Report
Dolphins and Eagles ease to victories
A round-up from the opening round of Supersport matches as the South African domestic season begins
Cricinfo staff
22-Oct-2007
Quinton Friend and Johann Louw bowled the Dolphins to a seven-wicket win against the Titans at Durban as they bounced back from their opening-week defeat against the Eagles. Friends' 5 for 30 set the ball rolling as the Titans fell away for 147 after the opening day had been washed out. Imran Khan (80) and Hashim Amla (59), fresh from his tour of Pakistan, added 108 for the second wicket as the Dolphins moved into the lead just one down. Then the innings fell away with the last nine wickets falling for 117 as Imran Tahir, the legspinner who had a short stint with Yorkshire this year, worked his way through the middle order. But a 130-run lead was significant in the conditions and Louw kept the pressure on the Titans throughout their second innings. The top score was Brendon Reddy's 38 as wickets fell steadily, Louw revelling in bowler-friendly conditions with 6 for 88. Chasing 111, the Dolphins had few problems as Khan completed a fine match with an unbeaten 45.
The Eagles continued their flying start to the season with their second consecutive victory, a 113-run win against the Lions at Kimberley, and were spearheaded by the prolific form of seamer Dillon du Preez. He claimed match figures of 10 for 112, his most dramatic intervention coming as the Lions crashed to 48 for 7 in their first innings after the Eagles had struggled to 199 with Craig Alexander, the former South Africa Under-19 fast bowler, taking his first five-wicket haul. Neither first innings produced a half-century, but the defining knock of the match then came from Boeta Dippenaar who ground out a 289-ball 153. He added 102 with Ryan McLaren to set the Lions a huge target of 441. Although they battled hard for more than 130 overs it was a futile effort as du Preez led the attack with 33 overs. The key wicket, though, came from a stunning piece of fielding from McLaren as his direct hit accounted for Neil McKenzie, on 54 at the time, moments before lunch on the final day and with him the Lions' last real hope.
Bowlers dominated at Port Elizabeth where the Warriors came out on top against the Cape Cobras by six wickets. The visitors were on the back foot from the start as they fell in a heap for 110 with Nantie Hayward and Lonwabo Tsotsobe sharing seven wickets. For Tsotsobe it was another eye-catching display after his career-best 7 for 39 in the opening round of matches and he has a chance to impress the national selectors after being named to face New Zealand in a tour match this week. Success for the batsmen was limited, but Arno Jacobs hammered an aggressive 93 to build an imposing lead of 173. Andrew Puttick replied with a marathon 92 off 212 balls and at 134 for 1, with Gerhard Strydom on 65, the match wasn't gone from the Cobras. However, the combination of Hayward's pace and Robin Peterson's left-arm spin proved too much for the middle order. Still, chasing down 95 didn't come without a scare for the Warriors as Monde Zondeki ripped into the top order to leave them 26 for 4. It took a counter-attacking stand of 72 between the two Jacobs - Arno and Davey - to seal the result.
Full postTucker and Hurdle spare Bermuda's blushes
Bermuda won their opening warm-up match against Uganda in Nairobi, but they were taken to the wire, eventually squeezing a seven-run victory
Cricinfo staff
22-Oct-2007
Bermuda 231 for 7 (Tucker 59*, Edness 41) beat Uganda 224 for 9 (Kishore 84*, Ruyange 50, Hurdle 4-40) by seven runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Bermuda won their opening warm-up match against Uganda in Nairobi, but they were taken to the wire, eventually squeezing a seven-run victory.
Bermuda, whose form in the last year has been desperately poor, need good results in Kenya and the UAE, and they got off to a good start after winning the toss, Stephen Outerbridge and Jekon Edness putting on 83 for the first wicket. But then the innings lost its way as five wickets fell for 53 runs, Davies Arinaitwe and Frank Nsubuga picking up two each. Nsubuga's offspin was particularly effective on a slow pitch, his ten overs producing excellent figures of 2 for 24.
Janeiro Tucker led a middle-order revival, smacking an unbeaten 59, including five sixes, as Bermuda recovered to 231 for 7.
Full postLanger and Marsh direct Warriors to bonus point
Justin Langer and Shaun Marsh sparkled with half-centuries as Western Australia cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Tasmania in Perth
Cricinfo staff
21-Oct-2007
Western Australia 2 for 185 (Langer 75*, Marsh 66) beat Tasmania 8 for 181 (Dighton 38, Voges 3-33) by 8 wickets
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Scorecard
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Justin Langer and Shaun Marsh sparkled with half-centuries as Western Australia cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Tasmania in Perth. The Warriors controlled the match from the middle of the first innings and were rewarded with a bonus point as Langer and Marsh finished in a flurry.
Langer started cautiously and waited until well after Luke Ronchi departed for an enterprising 27 before he lifted his rate. Once settled, he began to sprint and pounded four sixes in his 75 from 99 balls. Marsh also looked comfortable after a tough opening - he brought up his fifty with a six over long-off - and hit seven fours before slipping to Brendan Drew on 66.
Full postEmrit stars in Trinidad's comprehensive win
A round-up of the fifth day's action from the KFC Cup
Cricinfo staff
21-Oct-2007
Trinidad and Tobago 209 for 6 (Pollard 52*, Belcon 47) beat Guyana 208 for 8 (McGarrell 51*, Johnson 50, Emrit 4-43) by 4 wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
Seamer Rayad Emrit starred with a four-wicket haul to help Trinidad and Tobago comprehensively beat Guyana at Providence. Guyana fought back after a poor start but their total of 208 wasn't enough as Kieron Pollard helped his side ease to the target.
Guyana were weakened when captain Ramnaresh Sarwan pulled out before the start of play after sustaining an ankle injury during training. Sent into bat on a pitch which tested the batsmen with variable bounce, the Guyana openers added 36. However, they lost their way as Mervyn Dillon dismissed Sewnarine Chattergoon with a good delivery that moved away from him and Emrit proceeded to take three wickets in quick succession.
At 77 for 5, with Guyana in danger of folding up early, Neil McGarrell and Leon Johnson counter-attacked with half-centuries. Johnson added 43 for the sixth-wicket with Derwin Christian that pushed the total to 120. McGarrell continued the rebuilding process as he supported Johnson in a quick-fire stand of 47 for the seventh wicket. Johnson's 50 came off 72 balls with four fours and two sixes while McGarrell's 51 was more aggressive, coming off 39 balls with three fours and a six. Guyana added 42 off the last five overs to finish on 208 for 8 at the end of 50 overs.
Full postClassy Obanda seals series for Kenya
A fine 85 from Alex Obanda, playing in only his second one-dayer, led Kenya to a thumping win over Canada in the second and final ODI at Nairobi
Cricinfo staff
20-Oct-2007
Kenya 193 for 6 (Obanda 85, Obuya 44) beat Canada 189 (Bastiampillai 49, Tikolo 4-41) by four wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
A fine 85 from Alex Obanda, playing in only his second one-dayer, led Kenya to a thumping win over Canada in the second and final ODI at Nairobi. Chasing a modest 190, Kenya rollicked to victory with more than six overs to spare.
It was not all plain sailing though. In cool conditions and under cloudy skies, Kenya's top-order struggled with the early loss of Maurice Ouma and Nehemiah Odhiambo. David Obuya (34 from 51) helped put on 41 with Obanda, crunching five fours, before he fell attempting his sixth slog and was caught at deep midwicket off Qaiser Ali.
All the while, Obanda showed a calmness belying his years - he turns 20 in December - and stroked 15 fours in his 103-ball 85. He was particularly savage through his favoured cover region but also slogged the spinners over midwicket and hit cleanly over the top. It was his maiden ODI fifty and he looked set to register a hundred before he propped forward to Jason Patraj and was stumped. Collins Obuya was on hand to see Kenya home with a powerful 44.
Full postIndia end series on Twenty20 high
The one-day series might have gone but India lived up to their world champions tag in the Twenty20, finishing with a thumping seven-wicket win in Mumbai
The Bulletin by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
20-Oct-2007
India 167 for 3 (Gambhir 63, Uthappa 35) beat Australia 166 for 5 (Ponting 76) by 7 wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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The one-day series might have gone but India lived up to their world champions tag in the Twenty20, finishing with a thumping seven-wicket win in Mumbai. Australia have bossed around for most of the last month but India can take consolation from one stat: the last eight internationals between the two sides have been shared 4-4.
Ricky Ponting's blazing 76 launched a meaty Australian total but it was soon to be overshadowed by Gautam Gambhir's swash and buckle. The jury is still out on his Test and 50-over credentials but there's few who will argue with his ability to swing a Twenty20 match. With fifties against New Zealand, England, Pakistan and Australia he's been India's most valuable batsmen in the shortest format. Only Matthew Hayden has managed a similar number of fifties; nobody has managed to defy expectations so consistently.
Full postYousuf ton helps Pakistan draw level
An assured 117 from Mohammad Yousuf helped Pakistan to a 25-run win
The Bulletin by Faras Ghani
20-Oct-2007
Pakistan 265 for 9 (Yousuf 117, Malik 56, Morkel 2-43) beat
South Africa 240 (Smith 65, Pollock 37, Anjum 3-43) by 25 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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An assured 117 from Mohammad Yousuf guided Pakistan to a 25-run win in the second ODI in Lahore to level the five-match ODI series 1-1. South Africa crashed to their first defeat of the tour as Pakistan, despite an atrocious fielding display, held their nerve to defend 266.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, Pakistan slumped to 13 for 2 by the sixth over of the innings before Yousuf, with useful contributions from Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan, rescued them. Although failing to clear the infield on various occasions, Yousuf's nine boundaries, mostly through the cover region, were brilliant. A couple of cover-drives off Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini early in his innings - one leaning forward, the other going back - eased the pressure and forced the field to the edge of the circle.
Full postEdwards' five seals semi-final berth for Barbados
A round-up of the fourth day's action from the KFC Cup
Cricinfo staff
20-Oct-2007
Barbados 230 (Richards 57, Carter 71) beat Leeward Islands 216 (Morton 65, Edwards 5-61) by 14 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Fast bowler Fidel Edwards' five-wicket haul helped Barbados clinch a 14-run victory over Leeward Islands at Bourda. Edwards finished with figures of 5 for 61 as Barbados defended their total of 230 and earned a place in the semi-finals, following their second successive victory.
Edwards halted Leewards' steady start - the openers added 41 - with three wickets in four balls. After removing Shane Jeffers and Tonito Willet in successive deliveries, he began his next over with a wide, and then yorked Omari Banks. With Leewards jolted at 64 for 4, Runako Morton and Steve Liburd buckled down with a stand of 82 to revive the chase. However, Barbados hit back with the run-out of Liburd for 30 and Edwards returned to dismiss Morton - chopping one onto his stumps - for 65. Morton counter-attacked in his 71-ball knock, scoring five fours and a six, but Leewards were never able to recover after he was dismissed. In the end, Leewards were wrapped up for 216 in only the 41st over.
Earlier, Barbados were lifted by half-centuries from Dale Richards and Jonathan Carter. Richards made 57 off 63 balls that included 11 fours, while Carter, in only his second match at this level, top-scored with 71 off 98 balls with nine fours. A quick three-wicket burst reduced Barbados to 102 for 4, before Carter and Ryan Wiggins lifted the score to 188. They were unable to push the scoring in the last ten overs and lost quick wickets in the process. However, the total of 230 proved to be sufficient in the end.
Full postHarwood five seals Victoria success
Shane Harwood's five wickets helped Victoria seal their second win in a week against South Australia in Adelaide
Jenny Thompson in Adelaide
19-Oct-2007
Victoria 263 (Blizzard 72, White 76, Harris 5-58) beat South Australia 247 (Cosgrove 92, Adcock 49, Harwood 5-45) by 16 runs
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Shane Harwood's five wickets helped Victoria seal their second win in a week against South Australia in Adelaide. While the Pura Cup victory was emphatic, this match was tighter, with South Australia showing some fight before losing their way at the end.
The home side was boosted by the return of Shaun Tait, who showed what it had been missing with three wickets on return from a long lay-off. On a perfect spring day, he sprang back from elbow surgery, pursuing a typically full, and prosperous, line.
Full postDowlin hundred seals Guyanese victory
Spurred by Travis Dowlin's maiden regional one-day hundred, Guyana wrapped up a 99-run win over a depleted Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) side at the National Stadium at Providence, their second successive win in the KFC Cup
Cricinfo staff
19-Oct-2007
Spurred by Travis Dowlin's maiden regional one-day hundred, Guyana wrapped up a 99-run win over a depleted Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) side at the National Stadium at Providence, their second successive win in the KFC Cup.
Man-of-the-Match Dowlin, 30, hit ten fours and four sixes during his 119 to carry Guyana to 279 for 8 after CCC put them in. He put on 113 for the first wicket with Sewnarine Chattergoon (46 from 70 balls), 79 with Ramnaresh Sarwan (38 from 42) and 58 with Narsingh Deonarine (27 from 22) before a triple-strike by medium-pacer Jason Bennett allowed CCC to dominate the last five overs.
However CCC, without first-round centurion Floyd Reifer and Jason Parris because of injury, could only come up with 180 in 4.5 overs. CCC lost their last seven wickets for 84 runs as Neil
McGarrell, Deonarine and Mahendra Nagamootoo picked up two wickets each for Guyana.
Ramnarine Chattergoon (37) and Rommell Currency (38) were the significant scorers.
Full post