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The Adelaide Turf Cricket Association (ATCA) has been rescued by its member Clubs and players and the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA).The rescue package, which was overwhelmingly supported last night at a general meeting for the Association’s members, included a $10 per player rescue levy, payable at the beginning of the coming season.The meeting saw representation from 44 out of their 45 member clubs, including life members, umpires and players.The package also included a $52,000 interest-free, 5-year loan, negotiated with the SACA, which has enabled the Association to clear itself of its immediate creditors and remain solvent.General manager of the Adelaide Turf Cricket Association, Andrew Ramsay, who commenced in the role at the beginning of August, was encouraged by the support shown by all member clubs."It was fantastic to see such a healthy turn out last night. Everyone at the Association is thrilled with the support from of our member clubs and players during such a difficult time.""The proposed rescue levy was strongly embraced, with clubs simply wanting to see the Association get on with administering the game of cricket for our 4,000 players."The rescue levy will be officially tabled at the Association’s annual general meeting of September 22, and is anticipated to be positively endorsed.The Association also plans a number of fundraising and other activities to secure its financial future.

The Pakistan cricket selectors retained controversial fastbowler Shoaib Akhtar and recalled forgotten man Shadab Kabirin the 16-man squad for Bangladesh tour starting Jan 2.Shoaib has been named after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)rejected International Cricket Council’s offer to utilizethe services of West Indian Michael Holding.Shoaib, currently in Stage 2 after being reported twice thisyear, will be banned for a year if he gets on the wrong sideof the umpires and match referee again in Bangladesh.Shoaib is presently playing club cricket in Australia andhas been given a clean sheet by Western Australia Universitywhich also cleared Sri Lankan spinner Muthiah Muralitharan.The PCB has urged the ICC to consider Shoaib as a specialcase and constitute a medical board to examine the findingsof the Perth institution.The squad includes no surprises and all the players, more orless, select themselves.Shadab has earned the selectors nod after averaging 48.57 inthe Patron’s Trophy. He edges out fellow left-hander ImranFarhat who accumulated 733 runs and averaged 56.38.Shadab last played for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in 1996-97after making his debut on the 1996 tour to England withWasim Akram’s squad.Taufiq Umer, who slammed a century on debut againstBangladesh at Multan, was included in the side after hepassed a fitness test for a suspected injured knee.The selectors also decided to make three changes for theone-day squad.Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and Azhar Mahmood will bolsterthe team for the shorter version. They will replace FaisalIqbal, Danish Kaneria and Mohammad Sami although Faisal mayfind himself a bit unlucky to be branded only a Test player.Faisal is an excellent fielder besides being an improvizer.He could have made a one-day player. With Saeed Anwar,Shadab and Taufiq picked as openers and Naved Latif alsoscoring a century at the top of the order, either of thefour could have been dropped to accommodate Faisal.On the domestic front, wrist spinner Mushtaq Ahmad (39wickets) and paceman Waqar Ahmad (51 wickets) and Abdur Rauf(50 wickets) might consider themselves unlucky not to earnplaces. But fact of the matter is that they are tied withDanish Kaneria and a battery of experienced fast bowlers.Danish captured 12 wickets against Bangladesh at Multanwhereas Wasim has 414 Test wickets, Waqar Younis is thecaptain and Sami and Shoaib are promising future quickies.Squad: Saeed Anwar, Taufiq Umar, Faisal Iqbal,Inzamamul Haq (vice-captain), Yousuf Youhana, Naved Latif,Younis Khan, Rashid Latif, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria,Waqar Younis (captain), Wasim Akram, Mohammad Sami, AbdurRazzaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Shadab Kabir.Manager: Yawar Saeed.Coach: Mudassar Nazar.

The Sri Lankans maintained their winning streak, when they brushedaside the fragile challenge from Nepal at Moratuwa on Thursday.Nepal won the toss and elected to bat first against a strong SriLankan bowling attack – a decision they were soon to regret. Shah andChaudhary made 20 runs each, but no one else made a sizablecontribution. Akhtar with 12 was the only other person to reach doubledigits. Not surprisingly, extras top scored with 21. Even lesssurprisingly, Nepal was bowled out for a paltry 89 in 34.2 overs.The Lankans have a good all round side, stacked with all rounders andutility cricketers. They lost just one wicket in knocking off therequired runs with over 30 overs to spare. Daniels with 44 not out wasonce again the batting star for Sri Lanka. Mubarak helped himself to31 runs and the game was easily won.Sri Lanka now march ahead without losing a single game in thetournament upto this point. If they keep up this form, they lookstrong contenders for the title.

Newcastle United’s fantastic run of form in the Premier League came to an end as they lost 1-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Eddie Howe’s side went into the match off the back of a nine-game unbeaten run in the division but they were unable to make it to double figures.

The Magpies battled hard throughout the match and had a strong shout for a penalty turned down as Jacob Murphy appeared to be pulled down by Trevor Chalobah in the box.

It was not given and then Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game, for Chelsea, as he ran off the back of Dan Burn before brilliantly bringing the ball down and poking it past Martin Dubravka.

Forget Burn

Whilst Burn may have been at fault for not tracking the German international for the winning goal, another player let the side down badly – Sean Longstaff.

Howe was almost forced to select the academy product with Jonjo Shelvey, Joe Willock and Joelinton all missing from the matchday squad.

He was handed a golden ticket to show that he deserves more game time, with an unprecedented set of absentees in his position, and – instead – showed why he has been on the periphery of the squad of late.

On and off the ball, he was caught lacking of what was required throughout the 90 minutes and Howe will surely be hoping that his other midfield options are back sooner rather than later.

Out of possession, he was weak. As per SofaScore, he lost 100% of his aerial battles and 50% of his duels overall, whilst failing to make a single clearance, block or interception. He also made one tackle and was dribbled past twice, which shows that Chelsea’s players were able to get the better of him more often than he was able to get the better of them.

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On the ball, he did very little. Via SofaScore, he gave the ball away every 3.2 touches as he lost possession ten times from 32 touches – completing 67% of his attempted passes. 25% of his long pass attempts were successful and he failed to create a single chance or manage a shot on target.

This shows that he did not offer any quality at either end of the pitch. Therefore, the dud did not grasp his unexpected, golden, chance to prove to Howe that he should be playing in the team ahead of those who missed out at Stamford Bridge.

AND in other news, Newcastle must swoop for £52k-p/w colossus in the summer, he’ll be an upgrade on Burn…

Andre Adams says he is unwilling to play ODIs for New Zealand under their current administration © Getty Images

Andre Adams has revealed his significant frustration with New Zealand’s selectors, which led him to make himself unavailable for the ODI series in South Africa. Adams has also hinted that he might not be willing to play Test cricket if selected, which would effectively mean retirement from international cricket.Adams, 32, is the form bowler from the first two rounds of the State Championship with 13 wickets at 8.76. He said he had turned down queries from Richard Hadlee, New Zealand’s selection manager, as to whether he was available for the South Africa trip.”I’m pretty disappointed with the treatment I’ve received over the past year, especially not being picked for the World Cup,” Adams told the . “When I was also left out of the Twenty20 world champs, I thought ‘well, if I can’t get in ahead of Bradley Scott I must be a fair bit off the pace’.”I’ve watched some players who were picked ahead of me have a pretty average time of it, and they just kept playing. I’ve sat on the bench and watched, and I’ve had enough – simple as that.”Adams conceded he did not have a great relationship with the New Zealand coach John Bracewell and he suggested the national squad, which has struggled in South Africa, might not be a pleasant environment. “Are they a happy team?” Adams said of the players in South Africa. “That’s a tough question and one that I’ve got some pretty strong views on but I’m not prepared to speak about it publicly at the moment.”Although he has played 42 ODIs, Adams has not represented New Zealand since the home series against Sri Lanka in January. He said he was not willing to play any more one-day internationals under the current administration.After New Zealand finish their disappointing South Africa tour they will visit Australia for the three-match Chappell-Hadlee series. Although they won the last Chappell-Hadlee installment in February it was a rare highlight for New Zealand in recent years.Steve Rixon, their former coach, said the side had not made enough progress under Bracewell. “Braces has been in the job for four years and I haven’t seen too much improvement in the team, which disappoints me,” Rixon told the .New Zealand start their tour of Australia with a Twenty20 international in Perth on December 11. Three ODIs follow in Adelaide, Sydney and Hobart.

Magic moment: Damien Martyn during his crucial 104 at Chennai in 2004 © Getty Images

110 v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Galle, March 2004
In danger of losing his Test spot on a surface as unfamiliar as a snow field, Martyn calmly resists the pressure of Muttiah Muralitharan as he scores his first century in two years. “Emerging from a bad patch,” reported, “Martyn reasserted his right to bat at second wicket down with a methodical display.” The ball was spinning wickedly, it was so hot and humid that umbrellas and seats accompanied the drinks, and Australia began their second innings 161 behind. Martyn turned up with Australia 14 ahead and stayed for almost five-and-a-half hours, sharing a 70-run stand with Matthew Hayden before the crucial partnership of 206 with Darren Lehmann decided the result.104 v India, 2nd Test, Chennai, October 2004
India prepare to level the series 1-1 when Martyn and Jason Gillespie unite at 145 for 4 with a lead of four late on the third day. Playing as far back as possible and waiting for bowling lapses to pull or sweep, Martyn performs as comfortably as any Westerner could hope to in sauna-like conditions, and regained control with Gillespie, the nightwatchman, in a 139-run collection that pushed Australia ahead. Reprieved by a dropped caught-behind on zero, Martyn’s punishment lasted 210 balls and he was so confident that he allowed himself the rare extravagance of a six off Anil Kumble to bring up his century. Not even the fifth-day rain could dampen Martyn’s performance.114 & 97 v India, 3rd Test, Nagpur, October 2004
He misses the chance to be the first Australian since Don Bradman to score three centuries in consecutive innings, but seals the Man-of-the-Series award with a brilliant double. calls Act 1 “a handsome century” while he was “elegant” in the second. On a greener wicket, he showed he could re-adapt and cut and drove with aesthetic ease in a 165-ball innings of 16 fours. Knowing runs from the tail were used up in the previous Test, he made sure of another impressive contribution alongside Lehmann and Michael Clarke, before the second-innings near-miss batted India out of the game and the series.

Comeback king: Damien Martyn flies in Johannesburg © Getty Images

165 v New Zealand, 2nd Test, March 2005, Wellington
A most un-Martyn-like start in damp conditions suited to seam as he swings, misses and French cuts twice in the early stages. However, the tea break brings a dramatic transformation on the way to a career-high score. Breezing 82 in the final session, Martyn reached his fifth century away from Australia in 13 months as his second fifty came in 68 balls. Drives, pulls, flicks and glances decorated the innings and he woke up in the same mood the following day. If Gilchrist had not smashed 162 from 146 balls it would have been a high-profile treasure.101 v South Africa, 3rd Test, March/April 2006, Johannesburg
Six innings into his recall Martyn hadn’t justified his spot, but when Australia need him most he steps in with his cape. Australia were cruising towards their target of 292 when they lost 4 for 39, but Martyn was the glue. He set up the side with an impressive 101 from 208 balls before Michael Kasprowicz and Brett Lee sealed the victory for a 3-0 result. Under extreme pressure Martyn rewarded the selectors for relying on his experience. It was his 13th and final Test century.

Kenya are hoping to be able to appoint a new coach within the next six to eight weeks, according to Samir Inamdar, the Kenya Cricket Association chairman.Kenya have been without a full-time coach since Andy Moles quit in February, but Inamdar revealed that they had received 28 applications from across the globe. He said the KCA had set up a committee which will shortlist six applicants.”The interview will be conducted by me, or in my absence the vice-chairman, Shamji Patel, together with Nasoor Verjee, David Waters, Sukhbans Singh, Tom Tikolo and the ICC high performance manager, Richard Done,” Inamdar told the Nation newspaper. “After the interview the names will be whittled down further to possibly two for face-to-face interviews possibly before the end of the year.”Mudassar Nazar, the former cricket academy manager who has been coaching the national team on an interim basis, is one of the applicants. Others are thought to include at least one former coach of a major national side.The hiring of a national coach is expected to result in the formation of a Kenya A and Under-19 squads to act as feeders to the national team.

The Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association, the leading league in the country, has announced that it will be hosting a Twenty20 tournament this weekend. Nairobi Jaffreys won the event in 2004. The Coast Cricket Association, the other major league based around Mombasa, is also expected to hold a similar event.

Kanbis A retained their NPCA Super League title, while Kanbis B retained the Division One crown.

Scorecard

Karen Rolton: in form© Getty Images

Karen Rolton was Australia’s star for the second match in a row as they beat the Indian women by three wickets in Mysore to go 2-0 up in the seven-match series. Rolton bowled nine economical overs, conceding only 26 runs as India made 171 for 7 from 50 overs. Then, coming in to bat at the fall of the first wicket, she anchored the run-chase with an unbeaten 62 from 93 balls, as Australia won with four balls to spare.As in the first game, the most productive partnership for Australia came when Rolton and Lisa Sthalekar got together. They added 61 for the third wicket before Sthalekar (30) was run out – one of four Australians to be dismissed in that fashion. Three more wickets went down in quick succession as they slumped to 147 for 6, but Rolton guided the team through.Earlier, Anju Jain and Anjum Chopra were the main contributors for India. Jaya Sharma was dismissed for a fifth-ball duck, but Jain (51) and Chopra (43) then added 101 for the second wicket. The platform had been built, but the Indians failed to accelerate, adding only 33 runs in the last 11 overs to end with a below-par total. The Australians had a few hiccups, but held their nerve to seal the win.The third match will be held in Mumbai on December 16.

Sunil Gavaskar’s speech at the Colin Cowdrey memorial lecture raised the issue of sledging in international cricket, but Sourav Ganguly has played down its importance, calling it a “part of modern-day cricket”. In an interview with ESPN-Star Sports, Ganguly said: “I don’t totally disagree with Gavaskar, these things happen. There are a bit of words exchanged on the field these days. It happens with every team. But the players have learnt to live with it. It is a minor issue which should not be blown out of proportion.”Ganguly said that he wasn’t worried by the Australian team’s reputation for sledging, but admitted that the tour to Australia presented a huge challenge to his team. “We know what the conditions will be in Australia, we know what to expect. It is going to be a tough tour. We have to be honest and work really hard and raise our game if we have to compete with them.”India are scheduled to play four Tests in Australia later this season, their first tour to that country since being blanked 0-3 in a Test series in 1999-2000, but Ganguly indicated that he would try to gain some psychological points over Australia when they visit India for a one-day triangular tournament in October. “Obviously, Australia are a great side, but they have not won against us at home.”

It has been a year now since John Wright took over as the Indiancricket coach, and this is as good a time as any to look back on whathas been an eventful year for Indian cricket. It would be worthwhileto examine Wright’s personal contribution to a rather dramatic phasein which the Indian team has had its fair share of ups and downs.It must be recalled that Wright took over the position at a verycritical juncture. Kapil Dev, his predecessor, resigned midway throughhis two-year term after playing a cat-and-mouse game with the Board ofControl for Cricket in India in the wake of the match-fixingallegations hurled at him. Secondly, it was not smooth sailing even asWright was appointed. No one doubted his credentials as a player,captain and coach, but criticism centered around whether a foreigncoach was the panacea to the ills plaguing the Indian team. Many feltthat there were enough former Indian players with the necessaryqualifications. Thirdly, Wright himself had to fend off thecandidatures of Greg Chappell and Geoff Marsh to get the job. But hedid have the backing of former Australian captain Bobby Simpson, whohad served in the capacity of advisor for some time, and Rahul Dravid,who already seen at close quarters Wright’s style of functioning whilefulfilling his contract with Kent last summer.

Wright’s professionalism was seen immediately in the use of thelatest computer technology to formulate crucial strategies. This wasan aspect that no Indian coach had covered. On landing in India, hewent straight to Bangalore to purchase the right software.

The victorious series against Zimbabwe last November was the firstwith Wright in charge. There was certainly no overnight transformationin Indian cricket, but, over the past year, there is little doubt thatthere has been a certain professionalism in the approach. Greateremphasis has been laid on matters of fielding and physical fitness,and, while he has also touched upon some of the basics, aspects likerunning between the wickets remain a problem. But he has definitelybeen responsible for making the players mentally tougher, not sparinganyone, and his frank appraisals have gone down well. His honesty ispatent, and his observations are analytical and to the point.At the time he took over, Wright said “discipline and team effort”were the two aspects on which he would concentrate. In an interview,he said, “I believe in discipline and team effort. Individualachievements are not all that important. I want all the 11 players inthe team to function as a unit.” It was just as well, for a commoncomplaint was that the Indians looked strong as individuals but weakas a team. He also made it clear that his main target was the WorldCup in South Africa. “I will be building up the team keeping in mindthe 2003 World Cup. I firmly believe that India has the talent tomatch any other side in international cricket,” he said.There was another positive aspect to Wright’s appointment. Boardcircles felt that he would not be biased towards any of the factionsthat normally exist in the Indian set-up. From this viewpoint, it hasbeen a healthy sign since the players have been encouraged to performbetter and not expect any favouritism whatsoever from the coach. Butthen, in all his roles, Wright has been a quiet achiever. Never onefor the grandiose stance or plans, his motto has been simple andstraightforward – knuckle down and do your job well.Wright’s professionalism was seen immediately in the use of the latestcomputer technology to formulate crucial strategies. This was anaspect that no Indian coach had covered. On landing in India, he wentstraight to Bangalore to purchase the right software. He also insistedthat instilling the pride of playing for the country would be thetopmost priority, a happy theory, for what is a coach if not amotivator?By having the knack of saying the right thing at the right time, therewere indications that he was the right man for Indian cricket. Overthe past year, he has developed a close rapport with the captain, theplayers and the physio. And, even if the results have not exactly beenspectacular, they have not been poor either. Far from it, in fact. Anybalance sheet that displays arguably the greatest series triumph athome has to have a healthy, if not opulent, overall look.Indian cricket followers have always been impatient. Expecting fastresults, we are too quick to hire and fire, when what is really neededis understanding, patience and perseverance. There are certaininherent weaknesses in Indian cricket that Wright is working on. Thesewill not go away overnight. He himself made it clear at the beginningof his tenure that he was building a team for the 2003 World Cup. Letus give him time till then.