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BRISBANE, Nov 4 AAP – Queensland off-spinner Nathan Hauritz claimed three quick wickets to leave England faltering in its run chase in the three-day tour cricket match at Allan Border Field today.At tea on the final day, England was 6-292 in its first innings in reply to Queensland’s 582.Hauritz (3-32 from 14 overs) claimed Michael Vaughan (127), captain Nasser Hussain (27) and John Crawley (seven) to take the sting from England’s run chase.The tourists were on track when the classy Vaughan and Mark Butcher (45) were cruising through a 92-run stand before Butcher was caught behind off Ashley Noffke in the first over after tea.Hussain looked scratchy in his 71-minute stay before he skied an edge to Michael Kasprowicz, who took an excellent running catch in the outfied.Vaughan hit 23 fours and one six before he was trapped LBW playing back to Hauritz in his first long spell since returning from Australia’s recent Test and one-day tours.Crawley didn’t look comfortable during his 40-ball stay, while Alec Stewart was unbeaten on 11 at the break.

Franchises from the Indian Premier League will get first priority over players for the proposed Champions League, and any team that fields a cricketer from the unofficial Indian Cricket League will be automatically disqualified from the international Twenty20 competition, Lalit Modi, the chairman of IPL, has said.However, Modi told Cricinfo that the Champions League was “still a long way away” and what has been agreed upon by various boards so far is “only an in-principle agreement” to host such an event. “The venues have not been decided, the dates are still open and we are trying to host the event this year,” Modi said.The England and Wales Cricket Board had on Saturday issued a press release which said that the ECB, Cricket Australia, the BCCI and Cricket South Africa had “reached an agreement for the staging of the inaugural Champions League this autumn” for a top prize of US$ 5 million. However, Modi said he would be able to provide a clear picture only after the BCCI’s working committee discusses the issue during a meeting scheduled on June 22.Asked about the Champions League’s regulations, Modi, who is also a vice-president of the BCCI, said that “it had been clearly resolved earlier” that the IPL franchises would get priority over cricketers in their team. But the franchises will have to pay a “relieving fees” to the player’s state team if both have qualified for the event, he said.Elaborating on the case of Michael Hussey, who is caught between Western Australia and Chennai Super Kings for the Champions League, Modi said, “In the case of Michael Hussey, Chennai Super Kings has the option to keep him and pay a relieving fees to Western Australia. The option is with Super Kings.”However, players like David Hussey, whose IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders, failed to qualify for the Champions League, will have to play for Victoria, he said. “In case of David Hussey, he has to play for his home team if his IPL team has not qualified. If his home team has qualified, which it has, then he plays for them. The county option is his third fall back,” Modi said.Modi also clarified that “any ICL player playing for any team automatically disqualifies that team from participating” in the Champions League. “No exceptions will be made under any circumstances,” Modi said.Currently, about 24 ICL players have been signed up to play for various English counties – the top two Twenty20 teams from England will join Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings from India, the Titans from Pretoria and KwaZulu Natal Dolphins representing South Africa and Western Australia and Victoria from Australia in the Champions League.

Mark Waugh says he would not have retired after the Sydney Test had henot been dropped for the Ashes cricket series against England.Many fans believed Waugh was robbed of the chance of a fairytalefarewell from international cricket, but the 37-year-old said he had nointention of playing his last Test in his home city.He hoped to make a fourth tour of the West Indies next year and backedhimself to get runs in the Ashes series to earn his ticket to theCaribbean.”The idea of a Sydney farewell in the final Test was never mine,” Waughwrote in Sunday’s Sun Herald newspaper.”My view was that if I kept my place in the team and got runs againstEngland, then I wanted to go on the West Indies tour next year.”And if I got runs there, I wanted to stay in the team beyond that.”There seems to be a feeling that the Australian selectors robbed me ofthe chance to retire on my home ground, the Sydney Cricket Ground, infront fo my home crowd and against our traditional opponents, the Poms.”Sure, Sydney would have been better than Sharjah, where we playedPakistan, but I wasn’t looking for that.”I guess every Test player would like to finish on his own terms ifpossible, but I hadn’t reached the stage where I was looking to make thenext series my last.”I was quite happy to keep gambling on getting enough runs to convincethe selectors to keep picking me.”The 128-Test veteran revealed he declined an offer from chairman ofselectors Trevor Hohns to make a dignified exit before being axed.”I knew the public would have seen straight through it with the team soclose to being named,” he said.”When I got the call from Cracker about 10am last Saturday I knew hewasn’t ringing to ask me for my race tips.”I assumed the worst and I was right.”He said ‘unfortunately, we’re not going to pick you for the firstTest.'”I said ‘oh, fair enough. You’ve got a job to do’.”Then he said ‘you’ve had a great career and I’d like to congratulateyou on that’.”I could tell from Cracker’s voice that it was a really difficult phonecall for him to make.”He didn’t have to explain why I wasn’t in the team. I didn’t get theruns in Pakistan and, at 37, you don’t get too many more chances.”I can handle it.”Waugh said his father Rodger was probably the most disappointed to hearof his son’s sacking.

The Recreation Ground at Bath is all set for the opening day of this year’s cricket festival when near neighbours Hampshire provide the opposition in the county championship.The tents are in position, on the opposite side of the ground this year, and there has been good support from the business community so most are fullybooked. Although the ground is wet, providing that the weather is kind everything is set fair to hopefully get play underway on time.As always an immense amount of hard work has gone on throughout the winter to prepare for the event, and all credit must go to Bath Area Committee Chairman Robert Appleyard and his hard working band of helpers who will be hoping that this year’s Bath Festival is even more of a success than it was in 2001.Looking ahead to Wednesday’s game this morning at the County Ground, Somerset coach Kevin Shine told me: "I have been really happy with the way that we have performed in the county championship so far this season, and we will be looking to continue with this at Bath. The rain has affected three out of our four games, when we have been in a strong position, so we will be hoping for some good weather over the next few days."With Andy Caddick and Marcus Trescothick back on England duty, Matt Wood and Simon Francis are recalled to the team, and fast bowler Richard Johnson also returns after missing the last few weeks through injury. Steffan Jones however is still missing, but is likely to return to the side for the NUL game against Leicester foxes on Sunday.The full Somerset squad is: Matt Wood, Jamie Cox, Mike Burns, Peter Bowler, Keith Parson, Ian Blackell, Rob Turner, Keith Dutch, Richard Johnson, Matt Bulbeck and Simon Francis, with Steve Davis from the Academy performing the twelfth man duties.

New Zealand coach Denis Aberhart Monday ducked the controversy surrounding paceman Shoaib Akhtar who Saturday earned the questionable record of bowling the fastest delivery ever.”(Shoaib) Akhtar bowled well and quick. His action has been cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Besides, it is in the hands of the umpires and the match referee if they call him on that. But I don’t have any comments on his bowling action,” Aberhart told reporters at Gaddafi Stadium.Shoaib reportedly clocked 161kph in Pakistan’s 66-run victory over New Zealand the third One-day International. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) authenticated his speed and said the 26-year-old had broken Australian Jeff Thomson’s 160.5kph recorded in 1975. But the ICC Monday said the record was unofficial.Shoaib has been reported thrice for a suspect bowling action since December 1999. He was also reported after the fifth and final One-day International against New Zealand last year before he was again called during last October’s Sharjah Cup.”I don’t think they can clear a bowler once and for all. Obviously, there were no-balls and you just leave that to the umpires,” Aberhart said of the pacer who also recorded his one-day best figures of six of 16 in the first One-day International at Karachi last Sunday.Pakistan coach Mudassar Nazar said he had no doubt whatsoever about Shoaib’s bowling action. “As far as we are concerned, he has been cleared by the ICC and that’s it,” Mudassar said.”He has now bowled before some of the umpires now in elite panel and match referees. And no one has raised any concerns on his action. For us, his bowling action is a closed chapter,” added Pakistan coach.

Log-leaders Western Province turned in one of their more average performances of the first-class season as they were dismissed for 265 on day one of this SuperSport Series Super Eight match against Free State at Newlands on Thursday. By stumps, Free State had moved to 55-1.On a wicket which was certainly slower than those seen in the shadow of Table Mountain this season, every Province top order batsman bar Lloyd Ferreira made a start, without converting it into a big score.No one could make it past 50, as Free State maintained a disciplined line, with Dewald Pretorius (4-78) and Johan van der Wath (3-46) particularly impressive.Not for the first time this season, young Province left-handed opener Graeme Smith looked a real talent as he moved effortlessly to 41 before being the victim of a questionable leg-before decision, the delivery from Kosie Venter appearing to have turned enough to miss the off stump.Turn on day one should perhaps come as no surprise, as Province are fielding two specialist spinners, and although Neil Johnson would later open the attack with his seamers, his ability to bowl off-spin as well will give Province captain HD Ackerman an extra option. Batting last on this pitch will be no picnic.Johnson himself again looked in magnificent nick, his breezy 38 ended by a mis-timed pull stright to midwicket. Before him Ashwell Prince had flashed at a wide one to be caught at first slip for 42 and later Renier Munnik (45) and Thami Tsolekile (31) both looking good without capitalising fully.There was just the one mishap for Free State as they began their reply, Gerhardus Liebenberg caught at first slip driving at left-arm spinner ClaudeHenderson. A sign of things to come? We shall see.

Three days into a pivotal second Test match and South Africa appear to have rediscovered the fighting spirit so sadly absent from their cricket for much of this summer. With the match teasingly poised, the home team are 307 for four in their second innings, ahead by 163 and with the possibility looming that Australia, for once, might have a serious target to chase in the fourth innings.If the second day of the Newlands Test produced wonderful cricket, so too did the third day at Newlands, although the tempo and mood of the match were different. It was never a grind as South Africa chipped away at a 143-run deficit, but neither was it carefree as the home side built one partnership after another to keep Australia, and Shane Warne in particular, at bay.Warne started the day from the Kelvin Grove end and finished it after getting through 42 overs. He took three for 100, probing and teasing the South Africans, but never quite managing the domination required by Australia.There were runs pretty much all the way down the order for South Africa. Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten put on 84 for the first wicket before Warne had Gibbs taken at silly point for 39 to give Australia another sight at new cap Graeme Smith, but if the visitors had been thinking of a soft touch, Smith was determined to prove them wrong."I wasn’t very happy with the way I got out (for 3) in the first innings," said Smith on Sunday evening. "It was about getting over my initial nervousness and being out in the field on Saturday helped."Smith and Kirsten dug in either side of lunch to put on 99 for the second wicket before Kirsten arrived at 87, the Australian Devil’s Number. And it worked for Australia. Brett Lee crashed one in to Kirsten’s box, doubling up the batsman and, it was later revealed, shattering the protector before pushing Kirsten onto the back foot to trap him lbw at 183 for two.Smith believes that the influx of new blood in the South African team has helped soothe some of the bruises suffered by those who toured Australia and were whipped at the Wanderers. Certainly Jacques Kallis looked to be renewed as he started his innings with a flurry of boundaries as the third wicket produced 71 for South Africa.For once Steve Waugh had to start looking around for additional bowlers and he employed his brother, Damien Martyn and himself in brief spells, but it was Warne who broke through, albeit with some generosity from umpire Steve Bucknor.Warne turned one into the left-hander, the ball squeezed between bat and pad and Bucknor gave Smith out caught at the wicket for 68 and although it was impossible to tell from later television replays whether the ball had touched anything important on its way through.Even so, South Africa were better placed at 254 for three that even the loss of Kallis for an unusually uninhibited 73 from Kallis at 284 for four was not a critical blow for South Africa. There were occasional moments of anxiety as Neil McKenzie and Ashwell Prince took South Africa to stumps (especially during a searching last over from Jason Gillespie to Prince), but no further successes for Australia.According to Smith South Africa have set their sights on a target of at least 400 in this innings. This would ask Australia to score upwards of 250 on a pitch that has played beautifully, but has taken turn and now hints at uneven bounce. If the South Africans can realise, or even better this ambition, Australia could find themselves chasing an awkward target.A South African victory here would level the series and a draw in Durban would relieve Australia of their world champion status. It is, of course, a completely absurd system, but whom would the South Africans be to argue with ICC rules.

Lance Gibbs may now reside in Miami, but he cannot stay away from his own country, especially when there is cricket to watch. He appears in the prime of health – tall and erect, with a dignified bearing. Aside from being the first spinner to take more than 300 Test wickets, he is also an excellent raconteur.”Many spinners have gone past me in terms of wickets taken now, but I’m happy,” says Gibbs graciously. “Nowadays they are playing more matches; we could not play against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe or South Africa, and only few Tests against New Zealand.”Our generation didn’t play for records,” says Gibbs. He proceeds to add, mischieviously, “But you should give credit to this old man for crossing the barrier of 300 Test wickets first as a spinner.”The West Indies have lacked good spinners after Sonny Ramadhin, Alf Valentine and Gibbs. Why are youngsters not interested in taking up spin? Gibbs thinks it is a lack of readiness to work hard.”Spinners should have the mentality of toiling more than any other cricketer in the nets,” opines Gibbs. “The new genration of spinners in our country are not doing that. I can tell you that I used to come to the ground first and always left it last. For a spinner, accuracy is the main thing, and for that they have to devote more time in the nets. Even when my fingers were bleeding, I didn’t leave the nets. And that is why, even after retiring from the game almost 30 years ago, you are still coming to interview me, isn’t it?”Muttiah Muralitharan, the stellar off-spinner of this generation, has his eyes on 600 wickets. Gibbs considers him a very good bowler, but he was not ready to say anything about his action. “That is for the umpires to decide,” he says, unwilling to invite controversy.When asked about the batsman who had given him the most problems, he is quick to reply. “Ian Chappell – it was really difficult to bowl against him, and I couldn’t keep any close-in fielders for him,” says Gibbs. “Neil Harvey, Ian Johnson and Colin Cowdrey also played spin with authority. My list of favourite batsmen also have Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd. Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara are there too. Every one of them is a very good player of spin.”However, he is not happy at the way Anil Kumble has bowled in this series. “Why does he keep the balls outside the leg-stump, especially when it was not turning so much?,” asks Gibbs. “To me, Sarandeep looks to be an average bowler.”

If anybody understands twenty-over cricket, it’s Albie Morkel. The allrounder has played more matches in the shortest format than anyone else with a tally of 200, 11 more than his nearest rival David Hussey. With that has come an intimate knowledge of the strategies and tactics employed to be successful in this form of the game.Crucially, Morkel has learnt that the little things really do matter. “If you think about the game against Sri Lanka JP Duminy scored 12 off 5 balls. In the context of the game, that made a major impact,” Morkel explained.Duminy’s last over blitz took South Africa to 78 for 4 in a match reduced to seven overs, which Sri Lanka never looked likely to reach. Morkel said it’s performances such as that which add to a player’s value. “In the beginning of my career, I felt like a failure when I’d get 8 off 3 but once you understand the game better you know that stuff like that contributes to the game.”Morkel’s role as an impact player was established at Chennai Super Kings, where he was important enough to be retained instead of being put in the auction. There, he gained a reputation for being a big-hitter at the end of an innings and one of the leading bowlers but he was not always equally indispensable to his national team. Morkel was left out of the 2011 World Cup squad and operated as a fringe player but has found a secure place for himself in the Gary Kirsten era.He appears regularly in limited-overs side and has a more defined function, in keeping with the new structure Kirsten has brought in. “For the first time in a long time, we’ve got a settled T20 squad where guys have certain roles,” Morkel said. “My role is definitely to give the team a kick in the batting department when we need it. And with bowling – I am not trying to hide from the big guns. I try to take them on with the ball. That gives me as a person more to concentrate on.”Morkel, like Robin Peterson, has blossomed because he has had confidence shown in him. Instead of bowling only occasionally, he is guaranteed a couple of overs and is not expected to be the only batsmen who can win games. Morkel said knowing the big moments don’t only rest on his shoulders has helped take the pressure off him and has helped the South Africa team as a whole.”You need a good team around you,” he said. “Successful teams have 11 players who can make an impact and on the day you need three or four guys to make that impact. The impact you make can be in two or three balls, it doesn’t have to be in 30 or 40 balls like in fifty-over cricket. As long as you have that mindset, it doesn’t matter where you make the impact.”As monsoon rains have poured themselves onto the tournament, matches have been shortened to the extent that sometimes two or three balls have decided the game. With more wet weather expected, Morkel said all teams will have to rework their gameplans for even fewer overs. “The key thing is that it doesn’t become a slog fest,” he said. “Guys still need to take singles and look after the new ball.”Along with the possibility of shorter matches, Morkel thinks South Africa’s grouping in the Super-Eights and conditions in Colombo will also prove challenging for the team. South Africa will play Pakistan, India and Australia in their bid to reach the semi-finals. “They have all played some great cricket so it will be a tough group to qualify in,” he said. “It looks like the wicket is a bit slower and will take a bit of turn. It was almost home conditions in Hambantota so we will have to adapt.”

Though they lost a few wickets at the fag end of the first day’s play,Central Zone ended at 284 for 5 in their CK Nayudu Trophy semifinalencounter against North Zone at the Engineering School ground inCuttack on Wednesday.Put into bat, Central Zone were pegged on the back foot early on withopener Surender Singh (13) retiring hurt after facing just 19 balls.Then Anshul Kapoor (10) joined him soon in the pavilion. In the 13thover of the innings, Anshul was caught by Paras Dogra off JoginderSingh. Sachin Dholpure joined the other opener Amit Deshpande (40) andtook the score to 83. Amit Deshpande was the next to depart stumped byM Vishal off J Sachdeva.Raja Ali now came to the crease and with Sachin forged a 114 run standfor the fourth wicket. But in the last session of play, Sachin (71)departed caught by Sumit Sharma off Sandeep Sanwal off the last ballof the 62nd over. Three balls later new batsman Manoj Sriwastava (0)was bowled by Joginder Singh. Joginder came back in his next over todismiss Vashal Shitoot (0). Though being caught in a spot of bother,Raja Ali (85 not out) and Afroj Khan (32 not out) forged a unbeaten 80run partnership for the sixth wicket taking the team to stumps without further hiccups.