Report
Andhra score big win over Kerala
The results from the fourth day of the Ranji one-day tournament
Cricinfo staff
01-Mar-2008
The following are the summary of results from the fourth day of the Ranji Trophy one-day tournament
South Zone
Gnaneswara Rao slammed an unbeaten 159 to lead Andhra to a seven-wicket win over Kerala at the MRF Pachyappas Ground in Chennai. Rao also picked up three wickets as Kerala powered to 317 for 5 in their 50 overs. PV Manikantan top scored for Kerala with 84 and added 104 with PR Prem (76).
Andhra's openers began the chase positively, adding 59 together. But two quick wickets fell and Rao came to the crease with his side still needing 255 more to win. He added 152 with D Kalyankrishna and another 105 with ASK Varma and chased the target with 15 balls to spare. Rao hit 11 fours and five sixes in his 122-ball knock.
Full postCalm Watson sees Bulls to safety
Shane Watson's unbeaten 69 steered Queensland to an eight-run lead over South Australia as they finished a hard-working day at 6 for 245
Cricinfo staff
01-Mar-2008
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Shane Watson's unbeaten 69 steered Queensland to an eight-run lead over South Australia as they finished a hard-working day at 6 for 245. The Bulls scrapped to the initial target of 237, a task which had became more difficult when Ryan Harris removed Chris Simpson (10) and Ashley Noffke (2) in quick succession.
Martin Love's 62 and a slow 32 from Jimmy Maher put Queensland on track for the small total, but once Maher departed things started to get a bit shaky and they were 6 for 190 when Watson was joined by Chris Hartley. Watson's innings was also a calm one, taking 136 balls and including only six fours, but it was essential to Queensland achieving first-innings points late in the day.
Full postKatich in charge of tricky New South Wales chase
The captain Simon Katich led from the front again as New South Wales chased two first-innings points that could prove vital for hosting the Pura Cup final
Cricinfo staff
01-Mar-2008
New South Wales 3 for 172 (Katich 86*, Hughes 73) trail Tasmania 398 (Di Venuto 144, Paine 72, Krejza 65) by 226 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
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The captain Simon Katich led from the front again as New South Wales chased two first-innings points that could prove vital for hosting the Pura Cup final. With two rounds to go the Blues need more points than Victoria, who share the lead on 33, and Katich gave them hope of moving ahead with an unbeaten 86 against Tasmania.
New South Wales were 3 for 172 at stumps on day two and require another 227 to overhaul the home side's first innings. Katich entered at the difficulty of 2 for 27, but he steadied the situation with the opener Phillip Hughes, who returned from Australia's Under-19 World Cup campaign after they lost in the quarter-finals. It was a successful decision as Hughes reached 73, his highest first-class score, before edging Brett Geeves to Tim Paine.
Full postSouth Africa tighten chokehold on exciting day
It was another day of domination by South Africa who, backed up by a total of 583 for 7, left Bangladesh limping on 60 for 3 for by stumps
The Bulletin by Jamie Alter
01-Mar-2008
Bangladesh 60 for 3 (Razzak 8*, Nafees 7*) trail South Africa 583 for 7 dec (Smith 232, McKenzie 226) by 523 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 53-year-old batting record broken, a maiden first-class double-century for a man back from the wilderness, a hostile spell that enthused life back into a dull affair, and two bowlers - one in his 20th Test, the other in his last - capturing 100 Test wickets: it all happened at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium. This also translated into another day of domination by South Africa who, backed by a total of 583 for 7, left Bangladesh limping at 60 for 3 by stumps.
Statistically the highlight of the day will remain the record 415-run opening partnership between Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie but, from a purist's perspective Shahadat Hossain's three-wicket burst after lunch, and the ensuing contest with Jaques Kallis, provided the first glimpse of competitive Test cricket in Chittagong. Unfortunately for the hosts, their batsmen could not replace Shahadat's enthusiasm and instead wilted against a hostile Dale Steyn.
Full postSouth Africa through to the final
South Africa prevented a repeat of the summit clash between India and Pakistan in 2006, with a convincing 98-run victory in a rain-affected semi-final in Kuala Lumpur
The Bulletin by George Binoy in Kuala Lumpur
01-Mar-2008
South Africa Under-19 260 for 8 (Smuts 58, Rossouw 53, Vandiar
50, Wasim 3-44) beat Pakistan Under-19 153 (Shehzad 60, Vallie
3-25) by 98 runs by D/L method.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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Read the bulletin on Friday's play here.
South Africa prevented a repeat of the summit clash between India and Pakistan in 2006, with a convincing 98-run victory in a rain-affected semi-final in Kuala Lumpur.
Full postStrauss and Bell find form for England
Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell lifted the spirits on a chilly day in Dunedin, recording a century apiece to put a gloss on England's final preparations ahead of next week's first Test in Hamilton
The Bulletin by Andrew Miller in Dunedin
29-Feb-2008
England XI 131 and 325 for 7 (Strauss 104, Bell 104*) drew with NZ Select XI 271 (How 65, Harmison 5-100)
Scorecard
Scorecard
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England's performance was a far cry from their first-day capitulation, when they were bowled out for 131 in little more than a session. Batting was never easy in helpful conditions for seam bowling, against a committed attack featuring three members of the New Zealand Test squad that was announced during the lunch interval. But both batsmen displayed the sort of patience and application that has been lacking from much of England's five-day cricket in recent months.
For Strauss it was a particularly cathartic innings. It was his first century in English colours since the Headingley Test against Pakistan in August 2006, and it was notable for the patient approach that had been his watchword all throughout his prolific first two years in the Test side. He was happy to wait for his scoring opportunities, but latched onto them with 15 emphatic fours all around the wicket. The best of these was a short-arm pull through midwicket off Mark Gillespie, the shot he had mistimed for his first-innings dismissal.
Full postSohail's six sends Baluchistan packing
A round-up of the second day of the third round matches of the Pentangular Cup
Cricinfo staff
29-Feb-2008
Sind 139 (Ahmed 4-43, Azharullah 3-31, Irfan 3-35) and 91 for 4 (Iqbal 22*) beat Baluchistan 187 (Bin Nasir 45, Ali 4-41) and 42 (Sohail 6-21, Ali 3-12) by six wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
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The low-scoring battle in Karachi saw Sind secure a victory within two days as Sohail Khan, the right-arm fast bowler, ripped through the Baluchistan line-up with a six-wicket haul to shoot them out for 42.
Earlier, Sind managed to add only eight runs to their overnight score of 131 for 8. Faisal Iqbal, resuming on 46, fell on 52 as Baluchistan seized a 48-run first-innings lead. Tanvir Ahmed took 4 for 43, while Azharullah and Faisal Irfan chipped in with three wickets apiece as their side gained the advantage.
Full postHameed and Mohmand pummel Federal Areas
A round-up of the first day of the third round matches of the Pentangular Cup
Cricinfo staff
29-Feb-2008
North West Frontier Province 342 for 3 (Hameed 107, Mohmand 100, Alam 64*, Shehzad 53*) against Federal Areas
Scorecard
Scorecard
Yasir Hameed and Rafatullah Mohmand made contrasting centuries and added 196 for the opening wicket as North West Frontier Province finished the first day of their Pentangular Cup encounter against Federal Areas at the Arbab Niaz Stadium at a commanding 342 for 3.
Hameed blasted a 116-ball 107 that included 14 fours and a six while Mohmand consumed 160 balls for his 100 as the duo took full toll of the Federal Areas bowlers. Saeed Ajmal, the offspinner, struck back for Federal Areas by removing the openers in quick time. NWFP soon lost their third wicket when Wajahatullah Wasti was caught behind off Sohail Tanvir as they stuttered from 196 for 0 to 219 for 3.
But Aftab Alam and Khurram Shehzad dug in to score unbeaten half-centuries to consolidate NWFP's position, and they will be looking to extend their 123-run stand when they resume on the second day.
Full postRain forces resumption of semi-final on Saturday
A monsoonal shower during the Pakistan run-chase forced the semi-final to be put on hold and the players will return on Saturday to resume the contest with Pakistan needing 166 runs to win in 28.1 overs with eight wickets in hand
The Bulletin by George Binoy in Kuala Lumpur
29-Feb-2008
Rain interruption Pakistan Under-19s 86 for 2 (Shehzad 40*, Amin 22*, Parnell 2-39) need 166 runs in 28.1 overs to beat South Africa Under-19s 260 for 8
(Smuts 58, Rossouw 53, Vandiar 50, Wasim 3-45) by D/L method
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 monsoonal shower during the Pakistan run-chase forced the semi-final to be
put on hold and the players will return on Saturday to resume the contest
with Pakistan needing 166 runs to win in 28.1 overs with eight wickets in
hand. There were two interruptions during Pakistan's run-chase: the first
came in the 13th over, forcing the target to be cut from 261 to 252 off 47
overs, and the second downpour in the 19th over brought another halt,
with the game seven balls short of the necessary 20 overs to produce a
result. Pakistan ended the evening on 86 for 2 off 18.5 overs, and needed
to be 91 for 2 after 20 to progress to the final.
It was perhaps fair that the game wasn't decided on a 20-over D/L result
for South Africa had batted determinedly to post a sizable 260 for 8 off
their 50 overs, which wasn't interrupted by a drop. Their batting has
improved as the World Cup has progressed and a strong performance
from the top order - JJ Smuts, Riley Rossouw and Jonathan Vandiar scored
half-centuries - had set up a tough run-chase. Pakistan had also responded
confidently: they lost two early wickets which put them behind the D/L
requirement but Shehzad Ahmed and Umar Amin had added 69 runs for the
third wicket to being them on par.
Full postWestern Australia surge with big Rogers century
Chris Rogers dominated Victoria on a warm opening day in Perth as the visitors' decision to bowl first at the WACA backfired
Cricinfo staff
29-Feb-2008
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Chris Rogers dominated Victoria on a warm opening day in Perth as the visitors' decision to bowl first at the WACA backfired. The Bushrangers wanted early wickets in their push for an outright win to move away from New South Wales, who they will meet in the final, but Rogers punished them with 166 and the Warriors posted a commanding 7 for 362.
Allan Wise captured the early wicket of Justin Langer for 14, but the pitch did not offer the bowlers much assistance and Rogers combined with Shaun Marsh in a partnership of 146 that set up the innings. Marsh edged behind to Shane Harwood for 53 before Rogers reached his 24th first-class century on the way to his highest score of the season.
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