Report
Steyn and McKenzie cap South Africa's day
There was a 25th century and 10,000 Test runs for Rahul Dravid and a large crowd to celebrate, but little else went India's way at Chepauk as a rejuvenated South African side dominated the fourth day's play
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran in Chennai
29-Mar-2008
South Africa 540 and 131 for 1 (McKenzie 59*) lead
India 627 (Sehwag 319, Dravid 111, Steyn 4-103) by 44 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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There was a 25th century and 10,000 Test runs for Rahul Dravid and a large crowd to celebrate, but little else went India's way at Chepauk as a rejuvenated South African side dominated the fourth day's play. Makhaya Ntini, given a pasting by Virender Sehwag on Friday, led the revival with a vastly improved spell and Dale Steyn's pace then proved far too much for the tail to handle as the Indian lead was restricted to just 87. Faced with a potentially tricky session of batting, South Africa responded with aplomb, finishing the day 44 ahead with nine wickets in hand.
Neil McKenzie fashioned another stylish half-century and Hashim Amla carried on from where he left off in the first innings, and the partnership was already worth 78 by the time stumps were drawn. It was Graeme Smith, though, who set the tone for the riposte, with a nonchalant clip off the pads off Sreesanth, and three fours in a wretched opening over from RP Singh.
Full postBadshahs remain unconquered
Twenty-two runs was the margin of defeat for the Kolkata Tigers, as the Lahore Badshahs extended their unbeaten streak
Cricinfo staff
28-Mar-2008
Lahore Badshahs 153 for 4 (Raza 48, Taufeeq 41, Latif 30*) beat Kolkata Tigers 131 for 7 (Gavaskar 46*, McMillan 30) by 22 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
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Twenty-two runs was the margin of defeat for the Kolkata Tigers; 22 was also the runs conceded by Tigers medium-pacer Abu Nechim in one over.
The Badshahs had been unconquered in five matches so far in the tournament. The Tigers seemed to have them on the mat, but they ended up being tamed. The Badshahs, without captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, were put in to bat by the Tigers and a tight performance from the bowlers left them at only 53 for 2 at the half-way stage.
Full postNamibia bowlers run riot over Netherlands
Seventeen wickets fell on the second day of Namibia's Intercontinental Cup match against Netherlands in Windhoek, as Namibia took complete control
Cricinfo staff
28-Mar-2008
Netherlands 107 (Burger 4-44) and 161 for 3 (ten Doeschate 47*) trail Namibia 337 by 69 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Seventeen wickets fell on the second day of Namibia's Intercontinental Cup match against Netherlands in Windhoek, as Namibia took complete control. After compiling 337, Namibia's opening bowlers tore through Netherlands to dismiss them for 107, forcing them to follow-on. At stumps they had moved to 161 for 3, still trailing by 69 with two days to go.
The day's precedent was set in the first few overs. Namibia, resuming on 322 for 5, collapsed to 337 all out to lose their last five wickets in six overs. But their bowlers gained revenge, with Kola Burger and Louis Klazinga sharing seven wickets and helping to reduce Netherlands to 52 for 7. Their star batsman, Ryan ten Doeschate, made only 6, though Peter Borren (35 from 52) and Eric Szwarczynski (23) at least allowed Netherlands to pass 100 with some entertaining hitting. To further compound Netherlands' fortunes, Pieter Seelaar was hit in the face by a bouncer from Gerrie Snyman and is not expected to play any further part in the match.
At least Netherlands made a better fist of things in their second innings. Alexei Kervezee and Tom de Grooth both fell cheaply before Bas Zuiderent, their experienced No. 3, dropped anchor in a resilient 52. He shared in a third-wicket stand of 91 with ten Doeschate who remained unbeaten on 47. Only he can save Netherlands from a thumping defeat.
Full postYorkshire race to desert title
Yorkshire have won the Pro ARCH Trophy after their four-wicket defeat of UAE
Cricinfo staff
28-Mar-2008
Yorkshire 194 for 6 (Gale 69, Wood 50) beat UAE 190 (Lawson 3-36) by four wickets
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Scorecard
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Yorkshire have won the Pro ARCH Trophy after their four-wicket defeat of UAE put them level on points with Somerset and Lancashire, but the fact they wrapped up victory inside 25 overs gave them the best net run-rate of the three.
Andrew Gale and Greg Wood launched Yorkshire's chase of 191 in a hurry as they had to chase down the runs inside 25 overs to pip Lancashire to the title. They smacked 94 for the opening wicket before Wood was caught-and-bowled by Saqib Ali for a 39-ball 50. Gale cruised to 69, cracking nine fours in his 61-ball knock, but fell to Obaid Hameed. Jasim Suwaidi then chipped away at Yorkshire's middle order with 3 for 17, but it was too little, too late, and Adam Lyth and Mark Lawson saw them home with five balls to spare.
Full postThe Last Samurai
Virender Sehwag's strokeplay is dazzling enough, but it's the context which makes it even more thrilling
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan in Chennai
28-Mar-2008
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One moment typified Virender Sehwag's buccaneering masterclass on the third day in Chennai. He had led a stunning fightback, just brought up his 100th run for the session, and was facing the final ball before the tea break. The astonishing part wasn't that Sehwag clobbered the ball past cover for four - if any batsman is expected to show such daring, it's tough to look beyond him - but the manner in which he turned around in a flash and began his walk back to the pavilion.
So furiously was the ball struck that those who didn't see it travel could have thought Sehwag was actually dismissed. Such a rapid walk back is usually the preserve of batsmen who have been dismissed bowled, turning back in frustration and fuming all the way to the dressing-room. Some batsmen might have held on to their pose on the follow-through, others could have walked towards the non-striker, and a few more might have waited for the umpires to remove the bails to signal tea. Not Sehwag, a unique batsman and a singular man.
Like most of Sehwag's hundreds, records there were aplenty. There was a third fastest double-hundred in Tests, the fastest triple hundred (since the time number of balls per innings were recorded), the highest score by an Indian, and a slew of others. But numbers will never tell the story of this once-in-a-lifetime batsman. On a sleep-inducing pitch, in searing heat, he lifted the spirits like few others. With due respect to Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla, Sehwag's was the innings that injected some life into what was turning into a dead Test. Stirring, explosive, creative and audacious, this was one for the ages. A crowd of 29,356 watched the innings today but you can be rest assured that many years later several more Chennai residents would claim that they were there.
Full postDeacon swings it for Lions
The Lions eased to a 68-run victory over Zimbabwe in their Standard Bank Pro20 match at the Wanderers on Thursday
Ken Borland and Cricinfo Staff
28-Mar-2008
Lions 158 for 5 (van Jaarsveld 65*) beat Zimbabwe 90 (Matsikenyeri 32, Deacon 4-15) by 68 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
The Lions eased to a 68-run victory over Zimbabwe in their Standard Bank Pro20 match at the Wanderers on Thursday. It was the hard-hitting of Vaughn van Jaarsveld and the wonderful new-ball bowling of Cliff Deacon that set up such a comfortable win, the Lions scoring 158 for 5 and then bowling Zimbabwe out for just 90.
Deacon's swing back into the batsmen was a potent tool and Zimbabwe lost their way early on as they crashed from 25 for 1 to 29 for 5 in the space of three overs. Deacon, a left-arm swing bowler, finished with fine figures of 4 for 15 and after his top-order demolition job there was no more hope of Zimbabwe registering their second victory in this year's competition. Stuart Matsikenyeri delayed the rout with 32 off 27 balls, but there was no other resistance from the Zimbabwe batsmen.
It was Van Jaarsveld who provided the Lions innings with a late surge, biffing five sixes in his 65 not out off just 37 balls in a top-class display of power hitting. Justin Ontong had motored to 35 off 27 balls to see the Lions to a solid start. Keith Dabengwa, the left-arm spinner, was the most successful Zimbabwe bowler with 2 for 34 as he bowled both Alviro Petersen (19) and Stephen Cook (22). But he was not the most impressive of their attack: Prosper Utseya conceded just 23 runs in his four overs.
Full postNamibia pile on the runs
Half centuries by Jan-Berrie Burger, Craig Williams, Louis Burger and Gerrie Snyman put Namibia in a commanding position against the Netherlands on the opening day of the four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup tie in Windhoek
Cricinfo staff
28-Mar-2008
NamibiaNetherlands
Scorecard
Scorecard
Half centuries by Jan-Berrie Burger, Craig Williams, Louis Burger and Gerrie Snyman put Namibia in a commanding position against the Netherlands on the opening day of the four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup tie in Windhoek. They were 322 for 5 when bad light brought play to an end half an hour early.
With plenty to play for - a win would lift either side into second place behind Kenya - Netherlands gambled by putting Namibia in expecting assistance after recent heavy rains. Although teenage opener Raymond van Schoor nicked to the slips early on, it turned out to be an easy-paced pitch. Opener Jan-Berrie Burger very quickly showed there were runs to be made with a pugnacious 89-ball 81 which included 10 fours and two sixes.
Snyman and Louis Burger also carried their good recent form into the match - Synman smashed seven fours and two sixes in his 46-ball 54 while Burger played a more cautious 110-ball 57.
Full postSehwag plunders fastest triple ever
Virender Sehwag blasted the fastest triple-century ever as India went took stumps at 468 for 1
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran in Chennai
28-Mar-2008
India 468 for 1 (Sehwag 309*, Jaffer 73, Dravid 65*) trail South
Africa 540 by 72 runs
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 breathtaking triple-century from Virender Sehwag, by far the fastest in terms of balls faced (278), was the centrepiece as India utterly dominated proceedings on the third day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Sehwag scored 257 runs in the day, finishing it on 309, the same score he made at Multan back in 2004. The fusillade of strokes produced 108 runs between lunch and tea, and he shared in two double-hundred stands for the first two wickets, another record.
After Wasim Jaffer had contributed 73 to an opening stand of 213, Rahul Dravid turned the strike over cleverly as the bowling was ground into the Chennai dust. By stumps, the partnership was worth 255, and Sehwag's heroics had opened up the possibility of a result on the final day. Though South Africa finished five overs short of the 90 that they were supposed to bowl in the day, India still managed a staggering 386 runs.
Full postArnold and Shabbir star as Superstars win
The Chennai Superstars inflicted a fifth consecutive defeat on the Ahmedabad Rockets and moved closer to a semi-final spot with a 22-run win in Gurgaon
Cricinfo staff
27-Mar-2008
Chennai Superstars 161 for 5 (Arnold 69, Badani 45, Gillespie 3-25) beat Ahmedabad Rockets 139 (Sriram 30, Shabbir 4-20) by 22 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
The Chennai Superstars inflicted a fifth consecutive defeat on the Ahmedabad Rockets and moved closer to a semi-final spot with a 22-run win in Gurgaon.
Stuart Law, the Superstars captain, decided to bat after winning the toss, and two left-handers helped his team post a challenging score. The Superstars were in a spot of bother at 19 for 2, and after Law departed with the score on 48 came a 112-run fourth-wicket stand between former internationals Russel Arnold and Hemang Badani.
The stand was only the fifth above 100 in the tournament, and steered the Superstars to a score of 161. Arnold's 51-ball 69, was supported by Badani's near run-a-ball 45 as they batted almost till the end. The two came together in the sixth over, and lasted till the 20th; Jason Gillespie removed them both to finish with figures of 3 for 25 off his four, but it had perhaps come a bit too late.
Full postLions pip Panthers in thriller
Round-up of the fourth day of matches of the ABN-Amro Cup
Cricinfo staff
27-Mar-2008
Group A
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The Lahore Lions pipped the Peshawar Panthers by one wicket, with one ball to spare, in a high-scoring thriler at the Arbab Niaz Stadium.
After the Panthers lost two early wickets, opener Naved Khan made a patient 57 to steady the innings. Brisk fifties from the middle-order pair of Nawaz Ahmed and Akbar Badshah then put them on course for a big score. Nawaz scored 67 off 74 while Badshah was unbeaten on 81, which required only 73 deliveries. Jamaluddin chipped in with 43 as the Panthers finished on 287 for 6.
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