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Match facts

January 3-7, 2009
Start time 10.30am (23.30GMT)

Big Picture

South Africa can take the official No. 1 ranking by winning the game, even though they sit on top by every other measure after handing Australia their first series defeat at home in 16 years. Following up their chase of 414 in Perth, the tourists beat an uninspired Australia in Melbourne by nine wickets and their only concern entering the match is a hangover from the breakthrough success – and the celebrations.While the tourists are confident, happy and successful, Ricky Ponting’s outfit is hurt, out of form, and disjointed. The captain, the players and the selectors have come under heavy fire for the swift decline and this is the last home opportunity for a year to show signs of a revival. Given the fragile state of the squad following the heavy defeats, a strong comeback would be a shock, especially as the bowling attack is so inexperienced it will be led by Mitchell Johnson, who has played only 17 Tests.Two changes have been forced on the side with Brett Lee and Andrew Symonds out injured. South Africa have overcome a raft of historical mistakes during this series, but the SCG provides them with a fond memory. In 1993-94 they stunned Australia by beating them by five runs when the hosts failed to chase 117.

Form guide (last five Tests, most recent first)

Australia LLWWL
South Africa WWWWL

Watch out for

Matthew Hayden Fortunate to be picked, Hayden has impressed the selectors with his form in the nets, not in the middle. In his past eight Tests he has 313 runs at 22.35, and in this series has 47 in four innings. At 37 he has been given an opportunity to extend his journey to the Ashes, but with every innings without spark he gets closer to joining his friend Justin Langer in retirement.Hashim Amla South Africa’s No. 3 has looked stunning in the first two Tests without breaking through for a defining contribution. A batsman with the extra time of VVS Laxman, Amla is the artist in a line-up off highly-skilled tradesmen. With scores of 47, 53, 19 and 30 not out in the series, he needs a big return to transform his effortless actions into star quality.

Team news

Australia have received a new look with Andrew McDonald and Doug Bollinger all set to make their debuts. The toss-up for one fast-bowling spot was between Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus, and by picking the local man the selectors have ensured two left-arm fast bowlers in the XI. Peter Siddle, who was so impressive in Melbourne, will take the new ball with Bollinger, and Mitchell Johnson will come in at first change.Lee’s stress injury in his left foot and ankle surgery mean he will miss up to 10 weeks while Symonds’ knee operation on Wednesday should leave him free to take some part in Australia’s one-day campaigns. This is the players’ last opportunity to impress for the return series in South Africa in February.Australia 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Andrew McDonald, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Doug Bollinger.While Australia have lots to consider, South Africa have few worries in their camp. Ashwell Prince’s cracked thumb hasn’t yet healed – he failed a fitness test – but South Africa have enough batsmen in form to make sure that Prince’s absence isn’t a worry. It also means Neil McKenzie, who batted 204 minutes in the second innings in Melbourne, will retain his place at the top of the order. Graeme Smith’s elbow is still a problem, but the captain will play in the aim for a clean sweep.South Africa 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Neil McKenzie, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Morne Morkel, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

Pitch and conditions

Paul Harris has out-bowled both Nathan Hauritz and Jason Krejza during the first two Tests and he will gain more assistance on a Sydney pitch that favours the slow bowlers. However, the curator Tom Parker says it won’t be a raging turner, and the spinners might have to wait until the third or fourth day for significant help. Fast bowling will again be the major weapon of both sides, who will pick only one specialist slow man, and they will operate on a surface that is slightly green.

Stats and Trivia

• Australia have never lost all matches in a home series of three or more Tests
• Australia have won 12 of the past 14 Tests at the SCG, with one loss to England in 2003 and a draw with India in 2004
• Jacques Kallis needs another 53 runs to become the eighth to 10,000
• Ricky Ponting will play his 14th Test at the SCG. Allan Border, Steve Waugh (both 17) and Shane Warne (14) lead the list
• The new Victor Trumper stand, which seats 8700, will take the ground’s capacity to 47,000

Quotes

“Unfortunately the gap between our best cricket and our worst cricket has been far too great. That’s what we all have to learn from and try to improve heading into Sydney.”
“Our ability to keep Matthew Hayden under pressure has given us an opportunity to get two wins out of two, no doubt.”

Runako Morton was left to fight a lone battle as Leeward Islands crashed to an innings-and 55-run defeat to Barbados on the third day in Philipsburg. The Leewards captain made an enterprising 102 off 144 balls – his 11th first-class century – striking 14 fours and two sixes, as another insipid batting display followed from the first innings. Leewards started the day on 66 for 1, requiring 303 to avoid an innings defeat, and looked set to force the match into the final day. They proceeded to 131 for 3 at lunch, after play started an hour late because of rain. The largest partnership of the innings was a 64-run fourth-wicket effort between Morton and Omari Banks (19) but Leewards lost their last six wickets for a mere 46 runs, with the Barbados attack putting the innings into a tailspin. Ryan Hinds, voted Man of the Match for his outstanding 240 in Barbados’ first innings, picked up 3 for 29 with Pedro Collins, Tino Best and Kemar Roach bagging two wickets each.Trinidad & Tobago displayed their all-round dominance to stay on course for victory against the Windward Islands in Trinidad. The hosts were bolstered by fifties from captain Daren Ganga, Lendl Simmons and Denesh Ramdin, after bowling out Windwards for 181 in the morning session. The visitors avoided the follow-on when the last pair of Deighton Butler and Mervyn Matthew held on for almost an hour to go past the critical mark of 161. With a handsome first-innings lead, T&T set about positioning themselves for their first win in the tournament as Simmons and Ganga went on the offensive, scoring heavilyin the post-lunch session. The declaration on 243 for 5 came soon after Denesh Ramdin’s half-century and the T&T spinners tightened the noose on Windwards, leaving them on 82 for 3, still needing 291 for the win.A penetrative opening spell from Andrew Richardson handed the advantage back to Jamaica after they were bowled out for a modest 165 in their second innings against the Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) in Barbados. Richardson picked up 3 for 13 and CCC, set 221 for victory, reached 103 for 5 at stumps. Resuming on 32 for 1, Donovan Pagon (44) and Brenton Parchment (42) put on 69 for the second wicket for Jamaica, but the rest of the batsmen failed to cross 18. The defending champions and current table-toppers were all out about half-an-hour before the rescheduled tea break. Khismar Catlin and Ryan Austin were the most successful bowlers for CCC with three wickets apiece. During the chase, Richardson removed Romel Currency, Nekoli Parris and captain Simon Jackson as CCC crashed to 16 for 3. Floyd Reifer (35) and Chadwick Walton (30) steadied the innings before they were dismissed in the final hour.

Maldives and Bhutan recorded decisive wins on the third day of the Asian Cricket Council Challenge in Chiang Mai, Thailand.The Maldives had 34 overs to spare when they overtook Iran’s 79, losing just two wickets in the process. It perhaps puts in context, China’s performance the previous day against Iran when they conceded 369 for 8 off its 50 overs, before being dismissed for 62.In the other match, Siddarath Induraj’s 90 helped guide Brunei to 204 for 9 from their 50 overs before Bhutan eased to 205 for 3 to win by seven wickets with almost nine overs to spare.Tomorrow, Thailand play China and Oman meet Myanmar.Iran 79 (35 overs; Shahid 3-21, Mohamed 4-6) lost to Maldives 80 for 2 (16 overs) by eight wicketsBrunei 204 for 9 (50 overs; Induraj 90, Yonten 3-22, Wangchuk 3-40) lost to Bhutan 205 for 3 (41.1 overs; Subba 33, Norbu 50, Singye 40*) by seven wicketsGroup AOman 2, Bhutan 2, Brunei 2, Myanmar 0Group B Thailand 2, Maldives 2, Iran 2, China 0

Stuart Broad, the England fast bowler, has said he would like to feature in the IPL sometime despite skipping this year’s tournament because of a hectic international schedule and fitness concerns.”There’s no doubt that I would like to be involved in the IPL at some stage in my career but at this moment in time I want those three weeks [after the West Indies tour] to rest my body and mind before the summer that includes the World Twenty20 and the Ashes series,” said Broad.”I just feel that at this stage of my career as a 22-year-old, having quite a busy winter with four Tests and five ODIs in the West Indies, I was just going to use that three-week window as a break leading up to what is going to be a massive summer.”Broad also felt English cricket would receive a major boost as a result of hosting this year’s Twenty20 World Cup. “I think hosting the event is a massive plus for us. Twenty20 is really big in England on the domestic side so to be having the World Twenty20 is going to make the crowds even more excitable,” he said.”The crowds in England love it when players hit fours and sixes and I imagine with a tournament like this they’re going to love it even more, I think it’s going to be a really exciting event.”

The headwear gave them away. Ricky Ponting and Phillip Hughes sattogether after Australia’s win in Durban and the most obvious sign ofthe generational gap that divides them was the state of their baggygreen caps. Ponting’s was battered and faded, a victim ofsweat-drenched toil and booze-soaked celebrations from 130 largelysuccessful Tests. Ponting’s was baggier but Hughes’ was,appropriately, greener.Whereas Hughes’ cap – one of ten handed out over the past year – hasseen only the eastern half of South Africa during the past two weeks,Ponting’s has travelled the world for nearly 14 seasons. It has beensprayed with so much beer that it must smell like a bar-roomdishcloth. Most of those celebrations came with a familiar group offaces: Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer,Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, to name just a few.It was a squad that Ponting inherited from Steve Waugh who, in turn,had accepted it from Mark Taylor and, before him, Allan Border. It wasa group that struck fear into the hearts of those who faced it andforged the greatest cricketing dynasty Australia has known. It was asquad that, over the past few years, eroded steadily with eachretirement.The departures of so many luminaries left Ponting with the youngestand most inexperienced side he has ever led. Ponting has captainedAustralia for five years but only now, with a new generation at hiscommand, does he have the chance to create his own distinct legacy forthe next captain. The “Ponting Age” has truly begun.The loss to South Africa in Australia this season was the end of anera. Australia had not been defeated in a home series for 16 years.Through most of that period they were unquestionably the world’s bestside. The beginning of the end of that era came in the 2006-07 Asheswhen Warne, McGrath, Langer and Martyn all retired. Gilchrist departeda year later. The loss of Hayden this summer left Ponting as the onlylink to the full stretch of Australia’s glory days.It has forced a change in Ponting’s leadership style. Where once hewas criticised for captaincy by consensus, turning to the likes ofWarne, Gilchrist and Hayden for advice, now he is demonstrably incharge in every aspect of Australia’s on-field performances. There arefewer committee meetings on the ground. Ponting directs traffic withthe confidence of a policeman.His authority extends beyond the field. During the net sessions in thelead-up to the Kingsmead Test it was notable that Ponting stood in theumpire’s position and watched every one of his new bowlers and batsmenwith an analytical eye, handing out advice when required andpresumably confirming in his mind who he wanted in the side.Those decisions haven’t been as easy of late. During the glory days ofwhat is sometimes known as the Warne-McGrath era, the team pickeditself. All the selectors had to do was cut and paste the squad fromthe last match and if there was an injury, throw in the man who hadbeen next in line. Now things are far less simple.Phillip Hughes, Marcus North, Ben Hilfenhaus and Andrew McDonald arenot names that most observers would have expected 12 months ago to bein the Australian Test side. It has meant an enormous challenge forPonting.”It’s certainly a unique phase in my career as a captain,” Pontingsaid. “To have a number of debutants, and a number of inexperiencedguys in the side, it’s something I haven’t been accustomed to in themajority of my career as a captain. I’ve said right from the start,that when these challenges come up and this transitional phase firststarted, I always looked at as being one of the most exciting littlephases of my career.”Being the captain of the side when I was, when we were so dominant,Test series and Test matches seemed to roll into one another. We werewinning everything that came along and we were expected to wineverything that came along. If you look at our group of players [now]… a lot of people around the world didn’t think that this wasachievable.”It has helped that Australia entered this match with an unchanged sidefor the first time in 16 Tests. Following the controversial homeseries against India in early 2008, the squad rarely looked settledthroughout the remainder of the year. Now Ponting is in charge of agroup of men who have been told their roles and are keen enough andcapable enough to perform to specifications.Players like Hughes, Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle and Doug Bollinger couldhave ten-year careers ahead of them. They are without questionbenefiting from starting their careers under a leader who believes inthem and is willing to persist with them. Five years into hiscaptaincy, Ponting is finally starting to leave his own unique mark onthe Australian team.

Pakistan has been stripped of hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup because of the “uncertain security situation” in the country, the ICC said.”It is a regrettable decision (but) our number one priority is to create certainty and…deliver a safe, secure and successful event,” ICC president David Morgan said in a statement.

“However, our number one priority was and is to deliver a safe, secure and successful event and the uncertainty created by events within Pakistan created a huge question mark over our ability to do just that.”The ICC added that Pakistan was unlikely to resume hosting any cricket at all until 2011. It also said the World Cup secretariat would be moved out of Pakistan to a location to be decided by the organising committee. India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the other co-hosts, will now share the 16 matches that were to be held in Pakistan.Ijaz Butt, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, expressed regret. “It’s a disappointing decision but it can’t be helped. Nobody wants to play in Pakistan following the attacks in Lahore,” Butt said. He was referring to the attack on Sri Lanka’s touring cricketers in Lahore on March 3, in which eight Pakistanis were killed and seven Sri Lankan players injured.Pakistan were due to co-host the event with India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka but the deteriorating security situation has posed a serious problem for the PCB. The news came during the first day of the ICC board meeting in Dubai.Pakistan’s status as a host of international matches has been uncertain for some time – the Champions Trophy was shifted out last year and, in January, India became the latest country to cancel a tour when they pulled out of a bilateral series. However, the Lahore attack seemed to have sealed their fate on hosting the World Cup.The attack itself also came up for discussion at the meeting, with match referee Chris Broad, who was on duty for the Test, and Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jaywardane (via telephone) giving their version of what happened.It was decided that Lord Condon, chairman of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, would lead a task team – including ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat and directors Jack Clarke and Shashank Manohar – would conduct a review of security arrangements for all international cricket.The review, Lorgat said, would include an assessment of whether current security protocols employed by ICC Members were adequate and, if not, how they could be improved. It would also, if necessary, approach other sports to see if there was scope for information-sharing in the way security is conducted across major events around the world.

Australia’s captain, Ricky Ponting, believes that England’s Ashes veterans, Michael Vaughan and Steve Harmison, will be back to face his team come the start of the series, despite the instant impact that Ravi Bopara and Graham Onions have made since they came into the side for the Lord’s Test last week.Neither Vaughan nor Harmison is in the set-up for the second Test against West Indies, starting at Chester-le-Street on Thursday, and with no more five-day cricket before Australia arrive at Cardiff on July 8, time is running out for them to prove their worth.But Ponting, speaking to Fox Sports, said: “I’ve just got a bit of a feeling that they might want to get Vaughan back into the set-up and they might pick Harmison for when we get there. So I think their side might actually shape up closer to the side of 2005 or 2007 than we actually think it might.”Vaughan’s No. 3 slot is currently occupied by Bopara, whose 143 in the first Test was the decisive innings of the match. “Bopara made a really good hundred against the West Indies last week, but their batting is fairly similar with Pietersen, Collingwood, Strauss, Cook, those guys,” he said. “We’ve played a lot against those guys over the years, so it’s not too dissimilar, both sides have probably got three or four changes from last time we met.”As for Onions, who took 5 for 38 at Lord’s, Ponting remained to be convinced of his long-term role. “He’s a lively bowler, and he did well in that game but I’m not sure when they get the Sidebottoms and all those guys back if he’ll still be in their side, but we’ll wait and see.”Asked about Vaughan’s prospects of an Ashes recall, England’s captain Andrew Strauss responded: “There’s a chance, there’s definitely a chance. “There’s a lot of cricket to be played between now and the Ashes, and we all know what Vaughany brings in terms of runs and experience. But the ball is in the hands of the players who are in the side right at the moment.”

ScorecardNicky Boje ended the opening on 77 against a patched-up Kent attack•Getty Images

With more than half his first-choice side injured or absent and with two debutant bowlers on the team sheet, home captain Rob Key raised a few eyebrows by bowling first in near ideal batting conditions at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury.Quirky and innovative as a skipper, Key must have regretted his decision when Northamptonshire, making their first four-day visit here for five years, sidled into lunch looking strong on 98 for 1. But, to their credit, Key and his weakened attack plugged away through the last two sessions to pick up four more wickets and end their first ever day in County Championship Division Two in reasonable shape.The major stumbling block for Key & Co was the diminutive South Africa left-hander Nicky Boje whose unbeaten 77 was the class innings of the opening day. He drove five crisp fours, clipped a straight six into the sightscreen against offspinner James Tredwell and never looked troubled by what is a makeshift Kent attack.With no overseas option following Stuart Clark’s late international call-up, and without the injured Amjad Khan, Simon Cook and Robbie Joseph, it hampered the home cause further that Ryan McLaren is away playing in the IPL and that fellow all-rounder Justin Kemp only arrived in the country this morning after visa delays and was unable to play in this game.The home side gave a debut to Steffan Jones, on loan from Somerset, and 25-year-old Cambridge Blue Phil Edwards, a willowy pace bowler who became the first Kent cricketer to hail from the Isle of Sheppey, yet Key still elected to bowl.They had one wicket to celebrate in the morning session when the left-handed Ben Howgego (18) drove airily at Azhar Mahmood’s fourth delivery to edge to second slip, but other than that Northamptonshire cantered along at 3.4 an over.Kent re-grouped during the interval and hit back shortly after the re-start with two wickets in consecutive overs. Stephen Peters (32) nicked the eighth ball after lunch to the keeper to give Jones the first scalp for his fourth county then, eight balls later, Rob White (41) misjudged the length when attempting to pull against Mahmood and went leg before to make it 100 for 3.After a change of ball, the experimental Tiflex type went out of shape after 43 overs, Martin Saggers returned to have Riki Wessels (27) caught behind off an out-swinger. Boje and Andrew Hall combined in another all-South African partnership to add 72 for the fifth wicket before Hall went in the last over with the old ball. Well forward and driving outside the line against an off- cutter from Darren Stevens, Hall was sent packing leg before.Though Kent delayed taking the new ball, neither Jones or Mahmood could fashion another breakthrough and Boje will resume on day two with his sights set firmly on a century.

Kevin Pietersen was ruled out of England’s opening ICC World Twenty20 match against Netherlands with a recurrence of the Achilles injury that forced him to miss the one-day series against West Indies.After appearing in both warm-ups against Scotland and West Indies he experienced further pain on Friday and the decision was taken to assess the injury ahead of the game against Pakistan on Sunday. The ECB said he will have scans and an injection before a decision is taken on his future participation.”Kevin had been making excellent progress with the management of his right Achilles injury and had shown substantial improvement,” said the England chief medical officer Nick Peirce. “However today he has experienced a degree of pain which medical assessments have suggested may be related to some aggravation from his lower back.”In order to continue maximising his recovery for the remainder of the tournament and the summer ahead, he will undergo a scan and an injection today to help determine any contribution from his lower back and to provide both short term and long term benefit.”Provided this injection has the expected result Kevin may well be available for selection for England’s match against Pakistan on Sunday. He will continue to be assessed and receive treatment over the next 48 hours before a decision is made on his availability for Sunday’s match.”After missing the three one-dayers against West Indies Pietersen said he was making good progress in his recovery and that the only element he had to be careful with was his street-running. He looked in good form during the practice games as he hit an unbeaten 53 against Scotland to see England home.Although the England management will be keen to ensure Pietersen can play a part in the tournament they will be able to replace him if the injury proves too serious. They have already had to replace Andrew Flintoff from the original squad with Adil Rashid coming into the party.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
India won the series 2-1 after torrential downpour terminated the fourth ODI. With this victory, India have won their fifth straight ODI series.The game got off to a delayed start and Dhoni made the obvious decision to bowl on a damp pitch that offered some help to the seamers. Ishant Sharma, bowling a fuller length here, removed Chris Gayle and along with Ashish Nehra, didn’t allow West Indies to get off to a breezy start. Ishant hit the good length and pinged the off-stump line and Nehra got some seam movement into the right-handed batsmen. Sarwan hit a gorgeous on-the-up square drive against Ishant in the sixth over to break free but just as he started to find his rhythm, the rains came down again to kill the contest.