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Rosebowl cricket between the two best teams in the world of women’s cricket resumes tomorrow when Australia and New Zealand meet at the Adelaide Oval.The sides meet in a six-match series, having three games in Australia and three in New Zealand.The two teams contested the final of the 2000 CricInfo Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and this is their first clash since then.When the Rosebowl was last played, Australia beat New Zealand 3-0 to retain the trophy.Inevitably, comment on the re-matching of the World Cup finalists will centre on Australia looking for vengeance after New Zealand beat them to claim the world title for the first time.But in reality it will be revenge in spirit only because the two sides have had so many changes since the World Cup.Almost as soon as the event ended the sides were committed to rebuilding their sides with the next World Cup in mind. That was forced on New Zealand after the retirement of legendary batsman Debbie Hockley and long-serving players Catherine Campbell, Katrina Keenan and Clare Nicholson.New Zealand’s bid to quickly achieve replacements for them was hindered when their tour to India was cancelled as a result of no assurance being available from the organisers of their tour that security would be available should problems with the war against terrorism in Afghanistan affect the tour.New Zealand has had two warm-up games in Australia, the first a low-scoring affair in Melbourne and the second a much more impressive game against South Australia in Adelaide.New Zealand captain Emily Drumm said: “Our two practice games have been very good blow-outs. It was an opportunity to get the cobwebs out of the system and to prepare for the upcoming series.”The first game had been a low-scoring match because of problems in the outfield which did not allow full value for shots. “In Adelaide we stepped up a gear. The players took a lot more responsibility and that was very pleasing,” she said.Drumm will have nothing to do with comment about the matching of the two sides being a repeat of the World Cup.”There’s been so much time between these two events and we are a completely new team. We’re looking forward and bringing a young team through.”I haven’t even thought about the World Cup. I’m just getting engrossed in a new series,” he said.Coach Mike Shrimpton said New Zealand had a slow start in their Melbourne game due to a very heavy outfield.”We came a little unstuck but on a decent wicket our score would probably have been worth around 180. But we managed to bowl out the Australian Youth team for 21 less than what we scored.”Then yesterday we scored 243 against South Australia and everyone had a good hit on a really good wicket. It was a full strength South Australia side that was only without Karen Rolton,” Shrimpton said.He did feel that one more warm-up game would have been beneficial for the side because it faced a very difficult week.The team will also have to do without Nicola Payne for the first two games as she has injured a calf muscle, an injury she has had before and which is expected to take longer to heal because of that.Shrimpton was hopeful she would be available in the third game of the series to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.Shrimpton was pleased with the form of captain Drumm while the younger players in the side Aimee Mason, Nicola Browne and Frances King had done well.”We will face a fairly formidable side, it is the same sort of batting side at the World Cup. Vengeance is very much on their minds for the World Cup.”It is a hard ask but what I want to see is the team not bend in the wind and to fight hard. If they all get stuck in and try then that is all you can ask for,” he said.Australia started their preparation for the future by touring England last summer and 10 of Australia’s players were on that tour.Medium-pacer Emma Twining of the New South Wales Institute of Sport will be making her debut in the series while Victorian batsman Melanie Jones has forced her way back into the side.The teams are: New Zealand (from): Emily Drumm (captain), Kathryn Ramel (vice-captain), Nicola Browne, Anna Corbin, Paula Flannery, Frances King, Aimee Mason, Anna O’Leary, Rachel Pullar, Rebecca Rolls, Haidee Tiffen, Helen Watson.Australia: Belinda Clark (captain), Karen Rolton, Sally Cooper, Cathryn Fitzpatrick, Michelle Goszko, Julie Hayes, Melanie Jones, Lisa Keightley, Therese McGregor, Julia Price, Lisa Sthalekar, Emma Twining.

Uttar Pradesh were propelled into the semifinals of the Vijay MerchantTrophy (under-16) tournament by a brutal batting display by Tahir Abbas andRahat Ilahi in the knock-out match against Bengal at Narendrapur, nearKolkata on Monday. Resuming at the overnight score of 197/3, UP batted onfor the whole of the last day. Needing just 11 more runs to grab the allimportant first innings lead when they resumed, UP ended up at 597/4 atclose of the match in 155 overs.The day belonged to Abbas and Ilahi who were associated in a fourth wicketpartnership that produced 396 runs. Abbas got himself run out, the only waya dismissal looked possible on a day when Bengal bowlers could never make abreakthrough as the two batsmen went on a run riot. Abbas made anentertaining 246 runs off 381 balls. He was at the crease for eight hoursand 46 minutes smashing 24 boundaries. Ilahi batted on through the day toremain unbeaten on 212. Ilahi was the more aggressive of the two as heenjoyed the run feast, hitting a six and 23 fours in his 281-ball innings.Ilahi was at the crease for five hours and 45 minutes making the Bengalbowling look listless. Alok Singh who came in at the fall of Abbas remainedunbeaten on 1 as the match came to an end. UP will meet Punjab in the threeday semifinal to be played at Kolkata from January 9.

Celtic look set to secure the signing of Daniel Kelly on a professional contract in the coming days.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that, despite interest from both Liverpool and Arsenal, the 16-year-old starlet has rejected the chance to move south of the border, and has instead agreed a deal which will see him remain at Parkhead for the next three years – something which should be completed by the end of the week.

The report goes on to state that the midfielder, who was also linked with a move to Portuguese giants Benfica last year, decided to remain in Glasgow after being convinced that there is a clear pathway to the first-team under the management of Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou will be buzzing

With one of Celtic’s most exciting up and coming academy prospects, Ben Doak, reported to be on the verge of sealing a move to Liverpool, the news that the Bhoys have fought off the Reds’ interest in another of their more promising starlets in the shape of Kelly is sure to have left Postecoglou buzzing.

Indeed, Celtic have formed something of an unwanted habit of losing their more talented youngsters to bigger clubs in recent seasons, with the likes of Josh Adam, Connor McBride and Liam Morrison all moving on to pastures new for little or no transfer fee whatsoever.

And, considering just how highly-rated Kelly is by those at Parkhead, the potential of the Hoops yet again waving goodbye to a teenager who appears to have an extremely bright future in the professional game would have undoubtedly come as a gutting blow to the Greek-Australian manager and his side.

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However, with it now looking as if the 16-year-old has rejected the opportunity to join both Liverpool and Arsenal in favour of continuing his development at Celtic, supporters of the club and Postecoglou alike will certainly be extremely relieved.

AND in other news: £3.5m down the drain: Celtic’s “rank rotten” £43k-p/w “passenger” rinsed Peter Lawwell

	Fidel Edwards captured 3 for 50 on his return to the Test team in Trinidad © AFP

Corey Collymore, a bowler currently out of the West Indies squad, was Fidel Edwards’ secret weapon as he returned to the Test scene with three important wickets on the opening day of the deciding match with Sri Lanka. Edwards made the initial blows after the home side picked an all-pace attack, but the visitors recovered from 117 for 5 through an unbeaten 100-run partnership between Tillakaratne Dilshan and Chamara Silva.”I got a bit more focussed,” Edwards said. “Corey has been telling me that I need to be a bit more patient on this wicket and let the ball do the talking.”Injuries and inconsistent form have limited Edwards to 31 Tests and he came back into the squad after missing the opening loss in Guyana. He said being out of the team gave him time to reflect on advice from Collymore, who has not played an international match since last year’s tour of England.”We don’t live too far apart and we’re always talking,” Edwards said. “If we don’t talk in person, we talk on the phone and he has been talking to me a lot. He helped me a lot throughout the years.”Edwards used the tips on the way to picking up 3 for 50 in 12.3 overs, including the valuable wicket of Kumar Sangakkara for 10. “I thought the first spell was okay, I got the ball in the right areas most of the time,” he said. “It was swinging for me, it was overcast conditions.”He collected both openers before Jerome Taylor chipped in with a couple of wickets, but the bowlers’ task was made harder when the ball became wet after a series of rain breaks. “The ball has been going through to the keeper pretty nice and it has been seaming a bit,” he said. “The pitch has a lot of grass on it, hopefully it can get hard. It is not as fast as I thought it would be, but as the sun comes on it hopefully it can get hard.”

Division Two

Robert Croft’s 65 and an unbroken stand of 88 with James Harris, the 17-year-old fast bowler, prevented a total collapse by Glamorgan on the first day against Nottinghamshire at Swansea. Glamorgan, already decimated by injury, lost Jimmy Maher in the warm-up with a groin strain, and then Charlie Shreck removed both openers early to leave the home side tottering on 75 for 4 before David Hemp steadied the ship with a fighting 55. Hemp hit eight fours in his fifty and shared in a 69-run stand with Richard Grant (41). But Nottinghamshire’s bowlers hit back, reducing Glamorgan to 193 for 8 before Croft and Harris dropped anchor in their valuable ninth-wicket stand. At stumps, Glamorgan were 281 for 8.Derbyshire took the honours on the first day against Gloucestershire at Derby, thanks to an opening stand of 181 between Steve Stubbings and Dan Birch. Birch cracked 12 fours and three sixes in his 95 before edging the economical Alex Gidman to slip, but Stubbings motored onwards and upwards to register a 201-ball hundred. Gloucestershire, whose bowlers pulled off a thrilling win over Northants yesterday, hit back in the final session as Derbyshire fell from 280 for 2 to 288 for 5. Vikram Banerjee picked up 2 for 46.

Gillespie: ‘It’s a fairytale really. Hansel and Gretel and Dizzy’s double hundred, it’s one and the same’ © Getty Images

Jason Gillespie, who is the first nightwatchman to score a double-century, could scarcely believe his feat and said that it was like a fairytale.”This is ridiculous,” Gillespie told . “I was just lucky that the shots came off and I had a bit of a laugh all the way. It’s unbelievable. It’s a fairytale really. Hansel and Gretel and Dizzy’s double-hundred, it’s one and the same. Absolute fairytale.”On reaching the landmark, Gillespie ran towards the dressing-room, bat in one hand and helmet in the other, and took a bow. He said that Michael Hussey, his partner during a 320-run partnership for the fourth wicket, kept informing him as he beat the highest scores of illustrious Australian batsmen. “He [Hussey] knew every Test player and former Test player’s highest score and was ticking them off. Went past Mark Waugh [153], he told me that. Went past Michael Clarke [151], he told me that. Went past Steve Waugh [200] and Boonie [David Boon 200].”Hussey said that he didn’t want to be beaten by Gillespie and that kept him going as well. He was eventually out for 182. “I think it was a real testament to his concentration, really, to be able to bat for so long,” said Hussey. “Especially since he’s not a recognised batsman as such. So that was quite a bit of motivation for me to keep going as well because I didn’t want to be outdone by Diz. And also Matty [Matthew] Hayden had a bit of a bet with Diz [Gillespie] as well.”Gillespie later revealed the nature of the wager Hayden had placed. “He [Hayden] reckoned he’s going to do a nude run of The Oval if I got 200. I said if I got 200, I’d do a nude lap too. Not sure about that one, being in a Muslim country, I don’t think it’ll be perceived right, unlike anywhere else.”Gillespie was commended for his powers of concentration by John Buchanan, the coach, and Merv Hughes, the Australian selector. “Considering Jason hadn’t made a hundred in any form of cricket, it was an amazing innings,” said Buchanan. “For any batsman, particularly a nightwatchman, to sustain an innings of over 400 balls is something we may never see again.””You have to be here to believe it,” said Hughes. “People back home are going to wonder how he did it. But he thoroughly deserved it. He was a picture of concentration and control and like any good batsman, he knew his limitations and strengths.”

Pramodaya Wickramasinghe was retained in the selection committee © Getty Images

Ashantha de Mel, Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors, has been sacked by Jeewan Kumaratunga, the sports minister, just three weeks after being reappointed for a fresh one-year term. Lalith Kaluperuma has been appointed as the chairman of a new trimmed down five-man panel.Kumaratunga had reappointed de Mel in April, claiming at the time that there was “no reason” to change the previous year’s seven-man selection committee. However, recent changes within the administration, most importantly the appointment of Jayantha Dharmadasa as interim board chairman, have prompted a rethink.Indeed, the sudden removal of de Mel and Ranjith Madurasinghe has raised suspicious eyebrows within the local media, who fear that the minister’s U-turn may have political rather than cricketing objectives. Both de Mel and Madurasinghe were more closely aligned with the out-of-favour Thilanga Sumathipala.While Kaluperuma, a former Sri Lanka offspinner who has served on the selection panel since April 2003, is a safe hand well-respected as a selector, two remaining members of the panel, KM Nelson and Shabbir Asgerally, have no first-class experience as players. The other two panel members are former Sri Lanka cricketers Don Anurasiri and Pramodya Wickramasinghe.de Mel’s tenure in charge of the selection committee included an embarrassing public spat with Marvan Atapattu, the captain, triggered by de Mel’s criticism of senior players in an outspoken newspaper interview during Sri Lanka’s tour of Pakistan last year. de Mel accused the team management of standing in the way of the selectors’ desire to blood younger players for the future.The criticism was swiftly followed by the summary dismissal of Tillakaratne Dilshan from the Test team, a move that forced Atapattu to experiment with a novice in the middle order and enraged the team management. However, the pair patched up their differences, in public at least, after the tour.While de Mel’s decision-making was questioned over the Dilshan affair, the independence of his panel also won respect in the face of growing behind-the-scenes politicking last year to include veteran Hashan Tillakaratne. De Mel’s panel stood firm and demanded more runs from Tillakaratne to justify a recall at 37.The new panel’s first task is to select an A team training squad for West Indies A’s tour of Sri Lanka in late May and June. The squad’s composition will be analysed with interest to see whether the selection changes will bring a noticeable change in direction.The new selection panel
Lalith Kaluperuma
Shabbir Asgerally
KM Nelson
Don Anurasiri
Promodya Wickramasinghe

Cricket Australia today announced that the women’s national selection panel has chosen a 13-player squad to take on New Zealand in the first leg of the six-match Rose Bowl series beginning in Auckland on 11 February.The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars squad is:

Player	State	Player type	ODI caps
Belinda Clark (captain)	Victoria	RHB	89
Karen Rolton (vice-captain)	South Australia	LHB, LM	67
Alex Blackwell	New South Wales	RM, RHB	5
Kris Britt	South Australia/ACT	RHB, LB	3
Leonie Coleman	New South Wales	RHB, WKT	0
Shannon Cunneen	New South Wales	RHB, WKT	0
Cathryn Fitzpatrick	Victoria	RF, RHB	67
Julie Hayes	New South Wales	RM, RHB	23
Melanie Jones	Victoria	RHB	38
Lisa Keightley	New South Wales	RHB, OB	54
Clea Smith	Victoria	RHB, RM	12
Lisa Sthalekar	New South Wales	RHB, OB	17
Emma Twining	New South Wales	RM, RHB	12

Team management: Stephen Jenkin (coach), Claire Connolly (team manager), Barry Nievandt (assistant coach), Lisa Ross (physiotherapist), Sally Bailey (physical conditioning coordinator).In a series of changes, New South Wales pair Leonie Coleman and Shannon Cunneen have been drafted into the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars team for the first time.Cunneen comes into the Australian team from outside the original 2003-04 Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars squad named in April 2003. The 26-year-old has scored 230 runs in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) at an average of 32.85, finishing in the competition’s top 10 run-scorers.Wicket-keeper Coleman, 24, has previously represented Australia at youth level and has enjoyed a consistent year for the New South Wales Breakers, with six dismissals behind the stumps.A further change to the Australian line-up sees New South Wales stalwart Lisa Keightley step out of retirement to make a return to the national team.Keightley, who announced her retirement from the international level in December 2002, played 54 one-day internationals for Australia. She did not play in Australia’s recent Ashes Tests or its limited-overs series against New Zealand, India and England last year, but has played for state team New South Wales this season.Wicket-keeper Julia Price and top-order batters Melissa Bulow and Michelle Goszko have been omitted from the squad which contested the Ashes and one-day international series in 2003.Chairperson of selectors Margaret Jennings said the changes to the squad were about keeping the team balanced and flexible.”Shannon Cunneen has had an exceptional year in the WNCL, playing as an attacking batter and that’s something we encourage and are looking for in terms of developing the right squad for next year’s World Cup,” said Jennings.”Certainly the three players who have been left out of the team are still in the minds of selectors, but we have to take into account current form among other factors in choosing the best side for the series.”Julia Price is obviously a very experienced player to lose from the side and was a little unlucky to miss out. She started the year slowly and has come through the season with some strong form.”But by the same token, we want to give Leonie Coleman a chance and see how she performs in New Zealand. Leonie has had a consistent year and done everything asked of her, so she deserves this opportunity.”The side will gain the experience of Lisa Keightley who makes her return. Lisa has had a great season and put herself back into contention for the national team and we feel she will fit in well and add some stability to the middle order.”Cunneen said she was thrilled with the news of her selection. “This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I really want to make the most of it,” said Cunneen.”Even though I wasn’t named in the original Australian squad, I still set the goal for myself to work hard because you just never know what can happen, and it shows that selection is open for anyone who is playing well enough.”Coleman said her experience at youth level would assist in making the step into the international arena. “I’m rapt that the selectors have shown faith in bringing me into the squad,” said Coleman.”The chance to represent Australia at the highest level has been my dream and after gaining a taste of international competition with the youth side, I’m looking forward to this next challenge of playing with the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars.”The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars team was chosen by the three-person national selection panel consisting of former Australian players Margaret Jennings (Chairperson) and Wendy Weir, and former Australian coach Peter Bakker.Australia plays New Zealand in six one-day international matches in the annual clash for the Rose Bowl trophy.The six-match limited-over series includes three matches in New Zealand (11, 15 and 17 February) and three matches in Australia at Sydney’s Bankstown Oval (21 February), Victoria’s Albert Ground (25 February) and Hobart’s Bellerive Oval (27 February).The Australian squad will be reselected at the end of the New Zealand leg of the tour, and announced on 18 February.Meanwhile, a 13-player Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars squad has also been named to play New Zealand A in four limited-over matches at Lincoln, New Zealand, beginning on 8 February.The Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars squad is:

Player	State	Player type
Leah Poulton (captain)	New South Wales	RHB, LB
Kate Blackwell (vice-captain)	New South Wales	RHB, RM
Sarah Aley	New South Wales	RHB, RM
Sarah Andrews	New South Wales	RHB, RM
Kelly Applebee	Victoria	RHB, RM
Reanna Browne	Queensland	RHB, LB
Lauren Ebsary	South Australia	RHB, RM
Kirsten Pike	Queensland	RHB, RMF
Jodie Purves	Queensland	RHB, RM, WKT
Leteysha Randall	Queensland	RHB, RF
Emma Sampson	South Australia	LHB, RM
Lauren Stammers	Western Australia	RHB, RM
Julie Woerner	South Australia	RHB

Team management: Ken Davis (coach), Rina Hore (team manager), Chris Teale (physiotherapist).The Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars will contest four limited-over matches against New Zealand A in New Zealand from 8 February. The schedule is

Sunday 8 February	Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars v New Zealand A	Lincoln Uni
Monday 9 February	Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars v New Zealand A	Lincoln Uni
Wednesday 11 February	Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars v New Zealand A	Lincoln Uni
Thursday 12 February	Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars v New Zealand A	Lincoln Uni

Hampshire County Cricket Club confirmed today that Robin Smith has been appointed as Hampshire captain for the 2002 season. Will Kendall was also confirmed as vice-captain.”The club,” stated Tim Tremlett (Hampshire’s Director of Cricket) “have every confidence in appointing Robin for another season. He has proved his leadership over the past few years, none more so than leading the team into the First Division of the County Championship in 2001.”Robin Smith was jubilant at his re-appointment. “It is a delight to captain such a great bunch of lads” he mused. “I feel confident that we will be able to compete in the top Division, and I look forward to the forthcoming season with renewed optimism.”Hampshire also confirmed that Dimitri Mascarenhas had signed a new two year contract. Dimmi has had an ankle operation in Australia and is now ready to play again, with his fitness improving by the day.

Delhi managed to quell Haryana’s spirited challenge for the firstinnings lead on the final day of their North Zone Ranji Trophy leaguetie at Gurgaon. Spinners Rahul Sanghvi and Virender Shewag managed tohustle out Haryana for 339, just ten runs short of Delhi. The visitorsthen leisurely proceeded to 147/2 in 55 overs as the match descendedinto a soporific draw.Resuming at 300/7, Haryana’s hopes were pinned on Ishan Ganda,unbeaten on 54 overnight. He and Feroze Ghyas took the score to 338,at which moment the hosts would have thought they had five firstinnings points in the bag. But they lost three wickets in the space of3.5 overs for the addition of a solitary run.Ganda was last out, bowled by Sanghvi for 62, the left arm spinnerfinishing with 3/61. Akash Chopra (65 not out) and Ashu Dani (54) tookthe opportunity to indulge in some useful batting practise, adding 113for the first wicket. Dani fell for 54 and Pradeep Chawla soonfollowed in the only dents Haryana were able to make in almost fourhours on the field.Earlier on the third day, Haryana had moved from 98/2 to 300/7, mainlyon the efforts of skipper Parender Singh and Ganda. One-drop JasvirSingh fell for 68 in the tenth over of the day to Ashish Nehra. Theleft arm seamer grabbed one more wicket later in the day, finishingthe innings with figures of 4/93.All four victims were caught by skipper and wicketkeeper Vijay Dahiya.It was another good outing for Nehra after having mopped up eightwickets in Delhi’s earlier victory over Services. Parender shoulderedthe Haryana innings with a manful 73 (199 balls, 8 fours, 1 six)before being trapped leg before by Robin Singh jr.