Farewell Test for Atherton, Stewart?

By Ted Corbett

LEEDS, AUG. 15. Michael Atherton and Alec Stewart may be playing in the farewell Test at Headingley in the next few days. ``In an ideal world they would make announcements about their retirement before we pick the squad for the final Test at the Oval,'' said Nasser Hussain, the captain, today as the two teams prepared for the 300th Ashes Test and the 400th Test played in England.

I think I am entitled to draw the conclusion from that wish that if they declare they are not available for the winter tours England will make an immediate step into the future and pick a new opening batsman and a new wicketkeeper. Of course, there are no obvious replacements but after the disasters of the last few weeks England's rulers believe that it is time to step into the future.

I hope neither of these good servants and true men are allowed to slip away unnoticed. Atherton has given blood, sweat and backache for his country and accumulated 7,676 runs in the process. He does not rank alongside Geoff Boycott, the last great opening batsman under an England sweater but he has never played for his run aggregate nor his average. I found myself at variance with him over every cricket subject - from his captaincy to his ball- tampering episode - but his undefeated innings of 185 at Johannesburg was one of the finest innings of its type and no-one can deny his fortitude nor his concentration.

Stewart was greater entertainment, a swashbuckler of the highest class and, for all his critics compared him unfavourably with his rival Jack Russell, he was one of the best of wicketkeepers, neat and athletic and as adept as he needed to be to the spinners. I think he was the smartest cricketer I can remember and undoubtedly if he had not been such a fine batsman he would have made some officer a wonderful batman.

On one occasion England was unexpectedly asked to turn out in blue. Only Stewart had the appropriate sweat bands.

Australia has decided that Simon Katich would replace the injured skipper Steve Waugh, even though Justin Langer might have expected the call, especially as Ricky Ponting has had a poor series, batting as if he had suddenly been propelled into a 25- over game and giving all the old No. 3 batsmen apoplexy. The new captain Adam Gilchrist is also Australia's most destructive batsman with a series average in the '90s.

England has still not made up its mind how the pitch will play, but we may have had a hint that off-spinner Robert Croft has a serious chance since Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, had just spent half an hour giving their new boy Usman Afzaal an intensive course in the art of fielding at short-leg. ``I am not trying to be funny,'' said Hussain, ``but the pitch could seam, swing or take spin and we will make up our minds at the last moment.''

Part of the lunch period here today was taken up with the

opening of the West Stand and the Hutton Gates about which there has been any amount of controversy. Three of the `Headingley Four' - Boycott, Ray Illingworth and Brian Close - attended the opening even though they had been ignored as the right men for this momentous occasion. Fred Trueman was noticeable by his absence. He feels, as I do, that the stand should have been opened by a former great player and that it should have been named after one. Don't call it sour grapes; Yorkshire has an appalling record going back more than a century of failing to honour its old players.

The Stand, a magnificent sweep of blue seating where the racists and sexists used to indulge their habit, was opened by the president of the Yorkshire club Robin Smith who promised further improvement shortly.

He referred to the controversy over Asian women being portrayed on the gate and claimed they stood as a ``continuum in the history of the Yorkshire game.'' Lady Hutton opened the gates, her son Richard made a speech and his sons Ben and Oliver watched. But to hidebound Yorkshire members the presence of the family did nothing to make up for the slight they feel from these gates.

The teams:

England: Michael Atherton, Marcus Trescothick, Mark Butcher, Mark Ramprakash, Nasser Hussain (captain), Alec Stewart, Robert Croft, Alex Tudor, Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough, Usman Afzaal, Richard Johnson, Alan Mullally.

Australia: Michael Slater, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist (captain), Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, Simon Katich.

Umpires: David Shepherd and S. Venkatraghavan. Match Referee: Talat Ali (Pakistan).

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