Morne Morkel continued his wonderful form with the ball as he set up the Delhi Daredevils’ eight-wicket win over the Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday.

– http://www.supersport.com/cricket/article.aspx?id=1328391

The strike bowler, one of four South Africans in action in the match, took 3-18 as Kolkata, who were sent in to bat, were restricted to 97 for nine in their 12 overs in a rain-reduced match.

Morkel’s batsmen then made slightly heavy weather of the chase and it needed new-ball bowler Irfan Pathan’s 42 not out off just 20 balls to see Delhi home with five balls remaining.

After captain Virender Sehwag was well-caught by Iqbal Abdulla, running around the long-on boundary, off Rajat Bhatia for 20 off 13 balls, the Daredevils were 57 for two in the eighth over, needing 41 off 28 balls.

Medium-pacer Bhatia finished the over well and Delhi needed 39 off the last four overs, with Irfan having faced just four balls.

But he hit Jacques Kallis for six in the next over and then he hammered Marchant de Lange for two more sixes in the 10th over to get the required run-rate down to less than a run-a-ball.

It was surprising that Kolkata captain Gautam Gambhir decided to bowl the inexperienced De Lange in the 11th over, the rookie South African conceding 17 runs as he bowled too short to Irfan, with the vastly-experienced Brett Lee still having an over left.

Aaron Finch scored 30 to ensure the Daredevils were off to a solid start, before Kallis (3-0-23-1) bowled a precise cutter to bowl the Australian.

De Lange had done much to ruffle the batsmen with some fiery bowling but Irfan was able to take his team home.

BRILLIANT YORKERS

Delhi Daredevils fast bowlers Morkel and Umesh Yadav had earlier crippled the Kolkata Knight Riders innings as they restricted them to 97 for nine in their 12 overs.

Morkel set the tone for the Daredevils’ dominance as he bowled Kallis (4) and Manoj Tiwary (0) with brilliant yorkers off successive deliveries on his way to superb figures of three for 18 in his three overs.

The South African giant had an impressive supporter in Indian star Yadav, who took two for nine in two overs, conceding just three runs in the penultimate over and claiming the wicket of top-scorer Laxmi Shukla for 26.

The match was played over 12-overs-a-side after a rain delay of two-and-a-half hours in Kolkata and, after being sent in to bat, the Knight Riders were quickly in trouble as Morkel and Roelof van der Merwe, his teammate at the Titans, reduced them to 20 for three after three overs.

Left-arm spinner Van der Merwe trapped Brendon McCullum lbw for nine before Morkel’s double-strike. Things only got worse for the Knight Riders as Yadav, who is not short of pace, had Yusuf Pathan caught behind for a duck as he got himself into a tangle against a short-pitched delivery.

Morkel, who took 6-23 in national colours in his last outing, then returned to bowl Indian star Gambhir, who failed to handle the extra bounce and chopped on, for 16.

Kolkata were 54 for five, but the Daredevils were guilty of taking their foot off the throat a bit as Debabrata Das was dropped on two and Shukla was able to hammer a four and two sixes.

Das scored 18 off nine balls and Shukla 26 off 17 but not even their efforts could save Kolkata from a half-baked innings.

Excellent bowling at the death by Yadav and Van der Merwe ensured that the Knight Riders’ run-rate never rose to any great extent, despite some lusty blows by Das and Shukla.

Morkel was obviously the best of the Delhi bowlers, but the efforts of Yadav and Van der Merwe (two for 28) were also of great value.

The insatiable Vernon Philander gobbled up four more wickets as New Zealand ended the second day of the first test against South Africa on 243 for nine at the University Oval in Dunedin on Thursday.

85th over – New Zealand have the first innings lead in style as Doug Bracewell flicks a poor delivery down the leg-side from Dale Steyn over square-leg for a one-bounce four.

82nd over – The second over with the second new ball brings two wickets for Philander and two catches for Graeme Smith at first slip. Kruger van Wyk’s fighting innings of 36 in over two hours is ended as he pushes at a delivery outside off stump and edges it low to Smith. Two balls later, Tim Southee wafts lamely outside off stump and is caught for a disappointing duck.

79th over – A lucky escape for Van Wyk on 34 as he pushes forward to an inswinger from Morne Morkel and is struck on the pad first. Umpire Billy Doctrove gives the batsman the benefit of the doubt in terms of him being struck outside the line of off stump. South Africa ask for the review, which says on-field call for the line, meaning Van Wyk stays and the visitors have no more reviews.

77th over – Short and wide from Steyn and Van Wyk square-cuts for an emphatic boundary. Bracewell ends a poor over from an off-colour Steyn with a classy cut for four through backward point.

76th over – Bracewell shuffles down the pitch and drives Imran Tahir on the full, through mid-on for four, despite a good diving effort by Graeme Smith on the boundary.

75th over – Steyn returns ahead of the second new ball and Van Wyk niftily late cuts him to the third man boundary.

74th over – Van Wyk wristily chops Jacques Kallis through point for four, despite a valiant attempt by Alviro Petersen diving and sliding on the boundary.

73rd over – New Zealand go past 200 as Doug Bracewell launches Imran Tahir over mid-on for a beefy boundary.

71st over – Lovely timing by Bracewell as he goes back and cuts Tahir through backward point for four.

68th over – Daniel Vettori and Van Wyk have just raised their fifty partnership and Kallis is brought on to bowl. And Golden Arm does the trick! WICKET – Vettori is aiming for the pull, but stops the shot because the ball does not bounce high enough, bunting the ball straight back down the pitch. Kallis rushes forward and then dives to take a splendid catch! Vettori did a great job for his team with his 46 off 78 balls, with eight fours.

66th over – Morkel pitches a yorker well outside off stump and Vettori throws the bat on it, sending the ball through gully for four.

60th over – Vettori jumps all over some width from Morkel, lashing the ball through the covers for four.

56th over – Van Wyk’s first international boundary comes as he drives Vernon Philander crisply through the covers for four. The second follows immediately afterwards as the diminutive former South African steers the ball very tidily between the slips and gully to the third man fence.

54th over – Philander continues after tea, but so does Daniel Vettori as he flicks a full ball from middle-and-leg through wide mid-on for four.

51st over – Dale Steyn returns, bowling around the wicket to the left-handed Daniel Vettori, who shovels a full ball through the covers and then leans back and cuts for two boundaries in the over.

50th over – WICKET – Vernon Philander has been probing away remorselessly at Kane Williamson with tremendous accuracy and the batsman finally succumbs as he edges a back-foot drive at a delivery that just nipped away a touch. Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher takes the catch and Williamson is out for 11.

46th over – Full and wide outside off stump from Morne Morkel and Vettori carves it through the covers for four.

45th over – Imran Tahir gets away with a rank full toss which Vettori somehow toe-ends back to the bowler, but then bowls another full toss next ball and the left-hander sweeps it through midwicket for four.

42nd over – Morkel returns but Ross Taylor eases his first ball straight down the ground for an excellent boundary and then lashes a square-drive for four two balls later. WICKET – But much like many of the South African batsmen, Taylor is seemingly at his most vulnerable when he feels he is getting on top of the bowlers. The New Zealand captain edges a flatfooted cut at a dreadful short, wide delivery from Morkel and is caught behind by Mark Boucher. Taylor scored 44 and played extremely well considering he’s been out of action for six weeks.

39th over – WICKET – Leg-spinner Tahir makes the breakthrough! Brendon McCullum tries to sweep, but is not to the pitch of the ball, there is turn and a top-edge goes straight up on the leg-side. Tahir runs across and gratefully accepts the catch, sending McCullum on his way for 48. That’s the wicket South Africa really wanted!

37th over – Over-pitched by Tahir and McCullum clips the leg-spinner straight back over his head for four.

31st over – McCullum is intent on attacking leg-spinner Tahir and latches on to a shortish delivery, pulling it powerfully through midwicket for four.

30th over – Taylor, despite not having played cricket for so long, is into his stride, while Steyn appears to be trying too hard. A full delivery from Steyn is driven beautifully through extra cover for four by Taylor.

28th over – Super timing by Taylor as just a controlled push sends the ball racing through mid-on for four off Steyn.

27th over – Morkel tries to fire in the yorker, but it’s a half-volley and McCullum punches the ball superbly straight back down the ground for four.

26th over – Steyn returns but Taylor unleashes a classic cut shot for four.

25th over – Morkel has bowled 36 balls in his off-side channel but now finally strays, McCullum glancing a leg-side delivery away for four.

24th over – Taylor has his first boundary off his 26th delivery via a commanding pull shot through square-leg for four off Philander.

20th over – Philander changes to a middle-stump line and McCullum turns the ball in front of square-leg with great timing for four.

17th over – A great start for South Africa and Morkel after lunch, but it could have been a phenomenal start! WICKET – Martin Guptill is bowled for 16 by the first ball he faces after lunch! Guptill’s footwork is sluggish and he then prods tentatively at a fast, full delivery from Morkel and inside-edges the ball on to his stumps. Morkel could have dismissed both batsmen in the same over as McCullum, still on 18, pushes forward to play the ball through mid-on, but inside-edges the ball on to his pad, from where it scoots low and to the right of Hashim Amla at backward short-leg. Amla gets both hands to the sharp chance, but can’t hang on to the catch.

16th over – Dale Steyn starts the away-swinger a bit straighter, but Martin Guptill ends the session with a super shot, showing the full face of the bat and pushing the ball straight back down the ground for four.

11th over – Brendon McCullum has been through a fascinating contest with Vernon Philander and Steyn, using nimble footwork and sound judgement to survive. Now Morne Morkel offers him some width and McCullum jumps
across to the off-side before cutting meatily for four.

4th over – A probing start by South Africa with the new ball, with a couple of close lbw shouts and several plays-and-misses, and eventually some reward. WICKET – Philander continues in the perfect channel just outside off stump and, with a bit of away-nip, finds the edge of Rob Nicol’s backfoot defensive stroke, leading to a simple catch for Graeme Smith at first slip. The debutant Nicol is out for six.

Useful late-order runs were the award for some decent batting by the tail as South Africa reached 238 all out on the second day of the first test against New Zealand at University Oval in Dunedin on Thursday.

69th over – WICKET – In keeping with the trend of the innings, South Africa waste their last wicket just as the 10th-wicket stand was beginning to frustrate New Zealand. Another friendly half-volley, this time from Doug Bracewell, is flicked through midwicket by Imran Tahir, who gets a comfortable two runs but then decides to try for a crazy third run. Daniel Vettori has loped after the ball, has it in hand, and his reasonable throw back to Bracewell catches Tahir well short of his ground. Tahir is out for 10, leaving Morne Morkel unbeaten on a bright 13 not out.

68th over – Imran Tahir gets in on the fun with a flashing square-cut for four through backward point off Chris Martin.

66th over – Super shot by Morne Morkel as he launches a good-length ball from Martin straight back over mid-on for four.

65th over – Morkel gets his innings going in fine fashion with a well-controlled drive through mid-off for four off Doug Bracewell. WICKET – But the seamer strikes back with the last ball of the over, as Jacques Rudolph lashes out at a widish away-swinger, edging it to point. Rudolph scored 52 off 99 balls, in 162 minutes, a nice display of defiance by the left-hander.

64th over – Vernon Philander had problems dealing with short lifter from Martin at the start of the over, fending the ball away on the off-side with his gloves, so the paceman tries another short ball, but this one doesn’t get up and the all-rounder pulls it for four. It’s the second boundary of the over after Philander edged a delivery between third slip and gully, and the batsman is just yards away from a third four as he cuts viciously at a short-pitched delivery. WICKET – It’s a full-blooded cut, but the delivery does seam back a bit to cramp the shot a touch, but Kane Williamson has nevertheless pulled off a very good catch in the gully, snatching the ball above his head. Philander is out for 22, some useful late runs.

63rd over – South Africa have made a bright start, pushing singles and running well between the wickets. Rudolph reaches his half-century as he tickles Tim Southee to fine leg for a couple of runs, the left-hander having batted for two-and-a-half hours, faced 96 balls and hit five fours.