Chile too hot for Brazil

Brazil and Chile competed for second ranking in South American cricket over the Easter weekend. Dean Illott reports:

"Chile's cricket team defeated their Brazilian counterparts 2-1 in three limited over games in Sao Paulo over the Easter weekend.

Chile was an easy winner in the first encounter. Batting first, the team scored 252 for 5 from its allotted 40 overs. A 145-run stand between Dean Ilott and Tim Messner was the backbone of the innings.

Messner dominated the partnership with a bruising 111 (retired), showing scant respect for Brazil's second-string bowlers. Some of his shots around the large Sao Paulo ground were truly awesome. His two best assets as a batsman, confidence and timing, were on clear display.

Coming in at number three after the early loss of one of the openers, Ilott saw off Brazil's quick bowlers, and batted almost throughout the innings, falling in the last over.

In reply, Brazil was never in the hunt and capitulated for just 79, giving Chile a confidence-boosting 173-run victory. Spinner Neil MacFarlane took bowling honors with 4/12 off 5 overs. Veterans Stuart Nelson and Ian Scott also bowled tightly, while the whole team backed the bowlers up with a sound fielding performance, including two good outfield catches by Paddy Patrick.

The second game saw Brazil field its strongest team, and was the one which counted for the Brazil-Chile Cricket Challenge Shield. In the second game Chile sent Brazil in to bat. The surprise move by skipper Nelson seem justified when Brazil was dismissed for a modest 140.

Brazilian opener Graeme Salt held his team's innings together, scoring 67. The next highest contributor was the extras column (25), assisted by some imaginative wide calls from Brazil's umpires. No other batsman made a significant total, with the next highest score being 11.

Salt's sound defensive technique helped him play out some excellent fast bowling from Messner, who bowled with genuine pace and whose figures of 1/14 from 8 overs show how difficult he was to get away.

Messner was well supported by Scott, who consistently found the spot and returned 2/13 from 8 overs. Change bowlers Ilott (0/25 from 8) and Nelson (1/15 from 5) kept the screws on, frustrating the Brazilians' attempts to hit out later in the innings. At the death, Ian Walker cleaned up the tail, taking 4/23 from 4 overs as Brazil tried to slog itself out of trouble.

Chile paid a high price for some dropped catches and a botched run out opportunity on Salt, as he guided Brazil past 100 and gave them something to defend.

Chile's run chase went badly from the start, losing keeper-batsman Guy Hooper before a run was added. Ilott and Patrick steadied things for a while, adding 33 and almost seeing off Brazil's excellent fast bowlers, Alex Swan and David Butcher, whose combined 16 overs yielded only 32 runs for 2 wickets.

On 15, Ilott slammed a return catch off a full toss from Swan's last over. This triggered a collapse that saw Chile lose their next 6 wickets for only 32 runs and wipe out all the previous good work. It was painful to watch, with many wickets falling to bad balls.

But Brazil deserved to win, they held every catch and took advantage of every opportunity. Eventually, they won by a comfortable 50 runs, as Chile slumped to be all out for 90, with only Patrick (19), Nelson (12) and Walker (11 not out) resisting. In a man-of-the-match effort, Salt took 4/15 from 8 overs of penetrating off-spin for Brazil.

Brazil's inability to supply a strong line-up for the third game gave it the feel of an anticlimax, but that takes nothing away from another good all-round effort by Chile, who batted first and set up victory in the decider with 244 runs for 7 wickets in 35 overs. Scott finally found some form, belting 62 runs before retiring, and adding 71 for the third wicket with opener Walker (45).

A 28 run mid-innings cameo by Hooper, adding some entertainment value to a game that was never in doubt. Harry Meakin (24) also kept the scorer busy.

Chile closed their season with a 130-run victory over Brazil. Enrique Valenzuela (3 wickets) and Messner (2 wickets), led the way in the field and made sure of the win.

Game 1: Brazil vs Chile - 40 overs each Chile 252/5 (Messner 111 ret., Ilott 53) beat Brazil 79 (MacFarlane 4/12) by 173 runs.

Game 2: Brazil vs Chile - 40 overs each Brazil 140 (Salt 67, Walker 4/23) beat Chile 90 (Patrick 19, Ilott 15; Salt 4/15) by 50 runs.

Game 3: Brazil vs Chile - 35 overs each Chile 7/244 (Scott 62 ret., Walker 45) beat Brazil 114 (Gilman 28 not out; Valenzula 3/12, Messner 2/15) by 140 runs.