New Zealand fans were offered a letter of consent from Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum to get them off work.
Australia took firm control of the day-night third Test on Saturday when they reduced South Africa to 194 for six at the close on day three, only 70 runs ahead of their hosts.
The age-old practice of shining the cricket ball has become a "grey area" and the game's governing body must provide clarity to end the prevailing confusion, England captain Alastair Cook said on Friday.
In February next year, Australia are scheduled to travel to India for a four-Test series and former captain Adam Gilchrist said going by their recent outing the Aussies need to work hard on identifying big moments where they lack consistency. The once formidable Australian team, has recently lost fourth Test on the trot after being overwhelmed by South Africa at home. And Gilchrist feels more often than not the Aussies are letting their opponents bounce back into a game.
Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting on Wednesday said that the 2001 Test series in India, which was won by the hosts, was one of the most remarkable series that he has ever played in. The 41-year-old right handed batsman walked down the memory lane and talked about the historic 2001 India-Australia series, saying: "2001 series was probably the most remarkable Test series I have played in.
Take a look at the statistical highlights of the fourth ODI in Kolkata on Thursday.
Former golden girl Eugenie Bouchard's hopes of rehabilitation at the Australian Open came to a swift end on Wednesday as wily Agnieszka Radwanska sent the Canadian spinning out of the tournament with a 6-4, 6-2 defeat in the second round.
Having spent much of the home summer suffering 'pad rash' from waiting to bat, Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has put the pent-up energy to good use when thrown the ball.
A guitar-strumming rocker when not keeping wickets, Australia's Peter Nevill will hope to hit the right note when he makes his surprise Test debut against England in the second Ashes match on Thursday.
Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has been ruled out of the Test series against West Indies and is no certainty to play in Australia's tour of New Zealand early next year as he recovers from a broken foot, the left-armer said on Monday.
Pakistan's Azhar Ali and Younus Khan forged a 120-run partnership to stall a rampant Australia on day two of the third and final Test in Sydney on Wednesday after a Peter Handscomb century had helped drive the hosts to 538 for eight declared.
India will usher in 2016 with a three-week tour of Australia, comprising five ODIs and three T20 Internationals, starting January 12.
Former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro stepped up his comeback from another wrist surgery by toppling top seed Fabio Fognini at the Sydney International on Wednesday.
Defending champions India will get an early feel of the Australian conditions ahead of next year's 50-overs World Cup after agreeing to play a Test series against the hosts and a triangular one-day series, also featuring England, between December 4 and February 1.
Rajneesh Gupta presents the numbers from the Oval Test.
The modern day cricket has 'tilted too far in the batsman's favour' according to the Marylebone Cricket Club's World Cricket Committee and its no surprise that they have come down hard on limiting the sizes and edges of cricket bats.
Australia will start as favourites to reclaim the Ashes over the next seven weeks if only because of their home advantage but picking the winners in cricket's oldest Test rivalry has become a fool's game in recent years
South Africa routed Australia for 85 and then weathered a batting crisis of their own before pushing to a lead of 86 runs after a bowler-dominated opening day of the second Test in Hobart on Saturday.
Kagiso Rabada claimed five wickets as South Africa crushed Australia by a huge margin of 177 runs, to win the first Test against Australia, on Day 5 in Perth, on Monday.
'A lot of our recent success has been based on the value of our number six batsman bowling some overs and we're comfortable continuing in that vein'
Voges wastes no time in joining Australian greats
Australia captain Michael Clarke is pleased with whatever batting opportunity he and his teammates had against Scotland on Saturday and said every member of the squad was 'switched on' for the knockout stage of the World Cup.
Australia finished second in Pool A after Mitchell Starc bowled the World Cup co-hosts to a seven-wicket victory against Scotland in a match that lasted just 41 overs at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart, on Saturday.
Admitting that T20 is a game where bowlers often find themselves at the receiving end, Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera feels that its good to have a few variations in order to surprise the batsmen.
Scans reveal early stage stress fracture in Starc's right foot after he was forced from field for treatment
India's reluctance to accept the Decision Review System in its current form has cost them what would have been a crucial, match-changing wicket in their loss to Australia at the WACA Ground on Tuesday. The home side were in trouble at 2-21 in the fifth over chasing 310 for victory when debutant quick Barinder Sran and India's fielders appealed for a leg-side catch from George Bailey's first ball. A muted appeal from captain and wicketkeeper MS Dhoni may have contributed to the not out decision from umpire Richard Kettleborough, but replays showed a clear deflection from Bailey's glove.
In a three part series, Rajneesh Gupta highlights all the important numbers from Cricket World Cup held between 1975 to 2015.
At the close, after 75 overs were squeezed in around two lengthy rain interruptions, the West Indies were 207 for six with Denesh Ramdin on 23 and Carlos Brathwaite not out 35 after winning the toss.
While the Carribs have been panned even by coach Phil Simmons for 'poor body language', former West Indies captain Richie Richardson reckons that the Windies Cricket Board needs to be united in order to improve the scenario.
West Indies were bowled out for 271 in their first innings after Australia pacer James Pattison ended Darren Bravo's stubborn resistance at tea on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday.
Be ready to be amazed as Rediff.com encapsulates all the sporting action from the past week in this super photo feature.
Usman Khawaja hit Australia's first century of the series and Peter Handscomb scored a half-century on debut as the hosts reached 307 for six with a lead of 48 at end of the second day of the day-night third Test against South Africa in Adelaide.
Top class left-armers are in short supply and chief selector Rod Marsh joked that he had mulled telephoning Johnson to see whether he might like to come out of retirement.
The Africans have won just one of their four games and are sixth in Pool B, but victory against William Porterfield's side will put them back in the hunt for a quarter-final place.
Kings XI Punjab may have shown their mettle, winning two games so far in the Oppo Champions League T20, but the team coach Sanjay Bangar said that there is still a scope for improvement.
Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada and wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock have achieved career-high positions in the latest ICC Test Player Rankings after firing South Africa to an emphatic 177-run victory over Australia in the opening Test of the three-match series in Perth on Monday.
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between Australia and South Africa in Perth on Saturday.
Unbeaten in seven Test series since 2013, New Zealand are widely viewed to have their best chance in a good while to secure a second series victory on Australian soil to go with the Richard Hadlee-inspired 1985 triumph.
'I did not go for the Oscars because I was not invited. I felt bad but I watched the show on television. I had never watched the Oscars before this, it was my first time.' Lion actor Abhishek Bharate looks back at the film.
Only 5 batsmen have hit a six to take their team to victory when they needed 4 or more off the final ball.
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