Cricket: Botham fuels rumours

Nottinghamshire 431-6 v Durham

SPECULATION about Ian Botham, and Nottinghamshire's equally brisk accumulation, dominated Durham's debut Championship day on a Test match ground. Botham, bowling as if his England career depended on it, as it probably does, delivered 27 overs in three spells, but his three wickets for 104 were a less important statistic.

The word was that Botham has been recalled to England's party for the fourth Test against Pakistan at Headingley, starting next Thursday, subject to proving his fitness. Phil Sharpe, a selector, had been sighted on the ground and the team, already picked, will be announced tomorrow.

Botham's dashing exploits still involve the odd dilemma. Having braved a chipped right thumb to play, he took a blow on the left wrist when attempting to stop a drive from Tim Robinson, who scored 164 not out. Strapping was applied and Botham resumed his place in the field and also took his place as principal guest speaker, ironically, at Robinson's benefit dinner last night.

A bit of banter with a spectator at third man was all part of Botham's day. The man himself - Robinson, not Botham on this occasion - shared the definitive partnership with Chris Lewis which piloted Nottinghamshire to prosperity after being put into bat.

The greenish pitch conspired with those providing movement, rather than pace, a feature of the new-style Ron Allsopp surfaces at the ground. Botham did enough to persuade Peter Wight, the umpire, that Paul Pollard and Mark Crawley were leg-before, Crawley convincingly, Pollard less so.

Derek Randall survived a confident caught-at-the-wicket appeal off Botham, who offered the old glare and snort, not least when John Glendenen dropped Paul Johnson in the gully. Glendenen was banished to third man and later retired with a recurrence of the vision problem which troubled him at Southampton in May.

Robinson had a ponderous grind through the 90s as Lewis hurtled along, like an Inter-City 125 gaining remorseless ground on a stopping train. Nevertheless, Robinson was there first, courtesy of a misfield through Botham's legs. Lewis followed him to a century three balls later.

Nottinghamshire had no danger of a batting points failure despite Lewis being held back during five overs costing five runs from Mark Briers, a leg-spinner. Dean Jones, like Botham, was doubtful for the match, but Jones also rose above a broken right index finger. His popularity in Durham is just as great as Botham's.