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SAFARI: 1st Test
BCCI chucks out Jagmohan Dalmiya
Pak beat Windies, clinch series
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Lanka clip Kiwi wings
Jeev slips to tied sixth
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Sreesanth puts India on top Ashis Ray Johannesburg, November 16 In their second essay, India were 146 for five, in course of which Virender Sehwag crossed 4,000 runs in Tests and VVS Laxman was unbeaten on 42. For only the second time in 10 Tests since 1992, India are in the driver’s seat in a Test match in South Africa. On the previous such occasion in 1997 — also at the high altitude of the Wanderers — rain came to the home side’s rescue. But before the Indians contemplate whether the elements will do an encore, they need to bat the South Africans out of the match. India’s rapid run rate of 4.17 in the second outing, however, indicated they did not think patience was a virtue on a pitch, which saw the back of 20 batsmen in a day. Still a bowler short, after Dale Steyn pulled up with a niggle on the first day, South Africa’s only saving grace was Shaun Pollock becoming the 10th bowler in history to capture 400 Test wickets, when he forced a nibble from Rahul Dravid in India’s second innings. He had previously finished with four for 39 in the visitors’ first venture. Indeed, he took a spectacular catch at midoff in the morning to terminate Mahendra Dhoni’s aggressive intent. But India’s ascendancy was really etched by a superb spell of fast bowling by Sreesanth. This Kerala tearway consistently clocked speeds in excess of 140 kmph, yet he swung the ball late even at this pace and made it hurry off the wicket. The wicket undoubtedly conspired, but it still required hitting the right spots. He began by trapping Graeme Smith leg before wicket, following which two excellent catches at second slip by Laxman extended two further rewards, the second of these being the scalp of Jacque Kallis, South Africa’s barrier reef. At the other end, the wily Zaheer Khan provided little respite by, first, dismissing the potentially dangerous Herschelle Gibbs and then surprising Abraham de Villiers with a rising delivery. Once struggling at five for three, South Africa were threatening to narrow the first innings deficit when the omnipotent Anil Kumble deceived Ashwell Prince with a straighter ball to nip in the bud a 39 run eighth wicket stand, before disfiguring Makhaya Ntini’s stumps with the very next delivery. Earlier, Sourav Ganguly starred in a spirited Indian rearguard, which included a 44 run partnership for the last wicket. VRV Singh, giving himself room to lash the willow at every delivery, clobbered his way to 29 off 19 balls, with six fairly bludgeoned fours. However, the fireworks expected of him with the ball did not materialise, though he had the consolation of collecting the last wicket. But it was Ganguly, banished into the wilderness, written off by many, who held the first innings together with a cultured, unconquered half century. Indeed, he decorated his display with an exquisite cover drive for four and a pull to midwicket for six — both off the pacy Ntini. The Bengal tiger was indeed back! Notably, coach Greg Chappell, hitherto his critic, was among the first to rise and applaud the former captain’s 50. Scoreboard India (1st innings) Jaffer lbw Ntini 9 Sehwag c Boucher b Pollock 4 Tendulkar c De Villiers b Kallis 44 Dravid c Smith b Kallis 32 Laxman c Boucher b Ntini 28 Ganguly not out 51 Dhoni c Pollock b Zaheer 5 Kumble c Kallis b Nel 6 Zaheer lbw Pollock 9 Sreesanth c Amla b Pollock 0 VRV c&b Pollock 29 Extras (lb-15, nb-6, w-11) 32 Total (all out, 79.5 overs) 249 Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-14, 3-83, 4-110, 5-156, 6-167, 7-188, 8-205, 9-205. Bowling: Steyn 10.1-3-26-0, Ntini 18-1-57-3, Pollock 17.5-7-39-4, Nel 18.5-5-45-1, Kallis 15-0-67-2. South Africa (1st innings) Smith lbw Sreesanth 5 Gibbs c Sehwag b Zaheer 0 Amla c Laxman b Sreesanth 0 Kallis c Laxman b Sreesanth 12 Prince c Dhoni b Kumble 24 De Villiers c Sehwag b Zaheer 6 Boucher b Sreesanth 5 Pollock lbw Sreesanth 5 Nel c Zaheer b VRV 21 Ntini b Kumble 0 Steyn not out 0 Extras (b-2, nb-1, w-3) 6 Total (all out, 25.1 overs) 84 Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-5, 3-5, 4-21, 5-33, 6-38, 7-45, 8-84, 9-84. Bowling: Zaheer 10-3-32-2, Sreesanth 10-3-40-5, VRV 3.1-0-8-1, Kumble 2-1-2-2. India (2nd innings) Jaffer c Smith b Nel 4 Sehwag c Gibbs b Nel 33 Dravid c Boucher b Pollock 1 Tendulkar b Pollock 14 Laxman not out 42 Ganguly c Boucher b Ntini 25 Dhoni not out 17 Extras (b-2, lb-7, w-1) 10 Total (5 wkts, 35 overs) 146 Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-37, 3-41, 4-61, 5-119. Bowling: Ntini 9-0-56-1, Nel 11-2-38-2, Pollock 9-2-24-2, Kallis 6-2-19-0.
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BCCI chucks out Jagmohan Dalmiya
Jaipur, December 16 The special general body of the board, which met here and heard him regarding the charges levelled against him, adopted a resolution that expelled him from the board and barred him from holding any position in any organs of the cricket body, including state associations. The resolution was adopted 29-2 against him. The Cricket Association of Bengal, of which he is the president, and the National Cricket Club, Kolkata, of which also he is the head, voted in his support. Interestingly, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, once his loyalist, voted against him. The 66-year-old Dalmiya, a former President of the International Cricket Council, has been given the right to appeal after three years for inclusion in the board, BCCI Media Committee member Rajiv Shukla said after the meeting. However, Dalmiya, who has strongly denied the charges, said after the expulsion that he had submitted a 46-page report which the disciplinary committee did not even read. “They did not even read it. They are all biased. There is no misappropriation. It is only their misinterpretation,” he said. The meeting was presided over by BCCI President and Union Minister Sharad Pawar, with whom he has been having a running battle for over two years now. Dalmiya’s nominee Mahendra had defeated Pawar in the election to BCCI President’s post a couple of years ago but the Union Minister had the last laugh when he defeated him in the elections last year. Dalmiya was accused of producing forged documents and misappropriation of funds to the tune of crores from the PILCOM accounts, formed for the World Cup 1996 co-hosted by the India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. BCCI Vice-President Shashank Manohar said Dalmiya was given a fair chance to put up his defence. “We gave him a fair chance. He was heard by a full house. But whatever he said carried no weight,” he said. “There was a 42-page report against him. We cannot go into minute details. But there were serious charges against him,” he added. Board ex-chief may move court
Jagmohan Dalmiya was contemplating legal action against the board’s decision to expel him for life. “In the near future, we will decide whether we should file a case,” he said. Meanwhile, Dalmiya’s associate Anil Shekhawat, a former cricketer who attended the meeting as proxy for the NCC, said more or less it has been finalised that Dalmiya would file a lawsuit. “Yes, he is going to challenge it (his expulsion) in court. The only thing we have to take into account is that where to file the case, either in Jaipur or Kolkata,” said Shekhawat. Dalmiya’s friend-turned-foe Inderjit Singh Bindra denied there was anything personal to the whole episode. “It was decided at the meeting ... There is nothing personal. It was officially discussed and decision was taken,” said Bindra, who was the board President when Dalmiya was the Secretary in the mid-1990s. Shekhawat said a bad precedent has been set with Dalmiya’s expulsion. “It is a black day for Indian cricket. The decision was pre-determined. How could you decide a long-standing matter of 13 years in a few minutes? All statements were audited. Then how they could be challenged? They did not show the vouchers which they claimed were having lacunae. “I wonder where it all is going to stop. Anybody in power can fabricate any opponent. This is a wrong precedent,” said Shekhawat. Rajeev Shukla, vice-president of the BCCI, said sometimes hard decisions had to be taken. Ranbir Singh Mahendra, former BCCI President and close aid of Dalmiya, said he “tried to prevent things going that far but it didn’t work.”
— PTI
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Aussies in sight of Ashes
Perth, December 16 On a day which brought temperatures in the low 40s in the shade and 10°C hotter on the field, the Australians declared late in the day at 527 for five, with Gilchrist not out on 102 after belting the second fastest hundred in Test history from just 57 balls. Trailing by 556 runs, England were already in trouble in their second innings at 19 for one at stumps, with Ian Bell not out on nine, and Alastair Cook on seven. England opener Andrew Strauss again failed, adjudged lbw for a duck padding up to Brett Lee from the fourth ball of the innings. The Australians, already 2-0 up in the series, would regain the Ashes with a victory here. Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke and Gilchrist all made centuries in the Australian second innings, the latter launching an extraordinary assault on the tiring England bowlers late in the day to burst out of his Ashes form slump. Gilchrist reached his half-century in 40 balls and then took just another 17 to reach triple figures, with 12 fours and four sixes, and in doing so replicated Doug Walters’ famous century in a session in 1974 at the same ground. After reaching 50, Gilchrist smashed four sixes from the next six balls he faced as Viv Richards’ record of a century in 56 balls came under threat. Panesar went for 24 runs in one over, an unwanted Ashes record for a player who claimed three wickets in the second innings to have eight for the match. Gilchrist seemed certain to break the record, but was ultimately denied by England seamer Matthew Hoggard. When Ricky Ponting declared Australia’s innings closed, Clarke (135 not out) and Gilchrist had added 162 in 98 minutes. Clarke reached his century in 130 balls, with 13 fours and one six. Hussey, controversially overlooked during the entire 2005 Ashes series in England, continued his incredible run at the top level when he notched his maiden Test century against England and his fifth overall. The left-hander pulled the unlucky Harmison straight down the ground for his 12th four to bring up the milestone in 213 minutes from 148 balls, but was caught behind from the bowling of Panesar from the last ball before tea. Hussey had enjoyed a fair slice of luck, as he was lucky to be given not out on 15 and was dropped twice. It was a horror day in the field for the English, who showed great spirit but could only watch the Ashes slipping away as they not only bowled without luck, but had to contend with energy-sapping heat. A number of catches went abegging, Geraint Jones missed a stumping and confident appeals were turned down as they claimed just four wickets during the day. Earlier, opener Matthew Hayden missed out on a century when he fell for 92, while Australian captain Ricky Ponting made 75. Ponting was in an aggressive mood and looked set for another big score as he passed the 500-run mark for the series, but he pushed hard at a Harmison delivery and got an outside edge to Jones. Scoreboard Australia (1st innings) 244 England (1st innings) 215 Australia (2nd innings) Langer b Hoggard 0 Hayden c Collingwood b Panesar 92 Ponting c Jones b Harmison 75 Hussey c Jones b Panesar 103 Clarke not out 135 Symonds c Collingwood Gilchrist not out 102 Extras (w-2, lb-15, nb-1) 18 Total
(5 wkts dec, 112 overs) 527 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-144, 3-206, 4-357, 5-365. Bowling: Hoggard 20-4-85-1, Flintoff 19-2-76-0, Harmison 24-3-116-1, Panesar 34-3-145-3, Mahmood 10-0-59-0, Pietersen 5-1-31-0. England (2nd innings) Strauss lbw Lee 0 Cook not out 7 Bell not out 9 Extras
(nb-2, lb-1) 3 Total (1 wkt, 6 overs) 19 Fall of wicket:
1-0. Bowling: Lee 3-1-5-1, McGrath 3-0-13-0. — AFP
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Pak beat Windies, clinch series
Karachi, December 16 Pakistan swept to a 3-1 series win after reaching 239 for three in 46.5 overs in reply to the tourists’ score of 238 for seven. Opener Hafeez smashed 92 from 111 balls with five fours and two sixes. Shoaib Malik remained unbeaten on 34 and Abdul Razzaq on seven. Shivnarine Chanderpaul had led the West Indian innings by scoring his fourth hundred in 205 one-dayers, while skipper Brian Lara (44) crossed the 10,000-run mark in ODIs. Although Lara became the fifth batsman — after Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Sanath Jayasuriya and Inzamam-ul-Haq — to reach the milestone when he made 25 runs in his 287th game, he could not prevent Pakistan’s victory charge. Pace bowler Rana Naved, named man of the series for his haul of 11 wickets, restricted the tourists on the flat track by claiming 4-43. The West Indies were hoping to carry on the momentum after winning the last match in Multan but were foiled when wicketkeeper-batsman Akmal exploited the powerplay overs effectively. Hafeez and Akmal put Pakistan in control with an 87-run first-wicket partnership in 17 overs. Akmal belted nine fours and one huge straight six off Daren Powell before being caught at deep mid-wicket by substitute Jerome Taylor off Corey Collymore. Hafeez then paired up with Yasir Hameed (41) to add 89 from 117 balls to frustrate the tourists further. Hameed was caught at long on by Runako Morton off Chris Gayle after his 69-ball knock. Hafeez was trapped leg before by Dave Mohammed with Pakistan 15 runs short of victory. Earlier, opener Chanderpaul made 101 from 142 balls with eight fours before being dismissed in the 48th over. It was Chanderpaul’s first one-day hundred since 2002 when he made 108 against New Zealand at Gros Islet. He shared partnerships of 51 with Marlon Samuels (22) and 96 with Lara after Gayle (7) once again fell to Naved. Scoreboard West Indies Gayle lbw Naved 7 Chanderpaul c Hameed b Naved 101 Simmons b Sami 21 Samuels st Akmal Lara b Naved 44 Ramdin c and b Rehman 3 Morton not out 14 Smith lbw Naved 1 Mohammed not out 0 Extras
(b-1, lb-11, w-5, nb-8) 25 Total (7 wickets, 50 overs) 238 Fall of wickets:
1-19, 2-5, 3-04, 4-200, 5-205, 6-217, 7-222. Bowling: Gul 10-0-48-0, Naved 10-0-43-4, Sami 10-1-39-1, Razzaq 6-1-36-0, Rehman 10-0-39-2, Hafeez 4-0-21-0. Pakistan Hafeez lbw Mohammed 92 Akmal c sub (Taylor) b Collymore 56 Hameed c Morton Malik not out 34 Razzaq not out 7 Extras (lb-2, w-4, nb-3) 9 Total
(3 wickets, 46.5 overs) 239 Fall of wickets: 1-87, 2-176, 3-224. Bowling:
Powell 10-1-50-0, Collymore 10-0-44-1, Mohammed 9.5-0-53-1, Samuels 3-0-17-0, Gayle 8-0-41-1.
— Reuters |
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Lanka clip Kiwi wings
Wellington, December 16 In a match which again appears destined to finish well inside five days, weather permitting, Sri Lanka were 225 for five in their second innings at stumps on the second day. The free-flowing scoring on a benign batting pitch was in stark contrast to the rather limp first-innings efforts from both sides where New Zealand were all out for 130 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 268. Scoreboard Sri Lanka (1st innings) 268 New
Zealand (1st innings) Cumming b Maharoof 13 How lbw Malinga 26 Sinclair b Malinga 6 Fleming c P.Jayawardene by Malinga 0 Astle b Malinga 17 McCullum b Muralitharan 43 Vettori b Malinga 0 Oram lbw Muralitharan 1 Franklin lbw Muralitharan 1 Bond lbw b Muralitharan 8 Martin not out 0 Extras
(b-7, lb-6, nb-2) 15 Total (all out, 39.1 overs) 130 Fall of wickets:
1-30, 2-40, 3-40, 4-66, 5-75, 6-85, 7-90, 8-98, 9-116. Bowling:
Vaas 4-0-8-0, Malinga 18-4-68-5, Maharoof 5-2-10-1, Muralitharan 12.1-3-31-4. Sri Lanka (2nd innings) Tharanga lbw Martin 20 Jayasuriya c Fleming b Vettori 31 Sangakkara c Franklin b Bond 8 Jayawardene c Sinclair b Vettori 31 Kapugedera b Vettori 27 Silva batting 79 Jayawardene batting 22 Extras
(lb-4, nb-3) 7 Total (5 wkts, 71 overs) 225 Fall of wickets:
1-44, 2-62, 3-62, 4-100, 5-168. Bowling: Bond 14-2-49-1, Martin 11-1-41-1, Vettori 31-5-101-3, Franklin 15-6-30-0.
— AFP
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Jeev slips to tied sixth
Bangkok, December 16 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Jeev aggregates six-under 210 in three rounds, five strokes off the leader, Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, who returned a superb three-under 69 round to open a two-stroke lead at the top. Beginning the day at the tied third position, the Indian ace raced to a wonderful start, firing two birdies on his first four holes. But his bid for a fifth title of the year hit a kerb as he stuttered on the next 14 holes, dropping four bogeys as against two birdies. Jeev, eyeing a unique Volvo hat-trick following triumphs this year at the Volvo China Open and Volvo Masters in Spain, conceded that he has an uphill task in chasing down the supremely confident Thongchai. “I am not hitting the ball too good, honestly. I think it showed again today. Yesterday was the same but I putted good then. But it’s okay. I still ended up with even par. It was a tough day as it was windy. “I need to put a good score tomorrow but it’ll be tough to catch Thongchai. I’ll try to have a good round and not shoot over par for four days and try for an under-par finish,” said Jeev, who is ranked 45th in the world. Among other Indians in the fray, rookie SSP Chowrasia, a stroke behind Jeev, was also eyeing a strong finish although he dropped to the tied 12th
position after returning an indifferent one-under 71 card. Jyoti Randhawa (73-214) went over par to slip to the tied 22nd spot, while defending champion Shiv Kapur of India fell out of contention after a 74 which left him in the tied 25th place on 215.
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Jaipur, December 16
