Report

Tamil Nadu regain control with late wickets

Just as Punjab were putting up a gallant fightback in their second innings, Tamil Nadu grabbed two wickets late in the day to place themselves in a commanding position at stumps on the third day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final at the MA

Partab Ramchand

01-Apr-2000

In arrears by 203 runs on the first innings, Punjab's openers Vikram Rathour and Reetinder Singh Sodhi put on 126 runs off 40.5 overs. Just when it looked like the two would come in unbeaten at stumps, Sodhi was caught behind by Reuben Paul off Mahesh for 89. Sodhi, the more aggressive of the two, faced 146 balls and hit ten fours. Wicketkeeper H Jagnu, sent in as a night watchman, was run out in the following over for zero. By that time however the light was bad and play was called off with 11.4 overs still to be bowled. Punjab, at 127 for two, still have a lot of work ahead.

Early morning showers meant that play started 75 minutes late. Then further rain saw to it that 12 minutes play was lost shortly before lunch. Tamil Nadu, 346 for five overnight, were all out about an hour after the break. Sridharan Sriram was finally out for 165, caught by Mongia off Harbhajan Singh. He batted 509 minutes, faced 278 balls and hit 12 fours. The off spinner then dismissed Sadagopan Mahesh first ball. But the Tamil Nadu tail wagged. First Rajath Bhatia (24) and Reuben Paul (32) added 27 runs for the ninth wicket. This was followed by a last wicket partnership of 47 runs off 13 overs between Paul and J Gokulakrishnan (21 not out). Harbhajan Singh who bowled very well was rewarded with five wickets for 106 runs.

Rathour and RS Sodhi brought Punjab back into the game with their century first wicket partnership. But the fall of two quick wickets late in the day saw Tamil Nadu regain the whiphand. Rathour by close however was unbeaten with a defiant 37 off 101 balls with four hits to the ropes. Play was extended by more than a hour and a half to make up the loss due to the rain. But bad light ultimately halted play at 6.10 pm.

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CFX Academy take clear advantage after 2 days

In a shortened second day's play a Country Club, when just under three hours were possible, the CFX Academy took a clear advantage in the match, but found their hopes of reaching next week's final slipping away

John Ward

01-Apr-2000

LOGAN CUP REPORT: CFX ACADEMY v MATABELELAND, Day 2

By John Ward

Heavy overnight rain left the Country Club field soaked, and despite a sunny day the start had to be delayed until 3pm, with tea taken early. The field was still slippery in places, but the players were keen to get moving. With the news that Mashonaland had massacred Midlands on a sub-standard pitch at Harare Sports Club, the position became clear for the Academy: they needed to score 300 runs and also win the match outright in order to reach the final against Manicaland. If 300 became impossible, Strang said he would declare and 'make a game of it' with Matabeleland.

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Sriram makes a meal of the Punjab attack

Sankhya Krishnan

31-Mar-2000

An invaluable unbeaten 155 (258 balls, 20 fours) by Sridharan Sriram took Tamil Nadu to the imposing position of 346/5 at the end of the second day of their Ranji Trophy quarter final against Punjab at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today. Sriram's fifth century of the season also took his Ranji tally past the thousand mark this season in his seventh match. Resuming at 40/0, Tamil Nadu made 306 runs in the 90 overs bowled during the day.

After Sadagopan Ramesh had fallen to RP Singh in the third over of the day without adding to his overnight score of 18, Sriram and Hemang Badani added 150 for the second wicket to virtually shut out Punjab on the first innings. Badani was let off on 13, when he pulled Sandeep Sharma and the ensuing top edge went through the glove tips of a leaping wicket keeper Harminder Jugnu.

But the other more critical life was when Sriram, then on 38, dropped the ball down the wicket, set off, and was sent back by Badani. The bowler, Sodhi, in a remarkable display of athleticism, swooped down and underarmed the ball onto the stumps as the batsman dived back in, but umpire Ranade was not impressed. Badani made 70 from 147 balls before he guided off spinner Sharandeep Singh staight into the hands of captain Vikram Rathour at slip. His knock comprised of eleven hits to the fence, with his favourite stroke being the front foot drive on the rise through the covers.

But the most fascinating contest was between Harbhajan and Sriram. The Punjab offie crowded Sriram with two slips and a gully and tried to entice him to hit against the spin into the vacant area on the on side. Sriram played and missed the sweep shot more than once and he was also drawn towards one that turned and bounced outside off, which just went wide of second slip. He learnt his lesson and then preferred to get to the pitch of the ball aand smother the spin rather than wait for it. When Sriram went up to 99, the field was brought up, but he calmly drove Sodhi through the covers for a couple to bring up the landmark of f 163 balls and with 12 fours.

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Lethal Lee puts Australia in front

Australia's bowling find of the summer, Brett Lee, picked up his second five-wicket bag in just five tests as New Zealand followed their familiar pattern of early collapse, mid order recovery and late disintegration on the first day of the third test

Chris Rosie

31-Mar-2000

New Zealand were all out for 232 after being 53 for 4 at one stage. Australia finished the day on 4 for the loss of one wicket. Craig McMillan led the afternoon resurrection while Shayne O'Connor got the obligatory late Australian wicket.

Steve Waugh won the toss and sent New Zealand in to bat on a pitch that looked well-prepared for a five-day match. New Zealand left Bruce Martin, the left-arm spin replacement for Daniel Vettori, out of their playing XI. They included the Northern Districts pace bowler Daryl Tuffey for his first test, playing it on his home ground.

Australia made one change to their winning side, replacing an out-of-form Greg Blewett with Matthew Hayden.

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Yadav, Kaif help UP seize initiative on Day 2

Half centuries from Jyoti Yadav and Mohammed Kaif took Uttar Pradesh within hopping distance of the first innings lead at the end of the second day of their Ranji Trophy quarter final match against Hyderabad at the Green Park in Kanpur today

31-Mar-2000

Three successive half century partnerships in the UP innings put them firmly on course to overtake Hyderabad's none too imposing total. Yadav and Mohammed Saif put on 69 for the first wicket before Saif was trapped in front of the wicket by Vanka Pratap for 18. Yadav then added exactly fifty for the second wicket with Kaif before Kanwaljit Singh dismissed him for 61 (127 balls, 9 fours). And then Kaif and Rizwan Shamshad continued the good work with a workmanlike 59 run partnership for the third wicket. At stumps captain Gyanendra Pandey (18) was holding the fort along with Kaif. The latter was unbeaten on a stolid 66 off 169 balls, that included three boundaries.

Earlier Hyderabad added another 45 runs to their overnight tally of 246 /8 before they folded up for 291 thirteen overs into the day. VVS Laxman was ninth out for 128 (263 balls, 13 fours and a six), castled by Ashish Zaidi with the score at 268. NP Singh and Kanwaljit Singh then put on a further 23 for the last wicket before Zaidi bowled NP Singh for good measure to finish with figures of 3/70.

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Academy has better of Day 1

Thanks to some rather disappointing Matabele batting, the CFX Academy could claim to have had rather the better of the first day's play between the two teams at Country Club in Harare today

John Ward

31-Mar-2000

Thanks to some rather disappointing Matabele batting, the CFX Academy could claim to have had rather the better of the first day's play between the two teams at Country Club in Harare today. Although Matabeleland fought back well with the ball after their dismissal for 176, a promising third-wicket partnership was in progress when play came to a premature close with the Academy on 62 for two in reply.

The match is being played on the new part of the square, and Paul Strang, winning the toss for the Academy, decided to bat first mainly because he was unsure of how it would play. It generally proved trustworthy, although several balls from one end did keep low. Matabeleland were missing captain Mark Abrams, for personal reasons, so Mark Vermeulen again took over the leadership. John Rennie had still not recovered from his injury and Paul Brown was omitted; Matthew Townshend and Shaun Commerford returned, while left-arm spinner Keith Dabengwa made his first-class debut.

Charles Coventry and Wisdom Siziba opened in their usual way for Matabeleland, the former going for his strokes while the latter held his end up. Siziba fell in the fourth over without scoring, however, adjudged lbw to a good ball from Gregg Haakonsen. For a while Coventry and Vermeulen kept the runs flowing, but when the Academy tightened up their bowling and put back their fielders runs were harder to come by. The Academy attack soon lost Jason Young, who strained his foot while bowling his fifth over and was forced to leave the field. Vermeulen it seems has a habit of losing patience when tied down, and he duly cut a ball from Haakonsen straight to Vaughan-Davies at backward point to be caught for 19.

Coventry appeared to be heading for a maiden first-class fifty, playing some lovely drives, but he too seemed to become impatient when the runs did not flow, and on 42 he drove a low return catch that was smartly held by Douglas Hondo. Two batsmen had settled in but given their wickets away without going on to a major score. Dion Ebrahim and Senyo Nyakutse settled in until lunch, when the score was 84 for three (Ebrahim 9, Nyakutse 5).

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Spirited Waqar takes Pakistan to 16 run victory

As they say, when it rains, it pours

Anand Vasu

31-Mar-2000

As they say, when it rains, it pours. Pakistan having got into a winning frame of mind were unstoppable. In a clinical batting display followed by some inspired bowling the Pakistanis won the Coca Cola Cup 2000 by 16 runs.

When Shahid Afridi is at the crease he does not muck around. Either he is scoring runs or is back in the pavilion. Off late, he has not spent enough time at the wicket to make a decent score. However, the shiny batting track that the final was played on was perfect for Afridi to go for his shots. With no lateral movement to speak of, Afridi launched himself into drives with vigour not commonly displayed.

Though the South Africans were as sharp in the field as ever, there was little they could do as the ball raced through the off side with regularity. When he flicked the ball past mid wicket to bring up his fifty off just 46 balls, his joy was obvious for all to see.

The first to go was Shahid Afridi, attempting to hit Lance Klusener back over his head for six. The ball went straight up in the air and Kallis chased after it. Running backwards, Kallis threw himself full length at the end of running a fair few yards and pulled off what was easily the best catch of the tournament. Afridi had made 52.

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Tamil Nadu snatch opening day's honours

Tamil Nadu were in the box seat after bowling out Punjab for 258 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy quarter final match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today

Sankhya Krishnan

30-Mar-2000

Tamil Nadu were in the box seat after bowling out Punjab for 258 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy quarter final match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today. The highlight of the Punjab innings was an invasion of the outfield by a snake which held up play for a few minutes before some intrepid members of the ground staff ventured to drive it off the ground. In the nine overs that remained, an enterprising run a minute opening wicket stand between S Ramesh and S Sriram took Tamil Nadu to 40 without loss at stumps.

S Sharath won the toss and elected to field on a wicket having a tinge of green and also providing a fair bit of bounce for their four pronged medium pace attack (Kumaran, Mahesh, Gokulakrishnan and Bhatia) to exploit. Robin Singh preferred to attend a video release in Sharjah of Anil Kumble's ten wicket haul rather than give his compatriots here a hand while Ravneet Ricky had to sit out because of a finger injury sustained in the last Super League match against Railways.

The Tamil Nadu attack was unable to make an early breakthrough as Vikram Rathour and Reetinder Sodhi added 56 for the first wicket in almost 16 overs. Rathour was fortunate to be grassed by Madanagopal at second slip off Kumaran with his score on 12 while Sodhi too had an awkward moment when he gloved one, that kicked more than he expected, just short of forward short leg. Mahesh tried bouncing out Rathour by employing two fielders in the deep behind the wicket on the leg side but the batsman refused to jump to the bait. It was Rajat Bhatia who struck first blood when he had Sodhi caught behind by the keeper Reuben Paul for 22.

The contest hottened up when Aashish Kapoor was brought on to try and dislodge his brother in law Vikram Rathour from the crease. Kapoor tossed one up and Rathour drove him through the covers for four to bring up his fifty. But in his next over Kapoor got his man as Rathour, giving him the charge, failed to get hold of the ball and was caught by Mahesh a few yards behind the bowler's head for 57. Punjab went into lunch at 104/2 and off the first ball after resumption, Dharmani was caught behind off Kapoor as he played forward. Yuvraj was dealing only in boundaries, the pick of which was a backfoot drive through extracover, and was caught down the leg side off Kumaran for 44, out of which 40 had come in boundary hits.

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Laxman's lone hand keeps Hyderabad afloat

A plucky century from Test discard VVS Laxman lifted Hyderabad to a modest 246/8 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy quarter final match against Uttar Pradesh at the Green Park in Kanpur

Sankhya Krishnan

30-Mar-2000

A plucky century from Test discard VVS Laxman lifted Hyderabad to a modest 246/8 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy quarter final match against Uttar Pradesh at the Green Park in Kanpur. Medium pacer Ratnesh Mishra did the star turn for UP with a bag of four wickets for 23 runs that pulled the rug from under the Hyderabad lower middle order. In the absence of Mohd. Azharuddin, who's made 605 runs for Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy this season at an average of over 86, it was down to Laxman to salvage Hyderabad's honour after the rest of the batsmen around him failed to support his disciplined approach.

Opener Nandakishore was snapped up by Ashish Zaidi for 3 in the fifth over and his partner Daniel Manohar was snared by Mishra for a sparkling but ephemeral 28, inclusive of six boundaries, to leave the score at 36/2. Laxman and Vanka Pratap then put on 56 for the third wicket in just under 24 overs before Pratap was trapped in front of the wicket by the 19 year old left arm seamer, Sallabh Srivastava.

Another partnership of 71 followed between Laxman and Vinay Kumar but the latter was castled by Mohd. Kaif for 24 (62 balls, 5 fours) and Hyderabad were now down to 163/5. UP captain Gyanendra Pandey then got into the act, bowling Parth Satwalkar for 10 for his only wicket of the innings. All the while, Laxman was playing a lone hand, reaching his fifty from 123 balls with four fours. Hyderabad's 200 came up in the 68th over but Ratnesh Mishra cleaned up the lower order, disposing NA Yadav, wicket keeper R Sheikh and captain Venkatapahy Raju one after the other.

Laxman posted his fourth century of the season from 187 balls and 301 minutes, with ten fours and a six. Hyderabad opening bowler NP Singh was keeping Laxman company at stumps as the visitors limped to 246/8 in 90 overs with only Kanwaljit Singh still to bat. Laxman was undefeated on 118 in 242 balls with 12 hits to the fence and one over it to take his aggregate for the season to over 500 at an average of close to three figures.

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Pakistan end South African winning spree

Sharjah, March 28: One blistering over and it all made the difference

Viren Varma

29-Mar-2000

Sharjah, March 28: One blistering over and it all made the difference. It doesn't happen so often. But on Tuesday it did. South Africa were cruising when Shoaib Akhtar produced a telling burst to swing the match in his team's favour from nowhere, leaving the startled South Africans biting their nails in disbelief.