Amla century puts Proteas in charge

Updated January 12, 2013 08:05:52

Hashim Amla ground out a patient century to give South Africa the advantage on the first day of the second and final Test against New Zealand at St George's Park on Saturday (AEDT).

Amla made 106 not out as South Africa reached 4 for 325 by the close of play.

The host nation were made to work for their runs against a determined New Zealand team on a slow pitch on which the batsmen seldom looked completely in control.

But an unbeaten century partnership between Amla and Faf du Plessis (69 not out), with some free scoring after tea, put South Africa well ahead.

"They bowled really well up front and asked a lot of questions," said AB de Villiers, who made 51 in one of three significant partnerships involving Amla.

"The ball was swinging nicely and we felt we were under a bit of pressure. But Hashim and Faf had a really good partnership and put us in a strong position."

De Villiers said South Africa would be looking to pile on the runs on Sunday (AEDT).

"If we get another partnership going I think New Zealand are in trouble. If we can bat them out of the game they will be under a lot of pressure."

New Zealand left-arm bowler Neil Wagner, who was born in South Africa, admitted: "It was a very tough day. The wicket was a bit slow. After lunch we bowled really well and got a couple of wickets that put us back in the game.

"But we let it slip towards the end. Against a good side like South Africa you have to be patient and create more opportunities by stringing a lot of good balls together for longer periods of time."

Amla survived on 48 when he cut hard at Trent Boult and Kane Williamson could not hold a sharp chance at gully.

Amla reached his half-century in the same over off 92 deliveries with his seventh four.

The only boundary in his second half-century was the cut off Boult which raised his 19th Test century after another 95 balls.

Amla was involved in partnerships of 92 for the second wicket with captain Graeme Smith and 86 for the fourth wicket with de Villiers.

Du Plessis took the majority of the strike in his partnership with Amla, facing 112 of the 173 balls the pair needed to add 102 runs, with Amla content to push the ball into gaps, taking ones and twos as he ensured he did not take risks on a day when lapses of concentration contributed to all four wickets.

Du Plessis had an escape in the first over of the second new ball with his score on 42 when a ball from Boult flicked his thigh pad and went through to wicketkeeper BJ Watling.

An appeal for caught behind was turned down by umpire Ian Gould and the New Zealanders did not seek a review.

A "hot spot" replay showed the ball had brushed his bottom glove before deflecting off his thigh pad.

It was a pitch on which both batsmen and bowlers needed to exercise patience and for much of the day there was a spirited performance by New Zealand, who lost the first Test in Cape Town by an innings and 27 runs inside three days.

Their bowlers responded to a call by captain Brendon McCullum to show aggression and there were numerous short-pitched deliveries when the ball was still relatively new.

Smith was struck on the helmet by Doug Bracewell in the fourth over.

Bracewell was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers, taking 2 for 70 in 21 overs.

He took the first wicket when Alviro Petersen (21) top-edged a pull to fine leg and had South African king-pin Jacques Kallis caught behind for 8.

Smith, who won the toss and decided to bat, made 54 before he was caught down the leg side by Watling off the bowling of Wagner.

AFP

Tags: sport, cricket, south-africa, new-zealand

First posted January 12, 2013 08:05:52

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Bell century sets up England win over Windies

Updated June 17, 2012 10:07:50

Ian Bell marked his return to England's one-day side with a stylish century as it beat the West Indies by 114 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method in its series opener on Sunday (AEST).

Man-of-the-match Bell, filling the opener's spot vacated by Kevin Pietersen following the South Africa-born batsman's retirement from limited overs internationals, responded with 126 in an England total of six for 288 made after the hosts lost the toss.

"I really enjoyed it, it was nice to go out there and play some shots at the top of the order," Bell said.

"Nerves can be a good thing, some butterflies in the stomach, I've played well in the Tests and wanted to continue that.

"This is a big ground, so if you can't hit fours and sixes, you have to run the ones and twos.

"I've been playing good cricket in Tests, I've got some confidence from that and it's good to transfer it over."

Dwayne Smith looked to be making up for the absence of big-hitting opener Chris Gayle, whose much anticipated international return after 15 months out following a spat with West Indies cricket chiefs was delayed by a shin injury.

However, when Smith was dismissed for 56 it was the start of a slump that saw the tourists lose their last nine wickets for 77 runs.

West Indies, five for 127 off 23 overs when rain stopped play, was set a revised target of 287 in 48 overs.

But it finished on 172 all out as England won with more than 14 overs left.

That meant England went 1-0 up with two to play ahead of Tuesday's match at The Oval.

Tim Bresnan, who led England's attack with 4-34 runs, sealed an emphatic victory when he had last man Sunil Narine well caught by diving wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter.

"The bowlers again did fantastically and it was a really good effort to get them out for that score," added Bell, whose hundred was only the 30-year-old's second in his 109 one-day internationals, with his 126 not out against India in 2007 also made at the Rose Bowl.

And this innings came just a day after Bell's participation was put in doubt when he was struck a severe blow on the chin while batting in the indoor nets.

But, overcoming fears of a broken jaw, Bell helped the hosts recover from the shock of losing opening partner Alastair Cook, England's one-day captain, for a third ball duck during a second-wicket stand of 108 with Warwickshire colleague Jonathan Trott (42).

"It was a fantastic knock from Ian and close to 300 is hard to chase on any ground," Cook said.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy, who had backed his side to win this series, said: "It was a pretty good wicket and Ian Bell played a good innings but we backed ourselves to get the runs."

"No one went on like Bell, unfortunately.

"Hopefully, Chris Gayle will be fit for Tuesday but we will assess all the guys before then."

There had been concerns England would struggle at the top of the order in the absence of Pietersen, who finished his one-day career with back-to-back hundreds against Pakistan in Dubai in February.

But Bell, dropped from that series, took 16 runs off the sixth over from Andre Russell courtesy of a straight six and two elegant fours.

Bell was out when he top-edged a slower ball from seamer Dwayne Bravo to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.

His previous best as a one-day opener was the 77 he made against Australia in a 2007 World Cup match in Antigua.

West Indies saw Smith go on the attack but his 44-ball innings finished when he edged an intended pull off seamer Bresnan to Kieswetter.

Bresnan then made it two wickets for three runs in five balls when Ramdin, promoted because Darren Bravo was unable to bat at number three due to a groin strain, was out leg before wicket for 22.

After the rain break, Marlon Samuels -- a thorn in England's side during the Tests -- holed out off James Anderson and wickets continued to fall steadily.

AFP

Tags: sport, cricket, england, united-kingdom

First posted June 17, 2012 10:02:24

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Cook century fires England to series win

Updated June 20, 2012 10:02:04

Captain Alastair Cook struck 112 to secure England a 2-0 one-day series win over West Indies with a match to spare after the home side defeated the visitors by eight wickets at The Oval.

Cook's fifth one-day international century and fourth as England captain, included 13 boundaries and one six and exploited almost every part of the ground.

A standing ovation led by Rolling Stone Mick Jagger greeted top scorer Cook as he made his way to the dressing room following his eventual dismissal from a Darren Sammy slower ball.

Cook's departure at 2 for 203 meant little for West Indies though, and England was poised perfectly needing only 36 runs for victory with almost 13 overs to spare.

Set a target of 239, Cook and Ian Bell, fresh from his 126 in the first match, set about their task with a opening stand of 122 from 21.2 overs.

Both cruised to their respective half-centuries before the in-form Bell (53 runs from 64 balls) chipped straight to Chris Gayle at short cover following a Darren Sammy delivery, which leapt deceptively high off the pitch.

Captain Sammy claimed the only two wickets to fall as the West Indies' attack lacked bite and failed to trouble the England batsman, who found gaps in the field at every possible opportunity.

Earlier in the day both teams observed a minute's silence and flags around the ground were at half-mast in memory of Surrey batsman Tom Maynard, 23, who was killed on Monday when he was hit by a train.

Maynard, whose father Matthew represented England, had played for the second string England Lions and had been widely tipped for full international honours.

West Indies' first innings had begun well thanks to Gayle, who was playing his first one-day international for 14 months.

Gayle smashed a quick-fire 53 in 51 balls, including five sixes, after England won the toss and put the visitors in to bat.

His dismissal LBW to off-spinner Graeme Swann, which was reviewed by the television umpire, triggered a collapse and the West Indies slumped from 63 for no wicket to 4 for 79.

Dwayne Bravo combined with Kieron Pollard (41) to put on 100 for the fifth wicket as the sunshine started to emerge from behind the clouds in London.

The pair produced some controlled hitting with Bravo top-scoring with 77 from 82 deliveries before holing out to Ravi Bopara who took a catch off the bowling of James Anderson.

Reuters

Tags: cricket, sport, england, united-kingdom

First posted June 20, 2012 08:20:37

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Ponting on verge of Test century: Clarke

Updated January 03, 2012 08:45:18

Australian captain Michael Clarke believes Ricky Ponting is on the verge of breaking a two-year century drought in the second Test against India at the SCG starting on Tuesday.

The former skipper has not reached triple figures since he smashed a double hundred against Pakistan in January of 2010.

Ponting has made some recent half-centuries which continue to prolong his famed Test career, but only a ton will properly silence his critics who say the 37-year-old has reached his expiry date.

The Tasmanian played some vintage shots in his back-to-back 62 and 60 in the first Test against India at the MCG, before falling.

Clarke says Ponting is close to breaking the shackles.

"I think the way Punter is batting at the moment, he's not far away from a big one, that's for sure," said Clarke.

"One thing I know about him is if he gets to 100 he won't be stopping there.

"He's got a very good record at the SCG. I know he loves playing here at this wicket so it wouldn't surprise me at all if he walked out and made a 100 in this Test match."

Clarke said he does not believe the toss will be important in Sydney, but indicated he would likely bowl first if he gets the chance.

The captain believes the track will take a bit of time to turn into a genuine batting wicket.

"There's a tinge of green there. It's a little bit tacky at the moment, I think it's going to be quite tough to bat on day one.

"I think it's going to be quite a similar wicket to what we faced against England last year. I think there's going to be a bit of sideways movement early and I think it's going to turn out to be a really good batting wicket."

Australia has named an unchanged line-up for Sydney from its first-up 122-run win in Melbourne's Boxing Day Test.

Ryan Harris was left out of the XI, with spinner Nathan Lyon expected to play an important role as the match wears on.

AAP

Tags: sport, cricket, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, india

First posted January 03, 2012 08:20:59

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Cowan makes his mark with century against India

Updated December 21, 2011 10:27:08

Ed Cowan scored 109 for the Chairman's XI against India in Canberra on Tuesday, and now he will play the waiting game and see whether Australian selectors call on him to face the same opposition on Boxing Day in Melbourne.

Cowan was well in the frame for a Test debut before the tour game and after the opener contributed more than half of the Chairman's stumps score of 7 for 215 from 59 overs, he walked off satisfied he could not have done much more to press his case.

This score came on the back of his 145 against New Zealand playing for Australia A last month, two big tons for Tasmania and a heaving first-class average of 54.12 this year.

Cowan believes his positive experience against the touring sides have given him the best platform possible to make the leap from Sheffield Shield cricket to opening the batting on Boxing Day.

"As a state cricketer that's the pinnacle, to see international superstars to play against them and to benchmark yourself against them," Cowan said.

"To be able to score some runs has been a big confidence boost to know you're not that far off the running.

"The biggest challenge is being able to make the game a bat on ball contest and block out 90,000 people and the occasion of having grown up watching Boxing Day, the ritual which is so very Australian.

"That would be the biggest challenge. I would be very confident about the batting stuff but you don't know until you try it."

Cowan's chance of playing on the biggest stage seems to rest on the fitness of Shane Watson. The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Wednesday morning that Watson did not take part in the first day of Australia's pre-Test batting camp.

If Watson is fit it seems likely Cowan will miss out as Australian coach Mickey Arthur hinted at Dan Christian as a suitable addition to the batting line-up.

Cowan deserved a ton from 154 balls faced, but in the end he should not have got one after he was clearly run out for 95 when he attempted a single to cover.

Rohit Sharma came up with a direct hit, but Cowan either intentionally or by a brilliant accident ran behind where umpire John Ward had positioned himself and the man in white had no idea where the left-handed Tasmania batsman was.

He was caught a metre short and India remonstrated in disbelief, but lady luck seems to be on Cowan's side at the moment and within a couple of overs he wound his bat around like a windmill after notching his fourth century of the season.

Usman Khawaja is under some pressure to hold his spot batting three for Australia, and was again neither here nor there with 25 from 49 balls.

The NSW left-hander would have been hoping to bat through for a big score, after a Test career dominated by solid starts that have not been capitalised on.

The fact Phil Hughes was demoted to number four suggests he is dead man walking in Australian colours and after moving pretty comfortably to 20, he attempted a sweep too far outside his body and popped one up to be out just before tea.

David Warner's dream run of back-to-back tons came undone in the first over of the innings when he was clean bowled by Abhimanyu Mithun, while century maker from the first Chairman's game Tom Cooper made 38.

Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the sole shining light for the Indian attack, and finished with 4 for 52 from 14 overs.

India was all out for 269 during its first innings and aside from a Virat Kohli's 132, there was not much to write home about.

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, canberra-2600, act, australia, india

First posted December 20, 2011 18:04:47

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Ponting eyes end to century drought

Updated December 03, 2011 09:02:23

Ricky Ponting will resume on day three looking to notch his first Test century in almost two years in the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba.

Starting the series under immense pressure, Ponting was Australia's second-day hero with a rearguard unbeaten 67 to lead the home side to 3 for 154 in reply to the Black Caps' 295.

The former skipper will resume with captaincy successor Michael Clarke (28 not out), after they both survived a nervous final half-hour before play was called off early for bad light on Friday afternoon.

Clarke played on from a Doug Bracewell delivery when he was on 23 but was given a reprieve when the third umpire detected a Bracewell no-ball.

Ponting was close to being out lbw to part-timer Dean Brownlie on referral when 63.

Ponting scored what seemed a career-saving 62 in last month's Johannesburg Test win over South Africa and has continued on with another crucial knock.

Now with 12,500 runs to his name, the Tasmanian last scored a century when he made 209 in January 2010 in Hobart against Pakistan.

Spinner Nathan Lyon said the Australians had never lost faith in Ponting, who came to the crease with the home side in trouble at 2 for 25.

"Ricky is one of the legends of the game," Lyon said.

"We've all got confidence in him and we're going to back him right until the end of the day.

"He's awesome so hopefully he can go on and make a big one tomorrow.

"We all know there's a lot of hard work to do, especially in the first hour tomorrow morning so it's going to be crucial for us but the game is definitely in the balance."

Australia has tried a dirty dozen slow bowlers since Shane Warne's retirement but surprise packet Lyon finally looks set to stop the spin cycle.

At a ground renowned as a fast-bowler's haven and one he had never even visited before the first Test, Lyon was an instant hit at the Gabba against New Zealand.

The South Australian off-spinner took 4 for 69 in New Zealand's first innings to be the most impressive of the home side's attack.

While his pace colleagues struggled, Lyon grabbed three on the second morning to clean up the Kiwi tail and return the best figures by an Australian finger-spinner in Brisbane for 80 years.

Not since left-armer Bert Ironmonger took 5 for 42 and 4 for 44 against South Africa in the Gabba's inaugural Test in 1931 has an orthodox slow bowler enjoyed the same success.

Lyon's effort was also the best by any off-spinner on the fast and bouncy track since Englishman John Emburey took 5 for 80 in the 1986-87 Ashes.

The 24-year-old made a mockery of Australia's initial temptation to use a four-prong pace attack and deny him his first home Test.

Called on in just the eighth over on the first day, he gained sharp turn and used good flight, changes of pace and bounce to pose plenty of questions to the batsmen.

While Lyon took 5 for 34 on debut against a reckless Sri Lanka at Galle just three months ago, his ability to prosper on the first two days in Brisbane, and the way he went about his business, spoke volumes.

"I was really happy with the way the ball was coming out of my hand," said the six-Test rookie, who was an unknown Adelaide Oval groundsmen 12 months ago.

"I felt like I was bowling quite well.

"I've been working pretty hard (in training) but in saying that there's still a lot of work to do on my bowling and I'm not going to settle until I get better and get more consistent."

That is music to the ears of the new five-man selection panel.

Since Warne's Test retirement five seasons ago, Australia has used and discarded 11 spinners who have rarely looked at home in the great man's shadow.

Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg also retired soon after, leaving Beau Casson, Dan Cullen, Jason Krejza, Nathan Hauritz, Bryce McGain, Cameron White, Xavier Doherty, Michael Beer and Stephen Smith to be tried and axed.

New Zealand's stalwart finger spinner Daniel Vettori gave his stamp of approval after battling with Lyon in his magnificent three-hour knock of 96.

"He looks like an aggressive spinner and that is what you want - a guy with the ability to take wickets," Vettori said.

"He got some bounce and turn, he flights it up and bowls the occasional quick one - it's not always easy to face."

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia, new-zealand

First posted December 03, 2011 08:37:48

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Bell century lays platform for England

Posted June 20, 2011 06:01:00

Ian Bell's second hundred in three matches helped England stay on top in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl on Monday morning.

Sri Lanka was 3 for 112 in its second innings at stumps on the fourth day - still 81 runs behind England's first innings 8 for 377 declared.

England, pressing for a win that would give it the series 2-0, saw its pacemen back up Bell's 119 not out with a disciplined display.

And shortly before the close Stuart Broad, bowling a much fuller length after wastefully dropping short for much of this match, had the experienced Mahela Jayawardene caught behind for just 3 off an excellent leg-cutter.

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara - the other proven class batsman in the tourists' ranks - was 44 not out at the close.

Nightwatchman Rangana Herath was unbeaten on 2 after a day where the rain, which has taken 155 overs out of this match, stayed away.

Bell's innings enabled England captain Andrew Strauss to make an enterprising declaration with his side 193 in front - nine more runs than the tourists managed in their first innings 184.

Sri Lanka's Tharanga Paranavitana (10) then guided James Anderson low to Graeme Swann at second slip.

Sangakkara, leading Sri Lanka in place of the injured Tillakaratne Dilshan, came to the crease having scored a mere 65 runs in five innings this series at an average of 13, as compared to a career Test mark of more than 56.

But Sangakkara, Dilshan's immediate predecessor as captain, showed his class with a magnificent cover-driven four off Broad.

Test debutant Lahiru Thirimanne who, like fellow left-hander Sangakkara, made a hundred in last week's tour match against Essex was defending gamely.

But fast bowler Chris Tremlett, who took a Test-best 6 for 48 in the first innings, dismissed Thirimanne for 38 when the opener edged a fine delivery that seamed away to Strauss at first slip.

Bell's century - the first Test hundred at the Rose Bowl - followed his unbeaten 103 in England's innings and 14-run first Test victory in Cardiff.

Together with Eoin Morgan, who made a breezy 71, he shared a sixth-wicket stand of 137 against a flagging Sri Lanka attack badly missing retired greats Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga.

England resumed Sunday on 4 for 195 after Kevin Pietersen's fluent 85 on Saturday had revived the innings from the depths of 2 for 14.

Bell was 39 not out overnight and nightwatchman Anderson unbeaten on nought.

Anderson struck two successive cover-driven fours off Chanaka Welegedara but, next ball, he was caught behind off the left-armer for a sparkling 27.

Late cut and square cut boundaries off successive deliveries from Welegedara took Bell to 95.

And he went to his 14th Test hundred, in 159 balls with 12 fours, when he hooked a bouncer from Suranga Lakmal.

Morgan got himself out when, trying to carve Lakmal, he edged behind to give wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene his fourth catch of the innings.

England then lost a flurry of wickets chasing quick runs, with Matt Prior, who made a century in the drawn second Test at Lord's, out for nought.

Victory in this match for England would see it go joint second alongside South Africa in the ICC Test rankings with only India, its next opponents, above it.

- AFP

Tags: sport, cricket, sri-lanka, england

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KP falls short of century

Published:Sunday, June 19, 2011 8:03 AEST

England's Kevin Pietersen dismissed for 85 on day three of the third Test against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on June 18, 2011.

Tags: sport, cricket, sri-lanka, united-kingdom, england

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Sri Lanka fights back with Dilshan century

Published:Sunday, June 5, 2011 7:40 AEST

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan acknowledges the crowd after reaching his century against England during the second day of the second Test at Lords in London, on June 4, 2011.

Tags: sport, cricket, sri-lanka, england

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Hussey hits century for clean sweep

Published:Thursday, April 14, 2011 9:09 AESTExpires:Wednesday, July 13, 2011 9:09 AEST

A century from batsman Michael Hussey has helped Australia take a 3-0 win over Bangladesh in the one-day series.

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