Gooch steps down as Essex coach

The Essex head coach, Graham Gooch, is to relinquish his role to spend more time working on the commercial side. The former England captain will continue as a batting coach but the captain Ronnie Irani, helped by Gooch and John Childs, will assume more responsibility for the team.

The Essex head coach, Graham Gooch, is to relinquish his role to spend more time working on the commercial side. The former England captain will continue as a batting coach but the captain Ronnie Irani, helped by Gooch and John Childs, will assume more responsibility for the team.

Durham are to install 1,000 extra seats for England's second Test against Bangladesh at the Riverside. The additional seats will take the ground's capacity for the match, which starts on 3 June, to 8,000.

The Kent president and former England Test player Brian Luckhurst died yesterday at the age of 66. He had been suffering from cancer of the oesophagus. Luckhurst's career included 389 first-class matches between 1958 and 1985. He played 21 Tests.

Australia beat New Zealand by seven wickets with nearly 16 overs to spare in their fourth one-day international in Wellington yesterday.

The world champions cruised to victory in the 35th over after dismissing the Kiwis for 233 to take a 4-0 lead in the five-match series. Damien Martyn was the top scorer for Australia with an innings of 65 not out while the tourists cantered to 236 for 3.