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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 21, 2016
Proteas turned off day-night Test by Australians (REUTERS) - South Africa’s reluctance to play day-night Test cricket is based on Australian feedback from their first match with the pink ball against New Zealand, Proteas captain AB de Villiers has said. South Africa’s players have baulked at an invitation to play Australia in a daynight match in Adelaide in the home summer, saying their inexperience with the specially developed pink ball would place them at a disadvantage. Cricket Australia (CA) are determined for the game to go ahead, however, and said they were still working to confirm it with South Africa’s board. Australia defeated New Zealand in the inaugural day-night Test in November at Adelaide Oval, a match which drew huge crowds and big television audiences. Although players from both sides hailed it a success, they also had reservations about the pink ball’s
visibility and movement from twilight into the evening. de Villiers said his team had sought feedback from Australia before the World Twenty20 and both sides walked away from their meeting reluctant to play the Adelaide game. “At the moment, we are not too keen on playing in the proposed day-night Test match due to a few concerns that have come from a number of sources involved in the maiden Test played last year,” de Villiers told South Africa’s Independent Media. “We had a meeting with (captain) Steve Smith and some of the Australian players when they toured here earlier this year, and the consensus from our talks was that there are just too many unknowns. “Players from both teams were reluctant to go ahead with it. “South Africa and Australia have a great cricketing rivalry, and this is a series
Australia’s Glenn Maxwell (C) is congratulated by his teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand’s Corey Anderson. Reuters/Adnan Abidi that we value. the itinerary.” day-night Test. “We could well be playing CA released their summer “There is some concern for an opportunity to regain schedule yesterday with the from the South African the number one Test ranking, third Test at Adelaide from players, but ... the success of so playing a day-night match November 24 to 28 only Adelaide last year demonis a fundamental change to pencilled in as a potential strates the huge potential
the day-night format has in revitalising Test cricket all over the world, and it’s for that reason that it is our desire to stage another Test under lights at that venue,” CA chief executive James Sutherland, who has long championed Test cricket under lights, said in a statement. Regardless of any players’ misgivings, CA confirmed Australia would host Pakistan in a day-night Test at the Gabba from December 15. Brisbane has traditionally held the first Test of the summer but has struggled to draw crowds in recent years and Perth will instead host the opener against South Africa from November 3. Australia will also host New Zealand for three oneday internationals between the South Africa and Pakistan Test series, along with five ODIs against Pakistan in January and three Twenty20 internationals against Sri Lanka in February.
Suarez on fire as Barca hammer Deportivo 8-0 By Richard Martin BARCELONA, (Reuters)-A red hot Luis Suarez scored four goals and contributed three assists as Barcelona’s stuttering La Liga title charge sparked back to life with a spectacular 8-0 thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna yesterday. Atletico Madrid kept the pressure on Barca with a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao thanks to a first half header from Fernando Torres, although defender Diego Godin was forced off in the ninth minute with a suspected hamstring injury. Barca lead Atletico due to their superior head-tohead record, with both teams on 79 points with four games remaining. Third-placed Real Madrid face Villarreal later on Wednesday. Three successive defeats had put the breaks on Barcelona’s title hopes but Uruguayan Suarez made sure the losing run would not continue when he gave Barca a two-goal cushion at the
Barcelona’s Luis Suarez celebrates his goal against Deportivo Coruna. Reuters/Miguel Vidal Gerard Pique in search of a break by scoring in the 11th first win in five league games. and 24th minutes. Suarez put them on their He then provided the way by volleying home cross for Ivan Rakitic to Rakitic’s corner from inside grab the third in the 48th. the six yard box, then added Suarez completed his hat- the second with a first time trick five minutes later finish with the help of a styland netted his fourth in the ish tee up from Messi. 64th. Lionel Messi, Marc The former Liverpool Bartra and Neymar round- striker laid on the cross for ed off the scoring late on. Rakitic to score on the half Barca headed to Riazor volley shortly after the break, without influential defender
and completed his treble thanks to another assist from Messi. Suarez’s fourth goal was scrappier, following his shot in on the rebound after being denied by Deportivo goalkeeper Manu. He then set up Messi to tap in from inside the box in the 73rd minute. Arguably the best goal was scored by defender Bartra, who was making just a fourth league start in the absence of Pique. The centre back powered his way through Deportivo’s defence and into the area before producing a confident finish into the far corner in the 79th minute. There was still time for Neymar to end his drought of five games without a goal, the Brazilian turning another pass by Suarez in at the near post. Torres scored for the fifth consecutive game in all competitions to give Atletico a fourth straight league win, heading in Antoine Griezmann’s chipped cross on 38 minutes. However, Atletico de-
fender Godin could miss their next league game against Malaga and their Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern
Munich after hurting his hamstring, two weeks after recovering from a hamstring injury in the same leg.
Australia’s international programme for 2016/17 Cricket Australia announced their programme of international matches for the 2016-17 season yesterday: Nov. 3-7 v South Africa, 1st Test, Perth Nov. 12-16 v South Africa, 2nd Test, Hobart Nov. 24-28 v South Africa, 3rd test, Adelaide* Dec. 4 v New Zealand, 1st ODI, Sydney Dec. 6 v New Zealand, 2nd ODI, Canberra Dec. 9 v New Zealand, 3rd ODI, Melbourne Dec. 15-19 v Pakistan, 1st Test, Brisbane# Dec. 26-30 v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Melbourne Jan. 3-7 v Pakistan, 3rd Test, Sydney Jan. 13 v Pakistan, 1st ODI, Brisbane Jan. 15 v Pakistan, 2nd ODI, Melbourne Jan. 19 v Pakistan, 3rd ODI, Perth Jan. 22 v Pakistan, 4th ODI, Sydney Jan. 26 v Pakistan, 5th ODI, Adelaide Feb. 17 v Sri Lanka, 1st T20, TBC Feb. 19 v Sri Lanka, 2nd T20, TBC Feb. 22 v Sri Lanka, 3rd T20, TBC * possible day-night ttst # day night test