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Fleming century carries New Zealand
Stephen Fleming held New Zealand together on the opening day at Cape Town with an unbeaten 109, his ninth Test century, as his side reached 265 for 6 at the close
The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan
27-Apr-2006
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Fleming's poor conversion-rate in Tests is well documented - less than one in every ten matches - and is a reason why he falls short of the top echelon of batsmen. But today he produced an innings of high quality in testing conditions. Initially he had to be watchful, after three quick wickets had negated a rare solid opening stand, but as the movement diminished his strokeplay expanded.
The key passage of play was Fleming's 106-run stand with Nathan Astle, which blunted South Africa during the afternoon session. The pair had their fair share of luck, not least when Mark Benson missed an outside-edge from Astle which would have left New Zealand four down for less than 100. Test matches can ride on such moments and although it is too early to gauge the scale of that reprieve, it allowed Astle a second chance and he built on it.
Full postTailenders deny Sri Lanka
A ninth-wicket stand of 38 from the British Universities denied Sri Lanka a likely victory on the final day of their opening match at Fenner's
Cricinfo staff
26-Apr-2006
Sri Lankans 289 and 256 for 6d (Samaraweera 114) drew with British Universities 125 (Vaas 4-34) and 130 for 8 (Harrison 28*, Balcombe 14*)
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A ninth-wicket stand of 38 from the British Universities denied Sri Lanka a likely victory on the final day of their opening match at Fenner's.
Having reduced the students to 92 for 8, Sri Lanka tried everything at their disposal to remove Paul Harrison and David Balcombe, but their resiliance saw the university home to safety. Under overcast skies, Sri Lanka ripped through the top-order - much as they did in the students' first innings - but were frustrated first by Damien Shirazi, and later by the two tailenders.
Full postJoyce presses his claims
Ed Joyce led the Middlesex batting as they reached 333 all out on the first day against Kent at Lord's
Andrew McGlashan at Lord's
26-Apr-2006
Middlesex 333 all out (Joyce 130, Joseph 4-62) v Kent
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He is not in the immediate frame for a call-up after the winter successes of Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook and Owais Shah, but he enjoyed a reasonably impressive A tour of West Indies - with three half-centuries in the one-day series - and all he can do now is churn out a mountain of runs for Middlesex. This was a decent start and he was easily the most assured batsman on show after beginning confidently with punchy shots through the legside. He motored along a decent rate, in conditions that had tempted Robert Key, Kent's captain, to bowl first but were initially wasted by the bowlers.
Joyce is not quite in the flamboyant mould of most of England's current order, but he knows his game and last season produced the goods as he racked up 1668 runs at 61 in the County Championship. He began this season with a minor blip, failing twice for MCC against Nottinghamshire, but the first serious bat of a summer can often be a hit and miss affair.
Full postAustralia saunter to series win
Andrew Symonds produced a confidence-coated hundred as Australia recovered from a three-wicket burst from Mashrafe Mortaza to get to 250
The Bulletin by Jamie Alter
26-Apr-2006
Australia 250 for 4 (Symonds 103, Clarke 54) beat Bangladesh 183 (Bashar 70) by 67 runs
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How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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Powered by Andrew Symonds's confidence-coated hundred, Australia cruised to a 67-run win at Fatullah and with it the series. Habibul Bashar stuck around for 70 but the weighty expectations of usurping Australia for the second time in a season got to him as Bangladesh fell apart under a spiralling run rate. With a much-improved performance from Sunday, Australia can let out a sigh of relief as their winning ways returned with another series in the kitty.
In truth, this contest was over from the time Bangladesh were left haemorrhaging at 8 for 3 as Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken worked wonders with the new ball. At this point, Bashar and Javed Omar would have done well to take a leaf out of Symonds's famed journal of comeback acts. Instead, as is the Bangladeshi wont, Javed undid the hard work of a 62-run stand when he slogged Michael Hussey's slow military medium to Lee at mid-on at the end of 20 overs.
Full postSamaraweera shines after top order stumbles
Thilan Samaraweera hit an unbeaten 82 to steady Sri Lanka after they'd slipped to 38 for 4 in their second innings against British Universities. Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa earlier took three wickets apiece
Cricinfo staff
25-Apr-2006
Sri Lankans 289 and 140 for 4 (Samaraweera 82*, Kapugedera 40*) lead British Universities 125 (Clinton 44, Vaas 4-34, Zoysa 4-38) by 304 runs
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On an overcast day the bowlers found plenty of assistance, but Sri Lanka hit early resistance as David Wainwright and Damien Shirazi took the score from the overnight 13 for 2 to a healthier 59 for 2 when rain forced an early lunch. But Vaas was immediately into the action on the resumption removing both batsmen in quick succession.
Vaas claimed his third of the day when he trapped Luke Parker, the captain, lbw after having the batsman prodding and poking at swinging deliveries. Nick Lamb fell to a bat-pad catch leaving Richard Clinton, the Surrey batsman, to carry the innings. Clinton fought hard for his 44 as Zoysa ran through the lower order with late swing.
Full postSri Lanka indebted to Tharanga
Sri Lanka opened their tour of England with a tame batting display against the British Universities, but were buoyed by an impressive and energetic hundred from Upul Tharanga
Cricinfo staff
24-Apr-2006
British Universities 13 for 2 (Shirazi 5*, Wainwright 4*) trail Sri Lanka 289 (Tharanga 100) by 276 runs
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Brathwaite - the 20-year-old seamer from Loughborough - delivered an early blow to Sri Lanka, removing Michael Vandort, feathering an edge, in just the third over. After confidently getting off the mark, the Sri Lanka captain, Mahela Jayarwardene received one from the same bowler which nipped back sharply to bowl him through the gate. All of a sudden, Sri Lanka were in a spot of trouble.
Tharanga then dominated the attack, accompanied by Thilan Samaraweera, hitting some scorching drives mainly through the off side. He brought up his hundred from 134 balls, and though he fell to a tame slog-sweep immediately after lunch, the significance of his knock soon became apparent as none of his team-mates could capitalise on his efforts. Following the retirement of Sanath Jayasuriya, and injury to Marvyn Atapattu, the opening position for Sri Lanka is up for grabs ahead of the first Test.
Full postTrescothick marches into form with brutal hundred
A round-up from the first round of C&G Trophy matches
Cricinfo staff
23-Apr-2006
Southern conference
Marcus Trescothick marched back into form with a breathtaking assault on Kent to hand Somerset a massive 132-run win at Canterbury, and Kent's second defeat inside two days. Trescothick and his captain, Matthew Wood, took particular fancy to Martin Saggers, square driving with ease as the fifty came up inside 10 overs. Kent had a chance to remove Trescothick on 43, but Darren Stevens shelled a simple return catch. Trescothick didn't need a second invitation, and proceeded to bring up his first hundred of the season from 103 balls, leading Somerset to an imposing 338 for 5. Kent were never in the hunt; they fell to 51 for 5, with Andy Caddick picking up three wickets and although they recovered to 93 for 5 before the rain fell, Somerset were worthy victors.
Gloucestershire routed Middlesex for 95 to get their C&G Trophy campaign off to a winning start at Bristol. Middlesex lost Paul Weekes, disastrously run out after just two balls, and they soon slipped to 26 for 6. They that reached the lofty heights of 95 was largely thanks to the South Africa, Johann Louw, who hit five fours and a six in his 39. Jon Lewis, the Gloucestershire captain, continued his excellent early-season form with 4 for 14 from ten miserly overs. An upset appeared to be on the cards when Gloucestershire lost three early wickets, but Ian Harvey saw the home side through to a six-wicket victory with a typically pugnacious 49, receiving good support from Chris Taylor (35).
Hampshire avoided a potential banana skin by brushing aside Ireland by eight wickets on a beautifully sunny day at Clontarf in Dublin. Put into bat, the highly respected Eion Morgan and Jeremy Bray (59) put on 66 for the second wicket, before Morgan rather wastefully flicked one down fine-leg's throat for 17. Thereafter only Bray gathered any momentum as Hampshire's bowlers, in particular James Bruce (4 for 31), stifled the run-rate. Their 202 was disappointing and Hampshire had no trouble overcoming it, thanks to fifties from John Crawley (76*) and Nic Pothas (69), to hand Hampshire two points.
Full postGilchrist charge sets up Aussie victory
Batsmen from both teams struggled - Bangladesh against subtle change of pace and Australia against left-arm spin - but Adam Gilchrist's brutal brilliance made the difference and spurred Australia to victory
The Bulletin by George Binoy
23-Apr-2006
Australia 196 for 6 (Gilchrist 76) beat Bangladesh 195 (Bashar 52) by 4 wickets
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How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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Batsmen from both teams struggled - Bangladesh against a subtle change of pace and Australia against left-arm spin - but Adam Gilchrist's brutal brilliance made the difference and spurred Australia to a victory that was in little doubt after the 10th over of the chase. Gilchrist's assault came after a disciplined bowling performance by an inexperienced attack had dismissed Bangladesh for 195 in the first one-day international at Chittagong.
Gilchrist's whirlwind 76 off 46 balls blasted away a huge chunk of the target before Bangladesh's spinners came into play. Australia galloped to 96 off 10.5 overs but after Gilchrist's dismissal the remaining 99 runs took 33.1 overs to get. Abdur Razzak applied the brakes with his left-arm spin, taking 3 for 36 and Mohammad Rafique, though wicketless, conceded a miserly 14 runs in ten overs. Eventually, Michael Hussey and Brett Lee steered Australia to victory but if not for Gilchrist's blitz, it could have well been Bangladesh's match.
Full postTrott gallops towards the big time
John Stern reports on how Jonathan Trott is on the road to becoming the next Kevin Pietersen ... in more ways than one
John Stern at Hove
21-Apr-2006
Warwickshire 308 for 5 (Trott 109, Knight 73, Loudon 51) lead Sussex 302 by 6 runs
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The repercussions are still being felt. Having remodelled his action, Kirtley is rehabilitating and requested not to be selected for this match. Meanwhile Trott's love affair with the Sussex bowling continued. His ninth first-class hundred was his third against Sussex. His first came on his Warwickshire debut in 2003.
Trott, who turns 25 on Saturday, is endeavouring to follow the Kevin Pietersen route to fame and fortune. Born in Cape Town, he is the owner of a British passport and, although he has played for South Africa Under-19, qualifies for England at the end of this season. He has played for Boland in South Africa and last winter won the State Medal in New Zealand after a stellar season for Otago.
Full postMacGill and Warne spin Australia to win
A little over thirty minutes before lunch on the final day Australia wrapped up a crushing win in the second and final Test at Chittagong
The Bulletin by Sriram Veera
20-Apr-2006
Australia 581 for 4 (Gillespie 201*, Hussey 182) beat Bangladesh 197 and 304 (Rafique 65, Warne 5-113, MacGill 4-95 ) by an innings and 80 runs
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How they were out
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A little over thirty minutes before lunch on the final day Australia wrapped up a crushing win in the second and final Test at Chittagong. Bangladesh, teetering on the edge when play began, having lost four top-order wickets, were pushed into the abyss of defeat by Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill, who snared nine wickets between them.
Mohammad Rafique's ferocious half-century, that included six clattered sixes, only delayed the inevitable as Warne, who equalled Richard Hadlee's record by snapping up his 36th five-wicket haul, led Australia to a 2-0 whitewash.
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