Report
Pomersbach fights on tough day for Warriors
Luke Pomersbach dragged Western Australia into respectable territory after his more fancied team-mates faltered, as the Warriors reached 9 for 272 against Victoria
Brydon Coverdale at the MCG
26-Oct-2007
Western Australia 9 for 272 (Pomersbach 89) v Victoria
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Scorecard
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Luke Pomersbach dragged Western Australia into respectable territory after his more fancied team-mates faltered, as the Warriors reached 9 for 272 against Victoria. Pomersbach looked set for his second consecutive century when he fell for 89, leaving Darren Wates to see out the day on 31 with Mathew Inness on 9.
On a pitch that offered generous seam movement Pomersbach was the only batsman to look really comfortable as Shane Harwood, Gerard Denton and Dirk Nannes each grabbed two wickets. Rob Quiney, who had never bowled in a first-class match, also chipped in with 2 for 22 and extracted impressive outswing with his medium-pace offerings.
Full postVettori spares New Zealand blushes
Daniel Vettori marked the beginning of his first full tour in charge of New Zealand by saving his team from embarrassment on the opening day of their warm-up match against a South African Invitational XI at Bloemfontein
Cricinfo staff
25-Oct-2007
New Zealanders 318 (Vettori 99, McCullum 46, Abdullah 4-81) v SA Invitational XI
Scorecard
Scorecard
Daniel Vettori marked the beginning of his first full tour in charge of New Zealand by saving his team from embarrassment on the opening day of their warm-up match against a South African Invitational XI at Bloemfontein. The Kiwi lower-order came to the rescue, after their main batsmen had left them teetering on 126 for 6, with Vettori falling one short of his century.
But as much as the recovery will have been heartening, led by a 110-run stand from Vettori and Brendon McCullum, it was needed because of familiar failings. Previous tours of South Africa have been highlighted by the inability of New Zealand's top-order to pull its weight, and this one has started no differently.
Their latest opening combination - Michael Papps and Craig Cumming - made 19 in the first 10 overs before Papps fell to Ethy Mbhalati and thereafter wickets went steadily. Stephen Fleming, after five fours and a six, edged to the wicketkeeper and Mbhalati added a third by ending Scott Styris' stodgy 114-ball 29. When Jacob Oram also headed back to the pavilion nine balls later New Zealand were struggling to reach 200.
Full postCaptain Kotze boosts Namibia
Bjorn Kotze played a captain's innings as Namibia fought back to edge the opening day of their Intercontinental Cup match against Canada at Windhoek
Cricinfo staff
25-Oct-2007
Namibia 314 for 6 (B Kotze 87*, Scholtz 64, Verwey 49*, Soraine 3-54) v Canada
Scorecard
Scorecard
Bjorn Kotze played a captain's innings as Namibia fought back to edge the opening day of their Intercontinental Cup match against Canada at Windhoek. Most of Namibia's batsmen made starts, but it was Kotze and Nicholaas Scholtz, adding 94 for the fifth wicket, who made life tougher for the visitors.
For once Umar Bhatti, Canada's opening bowler, failed to make early inroads and instead that role went to Henry Osinde as he had Jan-Berrie Burger caught behind. Seventeen-year-old debutant Raymond van Schoor made an impressive start with nine boundaries in his 46, adding 59 with fellow new-boy Michael Durant, but Namibia stumbled against the medium pace of Durand Soraine.
van Schoor edged to the keeper and Durant was trapped lbw, then with a recovery in operation Soraine struck again to remove Gerrie Snyman (35). When Deon Kotze was caught for a duck off Sunil Dhaniram the innings was threatening to unravel.
Full postObanda and Ongondo sink Bermuda
Kenya cruised to an eight-wicket win in the opening one-day international against Bermuda in Nairobi
Cricinfo staff
25-Oct-2007
Kenya 175 for 2 (Obanda 79*, Ouma 46) beat Bermuda 174 (Cann 52, Ongondo 3-16) by eight wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
Kenya cruised to an eight-wicket win in the opening one-day international against Bermuda in Nairobi. Peter Ongondo led the way with the ball as his three wickets knocked the stuffing out of Bermuda's weak batting line-up then Alex Obanda, the impressive 19-year-old, made short work of the target.
However, anything less than this emphatic result would have been a disappointment for Kenya against a Bermuda side which is struggling to justify its status as a leading Associate. On Tuesday they lost to Uganda by 43 runs and the top-order woes, which had them on 18 for 5, returned again in this match after they'd been put in.
Ongondo began the rout with his seventh ball when Steve Outerbridge edged a rising delivery to second slip and thereafter Bermuda were unable to cope. Irvine Romaine chased a wide one and edged to the keeper and when David Hemp drove a half volley into the covers they were 51 for 5 and sinking rapidly.
Full postRaina steers India Blue to victory
Complementing Suresh Raina's composed 92 with an impressive performance in the field, India Blue sneaked home to a 12-run win
The Bulletin by Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Oct-2007
India Blue 246 (Raina 92, Kumar 4-42) beat India Red 234 for 8 (Rawat 47, Joginder 3-30) by 12 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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Complementing Suresh Raina's composed 92 with an impressive performance in the field, India Blue sneaked home to a 12-run win in the opening match of the Challenger Trophy at Motera. Raina helped his side overcome a poor start, when they had stumbled to 41 for 4 in swinging conditions, and the fighting target proved enough eventually, with their bowlers overcoming the problems posed by the evening dew.
The Reds were guilty of losing wickets at crucial junctures, just when solid partnerships were beginning to take shape. Legspinner Amit Mishra slipped in the googlies and foxed Virat Kohli and S Badrinath, the well-set batsmen, to wrest the initiative. A late-charge from Praveen Kumar and Mahesh Rawat, adding 62 in just under 10 overs, provided Reds with hope but their dismissals in quick succession effectively put an end to the contest.
Full postSri Lanka wrap-up three-day win
Sri Lanka A romped to a 224 runs victory over Zimbabwe Select with a day to spare in their second and final four-day match at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo
Cricinfo staff
24-Oct-2007
Sri Lanka A 256 and 268 (Dilshan 85, Utseya 4-59) beat Zimbabwe Select 96 and 204 (Dabengwa 73, Chibhabha 60, Kulasekara 3-38) by 224 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Sri Lanka A romped to a 224-run victory over Zimbabwe Select with a day to spare in their second and final four-day match at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe's poor batting yesterday left them facing a mountain, and while they did better today, they were never likely to get close to a target of 429. That they passed 200 was only thanks to good innings by Keith Dabengwa (73) and Chamu Chibhabha (60).
Sri Lanka's captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, who has struggled to find form in this series, finally made runs, top-scoring with 85 but even though Christopher Mpofu could not take to the field with a side strain, Sri Lanka's batsmen struggled and were bowled out shortly before lunch.
Full postCanada's batsmen come up trumps
Canada's batsmen carried them to a six-wicket win over Namibia A in a warm-up match in Windhoek
Cricinfo staff
24-Oct-2007
Canada 274 for 4 (Qaiser Ali 73, Kandappah 62*, Dhaniram 58*) beat Namibia 271 for 5 (Williams 132) by six wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
Canada's batsmen carried them to a six-wicket win over Namibia A in a warm-up match in Windhoek.
What will worry the Canadians is that none of their bowlers were able to keep the Namibians in check. Craig Williams, a 23-year-old with a first-class average of 112, was the mainstay of the innings with 132 and with the exception of 17-year-old Sean Silver, who fell for 5 in the fifth over, all of the batsmen made reasonable contributions.
Canada lost Aftab Shamsudeen, run out three balls into their reply, and then Abul Jabbar for a six-ball 14, but thereafter they batted sensibly in what was a well-paced chase. Trevin Bastiampillai and Qaiser Ali put them ahead of the clock and then some all-out attack by the veteran pairing of Arvind Kandappah and Sunil Dhaniram steered them home with six overs to spare.
Full postYouthful Uganda humiliate Bermuda's old guard
Bermuda's problems continue to grow by the day, and after being given a scare by Uganda on Sunday, they were handed a convincing drubbing by them in the second of two warm-up one-dayers
Cricinfo staff
24-Oct-2007
Uganda 253 (Olwenyi 68) beat Bermuda 210 (Cann 73) by 43 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Bermuda's problems continue to grow by the day, and after being given a scare by Uganda on Sunday, they were handed a convincing drubbing by them in the second of two warm-up one-dayers at Nairobi's Sir Ali Muslim Ground.
The margin of defeat - 43 runs - flattered the Bermudans. At one stage they were 18 for 5 chasing 253, and only a spirited 73 from Lionel Cann saved them from complete humiliation. Even for a team which has been embarrassed many times over the last year, this was a new low.
That should not take anything away from an enthusiastic Ugandan side. Stuck in by Bermuda, they batted sensibly, building their innings round a patient 68 from Joel Olwenyi, their captain, who put on 106 for the first wicket with 18-year-old Arthur Kyobe. Without the steadying influence of a rested Dwayne Leverock, Bermuda's bowlers were unable to stifle the runs, and they added to their own problems by gifting 18 wides. They did bowl Uganda out, but the last few wickets fell in pursuit of quick runs in the final overs.
Full postMeek Zimbabwe slip against Sri Lanka A
Sri Lanka A took control of proceedings on day two at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, dismissing a lowly Zimbabwe Select for 96 and then taking a 288-run lead by stumps
Cricinfo staff
24-Oct-2007
Sri Lanka A 256 and 128 for 3 (Kaushal Silva 44*, Dilshan 30*) lead Zimbabwe Select 96 (Herath 4-25) by 288 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Sri Lanka A took control of proceedings on day two at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, dismissing a lowly Zimbabwe Select for 96 and then taking a 288-run lead by stumps.
Zimbabwe had done well to restrict Sri Lanka to 245 for 8 on day one, and then dismiss them for 256 early in the first session, but their batting was deplorable. In no time, they were 23 for 4 as medium-pacers Nuwan Kulasekara and Sujeewa de Silva made early inroads. Stuart Matsikenyeri top-scored with 20 from 53 deliveries as left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, with 12 Tests and six ODIs under his belt, ripped through the lower order to finish with 4 for 25.
In their second innings, Sri Lanka lost Tharanga Paranavitana and Malinda Warnapura cheaply but Mahela Udawatte's 51-ball 44 and an unbeaten partnership of 70 between captain Tillakaratne Dilshan and wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva rounded off a good day.
Full postSquandered catches cost MCC
A match report from The Cricketer of the MCC's final tour game against South Australia
23-Oct-2007
MCC 298 and 371 drew with South Australia 191 and 313 for 8
Scorecard
Scorecard
The MCC scored rather slowly on the opening day, making 240 for the loss of four wickets, and on the following morning collapsed. Ames played the best innings, hitting seven fours. For the third successive time Richardson failed to score against the Englishmen, but Nitschke made a vigorous 38, while Ryan's 61 included eight boundaries.
The chief features of the MCC's second innings were a stand of 142 for the fourth wicket between Jardine and Leyland, and some big hitting by Leyland and Voce, who scored 33 in 16 minutes, at the end of the day. When South Australia went in again Nitschke again showed a great partiality for Bowes, and the first 50 runs were up in 30 minutes. The MCC would have won easily if they had not dropped a number of catches, three of them being in one over off Bowes.
Full post