Report
Cleary and Harris drag Redbacks to 237
South Australia relied on reviving half-centuries from the lower-order pair of Mark Cleary and Ryan Harris to take them to 237 against Queensland
Cricinfo staff
29-Feb-2008
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South Australia relied on reviving half-centuries from the lower-order pair of Mark Cleary and Ryan Harris to take them to 237 against Queensland. The Bulls, who were 0 for 8, are trying to lift from the foot of the table and Ashley Noffke and Scott Brant gave them a chance with three wickets each.
Until Cleary's 57 and Harris' 55 not out, the home team seemed destined to be dismissed for less than 200, but the tail-enders pushed them forward after another disappointing performance from the specialist batsmen. Graham Manou won the toss and batted and three of his batsmen went by lunch, with another four following in the second session as they limped to 7 for 100.
Full postDi Venuto provides lasting memory with 144
Michael Di Venuto reminded his home state of his fine batting powers during a century that kept New South Wales relatively quiet on the opening day
Cricinfo staff
29-Feb-2008
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Michael Di Venuto reminded his home state of his fine batting powers during a century that kept New South Wales relatively quiet on the opening day at Bellerive Oval. The Blues are trying to stay ahead of Victoria, who have also confirmed their finals place, and both teams sent in their opponents after winning the toss - and soon wished they hadn't.
The opener Di Venuto, who will retire from the Australian scene after next week's match, fired against a young New South Wales bowling attack and his 144 was responsible for the Tigers making a strong start, but a lack of support led to them being 6 for 291 at stumps. While his partner Dane Anderson laboured over 96 deliveries for 28, Di Venuto sprinted towards his 45th first-class century in 121 balls.
Full postChopra and Dhawan star in ten-wicket win
The results from the third day of the Ranji one-day tournament
Cricinfo staff
29-Feb-2008
The following are the summary of results from the third day of the Ranji Trophy one-day tournament
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North Zone
Unbeaten centuries from Aakash Chopra and Shikhar Dhawan gave Delhi a massive ten-wicket win over Punjab at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. Ravi Inder, Uday Kaul and Ankur Kakkar scored half-centuries to take Punjab to a competitive 274. But Chopra and Dhawan scored at more than six an over to chase the total with 39 balls to spare. Punjab used six bowlers and none of them conceded less than five an over, with Manpreet Gony and Kakkar going for more than seven each.
Full postRecord opening stand lifts South Africa
On the eve of this match Ashwell Prince called on his batting team-mates to step up and post at least 400 on the board and his words clearly didn't fall on deaf ears
The Bulletin by Jamie Alter
29-Feb-2008
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On the eve of this match Ashwell Prince called on his batting team-mates to step up and post at least 400 on the board, and his words clearly didn't fall on deaf ears. But even he wouldn't have envisioned this: Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie doubled South Africa's first-innings 170 from Dhaka and then some, frustrating a lifeless Bangladesh on a placid track to the tune of a record 405-run opening stand. In one day.
Smith had no hassles in compiling a South African record fourth double-hundred and his partner in a dumbfounding opening stand, Neil McKenzie, patiently batted his way to a third hundred after a seven-year gap. From the strides made during the opening Test, where they matched their opposition step for step, Bangladesh turned in their worst day in Tests for some time and were staring down the barrel on a track only certain to deteriorate.
Full postGilchrist fires but Sri Lanka get consolation win
Adam Gilchrist provided the fireworks but Sri Lanka's seamers had the extinguisher at the MCG, where Australia's blistering start of 0 for 107 in the 15th somehow turned into their first loss in nearly three weeks
The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale at the MCG
29-Feb-2008
Sri Lanka 221 (Dilshan 62, Jayawardene 50, Bracken 4-29) beat Australia 208 (Gilchrist 83, Amerasinghe 3-44) by 13 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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Adam Gilchrist provided the fireworks but Sri Lanka's seamers had the extinguisher at the MCG, where Australia's blistering start of 0 for 107 in the 15th over somehow turned into their first loss in nearly three weeks. Chasing 222 Australia were cruising as Gilchrist belted 83 from 50 balls, but a collapse of 6 for 16 in ten overs ensured Sri Lanka regained some pride with a 13-run win.
It almost turned back Australia's way as Nathan Bracken and Brett Lee combined for a 35-run tenth-wicket stand that brought them within sight of victory, but Sanath Jayasuriya had one final trick in his last match on Australian soil. With 14 needed from two overs, Jayasuriya, who had not been handed the ball until then, came on and bowled Lee (37) first ball to seal the win.
Full postStrauss and Harmison lift England spirits
England wiped off their first-innings deficit of 140, and led by 15 runs with seven wickets standing, with Strauss still at the crease on 55 not out
The Bulletin by Andrew Miller in Dunedin
28-Feb-2008
England XI 131 and 155 for 3 (Strauss 55*, Pietersen 53*, Bell 21*) lead NZ Select XI 271 (How 65, Harmison 5-100) by 15 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
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It was a marked improvement from England's opening efforts in this match, although it was not a day that went entirely according to the team's plans. Paul Collingwood was unable to take the field at any stage after sustaining a grade-one tear to his right hamstring, while Chris Tremlett - selected for this match in place of the injured Ryan Sidebottom - bowled only five overs in the morning before leaving the field with a recurrence of a side strain, and it was later confirmed that he would be flying home. Matthew Hoggard was also under the weather with a stomach bug, leaving Harmison as England's only fully functional seamer.
The situation turned out to be a blessing in disguise for England. Despite a lacklustre start, there was no alternative but to continue with Harmison, and he slowly found his rhythm in an unbroken ten-over spell, grabbing four wickets to finish with 5 for 100 from 22 overs. At first, New Zealand's overnight pair, Mathew Sinclair and Grant Elliott, built comfortably on their team's lead and took their fifth-wicket stand to 71 before Harmison struck twice in two balls - Elliott feathered a leg-side lifter to Tim Ambrose behind the stumps, before Mark Orchard offered no stroke and lost his off stump.
Full postJaffer slams 178 in sensational Mumbai win
The results from the second day of the Ranji one-day tournament
Cricinfo staff
28-Feb-2008
The following are the summary of results from the second day of the Ranji Trophy one-day tournament
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West Zone
Wasim Jaffer clobbered an unbeaten 132-ball 178 as Mumbai chased down 358 to post a sensational win over Baroda at the Deccan Gymkhana Ground in Pune. Jaffer carted 19 fours and four sixes and put on an opening stand of 159 with the in-form Ajinkya Rahane in just 21.3 overs. Mumbai looked to be in trouble at 299 for 7, but debutant Ankit Chavan, coming in at No. 9, scored a brisk 24 to help Jaffer guide Mumbai to victory. Baroda reached their total on the back of a ferocious assault from Pinal Shah, who made an unbeaten 157 from 101 balls.
Wasim Jaffer clobbered an unbeaten 132-ball 178 as Mumbai chased down 358 to post a sensational win over Baroda at the Deccan Gymkhana Ground in Pune. Jaffer carted 19 fours and four sixes and put on an opening stand of 159 with the in-form Ajinkya Rahane in just 21.3 overs. Mumbai looked to be in trouble at 299 for 7, but debutant Ankit Chavan, coming in at No. 9, scored a brisk 24 to help Jaffer guide Mumbai to victory. Baroda reached their total on the back of a ferocious assault from Pinal Shah, who made an unbeaten 157 from 101 balls.
In another batsmen-dominated thriller in Pune, Gujarat fell an agonising five runs short of Maharashtra's 326 at the PYC Gymkhana Ground. Each of Maharashtra's top three batsmen scored more than 50, with captain Venugopal Rao going on to make a 79-ball 104. Gujarat were well on track for victory after Priyank Panchal (123) and Parthiv Patel (66) took them to 183 for 1 in 30 overs. However, with none of their other batsmen making more than 30, Gujarat ended up short of their target.
Full postA tale of two Taylors as England take series lead
Sarah Taylor and Claire Taylor both made fifties to help England to a six-wicket victory with 11 balls to spare and push them ahead for the first time this series. They are now 2-1 up with two to play
Cricinfo staff
28-Feb-2008
England 200 for 4 (Sarah Taylor 86*, Claire Taylor 70) beat New Zealand 199 by six wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
Sarah Taylor and Claire Taylor both made fifties to help England to a six-wicket victory with 11 balls to spare and push them ahead for the first time this series. They are now 2-1 up with two to play after hunting down their required 200 runs thanks to Sarah Taylor's 86 not out and Claire Taylor's 70 to follow up her unbeaten century last match.
England's surge continues apace, well marshalled by Katherine Brunt's 2 for 18 from seven overs in her first series since recovering from back problems. There were two each for Jenny Gunn and Charlotte Edwards too, the visitors bowling out New Zealand with an over to spare.
Ingrid Cronin-Knight (36) and Sarah Tsukigawa (37) helped to boost them to a competitive total in this closely fought series but England paced their reply too well after losing Beth Morgan early. Charlotte Edwards was out for a rare duck and Tsukigawa also bagged Lydia Greenway for 12, but Gunn fired them home along with Sarah Taylor who made her first fifty of the tour.
Full postEngland made to toil in warm-up
England's cricketers were given a rude awakening on the opening day of their final warm-up match against a New Zealand Select XI, when they were bowled out for a mere 131
The Bulletin by Andrew Miller in Dunedin
27-Feb-2008
NZ Select XI 177 for 4 (How 65, Sinclair 16*, Elliott 13*) lead England XI 131 (Pietersen 50, O'Brien 4-34) by 46 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
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It was a marked reversal of fortune after the dominance England enjoyed in the two-day practice match on the same ground earlier in the week, and there was scarcely a moment in the day when they were not playing catch-up. Michael Vaughan was caught behind for a second-ball duck, Andrew Strauss took his tour tally to nine runs from two innings, and only Kevin Pietersen, with a 69-ball half-century, provided any resistance to a penetrative and eager New Zealand attack. But when he fell in the penultimate over before lunch, England's last hope of a competitive total went with him. From 96 for 6 at the break, they added just 35 runs to their total while losing four more wickets in the first 40 minutes of the second session.
The most significant wicket for England was that of Strauss, who needed a big innings to justify his selection ahead of the in-form Owais Shah, who made 96 on Monday. Instead he attempted to pull a short ball from O'Brien through midwicket, and top-edged a simple catch to How, jogging back from the slip cordon. England were 17 for 2 at the end of the sixth over, and that soon become 38 for 3 when Alastair Cook was squared up by Mark Gillespie, and spooned a leading edge to Jeetan Patel in the covers for 19.
Full postEngland win despite Pathirana's all-round show
A round-up of the matches Under-19 World Cup matches that took place on February 27, 2008
Cricinfo staff
27-Feb-2008
England U-19s 204 for 3 (Westley 58, Godleman 57) beat Sri Lanka U-19s (Pathirana 97*, Priyanjan 54) by eight runs (by D/L method)
Scorecard
Scorecard
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Half-centuries from Billy Godleman and captain Tom Westley guided England to an eight-run D/L victory at Royal Selangor Club. England next take on the winner of Thursday's Australia-Bangladesh clash in the fifth place play-off final.
Sri Lanka, after being put in, got off to a disastrous start and were reduced to 10 for 2 in the fourth over. However, powered by an unbeaten 97 from Sachith Pathirana, who is currently the tournament's leading run-scorer, they posted a competitive 241. Pathirana smashed five boundaries and two sixes in his 91-ball effort. There were also significant contributions from opener Lahiru Thirimanne (47) and captain Ashan Priyanjan (54).
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