Report
Uttar Pradesh collapse after fine start
Bengal progressed to a position of dominance on the second day of the Ranji Trophy final at Lucknow
Nagraj Gollapudi at Lucknow
30-Jan-2006
Bengal 138 for 2 (Arindam Das 59*) trail Uttar Pradesh 387 (Raina 90) by 249 runs
Scorecard
How they were out
Scorecard
How they were out
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Riding on a solid fifty from Arindam Das and a good performance from its bowlers in the morning, Bengal progressed to a position of dominance on the second day of the Ranji Trophy final at Lucknow. By the time they took the light with 9.1 overs still to be bowled, they had made 138 for 2 in reply to UP's 387, with Arindam firmly placed on 59.
By batting impetuously in the first session and then allowing Bengal to bat themselves to a strong position at stumps on day two at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh squandered the advantage they had garnered on the first day. Though Mohammad Kaif did well to encourage his troops by cheering them on, constant appealing and unorthodox field placements, it was hard to pardon the hosts' batting line-up - especially the middle order - which failed to capitalise on the gains Kaif had worked hard to earn for them.
Full postEngland buoyant after crushing warm-ups
England Under-19s crushed a Malaysia President's XI 3-0- the perfect start to their World Cup warm-ups
Jenny Thompson
30-Jan-2006
England Under-19s will head to Sri Lanka in buoyant mood after a comprehensive 3-0 win in their tour matches against a Malaysian XI. The three games had originally been designed with acclimatisation in mind, but after an unexpected 11-0 whipping in Bangladesh, this mini-series had taken on an added significance, not to say pressure.
The team shrugged off any concerns with the latest two matches held over the weekend which confirmed that their first win - a 172-run victory earlier in the week - was indeed no fluke. "We played some decent cricket and won quite convincingly," the coach Andy Pick told Cricinfo. "I was very pleased with the way we went about our cricket to win the games.
"It's been a worthwhile exercise. We have put some systems and processes which will stand us in good stead for the World Cup. The players now have confidence and know how to stick to their role."
Malaysia unexpectedly chose to bat in Saturday's match and posted 216 all out under some tight England bowling. Late on in the innings, Moeen Ali and Huw Waters helped themselves to three wickets each as Malaysia tried to hit out under mounting pressure.
Full postRyan Hinds puts Barbados on verge of victory
Hinds hit 15 fours and three sixes as he became the fifth player to score two hundreds in the same match in the domestic first-class competition
Cricinfo staff
30-Jan-2006
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Trinidad and Tobago were dismissed for 162 as Windward Islands captured the first-innings lead points at Shaw Park. Resuming overnight at 36 for 4, T&T never recovered as they pursued Windwards' 218 in the first innings. Only Denesh Ramdin (56), the West Indies wicketkeeper, and Richard Kelly (27) offered resistance as Rawl Lewis, the Windwards captain, ran through the line-up to finish with 5 for 55. However T&T hit back when Windwards batted again and reduced them to 77 for 5 at stumps. Windwards now lead by 133 runs with five wickets in hand going into the final day.
At Chedwin Park, a strong allround performance put Guyana in control against Jamaica. Having been reduced to 79 for 9 the previous day, Wavell Hinds (49) and Gareth Breese (19) stretched the total to 144 as Jamaica conceded a 170-run lead. Reon King had the best figures, 5 for 53, while Mahendra Nagamootoo took 4 for 42. Guyana lost a clutch of wickets after Shivnarine Chanderpaul chose not to enforce the follow on and ended the day on 114 for 6, with an overall lead of 284 runs and four wickets in hand.
Full postPakistan widen the gap between India and victory
After the debacle of the first evening, India's middle and lower order waged a feisty fightback to restore the balance, only for an 109-run opening partnership to give Pakistan control of proceedings once again
Pakistan 245 and 173 for 2 (Farhat 57, Butt 53) lead India 238 (Yuvraj 45, Pathan 40, Asif 4-78) by 180 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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After the debacle of the first evening, India's middle and lower order waged a feisty fightback to restore the balance, only for an 109-run opening partnership to give Pakistan control of proceedings once again. By stumps, they had moved to 173 for 2, an overall lead of 180. With the pitch having eased up and much less in it for the bowlers, they were well on course to set India a monumental target to win the match and series.
Having eked out a lead of just seven runs, Pakistan emerged for their second innings with plenty of questions being asked about the quality of the top order, which had succumbed so meekly at the first time of asking. They responded in impressive fashion, with some glorious drives and cuts as the Indian bowlers failed to come close to matching their first-innings feat. Even though there was lateral movement with the new ball, the line and length was never consistent enough to put pressure on the batsmen.
Full postEagles soar to victory over Titans
A round-up from the latest Standard Bank Pro20 matches, where the Titans were beaten by the Eagles
Keith Lane
29-Jan-2006
The Eagles made short work of the leaders Titans at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein, winning by six wickets with eight balls to spare.
Electing to bat on a lifeless pitch, the Titans made a good start to their innings with AB de Villiers (33) and Martin van Jaarsveld (28) putting on 64 from 50 balls, but both fell in quick succession. Gerald Dros made an unbeaten 24, but with wickets falling at regular intervals they could only muster a modest 128 for 8. Dillon du Preez, Roger Telemachus and Ryan Bailey each took two wickets to restrict the Titans.
The Eagles made an excellent start with Morne van Wyk and Jonathan Beukes
putting on a solid 75 for the first wicket. A slight wobble saw them lose two wickets but once Roger Telemachus arrived at the crease, hitting an unbeaten 24 off 11 balls, the Eagles regained their momentum.
In a thriller at Newlands in Cape Town, the Cape Cobras beat the Lions by five runs, with the match going down to the final ball.
Full postKaif leads Uttar Pradesh to dominant position
Led by Mohammad Kaif, Uttar Pradesh finished the first day of the Ranji Trophy Final against Bengal at Lucknow strongly placed on 299 for 3
Nagraj Gollapudi at Lucknow
29-Jan-2006
Uttar Pradesh 299 for 3 (Kaif 92, Shukla 71, Raina 61*) v Bengal
Scorecard
Scorecard
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Led by Mohammad Kaif, Uttar Pradesh finished the first day of the Ranji Trophy final against Bengal at Lucknow strongly placed on 299 for 3. Kaif's fine innings - plus fifties by Shiva Shukla and Suresh Raina - put UP in a position from which they can now aim to pile on a score that could eventually prove to be decisive.
Though Kaif missed a well-deserved century, his 92 provided the much-needed backbone to UP's innings. Following the dismissal of Praveen Kumar, the makeshift opener, for a dodgy 48 that included many a rash stroke, Kaif arrived at the crease and began in typical businesslike self. Not wanting to lose the solid platform laid down by Kumar and Shukla, Kaif didn't spare the bad deliveries and stole cheeky singles to increase the pressure on the fielders.
Full postSaurashtra enter Plate group final
A summary of the fifth day's play in the Plate Group semi-final
Cricinfo staff
29-Jan-2006
Saurashtra 296 and 416 (Kotak 55, Jobanputra 48) drew with Madhya Pradesh 275 and 261 for 5 (Ojha 80, Bundela 59)
Scorecard
Scorecard
Saurashtra have entered the Ranji Plate final, courtesy their 21-run first-innings lead, as their semi-final encounter against Madhya Pradesh ended in a draw at Rajkot. Set a huge target of 438, Madhya Pradesh reached 261 for 5 in the 43 overs possible before stumps on the fifth and final day. Saurashtra, having resumed today on 327 for 8, extended MP's agony through an 88-run partnership between Sandeep Jobanputra and Shitanshu Kotak.
Naman Ojha starred for MP with a fine 68-ball 80, putting on an opening stand of 72 with Sachin Dholpure (33). Devendra Bundela, the leading run-getter for MP this season with a run-tally of 498 prior to this match at 71.14, hit a breezy 59 and added 84 runs with B Tomar but it was, in the event, a meaningless effort. Bundela would probably rue his first-innings duck, for a few runs from his blade would have propelled MP to a vital first-innings lead.
Saurashtra will now face Ajay Jadeja-led Rajasthan in what promises to be a tough final on February 2.
Full postCosgrove and Lehmann ease past Bushrangers
Mark Cosgrove and Darren Lehmann continued their excellent form to power South Australia to a convincing seven-wicket win over Victoria at Adelaide
Cricinfo staff
29-Jan-2006
Victoria 222 (McDonald 47, Tait 4-32) lost to South Australia 3 for 226 (Cosgrove 89, Lehmann 80*) by seven wickets
Scorecard
Points Table
Scorecard
Points Table
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After losing the toss and fielding first, Shaun Tait blasted out four batsman, with Cullen Bailey grabbing three wickets, as South Australia restricted Victoria to 222 from 47.5 overs. This represented somewhat of a recovery having been reduced to 6 for 115 in the 30th over. Andrew McDonald (47) and Adam Crosthwaite (43) both struck breezy innings before Tait mopped up the tail.
In reply, Shane Deitz fell early for 11 and Greg Blewett was bowled by McDonald for 19, but Lehmann and Cosgrove steadied the ship with an excellent partnership of 82. Cosgrove, in prime form, smashed ten fours in his 90-ball 89, while Lehmann sped to an unbeaten 80 from 70 deliveries to help South Australia gain the vital bonus point. This win puts them in second place behind leaders New South Wales.
Full postCentral Districts fall short against Otago
State Shield roundup
Cricinfo staff
29-Jan-2006
Otago defeated Central Districts by 24 runs
at the University Oval in Dunedin on Sunday. Batting first, Otago were powered by an 82-ball 72 by Jonathan Trott and a half-century by Craig Cumming, the captain. Both batsmen were dismissed by Greg Hagglun, the right-arm fast bowler, who picked up four wickets in an expensive spell. Gareth Hopkins, the wicketkeeper, played a cameo innings of 44 off just 28 balls before being dismissed by Brendon Diamanti, the medium pacer. A late-order collapse saw Otago dismissed for 250 before playing out their full quota of 50 overs. Diamanti picked up 3 for 49 off nine overs.
In pursuit of 251, Centrals lost in-form opener Jamie How early and barring Jacob Oram who made 60, the rest of the batsmen were guilty of not converting their starts into bigger scores. The lower order were unable to step up the run-rate towards the end and finished on 226 for 9.
Full postNicol steers Auckland to final
New Zealand Twenty 20 wrap
Cricinfo staff
29-Jan-2006
Rob Nichol, the right-hand middle-order batsman, scored a boundary off the final ball to steer Auckland to the finals of the inaugural Twenty20 competition, defeating Wellington by five wickets
at the Eden Park Outer Oval on Sunday. Nichol's 78 came off 72 balls with five sixes as Auckland crossed the target of 154 with five wickets to spare.
Earlier, Wellington were put in to bat by Richard Jones, the Auckland captain. Neal Parlane, coming in at number four, top-scored for Wellington with 38. Auckland bowled economically to restrict the opposition to 153 for 7, as Charlie Shreck and Jesse Ryder bowled the first maiden overs recorded in the competition.
Auckland will meet Christchurch in the finals on February 5.
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