Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer gave South Africa a dose of their own medicine with an unbroken 176-run stand in the first cricket Test in Chennai on Friday. India, kept in the field for over five sessions as South Africa piled up 540 in their first innings, hit back in style on a barren wicket.
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.
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.
The adverse publicity surrounding the selection of the Proteas is a matter of concern to all cricket lovers, Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola said on Friday. Speaking at OR Tambo Airport ahead of the Proteas’ departure for a three-Test tour of India, Majola said it was disappointing that cricket was hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons.
Her eyes flicker with excitement when she talks about the game, clearly her first love. Kass Naidoo, the newly appointed commercial manager for Cricket South Africa, looks small as she sits behind her table, papers lying scattered on her desk. When asked about the game she does not know where to start: ”I’m a cricket fan who just cannot get enough of it.”
Tearaway South Africa speedster Dale Steyn is smacking his lips in anticipation of a battle royal with India’s batsmen in the upcoming three-Test series. Steyn (24) taught Bangladesh a few lessons in fast bowling in the recent two-Test series, from which he bagged 14 wickets, and is now training his guns on India, who have recently returned from their Australia tour.
South Africa will look to their fringe players to deliver the goods against an unpredictable Bangladesh in the one-day international series beginning in Chittagong on Sunday. The South Africans have rested key players Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and Makhaya Ntini for the three one-dayers.
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.
Bangladesh were staring down the barrel after losing a clutch of wickets on the third day of the second and final Test against South Africa on Sunday. The hosts limped to 245-7 at tea with tailenders Mohammad Rafique, batting on 10, and Mashrafe Mortaza (0) at the crease.
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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/ 28 February 2008
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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/ 26 February 2008
The new generation of South African quicks look all set to establish themselves among the world’s best after their impressive show in unhelpful conditions in Bangladesh. The fastest bowler in the side, Dale Steyn, and comeback man Morne Morkel have a tough job of slipping into the shoes of their illustrious countrymen, Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock.
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/ 25 February 2008
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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/ 24 February 2008
Jacques Kallis picked up a five-wicket haul to put South Africa on the brink of victory on the third day of the opening Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Sunday. He took all his wickets in a single spell of fascinating fast-bowling to help South Africa bowl out the hosts for 182 and restrict their second-innings lead to 204.
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/ 22 February 2008
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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/ 12 February 2008
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
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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/ 8 February 2008
Trish Pollock might disagree, but what the hell: there is nothing sexy about her husband. Not for him the off-duty rock-star life loved and lived by Herschelle Gibbs, nor the model-go-round that Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis seem to spin on endlessly and effortlessly.
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/ 3 February 2008
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
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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/ 27 January 2008
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
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
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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/ 12 January 2008
Despite beating the West Indies by an innings and 100 runs with two days in hand to win the Castle Lager series two-one, South Africa will go down one place on the international rankings, dropping below Sri Lanka to third place, but Proteas captain Graeme Smith is not too concerned.
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/ 11 January 2008
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.
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.
South Africa were in charge on Friday at the close of play on the third day of the second Test against the West Indies at Newlands in Cape Town. The visitors were in trouble on 96-4, for a slender lead of 18. The two teams played a game of cat and mouse for most of the afternoon, as each tried to gain the upper hand, but the South Africans took control as they claimed four vital wickets.
Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher ground out an unbeaten 87-run partnership to enable South Africa to seize a slight advantage as the second day of the second Test against the West Indies developed into a war of attrition at Newlands on Thursday.
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/ 31 December 2007
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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/ 29 December 2007
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
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.