O'Keefe exits squad as both teams ponder selections

Jesse Hogan 4:56 PM   Australia and New Zealand are still mulling over the composition of their bowling attacks, but the hosts' team will definitely not include Steve O'Keefe.

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O'Keefe exits squad as teams ponder selections

Steve Smith will stay at No.3 but no final decision on the bowling lineup has been made yet.

Jesse Hogan 4:56 PM   Australia and New Zealand are still mulling over the composition of their bowling attacks, but the hosts' team will definitely not include Steve O'Keefe.

McCullum driven to extend unbeaten streak

Brendon McCullum's three-year tenure as New Zeland Test captain is winding towards an end.

Jesse Hogan 6:31 PM   As Brendon McCullum's three-year tenure as Test captain winds towards an end, maybe even at the end of this summer, he is still driven to extend the unbeaten streak that demands his New Zealand team be respected.

Long day's journey into night Test

At Adelaide Oval, the waiting is almost over.

Greg Baum 6:15 PM   We've waited and waited for this historic Test. At lights out on Friday night, we will all be a little wiser. On Saturday morning, the waiting and twiddling of fingers will resume.

Pink ball brings in an unknown unknown

Malcolm Knox

Malcolm Knox 6:02 PM   The modern cricketer is so thoroughly drilled, that the sudden intrusion of a rogue factor - in this case a pink ball - can so discombobulate the mind.

Langer calls for an end to Test draws

The WACA Test ended in a draw last week.

Justin Chadwick 3:11 PM   Former Australian opening batsman Justin Langer has called for an end to draws in Test cricket, saying a system should be put in place where a winner is decided.

Proteas face target of 310 to level India series

Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, center, celebrates with teammates after claiming the wicket of South African captain Hashim Amla on the second day of the third cricket test match between the two countries in Nagpur, India, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

10:48 PM   India took complete control of the third Test against South Africa after bowling out the visitors for 79 in their first innings before setting them a 310-run victory target on the second day of a spin-dominated contest on Thursday.

Umpires begin tests to wear baseball helmets

Protected: Home plate umpires in the MLB wear protective headgear and face masks.

9:53 AM   Baseball style helmets have been tested for use by cricket umpires as the game looks to improve safety standards a year on from the death of Phillip Hughes.

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Latest cricket news

Kookaburra raises pink-ball concerns before day-night Test

David Warner throws pink balls at a nets session on Thursday.

Andrew Wu 10:34 PM   As cricket embarks on the start of a new era, Kookaburra, the manufacturer of the pink ball to be used for the historic day/night Test, concedes there will be times when players lose sight of the ball.

Henriques 'ready to go' despite tragic anniversary

Team mentor: Blues captain Moises Henriques.

Daniel Lane 12:00 AM   NSW captain Moises Henriques conceded it's possible the Sheffield Shield match that starts against Queensland at the SCG on Friday - one-year to the day since Phillip Hughes passed away after being struck by a ball while batting at the ground - could affect some players.

Starc can be the new Johnson: Smith

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 25:  Mitchell Starc bowls during an Australian nets session at the Adelaide Oval on November 25, 2015 in Adelaide, Australia.  (Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)

Andrew Wu 9:45 PM   Steve Smith is backing Mitchell Starc to become Australia's new pace spearhead in the wake of Mitchell Johnson's retiremen

Australia hand Shaun Marsh his best chance

Shaun Marsh waits for his chance in the nets at Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

Jesse Hogan 8:10 PM   The extent to which Australia's leaders are desperate for Shaun Marsh to succeed is reflected in the reshuffling of the batting order to accommodate him, with Steve Smith returning to No.3 and Adam Voges up to No.4.

Grumpy Vics don't faze WA in Shield

Two-year Notts deal: Peter Siddle.

5:45 PM   Western Australia coach Justin Langer insists last week's war-of-words with Victoria have been put to bed as the two teams prepare to slug it out again for a valuable Sheffield Shield win.

Smith shaken on eve of anniversary of Hughes' death

Australia captain Steve Smith leads his team out on to the Gabba to start day four of the first Test. He declared overnight to set New Zealand a victory target of 504.

Andrew Wu 5:28 PM   Australian captain Steve Smith says he was shaken by the training accident in which a net bowler was felled by a head knock a year to the day Phillip Hughes was fatally struck.

Players are the ones who makes games great

John Buchanan coaches the Australian team when it was the best in the world.

Martin Flanagan 5:21 PM   Games are ultimately about the players, not the ever-growing number of people who buzz around them. Similarly, what make great games are great players.

Cricketer escapes serious injury after head blow

Australia players and staff surround an Adelaide club cricketer after he was struck on the head by a ball hit by all-rounder Mitch Marsh during a training session under floodlights at Adelaide Oval, in preparation for the pink-ball Test.

Jesse Hogan 7:44 AM   An Adelaide club cricketer was examined by Cricket Australia medical staff and team officials after he was struck in the back of the head while bowling to the Australian team in their training session under floodlights on Wednesday.

Sydney rapper's moving tribute to Phillip Hughes

New music: Urthboy has released four solo albums as well as five albums with The Herd.

James Polson 6:13 AM   Sydney rapper Urthboy has released a new single, Nambucca Boy, a tribute to Phillip Hughes as the first anniversary of the former Test batsman's death approaches.

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Victory in Adelaide helped Lyon cope after Hughes tragedy

Nathan Lyon and teammates celebrate after he takes the wicket of Ishant Sharma to wrap up the Adelaide Test.

Jesse Hogan   Nathan Lyon snared 12 wickets on his last Test visit to Adelaide Oval, but it was the circumstances it came in that remain far more important than the haul itself.

South Africa lose early wickets after restricting India

South Africa's Kagiso Rabada is lifted up by Morne Morkel after he claimed the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja.

Off-spinner Simon Harmer took four wickets while paceman Morne Morkel bagged three as South Africa skittled India for 215 in the first innings on the opening day of the third Test on Wednesday.

D'Costa and Rogers question whether more could be done to honour memory of Phillip Hughes

Devastating loss: Phillip Hughes died two days after being hit on the head by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield game last year.

Tom Decent   Phillip Hughes' long-time coach and mentor has questioned whether cricket administrators are doing "everything humanly possible" to ensure player safety and honour the memory of the late opener, while Chris Rogers said he could not believe the clip-on helmet guard was not yet mandatory ahead of cricket's new unknown spectacle - the pink ball Test.

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Kookaburra must not drop the ball for third Test

Kookaburra's pink balls allow for day-night cricket but the visibility and durability of the balls has come under the spotlight.

Holly Ferling   COMMENT: The quality of the Kookaburra balls have been questioned by various people in the cricketing world, with more than a dozen ball changes during the WACA Test.

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Hughes scores triple century but selectors will retain Rohrer

Prolific: NSW batsman Dan Hughes.

Tom Decent   Daniel Hughes belted an unbeaten triple century in a Futures League match on Wednesday but NSW selectors will stick with Ben Rohrer at number six for their Sheffield Shield match at the SCG on Friday.

Nervous wait begins for Cairns

Former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns arrives at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday.

Kevin Norquay   When water goes out ahead of a tsunami there is trepidation about it coming back in.

Players to share $1m in pink-ball prizemoney

New Zealand's Mitchell McClenaghan bowls with the pink ball in the nets at Adelaide Oval.

Jesse Hogan   Most of Australia's players will be in line for a bonus of at least $60,000 if they can avoid defeat in the inaugural day-night Test.

ACT Meteors bowler kicks goals with Sydney Sixers contract

ACT Meteors bowler Jodie Hicks, has signed with the Sydney Sixers in the Women's Big Bash League.

Lee Gaskin   ACT Meteors bowler Jodie Hicks has signed with the Sydney Sixers for the Women's Big Bash League after playing for the Melbourne Demons in the women's AFL this year.

Search for Williamson weakness could lead to O'Keefe

Kane Williamson waits for his chance to have a bat in the nets at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.

Jesse Hogan   Australia's best chance of finally stopping Kane Williamson could rest with the newest member of their Test squad: Steve O'Keefe.

In the beginning, there was ... a no-ball

Remember when: Len Pascoe (left) and Barry Richards enjoyed a re-enactment of the first ball bowled under lights at Adelaide Oval.

Greg Baum   There's a first time for everything, and Friday's pink-ball Test match isn't really it.

Boult bounces back from injury

Challenge: New Zealand quick Trent Boult must prove his fitness before Friday's third Test.

Jesse Hogan   Trent Boult responded to a demand to prove his recovery from a back injury in fine fashion – by forcing his captain Brendon McCullum to swerve some well-directed bouncers in the nets while passing the first stage of a fitness test.

Adelaide pitch perfect for the pink: Lyon

Memorable win: Nathan Lyon celebrates after the final wicket in Adelaide last year.

Jesse Hogan   The Australian player most qualified to pass judgment, Nathan Lyon, suspects turf conditions for the Test debut of the pink ball probably could not be more conducive to it passing its first major examination.

Colour-deficient, but not blind to possibilities of night Tests

Colour-deficient: Victorian captain Matthew Wade tries to focus on the pink ball

Chris Rogers   As someone who is colour-deficient, I'm happy to be on the other side of the fence for the first ever day-night Test. But it still feels like the start of something.

Adelaide Test: Mitch Marsh says he's playing for the team

West Aussie Mitch Marsh is under pressure to hold his spot in the Test team.

Australian allrounder Mitchell Marsh says he's playing for the team, not his average, as he prepares for a career-defining Test match.

Highlights

'Unfit' pitch or dummy-spit?

After walking off the pitch without facing a ball, the Kiwis said the pitch was 'unfit'.

Warner says he will play through pain

Opener concedes the ongoing pain from a broken thumb will be with him for the rest of his career.

Who can step up to fill holes in Test team?

I wish I was 21 again. This year will give so many opportunities to young cricketers.

Friends and foes

From Shane Warne to Simon Katich - the relationships retiring skipper Michael Clarke has had in Australian cricket.

England, we need to take a break

Greg Baum: There's no easy way to say this, but it's time we took a break.

Baum's interview with Arthur Morris in 2011

Morris's provenance was classically Australian. He was born in Bondi, but grew up in rural Dungog, later famous as Doug Walters' hometown.

Michael Vaughn: A golden generation

This is an England team of huge promise who have achieved success far quicker than I ever expected.

The best sledges in Ashes history

Clarke to Anderson: 'Get ready for a broken f....... arm'

The greatest Ashes series ever?

Jesse Hogan revisits the memorable 2005 Ashes series.

Ashes flashback: England 2013

The 2013 series in England proved a turning point for Australia.

Ashes flashback: England 2009

A stark reminder for the Aussies that their glory days were over.

Richie Benaud - His life in pictures

Cricket legend Richie Benaud has passed away aged 84.

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