Test cricket is broken because India, England and Australia, who dominate the format, eat alone at the main table while other Test-playing nations compete for crumbs. Can the World Test Championship change this?
The Proteas would be wise to fine-tune their skills, after their victory over the Black Caps.
Vernon Philander continued an astonishing start to his Test career with 6-81 to pass 50 wickets in his seventh Test, seeing New Zealand out for 275.
Stand-in skipper Ross Taylor on Tuesday said New Zealand would savour their first win of the 2011 World Cup over Pakistan.
Ross Taylor and Daniel Flynn shared an unbroken, 89-run partnership to lead New Zealand to a seven-wicket win over the West Indies on Wednesday.
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/ 14 October 2008
Ross Taylor hit a fighting hundred to help New Zealand beat Bangladesh by 79 runs in the third and final one-day international on Tuesday.
New Zealand face some awkward choices even before the third and final Test starts at Nottingham on Thursday as they look to square the series against England at 1-1.
Andrew Strauss struck his 12th Test century on Monday to help England complete a remarkable six-wicket victory over New Zealand on the fourth day of the second Test at Old Trafford. England, who trailed New Zealand by 179 runs on the first innings, reached their victory target of 294 in the final over before tea with four wickets to spare.
Monty Panesar took a Test best 6-37 to lead an astonishing England fightback on the third day of the second Test against New Zealand at Old Trafford on Sunday. After dismissing the Kiwis for just 114 in their second innings, England were 76-1 in their second innings, needing a further 218 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.
Ross Taylor’s second Test century ensured New Zealand recovered from two run outs in three balls to reach lunch on 322 for six against England on day two of the second Test at Old Trafford on Saturday. Taylor, in his seventh Test and who made his maiden century against England in March, reached 115 from 141 balls at the interval.
New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram chose the right occasion and the perfect venue to score his first Test century against England on Monday with a match-saving innings in the first Test at Lord’s. New Zealand held an overall lead of only 78 with four wickets down when wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum retired hurt and was taken to hospital after a blow to his left forearm.
Monty Panesar returned Test-best figures of six for 126 as England beat New Zealand by 121 runs in the third cricket Test on Wednesday and clinched the three-match series 2-1. Off-spinner Panesar completed his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests, claiming three of the five wickets to fall on the final day, hastening New Zealand’s dismissal for 431 as it chased 553 for victory.
Monty Panesar took England to the brink of a series victory as New Zealand slumped to 222-5, 330 runs in arrears at stumps on the fourth day of the third cricket Test on Tuesday. With New Zealand set a record target of 553 to win, Stephen Fleming and Matthew Bell provided stout resistance for the second wicket before Panesar removed both batsmen.
A sensational hat-trick by Ryan Sidebottom shattered New Zealand’s run charge and ignited an England fightback on day four of the first cricket Test on Saturday. New Zealand, who had been in control and rapidly building a challenging target, lost five wickets in 29 balls to be left struggling at 147-8 in their second innings.
England slipped to 87-2 in reply to New Zealand’s 470 all out at the close of play on the second day of the first Test on Thursday. Michael Vaughan was 44 not out with Andrew Strauss on one after Chris Martin took two late wickets. England were 383 runs behind on the first innings.
The prized wicket of New Zealand’s big-hitting Brendon McCullum just before stumps gave England a slight edge on the opening day of the first cricket Test on Wednesday. New Zealand ended the day at 282-6 after an 86-run partnership between McCullum and Ross Taylor had lifted them out of a middle-order hole.
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/ 9 February 2008
In a stunning reversal of form, New Zealand thrashed England in their opening one-day cricket international by six wickets with 20 overs to spare at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday. The win came just days after England thoroughly outplayed New Zealand in all departments in two Twenty20 matches.
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/ 19 December 2007
Australia’s bowlers backed up captain Ricky Ponting’s second successive one-day international century to lead their side to a 114-run win and series victory against New Zealand in Hobart on Thursday. Ponting, who made 107 not out in Australia’s seven-wicket victory in the first game in Adelaide, struck an unbeaten 134.
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/ 14 December 2007
Ricky Ponting scored his 24th one-day 100 and Adam Gilchrist clubbed a ferocious half-century to steer Australia to a convincing seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the opening Chappell Hadlee Trophy series game in Adelaide on Friday. Skipper Ponting cruised to an unbeaten 107 off 108 balls with 13 boundaries to glide Australia home to victory.
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/ 25 November 2007
South Africa celebrated Graeme Smith’s 100th one-day international as captain by squeaking home by two wickets in the first MTN one-day international at Kingsmead on Sunday, with Andre Nel snatching the winning run off the last ball of the match. Man-of-the-match AB de Villiers made 91 for South Africa.
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/ 24 November 2007
An undefeated 52 by AB de Villiers helped South Africa to a three-wicket victory over New Zealand in the Standard Bank Pro20 at the Wanderers on Friday night. Needing 130 to win, South Africa made 131 for seven, with a ball to spare. New Zealand will rue their dropped catches, especially a De Villiers drop.
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/ 18 November 2007
Dale Steyn bowled South Africa to a resounding series win over New Zealand in the second Test on Sunday. SA won by an innings and 59 runs in the seventh over after tea on the third day. The hosts won the first Test in Johannesburg by 358 runs, SA’s biggest win and New Zealand’s heaviest defeat in terms of runs.
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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
It was Sunday night in Jozi in the type of pub in which the ”No Smoking” signs seem to turn a deeper shade of mustard gas with each devious gentle expulsion of spent tobacco. The half-price pizza special was long over. Worse, the kitchen was closed. So the hungry worked on their thirst instead.
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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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/ 9 November 2007
New Zealand lost five wickets for the addition of 56 runs before lunch on the second day of the first Castle Lager Test against South Africa at the Wanderers on Friday, and were reeling on 97 for seven at the break. They trailed South Africa by 129 runs.
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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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/ 23 October 2007
New Zealand on Tuesday recalled all-rounder James Franklin and named wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins as a batsman in a new-look one-day squad for next month’s trip to South Africa. Opener Jamie How was also recalled for the first time since early 2006 in the 14-man squad as New Zealand rebuild after a series of retirements.
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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.
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/ 22 September 2007
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A half-century by Imran Nazir and three wickets from paceman Umar Gul helped Pakistan beat New Zealand by six wickets with seven balls to spare on Saturday to reach the final of the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship. Gul was not introduced until the 12th over at Newlands in Cape Town.
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/ 19 September 2007
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Justin Kemp blasted 89 not out off 56 balls after Morne Morkel claimed 4-17 as South Africa thrashed New Zealand by six wickets in the Twenty20 World Championship on Wednesday. Graeme Smith’s home team restricted the Kiwis to 153-8 after giving them first strike at Kingsmead and then knocked off the modest target with five balls to spare.