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Kallis bats South Africa into winning position in Second Test
Never a batsman prone to wild abandon, Jacques Kallis slowly, steadily but ever so surely dragged the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match away from India on the third day at St George's Park on Sunday
Peter Robinson
18-Nov-2001
Never a batsman prone to wild abandon, Jacques Kallis slowly, steadily but ever so surely dragged the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match away from India on the third day at St George's Park on Sunday.
When an offer of bad light was offered to the South African batsmen with 14 overs still to be bowled (and with the floodlights on), Kallis's contribution to the South African second innings score of 211 for five was 84 not out.
Leaving aside for the moment the puzzle of why the home batsmen, well on top at that stage, should have taken the light, the significance of the South African total is that it gives the home team a lead of 372 with two days remaining.
The significance of Kallis's effort, meanwhile, is that he has now scored 585 runs in four Test matches this summer at an average of 290.25. This is a quite remarkable statistic, but it does go some way to underlining the strengths of Kallis as a batsman. He seldom, if ever, gives his wicket away, no matter the circumstances and his powers of concentration rival those currently in the game.
Full postMagnificent Gibbs holds South Africa together on first day in PE
Herschelle Gibbs played a lone hand at St George's Park on Friday, making 155 not out out of South Africa's 237 for five on the first day of the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match after India had asked the home team to bat first
Peter Robinson
16-Nov-2001
Herschelle Gibbs played a lone hand at St George's Park on Friday, making 155 not out out of South Africa's 237 for five on the first day of the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match after India had asked the home team to bat first.
Gibbs, who has spent much of his career veering between the sublime and the ridiculous, scored his second century in as many Tests and the fifth of his career to keep India at bay after the conditions had persuaded Sourav Ganguly to bowl first upon winning the toss.
Whether this decision was prompted by a belief that his attack - two seamers and two spinners - might rout the South African batting on a green pitch and under a grey sky or more by a desire to keep his batsmen away from the home team's bowling is a moot point. Whatever the case, Gibbs held the South African innings together with another exhibition of his prodigious talent.
Since being involved in a dope-smoking incident during South Africa's tour of the Caribbean this year, Gibbs has undergone "life skills" training from, among others, former Springbok rugby captain Morne du Plessis. If the desired effect is to rid Gibbs of his unwanted rebel-without-a-clue reputation, then it seems to be working. He has seldom batted better and his form, since serving a six-month ban for his role in the Hansiegate affair, has grown ever more consistent.
Full postKirsten steers South Africa to six-wicket win over India
Three centuries, two of them from Indian master batsmen Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar, were fashioned in the first Standard Bank One-Day International at the Wanderers on Friday
Peter Robinson
05-Oct-2001
Three centuries, two of them from Indian master batsmen Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar, were fashioned in the first Standard Bank One-Day International at the Wanderers on Friday. The most crucial hundred, though, came from Gary Kirsten whose unbeaten 133 guided South Africa to a six-wicket victory.
Kirsten is perhaps not as stylish as Ganguly nor simply as great a batsman as Tendulkar, but he is held a very high regard by opposition cricketers around the world and on Friday he demonstrated just why with an exhibition of clinical efficiency that enabled South Africa to reach and pass the highest one-day total made at the Wanderers.
He shared in an exhilarating 114-run opening stand with Herschelle Gibbs in which, unusually, he was the quicker partner, dashing to his first 50 off just 44 balls. When Gibbs went for 48, caught at the wicket off a thin edge, he joined with Jacques Kallis (39) to put on 93 for the second wicket.
It was, quite simply, a beautifully crafted innings, mixing guile and experience in with no little innovation. For a stage in his career Kirsten was susceptible to deliveries pitched around his hips and was caught down the leg side several times. He then cut the shot out of his repertoire, but on Friday night he was particular severe in that region with a kind of pull-tuck that gathered him any number of runs in the early stages of the innings.
Full postWest Indies end one-day series with six-wicket win
West Indies win the seventh and final one-day international by six wickets, but South Africa still take the series 5-2
Marcus Prior
16-May-2001
It was a crumb of comfort after a largely one-sided series, but it will have
tasted no less sweet to Carl Hooper's men as the West Indies turned in a
fine all-round performance to win the seventh and final one-day
international by six wickets at Arnos Vale. South Africa win the series 5-2.
Chasing a modest 164 for victory on a pitch that flattened out in the
afternoon sun but which still offered the bowlers plenty of help, Marlon
Samuels (54 not out) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (32 not out) ensured there
were no repeats of earlier collapses, seeing the West Indies home with five
overs and four balls to spare.
Samuels again proved why he is rated so highly with a languidly elegant
knock which included seven fours. Chanderpaul provided sensible support at
the other end, striking three boundaries of his own - two in one over from
Justin Ontong.
The innings was given a decent foundation by an opening partnership of
40 between Daren Ganga and Chris Gayle before Ganga (15) was run out after a
dreadful mix-up, wicket-keeper Mark Boucher doing well to gather Shaun
Pollock's return and throw down the stumps as Ganga clattered into him.
Full postTe Beeste carves second comprehensive victory for Netherlands
Pauline te Beeste made a magnificent 90 off 117 balls to guide Netherlands to their second thumping victory over Pakistan women in the 7-match one-day series, being played at the National Stadium, Karachi
Mahmood Ahmad
18-Apr-2001
Pauline te Beeste made a magnificent 90 off 117 balls to guide Netherlands to their second thumping victory over Pakistan women in the 7-match one-day series, being played at the National Stadium, Karachi.
Requiring 157 to win the match, Netherlands women romped home in 39.5 overs with 6 wickets to spare, with te Beeste and van Leeuwan (18 off 35 balls, 1 four) leading the way with a 77-run second wicket partnership.
Te beeste then added 47 for the 3rd wicket with her skipper Salomons before getting out just 10 short of what would have been the first century of the series.
Salomons remained not out on 21 off 47 balls and Toussaint had got one before the required runs were knocked off in the 40th over.
Full postDurham UCCE no match for County side
Day two of this fixture saw perhaps the most one sided first-class match played at this ground since the Riverside hosted fixtures from 1995
Paul McGregor
17-Apr-2001
Day two of this fixture saw perhaps the most one sided first-class match played at this ground since the Riverside hosted fixtures from 1995. The Durham University students, having been dismissed for a record low score of 67 on day one, and then toiled in the field as Durham CCC scored another 351 runs for the loss of only 3 wickets. Indeed one of these wickets was Durham skipper Jon Lewis who was out "retired" for 110.
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Daley - Riverside hundred Photo CricInfo |
Starting the day on 134 for the loss of only Gough, both Lewis and Daley proceeded to centuries in an identical number of balls - 214. Lewis had hit 15 fours and Daley 12. Daley eventually retired hurt on 128 with an upper leg strain and Collingwood and Speak went on to continue to hit the hapless University bowling around the large outfield. Collingwood became the third county centurion in the first over after tea, his century only taking 146 balls and including 10 fours and 3 sixes. Three centurions in an innings for Durham for the first time ever. Collingwood was eventually smartly stumped by Foster off Phillips for 130. Nicky Peng fell to the same combination for a duck but by then the home team had neared 450 with only 4 wickets down.
The cricket was obviously not competitive but new Durham CCC coach Martyn Moxon said that whatever the state of the game the practice in the middle was invaluable and far better than merely having a net. Durham had, during the captaincy of David Boon, ended the friendly matches with Oxford University as they did not provide strong enough opposition. However Moxon did say that he saw this current match as a potential annual fixture.
Full postSharjah Diary: Kiwis make Lankans eat humble pie
SHARJAH - When the Kiwis walked into the ground for their last match of this double round robin league, they knew that their chances of progressing to the final of this ARY Gold Cup, scheduled for next Friday, were absolutely non-existent
Agha Akbar
17-Apr-2001
SHARJAH - When the Kiwis walked into the ground for their last match of this double round robin league, they knew that their chances of progressing to the final of this ARY Gold Cup, scheduled for next Friday, were absolutely non-existent. So hopeless was their situation that a win alone would not have been enough to help them survive. Their net run-rate was so low that even a most improbable victory, bowling out the Lankans inside 86 runs, could only have done the trick for them!
Quite understandably, skipper Craig McMillan had talked of making an impression. Indeed, the most they could have done was bow out with grace, by going down fighting. The Black Caps did even better: they made the Lankans eat humble pie, and that too by an emphatic 79 runs.
And what a terrific display it was, their cavalier effort landing them a consolation win, and this second string Kiwis would not at least be going back home empty-handed. It really was the Kiwis' will which destroyed the might of the Lankans, the only full strength side in this three-nation event!
First it was Mathew Sinclair (118) who held the side together with yet another magnificent effort, carrying the bat with a second hundred under his belt, to guide his team to 248. Sinclair's batting exploits won him the ARY Man of the Match award. And then pacer Kyle Mills was all fired up to have a say on the proceedings. He did that, with three top of the order wickets, reducing the Lankans to 37 for three. And then just as there was a hint of their getting going again, Mills, having bowled an extended spell, brought off an absolute stunner of a catch right on the long-on fence to send back an absolutely nonplussed Indika de Saram.
Full postBlack Caps win but Sri Lanka through to the final
Though Sri Lanka remained favourites for the final right through, the day belonged to the Black Caps
Rafi Nasim
17-Apr-2001
Though Sri Lanka remained favourites for the final right through, the day belonged to the Black Caps. The way they clinched a consolation victory from Sri Lanka was admirable and they looked a superior side in every department of the game.
By piling up a total of 248 runs, they neutralized Muralitharan's magic as Sinclair (118 not out) and Bell (66) plundered the Sri Lankan bowling.
Sri Lanka remained topsy-turvy throughout the innings. Even star batsman, skipper Jayasuriya displayed a lack of confidence. They were only able to accumulate 169 runs for the loss of 8 wickets and lost the match by 79 runs.
Despite a great victory the Black Caps could not beat Sri Lanka in run-rate and Friday, April 20 will be the big day for the final between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, an event for all cricket lovers to enjoy.
The 6th and last league match did serve as the promised challenge for New Zealand, trailing behind the other two participants and it commenced with the Black Caps batting first but losing a wicket to the very first ball.
Opener Chris Nevin was caught behind off Chaminda Vaas without a run on the board. Sinclair and Bell, however, batted with determination in a solid partnership. In full command, they hoisted the 100 and their individual 50s in 22 overs. It was Bell's first half-century in ODIs.
Full postDurham open season at the Riverside
The season started at the Riverside with the lowest score made against Durham CCC since the club attained first-class status in 1992
Paul McGregor
16-Apr-2001
The season started at the Riverside with the lowest score made against Durham CCC since the club attained first-class status in 1992. The owners of this particular record, 67 all out, are now the Durham University Cricket Centre of Excellence - UCCE - playing in their inaugural first-class fixture. A small piece of cricketing history is made with the development of the UCCE's but performances such as this will do little for the confidence of the students.
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Jefferson - tallest current first class player Photo CricInfo |
Electing to bat after winning the toss on a freezing cold morning, Durham UCCE struggled on a wicket where there seemed plenty of lateral movement for the seam attack. Their first first-class runs came in the fourth over when the 6 foot 10 inch tall Will Jefferson pushed Killeen through the leg side for 3. In the seventh over an edge through slips by the same batter brought up the first boundary but for the most part the going was tough for the students.
Jefferson's opening partner, Michael Brown, did not manage a run in his 46 minute occupation of the crease. Killeen ended his misery by having him caught by the alert Peng at short-leg. It had taken 13 overs to score 18 runs before Brown departed. In the 17th over Peng and Killeen combined in the same way to send back the top scorer Jefferson for 22. Banes had come and gone by this time for no score and there was then little resistance until a ninth wicket partnership of 17 between Bruce and Ferley.
Full postTe Beeste-inspired Netherlands earn first victory over Pakistan
Boosted by a magnificent 80 by Pauline te Beeste, Netherlands women thrashed Pakistan by 57 runs to clinch their first success in the 7-match ODI series
Mahmood Ahmad
16-Apr-2001
Boosted by a magnificent 80 by Pauline te Beeste, Netherlands women thrashed Pakistan by 57 runs to clinch their first success in the 7-match ODI series. The team effort and application displayed by the visitors in this particular encounter is really commendable, considering they have already lost the series owing to their consecutive defeats in the first four matches.
Netherlands, led for the first time by Salomons, lost the toss for the fifth consecutive time during the series, yet made the most of Pakistan captain¡¯s decision to put them into bat by scoring a competitive 205 for three in the allotted 50 overs.
The first wicket pair of Koster and Ramboldo started of with confidence, a feature found missing hitherto in their ranks, posting 29 in around 6 overs. However, it was the third-wicket partnership of 108 between te Beeste and Salomons, which really set the pace for a big total.
Coming together at the crease at 55 for 2, both grafted their innings with keenness, exploiting fielding gaps to sneak one¡¯s and two¡¯s and hitting boundaries whenever the opportunity came.
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