Warwickshire resignations

Press, 20 December 1985, Page 14

Warwickshire resignations

NZPA-Reuter London Warwickshire’s entire cricket committee, including former England captains, Mike Smith and Bob Willis, has resigned following a members* vote of no confidence. The nine-man committee’s decision followed a 352-330 vote passed at a special general meeting on Monday expressing “a lack of confidence in the cricket committee and coaching.” The general committee of the English county side accepted the resignations on Tuesday night, but passed a unanimous vote of confidence in the manager, David Brown, and the coaching staff. Brown said yesterday he hoped many of those who had resigned would be reappointed. But he and the captain, Norman Gifford, must wait until after Christ-

mas to know their fate. Warwickshire has been in the doldrums for several seasons. Its only highlights in recent years came when it won the Sunday league in 1980 and reached the Natwest Trophy and Benson and Hedges Cup finals in 1982 and 1984 respectively. Last year, the county finished fifteenth in the county

championship, winning only two matches. Sussex yesterday announced the release of its most consistent batsman, Sri Lankan-born Gehan Mendis, who had asked to leave although his contract had two years to run. The 30-year-old opener has completed 1000 runs in each of the last six seasons and last year top-scored

with 1756 at an average of 47.45. Mendis was upset last season by the decision of the Sussex captain, John Barclay, to declare with the opener on 96 and in sight of ■ his fifth century in six innings. He was also disappointed at not being granted a benefit