NZ players shocked by earthquake

New Zealand cricketers, in India for the ICC World Cup, react in horror to the grim news that at least 65 people had died in the Christchurch earthquake.

"Thoughts go out to the people of Chch today. Terrible thing to have happened again," New Zealand opener Martin Guptill wrote on Twitter.

The 6.3 magnitude quake hit New Zealand's second city and the death toll was likely to rise in a region still recovering from a 7.0 quake in September last year.

"The team woken early in India to news of another Christchurch earthquake. Thoughts are with everyone and hoping all are OK," New Zealand Cricket said on their Twitter account.

International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat said that an appropriate gesture of respect will be made when New Zealand face Australia in their next game in Nagpur on Friday.

"At times like this, sport can only offer its support and its deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones during such a tragedy," said Lorgat.

"It's a helpless feeling but I will be discussing with the organisers of the World Cup how we can most appropriately remember those who lost their lives or have been injured and affected when the Black Caps play their next match against Australia in Nagpur on Friday.

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"We have already contacted New Zealand Cricket's chief executive Dr Justin Vaughan to express our concern for him, his staff and the people of Christchurch.

"On behalf of everyone at the ICC and the World Cup we send our heartfelt condolences."

Veteran Kiwi player Scott Styris also expressed his concerns.

"Watching CNN. Amazing scenes. Some worried boys here in India. Be safe," he wrote on Twitter.

England off-spinner Graeme Swann shared the concern of his rivals.

"Shocking news for Christchurch. Fingers crossed for everyone's safety."

New Zealand media manager Ellery Tappin sought to allay concerns.

"All immediate friends and family are okay, but that doesn't detract from the fact that there have been fatalities," Tappin said.

Among the New Zealand World Cup squad, fast bowler Hamish Bennett plays for the Canterbury team in the devastated area while coach John Wright was born in the region.

The news would have also rattled Netherlands captain Peter Borren who was born in Christchurch.

New Zealand are slated to play their second World Cup game against Australia in Nagpur on Friday.

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Tasmania close in on final

Tasmania are on the verge of securing a Sheffield Shield final spot after Luke Butterworth led them to a commanding position against Western Australia at the WACA Ground.

Western Australia vs Tasmania

Stumps

SHEF - WACA Ground21 February 2011 - Day 2, Session 3Tasmania 1st Innings

Western Australia won the toss and elected to Bat.

Western AustraliaWestern Australia160 TasmaniaTasmania8/411 BatsmenRunsBalls4s6sSRL. Butterwort...9115810057.59B. Hilfenhaus4130030.77

The Tigers finished day two at 8-411 in their first innings, leading WA by 251.

Butterworth ripped through WA's top and middle orders on day one, claiming a career-best 6-51, and continued his brilliant form with the bat with 91 not out to leave his third Shield century and first in the competition since 2007 within reach.

Ben Hilfenhaus was also unbeaten on four.

Mark Cosgrove (86) produced a 129-run partnership with Butterworth for the sixth wicket, which saw Tasmania improve from 5-208 to a position where they'll be heavily favoured for the outright victory that will all but ensure their spot in next month's final.

The second-placed Tigers moved 14 points clear of third spot when they claimed first innings points earlier in the day and will guarantee a spot in the decider with two matches still to play if they win outright and Queensland don't take the six points from their in-progress match against South Australia.

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WA's slim hopes of making the decider will also end unless they can claim an unlikely outright victory.

Cosgrove's third score above 80 from his last five Shield innings came off just 104 balls and included 13 boundaries, while he was backed up by Ed Cowan (81) and Nick Kruger (68).

Pace bowlers Ryan Duffield and Michael Hogan and part-time spinner Marcus North each have two wickets for the Warriors.

Tasmania began the day at 0-79, after they bowled WA out for 160 on day one, and Kruger and Cowan continued their good form on their way to a 137-run partnership.

But their dismissals before lunch sparked a collapse, with the Tigers losing 4-31 at one stage midway through the day.

Cosgrove and Butterworth saw the Tigers through to tea in a strong position and continued their good form after the break.

Butterworth's half-century was his first in the Shield in nearly two years but Cosgrove finally fell when he tried to hook Hogan over the fine leg boundary but miscued it.

Debutant wicketkeeper Tom Triffitt (16) then bizarrely slipped and fell back onto his stumps when taking off for a single and Xavier Doherty (14) was caught behind off North, before Hilfenhaus and Butterworth saw them through to stumps.

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Mike Hussey on Fox Sports

Injured batsman Mike Hussey will offer a unique insight into the Australian camp as a special guest commentator on Fox Sports coverage of the 2011 ICC World Cup.

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Hussey will join Brendon Julian and Allan Border for Australia’s mouthwatering showdown with New Zealand this Friday in Nagpur.

The defending champions will look to make it 31 consecutive World Cup games unbeaten but face a Black Caps side buoyed by their massive opening win over Kenya.

Join Mr Cricket, BJ and AB for live coverage of Australia's clash with New Zealand from 2:30pm EDT on Fox Sports 2HD and Fox Sports 2.

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Brisbane chairman quits, Lockyer speaks

Brisbane Broncos chairman Darryl Somerville has resigned in protest over the shock sacking of coach Ivan Henjak.

Somerville has let it be known that while he respects the decision of board and CEO Paul White he could not personally support it.

He offered to stay on as chairman until the next Annual General Meeting on April 20 but it was agreed to accept the resignation now.

Because the Broncos are a listed company the ASX has been informed.

Meanwhile, captain Darren Lockyer denied he and teammates were to blame for coach Henjak's sacking, as it emerged new chief executive Paul White was left to do the dirty work his predecessor would not.

It has been revealed the Broncos board discussed Henjak's position last October, with four of the five directors in favour of sacking him as a result of an unfavourable player review after Brisbane missed the finals for the first time in 19 seasons.

No official vote was taken and his position was saved when chairman Darryl Somerville - one of those who originally supported his appointment when Wayne Bennett left in 2009 - threatened to resign if Henjak was dumped.

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Then chief executive Bruno Cullen sided with his chairman and Henjak survived, and it was instead left to White to make the change 18 days out from the club's first game of the 2011 season.

Lockyer quickly moved to clear himself and his players of blame for Henjak's demise even though their end-of-season reviews last year were less than favourable.

"The players feel for Ivan but we have to all move forward in the best interest of the club and our fans," said Lockyer after the playing group was briefed on developments by White and operations manager Andrew Gee on Tuesday morning.

Lockyer denied falling out with Henjak after he rejected his plea to return from a bad rib injury to play against Canberra in a game Brisbane had to win to make the finals.

"That's not true,'' Lockyer said.

"I know there are rumours going around that I had a falling out with Ivan but that wasn't the case.

"We had a good relationship but at times last year when we were going through a pretty bad trot I think everyone was down a bit.

"Ivan and I had a good relationship and there was never a falling out."

A successful mining company executive who won premierships in central Queensland as a player and coach and was also named in the Queensland Police Team of the Century along with Bennett and Mal Meninga, White knows a bit about what it takes to be a successful team.

When he took up his post in January, White conducted his own detailed review, holding interviews with players and staff.

It was then he discovered the club had failed to act on a decision to replace Henjak in 2010.

The six time premiers have floundered with some key decisions since Bennett, who established the culture at the club, ended his 21-year reign in 2009.

He walked because he felt he had lost the support of Cullen and his control within the club.

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Ironically, Henjak's sacking, Cullen's retirement and Somerville's resignation could all be catalysts for Bennett to return to the Broncos in 2012.

Bennett is a good friend of White's from his early days in the police force and he respects Gee, one of the players he relied on heavily at club and Origin level.

South Sydney owner Russell Crowe has reportedly made a $1 million play for Bennett, but living in Sydney does not appeal to him.

The opportunity to return home to Brisbane to his family and farm and to the Broncos, a club he made the most successful in Australia, is firming sharply.

- additional reporting Matt Marshall, The Courier-Mail.

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Ponting reportedly smashes TV

Australia captain Ricky Ponting smashed a television set in a fit of fury after being run out during the ICC World Cup match against Zimbabwe, a local official claimed.

The incident happened after Ponting returned to the dressing-room and saw the replay of his dismissal on TV during his team's 91-run win at the Sardar Patel stadium on Monday.

"It is true that Ponting smashed the LCD (TV) in the Australian dressing-room," Gujarat Cricket Association secretary Rajesh Patel said.

"I think he must have been frustrated at his early dismissal.

"We have informed the International Cricket Council as well as the Australian team management about the incident."

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Ponting, who made 28, was found short of his crease at the non-striker's end by a direct throw from Chris Mpofu during the Group A encounter.

Australia media manager Lachy Patterson said he was not aware of any such incident.

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Stoner fastest in Malaysia test

Australia rider Casey Stoner finishes on top of the MotoGP testing timesheet, as Honda riders dominated the opening day of a three-day test at Malaysia's Sepang circuit.

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The Repsol Honda rider led his teammate Dani Pedrosa and reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo of Spain after clocking two minutes 0.987 seconds on his only lap at the first day of the second pre-season MotoGP test.

Pedrosa was the second quickest with 0.373 seconds behind Stoner, while fellow Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso was in fifth place with a time of 2:01.747.

Lorenzo was third fastest on his Yamaha, with a time of 2:01.468 after he spent the day trying a modified chassis in a bid to deal with a chatter problem encountered last time out at his track.

San Carlo Honda Gresini pair Hiroshi Aoyama and Marco Simoncelli finished at the seventh and eighth places as Simoncelli, who set the best time at the previous test, worked towards better grip and braking performance.

The highest placing Ducati on day one was multiple world champion Valentino Rossi, who managed ninth on the timesheet with 1.012 seconds off Stoner.

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Rossi, however, appeared to enjoy improved comfort in his shoulder compared to the previous test at Sepang three weeks ago, when he made a return after a shoulder injury.

Mapfre Aspar rider Hector Barbera and Ducati Team's Nicky Hayden both experienced crashes during the earlier half of the day and escaped uninjured, finally placing their respective Desmosedicis at the 11th and 12th place.

The riders will have a further session in Qatar ahead of the start of the new season at the emirate's Losail Circuit on March 20.

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Bartel out with tonsil trouble

Geelong star Jimmy Bartel will miss the Cats' next two AFL pre-season NAB Cup games after having his tonsils removed.

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The 2007 Brownlow Medallist was among the best for Geelong in their weekend wins over Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne.

But assistant coach Blake Caracella said the midfielder had been struggling for weeks with tonsillitis.

"I think you try and get over these things for a while because you get sick then it goes away and then you get sick again," Caracella said.

"Jimmy's decided now that enough's enough, so he's getting it done."

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Caracella said Bartel was expected to be fine to play in the Cats' final pre-season match and the start of the pre-season.

Geelong open the season against St Kilda, with those two clubs also set to meet on Saturday night in the second round of the NAB Cup competition.

Captain Cameron Ling (hamstring), Matthew Scarlett (ankle), Paul Chapman (calf) and Travis Varcoe (shoulder), who all missed the NAB Cup opening round, will again sit out Saturday night's match.

Forward James Podsiadly will also miss the game after fracturing a hand on Sunday, with Ling and Podsiadly also in doubt for the start of the home and away season.

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