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Although the expected test of the MLC teams did not materialize at the California Cup, the tournament itself provided some enjoyable cricket after an unseasonably rainy start. Southern California easily retained the Cup with decisive victories over the North Texas and Northern California Cricket Associations (NTCA and NCCA).As it turned out, the MLC Texas team did not make an appearance at the Cup, although its appearance had been widely anticipated. The majority of the MLC Texas team were from Houston, and prior commitments kept them from participating in the tournament as a team. Instead, the North Texas Cricket Association (NTCA) ended up representing Texas–in itself, it was a strong league but only three of its players had participated in the MLC Interstate tournament. The Northwest Cricket League (NWCL) had played in the MLC Interstate tournament, but the California Cup was California’s show and remained that way.Because the first day of the tournament had been a washout, the remaining two days saw SCCA take on NWCL, while NCCA squared off against NTCA. Both California teams won on the second day, SCCA by a decisive margin and NCCA also with a decisive victory. This set things up for the final day as a match-up between the two California teams for the top spots, while the non-California teams fought it out for the third and fourth spots. Once again, the host team re-asserted its superiority with an emphatic victory, but the non-California joust was a squeaker with the fewest of runs separating the two teams. It was perhaps the most exciting match of the tournament, even though it did not count towards the final standings.The California Cup proved that Southern California remains the stronghold of cricket in Western USA, although other Western leagues are mounting good challenges to its predominance. If a full schedule of matches had been played, this might have been more evident; as it was, there were good performances by players from all the other teams, and they have nothing to be ashamed of.According to the reports published on the SCCA Web site, the batting of Captain Aditya Thyagarajan and the bowling of former West Indian International Franklyn Rose proved too strong for the competition. Aditya scored two impressive knocks of 95 and 62, while Rose blew away the opposition with some hostile pace bowling capturing six wickets at an average of less than 9.Former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif, who is on a month-long fund-raising trip on behalf of Islamic Relief for earthquake victims in South Asia, visited Woodley to watch the SCCA stars in action. SCCA President, Mr. Veman Reddy presented Rashid with a plaque commemorating his first visit to Woodley, and also presented the SCCA team the winners trophy. Aditya Thyagarajan was declared man of the tournament for his outstanding performance with the bat.Tournament Scorecards
SCCA 226 (47.4 overs – A. Thyagaranjan 95*, R. Zia 33, F. Rose 33, A. Rajp 20, Z. Bilal 3-46, M.Gautham 2-28, S. Vinod 2-28).
North Texas 158 (40.4 0vers – B. Zahid 33 in 23 balls, K. Patel 16 in 19 balls, A. Thyagarajan 2-11, F. Rose 2-29, Nisarg Patel 2-30). SCCA won by 68 runs.NWCL 192 (S.Srikanth 33, R,Ganeshan 40, N. Panchal 25, V.Beniwal 23, M. Dave 23, A.Z.Shah 3-30, S. Ganesh 3-30, A. Fahad 2-30)
NCCA 193.5 (46.2 overs – Chandrapattu 90, S. Gunawardena 45, J. Kashadikar 26). NCCA won by 5 wickets.NTCA 216 (50 0vers – V Shankar 53, A Vittala 39, R Rao 28, G Morab 23, K Patel 20, B.Chalise 2-22, Shital 2-32, Nikhil 2-42, V. Beniwal 2-50)
NWCL was set to make 202 in 48.4 overs, made target in 42.4 overs (Mehul Dave 69, Sanjay Rana 51, S. Srikanth 30, V. Shankar 3-43). This should have ensured NWCL the victory, but they were still recorded as losing by 14 runs. The match was close, inconclusive, and disputedSCCA 238 for 7 (50 0vers – A Thagarajan 62, T Bhommireddy 50, Abhishek Owar 57, Mrunal Patel 20,S. Ganesh 2-31)
NCCA 174 in 48 overs (U Kelkar 26, Jay 25, S Chandrapatlu 90, Nauman Mustafa 25, S.Gunawardhane 37) SCCA won by 64 runs.

The West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) has announced the establishment of a fund aimed to help with the education, development and welfare of West Indies cricketers.The West Indies Players’ Benevolent Fund , which will benefit cricketers not only during their cricketing life but also after they have retired, is backed by First Citizens Bank, Prestige Holdings and Toyota. Any players who has represented the team at Test, A, Under-19 and Under-15 level will be eligible, as will anyone who has played in official regional competitions.Dinanath Ramnarine, the WIPA’s chief executive, said that the fund had become necessary to help cricketers in all aspects of their life. “Cricket is a very jealous and possessive wife,” he said. “There are far too many examples of young men who have sacrificed education, career and family life in service of this great game, only to find that their time in the middle was short-lived…then to painfully discover there was no support system beyond the boundary. The establishment of this Players’ Fund is the first step to change this unfortunate reality.”

Saqlain Mushtaq states philosophically: ‘When you attain happiness, you sometimes get sorrow along with it’© AFP

Mohammad Azharuddin feels that Aakash Chopra should continue opening the batting, though he heaps some lavish praise on Yuvraj Singh. In a syndicate column with The Indian Express, Azharuddin says, “It’s a long way for Yuvraj yet, but I think he can become the David Gower of the current age if he can cope with the pressure of international cricket. His century in the first innings was such a delight, for its power, placement and timing. In full flow, he was a treat to watch. But I am not sure if he should open the innings in the Rawalpindi Test. That should be Chopra’s to do.”Yet, Azharuddin was critical of a few of Chopra’s shortcomings. “It’s not as if I am a great admirer of Aakash Chopra. He hardly has any stroke in front of the wicket. If [Virender] Sehwag gets out cheaply, Chopra’s 40s are never going to be enough, and he can also reduce the scoring to a crawl which could become a factor if you want to raise a good score in quick time.”***Javed Miandad has lashed out at a few of Pakistan’s former cricketers. A report from UNI quoted Miandad as saying, “Those who could not field properly in their days, are criticising me. It is high time they should also retire from commenting or writing.”He added, “It is very bad to hit a person when he is down. The hallmark of a great sportsperson is to encourage the player when he is not doing well, but in our country everybody wants to settle scores by running down the team.” And what really amused Miandad was the fixation with appointing coaches for all departments of the game. “Every so called expert recommended three coaches for each player. I don’t think any expert worth his salt can even think of it, leave alone recommending it.”And he finished with a mighty flourish when he said, that it was the “experts” who need coaches to improve upon their behaviour and writing, while the “players” are capable of looking after themselves.***Saqlain Mushtaq, who was dropped form the side after a poor performance in the first Test, has taken the disappointment in his stride. PTI quoted him as saying, “Pakistan’s requirements for the series against India are different, and I didn’t fit in. Plus I am not in good form. I think from my point of view, it is better that I practice and return to form before I come back into the team. I didn’t bowl well in the previous match that is why I am out of the side.”There was a tinge of philosophy too: “When you attain happiness, you sometimes get sorrow along with it. That is life.”And he finished on a comforting note by saying, “Bad patches do happen. When [Sachin] Tendulkar was playing in Australia, even he didn’t perform in the first three Tests, then he got a double hundred in the last Test. He too had a bad patch.”***In a desperate attempt to bolster its image, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to hire a public relations firm. Dawn reports about how the idea was put forth by two “honourary” consultants, old-time friends of the PCB chairman. The PCB, invited four public relations firms to Lahore headquarters last week for presenting their credentials.***Steve Bucknor is targeting a century. He expressed his desire to officiate in a hundred Test matches before 2007, the year he plans to announce his retirement. In a report in AFP he said, “I have set a target of 2007 for myself and with the speed of Test matches I am doing I hope to complete the century before retiring.”He continued, “I have to work hard to keep myself fit and to meet the demands of umpiring in the high-profile game of cricket and it would be a great honour to complete [a] century of Tests as umpire.” After the Lahore Test, Bucknor’s score stood at 89. Considering his fairly poor run off late, he could be in for some nervous nineties.

CAPE TOWN-After its initial loss against Australia, each of its remaining four fixtures is a key game for Pakistan. They have to win them all to stay in the hunt for a spot in the next, Super Sixes round. For England, Pakistan’s opponents in Saturday’s day and night game, things are even tighter for comfort.Not in the best of spirits, with the Zimbabwe controversy and the resulting acrimony doing their cause no good, and carrying too many walking-wounded in their ranks, England have beaten both the minnows and forfeited their tie against Zimbabwe in this ‘Group of Death’. So, the Pakistan fixture is a moment of reckoning for them. Win and they live to fight another day; lose and their campaign is more or less over.Technically they would still have a slight chance, but with Pakistan, India and Zimbabwe in the equation for the two remaining Super Sixes slots with Australia in the lead, the challenge for England from a loss here would not just be steep, it would fall in the realm of impossible, for they would have to beat both Australia and India for a comeback.And with the margin of error being truly non-existent for both sides, it goes without saying that the tie is going to be an extremely well-contested one.Pakistan for its part, as Waqar Younis said in the pre-match briefing here at Newlands, is not just keen to survive, they were focused to win and gain points, as points are essential to carry them to the Super Sixes but “also come handy for qualification to the next knock-out round, the semis”.Pakistan has an edge over England in terms of record, as they have not lost a World Cup game to the latter since 1983 – winning five on the trot in the meanwhile, including the 1992 World Cup final. And in their last meeting in an event, the NatWest Trophy in England in 2001, Pakistan blanked them out in all three matches.”Yes, we know England well, and are aware of what it takes to beat them. We just want to play to our potential”, said Waqar, meaning thereby that if Pakistan just does that, it would be enough for them to prevail over their opponents.That said, both sides have their own fair share of problems. The England captain, Nasser Hussain, who sat out the unconvincing win over Namibia, is still not 100 per cent. Suffering from soft tissue damage around his neck, he ventured out for a spell at the nets but only to soon withdraw. Ian Blackwell and Ashley Giles too have been suffering from a twisted back and tonsillitis.All three, the England coach Duncan Fletcher said in the customary pre-match press conference, were better, but a final decision on whether they would take the field or not would be taken on the morning of the match.Fletcher conceded that Pakistan remain a threat, not just to England but to any side in the world. He singled out Akram and Saqlain as potential match-winners. Perhaps he deliberately ignored mentioning Shoaib, but he too along with Akram and Saqlain was likely to cause a few nightmares of his own to English batsmen.Pakistan’s bowling generally remains in fine fettle, and quite capable of blowing away England. “We’re giving Shoaib the new ball, because with his pace he could get us early wickets, and Wasim is bowling beautifully well,” said Waqar. “Our only weak showing so far was against Australia in the middle overs, and that cost us the game. I believe Saqlain can play a role here”, said he.But it is the batting and not bowling which is causing Pakistan management a great deal of discomfiture. Having already played out a different set of openers in two matches, and still unsatisfied with the results, the one-down position too remains unsettled. But the mother of all worries is the form, or the absolute lack of it, of Inzamam-ul-Haq. Quite inexplicably, he is woefully out of touch. On the eve of team’s departure for the World Cup, he had promised that to bolster the frailty in the batting, he would be willing to bat a notch higher, at number three.That promise remains unfulfilled, and Pakistan has been worse off due to it. If Inzamam walks to the middle at one-down, it could serve Pakistan in good stead in more ways than one. Firstly, he could hope to have the time to play himself back into form. Secondly, if he fires, it could stem the rot in the middle order, which has not made a substantive contribution in any of their two matches so far, leaving it only for the late order to give respectability, and not added impetus, to the total.But Waqar dispelled any likelihood of Inzamam playing at one-down: “He is comfortable at number four; the team also requires him to bat there”.Toss, as Waqar Younis mentioned, would be a vital factor. “I’m sure whosoever wins would bat first and try and put runs on the board”, said he, adding, “Since both our teams are struggling for form in batting, I hope it would be our bowling which would make the difference”.With no fitness problems, the Pakistan management would be hoping that the anxiety regarding the batting takes care of itself in this encounter.Going into the match, Pakistan does have an edge over England – in terms of morale, fitness, resources etc. They only need to make sure that they maintain a high level of intensity, and fire on all cylinders.

North Perrott:
Somerset 2nd XI 255-8 (GD Rose 86)
Hampshire 255 2nd XI (AJ Sexton 86, C Benham 47)
Game tiedFolkestone:
Kent 2nd XI 272-5 innings closed (PS Lazenbury 88, IN Flanagan 51)
Essex 2nd XI 210-9 innings closed (JM Golding 4-27)
Kent 2nd XI won by 62 runsCastleford:
Yorkshire 2nd XI 240-9 wickets (VJ Craven 51, GM Hamilton 50, JD Middlebrook 50*)
Derbyshire 2nd XI 119
Yorkshire 2nd XI won by 121 runs

Manchester United are on the hunt for a few new additions to their squad in January. Ruben Amorim’s side are still not exactly in prolific form, having won just two of their last eight games in the Premier League.

However, a signing in the winter window could lift things. One of the players they are linked with is Antoine Semenyo, and Fabrizio Romano has reported once again that they are ‘pushing’ to sign the Bournemouth winger. His release clause of £65m will expire on January 10th, so United must act quickly.

Semenyo is not the only target United are said to be considering a move for this winter.

Man United targeting teen starlet

It is no secret that the Red Devils also want to sign a midfielder within the next couple of transfer windows. Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton, two of the most talked-about players in the Premier League, are both targets but valued at upwards of £100m.

Instead, the Red Devils are ‘lining up’ a move to sign Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, according to Caught Offside.

The Frenchman, who is just 18 years of age, has made a real impression in his short career so far, and United ‘may move fast’ to win the race, having scouted him for a long time.

However, they will not be alone in this race. Bouaddi is a player in demand, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all showing interest from within the Premier League.

Across Europe, the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are keen. As for a fee, Bouaddi could cost upwards of £44m.

Why Bouaddi could be a better signing than Semenyo

“Youth, courage, success” is a key motto of United. Signing 18-year-old Bouaddi certainly fits the bill in that sense. He is one of the most highly-rated midfielders in Europe, described as an “elite level” player by Como scout Ben Mattinson.

His talent is reflected in the fact that he’s played so much for Lille this season. The midfielder, who was born in Senlis, just outside of Paris, has played 20 times across all competitions for the French side, chipping in with one assist.

Bouaddi tends to sit at the base of the midfield for the Ligue 1 outfit, looking to progress play forward with his ball-carrying ability. He’s yet to score a goal at professional level, but does have four career assists, including one this season. It showcases just how good he is with the ball at his feet, with his slick dribbling creating space to slide Felix Correia in.

Indeed, his underlying stats further reinforce this. Bouaddi is averaging 1.4 completed take-ons per 90 minutes so far this season in Ligue 1, and has created one chance each game on average, too.

Bouaddi key stats in 25/26 Ligue 1

Stat

Per 90 mins

Season total

Chances created

1

11

Forward passes

8.3

96

Take-ons completed

1.4

16

Duels won

5.3

61

Ball recoveries

5.6

64

Stats from Squawka

There is certainly a case to be made that the signing of the French U21 international would be better than that of Semenyo.

That is not to say the Cherries winger would be a bad addition to United’s attack. He has 11 goals and assists in 16 games in the Premier League this term.

He is, of course, one of the best attackers in the league. In the summer, he did individual training with Saul Isaksson-Hurst, who later described him as a “Champions League-level player.” It would be a huge coup for United.

Yet, there is an argument to say a midfielder is a priority for Amorim’s side. It is probably the area in the squad where United have the worst depth.

Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper transfer analysis Get tactical context and scouting breakdowns by subscribing to the newsletter – unlock deeper transfer analysis on targets like Bouaddi and Semenyo, comparative stats, fee context and prospect profiles to sharpen your view. Subscribe Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper transfer analysis Get tactical context and scouting breakdowns by subscribing to the newsletter – unlock deeper transfer analysis on targets like Bouaddi and Semenyo, comparative stats, fee context and prospect profiles to sharpen your view.

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Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes are first-choice in the pivot; Manuel Ugarte is not good enough, and Amorim still won’t give Kobbie Mainoo an opportunity.

Signing Bouaddi would add depth to the midfield, which is desperately needed right now. On top of that, he is a player for the future, as well as the present. At just 18 years of age, United will get the best out of him over the years.

£44m is not the biggest fee for such a highly-rated youngster like Bouaddi. Signing Semenyo would be another good attacking reinforcement, but the French youngster would help solve depth issues and could be the wiser addition.

Related Dream for Bruno: Man Utd are in talks to sign "explosive" £65m star

This attacking ace could add firepower for Man Utd in forward areas.

Posts ByJoe Nuttall

Scorecard
Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) caused the upset of the tournament by defeating Barbados by 24 runs at the Three Ws Oval in Bridgetown. Barbados, who looked well in sight of victory chasing 223, collapsed from 162 for 3 to 198 all out, losing their last seven wickets for 36 runs to hand CCC their maiden win in only their second match of the Carib Beer Series. Barbados vice-captain Dwayne Smith’s 78-ball 85, which featured nine fours and two sixes, went in vain as fast bower Jason Bennett took 5 for 46 to change the course of the match. Smith was involved in a 53-run stand for the second wicket with Jason Haynes (25 off 66 balls) and added 68 runs for the fourth wicket with Alcino Holder (28), but the slide started when he was trapped after playing across seamer Kurt Wilkinson. Bennett went on to receive the Man-of-the-Match award for match figures of 11 for 105. Earlier, CCC, resuming on their overnight score of 138 for 7, were bowled out for 159, with Tino Best adding two wickets to finish with 6 for 47 and a match haul of 10 for 84, while left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn claimed four wickets.
Scorecard
Jamaica moved to the top of the table after a convincing eight-wicket win over Guyana in Kingston. Wavell Hinds and Xavier Marshall, with unbeaten knocks of 50 and 48 respectively, helped Jamaica reach their target half-an-hour before the close of play. Jamaica’s chase got off to a poor start after they lost their openers for the addition of 11 runs, but Hinds and Marshall stabilised the innings. Hinds swept offspinner Zaheer Mohammad over long-leg to bring up his half-century, while Marshall struck Narsingh Deonarine for six to finish the match. Earlier, Guyana looked to extend their overnight score of 59 for 1, but once Assad Fudadin was run out for 31, they lost three more wickets in quick time – Deonarine caught in the deep off Nikita Miller, captain Ramnaresh Sarwan failing to open his account after being trapped by David Bernard Jr, and Travis Dowlin run out for 10 – as they went into lunch at 116 for 5. Leon Johnson, who had added 70 runs for the second wicket with Fudadin, tried to keep Guyana afloat, bringing up his half-century in the process. Guyana’s innings folded up in quick time once Johnson was dismissed by Germain Lawson. Offspinner Odeon Brown claimed three lower order wickets to finish with 3 for 35, while Lawson took 3 for 61. Brendan Nash, the left-hand batsman, was named Man of the Match for his unbeaten 91 in Jamaica’s first innings.
Scorecard
No play was possible on the third day in St Maarten due a soggy outfield. Umpires Luther Kelly and Goaland Greaves abandoned play after making their final assessment of the playing conditions in the scheduled post-tea session.

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	Draw	Aban	Pts
Jamaica	3	3	0	0	0	0	36
Barbados	3	2	1	0	0	0	24
Comb CC	2	1	1	0	0	0	12
Leeward Islands	2	1	1	0	0	0	12
Trinidad & T	1	1	0	0	0	0	12
Guyana	3	0	3	0	0	0	0
Windward Islands	2	0	2	0	0	0	0

Scorecard

Adam Gilchrist’s 72 was too much for England © AFP

Adam Gilchrist and Shane Watson helped Australia to settle a score emphatically against England after their recent whitewash in the CB Series finals. The opening pair put on 140 to take Australia to a five-wicket victory, chasing down 198 with ease in the 41st over. England squandered a decent start from Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan as they lost 9 for 75 and ended up with a modest total.Watson’s claims for the opener’s spot will have been enhanced by his rapid 55 off 68 balls, while Gilchrist showed a return to form after missing the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, making 72 from 82. England’s fielders looked sloppy – and their heads quickly went down – but it was a sharp catch by Kevin Pietersen, low at gully, which finally dismissed Watson.Monty Panesar was his conqueror, but he came on later than the crowd would have liked. They already sensed the game was up, but nevertheless rapturously applauded his entry – he continues to be a favourite wherever he goes. Sajid Mahmood was lucky to pick up Gilchrist shortly after, strangled down the leg-side, but it was another tidy piece of fielding which got him, this time from the keeper Paul Nixon.The damage, however, was already done even when Ricky Ponting chopped on for 7 off Jamie Dalrymple and Australia lost a further two quick wickets. Michael Clarke (24*) and Brad Haddin (6*) then completed the formalities as Australia raced home.”I’m disappointed with our performance,” Vaughan told AFP. “Australia put the squeeze on. We should have got 250-260 but we were well beaten by a good side.” The result ended England’s three-game dominance of the defending world champions.It had all started so well for England, with Vaughan making an encouraging 62, and Bell taking command after Ed Joyce fell for just 5. Vaughan was in particularly good touch, even unleashing his swivel-pull off a furious Glenn McGrath, and driving down the ground with a powerful straight bat. Notably, there were no signs of either his hamstring or his knee causing any discomfort and his running, with Bell, was quick and alert.England’s hundred was brought up in the 19th over, shortly followed by Vaughan raising his bat for a fine 55-ball fifty. “It was nice to spend some time in the middle and to get 20 overs in the field,” Vaughan said. Australia’s shoulders had slumped. However, rather predictably, the introduction of spin not only brought a wicket but stifled their run-rate – dramatically.Ponting, frustrated by the free singles Bell and Vaughan were gifted, brought long-on up a few metres to tempt them into hitting over the top. Bell couldn’t resist. Brad Hogg, bowling around the wicket, tossed one wider and Bell, skipping down the pitch, was beaten in the flight and expertly stumped by Gilchrist. The wicket immediately re-energised Australia.”It was a good result,” Ponting said. “We clawed things back, our slower bowlers took over and we did well in the field.”England’s wheels didn’t quite fall off, but the nuts were loosened. Vaughan cut Hogg to point; Kevin Pietersen scratched around before spooning Shaun Tait to cover; Paul Collingwood attempted one his grafting innings, and failed, before Andrew Flintoff – looking very short of form – hooked Stuart Clark to Mitchell Johnson at fine-leg. From 122 for 1, England had slipped to 168 for 6.Tait’s pace was too much for England’s tail and he earned 4-33 while Clark – the eighth bowler – proved the critics wrong with a miserly 3 for 16. The collapse cost England the match.

Fans in the Caribbean will have extensive coverage of the battle for the World Cup © Getty Images

The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) has won the rights to broadcast the 2007 World Cup on television and radio around the Caribbean. The deal includes ball-by-ball coverage of 36 matches on radio, including all games involving West Indies, and broadcasters throughout the region will have access to live TV pictures, daily highlights and a discussion show called At The Wicket.The CMC also has the rights to provide clips for its news packages on the Carib Vision satellite channel and Errol Clarke, CMC’s chief operations officer, was delighted with the extensive deal. “In this very competitive environment, this is truly a huge achievement for CMC.”We are delighted that the Global Cricket Corporation (GCC) had enough confidence in the CMC to give us another opportunity to strengthen our partnership with the ICC.”Clarke believes the deal provides further evidence of the CMC’s commitment to the game and is another example of how every effort is being made to make the 2007 tournament one of most memorable and accessible. “The World Cup is the crown jewel of the CMC’s acquisition of marquee sports properties for the simple reason that the tournament is being played in the Caribbean.””In much the same way the local organising committees are stepping up to stage this global event, the CMC is making every effort to ensure quality coverage for viewers and listeners.”A lot of people are working tirelessly right now to ensure that everything is in place to host the best World Cup ever, and if they achieve their goals, it is important for people of the region to see another shining example of Caribbean excellence.”Ian Frykberg, the managing director of the GCC, said: “It is fitting that a Caribbean company has secured the rights against rivals from overseas. This is going to be a fantastic event for the people of the Caribbean, and we look forward to working closely with the CMC.”The World Cup will be launched with an opening ceremony on March 11 at the new Greenfield Stadium in Jamaica, with the final being staged at the redeveloped Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Glenn McGrath has sent Stephen Fleming from opener to No. 4 for the final Test© Getty Images

The weather has kept a soppy series bubbling. Australia’s bright summer streak popped at six with the draw at Wellington and New Zealand – amazingly, considering the way they have been allowed to perform – have a chance of squaring the series at Auckland. It is a limited but valid opportunity.Historical records tell the Black Caps they have an even chance of taking the three-Test affair. Eden Park has hosted six Trans-Tasman Tests and the ledger is square at three-all. However, the forecast says it could be another dreary contest with showers predicted until Monday. At least. A draw would be a positive result for Stephen Fleming as he looks ahead to two Tests against Sri Lanka.The most relevant question is do Australia, a week out from holidays after eight months on the road, have one last burst left? They have thumped Fleming’s side over two series this season, and Ricky Ponting wanted 40 more overs at Wellington to mop up New Zealand’s second innings. Instead the dried-out Australians would like to sign-off on their dominating gallop across the two islands with a convincing performance. At Christchurch they won by nine wickets; at the Basin Reserve they had a 278-run advantage in less than three days when the plug was pulled. It is an equation of Australia’s energy versus New Zealand’s resistance.Fleming’s side, batting and captaincy are suffering, but he could afford only one alteration to the squad, James Marshall joining his identical twin Hamish at Craig McMillan’s expense. The less things change the more the result should stay the same. Fleming has taken the downward step to No. 4 and been looking for ways to upset Glenn McGrath’s ease at finding his front pad in front. Australia’s attack will not be touched and there was barely a whisper of push for Brett Lee.The Paul Wiseman v Iain O’Brien debate is still alive after two weeks and is vital to the power – or impotency – of an attack that has given up 1137 runs in two Tests at 3.9 an over. The rain and early life of a drop-in pitch didn’t win O’Brien his third Test, but the return of Wiseman’s offspin was a sensible option to provide slow support for Daniel Vettori.Australia won the last encounter at Eden Park in 1999-2000 when Colin Miller’s second-innings five wickets were more valuable than Vettori’s 12 in the match. Before that New Zealand were victorious three times in a row on a ground that makes Australians shudder at their team’s lack of success. Bruce Edgar’s 161 and Richard Hadlee’s seven victims in 1981-82 toppled Chappell, Lillee and Marsh, John Bracewell, the current coach, took 10 to claim the 1985-86 series, and in 1992-93 Dipak Patel and Danny Morrison hauled five-wicket bags to draw New Zealand level against Border, Warne, Waugh, Healy and Martyn.They were heady matches, but Eden Park is now in the grip of rugby season – the Auckland Blues have a Super 12 bye after a two-two win-loss record – and cricket has one last hold before the goalposts are wheeled out properly for winter. However, the low attendances of the opening Tests suggest local views are All Black once autumn arrives and they have little appreciation of any-coloured caps. It should be a sombre end to a draining summer.Peter English is Australasian editor of Cricinfo.