The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 46

46 www.smh.com.au Thursday, October 12, 2000 Chris Anstey Bulls hit NBA dream Page 45 Craig Young Spring carnival clues Page 44 Sport ft JK -J Li Wounded giants look for help from those they once slaughtered They lorded it over the cricket world for so long but now the struggling Windies need our assistance, writes GregBaum. SPORT UPDATE PARALYMPICS A wonder from 2km down under Watching Buggsy North play volleyball recalls what Samuel Johnson remarked about a dog walking on two legs: the wonder is not that he does it well but that he does it at all. Buggsy hasn't got any legs, having lost them two kilometres below the ground in a central Queensland coalmine when a surgeon removed them with a hand saw. Page 44 SOCCER Situation vacant: coach of England Career opportunity. Due to unexpected circumstances, a wonderful opportunity has arisen in the football management sector.

The job would suit an older man, preferably one with the skin of a rhino, patience of a saint, coolness of a diplomat and enthusiasm of a cub scout. The role commands so much interest that your opinion will be sought on all matters, from racing to reincarnation. Page 44 MOTOR SPORT Plans for final fling for fans Formula One fans still angry about missing live coverage of the world championship decider in Suzuka, Japan, may be able to see the last race of the year in Malaysia. It all hinges on the outcome of talks between Channel 9, Fox Sports and Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone. Page 45 He's not one of ours: Ricardo Powell, playing for the Australian Cricket Academy, smashes a six off Tasmanian bowler Ben Targett during a practice match in Adelaide yesterday.

Photo: Bryan Charlton' thy, And they opened negotiations with the England Cricket Board for the England team, which is due to tour the Caribbean this summer, to play in the Busta Cup, the Caribbean first-class competition. England A are led by Gloucestershire's Mark Alleyne, whose family is from Barbados, where he went to school. Truly, cricket is a polyglot world. The Australian academy regularly hosts development players from India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and last year worked briefly with Indian stars Sachin Tendulkar and Agit Agarkar in their off-season. But never before has it acted virtually as a training camp for the major touring team of the summer.

The five who were dispatched to Adelaide struggled at first with the weather, and with the rigours of the academy's live-in program. But, said Phillips, they had adapted well. "They thoroughly appreciate what we have here," he said. "They're good blokes. By the way, do you know when they're announcing their touring team?" For now, at least, everyone is on the same side.

Waugh flies into flak Page 45 in England in the northern summer, is a certainty. Gayle, who played one, is likely to earn a place, and Powell will be picked at least for the one-dayers. Talk about philanthropy Talk about turning the other cheek. Talk about giving a sucker an even break. Wayne Phillips, one-time left-handed opener and sometime Australian wicketkeeper, was made to suffer as much as anyone under the West Indies' two decades of tyranny.

Yesterday at park "25, Phillips, now an academy coach, was cutting up tomatoes and cucumbers for lunch for the Caribbean's next generation. "It's fortunate I don't hold a grudge!" he said. "But seriously, the game of cricket doesn't belong to Australia. While we're going so well, it's our responsibility to the game to ensure not only that it survives but it prospers. We're thrilled that the West Indies board think we've got something to offer." Australian Cricket Board spokesman Brian Murgatroyd added: "We mustn't take the narrow view.

The health of the game worldwide is just as important as the health of the game in Australia. It benefits them to be here, 1 For 20 years until 1995 it was said the West Indians needed to be taught a lesson. Now the boot is so firmly on the other foot that some of them have come to Australia voluntarily to learn one. In one of the unlikelier twists of cricket history, four West Indian Test players are in Adelaide, training with and playing for the Australian Cricket Academy, to acclimatise and harden themselves for the Test series against Australia this summer. On Monday, at park 25, Ramnaresh Sarwan made a century against Tasmania.

Chris Gayle and Ricardo Powell have made runs, too. Also playing are Daren Ganga, an opening bat with four Tests to his name, and Jermaine Lawson, an uncapped 19-year-old tearaway who took a hat-trick in the under-19 World Cup earlier this year. All five hope to be picked in the Windies' squad for the summer, to be announced soon. Sarwan, who played three Tests and hopefully it will benefit the cricket this summer." It sounds patronising. It is.

More than that, it's true. "What world cricket needs most is for Australia to be less dominant," said an International Cricket Council eminence recently. It was tantamount to a policy statement For 20 years, the same was said of the West Indies. Then their era came to an end. There was no next wave; they had all emigrated or were playing basketball.

Two months ago, the Windies lost a series to England for the first time since before the moon landing. The future looked bleak. The West Indies' response has been as unorthodox as Michael Bevan's bowling. They have thrown themselves to the mercy and goodwill of the cricket world which they lorded over with such disdain. They paid to send their best young players here rather than to the ICC knockout tournament, choosing to let a shadow team cop a 108-run beating from Sri Lanka in Nairobi in order to pursue the longer-term good.

They inducted teams from the US and Canada into the Red Stripe Bowl, the West Indies' domestic one-day competition, which began in Jamaica on Wednesday. ODD SPOT Women met equal money at Open AUSTRALIAN OPEN Richard Hinds Mum blows the whistle on coach The mother of a Georgia Tech football player says she will bring criminal charges against Yellow Jackets head coach George O'Leary after an incident at practice left her son physically and emotionally bruised. Wanda Charpring, the mother of back-up offensive tackle Dustin Vaitekunas, says she will file assault and battery charges against O'Leary over the incident, which took place at the end of practice. That evening at Rose Bowl Field, O'Leary called the 200cm, 145kg sophomore lineman to the front of the assembled team and handed him a football. He put four defensive linemen in their three-point stance and blew a whistle.

At least some of the linemen hit Vaitekunas at full speed. The players went down in a pile. When the defensive linemen got up, Vaitekunas didn't. The team physician and trainers attended to Vaitekunas for15 minutes before helping him off the field. "We had just finished running gassers sprints and that usually takes it out of me pretty good," Vaitekunas said, "so I was standing in the back and couldn't hear what he O'Leary was saying.

The other players turned around and said, 'Dustin, get up there'. Coach O'Leary handed me the ball and said, 'This is what it feels like when you mess up the blocking'. He lined up four guys about six yards away and when he blew the whistle, they basically teed off on me." Vaitekunas hasn't returned to classes or practice. "I was injured physically and mentally," he said, "but to tell the truth, maybe more mentally." 15 QUIZ 4 If I Sporting question of the day How many times did the New York Yankees win the World Series in the 1990s? YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Name the host course for the world golf championship matchplay event in Melbourne in January. The Metropolitan Golf Club.

.1 111 ONLINE UPDATE Australian Open organisers have succumbed to years of heavy criticism and player lobbying and next year will offer equal prize-money for women for the first time since 1995. Tennis Australia president Geoff Pollard said the tournament had been "creeping toward equal prizemoney" in small percentages in the past few years and the decision, announced at yesterday's 2001 Australian Open launch, was the fulfilment of their plan to restore equal pay. "We've been increasing it by a percent or so every year and we always said we would get back to equal," Pollard said. "It had been at 95 per cent of the men's prize-money and we couldn't see any real difference between going then to 97 per cent or going all the way" However, while it said the decision had been taken independently, Tennis Australia has been under strong pressure from the Women's Tennis Association and some of the more strident commentators, such as American Pam Shriver, to grant equal pay since it increased the men's prizemoney by 17 per cent and the women's by just six per cent in 1996. The subsequent emergence of a number of brilliant, charismatic and popular women players, including the Williams sisters, Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova, at the same time the men's game has suffered what some believe is a post-McEnroe "personality drain" has also put pressure on the organisers to achieve parity.

With the US Open, the Australian Open will be the second grand slam tournament to have equal prizemoney. While he did not wish to comment on other events, Pollard seemed optimistic about the possibility of Wimbledon and the French Open following suit soon. Australian Open tournament director Paul McNamee said he expected the ATP Tour and the men players to accept the increase in prizemoney for women, although, "the odd male player will always have a view, Swiss doesn't miss: World Nol Martina Hingis returns to the winner's circle with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Jelena Dokic in the second round of the Swisscom Challenge. Photo: AFP Pad up for innings in the pavilion Stay up-to-date with the action from the International Cricket Council knockout tournament in Kenya through our dedicated cricket site, www.thepavilion.com.au "1 DIALOGUE We've been increasing it by a percent or so every year and we always said we would get back to equal Tennis Australia president GEOFF POLLARD doubles commitments even if they are still active in the latter stages of the singles. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario was the only player, man or woman, in the top 20 who said she would not play the Open.

While further withdrawals are inevitable, McNamee was confident Andre Agassi would play despite the serious illnesses of his mother and sister which forced him to miss the Olympics. The middle Sunday of the tournament will be a charity day, with the organisers to donate $2 to local charities for every ticket stub deposited in bins at Melbourne Park. Pollard was confident that Laver Arena. Pollard claimed that because of the access it granted to the new arena as well as three other show courts, the Australian Open's $20 grounds pass was "the best value sports pass in the In other announcements yesterday: It was confirmed that mixed-doubles matches at the Open this year will be the best of two sets, with matches standing at one set all to be decided by a tie-breaker. The final will be best of three sets.

It is hoped the less onerous format will encourage more high-profile players to enter the mixed doubles and to fulfil their Prizemoney for the Australian Open this year will be $13,860,000, an increase of 11.5 per cent on last year. The continuing dive of the Australian dollar, particularly against the US dollar, means there will be a real decrease in prizemoney for some foreign-based players, although McNamee did not expect currency problems to have an impact on entries. "It is one of the mandatory events for the men now, anyway, like all grand slams and the Masters Series events and the women's prizemoney has obviously increased sigiuficantly? McNamee said. "It won't be a factor." Yesterday's Open launch was Australian tennis's problem pair Jelena Dokic and Mark Philippoussis could be lured back into national service. Dokic has said she would not represent Australia again after continued attacks on her father, and Philippoussis has made himself unavailable for the Davis Cup against Spain in December.

However, Pollard said he hoped Dokic would change her mind before she was due to represent Australia again, at the Fed Cup next April. He was also heartened by the apparent thawing of relations between Philippoussis and Pat Rafter at a tournament in Hong Kong last week. held in a new arena. The new show court will come into operation in January, a year behind schedule after it was deemed unfit for play at this year's Open a decision vindicated by the problems experienced at Colonial Stadium, which was opened before building work had been completed. The Open will be the only grand slam with two outdoor indoor courts, something that should ensure the tournament is weather-proof.

However, there will be no night play on the new court this year and all the singles matches from the quarter-finals will be played on the main Rod Prepare for a long, dull summer As the saying goes, hindsight has 20-20 vision, how- ever the ACB's decision to host the West Indies and Zimbabwe will ensure this summer's action will be the most tedious for a very long time. In light of cricket's recent turbulence, the authorities needed a big summer of competitive cricket to win back disgruntled fans. Instead, we will be dished up a lopsided Test series against the West Indies where, unless rain intervenes, it will be a 5-0 series whitewash against the weakest Windies side to hit our shores. If that wasn't enough, cricketing minnows Zimbabwe will provide only token resistance against the world's best nation. So take it as gospel, Australia will have won 15 consecutive Tests after this series and will easily win the triangular one-day series, dropping maybe one match through the monotony of winning.

Brian Melkie, Leichhardt A lesson in straight sets as Hingis turns the tables on Dokic TENNIS "Sachhetto" Sensational glove soft CONSTRUCTION: Leather Uppers, Leather Linings, Leather Soles. Plains, Toe Cap or Brogues. Black or Tan From Germany's Comfort Shoe Specialist at Sydney's Sioux Specialist Chang was defeated 7-5 6-4 by Cecil Mamit, a fellow American whom he had beaten eariier this year in a hard-court tournament in San Jose, California. Reigning champion Nicolas Kiefer, the second seed, withdrew from the tournament because of an injury to his right wrist. Kiefer sustained the injury before the US Open and it flared up again in Hong Kong, where he won the title last Sunday.

Fellow German David Prinosil, the 14th seed, also departed, running out of energy against South Korean qualifier Yoon Yong-il, who won 6-4 5-7 6-1. AP, Reuters Serena Williams, was no match for Hingis, whose scorching serve resulted in six aces. "I don't think I attacked enough, that was the difference this time," Dokic said. "I let her stay in the points and you can't do that with her." A fresh Hingis, who chose not to play at the Olympics, is still looking for a first career tournament title on home soil. The Swiss player will meet either Russian qualifier Anastasia Myskina or eighth-seeded Elena Dementieva in the quarter-finals.

In first-round action earlier in the day, a sullen Jennifer Capriati scraped past wildcard Lina Krasnoroutskaya 5-7 6-3 7-6 (7-6), in a volatile match vous playing her than against some of the other players." It marked the first time the two players had met outside a grand slam event, Hingis having defeated Dokic in straight sets at the Australian Open prior to her Wimbledon defeat. Hingis broke the Australian early in the opening set to go 3-1 up, with Dokic unable to regain her serve. The two traded breaks early in the second set but Hingis broke again to take a 3-2 lead and once more to go 5-2. Dokic, who lost the Olympic bronze medal match in Sydney to Monica Seles and reached the quarter-finals in Tokyo last week before being beaten by that had the American refusing to shake hands with her 16-year-old Russian opponent, accusing her of unsporting tactics. "Tve been playing 10 years and never thought I would ever do anything like that," said Capriati, who won her ninth career tournament title in Luxembourg two weeks ago.

"Until now, someone has never driven me to that point Her behaviour on the court was unprofessional. "It was a lot of things. I have shoulder problems and she would keep saying 'Come on, go', even after the points it was disrespectful on her part Then she was stalling on my serve and the umpire thought I was right and gave her warnings." In Tokyo, No 3 seed Mark Philippoussis blasted fellow Australian Wayne Arthurs 6-2 7-5 in the second round of the Japan Open tennis tournament on Wednesday. An error-prone Arthurs never presented a serious challenge to Philippoussis and his booming serve. Top seed Gustavo Kuerten swept aside Chile's Nicolas Massu but fifth seed Michael Chang fell.

World No 3 Kuerten, returning after being defeated in the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Open last week by Patrick Rafter, took a while to find his stride before overwhelming Massu 7-6 (7-5) 6-0. Zurich: World No i Martina Hingis avenged her famous Wimbledon loss to Jelena Dokic on Tuesday, beating the Australian in straight sets in the second round of the Swisscom Challenge. Hingis took 51 minutes to dispatch Dokic 6-3 6-2, erasing unpleasant memories of her 1999 first-round Wimbledon defeat to Dokic, then ranked 129th in the world, in what was considered the biggest upset in Open-era history. "It was good it didn't happen again today" said Hingis, fresh off her singles and doubles triumph in Filderstadt on Sunday. I was maybe a bit more ner Featured: "Timon" Plain Toe CREDIT CARDS WELCOME CM .2.