Australia to go ahead with new referral system against West Indies and Pakistan

London, Nov.18 (ANI): Despite refusal of several countries, Australia has decided to go ahead with the new video review system for umpires in the coming season.

While both India and South Africa have rejected the International Cricket Council's (ICC) approved referral system, UDRS, Australia would use it in this summer during the Test series against Pakistan and West Indies.

According to the new system, players can ask on-field umpires to consult a colleague with access to ball-tracking technology before making the final decision.

In addition, either the fielding captain or dismissed batsman will be able to request a review of a decision.

The third umpire will need a 'high degree of confidence' that a decision is incorrect, otherwise the original decision will stand. Each team will be allowed two unsuccessful reviews per innings, down from three when the system was first used for trial.

The ICC, however, has backed the system saying it would help eliminate the 'glaring' errors.

"They are the ones that cause the most problems with player behaviour and media comments and they are the ones that are most embarrassing for umpires when they see them later," an ICC spokesperson said

Mahela century helps Sri Lanka take lead at tea

Ahmedabad, Nov 18 (IANS) Former captain Mahela Jayawardene scored a classy century as Sri lanka opened up a 57-run first innings lead against India at tea on the third day of the first cricket Test here Wednesday.

At the break, Sri lanka were cruising at 486 for five, in reply to India's 426, with Mahela batting on 142 and Prasanna Jayawardene 43 at Motera's Sardar Patel Stadium here.

It was Mahela's 27th Test century, his fifth against India. He inspired Thilan Samaraweera (70) and Prasanna to stitch two century partnerships and see Sri lanka briskly accumulate 211 runs in the first two session after resuming at 275 for three.

Jaywardene and Samaraweera dominated the first session with a 138-run stand for the fourth wicket. And Mahela added 108 runs with Prasanna in the second session as India captain Mahendre singh dhoni ran out of ideas.

India picked up the wickets of Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews in the first session as the Lankans added 100 runs in 27 overs.

Dhoni started the proceedings with spinners, but both Jayawardene and Samaraweera hardly had any difficulty milking off-spinner Harbhajan singh and leggie Amit Mishra for easy runs.

India took the new ball in the 10th over of the day. Ishanth Sharma struck soon to remove Samaraweera, who mistimed his pull. Yuvraj took a good catch leaping to his right at square-leg. Samaraweera hit nine fours in his 145-ball innings.

Indians were lucky to get Mathews just before lunch, adjudged caught bat-pad, but the television replays showed the ball brushing the flap of the pad on its way to Gautham Gambhir at short-leg.

In the post lunch session, Mahela continued to bat fluently and was severe on leg-spinner Mishra. He got to his century with a four and a single off Mishra. It was second century in the innings for the visitors, after opener Tillekaratne Dilshan scored 112 on the second day.

Sreesanth surprise pick for Sri Lanka Test series

Mumbai: Pacer S Sreesanth today staged a surprise comeback into India's 15-member Test squad for the first two cricket Tests against Sri lanka starting November 16 in Ahmedabad.

Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan returned to the squad after recovering from a shoulder injury, which had kept him out of India's recent assignments.

The team to be captained by Mahendra singh dhoni also includes Tamil Nadu players opener Murali Vijay and middle-order paceman S Badrinath.

Ashish Nehra, who did reasonably well in the ongoing One-day series against Australia, failed to get the selectors' nod.

Pacer Munaf patel, batsmen suresh raina and Virat Kohli, who are playing in the series against Australia, were not consisted for selection for the three-match Test series.

As expected, the veteran batting duo of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman retained their places.

MCC study reveals Test cricket is losing popularity

Melbourne, Nov 17 (IANS) A study conducted by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the custodian of the game, has raised fresh doubts on the future of Test cricket.

The study revealed that only seven per cent of followers in cricket-crazy India nominate Tests as their preferred form of the game.

The poll commissioned by Lord's-based MCC covered fans in three countries where Test crowds have declined - India, South Africa and New Zealand.

On the basis of the results, MCC's World Cricket Committee have requested the administrators to give the longest form of the game the 'loving care and attention' it deserves.

'It's not as if the game is falling apart, but it has been scooped by Twenty20 and I think we would be foolish if we didn't think it was universal,' former England captain Tony Lewis, who chairs the committee, was quoted as saying by The Age.

MCC is trying to push its cause for Tests to be staged at night and the global Test championship.

The key findings were presented to the International Cricket Council (ICC) earlier this month in Dubai and both groups reaffirmed their commitment to preserving all three forms.

Taylor century defies Bangladesh

50 overs Zimbabwe 221 for 9 (Taylor 118*, Shakib 3-29, Razzak 3-43, Mahmudullah 3-65) v Bangladesh

Brendan Taylor's maiden international century bailed Zimbabwe's fragile batting from yet another embarrassing display. Bangladesh's spinners proved too crafty for most of the visitors' batsmen again, and a familiar story seemed set to play out again when Zimbabwe were 113 for 7 in the 29th over. However, Zimbabwe's lower order showed more spine than most of their specialist batsmen, supporting Taylor well to lift the target beyond 200.

Full report to follow

Toss Bangladesh chose to field against Zimbabwe

Bangladesh won the toss and chose to field in the fifth and final ODI in which they are striving for a fourth straight victory. On a Chittagong pitch that was expected to have more in it for the quick bowlers than the one on Tuesday, the home side went in with only one fast bowler - Nazmul Hossain - sticking to the combination that has worked so well for them so far in this series.

Zimbabwe are reeling from the loss of two of their senior players, Tatenda Taibu and captain Prosper Utseya, to injuries, leaving them with only 13 fit men in Bangladesh. They made the maximum possible two changes: replacing the erratic seamer Kyle Jarvis with Chris Mpofu, who gets his first game of the series, and Charles Coventry gives way to Forster Mutizwa barely months after equalling the record for highest individual score in ODIs.

Teams
Zimbabwe: Hamilton Masakadza (capt), Mark Vermeulen, Chamu Chibhabha, Brendan Taylor (wk), Forster Mutizwa, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Ray Price, Malcolm Waller, Chris Mpofu

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Raqibul Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Enamul Haque jnr, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Nazmul Hossain

West Indies upset England for surprise victory

West Indies Women 235 for 6 (Jack 81*, Lavine 49) beat England Women 195 (Edwards 58, Nation 3-22, Lavine 3-26) by 40 runs

Cordel Jack and Pamela Lavine delivered England a surprise defeat as West Indies cruised to a 40-run win in the first ODI in St Kitts. Jack made an unbeaten 81 in West Indies' 235 for 6 and was well supported by Lavine, who also picked up three wickets in England's chase.

The visitors battled to cover for the absence of Claire Taylor and Sarah Taylor and it was left to Charlotte Edwards to guide the chase. She top scored with 58 opening the innings and while Lydia Greenway (41) remained at the crease England had hope of a victory.

But Lavine removed Greenway and then picked up two more wickets in her next two overs to expose the England middle order, before Chedean Nation chipped away at the lower order. Nation grabbed 3 for 22 as the visitors sunk into a hole as the required run-rate ballooned to 13, and they were all out for 195 in the 48th over.

The strong West Indies performance had been set up by their top order. Lavine and Stefanie Taylor built a 75-run opening stand before Lavine and Jack continued to apply the pressure to England's bowlers.

Lavine's 49 combined with her 3 for 26 made her a contender for the Player of the Match, but that prize went to Jack. She struck ten fours and one six in her unbeaten 81, which gave West Indies a formidable total.

England's coach Mark Lane said: "I'm bitterly disappointed with the result today. We were outplayed in all three disciplines and in all honesty we just weren't good enough. We need to show plenty of character tomorrow, we're a great team so we'll dust ourselves down and I'm confident that we'll perform far better tomorrow and play at the level we know are capable of."

The teams return to Warner Park on Thursday for the second ODI before the third and final match on Saturday. Three Twenty20 internationals, also in St Kitts, follow the one-dayers.

Victory would be 'amazing effort' - Ponting

Ricky Ponting has said that if Australia could scrape through for a series victory in India it would be "an amazing effort" given the squad's horrible run with injuries. Australia will begin Thursday's ODI in Hyderabad with the seven-match series locked at 2-2 but with only 13 fit men to choose from.

"If you consider everything that's happened to us over the last couple of weeks, it would be an amazing effort if this group of players were good enough to get over the line," Ponting said in the Age. "I think we showed the other night that if we play even somewhere near our best we're a really good chance of winning the series.

"But with five or six guys - probably more than that - out of our starting XI that aren't here at the moment, we're going along nicely. And we haven't played our best. With our batting we probably left 30-40 runs out there the other night so, hopefully, that all clicks tomorrow, and if it does we know we'll be well in the contest again."

The Victoria allrounder Andrew McDonald and the New South Wales fast bowler Burt Cockley are flying in to boost the squad before the sixth ODI in Guwahati on Sunday. For Thursday's game, the selectors need to choose one of the batsman Adam Voges, the fast bowler Clint McKay or the spinner Jon Holland, and the coach Tim Nielsen said on Wednesday McKay would play "in the next couple of games, if not tomorrow".

"He's a big kid that's done well over here and he brings the ball down from a height," Nielsen said. "We'll hopefully see him get a bit of bounce in the conditions."

The Australians began the series without Michael Clarke (back), Brad Haddin (finger), Callum Ferguson (knee) and Nathan Bracken (knee). As the tour has worn on they have also lost Brett Lee (elbow), Tim Paine (finger), James Hopes (hamstring), Peter Siddle (side stiffness) and Moises Henriques (hamstring).