Report
Rain has the final say
India's tour of South Africa got off to the dullest possible start as the first one-dayer at the Wanderers in Johannesburg was abandoned without a single ball being bowled
The Bulletin by Anand Vasu
19-Nov-2006
Match abandoned due to rain
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Scorecard
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India's tour of South Africa got off to the dullest possible start as the
first one-dayer at the Wanderers in Johannesburg was abandoned without a
single ball being bowled. Torrential rains drenched the stadium all day
and, when they finally abated just before 7pm local time, the groundstaff
began mopping up operations. As soon as they contemplated removing the
covers, though, the skies opened once more and put an end to the waiting
and the uncertainty.
India, having lost their warm-up match against South Africa A by 37 runs,
were keen to start the one-day series on a bright note, and Rahul
Dravid, the captain, and Greg Chappell, the coach, had said as much.
However, sitting around in the dressing-room waiting for the weather to clear only makes India's task harder.
Full postJaques makes 75 as Blues win easily
Phil Jaques ensured his name would remain in the Australia selectors' minds with 75 from 57 balls as New South Wales scored an easy win over Tasmania in their Ford Ranger Cup match at Bellerive Oval
Cricinfo staff
19-Nov-2006
New South Wales 3 for 167 (Jaques 75, Haddin 42*) beat Tasmania 166 (Bevan 39, Hauritz 3-25) by 7 wickets
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Scorecard
Phil Jaques ensured his name would remain in the Australia selectors' minds with 75 from 57 balls as New South Wales scored an easy win over Tasmania in their Ford Ranger Cup match at Bellerive Oval. The Blues reached their target of 167 with seven wickets in hand and 93 balls to spare, after the Tigers were dismissed for 166 from 41 overs.
Jaques let fly right from the start, hitting 10 fours and two sixes - both of which went out of the ground and on to the practice pitches - to set up the crushing win that gave New South Wales a bonus point. It was his first half-century in the FR Cup this season but runs have not been eluding Jaques, who scored two centuries against England in tour matches in the space of a week.
He scored freely in all directions until he got a thick edge to the diving Xavier Doherty at third man when he attempted to hit Brett Geeves over mid-on. Michael Clarke failed to make the most of his chance to play a lengthy innings and was caught at mid-on for 28 from 50 deliveries but Brad Haddin guided the Blues home with 42 not out.
Full postFarhat leads batting dominance
A combination of poor West Indian bowling and sensible Pakistani batting made for a one-sided opening after Inzamam-ul-Haq decided to bat first at Multan
The Bulletin by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
19-Nov-2006
Day 1 Pakistan 263 for 4 (Farhat 74, Younis 56, Yousuf 56) v West Indies
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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Three contrasting half-centuries against a largely insipid bowling attack turned the opening day of the Multan Test into a one-horse race. Batting first under overcast skies, Pakistan's top four cashed in on a flat pitch, erratic fast bowling and lethargic fielding to motor their team along to 263 for 4 at the end of the day. A bit more of this and the series would be sealed.
Imran Farhat, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf enjoyed varying degrees of fortune and each batsman was more in control than the previous. Farhat's was a streaky 74, one where risky flashes came off more because of the lack of bowling quality than his audacity; Younis's was a gritty 56, a dog-fight at the start and more fluent later; and Yousuf's was an assertive 56, commanding at the start before turning edgy towards the end.
Full postGood signs for England in draw
England fans were heartened to see Steve Harmison fielding on the final day of England's tour match against South Australia, as the game petered out to a draw
Cricinfo staff
19-Nov-2006
South Australia 7 for 247 dec and 2 for 164 (Harris 71*, Elliott 55) drew with England XI 415 (Bell 132, Collingwood 80, Flintoff 47, Tait 3-87)
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Scorecard
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But England could have used his bowling as South Australia's top order created problems, batting their way to 2 for 164 before the teams agreed to finish the game an hour early. Matthew Hoggard and James Anderson - who both spent time off the ground - were unable to have the same impact with the new ball as they had in the first innings.
Daniel Harris, who finished unbeaten on 71, and Matthew Elliott (55) put on 94 for the first wicket before Anderson pulled in a one-handed catch at midwicket to claim Elliott from the bowling of Monty Panesar. Kevin Pietersen picked up the only other wicket, that of Cameron Borgas for 27, shortly before the teams shook hands.
Full postMcCullum and Fulton ensure tame draw
Canterbury were forced to follow on after finishing 234 short of Otago's 601, but half-centuries by Todd Astle, Brendon McCullum and Peter Fulton ensured that they comfortably drew the game
Cricinfo staff
18-Nov-2006
Canterbury were forced to follow on after finishing 234 short of Otago's 601, but half-centuries by Todd Astle, Brendon McCullum and Peter Fulton ensured that they comfortably drew the game. Otago were led by James McMillan, who took career-best figures of 7 for 105 to restrict Canterbury to 367, but in the 51 overs left in the day Canterbury cantered to 213 for 2.
Resuming at 330 for 7, Canterbury added only 37 more before being bowled out, with McMillan adding two more wickets to the five he had on the third day. Chris Harris was the first batsman to be dismissed on the final day, being bowled by McMillan for 122. The tail didn't contribute much, allowing Otago to have another shot at the Canterbury batsmen.
Todd Astle and McCullum immediately eased the situation with a 111-run stand for the first wicket. When Astle and McCullum fell after getting half-centuries, Fulton took over, making an unbeaten 62 before play was called off. Otago took two points from the game, thanks to the first-innings lead they managed.
Full postSami and Taufeeq star on opening day
A round-up of the first day's play of the of the third round of the Patrons Trophy
Cricinfo staff
18-Nov-2006
Taufeeq Umar and Mohammad Sami shared the honours for their respective teams on the opening day
of the Patrons Trophy match between Habib Bank and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) at Karachi. Sami, out of the Pakistan Test squad, finished with 5 for 88 to dismiss Habib Bank for 266 on a seaming track. Opener Taufeeq carried his bat, scoring 96 in a 343-minute vigil at the crease, which didn't include a single boundary. He was involved in a crucial 71-run ninth-wicket stand with Fahad Masood, who hit an impressive 40 with five fours and a six. On their part, NBP got off to a shaky start, losing two early wickets before stumps. Salman Butt, another Test reject, fell without scoring.
Pakistan Customs restricted Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) to 216 for 6 at the end of the first day
of their Patrons Trophy match at Karachi. Opener Afaq Raheem hit the only half century for ZTBL, scoring 71, while the middle order failed to convert their starts. Murtaza Hussain, the offspinner, bowled a parsimonious spell, conceding just 37 runs off his 30 overs with nine maidens and two wickets to boot.
Najaf Shah's four-wicket haul helped Pakistan International Airlines restrict Sui Northern Gas Pipeline (SNGPL) to 154 for 5 in a shortened first day
in their Patrons Trophy match at Sheikhupura. Shah, a left-arm fast bowler, accounted for the first three wickets to fall, to leave SNGPL at 46 for 3, before Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Shafiq took the score to 91. Shafiq and Arsalan Mir then added 60 for the fifth wicket, with Shafiq remaining unbeaten on 44 at stumps.
No play was possible on the opening day
of the Patrons Trophy match between Khan Research Laboratories and Water and Power Development Authority at Rawalpindi.
Full postBell hits the right notes ahead of Ashes
Ian Bell warmed-up for next week's first Test with a timely hundred as England built a first innings lead against South Australia
Cricinfo staff
18-Nov-2006
England XI 6 for 303 (Bell 132, Collingwood 80) lead South Australia 7 for 247 dec by 56 runs
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Scorecard
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After the first five overs, in which the nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard and Alastair Cook fell, things went England's way. And there was good news for them too off the field, with the news that Steve Harmison appears to be on the mend after a side strain. Australia, though, were handed another injury scare when Tait was forced to leave the field shortly before stumps.
Tait pulled up four balls into his 20th over and headed to the dressing room 25 minutes before the end of play. A team official said Tait, who was erratic with five wides and nine no-balls, was suffering from cramp but his withdrawal will add to the concerns in the Australian camp after Shane Watson strained a hamstring in a Ford Ranger one-day match on Friday and is in doubt to play in Brisbane.
Full postCobras secure one-day title
The Cobras staged a dramatic late fightback to clinch an 18-run victory over the Warriors in the final of the MTN Domestic Championship at Cape Town
Cricinfo staff
17-Nov-2006
Cobras 213 for 9 (Puttick 50, Bacher 41) beat Warriors 195 (Jacobs 49, de Lange 4-40)
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Scorecard
The Cobras staged a dramatic late fightback to clinch an 18-run victory over the Warriors in the final of the MTN Domestic Championship at a packed Newlands.
In the end, the Warriors paid for a slow start when set 214 in 45 overs, and they lost six wickets for 34 in less than six overs as they tried to hit out at the death. Fittingly, Alan Dawson, in his farewell one-day match for the Cobras, took the last wicket to fall off the first ball of the final over.
It was much the same story in the Cobras innings, with a flurry of late wickets after a slow start. But the difference was that in between Adam Bacher and Andrew Puttick accelerated as the shine went off the ball, and then after a wobble during which they slid to 119 for 4, Ashwell Prince and Vernon Philander cut loose with a sprightly fifth-wicket stand of 59.
Full postde Bruyn plays for Warriors in final
Zander de Bruyn took to the field in the MTN Domestic Championship final despite being handed a one-match suspension in the semi-final
Cricinfo staff
17-Nov-2006
Zander de Bruyn took to the field in the MTN Domestic Championship final despite being handed a one-match suspension in the semi-final.
De Bruyn, the Warriors captain, was found guilty of a slow over-rate during the previous round against the Eagles which should have prevented him playing in the final against the Cape Cobras in Newlands on Friday.
But, under the terms of the South African boards's Rules and Code of Conduct, because he announced a notice of intention to appeal to his punishment, the suspension was itself suspended. This means that he is cleared to play until the appeal procedures are completed.
Full postGilchrist hundred thrashes Queensland
Adam Gilchrist elbowed his way into form for next week's first Ashes Test by hitting the second-fastest hundred in Australia one-day domestic history. His brutal 131 included 17 fours and four sixes as Western Australia trounced Queensland by 81 runs at P
Cricinfo staff
17-Nov-2006
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Western Australia 6 for 340 (Langer 51, Gilchrist 131, Gilles 3-51) beat Queensland 259 (Perren 55, Philipson 73) by 81 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Adam Gilchrist elbowed his way into form for next week's first Ashes Test by hitting the second-fastest hundred in Australia one-day domestic history. His brutal 131 included 17 fours and four sixes as Western Australia reached 6 for 340 and trounced Queensland by 81 runs at Perth. Celebrations of his thrilling return to form were tempered, however, by an injury to Shane Watson whose chances of starting in Brisbane are now in doubt.
Gilchrist and Justin Langer put on a thrilling 87 for the opening stand, in just 9 overs, with Langer registering WA's fastest one-day fifty, from 28 balls. Indeed, Gilchrist was overshadowed in the partnership until Mitchell Johnson bowled Langer around his legs, poking Gilchrist into life. He made up for lost time with a brutal, uncompromising display of strokeplay which - until his recent form-slump - had been his trademark.
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