Report
Ramprakash back to best
Mark Ramprakash (99 n.o.) returned to run-scoring for Middlesex in their Division Two championship match against Worcestershire at Southgate
Staff and agencies
07-Jul-2000
Mark Ramprakash (99 n.o.) returned to run-scoring for Middlesex in their
Division Two championship match against Worcestershire at Southgate. And he hopes that the England selectors will have noted. Middlesex were comfortable at 275-8 by the close.
Ramprakash looked more at ease batting in his accustomed position away from the opening the innings. He came in to bat at 96-2 and quickly put on 85 runs with Andrew Strauss (90) before the latter was caught at short fine-leg. Yet Middlesex were never fully confident as Worcestershire bowling with tenacity. Thankfully Ramprakash kept the team together and not even Glenn McGrath bothered him.
Full postWest Indies relapse
Bristol-It is far too early to pessimistically proclaim an end to the West Indies revival under Jimmy Adams and the new management team
Tony Cozier
07-Jul-2000
Bristol-It is far too early to pessimistically proclaim an end to the
West Indies revival under Jimmy Adams and the new management team.
But there were disturbing throwbacks to New Zealand and other
ignominious overseas campaigns in a stunning defeat against Zimbabwe
here yesterday.
The final, uncharacteristic gesture of Adams himself was instructive.
With Zimbabwe requiring one run to beat the West Indies for the first
time in any match, Test or One-Day International, and by the
commanding margin of six wickets and five overs, the captain took the
ball and speared a leg-side wide.
Full postColour, Music, Light - Southern Hemisphere cricket comes to England
The crowd may have been seventy thousand less for a day-nighter, but the colour, the music and the lights ensured that in atmosphere, the little ground did not lack much behind the imposing MCG, Down Under
Andy Jalil
07-Jul-2000
The crowd may have been seventy thousand less for a day-nighter, but the
colour, the music and the lights ensured that in atmosphere, the little ground did not lack much behind the imposing MCG, Down Under.
Just how captivating an event such as this can be was shown by the number of
women and teenagers in the crowd.
Women fans enjoy atmosphere
Full postGiles piles on the runs - again
Ashley Giles has every reason to look back on this week with particular pleasure
Staff and agencies
06-Jul-2000
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Ashley Giles Photo © AllSport |
Ashley Giles has every reason to look back on this week with particular
pleasure. Following his century in the NatWest trophy competition the previous day he hit 98 to save Warwickshire from a precarious position in their championship match with Sussex at Edgbaston.
It was a timely reminder to the England selectors. Neil Smith (87), the home captain, was his partner in a 178 runs record seventh-wicket stand. It had been so different earlier in the day as Jason Lewry (6-66) and James Kirtley scythed through the early Warwickshire batting. When Giles and Smith were parted, Lewry came back to knock over the lower-order with a spell of three wickets for five runs in 20 balls. Warwickshire were out for 252, and by the end of the day Sussex stood at 55-2.
Full postSri Lanka snatch victory from Proteas
For much of this afternoon, the spectators who had crowded into Galle International Stadium sat quietly on as their side drifted towards an apparently inevitable defeat
Charlie Austin
06-Jul-2000
For much of this afternoon, the spectators who had crowded into Galle International Stadium sat quietly on as their side drifted towards an apparently inevitable defeat. Then at 4:24 Gary Kirsten tried to sweep Mutiah Muralitharan and was bowled. Suddenly the band started banging their drums with hope, the Sri Lankan flags begun to wave and the spectators awoke from their slumber.
One hour later the same spectators where cheering their team into their dressing room after Sri Lanka had won the match by 37 runs after a dramatic South African collapse in which 10 wickets had fallen for just 62 runs.
The mood of the crowd was mirrored by that of the players who had appeared to have given up hope of winning the match during a 150 run opening stand between Gary Kirsten (59) and Andrew Hall (81). The dismissal of Gary Kirsten though galvanised the team, shook them from their gloom and as the wickets fell steadily, they couldn't hide their undulated joy.
Prior to the match the Sri Lankan's had opted for three spinners in the expectation that the ball would turn in the second innings. It was a tactic that paid off as the spinners ran through the South African batting.
Full postLara leads harvest of fifties
On a slowish pitch where quick scoring was never very easy, West Indies achieved what was probably the match-winning total of 232 for seven off an accurate but essentially toothless Zimbabwe attack
John Ward
06-Jul-2000
Bristol: West Indies 232 for seven (50 overs)
On a slowish pitch where quick scoring was never very easy, West Indies
achieved what was probably the match-winning total of 232 for seven off an
accurate but essentially toothless Zimbabwe attack. The foundation was laid
during a sound second-wicket partnership between Chris Gayle and Wavell
Hinds, with Brian Lara and Ricky Powell reaping the harvest with aggressive
fifties.
Bryan Strang, bowling speed in the lower seventies, opened for Zimbabwe to
Adrian Griffith of West Indies in the NatWest Series limited-overs match at
Bristol - two singles nudged to third man coming off his first over. After the rain of the preceding days the ground at the start was less than half full, but encouragingly with a large proportion of children.
West Indies accelerate after steady start
Full postWest Indies accelerate after steady start
Bryan Strang, bowling speed in the lower seventies, opened for Zimbabwe to Adrian Griffith of West Indies in the NatWest Series limited-overs match at Bristol - two singles nudged to third man coming off his first over
John Ward
06-Jul-2000
Bristol, 30 overs: West Indies 103 for two (Hinds 41, Lara 1)
Bryan Strang, bowling speed in the lower seventies, opened for Zimbabwe to
Adrian Griffith of West Indies in the NatWest Series limited-overs match at
Bristol - two singles nudged to third man coming off his first over. After the rain of the preceding days the ground at the start was less than half full, but encouragingly with a large proportion of children.
Nkala had a close lbw appeal, although off the front foot, against Gayle rejected by umpire Peter Willey in his second over, and both bowlers beat the batsmen off the pitch occasionally; in fact after several overs they were showing signs of frustration at being tied down by accurate bowling and tight fielding. The first boundary did not come until the ninth over when Gayle, who had scored only two singles before then, drove Strang through the covers, and then lashed three more off-side boundaries in Nkala's next over. In his following over, though, Nkala struck back by having Griffith (10) caught by Brent at mid-off lashing out with a touch of desperation; West Indies 33 for one.
Gayle continued to bombard the covers with his powerful drives, and greeted Brent in his first over with a lofted four, almost a six, wide of midwicket. Hinds excelled that with a six over Brent's head as the West Indian batsmen slowly began to establish their dominance.
Full postZimbabwe up with scoring rate
Some fine batting by Zimbabwe, their innings held together by a restrained Neil Johnson, has kept them on even terms in the NatWest Series match at Bristol with a West Indian team thatprobably did not expect such stern opposition
John Ward
06-Jul-2000
Bristol, NatWest Series: West Indies 232 for seven (50 overs); Zimbabwe 136
for three (30 overs)
Some fine batting by Zimbabwe, their innings held together by a restrained
Neil Johnson, has kept them on even terms in the NatWest Series match at
Bristol with a West Indian team thatprobably did not expect such stern opposition. In reply to what appeared to be a very adequate total of 232 for seven, Zimbabwe were well up with the required run rate after the 30th over, with Johnson (43 not out) and Andy Flower (29 not out) in fine form. It remains to be seen whether their fragile nerve will hold when it comes to the crunch.
On a slowish pitch where quick scoring was never very easy, West Indies
achieved what was probably the match-winning total of 232 for seven off an
accurate but essentially toothless Zimbabwe attack. The foundation was laid
during a sound second-wicket partnership between Chris Gayle and Wavell
Hinds, with Brian Lara and Ricky Powell reaping the harvest with aggressive
fifties.
Full postIndia beat Pakistan, both enter U-15 final
Karachi, July 5: India defeated Pakistan by 33 runs in a match of academic interest in the Asia Cup Under-15 cricket tournament at Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday
06-Jul-2000
Karachi, July 5: India defeated Pakistan by 33 runs in a match of
academic interest in the Asia Cup Under-15 cricket tournament at Kuala
Lumpur on Wednesday.
Both the teams qualified for July 9 final.
Batting first, Indian teenagers slumped to 79 for five before reaching
181 for seven from the allotted 40 overs. An unbeaten 52 by
wicketkeeper-batsman Abhinav Kumar, who starred in a 83-run sixth
wicket partnership with N.Chaudhary (28) was the feature of the
innings.
In reply Pakistan could manage only 148 for 9. Brief scores: India
181-7 in 40 overs Pakistan: 148-9 in 40 overs on Tuesday, Pakistan
beat Bangladesh team by seven wickets in its fourth pool match.
Full postNatWest Series under way - and the sun shines through
The NatWest Series opened in Bristol under rather better weather than during the previous few days, warm and humid, with the sun often shining through the haze
John Ward
06-Jul-2000
The NatWest Series opened in Bristol under rather better weather than during
the previous few days, warm and humid, with the sun often shining through
the haze. The West Indies won the toss and decided to bat.
The Nevill Road ground capacity had been raised to about 10,500, thanks
to temporary seating, and about 6,500 of these had been sold in advance. The pitch is expected to play true, if slow and low, meaning the batsmen will have to work for their runs, as the desired amount of sun has been unavailable recently, due to circumstances beyond the club's control.
Familiar faces from Zimbabwe attack
Henry Olonga, classified as fit in Zimbabwe, returned to England but has
already brokendown with a recurrence of his leg injury and is unlikely to
play in the series at all. In fielding practice both other key bowlers, Heath Streak and Pommie Mbangwa, injured their shoulders and will miss this match,
although they are likely to be fit for the weekend.
Full post