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PERTH – Steve Waugh celebrated the last Ashes series victory of his longcareer after leading Australia to another crushing defeat of England inthe third Test at the WACA Ground.Waugh equalled Allan Border’s national record of 32 Test victories ascaptain when Australia finished off England by an innings and 48 runsinside three days to record its eighth consecutive Ashes series win.England is broken, losing the first three matches in a combined 11 days,and its tour was typified by the sight of tailender Alex Tudor leavingthe ground on a stretcher after he was struck by a short-pitcheddelivery from Brett Lee.Tudor required six stitches to a gash above his left eye but the woundinflicted on England by the rampant Australians is yet to be realised.The tourists were dismissed for 223 in their second innings, just 38runs more than they managed in their first dig after Australia compiled456 in its opening innings.Waugh admitted the Australians yearned for another tough series to rivallast year’s epic battle in India but the 37-year-old may not receivethat wish before he retires.He still pushed away retirement talk but it is almost certain he will begone when England hosts the next Ashes series in 2005.”I know it’s sooner rather than later but I haven’t put a date on it,”Waugh said.”I didn’t want to consume myself with the thought of retiring. I want togo out and enjoy my cricket and at the moment I’m doing that.”There will be a time when I’ve got to sit down and have a serious thinkabout it.”The ultimate goal in the back of my mind is winning in India but that’sa long way off – it’s 18 months away.”If there is one thing that would entice me to keep playing is to win inthe subcontinent but that may be out of my grasp.”A farewell Test against England in front of his Sydney home crowd nextmonth looms as the perfect ending to Waugh’s career but the determinedcaptain has rarely shown a sentimental side.He has become cricket’s most ruthless leader, pushing Australia towardsonly the second 5-0 cleansweep in an Ashes series, but he admitted thesuccess had its downside.”Some of the series we’ve had – beating the West Indies 5-0 (in 2000-01)- and some recent series it has felt a bit hollow,” Waugh said.”We would like to come up against a side that would really get stuck inand play tough Test match cricket and make it really tough to win.”I don’t want to sound big-headed about it but some of the victorieshave been a little bit easy.”The three victories over England have been landslides – 384 runs inBrisbane and an innings and 51 runs in Adelaide – before Australia edgedtowards another predictable result today.The victory was delayed by the fight of England captain Nasser Hussain(61) and Alec Stewart (66 not out) after Mark Butcher (0) gave thetourists a disastrous start to the third morning.He was involved in the run out of Michael Vaughan (nine) before beingtrapped lbw by Glenn McGrath from the next delivery, swinging his batinto the stumps in anger as he left the field.Butcher was fined 20 per cent of his match payment, about $2,200, byreferee Wasim Raja while Hussain also vented his frustration after hisdismissal by kicking equipment in the dressing room.”I believe the dressing room is a sacerd place and after the last coupleof months I have had I believe I can kick a cricket case in my owndressing room if I want to,” Hussain said.”We have been very, very poor in three games and we have not put theball in the right areas and we have not batted particularly well and wehave been outplayed.”We have let people down. We have been brought down by a greatAustralian side and our own inadequacies and the injury situation whichhas been unbelievable.”Tudor added to the injury woes but he should be ready when the Testseries resumes in Melbourne on Boxing Day after a break for the firstsection of the triangular one-day series, also featuring Sri Lanka.Tudor fell to the ground in pain amid genuine concern from theAustralian team, including Lee.”This is the fastest pitch in the world and you’ve got quick bowlers onboth sides and there is always going to be a lot of bumpers,” Waughsaid.”The odds are someone is going to get hit at some stage and you justhope it’s not going to be serious.”

Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman and commissioner, has firmly ruled out the possibility of any team that includes cricketers associated with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League (ICL) participating in the proposed Champions League Twenty20 tournament, even if these players are dropped just for the event. This implies that those cricketers cannot play even in the domestic tournaments that serve as the qualifying stages for the Champions League.It’s a scenario that could open up a host of legal issues in England, with the possibility of players suing their counties if they are dropped from the Twenty20 sides. Alternatively, it could mean that most of the English county teams will not be eligible for the proposed US$ 5 million event that is expected to feature the top two Twenty20 domestic teams from India, England, Australia and South Africa. Currently, there are around 25 players, spread over 15 of the 18 county teams, with official links to the ICL.”We are very clear on that,” Modi, who is a major force behind the Champions League, told Cricinfo. Asked if counties with ICL players would be invited if they drop these players for the event, Modi said, “No, even that is not possible. Only teams that have no ties at all with ICL players will be invited… others are automatically disqualified.”The ECB had on Saturday issued a press release which said that the ECB, Cricket Australia, the BCCI and Cricket South Africa had “reached an agreement for the staging of the inaugural Champions League this autumn” to be staged either in India or the Middle East.An ECB spokesman told Cricinfo that Cricket Australia were drawing up the rules for the competition and “it would be wrong to prejudge their decision”. It is expected that the regulations will be finalised during the ICC annual conference in Dubai at the end of the month.However, Modi indicated today that the ECB’s press release did not present the final picture and was issued earlier than expected. He said details of participating teams, venues and possible dates were yet to be finalised and all that had been formalised was just an “in-principle agreement” to host such an event.

ScorecardNondescripts Cricket Club (NCC) gave their coach, Samath Perera, a fitting farewell by winning the Under-23 Youth Tournament Division 1. NCC beat defending champions Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in the three-day final played at the SSC in Colombo.The match ended in a draw, but NCC won as they had gained a first-innings lead. SSC scored 290 in reply to NCC’s 420. They finished the match at 82 for 3 from nine overs in the second innings chasing 378.Put in to bat, NCC had the game all but sewn up when they finished at 368 for 7 by the end of the first day. The innings was dominated by Hashan Gunathilleke, who scored 104 off 204 balls. Opener Demintha Dahanayake made 82, and strong batting from the late order pushed the total from 278 for 6 to 420. SSC lost their openers with only six runs on the board, but never recovered despite a 111 from Shalika Karunanayake. At the end of the third day, they could total only 290 and the final day was only of academic interest as NCC batted a second time without enforcing the follow-on. Left-arm spinner Milan Fernando took 11 wickets for SSC.Coach Perera, a former NCC player, ended his four-year stint with NCC on a winning note. “We lost eight of our top players from last year as they were overage and I had to handle a totally inexperienced side,” Perera said. “We lost our first match to Air Force and the game against Kurunegala YCC was washed out. Despite all these shortcomings the boys worked hard to achieve this success.” Perera leaves NCC to undertake a new post as coach of one of Kandy’s leading schools Trinity College on a two-year contract.

Cricketers across Victoria will this weekend observe a minute’s silence as a mark of respect to the victims of the Bali bombing attack.Cricket Victoria CEO, Mr Ken Jacobs issued the appeal this morning. “The events of last Saturday evening in Bali were of tragic consequences for all Australians, particularly those families directly involved. The thoughts of the wider cricket community in this state go out to them at this sad time. As a mark of respect, I would ask that all cricket matches being played across Victoria this coming Saturday, observe a minute’s silence prior to their commencement”.

Kamikaze missions on a good batting pitch are usually the prerogativeof the Indian batting line-up, but Wednesday’s one-day internationalsaw the West Indies trespass into that territory as well. India,funnily enough, donned the unfamiliar mantle of collapse-instigators,and despite the suicidal streak running through the Caribbean side,India’s bowlers must be given their share of credit.

Carl Hooper, the West Indies’ highest scorer, got a staggering 29 runsout of 76 in the third-man area, unnaturally high for the one-dayarena, in which a third-man on the fence is a routine placement.Hooper milked three boundaries and a number of singles in that region- shots that could be played only with the ball short and outside theoff-stump.Hooper, however, is a natural innovator, gifted with a quick enoughgrasp of length to glide and cut even not-so-short balls to third man.The remaining batsmen in the West Indian side, unfortunately not asblessed, struggled to score runs against the Indian bowlers’persistent line just outside the off-stump, frustrating themselvesinto throwing their wicket away.

Dinesh Mongia’s wagon-wheel hints at a less disciplined West Indianbowling attack. Mongia scored 20 runs in the mid-wicket area, as wellas 15 runs between deep extra-cover and the sight-screen. Both runconcentrations are telling. The West Indian bowlers pitched either tooshort or too full, both cardinal faults on a good batting wicket.Mongia, accordingly, had no trouble in pulling the short balls away tothe mid-wicket fence four times; to make things even easier for him,the host bowlers erred in line as well, pitching on middle rather thanjust outside off as the Indians did. When the West Indians tried tocompensate and pitched too full in the process, Mongia simply drovethem down the ground.At the post-match press conference, Hooper blamed the loss on a senseof complacency among the West Indian batsmen. While that mayundoubtedly have contributed to the defeat, India’s bowlers have everyright to feel that their discipline gave their side a significantedge.

Two two-day matches for Wellington, firstly against Central Districts on Wednesday and Thursday, then in an internal trial between Wellington and Hutt Valley next week, will be vital preparation for last year’s State Championship runners-up.Badly hit by the weather, Wellington’s players have had only two-and-a-half weeks of club play, although poor starts to the summer are not unusual for Capital dwellers.The loss of time in October due to the players’ strike is also another factor.Coach Vaughn Johnson regards November as the most important month of the season, a time when the transition is made between winter and the forthcoming season.”Pitches for club play have been very bowler-friendly but it will be the same for all teams, except Northern Districts who seem to have had half their team playing in Australia,” he said.The start to the season would be a difficult one because Wellington were not yet in control of their own destiny due to the political strife caused by the strike.”We want to start the season competitively and we want to hit the ground running but there are a few obstacles in achieving that.”With Chris Nevin, Paul Hitchcock and Stephen Fleming required to be in Christchurch for the TelstraClear Black Caps camp this week, they were not considered for the Central Districts game.That has given Johnson the chance to look at some of the contenders for positions.His squad is: Matthew Bell, Luke Woodcock, Richard Jones, Leighton Morgan, Grant Donaldson, James Franklin, Matthew Walker, Andrew Penn, Iain O’Brien, Jeetan Patel, Glynn Howell, Jonathan McNamee.

Some disciplined bowling by Matabeleland saw them on the verge of registering their first victory as they managed to restrict Mashonaland A on the third day of their Castle Lager Logan cup match at Queens Sports Club today.Mashonaland took a 212-run lead as they closed on 261 for seven after their first innings score of 270 in reply to Matabeleland’s 319.Mashonaland resumed the third day on 13 for no wicket in 13 overs, with their openers Grant Flower and Brendon Taylor unbeaten with eight and five runs respectively. However, Flower failed to find his form with the bat and added only 12 runs to his overnight score when he was dismissed by Mpumelelo Mbangwa, with wicketkeeper Stuart Walker taking a catch behind to dismiss him for 20 runs.Senior national team skipper Stuart Carlisle also failed to impress with thebat, scoring only four when he drove medium pacer Mike McKillop straight back, presenting him with a simple catch off his own bowling. Mbangwa took his second wicket when he had opener Taylor caught behind by Walker for 17. This dismissal sparked a collapse by Mashonaland A as the young batsman had selected his shots well and in the process played a good anchor role for his more experienced colleagues.The left-handed Gavin Rennie and hard-hitting Mark Vermeulen put life in theMashonaland innings with a fourth-wicket stand of 74 runs. Rennie went on to score his half-century in 90 balls and Mashonaland went to lunch on 84 for four.Rennie had added only three runs to his score after the break when he was given out leg-before wicket to spinner Gavin Ewing. Vermeulen was joined by Taibu in the hunt for the runs and the two put on 26 runs for the fifth wicket before Vermeulen was dismissed by McKillop, Gregory Strydom taking a brilliant catch to dismiss him for 43. The batsman was not amused by the decision and stood at the crease before he was told to leave by the umpires. Vermeulen is gaining an increasingly bad reputation for his on-field behaviour.Matabeleland suffered a severe blow in their quest to bowl out their opponents when they lost opening bowler Mbangwa, who left the field of play after lunch because of a back strain and was not able to bowl, though he later returned. Zimbabwe A batsman Alester Maregwede top-scored with 68 runs as Mashonaland A closed the day on 261 for seven in 110 overs, with Elton Chigumbura and tail-ender Prosper Utseya not out on 15 and one respectively.Play resumes in the morning with Matabeleland aiming to bowl out their opponents before they score too many more runs and then complete their victory with the bat.

Queensland has staged an heroic fightback against New South Wales late on the third day of the teams’ Pura Cup match here at the Sydney Cricket Ground, endingthe day on 4/154 in its second innings after earlier being 4/57 and in distinct danger of suffering an innings defeat.Captain Stuart Law (58*) combined with debutant Brendan Nash (36*) to construct a solid partnership of ninety-eight runs in the latter stages of the afternoon,dashing any hopes New South Wales had of despatching the Bulls in short time. Queensland trailed, instead, by only sixty-eight runs overall by stumps.Earlier in the day, New South Wales was the team again in control, unleashing an in-form Nathan Bracken (4/44) on the Bulls, leaving them unable to avert thefollow-on as they crumbled to be all out for 276 before tea. In Bracken’s twenty-one overs, he demonstrated the composure and confidence that he has probablygained from his recent international call-up and clearly exhibited some of the ruthless characteristics inherent in the national side.The morning session was characterised by the Bulls’ unsuccessful efforts to try and build a meaningful partnership; just as they seemed to be getting into a rhythm,their work would be routed by an efficient Blues bowler.New South Wales off spinner Anthony Clark opened the day well and continued the good form he found in the closing overs yesterday, targeting the key wicket ofskipper Stuart Law. It wasn’t till the fifty-first over, New South Wales gained the break they were looking for, when captain Law (27) was stumped after stumblingout of his crease attempting a sweep at a wide ball from Clark.It was an unfortunate mistake, but even more difficult to believe was Law’s fit of pique at being given out by Umpire Hair. On his way back to the pavilion, hecrashed out the middle stump with his bat, but has been fortunate to escape without penalty on this occasion.Coming back from lunch, Queensland was 6/222 with Andrew Bichel (18) and Wade Seccombe (27) charged with the task of guiding their team out of danger.Bichel failed to help hold the lower order together, though, and was sent back to the pavilion by Bracken with a slick yorker that bounced off his foot and onto thebails in the ninety-seventh over. Seccombe fell just four overs later, another victim of Bracken’s precise line and length.Another three overs and Adam Dale (10) was taken, caught by Michael Bevan off the bowling of MacGill. And just one further over on came the end of the inningswhen Joe Dawes (4) went for four runs, also the prey of an unstoppable Bracken.If Bracken (0/18) was the wrecker of the first innings, then Mark Higgs (2/20) has become the terror of the second after claiming two wickets in rapid succession toconsign Queensland to potential disaster at a scoreline of 4/57 by the fifteenth over of the innings.The two spin bowlers, Higgs and Clark (2/19), have worked superbly in tandem, maintaining an excellent attack with Clark’s right arm off spin complementing Higgs’left arm wrist spin. A wearing pitch has certainly helped them, serving up the possibility of some amazing turn on deliveries at times. For the fifteen overs that theybowled together, Clark and Higgs certainly made the most of the conditions.Queensland had begun the second innings needing to play with greater resolve and, by as early as the fifth over, matters looked encouraging. Openers Jerry Casselland Jimmy Maher were in sparkling touch and rapidly took the score beyond thirty during this period.When Maher (21) was given out caught behind in the eleventh over – to a rather questionable call by Umpire Brandon – the Bulls were 1/51. Maher was movingforward and trying to sweep the ball but seemed to miss it entirely. It appeared to come off the pad, and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin caught it and initially made anattempt at a stumping. But, after a few seconds’ thought, he then changed course to join in on an appeal from other fieldsmen stationed around the bat for a caughtbehind verdict. Maher was not happy about the decision and television replays showed why.Just four overs later, Clark claimed his second scalp for the innings when Cassell (31) was caught by Higgs, standing at silly mid off. Higgs then took the ball at theother end and promptly claimed Martin Love (2) and Andrew Symonds (0) within the space of an over, leaving the Bulls in a very tight spot at 4/57.It was then that Law and Love came to the rescue, albeit that the Bulls are still far from out of the woods yet. Particularly as they still need those extra sixty-eightruns to force New South Wales to bat again.

In a press briefing held at BCB auditorium, the skipper and the cricketing officials fresh from Zimbabwe were present to run a discussion over Bangladesh’s attainment from their first overseas tourthe meeting was chaired by Ashraful Hoque, the general secretary of BCB. Addressing the journalists the coach, manager and captain first delivered their speech concerning the experience they gathered in abroad which they wished they would capitalize in future. The manager Mr. Mahbubul Anam seemed to be sheer hopeful about the matches between the same sides in Bangladesh in November. He aspiration to turn over the calculations in the home ground appeared to be taken to heart by the media-men present there, because he had been hopeful to reverse the result they got from the latest tour. He got himself unnerved by the hostile question from the journalists and defended he and his team tactfully with smile always hanging on his face.Some questions concerned the inclusion of Al-Sahariar as an opening batsman as his experience did not talk in his favor much in earlier days, therefore, playing him as an opener is sort of a risky experiment the coach carried out in such a vital tour. Trevor joined the argument saying all specialist batsmen should be acumen to play at any order. He thought Al-Sahariar would click-but he could not and that is cricket where expectations sometimes had to stumble.The late incusion of Akram Khan in the third one-day raised another dispute. The journalists contrived to confirm it was a stronger influence from the board that played it’s knack to get this ace batsman, though struggling a bit, hold the grip in that match. The officials refuted it saying it as a media-hype; none could play any role except the team management to decide upon who was playing and who was not.The skipper admitted his confined performance in the tour where he was seen most of the time taking his stride with runs between twenty and thirtya wretched feat for a batsman like him; he took shelter to lack of concentration to hide up his failure that sounded unconvincing to others.At one point all gave the impression to be unanimous that the pitch was exotic and quiet alien to BD players and they were not apt to see themselves in such bouncy tracks often, if we keep that thing along with the inexperience in test match in our head, we could find that Bangladesh had not played that bad. The progress would be empirical and the plight of BD cricket would develop accordingly.The disagreement went on as Mushfiqur Rahman replaced Hasibul Hasan in the second test who is one of the leading new-ball operators of the country. The members of the press termed it as a foolish act as Mushfiq failed utterly in both versions of the game, specially when his batting was an added advantage that helped his way into the squad but miserably that botched too.By the way, Mr. Ashraful Hoque gave the November schedule when Zimbabwe is going to travel around Bangladesh to take part in three one days and two tests. Most of the matches will be played at BNS and BKSP though the venues are not confirmed yet.

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