Klusener's was right up there with the very best of them all

Klusener's was right up there with the very best of them all.Judged purely by the array of his strokes, he is actually a limited player. Fairbrother flayed our distinctly rapid West Indian to all parts. It seemed that he played all the shots in the book and then played them again.Robin Smith played an innings in a one-day international which sticks with me as well That too was a batsman at the top of his game. For an over or two it was obvious that the man they call Harvey was extremely disconcerted. Bishop was at his most hostile and if Fairbrother was not backing away to square-leg he was looking understandably worried. Bishop then hit him in the grille of the helmet It acted like a wake- up call.

Ratings like these are always arguable and subjective but of Klusener's there could surely be no doubt. I can remember playing for Derbyshire against Lancashire once when Ian Bishop was storming in against Neil Fairbrother. Earpieces, therefore, merely save time.Constant coaching while the game is continuing might also remove the game's instinctive qualities. The ICC, when they get round to it, have an unenviable choice between moving with the times and preserving traditional virtues.. LANCE KLUSENER'S century in South Africa's first innings was the highest ever played at Port Elizabeth in a Test match It was also one of the top three innings I have ever seen. There's no reason both sides shouldn't have them and react accordingly."All cricket watchers would agree that it is sometimes easier to see how a game is evolving off the field and to spot any weaknesses and shortcomings.For his part, Woolmer would insist that advice has been offered to the players for years by taking on a replacement pair of gloves or a drink for the bowler. He and Dennis Amiss, the county's chief executive, will raise their use with the England and Wales Cricket Board well before then.

The board may well choose to wait until the ICC has ruled.While Woolmer will point to their place in an ever-changing game, the purist may well think that they increase the importance of off-field influences to an unacceptable degree. "It can make the game better," Woolmer said when he first developed the idea, "because it can eliminate errors at the time. It was at first suggested that Cronje was suffering from an ear infection but when the truth emerged 17 overs into the game, the match referee, Talat Ali, ordered the removal of the gadgets after consulting ICC officials. "We haven't discussed it since then because we haven't had a meeting," an ICC spokesman said, "but it will be on the agenda of our cricket committee when they have their annual meeting probably in March." That will make it 10 months from the introduction of revolutionary devices which could change forever the way the professional game is played.Woolmer is intent on introducing earpieces - those on the field cannot talk back - next summer when he returns as Warwickshire coach. During the group match between South Africa and India, both Allan Donald and Hansie Cronje took to the field with ear-pieces through which the coach, Bob Woolmer, imparted advice and instructions. But they are aware that getting a wider cross section into grounds may be difficult with tickets priced at anything up to pounds 40.Lamb called it a juggling act.

Cricket ain't broke but that is not to say it does not need fixing.. EAR PIECES are about to raise their ugly little heads again. They were never likely to go quietly after their first, and so far solitary, appearance, in a World Cup match at Hove, and it now seems certain that efforts will be made to introduce them to the English game next season. The International Cricket Council have yet to discuss their use, although it is seven months since they were made aware of their existence. They are pinning huge hopes of Channel 4's refreshing coverage - the station is apparently planning an entire Caribbean summer around the visit of the West Indies. The game had to be seen to be paying decent wages to attract possible future players while still ensuring that it was not ruining itself.Giving the game a broader appeal has never been more urgent and those at the ECB seem determined to impress this policy on the counties and everybody else. "Everything we do has to be aimed at getting a winning England side again, but that probably isn't going to happen overnight.

We have to be patient."Considering that the game is struggling it might seem odd that counties are paying more and more to their players But there, as Lamb pointed out, lay a conundrum. This may not please all of them, although it was projected, and the meeting may not pass quietly. The counties' share of the proceeds went up by 15 per cent for two consecutive years until 1999. The cash handout for this year has still to be finalised because the World Cup did not make quite what it was expected to do."I know the economy is seen to be booming but companies are still working to tight margins and sponsorship of sport is a competitive business," Lamb said.