Mickey Arthur, South Africa’s coach, expressed his disappointment at theNewlands pitch, but insisted that his side would go all out for the winthat will clinch the series. He commended his bowlers for having kept theIndian scoring rate under control, and hoped that a couple ofbreakthroughs with the new ball on the second morning could swing the gamehis team’s way.”We are disappointed with the wicket,” he said, not bothering to dress uphis despair in diplomatic terms. “It certainly isn’t what we were lookingfor. But you’ve got to play on whatever track you get.”The new-ball bowlers didn’t make the Indian openers play enough, butArthur said that he was satisfied with the effort put in, adding that theshort-pitched tactics had been worthwhile given the manner in which Indiacapitulated at Kingsmead.”We bowled pretty decently as a unit,” he said. “India haven’t got awaywith the game. We still have the new ball and if we can strike early blowstomorrow morning, we’ll be really happy.”I don’t think the Indian batting had much confidence after Durban. We hadto try and expose the chinks with the short ball. The follow-up deliverywas always the important one.”Even if the second new ball, now 10 overs old, does the trick, the onuswill be on South Africa’s batsmen to pile up a formidable total to stay inthe game. “We realise that our first innings with the bat is really goingto be crucial,” said Arthur, though his reading of the pitch seemed alittle bizarre.”Against New Zealand, it was a similar pitch,” he said, perhaps forgettingthat that Test had been played in late April, with winter imminent. “Itturned on day one and then went on to become a good track. We areobviously hoping that’s the case.”Though Paul Harris came through well on his debut, troubling most batsmenduring the course of a tidy 24 overs, the sharp turn out of the roughmight have sent a few shudders down South African spines. “We were justtelling him after play, that we didn’t expect him to bowl the most numberof overs,” said Arthur. “Especially not on the opening day of a Test inSouth Africa.”Arthur praised Wasim Jaffer’s innings and said that India’s decision toopen with Dinesh Karthik hadn’t caught his team cold. “We saw him in thenets in Durban, and were pretty sure that he might open here,” he said. Asfor what lay ahead, Arthur remained cautiously optimistic.”If we can restrict them to less than 380, we’ll be very happy,” he said.”We’re still looking for a win and will try and go as far as possible toachieve that. Our mindset is to win. We won’t hang on for a draw.”If the odd puff of dust late this evening was any indication, they mighthave to do just that against Anil Kumble.
At SuperSport Park, Centurion the Titans moved back to the top of the Standard Bank Cup table after stuttering to a two-wicket win in a match that could have gone either way against the luckless Cape Cobras who now prop up the bottom of the league without a win in five outings.Set a small target of 171, the Titans got off to a cautious start as Cobras bowlers maintained a disciplined line to subdue most of the Titans batsmen. Charl Willoughby’s immaculate line and length was rewarded with 3 for 21 in an uninterrupted nine overs. Ian Harvey took 1 for 12 in a spell of seven overs while left arm spinner Con de Lange took three wickets in the middle of his spell.With the Titans at 125 for 7 after 36 overs, the match was in balance but Johan Myburgh kept his head scoring a match winning 59 not out as the Titans scraped home with six balls to spare.The Cape Cobras had earlier also struggled to come to terms with the quick and bouncy SuperSport Park pitch and, after being asked to bat first, they were kept under pressure throughout their innings. Losing four wickets for 71 in the first 20 overs had not helped their cause, but JP Duminy (43) and Henry Davids (40) put on a near match winning partnership of 60 for the fifth wicket.Having done all the hard work both were run out after just getting into the forties. With the tail not contributing and 170 all out the Cobras, against an in-form Titans team, looked to be completely out of the game.
Despite suffering last-match losses, South Australia and Tasmania have named unchanged line-ups for the Pura Cup match at Bellerive Oval tomorrow. The Rebacks lost outright to Queensland last week at Adelaide while Tasmania were overpowered by Victoria at Hobart.South Australia Graham Manou (capt), Mark Cosgrove, Paul Rofe, Dan Cullen, Nathan Adcock, Callum Ferguson, Greg Blewett, Tom Plant, Ben Cameron, Jack Smith, Mark Cleary, Shaun Tait.Tasmania Daniel Marsh (capt), Michael DiVenuto, Michael Bevan, Sean Clingeleffer (wk), Jamie Cox, David Dawson, Michael Dighton, Xavier Doherty, Andrew Downton, Brett Geeves, Adam Griffith, Damien Wright.
An exotic dancer from Melbourne has joined the chorus of women making allegations about Shane Warne’s behaviour, following claims made by the South African Helen Cohen Alon, that he had harassed her with text phone messages.The dancer, a married 38-year-old, has apparently come forward because what she perceives to be unfair treatment meted out to Cohen Alon, who was recently described as a “hairy-backed Sheila” by the former Test batsman David Hookes.”She says all the things that happened to her, this South African woman, happened to this woman as well,” said Harry M Miller, an Australian celebrity agent. “The stuff this woman alleges, if it’s true, will make a huge noise everywhere.”Meanwhile a former employee of Cricket Australia (CA) claimed they received regular complaints about Warne. “There’s just too many ladies with too many stories,” she told Channel Seven with her face hidden and voice distorted. “He made life very difficult for the staff there.”But CA general manager Peter Young said he didn’t know what the fuss was about. “I’ve been here for nine months and it’s not a fact that we get complaints about Shane Warne every day of the week,” he said. “We received calls about Shane when the anti-doping case was on, and we have received complaints about him this week in regards to the allegations, which remain only allegations at this stage.”Warne’s behaviour again in the spotlight
The chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Tim Lamb, believes it will be possible to persuade England’s players that it is safe to tour India next month, despite the ongoing military action in Afghanistan.ECB officials have called a meeting with the players to discuss the situation next week.Lamb told the BBC: “We’re confident that we’ll be able to persuade the players that the situation in India is not quite as serious as certain people have been led to believe.””We do understand that players are apprehensive, as this is a difficult and delicate situation, but that’s why we’ve called a meeting.””We can’t force people to get on the plane but the meeting will hopefully make them more confident about going to India.”Several England players, among them Graham Thorpe and Craig White, have expressed concern about whether it is safe to undertake the trip.
ScorecardSteven Smith struck 17 fours and four sixes for his unbeaten 152•Getty Images
Quality won out in the day/night Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval, with New South Wales obliterating South Australia in three days that served as a dry run for the floodlit Test to be played there next month.After Steven Smith and Ed Cowan continued on their merry way to set SA a distant target, the Blues bowlers shared the wickets to end the match early.Mitchell Starc was again a fiendish proposition, but he was well supported by Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, a combination that will next be seen against New Zealand at the Gabba.Starc’s dismissal of Travis Head for a duck maintained his recent domination of SA’s new captain, and though Callum Ferguson frustrated the Blues with a defiant 96, the result always seemed likely to be sealed a night early.
Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo could be available against Watford this weekend, according to medical expert Ben Dinnery.
The Lowdown: Knee ligament damage
The Spaniard, who has been hailed as ‘strong’ in the past by Kevin Campbell, started Jesse Marsch’s first two games in charge at Elland Road but hasn’t been seen since being stretchered off against Aston Villa.
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Firpo suffered knee ligament damage after colliding with Emiliano Buendia and has watched on over the last three games as the Whites collected seven points from nine.
Marsch gave Firpo a timescale of three to five weeks over a possible return prior to the win at Wolves in mid-March, and it seems as if the 25-year-old could now return for the trip to Vicarage Road.
The Latest: Firpo return imminent?
MOT Leeds News relayed an update from Dinnery’s injury tracker, which shows that a possible return date Firpo is this Saturday.
Leo Hjelde, who has also been sidelined with a knee problem, also has the same date with regards to a possible return.
The Verdict: Boost for Leeds
Stuart Dallas has had to fill in at left-back for Firpo in recent weeks, but it would be good news if the Spaniards is able to travel with the squad for the crucial meeting with Roy Hodgson’s side.
A win against the Hornets would be a major step towards safety for Leeds, so even having the 25-year-old back on the bench would provide some much-needed strength in depth at left-back.
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Marsch had limited full-back options last time out against Southampton, making Firpo’s return even more important.
In other news: ‘Bad news from Elland Road…’ – Big Leeds injury update emerges on Joe Gelhardt
Sehwag v Shoaib Action v reaction doesn’t get fierier. It’s the longest run-up against the most exhilarating bat-swing, the fastest ball against the speediest bat. Sehwag doesn’t do defence, Shoaib doesn’t do half-measures. Earlier collisions have produced fireworks. There’s also been plenty of lip. Sehwag has a strike-rate of 103.66 against Pakistan, Shoaib reserves his fastest for India. Both are on a comeback. Both like to make an instant impact. There are few more exhilarating ways to start a one-dayer. Blink and you’ll surely miss it.Younis v Sreesanth This may turn into a battle for the stump mics. Sreesanth will talk, mostly with a scowl, and Younis will chat back, mostly with a smile. Expect mid-pitch skirmishes and plenty of banter. Younis likes to cheer his partner after every quick single and Sreesanth is rarely short of a word while walking back to the start of his run-up. Both are capable of swinging matches – Sreesanth will rely on moving the ball at a good pace, Younis on finding the gaps in the middle overs. Both love to improvise – Sreesanth with his slower ones and Younis with his cheeky paddles and glides. Don’t miss this street-fight. It’s as spicy as it gets.Uthappa v Afridi Seasoned cheek meets youthful brashness in a high-energy battle. Whether it’s with his electric hitting or waspish legspin, Shahid Afridi likes to impose himself. A charged Afridi is usually a sign of a successful Pakistan set-up. He provides momentum quicker than the rest and turns games in a matter of minutes. In Robin Uthappa he could meet his match. Not one to shy away, Uthappa’s gung-ho approach has worked so far. Whether it’s his nonchalant walk down the crease or cool shuffle across it, he’s shown his value as a finisher. Incidentally, neither is likely to back away from a chat.
Pathan v Tanvir Left-arm seamers rarely come with so much of a contrast. Irfan Pathan has transformed from a genuine swing bowler to a containing middle-over specialist. Sohail Tanvir, with his unusual wrong-footed action, is a new-ball threat. Pathan’s stump-to-stump line is ideal for the middle and late overs while Tanvir’s discomforting bounce off a good length can be used to exploit any early fizz on the pitch. Both are handy batsmen lower down the order – Pathan more conventional with a wide array of strokes, Tanvir more unorthodox, relying on a crisp flick off the hips.Malik v Dhoni India v Pakistan provides a captaincy challenge like few others. Both Shoaib Malik and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are relatively new to the job, both are trying to build sides for the future, and both saw their sides reach the final of the World Twenty20 before subsequently stumbling in home series. Both are versatile batsmen capable of floating up and down the order and equipped to attack as well as defend. Both have faced the heat of an India-Pakistan series before but how they tackle the burdens of captaincy could decide the fate of the series.
Graham Roope, the former Surrey and England allrounder, collapsed and died in Grenada yesterday. He was 60.Roope will probably be best remembered for his outstanding close catching – he was one of the best slip fielders of his generation – and it was this as much as his batting that won him 21 Test and eight ODI caps between 1973 and 1978. He scored 860 runs in Tests at 30.71 as well as holding 35 catches, and was unlucky in that he seemed to be on the verge of finding his feet when he was discarded – he made seven fifties, but never reached three figures.He was at his best in backs-against-the-wall situations. At Karachi in 1977-78 he batted for almost five hours in making 56 (ended by a shocking lbw decision) to bail England out after they had collapsed to 107 for 5. And in 1975 at The Oval he made his Test-best of 77 against Australia after England followed-on. They saved the match, but England did not tour that winter and Roope was given a torrid working over by West Indies early the following season in a warm-up match and that cost him his place when the Test series started.He toured twice with England. In 1972-73 he visited India and Pakistan, where he made his Test debut, and in 1977-78 was on the trip to Pakistan and New Zealand.Geoff Arnold, the current Surrey bowling coach, who played with Roope for club and country, spoke to Cricinfo about his memories of his former team-mate. “He was a very affable and jovial guy. He was especially good against quick bowling and would often walk back with them to try and get them on his side.””As a slip fielder he was outstanding, I’d put him in the top half a dozen I’ve ever seen. He held some stunning catches off me for Surrey and England. In fact, if he ever did drop a catch it was often the easier ones that were coming straight at him. He had great reflexes as a goalkeeper and this showed when he was at slip.”And off the pitch, too, Arnold said Roope was a character: “He could talk the hind legs off a donkey in the changing rooms and was a great weather forecaster. We thought he could sense a drop of rain 300 miles away.”
The corkscrew-curled Roope was also a bit of a lucky charm – England only lost twice when he played. He was also the man at the other end when Geoff Boycott completed his 100th first-class hundred at Headingley in 1977.A front-foot middle-order batsman, Roope was a mainstay for Surrey for a decade and a half, and his best season came in 1971 when his 1641 runs at 44.35 were key to the county winning the Championship ( he also took 59 catches in that summer). His medium-pace bowling was also effective, more so in his early career. In 1968 he captured 50 wickets. He appeared in four one-day finals, finishing on the winning side only the once in the 1974 Benson & Hedges Cup.He represented Berkshire both before and after his first-class career, and was also a decent football goalkeeper, playing for Wimbledon, Kingstonian, Woking and Corinthian Casuals. After retiring he coached and did some commentary work.
Powered by Charlotte Edwards’s unbeaten 91, England Women crushed the India Under-21 Women’s side, cruising to a 10-wicket victory at the Kailash Prakash Stadium in Meerut. Set to chase a meagre 147, Edwards partnered with Laura Newton (51 not out) and reached the target inside 23 overs in front of 4000 spectators.The sponsors had promised about US$2 for every four and about US$12 for every six and by the end of the run-chase the opening duo ended up with a hefty purse. Edward’s knock was studded with 16 fours while Newton smashed two sixes and the money raised will go towards worthwhile causes.Diana David top-scored for the India U-21 Women with 40 not out, with the 34 extras the next highest contribution. After Katherine Brunt sent back the openers, Angha Deshpandey and Shweta Jadhav, the Indian side reached a reasonable position at 72 for 2 when Sindu Ashok was stumped by Jane Smit, the wicketkeeper. Then on, the wickets kept falling at regular intervals as Laura Harper grabbed three wickets for 16.England now play India A on Friday, a team that will include seven members from the India U-21 line-up and four members of the Indian national side.