Creagh O’Connor has been elected as the Cricket Australia chairman and will replace Bob Merriman, who has completed his term that began in 2001. O’Connor, who was appointed deputy chairman in 2004, said the implementation of Cricket Australia’s strategic plan, which was reviewed and finalised during the past year, was a priority so the organisation could achieve its vision of being Australia’s favourite sport.”Australian cricket has set itself some challenging targets through its most-recently adopted strategic plan,” he said. “To achieve these Cricket Australia will need to work closely with its members and other stakeholders.” Mr O’Connor, who spent 30 years in the engineering and construction industries, was appointed to the Cricket Australia board in 1998 and has served on the SACA board since 1991. He is also a trustee of the Les Favell Foundation in Adelaide.Merriman said several landmarks stood out during his four years as chairman. “On the field there have been a number of satisfying moments including the 2003 World Cup win, winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 1969, the record-breaking streak of the Australian Test team, and holding the Ashes from 1989 until 2005,” he said. “This was all capped off by the magnificent show of goodwill by all players during the tsunami appeal match at the MCG earlier this year.” Merriman will continue to serve on the Cricket Australia board after Cricket Victoria reappointed him as a Cricket Australia director.

In an extraordinary exhibition of hitting, Jason Aekins of the New Zealand club side Taita smashed an unbeaten 258 – a one-day club batting record – in a 40-over match at Wellington on Monday.Aekin, 35, was playing against Upper Hutt in the domestic 1B grade level, and hit 16 sixes and 30 fours as Taita amassed 489 for 4 at Tremtham Memorial Park No. 4. “It’s all a bit of a blur but it wasn’t very good bowling,” Aekins said to stuff.co.nz. “Once I got to 100 every ball was going to the boundary – I was on fire. It just kept coming out of the middle.” Batting with an old bat, Aekins shared a second-wicket partnership of 263 with Josh Smits (159). “My opening partner got out in the first over and Josh came in and by drinks (20 overs) he had 150 and I was on 96. When he went out I let loose,” Aekins said.Aekins, a carpenter by profession, is a regular in the Taita 1B team, playing alongside some of his former Eastbourne rugby mates. His domestic record is impressive; this was the ninth instance in three seasons of Aekins recording a hundred, and he comfortably surpassed his previous best of 171 set last summer. “I was hoping for 200 this year, I’ve been trying for 12 seasons,” a beaming Aekins added. “We had a couple of beers back at the club on Saturday night but most of the other teams were playing away so there weren’t many people there. There is talk of something this weekend.”Aekins’ feat has earned him a gesture of recognition from local statisticians – a special cap – after he became the only batsman at the Wellington senior level to cross 250. Interestingly, the identity of Upper Hutt’s bowling attack is somewhat anonymous. An example of this is a bowler recorded simply as Mike, with figures of 1 for 79 off four overs. In the end, Upper Hutt were dismissed for 158, losing by 331 runs.

Marvan AtapattuOn the likely playing XIWe have a few options. But we’ll have a look at the conditions tomorrow morning before we finalise the team.On how much Jayasuriya would be missedHe’s been a great cricketer for Sri Lanka. But it’s a decision that the selectors have made. We have a couple of great young prospects, and time will tell how effective they can be at this level.On whether they might go with five bowlersI heard that this pitch was prepared for the one-day game against South Africa. It looks quite dry, and will certainly be a factor when it comes to choosing our final eleven.On so many in the squad having little or no experience of Indian conditionsIt’s been so long since we played a Test here, but we know that playing India in India is a big test. It won’t be an easy task.Tom MoodyOn how different the stadium and the conditions seemed after having played here during the Reliance World Cup in 1987Well, 1987 was a long time ago. It’s a great ground to play cricket, and I have some fond memories of the place. The wicket looks good, and we should have a great game.On bouncing back from the 6-1 drubbing in the ODIsIt’s Test-match cricket now. We’ve had a nice break, a period of time away from the game. The players were given a [fitness] programme to work on, and we then got together to prepare for the Tests. We put the white balls away and got the red ones in. We’re more familiar with the Kookaburra balls used back home, so we had to adapt to the one used here.

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

Soon after lunch on the final day Australia wrapped up a crushing 184-run win in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at Melbourne. South Africa, all out for 181, were still far, far away from saving the game, either in terms or runs or wickets. Australia had enjoyed some luck on the day, but they had also stuck to their task admirably and thoroughly deserved to be leading the series 1-0 when the final Test comes around at Sydney in the new year.Ricky Ponting, the winning captain, singled out the 107-run 10th wicket partnership between Michael Hussey and Glenn McGrath as the key event in the game. “The 10th wicket partnership between Mike Hussey and Glenn McGrath has probably proved to be the difference in the end,” Ponting said at the post-match interview. “Putting on over a 100 runs for the last wicket was a great contribution.”Hussey, in the course of that knock, was dropped on 27 and went on to make 122. Earlier Ponting had been dropped on 17 and went on to score 117. Dropped chances certainly hurt South Africa. “We’ve taken pretty much every chance that has come our way,” said Ponting. “The bowlers have had to work hard, but they’ve been well supported by the fielders.”Hussey, adjudged the Man of the Match, was typically low-key in his response. “There have been a lot of superb performances so I’m pleasantly surprised,” he said. “Ponting made a good 100 on a touch pitch, Hayden got a big one, Symonds was among the wickets and scored some runs.”When the final day began, though, there was little doubt about how the game would go. Ashwell Prince will consider himself quite unlucky to have been adjudged caught at slip by Matthew Hayden off Shane Warne for a painstaking 120-ball 26, but Warne will no doubt point to the fact that he has now dismissed Prince four times in as many innings in this series. Television replays suggested that the ball may have gone off arm rather than bat. Prince and Pollock had defied the Australians for a time, adding 48 for the seventh wicket.Shaun Pollock, who seems to have given up on his batting in recent times, provided the stoutest resistance. He was not afraid to play his shots when the ball was in his zones, but for the best part he adopted a conservative approach, playing with a straight bat. He went from his overnight 13 to 67 not out even as wickets fell around him and the match slipped away.Nicky Boje, also no mug with the bat, played out 38 balls before Glenn McGrath, re-introduced into the attack as lunch approached, got rid of him. A ball kept slightly low and beat Boje’s defensive shot, going back onto the stumps off the edge. Andre Nel did not last long, loosely dabbing at McGrath outside the off, only to find the keeper.Makhaya Ntini, in some discomfort thanks to a tendon problem in the knee, came out to bat with four balls to see off for lunch, and managed to do so. He had come out with a runner, but there wasn’t much need for that, as sharp singles weren’t really at a premium. Survival to lunch was the key, and that was achieved with the score on 9 for 180. Just one run was added after lunch, though, before Ntini played back to Stuart MacGill and chopped the ball onto his stumps, sending the crowd, and the Australian team into wild celebrations.How they were out
South Africa second inningsAB de Villiers st Gilchrist b Warne 8 (1 for 39)
Graeme Smith c Gilchrist b McGrath 25 (2 for 45)
Herschelle Gibbs b Warne 9 (3 for 58)
Jacques Kallis c Gilchrist b Symonds 9 (4 for 64)
Jacques Rudolph b Symonds 4 (5 for 72)
Mark Boucher c Ponting b Warne 5 (6 for 82)
Ashwell Prince c Hayden b Warne 26 (7 for 130)
Andre Nel c Gilchrist b McGrath 2 (9 for 178)
Makhaya Ntini b MacGill 2 (10 for 181)

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

An extremely sporting declaration by Graeme Smith set up the third Test superbly, but Ricky Ponting ensured that what should have been a tight run-chase ended up as a no-contest as Australia swept to an eight-wicket win to seal the series 2-0. Requiring 287 from 76 overs, Australia romped home with more than 16 overs to spare. Not satisfied with his 120 in the first innings, Ponting smashed a glorious unbeaten 143, becoming the first batsman to score hundreds in each innings of his 100th Test. Matthew Hayden supported him perfectly as the two put together 182 for the second wicket and snuffed out any chance for South Africa to steal a series-levelling win.Already 1-0 down, South Africa’s only hope on the final day at Sydney was to get some quick runs, set a challenging target before Australia, and hope that they’d collapse in the quest for quick runs. South Africa’s batsmen did well to score 100 off 20 overs in the morning, with Jacques Kallis relatively more aggressive, adding 36 in 49 balls to get to his half-century. Charl Langeveldt then gave South Africa early hope just before lunch, snaring Justin Langer with a beauty that swung into the batsman and clipped the stumps. From then on, though, it was a one-way traffic.Throughout South Africa’s second innings, the criticism against Kallis had been his inability to impose himself on the game. Ponting showed just how it could be done. Playing with a confidence that made him appear infallible, he snatched the initiative from South Africa immediately after lunch, rocking back and pulling Andre Nel when he erred in length only marginally.That set the tone, as Ponting went from strength to strength, peppering all parts of the ground with delectable strokeplay. Nothing that South Africa tried worried him remotely as he made batting look ridiculously simple. To deliveries that were slightly fuller than good length, Ponting took a giant forward stride and deposited the ball, depending on its line, straight down the ground, through cover, or through midwicket. When the bowlers overcompensated and pitched it marginally shorter, Ponting was ready and waiting on the back foot, swiveling around to pull, or rocking back to cut. Throughout this series, the South Africans have fancied their chances of trapping Ponting on the shuffle, but here even that avenue was closed for them, as Ponting corrected his tendency to fall across while playing on the leg side.Hayden began more circumspectly, but was soon into his elements, planting his front foot down the pitch to crash his trademark straight-drives. As his confidence grew, the pulls and cover-drives were added to the mix. Add excellent running between the wickets by both, and South Africa were completely clueless to stop the massacre.To his credit, Smith continued to attack with his field placements, knowing that it was the only option for him. The seamers were given an adequate slip cordon, while a short mid-off and midwicket were employed in the hope that Ponting would scoop a drive. However, after the early swing that his bowlers got with the new ball, there was hardly any assistance on offer from the track – there was no seam movement, and the bounce was consistent – and the aggressive attitude of both batsmen ensured that none of the bowlers were allowed to settle in. South Africa were further hampered by the fact that their only spin option, Johan Botha, was totally out of his depth. His 12.3 overs cost him 77 – including the winning runs, a down-on-one-knee cover-drive by Ponting – and the only wicket he took, of Hayden, did nothing to the outcome of the game.The final result was a convincing defeat for South Africa, but they did much better than the margin of defeat suggests. On the fifth morning, with quick runs urgently required, the batsmen did their job well. Kallis was more energetic than on the fourth day – even playing a couple of reverse-sweeps against the legspinners – but the real momentum came from the other batsmen, especially Shaun Pollock, who struck the ball superbly in his 21-ball 26. Smith then declared an hour before lunch, leaving his bowlers with 76 overs to try and take ten wickets. As it turned out, that was more than enough time for Australia to knock off the 287 runs and cruise to victory.How they were outSouth AfricaAshwell Prince c Ponting b MacGill 18 (4 for 123)
Jacques Rudolph c McGrath b MacGill 4 (5 for 129)
Mark Boucher st Gilchrist b MacGill 11 (6 for 152)
AustraliaJustin Langer b Langeveldt 20 (1 for 30)
Matthew Hayden c Smith b Botha 90 (2 for 212)

Central Zone
Points table
An unbeaten 122 from Jyoti P Yadav set up Uttar Pradesh’s 57-run win against Railways at the KL Saini Ground in Jaipur. Yadav’s innings spanned just 120 balls and included 12 fours and two sixes. He added 133 for the third wicket with Arvind Kapoor, who smashed 72 from 67 balls, and pushed the score to 283 for 5. Railways’ chase began to gather momentum before losing three wickets for 10 runs (86 for 4). Shreyas Khanolkar fought back with 57 but Avinash Yadav (4 for 56) ran through the middle order and restricted them to 226 for 9 in 50 overs. With this win, UP have topped the Central Zone in the league stage, and have entered the knock-out phase. Railways, who have come in the second place in the zone, follow UP into the next round.Vidarbha hung on by the skin of their teeth to clinch a thriller by one run against Madhya Pradesh at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Chasing 243 to win, MP were in dire straits at 28 for 4 before B Tomar (74) and S Masood (56) led the recovery with a 100-run stand after Abbas Ali chipped in with 45. But after Tomar and Masood fell, the chase lost steam and the tail only managed to push the score to an agonising 241 for 9, two runs short. Sandeep Singh collected figures of 3 for 38. Shalabh Shrivastava led the way for Vidarbha, after losing the loss, scoring 61. The only other significant contribution was Samir Khare’s 41 as Vidarbha were dismissed for 242.East Zone
Points table
Rajiv Kumar played a captain’s innings of 94 to see Jharkhand through tense moments and secured a one-wicket victory against Tripura at the Tata Digwadih Stadium in Dhanbad. Chasing a modest 228, Jharkhand kept losing wickets at one end while Rajiv held up the other. Rajiv’s was a patient knock that took 128 balls while including 10 fours and a six. Mihir Diwakar struck a crucial 25 in a 33-run stand for the eigth wicket with Rajiv that took them closer to the win. In their innings, a steady fall of wickets ensured that Tripura could not take advantage of winning the toss. Bappa Das top-scored with 57 but his was the only score above 30 in their eventual total of 227 for 9.Riding on a strong allround performance, Assam breezed to a five-wicket win against Orissa at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Dhanbad. After winning the toss, Assam’s bowlers didn’t allow the batsmen to settle by picking up wickets regularly. S Tarafdar took 2 for 29 and Mrigen Talukdar claimed 3 for 44 as Orissa were held to 190 for 9. Assam’s openers, Chandan Rawat (57) and P Aziz (56), virtually sealed the win with a 132-run opening stand that set up the platform for them to finish on 194 for 5.

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

Muttiah Muralitharan, celebrating his 100th Test match, claimed a decisive advantage for Sri Lanka with a mesmerising second-innings spell, claiming 6 for 54 as Bangladesh were skittled for 181. Sri Lanka, forced to scrap hard for two and a half days, finished on 25 without loss needing just 138 more for victory.As Muralitharan dismantled the Bangladesh innings, dousing an uprising that threatened major embarrassment, he also raced past 1000 international wickets, the first man in the history of the game to have claimed so many victims in both Tests and ODIs. It left him with a match haul of 9 for 141 and a career tally of 593 Test wickets.Although the day ended with Sri Lankan smiles – none larger than Muralitharan’s – it was not all plain sailing for them. Bangladesh continued to fight in the first session, restricting Sri Lanka’s lead to a slender 19 as Shahadat Hossain roughed-up their tail with some hostile pace bowling to finish with 4 for 83. Javed Omar (31) and Nafees Iqbal (6) then frustrated Sri Lanka before and after the lunch break, wiping out Sri Lanka’s lead and then extending their partnership to 47.Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s new captain, was starting to fret before Dilhara Fernando, somewhat fortuitously, broke through as Iqbal chased a wide delivery. It was Iqbal’s second soft dismissal of the match and it dragged Sri Lanka back into a contest they were just starting to lose control of. The runs started to dry up and Fernando finally snared Omar, who had been batting solidly, with a full delivery that nipped back. Suddenly, Bangladesh were wobbling on 56 for 2.Jayawardene tightened the net, launching into the offensive with Muralitharan and Malinga Bandara (2 for 55), and crowded fielders around the bat. Both bowlers spun the ball sharply but slowly off a placid pitch. However, Bandara’s nagging accuracy finally paid off as he defeated Habibul Bashar (12) in the air and won an lbw decision.Bashar would not have unstrapped his pads in the dressing room before hearing Sri Lanka’s yelps of joy at the dismissal of Mohammad Ashraful, the first innings centurion and Bangladesh’s most dangerous player. Ashraful (1) was left shocked and disbelieving as Upul Tharanga, crouched low at short leg, clasped a brilliant reflex catch off a sweetly timed tuck onto the leg-side.It seemed then, with Bangladesh on 69 for 4, that the innings might be about to unravel. Several hundred spectators thought so anyway as they rushed out of the stadium after Ashraful’s fall. But Mashud and Nafees started a gutsy fightback and were able to resist until after the tea interval, braving Kumar Sangakkara’s barbed jibes from behind the stumps and also some probing bowling.

However, a large slice of good fortune ended their 53-run stand as Mashud, who was padding away, was wrongly adjudged to have been caught by a diving Tillakaratne Dilshan off the glove when actually the ball had just run harmlessly up his side. The wicket was Muralitharan’s 1000th and it triggered a dramatic slide. Energised and intense, Muralitharan clicked into his most destructive gear, experimenting with his flight, confusing with his variations in pace and deceiving with his spin. Nafees was caught off a leading edge, Alok Kapali was pinned helplessly by a tantalising off break that dropped and spun, and Enamul Haque padded away a doosra that was zooming in on off stump.Rafique (40) provided Sri Lanka irritation with some lusty blows at the death, lifting the target past 150, but he was finally snared, stranded down the wicket as he tried to flail a quicker Muralitharan delivery that whizzed past his outside edge.Earlier, Sri Lanka were unable to eke out a substantial lead as Hossain clawed Bangladesh right back into the game, mopping up the visitors’ tail with a succession of bumpers that were softly swatted to midwicket. Sri Lanka’s problems began with a tortoise-like start to the day, with Thilan Samaraweera (58) and Bandara (19 not out) determined to play themselves in carefully. Eventually, Samaraweera eyed a scoring opportunity and miscued a hook to midwicket where Omar leapt acrobatically to claim a wonderful diving catch.Samaraweera’s fall exposed Sri Lanka’s weak tail and Hossain exploited their obvious discomfort against short bowling. Fernando ducked first ball into a lifter – a painful hit that cut open his ear and prompted an early appearance of Tommy Simsek, Sri Lanka’s “Flying Physio” (as he is now known for his Olympian sprints onto the field) – and then, rather meekly, he pulled straight into the hands of Shariar Nafees at midwicket.Muralitharan walked to the crease with a determined look. To almost universal amazement he buckled down to a sensible start, neatly glancing his first ball to the boundary and then getting right behind the ball. But when tempted with some half-trackers, he couldn’t control himself any longer, backing away and slogging a catch to midwicket, a chance that was well taken running backwards by Nafees. Bandara, meanwhile, had been batting sensibly at the other end, displaying a solid technique and unravelling a couple of elegant off-side strokes. However, he was left stranded as Lasith Malinga ran himself out first ball.Malinga, fired-up after the embarrassment of his run-out, pounded in before the break, coming within millimetres of claiming one lbw with a toecrusher and also beating the bat on several occasions. However, Sri Lanka, who too threw the ball early to their spinners, were unable to break through before lunch.How they were outSri LankaThilan Samaraweera c Omar b Hossain 58 (316 for 7)
Dilhara Fernando c Nafees b Hossain 5 (380 for 8)
Muttiah Muralitharan c Nafees b Hossain (338 for 9)
Lasith Malinga run out 0 (338 for 10)
BangladeshNafees Iqbal c Sangakkara b Fernando 6 (47 for 1)
Javed Omar lbw Fernando 31 (56 for 2)
Habibul Bashar lbw Bandara 12 (68 for 3)
Mohammad Ashraful c Tharanga b Muralitharan 1 (69 for 4)
Khaled Mashud c Dilshan b Muralitharan 15 (122 for 5)
Shariar Nafees c Fernando b Muralitharan 38 (131 for 6)
Alok Kapali lbw Muralitharan 9 (135 for 7)
Shahadat Hossain c Malinga b Bandara 0 (150 for 8)
Enamul Haque Jnr lbw Muralitharan 1(168 for 9)
Mohammad Rafique st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 40 (181 for 10)

Virender Sehwag will lead India in the next two one-day internationals against England after the selectors decided to rest Rahul Dravid. Following the series-clinching four-wicket win at Kochi, Dravid has been given a break in what has been a long season for India.VRV Singh, the pace bowler, comes into the squad in place of Dravid and Kiran More, the chairman of selectors, said: “We decided to give Dravid some rest after a busy schedule. We will let it be known if there is any change for the last match.”The decision is a vote of confidence for Sehwag, who is suffering a poor run of form. He has made just 74 runs in the series and has been troubled by England’s impressive use of the short ball.Revised India squad
Virender Sehwag (capt), Robin Uthappa, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Ramesh Powar, Shantakumaran Sreesanth, Ajit Agarkar, RP Singh, Venugopala Rao, Munaf Patel, Vikram Rajvir Singh.

As Glamorgan celebrates its newly-won Test status and prepares to host the 2009 Ashes, the outlook is rather more bleak down at the Rose Bowl in Hampshire, where the county’s chairman and chief financial backer, Rod Bransgrove, is believed to be considering his future at the club.Bransgrove saved the club from liquidation after their move from Northlands Road in 2001 by pumping in £3.5million of his own money in shares and investments, and now says he is “shocked” and “angered” by yet another snub from the ECB.”I am in a very difficult position now,” he told Sporting Life. “I’ll have to speak to our board and legal advisers, and consider whether this has become personal and if it is beneficial for Hampshire cricket to have me around.”Back in February, Bransgrove warned that he could not carry the club on his shoulders forever. Last season, they announced losses of more than £750,000 and cutbacks have since been implemented. “I need some help from the ECB and have to make a decision,” he told The Times. “Do I force the issue or give up?””There are a lot of handshakes and old friends involved in the decision-making,” he added. “It is ironic that we beat a county with a Test ground, Warwickshire, in the C&G final last year and yet their profit (£750,800) is the same as our loss.”Bransgrove’s dismay is justified, seeing as the £30million Rose Bowl is already in situ, while the Cardiff redevelopment plans have yet to be ratified by the city council. Much has been made, however, of the inaccessibility of Hampshire’s ground, which has no local rail connections and just a single access road, and the pitch itself has come in for some criticism as well.”They have made us aware of the reasons which, in their view, are that there needs to be more evidence of improvement in the standard of pitches at the Rose Bowl,” Bransgove confirmed to Sporting Life. “They have said ‘no thank you’ – and so it seems we still have work to do.”Forthcoming Test schedule2007
West Indies Chester-le-Street, Headingley, Lord’s and Old Trafford
India The Oval, Lord’s and Trent Bridge2008
New Zealand Lord’s, Old Trafford and Trent Bridge
South Africa The Oval, Edgbaston, Headingley and Lord’s2009
Zimbabwe Lord’s and tbc
Australia The Oval, Cardiff, Edgbaston, Headingley and Lord’s

ScorecardMichael Vandort guided the Sri Lankans to a morale-boosting six-wicket win over Derbyshire as the batting finally began to find its feet in the English spring. His unbeaten 90 meant the target was reached with relative ease after Derbyshire had declared following a delayed start.Vandort, who is fighting for one of the opening slots with Upul Tharanga and Jehan Mubarak, took his chance with both hands. Tharanga played his part in an opening stand of 60, but it was Vandort who caught the eye with some powerful driving.Kumar Sangakkara spent a useful 90 minutes in the middle, adding 96 with Vandort, before Derbyshire’s spinners brought them back into the match. Andy Gray had Sangakkara stumped and Ant Botha claimed two wickets, including Tillekeratne Dilshan who continues to be short of runs.However, Chamara Kapugedera continued his promising start to the tour with a sprightly 44. He is unlikely to feature in the Tests, this trip is all about gaining experience, but if he continues to impress, and his more senior colleagues don’t find form, he could yet mount a late bid for inclusion in the first Test.Kapugedera calmly accompanied Vandort until victory was complete as the Sri Lankans claimed their first win on tour. However, they will have to up their game when they face England A, at Worcester, starting on Thursday.