Sacked Flower gets new cricket gig

Flower back in bloom ... Sacked England coach Andy Flower has been appointed technical director of elite coaching for the England and Wales Cricket Board. Source: FRANTZESCO KANGARIS / AFP

FORMER England cricket coach Andy Flower, who stepped down after their humiliating Ashes defeat, has been handed a new role.

Flower left his post as team director following a dreadful tour of Australia, where England suffered a 5-0 series defeat and proceeded to lose seven of the eight limited-overs contests which followed.

The tour also ended the international career of prolific batsman Kevin Pietersen, after concerns over team unity.

It was immediately indicated that Flower would still be a part of England's future plans and details of his role have now been provided.

The 45-year-old Zimbabwean will be working with the next generation of players and coaches and will be setting up a leadership program, an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement says.

Flower's achievements prior to his miserable Ashes farewell were impressive as England won three previous series against Australia under his tutelage, including the 2010-11 series Down Under.

They also claimed the World Twenty20 title in 2010 and reached number one in the world rankings in all three formats. Flower received an OBE in the Queen's 2011 Birthday Honours list.

Flower says he's delighted with the appointment.

"I see this as a great opportunity for me as I start a new phase of my career," he said on Tuesday.

"I am particularly excited about the chance to build and mould a leadership course which is not simply about captaincy but much more.

"This role offers me a chance to make a real contribution to the ability and character of England players and coaches in the years to come."

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Heart fairytale rivals Wanderers

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AS outrageous as it sounds, Melbourne Heart is now a ­contender for this season's A-League championship in what looms as a Steven Bradbury-style finish.

Heart is four points adrift of the top six, but if it makes April's finals series, a grand final appearance on the first weekend of May is a strong possibility.

While Heart has a decent run home that includes games against fellow top-six hopefuls Newcastle, Wellington and Central Coast, John van't Schip's side fears no one. And that's why Heart looms as the team nobody would want to meet in the finals.

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League leader Brisbane Roar succumbed 1-0 to the league's in-form side a fortnight ago at AAMI Park and I wouldn't be surprised if Heart wins again when the sides meet in Brisbane on March 28.

The only blemish during a super consistent seven-game streak that has yielded 19 of a possible 21 points was conceding a last-minute equaliser away to Adelaide United, the team looming as Brisbane's main threat.

With Asian Champions League trio Western Sydney, Melbourne Victory and the Mariners a worry on recent performances, Heart could enter the finals series as the genuine form team.

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Two wins would be enough to propel it to the grand final, a feat that would go close to matching the Wanderers' debut season fairytale.

The mere presence of marquee player Orlando Engelaar lifts his teammates and his quality has been on show. His goal against Victory on Saturday was effortless and one perfectly weighted 50m pass to Mate ­Dugandzic was a ball few A-League players can hit.

With Harry Kewell to give Heart another dimension in attack and youngsters Ben Garuccio and Stefan Mauk improving every week, anything is possible.

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Revealed: Buzz Rothfield’s top 50

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THE best new signings in rugby league in 2014 won't necessarily be Ben Barba at the Broncos, Sam Tomkins at the Warriors or Will Hopoate at Parramatta.

A player on just a third of their salaries might just prove to be the game's top recruit.

Tyrone Peachey, snapped up by the Panthers from the Sharks, has made The Daily's Telegraph's top 50 player list.

VIEW THE LIST NOW: HERE IS OUR SPECIAL TOP 50 INTERACTIVE!

The 22-year-old has the skill to play five-eighth or the strength and size to play back-row.

Despite only seven first grade appearances, plenty of good judges rate him a future State of Origin player.

The experience he gained in last year's finals series will be invaluable in his debut year at the Panthers.

He has been included at number 50.

Peachey is the only Penrith player to make the top 50. The players I had most trouble leaving out were centre Dean Whare and hooker James Segeyaro.

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Buzz's top 50 NRL players. Source: DailyTelegraph

Jamal Idris, Tim Grant and Jamie Soward didn't do enough last year to warrant inclusion.

It's very much a revamped top 50 from last year with nine newcomers in the list of players between 26 and 50.

Jake Friend, Josh Papalii, George Burgess, Boyd Cordner, Jorge Taufua are among the new players that demanded selection.

All four could have made the top 25 list in tomorrow's edition but have been beaten by more experienced players.

DO YOU AGREE? TELL US IN OUR SPECIAL TOP 50 INTERACTIVE!

Obviously there are casualties from last year's top 50.

The likes of Wade Graham, Michael Ennis, Dave Taylor, Sam Kasiano, Kurt Gidley, Dave Shillington and Tony Williams have missed out.

Their form last year wasn't good enough to warrant inclusion, especially big T Rex.

Others have slipped out of the top 25 but still made the top 50.

Ben Barba, on the back of his Dally M year, was rated the fifth best player in rugby league this time last year.

He's slipped 22 spots to 27 this year.

Manly's Anthony Watmough (19 to 30), the Gold Coast's Nate Myles and Greg Bird have also tumbled.

DON'T MISS: PART TWO, 25-1 WILL BE REVEALED ON WEDNESDAY!

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Eriksson rejects racism claim

Sol Campbell claims the governing FA did not want a black player heading the England team. Source: PAUL BARKER / AFP

FORMER England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has denied Sol Campbell's claim he would have been captain of the national side "for more than 10 years" had he been white.

Campbell, one of the leading black English footballers of his generation, made the controversial allegations in a new biography, extracts of which were serialised in Britain's Sunday Times last weekend.

The 39-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal defender said: "I believe if I was white, I would have been England captain for more than 10 years — it's as simple as that.

"I think the FA (England's governing Football Association) wished I was white. I had the credibility, performance-wise to be captain," added Campbell, who led his country on three occasions.

But Eriksson told Britain's Daily Telegraph that David Beckham had always been his first choice as skipper.

"Not a chance — during my years, not a chance," the Swede said of Campbell's claim of captaincy.

"As you know, from my first to my last game, I had David Beckham (as captain) and there were never, ever any discussions at all in the team or in the FA about the captain."

Sven Goran-Eriksson said Campbell had no chance at the captaincy while David Beckham was around. Source: AFP

Former England striker Ian Wright, like Campbell a prominent black English footballer, also contested his former international teammate's assertion, insisting there were better candidates to lead the national side at the time.

"I think he's got the credentials to be captain, but to be captain for 10 years? I'm not sure when you see some of the players that were around then," Arsenal great Wright, who played alongside Campbell for England in the late 1990s, told BBC Radio Five.

"I want a captain that goes in and gets you going. Sol has never had the demeanour where he is aggressive on the pitch and put people in their place.

"People say David Beckham wasn't like that, but he only had to raise his eyebrows to put someone in their place. Maybe Sol could have grown into it but it's down to the manager who he wants.

"Sol was more than good enough to be a captain but I personally believe there were better candidates at the time."

So far the current FA hierarchy have made no public response to Campbell's remarks and British media reports said it was understood they had no plans to comment.

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Pacemen put Australia in charge

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MICHAEL Clarke will be looking to declare for the second time in two days as Australia presses for a series victory in the third and final Test at Newlands.

With the series tied at one-all Australia will resume on Tuesday on 0-27, a lead of 234 with two days to play.

Australia's cause has been helped by a hamstring strain to the world's best fast bowler, Dale Steyn, but he bowled a few warm-up deliveries before Australia's second innings and then joined his teammates during the 20 minutes South Africa was in the field on Monday evening with the hope of bowling on day four.

MATCH CENTRE: VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS, LIVE STATS AND COMMENTARY

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Clarke continued his tradition of refusing to enforce the follow-on despite bowling South Africa out for 287, giving Australia a lead of 207. At the beginning of the day Clarke declared on Australia's overnight score of 7-494, leaving him on 161 not out.

At 6-146 it appeared South Africa would be bowled out cheaply but a fighting 67 from Faf du Plessis and some rearguard batting from Vernon Philander (37 not out) and Steyn (28) boosted the score.

Du Plessis had plenty of good fortune, including being missed twice in one over off spinner Nathan Lyon when wicketkeeper Brad Haddin fumbled a stumping chance and Alex Doolan missed a difficult catch at short leg.

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The South African batsman also received a collective gob full from the Australians after picking the ball up and tossing it back to bowler Mitchell Johnson.

Johnson enhanced his standing as the leading bowler in the series, finishing with 4-42 from 19 overs to continue a long, golden summer. He has 19 wickets for the series at an average of 15 after claiming 37 wickets at 14 in the Ashes.

His new ball partner, Ryan Harris, was also vastly improved after a slow start to the tour, claiming 3-63 from 22 overs.

The veteran paceman conjured the ball of the match with late reverse swing to bowl the dangerous Hashim Amla for 38 as South Africa's batsmen crumbled.

Harris claimed three of the first six wickets to fall, removing Amla and JP Duminy during a wonderful exhibition of reverse swing bowling.

Australia's pace bowling was a welcome change from the second Test in Port Elizabeth, where they were impotent while South Africa was devastating with reverse swing.

Ryan Harris celebrates after dismissing Graeme Smith. Source: AFP

Harris claimed his first wicket in just the third over of the day when he had South African captain Graeme Smith caught behind for 5, continuing his poor series with the bat.

Smith has scored just 42 runs at an average of eight with a top score of 14.

After exceptional back to back Ashes campaigns Harris has struggled to get going in this series, looking for all the world like a 34-year-old fast bowler with a long injury history.

He had been down on pace and often began spells with juicy short balls outside off stump which were easily dispatched. This explained series figures of just three wickets at an average of 74 going into this match.

But from the outset of South Africa's innings Harris's pace was up and his accuracy was impeccable, constantly asking questions of the batsmen.

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