A maiden five-wicket haul by Doug Bollinger and a century from captain Michael Clarke powered Australia to an eight-wicket win over Pakistan Friday and an unassailable 3-1 lead in the one-day series. Paceman Bollinger, in his second ODI, took five for 35 as Pakistan were bowled out for 197 in 48.4 overs after electing to bat first in the fourth game.
The visitors were 102 for 4 at stumps, after India posted a formidable first innings score of 469, on Day 2 of the second Test.
Michael Clarke produced a brilliant all-round performance as Australia staged a dramatic recovery to beat Pakistan by 27 runs and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The captain smashed a solid 66 and then bowling for the first time in the series, snared three wickets to seal victory in the 48th over.
Australia has a lot of great cricketers and it is time to replace under-fire batting coach Graeme Hick with one of them, said spin legend Shane Warne.
Herschelle Gibbs hit a sparkling century and Dale Steyn took four wickets to lift South Africa to a series-clinching 61-run win over Australia in the fourth one-dayer on Monday.
Captain Ricky Ponting (5) continued to come a cropper in India as Australia floundered against Rajasthan Cricket Association's Centre of Excellence team in a two-day practice match, folding up for 218 on the first day.
Former captain Sunil Gavaskar says the Indian team has an advantage in the upcoming five-match ODI series against Australia as the home team's bowling attack looks thin in the absence of the 'Two Mitchells' -- Johnson and Starc.
A proposal to abolish the pre-match toss deciding which team bats first will be discussed at a meeting of the England and Wales Cricket Board on Thursday.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat in the Twenty20 international against Australia.
Michael Clarke will captain Australia in the one-day cricket series against Bangladesh while Ricky Ponting continues his recovery from wrist surgery. Cricket Australia announced a 14-man squad for the series on Friday, naming Mike Hussey as Clarke's deputy for the matches to be played in Darwin on Aug.30, Sep.3 and 6.
Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson has admitted that he considered calling it quits after four of his closest teammates retired from the Test arena following the team's failure to retain the Ashes series against England.
Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke has been cleared to take the field in the first one-day international against South Africa at the MCG, in Melbourne on Friday.
Australia captain Michael Clarke has not recovered from his back injury and will miss the side's second Champions Trophy group match against New Zealand, Cricket Australia said on Tuesday.
Michael Clarke scored a defiant unbeaten 73 to save Australia the blushes as he steered his team to 267 for six on a keenly contested opening day of the third and final Test against South Africa in Sydney on Saturday.
Australian captain Michael Clarke has said his side still has room for improvement after their utterly dominant 405-run win in the second Ashes Test against England at Lord's.
However, Clarke said it was the negative mindset that pegged Australia back.
Michael Clarke scored a century and then bagged two top-order wickets as Australia ended the second day of the second Test against the West Indies on Saturday with a 354-run first innings lead. Clarke's classy innings guided Australia to a commanding 479 for seven declared and he then halted a spirited reply from hosts by claiming the wickets of Xavier Marshall (53) and Runako Morton (2) as West Indies ended the day on 125 for three.
Australia fought back in their second innings after losing its top order cheaply to end Day 3 in the first Test against South Africa on 228 for 7, an overall lead of 322, at the WACCA, on Friday.
Factbox World Cup match between Australia and England at the MCG.
Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey scored half-centuries to put Australia in a strong position in the second Test in Adelaide on Saturday. At close on Day 2, Australia, replying to New Zealand's 270, were 241 for 3, with Hussey unbeaten on 69 and Michael Clarke on 43.
Harbhajan Singh said it was a barrage of vulgar personal remarks from the Australian fielders that provoked him to a verbal duel.
Michael Clarke's prospects of succeeding Ricky Ponting as Australia's next skipper were lifted when he was named as vice-captain.
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke said his body felt 15 years younger after a spell away from cricket as he prepared for a comeback at the Hong Kong T20 Blitz. Injury-plagued Clarke said nine months without cricket and its rigorous travel, as well as a revamped diet and training regime, had given him a new lease of life as he contemplates joining the lucrative Twenty20 bandwagon. The 35-year-old batsman played his last Twenty20 international in 2010 but he will test the waters for a stint in Australia's Big Bash League at the four-team Hong Kong event this weekend. Clarke, troubled by chronic back problems, retired after last year's Ashes series but less than a year later, he will make an experimental hit-out for Kowloon Cantons. "I'm going to play these couple of games and see how I go, see if I enjoy it and then assess after that," he said. "Right now it's about coming here and having some fun. If I enjoy it, I'll assess when I get home what my exact plan will be." He added: "My body's going really well. My body hasn't felt this good in 15 years. Let's hope I'm saying that on Sunday night after four games of cricket!"
Ricky Ponting led from the front with a brilliant century to help Australia reach 254 for four at close on the opening day of the first Test against India.
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 will continue to experiment with their batting line-up against Scotland on Saturday as they attempt to give players some time in the middle before the knockout phase, captain Michael Clarke said.
Michael Clarke does not wear his heart on sleeve and admit it was painful for him to dump Andrew 'gone-fishing' Symonds. But what the Australian vice captain does not hide is how much he yearns for the return of the feisty all-rounder he counts among his chums.
Virender Sehwag, who has recently called time on his glorious international cricket career, says the sadness of being 'deprived of a farewell game shall always remain' in his mind.
Interesting numbers from day two of Ranchi Test
Images from the World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand, at the MCG.
Apart from his duties at the top of the batting order, Michael Clarke is getting ready to do his bit with the ball as well when Australia tours India next month.
Michael Clarke feels his fittest in five years for the World Cup clash against New Zealand.
The Australians posted 253 for 6 from 50 overs and then dismissed the Sri Lankans out for 125 in the first meeting between the sides since last year's World Cup final in Barbados.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been ruled out of Friday's Twenty20 clash against India with a back injury.
India were 45 for one at stumps in their second innings, a lead of eight runs after trailing Australia by 37 on the first innings.
Australian batsman Michael Clarke on Sunday said he spoke to Anil Kumble and sorted out the contentious issues raised by the Indian skipper after the acrimonious Sydney Test.
In a combative, straight from the shoulder signed column published in the Times, London, India captain Anil Kumble puts the onus for the ongoing controversy squarely on Australia.
Suresh Raina figures among the 10 players, who will "define" cricket in the next decade.
India made one change with paceman Zaheer Khan ruled out because of an injured heel and was replaced by Ishant Sharma.
Pitch conditions and the ability of Australia's pace trio to exploit reverse swing should make India's job of scoring another 493 runs to win the first Test a tough one, batsman Michael Clarke said on Friday
