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PERTH, Oct 30 AAP – Young England quick Simon Jones put up his hand for a berth in the opening Ashes Test after the tourists almost won the drawn three-day match against Western Australia today.The 23-year-old Welshman’s five-wicket haul restricted the West Australian second innings to 248, leaving England with a thrilling run chase of 135 runs in 20 overs at the WACA ground.And the visitors went so close, falling just five runs short of the target with opener Robert Key (59no) and captain Nasser Hussain (7no) guiding England to 5-130.The tourists had to score 12 runs off the final over but Key and Hussain could extract just seven from WA quick Brad Williams.However the performance was just the tonic the Old Enemy needed ahead of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane starting Thursday week after a sub-standard opening week of its tour.Key and Marcus Trescothick started well with a 52-run partnership before Trescothick’s middle stump was knocked out after he backed away from Williams.Allrounder Craig White (12) was introduced but was run out taking a risky single by WA captain Justin Langer before spinner Brad Hogg then put a major block on the tourists’ assault removing Mark Butcher (7) and John Crawley (0) in consecutive balls.Alec Stewart fell for a quickfire 26 off 21 balls before the final charge.Earlier, Jones impressed with his persistence on a fairly flat pitch to finish with 5-78 off 19 overs.Jones, who is on the way back from a side strain, suffered the injury in his only Test appearance against India at Lords in the northern summer.Test rival Stephen Harmison (0-28) was unable to follow up his encouraging first innings performance.Jones picked up Michael Hussey (14) early in the morning session, with the 27-year-old Test aspirant top-edging a ball to the fine leg with Andy Caddick taking a fine sprawling catch.Scores of 0 and 14 would hardly have been the returns Hussey would have been seeking in front of national selector David Boon.Test opener Langer (68) strode to the crease and he and Chris Rogers’ 141-run third wicket partnership looked like ensuring the match would be drawn.Langer, who made just 13 in the first innings, opted not to open against the England attack for the final seven overs of yesterday’s play because of a sore neck.But he faced the music today and lived a little dangerously early on before finding some form against England ahead of the first Ashes Test.Jones had dragged himself to lunch with the unenviable figures of 1-45 off nine overs after being harshly dealt with by Langer and Rogers.However allrounder Craig White parted the combination after tempting Langer with a wide delivery and then removing Marcus North next ball to open up the home side’s batting order.But it was not until Jones trapped Rogers (86) in front that the tourists looked any shot of actually forcing a result with the Warriors reduced to 5-178, a lead of just 64 runs.Jones, who has a particularly slow run-up before a whipping motion, then removed Brad Hogg (18), Matthew Nicholson (2) and then Ryan Campbell (25) to set the unlikely scenario after tea.Left-arm spinner Ashley Giles chipped in with the wicket of Brad Williams after the tailender hit a solid shot only for the ball to strike John Crawley’s midriff before he took a superb juggling catch.Jo Angel (10) was run out to end the WA innings.

India have named a 14-man squad for the Under-15 Asia Cup to be played in UAE. Piyush Chawla will captain the squad while Talluri Aaron Paul will be the vice-captain.Four stand-byes were also named.Squad:
Piyush Chawla (captain), Talluri Aaron Paul (vice-captain), Ishaan Dogra, Bodapati Sumanth, V Sandeep, Sanket Chauhan, Ajinkya Madhukar Rehane, MR Darshan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Sanjeev Martin, Atish Kumar Jena, Aditya B Sagar, Sarabjeet Singh, Tanmay Kumar SrivastavaStand-byes:
Mounty Sharma, Karan Harit, Ian Dev Singh Chauhan, Rajdeep Darbar

Gloucestershire have given a new two-year contract to their director of cricket John Bracewell.Gloucestershire have had mixed fortunes this season; they are currently second from bottom in the Second Division of the Frizzell County Championship, but lead Division Two of the Norwich Union League, by eight points over Surrey.Gloucestershire captain Mark Alleyne has also agreed to lead the side for the next two seasons with the aim of extending their Norwich Union success into the County Championship.In a statement the club said: “We have identified a number of areas where it is necessary for us to make improvements and we are in the process of putting these in place.”The matter has been discussed by the management committee who have statedtheir complete support for John Bracewell and Mark Alleyne.”During their time at the club, Gloucestershire have achieved unprecedentedsuccess and are confident that the problems of the past few weeks, while notinsignificant, will be dealt with in an appropriate manner.”Cricket teams can only flourish when the whole squad are working together and we believe that with hard work and sensitive leadership we can achieve this.”Bracewell said: “I’m delighted by the club’s support for me and it means I’ll be able to work on a number of things that I want to.”

LONDON – Graham Thorpe said his selection in England’s 16-man squad forthe forthcoming Ashes tour of Australia represented the “biggestchallenge” of his career.Surrey left-hander Thorpe, 33, has not played a senior match sincetaking an indefinite break from all cricket following England’s firstTest victory over India at Lord’s in July.That move was prompted by the collapse of Thorpe’s marriage andquestions over access arrangements to his two young children Henry,five, and Amelia, three.Since taking time out Thorpe, who earlier in the season announced hisretirement from international one-day cricket, has had several meetingswith the selectors.And they showed that Thorpe, who impressively averages over 45 againstAustralia, had persuaded them that he was mentally ready for the rigoursof a five Test trip ‘down under’ by including him in the tour party.Thorpe conceded that this represented a leap of faith on the selectors’part, one he was eager to reward.”This is as big a challenge as there’s been at this stage of my career,”said Thorpe in an interview on BBC Radio’s Sport on Five programmeTuesday.”It’s a great opportunity for me to start up again and work with theother players in the England cricket team again.”For a long time I was unsure whether I would be able to go given therecent circumstances. I’ve been lucky the selectors have been sounderstanding because I’m sure they’ll see it as a bit of a gamble.”I always said that once things settled down off the field I would beable to make a clear decision about whether I could go to Australia.”Thorpe added that improved relations between himself and his estrangedwife had eased his situation. “I don’t see too many problems off thefield, it’s become very amicable between the two parties.”Last winter was a difficult time but these things happen to all sortsof people. I have had a lot of publicity about my problems which isperhaps why I’ve found it difficult to deal with.”Thorpe hopes to return to senior cricket Wednesday by playing foralready crowned county champions Surrey against Hampshire at the RoseBowl and said his time away from the game had made him reconsider hiscareer.”Being away for five or six weeks sorting out my personal life has alsogiven me a lot of spare time and I’ve realised I’m fortunate to havebeen given this chance,” said Thorpe.”The most important thing is that my commitment and work levels arehigh. No one can guarantee success on the field but you can prepare inthe right way and I want to get back playing for England.”If I didn’t believe I could play cricket for three months knowing whatcould happen during that time I wouldn’t have put my name in the hat.”I have the ability to play at the highest level and I want to play atthe highest level and it’s important I’m committed in all areas.”

What better way of celebrating Her Majesty’s Golden Jubilee than by staging a round of Norwich Union League matches? The Norwich Union League is all about bringing the fun of the fair into cricket, and that is what is going to happen on Tuesday June 4th. Even the fixtures have a certain regal ring to them. Worcestershire Royals have a game and there is a match at Lord’s where the nearest underground station is St. John’s Wood. It’s on the Jubilee Line.Worcestershire Royals are in action at Headingley against joint leaders, Yorkshire Phoenix. A win for the Royals would take them up to eight points, the same as Phoenix, while eight-point Warwickshire Bears move back into Edgbaston once the Test is over to play Durham Dynamos.There are two other Division One matches taking place. Two sides with four points each meet at Grace Road when Leicestershire Foxes take on Glamorgan Dragons, while Kent Spitfires play Nottinghamshire Outlaws. Neither of those two has registered a point yet, so the locals at Tunbridge Wells will be disgusted if they can’t provide the reigning champions with their first win of this season.In Division Two, there is one floodlit match taking place, with leaders Lancashire Lightening meeting Gloucestershire Gladiators at Old Trafford. The Gladiators are just two points behind in a clutch of teams on four, so will be looking to take over top spot.The game at Lord’s sees Middlesex Crusaders battling with unbeaten Hampshire Hawks, with the home side wanting their first win of the new campaign. Northamptonshire Steelbacks, with a record of one win from one match, play Surrey Lions, and another one-from-one oufit, Essex Eagles, travel to Horsham where Sussex Sharks might more accurately be named the Sussex Flounders. They have the unimpressive record of two defeats in two outings. No wonder they are in last place. Or should that be plaice?

It was one of those “you had to be there to see it” days at the Gabba.Victoria’s batting on the way to a woeful first innings of 148 after being sent in by Queensland in their Pura Cup match bordered on embarrassing.But Queensland made Victoria’s form with the willow appear almost brilliant after staging one of their worst starts to an innings in recent memory.Needing only first innings points to secure a home final, the Bulls batted like a social pub team.At one stage they staggered like drunks at 6-22, in real danger of posting Queensland’s lowest score in almost a century.Stand-in skipper Martin Love could be excused, the victim of a dubious call to a ball down the leg side which may not have snicked his bat.Wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe was forced to play a good length delivery from Mathew Inness which he edged to ‘keeper Darren Berry on five.Queensland’s worst first class batting performance was 42 back in 1903-4.Its lowest Sheffield Shield score of 52 in the early 1980s was under threat until Lee Carseldine (36 not out) and Ashley Noffke (nine not out) staged a 42-run seventh wicket stand which they need to build on tomorrow.The Bulls crash was of Wall Street proportions, six wickets squandered before their lunch had time to settle.Dandenong rookie paceman, William Carr, playing in only his third match for the Bushrangers, ploughed through a brittle Bulls top order sadly missing MatthewHayden, Jimmy Maher and late withdrawal Stuart Law.He fired out openers Brendan Nash (1) and dangerman Love (five) before adding Andrew Symonds (nought) and a careless Clinton Perren (two) to his career best haul of 4-22.And he hasn’t finished.At one point Carr had the stunning figures of 4-12.His performance overshadowed a fine display by Bulls teenager Scott Brant who performed his own demolition job on Victoria.Zimbabwe-born Brant, who under ACB rules is not allowed bowl more than 20 overs in a day or more than eight overs in one spell, to protect him from injury, arule blasted by former Australian speedster Jeff Thomson, featured in six dismissals.The 19 year-old took three wickets – two in the first session – and dragged in a classic diving catch to remove a stubborn Matthew Mott, plucking theboundary-bound ball out of the air in spectacular fashion.Mott, who prodded, pushed and poked at 110 deliveries for his 34 runs, was beginning to look a threat before Brant’s full length dive ended his innings just after lunch.Brant utilised the morning conditions perfectly after stand-in Bulls captain Love put the Bushrangers in on a wicket which was hardly a fearsome greentop – although made difficult by an uneven bounce.Love refused to blame the wicket for Queensland’s crash.”Those two guys (Carseldine and Noffke) have shown the rest of us how to bat, they toughed it out really well,” said Love.”It’s a six point game guaranteed; even if we don’t get first innings points, we’re still in it.”

Ian Ward batted throughout the first day of England A’s third round Busta Cup match against Guyana today steering his side into a strong position with a gritty 87.There is good reason why Ward is the most tanned member of the England A squad. He spent four full days in the sun at Trinidad, making a century and keeping watch in the covers and today in Grenada, he took guard first thing after the toss was won and was still there at stumps by which time, England A were 237 for three after 101 overs.

In contrast to his steady and cautious way of accumulating runs, Aftab Habib appeared more urgent and his unbeaten 40 featured a series of perfectly timed drives through the covers, the ball hurtling to the boundary across a lightning fast outfield.Had Habib not sparked some life into the order in the final 20 overs, the day would been another slow one for England A, but with sights firmly set on a 400-odd total, the contributions of both were invaluable.The batting line up had a different look to it to the previous two matches after skipper Mark Alleyne dropped himself to make way for three England A debutants plus leg-spinner Chris Schofield who had yet to make an appearance on this tour.Alleyne has not enjoyed the best of form since arriving in the Caribbean, with either the bat or ball so his decision to surrender the captaincy to John Crawley to allow him time to work on his game, was a pragmatic one.And when Warwickshire skipper Michael Powell collected 75 runs on debut, batting with Ward to give the opening partnership a combative feel to it, the decision appeared even more sound. The pair added 93 runs in the morning session, which started with two consecutive but unsuccessful appeals for lbw and continued with two dropped catches.Ward was missed at short leg by Ramnaresh Sarwan while on 17 and Powell edged a ball between second and third slip on 41 but both players made the mistakes pay. Powell’s half century came in under two hours during which time, he struck eight boundaries most of them hit straight and all of them cleanly.Not until the 48th over did the Carl Hooper’s side make the breakthrough when another chance in the slips was seized on by Azeemul Haniff as Powell drove at Hooper. The left and right handed combination had worked well in giving England A a robust start and when the stand was broken they had 134 runs on the board.Crawley and Vikram Solanki did not prove such long-standing partners, both departing cheaply to lbw decisions but the arrival of Habib shortly after tea provided much needed impetus and by the close, they had put on 58 runs.All day, the teams had to contend with strong winds that swept across the square and out to sea posing more problems for the bowlers who were already struggling with another slow flat pitch.But Hooper, who was in demand by the media after the rumours over his imminent appointment as West Indies captain had started to circulate, kept his focus well sending down 26 overs for just 44 runs and capturing the first wicket into the bargain.He is keen to make an impression in his first season back in West Indies domestic cricket following a two year absence and claims his international ambitions are not distracting him.”Getting back into Test team is not something I am losing sleep over,” said the former Kent overseas player who retired in 1999 midway through the one-day international series against Australia.He has spent his two years playing club cricket for Carlton in Australia, where he is now based, and would have come back sooner had he been able.”What I want to do is play some cricket for Guyana. Since I retired I have never been back to play any regional cricket and I still feel I have a few years left in me yet, if not at Test level then at first class level and I want to give something back to Guyana.”Commenting on the rumours that he will replace Jimmy Adams for the series against South Africa, he said: “That is just what they are, rumours. We have chopped and changed captains so often. Last year Adams won series here against Pakistan and Zimbabwe. He did not do well in England and in Australia we were up against a very hard side.”And as to why he chose to retire in the first place he added: “It is hard enough when you lose but even harder when you sense that not everyone is pulling in the same direction.”

“The Code of Conduct is almost ready and we will soon announce it,”Sports Minister Uma Bharti told PTI, adding that these should beimplemented by the States as well as the National Sports Federations.Sports being in the State List, the Government had to take the viewsof all the States, which unanimously favoured the Centre’s initiativeto rein in players in the wake of the CBI report indicting several topcricketers for their alleged involvement in the match-fixing andbetting scandal, the Minister said.She said the Government was of the view that the Code should beimplemented by the Federations themselves and for this they would betaken into confidence before announcing it. “Cricket se to hamariankhen khuli hein (It was the scandal in cricket which opened our eyesto the menace),” Bharti said adding the “too much commercialisation ofthe game has brought it to such an impasse.”The Code of Conduct was prepared after studying those of variouscountries and the provisions made there in, the Sports Ministersaid.”All the points which were found good enough to stop the menaceof match-fixing have been considered favourably and views of expertsin various fields were taken for preparing the Code of Conduct forIndian players,” she said. Asked whether CBI was still continuing itsprobe in the match-fixing and betting scandal which originated withDelhi Police taping the conversation between disgraced South Afrciancaptain Hansie Cronje and a bookie, Bharti said “no more inquiry isbeing conducted by CBI at present.”She said the Government was not against cricketers getting good moneyfrom the game as their playing career was short. “But we are againsttoo much commercialisation which lures players to look for easieroptions to make money,” Bharti added.”If commercialisation of cricket becomes the sole motive of theorganisers, then it no longer stays a game but becomes business. Andthis is what the Government wants to stop,” the Sports Minister said.

“There is a hell of a difference between good and great cricketers. If I have to name the great cricketers of all time, the list will be limited to very few. And I must add that, if Brian (Lara) continues to play the way he is playing now, he will definitely be there,” said Sir Garfield Sobers. He was speaking at a function to have a road – Sir Garry Drive – named after him.Although he did not specify all the names, Ian Chappell was mentioned. “Great players are those who can stay calm even during the toughest hours. Take the case of Ian Chappell. When he was made captain of the Australian side, Australia was not the best in the world. But under his able leadership, Australia became a champion side. He was truly an indomitable cricketer,” said Sobers.”Every generation has three distinct type of cricketers – good, better and great. But, as I said, there can only be a few who can feature in the all-time great list. In my list, I can include a maximum of three to four cricketers only.”Sobers’ standards are high; after all, he was the one who thought that there can never be a good ball to a great batsman. He still believes that a great batsman always uses his bat more than his pads to dominate the bowling. To illustrate his point, Sobers pointed to former England captain Ted Dexter, also present at the ceremony, and said, “He was a batsman of that class. I’ve always seen him to prefer to use his bat to counter quality spin bowling.”Sir Everton Weeks and Sir Clyde Walcott were also at the function, prompting Sobers to recall, “I still remember that Sir Everton presented me with a bat when I was not a regular with the Barbados team. I had the opportunity to bowl against the three Ws, and each of them inspired me to play well. That was really boosting.”A documentary titled “Down Memory Lane,” directed by elder brother George Sobers, was screened at the occasion. Sobers’ younger brother, Gerald, was present, and the great all-rounder maintained that Gerald didn’t translate his potential into success. “He should have played more in the international arena. We were called the ‘Chinese Brothers.’ At 15, we were playing against each other in a match when I played for the Country XI and he was in the City XI. I bowled four-five deliveries at him. Later, our friends were complaining that I should have bowled at least one half-volley to him, which I didn’t.”Sobers was naturally overjoyed, but at the same time, he acutely felt his mother’s absence. “Last year I lost her. It would have surely been great if she was here. But she is in heaven now and cannot be present at a function where her son is felicitated.”

Sikandar Raza and Steve Tikolo hit half-centuries to steer Southern Rocks to a four-wicket victory over Mashonaland Eagles in the Metbank One-Day Competition, chasing down their target of 253 with 11 balls to spare in the 40-over match.Pakistan-born Raza laid the foundation for the chase after his partner Steve Marillier was bowled by fast-bowler Douglas Hondo off the first ball of the innings. Raza hit eight fours and a six in his 77, which came off 61 deliveries. It was his maiden List A half-century.Former Kenya captain Tikolo guided his side home in what could have become a tense chase after six wickets had fallen with 47 runs still needed from 32 deliveries. Tikolo and Tendai Chisoro ensured there were no further hiccups with an unbroken 50-run stand that came off just 3.3 overs.Greg Lamb had earlier played an aggressive knock of 96 off 78 deliveries to lift the Eagles from 103 for 5 to 252 for 7. Lamb added 116 runs for the sixth wicket with Tarisai Mahlunge who made 47 off 49. Tikolo was the best bowler for the Rocks, taking 2 for 46 in eight overs.The Rocks earned four points for their victory.