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An England cricket fan has been sentenced for scrawling racist graffiti on the seats at the Newlands ground in Cape Town.Matthew Weller, 33, from Wolverhampton, will either spent six months in jail, or pay £356 to compensate the Western Province Cricket Association, who maintain the ground. He had pleaded guilty to malicious damage to property. The magistrates’ court in Cape Town heard that he had used black felt-pen to scribble racist slogans and swastikas on 17 seats in the presidential pavilion at Newlands on Monday, the second day of the third Test between South Africa and England.The prosecutor, Catherine Putter, had told the court that the floodlights were turned on at the end of the day – costing the Newlands ground authorities £1000 – so that police could take photographs of the damage. A further £365 was spent on cleaning and staff costs relating to the graffiti.Putter said that the Newlands authorities had banned Weller from the rest of the Cape Town Test, and she had been instructed by them to seek a compensation order against him for the full £1365.At Weller’s first appearance earlier this week, JD Kotze, the presiding magistrate, had ordered that he make a public apology at Newlands while the Test was in progress, but this was rejected by the cricket authorities, as they felt it could “sour the game”.In a letter to them instead, Weller indicated his regret: “I am extremely sorry for any offence caused to the staff and patrons of the ground who may have witnessed the act, or those involved in the cleaning operation,” it read. “I wholly regret my actions, which were totally out of character and promise that I shall never again act in this manner.”Weller was an independent traveller, and not part of the Barmy Army.

Sports participation surveys can be worrying events for administrators of codes because of knee jerk reactions that can follow as new trends emerge to suggest a swing away from a particular sport.That was what was found in Australia when a Morgan Poll showed that soccer had supplanted cricket as the game of choice for a majority of Australians. The poll, published over the weekend, should that an estimated 1,218,000 Australians aged 14 or more, played soccer while 1,057,000 played cricket.Should Cricket Australia be worried about such a trend? Probably not. If cricket, in its lower levels, were a winter sport then there might be cause for concern. If soccer ever went the way of the Australian National Soccer League and played its games in summer then there might be even greater need for worry.But cricket is still the preferred game in summer. It is entrenched in the Australian psyche and will long remain that way. And as the Australian team continues to dominate the international game in Test and one-day cricket that is likely to remain the case.Before anyone overseas reads into the figures the prospect that Australians might be turning off cricket, they need to remember that more than most other countries in the world, and New Zealand and South Africa would be obvious exceptions, Australia is a sports-minded country.Its whole lifestyle is centred on sport. There are many options for settling the competitive urge for Australians and cricket is one of the foremost expressive outlets for the country. Soccer may have taken over in a significant way, but it also needs to be remembers that in most countries of the world, kicking the ball around in a soccer match is often the first sporting experience of many youngsters.It is often a stepping stone to other sporting endeavours and Australia is no exception to that.New Zealand, a rugby-mad nation where the game is the national game, has long seen its national sport out-flanked by other codes. Golf, according to the 2001 census, was the greatest participation sport for New Zealanders with 502,000 having played the game in the 12 months before the census. Tennis had 317,900, touch rugby, a summertime derivative of the national game had 260,900 participants and cricket was next with 224,100. Rugby only had 158,100.But therein also lies another factor. Taking part over the previous 12 months could mean someone having played only a round or two of golf. New Zealand Cricket has done its own census after the last summer and it showed 103,000 people played competitive cricket.Now if there was a knee jerk reaction to the Government census figures, cricket administrators would be tearing their hair out. In actual fact, the difference is that the Government census could relate to someone playing cricket at the beach, on the back lawn or out in the street.What was significant for New Zealand Cricket was that its own census showed 9000 more people were playing the game competitively than had been the previous summer. That is significant in its own way.It is easy to react to participation figures, but it is when the psyche of a nation changes, to the point where Australians don’t care whether their cricket team is winning or losing that you have a catastrophe on your hands.Evidence would suggest that is far from the case for Australians at the moment. And New Zealanders would add that while golf may be top of the participation stakes for a Government census, the fact of the matter is that it is not golf that fills the airwaves from talkback stations. Rugby is still king.

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Suspended Australian legspinner Shane Warne has his problems at the moment, but telling the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to mind its own business is a bit like Saddam Hussein telling the United States to buzz off. It doesn’t quite work that way.And while WADA doesn’t yet have the total legitimacy that would allow it to be the regulated policeman of drug cheating in world sport, it is still the leading, and increasingly powerful, arbiter in these matters. To tell them to mind their own business is missing the point completely.Cricket, not so long ago, found itself dragged into the 21st century by a gambling scandal, something it had never catered for in its laws. The curse of drug abuse has been part and parcel of sport for some time, and groups like WADA have been introduced because of the abuse by sportsmen looking to gain the advantage over their opposition by unnatural means – in other words, by cheating.It behoves cricket to show that it has nothing to hide and to chase after drug cheats as zealously as it now tries to prevent match-fixing taking place. The sooner WADA’s anti-doping regime is in place, the better for cricket.

Dipak Patel, the Central Districts cricket coach, wants the national selectors to keep a close eye on his star batsman, the 22-year-old David Kelly whose 99 not out kept Central Districts afloat during the second day of the State Championship match against Auckland on the Eden Park Outer Oval today.Kelly has already built a very useful run-scoring record for Central Districts in four-day and one-day matches, including a 570-minute unbeaten double century throughout the first CD innings against Canterbury at Blenheim last season.”David has shown he can score runs,” said Patel, the former New Zealand all-rounder. “He has also shown, especially today, that he can defend and concentrate very effectively. He has all the shots, but he is the only one of our batsmen who has really stood up and performed well under difficult conditions against Auckland.”Patel said he was not looking at Kelly as an immediate candidate for the troublesome opening position in the New Zealand team.”He might not be at that stage, yet,” said Patel, “but he is getting closer. “I think David would be an excellent prospect, say, opening the batting for New Zealand A, and gaining valuable experience.”I hope the national selectors are keeping an eye on him, he has so much determination to succeed.”Patel had his wish granted yesterday for Ross Dykes, one of the national selectors, has watched the first two days of the Eden Park match. However, neither he nor Kelly were available for comment last night.Kelly, born in Dunedin but now living in Hawke’s Bay, has fashioned solid batting figures in his short career. Before this season he has scored 1122 first-class runs, with a single and double century, average a respectable 35.06. He scored 617 runs, average 38.56 in Shell Trophy matches last summer.He also has a one-day century in the 710 runs, average 25.35, he has scored in 29 Shell Cup matches.There were many strange statistics in Kelly’s staunch stand which cut back the domination Auckland had gained in the first four sessions of the match. One was his 99 has already taken him 284 minutes, longer than the first innings from Central Districts (231 minutes) and Auckland (257 minutes). In his 99 were 16 fours – and the other 14 CD innings in the game so far have reached a total of 11.

Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers is attracting interest from a number of English sides, according to SBI Soccer’s Larry Henry Jr.

The Lowdown: Option to buy

The Hoops brought in the 24-year-old on a season-long loan from Tottenham late in the summer transfer window and have the option to make a move permanent in the summer.

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Should it materialise, a full-time transfer will cost Celtic an initial fee of £6m, with the American becoming a regular under Ange Postecoglou.

He was recently described as a ‘big player’ by Callum McGregor, but it appears as if the Hoops may have serious competition for his services.

The Latest: Four clubs keen on Carter-Vickers

Henry Jr, who provided numerous updates on the defender over the summer, shared a story on SBI Soccer following contact with ‘a source close to the player’.

He revealed that Leicester City and Wolves headline the newest quartet of English clubs showing an interest in the 24-year-old, along with Watford and Bournemouth.

The Verdict: Carter-Vickers’ choice

Even though Celtic have the option to make a move permanent, ultimately Carter-Vickers will be the one to decide his next move.

Hopefully he will be open to signing terms in Glasgow and won’t be tempted by a Premier League switch, especially as he has missed just one Premiership encounter since joining the Hoops.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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No Celtic player has made more clearances per game or has been dribbled past on fewer occasions than the American centre-back, as per WhoScored, so a permanent deal could make sense for all involved.

In other news: ‘Great to see’ – Journalist buzzing as injured Celtic gem spotted back in action after ‘long spell out’

The players have benefited from a move away from the old safety-first approach of former coach Kevin Curran © Getty Images

Without taking anything away from Zimbabwe’s first ODI win over West Indies, the next four matches will show if this was a flash in the pan or the start of something more substantial.Since taking over from Kevin Curran as Zimbabwe coach, Robin Brown has been singing the one tune: the need to reverse an inherited negative approach towards the game by his players which was a hallmark of the Curran regime. “The days of playing to compete are over,” he is reported to have told local reporters at a press meeting on the eve of the first ODI.Curran sent his players out to do no more than bat out the overs, with the result that rarely did they ever give themselves a chance to win matches. It was safety first and that negativity spread to the players. “My contract doesn’t say that I have to win matches, it says as long as I am competitive, then my employers are happy,” he boasted. In the end, even swatches of non cricketers within the ZC board realised that was not a viable approach.Brown oozes self-assurance in the midst of adversity. His confidence lies in his own ability as a cricket instructor of note, and his power to uplift and overhaul the whole attitude of a bunch of young players, who he has bluntly told to pull up their socks.The results have been apparent from as early as his first assignment when Zimbabwe stunned Australia at the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa. For once the Zimbabwe Cricket board deserves a pat on the back for a cricket decision which seems to be bearing early fruits.The players too are buying into Brown’s regime. Commenting on his outstanding all-round performance which earned him the Man-of-the-Match award, Chamu Chibhabha paid tribute to the coach, saying that he “allows us to play our natural game.” That could never have been said under Curran.Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya, who seems to be growing in confidence under Brown, admitted that his side can no longer use inexperience as an excuse for poor cricket and self-inflicted defeats.It is certainly an approach which can be taken forward. But will it be? Only time will tell and much will be clearer by the end of the week. Zimbabwe have the remaining four matches to prove that their first ODI win was no fluke, and that they can genuinely claim to be a bona fide member of the international cricket family.They need to take forward the positives from the first match, like the resurgence of Chibhabha and Elton Chigumbura as versatile players with the ability to deliver in all departments. This development has meant sure that the seam bowlers on the sidelines are kept on their toes as the team begin to rely more and more on players with all-round abilities.Zimbabwe cricket has a tendency of burning down its own house in order to build again. One hopes that they have learned and will leave cricket to cricket people and allow Brown to get on with the job in hand.

Scorecard

ten Doeschate was severe on anything short, crashing 14 fours and two sixes © ICC

A fine 138 from Ryan ten Doeschate led Netherlands to a solid 235 for 3 against Bermuda on the opening day of their ICC Intercontinental Cup match at Pretoria.Netherlands, who fielded a strong side, must beat Bermuda if they are to replace Canada at the top of Group B, the winner of which progresses to the final. Fortunately for them, they are facing a weakened Bermuda side whose confidence is on the wane following a poor tour of Kenya.However, Bermuda appeared – initially at least – to have put their indifferent form behind them. After Netherlands had won the toss they lost Bas Zuiderent in the second over, bowled by Saleem Mukuddem. But ten Doeschate joined Tom de Grooth to put on a huge second-wicket stand of 189, with ten Doeschate in particularly aggressive mood. It was he who reached his fifty first, from 95 balls including seven crashing fours and a six.Netherlands were looking settled before Mukuddem took his second wicket, removing de Grooth for 61 to end the day’s only significant partnership. And though ten Doeschate fell shortly before the close, he had registered a fine hundred – his fourth in first-class cricket, and a vital one for the Netherlands, who ended the day in a strong position.

Marlon Samuels has not allowed repeated injuries to mar his career © Getty Images

Marlon Samuels believes his growing maturity and hard work while recovering from serious knee problems have paid off in the lead-up to the first Test against Australia. Samuels had a stunning warm-up for the three-match series when he scored 257 against Queensland at the weekend before following it up with 5 for 87.The impressive double will ensure greater responsibility as the young West Indian outfit test themselves against the world champions. “I wasn’t really surprised,” Samuels said of his efforts in the tour game. “I’ve been doing hard work and we all know hard work pays off in the end. I’ve worked on being more mature and patience is the most important thing for me at the moment.”Samuels said his greater emphasis on fitness had already shown strong results and he was in top condition. “I think it played a major part in my batting [against Queensland],” he said. “But with most of my centuries I like to go on and get a big one.”Knee problems have hampered Samuels’ Test career, which began in Australia five years ago, and the last instance of surgery occurred when he was forced to leave the South Africa tour in 2003-04. “I started out well, but if you know my story injury has played a major part in my career,” he said. “I’ve been working very hard on my knee so I can play as much as possible.”West Indies have picked a large pace contingent and Samuels expects to chip in with his part-time spin to break up the fast men’s load. “I’ve learned to vary my pace as much as possible,” he said. “I think they will get me to bowl longs spells and I’m up for it. I’m up for anything.”Samuels said the squad was close-knit and there was no lingering discontent over the team sponsorship issues that resulted in a massively under-strength side playing the Test series against Sri Lanka. He also dismissed the concerns of Michael Holding, who questioned the team’s attitude on tour.”We are spending more time together and we are working very hard as one unit,” he said. “We have a bunch of guys who are very positive and will go up against any team.”

Irfan Pathan bowled with plenty of skill and ended up with his best bowling figures in Tests© Getty Images

After an unusual beginning – the Test being delayed by a couple of hours by dew, and Sourav Ganguly winning the toss – the first day followed the expected script. Bangladesh folded within two sessions, a familiar late-order resistance following a familiar early collapse; a record was claimed; a personal best was achieved; and an early finish loomed.Anil Kumble will claim the headlines in tomorrow’s papers, but the day belonged to two young men. Irfan Pathan made Sourav Ganguly’s decision to bowl first – a 50-50 one considering India’s batting strength – pay off, and Mohammad Ashraful displayed composure and a straight bat to show his team-mates that despite the early moisture and skilful bowling by the Indian pace bowlers, batting wasn’t as hazardous as most of the top order made it appear.Batting has been the bigger worry for Bangladesh in Test cricket, and their performance today made it apparent why. Five of their batsmen fell to leg-before decisions, four of them to one bowler in almost identical fashion, planting the front foot forward and groping around with the bat. Javed Omar, the first to fall, refused to learn from a mistake committed only four balls earlier, by offering no shot for the second time to Irfan Pathan, who was swinging the ball only one way – back in to the right-handers.Ashraful, who scored a century on his debut and shared the Man-of-the-Match award with Muttiah Muralitharan, has tended to be a hot-and-cold player, mixing occasional brilliance with baffling mediocrity. But today he gave full demonstration of his talent, playing in a calm, unhurried way as all else collapsed around him. Till Mohammad Rafique came to join him and scored freely with some characteristic lusty hits, Ashraful seemed to be batting on a different plane from his team-mates. He countered the swing by playing late and decisively. His first four, an off-drive against Zaheer Khan, was executed to perfection: head straight and over the ball, bat coming down straight and meeting the ball on the up but in the middle. Later, he stayed back to guide Kumble delicately off his stumps to third man for another four. But as has so often been the case with Bangladesh, he was their lone success in the top order.Pathan is the same age as Ashraful. He has the face of a chocolate-box hero, but the mind of a cool assassin. He plays his cricket with the passion of a youth, but the nous of a seasoned pro. His Test figures are misleading, because he has bowled better than the numbers suggest. He will bowl better than he did today for poorer returns because, barring Ashraful, the Bangladesh batsmen played him like novices, but he will relish this day because the first five-for, like the first hundred, is always special. It marks the breaking of a barrier.Pathan is a rare talent, because he is the purveyor of a dying art. Pace bowlers these days are taught to pitch the ball on a length rather than try to swing it. Swing bowling takes skill and courage, for it demands the bowler to pitch the ball up and risk punishment. Pathan was fortunate to have got his break early, because toiling on barren domestic pitches could have sapped his spirit and changed his aspirations. He was fortunate also to have encountered Wasim Akram on his maiden international tour. Akram shared his knowledge willingly and generously, and Pathan fed on him like a hungry child. Every time Pathan claimed a wicket with his swing today, there was a gleam in Akram’s voice in the commentary box. Left-arm swing bowling is alive and well.

Muttiah Muralitharan has admitted that he feared an abrupt end to his cricket career after being called for chucking by Darrell Hair in 1995-96. In an exclusive interview published in the August issue of Wisden Asia Cricket, Murali gave a detailed account of the controversy, and how the Sri Lankan board, Arjuna Ranatunga and the rest of the team helped him overcome the crisis.

Muttiah Muralitharan: ‘I thought it might be the end of my career’

“I was shocked,” Murali said, remembering the occasion when he was first no-balled by Hair. “I had never considered the possibility of my action being illegal. I first thought they [the Australians] were scared of me, and that it was just one umpire. But when Emerson and the other guy called me again, I wondered if there might be a problem.”Deep down I believed everything was all right because throwing and bowling are completely different: one requires the shoulder and the other the elbow. You can feel the difference. But there were times when I thought that it might be the end of my career. I thought: `I can’t change my action … this is how I have bowled from the start.’ I even considered taking up legspin as I can bowl that pretty well.”Murali survived that tour, but it wasn’t the end of his ordeal. When Sri Lanka toured Australia next – in 1998-99 – he was called for chucking again, despite having been cleared by the University of Western Australia. Having experienced the situation once, Murali was much better prepared the second time around.”We expected that,” said Murali, recounting the incident. “Leading up to the match we knew it was going to happen. In 1995-96, it had been a shock – Hair had even umpired me before that Boxing Day Test and not called me or indicated any problem. So in the next tour it was not a problem for me. Yes, we were disappointed, and Arjuna was very upset, but it was not so much of a problem for me.”Murali also spoke about how Ranatunga, the captain on both those tours, supported him throughout the controversy. “The cricket board, Arjuna, Aravinda (de Silva) and the team all gave me their full backing and that reduced my fears. He [Ranatunga] really pushed the cricket board, and maybe he did save my career.”Despite his altercations with Hair, Murali said that he shared a cordial relationship with Hair. “We said hello in the matches where he has officiated since. There is no problem. People make mistakes and that episode is now gone for me. I want to look forward.”

Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken buried their Ashes disappointments with outstanding comebacks as NSW thrashed South Australia by 290 at the Sydney Cricket Ground here today.Lee, returning to first-class cricket after a rib injury in the fifth Ashes Test, gathered momentum over by over to show he was ready to play his 13th Test when Australia meets New Zealand at the Gabba on November 8.Lee took 5-56 as South Australia, chasing 483, was bowled out for 192 just after tea on the third day of the Pura Cup match.The blond speedster, who took only nine wickets at an average of 55.11 in England, grew in confidence and by the end of the day had the throttle fully open in an encouraging display in front of national selector Allan Border.”I’m certainly ready,” Lee said.”I was always going to take it a little bit easier in the first dig and I was a down on pace there.”But I felt very comfortable out there and the pace was soon back and the rhythm felt fantastic – so no problems there.”There’s certainly no strains, the body felt fantastic.”Lee said he had no trouble bowling a spell of seven overs in the middle session.”I could have charged in all day but I had to give the other guys a go and it was great that Bracks could back us up.”After Lee whipped the head off the Redbacks batting, Bracken crushed the tail with 4-10 in 6.2 overs.He was returning from an even longer injury layoff after he was forced home from England with a shoulder injury in June.An impressive performer in one-day matches, Bracken could be close to Test selection with his leftarm pace offering a welcome variation to the right arm pace of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Lee.An early finish was always on the cards when 20 wickets fell on the first day of the match, Gillespie taking career-best figures of 8-50 as the ball seamed and swung on a moist, green pitch.But NSW, led by young opener Greg Mail, secured the upper hand when it piled on 399 runs on the second day before its second innings ended this morning at436.Man-of-the-match Mail carried his bat to be unbeaten on 150 and the 23-year-old looks a bright prospect in an era when talented young players appear thin on theground.Blues captain Shane Lee was impressed with Mail, who more than doubled the next best score in the match with his 405-minute knock.Mail formed big partnerships with a series of players – Michael Slater, Mark Waugh, Mark Higgs, Stuart MacGill and even McGrath, who made his highest score in Australia with 26.”Greg Mail played an unbelievable innings,” Lee said.”He plays the way he knows how, letting the other guys around him play their strokes – he’s the basis of any big scores we make.”Having set SA 483 to win, the Blues were always in the box seat and Lee accelerated the win when he took three quick wickets, including those of key batsmen Greg Blewett and Darren Lehmann in the space of two balls.Darren Dempsey, facing his second hat-trick in as many weeks, survived, but Lee went on to pick up two more scalps in the middle session for his eighth five-wicket bag in first-class cricket.The Blues took six points from the match to move into second place on the table behind Queensland.