Report

Steve Tikolo marked his return to international cricket with a superb century

22-Apr-2005

Kenya 319 (Tikolo 149, Kamyuka 4-59) v Uganda 37 for 3
Scorecard

Steve Tikolo marked his return to international cricket with a superb century, as Kenya took control of their opening Intercontinental Cup fixture of 2005, against Uganda in Kampala.

Tikolo, who was restored to the side last week after concluding a bitter dispute with the Kenya Cricket Association, allayed fears that he might have been ring-rusty to stroke a fine 149, as Kenya rattled up an imposing total of 319. His main sidekick was Hitesh Modi, who had made 56 when he was brilliantly caught in the covers by Benjamin Masoke.

Kenya's innings had begun shakily, however, as Kenneth Kamyuka struck two early blows to remove David Obuya for 2 and Maurice Ouma for a duck. But Kennedy Obuya and Tikolo added 86 for the third wicket, and when Tikolo finally fell after tea, again to Kamyuka, the tail wagged impressively to hoist Kenya up to a satisfactory score.

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Smith & de Villiers put the boot in

South Africa have the upper hand in the third Test

Andrew Miller

22-Apr-2005

South Africa 253 for 1 (de Villiers 123*, Dippenaar 22*) trail West Indies 296 (Lara 176) by 43 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Andre Nel wraps up the West Indian innings © Getty Images

In the opening exchanges of this match, West Indies lost their first three wickets for 12 runs, and their last five for 10, and in between whiles were buoyed by an innings of incomparable majesty from Brian Lara. In reply, South Africa added 191 in a frill-free first-wicket partnership, and by the close of the second day in Barbados, they were a mere 43 runs adrift with nine wickets in hand, and were closing in on an unassailable position in both the match and the series.

Thanks to the efforts of Graeme Smith, who defied a tweaked hamstring to post his 10th Test century, and AB de Villiers, who played an uncharacteristically restrained knock to record his second hundred and first overseas, South Africa enjoyed a day of unchallenged dominance. Not for the first time this series, they were given early momentum by a shocking clatter of West Indian wickets in the morning session, and with a lead in the series and just one game to come, they were understandably content to play the game at their own tempo.

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Lara dazzles amid the gloom

A Lara masterclass saved West Indies on the opening day

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller

21-Apr-2005

West Indies 292 for 7 (Lara 176, Nel 3-54) v South Africa
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Brian Lara produced a glorious 176 on the opening day at Bridgetown © Getty Images

Brian Lara produced his second masterclass in as many matches, but not even his glorious 176 was enough to secure the upper hand for West Indies, as South Africa started and finished the opening day of the third Test in Barbados with a string of new-ball breakthroughs. By the close, West Indies had been whittled down to their tail, as Courtney Browne and Daren Powell attempted to extend the innings towards a par total of 350.

It may have been advantage South Africa, but the day belonged to Lara, and how many times in West Indies' recent history has that been the case? From the start of the day until five overs before the close, his performance first equalled and then surpassed that 196 at Trinidad, as South Africa's seamers were halted in their tracks and made to marvel at the range and audacity of his strokeplay.

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England in strife after Lara's 400

The West Indies captain takes the record for highest Test score back

Andrew Miller

12-Apr-2004

Close England 171 for 5 (Flintoff 37*, Jones 32*) trail West Indies 751 for 5 dec (Lara 400*, Jacobs 107*) by 580 runs
Scorecard

He's done it. Brian Lara has reclaimed his world record, ten years to the week since he overhauled Sir Garry Sobers' 365 on this very ground, and just six months after his mark was usurped by Australia's Matthew Hayden. What is more, Lara's phenomenal unbeaten 400 - only the tenth quadruple-century in all first-class cricket - has given West Indies the chance of an astonishing and crushing victory.

Lara's epic has underwritten the most improbable of comebacks. After that shambolic surrender in Barbados, West Indies arrived in Antigua facing the prospect of an unprecedented home series whitewash. But mountainous totals can cause irreparable psychological damage to a team's performance. Needing the small matter of 552 just to avoid the follow-on, England's batsmen suffered a chronic bout of vertigo. They stumbled to 98 for 5, before Andrew Flintoff and the debutant Geraint Jones steadied the nerves with a cool unbeaten stand of 73. But with two full days remaining, and nearly 600 runs to play with, the follow-on is already a foregone conclusion.

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Zimbabwe struggle in tour opener

Sean Ervine saved his side's blushes with a belligerent 41 and two early wickets, but Zimbabwe were made to struggle on the opening day of their tour match against the grade cricketers of Rockingham-Mandurah, whose ranks had been swelled by the

Wisden CricInfo staff

28-Sep-2003

Close Rockingham-Mandurah 52 for 3 (Voges 7*, Whisson 7*) trail Zimbabweans 149 by 97 runs
Scorecard

Andy Blignaut was the only major omission from a virtually full-strength team, but in gale-force winds and on a lively wicket, Zimbabwe were quickly reduced to 36 for 4, then 85 for 7 as the new-ball bowlers Darren Wates (4 for 22) and Tim Gilbert (3 for 35) exploited the conditions to perfection. But Ervine came in at No. 8 and with determined support from Ray Price, he pushed the total along to a moderately competitive 149.

The absence of Grant Flower, who broke his right thumb in a Logan Cup match last month, was keenly felt by the Zimbabweans. Without his experience, there is nobody in the touring squad who averages more than 28 in Tests, and their batsmen have managed just two Test centuries between them - both against Bangladesh. The first Test begins at the WACA in Perth on Thursday week, and on this evidence it is unlikely to be much of a contest.

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Australia take fourth ODI by 37 runs

With three modest contributions behind him, Australian captain Ricky Ponting came good in the fourth Standard Bank one-day international in Bloemfontein on Saturday to fashion a masterful century and guide his side to a 37-run victory

Peter Robinson

30-Mar-2002

Australia's win gives them an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the seven-match series (the third game in Potchefstroom was tied) and although it is still mathematically possible for South Africa to tie the series, after six defeats in eight one-day encounters against Australia this summer, no one will be holding their breath waiting for this to happen.

Ponting's 129 was the highest one-day score made by an Australian against South Africa and it was about as close to flawless an innings as you could ask for. He came in in the 11th over of the innings and stayed there until the 48th as Australia posted 290 for six, their second-highest total against South Africa.

His runs came off 126 deliveries and included 15 fours and a six and it was, by some distance, the major contribution to the total. All along the way, though, Australia's batsmen chipped in to help the skipper. Adam Gilchrist, who has still not quite fired in this one-day series after his breathtaking exploits in the Test series, made 34; Damien Martyn 24 and Darren Lehmann a typically crafty 39 as South Africa found themselves largely unable to cope with the flow of runs.

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Third Test in the balance at Kingsmead

Some 66 overs into South Africa's second innings Australia found inspiration under Durban's blazing sun from an unlikely quarter

Peter Robinson

17-Mar-2002

Some 66 overs into South Africa's second innings Australia found inspiration under Durban's blazing sun from an unlikely quarter. Mark Waugh, whom some speculated might be axed for this match, grabbed two unexpected wickets to keep Australia in what has been an extraordinary third and final Castle Lager Test match.

Waugh's breakthrough unlocked the South African middle order after a century from Herschelle Gibbs should have pretty much wrapped up his team's first victory over Australia this summer. All this Australian team needs, though, is a scent of blood and before the South Africans had caught their breath, they had slipped from 216 for one to 232 for four.

The victory target, after Australia had been bowled out for 186 seven overs into the day, is 335. At stumps South Africa were 264 for four and on balance you would probably have to favour the home team. But that is to assume that the locals are a happy, settled team, free from anxiety and confident of their own abilities.

In fact, the opposite is true after five successive drubbings from Australia. The match is still there to be won by South Africa, but it will be a test of their nerve and it is a fact that more often than not this summer, South Africa have been found wanting whenever they have tried to go toe to toe with Australia.

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Katich and Clark lead WA to victory

Simon Katich handed national selectors a timely reminder with an inspired century to guide Western Australia to within sight of an ING Cup final berth tonight.

Tom Wald

16-Jan-2002

Simon Katich handed national selectors a timely reminder with an inspired century to guide Western Australia to within sight of an ING Cup final berth tonight.

The crushing 116 run win over Victoria elevated the Warriors into second position in the ING Cup table just one point behind competition leader Queensland.

Western Australia is four points clear of equal third-placed NSW and South Australia, but they both have a game in hand.

Katich set up the win with his highest score in one-day domestic cricket, 118, which was the foundation of the Warriors 7-234 off 50 overs. He and Michael Hussey (61) combined for a record fourth wicket one-day partnership for Western Australia, combining for 167 off 174 balls.

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Injured Young scores unbeaten century as SA hits back

Injured South Australian all-rounder Bradley Young was tonight unbeaten on 102 after playing a major role in a South Australian fightback on day one of the Pura Cup match against New South Wales at Adelaide Oval.

Sam Lienert

16-Jan-2002

The Redbacks were 6-291 at stumps, a position of relative strength that was almost unimaginable when SA was 2-9 after the opening 65 minutes and 4-77 soon after lunch, with star batsmen Darren Lehmann (11) and Greg Blewett (38) already dismissed.

Young, who rated himself only a 20 per cent chance of playing after injuring ligaments in his right wrist in a one-dayer against NSW on Saturday, was involved in the two major lower order partnerships that swung the game SA's way.

Young and Ben Higgins, who made his highest first-class score of 80, put on 102 for the fifth wicket.

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South Africa take charge on second day at Centurion

On Friday evening, at the end of the first day of this non-Test, South Africa captain Shaun Pollock described it as a "practice match"

Peter Robinson

24-Nov-2001

On Friday evening, at the end of the first day of this non-Test, South Africa captain Shaun Pollock described it as a "practice match". A practice match, he could well have added, played under conditions closely approximating, but not quite replicating, the real thing.

With this in mind, South Africa reached the end of the second day at SuperSport Park, having outpractised India to the extent of a 29-run lead with six wickets still standing. The truth about all this is that while both sides are taking the cricket seriously, the Indians are taking it a little more seriously. As if it were, in fact, an official Test.