Sport News

Essex v Yorkshire (Sat)

category: Cricket

04.07.2008 17:26

James Middlebrook is in Essex's squad for Saturday's Friends Provident Trophy semi-final against Yorkshire despite an elbow injury which needs physiotherapy.

With no other issues, Essex pick from a 14-man squad for the Chelmsford match.

Yorkshire welcome back Pakistan fast bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, out since tearing a hamstring in May.

Naved has warmed up by playing second XI cricket and takes his place in a bowling attack also featuring Darren Gough, Matthew Hoggard and Adil Rashid.

Essex will follow Satuday's match with a Twenty20 Cup quarter-final at home to Northants 48 hours later.

Speaking ahead of the games at Chelmsford, first-team coach Paul Grayson said: "If someone had offered me at the start of the season a home FPT semi-final and a home T20 quarter-final, as well as sitting nicely in the County Championship, I would have snapped their hands off.

"I'm delighted with the way we are playing and some of the personal performances have been quite brilliant.

We are well aware that we have two massive games coming up and if we keep believing and play with the confidence we have been of late then I have no doubt we will come through with a couple of good performances."

Yorkshire batsman Jacques Rudolph is hoping veteran batsman Craig White could have a key role to play on Saturday.

White scored a crucial half century to help Yorkshire overpower Gloucestershire in the quarter-finals at Bristol.

Rudolph said: "Craig is old furniture at the club but he is worth so much to the club and has been unbelievable in the one-day competitions for us.

"You can't buy experience. I really appreciate the value of that now. When I was younger, I always thought I should play and knew about the game.

"But, looking back now, I probably didn't know that much and it is obvious you never stop learning."



Essex (from): Jason Gallian, Alastair Cook, Mark Pettini (capt), Ravi Bopara, Grant Flower, James Foster (wkt), Ryan ten Doeschate, James Middlebrook, Graham Napier, David Masters, Danish Kaneria, Chris Wright, Maurice Chambers, Varun Chopra.

Yorkshire (from): Andrew Gale, Chris Taylor, Anthony McGrath, Jacques Rudolph, Adam Lyth, Gerard Brophy (wk), Adil Rashid, Tim Bresnan, Richard Pyrah, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Darren Gough (capt), Matthew Hoggard, David Wainwright.

Original text is here

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