All posts by csb10.top

Western Province enjoyed a productive day against neighbours Boland, holding a clear advantage by the close. Despite struggling on 86 for 4 in the morning session, the middle order pulled the innings around. Dominic Telo and Ryan Canning added 103 for the sixth wicket and then Paul Adams, dropped from Cape Cobras franchise team, weighed in with 47. Hillroy Paulse, a 20-year-old right-arm seamer, claimed his first five-wicket haul before the WP attack fought back. Rory Kleinveldt grabbed two wickets as Boland struggled to the close on 78 for 4.Zimbabwe Under-23 again struggled on the opening day against Border, being skittled for 125 before bad light ended play. Lundi Mbane was the main threat throughout the day, finishing with 5 for 26. Gregory Strydom (30) was the only Zimbabwean to pass 18, striking five boundaries in his 66-ball stay.Runs flowed on the traditionally flat pitch at Potchefstroom where North West ended the day marginally in front after an opening stand of 101 in 21 overs launched their reply to Easterns’ 310. Easterns will feel they missed an opportunity to really cash in, with five of their batsmen passing 40 but none passed Jaco Booysen’s boundary-filled 71. Herman van Straaten also peppered the fence with 12 fours in his 68, but Driaan Steyn, the North West opener, out-paced them all as he raced to 74 off 67 balls by the close.Northerns are closing in on Griqualand West’s first innings after an unbeaten stand of 165 between Johannes Myburgh and Maurice Aronstam. Four of the Griqua batsmen reached fifties but three wickets for Gerald Dros kept them under control. Allrounder Jandre Coetzee continued his good form by top-scoring with 54, but he was powerless with the ball to stop Northerns’ flying start.The bowlers dominated on the first day between Eastern Province and KwaZulu-Natal at the University of Port Elizabeth. EP struggled to 148, scored at barely two-an-over, before KwaZulu-Natal lost two early wickets in reply. In the circumstances Darryl Willemse’s 58 – made in over three hours from 162 balls – was a commendable effort. The wickets were shared around with Robert Frylinck claiming the best figures of 3 for 29.

Steve Harmison has said he is likely to quit cricket if he fails to win back his England place.Writing in his column in the Mail on Sunday, Harmison said that without the lure of international cricket, he could see no point in continuing.”The prospect of playing for England is what drives me and if I felt my chance of doing that was gone the probability is I’d retire from first-class cricket altogether. This is not an ultimatum or me trying to impose conditions on anyone. But I am 29 now and if I felt my England career was over I would be tempted to say I want to do something different with my life.”I am absolutely determined to show I have something to offer England,” he continued. “I certainly do not believe I am finished. After a terrible year for me on the field with injuries, operations and so little cricket it is ridiculous, my aim is to bowl fast, take wickets and give the selectors something to think about.”I have spoken informally to the skipper, Michael Vaughan, and the coach, Peter Moores, and stressed that I still want to play Test cricket and they were pretty positive that both Matthew [Hoggard] and I remain in their plans.”

Pakistan 147 for 4 (Nazir 59) beat New Zealand 143 for 8 (Gul 4-15) by six wickets
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

New Zealand’s least-favourite claim to fame is their status as cricket’s most reliable semi-finalists. In five of the nine World Cups they have reached that stage of the tournament and gone no further, and that pattern was repeated in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20.Chasing 144 for a place in the final, a late wobble from Pakistan’s middle-order wasn’t enough to turn the match back in New Zealand’s favour. Imran Nazir led the assault with a 41-ball 59, adding 60 in seven overs with Mohammad Hafeez, before the captain, Shoaib Malik, sealed the match with a six with seven balls remaining.New Zealand’s participation in this match was unexpected to say the least – South Africa’s astonishing capitulation against India at Durban on Thursday gave them a lifeline, and for much of the match it looked like they were still clinging to it. Pakistan’s bowling was accurate and committed throughout, with Umar Gul outstanding with 3 for 15 in his four overs, and when their own turn came to bat, Nazir and Hafeez flogged the new ball with such gusto that Pakistan were always ahead of the rate.All the same, New Zealand contributed immensely to their own downfall. Ross Taylor enduring a particularly high-profile shocker – while batting he managed to run out both Daniel Vettori and Shane Bond with his non-existent calling, and later in the field he dropped Nazir on 44 at mid-off as Jacob Oram came into the attack.It proved to be a pivotal miss – Nazir smacked two sixes before the over was out to reduce the requirement to 49 from 48 balls with nine wickets in hand, and not even the loss of three wickets in 13 balls could derail their momentum. Nathan McCullum later missed Shoaib in the deep with five runs still to get, but New Zealand’s day in the field was summed up when Lou Vincent was cracked on the back of the head by a pinpoint shy from deep cover. It was an uncharacteristically ragged display all round.Take nothing away from Pakistan, however, whose cartwheeling celebrations at the moment of victory summed up the spirit that has carried them to the final. They dominated the match from the very first over, when Mohammad Asif once again set their agenda with his tight line, length and nip off the seam. Though New Zealand’s openers, Vincent and Brendon McCullum, survived the test to add 50 for the first wicket, they were never able to break the shackles.An untimely rain-break sealed New Zealand’s fate. Vincent fell just nine balls after the resumption, superbly caught by the bowler, Fawad Alam, as he drilled the ball back down the pitch, and McCullum followed soon afterwards for 26, as he swung lustily at a low long-hop from Afridi, and was pinned lbw dead in front of middle stump.Scott Styris thumped a four and a six in his first seven balls before picking out Tanvir with a lofted drive to deep point, and two balls later, Peter Fulton slapped a length delivery to cover. Craig McMillan went for broke and holed out to long-off for 12, as did Oram, who swished across the line and was caught behind off Gul. Taylor’s running then did for the next two batsman, and though he made some amends by taking 17 off Asif’s final over, New Zealand’s total of 143 for 8 never looked like being enough.In response, New Zealand’s bowlers were off the pace – most notably Shane Bond, who was flogged for a first-ball four by Hafeez and was later picked up off a good length over midwicket. Mark Gillespie leaked three boundaries in his first over as well, and at 54 for 0 after six overs, Vettori had no option but to bring himself into the attack at the earliest opportunity. He was as tight and probing as ever with his subtle variations, but Nazir picked the right balls to take on, and both Vettori and Scott Styris were lofted into the stands.Styris made a timely breakthrough when Hafeez went down to sweep his first delivery and was adjudged lbw, but Pakistan were unruffled. They had progressed to 96 for 1 by the time Nazir fell to Jeetan Patel – also lbw – and not even the loss of Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi in quick succession could stop them. Shoaib and Misbah-ul-Haq combined to pick off the remaining 37 runs, and Pakistan’s joy at the finish was unfettered.

Glenn McGrath believes no side will threaten Australia in their push for a third successive World Cup, provided the defending champions keep up their current form. McGrath, who is poised to become the leading wicket-taker in World Cup history, said Australia had the ability to win every match in the tournament, as they did in 2003.”If we go and play the way we have I can’t really see any team getting close to us,” he told . “In any Australian sport it seems that attitude is carried right across the board.” McGrath said his confidence was genuine, like when he correctly tipped a 5-0 win in the Ashes a few months ago.”I don’t say anything I don’t believe,” he said. “We’ve been so successful over such a long time, we know how to win, what we’ve to do.”He said the experience within the squad was a major factor in their belief. McGrath and Ricky Ponting have each played in the last three World Cup finals, Adam Gilchrist in the last two, while Andrew Symonds, Brad Hogg and Matthew Hayden also tasted success in the 2003 decider.”When you walk on the field you just have to look around you, the guys that are walking with you,” McGrath said. “There are some amazing players, some of the greats of all time. It does give you a lot of confidence.”McGrath has 54 World Cup wickets from his four campaigns and is one short of Wasim Akram’s tournament record. However, McGrath said winning a third successive title with his team-mates was his main aim.”Guys like Akram are sort of heroes of mine,” McGrath said. “He is known as one of the best bowlers of all time. To finally go past him, if I get a couple of more wickets, that would be something special. It’s nice to get little milestones along the way but they are not the be-all and end-all.”McGrath, who is farewelling international cricket after the World Cup, said he had no regrets about retiring and spending more time with his wife Jane, who has had cancer and a brain tumour. “If it was just about playing, I think I could continue all the time,” he said.”It’s everything else that goes with it. The travel, the training, you name it, the time away from Jane and the kids. So I’ve been lucky enough to have 14 years at the top level so it’s my turn to move on.”McGrath has the chance to break Akram’s record when Australia take on Bangladesh in Antigua on Saturday. Should Australia win it will be their 17th consecutive victory in World Cup matches.

Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly will face off in the Ranji Trophy Super League final, with both Mumbai and Bengal fielding full-strength squads. Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar and Ramesh Powar have also been included in Mumbai’s 19-member squad, which has four internationals, for the five-day match starting on February 2 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.Ganguly is the lone current Indian player in the Bengal squad. The scheduling of the one-day series between India and Sri Lanka, beginning on February 8, has allowed for the senior players to participate in the Ranji final.Squads
Mumbai Amol Muzumdar (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Ramesh Powar, Sahil Kukreja, Wasim Jaffer, Hiken Shah, Rohit Sharma, Abhishek Nair, Wilkin Mota, Vinayak Samant (wk), Nilesh Kulkarni, Swapnil Hazare, Rajesh Verma, Iqbal Abdullah, Prashant Naik, Bhavin Thakkar and Kshemal WaingankarBengal Deep Dasgupta (capt), Arindam Das, Subhomoy Das, Sourav Ganguly, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Manoj Tiwary, Rohan Gavaskar, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Shiv Sagar Singh, Ranadeb Bose, Sourasish Lahiri, Amitava Chakraborty, Kamal Hassan Mondal, Sourav Sarkar and Ashok Dinda

Australia are sweating on the fitness of Glenn McGrath ahead of tomorrow’s second Test against England at Adelaide. McGrath, who took seven wickets in last week’s Gabba Test including 6 for 50 in the first innings, has been struggling with a bruised heel since the mid-point of that first Test. He did not bowl in yesterday’s net session and played only a minor part in an optional work-out at the Adelaide Oval this morning, and a decision on his fitness will be deferred until tomorrow morning.”It is only a blister and you’d pretty much have to amputate his foot to keep him out of this game,” insisted Ricky Ponting, but there was no doubting the concern in the Australia camp. In the absence of their injured allrounder Shane Watson, Australia are committed to a four-bowler strategy for a match that traditionally favours the batsmen, and Ponting was adamant that there would be no gambles in their selection.”We aren’t going to be able to go into the Test match [with McGrath] unless he’s 100 percent,” Ponting said. “It’s as simple as that. We have to rely on him getting right through the game at his best. With the team balance, we can’t afford to be carrying any bowlers whatsoever. Glenn has to be able to give me what I require of him through the course of the game, and if he can’t then a few more questions will be asked.”McGrath was scheduled to have a further net session later in the day, at the request of the team physiotherapist, Alex Kountouris. “It’s important that he gets a good bowl in today, and wakes up well tomorrow,” said Ponting. “He’s aware of that already and the physio’s spoken to him. It will be hard to keep him out, but he’ll know within himself if he’s not right.”England’s captain, Andrew Flintoff, dismissed any notion that McGrath’s absence would give his side a psychological boost, but the fact remains that in the 2005 Ashes Australia lost both matches that McGrath missed, most notably the corresponding match of the series at Edgbaston. England were again 1-0 down in the series, but when McGrath ricked his ankle on a stray cricket ball on the morning of the match, England’s unfettered batsmen cantered to 407 runs in the first day.McGrath needed two pain-killing injections to get through the Brisbane Test, and Ponting remained optimistic that the problem would be sorted before the toss tomorrow. “Once he’d had an injection at Brisbane he was absolutely pain-free, and me knowing that means there shouldn’t be too much interruption at all through the game,” he said. “But hopefully he will come up alright today and we won’t have to worry about injections”I don’t see why it would get any worse. He’s had this callus on his heel for about 15 years of his career. It got worse last year, but he’s seen a podiatrist and changed his inner soles and shoes to take the pressure away. We hope he comes through with flying colours today.”Even so, Australia have yet to release either of their reserve seamers, Mitchell Johnson or Shaun Tait, from the 13-man squad. McGrath’s absence would be doubly destabilising for Australia given the wayward performance of Brett Lee at Brisbane, something that Ponting attributed to the slippery nature of the popping crease at the Gabba.”Troy Cooley’s had a good session with Brett, working on his run-up and rhythm,” said Ponting. “He was forced to go wide of the crease in Brisbane because he couldn’t keep his front foot and that was in the back of his mind up there. But did steam in in the nets yesterday, and bowled at a very good pace.”

Sreesanth will replace Ajit Agarkar in the Indian squad for the remainder of the Champions Trophy after Agarkar sustained a hairline fracture on his left thumb during the match against West Indies. Sreesanth will arrive in Mohali – the venue for India’s last group stage match against Australia – later this afternoon, and will be available for selection for Sunday’s match.Agarkar apparently suffered the injury trying to stop a full-blooded drive from Runako Morton during Thursday’s game. With Munaf Patel also doubtful due to a wrist sprain and RP Singh clearly out of his depth, India face a serious predicament ahead of the Australia game.The approval to replace Agarkar with Sreesanth was given by the ICC’s Technical Committee. The ICC rules clearly prohibit replacement in the course of the tournament if the player concerned had a recent history of injuries. But a replacement is allowed if the injury to the player concerned was totally unforeseen. Agarkar’s injury obviously falls in this category, hence permission for the replacement was granted.Sreesanth, who averages 34.38 from the 19 one-day matches he has played for India, was not picked for the Champions Trophy – a surprise exclusion. His performance in the one-day series in West Indies recently was mediocre – in the three games he played Sreesanth gave away 158 runs for two wickets – but his attitude and willingness to learn were appreciated by the team mangement, which made his omission from the tournament surprising.Speaking to Cricinfo, Sreesanth admitted that he was pleasantly surprised at being called up, focussing on the season ahead. “Honestly, I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news,” he said. “I’ve been training hard, trying to make it to the South African tour, also looking ahead to my next Duleep Trophy game. This comes as a great opportunity for me.”Though his initial omission from the Champions Trophy squad was a setback, Sreesanth said that there was no shortage of motivation, from within and from senior players. He impressed in South Zone’s comprehensive win over West Zone in Indore, picking up five wickets.”I have always beleived in myself,” he continued. “The presence of so many senior players like [Anil] Kumble, VVS Laxman in the Duleep Trophy match helped and they kept encouraging me.”

Division 1

Durham needed a mere six overs and four balls to wrap up their first Championship victory of the season – a steamrollering of Kent at Canterbury. Min Patel delayed the inevitable with a bolshy 61, at nearly a run-a-ball, but he was cleverly deceived by Ottis Gibson’s slower ball to hand Durham only their second win against Kent. Gibson, 37, finished with the impressive figures of 3 for 58 as Durham won by the convincing margin of an innings and 56 runs.Warwickshire toiled hard without any success on the final day of their match against Sussex at Hove, and were scuppered by two brilliant hundreds from Murray Goodwin (214*) and Michael Yardy (159*). The pair broke the county’s record for the third wicket with an undefeated stand of 385, which had previously been held by Ranjitsinhji and Ernest Killick against Lancashire at Hove in 1901. There was still a danger of the hosts capitulating on the final morning – they trailed by 41 at the start of play – but Yardy and Goodwin defied the bowlers manfully. Yardy hit 17 fours in his 274-ball marathon, while Goodwin was a touch more aggressive in his strokeplay, lofting two big sixes and 23 fours as the game petered out into a draw.Chris Read continued his excellent early-season form with an unbeaten, and sprightly, hundred for Nottinghamshire against Yorkshire in what became a meaningless encounter at Nottingham. Rain ruined the first and third day’s play, leaving the fourth day a leather-chasing affair. Darren Bicknell struck a patient 95 and Russell Warren made 93 before Read took the attack to Yorkshire. After a relatively sedate 85-ball fifty, he opened his shoulders – taking four fours off one John Blain over – moving to his hundred in style with a lofted six. The run-spree gave Nottinghamshire – last year’s champions and considered by many to be favourites this year – maximum bonus points, and Read his second hundred in as many games.

Division 2

A brutal 157 from David Sales set Essex an unlikely 381 to win against Northamptonshire. After losing three wickets with 96 on the board, Alastair Cook – who made 88 in the first innings – caressed an excellent unbeaten 103 to steady the ship, and enhance his claims for an England place against Sri Lanka in May. After Cook blunted the game, the two captains agreed to the draw and took seven points each.Rikki Clarke’s brilliant 130 helped save Surrey’s blushes on the final day against Derbyshire at the Oval, avoiding Surrey’s first opening-round defeat since 1990. At one point, it seemed Derbyshire – who suffered a dreadful season last year – might record their first victory at the Oval in 40 years when Surrey slipped to 246 for 5, holding a lead of just 62. Clarke, though, combined well with Azhar Mahmood (46), with whom he put on 125 in 31 overs. His eighth first-class hundred came from 152 balls, and shortly before half-past-five the players shook hands leaving Surrey on 476 for 8.

Division Two

The game of the day – although, in truth, there wasn’t much competition – came at Taunton where Marcus Trescothick and Neil Edwards helped to hunt down 121 in the last session to help Somerset climb to the top of Division Two.But Trescothick injured his quad muscle and had to bat with a runner during his innings of 69. Nevertheless, he and Edwards batted with an Australian-like aggression to post 50 in the first five overs. In the end, their stand was worth 95, with Cameron White then anchoring as Trescothick saw them home with 69 from 42 balls.Earlier, Lance Klusener’s 122 led Northamptonshire‘s brave battle to hold out for the draw. Starting with three down and trailing by 161 runs, Northants lost three quick wickets and were in some trouble at 120 for 6. Then came a remarkable seventh-wicket stand of 173 between Klusener and Alex Wakely, who added 66. Johan wan der Wath contributed 37 as Northants reached 358 to make Somerset bat again.Andrew Caddick ended with 4 for 91 in the second innings, to finish with seven wickets this match. He now has 46 in his nine Championship matches this term.Two days of rain at Trent Bridge, rendered Nottinghamshire‘s match with Gloucestershire a draw, as Somerset eased past them to the top. Notts moved on from 271 for 4 to 400 for 8 – David Hussey moving on to 180 and Chris Read made 52 – before Gloucestershire declared after the first ball to bring an early finish.

Division One

A similar story at Edgbaston where, also after two rained-out days, Yorkshire had to settle for a draw with Warwickshire. In another parallel, Yorkshire made 400 before declaring (with nine down). Anthony McGrath was left unbeaten on 188. Warwickshire eased to 254 for 2 in reply, Darren Maddy not out on 135 and there were fifties too for the Ians Westwood (51) and Bell (65). Yorkshire gained enough bonus points to squeeze ahead of Sussex at the top of the table.Division One

Division Two

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out