Dale Steyn used to be a well-scrubbed bloke who wore a goofy grin that wobbled harmlessly under starry, starry eyes. He was polite and cheerful, and he could bowl a bit. He probably never said ”Well, golly gee.” But if he did, we would have chuckled heartily and ruffled his hair as if the lot of us were in a Spur commercial.
South Africa’s bowlers are fast earning a bloody reputation of injuring rival batsmen after the latest incident, involving Bangladesh’s Aftab Ahmed, in the second Test. Ahmed was left with a bloodied cheekbone after a short ball from Jacques Kallis bounced through his helmet grille and hit him just below the right eye.
New Zealand’s inspired bowlers wrecked Bangladesh’s hopes of survival in the first cricket Test on Sunday, setting up a comfortable nine-wicket win with two days to spare. Bangladesh started the day at a confident 148 without loss in their second innings, but within two sessions the game was over.
Matthew Bell scored an unbeaten half-century in his first Test appearance in more than six years to ram home New Zealand’s advantage over Bangladesh on the opening day of the first Test in Dunedin on Friday. Bell made 74 not out to help the Kiwis recover from a slow start and reach stumps on 156-4 in reply to Bangladesh’s miserable first-innings total of 137.
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/ 17 November 2007
New Zealand endured another bad day on the second day of the second Castle Lager Test against South Africa at Supersport Park on Saturday as Jacques Kallis notched up his fifth century in four Tests. When play was called off for bad light, South Africa were 272 for three, giving them a first innings lead of 89, with seven wickets in hand.
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/ 17 November 2007
Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis anchored South Africa’s steady reply after the hosts had lost a pair of early wickets in the second test against New Zealand on Saturday. South Africa reached lunch on 103 for two on the second day in reply to New Zealand’s first innings total of 188 with both Amla and Kallis on 36 not out at the interval.
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/ 17 November 2007
The opening day of the second Castle Lager Test between South Africa and New Zealand at Supersport Park on Friday is one the Black Caps will probably prefer to forget. After a good start, the visitors collapsed to 187 for eight after tea, and also received the news that opener Craig Cumming will be unable to resume batting.
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/ 16 November 2007
The opening day of the second Castle Lager Test between South Africa and New Zealand at SuperSport Park on Friday is one the Black Caps would probably prefer to forget. After a good start, the visitors collapsed to 187 for eight after tea, and received the news that injured opener Craig Cumming will be unable to resume batting.
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/ 16 November 2007
Craig Cumming and Lou Vincent gave New Zealand a solid start in the second Test against South Africa on Friday. New Zealand, who won the toss and chose to bat, were 84-1 at lunch on the first day. Opener Cumming was 38 not out with Vincent on 33 in an unbroken stand of 58 for the second wicket.
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/ 10 November 2007
A masterful third-wicket partnership of 330 by Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla helped South Africa take complete control on the third day of the first Castle Lager Test between South Africa and New Zealand at the Wanderers on Saturday. At stumps, New Zealand had 57 for three, and trailed South Africa by 473.
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/ 8 November 2007
Shane Bond celebrated his first Test against South Africa by taking four wickets on the opening day of the first Castle Lager Test between South Africa and New Zealand, as South Africa were bundled out for 226, an hour-and-a-quarter after tea. New Zealand had 41 for two when stumps were drawn.
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/ 3 November 2007
On a day on which 18 wickets fell, Friedel de Wet claimed his tenth five wicket haul with figures of six for 50 to give South Africa A a commanding lead of 271 at the end of the second day of their four-day match against New Zealand at Sedgars Park on Friday.
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/ 27 October 2007
Fast bowler Shane Bond led New Zealand to victory by 216 runs against a South African Invitation XI in Bloemfontein on Saturday. Bond took 3-26 as the home side, who were set 308 for victory, crashed to 91 all out in the eighth over before the scheduled close on the third day of the four-day match.
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/ 27 September 2007
Daniel Vettori was confirmed as New Zealand’s 26th Test captain when he was chosen on Thursday to lead the New Zealand cricket team on next month’s two-test tour to South Africa. Vettori replaces Stephen Fleming, New Zealand’s captain for the past decade, who was dropped from the position earlier this month.