MANILA, 12 December 2003 — Coca-Cola got a stellar game from Rob Wainwright to beat San Miguel Beer 86-84 in Wednesday night’s Game 5 at the Cuneta Astrodome to move one win away from the 2003 Samsung-PBA Reinforced Conference title.
“The game went down to a battle of attrition. It boiled down to which team made the points when needed or made the stops that mattered,” said Coca-Cola coach Chot Reyes.
The Tigers thus posted a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven playoff for the title and could win the championship with a victory in Game 6 at the Philsports Arena today.
Wainwright drilled the crucial points for the Tigers, including 11 points in the fourth quarter, the last on a jumper that pushed the Tigers on top, 82-76, with two minutes to go in the game.
San Miguel import Kwan Johnson drained a triple to push the Beermen closer but Johnny Abarrientos countered with a jumper to give the Tigers some breathing room 84-79, 1:48 left. Then with the game result almost settled all hell almost broke lose when Wainwright lost his balance after running smack into a pick by Nic Belasco. With Wainwright sprawled on the floor, Belasco and then Johnson tripped on him.
Thinking Wainwright brought him down on purpose, Johnson slapped Wainwright on the head.
Johnson was assessed a technical foul while Wainwright was penalized with a flagrant foul penalty one.
Cariaso sank the technical free throw to push Coke on top, 85-79. But Johnson converted his own charities to push SMB closer 85-81. Johnson then followed it up with a triple as the Beermen moved to within one, 85-84. Cariaso then finalized the count on a split charity even as the Beermen’s final two offensive attempts were foiled by the Tigers.
Johnson and Belasco ran a pick-and-roll which freed Belasco inside the paint. But he lost the ball to Cariaso with 30 seconds to go in the game.
Tainted India Batsman Charged in Cash-for-Caps Scandal
Agence France Presse
CALCUTTA, 12 December 2003 — India’s cricket chiefs yesterday gave suspended player Abhijit Kale 15 days to explain his conduct after charging him with trying to buy his place in the national team.
A three-man disciplinary committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which met here for three hours, examined the findings of the preliminary inquiry by Bar Council chairman D.V. Subba Rao. “We have gone through the report submitted by Subba Rao and found a prima facie case against Kale,” said BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, who sat on the disciplinary committee with vice-presidents Kamal Morarka and Ranbir Singh.
“Accordingly we have framed charges against Kale and decided to issue a show cause notice to the cricketer.”
Dalmiya, however, declined to expand on the charges against Kale and added the committee will meet again after receiving a reply from the cricketer. Two national selectors, Kiran More and Pronob Roy, alleged in a written complaint to the BCCI last month that Kale offered them each a bribe of one million rupees ($22,000) to be picked for the current tour of Australia.
Kartik Called Up to India Team Ahead of Second Test
In New Delhi, Indian left-arm spinner Murali Kartik has been rushed to Australia ahead of the second Test starting in Adelaide today.
The 27-year-old played the last of his four Tests against Zimbabwe in New Delhi more than three years ago.
“We received an SOS from the team management that they require another spinner,” Syed Kirmani, India’s chief selector, told Reuters yesterday.
“We decided Kartik was the best choice. I suppose he will play in Adelaide.”
Kartik’s surprise selection follows a lackluster performance by off-spinner Harbhajan Singh in the drawn first test at Brisbane, where he managed just one wicket at a cost of 169 runs.
Harbhajan said this week that he had not fully recovered from a finger injury sustained earlier in the year.
Kartik impressed in a one-day triangular series against Australia and New Zealand last month and just missed out selection for the Australian tour behind Harbhajan and leg-spinner Anil Kumble.
