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/ 4 February 2016
A master of getting the basics right, Neil McKenzie has called stumps on a gilded cricketing career
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/ 27 October 2009
The domestic limited overs season opens with a bang at the Wanderers on Wednesday when the Lions and the Cape Cobras meet in the first MTN40 match.
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/ 12 December 2008
In the past South African players have not been able to cope with the “Aussieness” of a tour Down Under. This time, things may be different.
SA are to give Neil McKenzie until the morning of the second Test against England to prove his fitness, coach Mickey Arthur said on Wednesday.
Hashim Amla becomes the sixth batsman in the match to score a century as he sees South Africa to the safety of a draw against England at Lord’s.
South Africa stubbornly defied the England bowlers again in the opening session of the final day of the first Test at Lord’s on Monday.
South Africa opener Neil McKenzie rediscovered his batting touch as the Proteas’ three-day match against Somerset ended in a draw on Tuesday.
Andre Nel is back in the Proteas Test squad for the four-match cricket series against England, to be played in July and August. Cricket South Africa selection committee convener Joubert Strydom on Friday announced a squad of 15 that consists of Nel plus the 14 players who did duty on the recent tour of India.
For the briefest of moments, Indian fans could con themselves into thinking that the spirit of Perth was back. Mark Boucher edged behind and South Africa’s resistance was broken. By day’s end Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly had knocked off the 62 needed and all was well in the Indian cricket world again. Or was it?
After one of the most successful seasons since unification, the Proteas have a few weeks off before gearing up for one of the toughest assignments on the cricket calendar — a tour of England. The two-month tour of England includes four Tests, one Twenty20 clash and five one-day internationals, as well several warm-up games.
India dominated South Africa on Sunday to win the third Test by eight wickets inside three days, squaring the series 1-1 and retaining their world number-two Test ranking. In an extraordinary final day, India turned what had been an evenly poised match at the start of play into a rout.
Sourav Ganguly cracked a gutsy 87 on a difficult pitch to help India gain a slender advantage on the second day of the third and final Test against South Africa in Kanpur on Saturday. India were struggling at 123-4 before reaching 288-9 in their first innings at stumps in reply to South Africa’s 265 on a day of fluctuating fortunes.
Teenage paceman Ishant Sharma and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh shared six wickets as India restricted South Africa to 265 in the third and final Test in Kanpur on Friday. South Africa were comfortably placed at 152-1 before losing their way on a spin-friendly pitch. Skipper Graeme Smith (69) and Hashim Amla (51) led the way with solid half-centuries.
A buoyant South Africa will be keen to capitalise on India’s form and fitness worries ahead of Friday’s third and final Test in Kanpur to complete a hat-trick in the subcontinent. The visitors lead 1-0 in the series following their crushing win by an innings and 90 runs in the second Test in Ahmedabad last Saturday after the opening match ended in a draw in Chennai.
Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers consolidated South Africa’s strong position with half-centuries after Dale Steyn sparked a sensational Indian collapse in the second Test on Thursday. The 24-year-old Steyn gave a magnificent display of fast bowling on a lively track to finish with 5-23 as India crashed to 76 all out in their first innings.
South Africa built on fast bowler Dale Steyn’s superb five-wicket effort to seize the initiative in the second Test against India on Thursday. The visitors batted steadily to reach 100-2 in their first innings at tea in reply to India’s 76. Hashim Amla was unbeaten on 15 at the break.
South Africa are confident of burying India’s spin threat yet again with a determined batting performance in the second Test starting in Ahmedabad on Thursday. The visitors kept the spin duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh at bay in the drawn opening Test in Chennai as they posted 540 in the first innings and 331-5 in the second.
South Africa hold the psychological edge going into the second Test on Thursday against an India team weighed down by major fitness issues. The visitors will look to drive home their confidence of tackling the hosts’ experienced spin bowlers after rallying to draw the first match of the three-Test series, which ended on Sunday.
Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla moved up the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings on Monday after outstanding performances in the drawn match against India. McKenzie, who made 94 and 155 not out, made his first appearance in the top 40 in four years and is ranked 36th in the world, while Amla’s 159 and 81 saw him shoot up 10 places to 24th position.
Opener Neil McKenzie hit an unbeaten 88 for South Africa against a sloppy India as the first Test headed towards a draw on the final day on Sunday. South Africa reached 212 for two in their second innings at lunch, a lead of 125 runs, with the loss of only Hashim Amla’s wicket for a chancy 81 in the session on a flat pitch.
Opener Virender Sehwag finally fell on 319 but India took a first-innings lead in the first Test against South Africa on Saturday. Rahul Dravid was one run short of his 25th Test hundred after becoming the sixth batsman to complete 10 000 Test runs.
South Africa’s Hashim Amla stroked his second-highest Test score of 159 to put his team in command on day two of the first Test against India on Thursday. Amla, who reached his fourth hundred before lunch, was run out following a mix-up with Mark Boucher but the tourists piled on the runs to reach 501-6 at tea.
Hashim Amla stroked his fourth century to power South Africa to 404-5 at lunch on the second day of the first Test against India on Thursday. The 24-year-old lashed three fours in a row against paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth to reach triple figures and was unbeaten on 124 at the interval as the tourists built on a good start. Mark Boucher was 26 not out.
South Africa revelled in good batting conditions to pile up 304-4 on the opening day of the first cricket Test against India on Wednesday. Neil McKenzie (94), skipper Graeme Smith (73) and Hashim Amla (85 not out) laid the foundation for a big total as the Indian bowlers toiled in oppressive weather and an unresponsive wicket at the Chidambaram Stadium.
Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie continued their brilliant form to hand South Africa an impressive start in the first cricket Test against India on Wednesday. The openers batted through the morning session of the first day to put on 109 by lunch at the Chidambaram stadium after Smith won the toss and took first strike on a placid wicket.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith on Tuesday voiced confidence his team can ”do the job” against India despite arriving with only 13 players. The tourists have been badly hit by the race selection row while left-arm spinner Robin Peterson has delayed his arrival due to personal reasons. The three-Test series starts on Wednesday.
Outspoken former South Africa coach Ray Jennings believes there are better candidates to captain the national side than Graeme Smith, who has led the Proteas in a record-breaking 55 Tests. Jennings has no issue with Smith the batsman, but does have reservations when it comes to him leading the side.
South Africa inflicted a humiliating innings and 205 runs defeat on Bangladesh on the fourth day of the second and final Test in Chittagong on Monday. The hosts, who started the day needing 270 runs to avoid an innings defeat with four wickets in hand, collapsed after just about an hour to hand South Africa a 2-0 series whitewash.
Bangladesh’s Shahriar Nafees hit an unbeaten fifty to lead the home side to 169 for four at lunch on the third day of the second Test against South Africa on Sunday. Bangladesh are replying to South Africa’s record-studded score of 583 for seven declared. Nafees (61) and Aftab Ahmed (21) were unbeaten at the interval.
After setting an opening partnership record and declaring their first innings on 583 for seven, South Africa also posted a wicketkeeping record on the second day of the second Test against Bangladesh on Saturday. With two catches behind, wicketkeeper Mark Boucher overtook Adam Gilchrist and took his tally for Test wicketkeeping catches to 401
Skipper Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie set a world record for an opening wicket stand to help South Africa amass 509 for one at lunch on the second day of the second and final Test against Bangladesh on Saturday. McKenzie was not out for 223 with Hashim Amla unbeaten on 35 at lunch.
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/ 29 February 2008
Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie put on a record opening stand as South Africa seized complete control of the second Test against Bangladesh on the opening day on Friday. The South African skipper batted superbly for his unbeaten 223, his fourth double ton in Tests, while McKenzie also impressed with a career-best 169 not out.