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THE Western Australian Cricket Association is proud to announce WA’s largest electrical retailer Retravision as major sponsor of the state’s Junior Cricket program.Retravision will sponsor Junior Cricket throughout the state as well as School Holiday coaching clinics in metropolitan and country centres.Retravision General Manager, Mr Lester Gamble, said his company is committed to taking an active involvement in the community."That’s why we’re proud to announce our support of Junior Cricket in WA," Mr Gamble said today."We believe this is a great opportunity for children to have fun learning to play the sport while discovering the benefit of teamwork."The WACA’s Junior cricket program reflects Retravision’s own values of family and community and we look forward to our ongoing involvement."

• Retravision COMMUNITY SUPER 8’s After school competition for boys and girls aged 9-12-years played in all metropolitan regions (approx 15 centres, 1000 participants).
• Retravision Regional Junior Carnival Days
  Junior cricket in the regions is coordinated by the WACA via six (6) regional boards and the WACA regional Development Officers.The carnival days consist of junior cricketers (boys and girls) coming together to play `Super 8′ cricket games through out the day.The Retravision Regional Junior Carnival Days are promoted to all regional junior cricketers and there are spaces for approximately 1,280 participants to played in the following towns across Western Australia:
  • Karratha, Broome, Kununurra, Port Hedland, Newman
  • Geraldton, Carnarvon, Northam, Merredin, Kalgoorlie
  • Esperance, Albany, Narrogin, Bunbury, Collie, Busselton.
• Retravision Holiday Clinics
  Metropolitan junior school holiday clinics targeted at boys and girls during the October and April school holidays and played at the WACA ground. Clinics are promoted throughout the metropolitan regions. This is a very popular event with 100% participation for the past 12 months.
• Retravision will promote the sponsorship to customers by giving them an opportunity to win tickets to Western Warrior games throughout the summer.

Ireland and Netherlands had to settle on sharing the World Twenty20 Qualifiers trophy after persistent rain lashed Belfast, but they both already had the main prize in their pockets – a place at next year’s tournamentin England. Netherlands were due to bat after Ireland won the toss, but that was as far as proceedings got and the game was finally called off at 4.30pm.Netherlands captain Jeroen Smits said: “Obviously it is disappointing because as a cricketer, you want to go out there and try to give your best performance instead of sitting in the dressing room and waiting for the match to start.”As an Associate team, we would like to play as many Twenty20 matches as possible and when one match is washed-out, it’s an opportunity lost. But as it has panned out, we are joint-winner and a winner is a winner. So I am happy.”Ireland’s next engagement is the Intercontinental Cup on Thursday against Canada in Malahide, while on the same day Netherlands meet Bermuda for the first of two one-dayers at Amstelveen.

The game of cricket is coming together this weekend to raise money for SportRelief, the new fundraising initiative from Comic Relief and BBC Sport. TheEngland Cricket Team will be joining cricketers across the country from every level of the game by Paying to Play cricket on 15 and 16 June.Over the past few months the nation’s footballers and rugby players have given their full support to Sport Relief by raising money on their respective Pay to Play weekends. This weekend cricket will be holding its own Pay to Play event in aid of Sport Relief.On Saturday 15 June, every member of the England Cricket Team will be paying£100 to play at the 3rd npower Test Match at Old Trafford. Many of the firstclass counties are also joining in with this exciting initiative and will bePaying to Play during their matches this weekend.Sport Relief is a new fundraising campaign that aims to unite the world ofsport to raise money for vulnerable children and young people here at home and across the world by inspiring the whole of the UK to get active during this year’s great summer of sport. The campaign will run up to Saturday 13 July and culminate in a block busting night on BBC One of sport, celebrities, entertainment, and fundraising.England Captain, Nasser Hussain said: “This is a great cause and as Englandcricketers we are delighted to give it our full support. Good luck to allthe cricketers taking part in Pay to Play this weekend.”

Michael Vaughan has become the latest England injury doubt for the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka.Although the 27-year-old Yorkshire batsman is expected to play in the final Test against India, he has an injury to his right knee which he feels may require surgery.Vaughan told the Daily Express: “It’s just wear and tear – it might need a clean-out. I will be speaking to the England management to see what the right course of action is.”If surgery is required, it would jeopardise Vaughan’s place in the one-day squad, and add another injury problem following the withdrawal of Andrew Flintoff because of a hernia operation. Craig White, Paul Collingwood and Nick Knight are also on the injured list.

Veteran batsman Darren Lehmann expects Ricky Ponting to steer Australian one-day cricket to a higher level after shining in South Africa during his first series as national captain.Ponting will end the series unbeaten if Australia wins the seventh match in Cape Town tomorrow night but his reputation as an aggressive captain has been cemented just three weeks after taking over from benchmark leader Steve Waugh.With Lehmann as a valuable on-field adviser, Ponting and vice-captain Adam Gilchrist have sparked one of Australia’s most impressive series in recent years.”He’s going to be a very good captain for Australia,” Lehmann said.”Who knows where he’ll be in 12 or 18 months? He’s developing into a bloody good captain.”Even from the Test series (last month) to here he has really stepped up his game. Maybe he was that sort of guy who needed those leadership roles.”Selectors harvested Ponting’s leadership skills at the right time because the Tasmanian had become a fixture in Australian Test and one-day teams with little formal responsibility.But he has developed the same ruthless and demanding signs that Waugh showed during his reign, even admitting his bowlers will be “embarrassed” by SouthAfrica’s massive 3-326 during Saturday’s match in Port Elizabeth.It was a straight answer from a captain who enjoys the full support of his players despite replacing one of Australian cricket’s favourite leaders.Ponting heads the Australian run tally with 282 runs from six matches, including 92 from 106 balls in the record-breaking run chase of 7-330 on Saturday.But Lehmann’s reputation has climbed alongside Ponting after he became the middle-order replacement for Waugh.Lehmann made 91 from 94 balls during a 183-run partnership with Ponting, becoming one of the “finds” of the tour despite his years of experience.Aged 32, and with 75 one-day international matches, Lehmann’s worth was well-known across the cricketing world but he has never seemed more important than during this tour, becoming an on-field general behind Ponting and Gilchrist.Ponting has rated Lehmann one of his most valuable players just three months after the left hander was deemed not good enough to play for Australia.”He’s one of the best one-day players in the world – I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,” Ponting said.”He loves playing cricket and being part of a successful team and it’s good for the young blokes to see that sort of thing, knowing they can come into the team and be themselves.”It’s important to have different characters around the team and he’s obviously a character and he enjoys himself.”He moves around his crease and changes the bowlers’ thinking process and it’s great that we have someone like him and Michael Bevan in our middle order toreally control an innings or a game for us.”The Australians will start short-priced favourites at Newlands without any argument from the South African fans, who are changing their view of the tourists.The home fans were originally depressed at the Proteas’ miserable Test and one-day performances against Australia this summer, but the visitors have earned a reputation as perhaps the best team to visit South Africa in the post-apartheid era.The Australians will fly out of Johannesburg for home on Wednesday having established themselves as the early favourites for the World Cup in Africa nextFebruary.

It is one of the continually baffling mysteries of New Zealand cricket performance down through the ages that the same mistakes seem to keep repeating themselves.New Zealand has surely played enough One-Day Internationals, 410 of them at last count, to know what is required in most given circumstances.Yet, the same old problems keep on occurring.The only countries with win percentages below New Zealand’s are: Zimbabwe, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Scotland, the Netherlands, Canada and East Africa. A worthy bunch.But for a side with the playing skills on offer that New Zealand has, the infrastructure available and the scientific expertise developed through the High Performance Centre regarded as the best in the world, the results are well below par.The New Zealanders go into the fourth ODI of their series in the West Indies tomorrow needing a victory to keep the series alive.All this after one win in four games in Sharjah, and a clean sweep of losses in three matches at the hands of Pakistan. And this is a team regarded as a contender for next year’s World Cup in South Africa.It may well be, especially if Chris Cairns can regain his dominating influence.And yes, it was said before the team left for the West Indies that there would be some experimentation with players.However, it would be fair to expect that winning would be the first priority and then worry about the experimentation until later.New Zealand continue to demonstrate a remarkable consistency at failing to make a good start.They continue to push the strike rate when batting, despite the increase in the risk factor immediately after a wicket falls. This has to be the most vulnerable point for any team batting. Apart from the opposition naturally lifting themselves to deny a side rebuilding its position, there should be a natural desire to settle into a batting groove in order to prosper later.Of course, this all very simple thinking goes out the window in the last 10 overs when the pressure is really on to score runs as quickly as possible. But it would be nice occasionally for New Zealand to get to the last 10 overs with wickets to spare.It is ironic that at the time when the side is struggling to compete, captain Stephen Fleming has found a groove of consistency in his own scoring. Now he needs the experienced players around him to be producing as well.Without Cairns and Andre Adams in the attack especially, New Zealand was always going to struggle, and as Shane Bond recovers from his foot injury, he could hardly be expected to hit his straps overnight. Then there is the requirement to keep the pressure off the back of Daniel Vettori.But these are all considerations that most professional sporting teams cope with by the strength of their back-up resources.It may be that the pain being gone through at the moment will provide greater reward come World Cup time, but the odds against it happening are high.New Zealand’s players are committing the same mistakes that have bedevilled the side for 20 years.Inability to play consistently being at the top of the list, in all facets of the game. How often do New Zealand batsmen score as consistently as Andrew Jones used to manage in the late 80s and early 90s? It is an under-valued art, but it is the core around which a successful team is built.Jones’ strike-rate of 57.86 might not be considered excessively high, but his average of 35.69 is bettered by only: Bevan Congdon (56.33) in only 11 matches, Martin Crowe (38.55), Glenn Turner (47.00) and Roger Twose (38.81). But he was a rock around which others could play. Twose performed a similar role, even if over a shorter period of time.That has to be the requirement for one member of the side before the World Cup. It might also ensure New Zealand doesn’t continue to lose wickets, in the in-fashion word of last summer, ‘clumps’. You don’t have to be William Wordsworth to work out that ‘clumps’ are for chumps.New Zealand is a marginally better team at home with a win record of 53.69% as opposed to a 27.48% record overseas. The lesson could not be clearer.New Zealand must learn to win overseas, because that’s where most World Cups are held.Performing consistently with a much greater level of individual achievement would go a long way towards resolving New Zealand’s declining record in ODIs.

Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden battered open the door to a series-clinching Australian victory in the second Castle Lager/MTN Test against South Africa at Newlands, crunching a 102-run opening stand to leave the tourists requiring exactly 200 to win with nine wickets standing on Tuesday’s last day.South Africa’s spirited second innings, which finally ended at tea-time on Monday, left Australia needing to score 331 in 123 overs to retain the world Test championship. By the close they were 131 for one with Hayden ominously set.If they get there, it will be the 10th highest winning score in the fourth innings in Test history and in spite of South Africa’s dogged batting in their second innings and Shane Warne’s 70-over marathon, the defining period of play may yet prove to be the 33 overs between tea and stumps on Monday.South Africa needed to break through, Australia needed a start and it was the visiting team who galloped away with the session.Langer was in murderous mood, hitting two boundaries off Makhaya Ntini in the first over of the innings to charge off with Hayden barely out of the blocks. Langer was the dominant partner in a stand that produced 102 in a ball over 22 overs and rocked the South Africans back on their heels.Paul Adams, who had been so effective in the first innings, went for 36 in his first five overs as the left-handers hit him with the spin and while Ntini worried both batsmen on occasions, there seemed little the fielding side could do to stem the flow of runs.The breakthrough came from an unexpected source. Dewald Pretorius had had a miserable first innings, taking none for 72 in 11 overs, but after an expensive opening burst he came back on from the other end to bowl Langer for 58 off a bottom edge.Even so, Hayden went on to reach his 50 off the last ball of the day, and Australia could scarcely be better placed.The first two sessions of the day consisted of a duel between Warne and the South African batsmen. He bowled 70 overs out of 162 for his six for 161. It was an epic performance, requiring stamina every bit as much as skill and it is fair to say that at no stage did the South Africans dominate him, as well as they batted.The innings of day came from Neil McKenzie, cruelly run out on 99 by Damien Martyn’s superb direct hit as he scampered for his 100th run. He had held the lower order together skillfully, but South Africa will have been left with the nagging feeling that his run out, and that of Andrew Hall for a duck, may have cost them 50 or so runs that they might dearly be wishing for on the last day.It has been a fascinating Test match and although Australia now seem to have their noses in front, this South African side might not yet be ready to capitulate in the manner of other teams this summer. There has been a willingness to scrap with the Australians and while the opposition looks to have too many guns still loaded and ready to fire, an early breakthrough on the last day could expose a middle order that South Africans regard as Australia’s soft centre.Then again, the Australians always have Adam Gilchrist in reserve and South Africa have yet to discover a way of dismissing him on their home soil. On balance Australia have made fewer crucial mistakes over the first four days and if they keep their percentages up they will win this match. At the same time, the result is not yet a foregone conclusion and for South African supporters this may be the heartening news they have had all summer.

For the first time in this long and dreary summer – only two days from its scheduled end and with each of those days shortening in the flood towards winter – a little weary sunshine shone on Otago’s back.When they left the field at McLean Park tonight, outflanked by lengthening shadows and overlooked a light sky whitening towards evening, their step was a little more jaunty and their chins were held higher, their faces were less downcast.Because today and more obviously than on any of the 37 days of State Championship cricket which has preceded it, Otago had a day in the sun, a day on which their spirit shone – an excuse to smile and be proud.Otago dominated the second day of their Championship match against Central Districts, recovering their first innings which was a little faded by stumps on the first day, then gaining and enlarging a first innings lead which Central reduced partially and without wicketloss before stumps.Resuming at 59/3, Otago were given strength and confidence by Chris Gaffaney and Craig Pryor, then Pryor and Simon Beare, then Beare and Scott Waide and finally by Duncan Drew and Neil Rushton who put on 36 by their 10th wicket.With those various innings and various partnerships, Otago reached 268 in its first innings, replying to Central’s 178, to establish a 90-run first innings lead. By stumps and after nine overs, Central was 27/0 in its second innings and Otago’s lead was still 63, a little eroded but still impressive.Otago sides are well known for their spirit and admired for it. They have a determination belied by natural casualness, a steadiness and a sense of duty to each other and to their province. They demonstrated that today when, with steady application, they took charge of this 10th match of the season and made less likely a 10th consecutive loss.The season has inflicted on Otago nine losses in nine matches and it has been left to them in this last game, against a team placed third on the Championship table, to take all steps necessary to avoid a season without any redeeming feature. They produced the determination today to avoid a full card of losses.Otago progressed in the manner of a relay team of post riders to a first innings lead by the middle of the second session. They developed that lead after tea and had some control over their own fate when they allowed Central to bat again with nine overs remaining in the day.Gaffaney was the first man to take charge, to carry the baton which represented Otago’s hopes. He took his overnight score of 33 on to 66 in a fourth wicket partnership with Pryor which lifted Otago from 51/3 to 126/4, adding 75 runs.Gaffaney, who faced the first ball of the innings on Sunday afternoon, batted 201 minutes and punctuated his innings with six fours.When Gaffaney was finally out, caught by Campbell Furlong at slip from Brent Hefford in the 50th over, Otago were 52 runs from Central’s first innings total.Pryor then took charge and, in taking his score on to 38 in 174 minutes – an effort of remarkable application and much of it as Gaffaney’s lieutenant – lifted Central to 162/5. When he was out in the 65th over, Beare was at the crease well set and ready to lead Otago on to a first innings advantage.Beare dominated a partnership of 44 for the sixth wicket with Nathan Morland which lasted almost 15 overs and during which, around 2pm, first innings points were achieved. Of those 44 runs, Morland made only seven but he, too, gave his team good service.Beare’s was a fine innings – ambitious and decisive, well-paced and full of simple but effective strokeplay. He pushed the scoring on at its most regular tempo of the day: he made 60 in 140 minutes from 114 balls with seven fours. He played with balance and judgement off both feet and took his boundaries with crisp timing and careful placement.Beare was out in the 86th over when Otago was 217 and leading by 39 runs. Waide made 17 and was next out at 232/8 and Kerry Walmsley fell without scoring at the total, leaving Otago 54 ahead with one wicket in hand.But there was still spirit and a sense of clear purpose in the Otago side – a side with considerable batting depth in this match – and Rushton and Drew kept the innings alive for a further 15 overs. Their 36-run stand, epitomising Otago’s determination, left them in greater control of the day and the match.Ruston made 25 from 54 balls while Drew was left 11 not out.It would have been the crowning glory of the day if Otago had been able to claim a Central wicket before the curtain fell but they could not do so. Furlong and Peter Ingram saw Central through the last and important period of the day without loss.Ingram was 10 and Furlong 16 when drinks were taken.The advantage in the game, with Otago, is still a small one with two days remaining but if the visitors can bowl well in the first session tomorrow, expose Central’s middle then lower order, they might yet have the chance to end this summer with a last and pleasing moment in the sun.

Durham narrowly avoided becoming the first county to suffer a points deduction for a slow over rate before their match against Gloucestershire at Chester-le-Street was abandoned.Under the new rule counties have to bowl 16 overs an hour and after every game they lose a quarter point for every over they fall short. The rule does not apply if they have fielded for less than four hours in the match, and when rain halted Gloucestershire’s second innings at two for one, the 2.2 overs Durham had bowled had taken them six minutes over the four-hour mark.Their over-rate was minus one, which meant they would have lost a quarter of a point had play not resumed. Consequently they rushed through 2.4 overs when they re-started at 4pm before bad light intervened. The scorers quickly calculated that their over-rate was now spot on 16 an hour.Play began at 12.10 and Durham added 23 runs in five overs before declaring on 255 for seven when Paul Collingwood fell for 68, chopping a ball from Jon Lewis into his stumps. Wicketkeeper Andy Pratt was left on 28 not out for the second time in the match.Needing 300 in 71 overs, Gloucestershire lost Tim Hancock to the eighth ball when he pushed forward and had his off stump removed by Neil Killeen. They were on two for one when rain arrived at 12.50, and moved on to six for one on the brief resumption.

In a breath-stopping, heart-thumping finish, India pulled off a stunning 10-run win over South Africa at Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday night and entered the final of the Champions Trophy.South Africa are a professional side. The Indians are a feisty bunch. South Africa are a tight-knit one-day unit. The Indians are unruly talents. South Africa are fit, athletic and skilled enough to beat anyone. The Indians are determined and have enough cricket sense to hold their own against the best. It’s clichéd but, on the day, it was a triumph of flair over skill.With back-to-back centuries Gibbs had a chance to put his indelible stamp on the tournament. By retiring hurt on 116 (119 balls, 16 fours) with his side still needing 70 runs for victory, Gibbs gave India the tiniest window of opportunity. Not very different from the time he famously dropped Steve Waugh and got told, “you’ve just dropped the World Cup, mate.” The Indians, applying pressure took a vice-like grip on the game after Gibbs left the field. And yes, Gibbs’ departure did cost the South Africans the Champions Trophy.It would take a cruel man, however, to lay all the blame for South Africa’s defeat on Gibbs’ weary, dehydrated shoulders. The opener had done a great deal, slamming a brisk ton to set up the best possible foundations for his team.It was Gibbs’ opposite number, Virender Sehwag, who turned the tide. Bowling his flat, quick off-spin, Sehwag did what the frontline Indian spinners could not do. He tied down the South African batsmen at the death, picked up crucial wickets, bagged three for 25 and walked away with the Man of the Match award for the second consecutive game.With Graeme Smith perishing early on to a spectacular catch by Yuvraj Singh, flying high to his right at point, Jacques Kallis was at the wicket in just the fourth over of the day. Yuvraj’s effort was an early indicator of what people call fire in the belly; of what Imran Khan called ‘playing like cornered tigers’.A masterful batsman, Kallis kept the scoreboard ticking over at an even clip from the moment he was in, taking no chances yet scoring freely.Gibbs, who seemed perfectly at ease for the best part of his innings, suddenly started to suffer from severe body cramps. At first a runner assisted him but, unable to grip the bat, he was forced off the field in the 37th over of the innings. Nevertheless, South Africa were 192/1 and still clear favourites.Just two runs later, Jonty Rhodes was brilliantly caught by yet another full length drive from Yuvraj. Boeta Dippenaar played the sweep to Harbhajan Singh and Kumble snapped up the catch on the fine leg fence. Then Mark Boucher (10) also perished sweeping, top-edging an easy catch to Yuvraj. What is normally the most productive shot against spin for the South Africans proved their downfall.Even Kallis, whose controlled 97 (133 balls, six fours, one six) certainly deserved a hundred, could not deliver the 21 runs South Africa needed for victory in the last over of the day. The air was thick with tension and could have been cut with the proverbial butter knife. Just minutes before the final over began, Zaheer Khan had sent down a fiery penultimate over, keeping the ball in the block-hole and denying Klusener the opportunity to score.Kallis began the final over by nonchalantly launching Sehwag into the stands at mid-wicket. Fifteen needed from five balls then. Kallis tried to repeat the stroke, top-edged to the ‘keeper and India were one inch closer.Klusener, who had crossed over while the catch was being taken, battled hard but could not free his arms and managed just four more runs off the over before hitting Kaif a catch off the last ball of the innings. Yet again Klusener had been unable to produce those mighty blows that had been a feature of his batting some years ago. He managed only 14 off 21 balls, failing to hit a single boundary.Earlier, the day began with a touch of surprise, as South Africa went into the big game with Makhaya Ntini ahead of the experienced Steve Elworthy and debutant Robin Peterson in place of Justin Ontong.Sehwag batted as though he started on a hundred not out and not zero. Hitting the ball as cleanly as he had against England, the fiery opener got the crowds roaring. Two square drives, two pulls and one straight drive had raced off the flashing blade before even seven overs were completed.Sourav Ganguly certainly looked in sparkling form. After beginning with a slash that just evaded the slip cordon the Indian skipper unveiled the pull, the shot he plays with least comfort, slamming Ntini to the fence in front of square.But someone sauntering near the boundary ropes said it seemed too good to be true and as though he’d been overhead, Ganguly went for an audacious hook and sent a Ntini short ball straight down Dippenaar’s throat at deep backward square leg.And then, while Sehwag motored on at one end, the Indian batting spluttered, chugged like an old jalopy and seized up at the other end. VVS Laxman made a pretty 22 before having a forgettable waft outside the off to be caught behind. Sachin Tendulkar, unusually reticent for 16 off 29 balls was run out by a tremendous bit of fielding from Rhodes, the man who has inspired kids to say, “when I grow up I want to be a fielder.”India found themselves in trouble on 135/4.Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj began the recovery. Dravid, sensible as ever, kept the scoreboard ticking over with a series of well-placed drives while Yuvraj provided the impetus with his sprinting between the wickets and audacious strokes. It’s not often that a batsman comes down the wicket and belts Allan Donald through mid-wicket and then kills the follow-up bouncer with a lightning pull that dents the advertising hoardings. Yuvraj did just that, blasting his way to a remarkable 62 (72 balls, six fours). Dravid made 49 invaluable runs and India, despite losing three tail-end wickets in one Pollock over, ended with 261/9 from 50 overs.Despite what the pundits and punters had to say, this proved enough to secure a famous victory.