Hoggard dreaming of glory

Matthew Hoggard has revealed the determination in the Yorkshire side to give Darren Gough the “perfect send-off” by winning the Friends Provident Trophy.

The former England seamer is hanging up his spikes at the end of the season and is desperate to lift some silverware with the Tykes before bringing down the curtain on his illustrious career.

Only Gough’s former county Essex stand in the way of him and a Lord’s final in today’s Friends Provident Trophy semi-final clash at Chelmsford.

Hoggard said: “It is going to be nice taking part in a semi-final but it would be really perfect to get through to a final and give Goughy his silverware to send him off.

“It will be good to see the back of him. He’s been around for a while. But seriously, it’s great being out on the field and having Darren Gough as your captain.

“He has been a tremendous performer over the years and, in Goughy and Craig White, we have a lot of experience to be able to call upon, although I’m trying to catch them up.

Matthew Hoggard took his best ever one-day figures against Gloucestershire at Bristol

“We have got a nice balance between experience and youth and we know it takes a combination to get through - and hopefully we can use both to progress into the final on Saturday.”

Hoggard is keen to taste success against Essex after a disappointing first half of 2008 in which he lost his England Test place and then suffered a broken thumb playing for his county when striving to earn an international recall.

But he played a key part in the Friends Provident Trophy quarter-final win over Gloucestershire at Bristol, with 3-26 from 10 overs - his best one-day figures for six years - and will be looking to make a similar impact at Chelmsford.

Hoggard said: “It’s been a bad year for me but it’s part of cricket and sport. You have ups and downs and you’ve got to roll with them. You’ve got to roll with the downs and enjoy the ups.

“I’ve had a taste of England and would want more of it in the future but I know the competition is fierce. I’ve just got to focus on bowling well and hope I can help Yorkshire make the final.”

Former England captain and Essex legend Graham Gooch, now batting coach with the Eagles, believes his side’s fielding prowess could be a key factor against Yorkshire.

He said: “There is a lot of youth in there and we are a good fielding side, a very athletic side, a very hungry side.

“We do lack a bit of experience. We have played pretty well in one-day cricket up until now this season in the FPT and latterly in the Twenty20.

“Our four-day game has been a bit more problematic but, if we play well on the day, we can be a match for everyone. We have as good a fielding side as there is in the country.”