Indian Premier League 2010

RCB v Cape Cobras, CL T20, Group C, Bangalore - Duminy's 99 outdoes Bangalore

2009-10-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

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Cape Cobras 184 for 5 (Duminy 99*) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 180 for 4 (Taylor 53*, Uthappa 51) by five wickets

At this venue in 2008, Brendon McCullum slammed the most famous Twenty20 century to knock the stuffing out of Royal Challengers Bangalore. On another starry South Indian night, against the hosts again, JP Duminy struck the most awesome 99 you will see in this format to take the Cape Cobras to a thrilling last-over victory.

And so a new chapter in the rapidly growing Twenty20 format has begun. After a gala opening ceremony reminiscent of the opening night of the first IPL, the two teams treated a capacity Chinnaswamy Stadium to a superb exhibition of Twenty20. Anil Kumble had no hesitation in batting first on a good batting track and 20 action-packed overs later the Cobras had their task cut out, after Robin Uthappa and Ross Taylor starred in a powerful batting display. But Duminy thumped five sixes and eight fours in as clinical and perfect a display of shotmaking as you could hope to see, and his partnership of 61 with Ryan Canning transformed the game after Bangalore had grabbed three early wickets in defence of 180.

Full report to follow…

20 overs Royal Challengers Bangalore 180 for 4 (Taylor 53*, Uthappa 51) v Cape Cobras

Robin Uthappa paved the way with a belligerent but plucky half-century, being dropped on 18 and miscuing more than a few between catchers, and an astonishing assault from Ross Taylor rounded off a powerful batting performance. Anil Kumble had no hesitation in batting first on a good batting track at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and 20 action-packed overs later the Cape Cobras had their task cut out. They seemed distinctly overawed by the moment and a packed house breathing down their necks, misfielding with alarming regularity and serving up a dozen too many full tosses.

Final report to follow...

Toss Royal Challengers Bangalore opted to bat v Cape Cobras

And so a new chapter in the rapidly growing Twenty20 format began. After a gala opening ceremony reminiscent of the opening night of the 2008 IPL at this very venue, Anil Kumble won the toss and opted to bat against Cape Cobras in the first match of the first Champions League Twenty20.

An estimated 50,000 strong Bangalore crowd gathered much before the event kicked off in anticipation of a cracking game. When Kumble won the toss, a deafening roar went about the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Bangalore went in without Dale Steyn. The Cobras fielded their strongest side.

In a short time frame, cricket as a sport has been noticed globally as a modern and very marketable product. At the heart of that has been the rapid rise of the Twenty20 format. Tonight a new chapter begins, and one that could dictate the future of club cricket.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Manish Pandey, 2 Jacques Kallis, 3 Roelof van der Merwe, 4 Rahul Dravid, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Robin Uthappa, 7 Virat Kohli, 8 Mark Boucher (wk) 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 R Vinay Kumar, 11 Anil Kumble (capt).

Cape Cobras: 1 Andrew Puttick (capt) 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 Henry Davids, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Justin Ontong, 6 Ryan Canning (wk), 7 Vernon Philander, 8 Rory Kleinveldt, 9 Claude Henderson, 10 Monde Zondeki, 11 Charl Langeveldt.

Champions League Twenty20 - Cape Cobras won by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)

2009-10-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

Bangalore 180/4 (20/20 ov)

Cape Cobras 184/5 (19.4/20 ov)

Cape Cobras won by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)

Champions League Twenty20 - 1st Match, Group C
Twenty20 match | 2009/10 season
Played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
8 October 2009 - day/night (20-over match)


Royal Challengers Bangalore innings (20 overs maximum)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
JH Kallis	c †Canning b Langeveldt	8	9	1	0	88.88
2.6 edged and taken! Langeveldt pitches fuller and wider and lures Kallis into a booming drive, looking to hit the ball over cover but instead edging to Canning 14/1
RV Uthappa	c Gibbs b Zondeki	51	39	7	2	130.76
10.5 oh well held, Gibbs! Uthappa opens the face and slices a full ball to point where Gibbs pouches an outstanding catch out of nowhere, it was flying but he just knelt down and plucked it 82/2
R Dravid	run out (Philander/†Canning)	28	24	2	1	116.66
12.6 Ontong to Kohli, a bit of hesitancy and Dravid has to go! Kohli comes out and chips the ball wide of midwicket, they run the first hard and Dravid wants two but gets sent back, then he has to dive full stretch but he's a fraction slow as Canning collects a throw from the deep and breaks the sticks 97/3
V Kohli	st †Canning b Henderson	17	14	2	0	121.42
15.2 comes out, then goes back as he sees a slower ball pitch shorter, he swings and misses, beaten by a long way as the ball stays low and spins away, Canning collects and breaks the sticks and Kohli just walks away 115/4
LRPL Taylor	not out	53	24	4	4	220.83

MK Pandey	not out	10	10	0	0	100.00

Extras	(lb 4, w 9)	13

Total	(4 wickets; 20 overs)	180	(9.00 runs per over)

Did not bat RE van der Merwe, MV Boucher†, P Kumar, R Vinay Kumar, A Kumble*

Fall of wickets1-14 (Kallis, 2.6 ov), 2-82 (Uthappa, 10.5 ov), 3-97 (Dravid, 12.6 ov), 4-115 (Kohli, 15.2 ov)


Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
CK Langeveldt	3	0	12	1	4.00	(1w)
2.6 to Kallis, edged and taken! Langeveldt pitches fuller and wider and lures Kallis into a booming drive, looking to hit the ball over cover but instead edging to Canning 14/1
RK Kleinveldt	4	0	45	0	11.25	(1w)

VD Philander	2	0	21	0	10.50	(1w)

M Zondeki	4	0	39	1	9.75	(1w)
10.5 to Uthappa, oh well held, Gibbs! Uthappa opens the face and slices a full ball to point where Gibbs pouches an outstanding catch out of nowhere, it was flying but he just knelt down and plucked it 82/2
CW Henderson	4	0	34	1	8.50
15.2 to Kohli, comes out, then goes back as he sees a slower ball pitch shorter, he swings and misses, beaten by a long way as the ball stays low and spins away, Canning collects and breaks the sticks and Kohli just walks away 115/4
JL Ontong	3	0	25	0	8.33	(1w)


Cape Cobras innings (target: 181 runs from 20 overs)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
AG Puttick*	c Kohli b Kumar	11	11	2	0	100.00
2.4 The openers are gone! The change of angle works, lands on a good length on the off stump and moves away just as Puttick attempts to tap it into the leg side, gets a leading edge straight into the palms of Kohli at point 14/2
HH Gibbs	c †Boucher b Kumar	0	1	0	0	0.00
0.6 Gibbs goes first ball! Beautifully bowled, tempting him with a fullish delivery outside off, Gibbs can't help poking at it, just a hint of away movement, enough to produce the nick and Boucher takes it comfortably 5/1
H Davids	c Kohli b Vinay Kumar	27	21	2	1	128.57
7.6 third time unlucky! Struck it well, not the best delivery from the bowler, short again, on the off stump, he made room and smacked it hard but straight to Kohli positioned perfectly at point 62/3
JP Duminy	not out	99	52	8	5	190.38

JL Ontong	b van der Merwe	19	14	2	0	135.71
12.2 bowled'im! A timely wicket for the hosts, bowled quick and full on middle and off, made room to smack it over the bowler's head, a nice hard swing but made no contact whatsoever, it spun away, he missed and the stumps were rattled! 103/4
RCC Canning†	c Kumble b Kumar	20	18	1	0	111.11
18.2 slower one bowled short, has a big swing, the slow pace does him in, too early into the shot, gets a top edge and Kumble takes a dolly at midwicket 164/5
RK Kleinveldt	not out	5	2	1	0	250.00

Extras	(b 1, lb 1, nb 1)	3

Total	(5 wickets; 19.4 overs)	184	(9.35 runs per over)

Did not bat VD Philander, CW Henderson, M Zondeki, CK Langeveldt

Fall of wickets1-5 (Gibbs, 0.6 ov), 2-14 (Puttick, 2.4 ov), 3-62 (Davids, 7.6 ov), 4-103 (Ontong, 12.2 ov), 5-164 (Canning, 18.2 ov)


Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
P Kumar	4	0	32	3	8.00
0.6 to Gibbs, Gibbs goes first ball! Beautifully bowled, tempting him with a fullish delivery outside off, Gibbs can't help poking at it, just a hint of away movement, enough to produce the nick and Boucher takes it comfortably 5/1 2.4 to Puttick, The openers are gone! The change of angle works, lands on a good length on the off stump and moves away just as Puttick attempts to tap it into the leg side, gets a leading edge straight into the palms of Kohli at point 14/2 18.2 to Canning, slower one bowled short, has a big swing, the slow pace does him in, too early into the shot, gets a top edge and Kumble takes a dolly at midwicket 164/5
JH Kallis	2	0	18	0	9.00

R Vinay Kumar	3.4	0	40	1	10.90
7.6 to Davids, third time unlucky! Struck it well, not the best delivery from the bowler, short again, on the off stump, he made room and smacked it hard but straight to Kohli positioned perfectly at point 62/3
A Kumble	4	0	35	0	8.75	(1nb)

RE van der Merwe	4	0	34	1	8.50
12.2 to Ontong, bowled'im! A timely wicket for the hosts, bowled quick and full on middle and off, made room to smack it over the bowler's head, a nice hard swing but made no contact whatsoever, it spun away, he missed and the stumps were rattled! 103/4
V Kohli

Bangalore 180/4 (20/20 ov)

2009-10-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

Royal Challengers Bangalore won the toss and elected to bat

Champions League Twenty20 - 1st Match, Group C
Twenty20 match | 2009/10 season
Played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
8 October 2009 - day/night (20-over match)


Royal Challengers Bangalore innings (20 overs maximum)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
JH Kallis	c †Canning b Langeveldt	8	9	1	0	88.88
2.6 edged and taken! Langeveldt pitches fuller and wider and lures Kallis into a booming drive, looking to hit the ball over cover but instead edging to Canning 14/1
RV Uthappa	c Gibbs b Zondeki	51	39	7	2	130.76
10.5 oh well held, Gibbs! Uthappa opens the face and slices a full ball to point where Gibbs pouches an outstanding catch out of nowhere, it was flying but he just knelt down and plucked it 82/2
R Dravid	run out (Philander/†Canning)	28	24	2	1	116.66
12.6 Ontong to Kohli, a bit of hesitancy and Dravid has to go! Kohli comes out and chips the ball wide of midwicket, they run the first hard and Dravid wants two but gets sent back, then he has to dive full stretch but he's a fraction slow as Canning collects a throw from the deep and breaks the sticks 97/3
V Kohli	st †Canning b Henderson	17	14	2	0	121.42
15.2 comes out, then goes back as he sees a slower ball pitch shorter, he swings and misses, beaten by a long way as the ball stays low and spins away, Canning collects and breaks the sticks and Kohli just walks away 115/4
LRPL Taylor	not out	53	24	4	4	220.83

MK Pandey	not out	10	10	0	0	100.00

Extras	(lb 4, w 9)	13

Total	(4 wickets; 20 overs)	180	(9.00 runs per over)

Did not bat RE van der Merwe, MV Boucher†, P Kumar, R Vinay Kumar, A Kumble*

Fall of wickets1-14 (Kallis, 2.6 ov), 2-82 (Uthappa, 10.5 ov), 3-97 (Dravid, 12.6 ov), 4-115 (Kohli, 15.2 ov)


Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
CK Langeveldt	3	0	12	1	4.00	(1w)
2.6 to Kallis, edged and taken! Langeveldt pitches fuller and wider and lures Kallis into a booming drive, looking to hit the ball over cover but instead edging to Canning 14/1
RK Kleinveldt	4	0	45	0	11.25	(1w)

VD Philander	2	0	21	0	10.50	(1w)

M Zondeki	4	0	39	1	9.75	(1w)
10.5 to Uthappa, oh well held, Gibbs! Uthappa opens the face and slices a full ball to point where Gibbs pouches an outstanding catch out of nowhere, it was flying but he just knelt down and plucked it 82/2
CW Henderson	4	0	34	1	8.50
15.2 to Kohli, comes out, then goes back as he sees a slower ball pitch shorter, he swings and misses, beaten by a long way as the ball stays low and spins away, Canning collects and breaks the sticks and Kohli just walks away 115/4
JL Ontong	3	0	25	0	8.33	(1w)

RCB v Cape Cobras, CL T20, Group C, Bangalore -Taylor fireworks lift Bangalore to 180

2009-10-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

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20 overs Royal Challengers Bangalore 180 for 4 (Taylor 53*, Uthappa 51) v

Final report to follow...

Toss Royal Challengers Bangalore opted to bat v Cape Cobras

Champions League Twenty20

2009-10-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

Champions League Twenty20 2009 -League will make domestic cricket stronger - Modi

2009-10-08T10:03:00.001-07:00

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Lalit Modi says the Champions League will encourage stars to play more domestic cricket © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Lalit Modi

Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20

Teams: India

Lalit Modi, chairman of the Champions League Twenty20's governing council, is certain the tournament will result in the "rapid growth" of club cricket around the world. Modi also said there was a strong chance the Champions League would be taken to non-cricket playing countries as a means to expand the game's reach and get other countries to embrace cricket.

"The Champions League has been developed to embrace club cricket all round the world," he said on the day of the tournament launch in Bangalore. "It's a place where we can find young cricketers who then play for their national sides. The IPL is a great example of a domestic club-level tournament, and similarly nations around the world have club tournaments. The objective here is not to make money, it is to build the game, to build club-level cricket, to find and nurture new talent. Money is not the criteria. The objective here is that we have some of the best players around the world and we hope that in years to come the Champions League comes to symbolise what the UEFA [version] is to football.

"From this year itself the tournaments in countries like Sri Lanka, New Zealand and West Indies will become more competitive. You'll see players who were not participating in domestic tournaments who will now take part and do well. Before, once players graduated from their clubs, they became international players and if at all they went back to their clubs they hardly played a few games. But the rules of the Champions League are that you have to play for your club, and your club must win to participate here. You won't get a chance to be here unless you've not played for your club."

Dean Kino, head of business and legal affairs for the Champions League, said one positive fallout of this competition would be to give context to domestic cricket. "It increases the passion of grassroots cricketers to be involved for their states and provinces. If you look at the interest in the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash in Australia and the IPL over the last six months, you will see that the result of going to the Champions League has been hugely stimulating. At the domestic level it will drive young cricketers to the game and that will build on domestic cricket and make it stronger."

Modi felt there was no better format than Twenty20 to draw new audiences and one way to do so was to broadcast matches across the world in different languages. While the current focus is to take the Champions League to participating nations, there is a definite plan to expand the competition. "That is a definite possibility. The immediate future is that we have South Africa, Australia and New Zealand as leading candidates and the objective would be to move within the participating countries," he said. "But we must make the competition more broadcast-friendly and show it to countries that have never seen cricket before. Like the IPL did, we have to get more women and children hooked onto this game."

The governing council has definite plans to take the tournament on the road, with Modi confirming that future editions will move from country to country. Kino said the concept was to move the competition around as much as possible. "We will look at newer, cricket-playing countries primarily but beyond the next ten years a decision will be taken as to whether it is appropriate to bring the game to non cricket-playing countries. We want to take the grassroots level of cricket to as many countries as possible."

To make the Champions League more prestigious, one change could be to increase the number of participating teams, something the governing council will decide on after the inaugural tournament. Modi and Kino ruled out a home-and-away format, like in the IPL and other domestic tournaments, because of the obvious difficulties in flying teams across the world on a daily basis. "As a global league it is very important to get crickets playing all around the world and give them the opportunity to play on different surfaces, in front of different fans and cultures," Modi said.

The IPL, run by the BCCI, has been extremely successful and Kino was hopeful the Champions League would blossom with the inputs of Cricket Australia and other boards. "The Champions League doesn't arise from the IPL," he said. "Representatives of Cricket Australia, the BCCI and Cricket South Africa talked about the possibility of a Champions League even before the concept of the IPL was invented. We've been talking about this for years and it's been a matter of getting the right time and place to launch. Whereas the IPL certainly helped leverage interest in the event, the Champions League stands by itself as an international event. It becomes the apex of all domestic events around the world; its context and relevance is through domestic events."

Champions League Twenty20 - Think global, act local

2009-10-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

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The presence of big names like Herschelle Gibbs helps Cape Cobras secure better sponsorship deals than the Eagles © Getty Images

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News : Meet the teams
Analysis : Records galore for competing teams

Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20

Teams: Cape Cobras | Eagles | Otago | Sussex

When the Champions League begins amid the now-typical glitz and glamour in Bangalore on Thursday evening, much of the buzz will centre on how the tournament - and the concept - could change the game of cricket and the lives of the cricketers. For the suits who keep the game's economy moving, cricket's first global inter-club tournament opens up a whole new set of opportunities for advertising and sponsorship. Teams from outside India, keen on grabbing a slice of the one pie that has stayed reasonably intact through the recession, seek Indian sponsors who in turn see the benefits of overseas exposure.

In short, think global, act local.

That's what prompted the Sussex Sharks to tie up for this tournament with Royal Stag, a whiskey brand from the Pernod Ricard stable, for logos on helmets, caps and trousers, and Pepsi as shirt sponsors.

Sure, the tournament is played within the Indian marketplace and therefore viable for local companies but Sussex chief executive Dave Brooks underlines the bigger picture in seeking domestic sponsors. "We have a long historical link with Indian cricketers from Duleepsinhji and Ranjitsinhji to the Nawab of Pataudi and now Piyush Chawla. We are keen to build on that in the largest cricket market in the world and our heritage makes us attractive to local sponsors."

You don't even need a historical context - the Eagles, South Africa's domestic Twenty20 runners-up, have tied up with Karbonn Mobiles, a relatively new entrant in the Indian mobile phone market and are eyeing more such deals. "There is a big market in India and the IPL and the Champions League Twenty20 serves as a great vehicle for any sponsorship and awareness campaign," Johan van Heerden, the Eagles chief executive, said. "The response from the Indian sponsors has been very good though it was very short notice."

There could have been issues with the teams' main sponsors back home but it doesn't seem to be the case. "Our UK sponsors, RDF IT Solutions, agreed to stand aside for this competition as they do not operate in the Indian market," Brooks said. Ross Dykes, chief executive of Otago Volts, has a slightly different explanation - the sheer magnitude of the Indian market. "There is no conflict with our domestic sponsors as they realise they cannot compete on a global market - particularly when we are playing outside their geographical sphere of impact."

Though the deals are short-duration, like the tournament itself, there is optimism about the prospects of a longer association. "The deal is short-term for the Eagles but, hopefully, it will be long-term for the South African teams that qualify in future," van Heerden said. "In fact, we are hoping for a long-term impact in the Indian market in terms of club branding as well." It's a sentiment Brooks echoes: "We expect our Indian deals to be short term but you never know - it may develop into something over the long term."

The feeling is mutual among the sponsors. For the fledgling Karbonn, who has also tied up with the Cape Cobras, the small step might just turn out be the proverbial giant leap and it's looking at cricket to help it bridge that gap. "Cricket in India is treated as almost a religion and the Twenty 20 format has wide appeal," said Sudhir Hasija, MD of United Telelinks, one of the stakeholders in the company. "This tournament gives us the opportunity to build brand awareness. We do plan to take Karbonn Mobiles global, and this gives us an opportunity for a wider exposure."

Sudha Natrajan, president and COO of Indian media management company Lintas, points to IPL 2 in South Africa as proof that global cross-branding can succeed. "The local sponsors would benefit as the feed is global and the tournament would go to different countries in the future. As the telecast would be global, having international players and teams to sponsor at relatively lower costs than it would to sponsor the international ICC teams would be an advantage for advertisers. And that's a win-win for the Indian sponsors."

Her one caveat: The sponsors should do deals on a year-on-year basis instead of firming up a three or five-year commitment.

The Otago Volts, New Zealand's Twenty20 champions, are yet to close any deal though they are in negotiations. That hasn't stopped them, though, from joining in the planning. Dykes suggests that national boards take an active role in ensuring the longevity of the sponsorships with every franchise of the particular country. "If the Champions League Twenty20 is ongoing, then any one of New Zealand's six provincial teams could be competing in the future. With little lead time available this time around, the sponsorships will be one-offs. However, to try and establish consistency, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is looking at the sponsorships being longer term and applicable to teams in any given year."



	"We have a long historical link with Indian cricketers from Duleepsinhji and Ranjitsinhji to the Nawab of Pataudi and now Piyush Chawla. We are keen to build on that in the largest cricket market in the world" Sussex chief executive Dave Brooks

What Dykes, Brooks and van Heerden don't spell out, but which is implicit in their words - and in Natrajan's calculations - is the reasonable expectation among market watchers that the Champions League will eventually acquire the status, and consequently the longevity, of its more illustrious counterpart in European football.

"The possibilities are immense," said the head of an Indian media-buying agency. "It may travel the route of the UEFA Champions League. It will be interesting to see how the Indian fans, or even fans from the other clubs, respond to the occasion. In fact, the fan base will be another major factor that the companies will need to keep in mind in future."

What fans' response largely hinges on is star appeal - the more big names in a team, the greater its brand identity even if on-field performance is below par. Hence, Sussex know that Chawla's presence will help, as will the presence of bigger foreign stars "Players like Dwayne Smith and Luke Wright are well known in India," Brooks said, "and by the time we head home, a few others will be too."

That's what Otago are banking on too. They aren't a household name in India by any stretch of imagination but they have a few players who are, and who could help them close the deals. "I am sure having names like Brendon McCullum in our side has a positive impact on how our potential sponsors view our commercial worth," Dykes said.

Eagles' van Heerden went a step ahead to compare his team's endorsement value with the other South African representative in the tournament, the Cape Cobras. With a number of big names including Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy and Charl Langeveldt, the net worth of the Cape Cobras far outweighs that of the Eagles. "We could see the difference between the two," van Heerden said. "The Cobras have world stars and that secured them far better returns on sponsorship."

Of course, not all the franchises have managed rich pickings. David Townsend, the New South Wales Blues communications manager conceded they have been unable to secure final sponsors and so will retain their current Australian sponsor, the Roads & Traffic Authority. They may have winners on the field in Brett Lee and David Warner but in the equally competitive world of boardrooms and bottomlines, they've already conceded bragging rights.

Champions League Twenty20 - Stage set for cricket's latest twist

2009-10-08T09:59:00.001-07:00

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Anil Kumble's Royal Challengers Bangalore start off with home advantage © Associated Press

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Bulletin : Taylor fireworks lift Bangalore to 180
News : Meet the teams
Analysis : Records galore for competing teams

Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20

Teams: Cape Cobras | Royal Challengers Bangalore

The inaugural Champions League Twenty20 gets underway at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday with hosts and IPL runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on Cape Cobras from South Africa. Cricket's first global inter-club tournament, it is the latest twist in a format that is only seven years but has established itself as the game's main money-spinner.

A mix of state, county, regional and franchise teams will battle it out for a US$ 6 million cash prize, with $2.5 million going to the winners. The unpredictability of the format is enhanced by the fact that there is little history between the teams, though many of the players would be familiar to each other as team-mates at some level.

That element of uncertainty was summed up by Herschelle Gibbs, a key player for the Cobras. "We have a good team and a lot of the guys have been around for a while but this is Twenty20 and anything can happen. As I said earlier it is about the team performing well on a given day that wins matches, but I think Royal Challengers will be one of the favourites."

There will certainly be a lot of anticipation in Bangalore, where the game itself is to be preceded by what the organisers claim will be a lavish ceremony featuring legendary Grammy award winner Chaka Khan and British pop star Jamelia. "It has been a while since Royal Challengers have played at home", Anil Kumble, the Bangalore captain, said. "It's almost a year now... more than a year. Everybody is looking forward to that and we will certainly take advantage of home support."

The 23 matches in the 16-day tournament are spread between Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad. The 12 teams have been divided into four groups of three each with IPL runners-up Bangalore grouped with Cape Cobras and Otago, while IPL champions Deccan Chargers are in a pool with Stanford 20/20 winners Trinidad and Tobago and the Somerset, runners-up of England's Twenty20 Cup.

Delhi Daredevils are grouped with Victoria, the runners-up in the Australian domestic competition, and the Sri Lanka champions Wayamba. The other group comprises the Australian title-holders New South Wales, South Africa's Eagles and Sussex, winner of England's Twenty20 Cup.

The top two teams will qualify for the second round where two groups of four each will compete in a round-robin league. The top four teams will make it to the semi-finals, which will be played in New Delhi, on October 21, and Hyderabad, on October 22.

Points earned in the group stage will be carried forward into the league stage based on the result of the match played between the two teams that advance from the same pool. The points, the applicable net run ate and the applicable wickets per balls bowled, from that match only, shall be recorded in the league stage points table. These points will then combine the result of the league stage and the one result carried forward from the group stage. The team with the highest number of points at the end of the league stage will top the table.

Thursday's game

Royal Challenger Bangalore v Cape Cobras, Group C
Start time 20.00 (14.30 GMT)

Key contests

Anil Kumble v Herschelle Gibbs and JP Duminy: Kumble led superbly with the ball in Bangalore's 2009 IPL campaign, taking 21 wickets at 16.52. Back home in his native Bangalore, Kumble knows the Chinnaswamy Stadium very well and will be backed by a buoyant crowd. Kumble will need to be at his craftiest best against the Cobras' most experience hitters.

Charl Langevelt v Jacques Kallis: The former South African team-mates will face off as key figures to their respective sides. After a poor first IPL season, Kallis struck form in 2009 with 361 runs at a strike-rate of 108.73. Langevelt is a famed death-overs specialists and could shape up to be the Cobras' most important player. Bangalore are keen to exploit the home conditions with Kallis already making it clear that knowing the ground will benefit the hosts.

Henry Davids v Bangalore's attack: Among teams in this competition, Davids owns the second-fastest Twenty20 hundred - a 41-ball effort for the Cobras against Warriors in Cape Town.

Champions League Twenty20 2009 -- Meet the teams-- Deccan Chargers,Delhi Daredevils,Victoria, Wayamba,Otago, Cape Cobras,Royal Challengers Bangalore

2009-10-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

The first-ever global club cricket tournament brings together some big names

, some not-so-famous players and some familiar faces in unfamiliar colours. Cricinfo's primer makes it easy for you

Group A

Can Rohit Sharma recapture his IPL form? © Associated Press

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News : Think global, act local
News : Stage set for cricket's latest twist

Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20

Deccan Chargers

How they made it Winners of IPL 2009
Captain Adam Gilchrist
Headliner Andrew Symonds

Deccan Chargers went from zeroes to heroes in this year's IPL, and are now one of the favourites for the Champions League. They swaggered into the inaugural IPL with an array of bludgeoning batsmen, tipped by many for the title, only to flop dramatically and wind up in last spot. This year, with lesser expectations, and Gilchrist as captain, they sneaked into the semi-finals before bulldozing their way to the title. They have an incisive bowling attack led by Fidel Edwards and RP Singh, who took the most wickets in IPL 2009, with left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha providing back-up. They need performances from their lesser-known Indian batsmen when their big three - Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and Rohit Sharma - stumble.

Somerset

How they made it Runners-up in the Twenty20 Cup 2009
Captain Justin Langer
Headliner Marcus Trescothick
Star import Langer

Much of the attention surrounding Somerset's campaign will centre on their star batsman, Marcus Trescothick. This will be his first overseas assignment since pulling out of Somerset's pre-season visit to Dubai in 2008 with a recurrence of his stress-related illness that originally occurred in 2006. Trescothick has been in sparkling form all season, and was rewarded with the Most Valuable Player award by the Professional Cricketers' Association for 2934 runs across all competitions. He is part of a redoubtable top order, which also has Justin Langer, the promising wicketkeeper-batsman Craig Kieswetter, and James Hildreth. The bowling inspires less confidence, though, with the spin department being particularly weak.

Trinidad & Tobago

How they made it Winners of Stanford 20/20 2008
Captain Daren Ganga
Headliner Dwayne Bravo

Victory in the Stanford 20/20 in early 2008 has proved to be the gift that keeps on giving for T&T. Besides the million dollars they pocketed for the title, it gave them entry to the Stanford Super Series last year and now the Champions Twenty20 League. The batting is their strong suit with a mix of some of the Caribbean's most exciting youngsters - Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Adrian Barath and Kieron Pollard - and the experience of Daren Ganga and Dwayne Bravo. The bowling attack looks shaky though, one of the main reasons they are viewed as long shots for the title.

Group B

Brett Lee is back at his lethal best © Getty Images

New South Wales

How they made it Winners of the Big Bash 2008-09
Captain Simon Katich
Headliner Brett Lee

The sheer depth of their international talent makes New South Wales one of the tournament favourites. Even without Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken and Brad Haddin, the Blues still boast a squad featuring eight men who have played for Australia. David Warner and Phillip Hughes are a potentially explosive and unconventional opening pair, while Simon Katich gives the middle order valuable experience. An attack consisting of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Doug Bollinger and Nathan Hauritz is of Test quality but their challenge here is containing in foreign conditions. In any case, they are certainly one of the main teams to beat.

Sussex

How they made it Winners of the Twenty20 Cup 2009 Captain Michael Yardy
Headliners Luke Wright
Star imports Dwayne Smith, Piyush Chawla

Sussex may have been relegated to the second division for the first time but they have been the stand-out team in England's limited-overs competitions this season: storming to both the Pro40 Division One and the Twenty20 Cup titles, and finishing runners-up in the Friends Provident Trophy. Their middle order is boosted by hard-hitting allrounders, Dwayne Smith and Luke Wright. The fast bowling is in safe hands of James Kirtley and Yasir Arafat (the only Pakistan player in the tournament), and the spin department has been bolstered by the smart swoop for Indian legspinner Piyush Chawla.

Eagles

How they made it Runners-up in the Standard Bank Pro 2008-09
Captain Boeta Dippenaar
Headliner Er.. Ryan McLaren?

Eagles have never let the lack of marquee names in their line-up stop them from succeeding, winning the Pro20 twice and making the finals this year. Morne van Wyk, who provided some rare bright sparks in a dreary Kolkata Knight Riders IPL campaign, is among their best Twenty20 batsmen. Much is also expected from the young duo of Dean Elgar and Rilee Rossouw. Like many a South African team, they are packed with fast-bowling allrounders - including Ryan McLaren, Dillon du Preez, Alan Kruger - giving them great balance. Two problems that could derail Eagles' campaign are the presence of only one frontline spinner (Thandi Tshabalala) and the lack of experience in subcontinental conditions.

Group C

Dale Steyn is one of four South African internationals in Royal Challengers Bangalore © PA Photos

Royal Challengers Bangalore

How they made it Runners-up in IPL 2009
Captain Anil Kumble
Headliners Kumble, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis

Royal Challengers Bangalore are another solid IPL team. Anil Kumble inspired them to the finals of this year's IPL after a dispiriting start, losing four of the first five matches to bring back memories of an abysmal campaign the previous year. The dynamic Ross Taylor will be a vital cog in a batting line-up strewn with players not renowned for their big hits - Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Virat Kohli. It will also be a big test for young opener Manish Pandey, who sparkled in his limited chances this year. Bangalore's main drawback is an attack which has struggled to contain the runs; barring Kumble, the rest of their regular bowlers leaked at least seven.

Cape Cobras

How they made it Winners of the Standard Bank Pro 2008-09
Captain Andrew Puttick
Headliners Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy

Cape Cobras are seen to be the stronger of the two South African teams in the tournament, despite the loss of captain Graeme Smith. Herschelle Gibbs and JP Duminy may be their drawcards but their most important player is likely to be death-overs specialist Charl Langeveldt. He already saved Cobras twice during a stop-start Pro20 campaign; once grabbing wickets off the final two deliveries to force a tie, and in the deciding leg of the semi-finals, he gave away only three runs in the Superover. Veteran left-arm spinner Claude Henderson is another bowler to watch out for. The close-in fielding should also be a treat, with Gibbs and Duminy joined by the electric Sybrand Englebrecht.

Otago

How they made it Winners of State Twenty20 2008-09
Captain Craig Cumming
Headliner Brendon McCullum
Star import Dimitri Mascarenhas

New Zealand's only representatives are widely considered to be a team with little chance to hit the US$2.5m jackpot on offer, but their string of power-hitters (Otgao made 189 or more in five of their seven Twenty20 games last season) could spring a surprise or two. How Twenty20 experts, Brendon McCullum and Dimitri Mascarenhas, fare will have a huge bearing on Otago's progress. Other batsmen likely to make an impact are Aaron Redmond (who though uninspiring at the Test level, has proved competent in Twenty20s, topping the run charts in the domestic tournament) and 20-year-old Hamish Rutherford (who bludgeoned a 38-ball 87 against Wellington). The bowling looks a bit thin, despite the presence of a rejuvenated Ian Butler and the crafty Nathan McCullum.

Group D

Will Tillakaratne Dilshan get an opening spot or will it be a middle-order slot? © AFP

Delhi Daredevils

How they made it Topping the group phase of IPL 2009
Captain Gautam Gambhir
Headliners Tillakaratne Dilshan, Virender Sehwag

If any other team had lost the services players of the calibre of AB de Villiers, Daniel Vettori and Paul Collingwood in the space of a week, it would have been a crippling blow. Delhi, however, have the luxury of calling on Glenn McGrath as back-up; this depth is one of the reasons they have the shortest odds for winning the Champions Twenty20 League. They were by far the most impressive team in the IPL group phase this year, and were only knocked out in the semi-finals by a vintage Adam Gilchrist onslaught. An electric top order and a capable bowling attack (including Dirk Nannes from group stage opponents Victoria) make them title contenders. The one question over Delhi is their middle-order: can the likes of Dinesh Karthik, Manoj Tiwary and Mithun Manhas step up if the big names at the top fail?

Victoria

How they made it Runners-up of the Big Bash 2008-09
Captain Cameron White
Headliner Brad Hodge

A team that could slip under the radar, Victoria are not the Australian champions but have won the Big Bash three of the four years it has been held. They have also only ever lost three domestic Twenty20 matches. It is a remarkable record built on powerful batting from Cameron White, David Hussey and Brad Hodge, who is one of the most prolific Twenty20 batsmen in the world, even if he can't get a game for Australia. The loss of the fearsome fast man Dirk Nannes to Delhi Daredevils is a blow but there is plenty of depth in the attack, which still boasts Peter Siddle, Shane Harwood, the under-rated Clint McKay and Bryce McGain, who is surprisingly effective in Twenty20. If they can adapt to the conditions, they are a genuine chance for the title.

Wayamba

How they made it Winners of inter-provincial Twenty20 2008-09
Captain Jehan Mubarak
Headliners Mahela Jayawardene, Ajantha Mendis

Wayamba seem a good bet with a squad chock-a-block with players who have international experience. Their bowling line-up looks dependable, including the likes of Ajantha Mendis, Farveez Maharoof, Isuru Udana (the standout bowler in Sri Lanka's domestic Twenty20 tournament with 16 wickets at 8.12, economy 6.09) and a new-and-improved Rangana Herath. However, they are possibly in the toughest pool, grouped with Delhi and Victoria. Also, their batting seems a touch under-powered, lacking a lethal-hitter who can really turn on the fireworks. Maharoof is likely to be a key player; he can make big contributions with bat and ball, and his inside knowledge of the Delhi team (with whom he played two IPL seasons) and the Kotla pitch will prove handy.

Australia v Bangladesh, ICC World Twenty20 warm-up - Australia warm up with easy win

2009-06-01T22:17:00.001-07:00

20 overs Australia 219 for 6 (Watson 52, Haddin 47, Mahmudullah 4-37) beat Bangladesh 181 for 7 (Shakib 54, Johnson 3-21) by 38 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Mohammad Ashraful lost his off stump to Mitchell Johnson, Australia's best bowler © Getty Images

Related Links

Player/Officials: Brad Haddin | Mahmudullah | Shakib Al Hasan | Shane Watson

Matches: Australia v Bangladesh at Nottingham

Series/Tournaments: ICC World Twenty20 Warm-up Matches

Teams: Australia | Bangladesh

Australia, spurred to a daunting total by a thumping opening partnership from Brad Haddin and Shane Watson, clinched a facile victory over Bangladesh in Nottingham. From the start it was apparent that Australia were going to dominate, what with Bangladesh's medium-pacers leaking runs and Tamim Iqbal reprieving Haddin in the first over.

Haddin and Watson - who slammed a 21-ball half-century - made Bangladesh pay and though Mahmudullah's four wickets ensured Australia didn't post an even more mammoth total, the favourites clearly had enough runs. Bangladesh's top order chased hard, but following Shakib Al Hasan's dismissal for a sprightly 54 in the 14th over the wheels fell off.

Australia's openers effectively nailed the match in eight overs. When the ball was new, the field in and the wicketkeeper up, both Haddin and Watson boldly chose to go over the top, twice lofting Syed Rasel over the onside for sixes in an over. Then, when the field spread out, the pair chipped and nudged it cleverly into the gaps to keep the board ticking over constantly, but also managed to find the fence whenever the bowlers dropped it short and wide.

The fourth over went for 16, with Haddin and Watson each slamming sixes, and the fifth cost 22. By this time Watson and Haddin both were using their feet and wrists well. Watson dumped offspinner Naeem Islam for four and six in consecutive deliveries as Australia reached 86 in seven overs. Watson raised his half-century with another swipe over midwicket, the most profitable shot on this surface.

Mahmudullah struck in a double-wicket over during which both openers picked out fielders in the deep. Enter Andrew Symonds and three sixes over midwicket, but after racing to 27 from 14 balls, he fell to Mahmudullah in the 13th over. Three deliveries later Mahmudullah ended Ricky Ponting's scratchy innings and Australia had a new pair at the crease again.

Where his team-mates all suffered, Mahmudullah returned figures of 4 for 37 and his role was instrumental in roping Australia in from what seemed a massive total. There was the usual flurry of heaves, hoicks and wickets during the final overs as Bangladesh snapped a 52-run stand between Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke and finished with a tidy last three overs.

Bangladesh began their chase frenetically, taking 31 from the first two overs. In the first over Tamim larruped Nathan Bracken for 18, using his feet to launch a beautiful straight six. In the second over Junaid Siddique took Brett Lee for three boundaries, the most audacious being a swat over extra cover with Siddique a third down the track.

Mitchell Johnson sent Siddique's leg stump cartwheeling with a quick and straight delivery and Lee had his man when Tamim drove straight to mid-off in the fourth over. Then came an engrossing period where both sides battled for leverage. Mohammad Ashraful broke the shackles of a nervous start with three successive fours off Johnson, using his crease excellently to clear the infield on both sides.

Bracken swung it back with three singles in the sixth over, but Shakib and Ashraful took boundaries off David Hussey; Tamim's sweep was forceful while Ashraful's reverse-paddle was gentle. In the next over Tamim paddled and drove James Hopes for boundaries and Ashraful sliced to third man.

Following Ashraful's dismissal for 26 to the first ball of Johnson's next spell, Shakib clubbed Symonds' first two deliveries for six, survived a stumping, and promptly creamed four through extra cover. His half-century needed just 25 deliveries. Shakib was the fourth to go and at the time Bangladesh were still in the hunt, but his dismissal was a hammer blow and the innings never recovered as Lee and Bracken strangled the life out of the lower order.

India v New Zealand, ICC World Twenty20 warm-up match, Lord's - Taylor and Vettori star in New Zealand win

2009-06-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

New Zealand 170 for 7 (Taylor 41, McCullum 31, Franklin 27*, Ishant 4-25) beat India 161 for 6 (Raina 45, Jadeja 41*, Vettori 3-24) by nine runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Daniel Vettori was key to New Zealand's victory, picking up 3 for 24 © Associated Press

Related Links

Player/Officials: James Franklin | Brendon McCullum | Ishant Sharma | Ross Taylor | Daniel Vettori

Matches: India v New Zealand at Lord's

Series/Tournaments: ICC World Twenty20 | ICC World Twenty20 Warm-up Matches

Teams: India | New Zealand

New Zealand's unbeaten record against India in Twenty20s continued today by beating the world champions by nine runs in their warm-up outing at Lord's. Several New Zealand batsmen chipped in with aggressive contributions to post an imposing total which their bowlers, led by the reliable Daniel Vettori, defended tenaciously against a powerful Indian batting line-up.

The India team had faced questions regarding fatigue and fitness because of their players' involvement in the lengthy IPL and they took the field without Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan. Yuvraj Singh also did not play a part in the match although he was on the team sheet. However, it was because of the batsmen that performed in the IPL - Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja - that India challenged New Zealand's total of 170.

Sharma, who opened with Gautam Gambhir, slotted seamlessly into his new role and attacked from the outset against Iain O'Brien. With an extravagant follow through, Sharma deposited the ball into the stands at midwicket, pierced the in-field at point again, and launched the ball over long-off to take 18 runs off O'Brien's second over. The Indian fans had been gathering from the latter stages of the Ireland-Netherlands match, making themselves heard whenever the players were shown on the giant screen and now were shouting themselves hoarse.

Through all the excitement, though, Gambhir remained almost unnoticed, catching the attention only when he spooned Ian Butler to Martin Guptill at extra cover. India, however, raced to 55 in six overs and New Zealand needed more to curb the momentum. Vettori duly did the needful. He slipped one down the leg side as MS Dhoni advanced and had him stumped, despite a fumble from Brendon McCullum, before bowling Sharma a few balls later as the ball bobbled off the pads.

India suddenly had two new batsmen at the crease and New Zealand had an opening, but for a while it seemed Raina had slammed it shut. He plundered 19 runs off Vettori's second over, slog-sweeping twice over the midwicket boundary and drilling the ball straight down the ground.

He and Jadeja produced an impressive stand, adding 69 off 48 balls for the fourth wicket. It was only Raina's dismissal - caught by a diving Jesse Ryder off Jacob Oram for 45 - that turned the match in New Zealand's favour. Vettori bounced back strongly to dismiss Yusuf Pathan in another miserly over to finish with 3 for 24 and left India with too much to do in the last three overs.

That the New Zealand bowlers had enough to defend was due to a collective performance from their batsmen. While no one went on to make fifty, New Zealand always had a well set batsman at the crease to keep the momentum going. Brendon McCullum provided the impetus at the start, while Ross Taylor continued his good form from the latter stages of the IPL during the middle overs. Scott Styris chipped in with a useful innings and Franklin enhanced his newly-developed status as a batting allrounder with massive strikes towards the ends of the innings.

Most of the New Zealand batsmen favoured the leg-side boundary and some perished while trying to clear it. McCullum eventually skied a catch to midwicket, while Ryder, who failed to get out of his IPL rut, was bowled trying to swing across the line. Ishant Sharma was the bowler who dismissed both, making up for the void created by the shoulder injury to Zaheer.

Taylor carted Pragyan Ojha for two consecutive sixes over deep-square leg and dispatched the left-arm spinner to the deep midwicket boundary as well. Ishant returned to peg New Zealand back by inducing a top-edged pull from Oram, which was held by Harbhajan.

Taylor, too, fell in the 16th over when one slog-sweep against Harbhajan did not clear RP Singh. Styris kept the momentum going with a breezy 29 off 19 balls but it was Franklin who hurt India in the end. He laid into RP in the 20th over and deposited the ball beyond the straight boundary twice before pulling to midwicket for four. New Zealand managed 50 runs off their last four overs and that acceleration proved to be the difference.

ICC World Twenty20 Warm-up Matches - India v New Zealand

2009-06-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

New Zealand won by 9 runs

2009 season
Played at Lord's, London (neutral venue)
1 June 2009 - day/night (20-over match)


New Zealand innings (20 overs maximum)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
BB McCullum†	c Kumar b I Sharma	31	19	4	0	163.15
4.4 the extravagance gets the better of him! He gets across his stumps to flick him high over midwicket but the ball rises up a bit more and hence McCullum ends up mis-hitting it to mid-on, Praveen takes the skier 34/2
JD Ryder	b I Sharma	2	4	0	0	50.00
2.4 look at that stump walk! Ryder stays at the crease and tries to whack him over the on side but Ishant bowls it full and fast on the offstump and sends the stick tumbling back quite a few yards 19/1
MJ Guptill	st †Dhoni b Ojha	10	15	1	0	66.66
8.4 Ojha hits back at New Zealand! He tosses it up and invites Guptill to advance down the track, the ball turns, leaves the batsman dumbfounded and Dhoni whips off the bails 65/3
LRPL Taylor	c Singh b Harbhajan Singh	41	33	3	2	124.24
15.1 flights it outside off, Taylor goes for yet another on-side hoick and ends up getting a top edge behind square on the on side and RP takes it easily comfortably just inches in front of the rope at long leg 115/5
JDP Oram	c Harbhajan Singh b I Sharma	5	6	0	0	83.33
10.2 drops it a bit short and Oram swivels and pulls him, the ball is airborne for quite a while and Harbhajan runs across at deep square leg, looks directly at the sun but judges it well 73/4
SB Styris	b I Sharma	29	19	5	0	152.63
16.2 timber! Ishant fires it full and fast on the legstump and Styris is beaten for pace, he swings and the ball lands on the yorker length and flattens the legstump 124/6
NL McCullum	c RG Sharma b Singh	18	14	3	0	128.57
19.2 Nathan swings him over the on side and nearly gets the elevation to take the ball over the rope but Rohit at deep square leg looks at the sun and takes it very well after falling to his right 154/7
JEC Franklin	not out	27	10	3	2	270.00

DL Vettori*	not out	0	0	0	0	-

Extras	(lb 5, w 2)	7

Total	(7 wickets; 20 overs)	170	(8.50 runs per over)

Did not bat NT Broom, PD McGlashan, IG Butler, IE O'Brien

Fall of wickets1-19 (Ryder, 2.4 ov), 2-34 (BB McCullum, 4.4 ov), 3-65 (Guptill, 8.4 ov), 4-73 (Oram, 10.2 ov), 5-115 (Taylor, 15.1 ov), 6-124 (Styris, 16.2 ov), 7-154 (NL McCullum, 19.2 ov)


Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
P Kumar	1	0	7	0	7.00

RP Singh	3	0	37	1	12.33
19.2 to NL McCullum, Nathan swings him over the on side and nearly gets the elevation to take the ball over the rope but Rohit at deep square leg looks at the sun and takes it very well after falling to his right 154/7
I Sharma	4	0	25	4	6.25	(1w)
2.4 to Ryder, look at that stump walk! Ryder stays at the crease and tries to whack him over the on side but Ishant bowls it full and fast on the offstump and sends the stick tumbling back quite a few yards 19/1 4.4 to BB McCullum, the extravagance gets the better of him! He gets across his stumps to flick him high over midwicket but the ball rises up a bit more and hence McCullum ends up mis-hitting it to mid-on, Praveen takes the skier 34/2 10.2 to Oram, drops it a bit short and Oram swivels and pulls him, the ball is airborne for quite a while and Harbhajan runs across at deep square leg, looks directly at the sun but judges it well 73/4 16.2 to Styris, timber! Ishant fires it full and fast on the legstump and Styris is beaten for pace, he swings and the ball lands on the yorker length and flattens the legstump 124/6
IK Pathan	3	0	31	0	10.33

YK Pathan	1	0	9	0	9.00	(1w)

PP Ojha	4	0	34	1	8.50
8.4 to Guptill, Ojha hits back at New Zealand! He tosses it up and invites Guptill to advance down the track, the ball turns, leaves the batsman dumbfounded and Dhoni whips off the bails 65/3
Harbhajan Singh	4	0	22	1	5.50
15.1 to Taylor, flights it outside off, Taylor goes for yet another on-side hoick and ends up getting a top edge behind square on the on side and RP takes it easily comfortably just inches in front of the rope at long leg 115/5


India innings (target: 171 runs from 20 overs)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
G Gambhir	c Guptill b Butler	14	15	2	0	93.33
4.6 very soft dismissal, Butler pitches it up outside off, Gambhir scoops it but doesn't get enough elevation and he ends up spooning it to Guptill at extra cover 42/1
RG Sharma	b Vettori	36	20	3	3	180.00
6.4 very unfortunate way to get out! Rohit stays at the crease and tries to turn it to the on side with sift hands but the ball drops near the crease, spins back and rolls onto the stumps 57/3
MS Dhoni*†	st †BB McCullum b Vettori	6	4	1	0	150.00
6.2 MCCullum nearly made a mess of it! Vettori fires it down the leg side and Dhoni follows the ball but plays all around it, McCullum fumbles but effects the stumping in the second attempt, Dhoni was a few yards down the pitch 56/2
SK Raina	c Ryder b Oram	45	24	3	3	187.50
14.2 he makes room to scoop him over backward point but he miscues it and Ryder runs backwards and takes the catch, he falls forward 126/4
RA Jadeja	not out	41	41	3	0	100.00

YK Pathan	c & b Vettori	2	7	0	0	28.57
16.3 sharp catch! Slower through the air, Yusuf shapes to bludgeon it over the bowler but Vettori cups his hands behind that tracer bullet and hangs on, had he missed the umpire would have been cleaned up 137/5
IK Pathan	run out (Vettori)	5	7	0	0	71.42
18.5 Butler to Jadeja, crashes a full delivery to Vettori at cover and they attempt a single but Irfan turns around and tries to head back, Vettori fires it to Butler and he whips off the bails, Irfan's short 149/6
Harbhajan Singh	not out	7	3	1	0	233.33

Extras	(lb 2, w 2, nb 1)	5

Total	(6 wickets; 20 overs)	161	(8.05 runs per over)

Did not bat PP Ojha, P Kumar, RP Singh, I Sharma, Yuvraj Singh

Fall of wickets1-42 (Gambhir, 4.6 ov), 2-56 (Dhoni, 6.2 ov), 3-57 (RG Sharma, 6.4 ov), 4-126 (Raina, 14.2 ov), 5-137 (YK Pathan, 16.3 ov), 6-149 (IK Pathan, 18.5 ov)


Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
IE O'Brien	2	0	23	0	11.50

JEC Franklin	3	0	25	0	8.33

IG Butler	4	0	32	1	8.00	(1w)
4.6 to Gambhir, very soft dismissal, Butler pitches it up outside off, Gambhir scoops it but doesn't get enough elevation and he ends up spooning it to Guptill at extra cover 42/1
DL Vettori	3	0	24	3	8.00	(1nb)
6.2 to Dhoni, MCCullum nearly made a mess of it! Vettori fires it down the leg side and Dhoni follows the ball but plays all around it, McCullum fumbles but effects the stumping in the second attempt, Dhoni was a few yards down the pitch 56/2 6.4 to RG Sharma, very unfortunate way to get out! Rohit stays at the crease and tries to turn it to the on side with sift hands but the ball drops near the crease, spins back and rolls onto the stumps 57/3 16.3 to YK Pathan, sharp catch! Slower through the air, Yusuf shapes to bludgeon it over the bowler but Vettori cups his hands behind that tracer bullet and hangs on, had he missed the umpire would have been cleaned up 137/5
NL McCullum	2	0	13	0	6.50	(1w)

SB Styris	2	0	15	0	7.50

JD Ryder	1	0	9	0	9.00

JDP Oram	3	0	18	1	6.00
14.2 to Raina, he makes room to scoop him over backward point but he miscues it and Ryder runs backwards and takes the catch, he falls forward 126/4

Match details

Players per side 13 (11 batting, 11 fielding)

Toss India, who chose to field first

Umpires M Erasmus (South Africa) and RJ Tucker (Australia)
Reserve umpire SJ Malone

India v New Zealand, ICC World Twenty20 warm-up match, Lord's - Dhoni unperturbed by warm-up defeat

2009-06-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

Ishant Sharma returned figures of 4 for 25 © Associated Press

India squandered a dominant position to lose their first warm-up game against New Zealand at Lord's, but their captain MS Dhoni chose to play down the defeat and looked at the positives instead.

"Obviously we had some targets," he was quoted as saying by PTI. "A couple of batsmen got really good starts. Of course during the game we lost wickets at crucial times but we wanted to try a few things, specially in bowling and all of that worked for us."

Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina had put India in sight of a comfortable win, taking them to 126 for 3 in the 15th over in pursuit of 170. But Raina's miscue off Jacob Oram triggered a slide as New Zealand's bowlers, particularly captain Daniel Vettori, who finished with 3 for 24, stymied the chase to help their team win by nine runs.

Though Dhoni was upset with the slip-up, he said there were alternatives in place to rectify what went wrong. "Quite disappointed with the defeat but we have back-up plans and so I'm not really worried," he said. "Besides, we missed quite a few key players."

Yuvraj Singh was down with food poisoning and Virender Sehwag sat out due to a shoulder injury. However, both are expected to be fit for India's next warm-up tie against Pakistan on June 3. "A couple of guys had food poisoning but I'm sure everyone will be fine before our next warm-up game."

Dhoni was particularly encouraged by the performance of Ishant Sharma, India's stand-out performer with the ball, taking 4 for 25. Ishant was Kolkata Knight Riders' highest wicket-taker in the IPL, finishing with 11 from as many games but his record in international Twenty20's has been indifferent - he averages 51 with just two wickets in four games. "I think it would give him great deal of confidence," Dhoni said of his four-wicket haul. "He is a bowler who should be bowling at the start and also in the end. In between he came and got us those crucial wickets."

Daniel Vettori, meanwhile, attributed the win to a team effort. "I think we managed our innings well," he said. "It was a very good performance. Rohit (Sharma) and (Suresh) Raina were destructive and to come back from there, I must say I'm reasonably happy."

Bangalore Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers, IPL final, Johannesburg - Deccan snatch title in tense finish

2009-05-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

Deccan Chargers 143 for 6 (Gibbs 53*, Kumble 4-16) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 137 for 9 (Ojha 3-28, Symonds 2-18) by six runs

Andrew Symonds was gutted when he got out, but made up with his aggressive fielding and body language, and smart bowling © Associated Press

Deccan Chargers invoked the bull in their emblem to successfully defend a modest total, beat Royal Challengers Bangalore and win a tournament they had ended up last in the previous season. They bowled with fire, fielded aggressively and sledged and hustled - almost literally - to victory in a final that twisted and turned and lived up to the occasion.

The last of those turning points was the 15th over, bowled by Andrew Symonds, who matched his verbal skills from earlier in the night with the wickets of Ross Taylor and Virat Kohli off back-to-back deliveries. Bangalore were 99 for 6 when the over started, and Taylor had looked dangerous during his 20-ball 27. That Symonds over, though, was symbolic of the night: every time a batsman got away from the bowling, a breakthrough pulled the batting side back.

Defending a total three less than what Bangalore chased easily in the semi-final, Deccan came out pumped, their energy reflecting in their behaviour. Symonds shadowed the latest tyro, Manish Pandey, all the way from the dugout to the crease. Pandey was a marked man during his innings. Symonds followed him wherever he went, giving him lip. Ryan Harris matched the aggression with the ball, clocking 145kmph constantly in the first over, a maiden.

Jacques Kallis looked to take the pressure off his 19-year-old partner. In Harris' next over Kallis took two boundaries to get the chase going. RP Singh brought the balance back when Kallis pulled onto his stumps but out came Roelof van der Merwe, who used adrenalin to push Bangalore further towards the target.

van der Merwe got a mouthful from Symonds and Harris, but he responded by hitting two sixes off one Harris over. Despite the maiden, Harris had gone for 23 in three overs. Even after Pragyan Ojha got Pandey with the first ball he bowled, van der Merwe's pyrotechnics kept Deccan at a distance.

One ball summed up the adrenalin rush van der Merwe was feeling. Beaten in the flight by Ojha he managed an edge which saved him from being stumped but he also dropped his bat. He picked his bat up as he ran the first run, and turned a two into a three, saving himself from the run-out by sprinting down the middle of the pitch and diving into the stumps at the non-striker's end.

One six later the adrenalin got the better of van der Merwe as he jumped out to Ojha and was stumped. The tension was palpable, and it sort of got to a senior pro like Rahul Dravid too. As Bangalore targeted Harmeet Singh, Dravid missed a scoop and was bowled. Bangalore still held the edge, though, with Taylor and Mark Boucher in.

Taylor looked like taking Bangalore home coolly, hitting three fours and a six, until Symonds got him on the pull, with a touch of extra bounce. Adam Gilchrist pulled off a smart stumping down the leg side next ball, and it was all down to Boucher now.

Gilchrist tried to get through Harmeet's last over, during which the youngster claimed Boucher on the cut. The bowling allocation was planned perfectly: RP had two left, and Ojha and Harris one each. Bangalore, with two wickets in hand, needed 27 from the last two overs, and 15 from the last, but RP Singh and Ryan Harris kept their cool despite a six from Robin Uthappa.

Amid the tension of the second innings one felt for Anil Kumble, who spent the most of the last over at the non-striker's end and saw his dream crash. Earlier Kumble had celebrated like a teenager but bowled like the veteran champion he is, and kept Deccan down to a manageable target.

He bowled the first over of the match, took Gilchrist out, then came back in the ninth to dismiss Symonds. That wicket was crucial because Symonds had been dropped on 5 by Dravid, and was reminding Bangalore eerily of the line his batting partner Herschelle Gibbs was apocryphally told during the 1999 World Cup. Kumble again came on in the 17th over to break a dangerous 52-run partnership between Rohit Sharma and Gibbs, when the two had taken Deccan to 110 for 3.

Towards the end Gibbs played a bizarre little innings. He had been inconspicuous in his struggle to score runs earlier, and didn't make much effort to farm the strike in the end. He faced only six balls in the last three overs, and kept taking twos in the last over to hand the strike over to Harris. He had batted the whole 20 overs for less than 60, much like Sachin Tendulkar, in more trying conditions, had in the first match of the tournament. Somehow they both ended up winning.

Bangalore Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers, IPL, Centurion

2009-05-22T01:06:00.000-07:00

Pandey century takes Bangalore to No. 3

Royal Challengers Bangalore 170 for 4 (Pandey 114*) beat Deccan Chargers 158 for 6 (Gibbs 60, Akhil 2-18, Kumble 2-23) by 12 runs

Hail the first Indian centurion of the IPL at Centurion © Associated Press

In a campaign that has included matches insipid and inspiring Royal Challengers Bangalore have well and truly come to life. Maintaining the momentum of three consecutive wins, they pulled the rug from under Deccan Chargers' feet and went to No. 3 in the points table, setting up a semi-final clash with the Chennai Super Kings on Saturday. Deccan will play Delhi Daredevils in Friday's semi-final.

At the end of a clinical win, Bangalore can thank Manish Pandey and RP Singh. Promoting Pandey to open in a pressure situation, Bangalore nearly lost him in the third over but RP's gross misjudgment at third man settled the nerves and then some. Either cutting solidly or swatting and slapping with efficiency rather than grace, Pandey grabbed the opportunity and notched up just the second century this season - and the first by an Indian in either season. Few in South Africa would have heard of the Under-19 batsman before today but should remember him after this amazing effort.

Teams have struggled to defend under lights at Centurion, and Bangalore were put on the backfoot as Herschelle Gibbs waded into the attack. But Anil Kumble took pace off the ball and once Gibbs and Andrew Symonds were dismissed in relative succession it all got too tough for Deccan.

RP's drop in the third over came after Jacques Kallis pulled his seventh ball to short square leg. It proved a costly error. Pandey began his innings looking out of sorts, twice inside-edging Ryan Harris on the bounce to Adam Gilchrist and top-edging safely to third man. Batting as though Bangalore needed to chase 250, Pandey clouted the ball through the leg side with abandon.

Roelof van der Merwe showed a liking for RP on the leg side, twice crashing him over through and over mid-on for boundaries, and weighed in with 23 from 18 balls. After he was well stumped off Symonds in the tenth over, Pandey weighed the situation and hung on. By this time he was 33, and on resumption after the strategic break dumped T Suman's offspin for consecutive sixes to raise his half-century. Now his timing had improved considerably and Bangalore were going at seven an over.

Very strong through the leg side, Pandey's main scoring option was the swipe across the line. RP returned to bowl the 14th over and Pandey reminded him of his reprieve, swatting and edging fours. He continued the same way after Pragyan Ojha accounted for Rahul Dravid in the next over, clearing his front leg and slogging against the turn. The caress - Pandey steered Jaskaran for four - was followed by the clubbed - next ball disappeared for six - and the fortuitous - an edge beat Gilchrist for four - as Pandey moved to 98 at the end of the 17th over.

Deccan Chargers v Delhi Daredevils, IPL semi-final, Centurion - Delhi start as clear favourites

2009-05-22T00:57:00.000-07:00

Big Picture

Ashish Nehra is Delhi's leading wicket-taker, but he hasn't been at his best against Deccan © AFP

Thirty-four days after IPL 2009 kicked off, it's finally time to leave the comforts of the round-robin stages behind. These 34 days were a test of endurance but there was also a reassurance, at most times, that a defeat wasn't the end of the story. There'll be no such second chance on Friday though when Delhi Daredevils take on Deccan Chargers in the first semi-final in Centurion.

The journey to the last four stage has been contrasting for the two teams. Both started similarly, winning their first three matches, but whereas Delhi continued their strong performance throughout the five weeks, winning ten games, Deccan fell away alarmingly with just three wins in their last ten matches.

On current form, Delhi have to start off as favourites: Virender Sehwag's return to form has further boosted an already fantastic batting line-up. AB de Villiers has guided the middle order superbly, and is the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, while Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Karthik have lent him excellent support. The three left-arm seamers - Ashish Nehra, Dirk Nannes and Pradeep Sangwan - have been on top of their form, while Amit Mishra and Rajat Bhatia have ensured there is hardly any weak link in the bowling. Overall, there are hardly any chinks in the side, and their consistency is largely due to the fact that so many different players have put their hands up at various points of the tournament.

Deccan, on the other hand, go into the game with little momentum, having lost their last two matches. The openers, Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs, have often got them off to terrific starts, but an inconsistent middle order has been their bane: whereas de Villiers averages more than 54, and Karthik and Dilshan almost 40, Rohit Sharma, T Suman and Dwayne Smith all average in the 20s, with only Andrew Symonds (38.40) getting the runs consistently. Unlike Delhi, Deccan's bowling has a few weak links too, though the part-timers, led by Rohit, have done a fine job so far. However, in a format in which ten minutes of sheer brilliance can decide the fate of a game, Deccan have enough matchwinners to turn a game.

Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)

Delhi Daredevils: WLWLW
Sehwag is back among the runs, while Gautam Gambhir helped himself to a few as well against Mumbai. The bowling isn't a worry, and the lack of intensity, which was noticeable in a few round-robin games after they'd qualified, isn't likely to be a factor in a semi-final.

Deccan Chargers: LLWLW
The tendency to lose wickets at key moments remains a problem area, as does the patchy bowling. RP Singh is the leading wicket-taker, but he won't be happy with his most recent effort, when he leaked 47 in four overs against Mumbai.

Watch out for

RP Singh v Ashish Nehra: They are the two leading wicket-takers in the tournament, with Nehra two behind RP Singh's 20, and how the two bowlers handle the pressure of a big game could be key to their team's chances.

Virender Sehwag v Herschelle Gibbs: Both are proven matchwinners but have had some blips in the tournament. A few overs of either out in the middle, and the opposition could be reeling.

AB de Villiers v Andrew Symonds: They are the two main middle-order men for their teams. Deccan's inconsistency, though, probably means they are more dependent on Symonds than Delhi are on de Villiers. Symonds is a big-match player and the pressure of a knockout game might just bring out the best in him.

Team news

Nehra was rested for the game against Mumbai and will definitely return, probably at the expense of Avishkar Salvi, who was pretty impressive as well. David Warner has been among the runs and could continue opening despite Sehwag's return to form. The impressive displays by the bowlers means Glenn McGrath and Daniel Vettori will probably miss out again.

Delhi Daredevils: (probable) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 David Warner, 3 Virender Sehwag (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Rajat Bhatia, 8 Dirk Nannes, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Pradeep Sangwan, 11 Ashish Nehra.

Deccan might go in with the same team that lost to Bangalore. Ryan Harris has taken only two wickets in six games, but he might still be preferred over Chaminda Vaas, who hasn't got a game since disappearing for 52 from his four overs against Delhi. The last bowling slot remains a worry, with Jaskaran Singh, Harmeet Singh and Shoaib Maqsusi all going for plenty.

Deccan: (probable) 1 Adam Gilchrist (capt & wk), 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 T Suman, 4 Andrew Symonds, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 Venugopal Rao, 7 Azhar Bilakhia, 8 Ryan Harris, 9 RP Singh, 10 Pragyan Ojha, 11 Jaskaran Singh/Harmeet Singh.

Stats and trivia

Delhi are marginally ahead of Deccan in both batting and bowling: they average 29.52 per wicket while batting, at 7.72 per over. Deccan average 23.19 at 7.90. With the ball, Delhi average 19.64 per wicket, at 7.46 per over; for Deccan the corresponding numbers are 22.54 and 7.56.
In his last three matches, Nehra has bowled 11 overs, conceded 35 runs, and taken three wickets - an average of 11.67, at an economy rate of 3.18. In his two matches against Deccan, though, Nehra has leaked 77 runs in eight overs, for an average of 25.67 at an economy rate of 9.62. This is the most expensive he has been against any team.
Sehwag's half-century was the 11th score of 50 or more by a Delhi batsman. Deccan have achieved this only seven times.
Chasing a target might be a better option against Delhi: in six games when Delhi have batted first, they've won three and lost as many. Of eight games when they've chased a target, they've won seven, with only one loss, against Chennai by 18 runs.
Left-arm fast bowlers have taken 48 out of 87 wickets for Delhi.

Head-to-head record

Delhi have the clear advantage, having beaten Deccan on both occasions in this tournament. In their first clash, they easily chased down 149 with six wickets and eight balls to spare. In their next encounter, Deccan made a hash of their run-chase, falling 12 runs short. The first game between them was at Centurion, the venue of the semi-final.

Since Delhi won both times in 2008 as well, it means Deccan have never beaten their semi-final opponents in four tries.

Points table Indian Premier League, 2009

2009-05-22T00:56:00.001-07:00

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	N/R	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
Delhi Daredevils	14	10	4	0	20	+0.311	1978/255.2	1953/262.4
Chennai	14	8	5	1	17	+0.951	2086/255.3	1855/257.1
Bangalore	14	8	6	0	16	-0.191	1994/276.0	2027/273.2
Deccan Chargers	14	7	7	0	14	+0.203	2111/272.4	2097/278.1
Kings XI Punjab	14	7	7	0	14	-0.483	1787/251.2	1887/248.3
Rajasthan Royals	14	6	7	1	13	-0.352	1688/253.1	1810/257.5
Mumbai Indians	14	5	8	1	11	+0.297	1897/256.2	1802/253.4
Kolkata	14	3	10	1	7	-0.789	1757/248.5	1867/237.5

Result Date	Team	Pts	Team	Pts
18 Apr 2009	Mumbai Indians	2	Chennai	0	Table \| Match
	Bangalore	2	Rajasthan Royals	0	Match
19 Apr 2009	Delhi Daredevils	2	Kings XI Punjab	0	Table \| Match
	Deccan Chargers	2	Kolkata	0	Match
20 Apr 2009	Chennai	2	Bangalore	0	Table \| Match
21 Apr 2009	Kolkata	2	Kings XI Punjab	0	Table \| Match
	Mumbai Indians	1	Rajasthan Royals	1	Match
22 Apr 2009	Deccan Chargers	2	Bangalore	0	Table \| Match
23 Apr 2009	Delhi Daredevils	2	Chennai	0	Table \| Match
	Rajasthan Royals	2	Kolkata	0	Match
24 Apr 2009	Kings XI Punjab	2	Bangalore	0	Table \| Match
25 Apr 2009	Deccan Chargers	2	Mumbai Indians	0	Table \| Match
	Chennai	1	Kolkata	1	Match
26 Apr 2009	Delhi Daredevils	2	Bangalore	0	Table \| Match
	Kings XI Punjab	2	Rajasthan Royals	0	Match
27 Apr 2009	Deccan Chargers	2	Chennai	0	Table \| Match
	Mumbai Indians	2	Kolkata	0	Match
28 Apr 2009	Rajasthan Royals	2	Delhi Daredevils	0	Table \| Match
29 Apr 2009	Bangalore	2	Kolkata	0	Table \| Match
	Kings XI Punjab	2	Mumbai Indians	0	Match
30 Apr 2009	Delhi Daredevils	2	Deccan Chargers	0	Table \| Match
	Chennai	2	Rajasthan Royals	0	Match
1 May 2009	Mumbai Indians	2	Kolkata	0	Table \| Match
	Bangalore	2	Kings XI Punjab	0	Match
2 May 2009	Rajasthan Royals	2	Deccan Chargers	0	Table \| Match
	Chennai	2	Delhi Daredevils	0	Match
3 May 2009	Kings XI Punjab	2	Kolkata	0	Table \| Match
	Bangalore	2	Mumbai Indians	0	Match
4 May 2009	Chennai	2	Deccan Chargers	0	Table \| Match
5 May 2009	Rajasthan Royals	2	Kings XI Punjab	0	Table \| Match
	Delhi Daredevils	2	Kolkata	0	Match
6 May 2009	Deccan Chargers	2	Mumbai Indians	0	Table \| Match
7 May 2009	Rajasthan Royals	2	Bangalore	0	Table \| Match
	Chennai	2	Kings XI Punjab	0	Match
8 May 2009	Delhi Daredevils	2	Mumbai Indians	0	Table \| Match
9 May 2009	Kings XI Punjab	2	Deccan Chargers	0	Table \| Match
	Chennai	2	Rajasthan Royals	0	Match
10 May 2009	Mumbai Indians	2	Bangalore	0	Table \| Match
	Delhi Daredevils	2	Kolkata	0	Match
11 May 2009	Deccan Chargers	2	Rajasthan Royals	0	Table \| Match
12 May 2009	Bangalore	2	Kolkata	0	Table \| Match
	Mumbai Indians	2	Kings XI Punjab	0	Match
13 May 2009	Delhi Daredevils	2	Deccan Chargers	0	Table \| Match
14 May 2009	Bangalore	2	Chennai	0	Table \| Match
	Rajasthan Royals	2	Mumbai Indians	0	Match
15 May 2009	Kings XI Punjab	2	Delhi Daredevils	0	Table \| Match
16 May 2009	Chennai	2	Mumbai Indians	0	Table \| Match
	Deccan Chargers	2	Kolkata	0	Match
17 May 2009	Kings XI Punjab	2	Deccan Chargers	0	Table \| Match
	Delhi Daredevils	2	Rajasthan Royals	0	Match
18 May 2009	Kolkata	2	Chennai	0	Table \| Match
19 May 2009	Bangalore	2	Delhi Daredevils	0	Table \| Match
20 May 2009	Kolkata	2	Rajasthan Royals	0	Table \| Match
	Chennai	2	Kings XI Punjab	0	Match
21 May 2009	Delhi Daredevils	2	Mumbai Indians	0	Table \| Match
	Bangalore	2	Deccan Chargers	0	Match

IPL Photes : 4 - Indian Premier League Cricket Cheerleader/ IPL Cheerleader

2009-05-22T00:50:00.000-07:00

Indian Premier League Cricket Cheerleader/ IPL Cheerleader

Bangalore Royal Challengers v Chennai Super Kings, IPL - pics, photos

2009-04-20T21:49:00.001-07:00

Matthew Hayden was in an unforgiving mood right at the start of the innings

Parthiv Patel lent good support as Chennai raced to 50 in the fifth over

Hayden brought up his fifty off 22 balls

Chennai had raced to 106 for no loss by the half-way mark and was set for a big score

But one magical over from Kevin Pietersen resulted in Patel being bowled for 30

Hayden was run out next ball by a direct hit from Rahul Dravid

Andrew Flintoff's 13-ball 22 pushed the scoring in the final overs, as Chennai ended on 179

Manpreet Gony dealt the first blow during the chase, removing Praveen Kumar off the third ball of the innings

Jacques Kallis put on a spirited display before he fell to Albie Morkel for 24

Flintoff accounted for Ross Taylor as Bangalore were pegged back at 47 for 3

Muttiah Muralitharan struck four balls later, dismissing Kevin Pietersen for a first-ball duck

Muralitharan finally ended with 3 for 11 and was adjudged the Man of the Match

It was quite the experience for Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, though the latter ended the more happier

Bangalore Royal Challengers v Chennai Super Kings, IPL, Port Elizabeth- Classy Chennai steamroll Bangalore

2009-04-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

Chennai Super Kings 179 for 5 (Hayden 65) beat Bangalore Royal Challengers 87 (Murali 3-11) by 92 runs

Bangalore Royal Challengers never recovered from Matthew Hayden's initial blitz © AFP

Chennai Super Kings' big-name foreign players stepped up to get the campaign back on track after the opening-day reverse against Mumbai Indians. Matthew Hayden rolled back the years to crack a quick half-century, Muttiah Muralitharan put another nail in the coffin of the spinners-have-no-place-in-Twenty20 theory, and Andrew Flintoff sparkled with bat and ball to sink Bangalore Royal Challengers.

Bangalore may have revamped their side this year, but turned in a performance reminiscent of their dire showings last season. The batting has yet to fire in two games, and the bowling was clueless against the initial onslaught from Chennai's openers.

After a weekend when the bowlers mostly held sway, the Chennai openers staged a display of vintage Twenty20 batting to provide just the start MS Dhoni would have wanted after winning the toss. Hayden was at his bullying best, and the hallmarks of his batting were on view: the walk-down-the-track to club the quicks, the muscular sweeps against the spinners. There was plenty of finesse among the fireworks as well, gentle glides to third man, and some caressed drives through cover.

Jacques Kallis, surprisingly picked ahead of Jesse Ryder, bore the brunt of Hayden's hitting. His first three deliveries disappeared for boundaries, and Hayden rounded off the over with a blast over long-off for six, 20 runs in that fifth over had Chennai flying at 56 for 0.

Pietersen rang in the changes but they were to no avail. Vinay Kumar was taken for two fours in the next over, and part-timer Virat Kohli gifted a couple of fours in the seventh which had Hayden racing to his half-century.

Parthiv was not quite as fluent, always keen to throw his bat and loft towards midwicket. There were plenty of mishits while he attempted that stroke, but there was one glorious pull off Dale Steyn which sailed over the square-leg boundary. By the time the tactical time-out came around, Chennai had sprinted to 106 for 0.

Kevin Pietersen may have been paid the big bucks for his flamboyant batting and captaincy, but it was with his amiable offspinners that he made an impact. His first ball bowled Parthiv, who made a meal of a slog-sweep, and Hayden was run out by a direct hit from Rahul Dravid at point off the next delivery. Only eight runs came off the next three overs.

Suresh Raina and Dhoni played some sumptuous strokes, but there too many singles and dot balls to keep the run-rate at the stratospheric levels the openers had maintained. It was left to Flintoff to make a 13-ball 22, including a flat six over square-leg off Steyn, to push Chennai along.

The boundaries may have been brought in at St George's Park, but 180 was always going to be a tall order for Bangalore. Their experiment to open with Praveen Kumar failed when he was bowled in the first over.

Kallis started to make amends for his lacklustre bowling with some eye-catching strokes steering Bangalore to 40 for 1 after five overs. However, he perished when, after a Pietersen-esque jumps across the stumps, he missed a full ball from Morkel to be trapped lbw.The miserly Flintoff then struck, getting Ross Taylor when a wild swipe only went as far as the bowler.

Worse was to follow. Murali, bowling from round the wicket, trapped Pietersen for a duck with a straighter one, and the unconvincing Robin Uthappa was stumped after being drawn forward by a flighted delivery which dipped and turned. Bangalore had slid to 51 for 5, and the chase was shipwrecked.

With the asking-rate spiralling upwards, Bangalore set about throwing the bat around, and the inevitable indiscreet strokes had them bowled out for 87.

Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL - pics, photos

2009-04-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

RP Singh rocked Kolkata's top order after Brendon McCullum elected to bat

Brendon McCullum was the first to go, caught down the leg side

Chris Gayle followed after two monstrous hits, miscuing the ball to long-off

Sourav Ganguly struggled to force the ball away and edged behind for 1 off 12 balls

Gilchrist stumped Aakash Chopra to make it 34 for 4

Pragyan Ojha's tidy spin kept Kolkata on the mat

Scott Styris picked up two wickets to further rattle a sloppy Kolkata unit

Gilchrist tried to get the chase off to a flier but didn't last too long

Rohit, however, was in great nick and hit an unbeaten 36 from 32 balls

Herschelle Gibbs swung his way to an unbeaten 43 as Deccan won by eight wickets

Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab, IPL - pics, photos

2009-04-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

Ravi Bopara also played some super shots in a 67-run stand

Goel made a 21-ball 38 that wowed the Newlands crowd

But then came the wily Daniel Vettori to put the skids on Punjab

Some silly running ended Punjab's innings on 104, a poor effort given the rousing start they had

Rain in the second over of Delhi's chase forced a new target of 54 in six overs, and Gautam Gambhir went for it

But it was Virender Sehwag's 16-ball 38 that sealed Delhi's victory

Goel's fireworks gave Punjab's cheerleaders plenty to shout about early on

Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab, IPL, Cape Town - Vettori stars in Delhi's rain-affected win

2009-04-19T22:34:00.001-07:00

Delhi Daredevils 54 for 0 (Sehwag 38*) beat Kings XI Punjab 104 for 7 (Goel 38, Vettori 3-15) by ten wickets

Daniel Vettori's 3 for 15 completely derailed Punjab's innings © AFP

Frequent showers ruined the first match of Sunday's double-header in Cape Town, reducing the target required by Delhi Daredevils to only 54 in six overs, a goal they reached with all wickets intact. The victory, however, was set up by Daniel Vettori's remarkable spell which brought an abrupt halt to Kings XI Punjab's burgeoning momentum and gave Delhi a manageable target to chase.

The game was first reduced to 14 overs a side, and then to 12, and the boundaries were shortened to exclude wet parts of the outfield. The pre-match conditions - overcast skies and a green-tinged pitch - indicated that the fast bowlers would find assistance at Newlands and Delhi packed their side with four seamers. However, their inexperienced new-ball attack - Delhi left out Glenn McGrath - struggled to contain the Kings XI Punjab openers, Karan Goel and Ravi Bopara, who raced to 67 in the first six overs.

Sehwag used his fast bowlers in one-over spells before the tactical time-out but turned to Vettori, the No. 1 spinner in Twenty20 internationals, soon after to stem the run-flow. Vettori had immediate success, trapping Bopara lbw with a straighter one, and bowled flat and straight, conceding only one run off his first over. Victoria fast bowler Dirk Nannes bowled another economical over to two new batsmen - Kumar Sangakkara and Yuvraj Singh - before holding a well-judged catch at short fine-leg off Sangakkara's top-edged sweep to give Vettori his second wicket.

With only three overs to go, Yuvraj found his timing, clouting Nannes and Vettori for sixes over wide long-on and midwicket. Just when Yuvraj seemed to be making a push towards a 120-plus score, Mahela Jayawardene called for an ill-advised run and Vettori broke the stumps with Yuvraj well short at the bowler's end. Punjab then lost two more wickets within the space of three balls - Jayawardene was caught at long-off off Vettori and Piyush Chawla was run out without facing a ball. Vettori finished with 3 for 15 and was instrumental in pulling Punjab back to 104 for 7.

Gautam Gambhir gave Delhi an ideal start by driving Irfan Pathan over cover and flicking through midwicket for boundaries. Thereafter, however, it was all Sehwag. He flicked his first ball, from Yusuf Abdulla, over fine leg for six and lofted his second to the long-on boundary. The drizzle that had been around from the half-way point of Punjab's innings grew stronger and forced the players off with Delhi on 24 for 0 after 1.5 overs. When play resumed, Delhi needed only 31 more off 25 balls. Sehwag drove the first ball after the resumption firmly to the long-off boundary and effectively ended any slim hopes of a Punjab victory.

Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL, Cape Town- Tidy Deccan overwhelm Kolkata

2009-04-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

April 19, 2009

Deccan Chargers 104 for 2 (Gibbs 43*, Rohit 36*) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 101 (RP Singh 4-22) by eight wickets

Herschelle Gibbs' unbeaten 43 guided Deccan Chargers to a comprehensive victory © Getty Images

Could the script have been any different from last year's start for the Kolkata Knight Riders? Brendon McCullum's intoxicating 158 had taken them to an enormous victory a year ago, but they were outplayed by an efficient Deccan Chargers outfit on a juicy pitch in Cape Town. It has been a weekend to savour for bowlers, and each member of Deccan's attack did their bit to leave Kolkata scrambling to reach triple-digits. Herschelle Gibbs, coming off a triumphant series against Australia, and Rohit Sharma, back in the country where he made his name in 2007, then made sure Deccan's campaign didn't begin in the dismal way last season's had.

Kolkata had packed their batting with foreign players, but it wasn't enough to prevent a hapless batting performance. Their formidable top order was handcuffed by Deccan's new-ball bowlers. Fidel Edwards was fast and frugal - consistently around the 140kph mark, he gave away only six runs, the lowest conceded in a completed IPL spell - and RP Singh evicted the Kolkata openers early.

Everything went right for Deccan. With Kolkata on 2 for 1 after three overs, Gayle broke free with a crash past point for four and a mow over midwicket for six. Then Adam Gilchrist pushed a fielder back to long-on, where Gayle promptly holed out next ball.

Sourav Ganguly had a short-lived and uncomfortable stay, beaten several times, and was unable to find the gap through the off side when he connected. Even fans protesting his removal from the captaincy can't defend the shot that brought about his dismissal - backing away and then stabbing at a wide, full delivery, only to nick it to slip.

Despite rain and a floodlight failure causing the game to be delayed by nearly an hour-and-a-half, the organisers decided to have the seven-and-a-half-minute interval after the tenth over. Aakash Chopra and Brad Hodge had dragged Kolkata to 31 for 3 by then, but also found Pragyan Ojha's left-arm spin a handful. Both Chopra and Laxmi Shukla perished giving Ojha the charge, only to be undone by the turn.

Hodge, the leading run-getter in Twenty20s, played a sensible hand. He entered in the fifth over and knocked around the singles before opening out in the 16th. Hodge slammed a couple of boundaries before slapping Scott Styris straight to Herschelle Gibbs at point. The tailenders threw their bat around but RP took two in three balls to deny Kolkata even the modest satisfaction of playing out their 20 overs.

A target of 102 was never going to be too big a challenge, especially as Kolkata had left out Ajantha Mendis on a pitch spinners have thrived on all weekend. Adam Gilchrist hit a couple of trademark boundaries before top-edging to square leg and VVS Laxman, after bludgeoning an out-of-character pull for six, was dismissed due to an old failing - poor running between the wickets.

That brought together Rohit and Gibbs, who knuckled down to work a few singles and steady the innings. Gibbs then started playing some inventive shots, a bent-knee sweep off Ganguly for four followed by a deft dab towards third man. Any pressure that Kolkata had built up vanished, and neither batsmen was afraid of lofting the ball after that.

Rohit joined in the fun once Ajit Agarkar was introduced, a huge six over long-off and a couple of boundaries helping take 17 runs off his first over. Some more merry hitting from the pair finished off the game with nearly seven overs to spare.

Kolkata had talked of a radical multiple-captain theory before the tournament, but they need to come up with some fresh ideas if they are improve on today's dreadful show.

Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians, IPL, Cape Town- Tendulkar's experience sets up Mumbai's win

2009-04-18T07:40:00.001-07:00

Mumbai Indians 166 for 7 (Tendulkar 59*, Nayar 35) beat Chennai Super Kings 145 for 7 (Hayden 44, Malinga 3-15) by 19 runs

Sachin Tendulkar carried the Mumbai Indians with an unbeaten 59, and how crucial it proved © Getty Images

In the first match of the IPL in 2008, Brendon McCullum smashed an unbeaten 158 from just 73 balls to set up a crushing win for his side. A year later, as season two got underway across the Indian Ocean in different conditions and under grey skies, Sachin Tendulkar batted 20 overs for an unbeaten 59 from 49 balls. It was as valuable as McCullum's blitzkrieg, if utterly different in execution and appeal, for it came on a track not entirely conducive to batting and laid the platform for Mumbai Indians' victory.

Stumbling and bumbling, Mumbai managed to put together a competitive total after the core of their vaunted batting struggled to cope with the uneven bounce at Newlands. There were few fireworks from the big bats and the team owed plenty to the vast experience of Tendulkar, who absorbed the pressure superbly. Where Chennai's pacers were tidy in restricting runs during the middle stages of Mumbai's innings, it was the spinners Harbhajan Singh and Sanath Jayasuriya who derailed Chennai. They varied their pace and reined in the big hitters before Lasith Malinga kept the tail under control.

The pre-match drizzle in cloudy Cape Town influenced MS Dhoni's decision to field on a damp pitch and though Mumbai's opening partnership yielded 39 in 5.4 overs, it wasn't convincing. Jayasuriya slashed and swiped and survived a run out before he mowed fellow Sri Lankan Thilan Thushara to midwicket for 26. The ball didn't come on to the bat to the batsmen's liking, as evident in Tendulkar's frequent grimaces and constant shuffling to manoeuvre the bowling. Tendulkar attempted and connected on a few risky shots over the infield and was dropped on 10 by Matthew Hayden at first slip, off a leading edge drawn by Andrew Flintoff.

Play was then held up for 12 minutes when a dog found its way onto the field. Failing to be enticed by whistles, calls, dives and even an inviting snack, the canine intruder got bored and trudged away. After the resumption Chennai's bowlers made swift inroads.

Shikhar Dhawan struggled for fluency and was undone by the slow bounce as he top-edged Manpreet Gony. Gony then held on to a sharp reflex catch to get JP Duminy with a clever bouncer in his next over and, taking the cue, Joginder Sharma dropped short and had Dwayne Bravo pulling to deep square leg. It was proof that the short-pitched ball can work well on such tracks. With Tendulkar keeping one end up, Abhishek Nayar walked out and played an invaluable cameo that provided a late push. Nayar larruped Flintoff for three sixes in a 22-run over in his 14-ball 35, while Tendulkar kept the innings alive with an important 59 from 49 balls. That 46-run partnership would prove decisive.

Chennai's chase was dented in the first over when Parthiv Patel steered Malinga to Tendulkar at slip. Suresh Raina caressed an impressive boundary in Zaheer Khan's first over but fell in the next, pulling Bravo to deep square leg where Rohan Raje made a difficult chance look easy. Malinga was tight, and Tendulkar showed the value of taking pace off the ball as a run-checking tactic, but Chennai's batsmen remained restless.

And as long as there is limited-overs cricket there will linger the prospect of the spinners' choke during the middle overs, especially when an Indian and Sri Lankan are bowling. Today it was Harbhajan and Jayasuriya. Flintoff didn't last long against Harbhajan, going for a wild swipe and popping back an easy catch.

Hayden - who bullied young medium-pacer Raje for three successive fours and drilled his old friend Harbhajan for a straight six - chased a wide one from Jayasuriya and picked out a diving cover fielder. Jacob Oram then perished to an ugly slog against Jayasuriya, leaving Dhoni with plenty to do.

Dhoni swung his bat freely but the rest perished with a whimper and there was an odd feeling that they had thrown in the towel. Malinga gave away nothing and his crafty yorkers and reverse-swinging variations netted him excellent figures of 3 for 14 from four parsimonious overs.

It was the end to the first game of an important double-header day's viewing for the Newlands crowd, who had filed in two hours ahead before the toss in gloomy conditions to watch the teams and general entertainment bandwagon. Mumbai celebrated the win animatedly in front of a healthy crowd. It wasn't exactly a boisterous Wankhede cauldron, but the IPL thinktank has reason to smile after the tournament opener.

Sourav Ganguly Will not captain of KKR Brendon mccullum replaces sourav ganguly

2009-04-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

Cape Town: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach John Buchanan and team owner Shah Rukh Khan seem to have won this round.

With just a day left for the Indian Premier League (IPL) to begin, the team announced that New Zealander Brendan McCullum will captain the side in place of Sourav Ganguly in the initial matches hinting that Buchanan's multiple captain theory will be put in practice.

In a warm-up match at Bloemfontein, Ganguly's team had thrashed McCullum's side. The Knight Riders play their first IPL season 2 match against the Deccan Chargers on April 19.

The Bengal southpaw has been getting support from the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, who has no time for such concepts, even if team owner Shah Rukh Khan continues to back his coach.

Initial supporters of the theory also seem to be changing their mind now. Like Ishant Sharma. He had backed the theory, but now the speedster is rooting for a single captain.

chennai superkings team at the cape town ipl carnival

2009-04-18T06:46:00.001-07:00

chennai superkings team at the cape town ipl carnival

Mahendra Singh Dhoni Viraj Vilas Kadbe Palani Amarnath Manpreet Gony Srikkanth Anirudha Murali Vijay Napoleon Einstein George Bailey Stephen Fleming Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan

Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians, IPL, Cape Town-Tendulkar's experience lifts Mumbai

2009-04-18T06:46:00.000-07:00

20 overs Mumbai Indians 165 for 7 (Tendulkar 59*, Nayar 35) v Chennai Super Kings

Sachin Tendulkar carried Mumbai with 59 not out © Associated Press

Stumbling and bumbling, the Mumbai Indians managed to put together a competitive total after the core of their vaunted batting struggled to cope with the uneven bounce at Newlands. There were few fireworks from Mumbai's big bats during game one of IPL's second season and they team owed plenty to the vast experience of Sachin Tendulkar, who absorbed the pressure with an unbeaten half-century. Chennai Super Kings' pace bowlers kept it accurate for most of the innings on a track not entirely conducive to batting and reined in the big hitters, leaving their own batsmen a target of 166.

Mumbai's opening partnership yielded 39 in 5.4 overs but it wasn't convincing. The first boundary of the IPL didn't come as Sanath Jayasuriya would have liked it, slashing wide of slip, and he also survived a close run-out chance. Tendulkar attempted and connected on a few risky shots over the infield and was dropped on 10 by Matthew Hayden at first slip, off a leading edge drawn by Andrew Flintoff. The running and calling between Jayasuriya and Tendulkar was shaky and they also struggled to find the gaps. The ball didn't come on to the bat to the batsmen's liking, as evident in Tendulkar's frequent grimaces and constant shuffling to manoeuvre the bowling.

Jayasuriya's repeated attempts to mow across the line earned him a few runs but one such shot went straight to midwicket, off fellow Sri Lankan allrounder Thilan Thushara. Play was then held up for 12 minutes when a dog found its way onto the field. Failing to be enticed by whistles, calls, dives and even an inviting snack, the canine intruder got bored and trudged away. After the resumption Chennai's bowlers made swift inroads.

Shikhar Dhawan, in his first game for Mumbai, struggled for fluency and was undone by the slow bounce as he top-edged Manpreet Gony. Gony then held on to a sharp reflex catch to get JP Duminy with a clever bouncer in his next over and, taking the cue, Joginder Sharma dropped short and had Dwayne Bravo pulling to deep square leg. It was proof that the short-pitched ball can work well on such tracks.

With Tendulkar keeping one end up, Abhishek Nayar walked out and played an invaluable cameo, including three larruped sixes in one Flintoff over. Nayar was also busy between the wickets in his 14-ball 35, and Tendulkar kept the innings alive with an important 59 from 49 balls, but it remains to be see what sort of total is safe here.

The pre-match drizzle in cloudy Cape Town influenced MS Dhoni's decision to field on a damp pitch and 20 overs later he led his side off the field looking rather pleased. Dhoni rotated the same five pace bowlers, not turning to R Ashwin's off spin. Gony, Sharma and Thushara - picked because Albie Morkel's kit didn't arrive with him from Johannesburg - bowled well and mixed slower deliveries with bouncers to good effect. Flintoff, the IPL's most expensive acquisition, leaked 44 from his four overs for one wicket.

New Zealand v India, 3rd Test, Wellington, 2nd day- pics, photos,

2009-04-04T01:14:00.000-07:00

New Zealand v India, 3rd Test, Wellington, 2nd day - Zaheer's five gives India control

2009-04-04T00:05:00.001-07:00

India 379 and 51 for 1 lead New Zealand 197 (Taylor 42, Zaheer 5-65) by 233 runs

MS Dhoni marked his return from injury by taking six catches © Getty Images

A magnificent display of fast bowling from Zaheer Khan, coupled with a spineless batting performance by the home team, put India well on course to a series-clinching victory after just two days of the Wellington Test. New Zealand needed a strong batting display to stay in the series, but the technique and temperament of their top order was exposed thoroughly yet again, as they folded meekly in 65 overs for 197. Though India lost Virender Sehwag early, that was the only negative in the day, which they finished 233 in front, with nine wickets in hand.

Both teams could lay claims to taking the honours on the opening day, but today belonged quite emphatically to the visitors. Zaheer was the architect, knocking the stuffing out of the New Zealand top order by taking the first four wickets. Ross Taylor was the only batsman who stood firm, scoring a classy and unblemished 42, but none of the other batsmen looked the part.

New Zealand needed just 13 deliveries to clean up India's last wicket, but that was as good as it got for them. Ishant Sharma struggled while bowling against the wind, but Zaheer was relentless from the first ball. He charged in, found the perfect length and some swing, mixed in the short deliveries smartly, and changed his line of attack to keep the batsmen guessing. Operating mostly from a short run-up, he seemed to bowl within himself and yet worked up brisk pace.

He started the New Zealand slide, switching to round the stumps to get rid of Martin Guptill, who was judging Zaheer's over-the-wicket offerings to a nicety. But when the angle changed, Guptill tried to stand tall to defend a short one angled into him, and could only get an inside-edge onto his stumps. Daniel Flynn, back in the team for Jamie How, offered no resistance, lasting only eight deliveries before nicking a perfect delivery that pitched in the corridor and seamed away.

Zaheer's first spell read 8-2-18-2, and after a brief break, which included the lunch interval, he was back to wreck more havoc. Tim McIntosh had somehow made his way to 32 without ever being convincing - stiff and upright, he was often late on his shots and played-and-missed on several occasions - before Zaheer ended his misery with the short one. McIntosh was in two minds and in the end limply hung his bat, edging to Yuvraj Singh, who finally took a catch in the slip cordon.

That brought together Taylor and Jesse Ryder, easily New Zealand's best batsmen, but Ryder looked unsettled from the start. He was troubled by Harbhajan's drift and turn, before attempting a stroke that will make him cringe when he sees the replay: Zaheer tempted him with a short and wide ball, so wide that Ryder had to stretch out to reach it, and all he managed was the toe end of the bat.

Zaheer Khan was outstanding with the new ball, and took the first four New Zealand wickets to fall on the second day © Getty Images

Through all the limp batting at one end, Taylor's approach suggested he was playing on another surface, against another attack. From ball one, he was precise with his footwork and assured in judgment, playing close to his body, with the full face of the bat, and scarcely looking in any discomfort. He started his innings with a superb straight-drive for four off Zaheer, and played several more strokes that stood out. When India had a stranglehold over proceedings in a period before lunch when seven overs fetched seven runs, Taylor broke the shackles with a classy cover-drive off the accurate Munaf Patel. After lunch, he played the shot of the innings: there was hardly anything wrong with Zaheer's delivery, which was on a good length just outside off, but Taylor was still good enough to effortlessly ease it through cover-point with a small shuffle, short back-lift and outstanding timing.

It was an innings that deserved to go much further, but was unfortunately cut short when umpire Daryl Harper upheld an appeal for a catch down the leg side. Replays suggested there was no contact between bat and ball, but Taylor didn't question the decision, walking off as soon as the finger went up.

Zaheer was the architect of the New Zealand collapse, but Harbhajan bowled superbly and deserved his success. Bowling at a slower pace than he normally does, he got the ball to drift, grip, and spin in an unchanged spell that began just before lunch and didn't end till the New Zealand innings was wrapped up. James Franklin, who continues to bat above Brendon McCullum for reasons unknown, was his second victim, sweeping tamely to square leg, while McCullum, who was left to play with the tail for much of his innings, edged a cut to Dhoni, who marked his return to the team with six catches, a record for an Indian wicketkeeper. That the loudest cheers from New Zealand supporters probably came when Chris Martin - who had scored two runs in his 11 previous Test innings - lofted Harbhajan straight down the ground for four summed up the kind of day they had. The Indians, who are eyeing their 100th Test win, won't be complaining.

New Zealand v India, 3rd Test, Wellington, 1st day - Late surge gives India the edge

2009-04-03T01:50:00.000-07:00

India 375 for 9 (Tendulkar 62, Harbhajan 60, Dhoni 52) v New Zealand

Sachin Tendulkar dominated the New Zealand attack before his loose shot © Getty Images

On a day of frenetic action in which the pendulum swung in favour of both teams several times, India edged ahead with a late-order revival lifting them to a respectable first-innings total of 375 for 9. New Zealand would be fairly satisfied with the fact that they managed nine wickets after inserting the opposition in good batting conditions - a brown pitch, and bright, sunny conditions - but it could have been much better for them had they kept India's lower order in check in the final session, which yielded an astonishing 185 runs in 35 overs.

When India went into the tea break at 190 for 5, the honours were clearly with New Zealand: they had recovered from a fearful hammering in the first hour, when Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir clobbered 68, and prised out the entire Indian heavyweight top order except Rahul Dravid. And when Dravid fell for a patient 35 soon after, India had slumped to 204 for 6, and were perhaps staring at a total of around 250.

However, the Indians still had their captain, MS Dhoni, who returned after recovering from a bad back. He made his presence felt in no uncertain terms, running urgently between the wickets with Harbhajan Singh during an action-packed 79-run stand that shifted the momentum towards India. Dhoni had a few lucky escapes at the start, while Harbhajan mistimed enough shots to keep the fielders interested, but the batsmen rode their luck, and with the new ball still a few overs away, took heavy toll of Vettori's left-arm spin.

With the batsmen attempting extravagant strokes, it was almost inevitable that one of them would lead to a dismissal. But the innings didn't fold up when Dhoni top-edged a pull. Harbhajan kept swinging away, even when New Zealand took the second new ball, adding 33 more with Zaheer Khan, who then took over the fight, creaming four fours off successive balls from Iain O'Brien, backing away, making room, and heaving it to the boundary. Munaf Patel and Ishant Sharma continued the fun, ensuring India ended the day in much higher spirits than they had been at tea.

Until the lower-order fightback, though, India's innings was reminiscent of the way they played in the first innings in Napier, where they got starts, and then attempted extravagant strokes to throw it away. There were three significant partnerships, for the first, third and seventh wickets, but these were interspersed by a flurry of wickets, which ensured that the visitors were never totally dominant, except in the first hour when Sehwag and Gambhir completely dominated a listless new-ball attack, hammering 68 in 14 overs.

To New Zealand's credit, they recovered from that onslaught. James Franklin took only one wicket - and was denied Dravid's scalp because he over-stepped - but he was the pick of the bowlers. He had the backing of the captain despite taking no wicket in the first two Tests, and he justified that with plenty of discipline and skill, moving the ball both ways from an excellent line. The way he dismissed Gambhir was perhaps the only instance of a wicket-taking delivery dismissing a top-order batsman: after swinging several balls away from the left-hander, he bowled one with the scrambled seam which moved in and completely flummoxed Gambhir, trapping him plumb in front.

For the most part, though, the Indians were guilty of throwing it away with poor shot-selection. Sehwag's 51-ball cameo probably lulled the others into extravagance. Taking full advantage of the wide, swinging half-volleys that Tim Southee bowled, Sehwag got the innings off to an astonishing start, creaming a six over point in only the fourth over of the day, and then spanking several drives through the covers. He fell trying to force one too close to his body, off Iain O'Brien, and that set the template for the dismissal of at least a couple of other top-order mates, as both Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman edged attempting forceful shots.

Tendulkar, though, displayed all his class in a fluent knock of 62 before he fell. The feature of his innings was the square-drive, which he executed with perfect balance off either foot, repeatedly piercing the ball into gaps in front of, or behind point. When Chris Martin pitched one short, Tendulkar even managed to lean away and tap it over the slips. During his 90-run partnership with Dravid, India had recovered the ascendancy, only for New Zealand to fight back just before tea, taking three quick wickets, including that of a hopelessly clumsy Yuvraj Singh. He reopened debates about his inclusion in the Test team with a soft dismissal, falling over so far that he was trapped in front by a straight delivery from Jesse Ryder. That, though, signalled Dhoni's entry, and the beginning of India's fightback.

By the time 90 overs were finally done, the crowds at Basin Reserve had witnessed 49 fours, three sixes, and nine wickets, all adding up to a day of whopping entertainment.

West Indies v England, 4th ODI, Bridgetown - Spectacular Strauss seals victory

2009-03-30T00:28:00.000-07:00

England 136 for 1 (Strauss 79*) beat West Indies 239 for 9 (Bravo 69, Mascarenhas 3-26) by nine wickets - D/L method

Andrew Strauss blasted 79 off 61 balls to ensure England go into the final ODI in St Lucia with the series level © Getty Images

England's captain, Andrew Strauss, seized on an unexpected opportunity to haul his side level in their ODI series against West Indies, with the decider still to come in St Lucia next week,as he defied his unglamorous reputation to crack 79 from just 61 balls in a rain-readjusted run-chase in Barbados. Strauss's scintillating display included nine fours, four of which came in consecutive deliveries from Lionel Baker, and their second six of the series off Darren Sammy, as England easily hunted down their 20-over target of 135, after West Indies had earlier posted a competitive 50-over total of 239 for 9.

For large tracts of the afternoon, it seemed as though the match was destined to finish as a soggy washout. Heavy clouds rolled over Bridgetown to delay England's run-chase and leave West Indies with an apparently unassailable 2-1 lead in the series. But then the sun broke through at 4.30pm - the last possible moment of the match - and Strauss emerged from the pavilion to take personal responsibility for this one-off shot at redemption. By the end of the fourth over, England were 41 for 0 and the captain had made 32 of them from 17 balls. It may not have been as emphatic as Chris Gayle's assault in Friday's third ODI, but the effect on the match was identical.

The game-changing moment came from the final ball of the second over, as Fidel Edwards offered too much width and was slapped violently past point. That shot gave Strauss all the confidence he required, and before the next over was complete Baker had been carved over the covers, past backward point, through midwicket and over the slips, all for four. Baker's five maidens in Friday's fixture had been instrumental in stifling England's ambitions, but this time he limped from the attack having conceded 24 runs in two overs.

Strauss survived one significant let-off when, on 39, he edged Kieron Pollard low to Denesh Ramdin behind the stumps but was reprieved, perhaps fortuitously, by the third umpire. Undeterred, he brought up his fifty from 41 balls, before climbing into Darren Sammy with a four over the covers and a flat driven six over wide long-on. Ravi Bopara, hitherto an unnoticed sidekick, then added England's third maximum of the series - a monstrous heave over midwicket that resulted in a lost ball - before holing out to Nikita Miller for 35 from 39 balls one delivery later.

Fittingly, it was left to Strauss to wrap up the match with a dab for four through third man with nine balls to spare. His effort was all the more impressive, as his team's two most potent 20-overs cricketers, Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, were both nursing injuries after incidents in the field. Pietersen succumbed to a mysterious back spasm after bowling five deliveries at Shivnarine Chanderpaul and would not have been able to bat any higher than No. 7, while Flintoff required heavy strapping on his left thumb after spilling a low return chance from Dwayne Bravo, and would only have batted if required.

It was a stinging shot from Bravo that caused the damage, a full-blooded drive from a wholehearted cricketer who produced arguably his most authoritative innings since returning from ankle surgery. His spanking innings of 69 from 72 balls hoisted West Indies from an uneasy 145 for 6 in the 35th over, after Dimitri Mascarenhas had banished the memory of Friday's 24-run over with the superb figures of 3 for 26 from 10. Flinging the bat with abandon, quite literally on one occasion as he top-edged a Stuart Broad beamer for six and lost his grip in the process, Bravo cracked 50 runs in the final five-over Powerplay to lift his team back towards the ascendancy.

With Steve Harmison recalled (for the sixth time since September) in place of Gareth Batty, England relied on an all-seam attack, and found good pace and carry from another lively surface. For the first 12 overs of the innings, however, the only carry that mattered was the distance by which Gayle was clearing the boundary. On Friday he clubbed eight sixes in 43 balls, and today he carried on clearing the ropes with gusto, adding five more maximums in a 39-ball 46. After a relatively measured start, Gayle launched the second ball of Broad's second over into the stands at midwicket, and though he was desperately fortunate to survive a loud appeal for lbw next ball, the shackles had been broken.

Flintoff, England's go-to man in times of crisis, was flogged first-ball over long-on, just as he was in the Jamaica Test at the start of the tour, and Gayle repeated the dose in Flintoff's third over, this time over third man. Harmison also felt the full wrath of his blade, as Gayle dispatched another length ball over long-on, before Broad finally ended the fun, but not before he'd been belted for another six, this time over the covers. One ball later, Broad pulled his length back a fraction, and Matt Prior pouched a steepling top-edge as he jogged around to point.

Gayle's opening partner, Lendl Simmons, also got in on the act, in particular with a lofted pull off James Anderson, and by the end of the innings, West Indies' sixes tally for the series had clicked along to 23 in four games. But Simmons was badly run out for 29 when Ramnaresh Sarwan sold him a dummy while sizing up a second run to square leg, before Sarwan himself played on to Flintoff, who found extra bounce from a good length to dislodge the bails via an angled block into the crease.

Chanderpaul and Ramdin re-established West Indies' position in an unfussy partnership of 43 in 10.3 overs, a stand that was most notable for Pietersen's bizarre injury. Earlier in the week, he had made some uncomplimentary remarks about Chanderpaul's "selfish" play, in particular his regular absences from the field between batting stints. Chanderpaul had the last laugh in that regard, when Pietersen pulled up with a back twinge, and sloped ignominiously to the dressing room in search of treatment. It was his last sighting of the match.

Three balls after that incident, however, England climbed into the ascendancy, courtesy Mascarenhas. Ramdin ran out of patience and holed out to a back-pedalling Flintoff at mid-on; Chanderpaul, after a rain-break, feathered an attempted steer to third man into Prior's gloves, then it was back to Flintoff's bucket-like hands, as he reached spectacularly over the boundary's edge at deep midwicket to collect a top-edged pull from Pollard. There was some suspicion that Flintoff's left boot had brushed the rope as he completed the catch, but the replays were inconclusive, and Pollard departed for a seven-ball duck.

Though Bravo ensured against a total collapse, even his late-innings fireworks paled compared to the top-order heroics that Strauss conjured up for England. Somehow, England are not merely surviving in this series, on this evidence they are thriving. Gayle might want to think again about his planned boycott of the fifth ODI. All of a sudden there is a series at stake. Wonders never cease.

New Zealand v India, 2nd Test, Napier, 5th day - Gambhir and Laxman salvage gritty draw

2009-03-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

New Zealand 619 for 8 (Ryder 201, Taylor 151, McCullum 115, Vettori 55, Franklin 52) drew with India 305 (Dravid 83, Laxman 76) and 476 for 4 (Gambhir 137, Laxman 124*, Tendulkar 64, Yuvraj 54*)

VVS Laxman kept New Zealand at bay with his 14th Test century © AFP

"Yeah definitely," was VVS Laxman's response when asked on day three if India could save this Test. Two days later he was in the middle walking the talk and helped India pull off a great escape with his 14th Test century. Along with an epic from Gautam Gambhir, the last of India's veteran troika had helped India inch their necks in front before Yuvraj Singh's carefree hand cracked a tired attack. India's batting efforts in the second innings, spanning 180 overs, ensured a draw and a 1-0 lead going to Wellington Friday.

For the second day running Daniel Vettori and his bowlers had struggled to raise themselves in a match they appeared to have in the bag not too long ago. India were on the back foot for three days, but New Zealand failed to keep them there. Vettori will know his side can compete but what will rankle is the fact that they failed to recreate the intensity of the first three days. After a while, the task of toiling for every Indian wicket just got too difficult on a flat track.

When Laxman pulled the 835th delivery of India's follow-on innings to the square-leg boundary shortly after lunch on the final day, India had wiped out the 314-run deficit. "What this is, is rigouresque. There you go, that's a new word." Ian Smith, commentating on air, was at a loss of words to describe India's dour, obstinate rearguard that frustrated New Zealand. It was a major milestone.

India should have been 13 for 4 but Iain O'Brien juggled and dropped an absolute sitter at mid-on when Gambhir chipped Vettori in the air. Despite O'Brien's generosity India needed to see out the session to get out of trouble. Gambhir was finally dismissed, given lbw to Jeetan Patel. His 137 spanned 642 minutes and 436 deliveries.

India's lead was just 42 and that brought out the new ball immediately, and nearly another wicket. Yuvraj's attempt to flick over midwicket resulted in a thick leading edge that evaded cover. Just six boundaries dotted the first session, but India hit 17 in the second, four each by Laxman and Yuvraj in 21 balls before tea against a very tired attack.

There were further gems off Laxman's bat in the first over after tea - three boundaries to different parts of McLean Park in fact. Two more in another disappointing O'Brien over raised three figures, received with warm applause from a thin crowd and a raucous Indian dressing room. This was not the first time a Laxman century had bailed India out and spread cheer.

The shots shunned for five sessions came out in full flow. The 100 partnership with Yuvraj took just 59 minutes as boundaries flew about. The hard work done by those before him, Yuvraj breezed his way to a fifty from 61 balls, punctuated with ten punchy boundaries. Laxman remained unbeaten on 124 while Yuvraj picked up some needed form as the game was drawn.

None of this was possible without Gambhir. With Tendulkar gone early in the day, nicking a loose drive behind for 64, the workload on Gambhir had increased exponentially but he handled the pressure as he had all of day four: with utter confidence. Gambhir, displaying Chanderpaul-like prudence, was once again content to play well within his limitations. His innings remained out of character but was just what India needed to bind the innings together. He only scored 17 runs all morning and 21 in the afternoon, going past his previous longest Test innings, the 550 minutes he batted for a double-century against Australia last year.

Laxman offered solid support. He let deliveries go which he caressed away during the first innings and padded away plenty of what Vettori sent his way. Laxman had no option but to drop anchor. The Gambhir-Laxman partnership of 96 developed at just under two runs an over - the kind of dignified pace that Gambhir would have tended to believe until yesterday was beneath his dignity - but it was just what was needed.

The contributions of Rahul Dravid and Tendulkar in both innings also need a mention. It was a great escape indeed. Test cricket teaches you that good things come to those who wait. India waited, and maintained their 1-0 lead.

New Zealand v India, 2nd Test, Napier- pics, photos,news

2009-03-26T22:24:00.001-07:00

New Zealand v India, 2nd Test, Napier, 2nd day- Ryder and McCullum pile on the pain

2009-03-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Ryder and McCullum pile on the pain

New Zealand 619 for 9 dec (Ryder 201, McCullum 115, Vettori 55, Franklin 52) v India

Talk about the blues. On a dodo-dead McLean Park pitch, India were hammered to the tune of 619 for 9 - only the third time New Zealand have crossed 600. The script was ominously one-sided on a lifeless track and the central characters were Jesse Ryder, with a maiden double-century, Brendon McCullum, with a stroke-filled ton of his own, and half-centurions Daniel Vettori and James Franklin. It all appeared a touch too easy for New Zealand, who stitched together three strong partnerships in a row, and India didn't seem to have a plan.

The nature of this surface, coupled with the size of the square boundaries, will encourage India's own debonair Virender Sehwag. India need a very strong reply and it remains to be seen how mentally and physically fatigued they will be after suffering in the field for close to two days.

Final wrap to follow …

Tea New Zealand 592 for 6 (McCullum 103*, Vettori 43*) v India

Jesse Ryder continued his domination at the crease with an excellent 201 © Associated Press

A maiden double-century to Jesse Ryder, followed by a 115-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori, helped New Zealand rack up a mammoth score on a dodo-dead pitch in Napier. After Ryder was bowled the delivery after raising an excellent career-best innings, McCullum piled the pain on a cumbersome India with a stroke-filled century to continue an exemplary day's work for the hosts. New Zealand's tea-time score was the first time they crossed 500 since Cape Town in 2006, and Ryder's 201 was the first New Zealand double-century since Stephen Fleming's 262 in that Test.

As on day one, partnerships were again the secret of New Zealand's accomplishment on such a lifeless track. The sight of McCullum striding to the middle at 415 for 5 can demoralise the best of sides and he and Ryder added 62. Timing the ball with fluency from the start, he kept the tempo by cutting Munaf Patel for four, and then did the same to Harbhajan Singh. Hardly allowing himself time to soak in the magic of a maiden Test double-century, Ryder was bowled next ball attempting an expansive drive. It was truly a splendid innings and if India thought it was a window to break through, they were mistaken.

McCullum judged the pace - or complete lack of - of the pitch and played the field superbly. He waited against the three spinners used, playing primarily off the back foot, and his shuffled paddles also got him handy runs. He brought up his half-century with another aggressive cover-drive and continued to cut the ball into the gaps. McCullum negotiated his way easily from there on and the rest was a blur as he raised his century from 131 balls. The shot that raised the landmark? Another cut behind square - his favourite.

Vettori started off more circumspectly, content to defend and nudge the singles, but gradually he opened out too, essaying some deft late-cuts and soft-handed steers for four. The singles and doubles frustrated India and allowed New Zealand to creep toward 600.

New Zealand were kept in control during the morning by Ryder, who hardly broke a sweat, and James Franklin, who fought out a dogged 52. Ryder, with all the assurance of a seasoned pro, added a fifth-wicket partnership of 121 with Franklin which slowly chipped away at India's esteem and spirits.

As yesterday, Ryder was very solid, if a tad more watchful. But stamina was not a problem for a player of his gait and Ryder played with caution, content to wait for the occasional boundary. When they did come, they were ever so casual. Ryder drove a tired Munaf sumptuously through the covers for four, clipped Ishant Sharma to fine leg and dispatched Harbhajan over extra cover. He produced the shot of the morning session just before lunch - another gorgeous cover-drive that singed the grass and left a dent in Munaf's figures.

Franklin, though extremely dour, grew in confidence. He looked a lot more assured this morning, composed in technique and scored the majority of his runs down the ground. Like Ryder, he kept the score ticking with ease and as the bowlers tired he helped himself to anything off target. Franklin swept and cut Harbhajan and clipped Ishant fluently for three, his best shot of the morning.

A moment of indiscretion, 25 minutes before lunch, ended his innings. And it was entirely his fault. Failing to respond to Ryder's call for a single toward cover, Franklin was well short of his crease when Yuvraj Singh flung in a good throw.

Then came McCullum, and more hurting for India. On a pancake pitch India's bowling today has been tired and toothless - as only two wickets illustrates.

Ganguly dethroned as KKR captain

2009-03-25T21:27:00.001-07:00

Kolkata: Sourav Ganguly will no longer be the "fixed" skipper of the Kolkata Knight Riders as the team has decided to rotate captaincy in the second season of the Indian Premier League starting April 18 in South Africa.

South Africa to host IPL | IPL 2009

KKR coach John Buchanan said the decision to have multiple captains has nothing to do with Ganguly's performance or fitness and denied any rift in the team.

"The decision has got nothing to do with Sourav's performance. Chris Gayle (West Indies), Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) and Ganguly will all captain KKR. There will be a nominated captain for each game," he said.

Ganguly, on his part, said his focus was to perform on the field.

"He is the coach, he has views. My goal is to score runs and take wickets," responded the former Indian captain when asked whether he was disappointed with the KKR's move.

Even before Ganguly could finish his response, Buchanan intervened to say "He is the King of Kolkata."

Sourav Ganguly unplugged | Knights and Angels

"If you (the media) is going to make a big deal about it, go ahead, we are not going to do it. The concept of multiple captains is new and we will have to see how it goes," he said.

West Indies defeat England to level ODI series

2009-03-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

Georgetown: An unbeaten 112 by Shivnarine Chanderpaul trumped a fine 105 from Andrew Strauss on Sunday as the West Indies beat England by 21 runs in the second One-Day International at the National Stadium at Providence.

Chanderpaul's 10th One-day century, spiced with 10 fours off 134 balls, was the backbone of the home team's challenging 264-8 off 50 overs, which proved enough to level the five-match series 1-1.

Click here for scores

Fellow Guyanese Ramnaresh Sarwan chipped in with 74 off 89 deliveries.

James Anderson (3/37) led England's attack while medium pacers Paul Collingwood (3/49) and Dimitri Mascarenhas (2/53) provided fine support.

Strauss anchored England's chase but the visitors were bowled out for 243 off 48.2 overs.

The 32-year-old Strauss cracked seven fours off 129 balls in his third One-day hundred before he was ninth out.

The medium pacers Dwayne Bravo (2/40), Kieron Pollard (2/46) and Darren Sammy (1/36 in 10 overs) starred for the home team.

Ganguly to be dumped as Knight Riders' captain?

Strauss admitted that England were let down by early strikes from the West Indies.

"We lost too many wickets too early so we were always a little bit behind the eight ball,'' he said. "We did well to keep in the game but we were always one or two wickets too far behind.''

The West Indies were in early peril after they won the toss and batted.

The 26-year-old Anderson removed both openers as the home team limped to 24-2.

Lendl Simmons (0) feathered an edge to wicket-keeper Matt Prior while captain Chris Gayle (20 off 20 balls) was bowled off the inside edge just as he looked dangerous.

England beat New Zealand to win women's World Cup

Sarwan and Chanderpaul, cheered on by a capacity crowd of 15,000, revived the innings with their century stand that spanned 30 overs.

England should have claimed Chanderpaul, then 27, at 80-2, but Prior put down a regulation catch standing up to Mascarenhas.

Anderson eventually returned to remove Sarwan in the first over of the batting powerplay. The right-hander lofted a catch to mid-off at 157-3.

Chanderpaul, who became the third West Indian to pass 8,000 One-day runs when he reached 96, dominated a 49-run stand with Kieron Pollard that accelerated the West Indian innings.

IPL to take place outside India: BCCI | Have your say

But Pollard and the rest of the lower order could not provide telling assistance for Chanderpaul and the last ten overs only provided 57 runs.

Mascarenhas dismissed Pollard and Dwayne Bravo (19) to two boundary catches. Bravo fell to a brilliant one from Collingwood backpedalling and hauling in a catch over his head.

Collingwood then made an impact with the ball, removing Denesh Ramdin (1), Darren Sammy (11) and Nikita Miller (0) as the innings faded.

England's reply also stuttered early, falling to 36/2 as Ravi Bopara (14) and Kevin Pietersen (12) departed cheaply.

India in New Zealand 2009: Video highlights from all matches

Bopara dragged into his stumps from Lionel Baker while Pietersen fell in similar circumstances to Fidel Edwards.

Strauss and Owais Shah (22) rebuilt the innings in a stand of 50 for the third wicket before Bravo put his stamp on the match.

He removed Shah and Paul Collingwood in the same over as England fell away in mid-innings.

When Matt Prior was caught behind off Sammy, the visitors were down and out at 97/5.

Strauss found an able ally in Dimitri Mascarenhas as the pair rallied in a partnership of 59.

Full Coverage: India in New Zealand

But when Mascarenhas was run out by a fine piece of fielding from Chris Gayle and Stuart Broad and Gareth Batty followed swiftly at 185/8, it seemed that Strauss was left too much to do.

He and Steve Harmison shared a stand of 44 to lift fading hopes. But Pollard returned to pluck out Strauss's leg stump and also bowl Anderson to seal the victory.

Oz receive ICC Test Championship mace

2009-03-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

Johannesburg: Australian captain Ricky Ponting received the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Test Championship mace after his team ended the 2008-09 calendar year as the top team.

Australia's dominance at the top was shaken last month when South Africa beat them in their own backyard.

South Africa needed to win the home series to dislodge Australia from the top before the award's cut-off date of April 1.

India set to conquer the Final Frontier | India in New Zealand 2009

But Ponting's men hit back with vengeance to win the series and consolidated their stay at the helm of Test Championship table.

South African captain Graeme Smith took the ICC ODI Championship shield after his team finished at the top of the table in the shorter version.

Ponting accepted the mace and $175,000. He also picked up a cheque for $75,000 after his team ended up as the second team in the ODI Championship.

"This is a tribute to the hard work of the players and the back-room staff and it's very pleasing for us. After losing the home series against South Africa, we were under pressure. We came here to make sure we lifted our game and improve. That was our focus.

"I think the way we performed in the first two Tests of the series was as good as we have played in a long time and it gave me more pleasure than any other series I have been a part of either as a player or a captain," Ponting said.

Full Coverage: IPL 2009

Smith took possession of the shield and $175,000 for the ODI Champions. Besides, he received a cheque of $75,000 for coming second in the Test Championship on the April 1 cut-off.

"If you look back a couple of years, we were probably fourth or fifth in both the Test and ODI rankings so to be second in the Test rankings and number one in ODIs is a great feeling and is testament to how far we have come.

"The hunger is there and we have shown that we can compete with Australia in both those formats of the game and I am optimistic that we can eventually lead both sets of rankings because we have the right plan and the right attitude at the moment."

Nel announces international retirement

2009-03-25T21:24:00.001-07:00

Johannesburg: South African fast bowler Andre Nel announced his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday.

He played in 36 Tests, taking 123 wickets at an average of 31.86, and 79 one-day internationals where he captured 106 wickets at an average of 27.68.

Nel has signed a three-year deal with English county side Surrey, the team said on its website (www.surreycricket.com).

India set to conquer the Final Frontier | India in New Zealand 2009

The 31-year-old had been out of favour with South Africa's cricket selectors in recent times and last represented the Proteas on the tour of England last August, playing in the Oval Test match.

"Playing for my country for the last eight years was a dream come true for me," Nel said in a statement.

"I would like to thank my captain, Graeme Smith, and my coaches, Mickey Arthur and Vinnie Barnes, and all my Proteas' team mates for their support and guidance.

"To the fans who have supported me, you have made playing at the highest level something very special for me. I am sorry I did not have the chance to say farewell from the field.

India in New Zealand: Video Highlights | Full Coverage: IPL 2009

"Last, but not least, a special thanks to my two biggest mentors, Ray Jennings and Shaun Pollock. Without your advice and influence I would not have made it as far as I did," added Nel, whose best Test figures of six for 32 came against the West Indies in 2005.

In the news release, Cricket South Africa (CSA) CEO Gerald Majola described Nel as a "good servant to South African cricket," while national coach Arthur said he was "a very passionate player who always gave 110 percent for his country."

Warm Durban should host IPL final: Pollock

2009-03-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Johannesburg: Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock on Wednesday said Durban should host the final and semifinals of the IPL because of the city’s favourable weather.

"Durban is the only city in the country with the warm weather to make it feasible to hold matches that deep into winter," Pollock said.

India set to conquer the Final Frontier | India in New Zealand 2009

Pollock, adviser to the Mumbai Indians franchise, though was apprehensive about how local fans would connect with the teams.

"Our fans may struggle initially to identify with teams. In that respect, it would have been better to have franchises based in particular cities to give people time to get to know 'their' team," he said.

The tournament will see 59 matches being played in five weeks, which Pollock said would be very demanding for the players, who will shuttle between six different venues.

India in New Zealand: Video Highlights | Full Coverage: IPL 2009

"It will also mean, with 25 players per franchise, that guys will lead a nomadic life on the road, unable to leave their stuff at their base camp," Pollock told a news website.

The six venues are yet to be announced by the organisers.

Indian Premier League 2009 - South Africa to host IPL

2009-03-25T21:13:00.001-07:00

South Africa has edged out England to be named host nation of the 2009 IPL. The decision was made after a meeting between the IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi, and the Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive, Gerald Majola, in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The IPL also announced that a final schedule for the 59 matches and the host venues for the eight franchises will be released shortly.

Cricinfo understands that the IPL's opening ceremony will be held in Cape Town, and that the defending champions Rajasthan Royals will play the first game. The tournament will commence on April 18, a week later than initially scheduled, and a day after the one-day series between South Africa and Australia ends. Sources said Johannesburg, Durban, Centurion, Port Elizabeth, East London and Cape Town would be the host venues.

However, it's understood that negotiations between the two boards were not as smooth as it was initially expected with England remaining in contention as an active alternative for hosting the IPL during most of Tuesday afternoon's meeting.

South Africa had been considered the favourite to host the IPL's second season after IPL officials voiced concerns over the effect England's springtime weather might have on the tournament. England also faced issues in the form of cost, scheduling and the likelihood of conflict between television rights holders. South Africa's chances were further boosted after the country's government got actively involved in wooing the IPL, throwing in assurances on security and speedy clearance of visas for players and officials.

"A lot of factors were considered by us while evaluating the final choice for the host venue," N Srinivasan, secretary of the Indian board, said. "However, in the final analysis I think it was the South African weather, which prevailed and tilted the balance in favour of the Rainbow Nation."

David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said he understood the hurdles that would have had to be cleared to stage the tournament in England. "We all recognised the difficulties and logistical issues involved in areas such as security when the G20 is meeting in the UK next week and the climatic challenges," he said.

In the event, the IPL's decision to move to South Africa has been greeted with relief by the league's franchises and players. Muttiah Muralitharan, who plays for Chennai Super Kings, said it was the right decision for the league because "the game must go on, else cricket would die".

Indian Premier League 2009

2009-03-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Sony, WSG bag IPL broadcast rights

Multi Screen Media and World Sport Group have signed on as the official broadcast partners for the IPL. The nine-year deal, that runs through till 2017, is worth Rs 8,200 crore. The new agreement, which is more than double the earlier deal signed last year for 10 years with the same two parties, gives Multi Screen Media the exclusive audio visual rights (in India) to all the 59 matches of the second edition of the IPL.

The development comes after the Bombay High Court had cleared the way for the BCCI to seek a new broadcast deal by rejecting a plea from Sony TV, which had challenged the Indian cricket board's decision to terminate its five-year deal to televise the IPL. Talks had failed because MSM, which holds the IPL contract under the Sony umbrella, wanted a non-terminable contract, which the BCCI/IPL refused to provide.

Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, was "absolutely delighted" with the new deal. "We have what we believe to be the best deal for the DLF Indian Premier League and Indian cricket fans alike," Modi said. "I am certain that Multi Screen Media will pull out all the stops in ensuring that the best technology is utilized to deliver excellent content that is creative, innovative and enriching for the cricket fans in India and indeed across the globe."

The IPL's relationship with Sony had turned rocky last month after the IPL lost out on a US$31.16 million deal because of a dispute between Sony and Big TV, a direct-to-home provider. Ties between the two dipped further after the subsequent resignation of Kunal Dasgupta, the then Sony CEO, who was known to be close to Modi. Sony is also understood to have been keen on re-negotiating the financial terms of its contract with the IPL and had concerns about the tournament's revised dates and some of the venues that were being considered.

Manjit Singh, the MSM CEO, said the deal helped reaffirm the broadcaster's commitment to the Indian subcontinent and the global cricket fan alike. "We are absolutely delighted to bring the exciting IPL line-up of Indian and international cricketers to the millions of cricket fans globally," he said. "At Multi Screen Media & World Sport Group we have done some pioneering work in showcasing cricket in an entertaining and informative way and we will continue to innovate and extend the excitement of cricket through the IPL. We look forward to a long and successful association with the IPL as the leagues global media rights partner."

Venu Nair, CEO, WSG said the objective was to place Indian cricket on the global sports calendar. "It's a task, that we have managed with great distinction," Nair said. "Today, fans across the world are looking forward to the start of season 2 of the IPL and we are happy to partner with Multi Screen Media to bring the league to a global audience."

With the tournament moving away from India, there is likely to be a significant international audience now. All matches will be telecast at 4 pm IST and at 8 pm IST in the evening to coincide with prime time for television audiences in India.

New Zealand v India, 2nd Test, Napier, 1st day

2009-03-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Taylor and Ryder revive New Zealand

Tea New Zealand 233 for 3 (Taylor 113*, Ryder 87*) v India

Before this Test Daniel Vettori called on his batsmen to bat out at least 120 overs against India. When New Zealand slipped to 23 for 3 it appeared his plea had fallen on deaf ears, but a 210-run partnership between Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder vindicated Vettori's decision to bat first on a good batting track. Taylor rode his luck - he was dropped on 4 and 92 - to produce a chancy yet confident century in the company of Ryder, who continued his vein of form and was approaching three figures. In contrast to the first 40 minutes of this match, when New Zealand's top order vanished, Taylor and Ryder put on an excellent rearguard effort.

Taylor had experienced a particularly good slice of fortune with his score at 4 when Yuvraj Singh was unable to latch on to a thick outside edge at third slip. Taylor continued to go for his shots, edging three of four boundaries in one Munaf Patel over, and initially kept the bowlers hopeful that he would over-reach himself. With the crashed came the caressed - Taylor slashed and drove Ishant for boundaries in one over - which was testament that this was a nice strip on which to bat.

Taylor and Ryder carried on tenaciously, with the third-man area proving most lucrative for Taylor in particular, who nicked and slashed through the slips and gully. A flurry of boundaries after lunch took Taylor to his fifty, his fifth in Tests. Zaheer Khan was pulled and cut for boundaries in one over and Ishant Sharma replaced Harbhajan Singh, only to be whipped for consecutive boundaries before Taylor finished the over with another glanced four. Several crashing square cuts stood out and there were some soft-handed cover drives as well to go with shuffled clips off the pads.

Taylor received another life on 92. He received a short delivery from Yuvraj and cut it, but the tough chance was dropped by Rahul Dravid at first slip; India's hopes of preventing Taylor's innings from swelling to three figures were dashed. The milestone came on the stroke of tea with another squirt through gully, aptly, and Taylor soaked up the applause from his home crowd. The angst gone, Taylor laced another four through point and edged one through the slips to end the session.

His hundred owed plenty to Ryder, who cut a figure of confidence at the other end. Having partnered Vettori to a century on day one of the series opener Ryder understood his role and had no qualms about playing second fiddle. He started slow and left the good balls alone and punched away the rest fluently through the off side. One such glorious drive through the covers off Zaheer raised his fifty off 61 balls. Minutes before lunch he got a thick edge off Harbhajan evaded Dinesh Karthik - wicketkeeping for an injured MS Dhoni - and slip - but it was the only blemish.

Ryder is someone who plays the old game with suitable new age flair and in between bouts of tempering his game he found time to slog Virender Sehwag for four and six. Whatever approach Ryder picked worked, and he partnered Taylor into tea with New Zealand in command.

When play began there was little movement off the surface but India's new ball pairing was rewarded for maintaining a tight line. Tim McIntosh (unfortunately given out when bat hit pad, not ball), Jamie How (bowled trying to drive a full delivery) and Martin Guptill (fending a snorter from Zaheer to gully) left New Zealand in early trouble but without much lateral movement all the batsmen needed to do was get themselves in.

The Napier pitch had been the source of discussion after it was reported there was a fungal infection on the surface and Vettori had even said on the even of this Test that the strip didn't have a consistency of grass cover. Vettori opted to bat and despite an early wobble, his decision seemed a good one by the time tea rolled around. India in search of their 100th Test win, looked decidedly resigned at this stage.

Claire Taylor

2009-03-21T23:24:00.000-07:00

Claire Taylor

England

Player profile

Full name Samantha Claire Taylor
Born September 25, 1975, Amersham, Buckinghamshire
Current age 33 years 178 days
Major teams England Women, Thames Valley Women
Batting style Right-hand bat
Fielding position Wicketkeeper

Batting and fielding averages
	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	14	25	2	1008	177	43.82			4	2			18	0
ODIs	109	104	15	3611	156*	40.57			8	19			38	5
T20Is	8	8	1	212	43	30.28	174	121.83	0	0	19	1	2	0

Bowling averages
	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	14	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ODIs	109	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
T20Is	8	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Career statistics
Test debut	England Women v India Women at Shenley, Jul 15-18, 1999 scorecard
Last Test	Australia Women v England Women at Bowral, Feb 15-18, 2008 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut	England Women v Australia Women at Southampton, Jul 19, 1998 scorecard
Last ODI	England Women v New Zealand Women at Sydney, Mar 22, 2009 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut	England Women v New Zealand Women at Hove, Aug 5, 2004 scorecard
Last T20I	Australia Women v England Women at Melbourne, Feb 1, 2008 scorecard
T20I statistics

Profile

Although Claire Taylor made a slow start to her international career, she made a mockery of a previous highest score of 18 with a defiant 137 in England's second Test defeat to Australia at Headingley in 2001. In 2003, she scored 177 in the first Test against South Africa and followed up with 131 in the second Test.

But her defining knock came at Lord's in 2006, where she made 156 against India, a record one-day score at the venue, eclipsing Viv Richards' 138 not out in the World Cup in 1979. England went on to win the series 4-0. Taylor's talents have been given due recognition: she was shortlisted for ICC Women's Player of the Year Award for three successive years since its inaugural in 2006. In February 2008, she got her seventh century to become the joint highest century-maker in women's ODIs. In September that year she completed 100 ODIs - the 13th player to do so and her prolific form launched her to No. 1 in the ICC women's batting rankings that were released for the first time in October 2008.

A solid right-hand bat and wicketkeeper, Taylor read maths at Oxford, where, in addition to playing cricket, she captained the hockey team. She also represented England's hockey team at U-17 and U-19 levels.

England lift World Cup after late drama

2009-03-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

England 167 for 6 (Atkins 40, Doolan 3-23) beat New Zealand 166 (Doolan 48, Shaw 4-34) by four wickets

Nicky Shaw took a career-best 4 for 34 and scored 17 nerveless runs to seal the third world title for England © Getty Images

England woke up on Sunday morning to find their women crowned world champions for the third time following a final in which they had the edge throughout against New Zealand in Sydney on Sunday. As Jonny Wilkinson had kicked his rugby side to glory in 2003 in the same city, so England's Nicky Shaw sealed success for her team to see them home, having taken a career-best 4 for 34.

This match was not quite as nail-biting as the rugby final but certainly had its moments. Though at one stage England were coasting in their chase of 167, they eventually made it home by four wickets.

And while Shaw earned the player of the match - unlike Wilkinson - she wasn't even supposed to play. Although vice-captain, it was only an injury to premier allrounder Jenny Gunn that meant her last-minute inclusion. It proved a stroke of fortune for England.

The final had promised to be a much tight affair with the best two sides in the competition contesting the ultimate honours, but Shaw's wicket burst helped keep New Zealand to a modest total and then England's big batting guns had just too much firepower when it counted.

Their all-round game was a credit, the bowlers taking wickets when it mattered, the fielders the catches and then their batsmen took advantage of bowling that was both too short and too full at times. And the most important thing was that, even though they went on to lose a few wickets, they held their nerve at the crucial point.

The key passage of the game came in the New Zealand innings, kickstarted by Shaw who removed the dangerous Suzie Bates, then Amy Satterthwaite off successive balls. New Zealand went on to lose 6 for 92, Shaw dismissing form batsman Haidee Tiffen and Nicola Browne, becoming the first woman to take four wickets in a World Cup final.

The wicket of Browne was an important one - she had offered New Zealand some hope, along with Lucy Doolan in an eighth-wicket stand of 62. Together they boosted their side from 7 for 101. Partnerships were badly lacking for New Zealand, in initial contrast to England who found themselves on 1 for 74 in their reply.

The hard-working Caroline Atkins and Sarah Taylor seized the advantage quickly and entertained with some pure cricket shots. Having pleased the crowd with her typically strong shots, Taylor then perished to a soft one, such has been her wont this tournament.

No matter, it simply brought the world's No. 1 batsman to the crease. Claire Taylor had arrived in the final averaging 75.75 for the tournament. She began by sparing no mercy on the New Zealand attack before Aimee Mason bowled her on 21, giving her opposition some hope (2 for 109).

Atkins departed soon afterwards for 40, brilliantly caught by the tumbling Sophie Devine in gully off Doolan and New Zealand had a hint of a chance. Their determined bowlers continued to try their best but with Doolan again striking, with Edwards adjudged caught behind when she hadn't touched it.

Lydia Greenway then fell top-edging to midwicket, before Beth Morgan ran herself out failing to push back into her crease. With 15 runs required and four wickets in hand, Tiffen then dropped a hard chance off Holly Colvin, but Shaw stood defiant, with some classy drives that belied the pressure of the final.

Both sides had started nervously - the usually solid Tiffen consistently poking away from her body under Katherine Brunt's pace and swing, while the bowler and her fellow opener Isa Guha delivered some wides. But it was all about who held their nerve and, while England's bowlers struck golden rhythm and crucial wickets, New Zealand's batsmen were prone to losing their heads.

It could have been the same story for England at one point, but with a vast bank of experience from which to draw, they stood firm.

England played the more complete cricket and deserved the trophy. They will now enjoy the benefit of the world No. 1 ranking for the foreseeable future - perhaps even until the World Cup in 2013. And with the World Twenty20 coming up, England are already looking a fair bet. For now, though, they will enjoy their first World Cup title since 1993.

ICC doubtful about Pakistan World Cup fixtures

2009-03-21T17:52:00.001-07:00

London: The president of international cricket's governing body on Tuesday expressed serious doubts over the fitness of Pakistan to stage any of the 2011 World Cup matches.

"I believe the world cup will be staged in the Indian subcontinent. How much of it, if any, will be staged in Pakistan remains to be seen," David Morgan of the International Cricket Council (ICC) told the BBC.

"I think it's too early (to tell) - there could be a regime change in Pakistan which would settle things down. But the probability must be that a great deal will have to change in Pakistan before we can [contemplate] playing international cricket there."

Morgan said Tuesday's attack on Sri Lankan cricketers was "devastating news."

"Its terribly, terribly sad. Somebody had said cricketers would never be targeted in Pakistan, and unfortunately that has been proved to be incorrect.

"My first thoughts are that it will be very difficult for international cricket to be hosted in Pakistan for quite some time to come," Morgan said.

The ICC had already taken a decision at its meeting in Perth Jan 31 that the Champions Trophy, scheduled to have been held in Pakistan in September and October, could not be staged there because of safety and security concerns expressed by some countries.

India thrash New Zealand by 10 wickets

2009-03-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid safely guided India to a comfortable 10-wicket victory over New Zealand on the fourth day of the first Test at Seddon Park on Saturday.

India had scored 520 in their first innings, anchored by man of the match Sachin Tendulkar's 160, and New Zealand needed to make at least 241 to force the Indians to bat a second time.

However they collapsed to 216 for eight at tea on the fourth day, and it was only a stubborn 76-run ninth wicket partnership between Brendon McCullum (84) and Iain O'Brien (14) that allowed the hosts to give India a small target to chase.

New Zealand v India, 4th ODI, Hamilton - pics, wall papers

2009-03-11T03:21:00.001-07:00

New Zealand v India, 4th ODI, Hamilton - Sehwag powers India to series win

2009-03-11T03:21:00.000-07:00

India 201 for 0 (Sehwag 125*, Gambhir 63*) beat New Zealand 270 for 5 (McCullum 77, McGlashan 56*) by 84 runs (D/L method)

Virender Sehwag blasted India's fastest ODI hundred as the visitors swept to a comprehensive win that secured their maiden one-day series triumph in New Zealand. Sehwag reached three-figures off 60 balls with a signature six and his awe-inspiring hitting overshadowed Gautam Gambhir's near run-a-ball half-century. Daniel Vettori and the rest of the New Zealand bowlers were powerless in the face of the onslaught and what had seemed a challenging target was chased down with ridiculous ease. Even the two stoppages due to rain couldn't stem the run-deluge with Sehwag completing his century as early as the 18th over.

Astonishingly, only five runs came behind square on the off side, generally Sehwag's favourite hitting area. But the batsman still displayed his range of strokes in one Iain O'Brien over, hitting four fours off five balls: a powerful pull to midwicket, a drive that nearly took the bowler's head off, a whip off his pads and a pull-drive over mid-on to a short delivery.

In an innings filled with scintillating strokeplay, Sehwag was at his most murderous when play resumed following a rain break at the 10-over mark. With intermittent showers holding up play at regular intervals, Sehwag decided to make sure there was an early finish - in a five-over period, starting from the 12th over, he moved from 52 to 92. The high backlift showed his intentions as he set about dismantling O'Brien, Ewen Thompson and Jacob Oram. Only Daniel Vettori's intelligent variations of pace managed to draw a measure of respect from Sehwag.

Spare a thought for the debutant Thompson, who sends down gentle medium-pacers of the sort New Zealand so favoured in the 90s. After more than eight years of toil on the domestic scene, he was rewarded with a place on the national team, only to come up against a rampaging Sehwag on a small ground and a benign track with field restrictions in place. His four overs were taken for 42 runs, Sehwag's mighty hit into the scoreboard behind midwicket being the pick of the strokes against him.

There was some respite for the bowlers when they bowled at Gambhir, who played the straight man to Sehwag, just nudging the ball around to pick up the singles. There weren't too many big hits, one of the standout shots of his innings being a deft leg-glance off Oram.

The Gambhir-Sehwag show was reminiscent of the frenetic hitting from Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder in the previous ODI at Hamiltion. The New Zealand pair put on a century stand this time around as well after Vettori chose to bat on a pitch offering some early assistance to the bowlers, but it was a less frenzied affair. It was the perfect base for New Zealand, but with Ross Taylor and Oram failing to fire again, India were able to scrap their way back into the game. Peter McGlashan, who made an inventive half-century, and Grant Elliott were unfazed by a couple of rain breaks and cobbled together 95 runs off the last 10 overs.

Ryder did much of the early scoring, but had a torrid time against the new-ball bowlers. Praveen Kumar's away-swingers had him fishing outside offstump and he also struggled to cope with Zaheer Khan's indippers.

At the other end, McCullum made a serene start; content to leave anything outside off, and always on the lookout for the tip-and-run single. At one stage, he had 3 off 20 deliveries. However once he got his eye in, he picked up the pace and the doddering run-rate rose towards a respectable six per over.

India's part-time spinners were brought on to stem the runs and both Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan did their job. Yuvraj was unlucky not to have dismissed McCullum - Mahendra Singh Dhoni botching a simple stumping chance - but got rid of Ryder; a slog-sweep swirling to Suresh Raina at square leg.

Taylor gifted his wicket soon after and with Martin Guptill not finding any fluency, it was left to McCullum to push the tempo. The Indian fast bowlers took some important wickets, including that of McCullum, during the batting Powerplay (from the 34th over) to leave New Zealand struggling at 185 for 5 after 38 overs.

It was left to McGlashan and Elliott to rectify the damage. McGlashan showed off his repertoire of sweeps - orthodox, paddle, and reverse - even against the quicks to keep the runs flowing while Elliott adopted a more orthodox approach. Fifty-one runs came off the final four overs after the second rain break to help set a target that was expected to test India's batting might. However, Sehwag and Gambhir barely broke into a sweat when they came into bat.

Knights and Angels

2009-02-25T01:36:00.000-08:00

McCullum fifty sets up NZ's win- New Zealand v India, 1st Twenty20, Christchurch

2009-02-25T01:30:00.000-08:00

New Zealand 166 for 3 (McCullum 56, Guptill 41) beat India 162 for 8 (Raina 61*, Butler 2-29) by seven wickets

New Zealand and India adopted different approaches to their innings and in the end it was the host's more measured and sensible method that prevailed over the visitors' manic thrash. India's innings fell away after a blazing start - Virender Sehwag hit his first three balls for sixes - and they needed Suresh Raina's half-century to lift them from 101 for 7. New Zealand, on the other hand, were guided by opener Brendon McCullum, who batted through the innings while his team-mates forced the pace. McCullum took charge during the final overs, reached his half-century and ensured that New Zealand won with seven balls to spare.

India 162 for 8 (Raina 61*, Butler 2-29) v New Zealand

Virender Sehwag opened his tour in stunning fashion, despatching his first three balls over the boundary, to get India off to a blazing start but the visitors were eventually restricted by a resilient New Zealand attack. It rained sixes at the AMI Stadium - there were 13 of them in the innings - as the Indian batsmen came out swinging but nobody stayed at the crease long enough to cause lasting damage. It was left to Suresh Raina, who remained unbeaten on 61, to give his team a defendable target after they had slumped to 101 for 7.

The sight of the minuscule AMI Stadium with its short square boundaries proved a temptation few batsmen could resist. Sehwag tucked in immediately against Tim Southee, hitting his first two over the fine-leg boundary and the third flatter over square leg. The ground's peculiar shape aided the flood of sixes for Sehwag's third six would have fallen short on most other venues.

India's adrenalin rush, however, was short lived. Gautam Gambhir was the first to perish, losing his middle stump to Iain O'Brien while swinging across the line. The rest of the top-order batsmen also fell trying to clear the short square boundaries.

O'Brien flattened Sehwag's leg stump after he made room to swing over the on side. Rohit Sharma stylishly clipped Ian Butler for a six over square leg but was dismissed trying to repeat a similar shot off the next ball, getting a thick leading edge which ballooned to Brendon McCullum. Yuvraj Singh too was trapped lbw to a quicker one from Daniel Vettori, while moving across his stumps.

There was a second hat-trick of sixes in the innings, this time by Yusuf Pathan. He got down on one knee and slogged Nathan McCullum's first three deliveries over long-on but was caught while going for the fourth. The ball travelled flatter towards Jacob Oram at long-on who took the catch, pedaled backwards, quickly lobbed the ball in the air before going over the rope and caught it once again after he came back into play. It was reminiscent of Adam Voges' catch at the same position in Sydney recently.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Irfan Pathan failed to support Raina, and their dismissals left India struggling at 101 for 7. Raina was perhaps the only batsman who consistently succeeded in hitting on the leg side. He stayed balanced and clubbed full tosses and length deliveries from the seamers high over deep midwicket. He received late support from Harbhajan Singh, who hit consecutive fours off Southee in the final over. India did well to reach 162 but it could have been a different story had the top order contributed more.

ICC World Cup Qualifiers 2009, South Africa- ICC announces schedule for World Cup Qualifiers

2009-02-11T01:57:00.000-08:00

ICC announces schedule for World Cup Qualifiers

Three ODI venues are among the nine set to host the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa, according to the schedule released for the 12-team tournament from April 1 to 19. Willowmoore Park in Benoni and Senwes Park in Potchefstroom will be used for first-round and Super Eight matches, while the final will be held at Centurion's SuperSport Park.

Fifty-four matches during the 19-day tournament will determine the four qualifiers to join the ten Full Members at the 2011 World Cup in the subcontinent. "It looks like it's going to be a great event," ICC president David Morgan said. "Many of the top Associates are very evenly matched and I am expecting some thrilling matches during the tournament.

"We know from experience that South Africa is a perfect place to host big multi-team tournaments such as this and I know the teams will have some of the best facilities at their disposal," he said. "Four years ago, Scotland deservedly overcame the opposition in Ireland so I'm sure they'll be anxious to hang on to the title. It's not going to be easy though. Many of the other Associates have made big strides since then so it's going to be a hard-fought tournament."

Among the teams that will be keenly watched will be Afghanistan, who have won the ICC World Cricket League Division 5, Division 4 and Division 3 in the past year en route to South Africa.

The 12 teams are split into two groups of six teams. Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Oman, Namibia and Uganda make up Group A while Kenya, Netherlands, Bermuda, UAE, Denmark and Afghanistan form Group B. Each team plays the other sides in its group once, with the top four making it to the Super Eight stage.

The teams then play four Super Eight matches against the sides they did not meet in the group stage. All points won against qualifiers from the group phase will be carried over to the Super Eight stage.

The top two teams in the Super Eight stage will contest the final to be played on 19 April. The third and fourth-placed sides will play off at Potchefstroom, the fifth and sixth-placed sides play off at Willowmoore Park while the seventh and eighth-placed teams play off at the Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp.

Teams in the top six earn ODI status till 2013 and also qualify for the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10. The bottom two teams will be relegated to Division 3 of the World Cricket League.

Clarke in doubt for series decider

2009-02-11T01:55:00.000-08:00

Michael Clarke made 98 at the MCG and 64 in Sydney and he would be a big loss for the deciding match at the Gabba © Getty Images

Michael Clarke's availability for the Chappell-Hadlee series decider is in doubt, with the Australian vice-captain suffering from upper-back pain. Clarke played through significant discomfort in Tuesday's one-day match against New Zealand, during which he claimed the vital wicket of Brendon McCullum and contributed 14 top-order runs, but pulled up sore the following morning.

The injury is not expected to effect Clarke's availability for the tour of South Africa, but could prevent him from taking the field for Friday night's match against the New Zealanders at the Gabba. Clarke has a long history of lower-back problems, although Australian team physio therapist Alex Kountouris said the current complaint was unrelated.

"It will all depend how he pulls up before the game," Kountouris said. "He was quite sore going into the game in Adelaide but was determined to get through it, and there is a fair bit of pain today. We'll see how it goes, but with it being such an important match, I'm sure he'll want to play it if possible."

A top order without Clarke would help New Zealand's cause as they embark on the decider aiming for their first one-day series win in Australia. The captain Daniel Vettori said his men remained confident despite allowing Australia to level the series having been down 0-2.

"I don't think anyone would have guessed 2-2 before we started, so this is an exciting time for a very young team," Vettori told NZPA. "To come to Australia and have a chance of winning the series is something you should always dream about and now we've got that opportunity. It's up to mainly the senior guys to step up and lift their performance.

"Hopefully that'll lift the confidence of the group as opposed to the last two performances. We can look back on Perth and Melbourne and see the things we did really well and hopefully put them in place for Brisbane. If we don't then we know we'll get rolled over."

Australia v New Zealand, Twenty20 international, Sydney- Australia call up Henriques for Twenty20

2009-02-11T01:52:00.001-08:00

Australia call up Henriques for Twenty20

Moises Henriques, the New South Wales allrounder, has won a surprise call-up into Australia's Twenty20 squad for the match against New Zealand in Sydney on Sunday. David Warner has also been recalled to a side that will be led by Michael Clarke with Ricky Ponting to take a rest after he talked the selectors out of an extended break during the Chappell-Hadlee Series.

The wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has been rewarded after less than a year as a full-time member of the team and has been handed the vice-captaincy in the absence of Michael Hussey, who will also be rested. It ends a remarkable run for Hussey, who has not missed an international match in any format since September 2006.

"Given the high workload of Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey since the Indian Test series in October we have decided, in consultation with these players, it is appropriate they miss this game," Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. "With a hectic and competitive South African campaign departing the day after this match, we felt this option was best in the interest of the players' workload management."

As well as resting two senior batsmen a break the selectors were also keen to push for the development of several young players in the lead-up to this year's ICC World Twenty20. Henriques, 22, has already been signed up by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, spent time with the ODI squad in Darwin in September and played against the New Zealanders recently as part of the Prime Minister's XI. He conceded 70 runs from ten overs and hit two sixes in his 13-ball 20 as the visitors were beaten by six wickets.

"The national selection panel regards Moises as an exciting young player with the all-round ability to play a role in the World Twenty20," Hilditch said. "We recently included him in the PM's XI match against New Zealand where he played exceptionally well and we are hoping this opportunity will help him to continue his development."

Callum Ferguson, the South Australia batsman who has played Australia's past three ODIs, is also in line for his Twenty20 international debut. The inclusion of Warner means he will have to wait for a potential first-class debut; he was hoping to be named in the New South Wales side for their Sheffield Shield match starting on the weekend.

Sunday will feature a Twenty20 double-header at the SCG, with the Australian women's side taking on their New Zealand counterparts before the men's game. It will be Australia's last official game till they begin their defence of the Women's World Cup, which kicks off in Australia on March 7.

Australia Twenty20 squad Michael Clarke (capt), David Warner, Brad Haddin (wk), David Hussey, Cameron White, Callum Ferguson, Adam Voges, Moises Henriques, James Hopes, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Nathan Bracken, Ben Hilfenhaus.

Jayawardene to step down

2009-02-11T01:52:00.000-08:00

Mahela Jayawardene: "It has been my long-held belief that my successor should have at least 18 months in the job to imprint his vision on the team for the 2011 World Cup" © AFP

In a surprise move, Mahela Jayawardene has announced that he will resign as Sri Lanka captain after the upcoming two-Test series against Pakistan. The decision, announced on Wednesday, comes three days after Sri Lanka lost 4-1 to India in their home ODI series.

Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Duleep Mendis said Jayawardene's decision had been accepted and a new captain would be appointed for the one-day home series against Zimbabwe, which follows the Pakistan tour.

Jayawardene, who sat out Sri Lanka's Twenty20 international against India on Tuesday, called for a meeting with the selectors on Wednesday morning and proposed that the time was right to hand over the captaincy, ensuring his successor had sufficient time to build the team for the 2011 World Cup. He was asked to reconsider but reiterated the time was right, given the heavy season ahead.

He then met Mendis and informed his teammates.

"This is something I have been considering for some time as it has been my long-held belief that my successor should have at least 18 months in the job to imprint his vision on the team for the 2011 World Cup," Jayawardene said in a statement.

"I have concluded that the time has come for fresh leadership to takeover. It was not an easy decision to make because being the Sri Lanka captain has been the source of enormous pride. I hope to play a major part in the team's success as a batsman."

Jayawardene had hinted at the decision last August, in an interview to Cricinfo. "This is a job that I won't do for a long time," he said. "There have to be different challenges. The longer your career progresses, the more you need to focus on your own game and your family."

It is not immediately clear who will succeed him but the obvious choice will be Kumar Sangakkara, the current vice-captain and a close personal friend of Jayawardene's. In that interview, Jayawardene clearly spelled out his ideal succession plan. "Kumar is definitely a suitable person to lead Sri Lanka. His knowledge of the game and his approach is brilliant. He has been a brilliant deputy too. We talk a lot about planning and strategising, so there is not much difference in our thinking, which is very important. If I suddenly lose the hunger to lead then ideally Kumar should take over."

Jayawardene was appointed ODI captain in 2004 and took over the Test captaincy full time from Marvan Atapattu for the 2006 tour of England. One of his best achievements was guiding Sri Lanka to the World Cup final the following year and in 2008 they won the Asia Cup, beating India in the final.

Sri Lanka's away record improved under his leadership, as the team drew Test series in England, New Zealand and the West Indies. He led the team in 26 Tests, winning 15 and losing seven and his win ratio of 62.5% is the highest for any Sri Lankan captain in history. Although his recent one-day form had been patchy, he still scored heavily in Test cricket, averaging 64.70 as captain. Nor did he let his wavering form in one-day cricket affect his captaincy. In 94 ODIs under him, Sri Lanka won 54 and lost 35.