From M R Mishra

KANPUR, Nov 21: Andrew Hall gave a remarkable display of patience and concentration to crack a record-breaking maiden century as South Africa batted their way to a commanding position in the first cricket Test against India here today.............more

Warne, McGrath bowl
Aussies to innings win

BRISBANE, Nov 21: New Zealand collapsed to an innings and 156-run defeat in the first cricket Test here today, demoralised by a crushing Australian innings lead and routed by the world champions’ inspired bowling.................more

Laxman suffers
knee injury

KANPUR, Nov 21: Veteran Indian player V V S Laxman today limped off the ground after he was hit on the knee while fielding on the second day of the first cricket test against South Africa here..........more

My job is only
half done: Hall

Having scored a career-best 163 in his new role as an opener, South Africa’s Andrew Hall today said his job was only "half-done" since he was keen to contribute with the ball as well in the first cricket Test against India here.........more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 21: Kathua Stadium XI today inflicted a humiliating 74 runs defeat on star-studded side of National Cricket Club (NCC) in the ongoing cricket tournament at Science College, here.............more

National Karate
Games conclude

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 21: Ist National Karate Games, organised by J&K Sports Karate Do Association under the banner of School Games Federation of India (SGFI) came to an end at Green Field ground, here today.................more

Damnesh Club wins
opening match in Pt
Trilochan Dutt cricket

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 21: Damnesh Cricket Club (DCC) won the opening match of Pt. Trilochan Dutt memorial cricket tournament beating Golden Cricket Club (GCC)...........more

Double title for young
Baljeet in Poonch TT

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

POONCH, Nov 21: Young Baljeet Singh clinched both men and junior boys singles titles in the district Poonch table tennis championship which was concluded......more

PG Law and Sciences enter inter-college cricket final ......

Kartik blames lifeless pitch for spinners’ failure ......

Hall’s maiden ton puts South Africa in driver’s seat

From M R Mishra

KANPUR, Nov 21: Andrew Hall gave a remarkable display of patience and concentration to crack a record-breaking maiden century as South Africa batted their way to a commanding position in the first cricket Test against India here today.

The right-handed hall slipped into the new role of an opener with consummate ease to score a career best 163 and take the tourists to a comfortable 459 for seven in their first innings at close on a dreary second day.

The 29-year-old played the sheet anchor’s role to perfection as he occupied the crease for a marathon 588 minutes and achieved the milestone of becoming South Africa’s highest individual Test scorer on Indian soil on a highly frustrating day for the hosts who could manage to take just three wickets.

Debutant Zander De Bruyn also made it a memorable Test for himself as he mixed caution with aggression to score a 206-ball 83, which included six fours and three sixes, on a slow track at the Green Park Stadium.

Shaun Pollock was batting on 31 and wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile was giving him company on five at stumps. This was the highest first innings total recorded by any visiting team at this venue.

The Indian bowlers were made to toil hard to get any success on the placid pitch though veteran leg spinner Anil Kumble had the satisfaction of recording his 28th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

The famed Indian batsmen will now have to brace themselves up for chasing a mammoth first innings total as, apart from the two not out batsmen, spinner Robin Peterson was also regarded as a decent batsman.

With three full days left, it remains to be seen whether the South African captain Graeme Smith will declare the innings by the first hour’s play tomorrow and have a go at the Indian batsmen who have been a pale shadow of themselves in recent times.

Resuming at the overnight score of 230 for four, the South Africans lost Boeta Dipenaar (48) early in the day but it turned out to be tough going for the hosts from there on.

The Indians took the second new ball after 93 overs and both Zaheer Khan and captain Sourav Ganguly Ganguly obtained some movement from the slow track to repeatedly beat the batsmen in the first hour’s play.

Ganguly claimed the wicket of Dipenaar inducing him to edge an outgoing delivery to Dinesh Kaarthick behind the stumps. Dipenaar faced 127 balls during his knock of 48 which came in 154 minutes and was laced with five boundaries.

De Bruyn appeared a trifle shaky in the initial stages but gradually grew in confidence to ensure that no more wickets fell in the pre-lunch session which saw the visitors adding 72 runs to their overnight tally.

The Proteas managed to add just 28 runs in the first hour’s play but accelerated the pace of scoring to some extent after the drinks break.

Hall swept Kumble to the fine leg fence to notch up his maiden century after batting for a marathon 436 minutes. He eclipsed his previous highest score of 99 not out achieved against England at the Leeds in 2003.

Harbhajan Singh was introduced into the attack immediately after the drinks break but the off spinner could not really make much of an impact against the two well-set batsmen on the slow pitch.

Hall achieved the statistical milestone of becoming South Africa’s highest scorer on Indian soil before he fell to Kumble for 163 which served as the backbone of the South African innings.

Hall, generally an attacking batsman, curbed his natural strokeplay to play a disciplined knock as he occupied the crease for a marathon 588 minutes and faced as many as 454 balls. His heroic effort contained 17 boundaries.

The wily Kumble brought an end to his vigil by knocking down his stumps around the legs much to the relief of the home team which toiled hard to break the sixth wicket partnership.

The pair of Hall and De Bruyn stitched 144 runs for the sixth wicket to put their team in the driver’s seat in the post-lunch session which saw the home team get only one wicket trough Kumble.

Kumble recorded his 28th five wicket haul in Test cricket when he scalped hall, who paid the price for trying to play inside the line and losing his leg stump in the process. (pti)

Warne, McGrath bowl Aussies to innings win

BRISBANE, Nov 21: New Zealand collapsed to an innings and 156-run defeat in the first cricket Test here today, demoralised by a crushing Australian innings lead and routed by the world champions’ inspired bowling.

The Kiwis, on top after the first two days, never recovered after Australia surged back from 128 for four chasing 353 to score 585 and seize a decisive 232-run innings lead.

Man-of-the-match Michael Clarke (141) and Adam Gilchrist (126) shared a record 216-run partnership for the sixth wicket and tailenders Glenn McGrath (61) and Jason Gillespie (54) posted Test-best scores in a 114-run last-wicket stand to wrest control from the Kiwis.

New Zealand were routed with Nathan Astle topscoring with 17 in their lowest innings in a Test in Australia.

New Zealand’s previous lowest Test innings was 121 in Perth in 1980-81.

Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker Shane Warne captured 4-15 off 10.2 overs to take his world record tally to 549.

Mcgrath started the ball rolling with the first three wickets and finished with 3-19 off eight overs and Gillespie claimed 2-19 off 10 overs.

The Kiwis were in trouble from the opening over with Mark Richardson prodding at a McGrath swinger and edging a catch to Gilchrist.

McGrath, his confidence brimming after his batting heroics, claimed Mathew Sinclair to a dubious LBW decision by Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar for a duck and skipper Steve Fleming went in McGrath’s fifth over, caught by Justin Langer for 11 after scoring a duck in the first innings.

Warne struck with a LBW decision on Scott Styris for seven and at lunch the Kiwis were 42 for four off 18.1 overs.

It got no better after lunch with astle offering Warne his 100th Test catch off Michael Kasprowicz and first-innings centurion Jacob Oram was the unluckiest of the Kiwi batsmen in the mode of his dismissal.

He attempted to sweep warne on eight but the ball ballooned to Matthew Hayden at slip to leave the tourists at 55 for 6.

Wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum was out to a howler of a decision by West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor, who gave him out caught behind even though he did not connect with the ball.

Mccullum walked away from the wicket without a murmur as the Australians rejoiced around him.

Craig McMillan had a brief confrontation with Gilchrist after a loud appeal for caught behind was not given by Bucknor, but next ball he was out for nine, LBW to Gillespie.

Warne wrapped up the test victory with Daniel Vettori caught at slip by Hayden and Chris Martin LBW for a duck.

Mcgrath and Gillespie carried on their last-wicket partnership for a further half-hour earlier this morning with McGrath advancing his overnight tally by seven runs before he was caught by Astle off Martin.

It took the 34-year-old fast bowler 102 Tests and 11 years to claim his first-ever Test half-century and he batted for 139 minutes with five fours and a six.

Gillespie also raised his first test 50 with an unbeaten 54 off 155 balls with seven boundaries.

Martin finished with 5-152 off 39.5 overs with off-spinner Daniel Vettori claiming 4-154 off 50 overs. (AFP)

Laxman suffers knee injury

KANPUR, Nov 21: Veteran Indian player V V S Laxman today limped off the ground after he was hit on the knee while fielding on the second day of the first cricket test against South Africa here.

Laxman was fielding close to the batsman in the first session when opener Andrew Hall drove leg-spinner Anil Kumble and the ball hit the player.

The 30-year-old left the ground immediately and did not take the field again the entire day.

Team sources said he was undergoing treatment and his condition is believed to be "not so serious". (PTI)

My job is only half done: Hall

Having scored a career-best 163 in his new role as an opener, South Africa’s Andrew Hall today said his job was only "half-done" since he was keen to contribute with the ball as well in the first cricket Test against India here.

"I am very happy to have scored a century as an opener, I see it as an achievement. But my job is half done as I want to make a contribution with the ball as well," Hall said after the second day’s play which saw the visitors piling up 459 for seven.

Hall’s knock of 163 was the highest individual score by a South African on Indian soil, eclipsing the previous record of Daryll Cullinan who had scored 153 not out in the Kolkata Test in 1996-97.

"In the past, I had been guilty of throwing away my wickets. The conditions were difficult to score as the ball was not really coming onto the bat, but I decided to occupy the crease for as long as possible," he said.

Asked how he motivated himself to play such a patient innings, hall said "it is a question of the mindset. I kept telling myself that my role was to stay at the wicket. It was self-motivation."

Hall said he had received a lot of support from his seniors, particularly Jacques Kallis, and their encouragement inspired him to perform.

"I have really worked hard for this tour and the support of the seniors have been of real help. It was difficult initially to play on this pitch, but once you got used to it, things became easier."

Asked whether the South Africans were playing for a draw by batting so slowly, hall said "nobody plays for a draw. Our focus is to win the match".

Hall also singled out debutant Zander De Bruyn for special praise saying he showed tremendous discipline and maturity to score a solid 83 in his maiden Test.

"I have played with Zander since my school days, we have played together for 15 years. He is a good friend and I feel happy for him. He is a tough guy and he showed a lot of patience and maturity. It’s great to have the partnership with him."

Hall said he was told on Thursday, two days before the start of the Test, that he would open the innings and he had mentally prepared to do the job.

"I had visualised myself as an opener and was determined to do well. Hopefully, I can get some more big knocks in the series. I had played my last Test in January so I wanted to make it count here. I didn’t want to put myself under pressure by negative thoughts". (PTI)

Kathua XI inflicts 74-run defeat on NCC

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 21: Kathua Stadium XI today inflicted a humiliating 74 runs defeat on star-studded side of National Cricket Club (NCC) in the ongoing cricket tournament at Science College, here.

Earlier, Kathua XI won the toss and decided to bat first. They made 197 runs for the loss of six wickets in the stipulated 30 overs, which, in reply, NCC could not chase and lost all their wickets at partly 123 in 26.2 overs.

Parshant played an excellent 34 ball 68 runs innings with the help of three sixes and seven boundaries. It was Parshant’s fire-brand innings that accelerated Kathua innings after openers, Tarsem and Chintu gave a confident start making 78 runs for the first wicket partnership.

Tarsem made 45 runs including two sixes and three boundaries while Chintu contributed 30 runs to the score. Nirdosh added valuable 22, followed by a good knock of unbeaten 13 by Sandeep. From NCC, Inderjeet Singh took two wickets while Shashi, Nishu, Sanjay Sharma and Shahid shared one wicket each.

Chasing a run-rate of over six-run per over, NCC made a bad start losing their first wicket with just four runs on board in shape of Pardeep Bali, who lost his wicket on duck. The bad beginning haunted NCC throughout their innings and they lost wickets on regular intervals including two on same score of 76. The whole side bowled out for 123 runs in 26.2 overs. From Kathua Stadium XI, Shallu, Rompy and Parshant shared two wickets each and Tarsem took one.

Parshant of Kathua Stadium XI was adjudged man of the match for his heroic innings of 68.

Pappu and Joginder Singh were umpires in today’s match. Next match: Vishal Cricket Club will meet TSCC at 9.30 am tomorrow.