Australia Test bowler Toshack passes away

Former Australia Test cricketer Ernie Toshack died, aged 88, the Australian Cricket Board said on Monday.

Toshack was a member of Don Bradman's 1948 "Invincibles" side which toured England, winning the Test series 4-0 in what is still regarded as one of Australia's greatest performances in any sport.

Toshack made his Test debut against New Zealand at Basin Reserve in Wellington in 1945-46 and took 47 wickets at an average of 21.04 in 12 matches with his left-arm medium-pacers.

He boasted match figures of 6-18 on debut and took 5-2 and 6-29 in the first Test against India in Brisbane in 1947-48.

"Ernie will be remembered for playing an important part in an unforgettable era of Australian cricket as a member of the late Sir Donald Bradman's 1948 Invincibles," ACB chairman Bob Merriman said in a statement.

Toshack died on Sunday night and is survived by his wife Cathleen, daughter Maria, three grand-daughters and two great grand-daughters, the ACB said.

Crawley hoping to retain place

John Crawley says he will be devastated if he is dropped from the England Test team.

England's Test summer begins on May 22, when they take on Zimbabwe at Lord's in the first of two Tests.

The Hampshire captain's position in the middle-order seems the most under threat, with Kent's Robert Key tipped as a permanent replacement.

"It would be the most disappointing event in my life if I wasn't selected this summer but it is out of my hands.

"I didn't have as good a winter as I would have liked but I gave it my all," the 31-year-old Crawley, who averages 34.61 in Test cricket, told the BBC Sport website. 

Lawson action dicey, says Holding

Former West Indies speedster Michael Holding, who is a member of the International Cricket Council's bowling review panel, has called for Jamaican speedster Jermaine Lawson to undergo remedial work to fix his "dicey" action.

As reported in The Australian last week, Lawson's bent-arm action has been the topic of widespread discussion during this tour of the West Indies.

But it was not until the 21-year-old had career-best figures of 7 for 78, in the fourth Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Friday, that calls for a review of his action mounted.

It is understood that umpires officiating in the Test have called for videotape analysis of Lawson's action in order to determine whether he throws some deliveries.

Holding, who is also from Jamaica and took 249 wickets in 60 Tests for the West Indies between 1975 and 1987, said he had approached West Indies coach Gus Logie and offered advice on how Lawson's obvious throwing action could be remodelled.

"It's not the smoothest action in the world and he has to do some work on it," Holding said. "There are a few deliveries that don't look quite right and I wouldn't say it's necessarily his effort delivery.

"The first over he bowled in (Australia's) second innings was quick. The first ball he bowled was 90-odd miles an hour, and they were perfect -- absolutely nothing wrong.

"I think it's just sometimes he doesn't get to the crease as he should, as balanced as he should and it just interferes with his action."