Monday, Jan 12, 2004
Monday, Jan 12, 2004 |
| Sport | ||||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Tamil Nadu |
Andhra Pradesh |
Karnataka |
Kerala |
New Delhi |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Sport
-
Cricket
By G. Viswanath
Brad Williams signals the end of Mark Vermeulen.
SYDNEY, JAN. 11. Zimbabwe flattered to deceive, losing by 99 runs in the VB Series match on Sunday. Its bowlers and fielders had surpassed themselves for three and a half hours, kept the Australian batsmen on a tight leash, restricting the home team to 225. Heath Streak led by example and deployed his forces in order to gain control of the first session. What is more, Zimbabwe was not overawed by its rival's superior record and standing as World Champion, nor impressed by Australia's victory in the opening VB Series encounter against India. It showed ample skills with the new ball and when the double-spin attack was in operation. The 50 overs bowled in the afternoon offered a tussle between the bat and ball, but after the teams switched roles, Zimbabwe showed no will to fight and caved in with 75 balls remaining. Streak and Tatenda Taibu attempted to repair the damage from 17 for five, but their effort was essentially a face-saving measure and intended to salvage a point that eventually went to Australia as a bonus. The home team now has 11 points from two matches. Big boy Brad Williams was the chief architect of Australia's second win bagging five wickets, his second such effort in 15 one-day matches. His captain Ricky Ponting joined the team celebration on the ground only after retrieving the ball so that the best bowler of the match could keep it as a souvenir. After its 18-run win over India, Australia did not deem it necessary to tinker with the winning combination. The second match began with an exceptional opening burst by Streak. He kept the Australian openers quiet. He walked to the top of his bowling mark without a show of dissent, when umpire Simon Taufel gave the benefit of doubt to Mathew Hayden following an appeal for leg before. For three quarters of an hour, the Queenslander was forced to show respect to Streak. Gilchrist meanwhile hit five boundary shots off Douglas Hondo's first three overs. Hayden, eschewing risks, allowed Gilchrist to give full rein to his strokes. Hayden was cramped by the Streak delivery that came at him very straight in the air and into him of the pitch. Twice he attempted to hit Sean Erwine over the inner ring fielder, but only once was he successful in sending the ball to the fence. Replacing Hondo, medium pacer Sean Erwine bowled with skill and common sense. But it was Andy Blignaut who made inroads into the Australian camp. Ponting pulled Blignaut over the long on field, the ball landing behind the front rows, but he paid the price trying to clear the same bowler over the square point fence. Australia did not recover from this big blow with the two left arm spinners Raymond Price and Grant Flower taking charge of the proceedings from almost halfway in the first session. Price and Flower bowled 20 overs at 3.8 an over and almost all of the 120 deliveries to Andy Symonds and Michael Clarke, who had made 143 in 142 balls against India. Price is a specialist spinner and had troubled the Australians in the recent Test series, but Flower is less skilful. Flower picked up two vital wickets without requiring assistance from his teammates. He added to Damien Martyn's misery and beat the ever-reliable Michael Bevan in the air and off pitch to make sure that his next victim will be his 100th in one-day internationals. Price went wicket-less, but turned out to be as artful and played his part. There was just one boundary shot in the 66-run partnership between Symonds and Clarke and that came when the latter struck a superb on drive that beat two fielders in the deep. But Australia's 225 in 300 balls was a poor collection that showed even the mighty can fail against a persevering and disciplined bowling attack. But in the end a match that produced just 351 runs went in favour of a team that did not look formidable in the first session.
Fall of wickets: 1-42 (Hayden), 2-73 (Ponting), 3-76 (Gilchrist), 4-112 (Martyn), 5-118 (Bevan), 6-184 (Symonds), 7-192 (Clarke), 8-222 (Harvey). Zimbabwe bowling: Streak 10-2-36-1, Hondo 5-1-35-0, Ervine 10-0-53-3, Blignaut 5-0-21-2, Price 10-0-34-0, Flower 10-0-42-2.
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Carlisle), 2-12 (Sibanda), 3-13 (Flower), 4-14 (Matsikenyeri), 5-17 (Vermeulen), 6-90 (Taibu), 7-119 (Ervine), 8-122 (Streak), 9-124 (Price). Australia bowling: Gillespie 8-0-21-2, Williams 8.3-2-22-5, Bichel 6-2-24-0, Harvey 4-0-14-0, Symonds 6-1-24-2, Clarke 5-0-14-1.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Tamil Nadu |
Andhra Pradesh |
Karnataka |
Kerala |
New Delhi |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Miscellaneous |
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | Home |
Copyright © 2004, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
