Melbourne, Feb. 3 : The New Zealand women''s cricket team narrowly beat their Australian counterparts in the annual women''s cricket Rose Bowl series against New Zealand.

Half-centuries by Karen Rolton and Lisa Sthalekar could not save the Australians, and now the White Ferns can capture the five-match series with a victory in the third match to be played in Hamilton on Friday.

The New Zealand brigade defended their total of 7-218 on Tuesday by holding the world champions to 9-214, The Age reports.

Melbourne, Feb. 3 : Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has said he is disappointed with Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori for insinuating that he cheated by deliberately claiming a false dismissal during Sunday''s one-day match in Perth.

Vettori said after the game that Haddin knew the wicket of Neil Broom was not legitimate, after the batsman was ruled to have been bowled by Michael Clarke in the 36th over despite replays showing Haddin''s gloves were in front of the stumps - an automatic no-ball.

New Zealand players were furious as they watched the replays while Broom trudged off.

Islamabad, Feb 3 : The Pakistan Senate's Standing Committee for Sports has asked former PCB director-general Javed Miandad to appear before it on February 9.

Sources said the committee has invited the former captain and coach of the Pakistan cricket team, who has recently resigned as director-general of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), to appear at the meeting of the standing committee.

Senator Tahir Mashhadi said members of the standing committee for sports were not satisfied with the stance of PCB officials on the Miandad issue.

London, Feb. 3: England fans are celebrating after finally beating Germany on penalties in a world cup final - at table football.

Joe Hamilton, 22, and Rob Atha, 25, beat 500 players from 36 countries before meeting Germany in the final of the Inter national Table Soccer Federation World Championships, the Daily News reports.

Joe saved a penalty in the last minute of normal time, forcing the two sides, who were drawing 1-1, into a sudden-death shoot-out which England won 1-0.

Sydney, Feb. 3 : Australian off-spinner Nathan Hauritz has said that he is prepared to wait for his turn to turn out for the national squad, and has become immune to the speculation, opinion and criticism swallowing Australian cricket.

"Coming from being picked in a Test match after being 12th man for NSW the week before, I''m not worried about the pecking order or anything like that," Hauritz said as NSW defeated Tasmania by 114 runs yesterday on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at Newcastle No. 1 Sports Ground.

Washington, Feb 3: Swimming legend Mark Spitz has expressed his distress over Michael Phelps' cannabis scandal.

The former Olympian whose gold medal world record was smashed by Phelps said that he feels bad for the 23-year-old star.

"As strictly a fan, I feel badly for Michael and the situation he has put himself in," Usmagazine. com quoted Spitz as saying.

"I think no one would wish this on anyone, especially the person that gave us a summer like no other in 2008.