Briefly cricket

WADA sets time limit for ICC
New Delhi: The WADA on Tuesday gave ICC time till November 2011 to convince its member boards to accept the vexed 'whereabouts' clause. WADA director general David Howman also served a veiled warning to BCCI when he
indicated that India could be barred from participating in this year's Asian Games in Guangzhou, where cricket in the form of Twenty20 would make its debut in the multi-sport extravaganza if the stand-off continues. "It will be Olympic Council of Asia's decision," he said.

SA win despite Sammy's knock
Antigua: South Africa withstood a late West Indies fightback led by Darren Sammy's 58 from 24 balls to prevail by 17 runs in the second one-day international on Monday and take a 2-0 lead in the five match series.
Brief scores: South Africa 300 for 5 in 50 overs (G. Smith 37, H. Amla 92, J Kallis 85, AB de Villiers 41;Taylor 2/50, Pollard 2/39) vs West Indies 283 all out in 48.1 overs (D. Richards 51, D Bravo 74, D Sammy not out 58; Morkel 3/58).

ICC gives Sydney Test clean chit
Melbourne: The ICC has stopped investigating the Australia-Pakistan Sydney Test after finding no evidence of match-fixing, a Cricket Australia spokesman said. "The ICC has replied, saying it has seen no evidence of match-fixing and that there is no current investigation of match-fixing," CA spokesman Peter Young was quoted as saying by The Australian. "Haroon Lorgat has assured James Sutherland that Australia won the match on its merits," Young added.

Afridi to lead in all formats
Lahore: Pakistan on Tuesday named Shahid Afridi captain for next month's Asia Cup and the subsequent full tour of England, opting for a single skipper for all three formats of the game. "Afridi will lead Pakistan in one-day and Test cricket and is our best choice," Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt told reporters.

Swann voted best English player
London: Off-spinner Graeme Swann beat competition from his skipper Paul Collingwood among others to clinch the 'England Cricket of the Year' award at Lord's. Selected by the British media, Swann claimed the award beating the likes of Stuart Broad, Andrew Strauss, Paul Collingwood and James Anderson. Swann played 45 matches in all formats of the game, taking 99 wickets at an average of 26.26.

1ST ODI: WI vs SA Statistical Highlights

West Indies won the toss and inserted the opposition in this game providing the 186th occasion of West Indies doing so in ODIs. West Indies lost this game after inserting the opposition providing the 78th occasion of West Indies losing a game after it has inserted the opposition. West Indies has lost nine games after inserting South Africa which includes this game.

HM Amla and AB de Villiers scored 102 runs each in this game providing the 1062 and 1063rd occasion of a batsman scoring a century in one day games. Their hundreds provide the 92nd and 93rd occasion of South African batsman scoring hundreds in one day games.

With HM Amla and AB de Villiers scoring hundreds in this game the number of hundreds scored by South African batsmen against West Indies stood at 14.

HM Amla's 102 and AB de Villiers's 102 in this game provides the 84th occasion of two batsmen scoring hundreds in the same innings in one day games. Their feat in this game represents the sixth occasion of South African batsmen performing such a feat in one day games. The six occasions are - DJ Cullinan (124) and JN Rhodes (121) vs Pakistan at Nairobi (Gym) on 29.09.96, G Kirsten (115) and HH. Gibbs (111) vs India at Kochi on 09.03.00, G Kirsten (124) and ND McKenzie (131*) vs Kenya at Cape Town on 22.10.01, HH Gibbs (102) and AB de Villiers (103*) vs Pakistan at Lahore on 18.10.07, JH Kallis (104*) and AB de Villiers (102*) vs India at Ahmedabad on 27.02.10 and HM Amla (102) and AB de Villiers (102) vs West Indies at North Sound on 22.05.10.

It is interesting to note that there are only two occasions of two batsmen scoring hundreds in an innings against West Indies in one day games. Apart from the South African batsmen's feat in this game, England batsman - AJ Strauss (100) and A Flintoff (123) had made hundreds at Lord's on 06.07.04.

HM Amla's 102 represents his second one day hundred and AB de Villiers's 102 represents his eighth one day hundred.

South Africa thrash Windies by 66 runs in ODI

ORTH SOUND, Antigua (Reuters) - South Africa eased to a 66-run victory over West Indies thanks to centuries by Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers and some aggressive bowling in the first one-day international on Saturday.

West Indies' batsmen wilted to 215 all out from 44.1 overs as they chased the tourists' total of 280-7 from 48 overs which was powered by Amla and de Villiers who both scored 102.

Amla registered his second career ODI century while de Villiers struck his third ODI ton on the trot as they put on 129 for the third wicket to lay the foundation for a big total.

Amla struck eight fours at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds from 109 deliveries while de Villiers hit five fours and two sixes off 101 balls.

All-rounder Dwayne Bravo bowled with control to finish with figures of three for 40 from 10 overs.

In the run chase Chris Gayle top scored for the hosts with 45 from 39 balls including eight powerful fours while Kieron Pollard blasted 44 from 37 deliveries with five fours and a six.

Their efforts were not nearly adequate enough to threaten South Africa's total as lanky pacer Morne Morkel captured three for 40 from eight overs. He was supported by Dale Steyn and Ryan McLaren (both two for 37) and Johan Botha (two for 47).

The second game in the five-match series will take place on Monday at the same venue before the teams move to Dominica for a double header and Jamaica for the final game.

Proteas aim high again against embattled hosts

NORTH SOUND: South Africa will hope the one-way traffic continues when they face a beleaguered West Indies on Saturday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in the first of their five One-day Internationals.
The Proteas' confidence had taken a beating during the recent ICC World Twenty20 staged in the Caribbean, where they exited with a whimper at the Super Eight stage, but this has been restored thanks to a pair of T20 victories over West Indies on Wednesday and Thursday.
Graeme Smith's side swept the two T20s with a 13-run victory in the first match, and a tense one-run win in the second, and they are anxious for more success.
"This ODI series is very important for us, and as we showed during the two T20s, we wanted to win, and play with our usual intensity," said Smith.
"We want to get back on the road to success again, and we have a lot of work to do, following a poor campaign in the T20 World Cup, so this is an important tour for us.
"We have a long break following this tour, and so we want to leave everything out on the field here in the Caribbean."
For West Indies, the problems have reached terminal decline, and their captain Chris Gayle felt powerless in trying to halt the slide. He has taken aim at his fellow batsmen, and questioned their mindset.
"I do not know if they are too worried about the position of the match, or their place in the team too much, or something else, but they have to free-up," he said.
"They have to go out there with a free mind, and play some good cricket."
He dismissed experience as a problem, and indicated that his teammates had to start taking responsibility for their performances.
"It's up to the individual," he said. "They have to look into themselves, and try to redeem themselves as much as possible. I cannot do it for them. I have a lot to think about as well, so it's up to them."
South Africa will be a little hamstrung with injuries to Jacques Kallis and Charl Langeveldt, but the two T20s have shown they have more than capable reserves.
Left-hander David Miller made his international debut in the second T20I, and his top score of 33 from 26 balls helped them to reach a respectable total.
"It was great for us to see a guy come into the side, and play so well under pressure," said Smith about the 20-year-old Dolphins batsman.
"It was a breath of fresh air to see him walk to the crease, and hit his sixth ball for six, and play his natural game. It's a credit to him, and he's still got a long way to go."
It's unlikely West Indies will change their squad for the first ODI because of time constraints, but the selection panel of chairman Clyde Butts, Robert Haynes and Raphick Jumadeen now face a difficult task to find a winning combination.
"It's something the selectors will have to discuss seriously, and all I can do is to wait and see what happens," said Gayle.
"These are the best guys we have in the West Indies, so if they cannot do it, we will have to take the alternative route, but we will have to wait and see what the selectors come up with and what happens later."
South Africa have won the last six ODIs between the two sides, including a 67-run triumph at the Queen's Park Stadium in Grenada during the 2007 World Cup, which was staged in the Caribbean.
West Indies' previous ODI victory over the Proteas was their six-wicket win in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy four years ago at Jaipur in India.
Scattered showers are again forecast, but this time the pitch at the VRCG will hold the centre of attraction.
During the two T20Is, it played unevenly, and so the two sides will hope that head curator Tony Merrick, the former Leeward Islands, Kent, and Warwickshire fast bowler, can roll out a far more accommodating surface.
Squads: West Indies (Still to be officially confirmed): Chris Gayle (capt), Dwayne Bravo (vice capt), Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor
South Africa (from): Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis (vice capt), Hashim Amla, Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, Abraham de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Alviro Pietersen, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe.