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/ 2 May 2008

Indian cash trumps Kiwi pride

Shane Bond, one of the world’s best and most menacingly quick bowlers, laughs with surprising ease, seemingly undeterred by the fact that he has just been banned from international cricket. If some expected Bond to mourn the end of his Test career as New Zealand begin their tour of England, they might be taken aback.

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/ 6 March 2008

Dale Steyn proud of his achievements

South Africa paceman Dale Steyn, fresh from being named player of the series in the recent Bangladesh tour, is proud his name is now being bracketed with some of the world’s best. ”Just to be put in the same bracket like [Muttiah] Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath, Shaun Pollock or Shane Bond, it’s remarkable,” he said in an interview on Thursday.

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/ 16 November 2007

Cumming and Vincent stand firm

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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/ 16 November 2007

From beachboy to spearhead

When Chris Martin was selected to play his first Test match for New Zealand, in
Bloemfontein in November 2000, one cricket writer suggested he ”had been plucked from the beach”. Once wavy-haired, with a reputation for roistering, Martin now has the shorn aspect of a Buddhist monk.

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/ 16 November 2007

Fancy a drink, Graeme?

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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/ 11 November 2007

SA trounce New Zealand

A five-wicket haul by Dale Steyn helped South Africa beat New Zealand by a mammoth 358 runs 42 minutes after lunch on the fourth day of the first Castle Lager Test at the Wanderers on Sunday. Scott Styris and Brendon McCullum resumed play on the overnight score of 57 for three.

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/ 10 November 2007

Masterful Kallis, Amla crush New Zealand

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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/ 10 November 2007

SA in charge against New Zealand

A career-best haul by Dale Steyn and an unbroken partnership of 159 between Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis put South Africa in control of the first Castle Lager Test between South Africa and New Zealand at the Wanderers on Friday. South Africa were 179 for two at close of play, for an overall lead of 287.

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/ 9 November 2007

New Zealand wickets tumble

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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/ 9 November 2007

SA vs New Zealand: Get set for epic battle

South Africans who want to learn more about the New Zealand way of cricket should take a long look at the face of Scott Styris during the first Test at the Wanderers. The unkind among us might say that Banquo’s ghost has nothing on Styris, whose pale credentials are brought into startling relief when he slaps on the sunblock.

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/ 8 November 2007

Bond takes four wickets against SA

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

New Zealand on the back foot

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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/ 2 November 2007

Kiwis to face a team with balls

White is the colour of almost all Springbok rugby players, as well as most of those who fill stadiums to watch them play. White is the surname of a coach who makes some see red. But that’s not all. White is what the South African cricket team will wear when they begin a Test series against New Zealand in Johannesburg next week.

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/ 23 October 2007

New-look New Zealand team for SA series

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

New Zealand selects team for SA tour

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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/ 19 September 2007

Kemp, Morkel lead SA to comfortable win

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.

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/ 18 September 2007

New Zealand scrape home against England

New Zealand beat England by five runs to squeak home in their Twenty20 World Championship Super Eight match at Kingsmead in Durban on Tuesday. It was more a case of England throwing away a probable victory — crazy run outs and some reckless batting cost England important wickets — and a possible place in the semifinals.