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India eased to a six-wicket victory in Cuttack despite Kevin Pietersen’s unbeaten 111

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan26-Nov-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out
Steve Harmison bowled Sachin Tendulkar, but wasn’t enough to stop India © Getty Images
Whatever challenge is put in front of this Indian team they conquer it with skill and flair. In Cuttack, England managed their best batting performance of the series, led by Kevin Pietersen’s unbeaten 111, but it was made to look a long way short as they cantered home by six wickets with more than six overs to spare. The hard work was done by an electric opening stand of 136 between Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, meaning the others barely had to break sweat.As has been the case with each match of the series there were signs of improvement from the visitors, this time with the bat, as Pietersen and Owais Shah added 112 for the fifth wicket. Pietersen’s seventh ODI ton was the first by an England captain outside of London and only the third by an England batsman in the last 30 one-dayers. However, any momentum gained during the final few overs evaporated as Sehwag sped out of the blocks with another display of fearless clean striking.At times the bowlers could only shrug their shoulders as the ball raced to the boundary. When Tendulkar on-drove Andrew Flintoff, the bowler spun on his heals and headed back to his mark. It was batting in its purest form. Sehwag was set for a thrilling hundred before receiving a rough lbw decision, but the required rate was comfortable, leaving Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina to stroke steady half-centuries and keep India on course for a whitewash. It’s hard to see how they’ll be stopped, especially as Stuart Broad hobbled off with a hamstring injury.Steve Harmison’s second over, to Tendulkar, was a maiden but it provided false hope – 13 came off Harmison’s next over as Sehwag cut loose. One shot, a front-foot pull over midwicket, was as dismissive as they come. In the blink of an eye, and a flash of Sehwag’s bat, England were losing control. Flintoff was summoned into the attack, but even when the bat was beaten, or the inside edge found, there was no breakthrough.Pietersen tried to make things happen. He experimented for one over of Samit Patel before calling the Powerplay, then threw the ball to Graeme Swann inside the fielding restrictions. To say the move backfired is an understatement: Sehwag proceeded to take 21 off the over. Swann was slammed through the covers three times and swung miles into the stands for a huge six before being given a rather hollow pat on the back from his captain.Tendulkar’s fifty was a quieter affair, but still took just 54 balls, played with textbook skill after a slightly sticky start. The moment he tried something a little more agricultural, heaving across the line, he lost his off stump to Harmison. England’s celebrations were muted, partly because the damage had already been done and also because walking in at No. 3 was Yuvraj Singh – series average 160. But, Ravi Bopara, bowling just his 13th over in ODIs and for the first time this series, did what no else has threatened to do and removed Yuvraj cheaply with a gentle caught and bowled.Sehwag was dispatched the next ball, Broad’s first delivery of a new spell, and momentarily England’s frowns turned to smiles. However, they couldn’t build on the breakthroughs and Pietersen had to gamble on bowling out his strike options, while Broad couldn’t finish his ninth over. Dhoni survived a close stumping appeal on 22, with 73 still needed, but it would have been unlikely to alter the result.As is the modern way, England will no doubt “search for the positives” and Pietersen’s hundred was a tick in the right column. He has led the call for the top order to score more centuries and showed how it should be done with a well-constructed innings.Where Pietersen should bat has provided much debate inside and outside the England team. He has moved up and down during the previous two matches, rising to three in Kanpur then oddly back to No. 4 in the 22-over chase in Bangalore. Despite Shah’s success in that match, hitting 72 off 48 balls, he was back at No. 6 and the captain returned to first drop. Still, though, making the most of the Powerplays was an issue as the two five-over blocks produced 45 runs.It’s all symptomatic of the muddled thinking in the England camp, but Pietersen’s innings showed that No. 3 should be his long-term position, while Shah again demonstrated his flexibility with a 57-ball 66. With Paul Collingwood’s continuing to struggle for form – he laboured 40 from 64 – Shah could well be on the move again to No. 4. One day, he might find a settled home.On the theme of being unsettled, Alastair Cook and Bopara formed England’s eighth one-day opening pair since Peter Moores took charge as coach in 2007. Both gave their starts away with loose strokes and the innings wobbled again when Flintoff fell for third-ball duck. Dhoni pulled off another impressive piece of captaincy, throwing the ball to Ishant Sharma when it would have been easy to maintain an all-spin attack against Flintoff. Dhoni can do no wrong for India, and his team continue to ride on the crest of a wave.

Leicester City have reportedly made contact with Sassuolo ahead of a possible move for winger Domenico Berardi.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato (as relayed by the Leicester Mercury), the Foxes are potentially lining up a January move for the 27-year-old and have already entered talks with the Serie A outfit.

The report states that: “The one between Berardi and Sassuolo is a beautiful, intense marriage, but destined to end soon.

“Domenico has decided to leave the club and has long ago communicated this to the management. There have been some in-depth contacts with Leicester, a track to be followed carefully in view of the January transfer market.

“But several clubs in Serie A are also moving on the strong European champion,” it concludes, meaning director of football Jon Rudkin will have to move quickly in order to secure his transfer target’s services.

He’s a great talent

The powerful and pacey attacked was part of Italy’s victorious squad in this year’s European Championship, providing two assists in six appearances for the Azzurri throughout the tournament.

And his impressive displays at Euro 2020 saw Berardi linked with a move to Leicester and several other top teams across the continent, although he ended up remaining at the Mapei Stadium despite the continued speculation.

However, a winter move now appears to be on the cards, and he could be available at a discount price, with Sassuolo’s hierarchy reportedly dropping their €40 million asking price by five or six million.

With Brendan Rodgers’ currently boasting Marc Albrighton as their only natural option on the right-wing, pulling off a move for the £30m Berardi would provide the current FA Cup holders with added quality and competition in the final third of the pitch.

In 30 Serie A appearances last term, Berardi bagged an outstanding 17 goals, providing a further eight assists for his teammates, highlighting his top-class ability in attack.

Tottenham’s director of football Fabio Paratici has previously commented on the highly-rated winger and admitted that he tried to sign him at Juventus, claiming that he is a “great talent” amid reported interest from Spurs.

Therefore, a move for the Italian ace at the midway point in the campaign would provide a significant boost to Leicester’s top-four hopes as they aim to return to Europe’s elite cup competition.

And, in other news…Lost 67% of his duels: Leicester lightweight had a nightmare outing for his country 

MatériaMais Notícias

A penúltima rodada da fase de grupos do Campeonato Brasileiro Série D teve sequência neste domingo. Destaque para a partida entre América-RN e Sergipe, na Arena das Dunas, em Natal.

A equipe potiguar abriu 2 a 0 no primeiro tempo, viu o adversário empatar na etapa complementar, mas conseguiu reagir e assegurar a vitória por 3 a 2. Tadeu, Cascata e Danilo marcaram os gols do time mandante, e Alexandre e Netinho descontaram.

Além do triunfo, o Mecão garantiu também a classificação para a segunda fase da competição. O América-RN lidera o Grupo A9 com 12 pontos e não pode mais ser ultrapassado. Os sergipanos, por outro lado, seguem na lanterna com três pontos.

Na última rodada, o América visita o Murici, enquanto o Sergipe recebe o Jacobina no Batistão, em Aracaju. Ambas as partidas acontecem no próximo domingo, às 18h (de Brasília).

VILA NOVA-MG 2 X 1 DESPORTIVA FERROVIÁRIA

Pelo Grupo A13, Vila Nova-MG e Desportiva Ferroviária protagonizaram um jogo bastante movimentado.Neste domingo, o Leão do Bonfim derrotou a equipe paulista por 2 a 1, no Castor Cifeuentes, em Nova Lima, e assumiu a liderança do grupo.

Todos os gols saíram na etapa complementar. Logo aos cinco minutos, o lateral Nequinha abriu o marcador para o Villa, enquanto Teco empatou para a Desportiva, aos 21. Nos acréscimos, o grená Diogo tentou tirar uma cabeçada de Assis, mas acabou mandando contra o próprio gol e definindo a vitória do lado mandante.

Com o resultado, oVilla Nova chegou ao topo do Grupo A13, com oito pontos ganhos. A Portuguesa, que venceu o Bangu neste último sábado, tem os mesmos sete pontos do rival, mas assegura a vice-liderança por ter um melhor saldo de gols. A Desportiva Ferroviária é a lanterna, com apenas cinco pontos. A briga pela classificação à próxima fase segue em aberto.

Confira os resultados deste domingo na Série D:

Grupo A1: Princesa do Solimões 1 x 0 Atlético-AC
Grupo A2: São Raimundo 1 x 1 Fast
Grupo A3: Rio Branco 0 x 0 São Francisco
Grupo A4: Cordino 2 x 1 Altos / Tocantins 0 x 1 Santos-AP
Grupo A5: River-PI 2 x 1 Maranhão / Pot. de Mossoró 1 x 2 Guarany de Sobral
Grupo A6: Parnayba 2 x o América-PE / Guarani de Juazeiro 0 x 2 Globo FC
Grupo A7: Coruripe 2 x 3 Central / Sousa 2 x 2 Juazeirense
Grupo A8: Itabaiana 1 x 0 Campinense / Atlético-PE 1 x 0 Flu de Feira
Grupo A9: Jacobina 3 x 0 Murici / América-RN 3 x 2 Sergipe
Grupo A10: Comercial 2 x 3 Anápolis
Grupo A12: Itumbiara 0 x 1 URT
Grupo A13: Vila Nova 2 x 1 Desportiva Ferroviária
Grupo A14:Caldense 2 x 0 RB Brasil / Espírito Santo 1 x 1 Boavista
Grupo A15: XV de Piracicapa 1 x 0 Brusque / Operário-PR 3 x 1 São Paulo-RS
Grupo A16: Novo Hamburgo 1 x 1 Foz do Iguaçu
Grupo A17:Metropolitano 1 x 0 São José-RS / Ituano 0 x 0 PSTC

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MatériaMais Notícias

Miguel Borja vive um raro – até agora – momento de alta no Palmeiras. O colombiano foi acionado no segundo tempo da partida contra o Cruzeiro, quarta-feira, pela Copa do Brasil, participou de dois gols e deu importante colaboração para a equipe buscar o empate por 3 a 3 após sair perdendo por 3 a 0. Segundo Cuca, “ele mostrou que pode e sabe lutar”.

A missão do camisa 9 é manter este nível na partida contra o Grêmio, às 16h deste sábado, no Pacaembu, pelo Brasileirão. Como Cuca vai poupar diversos jogadores para o duelo de quarta-feira, contra o Barcelona de Guayaquil, no Equador, pelas oitavas da Libertadores, ele terá uma nova chance como titular. Sua missão é mostrar ao treinador que pode ser mais eficiente nesta função do que Willian, que vem sendo improvisado como referência na área.

– Ninguém quer, pelo menos eu não quero, que ele marque alguém. Eu não quero que ele marque ninguém, quero que ele marque o gol. O que eu quero é que ele seja compacto junto com o time, para a frente e para a trás, como a zaga é compacta e empurra o time para a frente. Você joga em 30 metros, ele tem que passar a linha da bola para não ficar impedido e fazer parte dessa compactação na segunda bola. Esse é o trabalho que está sendo feito com ele em campo e em conversas aqui dentro – disse Cuca, praticamente repetindo o discurso de Eduardo Baptista sobre Borja em seus tempos de Palmeiras.

O centroavante tem sete gols em 22 jogos pelo Palmeiras, sendo 13 como titular. Ele só atuou por 90 minutos em quatro ocasiões. São números ainda discretos, sobretudo se levado em conta o seu desempenho brilhante pelo Atlético Nacional (COL) no ano passado e o peso de sua contratação, a mais cara da história do clube (10,5 milhões de dólares, cerca de R$ 34 milhões). Todos no clube batem na tecla de que ele se firmará entre os titulares quando estiver perfeitamente adaptado ao clube, ao país e ao futebol que se pratica aqui.

-O Borja é um dos jogadores com quem mais tenho cuidado, com quem mais converso, a quem mais dou atenção. Às vezes o pessoal pode pensar que ele não tem atenção porque não entra jogando, mas pelo contrário, o dia a dia aqui dentro é de atenção maior para quem não joga. São eles que precisam mais de você. Para quem está jogando é sempre mais fácil – diz Cuca.

– Esse processo de adaptação não passa só pelo campo de jogo, como as pessoas imaginam. Passa por você se solidarizar com a pessoa, falar um pouquinho o castelhano com ele, ensinar um pouquinho o português, e principalmente estar dialogando e mostrando em vídeos a compactação – completou.

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حدد نادي باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي، سعر بيع لاعبه بريسنيل كيمبيمبي، مدافع الفريق، مع ارتباطه بإمكانية المُغادرة في نافذة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

تشيلسي بطلب من مدربه توماس توخيل، يرغب في التعاقد مع كيمبيمبي لتعزيز دفاعه، وذلك بعد رحيل الثنائي أنطونيو روديجر، وأندرياس كريستنسن.

وحسب صحيفة “إندبندنت” البريطانية، فإن باريس سان جيرمان يريد الحصول على 50 مليون يورو (42 مليون جنيه إسترليني)، من أجل بيع كيمبيمبي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ديلي ميل: تشيلسي يتخذ قرارًا حاسمًا بشأن صفقة رونالدو

وأوضحت الصحيفة أن تشيلسي كان يأمل أن يقوم بشراء كيمبيمبي بسعر أقل، بحوالي 20 مليون يورو.

وأشارت الصحيفة إلى أنه مع ذلك سوف تستمر المحادثات بين تشيلسي وباريس سان جيرمان، قبل تقديم عرض رسمي من قبل النادي اللندني، مع العلم أن النادي الباريسي هدفه أن تتكلف الصفقة 60 مليون يورو وأن تشمل الإضافات والمتغيرات.

تشيلسي سيحاول إقناع باريس سان جيرمان بتخفيض مطالبه المادية، وإدراج أحد لاعبيه في الصفقة، حيث ستستمر المفاوضات بين الفريقين في الأيام القليلة المُقبلة.

كيمبيمبي بالموسم الماضي مع باريس سان جيرمان، سجل هدفين وصنع هدفًا وحيدًا خلال 41 مباراة بمُختلف المسابقات، وفاز بالدوري الفرنسي.

While Valerien Ismael’s West Bromwich Albion side currently find themselves sitting in second place in the Championship standings, having picked up 15 points over their opening seven fixtures of the season, the Baggies’ recent form will be a cause for concern for the Frenchman.

Indeed, after labouring to a 1-1 draw against Millwall last weekend, West Brom once again struggled to break down lower-league opposition in the shape of Derby County in mid-week, with Albion failing to score at The Hawthorns for the first time this season in a 0-0 draw with Wayne Rooney’s side.

As such, the 45-year-old Baggies boss will undoubtedly be hoping for a return to winning ways on Saturday, with a trip to 14th placed Preston North End on the cards for the promotion hopefuls.

So, will Ismael make any changes to the side who started last time out against the Rams? Here’s how we think West Brom could line up against the Lilywhites, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Matt Clarke and Dara O’Shea remaining sidelined due to injury, and Kean Bryan looking as if he is not ready for first-team action just yet – with the defender having played 45 minutes for West Brom U23s on Friday evening – we expect Ismael to stick with the back five that started the 0-0 draw with Derby on Tuesday.

This means that Conor Townsend retains his place as part of the Frenchman’s back three, while Adam Reach also keeps his spot in the starting XI at left wing-back.

In midfield, the established first-choice duo of Alex Mowatt and Jake Livermore look set to once again start, while Darnell Furlong retains his place on the right.

However, considering the availability of certain players, and the fact that defence has not particularly been an issue for a side who have conceded just once in their last three league fixtures, perhaps it was to be expected that there would be no changes to Ismael’s back eight for the trip to Deepdale.

Indeed, it is in attack where we think the 45-year-old will tinker, with the Frenchman making two changes – the first of which is the £30k-per-week Karlan Grant – who is without a goal since the 3-2 win over Luton Town back in August and missed a penalty against Millwall – and the second Callum Robinson – who was largely ineffective following his return from illness and being withdrawn at half-time against Derby.

In their place, the two players who replaced the duo against the Rams come in to start against Preston, with Matt Phillips taking the spot of Grant on the right-wing, while the 29-year-old Jordan Hugill is awarded his first Championship start since joining the club on a season-long loan from Norwich City earlier this summer.

In other news: Ismael must unleash “quality” £36k-p/w West Brom beast today, he’d terrify Preston

Fast bowler Shahadat Hossain and batsman Imrul Kayes have been left out of Bangladesh’s one-day squad for the forthcoming tri-series at home as well as the three ODIs against Zimbabwe

Cricinfo staff07-Jan-2009
Chittagong’s Rubel Hossain is the only new face in the 14-member squad © AFP
Fast bowler Shahadat Hossain and batsman Imrul Kayes have been left out of Bangladesh’s one-day squad for the forthcoming tri-series at home as well as the three ODIs against Zimbabwe. The only new face in the 14-member squad is Rubel Hossain, the right-arm fast bowler from Chittagong Division.”Rubel has performed well for the Under-19, Academy and Bangladesh A sides and been impressive in the domestic first-class level also,” Rafiqul Alam, the chief selector, said. “He has extra pace and a deceptive sling-shot action. He is an attacking bowler and comes in for Sajedul Islam who was in the Test squad and is more of a longer version bowler.”Alam explained that Shahadat was dropped due to his expensive economy rate of 6.63 in 16 ODIs in 2008 but was confident he as well as Kayes will return to the fold soon.”Shahadat is by no means out of our plans and we believe that returning to domestic cricket will be beneficial for him at this stage and I am sure he will be back in the national side soon,” Alam said.”Unfortunately Imrul Kayes had to give way as he has not managed to deliver despite getting opportunities. He will remain in frame though as he is someone we think will perform in the future.”Returning to the ODI side after a gap of three years is Enamul Haque jnr, the left-arm spinner. Enamul made a comeback to the Test squad in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka which concluded on Tuesday and picked up two wickets. Alam said the left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo – the leading wicket-taker in the National Cricket League first-class competition with 59 wickets – was also considered but the selection panel opted for Enamul’s experience.”We don’t have Abdur Razzak at the moment so we needed a specialist back up,” Alam said. “Besides Enamul’s record against Zimbabwe is very good indeed. We also thought about Suhrawadi Shuvo but couldn’t find a spot for him.”Also rewarded with a comeback is the middle-order batsman Mahmudullah, who was dropped for the South Africa tour late last year. He ended the first-class season as the second-highest run-scorer with 710 runs at 54.61.The tri-series, also featuring Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, starts on Saturday with Zimbabwe taking on the home side. Zimbabwe stay back for the three-match ODI series which begins on January 19 and ends on the 23rd.Squad: Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful (capt), Raqibul Hassan, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehrab Hossain jnr, Naeem Islam, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mashrafe Mortaza, Mahbubul Alam, Nazmul Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Enamul Haque jnr

MatériaMais Notícias

Sem espaço no Vasco, o meia Andrezinho se transferiu para o Goiás. Com contrato com o Cruz-Maltino até maio de 2018, o jogador de 33 anos foi emprestado ao time goiano até o fim desta temporada para a disputa da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Andrezinho chegou ao Vasco em junho de 2015. Apesar de contribuir para a arrancada no Brasileirão, não conseguiu evitar o rebaixamento da equipe para a Série B. No ano seguinte, o meia foi importante no título carioca invicto do Cruz-Maltino e na campanha para retornar à elite do futebol brasileiro.

No entanto, Andrezinho pouco foi aproveitado nesta temporada. Com Cristovão Borges ele recebeu poucas chances e chegou até a não ser relacionado para algumas partidas. Com a chegada de Milton Mendes, o experiente jogador teve novas oportunidades no time titular, mas depois perdeu espaço novamente.

Andrezinho só disputou 13 partidas esse ano pelo Vasco, sendo oito delas como titular. Em sua passagem por São Januário, o meia disputou 90 partidas, anotando oito gols.

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Celtic had a particularly busy transfer window with no fewer than 12 new faces joining up with the first-team squad at Parkhead.

However, Ange Postecoglou’s recruitment has come with mixed success in what has been a topsy-turvy campaign for the Hoops.

What’s the word?

With the likes of Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard leaving Paradise behind this summer, Celtic looked at significantly bolstering their attack.

Giorgos Giakoumakis and Kyogo Furuhashi have arrived to fill up spots in a more central area while the lively characters of Jota and Liel Abada have been threatening out wide.

However, after failing to score against Livi this weekend, there is a sense Celtic need more depth in their side.

One player the club looked at signing in January was Fulham’s Anthony Knockaert.

That’s according to a fresh report from Football League World who state the Frenchman had attracted the likes of Celtic, QPR and West Brom.

A move didn’t materialise but work is now being done behind the scenes at Craven Cottage in order to find the winger a new club.

Imagine him & Kyogo

Furuhashi has had a wonderful start to his life with the Hoops. Signed before Edouard left, he became the Frenchman’s natural heir as the club’s leading striker.

He scored a hat-trick on his Parkhead debut and has already amassed seven strikes in nine outings before he suffered an injury on international duty with Japan.

After failing to score against Livi, supporters will be lusting after his return, as well as a source of chance creation.

Abada has shown flashes of his excellence in Glasgow, amassing eight goal contributions in 11 outings.

Jota, meanwhile, was the provider of Albion Ajeti’s goal against Betis last Thursday and looks incredibly sharp in the final third.

With James Forrest already out injured, losing another of them further down the line would expose Celtic’s lack of depth again.

Knockaert, therefore, would be a particularly good addition to the squad. Not only would he provide them with more options offensively but a potential partnership with Kyogo is a mouth-watering thought.

The Japan international has caught the eye with his pace and close touch control, something Knockaert also has in abundance.

He’s only scored five times in the last two seasons but on his day, the 29-year-old is a dangerous weapon.

During one of his most prolific campaigns – the 2016/17 season – he scored 15 times in the Championship while producing eight assists.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise to hear him described as a player of “high quality” by pundit Ben Parker.

In supplying 2.1 key passes per game, it demonstrates that the £2.7m-rated magician could be a regular feeder of the ball for Kyogo. His 2.7 dribbles a match during the same campaign also paints a particularly vibrant picture.

Just imagine the thought of him down the wing creating opportunities for not only himself but also their Japanese sensation. If Celtic still have Knockaert on their radar then a January swoop simply has to be on the cards.

AND in other news, 100% pass success: 25 y/o now starring after leaving Celtic, he had been a “disgrace”…

It used to be Australian players who would begin their international careers with a string of victories before tasting defeat but now New Zealand’s fresh faces are enjoying the same feeling

Brydon Coverdale at the MCG06-Feb-2009
Grant Elliott’s composure impressed his captain Daniel Vettori © Getty Images
It used to be Australian players who would begin their international careers with a string of victories before tasting defeat but now New Zealand’s fresh faces are enjoying the same feeling. The captain Daniel Vettori said following his side’s six-wicket triumph at the MCG that a winning culture was starting to develop thanks to their successes against West Indies last month and their 2-0 lead over Australia.”It’s really good for some of our young guys,” Vettori said. “Martin Guptill and Neil Broom haven’t ever lost a game in New Zealand colours. Those sorts of feelings are starting to swirl around the dressing room that we’re starting to get a feel of what it’s like to win. It’s only been three in a row but there’s some good confidence in the team.”Take out their no-result in Auckland and it’s actually four in a row and in the past year, New Zealand have won 14 one-day internationals and lost four. It is an impressive record for a squad that is missing the injured allrounder Jacob Oram and the batsman Scott Styris.Even more pleasing for Vettori was that two of their newer faces, Grant Elliott and Neil Broom, got New Zealand home at the MCG with a 50-run partnership from 44 balls. They reached their target of 226 with seven deliveries to spare and both men struck boundaries at important times when a few dot balls could have given Australia a real chance.”They’ve probably got about 15, 16 games between them, but they looked so composed and so mature and led us to a comfortable victory in the end,” Vettori said. “The big thing with Neil is to get him to play his natural game. When he starts thinking about things he probably clutters himself a little bit.”While it was New Zealand’s less experienced players who got them home, Australia relied heavily on the older heads of Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey in a batting order that again was a little too fragile. It has been difficult for Australia to maintain their aura following the retirements of key players and Vettori said the changing nature of Australia’s side was a bonus for his squad.”For a lot of our younger guys they grew up watching a lot of the Australian players, guys that have recently retired,” he said. “A lot of the guys we’re playing now, some of our guys have played in A-teams and emerging players teams so they have a better understanding than just turning up and finding a guy that they’ve idolised for the last 15 years.”One such man is Ricky Ponting, who is resting, and his stand-in captain Clarke faces the challenge of sparking his team into a winning unit in Sydney on Sunday after five consecutive losses – one more and they will hand over the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. He will do so without Shaun Tait, who has been released from the squad to deal with a hamstring problem, although Clarke himself is likely to play after suffering a painful blow on the toe while compiling his 98.He and Michael Hussey, who built a 133-run stand, both fell in the final five overs when Australia needed to build on their solid platform. Clarke conceded that their inability to lift their rate after a conservative start was a major factor in posting a total that was too small.”It always makes the job harder when you lose a couple of wickets early,” Clarke said. “I guess with the batting I think we were probably 20 or 30 short and I take responsibility for that. If I’d turned my innings into 130 it’s a different game.”