Can't bowl, can't throw, can't ride

Updated December 27, 2011 17:20:52

Joe Previtera, the Australian television cameraman behind an infamous cricket sledge blamed on former Australia spinner Shane Warne, stole the media spotlight once more with a farcical crash while riding a Segway scooter on the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

As Australia came out to bowl before lunch in the first test against India, Previtera ploughed his Segway into a helmet on the turf while filming the players and promptly fell in a heap in front of a crowd of tens of thousands of people in the stands and millions more watching on television.

The cameraman was uninjured in the spill and got to his feet sheepishly as Australian cricketers chirped in his ear. He trudged off the field carrying the Segway, which appeared a little worse for wear after the accident.

Previtera was at the heart of a media storm after the comment "he can't bowl and can't throw" was picked up by a special effects microphone during the television broadcast of Australia's test match in Hobart against Pakistan in 1999/2000.

The comment followed a wayward throw back to the wicket from the deep from two-test paceman Scott Muller.

The comment was later attributed to Warne by television media, but the spinner denied it.

Reuters

Tags: offbeat, cricket, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted December 27, 2011 16:37:15

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Umpiring mars steady Eddie's debut

By Joel Zander

Updated December 27, 2011 09:47:06

Three dubious umpiring decisions and the lack of a video review system overshadowed a gritty debut knock from Australian opener Ed Cowan on the first day of the Boxing Day Test against India at the MCG.

Australia, in a position of authority at 3 for 205, reached 6 for 277 at stumps with an unbroken 63-run seventh-wicket stand between Peter Siddle (37 not out) and Brad Haddin (21 not out) ensuring honours were shared for the day.

However the incorrect dismissals of Cowan for 68 and the under-fire Mike Hussey for a golden duck and a not-out call on Haddin will be the talking points.

Hussey was the hard-luck story of the day, given out caught behind by umpire Marais Erasmus off the bowling of Zaheer Khan when replays showed he got nowhere near the ball.

And with India voting not to use the review system this series, the Western Australian had no option but to trudge off with the look of a desperately forlorn man.

Cowan was also unlucky to be given out caught behind off the bowling of off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin when it looked as if the former New South Wales opener was capable of grafting a magical century on debut.

Cowan put on 46 for the opening wicket with David Warner (37) and showed significant mental application so sorely missing in the game of the dumped Phil Hughes.

He came in for some criticism for compiling just 14 runs in the opening session but got somewhat of a move-on thereafter as he went run for run with Ponting.

Cowan faced 177 balls and hit just seven fours, but his innings was the best by an Australian opener on debut since Michael Slater's 58 off 131 balls in 1993.

"[It was] a special day to get that baggy green on my head, then to win the toss and bat was a good thing to get those nerves out of the way," Cowan told Grandstand.

"I thought I played pretty well, I was happy with how patient I was.

"The key for me to be successful is to keep doing what I've been doing and that's to leave a lot of balls, wait for the ball in my area and try and rotate the strike.

"I very rarely look at the scoreboard, I'm more of a look at the time kind of fella and try and wind down the clock to lunch, so I had no idea what I was stuck on for however long.

"I don't think there's any point in me trying to be someone I'm not, so a big focus for me was to be Ed Cowan."

Cowan said he thought he got the wrong end of the stick with his dismissal, with hot spot replays not showing any contact between bat and ball.

"I definitely would have thought about it (referring the decision)... you guys saw the replays, saw my reaction. It's an interesting one but hopefully it evens itself out throughout the series," he said.

Haddin was given not out lbw on 19 when replays showed the ball was hitting middle stump, a decision the Australians would no doubt have viewed as a bit of a square-up.

Meanwhile, the century drought continues for former skipper Ricky Ponting, who scored a fighting 62.

The Tasmanian, who put on 113 for the third wicket with New South Welshman turned fellow Apple Islander Cowan, showed glimpses of the Ponting of old with some sweetly timed pull shots but has not brought up triple figures since January 2010.

Still, he at least got some runs on the board, the same of which cannot be said for the desperately unlucky Hussey and the returning Shaun Marsh, who both registered their second straight ducks.

Marsh made his return from a back injury but lasted just six balls before becoming one of rookie paceman Umesh Radav's three scalps for the day when he meekly prodded to Virat Kohli at backward point.

Yadav also had Warner caught behind on the first ball back from a rain delay during the morning session and had skipper Michael Clarke (31) chopping onto his stumps for the first wicket of the third session.

Yadav finished with 3 for 96 from 20 overs while Khan had 2 for 49 from 23.

Ishant Sharma was impressive despite going wicketless, recording 0 for 40 from 20 overs with six maidens.

Tags: sport, cricket, australia, vic, melbourne-3000

First posted December 26, 2011 19:11:37

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A Cricket Match Is More Than Just A Game

De Lange shines on debut as Sri Lanka battles

Updated December 27, 2011 10:28:26

Debutant Marchant de Lange upstaged the two fast bowlers he grew up admiring as South Africa and Sri Lanka shared the honours on the first day of the second Test match at Kingsmead.

The 21-year-old De Lange, replacing the injured Vernon Philander, took 4 for 60 as Sri Lanka reached 7 for 289 at stumps.

Thilan Samaraweera made a patient 86 not out and shared a crucial sixth wicket partnership of 111 with another new cap, wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal, who hit 58.

Tall and strongly built, De Lange consistently bowled at more than 140kmh off a relatively short run-up to rip out three of Sri Lanka's leading batsmen.

De Lange took another wicket in the last over of the day when he had Thisara Perera caught at short leg.

Asked which fast bowlers he had admired and tried to emulate as a youngster, De Lange replied: "The two who were playing today - Dale (Steyn) and Morne (Morkel)."

Morkel took 2 for 55, including the key wicket of Mahela Jayawardene, who became the first Sri Lankan to reach 10,000 runs in Tests before being bowled by Morkel for 31, but Steyn went wicketless.

De Lange, who received a late call-up after Philander was ruled out by a knee injury, had Sri Lanka in trouble at 5 for 162 on a good batting pitch after dismissing Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews.

"I heard last night that I was playing and Vernon gave me good advice. He told me to stay calm and keep it simple," he said.

Veteran South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis said it had been an impressive performance by the young fast bowler from the small northern town of Tzaneen.

"He was on the button from ball one. We've got some very exciting times. A few people were worried about our bowling attack a little while ago but that's been put to bed. There are plenty of guys lining up," he said.

Kallis said the South Africans were satisfied with their day's work on a good batting pitch on a hot, humid day.

"We would have taken this if we had been offered it at the start of the day."

Sri Lanka coach Geoff Marsh hailed what he said was "a bit of a breakthrough for us" after a sequence of low totals in the first innings of Test matches.

Marsh admitted that the Sri Lankans had not been able to do much homework on De Lange, who was playing in only his 15th first-class match.

"We struggled to get video of him because he's played very little cricket," he said.

"It's great to see young kids coming through the system. He's definitely got a lot of talent and he's another exciting prospect in Test cricket."

AFP

Tags: cricket, sport, south-africa, sri-lanka

First posted December 27, 2011 09:21:50

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