Sri Lanka doomed by Boom Boom

World Cup 2011 – Match Report: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Group A, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, 26 February 2011

It was a much awaited high intensity clash between a hot favorite and a would-be dark horse. In front of a bustling capacity crowd Pakistan toppled Sri Lanka to announce that they are almost back to their best. It could have been a resounding win had their fielders not tried their best to gift the match to the home team.

Knowing Pakistan’s weakness against left arm spin, Sri Lanka brought in Rangana Herath in place of Ajantha Mendis while Lasith Malinga continued to sit out due to injury. Pakistan, as expected, went in with unchanged team. Afridi opted to bat after winning the toss.

Two senior batsmen, Younis and Misbah, played their roles expertly for Pakistan in the middle overs to set an ideal stage for the death over onslaught. But the trio of Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq could not make use of the batting powerplay which was taken after 43 overs. At one stage Pakistan looked like to cross 300 comfortably but they could collect only 68 runs in the last 10 overs.

Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad had no trouble against the opening bowlers but Shehzad in a moment of indiscretion lost his wicket when he nicked behind Thisara Perera in the 6th over. Hafeez and Kamran Akmal both played fluently and took the score to 76 without any fuss. Hafeez hit some delightful shots including a bent-knee six over square leg off Kulasekara. They both could not convert their starts into meaningful innings. After Hafeez was run out as a result of a horrible mix up for 32, Kamran came down aimlessly for a crazy swipe and got stumped off Herath for 48-ball 39.

Misbah and Younis used their experience and milked the bowling so efficiently that it reminded every one of Miandad-Salim Malik-Imran Khan combination of the eighties. They did not let the scoring rate go down although the ball crossed the boundary occasionally in their partnership of 108 runs in just over 20 overs. Younis, who was most fluent of the two, got out first, top-edging a sweep off Herath to fine leg. He made 72 off 76 balls with 4 fours.

With Misbah having crossed his fifty and Umar Akmal fresh in the crease, Pakistan took the batting powerplay in the 44th over. Apart from Kulasekara’s one over which went for 11 runs, the BBB yielded only 36 runs. Umar wasted vital deliveries as he neither rotated the strike nor could he hit the ropes. He was moving in the crease too much without coming in line or in a position to hit the ball. Misbah too was unable to break free. Murali accounted for Umar and although Afridi and Misbah hit a few boundaries, Pakistan ended the innings at 277/7, at least 20 runs short of the projected total. Misbah remained not out on 83 (91 balls, 6 fours). For Sri Lanka Herath was the best bowler with figures of 2 for 46 in 10 overs. Murali gave away only 35 runs for his one wicket. It was a total which both the captains wished for at the toss but Sri Lankans were more confident at the half way stage, especially after squeezing Pakistan in the last 10 overs.

Upul Tharanga and Dilshan gave a solid start of 76 runs. Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Akhtar bowled well but could not get early breakthrough. Umar Gull was dispatched to the ropes on several occasions by elegant Tharanga and wristy Dilshan as he proved expensive with the semi-new ball. Pakistan missed and easy run out when Abdul could not collect a throw with Tharanga well short of the crease. It was Hafeez who broke the partnership as he got Tharanga for 33 (43 balls, 6 fours). Afridi dived forward to take the catch at mid-off. A few overs later, Afridi was into his familiar jubilation pose when he nailed Dilshan with a straighter one which he cut onto his stumps. He was looking good for his 41 off 55 balls but his departure brought life into Pakistan bowlers. Mahela Jayawerdene was clean-bowled by Shoaib Akhtar who was intelligently brought back by Afridi. Next over Afridi struck again when Thilan Samaraweera was stumped by Kamran. Pakistan in a matter of few overs ware all over Sri Lanka who were reeling at 96 for 4 in the 22nd over.

Kumar Sangakkara and Chamara Silva associated themselves for re-building the innings and went about the things quietly. The asking rate mounted up as Afridi and Abdur Rehman squeezed the scoring appreciably. Pakistan had a chance to bury Sri Lanka completely but Kamran let Sangakkara off by missing an easy stumping off Abdur when he was on 22. In the last 20 overs, they required to score at almost 8 an over. Hence they took BPP after 33 overs (with the score on 134/4) to try to come back into the game. It was a wise and timely move.

Kamran, the biggest chink in Pakistan’s fielding, missed another easy stumping when Sangakkara came dancing down the pitch to hit Abdur Rehman over the square. Next over Abdur Rehman himself dropped a sitter at mid wicket when Silva aimlessly pulled Umar Gul. Pakistan through their fielding were trying their best to help Sri Lanka come back into the game. And they responded. Sanga hit Gul over third man for a stunning six in the same over but fell to Afridi trying to hit another six. His wicket was crucial at that stage for Pakistan. Although he made 49 (61 balls, 2 fours, 1 six) but it was not enough under the circumstances. He became Afridi’s 3ooth ODI wicket.

As Pakistan missed two more run out chances, Sri Lanka almost threatened to steal the show through Silva who was plying woefully until then. He hit a few lusty fours although Pakistan kept striking regularly. Angelo Mathews became Afridi’s 4th victim while Perera was castled by Shoaib after surviving another dropped chance. Finally Kamran succeeded in making a stumping when Silva was undone by Abdur Rehman who bowled a wide on off-stump seeing the batsmen dancing down the pitch. He top scored with 57 but he consumed 78 deliveries which was not an ideal effort for his team. Kulasekara threw his bat around and kept the remote possibility of a win alive. After being dropped by the bowler, he hit Hafeez for a six on the last ball of 49th over. With 18 required off the last over, Gul removed Kula on the penultimate delivery. They could make 266 for 9 only as Pakistan won by 11 runs.

Man of the match Afridi took 4 for 34, a brilliant bowling effort again. Shoaib too bowled well for his 2 for 42. This close and exciting game has lit up the World Cup. Although Sri Lanka bowled well in the death overs, they were clearly out-played by Pakistan in all departments of the game except fielding.

Match Result: Pakistan 277/7 (Misbah 83*, Younis 72; Herath 2/46) beat Sri Lanka 266/9 (Chamara Silva 57, Sangakkara 49; Afridi 4/34, Shoaib 2/42) by 11 runs

Man of the match: Shahid Afridi

Australia crush sorry New Zealand

World Cup 2011 – Match Report: Australia v New Zealand, Group ‘A’, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur, 25 February 2011


New Zealand had a cake walk against Kenya in their first match but Australia brought them back to where they belong by thrashing them by 7 wickets in Nagpur. Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat under over-cast conditions. Jamie How replaced Jacob Oram for New Zealand while Australians went unchanged.

New Zealand needed to see off the Australian pace threat initially but they were helplessly unable to handle the pace and swing. Brendon McCullum after getting two fours off Shaun Tait went for another one but was snapped by Krejza at third man. Guptill was undone by a Watson delivery which did not rise at all and cannoned into the stumps. Ryder who was playing freely until then departed after nicking behind off Mitchell Johnson. He made 25 off 31 balls which included as many as 6 boundaries. Three balls later Johnson did the same to James Franklin, who strangely came to bat at number 5 ahead of How and Styris. Scott Styris gave Haddin his third catch when he played well away from his body against Tait. The demolition did not end there as New Zealand’s best batsman, Ross Taylor was magnificently yorked by Tait. At 73 for 6 in the 17th over, they were looking to head the Kenya way themselves but Jamie How and Nathan McCullum weathered the Australian storm.

Nathan and captain Vettori provided late order resistance and ensured New Zealand has something to defend. McCullum top scored with 76-ball 52 (3 fours) while Vettori made 44 off 43 balls with 5 fours. They were all out for 206 runs in the 46th over. For Australia Johnson was the main destroyer with 4 for 33 while Tait took 3 wickets for 35 runs.

New Zealand needed to do what they did against Kenya i.e. to take early wickets, but Australian batting quality was in sharp contrast to the Kenyan’s. Opening pair of Brad Haddin and Shane Watson denied them early wickets by astute batting display. Although New Zealand opened with Tim Southee and Vettori, they could not put any pressure on the batsmen. Haddin was batting in his natural fluent style while Watson milked the bowling. They brought up Australia’s hundred in just 14 overs. Watson then opened up and punished Vettori with 3 fours in one over. Vettori later had a chance to remove him but substitute fielder Williamson dropped easy catch. Haddin was first to go for a well made 55 (50 balls, 8 fours) at the score of 133. He was deceived by an extra-slow bouncer by Hamish Bennett. Two balls later Watson edged another slower one from Bennett onto his stumps to lift Black Caps a little bit. His 61-ball 62 included 6 fours and a six.

Ricky Ponting played sluggishly till he had another moment of frustration when he was smartly stumped by Brendon McCullum off a slow wide delivery from Southee. It was an interesting bit of action, the replay of which Ponting might not have been able to watch in his dressing room, for obvious reasons.

Australia chased down the target in the 35th over winning the match by 7 wickets. Slowly and gradually Australia are coming back to their winning ways. New Zealand, on the other hand, are fast turning into nothing more than a minnow.

Match Result: Australia 207/3 (Watson 62, Haddin 55; Bennett 2/63) beat New Zealand 206 all out (N McCullum 52, Vettori 44; Johnson 4/33, Tait 3/35) by 7 wickets

Man of the match: Mitchell Johnson

England escape blues and ten Doeschate in the Orange City

World Cup 2011 - Match report: England v Netherlands, Group B, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur, 22 February 2011


Dutch were within touching distance of creating the first upset of the World Cup but the experience of England prevailed over their rawness in the Orange City of Nagpur. All-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate lived up to his reputation by playing a gem of a knock to help his team post a challenging total. He then chipped in with two wickets but England won the match in the penultimate over.

Dutch captain Peter Borren won the toss and batted first. Alexei Kervezee and wicket-keeper batsman Wesley Barresi provided a quick start of 36 runs to the Dutch innings, scoring at a run a ball. Netherlands lost both openers at the score of 58. ten Doeschate, their most accomplished player, joined Tom Cooper at the crease and made full use of the flatness of the pitch as well as the English bowling. England was successful initially in slowing down the game through Graeme Swann and Collingwood as they did not offer any pace to work with for the Dutch stroke players. ten Doeschate was slow at the start but then picked up the scoring rate by rotating the strike expertly. After settling down, he showcased his talent and class by hitting boundaries all around the ground. Pietersen was put into the stands by him as if saying he has had enough of the wringers. Cooper went tamely for 47 after putting on 78 runs for the 3rd wicket.

Bas Zuiderent went cheaply but Tom de Grooth gave excellent company to ten Doeschate and through their rapid partnership of 61 put England on the mat. As de Grooth upped the tempo with boundaries, ten Doeschate hit two thumping sixes each off Swann and Collingwood. After reaching 200 in the 42nd over, they opted for the batting powerplay to let loose the final assault on the England bowlers who were looking out of sorts. de Grooth was castled by Broad but his unfinished job was completed by captain Peter Borren, who along with ten Doeschate went bananas in the death overs. While the latter was severe on Broad, former carted Anderson for 3 successive fours as the English fielder lost their composure. ten Doeschate completed his splendid hundred off just 98 balls with a five as he was gifted 4 over throws.

Nervousness was evident on the faces of English players at this unexpected Dutch assault. Twice they were a man less inside the circle, giving away a no ball on one occasion. They also dropped a couple of chances to go with a few fumbles. ten Doeschate was finally dismissed by Chris Broad when he holed out to Bopara at square-leg boundary. He made a memorable 119 off 110 balls that included 9 fours and 3 sixes. Borren remained not out on 35 off 24. Netherlands posted 292 for 6, an excellent total for a minnow team. Swann was the best bowler with figures of 2 for 35 in his 10 overs.

Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen strolled out to bat under pressure with the memories of the defeat at the hands of the Dutch in 2009 World T20 enlivened in their minds. The target was tough and they had to deny the Dutch early wickets. Netherlands missed the trick by bowling erratically and hence giving England an opportunity to break free. The openers put on 105 in 17.4 overs when Pietersen was dismissed by left arm spinner Pieter Seelaar for 39. Strauss who was playing freely was joined by in form Jonathan Trott. Both almost took the game away from Netherlands with astute display of batting before Netherlands struck back with a vital breakthrough. Strauss tried to launch Muddassar Bukhari out of the ground only to see the ball go straight into the safe hands of cooper who took a good catch. He made 88 off 113 balls with 9 fours. It was a good innings but lasted a few overs too few. Ian Bell and Trott denied Netherlands further success which they dearly needed and took the score to 244 in 41st over when the batting powerplay was taken. Wesley Barresi made a stunning stumping off ten Doeschate to get rid of Trott and gave renewed hope to his team as England still required 70 runs in little under 10 overs. Trott made 62.

Lack of a quality wicket taking bowler made the job difficult for Netherlands as they waited for England to make a mistake by trying to squeeze the runs. Although ten Doeschate clean bowled Bell when 52 runs were still needed, England were in the safe hands of seasoned Collingwood. He and Ravi Bopara first got going a partnership then played some measured strokes to take England home with 8 balls to spare. Both remained not out on 30. ten Doeschate was the best performer in the field too as he took 2 wickets for 47 runs with his medium pace.

For his brilliant all-round performance, ten Doeschate was named man of the match. England were saved from blushes by Strauss and Trott although the way they bowled and fielded they deserved a kick up the backside.

Match Result: England 296/4 in 48.4 overs (Strauss 88, Trott 62; ten Doeschate 2/47) beat Netherlands 292/6 (ten Doeschate 119, Cooper 47; Swann 2/35) by 6 wickets

Man of the Match: ten Doeschate

CWC 2011: Odds for a Pakistani win

Can Pakistan win the World Cup? In my opinion it is as likely as Kenya not winning it. The World Cup is in the sub-continent. Whether this increases Pakistan’s chances I doubt as they have won two world titles both outside their hypothetical comfort zone i.e. the sub-continental pitches. What Pakistan need the most to win a grand tournament like this? Luck, a very strong team or a well thought out planning so that all the fronts are covered? All teams strive to knit together a strong unit as far as possible and then make a sound strategic lay-out with the help of the coaching and technical staff well before any tournament. Luckily you can not do anything as regards the luck factor, so that keeps all the teams interested and that is also the beauty of sport especially cricket. Pakistan, as opposed to conventional wisdom, cannot rely on the aforementioned factors alone. Because, neither we can put together a perfect team nor are we able to plan a stratagem as faultless as to match other teams. So what are the characteristics and peculiarities of a winning Pakistan team? Let us discuss one by one and give marks out of ten for each point.

Unity: First and foremost is unity among the team. If they do not pull each others’ legs and, instead, concentrate on playing together as a team, Pakistan players are always a treat to watch. This necessitates a captain who has the backing of the players as well as the cricket board. On the other hand if the team is divided and is not gelling together under a captain whom they do not trust or are not fond of, they can not give hundred percent on the field. After an unnecessary drama of uncertainty over the captaincy by the PCB, Shahid Afridi was eventually confirmed as the captain for the World Cup. Misbah was a close contender but thankfully he is backing Afridi unconditionally and performing superbly. The rest of the team and the team management, too, have no issues with Afridi. So the odds are in favor of Pakistan as they are united behind a well-trusted and respected captain.
We can safely give 8 out of 10 points here.

Captaincy: Pakistan players need a captain who can inspire them. The players look up to their captain in crisis. Afridi, as it is a well known fact, is temperamental and inconsistent. He seldom inspires his team as far as performance is concerned. But when he does so, he wins it for them, as we have witnessed in World T20 in England in 2009. We do not essentially need a tactically astute captain, but one who can rally his players along. And Afridi can do that. He is batting at a better average than his career average over the last two years but his bowling has dipped considerably which is a worry. If he could somehow lift his game for the World Cup and perform consistently, Pakistan will be well served indeed.
We can assign 6 out of 10 here.

Motivation: Third factor for Pakistan is the motivation. They are most dangerous when cornered or written off. The team has been shattered mentally and emotionally due to continuous off-field distractions for long enough to feel cornered and unduly persecuted. Their captain has been further pestered by his own board for no apparent reason so he too has reasons to prove himself. The coach, Waqar Younis, has bitter World Cup memories of his own. He was injured in 1992 while in 1996 he was partly responsible for his team’s exit in the quarterfinal stage when he gave away a few extra runs to India. In 1999, he was agonizingly kept out of the playing eleven by Wasim Akram, while 2003 WC was another one to forget as he captained the team in a first round exit. He would surely like to break the jinx. Above all Pakistanis as a nation want to win this cup as they feel hard done by the ICC after being deprived of the right to host the World Cup. At a time when sub-continent is brimming with joy and engulfed in WC fever, Pakistan feels painfully marginalized. A win would definitely mean retribution and satisfaction.
Here 10 out of 10 fore sure!

Planning: It is not a strong characteristic you can associate with Pakistani management. Off course they make plans and try to execute them but often they forget to put together a plan ‘B’ in case some thing goes wrong. The management, one hopes, is experienced and professional enough to guide the team by doing sound planning for each opposing player and team according to the conditions.
6.5 out of 10

Luck factor: The luck factor as always may play a role. An interesting fact is presence of Intikhab Alam as the manager of the contingent. He is known as a lucky charm or mascot for the team in many circles. This is because he was the manager when Pakistan won the World Cup in 1992 in Australia while again during his tenure as coach Pakistan lifted the World T20 trophy in England. But on a serious note, if luck favors Pakistan and they reach the knock out stage with a momentum, they will be difficult to beat unless they implode themselves.
As you have 50-50 chance to be either lucky or unlucky, it can be anything between 0 and 10. I play safe and give them 5 marks.

Batting strength: Contrary to the recent World Cups, this time Pakistan’s batting looks stronger than their bowling. The batting, though the stronger point, still cannot match the batting line-ups of the last two World Cups. This clearly indicates why Pakistan is not among the favorites. The batting revolves around two experienced veterans in Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq. While the latter is enjoying the form of his life, the former needs to step up for the sake of his team. Otherwise young Asad Shafiq is there to be tried. The job of these two is to hold the innings together and prevent the infamous ‘Pakistani’ collapse. The opening looks settled after a long time as both Hafeez and young prodigy Ahmed Shehzad scored a century each in the last series. The real fire-power and strength of Pakistan lies in the lower middle order where Afridi, Umar Akmal and Abdul Razzaq, if provided a good base, can maul any attack and change the course of the match. It will be interesting to see where Kamran Akmal bats as he is also a power-hitter. Another advantage is that the tail also is not mug with the bat.
So the points I will assign here would be 7 out of 10.

Bowling Strength: Pakistan is hurt badly by the loss of Asif and Amir. They cannot be replaced easily but Pakistan has enough talent in bowling department to unearth a few good gems sooner or later. The real problem at the moment is the pace bowling. Neither Umar Gul nor Shoaib Akhtar is in good form. Pakistan needs both to fire, one at the start and the other, Gul, at the death overs. Shoaib’s pace and Gul’s reverse swing can help Pakistan immensely if they could rediscover some form. It seems Abdul Razzaq will open the attack and will bowl 5 or 6 overs before Gul takes over. It will be tough to drop Wahab who is bowling best of the lot and I think, he should be given the nod ahead of either Shoaib or Gul, at least initially. If Afridi wants to be brave like Imran Khan, he can throw Junaid Khan into the deep end as he will be a surprise package for every opposition. He can swing the ball at pace and we might well have found a new gem in him. Pakistan has two good spinners in Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman apart from Afridi himself and then they have part-time spin of Hafeez and Shehzad. Most likely they will go with Abdur Rehman just to add variety to the attack as Hafeez is there as an off-spinner but it would be a defensive move. Ajmal is an attacking bowler and on favorable attacks he can win matches for Pakistan by taking crucial wickets in the middle overs. If any of the seamer goes for runs or the track has life, Younis can be called upon to turn his arm over for a few overs. We have a balanced bowling attack but definitely not a threatening one so 6.5 out of 10 points would be enough.

Fielding: We do not take pride in fielding. This part of the game has traditionally been Pakistan’s weakest link. The inclusion of some new faces had improved Pakistan’s field significantly. Umar Akmal, Shehzad, Hafeez, Wahab and Afridi are good fielders. Younis and Misbah are very much reliable too. Stopping sharp singles, valiant dives to prevent boundaries and direct hits to affect run outs are the hall marks of a good fielding unit but if they do not give too many extra runs in the field, the management would still be happy. The weakest link in the fielding is probably the older Akmal, Kamran. Pakistan will dearly wish that he forgets his recent woes behind the stump and does not drop too many catches.
Here 6 out of 10 at the most.

Tournament Format: The format this time around ensures that no minnow can cross over to the next stage unless they beat at least two of the test sides. It has been done to keep the masses and sponsors interested in the tournament as far as possible. So Pakistan should qualify for the quarter-finals.
7 out of 10.

Pitch factor: The pitches suit the host nations as well as Pakistan team. Barring repetition of odd episodes, like the Champions Trophy in India or the 2007 world Cup in West Indies where Pakistan had to play on seaming wickets, the tracks will make Pakistan feel at home. The pitches in Sri Lanka will assist swing bowling and that actually can help Pakistan defend mediocre totals.
8 out of 10.

If we count the total marks, they come out to be 70 out of 100.
So Pakistan has 70% chance of winning as compared to 30% chance for losing i.e. odds are roughly 3.5 to 1 for a win. But all that matters is performance on the ground. Nothing can help them if they do not help themselves.

P.S: One cannot forget the Prayers. Prayers were instrumental in the World Cup triumphs of 1992 and 2007. So now in these difficult times, it will not be any different.
Here 10 out of 10.

Viru declares the World Cup open!

World Cup 2011 – Match Report: 1st Match (Group B), Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, 19 February 2011

The packed crowd at the Shere Bangla Stadium expected a lot from their tigers but Virender Sehwag played an innings full of vengeance and class to dispirit them and their team. The hot favorites, India breezed past Bangladesh in the opening match to ring alarm bells for other teams. Bangladesh, on the contrary should pacify themselves with the fact that it was simply not their day.

India left out destructive Suresh Raina in favor of consistent Virat Kohli while Bangladesh went in without Ashraful. Shakib Al Hasan opted to bat first after winning the toss in front of a buzzing crowd, keeping in view the dew factor but probably he forgot the Indian batting strength.

Sehwag hit the very first ball from Shafiul Islam for a crunching four through covers and then rounded off the over with a similar shot for four to signal his murderous intent. First couple of overs cost 12 runs each and then there was no stopping for the Indian batsmen. Sachin Tendulkar, who was looking set for a big one, was run out as a result of a horrible mix-up for just 28 runs. Then after a solid 83 run partnership, Gautam Gambhir too deserted Sehwag when Mahmudullah beautifully bowled him neck and crop for a run-a-ball 39. India had crossed the 100-run mark in the middle of the 15th over and 150 was reached in just 22.5 overs. Spinners initially made their mark by slowing down the run scoring but the fact that they could not get breakthroughs invalidated the initial impact they made. Sehwag and Kohli milked them easily despite the slowness of the wicket. They found boundaries regularly by using their feet as India raced to 200 in the 32nd over.

Sehwag brought up his 2nd WC hundred, first against Bangladesh, off 94 balls with 9 fours and a six. It was a relatively subdued innings by his standards, but then he changed to the usual mode as the batting powerplay (BPP) was taken after 34 overs. It was Shafiul Islam again who suffered Sehwag’s wrath. After hitting a ferocious four he hit him for a massive six to plunder 18 runs off his over. Both the batsmen looted 58 runs in the BPP. Kohli celebrated Sehwag’s 150 by carting Mahmudullah for a four and a six as Indians looked set for a massive total. At 301 after 42 overs, a total of 400 seemed possible with the power hitters like Yuvraj, Yusuf and Dhoni waiting in the wings.

Sehwag was on his way to break the highest individual score by a batsman, 188 by Gary Kirsten, in the world cup as well going on to emulate Tendulkar’s double hundred feat. But his desire to play 50 overs was dashed as he pulled a fullish Shakib delivery back onto his stumps. His superlative 175 came in 139 balls and included 14 fours and 5 sixes. Kohli, meanwhile, had silently closed in on his own hundred, his 5th in ODIs. He reached his hundred in the last over off just 83 balls that contained 8 fours and 2 sixes. By scoring century on his world cup debut, he justified his inclusion ahead of Raina in splendid fashion. India had batted Bangladesh out of the match by amassing 370 for 4, barring a humongous miracle. Shakib had the best bowling figures, 1 wicket for 61 runs. Bangladesh’s remote hopes of surpassing this score, which is the highest team total in a World Cup opener, rested mostly on Tamim Iqbal.

Indian bowlers Zaheer and in particular Sreesanth got some movement early on but could not get early breakthrough. It was Imrul Kayes not Tamim, who was the aggressor as he showed in the 5th over bowled by Sreesanth. After hitting him for two fours, he pulled him remorselessly on a free-hit the next ball for third successive boundary. His 4th four 2 balls later was a treat to watch which made the bowler so baffled that he gifted 5 wides down the leg side the next ball. This over cost India 24 runs and gave the crowd a new lease of life. At 51 for no loss after 5 overs, Bangladesh had the opportunity to unsettle Indian plans by continuing in the same mode but Kayes played one from Munaf onto his stumps to the utter disbelief of a roaring crowd. He looked good for his 34 (29 balls, 7 fours) but it was too short an innings to make an impact.

Departure of the aggressor and introduction of spin in the form of Harbhajan resulted in slowing down of the proceeding appreciably. Junaid Siddique hit a splendid off-the-hips six to show his intent but could not hit the ropes regularly. At the other end, an uncharacteristically subdued Tamim too was unable to overpower the bowlers. As a result asking rate rose rapidly. Junaid was out stumped off Harbhajan for 37 leaving the job to the captain, Shakib, himself. As the asking rate was above 9, Shakib decided to play aggressively so that a healthy run rate is maintained even if they lose, keeping the net run rate scenario in mind. Tamim who had hit a gorgeous bent-knee six off Yuvraj perished, much to the disappointment of the crowd. He consumed 86 balls and hit just 3 fours and one six for his 70, a good innings but not the one his team wanted under the circumstances.

Shakib brought 200 for his team in the 35th over by slashing a four off Munaf but after hitting a few more boundaries, he holed out to Harbhajan in the deep trying to hit Yusuf for a six. He made 55 in 50 balls with 5 fours. After his departure, Bangladesh’s lower order was dismantled by Munaf Patel and Zaheer Khan. They finished at 283 for 9 after 50 overs, a good total otherwise but not enough when you are chasing 370.

India showed their mettle by walloping Bangladesh in the curtain-raiser, and are the team to beat in this World Cup. For Bangladesh nothing is lost too as they showed good batting form. If they lift their bowling, they can by handy in the remaining matches.

Match: India 370/4 (Sehwag 175, Kohli 100*; Shakib 1/61) beat Bangladesh 283/9 (Tamim 70, Shakib 55; Munaf 4/48) by 87 runs

Man of the Match: Virender Sehwag

England beat Pakistan to round off the warm-ups

World Cup Warm-up Matches: England v Pakistan, Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, Fatullah, 18 February 2011

England gained good practice to finalize their line-up and strategy for the World Cup by toppling Pakistan in the last of the warm-up matches. Pakistan who played with a view to try their plan B, could not match England in both batting and bowling.

Misbah-ul-Haq, who captained as Afridi was rested, opted to field first. Shoaib and newbie Junaid Khan started well and each got one wicket to remove Strauss and Trott. Pietersen and Ian Bell took the score to 117 through some solid batting. Pakistan spinners looked good but not threatening which is not a good omen for Pakistan. England through noteworthy contributions from their middle order posted a good total of 273 as they were all out in the last over. Pietersen and Collingwood made 66 and 65 runs respectively. For Pakistan, Junaid bagged 3 wickets for 44 runs in 8 overs and put his name forward for selection in the main matches. Wahab also took 3 while Ajmal got 2 wickets. Shoaib once again proved expensive as he gave away 62 runs for his solitary scalp in full quota of overs. He will struggle to get into Pakistan’s first eleven.

Pakistan started the chase badly as they lost 3 wickets with just 34 on the board. Akmal brothers and Hafeez went cheaply again. Thankfully for Pakistan Younis Khan came back in form. He batted fluently but did not get any support apart from Ahmed Shehzad who came in to bat at number 6. Shehzad could get only 26 leaving the job to Misbah who too could not go on for a big score after getting a start. As the wickets fell at regular intervals, Pakistan had no momentum in the innings and hence had no chance of coming back into the game at any stage. Younis was the top scorer for his 80 off 101 including 8 fours and a six. Pakistan were all out for 206 in the 47th over losing the match by 67 runs. Broad was the main destroyer with his second 5-for in as many practice matches while Collingwood also took 3 wickets.

This loss may not worry Pakistan too much as they would think they have got a bad performance out of their way. But still they missed out on an important part of the game i.e. momentum. England on the other hand will be happy that Pietersen has settled into his new role as opener and Broad is in supreme form. The confidence which was shaken in Australia is slowly returning back.

World Cup Warm-ups: A narrow escape and a runfest

World Cup 2011 - Day 4 Warm-ups: India and England win their matches in contrasting styles

Canada run England embarrassingly close

At Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, Fatullah, Canada gave England a run for their money as they fell short of embarrassing them by just 16 runs. England opted to bat first and could not build significant partnerships throughout their innings due to some nagging line and length by the Canadian bowlers. Despite Trott’s 57 they were reduced to 209 for 8 in the 46th over. Medium Pacer Khurram Chohan ripped through the top order and finished with 3 for 34 from 9 overs. Matt Prior who was the top scorer with 78 off 80 balls made sure England post a big enough total for the minnows to chase. Broad contributed down the order before England ignominiously were dismissed for 227 in the last over. Baidwan too took 3 wickets.

Canada’s start was atrocious as Broad and Ajmal Shahzad baffled them with their swing and pace. At 28 for 5, they had no chance to come back in the match but ebullient Rizwan Cheema had other ideas. With Zuben Surkari who made valuable 22, he first made sure English are kept at bay, and then launched a wonderful counter-assault. Khurram again was the man who supported him brilliantly and at one stage it seemed England were on their way to humiliation. Cheema, as he is known for, hit the ball all over the park against the quicks as well as spinners. Again it was Chris Broad who made the vital breakthrough by getting Cheema out and bringing back the broad smiles on the faces of his team mates. He hammered 93 off just 71 balls including 10 fours and 5 sixes. Khurram Chohan was then trapped LBW for 44 to end the resistance. Eventually Canadians were all out for 227 losing the match by just 16 runs. Broad took 5 for 37.It was a valiant effort by them and they have shown the vulnerability of the English in ODIs especially on these tracks.

India maraud the Black Caps

India and New Zealand locked horns at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk in Chennai for their last warm-up before the WC. On batting perfect, India slaughtered the Black Caps attack as if reminding them that they were white-washed last year. Sehwag and Tendulkar went cheaply but Gambhir and Virat Kohli played without any difficulty putting 106 in 20 overs. Kohli departed for 59 but Gambhir then changed gears and started murdering the attack. After taking BPP in the 36th over he hit Southee for 3 successive fours but fell to the same bowler caught behind for a quick-fire 89 off 85 balls with 11 fours. The flood gates had already opened but Dhoni and Suresh Raina plundered the attack with impetuosity and disdain. They scored 144 runs in the last 11.2 overs in a frenetic passage of play as the New Zealanders had no clue where to bowl and where to hide. After Dhoni hit 5 consecutive fours against Oram, Raina bettered it by hitting 3 huge sixes off the same bowler who gave away 70 runs in his 9 overs for 2 wickets. Raina was out for 50 off 26 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes) but Dhoni remained unbeaten for 108 off 64 balls with 11 fours and 3 sixes. His hundred came off 62 balls and would have been the second fastest by an Indian had it not been a practice match. They scored a mammoth 360 for 5.

New Zealand started the unlikely chase admirably as Guptill and Brendon McCullum put on 94 in 15 overs. But as soon as the spin quartet on Ashwin, Harbhajan, Chawla and Yuvraj came on to bowl, their batsmen could not handle their guile and lost wickets one after the other. Run out of McCullum did not help either. He made 58 off 54 balls with 7 fours. His brother Nathan provided some late order entertainment by hitting a few fours and sixes before they were all out for 243 in the 44th over. India won the match by a huge margin of 117 runs signaling their intention for the all important world cup. They mean business come the main event.

Ronaldo retires from professional football

SAO PAULO: Persistent Injury woes were the main reason the legend from Brazil has called it a day

The icon of modern football, the man who conquered every frontier in professional football has finally bowed out of the game. His career was a huge success but was also marred with injuries and disappointments. Highlight of his career was when he helped Brazil win 2002 World Cup title through his incredible mastery over goal scoring. He has won ‘FIFA World Player of the Year’ award on three occasions. He was twice named European Footballer of the Year, in 1997 and 2002.

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima announced his retirement on Monday at the age of 34 years. A tearful Ronaldo said, “I’m stopping my career as a professional footballer, it’s been a beautiful, emotional, marvelous career. These last two years, I’ve had a long series of injuries, from one side to the other, one leg to the other, one muscle to the other. The pain pushed me to think about the end of my career.”

He was also suffering from hypothyroidism for which he had to take hormone therapy which is banned as it is considered part of doping. That was the reason he was gaining weight and was having difficulty in maintaining fitness level required for professional football.

His career was highly successful at both club and international levels. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time. Nick-named ‘El Fenomeno’ (The Phenomenon), he represented Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan, and Brazil.

He scored 62 goals in 97 appearances for Brazil. He was part of the Samba team which won the world cup in 1994 but then, as a 17 years old, he did not play a game. Then in 1998 he led his team to the final but was not initially included in the final against France as he had a mysterious epileptic fit the night before the match. Eventually he was included in the playing eleven but could not produce his natural game resulting in Brazil losing the match 3-0. He was devastated on not being able to help his team lift the trophy.

He paid back to his team by leading the attack with record number of goals to help win the title in 2002. He scored both the goals in the final against Germany. He took his World Cup tally to 15 goals, a new record beating Gerd Mueller, at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

An injury to his knee while playing for AC Milan ended his club career in Europe in 2008. Ronaldo who started his career with Cruzeiro, had to deal with many injuries during his career but the knee problem continued to trouble him in his last days of professional football. He was currently playing for local team Corinthians.

The Football fans will never forget Ronaldo for his genius art of scoring goals against the best of the best.

Mixed fortunes on day 3 of warm-up matches

World Cup warm-ups - 15 Feb, 2011: A good start, two upsets and good run by two of the favorites

Pakistan started confidently while Sri Lanka continued their domination by winning their second warm-up match comfortably. Australia’s woes with batting continued as South Africans were all over them with a big win. Netherlands and Ireland created pre-tournament upsets signaling their intentions ahead of the big stage by overcoming Kenya and Zimbabwe respectively.

Pakistan make good start against Bangladesh

Pakistan, who usually start badly defeated hosts Bangladesh rather easily at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur in Dhaka. Riding on the centuries of Ahmed Shehzad and Misbah-ul-Haq, who continued their good form, Pakistan posted a challenging 285 for 9 in 50 overs. Rubel Hossain and Shakib Al Hasan bowled well for the Tigers claiming 3 wickets each as they tried as many as 9 bowlers. Loss of Tamim on the first ball put Bangladesh on the back foot but Imrul Kayes and Junaid Siddique fought back aggressively. After their departure, rest of the batting line-up could not handle the cunning medium pace of Abdul Razzaq (3 for 31 off 6) and spin of Hafeez (2/41) and Abdur Rehman (2/29) and were all out for 196 in the 42nd over. An 89 run defeat may not matter for their coach Jamie Siddons, as he had downplayed the importance of the warm-ups, but it certainly will lead to some head scratching. Pakistan, on the other hand, will now feel confident and more at home on these tracks.

Australia overwhelmed again, this time by the Proteas

M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore again proved ghastly for the men in yellow as they failed to post a decent score in the second match running. Apart from Ponting and Clarke who scored fifties, others could not handle pace of Steyn (3/21) and spin of Petersen (3/45) and Imran. South Africa chased down the modest target of 217 with more than 5 overs to spare. The ignominy for Australia was compounded by the fact that both the Proteas’ openers, Smith and Amla, retired themselves after scoring fluent fifties letting others to have a go. Duminy in the end also scored some good practice runs. They won by 7 wickets (with two retired outs). Ponting’s bad days, it seems, are not going to end soon and the two losses have increased the depth and number of furrows on his forehead. The defending champions are not looking in good shape at all for their 4th World title in a row.

Sri Lanka romp home easily against the West Indies

At R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka had good practice of chasing big totals as they reached West Indies’ tough total of 281 with 15 balls and 4 wickets to spare. Chris Gayle scored aggressive fifty while promising Darren Bravo too looked good for his fifty. Significant contributions from most of the other batsmen helped West Indies in reaching 281 before they were all out on the last ball. For Sri Lanka, Malinga and Herath took 3 wickets each. Dilshan’s aggressive 62 off 50 balls and composed knocks from Sangakkara (71) and Samaraweera (55) set up a good chase for the host nation. Apart from Benn who took 3 for 40, no bowler could trouble Sri Lankan batsmen. This victory has just reaffirmed the fact that Sri Lankans are the team to beat come the World Cup.

Ireland upset Zimbabwe

The Irish signaled their intent by upsetting the Zimbabweans at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha in Nagpur. Chigumbura’s unbeaten whirlwind hundred (103 0ff 81 balls with 8 fours and 3 sixes) lifted Zimbabwe to 244/8 after a struggling start, but could not stop ambitious Ireland from chasing down the total in the last over and winning by 4 wickets. Andre Botha (79) and Kevin O’Brien (62* in 61 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes) kept their team in the hunt despite continued loss of wickets. This win will surely encourage them to go for another big upset in the main round.

The Netherlands beat Kenya by 2 wickets

As opposed to other matches, the match between Netherlands and Kenya went to the wire at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo. The men in orange kept their nerves and won against the semi-finalists of the 2003 tournament by 2 wickets on the penultimate ball of the match. Young Seren Waters’s serene knock of 126 (150 balls, 12 fours) went in vain as Ryan ten Doeschate, the ICC Associate Player of the Year in 2010, led his team to a stunning win. After Waters’s effort, late order assault by Rakep Patel who scored 64 in 59 balls helped Kenya post a competitive 263/5 in 50 overs. Incredible ten Doeschate was the successful bowler with 2 for 47. Veteran Steve Tikolo took 4 for 39 and wrecked havoc in the Dutch middle order but Netherlands showed steely resolve by coming back into the game. After the delightfully named Alexei Kervezee (49 off just 33 balls) had given them a brisk start, ten Doeschate carried the chase on his shoulders till the end. He scored 98 not out (92 balls; 3 fours, 4 sixes) and with the help of late order cameos from numbers 9 and 10 pulled off a remarkable win for his team.

Flaws exposed as India downs Australia in the warm-up

World Cup Warm-up Match: India v Australia, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, 13 Feb 2011

Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore witnessed an interesting battle between the defending World Champions, Australia and the hot favorites, India. It was a match in which strengths of both the teams were on display but also their respective weaknesses got exposed. India, who were restricted to a low score by Australian pacers, came back through their spinners to win the match by 38 runs.

Dhoni elected to bat after winning the toss. Virender Sehwag, who has vowed to change his game a bit in order to bat longer in ODIs, was the only man to score a fifty. He made a patient 54 off 56 balls with 8 fours and a six. India could not build big partnerships as Hastings and in particular, Brett Lee troubled Indian middle and lower order with their pace and bounce. The weakness of Indian batsman was exposed badly on a pitch that offered some bounce and kick. Late order resistance by Yusuf Pathan and R Ashwin enabled India to cross 200 and post 214 before being all out in the 43rd over. Lee took 3 for 35 while Hastings bagged 2 for 25. Jason Krejza also found some spin and beat the bat on many occasions signaling some testing times for the Aussies.

Aussies had no trouble against Indian seamers as they cruised to 118 when Tim Paine departed holing out in the deep. Then came Pyush Chawla in to the attack and he immediately found the track to his liking. He removed the cream of Australian batting in quick succession in a frenzied passage of play in which Australia lost 5 wickets for just 30 runs. Then Australian nemesis Harbhajan Singh took over the job of mesmerizing Aussie batting with his bag of tricks. Ricky Ponting who had crept out of bad form by some resolute batting was stumped off Harbhajan to end the last resistance. He was looking good and fighting a lone battle as the last man standing but after his departure Australia soon, were all out for 176 runs in the 38th over losing the match by 38 runs. He made 57 off 85 balls. Chawla took 4 for 31 and put forward his name as a strong contender for the second spinner’s spot in Indian team alongside Harbhajan, who took 3 for 15, if they decide to do so.

The loss in a warm-up match usually does not count for much but if it is between India and Australia, one cannot say that with surety. The mind games have started and the strategies have been fine-tuned for both the teams but much needed psychological edge has indisputably gone to India.

Gilly’s guillotine shreds Sri Lanka as Australia complete treble

World Cup Classics: Australia v Sri Lanka – Final, Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados, 28 April 2007

Australia won their third World Cup in a row and fourth overall in thumping fashion and took their undefeated run in WC matches to an unmatched 29. They brushed aside Sri Lankans, who were worthily the second best team of the tournament, with an aura of invincibility and disdain. The manner in which Adam Gilchrist single-handedly robbed Mahela and his team of their second world title still reverberates in the memory of all those who witnessed his brutality on that disgraceful day for the organizers. The match ended in a travesty as Sri Lankans after accepting bad light and hence the defeat, were asked to play again under dark to complete the match.

Ponting won the toss and elected to bat on what looked like to be a belter. Match was agonizingly delayed for almost 3 hours due to rain and reduced to 38 overs a side. After a couple of quiet overs, Gilchrist opened his shoulders thumping Vaas for a four and a six. Hayden joined in the act and the two, then, looked so comfortable at the crease as if they were batting in their backyard. Gilly gave a tough caught and bowled chance to Fernando on 31 but then he slaughtered him for 4, 4 and 6 on the next 3 deliveries. Seeing Gilly go madly at the bowling, Hayden maintained his sanity and the pair put on a World Cup record 172 runs for the first wicket in 22.5 overs. He was harsh on all the bowlers including Muralitharan but he treated Fernando with special callousness. He brought up his hundred, with a cracking four off Malinga, on 72 balls with 8 fours and 6 sixes. This was the fastest hundred in a WC final.

Hayden fell after making 38 off 55 balls with 3 fours and a six. Ponting came out and continued to play like Hayden, giving strike to Gilly while latching on to anything even fractionally loose. It was Fernando who dismissed Gilchrist for 149 (104 balls; 13 fours, 8 sixes) when he miscued a pull towards midwicket. Andrew Symonds played a breezy knock in the end to help Australia post 281/4 in 38 overs. It was a daunting task for Sri Lanka. Malinga was the pick of the bowlers as he was relatively spared by the Kangaroos giving away 59 runs for his 2 wickets.

Sri Lanka lost Tharanga cheaply but Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara gave their team a glimmer of hope with a 116-run partnership in almost 18 overs. Jayasuriya although played aggressively, but sadly for Sri Lanka, could not match Gilchrist stroke for stroke. Sangakkara too played some dazzling shots, one six off McGrath over mid wicket followed by two successive fours were the highlights. Someone had to play an innings like Gilly’s to be able to challenge the Australians but Sangakkara (54 off 52 balls) and Jayasuriya (63 off 67 balls) both fell one after the other leaving their team in a hopeless position in the middle of the chase. In form Mahela and Chamara Silva could not convert their starts into big ones and Sri Lanka had lost the final before it had finished. They were always behind Duckworth-Lewis par score as the light deteriorated rapidly in the twilight. It soon became unplayable and Sri Lankans took it the minute it was offered by the umpires. They still needed 63 in 3 overs with 3 wickets in hand.

Australians started to celebrate their hat-trick of WC wins. Then the farce unfolded. The match officials lead by the referee Jeff Crowe and the two on-field umpires, Steve Bucknor and Aleem Dar, told Australia to hold on their victory lap as the match was not over according to the rules. They had to come back again the next morning to complete it. The Sri Lankans agreed, at last, to continue playing if spinners are to bowl. The world witnessed in amazement the things being put back in order for the match to continue again in dark. Symonds beat Malinga’s swing and Gilly appealed for a stumping but Dar went to the 3rd umpire as it was impossible to see the proceedings in the night! Sri Lanka finished with 215 for 8 after 36 overs; rain interruption in the 25th over had readjusted the target to 269 off 36 overs. They lost the match by 53 runs (D/L method). Clarke took 2 for 33 in his 5 overs. Australians burst into jubilation again and the post-match ceremony was held amid loud boos from the crowd.

Gilchrist was named the Man of the Match while McGrath, on his farewell, was the undisputed Man of the Tournament. Despite the fact that the World Cup proved a failure on many aspects and that it had ended so shamefully, the Australians were the worthy winners and the best of all by a mile. They never looked like losing a match at any stage and that fact too made the tournament somewhat less attractive; but certainly not for an Aussie fan.

Will it be Junaid Khan this time?

Junaid Khan, a promising left arm seamer from Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, has been included in Pakistan's World Cup squad in place of Sohail Tanvir who has failed to regain fitness from a chronic knee injury. Despite being included for the tour to New Zealand, Sohail could not hold on to his position in Pakistan team and his future now looks bleak as far as international cricket is concerned.

Junaid Khan is a 21-year old rookie who represents Abbottabad region in Pakistan's domestic competition. He, incidentally, rose to the limelight at the same time when Mohammad Amir burst on the scene when they both played and impressed for Pakistan under-19 team. Amir leapfrogged Junaid and represented Pakistan at the highest level. Amir after shining like a North Star for Pakistan, got wiped out of the scene unceremoniously when ICC's tribunal handed him 5 years ban alongside Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt for their involvement in spot-fixing. This created a big hole in the pace armory of Pakistan which, despite having honest servers like Umar Gul, Tanvir Ahmad and Wahab Riaz, could not be filled. Shoaib Akhtar has lost his aura while Sohail Tanvir is not fit so Pakistan selectors decided, at last, to introduce new face in a hope that it provides much needed 'Pakistan feeling' to the pace attack.

Junaid Khan has pace and can swing the ball both ways, both new as well as the old ball. He has a good yorker and also bowls a slower on. Time is too short for him to ease into the Pakistan set up but if used properly in the warm-up games, he can feel at home in competition itself. especially under coach Waqar Younis. He needs to be given confidence by the team management especially captain Afridi who often gets impatient with bowlers. If used properly and aggressively he may help Pakistan forget Amir very soon.

We introduced Sohail Tanvir in 2007 World T20, Mohammad Amir in 2009 World T20 and now will it be Junaid Khan to become new sensation? Time will tell.

Pietersen lights up the Princely Farewell

World Cup Classics: England v West Indies - Super Eights, Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados, 21 April 2007

It was a princely occasion; Brian Charles Lara was to bow out of cricket after this match. West Indies had lost the race for Semi-finals but the packed crowd at Kensington Oval wanted to see their team give Lara a fitting farewell by winning this last encounter. But after a heart-racing epic of a match, it was the English who presented victory as a souvenir to their outgoing coach Duncan Fletcher.

Michael Vaughan chose to bowl after winning the toss on a batting paradise. Chris Gayle and Devon Smith did justice to the pitch report and held English attack at bay till the 24th over. Gayle was at his murderous best while Smith provided him perfect company to post 131 for the first wicket. After launching Plunkett into the straight boundary for six, he smashed back to back boundaries off Stuart Broad who came on to bowl after Anderson had opened the attack with a couple of struggling overs. Plunkett then was taken to cleaners as the pair looted 22 of his over which included successive doublets of fours and sixes by unforgiving Gayle. Vaughan introduced spin in the form of Jamie Dalrymple but could not stop the galling Gayle. Vaughan himself came on to bowl and did a good confining job. Flintoff got rid of Gayle who slashed uppishly to 3rd man where Broad took a good catch. He scored a swashbuckling 79 off just 58 balls (10 fours, 3 sixes).

The prince entered to grace the cricket field for one last time amid loud cheers and electric drumbeats from the crowd. He was given a nice guard of honor by the English players. Lara looked in good touch crashing two boundaries but Smith fell for 61 (106 balls, 6 fours) when Collingwood took a blinder at backward point. Then the disaster struck. Lara was called by Marlon Samuels for a quick single and when he responded, Samuels stopped leaving Lara stranded and run out in his last international innings. It was an unfortunate way to bid adieu but probably a fitting one too as no bowler could claim his wicket on his farewell. Crowd roared at first giving him a standing ovation and then, understandably, got deflated.

West Indies posted exactly 300 after being all out on the penultimate ball of the innings riding on the contributions from Samuels ( 51 off 39 balls; 6 fours, 1 six) and Chanderpaul (34 off 39 balls). Vaughan was the best bowler taking 3 for 39.

England lost Strauss early but Vaughan and Ravi Bopara put on 90 runs in 13 overs to give a solid foundation for the run chase. Vaughan was at his elegant best in this match, which proved to be his last ODI, scoring freely and stylishly on his way to 79 off just 68 balls including 6 fours and two sixes. The six he hit off Jerome Taylor was a treat to watch, rocking back and pulling over deep midwicket into the crowd. Some good fielding and bowling brought West Indies in a winning position when they reduced England to 189 for 6 in the 36th over. It was Bravo’s brilliance which caused this swing in fortune for Windies as after effecting two run outs (Vaughan and Ravi Bopara) through direct hits he had Collingwood played on. Kevin Pietersen, meanwhile, had settled at the crease. He played brilliantly and although the asking rate had gone up towards 7.5, he kept his team in the hunt. He first steadied the innings with Paul Nixon and then unleashed his array of strokes all around the park to bring his team within an arm’s length from the target. He brought his hundred in style by hitting Taylor for six but was cleaned up on the next delivery. He made exactly 100 (91 balls; 10 fours, 1 six). His wicket brought West Indies back into the match as Plunkett too followed him cheaply.

England required 29 runs from the last 3 overs and had 3 wickets in hand. Nixon used his wise old head and steely resolve to collect 3 boundaries in the 48th over bowled by Collymore. The equation, then, became run a ball for the last two overs. Nixon got out for 38, foxed by a Bravo slower ball in the last over, leaving England needing 3 runs to win with the last pair standing. Broad hit the winning runs on the penultimate ball wining the match by one wicket. Lara, tears in his eyes, was disappointed at losing the match despite coming so close but then recovered and shook hands with all on the field before going off walking through the clapping England fielders who had lined up to say him good bye. Pietersen was named man of the match for his match-winning hundred.

It was a thrilling encounter, which had lit up an otherwise dull World Cup. In the end Lara asked the crowd, “Did I entertain?” and there is no need to say what reply he got from his people.

Langeveldt spoils Malinga show

World Cup Classics: South Africa v Sri Lanka - Super Eights, Providence Stadium, Guyana, 28 March 2007

This match should not have gone to the wire especially when South Africa required just 4 runs with 5 wickets in hand but Malinga took four wickets in four balls and almost burgled their party. While South Africans threatened to choke again, the Sri Lankans could not take advantage of a pitch that suited them heavily.

Sri Lanka chose to bat first on a sluggish wicket. Makhaya Ntini got Tharanga in the slips cheaply but Jayasuriya after a cautious start got in his groove with a flurry of fours. Charl Langeveldt came on to bowl and met with immediate success as he first got the danger-man Jayasuriya for 26 and then foxed captain Jayawerdene with a slower one. Sangakkara who was looking set at the crease departed after making 28 followed soon by in-form Chamara Silva who was brilliantly run out by Gibbs in Rhodes-style. At 98 for 5 in the 25th over, Sri Lanka needed a solid partnership which was provided by Dilshan and Russel Arnold. They put on vital 97-run stand for the 5th wicket. These two had provided good momentum for late order hitting but fall of Dilshan for a well made 58 (76 balls, 4 fours) triggered a dramatic collapse for Sri Lanka. Arnold too fell after reaching his 50 attempting a slog off Langeveldt. Langeveldt got two more wickets in the 49th over which was also a maiden. He finished with 5 for 39. They lost their last 5 wickets for just 14 runs to finish at a disappointing below-par 209 all out in 49.3 overs.

South Africa were confident of chasing despite being wary of Sri Lankan spinners on the slow track. Chaminda Vaas, the swing master, shattered deVilliers’s stumps with a beauty in the first over. Captain Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis negotiated the early burst from Vaas and Malinga and put on 95 for the second wicket. Kallis gave a tough chance to Jayewardene in the slips early on but as he settled in the crease Smith went after the bowling. Smith was eventually stumped off a Muralitharan sucker-ball for 59 (65 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) in the 18th over. Gibbs carried on the good work until he was caught and bowled by Murali for 31. Murali removed Boucher through LBW next ball to bring his team back into contention once again. But South Africa kept Sri Lankan spinners at bay for quite a while and slowly came out on top again. Malinga had a chance to remove Kallis but he dropped a tough return catch when the batsman was on 75.

Lasith ‘Slinga’ Malinga came back for his 3rd spell to bowl the 45th over. He bowled four yorker-length deliveries, the second one going for a four, to Shaun Pollock who was then flummoxed by a slower one to get clean-bowled. Andrew Hall scooped a catch to the cover fielder on the 6th delivery which again was a yorker. The Sri Lankans were fighting although it still looked like a lost cause. But in his next over the game seemed to turn on its head when he got his hat-trick by removing the top-scorer Kallis. Kallis departed caught behind for 86 off 110 balls that included 4 fours. Next delivery was a searing yorker which cannoned into the stumps leaving a bewildered Ntini shell-shocked. This was the first time a bowler had taken four in four in ODIs. Sri Lankans were celebrating while South Africans were on verge of a shocking defeat. Next ball just shaved past the off-stump. Under tremendous pressure, Langeveldt and Robin Petersen stole 2 singles to round off a stunning over from Malinga. With 2 runs needed Vaas bowled a threatening next over giving nothing away. Malinga came back to finish the job but Petersen edged past the slips for four to win the match for his team. It was a tense finish to a match which was in South Africa’s grasp for most of the time. Malinga, who was expensive early on, came back wonderfully to take 4 for 54 while Murali finished with 3 for 34. Langeveldt and Malinga both were awarded the Man of the Match for their brilliant bowling efforts.

It was almost a day-light robbery by Malinga but the Proteas heaved a huge sigh of relief when they averted the defeat and the choker’s tag seemed to shirk them on that occasion at least.
DISQUS...

Sri Lanka inflict hasty Indian exit

World Cup Classics: Group B Match - India v Sri Lanka, Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad , 23 March 2007

It was a do or die match for India who needed to win in order to qualify for the Super Eights. They had earlier lost to a spirited Bangladesh but thrashed Bermuda in the next match in a record win. Sri Lanka on the other hand had won both their matches convincingly. Assured of a birth in the next round, Sri Lankans did not let their momentum break by beating India and dashing hopes of a billion in the process.

Rahul Dravid beat Mahela Jayawerdene on the coin and opted to field first. Zaheer Khan started spraying the ball around, feeling the pressure of the match, as he did in the 2003 WC final. Ten runs came in his first over but then came back strongly and removed the dangerous Jayasuriya who flashed straight to third man. Upul Tharanga was playing elegantly but Jayawerdene fell at the score of 53 when Dhoni took a blinder off Agarkar. After the fall of skipper, Sangakkara started slowly and along with Tharanga took the score to 92 in the 24th over. He fell trying to break free against Ganguly but the real damage was done by Tendulkar who removed well-set Tharanga by bowling seam up and trapping him LBW for 64 (90 balls, 6 fours). In-form Chamara Silva (59 off 68 balls, 5 fours) and Dilshan put on vital 83 runs in just over 13 overs to propel Sri Lankan score rapidly. In the end, Russel Arnold and Chaminda Vaas contributed with little cameos to post imposing 254 for 6 on a sporting wicket. The score was, cleverly, built around singles and doubles rather than boundaries and sixes. For India Zaheer took 2 for 49.

Vaas removed both Indian openers, Uthappa and Ganguly, cheaply but it was Dilhara Fernando who broke the back of Indian run-chase when he bowled Sachin Tendulkar for a duck at the score of 43. Onus was on the captain, Dravid, to hold the innings together as Sehwag was playing freely at the other end. They took the score to 98 and just when it seemed India were back in the match, they suffered another body-blow. Muralitharan got Sehwag for 48 (46 balls, 5 fours, 1 six) to jolt India once again. The scoreboard read 98/4. It was the same score, 98 ( but with the loss of 2 wickets), in the infamous 1996 semi-final, when dramatic Indian collapse was triggered by Sri Lankan spinners. Here again they suffered the same fate. Yuvraj was run out when he tried to steal a non-existent run. Murali then baffled Dhoni to trap him dead LBW for a duck resulting in joyful celebrations from the Sri Lankan fielders as well as millions of Bangladeshis glued to their TV sets back home. Bangladesh fans were anxiously hoping for a Sri Lankan win which would have helped Tigers to advance to the next round.

Dravid, who in fear of being left stranded as wickets tumbled around him, opened up and thrashed Malinga for four fours in one over. But he too fell to Jayasuriya in the next over after making 60 off 82 balls with 6 fours. Sri Lanka then completed the formality by dismissing India for 185 in the 44th over. Muralitharan was named man of the match for his decisive spell of 3 for 41 while Vaas chipped in with 2 wickets for 39.

With this win Sri Lanka and Bangladesh advanced to the Super Eights from group B, while one of the pre-tournament favorites, India, packed their bags for home to face angry fans and media.

Pakistan cricket: Butt of ridicule

Spot-fixing, PCB and ICC - Verdict out, but! ... Pakistan on track, Butt!

The gentleman’s game, as it was called, is in disgrace yet again. Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt have been found guilty of breaching the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code and, consequently, handed sanctions by the independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal.

The ICC has said that the decision will help eradicate corruption in the game. Former and current players and cricket pundits have generally hailed the verdict as an exemplary precedent that should deter other cricketers from succumbing to unacceptable temptations.

The PCB is dumb, as usual, and does not know how to respond. The chairman issued a statement, "The PCB has no jurisdiction to challenge the bans as this is a matter between the ICC and the players." Any matter which relates to players and ICC, one should tell Mr. Ijaz Butt, comes directly under the jurisdiction, if not control, of the PCB. Rather than commenting on the verdict itself you are talking of challenging the bans instead. You have to answer a number of questions first. If Amir, Asif and Salman Butt have done anything wrong, what was the PCB and its security wing doing to spot or prevent it? If News of the World had known all this why PCB did not have a clue? When the tour management had openly accused some players of wrongdoing on the tour Down Under and then subsequently the Disciplinary Committee had handed bans or fines to those players, why did Mr. Ijaz Butt nd co repeal those punishments? Who is responsible for mishandling the whole case when the accusations had been made? Why were we Pakistanis made to look like fools in eyes of the world? Why did Mr Ijaz Butt first accuse the English team and then shamelessly retract? Why did the PCB first support the players blindly and then slept over the case to go to the other extreme? The PCB was never an organization to be proud, but ever since Ijaz Butt took over as chairman, it’s shambles.

Anyone who cherishes and loves this beautiful game of cricket will not tolerate corruption. Nobody should be allowed to deceive the fans and the nation he represents. In that respect, the decision to ban the trio cannot be questioned. It will certainly deter others from indulging in such malpractice. But will it eradicate spot and match fixing altogether? It may, for a while, help in controlling corruption, but the problem, in my opinion, will resurface with a graver magnitude. The reason is simple: The ICC is dealing with just the tip of the iceberg. The mafia and the chain of command have successfully evaded the ICC radar and its member boards. Ever since the menace of match-fixing came to light in 1994, the ICC has failed to get rid of it completely. The Anti-corruption Unit of ICC has proved to be a total failure. The three players were, if we consider the enormity and extent of the menace, unlucky to have been nabbed. They are just the tools; the real nexus needs to be unearthed and wiped out. We need to reach the core. The culprits should be taught a lesson, but merely punishing the players will not eradicate the problem.

Pakistan cricket is not the only one which is corrupt. Match-fixing is controlled by mafias in India and Dubai, and to a certain extent in London and Lahore. Can we enter those corridors and destroy the roots, or will we just keep cutting the branches? Furthermore, the ICC has failed to impose itself on stronger boards and stakeholders. It has withdrawn or backtracked on several occasions which indicate internal weakness in the ICC structure. Many players who were found guilty by their respective boards or ICC were handed lighter bans or got away with fines. And then there are events like Indian Premier League which are an attraction for the betting and match-fixing mafia. ICC’s jurisdiction and control over IPL is a big question mark.

There is talk of some leniency towards Amir considering his age and clean past record. The Tribunal has asked for certain changes to the Code with a view to providing flexibility regarding minimum sentences in exceptional circumstances. Will ICC consider? That is another subject. We do not know on what evidence and basis the ICC has declared the trio guilty of spot fixing. Whether the verdict coming just the day after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) charged the players was merely a coincidence or not. But the saga will not end here. The CPS criminal investigation has to reach its conclusion. They have charged the players already and advised them to report voluntarily. Further, the banned players would surely land in the Court of Arbitration for Sports as a last chance to clear their names. So the cricket world is not going to heave a sigh of relief any time soon. We hope for the best.

Aussies wallop Ashes-winning England 6-1

Match Report: Australia v England - 7th ODI, WACA, Perth, Feb 6, 2011

Australia proved they are still a power in ODI cricket by trouncing England in the 7th and last match to win the ODI series by a hefty margin of 6 to 1. As they did in 2009, they have come back strongly after an Ashes loss to win the ODI series convincingly. There too the margin was same 6-1. Australia must be feeling confident now to defend their World Cup title while England who are already struck with injury woes have little time to revive themselves.

Australia almost played with their second string side as they made 4 changes bringing in Tim Paine, Adam Voges, Jason Krejza and Bollinger in place of Watson, Clarke, Smith and Brett Lee respectively. While for England Steven Davies, Liam Plunkett and Luke Wright replaced Collingwood, Woakes and Morgan. Davies played as a specialist opener. Both teams actually played with two wicket keepers. It was also a captaincy debut for Cam White.

Liam Plunkett who was playing after a long time for England lured Haddin in the very first over to nick behind but Yardy dropped the catch in the slips. He took his revenge in his next over by trapping him LBW which was given out after a review by England. Ferguson who was looking good was out caught in the slips off Anderson to make it 35 for 2. Yardy made amends when he had Haddin caught at the boundary for 27 and when White too departed giving a return catch to Yardy after an out of character innings Australia had lost 4 top wickets for 103. At this delicate stage David Hussey and Voges provided Australia momentum with a 95-run stand. Hussey departed after a run a ball 60 but Voges continued to anchor the innings. Johnson gave him good company in the closing stages and Australia finished at a healthy 279 for 7. It was a good recovery in the end. Voges remained not out on 80 off 72 balls with 4 fours, his highest ODI score. For England Anderson took 3 for 48 while Plunkett and Yardy bagged 2 wickets each.

England had a nightmarish start losing Strauss and Davies with just 5 runs on the board. Both made ducks. Strauss was cleaned up by Tait while a struggling Davies nicked Bollinger behind. England could not recover from this early jolt as Johnson ripped through their middle order by getting Trott, Pietersen and Bell out cheaply. It seemed English batsmen had one foot in the plane to get back home swiftly after a long and demanding tour. Prior who came at 6 played a good hand of 39 but gave Krejza his first ODI wicket. Michael Yardy played well and put some muscle into the batting by putting together little partnerships with prior, Wright and then Plunkett. England were eventually all out for 222 in 44 overs losing the match by 57 runs. Yardy remained not out on his personal best 60 off 76 balls with 3 fours and a six. Johnson took 3 for 18 in his 7 overs while Tait grabbed 3 wickets for 48. Adam Voges was named man of the match while Shane Watson was the man of the series.

This series win must have given Australians some satisfaction apart from giving them the much required momentum for the World Cup. An Ashes loss is irreparable but a thumping win like this can heal some wounds and provide a psychological respite. England, well, have a multitude of problems as their recent record in the subcontinent is already woeful and this loss plus injury scares do not auger well for them.

Match: Australia 279/7 (Voges 80*, D Hussey 60; Anderson 3/48) beat England 222/10 (Yardy 60*, Prior 39; Johnson 3/18, Tait 3/48) by 57 runs.

Series: Australia won by 6-1

Double demise on doomsday for Pakistan

World Cup Classics: Group D Match - Ireland v Pakistan, Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica, 17 March 2007

Ireland having tied against Zimbabwe were confident but still underdogs against Pakistan. But on a green-top and against a brittle Pakistan batting they gifted their fans a perfect surprise on their national day. Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was right in terming the match a "serious banana skin fixture" as Pakistan slipped badly and crashed out of the World Cup. As if the ignominy was not enough, the coach himself was found dead the night after the match in mysterious circumstances. It was double death for Pakistan on that horrific day in their cricket history.

After losing badly against the West Indies, Pakistan had to win this match to remain in the world cup while Ireland had a chance of qualifying for the super eight stage in their first World Cup. Trent Johnston asked Pakistan to bat under murky conditions and on a grassy wicket. This in fact evened out the contest a bit as early morning moisture also meant Pakistan batters would have to bat against the odds.

Dave Langford-Smith accounted for Mohammad Hafeez in the very first over with a classical away-swinger. Same bowler had a chance to catch Imran Nazir in his next over but the ferocious drive was too hot for him to grab. Younis Khan went for a duck caught behind off lanky Boyd Rankin who was moving the ball both ways and was getting extra bounce. Imran and Mohammad Yousuf steadied the ship by scoring 41 runs between them but Yousuf who had played two delicious shots for four played an uppish drive off Johnston which was snatched at backward point. But the wicket that caused horrors in the dressing room was that of Inzamam who nicked behind off Andre Botha for a duck to leave Pakistan wobbling at 58 for 4.

The agony deepened further in a matter of few overs as Imran (24 off 51) and Shoaib Malik fell one after the other making it 72 for 6 in the 21st over. Kamran Akmal was the only batsman who looked assured at the crease as he played every ball on merit but he needed an able partner at the other end which he did not get comfort of. Rankin came back and removed Azhar Mahmood who skied a catch to Johnston. Johnston then took a spectacular running catch to dismiss well-set Akmal in the same over. Kamran made 27 off 47 balls with 4 fours. His dismissal meant Pakistan fall well short of a reasonable total to defend. After a 25-run partnership between Sami and Rao Iftikhar for the 9th wicket, they were eventually dismissed for a paltry 132 in the 46th over. Extras were the top score with 29. Rankin was the best bowler who broke the back of Pakistan batting taking 3 for 32 while Botha and spinner Kyle McCallan bagged 2 wickets each.

It was a stunning show by the Irish on the St Patrick's Day. Their jubilant fans were over the moon waiting anxiously for their team’s turn to bat while Pakistan’s dressing room was in gloom just like the overhead sky. Pakistan needed early wickets which they got through an irate Mohammad Sami who trapped both Jeremy Bray and Eoin Morgan LBW. Bray was a touch unlucky to be given out. At 15 for 2 Ireland were in a spot of bother but wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien dug deep and denied Pakistan any immediate breakthrough. William Porterfield who was playing an extra-ordinary dogged innings was beautifully clean-bowled by Hafeez at the score of 62. He made 13 in 50 balls but helped Ireland rebuild after the fall of two quick wickets. He enjoyed a fair bit of luck as he got reprieved twice when he was plumb in front and was also dropped by Hafeez. Hafeez then caught Botha off Sami although the ball has missed the bat. At 81 for four after 27.3 Overs, players trudged off due to rain with D/L scenario in Ireland’s favor.

Ireland had a revised target of 128 Runs in 47 overs when the play resumed. Pakistan needed to remove O’Brian who was playing innings of his life but he was solid in defense as well as assuring in his stroke play whenever an opportunity arose. As the light was not good they took the batting powerplay in the 30th over. He hit a couple of lovely fours but was stumped a ball after he had dispatched Shoaib Malik for a huge six. His match-winning innings of 72 off 107 balls included 6 fours and a six. They just needed 20 runs from 13 overs and had 5 wickets in hand. Pakistan could not sneak through the slightest of opening that was created because of O’Brian’s dismissal. Andrew White and McCallan went cheaply thanks to Rao’s swing bowling But Niall’s brother Kevin O’Brian (16*) and captain Johnston made sure Ireland reach home safely despite a last-ditch effort by a resurgent Pakistan. Johnston hit Azhar on the 4th ball of the 42nd over for a massive six over long on to win this historical match for his team in a spectacular fashion. For Pakistan Sami (3/29) and Rao (2/29) bowled well but not well enough to stop their team going down to a minnow. Niall O’Brian was named man of the match for his stanch batting display but it was their bowling that made them pull off this wonderful upset.

Deep into the darkness of the night after this heart-breaking loss, Pakistan’s sorrow and disappointment turned into misery when they heard with disbelief the nerve-wrecking news of the death of their much-loved coach Bob Woolmer. They had lost the World Cup and their coach on the same day and if it were not enough they were left to face the possibility of an extended legal enquiry and certainly unending questions from their fans back home. There were calls for the heads to roll as well as prayers for the safe return of the stranded players in the West Indies. The sad demise of Woolmer had devastated the players and fans alike. He did not live long enough to see the dark era which had descended on Pakistan cricket on that dreadful day in Jamaica and which was to last for the next few years.

Trott's hundred in vain as Australia chase big

Match Report: Australia v England, 6th ODI, SCG, Sydney, Feb 2, 2011

It was Trott's highest ODI score. It was England's best total against Australia. But Australia produced their record chase in ODIs which was also the biggest total chased in Australia to win a thriller and go up 5-1 in the series. Their under-pressure captain Michael Clarke was the man who held the innings together after Watson and Johnson had laid a perfect foundation with their cameos.

Australia brought in Callum Ferguson and Shaun Tait for injured Shaun Marsh and Doug Bollinger respectively. Michael Yardy replaced injured Ajmal Shahzad for England. On a hot day, England opted to bat first after winning the toss. After quite 3 overs, Strauss and Prior started playing their shots but the latter was castled by Johnson in his first over. Jonathan Trott joined his captain and they put a stand of 80 runs at a good clip before Strauss was out for a well made 63 off 87 balls. Pietersen came in and was playing well until he had a rush of blood on the first ball of the batting powerplay from Lee and was caught at mid off for 29. Trott was now playing freely in sight of his 2nd hundred of the series. Ian Bell did not waste time and made full use of the powerplay. He continued to play aggressively and put on an entertaining 104 runs stand with Trott in just 11.4 overs. England were handsomely placed at 241 for 3 at 40 over mark. Trott completed his hundred in exactly 100 balls with 7 fours. He then gave a tough return catch to Watson who spilled it but Clarke did not drop a sharp catch offered by Bell off Tait. He made a quick-fire 45 off 32 balls. Morgan went back after a breezy little knock while Trott who was on 137 off 125 balls skied a pull shot high to be caught by the bowler Tait himself. England finished on 333 for 8, a record target to chase for Australia thanks to a brilliant innings by Trott. Tait was the best bowler with figures of 2 for 59.

Australia started in the best possible fashion getting 9 runs in one ball upfront. After Watson hit Woakes's first ball for a four, he gifted 5 wides down the leg side. Both batsmen had no trouble against Woakes and Anderson. Woakes was forced out of the attack but Watson punished Andersen with4 fours in one over to collect 19 runs. Australia completed 50 in the 6th over. Trott was the man again who stopped the onslaught by catching Haddin brilliantly at short fine leg off Anderson. Watson after completing a fiery fifty could not go on and was dismissed by Yardy for 51 off just 34 balls with 8 fours. Mitchel Johnson was promoted to number four to make use of the remaining bowling powerplay as a pinch-hitter. He along with Callum Ferguson built a vital 79 run partnership in less than 12 overs to keep the chase going. Johnson hit two huge sixes off Pietersen but then had a terrible mix-up with Ferguson resulting in the latter's run out. Ferguson made 46 in 44 balls. Captain Michael Clark then took the charge of the chase himself and played well without wasting too many deliveries. He ran quick singles and doubles with a boundary here and there as Johnson and White departed after giving him short company. Johnson made his second ODI fifty and was out for 57 off 59 balls stumped by Prior off Pietersen. David Hussey stayed long enough with his captain and together they propelled Australia towards the target with a 90-run 6th wicket partnership at 7.6 an over.

They took the batting powerplay when Australia required 70 runs from 8 overs. Clarke celebrated his 50 off 51 balls with a lovely six over square leg off Anderson. Anderson again was hit for six by Hussey to bring Australia 300 in the 46th over. Finn who was bowling better than others was brought back by England. This move gave a lease of life to them as Hussey nicked behind after he had made for 38 off 35 balls. Australia required 20 from the last 3 overs with 4 wickets in hand but Anderson bowled a tight 48th over in which they also got Smith run out. With 16 to get from 12 balls, Trott dropped Clarke as the ball burst through his fingers for four. He had taken a brilliant catch at the same spot earlier but this time his miss proved crucial for his team. But he made some amends by causing the run out of Clarke later in the same over with a brilliant throw. Clarke played a captain's knock of 82 off 70 balls with 4 fours and a six. Australia did not create any more dramas as Hastings got an edge for four to win the match with 4 balls to spare. Australia won the engrossing encounter by 2 wickets. For England Finn took 2 for 51 while Trott was made man of the match for his best ever knock in ODIs.

It was a thrilling chase in the end which provided a good exhibiton of ODI cricket. Australia definitely ae in a far better shape for the World Cup than England who are yet to find a winning combination. with one match to play, Australia would definitely want to repeat the same score-line of 6-1 which they had against England in the ODI series following the 2009 Ashes.

Match: Australia 334/8 ( Clarke 82, Watson 51; Finn 2/51) beat England 333/6 ( Trott 137, Strauss 63; Tait 2/59) by 2 wickets

Series: Aus lead by 5-1