Another rainy day in Hobart

By Malcolm Conn

HOBART, NOV. 24. The storm that has blown up in world cricket following India's refusal to accept the authority of the International Cricket Council was repeated in Hobart on Saturday as thunder, lightning then torrential rain ruined the third day of the second Test between Australia and New Zealand.

Like the first Test in Brisbane, rain is increasingly likely to prevent a result after Australia went 23 matches without a draw - 20 wins and three losses. The forecast for the remaining two days is for more rain.

Just 35 overs of play were possible before the storm hit, only one more than was bowled on Friday. Play, scheduled to begin half an hour earlier at 10.30 a.m., did not start until 11.45am after heavy overnight rain.

In the little play possible New Zealand moved unconvincingly to two for 71 in reply to Australia's eight for 558 declared, losing opener Matthew Bell and number three Mathew Sinclair.

However, opener Mark Richardson rarely looked troubled by the Australian attack and was batting at 25 despite his slow progress. Skipper Stephen Fleming was unbeaten on 16 as the Kiwis faced the prospect of having to score another 288 just to avoid the follow-on.

Shane Warne continued Bell's miserable tour, while Jason Gillespie shocked Sinclair with a magnificent delivery from the first ball after lunch.

Bell, who scored only six and five in the first Test, laboured to four runs in 54 minutes before Warne claimed him with only his second delivery. After barely playing a shot against Glenn McGrath and Gillespie, Bell attempted to sweep Warne but only succeeded in edging the ball into his pad.

It then ballooned into the air to give Adam Gilchrist an easy catch. The arrival of Sinclair boosted the run rate and he hit the first boundary of the innings in the 17th over with a crunching back-foot drive off Brett Lee through cover.

But after going to lunch at 23, he copped a brute of a ball from Gillespie straight after the break, a vicious off- cutter which went between Sinclair's bat and pad and struck his middle stump as the batsman looked on in disbelief.

The visitors managed to score only one run in the first seven overs although their scoring was not helped by the slow Bellerive outfield. The major casualty in the game so far has been umpire Steve Davis.

Davis was unable to officiate after injuring his knee, while jumping a fence. One of Australia's most experienced umpires, Davis suffered the injury after play on Friday.

He found himself locked in the ground, hence he attempted to climb out but the South Australian, who has been on the national umpiring panel since 1992-93, landed awkwardly. Davis was treated by Australian physiotherapist Errol Alcott on Saturday morning but was unable to straighten his knee.

The 49-year-old was later taken to hospital for a scan and is not expected to take any further part in the game. In his absence third umpire John Smeaton is officiating with international umpire Steve Bucknor of the West Indies.

Smeaton, a Tasmanian, has never previously stood in a Test match but he is on the national supplementary panel of umpires, which supports the five-man national panel. He played club cricket for 26 years before taking up umpiring.

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