Report
Emu Draft Colts Final: Willeton v Midland Guildford
Willeton won the toss and elected to bat first
David Bebb
05-Mar-2000
Willeton took on the much fancied Midland-Guildford in the Emu Draft Colts Final played at the lower Hillcrest reserve in Bayswater (a suburb of the Western Australian capital - Perth.)
Willeton won the toss and elected to bat first. They took 126 minutes to be all out for a mere 93 runs inside 40 overs, with top scorer being Shawn Marsh 29.
A procession of 7 wickets for the concession of 20 runs for Peter Worthington broke the back of the Willeton side and set up Midland Guildford for what proved to be an easy victory.
Right hand Willeton opener Schupp hooked Midland-Guildford's Sanders in the third over but two overs later was caught short of his ground run out by Walters for 4.
Full postHarbhajan has Bihar struggling
Discarded India off spinner Harbhajan Singh, weaving patterns around the batsmen, picked up five wickets for 53 runs as Bihar struggled to make 197 for six off 98.2 overs on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match against
04-Mar-2000
Discarded India off spinner Harbhajan Singh, weaving patterns around
the batsmen, picked up five wickets for 53 runs as Bihar struggled to
make 197 for six off 98.2 overs on the opening day of their Ranji
Trophy Super League Group B match against Punjab at the PCA stadium in
Mohali on Thursday. Put into bat, Bihar were held in check by the
bowlers, but at 150 for two about an hour before close they seemed to
have laid the foundation for a good total. However Harbhajan Singh was
deadly in the post tea session, and Bihar were probably glad that they
did not lose more than six wickets by stumps.
Openers N Ranjan (39) and Javed Khan (60) gave Bihar a good start
putting on 77 runs for the opening partnership but this took 41 overs
to compile. Ranjan faced 138 balls and hit six fours before he was leg
before to Gagandeep Singh. A Hashmi and Javed quickened the tempo a
bit during a second wicket stand of 44 runs off 13 overs before the
former was caught and bowled by Harbhajan Singh for 22. Rajiv Kumar
and Javed then took the score to 150 before the opening batsman
finally fell, caught by Ravneet Ricky off Harbhajan. Javed Khan batted
302 minutes, faced 208 balls and hit eight fours.
Harbhajan by now was virtually unplayable. At 161, he took two wickets
with successive deliveries dismissing skipper Sunil Kumar and Manish
Kumar. Then after Rajiv Kumar and MS Dhoni added 36 runs for the sixth
wicket off 11.2 overs, Harbhajan struck again in the last over of the
day by dismissing the latter for 13. Rajiv Kumar at close was batting
with a steadily compiled 43 compiled off 102 balls with nine hits to
the ropes. But there was little doubt that the day's individual
honours were cornered by Harbhajan Singh who had the excellent figures
of 25.2-9-53-5.
Full postSaba Karim's century helps Bengal recover
Saba Karim's 19th Ranji Trophy hundred enabled Bengal to fight back after they had lost their top order cheaply against Karnataka at the Eden Gardens today
Sakyasen Mittra
04-Mar-2000
Saba Karim's 19th Ranji Trophy hundred enabled Bengal to fight back
after they had lost their top order cheaply against Karnataka at the
Eden Gardens today. At close of play on the opening day of their Ranji
Trophy Super League Group A encounter Bengal were 281 for five
wickets. Karim was unbeaten on 109 and skipper Utpal Chatterjee was
batting on 16. On the way to his hundred, Karim became the fifth
player from Bengal to score 5,000 runs in the Ranji Trophy when he
reached 31.
The Bengal selectors should have a discussion with Nikhil Haldipur and
Rohan Gavaskar. Both got out to rash shots today. Haldipur tried to
glance a ball down the leg side and nicked it to wicket keeper Tilak
Naidu off Dodda Ganesh. He showed dissent at the umpire's decision
indicating that he had not edged the ball. The match was then only 5.3
overs old and he had been stroking the ball fluently.
Gavaskar who was well settled on 44, tried to steer a wide ball from
Venkatesh Prasad and edged it to Arun Kumar at second slip. It was a
ball he could have well left alone.
Bengal lost Haldipur and Gandhi when the score was only 38. Then they
recovered through a third wicket partnership of 71 runs between
Gavaskar and Alokendu Lahiri. However, the innings received
respectability as Karim and Charanjit Singh took charge. Karim's
innings was faultless. He drove on both sides of the wicket and more
than half of his 17 boundaries came of the pull shot whenever spinners
Sunil Joshi and debutant S Vadeyaraj dropped the ball short. He
reached his hundred cutting Prasad to the point fence. He had batted
197 minutes and faced 106 balls.
Full postMumbai's top order clicks
Given first choice of the wicket, the Mumbai top order said `thank you' to Rajasthan as they performed commendably to help their team to get 280 for five wickets at close on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match at the
04-Mar-2000
Given first choice of the wicket, the Mumbai top order said `thank
you' to Rajasthan as they performed commendably to help their team to
get 280 for five wickets at close on the opening day of their Ranji
Trophy Super League Group A match at the Wankhede stadium on Saturday.
Skipper Sameer Dighe (32) and Amit Pagnis (47) led the way with a
first wicket partnership of 101 runs off 36.5 overs that lasted three
hours. Dighe faced 128 balls and hit four boundaries. Jatin Paranjpe,
in good form this season, for once did not last long and was out for
three. A little later Pagnis was dismissed after having faced 142
balls and hitting six of them to the ropes.
At 127 for three, Mumbai had surrendered the initiative. But Vinod
Kambli (59) and Amol Muzumdar (63) set Mumbai on the road to recovery
with a fourth wicket partnership of 102 runs off 24.4 overs. The left
handed Kambli stroked the ball fluently and faced only 75 balls in
compiling his knock which included nine hits to the fence. After his
departure, Muzumdar and Sushant Manjrekar then continued the good work
by adding 51 runs for the fifth wicket off 17.5 overs before the
former was run out in the last over of the day. The in form Muzumdar
faced 144 balls and hit three fours. At close Manjrekar was batting on
34 off 66 balls with six hits to the ropes. The Mumbai total was
inflated by as many as 42 extras, 27 of them being no balls.
Full postRennie saves Mashonaland from embarrassment
If it had not been for a superb innings of 152 by discarded Zimbabwe opener Gavin Rennie, Mashonaland would have been in a position of considerable embarrassment at the end of the second day's play at the Academy headquarters at Country Club, Harare
John Ward
04-Mar-2000
CFX ACADEMY v MASHONALAND: DAY 2
By John Ward
If it had not been for a superb innings of 152 by discarded
Zimbabwe opener Gavin Rennie, Mashonaland would have been in a
position of considerable embarrassment at the end of the second
day's play at the Academy headquarters at Country Club, Harare.
As it was, they emerged with a first-innings lead of only 27 and
the match is well poised going into the final day.
The Academy resumed their first innings at 194 for six, and the
overnight pair of Paul Strang and Jason Young took their
partnership to 103 before Young, trying to hit off-spinner Dan
Peacock over the top, hit a catch straight to Anton Hoffman at
midwicket to be out for a highly commendable 47 on his debut.
The Academy were now 214 for seven.
Full postNandakishore and Laxman hit centuries
Centuries by opening batsman A Nandakishore and VVS Laxman helped Hyderabad to reach 274 for three shortly before stumps on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match against Railways at the Feroz Shah Kotla grounds in New Delhi
04-Mar-2000
Centuries by opening batsman A Nandakishore and VVS Laxman helped
Hyderabad to reach 274 for three shortly before stumps on the opening
day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match against Railways
at the Feroz Shah Kotla grounds in New Delhi on Saturday. But in the
last hour, Railways recovered some ground and Hyderabad had to settle
for a closing scor
Centuries by opening batsman A Nandakishore and VVS Laxman helped
Hyderabad to reach 274 for three shortly before stumps on the opening
day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match against Railways
at the Feroz Shah Kotla grounds in New Delhi on Saturday. But in the
last hour, Railways recovered some ground and Hyderabad had to settle
for a closing score of 309 for eight wickets.
Electing to bat, Hyderabad suffered an early reverse when Youraj Singh
was out without a run being scored in the second over of the
match. But a second wicket stand of 186 runs off 44.5 overs between
Nandakishore and Laxman saw Hyderabad quickly take the
initiative. Laxman dominated the partnership and when he was second
out, he had made 109 off 139 balls with 15 hits to the fence in a stay
of almost three hours.
The momentum was maintained with Nandakishore and Vanka Pratap adding
66 runs in 21.3 overs for the third wicket. Pratap was then out for 26
but the obdurate Nandakishore carried on till he was fourth out at 274
in the 75th over of the day. Playing the sheet anchor role to
perfection, he batted almost five hours, faced 223 balls and hit 16
fours.
Leg spinner WD Balaji Rao then helped Railways come back into the
game. He took three quick wickets to finish the day with four for
52. RR Parida also did well in taking three for 106.e of 309 for eight wickets.
Full postUP hit back against Saurashtra
After being dismissed for 206, Uttar Pradesh hit back to take four Saurashtra wickets for 89 runs by close of play on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Super League group C match in Rajkot on Saturday
04-Mar-2000
After being dismissed for 206, Uttar Pradesh hit back to take
four Saurashtra wickets for 89 runs by close of play on the
opening day of their Ranji Trophy Super League group C match
in Rajkot on Saturday.
UP lost four wickets for 58 runs but Pervendra Singh (59)
and S Shukla (26) added 49 runs for the fifth wicket. Pervendra
who faced 112 balls, hit four boundaries. Then Md Saif, at No 7,
hit a valuable 31. Niraj Odedra (4 for 56) and Hitesh Parsana
(3 for 36) were the main wicket takers.
Saurashtra in their reply lost wickets at regular intervals
with Gyanendra Pandey picking up two of the four that fell
for 24 runs.
Full postBhatia, Gokulakrishna in record last wicket stand
Tamil Nadu made a superb recovery on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group C match against Orissa at the Barabati stadium in Cuttack on Saturday and symbolising this was a record last wicket partnership of 137 runs off 34.3 overs
04-Mar-2000
Tamil Nadu made a superb recovery on the opening day of their Ranji
Trophy Super League Group C match against Orissa at the Barabati
stadium in Cuttack on Saturday and symbolising this was a record last
wicket partnership of 137 runs off 34.3 overs between No 10 Rajat
Bhatia and No 11 J Gokulakrishna.
The two came together shortly before tea with Tamil Nadu in trouble at
190 for nine. They took the score to 222 at tea and dominated the
bowling in the last session. Both went boldly for their strokes. The
20-year-old Bhatia was slightly more aggressive and hit 72 in 166
minutes. He faced 93 balls and hit nine of them to the ropes. The
27-year-old Gokulakrishna who remained unbeaten with 59 batted 147
minutes. He faced 126 balls and hit five boundaries. Bhatia was out
shortly before the scheduled close.
The partnership is the fourth highest for the tenth wicket in the
66-year-old national competition. It surpassed the previous best for
this wicket for Tamil Nadu, 130 between NJ Venkatesan and CR
Rangachari against Madhya Pradesh in 1951.
Tamil Nadu made a poor start losing five wickets for 74. A sixth
wicket partnership of 58 runs off 15 overs between skipper Sridharan
Sarath (60) and Vasanth Saravanan (27) retreived the innings. Sarath
played the sheet anchor role, batting 196 minutes, facing 115 balls
and hitting 12 fours. Coming in at 47 for three, he was ninth out at
190. Wicketkeeper Reuben Paul chipped in with a valuable 22. Then came
the last wicket stand that boosted the Tamil Nadu total to
327. Mohanty, A Barrick and Bipin Singh all took three wickets each.
Full postSouth Africa ready to move in for the kill
The Indian goose is as good as cooked and South Africa, wanting it well done, batted throughout the third day of the second Test at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Saturday
Anand Vasu
04-Mar-2000
The Indian goose is as good as cooked and South Africa, wanting it
well done, batted throughout the third day of the second Test at the
Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Saturday. In scoring 472 for eight
by stumps and obtaining a first innings lead of 314 runs, the visitors
have certainly sharpened the nails. After all, that's all South Africa
need to do now. Put the lid on the coffin and slam the nails home.
Resuming with a lead of almost a hundred, South Africa made steady
progress. Daryll Cullinan showed his aggressive intent yesterday and
today he continued in the same vein. After getting to his half
century, Cullinan lost his wicket. The fall of Cullinan's wicket was
completely against the grain of play. Just when things were looking
good for the Gauteng batsman, he was undone by a Kumble delivery. As
is becoming customary on tracks like these, the ball bobbled off the
bat to the fielder standing close, Wasim Jaffer in this
case. Cullinan's 53 included five boundaries and that unforgettable
straight six off Kumble.
Lance Klusener, who has not looked at ease with the bat all tour came
in next. Indian bowling 'attacks' have a habit of bringing struggling
batsmen back to form. Today was no exception. Klusener got a good
measure of the Indian bowling on a wicket that was slow and
low. Though the ball was turning, it was along predictable lines and
Klusener had no difficulty in picking his spots and scoring fluently.
At the other end, Kallis brought up his half century with a big
six. Kallis has played the sheet anchor role to perfection on this
tour.
Full postStrang rescues Academy
The CFX Academy enjoyed mixed fortunes on the first day of their inaugural Logan Cup match against the league favourites Mashonaland
John Ward
03-Mar-2000
LOGAN CUP MATCH REPORT: CFX ACADEMY v MASHONALAND
By John Ward
The CFX Academy enjoyed mixed fortunes on the first day of their
inaugural Logan Cup match against the league favourites
Mashonaland. After struggling to 111 for six in the late
afternoon, after a long break for rain, they were rallied by a
fine partnership between Test player Paul Strang and debutant
Jason Young, who took them through to a more promising 194 for
six at the close one-day play.
This match introduced first-class cricket to the Academy
headquarters at the Country Club, in the eastern Harare suburb of
Highlands. It is a very pleasant and spacious ground overlooking
a golf course, and the new Academy pavilion is in the process of
being completed. Because of the golf, and since there is also a
gymnasium there, it is difficult to tell how many of the hundred
or so spectators at the close were genuinely there for the
cricket, but the fine Academy fightback seemed to have won some
converts.
Full post