All posts by h716a5.icu

Samit Patel and James Taylor rescued Nottinghamshire with a 192-run partnership as the home side recovered to post 377 on the first day at Trent Bridge.

Press Association25-May-2014
ScorecardSamit Patel was out one run short of a century•PA PhotosSamit Patel and James Taylor rescued Nottinghamshire with a 192-run partnership as the home side recovered to post 377 on the first day at Trent Bridge.Patel fell one run short of his century while Taylor hit 88 to help Nottinghamshire recover from a disastrous start that saw the hosts 29 for 3. Chris Read also played his part, making an unbeaten 59 before No. 11 Andre Adams was caught in the final over to wrap up an intriguing opening day.England duo Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes were both in action, returning from knee and hand injuries respectively with varying success. Stokes took 3 for 70, including the vital scalps of both Patel and Taylor, but Broad was less influential as he was dismissed for a duck.The hosts won the toss and elected to bat but made the worst possible start when Steven Mullaney was out on the first ball of the match, nicking Chris Rushworth into the gloves of wicket keeper Phil Mustard.Things went from bad to worse soon after as both Phil Jaques and Michael Lumb were caught off Usman Arshad to put the visitors firmly in the driving seat.But from there, the day took an altogether different turn as Taylor and Patel arrived at the crease and skilfully steered Nottinghamshire back into the game. Patel, whose 99 came in 141 balls and included 13 fours and one six, was dismissed just one run short of his century, as he was caught by Gareth Breese off Stokes.Having negotiated 266 balls together, Taylor then fell exactly the same way 14 balls later to make the score 232 for 5.With the momentum swinging back in Durham’s favour, Riki Wessels did well to steady the ship before being caught and bowled by Gavin Main, who then sent Broad back to the pavilion too as he clean bowled the England allrounder.Durham looked like they might finish Nottinghamshire off for under 300 but Peter Siddle’s gutsy 31 and Ajmal Shahzad frustrated the visitors and added precious runs – and another bonus point – in the evening session.

James Anderson has become the latest England player to play down the criticisms made in Kevin Pietersen’s autobiography

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2014James Anderson has become the latest England player to attempt to defuse criticisms made in Kevin Pietersen’s autobiography. Anderson rejected the idea that a bullying culture was allowed to flourish in the side and said it was “sad” to hear Pietersen’s version of his time with England.The release of this week has been accompanied by controversy at almost every turn of the page, with Andrew Strauss describing the “madness” as potentially damaging to English cricket.Pietersen’s harshest judgements were reserved for Andy Flower, the former team director, and wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who he describes as being part of a bowler-led clique. Despite being part of that group, Anderson is, however, spared opprobrium, described by Pietersen as “the nicest man in the world”, and he in turn only had good things to say about the Flower era.”We’ve got more important things to worry about than someone’s book,” Anderson said, speaking at a sponsor’s event at Lord’s. “The issues that have been brought up are sad really. The dressing room for the seven or eight years we were winning and successful was fantastic. You don’t achieve what we did during that period without all the guys pulling in the same direction.”I can’t get my head round it. He seems like he has not enjoyed it for any of the time he was there, but we all enjoyed it.”Asked if Pietersen’s accusations of bullying were true, Anderson said: “Not at all.” He defended Flower’s record, describing England’s recent successes as the highlight of his career, and suggested that the fallout from Pietersen’s book was beginning to cast a shadow over those years.”It’s overshadowed what we achieved,” he said. “We had a successful time under coach Andy Flower. We won three Ashes series, got to world No. 1 and won in India for the first time in 20-odd years – Andy was the driving force behind that.”That period of time as an England cricketer was the highlight of my career so far, and I’m sure I speak for the other lads when I say it was probably the highlight of their career so far too.”Sitting on the outfield at Sydney, having won 3-1 in 2010-11, sharing a drink, chatting through our favourite moments of that particular tour will stick with me for many years to come. I’m sure that many of the other lads will feel the same. Hopefully what has come out won’t overshadow what we did achieve and what was not just a successful period but a really enjoyable one too.”Anderson added that he would have preferred the issues to “stay in house”. Intriguingly, he also seemed to suggest that Pietersen had not made his problems with team-mates clear and that his sacking by the ECB had denied him the chance to defend himself.”This is not an ideal situation but it’s different with Kev,” Anderson said. “He never got a chance to stand up for himself in the dressing room because the opportunity to be in the dressing room was taken away from him by the powers that be. He is now venting his frustration through a book.”

How are the continent’s five Qatar-bound stars stacking up ahead of Friday’s draw?

Getty ImagesWorld Cup draw

Following the pulsating—if controversial—conclusion to Africa’s World Cup qualifying campaign, the identities of the continent’s five sides for Qatar are known.

On Friday evening, they’ll learn their opponents for the opening round of the 2022 when the World Cup group stage draw is conducted in Doha.

Ahead of the draw, here’s our Power Ranking of the five sides set to represent the continent at the global high table.

AdvertisementGetty Images5. Tunisia

Unimpressive at the recent Africa Cup of Nations—although they did eliminate Nigeria—Tunisia arguably had the most straightforward playoff draw after being pitted against a Mali side who had never before qualified for the World Cup.

The Carthage Eagles have extensive World Cup pedigree—they’ve qualified successfully for five of the last seven tournaments—but they’re yet to reach the knockout stages for the first time.

The likes of Wahbi Khazri and Youssef Msakni give them a cutting edge, although failure to score home or away against Mali (it was an own goal away that saw them through) isn’t particularly encouraging.

Backpage4. Ghana

The Black Stars are riding high after eliminating fierce regional rivals Nigeria in their playoff, in a triumph that has gone a long way to banishing the memory of their miserable Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

The transformation in the side has been sublime since that disastrous elimination by Comoros in Cameroon, and suddenly there’s optimism around the camp again.

Thomas Partey’s role in the midfield will give Ghana hope against any opposition, even if the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Felix Afena-Gyan and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku are still at the early stages of their international career.

If the Black Stars can convince Tariq Lamptey and Callum Hudson-Odoi to sign up before Qatar, they could be a dark horse.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images3. Cameroon

The decision to replace head coach Toni Conceicao with Rigobert Song looked to have cost Cameroon during the playoffs, with the Indomitable Lions having fallen at home to Algeria in the first leg.

They made amends with a stunning victory in Blida in the second leg—the first time the Fennecs have lost at the venue—with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting winning the match in 90 minutes before Karl Toko Ekambi netted the late, late winner in extra time.

Of course, they have World Cup pedigree—no one has qualified more often—and they’ll be massively buoyed after eliminating both Algeria and the Ivory Coast during qualification.

Northants turned in a respectable showing against champions Durham on their return to Division One despite having horrendous bad luck in the build-up to the season

Alex Winter at Wantage Road13-Apr-2014
ScorecardDavid Willey returned for Northants in more pressing circumstances than when he helped them to Twenty20 success last season•PA PhotosFar from bolstering their squad for a return to Division One of the County Championship, Northamptonshire have seen their options significantly squeezed by injury but they performed soundly on the opening day with defending champions Durham.To lack both their leading wicket-takers of last season was not how Northants would want to have begun life back in Division One after a 10-year absence. Trent Copeland, a tremendous servant in 2013, could not obtain a work permit for this year and David Willey is not fit enough to bowl yet, although is in the XI so short are Northants on healthy bodies.The 12 named for this match were almost the only fit players in the squad and after seeing their third option for an overseas player declined, Northants are in urgent need to add to their numbers. Rory Klienveldt, the South African seamer, was the latest to be prevented from travelling to Wantage Road after Cricket South Africa cancelled the deal because of a knee injury. Copeland fell foul of the tighter ECB regulations and Jackson Bird, initially unveiled as Northants’ overseas player for 2014, suffered more back trouble – an ailment that could prove career-threatening.But with an attack lacking obvious quality, Northants performed gamely having been asked to field first. Maurice Chambers, a winter recruit from Essex, was lively and took two wickets; Azharullah, the biggest surprise of 2013 having been plucked out of the Yorkshire leagues to star in T20 cricket, put up another solid display to match his efforts when he signed a full-time contract at the end of last season. The bustling Steven Crook, wily old Andrew Hall and James Middlebrook’s offspinners completed the attack which nibbled away in decent batting conditions: a fairly slow wicket and a warm sunny day.The left-arm variation of Willey would have been a useful option. Some early swing deceived Mark Stoneman into leaving an inswinger from Azharulla which clipped the top of off stump; Scott Borthwick was also trapped by inswing, Hall angling one into his pads from around the wicket. But as the swing disappeared, Michael Richardson shared two healthy partnerships to put Durham in a solid position.But they could have dominated the day and may feel the top order has not done enough work with this XI featuring a longer tail than last season. Phil Mustard has to guide this innings much further if Durham are to take control. He played carefully for a 113-ball fifty.Jennings and Richardson – who spent most of last season at No. 8 – shared 82 either side of lunch but both fell to poor strokes when well set. Jennings worked hard in the morning to earn the chance to play some more stokes in the afternoon. But after cutting the first ball of a new Chambers spell for four, he tried to force the next off a tighter line and edged to first slip. Richardson was equally careless, going back to cut Middlebrook and edging behind three balls before the second new ball was due. Paul Collingwood only lasted 16 balls against it before edging Chambers to third slip.It would arguably be a greater feat if Collingwood can mastermind a second Championship success this year. Durham are also beginning a new season with a trimmed squad after allowing several players to leave owing to financial constraints – including former captain Will Smith, who was a member of all three teams who won the Championship.But Northants can only blame sheer dumb luck for their losses. The cruellest injury befell Alex Wakley who set off for a single in a pre-season match in the Caribbean and snapped his Achilles tendon. He is out for six months although it will be in the one-day competitions where he is most missed; Wakley was captain of the victorious T20 side.Veteran David Sales – who averaged 45.95 last season – and talented youngsters Rob Keogh and Ben Duckett* are all unavailable here. But on their first day of the new season it was Copeland and Willey who were most missed with the ball.Both players were instrumental in the county’s “best season ever” – the words of chief executive David Smith – in 2013. They defied a horrendous T20 record to win the Friends Life t20 and gained promotion with the 45 wickets Copeland and Willey each took a crucial facet. Copeland, the Australian right-hander, averaged just 18.26 and also 35.28 with the bat. Northants lower-order batting was a great asset last season and Willey played his part too.

After their worst start in the IPL, Mumbai Indians begin the India leg with a home game against Kings XI Punjab and will be hoping to recover from the early jolt

The Preview by Rachna Shetty02-May-20145:53

Agarkar: Not going to get easier for Mumbai

Match factsSaturday, May 3, 2014
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)Kieron Pollard may find the Wankhede track to his liking•BCCIBig pictureThere’s nothing like the comfort of home venues, specially for IPL teams, and Saturday’s match against Kings XI Punjab may just be the fresh start Mumbai Indians are looking for. They were unbeaten in all home games last season and will hope they can keep the table-toppers from ruining their winning streak at the Wankhede.Mumbai have some of the biggest names in cricket as part of their think-tank, but their squad selections have been baffling. They have three full-time wicketkeepers in (not including Ben Dunk) and are thin on batting back-ups. With little room to manoeuvre with their foreign selections, it was therefore surprising to see Jalaj Saxena replaced by West Indies’ Lendl Simmons, a top-order batsman and part-time medium-pacer. An Indian batsman would have been ideal for the side, but if they opt for Simmons, it would mean that either Ben Dunk or Corey Anderson would have to be left out.Compare this with Kings XI who have found balance in the squad early on. Their bowling was profligate at the start of the tournament but on pitches that were wearing down, they stepped up and did well on the days the batting failed. Indian grounds, with their flat tracks and short boundaries, will be a different challenge for them.There’s another level of interest to this match. Three Kings XI players – Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson and Rishi Dhawan – were on the Mumbai roster until last season. Maxwell spent a lot of that time on the bench – he played fewer games than Dhawan – but after scores of 15 and 6 in his last two games, he’ll be hankering for a big score.Form guide (most recent first)Mumbai Indians: LLLLL
Kings XI Punjab: WWWWWPlayers to watchAfter an indifferent start to the tournament, Kieron Pollard struck form with an unbeaten 33 against Delhi and then bludgeoned six sixes on his way to a 48-ball 78 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, that almost took Mumbai Indians to their first win. With an unsettled combination rocking Mumbai’s boat, Pollard’s form is about the only thing positive for them right now.Young Indian fast bowlers had an impressive outing in the UAE leg but amid that hype, L Balaji has quietly emerged as one of Kings XI’s more successful bowlers with eight wickets in five games. He’s provided a steady back-up to Mitchell Johnson and Sandeep Sharma and has also taken on the role of a mentor with the younger quicks in the side.Stats and trivia Sandeep Sharma has the best strike rate among all bowlers so far – 9.4 after three matches and seven wickets Harbhajan Singh has been the most economical bowler for Mumbai conceding only 5.52 runs an over so far. Punjab have beaten Mumbai seven times in 12 games between the two sides

Nkrumah Bonner hit his highest domestic one-day score to almost single-handedly drag Jamaica to 243, before his team’s bowlers bowled out Guyana 11 short of the target

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2014
Scorecard
Nkrumah Bonner hit an unbeaten 122; the next highest score in the innings was 27•WICBNkrumah Bonner hit his highest domestic one-day score to almost single-handedly drag Jamaica to 243, before his team’s bowlers bowled out Guyana 11 short of the target. It was an almost inconsequential match as both teams had qualified to the semi-finals from Zone A in the Nagico Super50.Bonner hit eight fours and five sixes as he remained unbeaten on 122 after having walked in in the fourth over. He had little support, with the next highest score being 27 from Andre McCarthy, followed by 21 extras including 18 wides.Guyana’s chase got off to a solid start as the vastly experienced Shivanrine Chanderpaul and Trevon Griffith put on 88 for the first wicket. After that, however, Guyana couldn’t manage any partnerships of substance as Nos 4 to 9 were dismissed between scores of 11 and 21 and the asking-rate kept increasing. Christopher Barnwell was out off the last ball of the 33rd over and only seven runs came in the next 24 deliveries, including the wicket of Chanderpaul, and Guyana couldn’t keep pace after that.

Nat Watkins’ knock of 116 helped Jersey win the ICC World Cricket League Division Five final against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2014Nat Watkins’ knock of 116 helped Jersey win the ICC World Cricket League Division Five final against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur by 71 runs. With Watkins’ hundred and an 84 from Ben Stevens, Jersey set Malaysia a target of 248 in 50 overs. Malaysia were all out for 176 despite a fifty from opener Shafiq Sharif (62) as Stevens took three wickets. Both the teams will now get promoted to Division Four.Stevens also finished as the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 403 runs from six innings at an average of 67.16 and was named the Player of the Series. Malaysia’s offspinner Khizar Hayat, who took a five-for in the final, was the leading wicket-taker with 15 wickets from six matches at 11.46, and an economy rate of 3.24.During the league stage too Jersey were the most successful team, winning all their five matches. Runners-up Malaysia lost only one of their five, and were two points ahead of Tanzania, who finished third in the tournament after winning the third-place playoff against Nigeria by three wickets. Tanzania had won three of their five league games while Nigeria had won one lesser.Guernsey had finished last in the league stage by losing all their matches but managed to register a win when they beat Cayman Islands by seven wickets to finish fifth. Regardless of the result of the fifth-place playoff, the bottom two teams, Guernsey and Cayman Islands, will be relegated to Division Six.

Five years after he last played a first-class game, Punjab pacer VRV Singh returned to the domestic circuit and grabbed a five-for, routing Haryana for 163 in Lahli

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2013
ScorecardLahli, the setting for Sachin Tendulkar’s final domestic game, became the scene for a memorable comeback. Five years after he last played a first-class game, Punjab fast bowler VRV Singh returned to the domestic circuit and took a five-for, routing Haryana for 163. The hosts, however, hit right back, grabbing three Punjab wickets, including that of Jiwanjot Singh before the end of the day.The opening day’s honours belonged to VRV Singh. Aided by a pitch that looked as green as the outfield around it, he built on the early advantage that Sandeep Sharma had created by dismissing Sunny Singh and Rahul Dalal cheaply. Opener Avi Barot, who had transferred from Gujarat for this season, was playing a watchful innings at the other end. Soon after he was introduced into the attack, VRV Singh had Barot playing a lofted drive, straight to Taruwar Kohli at cover.That dismissal triggered the slide for Haryana, even as Nitin Saini tried stepping into Barot’s role. VRV Singh then dismissed Sachin Rana for 1 and took three lower-order wickets, ensuring that Punjab did not miss the services of Harbhajan Singh, who has been advised rest due to a shoulder niggle. Amit Mishra, playing his first first-class game in a year was out for 5 off 26 balls. Saini was the last man to fall for 163 in an innings that lasted only 59.1 overs.The Punjab openers started steadily before Sanjay Badhwar got Jiwanjot out for 8 off 40 balls and Mohit Sharma bowled Ravi Inder Singh for 22. Harshal Patel struck another blow by dismissing Mandeep Singh for 2 to leave Punjab on 50 for 3, trailing by 113 runs.

England have been forced on to the defensive after just a few days in Sri Lanka, with Alastair Cook and Peter Moores having to explain the decision to leave Alex Hales out of Friday’s opening warm-up match

Alan Gardner20-Nov-2014England have been forced on to the defensive after just a few days in Sri Lanka, with Alastair Cook and Peter Moores having to explain the decision to leave Alex Hales out of Friday’s opening warm-up match.Ahead of seven ODIs against Sri Lanka, England appear to have taken the cautious approach once again by promoting Moeen Ali to open alongside Cook. Moeen, like Hales, is still finding his way in ODI cricket but offers a spin-bowling option that has edged him ahead. He is also a classy batsman but without the same concussive approach as Hales, the only England batsman to have scored a T20 hundred.With Cook a certainty at opener and Ian Bell seeking to establish himself at No. 3 – having been demoted to accommodate Hales during the one-day series against India – England have decided they cannot afford to have another specialist batsman in the top order. The full XI to play Sri Lanka A has not been announced but Joe Root, who bowls offspin, is likely to bat at four, with an allrounder, probably Ravi Bopara, at six or seven.”It was incredibly hard to pick a side even for this warm-up game,” Cook said. “We just wanted another bowler in top six, and Moeen gives us that option. It’s a real tough call on Alex … But we’re nowhere near making our final decision.”Hales is still likely to get his chance in Sri Lanka but, with a maximum of 12 ODIs before England begin their World Cup campaign against Australia in Melbourne, there is little room for manoeuvre. The Nottinghamshire opener made his one-day debut in August, three years after coming into the T20 side; during that period, he became the No. 1-ranked batsman in T20 internationals and earlier this year hammered an astonishing 116 from 64 balls against Sri Lanka to give England their only victory at the World T20.Moores suggested that Hales’ performances against India, when he scored 92 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 68.65, were partly behind the decision to try out Moeen.”Alex has progressed quickly. The fact he has managed to climb to number one in the world as a T20 player means there is a lot of talent there, and explosive talent at that,” Moores said. “He had some exposure in the one-day arena against India, where he would have learnt a lot. When you play international cricket and come up against the same team time and again, people will always find a kink somewhere and the key is how you adapt.”India started to bring the ball back into Alex and bowl spin at him, so he has to decide what else he is going to come back at them with.”England play two 50-over warm-up matches before the first ODI on Wednesday and the questions over selection are a precursor to the debate about their best World Cup XI. Secondary skills such as bowling and fielding will come into it but, while Moeen’s ability to play a full role with the ball will come in especially useful on the subcontinent, that may not turn out to be such an important consideration in Australia and New Zealand, where the World Cup will be played.”There are certain places for lads to fit in and that is about taking opportunities,” Moores said. “This tour is about winning, and people taking their games on. We’ve got two practice games to try and win but to also look at some options we’ve got. We’ve then got a tough decision to pick the ODI team – and it is very tight.”One issue that has contributed significantly to England’s tentative World Cup approach has been the form of Cook and a return to significant run-scoring for the captain would help ease their mental load. Cook has not scored an ODI hundred since 2012 and over the last two years he has averaged 33.24 from 30 innings, at slower than his career strike rate. His presence in the side is seen by some as a major obstacle to success but Moores is part of an equally staunch group backing Cook to produce a response.”He’s been around the block a lot,” Moores said. “He’s been under pressure before and he’s often responded to that pressure really well. We know he’s a steely character and a very good player.”

Virat Kohli eased some of the doubts over India’s ability to compete in South Africa with a superbly crafted century that made it at least an even first day

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran18-Dec-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
0:00

Manjrekar: India’s day

Virat Kohli hit the spinners for 50 off 44 deliveries•Associated PressIt’s been a while since India entered a series as much of an underdog as they are on this South Africa visit – even the whitewashes in England and Australia began as a clash of equals. Bereft of the batting legends that have forged India’s most successful decade in Tests, and even of proper match practice ahead of this short series, there were widespread doubts over their ability to compete.Virat Kohli, the man who occupied the fabled No. 4 spot after Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement, eased some of that anxiety with a superbly crafted century and at the end of an intriguing day of Test cricket in Johannesburg, the teams were more or less on level terms. The hallmarks of Kohli’s innings were the perfectly judged leaves outside off, even as South Africa’s pacers persistently probed away, and his punishment of the wayward spinners – caning 50 off 44 deliveries from them – to ensure he didn’t get bogged down.The one big mistake he committed on the day was the muddled calling that led to the run-out of Cheteshwar Pujara, snapping an 89-run stand that had revived India after the openers departed early. India were 24 for 2 then and memories of previous overseas collapses came rushing back.Kohli’s first runs on a track where the bounce was more of a worry than the lateral movement was an authoritative pull for four off Jacques Kallis. He was troubled early on by South Africa’s best bowler of the day, Morne Morkel, who had Kohli top-edging and then inside-edging off successive deliveries. After that, though, Kohli was completely in control.In the first hour after lunch, South Africa employed a strategy that involved keeping the ball in the channel outside off and mixing it up with the odd short delivery. Neither the attempts to play on the batsmen’s patience nor the attempts to unsettle them with the rising delivery worked as Kohli and Pujara kept their calm and wore down the pacers.While the weaker links in the South African attack came in for the most stick, Kohli also went after Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander when they strayed from their usual discipline. A majority of his runs came square of the wicket, with several eye-catching pulls and drives past point and cover.The pressure was building after tea as South Africa strung together a bunch of maidens with Kohli in the 90s. Perhaps influenced by the flagging over-rate, Graeme Smith turned to JP Duminy who, like Imran Tahir, struggled to land the ball and Kohli picked off the nine runs he needed to reach a landmark century.Pujara was the other batsman whose technique and temperament promised big runs, and after surviving a couple of close calls early, he settled in. For two hours, with Kohli for company, he kept South Africa at bay. South Africa had turned to the erratic Tahir for a breakthrough, and India finally thought they had some relief, only for the mix-up with Kohli resulting in Pujara’s run-out.The other batsmen didn’t adjust their game to the conditions as well. M Vijay and Rohit Sharma both went for over-ambitious drives away from their body, only to nick behind to undo the good work they had done in getting their eye in.The other wicket was a fast bowler’s dream. Steyn normally relies on his late and natural out swing, but sensing the surface wasn’t providing him enough, he unleashed a string of bouncers against Shikhar Dhawan in the ninth over. Dhawan, never shy of the aggressive stroke, kept going for his shots as Steyn banged it in short four times in a row; the first went for an unconvincing boundary towards backward square leg, the next flew off the handle towards gully, the third was left down the leg side before an attempted hook landed safely in the hands of fine leg. Steyn’s chainsaw celebration showed how thrilled he was at the perfectly executed plan.It wasn’t perfect planning but a loose stroke that ended Kohli’s innings midway through the final session, as he chipped Kallis to cover on 119. Had he still been in the middle at stumps, it would have definitely been India’s day.There were heartening signs for India even after his exit though, as Ajinkya Rahane and MS Dhoni played out the final hour in fading light without too many alarms. After a difficult debut in Delhi against Australia early this year, Rahane had a long wait to get another look-in, and he didn’t look out of place as he kept out everything South Africa threw at him in an extended final session.More of the same tomorrow morning and India will end on a score that will challenge South Africa’s mighty batting line-up.