26 and Sydney in the New Year to claim its first series here
26 and Sydney in the New Year to claim its first series here.Australia’s win was first set up by centuries by Justin Langer (116) and Damien Martyn (124 not out) – both in the first innings’ 439 – and a swashbuckling 131 by Matthew Hayden on the fourth day when Australia declared on 309 for seven.Warne, a serial destroyer of South Africa batting over the last four series – 72 wickets in 10 tests – once again proved to be a thorn in South African batting and spun the visitors out.In the first innings when South Africa looked like taking the attack to the Australia, Warne ran through the lower–order to claim an invaluable 65–run lead. South Africa was dismissed for 374, collapsing from 355 for six.South Africa’s hopes of salvaging a draw on a difficult pitch got off to a poor start when it lost both openers before starting the final day.McGrath forced the visitors on the back foot when he removed Boeta Dippenaar and first innings’ batting hero Neil McKenzie in the space of three balls to make early inroads on the final day.McKenzie, who scored 87 in the first innings, was unlucky to be adjudged leg before wicket when Indian umpire Srini Venkataraghavan upheld a halfhearted appeal for leg before wicket.Television replays showed McKenzie being hit outside the off stump.. South Africa were facing a long final day at the crease after a double breakthrough for Australia left the tourists on 17 for 2 at the end of the fourth day here yesterday, a long way from their target of 375 for victory. Kirsten fell to Shane Warne in the final over.For Waugh it was vindication of his decision to declare and try to win rather than draw. But, despite a big advantage, taking eight wickets on the final day will be far from a formality.Australia began the fourth day badly, losing Justin Langer for one and Ricky Ponting for 25. Matthew Hayden and Mark Waugh then came together for a third-wicket stand of 181, with Hayden making 131 before he was bowled by Kallis. Waugh hit 74 before skying an attempted sweep off Claude Henderson to Boucher.Adam Gilchrist, Steve Waugh and Warne kept the run-rate up to allow Waugh to give his bowlers their chance before stumps and they did not let him down.”It’s going to be a great day for us tomorrow,” Hayden said.
One poignancy is added to another in the dog days of Paul Gascoigne’s career. Currently, he seems locked into the idea that he can still win back his old England place. That was a forlorn bet almost four years ago when he was sent tottering away from the squad on the eve of the World Cup in France. No one ever paid a bigger price for falling for the deceits of the celebrity game, and one can only hope that he at least gets to the World Cup, as his advisers are planning, in the role of a TV pundit.What is so sad about his place in the margins of the game is that apart from his sublime talent his ability to read a game was second to none.
But reading a game for him was a natural extension of his being Reading the priorities of life was always a tougher task. Now he also talks of becoming a manager – after a couple of a years abroad Gazza should perhaps be indulged in his fantasies His realities can surely only carry pain.. The Football Association may look into two outstanding cases against the Leeds midfielder Lee Bowyer which together carry suspensions of up to six matches. The incident, which led to McAllister being treated for four minutes and nursing a bruised cheek, went unseen by the referee Andy D’Urso. Liverpool’s manager, G?rd Houllier, claimed Bowyer had “got away with murder”.The charge emerged with the initial court case already under way, forcing the FA to postpone a hearing, which was then further delayed when that case collapsed due to a prejudicial Sunday newspaper article, thus prompting the re-trial.Then in mid-September, Bowyer was charged with misconduct for using foul and abusive language at the referee Jeff Winter upon receiving a second caution and red card in the 2-1 victory at Arsenal on 25 August.An FA spokesman said: “No decisions about the charges against Lee Bowyer have been taken.
No discussions within the FA have even started.”The FA have chosen not to take any action against the Leeds manager, David O’Leary, following his comments against them. O’Leary, via serialisation of his forthcoming book, said the FA’s handling of the Bowyer-Woodgate situation, in which both were suspended from international duty pending verdicts, was done “disgracefully”.Everton are to send club stewards to sit with undercover police at away games in a bid to stamp out racism among their club’s travelling fans.The Merseyside club are sending their captain, Kevin Campbell, to a French specialist. Campbell has been laid up with back trouble for a month and his condition is not improving.* The future of England’s national stadium will finally be revealed by the FA tomorrow. Wembley, Birmingham and Coventry all tabled bids to host a new stadium, but it is thought that Wembley will get the verdict.. Without ever looking measurably better than an opponent with only one victory all season, Villa did enough in the end to raise the spirits at Villa Park, where a planned night of protest against chairman Doug Ellis failed to get off the ground. “Juan Pablo has become a hero here and it would make no sense at all to let him go,” he said.