SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2015 SPORTS ICC should fix Windies club v country row: Clarke SYDNEY: The world governing body balance that allows top players to also “I’d like to see that changed. That will Tests in Melbourne and Sydney. mer captains Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo should do more to prevent a repeat of the take part in competitions such as the come down to the ICC (International Anticipated easy wins for Australia has and Darren Sammy who are all on duty club versus country player crisis that Indian Premier League and Australia’s cur- Cricket Council) and West Indies Cricket also turned off fans, with speculation that with their Australian Big Bash franchises, threatens to turn the West Indies-Australia rent Big Bash League. Board trying to get together to make it the Boxing Day crowd on Australian crick- along with fellow Windies players Andre Test series into a farce, Michael Clarke said “The players that are here playing in work.” et’s biggest day of the calendar could be Russell, Samuel Badree and Lendl yesterday. the BBL (Big Bash League) I think it’s really The worst fears for the West Indies the lowest in 16 years. While there is Simmons. The former Australian skipper said disappointing they’re not part of the West series in Australia were realised when widespread discontent with the West “I think international cricket has to be international cricket must remain the pri- Indies Test team,” the recently retired they crashed to an innings defeat inside Indies board, a lack of money in the the priority,” said Clarke, who rarely played ority for players over participation in the Clarke told the Sydney Morning Herald. three days in the first Test in Hobart last Caribbean game is also seen as a key fac- in domestic T20 competitions during his raft of lucrative global Twenty20 tourna- “There’s a number of players in Australia week. tor for many senior players turning their Test career. “T20 tournaments are impor- ments now available to high-profile stars. who would be in their number one There is little confidence the backs on Tests to chase the riches on offer tant and fantastic to watch, but I think But he accepts Tests will only remain the picked Test team. I think it’s disappointing Caribbean tourists can lift their game for in T20s. The Windies’ national team are there’s nothing more special than repre- pinnacle of the game if authorities find a for the game and Test match cricket. the feature Boxing Day and New Year playing the three-Test series without for- senting your country.” — AFP Lyon hoping to show white ball form ahead of World T20 MELBOURNE: Australia spinner Nathan Cup victory for Australia in march. Lyon fought hard to cement his place in “You’re going to have to ask Rod Marsh the test team and now hopes to convince and the rest of the selectors about that selectors of his white ball prowess in time one,” Lyon told reporters on Saturday of his for the World Twenty20 in India. fleeting appearances in limited-overs crick- Lyon celebrated his 50th test against et. “I want to be the spinner in all three for- West Indies in Hobart last week but played mats. I don’t know how many times I have the last of his eight one-day internationals to say it. more than a year ago and has yet to repre- “That’s my goal and the T20 World Cup sent Australia in a T20 international. is definitely on my radar. I just have to The 28-year-old will have a chance to come out here and perform well for the impress on Sunday when he bowls for the Sydney Sixers and enjoying bowling in the Sydney Sixers in the domestic ‘Big Bash’ T20 BBL.” Lyon will also have to battle for his tournament, a match pitting him against spot in the squad for the March 8-April 3 the Hobart Hurricanes’ Cameron Boyce, the World T20 against spin-bowling all-rounder incumbent spinner in the national team. Glenn Maxwell and Ashton Agar, who Lyon collected eight wickets from his four forced his way into the one-day team on Big Bash (BBL) matches last season and was the tour of England this year. A former one of the Sixers’ best in their opening loss groundsman at Adelaide Oval, Lyon sur- to cross-town rivals Sydney Thunder on passed Hugh Trumble’s 141 test wickets in Thursday. Although he made his test June to become Australia’s most prolific debut in 2011, it took Lyon nearly three off-spinner and now has 175 to his name. years to nail down a permanent place in He said he felt confident he could thrive the side after a number of false starts and with “red ball, white ball or pink ball.” setbacks. Proving himself a contender in “It doesn’t faze me what game I’m the shorter formats has also been a slow playing in, I just want to do well for the process and he was omitted from the team I’m playing for and get the right squad that secured a fifth 50-over World result.” — Reuters HAMILTON: BJ Watling of New Zealand (R) plays a shot during day two of the International Test cricket match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Seddon Park in Hamilton yesterday. — AFP Chameera’s blitz puts Sri Lankans on top HAMILTON: Sri Lanka fought their way back into the Brisk start playing across the line and getting an edge which was second Test against New Zealand with a destructive Latham and Guptill made a brisk start for New smartly taken by Mathews at first slip. Chameera com- burst by young quick Dushmantha Chameera on day Zealand as they cruised through to 81, giving New pleted the four-over rout to have Taylor caught by two in Hamilton yesterday. Chameera took his first five- Zealand three consecutive half-century opening stands Dinesh Chandimal without scoring. wicket bag as New Zealand slumped from 81 without for the first time in 14 years. Chameera had been kept McCullum, who put away his natural attacking loss in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings score of 292 to be out of the attack for most of the partnership but when instincts, was initially given out on 17 off 47 balls when 232-9 at stumps. he came in he was on the money almost immediately, caught by Udara Jayasundera in the deep. He was Doug Bracewell was not out 30 after a ninth-wicket having Latham caught by Dimuth Karunaratne at leg called back as he headed off the field as television stand of 31 with Neil Wagner (17) who was dismissed gully for 28. In his next over he took out New Zealand’s replays showed Nuwan Pradeep’s delivery was a no ball. on the last ball of the day. The 23-year-old Chameera, batting kingpin Williamson for one. But he failed to make the most of the reprieve with bowling at up to 146 kilometres per hour (90.6 mph), Again targeting the leg side, as he did with Latham, his eventual dismissal coming one run later when he was used sparingly by captain Angelo Mathews, taking Chameera tempted Williamson into a pull shot which was neatly caught one-handed by Kusal Mendis at three for 17 in his first spell and two for 30 in his second. was skied to Suranga Lakmal at deep square leg. short leg. Santner made 38 and Watling 28 as New SINGAPORE: France’s Kristina Mladenovic of UAE Royals hits a return against In partnership with the wily 37-year-old Rangana Guptill, who had looked solid as he reached 50, Zealand tried to recover but they still ended the day 60 Australia’s Jarmila Gajdosova of Philippine Mavericks during their women’s singles Herath, playing his 67th Test, they took New Zealand escaped the wrath of Chameera only to fall to Herath, runs behind with only one wicket remaining. — AFP tennis match at the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) tournament in apart when it seemed openers Tom Latham and Martin Singapore yesterday. — AFP Guptill were settling in. SCOREBOARD New Zealand lost four wickets for eight runs in four overs as Chameera claimed the scalps of Latham, Kane HAMILTON, New Zealand: Scoreboard at stumps on day two of the second Test between New Williamson and Ross Taylor while Herath removed Zealand and Sri Lanka in Hamilton yesterday: Guptill. Sri Lanka 1st innings (overnight 264-7) New Zealand 1st innings India recalls Brendon McCullum tried to steer his side out of D. Karunaratne c Watling b Southee 12 M. Guptill c Mathews b Herath 50 trouble and put on 39 for the fifth wicket with Mitchell K. Mendis c Watling b Southee 31 T. Latham c Karunaratne b Chameera 28 Santner before he became Herath’s second wicket. U. Jayasundera run out Santner/Watling 26 K. Williamson c Lakmal b Chameera 1 Yuvraj, Nehra Chameera, who in his second spell removed Tim D. Chandimal c Watling b Bracewell 47 R. Taylor c Chandimal b Chameera 0 Southee and Wagner, was delighted with his perform- A. Mathews c Latham b Southee 77 B. McCullum c Mendis b Herath 18 ance. M. Siriwardana c Taylor b Boult 62 M. Santner c Chandimal b Pradeep 38 NEW DELHI: Veterans Yuvraj Singh month. “This is my fourth Test and I get five wickets so I am K. Vithanage c McCullum b Boult 0 B.