|
|
|
| April 18, 2006 | Tuesday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 19, 1427 |
Seasonal rain disrupts play in final Test
CHITTAGONG (Bangladesh), April 17: Seasonal rain forced play to be abandoned on the second day of the second and final cricket Test between Bangladesh and Australia on Monday.
Australia had reached 151 for two wickets after resuming their first innings when a rainstorm forced umpires to stop play and call for an early lunch break.
After lunch, match referee Jeff Crowe decided to stop proceedings for the day -- with nearly four and a half hours of play left -- when a couple of pitch inspections revealed a soggy outfield and poor light under overcast skies.
“The pitch is dry, but the outfield is very wet,” umpire Aleem Dar said. “We are also not happy with the lights.”
Play will start 30 minutes early over the three remaining days to make up for the time lost, he added.
Phil Jaques hit his maiden Test half century on Monday as Australia cruised to 151 for two, when play was stopped with about 30 minutes to go until lunch.
At the lunch break, night-watchman Jason Gillespie was batting on 28, with captain Ricky Ponting on 19.
The visitors were still trailing by 46 runs after Bangladesh were all out for a paltry 197 in their first innings on the opening day on Sunday.
Resuming on 76-1, Australia frustrated the home side before overnight batsman Jaques (66) was dismissed by Mohammad Rafique, the only wicket to fall in the first session.
Jaques was caught by Shahriar Nafees after he struck 66 off 98 balls, including eight boundaries. He was Rafique's second victim of the match.
On Sunday, Rafique dismissed Australian opener Matthew Hayden (29) when substitute fielder Alok Kapali took a catch in the day's final session.
Australia lead the two-match series 1-0 after winning the first match by three wickets.
Meanwhile, Ponting has been fined 25 percent of his match fee for dissent against an umpiring decision.
Ponting was punished for his reaction on Sunday to a television umpire ruling giving Bangladesh batsman Aftab Ahmed not out after a Shane Warne delivery appeared to bounce off his boot to be caught by the wicket-keeper. He appealed to the on-field umpires who reversed the third umpire's decision.
But Bangladesh team officials complained, prompting ICC match referee Jeff Crowe to hold a hearing on Monday at which he found Ponting showed “dissent at an umpire's decision by action or verbal abuse” in breach of ICC rules, the council said in a statement.
“He did not ask for the third umpire to be consulted, but when he made that move and spoke to the officials I believe his involvement played a part in prompting the referral,” Crowe said.
“Although I have sympathy for Ricky, I cannot accept his move toward the on-field umpires as they made a move toward resuming play,” Crowe said of his ruling.
“That is a breach of the ICC's Test match playing conditions, which state that players may not appeal to the umpire to use the replay system.”
The offense carries a penalty ranging from an official reprimand to a maximum fine of 50 percent of match fees.
There can be appeals as the match referee's decision is final and binding.
Scoreboard
BANGLADESH (1st Innings) 197 (Rajin Saleh 71).
AUSTRALIA (1st Innings, overnight 76-1):
M.L. Hayden c sub b Rafique 29
P.A. Jaques c Nafees b Rafique 66
J.N. Gillespie not out 28
R.T. Ponting not out 19
EXTRAS (LB-6, W-3) 9
TOTAL (for two wkts, 46.4 overs) 151
FALL OF WKTS: 1-67, 2-120.
TO BAT: M. E.K. Hussey, M.J. Clarke, A.C. Gilchrist, S.K. Warne, B. Lee, D.J. Cullen, S.C.G. MacGill.
BOWLING (to-date): Mashrafe Mortaza 9-1-30-0 (1w); Shahadat Hossain 12-2-48-0 (2w); Mohammad Rafique 13-4-30-2; Abdur Razzak 12.4-3-37-0.—Agencies
|
|
|
|
