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Tributes have been paid to Kevin Curran, the former Zimbabwe allrounder, who died on Wednesday at the age of 53. John Traicos, the former offspinner, remembered him as a “dedicated person” while Heath Streak, who was coached by Curran said “nothing was too much for him to try and conquer”.Traicos, a former captain of Curran, was “shocked” to hear the news of his death which occurred when he was out running. He had been told by Duncan Fletcher, another former captain of Zimbabwe and currently the India coach. Curran played the 1983 World Cup where Zimbabwe were led by Fletcher.”The most shocking thing is, he was incredibly fit. He was a fitness fanatic, he used to be in the gym everyday,” Traicos said. “He and Malcolm Jarvis ran a gymnasium in Harare and Kevin was there every day, did everything from weights to aerobics. And he ran a lot. He was very, very competitive and played rugby, tennis and golf. He was a naturally talented guy.”Traicos recollected leading Curran at the Harare Sports Club in the early 1980s. “I had great admiration for Kevin. He was a self-made cricketer,” Traicos said. “We had quite a high work ethic in those days and I remember Kevin being a really dedicated guy, who would bowl for hours on the concrete pitches on his own. He had a lovely action, a very nice away swinger and bowl very, very quickly. In 1985, when the Australians came to Zimbabwe, Dean Jones mentioned that Kevin was one of the fastest bowlers he had faced. Kevin was an incredibly talented guy, an allrounder, batted beautifully, really gutsy performer. He was always a team man, an outstanding cricketer. “Andy Waller, the former Zimbabwe batsman, said he had never seen another cricket with greater self-belief than Curran. “You often heard the words desire, determination, dedication and discipline being used by coaches if sports person want to be the best in their fields. Well, KC applied all four throughout his career. To top it off he had more self-belief than any person I know and my goodness was he competitive. It was, therefore, no coincidence that Kev was so successful at everything he did,” Waller said.Waller gave an idea of Curran’s competitiveness with an example. “He had played in a regular 4-ball (golf) at Rusape Country Club, the area where he and folks once farmed. Him and his mate could never win this one particular hole versus the two elderly gents. It was a straight par 4, but over a slight rise with the green out of sight. The two old blokes hit it straight over the rise and the ball always rolled down the hill on the hard fairways close to the green. The day before one encounter he got some of the labourers from the farm, dug a bunker in front of the green without permission from the green-keeper or anyone. The two old folks were horrified to see their balls in the bunkers after their normal straight drives. Kev and his mate won the hole for the first time.”According to Waller, Curran was often misunderstood if you met him for the first time. “The word arrogant was often used when talking about KC and people who met him for the first time were not quite sure of this guy, but when you had the privilege to get to know him, be his team mate and friend you realised what an amazing person he was.”Zimbabwe’s sports minister, David Coltart, said, “I fondly remember the chats we had recently about the future of cricket in Zimbabwe. He had such a passion for the game and Zimbabwe. He stuck to our beloved nation through its worst years and was committed to doing what he could to restore pride to Zimbabwe cricket. He will be sorely missed.”Alan Pichanick, the former Zimbabwe Cricket Union president in the early 1980s, remembers talking to a young Curran, who was bowling leg spinner but had ambitions of becoming a fast bowler. “During the period that I was the President of Zimbabwe Cricket in the early 1980s when Kevin was emerging as a promising young player he discussed with me his conversion from being a leg spinner to a quick bowler. I had already seen him developing as a quick bowler and I told him that it was apparent that he had good pace and was able to spin the ball prodigiously. I pointed out to him that he would need to be in a position where his accuracy was such that if he was asked by his Captain to deliver six successive yorkers on middle and leg he would have to be able to achieve that,” Pichanick said.That the transition would not happen overnight, Curran clearly understood. But he was not going to quit without trying. “For some months thereafter he could be seen on his own at the nets at the Harare Sports Club, bowling by himself for hours with waiters from the club returning the ball to him after each delivery. In that same season he represented Zimbabwe and began what became a very successful career as a fast bowler allied to tremendous skill as a batsman and fielder as well.According to Pichanick, Curran’s determination and dedication were so intense that he did not risking his day-time job at the time. “Unfortunately much of his practice time involved periods when he should have been at work and caused him to lose his first job after leaving school. However the skills he acquired enabled him to embark on a highly successful International career for Zimbabwe and simultaneously a very distinguished career in County cricket in England for Gloucestershire and Northants,” Pichanick said.Streak, meanwhile, said Curran was desperate to help cricket in Zimbabwe. “He was my bowling coach and we worked together when he was on the selection committee and I became involved in administration. He was always such a positive guy and he always found the best in everything. Nothing was too much for him to try and conquer.”He lived cricket and he was very passionate about Zimbabwe and helping cricket in the country. His kids also have the same passion and its going to be tough for them now. It’s really sad what happened. He was a fit guy, he played squash, he ran four times a week. It’s sad.”Messages were also posted on Twitter from current and former players around the world. Curran enjoyed a very successful county career with Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire, playing for the latter until 1999.Adam Hollioake tweeted: “Sad to hear of Kevin Curran’s passing A true competitor & one of my fiercest adversary’s…RIP brother my thoughts are with u & ur family..”Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, wrote: “Thoughts are with his close Family. A wonderful cricketer who would have flourished In the modern era of T20.”

Hampshire were made to pay dearly for dropping Graeme Hick early in his innings at the Rose Bowl. Hick ,watched by England selector David Graveney, was put down in the slips by John Stephenson off Alan Mullally when he had gathered a modest 21.Hampshire’s punishment was to watch Hick compile a majestic and otherwise faultless 120, the 112th first-class century of his career.It was as well for Worcestershire that Hick was at his best because in making 236 only three other batsmen reached double figures against a tenacious Hampshire pace attack.David Leatherdale was the only Worcestershire batsman to offer prolonged support in a stand of 107 for the fourth wicket in 33 enterprising overs.Hick was eventually eighth out at 225, cutting the perservering Alex Morris to Will Kendall at backward point. Morris emerged as the most successful of the Hampshire bowlers with four for 39 off 17 overs while Mullally would have nudged England’s Graveney with two for 66 off 28 overs and was unlucky not to have finished with better figures, getting pace and lift from the new surface at the Rose Bowl.With a healthy first innings lead of 73, openers Giles White and Will Kendall added a further 16 in the five overs remaining to give Hampshire a distinct advantage.Earlier in the day the last two Hampshire wickets garnered a further 42 runs before a wicket each to Andy Bichel and Stuart Lampitt saw them all out for 309. Alamgir Sheriyar finished with a creditable four for 85.Meanwhile Hick had something extra to celebrate in the bar at the close of play. When he had scored seven he overtook Allan Lamb’s career total of 32,506 runs in first-class cricket, thereby making him the leading run scorer of all time among players born on the African continent.

Most of us Indians thought that there was absolutely nobody in the West Indies who would have slept on that eventful night of June 25, 1983 when Kapil’s Devils stunned the two-times world champions and became the new world champions at Lord’s. Well, it is time to disabuse ourselves of that notion. Andy Roberts, one of the legendary West Indian quicks, who played in that match, for one, slept like a log on hitting the sack after a hard day’s work in the field."Why shouldn’t I have? We (the bowlers) had done our job and the Indians were restricted to just 183. In that particular match our batsmen failed to do what was expected of them."That the West Indies became unbeatable in that period was because of our bowling strength. We had the confidence that if our opponents had scored 50, we could have got their ten wickets within 49. During those days, Pakistan used to score more runs, even better than us. But their problem was their bowling. Our bowling-attack was easily the best," Roberts said. Who would disagree with him?Was there any bowler who was better than him? Roberts’ reply was instantaneous: "Dennis Lillee." He also liked the way Imran Khan and Richard Hadlee bowled. Among batsmen, his favourite was the peerless Vivian Richards.Moving to the present, he has an axe to grind with the administrators who run cricket. He cannot easily forget the fact that he was asked to take a coaching degree when he expressed the desire to become a coach. "Why should I be interested in having coaching degree? What I already know, I had showed to the world. If I have to appear for a written test on that, I don’t think that suits me. To me, a degree in coaching is simply a piece of paper."The lack of the degree threatened to keep him from coaching the West Indian fast bowlers. "Yes, I wanted to work with the bowlers. Now, the West Indies cricket board has given me the scope to work with them. It’s okay now," he said.The man, whom many regard as the high priest of modern West Indian fast bowling, is still deeply attached to the game and regularly visits the Antigua Recreation Ground, his home ground which also happens to be venue of the ongoing fourth Test."I like it. Even if it is for five minutes, I come here," said Roberts, a bowler whom Sunil Gavaskar rated as the most dangerous he has ever faced.For all his potency as a fast bowler, he was never one for sledging though. He let his deliveries and his small but very expressive eyes do all the talking."The Aussies say too many things about sledging. But if you ask me, I’ll not be able to explain you what exactly sledging is. And as I didn’t speak much on the field, opponent players didn’t say much either.”Only once Sadiq Mohammed had the courage of calling me a cheat when I was ruled not out by the umpire. I played the ball but Sadiq thought otherwise. I could not forget the incident since I’d never cheated on a cricket field. Later when Sadiq came to bat, I just glared at him. He was afraid and I could read it in his eyes," he recalled with a naughty smile.It sure must have been fun to be Anderson Montgomery Everton Roberts those days.

ScorecardSteven Davies kept alive Surrey’s hopes of clinching a semi-final place in the Clydesdale Bank 40 with a superb 101 off 85 balls as the Lions overcame the Unicorns by 66 runs at Wormsley.Davies, who shared in three-figure stands with Rory Hamilton-Brown and Stewart Walters, marked his 100th one-day appearance with his fifth century in List A cricket, and his first for Surrey, as the visitors posted 273 for 4. In reply, the Unicorns could only muster 207 for 8 as Steven Cheetham picked up career best figures of 4 for 32.Hamilton-Brown brought the 50 up for the Lions in the seventh over when he drove Neil Saker past mid-on for four. Seven overs later, the Surrey skipper reached his own half-century off 45balls, though not before he had lifted Saker over the rope at long-on for six. The fourth 100-plus partnership between Hamilton-Brown and Davies in this season’s CB40 arrived in the 14th over.But, moments later, Hamilton-Brown departed for 52 when he lofted Jahed Ahmed to mid-off.Davies, who pulled and on drove with authority, offered just one chance, on 67, when he was dropped by Josh Knappett off the bowling of Jackson Thompson. Two overs later, Walters went to his second successive half-century in the CB40, off 64 balls, by despatching Thompson’s offspin over wide mid-on for his fourth boundary.Glenn Querl, who was the pick of the Unicorns’ attack, then pegged Surrey back, bowling Davies and Jason Roy in successive overs with almost identical full-length deliveries. With Matthew Spriegel falling to a brilliant catch at long-off off the bowling of Jonathan Miles in the 38th over, the Lions had lost three wickets in five overs for 19 runs. But Walters finished with an unbeaten 78 off 85 balls to give the visitors a daunting total.Jackson Thompson briefly had Surrey worried when he struck three off-side boundaries in the first over of the Unicorns’ reply. But, three overs later, Steven Cheetham found a way through Thompson’s defences. With Chris Murtagh slicing to backward point in the 12th over, the 22-year-old had first-spell figures of 2 for 23.Any hopes the Unicorns had of pulling off a surprise were scuppered four overs later when Knappett, sweeping, fell leg before to Chris Schofield and Keith Parsons was run out at the bowler’s end, after working the former England legspinner to Jade Dernbach at short fine leg.After Sean Park fell to a catch behind off Gareth Batty, Mike O’Shea and Atiq Chishti added 66 in 13 overs for the sixth wicket. Atiq hit Schofield over long-on for six and then down the ground for four to bring the hundred up for the Unicorns in the 22nd over. But he was caught behind immediately upon Cheetham’s return to the attack, though not before O’Shea had posted a 61-ball half-century.Two overs later, Cheetham, who is on loan from Lancashire until the end of the season, picked up a fourth scalp when O’Shea holed out to deep square leg for 65.