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/ 16 May 2008

McCullum sparks New Zealand revival

Brendon McCullum led a New Zealand fightback against England with a run-a-ball 97 to help his side to 208-6 when bad light ended the first day’s play of the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday. But three runs short of what would have been the wicket-keeper’s third Test hundred, McCullum was bowled by a quicker delivery from left-arm spinner Monty Panesar.

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/ 25 March 2008

England on brink of series win over NZ

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.

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/ 17 March 2008

Momentum swings to England for series decider

New Zealand’s momentum, picked up from a convincing one-day series victory and first Test win in Hamilton, came to a screeching halt on Monday with a crushing 126-run defeat to England in the second Test. Chasing 438 to win the match, New Zealand flirted with pulling off the impossible when they reached 242 for five late on the fourth day.

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/ 8 March 2008

Sidebottom hat-trick shatters Kiwis

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.

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/ 5 March 2008

McCullum knock lifts New Zealand

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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/ 14 February 2008

Fleming to quit Tests after England series

Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming is retiring from international cricket at the end of next month’s home Test series against England, he told a news conference in Auckland on Thursday. The 34-year-old quit one-day internationals after last year’s World Cup and is now giving up Tests to focus on his family and business interests.

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/ 6 January 2008

New Zealand trounce Bangladesh

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.

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/ 4 January 2008

NZ dominate first day against Bangladesh

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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/ 18 November 2007

Steyn sweeps South Africa to series win

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

Bad day for Back Caps

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

A day New Zealand would like to forget

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

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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/ 15 November 2007

SA to be ruthless against New Zealand

South Africa will be ruthless in the second Test against New Zealand after securing their biggest win in the first match, cricket coach Mickey Arthur said on Thursday. he hosts won the first Test by 358 runs in Johannesburg on Sunday, which also marked New Zealand’s heaviest loss. The second Test starts on Friday.

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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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/ 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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/ 16 October 2007

Pollock, Akhtar join Indian Twenty20 league

South Africa all-rounder Shaun Pollock, his New Zealand counterpart Jacob Oram and Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar have signed up for the Indian Premier League Twenty20 series, organisers said on Tuesday. Their inclusion takes to 25 the number of foreign players who have committed to the lucrative league due to start next April.

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/ 9 October 2007

Smith signs up for Indian board’s league

Skipper Graeme Smith and four other South Africans are among 10 current internationals to have signed up for the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) to be played next year, organisers said on Tuesday. Building on the national team’s Twenty20 World Cup triumph, the Indian cricket board is to launch its own multimillion-dollar professional Twenty20 league.

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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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/ 16 September 2007

India fall to four-wicket Vettori

Captain Daniel Vettori led from the front as New Zealand brushed aside India by 10 runs in a Super Eight match of the Twenty20 World Championship in Johannesburg on Sunday. The left-arm spinner claimed 4-20, took a catch and effected a run out as the Kiwis, bowled out for 190, hit back to restrict India to 180-9 in good batting conditions at the Wanderers.