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Gary Kirsten sets new mark as South Africa reach 369/2 against Bangladesh

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Gary Kirsten became the first Test player in world cricket to score a century against all of the nine Test playing nations when he completed the full house with a hundred for South Africa against Bangladesh on day one of the inaugural Test at Buffalo Park in East London.With Buffalo Park becoming the tenth venue in South Africa to host a Test match, Khaled Mashud won the toss for Bangladesh and decided to put South Africa in to bat on a pitch and under conditions that looked like favouring the bowlers early on. New South African captain Mark Boucher commented that he too would have fielded had he won the toss.Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith, after a conservative start, soon got into their stride, taking the score to 87 when Gibbs attempting to cut, slapped a catch to extra cover, who obliged by taking it head high. Gibbs had scored a fluent 41, leaving the stage for Smith and Gary Kirsten.Kirsten, who had been left out of the one-day squad, seemed a rejuvenated batsman. Starting his innings by playing with a straight bat and restricting his shots between mid on and mid off, he batted with confidence and authority scoring at almost a run a ball.Coming into the match, Kirsten was level with Steve Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar on hundreds against eight of the playing nations. He went to his 50 in 83 minutes and then set his mark, going to the hundred in 227 minutes. It was an innings that he would remember for years to come, and provided great joy for South African supporters who were pleased to see him back in top form. Kirsten is now also the highest South African Test centurion with 15 100s to his name.Smith, meanwhile, showed that he is far more suited to the longer version of the game, timing the ball sweetly through the off side field. He went to his first Test hundred in 209 minutes, the youngest South African to do so since re-admission, and continued to work hard at reaching the magical 200 in 338 minutes, becoming the tenth South African to score a 200 – the 14th occasion a South African had achieved the feat.Having just gone to his 200, Smith came down the wicket and lofted a simple catch to deep mid on. A 272-run partnership with Kirsten had come to an end and South Africa had lost the second wicket on 359.The Bangladesh bowlers, apart from Manjural Islam, never consistently got the ball in the correct areas. Not receiving the expected assistance from the conditions and the pitch, they toiled hard without any reward. The spinners finding very little turn found themselves at the mercy of the batsmen.The day completely belonged to South Africa who dominated each session, ending it on 369/2 with Kirsten on 113 and Jacques Kallis on 1. If day one was anything to go by, then day two is going to be another long haul for Bangladesh.

Katich and Jaques demoralise West Indies

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

Phil Jaques and Simon Katich were the masters on a day when almost nothing went right for West Indies © AFP
 

Simon Katich and Phil Jaques both made centuries on a day of total Australian dominance in Barbados, where the match slipped right out of West Indies’ grasp as Australia built a lead of 365 by stumps. At the close Australia were 330 for 3 and Katich was unbeaten on 148 having batted throughout the day, with Michael Clarke yet to score, and the only concern for Ricky Ponting was likely to be deciding when to declare on day four to give his bowlers the best shot at a 2-0 series win.It was an unexpected development in a game that for two days was tighter than Shane Watson’s hamstring. Both teams had made use of a lively Bridgetown pitch and 20 wickets fell on the first two days, but as the surface calmed down West Indies could only manage three breakthroughs on the third, none of which gave them any real momentum following the Jaques and Katich show.Their 223-run stand was the highest opening partnership for Australia in Tests since Hussey and Matthew Hayden combined for 231 against the same opposition in Hobart in November 2005. While it might have given the selectors confidence that there will be life after Hayden, it has also handed them a conundrum as they decide whether Katich can squeeze into the side when they tour India later this year, when Hayden should be fit again.Katich would be mighty unlucky to be dropped. His effort in Barbados was not only his highest Test score but it gave him centuries in consecutive matches after he made 113 in Antigua. He scored plenty of runs through the leg side as he walked a long way across his stumps and clipped into the big gaps that Chris Gayle had helpfully left, and his driving through the off side was clean and well-judged.At one point his concentration appeared to be waning – he had about 70 and Jaques was beginning to score quickly – and following a couple of forced attempts to pierce the field he refocused and was again his usual calm self. His century came up with an ungainly hook that slammed straight into the ground but the method did not bother Katich, who had his milestone from 216 deliveries.The West Indies fast men assisted him by sending down plenty of half-volleys that allowed Katich to drive and the tone of the day had been set in the first over when he took Daren Powell for ten, including two superb drives through cover and mid-off. Until a late-in-the day drop from Dwayne Bravo at leg slip when Katich already had 145, he did not give Gayle’s men a chance. Impressively, neither did Jaques.Scratchy for the first part of the morning, Jaques gradually found his rhythm and enjoyed the lack of bite in the pitch, pulling forward of midwicket for four from a Fidel Edwards bouncer that on day one would have been a helmet-rattler. He cut hard when given width – as he often was – and brought up his third Test century with a cover-driven boundary when he got to the pitch against Sulieman Benn. His hundred, which came from 196 deliveries, was his first Test century outside Australia and his first without Hayden as his opening partner.Occasionally Jaques went aerial and a lofted drive over long-on for four off Benn was particularly good. It was a terribly tough day at the office for the spinners, who got some turn but could not find their length. Gayle did not help by setting men back on the boundary and allowing easy runs – a move that clearly frustrated the animated Benn – and at no stage did significant pressure build on Katich and Jaques.A breakthrough finally came when Jaques, on 108, flashed outside off against Edwards and got a thick edge behind. For a brief moment there was some energy in the West Indies camp. But Ponting clipped a boundary off his pads from his first delivery and the spark vanished from the hosts as quickly as it had appeared.Ponting kept Australia in their dominant mood by smacking Gayle back over his head for six and he worked his way to 39 before pulling Powell to midwicket, where the substitute fielder Runako Morton took a cracking catch low down. That was followed by a leg-slip take off Benn that removed Hussey shortly before stumps – just reward after he toiled hard sending down 35 overs – but they were rare moments of joy for West Indies on a day where virtually nothing went right.If the pile of runs from Jaques and Katich was not enough to demoralise the team, the likely loss of one of their openers before the second innings should have done the trick. Sewnarine Chattergoon badly wrenched his left ankle when he tried to slide and stop a boundary, the joint skewing under the weight of his body, and he was taken to hospital in an ambulance. It was an awful sight for West Indies fans and it symbolised their horrible three sessions of cricket.They had started the day trailing by 70 but with the knowledge that if they could break into Australia’s middle order quickly they might have a gettable target on their hands. They ended the afternoon with a massive deficit, several of the Australian middle order still padded up and, perhaps depressingly for them, two full days remaining. A series that had surprised with its close contests was rapidly heading into more familiar territory.

Tremlett out for season, Hampshire choose 13 for Surrey

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Chris Tremlett
Photo Mike Atkelsky

Chris Tremlett will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a stress fracture of the 2nd metatarsal (a small bone in the left, landing foot). A scan on Monday showed up the injury, and Chris will be fighting to get fit in time to join the England Academy this winter.Hampshire select from thirteen for the Frizzell County Championship match at the AMP Oval on Thursday (12:00pm start on that day), and will look to continue the progress they made in their last two matches. 20 year old James Tomlinson a student at Cardiff University is likely to make his Championship debut.Adi Aymes (Knee) and Alan Mullally (Shoulder) will face fitness tests on the morning of the match, but both have shown improvements to their injury situation.The Hampshire 13: Neil Johnson, Jason Laney, Will Kendall, Robin Smith (captain), John Francis, Nic Pothas, Adi Aymes (w/k), Lawrence Prittipaul, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Shaun Udal, James Hamblin, Alan Mullally and James Tomlinson.

Invitation not extended to India: PCB

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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Thursday said it had not invited India to participate in the Golden Jubilee Test. But the establishment neither denied nor explained if the Jubilee Test was not scheduled between Oct 26 and 30 , why it was slotted in Pakistan’s forthcoming international matches.The statement said: “The PCB denies having sent any invitation to India for the Golden Jubilee Test nor does it intend to send one in the near future.”The PCB chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia is on record having categorically stated that until cricketing relations between the two countries are normalized, there is no question of inviting an Indian team to Pakistan.”According to ICC’s 10-year calender, India is also scheduled to visit Pakistan from April 7 for three Tests and five One-day Internationals.Meanwhile, the PCB thanked TransWorld International for the help rendered by them during their current partnership. But the board stated that when the current contract expires in April next year, it will call fresh bids from all the leading contenders for the next broadcasting rights.”The matter will be decided in a transparent manner and in favor of the highest bidder of merit. The PCB is looking forward to maximize its resources for meeting its expanding development program.”A spokesman of the TWI had Wednesday expressed his disappointment the way his company was being treated by the PCB. He had said the PCB was undermining his company’s contributions and was set to award next broadcasting rights to Abdul Rehman Bukhatir’s newly launched Ten Sports.

Surrey meander to a draw

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The day began with Surrey pressing on, losing nightwatchman Ian Salisbury almost immediately for four and Ward, Brown, Stewart and Tudor then each lost his wicket assaulting the Somerset attack, who, Bulbeck aside, were less threatening than in the first innings. Sadly for the sake of the game wickets came in the wrong numbers and at the wrong times for either side to force the issue. When Martin Bicknell began his innings in defensive mode it became clear that the home side had given up on persuit of a victory. Blackwell bowled tidily for his wickets and Parsons last spell of the game was his best – good news for Somerset who will be without their main strike bowler for most of the Summer.For Somerset Caddick was warned for running on the wicket (something Salisbury and Saqlain would presumably have applauded more than his own batsmen) and consistantly overstepped when delivering his effort ball. The wickets of Salisbury, Ward, Stewart, Brown and Tudor were due at least in part to forcing shots, but they were taken nonetheless, had a couple more awkward catching chances been held onto then a target might have been on for the visitors, however the field was never overly attacking and it was clear that after the first hour’s play a draw was the visitor’s preferred result.Surrey could, and perhaps should have tried to make more of the game, especially since, as both Dutch and Blackwell enjoyed some success, their own spinners would probably have presented Somerset with troubles aplenty, had the upper order managed to generate another thirty or forty runs in their early attack – or indeed been bowled out cheaply, an exciting finish would have been the result. In the end the loss of four sessions and two sides more eager to preserve their unbeaten status than charge after an improbable victory killed the game.Somerset’s brief innings saw James Ormond handed the new ball, and unfortunately use it to produce the two worst overs I have seen him deliver, the no-ball and three easy four balls that were capitalised on by the Somerset openers could easily have been accompanied by two or three wides given and a couple more boundaries, before he found his length and line and began to trouble the batsmen. At the other end a classic confrontation between Alex Tudor and Marcus Trescothick in particular who struck him for two fine boundaries before being undone by a magnificent ball across him from the tall londoner. After that though both Cox and Burns failed to connect with the edge for the balls that beat them and middle those that didn’t so the game petered out.

Another sad and rainy day in Buenos Aires

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Torrential rain wreaked havoc with the 2nd Americas Cricket Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the second consecutive day.It all added up to another sad and rainy day, as in two days, five out of six games have been abandoned without a ball being bowled, while the Argentina v USA clash at Hurlingham somehow managed to find enough respite between the storms to fit in some 35 overs of play, but not enough to somehow manafacture a result one way or another.On top of all the disappointment, a further setback for local organisers is the temporary loss of San Albano as a venue when the area was hit by a freak storm, uprooting trees and unleashing savage winds and heavy rain on the ground and the immediate vicinity.This after the Argentine Cricket Association and dedicated members of the local St.Albans club had succeeded against all odds in a race against time in order to complete the construction of a brand new turf wicket facility, so that this important event could be played only on turf wickets.For the next few days at least, some fixtures will have to be completed on artificial wickets at reserve venues.The unseasonal and severe weather has forced organisers to restructure the entire tournament, which will now consist only of a round-robin group without a final between the top two teams to establish the champion. Instead, the winner of the mini-league, after five consecutive days of matches from Tuesday 12th to Saturday 16th, will be declared Americas Champion.No games will be played on Monday 11th, allowing locals to put various logistical changes into place, as well as to allow the grounds some recovery time from the violent climatic onslaught over the weekend.The fixture schedule sees some changes – matches previously scheduled for Saturday 9th will now be contested on the final day, Saturday 16th, while matches that we due to be completed today, Sunday 10th, will be completed on Thursday 14th. The original fixture schedule for Tuesday 12th, Wednesday 13th and Friday 15th, will remain as previously scheduled, apart from the venues to be confirmed for matches previously scheduled for San Albano.In the only cricket action witnessed thus far, hosts Argentina may take a great deal of confidence into their next game, after reducing the United States to 97 for 5 after 28,2 overs before the first storm intervened. Hero for the home side was medium-pacer Christian Tuon, who completed his 10 overs, taking a fine 4 for 43. Still, even though the Argentines will feel satisfied with that solid effort, of that 97 total, 33 of those runs were gifted by wides and no balls.After heroic efforts by local officials and assistants, the game eventually got underway again at 4.40 pm, with Argentina needing 117 to win in 25 overs after the Duckworth-Lewis adjustment. They looked to be heading towards an historic victory, when (no prizes for guessing) another storm promptly ended the days play with their score poised at 33 for 1 after 7 overs, and a no result conclusion.Summarised scores:
UNITED STATES 97 for 5 (28,2 overs) A.Afzaluddin 23, S.Pathak 16 not out, C.Tuon 4 – 43, L.Paterlini 1 – 17
ARGENTINA 33 for 1 (7 overs) M.Paterlini 16 not out, L.Paterlini 14, D.Blake 1 – 20 ; No Result.

Mascarenhas slams Centurion pitch

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Hampshire captain Dimitri Mascarenhas has criticised the pitch at SuperSport Park in Centurion, calling it “no good for 20-over cricket” after his team was knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers having played only one match. Hampshire posted 121 on a surface with inconsistent bounce that did not allow the ball to carry through quickly, and Auckland reached the target with 33 deliveries to spare.”When we saw the pitch yesterday, we thought there was no way we could play on the wicket,” Mascarenhas said. “We knew that whoever won the toss would win the game. I heard there was a chance the match would be moved to the Wanderers but obviously that didn’t happen.” There has been no confirmation that a request was put in to change the venue and the second match continued as scheduled in Centurion.When the Hampshire team saw the pitch on Monday it was being watered, which groundsman Hilbert Smit said was “standard practice.” He admitted he may have “misread the weather,” when he watered the pitch during last week’s heat wave in anticipation of no rain early this week. Instead, 38 millimetres fell on Monday in the summer’s first storms, and the water table rose substantially.”Because of that [the rain] we knew the pitch would be slow and a few deliveries would hold back. But one team still scored at more than eight runs to the over and there is nothing wrong with that,” Smit said, referring to Auckland’s chase.Mascarenhas said the pitch had eased after the heavy roller was used in the innings break and it “definitely got better” to bat on. He thought his team had lost the match because of the batting performance. “Not many teams defend scores of around 120. When you are, you’re desperate for wickets and in doing that, you will give a few away.”Rather than a low-scoring game, Mascarenhas would have preferred a strip with runs in it. “In 20-over cricket, you want a flat wicket and you want to see runs on the board. You don’t want the ball to be dominating the whole time,” he said. “I am a bowler and even I don’t want the ball to dominate.”Auckland captain Gareth Hopkins was less scathing about the surface. “The toss did play a little part in it and it was easier to bat on second, but I don’t think it was too tricky up front,” he said. “It was a little bit slower than the pitch we had last night at the Wanderers and one or two balls did something funny.”Hopkins was the happier of the two captains not just because his team won but because Auckland have now qualified for the main draw. Their victories in both group matches mean they will progress irrespective of the result between Hampshire and Sialkot tomorrow.Hampshire were gutted not only to be out of the competition in the space of a day but because, as Mascarenhas said, “The most disappointing thing is that it was all in the toss, it was decided on that.”

Tamil Nadu cruising along against Delhi

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Tamil Nadu is grinding Delhi to abject submission, making the Delhi playerstake the field to be in the scorching sun. Tamil Nadu have virtually sealeda place in the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals by taking the first innings leadagainst Delhi in the pre-quarter-final at the IIT-Chemplast Ground,Chennai, on Tuesday. Tamil Nadu are 278/4 at close of play, piling up anoverall lead of 516 runs.Resuming at 354/7, Delhi were bowled out for 365. MR Shrinivas picked upone more wicket in the morning to finish with the figures of 29-5-111-4. SMahesh finished with 3/102 off 29 overs.Robin Singh decided not to enforce the follow on and took the opportunityto get his batsmen some more batting practice. Theopening batsmen did not justify their captain’s good intentionsthough; both Sriram and Badarinath got themselves run out aftermaking just 16 and 21 respectively.It was all S Sharath and Hemanth Kumar for the rest of the day,both the batsmen smashing the ball all over the park. They added207 runs for the third wicket before Hemanth was dismissed at 244.He made a classy 87 (1 six, 6 fours) and was distinctly unlucky tomiss out on his second century of the match. He has had a remarkable startto his first class career scoring a century in his only innings againstKerala on debut and then going on to score a hundred in the first inningsin this match.Sharath who missed out on a big score in the first innings, made itup in the second by belting the ball to the fence with gay abandon, hittingan unbeaten 144 by close of play. He has so far smashed 18 fours and twosixes off 251 balls. S Mahesh is unbeaten on four.Given the fact that Tamil Nadu has a long batting line up, it might well beanother long day in the field on the last day for Delhi.

James Marshall makes significant career breakthrough

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It’s days like today that batsmen like James Marshall dream of.The Northern Districts batsman became the second player from his side to score a double century this season when hitting 235 runs in their final State Championship match of the summer, against Canterbury at Christchurch’s Village Green.Marshall scored his highest first-class score and beat numerous other records throughout his innings.His 524 minute innings saw him face 445 deliveries.He said he was disappointed with the way he got out to the catch that bobbled in Aaron Redmond’s arms at short leg, but set the team up with a good lead.”We want to finish the season on a good note, and have already lost our spinner [Bruce] Martin, through a shoulder injury during practice,” he said.At the start of play Marshall resumed on 88 and Michael Parlane 33, with ND chasing 175 further runs to secure first innings points.Paul Wiseman began the bowling for Canterbury with Chris Harris, and after finishing play early yesterday due to bad light, Marshall was able to carry through with his century. It was his second for the season, and third in first-class cricket. He then went on to beat his highest first-class score of 122.Parlane got his 12th first-class 50 shortly after, by smashing a six through mid-wicket off the bowling of Wiseman.The pair got their 100-run partnership off 208 balls.ND continued to accumulate their total, scoring at nearly run a minute pace, bringing up 200 in the 79th over.Parlane ably supported Marshall, until Ryan Burson had Parlane given out lbw for 68, in a delivery that he went forward to and played alongside pad. This was the end of their 165-run partnership.When Scott Styris came to the crease, there was no mucking around. The pair hit several shots square of the wicket to the rope.Seven Canterbury bowlers were used, but none of them could answer the Northern Districts batting effort.By lunchtime, the Knights had increased their total to 299/2, with Marshall on 152 and Styris on 29.Three balls after lunch the pair established their 50-run partnership, driving the team past the 300 mark.In the 114th over, two balls after Styris reached his half century with a six, he was stumped by wicket-keeper Gareth Hopkins. This gave Redmond his first wicket.Identical twin brother Hamish Marshall then joined James, making it difficult to distinguish the two.The Knights surpassed the Canterbury score in the 116th over, securing ND two first innings points.The small number of spectators at Village Green were then witness to several record-breaking feats.James Marshall hit his double century off 398 deliveries. This beat the previous highest score against Canterbury of 195 by John Parker in the 1972/73 season.Soon after, he beat the previous highest ND score of 212, scored by team-mate Styris in the last State Championship round, and then went on to beat Nathan Astle’s 222 – the highest first-class score this season.He said it was a very special moment to achieve his double century with brother Hamish at the crease, who wanted to be there when he broke Styris’ record. “I have had a lot of starts this season, but wanted to make this into a big one.”ND brought up 400 runs in the 133rd over.The bowlers had to work hard to get wickets on the Waikari soil-based pitch, which proved very good for batting.Wiseman, who had over 100 runs hit off his first 24 overs, finally achieved the breakthrough when Hamish Marshall went down the wicket and was caught by Redmond at mid-on.After tea, ND lost two wickets, but brought their total to 470 runs.James Marshall and debutant Mark Orchard had resumed at the crease, but in a rather sedate end to Marshall’s innings, he tried to turn a ball towards leg for the single, but found the hands of Redmond under the helmet at short leg. This was Wiseman’s third wicket of the innings.Skipper Robbie Hart then took to the crease to establish a partnership with Orchard. This was not to be however. Orchard padded a full pitch delivery that appeared to be going down leg, but it was umpire Gary Baxter who had the last word, giving him out for four.The third new ball of the innings was taken in the 160th over, with Canterbury captain Gary Stead opting for fast-medium bowlers Stephen Cunis and Burson.This proved too much for Hart, who after being dropped on 23 was given out lbw for 31 off the bowling of Burson.Cunis eventually bowled Joseph Yovich for 12, while Daryl Tuffey was not out 11 and Graeme Aldridge on four when Northern opted to declare four runs short of 500.They finished with a lead of 158 runs.Burson had figures of three for 98 off 35. Off-spinner Wiseman also finished with three wickets, with 126 runs hit off his 12 overs.Canterbury were required to face two overs, off which Robbie Frew made one and Redmond three, before the end of day three.Play finished at 5.35pm, which was able to continue due to easterly winds gusting away thick cloud cover.

'Wherever there is a need, I play there' – Younis

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The good form of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq in the middle order, individually and in partnership, has been one of the significant factors in Pakistan’s winning starts in Group A. They made two fifties each against Kenya and Sri Lanka, putting on a quick 45 in Hambantota and a platform-setting 108 against the co-hosts at the R Premadasa.Their partnerships have been doubly important given the pre-tournament concerns that batting Younis and Misbah at No. 4 and No. 5 would rob Pakistan of impetus in the middle overs. Instead, the pair has brought stability and momentum. In recent years, Younis has been the regular one down, but the arrival of Ahmed Shehzad pushed Kamran Akmal to that spot, pushing Younis down one further. The two fifties have been his first in World Cup cricket, having failed to perform in 2003 and 2007.”My job is that wherever there is a need, I play there,” Younis said at the P Sara Oval in Colombo after a practice session. “I played at No. 3 before and now we need me at No. 4, so whatever the situation is for the team or in the match, I will do. Misbah and I are the seniors and we talk about our roles. We’ve made a couple of good partnerships so we want to keep that going. In both of the games I have missed hundreds but I am happy that I have scored fifties.”Younis and Misbah, at 33 and 36, are very much the senior members of the squad, and along with another old pro Shoaib Akhtar (35), were involved in the moments that won the Sri Lanka game. Younis and Misbah have also been involved in leading the fielding performances of the side which, though it faltered towards the end of Saturday’s game, has shown signs of improvement over the last few months and series.Senior players, including Umar Gul, got together before the World Cup and decided they would take the lead. “The seniors got together and decided that we have to make an extra effort with juniors,” Gul said. “Whatever is in the junior’s workload, we should also take that on so that we can be role models roles for them. That is our target, that we should take the load and fulfill as much responsibility as we can ourselves.”Pakistan’s second win puts them in a good position to not only qualify for the quarter-finals but also to be in a good position in the group, as two of their four remaining games are against Canada and Zimbabwe, which they would expect to win comfortably.”It is getting easier now because by winning every match we make it easier to get to the quarter-finals,” Younis said. “We want to keep playing like this and win every match. We all know that it’s a big tournament, so senior or junior, the goal is that we give our best and contribute to every game.”Pakistan’s win has put them on the radar as far as serious contenders in the tournament are concerned. Shahid Afridi has already said he wants, at the least, a semi-final berth, but Younis was more cautious about where he saw Pakistan reaching. “I have said this before, right now these are round matches. In knockouts, if it is your day, if someone bats well or bowls well or has a lucky day, then the match turns. First we want to reach the quarter-finals.”