Adelaide, Dec. 2: Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has warned his team to step up for a heavyweight bout against South Africa later this month.

"We have to play at our optimum and there''s no hiding that fact. Right through India we were a long way below our best and we were a bit off our best in Brisbane. We''ve taken a step closer here. We know the South Africans are a well-balanced side who have a really good fast bowling attack and five of their batters are in the top 10 run-scorers for 2008,” Fox Sports quoted Ponting, as saying.

"They are a good side and we''re not kidding ourselves. We''ve got a long way to go if we want to stay the No1 team in the world," he added.

Adelaide, Dec. 2 : In form Australia fast bowler Brett Lee has said that he is ready for a showdown with Proteas counterpart Dale Steyn.

After taking five wickets for 105 runs against New Zealand and ending up with career-best match figures of 9-171 in the second Test here, Lee said he was looking forward to the contest against the South Africans.

"I lost a lot of strength, it only feels now over the last couple of weeks that the strength has come back. The results show that as far as pace and wickets, I have been improving every match,” Fox Sports quoted Lee, as saying.

Adelaide, Nov 26 : An investigation carried out by Cricket Australia (CA) into a drunken brawl, involving all-rounder Andrew Symonds last weekend, has reportedly cleared him. He will now be able to play in the second Test against New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval starting Friday.

After being cleared, Symonds apologised to his teammates, but maintained that he was not at fault.

Adelaide/Melbourne, Nov. 25 : Cricket Australia has said that he expects to make an announcement on Wednesday regarding the future of troubled Test batsman Andrew Symonds, who is under investigation following a clash with a member of the public.

According to The Age, a statement released on Tuesday shows Cricket Australia''s enthusiasm to move quickly on the incident which occurred at a Brisbane hotel on Sunday night as Symonds was celebrating Australia''s 149-run win over New Zealand in the first Test at the Gabba.

Adelaide, Nov. 25 : Australian cricket all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who has attracted attention to his negative off-field activities again, has admitted that he is still being treated for a stress-related ailment.

"I am being treated for a stress related illness and I remain committed to dealing with these issues," Symonds said here last night.

Symonds could face the sack from the Australian cricket team after a drinking session at a Brisbane pub on Sunday turned ugly.

Adelaide, Aug 27 : A 34-week pregnant Australian woman of India origin this morning gave birth onboard a flight from Hong Kong to Adelaide with the help of doctors who were also onboard the same flight. Both the mother and the baby body are reportedly doing well.

The baby was born six weeks early, weighed 2.7 kg and was breathing unaided in a hospital''s special care nursery.

Parmajit Kaur (29) was alone returning home after visiting family in India when she went into labour on the Cathay Pacific flight.