Zimbabwe plunder 308-6 against Kenya

Updated at: 1255 PST,  Sunday, March 20, 2011

KOLKATA: Craig Ervine and Vusimuzi Sibanda hit brisk half-centuries as Zimbabwe recovered from early setbacks to post a challenging 308-6 against Kenya in their last World Cup match on Sunday.Zimbabwe were struggling at 36-2 after electing to bat at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, but Sibanda (61) steadied the innings with a 110-run stand for the third wicket with Tatenda Taibu (53).Ervine and skipper Elton Chigumbura (38) then added 105 for the fifth wicket as Zimbabwe crossed the 300-mark for the first time in the tournament.Zimbabwe plundered 104 runs in the last 10 overs, with Prosper Utseya (19 not out) smashing three fours and a six in the final over bowled by seamer Elijah Otieno.Both the African nations are out of contention for a place in the quarter-finals, with Zimbabwe having earned two points and Kenya none after five matches before this game.Left-handed Ervine, who cracked one six and nine fours in his 54-ball knock, survived a stumping chance off spinner James Ngoche as stand-in wicket-keeper Rakep Patel failed to collect the ball.Patel kept wicket for a brief spell in place of regular wicket-keeper David Obuya, who suffered an injury while trying to stop a wide delivery.Veteran all-rounder Tikolo, making his last World Cup appearance, led Kenya in the absence of Jimmy Kamande, who was ruled out of the match due to a knee injury.Sibanda hit one six and seven fours in his 57-ball knock before being run out following a mix-up with Taibu.hit seven fours before being trapped leg-before by Ngoche.

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Zimbabwe elect to bat against Kenya

Updated at: 0840 PST,  Sunday, March 20, 2011

KOLKATA: Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura elected to bat after winning the toss against Kenya in their final World Cup match at the Eden Gardens on Sunday Steve Tikolo, making his last World Cup appearance, led Kenya in the absence of Jimmy Kamande who was ruled out of the game due to a knee injury Both the African nations are out of contention for a place in the quarter-finals, with Zimbabwe having earned two points and Kenya none after five matches.Zimbabwe: Elton Chigumbura (capt), Regis Chakabva, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Greg Lamb, Christopher Mpofu, Raymond Price, Tatenda Taibu, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya, Vusimuzi Sibanda Kenya: Steve Tikolo (capt), Alex Obanda, David Obuya, Collins Obuya, Tanmay Mishra, Rakep Patel, Thomas Odoyo, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Elijah Otieno, Peter Ongondo, James Ngoche.Umpires: Asoka de Silva (SRI) and Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)TV umpire: Ian Gould (ENG)Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

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Line-up and schedule for quarter finals confirmed

With the group matches completed today, the fixtures and venues have now been confirmed for the knock-out stages of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.The quarter-final matches will take place in the following order:

Match C Pakistan v West Indies in Dhaka on 23 March
    Match E Australia v India in Ahmedabad on 24 March
    Match F New Zealand v South Africa in Dhaka on 25 March
    Match D Sri Lanka v England in Colombo on 26 March
    The semi-final matches will take place as follows:
    Winner Match D v Winner Match F in Colombo on 29 March
    Winner Match C v Winner Match E in Mohali on 30 March

    The final will be contested in Mumbai on 2 April.

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Pakistan halt Aussies winning streak, take top spot

Updated at: 2126 PST,  Saturday, March 19, 2011

COLOMBO: Pakistan stopped Australia’s unbeaten 34-match run in the World Cup and secured top spot on their group table, beating the defending champions by four wickets in their final match of the Group A here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.Chasing an easy target of 177 runs, Pakistan completed victory with nine overs to spare but they lost six wickets in the process.Umar Gul took three for 30 to help Pakistan dismiss Australia for 176 -- their lowest World Cup total since 1992 -- before Umar Akmal hit an unbeaten 44 to steer Pakistan to victory in 41 overs, finishing top of the pool with 10 points.Pakistan, champions in 1992, will play the fourth placed team in Group B, while Australia (nine points) finished third behind Sri Lanka (nine points) on run-rate and will play the second placed team from Group B.This was Australia's first defeat in the World Cup since losing to Pakistan by 10 runs in Leeds in 1999.But the champions, led by spearhead Brett Lee (4-28), fought hard and twice raised hopes of an unlikely win.Pakistan were cruising along on 98-2 before Lee derailed the chase in his first over of his second spell, dismissing Younis Khan (31) and Misbah-ul-Haq for a first-ball duck -- both caught by keeper Brad Haddin.Mitchell Johnson removed Asad Shafiq (46) while Jason Krejza tempted skipper Shahid Afridi (two) to hole out in the deep, but Umar and Abdul Razzaq (20 not out) saw their team home with a cautious 36-run stand for the seventh wicket.Razzaq hit two boundaries off spinner Jason Krejza to complete the victory.Lee had taken two wickets in his first spell, taking a smart catch off his own bowling to dismiss opener Mohammad Hafeez (five) before trapping Kamran Akmal lbw for 23.Shafiq, who hit five boundaries during his 81-ball knock, added 53 with Younis and 41 with Umar to keep Pakistan on track. Earlier, Gul and Razzaq (2-8) exposed the untested Australian batting after Ricky Ponting won the toss and decided to bat on a seemingly flat R. Premadasa stadium pitch.Haddin (42), Michael Clarke (34) and Steve Smith (25) offered some resistance as Pakistan applied relentless pressure to take the last seven Australian wickets for a mere 59 runs after they were 117-3.Pakistan, who opened the attack with left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman from one end, forced an early breakthrough when Gul bowled opener Shane Watson for nine.Haddin added 63 for the second wicket with Ponting (19) before Pakistan struck twice, with Hafeez removing the Australian skipper off a miscued cut, caught by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.Left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz then had Haddin caught behind by Kamran in the 24th over. Haddin hit three boundaries and a six during his 80-ball knock.Pakistan then took four wickets in the space of 30 runs to reduce the Aussies to 147-7 and later Gul removed Krejza and Lee cheaply to wrap the Australian innings for their sixth lowest World Cup total.

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Pakistan bowl Aussies out for 176

Updated at: 1723 PST,  Saturday, March 19, 2011

COLOMBO: Pakistan bowled defending champions Australia out for 176 runs in 46.4 overs in their crucial match of the World Cup Group A here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.After Australia captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat first in their final match in Group A, a devastating bowling and fielding display by Pakistan saw the Aussies dismissed for their lowest World Cup total since 1992..The four-time champions, unbeaten for 34 matches in the tournament dating back to 1999, struggled for momentum throughout their innings as pacers Umar Gul (3-30) and Abdul Razzaq (2-8) exposed their untested batting All the other bowlers chipped in with one wicket apiece as only Brad Haddin (42), Michael Clarke (34) and Steve Smith (25) offered resistance in a match where the winner will top Group A.Pakistan, the last team to beat Australia in a World Cup way back in 1999, pressured Australia from the start and did not relinquish their grip as the defending champions lost their last seven wickets for just 59 runs.Pakistan, who opened the attack with left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman from one end, forced an early breakthrough when paceman Gul bowled opener Shane Watson with a sharp incoming delivery for nine.Haddin added 63 for the second wicket with Ricky Ponting (19) before Pakistan struck twice, with Mohammad Hafeez removing the Australian skipper off a miscued cut, caught by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.Umpire Marais Erasmus of South Africa turned down a vociferous appeal before Pakistan successfully overturned the verdict on review to leave Australia 75-2.Left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz then had Haddin caught behind by Kamran in the 24th over. Haddin hit three boundaries and a six during his 80-ball knock.Pakistan then took four crucial wickets in the space of just 30 runs to reduce the Australians to 147-7.
Cameron White was smartly run out by Misbah-ul-Haq when the batsmen tried to steal a quick single, before Razzaq bowled Clarke.Pakistan removed dangerman Michael Hussey (12), caught off a miscued drive at short mid-wicket off Rehman, who finished with 1-34, and Mitchell Johnson (nought) was the next to go.Gul removed Jason Krejza and Brett Lee cheaply to wrap the Australian innings for their sixth lowest World Cup total.Pakistan left out Shoaib Akhtar, who on Thursday announced he would retire but brought in Umar Akmal for opener Ahmed Shahzad.

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Australia win toss, bat against Pakistan

Updated at: 1341 PST,  Saturday, March 19, 2011

COLOMBO: Australian captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and opted to bat as Pakistan left out express paceman Shoaib Akhtar in the World Cup Group A match at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.
On Thursday Shoaib announced that he would retire after the World Cup and hoped he would get another chance against the defending champions.
The only change in the Pakistan side which beat Zimbabwe on Monday was the inclusion of Umar Akmal, who has recovered from a finger injury, in place of out of form opener Ahmed Shahzad.Australia kept an unchanged side from their win over Canada on Wednesday Both teams have already qualified for the quarter-finals.Australia: Ricky Ponting (captain), Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Cameron White, Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Jason Krejza, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait.Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain), Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz.Umpires: Tony Hill (NZ) and Marais Erasmus (SA), Tv umpire: Tyron Wijewardena (SL)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG) 

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Bangladesh need 285 to make quarterfinals

Updated at: 1215 PST,  Saturday, March 19, 2011

DHAKA: Bangladesh were set an imposing 285-run target by mighty South Africa to reach the World Cup quarter-finals here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Saturday.South Africa made 284 for eight after captain Graeme Smith won the toss and elected to bat first in their World Cup Group B match.Co-hosts Bangladesh have to defeat the Proteas for only the second time in 14 meetings if they are to stay alive in the tournament.Defeat would send Group B rivals India, England and West Indies into the last eight along with South Africa, who have already qualified.South Africa's only defeat to Bangladesh came during the World Cup 2007.Jacques Kallis hit his ninth World Cup half-century as he hit five boundaries and a six in his 69 off 76 balls, sharing a fourth wicket stand of 82 with Faf du Plessis.Du Plessis smashed a run-a-ball 52 before the lower order added 92 runs in the last 10 overs.South African captain Graeme Smith (45) put on 98 for the first wicket with Hashim Amla (51).Bangladesh will chase a stiff target of 5.7 runs an over to win against a South Africa side who rested fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel and brought in left-arm seamers Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell.Leg-spinner Imran Tahir, fully recovered from a thumb injury, joined Johan Botha and Robin Petersen in a rare three-man spin attack.

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Pak-Aus encounter to decide group champions

Updated at: 1100 PST,  Saturday, March 19, 2011

COLOMBO: Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes the World Cup effectively starts for his four-time champions on Saturday in their Group A clash with Pakistan.Today's match would decide the champion of the Group A. Australia currently at second after Sri Lanka have 9 points after playing five matches and if win today would surpass the Lankans. And if Pakistan beat Australia they would top the group."As a team, we really do feel the tournament is kicking off now," Ponting told reporters in a pre-match news conference on Friday for a game which may well decide who wins the group.Australia, the only unbeaten team in this World Cup, have beaten Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Kenya and Canada by big margins.Their game against co-hosts Sri Lanka was washed away due to heavy rains, ending the much-anticipated game in a 'no result'.The skipper said his team were in good shape to play Pakistan who pulled off a surprise win over Sri Lanka before falling to New Zealand."We have trained exceptionally hard and very, very well," Ponting said.It is still not clear whether Ponting's men will face Pakistan's fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who announced his retirement following the World Cup on Thursday, after he was dropped for their last match against Zimbabwe on Monday."I have always said that he is the fastest bowler I have ever faced in international cricket," Ponting said of the 'Rawalpindi Express'. "With the new ball he still has good pace."Facts and figures relating to the Group A World Cup match between Australia and Pakistan (0900 GMT) at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Saturday.Head-to-head record:Australia lead 52-29 (Tied: 1; NR: 3)In the World Cups: Australia lead 4-3In the sub-continent: Australia lead 7-5* The last time they played in the World Cup was in Johannesburg in 2003 when Australia cruised home by 82 runs.* Whoever wins Saturday's match will finish top of Group A.* Australia (WW, NR, WW) will look to extend their 34-match unbeaten run in the World Cup.* While Australia are the only undefeated side left in the World Cup, they have looked far from invincible. They notched up a 91-run win against Zimbabwe, allowed second-tier side Kenya to rack up 264-6 before beating them by 60 runs and struggled to tame the inexperienced Canadian batting line-up before securing a seven-wicket triumph. * Pakistan (WLWWW) supporters are perennially unsure of which side will turn up. They have been brilliant against Kenya (205 run win), Sri Lanka (11 run win) and Zimbabwe (seven-wicket win) but they were quite shoddy against Canada (46 run win) and were humiliated by New Zealand in a 110-run loss.* The tie is likely to be a clash between the Australian batting -- Shane Watson (256 runs), Brad Haddin (237 runs) and Michael Clarke (191 runs) -- and the sharp bowling of the tournament's leading wicket-taker Shahid Afridi (16 wickets) and Umar Gul (10 wickets).* The Australian bowling led by the pace trio of Shaun Tait (10 wickets), Mitchell Johnson (nine wickets) and Brett Lee (eight wickets) might be considered somewhat one dimensional in the context of spinning sub-continental conditions. However, the Pakistani batting has not been very convincing either, with only Misbah-ul-haq (192 runs), Umar Akmal (167 runs) and Younus Khan (141 runs) among the runs. (Reuters)

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South Africa bat against Bangladesh

Updated at: 0810 PST,  Saturday, March 19, 2011

DHAKA: South Africa captain Graeme Smith won the toss and elected to bat in the World Cup Group B match against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium on Saturday.Bangladesh, who need a win to qualify for the quarter-finals, replaced left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo with off-break bowler Naeem Islam from the side that beat the Netherlands in Chittagong.South Africa, already through to the last eight, rested fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel and brought in left-arm seamers Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell in their place.Leg-spinner Imran Tahir, fully recovered from a thumb injury, joined Johan Botha and Robin Petersen in a rare three-man spin attack.Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Shahriar Nafees,Mushfiqur Rahim, Naeem Islam, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam.South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Imran Tahir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne van Wyk.Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Daryl Harper (AUS)TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)Pitch conditions: A slow wicket where the ball does not come on to the bat, but it has provided equal opportunities for fast bowlers and spinners.

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Dernbach confirmed as Shazad’s replacement

Updated at: 2121 PST,  Friday, March 18, 2011

The ICC has confirmed the Event Technical Committee of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 has approved Jade Dernbach as a replacement player for the injured Ajmal Shahzad in the England squad for the tournament.The confirmation was conveyed to the England and Wales Cricket Board on behalf of the committee on Friday. Shahzad suffered a hamstring injury in a training session in the build-up to his side’s Group B match against the West Indies in Chennai.Any injury-based replacement requires a written submission to the event technical committee along with a diagnosis from a medical practitioner as to the extent of the injury. Once replaced, a player may not return to the squad save as an approved subsequent replacement for another injured player. Shahzad becomes the fourth player to be replaced in England’s squad – although Eoin Morgan subsequently returned as a replacement for the injured Kevin Pietersen. Dernbach, a right-arm medium-fast bowler with Surrey, was in England’s original 30-man squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 but failed to make the final 15 and has been touring the Caribbean with England Lions.As with all players in the tournament, the eligibility of a replacement player is subject to approval by the ICC before that player can be officially added to the squad.The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 consists of David Richardson (ICC, chairman), Prof. Ratnakar Shetty (Tournament Director), Campbell Jamieson (IDI representative), Anil Kumble (host nominee), David Lloyd (independent nomination) and Sanjay Manjrekar (independent nomination).

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Sri Lanka spin Kiwis out to go on top

Updated at: 2121 PST,  Friday, March 18, 2011

MUMBAI: Spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis mesmerized New Zealand batsmen to bowl them out for 153 runs in 35 overs as Sri Lanka recorded a 112-run victory in their last match of the World Cup Group A here at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday...............

.Muralitharan captured four for 25 and Mendis claimed two for 24 to bundle the Black Caps out to take Sri Lanka to the top of the group with nine points but their final position will be determined only after Saturday's match between Australia and Pakistan.New Zealand stand-in captain Ross Taylor top-scored with 33 whereas no other Kiwi batsmen could make more than 20.Earlier, captain Kumar Sangakkara hit a brilliant century to help Sri Lanka set a modest target of 266 runs for New Zealand after electing to bat first.They made 265 for nine in their 50 overs with the help of a 145-run partnership for the third wicket between Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, which pulled the team out of early trouble.Sangakkara made 111 off 128 balls with twelve fours and two sixes while Jayawardene hit 66 with six boundaries.

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We'd like to finish top of the table: Ponting

Updated at: 2008 PST,  Friday, March 18, 2011
 COLOMBO: Ricky Ponting said Australia were proud of their unbeaten World Cup run, but warned the defending champions were facing their first big challenge against Pakistan on Saturday."We are very proud of our record in World Cups, there's no doubt about that," said Ponting of Australia's unbeaten 34-match streak which started after their 10-run defeat against Pakistan at Leeds in 1999.Since then Australia have won three World Cups, the last two under Ponting, who has yet to lose a match as captain."Whether it's World Cups or the Champions Trophy, Australian players get really excited to be part of them. I've been lucky over the years to play in a lot of good teams."But tomorrow is another good challenge for us. We don't talk about what's happened in the past as far as how many games we've won or the fact that we haven't lost a game."Now it's all about making sure we are prepared for the next game and the next challenge against Pakistan who have played well so far. We are going to make sure that we start to put our print on the tournament."Australia and Pakistan have already qualified from a Group A which Ponting described as "boring because there is nothing happeining"."We'd like to finish top of the table which means we want to win the game on Saturday. That's what we are setting out to do, we are setting out to play our best game."If we win and that means we finish on top, great; if we don't win the game we will finish somewhere else and I'm not concerned about that either. To win a World Cup you have to beat the best team - it's as simple as that."Australia have nine points from five matches with Pakistan on eight, also from five matches."I think we will be negligent if we try to single one (Pakistan) player out," said Ponting."They have got a number of match-winning players... Afridi and Umar Gul are the two guys who've probably been their standout players."Gul took three wickets in Pakistan's last win over Zimbabwe, while Afridi is the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 16."Afridi tends to control the middle of their bowling particularly well, he doesn't go for a lot of runs either. He builds pressure and is a world class bowler, so hopefully our skills hold against him," added Ponting."As a team we really feel that the tournament is kicking off now. We've had our games along the way and the big game here against Sri Lanka which was washed out unfortunately.We're excited to play against Pakistan."I think we will get a better feel at the end of the game just where we are and how well we are placed in this World Cup. I think it's a good challenge for us."

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Sangakkara steers Sri Lanka to 265-9 against Kiwis

Updated at: 1813 PST,  Friday, March 18, 2011

MUMBAI: Captain Kumar Sangakkara hit a brilliant century to help Sri Lanka to set a modest target of 266 runs for New Zealand in their last match of the World Cup Group B here at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.Winning the toss, Sri Lanka batted first and made 265 for nine in their 50 overs with the help of a 145-run partnership for the third wicket between Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, which pulled the team out of early trouble.Sangakkara made 111 off 128 balls with twelve fours and two sixes while Jayawardene hit 66 with six boundaries.The two teams have already made it to the quarter-finals and the result of this game will determine their final Group A positions.Sri Lanka lost opener Upul Tharanga early when he was run out in the third over. He backed up too far and Tim Southee (3-63) managed to get his hand to a straight drive from Tillakaratne Dilshan before the ball rolled on to hit the stumps.Dilshan followed his partner to the pavilion soon, lobbing a simple catch to Jacob Oram off Southee while trying to go for an ambitious shot on the leg side, plunging Sri Lanka to 19-2.Jayawardene got embroiled in a controversy early in his innings as he tried to play a defensive shot in the 24th over against off-spinner Nathan McCullum but ended up chipping the ball back to the bowler.McCullum dived and managed to get his right hand under the ball to cap what looked like a stunning effort.But even as McCullum broke into a celebration, TV umpire Amish Saheba was called in and he ruled it not out.A furious McCullum and Kiwi skipper Ross Taylor angrily protested the decision with on-field umpire Asad Rauf.Jayawardene, then on 26, hit six fours in a dour 90-ball innings before being adjudged trapped leg before off Southee, a decision he asked to be reviewed but in vain.Sangakkara played a captain's innings, racing to his 11th century and completing 9,000 ODI runs in the proces, the fourth Sri Lanka player to the mark.This was Sangakkara's first three-figure score in 63 innings, having gone without a ton since June 2008.He was bowled by McCullum in the 42nd over after facing 128 balls and hitting 12 fours and two sixes.Angelo Mathews provided the late impetus to the innings with an unbeaten 41 off 35 balls.

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Ireland beat Netherlands in high scoring match

Updated at: 1655 PST,  Friday, March 18, 2011

KOLKATA: Ireland defeated the Netherlands by six wickets with 14 balls to spare in a high scoring match in the World Cup Group B here at the Eden Gardens on Friday Chasing a tough target of 307 runs, Ireland cruised to win in 47.4 overs for the loss of four wickets after Paul Stirling smashed an explosive century.The 20-year-old opener gave a superb exhibition of hitting, cracking two sixes and 14 fours in his 72-ball 101 as Ireland chased a stiff 307-run target with 14 balls to spare at Eden Gardens.Stirling also upstaged the Netherlands' Ryan ten Doeschate, who scored 106 for his second World Cup hundred. South African AB de Villiers and India's Sachin Tendulkar are the only other batsmen to have made two centuries in this tournament.Ireland and the Netherlands were already out of contention for a place in the quarter-finals, but Ireland had the satisfaction of posting two victories in the tournament while the Netherlands remained winless.The Dutch recorded their highest total at the tournament but failed to keep pressure on the Irish openers William Porterfield (68) and Stirling, who delighted a few thousand spectators with an exciting exhibition of strokeplay.Their 177-run stand was Ireland's best for the first wicket in one-day internationals, surpassing the 118 between the same pair against Bangladesh in Belfast last year.Man-of-the-match Stirling was more aggressive than Porterfield, racing to his half-century off just 25 balls and then taking 45 more deliveries to complete his second one-day hundred.The Dutch had to wait until the 27th over to break the stand when off-spinner Tom Cooper had Porterfield caught behind.Stirling fell in the next over, caught by Alexei Kervezee at deep mid-wicket off left-arm spinner Pieter Seelaar.All the other batsmen chipped in, with Niall O'Brien hitting 57 not out, Ed Joyce scoring 28 and Gary Wilson 27. Kevin O'Brien finished on 15 not out.Earlier, the Dutch were struggling at 53-3 after being put in to bat, but ten Doeschate came to his team's rescue with his third one-day hundred. He hit one six and 13 fours in his 108-ball knock.Four batsmen were run out off successive balls in the last over, but the Netherlands had crossed the 300-mark at that stage, thanks to ten Doeschate, Borren (84) and opener Wesley Barresi (44).Ten Doeschate, who made 119 against England, put on 121 runs for the fifth wicket with Borren.Ten Doeschate was also involved in another useful stand, putting on 60 for the fourth wicket with Barresi, who played some handsome shots during his brisk knock after overcoming a painful blow to the head.Barresi, who retired in the second over after being hit on the back of his head by a throw returned to bat after the fall of the third wicket.

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Shoaib Akhtar made decision on right time: Afridi

Updated at: 1611 PST,  Friday, March 18, 2011

COLOMBO: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi says Shoaib Akhtar's announcement that he will retire from international cricket after the World Cup will not affect the team when they play Australia on Saturday.Akhtar Thursday announced he will quit after the World Cup, ending a colourful and controversial 14-year career amid criticism his decision was ill-timed coming midway through the tournament.Afridi, though, disagreed with the criticism, levelled by former Pakistani players."He (Akhtar) has taken a right decision. He could have announced it after the World Cup, but I don't think the timing is wrong and it won't affect our team," Afridi said on Friday.Afridi denied reports in Pakistani media that Akhtar had a serious spat with wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, who dropped two crucial chances off the paceman during the team's 110-run defeat against New Zealand.Those chances allowed Ross Taylor to notch a career-best 131 at Pallekele stadium, with the New Zealand batsmen smashing off 28 off Akhtar's last over."There was nothing serious between them, there is no breaking news in it," said Afridi of the tiff, which ended in a $2,000 dollar fine for Akhtar."Akhtar was never upset, he is enjoying the World Cup," said Afridi, who refused to confirm whether Akhtar will be part of the eleven against Australia, though he is unlikely to play. "We have a settled combination and if we need we can play him in the remaining matches."Afridi praised Akhtar for his match-winning performances in the course of his career."Akhtar has won us many games, many series and now he has taken a decision after considering his fitness, so it's his own decision and it's a good decision," said Afridi.And the skipper justified the selection of the paceman for the World Cup."We selected him in the squad because he can get reverse swing going and he worked really hard to get a place in the squad," said Afridi.Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka have already qualified for the quarter-finals from Group A.

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Sri Lanka bat against New Zealand

Updated at: 1340 PST,  Friday, March 18, 2011

MUMBAI: Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat in their last Group A World Cup match against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.The two teams have already qualified for the quarter-finals.New Zealand were without injured captain Daniel Vettori (knee) and Kyle Mills (leg) for the tie which will decide group positions.Sri Lanka brought in unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis in place of Thisara Perera.Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan.New Zealand: Ross Taylor (capt), Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, James Franklin, Scott Styris, Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Kane Williamson, Hamish Bennett.Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) and Asad Rauf (PAK)TV umpire: Amish Saheba (IND)
Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)Pitch conditions: The match is the second of the World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium, which hosts the final on April 2. It is a flat wicket that has been unused for the past two years due to renovation of the stadium but usually favours batsmen.

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Netherlands pile up 306 against Ireland

Updated at: 1300 PST,  Friday, March 18, 2011

KOLKATA: Ryan ten Doeschate cracked a second World Cup century as the Netherlands recovered from early setbacks to post a challenging 306 against Ireland in their Group B match of the World Cup here at the Eden Gardens on Friday.The Dutch were struggling at 53-3 after being put in to bat, but the South Africa-born ten Doeschate helped his side record their highest total of the tournament with 106 in 108 balls, with one six and 13 fours.Their previous highest total was 292-6 against England However, this was for the second time in the World Cup history that the Netherlands made 300 or more runs in a match after their 314-4 against Namibia in 2003.Ten Doeschate, who also hammered 119 against England, became the third batsman to score two hundreds in this World Cup after South African AB de Villiers and India's Sachin Tendulkar.Four batsmen were run out off successive balls in the last over, but the Netherlands were in a strong position at that stage.Middle-order batsman ten Doeschate put on 121 runs for the fifth wicket with skipper Peter Borren, who scored an attractive 84 off 82 balls with 10 fours.Ten Doeschate was also involved in another useful stand, putting on 60 for the fourth wicket with opener Wesley Barresi, who made a brisk 44 after overcoming a painful blow to the head.Ireland, the most impressive of the non-Test-playing nations at the World Cup, were a bowler short when left-arm spinner George Dockrell dislocated his right shoulder while fielding off his own bowling in his fourth over.The spinner went to hospital for a check-up but it was not immediately known whether he would take any further part in the match, said an International Cricket Council (ICC) official.Both sides are out of contention for a place in the quarter-finals, with Ireland having earned just two points and the Netherlands none after five matches each before this game. This is the final match for both teams.Barresi, who retired in the second over after being hit on the back of his head by a throw, played some attacking shots when he returned to bat after the fall of the third wicket.He smashed the first six of the match when he pulled paceman Boyd Rankin over square-leg and then slog-swept spinner Paul Stirling over mid-wicket for another six.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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