Clarke dreams of farewell hundred for Punter

Updated November 30, 2012 10:33:19

Michael Clarke says he would love nothing more than for Ricky Ponting to score a big hundred in the Perth Test to help Australia return to the summit of world cricket, where the former captain helped it stay for so long.

Clarke got emotional when discussing Ponting's immense contribution to the Australian cricket team at the media call, but was able to put it into words when speaking to Grandstand shortly afterwards.

"He's an amazing player. He was an amazing captain, is a great friend and it's going to be tough to go into a Test match without him being there," Clarke told Grandstand.

"What a player he's been. He's been a great ambassador for the sport - not just for Australia but around the world.

"I'd love nothing more than to win this Test match, get back to being number one and for Ricky to get a big hundred. What a way for him to go out."

Australia sat atop the Test rankings from their inception in 2003 - after unofficially holding the number one crown since beating the West Indies in 1995 - until losing the Ashes series to England in 2009.

The team can return to the top for the first time since with a series-sealing victory against South Africa in Perth.

Ponting and Clarke have played together in all but five of the current skipper's 85 Tests.

Ironically, Ponting missed Clarke's first three Tests due to a broken thumb, when Adam Gilchrist led Australia to its first victory in India for 35 years.

After that, Ponting has only missed the fifth Test against England in 2011 due to a broken finger and the second Test against Sri Lanka later that year due to the birth of his second child, Matisse.

The pair have put on 2322 runs in partnership together, at an average of 68.29, including five centuries.

They currently stand as the 11th highest scoring partnership for Australia and will move into the top ten above David Boon and Allan Border if they put on 76 together at the WACA.

Perhaps most memorably the pair spent the best part of a day together in the middle last summer when Ponting returned to form with 134 and Clarke recorded his best ever score of 329 not out.

Tags: sport, cricket, wa, australia

First posted November 29, 2012 16:57:21

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Haddin hundred lifts NSW against Tigers

Updated September 26, 2012 19:22:37

Brad Haddin broke a two-year century drought in first-class cricket to spearhead a New South Wales revival on day one of the Sheffield Shield cricket match against Tasmania at Bankstown Oval on Wednesday.

The Blues were 2 for 1 and 3 for 7, but two fifty-run partnerships and a 168-run sixth-wicket stand between Haddin (114) and Moises Henriques (83 not out) lifted them to 7 for 302 by stumps.

Australian representative Haddin's last first-class century was against England in Brisbane in November 2010 in the opening Test of the Ashes series.

He struggled for form in Australia last summer and returned from the Australian Test tour of the West Indies earlier this year after his young daughter Mia fell seriously ill.

Matthew Wade took over the wicketkeeping duties in the West Indies, but Haddin showed on Wednesday he still had plenty to offer.

In front of a surprisingly big crowd of 1207 including Australian selector Rod Marsh, Haddin displayed his trademark aggression.

He played numerous attractive, well-timed shots around the ground.

Haddin struck 14 fours and two sixes before miscuing a pull shot off Jackson Bird (3-59) to Luke Butterworth at mid-wicket.

In-form Henriques followed up scores of 78 in both the one and four-day fixtures against Western Australia with another fluent innings.

Michael Clarke (37) and Steve Smith (64) started the fightback with a partnership of 57 and Smith and Haddin added 60.

Former Bankstown junior Bird triggered the Blues early batting woes.

Bird had Peter Nevill (1) lbw with his first ball and then caught Scott Henry (0) in the slips off Luke Butterworth.

He then had Nic Maddinson (0) caught in the slips by Ricky Ponting, ending a fruitless 19-ball innings for the highly touted left-hander.

Bird, last season's Sheffield Shield rookie of the year, didn't concede a run until his 21st delivery.

Butterworth, Mark Cosgrove and Adam Maher each chipped in with a wicket.

AAP

Tags: sport, cricket, bankstown-2200, nsw, hobart-7000, tas, australia

First posted September 26, 2012 19:22:37

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Relieved Strauss relishes special hundred

Updated May 19, 2012 15:35:42

England captain Andrew Strauss described a feeling of release after ending an 18-month wait for a century with a polished and unbeaten 121 in the first Test against West Indies at Lord's.

The left-handed opener hugged partner Kevin Pietersen and held his bat aloft to all corners of the ground after making his 20th Test hundred to put his side in control of the match at 3 for 259 at stumps on day two.

"Having not scored a hundred for a while there was a bit of pressure to get there," he told a news conference.

"The last 15 runs were hard work mentally.

"It was a great release to get to three figures and a very special moment, definitely one of my most special centuries."

Strauss displayed great concentration throughout his innings but also played some trademark attacking strokes, hitting 19 fours with fluent drives through the covers, fierce cuts and neat strokes off his legs.

He needed a stroke of luck on 95 when he was dropped in the slips off a Fidel Edwards no ball and his relief was evident when he cut Darren Sammy to the third man boundary to reach his century.

"It's at moments like that you think perhaps someone up there is looking after you today," Strauss said.

"We've all come through tough times in our careers but it makes you stronger."

Strauss's innings lifted England to a lead of 16 runs with seven wickets remaining after West Indies were bowled out for 243 in their first innings.

England fast bowler Stuart Broad struck with the first ball of the day to remove Shannon Gabriel for a golden duck and complete Test-best figures of 7 for 72.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul was left stranded at the other end, 13 runs short of his 26th Test century after another brave attempt to hold together the West Indies brittle batting order.

Strauss and Alastair Cook shared an untroubled opening partnership of 47 before the latter, on 26, tried to pull a short ball from Kemar Roach and dragged it on to his stumps.

Strauss and Jonathan Trott took England to 1 for 80 for at lunch and the pair continued to accumulate cautiously in the afternoon session, both reaching fifty.

West Indies captain Sammy rotated his four-man pace attack but Fidel Edwards, Roach, Gabriel and Sammy failed to extract much life from a placid pitch.

Trott was out for 58 just before Strauss reached his century, the right-hander nicking a sharp catch to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin off the persevering Sammy to end a second-wicket partnership of 147.

Pietersen showed positive intent from the start of his knock of 32 as England looked to push on.

He got off the mark with a fierce pull through mid-wicket and struck five boundaries with typically flamboyant strokes before feathering a catch to Ramdin off part-time spinner Marlon Samuels.

Ian Bell joined his captain for the last few overs and was unbeaten on 5 at the close.

"It's important we establish a big first-innings lead and go on to win the game," Strauss said. "I've still got to do my job as captain.

"It's quite an easy-paced wicket and I thought our bowlers did an outstanding job to bowl out the West Indies in a day but we don't want to look too far ahead."

Reuters

Tags: cricket, sport, england, united-kingdom, jamaica

First posted May 19, 2012 07:59:59

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