Johannesburg, Feb. 28 : Having scored a combative 117 in his debut Test, 29-year-old Australian all rounder Marcus North, is keen to deliver some more of the same at the international level.

North was extremely upset upon his dismissal, and that in itself, is an indication of his approach to the game.

The 29-year-old West Australian scored almost 9000 first-class runs before winning a baggy green. He has also become the 18th Australian to score a century on debut.

North and Mitchell Johnson (96 not out) had steered Australia from 7-296 to 8-413 with a record partnership of 117 but North clearly wasn''t satisfied.

Johannesburg, Feb. 28: Former Australian leg spinner Shane Warne believes the Australian selectors have erred hugely in not picking Victorian Bryce McGain for the first Test against South Africa.

"Bryce McGain is clearly the best spinner in Australia. I was disappointed that he was not picked for the first Test in South Africa. The South Africans don''t play wristies well," Warne was quoted, as saying.

Johannesburg - Southern African leaders will hold yet another summit on Zimbabwe, this time to discuss the new government's request for 2 billion dollars in aid, South Africa's foreign affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said Friday.

Reporting back on a meeting of Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministers in Cape Town, Dlamini-Zuma said the finance ministers from the 15-nation bloc had drawn up a "regionally-supported" economic recovery programme for cash-strapped Zimbabwe.

Johannesburg, Feb. 25 (ANI): South African middle-order batsman AB De Villiers has warned the visiting Kangaroos to get prepared to have some smell of leather in the first Test starting Thursday as the Wanderers pitch is supposed to help pace bowlers.

De Villiers said Aussie openers will face some fiery spells from the Proteas fast bowlers if Ricky Ponting wins the toss and decides to bat first.

“I definitely won''t mind seeing Australia bat and having Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel running in on the first morning,” Fox Sports quoted De Villiers, as saying.

Johannesburg, Feb.

Johannesburg, Feb. 25: Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke knows that he is racing against the clock to prove his fitness for the first Test against South Africa.

The Age quoted Clarke as saying last night that he needed to power through Australia''s final two training sessions to be seen as a guaranteed starter at the Wanderers Ground tomorrow.

He was Australia''s leading batsman against South Africa in the recent 2-1 series defeat and losing him would be a savage blow to the tourists.