Day 3 AUS V NZL
Australia 559/9d
New Zealand 510/6
New Zealand trail by 49 runs with 4 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
That Kane Williamson scored a century at the WACA was no great shock, for at the Gabba Australia had found him harder to get out than grass stains on their whites. More surprising on day three in Perth was the remarkable form of Ross Taylor, who became the first New Zealander to score a Test double-hundred against Australia, and by stumps had a realistic chance of turning it into a triple-century.
Taylor's class has always been clear, as evidenced by a Test average in the mid-40s. But in Brisbane - indeed, for much of 2015 - he was so scratchy it was easy to forget how good he could be. A new city, a new pitch, a new man. At stumps on day three, Taylor had moved to his highest Test score and was still troubling the Australians. He was also troubling the scorers, running out of space to add to his 235 not out.
It was a day of New Zealand domination. After the first six days of this series that might seem like a typo, but it's not. On Saturday the match was evenly fought, and on Sunday New Zealand gave Australia a taste of their own medicine. And no bowling team likes to spend a full day in the Fremantle Doctor's office. All Australia could manage were four wickets; New Zealand piled on 370 runs.
The key was the 265-run partnership between Taylor and Williamson for the third wicket, which was New Zealand's highest of all time against Australia for any wicket. Importantly for New Zealand, after Williamson fell for 166 in the middle of the day, Taylor batted on and on and on. He brought up his second Test double-century from his 254th ball, with a cover-drive for four off Mitchell Starc.
Taylor celebrated with his trademark of sticking out his tongue, a move that has become less frequent over the past couple of years as the runs have dried up. But this was the Taylor of old. Along the way he became the fifth New Zealander to pass 5000 runs in Tests, and he surpassed his mentor Martin Crowe's 188 as the highest Test score by a New Zealander against Australia.
Most importantly, Taylor and Williamson gave New Zealand a chance in this match, and thus in the series. By stumps New Zealand had reached 6 for 510, trailing by just 49. Mark Craig was at the crease on 7, and if Taylor and the tail could drive New Zealand on to a handy lead on the fourth day, anything could be possible. That in itself is an achievement after conceding 559 in Australia's first innings.
It was a difficult day for Australia, who dropped chances and missed run-out opportunities. In the hour before tea, things fired up significantly when Mitchell Starc used a new ball to send down a searing spell, reaching 160.4kph with his fastest delivery and breaking Brendon McCullum's bat with another yorker. But he had two catches dropped off his bowling, and was not rewarded for his work.
McCullum was put down on 5 when he got a thick edge off Starc that flew to third slip, where Nathan Lyon spilled what he should have taken, and Taylor had a life on 137. He drove at Starc and Mitchell Marsh at gully got his hands to the ball but barely even slowed it down on its way to the third man boundary. By stumps, Taylor had punished Australia to the tune of nearly 100 more runs.
For the first two sessions of the day only one wicket fell, that of Williamson, who miscued a pull off Josh Hazlewood and lobbed a catch up to midwicket. In the final session Mitchell Marsh bowled McCullum for 27, Starc finally had his first of the day when BJ Watling drilled a full toss to point for 1, and Doug Bracewell edged behind off Mitchell Johnson for 12.
Bracewell had earlier lifted Lyon over the long-on boundary for six, and the fact that it was the first six of New Zealand's innings - in the 116th over - was an indication of how purely Taylor and Williamson had played earlier. For most of the day Williamson had looked incapable of making an error; he put on a batting masterclass the equal of anything Australia had bowled against in recent years.
Williamson was especially impressive whipping the ball off his pads through the leg side and his cover-driving was out of the textbook, keeping the ball along the ground wherever he played. He brought up his century with a cut behind point for four off Johnson from his 158th delivery, and his subdued celebrations were followed by resolute defence next ball, realising his job had only just begun.
It was the second hundred in consecutive Tests for Williamson and his fourth this year; by the time he departed he was averaging 105.12 in Test cricket in 2015. Taylor's recent record could hardly be more different. This was his first century of 2015, and since the end of the home series against West Indies in 2013 he had averaged, before this Test, 31.47.
But at the WACA, Taylor looked back to his best. Of his 34 boundaries, 24 came through the off side, his cover-driving and driving straight down the ground a feature of his innings. Like Williamson, Taylor mostly kept the ball on the ground and gave Australia few opportunities. His hundred came from 158 deliveries, and by the close of play he had faced nearly double that amount.
Both Taylor and Williamson had to deal with a 17-minute delay during the first session due to a farcical incident in which the groundstaff were unable to move the mechanical sightscreen. The time was added on to the end of the day to compensate. To Taylor, in the bigger picture of this enormous innings, 17 minutes was nothing.
Day 2 IND V SA - washed out rain
South Africa 214
India 80/0 (22 ov)
India trail by 134 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
South Africa received an unexpected hand to give them a shot at saving the Bangalore Test. Well it wasn't entirely unexpected, in that it had been raining in Bangalore leading in to the Test and the cyclonic activity around India's east coast had promised more rain, but a steady drizzle since morning to wash out the whole of second day's play was unexpected.
That was arguably the first good news for South Africa in the Test series. After they psyched themselves up on a turning surface in Mohali, they lost Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander to injury, and then were bowled out for 214 on the first day after being asked to bat first. The Bangalore pitch was a normal day-one India track, but they managed to lose eight wickets to spin.
India, who had knocked off 80 runs on the first evening, were now looking for quick runs to get into lead. They will feel frustrated by the rain, not least because thunderstorms have been predicted for the third and fourth days of the Test too.
Sunday, 15 November 2015
Saturday, 14 November 2015
2nd Test Day 2 AUS V NZL, 1st Test Day 1 IND V SA
Australia 559/9d
New Zealand 140/2 (42.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 419 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Australia are still in command of the second Test against New Zealand despite a strong effort from Brendon McCullum's men on day two to bring themselves back into the contest.
The Baggy Greens began the day on 416-2 with David Warner unbeaten at the crease on 244, and although he was able to pass the 250-mark, he was to fall for 253 when he was dismissed by Trent Boult. Captain Steve Smith struggled in his time at the crease before he was out for 27 to James Henry, but Adam Voges (41) and Mitchell Marsh (34) were able to do enough to guide their side over the 500-run mark.
Mark Craig took three late wickets as Australia paid the price for trying to up the run rate before Smith declared on 559-9.
The Kiwis' reply got off to the worst possible start when Martin Guptill was dismissed in the third over lbw to Mitchell Starc. Tom Latham and Kane Williamson restored calm to the New Zealand ranks by seeing off the remaining threat of the new ball from Mitchell Johnson and Starc. Both players looked be finding a rhythm at the crease as they eased to a 50-run partnership from 89 deliveries and were bearing down on reaching 100 before Latham fell to the bowling of Lyon for 36.
Williamson managed to fend off a difficult spell of bowling from Johnson to record his half century, the 17th of his Test match career. Ross Taylor (26*) and Williamson (70*) notched the second 50-partnership of the innings just before the close, leaving New Zealand on 140-2, trailing the Aussies by 419 runs.
South Africa 214
India 80/0 (22.0 ov)
India trail by 134 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Virat Kohli's India showed they were not one-trick ponies, choosing to field on what turned out to be a proper Test-match first-day pitch and bowling out South Africa for 214 in a little over two sessions. The show of intent was clear: on a pitch that looked damp they went in with just the five batsmen, brought in an extra seamer and when they found no help for the quicks, the spinners ran through the hapless visitors. India were on in the field too: every ball was chased down with intent, and there were at least three excellent catches taken.
Playing his 100th Test, AB de Villiers put up a workshop to show his team-mates that it was possible to bat in India - scoring 85 off 105 out of the 132 runs that came while he was at the wicket - but R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took four wickets each. Ashwin removed Stiaan van Zyl and Faf du Plessis in his first over, the eighth of the day, and Jadeja was responsible for the big wicket of de Villiers. Only some poor running by Imran Tahir and Kyle Abbott denied one of them a five-for.
India might have misread the conditions a little, but they certainly did not have enough time to fret over it. This was only the 20th time in 246 Tests in India that a side had decided to field. Bangalore had taken a lot of rain in the week leading up to the Test. Kohli felt there was moisture underneath the surface, and overheads in such weather in Bangalore generally assist movement in the air. Accordingly Kohli brought in Binny ahead of Amit Mishra, retaining Varun Aaron ahead of Umesh Yadav, who had to make way for the returning Ishant Sharma.
It will be fair to assume from the first few overs that India expected more from the pitch. Ishant and Binny - opening the bowling - found little bounce or seam movement in what was a comfortable start for the South Africa openers. Before unease could set in, though, Kohli had the luxury of going to Ashwin, who is in such imperious form that South Africa have been playing the man and not the ball.
The first ball Ashwin bowled was short of a length and into the pads. As Dean Elgar took an easy single, Ashwin held his hand up in apology to his captain. The standards are high for what is expected of Ashwin nowadays. Immediately he corrected both the line and the length, and for the second time this series van Zyl played a new-ball offbreak from Ashwin for the turn, and was trapped plumb lbw by the actual ball, which only straightened marginally.
In came du Plessis, unsure of his defence, and jumped out of his crease, hoping for something in his reach. Ashwin refused to oblige, the dip on the ball taking it away from du Plessis, who flicked at it hopelessly. Cheteshwar Pujara, at forward short leg, plucked a low one. Du Plessis' scores in the Tests now read 0, 1 and 0 after 62, 51, 60, 17 and 133 in the ODIs.
Aaron went for 12 in his first two overs, but Kohli persisted with him. In his third over, he bowled a length that hit top of the stumps, and then got it to hold the line to square Hashim Amla up and send the off stump cartwheeling. Had Amla been slightly forward, he would have covered the movement, which was slight, but it is quite possible it was Aaron's pace that kept Amla from pressing forward. The seam on this delivery pointed to fine leg, and yet it moved away.
An encouragingly bigger crowd than the one in Mohali gave a warm welcome to de Villiers, and India offered him four overthrows early on. That was pretty much the last freebie he would get. His team-mates, who just needed to be there with him, were just as uncharitable. Just after lunch, Elgar swept Jadeja from his improvised guard of off stump, possibly slightly outside. He had managed a good connection on a similar shot before lunch, but this time he tickled it fine, and onto his own wicket. JP Duminy struggled for 15 in a 42-run partnership before edging Ashwin to slip when playing back: had he pressed forward he would have struggled to get to the pitch anyway because this turned from an in-between length.
De Villiers, 44 off 54 now, looked sublime amid chaos. Almost every ball that was slightly loose was put away. The pick of the shots when he danced down to a 90kmph Jadeja delivery, and managed to drive it through extra cover for four. It is difficult to score runs alone, though. Dane Vilas provided him company for 15 runs in a 39-run partnership, but much like Dale Steyn in Mohali, Vilas lost his head here, stepping out and chipping Jadeja back for a return catch.
De Villiers took up the scoring duties exclusively now, manipulating fields that were spread out for him. When he danced down the wicket to Jadeja in the last over before tea, he too was found taking defensive action. The ball lobbed up from around the pad area, and Wriddhiman Saha flew to where the forward short leg would have been to took a stunner. The third umpire confirmed that the low catch was clean, but did not contemplate whether de Villiers had hit the ball. No more replays were shown. Morne Morkel and Kyle Abbott 37 for the ninth wicket to take South Africa to their first 200, but Binny ended that stand with a brilliant catch running behind and over his shoulder.
Just the right time for India openers then to drive the screw in. The first target was for Shikhar Dhawan to get off the mark in the series, and then for the first wicket to reach 20 for the first time in nine Test innings. Then they batted fluently and without pressure, which has been a rare event, what with a long time spent on the road. Imran Tahir provided the exclamation mark to South Africa's day of horror, dropping M Vijay on 21. Dhawan raced away to 45 off 62, the time saved might come in handy should forecasts for rain materialise during the rest of the Test. A word of warning for South Africa: all of Dhawan's scores of more than 37 have been 81 and upwards.
New Zealand 140/2 (42.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 419 runs with 8 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Australia are still in command of the second Test against New Zealand despite a strong effort from Brendon McCullum's men on day two to bring themselves back into the contest.
The Baggy Greens began the day on 416-2 with David Warner unbeaten at the crease on 244, and although he was able to pass the 250-mark, he was to fall for 253 when he was dismissed by Trent Boult. Captain Steve Smith struggled in his time at the crease before he was out for 27 to James Henry, but Adam Voges (41) and Mitchell Marsh (34) were able to do enough to guide their side over the 500-run mark.
Mark Craig took three late wickets as Australia paid the price for trying to up the run rate before Smith declared on 559-9.
The Kiwis' reply got off to the worst possible start when Martin Guptill was dismissed in the third over lbw to Mitchell Starc. Tom Latham and Kane Williamson restored calm to the New Zealand ranks by seeing off the remaining threat of the new ball from Mitchell Johnson and Starc. Both players looked be finding a rhythm at the crease as they eased to a 50-run partnership from 89 deliveries and were bearing down on reaching 100 before Latham fell to the bowling of Lyon for 36.
Williamson managed to fend off a difficult spell of bowling from Johnson to record his half century, the 17th of his Test match career. Ross Taylor (26*) and Williamson (70*) notched the second 50-partnership of the innings just before the close, leaving New Zealand on 140-2, trailing the Aussies by 419 runs.
South Africa 214
India 80/0 (22.0 ov)
India trail by 134 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
Virat Kohli's India showed they were not one-trick ponies, choosing to field on what turned out to be a proper Test-match first-day pitch and bowling out South Africa for 214 in a little over two sessions. The show of intent was clear: on a pitch that looked damp they went in with just the five batsmen, brought in an extra seamer and when they found no help for the quicks, the spinners ran through the hapless visitors. India were on in the field too: every ball was chased down with intent, and there were at least three excellent catches taken.
Playing his 100th Test, AB de Villiers put up a workshop to show his team-mates that it was possible to bat in India - scoring 85 off 105 out of the 132 runs that came while he was at the wicket - but R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took four wickets each. Ashwin removed Stiaan van Zyl and Faf du Plessis in his first over, the eighth of the day, and Jadeja was responsible for the big wicket of de Villiers. Only some poor running by Imran Tahir and Kyle Abbott denied one of them a five-for.
India might have misread the conditions a little, but they certainly did not have enough time to fret over it. This was only the 20th time in 246 Tests in India that a side had decided to field. Bangalore had taken a lot of rain in the week leading up to the Test. Kohli felt there was moisture underneath the surface, and overheads in such weather in Bangalore generally assist movement in the air. Accordingly Kohli brought in Binny ahead of Amit Mishra, retaining Varun Aaron ahead of Umesh Yadav, who had to make way for the returning Ishant Sharma.
It will be fair to assume from the first few overs that India expected more from the pitch. Ishant and Binny - opening the bowling - found little bounce or seam movement in what was a comfortable start for the South Africa openers. Before unease could set in, though, Kohli had the luxury of going to Ashwin, who is in such imperious form that South Africa have been playing the man and not the ball.
The first ball Ashwin bowled was short of a length and into the pads. As Dean Elgar took an easy single, Ashwin held his hand up in apology to his captain. The standards are high for what is expected of Ashwin nowadays. Immediately he corrected both the line and the length, and for the second time this series van Zyl played a new-ball offbreak from Ashwin for the turn, and was trapped plumb lbw by the actual ball, which only straightened marginally.
In came du Plessis, unsure of his defence, and jumped out of his crease, hoping for something in his reach. Ashwin refused to oblige, the dip on the ball taking it away from du Plessis, who flicked at it hopelessly. Cheteshwar Pujara, at forward short leg, plucked a low one. Du Plessis' scores in the Tests now read 0, 1 and 0 after 62, 51, 60, 17 and 133 in the ODIs.
Aaron went for 12 in his first two overs, but Kohli persisted with him. In his third over, he bowled a length that hit top of the stumps, and then got it to hold the line to square Hashim Amla up and send the off stump cartwheeling. Had Amla been slightly forward, he would have covered the movement, which was slight, but it is quite possible it was Aaron's pace that kept Amla from pressing forward. The seam on this delivery pointed to fine leg, and yet it moved away.
An encouragingly bigger crowd than the one in Mohali gave a warm welcome to de Villiers, and India offered him four overthrows early on. That was pretty much the last freebie he would get. His team-mates, who just needed to be there with him, were just as uncharitable. Just after lunch, Elgar swept Jadeja from his improvised guard of off stump, possibly slightly outside. He had managed a good connection on a similar shot before lunch, but this time he tickled it fine, and onto his own wicket. JP Duminy struggled for 15 in a 42-run partnership before edging Ashwin to slip when playing back: had he pressed forward he would have struggled to get to the pitch anyway because this turned from an in-between length.
De Villiers, 44 off 54 now, looked sublime amid chaos. Almost every ball that was slightly loose was put away. The pick of the shots when he danced down to a 90kmph Jadeja delivery, and managed to drive it through extra cover for four. It is difficult to score runs alone, though. Dane Vilas provided him company for 15 runs in a 39-run partnership, but much like Dale Steyn in Mohali, Vilas lost his head here, stepping out and chipping Jadeja back for a return catch.
De Villiers took up the scoring duties exclusively now, manipulating fields that were spread out for him. When he danced down the wicket to Jadeja in the last over before tea, he too was found taking defensive action. The ball lobbed up from around the pad area, and Wriddhiman Saha flew to where the forward short leg would have been to took a stunner. The third umpire confirmed that the low catch was clean, but did not contemplate whether de Villiers had hit the ball. No more replays were shown. Morne Morkel and Kyle Abbott 37 for the ninth wicket to take South Africa to their first 200, but Binny ended that stand with a brilliant catch running behind and over his shoulder.
Just the right time for India openers then to drive the screw in. The first target was for Shikhar Dhawan to get off the mark in the series, and then for the first wicket to reach 20 for the first time in nine Test innings. Then they batted fluently and without pressure, which has been a rare event, what with a long time spent on the road. Imran Tahir provided the exclamation mark to South Africa's day of horror, dropping M Vijay on 21. Dhawan raced away to 45 off 62, the time saved might come in handy should forecasts for rain materialise during the rest of the Test. A word of warning for South Africa: all of Dhawan's scores of more than 37 have been 81 and upwards.
Friday, 13 November 2015
2nd ODI PAK V ENG
ENG 283/5 bt PAK 188 by 95 runs
England have levelled their one-day international series against Pakistan by romping to a 95-run victory in Abu Dhabi. Trevor Bayliss's side suffered a damaging six-wicket defeat in the first ODI on Wednesday, but they responded in fine fashion today. Alex Hales reached a career milestone by claiming his first ever ODI century for England, top-scoring in their innings with 109 off 117 balls.
Joe Root also contributed with a knock of 63, while Jason Roy and captain Eoin Morgan posted 54 and 29 respectively to help England reach 283-5 after 50 overs. Pakistan went into bat with an achievable targetl, but they were dealt an early blow when Babar Azam was trapped lbw by David Willey inside three overs. Azam was sent back to the pavilion on just four runs, while Mohammad Hafeez, who was instrumental in Pakistan's victory in midweek, went out for a duck when he was caught behind by Jos Buttler off Willey's delivery.
Chris Woakes began dominating the field as he claimed figures of 3-15 by dismissing Iftikhar Ahmed (5), Shoaib Malik (15) and Azhar Ali (22). After Adil Rashid dismissed Mohammad Rizwan for 17, Pakistan managed to calm the storm with Sarfraz Ahmed and Anwar Ali passing the 100-run mark, but their partnership was broken by Moeen Ali. The Englishman dismissed Ali for 23, and Wahab Riaz (5) and Ahmed (64) shortly followed, leaving Pakistan on 181-9, needing 103 runs with one wicket and 30 balls remaining.
It was just a matter of time for England as they wrapped up the clash, leaving Pakistan all out on 188.
ENG inns report
Alex Hales scored his first-ever one-day international century as England set Pakistan a target of 284 to win the second match in Abu Dhabi.
England lost quick wickets on their way to a heavy defeat in the first contest, but it was the opposite today as their innings was built on solid partnerships. The opening duo of Hales and Jason Roy made 102 together before Roy chipped a Wahab Riaz delivery to Shoaib Malik at mid-on after making 54 off 57 balls.
Joe Root was next in and he and Hales put on another three-figure partnership, which was ended when Hales was stumped by Sarfraz Ahmed following a knock of 109. England had given themselves a good chance of surpassing 300 as they entered the final 10 overs on 227-2, but it was Pakistan's bowlers who had the better of the closing stages.
The pace of Wahab continued to restrict Eoin Morgan and Root, with the latter departing for 63 after being foxed by a slower ball from the paceman. England sent in big-hitter Jos Buttler (11), but he lasted just nine balls before also having his wickets tumbled by a cutting Wahab delivery.
The tourists were trying to hit everything out of the ground, but they managed just two boundaries in the final five overs as Morgan (29) lost his wicket by chipping Mohammad Irfan delivery to Babar Azam in the deep.
England have levelled their one-day international series against Pakistan by romping to a 95-run victory in Abu Dhabi. Trevor Bayliss's side suffered a damaging six-wicket defeat in the first ODI on Wednesday, but they responded in fine fashion today. Alex Hales reached a career milestone by claiming his first ever ODI century for England, top-scoring in their innings with 109 off 117 balls.
Joe Root also contributed with a knock of 63, while Jason Roy and captain Eoin Morgan posted 54 and 29 respectively to help England reach 283-5 after 50 overs. Pakistan went into bat with an achievable targetl, but they were dealt an early blow when Babar Azam was trapped lbw by David Willey inside three overs. Azam was sent back to the pavilion on just four runs, while Mohammad Hafeez, who was instrumental in Pakistan's victory in midweek, went out for a duck when he was caught behind by Jos Buttler off Willey's delivery.
Chris Woakes began dominating the field as he claimed figures of 3-15 by dismissing Iftikhar Ahmed (5), Shoaib Malik (15) and Azhar Ali (22). After Adil Rashid dismissed Mohammad Rizwan for 17, Pakistan managed to calm the storm with Sarfraz Ahmed and Anwar Ali passing the 100-run mark, but their partnership was broken by Moeen Ali. The Englishman dismissed Ali for 23, and Wahab Riaz (5) and Ahmed (64) shortly followed, leaving Pakistan on 181-9, needing 103 runs with one wicket and 30 balls remaining.
It was just a matter of time for England as they wrapped up the clash, leaving Pakistan all out on 188.
ENG inns report
Alex Hales scored his first-ever one-day international century as England set Pakistan a target of 284 to win the second match in Abu Dhabi.
England lost quick wickets on their way to a heavy defeat in the first contest, but it was the opposite today as their innings was built on solid partnerships. The opening duo of Hales and Jason Roy made 102 together before Roy chipped a Wahab Riaz delivery to Shoaib Malik at mid-on after making 54 off 57 balls.
Joe Root was next in and he and Hales put on another three-figure partnership, which was ended when Hales was stumped by Sarfraz Ahmed following a knock of 109. England had given themselves a good chance of surpassing 300 as they entered the final 10 overs on 227-2, but it was Pakistan's bowlers who had the better of the closing stages.
The pace of Wahab continued to restrict Eoin Morgan and Root, with the latter departing for 63 after being foxed by a slower ball from the paceman. England sent in big-hitter Jos Buttler (11), but he lasted just nine balls before also having his wickets tumbled by a cutting Wahab delivery.
The tourists were trying to hit everything out of the ground, but they managed just two boundaries in the final five overs as Morgan (29) lost his wicket by chipping Mohammad Irfan delivery to Babar Azam in the deep.
1st T20 BAN V ZIM
Zimbabwe 131 v Bangladesh 136/6
Bangladesh won by 4 wickets (with 14 balls remaining)
Finally a contest, eleven days and four matches into Zimbabwe's tour of Bangladesh. The first T20 went down to the wire but it was still Bangladesh who prevailed, winning by four wickets in Mirpur. Malcolm Waller and Graeme Cremer offered a fight on behalf of Zimbabwe, but ultimately 131 wasn't a big enough score for the bowlers to work with.
Waller got into a six-hitting mode that dug the visitors out from a hole, and later it was Cremer whose double-wicket over gave Bangladesh something to think about at 80 for 5. Liton Das and Mahmudullah and later Mashrafe Mortaza, though, ensured the win with two short but vital partnerships for the sixth and seventh wickets. Mashrafe finished off the contest with a straight smack over the bowler's head in the 18th over.
Zimbabwe were inserted and by the ninth over, they were four down. The openers Sikandar Raza and Regis Chakabva fell within the first nine balls of the innings before their best hitter Elton Chigumbura, and their best batsman of the year, Sean Williams, got out with the score reading just 38.
Raza was dismissed in the first over, giving Liton Das an easy catch at mid-off. Chakabva premeditated a scoop but Al-Amin Hossain changed his length at the last moment to have him flap at a short ball, looping it to Mushfiqur Rahim. In the next over, Mashrafe got his opposite number by getting one to rush past his defenses. Williams was then bowled by Nasir Hossain, who celebrated by blowing a kiss to the heavens. He had managed only one boundary in his 21-ball 15.
What happened next was hardly predictable, given how the Zimbabwe batsmen have fared on this tour. Waller suddenly exploded in the most spectacular way. The straight boundaries on both sides had been pulled in by a few metres but most of Waller's blows cleared the ropes by a long way.
Jubair Hossain, playing his first-ever T20 game at any level, bowled one extremely short ball which nearly bounced twice as Waller smashed his first six. He clubbed the next ball for a huge six over midwicket and the Waller machine was up and rumbling. Jubair conceded 17 in that first over but Nasir had more trouble in the next over. Waller took all 20 runs, with two fours and two sixes, the second of which was parried over the ropes by Tamim Iqbal.
Waller soon reached his fifty off 20 balls, the fastest for a Zimbabwe batsmen in T20s eclipsing the 21-ball fifties of Chigumbura and Williams. Mahmudullah then ended the 67-run fifth wicket stand by bowling Craig Ervine for 20.
Jubair was brought back for a second over and much to his relief, he got rid of Luke Jongwe and Neville Madziva. Waller was finally sent back to the pavilion in the 18th over when he holed out to deep midwicket off Mustafizur Rahman. He finished with 68 off 31 balls with four fours and the six sixes. Mustafizur wrapped up the innings with three balls to spare when he had Tinashe Panyangara lbw. Mashrafe, Al-Amin, Mustafizur and Jubair all took two wickets apiece while Mahmudullah and Nasir claimed one each.
Bangladesh didn't have a great start either, after Anamul Haque, in his first international match since the World Cup, fell run out in the first over, courtesy Raza's brilliant stop at cover. Sabbir Rahman, promoted to No. 3, crashed three boundaries but was undone for 18 off 16 balls, after Ervine too a good diving catch at midwicket in the sixth over.
Mushfiqur Rahim, though, got out to the worst ball, top-edging a long-hop from Cremer a long-hop from Cremer in the next over. Tamim, who was was watching all of this from the other end, batted quite sedately after the fall of Sabbir. Nasir joined Tamim and hit the first six of the innings by creaming Williams over long-on He even got a boundary off Cremer's next over but was out lbw next ball. Tamim was also dismissed lbw in the same over, despite gesturing that he had hit the ball.
Bangladesh slipped to 80 for five in the eleventh over but Mahmudullah and Liton combined to put the hosts back on track. They added 38 runs for the sixth with before Liton guided Chisoro to short third-man for 17, in the 16th over. Mashrafe and Mahmudullah, however, finished the chase with 14 balls to spare.
Bangladesh won by 4 wickets (with 14 balls remaining)
Finally a contest, eleven days and four matches into Zimbabwe's tour of Bangladesh. The first T20 went down to the wire but it was still Bangladesh who prevailed, winning by four wickets in Mirpur. Malcolm Waller and Graeme Cremer offered a fight on behalf of Zimbabwe, but ultimately 131 wasn't a big enough score for the bowlers to work with.
Waller got into a six-hitting mode that dug the visitors out from a hole, and later it was Cremer whose double-wicket over gave Bangladesh something to think about at 80 for 5. Liton Das and Mahmudullah and later Mashrafe Mortaza, though, ensured the win with two short but vital partnerships for the sixth and seventh wickets. Mashrafe finished off the contest with a straight smack over the bowler's head in the 18th over.
Zimbabwe were inserted and by the ninth over, they were four down. The openers Sikandar Raza and Regis Chakabva fell within the first nine balls of the innings before their best hitter Elton Chigumbura, and their best batsman of the year, Sean Williams, got out with the score reading just 38.
Raza was dismissed in the first over, giving Liton Das an easy catch at mid-off. Chakabva premeditated a scoop but Al-Amin Hossain changed his length at the last moment to have him flap at a short ball, looping it to Mushfiqur Rahim. In the next over, Mashrafe got his opposite number by getting one to rush past his defenses. Williams was then bowled by Nasir Hossain, who celebrated by blowing a kiss to the heavens. He had managed only one boundary in his 21-ball 15.
What happened next was hardly predictable, given how the Zimbabwe batsmen have fared on this tour. Waller suddenly exploded in the most spectacular way. The straight boundaries on both sides had been pulled in by a few metres but most of Waller's blows cleared the ropes by a long way.
Jubair Hossain, playing his first-ever T20 game at any level, bowled one extremely short ball which nearly bounced twice as Waller smashed his first six. He clubbed the next ball for a huge six over midwicket and the Waller machine was up and rumbling. Jubair conceded 17 in that first over but Nasir had more trouble in the next over. Waller took all 20 runs, with two fours and two sixes, the second of which was parried over the ropes by Tamim Iqbal.
Waller soon reached his fifty off 20 balls, the fastest for a Zimbabwe batsmen in T20s eclipsing the 21-ball fifties of Chigumbura and Williams. Mahmudullah then ended the 67-run fifth wicket stand by bowling Craig Ervine for 20.
Jubair was brought back for a second over and much to his relief, he got rid of Luke Jongwe and Neville Madziva. Waller was finally sent back to the pavilion in the 18th over when he holed out to deep midwicket off Mustafizur Rahman. He finished with 68 off 31 balls with four fours and the six sixes. Mustafizur wrapped up the innings with three balls to spare when he had Tinashe Panyangara lbw. Mashrafe, Al-Amin, Mustafizur and Jubair all took two wickets apiece while Mahmudullah and Nasir claimed one each.
Bangladesh didn't have a great start either, after Anamul Haque, in his first international match since the World Cup, fell run out in the first over, courtesy Raza's brilliant stop at cover. Sabbir Rahman, promoted to No. 3, crashed three boundaries but was undone for 18 off 16 balls, after Ervine too a good diving catch at midwicket in the sixth over.
Mushfiqur Rahim, though, got out to the worst ball, top-edging a long-hop from Cremer a long-hop from Cremer in the next over. Tamim, who was was watching all of this from the other end, batted quite sedately after the fall of Sabbir. Nasir joined Tamim and hit the first six of the innings by creaming Williams over long-on He even got a boundary off Cremer's next over but was out lbw next ball. Tamim was also dismissed lbw in the same over, despite gesturing that he had hit the ball.
Bangladesh slipped to 80 for five in the eleventh over but Mahmudullah and Liton combined to put the hosts back on track. They added 38 runs for the sixth with before Liton guided Chisoro to short third-man for 17, in the 16th over. Mashrafe and Mahmudullah, however, finished the chase with 14 balls to spare.
2nd Test AUS V NZL
AUS 416/2
David Warner has hit a maiden double Test century to guide Australia to a record-breaking display against New Zealand on day one of the second Test in Perth. The hosts, who have a 1-0 lead in the series, have managed to end the day on an impressive 416-2 following an unbeaten knock of 244 from Warner, who reached the figure off 272 balls.
It was a bad start to the day for the Black Caps as they lost the toss, but it was only going to get worse as Joe Burns and Warner opened the batting for the Aussies. Immediately, the pair totted up the runs and claimed a 101-run partnership before New Zealand got a bit of luck when Matt Henry managed to bowl out Burns for 40. Despite losing their opener, Australia did not look rattled as Warner led the attack, reaching his 15th Test century, becoming the first Australian to reach three centuries twice in a row.
Usman Khawaja, who would have been caught out had New Zealand not used up all their reviews on bad calls, also contributed to the prolific score as he hit two sixes and made 11 boundaries to reach 121. The batsman was eventually taken out by New Zealand when he was caught out by Tom Latham off the bowling of Doug Bracewell. The day, though, belonged to Warner, who hit two sixes and 22 fours, contributing to the most runs scored by Australia then ever before on the opening day of a Test at the WACA.
David Warner has hit a maiden double Test century to guide Australia to a record-breaking display against New Zealand on day one of the second Test in Perth. The hosts, who have a 1-0 lead in the series, have managed to end the day on an impressive 416-2 following an unbeaten knock of 244 from Warner, who reached the figure off 272 balls.
It was a bad start to the day for the Black Caps as they lost the toss, but it was only going to get worse as Joe Burns and Warner opened the batting for the Aussies. Immediately, the pair totted up the runs and claimed a 101-run partnership before New Zealand got a bit of luck when Matt Henry managed to bowl out Burns for 40. Despite losing their opener, Australia did not look rattled as Warner led the attack, reaching his 15th Test century, becoming the first Australian to reach three centuries twice in a row.
Usman Khawaja, who would have been caught out had New Zealand not used up all their reviews on bad calls, also contributed to the prolific score as he hit two sixes and made 11 boundaries to reach 121. The batsman was eventually taken out by New Zealand when he was caught out by Tom Latham off the bowling of Doug Bracewell. The day, though, belonged to Warner, who hit two sixes and 22 fours, contributing to the most runs scored by Australia then ever before on the opening day of a Test at the WACA.
Wednesday, 11 November 2015
Wednesday's international one day cricket
PAK 217/4 bt ENG 216 by 6 wickets
Match report
Pakistan have eased to a 1-0 lead in the one-day international series against England with a six-wicket victory in Abu Dhabi. After a disappointing defeat to Pakistan in the Test series, Eoin Morgan and his ODI side hoped to bring back some positivity, but their hopes were dashed early after going into bat.
Jason Roy faced just two balls before he was bowled out for a duck by Mohammad Irfan, leaving England one wicket down inside the opening over of the day. Roy's teammates did not do much better as Joe Root was also sent packing for a duck, while Morgan and James Taylor got the best figures of the innings with 76 and 60 respectively. Pakistan dominated the field as Irfan took three wickets, Anwar Ali and Shoaib Malik claimed two, while Yasir Shah nabbed one to bowl England all out for 216 in 50 overs. England's bowlers had a big job on their hands when they took to the field, but it was a positive start as Reece Topley trapped Ali (8) for lbw in the second over.
The 21-year-old made the most of his momentum by dismissing Bilal Asif for two runs just one over later thanks to a review, and he continued his dominance by ending Younis Khan's ODI career by claiming his third wicket of the innings. Khan was competing in his final limited-overs game and it was not a memorable innings for the Pakistan cricketer as he could only muster nine runs before being caught out by Adil Rashid. Moeen Ali got in on the act by sending Malik (26) back to the pavilion, but Pakistan continued to tick towards the 217-run target thanks to Mohammad Hafeez passing 50.
England were placed on the backfoot again as Hafeez managed to take control of the match and eventually steered Pakistan to their total with an unbeaten 102, which included one six and 10 boundaries, off 130 balls. Babar Azam also contributed with 62 runs as Pakistan claimed victory with 38 balls remaining. There are three ODIs left in the series.
ENG innings: 216 all out
England have set Pakistan a target of just 217 to win the first one-day international in Abu Dhabi. Eoin Morgan won the toss and opted to bat, but Pakistan flourished in the field as a 133-run fourth-wicket Morgan-James Taylor stand was the only ray of light for the tourists. Mohammad Irfan claimed the first wicket of the day with just the second ball when he beat Jason Roy (0) and upset the opener's off stump.
In came Joe Root, but he did not trouble the scoreboard either as an Anwar Ali delivery in the next over trapped him lbw. Root reviewed the decision, but replays showed that the ball was clipping leg stump. England's first three batsmen had all gone by the 19th ball of the innings as Alex Hales edged an Ali ball to Younis Khan, but then Morgan (76) and Taylor (60) put on England's biggest-ever fourth-wicket ODI partnership in Asia. Both men passed 50 before Shoaib Malik claimed their wickets, with Jos Buttler (1) run out in between courtesy of Ali's quick work at mid-wicket.
Yasir Shah took the wicket of Moeen Ali (7) thanks to a fine one-handed catch high to his left by Babar Azam. Adil Rashid then chipped an Irfan delivery to Pakistani sub Zafar Gohar after also making seven. Chris Woakes (33 not out) and David Willey (13) provided some resistance for the ninth wicket, but boundaries were hard to come by as Pakistan bowled England out for 216 in the final over.
Bangladesh 276/9 (50.0 ov)
Zimbabwe 215 (43.3 ov)
Bangladesh won by 61 runs
In three spells that tested the skill of the Zimbabwe batsmen and drew plenty of oohs and aahs from the crowd at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mustafizur Rahman took his third five-for to ensure Bangladesh's 3-0 sweep of the ODI series.
Mustafizur conceded boundaries from time to time but Zimbabwe's batsmen could not dominate him. There were many plays and misses, and edges that almost carried to the slips. There were several occasions when the ball missed the stumps by a whisker as he got the ball to swing and cut. When he ran in to bowl with Zimbabwe nine-down, Mashrafe Mortaza gave him eight slips.
Mustafizur's first two strikes upset the boundary-filled start that Zimbabwe made in the first seven overs. Off the second ball of the chase, Chamu Chibhabha had little clue as Mustafizur got the ball to swing enough to get past his driving arms. Craig Ervine and Regis Chakabva kept finding fours but in the seventh over again, Mustafizur removed Chakabva with a slower delivery that the opening batsmen could only lob to cover.
Ervine fell to Nasir Hossain in the ninth over when he played back to a delivery that didn't get up as much as he anticipated and he was trapped lbw for 21 off 25 balls.
Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura then joined Sean Williams in an attempt to resurrect the innings and get a measure of the required run-rate. Williams was given a lifeline when the substitute fielder Anamul Haque dropped him at mid-off on 23. The two batsmen found boundaries, too, and Mashrafe started to look for his sixth bowler. Sabbir Rahman bowled an excellent delivery to get rid of Chigumbura in the 23rd over after he had added 80 runs for the fourth wicket with Williams. Chigumbura made 45 with six boundaries and was removed before he could open up in a big way.
Zimbabwe could have ended this ODI series without a single fifty from their batsmen had Arafat Sunny not trodden on the stumps in the 30th over when Williams - batting on 49 - was short of the crease.
For the next six overs, Bangladesh had to contend with a dangerous partnership between Malcolm Waller and Williams but Nasir intervened, taking a head-high catch in the covers to dismiss Waller. Next over, Williams fell to an easy catch at cover after he failed to time a drive off Mashrafe. He made 64 off 84 balls with five fours.
Mustafizur came back to remove Sikandar Raza, who was caught splendidly by Sabbir as he ran from mid-on to mid-off. Next ball, Luke Jongwe holed out at midwicket, but his hat-trick ball was kept away by Graeme Cremer. Later, Mustafizur took a return catch to dismiss Tinashe Panyangara and complete a third five-wicket haul in ODIs, figures that complemented the work of Bangladesh's opening batsmen.
Earlier, Bangladesh's innings was split into two parts after they opted to bat. The first part comprised the 147-run opening stand between Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal. It was enough of a base to get close to 300 runs but it wasn't to be, and the second part saw them restricted to 276 for 9.
Tamim started the early rush of boundaries with a pull off Panyangara; it was his only four through the leg side as the remaining six fours were played through the covers. Tamim's only six came off a blast over the bowler's head. But by then Kayes had struck four sixes - three between midwicket and square-leg and, the best of the lot, one over extra cover. He also struck six fours, three on either side of the wicket.
Kayes was dropped on 35 and survived a stumping and caught-behind off the same delivery on 48 after Chakabva missed a stumping and replays showed there was an edge. Both Tamim and Kayes fell for 73 in the space of five overs, but Bangladesh still had their eyes on a bigger total with Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle after the fall of the first wicket.
Mushfiqur, too, fell before they reached 200, which meant much of the work depended on Liton Das and Mahmudullah, two batsmen who had struggled to get going in the first two matches. Liton gave a catch one to cover after making 17 while Nasir Hossain and Sabbir Rahman fell to Luke Jongwe in the space of three deliveries, Cremer holding on to easy catches at point.
Bangladesh slipped from 222 for 3 to 226 for 6 within 11 deliveries and were in danger of getting bowled out before 50 overs. Mahmudullah, who was on 32, then got mixed up with Mashrafe in the 45th over only for wicketkeeper Chakabva to knock down the bails seconds before Sikandar Raza's direct hit found Mahmudullah short of the crease.
Mahmudullah stood near the dressing-room while TV umpire Enamul Haque saw many replays and finally decided it was not-out. Chigumbura, however, protested the decision and the broadcasters then showed a replay in which Chakabva had uprooted the stump but did so after Aleem Dar had initially given out to the direct throw.
With the second decision also not out, Zimbabwe gathered into a huddle for a few minutes but both captains shook hands and the game resumed.
Mahmudullah added another 20 runs, and was run-out in the last over as Bangladesh scampered towards their highest score in the three-match series.
Jongwe and Cremer took two wickets each while Panyangara, Raza and Waller took one each. Among them, Panyangara bowled the best spells.
West Indies 162/6 v Sri Lanka 139
West Indies won by 23 runs
West Indies bowlers delivered tight lines and intelligent variations of pace on a slow Khettarama surface to force a Sri Lanka collapse and prise a 23-run victory to end an otherwise barren tour. Dwayne Bravo collected four wickets, and Ravi Rampaul three, in the visitors' defence of 162 for 6, which like their bowling, had also been a collective effort.
The victory gives West Indies a share of the series, though Sri Lanka keep the top T20 rank. Bravo, who hit a run-a-ball 31 in addition to his 4 for 28 with the ball, was named Man of the Match.
Tillakaratne Dilshan struck his second fifty of the series but - although his own strike-rate was nearly 137 - his 70-run stand with Shehan Jayasuriya drew some of the momentum from Sri Lanka's innings. Jayasuriya was out for 30 off 32 balls. His wicket set in motion a capitulation that cost nine wickets for 46 runs. Incoming batsmen attempted to hit out immediately, mindful of a climbing required rate, but managed only to find secure pairs of hands in the outfield.
Jayasuriya was scoreless off his first seven balls and, although he struck successive fours off Jerome Taylor, he slipped into a pattern of finding fielders with his big shots. Dilshan also misread the pace of the ball off the pitch on occasion, and West Indies continued to squeeze in cheap overs through the first half of the chase. When Jayasuriya was dismissed - thanks to an outstanding running catch from Andre Russell at the long-on boundary - Sri Lanka's required rate was nearing 10.
Dinesh Chandimal was almost caught at the leg-side boundary first ball, but securely held immediately after. Dilshan was out switch-hitting Rampaul in the same over, and Angelo Mathews was caught trying to clear the backward square leg boundary not long after that. From then on, Sri Lanka lost at least one wicket per over. Chamara Kapugedara was caught at cover. Milinda Siriwardene was stumped running at Sunil Narine. The hosts had unraveled definitively by the middle of the 18th over.
This was after their own bowlers had withstood brief charges from Johnson Charles and Denesh Ramdin, who both hit 34 at either end of West Indies' batting effort. The visitors had warmed up slowly, hitting only 17 from the first 26 balls, until Charles ignited the innings with a four-ball sequence that brought 22 runs. Charles ran at Sachithra Senanayake twice to lift him for sixes into the leg-side stands, and swept him twice as well, collecting a six and a four. The next over from Dushmantha Chameera was equally expensive. Andre Fletcher struck three fours as Chameera erred down the legside - though he also had Fletcher dropped off a slower ball, on 16.
With 44 runs having come off the last two Powerplay overs, West Indies appeared to be surging. Milinda Siriwardana's left-arm spin quickly brought the hosts some control. He trapped Fletcher in front with a slider, saw Marlon Samuels run-out later in that over, then struck again with his arm ball to have the visitors 75 for 3 after nine overs.
West Indies attacked intermittently after that, but had their salvos briskly shut down. Andre Russell was dismissed in the 12th over after two sixes had come in the previous five balls. Ramdin cracked two sixes and a four in the 14th and 15th overs, but was soon forced to contend with a stream of good yorkers - particularly from Nuwan Kulasekara - which he could only dig out for singles or twos.
Sri Lanka's seamers were pinpoint at the finish. Although opposition hitters were at the crease, Malinga conceded only five runs in each of his last two overs, and Kulasekara no more than seven from his. Ramdin remained unbeaten at the end of the innings.
Match report
Pakistan have eased to a 1-0 lead in the one-day international series against England with a six-wicket victory in Abu Dhabi. After a disappointing defeat to Pakistan in the Test series, Eoin Morgan and his ODI side hoped to bring back some positivity, but their hopes were dashed early after going into bat.
Jason Roy faced just two balls before he was bowled out for a duck by Mohammad Irfan, leaving England one wicket down inside the opening over of the day. Roy's teammates did not do much better as Joe Root was also sent packing for a duck, while Morgan and James Taylor got the best figures of the innings with 76 and 60 respectively. Pakistan dominated the field as Irfan took three wickets, Anwar Ali and Shoaib Malik claimed two, while Yasir Shah nabbed one to bowl England all out for 216 in 50 overs. England's bowlers had a big job on their hands when they took to the field, but it was a positive start as Reece Topley trapped Ali (8) for lbw in the second over.
The 21-year-old made the most of his momentum by dismissing Bilal Asif for two runs just one over later thanks to a review, and he continued his dominance by ending Younis Khan's ODI career by claiming his third wicket of the innings. Khan was competing in his final limited-overs game and it was not a memorable innings for the Pakistan cricketer as he could only muster nine runs before being caught out by Adil Rashid. Moeen Ali got in on the act by sending Malik (26) back to the pavilion, but Pakistan continued to tick towards the 217-run target thanks to Mohammad Hafeez passing 50.
England were placed on the backfoot again as Hafeez managed to take control of the match and eventually steered Pakistan to their total with an unbeaten 102, which included one six and 10 boundaries, off 130 balls. Babar Azam also contributed with 62 runs as Pakistan claimed victory with 38 balls remaining. There are three ODIs left in the series.
ENG innings: 216 all out
England have set Pakistan a target of just 217 to win the first one-day international in Abu Dhabi. Eoin Morgan won the toss and opted to bat, but Pakistan flourished in the field as a 133-run fourth-wicket Morgan-James Taylor stand was the only ray of light for the tourists. Mohammad Irfan claimed the first wicket of the day with just the second ball when he beat Jason Roy (0) and upset the opener's off stump.
In came Joe Root, but he did not trouble the scoreboard either as an Anwar Ali delivery in the next over trapped him lbw. Root reviewed the decision, but replays showed that the ball was clipping leg stump. England's first three batsmen had all gone by the 19th ball of the innings as Alex Hales edged an Ali ball to Younis Khan, but then Morgan (76) and Taylor (60) put on England's biggest-ever fourth-wicket ODI partnership in Asia. Both men passed 50 before Shoaib Malik claimed their wickets, with Jos Buttler (1) run out in between courtesy of Ali's quick work at mid-wicket.
Yasir Shah took the wicket of Moeen Ali (7) thanks to a fine one-handed catch high to his left by Babar Azam. Adil Rashid then chipped an Irfan delivery to Pakistani sub Zafar Gohar after also making seven. Chris Woakes (33 not out) and David Willey (13) provided some resistance for the ninth wicket, but boundaries were hard to come by as Pakistan bowled England out for 216 in the final over.
Bangladesh 276/9 (50.0 ov)
Zimbabwe 215 (43.3 ov)
Bangladesh won by 61 runs
In three spells that tested the skill of the Zimbabwe batsmen and drew plenty of oohs and aahs from the crowd at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mustafizur Rahman took his third five-for to ensure Bangladesh's 3-0 sweep of the ODI series.
Mustafizur conceded boundaries from time to time but Zimbabwe's batsmen could not dominate him. There were many plays and misses, and edges that almost carried to the slips. There were several occasions when the ball missed the stumps by a whisker as he got the ball to swing and cut. When he ran in to bowl with Zimbabwe nine-down, Mashrafe Mortaza gave him eight slips.
Mustafizur's first two strikes upset the boundary-filled start that Zimbabwe made in the first seven overs. Off the second ball of the chase, Chamu Chibhabha had little clue as Mustafizur got the ball to swing enough to get past his driving arms. Craig Ervine and Regis Chakabva kept finding fours but in the seventh over again, Mustafizur removed Chakabva with a slower delivery that the opening batsmen could only lob to cover.
Ervine fell to Nasir Hossain in the ninth over when he played back to a delivery that didn't get up as much as he anticipated and he was trapped lbw for 21 off 25 balls.
Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura then joined Sean Williams in an attempt to resurrect the innings and get a measure of the required run-rate. Williams was given a lifeline when the substitute fielder Anamul Haque dropped him at mid-off on 23. The two batsmen found boundaries, too, and Mashrafe started to look for his sixth bowler. Sabbir Rahman bowled an excellent delivery to get rid of Chigumbura in the 23rd over after he had added 80 runs for the fourth wicket with Williams. Chigumbura made 45 with six boundaries and was removed before he could open up in a big way.
Zimbabwe could have ended this ODI series without a single fifty from their batsmen had Arafat Sunny not trodden on the stumps in the 30th over when Williams - batting on 49 - was short of the crease.
For the next six overs, Bangladesh had to contend with a dangerous partnership between Malcolm Waller and Williams but Nasir intervened, taking a head-high catch in the covers to dismiss Waller. Next over, Williams fell to an easy catch at cover after he failed to time a drive off Mashrafe. He made 64 off 84 balls with five fours.
Mustafizur came back to remove Sikandar Raza, who was caught splendidly by Sabbir as he ran from mid-on to mid-off. Next ball, Luke Jongwe holed out at midwicket, but his hat-trick ball was kept away by Graeme Cremer. Later, Mustafizur took a return catch to dismiss Tinashe Panyangara and complete a third five-wicket haul in ODIs, figures that complemented the work of Bangladesh's opening batsmen.
Earlier, Bangladesh's innings was split into two parts after they opted to bat. The first part comprised the 147-run opening stand between Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal. It was enough of a base to get close to 300 runs but it wasn't to be, and the second part saw them restricted to 276 for 9.
Tamim started the early rush of boundaries with a pull off Panyangara; it was his only four through the leg side as the remaining six fours were played through the covers. Tamim's only six came off a blast over the bowler's head. But by then Kayes had struck four sixes - three between midwicket and square-leg and, the best of the lot, one over extra cover. He also struck six fours, three on either side of the wicket.
Kayes was dropped on 35 and survived a stumping and caught-behind off the same delivery on 48 after Chakabva missed a stumping and replays showed there was an edge. Both Tamim and Kayes fell for 73 in the space of five overs, but Bangladesh still had their eyes on a bigger total with Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle after the fall of the first wicket.
Mushfiqur, too, fell before they reached 200, which meant much of the work depended on Liton Das and Mahmudullah, two batsmen who had struggled to get going in the first two matches. Liton gave a catch one to cover after making 17 while Nasir Hossain and Sabbir Rahman fell to Luke Jongwe in the space of three deliveries, Cremer holding on to easy catches at point.
Bangladesh slipped from 222 for 3 to 226 for 6 within 11 deliveries and were in danger of getting bowled out before 50 overs. Mahmudullah, who was on 32, then got mixed up with Mashrafe in the 45th over only for wicketkeeper Chakabva to knock down the bails seconds before Sikandar Raza's direct hit found Mahmudullah short of the crease.
Mahmudullah stood near the dressing-room while TV umpire Enamul Haque saw many replays and finally decided it was not-out. Chigumbura, however, protested the decision and the broadcasters then showed a replay in which Chakabva had uprooted the stump but did so after Aleem Dar had initially given out to the direct throw.
With the second decision also not out, Zimbabwe gathered into a huddle for a few minutes but both captains shook hands and the game resumed.
Mahmudullah added another 20 runs, and was run-out in the last over as Bangladesh scampered towards their highest score in the three-match series.
Jongwe and Cremer took two wickets each while Panyangara, Raza and Waller took one each. Among them, Panyangara bowled the best spells.
West Indies 162/6 v Sri Lanka 139
West Indies won by 23 runs
West Indies bowlers delivered tight lines and intelligent variations of pace on a slow Khettarama surface to force a Sri Lanka collapse and prise a 23-run victory to end an otherwise barren tour. Dwayne Bravo collected four wickets, and Ravi Rampaul three, in the visitors' defence of 162 for 6, which like their bowling, had also been a collective effort.
The victory gives West Indies a share of the series, though Sri Lanka keep the top T20 rank. Bravo, who hit a run-a-ball 31 in addition to his 4 for 28 with the ball, was named Man of the Match.
Tillakaratne Dilshan struck his second fifty of the series but - although his own strike-rate was nearly 137 - his 70-run stand with Shehan Jayasuriya drew some of the momentum from Sri Lanka's innings. Jayasuriya was out for 30 off 32 balls. His wicket set in motion a capitulation that cost nine wickets for 46 runs. Incoming batsmen attempted to hit out immediately, mindful of a climbing required rate, but managed only to find secure pairs of hands in the outfield.
Jayasuriya was scoreless off his first seven balls and, although he struck successive fours off Jerome Taylor, he slipped into a pattern of finding fielders with his big shots. Dilshan also misread the pace of the ball off the pitch on occasion, and West Indies continued to squeeze in cheap overs through the first half of the chase. When Jayasuriya was dismissed - thanks to an outstanding running catch from Andre Russell at the long-on boundary - Sri Lanka's required rate was nearing 10.
Dinesh Chandimal was almost caught at the leg-side boundary first ball, but securely held immediately after. Dilshan was out switch-hitting Rampaul in the same over, and Angelo Mathews was caught trying to clear the backward square leg boundary not long after that. From then on, Sri Lanka lost at least one wicket per over. Chamara Kapugedara was caught at cover. Milinda Siriwardene was stumped running at Sunil Narine. The hosts had unraveled definitively by the middle of the 18th over.
This was after their own bowlers had withstood brief charges from Johnson Charles and Denesh Ramdin, who both hit 34 at either end of West Indies' batting effort. The visitors had warmed up slowly, hitting only 17 from the first 26 balls, until Charles ignited the innings with a four-ball sequence that brought 22 runs. Charles ran at Sachithra Senanayake twice to lift him for sixes into the leg-side stands, and swept him twice as well, collecting a six and a four. The next over from Dushmantha Chameera was equally expensive. Andre Fletcher struck three fours as Chameera erred down the legside - though he also had Fletcher dropped off a slower ball, on 16.
With 44 runs having come off the last two Powerplay overs, West Indies appeared to be surging. Milinda Siriwardana's left-arm spin quickly brought the hosts some control. He trapped Fletcher in front with a slider, saw Marlon Samuels run-out later in that over, then struck again with his arm ball to have the visitors 75 for 3 after nine overs.
West Indies attacked intermittently after that, but had their salvos briskly shut down. Andre Russell was dismissed in the 12th over after two sixes had come in the previous five balls. Ramdin cracked two sixes and a four in the 14th and 15th overs, but was soon forced to contend with a stream of good yorkers - particularly from Nuwan Kulasekara - which he could only dig out for singles or twos.
Sri Lanka's seamers were pinpoint at the finish. Although opposition hitters were at the crease, Malinga conceded only five runs in each of his last two overs, and Kulasekara no more than seven from his. Ramdin remained unbeaten at the end of the innings.
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
1st T20 SL V WI
Sri Lanka 215/3 (20/20 ov)
West Indies 185 (19.5/20 ov)
Sri Lanka won by 30 runs
A rollicking 91-run opening partnership, brisk stands through the middle, and a violent Angelo Mathews finish sent Sri Lanka hurtling to 215 for 3 - the highest ever T20 international total on the island - and set the scene for a 30-run victory. Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scored with 56 off 37 balls, but it was Mathews' 13-ball 37 that grew Sri Lanka's total from imposing to enormous.
Andre Fletcher cracked 57 off 25 balls in response, but his teammates could not prosper long against Sri Lanka's spin. Sachithra Senanayake claimed four wickets, Milinda Siriwardana two, and Shehan Jayasuriya picked up the last scalp, to wipe out the visitors for 185 in the penultimate over. The start of the match had been delayed by over an hour due to rain, but it commenced at 8:10pm with no overs lost.
Mathews arrived at 155 for 3 in the 17th over, and began his innings ominously, launching his first ball high over cow corner, before whipping his wrists to send Dwayne Bravo's full toss over deep square leg, next ball. He smote a third leg-side six off Jerome Taylor next over, before Bravo came back for more punishment. Another Mathews six and two fours off the final over completed a six-over sequence that cost West Indies 78 runs. Mathews hit four sixes and two fours in his cameo.
Earlier, Kusal Perera ignited the innings with a four over mid off, before Dilshan began just as belligerently at the other end, crashing his first two balls to the boundary. They preyed on length balls to start with, but soon began flitting around on the crease to turn decent balls into boundary options. Kusal began to sweep and Dilshan soon unfurled his over-the-shoulder scoop. By the end of the fourth over, both batsmen had five fours to their name, and the score had hurtled to 46. When Holder's sixth over was tonked for 17 - mostly by Dilshan - Sri Lanka moved to 65.
Sunil Narine forced a brief decline in the scoring rate with a seventh over that conceded only three runs, but the openers continued to hit boundaries off the other bowlers. Dilshan, who had earlier become the first Sri Lanka batsman to 1500 T20 international runs, completed a 28-ball half-century in the tenth over.
Kieron Pollard dismissed the openers in quick succession, getting Kusal to bunt a slower ball to cover and bowling Dilshan with a slower delivery, but incoming Jayasuriya and Dinesh Chandimal began to quickly create their own momentum. Chandimal crashed three early boundaries through the covers, while Jayasuriya took a particular liking to Pollard. He scooped Pollard for four at the start of the 16th over, slog-swept the fourth ball over cow corner, then collected a top-edged six to seal a 23-run over.
He was out to Narine soon after, but Chandimal continued to gallop, cracking a reverse-sweep for four, then a slog sweep for six off Narine, before Mathews took over at the finish. Each of the five Sri Lanka batsmen to come to the crease hit at least 35 runs. The strike rates - all of which were higher than 130 - increased for each new batsman.
Johnson Charles was cleaned up by a Lasith Malinga yorker second ball, but West Indies regrouped through Fletcher, who began to bludgeon indiscriminately through the leg-side. The sixth over, delivered by debutant Dushmantha Chameera, disappeared for 19, then Senanayake was tonked for 16, but wickets soon began to stem the flow of runs.
Siriwardana dismissed Andre Russell with a round-arm yorker, then Chameera returned to the bowling crease to get rid of Fletcher with a slower ball. Bravo and Pollard raised West Indies' hopes with a 51-run fifth-wicket stand, which contained four fours and four sixes, but the middle order fell in a heap to spin. Bravo was caught behind, while Pollard, Darren Sammy and Jason Holder all holed out attempting sixes.
The tail arrived to hit a few boundaries for themselves, but didn't ever look like threatening Sri Lanka's target.
West Indies go 0-1 down in the two-match series, and are still awaiting their first win on tour.
West Indies 185 (19.5/20 ov)
Sri Lanka won by 30 runs
A rollicking 91-run opening partnership, brisk stands through the middle, and a violent Angelo Mathews finish sent Sri Lanka hurtling to 215 for 3 - the highest ever T20 international total on the island - and set the scene for a 30-run victory. Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scored with 56 off 37 balls, but it was Mathews' 13-ball 37 that grew Sri Lanka's total from imposing to enormous.
Andre Fletcher cracked 57 off 25 balls in response, but his teammates could not prosper long against Sri Lanka's spin. Sachithra Senanayake claimed four wickets, Milinda Siriwardana two, and Shehan Jayasuriya picked up the last scalp, to wipe out the visitors for 185 in the penultimate over. The start of the match had been delayed by over an hour due to rain, but it commenced at 8:10pm with no overs lost.
Mathews arrived at 155 for 3 in the 17th over, and began his innings ominously, launching his first ball high over cow corner, before whipping his wrists to send Dwayne Bravo's full toss over deep square leg, next ball. He smote a third leg-side six off Jerome Taylor next over, before Bravo came back for more punishment. Another Mathews six and two fours off the final over completed a six-over sequence that cost West Indies 78 runs. Mathews hit four sixes and two fours in his cameo.
Earlier, Kusal Perera ignited the innings with a four over mid off, before Dilshan began just as belligerently at the other end, crashing his first two balls to the boundary. They preyed on length balls to start with, but soon began flitting around on the crease to turn decent balls into boundary options. Kusal began to sweep and Dilshan soon unfurled his over-the-shoulder scoop. By the end of the fourth over, both batsmen had five fours to their name, and the score had hurtled to 46. When Holder's sixth over was tonked for 17 - mostly by Dilshan - Sri Lanka moved to 65.
Sunil Narine forced a brief decline in the scoring rate with a seventh over that conceded only three runs, but the openers continued to hit boundaries off the other bowlers. Dilshan, who had earlier become the first Sri Lanka batsman to 1500 T20 international runs, completed a 28-ball half-century in the tenth over.
Kieron Pollard dismissed the openers in quick succession, getting Kusal to bunt a slower ball to cover and bowling Dilshan with a slower delivery, but incoming Jayasuriya and Dinesh Chandimal began to quickly create their own momentum. Chandimal crashed three early boundaries through the covers, while Jayasuriya took a particular liking to Pollard. He scooped Pollard for four at the start of the 16th over, slog-swept the fourth ball over cow corner, then collected a top-edged six to seal a 23-run over.
He was out to Narine soon after, but Chandimal continued to gallop, cracking a reverse-sweep for four, then a slog sweep for six off Narine, before Mathews took over at the finish. Each of the five Sri Lanka batsmen to come to the crease hit at least 35 runs. The strike rates - all of which were higher than 130 - increased for each new batsman.
Johnson Charles was cleaned up by a Lasith Malinga yorker second ball, but West Indies regrouped through Fletcher, who began to bludgeon indiscriminately through the leg-side. The sixth over, delivered by debutant Dushmantha Chameera, disappeared for 19, then Senanayake was tonked for 16, but wickets soon began to stem the flow of runs.
Siriwardana dismissed Andre Russell with a round-arm yorker, then Chameera returned to the bowling crease to get rid of Fletcher with a slower ball. Bravo and Pollard raised West Indies' hopes with a 51-run fifth-wicket stand, which contained four fours and four sixes, but the middle order fell in a heap to spin. Bravo was caught behind, while Pollard, Darren Sammy and Jason Holder all holed out attempting sixes.
The tail arrived to hit a few boundaries for themselves, but didn't ever look like threatening Sri Lanka's target.
West Indies go 0-1 down in the two-match series, and are still awaiting their first win on tour.
Monday, 9 November 2015
2nd ODI BAN V ZIM
Bangladesh 241 for 9 (Kayes 76, Panyangara 3-41) beat Zimbabwe 183 (Chigumbura 47, Mustafizur 3-33) by 58 runs
The last four series wins have drilled into Bangladesh the way to get out of tight corners. So when they were faced with another, in the second ODI against Zimbabwe in Mirpur on Monday, they stuck to the known paths and ensured a way out. Their 58-run win defending a total of 241 for 9 gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead and sealed their fifth consecutive bilateral ODI series win. They beat their own record of four series wins in a row in 2006-07 and 2009 and the lead means that, in ODIs, Bangladesh will be unbeaten in bilateral series throughout 2015 unless there is another series next month.
Bangladesh's bowling effort was steered smoothly by the captain Mashrafe Mortaza and the line-up hardly missed Shakib Al Hasan, who left Dhaka to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. Mustafizur Rahman was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for 33 runs, while Al-Amin Hossain, Arafat Sunny and Mashrafe himself bowled with control and showed a knack for putting together dot balls.
Wickets in clumps always help and Bangladesh got those early in Zimbabwe's chase, and at a later stage when Elton Chigumbura and Sikandar Raza were starting to look dangerous.
The visitors started the 242-run chase by losing both openers Regis Chakabva and Chamu Chibhabha within the first 5.1 overs. Chakabva was trapped leg-before in Arafat Sunny's first over and four balls later Mashrafe Mortaza had Chibhabha inside-edge one on to the stumps.
Sean Williams and Craig Ervine were fidgety, edging many and missing some too. Williams was caught at short midwicket after he misread a Mustafizur off-cutter. Ervine and Chigumbura tried to consolidate for the fourth-wicket stand but the former was run-out after Liton Das threw down the stumps from mid-off to leave the score at 78 for 4 in the 21st over.
Chigumbura badly needed Sikandar Raza to stay with him, and the pair added 73 runs for the fifth wicket with minimal effort. Raza hardly played a false short after he blasted Sunny over long-off early in his innings. Chigumbura was looking for a release point and it came in the 32nd over when he went after Mashrafe for a six and two fours off consecutive deliveries.
The six was blasted over the bowler's head before Liton and Nasir Hossain couldn't chase down a ball near the leg-side boundary. The third boundary came off an outside edge but it seemed Zimbabwe were turning a corner.
Al-Amin removed both in the 34th and 36th overs. Raza holed out to mid-on for 33 off 42 balls, which included two fours and a six, while hit an upper-cut to Kayes at third man, who took the catch diving forward. The Zimbabwe captain's knock could hardly be described as berserk and he hit two fours and a six in 47 off 77 deliveries.
Mustafizur took two more wickets, removing Luke Jongwe and Tinashe Panyangara, while Nasir took the wickets of Malcolm Waller and Graeme Cremer, to shut Zimbabwe down for 183 runs in 43.2 overs.
Earlier in the afternoon, Bangladesh were presented with a situation similar to the first ODI when they were put into bat and lost two early wickets. This time, however, there were no moderate or big partnerships. Imrul Kayes was the only batsman with some semblance of prolonged authority as he made 76 off 89 balls and batted until the 32nd over.
Tamim Iqbal got out to peach of a Panyangara delivery that held its line and took the outside edge in the seventh over. Liton Das' tough start to his ODI career continued after he got out trying to pull Panyangara, when he could have left the high-bouncing delivery. Mahmudullah's struggle continued, too - this time he batted for 32 minutes to make 7 and his dismissal made it 79 for 3 in the 18th over.
Mushfiqur Rahim, fresh from his fourth ODI hundred in the first match of the series, looked in ominous touch as he started off with a slog-sweep and a loft over cover for boundaries. The fourth-wicket partnership added 48 runs before another attempt at an inside-out shot took the edge and he was caught at short third-man, in the 28th over. Sabbir Rahman also looked to be hitting clean but, like the batsmen above him, he flattered to deceive with his 40-ball 33 that had four boundaries. Just when it looked like he would take the team to a high-scoring finish in the last ten overs, Sabbir fell to a poor slash outside off stump that gave Chakabva his fourth catch behind the stumps.
Mashrafe and Nasir, who made 41 off 53 balls, tried to up the ante but Bangladesh ended up with only 53 runs in the last ten overs as Zimbabwe took good catches and bowled tightly to keep the scoring down to 241 for 9 in 50 overs.
The last four series wins have drilled into Bangladesh the way to get out of tight corners. So when they were faced with another, in the second ODI against Zimbabwe in Mirpur on Monday, they stuck to the known paths and ensured a way out. Their 58-run win defending a total of 241 for 9 gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead and sealed their fifth consecutive bilateral ODI series win. They beat their own record of four series wins in a row in 2006-07 and 2009 and the lead means that, in ODIs, Bangladesh will be unbeaten in bilateral series throughout 2015 unless there is another series next month.
Bangladesh's bowling effort was steered smoothly by the captain Mashrafe Mortaza and the line-up hardly missed Shakib Al Hasan, who left Dhaka to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. Mustafizur Rahman was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for 33 runs, while Al-Amin Hossain, Arafat Sunny and Mashrafe himself bowled with control and showed a knack for putting together dot balls.
Wickets in clumps always help and Bangladesh got those early in Zimbabwe's chase, and at a later stage when Elton Chigumbura and Sikandar Raza were starting to look dangerous.
The visitors started the 242-run chase by losing both openers Regis Chakabva and Chamu Chibhabha within the first 5.1 overs. Chakabva was trapped leg-before in Arafat Sunny's first over and four balls later Mashrafe Mortaza had Chibhabha inside-edge one on to the stumps.
Sean Williams and Craig Ervine were fidgety, edging many and missing some too. Williams was caught at short midwicket after he misread a Mustafizur off-cutter. Ervine and Chigumbura tried to consolidate for the fourth-wicket stand but the former was run-out after Liton Das threw down the stumps from mid-off to leave the score at 78 for 4 in the 21st over.
Chigumbura badly needed Sikandar Raza to stay with him, and the pair added 73 runs for the fifth wicket with minimal effort. Raza hardly played a false short after he blasted Sunny over long-off early in his innings. Chigumbura was looking for a release point and it came in the 32nd over when he went after Mashrafe for a six and two fours off consecutive deliveries.
The six was blasted over the bowler's head before Liton and Nasir Hossain couldn't chase down a ball near the leg-side boundary. The third boundary came off an outside edge but it seemed Zimbabwe were turning a corner.
Al-Amin removed both in the 34th and 36th overs. Raza holed out to mid-on for 33 off 42 balls, which included two fours and a six, while hit an upper-cut to Kayes at third man, who took the catch diving forward. The Zimbabwe captain's knock could hardly be described as berserk and he hit two fours and a six in 47 off 77 deliveries.
Mustafizur took two more wickets, removing Luke Jongwe and Tinashe Panyangara, while Nasir took the wickets of Malcolm Waller and Graeme Cremer, to shut Zimbabwe down for 183 runs in 43.2 overs.
Earlier in the afternoon, Bangladesh were presented with a situation similar to the first ODI when they were put into bat and lost two early wickets. This time, however, there were no moderate or big partnerships. Imrul Kayes was the only batsman with some semblance of prolonged authority as he made 76 off 89 balls and batted until the 32nd over.
Tamim Iqbal got out to peach of a Panyangara delivery that held its line and took the outside edge in the seventh over. Liton Das' tough start to his ODI career continued after he got out trying to pull Panyangara, when he could have left the high-bouncing delivery. Mahmudullah's struggle continued, too - this time he batted for 32 minutes to make 7 and his dismissal made it 79 for 3 in the 18th over.
Mushfiqur Rahim, fresh from his fourth ODI hundred in the first match of the series, looked in ominous touch as he started off with a slog-sweep and a loft over cover for boundaries. The fourth-wicket partnership added 48 runs before another attempt at an inside-out shot took the edge and he was caught at short third-man, in the 28th over. Sabbir Rahman also looked to be hitting clean but, like the batsmen above him, he flattered to deceive with his 40-ball 33 that had four boundaries. Just when it looked like he would take the team to a high-scoring finish in the last ten overs, Sabbir fell to a poor slash outside off stump that gave Chakabva his fourth catch behind the stumps.
Mashrafe and Nasir, who made 41 off 53 balls, tried to up the ante but Bangladesh ended up with only 53 runs in the last ten overs as Zimbabwe took good catches and bowled tightly to keep the scoring down to 241 for 9 in 50 overs.
1st Test Day 5 AUS V NZ
Australia 556/4d & 264/4d
New Zealand 317 & 295
Australia won by 208 runs
Australia's vast victory over New Zealand in the Gabba Test was not achieved without some rancour on the final day, as umpiring decisions and a pesky last-wicket stand for the visitors caused some frustrations at the end of an otherwise commanding performance by the hosts.
The steep and increasingly variable bounce of the pitch accounted for most of New Zealand's last seven wickets, while Nathan Lyon's growing fourth-innings expertise was demonstrated by his three wickets and constant threat to the batsmen. Brendon McCullum offered a typically defiant riposte but lacked support, and then found his innings ended by one of two umpiring calls that left a bitter taste in New Zealand mouths.
However, there was evidence that McCullum's men would fight this series out as the last pair of Mark Craig and Trent Boult hammered a partnership of 46 that entertained the smallest of crowds while also causing the red mist to descend upon several Australian players.
All this left Australia in possession of a 1-0 series lead but a feeling that New Zealand will be a more difficult proposition in the second Test at the WACA Ground next week, even if they have lost the allrounder Jimmy Neesham to a back ailment and will be in some doubt about being able to choose Tim Southee for Perth due to a similar problem.
McCullum and Ross Taylor had begun with plenty of positive intent as they took 15 runs from the first two overs of the day. This approach was useful in spreading the fields set by Steven Smith, but was tinged with risk on a pitch still offering plenty of bounce, as Taylor discovered when his attempt to hook Josh Hazlewood resulted in a gloved catch to first slip.
The injured Neesham was also to fall victim to the short ball, his stiff back doubtless making it difficult for him to evade a Mitchell Johnson bumper that was fended off the shoulder of the bat into the hands of Joe Burns at short leg - a simpler chance than those he had turfed earlier in the match.
Lyon's contribution then continued when he added the wicket of BJ Watling to those of Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson. Watling reviewed the lbw decision by Richard Illingworth, but ball-tracking showed a sharp off break to be thudding firmly into leg stump to end a partnership that was New Zealand's last real hope of escaping defeat.
McCullum had been delivering his usual assortment of blistering hits and the occasional miss. He charged one short ball from Mitchell Marsh and then was struck a glancing blow on the helmet as he ducked it. Marsh straightened up his line and appealed for a catch when a ball beat McCullum's inside edge and looped to slip via the pad. Nigel Llong wrongly gave McCullum out caught, only two overs before New Zealand's supply of DRS appeals were to be replenished by the second new ball.
Very next ball Doug Bracewell was pinned in front of the stumps by an ideal delivery to defeat a new batsman, and while Southee averted the hat-trick, he fared less well when Hazlewood took the new ball. Offering a big swing at a ball swinging away from him, Southee appeared to brush the ground with his bat, but was given out and then saw the decision upheld by the third umpire S Ravi. To say Southee looked miffed as he walked off would be to understate the position.
That left only Craig and Boult in Australia's way, and for a handful of overs they provided considerable irritation. Starc threw one ball back in Craig's general direction after a push back down the pitch - the throw's considerable distance from the stumps not a good look for the angry bowler. A few more blows were landed and lunch was delayed, but Starc eventually procured an edge from Boult to end the game.
For the Australians, there are far fewer questions about their top-order batting than at the start of the match, though at times the bowling attack might have been more ruthless. New Zealand meanwhile must hope for a more competitive showing in Perth, with the benefit of another week on bouncy pitches to guide them.
New Zealand 317 & 295
Australia won by 208 runs
Australia's vast victory over New Zealand in the Gabba Test was not achieved without some rancour on the final day, as umpiring decisions and a pesky last-wicket stand for the visitors caused some frustrations at the end of an otherwise commanding performance by the hosts.
The steep and increasingly variable bounce of the pitch accounted for most of New Zealand's last seven wickets, while Nathan Lyon's growing fourth-innings expertise was demonstrated by his three wickets and constant threat to the batsmen. Brendon McCullum offered a typically defiant riposte but lacked support, and then found his innings ended by one of two umpiring calls that left a bitter taste in New Zealand mouths.
However, there was evidence that McCullum's men would fight this series out as the last pair of Mark Craig and Trent Boult hammered a partnership of 46 that entertained the smallest of crowds while also causing the red mist to descend upon several Australian players.
All this left Australia in possession of a 1-0 series lead but a feeling that New Zealand will be a more difficult proposition in the second Test at the WACA Ground next week, even if they have lost the allrounder Jimmy Neesham to a back ailment and will be in some doubt about being able to choose Tim Southee for Perth due to a similar problem.
McCullum and Ross Taylor had begun with plenty of positive intent as they took 15 runs from the first two overs of the day. This approach was useful in spreading the fields set by Steven Smith, but was tinged with risk on a pitch still offering plenty of bounce, as Taylor discovered when his attempt to hook Josh Hazlewood resulted in a gloved catch to first slip.
The injured Neesham was also to fall victim to the short ball, his stiff back doubtless making it difficult for him to evade a Mitchell Johnson bumper that was fended off the shoulder of the bat into the hands of Joe Burns at short leg - a simpler chance than those he had turfed earlier in the match.
Lyon's contribution then continued when he added the wicket of BJ Watling to those of Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson. Watling reviewed the lbw decision by Richard Illingworth, but ball-tracking showed a sharp off break to be thudding firmly into leg stump to end a partnership that was New Zealand's last real hope of escaping defeat.
McCullum had been delivering his usual assortment of blistering hits and the occasional miss. He charged one short ball from Mitchell Marsh and then was struck a glancing blow on the helmet as he ducked it. Marsh straightened up his line and appealed for a catch when a ball beat McCullum's inside edge and looped to slip via the pad. Nigel Llong wrongly gave McCullum out caught, only two overs before New Zealand's supply of DRS appeals were to be replenished by the second new ball.
Very next ball Doug Bracewell was pinned in front of the stumps by an ideal delivery to defeat a new batsman, and while Southee averted the hat-trick, he fared less well when Hazlewood took the new ball. Offering a big swing at a ball swinging away from him, Southee appeared to brush the ground with his bat, but was given out and then saw the decision upheld by the third umpire S Ravi. To say Southee looked miffed as he walked off would be to understate the position.
That left only Craig and Boult in Australia's way, and for a handful of overs they provided considerable irritation. Starc threw one ball back in Craig's general direction after a push back down the pitch - the throw's considerable distance from the stumps not a good look for the angry bowler. A few more blows were landed and lunch was delayed, but Starc eventually procured an edge from Boult to end the game.
For the Australians, there are far fewer questions about their top-order batting than at the start of the match, though at times the bowling attack might have been more ruthless. New Zealand meanwhile must hope for a more competitive showing in Perth, with the benefit of another week on bouncy pitches to guide them.
Sunday, 8 November 2015
1st Test Day 4 AUS V NZ
Australia 556/4d & 264/4d
New Zealand 317 & 142/3
New Zealand require another 362 runs with 7 wickets remaining
Kane Williamson and sub-tropical Brisbane conspired to give New Zealand a fighting chance of escaping the Gabba with a draw on a fourth day when Australia did not take every chance that came to them.
Play did not resume after tea, which had arrived within moments of Nathan Lyon's critical dismissal of Williamson. Starting as if simply resuming his first innings 140, Williamson was seldom troubled in gliding past 50, but on 59 shaped to pull Lyon and was struck on the upper part of back thigh in front of the stumps. The umpire Richard Illingworth gave it out, and the batsman's review saw the ball grazing the top of the bails.
However, the significance of Williamson's innings, and those of Tom Latham and Martin Guptill, was heightened by the damp evening session, leaving Australia to take another seven wickets in the face of further rainy weather on the final day. To get a draw out of Brisbane would be a major fillip for New Zealand, who have looked underdone in the first Test but may be better placed with another week's training ahead of the second match in Perth.
Australia had been forced to toil hard as Latham, Guptill and Williamson all put a high price on their wickets. They were also unable to make the most of the opportunities, with Guptill twice missed in the field and Australia's captain Steven Smith frustrated at times by his bowlers' inability to bowl to the fields he was setting for them.
Smith had declared shortly before play to set New Zealand 504 to win or more realistically two days' batting to escape with a draw. On an overcast morning, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson both had the new ball swinging dangerously, and Latham and Guptill did well to survive numerous probing deliveries as a stacked Australian slips cordon waited expectantly.
Guptill was fortunate to survive when he bunted his first ball from Johnson into the midriff of Joe Burns at short leg, but the chance spilled out of fumbling hands. He was again lucky 17 overs later when a back-foot forcing stroke burst through the fingers of Lyon at point.
Latham, meanwhile, escaped one concerted caught-behind appeal when the ball was shown to have brushed his back thigh, and also edged Josh Hazlewood short of first slip. Eventually Starc found a hint of inswing to strike Latham on the toe, minutes before light rain and darkening skies brought an early end to the morning session. The umpire Nigel Llong gave Latham out, and replays showed the ball would have taken a part of leg stump.
On resumption, Williamson was quickly into stride, and Lyon looked the man most capable of breaking through by using the variations in spin and bounce he could extract from a fourth-day pitch. For a time Lyon struggled to get his line right, and when he finally claimed Guptill's outside edge for a catch by Smith after one lbw appeal and review had been turned down, the captain gestured pointedly to a line wider of the off stump.
Lyon bowled better from that point, and found a way through Williamson to tilt the match towards Australia. There was only a matter of centimetres in the ball-tracker verdict, but the good fortune Smith's men enjoyed there was to be offset by the poor weather that followed the interval.
New Zealand 317 & 142/3
New Zealand require another 362 runs with 7 wickets remaining
Kane Williamson and sub-tropical Brisbane conspired to give New Zealand a fighting chance of escaping the Gabba with a draw on a fourth day when Australia did not take every chance that came to them.
Play did not resume after tea, which had arrived within moments of Nathan Lyon's critical dismissal of Williamson. Starting as if simply resuming his first innings 140, Williamson was seldom troubled in gliding past 50, but on 59 shaped to pull Lyon and was struck on the upper part of back thigh in front of the stumps. The umpire Richard Illingworth gave it out, and the batsman's review saw the ball grazing the top of the bails.
However, the significance of Williamson's innings, and those of Tom Latham and Martin Guptill, was heightened by the damp evening session, leaving Australia to take another seven wickets in the face of further rainy weather on the final day. To get a draw out of Brisbane would be a major fillip for New Zealand, who have looked underdone in the first Test but may be better placed with another week's training ahead of the second match in Perth.
Australia had been forced to toil hard as Latham, Guptill and Williamson all put a high price on their wickets. They were also unable to make the most of the opportunities, with Guptill twice missed in the field and Australia's captain Steven Smith frustrated at times by his bowlers' inability to bowl to the fields he was setting for them.
Smith had declared shortly before play to set New Zealand 504 to win or more realistically two days' batting to escape with a draw. On an overcast morning, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson both had the new ball swinging dangerously, and Latham and Guptill did well to survive numerous probing deliveries as a stacked Australian slips cordon waited expectantly.
Guptill was fortunate to survive when he bunted his first ball from Johnson into the midriff of Joe Burns at short leg, but the chance spilled out of fumbling hands. He was again lucky 17 overs later when a back-foot forcing stroke burst through the fingers of Lyon at point.
Latham, meanwhile, escaped one concerted caught-behind appeal when the ball was shown to have brushed his back thigh, and also edged Josh Hazlewood short of first slip. Eventually Starc found a hint of inswing to strike Latham on the toe, minutes before light rain and darkening skies brought an early end to the morning session. The umpire Nigel Llong gave Latham out, and replays showed the ball would have taken a part of leg stump.
On resumption, Williamson was quickly into stride, and Lyon looked the man most capable of breaking through by using the variations in spin and bounce he could extract from a fourth-day pitch. For a time Lyon struggled to get his line right, and when he finally claimed Guptill's outside edge for a catch by Smith after one lbw appeal and review had been turned down, the captain gestured pointedly to a line wider of the off stump.
Lyon bowled better from that point, and found a way through Williamson to tilt the match towards Australia. There was only a matter of centimetres in the ball-tracker verdict, but the good fortune Smith's men enjoyed there was to be offset by the poor weather that followed the interval.
Saturday, 7 November 2015
3rd ODI SL V WI
West Indies 206/9 (36/36 ov)
Sri Lanka 180/5 (32.3/36 ov, target 190)
Sri Lanka won by 19 runs (D/L method)
Sri Lanka's seamers ploughed through the West Indies top order then weathered a Marlon Samuels surge to set up a 19-run Duckworth-Lewis victory and complete the series whitewash. Buoyed by Samuels' 94-ball 110 not out, West Indies got to 206 for 9 from their 36 overs, but, having had them at 105 for 6 before a 135-minute rain interruption, Sri Lanka had that total scaled down via the Duckworth Lewis method. Kusal Perera top-scored with 50 off 47 balls in a chase of 190. Sri Lanka had moved to 179 for 5 after 32 overs when rains came down again to end the match. The par-score at that final interruption was 160.
A West Indies victory always seemed unlikely when they lost four batsmen in the first six overs. Lasith Malinga and Suranga Lakmal collected two wickets each in their opening bursts, then a little later Dushmantha Chameera dismissed Denesh Ramdin with raw pace. Ajantha Mendis had also claimed a wicket before the big downpour came. Sri Lanka lacked some discipline as they were forced to contend with a slippery ball after the break, but just as his frontliners appeared to be losing their way, a half-fit Angelo Mathews stepped into the breach to deliver two cheap overs towards the close.
Despite the loss, Samuels produced what was perhaps the best individual innings of the series, while his team collapsed around him. He had moved sagely to fifty before the rain break, then unshackled by the urgency of West Indies' situation upon resumption, scored heavily on the offside as he hurtled to a ninth ODI ton. It was inherently a remarkable innings, but it was particularly sublime from a batsman who had spent the first four weeks of this tour in a funk.
As West Indies have found throughout the tour however, individual distinction usually can't trump collective excellence. Lasith Malinga rifled through his variations from his first over, and Lakmal found zippy movement off the track. Malinga's two victims fell in identical fashion - both fending bouncers tamely to point. Lakmal had Andre Fletcher lbw on the stroke of a first rain break that lasted over an hour, but didn't cause a reduction of overs, then he bowled Darren Bravo with an indipper the batsman offered no shot to.
Samuels had moved smoothly to 50 off 51 balls after that first rain break, but came out intent on attacking after the second, major interruption. His first ball after the interruption, from Malinga, was clattered over midwicket for four. The next delivery was sliced over the third-man fence.
Samuels took a particular liking to Malinga in the second half of his innings, cracking the bowler through or over the point region for three consecutive fours in the 28th over, then continued to back away and aim blows to the square fence. The other bowlers were not so severely punished, but as Samuels was batting with Nos 10 and 11 in the last seven overs, singles into the outfield were routinely turned down.
West Indies' only substantial partnership was his 55-run, eighth-wicket stand with Carlos Brathwaite, who made 18. Jason Holder, who hit 19, was the only other batsman to make it into double figures. Malinga, Lakmal, Chameera and Mendis all picked up two wickets apiece, and Mathews got a wicket for himself at the death.
West Indies' bowlers were consistently threatening even with a wet-ball, but as the target was modest, Sri Lanka found themselves cruising. Kusal and Tillakaratne Dilshan bludgeoned a few early boundaries to give the chase some impetus. Dilshan was out cutting to Samuels at point, after having been dropped by the same fielder on the previous ball, but Kusal and Lahiru Thirimanne put on a 50-run stand together to settle the innings.
Thirimanne, Kusal and Dinesh Chandimal all departed within nine overs of each other, and yet, with Mathews at the crease, the chase never seemed in trouble. He struck up unhurried partnerships with Milinda Siriwardene and Shehan Jayasuriya to inch Sri Lanka towards victory. Mathews was unbeaten on 27 when the rains came again and the players went off the field for the third and final time.
Sri Lanka 180/5 (32.3/36 ov, target 190)
Sri Lanka won by 19 runs (D/L method)
Sri Lanka's seamers ploughed through the West Indies top order then weathered a Marlon Samuels surge to set up a 19-run Duckworth-Lewis victory and complete the series whitewash. Buoyed by Samuels' 94-ball 110 not out, West Indies got to 206 for 9 from their 36 overs, but, having had them at 105 for 6 before a 135-minute rain interruption, Sri Lanka had that total scaled down via the Duckworth Lewis method. Kusal Perera top-scored with 50 off 47 balls in a chase of 190. Sri Lanka had moved to 179 for 5 after 32 overs when rains came down again to end the match. The par-score at that final interruption was 160.
A West Indies victory always seemed unlikely when they lost four batsmen in the first six overs. Lasith Malinga and Suranga Lakmal collected two wickets each in their opening bursts, then a little later Dushmantha Chameera dismissed Denesh Ramdin with raw pace. Ajantha Mendis had also claimed a wicket before the big downpour came. Sri Lanka lacked some discipline as they were forced to contend with a slippery ball after the break, but just as his frontliners appeared to be losing their way, a half-fit Angelo Mathews stepped into the breach to deliver two cheap overs towards the close.
Despite the loss, Samuels produced what was perhaps the best individual innings of the series, while his team collapsed around him. He had moved sagely to fifty before the rain break, then unshackled by the urgency of West Indies' situation upon resumption, scored heavily on the offside as he hurtled to a ninth ODI ton. It was inherently a remarkable innings, but it was particularly sublime from a batsman who had spent the first four weeks of this tour in a funk.
As West Indies have found throughout the tour however, individual distinction usually can't trump collective excellence. Lasith Malinga rifled through his variations from his first over, and Lakmal found zippy movement off the track. Malinga's two victims fell in identical fashion - both fending bouncers tamely to point. Lakmal had Andre Fletcher lbw on the stroke of a first rain break that lasted over an hour, but didn't cause a reduction of overs, then he bowled Darren Bravo with an indipper the batsman offered no shot to.
Samuels had moved smoothly to 50 off 51 balls after that first rain break, but came out intent on attacking after the second, major interruption. His first ball after the interruption, from Malinga, was clattered over midwicket for four. The next delivery was sliced over the third-man fence.
Samuels took a particular liking to Malinga in the second half of his innings, cracking the bowler through or over the point region for three consecutive fours in the 28th over, then continued to back away and aim blows to the square fence. The other bowlers were not so severely punished, but as Samuels was batting with Nos 10 and 11 in the last seven overs, singles into the outfield were routinely turned down.
West Indies' only substantial partnership was his 55-run, eighth-wicket stand with Carlos Brathwaite, who made 18. Jason Holder, who hit 19, was the only other batsman to make it into double figures. Malinga, Lakmal, Chameera and Mendis all picked up two wickets apiece, and Mathews got a wicket for himself at the death.
West Indies' bowlers were consistently threatening even with a wet-ball, but as the target was modest, Sri Lanka found themselves cruising. Kusal and Tillakaratne Dilshan bludgeoned a few early boundaries to give the chase some impetus. Dilshan was out cutting to Samuels at point, after having been dropped by the same fielder on the previous ball, but Kusal and Lahiru Thirimanne put on a 50-run stand together to settle the innings.
Thirimanne, Kusal and Dinesh Chandimal all departed within nine overs of each other, and yet, with Mathews at the crease, the chase never seemed in trouble. He struck up unhurried partnerships with Milinda Siriwardene and Shehan Jayasuriya to inch Sri Lanka towards victory. Mathews was unbeaten on 27 when the rains came again and the players went off the field for the third and final time.
1st ODI BAN V ZIM
Bangladesh 273/9 (50 ov)
Zimbabwe 128 (36.1 ov)
Bangladesh won by 145 runs
Bangladesh recovered handsomely from early sluggishness to beat Zimbabwe by 145 runs in the first ODI in Mirpur. Mushfiqur Rahim's fourth ODI century was crucial to their revival while batting before Shakib Al Hasan and captain Mashrafe Mortaza ensured dominance with the ball.
Shakib's first five-wicket haul in ODIs in his 157th game made sure Zimbabwe had nowhere to go in their chase of 274, and the visitors were bowled out for 128 runs in 36.1 overs. Elton Chigumbura, the Zimbabwe captain, stuck around to make 41 but found no support at the other end, as Zimbabwe fell to their biggest defeat, in terms of runs, against Bangladesh.
The home side's batting effort, after they were put in, revolved around Mushfiqur's effort to be the anchor and enforcer. He came in to bat after Liton Das and Mahmudullah fell to soft dismissals in the first 8.3 overs, with the score on 30. Liton was out for a duck when he lightly tapped the ball to Graeme Cremer at point in Luke Jongwe's first over. Mahmudullah prodded around for 27 minutes before missing a Tinashe Panyangara delivery that moved in enough to get between his bat and pad and strike the top of off-stump.
With Mushfiqur at the crease, Tamim Iqbal got more of the strike and was opening himself up a little more until he holed out to long-on to Sikandar Raza. Shakib fell to the same bowler soon after, getting stumped while trying to hoick him through midwicket. Bangladesh were 123 for 4 when Mushfiqur grabbed the game with considerable help from Sabbir Rahman, and the pair went on to 119 for the fifth wicket.
Sabbir was innovative with some of his shots - and a few came off - as he made 57 off 58 balls with four boundaries and two sixes blasted over long-on. Mushfiqur ran as hard as Sabbir during their stand, sometimes dominating but mostly staying the accumulator. He was lucky, too - on 53, the ball fell short of a diving Craig Ervine at short fine-leg, and on 91, Panyangara could not hold on to a difficult one-handed attempt at long-leg.
He reached his century in the 46th over and celebrated with much glee. Sabbir and Mushfiqur fell in successive overs and Bangladesh were in danger of not finishing well but Mashrafe Mortaza and Arafat Sunny struck timely blows to take the score to 273 for 9.
The visitors had to send in Jongwe to open the batting with Chamu Chibhabha after Richmond Mutumbami went off with an ankle injury in the 31st over of the Bangladesh innings. The makeshift opener was actually more attacking, making 39 off 51 balls, while Chibhabha made only 9 off 23 balls and fell in the 10th over with the score on 40.
Chibhabha was well caught around long-off by Liton, who also had to ensure avoiding a certain collision with Nasir Hossain. Ervine was beaten by Shakib's flight in the 14th over before Jongwe gave Al-Amin Hossain his first wicket in the next over. Sean Williams, of whom much was expected, missed a cut shot and had Shakib hit his stumps in the 18th over, having made only 8.
In the 26th over, Raza was caught behind and became Mashrafe's 200th ODI wicket for Bangladesh. Malcolm Waller, who kept wicket for the last 19.5 overs of the Bangladesh innings in place of Mutumbami, gave Mashrafe his second wicket, out caught at point.
Waller's dismissal reduced Zimbabwe to 83 for 6 in the 28th over, and Chigumbura and Cremer resisted for a while with a 37-run partnership. Shakib removed Cremer to take his fourth wicket in the 34th over and completed his five-for with Panyangara's wicket off the penultimate ball of his last over.
1st Tests Day 3 AUS V NZ, IND V SA
India 201 & 200
South Africa 184 & 105
India win by 108 runs
It is often said that Test cricket in India crawls for three days with seemingly nothing happening before suddenly exploding to life. What happens when Tests do not last three days? Time frames get compressed. It was like Test cricket had gone asleep for one hour on the third morning. India lost eight wickets for 39 runs, and yet spun South Africa out to take a 1-0 lead. This was the fourth straight three-day finish in Tests in India. R Ashwin continued his impressive bowling, Ravindra Jadeja completed a successful comeback to the Tests with a five-for, and Amit Mishra contributed with the big wicket of AB de Villiers again.
At effectively 178 for 2 on a pitch that had been turning big from day one, India looked home and dry. It took a big collapse for South Africa to be set a target they could think about chasing. Imran Tahir and Simon Harmer took four wickets each, but the task for South Africa was still enormous: only twice had visiting teams chased 200 successfully in India, most recently in 1987-88. South Africa needed to bat extremely well to add to that tally. They did not.
South Africa's mistrust of the pitch showed in their approach. The demons in their heads were bigger than the ones under their feet. Three of them got out even before the pitch could do a thing. Vernon Philander was promoted to open the innings. He survived two balls. Hashim Amla took guard outside leg, and left alone a straight delivery that hit middle and off. Both of them fell to Jadeja, who confirmed his reputation of being a dangerous bowler on a turning track, by bowling straight and quick. He showed the value of being able to hit the off stump on square turners.
Faf du Plessis overestimated an Ashwin offbreak with the new ball from round the wicket, and edged him to slip. It looked a set plan. He had bowled over the wicket to Philander before this dismissal, and over the wicket to Amla after it. Du Plessis read that it was on offbreak, but the ball didn't turn as much as he expected.
It was mayhem at 10 for 3, which de Villiers calmed down for a bit with his excellent use of feet and ability to punish anything loose. It is a mark of the threat he carries that India did not feel entirely comfortable until they had got rid of de Villiers. For the second time in the match Mishra did the job. This was a rare case of de Villiers' failing to pick the length as he went back to a length ball. A possible explanation could be the flat trajectory of the delivery, but Mishra does bowl that fuller flatter one, which turns only a little. What is more, it stayed low, and took the inside edge onto the stumps.
Only formalities were left after that. Spinners completed them duly with South Africa managing to bat out only 39.5 overs to go with 68 in the first innings, but Varun Aaron too contributed by drawing a big leading edge with a short ball to Dean Elgar. This was the first wicket taken by an Indian seamer, but South Africa, who do not have the luxury of the quality of Indian spinners, did have to rely on seam in the morning. India consolidated their position with 36 runs without loss in the first hour of the day, but South Africa conjured a breakthrough through part-time medium-pace of Stiaan van Zyl.
A major chunk of the collapse in a five-batsmen Indian team was the losing of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane for three runs. When you have three-day Tests, you often have batsmen falling for no mistake of their own, but all three made errors here. Except that they took longer to make these errors than the South Africa batsman. Kohli went driving outside off at a ball not full enough, and van Zyl and Amla looked like geniuses. South Africa now went to their spinners once Kohli had provided them with the opening.
Tahir began with a regulation legbreak first ball, Pujara went to defend, but was nowhere close to the pitch of the ball, allowing it to turn and take the edge. He had added 14 to his overnight 63. Rahane jabbed at a Harmer offbreak well in front of his body, and offered the acrobatic substitute Temba Bavuma a catch at short leg. Three wickets gone in four overs, India now looked to the lower order for some stability, but Tahir and Harmer got the better of them, which was expected on a pitch like this.
AUS 556/4d & 264/4
NZ 317
AUS lead by 503 runs
Two parallel contests took place on day three of the first Test at the Gabba.
In the first, which should dictate the outcome of the match, Australia tossed 10 of New Zealand's cricketers around like rag dolls, epitomised by Joe Burns' brutal first Test hundred in partnership with a similarly untroubled David Warner. In the second, Australia's XI fought a lengthy and losing battle to curtail Kane Williamson, who made one of the finest hundreds Brisbane has seen with precious little support from those around him.
The overall result of these two bouts was a vast lead for Australia by the close of the day with their captain Steven Smith needing only to determine how many overs he wants to bowl New Zealand out. Yet Williamson's 140 had at least prevented Smith from enacting his best case plan when play began - namely to bowl the visitors out quickly and send them back in.
Instead, Burns and Warner took progressively greater liberties against a bowling line-up shorn of the injured Tim Southee and also carrying a visibly sore Jimmy Neesham. Brendon McCullum was at one point seen rousing Neesham to greater efforts, but there was little New Zealand's captain could do by way of field placing or motivation to stem the flow of runs.
Burns went to his hundred - a vindication of his recall after the selectors were somewhat harsh in leaving him out of the winter tours of the West Indies and England - with two straight sixes in three balls from the hapless Mark Craig. After a brief rain delay, Warner too made three figures, his third set of twin hundreds in a Test match, after Cape Town and Adelaide in 2014. No previous Test opening pair had ever added 150 and 200 in the same match.
Warner was eventually out essaying a switch-hit; Burns skied a similarly aggressive slog. Smith's brief stay was ended when he sliced low to Williamson and the third umpire S Ravi used welcome common sense to take the small leap of logic required when reviewing low catches on a two-dimensional television screen. These wickets came about largely through the desire of the Australians to attack, and a little from some wear in the pitch.
For New Zealand, these indignities were added to those inflicted by the CA XI in Canberra and Blacktown, where Aaron Finch and Ryan Carters had added 503 together before the match was called off due to a rapidly deteriorating pitch. The tourists may be better for the run in Brisbane, but it will take a resilient team to shrug off the humiliations being piled up here.
As a source of inspiration they can look no further than Williamson, who took on Australia's attack almost single-handedly. His 11th Test century was completely composed, containing none of the lapses in concentration that did for other team-mates such as BJ Watling and Craig, and ensured that Smith would not send the visitors back in a second time.
The second new ball was ultimately required, and Mitchell Starc swung it late at pace to pluck Southee's off stump and then find Williamson's inside edge for 140, the second-highest score by a New Zealand batsman at the Gabba after Martin Crowe's 188 in 1985. While Starc's figures of 4 for 57 were handsome, Mitchell Johnson was repeatedly forced through the off side and ultimately conceded five runs per over for his 3 for 105.
Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood and Johnson all bowled testing spells, but Williamson met them all with admirable technique and an array of strokes that stretched the fields set by Smith. His ability to make the most of the situation was summed up when the Australians raced through an over from Voges to allow Lyon one more before lunch. While Williamson made some efforts to delay and usher the interval, he then proceeded to punch a pair of boundaries in Lyon's over.
Watling and Williamson have a history of partnerships, and would have hoped to push New Zealand through the morning without loss. But after they negotiated Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, Watling hung his bat out at Johnson's first ball of the morning and a thin edge behind was gratefully accepted by Peter Nevill.
Craig showed evidence of batting talent that has allowed him to average greater than 40 in his brief Test career to date, but after a pesky stand with Williamson he decided to get down the wicket to Lyon, a task invariably more difficult than it appears. A first drive just cleared the head of the man posted at mid-off, and when Smith pushed him halfway to the boundary, Craig's next big shot attempt was a swish across the line that brought a top edge and a simple catch to point.
Bracewell showed good sense to accompany Williamson however, and the loss of partners at the other end seemed the only thing that would prevent New Zealand's No. 3 from going past three figures. Granted enough time at the crease, Williamson cruised to his century, and Australia have found that like the rest of world cricket, they have some thinking to do about how to get him out. New Zealand, though, are hard pressed to dismiss anyone at the moment.
South Africa 184 & 105
India win by 108 runs
It is often said that Test cricket in India crawls for three days with seemingly nothing happening before suddenly exploding to life. What happens when Tests do not last three days? Time frames get compressed. It was like Test cricket had gone asleep for one hour on the third morning. India lost eight wickets for 39 runs, and yet spun South Africa out to take a 1-0 lead. This was the fourth straight three-day finish in Tests in India. R Ashwin continued his impressive bowling, Ravindra Jadeja completed a successful comeback to the Tests with a five-for, and Amit Mishra contributed with the big wicket of AB de Villiers again.
At effectively 178 for 2 on a pitch that had been turning big from day one, India looked home and dry. It took a big collapse for South Africa to be set a target they could think about chasing. Imran Tahir and Simon Harmer took four wickets each, but the task for South Africa was still enormous: only twice had visiting teams chased 200 successfully in India, most recently in 1987-88. South Africa needed to bat extremely well to add to that tally. They did not.
South Africa's mistrust of the pitch showed in their approach. The demons in their heads were bigger than the ones under their feet. Three of them got out even before the pitch could do a thing. Vernon Philander was promoted to open the innings. He survived two balls. Hashim Amla took guard outside leg, and left alone a straight delivery that hit middle and off. Both of them fell to Jadeja, who confirmed his reputation of being a dangerous bowler on a turning track, by bowling straight and quick. He showed the value of being able to hit the off stump on square turners.
Faf du Plessis overestimated an Ashwin offbreak with the new ball from round the wicket, and edged him to slip. It looked a set plan. He had bowled over the wicket to Philander before this dismissal, and over the wicket to Amla after it. Du Plessis read that it was on offbreak, but the ball didn't turn as much as he expected.
It was mayhem at 10 for 3, which de Villiers calmed down for a bit with his excellent use of feet and ability to punish anything loose. It is a mark of the threat he carries that India did not feel entirely comfortable until they had got rid of de Villiers. For the second time in the match Mishra did the job. This was a rare case of de Villiers' failing to pick the length as he went back to a length ball. A possible explanation could be the flat trajectory of the delivery, but Mishra does bowl that fuller flatter one, which turns only a little. What is more, it stayed low, and took the inside edge onto the stumps.
Only formalities were left after that. Spinners completed them duly with South Africa managing to bat out only 39.5 overs to go with 68 in the first innings, but Varun Aaron too contributed by drawing a big leading edge with a short ball to Dean Elgar. This was the first wicket taken by an Indian seamer, but South Africa, who do not have the luxury of the quality of Indian spinners, did have to rely on seam in the morning. India consolidated their position with 36 runs without loss in the first hour of the day, but South Africa conjured a breakthrough through part-time medium-pace of Stiaan van Zyl.
A major chunk of the collapse in a five-batsmen Indian team was the losing of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane for three runs. When you have three-day Tests, you often have batsmen falling for no mistake of their own, but all three made errors here. Except that they took longer to make these errors than the South Africa batsman. Kohli went driving outside off at a ball not full enough, and van Zyl and Amla looked like geniuses. South Africa now went to their spinners once Kohli had provided them with the opening.
Tahir began with a regulation legbreak first ball, Pujara went to defend, but was nowhere close to the pitch of the ball, allowing it to turn and take the edge. He had added 14 to his overnight 63. Rahane jabbed at a Harmer offbreak well in front of his body, and offered the acrobatic substitute Temba Bavuma a catch at short leg. Three wickets gone in four overs, India now looked to the lower order for some stability, but Tahir and Harmer got the better of them, which was expected on a pitch like this.
AUS 556/4d & 264/4
NZ 317
AUS lead by 503 runs
Two parallel contests took place on day three of the first Test at the Gabba.
In the first, which should dictate the outcome of the match, Australia tossed 10 of New Zealand's cricketers around like rag dolls, epitomised by Joe Burns' brutal first Test hundred in partnership with a similarly untroubled David Warner. In the second, Australia's XI fought a lengthy and losing battle to curtail Kane Williamson, who made one of the finest hundreds Brisbane has seen with precious little support from those around him.
The overall result of these two bouts was a vast lead for Australia by the close of the day with their captain Steven Smith needing only to determine how many overs he wants to bowl New Zealand out. Yet Williamson's 140 had at least prevented Smith from enacting his best case plan when play began - namely to bowl the visitors out quickly and send them back in.
Instead, Burns and Warner took progressively greater liberties against a bowling line-up shorn of the injured Tim Southee and also carrying a visibly sore Jimmy Neesham. Brendon McCullum was at one point seen rousing Neesham to greater efforts, but there was little New Zealand's captain could do by way of field placing or motivation to stem the flow of runs.
Burns went to his hundred - a vindication of his recall after the selectors were somewhat harsh in leaving him out of the winter tours of the West Indies and England - with two straight sixes in three balls from the hapless Mark Craig. After a brief rain delay, Warner too made three figures, his third set of twin hundreds in a Test match, after Cape Town and Adelaide in 2014. No previous Test opening pair had ever added 150 and 200 in the same match.
Warner was eventually out essaying a switch-hit; Burns skied a similarly aggressive slog. Smith's brief stay was ended when he sliced low to Williamson and the third umpire S Ravi used welcome common sense to take the small leap of logic required when reviewing low catches on a two-dimensional television screen. These wickets came about largely through the desire of the Australians to attack, and a little from some wear in the pitch.
For New Zealand, these indignities were added to those inflicted by the CA XI in Canberra and Blacktown, where Aaron Finch and Ryan Carters had added 503 together before the match was called off due to a rapidly deteriorating pitch. The tourists may be better for the run in Brisbane, but it will take a resilient team to shrug off the humiliations being piled up here.
As a source of inspiration they can look no further than Williamson, who took on Australia's attack almost single-handedly. His 11th Test century was completely composed, containing none of the lapses in concentration that did for other team-mates such as BJ Watling and Craig, and ensured that Smith would not send the visitors back in a second time.
The second new ball was ultimately required, and Mitchell Starc swung it late at pace to pluck Southee's off stump and then find Williamson's inside edge for 140, the second-highest score by a New Zealand batsman at the Gabba after Martin Crowe's 188 in 1985. While Starc's figures of 4 for 57 were handsome, Mitchell Johnson was repeatedly forced through the off side and ultimately conceded five runs per over for his 3 for 105.
Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood and Johnson all bowled testing spells, but Williamson met them all with admirable technique and an array of strokes that stretched the fields set by Smith. His ability to make the most of the situation was summed up when the Australians raced through an over from Voges to allow Lyon one more before lunch. While Williamson made some efforts to delay and usher the interval, he then proceeded to punch a pair of boundaries in Lyon's over.
Watling and Williamson have a history of partnerships, and would have hoped to push New Zealand through the morning without loss. But after they negotiated Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, Watling hung his bat out at Johnson's first ball of the morning and a thin edge behind was gratefully accepted by Peter Nevill.
Craig showed evidence of batting talent that has allowed him to average greater than 40 in his brief Test career to date, but after a pesky stand with Williamson he decided to get down the wicket to Lyon, a task invariably more difficult than it appears. A first drive just cleared the head of the man posted at mid-off, and when Smith pushed him halfway to the boundary, Craig's next big shot attempt was a swish across the line that brought a top edge and a simple catch to point.
Bracewell showed good sense to accompany Williamson however, and the loss of partners at the other end seemed the only thing that would prevent New Zealand's No. 3 from going past three figures. Granted enough time at the crease, Williamson cruised to his century, and Australia have found that like the rest of world cricket, they have some thinking to do about how to get him out. New Zealand, though, are hard pressed to dismiss anyone at the moment.
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