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/ 28 February 2008

Proteas rest Kallis, Boucher and Ntini for one-dayers

Senior players Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and Makhaya Ntini will be rested for South Africa’s limited-overs series against Bangladesh, team officials said on Thursday. Captain Graeme Smith will, however, lead the side in the three-match series starting in Chittagong on March 9, despite speculation that he would return home due to a nagging knee injury.

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/ 27 February 2008

Proteas look for better performance in second Test

After a rude awakening in the opening Test, South Africa will be looking for a more reassuring performance when they meet Bangladesh in the second and final match starting on Friday. Though the South Africans won the opener in Dhaka by a five-wicket margin and with nearly two days to spare, they conceded a first-innings lead to their underrated rivals.

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/ 25 February 2008

SA win first Test against Bangladesh

Inspired by Jacques Kallis, South Africa wrapped up the opening Test against Bangladesh with a five-wicket victory on the fourth day in Dhaka on Monday.
The South Africans, who resumed at 178-4, collected the required 27 runs while losing the wicket of Ashwell Prince (38) in 10.4 overs in the morning.

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/ 22 February 2008

Bangladesh fight back after Morkel heroics

Bangladesh bounced back into the reckoning after South African paceman Morne Morkel rocked the hosts with a five-wicket haul in the opening Test on Friday. After being bowled out for a sub-par 192, Bangladesh struck through the pace-spin combination of Shahadat Hossain and Mohammad Rafique to reduce the visitors to 76-4 at stumps.

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/ 22 February 2008

Cricket’s obstacle course

The Under-19 Cricket World Cup hasn’t been a particularly happy hunting ground for South Africa in the past — they lost to those irksome Nepalese in the plate final of the last edition in 2006. Looking back, it seems the only highlight for South Africa came when the side reached the final in 2002.

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/ 15 February 2008

Smith: IPL could be real boon to world game

The money-spinning Indian Premier League (IPL) could boost cricket around the world but organisers had to ensure there was as little overlap with internationals as possible, said South Africa’s Graeme Smith. ”Scheduling is obviously going to be the key for the IPL,” the South African captain told reporters in Dhaka on Friday.

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/ 12 February 2008

Troubled times for SA cricket

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Monday announced the team that Proteas coach Mickey Arthur and the national selectors wanted, but the dispute in South African cricket is far from over. The team announced after a week’s delay resulting from the bitter row between Arthur and CSA president Norman Arendse was the one that Arendse had twice vetoed.

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/ 11 February 2008

Row over as Proteas touring squad named

South Africa announced their squad to tour Bangladesh on Monday after a week of disagreements among the country’s cricket officials. The squad, which is scheduled to leave for Bangladesh on Wednesday, was due to have been named last Tuesday. Disputes between the selectors and the president of Cricket South Africa, Norman Arendse, held up the process.

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/ 3 February 2008

Pollock farewell match ends in victory

There were cheers and tears as Herschelle Gibbs hit a century and helped South Africa cruise to a eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the fifth MTN one-day international on Sunday, as thousands of fans flocked to the Wanderers to say goodbye to Shaun Pollock, who was playing his last match in green and gold.

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/ 2 February 2008

Pollock bids Durban farewell

AB de Villiers struck a confident 77 while Shaun Pollock bid an emotional home town farewell as South Africa beat the West Indies by five wickets at Kingsmead on Friday to maintain a perfect record in the one-day series. Pollock delighted a capacity crowd by hitting the winning boundary to seal South Africa’s win.

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/ 1 February 2008

Sell-out crowd for Pollock farewell

The Polly Parade reaches its climax this weekend when veteran all-rounder Shaun Pollock plays his last matches for South Africa at Kingsmead on Friday and at the Wanderers on Sunday. With an unassailable three-nil lead over the West Indies in the five-match one-day international series, the Proteas will be looking for a series whitewash.

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/ 27 January 2008

Kallis guides SA to series win

Jacques Kallis scored a century to guide South Africa to a one-day series win over West Indies on Sunday. South Africa won by seven wickets with eight balls to spare to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Kallis struck 121 not out in South Africa’s total of 256 for three after West Indies, who won the toss, made 252 for seven from 50 overs.

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/ 26 January 2008

Smith and Pollock shine in SA victory

South Africa beat West Indies by 86 runs in the second one-day international on Friday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The home side totalled 255 for nine before bowling out West Indies for 169 in 48.2 overs. Captain Graeme Smith smashed 11 fours in his 86 while JP Duminy hit 68.

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/ 21 January 2008

Duminy guides SA to victory

JP Duminy scored a career-best 79 not out to guide South Africa to a six-wicket victory over West Indies on Sunday in the first game of their five-match one-day series. South Africa won with 12 balls to spare after scoring 176 for four in reply to West Indies’ total of 175. Rain reduced the match to 36 overs a side.

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/ 19 January 2008

Pollock’s farewell starts in victory

Shaun Pollock’s farewell tour of South Africa started in triumph when he steered his team to victory in a Twenty20 international against the West Indies at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday. Pollock top-scored with 36 not out off 25 balls as South Africa won by four wickets with four balls to spare.

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/ 17 January 2008

Polly gets set for farewell series

Shaun Pollock said he didn’t want his final round of international matches to be a ”Polly parade” but it is inevitable that South Africa’s star all-rounder will be feted as he makes his last appearances at the country’s major grounds during a five-match one-day international series against the West Indies, which starts at Centurion on Sunday.

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/ 11 January 2008

Proteas close in on series win

South Africa stamped their authority on the third and deciding Test on Friday, declaring on 556-4 to set the injury-plagued West Indies a mammoth target of 418 to make the Proteas bat again. At close of play on the second day, the West Indies were 23 without loss, still trailing by 394 runs.

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/ 10 January 2008

SA in charge as Smith, Pollock shine

Shaun Pollock made a successful return to Test cricket and captain Graeme Smith smashed a century as South Africa dominated the first day of the series-deciding third Test against the West Indies at Kingsmead on Thursday. Pollock took 4-35 as the West Indies were bowled out for 139 after being sent in to bat.

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/ 9 January 2008

Proteas keep eye on Chris Gayle

South Africa are preparing for West Indies captain Chris Gayle to play in the third and deciding Test match starting at Kingsmead on Thursday, even though he has officially been ruled out of action. ”We’re preparing as if he’s going to play,” Proteas captain Graeme Smith said on Wednesday.

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/ 5 January 2008

Smith leads Proteas to victory

South Africa captain Graeme Smith blasted 85 off 79 balls to guide his team to a seven-wicket win on the fourth day of the second Test against the West Indies at Newlands on Saturday. Smith’s innings enabled South Africa to square the series with one match to play. Victory with a day to spare seemed unlikely after a heroic effort by West Indian skipper Chris Gayle.

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/ 1 January 2008

No need to panic, says Arthur

There is no need to panic, insisted Proteas cricket coach Mickey Arthur after South Africa’s humiliating 128-run defeat by the West Indies on Saturday afternoon. ”We’ve won four Test series in a row,” said Arthur after the team practice at Newlands on Monday. ”We intend to win this one too.”

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/ 31 December 2007

SA call up McKenzie after Windies defeat

South Africa called up experienced batsman Neil McKenzie for the second Test against the West Indies starting at Newlands on Wednesday after their shock 128-run defeat in the first match in Port Elizabeth. McKenzie (32) is expected to end a three-and-a-half year exile from Test cricket and open the batting in place of out-of-form Herschelle Gibbs.

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/ 30 December 2007

SA will bounce back, says Smith

When South Africa went into the first Test match against the West Indies at St George’s Park on Wednesday, they were ranked second in the world. ”We don’t take much notice of rankings, but we want to keep on winning Tests and challenge for the top spot when we tour Australia at the end of next year,” said Proteas captain Graeme Smith.

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/ 29 December 2007

Windies claim historic victory

The West Indies made history at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Saturday when they beat South Africa in the first Test by 128 runs with a day to spare. It was their first Test victory in South Africa, and their first away win against a team ranked above them since they beat England in 2000. They outplayed the home side in all departments.

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/ 28 December 2007

Proteas fight back against Windies

South Africa salvaged some pride by taking six wickets for 26 runs in the last session on the third day of the first Test against the West Indies on Friday. At close of play, the West Indies were 146-8 for an overall lead of 359 runs. South Africa resumed play on 122-6, with all hopes of achieving some respectability resting on veteran wicketkeeper Mark Boucher and the young AB de Villiers.

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/ 27 December 2007

SA crumble against Windies attack

Fast bowlers Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor struck hard at the South African top order as the tourists took control on the second day of the first Test at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Thursday. South Africa crashed to 122-5 at close of play in reply to a West Indian total of 408 in which Shivnarine Chanderpaul made a patient century.