All posts by csb10.top

Veteran left-hander Hashan Tillakaratne became the first Sri Lankan to score a century on a South African soil, batting himself into contention for a late call-up into Sri Lanka’s one-day squad on the second day of the second Test at SuperSport Park on Saturday.Tillakaratne was discarded from Sri Lanka’s original 16-man squad for the five-match one-day series that follows this Test on Thursday, but his determined unbeaten 104 has prompted a re-think with the selectors now keen for him to stay on in South Africa.The obdurate 35-year-old, who has now scored four centuries since being recalled to the Test side in August 2001, ensured Sri Lanka reached a competitive 323 in their first innings, a significant improvement on their performance at Wanderers when they were bowled out for 192 and 130.However, Sri Lanka then laboured hard in the field as opener Herschelle Gibbs, who missed the opening Test after suffering from back spasms on the morning of the match, and Jacques Kallis scored unbeaten half centuries during an unbroken third-wicket partnership that has so far yielded 112 runs.After an afternoon of attritional cricket in which both sides grappled for the upper hand, South Africa finished the day on 183 for two, still 143 runs in arrears but with an opportunity to build a first-innings lead on Sunday.Gibbs was nearly caught on 32 when he top-edged a pull and looked fortunate tosurvive a bat-pad appeal off spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, but otherwiseoozed authority, finishing the day not out 76.Kallis, the Man of the Match at Wanderers, was once again in good form, although his less than dynamic style failed to prevent the spectators filingoff to watch the South Africa-Scotland rugby international during a soporific evening session. He finished the day on 69, the fifth time he has passed 50 in consecutive innings.Sri Lanka failed to make inroads with the new ball but Dilhara Fernando, who rediscovered his bowling rhythm after an ill-disciplined performance in the first Test, grabbed two quick wickets in the afternoon.Left-handed opener Graeme Smith was trapped lbw for 15 with Fernando’s first delivery of the innings, and number three batsman Gary Kirsten was well caught for 11 off the shoulder of his bat by a Hasantha Fernando diving forward at gully.However, the Sri Lankan bowling attack rarely threatened afterwards, Muralitharan included, and stand-in captain Marvan Atapattu was forced into employing defensive tactics for much of the evening.Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka’s tail had crumpled after a lively marathon spell from Makhaya Ntini, who took three wickets in five balls and came within a whisker of a hat-trick.Chaminda Vaas (7) survived for 35 minutes before edging a lifting delivery,Chamila Gamage (2) prodded nervously into the hands of short leg and DilharaFernando (0) gloved his first ball.On 91 when lastman Muralitharan walked out to the crease, it looked as thoughTillakaratne would miss the chance to reach three figures for the tenth timein his career, but Muralitharan played with exaggerated caution and Tillakaratne eventually celebrated his hundred after a dab to third man.Muralitharan, relieved of the responsibility, then launched an entertainingoffensive, frustrating the South Africans as he clubbed five fours and a sixin a 27-run cameo that carried Sri Lanka past 300.Kallis finally ended the valuable 42-run partnership, a record for Sri Lankaagainst South Africa, when he clean bowled Muralitharan.Nitini finished with four for 86, but the economical Shaun Pollock was thepick of the South African bowling with two from 51 from 29 probing overs.

Bob Woolmer has confirmed his intention to stand down as Warwickshire’s first-team coach at the end of the season.Woolmer does not wish to extend his contract, and will finish his second stint in charge of the Bears in September.The former England batsman said a major reason for his decision was being away from his family and his Cape Town home for six months of each year.He has offered to maintain his links with Edgbaston on a part-time consultancy basis if required.Woolmer re-joined Warwickshire after a five-year stint as coach of the South Africa national team, and took them to promotion to Division One of the County Championship last season.Last month Warwickshire beat Essex in the last-ever final of the Benson and Hedges Cup at Lord’s. It was the club’s first one-day trophy since 1997.

The Tasmanian Selectors have today announced the following two teams to participate in trial matches being held at Anzac Park, Lindisfarne on Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September 2002.Ramshaw’s team: Sean Clingeleffer, Luke Williams, Graeme Cunningham, Daniel Marsh, T Scott, Dane Anderson, Shannon Tubb, David Saker, Gerard Denton, Adam Griffith, Matthew Pascoe.McFadyen’s team: Michael Dighton, Scott Mason, Brett Thomas, George Bailey, Adam Polkinghorne, Shane McDermott, Brett Geeves, Xaver Doherty, Shane Jurgensen, Andrew Downton.The matches will be one-day fixtures and the hours of play are:

Friday 13th September 2002 11.30pm – 5.00pm
Saturday 14th September 2002 11.30am – 5.00pm
Sunday 15th September 2002 11.30am – 5.00pm

This will be the first opportunity for the media to see, in action, members of the Cascade Tasmanian Tigers including new recruit Luke Williams.Scott Kremerskothen, Ben Oliver and Ben Hilfenhaus are unavailable, recovering from injury, while, Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, Luke Butterworth, Dene Hills, Chris Bassano, Jamie Cox, Michael DiVenuto and Damien Wright are all still overseas, in England or representing Australia.Captaincy will be shared over the three days with six players taking this responsibility.These matches take place following a successful seven-day game and development camp in Sydney. The Cascade Tasmanian Tigers played two One-Day games against New Zealand and a twoday game against New South Wales as well as a series of conditioning, recovery, fielding and net sessions.On the playing side of the trip, much was gained by the squad during the three games. Luke Williams, Graeme Cunningham and Michael Dighton all scored centuries whilst other batsmen displayed some excellent form.With the ball, Gerard Denton bowled with good pace and looks to be in career best form, following a spate of injuries. David Saker and Shane Jurgensen impressed with their control and rhythm while spinners Tubb and Doherty lived up to their reputations as two of the highest ranked young spinners in the country.Cascade Tasmanian Tigers Coach, Brian McFadyen said: "The outstanding development was the overall performance of the team and individuals following limited outdoor cricket preparation."He added: "From this, our self belief will continue to develop from the latter part of last season."

Somerset Second’s had the better of the final day of their championship match against Gloucestershire that ended yesterday.Starting the day with a first innings lead of 4 runs, Somerset lost early wickets and seamed in danger of being dismissed cheaply until Scott Cunningham hit an impressive unbeaten 110 supported by triallist Rob Sloley who scored 55 to allow the Cidermen to declare on 263 for 9.Batting for a second time Gloucestershire had reached 56 for 1 before the game was called off as a draw.Somerset take 10 points and Gloucestershire 7 points.The Seconds are next in action on Wednesday when they travel to Knowle and Dorridge Cricket Club near Solihull to take on Warwickshire in a 3 day championship match.

All things considered, Australia could hardly have picked a better way to finish the match, clinch the series and retain the World Test Championship title. At one end was Shane Warne, playing his 100th Test and shortly to be named man of the match; at the other Ricky Ponting whose six off the last ball sealed Australia’s four-wicket victory and carried him to an unbeaten 100.Set 331 to win their fifth Test of the summer against South Africa, Steve Waugh’s Australians got home halfway between lunch and tea on the last day at Newlands on Tuesday.They had been given a blistering start on Monday evening by Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden and at least until lunch seem to be coasting to victory. Hayden missed his fifth century of the summer against South Africa by just four runs when for once his shot selection let him down and his was caught behind off Jacques Kallis and Mark Waugh was out on the stoke of lunch, also caught at the wicket, this time off Makhaya Ntini.But 251 for three, Australia were all but home until South Africa, who fought doggedly throughout the game, produced one last spurt. Paul Adams nipped out Steve Waugh and Damien Martyn in successive overs and it suddenly became just a little tighter, even more so when Adam Gilchrist got out for the first time in the series for 24 (to average 366).It was still Australia’s game to be won, but Warne had to cast aside the ice packs and see his side home. In what was to be the penultimate over, he hit Kallis twice through the off side to reduce the target to just three, apologising both times to Ponting who was stuck down at the other end on 94.He needn’t have worried. Adams produced a friendly long hop, Ponting hoisted him over the ropes and the Test, series and championship had been decided.It had been an excellent Test match with South Africa’s three new caps firing the side with fresh enthusiasm and fight and Adams coming back to complete 100 Test wickets. For once Australia had been challenged, as Steve Waugh readily admitted afterwards."It was certainly up there (among the best Test matches he has been involved in)," he said. "At the end of day three I thought South Africa were marginally on top. It was a very good performance. We hung in through the tough periods and those two run-outs probably swung the match for us."South African captain Mark Boucher had a slightly different take on it, citing the Hayden-Langer stand as having taken the match away from South Africa on the fourth evening. He conceded that on the last day he often found himself caught between wanting to attack and having to defend, but while he said he was disappointed to have lost, "I’m proud of the way the guys fought. We showed the sort of guts that have been missing for the past few games".In the end, though, Australia found match-winning performances from Warne – "He writes his own scripts," observed Waugh – who took six for 161 in an astonishing 70 overs, Gilchrist, who made a sublime 138 not out in the first innings, Ponting and, of course, Hayden."I didn’t see Bradman bat," said Waugh. "But he couldn’t have been much better than that."Given that South Africa were widely regarded as the only serious threat to Australia’s supremacy at the start of the summer, Steve Waugh’s team have now confirmed their standing as the best Test team in the world today. For once the South Africans found the stomach for a fight, but yet again Australia’s confidence, aggression and skill prevailed.Few will begrudge them this particular moment of triumph.

The Logan Cup in Harare has finally reached the 20th century, although perhaps not the 21st! For the first time at Harare Sports Club, during the match between Mashonaland and Mashonaland A, the big scoreboard was in full operation, giving details of individual scores, bowling figures and most of the information that had hitherto been available only at international matches.Congratulations to the Mashonaland Cricket Association and Gavin Johnstone-Robertson in particular for organizing that. The players were most appreciative of being kept aware of their statistics, and there were a few spectators who responded positively as well – there would no doubt have been more had the match been properly advertised. The local press is very negligent with regard to Logan Cup cricket, but the local authorities must also bear responsibility for the failure to advertise first-class domestic cricket adequately.But at least a properly functioning scoreboard is a big step forward, and Harare has now caught up with Kwekwe and Mutare. I have no news as to whether Bulawayo has yet reached the 20th century by using their main scoreboard for Logan Cup matches, but last season they did not.In this issue, as the current Zimbabwe season sadly fades away with a whimper, courtesy of the Australian let-down, we have new biographies of Academy players Glenn Goosen and Piet Rinke, and an updated biography of Nyasha Chari. Besides our provincial reports, we include an interview with Grant Flower after his return from India and his double-century against Mashonaland.Mashonaland have again shot into the Logan Cup lead with yet another outright victory, beating Mashonaland A easily by seven wickets, thanks to twin centuries in the match by Andy Flower and a very accommodating declaration that left them 340 to win in a full day’s play on a batting paradise. Midlands, who had hopes of winning the Logan Cup after a fine season, could be excused for feeling bitter at Mashonaland A’s declaration, especially since last season they were similarly helpful to their sister team, forfeiting their entire first innings so as to force a result in a rain-affected match.Mashonaland are undoubtedly the premier province, and the country’s cricketing strength plays here. It is not good for cricket that they should win so easily so often, though, especially as at times they appear over-confident and arrogant. The attitude of other teams, including Mashonaland A, should be to give them nothing and make them fight all the way for their success. Manicaland, still without a win, have been the only team to come close to beating Mashonaland in the past two seasons, and they have done it twice. They too must be unhappy at seeing the other Mashonaland side hand them easy victories.

The last day of the Northern Districts-Otago Shell Trophy match descended into a revolving-door farce as bad light and drizzly rain – and Otago’s intention to use up every minute of the day in the search of victory – had the players on and off throughout the afternoon.However, the tone of the last day was set in the first hour. The Northern batsmen showed no inclination to go for runs while the Otago bowlers, Paul Wiseman apart, demonstrated limited ability to make the batsmen work to keep their wickets.A desultory morning session produced just 46 runs from 39 overs with Otago claiming the wickets of Hamish Marshall (four, no shot leg before) and Grant Bradburn (18, hanging the bat) more by the batsmen’s failings than the bowlers’ management. Northern, 61 for three and 22 behind overnight, were 107 for five at lunch, 44 ahead with Matthew Hart and Joseph Yovich demonstrating they were in for the long haul.Rain delayed the start after lunch and then sent the players off early for an extended tea break. In between times, the Otago bowlers failed to make the best use of the new ball, bowling both sides of the wicket as Hart and Yovich kept their bats well clear of anything not on line.The last session was similarly affected by rain, the players driven from the field five overs after the break but not before the Otago side had staged a mid-pitch display of displeasure at umpire Anderson’s rejection of a spirited demand for a caught behind off David Sewell’s bowling.They came back again with 20 overs scheduled to be bowled in what was left of the day but only four more were completed before bad light intervened for the last time, the umpires left lonely figures in the middle before the captains eventually decided to put the match to bed at four minutes past six.Northern were 149 for five when the curtain was drawn to little applause, the total having taken 100 overs. Hart batted 204 minutes and 135 balls for his 31 not out, Yovich 142 and 123 for his 30 not out. The Otago bowling figures, not surprisingly, looked impressively economic, Sewell two for 24 off 24, Scott two for 27 off 14 and Walmsley one for 36 off 16 the wicket-takers. But it was the off spin of Paul Wiseman, none for 23 off 31, that produced figures that reflected appropriate accuracy.Northern played as though they were looking ahead to the final-round match against Wellington, which has turned into a Trophy final – the two sides the only ones left who can take the championship. On the evidence in this match, a much improved all round performance will be necessary to stop Wellington taking the title – and extracting revenge for the two-day drubbing at Northern’s hands at the beginning of the month.

England’s Andrew Caddick and Darren Gough must now be among the most devastating opening partnerships in world cricket.After the innings defeat of Pakistan, the pair could be entitled to put their feet up after uprooting 16 batsmen between them.The visitors simply had no answer to the different styles of the two pacemen. Caddick, tall and angular with an action that owes not a little to Sir Richard Hadlee, found bounce and movement off the wicket, while Gough, pitching the ball up further than his opening partner, was more reliant on speed and swing.The Yorkshireman, who took his 200th wicket during the game, was delighted to pick up his first five-wicket return at headquarters and so get his name on the Lord’s honours board.”The main one was to get up on the board. I knew I had only one ballto do it because Caddy was on at the other end, and I’m sure he would havestopped me again.”That five means more to me than 200 wickets – that’s on the board and thereforever. I’d have got the 200 at some stage.”I expected us to bowl them out, whether we made them follow on I didn’tknow. Once we made them follow on it was a case of just keeping going, but ithelps when you knock the first two over early.”It was a great atmosphere. Lately we’ve started to play well at Lord’s andthe crowd have got behind us.”We are playing well, we are on top of our game and we got the result. Soonenough we’ll be playing the best side in the world in Australia.”What the public wants is to see us compete with Australia. The people willbe happy if they see England fighting in a competitive close series.”Caddick added: “The two of us use the new ball well because we capitalise ontaking early wickets, that helps. You’ve got to make the most of it and it seemsthat in the last 18 months, myself and Darren have made the most of the new ballcombination.”This win was very crucial for us; the batters did their job in getting 391after being put in, and the bowlers had to do ours, and in the end we did oursas well.”Central contracts have allowed us to have the rest periods we need. If wecan keep on this roller-coaster and keep going I think it’s a better learning curve than losing and trying to come back from it. We’ve done the job and the basics well in this Test.”Captain Nasser Hussain could only watch the drama from the dressing room balcony where he was nursing his fractured thumb but he was quick to pay tribute to his pacemen’s heroics.He said: “A lot of things went our way today; the catching was phenomenal,Caddick’s spell, Gough’s spell.”Gough and Caddick are a pleasure to captain and their attitude is great.”But Hussain threw in a word of caution. “Pakistan at Old Trafford will be a different side, the wicket there will suit them more than it suited them here. They will be a real contest.”The aim for us now is those five days because we want to win five series ina row.”

Graeme Smith says the supposedly leaked Australian game plan “dossier” and references in the media to their strategies for South Africa have served to “touch the motivation springs a little more” in his own side.The document purported to contain an analysis of each of South Africa’s likely Test XI and was published in local media on Thursday. Instead of an explosive summary, it was a predictable assessment which bordered on the amateur and seems to have caused more amusement than angst in the South African camp.”There was nothing really new in that,” Smith said. “I haven’t read it myself, I heard a few lines and it is nothing that we didn’t expect. All of us have played enough against Australia and we know what it’s going to take to be victorious here. Our preparation has been really good and intelligent. Certainly the stuff that happens in the papers and maybe things Mickey [Arthur, Australia’s coach] has said have only added motivation for us.”With theories sprouting over whether the dossier is an official team document, something planted to throw South Africa off kilter or a media ruse, Michael Clarke hinted at the last option. He denied the existence of an actual booklet of information and even said some of the contents were never part of Australia’s planning.”We as a team don’t have an official dossier as such. We look at footage, we talk about opposition players, we study opposition strengths and weaknesses as a bowling group and a batting group, that’s generally what we do as a team,” he said. “There was some stuff in there that is quite common knowledge about the South African team and there was some other stuff in there that we certainly haven’t spoken about.”James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, took a similar view. “I looked at it and there are things in there that I thought, ‘well, everyone knows that,’ and there were things that I thought, ‘well, I would do the complete opposite to that,” he said. “There are some fun and games in all of that and listening to Graeme, he seems pretty unfussed by all that.”For his part, Arthur later tweeted an unequivocal message: “Just to make one thing clear-there is no secret dossier and there never was! #mediahype”Irrespective of its legitimacy, Clarke does not think the leak will have a significant bearing on the series. “Both teams would have read the papers – that’s for sure,” he said. “The most important thing for me, and I’ve said it for a long time now, it’s not about what you say, it’s about what you do. That’s the Australian team’s attitude at the moment. It’s about making sure tomorrow we turn up. Enough’s been said, there’s been plenty of talk in the media and it’s been built up beautifully, with two very strong cricket teams. Now it’s about what we do.”Smith agreed. “It doesn’t really make a difference [whether that is their strategy or not],” Smith said. “We have prepared for what we going to expect over the next few days. Tactically, we are doing our work anyway. The most important thing for us was maximising our preparation.”One of the things both teams have been preparing for is chin music with bouncers certain to fly on a spicy Gabba pitch. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you see plenty of short stuff, that’s for sure,” Clarke said. “The young quicks know what they have to do. I’ve made it very clear that they need to keep the same aggression they had against India last summer. We understand there’s a line that you can’t cross, but we’ll be pushing that line.”The dossier indicated Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy would be targets of the short ball but Smith was more sedate in his reaction. “When you’ve got fast bowlers on either side, it’s always going to be a topic of discussion, especially at venues like the Wanderers or the Gabba,” he said.Amla was also the subject of a psychological examination by Australia which may be surprising given his reputation as one of the tougher characters in cricket who rarely gets ruffled. Johan Botha, a former team-mate of Amla’s who now captains South Australia, said it is unlikely Australia will be able to change that.”He (Amla) is pretty relaxed and I don’t think it will affect him at all,” Botha said in Adelaide. “He has played against Australia now a few times – he has played against all the other top teams in the world. And he is the type of guy who it doesn’t affect him if you say something or if you don’t. He just goes out there and watches the ball and grinds out big scores. They (Australia) can do what they want (but) you have got to put the ball in the right area and put him under pressure. Hashim will just go about his game as he has always done.”Mental weakness overall though, has cost South Africa on previous occasions so the strategy in itself would not be entirely misplaced but Smith believes the team have gotten over their problems in that department and will not be rattled by mind games.”Our Test side has proven that, especially away from home. You play in other people’s backyards, in front of their crowds and you have different sorts of pressure. You have to be able to stand up at key times,” he said. “When good teams play each other there are small margins and you need to be able to handle those small margins better. Our goal is to match up again. I don’t expect to see us too emotional about things. If we can be focused and clinical, I will be happy.”Already South Africa have given the cold shoulder to attempts by Australia to rile them up. When Arthur mentioned during his media engagements this week that Australia’s seven left-handers will look to capitalise on the statistics that Dale Steyn has been less successful against southpaws than right-handed batsmen, Gary Kirsten shrugged it off with a smile. “Let’s just say it will provide us with good motivation.”Talking down the world’s top-ranked bowler did not last long in the Australian camp and Arthur soon backtracked to say he only meant that because Steyn bowls to fewer left-handers, the numbers are skewed the other way. Ricky Ponting then said Australia will look to “negate Steyn because then we will go a long way to winning.”Again, Smith did not feed the machine with anything more about what he expects form his go-to man on this pitch. “I’m looking forward to Dale taking 10 wickets and looking forward to Vernon taking 10 wickets,” he said non-committal fashion. “You can bowl the speed of light but how effective can you be. Dale has proven that he can do both and hopefully he can show that in this Test match.Rather, Smith’s focus is on making sure South Africa stick to their much talked about processes and follow their own plans. He said they have devised many tactics but they are unlikely to find their way into the public domain. “We try to keep it in the guys’ heads as much as possible so dossiers aren’t left lying around.”

North Zone, who need a win to make sure of winning the Duleep Trophy irrespective of the results of matches to be played in the final round, took the first step on Thursday when they rattled up 391 for four wickets off 90 overs on the opening day of the match against Central Zone at the Feroz Shah Kotla grounds in New Delhi.Openers Vijay Dahiya and Vikram Rathour laid the foundation for the imposing score by putting on 188 runs off 44 overs. Put into bat, Dahiya and Rathour batted with a degree of comfort and also scored runs at a good rate. Both however fell within the space of nine runs. First Rathour was out for 94. In a three hour stay, the North Zone captain faced 130 balls and hit 19 boundaries.Then Dahiya fell for 81. In a stay of 200 minutes, he faced 153 balls and hit 15 of them to the ropes.Yuvraj Singh dominated a third wicket partnership of 38 runs off 8.5 overs with Dinesh Mongia. Yuvraj Singh scored 34 of the runs before he was bowled by Rahul Kanwat. He faced 42 balls and hit eight fours. The good work was then carried on by Mongia and Virender Shewag who added 78 runs for the fourth wicket off 12.5 overs. The in form Shewag hit 43 off 48 balls with eight hits tothe fence.There was still no respite for the Central Zone bowlers as Mongia and Reetinder Sodhi added 87 runs off 21.1 overs for the unbroken fifth wicket. At close, Mongia was batting with 78 off 123 balls with 12 boundary hits while Sodhi was unbeaten with 34 off 68 balls with five hits to the ropes. The Central Zonebowlers toiled hard without much reward on a good batting track.