Tag Futebol

Heino Kuhn’s 58 in vain as Rocks overtake Giants to confirm top spot

The Report by Firdose Moonda08-Dec-2019The Paarl Rocks secured a home final in this year’s edition of the Mzansi Super League by defending 168 against the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at Boland Park. The win puts the Rocks on 27 points, the same number as the Giants, but they qualify automatically for the final by virtue of their head-to-head record against the Giants. The Rocks beat the Giants in both pool matches defending similar totals.The Rocks scored 166 for 7 and beat the Giants by 31 runs in Port Elizabeth 10 days ago. It was tighter today, as the Rocks scored 168 for 5 and won by 12 runs today.Team news and a good change Ferisco Adams was brought into the Rocks XI because Hardus Viljoen was unavailable for this match and had early success when he bowled Matthew Breetzke with his first ball. But Adams’ immediate impact paled in comparison to Viljoen’s reason for not playing which his captain Faf du Plessis revealed a little too much about.Adams also defended 23 runs off the final over, after his first three balls went for nine runs including a massive six from Marco Marais. The Giants’ middle-order man has impressed with his death hitting in this competition and almost took the game away from the Rocks despite being struck on the arm twice by his batting partner Heino Kuhn, who was trying to get the ball past the non-striker in a bid to push for victory. Adams had a memorable finish to the game, taking two wickets in two balls to dismiss Marais and Kuhn in successive balls and seal the Rocks’ spot in the final.Bjorn’s Fortune Bjorn Fortuin lived up to his last name with a run-out that may be called fortunate to dismiss Giants’ captain Jon-Jon Smuts, who is also their second-highest run-scorer in the tournament. Smuts was at the non-strikers’ end when Kuhn his the ball back to Fortuin. Smuts had ventured a few feet out of his crease, anticipating a run, but Fortuin reacted quickly to get down, and deflect the ball onto the stumps. Smuts saw him and tried to get back but Fortuin was a fraction quicker and Smuts was short of his ground. The Giants were 62 for 3 at that stage and needed to score at 9.6 runs an over to win, something Fortuin played his part in preventing. He finished with 0 for 19 in his four overs, and conceded no boundaries in a stellar effort to strangle the Giants.Shamsi’s stoke of luck Fortuin’s built pressure and Tabraiz Shamsi cashed in with a crucial, and lucky breakthrough, the over after Fortuin’s spell ended. Ryan ten Doeschate played across the line to a Shamsi delivery that struck him on the back pad and was given out. Shamsi took off in celebration sans any shoe-phone or magic tricks while ten Doeschate looked on in disbelief. Replays showed the ball was missing leg stump by some distance but with no DRS in operation, ten Doeschate had no recourse and the Rocks had a key wicket.Delport digs in With a home final on the cards, Cameron Delport and Henry Davids got their team off to a strong start with 51 runs in the first five overs. Delport led the charge scoring 35 runs off the 20 balls he faced, including eight fours. Three of them came in successive balls off Chris Morris, all in the ‘V’ down the ground. Delport hit one more boundary before he was caught off a top edge but his innings put him into the top five run-scorers in the competition. He has 246 runs at 27.33 so far, behind AB de Villiers, Reeza Hendricks, Ben Dunk and Janneman Malan.Better than SteynAfter a match-winning 2 for 22 against the Cape Town Blitz on Friday night, Imran Tahir put on another authoritative performance which took to the top of the wicket-charts for the tournament. His two wickets came in two balls. First, he uprooted James Vince’s off stump and then deceived Sibonelo Makhanya with a googly that Makhanya chipped straight back to a short mid-on, put in place specifically for that dismissal. Tahir now has 16 wickets, one more than Dale Steyn, and also the best economy rate of any bowler who has bowled more than six overs at this competition. Tahir has conceded at less than six runs an over – 5.68 – in the 38 overs he has bowled in his 10 group games.

The batsman was found guilty of breaching the ruling on his four-month suspension

Umar Farooq02-Nov-2018The PCB has extended Ahmed Shehzad’s ban by six weeks after the batsman was found guilty of breaching the ruling on his four-month suspension. His original ban was supposed to end on November 10, but will now run until December 22. That forces him to miss the entirety of the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he was to play for Sui Southern Gas Cooperation after his contract was terminated by HBL.Shehzad was charged with two violations of the PCB’s anti-doping rules after he tested positive for a banned substance in July. He underwent a random dope test conducted during the Pakistan Cup domestic tournament earlier this year, and was handed a four-month ban. That barred him completely from playing any level of cricket during that period. It is that clause that he has been found in violation of on this occasion, after he played club cricket for PCB-accredited Muslim Gymkhana on multiple occasions, and even promoted his playing activity on social media.He was subsequently issued a show-cause notice, to which he responded with an apology, citing the whole affair an error of judgment. “This is due to my only having played these games at club level, but I can assure you I would never willfully breach the rule as prescribed,” he said. “Had I been aware that this was a violation, I would never have played cricket at any level.”The PCB dismissed his explanation, finding it unsatisfactory and called him for a personal hearing to explain himself. It was understood that he played nine games in breach of his ban, and though the games were friendlies, they were still officially played by two clubs affiliated with the PCB. They took into account that Shehzad was an experienced international cricketer, who had played over 150 international games for Pakistan, and had undergone several lectures on anti-corruption and anti-doping, and therefore should have been fully aware of what counted as a breach.”This instant decision [to extend his ban] will serve as a constructive lesson not only to Ahmad Shahzad but to other cricketers that strict adherence to applicable rules and regulations is mandatory. A new period of ineligibility of six weeks is imposed on Ahmed Shahzad which shall commence from November 11, 2018,” the PCB said in their verdict.Extending Shehzad’s ban, which was due to end later this week, also rules him out of any involvement in the ongoing series against New Zealand, should Pakistan have recalled him. Long viewed as one of Pakistan’s brightest batting prospects, the 26-year old has struggled to live up to his billing, and found himself drop down the pecking order in all three formats in recent years. He last played for Pakistan in the two T20Is against Scotland in July, but hasn’t played an ODI for over a year. His last Test came in the West Indies in May 2017.

Paul Walter underlined his burgeoning reputation as an allrounder of considerable promise with starring performances from both bat and ball on the final day against the West Indians

ECB Reporters Network03-Aug-2017Roston Chase completed a productive match with another half-century•Getty Images

Paul Walter underlined his burgeoning reputation as an allrounder of considerable promise with starring performances from both bat and ball on the final day against the West Indians.He rescued Essex from outright collapse with his highest first-class score and then dismissed the first two batsmen when the West Indians batted again. They had increased that notional lead to 288 when time was called on their batting practice at with 20 overs remaining.Walter had come in at 52 for 5 in the fifth over of the day – soon to be 56 for 6 – and was still there, 68 not out, when Essex declared just before three o’clock.He faced 139 balls, hitting nine fours and a straight six off Devendra Bishoo that threatened the window of the radio commentary box and its occupants. He had fifty-run partnerships with Aron Nijjar and Matt Dixon to tame a West Indian attack in which Kemar Roach finished with 5 for 43.With a ball in his hand, Walter has eased into the key third-seamer position in the Essex attack in the absence of the injured Matt Quinn and took wickets with his sixth and seventh balls.Walter had steadied Essex after they lost two wickets in the first eight overs of the third day to leave them 56 for 6. The fifth wicket fell when an outswinger from Jason Holder found the edge of Callum Taylor’s bat and Kyle Hope dived across from third slip to take the catch.Hope took his third catch of the innings to end Nick Browne’s near two-hour stay at the crease. The left-hander faced another 24 balls during the first 35 minutes of play without advancing his overnight score of 16 before Roach found his edge.Walter was then joined in a 50-run stand for the seventh wicket by Nijar that took the Essex total past 100. Nijar raced along pleasingly at a run-a-ball before he was taken at the third attempt by a juggling Kieran Powell at second slip to give Miguel Cummins a second wicket.Walter was particularly strong through mid-off where he drove both Holder and Roston Chase for boundaries. However, he lost his third partner when Aaron Beard chopped on to give Roach wicket his fifth wicket.A deflection off Roach to third man took Walter past his previous highest score of 47. He reached his maiden fifty from 97 balls with a lofted drive that just cleared cover’s head.Matt Dixon had provided solid support in an ninth-wicket stand of 53 before he was lbw to Bishoo and the declaration followed soon after.The ubiquitous Walter made the breakthrough with the ball when he had Kraigg Brathwaite caught behind by a diving Adam Wheater in his opening over, and Kyle Hope bowled without scoring in his next. Powell was the third to go, caught behind to Taylor’s first ball, a whippy inswinger slanted across the batsman and took the edge.Some wayward bowling after tea helped fourth-wicket pair Shai Hope and Chase enjoy some easy pickings. Aaron Beard was particularly severely dealt with, going for 35 in five overs, while Chase twice in succession flicked Dixon off his legs for fours as he went for six an over. Chase had the time to reach his second fifty of the match, from 69 balls, before the players shook hands.

Jeet Raval, the lone new face in New Zealand’s 16-man squad for the tour of Africa, hopes to treat the opportunity as a learning ground to pitch for higher honours

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2016Batsman Jeet Raval, the lone new face in New Zealand’s 16-man squad for the tour of Africa, hopes to treat the opportunity as a learning ground to pitch for higher honours.Raval, a 27-year old left-hander, was picked ahead of Hamish Rutherford as the back-up opener for Tom Latham and Martin Guptill, after scoring 780 runs at 55.71 in the 2015-16 Plunket Shield, New Zealand’s first-class competition. He made 202 not out, 139, 90 and 147 in his last five matches.”For me it’s about learning as much as I can and just be myself,” he said after New Zealand’s first training session in Pretoria, where the team will be based for a week before flying to Zimbabwe for the first Test starting on July 28. “The coaches have told me that I’m here only because I love the game and that there’s no need to change anything. So when I get the opportunity, I’ll be ready to go.”Raval, who admitted to being surprised at the call-up, said his induction into the national team had been enjoyable so far. He said it was very different to the culture shock he had to overcome when he migrated from India to New Zealand with his family as a 16-year old in 2004.”It’s a nice and relaxed environment. All the boys have been welcoming, so I’m really enjoying my time so far,” he said. “We moved to New Zealand with the family when I was 16 with mum and dad deciding we wanted a lifestyle change. At the start I completely hated it. It was a massive cultural change.”I couldn’t understand a word of what the teacher said on my first day of school at Avondale College because I couldn’t speak English. I went home and started crying to my mum and said, ‘Mum let’s got back to India because I don’t know what’s going on here.'”But now, I’ve found a new home here in Auckland for the last few years. I’ve scored a few runs, and got a call from Gavin Larsen when I was playing club cricket in UK. I told my wife first, and then called my dad back home in New Zealand. He was over the moon. So I want to just enjoy this opportunity and be myself.”New Zealand start their tour of Zimbabwe with a three-day warm-up fixture in Harare from July 22, before they move to Bulawayo for two Tests. They will then return to South Africa for two Tests.

Steven Croft’s career best, backed up by a blitz from James Faulkner, was too much at Old Trafford for Derbyshire, who have now won only one of their first six matches

ECB/PA12-Jun-2015
ScorecardSteven Croft’s career best sustained Lancashire•Getty Images

Steven Croft hit a spectacular career best 94 not out as Lancashire secured a comprehensive 67-run NatWest T20 Blast win over Derbyshire Falcons at Emirates Old Trafford, leaving Derbyshire with just one win to show for their six matches.The Lightning’s captain smashed nine fours and two sixes in a 51-ball assault to underpin 201 for 3 after they had been in bother at 62 for 3 after ten overs.Croft shared a county record fourth-wicket partnership of 151 unbroken off 80 balls with Australian James Faulkner, who finished 47 not out off 30 with three sixes and two fours.The Lightning then bowled the Falcons out for 134 to complete a third win from five North Division matches and a second on the spin after last week’s victory over Yorkshire at Headingley, which was inspired by Jos Buttler.Croft and Faulkner struck once apiece with the ball, but left-arm spinner Stephen Parry finished with 4 for 16 from his three overs.

Insights

It was difficult to fancy Derbyshire going into this game. They had lost 11 consecutive away T20s and seven of eight against Lancashire. They lost this one – among other reasons – because they were undisciplined at the death. Eighteen in the extras column – a penultimate over including two wides and the six no balls courtesy of Rimmington’s full toss to Faulkner and the five wides White served up in the last – is criminal. – Will Macpherson

This was a Buttleresque display of power hitting from Croft, especially, after the visitors had elected to bowl, although minus Buttler’s trademark reverse sweeps and scoops.Ashwell Prince, Karl Brown and Liam Livingstone all fell inside the first eight overs to Wayne White, Tony Palladino and Wes Durston, leaving the score at 50 for 3.Lancashire went 37 balls without a boundary from the end of the sixth over to the start of the 13th, but Croft and Faulkner hit eleven fours and five sixes in the last eight overs.Twenty one runs came off Palladino in the 13th over before 29 came off Nathan Rimmington in the 19th, including two sixes and six no balls courtesy of a head high full toss at Faulkner which went for four.White then conceded 20 off the last of his former county’s inningsThe Faulkner and Croft alliance continued as Derbyshire made a forgettable start to their reply as Durston edged the Australian left-armer’s second ball of the innings to Croft at slip to leave the score at 1 for 1.Tillakaratne Dilshan top-edged Tom Bailey behind for a brisk 21 – 44 for two in the seventh.The Falcons reached halfway at 79 for 2 with Chesney Hughes unbeaten on 39, but he miscued Aaron Lilley’s off-spin to long-on with the first ball of the eleventh.Bailey bowled Billy Godleman with 99 on the board in the 13th and although the visitors were still ahead on runs in comparison to the first innings, their chances were disappearing.Croft picked up his wicket when Wayne Madsen reverse swept his off-spinners to backward point in the next, leaving the score at 105 for 5.Parry struck to get Scott Elstone and Tom Poynton caught at long-on in the 16th – 117 for 7 – before trapping Shiv Thakor lbw and getting White caught at point in his next.Debutant quick Saqib Mahmood wrapped up the win by getting Palladino caught behind with ten balls unused.

Faf du Plessis will lead South Africa in the three Twenty20 internationals against New Zealand in December

Firdose Moonda13-Dec-2012Faf du Plessis will lead South Africa in the three Twenty20 internationals against New Zealand in December. AB de Villiers, South Africa’s regular limited-overs captain, is part of the squad but won’t captain because his workload will be managed over the summer.The T20 squad has four new players, including a new wicketkeeper to relieve de Villiers of his burden. Quinton de Kock, who turns 20 on Monday and was part of South Africa’s most recent under-19 World Cup squad, will don the gloves.De Kock is seen as one of the options for a permanent wicketkeeper to replace Mark Boucher in all formats. “We need to find a long-term solution because ultimately we [want] to find a top-six batter in the mould of an Adam Gilchirst to do the job in Tests,” Andrew Hudson, convenor of selectors, told ESPNCricinfo.”AB may eventually end up batting No.4 in Tests, when Jacques Kallis is not around, and if he has to take on a more senior batting role, we will need someone else to keep. It will be nice to try Quinton out – he has shown glimpses of talent and we are going to have a look at him in the shorter versions. But, that’s not to say to the other keepers in the country that we have passed them by, the door is still very much open.”But it seems to have closed on Thami Tsolekile. Lions’ gloveman was nationally contracted in February and touted as Boucher’s replacement, but has not played since then. A source close to team management said Tsolekile would be given a run against New Zealand, but the selectors have decided otherwise. He travelled to England and Australia but was left out of the Test squad, which was also named today.Despite all indications to the contrary, Hudson said Tsolekile remains in the plans. “He has not fallen out of favour. If anything were to happen to AB, he will play.” De Villiers has had a history of lower-back problems which recurred after the England series in August, but he has declared himself fully fit.

South Africa squads

Twenty20 squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), Farhaan Behardien, Henry Davids, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Test squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Jacques Kallis, Rory Kleinveldt, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn.

He played for Titans in their one-day cup playoff match on Sunday, and although he admitted to being “a bit stiff,” he maintained that he experienced no pain. In fact, he said being in the field in that match (Heino Kuhn had the gloves) was harder on his body than wicketkeeping.He will have to embrace fielding in the shorter formats though, with de Kock set to take over that role as part of a more youthful T20 squad. Richard Levi has been retained in the squad but with Hashim Amla rested, could open the batting with du Plessis or new-comer Henry Davids. The Titans limited-overs captain made a name for himself during the Champions League T20 as an aggressive batsman and is second on the one-day cup batting charts.The CLT20 also shone a spotlight on left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso. He finished as the joint second highest wicket-taker and bowled miserly spells for the Lions. Phangiso has been picked as an additional slow-bowling option to Robin Peterson. Johan Botha, who has relocated to Australia, was not considered for selection.The Lions reached the final of the Champions League Twenty20, and will also play in the final of the one-day cup, so it’s no surprise that their players are getting recognition. Allrounder Chris Morris, who travelled with the South African squad for the unofficial T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe in June, is also part of the national squad. Morris, also a big hitter, has bowled consistently in the mid-140kph this season and is the only fast-bowling all-rounder in the squad.Wayne Parnell, who has been working on his batting, is also in the squad along with fellow left-arm seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe. There has been a recall for middle-order batsman David Miller in the absence of the injured JP Duminy.Hudson said South Africa will use the series against New Zealand to concentrate on their combinations, with an eye on the 2014 World Twenty20. “The mix is going to be key. There will be some of the older players that maybe we will move on from. Going into the tournament in two years’ time, we want to have a mix of core and some youngsters. We need some flair and we need to bring something different to the party as opposed to just a regular side,” he said.The Test squad, though, is focused on consistency, with the same squad that defeated Australia in Perth retained for the two fixtures against New Zealand. Jacques Rudolph, who was dropped for the final match, has been picked but is unlikely to play. “We will probably look to play Dean [Elgar] and Jacques is the reserve batsman,” Hudson said.The only casualty besides Tsolekile is legspinner Imran Tahir, whose performance in Adelaide has left him needing to do some soul searching. Tahir finished with figures of 0 for 260, the most expensive figures without a wicket in Test history and was replaced with Robin Peterson, who took six wickets in Perth. “Robbie has just gone ahead of Imran, but he remains part of our plans in future,” Hudson said.South Africa have two injury concerns. Jacques Kallis is recovering from a hamstring strain, but is expected to be fit to play in the Tests as an allrounder, and Graeme Smith has bruising on his elbow. Smith was hit in the nets in the lead-up to the one-day cup playoff and will not be fit to play in the final for the Cobras, but the team management is confident he will be ready for the New Year’s Test.

Hampshire has awarded development contracts to three players for 2012, including Sean Terry, Adam Rouse and Tim Ravenscroft

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2011Hampshire has awarded development contracts to three players for 2012, including Sean Terry, son of Hampshire stalwart Paul Terry. The other two are Adam Rouse and Tim Ravenscroft, who’ve had their contracts renewed from last summer.Terry, an opening batsman, had represented MCC Young Cricketers, scoring 313 runs in nine matches in the 2011 Second XI Championship. He also had a stint with the Hampshire Second XI. He was brought up in Perth, Australia, where he played for Western Australia junior teams. His father played two Tests for England, in 1984. He served Hampshire from 1978-1996, scoring over 16,000 runs and also coached the county.”Hampshire has been a big part of my life, particularly because my Dad had such a long career here, and to be given the chance to start my professional career at Hampshire means a lot,” Terry said. “I can’t wait to get started next season and be part of a young squad pushing to be back in the first division.”Ravenscroft, a batsman and occasional seamer, has also come through the Second XI ranks. He scored over 500 runs in the Second XI across all competitions.Rouse, the wicketkeeper, has an aggregate of 489 runs in the Second XI. He also took a catch as a substitute during the Rose Bowl Test between England and Sri Lanka earlier this year.

A round-up of the first day of the first round of matches in the Super League of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2010L Balaji’s 12th first-class four-wicket haul helped Tamil Nadu bowl Assam out for 184 on the opening day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Assam began cautiously after TN chose to field on a pitch that had plenty of carry, and the openers had seen off 13.3 overs, adding 24 before debutant seamer Sunil Sam made the first breakthrough. Dheeraj Jadhav, Assam’s top-scorer last season, slashed and edged to the wicketkeeper. Sridharan Sriram, the left-hand batsman who hails from TN, could not make an impact against his old team-mates, and became Balaji’s first victim when he cut to gully. Parvez Aziz played offspinner R Ashwin with confidence and had moved to 36 with six boundaries. He also fought through a stream of bouncers before offering S Badrinath a catch off Balaji’s bowling. Badrinath had to dive low and to his left at second slip to take the chance. When star import Amol Muzumdar departed for a duck, nicking Balaji behind, TN sensed an opportunity to shoot Assam out for a low score. The spinners Aushik Srinivas and R Ashwin nipped three wickets between them, while a couple of run-outs added to Assam’s woes as they stumbled to a score under 200. TN’s openers Abhinav Mukund and Srikkanth Anirudha then batted with determination to take their side to 21 without loss by the close.Wasim Jaffer purred along to his 40th first-class century, while Rohit Sharma missed his ninth by seven runs as Mumbai launched their title defence by scoring 340 for 7 on the opening day at the Bandra Kurla Complex against Saurashtra. On a day that would have left both sides reasonably satisfied, there were several important individual performances that stood out. Dropping himself to No. 3 in the absence of the injured middle-order bulwark Ajinkya Rahane, Jaffer carried on his penchant for plundering domestic hundreds, after Jayesh Odedra’s double-strike. At the other end, with the selectors’ eye on his fitness and temperament, Rohit launched himself into the Saurashtra attack with typical elegance. His 93 came off 86 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes, leading Mumbai to 252 for 2 and in sight of a towering score. Then came the third most significant performance of the day, from another India hopeful. Ravindra Jadeja has had his place in the Indian questioned by all and sundry, and he responded with an incisive spell with the game threatening to run away. He dismissed Sharma, Abhishek Nayar and Ramesh Powar, leading Saurashtra’s resurgence in the evening session and left them with an opportunity to finish Mumbai’s innings early on the second day.For more on this match, click here.Opener Arindam Das’ seventh first-class century was the highlight of the opening day at the Feroz Shah Kotla as Bengal posted a dominant 313 for 2 against a Delhi attack that struggled for incisiveness. Ten months after the abandonment of an ODI due to an underprepared pitch, the Kotla track was at its benign best as Das settled down for a big innings, in Shreevats Goswami’s company. The pair raised 133 in 37.2 overs, giving the hosts a taste of what was to come before Goswami fell for 68, the first of Mithun Manhas’ two wickets. Abhishek Chowdhury was more cautious, but it did not affect Bengal’s speed of scoring as Das shifted gears upwards. Manoj Tiwary who came in at Chowdhury’s exit kept the momentum going with an unbeaten 47 off 80 balls. At the other end, Das, kicked on after reaching his ton and finished the day unbeaten on 150. His knock included 19 fours, and he looked good for more when stumps were drawn.For more on this match, click here.Yuvraj Singh managed a half-century but, like the rest of his top-order mates, was guilty of throwing away a start, as Uttar Pradesh held Punjab to 279 for 6 on the opening day at the Bhamashah Stadium in Meerut. Sarul Kanwar began in aggressive fashion after Punjab chose to bat, striking eight fours in his run-a-ball 42. However, after an opening stand worth 56, Praveen Kumar removed Kanwar and Ravi Inder Singh off successive overs, exposing Punjab’s middle order. Uday Kaul rebuilt in Yuvraj’s company, the pair raising 61 for the third wicket before a mini-collapse reduced Punjab to 143 for 5. Karan Goel rose to the occasion, and along with Vishwas Bhalla, lifted his side to respectability with a 72-run alliance. Piyush Chawla prised out Bhalla, but Harmeet Singh counterattacked with four fours and a six in his 29, taking Punjab to stumps along with Goel, who was unbeaten on 56.Gujarat‘s top order gave a good account of themselves without managing to dominate the Railways attack, leaving both sides on par at stumps on an attritional opening day at the Karnail Singh Stadium. Every Gujarat batsman got a start in a score of 234 for 4, but only one managed to reach fifty, while most bowlers gained respect without making enough entries in the wickets column. Jay Desai and Priyank Kirit Panchal ground out an opening stand of 58 in 28 overs before exiting on the same score. Niraj Patel and Parthiv Patel showed more urgency in a stand of 74, but both failed to kick on, as Gujarat found themselves unable to reap the rewards of solidity. That partnership, however, eased the pressure on the remaining batsmen. Bhavik Thaker, coming in at No. 5, did better than the top four, ensuring he crossed his half-century and remained unbeaten at stumps. His innings included two fours and a six off consecutive deliveries from Faiz Fazal. Debutant Pratharesh Parmar held up the other end with an undefeated 28 and the pair will want to push ahead on the second day. Parthiv praised his batsmen for their effort. “The wicket was green and two-paced,” he told the . “So, it was a challenge to play the first 30 overs and we did it.”Opening bowler Basanth Mohanty completed his sixth first-class five-wicket haul as Orissa bullied Baroda, reducing them to 99 for 9 on a curtailed day at the Barabati Stadium. After overnight rains delayed the start by half an hour, Orissa captain Shiv Sundar Das had no hesitation in bowling after winning the toss in damp, seamer-friendly conditions. Baroda’s batsmen, star players Yusuf Pathan and Ambati Rayudu included, had no answers against Basanth in an innings where only three batsmen managed to enter double-figures. Things could have been far worse for Baroda if not for Rakesh Solanki’s unbeaten 44. Debasis Mohanty, Alok Chandra Sahoo and Dhiraj Singh complemented Basanth’s efforts with a wicket apiece as Baroda derailed in shocking fashion.Himachal Pradesh‘s bowlers contained Haryana on the opening day, as the visitors crawled to 204 for 4 in Dharmasala. After choosing to field, the hosts started well, with seamer Jitendra Mehta removing Nitin Saini for five, but wickets were hard to come by after that. Rahul Dewan held vigil for 40 watchful overs, his 46 pushing the score to 88, before he perished against Ashok Thakur. Manav Sharma and Hemang Badani carried on in the same vein, their partnership of 74 spanning nearly 30 overs before Manav fell four short of his half-century. Badani brought up his 37th first-class fifty, and the first for Haryana, but more importantly, ensured he was unbeaten till the end.

South Africa Masters saw off a threatening fourth-wicket partnership between Collis King and Jimmy Adams to clinch a ten-wicket win

Cricinfo staff03-Dec-2009
Scorecard
South Africa Masters saw off a threatening fourth-wicket partnership between Collis King and Jimmy Adams to clinch a ten-run win that handed West Indies Masters their second straight loss in the Cricket Legends of Barbados International Cup. Chasing a target of 165, West Indies ended up on 154 for 5 as South Africa held their nerve when it mattered most. The home side, who have won just one match from three attempts, now need a victory to move into Saturday’s final.The chase began well with Stuart Williams (20) and Gordon Greendige (16) adding 45. Williams’ dismissal, picking out deep square leg, was followed by Greenidge having to retire with a hurting left knee. Carl Hooper took ten deliveries for a single run before he edged Fanie de Villiers to Neil Johnson, further putting the blocks on the scoring rate, but West Indies were boosted by King and Adams.King smacked three sixes in his speedy 37, each one effortlessly smacked over the fielders, and the stand was worth 64 when he was dismissed in the 17th over. Looking for another big hit, King was held at long-on by Claude Henderson off Alan Dawson. Adams struck a top score of 42 from 34 balls, after being dropped by Pat Symcox at short fine leg when he was 11. With 19 needed from just four balls, he was bowled by Lance Klusener. Vasbert Drakes had the consolation of hitting the last ball of the match for six.The game began with South Africa opting to bat and putting up 164 for 3, thanks mainly to Dave Callaghan (69) and the captain Dale Benkenstein (58). Their match-winning third-wicket partnership of 109 from 11 overs stunned West Indies after they had sent back the openers inside the seventh over.Callaghan clubbed six fours and two sixes in his 42-balls he effort, one that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award. Benkenstein hit three fours and three sixes in his 35-ball innings.

The opener will join Paarl Royals as a replacement for Joe Root who is heading to India

AAP31-Jan-2025Mitchell Owen has earned his first T20 contract since a dazzling display in the BBL final, joining South African franchise Paarl Royals.Owen scored a league-leading 452 runs for Hurricanes during the BBL, starting the summer as a relatively anonymous figure before announcing himself as a star. The highlight was his scarcely believable century in the final, coming off just 39 balls as he delivered Hurricanes their first title.Related

• Beau Webster returns to Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL

• Stats – Owen's record ton and Hurricanes' unbeaten home run

• Higher honours, big pay day on the cards for Hurricanes hero

• Started from the bottom now they're here – the MI Cape Town story

Owen’s pressure-laden performance was widely expected to pique the interest of T20 clubs around the world, including the IPL. The 23-year-old will have to wait longer to find out if he will pocket a life-changing sum as a late call-up for the IPL.But the Royals have wasted no time in signing Owen as a replacement for former England captain Joe Root, who is linking up with his national squad in India and is unavailable for the rest of the SA20.League leaders Paarl and second-placed MI Cape Town, who have Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult and Rashid Khan in their squad, will square off in next week’s qualifier final.Ricky Ponting was among the good judges to lavish Owen with praise after his eye-catching knock in the BBL final. “There’s not many players in the world that can do that,” Ponting told AAP.Ponting noted discussion of Owen representing Australia in next year’s T20 World Cup was “inevitable”.Matthew Wade said Owen “can be anything”, adding “no stage really worries him too much”.