Report
Davies and Hick keep Worcestershire top
Worcestershire made Taunton a home away from home with a six-wicket win against Lancashire
Cricinfo staff
25-Aug-2007
Worcestershire 255 for 4 (Davies 83, Hick 50*) beat Lancashire 254 for 6 (Laxman 85*) by six wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
Worcestershire made Taunton a home away from home with a six-wicket win against Lancashire. Steven Davies launched the run-chase with an explosive 83, giving the middle order enough breathing space against the spin of Muttiah Muralitharan and Gary Keedy, and Graeme Hick added the finishing touches as Worcestershire consolidated their position at the top of the table.
This match, a home game for Worcestershire, was played at Taunton after New Road's season was washed-out by the floods. VVS Laxman's efficient 85 was the cornerstone of Lancashire's 254, but Worcestershire knew it was a run-filled surface with a fast outfield.
Davies and Vikram Solanki made the most of the fielding restrictions adding 68 in less than 10 overs. Moeen Ali helped Davies add 76 for the second wicket, although Ali was very much the silent partner. Davies' half-century came off 44 balls, but he found life tougher against Muralitharan and eventually popped a return catch to give Lancashire hope.
Full postLangford-Smith wraps up huge win
David Langford-Smith took five wickets as Ireland wrapped up a three-day win against Bermuda at Clontarf by an-innings-and-146 runs
Cricinfo staff
25-Aug-2007
Ireland 524 for 8 dec beat Bermuda 192 (Outerbridge 53) and 186 (Outerbridge 50, Langford-Smith 5-45) by an innings and 146 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
David Langford-Smith took five wickets as Ireland wrapped up a three-day win against Bermuda at Clontarf by an innings and 146 runs. Ireland enforced the follow-on early on the third day and Bermuda couldn't put up much of a fight.
Their first innings ended swiftly as Trent Johnston took two quick wickets and Langford-Smith struck early in the second to remove Jekon Edness. Steve Outerbridge and Lionel Cann added 57, but when legspinner Greg Thompson trapped Cann lbw the middle order went in familiar style.
Langford-Smith removed captain Irving Romaine and ended Outerbridge's battling 50 - his second half-century of the match - to ensure Ireland would be getting a Sunday off. Andrew White wrapped up the innings with his offspin, ending a 49-run stand for the eighth wicket by Dwayne Leverock and Ryan Steede. The last three wickets fell on the same score, White bagging 3 for 7.
Full postGibbs and Smith propel SA to series win
South Africa, fuelled by robust innings from Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs, cruised to the easiest of victories at the Harare Sports Club and with it took an unassailable 2-0 series lead
The Bulletin by Jamie Alter
25-Aug-2007
South Africa 251 for 2 (Gibbs 111, Smith 96) beat Zimbabwe 247 for 7 (Williams 54, Matsikenyeri 52) by eight 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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South Africa, fuelled by robust batting from Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs, cruised to another easy victory at the Harare Sports Club that gave them an unassailable 2-0 series lead. Smith fell for 96 but Gibbs clobbered the bowling for his 17th one-day hundred, a 100-ball 111 with 16 fours and a pair of sixes. Tatenda Taibu, Sean Williams and Stuart Matsikenyeri were the architects of Zimbabwe's much-improved total of 247 but the bowlers failed to emulate their innovativeness as the tourists cantered home by eight wickets.
Smith and Gibbs enjoyed their batting practice and didn't break into a sweat as they led South Africa's pursuit. Neither batsman appeared in any hurry initially yet still found the boundary ropes. Smith was fluent off the pads, flicking and pulling boundaries whenever the bowlers erred, but left alone outside off regularly.
Full postIreland continue to press home advantage
Ireland continued to pummel a sorry Bermuda at Clontarf. On the second day of four, they reached 524 for 8 declared and then reduced the visitors to 180 for 8
Cricinfo staff
24-Aug-2007
Ireland 524 for 8 dec (Porterfield 166, Botha 122) v Bermuda 180 for 8 (Outerbridge 53)
Scorecard
Scorecard
Ireland continued to pummel a sorry Bermuda at Clontarf. On the second day of four, they reached 524 for 8 declared and then reduced the visitors to 180 for 8. Kevin O'Brien went on to make his 50, but fell as soon as he hit the landmark, then William Porterfield went soon after, adding 13 to his overnight score.
Trent Johnston was his usual reliable self, reaching 61 and he finally called a halt to proceedings to give his bowlers a dart at Bermuda. They soon broke through, Dave Langford-Smith removing Jekon Edness for 8. There followed some starts of promise for most of the top order - and the opener Steven Outerbridge even went on to make 53 - but they couldn't progress once into their twenties.
Bermuda had hoped their Under-19s would boost them, but so far they haven't made much impact. Stefan Kelly, Rodney Trott and Malachi Jones collected one wicket and 19 runs among the three of them, although they couldn't really have been expected to entirely reverse Bermuda's slump in form, particularly not against Ireland who are so proficient in this form of the game.
Full postGlorious Yorkshire crush Warwickshire
John Ward reports from the third - and what turned out to be final - day of Yorkshire's Championship match against Warwickshire at Scarborough
John Ward at Scarborough
24-Aug-2007
Yorkshire 561 for 7 dec (Rudolph 220, Bresnan 101*) beat Warwickshire 129 and 222 (Ambrose 89*, Gough 5-52, Hoggard 3-28) by an innings and 210 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
It was like a flashback to Yorkshire's glory days, when Brian Close and Fred Trueman led a county team that could crush the best of the rest by yawning margins with time to spare.
Yorkshire before lunch were magnificent. They declared with a first-innings lead of 432 and ripped through Warwickshire with devastating power, reducing them to a cringing 40 for 7 at the interval. Darren Gough rolled back the years with some superb pace bowling worthy of his pomp, while Matthew Hoggard too rose to his best form at the other end. The visitors, lacking resolution, crumbled dismally, and total humiliation seemed inevitable.
Warwickshire did escape with a little dignity, as Yorkshire relaxed somewhat during the afternoon session, with the match in their pockets, and Warwickshire added 191 runs for the last three wickets as they indulged in some carefree stroke play.
Full postECB XI crowned European champions again
ECB Development XI sealed another successful European Championship in Netherlands, and their captain Jenny Halstead was named Player of the Tournament
Cricinfo staff
24-Aug-2007
ECB Development XI sealed another successful European Championship in Netherlands, and their captain Jenny Halstead was named Player of the Tournament.
England won all three of their matches, comfortably too, with Halstead setting the tone in the opening match, against hosts Netherlands, with 112. Her Cheshire team-mate Dawn Prestidge chipped in with two wickets as Netherlands could only muster 105 in response to England's 256 for 4.
They then overcame Ireland by 69 runs, and Scotland by nine wickets having rolled them for 87 to complete another emphatic campaign.
Full postRampant New Zealand on course for series
New Zealand are closing in on a series win after an emphatic eight-wicket victory against England under the lights at Derby
Cricinfo staff
24-Aug-2007
New Zealand 243 for 2 (Mason 81, McGlashan 97*) England 240 for 3 (Taylor 110*, Edwards 95) by eight wickets
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Scorecard
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New Zealand are closing in on a series win after an emphatic eight-wicket victory against England under the lights at Derby. Aimee Mason (81) and Sara McGlashan, who made an unbeaten 97, were the chief destroyers as they chased down their target of 241 with more than 12 overs to spare.
Mason and Suzie Bates built a rock-solid platform with an opening stand of 42 inside five overs, and then Mason trowelled on further runs with McGlashan cementing a second-wicket partnership of 161. McGlashan and Haidee Tiffen (19*) then saw them home.
Full postIndia edge home in humdinger
A full house at Bristol were handed an explosive match, India levelling the one-day series with a nine-run victory at Bristol as 649 runs flowed in ideal conditions
The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan
24-Aug-2007
India 329 for 7 (Tendulkar 99, Dravid 92*, Flintoff 5-56) beat England 320 for 8 (Bell 64, Mascarenhas 52, Chawla 3-60, Patel 3-70) by nine 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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A full house at Bristol were handed an explosive match, India levelling the one-day series with a nine-run victory at Bristol as 649 runs flowed in ideal conditions. The win was set-up by the batsmen, as Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid produced flamboyant 90s, and then India 's spinners took vital wickets. Piyush Chawla, enhancing his growing reputation with three key wickets, and Ramesh Powar removed England's four middle-order big-guns, but Dimitri Mascarenhas, with a 36-ball maiden ODI fifty, and Stuart Broad kept India working until the end.
Getting so close showed how vital India's overs of spin were. The teams went in opposite directions with their selections, England dropping Monty Panesar and India strengthening their bowling attack with Powar.
Full postPorterfield and Botha hurt Bermuda
William Porterfield hit his highest first-class score and Andre Botha made his second century in two Intercontinental Cup matches as Ireland took control on the opening day against Bermuda at Clontarf
Cricinfo staff
23-Aug-2007
Ireland 362 for 3 (Porterfield 153*, Botha 122) v Bermuda
Scorecard
Scorecard
William Porterfield hit his highest first-class score and Andre Botha made his second century in two Intercontinental Cup matches as Ireland took control on the opening day against Bermuda at Clontarf. The pair added 221 for the second wicket to ensure Bermuda spent the day chasing leather.
The partnership began early after Andrew White was bowled by George O'Brien for 5. It was all one-way traffic from then on as Porterfield began his day-long stay, while Botha showed the same form that brought him 186 against Scotland.
Botha's innings lasted 146 balls, including 20 boundaries, before he was removed by Stefan Kelly, but the problems didn't stop for Bermuda. Porterfield couldn't be shifted and Niall O'Brien made a speedy 39, adding 72 for the third wicket. With 300 on the board Ireland finally lost their third wicket as Dwayne Leverock struck with his left-arm spin.
Full postRudolph double flays Warwickshire
John Ward reports from the second day of Yorkshire's Championship match against Warwickshire at Scarborough
John Ward at Scarborough
23-Aug-2007
Yorkshire 530 for 6 (Rudolph 208*, Bresnan 87*, McGrath 58, Rashid 52) lead Warwickshire 129 by 401 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Yorkshire's South African Jacques Rudolph scored a superb double-century at Scarborough to put his team in a virtually unassailable position against Warwickshire after two days. At the close they were 401 runs ahead of the visitors with four wickets still in hand.
Yorkshire did suffer setbacks early on, but then came four successive major partnerships, all involving Rudolph, that took them past 500 in reply to Warwickshire's score of 129. In contrast to the relentless cloud of the first day, the weather was sunny for most of the time, but there was still a strong cold wind that caused the ball to swing at times, even when the batsmen were totally in command.
The first hour gave little indication of the batting feast to come. Yorkshire's opening pair had survived ten overs the previous evening, but both were gone within two overs on the second day. Michael Vaughan (5) was caught at the wicket off the fifth ball of the day, a fine delivery from James Anyon that moved and lifted, while Andrew Gale was lbw for 21 to leave Yorkshire 29 for 2.
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