32
GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday December 24, 2015
England aim to dethrone Test kings South Africa By Mark Gleeson
DURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) - South Africa’s status as the top-ranked Test-playing nation has been dented after their crushing defeat in India last month and are in danger of being eroded completely by England over the next month or two. The two nations begin a four-match Test series in Durban tomorrow, which is expected to be evenly matched and should provide answers to several questions asked of both amid their recent trials. England will look to solve personnel problems in key batting and bowling slots and build more consistency in their selections, while South Africa seek to dispel suggestions that they are a side on the decline, suddenly lacking in the confidence that has been the hallmark of their reign as the world’s top Test side. Both countries return to
seam-friendly wickets after losing on spinning tops in India and -- for some of the time -- the United Arab Emir-
four-Test series, which the home team won 3-0 and which could have been a whitewash had weather not
prompting several changes - notably the axing of stalwart Ian Bell - to the squad for the South African tour.
England’s players celebrate a wicket during a tour match against the South Africa A in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, December 20, 2015. (Reuters/Rogan Ward) ates in the last two months. South Africa’s limitations against spin were cruelly exposed in India in a one-sided
Rising Sun Horserace meet confirmed for January 3 DUBBED the Mohammed “Nankoo” Shariff Memorial horse race meet, the Rising Sun Turf Club, in collaboration with the Inshan Bacchus Trucking Service, Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and Banks DIH Limited will stage a seven-race meet on January 3 at the Club’s facility, Rising Sun, Arima Park, West Coast Berbice. The race meet, the first for the New Year, will be held in memory of the late Shariff, who was a devoted horse owner, trainer, breeder; importer and promoter of the sport. Over $4M in cash, trophies, and other incentives are up for the taking, and with the Rising Sun Turf Club known for creating exciting and highly competitive race meets, the event is expected to attract all the country’s top race horses. The feature event will be a 1400-metre classic for animals classified ‘D’ and Lower for a first prize of $700,000 and a trophy. The other races are the ‘E’ and Lower (1400-metre) event for a winning take of $500,000 and trophy. The ‘G’ Class event has a winner’s money of $300, 000 and a trophy at over 1400 metres. There is an event for horses classified ‘H2’ and Lower with the winner set to take home $220,000 and a trophy. The horses classified ‘J’ and Lower will be racing for a winner’s cheque of $180,000 and a trophy, while the final two events are for animals classified ‘J’ and Lower and ‘K’ and Lower respectively. The respective winners will take home $150,000 and $100,000 and trophies respectively. Race time is 12:30 hrs.
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday December 24, 2015) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) &AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)
Answers to yesterday’s quiz:
(1) India’s Sunil Gavaskar & Australia’s Dean Jones (2) 5-1 (in favour of the Aussies)
Today’s Quiz:
(1) Name the Australian Chappell brothers who played Test cricket? (2) Who is the first player to score a double-century and a hundred in the same Test?
Answers in tomorrow’s issue
intervened. England were beaten 2-0 by Pakistan in a threematch series in the UAE,
SUCCESSOR England are still seeking to solve the longstanding
problem of finding a reliable opening partner for Alastair Cook, having gone through seven in 39 Tests since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012. Alex Hales will be the eighth to open the innings with the captain while the No.3 slot is likely to go to Nick Compton, making a return to the side after lasting only nine Tests at the top of the order after being appointed Strauss’s immediate successor. It will be a boost to England’s confidence that each of their scheduled top six batsmen go into the series with a score of 50 or more under their belts from the two warm-up matches over the last week. They included centuries from Cook and Joe Root, who is looking to take his Ashes form from earlier this year into the series. “We will have to play some strong cricket, be disciplined and play at our best if
we are going to compete with them,” Root said this week. But South Africa have lost much of their swagger since charismatic captain Graeme Smith and all-rounder Jacques Kallis retired. After their poor batting display in India, they have persuaded a reluctant AB de Villiers to again don the wicketkeeper’s gloves to make room for an extra batsmen. But they have received a boost with attack bowler Dale Steyn passing a fitness test after a groin injury provided him with a much-needed break and a chance to rekindle the hunger of old. He could yet provide a talismanic influence. The Boxing Day Test will be followed by a New Year’s Test in Cape Town from January 2-6. The third and fourth matches will be played in the high altitude of Johannesburg and Pretoria next month.
Australia skipper Steve Smith named ICC Cricketer-of-the-Year
(REUTERS) - Australia captain Steve Smith was named ICC Cricketer-ofthe-Year for 2015 yesterday after scoring a world leading 1 734 runs at an average of 82.57 with seven centuries over the voting period. The 26-year-old righthander kept the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in Australia for the third straight year after pace bowler Mitchell Johnson and his predecessor as skipper Michael Clarke won in 2014 and 2013. Smith also scored four centuries and 1 249 runs in 25 one-day internationals from September 18, 2014 to September 13, 2015, notching up the winning runs as Australia stormed to a fifth World Cup triumph. “I’m obviously completely surprised by it, very humbled,” said Smith, who was also part of the team that lost the Ashes to England during the voting period. “You don’t think about these accolades, you just want to go out there and do the best you can for the team
and try and win as many games as possible. “My favourite moment would have to be winning the World Cup, playing against New Zealand at a packed house at the MCG. It was an amazing feeling to be able to hit those winning
Australia cricket captain Steve Smith runs.” The Australian also scooped the ICC Test Cricketer-of-the-Year award while South Africa batsman AB de Villiers was rated Best Player in the one-day game, winning
the award for the second successive year. de Villiers, South Africa’s captain in the ODI format, also won the award in 2010. The 31-year-old’s brilliant quick-fire batting lit up the World Cup, not least his unbeaten 162 against West Indies in Sydney, and he racked up 1 265 runs in total at an average of nearly 80 an innings over the relevant period. His team mate Faf du Plessis won the award for Best Twenty20 performance of 2015 for his 56-ball innings of 119 against West Indies in January, the third highest score of all-time in T20 internationals. Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood was named Best Emerging Player, while the Spirit of Cricket Award went to New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who made a virtue of his team’s sportsmanship as he led them to the final of the World Cup. McCullum said on Tuesday that he would be retiring from international cricket af-
ter the two-Test series against Australia in New Zealand in February. Australia captain Meg Lanning was the women’s One Day International Cricketer-of-the-Year, while her West Indies counterpart Stafanie Taylor won the wom-
JOSH HAZLEWOOD en’s Twenty20 award. Khurram Khan of the United Arab Emirates was named Associate and Affiliate Cricketer-of-the-Year while England’s Richard Kettleborough was named Best Umpire for a third year in a row.
Santos, Black Pearl sanctioned by the GFA
THE Georgetown Football Association (GFA) yesterday imposed a $25 000 fine on Santos Football Club (SFC), and Black Pearl for fielding ineligible players during their Sunday December 20 fixture in the Banks Beer football tournament. The Guyana Football Federation
(GFF) on December 15 had written their members and outlined that as per FIFA Rules, no club participating in their respective Associations ‘Year-End’ tournament, will be able to use ‘guest players’. However, both Santos and Black Pearl were guilty of using players who are members of a STAG Elite
League team. Santos fielded Ryan Hackett, who scored during their 5-1 win, while Black Pearl featured Ryan Seales. Black Pearl have until December 29 to pay their fine while Santos have to ensure that their fine is paid before taking the field for their December 25 game.