Zimbabwe 139 for 5 (Taylor 60*, Clark 2-22) beat Australia 138 for 9 (Hodge 35*, Chigumbura 3-20) by five wickets
Scorecard

It was a night to remember for cricket fans everywhere except for Australia. Zimbabwe played out of their skins, Australia looked rusty, and, after the drama of a rain delay with Australia ahead on Duckworth-Lewis, Zimbabwe, who had been wobbling when the rain hit, edged to a memorable, wonderful five-wicket win off the penultimate delivery. Two years ago to the day Australia lost the Ashes at The Oval. This game might have lacked the importance of that one, but it was a damn sight more embarrassing for them.And lest anyone think this was a fluke, it was not. For almost the entire game Zimbabwe were, almost unbelievably, on top. Written off by everyone other than the ICC president, Ray Mali – the bookmakers had Australia at 50-1 on – they bowled sensibly, fielded like demons and, initially, batted with wisdom. A newcomer to Newlands might be thinking that they were the world champions and the side in the skin-tight yellow and grey lycra were the no-hopers.The hero of the chase was Brendan Taylor, a fiery character whose international career seemed to be over a month ago after the latest of many run-ins with the Zimbabwe board. He anchored Zimbabwe’s response with an unbeaten 60 off 45 balls, ran singles with ease and – as Australia began to tighten their grip – thumped two sixes off the 15th over from Brad Hodge to give his side renewed belief.And yet still Australia had their noses in front. Zimbabwe needed 12 off the last over. Taylor flicked the first ball for four past the grope of short fine leg. It came down to four off two as Ricky Ponting – who has said this format is not one he takes seriously but admitted afterwards “we’ve just got to start respecting the game now” – looked as stressed as anyone as he frantically marshalled his field. Nathan Bracken, so reliable, bowled full on leg stump, it brushed Taylor’s pad and bobbled agonisingly slowly towards fine leg where it just had the legs to beat Stuart Clark’s despairing slide. The Zimbabwe players were racing on to the pitch even before the ball hit the boundary markers.What was remarkable was that it was Australia who crumbled under pressure. Their batting, with the exception of Hodge, lacked fluency; their bowlers were too wayward; their fielders fumbled and gave away overthrows. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, threw themselves wholeheartedly into everything.Even though Australia’s total was poor by Twenty20 standards, few expected them to lose. But they had omitted Brad Hogg and opted for a seam-heavy attack. On a suet of a pitch their pace was nullified and simply allowed the batsmen to use the speed of the ball to good effect. Zimbabwe’s dobblers and gentle spinners were far more effective.Australia, who have been out of action as a collective unit since the World Cup final on April 28, looked out of sorts, and their strokeplay was not helped by a moving ball, a stodgy pitch and a pudding of an outfield. The dismissals of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, both to Elton Chigumbura, appeared to be a minor setback, but when Ponting thick-edged a heave high to third man off Gary Brent, the situation became altogether more serious.Such is the strength in depth of the Australians, however, they had more hitters to come, and Andrew Symonds and Michael Hussey consolidated for a couple of overs and then cut loose, using their feet and scampering between the wickets.

As their nerves eased, a brilliant pick-up and diving throw from Vusi Sibanda found Hussey six inches short. Again Australia consolidated, eating into their overs, and again they started to hit out, Hodge smiting the first six as late as the 14th over. Symonds, who persevered but barely timed one all evening, was then neatly stumped by Taylor as he overbalanced. The wobble continued.Hodge, whose summer with Lancashire meant that his timing was never in doubt, batted with the kind of ease we expected from his team-mates. Lee offered some support, clouting a big six, before falling to Brent, the old man of the Zimbabwe side, who bowled cannily throughout. Still Australia, who mustered 139 for 9, were the favourites. Sibanda and Taylor got Zimbabwe off to a good start, Sibanda thumping five rasping fours as Taylor skillfully gave him the strike. As they reduced the target to double figures with 15 overs left, the first sign of Australian jitters became evident.The weather added to the drama as a light drizzle started and everyone, including Ponting – consulting a tatty and increasingly soggy crib sheet – rushed to work out the Duckworth-Lewis situation.Zimbabwe had their noses in front until Tatenda Taibu feathered a catch to Adam Gilchrist. Over the next three overs the two sides swapped the D/L lead, with Zimbabwe level going into the 11th over only for Stuart Matsikenyeri’s skied heave to Gilchrist to again put them behind. Within an over the players were off and Australia appeared to have got out of jail. But the rain gods were not on their side and after half-an-hour play resumed and the final, sensational, act was completed.

Zimbabwe have suffered a blow with the news that Hamilton Masakadza has been ruled out of action for at least six weeks after injuring his finger in training.Masakadza tore his finger ligament in a fielding session last week. The injury rules him out of the whole tour by Sri Lanka A to Zimbabwe. There is a 50-50 chance of him making it on time for West Indies’ ODI tour. It has now been confirmed that Sri Lanka A will play two four-day matches and two one day matches against the full Zimbabwe side.Meanwhile, the recuperating Sean Williams is almost set to make a return against the Sri Lankan fringes. Williams is now training fully with the rest of the Zimbabwe side, giving a boost to coach Robin Brown, who asked his players to play positive cricket when he took over from former Zimbabwe team-mate Kevin Curran.

Ricky Ponting says Phil Jaques will not be under significant pressure in the first Test against Sri Lanka as he is the only one of Australia’s potential new openers in form. Jaques will play his third Test when the series starts at the Gabba on Thursday and Ponting advised the newest member of his top order to “relax”.”[Chris] Rogers, [Brad] Hodge, [Shane] Watson and himself were the four mentioned, and he is the only one that has done anything at the start of this season, so he thoroughly deserves his opportunity,” Ponting told the . “If you look at things at the moment he’s the only one who has grabbed that opportunity.”Rogers might have had the edge over Jaques at the end of last summer having topped the Pura Cup run tally with 1202 at 70.70. However, he made 9 and 17 in Western Australia’s opening game this season and was then struck down with appendicitis.Another hamstring injury ruled Watson out of the race, while Hodge was in poor form in the ODI series in India. Hodge tried opening in Victoria’s Pura Cup match last week – he made 2 and 0 – and although he managed 162 on Saturday for his Melbourne club side Jaques already had the Test position sewn up.After a strong Australia A tour of Pakistan, Jaques opened his Pura Cup season with 167 for New South Wales in the same match in which Rogers failed. “I don’t think there is any pressure on him now,” Ponting said.”The pressure was on him in the first couple of games of the season, and now that he has been picked he can relax into things and hopefully get some runs in the first couple of Tests. He deserves his chance and he’s a guy that loves batting and usually when he gets in he makes big scores, so hopefully he can do that for Australia.”

Martin van Jaarsveld, the South Africa and Titans batsman and Quinton Friend, the Dolphins bowler, have been found guilty of breaching Cricket South Africa’s Code of Conduct and are duly suspended.The issue arose during Dolphins’ and Titans’ match at Kingsmead two weeks ago when the “conduct and actions of both players [was] considered in breach of clause 1.3” CSA’s Code of Conduct. The clause relates to verbal abuse.Van Jaarsveld is not permitting to play in Titans’ next two SuperSport Series matches, while Friend is banned from one Dolphins game.

A Test-match trial of Muttiah Muralitharan’s action, as suggested by Shane Warne, seems unlikely with the news the ICC will not have the technology for such tests for at least two years. Warne said it would give Muralitharan and the cricketing world “peace of mind” to have Muralitharan’s bowling style assessed in match conditions.However, Muralitharan was unconvinced that further analysis was necessary. “I don’t know about that,” Muralitharan said in the . “I have done a lot of testing.”The paper reported that the ICC was working with biomechanics experts to develop a system where trials could occur during matches, but the technology was still some way from completion. Daryl Foster, the former Western Australia coach who helped analyse Muralitharan’s action at the University of Western Australia in 2004, said laboratory trials were the best measure for the time being.”With the technology we have available at the moment, and the margin of error that exists, it’s far better for the time being that this is done in a controlled laboratory environment,” Foster said. Muralitharan’s action has been repeatedly cleared by the ICC since he was first no-balled for throwing during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne in 1995-96.

Michael Clarke will not necessarily succeed Ricky Ponting as Australia’s captain despite his promotion to the top job for next week’s Twenty20 game against New Zealand, according to Adam Gilchrist. Ponting is being rested for Tuesday’s match and Clarke was named captain of a squad that included Gilchrist and Michael Hussey, both of whom have filled in for Ponting in the past.The move was seen as an indication that Clarke would be groomed to eventually take over from Ponting on a full-time basis. However, Gilchrist said that was not a done deal, although he supported the decision to give Clarke a taste of leadership in the Twenty20 match.”It’s not just Pup [Clarke],” Gilchrist told the . “Mike Hussey was captain in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy earlier this year and is obviously a candidate. It’s a matter of the selectors exploring all the options as they plan for the future.”They should certainly keep Huss in the loop and any other guys they think will be worthy of higher honours down the track. I’m reluctant to assume that [Clarke] has automatically got the job and I don’t think he assumes that either.”Clarke, 26, has age in his favour as Hussey, 32, is only five months younger than Ponting, who is expected to play for several more years. A handful of younger batsmen have gained captaincy experience at state level including Adam Voges, Marcus North, Cameron White and George Bailey, but whether any of them will reach Test level remains unknown.Gilchrist said it was a good move to give Clarke some extra responsibility. “It makes sense starting to invest in a few guys for the future,” he said. “He has shown a real eagerness to learn all about leadership and enjoyed it in his younger days. He has a thirst to learn about the role and is quite an astute tactical thinker.”This is a good step in his development. He will learn over time that captaincy involves great responsibilities off the field as well as on it. But he is a smart kid and he looks after himself so he should grow into that.”Ponting’s predecessor Steve Waugh also said if Clarke had been earmarked for future leadership then it made sense to hand him the reins for a one-off match. “It gives him a bit of a taste in Twenty20 where the stakes aren’t so high, you don’t have to make so many crucial decisions,” Waugh told the .”It gives you a feel for the job so I think it’s a pretty good move. It doesn’t guarantee you are going to be the next leader but he certainly is the favourite.”

Ricky Ponting believes he can overcome the persistent threat of Harbhajan Singh despite falling early to the offspinner in the second innings in Melbourne. Harbhajan has dismissed Ponting six times in seven Tests and will play a crucial role alongside Anil Kumble as India attempt to level the series in Sydney.Harbhajan joked at the MCG he hadn’t seen enough of Ponting to have a plan for him on this tour, but it is a serious matter for Australia’s captain. “He’s got a great record in Tests against me,” Ponting said of Harbhajan. “He got me first ball last week.”The 2001 contest, when Ponting scored 17 runs and slipped five times against Harbhajan in three Tests, is one of his few international scars, but he is not bothered by the problems against offspin. “It’s a long time from that series in India six years ago, where he had the measure of me,” Ponting said. “But it could be my turn here. It’s just a matter of time before I get some runs.”Ponting picked up two half-centuries against Sri Lanka in November, but was the only Australian batsman to miss out in Melbourne, scoring 4 and 3. “I have got a good record here, I’ve made five hundreds on this ground,” he said. “Hopefully that can be the case this week. It was lean last week, I had almost as many catches as runs. But I had a good net, I’m coming off a couple of hundreds in the ODIs [against New Zealand] and I’m feeling good to go.”The slow start has not convinced India to downgrade the Ponting threat and Kumble remains wary. Kumble knows how potent Harbhajan is against Ponting, but will wait to decide whether to bring him on as soon as the captain enters.”It all depends on what’s happening at that stage,” Kumble said. “We understand that Ricky is the key and it’s important we get him early.”Harbhajan also has a strong record against Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, who have been dismissed seven times in eight Tests, but he had less impact in Melbourne, taking three wickets to Kumble’s seven. The visiting spinners will have a huge say in whether Australia can equal the world record of 16 consecutive wins, which was set by Steve Waugh and ended by India in 2001.”The only thing wrong with discussing it is that it takes the focus away from the game,” Ponting, who has tried to avoid talk of the achievement, said. “When you’re facing a ball, or starting to bowl, you need a nice clear mind. I don’t mind a bit of talk about it, but if it gets too much, I would like to put it down.”

Cricket Australia is likely to allow Adam Gilchrist to play in the IPL despite an agreement between organisers and boards forbidding players to join until two years after their international career is over. While the move could set a precedent for others who may be lured to the league by the cash, the argument is that the cooling off period is designed to stop young players quitting early for a long career in the Twenty20 competition.Gilchrist is 36 and will retire from internationals in March, but is still contracted to Cricket Australia. CA is keen to use him as a coach and in promotions, but again this isn’t seen as an obstacle because the IPL lasts for only two months.Gilchrist did not foresee any problems with the deal. “The IPL is moving quickly and we’re just trying to get a gauge on what the restrictions are,” Gilchrist told . “As far as I know at the moment, Cricket Australia haven’t given me any indication they wouldn’t want me to part of that, but I’m not 100% sure. We’re just trying to confirm that.”Lalit Modi has said no player could retire early to sign an IPL deal without permission from his national board.Gilchrist will meet with CA’s chief executive James Sutherland soon to discuss the options. The board may not be so lenient in other instances, as it is understood to be considering using its powers of veto for contracted players.Before the IPL begins, however, there is the small matter of the CB Series to complete and Gilchrist is not concerned about Australia’s fielding of late. “As long as cricket’s played there are going to be dropped catches,” he said. “Sometimes they come in little patches, little clumps, and at other times you go through many, many games without dropping one and no-one writes a story about how great the catching’s been. All we can do is keep working hard at training and make sure we’re as sharp as possible come game day.”

Gerald Majola, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa (CSA), has confirmed Mickey Arthur, the South African coach, cannot be axed from the national selection panel as he is under a contract. The board’s general council, which reaffirmed its stand on the transformation policy, had “removed” Arthur from the panel on Saturday. However, only the board’s professional arm, headed by Majola, had the power to remove him.”Mickey Arthur is contracted by Cricket South Africa (Pty) Ltd, and his contracted duties include being a national selector,” Majola said in a statement. “Only the board of directors of CSA (Pty) Ltd can change this, and therefore the resolution taken at General Council’s teleconference on Saturday to remove Mr Arthur from the selection process is unconstitutional.”I have been in contact today (Sunday) with the convenor of selectors, Joubert Strydom, and have informed him that the same selection panel will finalise the team to tour Bangladesh. The panel comprises Joubert Strydom (convener), Mickey Arthur (national coach), Vincent Barnes (assistant national coach), Graeme Smith (captain), Mustapha Khan (selector) and Shafiek Abrahams (selector). The team will be announced tomorrow (Monday) after three players have undergone fitness tests, namely Hashim Amla, Andre Nel, and Neil McKenzie.”With any luck, Arthur and Norman Arendse, the CSA president with whom he has been having a running battle, will bump into each other in a deserted parking lot sometime soon. Maybe then, with no one watching and nothing more lethal than a pair of jabbing index fingers, we might get to the bottom of this week of Monty Python mayhem. Until then, let’s try and make sense of what has happened.On Tuesday Arendse rejected the squad selected for South Africa’s imminent tour to Bangladesh. He did so, we believe, on the grounds that only four black players were included in the squad and not seven as called for in terms of CSA’s plan for the ongoing racial transformation the game. It doesn’t matter if we euphemise that bit of legislation as a policy or a target: what matters is the number. And that number is seven. Four isn’t even close.Where was Herschelle Gibbs in the wake of his spectacular century in the last one-day international against West Indies, Arendse wondered. And didn’t Monde Zondeki deserve some recognition for the 54 wickets he took in 10 SuperSport Series matches this season? Both are black, which would leave us just one short of the required number.Arthur countered with a similarly sharp perspective. The South Africans return home briefly from Bangladesh before returning to the subcontinent for what is sure to be a challenging series against India. Arthur wanted his best team on the field in Bangladesh to ensure they hit the ground running when they encountered the big brothers next door.Arendse countered that, with a lengthy tour of England looming after the Indian venture, South Africa needed to find out whether players like Zondeki – and other bowlers – were up to international standard.At this point, non-South African readers might wonder what all the fuss has been about. Even allowing for what in other countries would be the novelty of a racially based selection policy, this is the stuff of the average committee meeting, surely. Why all the acrimony?The upshot was that Arendse laid disciplinary charges against Arthur, who duly fired back a salvo of charges of his own against the president. Except that Arendse, as an elected official, was not subject to the same set of rules and regulations as CSA employees like Arthur. So the coach’s charges are unlikely to stick. Instead, Arthur is likely to find himself on the carpet on charges of bringing the game into disrepute in the next day or so, and he might well find himself out of a job shortly after that.

It’s not a tag you would want to hand any young cricketer, but Stuart Broad’s success in the early days of his international career is already getting him dubbed as Andrew Flintoff’s successor. Although he has some way to go to match the all-round performances of Flintoff, it is Broad’s efforts with the ball that are raising expectations.He has claimed six wickets in the first three ODIs against New Zealand; he was the one shining light in the opening six-wicket defeat in Wellington and played a key role in the comeback win in Auckland with 3 for 32. His first spell in that match was an outstanding 7-1-12-2 and helped set the tone for England’s victory.After 24 matches Broad has 36 wickets despite taking just five in his first six matches. Among England bowlers with at least 30 ODI scalps, Broad’s strike-rate of 33.8 puts him second behind Flintoff by just one decimal point. However, the most important thing for Broad is that he is continuing to learn and develop his bowling.”At first, I barely picked up a wicket and I wondered where one was coming from,” he told . “I think the more you play, the more you learn how to take wickets in different scenarios. I feel I’m learning when to bowl balls and when to bowl a bouncer a bit better, but it does depend on which role you’re doing.”Coming on first change, when Jimmy [James Anderson] and Ryan [Sidebottom] have bowled well up front, it’s a lot easier to come on when the pressure is on the batsman and get some wickets so that has helped me out massively.”Broad didn’t escape the hammering that England’s attack received during the second ODI in Hamilton when Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum slammed 165 in little more than 18 overs. His three overs went for 32, but it isn’t the first time Broad has had to come back from some severe punishment. During the ICC World Twenty20 he was clubbed for six sixes in an over by Yuvraj Singh and quickly pushed it to the back of his mind.”International cricket is a fantastic place to play because you know that if you’re not at the top of your game, you get punished and it makes you keep your standards high,” he said “You learn from your mistakes and you learn quickest if you bounce back. County cricket is still a very good standard but you can still get away with a few things.”International cricket really makes you nail your variations. I’ve come in and worked on different cutters and slower balls and not running up and bowling at the same pace with the stock ball – little things like that really help and hopefully when I go back to county cricket, I will implement them there as well.”