Report
Natal Fought Back in the final session
It was hardly the most inspirational of opening days at Kingsmead yesterday as Boland dawdled to 215 for five in easy batting conditions on day one of Natal's first home SuperSport Series match of the season
Ken Borland
15-Oct-1999
It was hardly the most inspirational of opening days at Kingsmead
yesterday as Boland dawdled to 215 for five in easy batting conditions
on day one of Natal's first home SuperSport Series match of the
season.
With a powerful pace attack (Pollock, Klusener, Baptiste and Veenstra)
and no regular spinner in the line-up, Natal captain Dale Benkenstein
opted to bowl first after winning the toss, hoping to take advantage
of early morning conditions at Kingsmead that normally assist the
seamers. But with clear skies overhead, whatever grass was on the
pitch quickly withered under the sun and it was the Boland batsmen who
held the upper hand for most of the day. But oh!, did they take their
time about it.
Their inexperienced openers, Craig Wilson educated at Maritzburg
College and James Henderson, did well to take Boland to within
half-an-hour of lunch with their stand of 54. Henderson, the more
fluent of the two on his way to 35, fell as soon as West Indian
quickie Eldine Baptiste came on to bowl, edging the perfect
away-swinger to a left-hander low to second slip.
But Boland were well-placed at lunch (68 for one), Wilson looking very
solid and reminding one of the recently-retired Kepler Wessels, while
Louis Koen was set. But instead of the expected golden period of
batting after that, with the Natal attack tamed by the conditions,
Boland never dominated the bowling. Wilson and Koen never attempted to
push the scoring rate along and, content to occupy the crease, they
added just 68 runs in the 31 overs between lunch and tea. The Natal
bowlers stuck to their task well but their enthusiasm was clearly
dampened by the surprising lack of assistance from the pitch.
Full postSSS: Border v Easterns at East London, Day One
Wayne Wiblin's 80 in four hours off 207 balls and including 10 fours was perhaps not the most attacking innings from a batsman who likes nothing better than lashing leather with willow
Telford Vice
14-Oct-1999
Wayne Wiblin's 80 in four hours off 207 balls and including 10 fours was perhaps not the most attacking innings from a batsman who likes nothing better than lashing leather with willow. But it was a vital intervention in an innings that was on the skids at 70-3.
Not that Easterns did not deserve their advantage. Andre Nel's first eight overs cost as many runs and he had Botha caught behind into the bargain, while Phil Simmons used his experience in posting a first spell of 2-13 off eight.
The rot stopped with Wiblin and Mark Boucher, who shared 84 runs in their defiant fourth-wicket partnership before left-arm spinner Ant Botha sent Boucher packing. He was replaced by a batsman of equally impressive backbone, Border captain Pieter Strydom, and Border's rehabilitation was completed with a fifth-wicket stand of 78.
Wiblin eventually tossed away his opportunity to score what would have been his sixth first-class century with a ragged drive which saw him caught behind, but his job was done.
Full postHyderabad Strike Back
After being dismissed for 197, Hyderabad struck back by taking four Andhra wickets for 53 runs by stumps on the first day of their Ghulam Ahmed Trophy under-19 cricket match in Hyderabad on Sunday.Hyderabad were well placed at lunch with the
Blessington Thomas
12-Oct-1999
After being dismissed for 197, Hyderabad struck back by taking four Andhra wickets for 53 runs by stumps on the first day of their Ghulam Ahmed Trophy under-19 cricket match in Hyderabad on Sunday.Hyderabad were well placed at lunch with the scoreboard reading 128 for three. In fact they lost the wicket of Ibrahim Khaleel (40) to the penultimate ball before lunch after he had added 76 runs for the third wicket.
He was adjudged leg before by N R Pai, a verdict which came as a surprise to the batsman.After the fall of opener Avinash Pai (75) at 150 in the 54th over, Hyderabad lost its remaining batsman for a mere 47 runs. They were happily positioned at 151 for three at one stage.In the remaining time Hyderabad struck back to claim Andhra's top order batsmen.It is a do or die situation for Hyderabad as they are very much behind in the points tally. A draw will take Andhra to the knockout stage, while Hyderabad has to win this encounter with full eight points to qualify for the knock-out stage to take second or third spot.
Full postNorth West v KwaZulu-Natal at Potchefstroom, match report
SUPERSPORT Series minnows North West fought back bravely against the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins at Potchefstroom yesterday in front of a noisily appreciative crowd of more than 1 000 people
Patrick Compton
12-Oct-1999
DAY 1
SUPERSPORT Series minnows North West fought back bravely against
the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins at Potchefstroom yesterday in front of
a noisily appreciative crowd of more than 1 000 people.
Facing an intimidating Dolphins total of 504-3 declared, the
Dragons made decent progress towards achieving their follow-on
target of 355, finishing on 258-6. The visitors may still be in
charge, but they were made to work hard in the hot Potch sun
yesterday.
The home side owed a great deal to their elegant middle-order
batsman, Glen Hewitt, who struck his maiden first-class century.
Considering that he couldn't make the side last season, the
26-year-old from Johannesburg was a revelation, playing a
succession of lovely strokes on an admittedly flat pitch
designed to break the hearts of bowlers. He needed some luck,
somehow surviving a huge shout for lbw off Klusener, a caught
behind appeal off Dale Benkenstein and being caught behind off a
Ross Veenstra no-ball. But in general he looked well in command.
Full postAndhra take Lead
Andhra were well placed at close of play on the second day of their South Zone under-19 cricket match for the Ghulam Ahmed Trophy against Hyderabad at Hyderabad on Monday
Blessington Thomas
12-Oct-1999
Andhra were well placed at close of play on the second day of their South Zone under-19 cricket match for the Ghulam Ahmed Trophy against Hyderabad at Hyderabad on Monday. After taking a first innings lead of 37 runs, Andhra took six Hyderabad second innings wickets for 111 runs by stumps.Hyderabad are ahead by only 74 runs with four wickets in hand and Andhra look all set to take eight points from the match on the final day tomorrow.
Raj Kiran [53] and Md Faiq [66] helped Andhra get past Hyderabad's total for their team to get the vital first innings lead. They added 91 runs for the eighth wicket.
Resuming at 53 for four, Andhra lost their captain Y Venugopala Rao who was leg before to Indrasekhar Reddy at 76 after adding 39 runs with his younger brother Gnangeswara Rao off 19.1 overs. Half an hour later, Gnaneswara Rao also departed, caught at gully by Raghuram Janak in Arjun Yadav's third over for a well made 33 inclusive of two fours and a six off Arjun Yadav over long-on.
Dimunative Zakir Baig joined Raj Kiran at 92 for 6 and they added a valuable 28 runs for the seventh wicket off 11.5 overs. Zakir Baigh was then neatly caught at short leg by Shashank Nag off Indrasekhar Reddy for 12. At 120 for 7 off 59.1 overs Andhra were in danger of folding up before lunch. But luck favoured Andhra, as Raj Kiran was dropped by the bowler Arjun Yadav when the batsman was 2 in Andhra's total of 79/5. Thereafter, he batted sensibly to take his team into the lead in the company of Md. Faiq. Raj Kiran was eighth out at 211 after a job well done.
Full postEasy win for Australians in warm-up
The Australians completed a convincing 244-run victory over the ZCU President's XI at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, after tea on the third day
John Ward
11-Oct-1999
The Australians completed a convincing 244-run victory over the
ZCU President's XI at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, after tea on
the third day. They completely dominated the final day's play
until easing off late in the final innings. The day's highlights
included some superb bowling by Damien Fleming and an impressive
fighting innings of 47 by Greg Lamb for the home team in the face
of great adversity.
Steve Waugh's 54th career century, cut short on 99 overnight, was
delayed by a maiden over by John Rennie; it was not until the
first ball of Rennie's next over that he was able to drive him
straight for two to bring up three figures. It took him 109
balls, and one could almost say that he was warmly applauded by
both spectators, so thin was the Bulawayo Monday morning 'crowd'.
They continued to accumulate, with Mark Waugh twice playing
skilful late cuts for four off Rennie and then driving Brandes
magnificently to the extra-cover and then the long-off boundary
to bring up the 300-run lead.
When Greg Lamb came on to bowl his slow medium-pace, Steve hit
him for four and a massive six over midwicket, and next over even
Brandes got the treatment, hit over his head for six and then a
one-bounce four over mid-on. Both batsmen were now hitting at
everything, with power taking precedence over technique. Steve
reached his third fifty off 33 balls, but when on 152 sent up a
steepling skyer off Lamb, only for Brandes at midwicket to
misjudge it completely, close to the sun, and the chance went
down, with the batsman already having walked ten metres back
towards the pavilion.
Brandes made up for his lapse shortly afterwards, holding a
mishit at extra cover off the bowling of Mbangwa. Steve had made
161 off 146 balls, and the score was 255 for three. Mark was
then on 90, and it took him another 25 minutes before he hit
Mbangwa wide of mid-on to reach his 72nd first-class century off
155 balls. Still the declaration did not come, as Mark and Ian
Healy continued to take their net practice in the middle. Mark
eventually fell for 116 to a catch by Mark Vermeulen near the
midwicket boundary off the gentle off-spin of Trevor Gripper,
making the total 303 for four.
Full postZimbabwe President's XI v Australians, day 2 match report
Two fine attacking innings, by Trevor Madondo of the President's XI and Steve Waugh of Australia, were the highlights of the second day's play between the two teams, which finished with the tourists 274 runs ahead with eight second-innings wickets
John Ward
10-Oct-1999
Bulawayo, close of second day:
Two fine attacking innings, by Trevor Madondo of the President's
XI and Steve Waugh of Australia, were the highlights of the
second day's play between the two teams, which finished with the
tourists 274 runs ahead with eight second-innings wickets
standing.
Trevor Gripper and Mark Vermeulen continued this morning from
their overnight score of 25 for one, against the bowling of the
immaculate Glenn McGrath and the somewhat more erratic Matthew
Nicholson. Vermeulen took his score to 15 before, playing
forward to McGrath, bowling accurately but within himself, he got
a thin outside edge to present wicket-keeper Ian Healy with a
regulation catch. The score was now 36 for two.
Trevor Madondo came in with more aggressive intent than his
predecessors, but looked capable and a more mature player than
when he made his Test debut eighteen months ago. Gripper looked
as solid as ever, taking most of McGrath before shattering the
latter's hitherto economical figures by turning him for three
through midwicket. Nicholson, in need of bowling practice,
bowled four wides down the leg side to Gripper; after a bye,
Madondo cracked him away handsomely off the back foot backward of
point for four.
Full postElliott, Vimpani steer Victoria to MMC victory
Victorian opening batsmen Matthew Elliott and Graeme Vimpani combined to lead the Bushrangers to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over the New South Wales Blues in the opening match of the Mercantile Mutual Cup season at North Sydney Oval today
Rick Eyre
10-Oct-1999
Victorian opening batsmen Matthew Elliott and Graeme Vimpani combined to lead the Bushrangers to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over the New South Wales Blues in the opening match of the Mercantile Mutual Cup season at North Sydney Oval today.
Elliott (103) and Vimpani (93) added 194 for the first wicket as Victoria successfully pursued a New South Wales total of 6 for 240 which never seemed adequate. The Bushrangers were in cruise mode when they secured the win with thirteen balls to spare.
NSW captain Michael Bevan won the toss and elected to bat in warm, sunny conditions. The Blues lost two early wickets, Rodney Davison (7) and Brad Haddin (8 in his NSW debut), before Bevan and Corey Richards combined for a 99-run partnership in 23 overs. The scoring rarely exceeded four an over until after the halfway mark of the innings. Bevan was dismissed in the 29th over after top-edging to Vimpani at mid-off. He had scored 41 from 81 deliveries, including the first six of the tournament.
Richards was finally dismissed for a impressive 75, supported by Graeme Rummans (45). The Blues scored seventy runs in the last ten overs, with late rallies from Shane Lee (19) and Mark Higgs (14*), the latter lofting the ball onto the roof of the O'Reilly stand past the mid-wicket boundary.
Full postZimbabwe President's XI v Australians, day 1
Justin Langer, after struggling for runs in Sri Lanka, welcomed the opportunity to get some batting practice in less testing conditions in Bulawayo, scoring a fine 148 to dominate the Australians' total of 335 for seven wickets declared against the
John Ward
09-Oct-1999
Day 1:
Justin Langer, after struggling for runs in Sri Lanka, welcomed
the opportunity to get some batting practice in less testing
conditions in Bulawayo, scoring a fine 148 to dominate the
Australians' total of 335 for seven wickets declared against the
ZCU President's XI. The home side should have done considerably
better against the unacclimatised tourists, but spoilt their
performance with a poor display in the field, several chances
being missed.
The Australians had arrived in Bulawayo to find unseasonably
wintry conditions facing them: overcast skies and an icy wind,
almost unknown for Bulawayo in traditionally the hottest month of
the year. The match day dawned similarly, but fortunately soon
after eight in the morning the skies began to clear and normal
October service was resumed. The crowd, if it can be so termed,
gradually swelled during the day until it reached several
hundred. Press facilities at Queens unfortunately remain
primitive, the media being housed in a decrepit old commentary
box without proper telephone lines. However we are assured that
a proper press box is next on the list of ground development.
Eddo Brandes won the toss for the President's XI and, hopeful of
some early life, the only concession the Queens Sports Club pitch
usually makes to bowlers, put the tourists in to bat. He opened
the bowling with John Rennie, but was unable to trouble the
batsmen at first. Michael Slater began by pulling a four through
midwicket, and in Brandes' next over pulled and cut boundaries
off consecutive balls. He hooked again at a bouncer outside off
stump, but a confident appeal for a catch at the wicket was
rejected. Brandes then began to appreciate the folly of bowling
short to Australians and pitched the ball further up, as Rennie
did from the start, and the scoring rate dropped. Greg Blewett
led a less spectacular life than Slater, but hit a superb four
off Brandes through extra cover. Rennie caused both batsmen to
play with care, swinging the ball predominantly in to the
right-hander.
Full postLara's genius as West Indies take the series
With a swashbuckling 117 off 62 balls by captain Brian Lara, the visiting West Indies beat Bangladesh by 109 runs at the floodlit Bangabandhu National Stadium Saturday to clinch the Biman Millenium Cup
Zahid Newaz
09-Oct-1999
With a swashbuckling 117 off 62 balls by captain Brian Lara, the visiting West Indies beat Bangladesh by 109 runs at the floodlit Bangabandhu National Stadium Saturday to clinch the Biman Millenium Cup.
This was the second consecutive defeat for the hosts to lose the two-match day-night one-day series by 0-2. Bangladesh experienced their first defeat to the Calypsos by 73 runs on Friday. Earlier, they drew the rain-interrupted three-dayer on October 4-6.
Chasing the massive West Indies total of 314 runs, Bangladesh was dismissed for 205 in 49.1 overs.
In the day's second ODI match, minnows Bangladesh in fact met the defeat in the very early overs when Caribbean captain Brian Lara winning the toss opted to bat first and he along with the other opener Sherwin Campbell started to slaughter the Bangladesh bowlers.
Full post