SPORT Watson named best cricketer VOTING FROM THE BORDER MEDAL xxxxxxxxxi BORDER MEDAL: Shane Watson 125 votes; From Back Page good performances and to be Nitschke polled 71 votes to Michael Clarke 90; Mitchell Johnson 87; Michael able to continue that through beat Lisa Sthalekar by seven. Hussey 82; Ricky Ponting 75; Nathan Hauritz 62; Watson was the favourite to this summer has been some- Nitschke starred at the one- Simon Katich 57; Doug Bollinger 42; Marcus win the medal, but when inter- thing as I said I have only ever day World Cup in March and North 41; Brad Haddan and Peter Siddle 36. viewed at the start of the night dreamed of. the World Twenty20 in June. TEST PLAYER: Katich 11; Johnson 10; Clarke and he expressed relief that he was ‘‘Obviously it is an amazing She played 18 one-dayers, Watson 9; North, Hauritz and Ponting 7. finally playing consistently honour to win the Allan Border scoring 631 runs at an average ODI PLAYER: Watson 33; Hussey 25; Clarke 21; well at international level. medal but to be able to turn my of 35 and taking 17 wickets at Hauritz and Ponting 18. ‘‘For me this summer has fortunes around a little bit 29.47. She scored 242 runs in STATE PLAYER: Michael Klinger (SA) 36; Chris Kelly hope for been something I have only over the last six to eight months eight international Twenty20 Rogers (VIC) 29; Brad Hodge (VIC) 27. ever dreamed of,’’ he said. is something I have found matches at 34.57 and took 10 YOUNG CRICKETER: John Hastings (VIC) 46; Leeds match ‘‘To get the opportunity that I very satisfying.’’ wickets at 16.7. Steven Smith (NSW); Ben Cutting (QLD) 8. did during the Ashes was some- Victorian all-rounder John Between them, Nitschke and WOMEN’S PLAYER: Shelley Nitschke; Lisa AN INJURY to Melbourne Storm thing I looked forward to, to put Hastings won the Bradman Sthalekar have won the last Sthalekar 64; Rene Farrell. halfback Cooper Cronk may open my hand up and put in some young cricketer award. four women’s awards. the door for Territorian Luke Kelly to play in the World Club Challenge final against Leeds. An option is skipper Cameron Smith, the Test hooker, could find himself wearing the No. 7 jersey, with Ryan Hinchcliffe at rake. But coach Craig Bellamy hasn’t Super speedy Valley decided whether to pursue that idea or start with last year’s under-20s halfback Kelly (pic- tured), who he’s set to trial NT track against Harlequins in a warm-up match on February 21 before the Leeds game on February 28. set to be ‘‘We’re trying to work around a PUB: few positions there with Cooper being out,’’ Smith said. fastest ‘‘It’s not ideal for us going into such a big game, and we’re not NT NEWS sure when he’s going to be back for us, it might be a couple of rounds of the lot into the competition. ‘‘It’s really up to Craig, which- ever way he goes.’’ TERRITORY speedster Daniel Smith says the match against Field can’t wait to tackle Leeds is ‘‘massive’’. DATE: Hidden Valley as part of this ‘‘It’s big for us,’’ Smith, who year’s Superbikes round. won’t travel to the UK until Thurs- day. ‘‘It’s a chance to become the The NT born-and-bred rider best team in the world really. 16-FEB-2010 was joined yesterday by ‘‘We’re playing a very good side champions Josh Waters and in Leeds, who have won the Super Jamie Stauffer for a few laps of League three years in a row and the circuit to launch the Darwin for us, it’s something that we round of the series — the first haven’t been able to achieve yet. ‘‘It was great to win the grand to be held here in 11 years. final but it’s a new year for us now They took it easy at just and our first challenge is to go over to England and do our best to PAGE: 200km/h yesterday, but all agree that Hidden Valley can bring home that trophy.’’ Smith said fullback Billy Slater, be the fastest motorbike track who damaged his ankle and in Australia. missed the All Stars match, 38 Superbike champion Waters was set to start against Leeds, said the machines would hit although he was still suffering COLOR: some swelling. 300km/h on the long, home Prop Jeff Lima (leg) and centre straight. That’s faster than a Greg Inglis (hip) will face a V8 Supercar. fitness test ahead of the Harle- ‘‘There are lots of tight quins match, however both ran lightly on their injuries at corners and plenty of C training yesterday. opportunities for passing,’’ M Waters said. ‘‘The racing should be awesome.’’ Y Field, 19, who will compete in K Relief over the 600cc category during the Superbikes weekend, has switched from motocross to Gidley injury road racing this year. NEWCASTLE captain Kurt Gidley Asked if the transition was will not risk re-injuring his ham- string by rushing back for the difficult, he said in typically Knights’ NRL Round 1 clash with laidback Territory style: ‘‘No. the Bulldogs. It’s a bike — I got on.’’ Gidley and the Knights were breathing a sigh of relief yesterday Field, of Humpty Doo, has after the Test utility was cleared of been racing dirt bikes since he what he had feared was a season- was four. ending cruciate ligament injury. Scan results revealed a hamstring The second round of the 2010 muscle or tendon tear suffered during Superbikes circuit will be held Saturday’s All-Star match on the at Hidden Valley Raceway from Gold Coast. April 8 to 11. FAST FIELD: Territory rider Daniel Field is looking forward to competing at Hidden Valley The NSW skipper will be sidelined as part of the Superbikes round in April. Picture: NICK WELSH for 4-6 weeks after feeling his knee click a split second before being crunched in a tackle by Newcastle teammate Cory Paterson. ‘‘They found a tear in the ham- Motlop given one week for dangerous tackle string, whether it’s the hamstring or where all three hamstrings join in a PORT Adelaide forward the second quarter of ban if he fights the charge. have cleared Richmond tendon down towards the back of my Daniel Motlop faces a ban Saturday night’s clash at The AFL changed its draftee Ben Nason of a seri- knee, that’s about as medical as I can from the Power’s next NAB AAMI Stadium. rough conduct rules in the ous knee injury. get,’’ Gidley said. Cup match after falling vic- The forward’s tribunal re- off-season to include specific Nason, who played his ‘‘No damage to the cruciate which tim to the AFL’s new dan- cord hurt him with the references banning sling first game for the club in was the main one so very good news.’’ gerous tackling rules. incident graded low enough and spear tackles. Launceston on Saturday With the NRL season getting that he could have pleaded The Power’s next match is The Territorian (pic- night, was feared to have underway in just under four weeks’ guilty and accepted a repri- against West Coast at suffered a season-ending an- tured) can accept a one- time, Gidley could have been a shot of mand if not for carry-over Subiaco on February 27. terior cruciate ligament in- lining up against the Bulldogs at ANZ match suspension for dump- points for prior offences. There were no other jury, but sustained only Stadium but ruled himself out. ing Adelaide’s Michael Instead, he will be out charges from the weekend’s bone bruising and should ‘‘I’d hate to come back the first Doughty into the ground for one match if he pleads four games. make the start of the prem- game and do something similar or after tackling him in guilty, or risk a two-game In injury news, scans iership season. even worse again,’’ he said. 38 — Northern Territory News, Tuesday, February 16, 2010 www.ntnews.com.au.