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Scorecard
Somerset overcame the loss of Marcus Trescothick for a duck to beat the Unicorns by four wickets•Getty Images

Nick Compton’s century guided Somerset to a four-wicket victory over theUnicorns in Group C of the Clydesdale Bank 40 at Wormsley.Having won the toss and chosen to bat first, the home side posted a competitivetotal of 218 despite Ajantha Mendis’ three for 32.Somerset lost early wickets but Compton steadied the ship and Jos Buttlerpunched an unbeaten 30 from 23 balls to see them home.An opening partnership of 78 got the Unicorns’ innings off to a perfect start,Jackson Thompson leading the way with a flurry of boundaries.But when he was the first man out, trapped lbw by Mendis for 44 – made from 37balls, with seven fours and a six – it quickly became a double setback.Wicketkeeper Josh Knappett was the man removed first ball by Mendis, Buttlertaking the catch.The other opener, Michael Thornely, pressed on to 47 from 51 balls but, havinghit five fours, he offered a return catch to give the Sri Lanka spinner histhird wicket.Chris Benham and captain Keith Parsons – playing against his former club -rebuilt with a stand of 42 before the former was caught by Somerset skipperMarcus Trescothick off Gemaal Hussain.Parsons reached 41 before giving keeper Craig Kieswetter one of his threecatches and tail-enders Neil Saker and Glen Querl put on 25 in the later stagesto see their side to 218 for eight in their 40 overs.Saker quickly picked up the key wicket of Trescothick for a third-ball duck andthe latter’s opening partner Kieswetter fell to Querl for five, Knappett takingthe catches on both occasions.But Peter Trego made 21 and Compton and James Hildreth then put on 62 for thefourth wicket before Hildreth was run out by Querl.Compton lost Lewis Gregory for 11 but found another willing ally in Buttler ina sixth-wicket stand of 69.Compton completed his century from 102 deliveries and swiftly cracked a 10thfour to add to his two sixes, but his vigil was ended with 10 runs required whenSaker found a way through his defences.Buttler remained to finish the job, though, and Arul Suppiah emerged tocasually hit two of the four balls he faced to the boundary in a cameo of ninenot out.Saker took an impressive three for 33 and Querl (two for 47) also emerged withcredit, but Somerset always had enough in the tank as they wrapped up the winwith seven balls remaining.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJacob Oram took four wickets and two catches to trigger a South African collpase in Mirpur•Associated Press

Oh South Africa, what have you done? Earlier this month Graeme Smith tweeted an article titled ‘Time to ban the ‘C’ word’. Hold on to that thought Smith, for clearly that time hasn’t come yet. South Africa were cruising at 108 for 2 in the 25th over when Jacques Kallis fell and they crash-landed spectacularly to be shot out for 172. The self-destructive streak, demonically masochistic in nature, will perhaps need shrinks to decode it. Once they realised their opponents were cracking under pressure, New Zealand went for the kill with close-in fielders and disciplined bowling, led by Jacob Oram who took four wickets and a great catch.Even when Kallis fell – to a blinder of a catch from Jacob Oram, rushing to his left at deep midwicket – there wasn’t much to suggest that this could turn into another contender for all-time greatest choke in World Cup history. The pitch was slow but there was no sharp turn; the bowlers were disciplined but there was no sensational game-breaking spell; none of the three spinners got much purchase from the wicket; and the total was below par; but for some reason South Africa were feeling extremely claustrophobic.Their nerves were best represented by the dismissal of JP Duminy, who played an awful shot to open the choke gates. Nathan McCullum slowed up the pace on a delivery that landed on a length, outside off, and Duminy went so hard into an ugly cut that he made a complete hash of it and lost his stumps. With Duminy’s fall, South Africa were in a spot of bother at 121 for 4, in the 28th over, and the first signs of something special loomed over Mirpur.There was more heartbreak for South Africa fans in the next over. Faf du Plessis hit straight to midwicket and ran like a headless chicken. AB de Villiers should perhaps have refused that call but he responded, only to find himself well short of the crease. It was at this moment that New Zealand really sensed that this could be their night.The moment was so ripe that even Daniel Vettori, not known for sledging, gave some lip to du Plessis and Kyle Mills, who had carried drinks on to the field at the fall of de Villiers, got into the act. A visibly agitated du Plessis shoved Mills, the departing de Villiers returned to support his partner, and eventually the umpires had to get involved. New Zealand’s players swooped in to the crime scene and it was a classic Youtube moment. You could almost feel the pressure-cooker situation out there.New Zealand crowded the bat with close-in men, ready to sledge and eager to pile on the pressure, and Johan Botha cracked in the 33rd over. It was a lovely legcutter from Oram and Botha played down the wrong line to lose his off stump. Oram, who was the man who started it all with that Kallis catch, wasn’t done yet. In the 35th over, he lured Robin Peterson into edging an attempted cut to the keeper and South Africa were swaying away like drunken men at 132 for 7. South Africa’s nerves were frayed further when Dale Steyn square drove Nathan McCullum in the air to backward point, where who else but Oram accepted the offering.If Oram was the man in the forefront of New Zealand’s resurgence, du Plessis was the man seeking redemption for making that wrong call that led to the run out of de Villiers. In his brief international career, he has already shown a tenacity to remain relatively calm under pressure. And he wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. He was on 14 when Steyn fell, and he took ownership of the chase. He rushed down the track to slam Tim Southee to the straight boundary in the 40th over, on drove Vettori to collect another four in the 41st, and even lifted Oram for a thrilling six over long-off in the 43rd over.It was in the same over that the game turned for one last time, and it was also an over that captured the entire madness of the evening. du Plessis had crashed the first delivery of the over back at Oram who couldn’t hold on to a very difficult chance, and once the six was hit, one had to ask the question: was the night turning for Oram? Was it swinging towards du Plessis? But du Plessis sliced the fifth ball straight to extra cover and South Africa had well and truly sunk into oblivion.The end was a far cry from the way South Africa started the day. They attacked with spin and seam, shuffled their bowlers regularly like a pack of cards, and hustled on the field to keep a tight leash on New Zealand. Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor were at the forefront of a revival from the depths of 16 for 2; carefully, almost mindful of a potential lower-order collapse on this pitch, Ryder and Taylor battled through. The odd boundary signalled growing comfort, but they never broke away decisively. A nervy equilibrium had been reached by the end of the 30th over with New Zealand reaching 112 for 2 and the game was waiting to be seized. However, both Ryder and Taylor departed in quick succession but Kane Williamson made a vital 38 to push New Zealand to 221.It shouldn’t have been enough, it didn’t feel like enough, but it proved enough. It was a crazy crazy night in Mirpur. Ironically, Allan Donald, the man who was involved in the other famous South African choke, was in the other camp tonight.

Match Timeline

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Scorecard
Trent Copeland knocked over Victoria’s top order to give New South Wales control of the game and crush any lingering hopes Victoria might have had of winning a third straight Sheffield Shield title. It was a day of fluctuating fortunes, as Victoria had the best of the early session. Peter Siddle snapped up centurion Phil Jacques in the third over of the day for the addition of just one run to his overnight score of 128. That dismissal triggered a batting collapse, and the last seven wickets tumbled for 69 runs. Siddle picked up four of them to finish with 6 for 89, as NSW were restricted to 416.Needing a win to keep alive their chances of defending their title, Victoria lost Michael Hill early, caught behind of Copeland. Things then looked to have settled while Chris Rogers and Aaron Finch were adding 53 together but Rogers edged one to the keeper off Copeland after making 35. Finch and Ryan Carters soon followed, falling to Moises Henriques and Copeland respectively. When Matthew Wade became Copeland’s fourth victim, Victoria were struggling at 5 for 100.Robert Quinney and Glenn Maxwell then provided some lower order resistance, adding 73 in quick time. But both men fell to left-arm chinaman Beau Casson, who had Quinney caught for 66, having struck seven fours and two sixes, and then trapped Maxwell plumb in front for 38. Victoria would lose one more wicket, ending the day on 8 for 206.

Pakistan allrounder Yasir Arafat has switched counties, moving from Sussex to sign up as Surrey’s overseas player for the entirety of the 2011 domestic season.Arafat, a journeyman cricketer who has also enjoyed stints with Kent, Scotland and Otago – as well as with various domestic teams in Pakistan – will join up with Surrey in early April for his eighth season in the English domestic game and will be available in all three competitions for the duration of the season, complementing Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait in the Friends Provident t20.”I am delighted to have the chance to play for Surrey next season and look forward to working with Chris Adams again,” said Arafat, who is currently in Pakistan playing for Khan Research Laboratories. “It is a great opportunity and I am looking forward to helping the Club get back into the County Championship first division and being a part of the county’s future success.”Arafat’s seam and swing bowling is his stronger suit, and in the Twenty20 format he is the third-highest wicket taker of all time with 106 victims at an average of 21.67. He also has a handy record in both the first-class game, in which he averages 23.68, and in limited-overs cricket, in which he has taken 334 wickets at 24.96.”Signing a player like Yasir Arafat will give us the stability that we have searched for in our overseas signing,” added Adams, Surrey’s Professional Cricket Manager. “I have spent much of the winter searching for that elusive spin option to complement the squad but have been unable to find a suitable option.”Having also factored in Chris Tremlett’s emergence as a quality Test bowler I have opted for a different approach in Yasir Arafat. We have not got the overseas position right now for some years at Surrey, but in Yasir I believe we have a very solid performer and very rounded individual who will add quality to the squad in all forms of the game.”

England allrounder Tim Bresnan has vowed to be fit for England’s first match of the World Cup, insisting that regular physiotherapy will have him “raring to go” when the tournament starts. Bresnan picked up a calf injury during the second ODI against Australia at Hobart, ruling him out of the remainder of the seven-match series.The World Cup gets underway in the subcontinent on February 20, with England beginning their campaign against Netherlands two days later. With England currently 3-1 down against Australia, weaknesses in the batting and bowling departments have been exposed and Andy Flower will be keen to have the likes of Bresnan and Stuart Broad back in contention for their first World Cup outing in Nagpur.”The injury is coming on well,” Bresnan, who is back in the UK for treatment on his injury, told . “I’m quite confident of being fit for the first game of the World Cup. I’ve been told some good news in the last couple of days and I’m having some physio every day up until we leave, so I’m putting my full trust in them [the medical team] that they’ll get me ready to go.”Bresnan added that he thought Graeme Swann, who has also flown home with back and knee problems, would be available for selection for England’s opener, and is expecting everyone to feel refreshed when they tackle their next challenge. “Hopefully everyone’s going to be raring to go for that first game. Hopefully everyone’s rested as well so that we are ready to go.”After helping England win the Ashes with a 3-1 series triumph, Bresnan admits the team are targeting the world No. 1 spot. “For that we need consistency,” he said. “If you look at the way the ranking system works it’s all about consistency, it’s not about having a couple of good series here and there. It’s about consistently winning games of cricket. With the strength and depth we’ve got in the ranks, the next target is definitely being the No. 1 in the world.”

Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, has said allrounder James Franklin’s performances in the ODI series against India have made him a strong contender for a place in the World Cup squad. Franklin was the visitor’s only bright spark in a series that saw them lose 0-5 and extend their run of defeats without a win to 11. He narrowly missed out on his first ODI century, making 98 not out in the fourth ODI in Bangalore, and got 72 not out in the third match in Vadodara.”Franklin has been in and out of the team but he has performed well on this tour,” Vettori, who is also a New Zealand selector, said. “There are about three guys competing for that [the allrounder’s] place in the World Cup team, but James has proved himself worthy of a spot.”Franklin wasn’t in New Zealand’s original squad for either the Tests or the ODIs. He was flown in as a replacement for the injured fast bowler Hamish Bennett during the Tests, and then took Jesse Ryder’s place in the squad for the one-dayers as well after Ryder injured his calf.Vettori said India’s balanced side was the difference between the two teams. “India scored over us because they struck a balance in every department in the Tests as well as the ODI series. We were not consistent. One day we batted and bowled well but the other day we didn’t. In one-day matches you have to display some specific abilities like the ones India showed.”Vettori, though, was confident there wouldn’t be questions over his captaincy following the poor run. “I think I have led the team as well as I can. We understand the result. They change me if they feel there is a need to do it.” He has captained New Zealand in 73 ODIs.New Zealand’s next assignment is a home series against Pakistan, which will see them play three Twenty20 internationals, three Tests and six ODIs between December 10 and February 5. Vettori said New Zealand needed to perform against Pakistan to regain confidence ahead of the World Cup, but they were more comfortable playing at home. All of New Zealand’s last eleven losses have come on subcontinent pitches. The last time they played an ODI series at home was against Australia in March, a series they lost 3-2. In February, they beat Bangladesh 3-0 at home.India’s tour of South Africa begins with the first Test at Centurion on December 16, and Vettori said India had a good chance of winning. “India have been the leading team in Tests in recent times. They are an experienced side with some remarkably talented batsmen and bowlers. I think cricket fans would be keen that they play some lively cricket and win.”

ScorecardNathan Hauritz could soon be back in Australian colours•Getty Images

Nathan Hauritz boosted his chances of a Test recall by registering his maiden first-class century as New South Wales built a lead of 129 over South Australia at the SCG. Hauritz, the offspinner, would rather a bag of wickets but he kept his name in front of the selectors with an unbeaten 126 that pushed the Blues to 6 for 317.After resuming as nightwatchman, Hauritz combined with Usman Khawaja, another Test contender, in an important stand of 79 for the fourth wicket. Khawaja batted well until he fell shortly before lunch for 53, but Hauritz kept building and was with Moises Henriques (40) when they passed South Australia’s 188.Hauritz, 29, is a strong chance to come back into the Test squad after Xavier Doherty’s problems in the first two matches of the Ashes series. He captured seven wickets against Western Australia at the WACA last week, and will be chasing his first victims of this game in the second innings.He offered chances on 15 and 119 but remained unbeaten after 301 balls, having hit 13 fours and a six. The Redbacks are struggling with Ben Edmondson suffering a hamstring injury and Graham Manou unable to take the field after breaking a toe on day one.