Cricket-Rain robs Australia of victory in Jamaica
MIAMI, May 18 (Reuters) - Rain robbed Australia of certain victory in their pre-test series warm-up match against a Jamaica XI on Sunday.
The tourists needed just 96 runs for victory in their second innings of the three-day game at the Trelawny stadium and were 31 short when the weather stopped play.
The Jamaica XI were dismissed for 194 in their second innings with the slow left-arm bowling of Simon Katich cleaning up the tail with figures of four for 15.
Katich, in line for a return to the side for the opening test against West Indies starting on Thursday in Kingston, had an impressive game.
He scored 97 in Australia's first innings and was 37 not out before the downpour.
Leg-spinner Stuart MacGill will also have taken confidence from a spell of three for 50 against a Jamaica side missing several leading players.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting was unbeaten on 20 at the close of play as the touring side ended on 65 for one.
The tourists are due to play three test matches, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 game in the Caribbean.
(c) Thomson Reuters 2008
Edinburgh to host Australia for one-day game during 2009 Ashes tour
AUSTRALIA'S cricketers will take on Scotland in Edinburgh next summer as part of their 2009 Ashes tour.
The England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia have reached agreement on the schedule and, within the itinerary that was announced yesterday, it has emerged Australia will travel north.
The Aussies will play Scotland in a one-day internADVERTISEMENTational at the Grange on Friday, 28 August, next year - the same week that they are due to conclude the five-Test Ashes series with England.
The match will mark the start of Australia's one-day programme and will provide a little compensation to those Scotland fans who missed out on seeing Ricky Ponting and Co when bad weather put paid to a planned international in 2005.
Australia will kick off their warm-up matches with a four-day game against Sussex at Hove on 24 June before they face a four-day match against England Lions at Worcestershire's New Road ground on 1 July. These are played before the first npower Test match at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, which starts on 8 July.
Sandwiched in between the second and third Test matches there is a three-day game provisionally scheduled against Northants.
ECB chief executive David Collier said: "The summer of 2009 promises to be one of the most exciting in the history of cricket in England and Wales.
"The npower Ashes Series and the NatWest Series along with the NatWest International Twenty20 matches have the potential for providing the sort of wonderful cricket which can fire the nation's imagination."
Fixtures for the Australian tour to England 2009:
June: Wed 24-Sat 27: Four-day game v Sussex (Hove).
July: Wed 1-Sat 4: Four-day game v England Lions (Worcester); Wed 8-Sun 12: 1st npower Test (Cardiff); Thu 16-Mon 20: 2nd npower Test (Lord's); Fri 24-Sun 26: Three-day game v Northants (Northampton); Thu 30-Mon 3 Aug: 3rd npower Test (Edgbaston).
August: Fri 7-Tue 11: 4th npower Test (Headingley); Sat 15-Sun 16: Two-day game v Kent (Canterbury); Thu 20-Mon 24: 5th npower Test (Oval); Fri 28: ODI v Scotland (Edinburgh); Sun 30: 1st NatWest International Twenty20 (Old Trafford).
September: Tue 1: 2nd NatWest International Twenty20 (Old Trafford, floodlit); Fri 4: 1st NatWest Series day/night (Brit Oval); Sun 6: 2nd NatWest Series (Lord's); Wed 9: 3rd NatWest Series day/night (Rose Bowl); Sat 12: 4th NatWest Series (Lord's); Tue 15: 5th NatWest Series day/night (Trent Bridge); Thu 17: 6th NatWest Series day/night (Trent Bridge); Sun 20: 7th NatWest Series (Durham); Mon 21: Australia depart.
(c) The Scotsman
Cricket-Australia express regret on Speed's departure from ICC
MELBOURNE, April 27- Cricket Australia expressed regret on Sunday at the premature end to Malcolm Speed's spell as chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Speed, a former chief executive of Cricket Australia (CA), was placed on paid leave by the ICC on Friday after falling out with several board members over various issues within Zimbabwe Cricket.
He was scheduled to step down when his contract expired in July.
"I note with regret that Malcolm Speed's distinguished career as an international cricket administrator has ended in the manner in which it has," (CA) chairman Creagh O'Connor said in a statement.
"I know first-hand of the dispassionate, professional and diligent manner in which he has sought for cricket to achieve high standards of administrative excellence."
Speed's departure came in the wake of an independent audit finding serious financial irregularities in the Zimbabwe board accounts, though the ICC did not call for any sanctions.
It also decided there had been no evidence of criminality and no individuals had gained financially.
O'Connor said the ICC had a difficult job managing the global game but its primary focus should be on the sport.
"As many have noted in the last few days, administering the ICC, which features a diverse global constituency, is a challenging task," O'Connor added.
"Cricket is becoming a genuinely global sport and will only have a long-term, sustainable future if the diverse interests within the game can put the game's interests ahead of any other interests."
(c) Thomson Reuters 2008
Inaugural Champions League set for October
Following the spectacular start to the Indian Premier League, its organisers have chalked out plans for an inaugural Champions League featuring top domestic Twenty20 sides from several countries.
Cricinfo has learnt England have been offered the chance to host the tournament, which is likely to be held between the ICC Champions Trophy - which ends on September 28 - and the first Test between India and Australia, starting October 9. However, that is not traditional cricket season in England and given the weather at that time - the end of summer, with shorter days and falling temperatures - a prominent cricket centre in North India will be the back-up venue. That will also help in terms of travel, as the ICC Champions Trophy final will be in Lahore, a short hop away.
Details of the Champions League have been informally firmed up over the last few weeks during discussions between top BCCI officials and those from Cricket Australia, Cricket South Africa, Pakistan Cricket Board and crucially, the England and Wales Cricket Board, a senior official who is close to the negotiations, said.
Considering the time constraints and the urgency to get the event off the ground this year itself, the officials were apparently keen that the event be wrapped up in nine days with eight matches and a final, ideally, at Lord's.
"There have been a lot of ideas and lots of discussions surrounding the Champions League," Keith Bradshaw, the MCC chief executive, told PA Sport. "MCC has had an input into those talks. From a MCC point of view we are very keen to host the big matches at Lord's, and would always want to be considered for these kind of games."
The common line that has emerged from the elaborate talks is that the Champions League, to start with, could be a short, single-leg league involving the top two domestic Twenty20 teams from the five countries.
Lalit Modi, who presided over the opening day of the domestic Indian Premier League (IPL) in Bangalore on Friday as its chairman and commissioner, is expected to "get cracking" on the Champions League very soon.
"Informally, a lot of discussions and decisions have happened on the Champions League," an official said. "Everyone wants to be on board and the level of interest has been very high. There was a joint call on how many countries need to participate, the window that is available at that point of time and so on."
However, officials are aware of the potential complications on the way, especially involving Indian teams whose overseas players may have appeared for their home sides in the domestic Twenty20 tournaments. For example, Kolkata Knight Riders, who won the inaugural match, have Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, and Chris Gayle of West Indies.
"Cricket Australia is one of the keenest supporters of the Champions League," the official said, "and could make a few adjustments if their players need to be released for the event."
(c) Cricinfo
South Australia lose leading wicket-taker
Ryan Harris, South Australia's leading Pura Cup wicket-taker in 2007-08, will play for Queensland from next season after signing a three-year deal with the Bulls. Harris' departure from Adelaide is a blow for the Redbacks as they embark on their own recruiting drive following a disappointing summer.
Harris, 28, will be a useful addition at Queensland, who already boast the Cricket Australia-contracted allrounders Ashley Noffke, James Hopes and Shane Watson. He said he was looking forward to a new phase in his career.
"It was a good offer and while I've enjoyed my time with the Redbacks, I thought the opportunity to bowl at the Gabba over the next few years should see my career develop further," Harris said. "I thank the SACA [South Australian Cricket Association] for their support over the past few years and wish them all the best but I'm genuinely excited about the prospects ahead with the Bulls."
Harris is currently playing county cricket in Sussex after their interest was stirred by his best Australian domestic season. He collected 37 Pura Cup wickets at 29.86 last summer and made a handy 363 runs at 24.20, and the contributions earned him a place in the Australian Cricketers' Association Pura Cup Team of the Year.
An Academy graduate in 2002, Harris was in the same group as the man who could be Queensland's next captain, Chris Simpson. In 2006-07 the Bulls were on the wrong end of his talent when Harris struck a six from the last ball of a one-day match when the Redbacks needed five to win.
Graham Dixon, the chief executive of Queensland Cricket, said Harris was the only man the Bulls would sign from interstate for 2008-09. "We had a number of good reports from our players about Ryan's competitiveness on the field," Dixon said. "He's the sort of player that has more than one string to his bow and plays all three forms of the game which is important in the current environment."
The Redbacks coach Mark Sorell said the Queensland agreement would be worth more money and security for Harris, who had been on short-term contracts in the past. South Australia had tried to keep him by offering a two-year deal that could be extended to three based on performance in the first year.
"I support what's happened in the past with his performance and injury history," Sorell said. "He performed well this last season which was outstanding and we were keen to let him know he was a part of our future. His decision was a bit of a shock. Obviously we're extremely disappointed but we respect that decision."
(c) Cricinfo
Thilan keeps Sri Lanka in it
Thilan Samaraweera struck a magnificent century to single-handedly keep Sri Lanka's hopes of victory alive on day three of the second Test in Port of Spain.
Samaraweera came to the tourists' rescue with a knock of 125 after they had looked like being steamrolled by the West Indies pace attack.
The number five helped his team recover from 5-78 at lunch to reach 268 all out by the close of play.
Samaraweera cracked 18 fours to record his 16th Test century after the Windies had ripped through the Sri Lankan top order.
He was eventually run out attempting a second run and Muttiah Muralitharan followed, caught at fine leg by Daren Powell off the bowling of Jerome Taylor, for four the next over to leave the hosts to chase 253 for a victory which would level the series.
That was one of four wickets for Taylor, who also dismissed Malinda Warnapura, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Chamara Silva earlier in the day.
Sri Lanka had been reeling on 6-99 when Silva was caught at gully by Marlon Samuels off the bowling of Taylor for 13.
They had earlier lost both openers within the first two overs, Warnapura (zero) caught by Sewnarine Chattergoon at third slip off Taylor, who then ran out Michael Vandort (1) with a superb direct hit from silly mid-off.
Mahela Jayawardene (12) looked to inject some spark into the Sri Lanka innings by hitting three quick boundaries, but he played on to the stumps attempting a square drive off a wide Fidel Edwards delivery.
Kumar Sangakkara added 14 before he guided an attempted cut off Powell straight to Samuels at gully.
Dilshan (25) had signalled his intent by smashing Powell for two fours and a six in his first over but he was next to fall when Taylor uprooted his off stump shortly before the interval.
Dilshan appeared in fine touch and had pulled Taylor for four the previous delivery but the concentration lapses which plagued his team-mates higher up the order struck again.
Chaminda Vaas was the only one to provide support for Samaraweera, scoring 45 in a 138-run partnership with the centurion before he edged a Chris Gayle delivery behind to Denesh Ramdin to leave his side on 7-237.
Thilan Mirando then made 10 before he was caught behind by Ramdin off Dwayne Bravo, while Ishara Amerasinghe was unbeaten at the end on nought.
Earlier, the West Indies had added 26 runs to their overnight total before being bowled out for 294.
Muralitharan was the Sri Lankans' wrecking ball, finishing with figures of 5-79 - his 63rd five-wicket Test haul.
Starting the day on 7-268, Taylor (13) was trapped leg before wicket by Vaas before Ramdin (13) was caught at slip by Jayawardene off Muralitharan in the next over.
Powell offered little resistance and added just three runs before Muralitharan dismissed him lbw.
(c) Cricket Australia
Warne thanks cricket-mad Hampshire for 'wonderful experience'
LONDON (AFP) - Shane Warne thanked Hampshire for a "wonderful experience" after denying the English side's fans a chance to say goodbye to him on the pitch.
The Australia leg-spin legend, Hampshire's captain since 2004, dramatically called time on his eight-year association with the county on Thursday just weeks before the start of the new English season even though he had a contract for one final campaign with the Rose Bowl club.
Warne, 38, said business commitments, as well as a desire to see more of his young children, had prompted his decision.
He will now bow out of all senior cricket following his involvement as captain and coach of the Jaipur franchise in the new Indian Premier League.
"My eight years involved with Hampshire have been a wonderful experience. Memories that will last with me forever and likewise the friendships that have been formed at the club," Warne said.
"Unfortunately I am retiring from all first-class cricket but will participate in the IPL. Due to some exciting business opportunities and wanting to spend more time with my children, I had to make this call.
"I was very lucky to have played with such a wonderful group of guys.
"To all the fans that have turned up to watch Hampshire play, thank you very much for embracing me," Warne named as one of Wisden's five cricketers of the 20th century in 2000, said.
Warne took 276 first-class wickets for Hampshire at an average of 25.59 with best match figures of seven for 99 against Middlesex at the Rose Bowl.
He also scored 2,040 runs with a best of 107 against Kent at Canterbury in 2005.
More than that, however, he sparked Hampshire's on-field fortunes with his bold and inspiring captaincy and so helped the team become one of English cricket's leading counties."
Rod Bransgrove, Hampshire's chairman, said: "The most effective and entertaining bowler of all time, Shane Warne was also a brilliant leader and strategist. Warnie will be sorely missed, never forgotten."
Hampshire announced Thursday that all-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas would be their new captain even though the England one-day specialist is due to miss the start of the county season because he too will be playing in the IPL, where he will be a team-mate of Warne's in Jaipur.
Credited with singlehandedly reviving interest in leg-spin bowling, Warne finished his Test career at the end of last year's Ashes series in Australia with 708 wickets at an average of just over 25 apiece from 145 matches.
His record, however, has been surpassed by Sri Lanka's extraordinary off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
Copyright (c) 2008 AFP. All rights reserved.
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