South Africa vs West Indies | ICC Cricket World Cup

Gayle Returning to Form in time for the Match against South Africa

Returning to Australia after 23 years, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will witness the best players in the world coming together, to create heroic performances and magical memories for friends and family as they battle for cricket's ultimate prize.

South Africa Squad for World Cup 2015

AB de Villiers(Captain), Hashim Amla, Kyle Abbott, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock(Wicketkeeper), Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn

West Indies Squad for World Cup 2015

Jason Holder(Captain), Marlon Samuels, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin(Wicketkeeper), Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor

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The nineteenth match of the ICC World Cup 2015 will be played between two of the best cricket teams of modern times, South Africa and West Indies. 

The match will be played at Sydney Cricket Ground, in the city of Sydney, Australia. With its 48,000 seating capacity, Sydney Cricket Ground is expected to host one of the very best and crowded matches in ICC 2015 World Cup.

As an interesting fact about the ground, Sydney Cricket Ground hosts cricket matches, as well as other sporting events like Australian rules football, rugby league football and rugby union matches.

Of the 14 teams that are participating in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, namely Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, West Indies and Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland qualified through WCL Championship, while United Arab Emirates and Scotland qualified through World Cup Qualifier. The remaining 10 teams are full members.

Don't miss South Africa taking on the West Indies at the SCG.

For more information Click Here

Event Details:

Sydney Cricket Ground 

Moore Park Rd 

Moore Park 

NSW 2021 

Date 

Fri 27 Feb 2015 at 2:30pm

Richie Benaud Becomes ‘Lambassador’ for Australia Day Lamb Campaign

Richie Benaud is spruiking lamb for Australia Day this year. Picture: Damian Shaw

HE’S been the recognisable dry, voice of Australian cricket for decades, now Richie Benaud will be lending his vocal talents to the Aussie lamb industry.

The national treasure is joining Sam Kekovich as a ‘lambassador’ for this year’s Australia Day lamb campaign.

Benaud has been missing from the Channel 9 commentary team this summer as he battles skin cancer, but he’s found time to implore Aussies to celebrate Australia Day with some chops and cutlets.

“To me, Australia Day is the perfect excuse to get together with friends and family over a BBQ and tuck into some delicious lamb chops,” Benaud said.



Sam Kekovich will have some competition at his lamb barbecues now. Picture: Stuart Quinn

Kekovich has become synonymous with the lamb campaign, while this is the first campaign involving Benaud.

“Just like cricket, the annual lamb campaign is synonymous with Australia Day and I’m thrilled to be part of it in 2015,” Benaud said.

Meat & Livestock Australia spokesman Michael Edmonds said Kekovich and Benaud would form a brilliant team.

“We are very proud of how previous campaigns have captured the nation’s attention over the past 10 years,’’ Edmonds.

“For 2015 we wanted to evolve the campaign and it was only fitting to have one of Australia’s most treasured icons, Richie Benaud join Sam on his annual crusade to get Aussies together over lamb on Australia Day.”

Summer Sporting Extravaganza to Boost Australian Economy

In Australia, summer is all about sport. This season the addition of two major international events to the calendar is a big bonus, not just for sports lovers but for the economy as well.

Australians who don't enjoy sport turn off the television and head for the beach at this time of year.

For everyone else, there's a smorgasbord of Test and one-day cricket, PGA golf, an internationally famous yacht race, a grand slam tennis event, cycling and Formula One races.

The country is set to enjoy an unprecedented quantity of world sport worth an estimated A$320m ($267m; £172m) to the economy thanks to the addition of two major events.

The Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup - being held across five cities in January - and the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup, which will be played in Australia and New Zealand in February and March, eclipse other events in size and dollar value.

The Asian Cup is the biggest sporting event in Asia and the cricket World Cup is the third biggest sporting event in the world after the summer Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.

Australia's summer of sport

• December 9 - January 10: Four cricket Test matches, Australia v India.
• December 11-14: Australian PGA golf Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast.
• December 26-30: Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
• January 9 - January 31, 2015: Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup.
• January 16 - February 1: Cricket one-day international tri series, Australia, India and England.
• January 17-25: Tour Down Under cycling classic, Adelaide and South Australia.
• January 19 - February 1: Australian Open grand slam tennis, Melbourne.
• February 14 - March 29: ICC World Cup.
• March 12-15: Australian Grand Prix Formula One, Melbourne.

Every year, between 1 December and 1 April, there are five million tickets on sale for sport and entertainment events across New South Wales, according to state government body Destination NSW. For the same period in 2014-2015, there are eight million tickets on sale.

"That's what happens when you add an Asian Cup and a World Cup to the calendar," says Asian Cup chief executive officer Michael Brown. "There's going to be a lot more people spending a lot more dollars."

Test Cricket

Australia's golden summer begins with the first of four Test cricket matches between Australia and India on 9 December. The fixtures were rescheduled to start later in the month because of the sudden death in late November of 25-year old Australian Test player Phillip Hughes.

Golf

The first Test now clashes with the Australian PGA golf event, while the Sydney to Hobart yacht race - which organisers claim is the largest spectator sporting event in the world - competes with the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

An estimated one million spectators will watch the start of the yacht race - about 300,000 of them from the water and another 700,000 lining Sydney's harbour and coastline, says chief executive officer of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Mark Woolf.

Economic Ipmact

The economic impact, however, is incalculable, says Mr Woolf, because it is a free spectator event.

"The metrics that come out of this race are enormous," he says. "It's not a stadium event. We don't have a captive audience. But there are tentacles everywhere.

"There's the investment of transporting and accommodating 118 boats and crew for the start. The crews bring their friends and families. Then there's provisioning and fuelling and self-catering for spectator picnics.

"Even the NSW town of Eden gets an economic lift. It's the last safe harbour for boats to refuel and restock before crossing Bass Strait. Once they reach Hobart the boats and crews have to get back to Sydney.

"Then there's the impact of those TV pictures of a perfect Sydney harbour beaming into Europe and America in the middle of winter on their Christmas night. It's hard to quantify the publicity and future tourism impact."

Asia Cup Soccer

As the Test cricket ends the Asian Cup kicks off on 9 January, with 16 teams playing 32 matches in Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.

According to Mr Brown, PricewaterhouseCoopers has said the event will pump A$225m into the economy. Asian Cup organisers target ticket sales of 500,000, with 50,000 international visitors expected to attend.

Three of Australia's top ten trading partners - China, Japan and South Korea - have qualified, which means hosting the Asia Cup is a unique tourism, trade and investment opportunity for the country and the region, he says.

"The Asian Cup is Asia's biggest sporting event and football is the biggest team sport and the most popular sport in Asia," Mr Brown says. "In Asia, football outstrips cricket as a sport."

Tourism Tsunami

But the Asian Cup will also have to compete for spectators and TV audiences with the Tour Down Under cycling classic in South Australia and the Australian Open grand slam tennis tournament in Melbourne.

ICC World Cup Cricket

Then, the biggest sporting event of the summer begins on 14 February. More than one million people are expected to attend 49 one-day matches featuring 14 teams playing in the ICC World Cup at venues in Australia and New Zealand.

ICC World Cup chief executive officer John Harnden says 500,000 tickets have already been sold and tens of thousands of international spectators are expected to attend, creating a tourism tsunami between the two countries.

"There will be a lot of travel between Australia and New Zealand, and then India, the UK and the US are the three primary points of origin (for spectators)," says Mr Harnden.

"It is a great opportunity to showcase ourselves to the world and benefit from that great word of mouth from all those tens of thousands of tourists saying what a great time they had. If the Australian and New Zealand teams do well, that will be an even bigger bonus."

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Sports Events Australia: KFC Big Bash 2014-2015 Twenty20 Cricket

Ticketing information:

General public tickets for all BBL|04 home-and-away matches will go on sale at 9am (local time) on Tuesday 28 October 2014.

Memberships for clubs will be on sale in October, so fans can secure the best seats in the house and other benefits for the entire season.

Games information:

Round 1 to 4 -

Round 5 to 8 -

For more details, visit T20 official website: http://www.bigbash.com.au/match-centre/fixture


Feature Team:
The Melbourne Renegades represent modern Melbourne – vibrant, diverse and progressive. They have a healthy streak of anti-establishment and will play out of a non-traditional cricket venue, Etihad Stadium. The Renegades will deliver entertaining, bold cricket in this world-class facility, where the rafters will shake with the noise and passion of the fans. T20 was made for the Renegades.

Need accommodation close to T20 games? 


Metro Hotels have hotels and serviced apartments in most major cities throughout Australia:

Sydney Hotels & Apartments (NSW):

• Metro Hotel Sydney Central
• Metro Hotel on Pitt
• Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour
• Aspire Hotel Sydney

Melbourne Apartments (VIC):

• Metro Apartments on Bank Place

Brisbane Hotels (QLD):

• Metro Hotel Tower Mill

Western Australia:

• Metro Hotel Perth

- See more at: http://sportseventsaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/kfc-big-bash-2014-2015-twenty20-cricket.html#sthash.Pq9vxkjP.dpuf

Cricket's Biggest International Prize! One Year to Go Celebrations

14 February 2014 marks one year to go until the first match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. To mark the occasion, public events will be held in all 14 World Cup Host Cities over two days.

To mark the occasion, public events will be held in all 14 World Cup Host Cities over two days. The events will include the unveiling of a city countdown clock, multicultural performances and junior cricket activities. Members of the public are welcome to all events.

Thursday 13 February
 

Host City	Event location	Start time
Auckland	Queen’s Wharf	6.30am
Hamilton	Garden Place, Victoria St	7.15am
Dunedin	The Octagon	10.30am
Wellington	Midland Park, Lambton Quay	12.00pm
Napier	Sound Shell, Marine Parade	12.00pm
Nelson	Trafalgar Square	12.00pm
Christchurch	Re:Start Mall, Cashel St	5.00pm

Friday 14 February
 

Host City	Event location	Start time
Sydney	Martin Place Stage	12.00p
Melbourne	Federation Square Stage	12.00pm
Adelaide	Rundle Mall	11.00am
Brisbane	Queen Street Mall Stage	12.45pm
Canberra	Canberra Centre	12.00pm
Hobart	PW1 forecourt (Princes Wharf 1)	12.30pm
Perth	Forrest Place	12.00pm

Also on 14 February, prior to the start of the New Zealand v India test match at the Basin Reserve, a press conference to announce how Government and tournament organisers will work together to maximise the legacy of the tournament.

There will also be a special visit from the members of New Zealand’s 1992 Cricket World Cup squad during the tea break on Day 2 of the test.

Find out more at http://www.icc-cricket.com/cricket-world-cup

England Eager to Avoid 'Worst in History' Tag

There are many contenders but by this time next week the unofficial title of England's most unsuccessful team may change hands. It will be bestowed on the 2013-14 vintage in Australia who are on a losing streak that shows no signs of abating.

Defeat on Friday – and the resignation in the air is darkening the clear Perth skies – and it will be nine internationals in a row on tour, 10 in all counting the loss in the final one-dayer at home last September. That is a record sequence matched only twice before in England's history.

To judge this group, which has comprised 24 players across all matches, as the worst in history may be harsh, but it is also a measure of how badly this expedition has gone. Anybody who has seen England in the one-day series will be astonished if they manage to prise one of the next two games from Australia's grasp. They are resting several players, including the captain Alastair Cook, from the fourth ODI.

The main hope now is that England will win at least one of the three Twenty20 matches which bring the tour to a close next week. But such is the one-sided nature of proceedings that everyone thinks 13-0 on tour is at least possible.

There was almost a plaintive note in the voice of the off-spinner, James Tredwell, the last player to join the motley band. "That's the Aussies," he said. "When they are going well they can batter you to a degree and, if we're honest, that's what they've done over the course of this winter and it's finding a way to push back against that. We've had periods when we've done that and if we can try and push them back a bit we've the skills to do the job. We have to believe, don't we? And if we don't we're just going to roll over again."

In 1993, England lost 10 Tests and ODIs before drawing a Test match at Nottingham against Australia. Eight years later at home, they lost 10 before beating the Australians in a Test at Leeds.

The difference this time is that all the defeats have been against the same opponents, who are relishing each day as it arrives. That much was evident when Mitchell Johnson came back home to Perth from Sydney, where on Monday night he received the Allan Border Medal for the Australian player of the year.

It was like the return of the conquering hero as he charmed an audience full of adulation at the airport. Johnson has put the frighteners on England for months and he traced the beginning of his ascendancy back to the one-day series in England late last summer. "It felt that there was something going on," he said. "I felt like everything was coming together – all the hard work and the change of my run-up, the lengthening of that through the IPL.

Mitchell Johnson was greeted in his hometown of Perth ahead of Friday’s ODI like a conquering hero (Getty)

"That was my first real sort of tournament after my injury. I felt good through that tournament, but not quite right. And then playing at international level again in the one-day series, I definitely felt something there. And it went on from there."

Johnson took 37 wickets in the Ashes series and threatens to be a handful at his home ground, the Waca, on Friday, when he will probably bowl three short, rapid bursts.

England practised hard at the University of Western Australian campus. There is a desperation to get a win from somewhere, anywhere, a closing of the ranks round Cook. But all that cannot conceal the fact Australia are in swagger mode, playing irrepressible cricket that will, as Tredwell put it, ultimately batter England.

England on the run: Longest losing streaks

10 matches (Mar-June 1993)

Two ODIs in India

Two ODIs in Sri Lanka

One Test in Sri Lanka

Three ODIs vs Australia

Two Tests vs Australia

10 matches (May-Aug 2001)

One Test vs Pakistan

Three ODIs vs Pakistan

Three ODIs vs Australia

Three Tests vs Australia

The current run is 9 matches

Victorious Australia Bringing Same Squad to Perth for 3rd Ashes Test

Australia will take the same 12-man squad to Perth for the third Ashes test this week after humbling England by 218 runs to win the second match in Adelaide on Monday.

Selector John Inverarity said in a statement that uncapped fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile and 12-test paceman Doug Bollinger would also be in Perth on standby and would train with the squad for the test match "should they be required."

Australia fielded the same team in Adelaide that thrashed England by 381 runs in Brisbane, the first time in a year that the team has been unchanged for consecutive tests.

Coach Darren Lehmann was reluctant to mess with a winning formula for the WACA, where their pacemen will hope to wreak maximum damage against a shell-shocked England side on a bouncy wicket.

"At the moment, all good," Lehmann said of his bowlers' fitness for the third match starting on Friday.

"(If they're) 100 percent, they'll play. If not, they won't.

"From our point of view, we've just got to keep what we're doing now. Not change too much. Just make sure we adapt to Perth conditions. As you've seen, we adapted very well from Brisbane to here, and now we go back the other way."

Australia lead the five-test series 2-0 and can wrest the Ashes away from holders England with victory in Perth.

Australia squad: Chris Rogers, David Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (captain), Steve Smith, George Bailey, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon, James Faulkner

The Ashes 2014 - Will Tim Bresnan Make England's 2nd Test side?

Tim Bresnan (credit: ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images)

Will Tim Bresnan make his return to Test cricket when England take on Australia in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide?

That seems to be the question on every English fan's lips - apart from the very obvious, who will replace Jonathon Trott? The reason is quite simply the lack of penetration that Chris Tremlett showed in the first Ashes Test at the Gabba because of which the pressure to pick up wickets was on James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

One of the chief reasons for the English success in Test cricket in recent times has been the relentlessness in their bowling. James Anderson has been at the batsmen with pace and late swing, Stuart Broad gets them to bounce and Graeme Swann has always troubled the opposition with his nagging offies.

To add to that, Anderson and Broad have mastered the art of reversing the ball well and even when the ball's gone soft, they have been able to extract movement to trouble the batsmen.

However, with the lack of reverse swing and Swann's obvious under-par record playing in Australia - he averages 47 with the ball in the country as compared to his 29 overall - England struggled to penetrate through the Australian batting in the Gabba Test. What added to their woes was a lack of viable third seamer with Tremlett bowling at speeds well below the 130 km/hr mark.

Tremlett is a well-built, 6 foot eight bowler, who has often troubled batsmen with his pace and bounce and on occasions when he's got the conditions right, even with the movement he's been able to get. What was on display at the Gabba was a pale shadow of his own self and while there's a chance he may improve, it's a risk England may not want to take with them going into the Adelaide Test.

Bresnan was an unsung hero from the previous Ashes series - at least as far as the common fan is concerned - but his team holds him in high stead. He did not have an exceptional time with the ball in that previous Ashes, and yet picked up 10 wickets at 29.6. To go with that, he could be called upon to bowl long spells, and get bounce and reverse to trouble the opposition.

Another key aspect of Bresnan's bowling is that he has that tendency to pick up wickets at crucial junctures - sometimes when things aren't going in favour of the fielding team or on other occasions when the tail has to be cleaned up.

Unfortunately for England he injured his back before the last Ashes Test at the Oval in his home series and wasn't fit enough to play in the first game in Australia. Now, it seems like he will be a part of a warm-up game that the English Performance Squad will play against the Queensland XI, which will lead to the answer to two questions - will he be fit to replace Tremlett and if so, will he be battle-hardened enough for what's turning out to be a gruelling Ashes series for the visitors.

The second Ashes Test starts from December 5th.

Source: http://www.crunchsports.com/category/Cricket/Ashes-2013-14-2nd-Test-live-Will-Tim-Bresnan-make-it-to-the-playing-11-201311260009/

Barmy Army: England Cricket Supporters Hit Brisbane, Head Straight to the Pub

THEY'RE loud, they're proud and they threaten to drown out the Gabba crowd.

For the second time this year, Brisbane has gone barmy with the arrival of thousands of English cricket tragics ahead of tomorrow's first Ashes Test of the summer.

It follows the midyear rugby tour of the British and Irish Lions which injected millions of dollars in to the state's economy.

The Barmy Army have made Brisbane's Pig N Whistle their unofficial capital over the past two days as they warm up for another summer of chanting, sledging and drinking under the hot Aussie sun.

They were met there by former Aussie paceman Jeff Thomson, who knows a thing or two about terrorising English batsmen.

Barmy Army co-founder Paul Burnham said Queensland-raised Aussie paceman Mitchell Johnson was already in their crosshairs for some good-natured sledging in a bid to shake his confidence.

"Mitchell Johnson copped a lot of stick last time," he said.

"We think he is pretty fragile so we will target him with some of the chants we used last time and a few new ones as well.

"We'll probably give Michael Clarke a bit of a go as well, but mostly it will be about getting behind our team and being as loud and supportive as we can."

During the Lions tour, Aussie rugby fans were often drowned out by the cheers of the Brits, but Fanatics tour manager David McClatchey said Australian sports fans were slowly catching up.

"The singing and chanting is great for atmosphere, but it's always been a British or European thing that a lot of Aussie sports fans haven't really bought in to until pretty recently," he said.

A bunch of Barmy Army invaders met Jeff Thomson at the Pig and Whistle in the Brisbane CBD. Thousands of English cricket fabns have descended on brisbane for the first Ashes Test. Source: News Corp Australia

"But we're seeing in the A-League (soccer) there's plenty of singing now so the tide is turning."

Cricket Australia expects up to 50,000 British tourists during the series, with almost 10,000 packages booked through official tour channels.

Thousands more will travel independently.

Almost all of Brisbane's 10,000 hotel rooms are booked solid for the next six days, giving the city's tourism industry its biggest week in years.

Donna Rodios from leading travel agency wotif.com said bookings were up 22 per cent on Brisbane's last Ashes Test three years ago.

Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Daniel Gschwind said the Ashes clash would deliver huge benefit to the city.

"It's a multi-day event for a start and it stretches in to the weekend which is great when you want to fill hotels in the city," he said.

"And there is such keen interest in this contest throughout the cricket-playing world and when you think of Britain and India, they are two of our biggest markets."

Ashes 2013-14: Brisbane Ground Guide, History and Statistics

"The Harmison ball". Three words that still strike fear into any England supporter

Its official name is the Brisbane Cricket Ground, but the famous stadium on Vulture Street in the suburb of Woolloongabba is universally known as the Gabba.

Handed Test status in 1931, the modern Gabba is not quite the "bear pit" of old, and is now capable of holding 42,000 fans in the vast stands encircling the arena in a manner not dissimilar to Melbourne's MCG.

Despite its redevelopment, the "Gabbatoir" remains an intimidating venue, where the Barmy Army trumpeter was ejected in 2006, and four years later even fans carrying bags with multiple zips  fell foul of the entry regulations.

England's poor record in the Queensland heat - only two wins in their last 17 Test visits, in 1978 and 1986 - has cemented Brisbane's place as the traditional first Test venue for each Ashes series.

Ashes Tests: 19 (Australia won 10, England won four, with five draws)

First Ashes Test: 10-16 February 1933 - a timeless Test, the fourth of the notorious "Bodyline" series. England's hero Eddie Paynter was suffering with tonsillitis when he rose from his hospital bed to make 83 in the first innings, before hitting a six to win the match and regain the Ashes in the second innings.

Highest Ashes total: 645 all out by Australia in November 1946, in the first Ashes Test after World War II. Don Bradman made 187, adding 276 with Lindsay Hassett (128).

Lowest Ashes total: 58 all out by Australia in December 1936. Needing 381 to win, they were skittled in 12.3 overs by England captain Gubby Allen (5-36) and Bill Voce (4-16).

Highest individual Ashes score: 235 not out by England's Alastair Cook on their last visit in November 2010. His match-saving innings lasted 625 minutes and 428 balls.

Most Ashes runs: 464 by ex-Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, who made two centuries and two fifties on four visits between 1998 and 2010, averaging 92.80.

Best Ashes bowling (innings): 8-71 by legendary Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne in November 1994, when he spun them to a 184-run victory and returned match figures of 11-110.

Most Ashes wickets: 22 by Aussie seamer Glenn McGrath, who collected six-wicket hauls in 1998 and 2006.

Ashes runs scored: 10,500, for the loss of 271 wickets at an average of 38.75 runs per wicket.

Ashes boundaries: 1,073 (1,041 fours, 32 sixes)

Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane

 

Date: 21-25 November

 

Start time: 00:00 GMT

Coverage: Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave and via the BBC iPlayer Radio app, BBC Sport website & BBC Sport app; updates on BBC Radio 5 live; live text commentary on BBC Sport website, app & mobile devices

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Under-Strength Australia Face World Champions in Brisbane

Joe Burns might make his international debut for Australia (Getty Images)

Three years ago, Cricket Australia's chief executive James Sutherland suggested that Twenty20 was such a specialist game that the day might come when Australia could have completely separate Test and T20 teams playing on opposite sides of the globe at the same time. Effectively, that day has arrived, although this one-off occurrence is not quite what Sutherland had in mind.

Australia's Test players have now flown to Chennai to prepare for the first Test against India, unquestionably the correct priority. But the packed schedule means they still need to put out a national team for this T20 against West Indies at the Gabba, without David Warner, Shane Watson, Matthew Wade, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc and Xavier Doherty, to name but a few.

Apart from the captain George Bailey, it is hard to say for certain how many members of the squad for this match would be part of Australia's first-choice T20 side. Shaun Marsh, perhaps. James Faulkner might soon get to that point, and so might Aaron Finch. And that's about it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, although the fans buying tickets for the Brisbane match might disagree.

A year out from the next World Twenty20, it gives the selectors a chance to have a look at some men who could push their cases. There is the uncapped quartet of Ben Rohrer, Joe Burns, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Coulter-Nile, there is Faulkner, Ben Cutting, Ben Laughlin and Clint McKay, all jostling to become regular members of the T20 attack, while the batsmen Adam Voges and Aaron Finch hope to make the most of their last opportunity of the international summer.

For West Indies, this is a chance to finish on a high after a miserable five-match ODI series. They are the reigning world champions in the Twenty20 format and there is no question that the short matches suit their dynamic style. But after such a lacklustre display in the 50-over games, can they switch on for their last outing of the tour?

See this Article and keep track of the score at Cricinfo.com

Australia's ODI Top Three All Debutants - Melbourne One Day Match

Australia may have made a clean sweep of the recent Test series against Sri Lanka, but the one-dayers are almost certain to be close contests.

The first match of the five-game one-day series is at the MCG on Friday and you can be assured the Sri Lankans will put up a better fight than they displayed during the Test match at the same ground last month.

Australia triumphed by an innings and 201 runs on that occasion, but the Sri Lankans take the ODIs very seriously and should not be underestimated even though star batsmen Kumar Sangakkara is sidelined by injury.

Not only do Sri Lanka have the services of arguably the best limited overs paceman in the world in Lasith Malinga, but they also have an underrated array of spinners with which to test the Australians.

Malinga's form during the current KFC T20 Big Bash League has been first class and if he can replicate that in the one-dayers then he is sure to have the Australian openers on their toes.

We saw glimpses of Rangana Herath's best during the Test series, but he won't be the only spinner that Sri Lanka will unleash on the Australian team.

Keep a close eye on the unorthodox Ajantha Mendis as he bowls both leggies and offies with aplomb, while all-rounder Jeevan Mendis - who bowls some good leg breaks himself - is another Sri Lankan to watch.

Australia's squad for Melbourne looks rather inexperienced, with the names of Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey, Shane Watson and Michael Clarke all missing through injury or retirement.
Clarke's absence paves the way for regular Twenty20 captain George Bailey to skipper the Australian side and he will need to rely on a group of players that are mainly yet to prove themselves in one-day cricket at international level.

There is no David Warner at the top of the order - he is being rested from the opening two matches of the series - with the in-form, but inexperienced trio of Aaron Finch, Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja likely to spearhead Australia's top order.

Brad Haddin and David Hussey will add that bit of experience to the batting line-up, so there are certainly enough class players in the Australian side to make up for the absence of Clarke, Warner and Co.

It will be interesting to see if Australia opt for two left-arm quicks in their final XI for the opening match, with Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson both having performed admirably in the recent Test series.

Clint McKay and Ben Cutting are the other pace options Bailey has at his disposal, while Tasmanian Xavier Doherty looks certain to feature as he is the only specialist spinner in the squad.

Only one of Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell look likely to play, with the duo battling it out for the same spot seemingly and the Victorian in the box seat given the match is at the MCG.

Expect both sides to include plenty of bowling options in the final XI given the new one-day rules that Australia will see for the first time this summer.

Australia squad: George Bailey (c), Ben Cutting, Xavier Doherty, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin, Phil Hughes, David Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Glenn Maxwell, Clint Mckay, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

Sri Lanka squad: Mahela Jayawardene (c), Angelo Mathews (vc), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Kushal Janith Perera, Jeevan Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Rangana Herath, Shaminda Eranga.

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Australian Hotels Prepare for Boom in Bookings in Lead Up To Ashes - Metro Hotels

With an estimated 37,000 international visitors heading to Australia for the Ashes test series this time next year, tickets to the matches aren't the only things in high demand.

Australia is set to battle England on home soil for the Ashes, with the first Test starting at The Gabba in Brisbane on November 21, 2013 and the 5^th Test finishing in Sydney on January 7, 2014. The five Test series is expected to be a boom for local tourism operators. 

According to Metro Hotels' Chief Operating Officer, George Bedwani, the Group has already experienced a huge demand for hotel accommodation in all cities where the tests are being held.

"Metro Hotels' in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney started receiving bookings from both agents and individuals as early as the day after England regained the Ashes in the 2010/2011 series," he said.
"Bookings are already extremely strong, especially group bookings, despite the series not commencing for another 12 months."

The Ashes is one of the most famous sporting rivalries in the history of the sport, and certainly cricket's oldest and most fiercely fought competition.

After England's 3-1 win in the 2010-11 Ashes Series, the 2013-14 Tour is already setting itself up to be another historic showdown, with England looking to continue their winning streak and the Aussies fired up to win back the urn.

In addition to the test matches, there will also be five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches between Australia and England.

With 13 properties across Australia, Metro Hospitality Group is the country's oldest Australian owned hotel chain. The Group offers a range of 4-star hotels and apartments in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Gladstone, with the same affordable, quality, centrally located accommodation and friendly service common to all Metro properties Australia-wide.

*2013-14 Ashes series

• 1^st Test - Thursday 21 to 25 November 2013, The Gabba - Brisbane
• 2^nd Test - Thursday 5 to 9 December 2013, Adelaide Oval - Adelaide
• 3^rd Test - Friday 13 to 17 December 2013, WACA Ground - Perth
• 4^th Test - Thursday 26 to 30 December 2013, MCG - Melbourne
• 5^th Test - Friday 3 to 7 January 2014, SCG - Sydney

Guests are able to book at all Metro Hotels properties by calling the toll free Central Reservations line on 1800 004 321. Alternatively bookings can be made online at www.metrohotels.com.au.

QR Bulls Masters v Ipswich Invitational XI

Come and see Queensland and Australian greats play against our local heroes in the fast paced environment that is Twenty20 Cricket!

Players will include: Ian Healy, Greg Ritchie, Michael Kasprowicz, Andy Bichel & Jimmy Maher + more! Gates open at 10am, beginning with U10 matches. Free coaching clinic for kids 12.30 - 1.30pm. Main Game commences at 2pm. Tickets are available at the gate - Adults $10, Under 16's are free.

Date: 18 November

Venue: Baxter Oval - Ivor Marsden Memorial Sporting Complex, Old Toowoomba Road, Amberley QLD 4305

Contact:

ipscricket@optusnet.com.au or telephone (07) 3282 4251

Warne Leads Player Praise for Channel 9's "Howzat! Kerry Packer's War"

Spin legend Shane Warne led the player praise for Channel 9's hit mini-series "Howzat! Kerry Packer's War", thanking the late media mogul for changing cricket and the lives of those who made millions from it.

The stunning homage to Packer, played by Offspring actor Lachy Hulme, won a debut audience of 2.097 million nationally on Sunday night.

Delivering on Nine Entertainment boss David Gyngell's bold prediction the series would be "the biggest piece of television this year," the Southern Star production had been widely hailed as the best drama of 2012, news.com.au reports.

Hulme, whose performance already has him favourite for the best actor Logie award, largely stayed away from social media, which was flooded with five-star reviews of his physical transformation and colourful characterisation of the late media mogul.

The rush to praise Hulme and the casting of Australia's best actors as the cricket legends who revolutionised the game in the 1970s with World Series Cricket saw the show trend in top spot on social media around Australia and the world.

Read on at The Sydney News Net

Melbourne Stars chasing Bolt for Big Bash League

'M' for Melbourne? Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt (above) celebrates his third London Olympics gold medal with the signature move of British dual gold medallist Mo Farah (left). The Melbourne Stars is hoping Bolt will play for them during the Big Bash cricket series.



The world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, could be steaming in from the Members End at the MCG this summer with an audacious plan hatched to have the Jamaican track superstar play in the Twenty20 Big Bash League.
The Melbourne Stars franchise has confirmed it is in negotiations with the six-time Olympic gold medallist and his management company and spin king Shane Warne, the team's marquee player, launched a campaign via social media on Sunday in an effort to build support for the recruiting coup. The move has the formative backing of Cricket Australia.

Bolt, who repeated his treble of gold medals in Beijing with victory in the 100 metres, 200m and 4x100m relay at the London Olympics, played junior cricket before ruling the track and has long voiced his love for the game. He famously clean bowled then West Indies captain and good friend Chris Gayle in a charity match in 2009, having earlier belted him down the ground for six, and the vision became popular on YouTube.

The 25-year-old was first approached about joining the Stars before the Games by the franchise's president Eddie McGuire, who was interviewing him in his capacity as a broadcaster at the London OIympics with Foxtel. Bolt said Warne had now spoken to him about playing in the BBL and he would consider whether to take up the offer.

ICC U19 CRICKET WORLD CUP

The world's best young cricketers will gather in Queensland from 11-26 August to test their skills during the 2012 ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup.

Free to attend and held over three locations - Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Townsville - the tournament will see sixteen teams from around the world compete including Australia; Afghanistan; Bangladesh; England; India; Ireland; Namibia;  Nepal; New Zealand; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Scotland; South Africa; Sri Lanka; West Indies; and Zimbabwe.

For a full tournament schedule visit 

www.icc-cricket.yahoo.net

ICC U19 CRICKET WORLD CUP

The world's best young cricketers will gather in Queensland from 11-26 August to test their skills during the 2012 ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup.

Free to attend and held over three locations - Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Townsville - the tournament will see sixteen teams from around the world compete including Australia; Afghanistan; Bangladesh; England; India; Ireland; Namibia;  Nepal; New Zealand; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Scotland; South Africa; Sri Lanka; West Indies; and Zimbabwe.

For a full tournament schedule visit 

www.icc-cricket.yahoo.net