54 SPORT FRIDAY NOVEMBER 18 2016 Voges’ playing future uncertain after head knock in Shield Ex-coach BEN HORNE at the WACA yesterday after earlier this year, his future in pion player and character in admitting re- being struck on the back of the the game is in question. the game to farewell his brief cently that repeated head could get medical helmet and dropping to the Voges’ Test career was most but successful cameo in inter- knocks late in his career made staff are confident Adam Voges ground. likely over before he even took national . him think twice about whether is not seriously injured despite The 37-year-old has been the field in , after failing There is no suggestion playing on was worthwhile. last laugh suffering one of the most sick- ruled out of the rest of the in the opening two matches Voges won’t play on at dom- “He got a bit of a headache ening blows to the head since Sheffield Shield match with against South Africa. estic level, but he may have and he’s not feeling 100 per the Phillip Hughes tragedy. concussion and after enduring But yesterday’s incident some decisions to make about cent, but he’s fine and sitting BEN HORNE Voges appeared in distress a previous head trauma issue shapes as a sad way for a cham- his health, with fellow veteran up,” WA staffer Ben Oliver said. MICKEY Arthur could extract the sweetest of revenge on the people who sacked him as Aus- tralian coach. Should Arthur’s Pakistan side follow South Africa’s lead DomesticDomestic performancesperformances inin thethe spotlightspotlight and triumph in Australia this summer, he may ironically bring about the axing of those who unceremoniously showed him the door three years ago. Arthur’s messy split with culminated in a wrongful dismissal com- pensation case at the Fair Work Commission in Sydney in 2013 after James Sutherland and Pat Howard had given him his marching orders and ush- ered in as coach on the eve of an Ashes series. Lehmann had nothing to do with Arthur’s ousting and in fact felt uncomfortable about the circumstances surrounding his appointment, however, the three-pronged power base with Howard and Sutherland is now under threat. If Austra- lia were to lose two series in the one home summer for the first time in their 140-year Test history, heads would almost certainly have to roll. The board is holding fire on knee-jerk reactions for now, and were rocked by ’s sudden resignation. They are due to meet again on December 8, a week before made 110 for during day one of their Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales yesterday Picture: DANIEL MUNOZ / GETTY IMAGES the Pakistan Test series gets under way, but frank and earn- est discussions are already tak- ing place behind the scenes about potential changes to Australian cricket. At the moment it’s the play- Eyes on Test spot prize ing XI that is set for the first transformation, but that doesn’t mean the focus won’t BEN HORNE for a bat today so he can push ’s addition to within touching distance of neared triple figures. However, eventually shift to the men his claim, but Handscomb (110 the panel suggests a sharp turn fulfilling his Australian dream. even on a flat track that offered pulling the strings. PETER Handscomb might not out) and Victorian opener in focus towards blooding “If it happens, I feel pretty little for either the spinners or Former Test opener Ed have British blood running (134 not out) young talent. good. I’d love to take the op- quicks, Handscomb did respond Cowan, who played on the in- through his veins, but he now aren’t done with yet, and fel- Australia are after a big fish portunity and get out there to the spotlight of a Test shoot- famous Homeworkgate tour of has one hand on a low Bushrangers Matt Wade to replace Rod Marsh as Chair- and give it a crack at the next out and that confirms the faith India that marked the begin- cap after giving Australian se- and also have man of Selectors, with Jason level,” said -born selectors have long had in him. ning of Arthur’s demise, told lectors the hundred they want- it all to bat for. Gillespie, and Handscomb, who has never Incumbent opener Joe Fox Sports that Australia is ex- ed at the SCG. Burly Yorkshire-born open- all being talked considered playing for En- Burns did himself no favours periencing a bigger crisis now The Victorian was already er Matt Renshaw has emerged about in dispatches, but the gland. “I was trying not to with an untimely failure for than it did even then. right at the top of the queue for as the smoky for the Test side process of settling on a new think about (the pressure) to Queensland, and his stress lev- “This is as bad as it gets,” generation next, and an un- after grinding out a brilliant boss could take until the end of be perfectly honest.” els would have only increased Cowan said. “This is the dark- beaten against a Test century for Queensland, while the summer. A hundred is a hundred as as he watched his partner Ren- est day that I can remember.” quality NSW attack might Bulls With the whips cracking in they say, but Handscomb’s shaw cash in at the other end. CA punted Arthur claiming have booked him Adam Voges’ showed tremendous leader- Australian cricket, yesterday wasn’t without a fair slice of Highly fancied West Aus- he did not resolve disciplinary vacant No.5 place in the Aussie ship to return from Test duty belonged to 25-year-old right- luck — dropped twice by Trent tralian opener Cameron Ban- issues and declining standards order and also hammer out a ton. hander Handscomb, who, de- Copeland off the bowling of croft also failed to answer the in the team and allegedly did Blues hopeful Kurtis Patter- Selectors demanded runs, spite holding a British passport Dougie Bollinger, once in the call, with another low score for not understand “the Austra- son will be desperately hoping and now they have options. due to his parents’ heritage, is teens and then again as he the season. lian way.” Tiwi Islands get a good crack at cricket Weatherald’s odds-on for Test ton NT Cricket is continuing to are able to strengthen and sup- The National Indigenous JOSH SPASARO for the Red- low South Australian and na- expand its footprint, with port cricket on the Tiwi Is- Cricket Championships will be backs on day tional head coach Darren weekly trips to the Tiwi Islands lands, and I would encourage held in Alice Springs from Feb- HE didn’t get a chance to fur- one of round- Lehmann’s son Jake Lehmann on the agenda in the lead-up to everyone to get involved,” NT ruary 6-13, and the Imparja ther his top-order credentials two Shield posted at $26. the 2017 Imparja Cup. Cricket game and market de- Cup from February 5-11. yesterday, but Jake Weather- a c t i o n Fellow young guns Camer- NT Cricket staff will deliver velopment manager Mitch Meanwhile, Devils Marbles ald has not been forgotten by a g a i n s t on Bancroft ($5.50), Nic Mad- after-school activities, coach- Farnell said. had their first defeat in the one of Australia’s top betting Queensland dinson ($6.50) and Kurtis ing courses, training clinics “Providing the National In- Tennant Creek organisations. at Patterson ($7) led the list. and Super 8 matches in the digenous Cricket Champion- competition, with Rovers Spit- The former Darwin junior is yesterday, his batting exploits Meanwhile, NT Strike star communities of Pirlangimpi, ship female squad with specific fires enjoying a big 61-run vic- off to a bumper start this sum- have not gone unnoticed. Luke Robins missed out on se- Wurrumiyanga and Milikapiti, training sessions will also be an tory. mer — unlike some of Austra- Sportsbet posted him at $34 lection for South Australia’s and they have also had nomi- important part of the visits, And the second-placed lia’s Test batsmen — scoring a in a list of uncapped Austra- Future League Under-23 nations from Tiwi Island crick- within NT Cricket’s pathway Dexter Barnes beat BOBS by Matador Cup and Sheffield lians most likely to first score a match against Queensland in eters for the National program.” 53 runs, Andrew Baker starring Shield ton, against the CA XI Test ton. Brisbane starting on Monday. Indigenous Cricket Cham- The weekly cricket trips with 27 runs from 15 balls, be- and Tasmania respectively. The 22-year-old’s Redbacks Robins made his Futures pionships female squad. began on Wednesday and will fore taking 3-8 opening the While Weatherald (pic- teammate is the League debut against the ACT “I’m really pleased that we continue until early February. bowling from his four overs. tured) spent the day in the field most favoured at $4, with fel- last month, taking 3-84.

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