The Northern Territory news Tue 22 Dec 2009
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2009-12-22
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English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
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Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/215572
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/711144
www.ntnews.com.au Northern Territory News, Tuesday, December 22, 2009 47 P U B : NTNE-WS-DA-TE:22-DGE:47 CO-LO-R: C-M Y-K FOOTROT FLATS SPORT Mozzies buzzing FromBackPage The dates are yet to be confirmed but we are talking with them, he said. The Mozzies scored a heart-stopping victory in the final minute of the match against Adelaide the last time the sides clashed at Austar Park in 2008. But the Falcons got revenge on their home turf in Adelaide last year. Meanwhile, Heath said work was progressing well on the installation of new ground lightning at Austar Park. There is a lot of activity here at the moment and we remain hopeful that the lights will be up in time for the Hottest 7s in January, he said. Man of moment cant lift NSW NEWCASTLE: Phillip Hughes won the man-of-the-match award and earned a recall to the Test squad, he just could not pull off the hat-trick with a win for NSW against Victoria. Chasing 386 to win, Victoria held on for a draw in their Sheffield Shield match at Newcastle No. 1 Sports Ground thanks to opener Chris Rogers who made an unbeaten 94. The Bushrangers were 5-144 when the umpires called a halt to play at 5.40pm due to bad light with 21.4 overs remaining. The match was called off at 6.15pm. Hughes had a big day, even though he was out on his overnight score of seven in the first over of play yesterday. After his first-innings tally of 122 watched by Test selector Jamie Cox, Australia named the 21-year-old lefthander yesterday in a 13-man squad for the Melbourne Boxing Day Test. Hughes is set to play if captain Ricky Ponting fails a fitness test on his injured elbow. Hughes, with 388 Shield runs at 43.11 since his dumping from the national side during the Ashes series, said it was important to turn a good start into a big score. To go on with one and to get 122 in this game was exciting personally, he said. I found out just a few hours ago. I got the call and I was just pumped and I cant wait to get down there now. Hughes said the Newcastle ground was one hed never forget, for it was at the same venue 10 months ago that his 151 and 82 not out against Tasmania sealed his place in the Test squad for the South African tour, where he made his debut. WAs first win as SA collapses ADELAIDE: A stunning batting collapse from South Australia has handed Western Australia their first outright victory of the season in the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval. Chasing 351 for victory on the final day and cruising at 2-174, the Redbacks lost 8-72 after lunch with the last five wickets tumbling for nine runs. It was a collapse reminiscent of seasons past for the hosts, with the Warriors taking a comfortable 104 run victory. WA coach Tom Moody said his side always felt like they were always driving the game and the win was just rewards for the efforts of their bowling group. Weve played on five very good batting wickets out of six games now and our bowling group has toiled very hard, he said. So it was nice that they were able to get the reward here today. SA captain Graham Manou said the slow run rate early and the absence of a big century from one of the top order players told the tale for the Redbacks. Doosra tool of trade for Pakistan teenager ByPAULCARTER inHobart HAVING a doosra in your bag of tricks is just about essential for any off-spinner to survive in international cricket these days, Pakistan tweaker Saeed Ajmal says. Ajmal bowled it as if he invented it during the tour match against Tasmania, while Australian offspinners still wish they had a doosra to deliver. The three-day tour match at Bellerive Oval ended in a draw yesterday with Pakistan 4-141 in their second innings, a lead of 385. Tasmania was dismissed for 193 in reply to the tourists first innings 437. Ajmal took four wickets, including his three-finger doosra to claim the scalp of the best of the Tigers batsmen, George Bailey. Ajmal says his doosra a delivery that spins away from the batsman even though it is delivered with an offspinners action is modelled on the action of the balls pioneer, his countryman Saqlain Mushtaq. In these times Test scoring is very fast, he said. Ten years ago Tests were slow and easy all-day batting for about 210 runs. But these days its over 300 runs in a day. So if you have any variety (as a bowler) you can survive. If you do not have variety you cannot survive in international cricket. He said Shane Warne, the legend, had lots of variety. Ajmal says the Australian batsmen will struggle against the doosra in the upcoming Test series. Depends on the wicket, but the doosra is very difficult, he said. If they are turning, it should be difficult for Australia against me. Despite Ajmals skills, lauded by his victim Bailey, hell be lucky to play a Test in this series. His team has two better spinners. Ajmal was impressive but hes their third-string spinner, Bailey said. ELBOWED: Australian skipper Ricky Ponting faces a race against time to be fit for Melbourne Punters race against time MELBOURNE: Ricky Ponting is racing against time to be fit to lead Australia against Pakistan on Boxing Day. The national selectors underlined their doubt over the 35-year-old recovering from an elbow tendon injury quickly when they named NSW opener Phil Hughes in a 13-man squad. Ponting arrived in Melbourne from Perth ahead of the main Test party to continue treatment he has been receiving daily since he was struck on the arm by West Indian paceman Kemar Roach last week. The Australian captain joined his wife Brianna and year-old daughter Emmy before heading off for more work on the elbow. Ricky is having ongoing treatment, Australian team physio Alex Kountouris said. Well need to wait until he bats at training later in the week to determine his fitness for the Test match. The good news is fast bowler Peter Siddle has been declared fit and ready to go after missing the Perth Test due to a hamstring strain, although paceman Ben Hilfenhaus will miss out again. Hughes has been called in after scoring a timely Sheffield Shield century against Victoria in Newcastle at the weekend. The national selection panel has taken the opportunity of including Phillip in the squad given his exciting debut at international level against South Africa, his recent form in Shield cricket and our view that he will be an important player for Australia moving forward, chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said. Peter Siddle has recovered from injury and will play in the Ford Ranger Cup match on Wednesday (against NSW) to get some match time in preparation for the Boxing Day Test. Kountouris said hopes of Hilfenhaus being fit were dashed at the weekend. Ben bowled eight overs in club cricket on Saturday but after bowling again at training on Sunday he reported knee pain once again, Kountouris said. Australia squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Phillip Hughes, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Clint McKay, Marcus North, Peter Siddle, Shane Watson.