Rafter and Langer steal the show

BRISBANE - Non-cricketers Patrick Rafter and Allan Langer stole the show from some of cricket's greats as they staged their own crowd-pleasing battle in Ian Healy's Gabba Testimoninal match.

Despite the appearance of two knights, Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Richard Hadlee, it was the tennis star and the little giant of rugby league who provided the fondest memories as Healy's XI cruised to victory at 4-280 in reply to the Rest of the World's 5-278 from 45 overs.

Former Australian top order batsman David Boon set up the victory with an unbeaten 100, backed up by current Test opener Michael Slater's cracking 75 (10 fours and two sixes) and an equalling punishing 51 from Mark Waugh (four fours and two sixes), the trio showing little respect for their more senior rivals, who in their prime would have made life a lot tougher.

The charity match allowed spin king Shane Warne to test out his finger in front of Australian selectors chairman Trevor Hohns and Test skipper Steve Waugh, but not even his artistry could match the duel staged by the only two men on the field not have played a cricket Test.

Rafter was superb in the field, saving boundaries with rolling dives and rifling returns back over the stumps like cricket was his main money earner. When he bowled his allocated over to Langer, batting in his custom-sized pads, the former Brisbane, Queensland and Australian rugby league skipper and former Queensland junior cricket representative had great delight in thrashing him for 10 runs.

Langer, though, was forced to endured several embarrassing moments in front of an enthusiastic house of more than 15,000 when fielding and bowling as Rafter showed the hand-eye co-ordination which makes him such a great tennis player.

Langer dropped Waugh twice, the second time a dolly catch.

"I hope I don't get another one (catch)," said Langer who was wired for sound.

What he got was a decent thrashing from Rafter who, after hitting Pakistan master spinner Abdul Qadir for a top edge four, proceeded to pound Langer into the grandstand for three big sixes, the last as far back in the seats as one Waugh hit earlier.

In fairness, Langer dismissed Rafter twice in successive deliveries as officials stretched the rules to keep their absorbing confrontation going.

"It was like watching Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar going at it," quipped Steve Waugh from behind the microphone.

Healy, Australia's wicketkeeper of the Century, made just seven runs before falling to West Indian Brian McMillan but his work behind the stumps showed glimpses of old form and the fans loved it.

His comments behind the stumps were outrageous at times and he bagged everyone, including his teammates and himself.