Report

More blue times for labouring West Indians

Blue skies, blue hair, more blue times for West Indies

03-Jan-2001

Blue skies, blue hair, more blue times for West Indies. At stumps on the second day of the Fifth Test against Australia here at the Sydney Cricket Ground, another match between these teams is beginning to carry an ominously lopsided look. At their first innings of scoreline of 4/284, the Australians have a twelve-run lead, have six wickets in hand, and have the tourists looking down the barrel of more misery.

The presence of those crisp blue skies, a warm reading on the thermometer, and the roll-up of another healthy crowd, all helped to put encouraging precursors in place at the start of the day. When Colin 'Funky' Miller removed his cap in preparation to bowl the opening over - to reveal a head of Denis Rodman-style bright blue hair - there was no doubt that there would be plenty of early colour.

Number eleven Courtney Walsh (4) joined with Colin Stuart (12) in typically inimitable style to survive twenty-five deliveries of probing spin from Miller (2/73) and Stuart MacGill (7/104). And then, when the Australian reply began, Michael Slater (96) underlined the point that his batting is rarely dull either.

Until he carved an unfortunate place for himself in the Test record books, Slater played a characteristically cavalier innings. He lost Matthew Hayden (3) and Justin Langer (20) early to edges outside the line of off stump. But typically and thrillingly, he was not discouraged and decided to live dangerously.

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Cullinan leads run spree as SA ram home advantage

For the second day running South Africa clambered all over Sri Lanka, a masterly century from Daryll Cullinan standing out as the centrepiece of a dominant batting display as the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match continued to gallop along at

Peter Robinson

03-Jan-2001

Cullinan hit 112 as South Africa romped to 426 for six - the lead now being 331 - in an innings that might have been described as effortless had his 33-year-old legs not looked a little tired when he was run out in the middle session.

His form has been patchy this summer, but you could have bet your house on the fact that he was looking forward to playing at Newlands. On Tuesday evening he looked ominous and on Wednesday he carved out his fourth century in his last four Tests under the shadow of Table Mountain.

It was also his fifth century in ten Tests against Sri Lanka - thereby providing yet another rebuttal to those who claim he can't play spin - and his 12th overall. He doesn't know how much longer he can go on, but he wants to go to the West Indies this year and Wednesday's hundred will have booked him his seat.

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Bengal make quarterfinals on first innings lead

Bengal will meet Rajasthan in the three day quarter-final of the Vijay Merchant Trophy for the Under-16s starting on January 5 in Calcutta

Santhosh S

03-Jan-2001

Bengal will meet Rajasthan in the three day quarter-final of the Vijay Merchant Trophy for the Under-16s starting on January 5 in Calcutta. Bengal qualified by virtue of the first innings lead of 170 runs they gained over Tamil Nadu on the final day of their match in Narendrapur. The match ended in a tame draw on Wednesday.

Bengal, who resumed at 278 without loss in reply to Tamil Nadu's 270 declared at 440 for four off 151 overs. The overnight pair of Ajay Garai and Mayukh Biswas carried their partnership to 330 runs. Biswas was the first batsman to go, dismissed for 143. He was at the crease for 404 minutes. He faced 341 balls and decorated his innings with a six and 27 boundaries. Garai who batted 507 minutes, was finally out for 172 runs off 384 balls. Garai who was also severe on the bowling smashed 24 boundaries. Bengal lost two more batsmen before they declared their innings. In the remaining time, Tamil Nadu made 98 for three.

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Haldipur, Lahiri in 296-run opening stand

Bengal openers Nikhil Haldipur and Alokendu Lahiri tore apart the Bihar bowling on the opening day of their East Zone Ranji Trophy league match at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday

Partab Ramchand

03-Jan-2001

Bengal openers Nikhil Haldipur and Alokendu Lahiri tore apart the Bihar bowling on the opening day of their East Zone Ranji Trophy league match at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday. The two put on 296 runs off 61.4 overs which provided the perfect springboard for Bengal's closing score of 390 for three off 89.1 overs.

Bengal captain Devang Gandhi won a good toss and Haldipur and Lahiri made the most of ideal conditions and an amiable attack. Bihar have not had a very fruitful season, having garnered only eight points from three matches so far and they could do little to curb the run hungry duo. Both Haldipur and Lahiri continued along their merry way until Haldipur was out, caught by Sahid Khan off Tariqur Rehman for 153. Haldipur faced 199 balls and hit 20 fours and two sixes. In the next over, Lahiri gave Nikhilesh Ranjan a return catch. For his 130, Lahiri faced 184 balls and hit 16 fours and two sixes.

Veteran Srikant Kalyani did not last long and was out for ten with the total on 328. But Devang Gandhi, who had come in at the fall of the first wicket and Rohan Gavaskar (12) then shared an unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 62 runs off 15.3 overs to put Bengal in a position of considerable comfort at stumps. Gandhi by close had faced 94 balls for his 63 and had hit nine fours and a six.

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Batsmen help Delhi enter quarterfinals

The batsmen enabled Delhi to comfortably enter the quarterfinals of the Vijay Merchant Trophy Under-16 tournament by virtue of the massive first innings lead of 199 runs over Orissa at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Ground in Calcutta on Wednesday

Natarajan Sriram

03-Jan-2001

Resuming at 287 for 6, Delhi were all out for 430 in 137.2 overs. Carrying on from were they left off, Abishek Nag (76) and A Bali (69) forged a 118-run seventh wicket stand. A Bali was the first to be dismissed in the afternoon, caught by G Sahoo off SK Jahangir. New batsman H Khullar departed seven balls later, falling leg before to B Mohanty. Then Nag took the score to 430 when he was bowled by R Mohanty. During his 228-minute stay, Nag faced 185 balls and hit 13 fours.

In the remaining 2-1/2 hours, Orissa in their second innings scored 137 while losing the wicket of P Pradhan (19). The other opener Priyadarshi Debasish (50) and Rakesh Mohanty (62) took the team to stumps without further hiccups. Priyadarshi faced 147 balls and hit six of them to the ropes while Mohanty faced 90 balls and found the signboards eleven times.

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Free State collapse handing victory to Border

A stunning collapse by Free State saw them bowled out for just 154, handing Border victory by 55 runs at Buffalo Park and giving them a bonus point for the comprehensive nature of their victory

MWP

03-Jan-2001

A stunning collapse by Free State saw them bowled out for just 154, handing Border victory by 55 runs at Buffalo Park and giving them a bonus point for the comprehensive nature of their victory. At the same time, the defeat left Free State struggling to make the semi-finals.

An opening stand of 51 between Kosie Venter and Andrew Gait had made it seem as though the victory target of 210 in 45 overs would be a walk in the park, but once Venter played on to Tyron Henderson, the slide was on, with Border captain Pieter Strydom, who had endured some difficult moments off the field in 2000, playing the major role in knocking over the visitors with a return of three for 30, which earned him the man of the match award.

The left-arm spinner finished the match when he had his Free State counterpart, Gerard Brophy, stumped by wicketkeeper Ian Mitchell for 37, the top score in his team's disappointing run-chase. Strydom had earlier also accounted for Gait, who made 34, and Boeta Dippenaar, released from the national team for the second Test against Sri Lanka, but able to notch up just nine in this encounter.

From 91 for two, Free State lost their next six wickets for just 32 runs, ending their quest for what would have been a vital victory, and it was left to Brophy to play a futile lone hand at the end, before the visitors were bowled out in just 39 overs.

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Tough Wellington-Central contest represents more than just cricket

If anthropologists in future generations study cricket for a clue to man's lifestyle as revealed by his pleasures, they might reconstruct the record of the Shell Trophy match between Wellington and Central Districts at McLean Park and find it a

Steve McMorran

03-Jan-2001

In cricket they find a microcosm of man's life - his search for challenge, his desire to dominate and his eagerness to succeed, his struggle for control of his environment and his ultimate, philosophical acceptance that all of life has its ups and downs.

In that respect this match holds a mirror to life and provides an example of cricket played in its most pure and conventional form. It has all the ingredients of fine cricket, notably a pitch that favours the batsmen only slightly over the bowlers, two teams of comparable strength urged on by conflicting incentives, a backdrop of fine weather and a luscious setting, with the sea peeking inquisitively over the furthest precincts of the ground.

On examination of the events of the first two days, future scientists will find Wellington dismissed for 415 in 148.1 overs after having lost the toss and being compelled to bat and Central, by Wednesday's stumps, tenuously but competitively placed at 151-3 in reply.

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Canterbury crumble to Otago seamers after solid start

When Matthew Horne won the toss and put Canterbury into bat at Molyneux Park, Alexandra, the immediate thought by those present was that he would be expecting a great deal of help from bowlers to dismiss this his province's most ancient of enemies

Warwick Larkins

02-Jan-2001

Unfortunately for Horne this did not happen and on a helpful greenish wicket the Otago bowlers bowled poorly in the first session with Canterbury being only 41-1 at lunch.

After lunch it was a different story and Shayne O'Connor and Warren McSkimming in particular bowled well and with some venom on a pitch which still gave the bowlers help. At 87-6 Canterbury were very much on the back foot but innings of real value from Warren Wisneski (36), Stephen Cunis (33) and Aaron Redmond (44 not out) took their total to 201 all out. It was pretty deadly stuff but in the circumstances well merited and from a situation at one stage of some embarrassement the Red and Blacks reached a total of respectability.

Bowling for Otago Warren McSkimming with 4-43 from 21 overs looked good and appears to have a very promising future while O'Connor (3-56 from 22 overs) also impressed in the main as did Craig Pryor (2-39 from 21 overs). David Sewell (1-47 from 19 overs) bowled too much down the leg side but it should be added in the first and third sessions the other bowlers could also be accused of similar lethargy at times.

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Pocock makes Northern pay dearly for early mistake

The 15-Test international career of Blair Pocock, the Auckland opening batsman, was not notable for his supply of good luck with form, selectors and injuries, so he was entitled to a critical piece of good fortune at the start of the Shell Trophy

Don Cameron

02-Jan-2001

Pocock won the toss, took the risk of batting first on a frisky pitch, was dropped from the first ball he faced, and went on to score 123 from the Auckland total of 238 for two wickets from the 78 overs which rain allowed.

Pocock's main support came in a 175-run stand for the second wicket with John Aiken, who had laboured close to five hours for his 84 not out.

With rain showers early in the day, and eventually causing an hour-late start and another interruption before lunch, the scene was set for bowling mischief on the greenish pitch.

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Bell pushes further with Trophy ton against Central

Matthew Bell might do well over the next few days to stay within earshot of a telephone

Steve McMorran

02-Jan-2001

Matthew Bell might do well over the next few days to stay within earshot of a telephone.

When Bell posted his third century in four Shell Trophy games today for Wellington against Central Districts at McLean Park, Napier - as he helped Wellington to 269-5 after they had been asked to bat - he made an application for the attention of the national selectors they might soon be forced to acknowledge.