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The Dolphins maintained a strong position on the second day of their clash with Cape Cobras at Paarl. They pushed their score on to 432, Hashim Amla leading the way with 137, as they took advantage of a flat pitch. Lance Klusener pitched in with an unusually measured innings of 35 to reverse what looked like a collapse as the Dolphins lost four wickets for 14 runs in the morning. The Cobras also found batting easy, reaching stumps on 109 for 1, Gerhard Strydom unbeaten on 58.The Lions will scent victory after they took control on the second day against Eagles at Potchefstroom. Resuming 57 runs behind the Eagles with six wickets in hand, the Lions took a 209-run lead ahead thanks to Matthew Harris’ first hundred at this level. He finished unbeaten on 135 and received strong support from the tail, the last four wickets putting on 146. The Eagles then lost three wickets for 47 and will need a big day tomorrow to stave off defeat.Only five wickets fell at East London on the second day, but the Warriors remained in a strong position against the Titans. Four half centuries from the Warriors batting line-up pushed their total to 442 for 9 declared, but they made only one breakthrough when it was their turn to bowl. Titans closed on 121 for 1.

England persevered with Andrew Flintoff, and India will persevere with Virender Sehwag© AFP

From being the toast of the country for becoming the first Indian to score a Test triple-century, Virender Sehwag has been brought back down to earth with a string of below-par performances in one-day cricket. Now we know why they say that six months is a long time in Indian cricket.Had an opening batsman failed in such a manner a few years ago, his house may have been tarred, and his car stoned. And a different coach might have put him out to pasture after doing his best to revitalise his game with a sharp word or two. But this Indian team works differently. John Wright, the coach, and Sourav Ganguly, the captain, have backed their players to the hilt.Just as it has taken England more than five years of investment to turn Andrew Flintoff from a lad with ‘potential’ to a potent strike force, this team has put their not-inconsiderable weight behind the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif. Now, it appears, they’re prepared to do the same with Sehwag.It is not as though the team has not taken note of Sehwag’s increasing frustration. Ganguly said that the Indians did have a chat with Sehwag. “We have spoken to him. You have to understand that he’s a strokemaker,” said Ganguly. “But he scores runs in Test cricket all around the world. It’s not fair to ask him to just go and defend, or leave balls outside the off stump. That’s not the way he plays and that’s not the way he has scored all his runs. He should probably bat the way he does in Test cricket. He should look to play the ball on merit rather than just trying to get the maximum runs straight away and accelerate.”The opening slot is still the place for Sehwag. The team’s decision to give Sehwag a go in the middle order was only a window of respite. The move did not quite have the desired effect, and India are moving Sehwag back to his original place. “He’s been opening all the time and he’s been exposed to the new ball and its not gone his way recently. Sometimes it helps if he can sit with his pads on and watch the play for a bit,” explained Ganguly. “It just changed the system which he has been going through for quite some time. The shine would go away a bit and the ball would get older by the time he came in to bat. The main bowlers would have finished 5-6 overs, whether it was Harmison or Gough. It was just a bit of a change for him so he could get runs, get his confidence back and get back to opening.”In the last three matches that Sehwag has played, he has found different ways to get himself out. At Trent Bridge he spooned Darren Gough to Michael Vaughan. At The Oval match he was late on the ball, and his lack of footwork caught him plumb in front of the stumps. In the final match, which India won at Lord’s, Sehwag dropped down to the middle order, but made just one run before popping a simple return catch to Ashley Giles. His scores were 4, 0 and 1, the cause of fierce media criticism being directed his way. At the moment, though, the Indian team are keeping the faith with his flashing blade.

South Africa 682 for 6 dec (Smith 259, Kirsten 108) beat England 173 (Ntini 5-75) and 417 (Flintoff 142, Ntini 5-145) by an innings and 92 runs
Scorecard
Graeme Smith
On South Africa’s performance: It was a fantastic team performance. The batting was superb and the bowlers did really well. They put in the hard work and were very disciplined.On Mike Finnegan, the motivational psychologist working with the team: He’s been working really hard on the mental side of our game. He joined up with us after the final. [And, to much laughter from assembled hacks:] He’s from England.On Makhaya Ntini, who shared the Man-of-the-Match award with Smith for taking ten wickets in the match: It was a superb effort by Makhaya. He always comes back from his bad overs and is always ready to bowl. He is superb and is an icon for the country.On his bowlers, whose workload increased after Dewald Pretorius was injured early in the game: Their fitness levels were tremendous. They never once moaned. They just said “give me the ball”.On the dressing-room celebrations after the game: There’s a lot of carnage. Lots of screaming and shouting, nobody really knows what to do. It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. Everyone is running around mad. It’s fantastic.On the third Test: It’s going to be a huge Test. If we can win there’s nothing stopping us.We will celebrate tonight but be humble tomorrow.Michael Vaughan
On England’s performance: We never got into the match. We have a lot to learn and a lot of hard work to do now. We have to pick ourselves up and put in a better display at Trent Bridge. I congratulate South Africa, but we were just not good enough over the four days.We’ve just had a meeting and everyone held their hands up and said we’re just not good enough. Our shot selection was poor, the disciplines with our bowling weren’t right and our catching was not up to scratch.On the road ahead: I’ve given them a talking to in the dressing room which was pretty down to the bone and maybe taught them a few facts which I thought they needed to know. Hopefully it will give them a gee up and get them ready and prepared for next Test.On the captaincy: To get hammered in your first Test as captain, to try and lift the team for the next game will be a huge challenge for myself and I’ll have to show huge character. I don’t think we were as hungry as South Africa. I can’t answer why and it is something that has to be addressed.It’s still a huge honour to captain your country.On team selection for the next Test: It’s easy for me to sit here and say of course we need a change but I’ll sit down in the next 48 hours, do a bit of thinking, where I think we went wrong, where I think we can improve and try and come up with some sort of plan.As to whether we look to the future or not, I don’t know. This week I’ll sit down and settle a few things with the selectors. At the minute I’m not a selector and David Graveney has been very good to say that, if I suggest something, they’ll take it on board.On the qualities an England Test player should have: First of all you need character, you have your good days and your bad days and you need a heck of a lot of character to bounce back . You need an immense attitude and somewhere there you need some ability. I genuinely think that to play at the highest level with the pressures you need a lot of character.On Andrew Flintoff, who hit an entertaining 142 on the last day of the match: [His innings] will definitely give him a boost. His shot selection was outstanding, he picked the right balls to hit.On Darren Gough, whose retirement from Test cricket is being speculated upon widely: If Goughie is going to retire he hasn’t told me. He’s had two years out of Test cricket and come back and bowled on two flat wickets. He’d probably be the first to admit he hasn’t had the best of rhythm but he’s been bowling against a guy in supreme form.On the possibility of Graham Thorpe returning to the side: If he’s right in his mind and personal life then I am sure the selectors will talk about him. He’s a fantastic player.

Puddles of boredom form at East London

©AFP

The Indian players are literally bored to death. They are waiting invain for the four-day match against South Africa ‘A’ to start afterthe first two days were washed down the drain by the incessant rain.Captain Sourav Ganguly is probably ruing the fact that he did not goto Kolkata to be with his wife and new-born daughter after all, whileConnor Williams and Harbhajan Singh cannot wait to see some action.Wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta has borrowed a book on Edmund Hillary fromRahul Dravid; by the looks of it, it must be inspiring stuff.The Indians still routinely go to the ground, partly to have a feel ofthe surroundings and partly to avail themselves of the lunch, which,thoughtfully, is Indian in every sense of the word. The visitingjournalists too do not mind helping themselves to dishes that they areso used to back home.Even though there is no activity, the Indians are a bit edgy about thethree back-to-back Tests that they are being asked to play in the nextthree weeks. After the two remaining Tests of the current tour, atPort Elizabeth and Centurion Park, they will be heading straight forMohali in Chandigarh, where the first Test against England isscheduled for December 3.The team’s genial manager, MK Bhargava, has his hands full with theissue of sorting out travel arrangements for the players. It appearsthat the Indians cannot get a flight back home before November 29, twodays after the Centurion Test ends. Thus, literally, the team will bearriving at Mohali just hours before the first Test against Englandgets underway. Even if he can book tickets on an Emirates flight forsome of the players hailing from the north, they will still reach homeonly on the morning of the 30th because of the timing of theconnecting flight from Dubai to Delhi.

©AFP

Bhargava’s problems, thus, are echoed by the gloomy conditions at EastLondon. The rain-ruined game, which has kept the Indians hostage intheir hotel, is a missed opportunity for many of the players, in moresense than one. Sachin Tendulkar, who has been joined by his wife andtwo lovely kids, Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble were in any casegoing to sit out this four-day match. But Williams, Harbhajan and themedium-pacers would have loved to stake their claims for Test berths,while vice-captain Rahul Dravid could have obtained some valuablepractice at the very top of the order.There seems to be little doubt at the moment that Dravid will beopening the innings for the remaining Test matches. The middle-orderis overflowing with talent at this stage, and one of them has to moveup the order. Hence the choice of Dravid to shoulder the burden of anopener.

©CricInfo

The real mystery could lie in the choice of bowlers for the next Test.If the wicket is grassy and seemingly quick, the Indians could beforced to make a choice between the two regular spinners on this tour- Harbhajan or Kumble. Kumble bowled for long hours – 50 overs in all- during South Africa’s mammoth first innings in the BloemfonteinTest, but his returns were not quite encouraging. He did break throughwith Gary Kirsten’s wicket, but, by then, the hosts had already scoredalmost 200 runs. Kumble’s next success came in the form of NeilMcKenzie’s wicket, when the score was well past 300.It will, then, not be an easy choice for the Indians. To drop Kumblewhen the bowling resources of the visitors are already paper-thinmight appear a blasphemy. But then, stranger things have happened inIndian cricket. It is a situation that will be watched keenly by thosewho are following the fortunes of this beleaguered team.

Auckland won the Super Over
ScorecardFile photo: Michael Bates picked two wickets and gave away just five runs in the one-over eliminator•Getty Images

Michael Bates’ magnificent performance in the one-over eliminator restricted Canterbury to 5 for 2 in five balls, Colin Munro then finished the game in one ball, smashing Hamish Bennett for a six to seal Auckland’s thrilling victory.It was a brutal end to Canterbury’s hopes in their chase of 171 after their final-wicket pair had batted splendidly to tie the game in the first place. Logan van Beek and Ed Nuttall came together with their team needing 32 off the last 15 balls. That equation became 16 off the final over, eventually it was just one run too many. Having fallen so agonisingly short, Van Beek, who made 24 off 15, with two fours and Nuttall, who hustled 13 off 8, with a six, could only watch as their team slumped to a fourth straight defeat in the Super Over.Earlier, opener Aiden Blizzard had kept Canterbury up with the required rate of 8.55 with his 38-ball 57. A knock made all the more necessary because Auckland kept picking up wickets in clumps. Captain Ronnie Hira was the first to go in the third over, Henry Nicholls followed him in the fourth and a score of 37 for 2 left both teams in with a sniff.The pendulum swung Auckland’s way thanks to their captain Rob Nicol – he dismissed Blizzard and Andrew Ellis in the space of two balls and Canterbury were left needing 65 runs in 44 balls with only four wickets in hand. Mitchell McClenaghan took two wickets in the 18th over, which meant the asking rate soared to 12.8, which turned out to be just enough.It was Auckland’s second win in three games and their batting did set it up quite nicely. In the first innings, Colin de Grandhomme got to a fifty in only 25 balls and Nicol came in during the third over and batted through the innings to make 50 not out off 48 balls. Bennett was the pick of Canterbury’s bowlers producing returns of 2 for 30 in his four overs.Prior to the start of the game, a minute’s silence was observed for Jonah Lomu, the New Zealand All Black who passed away at the age of 40.

The next few years will be crucial for Arsenal. Towards the end of next season the club will be much clearer on who is going to be in the dugout as manager for the next few years, and also where they stand with regards to new sponsorship deals. Kit suppliers and sponsors are the big ones coming up for renewal, and any movement on those—positive or negative—will be judged in accordance with the move to the Emirates Stadium.

The order of the day is greater streams of revenue; Arsenal are clearly not happy with the current revenue streams, yet they were absolutely necessary for the move away from Highbury. Adding to the new and hopefully impressive sponsorships for the club, it may also be worth looking into the benefits of a partnership with another club abroad.

Make no mistake, this is very much a suggestion for Arsenal to remain in the higher seat of power in any new partnership with another club. Arsenal have paired with the Colorado Rapids in the MLS and have also worked closely with clubs in Spain, albeit very small clubs. The team have travelled to the Far East in both of the last two summers, clearly looking to reap the benefits of the club’s popularity and reputation around the world. What we’re seeing here is an acknowledgement of avenues that can be exploited for the benefit of the club, so why not a partnership similar to Tottenham and Real Madrid’s?

Once again, it’s worth pointing out that I’m not leaning towards a pairing with a club like Barcelona or AC Milan where Arsenal would clearly be the smaller of the two. Instead, Arsenal should perhaps look at smaller clubs around Europe who are competing in the top-flight to further the growth on a number of fronts.

Arsene Wenger has always been very particular about where his young players go on loan. He looks at the management in place, the style of football and how much exposure to the first-team the player will have. Perhaps teams from Holland, Portugal and even Spain would represent promising opportunities for a long-term partnership. Like Spurs and Real Madrid, the clubs could look to benefit from the quality of training in both countries, with the younger players exposed to different levels of competition and methods. Not only would Arsenal benefit, but it would be a benefit for the English national team if younger players were treated to cultures that differed from what they’re used to in this country.

As always, the need to make money as one of the top priorities for a club like Arsenal, and even those on the other end of the partnership. Arsenal would see their reputation grow and hopefully see a surge in merchandise sales. The other important factor is the revenue received from summer friendlies between the two sides. The size of the Emirates Stadium and the interest surrounding Arsenal’s summer activity would be a huge bonus to both clubs.

Perhaps it’s worth looking at Tottenham from a viewpoint that they’ve potentially started a trend of successful partnerships for the future. Of course, it’s very easy to look at their deal with Real Madrid as one that simply sees the Gareth Bales and Kyle Walkers swapping White Hart Lane for the Bernabeu with very little coming Tottenham’s way. It’s a fair assessment and probably not entirely wide of the truth. But would Daniel Levy put his club is such a weak position in European football, especially considering the great strides he’s taking to establish Tottenham as a regular in the Champions League.

Arsenal have noticeably had trouble moving on a number of players on loan over recent summers, with very few clubs looking to take the risk on the Gunners’ outcasts. But sending them away to a club with close ties to Arsene Wenger’s side means both sides would benefit: Arsenal pay the majority of the wages while getting players out of the squad and into regular first-team football.

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All speculation for now, but perhaps a promising avenue to explore with the need for greater revenue and necessity to allow young players the chance to mature in a competitive environment.

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	Andre Nel’s brief spell at Essex has ended early but on good terms © Getty Images

Essex have agreed to release Andre Nel one match early so that he can take up a deal with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Nel was due to end his stint after Sunday’s match against Middlesex, but the defeat against Kent on Friday was now his final game for the club.He is the second overseas player to leave county cricket at short notice to join the IPL following Brad Hodge’s sudden departure from Lancashire after receiving an offer from the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, unlike the Hodge move, which hasn’t gone down well at Old Trafford, Essex are fully behind Nel.”The club has given its full backing to Andre with his request to leave after the Kent game on Friday,” the chief executive David East said. “It is an honour for Essex to have players in their ranks who are attracting the attention of those teams competing in the Indian Premier League.”We thank Andre for all his efforts during this latest stint with the county. Once again he has proved a very popular member of our dressing room and has played his part in the team’s excellent start to the campaign.”Nel said on the Essex website: “I would like to thank Essex in granting my request to end my time with them early, in order to take up a contract with the Mumbai Indians. As always, I have enjoyed my stay with Essex enormously and the excellent way I continue to be treated by the club bodes well for our future relationship should I get another chance to return.”This was Nel’s third spell with Essex, having also featured for the county in 2005 and 2007. He appeared in three County Championship and three Friends Provident Trophy matches in 2008, picking up 10 wickets at 34.10 in four-day cricket and three wickets at 37.33 in the FP Trophy to help Essex to second and top spot in the respective tables.Nel will join the Mumbai Indians, under the captaincy of Sachin Tendulkar, on Sunday. He could be back in England later in the season if selected for the South Africa tour, although he was controversially dropped for the recent trip to India.The Pakistan legspinner Danish Kaneria will take up his duties as overseas player from next Wednesday when Essex begin their Championship match against Leicestershire.

Dave Houghton has withdrawn from the race to be Bangladesh coach © The Cricketer International

Former Zimbabwe captain Dave Houghton has pulled out of the race for the post of Bangladesh coach citing family reasons, a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official told . Houghton had expressed similar reservations when the BCB had informally approached him in June.”He wants to stay with his father, who is about 85 years old,” Gazi Ashraf, the chairman of the BCB’s cricket operations committee, said. “So it is unlikely for us to get him now.”Houghton, who quit his post as director of cricket at Derbyshire in July, was shortlisted along with Australians Jamie Siddons and John Harmer after Dav Whatmore decided not to renew his contract with the BCB after the World Cup in the Caribbean. The BCB interviewed Harmer on August 31.Shaun Williams was appointed interim coach after Whatmore’s exit and will be in charge of the team during the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa.

Scorecard

Shane Watson: wickets and runs in a losing cause © Getty Images

Inspired by Nilesh Kulkarni’s five-wicket haul, Mumbai gained a seven-run win in a contrived match against the Australians in their final Champions Trophy warm-up game at the MIG Ground. Although Mumbai batted first and ended up scoring only 218, both teams agreed to bend the rules. Australia’s target was revised to 300 to allow their batsmen to gain more practice and make the game more competitive for the large number of spectators who filled up the temporary stands erected outside the ground.Kulkarni, the left-arm spinner who had troubled Australia in the past, returned to haunt them again in a productive display. Australia got off to a typically aggressive start as Adam Gilchrist, who pulled a slew of short-of-a-length deliveries, and Shane Watson added 96 at the required rate, punishing anything off line from Zaheer Khan. Gilchrist was the first of Kulkarni’s victims, beaten in flight after slamming a huge six over long-on to the previous ball. After Watson, who again opened ahead of Simon Katich, quickly departed to the same bowler, Australia appeared on track with Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn adding 106 and registering half-centuries.However, with spinners bowling from both ends, Mumbai managed to put the brakes on the scoring, and Ponting perished soon after reaching his fifty, trying to launch Kulkarni over the stands. Andrew Symonds’ cameo of 35 off 24 balls ended when he was trapped in front to the offspinner Aniket Redkar. Redkar sent back Michael Clarke in the same over and Zaheer finally had some success, yorking Michael Hussey for 2. The asking rate increased as the batsmen fell in quick succession and Australia finished with 292 for 9.Mumbai also tinkered with the rules to give the Australians a chance at bowling their full 50 overs as Rohit Sharma was called back to the crease in the latter stages of the innings. He was dismissed in the 22nd over after scoring 8. Mumbai lost their way in the middle overs following an impressive start. Sharma’s second innings came after the eighth wicket fell and gave the crowd plenty to cheer as he slammed three fours in one over off Nathan Bracken, followed by a huge six. Sharma, who hit 41 off 19 balls, and Abhishek Nair took the score to 218 with a 59-run stand.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Justin Kemp: turned the match with his 73 © Getty Images

A brilliant, aggressive knock of 73 from Justin Kemp turned a nightmare start for South Africa into a sweet two-wicket victory in the first one-day international at Bloemfontein on Sunday. New Zealand had been on top for much of South Africa’s reply, as wickets toppled regularly – but Kemp was his usual demonstrative self, hitting five fours and three sixes in a superbly timed 64-ball innings.South Africa’s openers got off to a rollicking start, aided by Bond whose first ball of the innings was a wide. Three fours were struck in the first over, which cost 17, and two further boundaries by Boeta Dippenaar in the second. The hosts had reached 29 without loss, in under three overs, before Bond got one to nip back sharply to trap Dippenaar in the crease for 10.New Zealand by now had restricted the run flow considerably, by bowling full and straight – much as Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini had done in New Zealand’s innings. In the sixth over, Jacques Kallis – attempting a flourishing cover-drive – missed the ball completely, and was bowled through the gate by Kyle Mills’ first delivery: a rarity for a batsman of such quality.Kemp came to the crease with South Africa struggling on 85 for 4. It was during the 36th over in which he found his destructive rhythm, smashing Jeetan Patel, New Zealand’s Supersub, for a mammoth six over long on. He followed this up in the next over by striking Nathan Astle for two fours and two sixes – but even this late, violent flurry left South Africa needing 68 from the final 10 overs.Shane Bond still had two overs left in his allocation, but Fleming chose Patel to bowl the 46th over – and he conceded just seven runs by bowling straight, full and fast, restricting Kemp and Pollock who could only pick up singles. Bond did return to the attack, with South Africa needing 24 from the final three overs: Pollock swung, ungainly, and the wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum could only watch the ball sail past him. Pollock was to be dismissed a few balls later, quickly followed by Justin Kemp – but the damage had been done, mainly by Kemp. Despite a valiant diving effort from Stephen Fleming to catch Nicky Boje’s heave-ho, South Africa snuck home by two wickets with three balls to spare.New Zealand’s innings had revolved around Craig McMillan’s solid 66, and Fleming’s elegant 45. Fleming had lost both Astle and Lou Vincent cheaply, but looked in terrific touch before he too fell to a stunning catch at point by Gibbs. Flinging himself to his left, Gibbs pulled off what most other fielders would regard as a one-off; for him, though, it was but a formality.At 70 for 3 McMillan started his rescue act, hitting eight fours and a six in his half-century. He received excellent support from Jacob Oram, with whom he put on 75 for the fifth wicket, before Oram suicidally ran himself out. A lofted six by McMillan off Kallis increased the momentum of his innings significantly, and he was quick to dispatch anything short: his fifty, from 57 balls, came via a deft cut for four to third man.Kallis, with an excellent slower ball, foxed McMillan (66) whose attempt to nudge the ball to the leg-side provided Ashwell Prince with the simplest of chances at midwicket, and Kallis’s 200th ODI wicket. Daniel Vettori, who could only last three balls, made way for Adams who lofted a big six over long-on. In the next over, McCullum drove Nel over extra cover for his second six – an extraordinary, almost effortless shot which he attempted to repeat later in the over, to his peril. Nel bowled admirably, fully deserving the flattering figures of 3 for 42.A flurry of runs from the tail enabled New Zealand to creep up to a very respectable score of 249 for 8, which represented a significant recovery from the shaky position they earlier found themselves in. But, despite the quick runs from their lower-order, it wasn’t enough to stop the damaging blade of Kemp, whose innings deservedly earned him the Man-of-the-Match award. The two sides meet again on Friday at Cape Town – and both will be looking to improve upon scratchy performances today.<!–Full report to follow.25 overs
New Zealand’s bowlers responded to the impetus provided by their batsmen to restrict South Africa to 100 for 4 after the first 25 overs of South Africa’s reply, in the first one-day international at Bloemfontein.South Africa’s openers got off to a rollicking start, aided by Bond whose first ball of the innings was a wide. Three fours were struck in the first over, which cost 15, and two further boundaries by Boeta Dippenaar in the second. The hosts had reached 29 without loss, in under three overs, before Bond got one to nip back sharply to trap Dippenaar in the crease for 10.New Zealand by now had restricted the run-flow considerably, by bowling full and straight – much as Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini had done in New Zealand’s innings. In the sixth over, Jacques Kallis – attempting a flourishing cover-drive – missed the ball completely, and was bowled through the gate by Kyle Mills’ first delivery: a rarity for a batsman of such quality.South Africa’s nightmare start to their innings was to continue as Graeme Smith, arguably the form batsman of both sides, dragged a delivery from Andre Adams onto his stumps. Bowling around the wicket, Adams found some swing and Smith, attempting to drive it on the off-side, clipped it onto his stumps. At 42 for 3, New Zealand were well on top and, despite a steady partnership of 44 between Herschelle Gibbs and Ashwell Prince, the visitors applied the brakes, increasing the required-run-rate to beyond five per over. Mills, in particular, bowled superbly and conceded just 21 from his eight overs.The introduction of Nathan Astle brought the wicket of Prince who, like his captain, chopped a ball onto his stumps. Astle tossed the ball up wide of Prince’s off-stump, whose eyes lit up at the prospect of a certain boundary – but, again like Smith, a cross-batted swat resulted in the ball clipping the stumps, and Astle threw his arms up in delight, and shock.Gibbs, not out on 15 from 55 balls, remains the key for both sides’ chances of victory in what is certain to be a tight finish.50 overs New Zealand 249 for 8 (McMillan 66, Fleming 45, Nel 3-42) v South Africa
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Craig McMillan: anchored the innings © Getty Images

Craig McMillan anchored New Zealand’s innings with a composed 66, before Brendon McCullum and Andre Adams provided some late impetus to lift their total to a respectable 249 for 8, in the first one-day international against South Africa at Bloemfontein. New Zealand’s innings had been given a good start by their captain, Stephen Fleming, who made 48 from 45 balls before falling to a stunning catch at point from Herschelle Gibbs.McMillan was joined by Jacob Oram, with whom he put on 75 for the fifth wicket, before Oram suicidally ran himself out. A lofted six by McMillan off Jacques Kallis increased the momentum of his innings significantly, and he was quick to dispatch anything short: his fifty, from 57 balls, came via a deft cut for four to third man.Kallis, with an excellent slower ball, foxed McMillan (66) whose attempt to nudge the ball to the leg-side provided Ashwell Prince with the simplest of chances at midwicket, and Kallis’s 200th ODI wicket. Daniel Vettori, who could only last three balls, made way for Adams who lofted a big six over long-on. In the next over, McCullum drove Nel over extra cover for his second six – an extraordinary, almost effortless shot which he attempted to repeat later in the over, to his peril.A flurry of runs from the lower-order enabled New Zealand to creep up to a very respectable score of 249 for 8, which represented a significant recovery from the shaky position they earlier found themselves in.South Africa had dominated the first half of New Zealand’s innings, snaffling four early wickets, and restricting the run-rate considerably. Makhaya Ntini and, in particular, Shaun Pollock were quick to find the right length, consistently troubling both Nathan Astle and Fleming, neither of whom were able to break free.Astle flashed and edged precariously and, in the third over, Pollock tempted him into cutting a ball, which gave Mark Boucher his first catch of the day. A delightful and disdainful flick from Astle’s replacement, Lou Vincent, broke the shackles for New Zealand, who had scored just 11 in the first five overs. But Ntini cleverly got one to straighten on Vincent, who played a poor back-foot defensive shot which gave Boucher his second simple catch of the innings.Fleming then took the initiative, striking three glorious boundaries in the eighth over – Pollock’s fifth on the trot. He was looking in particularly elegant touch, before Gibbs pulled off a catch, at point, which few fielders in the world could have made look much simpler. Nel, in his second over and bowling around the wicket, bowled full and slightly wide, causing Fleming to slash one to point: Gibbs flew to his left, and clung on, even holding his pose for the waiting photographers, and sparse crowd.With the loss of Fleming, which ended his 52-run partnership with Hamish Marshall, South Africa threatened to strangle New Zealand’s innings, but McMillan, McCullum and Adams proved just how vital lower-order runs can be. –>