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Rest of South Africa 255 for 8 (Rudolph 72*, Morkel 57) beat Indians 218 (Dravid 79, Steyn 5-22) by 37 runs
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The Indians’ tour of South Africa got off to an embarrassing start earlier this week when they were forced to set off without any official tour kit, and it hardly got any better when they lost their tour warm-up, going down to a Rest of South Africa side by 37 runs at Benoni.While the loss only three days before the opening match of the five-ODI series was not the ideal start, the real concern was the manner of the defeat. Only a face-saving seventh-wicket stand of 82 from 105 balls between Rahul Dravid and Irfan Pathan saved India from humiliation as they slid to 82 for 6 in reply to the home side’s 255 for 8.The damage was done by Dale Steyn, a fast bowler who the Indians are likely to see much more of before the tour is out, who took 5 for 22. Although he is earmarked as a Test specialist, he bowled at up to 150kph and sent a clear message to the selectors. In his first spell he removed Sachin Tendulkar and Wasim Jaffer – Jaffer only played in place of Virender Sehwag, who needed stitches in a hand after misjudging a catch in fielding practice shortly before the game.In his second two-over spell Steyn dimissed MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina in three balls and his pace was too much for both. He softened up Dhoni with a short ball then trapped him leg-before with a fuller delivery before Raina could only fend a lifting delivery to short leg. In his final spell Steyn bowled Dravid, who was ninth man out after a solid 99-ball 79.Steyn has played in only four one-day internationals and was dropped after the tour of Australia last season because he was too expensive. However, he conceded only 12 runs off the bat, with seven wides and three no-balls making up the rest of the runs against him.Apart from Dravid’s innings, there was encouragement for the Indians in the form of Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan on their returns to the one-day team. Both were easily the most impressive Indian bowlers. Zaheer, whose most recent one-day international was against Pakistan in February, took 3 for 44 in ten overs. Kumble, who has been out of one-day international cricket since playing for Asia against Africa in South Africa in August 2005, took 2 for 31.

He grabbed two wickets with successive balls as the Rest slipped to 116 for 6 in the 31st over before Jacques Rudolph (72*) and Albie Morkel (57) lashed 96 off 100 balls for the seventh wicket. Morkel skied a catch off Zaheer, but Rudolph carried on hitting out as another 43 runs were scored off the final 19 balls of the innings.Morkel had been due to be 12th man for the Rest but got his chance to play when it was agreed before the match that both sides could use a dozen players, although only 11 could bat or be on the field at any time. The decision enabled the Indians to field an extra player to get match practice ahead of the ODI series. It meant that the match would not have official List A limited-overs status – and also enabled the home side to finish with a much better total than might have been the case.The Indian bowlers took some heavy punishment in the closing overs with Munaf Patel conceding 36 runs off his last two overs and Sreesanth being hit for 44 off his final four.Steyn ensured that India were never in with a realistic chance of winning, even though Dravid and Pathan gave them a glimmer of hope.”There are areas where we can get better,” Dravid said afterwards. “We’re a pretty young side. Some of the young batsmen and bowlers are learning. It’s not an easy place to play cricket, especially if you come straight from India. It is just the start of the tour and there will be better performances as the tour goes on.”Ashwell Prince, who led the Rest of South Africa, was delighted. “We wanted to give them a tough game,” he said. “They have found it tough touring here in the past and we wanted to make sure we didn’t give them any freebies early in the tour.”

The Professional Cricketers’ Association, the body that supports players in England, is continuing to push for a reduction in the number of overs bowled in Championship matches.Players have given their full backing to the proposal to cut the amount of play in a Championship day from 104 to 96 overs, which would also reduce the length of playing time from six and half to six hours. There is also a move to allow the new ball to be taken at 80 overs, bringing the domestic game in line with Test cricket.These proposals have been discussed throughout the season and again at the PCA’s AGM, held at the Belfry on Monday.The standard of second eleven cricket was also debated and the players acknowledged that it was a vital part of the domestic game, providing a feeder system into the first-class arena. However, there is a serious concern about the level and standard of the matches with many second team games played on poor pitches and small outgrounds.Amongst other topics discussed were general employment concerns with regard to minimum wage levels and the implementation of a standard appraisal policy across all counties.A statement added: “The PCA will be working closely with the ECB on the future structure of our domestic game prior to the next broadcasting agreement, and all stakeholders on the issues discussed, to ensure our game continues to move forward positively and in order that our national team remain at the forefront of world cricket in all formats.”

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How they were out

Muttiah Muralitharan became the second bowler in history to claim 600 Test wickets during the third afternoon of the Bogra Test as Sri Lanka seized control and paved the way for a certain 2-0 series win. Set a modest 120-run target after a disciplined allround display in the field, Sri Lanka finished on 77 without loss when, bizarrely, the umpires left the field for bad (but not dangerous) light with seven overs still to be bowled.When Sri Lanka return on Saturday morning, Upul Tharanga (48 not out) will aim to follow his marathon first innings century with another half-century, having unleashed a string of beautifully timed offside strokes in the final session. For the third successive night, he walked off the field unbeaten. His partner, Michael Vandort, was more crabish and uncertain on 22 not out when the umpires called it quits.As was the case in the Chittagong Test, Bangladesh wilted in the second innings having conceded an 82-run lead – not mountainous but useful on a pitch offering the kind of pace, bounce and turn that makes Muralitharan almost impossible to hold at bay. When the day started, he appeared destined to join Shane Warne’s 600 club and the only surprise was that he claimed only two more scalps to his five in the first innings, finishing with 7 for 141 in the series.His latest milestone came after lunch as Khaled Mashud (6) top-edged a sweep to Lasith Malinga at deep square leg. Muralitharan watched the ball like a hawk and then broke out into the widest of smiles as his team-mates – well-versed when it comes to the celebration of Muralitharan milestones – engulfed him. Muralitharan appeared delighted but not psyched. His jubilation at ending the Bangladesh innings, allowing him to put his feet up, was perhaps even more pronounced.Muralitharan’s bowling efforts (2 for 62) were overshadowed by the bowling of the new ball pairing, Malinga and Dilhara Fernando, both of whom finished with identical figures (3 for 51). Malinga Bandara, as he has throughout the tour, provided a steady supporting hand with two important wickets after lunch to break through the middle order and into the tail.

The only substantial Bangladeshi resistance was provided by Habibul Bashar, who led from the front, following his first innings 69 with another skilful and positive 73. Mohammad Rafique, a loyal servant for Bangladesh cricket with his complete commitment and allround skills, raised the spirits of the crowd with a swashbuckling 64 from 78 balls – a hard-hitting display that included three sixes and heavy punishment for Muralitharan.Unfortunately, for Bangladesh, Bashar and Rafique’s budding partnership of 52 was cut short by a poor lbw decision – not quite as bad as Sangakkara’s the previous morning but still sliding down the legside. The pair, after the fall of the prodigiously talented Mohammad Ashraful, were Bangladesh’s last realistic chance of setting a competitive target. Despite some late Rafique fireworks, they duly ended well-short of what was needed.Earlier, Bangladesh needed to dismiss Sri Lanka early in the morning and they did just that as Malinga fended off a nasty Shahadat Hossain bouncer to short leg. The breakthrough ended what had been a frustrating 42-run ninth- wicket stand for Bangladesh. It also enabled Shahadat to end with a five-wicket haul, the first by a Bangladesh fast bowler in Tests. Tharanga’s long vigil came to an end shortly after as he glanced down the legside and was acrobatically caught one-handed by a diving Khaled Mashud. Tharanga finished with 165 from 304 balls having hit 19 fours and two sixes.Back in the field, Jayawardene used Fernando instead of Farveez Maharoof with the new ball, adding extra teeth to the attack and putting the Bangladesh openers under early pressure. But it was Malinga, swinging the ball away, that struck first as Nafees Iqbal gloved a lifting delivery. Javed Omar was also surprised by the extra bounce and was caught down the legside.Muralitharan needed only two warm-up overs to take wicket- number 599 as Shahriar Nafees, for the second time in the match, threw his wicket away with a wild legside hoick, a dreadful shot that would have left his coach, Dav Whatmore, fuming back in the dressing room.After lunch, Ashraful edged low to slip where Jayawardene took a sharp reflex catch – the 100th of his career. Two balls later, Sangakarra clung onto a thick edge after a juggling act to dismiss Mushfiqur Rahim for a duck. Muralitharan was then drafted back into the fold, quickly taking his 600th scalp. After that, it was just a matter of time before Sri Lanka polished off the lower order.

Sri LankaLasith Malinga c Iqbal b Hossain 12 (305 for 9)
Upul Tharanga c Mashud c Hossain 165 (316 for 10)
BangladeshNafees Iqbal c Sangakkara b Malinga 2 (15 for 1)
Javed Omar c Sangakkara b Fernando 13 (29 for 2)
Shariar Nafees c Maharoof b Muralitharan 6 (46 for 3)
Mohammad Ashraful c Jayawardene b Banadara 13 (95 for 4)
Mushfiqur Rahim c Sangakkara b Bandara 0 (95 for 5)
Khaled Mashud c Malinga b Muralitharan 6 (110 for 6)
Habibul Bashar lbw Malinga 73 (162 for 7)
Shahadat Hossain b Fernando 8 (187 for 8)
Enamul Haq c Sangakkara b Fernando 3(198 for 9)
Mohammad Rafique c Muralitharan b Malinga 64 (201 for 10)

South Africa announced a packed international and domestic 2007-08 season, which includes as many as seven international tours for the national team, the inaugural World Twenty20 Championship as well as the regular domestic calendar.The season begins with South Africa’s first tour to Ireland, which begins this week, for a series of ODIs against the hosts and India. The squad, captained by Jacques Kallis, includes a number of new players.Subsequently, there are tours to Pakistan, Zimbabwe, India and Bangladesh, while New Zealand and West Indies are due to visit South Africa. In September, before the tour to Pakistan, they host the first Twenty20 championship.Gerald Majola, CEO Cricket South Africa, said, “This is going to be a bumper season for South African cricket, both domestically and internationally. The new season, which kicks off with the tour to Ireland this month, will include seven international tours and the hosting of the inaugural World Twenty20 South Africa in 2007.”We believe that the Twenty20 format is going to bring in a new audience for cricket, and we believe this interest will spread to other forms of the game. On the international front, we will be using this season to increase the pool of Proteas players so that we can meet the challenges of this busy 2007/8 season.”

While the British media could hardly contain their praise of Monty Panesar in the aftermath of the Old Trafford Test, it fell to Duncan Fletcher, England’s coach, to pour cold water on the celebrations.”Monty bowled very well, no doubt about it,” Fletcher told reporters. “The wicket really suited the spinner and quite often you get on a wicket like that and try too hard. He bowled a good line and length and spun the ball on occasions a great deal.”But he then made it clear that Ashley Giles, who has not bowled a ball in anger all summer, was not out of the Ashes reckoning. “Let’s have a look at Monty when he bowls on other wickets and let’s make a decision when Gilo is ready,” Fletcher said. “It was a good wicket for Monty to bowl on and he bowled damned well.”But what wickets are we going to play on? Would we need Monty on a green top? We have to look at the balance of the side and it’s very important that we look at Monty on wickets that don’t help him as much as it did today.””I think Monty is a very good bowler, but we have to produce 11 players who can produce two of the departments efficiently, whoever is playing for England,” said Fletcher. “I still have slight reservations about his batting and his fielding, but he’s an outstanding bowler and doing a job for us because there’s no-one else at the moment who can fulfill that role. He needs to work hard at it because if you work hard at your fielding you can really improve that a great deal. It’s not easy to turn you into a No.6 batter, but I just think you need to work at those two areas.” Giles, capable of taking some sharp catches in the gully, had developed into a handy lower-order batsman with an average just over 20.Fletcher’s remarks were in direct contrast to those of Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach and a former England allrounder. “I thought Panesar’s performance was terrific,” he enthused on Saturday. “He has loop, in-dip, spins the ball, beats people on both sides of the bat without actually having the doosra.”He is a very fine prospect. If he bowls like this, he could do well in Australia, too, because the wickets are more bouncy there. He’s the proper article, the bee’s knees.”Woolmer also dismissed claims that Panesar was something of a figure of fun. “The crowd might think he’s a bit of a joke but we don’t think of him like that. What the crowd should do is take him seriously because he’s right up there with the classic English spinners. People laughed at his fielding but that looks like it has improved.”Meanwhile Giles, speaking on BBC Radio’s Sportsweek programme, admitted he had a fight on his hands. “Monty is the man in possession and I have to get my place back – that’s the danger if you do get injured. My recovery is going OK, it is just frustrating. I cannot bowl and cannot run but the rehab is going well. It is going to be another four or five weeks until we reach that point.” Giles also paid a generous tribute to Panesar, saying: “Monty is a brilliant technician and works extremely hard. He is able to land the ball in good areas and put batsmen under pressure.”

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