Friday, Apr 18, 2003
Friday, Apr 18, 2003 |
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Cricket
By S. Dinakar
Jacques Rudolph glides Sanwar Hossain during his knock of 81 in the TVS Cup in Dhaka on Thursday. — Photos: N. Balaji
The South Africans finally got their new-ball combination right. A pair that will have a huge role to play in determining the country's cricketing fortunes over the next few years — Man of the Match Shaun Pollock and Mkhaya Ntini — was on the job. The opening bursts from Pollock and Ntini were quite the highlights of fifth TVS Cup league match between South Africa and Bangladesh here on Thursday, a game where the Proteas, who made 261 for five with Jacques Rudolph top-scoring with 81, romped home by 93 runs. The result also meant South Africa would clash with India in Sunday's final. For Bangladesh, it was the side's fourth successive defeat. There was a definite buzz about the South African new ball attack, and Pollock and Ntini gave the Bangladesh batsmen a torrid time. Pollock was taking the ball away from the right-hander at will, and when he brought the odd one back, the batsmen were caught napping. Teenage opener Mohammed Ashraful might have ventured down the track, and hit Pollock over his head, however, it was soon curtains for him when he pushed forward tentatively to a Pollock off-cutter and was struck in line. Pollock soon consumed the experienced Habibul Bashar, who too was done in by the incoming delivery. The former South African captain was proving a point. At the other end, Ntini gave the batsmen little respite. It was Ntini, in fact, who struck the first blow, getting Mehrab Hossain to nick a pacy away seamer to Mark Boucher; the 'keeper had a busy night pouching four more. The fact that Ntini now gets the ball to straighten or deviate away slightly has made him a more versatile customer; earlier he would just angle the delivery furiously into the right-hander from wide of the stumps. Well, after Pollock and Ntini had caused the early dents, Allan Dawson reduced Bangladesh to 29 for four, snaring Akram Khan outside the off-stump, and the host was effectively shut out of the contest.
Kapali's defiant knock
The Proteas subsequently took their foot off the pedal, their cricket lacking the same intensity, but Alok Kapali, who struck some expansive cover drives, and played well square off the wicket, did deserve some credit for a defiant 70. A knock that delayed the inevitable. There were three wickets for the lively Andrew Hall, who had come in for left-arm seamer Charl Willoughby in the eleven. Actually, the move also cleared the decks for Pollock opening the bowling. Earlier, Tapash Baishya, who can be nippy on occasions, struck soon after South Africa elected to bat. It was a prize scalp too. Herschelle Gibbs managed to edge a mild off-cutter on to his stumps before opening his account. Baishya could have sent back No. 3. Jacques Rudolph too, had Habibul Bashar at second slip, displayed better reflexes, when the southpaw nicked attempting a cut. From the pavilion end, left-armer Monjurul Islam, brought back in the side ahead of Tariq Aziz, settled into a steady line. The big-built Graeme Smith, strong off his legs, clipped and flicked with panache, and square-drove Baishya to the fence. After a rather hesitant start, gradually, Rudolph too got into his groove, smashing Monjurul to the cover-point fence, and finding his timing and range.
Rudolph shines
Batting has been a huge problem area for the Proteas, and Rudolph has been in picture for quite a while as somebody with talent. His temperament was questioned in some quarters though, and this tournament has presented him with an ideal opportunity to make the mental adjustment, needed to survive in international cricket. With Rudolph batting fluently, and Smith stroking the ball crisply, runs came at a good clip for South Africa, the second wicket pair, putting on 101 in 21 overs before Smith (67), who reached his half century in just 54 balls, drove outside the line of a delivery that straightened from allrounder Sanwar Hussain, inside edging on to his stumps. Sanwar had replaced Javed Omar in the side. While left-armer Mohammed Rafique, not a big spinner but someone who denies the batsmen width with his quicker, flatter variety, often angling rather than turning the ball across the face of the blade, was steady, leggie Alok Kapali was once again the pick. Kapali foxed Boeta Dippenaar in the air and dived to his right to pull off a smart return catch. And Mark Boucher found that hitting against the break was not exactly productive against the leggie. Rudolph (81) though was easing into his drives, and picking gaps square of the wicket, and looking good for his maiden hundred, when Sanwar got his off-break to bounce more than usual, forcing Rudolph to edge a cut into debutant wicket-keeper Mohammad Salim's gloves. Earlier, Salim's inclusion had generated a fair amount of heat, with the youngster being drafted in from outside the squad. Former captain Khaled Mashud's indifferent form was cited as a reason for his omission, however, there were indications that his attitude had come under scrutiny. Bangladesh appeared to have things under control before Neil McKenzie's useful innings, and Pollock's blitzkrieg towards the end, meant that they would have to chase a testing total under the lights. Pollock, who rattled up an unbeaten 38 off just 20 balls, struck two delightful sixes, one over long-off, and the other over long-on, as captain Khaled Muhmud went for 20 runs in the 48th over. The last five overs yielded 45 runs, and Muhmud, having a tough time in the tournament, and was heckled by a section of the crowd. India meets South Africa in the last league game on Friday, another day\night match. Sourav Ganguly is expected to lead the side, while left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan, nursing a hamstring injury, is likely to miss the clash. It remains to be seen whether the Indians risk off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, nursing a long-standing finger injury, or middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh, indisposed, in a battle of only academic interest. SCOREBOARD
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