Report
Impressive Taylor papers over the cracks
West Indies eased to a comfortable 98-run win over Zimbabwe at the Recreation Ground, their second victory of the weekend
The Bulletin by Martin Williamson
30-Apr-2006
West Indies 242 for 9 (Sarwan 55, Gayle 49, Chanderpaul 46) beat Zimbabwe 144 (Chibhabha 67, Taylor 4-21) by 98 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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As was the case yesterday, Zimbabwe's battling performance in the field was undone by their technical flaws and inexperience with the bat. Set a target of 243, they never recovered from losing three early wickets, and the bulk of their runs came in a spirited fourth-wicket stand of 56 between Justice Chibhabha and Elton Chigumbura. Chibhabha, who followed his fifty on Saturday with a career-best 67 today, stood head and shoulders above his team-mates and played some delightful drives and clips off his toes. But there was no support forthcoming. Extras was second-highest scorer, and only Chigumbura (13) and Tawanda Mupariwa (16), with some slogging at No. 10, reached double figures.
Jerome Taylor, who has only just returned after a long time out with a back injury, was the pick of the bowlers, with 4 for 21 and his second Man-of-the-Match award in as many days. He started the collapse with three wickets in eight balls at the top of the order, the pick being a beautiful inswinging yorker to clean up Terrence Duffin which he immediately followed with one that Brendan Taylor expected to swing but didn't, leaving the batsman ruefully looking back at his cartwheeling off stump.
Full postAmla and Prince lead run feast
Hashim Amla pushed his maiden Test century up to 149 as South Africa worked their way past the follow-on at Cape Town, virtually assuring them of safety
The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan
30-Apr-2006
South Africa 427 for 5 (Amla 149, Prince 70*, Boucher 26*) trail New Zealand 593 for 8 dec by 166 runs
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How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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The match only threatened to come alive when Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel struck in quick succession, leaving South Africa 33 short of the follow-on with five wickets in hand, just about keeping New Zealand's interest in squaring the series alive. Vettori trapped Amla with an arm ball - although there was the thinnest of inside edges - and Patel's strike to remove AB de Villiers on the stroke of tea had opened a small window for the Kiwis. But it was slammed, or rather eased shut, by Prince and Mark Boucher. At no stage did the conditions hint at a clatter of wickets and that was the only way New Zealand were going to be able to force a result.
For the majority of the morning it was one-way traffic as Amla and Kallis bedded in on a surface that offered precious little encouragement to the bowlers. There was a hint of turn, but the pitch has not broken up as had been expected.
Full postDerbyshire crumble to spin and pace
Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga took three wickets each as Sri Lanka dismissed Derbyshire for 219 on the first day of the tour match at the Racecourse Ground
Cricinfo staff
29-Apr-2006
Sri Lanka 3 for 0 (Vandort 0*, Tharanga 3*) trail Derbyshire 219 (Stubbings 43, Muralitharan 3-47, Malinga 3-53) by 216 runs
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Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga took three wickets each as Sri Lanka dismissed Derbyshire for 219 on the first day of the tour match at the Racecourse Ground.
Steve Stubbings and Chris Taylor got Derbyshire off to a super start with an unbeaten stand of 85 before lunch, but Muralitharan and Malinga wreaked havoc in the afternoon session. Gaining alarming bounce and bowling with great pace, Malinga took the first three wickets to fall as Derbyshire slipped to 112 for 3.
After being treated with great caution, Muralitharan picked up his first wicket when Ant Botha swept him straight to square leg, and thereafter Derbyshire were all at sea. Graeme Welch soon followed, trapped on the crease - and Muralitharan's third came when Jamie Pipe attempted to cut him and was bowled for 15. In a single session, Sri Lanka had taken 7 for 55 to make up for their wicketless morning's work.
Full postWest Indies toil for five-wicket victory
Zimbabwe made West Indies work hard for their five-wicket win in the opening ODI at St Johns, Antigua
The Bulletin by Will Luke
29-Apr-2006
West Indies 154 for 5 (Lara 40*, Utseya 3-35) beat Zimbabwe 151 for 9 (Chibhabha 55, Bravo 2-23) by five wickets
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Although they comfortably lost by five wickets, Zimbabwe's young team will take great heart from their performance against the West Indies in the first of seven one-dayers at Antigua. On a two-paced pitch, chasing just 152, the West Indies made hard work of their task and rarely looked in complete control of proceedings.
That they were made to struggle was down to Zimbabwe's young bowlers' control, and the energetic performance of their fielders. As early as the sixth ball of their innings, the West Indies lost their opener, Runako Morton, who carelessly drove one from Ed Rainsford straight to second slip. It was just the start they needed.
Full postAmla leads fight as New Zealand look skywards
Hashim Amla led the South African reply to New Zealand's huge total with a maiden Test fifty after Jeetan Patel took two wickets
The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan
29-Apr-2006
South Africa 155 for 2 (Amla 50*, Kallis 25*) trail New Zealand 593 for 8 dec (Fleming 262, Franklin 122*, Ntini 4-162) by 438 runs
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How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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Faced with a huge total - and a follow-on target of 394 - Graeme Smith and Boeta Dippenaar had made steady progress against the new ball after New Zealand extended their innings for 13 overs. Patel and Daniel Vettori were in action by the 13th over of South Africa's reply, and both found appreciable assistance, with Vettori ripping deliveries past the edges of all the right-handers.
Patel, though, was something of a surprise package. He has produced some promising performances in one-day internationals but a career average of over 41 in first-class cricket would not send shudders through a batting line-up. However, he made an immediate mark when Stephen Fleming threw him the ball flighting a full delivery to Smith, who tried to work it to the onside, but could only spoon it back to the bowler. Smith stood his ground, believing it to be a bump ball, but the TV evidence was clear and he was on his way.
Full postWalker stands firm for Kent
Matthew Walker hit a gritty century and Martin van Jaarsveld a valuable fifty to save Kent's blushes on the second day against Middlesex at Lord's
Will Luke
28-Apr-2006
Middlesex 333 (Joyce 130) and 11 for 1lead Kent 308 (Walker 123) by 36 runs
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Matthew Walker hit a gritty century and Martin van Jaarsveld a valuable fifty to save
Kent's blushes on the second day against Middlesex at Lord's. Much as
Middlesex's batsmen were indebted to Joyce yesterday, Kent's innings
revolved around Walker who, van Jaarsveld apart, defied the
bowler-friendly conditions and edged his side up toward
respectability.
Before Walker constructed his salvage act, it was to van Jaarsveld who
Kent turned. He was in action as early as the third over when his captain,
Robert Key, was trapped in front by Chris Silverwood. With the ball
moving around through the air, on a pitch still showing a greenish
tinge, van Jaarsveld showed great class in the morning session.
Demonstrating a solid technique, and moreover an unflappable
temperament, he was particularly quick to punish anything short,
driving handsomely through the covers and cutting hard past point. He
was joined by Walker who scratched around unconvincingly for nearly 40
minutes before settling into a composed, determined innings. Together,
the pair put on a face-saving partnership of 76 - but it ought not to
have ended so soon.
van Jaarsveld had already been gifted two lives - he was dropped by
Ben Hutton at slip from Wright's second ball so perhaps his luck had
run out, but he had only himself to blame for the limp pull which
brought about his demise. A mini-collapse ensued: Darren Stevens -
such a gifted batsman - caressed three boundaries in a typically
elegant but all too brief 15 before falling to Johan Louw. And when
Justin Kemp, Kent's overseas destroyer-in-chief, prodded meekly at
Jamie Dalrymple's off-spinners, Kent were wobbling on 184 for 5.
Full postSanjeev Sharma guides India Seniors to easy win
Sanjeev Sharma guided Indian Seniors to a comfortable five-wicket win over their Pakistan counterparts in the third one-day match at Sheikhupura
Cricinfo staff
28-Apr-2006
India Seniors 214 for 5 (Sanjeev Sharma 66) beat Pakistan Seniors 211 (Azam 61) by 5 wickets
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Sanjeev Sharma, the former Indian allrounder, guided Indian Seniors to a comfortable five-wicket win over their Pakistan counterparts in the third one-day match at Sheikhupura. Indian Seniors now lead the series 2-1. Sharma scored a strokefilled 66 with seven boundaries as India Seniors made light work of the target of 212.
Mohammad Azharuddin, who came into this match with the series level at 1-1, won the toss and chose to field. Azam Khan, the wicketkeeper, resisted at the top of the order with a half-century, but Aamer Sohail and Mansoor Akhtar fell early, leaving Pakistan seniors at 36 for 2.
Wickets fell at regular intervals, and no meaty partnerships developed. The best stand was for the fifth wicket, and was worth 55, the only half-century partnership of the innings. While Manoj Prabhakar and David Johnson gave the Indian seniors the early breakthroughs, Sukhwinder Singh and Noel David chipped in towards the end with two wickets apiece as Pakistan Seniors were bowled out for 211 in 37.2 overs.
Full postFleming masterpiece compounds South African misery
A magnificent double hundred from Stephen Fleming has put New Zealand in total command of the second Test at Newlands against South Africa
The Bulletin by Will Luke
28-Apr-2006
New Zealand 535 for 8 (Fleming 262, Franklin 93*, Patel 0*) v South Africa
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A magnificent double hundred from Stephen Fleming has put New Zealand in total command of the second Test at Newlands against South Africa. Fleming's 262, his second-highest in Tests and arguably his finest innings to date, powered his side to an imposing 535 for 9 against a bowling attack which lacked spice and venom.
As beautifully as Fleming played, his effort would not have been possible were it not for an equally excellent contribution from James Franklin - New Zealand's No. 9. Franklin, with a technique not dissimilar to his captain, showed remarkable composure and batted with great maturity and no less class. Their eighth-wicket partnership of 256 took the game away from South Africa, while also smashing the record for any Kiwi stand against South Africa. Supreme though the batsmen were, the South Africans let themselves down - not for the first time this season - with a limp bowling performance, questionable tactics and several missed chances in the field.
Full postCosgrove helps Australia complete rout
Powered by a disciplined bowling performance which shot out Bangladesh for a disappointing 124, Australia chased down the meager target in style to complete a whitewash
The Bulletin by Sriram Veera
28-Apr-2006
Australia 127 for 1 (Cosgrove 74) beat Bangladesh 124 by 9 wickets
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Powered by a disciplined bowling performance, that enabled them to bowl out Bangladesh for a disappointing 124, Australia sealed a thumping win in the third one-dayer at Fatullah. Australia completed the whitewash without too much of a fuss, with Simon Katich and Mark Cosgrove steering the chase in splendid fashion.
It was as convincing as the scoreline suggests and it marked the end of a grueling season - one that included ten body-breaking months on the road with 17 Tests and 35 ODIs. The real damage was done first up when Bangladesh surrendered without too much of a fight to their inexperienced bowling attack. Having lost the series already, Bangladesh had the ideal opportunity to just get out there and do their thing but instead, succumbed meekly. Habibul Bashar, who chose to bat, walked into a semi-crisis for the third time in a row but couldn't stage a recovery this time around.
Full postCompton strikes Lord's century
Nick Compton struck his first Championship century as Middlesex built a lead of 353 over Kent, who closed on 42 without loss at Lord's
Andrew McGlashan at Lord's
27-Apr-2006
Kent 308 and 42 for 0 (Fulton 19*, Key 15*) need 311 more runs to beat Middlesex 333 and 327 (Compton 124, Dalrymple 64, Khan 4-58)
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The name Compton has a long history with Lord's and today it was back up in lights as Nick Compton, Denis's grandson, struck his maiden Championship century to haul Middlesex out of trouble on the third day against Kent. He arrived after three early wickets during the morning session and, after initially playing second fiddle to Jamie Dalrymple, pushed Middlesex towards their eventual lead of 353.
Last week Compton notched his first first-class century but, without trying to take anything away from Oxford UCCE, the bowling attack would not have been as testing as that on offer at Lord's. His previous best in the Championship had been 40, on debut, against Worcestershire in 2004 and conditions weren't easy when he arrived. The ball was still swinging considerably, but he quickly began to rotate the strike with Dalrymple, the senior partner, who steadied the Middlesex innings after it had slumped to 45 for 4.
When Dalrymple departed, falling across the crease against the impressive Robbie Joseph, Compton took the innings under his young wings. Boundaries were limited but he sprinted hard between the wickets and when he connected with a big shot, he did so in style. A handsome straight drive into the pavilion loosened the shackles and he immediately appeared calmer at the crease.
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