A rapid, Man-of-the-Match century by stand-in West Indies U19 captain Matthew Nandu was enough to leave a hapless Papua New Guinea floundering in the plate quarterfinals of the ICC U19 World Cup in Diego Martin today. And not content to have taken the opposition bowlers for 128 off only 134 …
Read More »T2021 W/C: WI in trouble after 8-wkt loss to S/Africa despite de Kock pull-out after refusing ‘the knee’
South Africa star Quinton de Kock’s refusal to take the knee today in a now commonplace gesture against racism, even at the expense of his place in the squad, is likely to have a long-term effect on his team’s chances at the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. Today, though, the …
Read More »Best: Pollard’s West Indies fall short; changes coming for Australia next week?
Twice between overs 15 and 20 in this deciding T20I at the Grenada National Stadium on Saturday, different South African bowlers had a chance to take three wickets in three balls. Neither did. But thwarting the hat-trick could not prevent Kieron Pollard’s eighth-placed World T20 Champions West Indies from going …
Read More »Pollard powers West Indies to 2-all against South Africa, with Bravo moment at the death
With three overs left in the innings and the South Africa batsmen needing 42 runs for a series-sealing win, Kieron Pollard summoned Dwayne Bravo to bowl the last of his four overs. It took only one ball for him to decide the outcome of Thursday’s Game Four at the Grenada …
Read More »Are Pollard’s WI biding their time or do they simply not have the goods to beat Bavuma’s Proteas?
The time to be in front, every sportsman knows, is at the end. But that knowledge is unlikely to unduly trouble South Africa’s white ball cricket captain, Temba Bavuma. At the end of Tuesday’s third T20I between his troops and Kieron Pollard’s West Indies, the Proteas had their noses in …
Read More »West Indies flatter when they bowl but Proteas flatten them with the ball
Kieron Pollard’s West Indies came roaring back to restrict South Africa to 167 for 6 in Sunday’s second T20I at the Grenada National Stadium. It was a few runs more than the target to which they cruised for the loss of only two wickets and with five overs to spare …
Read More »Best: Brathwaite’s West Indies lose it; whom the gods wish to destroy?
Just after 11.30 am with lunch approaching, Kyle Mayers, on 34, tried to club Kagiso Rabada over midwicket. A problem? Well, the ball was just short of a good length and, more importantly, well outside off-stump. It was not the first time; in the second innings of the First Test, …
Read More »Vice-captain Blackwood follows Virat Kohli’s lead and gets his numbers up
Do the math. Kraigg Brathwaite’s West Indies were only half as good as Dean Elgar’s South Africa in the first innings of the Second Test match in St Lucia. Facing a 149-run deficit, WI will have to bowl out of their skins to avoid having a mountain to climb on …
Read More »De Kock, S/African pacers shine as Proteas make light work of woeful WI
Dean Elgar’s seventh-ranked South Africa needed only seven sessions to coast past Kraigg Brathwaite’s feckless West Indies in the First Test in St Lucia on Saturday. Well-deserved five-fers by the frontline quicks in both innings and a long-awaited, well-paced century by former South Africa skipper Quinton de Kock made the …
Read More »W/Cup addict: The major message of Morgan’s massacre: England mean business!
Eoin Morgan’s England hit 25 sixes off Afghanistan! And Morgan alone hit 17 of them. And just four fours! Don’t rub your eyes, there’s no mistake. 4 x 4, 17 x 6! That is what the England captain produced in a blistering, whirlwind of an innings during his team’s 150-run …
Read More »Aussies too good for Sri Lanka; Afghans too bad to beat South Africa
Australian captain Aaron Finch smashed his way to a tournament-best century against Sri Lanka at the Oval in London earlier today to power his side to the top of the ten-team table. And his opposite number, Dimuth Karunaratne, fell just three runs short of his own century but his side …
Read More »W/Cup addict comments: Scoreboard pressure does buss pipe; South Africa’s chances down the drain?
Sunday 9 June. India and Australia, their places almost reserved in the final four of the 2019 World Cup, are trying to settle the pecking order. The Indian innings is almost at an end. And already, with six balls still left, Australia are going to have to put together the …
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