County diary: Insult to injury

Ouch: Elliott will take greater care picking up the soap in future

When everything seems to be going wrong, fate has a cruel way of kicking you when you're down - as Glamorgan found out last week at The Oval.

The Welsh team, bottom in Division One of the Championship, ventured east to take on Surrey minus injured big guns Simon Jones and Alex Wharf.

Things took a turn for the worse when Aussie batsman Matthew Elliott took a tumble in the shower on the morning of the first day's play and pulled out with a side strain.

Coach John Derrick put an emergency call out to Dan Cherry, who arrived at the ground just before lunch to complete the first all-Welsh Glamorgan side (based on residency rather than birth) to take the field in a Championship game for 45 years.

But, while Cherry was still haring his way down the M4, Glamorgan suffered yet another injury setback when Darren Thomas injured his groin after bowling just four deliveries.

With Adam Harrison already on the field as 12th man, Glamorgan had to borrow Surrey's Phil Sampson as a substitute fielder until Cherry arrived.

Unsurprisingly, the flustered visitors lost the game - by 276 runs.

WIFE STANDS BY HER MAN'S AVERAGE

Surrey captain Mark Ramprakash's wife fired in a complaint to BBC Ceefax over its batting averages list for the County Championship.

"My husband is not included on the list even though he has one of the best averages this year," said Mrs Ramprakash.

It seems Mark is a victim of his own good form - players need to have been out in eight innings before they appear and he has been dismissed only six times this campaign.

For the record, former England batsman Ramprakash is averaging 88.53 this season - third best in Division One.

RUNS GALORE FOR SOMERSET BOY

Somerset academy member Jack Cooper had a weekend to remember - and attracted rave reviews from coaching director Kevin Shine.

Cooper, 16, scored a total of 350 runs without being dismissed in separate games for Taunton School on Saturday and Taunton CC on Sunday.

He also grabbed a couple of wickets and Shine said: "Jack is one of the most exciting players that I have seen for a long, long time.

"If he continues to develop in the way that he has up to now then he has a very bright future ahead of him in the game."

Remember the name Cooper - he could be sooper dooper!

HORSE RACING & AUSSIE RULES

Back at The Oval, and Surrey's forward-thinking administrators certainly know how to immerse cricket in other sports.

As well as having a close association with Sandown racecourse - with reciprocal benefits on offer for members - Surrey is continuing its love affair with Aussie Rules football.

The club has just announced that The Oval will be hosting the annual exhibition game this October.

Western Australian arch-rivals the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers will do battle for the AFL Challenge Trophy.

Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon Surrey said: "We are delighted to be able to continue our proud tradition of bringing Aussie Rules to London and the UK again this year."

Reporting by Scott Heinrich