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Denis St Eval Atkinson the former West Indies cricket team captain died from cancer at the age of 75 on 9th November in southern Barbados. He was born on 9th August 1925 in Barbados, Trinidad.The World Record:
Denis Atkinson whose cricket career spanned 1948 to 1958 playing in 22 Test matches is more remembered for his part in a world record stand in 1955. In fact his 347 runs seventh wicket partnership with CC Depeiza is still a world record. Leading the Caribbean team in that Test he scored 219 to save his team from a certain defeat. The West Indies were tottering at 156 for 6 and were facing a huge Aussie total of 668 when he associated with Depeiza (122) to produce the record stand which ultimately lifted the West Indies total to 510. Atkinson continued to fight back and returned to claim five Australian wickets for 56 runs in the second innings. This brilliant all round performance of scoring a century and claiming five wickets in a match until then was the fifth such instance in test cricket history.Successful home series against England, 1953-54:
Earlier, in the home series against England in 1953-54 he scored 53 in the second test at Bridgetown which the West Indies won by 181 runs and later went on to score 74 and 53 not pot in the fourth drawn test at Part of Spain.Led from the front in New Zealand, 1955-56:
Again his contribution was significant when he led the West Indies team in New Zealand in 1955-56. During the series he scored 85 at Christchurch, clamed 5 wickets for 56 and scored 60 at Wellington and then returned his best bowling figures in an innings, 7 for 53 in the fourth and final test at Auckland. Incidentally this valiant bowling effort went in vain as the Kiwis recorded their first victory in test cricket.Hanif-His most prized wicket:
Brothers Denis and Eric Atkinson became the first West Indian pair to play in the same test (against Pakistan) at Bridge Town, Barbados in 1958. It was during this match that Denis claimed the most prized wicket of his entire career when he dislodged Hanif Mohammad after the ‘Little Master’ had played a monumental and marathon knock of 337 runs consuming 970 minutes. It was a historical moment as Hanif was just 27 runs away from the then world record when he edged an out-swinger and was caught behind the wicket by FCS Alexander to the utter disbelief of the West Indians. His figures of 62-35-61-1 in Pakistan’s second innings total of 657 for 8 declared compared to other bowlers, including Roy Gilchrist, Eric Atkinson, OG Smith, Alf Valentine and Gary Sobers, were very respectable. This was his last test match.Test Career Record

Period	Matches	Runs	Highest	Avg	100’s	50’s	Ct	Wkts	Avg	5wi	Best
1948-58	22	922	219	31.79	1	5	11	47	35.04	3	7-53

A second wicket partnership of 123 runs off 175 balls between NikhilHaldipur (92) and Rohan Gavaskar (53) placed Bengal in the driver’sseat in their Ranji Trophy Super League match against Delhi atCalcutta on Thursday. Bengal finished the day at 194 for four wicketswhen play was called off 19.2 overs before the scheduled close of playdue to bad light.Earlier, the Bengal bowlers had restricted Delhi to 236 in the firstknock with opener Akash Chopra being the top scorer with 95. It was amarathon knock that saw occupy the crease for 437 minutes. He faced328 balls and hit 12 boundaries. He was the last batsman to bedismissed off Utpal Chatterjee, caught at slip by SauravGanguly. Laxmi Ratan Shukla took the wickets of Rahul Sanghvi andSanjay Gill to finish with four wickets while Sumit Panda started theslide dismissing Nikhil Chopra in the third over of the morning.Bengal were rocked early as Gill had Devang Gandhi caught behind for aduck. Then Haldipur and the junior Gavaskar took over. Both playedfreely in front of the wicket and never allowed the bowlers todominate. Haldipur was severe on Robin Singh (jr) whom he hit forthree fours in an over. Just when he looked set for his sixth RanjiTrophy hundred he holed out to mid on of the bowling of RahulSanghvi. It was a rash shot. His 92 was compiled off 118 balls with 16boundaries. Gavaskar completed his 50 gliding Chopra to the fine legfence. But he perished in the next over bowled by Sanghvi. He tried toloft him over mid off and was caught by Chopra.In walked Ganguly. The 8000-odd crowd which had gathered to watch himhowever, were disappointed as he fell for five. He was not fullyforward to a ball from Chopra and the resultant pad-bat was snapped upat silly point by substitute Gautam Gambhir for only five. At stumpsSrikant Kalyani (23) and Syed Saba Karim (11) were taking Bengaltowards their first target of five points for the first innings lead.

Southampton are interested in signing Manchester United youngster James Garner this summer, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

The Lowdown: Garner shining at Forest

The midfielder was loaned out to Nottingham Forest last summer, with United struggling to promise him regular playing time at Old Trafford.

Garner has excelled during his stay at the Championship club, chipping in with three goals and three assists and starting 25 league matches so far.

With his United future looking bleak, it could be that Southampton swoop this summer, with a fresh update suggesting as much.

The Latest: Journalist confirms Saints interest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Barclay claimed that there was genuine interest from Southampton ahead of a potential transfer materialising. He revealed of Garner and the Saints:

“He’s a player they’re tracking. They like him and are seeing how his progress goes. He’s an under-21 international who seemed to find it hard at first when he went on loan to Forest, but now he is flourishing under Steve Cooper.

“I don’t know what Manchester United’s situation is with him and how they view him long-term, but he’s one of the players Southampton like.”

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The Verdict: Strong summer addition

Garner is showing what a talented player he is for a promotion-chasing Championship team, having been described as ‘excellent’ by Forest manager Steve Cooper.

At 21, the Englishman has so much time to improve even further as a player, and he could be a brilliant signing by Saints, maturing under the management of Ralph Hasenhuttl.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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The club have made a habit of blooding top young English talent in the past such as Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Ward-Prowse, and it would be intriguing to see if Garner could enjoy similar success moving forward if he were to make the move to St Mary’s.

In other news, a close source has dropped a key Southampton update. Read more here.

Mitchell Johnson bowled with good pace and direction but could not gain a breakthrough in the Sri Lankans’ second innings © Getty Images

Andy Bichel has not been put off by Mitchell Johnson’s slow start to the domestic season and feels he is in the perfect position to make his Test debut on Thursday. Johnson’s chances of being presented with a baggy green improved with the withdrawal of Shaun Tait from the squad with an elbow injury and the only thing missing from his preparation is a useful haul at state level.Johnson went wicketless in the Pura Cup match against New South Wales last week and has picked up only one victim in the tour game with the Sri Lankans in Brisbane. However, there was no problem with his pace in the second innings this afternoon and Bichel was impressed with his team-mate’s credentials.”He’s a left-armer, he gives you those options and we haven’t seen a left-arm quick for a long time,” he said. “He’s at the right age, he’s done his apprenticeship and knows the system, it’s perfect timing for him. He’s ready to go.”Sri Lanka have struggled with the bounce in Brisbane during the tour game and Johnson’s height and pace should provide some more discomfort during the Test. Australia will be without Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath for the first time since their retirement and Johnson is an attractive option because he is a left-armer.”The make-up of the side, with Stuart Clark, Brett Lee and no Warne, you need some variation in the side,” Bichel said. “Stuart MacGill will fill the spin-bowling spot but you need some variation in our quicks and Mitchell’s the best way to get it.”Farveez Maharoof is pushing for a place in the Sri Lanka side and he helped his claims with 3 for 72 on a day when they struggled to knock over Queensland’s lower order. Dilhara Fernando, who is not playing in the match, is Maharoof’s main rival for a spot, although the reshuffling to cover Kumar Sangakkara’s injury may result in the visitors playing five bowlers.”I’ve been bowling well over the last two weeks and it was good to have a day out,” Maharoof said. “It won’t be easy with Dilhara, Lasith [Malinga] and [Chaminda] Vaas around. I’m still hoping that I’ll get a comeback and hope I get a chance to prove myself.”The Sri Lankans’ attack made an impression on Bichel as he posted his ninth first-class century with an aggressive 125. “Malinga will expose the older ball in Hobart, but not in Brisbane because he won’t get a lot of reverse-swing,” he said. “Maharoof bowled really well and Vaas swung the ball beautifully. They stack up pretty well.”

Chris Adams led Sussex to their second Championship title in four seasons © Getty Images

Chris Adams will be Yorkshire’s captain for the 2007 season, after Sussex confirmed that they had agreed the terms under which he will be released from his contract.”This is a sad day for the club and all our supporters,” said David Green, Sussex’s chairman, “but we realise that this is a great opportunity for Chris and wish him the very best of luck in his new role.”Chris has done wonderful things for the club and has helped lay a solid foundation on which to build and we look forward to embracing the new challenges the 2007 season will bring.”Adams joined Sussex in 1998 and under his tenure as captain the club won six trophies, including the County Championship twice in four years. But at the age of 36, he has one eye on his life after retirement, and having being turned down for the role of Sussex’s chief executive, he decided it was time to seek new challenges.At Yorkshire, he will not only be captain, but head of Pro Cricket, under a four-year deal. Sussex earlier said that it was “unfortunate” that no administrative roles had been available.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has assured its English counterparts (ECB) that security for the tour later this month will be “air tight”.Although the ECB carried out its own checks in June, recent bombings have again raised concerns over player and spectator safety.”The security will be air tight,” said Abbas Zaidi, the PCB’s director of operations, after meeting government officials. “We do not foresee any problems with the security arrangements for the England and their followers.”The issue of visas for visitors from the United Kingdom for the series was also discussed in detail. The government officials have been co-operative in the past and they are again extending all co-operation.”Karachi, a venue which has been under the spotlight of late in a city with a record of terrorist attacks, is understood to have been the focal point of the discussions.England leave for their three-Test, five-ODI tour on October 26.

Yousuf Youhana: sparkled when he was there, but couldn’t take the team home© Getty Images

Twice in the space of two weeks, Pakistan pushed the Australians to the very brink. And twice in two weeks, they imploded spectacularly at the final hurdle. The difference between the two sides – Australian discipline and ruthlessness – if not the margin of victory, remained the same.For periods of the game, Pakistan gave a passable impression of the disciplined side they were playing against today. But at no stage did they seemcomfortable wearing this disciplinary straitjacket, one that Australia wears naturally, and where Australians are merciless, Pakistan was meek. It was abarely contained facade; you feared that at any moment whenever they were settling on course to victory, Pakistan would break out in a rash of injudicious play, which they duly did.First, despite being competently efficient in the field, they dropped straightforward chances, both unforgivably off the centurion Andrew Symonds. After checking the formidable Australian batting, they first loosened their grip, before losing control towards the end completely. The batting too seemed to catch it; Hameed, Malik and Farhat all fell to varying degrees of impetuosity and that the latter two fell after exhibiting some patience and restraint against some hostile bowling must have been disappointing.Above all, they seem unable to grasp the basics of running between the wickets. If Bob Woolmer had a right to be shocked last week by Yousuf Youhana’s kamikaze mission, then he would have been only slightly less distressed by the lack of urgency in their running today. Singles were conspicuous by their absence through Hameed’s innings in particular. But even Inzamam-ul-Haq and Youhana’s partnership lacked the aggression in running, and despite pacing the chase brilliantly, they both fell victims to indiscipline.But there was still something comforting about a reliance on the old hands, Youhana and Inzamam; it bodes well for their chances in the Champions Trophy that both were in fluent form, although it is telling that Youhana again couldn’t see his team through.If Woolmer and Pakistan are on a process of learning, then at least they have been doing so from the best. What should they have learnt by now? That theAustralians do exactly what Pakistan doesn’t, and that isn’t just winning the matches. They keep their heads, they keep their discipline and they adjust to whatever condition and situation they find themselves in.Batsmen such as Mathew Hayden have battled through indifferent form, forsaking boundaries and picking up singles, while others such as Symonds, Darren Lehmann and Michael Clarke have displayed flexibility to suit the situation. Their fielding has been occasionally rusty, but significantly they have held onto everything that mattered, and their bowling has been consistently threatening. They have been disciplined and professional when and where it mattered most and that has made the difference. And, of course, it helps, among a galaxy of stars, to possess one of the few genuine and consistent matchwinners in world cricket today.Most eyes at the Champions trophy will understandably gravitate towards Andrew Flintoff and after the summer he has had, it isn’t a surprise. But for mostAustralians, and even Pakistanis, the other towering Andrew – Symonds – will attract, if not more, equal attention.

Andrew Symonds: has tormented Pakistan in the past as well© Getty Images

Symonds may not have had as impressive an impact on the five-day game as Flintoff, but there is little to choose between them in the 50-over realm. Yesterday Flintoff came out against India with his side struggling and transformed their innings, biding his time, in the tradition of the finest sharp-shooting assassins, before picking his moment to strike.Today, Symonds did exactly the same, coming in with his side in some trouble, playing himself in before striking right at the death. Pakistan, of course, arefamiliar with the full range of Symonds’s explosive qualities. He revived his career, as well as turned the game, against them at the World Cup last year with a bludgeoned century in similar circumstances.His bowling isn’t always as incisive as Flintoff’s, but crucial wickets against Pakistan last week and the all-important one of Inzamam today hint at a golden touch. And what he lacks in his bowling he makes up for with his fielding, the cause, incidentally of those two disastrous Pakistani run-outs last week.Unlike his English counterpart, however, Symonds comes backed up by a selection of the world’s best players and come the Champions trophy, he may yet have the opportunity to make a more significant and telling impact than Freddie. At least, in Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq, Pakistan have two cricketers who can make the combined impact of a Symonds or Flintoff.Pakistan should feel no shame in losing so narrowly to Australia twice in succession. But if they learn a thing or two, then it should further lessen their disappointment. Pretty soon they need to start applying the lessons from the defeats.

In what must sound like bad news to bowlers all over the world, Brian Lara has announced that he is ready to devote his entire attention to cricket. In an interview to The Mail on Sunday, Lara spelt out how his attitude towards the game had changed over the years.”In the past I often reacted to what I perceived to be the stresses of cricket by getting away from it and hanging out with friends. Instead of confronting problems, I would turn my back on them. Now I’ve realised I want to give cricket 100%,” he said. “I want to talk cricket like I did as a teenager, like the time I tried to sit Viv Richards down in the dressing room on my first tour to England and got told off for my trouble.”Lara stated that while the personal milestones remained, he was more keen to see the West Indian team develop into world-beaters. “I still have goals. I still want to look up and see my name but my main aim now is that I want to see West Indies moving on. It’s great on the one hand to be doing what’s necessary to represent my talent, but the bigger picture of wanting to do well is that, on my exit, we’ll have a team capable of challenging the best.”Expressing his delight at the progress of the youngsters in the team, Lara hoped that West Indies would put in a strong performance in the 2007 World Cup, which will be held at home. “I’m looking forward to the two series with England next year and beyond. I’m having fun and a good group of younger players is really developing now. As long as things continue to go well for me when the World Cup comes to the Caribbean in 2007, a fit Brian Lara just looking on is not something I would want to happen.”Looking back over the years, Lara admitted that the road hadn’t always been as smooth. “Sure, the relationship has been stormy at times. There have been some rocky moments. I’ve made some small mistakes and I’ve made some big mistakes. There have been times, like when I quit the captaincy or when we were being taken apart in Australia on the last tour there when I asked myself ‘Do I need all this?’ when I felt I wanted to just run away from it all.”But right now, as far as my cricket is concerned, I am back in love with it. I’ve gone through a great learning experience and come out of it all a more mature and tolerant person. It has been a long road back but what I have come to realise is that I am in a much better mood when I give the game my all. When the pressure was at its greatest I used to tell myself something which has haunted me ever since. I used to say: ‘Cricket has ruined my life’.”

The International Cricket Council has criticised South Africa and India forgoing ahead with their match in Centurion without official ICC match refereeMike Denness.The former England captain upset India’s cricketing public when he penalised six players, including Sachin Tendulkar, for various offences during the second Test at Port Elizabeth.As India threatened to pull out of the third and final Test should Denness officiate, the United Cricket Board of South Africa sided with the tourists, appointing a new referee in Denis Lindsay.The ICC has refused to sanction the match as a Test, and awarded the series toSouth Africa.”The ultimate response by the Indians would appear to be an over-reaction, while South Africa for their part did not act correctly,” said ICC spokesman Jonathan Hemus.”Our focus is on protecting the power of the referee and umpire – otherwise there would be anarchy in cricket.”The ICC is deeply concerned with the integrity of the officials – they mustbe protected and if not it sets a very bad precedent.”Hemus refused to rule out the possibility that South Africa and India wouldface further punishment. But he said there was a possibility that the game might regain Test status in the future.”This is a dynamic situation … it is not a closed book. But while saying that, the ICC is determined to be resolute in its decision,” said Hemus.”Our chief purpose is to protect the rights of referees and umpires. In other sporting codes – for example soccer – the referee’s decision is final and teams have to abide with his decision regardless of circumstances.”In cricket the referee has hindsight and time for consideration increasing his perspective on the incident.”

The two greatest batsmen of their generation will now get a chance to bat together as captain Sachin Tendulkar drew Brian Lara’s name along with 13 other players as part of the “Sachin’s Blasters” squad for the Cricket All-Stars series beginning at Citi Field on Saturday.In a random draw conducted Thursday in Times Square, Tendulkar drew Lara as well as former Indian teammates VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag. Tendulkar also no longer has to spar with Glenn McGrath, having picked the Australian pacer for his side in a bowling group that also includes Curtly Ambrose, Shaun Pollock and Muttiah Muralitharan.While the luck of the draw meant that Tendulkar wound up with his Indian batting brethren, Shane Warne wound up drawing a slew of his former Australian teammates to play for “Warne’s Warriors” including Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds. Warne also wound up with a dream fast bowling trio of Courtney Walsh, Allan Donald and Wasim Akram.While the first 26 players were drawn by lots, Shoaib Akhtar’s status was decided by a coin flip. Warne called heads, but the coin came up tails, drawing a big sigh of relief from Tendulkar. The first All-Stars match begins on November 7 at Citi Field in New York with two more in Houston and Los Angeles on November 11 and 14.Sachin’s Blasters: Sachin Tendulkar (c), VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, Carl Hooper, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Moin Khan, Graeme Swann, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shoaib Akhtar, Curtly AmbroseWarne’s Warriors: Shane Warne (c), Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Michael Vaughan, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Andrew Symonds, Jonty Rhodes, Saqlain Mushtaq, Wasim Akram, Daniel Vettori, Courtney Walsh, Allan Donald, Ajit Agarkar