Amla Thrills With Double Century
Hashim Amla sets off for a run during the day 2 between India and South Africa.
Hashim Amla was thrilled that his double century had put South Africa in a strong position in the first Test against India on Sunday.
“I think scoring a double hundred on any soil is a momentous occasion,” the number three batsman told reporters on Sunday after scoring an unbeaten 253 — his first double century.
“All the personal milestones are fantastic but on the day it’s about where the team is situated … it has certainly put India on the back foot,” he said.
Amla’s effort helped South Africa to declare their first innings closed at an imposing 558/6. India were 25 for no loss in reply at the close on day two.
Amla batted for more than 11 hours and took his overnight partnership with Jacques Kallis (173) to 340.
It was the pair’s second triple century stand, after they put up 330 against New Zealand in Johannesburg in 2007.
Hashim Amla takes a drinks break.
“The way he has developed his game has been fantastic,” Kallis said of Amla. “People wrote him off early on but, the tough character he is, he has proved everyone wrong.
“He is going to score a lot of runs for South Africa in very important situations.”
India coach Gary Kirsten said Amla’s effort had put India under a lot of pressure.
Courtesy of Reuters
HAVE YOUR SAY: How do you think this test will pan out between South Africa and India?
Hashim Amla celebrates his double century. 
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Gary Kirsten To Extend Contract In India Until 2011
The Board of Control for Cricket in India wants to extend coach Gary Kirsten’s contract until the 2011 World Cup.
The former South Africa opening batsman signed a two-year contract with the BCCI in March 2008 and media reports suggested that he would return to his homeland at the end of his term next month.
“He will continue his stint with the Indian team,” said the BCCI president, Shanshank Manohar. “We will renew his contract.”
Kirsten has been rumoured to be the front-runner to take over the South Africa team following Mickey Arthur’s departure from the helm last week, although he said: “I have not been contacted by Cricket South Africa.”.
South Africa, under caretaker coach Corrie van Zyl, are currently in India for two Tests and three one-day internationals, starting this weekend.
Have your say: Do you think Cricket South Africa is making a mistake by not talking to Kirsten about coaching SA?
Thanks to the guardian.co.uk
Tendulkar Hails Present India Side
Sachin Tendulkar hailed this India side as the best he has played in during 20 years of international cricket, as they rose to the top of the Test rankings.
A win over Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the final Test in Mumbai clinched a three-Test series 2-0.
“I would not hesitate to say that this is the best team I have played with,” Tendulkar said. “If you look at the batting line-up, right from No 1 to No 7 [Mahendra Singh Dhoni], it’s a solid line-up.
“A lot of people have been asking me about retirement, I haven’t thought about it at all.”
Zaheer Khan took three of the four wickets India needed yesterday, including Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara for 137.
Pakistan levelled the three-Test series with New Zealand thanks to a 141-run win in the second match in Wellington.
Chasing 405 after bowling out Pakistan for 239 in their second innings, New Zealand were dismissed for 263.
It was Pakistan’s first Test win since their five-wicket defeat of South Africa in Port Elizabeth in January 2007, 13 Tests ago.
Meanwhile, Pakistani pair Rafatullah Mohmand and Aamer Sajjad set a world record at the Sheikhupura Stadium yesterday for second-wicket partnerships in a first-class match.
Mohmand (302 not out) and Sajjad (289) put on 580 while playing for Wapda in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy against Sui Southern Gas Corporation.
They broke the record of 576 held by Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya (340) and Roshan Mahanama (225) in a Test against India in Colombo in 1997.
As a South African a sense of pride whelms up inside to know that our own Gary Kirsten is coaching India. Well done Gary, keep it up. Hopefully you can come home soon and teach our boys some new tricks.
Thanks to telegragh.co.uk
Is Cricket In SA Dying?
Graeme Smith wipes sweat away during the recent loss to England
Tennis used to be a big deal in South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s and no doubt those who followed the sport couldn’t imagine the day when the SA Open didn’t feature on the world tour, let alone today’s reality that sees any seriously aspirant youngster wishing to pursue a career in the sport compelled to travel abroad.
Of course, there are some brilliant and dedicated people working for the improvement of tennis in South Africa at the moment, but that’s not the point. At the moment it lacks serious funding and has become a minority or social sport.
The same fate could never befall rugby or cricket, of course. Well, certainly not rugby. You would think. Woven into the fabric of many sections of South African society and boasting a more robust production line of first-class players than any other country — as well as a world-champion national team — rugby seems bulletproof at the moment.
Cricket, on the other hand, has far less control of its own destiny — certainly at international level. With other worthy but handicapped contenders, the Proteas’ administrators have become (willingly or not) utterly subservient to the money and power their Indian counterparts wield with little pretence at responsibility.
The coach of the Indian national team, Gary Kirsten, may be at the forefront of forward thinking when it comes to the future of the game, but his views don’t even merit a footnote when his bosses get together.
“At the moment,” he says, “cricket is heading towards a time and a place it doesn’t want to be. Every aspect and format of the game that exists today has come about because of Test cricket and the ambition of players to compete for their countries at that level. Unless that is recognised and attempts are made to preserve it, cricket will become much less loveable in just a few years. Basically, people will recognise meaningless and hollow ‘competition’ and will become bored with it.”
With thanks to the Mail & Guardian
Source: M&G
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