HADLEE XI DEFEATS SOBERS' TEAM AT A CANTER

Requiring a modest 167 for victory openers Gary Kirsten and Aminul Islam posted 54 for the first wicket to set the platform for victory.

Aminul, Bangladesh's captain, made only 13 of those runs but saw off the new ball attack of Courtney Walsh and Wasim Akram a pairing that could boast over 900 Teat wickets between them. Change bowler Lance Klusener eventually made the breakthrough bowling Aminul, who was late on the shot.

Shahid Afridi, who took 2-37 earlier in the day, then played the punchiest innings of the day crashing six boundaries in a 14-ball knock of 28. Afridi fell in typical fashion, hoisting Chaminda Vaas to long on where Jimmy Adams took a fine catch on the run.

Inzamam-ul-Haq made only one before Phil Simmons held a skyer off his own bowling.

Gary Kirsten progressed to the only 50 of the day (87 mins 80 balls 6x4) by clipping Jayasuriya through midwicket but couldn't relax as Jonty Rhodes increased the tempo of the running between the wickets.

With the result a foregone conclusion both South Africans then played some delightful shots to clinch victory with 16.5 overs to spare. Kirsten finished on 74 not out and Rhodes was unbeaten on 28.

Earlier Sir Garfield's side stuttered along and could only make 166-6 from their 45 overs, after two stoppages shortened their innings.

Jimmy Adams, who spent one season with Notts in the mid 90s, top scored with an unbeaten 47. Sri Lankan Aravinda De Silva with 32 and Marvan Atapattu 22 were the only others to top 20.

For Hadlee's team Allan Donald bowled superbly, conceding only 19 runs from his 9 overs.

HADLEE'S XI RESTRICTS SOBERS' SIDE TO 166

Sir Garfield's side, captained by Courtney Walsh, won the toss and elected to bat first but soon lost the wicket of Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya. The opener slashed at a widish ball from the opposing captain Shaun Pollock and nicked a thin edge through to 'keeper Nayan Mongia.

Two short stoppages for rain then lopped 10 overs off the match allocation, reducing it to 45 overs per side.

The batting side, in an all West Indian—type maroon strip, found runs hard to get on the re—start and Marvan Atapattu looked fortunate to survive a confident lbw shout against Shoaib Akhtar.

Saeed Anwar made 18 before a loose drive allowed Allan Donald to flatten his middle stump and an equally ugly shot cost Marvan Atapattu his wicket at the other end to Shahid Afridi's whippy leg-spin.

Already beyond the halfway point in the innings Aravinda De Silva and Jimmy Adams looked to play a few aggressive shots and the West Indian launched Bangladesh's Naimur Rahman for the first six of the day.

The fielding side, in a black and blue strip, didn't always get their men in the right positions. Inzamam—ul—Haq somehow found himself having to make two long chases to the boundary, clearly a new experience as on each occasion he had trouble in stopping! Jonty Rhodes though, as ever, was simply brilliant at backward point.

Shoaib's return for the 28th over coincided with Adams glancing a boundary to bring the 100 up. Nine runs later De Silva perished, trapped in his crease by a pacy Shoaib yorker.

With only 10 overs remaining the total had only registered 122 runs. Phil Simmons couldn't help the cause as he slogged the final ball of Afridi's spell straight to Shoaib at deep mid on.

The situation was tailor—made for new batsman Lance Klusener but neither of his international team—mates Shaun Pollock or Allan Donald were prepared to bowl anything in his arc! Donald's nine overs cost him just 19 runs.

Klusener's brief stay ended when Shoaib fired the ball into his off stump with the bat aiming for an expansive drive.

Mom Khan and Adams scrambled a few desperate singles in the final two overs but could only lift the total to a disappointing 166—6, with Adams unbeaten on 47.

© CricInfo

Date-stamped : 30 Jun2001 - 18:30