Lunch South Africa 475 and 121 for 4 (Amla 50*, Bavuma 9*) lead England 342 by 254 runsLive scorecard and ball-by-ball details James Anderson dismissed AB de Villiers for his third duck in a row © Getty Images South Africa made angsty progress towards a position of strength on the fourth morning of the final Test at Centurion. On an indifferent pitch, in normal circumstances a lead of 254 would…
Centurion Test: Kagiso Rabada Strikes as South Africa Seek Win
Kagiso Rabada celebrates a wicket vs England. © AFP Centurion, South Africa: First innings hero Kagiso Rabada struck two early blows as South Africa pushed for victory on the fourth day of the fourth and final Test against England at SuperSport Park on Monday.(Scorecard) England, set an unlikely target of 382 on a deteriorating pitch, were 52 for three at the close after South Africa declared their second innings on…
Nicholls half-century leads New Zealand fightback
Henry Nicholls’ timely 82 steered New Zealand to a 70-run victory over Pakistan in the first one-day international at Wellington. With the hosts struggling at 99 for six, Nicholls and Mitchell Santner helped restore New Zealand’s innings before a 73-run ninth-wicket partnership from Matt Henry and Mitchell McClenaghan allowed them to reach 280 from their 50 overs. Trent Boult, who took 4-40, and Grant Elliott, who claimed 3-43, did the…
We didn't use our brains in death overs – Grant Flower
Matt Henry got under length balls from Pakistan’s pacers in the death overs and smashed an unbeaten 48 off 30 balls © Getty Images In a frank post-mortem after the 70-run loss, Pakistan’s batting coach Grant Flower has said the visitors “didn’t use [their] brains” towards the end of New Zealand’s innings, in which 71 runs were plundered off the final five overs. Those runs had largely come from New…
Angry Board of Control for Cricket in India Sends E-Mail to DDCA on Kotla Match
Anurag Thakur got to learn that DDCA had no clearances in hand to host a T20I when he met senior DDCA officials © AFP New Delhi: BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has shot off an e-mail to the faction-ridden Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA), enquiring whether they can host the second T20 International between India and Sri Lanka at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground on February 12. The situation arose…
In-Form Usman Khawaja Left Out Of Australia ODI Squad For New Zealand Tour
Mark Waugh reckons Usman Khawaja is the top opener in the world today. © Reuters Sydney: Australia on Monday named virtually the same squad for a one-day series in New Zealand next month as the lineup that just white-washed India, controversially leaving out in-form batsman Usman Khawaja. “This squad remains largely unchanged after a fantastic series win against India,” national selector Rod Marsh said. “We have selected Adam Zampa as…
Shastri happy to have experienced hands back for T20s
Ravi Shastri on the importance of the T20 series: “Absolutely [more significant than the ODIs]. It’s a lead-up to the World T20” © MARK GRAHAM/AFP/Getty Images The biggest factor in India’s series defeat in Australia might have been the physicality of Australia’s game – running between the wickets and stronger arms from the deep – but in a game condensed to 20 overs per innings India might not need the…
Ageing stars in spotlight as WT20 prep begins
Match facts January 26, 2016Start time 1908 local (0838 GMT) Yuvraj Singh’s previous appearance for India, in the final of the 2014 World T20, was one he and his fans will not want to remember © ICC Big Picture Remember Twenty20 internationals? Australia’s players vaguely do, though the memories are hazy. Two entire Big Bash League seasons have been played and won since Australia last played a T20 international at…
Former South Africa Batsman Gulam Bodi Banned 20 Years for Fixing
Gulam Bodi has scored over 10,000 runs across first-class, List A and T20 cricket. © AFP Centurion, South Africa: Former South Africa batsman Gulam Bodi has been banned for 20 years by his country’s cricket board for attempted match-fixing. Cricket South Africa chief executive Haroon Lorgat announced the sanction on Monday. He says investigators believe Bodi was caught in the “planning stage” with regard to trying to fix domestic games…
McClenaghan suffers facial fracture above left eye
Mitchell McClenaghan picked up the injury when a bouncer burst through the gap in his helmet © AFP New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan has suffered a hairline fracture just above his left eye, during the first ODI against Pakistan in Wellington. He picked up the injury when a bouncer burst through the gap in his helmet in the final over of New Zealand’s innings on Monday. It rules him…