Queensland Cricket has made a change to the main public entrance to the Gabba for the 2003-04 domestic cricket season.The new main public entry will now be Gate 2 on Stanley Street and will replace Gate 4 on Vulture Street.The members’ entry at Gate 5 on Vulture Street will remain unchanged.The change will apply to tomorrow’s opening ING Cup match between Queensland and Tasmania at the Gabba.Queensland Cricket Chief Executive Officer Graham Dixon said research had shown that an increasing number of patrons used public transport to attend matches and the proximity of Gate 2 to the Woolloongabba Bus Station was one of the reasons for the change."Gate 2 is also better suited for queuing than Gate 4 and there are more meeting spots with the Woolloongabba Place park close by," he said."After consulting with the ground authorities, we felt the benefits for patrons were significant enough to make the change," he said.The switch to Gate 2 will not affect the International matches at the Gabba this season, with all gates opening as usual for the First Test against India from December 4-8 and the One Day Internationals on January 18 and 20.Gate 2 will be the main entry point for ING Cup and Pura Cup games at the ground.There will be increased security for matches at the Gabba this season with bag checks being conducted inside the ground when patrons enter.Police will also be issuing on-the-spot fines of $225 for anyone caught bringing alcohol into the ground as part of an on-going enforcement of licensing laws.Tomorrow’s ING Cup match starts at 10am with Gate 2 opening at 9am.

Pakistan, the world’s leading six-a-side team, will be seeking a hat-trick ofvictories in this weekend’s Cathay Pacific/Standard Chartered Hong Kong Sixes atthe Kowloon Cricket Club – an annual biff-bang-wallop tournament that includeseight international teams.”Hopefully we will be able to win it again,” said Moin Khan, the Pakistan captain, soon after the team’s nine-hour flight from Lahore. “This is a really fun event and the prize money is good. We are back with a talented side and if we play to our ability we should be able to defend our title.”But although Pakistan – winners in 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2001 – are favourites with another star-studded line-up that includes Moin Khan, Azhar Mahood, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir and Imran Farhat, they may be pushed harder this year it what promises to be the most competitive tournament in history.This year the organisers have invited New Zealand and Kenya in place of the UAEand Australia, who showed little interest in the tournament last year with theselection of a veteran XI. With both New Zealand and Kenya sending strong teams,the pool stages will no longer be a formality for the top seeds.Pakistan should stroll to victory against Hong Kong – who have been bolstered by the news that their most famous cricketer, Dermot Reeve, will be making a star appearance – but have a tricky game against New Zealand on the first morning and a heavyweight clash against arch-rivals India in the afternoon.India’s team is bolstered by Vinod Kambli, the playboy of India cricket, who keeps telling the world that he is ready for one final fling in an Indian shirt. But hopes of winning their first-ever title have been dampened following a late pull-out by strike bowler Javagal Srinath who is injured. His place has been taken by Venkatesh Prasad.England, the runners up last year and the winners in 1993 and 1994, are expected to top Pool 1 with an experienced team. Led by Matthew Maynard, the team includes Glen Chapple, Chris Silverwood, Kabir Ali, Darren Maddy, Dougie Brown and Robert Croft.South Africa are another top seed. Led by Andrew Hall, who was sent home fromSouth Africa’s recent tour to Pakistan because of two-Test ban, their squadincludes Loots Bosman, Justin Kemp, Justin Ontong and Monde Zondeki.Sri Lanka, despite their reputation for flambuoyant strokeplay, are consideredoutsiders. Last year they suffered a shock defeat against Kong Kong. However,their squad includes several relatively unknown but effective allrounders,including Dulip Liyange, the skipper, Gayan Wijekoon, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Indika de Saram and Saman Jayantha.The short boundaries at the Kowloon Cricket Club, a pristine green oasis amidst an sprawling urban jungle, and the even bounce of the artificial strip that will be used, traditionally favours the big-hitters. Bowlers concentrate on holding their nerve, avoiding the yips and bowling stump to stump.”There are not many tactics in this game,” according to Khan. “As a batsman in the sixes you go out to bat with the intention of hitting every ball for four or six. It is important to enjoy yourself and we have come with that intention.”

All that stood between Australia and victory was Rahul Dravid. And for a while, all that stood between Dravid and the target was Brad Williams. Bowling straight and fast outside off stump, Williams made Dravid look out of touch only a day after he scored 233. In one scorching over, he nicked a delivery to Adam Gilchrist – who dropped the difficult chance – and played at and missed two more that moved off the seam. Williams posed searing questions, and somehow, Dravid survived to score the winning runs.A breakdown of Williams’s bowling analysis reveals a persistent length and the near absence of loose deliveries, the reasons why India’s batsmen had such a hard time.

If Williams did all the hard work, Stuart MacGill took on the onus of bowling like a millionaire, and gifted full tosses and short deliveries. Reputed to present one boundary opportunity each over, MacGill proved more generous towards the end of India’s innings. Though the turning pitch helped him dismiss Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, bowling down the wrong line proved expensive for MacGill.

All India needed was 193 on a worn-out fifth-day pitch with the ball shooting through alarmingly low at times, and Brad Williams reverse-swinging deliveries at 135 kmph. Historically atrocious chasers, India’s batsmen braved it out under difficult conditions, and got home in relative comfort.

Even if the rain made a result impossible at the Gabba, India, despite their sensational showing on Friday, would perhaps be happy to walk away with a draw and their dignity, but they will live the next days in the fear of their captain being put out of action for the next Test in Adelaide. In the second Test against New Zealand at Ahmedabad earlier this year, Sourav Ganguly became the first player in the history of cricket to be docked a couple of runs for ignoring the umpire’s warning about running on the danger area of the pitch. Now he runs the risk of being the first Test captain to be suspended for slow over-rates.Admittedly, it will be a drastic step for the match referee to consider, but Mike Proctor will be well within his rights to impose a one-match suspension on Ganguly if India are unable to substantially reduce their deficit, which currently stands at 10. “Such decisions are always taken at the end of the match,” Proctor told Wisden Cricinfo last night, “I have had a word with Ganguly and the team management and I will be watching them closely.”This is not the first time the Indians have fallen foul of Proctor on this count. He had fined the entire team 35% of their match fee for slow over-rates in the Hamilton Test during India’s tour of New Zealand earlier this year. While he would not accuse India of slowing down deliberately, Proctor said it was a serious issue. While the Indian management sought to play down the issue, a senior official admitted privately that the matter was of concern to the Indian camp.The new playing conditions of the ICC lay a greater responsibility on the captain for any tardiness on the field. While players can be penalized 5% of the match fee for every over bowled short, the captain is liable for a 10% penalty. If the shortfall is more than five overs, the fine is raised to 10% for regular players and 20% for the captain. At end of the first day, Ganguly was liable for a penalty exceeding his match fee, giving rise to speculations that if the trend continued Proctor would be left with no choice but to hand out a one-match suspension. A shortfall of more than five overs amounts to a Level Two offence under the new ICC Code, which translates to “bringing the game in to disrepute.”While that description can be challenged, it is undeniable that the Indians were markedly lethargic on the field on Thursday, with the wicket keeper and the slip fielders changing ends gingerly. The contrast was remarkable following Proctor’s warning. The fielders sprinted so quickly between the overs that a televsion producer was overheard remarking that it was costing his channel considerable advertising revenue.Wisden Asia Cricket

With just over a month-and-a-half left before the Indian team’s tour to Pakistan, the itinerary for the series still hasn’t been finalised, with both boards unable to reach an agreement over whether to start off with the Tests or the one-day internationals. A Press Trust of India report quoted a source in the Pakistan board as saying: “Since both the cricket boards have not been able to reach an understanding, the tour itinerary has not been announced as yet, nor has the Pakistan Cricket Board started making preparations for the important series.”The Indian board is apparently keen to begin with the five one-day internationals before moving on to the three Tests, but the PCB has insisted on starting with the Tests.Explaining the logic of playing the Tests first, the PCB source said: "The argument is that by having the Tests first they will attract crowds to the stadiums. But if they have the traditionally crowd-pulling ODIs first it will take the gloss off the Test series.” The BCCI, however, believes that since both teams would be going into that series after playing ODIs – the Indians are playing the VB Series in Australia while Pakistan are playing a five-match one-day series in New Zealand – it would make sense to begin with the one-dayers.The delay in finalising the itinerary means that the PCB has been left with very little time to make arrangements for a series which is expected to be a huge moneyspinner for the board. To add to the problems, the PCB has decided to organise the matches directly at all venues instead of delegating the responsibilities to the provincial or regional cricket associations.

Australia have studied Stephen Fleming’s technique in an attempt to counter the threat posed by the Sri Lankan spinners, especially Muttiah Muralitharan. The two teams play a five-match one-day series from February 20, and will then contest three Tests in March.John Buchanan, Australia’s coach, said the team would pool together scraps of information so that the batsmen could come to terms with Sri Lanka’s spinners. He made it clear that though Muttiah Muralitharan was a danger, they would not ignore the other bowlers.”As I understand it, they’ve got six or eight spinners in their squad so Muralitharan is not the only one,” Buchanan said. Obviously [Muralitharan] is a key player for them, but I think we’d be silly if we just believed that if we negated Murali, we’ve got Sri Lanka beaten."Muralitharan has picked up 22 Australian wickets in seven games, but 15 of those have come in the last three Tests at an average of 23.3. And there’s good reason for Australia to handle him with caution at home – since January 2000, Muralitharan has snapped up 188 wickets in 25 home Tests at an average of less then 18.However, Fleming scored 376 runs in four innings the last time New Zealand toured Sri Lanka, and handled the spinners with a degree of comfort. It’s this tour that has Buchanan interested.”It was probably [New Zealand], and Fleming in particular,” Buchanan said. “We’ve got some information there that we’ll share with everybody. But also I think probably the experience of the likes of Matthew Hayden playing spin in India will be of benefit.”

South Australia 129 (Flower 44,Nicholson 5-36) and 3 for 339 (Lehmann 149*, Manou 130) trail New South Wales 9 for 350 decl. and 4 for 299 dec. (Mail 152*, Phelps 62) by 182 runs
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Darren Lehmann returned to his cavalier best at the expense of Stuart MacGill as South Australia launched an audacious bid for a history-defying outright win over New South Wales in the Pura Cup match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.Lehmann, anxiously awaiting the naming of the squad to tour Sri Lanka tomorrow, belted 28 runs from eight MacGill deliveries – and kept dishing out the punishment thereafter – to help himself to a timely 149 not out.Set a seemingly impossible 521 runs for victory after New South Wales declared their second innings on 4 for 299 – and falling to 1 for 7 almost immediately – South Australia somehow conjured up a serious challenge to be 3 for 339 at stumps – just 182 runs shy of snatching an incredible result. No Australian domestic side has ever chased so many runs and won a Sheffield Shield or Pura Cup match, the existing record being South Australia’s 6 for 506 to beat Queensland in 1991-92.Lehmann’s 210-run partnership from 223 balls with Graham Manou (130), including 174 runs in a frantic middle session, turned the game on its head and ruined MacGill’s figures, leaving him with an unflattering 0 for 118 from 18 overs. It got worse for him, when Shane Warne, his rival for a Test spot, took 4 for 51 in Victoria’s outright defeat of Tasmania.MacGill dismissed Lehmann twice in three balls earlier in the week with long hops, but had no such luck today as Lehmann and Manou caned him all over the park. Lehmann hit MacGill for two sixes and four fours in eight balls to virtually seal his selection for Sri Lanka. MacGill and Warne too should be in the squad, setting up an intriguing battle to make the Test XI.New South Wales paid dearly for MacGill dropping Manou on 4, and Mark Waugh spilling a chance from Lehmann on 90. Andy Flower (21 not out) was also given a life just before stumps.Earlier, Greg Mail finished 152 not out – following up his 128 in the first innings – to become only the third NSW player to score a hundred and a 150 in the same Shield or Pura Cup game. Monty Noble did it in 1907/08, and Mark Taylor in 1988-89.Matthew Nicholson also continued to impress, picking up a quick wicket in the SA second innings, having Ben Cameron caught by Mark Waugh at second slip. An outright win for NSW appeared at that stage to be a fait accompli. But by stumps, the tables were turned.

Michael Vaughan has hit out against the busy scheduling in England’s one-day series against West Indies. After playing the first game last Sunday, England now face six matches in 12 days, starting with a double-header in Trinidad this weekend.The fixtures were designed to maximise the revenue for the West Indies board by guaranteeing full houses, prompting Vaughan to suggest that money was more important than the good of the players. “It isn’t ideal, but as players we realise the position the boards are in to try and sell out grounds and make their money,” Vaughan said. “I guess we are used in a way, but we accept that as players. We have to get on with it, we don’t have another option of doing anything but going out and playing. It’s tough and it’s hard but we can only go out and do what’s put in front of us and that’s six games in 12 days.”Vaughan has always made it clear he wanted his players to be as fit as possible, and he stressed that it’s these sort of situations that it’s needed the most. “It will be tough on the mind, tough on the body and I guess that’s why we’re doing all our fitness work to allow our bodies to withstand this kind of mount-up of games,” he said. “As players we’d have loved to have played a game yesterday with a couple of days break and then play again on Sunday, but the way it’s scheduled is to allow the grounds to be full which is why we have the back-to-back games over the weekend.”

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Robert Key’s second hundred of the match guided Kent to an easy nine-wicket win over the New Zealanders at Canterbury, and handed England’s selectors a reminder than he remains a genuine contender for a place in the Test side.Key accelerated after a cautious start, racing from fifty to his hundred in only 43 balls, bring up his 126-ball hundred with a cracking pull for four to midwicket off part-time spinner Mark Richardson.Kent could have swept to a ten-wicket win, but they lost David Fulton within sight of the finishing line when, shortly after lunch, he tried to hit Richardson over the top and was well stumped by Brendon McCullum for 67 (174 for 1).None of New Zealand’s main bowlers looked at all threatening, although they approached the match more as a limb-loosener than any fully-fledged workout.”I sensed that they had one eye on next week during our run-chase,” explained John Bracewell, New Zealand’s coach. “It must be tough when your big game is around the corner to lift yourself in a county game.”Shane Bond wasn’t brought into the firing line at all in Kent’s second innings, and shortly after the game Bracewell confirmed that he would not be fit to play at Lord’s.Bracewell was keen not to attach too much importance to the defeat at Canterbury. “We haven’t had a lot of practice outdoors so while we came into the match trying to win it, we have been beaten by a side which put it together on the day. We came to win in Test cricket and no-one is going to remember if we win the Test series that we lost to Kent.”

Michael Slater, the rollicking Test opener who gave happiness to millions, bid farewell to big-time cricket on Wednesday, after having conceded defeat to the reactive arthritis that had played havoc with his career over the past few months. Slater, 34, played just three one-dayers for New South Wales in the last summer before being hospitalised.Addressing the media in Sydney, he said, “The decision has been a painful one. It’s been a very tough one, given that I still have the desire to play and believe I still had a lot to offer New South Wales cricket.” But selfishness was never part of Slater’s cricket psyche, and he added, “But I feel to have signed with the Blues in the hope of being fit for the season would have been irresponsible.”Looking back at his career, Slater said that the one regret centred around his exit from the Australian side, on the Ashes tour of 2001. Personal travails relating to his marriage ensured that there would be no fairytale swansong, and Slater said that harsh media scrutiny hadn’t helped matters. “The nature of me or the basis of me is I’m emotional and very sensitive, and unfortunately with the rumours and innuendo and the media coverage, I really took it to heart and it was a very difficult period to get through,” he said.James Sutherland, chief executive of Cricket Australia, was one of those to pay fulsome tribute to one of cricket’s most intriguing characters. “Michael is one of those rare players whose contribution to the game was even greater than his impressive statistics imply,” he said. “Fourteen Test tons is pretty impressive, and so was his role helping Australia back to the top.”But it was his approach and obvious pride representing his country which inspired countless Australian kids and left fans with our most lasting memories of him as an international player. His practice of kissing the Australian coat-of-arms on his helmet upon reaching a century emphasised the passion and pride with which he represented our country.”Recent newspaper reports had suggested that he was unhappy with his latest contract offer from NSW and was considering permanently trading the cricket field for the commentary box, where his alert and energetic style have made him an engaging TV performer.Slater’s Test record – 5312 runs, 14 hundreds and an average of 42.84 – leaves him just short of the truly great Test openers. But those numbers give little hint of his flamboyance or clean hitting, his determination to take on rather than see off opening bowlers, which made him one of the most thrilling batsmen of the modern era.He adopted the same hyperactive approach off the field, which was thought to be a big part of the reason why he was dumped by Australia for the second and final time after the fourth Ashes Test of 2001. Slater himself was convinced his removal “had nothing to do with form” and vowed to “come back bigger and better”.But it was not be. Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer immediately made themselves indisposable, Slater never quite recaptured his old lustre and a certain amount of melancholic underachievement now accompanies his premature retirement.Nonetheless, his opening partnership with Mark Taylor – by far the stodgier of the two – rates as the second most prolific in Test history, behind the West Indians Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. Slater’s opening-Test assaults against England at the Gabba in 1994-95, then again at Edgbaston in 2001, effectively dictated the course of two Ashes series by the end of their first day.He suffered from weight fluctuations and swollen ankles in recent times, with doctors unsure precisely what is wrong with him. “Some days he struggles to get out of bed, other days he is pretty good,” his manager Neil Maxwell said back in February.Slater’s most recent first-class appearance was for NSW against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval last November. He made 10 followed by a six-ball duck. He leaves the playing field with vivid memories of exuberant strokeplay, and unforgettable images of the Australian crest – on his helmet – being kissed with unbridled passion.