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Ian Chappell believes Australia must take five bowlers into the series-deciding fifth Test at The Oval on Thursday. Chappell, who captained the 1972 side which won at the same ground to force a 2-2 draw, said entering the match with only five batsmen and Adam Gilchrist at No. 6 might “concentrate the minds”.”Australia need to gamble to retain the Ashes and, considering the run-scoring feats of Shane Warne and Brett Lee in the series so far, the time is right to dump a batsman,” Chappell wrote in his column. “Anyway, the policy of playing five front-line bowlers is designed to decrease the scoring potential of the opposition, so there are less runs to chase.”While admitting the move was risky, Chappell said Simon Katich should be dropped because Damien Martyn was more likely to make a big score. “If Simon Jones doesn’t play and Glenn McGrath is fully fit, it makes this gamble even more attractive,” he said. In 1972 Australia headed to The Oval in the same situation as the current side, but centuries to Chappell and his brother Greg and ten wickets to Dennis Lillee set up the match, which was secured with a 71-run partnership between Rod Marsh and Paul Sheahan.However, Steve Waugh, who played at The Oval only when the series was sealed, has suggested an even bigger shock by requesting that Katich, an occasional wrist spinner, is bowled more by Ponting. “The dilemma with four is whether two quicks and two spinners is too much of a gamble, particularly if Glenn McGrath plays with a question mark over his fitness,” Waugh wrote in .”I would pick McGrath, Brett Lee, Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill as the main men and spring a surprise by using Simon Katich as a third spinner. Katich is underrated … he is a guy who raises his game under pressure and has that mongrel streak about him that inspires his mates.”

As if the prospect of taking on one of the finest batting line-ups in the world was not incentive enough, a lucky United Arab Emirates bowler is on course for a $US1000 cash bonus, if one of them can dismiss Sachin Tendulkar in Friday’s Asia Cup opener against India at Dambulla.The UAE are one of the leading non-Test nations. In 1996, they took part in their first – and to date, only – World Cup, but have since won the Asian Cricket Council Trophy for three years in a row. Even so, they and their fellow qualifiers, Hong Kong, are hardly expected to put up much of a fight over the next fortnight, when they take on the Test nations of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.”Of course I am overawed at the prospect of playing against the likes of Tendulkar,” UAE’s captain, Khurram Khan, told AFP. “But I don’t think anyone would want to take that wicket for money considerations alone. It would be a prize wicket like no other.”The cash offer was made by a UAE official prior to the team’s departure from Dubai, who added that the team should take heart from Greece’s unexpected success at the Euro 2004 football championships earlier this month.”I don’t know how the match will go,” added Khurram. “I just hope I can enjoy the moment.”

New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond has the chance to smash a national record by becoming the bowler to assemble the fastest 50 Test wickets.While he has not been able to land a big haul of wickets in the first Test against Sri Lanka, in what was his ninth Test match, he ended the match sitting on 41 wickets.That has him on target still, with one more Test in this series, and two, or possibly three, more in India in October-November and two home Tests against Pakistan, to achieve 50 Test wickets ahead of the 14 Tests and 25 innings in which it took Frank Cameron, Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori to do it. Hedley Howarth took the same number of Tests but one more innings to reach the milestone.The first Sri Lankan Test has seen him complete his 15th innings.Cameron, probably the longest serving New Zealand selector spanning the period from 1968/69 until 1985/86, had a late start to his Test career on the tour to South Africa in 1961/62. He had made his first-class debut in 1952/53. A medium-pace swing bowler, he became an integral part of New Zealand’s side during the early 1960s.Hadlee is the current chairman of selectors and took 431 Test wickets in a career which lasted from 1972/73 to the 1990 tour of England where he was knighted mid-series. His tally of wickets stood as a world record until being overtaken by India’s Kapil Dev in 1994.Vettori was the youngest New Zealander to play Test cricket when making his debut in both first-class and Test matches against England in the summer of 1996/97. A left-arm spinner he has now taken 142 wickets.The list of New Zealand bowlers to take 50 Test wickets and the number of matches and innings taken is:

Tests InningsFrank Cameron 14 25Daniel Vettori 14 25Richard Hadlee 14 25Hedley Howarth 14 26Simon Doull 15 21Chris Cairns 16 24Dion Nash 16 26Richard Collinge 16 28Shayne O’Connor 16 29Danny Morrison 17 26Dayle Hadlee 17 27Bruce Taylor 17 28John Bracewell 17 32Dick Motz 18 30Ewen Chatfield 18 31Lance Cairns 19 28Stephen Boock 20 32Bob Cunis 20 37Tony MacGibbon 21 30Martin Snedden 21 34Dipak Patel 27 36John Reid 38 45Bevan Congdon 49 50

Bond is even more closely poised to take his 50th wicket in One-Day Internationals. He has taken 49 wickets at 19.63 in 26 matches.The best New Zealander is former left-arm pace bowler Geoff Allott, who took 50 wickets in 28 matches.Should Bond take a wicket in his next match, he would join Pakistan’s Waqar Younis in seventh-equal fastest position.The world record is held by India’s Ajit Agarkar who took 23 matches. Dennis Lillee (Australia) took 24 matches and countryman Shane Warne 25 matches. Australian Len Pascoe and West Indians Patrick Patterson and Curtly Ambrose each took 26 matches.Ian Bishop (West Indies), Saqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan) and Allott all share 28 matches for the feat.Meanwhile, Daryl Tuffey has extended his already outstanding record for first over dismissals in internationals as the result of having Marvan Atapattu out leg before wicket in the opening over of the Sri Lankan innings.He has now performed the feat seven times in Tests and nine times in One-Day Internationals.His record is:Tests:Marcus Trescothick (England at Auckland, 2001/02 – second ball), Mark Butcher (England at Auckland 2001/02 – fifth ball), Shahid Afridi (Pakistan at Lahore, 2002 – third ball), Virender Sehwag (India at Wellington, 2002/03 – sixth ball), Sanjay Bangar (India at Hamilton, 2002/03 – third ball), Parthiv Patel (India at Hamilton, 2002/03 – sixth ball, second innings), Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka at Colombo, 2003 – fourth ball).ODIs:Saeed Anwar (Pakistan at Napier 2000/01 – first ball), Saeed Anwar (Pakistan at Christchurch, 2000/01 – sixth ball), Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka at Sharjah, 2000/01 – second ball), Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka at Sharjah 2000/01 – third ball), Marcus Trescothick (England at Auckland, 2001/02 – third ball), Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka at Sharjah, 2001/02 – third ball), Imran Nazir (Pakistan at Rawalpindi, 2002 – first ball), Sourav Ganguly (India at Napier, 2002/03 – third ball), Sourav Ganguly (India at Wellington 2002/03 – first ball).

David Fulton edged towards his ninth first-class century of the summer as Kent attempted to gain ground on relegation-threatened Northamptonshire in Canterbury.Fulton will go into day three of this CricInfo Championship match at St Lawrence unbeaten on 80 and with his side on 158 for three – representing an overall deficit in the match of 91.After skittling the hosts out for 108 in the first session of the match, Northamptonshire looked set for a formidable first innings lead until Kent took the second new ball to polish off their reply by taking six wickets inside 15 overs.A record fourth-wicket stand worth 167 from 63 overs between Russell Warren and Tony Penberthy increased the visitors’ lead to exactly 200 until Penberthy (73) fell to the occasional medium-pace of Matthew Walker.Warren went on to record his century from 200 balls and with 16 fours before his four-hour stay ended with a fresh burst from Ben Trott who finished with excellent figures of five for 89 from the Nackington Road End.That sparked a collapse of six wickets for 40 runs in just 88 balls as Trott and Martin Saggers, with three for 98, raced through the middle and late order to polish off the innings for 357 just before tea.Kent’s England academy opener Rob Key was bowled for the second time in the match when shouldering arms to John Blain in the second over of the reply, but then Fulton and Ed Smith combined to add 86 for the second wicket before Smith (41) nicked to Ripley to give Blain his eighth victim of the match.Andrew Symonds offered a sharp return catch that Penberthy snaffled up, only for Fulton and Matthew Walker to take Kent through to stumps with an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 61.

Otago Blue player Claire Thompson was the star of the day at the Southern Zone’s secondary schoolgirls’ cricket tournament in Oamaru today.Thompson returned the amazing figures of 6 for none off four overs, bowling against South Canterbury.She took four wickets in one over, and captured all of her scalps single-handed – bowling five and having the other trapped leg before wicket.Otago Blue scored 137 and Thompson’s efforts ensured South Canterbury fell well short being dismissed for 87.In today’s other matches Otago Gold scored 78/5 in reply to Canterbury Country’s 77, and Christchurch Red made no race of its game with Mid Canterbury scoring 126/1 chasing 125.

ScorecardFile photo: Robin Peterson’s nine wickets nearly scripted a win for Cape Cobras•Getty Images

Career-best scores from Test discards JP Duminy (260*) and Dane Vilas (216*) were not enough for Cape Cobras to secure their first win of the Sunfoil Series, after Lions hung on for a draw on what seemed a flat Paarl pitch. Made to follow-on after Cobras’ 570, Lions were in trouble at 134 for 5 on the last day, but a century from Dwaine Pretorius helped them finish the day on 287 for 9.Cobras suffered two early losses when their openers were dismissed by the 11th over but piled on runs over the first day and a half, during which Duminy and Vilas sent stern messages to the national selectors. While Duminy remains part of the Test squad, he lost his place in the XI after a loss of form and showed he has found his touch again. Vilas has not been part of the squad since the India tour but showed good intent with a strike rate of over 85 and Cobras seemed to put the match beyond their opposition, with a declaration on the second day.Lions had a ready response. Stephen Cook, who continues to be overlooked for the Test opening spot, scored his second century – 118 – in as many games and Lions were comfortable on 148 without loss before their first wobble. Two wickets fell on that score before Cook and Dominic Hendricks (46) rebuilt, but then came the collapse. Lions lost eight wickets for 17 runs as Robin Peterson (5 for 62) and pacer Lizaad Williams (3 for 35) ran through them. They had five batsmen dismissed for ducks and three others in single figures, and were forced to follow-on after finishing 318 runs behind.Cook was the first wicket to fall in their second innings but his opening partner Rassie van der Dussen held on with a patient knock of 72. Lions went into the final day with seven wickets in hand and still 235 runs behind, which would have made Cobras eye an innings win. When Lions slipped to 134 for 5, Cobras would have felt they were closing in but Pretorius defied them.He scored a century batting at No. 7 and found support from the middle order and the tail. He was eventually removed by Peterson, who finished the match with nine scalps, and was the eighth wicket to fall. Three balls later, Lions lost their ninth at the same score. But Cobras were left frustrated when Aaron Phangiso and Eddie Leie stonewalled for the next 14 overs, faced 85 and 39 balls respectively and kept an attack with four international bowlers out.Meanwhile, in Pietermaritzburg, the fixture between Dolphins and Warriors was abandoned on the fourth morning after days of persistent rain prevented even the toss from taking place. Warriors remain rooted to the bottom of the points table with Dolphins sitting in fourth place.

Scorecard

Nepal eased into the final with a nine-wicket victory against China at the Johor Cricket Academy.China’s one chance of victory was to hope to put up a score big enough to force Nepal to go for their strokes for the first time in the tournament and thus create wicket-taking chances. Nepal however, were never remotely in danger and – but for two dropped chances – played a close to faultless game in the field.Only one four was struck by China after they batted, that a heave over midwicket by Sun Meng Yao, who made 18 of their 40. China’s batsmen were not allowed to play any strokes as delivery after delivery pinned them to the crease in defence.China were all out in the 29th over and Nepal’s batsmen, not overly capable of attack themselves, took their own sweet time in chasing down the target. Extras did the work; 21 of them, surpassing by one the runs off the bat.Nepal now play Bangladesh in the final for which Bangladesh – in spite of all the application shown by Nepal – are the overwhelming favourites.

Jason Gillespie believes he has “no chance” of starting the first Ashes Test despite a double-century and Man-of-the-Series return in Bangladesh in April. Today signals the 100-day countdown to the series, but Gillespie said he has “not been getting a great vibe” and ranked himself as the country’s seventh bowler in line.”I know my one-day career is over,” Gillespie said in . “I still feel as if my Test career has something to offer but I am down in the queue. Stuart Clark, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee are ahead of me. You’ve got Kasper [Michael Kasprowicz] who has been injured, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson. I see myself as below those guys.”Gillespie said the selectors were “dying to introduce” new life into the attack and admitted his international future was not bright. “I’ll be honest with you, I think I am no chance for the first Test,” he said. “I got Man of the Match and the Series with eight wickets at 11 and a double-hundred and won’t play the next Test … it will be a good trivia question.”In 71 matches Gillespie moved into fifth place on Australia’s wicket list with 259 at 26.13, but it seems he will be remembered more for his 201 not out as a nightwatchman against Bangladesh in his previous Test. “My only regret was I never got home for a week after it,” he said. “The amount of text messages and calls I got were amazing. I have my gear I scored my 200 with. The shirt, gloves and shoes are locked away in the cupboard and I am going to take them home and keep them in a nice safe place. The bat will never be used again.”Gillespie, who is playing in the County Championship for Yorkshire, said England would be worried about their injured bowlers, but their batting and wicketkeeping was looking strong. “They have finally made the change and picked the best gloveman in the country [Chris Read] so they are moving in the right direction there,” he said. “They are also playing a spinner who is actually trying to take wickets [Monty Panesar]. He is a spinner who gives it some flight and shape and is trying to take wickets. They are looking OK.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

An extraordinary day, which began with Glenn McGrath being stretchered off the field during the pre-match warm-up, ended with England bowled out for 407, scored at over five an over amid a blaze of boundaries. To add to the frenzied atmosphere, each time England threatened to run (or sprint) away with the match Australia surged back in typical fashion.Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss set the tone by adding 112 before lunch but it was Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen who combined for the most electric passage of play, adding 103 in thrilling fashion as counterattack was followed by counterattack. All summer the thought of these two powerhouse strokemakers combining had whetted the appetite of the public and finally they had a chance to revel in it as Australia missed the controlling and calming effect of McGrath.Pietersen was more assured at the outset of the partnership, showing all the good judgment and technique that he had displayed at Lord’s. One shot, a whip past mid-on from a ball a foot wide of off-stump would have left Sachin Tendulkar drooling. Flintoff has been overshadowed by Pietersen so far this summer but stepped back into the limelight with a stunning array of shots – some well-executed, others full of luck. He hit two sixes over cow corner off Shane Warne but the contest to savour was with Brett Lee.Lee steamed in and sent down a barrage of bouncers to Flintoff, who opted to play them rather than duck. He cleared deep square-leg three times – once without even looking at the ball – and when Lee decided to pitch the ball up he punched them through the covers with superb timing.The fireworks were ended in the first over after tea as Jason Gillespie, who showed his best rhythm of the tour, enticed Flintoff to play a flat-footed waft at a wide ball and edge a catch through to Adam Gilchrist for his 250th Test wicket. Geraint Jones couldn’t produce any fireworks of his own has he received one of the few balls that rose sharply off the surface and Gilchrist snaffled another of his four catches for the innings.At 293 for 6, Australia would have fancied their chances of rolling England over for less than 350 given the way the tail folded in the second innings at Lord’s – when none of the last four batsmen managed a run. Here, admittedly on an easier surface, they exhibited much more backbone. Ashley Giles took on Lee’s short ball – adding 49 with Pietersen – before he swept once too often at Warne.Once Giles fell, Pietersen opted to open his shoulders but perhaps too early given that England had two batsmen still to come. After another six over midwicket off Lee that defied the laws of physics he picked out Simon Katich attempting a repeat but, as at Lord’s, his innings had oozed class.

Even Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison and Simon Jones unfurled their shots as the sky-high boundary count rocketed to 55 fours and 10 sixes. Warne ended with 4 for 116, as all the Australian bowlers received fierce punishment, especially Lee who conceded his runs at six-and-a-half an over.The bat-wielding was not just left in the hands of England’s middle-order though and they were grateful to at last have had some sort of platform to build from. Lee and Gillespie struggled to maintain the ‘McGrath line’ and Trescothick located his cover-drive from the outset. Strauss was less convincing but slowly began to find his feet – and his footwork – and the introduction of Warne into the attack freed him up.Strauss biffed him back over his head, then slog-swept to the midwicket boundary. Trescothick joined the fray and straight-drove a maximum. But as is so often the case Warne produced a bit of magic as a ripping leg-break beat Strauss’s attempted cut shot just before lunch.However, that didn’t slow the scoring as Trescothick and Vaughan brought up their fifty partnership in only 5.3 overs. But then wickets began to fall at a pace to match the runs with Australia grabbing three in 27 balls.Kasprowicz, the pick of the pacemen on his last-minute return to the Test team, induced Trescothick to fish outside the off stump, 10 short of his first century against Australia and then, three balls later, removed Bell with a perfect outswinger. Bell cut a forlorn figure as he trudged back to the dressing-room on his home ground, after completing his third single-figure score of the series.Vaughan joined the post-lunch procession as, with consolidation required, he sent a spiralling top-edge to Brett Lee at fine leg, giving Gillespie his first wicket of the series. England were 193 for 4 and the half-way point of the opening day had not been reached but that was nothing compared to the spine-tingling assault by Flintoff and Pietersen – in an afternoon session that brought 157 runs in 27 overs. England couldn’t bat that well in the one-day series.Ricky Ponting will be scratching his head in the pavilion – as most of his bowlers were on the pitch – as to what to make of bowling England out in under a day for 407, but the pitch does not contain any demons and Australia will be aiming to pile on the runs. As first days go this will take some beating, but that was said about the last Test. It’s certainly been a case of anything Lord’s can do, Edgbaston can do better.

EnglandAndrew Strauss b Warne 48 (112 for 1)
Marcus Trescothick c Gilchrist b Kasprowicz 90 (164 for 2)
Ian Bell c Gilchrist b Kasprowicz 6 (170 for 3)
Michael Vaughan c Lee b Gillespie 24 (187 for 4)
Andrew Flintoff c Gilchrist b Gillespie 68 (290 for 5)
Geraint Jones c Gilchrist b Kasprowicz 1 (293 for 6)
Edged one that lifted and seamed awayAshley Giles lbw b Warne 23 (342 for 7)
Missed a sweep, hit on the bootKevin Pietersen c Katich b Lee 71 (348 for 8)
Hoisted to cow corner, looking for another maximumSteve Harmison b Warne 17 (375 for 9)
Bamboozled by sliderMatthew Hoggard lbw b Warne 16 (407 all out)
Missed an attempted sweep

Clive Field, the representative of the sacked Zimbabwe rebel players, has reacted angrily to claims that the Zimbabwe Cricket Union is doing a good job in promoting the game in the country.In a letter to the government-controlled Herald newspaper, Field was responding to an earlier article which argued that the ZCU should be praised for their efforts.”[The writer’s opinion] is based on the fact he has seen cricket stumps standing alongside goalposts in Harare, and has watched kids playing cricket with a makeshift bat and ball in Highfield,” Field wrote. “With respect, if this constitutes evidence of progress in developing cricket at grass-roots level, then we have a long way to go. And what does this have to do with the ZCU anyway? Kids using a plastic tray to play cricket is surely not a feather in the ZCU’s cap, if anything it is a sad indictment of the Union’s failure.”Many of the Zimbabweans I have spoken to involved in the administration of cricket vehemently maintain the ZCU are not doing enough to direct the considerable funds they have at their disposal into the right areas.”Overseas travel by members of the ZCU board to Australia appears to rank far higher on their priority list than paying for much-needed cricket equipment. I attended the AGM of a leading Harare club on Tuesday night and the message I got was clear: cricket is collapsing fast in Zimbabwe at school, club, provincial and national level. The ZCU presides over this collapse.”Field went on to accuse the ZCU of being at fault for its handling of the player dispute. “It must shoulder at least half of any blame for failing to resolve this dispute. Since it began, many opportunities have been given, but none have been taken.”He was angered by suggestions in the newspaper that the rebels had taken their action in support of attempts to cause England’s forthcoming tour to be scrapped. “It demonstrates both an unhealthy over-preoccupation with Britain, and also suggests these players were prepared to be used as pawns sacrificing their careers and jobs for political considerations.”And he was equally incensed at suggestions that the players had been bought out of Zimbabwe cricket by overseas financiers who were trying to sabotage Zimbabwe cricket. “This is offensive,” he stated, pointing out that only four of the sacked players are in the UK, and – with the probable exception of Heath Streak – will earn less playing club cricket than they would had they remained as centrally contracted players. “The rest are currently unemployed, although two have secured temporary jobs. Not only has this dispute cost them their jobs but it has cost them legal fees. They have also been prejudiced by loss of income, as a result of not earning match fees for the Australian and Sri Lankan series. Gratuities which were due from the ZCU have not been paid. If lucrative offers are being made to them, this is certainly news to me.”Field concluded by dismissing the accusations as no more than the continuing “peddling of a species of opinion which I have heard before, along the lines of some sinister and invisible white force meeting in clandestine forums like Royal Harare Golf Club to bring about the end of Zimbabwean cricket.”These types of opinions are smokescreens which will appeal to the lesser informed and to seek to deflect attention away from the facts. There is no ulterior motive on the part of the players. Their position is clear and has been made known. Politicising this dispute simply detracts from the merits.”The only point on which I can agree with is that cricket has overtaken rugby and athletics as the second most popular sport in Zimbabwe. But that has less to do with any good work on the part of the ZCU than the fact both rugby and athletics have followed hockey down the road to the intensive-care unit, as a result of maladministration and political interference. Cricket will surely follow them, and soon only football will be left.”