SPORTS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2015 New Zealand bank on experience to beat Australia WELLINGTON: New Zealand have after recovering from injury. “A lot of our recent success has wicketkeeper to BJ Watling. The first settled on an experienced line-up for Anderson is one of two all- been based on the value of our num- Test against Australia starts in their three Tests in Australia in rounders, along with Jimmy ber six batsman bowling some overs, Brisbane on November 5. November and December, with no Neesham, as New Zealand tweak the and we’re comfortable continuing in new faces in the touring squad balance of their squad for the Test that vein,” Hesson said. Rather than New Zealand squad: named yesterday. campaign after seven consecutive having an extra fast bowler not play- Brendon McCullum (captain), The 15-man selection sees the series without defeat. ing in Australia, we thought it more Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Doug return of several players including Coach Mike Hesson said the abili- prudent for those in contention to Bracewell, Mark Craig, Martin captain Brendon McCullum and ty of Anderson and Neesham at the remain in New Zealand and be play- Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, bowling spearhead Tim Southee bowling crease persuaded the selec- ing domestic cricket.” James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, who missed the recent tour of Africa. tors to carry only four frontline fast Mark Craig is the sole spinner in Hamish Rutherford, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Trent Boult and Corey bowlers-Southee, Boult, Matt Henry the squad while Luke Ronchi has Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Kane Anderson are also back in the side and Doug Bracewell. retained his place as the back-up Williamson. — AFP Australia’s Warner ruled out of Bangladesh tests SYDNEY: Australia will be forced to blood an entirely new opening partnership in Bangladesh next month after David Warner was ruled out of the two-test series with a broken fin- ger yesterday. Warner, whose opening partner Chris Rogers retired after the recent Ashes defeat, sustained the injury in a one-dayer against England last week and a hand specialist in Sydney has confirmed he will not be fit to make the trip. “It’s really disappointing,” said Warner, who was recently appointed vice captain under new skipper Steve Smith. “I never want to miss a match for Australia but I’ll be doing everything I possibly can to get back as quickly as possible.” The 28-year-old is, however, expected to be ready to face New Zealand in the three-match series on home soil in November, which includes the first ever day/night test at the Adelaide Oval. “David has been told that the fracture will take at least four weeks to stabilise and a further two weeks before he can start batting and catching again,” said Cricket Australia’s Pat Howard. “He will be reviewed by the specialist at the end of the month to determine when he can resume playing. Ideally LONDON: The New Zealand All Blacks team and coaching staff pose for a picture at the Tower of London during a wel- we’d like him to play the Sheffield Shield round beginning on coming ceremony for the team in London yesterday ahead of the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup which begins on 27 October as preparation for the New Zealand series.” With September 18. — AFP the test retirement of all-rounder Shane Watson and the death of Phillip Hughes at the end of last year, Australia have a dearth of experienced openers at their disposal. Joe Burns, Eagles aim to reach knockout who played two tests against India in the middle order last season, and the uncapped Cameron Bancroft are contenders, while 18-test veteran Ed Cowan has continued to score runs rounds at Rugby World Cup after being dropped for Rogers in 2013. The trip to Bangladesh was always going to be a transitional series for NEW YORK: As Mike Tolkin prepared his US the format to be played at next year’s Olympics paigns. There’s also Samu Manoa, the Toulon Australia after the retirement of captain Michael Clarke, stal- Eagles for their last warm-up match for the - they’re still very much second-tier in the tradi- loose forward who was prevented from appear- wart wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, Watson and Rogers. The Rugby World Cup, he spoke about the visit by tional 15-a-side game. ing in 2011 by a club contract. tourists play a warm-up match in Fatullah on Oct. 3 before Australia as being the second shot of a one-two Wyles would have had Scott LaValla, too, tests against Bangladesh in Chittagong (Oct. 9-13) and punch. The Eagles hosted World Cup-champion Impressive but the Stade Francais back-rower and first-pick Mirpur (Oct. 17-21). — Reuters New Zealand last November to attract new The early physical intensity and some of the Eagle broke an elbow in training. Ngwenya’s try American fans, and the All Blacks provided all bone-jarring hits were impressive from the against South Africa in 2007, when he finished the entertainment. Back at Soldier Field again Americans, but the tactical errors and lack of off a length-of-the-field team move by beating this month, the Eagles lost heavily to the No. 2- professionalism were costly against Australia. Springboks speedster Bryan Habana for pace, ranked Wallabies but not until after putting a lit- “The fact we’re talking about this game get- remains a World Cup highlight for the Eagles, tle scare in the visitors in the first half. The sec- ting away from us, being in a position to either and the Zimbabwe-born flyer is still showing ond couldn’t conceal the kind of team deficien- win or bring it down to the wire, is a positive signs of causing trouble for opposing tacklers. cies that trouble Tolkin. The lapses and basic sign,” Tolkin said. “The fact we were doing Two of the Eagles’ three wins in World Cup handling errors were costly. And so after a things to put ourselves in a position to be with- matches have been against Japan - its first preparation that included back-to-back wins in reach at the end is a good thing. match in 1987 and again in Australia in 2003 - over Canada, a drought-breaking victory over “That’s a good sign of the progress we’ve and the other was against Russia in 2011. The Japan, and losses to Samoa and Tonga, the made.” Progress was also seen when Tolkin Americans have lost all five matches they’ve Eagles need to regroup ahead of their World wouldn’t tolerate disruption, and stripped played against pool-mate Scotland, all four Cup Group B opener against Samoa on Sept. 20. flanker Todd Clever of the captaincy then against Samoa, and all three against South The United States has qualified for all but dropped him altogether in June for missing Africa, leaving Japan as the only team in the one Rugby World Cup, but has never seriously consecutive training sessions. group that the Eagles have beaten in a test. threatened to advance beyond the pool stage. The popular face of US rugby for most of the The US has 13 wins and a draw from 22 Reaching the knockout rounds is Tolkin’s stated past decade, Clever’s penalty galvanized the matches against Japan, although the victory at goal this time. To achieve that in England, the side. The captaincy passed to Chris Wyles, who Sacramento in July ended a run of five straight Eagles will have to beat either Scotland or earned his 50th cap against Australia, and will defeats in that series. For the Eagles to break Samoa for the first time to have any chance of lead a 31-man squad containing 21 World Cup their record and win more than one pool LONDON: England’s Steven Finn (R) gestures to Australia’s progressing out of a group that is expected to rookies. He’ll be relying on support from experi- match, much will depend on how Dublin-born David Warner (C) as he retires hurt after being hit by a ball be topped by two-time champion South Africa. enced scrumhalf Mike Petri, winger Taku and raised A.J. MacGinty - who made his debut bowled by Finn during the second one day international And while the Americans have improved Ngwenya, Mate Moeakiola and Louis Stanfill, in the 21-16 loss to Samoa in July - grows into (ODI) cricket match between England and Australia at significantly in the high-speed sevens rugby - who’ll be involved in their third World Cup cam- the role of test flyhalf. —AP Lord’s cricket ground in London. — AP.