Report
Vettori wraps up comprehensive victory
New Zealand wrap up a comprehensive victory by an innings and 101 runs in the second Test at Chittagong, Daniel Vettori finishing the game with 12 for 170
The Bulletin by Wisden Cricinfo staff
26-Jul-2005
New Zealand 545 for 6 dec (Fleming 202, Styris 89) beat Bangladesh 182 (Vettori 6-70) and 262 (Baisya 66, Mashud 51, Vettori 6-100) by an innings and 101 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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It took New Zealand just 25 minutes on the fourth morning to wrap up a comprehensive victory by an innings and 101 runs in the second Test at Chittagong, and take the series 2-0.
Daniel Vettori grabbed his second six-wicket haul of the game - he finished with 12 for 170 here, and 20 for 224 in the two matches to be named the Player of the Series. At least Tapash Baisya made sure Bangladesh went down with some pride, hammering a 36-ball half-century as New Zealand were within sight of the finishing line.
Full postYounis puts Pakistan in charge
Pakistan gain lead thanks to Younis Khan's century on Day 2
Rahul Bhatia
26-Jul-2005
Pakistan 298 for 4 (Younis 124, Inzamam 79*, Farhat 72) lead Sri Lanka 208 by 90 runs
When Younis Khan replaced Asim Kamal for the second Test, there were many questions asked of him. Today, in a calm, unhurried fashion, he answered them with a century that showcased his pulls, drives and glides, and made Sri Lanka's attack look ordinary. Younis stood at the crease for nearly the entire day, comfortably handling anything Sri Lanka's seven bowlers could come up with, and it took an inspired catch to finally dislodge him on 124 (284 for 3). By then Pakistan had taken the lead, and Inzamam-ul-Haq was still going strong on 82. This day had been Pakistan's from the morning, for they saw Chaminda Vaas and the others struggling, pounced on the freebies, and scored more in the first two sessions than Sri Lanka could all day yesterday.
"The team carried me," said Younis later, dedicating his hundred to Inzamam and Imran Farhat, who coolly accumulated runs and played around him. He played sensibly, as his captain had asked of the team before the Test began, and in doing so he gave Pakistan a clearer shot at levelling the series. His rock-like presence proved discouraging for Sri Lanka, because nothing could get past his bat. But he was fortunate, for a number of leg-before appeals were turned down. Still, goaded on by Inzamam and Farhat, Younis remained unflustered, and hit balls when they asked for it, and found gaps with unerring accuracy.
Yesterday, the bowlers were in charge: today, it was the batsmen's turn. The difference was discipline. Abdul Razzaq and the rest put the ball on a spot, letting the pitch do the work, and Sri Lanka crumbled for 208. Vaas and Dilhara Fernando tried too hard, and were taken apart for many runs. Pakistan ambled to 298 for 4. The morning session was Sri Lanka's best chance of grabbing the initiative, but Farhat's and Younis's positive batting resulted in Pakistan being 136 for 2 at lunch.
Full postCrookes leads Gauteng flghtback
Derek Crookes made a fiery 77 as Gauteng fought back on the first day at Durban
Keith Lane
26-Jul-2005
Gauteng 228 (Crookes 77, Burger 53*, Abrahim 3-38, Govender 3-72) lead
KwaZulu-Natal 82 for 0 by 146 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
In Durban, KwaZulu-Natal's pace attack had Gauteng in early trouble, as they slumped to 36 for 5, but Derek Crookes hit them out of trouble with a fiery 77. He was well supported by Shane Burger, who finished with an unbeaten 53, as Gauteng managed to reach 228. Crookes, who has played 32 one-dayers for South Africa, smashed 15 fours and counterattacked when all looked lost. Zahir Abrahim and Ugeshan Govender were the most successful bowlers for Natal and both had the batsmen struggling against the moving ball. Both ended with three wickets apiece. In reply Natal made a solid start with Rivash Gobind (40 not out) and Mark Sanders (36 not out) sharing an unbroken opening partnership of 82.
Western Province 276 for 7 dec (Worth 71, Munnik 65*, Moleon 3-35) lead
North West 76 for 4 by 200 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
At Newlands, a middle-order collapse triggered by Eugene Moleon, the medium-pacer, cost Western Province a few jitters. But they recovered well and declared after reaching 276 for 7 in 85 overs. Renier Munnik was once again among the runs with an undefeated 65 while Doug Worth scored his maiden first-class fifty and notched up 71. North West started off shakily and were reduced to 22 for 3 but they fought back grimly and finished the day at 76 for 4, with Werner Coetsee unbeaten on 43.
Full postSherwin Ganga stars in Trinidad win
Trinidad and Tobago overcame a stiff target and fading light to snatch a thrilling win against Barbados in the first semi-final of the regional one-day competition at St Philip
Cricinfo staff
26-Jul-2005
Trinidad and Tobago 256 for 5 in 46.2 overs (S Ganga 64, D Ganga 50, Powell 47*) beat Barbados 276 for 5 in 50 overs (Hinds 69*, Richards 67) by 11 runs (D-L method)
Scorecard
Scorecard
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Trinidad and Tobago overcame a stiff target and fading light to snatch a thrilling win against Barbados in the first semi-final of the regional one-day competition at St Philip. Set 277 for victory, Trinidad needed 21 more off 22 balls with five wickets in hand when the umpires ruled that the light was too poor for play to continue. The Duckworth-Lewis scoring sheets were brought out, and Trinidad were found to be 11 runs ahead of the par score at that stage.
The win was set up by another superb allround performance by Sherwin Ganga. First, he bowled his offspinners with exceptional accuracy on a flat batting pitch, returning figures of 1 for 28 from 10. He came back to open the innings and top-scored with 64, ensuring a strong start to the run-chase. He received excellent support from his brother Daren, who made 50. The innings lost momentum briefly, but Ricardo Powell put things back on track with an unbeaten 47.
Full postDynamic Dabengwa does battle in vain
Mashonaland defeated Matebeleland by a comfortable 285 runs in the opening match of the Logan Cup campaign
Simon Park
26-Jul-2005
Mashonaland 331 and 353 for 4 dec beat Matabeleland 220 and 206 (Dabengwa 65) by 258 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
A defiant half-century from Keith Dabengwa could not save
Matabeleland as Mashonaland cruised to a 258-run victory on
the fourth and final day of the Logan Cup match at Bulawayo Athletic Club.
Dabengwa, who came in at No. 9, hit two huge sixes and
nine fours on his way to 65 off 58 balls which gave the small crowd something to cheer about in this one-sided encounter. He was the last man out as Matabeleland, who were bowled out for 220 in the first innings, were skittled for 206 in their second attempt.
Matabeleland, chasing 465, resumed from their overnight total of 34 for 2, with Sean Williams and Mark Vermeulen at the crease. But Vermeulen soon perished when he fell to Waddington Mwayenga as he edged through to Tatenda Taibu. Matabeleland then lost their fourth wicket as Douglas Hondo bowled Williams for 19 (65 for 4). Hondo picked up a second as he trapped Gregory Strydom for 18.
Full postKatich rocks as Australia roll on
Simon Katich got stuck into India's bowlers on the third day of the Nagpur Test and scored a vital 99, helping his side to a score of 202 for 3, and a lead of 415
Cricinfo staff
26-Jul-2005
Australia 398 and 3 for 202 (Katich 99, Martyn 41*) lead India 185 (Kaif 55, Gillespie 5-56, McGrath 3-27) by 415 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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He is the son of a policeman, an amateur poet and, according to his captain, "the glue that holds the middle order together". Simon Katich got stuck into India's bowlers on the third day of the Nagpur Test and scored a vital 99, helping his side to a score of 3 for 202, and a lead of 415. It was an innings of both art and application, and though it ended in heartbreak, one short of a well-deserved hundred, it put Australia in a commanding position at the close of play.
It wasn't easy, and the Indians did not throw in the towel, but held on tight as the Australians pulled it away, inch by inch. Katich walked in shortly after lunch, after Matthew Hayden inside-edged Zaheer Khan onto his stumps (1 for 19), with runs hard to come by. Zaheer bowled with venom and accuracy, back at his best, while Ajit Agarkar was more controlled than in the first innings, beating Justin Langer repeatedly with his away-going deliveries.
Full postVettori puts New Zealand on the brink
Daniel Vettori wrecked Bangladesh for the second time in the match, as New Zealand were just two wickets from wrapping up the second Test by an innings
Bulletin by Wisden Cricinfo staff
26-Jul-2005
Bangladesh 182 (Omar 58, Vettori 6-70, Wiseman 3-68) and 210 for 8 (Mashud 51, Vettori 4-77) trail New Zealand 545 for 6 dec by 153 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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Daniel Vettori maintained his stranglehold over the Bangladesh batsmen, taking ten wickets in the match so far and putting New Zealand on the brink of their second consecutive innings victory. At close of play on the third day at Chittagong, Bangladesh, after being bowled out for 182 in their first innings, were 210 for 8, needing 153 more to make New Zealand bat again.
It was another wretched day for Bangladesh, who lost 15 wickets for 310 runs all told. Their story was a familiar one: although several batsmen got off to starts, only Javed Omar in the first and Khaled Mashud in the second innings, made substantial contributions. Had it not been for some stubborn resistance from the lower order in the final session, the match would have finished today. Stephen Fleming did his best to ensure that happened, taking the extra half-hour, but Mohammad Rafique and Tapash Baisya held out till stumps.
Full postRazzaq rips through Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka bowled out fot 208 after Razzaq's five wicket haul
Rahul Bhatia
26-Jul-2005
Close Sri Lanka 208 (Kaluwitharana 54, Atapattu 44, Razzaq 5-35) v Pakistan
Even without Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami, Pakistan had Sri Lanka in trouble for most of the day. There was a distinct lack of application among the batsmen, whose decision to get on top of the disciplined bowling backfired. It was not the approach recommended on a pitch where the ball swung late and spinners found favour. Each passing dismissal showed that. But only Marvan Atapattu (44) and Romesh Kaluwitharana (54) showed the necessary grit to score runs, and riding on the back of their innings, Sri Lanka rode to a bumpy 208.
At one stage, Sri Lanka were 164 for 8, before Kaluwitharana and Rangana Herath cut out the flash and stuck to basics. Before them, the only notable partnership was for the first wicket, where Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya put on 66 runs. In between, eight wickets fell for 98 runs, when Sri Lanka's overconfidence, stemming from their showing from the last game, got the better of them. The new bowlers, inexperienced as they were, bowled a disciplined line and let the green pitch do the rest. Naved-ul-Hasan and Riaz Afridi had not played a game between them, but handled the pressure of bowling to the strokemakers with enviable ease. The pressure they created took hold of Jayasuriya, who was tempted by a slow, loopy offering in Danish Kaneria's first over which he missed completely, and it hit his pads instead (66 for 1).
It was but one example of the injudicious strokeplay on offer throughout the innings. Kaneria had two more victims, and though Abdul Razzaq ran through the middle order and tail for 5 for 35, it was he who cracked the shell to expose the soft center. Razzaq's mantra was in line with Pakistan's for the day. He landed it on off, and some batsmen, eager to drive, edged the moving delivery to gully and slip. Others, like Thilan Samaraweera, edged it out of uncertainty.
Full postMashonaland take control
Mashonaland had scored 142 for 3 in their second innings, a lead of 250, after bowling Matabeleand out for 220 on the second day of their Logan Cup match
Simon Park
25-Jul-2005
Mashonaland 331 and 142 for 3 lead Matabeleland 220 (Nkala 64, Duffin 57, Chigumbura 4-38) by 253 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Half centuries from Mluleki Nkala, Matabeleand's captain, and opener Terrence Duffin were in vain as Mashonaland remained in control on the second day of the Logan Cup match at Bulawayo Athletic Club. At the close, Mashonaland were 142 for 3 in their second innings, a lead of 253, after bowling Matabeleand out for 220.
Matabeleand resumed on 16 for 2, and Duffin and Tawanda Mupariwa took the score to 60 before Mupariwa was caught behind by Tatenda Taibu off Chamunorwa Chibhabha for 26. Mark Vermeulen followed almost immediately for 6, cutting Chibhabha to extra cover where Tafadzwa Mufambisi dived to his right to take a brilliant low catch (68 for 4).
Duffin was joined by hard-hitting Gregory Strydom who cracked two sixes and three fours on his way to a brisk 31 before he fell to Waddington Mwayenga, caught at mid-off by Kudakwashe Samunderu (103 for 5).
Full postMurali spins Sri Lanka to victory
Muttiah Muralitharan took eight wickets to annihilate West Indies in the second Test
The Bulletin by Ranajit Dam
25-Jul-2005
Sri Lanka 148 and 375 for 7 dec (Sangakkara 157*) beat West Indies 148 and 137 (Muralitharan 8-46) by 240 runs
Scorecard
How they were out
Scorecard
How they were out
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Muttiah Muralitharan took eight wickets to annihilate West Indies in the second Test at his hometown of Kandy. Set an imposing 378 to win, West Indies were not expected to pull off any miracles, but the manner in which they were decimated by Muralitharan that left them shellshocked, and rendered the capacity crowd at the Asgiriya Stadium delirious with joy. In the end, West Indies were shot out for 137, with Lasith Malinga and Rangana Herath claiming the other two wickets, as Sri Lanka won with more than four sessions to spare.
Even a turning pitch and an inexperienced West Indian batting line-up could not detract from a monstrous bowling performance by Muralitharan, who swept away batsmen in a manner reminiscent of one swatting pesky flies. If the offbreak was dangerous, the doosra was unplayable, accounting for most of his victims. The batsmen were left clutching at air, in a maelstrom of offspin bowling that sucked them in, whirled them around and then spat them out. This was not a contest. This was a case of schoolchildren being taught a lesson they would remember for a long, long time.
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