Draws not enough for Aussies: Bailey

Updated March 31, 2012 16:27:26

George Bailey says his Test-playing team-mates are desperate to end the tour of the Caribbean with a series win, after draws in both limited overs series.

Australia's Twenty20 skipper leaves the Caribbean with only a 1-1 draw to show from his first Twenty20 series overseas after the West Indies claimed a fighting 14-run win in the second and final clash in Barbados on Friday.

The drama-filled game means nothing could separate the two teams following five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s.

And Bailey believes those staying on for the three-Test series beginning at Kensington Oval on April 7 will be doing all they can to quash the Windies' fighting spirit and come home with something definitive for their efforts.

"I know there's some boys in our one-day and Twenty20 camps who'd be pretty keen to actually win a series over here," Bailey said.

"It doesn't sit well with us to come over here and draw two series.

"They'll be keen to certainly do that and I know the energy and the freshness of the guys coming in who are just playing the Test series will be a great thing as well."

Bailey said his team had up to three key moments where they should have got on top of their opponents and gone onto victory in Friday's T20.

After conceding 100 runs inside the first 10 overs of the match, Australia hit back to claim 8-50 and restrict the Windies to 160 - a score Bailey felt was about par.

Led by David Warner's half-century, Australia were setting themselves up for a successful chase before Warner was brilliantly run-out by Dwayne Bravo for 58.

Part-time spinner Marlon Samuels (3-23) and hometown fast bowler Fidel Edwards (3-23) then derailed the chase as Australia finished 9-146.

Having secured a share of the spoils in the two limited overs formats, Windies skipper Darren Sammy was confident his team's competitiveness could continue into the five-day game.

"Two and two. One and one. I think one-all in the Test series would be a perfect outcome for the home series," he said.

"We now have the belief in the team that we can compete and win against top-ranked teams.

"We're going to carry that same mentality towards the Tests. That's what we've got to keep telling the boys, once we believe, we can achieve."

Australia will begin their preparations for the Test series with a three-day tour match against a West Indies Cricket Board president's XI in Bridgetown starting on Monday.

The game will be a crucial one for Test squad members such as Ed Cowan, Warner, Matthew Wade and James Pattinson - who are all preparing for their first Test series overseas.

AAP

Tags: sport, cricket, australia

First posted March 31, 2012 16:16:11

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Clarke ready for first Windies Test

Updated March 25, 2012 16:26:32

Australia captain Michael Clarke says he has come through an intense couple of weeks of physiotherapy in great shape and will be ready for the first Test against West Indies in Barbados starting on April 7.

Clarke was ruled out of the tri-series earlier this month with a hamstring injury suffered against Sri Lanka.

But following two weeks of rehabilitation under the guidance of Australia physiotherapist Alex Kountouris, Clarke says he is feeling great.

"It's been a busy couple of weeks of rehab and treatment with my physio," said Clarke, who departed for the Caribbean on Sunday.

"I had a fitness test Friday and I passed all of that. I've still got seven days until our tour game starts.

"Alex just wanted to check my strength and see if that had improved over the couple of weeks.

"There was some running - general straight line running and some running between wickets and sideways movement to check I'll be fine fielding.

"He's (Kountouris) really confident at where I'm at now. Knowing that we've got that time before the tour game I'll be 100 per cent."

Clarke also has confirmed he is in talks to join IPL franchise the Pune Warriors.

"That opportunity has been presented to my management company and I," Clarke said.

"Right now they're discussing it. We will continue to talk about that and make a decision in due course.

"But my focus right now is to make sure I get back and play some good cricket for Australia."

Once known for being hard and fast, the wickets of the Caribbean are turning as much as Clarke has seen anywhere for a long time.

Meanwhile, he admitted Australia could play two spinners in the first Test.

"The wickets look really slow and have spun as much as any wickets around the world," he said.

"We always talk about spin in India and Sri Lanka but the wicket in St Vincent ... that's as much as I've seen the ball spin and bounce for a long time.

"If conditions are like what we've seen in the one-dayers, then it's something we definitely need to consider."

Spinners Michael Beer and Nathan Lyon impressed Clarke in recent months and he believes they could make a good double act in the Test series.

"They're two very good spinners who have great control," he said.

"I've seen them both throughout the Australian summer bowl very early in an innings, so they can control the new ball as well.

"From what I've seen in the one-dayers, I think they'll both be a handful."

Fortunately for Australia, impressive West Indies off spinner Sunil Narine is not expected to line up for the home side in the Test series.

"I don't think he's playing. The last I heard he was going to the IPL," Clarke said.

"(But) if he does take part in the Test series, I'm sure we'll all have a really good look at him."

While he admits Australia has not been at its best in the one-day series, Clarke said it was always going to take some players time to adjust to the Caribbean.

"I would like to have won every game but conditions have been tough," he said.

"It's a lot different from what we've been facing in Australia. It's been a great experience for guys who haven't been to the West Indies before.

"We've got plenty of time plus we've got a three-day tour game before the first Test and we will be 100 per cent ready to go for that first Test match."

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, australia

First posted March 25, 2012 12:57:08

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Renegades lose CEO

Updated April 12, 2012 16:53:56

Big Bash League franchise Melbourne Renegades have lost their inaugural chief executive, Geoff Miles.

Miles, who joined the Twenty20 outfit after five years running A-League club Melbourne Victory, has resigned after serving a short-term contract to help establish the franchise.

The Renegades say they will announce plans to recruit a replacement in due course.

AAP

Tags: twenty20, cricket, sport, melbourne-3000

First posted April 11, 2012 20:39:26

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Aussies collapse as Windies level series

Updated March 31, 2012 10:58:04

Australia slumped to a 14-run defeat in the second Twenty20 international against the West Indies in Barbados, levelling the two-match series at 1-1.

With the tourists chasing 161 for victory, a brilliant run-out by Dwayne Bravo to dismiss David Warner sparked the home team into action as Australia ended on 9 for 146 in reply.

The result ensures Australia's seven-year wait for a T20 series win overseas continues.

"I thought 160 was about par and even batting I thought we were on track to knock it off as well," Australian captain George Bailey said.

"It would have been nice to get one big partnership at the top, which we missed.

"We lost a bit of composure at the end and there was some good bowling as well."

Warner, on the end of constant chatter by the West Indies fielders after giving Kieron Pollard a send-off during the Windies' innings, scored 58 off 43 balls and appeared to have Australia in control of its chase.

But his innings was ended in dramatic fashion by Bravo, who threw down the stumps at the striker's end from mid-on to catch Warner short, stalling Australia's innings and helping the Windies snatch victory.

"I think that was the game-changer right there. Warner was batting really, really well," West Indies captain Darren Sammy said.

"That's something Bravo is used to doing. He's an impact player and today he had a big impact with that run-out and from there the momentum just shifted."

Bailey said Warner looked as if he would steer Australia all the way to the total.

"That's Twenty20," he said.

"That's the crux of it. It's one run-out, one ball. It's an over or an innings that turns the game.

"For us to be a good team, you've got to be winning the majority of those. Particularly when you get into a situation where, even with Davey's run out, we had a platform to go on and win the game."

The two sides also shared the one-day series 2-2, with the three-Test series beginning next weekend.

"Today was a bit disappointing," man-of-the-series Shane Watson, who was dismissed for a second-ball duck, added.

"It's been an up and down series for us so far. We're continuing to learn and grow as a group and today has been another learning experience."

Fast-bowler Fidel Edwards finished with 3 for 23 off his four overs as did Marlon Samuels, while Bravo took two wickets in the final over to finish with 2 for 27.

Samuels' off-breaks took the three crucial wickets of Bailey (24), Mike Hussey (14) and Matthew Wade (17).

Edwards then picked up two wickets in two balls, Dan Christian and Brett Lee, in the penultimate over which brought Australia's late charge to a standstill.

"The work we've been doing in the camp and throughout the series has been paying off and I want to ask the boys to keep doing that," added Sammy.

"We want to keep doing well in the Tests and hopefully continue the good results."

Earlier, opener Dwayne Smith belted his maiden T20 international half-century as the Windies made 160 batting first.

Smith scored 63 off just 35 deliveries, including six fours and four sixes, to lift the Windies to 2 for 100 inside 10 overs.

But the former New South Wales player's demise sparked a collapse as the Windies lost their last eight wickets for 50 runs.

Johnson Charles (37), who shared a 72-run opening stand with Smith, and Dwayne Bravo (23) were the only other Windies batsman to reach double figures.

Brett Lee took 3 for 23 to lead Australia's bowling effort while Clint McKay (2 for 24) and Watson (2 for 26) supported with two wickets each.

Youngster James Pattinson had a day to forget, conceding 0 for 34 off his two overs including three sixes to Smith in one over.

ABC/AAP

Tags: twenty20, cricket, sport, barbados, australia

First posted March 31, 2012 08:59:26

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Play resumes in Port of Spain

Updated April 18, 2012 06:04:12

West Indies continued its first innings late on day three of the second Test against Australia at Queen's Park in Port of Spain.

Rain had halted the match midway through the day but soon after play resumed West Indies was 4 for 195 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul not out on 80 and Narsingh Deonarine on 34 in the 78th over.

Australia made 311 in its first innings.

Mike Hussey snared the only wicket of day three so far, trapping Darren Bravo LBW for 38 in the morning session.

Chanderpaul and Deonarine guided the home side to the tea break on 4 for 188.

Their partnership was slow going at first, producing only 32 runs from 17 overs before they found their rhythm.

The Decision Review System (DRS) caused controversy again, but this time before a ball had been bowled.

There were 5.3 overs still to be sent down from the previous day with West Indies resuming on 3 for 49.

Michael Beer was set to bowl the first ball when everyone started walking back off the field, as it transpired that there was no power supply for the cameras and hence DRS was not available.

After discussions between the umpires and the players, power was restored and play resumed with only 20 minutes lost.

ABC/AFP

Tags: cricket, sport, trinidad-and-tobago

First posted April 18, 2012 05:53:13

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Tendulkar offered seat in parliament

Updated April 27, 2012 07:16:24

Cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar has been nominated by India's prime minister for a seat in the upper house of parliament, according to a government source.

Prime minister Manmohan Singh's letter recommending Tendulkar's nomination must be endorsed by Indian president Pratibha Patil, the source said.

Tendulkar, who turned 39 this week, was in New Delhi to play an Indian Premier League match for the Mumbai Indians against the Delhi Daredevils on Friday.

Earlier on Thursday, Tendulkar and his wife visited ruling Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi at her residence, a meeting described as a "courtesy visit" by the local media.

The vast majority of the 250 seats in the upper house are chosen by state legislatures, although 12 are filled by presidential appointment and are normally awarded to those who have excelled in fields like the arts, science and sport.

Tendulkar's name is among four the government has recommended to the president to fill seats lying vacant, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

Tendulkar made his international debut in 1989 and has played more Tests (188) and one-day internationals (463) than any other player.

He is the highest run-getter in both forms of the game and last month became the first batsman to complete 100 international centuries - 51 in Tests and 49 in one-dayers.

Reports of his Rajya Sabha (upper house) nomination are likely to spark fresh speculation about his immediate future, although Tendulkar himself has dismissed talk of retirement anytime soon.

ABC/AFP

Tags: sport, cricket, world-politics, india

First posted April 27, 2012 06:32:31

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