Report
Blues make solid start after squashing Redbacks
Stuart Clark and Stuart MacGill made Darren Lehmann's decision to bat look questionable in the Pura Cup match at Adelaide Oval, where South Australia crashed to 154 - and were lucky to even make that
Cricinfo staff
03-Nov-2006
New South Wales 2 for 96 (Jaques 44) trail South Australia 154 (Deitz 62, MacGill 3-6) by 58 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Stuart Clark and Stuart MacGill made Darren Lehmann's decision to bat look questionable in the Pura Cup match at Adelaide Oval, where South Australia crashed to 154 - and were lucky to even make that. MacGill finished with 3 for 6 as he ran through the Redbacks late in the innings, while Clark (2 for 33) set up the day of New South Wales dominance with two wickets in his first four overs.
Phil Jaques and Greg Mail let the Redbacks off the hook with seven dropped catches between them but South Australia were unable to capitalise, managing to bat for only 65.3 overs. The opener Shane Deitz was dropped four times on his way to 62 before Doug Bollinger (2 for 30) finally had him caught behind off a thin edge.
Lehmann also had a life before he was out for 32 just before tea to a magnificent return catch by MacGill. Clark, who is fighting for a place in Australia's Ashes attack, had Matthew Elliott caught at gully for 0 from the fourth ball of the match, then claimed Cameron Borgas for 2. The Blues' success came despite the fact that Moises Henriques, who took 5 for 17 against Queensland barely a week ago, was left out to make way for MacGill.
Full postRampant Gayle runs SA to the ground
Chris Gayle lit up the Sawai Mansingh Stadium with a quite spectacular display of power-hitting as West Indies stormed into their second successive Champions Trophy final
The Bulletin by S Rajesh
02-Nov-2006
West Indies 262 for 4 (Gayle 133*) beat South Africa 258 for 8 (Gibbs 77) 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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Chris Gayle lit up the Sawai Mansingh Stadium with a quite spectacular display of power-hitting as West Indies stormed into their second successive Champions Trophy final. Gayle's run-a-ball unbeaten 133 - and his 154-run opening wicket stand with Shivnarine Chanderpaul - turned what was supposed to be a close game into an absolute no-contest, as West Indies chased down 259 with six wickets in hand and 36 balls to spare to earn the right to challenge Australia for the title on Sunday.
No-one would have thought the match would have been such one-way traffic after South Africa puffed their way to 258 for 8 on the back of a controlled innings of 77 from Herschelle Gibbs. With the ball not coming on to the bat in the afternoon, it was assumed that West Indies would have to battle hard to get to the target. It took just two balls to alter that assumption significantly.
Full postAustralia in final after 34-run win
Australia broke their semi-final jinx at the Champions Trophy with a 34-run triumph over a spirited New Zealand at Mohali to enter their first final
The Bulletin by S Rajesh
01-Nov-2006
Australia 240 for 9 (Ponting 58, Symonds 58, Mills 4-38) beat New Zealand 206 (Vettori 79, Oram 43, McGrath 3-22) by 34 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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Australia broke their semi-final jinx at the Champions Trophy with a
34-run triumph over a spirited New Zealand at Mohali to enter their first
final. In a game which turned out to be a lot closer than expected, New Zealand,
seemingly down and out at 35 for 6 chasing 241, fought back with an
incredible 103-run stand between Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram. Vettori
made 79, his second-highest score in ODIs, but even his effort wasn't
enough to make up for the shocking collapse of their top order.
As has been the norm in this tournament, this pitch was another on which
run-scoring wasn't easy. The New Zealand bowlers showed that after Stephen
Fleming won the toss, as Kyle Mills - who finished with 4 for 38 - reduced
Australia to 4 for 2 by the third over. Half-centuries by Ricky Ponting
and Andrew Symonds - both scored 58 - lifted Australia to a competitive
240, but that seemed more than sufficient when New Zealand's top order was
blown away by Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken.
Full postChandana takes five in Sri Lanka A's win
A round-up of the fourth day of the Duleep Trophy match between Sri Lanka A and West Zone in Cuttack, and Central Zone and North Zone at Jamshedpur
Cricinfo staff
30-Oct-2006
Sri Lanka A 325 and 290 for 7 dec beat West Zone 149 and 271 (Jaffer 129, Muzumdar 61, Chandana 5-65) by 195 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Upul Chandana, the discarded Sri Lankan legspinner, gave a timely reminder to the selectors as his five-wicket haul sealed a resounding 195-run win for Sri Lanka A in their maiden Duleep Trophy match against West Zone at Cuttack. Wasim Jaffer's century set up an interesting chase, but the target of 467 was always a tough ask, as the remaining batsmen, with the exception of Amol Muzumdar - failed to cash in.
Jaffer and Muzumdar (61) made a fist of the target with a steady stand of 131 for the third wicket, having already added 97 on the third day. It was Chandana who brought his side right back into the contest, deceiving Muzumdar, stumped by Kaushal Silva and bowling Kiran Powar for 2 soon after. Parthiv Patel (29) and Jaffer then added 73, with Jaffer doing the bulk of the scoring. However, Patel's dismissal made the task even harder for Jaffer, who lacked support from the lower order. Chandana and seamer Akalanka Ganegama struck with three quick wickets to leave West Zone in shambles at 247 for 7. Jaffer's fluent knock included 15 fours and two sixes in his knock, falling to Chandana for 129. Ganegama was the most penetrative among the seamers, finishing with seven wickets in the match. Jaffer's impressive showing would certainly have boosted his selection for the Indian one-day squad for the tour of South Africa.
Day 4 North Zone 443 and 219 for 9 (Gambhir 84, Praveen Kumar 5-42, Chawla 4-91) drew with Central Zone 288 and 103 for 4 (Yadav 46)
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Full postScorecard
Denton's six wickets seal Victoria success
Gerard Denton forced a late collapse from the South Australia tail to help Victoria over the line in a nailbiting finish at Adelaide Oval
Cricinfo staff
30-Oct-2006
Victoria 6 for 385 dec and 6 for 246 dec (Jewell 95, Bailey 4-117) beat South Australia 282 and 134 (Cosgrove 52*, Denton 6-31) by 215 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Gerard Denton forced a late collapse from the South Australia tail to help Victoria over the line in a nailbiting finish at Adelaide Oval. Denton set up the victory with early wickets then claimed three more with the second new ball to finish with a career-best 6 for 31 as the Redbacks came within nine balls of a draw.
Mark Cosgrove tried desperately hard to save his side, curbing his usually aggressive strokeplay in just under five hours at the crease for 52 not out. At one stage it looked like he and Jason Gillespie might block out a draw but when Jon Moss trapped Gillespie lbw for 18 it paved the way for Denton to clean up the rest.
Denton had Cullen Bailey caught at slip for 1, Paul Rofe caught behind for 0 and Shaun Tait caught at leg slip for 0 within the space of three overs. It had been Denton who got his side away to a terrific start by having the openers Shane Deitz (1) and Matthew Elliott (7) trapped lbw.
Full postNew South Wales bowlers run through the Bulls
A superb team bowling performance led by Matthew Nicholson pushed New South Wales to a satisfying 74-run success over Queensland
Cricinfo staff
30-Oct-2006
New South Wales 323 and 308 beat Queensland 307 and 250 (Stevens 58, Nicholson 3-56) by 74 runs
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Scorecard
A superb team bowling performance led by Matthew Nicholson pushed New South Wales to a satisfying 74-run success over Queensland. Set an intimidating total of 325, the Bulls started strongly but were regularly pegged back by an attack with impressive variety.
Nicholson collected the best figures with 3 for 56 and he finished the match by removing the final obstacle of Chris Hartley, who was lbw for 37. Stuart Clark chipped in with two wickets with the second new ball to gain some confidence after returning from a thigh injury while Doug Bollinger and Beau Casson also collected a couple of dismissals.
Bollinger, the left-arm fast man, put New South Wales on track by ending the 81-run opening stand between Jimmy Maher (46) and Lachlan Stevens, the top scorer with 58. Maher and Martin Love fell in the same Bollinger over and the home side was in further trouble at 4 for 125 when Beau Casson, the left-arm wrist spinner, was on a hat-trick after removing Stevens and Brendan Nash. James Hopes narrowly avoided becoming the third victim - his edge just missed leg stump - and he combined with Clint Perren to give Queensland a chance.
Full postJaffer and Muzumdar lead chase of 467
A round-up of the third day's play of the Duleep Trophy matches between Sri Lanka A and West Zone and North Zone and Central Zone
Cricinfo staff
29-Oct-2006
Day 3 West Zone 149 and 125 for 2 (Jaffer 56*, Muzumdar 46*) require another 342 runs to beat Sri Lanka A 325 and 290 for 7dec (Vandort 54, Warnapura 56, Chamara Silva 57)
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Scorecard
A good all-round batting effort - only one batsman failed to cash in - allowed Sri Lanka A to declare on 290 for 7 and leave West Zone with 467 to win their Duleep Trophy clash at Cuttack. Faced with the large target, Wasim Jaffer (56*) and Amol Muzumdar (46*) overcame two early losses to take West Zone to 125 for two at stumps on the third day.
Sri Lanka A began the day with the overnight pair of Michael Vandort and Malinda Warnapura progressing to fifties. Their dismissals in quick succession did little to dent Sri Lanka A's progress, as Thilan Samaraweera (35), Jehan Mubarak (40 from 34 balls) and Chamara Silva (57) each left a mark. Silva's wicket, with Sri Lanka A ahead by 466, prompted the declaration.
Dammika Prasad and Akalanka Ganegama, the right-arm fast bowling pair, then grabbed a wicket each to jolt West Zone. The experienced hand of Jaffer and Muzumdar then steadied the boat with a 97-run stand.
Full postWarne finds form as Victoria take control
Two of Australia's greatest modern players held their sides together in Adelaide today, but it was Shane Warne's Victoria who held the upper hand over Darren Lehmann's South Australia with a day to play
Cricinfo staff
29-Oct-2006
Victoria 6 for 385 dec and 4 for 201 (Jewell 93*) lead South Australia 282 (Lehmann 136*, Borgas 66, Warne 5-103) by 304 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Two of Australia's greatest modern players held their sides together in Adelaide today, but it was Shane Warne's Victoria who held the upper hand over Darren Lehmann's South Australia with a day to play. Lehmann turned his overnight 75 into 136 not out as the Redbacks reached 282, but Warne's 5 for 103 gave the Bushrangers a crucial first-innings lead of 103.
The mood of the visitors was helped further when Nick Jewell posted 93 not out to guide them to the comfort of 4 for 201 and a 304-run advantage at stumps. Brad Hodge also added 45 while Cullen Bailey picked up three wickets for South Australia with his developing legspin.
However, the country's No. 1 slow bowler had produced the more important performance and will be a threat again when Victoria declare for the second time on a wearing pitch. Warne started with the dismissal of Graham Manou in his first over but he was also responsible for giving Lehmann a chance at slip on 90. Lehmann went on to his 44th Australian domestic century and also passed 25,000 first-class runs during the innings.
Full postTail wags New South Wales to testing target
Queensland have been set a difficult chase of 325 for victory after letting the New South Wales tail off the hook at the Gabba
Cricinfo staff
29-Oct-2006
Queensland 307 and 0 for 12 need 313 more runs to beat New South Wales 323 and 308 (Casson 52, Bichel 4-108)
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Scorecard
Queensland have been set a difficult chase of 325 for victory after letting the New South Wales tail off the hook at the Gabba. The Blues were struggling at 7 for 185 before the final three wickets put on 123, including 68 between Beau Casson and the No. 11 Doug Bollinger, to set the Bulls a target that has been reached only four times in Brisbane.
Jimmy Maher, who received a short ball in the throat, and Lachlan Stevens cut the margin by 12 runs at stumps to ensure an exciting final day. Andy Bichel collected four wickets and the debutant Chris Swan was impressive with 3 for 56 as the Bulls restricted New South Wales' progress after 40s to Ed Cowan, Aaron O'Brien and Brad Haddin.
However, Casson's 52 and Bollinger's 31 not out could prove crucial to the result. "I think 999,999 times out of a million Dougy Bollinger would have been clean bowled or caught behind, he averages 0.8 against us here I think," Maher told AAP. "Today he had a day out."
Full postImpressive Australia overwhelm India
Australia thrashed India by six wickets to emphatically move into the semi-finals of the tournament
The Bulletin by S Rajesh
29-Oct-2006
Australia 252 for 4 (Martyn 73*, Ponting 58, Watson 50) beat India 249 for 8 (Sehwag 75, Dravid 52) 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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The combination of India and Champions Trophy has been a nightmare for Australia twice in the past, but Ricky Ponting and co. finally ended that jinx, thrashing India by six wickets to emphatically move into the semi-finals of the tournament. A target of 250 should have tested them even on a good batting strip, but their openers got them off to a frenetic start, while Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn ensured there would be no hiccups, both getting to fluent half-centuries as Australia ended the contest with 26 deliveries to spare. India, meanwhile, followed Sri Lanka and Pakistan in exiting the tournament, making it the first time since the 1975 World Cup that no team from the subcontinent has made it to the semi-finals of a major one-day championship.
Australia didn't have a lot going for them at the start - they lost the toss, had to field first on a pitch which was quite different from the one on which Pakistan were demolished by South Africa's pace attack, and then had to battle through an early onslaught from Virender Sehwag, another batsman who rediscovered his touch. Sehwag's 65 and a superbly controlled 52 from Rahul Dravid put India on course for a challenging total, but Australia then took over, pulling it back towards the end with regular wickets. India finished about 20 runs short of the score they would have expected after the start, and then Australia never allowed India a sniff in the field, shutting them out of the contest with some destructive strokeplay in the first 15 overs.
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