While the year 2011 is still fresh in our minds, I would like to share what I think were the best moments in the cricketing year of 2011.

 

( Author: Qasim Anwar )

 

Following moments are without any order or ranking:

 

 

      India’s World Cup win after a gap of 28 years:

After a  long time we witness another team winning the cup besides Australia. Beside West Indies India has become second team to win two World cup titles.

Date: April 02, 2011

Match (Final): India v Sri Lanka

Result: India won by 6 wickets.

 

 

 

 

      Lap of honour for Sachin:

Sachin Tendulkar dream this year was to win the world cup his teammates paid their ultimate tribute to him by walkinh him around the Mumbai cricket stadium. “Tendulkar has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It was time we carried him.” Virat Kohli said.

Date: April 02, 2011

Match (Final): India v Sri Lanka

Result: India won by 6 wickets.

 

 

 

      Muttiah Muralitharan final ovation:

After Sri Lanka beat New Zealand in the semi final of the world cup 2011 before going to India to play the final. The crowd in Colombo gave Murali a standing ovation and he was carried around the stadium also around his team mates shoulders. As this was murali last game in Sri Lanka before he retire.

Date: March 29, 2011

Match (1st Semi-Final): New Zealand v Sri Lanka

Result: Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      India-Pakistan semi-final match:

When ever these two team collide every one is glued to it. The middle master stole the show here and took his team to final.  He scored 85 runs and was  named Man of the Match. With a 29-run win, India maintained their 100 per cent winning record against their arch-rivals in the World Cup.

Date: March 30, 2011

Match (2nd Semi-Final): India v Pakistan

Result: India won by 29 runs.

 

      Ireland defeat England in World Cup:

Batting first England scored 328 runs. Kevin O’Brien turned England’s fortune on its head with his blitzing century. He scored 113 of 63 balls, which is also the fastest century in the World Cup history.

Date: March 02, 2011

Match (no.15 in WC): England v Ireland

Result: Ireland won by 3 wickets.

 

 

      South Africa bowl out Australia for 47:

South African pace trio of Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn bowled out Aussies for a paltry 47 runs on Day 2 of the first Test match in Cape Town and this fury followed after the hosts were shot out for 96 runs in their first innings. Such great contests certainly are like shot in the arm for Test cricket.

Date: November 9-11, 2011

Match (1st Test): South Africa v Australia

Result: South Africa won by 8 wickets.

 

      Zimbabwe make a Test return after a six-year:

They have made a successful return to Test cricket after a 6-year ban with an  impressive 264 for two against Bangladesh on the first day of a one-off Test at the Harare Sports Club and went on to win the match on Day 5 by 130 runs.

Date: August 4-8, 2011

Match (Only Test): Zimbabwe v Bangladesh

Result: Zimbabwe won by 130 runs.

 

 

      England’s Ashes win in Australia after 24 years:

England claimed their first Ashes series in Australia after 24 years, with their 3rd innings victory over the home team in the final Sydney Test. England clinched the series 3-1.

Date: January 3-7, 2011

Match (5th Test/The Ashes): Australia v England

Result: England won by an innings and 83 runs.

 

 

      Rahul Dravid completes 13,000 Test runs:

During the Test series against the West Indies at home, Dravid became the second cricketer in the world to complete 13,000 runs in Test cricket.

Date: November 22-26, 2011

Match (3rd Test): India v West Indies

Result: Match Drawn.

 

 

      Virender Sehwag scored double-century in ODI:

Sehwag broke the world record of master blaster Sachin by scoring 219 runs off 149 balls at Indore. He hit 25 FOURS & 7 SIXES during his innings.

Date: December 8, 2011

Match (4th ODI): India v West Indies

Result: India won by 153 runs.

 

 

 

 

      Shane Watson smashed record for most sixes in an ODI match:

Shane Watson hit a record 15 sixes in his innings of uneaten 185 runs to guide Australia to a series-clinching nine-wicket win over Bangladesh in Mirpur.

Date: April 11, 2011

Match (2nd ODI): Bangladesh v Australia

Result: Australia won by 9 wickets.

 

 

 

      Shahid Afridi single handily beat Sri Lanka:

Afridi gave the cricketing world another Sharjah classic, When he scores 75 runs of 65  to set 201 target and takes a 5 wicket haul to win the match for Pakistan.

Date: November 20, 2011

Match (4th ODI): Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Result: Pakistan won by 26 runs.

Johannesburg: Teenage debutant Pat Cummins showed poise beyond his years in a ‘man of the match’ performance to guide Australia to a thrilling two-wicket win in the second Test against South Africa.

 

 

Short Scores:

South Africa 1st Innings: 266/10 in 71.0 overs.

Australia 1st Innings: 296/10 in 76.4 overs.

South Africa 2nd Innings: 339/10 in 110.0 overs.

Australia 2nd Innings: 310/8 in 86.5 overs.

 

Chasing 310, the largest fourth-innings target to win at Wanderers, 18-year-old debutant Cummins steered Australia to the record-breaking win with 13 late runs including the winning boundary off Imran Tahir to add to his stellar 6-79 in the second innings.

 

Mitchell Johnson’s heroic 40 not out with an injured foot was crucial as was Brad Haddin’s 55 before he departed, with Australia falling to 7-287 following the pair’s 72-run seventh-wicket stand.

 

Australia level the series with the unlikely win having stoically chipped away at the required 167 on the final day to recover from the early loss of captain Michael Clarke (2) and Ricky Ponting (62).

 

The closing stages made for enthralling Test cricket. Back-to-back boundaries from Johnson reduced the deficit to less than 50 and drew some concerned looks from captain Graeme Smith with four wickets left.

 

When Peter Siddle departed soon after Haddin, Australia still needed 23 runs with just three wickets in hand. But Johnson refused to lie down despite clearly being hampered running between wickets and fended off a string of menacing Vernon Philander deliveries.

 

Philander terrorised the visitors as he had done all series with the wickets of Clarke, Mike Hussey and Haddin in the second innings and received ample support at the other end from Dale Steyn.

 

Cummins batted courageously and survived a caught-and-bowled scare with nine runs required and a referred lbw decision off Tahir from the delivery before his winning boundary.

 

Earlier, a half-century from an embattled Ponting had given Australia hope at stumps on day four with the visitors still staring down a deficit of 167 runs.

 

Clarke and Ponting resumed at the crease on day five after Usman Khawaja had fallen on the second-last ball of day four.

 

It shaped as a classic in Johannesburg, with Australia at 3-142 and Ponting fighting for his life, but the hosts had the early ascendency when Clarke failed to make an impact.

 

The visitors desperately needed early solidarity from two of their more experienced campaigners but when Clarke fell for just two off Philander, his stumps a mess, the outlook for Australia looked gloomy.

 

At 4-145 Australia needed to hold firm and with Hussey striding to the crease after a lean series, the advantage was surely South Africa’s.

 

He was trapped lbw by Philander for 39 and it looked as though Australia’s resistance would be short lived.

 

But Haddin and Johnson held firm before Cummins completed what was one of the more impressive Test debuts in history.

 

Courtesy: Cricket Australia

 

Result: Australia won by 2 wickets.

Man Of The Match: Pat Cummins (Australia).

 

Result Of The Series: 2-match series drawn (1-1).

Man Of The Series: Vernon Philander (South Africa)

 

HQ Photo Gallery: Click here to watch the exclusive photos.

 

Cape Town: South Africa defeated Australia in the dynamic starter by 8 wickets. Amla and Smith lead Proteas to victory on day 3.

 

 

Short Scores:

Australia 1st Innings: 284
South Africa 1st Innings: 96
Australia 2nd Innings: 47
South Africa 2nd Innings: 236/2

 

Courtesy : CSA

When Graeme Smith hit the winning single on the stroke of lunch time on the third day of the first Sunfoil Test match against Australia at Sahara Park Newlands on Friday, there was still a full hour to go to the halfway stage of the contest.

 

In fact, if one worked in terms of overs bowled, the match lasted less than two days! The total aggregate was 168 overs.

 

The Proteas’ Castle Lager squad not only won by eight wickets on the back of centuries from Smith (his 23rd) and Hashim Amla (his 13th) but also took a huge amount of momentum out of the match into next Thursday’s second Sunfoil Test at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium.

 

The Proteas now have the opportunity to win a home Test series against Australia for the first time in the modern era and for the third time ever. Their only previous home series wins against Australia were in the 1966/67 and 1969/70 seasons. Their only away victory was in the 2008/09 season and featured most of the current Castle Lager squad.

 

An exception is Vernon Philander who made his debut this week and was deservedly named Sunfoil Man of the Match for turning the game on its head with an inspired spell of bowling after Australia had led by 188 runs on the first innings.

 

His five wickets sent Australia crashing to 21/9 and eventually to 47 all out.

 

“This must be one of the memorable matches of all time,” commented Smith. “To come from behind in this fashion speaks volumes for the team, their character and self belief.”

 

He might have added that it was a personal triumph for himself after being subjected to extreme criticism, often of a very personal nature, ever since the Proteas’ exit from the 2011 ICC World Cup.

 

He became the first player ever to score four centuries in successful fourth innings runs chases (previously both he and Ricky Ponting had three) and he also became the first player to complete 1 000 runs in this role. His average in this role is an awesome 85.83.

 

If centuries in a winning cause are a measure of the true value by which they are judged, then Smith again has an outstanding record. He has made 16 of his 23 centuries in Proteas’ victories and South Africa has never lost a match in which he has reached three figures. His other seven centuries came in drawn matches.

 

He and Amla broke a record that had stood for 109 years when they put on 195 for the second wicket. The previous best second wicket stand against Australia was 173 by Louis Tancred and Buck Llewellyn in South Africa’s first ever Test against Australia at the old Wanderers ground in October, 1902.

 

Amla also reached the significant landmark of 4 000 Test match runs.

 

Although the Proteas won easily in the end both Smith and his opposite number, Michael Clarke, was in agreement that there was still something in the pitch for the bowlers. “We had to soak up the pressure for the first hour when we only scored about 30 runs,” commented Smith. “Hashim scored freely most of the time which also made life a lot easier for me.

 

“When the game is starting to go away from the bowling side, they try even harder to take wickets and that often creates more scoring opportunities,” he added.

 

Cricket South Africa (CSA) CEO Gerald Majola congratulated the Proteas on their victory. “This was a magnificent victory and will go down in the annals as yet another great match between the Proteas and Australia. To trail by 188 runs on the first innings and only just manage to avoid the follow on and then win the way they did was quite exceptional.

 

“We seem to specialise in come-from-behind victories against these opponents,” he added, “if you look back at the Test victories at Sydney (1994), Sahara Stadium Kingsmead (2002), Perth and Melbourne (both 2008), not to mention the 438 game at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium in 2006 as classic examples.

 

“We now have the chance to complete a first home Test series win over Australia since unity. The Bidvest Wanderers Stadium is a wonderful place for this tour to reach a climax where the fans have always rallied behind the team and contributed to a magnificent atmosphere.”

 

Result: South Africa won by 8 wickets.

Man Of The Match: Vernon Philander (South Africa).

Durban: A nervy three-wicket victory was enough for Australia to claim a 2-1 win in their three-match one-day series against South Africa.

 

 

Michael Hussey played the anchor role for Australia in the middle order as the visitors chased down South Africa’s total of 6-222 with three wickets in hand at Kingsmead.

 

A brace of late wickets threatened to derail Australia’s chase after a Shane Watson blitz in the opening 10 overs had set them on their way.

 

But Hussey combined well with his middle-order colleagues to work his way to an unbeaten 45, smashing Morne Morkel for six as Australia reached the target with 15 balls to spare.

 

Watson (49) and opening partner David Warner put on 38 for the first wicket before the latter was caught behind of the bowling of Morkel.

 

Watson continued his assault until he was removed by Kallis, and Ricky Ponting (11), Michael Clarke (26) and Shaun Marsh (30) all kept the score ticking over despite none going on to make a big score.

 

The Proteas main strike bowlers Morkel, Dale Steyn and Lonwabo Tsotsobe struggled to make an impact against the Aussie batting line-up, with part-timer JP Duminy (2-29) and all-rounder Jacques Kallis (2-17) having the greatest effect.

 

Earlier, South Africa failed to capitalise on a good start after reaching 100 for the loss of just one wicket thanks to half centuries from Hashim Amla (52) and Jacques Kallis (54).

 

Former captain Graeme Smith’s lean run continued has he was dismissed by spinner Xavier Doherty for 19, but Amla and Kallis pushed the Proteas’ total past 100 as the hosts looked set for a big total.

 

But some good work in the field from young quick Patrick Cummins had Amla run out, before Doherty claimed his second scalp when Kallis holed out to Shaun Marsh as Australia worked their way back into the match.

 

Although they were only able to claim three more wickets for the innings, none of Australia’s bowlers went for more than five-an-over as they effectively put the clamps on South Africa’s batsmen.

 

Doherty (2-33) and Mitch Johnson (2-37) were the pick of the Australia attack, while JP Duminy was unlucky not to win the man-of-the-match award after he contributed 35 with the bat to go with his two wickets.

 

Australia will be hoping their series win is a good omen ahead of the first Test, which begins in Cape Town on November 9.

 

Result: Australia won by 3 wickets.

Man Of The Match: Shane Watson (Australia).

 

Winner Of The Series: Australia by 2-1.

Man Of The Series: Michael Hussey (Australia).

 

HD Highlights: Coming Soon.

HQ Photo Gallery: Click here and enjoy the finale in stills.

 

Comments by both captains, by man of the series and by man of the match:

 

Hashim Amla (Captain Of South Africa): ”We were about 20 runs short but we fought really well. Australia bowled well and we couldn’t quite momentum in the last 10 overs. JP has a golden arm occasionally and he did well today.”

 

Shane Watson (Man Of The Match): ”I had a couple of extra days to get fit for this game. There was some life in the pitch and we knew it would be difficult so it was nice to get some out of the middle. We had to learn quickly with the ball and it worked out nicely in the end.”

 

Michael Hussey (Man Of The Series): ”Great effort by the boys, it’s always a tough place to come and play. I’m surprised to get the award but I won’t knock it back! I wanted to show as much faith as I could in Pat and he was timing them really well.”

 

Michael Clarke (Captain Of Australia): ”There were a few nerves at the end but never fear, Michael Hussey’s here,” is honestly what he said. “We played some poor shots but delighted to get over the line. We’ve seen how close the two teams are and I’d love to come out on top again.”

Port Elizabeth: A four-wicket haul from Morne Morkel helped South Africa to defeat Australia by 80 runs.

 

 

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat at St George’s Park, notching 6-303 from their 50 overs.

 

In response, Australia were all out for 223, with Morkel (4-22) the chief architect of their demise.

 

Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Dale Steyn both bagged two wickets each, as South Africa levelled the three-match series 1-1.

 

The home side made a bad start to their innings, with danger man Hashim Amla out for a first-ball duck to Doug Bollinger.

 

But they responded in style, as first drop Jacques Kallis top scored with 76, compiled during a decisive 141-run partnership with Graeme Smith.

 

There were three other half centuries for South Africa, with Smith (57), JP Duminy (56) and David Miller (59) all making valuable contributions.

 

Australia lost the services of Shane Watson in the field when he suffered a back injury delivering the final ball of his fourth over.

 

And the tourists’ remaining bowlers struggled to make any headway, with Bollinger (2-64) the only man to pick up more than one wicket.

 

Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty and Steve Smith had one apiece, while Mitchell Johnson (0-56) was both expensive and empty-handed for his 10 overs.

 

Australia’s run chase suffered two early blows with the cheap dismissal of former captain Ricky Ponting and his successor Michael Clarke.

 

Ponting, opening in place of Watson, was caught by Faf du Plessis off Tsotsobe for 10 and Clarke fared even worse, edging Morkel to the slips after making just one run.

 

Their departure left Australia a shaky 2-37.

 

Surviving opener David Warner (74) and Michael Hussey (37) rallied with a third-wicket partnership of 71.

 

But when Hussey was run out by a combination of Johan Botha and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, it effectively signalled the end of the visitors’ chances.

 

Steve Smith kept up the fight with a cameo of 26, but Morkel struck to remove Warner and the stricken Watson could only contribute 15 before falling to Tsotsobe.

 

The lower order offered no more than token resistance, with Brad Haddin (13), Doherty (10) and Cummins (11) merely prolonging the inevitable.

 

The third and final ODI takes places at Durban’s Kingsmead Cricket Ground on Friday.

 

Result: South Africa won by 80 runs.

Man Of The Match: Morne Morkel (South Africa)

 

HD Highlights: Coming Soon.

HQ Photo Gallery: Click here to watch the action.

Centurion: Australia have recorded a convincing 93-run win over South Africa in their rain-affected first one-day international on Wednesday.

 

 

The tourists were sent in at SuperSport Park in Centurion, before a lengthy rain delay reduced the match to 29 overs a side.

 

Man-of-the-match Ricky Ponting’s 63 led Australia to 183-4, with South Africa’s target adjusted to 223 after the Duckworth-Lewis method was applied.

 

Australia’s bowlers produced the goods with Mitchell Johnson (3-20) and debutant Pat Cummins (3-28) leading the way as the hosts were dismissed for 129 with seven overs to spare.

 

South Africa captain Hashim Amla elected to bowl and paceman Dale Steyn (2-48) removed the dangerous David Warner (20) in the third over, having being hit for three fours.

 

Ponting and captain Michael Clarke (44) helped the score to 96-1 after 19 overs before the rain hit.

 

After a delay of four-and-a-half hours, Clarke was dismissed after the resumption, run out by Johan Botha while backing up at the non-striker’s end.

 

Australia added 87 from their last 10 overs as Michael Hussey (30 not out off 21) kept the runs ticking over after Ponting fell.

 

Needing almost 7.7 runs per over to win, South Africa made a dreadful start to their chase when opener Graeme Smith (four) was trapped in front by Doug Bollinger (1-28) with the fifth ball of the innings.

 

Replays showed the delivery would have gone over the stumps, but Smith chose not to review the decision.

 

Amla and Jacques Kallis (15) put on 36 for the second wicket before Australia’s youngsters turned the game in their favour.

 

First, 18-year-old Cummins took the scalps of Kallis and JP Duminy (four) in the eighth over – his first ODI wickets.

 

Medium-pacer Mitchell Marsh, who turns 20 on Thursday and was also on debut, had Amla (24) caught behind two overs later as South Africa slumped to 55-4.

 

Faf du Plessis (27) top-scored, but they were never in the chase after Amla fell as Xavier Doherty (2-33) and Johnson cleaned up the lower order.

 

The second clash of the three-game series is at Port Elizabeth on Sunday.

 

Result: Australia won by 93 runs (D/L method).

Man Of The Match: Ricky Ponting (Australia).

 

HD Highlights: Coming Soon

HQ Photo Gallery: Click here to watch the collection.