India lose 9 wkts for 29 after Sachin hits 99th ton

Updated at: 1807 PST,  Saturday, March 12, 2011

NAGPUR: After Sachin Tendulkar smashed his second century in the World Cup 2011 India lost six wickets for just 29 runs as Dale Steyn helped South Africa to restrict the hosts to 296 in 48.4 overs in their Group B match here at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday. Batting first after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss, Tendulkar opened the innings with Virender Sehwag and both made 142 runs for the first wicket partnership and then Tendulkar added 125 along with Gautam Gambhir for the second wicket.Sehwag scored 73 off 66 balls with 12 fours while Gambhir made 69 from 75 balls with seven fours.Tendulkar made 111 runs from 101 balls with eight fours and three sixes. This was his second hundred in the tournament, sixth in the World Cups, 48th in One-day Internationals and 99th in all international cricket (Test and ODI).

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India win toss, elect to bat against Proteas

Updated at: 1348 PST,  Saturday, March 12, 2011

NAGPUR: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni elected to bat after winning the toss against South Africa in a key World Cup Group B match on Saturday Both teams are already virtually assured of quarter-final places.India made one change from the side that beat the Netherlands by five wickets in the previous match in Delhi, bringing in seamer Munaf Patel in place of leg-spinner Piyush Chawla.South Africa replaced injured leg-spinner Imran Tahir with off-spinner Johan Botha for the only change from the team that lost to England by six runs in Chennai.India currently top the seven-team group with seven points from four games, while South Africa have four points from three matches.India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel.South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Morne van Wyk.Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Simon Taufel (AUS), TV umpire: Billy Doctrove (WI)Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SL)

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Cricket WC: India, S. Africa eye win to justify favourites' tag

Updated at: 0904 PST,  Saturday, March 12, 2011

NAGPUR: Familiar foes India and South Africa will clash in a World Cup Group B match on Saturday with the aim of proving their World Cup credentials as favourites.While India have remained unbeaten in the tournament, with three wins and a tied match, the hard-earned victories against Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands have done little to calm the nerves of their fans.South Africa, on the other hand, compounded their problems by getting skittled for 165 runs, while chasing 172 for victory against England, giving their critics an opportunity of labelling them "chokers" again having never won this tournament.The Africans slipped past India 3-2 in an ODI series preceding the World Cup but the conditions will be completely different in Nagpur."We obviously know each other pretty well. We played a whole summer and we got to know each other. I think both the teams know what to expect today (Saturday)," South Africa captain Graeme Smith told reporters.South Africa also kept the decision regarding injured leg spinner Imran Tahir hanging until late on Friday.Tahir, the most successful bowler for his team in the tournament so far, developed a fracture on his left thumb during last Sunday's defeat against England"He has bowled this week, and come through fine, it's just whether we feel the need to risk him tomorrow or not, and that we'll decide later," Smith said.(Reuters)

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Fearless Bangladesh down England

Updated at: 2148 PST,  Friday, March 11, 2011

CHITTAGONG: Bangladesh's ninth-wicket pair of Mohammad Mahmudullah and Shafiul Islam hammered 58 runs to send England crashing to a two-wicket defeat in the World Cup on Friday.The Tigers appeared down for the count when they plunged to 169-8 in the 40th over chasing a modest target of 226 in the day-night game at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium in Chittagong.But Mahmuddullah (21 not out) and Shafiul (24 not out) conjured an unlikely victory in front of 18,000 screaming home fans to resurrect Bangladesh's campaign in the tournament they are co-hosting with India and Sri Lanka.Bangladesh, who have four points from as many games, must still beat the Netherlands and power-packed South Africa in their remaining matches to ensure a place in the quarter-finals from Group B.England remained on five points from five matches, a point behind the West Indies who have played a game less.Opener Imrul Kayes top-scored with 60, adding 82 runs for the fourth wicket with skipper Shakib Al Hasan (32), to lift the home side to 155-3 in the 31st over.England hit back to take five wickets for 14 runs, before Mahmuddullah and Shafiul smashed pace and spin alike to seal a dramatic win with one over to spare.England paid dearly for bowling 23 wides as the late evening dew made it difficult for bowlers to grip the ball.Jonathan Trott and Eoin Morgan were the only England batsmen to defy Bangladesh's spinners, scoring half-centuries before their team was dismissed for 225 in the final over.Trott hit 67 and left-hander Morgan, who arrived in Chittagong on Tuesday to replace the injured Kevin Pietersen, made an immediate impact with a fluent 63 off 72 balls.The duo put on 109 for the fourth wicket after England, sent in to bat by Shakib on a sluggish pitch, slipped to 53-3 in the 17th over.The partnership was broken by a brilliant catch from Kayes, who dived in front at deep square-leg to hold the ball after Morgan skied a sweep against off-break bowler Naeem Islam.Morgan's dismissal triggered a collapse in which England lost their last seven wickets for 63 runs after being well-placed at 162-3 in the 39th over.Naeem finished with 2-29 from eight overs, and left-arm spinners Abdur Razzak and Shakib also claimed two wickets each.Matt Prior, England's new opener in place of Pietersen, made 15 when he was dismissed in bizarre fashion, stumped by his Bangladesh counterpart Mushfiqur Rahim off Razzak's first delivery.Rahim removed the bails off a wide ball down the leg-side, but even though Prior had dragged his back foot in just in time, he again wandered out of his crease.Seeing the batsman out of his ground, a quick-thinking Rahim pulled out a stump to ensure the decision, which was referred to the TV umpire, went in his favour.Bangladesh next play the Netherlands in Chittagong on Monday, while 

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Trott, Morgan rally England as Tigers strike

Updated at: 1739 PST,  Friday, March 11, 2011

CHITTAGONG: Jonathan Trott and Eoin Morgan defied Bangladesh's rampaging spinners with half-centuries as England were bowled out for 225 in the World Cup Group match on Friday.Trott hit 67 and left-hander Morgan, who arrived in Chittagong on Tuesday to replace the injured Kevin Pietersen, made an immediate impact with a fluent 63 off 72 balls.The duo put on 109 for the fourth wicket after England, sent in to bat on a sluggish pitch at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium, slipped to 53-3 in the 17th over.The partnership was broken by a brilliant catch from Imrul Kayes, who dived in front at deep square-leg to hold the ball after Morgan skied a sweep against off-break bowler Naeem Islam.None of the other batsmen lasted long against the Bangladesh spinners as Naeem finished with 2-29 and left-armers Abdur Razzak and skipper Shakib Al Hasan also claimed two wickets each.A sell-out crowd of 18,000 backed the Tigers in the day-night game that Bangladesh must win to stay in realistic contention for a place in the quarter-finals.A victory for England, who have five points from four previous games, will ensure them a berth in the knock-out rounds.England picked Matt Prior to open the batting with skipper Andrew Strauss in place of Kevin Pietersen, who has returned home to undergo a hernia operation.The wicket-keeper made 15 when he was dismissed in bizarre fashion, stumped by his Bangladesh counterpart Mushfiqur Rahim off Razzak's first delivery.Rahim removed the bails off a wide ball down the leg-side, but even though Prior had dragged his back foot in just in time, he again wandered out of his crease Seeing the batsman out of his ground, a quick-thinking Rahim pulled out a stump to ensure the decision, which was referred to the TV umpire, went in his favour.England made three changes from the side that beat South Africa by six runs in Chennai on Sunday.Morgan and Ajmal Shahzad replaced the injured Pietersen and Stuart Broad, while seasoned all-rounder Paul Collingwood came in for Michael Yardy.Bangladesh, who fell for their lowest total of 58 against the West Indies in the previous match, dropped former captain Mohammad Ashraful to play all-rounder Mohammad Mahmudullah.

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Ireland beaten by Windies after good fightback

Updated at: 1706 PST,  Friday, March 11, 2011

MOHALI: Big-hitting Kieron Pollard nudged West Indies closer to the World Cup quarter-finals on Friday as Bangladesh were locked in a knife-edge struggle for survival against England.Pollard hammered 94 off just 55 balls and shared an 88-run stand with Devon Smith (107), who hit a maiden one-day century, as West Indies posted 275 before bowling out the Irish for 231 for a 44-run win in Mohali Pollard belted eight fours and five sixes to frustrate the Irish who won the toss and put the Caribbean side into bat on an easy-paced track at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium.Pollard also took a memorable catch to send back Irish dangerman Kevin O'Brien for five off seamer Darren Sammy, who returned impressive figures of 3-31 off his 10 overs.Ed Joyce, who played for England in the 2007 World Cup, made a 106-ball 84, containing nine fours and put on 109 for the fourth wicket with Gary Wilson (61).The win took West Indies to six points from four Group B outings while Ireland, with one win from four matches, now must beat South Africa and the Netherlands to have any hope of progressing.Smith also shared 89 runs with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, opening the innings after Chris Gayle was ruled out on the morning of the match with an abdominal strain.Kevin O'Brien, who struck World Cup's fastest hundred against England, showed he had the skills with the ball as well, grabbing a career-best 4-71.Ireland fast bowlers kept things tight in the first 15 overs and did well in the last seven overs, taking the last five West Indies wickets for 53 runs.The Irish had to wait till the 25th over to pick their first wicket when Chanderpaul (35) chipped O'Brien to short extra cover where captain William Porterfield took a low catch.O'Brien struck again three balls later in the same over when he uprooted the middle-stump of Darren Bravo before the promising left-hander could even get off the markLeft-arm spinner George Dockrell, introduced into the attack late in the 30th over, had Ramnaresh Sarwan caught in the deep for 10 to reduce the West Indies to 130-3 Ireland were left to rue missed chances against Pollard who was let off twice early in his innings with John Mooney messing up a simple run-out chance and Gary Wilson grassing a catch off Andre Botha.

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Bangladesh elect to field against England

Updated at: 1327 PST,  Friday, March 11, 2011

CHITTAGONG: Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and opted to field against England in a World Cup Group B match here at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Friday.England made three changes to the squad that beat South Africa on Sunday. While opener Kevin Pietersen and pace bowler Stuart Broad have returned home injured, all rounder Michael Yardy was also dropped. Pietersen's replacement Eoin Morgan was playing his first World Cup match for England after flying into the country just three days ago while Paul Collingwood was also back after missing the last match with a knee problem. Fast bowler Ajmal Shahzad was picked instead of Yardy.Bangladesh made only one change to the squad that was humiliated in a nine-wicket defeat by West Indies last week. Mahmudullah replaced Mohammad Ashraful in the playing XI.Both teams need to win Friday's match to boost their chances of a quarter-final berth.Teams: Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Raqibul Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain England - Andrew Strauss, Matt Prior, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Paul Collingwood, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Ajmal Shahzad.

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West Indies set 276-run target for Ireland

Updated at: 1306 PST,  Friday, March 11, 2011

MOHALI: Opener Devon Smith hit a maiden one-day international century and Kieron Pollard smacked 94 off just 55 balls as West Indies posted 275 all out against Ireland in their World Cup Group B match here on Friday Smith hit a 133-ball 107 and Pollard belted eight fours and five sixes to frustrate the Irish who won the toss and put the Caribbean side into bat on an easy-paced track at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.Smith also shared 89 runs with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, opening the innings after Chris Gayle was ruled out on the morning of the match with an abdominal strain.Kevin O'Brien, who struck World Cup's fastest hundred against England, showed he had the skills with the ball as well, grabbing a career-best 4-71.A victory for West Indies will virtually assure them of a place in the quarter-finals while Ireland can keep their last-eight hopes alive if they manage to pull off an upset win.Ireland fast bowlers kept things tight in the first 15 overs and did well in the last seven overs, taking the last five West Indies wickets for 53 runs.The Irish had to wait till the 25th over to pick their first wicket when Chanderpaul (35) chipped O'Brien to short extra cover where captain William Porterfield took a low catch.O'Brien struck again three balls later in the same over when he uprooted the middle-stump of Darren Bravo before the promising left-hander could even get off the mark.Left-arm spinner George Dockrell, introduced into the attack late in the 30th over, had Ramnaresh Sarwan caught in the deep for 10 to reduce the West Indies to 130-3.Ireland were left to rue missed chances against Pollard who was let off twice early in his innings with John Mooney messing up a simple run-out chance and Gary Wilson grassing a catch off Andre Botha.Pollard punished the Irish, hitting O'Brien for two sixes in four balls to race to his third ODI half-century off 35 balls.O'Brien returned to take two more wickets, again in the same over, to dismiss Smith and Darren Sammy while John Mooney sent back Pollard and Andre Russell in two balls.

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England poised to kill off Bangladesh hopes

Updated at: 1147 PST,  Friday, March 11, 2011

NEW DELHI: England can deliver a potentially fatal bodyblow to Bangladesh's World Cup dreams on Friday and virtually ensure their place in the quarter-finals.Andrew Strauss's side, reeling from the double loss through injury of batting superstar Kevin Pietersen and strike bowler Stuart Broad, have endured a rollercoaster campaign.A win over the Netherlands was followed by a tie against India, a shock defeat to Ireland and a tense, gritty six-run win over South Africa where they defended just 171.Bangladesh, hoping to exploit spin-friendly conditions by playing all of their group games on home soil, have been in turmoil, losing two of their three matches so far.Last week's nine-wicket loss to West Indies, when they were bowled out for a paltry 58, sparked violence and demonstrations in the streets as fans raged against a team who had high hopes of making the last eight.Defeat on Friday will leave the Tigers needing to beat South Africa to have any chance of staying in the competition while also hoping other results go their way."The boys are tense, but they are also confident that they can put up a good show," said Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan ahead of the day-night Group B game at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium in Chittagong."We have prepared well for the game. We have worked hard in the last few days. I have tried to take the pressure on myself, so it eases the pressure on them."Strauss is staying tight-lipped over his new opening partner for the game following the loss of Pietersen, who returned home to undergo hernia surgeryThe free-scoring Pietersen revelled in his new position, contributing to stands of 105, 68 and 91 in the first three games."I am very clear in my mind who will open, but will not say before the game has started," Strauss said. The choice is likely to be limited to Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara or wicket-keeper Matt Prior.
West Indies can help England's cause, as well as their own, by beating Ireland in Mohali in the early Group B game.Wins for West Indies and England will guarantee Strauss's team a last eighth place.

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Ireland win toss, put Windies into bat

Updated at: 0838 PST,  Friday, March 11, 2011

MOHALI: Ireland captain William Porterfield won the toss and decided to field first against the West Indies in their World Cup Group B match here at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Friday.West Indies ‘star opening batsman Chris Gayle was ruled out of the key clash with an abdominal strain and Ireland were without experienced all-rounder Trent Johnston, who is nursing a bruised knee..The West Indies have four points from three matches and Ireland have two from three games.A victory for West Indies will virtually assure them of a place in the quarter-finals while Ireland can keep their last-eight hopes alive if they pull off a win Teams: West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Andre Russell, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kieron Pollard, Devon Thomas, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Kemar Roach.Ireland: William Porterfield (captain), Alex Cusack, Niall O'Brien, Kevin O'Brien, George Dockrell, Andre Botha, John Mooney, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Gary Wilson, Ed Joyce.Umpires: Asoka de Silva (SL) and Shavir Tarapore (IND), TV umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS)Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SL)

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Dilshan shines in SL win over Zimbabwe

Updated at: 2122 PST,  Thursday, March 10, 2011

PALLEKELE: Zimbabwe lost the battle against Sri Lanka after their openers provided an impressive century stand in their World Cup Group A day-night match here at the Pallekele International Stadium on Thursday.Chasing a huge total of 328, Brendan Taylor and Regis Chakabva accepted Sri Lanka’s challenge by posting a courageous 116 runs in 19.5 overs for Zimbabwean opening stand.But as soon the magician off-break bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan, ended the partnership, bowling Chakabva out, Zimbabwean wickets were falling like nine pins and the whole team was out for 188, losing the match by 139 runs. Taylor hit a dashing 80 off 72 balls with nine fours and a six while Chakabva gave him valuable support scoring a patient 35 from 61 balls. No other batsman could make any significant contribution.Off-spinner Tillekaratne Dilshan, giving the best allround performance, captured four wickets for only four runs, including two on successive balls, while Muralitharan bagged three and Angelo Mathews grabbed two wickets Earlier, openers Dilshan and Upul Tharanga hit centuries during a record World Cup opening stand to lift Sri Lanka to 327-6 against hapless Zimbabwe.This was a rare incident of both openers of a team scoring hundreds in a World Cup match.Dilshan scored 144 for his ninth one-day hundred, while left-hander Tharanga notched a career-best 133 for his tenth, making Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura pay for his decision to field after winning the toss on a docile pitch.They put on 282, just failing to beat the record opening stand of 286 in all 50-over cricket. Tharanga also featured in that partnership with Sanath Jayasuriya against England at Leeds in 2006.This was also the fourth highest partnership for any wicket in ODI history.It all ended when Tharanga was caught at cover by Chigumbura in Christopher Mpofu's 45th over, after a brilliant 141-ball knock, spiced by 17 hits to the fence.Dilshan fell in the next over, caught off spinner Prosper Utseya off a miscued drive. The 34-year-old opener smashed one six and 16 boundaries during his attractive 131-ball knock.Mpofu finished with 4-64 as Sri Lanka lost four more wickets for just 45 runs late in the innings.

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Dilshan, Tharanga butcher Zimbabwean bowlers

Updated at: 1757 PST,  Thursday, March 10, 2011

PALLEKELE: Sri Lankan batsmen ruthlessly punished Zimbabwean bowlers to amass a huge score of 327 runs for the loss of six wickets in a World Cup Group A match here at the Pallekele International Stadium on Thursday.Sent into bat by Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura, Sri Lankan openers Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan set a new record for a first wicket partnership at the World Cup surpassing the previous best of 194 made by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar and Wajahatullah Wasti against New Zealand at Manchester in the World Cup 1999.The duo set the new record in 33rd over, then crossed 200 runs in 202 balls and later 250 off 249 but Tharanga fell just five runs short of the world record for the highest opening partnership of 286, set by himself with Sanath Jayasuriya against England at Leeds in 2006.However, this is the fourth-highest stand for any wicket in a one-day international.This is also a rare incident that both openers made centuries in a World Cup innings. Tharanga was eventually out for 133, his career-best, from 141 balls with 17 fours. He was caught by Elton Chigumbura off Chris Mpofu in the 45th over.Dilshan followed shortly afterwards, caught by Chigumbura off Prosper Utseya. He hit 144 off 131 balls with 16 fours and a six Later, Sri Lanka lost four more wickets in an effort to make quick runs and finished on 327-6 in the allotted 50 overs.A victory for the co-hosts in this match will guarantee them a quarter-final place.

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Reverse swing can do the damage in baking Nagpur: Morkel

Updated at: 2122 PST,  Thursday, March 10, 2011
Nagpur, March 10 (IANS) The moment you land in Nagpur you feel the heat, literally. Out in the middle, too, it is expected to be as feisty with two World Cup favourites India and South Africa locking horns Saturday.It is the second week of March and the temperatures in the city are hovering around 37-38 degrees celsius. The afternoon sun is beating down hard on the 22-yard strip and the square. The soaring temperature can be felt with every passing hour of the day. South Africa have been sweating it out in the midday heat for the last two days. They flew down straight from Chennai after their defeat by England on a rank turner.England not only troubled South Africa with spin, but also with their medium-pacers' reverse swing, a dimension of the game typical to the sub-continent weather. James Anderson and Stuart Broad got the ball to reverse swing in Chennai.Here too the ball can wobble the other way after losing its shine.'The wickets we have played on so far have turned. It's basically a reverse role now and we try to support spinners as much as we can,' said South Africa's pace bowler Morne Morkel.'Reverse swing will be the key and quicker we get that going, the better it is for us,' he said.The wicket though is a belter and has lots of runs. The Netherlands gave England a scare in the high-scoring first match here.'It is going to be as good an ODI strip as we have seen in the earlier matches,' says curator Praveen Hinganikar.A different aspect of the heat could be the fatigue. The visitors say they are used to playing in such conditions and the heat will not tire them out. 'Durban is similar to these conditions. I don't think any of our guys are scared to sweat,' said Morkel.

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Bangladesh desperate to revive World Cup fortunes

Updated at: 2122 PST,  Thursday, March 10, 2011

This World Cup began in Bangladesh. No, not because it hosted the inauguration ceremony, but because when India seemed unexcited and cool about the World Cup, the anticipation began in earnestness here. The whole week leading to the event was one incredible party on the streets of Dhaka. That excitement, however, hasn't carried onto the field for their side. They are now a side looking for some excitement, for some action.England, on the other hand, have kept the World Cup alive, or at least the league stages of it. They have brought the excitement into what promised to be a boring month of travel all over the subcontinent, with not much to determine. They have been the biggest endorsement for the Associates, who are on the hit list of the ICC and the sponsors. They, however, are looking for a little less thrill and a lot more passive action."It's been great to be involved in some thrilling games," their captain, Andrew Strauss, said on the eve of their game against Bangladesh. "Personally I would have liked them to be a bit easier. I'd probably have a bit more hair on my head at this stage of the tournament. But we have shown a lot of character in a couple of those games certainly, and we want these last two games to be less close, to be honest."They haven't quite been that fortunate on that count in the lead-up to the game: in four days, they have lost Kevin Pietersen and Stuart Broad to injuries. Surely they won't mind even scraping through to the next round, no matter how comprehensively or scratchily they do it. After that it is just a matter of having three good nights."We have been inconsistent in the tournament so far," Strauss said. "We have had two very good games against India and South Africa, two less good ones, against Ireland and Netherlands. We really want to firstly make sure we qualify for the quarter-finals, which means we have to win this game. And secondly, we need to get some consistency into our game. We have got this game, and one against the West Indies in order to do that. It's important that we do do that, and play good solid cricket with both bat and ball."The loss of Pietersen and Broad is huge, but like any modern side knows, it is the reality of playing modern cricket with modern schedules. "It's not ideal by any means," Strauss said. "We have had to deal with this over the winter. We are very fortunate we have got two ready-made replacements there. In Eoin Morgan, whose finger has recovered just in time, thankfully. And Chris Tremlett, who bowls very similarly to Stuart Broad, and who has been with us, and is used to the conditions. It could have been worse, I suppose, in some ways. Those guys need to come in and hit the ground running, that's important."Bangladesh have had issues of the other kind to deal with. It has been a mix of their playing worse than they can, and also the crowds expecting too much. For, when you look at it, they have lost to India and West Indies which, provided both sides are at full strength, they are expected to more often than not. They always knew they would need two upsets, or if they are lucky, just one, to make it to the next round. They still have an opportunity to do that. The end of the world has not yet arrived, but it's the way they crumbled against West Indies last week that made their fans lose it.Shakib Al Hasan has had to bear the brunt of the people and the former players, but he says he is happy to have deflected all the negative attention onto just himself. "It's difficult to describe," Shakib said of the crowd reaction. "Some days when you play well, they will cheer for you. When you don't play well, they will abuse you. We are not thinking about our crowd. We have to just do our stuff. We know what we can do, and we have to do those things."However, Shakib didn't seek to hide the pressure the side is under, going into what should be a now-or-never game given their poor net run-rate. "Boys will be a bit tense, but we know if we play our best cricket, we can beat any side. They are confident enough to do the right things. We have the belief in ourselves that if we play our best game we can beat any side in the world, in our home conditions, especially."

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SL openers set new WC partnership record

Updated at: 1635 PST,  Thursday, March 10, 2011

PALLEKELE: Sri Lanka's Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan set a new record for a first wicket partnership at the World Cup here at the Pallekele International Stadium on Thursday.The duo sailed past the previous best of 194 made by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar and Wajahatullah Wasti against New Zealand in Manchester in the World Cup 1999.Sri Lanka were put into bat by Zimbabwe in a game where victory for the co-hosts will guarantee a quarter-final place.

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ICC approves Tremlett as Broad’s replacement

Updated at: 1529 PST,  Thursday, March 10, 2011

CHITTAGONG: The International Cricket Council on Thursday approved England's giant fast bowler Chris Tremlett as a World Cup replacement for Stuart Broad.Broad was ruled out for the rest of the tournament after suffering a side strain during the six-run win over South Africa in Chennai last Sunday.Tremlett, 29, who was already travelling with the squad as a reserve bowler, will be available for England next's group B match against Bangladesh in Chittagong on Friday.The 6 ft, 7 inch (2.01m) fast bowler has claimed 15 wickets in 13 one-dayers at an average of 41.33."The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 has approved Chris Tremlett as a replacement player," the ICC said in a statement."The confirmation was conveyed to the England and Wales Cricket Board on behalf of the committee. Tremlett will replace Broad who is suffering from a side strain."Tremlett is the second replacement England have needed in the past two days, having summoned Eoin Morgan in place of the injured Kevin Pietersen on Monday.The fluent left-hander, who joined the squad on Tuesday, is expected to take the field against Bangladesh.England have five points from four matches, two points behind group leaders India and one ahead of the West Indies and South Africa.A win over Bangladesh would virtually assure England a place in the quarter-finals.

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Zimbabwe win toss, put Sri Lanka into bat

Updated at: 1339 PST,  Thursday, March 10, 2011

PALLEKELE: Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura has won the toss and decided to field first against Sri Lanka in their World Cup Group A match here at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.Co-hosts Sri Lanka can seal their place in the knockout stages with a win while Zimbabwe are seeking their second win in four matches.Zimbabwe recalled paceman Christopher Mpofu and dropped opening batsman Charles Coventry from the team which lost to New Zealand by 10 wickets last week. Sri Lanka made two changes from the side which featured in the abandoned match against Australia on Saturday. Spinners Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis made way for pacemen Nuwan Kulasekara and Thisara Perera.Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah MuralitharanZimbabwe: Elton Chigumbura (captain), Regis Chakabva, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Greg Lamb, Christopher Mpofu, Tinashe Panyangara, Raymond Price, Tatenda Taibu, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya.Umpires: Marais Erasmus (SA) and Nigel Llong (ENG), TV umpire: Tony Hill (NZ)Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

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Sri Lanka eye big win to seal quarterfinal berth

Updated at: 1051 PST,  Thursday, March 10, 2011

MUMBAI: Co-hosts Sri Lanka can seal their place in the knockout stages of the World Cup with a win over Zimbabwe in their penultimate match at the Pallekele stadium on Thursday.The loss against Pakistan and the washed-out game against Australia has put Sri Lanka, considered by many as one of the favourites to win the showpiece event, in a tricky situation.The co-hosts, currently on five points from four matches, will aim to make short work of the African nation as an upset would put them under tremendous pressure in their last match against in-form New Zealand in Mumbai on March 18.The island nation may opt for right-arm paceman Dilhara Fernando in Thursday's match, replacing either Rangana Herath or Ajantha Mendis in the process.Zimbabwe's biggest challenge will be to bat the first 15 overs without giving away too many wickets against an attack spearheaded by paceman Lasith Malinga.The Elton Chigumbura-led side have defeated fellow associates Canada but lost to New Zealand and Australia. (Reuters)

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Pietersen's departure is a relief for England

Updated at: 2048 PST,  Wednesday, March 09, 2011

a while back then, there was a chance that Kevin Pietersen would become a great cricketer. The time has gone. As he prepared to leave England's World Cup campaign yesterday, 48 hours after it was announced that he would struggle through the tournament, the overwhelming feeling was of relief.His team-mates did not exactly club together for the plane fare home but nor did they accompany him to the airport singing We'll Meet Again. The decision was made to replace Pietersen after he informed the team management that increasing pain caused by a hernia made it impossible for him to continue.Although the medical advisers were firm in their view that the condition could be managed during the World Cup, they could hardly ignore the player's own assessment. Eoin Morgan, the team's most proficient one-day batsman (a mantle once worn by Pietersen), will rejoin the team in Chittagong today.Morgan was omitted from the original squad after breaking a finger during the one-day series in Australia in January. Initially, it was expected he would require surgery but Morgan has recovered much quicker than expected and has recently been batting in the nets at Middlesex.There was a feeling as the team travelled to Bangladesh yesterday that Pietersen might have given the injury a few days to settle down given what is at stake. England have only two matches in the next 10 days.The player exchange was probably welcomed in the dressing room. Pietersen is simply not the player he was in the one-day game and has gone 27 innings without a hundred. Morgan was one of the most complete finishers of a one-day innings and England have missed him here.

Despite his lack of recent cricket he will almost certainly be drafted into the team for the match against Bangladesh on Friday. Victory will confirm England's quarter-final place after their gripping six-run triumph against South Africa in Chennai on Sunday.Pietersen's career has dealt him some poor hands since he was deposed from the captaincy in January 2009. He missed most of that year's Ashes with a severe Achilles tendon injury which took its time to heal after complications set in. At no time since has he been quite the swashbuckler of his early days and last summer he was dropped from the one-day squad for the series against Pakistan.It was typical of him that he should court controversy by revealing his displeasure to the world via Twitter. The feeling is that he does not set out to cause offence or disturb the carefully constructed equilibrium but simply does not think what the possible repercussions might be.Pietersen is never less than courteous. He was propelled into the stratosphere after his imperishable, blazing century against Australia at The Oval in 2005 when the Ashes were won after an 18-year gap. It was a place he liked being.The loss of the captaincy undoubtedly hurt him deeply and it was to his credit that he returned to the ranks and continued to wear his England heart on his South African sleeve. A glittering double century in the second Test at Adelaide on England's recent Ashes tour did not have much else to accompany it.

He has remained England's highest profile cricketer but has never been able to shed the perception that he is also high-maintenance. This is easier to accommodate for all concerned when you are scoring most of the side's runs and in a fashion that empties bars but when you have come back to the pack it is more difficult to tolerate. Alone among most of the squad, he has no close pals in it.Pietersen's departure will only enhance the theory that he will soon retire from one-day cricket to concentrate on Test cricket and Twenty20 to ensure he can take part in the lucrative Indian Premier League. It is not a combination that will sit well in the committee rooms of the ECB where there are already rumblings that his central contract should not be renewed later this year.Andy Flower, the team coach, fell some way short yesterday of giving Pietersen a ringing endorsement but he said of Pietersen's place in England's future one-day plans: "It might fuel the speculation, but Kevin's told me he wants to carry on playing one-day international cricket and I'll take him at his word."

The pity is that Pietersen looked determined to play his part as he had in the World Twenty20 last year when he was player of the tournament. Briefly, the sunny days were back. England revealed Pietersen's hernia injury only on Saturday night, stipulating that it could be managed until surgery after the World Cup.The injury was diagnosed after he returned from Australia. Having kept it within house for so long, it seemed odd that they should put it in the public domain. Pietersen was relatively upbeat although the recuperation period would mean his missing the IPL for which the Deccan Chargers were paying him $650,000(£418,000)."Representing England in a World Cup is something I've looked forward to for the last four years and I'm excited by the prospect of helping the team achieve something special here against the best teams in the world," he said on Saturday night. "I'm very disappointed to have picked up this hernia injury but I've been able to manage it so far throughout the World Cup and will continue to do so under the guidance of the England team's medical staff."After the tense six-run win against South Africa on Sunday in Chennai when he was out for two but bowled eight crucial overs of serviceable off-spin, Pietersen told management he felt it was unmanageable after all. Flower said: "The medical advice was that it wouldn't get significantly worse and he was at no risk of damaging himself further, therefore it was a pain-management situation. Kevin says it has got worse, pain-wise, and he can't carry on playing like this. So it was a pretty simple decision to replace him.

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'Heartbroken' Broad sent home as his injury jinx strikes once again

Updated at: 2048 PST,  Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Stuart Broad's relationship with the cricketing gods must be under severe strain. For the second time this winter he is leaving the England side in the middle of an important series because of injury.Following his breakdown with an abdominal tear during the Ashes, Broad has now sustained a side strain which has forced his withdrawal from the World Cup squad. He is likely to be replaced by Chris Tremlett who is already with the team as travelling reserve.Considering that the Ashes is England's most important Test series and the World Cup their most significant one-day competition, Broad could have been forgiven yesterday for showing signs of that old condition suffered by Englishmen in the subcontinent, doolally tap.Instead, he was calm and phlegmatic, if fearing bad news after an MRI scan at the local hospital. After copies were sent to England it was decided that Broad's tournament was over.The side strain is a fast bowler's perennial nightmare, an occupational hazard which can strike at any time simply because of the nature of the job. Broad, 24, had never suffered one before."I think it is just an unfortunate coincidence," he said. "The first injury was a complete freak. The specialist said he had seen one in his career so that was very unlucky, whereas this is just a traditional bowler's side strain."Broad departed the Ashes series after the second Test in Adelaide. He sustained the stomach injury early in Australia's second innings and was immediately ruled out of cricket until the World Cup. His value to England was no better demonstrated than on Sunday when he took four for 15 against South Africa, including the final two wickets in four balls to ensure a six-run victory.During the match he felt some discomfort but said that adrenalin helped him to bowl through the pain. Afterwards the pain grew worse."I'm heartbroken to go home again from a big tournament," he said. "But I'm only 24, I have got to get my long-term health right. I don't want to risk completely ripping the side if there's a little tear there. There is a lot of cricket coming up in the next year. I want to get back in the Test team and enjoy a summer of Test cricket – it's going to be a fantastic summer again. There is that balance between wanting to play in the World Cup and pushing it but not risking my long-term health."It is possible that the injury was caused in part by Broad's stomach virus last week which forced him to miss England's dramatic tied match against India. Confined to bed for three days, he was severely debilitated despite the high fitness level of modern cricketers."I wasn't particularly well the week before so my body might have been a little bit weaker," he said. "I have lost five kilos, I might not have the same balance in my body and those sort of things can cause these sort of injuries which again can be quite frustrating."England's consolation is that they have strength in depth. Ajmal Shahzad is the spare fast bowler already in the squad and he showed his mettle as a late replacement against India, with a canny variety of slow balls and a control of reverse swing.The Ashes hero Tremlett, who came into the Test side after Broad was struck down in Adelaide, is already with the squad. Planning ahead, England brought him to the World Cup as travelling reserve. It means that he should be already acclimatised and has also been fully restored to the playing group.Win the match on Friday and England will definitely qualify for the quarter-finals. They arrived in Chittagong to find Bangladesh still being heavily disparaged by their fans after the heavy loss to West Indies.

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Sangakkara tells Sri Lanka youth: Be open, be honest, be informed

Updated at: 2048 PST,  Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Sri Lanka cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara took time off the pitch to speak to hundreds of youths about the importance of knowing the facts about HIV and AIDS. The event was part of the ICC, UNAIDS and UNICEF's 'Think Wise' campaign for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
"You need to educate yourself and become more aware of the world around you and HIV and be unafraid and unashamed to speak openly about these subjects with your friends, family and your teachers in school," said Mr Sangakkara, during the event which was held at his old school, Trinity College, in Kandy.As part of the Think Wise initiative a youth drama group staged a play to demonstrate the impact of stigma and discrimination for those living with HIV. The drama reinforced the need for more education and life skills especially among adolescents as a means of preventing the spread of HIV.Kumar, along with other leading international cricketers including Graeme Smith and Virender Sehwag, is a spokesperson for ICC's Think Wise partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF promoting HIV prevention. He was joined by team mates Ajantha Mendis and Upul Tharanga who also showed their support for HIV prevention in the country.Since 2003, UNAIDS has been working with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to address the issue of HIV and AIDS in cricket-playing countries. In 2006 UNICEF, joined this prominent partnership and the programme for 2010-2011 has come together under the 'Think Wise' banner to focus on raising HIV awareness and reducing stigma and discrimination.The Sri Lanka 'Think Wise' campaign partnership includes the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka Cricket, UNAIDS, UNICEF, Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka and the Interact Clubs. The campaign encourages young people to be informed, take appropriate action to prevent HIV infection and stand together against the stigma and discrimination often facing people living with HIV.More than 7,000 people worldwide are newly infected by HIV each day and one out of every three of these is a young person aged between 15 and 24 years.

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India win amid tough Dutch fightback

Updated at: 2048 PST,  Wednesday, March 09, 2011
NEW DELHI: India recorded a five-wicket victory after Dutch bowlers provided tough fight in their World Cup Group B match here at the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground on Wednesday.India, already leading the points table in their group, have added two more points to go to seven from four matches whereas the Netherlands did not win any of the four matches they have played so far. Chasing an easy target of 190 runs, India lost their four top-order batsmen for 99 as Virender Sehwag (39), Sachin Tendulkar (27), Yousuf Pathan (11) and Virat Kohli (12) went back to pavilion.Then, Gautam Gambhir (28) and Yuvraj Singh added 40 runs before the former departed and India were 139 for five on the board.However, Yuvraj joined by captain Mahindra Singh Dhoni and both succeeded in reaching the winning target in 36.3 overs.Yuvraj’s winning boundary took him to 51, his 48th ODI fifty, while Dhoni was also not out on 19.Left-arm spinner Pieter Seelaar was the most successful bowler for the Netherlands, taking three for 53.Earlier, the Netherlands were all out for 189 runs in 46.4 overs after captain Peter Borren won the toss and elected to bat.Their openers Eric Szwarczynski (28) and Wesley Barresi (26) provided a good start of 56 runs but after they departed, wickets fell at regular intervals.Peter Borren however played a captain’s innings and top scored with 38 runs off 36 balls with three fours and two sixes.Other main scorers were Tom Cooper (29) and Mudassar Bukhari (21).For India, spinners Piyush Chawla and Yuvraj Singh shared four wickets while fast bowler Zaheer Khan grabbed 3-20.Yuvraj completed his 100 ODI wickets when he had Barresi trapped leg before.

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PCB awards contracts to 19 players

Updated at: 2004 PST,  Wednesday, March 09, 2011

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday awarded central contracts to 19 players but ignored under-scrutiny former captain Shoaib Malik, leg-spinner Danish Kaneria and batsman Mohammad Yousuf.Malik, who also missed out on a contract last time round, and Kaneria were not named after both were investigated as part of a corruption probe last year.Veteran batsman Mohammad Yousuf, dropped from World Cup squad because of poor form, also failed to win a contract.The PCB said players were placed in three categories considering their seniority."The central contracts have been given to 19 players for a period of six months from 1st January to 30th June, 2011, and will be reviewed again for the next six months," PCB said in a statement.Former captain Younis Khan regained his A category contract after failing to make last year's list following a ban after a tour of Australia which was marred by players' indiscipline and defeats in all matches.His ban was lifted last year on appeal.Besides Younis, one-day captain Shahid Afridi, Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul and Shoaib Akhtar were also named in the top bracket and will receive a monthly salary of 250,000 rupees ($3,000).Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal and Wahab Riaz were named in B category for which the players are paid 175,000 rupees ($2,000).Taufiq Umar, Asad Shafiq, Ahmed Shahzad, Azhar Ali, Adnan Akmal, Tanvir Ahmed and Junaid Khan were placed in C category earning them a 100,000 rupees ($1,175) wage.The PCB last month said Malik and Kaneria will only be given central contracts after clearance from the integrity committee set-up following spot-fixing charges against Pakistan players during the England tour last year.Former Test captain Salman Butt and pacemen Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif are serving lengthy bans on corruption charges relating to the tour. The PCB suspended their contracts in October last year.The banned trio also face criminal prosecution in Britain. They are due to appear in a London court on March 17.

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India bowl out Netherlands for189

Updated at: 1728 PST,  Wednesday, March 09, 2011

NEW DELHI: The Netherlands were all out for 189 runs in 46.4 overs against India in their World Cup Group B match here at the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground on Wednesday.After captain Peter Borren won the toss and elected to bat, the Netherlands openers Eric Szwarczynski (28) and Wesley Barres (26) provided a good start of 56 runs but after they departed wickets were falling at regular intervals.Peter Borren however played a captain’s innings and top scored with 38 runs off 36 balls with three fours and two sixes.Other main scorers were Tom Cooper (29) and Mudassar Bukhari (21).For India, fast-medium bowler Zaheer Khan claiked three while Yuvraj Singh and Piyush Chawla took two wickets each.

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Kamran may be rested in next match: Intikhab Alam

Updated at: 1653 PST,  Wednesday, March 09, 2011

KANDY: Pakistan cricket team manager Intikhab Alam said that wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal may be rested for Pakistan’s next match.Talking with Geo News here, Intikhab Alam said that the management had reviewed the Pakistan defeat against New Zealand. He said that one more meeting would be held, in this regard and the defeat may be further reviewed.Expressing his guess, the manager said that Kamran may be rested and the wicketkeeping job may be given to his brother Umar Akmal in the next match.Sources said that Kamran Akmal and Ahmed Shahzad may be replced by Asad Shafiq and Wahab Riaz in the match against Zimbabwe. 

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Netherlands win toss, bat against India

Updated at: 1336 PST,  Wednesday, March 09, 2011

NEW DELHI: The Netherlands captain Peter Borren has won the toss and elected to bat against India in their World Cup Group B match here at the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground on Wednesday.Teams:India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.Netherlands: Peter Borren (captain), Wesley Barresi, Mudassar Bukhari, Tom Cooper, Tom de Grooth, Alexei Kervezee, Bradley Kruger, Pieter Seelaar, Eric Szwarczynski, Ryan ten Doeschate, Bas Zuiderent.Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) and Bruce Oxenford (AUS), TV umpire: Billy Doctrove (WI)Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SL) 

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Afridi tells Pakistan to learn New Zealand lessons

Updated at: 1238 PST,  Wednesday, March 09, 2011

PALLEKELE: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi on Wednesday urged his team to learn the lessons of the 110-run defeat against New Zealand.The Black Caps rode on a brilliant unbeaten 131 by Ross Taylor to post a challenging 302-7 before Tim Southee removed the top order with a burst of three early wickets to bowl Pakistan out for 192."There were quite a few lessons to be learned from the defeat, especially those chances we gave to Taylor and when you give such chances to a player like him he makes you pay," said Afridi.Wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal let Taylor off twice in the same Shoaib Akhtar over - once when the batsman was on nought and then on eight - allowing two straightforward chances to slip past him.Afridi said his bowlers were poor in the death overs when New Zealand plundered 139 runs off the last 10 overs."I think the way we started with the ball was good, but then the missed chances maybe demoralised the bowlers and they were very poor in the end," said Afridi.Afridi hoped his top order batsmen will show improvement in the next game, against Zimbabwe on Monday."Our top order did not work well although we have given them the time to settle down and this was the first time we were chasing. We need to learn how to bat while chasing," said Afridi."Taylor took the game away from us although the bowlers had reverse swing. But the way he played was brilliant and he took the game away from us," said the Pakistan captain.Pakistan now have six points from four matches, second in Group A behind New Zealand who also have six points but a better net run-rate.Co-hosts Sri Lanka (five points from four) and Australia (five from three) are third and fourth respectively. (AFP)

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Dhoni wants easy ride against Dutch

Updated at: 1223 PST,  Wednesday, March 09, 2011

NEW DELHI: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni wants to have an easy game against the Netherlands on Wednesday after surviving some anxious moments at the World Cup.The Indians cantered to an 87-run victory against Bangladesh followed by a high-scoring tie with England and a tense five-wicket victory over upstarts Ireland."It has been a good start for us so far," Dhoni told reporters Tuesday ahead of the clash against the Dutch at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium."We saw a tight game, a close game and a good one. We are now looking forward to an easy game against the Netherlands."We want to make the most of this game and especially in the departments where we want to see an improvement. We should not really be thinking about the result but the process, what are the things we want to get out of it."Dhoni accepted that the bowling had not been up to the mark but backed his under-fire attack to come good as the tournament progressed."We would like to improve a bit in our bowling especially when a batsman sets in, how to put pressure on that particular batsman and push him into playing a big shot and get him out."I don't mind who is taking the wickets as long as the team is winning. To target a particular bowler is difficult. Bowlers are also under pressure as there has been a lot of talk about it."But they are showing signs of improvement and I am hopeful they will peak at the right time."Dhoni said all-rounder Yuvraj Singh's form with the ball was a bonus for the side as that afforded the luxury to play an extra batsman."I am a big fan of Yuvraj. He bats at number four or five. He can play aggressively or be defensive if the situations so demands."He is a big asset to the team. He also has to fill in the job of the fifth bowler which he has done brilliantly till now."The burly left-hander excelled as a part-time spinner, taking 5-31 against Ireland before making an unbeaten 50 under pressure to become the first player to achieve the double feat in the World Cup.Dhoni replied cheekily when asked about the controversial umpire decision review system."Many times we have just taken the DRS for the heck of it before the 50 overs run out to see what happens. We don't mind using them instead of taking it back unused to the dressing room." (AFP)

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Broken bat inspires Taylor assault

Updated at: 1924 PST,  Tuesday, March 08, 2011

PALLEKELE: Birthday boy Ross Taylor destroyed the Pakistan attack in a devastating display of power hitting on Tuesday - and revealed he had done it all with a broken bat.Taylor, celebrating his 27th birthday, hit 131 in 124 balls with a whopping seven sixes to take his side to a total of 302-7 in their 50 overs at the Pallekele stadium.He was helped out by Nathan McCullum, who smashed 19 in just 10 balls, and Jacob Oram, who hit 25 in nine balls, including three sixes, off a shell-shocked Pakistan attack.Before he had even opened his account, Taylor received a huge let-off when an edge flew between wicket-keeper and first slip, and the same over 'keeper Kamran Akmal put down a straightforward chance behind the stumps when he was on eight."I had a bit of luck early on which I put down to my birthday but towards the end there I hit a few boundaries which was pretty sweet," said Taylor.He said it had been tough going early on."They're very good exponents of reverse swing. I played and missed a lot but hopefully we can learn from the way they bowled and keep them to a minimum."Towards the end of his innings Taylor signalled for a new bat and he revealed the one he had been using had suffered damage before the match."I cracked it in the nets a couple of days ago. It seemed to go OK today but hopefully the new one can be just as good," he said.Taylor said New Zealand's approach had been to establish themselves before launching a blitz at the end of their innings."One of our strengths is the power we have down the bottom and it showed today with the way Nathan McCullum batted and Jake (Oram). We had a bit of impetus to go into it so it was really good.""I think it's probably a par total from where we were but hopefully we can get some early wickets and you never know," he added.

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Taylor steers Kiwis to 302-7 against Pakistan

Updated at: 1755 PST,  Tuesday, March 08, 2011

PALLEKELE: Ross Taylor smashed a brilliant career-best hundred to lift New Zealand to an emphatic 302-7 in their key World Cup Group A match against Pakistan at the new Pallekele stadium on Tuesday. After captain Daniel Vettori won the toss and decided to bat first, New Zealand set Pakistan a difficult target of 303 runs.Taylor was given two 27th birthday gifts, dropped on zero and eight off Shoaib Akhtar, before unleashing some of the most incredible slugging ever inflicted on an attack in a one-day international cricket match never mind the World Cup He thumped seven towering sixes and eight boundaries in his unbeaten knock of 131 scored off 124 balls for his fourth one-day hundred Taylor made the most of his good fortune and ran riot in the 47th over of the innings, hitting paceman Akhtar for two boundaries and three sixes -- 28 runs in all -- to reach his first World Cup hundred off 117 deliveries.He then hit two boundaries and three sixes to take 30 off Abdul Razzaq's 49th over, helping New Zealand add 100 in the last five overs.Taylor added a blistering 85 for the seventh wicket with Jacob Oram (25 off just nine balls, with three sixes and a boundary) off just 22 balls to punish a hapless Pakistan bowling attack.Taylor's previous best of 128 not out came against Sri Lanka at Napier in 2006. In all, New Zealand blasted 92 runs off the last four overs. Taylor added 57 for the third wicket with Martin Guptill (57) and 62 for the fifth wicket with Scott Styris (28).Shoaib had provided Pakistan's breakthrough as early as the fourth ball when he bowled Brendon McCullum for six.Pakistan had opened the bowling with left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, the first time they had used such a tactic since April 1998 when Mohammad Hussain opened against South Africa in a one-dayer at Centurion.It was paceman Umar Gul (3-32) who dismissed Jamie How (four) to make it 55-2, leaving the repair work to Taylor and Guptill.Both team made two changes each from their last game. New Zealand left out the unwell Jesse Ryder and paceman Hamish Bennett and brought in How and Oram.Pakistan brought back Shoaib Akhtar and Abdur Rehman from their line-up against Canada.

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New Zealand win toss, bat against Pakistan

Updated at: 1340 PST,  Tuesday, March 08, 2011

PALLEKELE: New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has won the toss and decided to bat first against Pakistan in their crucial match in the World Cup Group A match here at the Pallekele International Stadium on Tuesday.Pakistan have made two changes in the team bringing back fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, replacing Wahab Riaz and Saeed Ajmal.New Zealand brought in Jamie How and Jacob Oram in place of unwell Jesse Ryder and Hamish Bennett in two changes from the side which beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets in their last match. The Pakistanis have won all their three World Cup games and will be looking to further consolidate their pole position in Pool A by taming the Black Caps, whom they beat 3-2 in a six-match One-day International series in New Zealand last month.New Zealand are taking the field after what was a highly clinical 10-wicket triumph over Zimbabwe that followed a seven-wicket defeat against defending champions Australia.The newly-built Pallekele stadium becomes the 178th one-day international venue. Its pitch has been under focus and could play a major role in the outcome of today’s match. It seems to be hard and is likely to provide the bowlers with more bounce than many of the other World Cup wickets.Teams:Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain), Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Ahmed ShahzadNew Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain), Brendon McCullum (wk), Martin Guptill, Jamie How, Ross Taylor, James Franklin, Scott Styris, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Jacob Oram.

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In-form Green Brigade to meet NZ

Updated at: 0820 PST,  Tuesday, March 08, 2011

PALLEKELE: In-form Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul-Haq said his team was ready for the double challenge of facing New Zealand as well as a mystery World Cup pitch on Tuesday.The Group A rivals meet at the newly-built Pallekele stadium in the first-ever one-day match at the venue, a factor which vice-captain Misbah believes will give both teams plenty to think about."Of course, it adds to the challenge because we don't know how the pitch will behave but that's the same for both teams, and as far as we are concerned we are up to the challenge," Misbah said Monday.The 36-year-old has anchored the Pakistan team in the World Cup with two half-centuries against Kenya and Sri Lanka and a hard-fought 37 in the last match against Canada.Pakistan sit top of Group A with six points after three matches, followed by co-hosts Sri Lanka (five points in four) and defending champions Australia (five after three), with New Zealand fourth with four in three matches.Misbah said Pakistan's recent one-day series win over New Zealand will count for nothing."We have done well against them in World Cups and in the recent series there but that win will count for nothing as it's a new game at a new place," said Misbah, of Pakistan's 3-2 win in New Zealand last month.Pakistan will bring in paceman Shoaib Akhtar after resting him in the last match against Canada, while left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman will also be available after missing the last match due to a leg muscle injury.Led by skipper Shahid Afridi's leg-spin, which has garnered a tournament-leading 14 wickets, Pakistan possess variety in their bowling with off-spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez, coupled with a strong new-ball attack of Akhtar, Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz."I think we know how good their bowling can be," said New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori."They can probably defend any score because of the nature of their bowlers. They bring a lot to the table."Pakistan successfully defended a below-par 185-run target against Canada and 278 against co-hosts Sri Lanka in the two of their three matches.New Zealand, who lost to Australia by seven wickets but eased past Kenya and Zimbawe by 10 wickets in each game, have four points after three matches."We know to win these big games it needs complete team performances and that's what we have done. "It's a matter of stepping up against the harder teams," said Vettori, whose country has lost six World Cup matches against Pakistan since winning their first in 1983.Unlike the bowling head-to-head, New Zealand hold the upper hand in batting, with openers Martin Guptill (86) and Brendon McCullum (76) chasing a 186-run target against Zimbabwe without being separated."I'm not sure you could ask for too much more, we wanted complete performances out of ourselves and that we gave in the last match," said Vettori, whose team have made the semi-finals in the last three World Cups.The hill town of Kandy has suffered from persistent rains and the only international match here, a Test between Sri Lanka and the West Indies in December, was drawn without a single innings completed in five days.The warm-up matches before the World Cup were also moved because of bad weather.

Teams
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran
Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Ahmed Shahzad.
Coach: Waqar Younis
New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (capt), Hamish Bennett, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Jamie How, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Luke Woodcock.Coach: John Wright

Umpires: Daryl Harper (AUS) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Ian Gould (ENG)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)
Match start: 02:00 PM

Pitch conditions: Heavy rains last month have hit the preparations of the pitch, and if the sun comes out in the next two days, the square will have good grass and help the seamers, provided the grass is not removed. The pitch has bounce and if it doesn't rain will help batsmen.Pakistan v New Zealand head to head Head-to-head record for the World Cup Group A match between Pakistan and New Zealand at the Pallekele stadium on Tuesday:

Matches: 88
Pakistan: 51
New Zealand: 34
No result/Tied: 3
First meeting: Feb 11, 1973, Christchurch - New Zealand won by 22 runs
Last meeting: Feb 5, 2011, Auckland - New Zealand won by 57 runs
(AFP)

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Vettori urges team not to fear Pakistan

Updated at: 0930 PST,  Tuesday, March 08, 2011

PALLEKELE: New Zealand Skipper Daniel Vettori said Monday that they would focus on their own game and not worry about formidable Pakistan in their World Cup match on Tuesday.Pakistan, inspired by captain Shahid Afridi, who has taken a tournament-best 14 wickets with his leg-spin, have won all three matches and top Group A with six points.New Zealand, who beat Kenya and Zimbabwe by ten wickets apiece but lost to Australia by seven wickets, have four points from three matches."The game, like against most teams, is about yourself and trying to work out how you could actually get the best performance out of yourself because that's pretty much where we have let ourselves down in the past," said Vettori.The captain, whose side lost a home one-day series to Pakistan that ended only last month, said he was aiming for consistency."We have not been able to put that consistent team performance together, so that's what we are asking," said Vettori, whose team were whitewashed in one-day series against Bangladesh and India last year."If we can get right in ourselves then we have more of a chance than if we worry about Pakistan," said Vettori, whose country has lost six of seven World Cup matches against their opponents.The pitch at the Pallekele stadium is an unknown for both teams but Vettori expects a batsman-friendly surface."I think we are expecting it to be a little bit quicker than most grounds but still it will be a batter-friendly wicket," said Vettori, whose openers are in top form.Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum hit unbeaten half-centuries in New Zealand's win over Zimbabwe on Friday.Vettori said the teams knew each other well due to their recent clashes."We are fortunate that we played a lot against them lately so we are pretty familiar but they are pretty familiar with us so it's going to be a tough game but hopefully there is some confidence from the Zimbabwe game," said Vettori.And the New Zealand captain said he hoped key batsman Ross Taylor would fire."I think your best players are the ones who win the World Cup and Ross is obviously one of our very good players. He has high expectations from himself and he wants to perform," said Vettori."I expect him at one stage in this tournament to win a game for us and hopefully it's tomorrow." (AFP)

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Cricket WC: Hansra, Bagai take Canada to rare win

Updated at: 2139 PST,  Monday, March 07, 2011

NEW DELHI: Jimmy Hansra struck a fine half-century under pressure as Canada defeated Kenya by five wickets on Monday to register only their second victory ever in a World Cup. Hansra hit seven fours and two sixes in his knock of 70, his best in 11 one-day internationals, to help Canada overhaul Kenya's 198 with 27 balls to spare in the day-night clash at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium. The Indian-born Hansra, who came in to bat with the team reeling at 48-3, put on 132 for the fourth wicket with his captain Ashish Bagai to ensure the efforts of fast bowler Henry Osinde (4-26) did not go to waste.
Bagai remained unbeaten on 64 off 97 balls with seven fours. "I was disappointed in myself and my team over the last three or four games so it was good to get some runs under the belt. Jimmy played a fantastic knock with me and both of us did a great job to get us over the line," said Bagai. "We were fortunate to have no run-rate pressure really. It was four runs an over and we got a decent start and kept up with the run rate right the way through." Disappointed Kenyan skipper Jimmy Kamande said: "We started off very, very badly and I thought it was a good recovery." He added that at one stage he thought they could post 220 or 230, which would have been defendable.Canada's previous World Cup win came against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup at Durban. The result had little bearing on the quarter-final hopes of either teams, languishing at the bottom of the Group A table.Canada's chase began in a dramatic fashion with opener Rizwan Cheema being ruled leg before wicket off the second ball of the first over but the batsman asked for a review and the decision was overturned. Cheema though did not last long as he was bowled by Elijah Otieno after carting the paceman for a six and a four in the same over. Zubin Sarkari was run out by a direct throw from Kamande and opener Ruvindu Gunasekera was stumped off the bowling of off-spinner James Ngoche. Ngoche could have picked up a second wicket in the same over when Hansra hit straight to mid-on but Seren Waters dropped a sitter, a mistake that was to cost the Kenyans. Earlier, Osinde picked up three wickets in his opening spell to help reduce Kenya to 57-5 by the 15th over before a fight back by Tanmay Mishra and Thomas Odoyo. Mishra hit a composed 73-ball 51 for his fourth half-century in one-day internationals and Odoyo also chipped in with 51, containing five fours and a six. Osinde struck early for Canada, removing opener Morris Ouma off the second ball of the innings and his partner Waters in the fifth over. The paceman then sent back David Obuya to grab his third wicket before Harvir Baidwan brought an end to a promising knock by Collins Obuya (31). Veteran Steve Tikolo (12) was given out lbw. Kamande sought to rebuild the innings with Mishra, putting on 52 runs for the sixth wicket but portly leg-spinner Balaji Rao had him caught behind for 22. Mishra's dogged fightback came to an end when he holed out tamely to Surkari off part-timer John Davison in the 43rd over.(AFP)

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Kenya set 199-run target for Canada

Updated at: 1750 PST,  Monday, March 07, 2011

DELHI: Kenya have set a modest target of 199 runs for Canada in their World Cup Group A match here at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground on Monday.After captain Jimmy Kamande won the toss and elected to bat, Kenya were all out for 198 in exact 50 overs.Earlier, they found it difficult to make runs against accurate bowling by Canada and lost their five top order batsmen for only 57 runs.However, Tanmay Mishra and Jimmy Kamande came to their rescue and took the score to 109, adding 52 for the sixth wicket before Kamande (22) departed.Then, Mishra, joined by Thomas Odoyo, added further 57 runs for the seventh wicket partnership.Mishra scored 51, his fourth One-day International half-century, before being dismissed by John Davison.But Odoyo continued his fight till the end and was bowled by Harvir Baidwan on the last ball of the Kenya innings. He also made 51, his eighth ODI fifty, with five fours and a six.For Canada, seamer Henry Osinde was the most successful bowler takin four for 26 while Rizwan Cheema claimed two wickets.

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