MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2015 SPORTS ‘Dad’s Army’ Australia must wield the axe

NOTTINGHAM: Australia railed at sug- were dropped during the current series Anderson, Steven Finn, Stuart Broad and Australia’s much-vaunted pace attack toothless. Smith looks certain to replace gestions their team resembled a “Dad’s while opener Chris Rogers, 37, has Ben Stokes. Rogers started well in Cardiff also failed to fire. Mitchell Johnson, the Clarke as and the future of coach Army” but the evidence supplied by the already said this one will be his last. with 95 and made a superb 173 at Lord’s scourge of England in Australia’s 5-0 Darren Lehmann is also in doubt. The first four Ashes tests against England England’s new-look team had too where Steve Smith contributed a double Ashes whitewash on 2013-14, was laid-back matey style that brought much suggests it was not an unfair moniker. much skill and energy for Clarke’s side in century. neutered by the pitch at Cardiff. success in the past two years, including a Immediately after a crushing defeat in favourable home conditions. Only at David Warner racked up four half-cen- He did bowl a hostile spell at Lord’s World Cup victory, was exposed in the the fourth test on Saturday which gave Lord’s were the Australians able to thrive turies without going on to three figures which propelled Australia to victory but cauldron of an Ashes series going badly. the Ashes back to England, Australia cap- after winning the toss on a flat pitch that but the other batsmen failed to adapt to he failed to make a sustained impact at Former opening batsman Justin tain Michael Clarke announced that he nullified the threat of an England attack the conditions. Edgbaston or Trent Bridge and, at 33, his Langer is favourite to succeed Lehmann will be standing down after the final with less pace but more guile than their Clarke, , best days must be behind him. and it would be no surprise if match of the series. opponents. and Shaun Marsh struggled in the mid- Mitchell Starc struggled for control in Australia opted for a new coach to build He will not be the only eminent At Cardiff, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge dle order and although Peter Nevill made the first three tests before claiming six a young team under Smith’s captaincy, Australian player to leave the interna- Australia were blown away, their bats- a battling fifty at Edgbaston, England at Trent Bridge and with Josh much as England have done since their tional arena. All-rounder Shane Watson, men unable to cope with the swing and knew that once they were through the Hazlewood proving steady but none too Ashes humiliation just 18 months 34, and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, 37, seam movement generated by James top order a collapse was not far away. penetrating the Australian attack was ago.—Reuters Australia to review foreign flops MELBOURNE: Australia’s cricket board has Selectors, including coach Darren promised a review of the Ashes debacle Lehmann, have also been roasted for a after the dead rubber test at The Oval and number of surprising decisions, including will seek answers to the team’s continued the omission of long-serving wicketkeeper flops on foreign pitches. Brad Haddin for most of the series and for Eighteen months after blitzing England failing to pick an all-rounder in the decisive 5-0, Australia’s rout in Nottingham to sur- loss at Trent Bridge. render the Ashes 3-1 has again exposed the Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting team as home-track bullies. said he believed up to seven players apart Australia have won four out of five of from Clarke may never play another test their past test series on home soil, but have after the tour wraps up at The Oval, with been thrashed in away series against India, the ageing team in dire need of regenera- Pakistan and England in the last two years. tion. Steven Smith is all but certain to take “After every series we will sit down and the reins from Clarke for the team’s two- review, and I think there is an opportunity test tour of Bangladesh in October but crit- for a reflection on (our) style of play,” ics have suggested a new coach should Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland also be brought in to help the young skip- told reporters in Melbourne. per rebuild the team. “It’s not easy playing away but it’s some- Sutherland, however, said 45-year-old thing we have to get better at. We want to Lehmann, who has now lost two out of be the best cricket team in the world and three Ashes series in charge, was safe in his to do that we have to be better at playing role. away.” He also said Smith, who lead Australia to Losing the coveted urn to arch-rivals victory against India in the home summer, England is depressing enough in cricket- was more than ready to fill Clarke’s shoes mad Australia, but the manner of the despite the 26-year-old’s disappointing team’s capitulation after entering the series Ashes with the bat. favourites and pumped-up with confidence “We have someone in waiting who has has prompted criticism from all quarters. had experience as a captain,” he said. “In Most of the blame has been heaped recent months he has been rated as the upon the batsmen, who struggled to adapt best test cricketer in the world. Steven is to English conditions and appearing inept ready for this challenge but no one is when facing the moving ball. ready-made to just walk into it.”—Reuters

Root on top of the world HARARE: New Zealand batsman Colin Munro plays a shot during the Twenty 20 cricket International match against Zimbabwe.—AP

NOTTINGHAM: Joe Root has replaced of a stunning first-innings return of eight Steven Smith as the world’s number one for 15 on his Nottinghamshire ground that NZ outclass Zimbabwe ranked batsman in after play- was behind Australia’s collapse to 60 all ing a key role in England regaining the out. Ashes. The 24-year-old Yorkshireman The 29-year-old pacemen’s ninth HARARE: George Worker hit an aggressive half- Zimbabwe bowler to escape major punishment the opening seven overs. Craig Ervine was the struck a superb 130, his second hundred of of the match, taken in the second innings, century on his New Zealand debut as Zimbabwe as he took 3 for 28 in four overs. only batsman capable of taking on a threatening the series, in England’s innings and 78-run saw him edge past great Fred were severely outclassed in yesterday’s one-off The New Zealand total matched Pakistan’s New Zealand bowling display, but his 42 made win in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge on Trueman into fourth place in England’s list at Harare Sports Club. 198 for four at the same ground in September little impact on such a hefty target. Saturday. Victory, completed inside three of all-time leading Test wicket-takers. The left-handed Worker smashed 62 from just 2011, while Worker’s score was the eighth high- Fast bowlers and Mitchell days, gave England an unbeatable 3-1 lead Broad has taken 308 wickets in 83 Tests to 38 balls as New Zealand posted 198 for five, est by a player on T20 international debut and McClenaghan were menacing even on a relative- in the five-match series. date and is 17 behind former England fast equalling the highest score in a T20 international the third highest by a New Zealander. ly placid pitch, with Milne recording figures of 2 Root has scored 443 runs in the series, bowler Bob Willis. A combination of in Zimbabwe, before the hosts limped to 118 for Zimbabwe’s reply never made it off the for 10 from four overs in his first game for New with two hundreds and two half-centuries, Broad’s form and the absence at Trent eight to lose by 80 runs. With their top three all ground, with four of their top five failing to reach Zealand since the World Cup quarter-final at an average of 71.79. The latest edition of Bridge of the injured James Anderson has posting quick runs after they lost the toss and double figures as they slumped to 34 for four in against West Indies in March. —AFP the International Cricket Council’s rankings seen the Lancashire paceman drop to third were asked to bat, New Zealand were dominant published yesterday saw Root on top of in the ICC standings, still headed by South from start to finish in an entirely one-sided the batting standings, with Australia’s Africa fast bowler . match, giving them the perfect send-off as they SCOREBOARD Smith, out for six and five in Nottingham, Australia fast bowler Michell Johnson head to South Africa for two Twenty20 interna- dropping down to third place. South moved down two places to seventh. tionals and three one-day internationals. “The Africa’s AB de Villiers was second in the Victory at Trent Bridge also produced a sta- HARARE: Full scoreboard of the one-off Twenty20 international between Zimbabwe and New Zealand in way the boys batted today was outstanding - Harare yesterday: standings. tistical landmark for Alastair Cook as he everyone played their role and George Worker Meanwhile the equivalent bowling became only the third English captain, was outstanding on debut,” said New Zealand New Zealand C. Chibhabha b Neesham 6 M. Guptill c Sikandar Raza b Williams 33 C. Ervine b Elliott 42 rankings saw England’s Stuart Broad climb after W.G. Grace and Mike Brearley, to captain . to a career-high second place on the back twice win the Ashes on home soil. —AFP K. Williamson c Ervine b Muzarabani 20 Sikandar Raza c Ronchi b McClenaghan 8 “The bowling performance was also the best G. Worker b Williams 62 E. Chigumbura c Neesham b McCullum 2 of the tour, so I think we’ve progressed nicely G. Elliott c Masakadza b Cremer 8 S. Williams c & b Sodhi 16 with a new outfit and hopefully we can continue L. Ronchi c Ervine b Williams 29 R. Chakabva c Ronchi b Milne 13 that in South Africa.” C. Munro 23 G. Cremer c Neesham b McClenaghan 5 Worker came in at No. 3 after Williamson had N. McCullum not out 18 P. Utseya not out 2 Extras (4lb, 1w) 5 ensured a brisk start, and added 49 with opener C. Mpofu not out 6 Total (5 wkts, 20 overs) 198 in 33 balls, before putting on Extras (4b, 3lb, 5w) 12 Fall of wickets: 1-26 (Williamson), 2-75 (Guptill), 3-93 another 49 with Luke Ronchi for the fourth wick- Total (8 wkts, 20 overs) 118 (Elliott), 4-142 (Worker), 5-157 (Ronchi). et at an even quicker rate. The 25-year-old had Did not bat: , Adam Milne, Mitchell Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Masakadza), 2-12 (Chibhabha), 3-25 topped the run-scoring charts in last season’s McClenaghan, . (Sikandar Raza), 4-34 (Chigumbura), 5-64 (Williams), 6- Ford Trophy, but was a late addition to the New Bowling: Utseya 2-0-30-0, Muzarabani 3-0-34-1, Mpofu 89 (Chakabva), 7-101 (Cremer), 8-108 (Ervine). Zealand squad for the tour after 3-0-24-0, Chibhabha 2-0-18-0, Williams 4-0-28-3, Cremer Did not bat: Taurai Muzarabani. was ruled out by a thumb injury. After striking 3-0-28-1, Sikandar Raza 3-0-32-0. Bowling: Milne 4-0-10-2, McClenaghan 4-0-33-2, four sixes and three fours, Worker finally per- Neesham 3-0-21-1, McCullum 4-0-25-1, Sodhi 4-0-15-1, ished when he advanced down the track and Zimbabwe Elliott 1-0-7-1. was bowled by Sean Williams, who was the only H. Masakadza c Ronchi b Milne 6 Result: New Zealand won by 80 runs. McIlroy prepares for PGA

WHISTLING STRAITS: Rory McIlroy recovering from his ankle injury. and a half weeks ago when after a runaway victory at the arrived at Whistling Straits for 18 Should he tee off as expected on respectively...I’ve come a long way Wells Fargo Championship in North holes of practice on Saturday as he Thursday, it would be just 40 days since,” McIlroy tweeted. On Friday, Carolina, he missed the cut at two bids to return to competitive golf since he suffered an injury that some McIlroy hinted strongly at his journey European Tour events in May. Those from an ankle injury and defend his medical experts said might take to Whistling Straits by posting a pic- missed cuts came at the end of a run PGA Championship title at the links- about three months to heal. ture of the interior of a private jet of five successive tournaments. style venue next week. It also would be more than seven with a British passport front and cen- McIlroy won last year’s PGA Reuters exclusively reported on weeks since McIlroy tied for ninth in tre on a table. Championship by one shot after a Monday that the four-times major the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay and After a strong start to the 2015 final-round shootout that finished in champion had scheduled a practice would give the PGA Championship a season highlighted by three wins, near darkness at Valhalla Golf Club in round at the site for Saturday, a huge boost as he and Spieth share McIlroy showed signs of fatigue Louisville, Kentucky.—Reuters report that proved accurate despite top billing. being denied by the golfer’s publicist. The 26-year-old Northern The Northern Irishman, out of action Irishman withdrew from the July 9-12 since he ruptured a ligament in his Scottish Open after suffering the left ankle while playing soccer with ankle injury and was unable to friends on July 4, does not have to defend his British Open title the fol- commit to the tournament, which lowing week at St. Andrews. starts on Thursday, until his official tee time for the opening round. TEASING TWEETS World number one McIlroy has Over the past week, McIlroy has been grouped with Masters and U.S. posted a string of teasing videos and Open champion Jordan Spieth and messages on Twitter and Instagram British Open winner Zach Johnson for highlighting his recovery progress. the first two rounds of the year’s final On Thursday, he posted on his major at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Instagram account a video of himself Wisconsin. pounding a driver on a practice “Great 18 holes this morning with range in Portugal, accompanied by haza136 @ Whistling Straits Golf the comment: “Feels good to hit the Club,” McIlroy tweeted, referring to driver again!” He also posted two pic- his good friend and playing partner tures of his left foot, the first showing Harry Diamond. a very swollen ankle soon after he According to Golf Channel, had suffered the injury and the sec- McIlroy said after his round that he ond revealing a bruised but greatly WASHINGTON: In this Thursday, June 18, 2015 file photo, Rory NOTTINGHAM: England’s Joe Root raises his bat in this file photo. —AP has now played 90 holes of golf since improved ankle. “4 and a half and 3 McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his tee shot. —AP