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South Africa 270 for 7 (Smith 105, Gibbs 50) beat England 267 for 8 (Solanki 66, Nel 3-49, Ntini 3-58) by three wickets – series level at 1-1
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Click on the underlined links in the text for more pictures South Africa levelled the series at one match apiece, after another tense and enthralling affair at Port Elizabeth. Following their last-ditch failure at Bloemfontein on Wednesday, when they needed three runs from six balls and failed, this time the requirement came down to a similarly enticing requirement – two from six, with three wickets in hand. But at the second time of asking, South Africa held their nerve. Ashwell Prince hoisted Darren Gough over the top for four, and the crowd celebrated their first victory against senior opposition for 14 matches.It could so easily have gone the other way, however. This was another nervy performance from a side that has forgotten how to win, and South Africa owed their victory to a selection of very untimely English errors with both bat and ball. The linchpin of their performance was the captain, Graeme Smith, who recorded his maiden one-day century, 105 from 131 balls, and in doing so laid the ghost of his run-out on 99 against Sri Lanka two years ago. But he was badly dropped on 53 by Marcus Trescothick, and then reprieved by a fumbled run-out one over later. Had either chance been taken, England would surely have won.South Africa’s innings was yet another roller-coaster affair. Chasing 268 for victory after Trescothick had won the toss, Smith stood firm as the top-order wobbled, moving along to his first one-day half-century for exactly 12 months. On a slow and low pitch, England thrived through their lack of extreme pace, and the first of several turning-points came when a subdued Jacques Kallis carved Paul Collingwood’s medium-pacers to point. At that point, South Africa had slipped to 89 for 3 in the 20th over, and were in serious danger of losing their way.Within five overs, however, South Africa had been given renewed focus, as England this time fluffed their lines. Collingwood, whose full-length dobblers were proving remarkably tricky to get off the square, tempted Smith to heave across the line, and a swirling chance looped up to Trescothick, running round from mid-on. Inexplicably, he muffed the chance, and England were still ruing that reprieve when Geraint Jones behind the stumps failed to gather a shy from the covers, with Smith floundering a yard short of his ground.

With his old opening partner, Herschelle Gibbs, for company, however, Smith began to steady South Africa’s nerves, and while they were adding 107 for the fourth wicket, it was England who began to search for inspiration. He has not enjoyed many moments to crow about in his tussles with Matthew Hoggard in this series, but by taking 15 runs off his seventh over of the innings, Smith shifted the momentum squarely in South Africa’s direction.But this is South Africa v England 2004-05, and no match is complete without at least a dozen twists and turns. No sooner had Gibbs reached his second fifty of the series than he was gone, trapped lbw by the returning Darren Gough. It was the first of three wickets in 21 balls that culminated in the big scalp itself, as Ashley Giles turned one into Smith’s pads, and from 196 for 3, South Africa were again floundering at 214 for 6 as the required rate rocketed to more than eight an over.However, with Mark Boucher in residence, the tail retained sufficient chutzpah to overcome their anxieties, and when Hoggard was again the victim of a brutal onslaught – disappearing to all parts for another 14 in an over – the momentum shifted decisively back to South Africa. Gough did his best to salvage the situation, removing Boucher lbw for 33, but Prince had enough mental strength to put Wednesday’s indignities out of his head.England’s innings had earlier been anchored by a timely 66 from Vikram Solanki, who made the most of Vaughan’s absence to leave the selectors with a headache ahead of the fourth match at Cape Town on Sunday. But that total might have been even better but for a typically wholehearted effort from Andre Nel, who dismissed the dangerous Kevin Pietersen for just the second time in his one-day career (and in the process reduced his average to a mere 133.50) en route to the impressive figures of 3 for 49.England’s effort was built on solid contributions all the way down the order, with Solanki the only man to reach a half-century. He made an even 100 in his last one-day innings, against Zimbabwe earlier on the tour, but would not have been playing in this game had it not been for Michael Vaughan’s absence with a stomach bug, an ailment that had kept him off the field for the second half at Bloemfontein.With more than 10 overs remaining, England might have expected a total in excess of 280, but the innings failed to ignite, as Makhaya Ntini, whose sharp opening burst had gone unrewarded, struck back violently with three late wickets in six deliveries. In a series as evenly matched as this, it proved to be a vital intervention.Andrew Miller is assistant editor of Cricinfo.

Zimbabwe lost another of their experienced players today with a statement from Craig Wishart that he was retiring from the game.Wishart, 31, recently turned down one of the new – and contentious – contracts offered by Zimbabwe Cricket and this is thought to have prompted his decision. He said that “stress from the problems in local cricket” was behind his announcement.Wishart played 27 Tests and 23 ODIs for Zimbabwe, averaging 22.40 and 23.22. His unbeaten 172 against Namibia in Harare was the highest individual score in the 2003 World Cup.”It’s a hard decision, but I can safely confirm that I have retired from all forms of cricket.” Wishart said. “Yes, I was offered a contract but I was not happy with it, and to be honest, I was just tired of Zimbabwe cricket, the fighting, and everything.”I think we are under a lot of pressure. If we do not sort out things now we might destroy everything that we have built and there will be no cricket for youngsters in the future for coming through the system.”Trevor Gripper, one of the senior Zimbabwe players now on the sidelines of international cricket, said he will be playing club cricket but added he did not believe he will ever be selected for Zimbabwe again despite insistence by the board that non-contracted players can be picked. Gripper plays for national league side Old Georgians Sports Club in Harare. Zimbabwe’s provincial club cricketbegins on Sunday.”I will play for my club when work allows”, said Gripper, who has just retuned from a honeymoon after his marriage last month. “But on the national team, we have to stop dreaming. These guys have never done what they say they will do. We are told that if you score runs and take wickets you’ll get selected, but I doubt if that is going to happen.”I am happy to play club cricket, and I’m willing to offer my advice if anyone wants it, and help out the youngsters at the club. But the reality of the situation is that club cricket is in a terrible state. First-class is a joke. Standards have gone down. Honestly, where in Zimbabwe can we get players for five first-class sides? If we can’t do that then that won’t be first-class cricket.”ZC have added a fifth first-class side in Masvingo province, but in a plan to incorporate the province into Zimbabwe’s first-class competition, the Logan Cup, has not yet been announced.The statements by Wishart and Gripper further undermine attempts by the Zimbabwe board to show the world that the situation in the country is on the mend. Earlier in the month, the national players issued a statement condemning the behaviour of the board, and immediately after the board’s AGM was held in near farcical conditions with journalists barred and stakeholders prevented from quizzing senior officials.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

A good day for Bangladesh became even better towards the close as they tightened the noose around Zimbabwe by taking four wickets, to leave them struggling to save the follow-on. The key man today was Mohammad Rafique, who followed an aggressive 69 with two cheap wickets when Zimbabwe went in after tea.It’s an unprecedented situation for Bangladesh, who have not won any of their previous 34 Test matches. At Chittagong they are emphatically in charge, against an admittedly modest Zimbabwe side, after making their highest Test total of 488. Zimbabwe require another 205 just to make Bangladesh bat again, and that will be a daunting prospect if Rafique settles into the same groove with his left-arm spin that he found in the final session today.He came on at first change after Mashrafe Mortaza had gone for a few runs, trying to blast out the batsmen with some short stuff. And Rafique needed just a couple of overs to weave his magic, when Vusi Sibanda made the fatal error of staying back to one that pitched in line, and was leg-before (48 for 2).Rafique then removed the 18-year-old Graeme Cremer, who was rather unwisely sent in as nightwatchman as the shadows lengthened. The unfortunate Cremer had no clue about his third ball, which was a little fuller and trapped him in front for a debut duck (59 for 4).Before that Tapash Baisya had made the first breakthrough. Stuart Matsikenyeri had made a pugnacious start, taking the attack to the new-ball bowlers despite being rattled on the helmet by a Mortaza bouncer. There were some feisty back-foot strokes, against Mortaza in particular, and then he square-cut Tapash for four to reach 28, from 29 deliveries. But the next ball drew Matsikenyeri forward, and the resultant edge flew low to first slip where Habibul Bashar held on to it in his fingertips (31 for 1).The other opener, Barney Rogers, took 28 balls to get off the mark on his debut, but was then out in unfortunate circumstances. A powerful drive by Hamilton Masakadza ricocheted off Enamul Haque’s hand onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Rogers, who was backing up, short of his crease (59 for 3).Masakadza, who was playing his first Test for three years, had reached a well-organised 28 not out by stumps, but it will be a case of pressure, pressure and more pressure on the third day as Bangladesh try to get closer to their dream of a Test victory.Earlier it had been Rafique and Mortaza with the bat who had tamed the Zimbabwean bowlers. By tea, the Tigers had gone way past their previous highest Test total of 416, which they made against West Indies in St Lucia last year. More importantly, they had made their runs quickly in a session that produced 134 from 28 overs – the pre-lunch session had produced only 68. In that time Bangladesh lost Aftab Ahmed, without adding to his overnight score, and Rajin Saleh for 89 – he gave a return catch to Matsikenyeri after a stand of 58 with Mashud (341 for 6).Rafique made his intentions clear in the first over after lunch, smashing a four off Elton Chigumbura, and then pulling the offspinner Matsikenyeri for a massive six over widish long-on. And then, amid a pulsating beat of drums from the crowd, Rafique dismissed Douglas Hondo for a straight six to bring up Bangladesh’s 400. Rafique was now fully in his stride, but at the other end Khaled Mashud was finding it difficult to come to terms with the legspin of Cremer, who was not introduced until the 42nd over of the day. It was no great surprise that Cremer eventually claimed his first Test wicket when Mashud pushed at one, and was caught at slip one short of a deserved half-century (410 for 7). That ended a 69-run stand that had kept Bangladesh on top after the loss of Aftab Ahmed in the third over of the day.But there was no respite for Zimbabwe as Mortaza joined Rafique, and scored a quickfire 48, from only 44 balls and containing eight fours and a six. Matsikenyeri and Cremer were treated with disdain. Rafique motored to his half-century with his fourth six, to post the fifty partnership for the eighth wicket from just 49 balls. But finally Rafique, who also hit six fours, edged the gangling Chris Mpofu through to Tatenda Taibu (472 for 8). Mortaza pulled and drove a flurry of boundaries before he was the last man out just short of a maiden Test fifty. He was helped along the way by dropped catches by Hondo and Sibanda.The pitch hasn’t changed dramatically in character, although there are some cracks opening up. With the spinners Rafique and Enamul exploiting the odd trick or two in the track, Zimbabwe will have their work cut out tomorrow.

Mohammad Kaif has declared himself fit to tour Pakistan. Kaif, who was been out of action since damaging a thumb playing for India A in the Kenstar Tournament in December, has said “I started batting in the nets two days ago. There are no problems and I feel no discomfort.”Kaif’s return to fitness is especially relevant as India’s tour of Pakistan begins with a five one-day series. The Indian team to tour Pakistan will be selected on March 3. Although Kaif made his India debut in a Test match he has since become a regular in the one-day side. He has played only three Test matches after the first one against South Africa in 2000 while appearing in 59 ODIs.Kaif’s return to fitness cannot be good news for the likes of Hemang Badani and Rohan Gavaskar, who had only reasonable success in the recently completed VB Series in Australia.

Vijay Mehra, the former Indian opener, has died of a heart attack in Delhi this morning. Mehra’s death was sudden and he collapsed while reading a newspaper at 8.15 am, it was reported. He was 68.Mehra, a prodigy of just 17 when he made his debut, played eight Tests for India between 1955 and 1964 and will always be remembered for his courageous 62 against England at Calcutta, a knock where he continued batting even after fracturing his right thumb. A pugnacious 62 in the second Test of the 1962 West Indies tour, when India were completely outclassed, was also one of Mehra’s highpoints.”He was a very dear friend and I was even supposed to have dinner with him tomorrow night,” former Indian captain Bishan Singh Bedi told Cricinfo. “As a player he was limited in talent but excelled within those limitations. He was a technician who used to build his innings, not one to take risks. We’re both from Amritsar and we had the same coach [Gyan Prakash]. He was an absolute fitness freak and had a tremendous sense of humour, something so badly lacking in the modern world.””You could call him a strokeless wonder but he was a very gutsy cricketer,” Raju Bharatan, a veteran journalist, told Cricinfo. “How many players, in that era, were willing to open against pace?”Mehra – who played for Railways, Punjab and Delhi – managed 5636 runs in first-class cricket (at 34.36) and had a successful first-class career that stretched for more than two decades. After retirement, he was active in Delhi cricket admininstration and was also a national selector. He also made a name as an expert commentator with television and radio. He was the expert commentator for All India Radio on India’s recent Test series against West Indies and regaled the press with his quirky sense of humour.He is survived by a son and a daughter. His son, Ajay Mehra, played 46 first-class matches for Punjab and Rajasthan in the ’90s.

Close of 2nd day Central Zone 532 for 7 (Khoda 156, Yadav 80, Prakash 73, Bundela 72, Saxena 69*) v West Zone
ScorecardWest Zone spent another day on the field, while Central Zone batted them out of the game. A run rate of 2.74 fetched the batting side 255 runs for the day, and at close of play, the score read 532 for 7. The 108-run stand between Gagan Khoda and Devendra Bundela was ended when Rakesh Patel bowled Khoda for 156. Shortly after, Bundela fell for 72, but Saxena and Jai P Yadav accumulated more runs, adding 68 for the sixth wicket. Two sixes and seven fours laced Yadav’s innings of 80, and when he was finally dismissed by Sairaj Bahutule, it was left to Saxena to take his team to a more formidable total. Assisting him with the task was Harvinder Singh, on 24, and they shared an unbeaten partnership worth 53 runs.Close of 2nd day South Zone 93 for 3 (Ramesh 57, Rao 12*, Prasad 2*) trail East Zone 388 (Das 120, Shukla 84, Arindam 55, Singh 4-66) by 295 runs
ScorecardA rescue act by East Zone’s lower order kept South Zone at bay, and took the team to 388. By the end of the day, South Zone were in a shifty position at 93 for 3, still 295 runs away from taking the first-innings lead.The overnight batsmen, Shiv Sunder Das and Rajiv Kumar, fell to Narender Singh early on the second day, and when Sunil Joshi removed Saurasish Lahiri for a blob, the end was quite close. But the last three wickets put up 105 runs between them, and Laxmi Ratan Shukla led the way with 84. He was helped by Utpal Chatterjee (25) and Debasish Mohanty (26), who played out valuable overs, and kept the runs coming.South Zone got off to a start, but two wickets in quick succession set them back. Barrington Rowland was dismissed after contributing 15 in a 52-run stand with Sadagoppan Ramesh, who blazed away to 57 off 91 with nine boundaries before getting out. And in the middle of all this, Shukla ran out Sridharan Sriram. At the end of the day, Venugopal Rao was at the crease at 12, with Mannava Prasad for company on 2.

Most people react to being dropped from a side with a shrug and a few muttered oaths. But Lance Klusener has not taken the news of his omission from South Africa’s touring side quite so philosophically – he is planning to sue the South African board for loss of earnings.Klusener’s argument is that he turned down offers of work with English counties after being assured that he would be included in the squad. He claims that he was told that he would be rested for the tour to Bangladesh, but would return for the England trip.”It’s like your boss calling you on a Saturday night and saying, ‘Sorry, old chap, but you don’t have to come to work on Monday. You’re fired. How would you feel if it happened to you?" Klusener told the South African-based You magazine. "Wouldn’t you also be disappointed? Some people may think it’s sour grapes, but that’s not true at all.”It was a shock and a disappointment,” Klusener admitted. “I was here at home and immediately went to tell my wife. England would have been a highlight for me. I wanted to play at Lord’s again. I played for South Africa with pride for eight years. I gave my all."And Klusener dismissed accusations made by Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, that the side was better off without him as he was not a team player. “I’m a private person,” Klusener explained. “I hate being around lots of people. It saps my energy. Now people are saying I’m a miserable sod. Why is it if you don’t want to be part of the crowd you’re always seen as different?”While Smith has told reporters that he regrets making the comments, Klusener said that he had yet to receive an apology in person. “Maybe he doesn’t have my number. The whole thing between Graeme and I is a shame. I read what he said in the papers and I still don’t know exactly what he meant."Klusener’s decision to take legal action is unlikely to endear him to the selectors and whatever the outcome of the court case, if it goes ahead, he will only gain financially if he wins. It is inconceivable that any court could force an organisation to pick a player, especially one whose record of late has hardly been outstanding.

The Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy has lost some of its prestige in recent seasons. It is no longer the one-day showcase of the English summer – that honour now goes to the NatWest Series final – while the stunning success of the Twenty20 Cup means that it might not even be the highlight of the domestic one-day season. Nevertheless, a Lord’s final is a unique occasion whatever the backdrop, and Saturday’s encounter between Gloucestershire and Worcestershire is sure to be a keenly contested affair.Quite apart from being local rivals, there is likely to be an underlying current of animosity to keep the teams competitive to the bitter end. Last week at New Road, Gloucester emerged victorious in a close encounter of the National League kind, but it is the memory of their C&G fourth-round clash of three years ago that will be the biggest incentive for both sides.In the 2000 competition, Worcestershire appeared to have won the tie and progressed to the quarter-finals. However, it soon came to light that they had fielded an ineligible player – none other than Kabir Ali, England’s latest fast-bowling recruit, who had turned out for Worcestershire’s Cricket Board XI earlier in the tournament. This was against the tournament rules, so Gloucester lodged an appeal, earned the right to a replay, and duly went on to retain their title in the final.Kabir, however, insists that all that was in the past. “There is no tension between the two counties,” he said. “The players have forgotten about what happened in 2000 and it wasn’t anyone’s fault. There was a bit of a misunderstanding. There are no grudges between the players. It is just another game – a big game of course – but it could be Lancashire or Surrey or anyone else that we are playing, because to us the important thing is to try and win the trophy irrespective of the opposition.”Of that there is no doubt, and to boost their prospects, Worcestershire have called once again on the services of their South African overseas player, Andrew Hall. Hall, who was not an original member of South Africa’s Test squad, had been given special permission to play in the semi-final against Lancashire, and it was his nerveless final-over maiden – which included three wickets – that inched Worcestershire through by six runs. He has since played a huge role in South Africa’s victory over England at Headingley, where he took four wickets and made 99 not out in the second innings. Quite simply, he is in the form of his life.Worcestershire’s second trump card is, funnily enough, another South African. After years on the fringes of the national team, Nantie Hayward opted out of selection for this summer’s tour, and instead committed himself to Worcestershire for the entire season. The decision has paid dividends, if at the expense of his international ambitions. He is bowling as quickly as at any stage of his career, and is picking up regular wickets in all competitions. Now, having shaken off a virus, he will form a part of a potent seam attack that includes Kabir and the Australian-born but European-passported pair of Matt Mason and Mark Harrity. The England prospect Gareth Batty is on hand to provide the spin option, plus a handy supply of lower-order runs.But with Worcestershire rooted to the bottom of the first division of the National League, it is Gloucestershire who will go into the final as favourites. They have been the undisputed kings of one-day cricket in recent years, having won both the C&G Trophy and the Benson & Hedges Cup in consecutive years in 1999 and 2000. And with Ian Harvey and Craig Spearman in superlative form, they were also the early pacesetters in this year’s Twenty20 Cup, only to lose to Surrey in a tight semi-final at Trent Bridge.Gloucestershire’s linchpin is their veteran wicketkeeper Jack Russell, who turned 40 last week but is still far and away the finest gloveman in the English game. He is, however, suffering from a back injury, and is only rated 75% fit. If he is forced to pull out, the wicketkeeping duties will pass to Chris Taylor. A decision will be made on Saturday morning between the seamers Jon Lewis and James Averis.Worcestershire (from) Ben Smith (capt), Stephen Peters, Vikram Solanki, Anurag Singh, Graeme Hick, Andrew Hall, Steven Rhodes (wk), David Leatherdale, Gareth Batty, Kabir Ali, Matt Mason, Mark Harrity, Nantie Hayward.Gloucestershire (from) Mark Alleyne (capt), Chris Taylor, Craig Spearman, Phil Weston, Ian Harvey, Jonty Rhodes, Jack Russell (wk), Matt Windows, Alex Gidman, Tim Hancock, Martyn Ball, James Averis, Mike Smith

It is amazing how one good performance can transform attitudes and breed belief. While it is not lost on them that they will be faced with even greater resolve from their formidable opponents at the Adelaide Oval, there is a quiet confidence about Sourav Ganguly’s Indians. Having savoured Brisbane, they are not getting carried away by the moment, but “competing with the Australians” is no longer a mere platitude to be mouthed at press conferences. The Indians now believe that they can indeed compete. It is a sign of that belief that the team management is now contemplating playing two spinners in the second Test.The plans may still change if the weather gets heavy on Friday, but there are strong indications that the Indian strategy is veering around towards bringing Anil Kumble into the playing XI and retaining Harbhajan Singh despite his tepid performance at Brisbane. The man most likely to miss out would be Ashish Nehra, who was flat if inexpensive in the first Test.It is a plan fraught with grave risks. For the gamble to pay off, India will need to win the toss and bat first on what is considered to be the best batting pitch in Australia. It sported a tinge of green on Wednesday, but below it is a true surface, baked dry by the sun. It isn’t expected to break up, but if the weather holds good, it will dry further and the spinners could come into play on the last day if India bat well enough to take the match the distance. Ganguly admitted: “We need to score at least 400, preferably more, to give ourselves a chance of winning here.”Talk has centred on Harbhajan’s indifferent showing in the first Test, and Ganguly readily conceded that he was less than enamoured. But he is not ready to write off a bowler who he has turned to, by his own admission, every time he has needed a wicket over the years. “He’s been my matchwinning bowler. I know, and he knows, he has to bowl better than he did at Brisbane. But this is a test of his mettle. I have faith in him.”Kumble’s record in Australia is not inspiring, but he was at pains to point out yesterday that India must pick their four best bowlers in the XI, and he has a right to reckon he is one of them. The logic can be argued with, but not discarded outright. The Australians will come hard at the Indian bowlers at Adelaide, and if Kumble can stick to his line and length – no mean task against batsmen who back their intent to upset the rhythm of opposition bowlers with exceptional strokemaking abilities – he can expect to pick up a few wickets.Of course, the plan could backfire horribly if India have to bowl first and find themselves a pace bowler short even before lunch on the first day, or worse, Ajit Agarkar, who came back from a horrible start to bowl well at Brisbane, decides to have an off session. Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar can send down their little seamers, but for them to share 20 overs in a day is an unrealistic demand.But India’s thoughts have now moved from mere protection of dignity to sneaking in an upset, and if they believe their best chance lies in spin, they must take it.

Hampshire Hawks failed to record a second win in the ECB National League Division Two losing off the last ball, of their clash with Middlesex Scorpions at The Rose Bowl.Hampshire selected the same eleven that had defeated Sussex the previous day, and chose to bat first. Derek Kenway’s dreadful start to the season continued, this time being bowled first ball, but the innings belonged to Robin Smith. Smith hit a sparkling 92 with 11 fours, he built his innings at the start against some excellent pace bowling from the Crusaders on a helpful pitch. James Hamblin with 33 also contributed and the home side should have been reasonably satisfied with their 45 over total of 198.Wasim Akram’s first five overs read 5-4-3-2 as the visitors were bamboozled with the veteran Pakistan star. A poor start however was saved by opener Paul Weekes who kept just up with the asking rate, aided by Ed Joyce and a quick fire 29 from David Nash. Abdul Rassaq the took three hugh sixes off Shaun Udal’s off-spin to bring them within their task but not before more drama as Wasim Akram and the improving Chris Tremlett each took late wickets and with two runs needed to win off the last ball Ben Hutton slashed the ball over the advancing fielders for the winning runs.Another feature of the Hampshire bowling, and something that needs seriously addressing was the count of 32 extras, Middlesex’s second highest scorer, with a woeful 20 wides.