Straight up Straight boundaries come easy to Sachin Tendulkar, with drives that look so simple and neat. But it was surprising to see him go for the slog. Stuart Clark pitched it short outside off, the ball was about 132kph, but Tendulkar, instead of pulling it square, swatted it straight over the umpire’s head.Bhajji cools down After the tirade of hostilities he’s faced on this tour, Harbhajan Singh’s had enough. While Tendulkar made the Australians sweat in the Brisbane heat, Harbhajan cooled himself down by sitting on an ice box. That must have surely helped him walk sedately to the crease amid the boos at the Gabba, home to Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds.Tackling Tendulkar Australians love bodily contact, and among their favorite sports are Australian rules football and rugby. Michael Clarke might be slim but he made use of his rugby skills to pin down the unstoppable Tendulkar. Gambhir pushed the ball towards mid-on and Clarke tried to stop it in his followthrough. One hurdle: Tendulkar was standing to his left . Clarke ended ramming straight into Tendulkar, who was turning back, and pinned him to the ground. Good ‘n you mate, the Aussies might have said; however, it didn’t stop Tendulkar from making runs.What might have been Ricky Ponting ordered his men into an onfield huddle before the match to outline his plans for the do-or-die encounter. The inspiration might have passed on to his players, but it wasn’t grabbed by the captain when Tendulkar fired a square drive on 7. Ponting had placed himself at a catching position in front of point and the ball sped to his right at a comfortable height, but it was going too quickly and didn’t stick. An amazing catch would have lifted the team; Ponting’s men had to look elsewhere for the spark.Paying the price Irfan Pathan was turning out to be ineffective against the Queenslanders Hayden and Symonds, who were steadily repairing the early damage done by Praveen Kumar. As Australia neared the 100-run mark, Pathan offered room and Hayden drove it hard towards cover. The batsmen ran for a tight single. Suresh Raina at short cover tried to intercept but it was Yuvraj who picked the ball at mid-off; he had a aim at the stumps but missed, and the throw beat Dhoni and headed to the boundary.
County Championship – Holders: SussexIt’s as you were with the most highly prized of the domestic trophies. Two divisions of nine teams with two promotion and relegation places. All matches are four days in duration with 104 overs per day except for the last which is 96. The new ball is available after 80, in line with Tests, but the tea interval is flexible; it is either taken at 4.10 or when 32 overs remain to be bowled.The points system also remains the same; 14 for a win and four for a draw, plus the eight bonus points available for batting and bowling. The extra batting points come at intervals of 200, 250, 300, 350 and 400 runs within the first 130 overs for the first innings. The bowling points are available for the same duration and are claimed at three, six and nine wickets down.Friends Provident Trophy (formerly C&G Trophy) – Holders: SussexThis competition has been known under so many guises and sponsors it is hard to keep track. Again it goes under a new name for 2007 and it’s the competition which brings with it the one significant change. After many complaints during last season there will now be a semi-final stage before the Lord’s final in August. This will enable more teams to stay in the running, leading to less dead matches if a side has couple of losses or early season washouts. The matches are played along international lines – 50 overs, white balls, coloured clothes – with one perplexing difference; there are a no Powerplays, just the traditional 15 overs of fielding restrictions. So much for replicating the higher level.However, this competition is also being used to trial the latest use of technology in cricket with both sides allowed to refer two decisions to the third umpire during an innings. Only the fielding captain or batsman involved can call for the TV replay, but each time the third umpire overrules them they lose one of their referrals. This will only be available in televised games, bringing suggestions that it will favour some teams over others, while there is skepticism among players as to how it will work.Twenty20 – Holders: LeicestershireThe regional stage remains for the qualifying section of the summer’s big-hitting extravaganza. There are eight matches in the group stages with extra derby encounters to keep the local rivalries alive. The top two from each region, plus the two best third placed sides, will move into the quarter-finals. The finals day is at Edgbaston on August 14 where both semis and the final will be completed.Pro40 – Holders: EssexThe final one-day tournament again takes in the second half of the season and continues as two divisions with either home or away matches against the other teams. There are two automatic promotion and relegation places with a third behind decided in a play-off between the seventh-placed team in division one and the third-placed team in division two. Last season Hampshire won the play-off against Glamorgan to earn promotion to the first division.So, that’s the four trophies on offer and now it’s the start of five months of action to find out who’ll get their hands on them.
49 oversIndia 230 for 6 (Raina 81*, Dhoni 38) beat England 226 (Pietersen 71, Strauss 61) by four wickets Scorecard and ball-by-ball updates How they were out
A nerveless 118-run stand between Suresh Raina, India’s latest teenage prodigy, and the wicketkeeper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, rescued India from a middle-order collapse and carried them to a comfortable four-wicket victory in the second one-day international at Faridabad.Chasing 227 for victory after losing the toss, India had stuttered from 61 for 0 to 92 for 5 in 11 overs of indiscretion, but Raina demonstrated maturity beyond his years to compile a superb unbeaten 81 from 89 deliveries. It was his first half-century in international cricket, but the deftness of touch that he showed on a tricky low-bouncing surface was clear evidence that it would not be his last.India had been in some disarray when Dhoni and Raina began a rearguard that blossomed into a gleeful gallop to victory. After a sprightly 61-run stand from Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, a mid-innings collapse had left England with victory in their grasp – for the second time in consecutive matches. But whereas the Delhi defeat had been of England’s own making, this time they were forced to bow to the brilliance of India’s sixth-wicket pair.Raina did offer one chance, on 20, when James Anderson leapt to his right in his followthrough and clung on magnificently, only for the ball to bobble out as his elbow jarred on the turf. But that was his only aberration. Two wristy stroked fours through the covers off Liam Plunkett and Andrew Flintoff had served notice of his class, but it was once he had passed fifty and brought victory into his sights that he really unfurled his shots. Kabir Ali disappeared for 15 runs in his final over – riches on this sluggish surface – including an outrageous sweep past fine-leg for four.Though it was Raina making the running, Dhoni’s contribution was equally invaluable. He had been rightly lambasted for the manner of his dismissal in the Mumbai Test, but here he was temperance personified. It wasn’t until he had been at the crease for 78 minutes that he scored his first boundary – a reverse-sweep off Ian Blackwell, who again enhanced his one-day reputation with a plucky spell of 2 for 38.Blackwell’s two wickets had bookended India’s collapse, with Sehwag starting things off by missing a sweep to be bowled behind his legs, and Yuvraj Singh chopping an attempted cut onto his off-stump for 18. In between whiles, Gautam Gambhir top-edged a horrid smear back to James Anderson and Mohammad Kaif fell lbw for a duck, but the big scalp was that of the captain, Rahul Dravid, who was run out in bizarre circumstances as he attempted to steal a single from a ricochet off the stumps.
Dravid’s departure left England fully believing they had the victory in their grasp, but ultimately they paid the price for their over-reliance on pace. The slow, low surface was tailor-made for spin, and to that end India had packed their side with four slow bowlers. The pick of these was Ramesh Powar, whose haul of 3 for 34 included a becalmed Andrew Strauss for 61, and the dangerous duo of Owais Shah and Andrew Flintoff. They contributed five runs between them, with Flintoff’s failure his first in eight international innings on the tour – his previous lowest score of 41 had come in the first ODI.Once again, England owed what little momentum they had to a barnstorming performance from Kevin Pietersen. He had made just 3 when Raina reprieved him in the deep, and went on to record 71 from 87 balls, with four fours and two sixes. The second of these maximums carried him past 1000 runs in one-day cricket in just 21 innings, thus equalling Viv Richards’s record, but he fell to his very next ball, as he attempted to pummel Yuvraj through midwicket.Without his guidance, England’s tail once again subsided meekly, with the last five wickets subsiding in seven overs and a blaze of big hits, as India’s seamers capitalised on the lack of pace and some increasingly desperate strokes. A total of 226 was not to be sniffed at, but Raina’s maturity beyond his years ensured that India will travel to Goa next week with a 2-0 lead in the bag.
England Matt Prior lbw b Harbhajan Singh 33 (66 for 1) Shaping across the line, beaten by turnOwais Shah c Dhoni b Powar 0 (71 for 2) Thin inside-edge onto pad, looped up to keeperAndrew Strauss b Powar 61 (135 for 3) Down the track, aiming through midwicket, beatenAndrew Flintoff st Dhoni b Powar 5 (143 for 4) Down the track, turned through the gatePaul Collingwood run out (Dhoni) 5 (174 for 5) Set off for quick single, sent back, beaten by 10-yard shyKevin Pietersen c Dravid b Yuvraj 71 (193 for 6) Hitting against the spin, flipped to midwicketIan Blackwell b Sreesanth 9 (214 for 7) Deceived by offcutterLiam Plunkett b Pathan 4 (221 for 8) Swing and a missGeraint Jones c Gambhir b Sreesanth 22 (223 for 9) Pulled to deep midwicketJames Anderson b Sreesanth 2 (226 for 10) Made room to slog, lost off stumpIndia Virender Sehwag b Blackwell 26 (61 for 1) Lining up the sweep, dragged onto stumpsGautam Gambhir c & b Anderson 29 (70 for 2) Horrid waft across the line, steepling top-edge to bowlerRahul Dravid run out (Collingwood) 5 (72 for 3) Jones’s shy deflected towards point, one remaining bail removed as fielder swoopedMohammad Kaif lbw b Plunkett 0 (80 for 4) Short ball, on the pull, didn’t get upYuvraj Singh b Blackwell 18 (92 for 5) Cutting sharp tweaker, under-edge onto stumpsMahendra Dhoni b Flintoff 38 (210 for 6) Hoick across the line, dragged on
Sachin Tendulkar could be ruled out of international cricket for 16 weeks after undergoing surgery in his left elbow. According to , Tendulkar was operated upon in London on Monday.Speaking about the surgery, Dr Andrew Wallace, the orthopaedic surgeon who examined Tendulkar, told the daily: “Sachin Tendulkar was admitted on Monday to the St John and St Elizabeth Hospital for treatment to his left elbow. He underwent a surgical procedure under local anaesthetic for a condition affecting the extensor tendons. The procedure was successful and there were no complications. He is expected to be discharged tomorrow and make a full recovery. He should be fit to play top-level cricket in approximately 16 weeks.”SK Nair, the BCCI secretary, added that the board was waiting for an update on the situation from John Gloster, the Indian team’s physiotherapist. Talking to AFP, Nair said: “We are waiting for a medical report as Gloster is also with Tendulkar in England.”Tendulkar has been bothered by a tennis elbow and missed plenty of cricket last year. If the recovery period does take as long as indicated, then Tendulkar will definitely miss the triangular one-day tournament in Sri Lanka which starts on August 1, and could also be ruled out of the tour to Zimbabwe in September. He should, however, be fit to take on the Australians in the Super Series, which will be held in October.
KwaZulu-Natal move to the top of the table, as Border rout Griqualand West in two days at East London.Super Sixes Day Two Reports Western Province 311 v KwaZulu-Natal 300 for 8 (Watson 58,HM Amla 50, AM Amla 75, Benkenstein 75) ScorecardDoug Watson and Hashim Amla both scored fifties to provide the ideal platform for Natal as they chased Western Province’s first-innings total of 311. Ahmed Amla, Hashim’s brother, and Dale Benkenstein continued the good work with another solid partnership before Ahmed was trapped lbw for 75. But Benkenstein also fell for 75 as Natal suffered a mini collapse, to close on 310 for 8.Free State 267 v North West 246 for 5 (Jacobs 131, van derWath 3-50) ScorecardDavey Jacobs’ sixth first-class hundred improved North West’s hopes of a first-innings lead, before rain brought play to an early close. Jacobs and Dirkie de Vos nearly batted all the way through the first session, before De Vos was caught behind for 47. North West ended the day on 246, 21 runs in arrears. After performing well with the bat, Johannes van der Wath showed his allround ability by taking three of the five wickets to fall.Border 266 and 41 for 3 beat Griqualand West 169 and 134(Langeveldt 5-42, Zondeki 4-53) by seven wickets ScorecardThirty-three wickets fell in two days at East London, as Border routed Griqualand West by seven wickets. After some early morning rain, Border were bowled out for 266, a lead of 97 runs. Charl Pietersen was unable to add to his overnight haul, finishing with 4 for 79. Griquas showed no resistance in their second innings as they were bowled out for 134, leaving Border a target of 38. Once again it was CharlLangeveldt who did the damage, taking another five-wicket haul to end the match with 10 for 84. Monde Zondeki weighed in with 4 for 53. Border suffered a scare for Border as theylost wickets in the first over, but they went past the target with seven wickets in hand.Shield Day One Reports Northerns 250 (Petersen 57, Aronstam 116*, Dros 66) vBoland ScorecardNortherns made a conservative start after being sent in to bat at Boland Park, losing two early wickets but consolidating through the efforts of Alviro Petersen, who made 57. Maurice Aronstam andGerald Dros then further consolidated the innings with a 100-run partnership of their own. Dros fell for 66 but Aronstam scored his maiden first-class hundred in only his second match. At the close Northerns had moved to 300 for 6 with Aronstam still at the crease.Gauteng 34 for 1 v Eastern Province ScorecardOnly 29 minutes of play was possible at the Wanderers, as bad light andinclement weather had the players off the field for most of the day. Eastern Province had put Gauteng in to bat, and they crawled to 34 for 1 in what little time was available.
Sulieman Benn might not yet be back to full fitness, but he’s doing a splendid job with the ball.The tall, left-arm spinner proved to be a handful for the Windward Islands here over the weekend and his seven wickets were the most by a Barbados bowler in their easy seven-wicket victory at the Arnos Vale Playing Field."I bowled relatively well and was backed up with some good fielding. I’m pretty pleased with my performance," he said.He played a supporting role to Ian Bradshaw and Ryan Hurley in the first innings when he took two wickets, but was Barbados’ spearhead in the second with an impressive five-wicket haul.Benn is still recuperating from a knee injury he sustained last November and there were times when moving around in the field, he appeared to be slightly uncomfortable."I’ve just come back off an injury, so there will be a little stiffness there, but I’m feeling good and okay to go for the whole season," he said.Since his return, his approach to the wicket has also had a change."I’ve got a different approach to the wicket because of back injuries and soreness to the back in the past. I altered the approach to the wicket and it is easy on the back. It helps me get the ball in the areas more consistently."Both captain Courtney Browne and coach Hendy Springer acknowledged the work of Benn."In the second innings, he was the last bowler used, but he wasn’t ruffled," Browne said. "He wasn’t worried about not bowling earlier. When he got the ball in his hand, he stuck to the task. His job was to get the guys out and he said he was going to do it."Springer added: "As I said earlier this year, although he had an injury, he was recuperating and some of the games he missed were because we were keeping him in cotton wool to represent Barbados and he did Barbados proud in this game."
Those who stayed at The County Ground after the heavy morning showershad prevented any play until 1.45pm, were bathed in sunshine and treated to some entertaining cricket.After slipping to 33 for 3 the Cidermen were rescued by a fourth-wicket stand of 77 between Pakistan Test batsman Aamir Sohail and Matthew Wood. The 20-year-old played a cameo innings of 39 before he was unlucky enough to fall to a reflex catch at short leg.Aamir Sohail spoke very highly of the youngster and told me: “Matthew Wood showed a lot of character out there. He played positive cricket, and hit the bad balls.”Of his own innings of 50 Sohail said: “It was OK, I haven’t played cricket at this level for 14 months; I was quite happy with it.”Chief Executive Peter Anderson was also pleased with the crowd, given the weather. “It rained at the wrong time for us,” he said, but went on: “We’re expecting another good gate on Sunday, and there should be some more exciting cricket to watch.”Somerset Cricket Museum has also had a lot of visitors during the last couple of days. “On Friday 275 people came through the doors, and today there have been over 200,” Museum Secretary Tony Stedall told me.
South Africa launched themselves onto the global football stage when hosting the 2010 World Cup and boast some of the most iconic players in African football history.
One-time winners of AFCON, Bafana Bafana have a special spot in football fans’ hearts thanks to that 2010 tournament, whether it be the sound of the vuvuzelas, the memory of K’naan’s Wavin’ Flag or the string of high-profile players to emerge from the country down the years.
But who is the greatest South African footballer of all time?
10 Siphiwe Tshabalala
Siphiwe Tshabalala racked up 90 caps for South Africa during his career, scoring 12 times, but his influence spans far beyond the numbers on the stat sheet courtesy of his stunning opening goal at the 2010 World Cup.
The versatile winger was part of the squad for three different AFCON campaigns, and was also nominated for FIFA’s Puskas award for that memorable strike against Mexico.
Known for his direct style of play, brilliant crossing and a wand of a left foot, he spent the majority of his club career at Kaizer Chiefs, winning the South African top flight twice during his time with the famous club.
9 Teko Modise
Teko Modise is one of the greatest PSL player of all time and starred for the national team during the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Part of the COSAFA Cup winning team of 2007, he was a perfect box to box midfielder, capable of linking play with his ball-carrying or creating chances with his passing.
His performances at AFCON and World Cup tournaments showcased his confidence and technical ability, and like Tshabalala his influence goes far beyond the pitch, as he was one of just ten worldwide players selected to wear a limited edition Nike Mercurial SuperFly boot alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba.
8 Itumeleng Khune
Itumeleng Khune is widely regarded as the nation’s greatest goalkeeper of all time.
His international legacy is defined by longevity and memorable tournament performances, representing the country at AFCON tournaments and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
His ball-playing ability, shot-stopping and leadership from the back were critical during periods when Bafana Bafana relied heavily on defensive stability.
Khune was also a three-time PSL winner with Kaizer Chiefs and the league’s player of the year in 2013.
7 Percy Tau
Percy Tau’s international impact is still growing, but his influence in recent years has been significant.
He has become a central figure in Bafana Bafana’s attacking setup and played a crucial role in South Africa’s third-place finish at the 2023 AFCON, scoring once in that campaign.
Tau’s performances at club level also reflect the modern evolution of South African football, becoming one of the few to play in the Premier League with Brighton and in the UEFA Champions League with Club Brugge.
6 Jomo Sono
Playing during an era when South Africa was isolated from FIFA competition, Jomo Sono’s career is not defined by statistics.
He became an unofficial global representative of South African football through exhibition matches and international leagues.
When Bafana Bafana returned to international football, Sono’s influence helped bridge generations, famously scoring four goals in a match against Argentina and serving as a player-manager and caretaker manager on multiple occasions.
At club level, Sono played for several iconic clubs in South Africa and the United States, while his son Bamuza later represented Bafana Bafana as well.
5 Steven Pienaar
Former Everton star Steven Pienaar
Steven Pienaar was a consistent and reliable presence for Bafana Bafana across several generations and has one of the most impressive high-level club careers of any African player, appearing in the Premier League over 200 times and in the Champions League on 27 occasions.
He represented South Africa at the FIFA World Cup and multiple AFCON tournaments, eventually captaining the national side.
While his club career often drew more attention, Pienaar’s versatility, work rate and leadership were vital in stabilising the national team during transitional periods, with 61 caps to his name.
4 Neil Tovey
Picture a good old fashioned defender and you picture Neil Tovey.
Racking up over 600 club appearances in South Africa, his international importance extends beyond his footballing ability. As captain of Bafana Bafana during the 1996 AFCON win, he led the team through pressure-filled matches with composure and authority.
His role as the first white captain in the post-apartheid era gave his leadership deep symbolic meaning, reinforcing unity at a crucial moment in the country’s sporting history, playing over 50 times for his country and captaining the side in more than half of those.
3 Doctor Khumalo
The man with the most appearances in Kaizer Chiefs history, Doctor Khumalo performances at club and international level make him one of the greatest African players of all time.
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His influence on the national team was built on control, creativity and intelligence, starring in midfield for nearly a decade. He was the creative heartbeat of the 1996 AFCON-winning side and a key figure in the 1998 AFCON final run.
Khumalo helped shape how Bafana Bafana were perceived – as a technical, intelligent footballing nation – and helped bring African football to a global scale, selected as an MLS all-star for his performances with Columbus Crew.
2 Benni McCarthy
Benni McCarthy is South Africa’s greatest goalscorer of all time, racking up 168 domestic league goals throughout a club career spanning 18 years and five countries.
As Bafana Bafana’s all-time leading scorer with 31 strikes in just 79 caps, he delivered in major tournaments and qualification campaigns, playing a key role in the 1998 AFCON silver medal and multiple World Cup appearances.
McCarthy gave South Africa a genuine world-class striker presence in international competition, and at club level won league titles with Ajax, Porto and Orlando Pirates.
1 Lucas Radebe
Lucas Radebe remains South Africa’s greatest footballer largely because of what he represented and delivered at international level.
As captain of Bafana Bafana, he was the defensive cornerstone of the historic 1996 AFCON victory and a leader during South Africa’s reintegration into world football.
His performances against elite international opposition, combined with his reputation on the wider football stage courtesy of over 200 appearances for Leeds United, left a lasting impact on African football as a whole.
Ranking The 10 Best Nigeria Football Players Of All Time
The Super Eagles boast some of the greatest African footballers of all time.
Two months into his Australian holiday, Yuvraj Singh finally showed up for work with a blistering 76 that set up India’s chase before Mahendra Singh Dhoni survived a tense finish to guide them to a two-wicket win. The result was particularly disappointing for Kumar Sangakkara, who spent nearly the entire match on the field – much of it batting in 38-degree heat – and posted a gutsy and exhausting 128 as Sri Lanka set India 239 for victory.Yuvraj departed with 81 still required and five wickets in hand but the captain Dhoni fought off leg problems, a sore finger and a swallowed fly to see them home. There were some late jitters as Irfan Pathan threw his wicket away, Praveen Kumar was caught hooking and Harbhajan Singh was trapped by Lasith Malinga’s inswinging yorker, but Sri Lanka had left their final run too late.Dhoni squirted the winning two through the off side with only five balls to spare after the mini-collapse of 3 for 20 caused some nervous moments. But Dhoni, who earlier this tour berated his batsmen for forgetting their roles, judged his innings perfectly and took no risks as he ran all 50 of his runs with no boundaries.It was an impressive result for India, who had crashed to 3 for 35 after their chase began with a searing, near-perfect 144kph outswinger from Malinga that clipped the top of Sachin Tendulkar’s off stump. But Yuvraj turned things around and he was so fluent it was hard to believe he was the same man who started his Australian trip with a dissent charge in the Boxing Day Test and suffered a downhill slide after that. He struck ten fours and a massive six over midwicket, and there was no safe place to bowl to him.A couple of superbly-timed cover-driven boundaries were accompanied by some classy whips through the leg side and a cracking lofted drive over mid-off when Farveez Maharoof overpitched. Not even a change of bats slowed his progress; the first ball with his new weapon was square-cut ferociously for four.But as incongruous as this innings was in the context of Yuvraj’s tour, his dismissal was just as unexpected given the batting masterclass he was delivering. Chaminda Vaas had only just replaced Maharoof, who was leaking runs, when he angled in a yorker that crashed into the stumps and nobody looked more surprised than Yuvraj. However, he made more runs in one innings than in all his Test and ODI efforts of the past two months combined and despite the late wobbles, India completed the triumph.Sangakkara was, not surprisingly, disappointed following his heroics. Unlike Yuvraj, Sangakkara has hinted throughout the CB Series that something special was coming. He came in three balls into Sri Lanka’s innings and was out from the final ball of the 49th over, by which time his body seemed about ready to pack it in.During the last few overs, following most runs down the pitch he was crouching to catch his breath, knowing he had 50 overs of wicketkeeping ahead of him. His fatigue was understandable; until a late blitz brought Sri Lanka 61 in the final eight overs Sangakkara had pushed within reach of his century with only five boundaries, which meant an awful lot of running.He was so intent on building a solid platform that when he swept a four off Harbhajan Singh in the 36th over it was his first boundary in 21 overs. Eventually he became more aggressive and lifted his run-rate to finish with 12 fours from his 155 deliveries as he posted his second-highest ODI score – his top three have all come against India.Not only was Sangakkara the man who rebuilt Sri Lanka’s innings, he was also the person India had to thank for two important wickets. Playing straight is generally regarded as a sound batting policy but Sangakkara must have been tempted to switch to cross-batted slogs after his straight-drives caused the run-outs of Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya.Jayawardene had combined with Sangakkara for a 153-run partnership and a race to triple-figures was on the cards when a drive clipped the fingers of Kumar and ricocheted onto the stumps, finding Jayawardene short on 71. The previous wicket had fallen the same way – Sangakkara’s straight shot glanced off Munaf Patel’s hand and a half-asleep Jayasuriya was dawdling out of his crease.Fortunately for Sri Lanka, there were 35 overs between those second and third wickets as India failed to capitalise on their strong start after they had Sri Lanka at 2 for 6 in the third over. Following Sangakkara’s effort – he was named Man of the Match – it seemed Sri Lanka’s shaky start had not hurt them, but their slow consolidation ensured India’s target was thoroughly gettable on an Adelaide pitch that did not worry the batsmen and Dhoni’s men moved one step closer to the CB Series finals.
Alun Evans and Hamish Marshall earned Northern Districts the State Championship title after batting Canterbury out of the game with a 149-run partnership. Evans, who made his first century of the season, was unbeaten on 104 and Marshall was on 80 when play was abandoned.The captains, James Marshall and Chris Harris, agreed to the draw – as good as a win for Northern Districts – at tea on the final day, with Canterbury needing an unlikely eight wickets and Northern Districts 116 for victory. It was Northern Districts’ first title since 1999-2000 and only their fifth in the competition’s history.Chasing 374, the home side eased to 258 for 2 at the last break. Hamish Marshall, who was expected to depart for the Caribbean as a World Cup replacement for Lou Vincent, made the most of his last innings before flying out.Marshall’s 113-ball effort featured 14 fours and left him second only to Michael Papps on the competition’s run tally in 2006-07. Evans was slower – he batted for nearly five hours – but he did all his side required after Brandon Hiini snared an early breakthrough late on day four.Northern Districts lost only one wicket on the final day, when Brad Wilson was bowled by Andrew Ellis for 43. The title completed a remarkable turnaround for Northern Districts, who last season finished on the bottom of the table with no victories.