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Strauss stars in consolation win
It took a testing spell from a trio of medium-pacers and a nuggety half-century from a stand-in stand-in captain to guide England to their first victory of the series
The Bulletin by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
12-Apr-2006
England 226 for 5 (Strauss 74 retd.) beat India 224 (Dhoni 96, Powar 54) by five 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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It took a testing spell from a trio of medium-pacers and a nuggety half-century from a stand-in stand-in captain to guide England to their first victory of the series in the sixth match at Jamshedpur. It would have taken a turnaround of sorts for India to win from the depths of 79 for 5 - they threatened to when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's bat resembled a giant sickle - but a controlled run-chase, led by the assured Andrew Strauss, clinched the consolation win.
With the series already settled, India decided to tweak their line-up but England's seam attack thrived in congenial surroundings, moving the ball around disconcertingly and, for the third time in the series, watched the Indian top order wilt. Rahul Dravid's absence left a gaping void and the unheralded trio of James Anderson, Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood reined in the scoring-rate. Dhoni's outlandish methods, allied with Ramesh Powar's pluck, injected the much-needed oxygen but 223 was still too few to play with.
Full postAustralia fight back on tense day
Adam Gilchrist sounded the charge and the bowlers finally came to the party as Australia clawed their way back into this Test match
The Bulletin by Jamie Alter
11-Apr-2006
Bangladesh 427 and 124 for 5 lead Australia 269 (Gilchrist 144, Rafique 5-62 ) by 282 runs
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How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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Adam Gilchrist sounded the charge and the bowlers finally turned in a performance that befits their standing as Australia clawed their way back into this Test match. On a see-saw day in this amazing Test, Gilchrist's stunning 144 and a good showing with the ball gave Australia their best day, though Bangladesh will still harbour hopes of an upset. It's been that kind of match.
Australia had begun the day needing to chalk off the 83 required to avoid the follow-on, something they have done just twice since 1988. Gilchrist, in a departure from his slam-bang affair with cricket, buckled down to play an innings that should draw comparisons with his death-defying unbeaten 149 against Pakistan at Hobart in 1999. To be reduced to a state of submission by Bangladesh was something Australia would not have expected when they arrived here. Gilchrist has played better, but never under such conditions and in this regard his innings was something else.
Full postOntong fails to lift the gloom
The New Zealanders' tour match against Rest of South Africa at Benoni petered out in a meaningless draw
Cricinfo staff
10-Apr-2006
Rest of South Africa 395 and 270 for 8 (Ontong 144*) drew with New Zealanders 372
Scorecard
Scorecard
The New Zealanders' tour match against Rest of South Africa at Benoni petered out in a meaningless draw after bad light delayed the start and effectively killed any chance of either side forcing a result. When play was called off because of persistent drizzle at teatime, the game had long ceased to be of interest to anyone other than statisticians and Justin Ontong.
Ontong, who resumed on 59, ploughed on to his ninth first-class hundred, batting five-and-a-half hours in all and finishing unbeaten on 144.
When play did get underway, James Franklin briefly stirred the pulses by dismissing Neil McKenzie with the third ball of the day, but Thami Tsolekile kept Ontong company for almost an hour to remove any lingering chance the New Zealanders had of quickly disposing of the home side. Robin Peterson hung around another hour to ensure that Rest of South Africa wouldn't have to do anything as tiresome as field, and although Scott Styris and Daniel Vettori both struck shortly before tea, by then it was of no consequence.
Full postTitle shared after stalemate
Dale Benkenstein's 151 has put the Dolphins in charge on the fourth day of the SuperSport Final
Keith Lane
10-Apr-2006
Titans 269 (Morkel 79) and 170 for 2 (van Jaarsveld 72*) drew with Dolphins 176 and 470 (Watson 103, Benkenstein 151, Steyn 5-124)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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The SuperSport Series trophy has been shared after a soporific stalemate in the final at Durban. Needing 378 to win, the Titans never realistically attempted the run-chase, while the Dolphins managed to take just two of their ten required wickets.
The light at Kingsmead once again had the final say, with more than five hours of play lost over the five days of the final. Not even the early start times could help the situation.
Full postBangladesh apply the pressure on fantastic day
Bangladesh enjoyed their most thrilling day of Test cricket as they racked up 427, grabbed six Australian wickets, and allowed every Bangladeshi fan to dream beyond Sophia Gardens 2005
The Bulletin by Jamie Alter
10-Apr-2006
Australia 145 for 6 (Gilchrist 51*) trail Bangladesh 427 (Saleh 67, MacGill 8-108) by 282 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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What a game this cricket is. Bangladesh enjoyed their most thrilling day of Test cricket as they racked up 427, restricted Australia to 145 for 6, and allowed every Bangladeshi fan to dream beyond Sophia Gardens 2005. Stuart MacGill ran through Bangladesh with a career-best 8 for 108 but the gloss has been taken off all that by Bangladesh's brilliant effort with the ball. It is presumptuous to hum David-slays-Goliath just yet, but few teams have enjoyed two such days of pulling it over Australia, who still require another 83 to avoid the follow-on.
The final two-and-a-half hours of play were the most fascinating. Following MacGill's behemoth effort, Bangladesh proved that what Australia could do, they could do better. Where Australia's fast bowlers were made to look ordinary, Mashrafe Mortaza and Shahadat Hossain produced an initial spell that took the breath out of the opposition. Mortaza got the first breakthrough when he dismissed Matthew Hayden lbw for 6 in the third over, and Hossain had Ricky Ponting going back to one that swung and kept low in the 12th. The tumultuous roar from every standing Bangladeshi in the stadium could well have been heard in Sydney.
Full postMcCullum and Martin spare New Zealanders' blushes
Hundreds from Stephen Fleming and Brendon McCullum ensured the New Zealanders' tour match at Benoni will go into the final day evenly poised
Cricinfo staff
09-Apr-2006
Rest of South Africa 395 and 132 for 4 (Ontong 59*) lead New Zealanders 372 (Fleming 118, McCullum 101, Fulton 73, Zondeki 4-107) by 155 runs
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Scorecard
Hundreds from Stephen Fleming and Brendon McCullum ensured the New Zealanders' tour match at Benoni will go into the final day evenly poised. At the close, Rest of South Africa were 132 for 4, a lead of 155.
Fleming, 96 not out overnight, completed his hundred in the first over, and made brisk progress along with Peter Fulton, who soon completed his fifty. Although Fulton fell for 73, it was Fleming's dismissal for 118 which triggered a collapse in which the tourists lost five wickets for 44 runs, Monde Zondeki taking three of those in as many overs.
With Shane Bond sidelined with a knee injury, New Zealanders were in deep trouble before McCullum finally found support in Chris Martin, one of the game's real rabbits, the pair adding 95 for the ninth wicket to steer them to within 23 runs of Rest of South Africa's total.
Full postJoubert fires Northerns to Provincial Challenge title
Superb bowling from Pierre Joubert and Mandla Mashimbyi led Northerns to the SAA Provincial Challenge title after defeating Western Province by the convincing margin of 100 runs
Cricinfo staff
09-Apr-2006
Northerns 267 and 333 for 6 declared (van Wyk 104) beat Western Province 317 (Canning 68, Aronstam 3-82) and 183 (Canning 56, Joubert 3-10) by 100 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Superb bowling from Pierre Joubert and Mandla Mashimbyi led Northerns to the SAA Provincial Challenge title after defeating Western Province by the convincing margin of 100 runs. Chasing 284, Western Province slumped to 184 all out .
Needing quick runs in the morning, Kruger van Wyk set about with purpose for Northerns and reached his hundred from 169 balls. However, it was Gerald Dros who gave the innings much-needed momentum with a quick-fire fifty from 38 balls, with five sixes and a four.
This left Province a tricky total of 284 from 81 overs, yet they got off to the worst possible start when Alistair Gray fell to the second ball of the innings. With Mashimbyi and Francis Nkuna picking up two wickets each, leaving Province wobbling on 26 for 4, the impetus was with the Northerns bowlers.
Full postBenkenstein's hundred gives Dolphins upper hand
Dale Benkenstein's 151 has put the Dolphins in charge on the fourth day of the SuperSport Final
Keith Lane
09-Apr-2006
Titans 269 (Morkel 79) and 11 for 0 require another 367 runs to beat Dolphins 176 and 470 (Watson 103, Benkenstein 151, Steyn 5-124)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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In contrast to yesterday, the fourth day of the SuperSport Series Final started
in overcast conditions that cleared into almost perfect weather. Dale
Benkenstein, scoring 151, took the Dolphins into a very strong position with an excellent innings, mixing patience and aggression, after Doug Watson had done the initial groundwork with an innings of equal quality of 103.
Dale Steyn got the Titans very excited in the early overcast conditions,
but once the sun came out and the pitch flattened out the patience of the
Dolphins batsmen gained the upper hand. As the runs flowed from
Benkenstein's bat, who also went past the 8,000 first-class career runs, the
shoulders of the Titans dropped and crucial catches and fielding mistakes
followed. Benkenstein gave chances on 88 and 140 but by then the damage had
been done. A run-a-ball 33 from Mornatau Hayward followed and the Titans
were 470 when Steyn took his fifth wicket to end the innings.
Full postFranklin and Fleming make it New Zealand's day
The New Zealanders fought back superbly on the second day of their warm-up game against Rest of South Africa at Benoni
Cricinfo staff
09-Apr-2006
New Zealanders 159 for 2 (Fleming 96*) trail Rest of South Africa 395 (McKenzie 141,Duminy 127, Franklin 4-80) by 236 runs
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Scorecard
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The New Zealanders fought back superbly on the second day of their warm-up game against Rest of South Africa at Benoni. Despite losing Shane Bond, their spearhead, due to a knee injury, the rest of the bowlers first did the job in the morning, taking seven wickets for 40 to bowl out the home side for 395. Stephen Fleming then led a sparkling riposte with an unbeaten 96 as they ended the second day on 159 for 2.
The South Africans had dominated the opening day, finishing on a commanding 355 for 3, but the second one began poorly when Jean-Paul Duminy, resuming from his unbeaten 125, adding just two more before being dismissed by Chris Martin. That ended a mammoth 252-run partnership for the fourth wicket between him and Neil McKenzie, and signalled the start of New Zealand's recovery. Davey Jacobs, Thami Tsolekile and Robin Peterson all fell cheaply, before James Franklin, New Zealand's most successful with 4 for 80, nailed the crucial wicket of McKenzie for 140.
Full postNafees leads Bangladesh's magnificent charge
Shahriar Nafees's brilliant maiden Test hundred gave Australia a rude awakening and Bangladesh their most promising start to a Test match on the first day at Fatulllah
The Bulletin by Jamie Alter
09-Apr-2006
Bangladesh 355 for 5 (Nafees 138, Bashar 76 ) v Australia
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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Shahriar Nafees's brilliant maiden Test hundred gave Australia a rude awakening and Bangladesh their most promising start to a Test match on the first day at Fatullah. His 187-run stand with Habibul Bashar - the highest for Bangladesh in Tests - highlighted a raucous day for the hosts as they finished on 355 for 5.
Australia were expected to dominate the match from the start, but from the moment Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat, their batsmen took charge. In a scenario resembling a one-day match, runs ticked along at close to five an over as Nafees and Bashar launched a stirring attack on the No.1 side in the world.
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