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NEWS UPDATE : Asian Cricket Third Sri Lanka-Pakistan ODI abandoned due to rain COLOMBO: The third One-day International between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was abandoned due to rain here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday. The umpires made this decision after consulting ... Australia want to master all forms of game: Clarke SYDNEY: Australia's limited-overs tour of England and Ireland represents the start of a two-year campaign to make them the top nation in all three forms of the game, captain Michael Clarke said ... Bopara glad to be back for England SOUTHAMPTON, England: Ravi Bopara is eager to make up for lost times as he tries to revive his ... South Africa name unchanged squad for England series JOHANNESBURG: South Africa have kept faith with a winning formula by naming an unchanged squad for the three-Test series in England starting next month, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on ...


Thursday, March 17, 2011

Canada restricted to 211 after impressive batting

Updated at: 1742 PST,  Wednesday, March 16, 2011
BANGALORE: Aussie bowlers restricted Canada to 211 runs all out in 45.4 overs after the minnows’ top-order batsmen fought bravely in their World Cup Group A match here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.The 19-year-old opener, Hiral Patel, faced Aussie pacers boldly, blasting a career-best 54 after Canada captain Ashish Bagai won the toss.But Brett Lee took four for 46 as the North Americans were bowled out with 26 balls to spare.Canada, unable to reach the last eight, were well-placed at 150 for two but Australia, already through to the quarter-finals and unbeaten in 33 matches at the World Cup since 1999, then took five wickets for 19 runs.The 19-year-old Patel square cut Lee for two fours before thumping express quick Shaun Tait high over extra cover for six.Canada had promoted 40-year-old off-spinner John Davison, playing his last match before international retirement, to open the innings.Davison looked good making 14 before fast bowler Lee out-thought him with a slow bouncer the batsman could only feather to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin as he attempted a hook.The undaunted Patel took Canada to the fastest fifty of any team this tournament -- in 29 balls -- when he miscued a six off Mitchell Johnson high over third man.But Patel, whose highest score in 13 previous one-day internationals was 43, made no mistake in hooking a Lee bouncer for six.Patel completed his personal fifty in just 37 balls, including three sixes and five fours.However, his blistering innings ended when he slashed medium-pacer Shane Watson to Johnson at third man, leaving Canada 82-2 in the 12th over.Zubin Surkari and Bagai kept Australia at bay with a stand of 68 until the captain, on 39, edged a cut off Tait to Haddin.Jimmy Hansra gifted off-spinner Jason Krejza only his third wicket of the tournament when he holed out to long-on and Surkari (34), one ball after being hit on the hip by a Tait full toss, was bowled by the speedster.