Report
Rockets go down fighting to Badshahs
The undefeated reign of the Lahore Badshahs came under threat on more than one occasion in the battle between the two new Indian Cricket League outfits
Cricinfo staff
30-Mar-2008
Lahore Badshahs 151 for 9 (Raza 43, Kalia 4-20) beat Ahmedabad Rockets 140 for 6 (Jain 43) by 11 runs
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The undefeated reign of the Lahore Badshahs came under threat on more than one occasion in the battle between the two new Indian Cricket League outfits in Hyderabad. It was the last match of the league stage for both teams, ironically at different ends of the spectrum; both had got off to winning starts in their first game of the tournament, but while the Badshahs had conquered all other teams on their way, the Ahmedabad Rockets had fizzled out after a successful launch.
The Badshahs, who had rested a few key players in their previous game, were back to full strength for the final match ahead of their semi-final clash against the Kolkata Tigers on April 2. Inzamam-ul-Haq decided to bat at the toss, and though Imran Farhat fell early, Imran Nazir and Taufeeq Umar set up a solid foundation with a 60-run stand.
Full postMbhalati hat-trick sinks Eagles
A round-up of the Standard Bank Pro20 matches that took place on March 30
Ken Borland and Andy Colquhoun
30-Mar-2008
Titans 132 for 8 (Bodi 62, du Preez 2-19) beat Eagles 67 (Mbhalati 4-12, Joubert 3-12) by 61 runs (D/L method)
Scorecard
Scorecard
Ethy Mbhalati took the first Standard Bank Pro20 hat-trick, wrecking the Eagles innings and taking the Titans to an emphatic 61-run win in their crunch match at the De Beers Diamond Oval in Kimberley.
Mbhalati took 4 for 12 and was splendidly supported up front by Andre Nel, who took the key wickets of Loots Bosman (6) and Morne van Wyk (11) as the Eagles crashed to 67. Rain had interrupted their innings on 54 for 8 after 11.1 overs, their target being adjusted to 129 in 16 overs by the Duckworth/Lewis method.
The Titans had earlier scored 132 for 8, a total which did not seem sufficient on a ground that usually produces a feast of runs. But that was before Mbhalati barged through the Eagles middle-order, moving the ball off the seam and bowling with tremendous accuracy.
Full postChandana and Shibsagar spin Tigers into semi-final
The Kolkata Tigers squeezed past the Delhi Giants in Gurgaon to move into the semi-finals
Cricinfo staff
30-Mar-2008
Kolkata Tigers 142 for 4 (Klusener 62*, Dasgupta 35) beat Delhi Giants (Avishka Gunawardene 35, Mishra 27, Chandana 3-15, Shibsagar 2-15) by one run
Scorecard
Scorecard
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The Kolkata Tigers squeezed past the Delhi Giants in Gurgaon to move into the semi-finals of the ongoing Indian Cricket League tournament. Lance Klusener carried his bat through for the Tigers, before the spinners choked the Giants to claw out a thrilling one-run win.
In a virtual quarter-final, Craig McMillan chose to bat, and the Tigers' openers - Deep Dasgupta and Klusener - gave their team the upper hand with a 50-run stand in seven overs. Dasgupta fell for 35 off 21 balls, but Klusener anchored the innings with an unbeaten run-a-ball 62.
Full postMcKenzie ton rounds off tame draw
A patient unbeaten 155 from Neil McKenzie, and his solid 157-run partnership with Hashim Amla guided South Africa to safety on the final day
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran in Chennai
30-Mar-2008
South Africa 540 (Amla 159, McKenzie 94, Harbhajan 5-164) and 331 for 5 dec (McKenzie 155*, Amla 81) drew with India 627 (Sehwag 319, Jaffer 73, Steyn 4-103)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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A patient unbeaten 155 from Neil McKenzie, and his solid 157-run
partnership with Hashim Amla guided South Africa to safety on the final
day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, with India left to rue the missed chances that put paid to slim hopes of victory. Two catches were put down on a morning of
frustration, and though Harbhajan Singh was rewarded for his tenacity and
persistence after lunch, McKenzie stood firm to end any hopes of a
decisive result.
Unbeaten on 88 at lunch, you might have expected him to be a little
nervous after missing a century in the first innings. Instead, he cruised
to three figures with two cuts for four off Anil Kumble. His fourth Test
hundred took him just 184 balls, and vindicated the faith of the selectors
who have left Herschelle Gibbs at home.
Full postSimmons' hundred puts T&T in command
A round-up of the Carib Beer matches that took place on March 29
Cricinfo staff
30-Mar-2008
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Trinidad and Tobago 420 (Simmons 126, Benn 4-136) and 31 for 0 lead Barbados 184 by 267 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Lendl Simmons' third first-class hundred gave Trinidad and Tobago a significant advantage over Barbados on the second day of their final-round Carib Beer Series match at Guaracara Park. Backed by some top bowling and fielding T&T ended in a great position to defend their title against Carib Cup champions Jamaica; by stumps they had a 267-run lead over Barbados, who were bowled out for 184.
Simmons, 23, resumed on 63 and buckled down to score 126 from 279 balls, with nine fours and a six, out of T&T's 420. He shared in a ninth-wicket partnership of 98 in 91 minutes with Ravi Rampaul (38). Simmons, batting at No.4, was last man out to give left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn his fourth wicket.
Full postHarris leads Heroes to victory
An impressive all-round display helped the Hyderabad Heroes book their place in the semi-finals with a 33-run win over the Chandigarh Lions
Cricinfo staff
29-Mar-2008
Hyderabad Heroes 148 for 5 (Harris 38*, Kemp 35*, Malhotra 2-22) beat Chandigarh Lions 115 for 9 (Elliott 34, Mongia 37, Harris 2-14, Absolem 2-17) by 33 runs
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Scorecard
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An impressive all-round display helped the Hyderabad Heroes book their place in the semi-finals with a 33-run win over the Chandigarh Lions. Chris Harris, the Heroes captain, was the star of the show, top scoring with 38 off 26 balls and picking up two wickets in his three overs.
The Lions, who were already out of the reckoning to progress further, won the toss and put the Heroes in. The had success early, with Jimmy Maher playing Ishan Malhotra straight into the hands of Lou Vincent of backward point in the first over, which was a maiden.
Full postBurger sizzles as Namibia go top
Ryan ten Doeschate struck a fine 116 for Netherlands but it was too little, too late, as Namibia wrapped up a convincing seven-wicket win on the third day of their Intercontinental Cup clash in Windhoek
Cricinfo staff
29-Mar-2008
Namibia 337 and 94 for 3 (A Burger 46) beat Netherlands 107 and 323 (ten Doeschate 116, K Burger 5-27) by 7 wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
Ryan ten Doeschate struck a fine 116 for Netherlands but it was too little, too late, as Namibia wrapped up a convincing seven-wicket win on the third day of their Intercontinental Cup clash in Windhoek.
ten Doeschate resumed on 47 and found encouraging support from Eric Szwarczynski, with whom he put on 58 for the fourth wicket. However, he became Kola Burger's first wicket in an inspired spell as Netherlands' lower-middle order began to fizzle away. Peter Borren managed to put on 65 with ten Doeschate, the pair giving Netherlands a slender lead, before Borren was bowled by Burger for an enterprising 36.
After bringing up his hundred, in which he cracked eight fours and three sixes, ten Doeschate chipped one back to Burger who then bowled Jeroen Smits for his fifth wicket. It was Burger's third five-wicket haul, and his best figures in first-class cricket.
Full postBosman and Rudolph bludgeon Eagles home
A round-up of the latest Standard Bank Pro20 matches
Telford Vice
29-Mar-2008
Eagles 128 for 0 (Bosman 58*, Rudolph 57*) beat Dolphins 126 for 7 (de Bruyn 44) by 10 wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
The Dolphins might have been tempted to call the police while Loots Bosman and Jacques Rudolph went about bludgeoning the Eagles to a 10-wicket win in their Standard Bank Pro 20 match in Durban on Friday.
The Dolphins totalled what looked like a reasonable 126 for 7, but the Eagles hardly flicked a tail feather in replying with 128 without loss to win with 6.3 overs to spare.
Bosman blasted 58 not out off 38 balls with four fours and five sixes, while Rudolph clipped his unbeaten 57 off 43 deliveries and hit six fours and a six. The Eagles openers batted with criminal intent, and their only real victim on the night was Brian Jerling, the umpire.
Full postLahore Eagles prevail in high-scorer
Round-up of the final round of matches of the ABN-Amro Cup
Cricinfo staff
29-Mar-2008
Group A
Habib Bank Limited (HBL) registered a five-wicket win over Lahore Lions at the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) Stadium
. Needing a win after having lost one of their four previous matches, Habib Bank overhauled Lahore Lions' score of 256 for 8 with 14 balls to spare.
The opener Asif Khan made an exact 100 after the Lions opted to bat first. His knock, which came off 122 balls with 11 fours and two sixes, got his team off to a start. Ahmed Butt later contributed 54 runs off just 45 balls with five fours and a six. Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul, who appears to be recovering fast from his injury problems, took 3 for 29 runs in nine overs. Slow left-armers Aslam Qureshi and Abdul Rehman picked up two wickets each.
Habib Bank were well served by their makeshift opener Sajid Shah who hit 58 off 44 balls with as many as 11 fours and a six. Rafatullah Mohmand, with 70 off 102 balls that included four fours, and Aftab Khan then added 110 for the third-wicket stand.
Full postLeewards batsmen flay CCC
A round-up of the Carib Beer matches that took place on March 28
Cricinfo staff
29-Mar-2008
Leeward Islands 402 for 8 (Powell 85, Morton 59, Willet 52*, Morton 66, Wallace 4-103) v Combined Campuses and Colleges
Scorecard
Scorecard
Leeward Islands pounded a hapless Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) bowling attack to end the first day on a massive 402 for 8 at Grove Park. Kieran Powell, Devon Thomas, the captain Runako Morton and Tonito Willett set the tone with half-centuries, with Powell top scoring with 85.
Leewards were off to a rousing start after the openers, Powell and Shane Jeffers, added 135, as Powell dominating the stand with powerful cuts and pulls. Powell fell at the stroke of lunch, caught by Kevin McClean prodding forward to the legspinner Gavin Wallace for an entertaining knock, which included 11 fours and two sixes. Wallace struck again shortly after lunch to send back Jeffers for 45 but Leewards clawed back thanks to a stand of 99 between Steve Libburd and Morton. Libburd's run-out for 41 - while attempting a third run - sparked off a middle-order slip as Leewards lost two more in quick succession to leave the score at 242 for 5.
Willet and Thomas then combined to add 112 for the sixth wicket to lead Leewards' quick revival. Thomas, the West Indies Under-19 wicketkeeper, smashed nine fours in his 66 while Willett was unbeaten on 52. Wallace was the most effective bowler with figures of 4 for 103.
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