Kallis nears Bradman's record

[Donny]

Kallis close to Don's record

From correspondents in Hamilton - Fox


JACQUES Kallis carved his name in cricket folklore today as he assured South Africa could not lose the First Test against New Zealand and became only the second player in cricket history to score a century in five consecutive Tests.

Displaying supreme application on a wayward pitch, Kallis was unbeaten on 144 as South Africa marched to 4-307 at tea, an overall lead of 257 with just one session of play remaining.

There was a question mark over whether play would even reach this stage when the umpires called match referee Clive Lloyd on to the field after lunch to inspect a football size crater at one end of the pitch.

However, Lloyd opted not to invoke a law which allows play to be abandoned if the wicket is considered unreasonable or dangerous to play on

The New Zealand bowlers, in particular spinners Daniel Vettori and Paul Wiseman, produced acute movement from the disintegrating pitch, wickets were almost impossible to come by and Kallis continued to accumulate runs.

The big South African, who was out for 92 in the first innings, had compiled scores of 158, 177, 130 not out and 130 not out again in consecutive Tests against the West Indies immediately before coming to New Zealand.

The only other player to achieve centuries in five consecutive Tests was Don Bradman who forged a run of centuries in six successive Tests between 1936 and 1938.

New Zealand needed to take quick wickets Sunday if they were to have a chance of winning the match but were thwarted by Kallis and Neil McKenzie at first and then Kallis and Gary Kirsten.

Kallis and McKenzie compiled a 107-run partnership and steered South Africa out of trouble before they were split about 15 minutes before lunch, when McKenzie, who had just brought up his half century, offered a simple bat-pad catch to Mark Richardson off the bowling of Wiseman.

Kirsten then joined Kallis and was 34 not out at tea.

For New Zealand, Wiseman was the most successful bowler with two for 68 off 19 overs.

[piedys]

Oh, what a herculean effort. Yawn. And he's achieved this monumental task against which elite teams of international cricket?

But not fit to be compared to the great one.

He's in form. Nothing more, nothing less.

dyso

[lones37]

Same goes for the Aussie team. Acheived test wins against who in the last 5 years? Same miserable excuse for a team Kallis has. I suppose Hayden scored 380 against the Goliath of the modern era? Pftt. They dont even know which end of a cricket bat is which, and he is running around saying look how good i am.

[JLC]

Congratulations to Kallis who just registered another century....

jlc

[Donny]

It's interesting to note the longest sequence of first class centuries.

That record is not held by Don Bradman but Bill Ponsford with 10.

Amongst them were 2 doubles, 2 triples and one over 400 !!

[Donny]

Here's the table for centuries in successive Tests.

6 DG Bradman Australia Melbourne 1936/37 to Leeds 1938
5 JH Kallis South Africa Johannesburg 2003/04 to Hamilton 2003/04
4 DG Bradman Australia Melbourne 1928/29 to Leeds 1930
4 DG Bradman Australia Brisbane 1931/32 to Adelaide 1931/32
4 JHW Fingleton Australia Cape Town 1935/36 to Brisbane 1936/37
4 CL Walcott West Indies Port of Spain 1953/54 to Port of Spain 1954/55
4 ED Weekes West Indies Kingston 1947/48 to Kolkata 1948/49
4 RN Harvey Australia Cape Town 1949/50 to Port Elizabeth 1949/50
4 KF Barrington England Lahore 1961/62 to Delhi 1961/62
4 KF Barrington England Lord's 1967 to Port of Spain 1967/68
4 SM Gavaskar India Mumbai 1976/77 to Melbourne 1977/78
4 ML Hayden Australia Adelaide 2001/02 to Johannesburg 2001/02
4 R Dravid India Nottingham 2002 to Mumbai

As I write, Kallis is 71 n.o. in the second Test against N.Z.

[Donny]

And out for 71. You'll have to start again, Jacques.

[Donny]

Kallis misses Bradman's record

From correspondents in Auckland Fox


SOUTH AFRICA's Jacques Kallis failed in his quest for Don Bradman's record of six centuries in consecutive Tests when he was dismissed for 71 on the fourth day of the second Test against New Zealand.

Kallis reached his 28th half century in Tests as South Africa worked to erase New Zealand's 299-run first innings lead but the century he needed to emulate Bradman went to his batting partner, Jacques Rudolph.

Kallis and Rudolph had seen South Africa to 2-249 and within 50 runs of parity with New Zealand by the middle of the final session on a day which had largely belonged to South Africa.

Kallis' innings carried him past 1000 runs in six Test matches, but the century which would have equalled Bradman's 66-year-old record narrowly eluded him.

When he was out, after batting 160 minutes and hitting 11 fours and a six, he had compiled 1065 runs in his last six Test matches.

[LeonMcS]

Rumour going around that South Africa have lined up a six test series against Bangladesh. At home.