NEWS ALERT

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 ...


Friday, March 18, 2011

Ireland elect to field v Netherlands

Updated at: 0835 PST,  Friday, March 18, 2011
KOLKATA: Ireland captain William Porterfield won the toss and elected to field against Netherlands in a World Cup Group B match on Friday.Both teams are playing their last match at the event as they have no chances of reaching the quarter-finals.(Reuters)

Dramatic win keeps England’s World Cup hopes alive

Updated at: 2143 PST,  Thursday, March 17, 2011
CHENNAI: England kept their World Cup hopes alive with a dramatic 18-run win over the West Indies in a Group B day-night match here at the MA MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday Chasing 244, the West Indies were in sight of a certain victory needing 22 runs from 52 balls. They were 222 for six after a stand of 72 between Ramnaresh Sarwan (31) and all-rounder Andre Russell (49) rescued them from the depths of 150 for six.But they lost their final four wickets for three runs to finish on 225 all out in 44.4 overs, with Sulieman Benn the last man dismissed when he was run out by Jonathan Trott's throw to wicketkeeper Matt Prior with more than five overs left Off-spinners James Tredwell and Graeme Swann took seven wickets between them. England now need Bangladesh to lose to South Africa on Saturday. If Bangladesh win, England can still go through if India beat West Indies on Sunday in the final match of Group B.However, a West Indies win would see them into the last eight.Russell, caught on 39 at long-on by Trott only to be awarded a six after the diving fielder just glanced the boundary marker, saw his 46-ball innings end when he was lbw to World Cup debutant Tredwell.The spinner was named man-of-the-match for his four for 48 to spark the climatic slump.England then saw Sarwan turn Swann (three for 36) straight to Ian Bell at short leg.Two balls later Kemar Roach was caught by a diving Chris Tremlett off Swann to leave West Indies 223 for nine. West Indies had seen fit-again opener Chris Gayle (43) make a typically rapid start as their fifty came up inside five overs.But Tredwell took his first one-day international wicket when, fifth ball, he had Gayle, pushing half-forward, lbw to end a 21-ball innings featuring a six and eight fours. Tredwell, in only his fourth ODI, then had Devon Smith stumped by wicketkeeper Prior as he took two wickets for nine runs in eight balls.Tredwell then had Darren Bravo edging to England captain Andrew Strauss at first slip.Sammy struck several sixes off Tredwell before playing onto Ravi Bopara for 41 off 29 balls.And when Devon Thomas also played on to Bopara, West Indies were 118 for five.Swann had the big-hitting Kieron Pollard plumb lbw for 24, despite a desperate review, and West Indies were six down.Earlier, Luke Wright kept England's hopes alive with 44 after they'd slumped to 134 for five. Trott (47) was the only other England batsman who made more than Strauss's 31 in an innings where debutant leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo took three wickets and Russell claimed four.

Windies bowl England out for 243

Updated at: 1747 PST,  Thursday, March 17, 2011
CHENNAI: West Indies bowled England out for 243 in 48.4 overs in a World Cup Group B match here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday Fast bowler Andre Russell bagged four wickets for 49 runs and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo claimed three for 34 on his one-day international debut while pacer Kemar Roach took two wickets.Luke Wright kept England's World Cup hopes alive by hitting 44 runs against the West Indies on his tournament debutWright, in at 134 for five, made a key contribution to England's 243 all out. Jonathan Trott (47) was the only other batsman who managed more than 40 after Andrew Strauss won the toss and batted.Wright and fellow World Cup debutant James Tredwell shared a seventh-wicket stand of 41 after England had slumped to 151 for six.  Trott, belying his reputation as a steady accumulator, made a blistering start after Russell bowled Matt Prior. Strauss fell for 31 when he top-edged a pull off Russell and the fit-again Chris Gayle, running around from midwicket, held a fine catch.Bishoo, only at the World Cup as an injury replacement for all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, dismissed Trott when he closed the face too early and chipped a simple catch to Gayle at mid-wicket.England then saw their fourth and fifth wickets fall on 134.Fast bowler Kemar Roach knocked back Ian Bell's off-stump and Bishoo had left-hander Eoin Morgan gloving an attempted reverse-sweep to wicketkeeper Devon Thomas.Wright, after Tredwell was run out, exited when he holed out off Bishoo.England have to win this match in order to have a shot at reaching the quarter-finals -- and even then other results would have to go their way.Defeat would spell the end of their World Cup and ensure the West Indies and co-hosts India and Bangladesh join South Africa in the knockout stages.