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Mulder unbeaten on 264 as South Africa post 465 on opening day
Wiaan Mulder marked his captaincy debut with a marathon unbeaten 264 as South Africa ran Zimbabwe ragged on a hot opening day of the second Test in Bulawayo.
South Africa went into stumps on a mammoth 465 for 4, the final session alone bringing them 222. Runs hemorrhaged from both ends against a toothless attack that was further depleted by a niggle to debutant seamer Kundai Matigimu, who largely bowled within himself for much of the evening.
As dominant as South Africa were, Zimbabwe’s misfired tactics – of bowling to spread out fields as early as after the first hour with the fast bowler adopting a short-ball ploy to Mulder and David Bedingham – came under sharp focus. There were also a few missed opportunities in between that contributed to the day’s scoreline.
The first one came when Mulder top-edged a pull on 91, with the ball landing between deep square and fine leg off Blessing Muzarabani. Then there was a grassed opportunity at backward square leg by Wesley Madhevere off teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius on 31 when he skied an attempted slog sweep off left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza.
There was more frustration late in the day when Tanaka Chivanga clean bowled Mulder on 247, only for the joy to be short-lived as replays confirmed the bowler had overstepped to compound Zimbabwe’s frustration.
On 133 at the tea interval, Mulder added 131 more in the final session, as he climbed into Zimbabwe’s tired spinners initially, and then against the fast bowlers who once again dished out bizarre short-ball plans with the second new ball.
And while Mulder made merry, Pretorius was equally enterprising in his bristling 87-ball 78, before falling in the final session when a century was there for the taking. Looking to heave a length delivery over deep midwicket, he top-edged debutant Matigimu to Masakadza at mid-on just as the second new ball was taken, bringing an end to a 217-run fourth-wicket partnership.
The prelude to the Mulder-Pretorius partnership was another solid double-century stand between Mulder and David Bedingham, who rode the early wobble in the first session with the pair lifting South Africa from 24 for 2. Bedingham was compact in defence, and steely in his resolve to not play loose drives in the first hour.
There on, there were hardly any drivable deliveries on offer thanks to the short-ball ploy. Bedingham was equally severe against the spinners, using his feet well to get fully forward or rock back to cut and pull. Mulder and Pretorius brought up the half-century partnership off just 35 balls, and then set themselves for the long haul.
Bedingham was out against the run of play for 82 when a nip-backer from Chivanga trapped him lbw, but any joy from the wicket quickly dissipated as Pretorius took charge. Fresh off a barnstorming century in the first Test, he looked unshackled as he took the attack to the spinner and fast bowlers alike, hitting seven fours and three sixes in his innings.
Zimbabwe’s only semblance of effectiveness came in the first half hour in an engaging passage, where the new ball did something. Tony de Zorzi was put down in the slips by Craig Ervine, but Zimbabwe didn’t need to wait long for a wicket as he was out slashing to gully, where Nick Welch took a leaping catch. Then it was the turn of debutant Lesego Senokwane to fall for 3 when he was out lbw attempting to paddle Masakadza.
Those moments of fleeting joy quickly dissipated as Zimbabwe were sent on a leather hunt for the rest of the day.
Brief scores:
South Africa 465 for 4 in 88 overs (Wiaan Mulder 264*, David Bedingham 82, Lhuan-dre Pretorius 78; Tanaka Chivanga 2-85) vs Zimbabwe
[Cricinfo]
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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the Districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Matale and Ratnapura
The Hational Building Research Institute (NBRI) has issued landslide early warnings to the Districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Matale and Ratnapura valid from 2200 hrs on 03rd October upto 2200 hrs on 04th October 2026.
Accordingly,
LEVEL II (AMBER) landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Udu Dumbara and Minipe 8n the Kandy district, Dehiowita in the Kegalle district, and Ambanganga Korale and Matale in the Matale district.
LEVEL I (YELLOW) landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Rambukkana in the Kegalle district, Rattota in the Matale district, and Eheliyagoda in the Ratnapura district.
The head of Turkiye’s football refereeing body and four other officials have been placed in pretrial detention by a court as part of a corruption investigation, the state news agency Anadolu reports.
Ferhat Gundogdu, head of the Central Referees Committee, and six others appeared before a judge over allegations of manipulation of the referee administration process, Anadolu said on Saturday.
They appeared on Friday before a judge at Istanbul’s Caglayan courthouse on several charges, including forgery of official documents, breach of trust and illegal acquisition of personal data, the report said.
The judge remanded five people in custody and granted the other two conditional release, Anadolu said.
It was the latest scandal to shake football in Turkiye, coming exactly a year after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees on charges of illegal betting.
On Thursday night, police from the illegal betting and sports crime unit also detained Yasin Kol, a referee from Turkiye’s top-flight Super Lig, as well as an assistant referee, media reports said.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said prosecutors are examining claims about “interference in the processes of referee classification, assignments, scoring and appointments as well as the exams on rules”.
During raids on Tuesday, police searched the VAR room at TFF’s headquarters in Istanbul. Observers said the investigation was likely linked to last year’s betting scandal and would have implications for the federation.
“It does seem to be a continuation of 2025, and it looks like it will continue further,” sports journalist Ayhan Sensoy told the AFP news agency.
Sensoy, who wrote a 2024 book on the issue called The Gambling Pit, said it was unlikely that federation bosses “have any chance of staying in office”.
So far, the TFF has not directly addressed the arrests as its top officials are due to fly home on Saturday after attending Friday night’s Belgium-Turkiye UEFA Nations League clash in Liege, which Turkiye lost 3-0.
[Aljazeera]
A car has crashed into a crowd of rugby league supporters in the eastern Australian city of Newcastle, injuring 10 people, including three children.
New South Wales police said on Saturday that two of the injured – a five-year-old girl and a 67-year-old man – were in a critical condition and the other eight were in stable condition in hospital.
Police said they had arrested the 18-year-old man driving the vehicle and were investigating what happened. They said the crash was not believed to be related to “terrorism”.
The crowd had gathered to farewell the local rugby league side, the Newcastle Knights, ahead of their grand final against the Sydney Roosters on Sunday.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Gavin Morris said the driver, a rugby league fan, had lost control of his vehicle and had been taken into custody.
“He was revving the car, he was excited, he was a supporter, he was there for the joy of the moment,” Morris told the national broadcaster ABC.
“Somehow he lost control of the car … and he’s gone into the crowd,” he added.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “My thoughts are with everyone injured or involved in the horrible incident this morning in Newcastle.”
“Rugby league brings people together, and this should have been a weekend of excitement and pride for Newcastle fans,” he wrote in a social media post.
[Aljazeera]
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the most part of the island after 1.00 p.m
Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations
Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area
Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.
Sri Lankan troops in joint anti-terrorist exercise in Russia
Nine Indian poachers brought to KKS with their boat
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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