Report
Gibbs and Kirsten lead Western Province master-class
With Gary Kirsten away playing for South Africa so often this season, Herschelle Gibbs has had little chance to bat with his opening partner as he sits out the remainder of his ban from the international game
Marcus Prior
22-Dec-2000
With Gary Kirsten away playing for South Africa so often this season, Herschelle Gibbs has had little chance to bat with his opening partner as he sits out the remainder of his ban from the international game. At Newlands on Friday night, we got a little reminder of the kind of entertainment the two are capable of serving up, with Gibbs most definitely the ringmaster.
Western Province won the game by nine wickets with more than 14 overs to spare, Gibbs making 90 of the most entertaining runs you will ever see, scored off just 76 balls and including nine fours and two sixes.
It is almost unfair that Kirsten's untypically aggressive but no less impressive unbeaten 85 was played out as a cameo in the shadow of Gibbs the destroyer.
Indeed, it was Kirsten who got off to the faster start, tearing into new
international cap, Mfuneko Ngam. As early as the fifth over, Kirsten had
raced to 27, with Gibbs on 2, waiting for his turn to step into the
limelight.
Full postRuns still flowing for McKenzie
For Neil McKenzie, it certainly has been a season to be jolly
Michael Vlismas
22-Dec-2000
For Neil McKenzie, it certainly has been a season to be jolly. The Northerns Titans batsman produced another sublime performance with the bat to guide his team to a three-wicket victory over the Highveld Strikers in their Standard Bank Cup match at Supersport Park on Friday.
McKenzie carried his bat for 83, with Northerns having reached the 270 they needed for a victory and with two overs and three wickets to spare.
The victory caps a remarkable year for McKenzie, in which he was not only the backbone behind the Titans on the domestic front, but also won selection to a national squad that has relied heavily on his form of late.
But the Strikers' Adam Bacher still managed to steal the limelight with his superb 134 not out on a night when everything pointed to a win for the
visitors.
Full postBihar decimated for 85
Hosts Assam took a stranglehold of the proceedings in their East Zone Ranji Trophy clash against Bihar at the Tinsukia District Sports Association Ground on Friday
Sankhya Krishnan
22-Dec-2000
Hosts Assam took a stranglehold of the proceedings in their East Zone
Ranji Trophy clash against Bihar at the Tinsukia District Sports
Association Ground on Friday. After Bihar were trundled out for 85,
the Assamese overhauled their tally before the day was out, but not
before losing their entire top-order in the process, closing at 122/5.
The visitors won the toss and elected to take first strike, only to
lose Nikhilesh Ranjan to the second ball of the match, bowled by
Gautam Dutta. For good measure, Dutta in his third over also toppled
the stumps of the other opener Mohinder Singh Dhoni. Bihar never
recovered from that horror start as the other opening bowler Javed
Zaman got into the act, collecting the next three scalps. The Bihar
middle order crumbled from 45/3 to 46/6 in the space of three overs.
Sukhbinder Singh proceeded to finish off the tail, terminating the
innings for 85 in the 43rd over, but it was Zaman who collected the
best figures of 4/39. In an innings that contained five ducks, onedrop Aamir Hashmi's 27 was top-score.
Assam openers PK Das and SB Saikia knocked off forty for the first
wicket inside ten overs. A series of setbacks from thereon impeded
further progress as four wickets tumbled in quick succession to leave
the hosts at 69/4, Kunjan Saran and Nikhilesh Ranjan sharing the four
wickets equally between them. Rajesh Bora and Ganesh Kumar added 45
for the fifth wicket before Bihar pulled back a late wicket when the
former was stumped for 33. With fifteen overs remaining, the match was
suspended at 4.07 pm due to bad light, Assam holding a 37 run
advantage with five wickets in hand.
Full postSatpathy, Das spin out Tripura
The Orissa slow attack of Sanjay Satpathy and Jagannath Das spun out Tripura for a meagre 114 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy tie at the Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium in Agartala on Friday
Sankhya Krishnan
22-Dec-2000
The Orissa slow attack of Sanjay Satpathy and Jagannath Das spun out
Tripura for a meagre 114 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy tie
at the Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium in Agartala on Friday. In
reply the visitors strolled to 80/2 at stumps with skipper Shiv Sunder
Das showing the way with an unbeaten 42.
After the Orissa opening duo of Debashis Mohanty and Ajay Barick made
the initial breakthroughs, the slow men held complete sway over the
proceedings. From a position of relative solidity at 85/2, Tripura
lost their next eight wickets for 29. Offspinner Satpathy claimed 4/25
and leg spinner Das complemented his efforts to a nicety with a bag of
3/36. None of the last seven men reached double figures as the innings
sputtered to a close in the 69th over. One-drop RN Ghosh top scored
with 24.
Opener Pradeep Das fell in the fourth over when Orissa got their turn
but his namesake SS Das, playing his first Ranji Trophy match of the
season, and Pravanjan Mullick steadied matters with a 55 run
association. Although Mullick fell late in the final session, Das came
through unbeaten in the company of Sanjay Raul as Orissa closed out
the day just 34 behind.
Full postBoland claim easy win
Boland scored an easy 58-run over Griquas in the Standard Bank Cup in Paarl on Friday, thanks to a fine 106 from skipper Louis Koen
Craig Ray
22-Dec-2000
Boland scored an easy 58-run over Griquas in the Standard Bank Cup in Paarl on Friday, thanks to a fine 106 from skipper Louis Koen.
It was the former South African one-day international's fifth one-day century and his first of the season and it spearheaded his side to a formidable total of 233 for six in their 45 overs.
Koen shared a superb 129-run second-wicket partnership with bright young prospect Justin Ontong, who made 60.
It was a partnership of finesse rather than sheer power as the two batsmen
searched for the quick singles and expertly rotated the strike as much as
they could.
Full postDragons no match for Border
Man of the match Pieter Strydom ended the game tantalisingly poised on a hat-trick as Border wrapped up a comprehensive 125-run victory over the Dragons with 8.3 overs to spare
Andy Colquhoun
22-Dec-2000
Man of the match Pieter Strydom ended the game tantalisingly poised on a hat-trick as Border wrapped up a comprehensive 125-run victory over the Dragons with 8.3 overs to spare.
Strydom had Francois van der Merwe caught first ball to follow up his dismissal of Garth Roe to ice his man of the match cake. It gave him bowling figures of three for 19 from 7.3 overs to follow his innings top score of 79. His hat-trick ball will be in next Friday's home match against KwaZulu-Natal
But really this was hardly a contest. The Dragons at no stage looked like overhauling Border's 249 for six as they were bowled out for 124 to emphasise the gulf in class and experience.
The depth of their resources was laid painfully bare as their attempts to
cover up the lack of a fifth bowler were cruelly exposed by the home side
after the won the toss.
Full postSlow opening day in field for Zimbabweans
The Zimbabwean tourists began their first-class programme with an aggressive bowling performance against Canterbury at Jade Stadium today
Matthew Appleby
21-Dec-2000
The Zimbabwean tourists began their first-class programme with an aggressive bowling performance against Canterbury at Jade Stadium today. Canterbury closed on 185 for 4 in 90 overs, making for a slow, inconclusive start.
Stand in skipper Guy Whittall put the home side in after Heath Streak withdrew ill before the start. What always promised to be a long day's fielding practice began with Robbie Frew and season debutant, Harley James seeing off the new ball, surprisingly taken by 33 year old Zimbabwe newcomer, Angus Mackay.
When James, who hit a 50 on his previous first class outing against the same opposition 2 seasons ago, eventually fell, 75 had been added in slow, but steady fashion. Henry Olonga, much the fastest of the Zimbabwean bowlers, had him lbw, during a lively spell, following an erratic mixture of bouncers and no balls.
At lunch, on 78-1 Canterbury's internationals still had not been seen. Astle, whom the national selectors had persuaded Canterbury to play, did not reach the crease until 48 minutes from the close, while Gary Stead, unwanted by his country, batted at six rather than the opening position where he has been so successful this season. Canterbury coach, Garry MacDonald, used his authority to play Stead in the best position for the team. Despite this, it was odd that Hamish Barton and Marcel McKenzie, both playing for their cricketing lives, were left without a senior partner.
Full postAssam crushes Tripura by an innings
A ten wicket haul in the match by K Saikia ensured Tripura being crushed by an innings and 52 runs by Assam in the Under-22 tournament match at the Polytechnic Ground in Agartala on Thursday
Natarajan Sriram
21-Dec-2000
A ten wicket haul in the match by K Saikia ensured Tripura being crushed by an
innings and 52 runs by Assam in the Under-22 tournament match at the Polytechnic
Ground in Agartala on Thursday.
Opting to bat, Tripura were reduced to 6 for 3 in the fourth over of the day.
Then skipper C Banerjee (27) and A Sattar (24) took the score to 61. But the
departure of the skipper led to a collapse and Tripura were all out for 101.
Saikia ran through the Tripura lineup returning with figures of 5 for 15.
In response, Assam led from the front by B Singh (80 not out) amassed 363 for 6
declared. The innings was held together by two vital partnerships. First being
the second wicket stand worth 74 runs between RB Indrajit (73) and PJ Das (79).
Then B Singh and stumper P Sharma (59) joined together for a fifth wicket stand
worth 104 runs.
262 runs in arrears, Tripura were bundled out for 210 on the final day with
Saikia returning figures of 5 for 53. The score being boosted by skipper C
Banerjee (58) and S Banerjee (51). Saikia ended with a tally of 10 wickets while
giving away 68 runs in the bargain.
Full postHardeep Singh's century helps J&K hold Delhi to a draw
Jammu and Kashmir helped by some resilient batting by centurion Hardeep Singh and Vikram Taggar, refused to succumb to Delhi as they drew their North Zone Under-22 Tournament match played at MA Stadium, Jammu on Thursday
Santhosh S
21-Dec-2000
Jammu and Kashmir helped by some resilient batting by centurion Hardeep Singh
and Vikram Taggar, refused to succumb to Delhi as they drew their North Zone
Under-22 Tournament match played at MA Stadium, Jammu on Thursday.
Electing to bat after winning the toss Delhi amassed 384/9 by the time they
closed their first innings. Brilliant century by Delhi Middle order batsman S
Vaid who made 124 that included 20 boundaries was the highlight of the innings.
Captain S Rauf made 82 with 11 fours as he added 109 for the fifth wicket with
Vaid. Rahul Sharma picked up 3/44 for J&K.
J&K in their first innings made 225 in 77.2 overs in their first innings and
were forced to follow on. Puru Singh was the best of Delhi bowlers picking up
5/57. There were notable contributions by Hardeep Singh making 62 with 8 fours
and Inderjeet Singh who made 54. Amit Suman took 4/60 to provide able support to
Singh. Following on J&K slumped to 38/2 but were helped out of trouble by a
match saving partnership of 182 for the third wicket by Hardeep Singh and Vikram
Taggar. Hardeep's brilliance earned him 106 runs in 179 balls with the help of
13 boundaries. Taggar made a useful 86 with eight boundaries. At close of play
J&K were 244/4 in 75 overs having denied the mighty Delhi an outright victory.
Delhi went home with five points as J&K got to keep three.`
Full postJumbos dispatch the Strikers
An unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 42 between wicketkeeper Wayne Murray and left-arm spinner Robin Peterson carried Eastern Province to the top of the Standard Bank Cup table, as they leap-frogged Easterns with their fifth victory in as many
21-Dec-2000
An unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 42 between wicketkeeper Wayne Murray
and left-arm spinner Robin Peterson carried Eastern Province to the top of
the Standard Bank Cup table, as they leap-frogged Easterns with their fifth
victory in as many games.
EP beat the Highveld Strikers by five wickets with five overs to spare in a
match reduced to 42 overs a side by a rain-delayed start, after shooting the
home side out for just 128 on a seaming Wanderers wicket that had Strikers'
captain Clive Eksteen fuming a little afterwards.
In fact, the home side's total may have been considerably lower. They were
reeling on 93 for eight and only the fact that three of the last four
batsmen; Ottis Gibson (17), Eksteen himself (12) and last man in Walter
Masimula (14) managed to get into double figures helped them beyond the
century mark after EP captain Carl Bradfield had won the toss and put them
in.
Paceman Garnett Kruger, who had performed superbly against the Sri Lankans
when the tourists played a one-dayer against EP a week earlier in Port
Elizabeth, rose to the occasion again, ripping through the Strikers batting
to take five for 28, including an out-of-sorts Daryll Cullinan for a duck,
bowled off the inside edge of his bat. Not surprisingly, Kruger was named
man of the match.
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