9 February 1999
England 'A' Tour: Franks on way to wet zone
By Charles Randall in Bulawayo
THE CALL-UP of Paul Franks for the England A tour of southern
Africa would probably have arrived earlier if there had been more
cricket played in the first month, but the Nottinghamshire seam
bowler flies out from London tomorrow with enough time to make
his mark.
Franks will be exchanging the frost and drizzle of home for a
taste of the ITCZ, the inter-tropical convergence zone, which has
churned out good solid tropical downpours.
With so much rain in Zimbabwe, the tour schedule has caused
frustration but has posed no endurance questions - there have
been barely eight days' cricket in a month and little net
practice.
Yet Paul Hutchison has already returned to Yorkshire to rest his
back, and Melvyn Betts's groin injury is potentially serious.
Jason Lewry and Steve Harmison are due to form England's new-ball
attack in the second five-day Test against Zimbabwe A, starting
at the Queens ground in Bulawayo today, but even these two have
suffered niggling leg injuries attempting to practise on muddy
turf in Harare.
Franks, 20 last Wednesday, was unlucky not to make the original A
tour squad as an important contributor to England's under-19
world cup victory in South Africa last year, followed by his 52
championship wickets last summer.
Today's five-dayer at Queens, where David Lloyd uttered his
notorious "we murdered 'em" as England's senior coach after the
drawn Test two years ago, might also be affected by rain.
A weekend downpour enveloped Bulawayo, but one spectacular
thunderstorm resembling an artillery barrage did miss the city on
Sunday night. There should be more cricket than the
one-and-a-half days possible for the first Test in Harare.
Franks becomes available for the three one-day games against the
Zimbabwe A team next week and for South African sunshine in
Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Zimbabwe A (from): *A R Whittall, T R Gripper, C B Wishart, S V
Carlisle, D P Viljoen, T N Madondo, G J Whittall, B C Strang, E
Matambanadzi, A J MacKay, A M Blignaut, -C P Gurr, B Watambwa, A
G Huckle.
England A (from): *M P Vaughan, D L Maddy, R W T Key, M B Loye, M
G N Windows, A Flintoff, V S Solanki, G P Swann, -C M W Read, S D
Thomas, D A Cosker, J D Lewry, S J Harmison.
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)