Report
Eagles retain lead despite loss
A summary of the fourth round of matches from the Standard Bank Cup
Keith Lane
04-Dec-2005
In Bloemfontein, the Eagles stumbled as the Warriors completed a
comfortable eight-wicket win. A career-best and unbeaten 119 from Justin Kreusch, from 127 balls, set up the Warriors' run-chase, with Tyron Henderson making 62 not out from just 31 balls. The Eagles' innings started off well with the top-order of Loots
Bosman (49), Cliff Deacon (57) and Davy Jacobs (52) setting a solid
platform, to end with the respectable total of 260 for 8. Lyall Meyer took
three of the Eagles wickets. Carl Bradfield (44) and Kreusch got the
Warriors off to the right start with a partnership of 130 but it was the
power hitting - four boundaries and four sixes - from Henderson that
clinched the win for the Warriors.
The Titans moved within two points of the leaders, the Eagles, with a satisfying seven-wicket win over the Lions. Set a meagre target of 223, the Titans eased to the win in 37.4 overs with Goolam Bodi falling two runs short of what ought to have been a deserved 100. The 141-run partnership with Martin van Jaarsveld (65) sealed the win over their nearest rivals and neighbours. The Lions innings was saved from disaster with a very good 74 from Andrew Hall but, with wickets falling at crucial stages, they could only
manage 222 for 7.
Full postBaroda post big win on a day of draws
A summary of matches on the fourth day of the latest round in the Ranji Trophy.
Cricinfo staff
04-Dec-2005
Three wickets each from Rakesh Patel and Irfan Pathan Sr, the medium pacers, and Rajesh Pawar, the left-arm spinner, consigned Uttar Pradesh to an innings and 93-run defeat at the hands of Baroda at Ghaziabad. Earlier, Baroda amassed 605 for 9 thanks to Jacob Martin, their captain, who scored an epic 251 not-out. UP didn't even offered a fight, falling to some testing bowling from Baroda's bowlers. This was Baroda's first win of the season, after they had the better of the draw in their opening game against Andhra, and they sat pretty at the top of the Elite Group B points table.
Full postSarfraz Ahmed wrecks Faisalabad
Sarfraz Ahmed and Zahid Saeed rocked the Faisalabad batting line-up as Sialkot took the first day's honours in the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy
Cricinfo staff
04-Dec-2005
Sialkot enjoyed a good opening day at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, its fast bowlers prospering on a pitch that offered bounce, seam and swing to bowl Faisalabad out for a paltry 111. Sarfraz Ahmed (6 for 28) and Zahid Saeed (4 for 40) were the wreckers-in-chief, triggering a turn in events during a fantastic 45-minute spell either side of lunch.
As collapses go, this was a showcase. A 78-run opening stand between Mohammad Hafeez, the former Pakistan opener, and Asif Hussain made way for a period of mayhem as Sarfraz, bustling, open-chested, and eyes to the ground as he delivered, wreaked havoc on a greenish wicket. There are times when a bowler needs to move the ball just a fraction, as compared to prodigiously, and this is where Sarfraz was lethal. His deliveries to dismiss Syed Hussain and Mizbah-ul-Haq were classic examples of seam bowling - deliveries pitched on a good length moving away just a little, fooling the drawn bat - and either hustling the batsmen onto the back-foot or rapping the pads as they thrust their front legs forward.
Zahid, not content to let his bowling partner rock the ship in the morning session, came into his own after lunch. At 99 for 6, he moved one across Ahmed Hayat to have the batsman edge to the wicketkeeper; next ball, he fooled Mohammad Salman into a false stroke, inducing a leading edge and spiraling high to backward point, where Mansoor Amjad kept his eyes on the ball to hold a good chance. Naved Latif, a domestic stalwart, averted the hat-trick ball by driving a full ball on middle and leg down the ground for a boundary, but Zahid ended his fine over by dismissing Shahid Nazir, the allrounder, caught down the leg side for a duck.
Full postIndia cruise to 8-wicket win
India cruised to an 8-wicket win over England to lead the series 2-1 in the third one-dayer at Guwahati
Will Luke
04-Dec-2005
India 216 for 2 (Raj 65*, Chopra 40*) beat England 215 for 7 (Edwards 66, Al Khader 3-46) by 8 wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
India made short work of England's total of 215 for 7 in the third one-dayer at Guwahati, cruising to victory by 8 wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Karu Jain starred with 64 at the top of the innings, and Mithali Raj ended unbeaten on 65 to take the home side through to a comprehensive win. Anjum Chopra also continued her good form, partnering Raj in a stand worth 68.
The home side were assisted in their run chase with a disappointing bowling performance by England: only Charlotte Edwards, the captain, could apply the brakes to the rampant Indians, conceding 43 from her ten overs.
It was Edwards who led from the front, again, when England won the toss and chose to bat. Together with Laura Newton, the pair put on 102 for the first wicket - but when Newton fell, bowled by Reema Malhotra's legbreak, the doors were swung wide open; one became two, two became three and, but for some plucky lower-order boundaries from Beth Morgan and Nicki Shaw, the innings subsided quickly. On what was a flat pitch, their eventual total of 215 - albeit their highest of the tour so far - was a little less than they anticipated, a sentiment Richard Bates, England's coach, agreed with.
Full postWindwards dominate second day
Deighton Butler and Kenroy Peters, the two left-arm medium-fast bowlers, took three wickets each as Windward Islands took charge against Jamaica
Cricinfo staff
04-Dec-2005
Windward Islands 57 for 1 trail Jamaica 204 by 147 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Deighton Butler and Kenroy Peters, the two left-arm medium-fast bowlers, took three wickets each as Windward Islands took charge on the second day of the Carib Beer Series match in St Elizabeth. Resming at 76 for 3, Jamaica were bundled out for 204, while Windards had managed 57 for 1 by close of play.
Three Jamaican batsmen - Tamar Lambert, Gareth Breese and Nikita Miller - made 30, while Shawn Findlay scored 29, but none of the batsmen converted their starts. Peters took care of the middle order with three wickets, including that of Breese, while Butler nailed Xavier Marshall, the opener, and then returned to clean up the tail.
In reply, Windwards took an early wicket, that of Craig Emmanuel for 1, but Romel Currency and Alvin La Feuille added 56 for the second wicket as Winwards ended the day confortably placed.
Full postVidharbha register first win of the season
A summary of matches on the first day of the latest round in the Ranji Trophy.
Cricinfo staff
04-Dec-2005
Sandeep Singh and Madhusudhan Acharya snapped up six wickets between them as Vidharbha bundled out Goa for just 149 and chased the 54 required for victory to register their first win of the season at Nagpur. Goa's inability to score more than 150 in both innings will be an uninspiring aspect for their captan and coach, and they will need to pick themselves up before their next match against Tripura.
On a dull, attritional day, Jammu & Kashmir grafted for 207 runs in 90 overs to take a 111-run lead over Kerala at Jammu. Kavaljit Singh and Dhruv Mahajan, the J&K captain, scored painstaking centuries as all of ten bowlers were used by Sreekumar Nair, Kerala's captain. A draw seems the likely result, with a solitary day left and neither side showing any intent to go for victory.
Full postAnother day, another washout
Wet conditions on the morning of the third day meant that play was off at 8:30am local time
Cricinfo staff
04-Dec-2005
Wet conditions on the morning of the third day meant that play was off at 8:30am local time. Bouts of heavy overnight showers left the MA Chidambaram Stadium in a damp state and covers enveloped most parts of the ground.
The outfield had a lush, marshy look about it and the umpires decided to call off play without even waiting for an inspection later in the day. Like the first two days, grey skies loomed and despite the super sopper, and the ground staff, working overtime nothing could stop them from abandoning play right at the outset.
Full postBengal romp to thumping ten-wicket win
A summary of matches on the first day of the latest round in the Ranji Trophy.
Cricinfo staff
03-Dec-2005
Bengal 211 and 69 for 0 (Subhomoy Das 46*) beat Delhi 148 and 131 (Lahiri 5-57) by 10 wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
Bengal marched to a ten-wicket win on the third day of its Elite group encounter against Delhi, after Saurashi Lahiri, the offspinner, shot the hosts out for a paltry 131. Needing just 69 to win with more than a day to spare, Subhomoy Das and Arindam Das, Bengal's openers, knocked off the runs in 23.3 overs to take Bengal to its first outright win of the season. Delhi's batsmen failed for the second time in the match, unable to better their first-innings score of 151 and capitulated to Lahiri's probing spells either side of lunch. It was a poor batting effort from the hosts, with only Shikhar Dhawan, the opener, standing out with his 44 in 167 minutes. After nearly being relegated to the Plate Group last season, this has been a good turnaround for Bengal, with seven points - they claimed a bonus point today - in two matches.
Karnataka were 158 runs behind Mumbai's first-innings score of 344 when bad light forced the umpires to call stumps on day three at Bangalore because of bad light. Earlier, Vinit Indulkar's second first-class hundred and useful contributions from Ramesh Powar and Omkar Khanvilkar had taken Mumbai past Karnataka's 186. It was a consistent, if not threatening, display from Karnataka's bowlers, with each of the six bowlers picking up at least one wicket.
Full postBlewett and Cosgrove take SA to big win
A fine century from Michael Klinger could not prevent Victoria from slipping to an eight-wicket loss to South Australia at the Junction Oval in Melbourne, as Greg Blewett and Mark Cosgrove added 143 to see their side home
Cricinfo staff
03-Dec-2005
South Australia 2 for 205 (Blewett 79*, Cosgrove 70*) beat
Victoria 204 (Klinger 103) by 8 wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
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A fine century from Michael Klinger could not prevent Victoria from slipping to an eight-wicket defeat to South Australia at the Junction Oval in Melbourne, as Greg Blewett and Mark Cosgrove added 143 to see their side home. Klinger's 103 from just 102 deliveries had earlier taken Victoria to 204 for 8 in a rain-reduced 41-over match, but the total proved too little for the in-form Cosgrove and an authoritative Blewett.
Peter Siddle's medium pace had accounted for Matthew Elliot (43) and Graham Manou, leaving SA at 2 for 62 in the 16th over, but Blewett and Cosgrove steadied the ship with some attacking strokes. Cosgrove's 70 came from only 68 balls, while Blewett summoned the strength to smack two sixes in his innings of 79, SA reaching the target in the 39th over. Siddle finished with figures of 2 for 41 from eight overs.
Full postJamaica struggle on rainy opening day
Jamaica were struggling against Windward Islands before rain stopped play on the opening day of the Carib Beer Cup clash at Alpart
Cricinfo staff
03-Dec-2005
Jamaica 76 for 3 v Windward Islands
Scorecard
Scorecard
Jamaica were struggling against Windward Islands before rain stopped play on the opening day of the Carib Beer Cup clash at Alpart.
Batting first on a slow pitch after winning the toss, Jamaica's batsmen floundered against Deighton Butler, the left-arm medium-pacer, and Rawl Lewis, the legspinner. On a day blighted by showers, play got under way 15 minutes late, owing to excessive moisture in the pitch, and the start of the post-lunch session was also delayed for 25 minutes because of rain. When the players left the field for the final time, 35 minutes before tea, Tamar Lambert, the captain, and Danza Hyatt were at the crease.
Leeward Islands v Trinidad & Tobago
Scorecard
Full postScorecard