Lara Bingle plays a mentor on Australia's 'Next Top Model'

Melbourne, July 14 (ANI): Lara Bingle has decided to try her hand at being a mentor by making a guest appearance on the forthcoming series of Australia's 'Next Top Model'.

Bingle offered some advice on the pitfalls of fame to the latest batch of contestants.

"She was really candid and very honest and talked about some of the mistakes she has made," the Daily Telegraph quoted the show's host Charlotte Dawson, as saying.

"She's been through some highs and incredible lows (but) felt comfortable talking," she said. (ANI)

Australia the team to beat in the WC: Johnson

After embarrassment at the Ashes, Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson says the defending champions are still the side to beat at the upcoming World Cup.

Australia's horrific 3-1 belting in the Ashes series has given way to a dominant performance in the seven-match one-day international series against England, with the home side leading 5-1 against the tiring tourists.

The final match is being played at the WACA Ground in Perth on Sunday, and the hosts have decided to rest captain Michael Clarke, coming off his best batting form in two months, and star all-rounder Shane Watson.

The pair have been replaced by local batsman Adam Voges and forgotten spinner Jason Krejza.

It is Australia's last match before their World Cup defence, in which they will be aiming at a fourth straight title, and their preparation hasn't gone smoothly despite the one-sided ODI series scoreline.

The final make-up of Australia's 15-man World Cup squad remains shrouded in mystery, with squad members Ricky Ponting (finger), Mike Hussey (hamstring) and Nathan Hauritz (shoulder) all battling serious injuries.

Reserves Shaun Marsh (hamstring) and Xavier Doherty (back) are also unfit, but Johnson said confidence in the camp was rising all the time.

"It is a bit of a different side, but there are a lot of guys there who have played one-day cricket for Australia," Johnson said.

"The guys coming in like Voges and Krejza have done well for their states as well.

"I think we've still got a well-balanced one-day side going into this last game, and we are taking a lot of confidence into it and then onto the World Cup.

"We are still the number one one-day side in the world so hopefully we win this series 6-1."

Australia enter the World Cup as the number one ranked side in one-day cricket, but if they need any proof that pre-tournament form doesn't count for much they only need look back to their 2007 campaign.

They lost their last five ODIs before the World Cup in the West Indies, but then went through the tournament unbeaten.

They have won their last 23 World Cup matches, their only blemish in their last 29 games the famous tie with South Africa in the semi-final at Headingley in 1999, which still enabled the Australians to advance to the final.

© AFP

Australia win after record ODI run chase

SYDNEY, Feb 2 (AFP): Australia conjured up their biggest ever successful run chase to beat England by two wickets in a thrilling sixth one-day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground today.

After a Jonathan Trott century helped England post their highest ever ODI score against Australia of 333-6, the home side batted their way into contention, needing six to win off the final over with two wickets in hand.

Tailender John Hastings edged a boundary off the second delivery from youngster Chris Woakes to hand Australia victory with four balls to spare, the home side making 334-8.

It was Australia’s record run chase in an ODI and extended their lead over the tourists in the seven-match series to 5-1 with one game to play.

Captain Michael Clarke’s late season return to form continued as he smashed 82 from 70 balls to lead the unlikely chase, with late support from David Hussey, who made 38.

The match seemed to be England’s to lose with Australia needing 70 off 48 balls, but the pair took 16 off James Anderson’s eighth over — the 44th of the innings.

They followed it up by notching 14 off Anderson’s ninth as the England bowler went on to finish with a disastrous 91 runs from his 10 overs.

Shane Watson, with 51 off 34 balls, got the home side off to a flying start in reply to what had the look of a match-winning total by England, before falling to the spin of Michael Yardy.

Mitchell Johnson was promoted to number four and made 57 before being stumped from the bowling of Kevin Pietersen, while the recalled Callum Ferguson was run out for 46.

An Australian win seemed unlikely after Trott’s second century of the series helped England post what was also their highest ODI score in Australia.

Trott continued his superb series by making 137, taking his haul for the series to 361 runs at 72.20, the English number three the leading scorer for either side despite his team’s indifferent form.

Before falling to the second-last ball of the innings Trott was offered good support by captain Andrew Strauss, who made 63 from just 69 balls, and Ian Bell, with 45 from 32 deliveries.

Trott, was earlier given out lbw on 82 to Shaun Tait but handed a reprieve after a review of the decision, reached triple figures for the fourth time in ODIs from exactly 100 balls, having hit seven boundaries.

In an outstanding game for the England man he took a brilliant catch to remove Brad Haddin (20), and bowled during the Australian innings.

SCOREcard

England: Andrew Strauss c Hussey b Smith 63, Matt Prior b Johnson 18, Jonathan Trott c&b Tait 137, Kevin Pietersen c Smith b Lee 29, Ian Bell c Clarke b Tait 45, Eoin Morgan c Tait b Watson 21, Paul Collingwood not out 7, Chris Woakes not out 0. Extras: (B-1, LB-3, W-6, NB-3) 13. Total: (For six wickets; 50 overs) 333. Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-121, 3-189, 4-293, 5-319, 6-330. Bowling: Brett Lee 9-1-66-1, Shaun Tait 10-0-60-2, Mitchell Johnson 6-0-43-1, John Hastings 7-0-48-0, David Hussey 4-0-25-0, Steve Smith 7-0-40-1, Michael Clarke 1-0-7-0, Shane Watson 6-0-40-1.

Australia: Shane Watson c Strauss b Yardy 51, Brad Haddin c Trott b Anderson 20, Callum Ferguson run out 46, Mitchell Johnson st Prior b Petersen 57, Michael Clarke run out 82, Cameron White c Morgan b Finn 20, David Hussey c Prior b Finn 38, Steve Smith run out 0, John Hastings not out 7, Brett Lee not out 2. Extras: (W-11) 11. TOTAL: (For 8 wkts in 49.2 overs) 334. Fall of wickets: 1-71, 2-87, 3-166, 4-194, 5-224, 6-314, 7-317, 8-327. Bowling: Chris Woakes 9.2-0-72-0, James Anderson 10-0-91-1, Steven Finn 10-0-51-2, Michael Yardy 10-0-47-1, Kevin Pietersen 6-0-43-1, Jonathan Trott 4-0-29-0.

Ponting predicted success for Harris at international level a year ago

Melbourne, Feb 2 (ANI): Skipper Ricky Ponting had tipped a year ago that the latest bowling discovery Ryan Harris will excel after an eight-season first-class apprenticeship with South Australia and the Bulls

"I'm not surprised by it. When we first saw him 12 months ago everyone could see that he had great talent to bowl decent pace and swing the new ball," he said.

Harris took 3-44 in Sunday night's eventful one-day clash in Perth to secure the Man of the Series honours in Australia's 5-0 hammering of Pakistan.

Harris's determination to prove that he would be no one-hit wonder at international level spurred him to take 13 wickets at 8.15 in just three games.

"It's going to be hard to ignore what he's done isn't it - 13 wickets in three games, a pretty low economy rate and early wickets in every one of those games as well," FOX Sports quoted Ponting, as saying.

Harris is now firmly in the frame for Australia's tour of New Zealand and for another series win against Chris Gayle's West Indies outfit.

Rested players, left-armer Doug Bollinger and all-rounder Shane Watson, will return to Ponting's line-up leaving selectors with a nice, though welcome dilemma.

"Ryan's taken the first wicket in the last three games for us. So it's hard to ignore those sort of performances but once we get everyone back fit and healthy, the selectors are going to have some tough decisions to make," Ponting said. (ANI)

Lee not ready to end Test career

BRETT Lee is going to use his injury-enforced absence from cricket to decide if he has the hunger to fight for his spot in the Test team.

''I want to keep playing for Australia but to be totally honest with you, I need to get away from the game to work out what the future holds,'' Lee said yesterday while nursing an elbow injury and giving the impression he's bracing himself for the possibility he will never play cricket for his country again.

''If I need surgery, that would need anywhere between six to 12 to weeks away and that would be perfect for me to work out exactly what I want. There are personal issues I need to sort out, which I keep pretty close to my chest. It's a really, really tough time for me but also an exciting time to think of what the future holds. I think I spent, up until last week, two nights at home in close to nine months. That's a massive issue. I don't want to spend that amount of time away from home ever again. That was very tough, I'll be very honest.''

Lee's three-year-old son Preston had his birthday on Monday. The situation is complicated by the divorce of Lee and Preston's mother, Liz Kemp, this year. Lee has seen Preston on Skype more than in the flesh lately.

''I have to be honest with you guys, I have to be honest with myself, there are a lot of things I need to work out both with cricket and my personal life,'' he said. ''There's a lot more to me than just a fast bowler, I can tell you. There are a lot of other interests.''

Preston is the biggest. Music is another, a likely future career. Cricket still rates highly but sadly, the truth is that an outstanding Test career is as good as gone. Even if elbow surgery is successful, a recall in the traditional format would be unlikely as he turns 34. It is probable that Lee will spend his twilight playing days in one-dayers and Twenty20. He's always been intent on being the first speedster to reach 400 one-day wickets. He's on 324.

''It [retirement] is a very tough question,'' he said. ''The things that have been tough for me over the past six, eight, nine months is getting injured prior to the Ashes series, but most importantly being six months away from my little boy. That's been really tough. They're all things I need to weigh up. If I don't play another game for Australia, or play another game of cricket ever again, I'm very pleased with what I've achieved. More than I ever would have expected when I was at the age of 10. But I also think there's a lot of good cricket left in me yet, which is why I'm not making any big call about my future.''

Lee was primed for the Ford Ranger Cup game on Sunday. The plan was to let rip against Tasmania before letting rip in the shield match at the SCG this week.

''I'm very disappointed my elbow hasn't pulled up the way I wanted it to,'' he said. ''I was below par, couldn't bowl full pace. Under different circumstances, in a different game, I probably would have pulled out after the first spell but I needed to find out how far I could push the elbow, if it would get better. But, by the third spell, I'd only reached 140km/h. That's way down on pace. I had to be honest with myself - I was kidding myself if I thought I would be right to play today.

''I hope to know ASAP about surgery. I've had one opinion from a specialist and I want two or three others to work out why the pain is happening, what's causing it, pretty much exhaust every avenue and every possibility prior to going under surgery. That's the last resort, the surgery, but if that's going to fix the problem and allow me to keep playing cricket, I'll do it.

''The pain was pretty excruciating on Sunday. I knew the first two or three balls. I've got no doubt that if it's a successful operation, I'll be back to bowling fast. But if I can't bowl fast, then I won't bowl. When you try to bowl 155km/h for 16, 17 years, there's a lot of wear and tear in the body. There have been comments that I've been injured all the time. You can't play 76 Test matches if you've been injured all the time. I've always found a way to bounce back but how long that hunger will be there for, I don't really know.''

Akhtar has no fitness issues: Pak team manager

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket team manager Yawar Saeed has dismissed reports that controversial pacer Shoaib Akhtar was facing fitness problems ahead of the One-day series against Australia in Abu Dhabi and Dubai starting on Wednesday.

He said Akhtar was training as hard as other players of the team.

"He (Akhtar) has been through some grueling practice sessions and has also bowled in the nets. We have not seen any problems with his fitness," Yawar said from Dubai where Pakistan was training for the five-match ODI and a one-off Twenty20 series against the World Champions.

He said since the team's arrival in Dubai last week, regular training sessions were being held and Akhtar didn't miss a single one of them.

"I don't know from where these stories are coming that Shoaib (Akhtar) could break down during the series as he is not 100 per cent fit. But so far on basis of the sessions we have had he looks fine," Yawar said.

However, doubts still remain over Akhtar's availability for the entire series as he has a history of breaking down with fitness issues midway through a tournament.

Akhtar was selected for the Australia series after passing a fitness test in Lahore.

The fast bowler from Rawalpindi, who has a history of disciplinary and fitness issues since his debut in 1997, made a comeback to the national team in January after a 14-months gap in the home series against Sri Lanka, but was later dropped after the first two ODIs for lack of form and fitness.

Source: http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Akhtar-has-no-fitness-issues-Pak-team-manager/articleshow/4422920.cms

South Africa beat Australia to seal series

PORT ELIZABETH: Herschelle Gibbs made an emotional return to form as he hit a century which set up a series win for South Africa in the fourth One-Day International at St George's Park on Monday.

South Africa won by 61 runs to take a winning 3-1 lead in the five-match series. It was South Africa's third successive One-day series triumph against Australia and ensured they would retain their world number one ranking in One-day cricket.

Gibbs hit 110 as South Africa made 317 for six after being sent in to bat on a slow pitch.

Australia made a good start in reply, with Brad Haddin (78) and Michael Clarke (50) putting on 129 for the first wicket. But their innings lost momentum against the slow bowling of Roelof van der Merwe (three for 46) and Johan Botha (one for 48).

Fast bowler Dale Steyn took four for 44 to wreck the bottom half of the Australian innings as the tourists were bowled out for 256.

Gibbs and AB de Villiers (84) put on 136 off 123 balls for South Africa's third wicket in a partnership filled with sparkling strokes and audacious running between wickets.

When he reached his 21st One-Day International century Gibbs acknowledged the crowd then sank to his haunches and appeared to wipe tears from his eyes.

It was the first major innings played by Gibbs, 35, since drink driving charges against him were withdrawn last month in return for agreeing to do 100 hours of community service.

Earlier in the season he spent time in rehabilitation for alcohol-related problems after his arrest last year. He made his runs off 116 balls with two sixes and nine fours.

"It's been a long time coming but I knew there was one coming, it's been boiling for the last few games," said Gibbs.

"It was just time for me to get through the first ten overs and take it from there."

Ponting's decision to send South Africa in to bat in a must-win game for Australia was influenced by a good record for teams batting second on the small Port Elizabeth ground, including a successful chase by Australia, who were set to make 327 in 2001/02.

Australia had won four out of five previous matches against South Africa at the ground.

"Our batting is our strength so we backed our strength to chase runs," said Ponting. "We thought it (the pitch) would do a bit more than it probably did this morning but Herschelle played beautifully and AB played really well."

Haddin raced to a half-century off 41 balls as he and Clarke gave Australia an ideal start.

Haddin appeared to target Johan Botha, the off-spinner who has bowled economically in two series against Australia, hitting two sixes in Botha's first over, which cost 14 runs.

Botha was taken off and was hit for another six by Haddin when he returned four overs later. But in trying to hit another ball out of the ground he lofted a catch to long-on.

Van der Merwe took the next three wickets with his left-arm spin as the required rate climbed rapidly.

Ponting hit four boundaries off Steyn in the first over of a batting power play in the 41st over but hit the last ball to midwicket to be out for 53, effectively ending his team's hopes.

"At 130 for nothing I was feeling a bit nervous," admitted South African captain Graeme Smith.

"But our spinners did it again. The two-spinner option has worked well for us and it's nice to finish off with a series win for the country. It means a lot to us."

Source: http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/4th-ODI-South-Africa-beat-Australia-to-seal-series/articleshow/4396896.cms

Australia not keen to play in Pakistan - PCB

KARACHI (Reuters) - Australia are not keen to tour Pakistan for a one-day series in April and May and the matches could be played at neutral venues, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt said on Monday.

Butt told a news conference after a meeting of the governing board that Australia had indicated it still had security issues playing in Pakistan.

"Chances of them agreeing to play in Pakistan are slim. They have asked us to suggest three neutral venues where the series can be relocated," Butt said.

He said England, Malaysia and the Emirates states of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai were under consideration to host the five one-day internationals and a twenty20 match.

Butt said the neutral venues would be discussed when he met with Cricket Australia officials in Perth later this month during the ICC executive board meeting.

Australia refused to tour Pakistan last year for a test series citing security and safety concerns for its players.

The Australians have not played in Pakistan since 1998 and a test series in 2002 was also relocated to Colombo and Sharjah.

"We want Australia to play in Pakistan but our first priority is to ensure the series is played. We have to be realistic, flexible and pragmatic about having this series," Butt added.

The birth of Test cricket

A look back to the first game in cricket's premier format

While there had already been four major tours by English sides to Australia, the team arranged and captained by James Lillywhite that l eft England in November 1876 was the first to visit as a business venture rather than following an invitation.

Three years earlier WG Grace had led a similar venture, but there had been deep divisions within the group and Lillywhite's Cricketers Companion had noted that it was unlikely that any attempt to mix amateurs and professionals would happen again.

Lillywhite, who had been involved in that unhappy trip, learnt from his experiences and relied entirely on professionals, leaving all the amateurs at home. While he had a strong bowling attack, the best batsmen were by and large the absent amateurs - the previous summer only four of the top 26 in the averages were professionals. And with every penny spent eating into the venture's profits, the squad was made up of only 12 players, meaning very little rest for those involved.

This was also the first trip to play matches against anything other than odds. The Australian teams were generally considered to be too weak to meet on equal terms, and so opposing sides fielded as many as 22 players. That helped account for the remarkable number of wickets and eyebrow-raising analyses of the leading bowlers on such trips. Alfred Shaw took 19 for 50 against XXII of Newcastle, for example.

But Australia's cricketers were improving fast, and Lillywhite's side were challenged to an 11-a-side game by New South Wales shortly before the tour diverted to New Zealand for six weeks in mid-January 1877. Although the tourists had the better of a draw in the two-day game, the other states were not about to be outdone and Victoria issued a similar challenge.

Meanwhile, Lillywhite's side played eight odds matches in New Zealand. While there, they lost wicketkeeper Ted Pooley, an inveterate gambler, who was left languishing in a Christchurch jail after a betting scandal, and so they returned to Australia with the core 11 players.

The financial demands of playing as many games as possible meant that Lillywhite had accepted the Victorians' offer and on March 15, barely 24 hours after they arrived back, the 18th match of the tour took place at the MCG between Lillywhite's XI and a Combined Australia XI, a side raised between the Victoria and New South Wales authorities. Although not advertised as an international, it is recognised this was the first match between two representative teams and it was subsequently given the accolade of being cricket's first official Test.

England came into the game in a poor state, exhausted by endless cricket and travelling without a chance to rest - Pooley never rejoined the squad - and the reserve keeper, Harry Jupp, was suffering from an inflammation of the eyes. One of the XI, James Southerton, was 49 when he made his debut. Jupp was not trusted to keep wicket but the lack of any reserve meant that he had to play. As it was, he top-scored for England with 63 in their first innings.

Australia, too, had their problems, with a simmering row between the Victoria and New South Wales associations undermining preparations. The biggest loss came when the great fast bowler Fred Spofforth refused to play because he disapproved of the choice of wicketkeeper, insisting in vain that Billy Murdoch play. The selectors brought in Frank Allen as Spofforth's replacement, only for Allen to pull out after deciding he preferred to attend a local fair.

Around 1500 spectators were inside the MCG when, shortly after one o'clock on a sunny afternoon, the first ball in Test cricket was bowled by Alfred Shaw to Charles Bannerman. The first run came off the next delivery, and the first wicket in the fourth over, when Allen Hill bowled Nat Thompson. The ignominy of the first duck fell to Edward Gregory later in the day.

The MCG at the time had one newly built grandstand that could seat 2000, with the remainder of the ground surrounded by a grass bank. By the close 4500 people had turned up, but few bothered to use the stand, which was said to have only a smattering of people in it all day.

At the close, 5pm - there had been around three-and-a-half hours' play - Bannerman had made 126 out of 166 for 6, Test cricket's first hundred. The two teams spent the evening at the opera.

Bannerman continued to dominate the next day until, shortly after lunch, the middle finger on his right hand was split by a lob from George Ulyett, forcing him to retire hurt on 165. His percentage of the innings - 67.3% - remains a record. It was not the best innings and he was helped by what contemporary reports described as poor bowling and fielding. He was dropped when in single figures - a simple chance to mid-off hit a nonplussed Tom Armitage in the stomach.

Armitage, determined to make amends, bet his captain £7 to £1 that he would make a fifty. He failed in that regard as well. In his defence, he, like several of his team-mates, had suffered from severe seasickness on the return trip from New Zealand and was reportedly barely able to stand on the morning of the match.

In reply to Australia's 245, England were bowled out for 196, Billy Midwinter taking 5 for 78. It would have been far worse had either umpire spotted that Jupp had trodden on his wicket before he had scored, but he survived the appeal, to the booing of the crowd.

England did better second time round, dismissing Australia for 104 in front of a third-day crowd of 12,000. Bannerman, severely incapacitated and given a rousing reception as he walked out, was again dropped, this time before scoring, but it wasn't nearly such a costly miss, as he made only 4.

Chasing 154 to win, England were skittled for 108, with slow bowler Tom Kendall (like Bannerman, born in England) taking 7 for 55. Their chase might not have been helped by the large lunch, and copious quantity of beer, they consumed during the break. They lost Allen Hill second ball, slogging to mid-on, and within an hour were 22 for 4. From there, on a wearing pitch, there was no way back.

The margin of Australia's victory was 45 runs, a result remarkably repeated in the Centenary Test in March 1977. "The combined team worked together with the utmost harmony and goodwill," reported The Australian.

There were the almost customary moans about the quality of the pitch and the umpiring, but of more concern to Lillywhite's men was their share of the gate money. Southerton noted that throughout the trip "the financial returns rarely tallied with the estimated number of people present".

The Australian XI were all presented with a gold watch each by the Victoria Cricket Association - captain Dave Gregory getting a slightly larger one - while a public subscription raised £83 for Bannermann and £23 for Kendall and wicketkeeper John Blackham.

Although England squared the series by winning the second Test, the Australians were jubilant at having shown that they could match their rivals. One newspaper summed up the mood in an editorial on the day Lillywhite's side set sail for home. "It shows that in bone as muscle, activity, athletic vigour, and success in field sports, the Englishmen born in Australia do not fall short of the Englishmen born in Surrey or Yorkshire".

"For the time being," wrote the Argus, "we must forget we are Victorians and New South Wales and our geographical distinctions, and only remember that we are of one nation - Australia."

Is there an incident from the past you would like to know more about? Email rewind@cricinfo.com with your comments and suggestions.

Martin Williamson is executive editor of Cricinfo and managing editor of ESPN Digital Media in Europe, the Middle East and Africa

© Cricinfo