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| Siv Chanderpaul - Man of the Series |
The West Indies comfortably won the 2nd and final Test of their series in Bangladesh, winning by ten wickets on the last morning. All rounder Nasir Hossain, battting at seven, made his second score in the 90's of the short series, following Shakib Al Hasan 97 yesterday. Tino Best put the batsmen to the sword again with 6-40, leaving Chris Gayle and Keiran Powell a small victory target. Marlon Samuels was named Man of the Match, following his first innings 260 and Shiv Chanderpaul Man of The Series with two centuries and a batting average of 354.
For the visitors it was mostly positives, scoring a mountain of runs and then intimidating their inexperienced opposition with short, fast bowling. Their were seven hundreds with only Chris Gayle failing to come to the table for the feast. Tino Best had his best series with 12 wickets but the form of Sunil Narine, on wickets which should have suited him, was a major surprise.
Bangladesh showed as much promise as they have for ten years, making more than 500 in the first innings at Shere Bangla Stadium but their batting was too often brittle, relying contributions from a few to bolster their totals. Best and then Fidel Edwards in the 2nd Test, exposed their weakness against the rising ball and yet this was played on sedate pitches.
Darren Sammy could be expected to do no less than win in comfort but he was again impressive at the helm of a West Indies side which is significantly better than at any time of the last fifteen years.
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| Cowan catches Rudolph |
Despite the absence of James Pattinson with a side strain that has removed him for the summer, the Australian bowlers made fatal inroads into the South African batting line up during the fourth afternoon and have placed their side on the threshold of a victory which will have them standing beside the number one mace. The removal of Graeme Smith by Hilfenhaus, second ball of the innings, was a psychological sledge hammer to a side which is reeling from injury and a lack of sting in the tail of the bowling scorpion.
Australia batted on to a massive lead in the morning, Mike Hussey leading the way with another classy half century and the tail enjoying themselves. Dale Steyn had his best spell of the series but the lack lustre form which has dogged him all year has come to a head in Australia. The big gun of world bowling hasn't even been a pop gun in this series. Morne Morkel was again the best of the bowlers and the only one providing menace. Rory Kleinveldt can be proud of his performance, removing the top order.
Smith edged to Ponting at second slip, who made a sharp catch look simple and the mixture of anger and relief on his face was symptomatic of the pressure he has played his cricket under since failing to regain the Ashes two summers ago. Everything he does is watched for faults, every shot analysed as sub editors hover with their headlines ready to pronounce his end. With the number three spot unresolved, the selectors will be patient with him but runs soon would be helpful.
The afternoon degenerated into a crawl where runs where non-existent. South Africa managed only 37 in a final session of as many overs. Nathan Lyon picked up two wickets - a bemused Hashim Amla, who played for spin, didn't receive any and snicked to slip where Michael Clarke almost blew a golden opportunity and Jacques Rudolph, who played one straight off the middle of the bat to Ed Cowan at short leg. Peter Siddle had the other, Alviro Petersen, who played outside the line of the ball and knocked his own castle down with his inside edge.
AB deVilliers and Faf du Plessis saw out a tedious last hour and a half but it looks to be an impossible to task for the South Africans to survive 90 overs on the last day. Jacques Kallis showed that even with half a bum, he's dangerous but these days he plays for runs, not hours and it will be remarkable if Australian doesn't go to Perth one up.
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| Panesar destroyed India |
India are shot ducks and England odds on to square their series after two Tests, following emphatic displays from Kevin Pietersen and Monty Panesar on the third day in Mumbai.
England's innings was dominated by Pietersen's 186, with 20 boundaries and 4 massive sixes. His 206 run partnership with Alastair Cook (122) took England close to a lead but it was Pietersen's unpredictable brilliance which put them well ahead. The best of the rest stayed long enough whilst the England No 4 caned the bowling.
In replay, the Indians turned a shaky 2-46 at tea into disaster by stumps. Monty Panesar, often the unwanted man of English cricket, opened the bowling with Jimmy Anderson but was soon bowling in tandem with Graeme Swann and post tea, they carved the Indians up. It was left armer Panesar who did the most damage, taking 5-61 as only Gautam Gambhir stayed the course with a obdurate half century. For Panesar, its his 12th five wicket performance and his second 10 wicket match.
India finished only 31 in front and although Gambhir and Harbhajan are fighters, this looks an unlikely game to win now.
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| Ross Taylor 119x |
It was a long hard day for Sri Lanka in Colombo after losing the toss, taking two wickets in the first twenty minutes and then failing to create any further chances.
This was New Zealand cricket played the way captain Ross Taylor likes it - long, slow innings at less than three runs an over. Don't get out, don't take risks. Unfortunately, New Zealand aren't usually technically good enough to pull it off. On a first day pitch which offered nothing to Sri Lanka's trump card, it worked, as Taylor and Kane Williamson added an unbeaten 209 for the third wicket. Taylor raised the bat for his eight Test century and his second on the sub continent, not long after tea. Williamson is still to get there and if he does, it will be a relief. The talented youngster has had indifferent form since his heroic unbeaten 102 against South Africa at the Basin Reserve last March.
Unfortunately, the nature of the Kiwi batting is such that once this partnership is broken, the rest are likely to follow and New Zealand may still fail to make 300.
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