Australian Cricket

Michael Clarke will lead Australia when Ricky Ponting retires and will finish his career as a respected and successful skipper. The chaos of the past couple of weeks will not hinder this in any way. Rather, it genuinely begins Clarke’s path to the post of captain.
Just like Ricky Ponting’s wake up call came at the [...]

Marcus North will hold his spot in the Test side for at least one more match, although skipper Ricky Ponting admits North is feeling the heat.
Ponting says talented NSW youngster Steven Smith, who is also in Australia’s squad for the two-Test series against New Zealand, will just have to wait a little longer.
North has scored [...]

Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals have been flogged in the Indian Premier League, Royal Challengers Bangalore winning their encounter by ten wickets on Thursday.
South African Jacques Kallis thumped 44 runs from 34 balls and fellow opener Manish Pandey 42 from 30 as the home side won with 56 balls remaining, just the third 10-wicket victory in [...]

A storm of driving wind and rain hit Wellington a couple days ago and fieldsmen at the Basin Reserve for the New Zealand-Australia Test can expect stinging hands if they are unfortunate enough to have to catch a hot chance.
I was chatting to an old cricket hand who said to me that both teams would [...]

Sachin Tendulkar has inspired Mumbai Indians to a crushing 98-run victory over Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday. Tendulkar cracked 63 off 32 balls as Mumbai scored 7-218 off their 20 overs.
Australian paceman Dirk Nannes was the most economical of the beleaguered Delhi bowlers, finishing with figures of 0-35 off his four [...]

Michael Clarke has broken his silence following his spilt with model Lara Bingle, saying he expects to be sledged by New Zealand players during Friday’s first Test.
“I’m sure I’ll get a little bit of stick. I don’t mind that,” the Australian vice-captain told a press conference at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium on Wednesday.
But Clarke is tough [...]

The indoor training nets at Wellington’s Westpac stadium were bulging with camera crews tripping over each other in a bid to film Michael Clarke putting his pads on, chatting to a team-mate, anything really.
Media were invited to get to the ground “early” to assist preparations for Clarke’s 10.30am press conference out on the field.
The media [...]

An outstanding record in Tasmania suggests the South Australian paceman Peter George can be a grey day specialist should he be picked to contest the Trans-Tasman Trophy in New Zealand.
Still growing into his 202cm frame at 23, George’s overall first-class record of 56 wickets at 31.05 pales next to the 17 at 13.76 he has [...]

It’s hard to believe the Michael Clarke-Lara Bingle drama is “Groundhog Day” for the Australian cricket team. But Tuesday was nothing out of the ordinary, according to Australian coach Tim Nielsen.
“This is no different to any other day,” Nielsen told reporters at the team hotel in Wellington, flanked by a security officer, as TV crews [...]

As Australia gets ready to meet New Zealand in the first Test in Wellington, starting on Friday, let us go down memory lane and recall the first ever Test between the neighbours 64 summers ago.
It was also played in Wellington, in March 1946.
Historians will remember it as the first Test played after World [...]