Archive for the ‘Match Results’ Category

Australia v New Zealand, 2nd ODI, Melbourne

Friday, February 6th, 2009

Elliott guides New Zealand to 2-0 lead

New Zealand 4 for 226 (Elliott 61*) beat Australia 5 for 225 (Clarke 98, M Hussey 75) by six wickets

Michael Clarke scored 98 opening the innings © Getty Images

Michael Clarke’s 98 could not stop his unthinkable series loss from coming a step closer after Grant Elliott kept a cool head to complete a six-wicket victory for New Zealand, who were solid without being spectacular. Despite making hard work of a less than imposing chase of 226, New Zealand got home with seven balls to spare to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

On a day when the glitzy IPL auction caught the attention of much of the cricketing world, Australia and New Zealand combined to produce a distinctly unglamorous match that was hardly the best advertisement for the 50-over format. It was a throwback to the 1980s, when 220 was considered a good target and top-order men like Geoff Marsh and John Wright were commended for compiling 50 off 90 balls.

The lack of prettiness did not worry New Zealand, who gave their countrymen another reason to celebrate Waitangi Day when Elliott brought up the win with a pull for four off Ben Hilfenhaus. He finished unbeaten on 61 from 75 balls, which was his highest ODI score, and he was the only New Zealand batsmen who looked like truly imposing himself on the match. But as a group they did enough to outshine Australia, who had relied entirely on Clarke and Michael Hussey to post 5 for 225.

It continued Australia’s strange trend of losing the next match after the Allan Border Medal ceremony. Not since 2004-05 have they followed the awards night with a win, which is hardly surprising for an event that should really be a season-ending party. In the field Australia were sloppy and with the bat uninspired.

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West Indies v England, 1st Test, Jamaica, 2nd day

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

Gayle and Sarwan punish England

West Indies 160 for 1 (Gayle 71*, Sarwan 74*) trail England 318 (Pietersen 97) by 158 runs

Andrew Flintoff looks quizzical after being driven for a second-ball six © Getty Images

Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan turned the first Test at Sabina Park emphatically in West Indies’ favour with a classy second-wicket stand of 142 which spanned the final 48 overs of the second day. By the close, the two men were in total command of an England attack that lacked venom but also failed to match the dogged consistency that West Indies themselves had shown on the first day. England, who had initially thought that their first-innings total of 318 was a par score on a tricky pitch, were left wondering if they had short-changed themselves.

The stand between Gayle and Sarwan was a curious blend of diligence and flamboyance. Gayle, in front of his Kingston faithful, was the principal aggressor, predictably enough, although his boundary-count was curiously low by his usual blade-flashing standards. He struck just three fours and three sixes in 120 deliveries, but all three of his maximums were statements of bold intent. The first, off a bewildered Andrew Flintoff, came in only the second over of the innings, while Gayle had faced only three balls from both Steve Harmison - overlooked for the new ball in spite of his 7 for 12 on this ground five years ago - and Monty Panesar, before belting each of them into the stands.

But in between whiles, Gayle was content to sit back in the crease and invite England to tire themselves out under the Caribbean sun. His languid presence brought the best out of Flintoff in a feisty duel with the new ball, but it had the opposite effect on Panesar who began his spell with purpose and sharp spin reminiscent of Sulieman Benn’s first-day efforts, but as the day wore on and the task at hand grew stiffer, he once again resorted to the flat, predictable darts that had been so condemned on the tour of India before Christmas. Stuart Broad also had a poor day with the ball, and though Ryan Sidebottom found appreciable swing with the new ball, he offered too much width to be a real threat in his first Test appearance since August.

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AUSTRAILIA VS SOUTH AFRICA

Friday, January 16th, 2009

South Africa 7 for 272 (Duminy 71, McKenzie 63, A Morkel 40*) beat Australia 8 for 271 (Marsh 79, D Hussey 52) by three wickets

JP Duminy and Neil McKenzie set up South Africa’s sixth win from six ODIs against Australia at the MCG before Albie Morkel finished the job with a magnificent unbeaten 40 from 18 balls. The loss of McKenzie and Duminy left South Africa in big trouble as they needed 50 from six overs with three wickets in hand, but Morkel and Johan Botha used the batting powerplay to perfection to get them home with three balls to spare.

The powerplay was taken at the start of the 45th over and Morkel used it to destroy Australia, particularly Ben Hilfenhaus, with four fours and a six. They picked up 51 from the powerplay and it was a frenetic end to a chase that had meandered through the middle overs, when Duminy showed more self-control than some Trappist monks, as he compiled 71 without a boundary.

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SIRILANKA VS BANGLADESH

Friday, January 16th, 2009

A DRAMATIC END TO A SUPERB SERIES

Sri Lanka 153 for 8 (Sangakkara 59, Maharoof 38, Murali 33*, Nazmul 3-30) beat Bangladesh 152 (Raqibul 43*, Mendis 3-24, Kulasekara 3-19) by two wickets

A pulsating low-scoring game nearly went Bangladesh’s way, but hopes of a tournament triumph were dashed by Muttiah Muralitharan, who was the unlikely saviour with the bat as Sri Lanka recovered from 6 for 5 to edge a two-wicket win in Mirpur. Bangladesh were in control of the game after Shakib Al Hasan’s double-wicket maiden left Sri Lanka needing 39 off 36 balls with two wickets in hand. Murali, though, had other plans, blasting a 16-ball 33, including 32 off two Rubel Hossain overs, to break Bangladeshi hearts. Although the home team lost, the spectators were kept enthralled - a similar tale to that at the MCG today, putting to rest doubts over the viability of the 50-over format in the Twenty20 era.

Two days after what Mohammad Ashraful called Bangladesh’s “best victory”, medium-pacer Nazmul Hossain’s opening burst had put the team on course for a bigger win - it would have been their first tri-nation title. He reduced Sri Lanka to 6 for 5, the lowest score for which a side has lost five wickets in a ODI, before Kumar Sangakkara’s battling half-century tilted the game. Shakib’s strikes provided a twist but Murali’s hitting ensured victory.

jaysuriya

Sri Lanka were looking forward to a straightforward victory after Nuwan Kulasekara and the spinners had shot Bangladesh out for 152. The first inkling that things may not go to plan was when the big-hitting Sanath Jayasuriya was run out off the very first ball. Nazmul, recalled in place of Mahbubul Alam, then struck twice in three balls. Mashrafe Mortaza removed Chamara Kapugedera five deliveries later and the crowd went berserk when Thilan Thushara chopped a Nazmul delivery. Sri Lanka had six runs on board and their last specialist batting pair was at the crease. Nazmul’s figures read 4-3-1-3.

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