Jumping Jaques Phil Jaques continued his fine scoring streak since replacing Justin Langer with his fifth consecutive innings of at least a half-century. Since re-entering the team in November he has 100, 150, 68, 66 and 51, which make him the team’s leading run-scorer of the year. This is only Australia’s fourth Test of 2007 and Jaques (435) is ahead of Michael Hussey (374) while Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke are both on 320.Harbhajan sings when Ponting steps out Harbhajan Singh has moved to third on Ricky Ponting’s list of least-liked bowlers. The pair has played in eight Tests together and when Ponting glided Harbhajan to Rahul Dravid at first slip on 3 it was the sixth time he had fallen to the bowler. “I have some success against him, but I don’t know how or why,” Harbhajan said. “It was my 250th wicket, that means a lot.” Anil Kumble, who will have to wait till Sydney to try to add to his tally, is second in Ponting’s nightmares on seven, one behind Darren Gough.Costly misses Zaheer Khan delivered the ball of the match with an outstanding offcutter that bowled Andrew Symonds on 7. The initial problem was that it was a no-ball, but as the Indian fielders questioned their luck, the ball squirted passed Mahendra Singh Dhoni and was ignored. Once Symonds realised he wasn’t headed for the stands he signalled Michael Clarke for a cheeky run. “It was an amazing ball, it skidded on, and both Symmo and myself were a bit surprised,” Clarke said. “Then he called me through for a single. I was like: ‘What are you running for? You’ve just been bowled.’Out of step A couple of overs later Zaheer transgressed again and his loud lbw appeal for Clarke was cut short by Billy Bowden’s out-stretched arm. Anil Kumble did well to remain calm during Zaheer’s 12 no-balls for the innings.Things we learned today “I call the MCG Shane Warne’s ground because I used to see him on TV bowling here,” Harbhajan said. He also revealed what Ponting said after Harbhajan was hit a stinging blow on the chest by Brett Lee on day two. “He asked me if the ball had gone out of shape. I’m still fine.” Harbhajan then patted the area and smiled.Cap’s on for Clarke Three years ago Clarke called for his baggy green when he was in the 90s so he could wear it when he made his century on debut. With Kumble and Harbhajan operating in tandem, Clarke had another chance to send the helmet to the dressing room, but this time there was no bat raise. He missed Kumble’s wrong’un and was stumped on 73.
South Africa and Pakistan are the last two sides to begin their final World Cup preparations as their five-match series gets underway at Centurion Park on Sunday. Both sides have issues to resolve, although it is Pakistan with most questions to answer.Their 10-wicket hammering in the Twenty20 International was a harsh reintroduction to limited overs action and, although too much shouldn’t be read into the defeat, it certainly showed Pakistan at their worst.The fresh faces brought in following the 2-1 Test series defeat hardly inspired. Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman feasted on the bowling and the batting line-up was undone by some fine seam and swing bowling. Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi, two experts at one-day level, appeared short on form and must up their game over the next five matches.Bob Woolmer was less than impressed by his side at the Wanderers: “I was very disappointed with both the batting and the bowling and we have to pull up our socks in both departments.”Mohammad Asif will strengthen the bowling attack after resting for the Twenty20 but the decision to send Danish Kaneria home leaves the spin department exposed. Pakistan are hopeful that Inzamam-ul-Haq will have recovered from his back problem to lead the side and the batting could also do with his guidance. Kamran Akmal played purely as a batsman on Friday and his role could be anyway from opener to No. 7.South Africa, too, have a question mark over the top order. AB de Villiers’ poor Test season has left him under pressure for a place, although his dynamic fielding is a major asset in the one-day team. Bosman showed his clean-hitting ability in the Twenty20 and could slot in alongside Smith as de Villiers slips down the order. Who misses out when Herschelle Gibbs returns from his ban can be left for another day.”There are a couple of different scenarios when it comes to replacing Herschelle,” said Mickey Arthur, “but otherwise we would like to start with the side that finished against India. You can almost consider that our best XI.”On the bowling front South Africa are spoilt for choice and, coming at the end of a packed season, it won’t be a surprise to see Smith and Arthur employ an Australian-style rotation system during the series.South Africa (probable) Graeme Smith (capt), Loots Bosman, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers, Justin Kemp, Mark Boucher (wk), Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Makhaya Ntini, Andre NelPakistan (from) Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Imran Farhat, Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Yousuf, Naved-ul-Hasan, Shabbir Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Yasir Hameed, Zulqarnain Haider
There was further contract confusion inside Zimbabwe with the revelation that Dion Ebrahim, one of the most senior players remaining in the side, had not been offered a new contract by Zimbabwe Cricket.Ebrahim said he was not sure of his position in Zimbabwe cricket after he was told by a member of the government-appointed committee that he was excess to requirements. “I get the impression that my patriotism is being called into question,” he said. “I am very surprised by that because I was one of the players who stood by the board during the rebel saga. I don’t know where this is coming from really.”Ebrahim said he remained optimistic that he would have a future in Zimbabwe cricket, but added: “It’s becoming very hard. If nothing happens then I would have to explore other avenues.”Ebrahim is one of those still waiting to receive his outstanding match fees, although he confirmed being one of the players who received some money in Zimbabwe dollars last week.”They say it’s illegal to pay us in foreign currency, but the Warriors [Zimbabwe’s football team] were paid in US dollars at the Africa Cup. I don’t know why cricket players are being treated the way they are treating us.”
Accusations that Brett Lee is delivering intentional beam balls are “rubbish”, according to Ricky Ponting. Lee has received fierce criticism since bowling a waist-high full-toss to Brendon McCullum on Saturday, with John Bracewell suggesting it was the fourth he had sent to New Zealand’s batsmen this summer.However, Ponting claimed there had been an over-reaction and the wet surface had contributed to the loose ball, which hit McCullum on the hand as he shied away. Bracewell said it was the second similar delivery McCullum had received from Lee while others were directed at Chris Harris and Paul Wiseman.”If you’re singling him out as the only one who’s done it on more than one occasion that’s a load of rubbish,” Ponting said. “Abdul Razzaq hit him with two in one over [during the tri-series finals] and Lee actually received one in the first game, if memory serves correctly, on this tour.”Peter Roebuck, the former Somerset batsman and Sydney Morning Herald columnist, called for Lee to be dropped for the remainder of the tour. “[It] was merely the latest in a series of violent deliveries sent down by a pace bowler at best reckless in his approach and at worst utterly unwilling to remain within long-accepted parameters governing conduct on the cricket field,” Roebuck wrote.Ponting said there was a small margin for error for bowlers delivering balls at 150kmh. “Sure it’s happened a few times of late,” he said. “It’s the last thing I want to see and I know as far as Brett’s concerned it’s the last thing he wants to happen as well.”Lee will bowl alongside McGrath, Gillespie and Kasprowicz after Australia named a formidable pace line-up for the fourth one-day match at Wellington’s Basin Reserve tomorrow. Ponting has decided to rest from the game with a slight thigh strain and Adam Gilchrist will be captain. James Hopes, the Queensland allrounder, has been called up for his one-day international debut while Brad Hogg will be 12th man.Australia 1 Adam Gilchrist (capt, wk), 2 Simon Katich, 3 Damien Martyn, 4 Andrew Symonds, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Mike Hussey, 7 James Hopes, 8 Brett Lee, 9 Jason Gillespie, 10 Michael Kasprowicz, 11 Glenn McGrath, 12 Brad Hogg.
The Tasmanian Cricket Association is pleased to advise that all patrons who attend the VFL Finals match at Bellerive Oval on Sunday, 7th September between the Tassie Devils and Port Melbourne will receive the added bonus of a free pass to an ING Cup or one day of a Pura Cup match of their choice during the summer.Upon presentation of their pass patrons will gain free entry to any one of the five ING Cup or one day of the five Pura Cup matches to be held in Tasmania during the 2003/2004 season.Free tickets will be issued to patrons at the gates as they enter Bellerive Oval on Sunday.
Gloucestershire have sent two of their bright young talents to an academy in Perth headed by Neil Holder. Neil is a highly respected batting coach in Western Australia and has coordinated some intense sessions for Mark Hardinges and Roger Sillence. Matt Nicholson is doing the equivalent with their bowling skills. Matt plays for Western Australia, taking five wickets and recording his maiden first-class century against the touring South Africans last week. He played for Australia against England at Melbourne in the fourth Test in the 1998/99 series.The players are benefiting from an all encompassing programme that includes some rigorous training schedules. Roger is playing for Hamersley and Mark is representing Claremont Nederlands in the Suburban Turf 1st Division.You might be interested to read their progress reports. The academy runs independent of the Western Australian Cricket Authority.MARK HARDINGESFITNESS AND BOWLING:Mark has progressed with his knee such that he is able to participate in some of the running exercises. After a slow start to the fitness programme, Mark seems to have made a concerted effort to make the most of his time in Australia. Mark is still a little overweight but is now working hard to remedy this. I am confident that with his current attitude we will have him fit and strong by the time he returns to England. Working with Mark’s bowling will begin as soon as his fitness allows. 1 have received his bowling tape and have formulated some preliminary ideas for the future.Matt NicholsonBATTING:The initial period of the summer has been designed for Mark to understand his own base game. In developing his base game (or blueprint), he has made enormous progress. The fact that Mark hasn’t commenced playing as yet has meant he has spent extra time developing his base. Hs set up is a lot stiller and simple, it will be interesting to see how this holds up in a game situation initially. Without getting into too much technical analysis, he has improved his front foot driving position, with all drives becoming more consistent.He has opened the top part of his stance slightly which has helped him develop his perpendicular back foot play, particularly off his body.His pulling position has gone through the roof, cut shot still needs work and now that his position on the front foot is becoming consistent we have just touched on use of his feet to the spinners.Without having seen Mark’s all round game because of injury so far, just his batting development shows me he will be a genuine batsman at first-class level. His enthusiasm toward his batting skills is very exciting.GENERAL:After the initial new environment settling in period Mark has settled into a very good routine with fitness and health. We are extremely conscious of him playing only when he feels his knee is strong enough and to this end he has been doing extra work on his knee rehab. A delightful young man with I believe a huge future in the game.Neil HolderROGER SILLENCERoger is working hard at his fitness as he is beginning to realise the importance of this part of being a quick bowler. Roger needs to increase his core (stability/strength) and his stamina to ensure he can bowl at top pace for longer spells and throughout the day. He is doing three structured core strength sessions per week as well as his own work and appears to be getting stronger.We have identified three points for Roger to concentrate on: 1) Head position 2) Front arm 3) Left leg.We are trying to get Roger to keep his head up thereby allowing his front arm and leg to pull down at his target. Roger is beginning is make progress and is starting to feel the difference himself. He is on track to have his action really well grooved by April.Matt NicholsonAs with Mark, the understanding of his base game has been the key focus. Roger has adjusted his set up with his starting hand position. His pick up is now synchronised with his feet movement.He has been working on his point of contact becoming more consistent on his front foot. He really is a terrific striker of the ball.Main emphasis has been on back foot perpendicular play, particularly getting into better position with the balls on his body, so he can access the ball easily. His back foot previously was lauding in the same position, no matter where the ball was pitched. He is also developing his sideways shots. By spending more time "in the middle” in club games, now that he is in more control of his own game, he will start to develop his batsmanship skills greater.Roger is a very focused person and has a great desire to succeed at the first-class level. He has taken a coaching role at his club and also runs a junior development programme on Friday evenings at his club. Looking forward to the next stage of his development.Neil Holder
An almost full strength Bangladesh national team playing as CricketCommittee of Dhaka Metropolitan XI were crushed by the Overseas XI,comprising foreign players currently participating in the country’s PremierLeague. The match held at the Bangabandhu National Stadium was organized byone of the country’s oldest clubs, Wari Club as part of their Centnearycelebrations. It was curtailed to a 38-over a side encounter due to heavyrain on the previous night. Akram Khan led the Bangladesh side while TareqMehmood was in charge of the guests’ side which had ten Pakistanis out ofthe eleven.Electing to bat first, CCDM lost Naimur Rahman early for 12, beforeShahriar Hussain and Habibul Bashar added 91 runs for the second wicket.Bashar left for 37 with the score on 112 and his partner Shahriar was thenext to go, top scoring with 66, an innings which inlcuded three boundariesand two sixes.Shahriar was Pakistani left armer Mohammad Hossain’s firstvictim and more soon followed. The rest of the batsman were unable to putup any resistance against the Overseas attack, as Hossain ripped throughthe ordertaking 5/19. CCDM ended at up with a disappointing score of 182/9in their allotted 38 overs.Overseas XI started disastrously losing Mohammad Hossain, who failed toscore. But after that another good second wicket partnership, this timebetween Salim Elahi (69 off 19 balls, 10 fours and a six) and Imran Farhet(39) worth 92 put the imports in a very comfortable position. After thedeparture of both the anchoring batsman, Sarfaraz followed cheaply withjust 2. With the score on 157 and just 23 runs required, Abid Hanif (19)and Manzoor Elahi (18) played it safe and Overseas XI sailed to victorywith 3 overs to spare.
The 24-year-old has helped Celtic go on an impressive winning run following the winter break, with seven victories on the spin seeing the Hoops go three points clear ahead of rivals Rangers.
Labelled as ‘amazing’ by Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, Hatate has caught the eye in Scotland, with pundit Gabby Agbonlahor believing his value has already tripled.
The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments
O’Rourke was talking to GiveMeSport regarding the midfielder’s long-term future in Glasgow. He admitted it would be ‘difficult’ for the Hoops to keep hold of Hatate due to the possible money on offer in the Premier League.
“It’s going to be difficult for Celtic to keep hold of Hatate going forward if he keeps making the impact that he is.
“And as I mentioned earlier, Celtic and Rangers can’t compete with the money that’s on offer from clubs down in England as well.”
The Verdict: No surprise
It doesn’t exactly come as a shock that Hatate is already being linked with a move away following his impressive start, and O’Rourke’s comments are a potential worry in the long run.
However, Celtic officials are under no pressure to sell with Hatate contracted at Parkhead until 2026 following his £1.38m transfer.
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Hopefully, Hatate will continue his fine form in Scotland, and even though that may result in his future being discussed even further, the Hoops may well reap the rewards with success on the pitch, starting with a possible Premiership triumph.
In other news: Celtic chief makes 742-mile round scouting trip; journo now drops update on possible record move.
A jury in Jamaica has recorded an open verdict on the death of the former Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer, after deciding that there was insufficient evidence of either a criminal act or natural causes. The 11-member jury, which began considering a verdict last week after five weeks of evidence, received more instructions from the coroner Patrick Murphy before agreeing they were unable to decide.Murphy originally told jurors about possible outcomes a week ago as they began to consider whether Woolmer’s death occurred by natural causes, accidental death, suicide, murder and involuntary or voluntary manslaughter. The verdict came after 26 days of testimony from 57 witnesses and the local police have closed their case.”We do not intend to go any further with these investigations,” said the Jamaican deputy police commissioner Mark Shields said. He explained the police had already “conducted a thorough and one of the largest investigations in recent years and had always been confident that Woolmer died of natural causes”. They interviewed more than 400 people, collected statements from 250 witnesses and pursued 500 lines of inquiry.Murphy, who presided over the inquiry, said the cause of death would now be left up to Jamaica’s chief prosecutor, adding that another inquest was not possible. “You’ve done your job, thank you very much,” he told the jury. “The inquest is now over and you are excused.”The ICC, in its reaction to the verdict, noted that extensive investigations by the Jamaican Constabulary Force and the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit found no evidence of match-fixing or corruption of any kind in this case.Woolmer was found in his room at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on March 18, one day after Pakistan crashed out of the World Cup. He was later pronounced dead at the University Hospital of the West Indies.A post mortem conducted by the government pathologist Ere Sheshiah led him to conclude that Woolmer was killed by asphyxiation due to manual strangulation. Jamaican police decided they had a murder on their hands but later abandoned the investigations after consulting with other experts who determined Woolmer’s death was due to natural causes. Sheshiah and those who found no evidence of wrongdoing each made their case over the past two months before the jury’s verdict.
England’s Ashes drubbing appears to have done nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of their home supporters, certainly not in the North-East. With five months to go until the fourth and final Test against West Indies in June, all tickets for the Saturday of the match at the Riverside have been sold out.”There is undoubtedly a real sense of excitement about the England side returning to the North-East,” said Gordon Hollins, Durham County Cricket Club’s commercial manager. “It will be the biggest sporting event ever staged in the region.”Durham’s ground at Chester-le-Street has been hosting one-day internationals since the 1999 World Cup, and has staged two Tests since 2003, against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. The visit of a marquee team such as West Indies, however, has created another level of interest.”Cricket is always passionately supported in the region and it is no surprise that day two has already sold out,” added Hollins, “especially with the likelihood of three of our players being included in the England squad.” Those players are Paul Collingwood, Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett.Tickets for day one, three and four are still available, with prices starting at £20 for adults and £10 for under 16s. “I would encourage anyone planning to come along to the match to book their tickets as soon as possible,” said Hollins, “to ensure they get the best possible seats.” The match gets underway on June 15.