SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2013 SPORTS

Bell ‘willing’ to fill in for Trott at number three

ADELAIDE: Ian Bell is “absolutely willing” warm-up match against a half-century in the first innings to stake The ineffectiveness of the pacemen aided the batsmen more. to replace Jonathan Trott at the number Australia Chairman’s XI yesterday. claim for a test debut, was unbeaten on will surely open the path for Tim Bresnan Panesar was England’s trump card three spot in England’s order “That decision is probably out of my eight with Michael Carberry (37) at the to earn a spot if he can prove his fitness. during the series win in India last year when the second Ashes test against control. We’ve got a number of options crease. “Gary Ballance has done really Bresnan, hoping for a recall after recov- but has been blighted by disciplinary Australia starts on Thursday. Trott, the with the batting and the balance of the well, batting for a long period on a wick- ering from a stress fracture in his back, issues during the English summer. “It’s regular number three, left the tour to side - but absolutely I’ll put my hand up. et that was not easy to score runs fluent- took four and made a half-cen- not easy coming on tour when you’ve deal with a stress-related problem a day We’ll soon see.” Joe Root (one), another ly,” Bell said. “We want guys who are tury while playing for the England not played a lot of cricket,” Bell added. after England’s comprehensive defeat in contender for Trott’s position, was the going to bat long periods of time in this Performance squad this week. “I’m sure he’ll be a bit sore, but he Brisbane. only second innings casualty in series, so he showed some good charac- Graeme Swann picked up four wick- bowled really well. “It was nice to see “We’ve spoken about it, and obvious- England’s score of 47 for one ter.” The home side earlier declared their ets while left-arm spinner Monty Panesar him settle into a rhythm very quickly and ly I’ve said I’m absolutely willing to go to when stumps were drawn in the two- first innings on 254 for eight as the scalped three in welcome signs for the it is a possibility he could play (in number three,” Bell, who bats at five, told day warm-up match. English pace trio of Boyd Rankin, Steven England bowling attack ahead of Adelaide) - we’ve got that flexibility if we reporters after the tourists drew their Gary Ballance, who struck a patient Finn and Ben Stokes failed to impress. Adelaide, where the pitch has historically need two spinners.” — Reuters England draw with Australia Chairman’s XI

ALICE SPRINGS: England failed to get a four for 56 off 23 overs while Test hopeful boost ahead of next week’s second Ashes Monty Panesar claimed three for 41 from Test as they conceded an innings lead to a 19 overs. modest Chairman’s XI in Facing a drop-in pitch in Adelaide, Alice Springs yesterday. England might be tempted to recall The two-day tour match ended in a Panesar in a twin-spin attack for the second draw but the Chairman’s XI finished moral Test. Swann removed Marcus Harris (49), winners trumping England’s first innings Michael Hill (13) and Alex Keath (four) declaration of 212 for seven with their 254 before lunch. Western Australia’s Harris for eight declared. added 78 for the first wicket with At stumps on the final day, England hit Tasmania’s Steve Cazzulino (48). the front in the 16th and final over of their Sixteen-year-old NSW Second XI bats- second innings at 47 for one with Michael man Jake Doran beat his age by one run Carberry unbeaten on 37 and man-of-the- before becoming Swann’s fourth victim. match Gary Ballance on eight. Panesar dismissed Lalor in the last over Only five players from last week’s 381- before the second new ball was taken. run loss to Australia in the first Brisbane Muirhead top-edged a pull shot for a Test played, but there was little for the single in the next over as the home side tourists apart from sightseeing to take out advanced to 213 and overtaking England’s of their visit to the Northern Territory. first innings total amid loud cheers from As the temperatures soared into the the fans. Not a single member of the 12- high 30s, the tourists were left a little red man Chairman’s XI side is a current faced as their quick bowlers were embar- Sheffield Shield player. rassed by the little-known Chairman’s XI Uncapped England Test hopeful Gary batsmen. Ballance was named player of the match for Ashton Turner (39 ) and Josh his first-innings 55 lifting his hopes of grab- Lalor (45) shared a 64-run stand for the sev- bing the number six batting spot in an enth wicket before Turner combined with expected reshuffle caused by the sudden tailender James Muirhead (29 off 17 balls) departure of Jonathan Trott with a stress- for an entertaining of 48 for related illness. CENTURION: ’s cricketer plays a shot during the final One-Day Internationals (ODI ) match between South Africa and the Chairman’s XI. The ground announcer was removed at SuperSport in Centurion yesterday. Pakistan won the series 2-1. — AFP Pacemen Boyd Rankin (1-52), Steven from his post by Cricket Australia (CA) yes- Finn (0-61) and Ben Stokes (0-37) failed to terday after introducing Panesar in an impress, amid speculation seamer Chris Indian accent to the crowd. Tremlett’s Test spot could be under scrutiny Panesar was born in Luton of Indian for the Adelaide Test. Test offspinner descent. “Cricket Australia deemed the con- Philander sets up Graeme Swann gained some confidence duct of the PA announcer as inappropriate following his mauling by Australia’s bats- and as such he will take no further part in men in last week’s first Test by picking up the match,” a CA spokesperson said. —AFP South African win SCOREBOARD CENTURION: led a strong replacement for , who was Villiers played a risk-free innings to ensure ALICE SPRINGS, Australia: Scoreboard at the close on the final day of the two-day performance by South Africa’s bowlers to set absent because of a family bereavement. that South Africa successfully chased down a tour match between the Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI and England at Traeger Park up a four-wicket consolation win for the hosts Amla made 41 before being run out after a target for the first time in eight recent yesterday: England XI 1st innings 212 for 7 declared (G. Ballance 55, J. Bairstow 31 not in the third and final one-day international superb stop and quick throw by Umar Amin at attempts, facing 63 balls and hitting only out; S. Mackin 2-32) against Pakistan at SuperSport Park yesterday. backward point. In contrast to his dazzling 74 three boundaries. Ajmal was again the best Chairman’s XI 1st innings (overnight 16 (Doran), 6-142 (Robins), 7-206 (Lalor), 8- Philander took three for 26 in a Pakistan off 45 balls in , where he played Pakistan bowling, taking two for 34 in 10 for 0): 254 (Muirhead) total of 179 all out. South Africa made heavy one big shot too many and was out before overs. With the series decided, both sides Steve Cazzulino b Panesar 48 Bowling: Rankin 14.5-5-52-1, Finn 15-2- weather of the chase but won with 68 balls to South Africa “crossed the line”, in his words, De showed several changes. — AFP Marcus Harris c Finn b Swann 49 61-0, Swann 23-5-56-4, Stokes 13-3-37-0 spare, steered home by an unbeaten 48 from Michael Hill c Finn b Swann 13 (1nb), Panesar 19-4-41-3. AB de Villiers. SCOREBOARD Alex Keath c Stokes b Swann 4 England 2nd innings: Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq also played a cap- Jake Doran c Ballance b Swann 17 Michael Carberry not out 37 tain’s innings, making 79 not out. But no other CENTURION, South Africa: Scoreboard yesterday in the third one-day international between South Ashton Turner not out 39 Joe Root c Doran b Mackin 1 Pakistan batsman scored more than 25. Africa and Pakistan at SuperSport Park: Luke Robins stpd Bairstow b Panesar 2 Gary Balance not out 8 Philander, recently recalled to the one-day Josh Lalor c and b Panesar 45 Extras (w1) 1 side after starring for the South African Test Pakistan South Africa James Muirhead c Bairstow b Rankin 29 Total (1 wkt; 16 overs) 47 team, struck with the fourth ball of the match Umar Amin c Amla b McLaren 25 c Ajmal b Bhatti 15 Extras (b6, lb1, nb1) 8 Fall of wicket: 1-13 (Root) when Ahmed Shehzad was caught at first slip Ahmed Shehzad c Amla b Philander 0 run out (Amin/Akmal) 41 Total (8 wkts declared; 84.5 overs) 254 Bowling: Herrick 4-0-18-0 (1w), Mackin 5- without scoring. Shehzad made a century when c De Kock b Tsotsobe 1 Henry Davids st Akmal b Ajmal 7 Did not bat: Simon Mackin, Michael Beer 4-3-1, Lalor 3-1-6-0, Muirhead 3-0-20-0, Pakistan clinched the series by winning the sec- Sohaib Maqsood c & b McLaren 25 JP Duminy c Akmal b Rehman 16 Fall of wickets 1-78 (Harris), 2-96 (Hill), 3- Harris 1-1-0-0. ond match in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday. Misbah-ul-Haq not out 79 AB de Villiers not out 48 107 (Keath), 4-125 (Cazzulino), 5-137 Match drawn. Fellow new ball bowler Umar Akmal c De Kock b Philander 5 David Miller c Akmal b Tanvir 24 had Asad Shafiq caught behind in the fourth Bilawal Bhatti c Amla b Tahir 1 Ryan McLaren b Ajmal 17 over and Pakistan were unable to build any sig- c De Kock b Philander 1 Wayne Parnell not out 7 nificant partnerships against hostile bowling Abdur Rehman c Amla b Tahir 22 Extras: (4lb, 2nb) 6 on a pitch which offered good bounce. c Parnell b Tsotsobe 6 TOTAL: (for six wickets) 181 The best stand of the innings was 51 for the Saeed Ajmal c De Villiers b Parnell 0 Overs: 38.4 eighth wicket between Misbah and Abdur Extras: (1lb, 13w) 14 Did not bat: Lonwabo Tsotsobe, . Rehman (22). South Africa made a fast start, TOTAL: (all out) 179 Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-49, 3-75, 4-84, 5-124, 6- with Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla put- Overs: 46.5 164. ting on 39 on 35 balls for the first wicket before Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-7, 3-48, 4-67, 5-85, 6-96, 7- Bowling: Sohail Tanvir 7.4-0-42-1 (2nb), Anwar Ali De Kock mistimed a hook against Bilamal Bhatti 97, 8-148, 9-164. 2-0-15-0, Bilawal Bhatti 8-1-35-1, Saeed Ajmal 10- and was caught at backward square leg. Bowling: Vernon Philander 10-3-26-3 (2w), 1-34-2, Abdur Rehman 9-0-40-1, Sohaib The momentum slowed as new cap Henry Lonwabo Tsotsobe 10-2-38-2 (4w), Ryan McLaren Maqsood 2-0-11-0. Davids was tied down by Saeed Ajmal before 8-1-28-2, Wayne Parnell 8.5-0-30-1 (2w), Imran Result: South Africa won by four wickets. being off the off-spinner after strug- Tahir 10-0-56-2. Series: Pakistan won three-game series 2-1. gling to seven off 18 balls. Davids was a late Sledging gets Ashes

ALICE SPRINGS: England’s batsman Michael Carberry (R) executes a powerful shot off to a bumpy ride over the boundary for six runs as Australia’s Chairman’s XI wicketkeeper Jake Doran looks on during day two play of the tour cricket match between England and Australia’s Chairman’s XI at Traeger Park in Alice Springs yesterday. — AFP LONDON: Andy Roberts, a fearsome fast 20 percent of his match fee. But afterwards , when captain of the success- bowler in the formidable West Indies side of Mitchell Johnson, England’s tormentor-in-chief ful Australia side of the 1990s and early 2000s, the 1970s, was renowned for not talking to at Brisbane with his fiery left-arm , made great play of “mental disintegration”. But opponents on the field. If you ask those who said of the sledging: “I think it’s worked for us. I one of Waugh’s key players, Glenn McGrath Ex-India batsman faced him if this meant he lacked for ‘commit- definitely think they (England) are rattled by it.” made a crude comment to West Indies’ ment’ or ‘aggression’, chances are you’ll receive It was all a far cry from the kind of amusing Ramnaresh Sarwan about the supposed nature a very hollow laugh. exchange enjoyed by Australia bowler Merv of his relationship with , the bats- Kambli stable Equally, it’s pretty difficult for everyone Hughes and England batsman Robin Smith. man’s reply of “ask your wife” saw the Australia involved in a cricket match, where teams can Hughes, having told Smith he wasn’t much of a paceman react furiously. NEW DELHI: Vinod Kambli, the former teenagers shared a then world record India batsman once considered as gifted 664-run partnership in an inter-school be in the field for several hours at a stretch, to batsman, saw his next ball hit for four. What Sarwan didn’t know was that Jane as his school friend , was match in , with both batsmen be as tight-lipped as Roberts. Indeed when on “Hey Merv we make a fine pair. I can’t bat McGrath was suffering from cancer, a disease recovering in a Mumbai hospital yester- making unbeaten triple centuries. the opening day of the first Test at Brisbane in and you can’t bowl,” Smith said, although his that ultimately took her life. Equally, Australia’s day after a suspected heart attack, doc- While Tendulkar retired earlier this 1946 Australia great , having precise reply was a touch more colourful. But had no idea Jonathan Trott was tors and his family said. month as the world’s leading run-maker made an unconvincing 28, was given “not out” given the increasingly crude nature of current about to leave the current tour with a stress- Kambli, 41, who had undergone in both Test and one-day cricket and an after England were certain he’d nicked the ball sledging, former Australia captain Ian Chappell related illness when he called him “poor and angioplasty on two blocked arteries last unprecedented 100 international cen- to Jack Ikin at second slip, England captain said this week he feared it might lead to physi- weak” after the England batsman twice fell year, was admitted to the Lilavati hospital turies against his name, Kambli faded is reported to have said: cal violence. cheaply to Johnson. on Friday morning after complaining of after a bright start. “That’s a (expletive deleted) fine way to start an “Something personal will be said at the “I think Dave Warner’s comments were out chest pain while driving. The flamboyant left-hander hit two Ashes series.” wrong time and you’ll have fisticuffs. I think of order. I don’t believe you should comment “He is in the intensive care unit and double-centuries and two hundreds in Roll the clock on some 67 years and there we’re getting close to fisticuffs,” said Chappell, on someone else personally on the opposition,” we are monitoring his medical parame- his first eight Test innings after earning a was general agreement Australia captain who resents suggestions his Australia side of Waugh said. No doubt match officials will have ters,” hospital director Narendra Trivedi debut in 1993, but another three-figure Michael Clarke had gone too far in threatening the 1970s were sledging ‘pioneers’. stern words with Clarke and England captain told reporters. “He is stable and there is knock in Tests eluded him. Kambli played England No 11 James Anderson with a “broken “If I was playing now, firstly, I’d tell whoever Alastair Cook ahead of next week’s second Test nothing to worry about.” Kambli’s wife, the last of his 17 Tests in 1995 before he arm” towards the end of the recent Ashes was talking to shut up or it’s going to be a long in Adelaide. Andrea, also issued a statement saying had turned 24, finishing with 1,084 runs opener in Brisbane, which the hosts won by day, because I don’t face up until you shut up,” Meanwhile Waugh said Australia could cut he was “stable and recovering well”. at an average of 54.20. He also scored the crushing margin of 381 runs. added Chappell, who said he’d talk to the down on the ‘verbals’. “They’re playing well, so Kambli shot to fame along with 2,477 runs in 104 one-day internationals That was certainly the view of the bowler at the non-striker’s end if he got no they don’t need to do so much talking out Tendulkar in 1988 when the two with two centuries. — AFP International Cricket Council, who fined Clarke redress from the umpire. there now,” he added. — AFP