Report

Kenya in India: Batsmen dominate drawn match

Far from being overawed by the huge total put up by the visiting Kenyan team, Maharashtra CA XI replied in kind and with batsmen calling the tune, it was no surprise that the two day match at the Poona Club ended in a tame draw on Saturday

Partab Ramchand

23-Apr-2000

Kenya led off with 432 for eight declared off 90 overs at the end of the opening day. Maharashtra batted the whole of the second day and were 374 for seven in 90 overs when stumps were drawn.

Consistent batting down the order saw Maharashtra come up with a fitting reply. The Kenyans did get an early wicket with NA Godbole being out for 18 at 29. But after that, they found success hard to come by. The other opener JS Narse (60) and skipper Hrishikesh Kanitkar (56) added 117 runs for the second wicket. While Narse faced 109 balls and hit nine of them to the ropes, the left handed Kanitkar played 100 balls and hit eight fours. Medium pacer Odoyo dismissed both in successive overs but the recovery process was maintained with veteran Santhanu Sugwekar (50) and KD Aphale (54) figuring in a fourth wicket partnership of 91 runs off 21.4 overs. While Aphale faced 93 balls and hit eight fours, the more aggressive Sugwekar faced only 60 balls, while also hitting eight of them to the ropes.

Tikolo finally dismissed both of them but the innings was kept going by a sedate unbeaten 32 by S Shah who batted two hours, faced 76 balls and had four boundary hits and a breezy 60 off 63 balls by wicketkeeper SM Komdhalkar. He hit ten fours and two sixes. The two batsmen added 102 runs for the seventh wicket off 20 overs. Odoyo finished with three for 35 while Tikolo had two for 90.

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Sorab hits unbeaten century in Kerala's fitting reply

Partab Ramchand

23-Apr-2000

Kerala opening batsman MP Sorab was in his elements on Saturday as he guided his team to make a fitting reply to Andhra's 355 at close of play on the second day of their three day match in the Coca Cola Trophy South Zone (under-25) tournament at the Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar Sports complex in Bangalore. Unnerved by the challenging Andhra total, Kerala piled up 311 for five wickets at stumps with Sorab still going strong on 157.

Kerala were given an excellent start in the morning with Sorab and Varun Girilal putting on 188 runs for the first wicket off 56.3 overs. Girilal who batted a shade over four hours, faced 174 balls and hit nine fours and six. C Sanju (3) and skipper NA Kudua (5) did not last long and Kerala slid to 218 for three. But Sorab and KPK Nambiar (50) then added 89 runs for the fourth wicket off 21.2 overs. Nambiar, who dominated the partnership faced only 69 balls and hit six fours and a six. Nearing stumps, off spinner Vatekar who was the only Andhra bowler to be effective, bowled Nambiar and CM Shyam (0) in successive overs. But Sorab carried on till close of play and at the end he had batted 396 minutes, faced 296 balls and hit 22 fours. Vatekar finished with the impressive figures of four for 64 off 30 overs.

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West Indies beat Pakistan to level final

Karachi, April 22: Pakistan's fragile batting was exposed yet again when the West Indies carved out a 60-run victory at Barbados to draw the best-of-three finals at one-all

23-Apr-2000

Karachi, April 22: Pakistan's fragile batting was exposed yet again when the West Indies carved out a 60-run victory at Barbados to draw the best-of-three finals at one-all.

Chasing 209 for victory, Pakistan capsized from 72 for one to 148 in 45 overs with part-time spinners Jimmy Adams and Chris Gayle sharing five wickets between them.

But it was Reon King who picked up scalps of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana in front of the wickets off successive deliveries to start the collapse.

The departure of Younis Khan (31), who was one of the four batsmen to be adjudged leg before, was final nail in Pakistan's coffin. Waqar Younis's 21 at No 9 gave some respectability to Pakistan's innings. Both the teams meet again at the same venue on Sunday in the triangular series decider.

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Cable and Wireless ODIs: West Indies make it alright

Port-Of-Spain - Bob Marley's One Love echoed through the speakers in the Trini Posse Stand just before 4 p.m

23-Apr-2000

Port-Of-Spain - Bob Marley's One Love echoed through the speakers in the Trini Posse Stand just before 4 p.m. yesterday.

And the Posse, in the company of their Bajan counterparts, joined in with the song's most catchy line: 'Everything's gonna be alright.'

Within an hour, their prediction was realised as the West Indies completed a sterling fightback with a victory by 60 runs.

It sets the stage for a fitting climax today to the Caribbean's first triangular limited-overs competition.

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Inspired bowling by Mushtaq enables Pakistan to clinch the C&W series

Excellent, inspired leg-spin bowling from the obvious "Man of the Match", Mushtaq Ahmed, who finished with 4-22, including three wickets in one over, enabled Pakistan to beat the West Indies in the third and deciding one-day international final by 4

Colin Croft

23-Apr-2000

Having won the toss, the West Indies progressed cautiously but steadily to 61-0, with openers Sherwin Campbell and Philo Wallace in control. Once Campbell was dismissed by medium pacer Abdur Razzaq for 26, and Philo Wallace was dismissed by Mushtaq for 30, the West Indies middle order crumbled.

In the 23rd over, with the score on 71, Mushtaq removed Wavell Hinds for 7, Chris Gayle and Ricardo Powell, both without scoring. He had considerable help later from off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and speedster Shoaib Akhtar, who had two wickets each. The West Indies never recovered and succumbed for a dismal 114 all out in 33.2 overs.

When they batted, Pakistan did have some very anxious moments as fast bowler Reon King, with 4-25, and captain Jimmy Adams, with two wickets, tried to keep their team in the game. In the end, the task was just too much for the West Indies and with the injured Inzamam-ul-Haq, the "Man of the Series", surviving well to be 39 not out at the end, Pakistan got to their target with 4.5 overs to spare.

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Mumbai all set to lift Ranji Trophy

The day was simply divided into two parts

Anand Vasu

22-Apr-2000

The day was simply divided into two parts. Everything that happened up to tea, and the post tea session. In another light, the period during which Hyderabad harboured hopes of a miraculous victory and the period after they decided it was a lost cause. Whichever way one looks at it, Mumbai were moving in for the kill at the end of the day in the Ranji Trophy final at the Wankhede stadium on Saturday. Hyderabad have nothing to play for from their position of 251/7.

Hyderabad batted with determination. That's the bottom line. Though there has been ample talk about how they have absolutely no hope whatsoever in this game and that they don't have the big guns in their batting line up. That might very well be true. However, what must be granted is that they went through to lunch losing just one wicket.

Nandakishore was the only casualty when he was undone by a well pitched delivery from Ajit Agarkar. Bowling with good pace, Agarkar managed to trap the opener in just the fourth over of the day. His opening spell of 5-2-7-1 had the crowd roaring in anticipation of a Hyderabad collapse.

However, Daniel Manohar and VVS Laxman refused to be cowed down. Abey Kuruvilla opening the bowling in his last match did his job efficiently. He took the ball for a longer spell than most expected, finishing with 9-1-24-0. Daniel Manohar was circumspect to start with, leaving the ball well. He knew exactly where his off stump was and forced the bowlers to bring the ball closer to the stumps.

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Kenya in India: Kenyan batsmen go on a run spree

The visiting Kenyan team sent the Maharashtra CA XI on a leather hunt on the opening day of their two day game at the Poona club grounds on Friday

Partab Ramchand

22-Apr-2000

The visiting Kenyan team sent the Maharashtra CA XI on a leather hunt on the opening day of their two day game at the Poona club grounds on Friday. Winning the toss, they rattled up 432 for eight wickets in 90 overs by stumps.

The little solace for the home side came early in the day when opener KO Otieno (0) and Divyesh Shah (3) were dismissed with only 19 runs on the board. Then the other opener Ravindu Shah and Steve Tikolo came together for a third wicket association that added 214 runs off 50.5 overs. Both got hundreds with Shah hitting 103 and Tikolo scoring 173. While Shah batted 237 minutes, faced 193 balls and hit 15 fours and two sixes, Tikolo batted 288 minutes, faced 199 balls and hit 25 fours and two sixes.

Shah left at 233 but Tikolo kept going. He added 41 runs for the fifth wicket off 7.4 overs with HS Modi (18) and then put on 62 runs for the sixth wicket off 11 overs with TM Odoyo. Tikolo was sixth out at 358 but Odoyo sustained the later order batting with a bright unbeaten 81 off 71 balls. He hit 13 fours and two sixes and added 48 runs for the seventh wicket off 6.1 overs with Tony Suji who hit a breezy 22 off 16 balls with five hits to the fence. S Shah who took the wickets of both the century makers finished with four for 42 off nine overs. But generally the Maharashtra bowlers received a pasting, symbolised by MJ Dalvi who went wicketless after sending down 22 overs and conceding 102 runs.

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West Indies beat Pakistan by 60 runs and level the series

The West Indies pulled themselves from the jaws of defeat to effect a tremendous 60 run victory in the 2nd of the three oneday finals at the Queens Park Oval on Saturday

Colin Croft

22-Apr-2000

The West Indies pulled themselves from the jaws of defeat to effect a tremendous 60 run victory in the 2nd of the three oneday finals at the Queens Park Oval on Saturday. The series is now tied at 1 game each.

Batting first after winning the toss, the West Indies struggled to 208-8 in their 50 overs, thanks mainly to opener Sherwin Campbell, the eventual "Man of the Match" winner, who made a well organized 77, with additional useful scores of 24 by Wavell Hinds and 33 from Chris Gayle.

When Pakistan batted, they started brilliantly, and with only 18 overs gone, they were well on their way at 72 for 1.

Then fast bowlers Nixon McLean and Reon King destroyed the visitors' middle order with four wickets in very quick succession, and Pakistan deteriorated badly to be 98-5. Chris Gayle and Jimmy Adams, the West Indies spinners, then completed the coup-de-grace and complete the turn-around for the West Indies.

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BCCSL XI fight back on day two as games drifts towards a draw

While this game looks to be destined for a draw, after a fine fight-back with both bat and ball by the BCCSL XI at Saravanamuttu Stadium today, the players of both sides cannot be faulted for the way they have approached this match

21-Apr-2000

After the heroics of Mark Vermeulen yesterday it was the turn of Avishaka Gunawardena (72) and Chamara Silva (100* ) to entertain us today. Avishka Gunawardena was particularly compelling to watch, perhaps less so for the Zimbabweans. After Zimbabwe was bowled out for on the stroke of lunch for a creditable 344, Avishka launched into the Southern African openers with a typically audacious innings of 72 from just 73 balls. Later on the test hopeful, Chamara Silva consolidated the Sri Lankan innings with a fine century leading his side the relative safety of 283 at the close, a deficit of 61.

Once again the first hour of play was dominated by the seam bowlers as the new ball taken in the very first over. The BCCSL captain opted for his two U19 openers first up and was rewarded when the persevering Weereratne had Greg lamb (31) caught by Bandarathililake. Both Lamb and Daniel Peacock (18) had adopted an understandably more defensive approach in the opening overs, as the ball once again moved appreciably and occasionally bounced steeply, especially from the Press Box End.

However when Daniel Peacock was run-out by a direct hit from Puspakumara, in the very same over that Lamb had been dismissed, the Zimbabwean batsmen reverted to the positive approach that had served Vermeulen so well yesterday. Donald Campbell (29) and Gus Mackay (26) both tried to get after the bowlers. Gus Mackay looked particularly dangerous as he swung his heavy bat successfully, twice lifting the ball over the boundary for six. Unfortunately for Zimbabwe he couldn't resist launching Pushpakumara for another six and was stumped by the impressive Prasanna Jayawardena.

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Zimbabwe 'A' in Sri Lanka: Rain hit match ends in tame draw

Mother nature served us a gentle reminder at P

Charlie Austin

21-Apr-2000

Mother nature served us a gentle reminder at P. Sara Stadium in Colombo today - the wet season is coming to Sri Lanka and this series is likely to suffer. Critics will question the wisdom of holding the series during this traditionally wet period, realists will understand that international calendar is based on money and power, not meteorological patterns.

On a day that started late due to a monsoonal downpour in the morning and ended early when heavy rains and dark clouds enveloped the ground in the afternoon, Zimbabwe progressed to 105 for 4 in their second innings, after the BCCSL XI had declared on their overnight score of 284-7.

Despite a lead of 61 runs when they started, the Zimbabwean's were just starting to struggle against this strong BCCSL XI, when the rains came down. The Sri Lankan spinners could well have had the visitors six down if it were not for some unusually poor fielding. Two relatively simple catches were dropped, one off Gavin Rennie (48*) when he had made 42, and one off Daniel Peacock (4*) just before nature's intervention.