Report
Younis hundred helps Pakistan salvage draw
A 136-run partnership between Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf dragged Pakistan from a perilous 78 for 4 to safety.
The Bulletin by Osman Samiuddin
04-Dec-2007
India 616 for 5 dec (Jaffer 202, Laxman 112*, Ganguly 102, Tendulkar 82) and 184 for 4 dec (Jaffer 56) drew with Pakistan 456 (Misbah 161*, Akmal 119, Harbhajan 5-122) and 214 for 4 (Younis 107*, Yousuf 43*)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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Younis Khan lodged himself firmly between India and a series triumph on the final day of the second Test at Eden Gardens, leading his side to an unlikely, morale-boosting draw. Younis, standing in as captain for the injured Shoaib Malik, hit his 15th Test hundred and fifth against India, accepting help from a familiar face as he kept Pakistan alive to fight another day. A 136-run partnership with Mohammad Yousuf dragged them from peril to safety, both captains calling it a day at 214 for 4 with half an hour of play left.
India were disappointingly lethargic, except for brief periods in the afternoon or when Anil Kumble was involved. Kumble had brought the game alive in the afternoon, with two wickets. But as the two Y's came together with another century partnership - their ninth - even Kumble's tenacity wasn't to be enough.
Full postKumaran bowls Superstars to 38-run win
Mumbai Champs lost their second match in a row after T Kumaran struck with 6 for 21 to hand Chennai Superstars a 38-run win
Cricinfo staff
03-Dec-2007
Chennai Superstars 157 for 8 (Harvey 63, Astle 3-36) beat Mumbai Champs 119 (Kumaran 6-21) by 38 runs
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Mumbai Champs lost their second match in a row after T Kumaran struck with 6 for 21 to hand Chennai Superstars a 38-run win.
After winning the toss, the Superstars were given a powerful start by Ian Harvey, who hit six fours and four sixes in his 41-ball 63. He added 78 with Chris Read before Read was trapped leg before by Nathan Astle for 34. But Harvey stuck into Astle in the 13th over, hitting two sixes and a four off the first three balls before he holed out to fine leg off the last ball. The over had cost 18 runs and the Superstars were at 109 for 3. After Harvey's dismissal, the Superstars steadily lost wickets and only added another 48 in the next seven overs. Their total of 157 is the highest so far in the tournament and Harvey's 63 is the highest individual score so far.
Full postDeclaration by Kerala sets up exciting final day
A round-up of the third day's play of the fourth-round matches of the Ranji Trophy Plate League, 2007-08
Cricinfo staff
03-Dec-2007
Tripura 185 and 25 for 0 need another 245 runs to beat Kerala 179 and 275 for 7 dec. (Gomez 108, Sebastian 64)
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A 172-run opening stand between Raiphi Gomez and Antony Sebastian set up Kerala's bold declaration towards the end of the day to set up an exciting final day's play, as Tripura need 245 more with all ten wickets in hand. Gomez, with an average of 11.22 and a highest of 23 going into the match, went on to score 108. Sebastian scored his second half-century and missed his personal best of 68 by four. Sreekumar Nair scored a quick 53 as Kerala looked to declare.
Tripura made a steady start as they saw off nine overs without any mishap.
Haryana 404 beat Jammu & Kashmir 174 (Mishra 4-12) and 107 (Vashisht 5-22, Billa 3-26) by an innings and 123 runs
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Haryana took 15 Jammu and Kashmir wickets on the third day to inflict an innings defeat on J&K. Resuming their first innings at 92 for 5, in reply to Haryana's 174, J&K could add only 82 and were asked to follow-on. Irshad Hassan scored 44 of those runs and ended up with 51. Amit Mishra took three wickets today to end up with a four-wicket haul in the first innings.
Full postEagles soar into the lead
A round-up from last week's matches in the South African domestic season
Telford Vice
03-Dec-2007
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SuperSport Series
The polite indifference which some stars feign when they reflect a fine performance cannot be applied to Mario Olivier, the Warriors fast bowler who last week became the third South African to take 10 wickets in an innings.
"I can't describe how I am feeling," Olivier said. "I am in the clouds. I have just been looking at the scorecard and it is unbelievable. Everything came together today. I had good rhythm and the ball was moving a bit. I couldn't find good rhythm at the beginning of the season but I have been working hard in the nets and today it paid off."
Bert Vogler, who according to Wisden delivered "the off-break with a leg-break action" and could also bowl fast, took 10 for 26 for Eastern Province against Griqualand West in 1906-07. Twenty years ago, Western Province's Stephen Jefferies, the bristling left-arm fast bowler who was denied an international career by apartheid, took 10 for 59 against Free State. And now comes Olivier, who took 10 for 65 - but his haul wasn't enough to deny Eagles heading to a 10-wicket win at Bloemfontein.
Full postKarnataka escape, with Goud on their side
Yere Goud's unbeaten 110 and record last-wicket stand with NC Aiyappa helped Karnataka avoid the follow-on and post a healthy 329
The Bulletin by Jamie Alter in Mysore
03-Dec-2007
3rd day Rajasthan 393 and 0 for 0 lead Karnataka 329 (Goud 110*, Shamsher 4-79, Aslam 4-91) by 64 runs
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Yere Goud was hardly the name you would have expected to hear chanted at the Gangothri Glades in Mysore, given that many in the partisan crowd had come to see a reprise of Robin Uthappa's brisk century last season. Yet after his unbeaten 110 and a last-wicket stand with the determined NC Aiyappa to avoid the follow-on and post a healthy, unlikely, 329, Goud was the one they were cheering for.
Goud walked in at 155 for 5 and soon saw three wickets fall for 36 runs; a fourth fell at 208, still 36 runs short of the target to avoid the follow-on. Yet while his younger team-mates came and went, Goud called on all his experience and gave Karnataka reason to smile after two and a half days of catch-up cricket against Rajasthan. Though Rajasthan did take crucial first-innings lead points and dominated the first half of the third day, they were seriously tested by Goud's perseverance.
In a south Indian version of The Great Escape, Goud, 36, did his best to move the score along after a post-lunch collapse with a six, followed by some paddles and powerful sweeps. After gauging the pitch, the attack and his partner's abilities, Goud opened up with some exciting shots. There was one mis-hit that the fielder at mid-on, running backwards at a fair clip, failed to hold on to despite a valiant dive, but otherwise it was Karnataka's afternoon. Goud welcomed the new ball with a pull and helped wrest the momentum back his side's way.
Full postChopra and Gambhir lead Delhi's fightback
A round-up of the third day's play of the fourth-round matches of the Ranji Trophy Super League, 2007-08
Cricinfo staff
03-Dec-2007
Delhi 75 and 353 for 3 (Chopra 146*, Gambhir 103, Thakur 3-72) lead Himachal Pradesh 343 by 67 runs
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Aakash Chopra and Gautam Gambhir, who scored centuries, put up a much improved show for Delhi and prevented an innings defeat against Himachal Pradesh. Following on after being bowled out for 75 in the first innings, Delhi needed 268 to avoid an innings defeat, and Chopra and Gambhir ensured they did it quite easily.
After Virender Sehwag got out for the addition of one run to his overnight 31, Chopra and Gambhir made Himachal wait another 66.5 overs for the next wicket. They added 230 for the second wicket, with Chopra ending the day on an unbeaten 146, while Gambhir scored 103. This is Chopra's second century of the season to go with the 87 he scored against Mumbai; all three have come in the second innings.
Full postRogers hundred drives Western Australia
Chris Rogers' 123 rescued Western Australia from an early slip against Tasmania on a rain-affected opening day in Hobart, steering them to 4 for 245 by stumps
Cricinfo staff
03-Dec-2007
Western Australia 4 for 245 (Rogers 123, Voges 80*) v Tasmania
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Chris Rogers' 123 rescued Western Australia from an early slip against Tasmania on a rain-affected opening day in Hobart, steering them to 4 for 245 by stumps. He and Adam Voges, who remained unbeaten on 80, reversed the momentum that had been all Tasmania's in the opening exchanges, as their bowlers reduced them to 3 for 57 under overcast skies, including the wicket of Michael Hussey.
Rogers, whose innings included 14 fours and a six, put on 168 with Voges, who was nearing his own century before bad light brought an early close with 73.4 overs possible in the day. Rogers finally fell inside-edging Luke Butterworth but will have enhanced his Test claims, particularly should Phil Jaques not recover in time for the Boxing Day bout against India, though he is expected to be fit.
Full postBlues and Bushrangers draw in rainy Melbourne
Rain ruined the final day of a closely-fought top-of-the-table contest at the MCG where Victoria and New South Wales played out a tame draw
Brydon Coverdale at the MCG
03-Dec-2007
Victoria 8 for 256 dec and 2 for 117 (Quiney 52*) drew with New South Wales 9 for 253 dec and 7 for 323 dec (Mail 125, Thornely 76*, McGain 5-112)
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Rain ruined the final day of a closely-fought top-of-the-table contest at the MCG where Victoria and New South Wales played out a tame draw. The Blues declared early, setting Victoria a tough chase of 321 from 90 overs but rain arrived before the Bushrangers could begin and another interruption later meant a draw was almost inevitable.
Victoria were 0 for 28 from ten overs when their progress was halted by the second delay, which lasted nearly two hours. In the end the skies cleared and Nick Jewell (49) and Rob Quiney enjoyed some batting practice, guiding the Bushrangers to 2 for 117 from their 42 overs.
Full postSri Lanka build lead on Murali's record day
Sri Lanka lead by 78 after the third day at Kandy following a half-century from Sanath Jayasuriya, which followed Muttiah Muralitharan's record-breaking wicket earlier in the day
The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan
03-Dec-2007
Sri Lanka 188 and 167 for 2 (Jayasuriya 78, Sangakkara 30*, M Jayawardene 0*) lead England 281 (Bell 83, Collingwood 45, Muralitharan 6-55) by 74 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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Muralitharan will probably play on until his legs drop off, and 1000 wickets is a realistic aim, which would leave him virtually untouchable at the top, but rumours were abound that Jayasuriya was about to call time on his Test career. He received a semi-hug from Kumar Sangakkara as he left the field after giving the crowd a snapshot of what made him Sri Lanka's most destructive batsman of his generation. His 106-ball innings included six boundaries off James Anderson's fifth over, only the second time the feat has been achieved in a six-ball over during a Test, with Matthew Hoggard the other member of an ignominious club.
The way England's tail hung around and Sri Lanka batted during the second two sessions confounded expectations around the pitch, which didn't show much deterioration. However, chasing anything over 200 will be an almighty test so the lead is already growing towards worrying proportions from Michael Vaughan's point of view. Muralitharan admitted "the pressure is off" now the world record is his, and a relaxed Murali in the final innings is an even more menacing proposition.
Full postIndia accelerate to extend lead
India gave themselves some hope of winning the second Test at Eden Gardens, finally hustling out Pakistan's resistance on the fourth day
The Bulletin by Osman Samiuddin
03-Dec-2007
Day 4 India 616 for 5 dec and 141 for 2 (Jaffer 56, Kaneria 2-41) lead Pakistan 456 (Misbah 161*, Sami 38, Harbhajan 5-122) by 301 runs
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How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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India gave themselves hope of winning the second Test at Eden Gardens, finally hustling out Pakistan's resistance on the fourth day before racing away in search of a winning target. Having grabbed a 160-run first-innings lead just before tea, a fluent half-century from Wasim Jaffer then led them to 141 for 2 at the close of play. With the lead already over 300, they have a day in which to manufacture another declaration and secure a series win.
It is an outside chance admittedly, but given that halfway through the day there appeared even less chance, that represents progress. Until then luck had fully deserted them and defected to Pakistan, enticed no doubt by the latter's bravery. Rudi Koertzen incorrectly turned down a bat-pad appeal against Mohammad Sami in the first over after lunch, before Billy Doctrove rejected a plumb leg-before shout against Misbah-ul-Haq a few overs later.
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