Cricket: Glamorgan Look to Ganguly to Change Their Fortunes

Sourav Ganguly will make his debut for Glamorgan today with the Welsh county hoping that the captain of India can help turn around their shabby start to the season.

Glamorgan are rooted to the foot of the First Division having lost all five of their championship matches but that is a trend they intend to reverse at the expense of the 2003 champions Sussex in Swansea.

Ganguly, who played for Lancashire in 2000, has signed a contract until the end of July and is relishing his challenge with Glamorgan.

"I enjoy the British conditions," he said yesterday. "I did pretty well in my Test debut in the 1996 series in England and then when I came back in 2002. And I had an outstanding World Cup here in 1999.

"There'll be a lot of expectation, but I've been around for 10 years, I'm an established international cricketer and I have to put the performances on the board."

The 32-year-old will bat at No5 in the championship but will open in one-day cricket and his acquisition has been welcomed by Glamorgan's captain Robert Croft.

"Sourav's a special cricketer; everyone knows what he can do at the highest level," Croft said. "He'll score a lot of runs and will also pass on his experience to the youngsters coming through."

Another international captain to make his county debut today is the South African Graeme Smith, although his appearance for Somerset in their Second Division match against Leicestershire at Oakham School will go right to the wire because he was not due to arrive in England until 6.20 this morning.

Mark Garraway, the Somerset coach, said yesterday: "I will be picking Graeme up from Heathrow as soon as he lands and driving him straight to Oakham School, which will take about two hours, so we should be there in plenty of time.

"If we are batting first then Graeme will go in lower down the order, but if we are in the field then he will open the innings when we bat."

Smith may be a little jaded, and Somerset may be without another overseas import who has captained his country. The Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya will undergo a late fitness test on a wrist injury.

At the top of the First Division Andrew Harris returns to the Nottinghamshire squad after a broken thumb as the leaders host second-placed Hampshire at Trent Bridge.

Notts are also hoping that Graeme Swann has recovered from a shoulder injury, and the New Zealand all-rounder Craig McMillan will make his championship debut for Hampshire, who are seeking to avoid a third successive defeat.

The Second Division leaders Durham will give championship debuts to Nathan Astle and Ashley Noffke when they take on Worcestershire at New Road.