14 Friday 3rd December, 2010

BY CIARAN BAYNES some of those good memories will be may come in for and done this week,” Ponting said. “We would- ADELAIDE, (AP) - good signs this week.” Ponting discussed the merits of each n’t make changes if we didn’t think it Skipper cast his mind back The circumstances will be different bowler ahead of the Australia selectors’ would make the attack better for this four years rather than four days as he this week. Australia went to Adelaide decision. game. searched for something to inspire his after a convincing opening win in “Hilfy’s strengths are his ability to “We have to pick the best team for demoralised Australian line-up ahead of Brisbane. swing the new ball,” Ponting said. “He every condition that we are confronted the second Ashes Test against In fact, this is only the second time bowls in good areas. He ties batters down with in the summer. We didn’t win a test England. Australia has gone into the second Test as we saw at different times in the last week, and hopefully the team we pick A draw in the series-opener in without a lead since England’s last series Brisbane game. this week will be good enough to win.” Brisbane has already cost Mitchell win here in 1986-87. “Ryan’s strengths are ... he knows the England have no selection worries Johnson his spot in the attack, The other occasion in 1998-99 was here very well. He’s slightly quick- and it would be a major surprise if there and stripped Australia of its status as due to thunderstorms saving England er in the air and hits the wicket a bit are any changes to the eleven who played favourite to regain the old urn it lost in from defeat in Brisbane. harder than Ben does and is a better in the first Test. England last year. Ponting said Australia would wait reverse swing bowler for later in the Trott, who has posted centuries in his Australia had a potentially match- until the morning to decide which of the game, which comes into consideration two Tests against Australia, insists there winning 221-run lead in Brisbane after remaining bowlers would replace when you think about games in are no demons from the loss here in 2006. dismissing England for 260 - including a Johnson. Adelaide.” “I don’t think the guys will be wor- rare hat-trick from - and Doug Bollinger is the most likely Ponting rejected suggestions that ried about what happened four years ago,” scoring 481 in reply,but failed to capi- candidate, but Ponting said nothing making two changes would be a sign of Trott said. “It’s in the past and we’re look- talise against resilient batting in the sec- should be read into the fact that Ryan weakness insisting picking the players ing to come to Adelaide and win.” ond innings as posted an Harris, who only returned this month most likely to win the game for Spin bowlers come into the game unbeaten double century. after knee surgery,did not bowl in the Australia is the only consid- under some pressure. Xavier Doherty and Jonathan Trott also scored hundreds. nets on Thursday. eration. needs to show he deserves his spot The criticism was heavy,much of it “We’re not worried about Ryan’s “The bottom line is in the Australian squad ahead of , and - rated the No. 2 bowler in Test rankings - to prove that he can be England’s talisman in this series after taking just 16 at an average exceed- Ponting insists ing 45 in six Tests against the Australians.

However, England’s holds a just as bottle of water at a training session Australia will be ahead of the second Ashes Test against Australia in , Australia, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith) Pietersen stronger slams directed at Johnson for conceded 170 runs knee at all,” Ponting said. “If we had any we’ve got to find 20 wick- and failing to pick up a wicket at the worries about his knee he wouldn’t be ets in the game and Gabba, where he also dropped a catch and with us. We just want to keep it up our we’ve got to pick ‘pathetic’ failed to score a run. sleeves for tomorrow morning and see bowlers who we Rather than focus entirely on that, what we think is the best eleven.” think are best groundsmen Ponting on Thursday recalled the memo- It has been suggested that Harris equipped ... to get the job rable Ashes contest in Adelaide in 2006 when, after England declared its first in Adelaide innings at 551-6, Shane Warne inspired a Australia dumps paceman Johnson ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) - collapse to 129 all out in the second England batsman Kevin Pietersen innings to set up an unlikely victory that has branded groundsmen at the kept Australia on course for its eventual for 2nd Ashes Test Australia’s Ricky Ponting per- Adelaide Oval “pathetic” after a 5-0 series whitewash. ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) - has been dropped from the forms ball skill training ahead of the practice session before the second “The Test win here was probably the Australian squad for the second Test against England after failing to take a wick- second Ashes Test against England in Ashes Test against Australia was best Test win I’ve been involved with,” et in the drawn Ashes series opener in Brisbane. Sydney, Australia, Thursday, Dec. 2, forced indoors because of rain. Ponting said. “It was an amazing game of Australian captain Ricky Ponting revealed Thursday that Johnson had been 2010. The second Test starts Friday, The South African-born cricket, from both teams really,but we omitted from the 12-man squad, leaving Doug Bollinger and vying for Dec. 3. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith) Pietersen launched his outburst on grabbed the initiative really late in the his spot. his Twitter account after showers game, and we were good enough to get “The selectors felt that he is just down on a bit of form and down on a bit of prevented England from taking a over the line. rhythm. I think that was probably highlighted in the last game,” Ponting said. “As wicket did not live up to its typ- nets session outside on Wednesday, “There are some fond memories for a we all know, the game of Test match cricket is hard enough as it is without hav- ical bouncy conditions, there is doubt as two days before the start of the few of the guys who played in that game, ing to try and find those types of things in the middle.” to whether the Adelaide Oval strip, tradi- match. a fair bit of success, Michael Clarke got a Australia’s starting XI won’t be announced until just before the toss on Friday. tionally a spinners’ wicket, will play to Pietersen tweeted “what should hundred, Mike Hussey got 90 ... hopefully type. a groundsmen make sure he does 2days out from a Test match????” fol- lowed by “cover the nets when it rains maybe???” and then finally: “PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Violence mars Birmingham’s win over Aston Villa Clijsters wins Curators at the Adelaide Oval said getting the covers over the main wicket square was the obvious WTA player of priority when a thunderstorm Zigic puts Birmingham into swept across the ground in the early the year award afternoon and promised the wicket ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)— and the nets would be in a decent League Cup semi-finals U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters is shape on Thursday. the WTA’s player of the year. Pietersen was fined in Clijsters won five tournaments, September for making a profane including the season-ending WTA comment on Twitter after discover- Championships and her second con- ing he had been dropped from secutive title at Flushing Meadows. England’s limited-overs squads. She was player of the year in 2005. The 27-year-old Belgian also was honoured Wednesday with the player service award, given to the woman Madrid hopes to who did the most to support her fel- low players through the WTA play- ers’ council or other initiatives. begin recovery Other awards went to Belgium’s Justine Henin as comeback player of against Valencia the year; Maria Sharapova as human- MADRID (AP) - Real Madrid is itarian of the year; Italy’s Flavia hoping its recovery from an embar- Pennetta and Argentina’s Gisela rassing thrashing by Barcelona Dulko as doubles team of the year; begins Saturday when it plays and the Czech Republic’s 20-year-old Valencia. Petra Kvitova, a Wimbledon semi- Monday’s 5-0 rout moved Birmingham City fans confront Aston Villa fans and the police after winning their English League Cup quarter-final soccer match finalist, as newcomer of the year. Barcelona two points clear of at St’ Andrews stadium, Birmingham, England, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Simon Dawson) Madrid, handed coach Jose BY STUART CONDIE Mourinho’s squad its first defeat of World Cup bid. I’m sure that’s already because Liam Ridgewell was offside, and the season and showed Madrid still LONDON (AP) - Nikola Zigic scored decided, and let’s hope England gets it Villa equalized moments later through has a long way to go if it is to end with six minutes left Wednesday to give because it deserves it. Gabriel Agbonlahor’s low shot to the far more than two seasons without sil- Birmingham a 2-1 win over fierce local “It doesn’t look good, though, when post across goalkeeper Ben Foster. verware. rival Aston Villa and a first League Cup you see fans running on the pitch like Villa winger Ashley Young had a shot Defender Sergio Ramos said semi-final for nine years. that and carrying on. It takes us back to cleared off the line before Zigic’s shot Madrid was not dwelling on the defeat. The Serbia striker scored with a the Dark Ages.” from Cameron Jerome’s cross deflected “We have to be conscious that we deflected shot to give the Blues their first Police issued a statement referring to off defender Luke Young and looped over haven’t lost the league, there’s a lot win over Villa in nine meetings and a the violence as “sporadic outbreaks of goalkeeper Brad Friedel. left to play for,” said the Spain full- place among the final four teams since disorder at the Birmingham derby.” Birmingham will play West Ham in back, who is suspended for the they lost the 2001 final to Liverpool. Some matches between local or his- the next round after the Hammers beat match after being red-carded at the But the match was marred by a pitch toric rivals in England can still attract defending champion Manchester United Camp Nou for an ugly tackle on invasion at the end, with fans lighting fans intent on disorder. 4-0 in one of Tuesday’s two semi-finals. Lionel Messi. “It’s not the end of the flares and ripping up seats in scenes rem- But the number of arrests by police Ipswich beat West Bromwich Albion world to lose a game. Saturday is iniscent of the violence that affected at all domestic and international football 1-0 through Grant Leadbitter’s 69th- another three points.” English football in the 1970s and ‘80s - just matches in England and Wales fell 10 per- minute penalty to become the only sec- This Sept. 11, 2010, file photo shows Madrid forward Cristiano a day before FIFA’s executive committee cent last season. ond-tier side in the Semi-finals, where it Ronaldo is doubtful for the game at Kim Clijsters, of Belgium, holding the votes on whether to award England the Birmingham took the lead in the 10th will play Arsenal - a 2-0 winner over championship trophy after winning the Santiago Bernabeu stadium right to host the 2018 World Cup. minute when Sebastian Larsson scored a Wigan on Tuesday. with an ankle injury while striker the women’s singles final at the U.S. “Fans shouldn’t come on to the pitch penalty awarded for Richard Dunne’s foul “In terms of the draw, it is the hard- Gonzalo Higuain is out for two Open tennis tournament in New York. at any time. It soured it a bit for us,” on Lee Bowyer. est we could have got,” Ipswich manager Clijsters has won the WTA’s player of months with a back injury. Defender the year award, Wednesday, Dec. 1, Ricardo Carvalho is suspended. Birmingham manager Alex McLeish The home side almost led 2-0 in the Roy Keane said. “But it will be great for said. “I don’t think that will affect the 28th, but Zigic’s low shot was ruled out the players.” 2010. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)