SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2016 SPORTS

Australia board under fire over pregnancy clause

MELBOURNE: ’s Fair Work becoming aware that she is pregnant, being out of concern for women’s health But CA changed its position on blamed the players’ association for rais- Ombudsman is investigating the nation- she will notify the details of the preg- and safety. Saturday, announcing it would review its ing the issue. al board’s controversial pregnan- nancy (in writing, where practicable) to “Our only interest in whether one of policies and contracts that applied to “We are extremely disappointed that cy clause in contracts offered to elite the CA medical officer (or such other our women players is pregnant is to “pregnancy, maternity leave and carer this issue has been raised by the ACA women players. appropriate representative of CA or oth- ensure the health of her and her baby, support” after it was contacted by the (Australian Cricketers Association),” he has been under fire er person designated by CA) as soon as and we have strict rules around medical labour watchdog on Friday. said. “Their senior executives were fully over the clause which required women reasonably practicable.” confidentiality,” CA high performance “We will co-operate fully with the involved in negotiating, amending and to declare whether they were pregnant The clause has been slammed by chief Pat Howard said in a statement this Ombudsman, and welcome their then agreeing the contract for women before signing contracts. women’s groups as discriminatory after week. “We are very mindful that cricket inquiries because it is always our inten- players in the first half of 2015. The clause said: “The Player warrants being brought to light during pay nego- involves physical risk, and we need to tion to provide the best support for all “As the ACA has shown no objection that, to the best of her knowledge, she is tiations between the board and the ensure that our medical staff and players our players,” CA chief executive James to this contract, they should take not pregnant as at the date of signing players’ association. are aware of every aspect that can affect Sutherland said in a statement. responsibility for their role in developing this Contract and undertakes that upon CA initially defended the clause as a player’s health.” Despite the probe, Sutherland the current policy.”— Reuters Dawson, Rashid propel in fifth Test

CHENNAI: Debutant yester- them,” said Dawson on getting a bouncer day said it could be “hard work” for England from Ishant Sharma that saw him lose his bowlers on flat deck after his gritty half- balance after being hit on the helmet. century helped the visitors post a formida- Dawson has represented England in a ble 477 on day two of the fifth Test against one-day international and earlier in Chennai. this year, but the Hampshire allrounder was Dawson scored an unbeaten 66 and thrilled to play a part in the team’s Test per- shared a 108-run stand with formance. (60), England’s best for the eight , to “I was extremely excited and from a lift their first innings total after the Indian team point of view as well, we want to fin- bowlers hurt the visitors with early strikes. ish on a high. We are in a fairly good posi- England, who resumed the day on 284-4, tion,” said Dawson. Rashid, who recorded slipped to 321-7 after overnight centurion his second Test fifty in his 10th game, also departed for 146, but Dawson looked solid during his gutsy effort as he and Rashid made sure the the tourists keep fell one short of his Test best of 61. going. England’s innings ended 45 minutes into the evening session as India were firm ALI BOUNCED OUT in their reply with 60 for no loss at stumps. Earlier Ali seemed relentless in his drive Lokesh Rahul (30) and Parthiv Patel (28) to consolidate England’s position after were at the crease as the hosts trail by 417 adding 26 runs to his overnight score but runs. “There isn’t huge amount of spin, has- his efforts were cut short just after the first n’t been much pace in it for the seamers, so drinks interval of the day. Indian skipper tomorrow is going to be hard work for us,” Virat Kohli’s ploy of getting his pacemen to Dawson, who bowls left-arm spin, said. bowl short at Ali paid off as the left-hander “But if we keep going all day and keep mistimed a pull on one of Umesh Yadav’s trying to take then we can take rising deliveries. wickets,” the 26-yer-old allrounder told Yadav and Sharma took two wickets reporters at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram each while Ravindra Jadeja, with three Stadium. Allrounder Dawson, who was a wickets on the opening day, stood out on late inclusion in the England squad before the list for India. “They (England) the fourth Test in place of Zafar Ansari, got some quick runs, but I think the ball is showed his batting prowess during his 148- not turning that much. That is the problem, BRISBANE: ’s spin bowler (R) dives to filed a ball played by Australia’s batsman Steven Smith (C) during thethird day-night ball stay, hitting 5 fours and a six. we can’t get wickets and that momentum,” cricket Test match between Australia and Pakistan in Brisbane yesterday. — AFP His effort was the highest by an England said Yadav, who bowled at a lively pace. No. 8 on debut in Tests, surpassing the late “Let’s see how the wicket behaves, if it David Bairstow’s 59 against India in 1979. turns after the third day (or not). I think “It is obviously nice to do well on debut. It there is still some interest left in the game,” Pakistan knuckle down in was interesting first few balls in said Yadav. The hosts have already pocket- for me but I was pleased to get through ed the series 3-0. — AFP fight to save pink-ball Test SCOREBOARD BRISBANE: Pakistan were in a backs-to-the-wall CHENNAI, India: Scoreboard at stumps on day two of the fifth and final cricket Test between India and struggle to save the day-night first Test as SCOREBOARD England in Chennai on yesteday. Australia took a strangle-hold on the third day England 1st innings (overnight 284-4; M. Ali 120 (Root), 4-253 (Bairstow), 5-287 (Stokes), 6-300 at the Gabba yesterday. At the close, the BRISBANE, Australia: Scoreboard at stumps yesterday after the third day of the first cricket test between Australia , B. Stokes 5 not out) (Buttler), 7-321 (Ali), 8-429 (Rashid), 9-455 (Broad), tourists were hanging in at 70 for two with and Pakistan, a day-night match at the Gabba. A. Cook c Kohli b Jadeja 10 10-477 (Ball) not out 41 and 112-Test veteran Younis K. Jennings c Patel b Sharma 1 Bowling: Yadav 21-3-73-2, Sharma 21-6-42-2, Khan not off the mark after facing 19 balls. Australia, 1st Innings: 429 Pakistan, 1st Innings Peter Handscomb not out 35 J. Root c Patel b Jadeja 88 Jadeja 45-9-106-3, Ashwin 44-3-151-1, Mishra Pakistan trailed by 419 runs. (Overnight 97-8) Nic Maddinson c Azam b Wahab 4 M. Ali c Jadeja b Yadav 146 25.2-5-87-1, Nair 1-0-4-0. Pakistan made a much better fist of playing Sami Aslam c Wade b Bird 22 Matthew Wade not out 1 J. Bairstow c Rahul b Jadeja 49 in the tricky twilight session with the pink ball Azhar Ali c Khawaja b Starc 5 Extras: (2b,4lb,1nb) 7 B. Stokes c Patel b Ashwin 6 India 1st innings c Smith b Hazlewood 19 TOTAL: (for five wickets, dec.) 202. J. Buttler lbw b Sharma 5 L. Rahul not out 30 losing just two wickets after their catastrophic c Wade b Hazlewood 0 Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-24, 3-135, 4-188, 5-199. L. Dawson not out 66 P. Patel not out 28 seven for 24 in the first innings on the previous Misbah-ul-Haq c Renshaw b Bird 4 A. Rashid c Patel b Yadav 60 Extras (lb 2) 2 evening. The openers lasted into the 12th over Overs: 39. Batting time: 177 minutes. S. Broad run out (Rahul/Patel) 19 Total (0 wicket; 20 overs) 60 before Starc got Sami Aslam to edge to Matt c Khawaja b Starc 2 Did not bat: Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan J. Ball b Mishra 12 Bowling: Broad 5-2-6-0, Ball 3-0-9-0, Ali 7-1-18-0, Renshaw at first slip for 15. Babar Azam fell to Sarfraz Ahmed not out 59 Lyon, Jackson Bird. Extras (b4, lb5, w1, pen 5) 15 Stokes 2-0-12-0, Rashid 2-0-13-0, Dawson 1-1-0-0. spinner Nathan Lyon in the final half-hour when c and b Hazlewood 1 Bowling: 8-0-37-1, 10-1-40- Total (all out; 157.2 overs) 477 To bat: M. Vijay, C. Pujara, V. Kohli, K. Nair, R. he edged to at slip for 14. Yasir Shah c Khawaja b Starc 1 2, Yasir Shah 10-1-45-1, Wahab Riaz 7-1-47-1 (1nb), Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Jennings), 2-21 (Cook), 3-167 Ashwin, R. Jadeja, A. Mishra, I. Sharma, U. Yadav. It was slow going but at least the tourists Mohammad Amir c Wade b Bird 21 Azhar Ali 4-0-27-0. were not shedding wickets in clumps to keep Rahat Ali run out (Warner) 4 the Australians at bay and still with two long Extras: (3lb, 1w) 4 Pakistan, 2nd Innings TOTAL (all out) 142. days to play. “We have had some very good Sami Aslam c Renshaw b Starc 15 Overs: 55. Batting time: 250 minutes. partnerships and we are hopeful of getting Azhar Ali not out 41 Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-43, 3-43, 4-48, 5-54, 6-56, 7-66, 8- some more partnerships,” Pakistan batsman Babar Azam c Smith by Lyon 14 67, 9-121, 10-142. Asad Shafiq said. “We are taking this game step Younis Khan not out 0 Bowling: Mitchell Starc 18-2-63-3 (1w), Josh Hazlewood by step, hour by hour, and we are looking for TOTAL: (for two wickets) 70. 14-1-22-3, Jackson Bird 12-6-23-3, Nathan Lyon 11-2-31-0. the good batting opportunities here.” Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-54. Australia will be pressing hard on Sunday’s Overs: 33. Batting time: 147 minutes. fourth day to win the series opener where Australia, 2nd Innings c Wahab b Amir 12 Still to bat: Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed, they have yet to lose at the Gabba in 27 Tests Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah, Rahat Ali. stretching back to 1988. Matt Renshaw c Khan b Rahat 6 Bowling: Mitchell Starc 8-3-28-1, Josh Hazlewood 11-8- “We wanted to have a crack at them at c Misbah-ul-Haq b Rahat 74 5-0, Jackson Bird 8-3-24-0, Nathan Lyon 6-2-13-1. night time,” senior batsman Usman Khawaja Steve Smith c Rahat b Shah 63 said, explaining Australia’s decision not to enforce the follow-on. “We wanted to try and front on the first innings. Instead Australia wicket only to miscue his pull shot to Wahab get a big lead, give our bowlers another little amassed a formidable lead over the belea- Riaz at mid-on, while Matthew Renshaw was rest, it’s tough for the bowlers to back up in guered tourists to set up a declaration during caught at second slip off Rahat Ali for six. the hot humid conditions. “We’ve got two the dinner break to capitalise on bowling in Earlier Pakistan’s last two partnerships bat- days and they need to chase 400-odd, you the final twilight session. Smith went after the tled for almost an hour before they were all always want to be in this position, but we’ve runs and brought up his 19th Test half-century out for 142. Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed top got to do a lot of hard work early tomorrow.” off 59 balls with his eye on a declaration. scored with a fighting unbeaten 59 off 64 balls But he was caught at long-on by Rahat Ali as the tourists added 45 runs to their THWARTED BY TECHNOLOGY going for a heave off leg-spinner Yasir Shah for overnight total 97 for eight. Sarfraz and The highest winning run chase in the 63 off 70 balls with 11 fours. Khawaja, out Mohammad Amir put on a stubborn 54 runs fourth innings at the Gabba stands at 236 for cheaply for four in the first innings, cracked 74 for the ninth wicket before Amir was adjudi- seven by Australia against the West Indies in off 109 balls before he was splendidly caught cated caught behind off a faint edge, detected 1951. But Pakistan will have to go well by Misbah-ul-Haq off Rahat nearing the dinner by Hot Spot. beyond the record highest-ever Test run chase break. Nic Maddinson once again failed and Technology again thwarted Pakistan when of 418 for seven set by the West Indies against was out for four off just three balls before he after repeated replays Rahat Ali was given run Australia in Antigua in 2003. Skipper Smith was caught off Wahab Riaz. out by Warner for four. Replays showed that CHENNAI: India’s Parthiv Patel runs between the wickets during their second day of chose not to enforce the follow-on after Both the Australian openers were out Rahat’s bat was millimetres off the ground the fifth cricket Test match against England in Chennai, India, yesterday. —AP Pakistan were dismissed for 142 in the first before tea. David Warner fell for 12 when he when the bails were dislodged by Warner’s session, even though they were 287 runs in went to hit Mohammad Amir through mid- throw from mid-off. — AFP Granite-tough braced for

JOHANNESBURG: Buoyed by victories in als. Although South Africa have won 15 times Australia but missed a recent 2-0 victory in national sporting teams and individuals. January 2-6, Second Test, Cape Town their most recent five Test matches, Sri Lanka on home soil, Sri Lanka have had seven wins Zimbabwe because of injuries. The Invitation XI consists mainly of some of January 12-16, Third Test, Johannesburg embark on a two-month tour of South Africa and a tie in 2003 which ended South Africa’s Both are likely to be key players if Sri Lanka South Africa’s most promising young players, January 20, First , with a three-day match against a youthful hopes of progressing in a World Cup they are to challenge a South African Test team led by experienced Cape Cobras and South Centurion South African Invitation XI, starting in hosted. The current tour includes three Test which is coming off a third successive away Africa A batsman Omphile Ramela. Off-spin- January 22, Second Twenty20 international, Potchefstroom today. matches, five one-day internationals and three series win in Australia. After a succession of leg ner Dane Piedt is the only Test player in the Johannesburg It is likely to be a relatively gentle introduc- Twenty20 internationals. injuries, Mathews is confident that he will be side. Sri Lanka Test squad: Angelo Mathews January 25, Third Twenty20 international, Cape tion to a tough challenge in a country where It is Sri Lanka’s first tour of South Africa in able to play a full all-rounder’s role in a coun- (), Dinesh Chandimal, , Town Sri Lanka have struggled on four previous five years and there are only five survivors try where his seam bowling is likely to be , Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal January 28, First one-day international, Port tours. In anticipation of having to deal with from the 2011/12 tour-captain Angelo needed more than in his home country. Silva, Dhananjaya de Silva, Upul Tharanga, Elizabeth South Africa’s strong attack on Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Rangana Herath, The first Test, though, is in Port Elizabeth, Lahiru Kumara, Vikum Sanjaya, Nuwan February 1, Second one-day international, pitches with pace and bounce, the Sri Lankan Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva. which usually provides the slowest and lowest Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Suranga Durban batsmen practiced on granite surfaces before Chandimal made his debut and hit two of South Africa’s Test pitches. Lakmal, , Rangana Herath. February 4, Third one-day international, leaving for the tour. half-centuries in Sri Lanka’s only Test win in The Sri Lankans arrived in South Africa last Johannesburg Sri Lanka have been beaten in eight of the South Africa, in the second Test in Durban, Sunday and have had a full week of prepara- Fixtures: February 7, Fourth one-day international, ten Test matches they have played in South while Herath took nine wickets and was man tion in Potchefstroom, a university town an December 18-20, South African Invitation XI, Cape Town Africa, with just one win and one draw. But of the match. Mathews and Chandimal helped hour’s drive from Johannesburg which is a Potchefstroom February 10, Fifth one-day international, they have done better in one-day internation- Sri Lanka in a 3-0 home Test series win against favoured training venue for a variety of inter- December 26-30, First Test, Port Elizabeth Centurion. —AFP