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SpeedBlitz Blues fast bowler Nathan Bracken has been ruled-out of the squad to play Queensland in a Pura Cup match at the Gabba starting on Sunday February 1st, 2004.Bracken has a hand injured suffered during the recent match against Western Australia in Perth.The SpeedBlitz Blues line-up is now:

Steve Waugh (c)
Greg Mail
Phil Jaques
Dominic Thornely
Mark Waugh
Brad Haddin
Aaron O’Brien
Stuart MacGill
Grant Lambert
Matthew Nicholson
Stuart Clark
Doug Bollinger

Having batted well through 45 overs at the end of day two, Pakistan started day three with a lot of promise, but once the new ball was taken Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini ripped the heart out of the batting, taking six wickets for the addition of only 12 runs.The new ball was taken at the start of the 81st over with Pakistan 240 for the loss of four wickets. 46 balls later Pakistan was all out for 252, with Pollock taking two for two and Ntini four for ten. A collapse that is hard to express in words, a lot easier in feelings and emotions.Pakistan had started the day well on a pitch that was flat and almost made to order by the batsmen. It took Pollock and umpire Srinivas Venkataraghavan 35 minutes to get the initial breakthrough, when Younis Khan was unlucky to be given out lbw when the ball clearly struck the pad outside off stump. Younis had looked for fifty, but to departed for 46 and the 116-run second-wicket record partnership had ended on 152.The turning point came when Inzamam-ul-Haq, once again showing signs of his ability with the bat, could not resist the pull, sending a short ball from Mornantau Hayward straight down the throat of deep square leg. His partnership with Taufeeq Umar was just starting to look dangerous for South Africa when lack of application cost Inzamam his wicket. Once again a batsman had got into the thirties but no further.Hayward got rid of Yousuf Youhana first ball, fishing outside off, and a collapse was in prospect. But Umar showed that with a bit of application plenty of runs were for the taking. Stuck in the nervous nineties for 50 minutes, he worked through it, going to his third hundred and eventually recording his highest Test score of 135.Ntini was first to strike with the new ball, getting one to go across Umar whoi was caught by Kallis at second slip. At 240/5 the stuffing had gone, and Pakistan went down like turkeys at Christmas.Kamran Akmal walked into a ball from Pollock to depart without scoring and Pakistan were 247/6. Faisal Iqbal, after playing and missing several times, was bowled trying to pull Ntini for 24, Pakistan 251/7. Waqar Younis wafted outside the off to Pollock, 252/8, and Ntini dispatched a swinging Saqlain Mushtaq and defensive Mohammad Zahid to end it at 252, still 368 behind South Africa’s 620/7 declared.The follow-on started disastrously, with Saleem Elahi caught at mid-wicket top-edging a pull, and Younis caught at gully to leave Pakistan two wickets down with nine runs on the board. It could have been worse, as Dippenaar put Umar down off the first ball of the second innings.Umar carried on from where he had left off, and with Inzamam played positive cricket to register another record, this time the third wicket for Pakistan against South Africa.A double strike on 130 from Boje and Pollock got rid of a far more committed Inzamam, stumped for 60, and a maturing Umar, caught behind for 67, to reduce Pakistan to 130/4.Youhana took an immediate liking to Boje, crashing four fours, a two and a six off the first over he received from the spinner. The first ball of the next over also went six, obviously the shots of a man resigned to defeat.With 47 in a 50-run partnership with Faisal Iqbal, Youhana created someentertainment by going to the second-fastest 50, in terms of balls faced, in Test history. It was one ball short of the 26 balls taken by Ian Botham against India in 1981-82.Boje, although expensive, had his revenge when Youhana was caught at deep mid-on for 50, and Pakistan were 184/5 at stumps with Iqbal not out on two.

Shockwaves reverberated through Zimbabwe cricket early on Saturday morning when, before the start of their opening match against West Indies in the one-day triangular tournament, Heath Streak announced his resignation as national captain.”It has been a long time coming,” Streak said in a television interview after the match. “I’ve had a lot of communication problems, in particular with the selection panel, and I feel that they don’t have any confidence in me. So I thought it would be best for them and the team that I stood down as captain. It’s unfortunate, but they knew about this as early as Wednesday. We had discussed it with the selectors before.”I have a lot of pride and passion in playing for my country, and I have the support of the team. They didn’t want this to happen, but I thought that was the best I should do for them.”However, a couple of hours later, after a meeting with Zimbabwe Cricket Union president Peter Chingoka and other ZCU officials, Streak was happy to rescind his resignation. He said that the problem areas had been resolved and that Mr Chingoka had given him his full support and asked him to continue as captain.The main problem area was that of selection. It is an open secret that there has been political interference in the selection processes in Zimbabwe cricket, with certain activists determined to push more “players of colour” into the national side when, strictly speaking, they would not qualify on merit. Many of the players, who are proud of their country and take a pride in their team’s performance, have been for some time unhappy and unsettled in their belief that the best available national team is not being selected.Sources close to the team say that the matter came to a head with the selection of the side for Saturday’s match against West Indies, when the captain and coach disagreed with the selectors over the inclusion of, it is believed, three of the players in the team. Incidentally two of them were white. As part of the agreement between Streak and the ZCU, Streak and coach Carl Rackemann have been appointed to the selection panel, which now numbers an unwieldy eight.Streak also said that various assurances that had been given to him in the past by the selectors and administrators had not been acted upon. At the meeting on Saturday night, he said, he had been promised that in future the promised action would be taken.Undoubtedly the captaincy crisis and the reasons behind it affected the national side, who have played poorly and lost their first two matches in the triangular tournament, probably putting themselves out of the running for the final. With last year’s threatened strike in England fresh in the memory, it is unfortunate that the administrators do not appear to respond to the players’ concerns until they take extreme measures. Whether they like it or not, the fact is that the players will not perform at their best on the field unless they are happy off it.It remains to be seen whether the reconciliation will last. Several sources close to the centre of Zimbabwe cricket believe that the underlying problems are still there and will resurface before long. The national side will never perform at its best until players and administrators are on the same side and pulling together. And in such situations, the ball is always in the administrators’ court.

ScorecardMark Cosgrove became the second captain to make a century in this match•Getty Images

Mark Cosgrove’s second consecutive century and a breezy 95 from Niall O’Brien helped Leicestershire fight back from 34 for four to take a lead of 47 at Wantage Road. Cosgrove’s 110 mirrored the captain’s knock played by Alex Wakely on day one and saw Leicestershire recover to make 372.Losing nightwatchman Rob Sayer in the fourth over of the day saw Leicestershire fall into deep trouble but, just as Northamptonshire fought back on the first day, the visitors responded with healthy middle-order partnerships.Cosgrove was the mainstay. He laid the groundwork in an intense morning session where 79 runs were ground out. But in unbroken afternoon sunshine and temperatures rising towards 30 degrees, batting became much easier and Leicestershire made healthy progressCosgrove took lunch on 65 not out, passing fifty in 81 balls, but then became a bystander for a jaunty innings from O’Brien. After the stand was ended, Cosgrove began once more to play his strokes and lifted Rob Keogh handsomely down the ground for his only six to move to 99. A third Championship century of the season was raised shortly after. He fell five overs into the second new ball as Rory Kleinveldt returned to complete a third five-wicket haul of the season, trapping Cosgrove lbw for 110, three short of his best score for Leicestershire.He shared three healthy middle-order partnerships, replicating the first afternoon recovery made by Northamptonshire. The first of those was instigated by O’Brien, whose aggression straight after lunch provided much-need impetus into the Leicestershire innings. Busy at the crease, he totally dominated a stand of 116 for the sixth wicket. He took eight from the first over after the break and 120 runs came in 20 overs after lunch.Two cuts flew over the slips before a flourishing cover drive off Rory Kleinveldt and a top-edged hook brought him an eighth boundary and fifty in just 42 balls. There was no let-up as the Northants attack began to toil. O’Brien was cruising to a first century of the season before pulling a long-hop from Rob Keogh towards deep-backward square leg where a stunning catch diving forward was taken by David Willey – one of four substitute fielders used by Northants, including head coach David Ripley.One of those fielders was needed after a serious-looking injury to Steven Crook. Chasing around the boundary he tripped over the rope and immediately went down holding his right ankle. A stretcher was needed to carry him off the ground and he went to hospital for a scan – his participation in T20 Finals Day next Saturday is now in doubt.The regular substitutes earned their fee on a long hot afternoon as the match returned to an even keel. Both innings were remarkably similar. Northants were 42 for four on day one but Leicestershire found themselves worse off before they also found a recovery. Cosgrove and Aadil Ali laid a platform with a stand of 71 for the fifth wicket; Ali was most obdurate, taking 60 balls to reach double figures and unlike his last performance against Derbyshire, could not take his careful start to a more meaningful score but the time he ate up paid dividends for his side later in the day.Clint McKay biffed them to a first-innings lead with his maiden Championship half-century for Leicestershire before Azharullah returned for the final over the day and picked up his 300th first-class wicket when No. 11 Charlie Shreck edged to Richard Levi at second slip, ending a tenth wicket stand of 47.

Northerns Titans paceman David Townsend exploited a disappointing batting performance from the Highveld Strikers to earn his side a 186-run lead on the second day of their Supersport Series match at the Wanderers on Saturday.Townsend took three wickets as the Strikers limped to the close on 170 for eight in response to the Titans’ first innings total of 356 all out.Earlier in the day, the Titans resumed on 306 for seven and with Steve Elworthy on 39 not out. Elworthy unleashed a hard-hitting and unbeaten 75 to further bolster the Titans’ innings.The veteran of Northerns cricket hit 10 fours and three sixes off the 115 balls he faced, and carried his bat when Northerns were bowled out for 356.Andrew Hall led the Strikers’ bowling attack, taking 5-93 as both he and Clive Eksteen wrapped up the Titans tail in the morning.Having done themselves little justice with ball in hand, the Strikers then failed in their attempt to prove themselves as a batting side. Only Adam Bacher stood out with 61.Sven Koenig was the first to make the long Wanderers walk back to the changeroom, dismissed for 16 by a catch at mid-wicket from Greg Smith off a ball from Elworthy that was pitched wide outside the off-stump.David Townsend then stepped into the attack for Northerns, and made the most vital breakthrough of the day shortly after lunch.Having just returned to the Titans side after a previous season where he was plagued by injury, Townsend had settled into an excellent rhythm.Bowling a good line and length, Townsend had Andre Seymore caught behind and then took Daryll Cullinan for a duck with his very next ball, lifting out the latter’s off-stump with embarrassing ease.Bacher was left to fend for himself, although he was given some support by Zander de Bruyn.The duo shared in a fourth-wicket stand of 61 runs before a horrendous run-out. It was sparked by some excellent fielding from Allahudien Paleker, who did well to stop a boundary off Bacher’s bat.The batsmen were busy on the third run when, despite being three-quarters of the way down the pitch, Bacher suddenly stopped and joined De Bruyn running to the same end. De Bruyn paid the price for the mistake.The weight of the innings eventually proved to great for the shoulders of Bacher to bear. With a much-needed century certainly beckoning, Bacher went out to the tamest of deliveries from Townsend, caught at point by Neil McKenzie.There was little resistance after that. But it has to be said that the Strikers’ batting did not make it very hard for the Titans to take wickets.

Brad Hogg is the most unfashionable player on Australia’s 25-man contract list and admits to under-estimating his own capabilities at times. A 36-year-old employing a bowling style few have persevered with, he has remained in the national consciousness due to his one-day expertise. Now he is a cult hero at the SCG after scoring 79 in an innings-saving stand of 173 with Andrew Symonds.Australia, who won the toss, were in severe trouble at 6 for 134, but they were dug out of danger by two players who bat on instinct. Hogg performed like he had been in the team for years – it was his sixth Test – and attacked freely while Symonds waited a couple of hours to understand a two-paced pitch before relaxing.Driving strongly through cover off both feet, Hogg beat Symonds to a half-century before slowing down when reaching three figures became a serious possibility. “It was exciting to be in front of Andrew for a while, but he showed who was boss and got to 100 before I got to 70 and put me back in my place,” he said. “It was just exciting to be there.”Stepping back to cut at Anil Kumble, Hogg was caught by Rahul Dravid at slip and as he left the field he was cheered like one of the locals. Michael Clarke and Phil Jaques had failed and the spectators were desperate for someone to adopt. The players in the dressing room were also ecstatic and not just because the score had developed into a comfortable 7 for 307.”It’s fantastic to have a good partnership with my good mate Andrew and to knock a couple of records off,” Hogg said of the seventh-wicket stand, which was the highest against India and the largest at the ground. “It’s a fantastic feeling to have a good innings for Australia.”Hogg is an ideal team man who has waited four years for another Test chance, which arrived when Stuart MacGill underwent wrist surgery. Until Shane Warne exited a year ago Hogg was closer to retirement than a five-day recall and despite his strong batting performance, which lasted 102 balls and included ten fours, he knows he needs wickets to be sure of his place.The runs have provided a huge dose of confidence and Hogg is hoping it remains when he bowls. “It just makes you feel a bigger part of the team, knowing you’re contributing,” he said. “It’s good to get runs on the board, but I’m here for my bowling and hopefully I can get the wickets required.”Symonds was proud of his friend’s sensible batting and together they deflated an attack that was bouncing for the first half of the day. While Hogg missed three figures, Symonds brought up his second Test century with a single to mid-on. Both have come at critical stages.Australia were 5 for 84 when he reached 156 against England in 2006-07 and here he doused the early concerns of India getting back into the series following the heavy defeat in Melbourne. He was unbeaten on 137 at stumps after facing 173 balls and hitting 17 fours and two sixes.”The innings won’t mean much till the end of the game,” he said. “It’s a feeling of satisfaction, but it will mean more if we can have a result in the Test and I’ve contributed to a win. Four hundred is a very healthy first-innings score and we would hope we wouldn’t lose the game from there.”Patient in the first half of his display, Symonds increased his pace after bringing up his half-century early in the final session. Each run was painful for the Indians, who would have dropped Australia to 7 for 193 if Steve Bucknor had seen or heard the edge to Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Ishant Sharma.”I was very lucky,” Symonds said. “I was out on 30 and given not out. That’s cricket. I could sit here and tell you about some bad decisions as well, but I won’t. People make mistakes, players make mistakes, umpires do too.”

Ashwell Prince was elected president of the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) during its annual general meeting in Johannesburg.”Ashwell has been elected to this position by his fellow players,” Tony Irish, CEO of SACA, said. “Its an indication not only of the level of respect that the guys have for him as a player but also as a man who understands the full ambit of his career as a professional cricketer”.On accepting the two-year post, Prince said: “I’m honoured that the other players have placed this level of confidence in me. Our players association now plays an important role in professional cricket and I will do my very best in the position”. Prince, 29, averaged 60.67 in his last six Tests and completed 2006 as South Africa’s highest run-getter, with 905. He was included in the 15-man squad for the World Cup.”Our executive committee is made up of a mix of very experienced players and recent ex-players. We are well placed to continue to represent the best interests of South Africa’s professional cricketers” Irish added. “A big thanks must go to Errol Stewart who has made an invaluable contribution to SACA and to players over the last five years. We wish him all the best in his new job at the ICC”.Previous SACA presidents include Jonty Rhodes, Mark Boucher and Nicky Boje. Other members of SACA’s executive committee also elected were Shafiek Abrahams (vice-president), Nicky Boje (secretary) and Gerald Dros (treasurer). Irish will continued as CEO.

Michael Bevan, the former Australian batsman, remains uncertain about his future with Tasmania following a dispute over his role for the state side.The Tasmanian Cricket Association discussed Bevan’s contract as it neared the end of his two-year term and instructed the 35-year-old to either focus more on coaching, drop the responsibility entirely, or take a pay-cut.Speaking to ABC Radio, Bevan was adamant that full-time coaching was not an option. “I think realistically that scenario won’t happen,” he said. “It would mean I’d be down in Tasmania for 12 months and I wouldn’t be willing to bring my family down here.” Bevan’s wife and children still reside in Sydney.David Johnston, the TCA’s chief executive, denied rumours of a stand-off. “We’ve been talking to him right through this season,” he said. “We’ve put an offer to his management and he’s considering it.”Since moving from NSW to Tasmania two seasons ago, Bevan has picked up the Pura Cup Player of the Year award for his record 1464 runs and eight centuries last season. Ricky Ponting, who is still serving as Tasmania’s official captain, was diplomatic on the issue. “Look, I’m not sure what they’re thinking as far as his coaching role, but certainly as a player [he’s worth retaining],” he said.

Scorecard

Anil Kumble triggered South Zone’s fightback and Vinay Kumar mopped up West’s tailenders as the Duleep Trophy game at Hyderabad was intruigingly poised at the end of the second day. After conceding a slender 20-run lead, West hit back through Irfan Pathan and reduced South to 141 for 5.Resuming on 71 for 3, West received a major jolt early in the day with Kumble bowling Sachin Tendulkar for just 4. Lakshmipathy Balaji snapped up two more quick wickets and had West reeling at 75 for 5. Niraj Patel, the Gujarat batsman who topped the Ranji Trophy charts, resisted for a while, making a gritty 43, and stitched together some useful partnerships with the lower order. Ramesh Powar, the star with the ball yesterday, chipped in with 31 but Kumar didn’t allow the tail to wag for too long and finished with impressive figures of 4 for 22.South lost wickets at regular intervals when they batted for the second time with Pathan removing both the openers. Zaheer Khan got through VVS Laxman’s defences while Powar dismissed Rahul Dravid for the second time in the game, with Niraj Patel taking the catch on both occasions. Venugopal Rao, a classy batsman from Andhra, prevented a further slump and remained unbeaten when stumps were drawn.With 25 wickets falling on the first two days the much-awaited encounter, played in a packed stadium, the match was set for an early finish. West still held the advantage they gained on the first day but they will know that facing Kumble on a bowler-friendly pitch in the final innings can be a deadly proposition.

India 211 for 3 (Sehwag 90, Tendulkar 44) beat Zimbabwe 208 for 6 (Streak 59*) by 7 wickets with 12.2 overs to spare
Scorecard

The third match of the VB Series, at Hobart, resulted in a comprehensive win for India, after yet another worrying top-order collapse prevented Zimbabwe from reaching a competitive total. Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar put on their second century stand of the series as India achieved the 209-run target with 12.2 overs to spare to take home a bonus point as well. Heath Streak top-scored for Zimbabwe with an unbeaten 59 and troubled the Indian openers early on, but was let down by most of his team-mates.India’s opening pair initially approached batting with caution. Having done that, Tendulkar got into his groove and split the field with languid ease, bringing out a range of strokes that had gathered cobwebs during the Test series. The cut over point, the expansive drives, and a loft over mid-off were all on display. At the other end, Sehwag, who had lost his touch temporarily, found his variety of strokes again, much to the bowlers’ chagrin.After surviving when Tatenda Taibu put down a difficult chance, Sehwag rubbed in the mistake that very over, picking a delivery from Sean Ervine and putting it into the stands at midwicket. Sehwag brought his wrists into play often, pulling balls from outside off stump to midwicket, and standing high and punching through cover. And when Raymond Price bowled to him, spectators at midwicket were under constant threat.But Price wasn’t exactly powerless. He nearly had Tendulkar caught at cover, but for a straightforward chance being put down by Streak. Tendulkar’s masterclass ended the next over, when he played down the wrong line and was bowled by Ervine for 44 (129 for 1). After missing out on Tendulkar’s wicket, Price had his sights set on Sehwag (90), who played one shot too many, and spooned a catch to cover (158 for 2). Hemang Badani (15) made a minimal contribution, before playing an expansive drive and nicking a ball to Taibu (172 for 3). Sourav Ganguly then came out to score 32 of the 37 runs India needed, and took the team home by seven wickets.Earlier, though Streak held firm at one end, he needed support. It came in the form of Ervine, who smashed an unbeaten 48 off just 33 balls. Both batsmen took their chances, and raised a rambunctious 93-run partnership off only 72 balls. They ran hard, hit harder, and India’s bowlers, who had given a good account of themselves so far, didn’t know what to do. Anil Kumble bowled eight overs for 19, but then ran into Ervine, who hit a six over cover, and helped himself to 19 more off Kumble’s last two overs. Ajit Agarkar’s last over was taken apart for 20, after the first seven had gone for 19. A spectacular six over long-on preceded an even grander hit out of the ground over midwicket. Later that over, Streak flayed one to deep extra cover to reach his fifty. It was the kind of batting display that made you forget the bad start, until India put the target in perspective.India’s bowlers choked the runs and took wickets at regular intervals to keep Zimbabwe on the mat. The openers played watchfully for three overs, before Vusi Sibanda ran for a single that might have been on if Inzamam had been the fielder. Instead, Yuvraj Singh, at point, dived, stopped, and flung the ball to the bowler’s end, and Sibanda (12) was found short of his crease (14 for 1).Stuart Matsikenyeri played tentatively throughout his stay and scored 9 before attempting a full-blooded whack off Irfan Pathan to the leg side, only to loop it up gently for Badani to take a simple catch at cover (36 for 2).Shortly after, Kumble slipped a googly through Mark Vermeulen (2), bringing an end to a scratchy 24-ball innings (48 for 3). The next three batsmen got themselves out: Stuart Carlisle (37) played across the line to a straight one from Sehwag, Grant Flower (15) patted a ball back to the bowler, and Taibu somehow converted a full-length delivery from Badani into a yorker (114 for 6). It was at this stage that Ervine walked out to join Streak, and show the top order how things should be done. But it wasn’t enough, as India bludgeoned their way to victory, turning the three-team series more and more into a two-horse race.