Report
Lancashire rise to top as Warwickshire relegated
A round-up from the latest County Championship matches
Cricinfo staff
13-Sep-2007
Lancashire stormed to the top of the Championship thanks to their victory against Warwickshire
at Old Trafford, coupled with Durham's win against the previous leaders Sussex. The result meant that Warwickshire are relegated, because their fellow strugglers Kent managed to beat Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. Warwickshire lost their last eight wickets for 147, with Glen Chapple once more using his experience in leading the attack with three wickets, making it seven for the match. Lancashire were left an unchallenging 68 for victory, and cruised home for the loss of one wicket - that of Paul Horton. They are now one match away from lifting the title for the first time since 1934 (they shared it in 1950) - after narrowly missing out to Sussex last year. But Sussex are still breathing down their neck, six points behind.
Durham have crept to within a whisker of Sussex thanks to a thumping nine-wicket win at Chester-le-Street. Durham are now a mere 1.5 points behind second-placed Sussex (and 7.5 behind Lancashire) heading into the final match. Resuming on 85 for 4 Sussex folded fast, losing their final wickets for 46, with Rana Naved-ul-Hasan absent injured. Liam Plunkett and Mark Davies tidied up with three wickets each. Durham eased to their 107 target without alarm, losing only Mark Stoneman for 46. Michael Di Venuto (35*) and Kyle Coetzer (21*) did the rest. Durham head to Kent and Sussex host Worcestershire in the final, and decisive, round. Lancashire are playing Surrey at The Oval.
Kent shot to safety at The Rose Bowl by beating Hampshire whose title hopes thinned with defeat. After dominating for two days, Kent clinched the win in the final session on the third day, bowling out Hampshire for 216, enforcing the follow-on, and then easily knocking off the three runs they needed.
Full postPoints shared as rain washes out play
A persistent drizzle in Durban resulted in India's opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 being abandoned
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran
13-Sep-2007
Match abandoned India v Scotland
Scorecard
Scorecard
A persistent drizzle in Durban resulted in India's opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 being abandoned without a ball being bowled. Both India and Scotland got a point apiece, and it left India in a situation where they had to avoid a heavy defeat against Pakistan on Friday to make it through to the Super Eights. Scotland finished their engagements with a point after the 51-run defeat to Pakistan in their opening game.
Ryan Watson won the toss and decided to send India in to bat at Kingsmead, but the rain came down again long before the players could take the field. For India, who have played just one Twenty20 game, it meant a day-long wait to give a largely new-look side a hit.
Names synonymous with Indian cricket over the past decade and more - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly - were missing, and for the prodigal sons like Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan, it was an opportunity to revive stalled careers. They'll now be back in the fray for one of the tournament's marquee clashes, against Pakistan - assuming the inclement weather makes way for some sunshine.
Full postJaques and Hussey pile up the runs
Pakistan A suffered a horrible day in the field as centuries to Phil Jaques and David Hussey allowed Australia A to end the second day of the first Test on 438 for 4
Cricinfo staff
13-Sep-2007
Australia A 438 for 4 (Jaques 152, Hussey 143*, Rauf 2-71) lead Pakistan A 199 by 239 runs
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Scorecard
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Pakistan A suffered a horrible day in the field as centuries to Phil Jaques and David Hussey allowed Australia A to end the second day of the first Test on 438 for 4. The visitors had a healthy lead of 239 runs, placing them in control with two days remaining.
Australia resumed on 109 for 0 and Pakistan quickly got their first breakthrough when Chris Rogers was caught behind off Abdur Rauf after adding only six runs. He faced 126 deliveries for his 56 that included three fours. Pakistan's joy was short-lived as Jaques and Hussey then shared a 131-run third-wicket partnership, during which Jaques reached his 30th first-class century.
Full postPietersen ensures Zimbabwe cannot repeat their heroics
England, inspired by a typically idiosyncratic 79 from 37 balls from Kevin Pietersen, eased to a 50-run win over Zimbabwe at Cape Town
Martin Williamson
13-Sep-2007
England 188 for 9 (Pietersen 79, Collingwood 37, Chigumbura 4-31) beat Zimbabwe 138 for 7 (Taylor 47, Mascarenhas 3-18)
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Zimbabwe, who until the last quarter of the match again played out of their skins, battled hard but they were left with too many runs to chase. They will now need to wait to see who wins tomorrow's group match between England and Australia; if it is Australia, then Zimbabwe's poor run-rate might well count against them - the second ten overs of their innings was worth 58 for 6. Given how they played last night, that would be cruel.
It wasn't all plain sailing for England who lost two early wickets to Elton Chigumbura to briefly raise the prospect of another upset. But whereas Australia were rusty and out of form, England came into the tournament on the back of a long summer of cricket and with five years of Twenty20 matches under their belts.
Full postBangladesh send West Indies packing
An enthralling display of power hitting by Mohammad Ashraful and Aftab Ahmed helped Bangladesh stroll to a six-wicket win against West Indies in Johannesburg
The Bulletin by Kanishkaa Balachandran
13-Sep-2007
Bangladesh 165 for 4 (Ashraful 61, Aftab 62*) beat West Indies 164 for 8 (Devon Smith 51, Shakib 4-34) by 6 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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An enthralling display of power hitting by Mohammad Ashraful and Aftab Ahmed helped Bangladesh stroll to a six-wicket win against West Indies in Johannesburg. After eliminating India from the first round of the World Cup, Bangladesh inflicted the same on West Indies today as the target of 165 turned out to be a walk in the park for a team armed with batsmen ideally suited for this format of the game.
It was a sweet revenge for Ashraful, who after conceding over 50 runs with his legbreaks, bludgeoned the West Indies bowlers to record the fastest fifty in Twenty20 internationals, off just 20 balls. The early wickets of Tamim Iqbal and Nazimuddin - both falling to miscued pulls - did absolutely nothing to deter Aftab and Ashraful as the chase went into overdrive.
Full postIndia A take opening day honours
Hundreds from Parthiv Patel and Aakash Chopra rounded off a dominant first day for India A against their South African counterparts
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Mohammad Kaif's decision to bat first on a very green surface took an initial hiccup as South Africa grabbed two quick wickets, the captain himself falling for a second-ball duck. The two openers, Cheteshwar Pujara and Chopra, looked defensive from the word go. There were no positive shots and the feet just weren't moving. Friedel de Wet, a bustling right-arm fast-medium bowler who plays for Lions in South Africa, drew a nick from Pujara to the wicketkeeper in the eighth over. Two balls later, he trapped Kaif plumb in front with a lovely inswinger. This series is a major opportunity for Kaif to try and get back into the national side, and it got off to the worst possible start.
India were 13 for 2 when the diminutive Patel strode in to bat. His talent with the bat has never been in doubt - it remains to be seen how keeps in this match, and series - and from the moment he walked to the crease he was innovative. He moved his feet exceptionally well against the spinner. When Justin Ontong, an orthodox bowler if ever there was, came on with the mid-off and mid-on in and a deep-cover point waiting, Patel danced down and converted fullish deliveries into full tosses.
Full postJaques and Rogers put Australia A in control
A century stand from their openers helped Australia A finish on 109 at the end of the first day's play, just 90 behind Pakistan A
Cricinfo staff
12-Sep-2007
Australia A 109 for 0 (Jaques 56*, Rogers 50) trail Pakistan A 199 (Abdur Rauf 73, Bollinger 3-34) by 90 runs
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Scorecard
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An unbroken century stand from their openers helped Australia A finish on 109, trailing Pakistan A by just 90, at the end of the first day's play of the first Test.
Phil Jaques, the more aggressive of the openers, carried on his fine form from the recently-concluded one-day series. He scored 56 with seven fours while Chris Rogers was more circumspect, striking two boundaries in his 50. Rogers came into this match on the back of a century in the last of the ODIs. Neither batsman did their cause any harm as they compete to become Matthew Hayden's new opening partner in Australia's Test team.
Full postRana injury overshadows title knockout
A round-up from the latest County Championship matches
Cricinfo staff
12-Sep-2007
A serious injury to Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who crashed into the advertising hoardings, overshadowed the day at Chester-le-Street. Rana was taken to hospital after a 50-minute delay while he was treated on the outfield and an ambulance summoned. It was later announced he had suffered a dislocated right shoulder and he will be kept in hospital overnight. On the field, Durham, who must win to keep their title hopes alive, squeezed a 26-run first innings lead over Sussex thanks largely to Mark Stoneman's maiden Championship hundred. But from 233 for 2 they lost six wickets for 50 runs to Saqlain Mushtaq (4 for 59) and Mushtaq Ahmed (3 for 125). The in-form Ottis Gibson took his season tally to 75 with three wickets to reduce Sussex to 27 for 3, and although Murray Goodwin and Chris Adams appeared to have seen them through to the close without further alarms, Goodwin fell to Mark Davis in the final over.
A hundred from VVS Laxman put Lancashire in a strong position against Warwickshire at Old Trafford as his team-mates struggled against Heath Streak and Neil Carter (5 for 62). Oliver Newby helped Laxman through to his hundred during a ninth-wicket stand of 60, steering Lancashire to a first-innings lead of 205. Ian Westwood and Michael Powell gave Warwickshire a sound start with a stand of 60 before Powell edged to slip, and Keedy struck for a second time shortly before the close when he removed Westwood for 50. Rather bizarrely in this sodden summer, sun at the Stretford End stopped play with 13 overs of the day remaining and Warwickshire still 80 in arrears.
Relegation-threatened Kent had another good day against Hampshire at The Rose Bowl, moving to 395 and then reducing the home side to 186 for 7. Martin van Jaarsveld fell without adding to his important 112, but the lower order rallied, with fifties for Geraint Jones and James Tredwell. Hampshire got off to a good start, with 79 on the board for the openers before Tredwell claimed four amid a collapse where they lost seven wickets for 60.
Full postTaylor anchors Zimbabwe to historic win
For a few minutes at a chilly Newlands, Australia, the pre-tournament favourites, wobbled against Zimbabwe, slipping to 19 for 3 as the 15,000 crowd dared to think the unthinkable. They staged a recovery of sorts but were never at anything like their bes
The Bulletin by Martin Williamson
12-Sep-2007
Zimbabwe 139 for 5 (Taylor 60*, Clark 2-22) beat Australia 138 for 9 (Hodge 35*, Chigumbura 3-20) by five wickets
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It was a night to remember for cricket fans everywhere except for Australia. Zimbabwe played out of their skins, Australia looked rusty, and, after the drama of a rain delay with Australia ahead on Duckworth-Lewis, Zimbabwe, who had been wobbling when the rain hit, edged to a memorable, wonderful five-wicket win off the penultimate delivery. Two years ago to the day Australia lost the Ashes at The Oval. This game might have lacked the importance of that one, but it was a damn sight more embarrassing for them.
And lest anyone think this was a fluke, it was not. For almost the entire game Zimbabwe were, almost unbelievably, on top. Written off by everyone other than the ICC president, Ray Mali - the bookmakers had Australia at 50-1 on - they bowled sensibly, fielded like demons and, initially, batted with wisdom. A newcomer to Newlands might be thinking that they were the world champions and the side in the skin-tight yellow and grey lycra were the no-hopers.
Full postAfridi and Gul overwhelm Scotland
A devastating allround show from Shahid Afridi and some penetrative quick bowling from Umar Gul eased the path to a comfortable 51-run victory
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran
12-Sep-2007
Pakistan 171 for 9 (Younis 41, Wright 3-29) beat Scotland 120 (Watts 46, Afridi 4-19, Gul 4-25) by 51 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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Just like Ireland before them at the 50-over World Cup, Scotland punched
well above their weight against a strangely listless Pakistan at
Kingsmead, but a devastating allround show from Shahid Afridi and some
penetrative quick bowling from Umar Gul eased the path to a comfortable
51-run victory. When Pakistan slumped to 50 for 3, and again when Fraser
Watts played some punishing shots at the start of the innings, there was a
glimmer of an upset, but Younis Khan's 41 and Afridi's intervention with
the ball ensured that there was no danger of that ignominious Sabina Park
defeat being reprised.
Watts made a brilliant 46 from just 35 balls before his attempt to wallop
Mohammad Hafeez out of the ground flew to Imran Nazir at short third man.
By then, Afridi already had the wickets of Gavin Hamilton and Neil
McCallum, both to slogs into the deep, and when he added the scalps of
Dougie Brown and Colin Smith, the contest was effectively over. Craig
Wright, the former captain who had starred with 3 for 29 added 14 with the
bat, but with Gul's yorkers proving lethal, the last few overs were a
formality.
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