CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

Northants fear exit of Hayden

Northants (281-6) bt Notts (177) by 104 runs

The decision by the Australian Cricket Board to put Matthew Hayden under contract means Northamptonshire could lose their captain in a month's time and, judging by the county's recent one-day form, he could even miss out on a NatWest Trophy final at Lord's.

Australia select their party to tour Sri Lanka this weekend. They have replaced Matthew Elliott with Hayden in their group of 25 contract players, suggesting they will be looking to Hayden as a solid opening batsman.

The Queensland left-hander has done well in England this summer and yesterday's convincing victory over Nottinghamshire at Wantage Road was Northamptonshire's sixth one-day success in a row.

Hayden's 46 off 71 balls gave his team a flying start. Their 50-over total of 281 always had the look of a mountain that Notts would not climb, despite Paul Johnson's opening 51 off 54 balls. Kevin Curran's medium-pacers proved too steady.

There was an unwelcome postscript to the day when Hayden limped away cursing from the warm-down touch rugby game with a calf injury which presumably would make him doubtful for tomorrow's championship match against Middlesex at Lord's.

If Hayden does join Australia's tour, which is due to start on Aug 20, he could stay in English cricket as far as the NatWest semi-finals. It would be unwise to bet against Northants because, even without Mal Loye, out of form and dropped, they have vitality in their batting to match any side.

Nottinghamshire's form has dipped. Their reply yesterday straggled into a procession, and the sight of Mathew Dowman walking back, having had his off and middle stumps uprooted some distance away from a lonely leg stump, summed up a comprehensive defeat.