Bates' ton drives Silver Ferns to victory

Updated December 13, 2012 07:17:45

New Zealand captain Suzie Bates scored an unbeaten century to help her team end a three-year one-day international drought against Australia in the opening match of the Rose Bowl cricket series in Sydney on Wednesday.

A massive second-wicket stand of 168 off 169 balls between opener Bates (122 not out off 131 balls) and Amy Satterthwaite (98 off 95) helped the White Ferns achieve their target of 249 with eight wickets and 5.1 overs to spare.

It was New Zealand's first ODI win over Australia in their past 13 completed games since March 2009.

"It's massive for this group," Bates said.

"We haven't had much form in the one-day format and we've struggled against the top sides, especially Australia and England.

"We've always said it's partnerships and that's what Amy and myself proved today, that if we do that we can beat any of the world class sides."

Opener Meg Lanning (87 off 71 balls) and captain Jodie Fields (51 off 57) provided most of the substance during an Australian innings which ended 11 balls early with 248 on the board.

Lanning smashed 13 fours and a six in a typically enterprising innings before effectively running herself out.

The innings subsided to 7-157 in the 32nd over before Fields and Erin Osborne (34 off 38) added 80 off 83 balls.

"We thought it was a little bit under (par) with the fast outfield and good wicket, we probably thought 300 was needed," Lanning said.

"We lost wickets at crucial times."

Fast medium bowler Rachel Candy (4-35 off nine overs) and left arm medium pacers Sian Ruck (2-37 off 9.1) and Morna Nielsen (2-39 off 10) all chipped away at Australia's batting lineup.

Bates struck 16 fours and a six in her fourth ODI ton.

"That's probably one of my best innings I think in terms of the other big scores I've had have been against weaker opposition," Bates said.

"I finished the job off which I haven't done in the past."

Satterthwaite, who was dropped on nine by wicketkeeper Fields, also struck 16 fours.

"We were always going to have to take early wickets to try and defend that total, unfortunately we couldn't do that and probably lacked a bit of penetration with our bowling," Lanning said.

Bates and Satterthwaite plundered an attack missing injured pace bowlers Ellyse Perry and Julie Hunter.

"Without them opening (the bowling) it did I think give us a little bit of momentum that we maybe haven't had in the past," Bates said.

"They are still a quality side, so we're really happy that we've managed to chase down that score."

The four-match series continues on Friday at North Sydney Oval.

AAP

Tags: sport, cricket, sydney-2000, new-zealand

First posted December 12, 2012 23:24:31

View the original article here

Rain ruins Black Caps' victory hopes

Updated November 13, 2012 07:15:06

New Zealand's hopes of posting a consolation win against Sri Lanka were shattered by rain as the fifth and final one-day international was called off after 28.3 overs in Hambantota on Monday.

Sri Lanka won the five-match series 3-0, with the first and last one-dayers abandoned due to rain.

New Zealand was strongly placed to register its first win of the series as it reduced Sri Lanka to 8 for 123, with fast bowler Tim Southee taking three wickets to put the hosts under pressure.

Southee, who finished with 3 for 18 off 5.3 disciplined overs, was brilliantly supported by seamers Andrew Ellis (2 for 22), Trent Boult (1 for 23) and Adam Milne (1 for 17) to give his team a hope of victory.

Opener Upul Tharanga (60) top-scored for Sri Lanka, cracking eight fours before being caught by wicket-keeper Bradley-John Watling off Southee in the 29th over.

He added 47 for the fifth wicket with skipper Mahela Jayawardene (24), the highest stand of the innings, after four wickets had fallen for 44 runs.

Southee did the early damage when he bowled opener Dinesh Chandimal for no score and then had Lahiru Thirimanne caught behind to reduce Sri Lanka to 2 for 33.

Thirimanne, promoted in the batting order, contributed a 15-ball 17 with three boundaries.

Boult dismissed Angelo Mathews before Milne got his maiden one-day wicket when he had Kumar Sangakkara caught behind for 5.

Sri Lanka made two changes from the side that played the last match, bringing in paceman Shaminda Eranga and debutant spinner Akila Dananjaya in place of Nuwan Kulasekara and Rangana Herath. New Zealand retained the same side.

Sri Lanka and New Zealand will now play a two-Test series starting in Galle on Saturday.

AFP

Tags: cricket, sport, sri-lanka, new-zealand

First posted November 13, 2012 07:15:06

View the original article here

Tigers on track for victory

Updated October 11, 2012 20:11:28

Paceman Luke Butterworth set Tasmania on course for victory against strugglers South Australia on Thursday's third day of the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval.

Forced to follow-on, the Redbacks were 6 for 103 in their second innings at stumps, still 76 runs behind the Tigers.

The Redbacks' batting mainstays Phil Hughes (37), Callum Ferguson (22) and Tom Cooper (14) were all dismissed, the latter two falling caught behind to rash slashes outside off stump.

Tigers paceman Jackson Bird (2 for 29) did the early damage while Butterworth (2 for 18), who took six first innings wickets, claimed the prized scalp of Hughes in the Redbacks' second dig.

Butterworth later added Redbacks captain Johan Botha to his collection of eight victims for the match.

The Redbacks' winless Shield streak appears certain to extend to 18 matches, as the Tigers eye their first outright triumph this season following a draw against New South Wales last week.

Earlier, the Tigers enacted the follow on after bowling the Redbacks out for 224 in their first innings.

Butterworth's career best first-class figures of 6 for 49 were supported by two wickets each to James Faulkner and spinner Jason Krejza.

Career-high scores from wicketkeeper Tim Ludeman (85) and tailender Chadd Sayers (38 not out) could not save the Redbacks from the follow-on.

Ludeman and Sayers put on 107 for the ninth wicket, a Shield record for the Redbacks against the Tigers, and the highest partnership of the innings.

But the Redbacks were bowled out some 179 runs behind the Tigers' first innings total of 3 for 403 (declared).

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, adelaide-5000, hobart-7000

First posted October 11, 2012 19:56:40

View the original article here

Kallis guides Proteas to T20 victory over England

Updated September 09, 2012 06:20:36

Jacques Kallis guided South Africa to a seven-wicket win over World Twenty20 champions England in the first Twenty20 international at Chester-le-Street.

The Proteas were in trouble at 3 for 29, chasing a seemingly modest 119 for victory.

But opener Kallis, returning to international duty after being rested from the drawn one-day series between the two countries, made 48 not out off 44 balls with seven fours.

Together with left-hander JP Duminy (47 not out) he shared an unbroken stand of 90 in 91 deliveries as the Proteas, who won with an over to spare, went 1-0 up in a three-match series ahead of this month's World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

"We were 20 or 30 short, we didn't adapt to the condition of the pitch or bat to our average," England Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad told Sky Sports.

"We got a little bit stuck with the spin. We played nicely through the first six overs, but struggled in the middle period. We are aware of that and we know where to improve."

England can expect to face plenty of spin on receptive pitches in Sri Lanka but Broad, like Kallis returning after being rested from the one-dayers, had no undue worries about his team's ability to play slow bowling.

"It's not too much of a concern, we need to adapt and learn from this game," he said ahead of Monday's second match in Manchester.

South Africa captain AB de Villiers praised his attack, with man-of-the-match Dale Steyn taking 1 for 13 in four overs and spinners Robin Peterson and Johan Botha sharing four wickets, for setting up this victory.

"The bowling was brilliant, led by Dale Steyn. He bowled with a lot of pace and looked like taking wickets throughout," said de Villiers.

"We never allowed England to get momentum."

Steyn added: "I can live with bowling one-over spells. It's a lot easier than Test matches."

South Africa saw hard-hitting opener Richard Levi caught in the slips off Jade Dernbach and Twenty20 international debutant Faf du Plessis fall leg before to fast bowler Steven Finn.

De Villiers was then caught behind by Craig Kieswetter off Dernbach for 10.

South Africa were now 3 for 29 and England, all but out of the contest after their innings, was back in the game.

But if South Africa could produce one decent partnership they would win and in world class all-rounder Kallis and left-hander Duminy they had the men for the job in the absence of the rested Hashim Amla.

Ultimately England's 7 for 118 - their third lowest total in this format - did not give their bowlers enough of a score to defend.

Spin bowling, long regarded as the Proteas' Achilles heel, accounted for four England wickets with Botha (2 for 19) and left-armer Peterson (2 for 27), striking after de Villiers won the toss.

At 7 for 85, England were in danger of posting their worst Twenty20 total before an unbroken stand of 33 in 27 balls between Broad and Graeme Swann, who both finished on 18 not out, gave them a foothold in the match.

No England batsman made more than opener Kieswetter's 25.

England's collapse started with a needless run out.

Alex Hales, who made an England Twenty20 best 99 against the West Indies in June after replacing the still exiled Kevin Pietersen, charged down the pitch for a non-existent single and, turning back, was run out by Kallis's direct hit.

Kieswetter then fell when he was plumb lbw to Botha's first ball.

And Ravi Bopara, who averaged just 5.50 with the bat during the one-dayers, fell cheaply in familiar fashion when he edged Steyn to Botha at slip.

Botha then struck again when he bowled dangerman Eoin Morgan for 10, after the former Ireland left-hander bottom edged a pull-sweep.

AFP

Tags: sport, cricket, twenty20, england

First posted September 09, 2012 06:20:36

View the original article here

Roach and Gayle lead Windies to victory

Updated July 30, 2012 07:09:13

The pace of Kemar Roach and the confidence of Chris Gayle led West Indies to a nine-wicket victory in the first of its two-Test series against struggling New Zealand in Antigua.

Roach took 5 for 60 with a fine spell of pace bowling which ripped the heart out of New Zealand's middle order before Gayle, who struck 150 in the first innings, eased the Caribbean side to its target of 102 with a solid, unbeaten 64.

It was just the third win for West Indies in 34 Tests since its victory over England in Jamaica in February 2009.

New Zealand's hopes of batting out the day, or at least setting the hosts a challenging target came undone with West Indies seamers Roach and Ravi Rampaul doing the damage.

Resuming on 3 for 199, after losing Brendon McCullum for 84 late on Saturday, the Kiwis lost two crucial wickets for just 27 runs before lunch.

After a short rain break, paceman Roach trapped Ross Taylor (21) lbw and then clean bowled Kane Williamson with a superb delivery that straightened and removed the right-hander's off stump.

The impressive Roach struck again shortly after lunch with the third delivery of the new ball, luring Neil Wagner into an edge to keeper Denesh Ramdin.

Rampaul then removed Dean Brownlie and Daniel Vettori, before spinner Sunil Narine claimed his eighth wicket of the match by trapping Doug Bracewell leg-before.

Kruger van Wyk had provided the only real resistance but stuck with number eleven Chris Martin he had to go for his shots and was undone by a lovely slower ball from Roach.

The total of 272 all out left West Indies with a comfortable target of just 102 to win and plenty of time to get it.

Its first Test win since beating Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2011 was never in doubt as Gayle took charge with Kieran Powell, who made 30 before he was caught by Brownlie off Bracewell.

Assad Fudadin accompanied Gayle to the finish line as West Indies enjoyed the rare taste of victory and handed New Zealand another painful loss after its defeat in the one-day series.

"We didn't look like creating enough pressure at times," skipper Ross Taylor said.

"We have to be smarter in the way we play, bowl in better areas and our batsmen have to spend a lot of time at the crease," he said, looking ahead to the second Test in Jamaica, which starts on Thursday.

West Indies skipper Darren Sammy said Gayle had made the perfect return to Test cricket after 19 months out during a dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board.

"With Chris back, he brings his experience and you could see that in the way he nurtured Kieran Powell along to his first test century," Sammy said.

"We have to just keep our focus in this series and look to repeat what we did," he added.

Reuters

Tags: sport, cricket, antigua-and-barbuda

First posted July 30, 2012 07:09:13

View the original article here

Perera, Dilshan star in Si Lankan victory

Updated June 10, 2012 09:21:23

Paceman Thisara Perera bagged a career-best 6 for 44 and Tillakaratne Dilshan hit a century, as Sri Lanka posted an easy 76-run win over Pakistan in the second one-day international in Pallekele.

The hosts, who scored a challenging 4 for 280, bowled Pakistan out for 204 in the day-night match despite an impressive 96 by opener Azhar Ali to level the five-match series 1-1.

Opener Dilshan top-scored with an unbeaten 119 for his 13th one-day century, hitting one six and 11 fours in his brilliant 139-ball knock to help his team set a stiff target.

Azhar, playing only his sixth one-day international, looked set to complete his maiden one-day ton before he was bowled by paceman Nuwan Kulasekara. He cracked 12 fours in his 119-ball knock.

Man-of-the-match Perera got his first wicket when he held a superb one-handed return catch to dismiss Mohammad Hafeez (14) before removing Younis Khan (4) and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (27) to reduce Pakistan to 3 for 127.

He took three more wickets to complete his third haul of five or more wickets in an innings.

Sri Lanka earlier rejigged its batting order after losing the opening one-day international by six wickets on Thursday, with Upul Tharanga returning as an opener and skipper Mahela Jayawardene coming in at number five.

The hosts batted steadily after winning the toss as Dilshan added 70 runs for the third wicket with Dinesh Chandimal (32) and 86 for the next with Jayawardene (53), who opened in the last match.

Dilshan reached his century in the 43rd over when he pulled paceman Umar Gul for a single and then hit fast bowler Sohail Tanvir over mid-wicket for the first six of the match.

Sri Lanka scored 56 runs in the last six overs, with Perera smashing two sixes and as many fours in his unbeaten 24 off just 14 balls.

Jayawardene was bowled by off-spinner Saeed Ajmal soon after completing his half-century, hitting eight fours in his brisk 45-ball knock.

Off-spinner Hafeez, Tanvir and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi were the other wicket takers for Pakistan.

Tanvir struck in his fourth over when he had Tharanga (18) caught behind and then Hafeez held a return catch to remove Kumar Sangakkara (18) with his first delivery.

But there was no stopping Dilshan, who continued to gather runs comfortably and completed his half-century with a four off Afridi.

Pakistan made one change from the team which won the first match as they brought in debutant paceman Rahat Ali in place of injured Mohammad Sami, while Sri Lanka retained the side.

The third one-day international will be played in Colombo on Wednesday.

AFP

Tags: cricket, sport, sri-lanka

First posted June 10, 2012 09:21:23

View the original article here

England coasts to series victory

Updated May 29, 2012 07:08:06

England raced to a series win over West Indies with a nine-wicket victory on the fourth day of the second Test at Trent Bridge after being set a modest target of 108.

Captain Andrew Strauss (45) and Alastair Cook (43 not out) took England near the finishing line soon after tea and Jonathan Trott (17 not out) helped complete the task at 1 for 111.

England is 2-0 up in the three-Test series after a five-wicket win at Lord's in the first match.

"We are delighted to win but again it was quite hard work at times," Strauss told Sky Sports.

"We got ourselves in positions where we felt we could really take the game by the scruff of the neck but all credit to the West Indies they came back at us.

"It's been a hot, hard four days and there were some reallygood performances from the lads for a well-earned victory."

Marlon Samuels had held up the home side with a defiant 76 not out, helping lift West Indies from a desperate 6 for 61 overnight in their second innings to 165 all out.

It was another fine knock by Samuels, who also topscored in the first innings with 117, but, captain Darren Sammy apart, he laboured virtually alone.

With the last man at the crease, Samuels thrashed the spin of Graeme Swann for two sixes and a four in what proved to be the penultimate over of the innings.

All-rounder Tim Bresnan had earlier dismissed Sammy for 25 to secure his fourth lbw victim of the innings and end a stout partnership of 49 with Samuels.

Sammy and Samuels had started the day with the tourists leading by three runs overall and badly needing a repeat of the their first innings heroics when Sammy also hit a century.

The pair responded boldly but Bresnan finally trapped Sammy, winding up with 4 for 37 to go with the four wickets he took in the first innings.

Bresnan, whose patient 39 not out boosted England to 428 all out on Sunday, is proving a talisman for the team, having now won all 13 Tests he has played, and was named man of the match.

Strauss, who fell in the second innings to the off-spin of that man Samuels, is in fine fettle too with centuries in both Tests ending an 18-month barren spell.

The third Test starts at Edgbaston, Birmingham on June 7 and West Indies face a tough task to salvage something.

"We really have to consider how we go about playing our cricket. We have been playing for a while now and we're not learning so something has to be done," Sammy said.

"We just have to be more focused, continue working hard andput a higher price on our wickets."

Strauss and his men will likely face a tougher task this summer in a three-match series against South Africa starting on July 19 at The Oval.

Reuters

Tags: cricket, sport, england, united-kingdom, jamaica

First posted May 29, 2012 07:08:06

View the original article here

England on verge of series victory

Updated May 28, 2012 16:09:44

England was on the verge of clinching the three-match series against West Indies after the tourists' top order failed again on the third day of the second Test at Trent Bridge.

Trailing by 58 on first innings, West Indies limped to 6 for 61, a lead of just three runs with two days left.

England captain Andrew Strauss with 141 and a useful partnership of 53 by all-rounders Tim Bresnan (39 not out) and Stuart Broad (25) had lifted England past the West Indies first-innings total of 370.

Although the final score of 428 was much less than seemed likely at the close on day one with Strauss and Kevin Pietersen at the crease, it proved too stiff a challenge for the touring side missing the experienced Chris Gayle at the top of the order.

James Anderson struck early to dismiss openers Adrian Barath (7) and Kieran Powell (1) before Broad captured the prized wicket of Shivnarine Chanderpaul for 11, top-edging a pull and caught on the boundary by Jonathan Trott.

Bresnan trapped Darren Bravo (22), Denesh Ramdin (6) and Kirk Edwards second ball for nought, all out lbw, to leave the tourists in disarray.

Marlon Samuels and Darren Sammy, who both scored centuries in the first innings, were the not out batsmen at the close.

Bresnan ended with figures of 3 for 10 in six overs, cementing his talisman status for England as he has won all 12 Test matches he has played.

He told BBC Radio: "To get them six down on that wicket in that short little session was fantastic."

Critical period

Bresnan's valuable unbeaten contribution with the bat lasted 153 minutes in a critical period of the game.

"It was kind of a battling knock," he said.

"It just shows what the pitch was like really. It was quite slow, quite difficult to score off, especially when they bowled in the right areas."

Bresnan and Broad came together at 7 for 363 and comfortably steered England past West Indies' total of 370 only for Broad to top-edge a catch off the bowling of Shane Shillingford.

Graeme Swann (1) and Anderson (0) swiftly followed to wrap up the innings.

Strauss's steadfast knock, lasting 303 balls and seven hours and 12 minutes, contained 22 fours before he finally offered a catch behind off the bowling of captain Sammy.

West Indies had taken four important wickets before lunch to the disappointment of home supporters expecting a run feast.

Pietersen (80) and Ian Bell (22) fell to reviewed lbw decisions and Jonny Bairstow (4) was given a torrid timein only his second Test by pace duo Kemar Roach and Ravi Rampaul before top edging an easy catch to mid-on.

Just when it looked as if England was steadying the ship Sammy bowled Matt Prior for 16.

Rampaul, who captured the vital wicket of Pietersen, was the pick of the West Indies bowling with 3 for 75 off 25 overs.

Samuels, top scorer in the West Indies first innings with 117, mopped up the tail with 2 for 14.

Reuters

Tags: cricket, sport, england, united-kingdom, jamaica

First posted May 28, 2012 06:52:20

View the original article here

Hurricanes breeze to victory

Updated January 02, 2012 08:37:10

Hobart Hurricanes remain undefeated and on top of the Big Bash League standings after a comprehensive five-wicket victory over Sydney Thunder at Bellerive Oval.

Set a modest 139 to win, the Hurricanes made it four from four with their first chase of the series on Sunday night.

Englishman Owais Shah struck 41 not out off 32 balls as his side reached the target with eight balls to spare in front of 12,238 fans.

Unfancied when the new competition began, the Hurricanes are now the runaway leaders on eight points, four clear of the Thunder, Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers.

First and second drops Travis Birt and Shah were in scintillating form for the Tasmanians, Birt making a quick-fire 35 from 18 balls before Matt Johnston hit the winning runs with a six.

"It was quite a blessing in disguise that we actually lost the toss and we had to chase, just to see where we're at, where the batters are under pressure, how they're thinking," Shah said.

"I've played that role [a lot] where I try and be there 'til the end and try and take the responsibility.

"I do enjoy that role."

The Thunder are fast starting to resemble a one-man batting show in the absence of captain Dave Warner on Test duty, West Indies star Chris Gayle smashing yet another half-century.

Gayle clobbered 53 off 33 balls, including five sixes, as the Thunder made a below par 8 for 138 after winning the toss.

He also chimed in with a brilliant one-handed catch to remove Tom Triffitt.

The competition's leading run-scorer had pleaded for his team-mates to support him after Friday night's loss to Melbourne Renegades but only a run-a-ball innings of 39 from number three Sean Abbott stood out for the visitors.

Gayle took his series tally to 232 and, with Warner having made a first-up century, the pair have now scored 334 of the side's 582 runs.

He started slowly by his standards in Hobart but still regularly cleared the boundary.

Gayle hoisted Jason Krejza (2 for 29 from four overs) onto the Southern Stand roof and hit Xavier Doherty (1 for 45 from four) for consecutive sixes to bring up his half-century before holing out at deep cover off the bowling of Krejza.

From there the Thunder collapsed again, losing 7 for 45.

Gayle's fellow West Indies star Fidel Edwards (2 for 33) says the Thunder was not relying too heavily on their opener.

"Chris has his job to do," he said.

"He's an opening batsman, he's supposed to go out there and score runs so you can't say we (should) rely less on Chris.

"If Chris scores runs then everybody's back-up is good for us as a team."

The Hurricanes all but secured a semi-final spot, while the Thunder face a must-win Sydney derby against the Sixers at the Olympic stadium next Sunday.

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, twenty20, hobart-7000, sydney-2000

First posted January 01, 2012 22:05:58

View the original article here

Victory in Aussie crosshairs

Adrian Crawford

Updated December 12, 2011 08:58:14

Australia is in the box seat going into Monday's fourth day of the second Test against New Zealand at Bellerive Oval, needing 169 runs for victory with all wickets in hand.

Rain ensured that no play was possible after the tea break in Hobart but by that point Australian openers David Warner and Phil Hughes had compiled 72 without loss chasing 241.

Test new boy Warner (47 not out) and embattled fellow left-hander Hughes made the most of their opportunities despite both men having some hairy moments at the crease.

Michael Hussey told Grandstand that Australia's openers did a solid job on Sunday afternoon but there is still work to do.

"It's been a great opening partnership that's for sure, to be none for 70-odd," he said.

"Obviously the ball has moved around a lot, particularly the new ball.

"It's been a great start by the boys but it is just the start. There's still movement out there [and] we're going to have to make sure we build some good partnerships tomorrow."

Hussey says he hopes Australia can carry its momentum into Monday.

"To get off to a good solid, positive start would be fantastic - that'd be the ideal start for us," he said.

"That's up to Phil and Davey Warner ... if they can get through that first half hour that would be a huge start for us.

"But I think Test match cricket is going to be tough. There is still movement out there so you're going to need a little bit of luck."

With the selection axe hanging precariously over Hughes, the struggling 23-year-old made a visible effort not to chase outside off stump, leaving many deliveries as he carved out a nervy but useful 20.

With Australia having two days and a session up their sleeves to reel in the Black Caps, Hughes can afford to take his time and bat for his continued place in the side.

Warner did the bulk of the scoring, using his powerful strokeplay to find the boundary eight times as he approached a maiden Test half-century.

But Hughes too showed flashes of his potential as a Test opener, scoring three fours of his own including one glorious cover drive off Trent Boult.

Hughes could consider himself lucky on two occasions though, having avoided being ruled caught behind off nemesis Chris Martin and later streaking in to avoid a run-out by a metre.

New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor elected not to review the caught-behind appeal in the third over of the innings, assuming incorrectly that the nick he had heard was a glance off Hughes' thigh pad.

But Hot Spot replays indicated the ball had in fact brushed Hughes' glove on the way down the leg side.

Rain had delayed the start of the session after the two sides went to lunch, and the wet outfield seemed to play havoc with New Zealand's bowlers as they changed the soggy ball twice during the session.

Their victory target was set up by superb bowling in the first session as Australia took 7 for 87 before lunch.

Taylor and Kane Williamson (34) came to the crease on Sunday morning to resume proceedings at 3 for 139, a total lead of 153.

But Williamson departed on a loose stroke in the first over trying to play away Peter Siddle (3 for 66), sending an edge to Ricky Ponting who dived to his right to secure the catch.

Taylor batted on gallantly and reached his 50 off 142 deliveries, his knock the longest in the Test and while not flashy it was effective in dragging his side towards a respectable total.

The captain and Dean Brownlie stuck around for nearly an hour and a half that produced 32 runs for the fifth wicket before Taylor, who had looked very comfortable, eventually fell victim to Pattinson for 56.

The young Australian quick finished with 3 for 54 after he also bagged the key wicket of Brownlie (21), who could easily have proven the thorn in Australia's side after his first-innings 56.

Nathan Lyon was thrown the ball half an hour before the lunch break in an attempt by Clarke to shake up the tail-end, but it was Siddle who made the first breakthrough when he trapped Reece Young in front for 9.

Off spinner Lyon (3 for 25) then stepped in to take the last three scalps, two in three balls when he had Southee caught on the boundary for 13 and then Doug Bracewell for 4 two deliveries later.

Hussey praised his team-mates' dedication to lifting their energy in the middle on Sunday morning.

"We definitely wanted to bowl with a lot of discipline and a lot of patience, and we wanted to bowl as many maidens as we could," he said.

"We were probably a little bit flat in the field yesterday afternoon and it was a real goal of the team to try and be as upbeat and create as much energy in the field as we could."

While Southee's slashing performance was somewhat characteristic - the right-hander belted Lyon for a six and a four before holing out to Hussey - Bracewell more or less threw his wicket away with a rash stroke that had him bowled middle stump.

It would not have been a welcome sight for Taylor, whose pace battery was immediately under pressure to produce quick wickets to defend a middling total on a pitch that was becoming advantageous for batting.

Play will resume on Monday at 10:00am AEDT.

Tags: cricket, sport, hobart-7000, tas, australia

First posted December 11, 2011 17:41:41

View the original article here

Warner ton guides Thunder to victory

Updated December 18, 2011 07:18:52

David Warner stole the limelight in Shane Warne's Australian comeback on Saturday night, blasting an unbeaten 102 to guide Sydney Thunder to victory over the Melbourne Stars.

The 42-year-old Warne, who was playing his first game at the MCG since retiring from elite cricket in January, took 0 for 19 from his two overs in the Stars' opening game in the new Big Bash League.

Chasing 154 to win, the Thunder reached their target with six wickets and one over in hand thanks to Warner's brilliant knock.

James Faulkner took 2 for 20 for the Stars.

David Hussey top-scored with 52 off 27 balls in the Stars' innings of 7 for 153 while Doug Bollinger and Scott Coyte took two wickets each.

In reply, the Thunder lost West Indies import Chris Gayle for 4, but Warner smashed six fours and six sixes in his 51-ball display of power hitting despite being in doubt for the game with a back injury.

Warner blasted Warne for a six over long-on in his first over and another over the sightscreen in the master leg spinner's second over, prompting skipper Cameron White to give the local hero a rest.

The stocky left-hander said he was determined to treat Warne as just another bowler.

"If he's going to toss it up in my area, I'm going to try to take him down," Warner said.

"Twenty20 cricket for a spin bowler, it's not ideal. I'm just happy that we won."

Warner will play for the Chairman's XI in a three-day tour game against India in Canberra starting on Monday ahead of the Boxing Day Test.

Melbourne captain Cameron White said Warne was still the best leg spinner in the world.

"With six or seven left-handers in their line-up, it was always going to be difficult," White said.

"He bowled well actually. He didn't bowl a bad ball.

"He (Warner) just played well. All credit to David.

"He played fantastic tonight. He took the game away from us."

Test opener Warner reached his century in the 19th over and leapt in the air with delight.

Warne's British fiancee Liz Hurley tossed the coin with the captains before the match as part of the BBL's push to broaden its fan base.

Saturday's game drew a crowd of 23,496 after Stars officials had been hoping to eclipse the Australian Twenty20 domestic record of 43,125 in January 2010 when Victoria hosted Tasmania.

The Stars play Brisbane Heat at the Gabba on December 20 while the Thunder host Adelaide Strikers at the Olympic stadium three days later.

AAP

Tags: sport, cricket, twenty20, melbourne-3000, vic, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted December 17, 2011 22:31:52

View the original article here

Sehwag's record 219 fires India to victory

Updated December 09, 2011 16:21:19

Virender Sehwag smashed the highest score in one-day cricket as India flattened the West Indies by 153 runs to take a decisive 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Sehwag hammered a scintillating 219 off 149 balls to lift India to its best one-day total of 5 for 418, before the West Indies were bowled out for 265.

Debutant leg-spinner Rahul Sharma picked up three wickets in his first three overs as the tourists were outplayed despite a defiant 96 from wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.

Sehwag plundered 25 boundaries and seven sixes during his 149-ball blitz, joining compatriot Sachin Tendulkar as the only batsmen in history to score double-centuries in the 50-over format.

Sehwag moved past Tendulkar's 200 not out - against South Africa in Gwalior last year - in the 44th over when, on 197, he cut Andre Russell to the point fence.

He was finally dismissed in the 47th over when he was caught in the deep off Kieron Pollard and was clapped off the field by the entire West Indies team and some 30,000 jubilant home fans.

"I was cheering for Sachin when he got his double-hundred and it's great to emulate that," the 33-year-old Sehwag said.

"The pitch was great and allowed you to play your shots. I think you can get a double-hundred like this when you're experienced. The last time I played 47 overs I got 175, this time I got 200."

West Indies captain Darren Sammy said there was little his team could do to stop Sehwag's onslaught.

"Sehwag has destroyed bowlers all over the world, not only us," said Sammy.

"We bowled some good balls but he played better shots.

"The pitch was a belter but we got pegged back by their spinners. They kept taking wickets and made in hard for us. It is good that in the end we managed to get past 250."

Sehwag's blistering knock helped India surpass its previous highest one-day total of 7 for 414 against Sri Lanka in Rajkot in 2009.

It was Sehwag's 15th three-figure knock in one-day cricket and the first since making 175 against Bangladesh in the opening match of the World Cup in Dhaka in February this year.

Sehwag, who is captaining India in the series in the absence of the rested Mahendra Singh Dhoni, had managed just 46 runs in the previous three matches.

But he found the right conditions on the run-laden pitch at the Holkar stadium in Indore to strike form ahead of the Test series in Australia starting later this month.

Sehwag, who was dropped on 170 by Sammy in the covers, put on 176 for the first wicket with Gautam Gambhir (67) and 140 for the second with Suresh Raina (55).

The West Indies suffered a blow before the start when star batsman Darren Bravo was ruled out of the must-win game due to a hamstring strain.

Bravo was replaced by Kieran Powell.

The final match will be played in Chennai on Sunday.

AFP

Tags: sport, cricket, india

First posted December 08, 2011 23:42:35

View the original article here

Cook celebrates victory over Sri Lanka

Published:Thursday, July 7, 2011 8:29 AEST

England captain Alastair Cook celebrates victory over Sri Lanka in their fourth one-dayet at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on July 6, 2011. Cook finished unbeaten on 95 in a 10-wicket win.

Tags: sport, cricket

View the original article here

India eyes final-day push for victory

Updated July 2, 2011 09:46:00

The familiar figures of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman guided India to safety and towards a position to push for an unlikely victory in the second Test against West Indies in Barbados.

The duo, who have long tormented teams with long and stubborn innings, both completed half-centuries to steer India to a commanding position of 3 for 229 in its second innings at stumps on the fourth day at Kensington Oval.

That gave the tourists an overall lead of 240 with seven wickets in hand and only one day remaining in a low-scoring match that has been interrupted by torrential rain but may yet produce a result.

While a draw still looms as the most likely result, India at least appeared to be out of any danger and building towards a position where they could set up an early declaration on the final day.

Laxman, who top-scored with 85 in the first innings, finished the day unbeaten on 72 with Virat Kohli on 26. The pair added 75 for the unbroken fourth wicket without taking any risks or trying to increase the run-rate.

Laxman had also shared a 65-run stand with Dravid, who made 55, after his patient hundred in last week's first Test in Jamaica gave India a 1-0 series lead.

Dravid also batted cautiously after surviving a let-off on 9 when he spooned a catch to Adrian Barath at midwicket, the fielder tumbling sideways to claim a low catch.

Dravid stood his ground and, as is almost always the case with low catches, the slow-motion video replays proved inconclusive so he was given the benefit of the doubt.

India started the day on 23 for no wicket, adding 206 runs, for the loss of a wicket in each session.

Opener Murali Vijay departed early for 3 when he feathered a catch to wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh off paceman Ravi Rampaul, then Abhinav Mukund went for 48 after lunch when he gloved a catch behind off a bouncer from Fidel Edwards.

-Reuters

Tags: sport, cricket, barbados, india

First posted July 2, 2011 09:45:00

View the original article here

Bad weather ends India's bid for victory

Posted July 3, 2011 10:32:00

The second Test between West Indies and India ended in a draw after the fickle weather that had interrupted the match for days finally halted play.

The match was evenly poised and heading towards an unexpected and thrilling finish when play was abandoned in the last session on the fifth and final day because of bad light after rain had delayed the match at a critical time and soaked the outfield.

Set 281 to win after India made a bold declaration at the start of the day, West Indies were 7 for 202 when the teams shook hands and stumps were drawn, 79 runs from what would have been a remarkable victory but also just three wickets from losing the series.

"I'm disappointed to some extent, the last session was a well-placed game, it was evenly poised," said Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"My plan was ruined because of the rain, we got a couple of wickets that were needed but bad light spoiled the party."

India, 1-0 up in the three-match series after winning the opening Test in Jamaica, declared its second innings closed at 6 for 269 more than an hour before lunch, setting West Indies a formidable, but not impossible, target in two-and-a-half sessions.

The tourists looked the most likely winners when they picked up three early wickets, forcing West Indies to revert to survival mode, before Darren Bravo and Carlton Baugh took matters into their own hands and threatened to change the momentum of the match.

"A draw, we will take that. As long as we didn't lose today, I'm quite happy," said West Indies captain Darren Sammy.

"We had a plan, even down to the last 15 overs we were on course but we lost too many wickets. We have to go all out to win and level the Test series."

Bravo made 73 in more than four-and-a-half hours at the crease before he fell when the light was fading fast, leaving Baugh unbeaten on 46.

Ishant Sharma, India's impressive fast bowler who was named man of the match, took 4 for 53 to finish with 10 wickets.

"I can't forget this kind of bowling, I've never done this kind of bowling ever in my career," Sharma said.

"The wicket had uneven bounce in the first innings so you just had to put it in the right areas."

Brave declaration

India had resumed on 3 for 229 and added just 40 runs for the loss of three wickets when the normally conservative skipper called his players in on a lively Kensington Oval pitch still offering plenty of pace and bounce.

For the second time in the match VVS Laxman had fallen short of a century, departing for 87 after making 85 in the first innings.

Laxman had batted patiently to get within reach of a hundred when he got a thick edge to a short ball from Fidel Edwards outside off stump and deflected it to Sammy at second slip.

Edwards captured all three Indian wickets in the day to finish with 5 for 76, his ninth five-wicket haul in Tests.

Dhoni's declaration was vindicated when India captured three quick wickets.

Lendl Simmons departed in the fourth over after making a quickfire 14 off 12 balls, featuring three boundaries, when he edged Sharma to Rahul Dravid in the slips cordon.

Then Ramnaresh Sarwan, who has scored just 29 runs in the series, made another early exit for eight when he fended a short-pitched delivery from Praveen Kumar to Suresh Raina at third slip.

Adrian Barath struck three fours and a six before he was also caught by Raina at third slip, leaving West Indies reeling at 3 for 55.

Chanderpaul joined Bravo at the crease and helped to steady the innings with a painstakingly slow 12 off 87 balls before he was given out leg before wicket to spinner Harbhajan Singh although replays indicated the ball was clearly missing the stumps.

Marlon Samuels, who top scored in the first innings with an unbeaten 78, fell lbw to Sharma for 9, leaving West Indies in deep trouble at 5 for 132, when Bravo and Baugh came together.

With Bravo holding up an end, allowing Baugh to go after the bowlers, the pair added 69 for the sixth wicket, forcing India to spread the fielders and start saving runs when a shower forced play to be stopped.

There was another delay when the groundsmen were called to repair an area that was still wet and although West Indies lost Bravo, then Sammy for a duck, the light ultimately ruined any chance of a result.

The third and final Test starts in Dominica next week.

-Reuters

Tags: sport, cricket, barbados, india

View the original article here

Cook sets up victory shot against Sri Lanka

Posted June 7, 2011 06:08:00

England gave itself a chance to win its Test series against Sri Lanka with a match to spare after losing skipper Andrew Strauss for a duck at Lord's here on Monday.

The hosts, at stumps on the fourth day of the second Test, were 2 for 149 in their second innings - a lead of 156 - with Alastair Cook 61 not out.

Cook, under skies brightened by the Lord's floodlights, helped England recover from 1 for 0 after the exit of Strauss and together with Jonathan Trott (58) put on 117 for the second wicket.

Kevin Pietersen, despite coming in when Rangana Herath was on - left-arm spinners, including Herath, have removed him 19 times in Tests - was unbeaten on 15.

England had dismissed Sri Lanka for just 82 inside 25 overs to force an improbable innings and 14-run win in the similarly rain-interrupted first Test in Cardiff.

But England still has 98 overs left on Tuesday's final day in which to achieve a win that would put them 2-0 up in this three-match series.

And the time remaining means a Sri Lanka victory cannot be ruled out completely either.

Sri Lanka, after rain washed out all of Monday's morning session, made 479 in reply to England's first innings 486 - a deficit of just seven runs.

Strauss was then plumb lbw to left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara off the second ball of the innings, the skipper wasting a review before walking back to the Pavilion.

The in-form Trott, sometimes criticised for slow-scoring, prospered against an under-powered Sri Lanka seam attack to score a 66-ball fifty, completed when he punched Dilhara Fernando through the covers for his eighth four.

Former skipper Kumar Sangakkara, captaining the side as Tillakaratne Dilshan was off the field following the finger injury he had suffered making a Sri Lankan Lord's Test-best 193 on Sunday, then opted for spin.

And it took Herath just four balls to bowl Trott, playing over the top of a dipping delivery.

Trott's exit meant Pietersen had to face Herath immediately but he played out the over with two forward defensive shots.

Cook then drove Fernando through the covers for a sixth four to go to an 86-ball fifty.

An even bigger roar came after Pietersen, advancing confidently down the pitch, drove Herath straight back over the bowler's head for the first four of his innings.

Earlier, Sri Lanka lost two wickets - Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera - for no runs in three balls to be 6 for 409.

But wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene, who made 112 in the first innings in Cardiff, hit back with a stylish 40 featuring a six and five fours and put on 57 with Herath in a lively seventh-wicket stand.

England's pace attack, wayward on Sunday in the absence of injured Ashes spearhead James Anderson, showed signs of early improvement Monday.

But a huge total of 58 extras, including 23 byes, most of which could not be blamed on wicketkeeper Matt Prior, was evidence of a lack of accuracy.

Steven Finn, recalled in place of Anderson, took 4 for 108 while off-spinner Graeme Swann polished off the tail with 3 for 8 in 16 balls.

- AFP

Tags: sport, cricket, sri-lanka, england

View the original article here

Shehzad ton steers Pakistan to victory

Posted April 26, 2011 10:50:00

Opener Ahmed Shehzad struck his second one-day international hundred to anchor Pakistan to a confident seven-wicket victory over West Indies.

Shehzad hit seven fours and one six in his 102 from 148 balls as Pakistan successfully chased 221 for victory in the second ODI at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.

Umar Akmal carried the visitors over the threshold with 12 balls remaining when he lofted a delivery from Dwayne Bravo to long-off for the final boundary of the match.

The result means that Pakistan takes a 2-0 lead in the five-match series after winning the first game by eight wickets on Saturday at the same ground.

Pakistan has now won its last seven ODIs against West Indies, a sequence spread over the last four years.

"We made a plan at our team meeting and our guys stuck to it and that was good," said Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi.

"Shehzad is a very talented guy and he showed that he is capable of performing. He took his time, but chasing a small total, he could afford to do that and we won the game.

"I think our bowlers are doing a great job, and the fielding has improved because it is a very important area for us. Our batting has shown responsibility and we hope to maintain this discipline right throughout the series."

The visitors' spin bowling trio of Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Afridi had dominated on another docile pitch.

After Pakistan chose to field, West Indies was dismissed for 220 in 50 overs - one less than the total it made in the first ODI.

Ajmal, Hafeez and Afridi shared six wickets for 102 runs in 30 overs between them, and only West Indies opener Lendl Simmons looked close to getting on top of them, leading the way with 51 from 48 balls, which included four fours and two sixes.

"We didn't make use of the key moments in the match," said West Indies captain Darren Sammy.

"We could have tried to squeeze their batsmen more and when we batted we got a good start, but did not capitalise on it.

"The spinners continue to bog us down, and we could have got a lot more on the board. It seems that whatever approach we have taken, we seem only able to get the same kind of total on the board. We have a lot more work to do."

Shehzad shared three successive half-century partnerships with Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq that put Pakistan firmly on course for its victory.

He glanced a delivery in the 44th over from Dwayne Bravo to deep fine leg for a single to reach his milestone from 143 balls.

"We tried to keep wickets in hand. It was not a huge total so I knew that I had to control my stroke-play and not get carried away," said Shehzad.

He was fortunate on 30 when he came close to being run out after pulling a delivery from Bravo to mid-wicket and Hafeez turned down the chance of going for a single.

Sammy fired his throw from mid-wicket wide of the stumps and the opener was able to regain his ground.

By the time he became the second wicket for leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo in the 46th over, Pakistan required just 30 from the final 28 deliveries which came with little trouble.

The third and fourth matches of the series will be played on Thursday and Monday at Kensington Oval in Barbados, with the final game coming three days later at the Guyana National Stadium.

- AFP

View the original article here

Hussey stars in Chennai victory

Posted April 26, 2011 06:02:00

Michael Hussey hit a half-century and Albie Morkel bagged three wickets to help Chennai Super Kings post a 25-run win over Pune Warriors in their Indian Premier League match.

Australian Hussey made a 48-ball 61 and South African paceman Morkel took 3 for 29 as Chennai bowled and fielded impressively to restrict Pune to 9 for 117 after scoring 6 for 142 for its third win in six matches of the Twenty20 tournament.

Pune could never recover after being reduced to 4 for 40 in the opening six overs, with off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Morkel taking two wickets apiece.

Australian paceman Doug Bollinger finished with 2 for 20.

Skipper Yuvraj Singh top-scored with 34 for Pune, who suffered their third defeat in five matches.

His 43-ball knock ended when Shadab Jakati held a superb diving catch in the covers off Morkel in the penultimate over.

Mithun Manhas was the other main scorer for Pune with 20.

Hussey earlier hit one six and six fours in his half-century to help Chennai reach a competitive total despite impressive bowling efforts from Pune pacemen Jerome Taylor (3 for 30) and Alfonso Thomas (2 for 29).

Put in to bat, Chennai made a solid start when Murali Vijay (31) and Hussey put on 64 for the opening wicket before Pune struck back with two quick wickets.

South African Thomas had Vijay caught by New Zealander Nathan McCullum at mid-wicket and then bowled Suresh Raina for two runs in the same over.

Hussey steadied the innings with a 52-run stand for the third wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (26) before West Indies paceman Taylor, playing his first IPL match, took three of the last four wickets.

Taylor struck in his third over when he removed Hussey, who fell to a well-judged catch at long-on boundary by Manish Pandey, before dismissing Morkel in the same over.

View the original article here

Bishoo delivers victory to Windies

Posted April 22, 2011 11:45:00

Leg spinner Devendra Bishoo captured four wickets while Lendl Simmons composed a fluent 65 as West Indies beat Pakistan by seven runs in the first ever Twenty20 international between the sides.

Umar Akmal led the way with 41, Asad Shafiq made 25, and Saeed Ajmal scored 21 not out as the Pakistanis were restricted to 9 for 143 in their 20 overs, chasing 151 for victory at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.

"I think the pitch was good for batsmen, and I don't know why we missed this opportunity to win this match," said Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi.

"We are not building any partnerships. This is what has been missing for us for a few months. Bishoo bowled really well, and all of their bowlers delivered in the right areas."

The visitors' batting was undermined chiefly by leg-spinner Bishoo, whose four wickets for 17 runs from his allotted four overs earned him the man-of-the-match award, and Ravi Rampaul supported with 3 for 31 from four overs.

"The jump from domestic cricket to international cricket is a big difference," said Bishoo.

"You have to be far more containing because the batsmen take good balls and turn them into bad balls. The pitch was a good pitch and I felt it would slide onto the bat."

Pakistan bowlers' looked short of work as opener Simmons struck seven fours and two sixes in the top score of 65 from 44 deliveries as West Indies built a total of 7 for 150 from 20 overs.

Abdur Rehman gave Pakistan an early breakthrough, when he trapped Andre Fletcher lbw for one, but Simmons and Darren Bravo added 99 for the second wicket to put West Indies back on track for a decent total.

Rehman made the breakthrough again when he had Bravo caught at long-on for 42, and West Indies wobbled the rest of the way, with no other batsman passing 20.

Rehman, Wahab Riaz and Saeed Ajmal collected two wickets apiece for Pakistan.

Pakistan made a shaky start to their chase and soon slid to 4 for 49 in the seventh over when Bishoo tightened the screws, having Asad Shafiq caught at short mid-on with his fourth delivery, and next ball, had Misbah-ul-Haq hit wicket for a first-ball duck.

Akmal tried to keep the momentum going in the middle of the innings, but Bishoo had Afridi caught at extra cover for 12 to effectively dent Pakistan's hopes.

The two sides contest the first one-day international in a series of five, starting on Saturday at the same venue.

- AFP

View the original article here