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BRISBANE, Nov 8 AAP – Australia could lose luckless paceman Jason Gillespie for the rest of the Gabba Test match as the fallout continues from England’s stunning Ashes fightback.Gillespie will be forced to prove his fitness in the nets tomorrow morning after feeling another niggle in his troublesome calf muscle as England roared back into contention in the first Test today.At stumps on the second day, the tourists were 1-158 in their first innings in reply to Australia’s 492, with Marcus Trescothick (63 not out), Mark Butcher (51 not out) and Michael Vaughan (33) leading an aggressive assault on the world champions.They faced only three overs from Gillespie (0-5), who jolted his ankle while batting and then felt tightness in his calf after bowling.The 27-year-old remained on the field but was kept from bowling, leaving genuine fears he would rejoin the injury list after missing Australia’s last two Test victories with a torn calf muscle.”You have to weigh up the situation and if we think he’s got a serious problem then we’ll have to think about what’s best for him,” Australian physiotherapist Errol Alcott said.”At this stage, he’s functional and he can field … and I’m pretty confident but the human body, being what it is, means we’ll have to see how he pulls up tomorrow morning after eight hours of not moving.”He’ll definitely have to bowl (in the nets) before he goes out if he wants to bowl tomorrow.”It was news Australia didn’t need after watching England pick itself off the canvas.The tourists conceded 364 runs for the loss of just two wickets on a dreadful first day but the combined fight of their batsmen and bowlers enabled them to finish the second day equal on points.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf has said that both captain Shoaib Malik and coach Geoff Lawson will retain their jobs despite the team failing to reach the finals of the Asia Cup.”Let me make it clear once again that Shoaib Malik and Geoff Lawson were both appointed for two-year terms and they will at least continue till then,” he said. Ashraf had criticised the team last month for a 140-run loss to India in the league phase of the Kitply Cup in Bangladesh.However, on Friday, he said Pakistan were a young team that was improving. “It will take time to groom the players and we are doing our best in that,” he said. “Give me the same players who were part of the team in the 90s such as Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Aamir Sohail and others and see the result. We don’t have the same talent that we had in the 80s and 90s and we have to accept that as a reality.”Ashraf said he was happy with players’ attitude and their commitment. “I know personally the players are very committed. I can tell you that after we lost to Sri Lanka I went to the Pakistan dressing room and saw Shahid Afridi crying and wanting to be dropped from the team because he had not performed well. I saw Malik on a stretcher on drips and with cold packs on his body yet he went out and played in that match.”I feel sorry when some people in such circumstances question the commitment of some players. I have told them to give 100% and even if they lose that is alright but they must give 100% effort.”

Somerset cricketers will be spending the Jubilee Holiday on Tuesday in Cornwall playing cricket against Callington Cricket Club in a match in aid of Rob Turner’s Benefit.There may be a more relaxed match day atmosphere than usual for the Somerset team, but for Callington this is a very big occasion, and they will be looking to score the double over the Cidermen, having beaten them two years ago in a similar match.Jamie Hatch, from Callington Cricket Club told me: "This is a very special day for the club. Two seasons ago Peter Bowler brought a side down to play against us and we beat them so we will be looking to win again on Tuesday."Rob Turner is bringing a strong side down to Cornwall, and is expecting to include England stars Andy Caddick and Marcus Tescothick in the line up.Earlier today Rob told me: "This will be a most enjoyable way to spend the Jubilee Holiday, it’s always good to go down to Cornwall. Most of the first team will be playing and I’m expecting Marcus and Andy to play for me. I look forward to meeting everybody down at Callington and I hope that a lot of people will come along and support the event."The forty over match gets underway at 2 pm, and there will be a bar and barbeque serving refreshments

Hampshire Hawks suffered yet another defeat in the Norwich Union League Division II match this time against Lancashire Lightning, their sixth successive reverse in this league.There were perhaps a few more optimistic points to this performance than of late, in particular the batting of Jason Laney, and the bowling of the young James Tomlinson.Choosing to bat first, as is the norm in these floodlit matches, Hampshire struggled early on against the Lancashire seamers, the muggy conditions making the ball wobble about alarmingly.At 60 for 5, an early finish looked on the card, but this time the batting fought back, and posting 187 in the end was a testament to the grit that this team has at times. Jason Laney who has not been having the best of seasons scored a gritty 71, and he was helped in partnerships with Kendall, Mascarenhas and Tremlett.A partnership of 116 between Stuart Law and Mark Chilton gave Lancashire a platform that should have seen them coast to victory, not without controversy, when Law edged Tremlett to Johnson at slip, and was three parts back to the pavilion when he was called back, for the umpires to consult the third TV umpire, who was undecided by numerous replays, and had to give the benefit of the doubt to the batsman.On Law’s dismissal finally, Lancashire began to panic, and wickets fell at intervals, until with seven required off the last over skipper Warren Hegg drove Tomlinson for four to win it for the home side.Some questions however remained. Why was Law allowed to hang around when he had first accepted the catch from Johnson, why did Mullally and the economical Tremlett not bowl their full allocation of overs and why was Stuart Law awarded the Man of the Match award, an overpaid overseas star, when really Mark Chilton deserved the honour.

Before a ball of the new first class cricket season has been bowled, Somerset County Cricket Club membership is looking in a healthy position, thanks to the large numbers who have signed up for 2002.Membership secretary Joanne Betsworth told me earlier today: "Membership numbers for the new season are looking very good indeed, and we are well ahead of where we were at the same stage last season, which is all very pleasing. We are especially pleased with the number of new members who have signed up and also the numbers of Junior Sabres, which is a category we have worked very hard to promote."Accounts manager John Fitzgerald confirmed the financial situation and told me: "At the present time we are 20% ahead of where we were at this time in April 2001, which is largely due to the increased membership numbers."With the first home game of the new season against Glamorgan in the Benson & Hedges Cup scheduled to take place at the County Ground a week tomorrow, anyone intending to join should do so now to make the maximum use of their membership.Joining the club could not be simpler, just click on to the membership section on the website and complete the required sections, or telephone 01823 272946 and talk to Jo Betsworth.The club is looking to recruit people to work in the catering department on match days at the County Ground. For a Somerset fan this is a unique opportunity to combine business and pleasure and anyone interested should contact Brian Lee or San Safe on 01823 272946.

New Zealand’s women completed a clean sweep of three victories over the Netherlands when taking a 210-run win in their 45-over match in Utrecht today.The TelstraClear White Ferns batted first again and took the chance once more to change the batting order so that all players have ended the series with an opportunity to enjoy the chance to shake the New Zealand winter out of their systems before they get into the more demanding tri-series against India and England in the next few weeks.While Kathryn Ramel was trapped leg before wicket for a duck in the first over she faced, Nicola Payne and Haidee Tiffen added 138 runs for the second wicket. Tiffen scored 87 off 89 balls, her highest score for New Zealand, bettering her 69 scored against Australia last year.Payne scored 45 off 72 balls. While she had scored at least that many runs five times in her decade-long career for the Netherlands, it was her highest score for New Zealand, beating the 37 made in the first match of this series.Sara McGlashan was not out 41 off 48 balls faced. Frances King and Aimee Mason scored 31 and 26 respectively before each being run out. Rachel Pullar was unbeaten on two when the innings ended with New Zealand having scored 263/5.Emily Drumm, Nicola Browne, Kate Pulford and Louise Milliken did not bat.New Zealand’s bowlers were untroubled in wrapping up the victory. Pulford achieved outstanding figures of four for five off 3.1 overs.They were her career best figures for New Zealand, as she had only taken two wickets previously for the side. King capped off a great day with three for nine off seven overs, adding best bowling figures to her best batting performance earlier on. The other wicket takers were Mason with two for 15 from 10 overs and Browne who took one for two off her solitary over.

Adam Gilchrist wants to remain Australia’s No.7 batsman even though he has moved into territory surpassed only by Don Bradman.Gilchrist pushed his Test average beyond 60 when he blasted another century against South Africa yesterday, taking just 108 deliveries to make 138 not out in the Second Test in Cape Town.He is on the path to batting greatness, with a record matching the likes of Gary Sobers and Len Hutton after 41 Test innings, but Gilchrist remains convincedwicketkeeping should be his No.1 job in cricket.His latest century was perhaps more devastating than the unbeaten 204 he made in Johannesburg two weeks ago because the left-hander came to the crease withAustralia in trouble for the first time in the series.Less than three hours later, Gilchrist had his sixth Test century, a blistering career strike rate of 81.3 and an average of 61.48 – a mark only Bradman bettered among international batsman to have played at least 15 Tests.He has scored 398 runs on the South African trip and been dismissed only once – in a tour match – while his Test average has soared past the likes of HerbertSutcliffe (60.73), George Headley (60.83) and South Africa’s Graeme Pollock who was previously second best on 60.97.Gilchrist doesn’t possess the classical style of the likes of Greg Chappell or Sachin Tendulkar (average 58.57) but he boasts a brutal ability to score on both sides of the wicket against any attack in world cricket.But he doesn’t want to move from his lower order position, even as the Waugh brothers again come under pressure after twin failures in Australia’s first innings total of 382 after two days of the Test against South Africa (239 and 0-7).”I’m really comfortable there. It’s been a feature of my career at first-class standard but whenever I’ve strung a couple of scores together the question arises do I need to bat higher,” Gilchrist said.”It’s a well-balanced team and we’ve been successful. I’ve got no need to think of any other changes.”Other Test teams would rush Gilchrist into their top ranks, especially with a strike rate that is peerless in modern day cricket.At more than 81 runs per 100 balls, it is miles better than some of Australia’s most aggressive batsmen, including Michael Slater (53.29) and Mark Waugh (52.13), and powerful New Zealander Chris Cairns (54.14).”I’m a bit amazed at those sorts of figures and I just try my best to maintain that and keep going,” Gilchrist said.”It’s certainly not what I could have expected or hoped for but it’s going well.”The key is trying to maintain it for as long as you play because there is going to be down times and I’ve experienced a couple of those.”I don’t want to get too high when I’m high or too low when I’m low.”I’ll talk about the average when I’m finished.”Gilchrist was satisfied that his rescue mission yesterday, featuring in a 135-run partnership with Shane Warne (63 from 65 balls) resulted in his first consecutive centuries in Tests, helping ease his disappointment from India last year when his lightning 122 in Mumbai was followed by scores of 0, 0, 1 and 1.”I’ve always felt the innings after a big innings is important and I’ve tended to miss out straight after,” he said.”It was one of those days when they seemed to bowl in the areas you like to be bowled to in and … as far as an innings goes it’s one of the best I’ve been able to string together and play, particularly at Test level.”While Gilchrist received a standing ovation from the Newlands crowd, the Waugh brothers did nothing to buck the pressure tightened by their axings from thenational one-day team in the last month.Steve was out for a duck, making a mess of a delivery from recalled spinner Paul Adams (4-102) which deflected from his pad to the stumps.Mark lasted longer but he did not get out of second gear in his scrappy 25, leaving the job ahead of the 36-year-olds to prove they can remain dominant forces in the Australian team.

Retiring New Zealand wicket-keeper Adam Parore achieved the goal that he has always targeted, reaching 200 wicket-keeping dismissals when taking one of the key wickets for New Zealand in their 78-run win over England in Auckland today.Parore caught Graham Thorpe, double century maker in the first Test, for four runs off Daryl Tuffey’s bowling.It was an important milestone in terms of wicket-keeping and he had been stuttering his way towards it through the series.It had been nice to finally get the dismissal so that he could get on and enjoy the day.The people who are on the list ahead of him had always been his heroes since he had been a child.”I used to read about them in books and watch them on videos,” he said.Inevitably, he was asked about the appeal from Andrew Flintoff in the first innings when replays showed the ball was nowhere near the bat.”I heard a sound and appealed.”We’ve had nine caught behinds given not out that were definitely out this summer. You get some freebies and some go against you, that’s the game. If the umpire turns one down I don’t blame the batsman for not walking off the ground.”It’s got nothing to do with us, the umpires make the decision and you live by it. Some go your way, some don’t,” he said.On reflection, Parore said that starting young had been a good thing but it meant that he was not really a good Test player until about halfway through his career.Parore did explain a possible reason for the catching problems New Zealand experienced during the series, and which produced the unusual sight today of a reliable fieldsman like Chris Harris completely failing to see a ball coming at him at gully, while Brooke Walker also struggled to see a ball that flew past him at point to the boundary.He said it was the light at this time of the year, late in the season.”It is very milky, and a soft light, you have no idea where the ball is when it comes out of that sightscreen [southern end] at you,” he said.As regards his retirement he said there were other things he wanted to do.”For me the decision was made on a number of levels. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to play cricket any more, it was just that I wanted to do other things more.”I would like to have a career in business, not tour, have a family and I’m 31 years of age and got no job, I’ve got no family and I’m not married.At the end of my life I always saw myself as people thinking of me as a cricketer.”It’s something I’ve thought about seriously for five years now,” he said, adding that he started to think seriously about last October, it hadn’t been a bolt out of the blue.He ends his career after 78 Tests in which he scored 2865 runs at 26.28 with 197 catches and seven stumpings.

The National Cricket League has been pushed back by six days and will start on October 20 to kick off the 2012-13 domestic cricket season in Bangladesh. The country’s only first-class competition was supposed to start on October 14 but a split formed within Bangladesh Cricket Board directors regarding the number of first-class teams in this year’s revamped competition and who would control them.There was concern among those directors who were nominated from the districts and divisions that due to the introduction of the franchise system to the first-class competition, hitherto under the jurisdiction of divisional cricket authorities, the control of the teams would be shifted to the franchisees. But BCB’s senior vice-president Mahbubul Anam, also the head of this tournament’s governing council, said that the dilemma will be fixed once the franchisees and the divisional authorities put together an agreement paper and discuss with the board president.The number of teams has been kept at eight though there were strong arguments to drop Dhaka Metropolis and Rangpur after some directors thought it would be unwise to have some teams under the board’s finance with others under the private franchisees. Ultimately however, there are likely to be four franchisees, two of whom – Prime Bank Foundation and Walton – have already signed Memorandum of Understanding with the cricket board earlier this week.Meanwhile, it was also announced that cricketers who fail to make themselves available for their respective teams without the physio’s official report and permission from the BCB will not be considered for selection for the Bangladesh team, while each team will be allowed to recruit and field two overseas first-class cricketers. The match fees have also been doubled, with each member of a playing XI earning Tk 40,000 ($500) per game this season.The first four games will begin on October 20 before the tournament takes a break due to Eid holidays and will resume in early November.

On the heels of two successive victories over their formidable opponents, Carl Hooper is expecting South Africa to rebound with venom in the second Cable & Wireless One-Day International at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) today.”They are definitely going to come back. There are no two ways about that,” the West Indies captain said yesterday.”They are going to come back, and come back hard in this game, and we have got to be prepared for that.”South Africa’s last-ball defeat in the opening match of the series at Sabina Park on Saturday was only their second loss in their last 12 One-Day Internationals and it followed a defeat against the West Indies in the final match of the Test series.Two wins in succession, in whatever form of the game, have not been commonplace for the West Indies during the last ten months, but they are not enough to make Hooper’s men feel they are on top of the world.”I don’t think we are in a position where we can even think about being complacent,” he said.”We’re only 1-0 up in a seven-match series, so there is still a lot of cricket to be played. If we had won four (games), we probably would be looking at it differently. We’ve got to try and win this one here and try and win four games as quickly as possible.”Hooper was speaking after the West Indies’ practice session at the Airport Ground and he pronounced himself fully fit after sustaining cramps in both legs while batting on Saturday.”Jamaica was just a bout of cramps caused by the loss of too much water but I am 100 per cent fit and ready to go,” he said.”I had a bat yesterday and today and I feel fine. I’m okay.”West Indies, however, suffered a casualty with the unavailability of the hard-hitting Ricardo Powell, who sustained a thigh strain while batting in Jamaica. In any case, there was a feeling that Shivnarine Chanderpaul would have challenged Powell for his place.There is another change to the side, with local boy Kerry Jeremy predictably making way for Nixon McLean. Jeremy bowled five expensive overs in Jamaica.The match is the West Indies’ first at the ARG since 1989 and only the sixth ever One-Day International in this country.West Indies have never lost here in their previous four appearances, but when they last played at the ground, Vivian Richards was still captain of a team that included the likes of Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Jeffrey Dujon, Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop.Interestingly enough, Haynes made a century when the ARG hosted its first One-Day International in 1978 and Greenidge had the pleasure of hitting the only other three-digit score when the ground staged its last match involving the West Indies.Hooper is the only survivor from those days.The recent wins would have boosted everyone, but the West Indies captain said it was important that the trend be maintained.”We struggled a little bit during the Test series and we finally managed to pull one back in Jamaica and then won the first One-Day game, which was good for our confidence,” he said.”Obviously, we want to continue the winning ways and hopefully build team-morale and confidence as we look towards the future.”What the experience of the last two weeks proved to the West Indies was that they have what it requires to overcome opponents who trounced them 5-0 in the 1998-99 Test series and 6-1 in the One-Day Internationals that followed.”We’ve won one and think we should have won that one by a wider margin,” Hooper said in reference to the Jamaica match in which the West Indies nearly slipped up in pursuit of a target of 201.”We’ve shown that we’ve got what it takes to beat them. I don’t see any reason why shouldn’t win again here and then hopefully take the same thing down to Grenada.”The match marks the debut One-Day International appearance of Antiguan umpire Clancy Mack.