Report
Rahul, Varun star as Punjab gain lead
Rahul Arora's unbeaten 112 and his fourth wicket partnership of 121 runs with opener Varun Gupta (95) went a long way in clinching the vital first innings lead for Punjab against Saurashtra on the second day of their Vijay Merchant Trophy knock out
Staff Reporter
06-Jan-2001
Rahul Arora's unbeaten 112 and his fourth wicket partnership of 121
runs with opener Varun Gupta (95) went a long way in clinching the
vital first innings lead for Punjab against Saurashtra on the second
day of their Vijay Merchant Trophy knock out tournament quarterfinal
at Kolkata on Saturday. Replying to Saurashtra's score of 295, Punjab
by brisk scoring, had made 312 for six wickets off 78 overs by stumps.
Saurashtra had the comfort of some early wickets and at 69 for three,
Punjab were not very comfortably placed. But Varun Gupta and Rahul
Arora turned the innings around with their crucial association. Gupta
was out at 190 after facing 135 balls and hitting 16 fours. Arora
found another valuable ally in Gaurav Gupta (28) with whom he added 46
runs for the sixth wicket. And finally Arora and Tarun Kansh (44 not
out) added 65 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket to steer Punjab
ahead. By close, Arora had batted four hours, faced 163 balls and hit
ten fours. Kansh, who dominated the unbroken stand, had faced 84 balls
and hit eight of them to the ropes.
Earlier, Saurashtra resuming at Thursday's score of 269 for eight
(there was no play on Friday because of a bandh in the state) were all
out after adding 26 runs. Amit Sinha, who came in at No 9 on Thursday
evening and resumed at 57, was last out for the top score of 75. He
faced 144 balls and hit 12 fours. Vipul Sharma, who took both the
wickets to fall on Saturday morning, finished with five for 43.
Full postDharmichand bowls Rest of India to ten wicket victory
Rest of India Under-19 beat the touring England side by ten wickets at the MIG grounds in Mumbai on Saturday
Waleed Hussain from Mumbai
06-Jan-2001
Rest of India Under-19 beat the touring England side by ten wickets at the
MIG grounds in Mumbai on Saturday. England Under-19 fizzled out in the
second innings for 155 off 68.2 overs setting Rest Of India 45 runs to win
the match, shortly after the lunch break on Saturday.
ROI openers Gag Inder Singh (24*) and Arindam Das (22*) knocked off the
runs in 11.3 overs earning a ten wicket victory in the last over before the
tea interval.
Karnataka offspinner Mulewa Dharmichand returned with magical match figures
of 12 for 131 in 51.2 overs. He bagged five wickets in the first innings
giving away 65 runs off his 25 overs and picked up seven for 66 in the second.
The tourists began the day on 11 for two. It was not a happy outing for the
Englishmen as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. John Sadler
was the first man to go in the morning session giving Dharmichand his first
wicket of the morning. Sadler was out for eight runs off 50 balls with one
hit to the fence. Ian Bell scored 29, Ian Patison chipped in with 25 and
Robert Ferley top scored with 33 of 53 balls with five boundaries.
Kashinath Khadkikar picked up three for 35 with his offspinners.
Full postBengal take third spot in East Zone
Hosts Bengal secured five points by virtue of their first innings lead to take the third position in the zone as their Ranji Trophy match against Bihar ended in a tame draw at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday
06-Jan-2001
Hosts Bengal secured five points by virtue of their first innings lead
to take the third position in the zone as their Ranji Trophy match
against Bihar ended in a tame draw at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on
Saturday. Bengal with 18 points finished behind Orissa (29) and Assam
(19).
Resuming at 16 for one after being forced to follow on, Bihar opener
Nikhilesh Ranjan struck an unbeaten 126 and put on a valuable 159-run
second wicket partnership with captain Rajiv Kumar (82) to guide the
team to safety.
Despite being under pressure, the Bihar batsmen rose to the task and
batted confidently to reach 302 for three before play was called off
without the completion of the mandatory overs.
The two overnight batsmen Nikhilesh Ranjan and Rajiv Kumar never
looked in trouble at all on a good batting track as they negotiated
the pacemen and spinners with ease to thwart Bengal's advantage.
Full postUP bowlers restrict Bengal
Bengal were restricted to 176 for six off 99 overs at close of play on the opening day of their Vijay Merchant under-16 knock-out quarterfinal match against Uttar Pradesh at Narendrapur, near Kolkata on Saturday
Staff reporter
06-Jan-2001
Bengal were restricted to 176 for six off 99 overs at close of play on
the opening day of their Vijay Merchant under-16 knock-out
quarterfinal match against Uttar Pradesh at Narendrapur, near Kolkata
on Saturday.
Bengal actually failed to capitalise on a good start after they won
the toss. Openers Ajay Garai and Mayukh Biswas put on 34 runs off 9.5
overs. Then Biswas and Abhishek Chakravarthy (34) added 63 runs for
the second wicket off 31.2 overs. But after being 133 for two at one
stage, Bengal lost considerable ground in the last session. Biswas
batted patiently for 320 minutes for his 70. He faced 270 balls and
hit eleven fours and a six. The bowling honours were cornered by
Praveen Gupta who finished with the remarkable figures of 30-21-19-3.
Full postWarne spins Victoria to crucial victory
The Victorian Bushrangers have made a stunning comeback behind Shane Warne's leg spin late on day three to snatch outright victory against the Western Warriors in the sides' Pura Cup match at the WACA Ground
Scott Holdaway
06-Jan-2001
The Victorian Bushrangers have made a stunning comeback behind Shane Warne's leg spin late on day three to snatch outright victory against the Western Warriors in the sides' Pura Cup match at the WACA Ground.
Warne (5/49) grabbed three wickets in the hour after tea, including the prized scalp of newly-appointed Australia 'A' captain Simon Katich (72), to help reduce the Warriors from 2/108 to 6/133 after they had been set the less than daunting looking target of 258.
The Warriors were eventually removed for 181 when man-of-the-match Warne grabbed the last two wickets with consecutive deliveries, handing the Bushrangers a 77-run win and giving him match figures of 9/102 from 35.5 overs.
It was a fitting celebration for the thirty-one year old, who is returning from a broken ring finger on his spinning hand. Earlier in the day, Warne went one batter than Katich when he was recalled to the Australian side for the upcoming Carlton One-Day International Series.
Full postAuckland annihilate Northern in record Trophy defeat
Auckland gathered in several Shell Trophy records as they annihilated Northern Districts by an innings and 275 runs before lunch on the fourth day of the Trophy match on the Auckland Outer Oval today
Don Cameron
05-Jan-2001
Auckland gathered in several Shell Trophy records as they annihilated Northern Districts by an innings and 275 runs before lunch on the fourth day of the Trophy match on the Auckland Outer Oval today.
Auckland opened the match with a first innings of 547 for eighth wickets declared, their biggest against ND, and Northern Districts were removed for 195 yesterday and 77 today.
This was the biggest innings defeat suffered by a team in the Shell Trophy competition, if still below several first class margins when the Plunket Shield (which included Hawkes Bay for a time) was the championship trophy.
The only bigger post-war innings margins were by Australia against Otago in 1949-50 (an innings and 356) and West Indies against New Zealand in 1994-95 (an innings and 322 runs) This was also a record Auckland defeat of ND, but the big Auckland first innings, while their best in trophy matches and post-war, was only sixth on Auckland's list, topped by the 693 for nine declared against Canterbury in the 1939-40 season.
Full postHorne leads Otago to Southern derby success
The fourth day of the Otago verus Canterbury Shell Trophy Game at Molyneux Park was never going to last too long whichever way it went
Warwick Larkins
05-Jan-2001
The fourth day of the Otago verus Canterbury Shell Trophy Game at Molyneux Park was never going to last too long whichever way it went.
Otago required 108 runs for outright victory and Canterbury 9 wickets. There was an outside chance that Otago might crumble and fall short of their target but for that to be achieved they would have had to bat very badly and Canterbury bowl extremely well.
Neither scenario happened and Otago achieved their 55th first-class victory over their Northern neighbours since 1863/64 and gained six points for their outright victory.
In retrospect their first innings lead of 78 runs proved so valuable for their cause and Canterbury never quite caught up.
Full postSuperb Spearman century fails to prevent draw
Craig Spearman played an innings of unmistakeable quality as Central Districts drew their Shell Trophy match with Wellington at McLean Park today and, in doing so, added another conundrum to one of New Zealand cricket's most enigmatic careers
Steve McMorran
05-Jan-2001
Craig Spearman played an innings of unmistakeable quality as Central Districts drew their Shell Trophy match with Wellington at McLean Park today and, in doing so, added another conundrum to one of New Zealand cricket's most enigmatic careers.
It remains a puzzle, a point of considerable wonder and even poignancy that a player such as Spearman, who showed such haughty command in reaching his 10th first class century today, who seems almost too good for cricket at this level can then contrive a record of such inconsistency in international play.
Spearman showed such qualities of batsmanship, such class, talent and technical precision on this sun-drenched and fascinating final day - when Central ended at 295-5 after being set 378 to win - that his failure to become an international batsman of commanding reputation seems inexplicable.
The greatest pity of this day and of Spearman's innings of 130 from 123 balls, the sparkplug of Central's gallant run-chase, was that there were so few specators at McLean Park, a mere sprinkling of holidaymakers under broad summer parasols, to savour it and give it to posterity. It was an innings which deserved a stadium audience - the dashing work of an artist or of a knight with his broadsword - which was jeweled with 13 fours, touching every part of the ground, and five sixes.
Full postCenturies galore as North Zone pile up runs
North Zone piled up a massive 708/8 declared on the second day of the Duleep Trophy match against South Zone at the IGMC stadium in Vijayawada on Friday
Staff and Agencies
05-Jan-2001
North Zone piled up a massive 708/8 declared on the second day of the
Duleep Trophy match against South Zone at the IGMC stadium in Vijayawada on
Friday. South Zone bowlers had no clue about stopping the North Zone run
flow. Dinesh Mongia hit a double century and Virender Shewag blasted a
quick-fire hundred to add to South Zone's misery.
Resuming on 336 for three, North kept playing aggressively as Mongia and
Shewag sent South Zone on a leather hunt. Their fourth wicket partnership
was worth 178 when Shewag was dismissed for 108 by Sridharan Sriram in the
119th over with the total on 507. Shewag's powerful innings contained 18
strokes to the fence and came of a mere 113 balls. Sharandeep Singh joined
Mongia in the middle and made 28 before he was dismissed by Laxman. Mongia
who enjoyed the run feast went on to complete his double century and was
the next batsman to be dismissed for a masterly 201 made off just 266
balls. He was at the crease for a little over six hours and smashed 30
boundaries and a six in his innings. At that stage the North Zone score
read 631/6 in the 152nd over.
Harbhajan Singh played a little cameo that earned him a run a ball innings
of 41. Singh's explosive knock included four boundaries and a six before he
was dismissed by Sunil Joshi, who also accounted for the next wicket to
fall, that of SV Ghag for 9. Rahul Sanghvi remained unbeaten on 33 with
Surendra Singh on 4 as North Zone declared at the end of the 167th over.
The South Zone bowlers had to do a lot of work without much reward. Joshi
was the pick of the bowling with figures of 42-3-167-3.
When South Zone batted, Sadagopan Ramesh was caught by wicketkeeper Rathour
off the bowling of Ghag for 8 in the fourth over. South Zone sent in Thiru
Kumaran as the night-watchman, but more disaster was to follow as Sriram
was dismissed caught by Rathour of the bowling of Surendra Singh for 11 to
the last ball of the day. South Zone were 41/2 in 11 overs with Kumaran
unbeaten on 21 (4 fours) at the close of play.
Full postWest Zone have a long way to go against Central
After a double setback early in the innings, Wasim Jaffer (52) and Jacob Martin (25) steadied the West Zone innings to take them safely to 94 for 2 at the end of the second day of their Duleep Trophy match against Central Zone at the Vidarbha CA
Staff Reporter
05-Jan-2001
After a double setback early in the innings, Wasim Jaffer (52) and Jacob
Martin (25) steadied the West Zone innings to take them safely to 94 for 2
at the end of the second day of their Duleep Trophy match against Central
Zone at the Vidarbha CA Ground at Nagpur on Friday.
After being in the field for close to two days, West Zone got off to a
shaky start losing opener Connor Williams who was bowled by Shalab Sriwastava off the fourth balls of the innings. This brought in Hrishikesh Kanitkar (14) to the crease and along with the other opener Wasim Jaffer he took the score to 37. Kanitkar was then bowled by Rahul Kanwat in the 13th over. Thereafter, Martin and Jaffer guided the West Zone team to stumps with out further hiccups.
Earlier, resuming at the score of 342 for 3, overnight batsmen Jai P Yadav
(177) and Raja Ali added eight more runs, thereby extending their fourth
wicket partnership to 106 runs. Ali was the first to go, being run out.
Yadav himself did not last long and after a 402-minute stay at the crease,
he departed after being bowled by Zaheer Khan. Yadav faced 290 balls and
hit 25 boundaries and a six. Then Abhay Sharma (45) and Kanwat (28) took
the score to 415, Sairaj Bahutule had Kanwat caught by Jaffer.
The fall of Kanwat brought back Mohd Kaif to the crease after he had
retired hurt on Thursday when he had scored 46. Abhay Sharma in the company
of Kaif forged a 57-run seventh wicket partnership before being castled by
Bahutule. Then Kaif with the help of the tailenders took the score along to
536. Kaif remained unbeaten on 119. During a 263-minute stay at the crease,
Kaif faced 216 balls and found the boundary ropes 17 times.
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