Sports

Australian cricket team of players with an intellectual disability

The Australian cricket team of players with an intellectual disability has begun the Tri-Nations series with England and South Africa in fine style by defeating England by 81 runs at the Rose Bowl in Hampshire, England.

India should try this too!

In his debut for Australia, Gavin Hicks scored a stylish half century and combined with skipper Rex Breed to form a competitive total of 203 from its allocated 40 overs. England started promisingly but had slipped to 5-90 at drinks before collapsing to be all out for 122. Leg spinner Craig Whitehand ripped through the English tail to claim 4-20 from 6 overs at the ground recently retired Australian Test legend Shane Warne now calls his own for English County Club Hampshire.

Winning the toss, Australia elected to bat and made a solid start through openers Baird and Drowley. Victorian Hicks scored 51 off 56 balls, while another debutant, Josh Long, shared partnerships with Hicks and Breed to steer Australia to its winning total. Breed went on to score 48 from just 37 balls and secured the man of the match award with his 2-7 from 4 overs.

Australian team coach, former Victorian player Rohan Larkin, acknowledged the teams convincing victory but remains focused on the upcoming matches: “Looking at the previous performances of both teams, you would say that we would have been expected to win, but we are now preparing for a much stronger South African team.”

This is the second Tri-Series played between the three teams, the first being played in South Africa in November 2005. The team is supported by the Australian Sports and Recreation Association for people with integration difficulties (AUSRAPID) and Cricket Australia. Australia plays South Africa tomorrow again at the Rosebowl in Hampshire.

Source: Promising start to Australia in Tri Nations series, 7 June 2007,  http://www.cricketworld.com/australia/article/?aid=11729.