Taylor zips to incredible ton
Source: Agencies |
March 9, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
EXTRAORDINARY hitting with a cracked bat by New Zealand birthday boy Ross Taylor helped his team pile on an amazing 85 runs in 3.4 overs to reach 302-7 in its World Cup match against Pakistan in Kandy, Sri Lanka, yesterday.
Taylor was given two 27th birthday gifts - dropped on zero and eight off Shoaib Akhtar - before unleashing some of the most incredible slugging ever inflicted on an attack in a one-day international cricket match never mind the World Cup.
He thumped eight fours and seven sixes in his unbeaten knock of 131 scored off 124 balls in the Group A match.
In one brutal over, the 35-year-old Pakistan paceman Shoaib was struck for three sixes and two fours in one over as Taylor raced passed three figures in 117 balls. That over cost Shoaib 28 runs.
More was to come. Having figured in half-century stands with Martin Guptill (57) and Scott Styris (28), he paired up with Jacob Oram (25 off nine balls) to power 85 off 22 balls.
In all, New Zealand blasted 92 runs off the last four overs.
After his unbeaten spree, Taylor revealed his bat was split.
"I cracked it in the nets a couple of days ago but it seemed to go okay today ... hopefully the new one will be just as good," he said. "I've only had it for a couple of weeks.
"One of our strengths is the power we have down at the bottom and it showed the way Nathan McCullum and Jake (Oram) batted."
Meanwhile, police in India yesterday clashed with hundreds of fans seeking tickets for the showdown against South Africa, the incident again highlighting the country's inability to handle the huge demand for seats.
Twelve days after similar scenes were witnessed in Bangalore, stick-wielding police battered fans in front of the ticket counter at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, however, defended the action taken by the police.
"I don't think the police enjoy beating people for the sake of it. It could have been a stampede-like situation that forced them to lathicharge (charge with sticks)," he said in Delhi.
"They (police) should not be projected in a bad light all the time."
Asked if the root of the problem was because only a limited number of tickets was available to the public, Dhoni responded light-heartedly: "I have got five tickets. If anyone is interested in buying, they can contact me."
Spectators had been queuing up behind wooden barricades since Monday evening after learning that a limited number of tickets would be made available.
Yesterday's episode is likely to raise further questions about the way tickets are being distributed in the cricket-crazy nation.
Only a small quota for the major matches are being sold directly to the public, while the rest are distributed among the ICC and clubs affiliated to the local cricket associations.
Taylor was given two 27th birthday gifts - dropped on zero and eight off Shoaib Akhtar - before unleashing some of the most incredible slugging ever inflicted on an attack in a one-day international cricket match never mind the World Cup.
He thumped eight fours and seven sixes in his unbeaten knock of 131 scored off 124 balls in the Group A match.
In one brutal over, the 35-year-old Pakistan paceman Shoaib was struck for three sixes and two fours in one over as Taylor raced passed three figures in 117 balls. That over cost Shoaib 28 runs.
More was to come. Having figured in half-century stands with Martin Guptill (57) and Scott Styris (28), he paired up with Jacob Oram (25 off nine balls) to power 85 off 22 balls.
In all, New Zealand blasted 92 runs off the last four overs.
After his unbeaten spree, Taylor revealed his bat was split.
"I cracked it in the nets a couple of days ago but it seemed to go okay today ... hopefully the new one will be just as good," he said. "I've only had it for a couple of weeks.
"One of our strengths is the power we have down at the bottom and it showed the way Nathan McCullum and Jake (Oram) batted."
Meanwhile, police in India yesterday clashed with hundreds of fans seeking tickets for the showdown against South Africa, the incident again highlighting the country's inability to handle the huge demand for seats.
Twelve days after similar scenes were witnessed in Bangalore, stick-wielding police battered fans in front of the ticket counter at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, however, defended the action taken by the police.
"I don't think the police enjoy beating people for the sake of it. It could have been a stampede-like situation that forced them to lathicharge (charge with sticks)," he said in Delhi.
"They (police) should not be projected in a bad light all the time."
Asked if the root of the problem was because only a limited number of tickets was available to the public, Dhoni responded light-heartedly: "I have got five tickets. If anyone is interested in buying, they can contact me."
Spectators had been queuing up behind wooden barricades since Monday evening after learning that a limited number of tickets would be made available.
Yesterday's episode is likely to raise further questions about the way tickets are being distributed in the cricket-crazy nation.
Only a small quota for the major matches are being sold directly to the public, while the rest are distributed among the ICC and clubs affiliated to the local cricket associations.
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