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Pakistan A gain huge lead of 314

Pakistan A ended the third day on 203 for 6, gaining a huge lead of 314 against Zimbabwe A at Harare

Cricinfo staff
15-May-2005
Pakistan A ended the third day on 203 for 6, gaining a huge lead of 314, against Zimbabwe A at Harare. After dismissing the Zimbabweans for 200, the Pakistanis' second innings wasn't that impressive, with most of their their top-order batsmen failing to capitalise on starts. Zulqarnain Haider, who made a gritty 43 in the first innings, was promoted to open the batting but he fell for only 25 this time around.
Faisal Athar and Misbah-ul-Haq were also dismissed after promising starts and it was left to Hasan Raza, who made a century in the first innings, and Mansoor Amjad, the 19-year-old legspinner, to revive the innings. Amjad impressed with his allround skills and top-scored with 54.
Earlier in the day, the Zimbabweans managed to add just 36 to their overnight total of 164 for 5, with Mohammad Asif and Amjad capturing three wickets apiece.
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Burgers sizzle as Zimbabwe struggle

The Zimbabwe A team lost by 97 runs to Namibia in a one-day match in Harare

John Ward
14-May-2005


Jan-Berrie Burger hit his second fifty in as many days © Getty Images
The brave new world of Zimbabwe cricket was not so brave today, as the Zimbabwe A team lost by 97 runs to Namibia in a one-day match at the Harare Country Club.
Once again Jan-Berrie Burger played a major role; he certainly enjoys batting against Zimbabwe's bowlers, and he scored his second fifty in as many days, following his 61 against Matabeleland yesterday. But this time he was restricted by good seam bowling early on and was forced to retire hurt briefly with an ankle injury. He finished with 75 off 81 balls to help Namibia to 271 for 7 off their 50 overs. Gavin Murgatroyd and Gerhard Snyman also made solid contributions.
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Prince and Kemp lift South Africa to another victory

West Indies v South Africa, 4th ODI, Trinidad

Jenny Roesler
Jenny Thompson
14-May-2005


Andre Nel removed Brian Lara for 22 as South Africa completed another victory to go 4-0 up in the five-match series © Getty Images
South Africa added to West Indies' woes by claiming their fourth successive victory in the five-match series in Trinidad. A calculating fourth-wicket stand of 132 between Ashwell Prince and Justin Kemp rescued South Africa from a stodgy beginning at 61 for 3 to take them to their target of 232 with six wickets and 19 balls to spare.
The brutal Kemp bludgeoned 65 from 75 balls, after he made an unusually stilted start of his own. "The wickets are different out here," he admitted afterwards. "You really have to grind your runs." But, crucially, he refused to panic amid some restrictive West Indies bowling; instead he waited, pushing the ball around. It was the calm before the storm. Then came the explosion.
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Chibhabha leads Zimbabwean reply

Half-centuries by Justice Chibhabha and Trevor Gripper propped Zimbabwe A to 164 for 5 at close of play on the second day against Pakistan A at Harare

Cricinfo staff
14-May-2005
Half-centuries by Justice Chibhabha and Trevor Gripper propped Zimbabwe A to 164 for 5 at close of play on the second day against Pakistan A at Harare. Gripper made 50 while Chibhabha remained unbeaten on 54, but the Zimbabweans ended the day still 147 behind Pakistan's first-innings total of 311.
Apart from Chibhabha and Gripper, none of the Zimbabwean batsmen made an impression. Neil Ferreira, who opened the batting with Gripper, and Stuart Carlisle made just 15 each, Brendan Taylor fell for a duck and Sean Williams was run out for 5.
Earlier, Pakistan A added 55 to their overnight score of 256 for 6 before being bowled out. Zulqarnain Haider, their wicketkeeper, frustrated the Zimbabweans with a patient 43 off 189 balls. Blessing Mahwire and Tawanda Mupariwa were the pick of the bowlers, both taking three wickets apiece.
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Hasan Raza leads Pakistan A's charge

Hasan Raza piloted Pakistan A to 256 for 6 at the end of the first day against Zimbabwe A

Cricinfo staff
13-May-2005
Hasan Raza dazzled amid the gloom at Harare as his excellent 137 piloted Pakistan A to 256 for 6 at the end of the first day against Zimbabwe A.
The Zimbabwean bowlers vindicated their captain's decision to field first by picking up wickets at regular intervals. All the Pakistani top-order batsmen got starts but except Raza none managed to cash in with a big score. Blessing Mahwire and Tawanda Mupariwa, the two medium pacers, were chiefly responsible for pegging back the Pakistanis' innings.
Raza, though, carried on despite not having too much support and cracked 17 fours and five sixes while making an excellent 137. He finally fell late in the day to Mahwire but by then the Pakistanis had got out of a tough situation. The Pakistanis lead the series 1-0 after a thrilling three-wicket victory in the first game in the Country Club at Harare.
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Bangladesh complete a satisfying draw

Bangladesh enjoyed another successful day of acclimatisation at Fenner's

Cricinfo staff
12-May-2005


Habibul Bashar: valuable time in the middle on the final day at Fenner's © Getty Images
Bangladesh enjoyed a third consecutive day of ideal acclimatization at Fenner's. First, their 18-year-old seamer, Shahadat Hossain, bowled himself into contention for the first Test at Lord's with figures of 4 for 33, and then, with a lead of 143, all five of Bangladesh's top-order enjoyed valuable time in the middle, as the match petered out to a draw.
After resuming on their overnight 190 for 5, Luke Parker and Josh Knappett extended their sixth-wicket stand to 134, before Parker was caught behind for 65 off Mashrafe Mortaza. That signalled the end of British Universities' resistance, as Shadahat - the quickest of Bangladesh's bowlers - got stuck into the tail. The final five wickets tumbled for 22, with Shahadat removing both Amit Suman and Monty Panesar for ducks.
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Bangladesh bowlers build on success

Bangladesh enjoyed another successful day of acclimatisation at Fenner's

Cricinfo staff
11-May-2005


Mohammad Ashraful: Bangladesh's second centurion © Getty Images
Bangladesh enjoyed another successful day of acclimatisation against British Universities at Fenner's. Javed Omar converted his overnight 111 into a career-best 167, Mohammad Ashraful reached a century of his own (after a brief consultation with the scorers), and by nipping out five top-order wickets for 82, all four of their frontline bowlers were given a chance to shine.
The only fly in Bangladesh's ointment was a dogged unbeaten sixth-wicket stand between Luke Parker (45 not out) and the wicketkeeper, Josh Knappett, who had rattled along to 62 not out from 76 balls by the close, as the Universities closed on 190 for 5. But their 108-run stand could not detract from another composed day's work from the Bangladeshis. Sterner tests await, but their relaxed arrival bodes well for the challenges to come.
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Omar strikes first-day century

Bangladesh closed the first day of the opening tour match against British Universities on 238 for 3.

Cricinfo staff
10-May-2005


Javed Omar celebrates his century with Mohammad Ashraful © Getty Images
The heat of Dhaka will have felt a million miles away for the Bangladesh squad as they launched their England tour on a chilly day at Fenner's. But they put the foreign conditions to the back of their minds and, led by an unbeaten century from Javed Omar, made an impressive start against a British Universities side.
An opening day at Fenner's is a low-key affair, but Omar will cherish the memories, as he guided the Bangladeshis from the potential trouble of 99 for 3 to a healthy 238 for 3 at the end of a shortened day. Omar reached his century from 173 balls - despite receiving a nasty blow in the midriff - and by the close he had hit 18 boundaries. He will be vital to the Bangladesh top-order on this tour, with the experience of 27 Tests behind him, so an early century will have done wonders to boost his confidence.
His main support came from Mohammad Ashraful, who played a typically dashing innings, as the pair added an unbroken 139 for the fourth wicket. Ashraful is still only 20 but already has 25 Tests under his belt and is Bangladesh's most naturally gifted batsman. He showed some of his flair, stroking 87 from 117 balls with 17 fours. His expansive strokeplay did offer two chances - on 6 and 60 - but the students failed to cling onto either opportunity. Ashraful chanced his arm, many of shots going aerial, but Bangladesh want to express themselves on this tour and he deserved some luck.
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South Africa coast to easy win

South Africa bossed the second one-dayer to win by eight wickets and take a 2-0 series lead



Boeta Dippenaar and Herschelle Gibbs powered South Africa to a comprehensive win © Getty Images
An unbroken stand of 106 between Boeta Dippenaar and Herschelle Gibbs lifted South Africa to an easy eight-wicket victory in the rain-affected second one-dayer at Kingston. But it was their bowlers that had set them in the driver's seat after they reduced West Indies to 152 for 7. Matters would have been much worse for the home side without Courtney Browne's flighty 46 which rescued them from a precarious 67 for 6. But West Indies' total was never going to be enough, and even though Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis fell early, South Africa chased down a revised target of 124 within 27 overs; Dippenaar posted 60 not out and Gibbs was unbeaten on 44 by the close. They now take a 2-0 lead to Barbados on Wednesday.
West Indies must have wished that today, a Sunday, had been designated a day of rest after yesterday's eight-wicket drubbing in the series opener. Instead, when they woke up this morning they had to trudge back to Sabina Park to play their next one-dayer. For a second successive day they batted first - although this time it wasn't their call, as Graeme Smith sent them in - and for a second successive day they were reeling early.
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Centurion Smith squashes West Indies

West Indies win the toss and bat first in the 1st ODI at Kingston

Andrew Miller
Andrew Miller
07-May-2005


Chris Gayle falls to a brilliant catch from Herschelle Gibbs © Getty Images
Since the end of the Test series, Graeme Smith has been in the news for what he may or may not have said to Dwayne Bravo in the closing stages of the bore draw in Antigua. But as one form of the game gave way to another, Smith carried on as he has done all tour, and let his bat do the talking. For the fourth international fixture in succession, Smith led from the front with a relentless century, and paved the way for an emphatic eight-wicket victory in the opening one-day international at Kingston.
Since an indifferent first Test in Guyana, Smith has now amassed 572 runs in six innings, including four centuries and a lowest score of 41. Furthermore, today's oeuvre - an imperious 103 from 102 balls, with 13 fours - was his fourth one-day hundred in eight innings, and seeing as he had not scored any in his previous 58 ODIs, that represents quite some breakthrough.
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