The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Harmison sits out warm-up match

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Saturday, Nov 18, 2006
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Harmison sits out warm-up match

ADELAIDE: England's No. 1 fast bowler Steve Harmison was ruled out of his team's final warm-up match before the first Test against Australia due to a side strain. Team officials said they left Harmison out of the three-day match against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval as a precaution. On the first day, England reached 24 for one in reply to South Australia's 247 for seven declared.

An England team spokesman said Harmison felt tightness in his side when he woke up on Friday morning, and although he bowled during the warm-up, the management decided to rest him ahead of the start of the first Test in Brisbane next Thursday.

Harmison's injury comes less than three days after opening batsman Marcus Trescothick returned home after suffering a recurrence of a stress-related illness. England is already missing Michael Vaughan and Simon Jones through injuries.

Sajid Mahmood, who was thought to be out of the running for Test selection after he did not bowl against New South Wales earlier in the week, replaced Harmison in the Adelaide match.

South Australian captain Darren Lehmann won the toss and his team batted first. Shaun Tait, picked in the 13-man Test squad on Thursday, improved his chances of playing in the first Test, claiming the wicket of England opener Andrew Strauss lbw for a duck. Alastair Cook was six not out and Matthew Hoggard 10 not out at stumps.

Lehmann misses century

Earlier, Lehmann crafted a strong rearguard innings only to throw away a century. Lehmann and Cameron Borgas steadied South Australia from 25 for four in the first hour with a partnership of 157. Lehmann was out for 99 when he took on James Anderson's throw from the deep and lost despite scampering hard to complete a second run.

Borgas was out for 73 when he attempted to slog spinner Monty Panesar over mid-wicket. Instead he only skied the ball to Cook, who took a comfortable catch 20 metres inside the boundary.

The scores: South Australia 247 for seven decl. (Darren Lehmann 99, Cameron Borgas 73) vs. England 24 for one. — AP

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