MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016 SPORTS I’m not a match-fixer, insists Alviro Petersen JOHANNESBURG: Former Test batsman “He has never sought, accepted, with other persons involved in the scan- been scheduled to play for the Lions in al cricket last year, he continued to play Alviro Petersen rejected yesterday a agreed to accept or received any bribe dal so as not to alert them that an inves- the opening round of the latest national with success for the Lions and for Cricket South Africa (CSA) charge that he or other reward to fix or contrive to fix a tigation was underway,” the lawyer said. Twenty 20 championship this weekend. English county Lancashire, while work- fixed matches in the national Twenty20 match. “To ensure for betting or other “Alviro was in constant contact with He had a highly respectable 36-Test ing as a television and radio commenta- franchise championship last season. The corrupt purposes the occurrence of a the investigative team from the time he career, scoring 2,093 runs at an average tor and newspaper columnist. As a 35-year-old captain of the particular incident in a match or, for that reported his knowledge of the scandal. of 34.88. He made a century on his Test columnist, the mixed-race cricketer was Johannesburg-based Highveld Lions matter, for any other unethical purpose.” “He gave information that he had debut against India in Kolkata during a persuasive advocate for racial transfor- was charged Saturday with multiple The lawyer said Petersen “played received of actual plans to influence the 2009-10 season and formed a suc- mation in cricket, stating that black play- breaches of the CSA anti-corruption along” with those involved in the scan- matches to the investigative unit. cessful opening partnership with former ers needed to be given opportunities code and provisionally barred from any dal and was in constant contact with the “When Alviro first learnt at the end of captain Graeme Smith. Petersen hit five and to be nurtured. He set up the Alviro involvement with the sport. “Alviro has investigators, leading to five other crick- July 2016 that charges were contemplat- Test centuries, with a highest score of Petersen Foundation in 2013 with the never fixed a match, agreed to fix a eters being barred, including “ring- ed against him, he was surprised 182 against England in Leeds in 2012. aim of improving the lives of disadvan- match or contrived to fix a match,” his leader” Gulam Bodi. “Alviro acknowl- because he felt he had co-operated with He has skippered the Lions for two taged communities. The foundation lawyer said in a statement. edges and admits that he played along the investigative team.” Petersen had seasons. After retiring from internation- includes a cricket school. — AFP Rain washes out play of Australia, S Africa Test HOBART: Rain prevented any play on the until being swept 3-0 in Sri Lanka in July second day of the second cricket test and August. The loss in Perth was its fourth between Australia and South Africa yester- straight, and critics are describing the day after an extraordinary opening day in recent batting slump as a crisis. which 15 wickets fell. To make matters worse, Australia hadn’t South Africa won the toss on Saturday, lost a series-opening test on home soil bowled Australia out for 85 and then since 1988 until last week, and its form reached 171-5 before stumps to take an 86- deteriorated badly in Hobart when it was run lead on day one. dismissed for its lowest total in a home test Organizers cancelled play at Bellerive since 1984. yesterday when heavy rain started in the Kim Hughes, who quit as Australia cap- afternoon. Temba Bavuma remains unbeat- tain during that series against the West en on 38 and Quinton de Kock is 28. Indies in 1984, was among the former play- The South Africans won the opening ers criticizing the national hierarchy for test in Perth by 177 runs and can secure the only scheduling one round of domestic three-test series with another victory in first-class cricket before this test series Hobart. With three days of scheduled play against South Africa. remaining, there’s still the chance of a Cricket Australia’s high-performance result in the second test. manager, Pat Howard, conceded on Sunday After the opening day, when Australia that he, Lehmann, the national selectors captain Steve Smith scored more than half and the players were all under pressure the total with an unbeaten 48, coach unless there was a fast turnaround in form - Darren Lehmann said he was confident his particularly from the batting group. team could take the remaining five South “Australians expect that fight and that’s African first-innings wickets and set up a a fair expectation,” Howard said. “I’ll give proper contest. you an insight into the Sri Lankan review. “I’m really confident they will play better There are two key themes: resilience and than they did in the first innings,” he said. adaptability. I want to see some resilience South Africa has only beaten Australia now and see the guys who can step up.” twice in test series since being re-admitted Also Sunday, Cricket Australia confirmed to international cricket in the 1990s. Both it had banned a 25-year-old man for three victories have been in Australia. years from matches across the country The last was in 2012-13, when South after he allegedly wrote racist graffiti Africa clinched the series 1-0 with a victory directed at South African batsman Hashim in the third test in Perth after Australia had Amla during play on Saturday. RAJKOT: England’s batsman Haseeb Hameed bats on the fifth day of the first cricket test match between India and England in Rajkot, India, yes- the better of the first two tests but was Tasmania state police inspector Doug terday. — AP unable to force a victory. Rossiter said the man would face court over Australia was ranked No. 1 in test cricket the incident. — AP Kohli plays anchor as India draw first England Test RAJKOT: Skipper Virat Kohli hit an unbeaten 49 under pressure before India pulled off a tense SCOREBOARD draw on the final day of the first Test against RAJKOT, India: Final scoreboard on the last day of the first Test between India and England at the Saurashtra England in Rajkot yesterday. Cricket Association ground in Rajkot on yesterday. The tourists had declared their second innings at 260-3 shortly after lunch, leaving the England 1st innings: 537 (B. Stokes 128, J. Root 124, M. India 2nd innings: home side to chase 310 runs off a minimum 49 Ali 117; R. Jadeja 3-86) M. Vijay c Hameed b Rashid 31 overs on the fifth and last day. India 1st innings: 488 (M. Vijay 126, C. Pujara 124, R. G. Gambhir c Root b Woakes 0 But the Indians were soon fighting for sur- Ashwin 70; A. Rashid 4-114) C. Pujara lbw b Rashid 18 vival after losing wickets in a clutch on a wearing V. Kohli not out 49 England 2nd innings (overnight 114-0; H. Hameed 62, A. Rahane b Ali 1 track at the Saurashtra Cricket Association A. Cook 46) R. Ashwin c Root b Ansari 32 ground, hosting its first Test ever. The Indians A. Cook c Jadeja b Ashwin 130 W. Saha c and b Rashid 9 finished on 172-6 with local hero Ravindra H. Hameed c and b Mishra 82 R. Jadeja not out 32 Jadeja also remaining not out on 32. J. Root c Saha b Mishra 4 Extras (0) 0 England had India in early trouble at 71-4 but B. Stokes not out 29 Total (6 wkts; 52.3 overs) 172 Kohli steadied the ship with a 47-run partner- Extras (b11, lb3, nb1) 15 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Gambhir), 2-47 (Pujara), 3-68 (Vijay), ship that he shared with Ravichandran Ashwin Total (3 wkts dec, 75.3 overs) 260 4-71 (Rahane), 5-118 (Ashwin), 6-132 (Saha) (32). Adil Rashid was the pick of the bowlers Fall of wickets: 1-180 (Hameed), 2-192 (Root), 3-260 Bowling: Broad 3-2-8-0, Woakes 4-1-6-1, Ansari 8-1-41-1, with 3-64 while his spin partners Moeen Ali and (Cook) Ali 19-5-47-1, Rashid 14.3-1-64-3, Stokes 2-1-1-0, Root 2- Bowling: Shami 11-1-29-0, Jadeja 15-1-47-0, Ashwin 0-5-0. HOBART: A security official walks in the Bellerive Oval as the second day’s play of the Zafar Ansari took one wicket apiece. 23.3-4-63-1, Yadav 13-2-47-0, Mishra 13-0-60-2 (nb1) Result: Draw second Test cricket match between Australia and South Africa was called off due to Ali, who scored a century in the first innings, continuous rain in Hobart. Play was abandoned on the second day of the second Test was named man of the match. England skipper between Australia and South Africa without a ball being bowled following incessant Alastair Cook praised his bowlers for putting their huge first innings total to Joe Root, Ali and drawn one of their last 13 Tests at home since rain in Hobart. — AFP India’s batsmen under constant pressure. Ben Stokes-all of whom hit centuries. England’s historic 2-1 triumph in 2012. “It was really tough five days,” said Cook. “It England would take a lot of heart from their The two teams now head to Visakhapatnam was a good cricket wicket.