Bring on Aussie sledging, says Zimbabwe coach

Zimbabwe coach Geoff Marsh said his cricketers wanted to be sledged by the Australians in their two-Test series in Australia in October.

The former Australian coach and Test opener believes opposition teams were grasping at straws and trying to undermine Australia's dominance in the sport by complaining about sledging.

Marsh said he disagreed with Indian great Sunil Gavaskar that the Australian team's on-field behaviour was harming cricket.

He believed Gavaskar's comments would be like water off a duck's back for battle-hardened Test captain Steve Waugh.

Marsh, who this week re-signed for another 12 months with Zimbabwe, said his players were eager for their nation's first Test in Australia, starting in Perth on October 9 at the WACA Ground.

Marsh said his team had learnt from a disappointing recent tour of England where it lost the two Test series 0-2 to the host nation, and managed just one win from six matches in a one-day triangular series involving South Africa and England.

Marsh, who was in Perth for a brief holiday, will return with a 15-man Zimbabwean squad in late September.

West Australian fast bowler Brad Williams was later named as McGrath's replacement and he will join the team on Thursday.

Ntini's Lord's prayer answered

South Africa fast bowler Makhaya Ntini grew up playing cricket for the Mdingi Cricket Club in the foothills of the Amatola mountains, fifty miles from East London.

On Thursday at the home of the more famous, London-based MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) Ntini took five for 75 as South Africa bowled out England for just 173 on the first day of the second Test at Lord's.

"It was better to take five wickets at Lord's than to play at my own Lord's," joked Ntini after South Africa finished the first day well placed at 151 for one - just 22 behind.

"It was one of my dreams, one of my ambitions. This is my first Test at Lord's and I wanted to leave a mark for the new generation and for the black community."

Ntini, 26, playing his 33rd Test, was one of the first black cricketers to breakthrough following South Africa's re-admission to Test cricket in 1992.

But the Border quick added that his success in London was for the whole country. "I represent everyone in South Africa. Everyone in South Africa is behind the South African cricket team.

Geoff Marsh to play against Zim in first Australian tour game

Zimbabwe cricket coach Geoff Marsh will play against his own team when they launch their Australian tour with a one-day carnival match near in Perth early October.

Marsh, a former Australia Test opener, vice-captain and coach, said on Thursday he had accepted an invitation to play for an Australian Cricket Board Chairman's X1 against the tourists in a tour-opening one-day clash October 1.

The 50-overs game is staged at Lilac Hill Park, just outside Perth, on the banks of the Swan River, in Western Australia's oldest grape-growing district, drawing a crowd of about 10,000.

It will be the first time a member of a visiting team has played for the Chairman's X1.

Bangladesh wins one-day warmup match by four wickets

Khaled Mashud top-scored with 37 runs and Alok Kapalia added 36 as Bangladesh beat the Queensland Academy by four wickets in a one-day warmup cricket match.

Bangladesh, preparing for Saturday's first of three one-dayers against Australia in Cairns, scored 176-6 after restricting the Queensland side to 175-7 in its 50 overs. The visitors scored the winning runs in the 47th over.

Hasibul Hossain took 3-39 in his 10 overs to lead the Bangladesh bowlers, while Khaled Mahmud had 2-33.