Matches (27)

Women's World Cup (2)

AFG vs BAN (1)

IND v WI (1)

PAK vs SA (1)

Sheffield Shield (3)

Ranji Trophy (19)

SL-W

(50 ov) 258/6

NZ-W

null

Schedule Table Report Videos

AFG

293/9

BAN

(27.1/50 ov, T:294) 93

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Schedule Report Series

Report

West Indies rout Zimbabwe to book finals spot

Australia will face West Indies in next week's Carlton Series finals after the latter successfully defended a modest total against Zimbabwe here at the WACA Ground in Perth tonight

Scott Holdaway

02-Feb-2001

Australia will face West Indies in next week's Carlton Series finals after the latter successfully defended a modest total against Zimbabwe here at the WACA Ground in Perth tonight.

Set a target of 179 runs for victory, Zimbabwe was on the back foot after just five balls - courtesy of Nixon McLean - and was eventually removed for just 134 within forty-three overs. Captain Heath Streak made a valiant unbeaten 33 but ultimately ran out of partners.

Nixon McLean
Photo CricInfo

McLean (3/21 from nine overs) struck thrice within the first seven overs, removing Alistair Campbell (1), Stuart Carlisle (5) and Andy Flower (4) to leave Zimbabwe at 3/20 - a position from which it never recovered.

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Maher, Bichel guide Bulls home in a thriller

Steve Magoffin

02-Feb-2001

An amazing, unbroken, seventh wicket partnership of fifty-five runs between Jimmy Maher (52*) and Andy Bichel (40*) has seen Queensland scramble home in a Mercantile Mutual Cup thriller against the Tasmanian Tigers here at the 'Gabba ground in Brisbane tonight. The Bulls' win came after a fluctuating contest in which the advantage tilted from one side to the other around a series of annoying stoppages for rain.

In a game in which batting was made treacherous as the result of days of heavy rain in Brisbane, the Tasmanians were held to a moderate 8/134 from thirty-nine overs after being invited to bat by rival captain Stuart Law. It looked to have given the home team a decisive advantage by the time it began its chase. But the complexion of the match changed several times during the evening, particularly after the Queenslanders crashed to scorelines of 3/2 and 7/67 at different moments.

The Bulls opted to take into the evening session a reshuffled batting line-up but the strategy proved far from successful. Regular opener Matt Hayden (16) was joined by wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe (0) at the outset but the wicketkeeper-batsman was dismissed from the third ball of the second over for a duck. Lee Carseldine (0) then joined Hayden and immediately headed back to the dressing room given out lbw without playing a shot. Queensland was suddenly reeling at 2-0, the tight medium pace of Shaun Young (3/16 from six overs) having accounted for both wickets. Late inclusion Clinton Perren (0) joined Hayden but, on the other side of a short rain delay, edged a ball to the waiting slips cordon and incredibly became the third player to be sent back to the pavilion without a run against his name.

The regular opening pairing of Hayden and Maher finally restored some sanity to the innings with a defiant stand of forty-three before the former was run out. More handy runs were added to the total by Maher and Law (11) before a series of bowling changes turned things back Tasmania's way again. Medium pacer Scott Kremerskothen (1/33 from five overs) continued his reign as the competition's leading wicket taker by snaring the prize scalp of Law in the seventeenth over.

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Western Province make brisk reply to Boland

There's plenty to play for at Newlands after this intriguing Supersport Series Super Eight match reached the halfway stage with Western Province 206 for three, still trailing visitors Boland by 192

Marcus Prior - MWP

02-Feb-2001

There's plenty to play for at Newlands after this intriguing Supersport Series Super Eight match reached the halfway stage with Western Province 206 for three, still trailing visitors Boland by 192. Graeme Smith, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Thursday night, was still there at stumps on 79, he and Jacques Kallis sharing an aggressive stand worth 124 for the third wicket.

After Boland had laboured to 398 all out earlier in the day, the Province response was in stark contrast. Belligerent and purposeful, the home side scored at close to four an over, the rate only slowing as the spinners bowled out the day's allotted overs. It was a clear signal that captain HD Ackerman still believes his side can win this match.

Smith always looked like a good signing when he made his way down from Johannesburg to plough his first-class furrow on Cape Town. Although he has averaged only around 30, the promise has always been evident. On Friday the left-hander cut loose with 11 boundaries, and received welcome support from Kallis, only five years his senior, but light years more experienced out in the middle.

Kallis showed the Boland attack little mercy, driving with raw power and reaching his fifty with a six smashed back over the head of spinner Con de Lange. When he tried the same a few overs later, he missed and was stumped. There was just the faintest impression that the batsman had lost interest in a non-contest. It was too easy.

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Afridi's blitz help Pakistan Probables triumph against Chief Executive XI

Mahmood Ahmad

02-Feb-2001

Imran Farhat's splendid knock of 138 runs was no way inferior in quality to that of his rival opener Shahid Afridi's blitz of 142, yet the former ended on the losing side only because his team mates did not possess enough experience and temperament to score quickly in the final stages of their innings. They ended up 59 runs short of the target of 320 set for victory by Pakistan Probables, after venturing to field first on a batting pitch at the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi.

A comparison between the batting exhibitions of the two rival openers would not be out of place at this stage. While Afridi made use of years of experience to lead nothing less then a massacre of the Chief Executive XI's average, or may be slightly above-average attack, Imran Farhat, with not a bit of international experience to help his cause and confronted with a top-class bowling attack, crafted his innings like a mature batsmen.

Had there been a little more experience in the Chief Executive XI's batting line-up, the result of the match would surely have been different. But as it was, they ended up at 260 for three in their 50 overs after an opening stand of 137 between Imran and Taufeeq Umar (58) and then of 70 for the second wicket between Imran and Wasim (34) had laid an excellent foundation for later batsmen's onslaught.

The glittering performances of batsmen aside, full marks, however, to Wasim Akram who juggled his bowlers in arguably the most suitable manner at times when it seemed that Imran Farhat, with his flawless concentration, would run away with the match. He made prompt changes whenever he found his bowlers in trouble, and coming on to bowl himself as and when needed to put much needed breaks on the scoring rate. His field replacements also left little to be required.

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Koenig smashes century for Gauteng

Sven Koenig smashed 155 as Gauteng enjoyed themselves on another Kimberley belter at the start of this Supersport Series Shield match, declaring shortly before the close on 350 for seven after winning the toss and surprising no one by having a bat

Marcus Prior - MWP

02-Feb-2001

Koenig's innings included 24 boundaries, and when he was dismissed the declaration soon followed. There is not a great deal to play for in this competition designed to keep players interested after missing out on the Super Eights, but at least Koenig, Nic Pothas (83) and Zander de Bruyn (66) used the opportunity to boost their first-class averages.

In fact, the quality of Koenig's innings should not be overlooked, particularly as he and Pothas rescued Gauteng from an extremely shaky start, as they were reduced to 33 for three.

It may still be hard to get a result here though, as Griqualand West had reached 50 without loss by the close, only emphasising again that bowlers are going to have to work extremely hard for their wickets.

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Border on top but pitch may have final say

Border reached the close on the second day needing 95 more runs for victory with nine wickets standing and two full days' play left

Telford Vice - MWP

02-Feb-2001

Border reached the close on the second day needing 95 more runs for victory with nine wickets standing and two full days' play left.

The home side, then, are well on top. However, the unpredictable nature of the pitch has made batting a less than perfect science and Northerns are by no means out of this match.

Border replied to Northerns' first innings of 190 with 236. The visitors then crashed to a second innings total of 150, leaving Border a victory target of 105, and the home side were 10 for one at the close.

Border resumed on 114 for five and Northerns must have smelt blood when Laden Gamiet was caught behind for 18 off the fifth ball of the day, delivered by Greg Smith.

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Ontong, Trott pile it on against WP

Boland reached an imposing 274 for four by stumps on day one of this Supersport Series Super Eight match at local rivals Western Province, on a day that saw two of their young batting stars play a large hand

Marcus Prior

01-Feb-2001

Justin Ontong (84) and Jonathan Trott (66 not out) both notched the highest scores of their brief first-class careers as Boland overachieved on the picturesque ground of their more illustrious neighbours.

Ontong and Trott's partnership of 136 for the fourth wicket was very much the spine of a fine Boland batting effort, with debutant Gerhard Stydom adding a useful 34 at the top of the order along with opening partner James Henderson (42).

Ontong was a frustrated man when he bowled by a quick yorker from Jacques Kallis, the 21 year-old within sight of what would have been a maiden first-class century and a nudge in the direction of the national selectors ahead of South Africa's tour to the West Indies.

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Central Zone quickly in command against South Zone

Central Zone wasted little time in playing themselves into a position of considerable strength on the opening day of their Duleep Trophy match against South Zone at the Bhanasheb Bandokar stadium in Goa on Thursday

Staff Reporter

01-Feb-2001

It was another poor day for South Zone who are lying at the bottom of the points table. Winning the toss, South Zone were rocked by an inspired spell by Devendra Bundela. The Madhya Pradesh seam bowler, who turns 24 later this month, removed openers Sridharan Sriram (14) and A Nandakishore (2) off successive deliveries and got the prize scalp of VVS Laxman (10), all in his first five overs. Hemang Badani (5) and wicketkeeper VST Naidu (4) followed a little later and South Zone were reeling at 57 for five in the 19th over.

Then followed the only stand of note with Vijay Bharadwaj and Sunil Joshi (17) adding 47 runs for the sixth wicket off 10 overs. But the remaining batsmen offered little resistance and it was left to Bhardwaj to put up a lone battle. The former Indian player who had come in the tenth over when Bundela was on the rampage, was last out in the 43rd over for a gallant 50. He batted a shade over 2-1/2 hours, faced 109 balls and hit eight fours. Bundela finished with four for 58 while Jai Yadav picked up three for 46.

Central Zone lost an early wicket through the run out of Jai Yadav. But Gagan Khoda and skipper Amay Khurasiya put Central Zone back on track with a second wicket partnership of 98 runs off 19.1 overs before the latter was out for 51. The former Indian batsman faced just 49 balls and hit eight fours and a six in his aggressive knock. Mohd Kaif joined Khoda and the two placed Central Zone in the lead and carried on unbeaten still stumps. By close, the third wicket pair had added 72 runs off 21.5 overs. Khoda was within striking distance of his hundred. He has compiled his unbeaten 87 off 148 balls with ten fours and three sixes. Kaif is keeping him company on 28. The much vaunted South Zone attack, with six bowlers who have played for the country, picked up just one wicket between them in 45 overs.

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Niewoudt misses out on maiden ton against EP

North West won the toss and amassed 304 for seven on the first day of their four-day Supersport Series match again Eastern Province in Port Elizabeth on Thursday

Craig Ray

01-Feb-2001

North West won the toss and amassed 304 for seven on the first day of their four-day Supersport Series match again Eastern Province in Port Elizabeth on Thursday.

This is the first match in the second round of the competition, the Super Eight phase, with both these teams qualifying from the bottom of their respective groups in the first phase.

North West opener Riaan Niewoudt, playing in only his second first-class match, scored a fluid 98, falling agonisingly short of what would have been a maiden first-class century.

His innings ended when he was trapped leg before by off-spinner Shafiek Abrahams having faced only 174 balls which included 16 boundaries in a little under four hours.

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Northerns and Border find runs hard to come by

POOR batting and useful bowling by two potent attacks on a pitch of variable bounce saw 15 wickets fall on the first day

Telford Vice - MWP

01-Feb-2001

POOR batting and useful bowling by two potent attacks on a pitch of variable bounce saw 15 wickets fall on the first day.