THE National Sports Council (NSC) will not allow coach P. Arivalagan to be victimised.

NSC director-general Datuk Zolkples Embong said this after Arivalagan found himself removed as national kumite head coach when the Malaysia Karate Federation (Makaf) decided to discontinue with his services.

Zolkples said Makaf's reasons for not extending Arivalagan's services are vague at best.

He wants to get to the bottom of the issue when NSC meets Makaf meet in a joint committee meeting later this month.

"I don't know the reason behind this but I intend to hear from all parties concerned.

"We can't comment on anything until after the joint committee meeting later this month," said Zolkples yesterday.

Zolkples gave an assurance that Arivalagan, under whom the national exponents achieved some of their best results over the last six years, would not be hung out to dry.

"Whatever happens, we will make sure Arivalagan is not victimised," said Zolkples, alluding to a power struggle within Makaf.

"I've read from reports that Makaf intends to bring in an Iranian coach but they must bear in mind that budgets have been slashed across the board.

"We will review in detail every request for a foreign coach and we will give a fair chance to the association to tell us what they want.

"I'm happy with Arivalagan and I think this has more to do with problems within the association."

In November 2009, seven affiliates, including those allied with Arivalagan, stormed out of Makaf's annual general meeting after their objections over the conduct of the meeting was rejected by deputy president Datuk Mohd Noor Nordin Abdullah.

Nordin, coincidentally, chaired a meeting of the technical committee which decided last Thursday not to recommend renewal of Arivalagan's contract with NSC.

SYDNEY: England closed to within 113 runs of an innings lead over a battling Australia yesterday, edging an engrossing second day of the final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The tourists, chasing their first series win Down Under in 24 years, got off to a blistering start with a 98-run opening partnership before Australia struck back with three wickets, including the prize scalp of Kevin Pietersen.

Michael Clarke's Australians, playing to level the series after failing to regain the Ashes, could have been in an even better position at stumps had they not had a crucial fourth wicket taken off them by an umpire's referral.

At the close, England were 167 for three in reply to Australia's 280, with Alastair Cook unbeaten on 61 and nightwatchman James Anderson not out one.

"It's pretty evens-stevens, it's slightly in our favour, it's a real tough one to call," Anderson said.

"We have a crucial morning session tomorrow to get through and hopefully we can get up towards them and then get a decent lead."

Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott were out seven balls apart and Pietersen threw away his wicket on 36 when he was caught hooking.

England could have been four down at close after debutant Michael Beer celebrated what he thought was his first Test wicket when Cook, then on 45, skied to Ben Hilfenhaus at deep mid-on only for umpire Billy Bowden to ask for the third umpire to check on a suspected no-ball.

Replays showed spinner had overstepped and Cook stayed.

"I think he (Beer) handled it very well in the end," Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson said.

"It was disappointing for him that he didn't get his first wicket. It would have been a good wicket to get, too, being Cook.

"Hopefully, we'll get a little bit of luck go our way as well. They had a bit of luck go their way, but that's the way cricket goes."

It was the second time in the series that England have benefited from such a reprieve after Matt Prior was recalled following a slip catch in the fourth Melbourne Test. Prior was on five at the time, and eventually scored 85.

Australia did not let the Cook decision knock their concentration and removed the dangerous Pietersen, who failed to keep down a hook shot off a Johnson bouncer and was caught by Beer at deep backward square.

Hilfenhaus got the first breakthrough of the innings bowling Strauss for 60 with an unplayable ball that collected his off-stump.

Strauss and Cook had put on 98 in 92 minutes with skipper Strauss leading the charge in an aggressive innings, hammering eight fours and a six off 58 balls.

Trott was out for his first Test duck in Johnson's next over, getting a thick inside edge on to his stumps.

Earlier Johnson and Hilfenhaus salvaged the home side's first innings with some lusty hitting after lunch in a lively 76-run partnership for the ninth wicket. -- AFP