Report
Smith and Emmanuel lead Windwards reply
Windward Islands, replying to Barbados' first-innings total of 365, were 14 without loss when stumps were were drawn on the second day of their Carib Beer Series match yesterday at the Tanteen Recreation Ground in Grenada
Cricinfo staff
09-Jan-2006
Half-centuries by Devon Smith and Craig Emmanuel led a strong reply by the Windward Islands as they ended the third day on 180 for 3 in reply to Barbados's 365.
Resuming on 14 for no loss, Smith and Romel Currency added another 47 runs before Ryan Austin took the first wicket, that off Currency for 25 (61 for 1). Emmanuel and Smith added 60 runs as Windward Islands made steady progress towards gaining first-innings points. Both Smith and Emmanuel were lucky as Barbados grassed several chances. Austin once again provided the breakthrough, bowling Smith for 55.
Several overs were lost to rain but Emmanuel remained unbeaten on 51 and had added useful runs with Hyron Shallow, who was run out for 18, and Sergio Fedee (16 not out). Windwards need 186 runs to claim first-innings points and have seven wickets in hand.
Full postIqbal frustrates Indians in drawn match
India's openers flayed some quick runs after tea as the warm-up match against Pakistan A ended in a predictable draw
Indians 414 for 7 decl. and 72 for 0 (Jaffer 35*, Gambhir 28*) drew with Pakistan A 358 for 9 decl. (Farhat 107, Iqbal 87, Pathan 3-82)
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India's openers flayed some quick runs after tea as the warm-up match against Pakistan A ended in a predictable draw. A superb innings of 87 from Faisal Iqbal and a doughty effort from Zulqarnain Haider had ensured that the Indians would be on the field for most of the day, as bowlers on both sides struggled to get any purchase from an unresponsive pitch.
Iqbal, who once smashed a superb 83 against Australia in Colombo before slipping down the pecking order, struck 16 fours in his 171-ball knock, including some fabulous strokes through cover and down to the sightscreen. But for an impetuous shot, he might well have got the century that his display deserved. He and Haider added 88 runs as they defied the Indians for over two hours.
Full postFarhat and Raza send a warning to India's bowlers
An assertive century from Imran Farhat, with rollicking support from Hasan Raza, led Pakistan A's scorching response on the second day of the warm-up game at the Bagh-e-Jinnah ground in Lahore
Pakistan A 212 for 4 (Farhat 107, Raza 75) trail Indians
414 for 7 dec (Laxman 54, Yuvraj 59) by 202 runs
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An assertive century from Imran Farhat, with rollicking support from Hasan Raza, led Pakistan A's scorching response on the second day of the warm-up game at the Bagh-e-Jinnah ground in Lahore. Motoring along at 4.42 an over thanks to a blistering 160-run third-wicket partnership, Pakistan A reached a healthy 212 for 4 at stumps, 202 adrift of the Indians' total. The counterattack came after the Indian batsmen had continued their half-century spree, with VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh emulating what the top four had done yesterday, and finding their groove ahead of the first Test in five days' time.
Having last played for Pakistan in the Melbourne Test of 2004, Farhat unveiled a rich array of strokeplay, thrilling the crowd with his upbeat hundred. There was a certain rasping quality in his shots, with the bandana, sticking out of the helmet, adding to the dash. Even though Pakistan A were on a slightly slipper slope - reduced to 26 for 2 after Bazid Khan drove away from the body and Mohammad Wasim missed the line of a straight one - he counterattacked at every given opportunity.
Once Ajit Agarkar and Irfan Pathan were done with their opening spells - both probed outside off and asked a few probing questions - the Indians were subjected to some serious drilling. Rudra Pratap Singh was shredded in his first spell of the tour while Zaheer Khan, fighting for a recall,
was subjected to similar punishment. Both were slightly guilty of an errant length and Farhat pierced the packed infield with some flourish. He offered a tough chance on 98, when Yuvraj, at backward square leg, grassed one after diving to his right. He tried to accelerate once he crossed the landmark, lofting Harbhajan Singh over midwicket for six, but was undone by the same bowler soon after, cutting uppishly to point.
Full postLewis reaches landmark but Barbados dominate
Windward Islands, replying to Barbados' first-innings total of 365, were 14 without loss when stumps were were drawn on the second day of their Carib Beer Series match yesterday at the Tanteen Recreation Ground in Grenada
Cricinfo staff
08-Jan-2006
Windward Islands, replying to Barbados' first-innings total of 365, were 14 without loss when stumps were drawn on the second day of their Carib Beer Series match yesterday at the Tanteen Recreation Ground in Grenada.
Rawl Lewis, the Windwards captain and former West Indies legspinner, picked up 6 for 105 off 40 overs on the way to a regional landmark of 200 first-class wickets on the second day's play. Lewis took the first three wickets of the day, removing Ryan Hinds for 46, Floyd Reifer for 6 and Wayne Blackman for 60 as Barbados slipped to 148 for 5 in the morning session.
Alcindo Holder, who top-scored with 84, was the stand-out performer for Barbados. His impressive innings was a follow up to his 83 on his debut against Guyana in Georgetown last November, and stabilised Barbados' effort with Browne, the wicketkeeper, after the Windwards threatened to take the advantage.
Blackman, who resumed at 33, reached a maiden first-class half-century and continued to bat watchfully before edging an attempted drive to Lewis at slip to end an innings that lasted 268 minutes and included four boundaries off 208 balls. Hinds, who started the day on 18, moved towards a half-century but then chased a wide ball and gave a catch to point four runs short of his 50.
Full postSri Lanka sneak a thriller after silken Fulton ton
Sri Lanka held their nerve and despite a silken innings from Peter Fulton won the final ODI against New Zealand by 21 runs
The Bulletin by Anand Vasu
07-Jan-2006
Sri Lanka 273 for 6 (Atapattu 69, Sangakkara 58) beat New Zealand 253 (Fulton 112, Vaas 4-28) by 20 runs
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How they were out
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If Sri Lanka were happy with the score they put on the board, it was only because of the dismal run they have endured, for 300 was definitely on the cards had one of their batsmen spent enough time at the crease to convert a valuable fifty into an invaluable 100. Once again Sri Lanka's openers gave them a brisk start, but it was at the cost of wickets. From 49 for 2 the usually aggressive middle-order was left with no choice but to sacrifice strokeplay and concentrate on consolidation.
Fortunately for Sri Lanka, though, Tillakaratne Dilshan came through with a sensible 43 at No. 4, while Kumar Sangakkara and Marvan Atapattu stretched the advantage with innovative and entertaining half-centuries. The fact that no batsman made more than Sangakkara's 63, and no partnership stretched to three figures ensured that Sri Lanka had put enough on the board to give their bowlers a fighting chance. It was a chance they grabbed with both hands, pulling back a morale-boosting win and averting the whitewash.
Full postBarbados reach 79 for 2 on rain-affected day
Overnight rain delayed the start and bad light brought an early end to the first day as Barbados reached 79 for 2 against Windward Islands
Cricinfo staff
07-Jan-2006
Overnight rain delayed the start and bad light brought an early end to the first day as Barbados reached 79 for 2against Windward Islands at the Tanteen Recreation Ground in Grenada.
Rawl Lewis, the Windwards captain, asked Barbados to bat in the hope that his bowlers would take advantage of the moisture in the pitch and overcast conditions. Dale Richards made 11 in an opening stand of 24 with Wayne Blackman (33 not out) before he was dismissed by Deighton Butler. Darren Sammy struck the second blow by taking a return catch off Devon Smith (13).
Blackman and Ryan Hinds (18 not out) consolidated and took the score to 79 before bad light halted play with 10.4 overs remaining in the day's play. As many as six bowlers were employed by Lewis to bowl 34.2 overs. Sammy finished with the best figures, 1 for 5 off six overs.
Full postTrott stars in Otago's one-run win
A summary of the third round State Shield matches
Cricinfo staff
07-Jan-2006
Jonathan Trott's superb all-round show guided Otago to a thrilling one-run victory in their State Shield one-day match against Northern Districts at the Westpac Park in Hamilton. Trott scored 114 and ran though the middle-order claiming 4 wickets off his seven overs. Batting first, Otago were three wickets down for 72 runs when Neil Broom joined Trott at the wicket. The two put on a massive partnership of 190 runs, an Otago record for all wickets against all teams, for the fourth wicket until Broom was dismissed for 93 off as many balls. They struck 25 boundaries and two sixes between them. Otago finished with 276 for four off their 50 overs.
In reply, Northern Districts got off to a disastrous start losing their first three wickets for 24 runs. James Marshall, the captain, and Daniel Flynn held the innings together with a partnership of 123 runs when Trott took 4 crucial wickets to set Northern Districts to 230 for eight. Despite some late order resistance, Northern Districts were bowled out for 275 when Graeme Aldridge was run-out off the last ball. James Marshall top-scored for his team with 93. For Otago, Warren Charles McSkimming and James McMillan finished with two wickets each. First-class cricket was suspended at the oval last season after a pitch debacle when New Zealand played a FICA world 11.
Canterbury embarrassed the home team at Eden Park's outer oval, skittling them for 100
after Richard Jones, the Auckland captain, won the toss and elected to bat. Leighton Burtt, the debutant, ripped through the brittle Auckland batting taking 5 for 26 from 7.1 overs. Rob Nicol battled hard for 36 but received no support. In reply Michael Papps (43) and Shannan Stewart (37) put on 83 for the first wicket as Canterbury cruised past the target in 21.4 overs. Craig McMillan was not out 11 at the end.
High-flying Wellington posted an imposing 270 for 7
when they met neighbours Central Districts at the Basin Reserve. Central couldn't match it, falling to 220 all out. Jesse Ryder (61), Michael Parlane (51), his brother Neal (41) and Chris Nevin all contributed as the home team piled up the runs. Chasing, Central were looking good while Mathew Sinclair (64) and Geoff Barnett (57) were at the crease, but once they both fell to Luke Woodcock, Central faltered. From 193 for 3 Central slumped to 209 for 9 and the game was as good as won. Iain O'Brien was the chief destroyer with 5 for 43, while Woodcock took 4 for 36 from his 10 overs.
Full postBright start for Indian top-order
The Indians made a bright start to the tour with all four top-order batsmen notching half-centuries to take the score to 298 for 4
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan at Lahore
07-Jan-2006
Indians 298 for 4 (Tendulkar 74, Dravid 63, Jaffer 58, Gambhir 53) v Pakistan A
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In an absurdly laid-back opening for what promises to be an intense series, staged in a setting more English than sub-continental, the Indians cruised along merrily and racked up 298 for 4 against Pakistan A on the first day in Lahore. Led by half-centuries from the top four and, on a flat pitch on the slightly slow side, the Indians blunted the varied attack.
Playing in the idyllic Bagh-e-Jinnah ground, a tranquil patch circumscribed with trees, in front of close to 500 spectators watching from behind pickets, the Indians, expectedly, chose to gain some batting practice ahead of the first Test in six days' time. Two batsmen for whom the game mattered the most, Gautam Gambhir and Wasim Jaffer, ensured that the suspense lasted a bit longer - doing just enough to find their groove, but not enough to seal a Test berth - while two that followed, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, revelled in the relaxed setting, cruising along to composed half-centuries as well.
Full postJesuraj routs Bengal despite Ganguly's efforts
A summary of the fourth day in the latest round of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group
Cricinfo staff
06-Jan-2006
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An enterprising 88 from Sourav Ganguly could not stop Tamil Nadu from inflicting a 222-run victory over Bengal on the final day at Kolkata, as Rajamani Jesuraj's six-wicket haul stunned the home side. Jerusaj, who picked up five wickets in Bengal's first innings, put in a fine spell today to make it 11 for the match. Resuming the day on 109 for 3, Bengal lost the wicket of Abhishek Jhunjhunwala (39) in the second over. From here on, it was only Ganguly and Deep Dasgupta (49), the wicketkeeper, who showed any resolve in their approach. Aashish Kapoor, the veteran offspinner, chipped in with 3 for 44. The four points gained from this comprehensive win put TN third in the points table, just behind Bengal. And they have successfully avoided relegation to the Plate division. Ganguly, with two fighting fifties and some key wickets, would have gained confidence as he travels to Pakistan to join the Indian team for the upcoming Test series beginning on January 13.
Mumbai 207 and 214 for 2 (Indulkar 72*, Marathe 64) beat Gujarat 200 and 220 (Powar 6-65) by 8 wickets
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Fifties from Vinit Indulkar and Sushant Marathe highlighted Mumbai's eight-wicket victory over hosts Gujarat and maintained their side's dominance atop the Elite Group A points table going into the final round of matches. Mumbai began the final day by winding up the Gujarat innings for 220 in the morning session, as Ramesh Powar capped a fine bowling performance by picking up his sixth wicket - and 10th of the match. Set 214 to win, Mumbai were given a 50-run start by Marathe and Sahil Kukreja, who became the first of two wickets to fall en route to a convincing victory. Marathe departed for a good 64, but Indulkar continued on in authoritative fashion to take Mumbai home with more than 13 overs remaining. Amol Muzumdar partnered Indulkar in a 91-run stand with an unbeaten 42.
Full postNew Zealand pull off unlikely victory
Sri Lanka squandered a great chance beat New Zealand, and despite restricting them to 224 for 9, lost by 21 runs
The Bulletin by Anand Vasu
06-Jan-2006
New Zealand 224 (Fulton 50, Marshall 50, Vaas 5-39) beat Sri Lanka 203 (Sangakkara 52, Mubarak 53, Patel 2-23, Bond 3-39) by 21 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out
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Sri Lanka squandered a great chance to register their maiden victory of the series, and despite restricting New Zealand to a manageable 224 for 9, lost by 21 runs. Chaminda Vaas had set the game up beautifully with 5 for 39 from 10 probing overs, but Sri Lanka's batsmen, first choked by Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel, the SuperSub offspinner, then blasted by Shane Bond, failed to come good.
Chasing 225 should have been a walk in WestPac Park, with its short boundaries and minimal assistance for bowlers, but Sri Lanka had other ideas. They began well enough, scooting along to 136 for 3 on the back of a breezy half-century from Kumar Sangakkara, but an utter lack of planning in the middle order led to a collapse that left them at 171 for 7.
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