Arnold banned for one match

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Outburst ... Arnold has paid the price for some out-of-character comments. Source:News Limited

Central Coast coach Graham Arnold has been handed a one-match touchline ban for comments directed at match officials in the A-League draw with Melbourne Victory.

The penalty means Arnold will have to watch on from the stands when his side hosts local rivals Newcastle Jets on Saturday night.

Arnold was ordered away from the field midway through Saturday's 1-1 draw in Launceston after saying something which caused offence to the fourth official, linesman and referee Jarred Gillett.

Arnold later apologised for the outburst, admitting he was frustrated at watching his side being totally outplayed by the Victory in the first half.

The ban means Arnold cannot have any contact with his team from two hours before the game until an hour after it finishes.

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Rough day for Aussies at Open

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Long day ... Ebden was one of a number of Aussies to crumble on day one. Source:News Limited

The local support cast found any number of ways to fluff their lines as leading lady Samantha Stosur made a welcome winning start to the Australian Open on Monday.

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The local support cast found any number of ways to fluff their lines as leading lady Samantha Stosur made a welcome winning start to the Australian Open on Monday.

The ninth-seeded Stosur survived an opening-set scare before downing Taiwan's Kai-Chen Chang 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

It was Stosur's maiden victory of 2013 after first-up losses in Brisbane and Sydney.

But for the lesser lights of the Australian tennis scene, day one was pretty much all doom and gloom - although Matthew Ebden was determined to look on the bright side despite letting slip a two-set lead for the second straight year at Melbourne Park.

The South African-born Ebden looked on course for an upset victory over No.23 seed Mikhail Youzhny when he raced through the second-set tiebreak.

But the Russian veteran refused to yield, fighting off a match point in the 10th game of the fourth set before going on to win 4-6 6-7 (0-7) 6-2 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.

"I've had a lot of improvements out there," said Ebden.

"My return of service, my backhand, all that has improved a lot.

"It obviously got me to match point. Big deal.

"That's how tennis goes some days - he won the point and I didn't.

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"... he hit some great shots and he's a quality player who's been to the semis of slams.

"I gave the best I could and it was a tiny bit short."

Ebden - who has never won a five-set match - also crashed out in the second round of last year's Open to Japan's Kei Nishikori after winning the first two sets.

Teen star Ashleigh Barty said she was "destroyed" and countrywoman Olivia Rogowska felt "heartbroken" after they lost contrasting three-setters.

Barty started brightly against women's No.15 seed Dominika Cibulkova.

But after dropping the first set, the Slovakian lifted to reel off 12 of the next 13 games and win 3-6 6-0 6-1.

"That was nerves," said Barty.

"She was able to pounce on me pretty quickly. That's why she's ranked 15 in the world.

"Once she got the momentum I wasn't able to stop her."

Rogowska got into a winning position before bowing out 5-7 7-5 8-6 to Serbian qualifier Vesna Dolonc.

Rogowska led 3-0 and 4-1 in the deciding set but couldn't close the deal.

Red-hot Agnieszka Radwanska started slowly before over-running West Australian Bojana Bobusic.

The No.4 seed from Poland won the last nine games on the trot in her 7-5 6-0 victory.

Radwanska has been the form player in women's tennis in the opening month of 2013, winning back-to-back tournaments in Auckland and Sydney.

Casey Dellacqua failed to convert two set points in the 12th game and then fell apart in the tiebreaker of a 6-4 7-6 (7-0) loss to American slugger Madison Keys.

Kiwi-turned-Australian Sacha Jones lost 6-3 6-2 to Kristyna Pliskova from the Czech Republic.

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Opening is my preferred spot: Watto

I'm only a lightweight ... Shane Watson says he can't compete in the Weet-Bix stakes. Source: Eranga Jayawardena / AP

Shane Watson has revealed everything from his preferred batting position to how many Weet-Bix he does of a morning in an exclusive live chat with foxsports.com.au users.

Australia vice-captain Shane Watson will appear on Inside Cricket this Monday night.

The dynamic all-rounder joins Brendon Julian, Allan Border, Greg Blewett and Stuart MacGill on the panel, as he opens up about his injury-marred summer.

In an exclusive interview with Fox Sports, Watson will set the record straight about his plans for the future and his role in the national side moving forward.

Watch Inside Cricket – 8:30pm (EDT), January 14 on Fox Sports 2HD.

Watson, the most talked-about cricketer of the season, appeared on Inside Cricket on Monday before joining foxsports.com.au users to answer all your questions.

Re-live the intriguing chat below.

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Tipsarevic ends Hewitt's hot summer

Brave ... Hewitt pushed Tipsarevic but didn't have the firepower to worry the Serb. Source: News Limited

Lleyton Hewitt's heart proved no match for Janko Tipsarevic's heat as the Aussie warrior bowed out of the Australian Open at the first hurdle on Monday night.

Hewitt fell to the white-hot No.8 seed 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 6-3 - Tipsarevic producing some amazing tennis from the middle of the second set to sink the 31-year-old Australian on Rod Laver Arena.

After losing a tight first set in a tiebreak, Hewitt raced to a 3-0 second set lead with two service breaks.
But the Serb cranked up several gears from then on.

With some punishing winners and after solidifying his service game, Tipsarevic won seven of the next nine games - breaking Hewitt's serve to secure the second set.

Tipsarevic then raced to an early 3-0 lead in the third.

Hewitt's trademark fight then came to the fore, breaking back with the slightest of opportunities to put the set on serve.

But Tipsarevic broke back again mid-set and served out the match in just over three hours.

In his record 17th successive Australian Open, Hewitt's defeat means he has only ever once got beyond the fourth round at Melbourne Park - when he made and lost the final in 2005.
 

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Sri Lanka thump injury-hit Aussies

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Night to remember ... Lahiru Thirimanne scores his maiden ODI to guide the tourists to victory. Source:News Limited

Australia suffered more injury worries and a debutant's dream turned into a nightmare in a sobering eight-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in Sunday's one-dayer in Adelaide.

The tourists squared the five-match series at one-all by cruising to 2-172 in reply to Australia's 170 all out.

Young gun Lahiru Thirimanne scored a classy unbeaten 102 as Sri Lanka won with a whopping 59 balls to spare.

A despondent wicketkeeper Brad Haddin limped from Adelaide Oval during Sri Lanka's innings with an apparent hamstring strain.

And paceman Mitchell Johnson joins fellow quick Mitchell Starc (calf) in being uncertain starters for the rest of the series after becoming the latest injured paceman.

Johnson didn't play because a side strain, forcing Australia to blood two fast bowling first-gamers in Ben Cutting and Kane Richardson, who endured a horror debut.

Richardson made a golden duck and then, after six wicketless overs, was banned from bowling again after receiving a third warning for running on the pitch.

Australia will name its squad for the third and fourth games of the series on Monday, with first-choice gloveman Matthew Wade certain to be recalled.

Haddin, who played the opening two games while Wade was rested, top-scored with 50 during Australia's meagre innings but left the field after the 19th over of Sri Lanka's run chase.

Australia coach Mickey Arthur said regular captain Michael  Clarke, Wade and David Warner would now all return from their enforced rests.

Arthur said Johnson and Starc would also be available for selection for Friday's third game in Brisbane, while the extent of Haddin's hamstring strain would be determined on Monday.

The Lankan batsmen were never troubled with Thirimanne, making his maiden one-day international ton, and experienced opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (57) timing the chase like precision clockwork.

The pair were united after just three balls when Clint McKay dismissed Upul Tharanga for a duck, and responded in style with a match-defining 137-run partnership for the second wicket.

First-gamer Cutting (1-42) ended the union by dismissing Dilshan, after the Queenslander earlier made a handy contribution with the bat.

Cutting partnered Haddin in a 57-run stand after the Australians crashed to 6-83, with four of the top six batsmen failing to reach double figures.

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Re-live all the action with our ODI Match Centre.

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Only David Hussey (29) and stand-in skipper George Bailey (26) contributed amid a middle order collapse of 4-32 which cruelled any Australian hopes of posting a competitive total.

Aaron Finch (four) failed again, Phil Hughes made three, Glenn Maxwell eight and Steve Smith, who surprisingly replaced Usman Khawaja, also managed just eight.

Sri Lankan quick Lasith Malinga claimed 3-32 as the Australians were bowled out in the 47th over.

Sri Lanka's man of the match Thirimanne said the tourists were proud of the way they responded from their Melbourne loss, and were ignoring debate about whether they were playing Australia's 'B team'.

"We won't think about it that way, if it's Australia A or Australia B, it doesn't matter, we just want to win the series," he said.

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Bozza's Save of the Week R16

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Winner ... Mat Ryan has won Mark Bosnich's Save of the Week award for round 16. Source: Gary Graham / News Limited

Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper Mat Ryan has won Mark Bosnich's Save of the Week for his tip over the bar while running backwards in the round 16 encounter with Melbourne Victory.

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It was a tight decision, but Ryan edged the award from Nathan Coe after impressing former Manchester United goalkeeper Bosnich with his judgment and timing to deny Victory twice in the space of a few seconds.

"It was a toss up between this one and Nathan Coe," said Bosnich. "I've only gone for this one because it is technically more difficult than what Nathan did. It was a split hair between them."

Ryan initially springs into action with a low block that ricochets out wide, then pedals quickly back to his line to tip over a chip destined to land just under his crossbar. It was a crucial moment as the Mariners managed to salvage a point against Victory despite a shaky start.

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Click on the video at the top of the page to see Ryan's outstanding save and for more of Bosnich's critique of the round's A-League goalkeeping.

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"Of the double save, it's the second save I'm more interested in," Bosnich said. "One of the hardest things a goalkeeper can do is to go backwards and tip it over and he judged that with absolute aplomb."

Bosnich was also impressed with the way Ryan handled the speculation surrounding a potential move to Europe.

"For somebody with that type of spotlight, is he going to go is he going to stay, and to come out with a performance like really does auger well for the future," said Bosnich.

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Irate Arthur blasts rotation critics

Mickey Arthur ... gets on the front foot to deny claims of a pace rotation policy. Source: Phil Hillyard / News Limited

Critics who believe Cricket Australia has a fast bowler rotation policy are naive and so far off the mark it's frightening, coach Mickey Arthur says.

Arthur says he's "sick and tired" of misinformation that Australia has a pace bowling rotation policy and angry at suggestions that sports scientists are picking the team.

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"It's either very naive or just a little bit stubborn that people don't understand what we're doing," Arthur said on Sunday night.

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"The example I have used is Black Caviar, when he goes and runs a horse race, if they don't feel he's 100 per cent right, they don't release it.

"We have done that with our bowlers."

Arthur said only three times had fast bowlers been rested from playing - Ryan Harris in the West Indies last year, Peter Siddle against South Africa in Perth, and Mitchell Starc against Sri Lanka in the Boxing Day Test.

"We want to play our guys all the time, with the amount of cricket we play these days it's impossible to keep the guys on the park every single game," he said.

"The constant thought that sports scientists are picking the team is so far way off the mark it's frightening.

"They give us information, the information is then left up to us to make that decision.

"When we get that information we will see if that information holds up and if we think that it's not worth the risk - we have thought in three instances where it hasn't been worth the risk.

"Whenever we make those decisions, we make those decisions with a lot of thought into how we are going to use that quick bowler and when we are going to use that quick bowler.

"I really wanted to put that on record because I'm sick and tired of talking about it.

"And I'm certainly sick and tired of seeing some of the articles that are going around in the media at the moment."

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Witness lied in Cronje case

Inquiry ... witness admits to lying in the Hansie Cronje match-fixing case. Source: Anna Zieminski / AFP

Former South Africa cricketer Henry Williams has admitted to lying at an inquiry which banned disgraced national captain Hansie Cronje from the game in 2000, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

Williams testified that Cronje offered him $15,000 to play badly in a one-day international against India.

But his lawyers forced him to lie with team-mate Herschelle Gibbs to strengthen the case against Cronje, Williams told the Sunday Times.

"It's just the truth. It's long gone and I've made peace with the whole story,'' Williams told the paper.

"I can never forget about it, but I forgive what's been done to me.''

Cronje received a life ban from the United Cricket Board of South Africa in 2000 after admitting he had accepted $100,000 from Indian bookmakers and offered other players money to under-perform.

He died in a plane crash two years later.

Williams and Gibbs were fined and banned for six months.

The duo's then-lawyers Mike Fitzgerald and Peter Whelan called the claim "outrageous'', though they knew about foul play in the testimony.

"Mike Fitzgerald and I knew all along that Herschelle (Gibbs) was lying,'' said Whelan, adding that he'd tried to pressure Gibbs into coming clean.

Gibbs declined to comment.

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Pomersbach hits Heat into semis

Smashing ... Pomersbach hit the fastest 50 of BBL'02 to guide the Heat to victory. Source: Nikki Davis-jones / News Limited

A brutal onslaught from Luke Pomersbach has powered Brisbane Heat into the semi-finals of the KFC T20 Big Bash League.

T20 - Blundstone Arena

12 January 2013 - Day 1, Session 2

Heat 1st Innings

J. Burns	41	27	2	3	151.85
D. Christian	5	5	1	0	100
J. Wells	0.1	0	4	0	24.00

Pomersbach smashed the fastest 50 of the competition as the Heat demolished Hobart Hurricanes by eight wickets to set up a date with Melbourne Renegades at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night.

Chasing the home side's below par 3-150, the Heat made a mockery of Hobart's battle with what had appeared a sticky Bellerive pitch to reach the target in just 14.1 overs.

Pomersbach's 50 came from just 24 balls and his 82 from 42 included 13 fours and two sixes.

The Heat finish the regular season equal on eight points with the Hurricanes and Adelaide Strikers but with a superior net run rate.

Pomersbach had the Heat off to an absolute flyer, which didn't relent as they motored along at close to 11 an over.

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Relive all the action with our Match Centre, featuring videos of every boundary and wicket!

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Paceman Doug Bollinger (1-41) went for 27 from his first two and Jason Krejza wasn't sighted again after taking 0-31 from his first two.

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Peter Forrest (18 from 11) was caught in the deep off Bollinger at 1-39 but the onslaught continued and in-form paceman Ben Laughlin was dispatched for 20 from his first over.

Pomersbach and Joe Burns (41no from 27) put on 107 from 55 balls to destroy the Hurricanes finals hopes.

		P	W	L	NR	T	Pts	NNR
1	Renegades	8	7	1	0	0	14	0.791
2	Scorchers	8	5	3	0	0	10	1.322
3	Stars	8	5	3	0	0	10	0.246
4	Heat	8	4	4	0	0	8	0.464
5	Strikers	8	4	4	0	0	8	-0.162
6	Hurricanes	8	4	4	0	0	8	-0.569
7	Sixers	8	3	5	0	0	6	-0.38
8	Thunder	8	0	8	0	0	0	-1.36

Hobart needed a late flourish from Jonathan Wells (40 from 24) and Englishman Owais Shah (32 from 28) to make their score competitive.

The home side had scratched their way to 3-84 before Wells and Shah put on 66 from 42 balls.

The Hurricanes managed just a single six, hit by Ricky Ponting (17 from 16), with miserly Heat, skipper James Hopes bowling a miserly 1-18 from his four overs while Dan Christian took 2-32.

A brilliant outfield catch from the Heat's Burns typified their night.

Burns grabbed the ball with an outstretched left hand before tiptoeing along the boundary and somehow staying on the field of play to dismiss Travis Birt (32 from 25).

The match doubled as an appeal for the devastating bushfires that hit Tasmania during the week.

Pomersbach will have scans on an injury suffered when a Bollinger delivery hit his foot.

"I'm pretty positive that it's going to be OK," he said.

"Even if it is cracked I reckon I'll be hiding the X-rays."

He said the Heat would be full of confidence after winning three of their past four.

"We're the underdogs now,'' he said.

"We're going in there, we're going to give it everything and I've got a really good feeling about it."

Hurricanes captain Tim Paine said his side had been 30 runs short.

"We probably misjudged the wicket a little bit although I think it probably suited their bowlers, that sort of slow medium pace," he said.

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Griffiths strike shoots down Roar

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Breakthrough ... Ryan Griffiths helps Newcastle past Brisbane. Source: Liam Driver / News Limited

A Ryan Griffiths goal has ensured Newcastle a 1-0 win over an under-performing Brisbane and lifted them back into the top six on the A-League ladder.

The Jets, missing injured marquee star Emile Heskey (hip flexor), climbed to fifth place with the victory at Hunter Stadium while Roar remain in seventh with their championship defence taking a hit.

The young Jets backline featuring debutante Andrew Hoole managed to nullify the potent Roar attack including super striker Besart Berisha to post back-to-back clean sheets.

A mistake from Roar goalkeeper Michael Theo gifted the Jets an early chance when his pass to a defender was almost intercepted by Griffiths.

The Jets had a golden opportunity to go ahead in the 20th minute thanks to more shoddy defending by the Roar with Theo making amends with a great diving save from Craig Goodwin's strike.

Stand-in Jets skipper Ruben Zadkovich, who was declared fit after a knee injury scare at training, fired two long-range shots in the space of a minute just before the break but just shaved the woodwork.

Goodwin then squandered possibly the best chance of the opening half when he found himself in space inside the box but misfired.

The Jets finally broke through in the 47th minute when an unmarked Griffiths got on the end of a cheeky James Brown back-heel pass to slot home for the 1-0 lead.

Coach Gary van Egmond was pleased with his team's showing under pressure and without Heskey.

"We've seen how well Emile has played for us so to not have your marquee player was a test," he said.

"To get a result when he's not on the field will develop a lot of good character for this team.

"I thought the performance of the defence tonight was excellent. What they lack in experience they definitely made up for with attitude and work ethic.''

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Re-live the Jets' tense win over the Roar in our A-League Match Centre, featuring video highlights and all the important stats.

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The Roar had a chance to level minutes later when Mitchell Nichols got past the Jets defence but gloveman Mark Birighitti came off his line to stop the charging striker.

Brown had a chance to score a goal of his own in the 60th minute but pushed his header just wide.

James Donachie could have levelled with 15 minutes to go when he had Birighitti beaten but sent his shot wide.

Birighitti made sure the visitors remained scoreless by denying Berisha a chance to equalise in the dying minutes.

Roar coach Mike Mulvey admitted Brisbane were not at their best.

"It was a bit of a struggle tonight,'' he said.

"We weren't at our best, certainly in the first half. Our passing was not slick enough.

"We lapsed in concentration and we just can't afford to keep doing it - not at this level.''

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