 |
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Record equaled Kirsten's marathon vs. England gets draw for S. Africa
Posted: Thursday December 30, 1999 08:04 PM
DURBAN, South Africa (AP) -- Gary Kirsten finished off a record-tying 275 with the second-longest test innings in history Thursday, steering South Africa from apparent defeat to a draw with England in the third test at Kingsmead. Kirsten matched Darryl Cullinan's South African test mark, batting for 14 hours and 38 minutes to fall short of the all-time longest innings of Pakistan's Hanif Mohammad against the West Indies in Bridgetown, Barbados, January 1958. Hanif's innings of 16 hours, 10 minutes, coincidentally also were in a follow-on. After England declared its first innings at 366 for nine and forced South Africa into a follow-on by bowling it out for 156, the hosts looked hopeless. Kirsten came to bat just before the close of the third day and remained until the final ball of the match, bowled when he missed Mark Butcher's full toss. His 275 was a personal best by 65 runs, and made him only the second South African to score two test double centuries. He carried South Africa to 572 for seven, its highest total against England, and all but single-handedly saved the match for South Africa. "Towards the end, I was so tired, I couldn't hit the ball far enough to get boundaries," Kirsten said. "I'm not disappointed about not breaking [Cullinan's] record. It's just good to be able to spend time at the crease." South Africa's Hansie Cronje was happy to emerge with a draw. "All credit must go to Kirsten," he added. England captain Nasser Hussian was equally full of praise for Kirsten. "We had hopes of winning when play started on the final day," Hussain said. "But Kirsten batted brilliantly." Kirsten, who joined Graeme Pollock as the only other South Africa to score a second test double century, shared the man-of-the-match award with England fast bowler Andrew Caddick. Caddick took seven wickets for 46 runs in South Africa's first innings to set up England's chance for a victory that would have leveled the five-test series at 1-1. Kirsten was well supported by a century by Mark Boucher, the two taking South Africa from 251 for four overnight to 438 for five at tea. Boucher, dismissed in the over before tea, scored his second century as a night-watchman. His 108 is his third century of the year. The other two came against the West Indies and Zimbabwe.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
