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McMillan and Astle save the Test

A fine unbroken partnership of 103 between Craig McMillan and Nathan Astle rescued New Zealand on the last day of the Ahmedabad Test



Rahul Dravid celebrates with Anil Kumble after the fall of Lou Vincent's wicket - but it wasn't enough © AFP

Victory was in sight for India in the first Test, never more so than when they had New Zealand six wickets down for 169 just before tea, but in the end the portents of the last two days and of history proved to be sound. Craig McMillan and Nathan Astle both made their second fifty-plus scores of the match, and batted for over 40 overs to make the game safe for New Zealand. The Test match, which was at its crackling best on the second evening when Zaheer Khan shot out the New Zealand top order, meandered to a draw, as India could not recreate that intensity and found the task of labouring for every New Zealand wicket too difficult after a point.
The best moments of the day came in the first two sessions, which saw some fascinating tussles between the Indian spinners and the two best New Zealand batsmen on the day, Lou Vincent and McMillan. Anil Kumble, lost from view over nine months of nothing but one-day cricket, was seen again in his best form.
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Zimbabwe, and the weather, take Test into fifth day

Darren Lehmann and Andy Bichel stepped up for Australia as they took decisive strides towards victory on the fourth day before rain stopped play

Lynn McConnell
25-Jun-2005


Andy Bichel stepped into the breach for Australia © Getty

Zimbabwe lived to take the fight into a fifth day in the first Test against Australia at Perth, albeit assisted by two rain breaks, the second of which resulted in stumps being drawn with Australia needing only one wicket for victory.
Australia had suffered from the absence through injury of Stuart MacGill and Jason Gillespie, and the rain just compounded that. In an effort to keep his players on the field in the final session, Steve Waugh took Brett Lee and Andy Bichel off, and used his slow bowlers in the quest for the last wicket. But Heath Streak and Raymond Price stood firm while adding 25 runs for the last wicket.
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Australia crush Bangladesh by ten wickets

Australia restored the natural order at Old Trafford, sinking Bangladesh by 10 wickets in what became a one-sided affair



Andrew Symonds: ran through Bangladesh with five wickest © Getty Images
Australia restored the natural order at Old Trafford, sinking Bangladesh by 10 wickets in what became a one-sided affair. Andrew Symonds - who missed their last encounter - took a career-best 5 for 18 to remove Bangladesh for 139, before Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden took them home. Mohammad Ashraful struck his third successive half-century this series and Shahriar Nafees joined him in a third-wicket stand of 90 and, at 113 for 2 they looked well set. But Bangladesh lost their last eight wickets from a mere 26 runs, with Brad Hogg taking three to help chip out the tailenders. From there it was a formality, as Gilchrist and Hayden took Australia home, unruffled.
Symonds once again proved just what a potent force he is with the ball as he turned the innings with his five wickets. He came on in the 22nd over, with Ashraful and Nafees in control at 101 for 2, and his offspin soon yorked Nafees. He added Habibul Bashar next ball through a fine edge and Bangladesh were in trouble at 113 for 4. They duly collapsed. "I expected it to grip," Symonds said after his five-wicket haul. "I expected it to spin a bit. Rick ran past me early on and said, "We will get you on early and try to race you through a few overs. We just took the pace off the ball and today it worked." It certainly did.
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Vaughan and Trescothick start brightly in tour opener

Play finally got under way in England's tour opener against a Bangladesh Board side at 2.30pm on the first day

Board President's XII v England XII, Dhaka, 1st Day


Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan take a breather
© Getty Images


It took a while to get up to speed, but England's tour has finally started in earnest. After three days of bus journeys and indoor nets - and a further five-hour mopping-up delay this morning - England were at last reacquainted with the middle of a cricket pitch. They duly won the toss at the Bangabandhu Stadium, and chose to bat first to avoid the perils of a soggy outfield. In the two-and-a-half hours available to them, they made steady process against a willing attack, and closed on 106 for 1.
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Dippenaar takes South Africa to 3-2 series victory

South Africa completed a remarkable turnaround in this one-day series, winning the fifth and final match at Rawalpindi by seven wickets to come back from 0-2 down to take the series 3-2



Shaun Pollock celebrates trapping Yousuf Youhana lbw for a duck
© Getty Images


South Africa completed a remarkable turnaround in this one-day series, winning the fifth and final match at Rawalpindi by seven wickets to come back from 0-2 down to take the series 3-2. Their heroes were Boeta Dippenaar, who anchored the innings with an accomplished 74, and Mark Boucher, the stand-in captain, who had an inspired time in his first ODI in charge. He had to step up to lead in the absence of Graeme Smith, who like Andrew Hall was banned from this match for misdemeanours back in the second game at Lahore.
South Africa looked likely winners from early on, when Andre Nel made two important early breakthroughs. Shaun Pollock finished with the best figures, but Nel and Robin Peterson, the inexperienced slow left-armer, both took two important wickets as well.
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England on top as wickets tumble

England grabbed six wickets in 24 overs to finish in a strong position on the second day of their warm-up game against the BCB President's XI after stumbling to a total of 253 earlier on



Marcus Trescothick feels the heat
© Getty Images


England's bowlers grabbed six wickets in 24 overs to finish in a strong position on the second day of their warm-up game against the BCB President's XI at Dhaka. But, against a side comprising four Test players and a host of teenagers from the national development programme, England had flirted with embarrassment until their late successes in the field. After easing to 181 for 2, they contrived to lose their last eight wickets for 72 runs, including four for nought in an extraordinary 17-ball spell after lunch.
Evidently England's restricted warm-up has affected the batsmen's timing more than the bowler's rhythm: in his team talk as they came out to field, Michael Vaughan urged his bowlers to find the right areas and "get the ball through to Ready". To a man, they responded - and were even rewarded with seven-man slip cordons for their efforts.
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Australia back to winning ways

Australia showed they were far from spooked by recent events as they posted their first win of the NatWest series in three attempts in defeating England by 57 runs



Andrew Symonds: a potent return to the colours © Getty Images
Australia showed they were far from spooked by recent events as they posted their first win of the NatWest Series in three attempts in defeating England by 57 runs. Their losing streak had to end some time, of course - you can't keep a good team down - and they were indebted to their returning heroes Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee who showed Australia just what they had been missing. Symonds teed up the innings with 73 from their total of 266 for 4, before Lee - with Glenn McGrath - ripped apart England's top order to leave them reeling at 6 for 3.
A confident England had fancied their chances of chasing down the total on a decent Chester-le-Street track, but there was no way back after such early devastation and they slumped to 209 for 9, Lee ending with 2 for 27 from his ten overs. Andrew Flintoff posted a plucky 44 but, for once, there were no Kevin Pietersen heroics: he holed out for 19 - Symonds in on the action again - and the writing was on the wall. Darren Gough took England close to a bonus point - with 46 not out - but by the time he arrived at the crease the win was out of the question.
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Benning blows Kent away

Surrey cruised to a seven-wicket win against Kent to launch their Twenty20 season in style



James Benning smashed 66 from No 1 to take Surrey home in comfortable style © Getty Images
The heat is most definitely on this summer. Just ask Australia, who have been learning what it's like to play in a pressure cooker. Down at Beckenham, in Kent, the heat was no less intense as a cruel summer for Kent got crueller when Surrey inflicted a painful victory on the opening night of this year's Twenty20. They had nowhere to hide - much like the fans, who sweltered under a scorching evening sun.
The marquees providing corporate and public hospitality offered refreshments but not cool. The makeshift shop sweltered under air conditioning that did nothing but pump hot air around. Those lucky enough to own one of the spanking new flats at long leg were rare beneficiaries of shade. Supping G & Ts, while munching strawberries, and all from the comfort of their own balconies, they were the coolest cats in town.
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Giles and Batty shine as England are denied

England completed a highly satisfying warm-up match but couldn't quite polish off an obdurate tail, as the BCB President's XI reached the close on 143 for 9



Ashley Giles: took 3 for 47 as England pressed for victory
© Getty Images


England completed a highly satisfying warm-up match - one that had seemed an unlikely starter after the torrential rains that greeted their arrival - as Gareth Batty and Ashley Giles picked up six wickets between them in their first outing of the tour. They couldn't quite polish off an obdurate tail, as the BCB President's XI reached the close on 143 for 9, but for England the result mattered less than the practice.
For the young Bangladeshi side, however - eight of whom are members of the U19 squad that will play in the World Cup here next March - survival was an impressive accomplishment, albeit aided by the weather on the first day. It had not seemed likely when seven wickets fell in rapid succession after tea, but Nadif Chowdhury and Gazi Alamgir gritted their teeth to carry the match into the final over of the day. A late twist seemed on the cards when Steve Harmison yorked Chowdhury for 26 with two balls remaining, but Enamul Haque held fast to deny England victory.
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Inzamam steers Pakistan to victory

Pakistan gained the psychological edge in this dress rehearsal of Saturday's Paktel Cup final as they overhauled Sri Lanka by six wickets with seven balls to spare

Wisden Cricinfo staff
22-Jun-2005


Marvan Atapattu was run out on 111, but his efforts were in vain as Sri Lanka lost to Pakistan © Getty Images
Pakistan gained the psychological edge in this dress rehearsal of Saturday's Paktel Cup final as they overhauled Sri Lanka by six wickets with seven balls to spare. Set 293 to win by Sri Lanka, spearheaded by 111 from Marvan Atapattu, Pakistan edged home in the final round-robin match of the tournament. Inzamam-ul-Haq built on a steady platform and was the key batsman for Pakistan as they remained undaunted by the prospect of batting under the Lahore lights. Inzamam, supported by Shoaib Malik, clubbed 76 from 59 balls as Pakistan pulled off a convincing win.
Atapattu had earlier rescued Sri Lanka from an early wobble after Naved-ul-Hasan had removed the openers Saman Jayantha and Sanath Jayasuriya to leave them 26 for 2. Atapattu was ably assisted by Kumar Sangakkara, who contributed 69, and their stand of 146 thrust the initiative back Sri Lanka's way.
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