Asia survive a Pollock scare
CRICKET: Shaun Pollock smashed a maiden one-day century, but
failed to stop Asia from posting a 34-run win over Africa in the first
match of the Afro-Asia cricket series here on Wednesday.
The South African scored a robust 130 as his team were restricted to
283 while chasing a stiff 318-run target under lights to concede a 1-0
lead in the three-match series.
Africa were wobbling at 31-5 before all-rounder Pollock led the
recovery with a brilliant innings under pressure. He received valuable
support from Zimbabwean Elton Chigumbura (40) and Kenyan Thomas Odoyo
(39).
Pollock, playing only as a batsman after undergoing a foot surgery
recently, gave many anxious moments to the Asian team as he put on 67
for the eighth wicket with Chigumbura and 103 for the next with Odoyo.
The South African reached his hundred in style, hitting Pakistani
fast bowler Mohammad Asif for a four. He struck one six and 19 fours in
his 110-ball knock.
Asia’s total owed much of its substance to Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf
(66) and skipper Mahela Jayawardene (65), who put on 94 for the fourth
wicket to prop up the innings. Yousuf also became the third Pakistani
batsman to complete 8,000 runs in one-day internationals during his
74-ball knock after the retired duo of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saeed Anwar.
Asian pacemen Asif (3-57) and Zaheer Khan (2-43) then raised hopes of
an easy victory when they shared five early wickets in their lively
opening spells to put Africa under pressure.
But Pollock, who turns 34 next month, made the Asian side struggle
for wickets as he batted confidently against both pace and spin before
being the last man out. Africa’s batting woes began with the second-ball
dismissal of opener AB de Villiers, who was bowled by an Asif delivery
that cut in sharply.
Skipper Justin Kemp, Loots Bosman, Steve Tikolo and Boeta Dippenaar
then fell in quick succession to leave their team in deep trouble.
The Asian batting earlier never looked under pressure as Jayawardene,
Yousuf and the Indian trio of Virender Sehwag (45), Sourav Ganguly (32)
and Yuvraj Singh (31) made merry on a good batting track.
Sehwag and Ganguly had put the Asian side on course for a big total
with a brisk 68-run stand for the second wicket off just 49 deliveries.
Jayawardene, who led Sri Lanka to the World Cup final in April, and
Yousuf then built on the Indian duo’s efforts to ensure the African side
chased a stiff target.
The remaining two day-night matches will be played in Chennai on
Saturday and Sunday.
ASIA - 317/9
AFRICA
A.D. de Villiers b Asif 4
L. Bosman c Jayawardene b Zaheer 2
B. Dippenaar b Zaheer 10
S. Tikolo hit wkt b Asif 5
J. Kemp b Asif 5
M. Boucher b Jayasuriya 25
S. Pollock c Yousuf b Mortaza 130
A. Morkel c Dhoni b Jayasuriya 9
E. Chigumbura c Yousuf b Jayasuriya 40
T. Odoyo c sub (Tharanga) b Harbhajan 39
M. Morkel not out 4
Extras (b1, lb5, nb2, w2) 10
TOTAL (47.5 overs) 283
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (De Villiers), 2-15 (Dippenaar), 3-18 (Bosman),
4-26 (Tikolo), 5-31 (Kemp), 6-77 (Boucher), 7-87 (A. Morkel),
8-154 (Chigumbura), 9-257 (Odoyo).
BOWLING: Mohammad Asif 10-0-57-3, Zaheer Khan 9-2-43-2,
Mortaza 6.5-0-57-1, Harbhajan 10-0-54-1,
Jayasuriya 10-0-52-3, Yuvraj 2-0-14-0.
BANGALORE, India,
Thursday, AFP |
