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ECB considers cutting Championship fixtures

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As the Twenty20 juggernaut rumbles on, a report in the Daily Telegraph claims that the ECB is considering cutting the number of County Championship matches to accommodate the Champions League, which will take place in September 2010.A proposal by Alan Fordham, the ECB’s head of cricket operations, includes several schemes such as reducing the number of Championship games from 16 to 12, and possibly splitting the tournament into three divisions.At the heart of the idea is the realisation that squeezing in two Twenty20 competitions from 2010 will mean an increasingly punishing schedule for county players. The ECB is also, so the article claims, interested in hosting the Champions League which would overshadow the traditional end to the season.”I’m aware this is under consideration,” Durham chief executive, David Harker, told Cricinfo. “We are torn between the current situation which from our point of view is about having enough time between games. This season we have had a number of horrendous journeys the length of the country and the schedule like that concerns me.”However, we are aware that reducing Championship matches can eat into the supporter base and there’s no easy answer.”A consultation paper was circulated to counties over the weekend, but it will face a hard time getting approval from chairmen as it will be mean a reduction in the number of matches available for their members to watch, as well quite possibly producing a far more complex schedule.In a bid to appease these concerns, the ECB might be willing to introduce yet another late-season domestic competition.A final decision is expected at the full ECB board meeting on July 29.

Champions League expanded from eight to 12 teams

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The domestic Twenty20 winners of West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, as well as Delhi Daredevils, will also get an opportunity to participate in the inaugural Champions Twenty20 League, to be held from October 8-23 in India, just after the Champions Trophy. Lalit Modi, the tournament’s chairman, said the prize money for the tournament will be US$ 6 million, and the draw will be held in London on June 23 after which the venues will be finalised.Delhi have been included on the basis of having topped the round-robin stage of the 2009 IPL. They will be joined by Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore, the 2009 IPL finalists.Other 2009 domestic finalists and winners include Victoria and New South Wales (Australia), Cape Cobras and Eagles (South Africa), Otago (New Zealand), Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) and Wayamba (Sri Lanka). England’s Twenty20 Cup only begins on Monday and the finalists will only be decided on August 25.There will be a total of 23 matches and the teams will be divided into four groups of three each to play on a league basis before the top two teams from each group move on to the second stage. The four top teams from there will play the semi-finals.Last year’s IPL finalists Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings will not be eligible. Sialkot Stallions, the winners of Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 tournament, will not feature as originally scheduled because their government has restricted travel to India.”Unfortunately, the Pakistan government won’t give them clearance to come to India, and since yesterday was out cut-off date, it’s not possible to have a team from Pakistan this year,” said Modi. “Delhi Daredevils this year have highest points from the league. But from next year, the third team from India will be decided from a play-off between the two losing semi-finalists.”Modi also said that players from the unofficial ICL could also represent their domestic teams, provided they resign from the league before May 31. However, if their domestic sides qualify for the Champions League those players will not be allowed to play as part of a “one-year cooling period”.The tournament was initially supposed to held from December 3-11 2008 in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore but was put off after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The cancellation came as a huge blow for the teams that qualified for the 2008 edition, as they would have received at least US$250,000 as participating fees. Each team gets a minimum guarantee amount for playing in the tournament.On the night of the IPL final in Johannesburg, Modi said on television that the fourth season of the IPL, in 2011, could feature ten teams instead of eight.

Tactical time-outs could be reduced – Modi

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Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, has said there is a possibility that the tactical time-out in the middle of each team’s innings could be changed from one interval of seven and a half minutes to two breaks of two and a half minutes each for the semi-finals and final of the second season of the IPL.”It’s not frozen yet but we are looking at two aspects. There will be two two-and-a-half-minutes break per innings, so the break in all during an innings will be of five minutes,” Modi told NDTV. “The first two-and-a-half-minute break will be just after the Powerplay [6 overs] and the second to be taken by the fielding side at any time.”It happens in every sport, there is a strategy break and everything. But 7.5 minutes may look like a bit longer, so we are seeing how we can reduce it down to five minutes” However, he said that the idea was yet to be ratified by the tournament’s technical committee.The tactical time-out has played a part in shifting the momentum in the Twenty20 games and has usually benefited the fielding team with the batting side losing wickets in the overs immediately after the break. It was criticised by Sachin Tendulkar, the Mumbai Indians captain who felt that the breaks were “hampering the momentum of a team”, Kings XI Punjab coach Tom Moody and VB Chandrasekhar, Chennai Super Kings’ head of cricket operations. Other experts were also not certain of how much value it added to the game.Kolkata Knight Riders coach John Buchanan had called for the number of overseas players in a XI to be increased from four but Modi said it was not going to happen. “This is the Indian Premier League,” he told the . “The focus is on getting local talent and I have shoved away the idea of increasing the number of foreigners.”

Tendulkar and Jayasuriya overwhelm Kolkata

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Demolition derby: Fans got to see a rare combined batting exhibition from two legends of the game•AFP

Many a time over the last 15 years or so fans of this great game have wondered what it would be like if Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya opened together in a limited-overs game and really turned it on. Today they got a glimpse.The two masters of the limited-overs game, with a combined age of nearly 76, treated Port Elizabeth to the cleanest, purest exhibition of batting that this season of the IPL has seen. Tendulkar paved the way with a sublime innings and Jayasuriya followed suit with an explosive hand, the veteran pair combining to raise a century stand in 52 balls that flummoxed Kolkata Knight Riders. That stunning opening assault formed the crux of Mumbai Indians’ 187 and though Kolkata restricted the damage with six wickets for 48 runs after the tactical break, the damage had been done. Their only realistic chance at victory rested on their explosive openers’ shoulders but once they were gone inside three overs the chase was basically kaput.Mumbai’s first five overs were busy, without being spectacular. Tendulkar was beaten a couple times by Ishant Sharma but upper-cut a six and flicked a four in Ashok Dinda’s first over. That set the tone for a busy innings, taken up a level when he pulled Ishant for six from outside off stump.While Tendulkar whisked the ball off his pads and slapped through point, Jayasuriya didn’t get much strike. His first shot in anger was a chip just over extra cover’s fingertips and a signature clip to fine leg followed. Mumbai were 45 for 0 in five overs. What followed was carnage.Jayasuriya, who was on 8 as Tendulkar scurried to 30, launched Sourav Ganguly’s gentle military-medium stuff for consecutive sixes; Tendulkar swept Ajantha Mendis for six; Chris Gayle went for ten in six balls; Mendis was dumped for two sixes by each batsman in his second over. Tendulkar’s fourth six, a deft pick-up over midwicket off Mendis, raised his fifty from 34 balls. Jayasuriya had blasted 33 from 13 balls. The 100 was up in 8.4 overs. When the tactical break was taken Tendulkar was 60 off 39 and Jayasuriya 43 off 21, Mumbai 111 for 0.For a man who has only played one international Twenty20, Tendulkar batted with amazing fluency. He got the wrists into play superbly, pulling and cutting hard, and used his crease to negotiate the pacers. Mendis wasn’t even allowed to settle; Gayle was effortlessly reverse-swept.There were no crude shots, no cross-batted slogs from Tendulkar and Jayasuriya. This was clinical hitting – each veteran knew the field and backed himself to pick the gaps. It was the experience of 1138 combined international games coming together in a mesmerizing mosaic of boundaries. In between clearing his front leg to lift Mendis there were clever late dabs from Tendulkar, neat tickles from Jayasuriya.That assault was in stark contrast to the second half of Mumbai’s innings, when Kolkata regrouped. The scoring slowed after the break and Tendulkar fell to Laxmi Shukla, looking to take the ball from off stump and work it to leg. Harbhajan Singh strode in, clubbed 18 from 8 balls, and sent a full toss to deep midwicket. Jayasuriya looked for width but instead chipped to cover for 52 from 32 balls. Then Abhishek Nayar was run out, Dwayne Bravo top-edged to the deep, and Shikhar Dhawan edged Ishant. Gayle bowled a decent last over and Mumbai were unable to end on with a flurry.Kolkata needed almost 9.5 runs an over inside a stadium rumbling like a Jay Z amplifier, and the pressure of chasing a large total under lights affected the Kolkata openers early in their innings. Brendon McCullum shouldered arms to his first ball before he steered Lasith Malinga to point. Gayle thumped Bravo for the 150th six in the IPL only to edge his West Indian team-mate to slip.Sourav Ganguly wasn’t allowed to come onto the front foot and so he used his feet to loft Bravo down the ground for six and four, and with that try for some momentum. But Ganguly struggled to find the boundaries thereafter and Brad Hodge never really threatened with 24 off 22 balls. Both were to fall against the tidy seam-up bowling of Nayar in successive overs, the last nail firmly hammered into Kolkata’s coffin.Nayar, Bravo, Zaheer Khan and Malinga didn’t have to do much but keep it near the stumps and wait for an urgent shot. Each struck rather easily and the rest of the batting card made for disappointing reading as Kolkata fell short by 92 runs. From 71 for 3 when Hodge fell, Kolkata folded for 95 in 15.2 overs.A powerful batting display was followed by an efficient, shining effort in the field, aptly demonstrating that Mumbai pretty much have all the bases covered.

South Africa regain spark too late

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AB de Villiers took several strides towards his goal of becoming the world’s No. 1 batsman•Getty Images

9
AB de Villiers
South Africa’s leading run scorer for the series with 357 at 89.25.Importantly he made contributions in all three matches, beginning withan against-the-tide 104 in Johannesburg and finishing with amagnificent 163 that helped set up the victory in Cape Town. Isreluctant to take over the wicketkeeping duties in future because hewants to focus on becoming the world’s No. 1 batsman and made somestrong steps forward during the series.8
Dale Steyn
Along with Mitchell Johnson, the equal top wicket-taker for the serieswith 16 at 29.62. But disappointingly Steyn’s best performance came inthe dead rubber and when the series was there to be won in the firsttwo Tests he lacked the zip and spark that had been so evident inAustralia. Still put together some terrific spells and his bouncerbarrage at Phillip Hughes in Johannesburg was one of the enduringmemories of the trip.Jacques Kallis
Had a strange series in that for most of it he appeared to be out oftouch yet still posted 289 runs at 57.80 and was behind only Hughesand de Villiers on the tally. Found his best form in Cape Town, wherehe scored his first Test century in 11 months, and captained SouthAfrica to an innings victory. Also became the first South African toreach 10,000 Test runs and proved that he is still a force at thehighest level.Ashwell Prince
Was cruelly overlooked for the first two Tests despite being thevice-captain and having scored a century in his previous Test innings.When he returned for the dead rubber at Newlands it was in theunfamiliar opening role but he put the disappointment behind him toscore a fluent 150 that set up the victory and left the selectorswondering what might have been had he played in Johannesburg andDurban.7.5
Paul Harris
His major contribution, a nine-wicket match haul, came in the deadrubber but it was enough to earn him Man-of-the-Match honours. Despitebeing on the wrong end of some heavy treatment in Johannesburg, he wasa constant threat throughout the series and underlined that he hasbecome an important member of the South African attack.6.5
Makhaya Ntini
Arguably the most consistent of South Africa’s bowlers in that he wasrarely dominated by the batsmen. However, he also failed to take anybig match-changing hauls. He is certainly coming towards the end of asuperb career but can still be a threat in short, sharp spells, if notthe strike weapon that he once was having now lost a yard of speed.5.5
Hashim Amla
At his best a joy to watch but is developing a frustrating habit offailing to go on with his positive starts. His list of scores for thisseries read 1, 57, 0, 43, 46 and on the tour of Australia he wassimilarly unable to move past the 50 region. Is being viewed as SouthAfrica’s long-term No. 3 but must soon take the next step and begin topost some big centuries.JP Duminy
Fell back down to earth after his phenomenal tour of Australia. RickyPonting’s men felt he was susceptible to quick bouncers and it proveda good ploy. Duminy lost confidence when pelted with short stuff andtwice was caught gloving bouncers behind. His best performance was anunbeaten 73 in Durban, which was a terrific effort as only one of histeam-mates reached double figures in that innings.Morne Morkel was too inconsistent and leaked too many runs•Getty Images

Albie Morkel
Came in only for the third Test and his major impact was with the bat,when he struck an entertaining 58. Also picked up the important wicketof Ponting in the first innings but has some work to do to provehimself as a Test bowler.5
Graeme Smith
Apart from a solid 69 in the second innings in Johannesburg it was aseries to forget for Smith. It began with a duck at the Wanderers andfinished for him with a broken hand in Durban courtesy of a risingdelivery from Mitchell Johnson. It was quite a turnaround from hisstrong tour of Australia and it’s a series he will be keen to putbehind him as soon as possible.Mark Boucher
Was as reliable as ever behind the stumps but with the bat he had noimpact whatsoever. A series tally of 62 runs was not enough from theman who South Africa rely on to shepherd their lower order.4
Neil McKenzie
Had his Test career almost certainly terminated for good when he wasaxed after the Durban loss. Wasn’t in terrific form but in three ofhis four innings had made solid starts and reached the 30s. Will find it very difficult to fight back into the team.3
Morne Morkel
Was wayward with the ball and thoughtless with the bat. Picked up sixwickets in the first two Tests but was terribly inconsistent andleaked a few too many runs, which lost him his place for the deadrubber in Cape Town. Threw his wicket away with reckless pulls in bothinnings in Johannesburg, which was exactly the opposite of the kind ofbatting required given the match situations.Imraan Khan
Came in as McKenzie’s replacement and played a couple of good shotsbefore he was out for 20 in his only Test innings. Hard to judgewhether he can become a regular Test player in the future but willalmost certainly be the man to miss out when Smith returns.

Australia announce U-19 squad to play India

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Australia failed to make it past the quarter-finals in the Under-19 World Cup in 2008 © George Binoy
 

New South Wales’ Josh Hazlewood has made it to the Under-19 squad for the one-day series against India next month as well as the preliminary squad for the 2010 U-19 World Cup to be played in Kenya. Mitchell Marsh and Alister McDermott, sons of former Test players Geoff Marsh and Craig McDermott respectively, are also part of both squads.Last year, Hazlewood at 17 became the youngest fast bowler to be picked by his state for a first-class match – against the touring New Zealanders. If picked for Kenya, he will be appearing for his second World Cup. He took six wickets in four games in the 2008 edition in Malaysia. Hazlewood was 6’5″ during the tournament and his coach Brian McFayden expected him to grow a couple of inches. “We see him as a future Australian player,” McFayden had said.The squad for the India series will assemble in Hobart on April 4. The two sides will play three one-dayers and two three-day games between April 7 and April 21 in Hobart and Perth.Geoff Tamblyn, the chairman of Cricket Australia’s National Youth Selection Panel, said the series would provide the players some experience. “The squad to face India provides a great opportunity to all players selected to test their skills and performance against the reigning world champions at under-19 level.”Tamblyn was also pleased with the “exceptionally talented squad” for the World Cup. “The squad contains some players who have tasted state cricket in Australia, one of the strongest domestic competitions in the world,” he said.Under-19 squad to play India:
Sean Abbott, Tim Armstrong, Tom Beaton, Jackson Coleman, Adam Coyte, Luke Doran, Jason Floros, Joel Garrett Josh Hazlewood, Nic Maddinson, Mitchell Marsh, Alister McDermott, Kane Richardson, Tom Triffitt, Adam Zampa.Preliminary World Cup squad:
Sean Abbott, Tim Armstrong, Tom Beaton, Tom Brinsley, Nicholas Buchanan, Alex Carey, Jackson Coleman, Adam Coyte, Travis Dean, Anthony Del Borrello, Matthew Dixon, Luke Doran, Jason Floros, Joel Garrett, Jake Hannan, Peter Hanscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Michael Johnson, Alex Keath, Nic Maddinson, Mitchell Marsh, Alister McDermott, Jordan McLennan, Ryan Meyer, Kane Richardson, Angus Robson, Andrew Tazelaar, Tom Triffitt, Sam Whiteman, Adam Zampa.

Pakistan recall Asim Kamal for first Test

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Ahmed Shehzad wasn’t part of the original probables but his 146 in the tour game was too hard to ignore © Cricinfo Ltd
 

Pakistan’s selectors picked five uncapped players in their 15-man squadfor the first Test against Sri Lanka in Karachi, also recallingmiddle-order batsman Asim Kamal. Under-19 opener Ahmed Shehzad, who scored ahundred in a warm-up game against the tourists, was a surprise first-timepick, while others joining him as first-timers in the Test setup are fastbowlers Mohammad Talha and Sohail Khan, opener Khurram Manzoor andallrounder Fawad Alam.The selectors picked Shehzad following his 146 for the PCB Patrons XI inthe two-day tour match against the Sri Lankans in Karachi, againoverlooking Nasir Jamshed. The opening batsman was also a part of theU-19 squad for the World Cup in Malaysia last year.”Shehzad was not selected in the initial squad of 22 but I said last weekthat we can pick a player from outside the first list,” chief selectorAbdul Qadir said. “So after hitting a hundred against Sri Lanka we couldnot ignore Shehzad.”Kamal’s return is otherwise notable, capping the end of a three-year Testexile. Kamal played the last of his 12 Tests in 2005 against England,since when he has been the subject of contentious debate among severalselection committees and captains.He has been in steady, rather than spectacular, form this season (451 runsin eight Quaid-e-Azam trophy games) but his many backers will argue thathe should never have been dropped in the first place. The man who leadsthe domestic run-charts, Fawad Alam (855 runs at 122.14) providescompetition alongwith Faisal Iqbal for a middle-order berth.There will be mild surprise elsewhere at the exclusion of Sohail Tanvir,essentially dropped at the expense of Yasir Arafat. The selectors believethe pair were vying for the same spot, and though both were in finedomestic form, Arafat’s impressive Test debut against India in Bangalorein 2007 – the last Test Pakistan played – ensured he got the nod.

A selection disagreement?
  • There is tension between Qadir and Younis and it isbelieved that some of the finer details in the squad’s make-up were thebone of much contention between the pair. “The captain is the general of the team who has to lead the side in the field so it’s a good thing that he should select his own final playing XI,”Qadir said.
  • But it is understood that the selection of Shehzad, enthusiastically put forth by Qadir, did not please Younis, mostly as it came from outside the22 probables picked. But communication between the two is strainedcurrently and one member of the selection committee spent much of the dayplaying mediator between the two before the squad was announced.

The emergence of Talha hasn’t helped Tanvir’s cause either;highly-regarded by men such as Wasim Akram over the last two seasons,Talha has set the domestic scene alight, with 34 wickets so far in sixgames.Kamran Akmal has also been retained in the side, despite a team managementreport after the ODI series loss to Sri Lanka, which specifically askedfor a replacement to be found for the continually under-performing Akmal.Qadir indicated the decision was Younis Khan’s, strangely admitting ithadn’t crossed his mind.The squad was the first picked by this committee and Younis, who took overas captain of Pakistan from Shoaib Malik after the ODI loss to Sri Lanka.Squad: Younis Khan (capt), Salman Butt, Khurram Manzoor, Ahmed Shehzad, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Fawad Alam, Yasir Arafat, Danish Kaneria, Kamran Akmal (wk), Umar Gul, Mohammad Talha, Sohail Khan.

New Zealand call on rookies for big test

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The 19-year-old Trent Boult has impressed the selectors during his first season in the State Shield © Getty Images
 

New Zealand will bring two uncapped players in Trent Boult and Brendon Diamanti to Australia for next month’s five-match Chappell-Hadlee Series. Boult, a left-arm fast bowler, is only 19 and is part of the 14-man squad that will attempt to forget the 2-0 defeat in the Test campaign late last year.”Trent has been impressive in his first season in the State Shield, with 13 wickets at an average of 23.84,” the selection chairman Glenn Turner said. “He’s also performed well for New Zealand A and the national Under-19 side and we believe he’s ready to step up to the top level.”The allrounder Diamanti comes in for Jacob Oram, who is again struggling with injury after picking up a heel complaint during the 2-1 series win over West Indies earlier in the month. Oram also missed the Test series in Australia due to problems with his body.”Brendon has impressed with his big hitting in the middle to lower order,” Turner said. “His 28 off nine balls for Central against Canterbury earlier this month was an outstanding match-winning knock. He’s also an experienced go-to bowler, he has variation with the ball that’s especially valuable in the Powerplays.”Peter Fulton’s strong performances for Canterbury should lead to opportunities in the middle order and Iain O’Brien has been recalled to the one-day team for the first time in almost a year. “Iain showed good form in the Test series and has carried that into the State Shield,” Turner said. “He’s done well in successfully adapting to the limited-overs game, bringing in more variation in pace.”The tour opens with a warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra on January 29 before the first ODI in Perth on February 1. “We’re treating this somewhat like a home series,” Turner said. “We may look to bring players in and out of the squad as required.”New Zealand squad Daniel Vettori (capt), Trent Boult, Neil Broom, Brendon Diamanti, Grant Elliott, Peter Fulton, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (wk), Kyle Mills, Iain O’Brien, Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.

All to play for as series heats up

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Match facts

Shaun Tait will be back in action for Australia at his home ground for the first time in more than a year © Getty Images
 

Monday, January 26
Start time 1.45pm (03.15 GMT)

The Big Picture

Australia must win on their national holiday to keep the five-match series alive following another nerveless chase from South Africa in the third game in Sydney on Friday night. Apart from the 2-1 disadvantage, the most troubling thing for the hosts is that they don’t feel safe with any total. South Africa have been stunning during their pursuits of 271 in Melbourne and 269 at the SCG, and the only time they fell short was in the five-run defeat in Hobart.Australia have plenty of fire at the top of the order, but things haven’t been going as well in the middle, and the bowling during South Africa’s batting Powerplay and at the death has been loose. Nathan Bracken, who has been the only exception, will be missing in Adelaide with a calf strain. Both sides are experimenting with new players, but with two matches to go it is the South Africans who feel the most comfortable.

ODI form guide

Australia – LWLWW
South Africa – WLWWW

Team news

South Africa have suffered a crucial blow with the wicketkeeper Mark Boucher out of the rest of the series with a broken toe caused by a Shaun Tait yorker. AB de Villiers will take the gloves as Boucher hopes to recover for the first Test in South Africa late next month. Jacques Kallis picked up a side strain on Friday and will continue to be monitored; his batting is fine but bowling causes discomfort. South Africa have so far resisted the move to promote Albie Morkel from No. 8, despite him bashing 91 runs from 45 balls in the three matches, but now they might not have a choice.South Africa (probable) 1 Herschelle Gibbs, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Neil McKenzie, 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Morne Morkel, 9 Johan Botha (capt), 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Makhaya Ntini, 12 Vaughn van Jaarsveld.Ryan Harris, the Queensland fast bowler, is in the 13-man squad for Bracken, but hasn’t been able to push ahead of Ben Hilfenhaus and will watch with Nathan Hauritz, who took 2 for 60 off nine overs in Sydney, from the boundary. Cameron White is back after being left out on Friday and Ricky Ponting expects him to get a decent bowl. The move to pick an extra bowler and shift Brad Haddin to No. 6, where White will bat, did not help secure a match-winning total at the SCG.Australia 1 Shaun Marsh, 2 David Warner, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 David Hussey, 6 Cameron White, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 James Hopes, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Ben Hilfenhaus, 11 Shaun Tait, 12 Nathan Hauritz.

Watch out for …

Shaun Tait is back playing an international match in front of his home crowd for the first time since December 2007 and will be desperate to impress his supporters. Despite the often lifeless surface, Tait is able to create plenty of problems with his speed and late movement. He has been troubling batsmen during the series without finding the brutal spell that will kick-start his national return.Herschelle Gibbs struggled in the opening games after coming back into the side following his rehabilitation from an alcohol problem, but he seemed to experience a few moments of clarity in racing to 64 off 52 balls in Sydney. There were 10 fours, a six, and a huge dose of confidence. On a flat surface in Adelaide, where the square boundaries are short, he could provide more danger.

Pitch & conditions

When thinking of Adelaide it’s usually all about runs, but in the past three years the highest score has been Sri Lanka’s 8 for 274, and there have been three completed innings in the 100s. It will be “dry, hot and sunny”, according to the weather bureau, with temperatures of 35C predicted.

Stats and trivia

  • Australia have lost two of their past four one-day series at home, with the wins coming over Bangladesh and New Zealand
  • In 37 ODIs in Adelaide Australia have won 27 and lost 10, while South Africa have been successful on three out of four occasions. This will be the first time the teams have faced each other in a one-dayer at the ground
  • Albie Morkel’s strike-rate after three games is a Twenty20-esque 202.22
  • Makhaya Ntini, Johan Botha and Dale Steyn lead the series wicket list with five each

Quotes

“You do and don’t [like the attention], but it’s something that comes from being a professional athlete. There are ups and downsides and you’ve just got to cope with that. At the moment, I’m doing fine.”
David Warner, Australia’s opening batsman“I am training to play at eight, it is perfect to have guys down the order who can hit the ball out of the park in the Powerplay. That puts pressure on the fielding team.”
Albie Morkel

Debutant Warner destroys South Africa

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

David Warner launched six sixes, including a couple of monsters over midwicket © PA Photos
 

David Warner made one of the most memorable international debuts imaginable as he lit up the MCG with 89 from 43 balls to set up Australia’s 52-run win over South Africa. Not even a superb 78 from JP Duminy could rescue South Africa’s chase and he watched his partners fall around him as they fizzled out for 130 in the 18th over.The crowd appreciated Duminy’s brilliance, particularly when he scooped a Shaun Tait half-volley over the wicketkeeper’s head for six, but it was Warner who was undeniably the star of the show. It was an incredible situation for a man previously so unknown that the scoreboard operators didn’t have a photo of him when the teams were displayed.Warner, 22, had already created history by simply playing the match; he was the first man to debut for Australia in any format without first-class experience since 1877. It’s a fair bet he might get a game for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield after this performance.His innings featured six sixes, including a paddle over fine-leg off Dale Steyn and Warner’s personal favourite, a baseball-style slog over midwicket off the same bowler. What made the strikes even more impressive was that they were the first two deliveries Warner faced from Steyn, the man who caused Australia so much trouble in the Test series.Warner raced to his half-century from 19 deliveries and it was the second-fastest in Twenty20 internationals, behind the brutal 12-ball effort of Yuvraj Singh when he put Stuart Broad away for six sixes in an over. The previous quickest for Australia was a comparatively unhurried 25-ball display from Andrew Symonds two years ago.South Africa’s bowlers simply didn’t know where to bowl to Warner. A tiny man at 170 centimetres, he was so strong on the leg-side that one six off Jacques Kallis more resembled a home run as it threatened to reach the second tier of the Ponsford Stand before falling just short. It was a sight that must have pleased the IPL Delhi Daredevils, who signed Warner last month on the strength of a couple of blitzes at state level.When the fast men tried to force him to play through the off side he demonstrated equal proficiency there. One cut for four off Kallis was so finely placed that Warner, who could hardly see daylight between the men at point and backward point, managed to split them. He also demonstrated his cricket brain by driving twos regularly when the field was back.His breathtaking effort finally came to a close when he holed out to long-on off Makhaya Ntini, who had been on the wrong end of two consecutive sixes from Warner in the third over of the match. In the end South Africa did well to keep Australia relatively quiet following Warner’s departure.David Hussey (19) and Luke Ronchi, who made 11, were caught before they could reach full flight, and Ntini and Albie Morkel chipped in for two wickets each before Steyn finished things off with 3 for 38. Fortunately for Australia, South Africa’s effort was just as uneven.Apart from Duminy’s effort, their chase never quite got back on track following the second over of the innings, a particularly nasty one from Tait in his first international match in nearly a year. No delivery in his first over was slower than 150kph. His first ball was a vicious 152kph bouncer that whacked Kallis on the shoulder but worse was to come for AB de Villiers.Tait dug in a 155.4kph delivery short of a length, de Villiers looked to pull and bottom-edged the ball onto his hip. As he folded in pain, he lowered his bat in the follow-through and crashed it into his stumps. Hit wicket is an unfortunate dismissal at any time but it was a particularly embarrassing exit for de Villiers as he hobbled off clearly in pain with a bruised hip, although South Africa were hopeful of him making a quick recovery.Nathan Bracken, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes and David Hussey all chipped in for wickets and the scorecard was so lopsided that besides Duminy, no batsman passed 12. Duminy was outstanding and, apart from his six off Tait, he played much more typical cricket strokes than Warner.A cover-driven four off Tait proved to Duminy’s team-mates that the fastest man in the match was playable, and a straight-drive to the boundary off Hilfenhaus would on most days have been the shot of the match. His half-century took 35 deliveries but as the required run-rate ballooned, so did his risk-taking increase, until he was lbw to Hussey trying a lavish reverse-sweep.The finish came when Tait rattled the stumps of Lonwabo Tsotsobe with 12 balls remaining. Tait’s fiery 2 for 36 was just as impressive a sign for Australia as Warner’s display. Australia retained their unbeaten record in Twenty20 internationals at home, and will look to continue their dominance when the teams meet again at the Gabba on Tuesday.