The departures reduced the committee from nine members to seven.A postal ballot last week saw the former captain Robin Marlar, Jim May, and Dick Holste elected and all three support Pigott. Of the four remaining, Hopkins, the vice-chairman Alan Wadey and Frank Horan are all opposed to the rebels, while the England tour manager, John Barclay, is said to be undecided. Informed sources, however, expect him to come out against Pigott.When asked if Sussex needed a revolution on top of everything else that has happened in the last year, Pigott replied: “Did Surrey need one two years’ ago? The answer is ‘Yes’ In Surrey’s case the members stood up and were counted. It was amazing how quickly things turned around after that and I believe the same thing could happen at Sussex.”The fact that the club have made a profit in each of the last 10 seasons is clearly not a factor It is the departure of talented players “I was sad more than surprised,” he said.
“I’ve seen it happen before in 1985, 1986 and 1987, then they lost seven or eight capped players. Sadly it has been allowed to happen again.”Of the six capped players to leave, Ed Giddins was dismissed after being banned by the Test and County Cricket Board for testing positive for cocaine. Jamie Hall was released, while Wells, Ian Salisbury, Danny Law and Speight left for varied reasons.Hopkins’ view is that the departures were due in part to a lack of confidence between the players and the captain, Wells. “I do not subscribe to the view that it is all the captain’s fault,” he said, “but when you don’t play as well as you should you don’t win things and that is when things start to go wrong.”Pigott wants to put it right. “I don’t believe the communication is very good at Hove, nor the man management.
You can push Sussex forward if everyone is working together.”Pigott insists there would be no impetuous moves on the player front. “I don’t know about the quality of the playing staff,” he said, “but the new committee would not go in and get rid of people The last thing we need is to lose any more players. It will be like moving house; you don’t immediately dig up the garden, you wait to see what is growing there.”TIMETABLE OF TROUBLE FOR SUSSEX ON AND OFF THE FIELD1996May: Crash out of B&H Cup after recording a solitary victory over Ireland.June: First reports of an unnamed Sussex player failing a drugs test.July: Reports of unnamed player failing second test.Player named as Ed Giddins.Giddins then accused of illegal delivery, using left hand, after switching ball from right hand in delivery stride.Knocked out of NatWest Trophy.August: Giddins banned by Test and County Cricket Board for 19 months.First reports of Surrey’s interest in Ian Salisbury.Giddins sacked; Jamie Hall released.September: Finish 12th in County Championship and 14th in Sunday League.October: Reported to have reappointed Alan Wells as captain for 1997.Sack Wells as captain on his return from holiday; Peter Moores appointed.November: Salisbury signs for Surrey.Giddins joins Warwickshire.Danny Law joins EssexRelease Wells.December: Wells joins Kent.1997January: Lose battle to keep Martin Speight registered as a Category I player when Lord’s find in player’s favour.Sign leg-spinner Amer Khan.February: Speight joins Durham.Jason Lewry discovered to have long-term stress fracture of the back.Sign Martin Thursfield from Hampshire.Announce profit for 10th successive season.Chairman Alan Caffyn criticises Wells and claims his unpopularity as captain was the reason so many players left.Tony Pigott steps in and makes first moves to marshall membership for revolution.March: Sign pace bowler Mark Robinson from Yorkshire.Caffyn resigns.Committee member Richard Barrow resigns.SGM set for 8 April.Robin Marlar, Jim May, Dick Holste elected to committee by postal vote.. Stuart Williams led the West Indies to safety and completed his maiden Test hundred as the second Test against India ended in a draw yesterday. Trailing by 140, the West Indies had virtually reached certain comfort at 118 for 1 overnight and advanced to 299 for 6 before light rain mercifully ended a pointless exercise 45 minutes after tea. Williams, 63 when play began, arrived at his landmark with an edged leg glance off the fast bowler Abey Kuruvilla two balls before lunch. He had taken five hours 55 minutes of diligent application getting there and, with the outcome of the match all but settled, lost patience and skied a catch to long-on off the left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi.
He had been in for seven and a half hours without making an error. He added 176 for the second wicket with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who made 79.
Chanderpaul’s departure made way for Brian Lara, but he took over 57 balls to scratch 19 and then was caught at slip off Anil Kumble.Final day; West Indies won tossWEST INDIES – First Innings 296 (R I Holder 91; A Kumble 5-104).INDIA – First Innings 436 (N S Sidhu 201, R S Dravid 57, S R Tendulkar 88; C E L Ambrose 5-87).WEST INDIES – Second Innings(Overnight: 118 for 1)S C Williams c Kumble b Joshi 128S Chanderpaul c Azharuddin b Joshi 79C L Hooper c Laxman b Kumble 19R I Holder c Laxman b Joshi 9J Murray not out 12C E L Ambrose not out 10Extras (b8 lb13 nb 3) 24Total (for 6) 299Fall: 2-201, 3-244, 4-252, 5-271, 6-273.Bowling: Prasad 20-7-38-0 (nb1); Kuruvilla 23-6-47-1 (nb1); Kumble 40- 9-109-2 (nb1); Joshi 36-11-57-3; Ganguly 3-0-6-0; Laxman 9-3-21-0.Umpires: L R Barker (WI) and S Randell (Aus).. Raymond Illingworth, the former chairman of England selectors, has been told not to interfere in the present selectors’ business as they choose the man to captain England against Australia this summer. The three selectors, David Graveney, Mike Gatting and Graham Gooch, will select a skipper over the next couple of weeks, with Mike Atherton the strong favourite.
However, that has not prevented Illingworth from telling his successor, Graveney, to dispense with Atherton’s services for the one-day internationals before the Ashes. Illingworth believes Atherton’s leadership of the England side has “never been truly convincing”, and that he should be replaced by Nasser Hussain, vice-captain on the winter tour, or Adam Hollioake, the A team skipper.
That advice brought an immediate rebuke from Graveney, who said: “Ray’s got his view and I respect that. He’s made a great contribution, but now the three of us have been appointed and it is up to us to find what is the right course to take.. When tennis’s answer to the Oscars takes place tonight at the Jackie Gleason Theatre, Miami Beach, Tim Henman’s nomination will provide further evidence that there is colour in the cheeks of the English patient.
