Report
Rain frustrates North West
No play was possible on the third day of the Supersport Series encounter between North West and Northerns on Sunday because of heavy rain
MWP
10-Dec-2000
No play was possible on the third day of the Supersport Series encounter
between North West and Northerns on Sunday because of heavy rain.
That means North West's chances of an important home victory in Potchefstroom, the points for which would be carried through to the Super Eight stage, have been dealt a major blow.
With Northerns at 152 for seven in reply to the home side's 327, the
visitors would have to fold alarmingly on the last day to allow North West a
sniff of victory.
Full postCarter claims six to take Boland to the brink of victory
Boland were just 82-runs from victory at the end of the third day's play in their Supersport Series match against Griqualand West in Kimberley on Sunday
MWP
10-Dec-2000
Boland were just 82-runs from victory at the end of the third day's play in their Supersport Series match against Griqualand West in Kimberley on Sunday.
It was largely thanks to left-arm seam bowler Neil Carter who took career best figures of six for 63 to reduce Griquas to 205 all out in their second innings and an overall lead of a paltry 112-runs.
At the close of play Boland were easily in control on 31 without loss. Henry Davids was on 25 while Jonathan Trott had scored a much more sedate four.
Earlier Boland had been bowled out for 230 having started the day at 190 for eight. Justin Ontong advanced his overnight total from 60 to 68 before being caught by Craig Tatton off Dion Kruis.
Full postStrydom dashes KwaZulu-Natal's hopes
With a little help from a rampant Vasbert Drakes and a stubborn Ian Mitchell, Border captain Pieter Strydom all but ended KwaZulu-Natal's hopes of victory in their Supersport Series encounter on Sunday and at the same time, the home side's
MWP
10-Dec-2000
With a little help from a rampant Vasbert Drakes and a stubborn Ian
Mitchell, Border captain Pieter Strydom all but ended KwaZulu-Natal's hopes of victory in their Supersport Series encounter on Sunday and at the same time, the home side's aspirations of reaching the Super Eight stage of the competition.
After Border had been reduced to 128 for five early on Sunday morning,
Strydom stepped up to make 80 off just 127 balls, including 11 fours. He featured in a sixth-wicket stand of 111 with Mitchell (31) and ultimately saw to it that Border compiled a first innings total of 321 and a lead of 68. Goolam Bodi, brought on to bowl his left-arm wrist-spin late in the innings, wrapped up the tail with four for 34.
Then Strydom took two wickets late in the day with his slow left-armers, following up an early three-wicket burst by champion Barbadian fast bowler Drakes, to have the Dolphins staggering on 117 for five at the close, a lead of just 49.
Appropriately, considering Strydom's contribution, opposite number Dale
Benkenstein again proved the mainstay of his team's innings, finishing
unbeaten on 56 to follow up his 86 in the home side's first innings total of 253 for seven declared.
Full postAtherton grafts a painstaking century
Karachi, Dec 9: Michael Atherton scored a typically sedate and painstaking unbeaten century as England took a decisive step forward in holding Pakistan to a draw in the three-Test series which ends on Dec 11
Samiul Hasan
10-Dec-2000
Karachi, Dec 9: Michael Atherton scored a typically sedate and painstaking
unbeaten century as England took a decisive step forward in holding Pakistan to
a draw in the three-Test series which ends on Dec 11.
The 32-year-old was unconquered on 117 in England's 277 for four at the draw of
stumps on the third day of the third and final cricket Test against Pakistan.
The tourists are 128 runs shy of home team's 405 and in all probability Nasser
Hussain looks set to join Mike Brearley to return unbeaten in a Test series
after a gap of 34 years.
Atherton, who started the day at 43 in England's 79 for one, laboured and worked
hard for every run before reaching his 16th Test century in 105th Test with a
classic cover drive of Danish Kaneria on his 317th delivery. It was also his
maiden century against Pakistan in nine Tests which follows his hundreds against
Australia, West Indies, India, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
With England scheduled to tour Sri Lanka in February, a similar innings there
would place Atherton alongside Australian Steve Waugh with centuries against all
Test playing nations. Bangladesh, who were admitted to the Test fold in July
this year, have played just one Test against India.
Full postWith Pakistan losing 3 wickets the result now hangs in the balance
The England batsmen played with grit and determination to surpass Pakistan's total of 405 runs and nearly achieved the objective
Col (Retd) Rafi Nasim
10-Dec-2000
The England batsmen played with grit and determination to surpass Pakistan's total of 405 runs and nearly achieved the objective. By adding 111 runs they ended the innings with a good total of 388.
Speedster Waqar Younis a veteran of more than 300 test wickets who was dropped in the last test, accounted for 4 England batsmen on a wicket not made for him. Pakistan lost three 2nd innings wickets for 71 runs when the play ended.
England's resumption of the innings was not very encouraging as they lost Graeme Hick, caught by Shahid Afridi off Waqar Younis immediately at the start bringing England down to 278 for 5. Waqar generating lot of pace, bounce and reverse swing claimed his 3rd wicket of the innings. Pakistan missed another break-through when Moin Khan dropped Craig White when he tried to hook a bouncer from Waqar. In the meantime Mike Atherton batting at 123 completed his 9 hours stay at the crease.
Abdur Razzaq came on to bowl and was squarecut for a 4 by White on the first ball. Batting at a steady pace England completed 300 of the innings in 135 overs. Some thrill, however, came in the next over when White lifted Saqlain Mushtaq over the square leg boundary for a six. Pakistan got the luckiest break of the match when Razzaq ousted Atherton for a splendid innings of 125 runs scored in 430 balls. He was the victim of a one handed catch smartly taken by Moin Khan behind the stumps. England lost the 6th wicket at 309. With the stone-wall Atherton back in the pavilion, Pakistan revived the hope of putting some more dents in the England's innings. Though Atherton played a slow and steady game, it was a text book innings for the upcoming youngsters to emulate.
Full postResolute English earn likely draw
Another day of staunch batting by England, this time by the lower order, took them within 17 runs of Pakistan's first innings total of 405 in the third and final Test in Karachi
Andy Jalil
10-Dec-2000
Another day of staunch batting by England, this time by the lower order, took them within 17 runs of Pakistan's first innings total of 405 in the third and final Test in Karachi.
Resuming their innings on the fourth morning on 277 for four, they added 111 runs but, significantly, they were able to occupy the crease until tea, which went a long way towards avoiding defeat. With slow batting on the docile pitch, the possibility of a result in this Test has gradually diminished.
Despite losing three wickets for only 71 in their second innings, which gives them a somewhat slender overall lead of 88, Pakistan should be able to increase that substantially tomorrow, leaving England to bat out the remainder of time for an almost inevitable draw. That, in all probability, is likely to be the pattern of play on the last day.
England lost their first wicket today in the opening over when Graeme Hick, without addition to his overnight score of 12, was tempted into the hook shot off Waqar Younis and was caught at square-leg.
Full postAll the fun of the Sri Lankan fair
Wherever the Sri Lankan women's cricket team go, the crowds should follow
Chris Rosie
10-Dec-2000
Wherever the Sri Lankan women's cricket team go, the crowds should follow. Entertainment is virtually guaranteed. If they are not treating every run between the wicket as if it were their last (and it often is), they are hurling themselves around the field as though their lives depended on it. And, in between times, they can play some pretty good cricket.
Today at Hagley Oval was no exception. In virtually guaranteeing themselves the winning of their mini-world cup within the CricInfo Women's World Cup with a 26-win over the Netherlands, they contributed to making a low-scoring affair a highly entertaining spectacle.
Being put in to bat on a Hagley Park pitch having its first use at the tournament, the Sri Lankan batsmen put supporters, opponents and neutral observers on a roller-coaster ride of emotions as they began by expertly accumulating a total of 94 for two in the 34th over, mainly courtesy of what turned out to be a match-winning innings by their captain, Rasanjali Silva. And then crashed to 113 for eight before the last two wickets added 26.
It was almost as if the rest of the batsmen were in a different match from Silva. It took a special demonstration of keeper-bowler co-operation to snare the Sri Lankan captain, stumped Rowan Milburn, bowled Tessa van der Gun for 53 off 95 balls with the score at 94.
Full postBihar overpower Assam by an innings and two runs
Sujit Roy bowled Bihar to a convincing victory over Assam by an innings and two runs in the Vijay Merchant Trophy East Zone League Under-16 match at Jamshedpur on Sunday
Santhosh S
10-Dec-2000
Sujit Roy bowled Bihar to a convincing victory over Assam by an innings and two
runs in the Vijay Merchant Trophy East Zone League Under-16 match at Jamshedpur
on Sunday. Sujit Roy destroyed Assam in both the innings picking up 12 wickets
in the match.
Electing to bat after winning the toss on Friday, Assam made a miserable start
losing their first wicket in the opening over of the match. Wickets kept falling
like nine pins as Sujit Roy ran through the innings to end up with the enviable
figures of 15-2-29-7. Batsman number nine, U Medhi was the only batsman to put
up some resistance, making 24 off 78 balls. Assam first innings folded for 89 in
the 51st over.
Bihar did not waste any opportunity to build on what was a comfortable position
and went on to score 275/4 declared in 85.3 overs. IH Khan made an unbeaten 100
off 227 balls which included seven boundaries. Khan added 141 for the fourth
wicket with captain A Iqbal (48). U Medhi picked up 2/38 for Assam.
Assam in the second innings fared much better. Captain and opening batsman D
Mohanta scored an impressive 58 (8 fours, 1 Six) off 105 balls. Imran Sadek
Choudhary made 33 in 65 balls, but the remaining batsmen had no clue about Sujit
Roy's bowling. Sujit Roy's effort rewarded him five wickets in the second
innings. Assam's misery came to an end in the 78th over when Sujit Roy cleaned
up the last batsman Ajay Subh for two, leaving them all out for 184. Bihar
claimed all eight points and Assam got none.
Full postPoor running Central's downfall as Northern win by eight wickets
In an age when cricket scores and other, less important, information, can go round the world in the blink of an eye, it is amazing that communicating a simple decision over the length of a cricket pitch can sometimes prove so difficult
Peter Hoare
10-Dec-2000
In an age when cricket scores and other, less important, information, can go round the world in the blink of an eye, it is amazing that communicating a simple decision over the length of a cricket pitch can sometimes prove so difficult. Yet this was the downfall of Central Districts in Hamilton today, as five batsmen were lost to run outs.
Northern Districts won by five wickets with almost eight overs to spare. Some spectacular batting by opener (yes, opener) Simon Doull will probably be the memory that most spectators take away with them.
A 79 partnership for the first wicket between Hill and Kelly saw CD off to a good start. Kelly looked in prize form, with seven fours in his 56. His dismissal turned the match irrevocably in ND's direction.
Three of the run outs were against top order batsmen. Only Oram's was the result of a mix-up, with both batsmen finishing at the same end. The rest were simply a question of underestimating the capabilities of the ND fielders.
Full postTasmania tastes first success
After three losses, Tasmania has finally tasted success in the Mercantile Mutual Cup competition, defeating Victoria by nine wickets with thirteen overs to spare at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today
Nabila Ahmed
10-Dec-2000
After three losses, Tasmania has finally tasted success in the Mercantile Mutual Cup competition, defeating Victoria by nine wickets with thirteen overs to spare at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.
A man-of-the-match effort from acting captain Ricky Ponting (64*) paved the way for the Tigers, who became the third team to come away with a bonus point against the disappointing Bushrangers when they reached the winning target inside forty overs.
After losing opener Matthew Elliott (0) to the third ball of the day, the home team never recovered from a top order collapse, managing just 8/164 from their fifty
overs. The bowlers did not fare much better, with captain Paul Reiffel going for a whopping forty runs off his six overs.
Captaining Tasmania for the first time, Ponting enjoyed the fine win immensely.
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