Clifton College, Bristol and St.Andrews School, Eastbourne. after he was ruled out with shin splints. Batty will once again have to wait to discover if he has made the starting line-up having been named in the squad and overlooked for Trent Bridge Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottingham, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. ,but Thorpe will go straight into the side over a year since his England career was abruptly ended when he announced he was taking a complete break from cricket in the aftermath of his highly publicised marriage break-up. It also prompted Thorpe to withdraw from last winter's Ashes tour at late notice,having previously assured the selectors he was ready to play international cricket again and may have prolonged his exile from England's ranks since. But having scored runs regularly for Surrey this summer and assured the selectors of his availability for this winter's tours toBangladesh,Sri Lanka and West I ndies,Thorpe was welcomed back into the fold again. ``I'mgoing to enjoy it. I don't thinkI'vegot anything to lose by playing in this game and that will be my attitude towards it.I don't know if it's going to be one game or 10, 20 or 30 games but I'll be going out there to do my best and we'll have to see how it pans out from there.'' England certainly believe the return of Thorpe, who averages 55 in county cricket this summer, will strengthen a batting unit without the experience and determination which Hussain has provided in the last two matches. ``Graham's inclusion is not like for -like because one is left-handed and one is right-handed but it is in terms of experience and batting in that sort of position,''explained Graveney.``He's made himself available for the winter and he will be in the mix when we look at the tour squads.I've spoken to him during the summer and he is obviously had a very difficult time,but he assures me that he wants to commit himself to England and in the end you have to take someone's word for it.'' England's only other dilemma is the fitness of Surrey seamer Martin Bicknell, who struggled with hamstring trouble throughout his Test return at Headingley. ENGLAND : MP Vaughan (Yorkshire,capt) Age 28 Tests 34,ME Trescothick (Somerset) 27 37,MA Butcher (Surrey) 3155,GP Thorpe (Surrey), 34 77,AJ Stewart (Surrey, wkt)40 132,ET Smith (Kent) 26 2,A Flintoff (Lancashire) 25 25,AF Giles (Warwickshire) 30 24,SJ Harmison (Durham) 2410,JM Anderson (Lancashire) 21 6,MP Bicknell (Surrey) 34 3,Kabir Ali (Worcestershire) 22 1,GJ Batty (Worcestershire) 24 0. SATURDAY SUMMARIES: Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy Final: Lord's Worcestershire 149 v Gloucestershire150-3 (IJ Harvey 61)Gloucestershire beat Worcestershire by 7 wkts Second Test Match: Peshawar Bangladesh 361(Javed Omar 119,Habibul Bashar 97,Mohammad Ashraful 77,Shoaib Akhtar 6-49)& 96 (Shoaib Akhtar 4-30) v Pakistan 295(TaufeeqUmar 75,Yousuf Youhana 64 no,Mohammad Rafique5-118)& 165-1(MohammadHafeez 102 no)Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 9 wkts Tour Match: Derby South Africa 460-7 dec(JH Kallis 200,T L Tsolekile 90,M V Boucher 89,P M R Havell 4-129) v Derbyshire 136-4dec Derbyshire drew with South Africa YESTERDAY: C & G Trophy 20041st Round:Banbury Herefordshire 267-9 Innings Complete (MJ Rawnsley 61,I Dawood 53) v Oxfordshire 141(AP Cook 66,F A Rose 5-19)Herefordshire beat Oxfordshire by 126 runs TheGrange Cumberland 237-9 Innings Complete (GD Lloyd 123) v Scotland 239-6 (JG Williamson 77,C J O Smith 56) Scotland beat Cumberland by 4 wkts National Cricket League - Div One: Headingley Surrey Lions 202 (AD Brown 50,A McGrath 4-41) v YorkshirePhoenix 200-8(MP Vaughan 90) Surrey beat Yorkshire by 2 runs Div Two: Derby Durham Dynamos 216-7 Innings Complete(PD Collingwood 54) v Derbyshire Scorpions 205(MJ Di Venuto 63,C W G Bassano 51,G D Bridge 4-39)Durham beat Derbyshire by 11 runs Trent Bridge:Northamptonshire Steelbacks 296-5 Innings Complete (TW Roberts 131,M E K Hussey 59) v Nottinghamshire Outlaws 84 Northamptonshire beat Nottinghamshire by 212 runs TODAY: National Cricket League - Div One (1day) Edgbaston: Warwickshire Bears v Gloucestershire Gladiators (12.00)National Cricket League - Div Two (1day) Taunton: Somerset Sabres v Lancashire Lightning (16.10) CAPTION(S): RETURN: Thorpe |
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