Natwest series 2008 :Proteas aim for top spot in ODIs

[Dravid]

Steve Harmison has come out of ODI retirement and has been added to England's squad to face South Africa, after Ryan Sidebottom was ruled out of the opening match, at Headingley, due to a groin injury. http://content-www.cricinfo.com/engvrsa/content/current/story/365812.html

[King Tendulkar]

Clearly can smell Stanfords money me thinks!:-D

[Kohum]

Money to Ryan for the groin injury ? :D

[Dravid]

Harami?? lol

[varun]

SuperSelector up for Eng vs SA ODIs Link

[Guest Hiten.]

Thanks!

[Desi Cartman]

Thanks varun

[Feed]

Natwest series 2008 :Proteas aim for top spot in ODIs South Africa will aim to return to the top of the one-day championship table when they go head-to-head with England in a five-match one-day series. More... Proteas aim for top spot August 22 2008 at 08:01AM South Africa will aim to return to the top of the one-day championship table when they go head-to-head with England in a five-match one-day series starting in Leeds on Friday. South Africa are two ratings points behind Australia on 128 but will go three points clear if they sweep the series 5-0. A 4-1 win will put them on 130 ratings points but ahead of Australia when those ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point South Africa are 22 points ahead of sixth-placed England and that gap means they are expected to win the series comfortably. If they fail to do so, they will lose two points if they secure only a 3-2 success. A loss by the same margin will see Graeme Smith's side slide to 122 points. Smith holds the top spot in the player rankings for batsmen, and will be looking to open the gap from second-placed India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Besides Smith, AB de Villiers (8th), Herschelle Gibbs (11th) and Jacques Kallis (17th) are in the top 20 while Pietersen is the highest ranked England batsman in 12th position. - Reuters

[bharat297]

Until they beat Australia in Australia OR win a major tournament of any kind ... they wont be no.1 in my book. Australia, even if they fall to 2nd, are still the best ODI side in the world at the moment.

[Laaloo]

Whats the prize again?

[Kohum]

Thanks for correcting the title - I thought Dravid was cursing his back :D :D

[Shane]

Lets see how he goes in this one , should do well, however i must mention he failed to keep it tight while playing for Durham

[Laaloo]

****

[varun]

Whats the prize again?

100K for this one (too few participants) 500K for the Ind-SL one. Btw, the winners of the Test series are yet to be rewarded.. Will do so in due course.

[Shane]

Picked up a wicket in his very first over

[Dravid]

2 wickets, not badd

[Feed]

Sidebottom misses rest of the ODI series vs SA, 2008 Fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom is ruled out of the remaining four matches in England's one-day series against South Africa with a groin injury. More... Sidebottom misses rest of series Ryan Sidebottom is out of the equation for Kevin Pietersen's team Fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom has been ruled out of the remaining four matches in England's one-day series against South Africa because of a groin injury. Sidebottom missed two matches in the recent Test series and was also unavailable for the first one-day international last Friday. England had already called up Steve Harmison to replace him, so are unlikely to call up a fresh recruit. England lead the series 1-0 with the second match starting on Tuesday. Sidebottom has suffered a combination of hip and groin problems since the drawn first Test against South Africa in early July. He played in both that match at Lord's, and the third Test at Edgbaston, but his pace was well down and he was clearly uncomfortable with his rhythm. Chris Tremlett is battling to recover from a heel problem, so Yorkshire's Tim Bresnan stays with the squad for the time being.

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England demolish South Africa Stuart Broad inspired England to only their third 10-wicket victory in one-day international history at Trent Bridge. More... Broad inspires England to easy win PA Tuesday, 26 August 2008 GETTY IMAGES Stuart Broad claimed career-best figures as South Africa slumped to their second lowest total ever Stuart Broad delivered the best performance of his international career to humiliate South Africa and secure a comprehensive victory for England in the second match of the one-day international NatWest Series. Having grown up playing on the outfield at Trent Bridge as a child while father Chris played for Nottinghamshire 20 years ago, Broad returned to make his own mark at the ground with a devastating display of seam bowling. Broad, who switched from Leicestershire to Nottinghamshire last winter, claimed five for 23 in a 10-over new-ball spell to help dismiss South Africa for a lowly 83 and secure England's emphatic 10-wicket victory by 5.35pm in a match billed as a day-night international. Those figures were the best of his own career, the fifth best by an England player and completely humiliated a South African side who were briefly rated as the best side in the world earlier this year by dismissing them for the second lowest total in their history. His performance capped another impressive display by an England side galvanised by the appointment of Kevin Pietersen as captain, who is yet to taste defeat since his unveiling after winning the final Test and the opening game of this five-match series at Headingley on Friday. Stunned by their 20-run defeat in Leeds, which followed nine successive ODI victories, South Africa reacted by recalling big-hitting all-rounder Albie Morkel to their line-up ahead of schedule after a shoulder injury. Morkel's return at the expense of Vernon Philander was designed to give South Africa impetus to their middle order, which they lacked during their run chase in the series opener. But by the time Morkel arrived at the crease, however, the match was effectively over with South Africa reeling on 50 for six despite winning the toss and deciding to bat first on a fast and bouncy pitch. Their challenge was undermined from the start with Broad given the new ball from the Pavilion End and removed South Africa's leading three batsmen inside the first three overs to set the tone for the remainder of the innings. Aggressive opener Herschelle Gibbs became his first victim after he became frustrated in the fourth over of the innings by Broad's steady line and length, advanced down the pitch and got an inside edge behind to wicketkeeper Matt Prior. That was the first of a record-equalling haul of six catches by Prior, who matched the achievement of former England wicketkeeper Alec Stewart against Zimbabwe at Old Trafford in 2000, as South Africa's top order struggled to cope with the swing and extra bounce provided by England's seamers. Nearly all of Prior's catches were regulation, but perhaps earned his share of the record for his role in Broad's second victim with a full-length delivery which surprised Graeme Smith with the bounce and was brilliantly taken one-handed diving to his right in front of first slip. Jacques Kallis fell in Broad's next over when he was tempted into a drive off the front foot and edged to Owais Shah at first slip and by the time he had also angled another delivery across JP Duminy to give another catch to Prior he had claimed four wickets in 16 balls. Sensing an emphatic triumph, Pietersen went for the kill and brought all-rounder Andrew Flintoff into the attack, who accelerated South Africa's demise by winning an lbw appeal against AB de Villiers with a ball which jagged back into his pads. Flintoff's hostility also accounted for Mark Boucher, who became the latest of many South African batsmen to edge behind, while Broad followed up by claiming his final wicket in his last over. Steve Harmison replaced him from the Pavilion End and quickly wrapped up the tail with two wickets in his only over to leave England facing a modest target in reply. Propelled by Prior's aggressive approach they raced to their target in just 14.1 overs with England's wicketkeeper accelerating to an unbeaten 45 off only 36 balls, including six fours and a six. He completed the triumph with a pull for four off Andre Nel to complete only England's third 10-wicket victory in 495 one-day international matches to put them firmly in control of the five-match series. By contrast, the tourists head for London to prepare for Friday's third match at The Oval knowing they need a quick reversal of fortunes and performance if their historic Test series triumph is not to be overshadowed by a dismal end to their tour.

[flamy]

KP! lol :D

[Predator_05]

'03 Natwest Series final all over again for SA, hahahah