How Mumbai Maidan coach Patwal's tough-love sessions gave Harmer his second wind
When I interviewed Alishan Sharafu as a 14-year-old schoolboy following his huge scores in domestic matches, he told me he wanted to bat like A B de Villiers.
A look at South Africa's tormented past when they failed to get over the line at key junctures in World Cups.
'As a South African team, we know we're going to have that chip on our back, or that narrative that we have to get over'
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's name may be etched in the annals of Mumbai's Wankhede stadium forever.
The ICC approved Corey Anderson as replacement of Grant Elliott in the New Zealand's Champions Trophy squad.
A year after he created what has been considered New Zealand's most memorable cricketing moment, all-rounder Grant Elliott has retired from one-day international cricket.
Watching the 1992 World Cup got New Zealand's Grant Elliott suspended from school but also set him on the path to a career as a professional cricket.
Rookie all-rounder Mitchell Santner and veteran Grant Elliott have been rewarded for their recent strong performances by being included in New Zealand's list of centrally contracted players on Wednesday.
A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup
Statistical highlights of the Champions Trophy Group A match between New Zealand and England.
A six from Ryan McLaren off the final delivery and a rapid 116 by Graeme Smith helped South Africa to a thrilling one-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third one-day international on Friday.
The International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption unit is studying New Zealand's victory over Pakistan in the second Champions Trophy semi-final, raising doubts of corrupt play, after Pakistani skipper Younus Khan dropped a catch at a crucial juncture of the match.
New Zealand and South Africa played their hearts out in the first semi-final of the ICC World Cup at the Eden Park in Auckland on Tuesday, but it was the Black Caps who emerged triumphant by four wickets.
Daniel Vettori led from the front with both and ball and Grant Elliott sparkled with a gritty innings of 75 to help New Zealand outclass Pakistan by five wickets to enter the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Johannesburg, on Saturday. Chasing 234 for victory, New Zealand kept losing wickets at regular intervals before the 104-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Elliott and Vettori, who made a quick 41 from 42 deliveries, sealed the deal in their favour.
New Zealand qualified for the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy after a nervy four-wicket victory over England at the Wanderers, in Johannesburg, on Tuesday. After dismissing England for 146 in 43.1 overs, courtesy Grant Elliott's four for 31, New Zealand made heavy weather of the target in the middle overs before scrambling to 147 for six in 26.1 overs.
Nathan McCullum gets recall into Kiwi set-up for World T20; Nicholls gets call-up after good showing in series vs Pakistan
New Zealand's cricket selectors took a gamble on injury-prone Jacob Oram being fully fit for June's Twenty20 World Cup in England when they named their squad Tuesday. Oram did not take part in the recent three-Test series against India because of an Achilles injury, which has restricted his involvement at international level.
Paul Collingwood, who stepped down as England one-day captain last year, was on Friday named to lead the Twenty20 side in next month's World Cup. Collingwood resigned the captaincy at the same time as Test skipper Michael Vaughan because he felt it was affecting his Test form. The tournament starts on June 5 and ends with the final at Lord's on July 21.
Fast bowler Adam Milne won the battle for the final pace bowling spot in New Zealand's cricket World Cup squad named on Thursday.
New Zealand beat Australia by six wickets in the second ODI at the MCG on Friday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Australia's fifth successive defeat meant that India displace them from the No 2 spot in the ICC ODI rankings.
New Zealand beat West Indies by nine runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method in the rain-disrupted fifth one-day international at Mclean Park in Napier on Tuesday to win the series 2-1.
Losing seamer Kyle Mills and all-rounder Jacob Oram to injury does not make New Zealand underdogs heading into the third Test against England, according to captain Daniel Vettori. Mills and Oram, arguably New Zealand's two best bowlers in the series, were ruled out of the match at Napier's McLean Park with calf and hip injuries respectively.
South African-born all-rounder Grant Elliott has been called into an injury-hit New Zealand squad for the first Test against England, starting in Hamilton on Wednesday.
New Zealand stole a dramatic win through an overthrow off the final ball in the fourth one-day international against England at The Oval on Wednesday.
New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram has been ruled out of the third Test against England with a hip injury and replaced by Grant Elliott, captain Daniel Vettori said on Friday. South African-born Elliott will make his Test debut in the match at McLean Park, alongside teenage pace bowler Tim Southee who has been called in to replace fellow seamer Kyle Mills.
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar praised New Zealand for playing "outstanding" cricket throughout the World Cup, saying the Kiwis thoroughly deserved to be in the final after edging past South Africa in a battle of nerves at Auckland. It was ironic that the Johannesburg-born Elliott, 36, played a stellar knock to push his country of birth out of the World Cup race.
Factbox on World Cup match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval.
South Africa set New Zealand a daunting target of 298 runs in 43 overs.
The squad includes representatives from seven nations for the games, which will have international status, in Lahore on September 12, 13 and 15.
Despite the painful semi-final loss to New Zealand in Auckland in the World Cup, South African fans and media went easy on its cricket team. A long history of failure at the tournament has often put the Proteas at the sharp end of stinging criticism from the demanding media and fans back home.
Corey Anderson's all-round show helped New Zealand thump Pakistan by 95 runs in the deciding Twenty20 international in Wellington on Friday and bag the three-match series 2-1.
Pakistan will be desperately looking to ensure the painful defeat to India becomes a distant past when they run into an in-form New Zealand in Mohali on Tuesday with an aim to bounce back into the World Twenty20 and pacify their bitter fans back home. Pakistan are coming into the Group 2 Super 10 game having suffered their 11th defeat to the arch-rivals in ICC's world events. The 2009 champions entered the tournament after an early elimination in the Asia Cup. On the other hand, the New Zealanders are on a roll with two massive wins over hosts India and Australia, making them one of the strong contenders to lift the coveted trophy on April 3. Another win and they will be in the knockout stages of the mega-event. New Zealand have emerged as the team to beat after the stunned tournament favourites India first up, before getting the better of traditional rivals Australia in a trans-Tasman battle.
Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar congratulated New Zealand on sealing their maiden cricket World Cup final spot, but also consoled South Africa for again failing to cross the semi-final hurdle after losing to the Kiwis by four wickets in a nail-biting finish in Auckland, on Tuesday.
New Zealand all-rounder Grant Elliott has said that hosts India are clear favourites going into the ICC World T20 but that will also put enormous pressure on the Men In Blue.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson scored 90 to lay the foundations for a 38-run victory over Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Friday which gave the Kiwis the three-match one-day international series 2-1.
New Zealand entered their maiden ICC World Cup final, beating South Africa by five wickets in a thrilling rain-reduced World Cup semi-final at Eden spoPark in Auckland on Tuesday. Set 298 to win from 43 overs, the Kiwis, led by fine knocks from captain Brendon McCullum (59 off 26 balls) and Grant Elliott (84 off 73) got across the finish line with one ball to spare. Elliott hit the winning run with a six over long-on off the bowling of Dale Steyn.
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc was named the player of the tournament after his team beat New Zealand by seven wickets to win the World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Injured New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor will test his fitness ahead of next month's World Twenty20 tournament in India when he plays in an 'Island of Origin' match next week.
New Zealand pacemen Trent Boult and Grant Elliott shared seven wickets as the hosts bundled out Pakistan for 210 to win the first one-day international at the pacy Basin Reserve by 70 runs on Monday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances