Chris Rogers is one step closer to a dream international debut on his home ground after he was added to Australia’s squad for the WACA Test as cover for Matthew Hayden, who has a hamstring injury. Hayden trained with his team-mates in Perth on Sunday but doubts remain over his ability to recover in time for the Test, which begins on Wednesday.If his right hamstring does not heal it will end a streak of 86 consecutive Tests – Hayden has not missed a game since March 2000, which puts him seventh on the all-time list. It would also give Australia one of their least experienced opening pairs in recent memory with the uncapped Rogers set to join Phil Jaques, who himself has only just established his place in the side.Alex Kountouris, the team physio, is doing what he can to get Hayden ready for match day and Michael Clarke believes Rogers, 30, might have to wait for his Test debut. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for Chris Rogers to come into the squad and prepare like he’s going to play,” Clarke said.”But the type of guy Haydos is you’d have to chop his leg off to not see him out there this game. With Alex’s magic and Haydos’ discipline and the type of person he is I’m pretty confident we’ll get to see Matty Hayden out there.”Kountouris said it was still far too early to make a call on Hayden. “Matthew has taken part in training today,” Kountouris said. “We will continue with the program on his hamstring and make a decision about Matthew’s fitness and availability much closer to game time.”Like Hayden and Jaques, Rogers is a left-hander, and he would come to Test cricket with more than 8000 first-class runs to his name. He was named State Player of the Year for last season after posting 1202 runs at 70.70 for Western Australia, and he would have some idea of the opposition attack after making 60 against the Indians in the recent tour match in Canberra.Australia also have a decision to make at the other end of their order, with Shaun Tait trying to impress the selectors at training as they consider leaving out Brad Hogg and using a four-man pace attack. Tait was a standout at the World Cup last year and is hoping to add to his two Test caps, both of which came on Australia’s doomed Ashes tour in 2005.”He looks like he’s bowling pretty quick and swinging the ball away,” Clarke said. “It’s going to be tough for the selectors because if they’re talking about Hoggy not playing, his form in the last game was fantastic with bat and ball. He might have been disappointed not to pick up that many wickets in the second innings but I thought Hoggy did a great job and I think Taity is itching to get his opportunity.”
Tropical Cyclone Favio has hit the eastern highlands town of Mutare, Zimbabwe and has made it virtually impossible to hold cricket matches. Cyclone Favio killed at least 10 people, injured 70 and left tens of thousands homeless in central and southern Mozambique in the past week.Manicaland provincial manager Samuel Mutsutsururu said: “The cyclone is wrecking havoc on our match schedule and on the pitches. Every time we take to the field it starts pouring, so for the time being our cricket league is on hold, as soon as the weather clears we hope to get back on track.”Matches have continued smoothly in Bulawayo. In the latest round of the Metropolitan League, Zimbabwean allrounder Gregory Strydom clubbed a massive 177 as Queens Sports Club 259 all out (36.4 overs) beat Bulawayo Athletic Club 240 (40 overs) by 19 runs on Saturday. Gavin Ewing top scored for BAC with a well-crafted 53 and Charles Coventry made 39.
Malinga Bandara proved he really was a super sub with a stunning performance against South Africa that spun Sri Lanka into the VB Series finals. South Africa were travelling in relative comfort at 3 for 87 when Bandara was called from the dressing room in the 20th over, but he responded with 4 for 31 to floor his opponents and secure a 76-run win.A regular Supersub during the preliminary rounds, Bandara has cemented the role for the best-of-three finals against Australia starting at Adelaide on Friday, and he will enter the match backed by 13 tournament wickets. South Africa started the match with a three-point lead, but the pressure of a winner-takes-all game showed throughout the contest on a cool day in Hobart, which began with snow melting on the nearby Mt Wellington.There were a number of hot performances but none could match Bandara’s legspin. He warmed up with the important dismissal of Graeme Smith, whose first half-century of the tour ended in a disappointing early exit from the competition. Smith has had an awful run in Australia, but he looked to have benefited from a dropped chance on 42 by Tillakaratne Dilshan until he aimed a wild sweep in Bandara’s second over.After 25 overs South Africa needed to score at a run a ball to reach the target of 258 that grew in difficulty as the match progressed. Smith displayed some refreshing touches, although he would have preferred more boundaries in his 67 from 76 balls. His mood worsened when he and Justin Kemp departed in the same Bandara over, Kemp pushing gently forward to be trapped lbw, and he then lost the double threats of Ashwell Prince and Shaun Pollock. Prince was forced into a limp return catch to Bandara, who was also the bowler when Pollock received an unlucky caught-behind decision, departing at 7 for 146.”It’s very difficult to be in for the second half of the session in the field,” Bandara said as he walked off, “but I’m enjoying myself.” Tom Moody, the coach, also praised Bandara’s nine-over effort. “He’s bowled very well all series, but particularly today on a pretty good batting pitch.”After Bandara’s spree Johan van der Wath was outclassed by Muttiah Muralitharan, who spun the ball wickedly, and the final two wickets went to catches in the deep. It was a fine display set up by Chaminda Vaas’s double strike in the seventh over and strong batting performances from Marvan Atapattu and Kumar Sangakkara.
At first look Sri Lanka seemed to have wasted a fine 123-run stand between Atapattu and Sangakkara as they stuttered to 9 for 257. They were on track for a 300-plus total and a collapse of 8 for 79 in the final 15 overs could have been terminal. In the end it didn’t matter and as the pitch slowed and the spinners closed in the goal was a hopeless one for South Africa.Atapattu, who left the field in the second innings with a back injury, returned to the top of the order after winning the toss and played a solid hand with 80 from 122 balls while Sangakkara was more fluent with his 62 from 77. They guided Sri Lanka to the strength of 1 for 175 before van der Wath (2 for 41) and Andrew Hall (3 for 50) combined to up-end the innings. Wickets continued to fall to mis-hits and it took a scrambling 30 from 24 balls by Dilshan, including two fours in the final over, to push Sri Lanka past 250.The innings also began in a flurry as Sanath Jayasuriya blazed into Dale Steyn’s nervous offerings and crashed him for 32 from three overs. Steyn was subbed for Johan Botha in the 18th over, but the danger of Jayasuriya had already disappeared after he played-on to Pollock. South Africa deserved to feel pleased, but after seven preliminary matches they still under-estimated the impact of Bandara.The first two finals venues at Adelaide and Sydney offer surfaces to suit Sri Lanka’s bowlers and Moody was confident of a strong showing. “There’s no question Australia are world leaders in one-day cricket, but we’re very excited,” he said. “We’ve beaten them once and we’re confident of giving them a shake.”
South Africa Boeta Dippenaar lbw Vaas 9 (1 for 19) Herschelle Gibbs c&b Vaas (2 for 19) Mark Boucher b Fernando 24 (3 for 77) Graeme Smith c Muralitharan b Bandara 67 (4 for 113) Justin Kemp lbw Bandara 0 (5 for 114) Ashwell Prince c&b Bandara 22 (6 for 137) Shaun Pollock c Sangakkara b Bandara 15 (7 for 146) Johan van der Wath b Muralitharan 0 (8 for 147) Johan Botha c Kapugedera b Jayasuriya 17 (9 for 178) Charl Langeveldt c Mubarak b Dilshan 1 (181) Sri Lanka Sanath Jayasuriya b Pollock 25 (1 for 52) Kumar Sangakkara c Dippenaar b van der Wath 62 (2 for 175) Marvan Atapattu c Hall b van der Wath 80 (3 for 190) Mahela Jayawardene lbw Hall 11 (4 for 207) Jehan Mubarak c Prince b Hall 14 (5 for 212) Chamara Kapugedara b Botha 3 (6 for 220) Chaminda Vaas c Botha b Langeveldt 5 (7 for 229) Muttiah Muralitharan c Botha b Langeveldt 1 (8 for 241) Tillakaratne Dilshan b Hall 30 (9 for 254)
Ochilo Ayacko, Kenya’s sports minister, is in London to meet with Ehsan Mani and Malcolm Speed, the ICC’s president and chief executive, to discuss how to resolve the stand-off blighting Kenyan cricket. Ayacko has travelled with Isaac Kalua, the interim chairman of Cricket Kenya (CK), the new body established in February to take over the running of cricket in place of the embattled Kenya Cricket Association (KCA).Although CK has the backing of almost all Kenya’s clubs, players and supporters, as well as the government, the KCA is still officially in charge of cricket in the country despite being virtually bankrupt. There have been reports that the ICC, under its own ruies, cannot recognise CK until June 2006 at the earliest, but Ayacko will try to persuade the ICC that common sense should prevail rather than the rule book. Were the KCA to remain the officially recognised body for another 15 months, the harm to Kenyan cricket could be irreparable.The ICC is known to be concerned about the management and governance of the KCA, and Kenya’s government are also carrying out investigations into the way the board has been run. At the end of February, bank records were seized as part of an ongoing investigation into claims made against the KCA.In light of the significant issues facing the KCA, it would seem to be self-defeating for the ICC to adhere to the letter of the rulebook. Ayacko is thought to be hoping to explain the situation to Speed and Mani ahead of the ICC meeting in New Delhi on March 17 where the subject is sure to be raised.While the ICC cannot become involved in domestic issues, this crisis now threatens the very future of one of the last World Cup’s semi-finalists , and it may feel it has to act.In today’s Nation, Chris Tsuma, who is well informed on the operations of the KCA, reports that Jimmy Rayani, the former KCA chairman and a man under the spotlight himself, is attempting to broker an honourable exit for senior KCA officials. But many opponents of the board feel that this situation has gone too far and the time for negotiation has passed. They are also demanding answers to questions regarding what they claim are holes in the KCA’s accounts.Rayani’s proposals also include keeping some existing officials on any new KCA board, and to many inside Kenyan cricket that is entirely unacceptable. "We have to get rid of the whole lot of them," one opponent told me. "We need a completely new start and not a reshuffling of the same old faces who have got us into this mess."
As part of World AIDS Day 2003, cricket teams playing international matches on or around 1 December have committed to wearing red ribbons as a sign of support for the millions of people around the world living with HIV and AIDS.Teams participating in the following matches will be supporting the initiative:30 Nov – Zimbabwe v West Indies, One Day International match 1 Dec – Pakistan v New Zealand, One Day International match 2 Dec – Sri Lanka v England, Test matchWorld AIDS Day is commemorated around the globe on 1 December. It celebrates progress made in the battle against the epidemic — and brings into focus remaining challenges.This year’s World AIDS Day highlights `Live and Let Live’ — the theme of the World AIDS Campaign 2002 -2003. The campaign focuses on eliminating stigma and discrimination, the major obstacles to effective HIV/AIDS prevention and care.The Red Ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with people living with HIV/AIDS and it unites people in the common fight against this disease.In September this year the International Cricket Council (ICC) entered into a strategic alliance with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to take up the fight against HIV/AIDS in cricket-playing countries.”The threat of HIV/AIDS in many of the countries in which cricket is played is acute and it is in keeping with the spirit of cricket that the ICC exercises this social responsibility,” said ICC President Ehsan Mani.Of the estimated 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, over 12 million live in cricket playing countries. In India and South Africa alone, over 9 million people are living with HIV or AIDS.Despite the current low HIV prevalence in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the potential for HIV to spread is high if prevention efforts are not scaled up rapidly.In Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, current trends indicate a rise in sexually transmitted infections and unsafe sex, increasing the risk of HIV. In the cricket playing Caribbean countries (which play collectively as the West Indies), HIV is spreading rapidly.”By sporting the red ribbon, the cricket teams of England, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and West Indies have shown solidarity with the millions of people affected by AIDS world wide. The ICC-UNAIDS campaign to run out AIDS will play a vital role in the fight against AIDS in cricket playing countries,” said Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS.The International Cricket Council and UNAIDS will also be auctioning a full set of ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 signed bats from 1 to 10 December 2003 on eBay.co.uk to raise funds for a HIV/AIDS project in India. Visit www.icc.cricket.org/unaids to find out more and place a bid.The partnership with UNAIDS is supported by all of the ICC’s Full Member countries. For more information about World AIDS Day visit www.unaids.org.ICC media contacts:
It hasn’t been developed as a firm policy yet but if it should Marcus Trescothick, England’s utility wicket-keeper, is prepared to put the work in to give his side options for matches.Trescothick was the choice when full-time ‘keeper was given a rest in Saturday’s National Bank Series game against New Zealand in Wellington.For the moment he still regards himself as a specialist opening batsman, but he admitted he was enjoying redeveloping the ‘keeping skills that he employed until he was about 17 years of age when he made the choice to concentrate on his batting.He found on Saturday that the task of ‘keeping for 50 overs had not tired him out for batting and his only frustration was that he didn’t spend longer at the crease to see just how much more it would have taken out of him in a full match situation.No decision has been made by England yet on their team for the all-important One-Day International which will decide whether the tourists can get back into the series.He said he had felt his muscles after he first did the job in one game on the tour of India.”But I have done a little bit more practice since then so the muscles are starting to get used to it.”If it gives the extra option of getting another key player into the team then fine, at the moment I don’t see it as being a massive option unless things change dramatically, I don’t foresee it being a long term development.”If I wanted to do it I would have to do a lot more work, I haven’t done it for years. There would be a lot more work involved and a lot more practice,” he said.Trescothick has been working with James Foster in rekindling his skills and he may have a chat with former England ‘keeper Bob Taylor later in the week.His New Zealand counterpart Chris Nevin didn’t practice his batting at the training session today. He took three blows on both hands from England fast bowler Darren Gough in the first game in Christchurch and was not batting today as a precaution.The blows did not affect his hands for wicket-keeping, just batting.Chris Harris also had the afternoon off with a bruised right wrist. But there was no doubt about his availability for Wednesday’s game.
South Australian openers Shane Deitz (10*) and David Fitzgerald (1*) have survived a dangerous three-over spell before stumps on day one of their Pura Cup clash against Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.After bowling the Bushrangers out for 231, South Australia is twelve without loss at the end of the day. The team trails by 219 runs, with ten wickets still in hand. Deitz, who struck a four to open the Redbacks’ innings, survived two chances (a loud lbw appeal and a dropped catch in the slips) in the first over off Paul Reiffel.Fortunately for the visitors, he will be there at the resumption of their innings tomorrow in their bid to open their account in this season’s Pura Cup competition. After two matches each, Victoria and South Australia remain the only sides without a single point to their names.The underlying story of today’s play was this: in the injury-enforced absence of opener Matthew Elliott, Victoria’s unhealthy dependence on one batsman continues. This time, it was Brad Hodge (104) who was responsible for holding together his team while others collapsed around him.Notching up his third successive first-class century, Hodge was in fine form today. He struck ten boundaries (including six off spinner Peter McIntyre) and one six on his way to his ton, taking him to a mark of 470 runs for the season. He now averages 112 runs for the Pura Cup competition, making him a serious contender to play in the Australia ‘A’ side to take on West Indies in Hobart next month.Not for the first time this season, Hodge found himself making most of the runs as Victoria suffered yet another batting slump. After going to tea at a satisfactory 4/127, the Bushrangers lost six wickets for the addition of 104 runs in the final session, including a second-new ball burst of 4/9 in just twenty-seven balls.After being sent in to bat by Redback captain Darren Lehmann, the Bushrangers found the going tough, scoring only two runs per over in the first session. However, the openers did manage to build a partnership of forty-one before Jason Arnberger (19) fell to Paul Wilson. The veteran also claimed the other opener, having Shawn Craig (30) caught behind by wicketkeeper Graham Manou five overs before lunch.Although Victoria’s run rate did not improve much in the second session, Hodge set about building a respectable total, first with the aid of Matthew Mott (12), then Michael Kilnger (8). After Mott was given out caught at mid wicket in a dubious bat-pad decision off Mark Harrity and Klinger was caught by Greg Blewett off McIntyre, Hodge finally found someone capable of sticking around.Together with Ian Harvey (31), he compiled a fifty-six run partnership for the fifth wicket off eighty-five balls at a rate of better than a run a minute. Harvey struck five fours, including three off Harrity, in his stay of fifty-four minutes. His dismissal was one of three suspect decisions given today. Harvey was adjudged lbw to McIntyre even though he was well forward.Vice-captain Darren Berry (2) and captain Paul Reiffel (0) were the next to go, marking the beginning of another Victorian batting collapse. The new ball, taken after Harvey’s dismissal, claimed four Bushranger wickets in twenty-seven balls, while just nine runs were added. Reiffel was followed by Hodge (caught from a thick edge by Deitz at first slip off Wilson), Colin Miller (3) and later Damien Fleming (15), ending the home team’s innings at 231.Veteran Wilson was highest wicket taker for South Australia, with 4/49 off 22.1 overs. Brett Swain (3/33 off twenty-one overs), McIntyre (2/64 off twenty overs) and Harrity (1/44 off fifteen overs) were the other successful bowlers.
Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to make it three wins on the bounce when they host Newcastle United in the Premier League as the race for the top four hots up.
The Lilywhites could not only go three points clear of Manchester United, who are sat in sixth, after their slip-up against Leicester City on Saturday night but they would also put the pressure on their fourth-placed arch-rivals, Arsenal, before their clash with Crystal Palace on Monday night.
However, the Magpies will be no easy task as Eddie Howe has transformed their fortunes at St James’ Park since taking the helm – three wins in their last five outings have seen them move clear of the relegation zone.
Antonio Conte is facing a few injury problems heading into kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, so it will be interesting to see what sort of side he can name this afternoon.
Here’s the XI we’re predicting…
There could be just one change from the side that defeated West Ham 3-1 before the international break.
Sergio Reguilon is doubtful for this encounter, and with Ryan Sessegnon currently absent through injury, it leaves the Italian head coach light on options at left wing-back.
Without the pair, it hands him only two options.
He can either revert to a back four with Ben Davies returning to his natural left-back role, or he could switch Matt Doherty to the other flank and reintroduce Emerson Royal on the right.
It’s the latter that seems more plausible, so the £26m Brazilian defender returns to the team, playing alongside the Irishman, Davies, Eric Dier and Cristian Romero, in front of skipper Hugo Lloris.
Emerson, 23, has not been in the best of form since arriving from Barcelona in the summer, with his performances being described as “terrible” and “horrendous” on occasions.
The midfield remains unaltered, with Oliver Skipp also still missing, so Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur continue in tandem.
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Further forward, the electric trio of Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevksi and England talisman Harry Kane will look to continue their fine form together, even despite the big dilemma surrounding Steven Bergwijn.
It’s hard to ignore the Dutchman’s form for his national side this week, scoring three times, twice in the win over Hojbjerg’s Denmark and once in the draw with Germany.
But given the form of the aforementioned unit, Bergwijn may still have to wait for a chance to impress domestically.
AND in other news, Conte handed big injury boost ahead of Newcastle clash…
Geoff Lawson, the Pakistan coach, is yet to take a decision on returning to Pakistan following former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.Lawson is currently in Sydney and is scheduled to leave for Pakistan in two weeks. He said he was waiting for advice from people inside the country before deciding what to do.”I’ve sent a few emails this morning to people I know in Pakistan in different areas to get their opinions,” Lawson told . “I’m very open [to what they say] and I’m more likely to take into account what they’ve got to say rather than any officials. I’m just seeking advice, I’m not pre-judging anything.”Pakistan are scheduled to play five ODIs against Zimbabwe at home beginning January 26. But rioting and unrest in many parts of the country have put the tour in doubt.
Cricket fans in India may have to reconcile themselves to missing out more matches in the near future with no solution in sight to the deadlock between Nimbus and Prasar Bharati for telecast of India’s home games over the next few weeks. Millions of fans missed the first match of the India-West Indies series on Sunday – telecast liveon Neo Sports, a channel owned and recently launched by Nimbus – and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which sold the rights to Nimbus last year, says it will stand by the rights holder if the matter goes to court.Even as India’s Information and Broadcasting minister called Nimbus’s decision “unpatriotic”, Shashank Manohar, the BCCI vice-president, said that Nimbus might approachthe Supreme Court to resolve the issue and the board, having entered into a contract with the television house, would be a “joint petitioner” in the case.”BCCI is supporting Neo Sports and Nimbus. They have paid so muchmoney to get the telecast rights. Nimbus is going to the Supreme Courtand we might be a joint petitioner to it,” Manohar said on thesidelines of the series opener at the VCA stadium. He also hoped the issue would be sorted out before thesecond one-dayer, in Cuttack on January 24.Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, also said the board would stand by Nimbus.”We may be a party because our contracts are with them (Nimbus),” Shah said.”Prasar Bharati has got the highest reach in the country and Nimbuswanted to give them territorial rights as per rules and regulations.We hope that an amicable solutions comes out.”At the heart of the dispute is Prasar Bharati’s refusal to encrypt thefeed given by Nimbus and the insistence on telecasting the matches both onits terrestrial channel Doordarshan (DD) and its DTH service. However, Nimbus – which bagged the rights last year for $612 million for a four-year period – has said Prasar Bharati can telecast the matches to onlythose homes which are connected through the terrestrial network.Nimbus is believed to have offered DD a 75-25 revenue-sharing deal, which has been implemented in the past, and also the option of a 15-minute delay feed instead of live cricket.”We refuse to accept the conditions put up by Prasar Bharti and ifthese are not sorted out, we will not share the feed with them,”Harish Thawani, the Nimbus chairman, said on Saturday.The problem was not restricted to homes with only terrestrial TV; even those in metros subscribing to direct-to-home (DTH) TV missed out on Sunday’s action. Manohar said Prasar Bharati’s conditions to Nimbus included free feed to DTH services, which Nimbus has objected to.Officials of DTH companies Tata Sky and Dish TV were quoted by The Times of India as saying they were negotiating with the broadcasters on a deal for the rest of the series.