Skipper Graeme Smith came out to bat with a broken hand but could not save the match for South Africa as Australia won the third and final Test in Sydney by 103 runs on Wednesday to prevent a series whitewash and retain the top spot in ICC Test rankings. Chasing an improbable 376 for victory, the South Africans, who were 62 for one overnight, folded up for 272 just 10 balls before the scheduled close of play on the final day.
AB de Villiers hit an unbeaten century to guide South Africa to a successful record-breaking run chase of 414 -- the second biggest run chase in Test history against Australia at the WACA in Perth on Sunday. De Villiers was unbeaten on a cracking 106 and debutant JP Duminy was not out on 50 as South Africa produced a great batting display on the fifth and final day to win the opening Test by a comfortable six-wicket margin.
Captain Graeme Smith led South Africa to their triumph, smashing an unbeaten 89 from 61 deliveries to steer the host nation past Australia's impressive total of 179-8.
Fast bowler Dale Steyn led South Africa to victory by an innings and 129 runs on the fourth day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Bloemfontein on Saturday. The visitors, following on, resumed on 67 for three and South Africa needed only 27.3 overs to bowl them out for 159.
Herschelle Gibbs smashed a quickfire century to steer South Africa to a series-clinching eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe.
Hashim Amla proved his worth as a limited-overs opening batsman when his century guided South Africa to a series-clinching 128-run victory over Bangladesh on Sunday. Amla hit 140 off 135 balls -- his maiden ODI century -- to lead South Africa, who were sent in to bat, to 358 for four.
1178 - Virender Sehwag's run-aggregate in Test matches in the year 2008 @ 65.44. He is now just one short of equalling Graeme Smith's record tally in this year.
The match was reduced to 31 overs a side following a near five-hour delay in start due to rain.
India ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni can inch closer to the top spot of ICC batting rankings if he continues his good form of the Asia Cup in the five-match series against Sri Lanka starting on Monday. Dhoni, who was on top of the batting list for a week in April 2006, is 19 points adrift of table topper South African Graeme Smith in the latest ICC ODI batting list with 773 rating points.
Kevin Pietersen celebrated his first Test as England captain with a consolation six-wicket victory over South Africa in the fourth and final Test on Monday.
Sachin Tendulkar became the most capped one-day player after making his 357th appearance in the fourth ODI against South Africa.
Kevin Pietersen celebrated his first innings as England captain with a century, leading the hosts to a 122-run first-innings lead over South Africa on the second day of the fourth test at The Oval on Friday. South Africa, bowled out for 194 in the first innings, were 37 for one at the close in reply to England's 316.
World XI captain Graeme Smith said he supports the use of television replays after the video umpire gave out three Australian batsmen on the opening day of the ICC Super Test.
Indian One-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is within touching distance of regaining the top spot in the ICC ODI Player Rankings after his consistent show with the bat in the just-concluded Asia Cup helped him jump two spots in the chart.
Kohli, thus, became the 12th batsman and third Indian after Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid to reach 20,000 international runs.
All rounder Shaun Pollock and fast bowler Andre Nel would be rested and replaced by all rounder Andrew Hall and fast bowler Dale Steyn in the third and final Test against Pakistan.
South Africa beat West Indies by one run to win their two-match Twenty20 series 2-0 after an exciting final over.
South Africa's in-form batsman Hashim Amla, who scored a fine 51 in his team's total of 265 all out on Day 1 of the third Test against India, reveals the secret of his success against spinners.
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first in the third and final Test at the Green Park in Kanpur on Friday. India captain Anil Kumble ended all speculation over his chances of playing by handing over the mantle to Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Former South African players have blamed the humiliating defeat in the Johannesburg Test to "boastful over-confidence".
India were bowled out for 627 before South Africa replied with a solid 131 for one in their second innings to take a 44-run lead, on Day 4 of the first Test.
Neil McKenzie scored 94 and Hashim Amla was unbeaten on 85 as South Africa amassed 304 for 4 by the end of the first day in the first Test against India. India must be grateful to spinners Harbhajan (2 for 92) and Anil Kumble (2 for 61) for helping them fightback.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith won the toss and elected to bat in the first Test against India.
The West Indian batsman was fined for hurling the ball at South Africa captain Graeme Smith after being no-balled.
South Africa has the opportunity to dethrone Australia and secure the top spot in the LG ICC ODI Championship Table at the April 1 cut-off if it sweeps the three-match series against Bangladesh starting in Chittagong on Sunday. Australia and South Africa are currently both sitting on 127 ratings points but Graeme Smith's side is behind Ricky Ponting's side by just 0.529 of a point when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.
Spinner Robin Peterson took five wickets to lead South Africa to a crushing victory by an innings and 205 runs in the second Test against Bangladesh on Monday. The touring side bowled out their hosts for 119 on the fourth day to complete a 2-0 series win. South Africa captain Graeme Smith and fast bowler Dale Steyn were named man of the match and man of the series respectively.
The team that lost in the Champions Trophy semi-final to the West Indies will take on India in the first of five ODI in Johannesburg on November 19.
Herschelle Gibbs struck an imperious century to spur South Africa to an eight-wicket win over West Indies on Sunday and a clean sweep in the five-match series.
South Africa dug deep to deny Australia a 3-0 series sweep with a battling draw in the rain-disrupted third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, finally finding some fight on the final day of a miserable tour.
Ponting said that he has never been more impressed by a young cricketer than Hughes.
Ashwell Prince, who is leading the team in the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka, has been included in the ODI squad but is not a certainty to play.
VVS Laxman returned to the top 20 of the ICC Rankings for the first time in three years after his scintillating performance against Pakistan in the first Test in Delhi
The South African cricketers visited to the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity a day before the Test in Kolkata.
England were skittled for 180 on the stroke of tea, having no answer to the pace of Dale Steyn on the first day of the fourth and final Test against South Africa on Thursday.
Seamers Rao Iftikhar and Umar Gul shared six wickets and Mohammad Yousuf hammered a century to guide Pakistan to a 25-run win over South Africa in the second one-dayer at the Gaddafi stadium on Saturday.
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