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Dumped Test batsman Michael Slater could yet figure in NSW’s opening Pura Cup match against Queensland when he arrives at the Gabba tomorrow morning on standby for rising star Michael Clarke.Slater was called to Brisbane tonight and he could be joined in the NSW team by rookie paceman Doug Bollinger – a park cricketer just 18 months ago – as the Blues sweat on last-minute injury concerns before they meet the three-time champions.The 21-year-old Clarke has a back problem which hampered him during the Blues’ impressive one-day victory over the Bulls in Sydney last Sunday, while paceman Stuart Clark is battling an ankle injury.Clark bowled in the nets this morning and the Blues will give the injured players until the last hours before tomorrow’s game to prove their fitness.Otherwise, it’s a golden chance for Slater to end the wretched run which began when he was dropped from Test cricket in August 2001 during an erratic Ashes series.He then slid out of the NSW team, leaving very little hope that the 32-year-old would add to his 74 Tests.Bollinger’s fortunes have risen as quickly as Slater’s have plummeted, leaving the 21-year-old left-armer on the verge of his first-class debut less than a year after he played lower grades for Fairfield-Liverpool.But the Blues will be desperate for Stuart Clark to play after the ACB-contracted paceman took match figures of 6-90 in his last visit to the Gabba.He will be a key man for new captain Simon Katich, who is stepping into one of Australian cricket’s most intense rivalries.Katich said the Blues were about to learn where they stood in interstate cricket after wearing the wooden spoon during a dismal last season, which included an eight-wicket loss to the Bulls at the Gabba.Katich will also learn about the rivalry between NSW and Queensland after quitting Western Australia during the off-season for a new start in Sydney.”I’ve sensed it already from speaking to the guys and we’ve approached this week thinking that it’s a good chance to see where we’re at,” Katich said.Katich has crossed the country trying to revive the promising career which netted him a sole Test appearance at Headingley during last year’s Ashes tour.He is much admired in Queensland after scoring heavily against the Bulls during their recent stoushes with Western Australia, often taming the Bulls on a Gabba wicket which promises its usual spice tomorrow.The match will be significant for veteran Queenslander Stuart Law, who was a shock axing from the one-day team last week.The former Test batsman, who turns 34 on Friday, will become Queensland’s most capped interstate first-class player when he plays his 124th match, surpassing Sam Trimble.It also marks Law’s first match since handing over the Queensland captaincy to Jimmy Maher after eight years at the helm.”I’m not really into statistics but to knock off a guy like Sam Trimble, who is a living legend in Queensland cricket, makes it a special day,” Law said.The Blues will play leg-spinner Stuart MacGill, who is a genuine threat at the Gabba, while the Bulls are expected to overlook left-arm spinner Matthew Anderson for pacemen Michael Kasprowicz, Ashley Noffke, Joe Dawes and Damien MacKenzie.

Stephen Fleming – aiming to emulate New Zealand’s 1999 triumph© Getty Images

While England sit and wait for the rains to abate in the Caribbean, their next opponents, New Zealand, are busy planning their strategy ahead of their three-Test tour, which begins next week. And in John Bracewell and Stephen Fleming, New Zealand have a coach and captain with all the necessary experience to pull off a repeat of their 2-1 series triumph in 1999.Both men are used to the unique challenges of an early-English season. Until last summer, Bracewell was coach at Gloucestershire, while Fleming has enjoyed stints as an overseas player with Middlesex and Yorkshire. But since Bracewell joined the national set-up, Fleming’s captaincy has developed a feistier streak – and that is probably no coincidence.During his playing days, the fiercely patriotic Bracewell was always known as a hard man. He might have made his name as an All Black rugby player if the selectors had taken note of his performances, but New Zealand cricket is eternally grateful that they didn’t. He is clearly finding Fleming to be a man he can do business with, and during the home series against South Africa, they applied a level of pressure on Graeme Smith and his men that caught them by surprise.Nevertheless, it was South Africa who tied the Test series in the last match at Wellington, and New Zealand have had plenty to think about during their three-week break. At least they leave for England with a full-strength squad of 14 – a rarity in itself in this modern era. Such is the internal competition for places that Bracewell has already said there will be a disappointed batsman when each of the Test teams is announced.Much depends on the speed with which Nathan Astle recovers his batting powers, after a lengthy lay-off and two knee operations. Should he regain the touch that enabled him to score a century and a fifty in the first Test of the Indian series last October, then he is sure to be recalled for his experience alone.The man who stepped into Astle’s shoes was Scott Styris, who rescued New Zealand from 12 for 2 with an outstanding innings of 170 in the second-Test victory over South Africa at Eden Park. He had earlier played a more defensive innings to recover the first Test on what became the "crater" Test at Westpac Park in Hamilton. But when he needed to perform another miracle in the all-important third Test, he was unable to produce. It is how he responds to that lesson that will be of most interest in his tour.Craig McMillan enjoyed a superb series in India, although he was not quite so dominant at home, while the newcomer Michael Papps showed signs that he could be the answer to the opener’s dilemma that has New Zealand since at least 1999. A quick learner at domestic level, he started with a bang in one-day cricket, but has yet to translate that form into the Test arena.Chris Cairns has already signalled that this tour will be his farewell to Test cricket. It promises to be one of the highest-profile exits in New Zealand cricket since Richard Hadlee in 1990, and then, as now, it will require a passing-on of the allrounder’s mantle. Jacob Oram could well be ready for the challenge. At 6ft 6ins, he is probably the tallest player ever to appear in a New Zealand side, but possesses outstanding agility in the field, great power in his hitting and – as would be expected for a player of his height – threatening bounce in his medium-fast bowling.Blessed with the steadiest of nerve, Oram is very much a key player in New Zealand’s future and this tour is a big one for him. With a Test century against South Africa, and 97 against Pakistan, he is a significant force in the lower-middle order. Already Cairns has hinted at great battles between Oram and Andrew Flintoff in the years to come.New Zealand’s attack will be led by Shane Bond, Daryl Tuffey and Chris Martin, with Oram, Cairns and Kyle Mills as back-up. If they can adapt quickly to English conditions that are not far removed from those that they face at home, the New Zealanders can expect to provide England with their toughest competition since their series with South Africa last summer.

JOHANNESBURG – The 2007 Cricket World Cup could be a billion-dollar industry for the Caribbean.So says Chris Dehring, head of Windies World Cup 2007, the company formed by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to plan and manage the tournament.He said he was expecting the next tournament to inject US$500 million into the economies of the Caribbean countries."Having seen the contribution of the 2003 World Cup to South Africa, I’m confident of US$500 million being injected into the Caribbean when we host the tournament," Dehring said yesterday.He is heading a delegation of West Indies cricket and government officials to observe the organisation and conduct of the World Cup in South Africa.The scale and organisation of the tournament was impressive, said Dehring, who promised the West Indies would deliver an improved version."The World Cup has brought tremendous tourism and economic drive to South Africa and we’re hoping to replicate the success in the West Indies."This has been the best World Cup ever, and it will remain so until 2007 when we’ll raise the bar further."He said the geography of the West Indies posed challenges but would "add a distinct West Indies flavour to the cricket World Cup".The backing of Caricom governments was essential for the successful conduct of the World Cup."The Caricom officials know, we know and the world knows that the World Cup cannot be staged without their assistance," he said."South Africa has been able to create an atmosphere where everyone got involved in the World Cup. We’re taking back ideas to be adapted to the West Indies scenario. We’ll bring the West Indies pride into the World Cup’s organisation."

A tiny hole in one of the Old Trafford covers caused the Norwich Union second division clash between Lancashire and Durham to be abandoned without a ball being bowled.Heavy overnight rain leaked on to the pitch leaving a wet patch.”It is unfortunate, but there is nothing we can do about it,” said headgroundsman Peter Marron.”The hole was probably caused by a player’s stud and would have beenimpossible to detect.”It was the tenth full day’s cricket lost at Old Trafford this season. It followed two abandoned CricInfo Championship matches against Surrey andGlamorgan and another Norwich Union League fixture with Hampshire Hawks.In all the previous wipe-outs, a waterlogged outfield was to blame.

The Tottenham Hotspur fans in the Transfer Tavern are not completely resigned to losing Mousa Dembele this summer, but they appreciate that there is every chance he will leave North London before the new season gets underway.

The Breakdown

The future of Mousa Dembele has been one of the most widely documented stories of Tottenham’s transfer window so far and plenty of central midfield players from across Europe have been linked with a move to the Lilywhites as a consequence. Tanguy N’Dombele has been heavily linked with a transfer in recent weeks following a thoroughly impressive season in Ligue 1 with Lyon, but another player from the French top-flight has been linked with the club recently.

According to France Football (via talkSPORT), Tottenham have joined Barcelona and Juventus in the race to sign Adrien Rabiot (valued at £45 million by Transfermarkt) from Paris Saint-Germain.

The 23-year-old midfielder is highly-regarded and considered an incredibly bright young talent, but his reputation has been tarnished somewhat by his refusal to be on Didier Deschamps’ standby list for the World Cup after he was omitted from the initial 23-man France squad.

Like Dembele, Rabiot’s best work typically arrives in the defensive and middle third of the pitch where he is able to use his anticipation to break up play and dictate proceedings from deep.

In that sense, he is an ideal replacement for Dembele, but the lack of professionalism he showed after his World Cup disappointment suggests he is a character with the potential to disrupt an apparently harmonious dressing room.

Whilst their Premier League rivals have flexed their financial muscles in the transfer market in a bid to dominate the top-flight, Spurs have spent modestly without compromising the quality of their performances on the field.

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Much of their success has been due to the collective mentality installed into the club by Pochettino, but the arrival of Rabiot could threaten to disrupt the togetherness of the squad in the long-term and, for that reason, the club should turn their attention towards alternative options this summer.

Tottenham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

	Tony Greig: ‘WSC provided me with the security the Clarkes of the day weren’t prepared to offer’ © Getty Images

The former England captain, Tony Greig, believes that the England & Wales Cricket Board is right to resist calls for its contracted players to be allowed to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League, but has rubbished suggestions from the board’s chairman, Giles Clarke, that there are parallels between the current situation and World Series Cricket.Greig was one of the prime movers in Kerry Packer’s revolution, which changed the face of cricket forever in the late 1970s, and he never played again for England after taking part in the first competition in 1977-78. On Monday, Clarke warned England’s current stars, not least Kevin Pietersen, that a spell in the IPL could have a similar effect on their careers.Clarke told reporters at Lord’s: “Thirty years ago, Tony Greig thought it was important to play in World Series Cricket, and Ian Botham appeared to replace him from pretty much nowhere.” Greig, who played alongside Botham in two Tests of the 1977 summer, as well as the previous year’s one-day series against West Indies, described that version of events as “hogwash”.”I picked Ian Botham to play for England when I was captain and he was always going to replace me as England’s allrounder,” Greig told Cricinfo. “My joining WSC simply gave Ian a permanent position a little sooner than may otherwise have been the case.”Clarke’s attempt to draw a comparison with World Series Cricket is absolutely ridiculous,” added Greig. “We, the England players of the day, were being seriously ripped off by Clarke’s ECB predecessors who didn’t give a damn about the plight of the then-county and Test cricketers, especially where their remuneration was concerned.”Thanks to WSC they were forced to change their attitude,” he continued. “It provided me with the security the Clarkes of the day weren’t prepared to offer. All they gave us was a threat that, if we didn’t stay on, we wouldn’t receive our tax-free benefits. The situation now is very different because players are being well-paid and also have the security of the contract system that the Players Association worked so hard to implement.”Broadly speaking, however, Greig agreed with the ECB’s attitude towards the IPL, not least because he believes that England is in a much stronger position to build a sustainable Twenty20 competition. “Clarke is on the right track,” he said. “All he and his board has to do now is form the England Twenty20 Cricket League and play it sometime during the English summer when all the players from around the world will be available.”Unlike India, England is the perfect venue for an annual Twenty20 festival because, with very few exceptions, teams are out of season or touring England.”The Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans should consider doing the same in the Southern Hemisphere during their summer,” said Greig, “although their tournament will have to be along the lines of the Super 14 rugby tournament because the players from Asia and the Northern Hemisphere will be otherwise occupied.”

Chris Gayle: ready to play at Old Trafford © Getty Images

Chris Gayle, the West Indian opener, has been passed fit for the third Test against England, which starts on Thursday at Old Trafford. Gayle had damaged a rib muscle while fielding against MCC on the first day of their three-day tour match at the Racecourse Ground. Gayle took no further part in that match and there were question-marks over his availability for the third Test.Gayle’s recovery is good news for a West Indian team which has been plagued by fitness worries on this tour. Ramnaresh Sarwan has already been ruled out of the rest of the series with a shoulder injury, Shivnarine Chanderpaul sat out of the second Test because of a knee problem, while fast bowler Ravi Rampaul hurt his groin while bowling against MCC and will miss the third Test.Gayle has been in patchy form on the tour so far, with scores of 30, 47 not out, 11 and 13 in his four Test innings. In his five previous Tests in England, Gayle averaged more than 44, with four 50-plus scores in nine innings. West Indies won’t mind him replicating that form through the rest of this series.

Andrew Flintoff, who hit the winning runs, and Alastair Cook celebrate victory © Getty Images

After leading England to a convincing victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test at Edgbaston today, and hitting the winning runs, Andrew Flintoff paid tribute to Kevin Pietersen whose 142 in England’s first innings set them up for victory.”The difference between the teams was KP’s knock,” Flintoff said. “Whoever saw it witnessed something special – who knows how good he can be? He is something really special, I don’t think that’s a secret.”He’s only played a handful of Test matches and in that short time he’s got better and better,” Flintoff said. “I’m going to be excited to watch and play with Kevin over the next few years and see how his career unfolds. Hopefully, in years to come, people will be talking about finding a ‘new Kevin Pietersen’ and talking about him in the same breath as the likes of Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar.”Speaking of the win, Flintoff said: “It was a comfortable in the end, but hard-fought as the wicket probably suited them more than us.”I bowled more overs than normal in the last Test because I try to bowl to the circumstances,” he said. “This pitch wasn’t my type of pitch; it suited Matthew Hoggard and Liam Plunkett better, those bowlers who hit the surface and move the ball around.”Though the margin of six wickets appears comphenesive enough for England, they were made to work hard all day. Liam Plunkett earlier wrapped up Sri Lanka’s innings in a hurry and, with figures of 3 for 17, put his name forward for the final Test at Trent Bridge. England could yet recall Steve Harmison, who last week returned to bowling in a Championship match, for Friday’s Test meaning there will be just one available place between Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood.Meanwhile, it is expected that the England captain, Michael Vaughan, will finally return to competitive cricket tomorrow for Yorkshire’s clash against Scotland. Commenting on the news, Flintoff was delighted but confirmed that his role as stand-in captain is very much a short-term solution.”It’s been fantastic doing the job as England captain,” he said, “but it’s a temporary job – he [Vaughan] is the one who’s taken the side forward in the past three years. Maybe further down the line if the job became available I’d be interested. But with Michael back I can just get back to my day job.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board has renewed the central contracts of all 17 national players for another year.Pakistan’s top 17 cricketers were given a monthly salary of around $1,200 to $3500 under the first-ever national contracts introduced last year which expired after the team’s West Indies tour earlier this month. But contracts of all unfit players or those under scrutiny for illegal bowling actions would be reviewed after six months.Shoaib Akhtar, who missed both West Indies and Indian tours due to fitness problems also got a renewed contract, ending speculation he could be dropped from the list of contracted players. Akhtar was the last player to sign the contract after he raised certain objections over personal sponsorship.Inzamam-ul Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Abdul Razzaq, and Akhtar were offered A-category contracts and received a monthly salary of 200,000 rupees (around $3,500). Players in the B category got 125,000 rupees (around $2,100 dollars) while players in the C category received 75,000 rupees (around $1,200) a month.The contracted players were judged by points scored on their performance in international matches. “The committee has also decided to add some more points, like five points will be given on scoring a century in a Test or one-day match,” said a spokesman.A bowler will get five points on getting five wickets in a Test or four wickets in a one-day match while a fielder will get the same number of points on taking four or more catches in a match, he added. “Achieving a world record in any form will give a player ten points while five points will be given on achieving national record in any form.”The renewed contracts start from July 10. The Pakistan team now has a lay off until late October when they host England for three Tests and five one-day games.

South Africa 316 and 82 for 3 (Smith 46*) need 152 more runs to beat New Zealand 297 and 252 (Styris 73, Boje 4-69)
Scorecard

Chris Cairns: went on the attack to snatch the initiative, but then handed it right back© AFP

Another riveting day of Test cricket ended with all three results still possible: South Africa needed 152 to pull off a win and level the series, New Zealand needed seven wickets to wrap up a 2-0 win, while the inclement Wellington weather – which delayed the start of play by 90 minutes today – meant that there was a chance of rain ruining what could be a fascinating finish to the series.In keeping with the trend throughout the last two Tests, the fourth day’s play witnessed many ebbs and flows. Chris Cairns and Scott Styris snatched the initiative in the morning session with some blazing strokeplay, adding 50 in just 30 minutes. Then, both fell in successive overs as the pendulum swung back in favour of South Africa. Chasing 234 for victory, Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith started off in a hurry, before Chris Martin, yet again, pegged South Africa back.Getting appreciable swing with the new ball, he forced Gibbs to steer one to Stephen Fleming at first slip (29 for 1). Gibbs was in ominous touch, creaming a couple of gorgeous cover-drives and an astonishing front-foot pull for six off Martin, on the way to a 12-ball 16. Then, Martin uncorked an absolute jaffa to nail Jacques Rudolph – scorer of 154 not out and 93 not out in his last two Test innings – for a duck. The ball pitched on leg, swung late, beat Rudolph’s tentative defence, and knocked off stump out of the ground. After having raced to 28 without loss in four overs, South Africa were suddenly 31 for 2.Five runs later, they had lost another wicket, as Jacques Kallis (1) was trapped in front by an indipper from Jacob Oram. Smith and Gary Kirsten then knuckled down to grind 46 for the fourth wicket. Kirsten, playing his last Test, displayed all his famed resolve and determination, and was unbeaten on a 58-ball 19, while Smith was on an assured 46.It seemed South Africa would be set a much higher target than 234 when Cairns and Styris were blazing away in the morning session. On a cold and grey morning, both batsmen lit up the Basin Reserve with some scintillating strokeplay in what could have been an awkward 30-minute session. Cairns sent out the message early in the piece, pulling Shaun Pollock’s first delivery – a gentle half-tracker at 120 kmph – over midwicket for six. He then waded into Nicky Boje, whipping two fours in an over. Styris joined in the fun, smashing a couple of off-side fours to bring up his half-century, as the lead – just 109 overnight – galloped past 150.

Andre Nel hangs on to a return catch to get rid of Scott Styris© AFP

The lunch break gave the South Africans time to think out a plan, and they came out with one: Boje changed his line of attack to over the wicket, and bowled well outside leg stump with a deep midwicket and a long-on. It was an obvious trap, but Cairns fell for it, charging down and hoicking to leg. Martin van Jaarsveld ran around from deep midwicket and judged the catch to a nicety despite the swirling wind (198 for 6). Cairns made 41, in what could be his last Test innings.More madness followed as Styris, who had motored along to 73, fetched a wide one from Andre Nel and slapped back a sharp return catch, which was well held by the bowler (201 for 7). Daniel Vettori edged a catch to the slips off Makhaya Ntini, and when Michael Mason was run out attempting a third run to give Oram the strike, New Zealand were 224 for 9, a lead of just 205.Oram helped stretch the lead to 233 with some lusty hitting, including a pulled six over midwicket off Ntini, before he was trapped in front by Boje, who again bowled with superb control to return figures of 4 for 69.In the Boxing Day Test earlier this season, Pakistan were set a target of 274, and romped home with seven wickets to spare. Martin’s early wickets ensured that it wouldn’t be quite as easy this time around. The stage was ideal for Kirsten to come up with a typically gritty effort. With only a single in each of his last three innings, he was certainly due a big score. Would he deliver, one last time, for South Africa?