Report
Northerns beat Free State in Bloemfontain by 2 wickets
Johan Myburgh's ability to handle sub-standard sub-continental surfaces helped Northerns yesterday beat Free State at Springbok Park in Bloemfontein on a pitch described as "a shocker" by the coach, Peter Kirsten
Trevor Chesterfield
20-Dec-1999
Johan Myburgh's ability to handle sub-standard sub-continental surfaces helped
Northerns yesterday beat Free State at Springbok Park in Bloemfontein on a
pitch described as "a shocker" by the coach, Peter Kirsten.
Still eligible for South Africa's under19 World Cup side for the tournament in
Sri Lanka next month, the young batsman pulled together an innings of rare
brilliance which enabled the Titans to snatch victory before lunch on the last
day of their SuperSport Series Super Eights.
With the pitch resembling a minefield and Kirsten , a former Test batsman
clearly dissatisfied with conditions he called "appalling" and "bad for the
game," Myburgh's undefeated innings of 37 rescued the side from what had
been a precarious 39 for seven in search of the target of 97 runs.
Beating a side led by Hansie Cronje was tribute in itself, but it also showed
the depth of character of a side which has bounced back from a poor run since
the visit to Port Elizabeth to move to the middle of the log. But it needed an
all-round team effort, topped by Myburgh's batting which pulled off a
favourable result in totally unfavourable conditions.
"He went in and went for his strokes from the start," Kirsten said. "It was
impressive: full of flair and just what we needed at a difficult time."
Myburgh and Gerald Dros, who scored 27 before falling victim to Nick Boje's
bowling, added what was an innings saving 35 for the eighth wicket and with
Pierre Joubert steered the side home from a dodgy 74 for eight, taking the
score to 99.
Full postNew Zealand win the First Test
One big question arises from the first New Zealand-West Indies at Hamilton: how could the team ending the first day at 282 for one lose the match
Chris Rosie
20-Dec-1999
One big question arises from the first New Zealand-West Indies at Hamilton:
how could the team ending the first day at 282 for one lose the match? The
answer: the opposition batted better, bowled better and fielded better
through virtually every session of the next four days. Simple really.
From the first session of the second day, New Zealand took control and,
continuing the process developed during the England tour, steadily
tightened the vice, the bowlers finally squeezing the life out of the West
Indies' challenge. To a complete team performance add man-of-the-match
Chris Cairns' individual contribution of 72 runs in the first New Zealand
innings and 10 wickets for 100 runs in the match.
Weather fears (or relief depending on the point of view) never transpired.
Loss of half the fourth day through rain had cast a cloud over hopes for
the victory the New Zealanders had set themselves up for in the first
session. However, play on the extended final day resumed under blue skies,
a stark contrast to the rain and gloom that drove the players from the
field the previous afternoon.
New Zealand, however, was without captain Stephen Fleming, laid low
overnight with a stomach virus. Adrian Griffith and Jimmy Adams took up the
West Indies defence, both on 14 and immediately demonstrated with a couple
of quick singles that they were not about to depend on a dour rear-guard
action.
Full postThe West Indies Cricket Team: Excellence in Ineptness
One Sports Radio headline suggested: "New Zealand crush West Indies by 9 wickets." Considering the relative positions of the two teams after Day 1 of the 1st Test, this headline seems as if it came from the Twilight Zone
Colin Croft
20-Dec-1999
One Sports Radio headline suggested: "New Zealand crush West Indies by 9 wickets." Considering the relative positions of the two teams after Day 1 of the 1st Test, this headline seems as if it came from the Twilight Zone. Yet, it was very true!!
I made the completely asinine assumption, at the end of the first day of this first Test match, to suggest that the West Indies could not lose the game from that position. I am sure that normal people would forgive me for that thought when one remembered that the West Indies were 282-1 going into the second day. This must be the best start of an innings effected by a Test team, which ends up losing the Test by nine wickets, with four hours left in the final day, after losing four hours in the fourth day.
Unfortunately for me, I gave too much credit to supposed normalcy in cricket, not remembering, firstly, that "cricket is a game of glorious uncertainty" and secondly, that the West Indies are very capable of "superlatives in ineptness." In a word, this was "crap cricket", as played by the West Indies!!
It was an extra-ordinarily bad display at the highest level of the cricket game. Except for the opening partnership on that first day, the West Indian cricket was really at a second rate standard. Obviously, New Zealand adapted better to the mental toughness needed to continue and win the game. The entire New Zealand team, from the captain, Stephen Fleming, onwards, should be complemented for their individual and team efforts.
Full postBizarre end to forgettable match
From the moment that Tasmania rested Ricky Ponting and India left out five key players of its own, it was probably inevitable that the tour match between the sides would not develop into one of the more attractive games of this Australian summer
John Polack
20-Dec-1999
From the moment that Tasmania rested Ricky Ponting and India left out five key players of its own, it was probably inevitable that the tour match between the sides would not develop into one of the more attractive games of this Australian summer. And that is certainly the way it materialised - the contest concluding in the most ridiculous of draws at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on the fourth and final day today.
As with each of the three which preceded it, there was very little to be said in a positive sense about this day's cricket. It began with Tasmania electing to bat on almost interminably in its first innings and ended in a predictably early finish when the captains mercifully called a halt to the proceedings half an hour before the scheduled drawing of stumps.
In between, its utility amounted to barely anything more than five and a half hours of batting practice. The principal beneficiaries of this exercise were Tasmania's Daniel Marsh and India's VVS Laxman.
Relying on the same brand of powerhouse strokeplay that had characterised his hand yesterday, the burly Marsh (157) again stole the show through the morning. He registered his highest first class score 20 minutes into the day and continued to take liberties against a wholly uninspired attack. He hit some terrific cover drives, pulls and leg glances today and was at complete ease throughout. It said much about the Indians' inability to beat his bat that his innings ended when he was caught on the deep mid wicket boundary by Rahul Dravid off the bowling of Vijay Bharadwaj (3/105) attempting another huge blow.
Full postNorth Zone sure to regain Duleep Trophy
North Zone have virtually made sure of regaining the Duleep Trophy
Partab Ramchand
20-Dec-1999
North Zone have virtually made sure of regaining the Duleep Trophy. When play was called off a few minutes before the scheduled close on the fourth day of the final against West Zone at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta on Monday, North Zone had taken a stranglehold on the match. They had taken the all important first innings lead of 101 runs by dismissing West Zone for 367. They then consolidated their position by scoring 99 for two at stumps. With an overall lead of 200 runs, eight wickets in hand and only one day left, North Zone hold all the aces.
When play commenced in the morning, the match looked to be evenly balanced. For West Zone had seven wickets in hand and needed another 232 runs to go ahead of the North Zone first innings total of 468. But medium pacer Robin Singh struck early blows and West Zone could never really recover adequately. Wasim Jaffer kept going and with tailenders IR Siddiqui and Nilesh Kulkarni made a valiant effort to push the score along but it was a hopeless cause and West Zone finished way behind the North Zone total.
Their troubles started early. Vinod Kambli, on whom West Zone had pinned a lot of hope, was caught by Sehwag off Robin Singh for 14. He was the fourth batsman out at 245. Five runs later, PH Patel was out to the same Dahiya-Robin Singh combination for a duck. In his following over, Robin Singh had Mhambrey leg before and West Zone, at 254 for six, were reeling.
Jaffer soldiered on in a losing cause and found some support with Siddiqui (20) helping him to put on 36 runs for the seventh wicket. Dahiya then latched on to his fourth catch of the innings when he snaffled Siddiqui off Amit Bhandari for 20. A little later, Khan was held by Rathour off Navdeep Singh and the West Zone innings, at 295 for eight was cut asunder.
Full postPathan helps Baroda to comfortable position
A century by Yusuf Pathan and his 83 run seventh wicket stand with HM Shah (46) took Baroda to a comfortable score of 326 in their West Zone Vijay Merchant Trophy match against Saurashtra at Rajkot yesterday
20-Dec-1999
A century by Yusuf Pathan and his 83 run seventh wicket stand with HM Shah (46) took Baroda to a comfortable score of 326 in their West Zone Vijay Merchant Trophy match against Saurashtra at Rajkot yesterday. At stumps Saurashtra were 97-3 from 50 overs with Padmanav Jadeja on 24 and Nikhil Rathod on 18. Pathan made 133 (210 balls, 13 4's, 4 6's) and followed it up by bowling a longish spell to take 1-23 in 15 overs. For Saurashtra, Karavadra and Hansalpara took 3 wickets each.
Full postTest hangs in the balance
A late wicket-taking rally led by Reon King allowed the West Indies to get back to even terms with New Zealand by the end of the third day of the first cricket Test at WestpacTrust Park yesterday
Don Cameron
19-Dec-1999
A late wicket-taking rally led by Reon King allowed the West Indies to get back to even terms with New Zealand by the end of the third day of the first cricket Test at WestpacTrust Park yesterday.
After a long, hot battle against determined batting, led by a smashing 72 from Chris Cairns - and absolutely no luck from the umpiring - West Indies snatched the last four wickets in 30 minutes to finish the innings at 393.
This gave the hosts a first innings lead of 28 with two days remaining - and the West Indies second innings started and finished with a maiden over to Adrian Griffith.
Two hours beforehand, the frustrated visitors seemed to be heading for a worse position, with New Zealand threatening to take command of a roller-coaster Test.
Full postWasim Jaffer's century sustains West Zone
Wasim Jaffer, with an unbeaten century, played the sheet anchor role to perfection as West Zone scored 237 for three off 93 overs at close of play on the third day of the five day Duleep Trophy final against North Zone at the Eden Gardens on Sunday
Partab Ramchand
19-Dec-1999
Wasim Jaffer, with an unbeaten century, played the sheet anchor
role to perfection as West Zone scored 237 for three off 93 overs
at close of play on the third day of the five day Duleep Trophy
final against North Zone at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. This was
in reply to North Zone's first innings total of 468.
Resuming at eight for no loss, West Zone openers Jaffer and
Cecil Williams proceeded cautiously to 47. Then the latter, who
got a hundred in the semifinal against East Zone, was caught by
Dahiya off Robin Singh for 21. AV Kale joined Jaffer and the two
put on 66 runs for the second wicket off 29.4 overs. Like the
North Zone batsmen, the West Zone batsmen too played a waiting
game on a wicket that gave little help to the bowlers. Kale,
after batting almost two hours for 30, was caught by Shewag off
Robin Singh. He faced 83 balls and hit four of them to the fence.
Skipper Amol Mujumdar joined Jaffer and the two showed a lot
of patience and concentration in negotiating the attack.
The partnership added 106 runs for the third wicket from
40.4 overs before the captain was adjudged leg before to Sodhi
for 52. Mujumdar faced 137 balls and hit eight boundaries.
Joined by Vinod Kambli, Jaffer proceeded serenely to his century.
At close he was unbeaten with 107 which was compiled off 270 balls.
He hit 15 fours. Kambli who started off in fluent fashion was
batting with ten runs off eleven balls with two fours. West Zone
still require 232 runs to take the vital first innings lead and
much would depend on this pair on the morrow. North Zone, on the
other hand, will need a quick wicket or two if they hope to
snatch the first innings lead - which seems the all important
factor right now in the match.
Full postTasmania put depleted Indian attack to the sword
The Tasmanian batsmen thrashed the depleted Indian attack on the third day of the tourists' game at Hobart on Sunday to give their team a lead of 156 runs with six first innings wickets intact
Partab Ramchand
19-Dec-1999
The Tasmanian batsmen thrashed the depleted Indian attack on the third
day of the tourists' game at Hobart on Sunday to give their team a
lead of 156 runs with six first innings wickets intact. With a day
still left, the batsmen have given the home side a chance to force a
victory.
Resuming at 159 for no loss, Tasmania by close of play had reached 472
for four wickets, thanks in the main to centuries by skipper Jamie Cox
and Daniel Marsh, son of former Australian wicket keeping great Rodney
Marsh.
Dene Hills and Cox were not separated in the morning till they had put
on 205 runs off 70.4 overs. Even this partnership was broken, not by
any of the bowlers but through a run out effected by Ramesh. Hills had
batted five minutes short of five hours for his 84. He faced 210 balls
and hit eleven of them to the ropes.
The Indians had the satisfaction of dismissing the highly rated
Michael Di Venuto for 12. He was caught by Mongia, trying to slash
Vijay Bhardwaj. But this was the only brief period of ascendency for
the Indians. Cox and Andrew Dykes then added 50 runs for the third
wicket off 17.2 overs before the captain finally fell for 139. He was
caught at mid on by Venkatesh Prasad off Ganguly after batting 400
minutes. The 30-year-old Cox, who leads Somerset in the English county
championship, faced 278 balls and hit 13 fours. It was his 24th first
class hundred.
Full postCozier on Cricket: WI fail to seize moment
Not many teams bat themselves into such a formidable position on the first day of a Test
Tony Cozier
19-Dec-1999
Not many teams bat themselves into such a formidable position on the first day of a Test. Fewer still so squander it that, by the end of the third day, they can actually lose the match.
That has been the West Indies' story at Hamilton. The sensibly planned and executed record opening partnership of 276 between Sherwin Campbell and Adrian Griffith, lasting all but 15 minutes of the opening day, should have ensured an eventual total well in excess of 400 that would have further exerted pressure on New Zealand and had an enormous phychological impact.
Instead, over the next two days, the roles were completely reversed. New Zealand prised themselves free of the grip, with little resistance, and they were the ones tightening the thumb-screws yesterday as Campbell and Griffith had so effectively done.
Tense hours
Full postMost Read
Writers