All posts by h716a5.icu

A fine innings from the teenage opener Stafanie Taylor aided West Indies women wrap up the three-game Twenty20 series over Sri Lanka at St Mary’s Park

Cricinfo staff24-Apr-2010
Scorecard
A fine innings from the teenage opener Stafanie Taylor aided West Indies wrap up the three-game Twenty20 series over Sri Lanka at St Mary’s Park. Taylor’s unbeaten 54 from 45 deliveries was just the reply West Indies needed in their nervous pursuit of a target of 121 and she sealed the affair with three wickets remaining. This was West Indies’ second successive win after they took the first Twenty20 and they now have an unassailable lead in the series which is a build-up to next week’s ICC World Twenty20.It wasn’t all that rosy, especially after the home side slipped to a disastrous 25 for 5, but Taylor, 18, forged two successful partnerships to get West Indies home. She put on 4 for the sixth wicket with Shanel Daley (19 off 21 balls) and 51 from 41 balls with her captain Merissa Aguilleira, a partnership which sealed the match. Aguilleira made 26 from 23 balls. Taylor’s unbeaten innings earned her a second Man-of-the-Match award after she hit 50 in the first game.Earlier, Sri Lanka had been kept to 120 for 9 after they won the toss and batted, with the offspinner Anisa Mohammed netting 4 for 26. She accounted for the middle and lower orders after Dedunu DaSilva (36) and Chamari Attapttu (17) added 58 for the first wicket.

Wolves trio Jonny, Pedro Neto and Yerson Mosquera are all ‘on track to return’ from injury in the near future, according to journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Wolves’ long-term absentees

Bruno Lage’s side may be doing well so far this season but they have missed a number of key players, potentially holding them back from a serious challenge for European football next term.

Jonny and Neto have both been absent since last season due to major knee problems, having been regular starters in 2020/21, while Mosquera has been out with a hamstring issue since September.

The hope is that all three players are back soon and that certainly appears to be the case.

The Latest: Spiers provides positive update

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Spiers confirmed that the trio are all nearing a welcome return to action in a 10-word verdict:

“Jonny, Neto and Mosquera all on track to return soon.”

The Verdict: Great news for Wolves

This is a huge boost for Wolves at a time when the fixtures are coming thick and fast and fatigue may set in as the season goes on.

Lage’s squad depth is going to need to come to the fore and having Jonny, Neto and Mosquera as options can only be a good thing, even if they need to treated carefully.

The severity of Jonny and Neto’s injuries means they cannot be rushed back but their importance cannot be denied, with the pair making 174 Wolves appearances between them, while Neto in particular shone last year with 11 Premier League goal contributions, averaging over two successful dribbles, shots and key passes per match (Whoscored).

The wing wizard was hailed as a ‘huge talent’ by Alan Shearer and the fans cannot wait to see him back in action.

In other news, Wolves have received a big boost ahead of their trip to Manchester United. Read more here.

Following on from the recent sacking of Rafa Benitez as Everton manager, the hunt is now on for the Merseyside club to appoint a new boss that can steady the ship and end the current season on a strong note.

One name that has been mentioned with the position is current Belgium manager Roberto Martinez, who has previously had a stint managing Everton a few years ago.

However, it seems as though a potential return to Goodison Park for the Spaniard may not be on the cards just yet.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent Twitter post from journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Belgian FA are not keen on allowing Martinez to leave his current role and join Everton as they apparently want him to stay to coach the international team through the upcoming World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Romano also added in his post that there is “no full agreement yet” between Martinez and Everton on a potential contract, “as things stand.”

Fans will be relieved

During his time in charge of the Toffees between June 2013 and May 2016, the Spaniard took charge of 143 games across all competitions, winning 62, drawing 37 and losing 44 along the way.

Given how there were some fan protests against Martinez during the latter stages of his spell at Everton, it will be a relief to plenty of supporters that a potential return to Goodison is being halted in its tracks by his current employers.

With this in mind, it would be a surprise if Martinez would be open to a move back to Everton after the grief he got as well, especially with a World Cup with Belgium on the horizon where the Red Devils are very much one of the contenders to go all the way.

After all, it would be a rather remarkable decision to leave that behind and head to mediocrity in Merseyside instead.

With this update from Romano in mind, it would be worth Everton moving on from the possibility of hiring Martinez again if he isn’t likely to leave his current position with Belgium and looking at other potential targets who are better suited to the role in order to get their season back on track.

However, for the time being, until they get a new permanent manager, Everton could be forced to give Duncan Ferguson the reins on a temporary basis in the same way he did before Carlo Ancelotti took over back in December 2019.

That feels like a decision that will delight fans in comparison, given his previous association with the Toffees.

In other news: Sky Sports journalist reveals favourites for the job

Defeats against India have put Afghanistan and South Africa in sudden-death mode going into their floodlit clash in Barbados on Wednesday

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya05-May-2010Match FactsWednesday, May 5, Bridgetown
Start time 1700 (2100 GMT)The Big PictureAfghanistan have never faced a bowler as quick as Dale Steyn•AFPDefeats against India have put Afghanistan and South Africa in sudden-death mode going into their floodlit clash in Barbados on Wednesday. Left to rue lapses in the field and a delayed surge with wickets in hand in St Lucia, South Africa now have an opportunity to set things right with a clinical performance and progress into the Super Eights.The conditions in Bridgetown, generally supportive of fast bowling, should encourage their seam-strong attack against an opposition whose weakness against the short ball was exposed by Ashish Nehra. Afghanistan impressed in small doses, but with just two batsmen reaching double-figures in a score of 115 they had little to fight for against the Indian batting line-up.Afghanistan’s struggles off the field, and their success against the odds on it, have contributed to a general eagerness among cricket fans to see them do well. In a tougher scenario, against a determined South Africa in a must-win game, they have another chance to win hearts, and they would want to do that with a more collective effort.Form guide (most recent first)Afghanistan: LWLWW
South Africa: LWLLWWatch out for…Dale Steyn: He was the best among South Africa’s bowlers against India, but didn’t use the bouncer too often. Expect no sympathy against an inexperienced Afghanistan, who have not faced pace as quick as what they will tomorrow.Shapoor Zadran: He bowled two overs for just six runs against India with good rhythm, getting the ball to move away and beating the Indian batsmen on occasion with his left-arm seamers. Containment seems to be his strength – he has an economy rate of 6.52 in Twenty20 internationals – but he’ll want to improve his wickets tally of just three in seven games.Team newsLoots Bosman struggled to get going against India, and South Africa may think of replacing him with Herschelle Gibbs at the top. Rory Kleinveldt proved expensive, conceding 40 in his last two overs; Juan Theron, with a reputation of being a good death-overs bowler, could take his place.South Africa (possible): 1 Jacques Kallis, 2 Herschelle Gibbs/Loots Bosman, 3 Graeme Smith (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Albie Morkel, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Roelof van der Merwe/Johan Botha, 9 Juan Theron/Rory Kleinveldt, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne Morkel.Afghanistan: (possible) 1 Karim Sadiq, 2 Noor Ali, 3 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 4 Nowroz Mangal (capt), 5 Asghar Stanikzai, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Raees Ahmadzai, 8 Samiullah Shenwari, 9 Hamid Hassan, 10 Shapoor Zadran, 11 Dawlat Ahmadzai.Pitch and conditionsThis is the second of the three floodlit games scheduled for this tournament. Barbados has traditionally boasted the quickest tracks in the Caribbean, and the batsmen can expect the ball to nip around as well as gain the extra bounce. There are scattered showers forecast for the day.Stats and trivia Albie Morkel has hit the most sixes – 23 – for South Africa in Twenty20 internationals. Noor Ali leads the fours tally for Afghanistan with 15.The Kensington Oval in Barbados will be hosting its first floodlit game. Before Wednesday, the venue had hosted just one Twenty20 international, a truncated fixture between West Indies and Australia won by the hosts.Quotes”They have no fear and they have nothing to lose, which makes them dangerous.”
Graeme Smith is not taking Afghanistan lightly.

Former New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle feels that captain Daniel Vettori should step down as a national selector because it might create a sense of insecurity among his team-mates

Cricinfo staff31-May-2010Former New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle feels captain Daniel Vettori should step down as a national selector because that responsibility could create a sense of insecurity among his team-mates. Astle fears the team spirit may be affected if the captain has a major say in selection, and added that if Vettori gave up that role, it would allow him to focus on his job as the team’s leading strike bowler, and captain.”He’s capable but deep down I think it is too much to take on. Being captain means you take on a certain role and while he should definitely have an input, he shouldn’t be a selector,” Astle told the . “You want your team-mates to be able to discuss things. Players won’t do that if they think it might hinder their selection.”Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Warren Lees was also concerned that Vettori’s role as a spinner may become redundant if he puts the team’s concerns before his own. Vettori is currently the second-highest wicket-taker for New Zealand, behind Richard Hadlee, with 325 wickets. “If he’s a good captain, there’s a risk he won’t get the most out of himself as a bowler because he’ll spend the whole time thinking of others,” Lees said. “He might need to be more selfish.”The former players also discussed another vital member of the New Zealand side, Brendon McCullum, whose dual role as a wicketkeeper-batsman in all forms of the game has been debated of late. McCullum, who gave up the gloves in Twenty20 internationals to focus on batting alone, isn’t sure whether he will follow suit in Tests and ODIs. He said he would take a decision in the coming months on the best way to preserve himself for New Zealand.Astle felt McCullum should give up keeping because New Zealand needed him as a batsman to shore up an inexperienced batting order. “Giving up the keeping should allow him more time to work on his batting. From what I’ve seen, it’s not that he doesn’t want to do it but it’s more of a physical thing and he’s looking for longevity in the game,” Astle said. “I think some people have been too quick to judge.”Lees, however, felt New Zealand couldn’t afford to lose him as a keeper. “We don’t know how bad his back is. I was surprised coach Mark Greatbatch did not originally know about that,” he said. “We are a weak team and need Brendon keeping to have the balance to beat the best in world.”Former New Zealand fast bowler, Danny Morrison, now a commentator, spoke out on the team’s recent performance. He felt the senior batsmen weren’t putting their hands up enough, going by New Zealand’s performance in the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean and in Florida, where they were bowled out for 81 in a Twenty20 against Sri Lanka.”I think more onus needs to go on McCullum, [Ross] Taylor and [Jesse] Ryder as a core group of senior batsmen, who have a responsibility to perform. There was a glaring lack of runs in the Caribbean and it wasn’t good enough.”Shane Bond’s retirement from all forms has weakened the bowling attack, and Morrison called for the youngsters to fill the breach quickly. “It’s time young guys stepped up because big Daryl [Tuffey] and Chris [Martin] haven’t got long left at the top. They’re still useful, especially in New Zealand conditions with their pace and bounce, but aren’t getting it through at real pace. Brent Arnel is a prospect. He looks like he’s modelled himself on Shane Bond with a nice action and small delivery stride,” Morrison said.”I also saw Corey Anderson up close at the Hong Kong Sixes last year, albeit off a shorter run-up. He had a strong, powerful action with a top speed of over 140km/h. Andy McKay gets it through too.”

Australia are closing in on a series-levelling victory at the WACA after ripping out five England wickets during the final session to back up Michael Hussey’s 116 which continued his phenomenal series

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan18-Dec-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJames Anderson can only look on as Ryan Harris celebrates Paul Collingwood’s last-ball dismissal•Getty ImagesAustralia are closing in on a series-levelling victory at the WACA after ripping out five England wickets during the final session to back up Michael Hussey’s 116 which continued his phenomenal series. Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris both struck in the final five minutes of play to finish with two apiece while other scalp, the key one of Kevin Pietersen for 3, went to the hardworking Ben Hilfenhaus as England lurched to stumps on 5 for 81.Those final few moments did huge damage to England who were already struggling. Jonathan Trott had played well for 31 before fencing at Johnson and, in a sign of how fortunes have changed, Ricky Ponting parried the ball at second slip only for Brad Haddin to snap up the chance. Ponting immediately left the field for treatment on a finger so missed the final-ball drama when the out-of-form Paul Collingwood edge Harris to third slip, the ball after nightwatchman James Anderson declined a single to take the strike off Collingwood.Hussey and Shane Watson, who fell five runs short of his hundred, were chiefly responsible for building Australia’s strong position as they extended their fourth-wicket stand to 113. After that, England staged a fightback with Chris Tremlett claiming his maiden five-wicket haul as the last six wickets fell for 55 but, despite the positive talk of a repeat of South Africa’s 414-run chase in 2008-09, history was always unlikely to repeat itself.Australia were mightily pumped up for the final session, knowing the quick bowlers could go full throttle. Ponting wasn’t afraid to switch the bowlers around and it was a change of ends for Harris that brought the first breakthrough when Alastair Cook was struck on the back leg. Cook asked Andrew Strauss if it was worth a review, but wasn’t supported by his captain. The ball would have clipped the bails.Smart Stats

Shane Watson’s 95 was the fourth time he has fallen in the nineties in his career. He has two centuries and 14 fifties.

Michael Hussey’s century was his second of the series and the 13th of his career. He averages almost 61 in home Tests but just over 39 in away Tests.

The 113 run partnership between Hussey and Watson was the third century stand for the fourth wicket for Australia against England in Test matches at Perth.

In 11 innings since June 2010, Kevin Pietersen has scored 477 runs with one century and two fifties. He has scored less than 10 in five of these innings.

Of the ten previous occasions that Australia have set a target over 300 at Perth, they have gone on to win on seven occasions and drawn twice. The only loss came against South Africa in 2008.

Johnson had been brought on in the sixth over and offered a couple of boundary balls, then tightened up to off stump and found Strauss’s edge which flew comfortably to Ponting at second slip. Whereas Hussey had given a lesson in what to leave, England’s batsmen were far less certain.Pietersen also chased a wide delivery that he poked to first slip to give Hilfenhaus his first wicket since the third ball of the series. Pietersen had escaped a pair with a pull to fine leg but hadn’t settled when he hung his bat out, although it was nothing less than Hilfenhaus deserved for a probing spell. For Pietersen it was his lowest contribution when he has batted twice in a Test. Like his team, it’s been quite a comedown from Adelaide.Throughout the match it has been tough for batsmen when they first come in, which emphasises the importance of the lone hundred so far from Hussey. His latest masterclass made him the first batsman to hit six consecutive fifty-plus scores in a Ashes Tests, a run dating back to his futile hundred at The Oval in 2009. He also became the leading run-scorer in the series, overtaking Cook, and made this the most prolific series of his career. Not bad for a player who nearly lost his place before it all started in Brisbane.He brought up his hundred with a crunching pull, the manner in which many of his boundaries arrived as England maintained the plan of feeding his strength. He was barely troubled by any of the short-pitched offerings, which although working against some of his team-mates were a futile and wasted effort to Hussey.Hussey has an impressive conversion rate of fifties to hundreds, but the same can’t yet be said of Watson. He’d barely put a foot wrong during his innings, unfurling some thumping drives against Steven Finn as he moved carefully to 95 and within sight of his third Test century. Tremlett then got one to hold its line on middle which Watson missed, but the batsman called for a review thinking he’d hit the ball.It was a small window for England, which looked to have become a little bigger when Steven Smith was given caught at slip off an inside edge by Billy Doctrove, but this time the UDRS worked in Australia’s favour when no nick was detected and the ball was also heading over the stumps. It was a skittish innings from Smith, who could also have been run out, before Tremlett’s move to round the wicket worked as Smith gloved down the leg sideHaddin began with a sweep for six over midwicket against Swann, who only bowled five overs in the day and struggled, but got an inside edge into the stumps to give Tremlett a fourth. The lower order couldn’t offer Hussey much support as Johnson drove to cover, Harris pulled to deep midwicket and Siddle edged to third to slip to hand Anderson his 200th Test wicket.Hussey finally departed to the pull, when he picked out deep square-leg to give Tremlett a deserved five-wicket haul, but his innings had set up victory that will arrive on Sunday. And from the position Australia were in on the first afternoon, that’s an astonishing turnaround.

Liverpool are willing to pay €40m (£33.3m) for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to a fresh transfer rumour which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Phillips on the move?

The 26-year-old has arguably been the standout player of the Marcelo Bielsa era at Elland Road, also becoming an important figure for England, winning their Player of the Year award in 2021.

Unsurprisingly, Phillips has been linked with a move away from Leeds numerous times in recent months as he potentially eyes up a fresh challenge.

The midfielder may believe that he belongs at a Champions League-playing club, and there is no sign that he will be signing a new Whites deal any time soon.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Liverpool keen on signing Phillips

According to El Nacional, Liverpool are interested in making a €40m (£33.3m) move for Phillips in the summer, with Leeds more keen for their star midfielder to move abroad.

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are all mentioned as potential suitors in the report, although a move to Anfield is thought to possibly appeal to the player himself.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-31/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Higher bid required

There is surely no chance that Leeds would allow Phillips to join a Premier League rival for just £33.3m, considering what a formidable footballer he has become in recent years, being hailed as ‘excellent’ by England manager Gareth Southgate.

His current Whites deal doesn’t expire until 2024 so there is no rush to sell him yet, with a far higher bid surely required to prise him away from his boyhood club.

Leeds fans may needs to mentally prepare for the prospect of Phillips leaving in the summer but only if the right offer comes along, one which would see the Whites to receive a huge amount of money that would duly be put towards signing a replacement of equal or better quality.

In other news, Phil Hay has revealed his happiness at one key Leeds update. Read more here.

Angelo Mathews starred with the ball before the fireworks from Kolkata Knight Riders openers eased them to two wins in two games

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran14-Mar-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Angelo Mathews starred for Kolkata for the second successive time•Getty ImagesIt wasn’t as resounding a thrashing as that delivered by Brendon McCullum’s ruthless innings against the same opponents in the tournament opener two years ago but it was still a massive win for Kolkata Knight Riders in front of a heaving Eden Gardens crowd. Angelo Mathews followed up his fire-fighting with the bat on Friday by starring with the ball to pin down Royal Challengers Bangalore, before fireworks from Kolkata’s openers ensured their team began their campaign with victories over both of last year’s finalists.Kolkata were in control right from the start when Bangalore’s young batting talent failed, and the visitors were left to thank the experienced Jacques Kallis, who made a mad dash from South Africa after playing the Pro20 final on Friday evening, for holding the innings together. However, even his battling, an unbeaten 65 on a slowish track, couldn’t spare Bangalore the eventual hammering.Their troubles began when the surprise move to open with Sreevats Goswami didn’t work out. The pint-sized Goswami was hemmed in by a series of Charl Langeveldt bouncers, and his ploy of backing away to heave the ball to the leg side didn’t come off. Nor could Manish Pandey replicate the wonderful form of his domestic season, looking tentative in his short stay before his attempt to flat-bat Mathews down the ground ended in a bottom-edge on to the stumps.Next in Bangalore’s youth brigade was Virat Kolhi, talked up by coach Ray Jennings as a future Indian captain, who lasted four deliveries before striking a dipping delivery from Murali Kartik to deep midwicket. With two deliveries left in the Powerplay, Bangalore were down to 20 for 3.Kolkata’s new-ball bowlers had done their job, and they were backed up by some intelligent bowling from Mathews and Kartik to put Bangalore on the mat. Mathews sent down several slower bouncers which the batsmen struggled to pick, and Kartik varied his pace and effectively used the assistance provided by the track.It was Kartik who provided the fervent crowd their next chance to scream. Bangalore’s new signing, Eoin Morgan, had started his IPL career confidently with a sensationally-timed off-drive for six off the second delivery he faced, but he was bowled by a short, slow ball, through with his reverse-sweep before the ball arrived.All the while Kallis was starved of the strike, though he had shown glimpses of form, including a ferocious lofted cover drive. He set about rebuilding with the help of another veteran, Rahul Dravid, putting on 38 with some old-school textbook batting. Dravid was looking in fine touch before he contrived to drag a full, wide ball from Mathews on to the stumps.There was more sedate run-gathering with Robin Uthappa after that, and it wasn’t until the 15th over that Kallis opened up, clouting Rohan Gavaskar to the extra-cover boundary. Uthappa got his first boundary in the same region, before Mathews struck twice in four balls. Kallis then started to get innovative, walking across the stumps to paddle-sweep a ball for four to bring up his fifty, and repeating the stroke in the final over. There was a sweet, straight hit for six as well, and the 14 runs in the 20th over lifted Bangalore to 135.It was an underwhelming total on a benign track, but not as tiny a target as the Kolkata batsmen made it seem. Manoj Tiwary may not have much of a reputation as a Twenty20 player, but it was his early onslaught that made the match such a one-sided encounter.After three steady overs, Tiwary blasted Kallis for 14 in the space of four balls in the fourth, including a powerful swipe over midwicket for six. Much of Bangalore’s chances now depended on how effective their spearhead Dale Steyn was, but Tiwary crashed his second delivery over long-off for six more, before a couple of driven boundaries from Brad Hodge made it 17 off the over.The last major threat was Anil Kumble, who also failed to make an impact, with Tiwary picking him for two fours in his first three balls to take Kolkata 60 for 0 after 5.3 overs, effectively ending the contest.Things were less frenetic after that, and though both openers fell the delivery after they reached their half-centuries, Kolkata eased to a victory that will reinforce the belief in the side and among their fans after the abysmal shows of last season.

Reliable Aston Villa reporter Ashley Preece revealed on Thursday that winger Bertrand Traore is back training at Bodymoor Heath.

And, as to be expected, his update had a number of Villa fans talking on social media.

The 26-year-old is yet to feature under new boss Steven Gerrard after missing the last three months due to a thigh problem. It hasn’t been the best of years for Traore, who also had to have surgery on a groin issue over the summer.

However, he’s now back in training and has since been named in Burkina Faso’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, which is scheduled to get underway next month.

Although his wait for an appearance under Gerrard may go on, plenty of Villa fans were buzzing at the news of the winger’s return days before the Boxing Day fixture with Chelsea.

Before his injury troubles the former Blues man was in fine form, registering seven league goals and six assists last season, so it’s no surprise to see supporters delighted by this news.

Villa fans react

This is what these fans had to say in reply after The AVFC Faithful shared Preece’s update on Twitter, with one labelling Traore as a ‘huge miss’.

“Early Xmas present”

Credit: @BillyWhiz

“I’m in tears. The Burkina Faso king returns”

Credit: @Jtavfc2000

“Thank god, huge miss”

Credit: @Davidomahony18

“Return of the king”

Credit: @PhilipKeenan12

“Suiiiiiii”

Credit: @AttwoodOlly

“GET IN BERT!!!!!”

Credit: @AvfcRegan

In other news: Lange makes Aston Villa enquiry to sign ‘top’ midfielder in January; club have already responded. 

Dinesh Karthik’s attacking, unbeaten 161, laced with 23 hits to the fence, put South Zone in front against West Zone in an empty Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad

Cricinfo staff02-Feb-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Dinesh Karthik’s attacking century gave South Zone control on the first day•AFPDinesh Karthik’s attacking, unbeaten 161, laced with 23 hits to the fence, put South Zone in front against West Zone in an empty Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The Hyderabad Cricket Association decided to not allow spectators in the stadium, fearing crowd trouble due to the political situation in Andhra Pradesh.The absence of any support appeared to have had its effect on South Zone in the initial stages of their innings, as the West Zone seamers made their mark, dismissing the openers with just 34 on the board. In conditions favourable to batting, and given the importance of a first-innings lead, South Zone would have been disappointed with the start they got.But the middle order stepped up. Ganesh Satish scored a patient half-century before being dismissed with the score on 120, but Karthik, by then, had found his groove. He was involved in a stand of 121 with wicketkeeper M Gautam (49) and 89 with Rohan Prem (24) to guide his side beyond 300.Irfan Pathan’s three-for was a highlight for West Zone, but Karthik’s presence at the crease, with the score currently on 356 for 6, should provide enough encouragement for South Zone to put up a substantial score on the second day.