Kaboom Tour 09 … coming to a city near you
Want to get rocked this summer?  See cricket’s Greatest Hits?

GRAEME SMITH and his Proteas' Castle Test squad arrived at practice on Tuesday to find a pitch which had been quite green on Monday looking a decided shade of white. The tour selectors nevertheless kept their options open as far as the final selection was concerned. 

“We have had a look at the wicket,” commented Smith. “It has changed quite a bit from Monday. We will probably have a squad of 12 with Lonwabo Tsotsobe in the squad and then we will make a final decision on Wednesday morning. As I have said, I am very comfortable going in with the XI that we have done business with for the past couple of years. 

“But we have covered all our bases and we will be happy with the final selection that we make.” 

Smith dismissed suggestions that there were mental scars left from previous battles with the Australians.

THE Proteas' Castle Test squad will have to draw on some of their tough experiences of the past 12 months to get back into the first Test match against Australia at the WACA.

At the close of Thursday's second day the Proteas still trailed by 132 runs on the first innings with only Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini left to support Mark Boucher.

This sudden change of fortune was the result of a brilliant spell by the left-handed fast bowler, Mitchell Johnson, who returned career-best figures of 7/42 in 18 overs, the second match in a row in which he has managed five wickets in an innings.

The organizers of the Champions Twenty20 League are gearing up for intense negotiations in the coming weeks to get the inaugural edition of the tournament back on the road, but it has become clear they “face a highly complex challenge”.

THE Nashua Dolphins recovered from a near disastrous start to take the Nashua Titans all the way to the wire in their MTN Domestic Championship match at Willowmoore Park on Wednesday evening.