Test stars play second fiddle to Big Brother

Alexander Clyde13 April 2012

Mel Hussain and Alan Thorpe will feature prominently in club cricket's version of Big Brother this weekend.

Hussain, elder brother of injured England captain Nasser, is a leading batsman for Fives & Heronians, who take on Addiscombe on Sunday in the first round of club cricket's £12,000 Evening Standard Challenge Trophy knockout competition.

The Essex League side from Chigwell reached the first final of the 50-over event at The Oval in 1992, when Hussain scored a half-century but finished on the losing side against Teddington.

Thorpe, elder brother of England's Graham, is due to open the batting for Farnham on Sunday in their Challenge Trophy tie against Hertford and every run will be proudly noted by the Surrey club's long-serving scorer, his mother Toni.

Under a revised format, the first round has been split into two sections this year.

Sunday's 24 winners from Group B will join the 24 Group A winners from a fortnight ago in round two, alongside the 16 seeded teams exempted from first-round duty.

These include the holders Finchley, who begin their defence of the trophy against Middlesex League rivals Uxbridge on 17 June.

Sunday's action

Round 1, Group B

Walton-on-Thames v Barnes, Walthamstow v Banstead, E Grinstead v Aztecs, Farnham v Hertford, Esher v Hampstead, BWIA v Hainault & Clayhall, Shepherds Bush v Hampton Wick Royal, Wembley v Mill Hill, Welwyn GC v Harrow Town, Watford Town v Harrow, Hadleigh & Thundersley v E Molesey, Guildford v Winchmore Hill, N Middlesex v Upminster, N London v Tunbridge Wells, Mitcham v Trojans, Saffron Walden v Weybridge, Loughton v Lensbury, Gravesend v Hoddesdon, Gidea P&R v Asian Club, Fives & H v Addiscombe, Barnet v Lordswood, Wycombe House v Lloyds Register, Leyton Co v Lambeth Ent, West Herts v Acton.

Important dates

Round 2: 17 June. Round 3: 8 July. Round 4: 22 July. Quarter-finals: 5 August. Semi-finals: 19 August. Final (The Oval): 9 September.

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