Report
Mahmood and Panesar power England to series glory
England secured their first series triumph since the Ashes with an outstanding display in the field as they surged to a 167-run at Headingley
The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan
08-Aug-2006
England 515 and 345 beat Pakistan 538 and 155 (Younis 41, Mahmood 4-22, Panesar 3-39) by 167 runs
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How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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Considering that the day started with England only marginal favourites, their final-day performance was as crushing and clinical as they come. In many ways this was more impressive than their bowling performances in the three-day demolition job at Old Trafford. The Headingley pitch confounded expectations throughout and none of Pakistan's second-innings wickets can be put down solely to the surface.
What will please Andrew Strauss - and even the straight-faced Duncan Fletcher - is the fact that the main two protagonists, Panesar and Mahmood, form the young half of England's bowling attack. Slowly but surely England's jigsaw pieces are being slotted into place. Panesar gives them a match-winning spinner and Mahmood has thrown his hat into the ring for the back-up paceman slot.
Full postMahela magic seals dramatic one-wicket win
An outstanding Test got the nail-biting finish it deserved, as a match which neither side deserved to lose finally went Sri Lanka's way by the narrowest of margins - one wicket
The Bulletin by S Rajesh
08-Aug-2006
Sri Lanka 321 and 352 for 9 (Jayawardene 123, Jayasuriya 73, Boje 4-111) beat South Africa 361 and 311
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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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An outstanding Test got the nail-biting finish it deserved, as a match which neither side deserved to lose finally went Sri Lanka's way by the narrowest of margins - one wicket. Mahela Jayawardene's magnificent 123 took them to the brink of the 352-run target but South Africa fought back spectacularly after lunch only to be denied right at the end, as Sri Lanka achieved the sixth-highest successful run-chase in Test history. A series scoreline of 0-2 does scant justice to the contest that unfolded.
When the players trooped off for lunch on the final day at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium, with Mahela unbeaten on 117 and Ferveez Maharoof giving him company on 24, it was easy to imagine that only the formalities remained - the target was 19 runs away with four wickets in hand, Mahela was batting with utter serenity, and with Maharoof had overcome an iffy start to post a 62-run stand. As it turned out, that one-hour passage of play after lunch was fraught with heart-stopping tension and excitement, as Sri Lanka lost three wickets and managed just 19 runs in 13.3 overs.
Full postPakistan chase 323 after Strauss century
Andrew Strauss struck his second century of the series but Pakistan claimed four wickets during the afternoon session to keep the match bubbling
The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan
07-Aug-2006
Pakistan 538 and 0 for 0 (Butt 0*, Umar 0*) need 323 more runs to beat England 515 and 345 (Strauss 116, Trescothick 58)
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An opening stand of 158 between Strauss and Marcus Trescothick appeared to have put England in a position to dictate how long Pakistan would have left to bat in the final innings. But for the first time in the series none of Nos. 3 to 6 contributed and it took a gutsy maiden Test half-century from Chris Read to push the lead past 300.
However, the volume of runs and pace of scoring has probably clouded some judgments. Not many sides chase over 300 to win a Test - and even fewer at Leeds. Pakistan need more than they have ever managed to win a Test and it would be the second-highest run-chase at Headingley, with only the Australia's 404 for 3 in 1948 ahead of them. In Pakistan's favour are the figures from the other successful 300-plus run chase on this ground, when England beat the Australians in 2001. On that occasion the target was 315 and the home side reached it in 73.2 overs. Suddenly, time is not the major factor.
Full postVaraiya and Tikolo lead rout
Steve Tikolo and Hiren Varaiya shared seven wickets between them as Kenya routed Canada in the second one-dayer at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club
Eddie Norfolk
07-Aug-2006
Kenya 97 for 5 (Tikolo 29*) beat Canada 94 (Barnett 35, Varaiya 4-25, Tikolo 3-14) by 5 wickets
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Kenya won the second of two ODI matches with Canada at the Toronto Cricket Club on Sunday by 5 wickets, thanks to seven wickets from Steve Tikolo and Hiren Varaiya. Canada looked to be heading for a solid total when poised at 65 for 1, but the wickets began to tumble - and fast - and they were soon all out for 94 runs.
"I am at a complete loss," admitted a desperate Andy Pick, Canada's coach, after the match. "We made a start then it was almost as if we wanted to self-destruct. If it was a technical problem, I could work on teaching a solution but it is not. Some players keep making the same mistakes."
Full postMahela keeps Sri Lanka in the hunt
Mahela Jayawardene played an innings of immense class, skill and fortitude as Sri Lanka made huge strides towards chasing down an imposing fourth-innings target and sewing up the series 2-0
The Bulletin by S Rajesh
07-Aug-2006
Sri Lanka 321 and 262 for 5 (Jayawardene 77*, Jayasuriya 73) need 90 more runs to beat South Africa 361 and 311 (Gibbs 92, Muralitharan 4-86)
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Mahela Jayawardene played an innings of immense class, skill and fortitude as Sri Lanka made huge strides towards chasing down an imposing fourth-innings target and sewing up the series 2-0. Set a target of 352 after Muttiah Muralitharan's 7 for 97 helped restrict South Africa to 311, Sri Lanka rode on Mahela's unbeaten 77 and Sanath Jayasuriya's 73 to finish the fourth day on 262 for 5, needing only 90 more for victory.
Over the first three days, fortunes ebbed and flowed for both teams, and that trend continued on the fourth. Muralitharan equalled his own record of ten or more wickets in four consecutive matches and grabbed his 56th five-for, but Mark Boucher neutralised the Murali effect somewhat, striking an enterprising 65 to ensure that South Africa's lead topped 350. Sri Lanka then got off to a scorching start after losing an early wicket, but just when they seemed to be running away with it, Nicky Boje struck three crucial blows in the middle, only for Mahela to thwart South Africa with a resolute 61-run stand for the sixth wicket with the other Jayawardene, Prasanna.
Full postComprehensive win for Kenya
An impressive allround performance helped Kenya bag a comprehensive 108-run victory over Canada in the first ODI at Toronto
Eddie Norfolk
06-Aug-2006
Kenya 237 for 9 (Kamande 68, Tikolo 50, Thuraisingam, 2-35) beat Canada 129 (Codrington 40, Varaiya 3-24) by 108 runs
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Kenya won the first one-dayer against Canada at the Toronto Cricket Club by a comfortable 107 runs. Despite this margin, Canada bowled and fielded well in the opinions of both coaches - their own Andy Pick and also Kenya's coach Roger Harper. But once again the Canadian batting lacked discipline in the one-day format.
Yet if the result was routine, the after-match speech provided the most surprise. In a bizarre speech at the conclusion of the game, the Canadian players were clearly stunned by Canadian Cricket Association President, Ben Sennik, saying 'he was glad Kenya won.' He commented on his Kenyan heritage and how Canada could learn from the Kenyans, but his remarks neglected an understanding of Canada's fine win this week over Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup.
James Kemande top-scored for Kenya, making 68, and he received solid support from captain Steve Tikolo, who posted 50. Tanmay Mishra added 38 useful runs in the later stages and the opener Kennedy Obuya made 36. But Tikolo said later that he thought his team "were 20 to 30 runs short" of what they should have made.
Full postPakistan gain slender lead after record stand
Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan shared a record-breaking stand 363 on the third day at Headingley before England fought back to restrict Pakistan's lead to 23
The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan
06-Aug-2006
England 515 and 3 for 0 (Strauss 3*, Trescothick 0*) trail Pakistan 538 (Yousuf 192, Younis 173) by 20 runs
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While the third-wicket pair were in full cry after lunch England's attack was listless and Andrew Strauss was struggling to know where to turn on a surface doing less than expected. The second new ball had caused the occasional alarm but the scoring rate remained high and thoughts were turning to what could happen if Pakistan built an advantage of around 200. That scenario disappeared as England claimed seven for 91 either side of tea through a variety of dismissals, which ranged from a direct-hit run out to Inzamam-ul-Haq falling into his stumps in a moment that will be flashed around TV screens for years to come.
However, the collapse just brought the monumental efforts of Yousuf and Younis into sharper focus and followed their 319-run stand against India at Lahore earlier this year. When this partnership sailed to 323 they set a new record for any Pakistan wicket against England, beating Javed Miandad and Salim Malik who added 322 at Edgbaston in 1992. It was also the best third-wicket partnership against England, surpassing the 338 shared by Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell at Port-of-Spain in 1953-54.
Full postRumeli Dhar stars in Twenty20 victory
India won the opening match of their tour of England with an eight-wicket victory against the hosts in Derby
Cricinfo staff
06-Aug-2006
India Women 109 for 2 (R Dhar 66*) beat England Women 108 for 8 (J Gunn 38, Goswami 2-14) by eight wickets
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India won the opening match of their tour of England at the County Ground in Derby, with an eight-wicket victory against the hosts in their first ever Twenty20 game. Rumeli Dhar, the Indian allrounder who opened the batting along with Sulakshana Naik, was named Player of the Match for an unbeaten 66 off 69 balls.
With six fours in her innings, Dhar made up for Naik's early fall and pushed the score close to the target with an 86-run partnership with Mithali Raj, the Indian captain.
Full postNafees ton takes Bangladesh home
On the back of some parsimonious bowling by their spinners and a Shahriar Nafees hundred Bangladesh managed to salvage some pride to defeat Zimbabwe by eight wickets in the fifth ODI at Harare
The Bulletin by Sriram Veera
06-Aug-2006
Bangladesh 201 for 2 in 44.4 overs (Nafees 118*) beat Zimbabwe 197 (Masakadza 75, Duffin 40, Saleh 4 for 16) by eight wickets
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Some parsimonious bowling by their spinners and a Shahriar Nafees hundred helped Bangladesh defeat Zimbabwe by eight wickets in the fifth ODI at Harare. Though the hosts have won the series 3-2 this win helped Bangladesh salvage some pride.
Bangladesh's decision to play three spinners, led by the miserly Abdur Razzak, and buttressed by the presence of the part-time offspinner in Rajin Saleh, proved correct as the slow men applied a chokehold to reverse a solid start by Zimbabwe and to eventually restrict them to 197. Saleh, who ended with four wickets, reaped the fruits of the regular spinners's labour.
Full postGibbs and Murali ensure even contest
Another enthralling day of Test cricket ended with the match still hanging in the balance, as South Africa closed the third day on 257 for 7, an overall lead of 297
The Bulletin by S Rajesh
06-Aug-2006
South Africa 361 and 257 for 7 (Gibbs 92, Muralitharan 4-86) lead Sri Lanka 321 by 297 runs
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How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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Another enthralling day of Test cricket ended with the match still hanging in the balance, as South Africa closed the third day on 257 for 7, an overall lead of 297. Herschelle Gibbs shrugged off his recent poor form to score an assured and patient 92, but Muttiah Muralitharan - that man again - neutralised much of South Africa's advantage in the last two sessions, finishing with 4 for 86, and is just one wicket away from his fourth successive haul of ten wickets in a match.
If the first two days had produced a flurry of boundaries, then the third one was characterised by dour, gritty cricket. The pitch became slower, which made driving down the ground more difficult, and most of the Sri Lankan bowlers tightened up their act. Mahela Jayawardene employed a more defensive field as well, employing sweepers to man the third-man, square-leg and midwicket boundaries almost throughout the day, ensuring that strokes which sped away to the fence on the first day now fetched only a single. In the last two sessions, especially, the runs reduced to a trickle: after 100 came in 29 overs in the morning, only a further 151 were added in 61 overs through the rest of the day.
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