Arthur backs Aussie quicks to bloom

Updated December 31, 2011 17:19:23

Coach Mickey Arthur says Australia's pace attack has the potential to be the best in the world and he is happy with his top six batsmen.

Arthur was very impressed by the performance of the pace trio of Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Ben Hilfenhaus in the first Test win over India at the MCG.

With the likes of Ryan Harris, Patrick Cummins, Shane Watson and Mitchell Starc either injured or waiting in the wings, Arthur was bullish about Australia's pace stocks.

He says he is excited by the potential and the competition for places in every position.

"I thought we had 15 players that can play international cricket, at any given time," Arthur said.

"Hopefully by the end of the summer we might have 22 guys that can do that because we need to build up our strength in depth, which we are doing now.

"But I do think this pace attack has the potential to become the best in the world."

While captain Michael Clarke has suggested the recalled Harris could form part of a four-pronged pace attack at the SCG, Arthur doubts that is feasible.

"I'm pretty loath to go into any Test match without a spinner," Arthur said.

"Obviously conditions will determine that but the SCG has normally got a history of favouring spin down the line."

Arthur has no doubt that in Watson's continuing absence, the current top six was Australia's best available batting line-up.

"I think we just need to give them time, especially our younger players at one, two and three," Arthur said.

"David Warner is going to be a great player in all three forms of the game, same with Shaun Marsh.

"I think Ed Cowan gave us that stability that we were looking for, especially in the first innings.

"He almost brought a little bit of that calmness to that."

Arthur says he had seen enough of India's batsmen in Melbourne to alter plans for four of their top six.

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, australia

First posted December 31, 2011 17:14:55

View the original article here

Hurricanes breeze to victory

Updated January 02, 2012 08:37:10

Hobart Hurricanes remain undefeated and on top of the Big Bash League standings after a comprehensive five-wicket victory over Sydney Thunder at Bellerive Oval.

Set a modest 139 to win, the Hurricanes made it four from four with their first chase of the series on Sunday night.

Englishman Owais Shah struck 41 not out off 32 balls as his side reached the target with eight balls to spare in front of 12,238 fans.

Unfancied when the new competition began, the Hurricanes are now the runaway leaders on eight points, four clear of the Thunder, Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers.

First and second drops Travis Birt and Shah were in scintillating form for the Tasmanians, Birt making a quick-fire 35 from 18 balls before Matt Johnston hit the winning runs with a six.

"It was quite a blessing in disguise that we actually lost the toss and we had to chase, just to see where we're at, where the batters are under pressure, how they're thinking," Shah said.

"I've played that role [a lot] where I try and be there 'til the end and try and take the responsibility.

"I do enjoy that role."

The Thunder are fast starting to resemble a one-man batting show in the absence of captain Dave Warner on Test duty, West Indies star Chris Gayle smashing yet another half-century.

Gayle clobbered 53 off 33 balls, including five sixes, as the Thunder made a below par 8 for 138 after winning the toss.

He also chimed in with a brilliant one-handed catch to remove Tom Triffitt.

The competition's leading run-scorer had pleaded for his team-mates to support him after Friday night's loss to Melbourne Renegades but only a run-a-ball innings of 39 from number three Sean Abbott stood out for the visitors.

Gayle took his series tally to 232 and, with Warner having made a first-up century, the pair have now scored 334 of the side's 582 runs.

He started slowly by his standards in Hobart but still regularly cleared the boundary.

Gayle hoisted Jason Krejza (2 for 29 from four overs) onto the Southern Stand roof and hit Xavier Doherty (1 for 45 from four) for consecutive sixes to bring up his half-century before holing out at deep cover off the bowling of Krejza.

From there the Thunder collapsed again, losing 7 for 45.

Gayle's fellow West Indies star Fidel Edwards (2 for 33) says the Thunder was not relying too heavily on their opener.

"Chris has his job to do," he said.

"He's an opening batsman, he's supposed to go out there and score runs so you can't say we (should) rely less on Chris.

"If Chris scores runs then everybody's back-up is good for us as a team."

The Hurricanes all but secured a semi-final spot, while the Thunder face a must-win Sydney derby against the Sixers at the Olympic stadium next Sunday.

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, twenty20, hobart-7000, sydney-2000

First posted January 01, 2012 22:05:58

View the original article here

McGrath predicts whitewash - again

Updated January 02, 2012 12:41:30

Glenn McGrath believes Australia is a team on the rise and is predicting a 4-0 Test series whitewash over India.

Ahead of the second Test starting at the SCG on Tuesday, McGrath is also tipping that Sachin Tendulkar will remain stranded on 99 international centuries for the rest of the summer at least.

Fast bowling great McGrath is renowned for tipping Australia to achieve series clean-sweeps, with mixed success.

In the 2006-07 Ashes down under, McGrath correctly predicted a 5-0 thumping for Australia, but in last year's series against England he made the same confident statement and was horribly wrong.

Launching the McGrath Foundation's Pink Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday, the 41-year-old said the Australian team was well on the way to reasserting themselves at the top of Test cricket.

"Yesterday I said three nil but I stuffed up because I thought there was only three Tests, but definitely 4-0," McGrath said.

"The way the guys have played at the moment I've been impressed.

"I think a team really builds itself around a bowling attack and you look at the bowling attack the team has at the moment and that will give the rest of the guys a lot of confidence.

"I'm very confident, as confident as I've been in years that this team is something special and I'm expecting big things from them."

McGrath admitted the historic 100th Test at the iconic SCG would be the perfect setting for Tendulkar to break his drought and record his 100th century across Test and ODI matches.

Many pundits are hoping Tendulkar can bring up his landmark ton in Sydney, where he holds a remarkable record of success, but McGrath showed he hasn't lost his ruthless attitude, and doesn't want Australia to give an inch.

"Well the scene is set, there's no doubt about that," McGrath said.

"Sachin's a class player and to be sitting on 99 (international) hundreds is incredible.

"But I'm tipping our boys will hold him back for another few Tests. It'd be nice to see Sachin get his 100th hundred first Test up next series."

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted January 02, 2012 12:27:27

View the original article here

Get A Concise And Lucid Knowledge Of Ongoing Match With Cricket Score Card

Hussey feels SCG could suit spin

Updated January 01, 2012 12:28:48

Australian batsman Mike Hussey believes this year's SCG Test pitch could see a return to the drier, more spin-friendly wickets of the past.

Captain Michael Clarke was pondering omitting spinner Nathan Lyon in favour of a four-man pace battery featuring the returning Ryan Harris on what was anticipated to be a seaming deck.

But after having a first look at the pitch ahead of Tuesday's start, Hussey seemed to suggest sticking with Lyon might be the best option.

"Just from walking across the ground it looks a lot less green than it has been the last few years," Hussey said ahead of the 100th Test to be played at the ground.

"Certainly in the last few years I think the Sydney pitch has changed texture from when it used to be a real dustbowl and helped the spinners.

"The last few years have been really seamer friendly and there's been overhead conditions to help that as well ... [it's been] particularly tough for batting, especially early in the match.

"(Now) it looks definitely a lighter colour and generally that's the way it's gone over here, it has slowed down a little bit and helped the spinners as the game's gone on."

Curator Tom Parker said he is focused on preparing a pitch that is fair, rather than one that assists Australia's rampant pace attack.

"I think it will be somewhat similar to the Ashes pitch we had last season," he said.

Slow bowlers captured just three out of 30 wickets in last summer's Ashes Test at the SCG and have taken only 12 of 57 Shield wickets there this season.

Parker acknowledged the SCG wickets have been just as likely to help the quicks as the spinners.

"It depends on the conditions of the day," he said.

"If you get overcast conditions, the ball does swing around, move around through in the air a bit.

"But as the game goes on, the pitch here at the SCG, it always turns at some stage.

"I think the first couple of days of the Test it's clear and then from day three there's supposed to be some showers coming, but at this stage we're looking at a nice clear run."

Coach Mickey Arthur suggested yesterday it would be unlikely that Australia would go in with four pacemen.

"I'm pretty loath to go into any Test match without a spinner," Arthur said.

"Obviously conditions will determine that but the SCG has normally got a history of favouring spin down the line."

He said he had seen enough of India's batting order in Melbourne to formulate new plans of attack for Sydney.

"I do think we've got a lot of information out of the Melbourne Test match that we can use in the series in terms of batting strengths, where we need to be," Arthur said.

"So we'll alter our game plans slightly to four of their top six.

"Pressure is the name of the game in Test cricket.

"If we can dry the Indian batters up for long periods of time like we did at times in Melbourne, we showed that they all had chinks in their armour."

The SCG has invariably produced a result wicket in recent Tests, with only one of the last 18 there finishing in a draw.

The last eight all produced a winner, with the last draw coming in 2004 against India, which amassed 7 for 705 declared in its first innings thanks to Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten 241 and VVS Laxman's 178.

Both teams trained at the SCG this morning and will be guests of Prime Minister Julia Gillard this afternoon for an afternoon tea function at Kirribilli House.

AAP/ABC

Tags: sport, cricket, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted January 01, 2012 12:05:07

View the original article here

The Cricket Score Decides The Image Of The Team In The Eyes Of The Public

Flintoff reveals depression struggles

Updated January 02, 2012 09:52:30

Andrew Flintoff has spoken of the emotional anguish he experienced leading England during their Ashes thrashing in Australia five years ago and how he wanted to retire at the subsequent World Cup.

The former all-rounder talks about his personal struggles and those of other leading sportsmen, including some of his team-mates, in a BBC program entitled 'Freddie Flintoff: Hidden Side Of Sport,' due to be broadcast a week on January 11.

Flintoff was England's captain when they were whitewashed 5-0 by hosts Australia in the 2006/07 Ashes, a series where they surrendered their grip on the urn before Christmas.

"I was having a quiet drink with my dad Colin on Christmas Eve 2006 and as we made our way home I started crying my eyes out," Flintoff said, in an extract from the program quoted on the Daily Mail website on Sunday.

"I told him I'd tried my best but that I couldn't do it any more, I couldn't keep playing. We talked and, of course, I dusted myself down and carried on.

"But I was never the same player again," added Flintoff, who in 2009 retired from Test cricket with a batting average of 31 and bowling mark of 32 - figures many pundits felt failed to reflect his immense natural talent.

"I was captain of England and financially successful. Yet instead of walking out confidently to face Australia in one of the world's biggest sporting events, I didn't want to get out of bed, never mind face people."

It later emerged Flintoff had been drinking so heavily at one point in Australia he was ordered away from a practice session by then England coach Duncan Fletcher.

Further alcohol-related problems for the now 34-year-old Flintoff ensued at the World Cup in the Caribbean where he took a drunken pedalo trip near England's hotel in St Lucia.

It was an incident that cost Flintoff, then deputy to fit-again skipper Michael Vaughan, the England vice-captaincy.

"The whole time I was on the field and throughout that World Cup all I could think about was that I wanted to retire," Flintoff said.

"I didn't understand what was happening to me. I knew when I got back to my room I couldn't shut off, which is why I started having a drink. It got to the stage where I was probably drinking more than I should.

"All I wanted was for the doctor to tell me what was wrong but no-one suggested it was depression," added Flintoff, a key figure in England's home 2005 and 2009 Ashes triumphs.

Fast bowler Stephen Harmison, a close friend of Flintoff, who at one stage in his career admitted to struggling with 'homesickness', said in the program he too had suffered from depression.

"At one point I was the number one bowler in the world - yet I was struggling inside," explained Harmison who, recalling a worrying moment during a tour of South Africa, added: "I couldn't breathe and I was hyperventilating."

Former England batsman Marcus Trescothick's international career was ended by a stress-related illness that made it all but impossible for the opener to tour even though he continues to play for Somerset.

And last year Sussex spinner Michael Yardy cited depression when he withdrew from the World Cup in the sub-continent days before England's quarter-final loss to co-hosts Sri Lanka, although he too has since resumed his county career.

AFP

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

First posted January 02, 2012 07:45:13

View the original article here