Substitutes not used: J Murphy gk Hoyte
Substitutes not used: J Murphy (gk), Hoyte.Wigan Athletic (4-4-2): Filan; Chimbonda, Scharner, De Zeeuw, Baines; Teale (Thompson, 58), Bullard, Kavanagh (Ziegler, 63) McCulloch; Camara (Johansson, 82), Roberts. When the team goes a goal behind like that, they can flag, but I was impressed by the response. I enjoyed looking round for the leaders who were going to drag the others through."Thus, the only miracle on the day was that so many dragged themselves through the second half to demand the sacking of the Sunderland board after the final whistle.Goal: Camara (8) 0-1.Sunderland (4-4-2): Davis; Nosworthy, Caldwell, D Collins, McCartney; Delap (Le Tallec, 63), Whitehead, Leadbitter, Arca (Lawrence, h-t); Kyle, Elliott (Stead, 86). It climaxed with the non-scoring £1.8m striker Jon Stead missing from a yard or so in the final minute."I thoroughly enjoyed it," said Kevin Ball of his first game since last week's dismissal of Mick McCarthy "As a manager you look for the positives. If we continue playing like we did today, we'll finish on 43 points." The goal aside, this was painful watching - "like having teeth out without anaesthetic", Jewell said.Sunderland bossed the remainder of the first half while lacking the Camara-class to beat the excellent John Filan, but then played what must surely have been the least effectual second half that the Premiership has witnessed since Sunderland were relegated with a record low of 19 points in 2003. It was Wigan's first win in nine matches and it gave the miracle renewed substance."I want to make sure the season doesn't peter out," said Jewell "We don't want to just stumble over the finish line. If we play as we did against Manchester United last Monday, we'll end up in Europe.
It would be a miracle - but it is a miracle for us to be where we are."Ellington's replacement, Henri Camara, won the game with a wondrous eighth-minute strike, after Lee McCulloch had risen above a host of half-hearted defenders. Yet Sunderland, on 10 points with a caretaker manager taking charge of his first game, stare gloomily at the probability of becoming statistically the worst side in Premiership history, while Wigan, 33 points ahead, are starry-eyed at the possibility of Europe. "It has to be a reality because there are so few games left," the Wigan manager Paul Jewell said "We must have a chance because we are up there. Wigan left the Stadium of Light wondering if miracles really might happen, while hundreds of Sunderland supporters did not bother to leave immediately, gathering outside to protest against the chairmanship of Bob Murray in the knowledge that they need more than a miracle. These two teams were promoted last season, Sunderland seven points ahead of Wigan as champions. These two teams invested the same amount of money over the summer - Sunderland's £4m compares favourably to Wigan's £6m as the latter also had to replace Nathan Ellington, whom they sold for £3m. After allowing India's last five wickets to contribute 185 to their total of 338, England enter the final day of the Test with a lead of just 74. Andrew Flintoff and Geraint Jones will commence battle this morning, and much is needed from them.
To the uninitiated, Anil Kumble looks a pretty ordinary bowler. His leg-breaks possess little mystery and he is not a huge spinner of the cricket ball. "Cricket is getting bizarre these days," the recipient said.ScoreboardAustralia won tossAustralia Innings? C Gilchrist c Hall b Telemachus 5570 min, 44 balls, 9 foursS M Katich c Telemachus b Ntini 79135 min, 90 balls, 9 fours, 1 six*R T Ponting c Dippenaar b Telemachus 164151 min, 105 balls, 13 fours, 9 sixesM E K Hussey c Ntini b Hall 8175 min, 51 balls, 9 fours, 3 sixesA Symonds not out 2723 min, 13 balls, 3 fours, 1 sixB Lee not out 912 min, 7 ballsExtras (lb4 w5 nb10) 19Total (for 4, 50 overs) 434Fall: 1-97, 2-216, 3-374, 4-407.Did not bat: D R Martyn, M J Clarke, N W Bracken, S R Clark, M L Lewis, G B Hogg.Bowling: Ntini 9-0-80-1; Hall 10-0-81-1; Van der Wath 10-0-75-0; Telemachus 10-0-87-2; Smith 4-0-29-0; Kallis 6-0-70-0; Kemp 1-0-8-0.South Africa InningsG C Smith c Hussey b Clarke 90100 min, 55 balls, 13 fours, 2 sixesH H Dippenaar b Bracken 16 min, 7 ballsH H Gibbs c Lee b Symonds 175143 min, 111 balls, 21 fours, 7 sixesA B de Villiers c Clarke b Bracken 1442 min, 20 balls, 1 fourJ H Kallis c & b Symonds 2022 min, 21 balls, 1 fourM V Boucher not out 5079 min, 43 balls, 4 foursJ M Kemp c Martyn b Bracken 1319 min 17 ballsJ J Van der Wath c Ponting b Bracken 3520 min, 18 balls, 1 four, 3 sixesR Telemachus c Hussey b Bracken 128 min, 6 balls, 2 foursA J Hall c Clarke b Lee 76 min, 4 four, 1 sixM Ntini not out 14 min, 1 ballExtras (b4 lb8 w4 nb4) 20Total (for 9, 49.5 overs) 438Fall: 1-3, 2-190, 3-284, 4-299, 5-327, 6-355, 7-399, 8-423, 9-433.Did not bat: R J Peterson.Bowling: Lee 7.5-0-68-1; Bracken 10-0-67-5; Clark 6-0-54-0; M L Lewis 10-0-113-0; Symonds 9-0-75-2; Clarke 7-0-49-1.Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pak) and B G Jerling (SA).Highest one-day totals* 438 for 9 (49.5 overs) South Africa bt Australia (Johannesburg, 2006)* 434-4 (50 overs) Australia lost to S Africa (Johannesburg, 2006)* 398-5 (50 overs) Sri Lanka bt Kenya (Kandy, 1996)* 397-5 (44 overs) New Zealand bt Zimbabwe (Bulawayo, 2005)* 391-4 (50 overs) England bt Bangladesh (Nottingham, 2005)* 376-2 (50 overs) India bt New Zealand (Hyderabad, 1999)* 373-6 (50 overs) India bt Sri Lanka (Taunton, 1999)* 371-9 (50 overs) Pakistan bt Sri Lanka (Nairobi, 1996). Makhaya Ntini nudged Lee for a single, and Boucher hit the next ball to long-on for four to win the match.Ponting and Gibbs were both awarded man of the match but the Australian - probably in a state of disbelief himself - declined it, saying Gibbs deserved the honour. It ended when Smith was caught in the deep.Gibbs dominated a stand of 94 in which AB de Villiers scored 14, but the centurion went in the 32nd over when he drove to long-on. That slowed the momentum, but the No 8 Johan van der Wath then hit 35 off 18 balls. Australia surged back dismissing Van der Wath, Telemachus and Hall to reduce South Africa to 433 for 9 with three balls left.
But Graeme Smith - who was "a little down at [the halfway] stage" - and Gibbs kept them in it with a stand of 187 off 128 balls, their country's highest partnership against Australia. We played really well and got an unbelievably big total but Herschelle and the boys have just been too good."Adam Gilchrist got the visitors off to a flyer hitting 55 while Simon Katich was relatively calm making 79 off 90 balls. Andrew Hall held a fine catch to dismiss Gilchrist but that brought Ponting to the crease. Katich and his captain put on 119 for the second wicket and Ponting and Michael Hussey then shared 158 for the third before Hussey was caught. Ponting was out in the 48th over when his lofted drive was caught.South Africa fell to 3 for 1 at which point they were 149-1 to win with the bookmakers. Ponting, the Australian captain, reached his ton off 73 balls In all he faced 105 deliveries, hit 13 fours and nine sixes. But Gibbs outshone him with seven sixes in a 111-ball innings.Ponting was gracious in defeat.