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Storm halts South African push

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful takes the catch to dismiss South Africa’s Morne Morkel, not pictured, during the second day of their Castle Test Series at Springbok Park in Bloemfontein, South Africa, on Thursday. PHOTO: AFP

Determined batting and heavy rain stopped South Africa’s push for victory on the third day of the first Test against Bangladesh at Springbok Park yesterday.

Bangladesh were 67 for three in their second innings when the umpires took the players off the field 26 minutes before the scheduled lunch break because of a rapidly approaching electrical storm.

Play for the day was abandoned just over three hours later.

Bangladesh were still 221 short of avoiding an innings defeat, but they showed far more resolve than in the first innings, when their top order crumbled against the South African pace attack.

Only two wickets fell after Bangladesh resumed at 20 for one. It took South Africa 50 minutes to make the first breakthrough of the day when Tamim Iqbal flashed at a wide, lifting delivery from Makhaya Ntini and was caught behind for 20.

Junaid Siddique fell for 27 shortly before play was halted when he was forced onto the back foot by Jacques Kallis and was caught behind off an attempted cut. Both men had batted solidly before their dismissals.

Sri Lanka batsman Mahela Udawatte makes a run past Zimbabwe bowler Chris Mpofu during their first one-day international at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday. Sri Lanka won by six wickets. PHOTO: AFP

South Africa were without left-arm spinner Paul Harris, who was flown to Cape Town to see a specialist after suffering a fracture to the base of his left thumb before play on Wednesday.

He is expected to be out of action for three to four weeks. He will miss the second and final Test against Bangladesh starting in Centurion on Wednesday.

Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mush­fiqur Rahim received a reprimand from International Cricket Council match referee Alan Hurst for showing dissent when he was dismissed in the first innings.



■ AUSTRALIA COVERAGE

AFP, SYDNEY

Global news agencies have boycotted coverage of the first cricket Test between Australia and New Zealand starting on Thursday ­because of conditions imposed by organizers.

The agencies — Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, Reuters and Getty Images — have also suspended coverage of all Australian cricket news until further notice over demands made by the governing body, Cricket Australia (CA).

CA has demanded the right to see the agencies’ lists of Web clients and to veto any they decide should not receive pictures and text coverage of the Tests.

In addition, CA refuses to allow agencies to distribute to some legitimate non-sports magazines, a move the agencies say would force them to discriminate between clients.



■SRI LANKA V ZIMBABWE

AFP, HARARE

A collapse by Zimbabwe of stock market proportions gifted Sri Lanka a leisurely victory on Thursday in the first of a series of five one-day internationals.

And the main instigator was predictably Muttiah Muralitharan, who snatched 4-14 in four overs.

It brought “Murali” up to 468 wickets in this form of the game. And it was fortunate for the Zimbabweans that he didn’t bowl any more.

The hapless home side slumped from 124-3 to 127 all out in 31 overs, losing seven wickets for just three runs scraped together. Only Tatenda Taibu came through the mayhem with 36 not out.

Sri Lanka coasted to 130-4 in reply, giving them a comfortable win by six wickets and a 1-0 series lead. Zimbabwe, expecting a 5-0 whitewash weather allowing, failed in their realistic objective of putting up resistance.

At least there were fewer than 500 spectators at the Harare Sports Club to see the spectacular extent of their failures.

Upul Tharanga failed to score, thus setting a false note to the proceedings. Mahela Udawatte made 38 in 45 balls and Kumar Sangakkara 46 not out in 95.

Mahela Jayawardene scored only 10, the result of trying to hit Ray Price out of the ground and himself out of the soporofic atmosphere.
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