Malinga sets record as Perth hit all time low

Updated December 13, 2012 06:58:08

Lasith Malinga took 6 for 7, the best ever figures in domestic Twenty20, as the Melbourne Stars dismissed the Perth Scorchers for 69 - the lowest ever Big Bash score - en route to a 10-wicket win.

Amid farcical scenes, the Stars returned to the field on 0 for 29 from two overs after a rain delay and were required to face one ball before being awarded the game via the Duckworth/Lewis method.

Most onlookers believed five overs had to be played to bring about a result, but the umpires ruled that as the Stars had already exceeded the necessary target needed at that point in the game (6), they were awarded the match.

Scorchers captain Simon Katich did not like the finish to the game at all with the sides coming back out for one ball after over an hour of constant rain.

But he admitted to not deserving to get a point anyway thanks to Malinga's spell.

"He bowled beautifully," Katich said.

"He bowled yorkers that were on the money from the word go, swung the ball and then he had good variations with his slower ball and the odd bumper.

"Unfortunately we just couldn't counter it and he won them the game singlehandedly.

"It was farcical, but they deserved to win and we don't hide away from that. It probably should have been (called off), but that's the way it goes.

"It's never going to be fair because they did deserve to win the game, but at the same time the conditions still have to be playable for both teams and we had a lot of rain in that hour."

Malinga's new-ball partner James Faulkner began the carnage in the Perth innings dismissing Herschelle Gibbs (0) and added the wicket of Katich (0) after Malinga had bowled Marcus North (1) in his first over.

The Sri Lankan slinger took the wicket of Marcus Stoinis (9) in the following over to leave the Scorchers decimated at 4 for 16.

Malinga himself was pleased with the way the Stars bounced back from last Friday's loss to the Renegades.

"Everyone was waiting for the win after we lost the first game," he said.

"We know we have a good side and we have a long way to go in the tournament still, but this win is very important to us.

"Last week was a tough and tight game, but after that everyone did well in this match and we now will try and take that into the future matches."

Adam Voges and rookie Hilton Cartwright steadied the shop until the end of the powerplay but Stars skipper Shane Warne forced a breakthrough in his second over trapping the former leg before.

Malinga then returned to the attack had top-scorer Cartwright (17) caught at midwicket, trapped the next two leg before, before bowling Joe Mennie (2) to take his haul to six.

Luke Wright then took the final wicket of Michael Beer to leave Perth with the unwanted record of the lowest ever total in Australian Twenty20 competition - beating New South Wales' total of 71 against Western Australia, also at the WACA Ground - in 2010.

The only cricketer to record better bowling figures than Malinga is Malaysian part-time spinner Arul Suppiah who took 6 for 5 for Somerset against Glamorgan in 2011.

The Stars in response reached their target in two overs, with Luke Wright hitting 23 off 11 balls, before rain forced the players off.

Rob Quiney (1) faced the lone ball after the resumption, a swinging ball down the leg side from Cartwright.

AAP

Tags: sport, cricket, twenty20, perth-6000, melbourne-3000

First posted December 12, 2012 21:31:53

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Hughes stars for Strikers in Perth

Updated December 11, 2012 08:58:14

Phil Hughes was the star as Adelaide Strikers opened their Big Bash account with a solid six-wicket win over the Perth Scorchers at the WACA with four balls remaining.

The Scorchers won the toss and chose to bat, and a target of 170-plus was clearly the goal for Adam Voges and his men.

Some tight bowling and excellent fielding by the Strikers restricted Perth at key moments.

Shaun Marsh opened strongly for the Scorchers, hitting three fours and three sixes in his 57 off 45 balls, while Adam Voges held the innings together with 58 off 41 deliveries, and a cameo innings of 14 off five balls by Nathan Coulter-Nile helped Perth to 6 for 162 off their 20 overs.

For Adelaide, Gary Putland took 2 for 39, while Nathan Lyon, Saeed Ajmal and Johan Botha chipped in with a wicket each.

Adelaide started slowly, with just 24 runs off their first four overs, then Michael Klinger began to hit out before falling for 19 in the sixth over off Joe Mennie.

Hughes then took charge, flaying the bowling with nine fours and one six in a stellar knock of 74 off 48 balls - which took the game away from the home side - before he was out to Brad Hogg in the 15th over, leaving the Strikers at 3 for 111, still needing 52 runs to win.

Big-hitting Nathan Reardon then took over, with a powerful knock of 42 off 26 balls.

The critical moment was Reardon and Theo Doropoulos (12 off 11 balls) taking 19 runs off Ben Edmondson (1 for 35) in the 18th over.

Adelaide ticked off the total with a boundary from Doropoulos, with Hughes named man of the match.

Tags: sport, cricket, twenty20, perth-6000, wa, adelaide-5000, sa, australia

First posted December 10, 2012 01:19:04

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Aussies go in for the kill in Perth

By Joel Zander

Updated January 14, 2012 22:40:13

Australia was on the verge of consecutive innings victories after another lamentable batting display left India deep in the mire heading into day three of the third Test in Perth.

The tourists limped to 4 for 88 at stumps, still 120 runs from making Australia bat again with Rahul Dravid (32 not out) and Virat Kohli (21 not out) at the crease.

Australia had a 214-run opening stand between David Warner (180) and Ed Cowan (74) to thank for its first innings total of 369 as the middle order collapsed.

But as has been the case this series, India failed to capitalise with Gautam Gambhir (14), Virender Sehwag (10), Sachin Tendulkar (8) and VVS Laxman (0) all perishing cheaply.

Rookie Mitchell Starc stepped up to the plate in his third Test with 2 for 14, including the key scalp of Tendulkar who was livid to be given out lbw when he thought it was going down leg side.

Starc, who had just a New South Wales second XI match and some hit and giggle on his WACA resume heading into this clash, said the wicket was now providing plenty of assistance for the pacemen.

"Day one there was a bit of signs of cracking, obviously a lot of grass on there and a bit of assistance with the extra bounce there for us," he told Grandstand.

"Now there are a lot more cracks and they're getting wider.

"I think both sides have found a few cracks in the last two innings, hopefully we can use them to our advantage tomorrow morning especially and get a few more wickets early and get stuck into the tail."

Laxman's horror tour was extended by the born-again Ben Hilfenhaus (1 for 25), who had the Indian veteran snicking to Shaun Marsh at third slip.

Peter Siddle (1 for 21) was the other wicket-taker, brilliantly bringing about the downfall of Sehwag who was never allowed to get away by a relentless Australian pace barrage.

Warner earlier continued his pyrotechnics from day one, albeit it at a slightly reduced rate.

He was put down by Kohli at slip on 126 and went on to fall 20 runs short of a double-ton which was there for the taking.

Warner faced only 159 deliveries and hit 20 fours and five towering sixes, including the one which brought up his second century in five Tests yesterday.

Opening partner Cowan was the perfect foil with a well-paced 74 from 120 balls, although he was bitterly disappointed not to go on and get to triple figures for the first time in his short Test career.

From there it fell away markedly for Australia with only Peter Siddle's 30 off 31 balls standing out on a poor middle-lower order batting effort.

Umesh Yadav did the bulk of the damage, picking up his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket to finish with 5 for 93.

Zaheer Khan took 2 for 91 while debutant Vinay Kumar had 1 for 73 and Ishant Sharma 1 for 89.

Starc said he felt the wicket, India's bowling and some poor shot selection were all at play in varying degrees.

"I think the Indians bowled a bit short early and we (Warner and Cowan) took advantage of that," he said.

"They (India) fixed their lengths up a bit and obviously there was a still a little bit in the wicket which was encouraging for us coming into the third innings."

Skipper Michael Clarke failed to back up his Sydney heroics with only 18, while Mike Hussey managed 14 and Ricky Ponting 7.

Marsh's nightmare return from injury continued as he made just 11 and he now has a pathetic 14 runs from his last five innings at an average of 2.8.

He appears most likely to be axed when injured all-rounder Shane Watson is declared fit to return, with Ponting and Hussey buying more time with their SCG tons and Cowan making runs here and in Melbourne.

Brad Haddin's pre-match criticism of India's depth back-fired when a fired-up Khan showed him the way back to the dressingroom with a third-ball duck.

Tags: sport, cricket, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted January 14, 2012 21:24:12

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Sharma gives fans the bird in Perth

Updated January 11, 2012 07:57:04

India captain MS Dhoni's decision to give his players an extra day off training on Monday ended in more drama with pace bowler Ishant Sharma giving a one-finger salute to a fan at a Perth go-kart session.

Dhoni felt it would be good for the tourists to get away from cricket ahead of Friday's third Test in Perth, with India trailing 2-0 in the four-match series.

Sharma was greeted by a fan at the go-kart centre in the Perth suburb of Belmont as the fan asked: "Why don't you go learn how to bat and bowl before you go go-karting. It will be three-nil mate."

Sharma responded, as captured on the back page of Tuesday's edition of the The West Australian newspaper, with a one-finger salute as he turned his back to get back on the bus.

India's Virat Kohli was fined half his match fee during the second Test in Sydney last week for flipping the "bird" one-finger gesture in response to taunts from the crowd.

India batting great Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the side following the Sydney Test, saying they need to work more, not less.

Gavaskar said the tourists would be better off having a two-day warm-up game in Perth to help prepare for the fastest pitch in the country.

"The attitude has to be there. You have to go there and practise cricket," Gavaskar said.

But Dhoni said it was important to "de-stress a bit".

"There may be a few individuals who want to spend a bit more time on the field but I feel it's always important to switch off in cricket," he said.

India is due to train at the WACA ground in Perth on Tuesday ahead of Friday's third Test.

AAP

Tags: sport, cricket, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted January 10, 2012 11:16:37

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Sick Marsh good to go in Perth

Updated January 09, 2012 16:23:47

Australia batsman Shaun Marsh has been declared a certain starter for the third Test against India despite being struck down by illness.

Marsh was scheduled to front the media in Perth on Monday morning, but had to inform Cricket Australia officials he could not fulfil his duties after waking up under the weather.

But Marsh is expected to recover sufficiently to join in at training on Tuesday, with veteran batsman Mike Hussey confident his Western Australian team-mate is in no doubt for the Test.

"He'll be at training tomorrow I'm sure with the boys and preparing as well as he can," said Hussey, who filled in for Marsh at the media conference.

Marsh has struggled since returning from a back injury, posting scores of just 0, 3 and 0 over the first two Tests against India.

But Hussey backed the 28-year-old to bounce back in his first Test at his home ground in Perth.

"The WACA crowd always give the local guys a huge welcome and a louder roar than any other player, so he's got plenty of motivation to play exceptionally well in this Test," Hussey said.

"It's always tough when you have been out of the game for over a month to be able to come straight back into Test match cricket and perform straight away.

"It does take a bit of time.

"But he has been working very hard and he's been hitting the ball very well in the nets.

"So it's just a case of him being able to get through that first half an hour of his innings and then if he gets a start, I'm sure he'll want to turn it into a big hundred."

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, australia

First posted January 09, 2012 16:23:47

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Gibbs and Hogg help Perth down Strikers

Updated January 09, 2012 06:03:48

Herschelle Gibbs continued his blistering form with the bat and Brad Hogg starred with the ball as the Perth Scorchers notched a 42-run victory over Adelaide Strikers at the WACA ground on Sunday night.

Gibbs (65 off 42 balls) and Marcus North (70 off 52) combined for a 102-run opening stand to lift the Scorchers to a formidable 5 for 184.

Former Test spinner Hogg then snared 3 for 20 off four overs as Adelaide were bowled out for 142 in 19.3 overs in front of 15,953 fans.

Perth's fourth win on the trot lifted the side to equal points with ladder-leading Hobart in the Big Bash League.

The Scorchers can all but secure a home semi-final with a win over Sydney Thunder at Sydney Olympic stadium on Wednesday.

Adelaide (2-3) face a fierce battle to finish in the top four and must win its home assignment against the Sydney Sixers on Tuesday.

The Strikers were cruising at 2 for 71 after seven overs as Michael Klinger (32 off 22) and Daniel Harris (31 off 18) got the visitors off to a bright start.

But the introduction of Hogg sparked Adelaide's downfall, with the evergreen 40-year-old and Michael Beer (1 for 22 off four overs) combining for 3 for 15 over the next four overs to effectively kill the contest.

Hogg could do no wrong, even running out Cameron Borgas at the non-strikers' end after deflecting Aaron O'Brien's straight drive onto the stumps.

Earlier, Gibbs struck ten fours and two sixes to post his third half-century from his past four innings.

Gibbs, with scores of 2, 57, 38, 69 and 65 for the tournament, terrorised the Strikers' attack as North played a good wingman role.

The Strikers only had themselves to blame for the daunting total, with some terrible fielding gifting Perth easy runs.

North was on just four when paceman Alfonso Thomas dropped a tough one-handed return catch and the Scorchers skipper was given another reprieve on 20 when James Muirhead grassed a sitter in the deep.

It capped a forgettable innings for Muirhead, who claimed two wickets but gave up a whopping 37 runs off his three overs.

Spinner Aaron O'Brien (0 for 24 off four overs) was the best of Adelaide's bowlers.

AAP

Tags: sport, twenty20, cricket, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted January 09, 2012 00:33:26

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Redbacks dig deep in Perth

Updated December 07, 2011 23:10:17

Joe Mennie's seven-wicket haul and Callum Ferguson's unbeaten century on Wednesday gave South Australia some hope of avoiding Sheffield Shield outright defeat against Western Australia.

The Redbacks recovered from a disastrous start to the match to sit at 2 for 206 in their second innings at stumps on day three at the WACA Ground.

South Australia still trails the Warriors by 69 - with the home side bowled out for 368 earlier on Wednesday in reply to the Redbacks' miserable first innings total of 93 - but has a chance to deny Western Australia its outright victory, thanks in part to the rain which saw play abandoned on Tuesday.

Ferguson finished the day with 113 as he combined with Michael Klinger (80 not out) to post an unbeaten 195-run partnership to help the visitors recover from massive trouble at 2 for 11.

Ferguson said he was trying not to let his quest to get back into the Australian set-up distract him.

"I would have thought I'd need a few more runs yet to force my way in," he said.

"The innings was extremely pleasing from a personal point-of-view, but more importantly we really needed it from a team perspective."

"We had to work hard but it was a pretty good effort."

Earlier, Mennie helped to deny the Warriors a bigger first innings lead than the 275-run advantage they finished with as he took 7 for 98.

The 22-year-old, in just his third first-class game, produced the second-best bowling performance by a South Australian player in the competition at the WACA.

Mennie, who moved from New South Wales to take up a rookie contract at the start of the season, also became the fifth-youngest player to take seven wickets in a Shield innings at the ground.

Ferguson said he was delighted to see Mennie enjoy success with his seven-wicket haul.

"He works really hard and he's always grabbing the coaches for extra work ... I'd like to think he's got the potential to play for Australia," he said.

Wes Robinson (91) top-scored in the WA innings but fell just short of his third Shield ton, instead recording his fourth-straight half-century in the competition.

Craig Simmons added 60 in his first domestic match since February 2009 but the Warriors missed the chance to post an even bigger lead which looked likely when they were 1 for 197.

Western Australia began the day at 1 for 183 but the 127-run stand between Simmons and Robinson soon ended and wickets began to tumble as the batting side tried for quick runs.

Mitch Marsh (38 off 30 balls) and Adam Voges (26) were among those to make starts, but they could not stop the hosts losing their final nine wickets in just 40 overs.

SA's innings then started disastrously as Nathan Rimmington, who finished the day with 2 for 46, dismissed Daniel Harris and Tom Thornton in the first six overs.

But Ferguson's seventh Shield century, and his first since his ton against the Blues almost a year to the day, came as both batsmen made it to stumps with few problems.

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, perth-6000, wa, adelaide-5000, sa, australia

First posted December 07, 2011 21:56:41

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Warriors' charge washed out in Perth

Updated December 06, 2011 20:58:47

South Australia received a temporary reprieve to its nightmare start in its Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the WACA Ground, with the entire second day washed out.

The Redbacks trailed by 90 after a disastrous first day, but persistent thunderstorms throughout Tuesday meant play ended without a ball being bowled.

But the visitors still face a massive challenge to turn the match around on Wednesday and have any hope of earning their first outright victory of the season, with the Warriors remaining at 1 for 183 in the first innings in reply to SA's miserable first innings total of 93.

There was a brief reprieve late in the day when play was scheduled to commence at 5:00pm local time, but a heavy shower shortly before then ensured the day was abandoned.

WA coach Lachlan Stevens said his side could find it tougher at the crease due to the rain's effect on the playing conditions.

"That wicket is going to have greened up a little bit under those covers with the rain so batting won't be easy," he said.

"There's a chance it could be difficult and that's why you don't prescribe to the players about how they should play."

Stevens said it was frustrating that his side's quest for outright victory had been halted by the rain.

"We'd loved to have moved the game on and kept our momentum going," he said.

"We have lost momentum, but I don't think it will be a factor in terms of the whole game."

If the rain clears, Craig Simmons and in-form opener Wes Robinson will continue their unbeaten 113-run partnership on Wednesday.

Robinson will resume not out on 71, after reaching his sixth half-century from his last six domestic innings, while Simmons is unbeaten on 52.

The top-order pair will be looking for quick runs to put the Warriors on course for an outright victory which would consolidate their spot in the top two.

WA effectively took a stranglehold on the game after Michael Hogan ripped through the Redbacks' batting line-up with 5 for 24, the second best figures of his Shield career.

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, perth-6000, wa, adelaide-5000, sa, australia

First posted December 06, 2011 20:23:40

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Thunder sign Khawaja after Perth snub

Posted July 9, 2011 19:23:00

Sydney Thunder have confirmed the signing of Usman Khawaja, just a day after Big Bash League rivals Perth Scorchers claimed to have signed the promising Test batsman.

The Thunder announced on Saturday the 24-year-old would join the likes of David Warner and Chris Gayle in playing for the side in the upcoming revamped Twenty20 competition.

It completed a bizarre turn of events after officials from the Scorchers were forced to backflip on claiming they had signed the player on Friday.

The WACA believed it had reached an agreement with Khawaja's management on Wednesday that the 24-year-old left-hander would line up for the Scorchers in the revamped Twenty20 tournament.

However, his management communicated to the WACA that Khawaja was still considering his options and likely to join another BBL team closer to his Sydney home.

WACA cricket manager Andrew Scotford said there had been a "miscommunication" with Usman before his departure to Zimbabwe to join the Australia A tour.

But the Thunder, who will play at Sydney's Olympic stadium, wasted no time announcing they had sealed the deal on Saturday.

"I am honoured to have the chance to be playing for the Sydney Thunder this season," Khawaja said in a statement released by the club.

"I have been very impressed by the calibre of players already in the squad and we are looking forward to making our mark in the first season of the Big Bash League."

- AAP

Tags: sport, cricket, australia, nsw, sydney-2000, wa, perth-6000

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