World Of Cricket

London: Key middle-order batsman Kevin Pietersen is being urged to recapture his best form in 50-over cricket for England in India to be a force to be reckoned with during the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Pietersen must recapture form on short tour to India to be a force in 2015 World Cup

Skipper Alastair Cook suggested that KP will be a force at the next World Cup in 2015 and described his return for a trip to India as “fantastic”.

But according to The Telegraph, away from the microphones there were mumblings recently that there was more to Pietersen being “rested” for last month’s one-day series win over India and that the selectors were close to leaving him out for this trip too.

The absence of Eoin Morgan with a shoulder injury meant that Pietersen had to be selected to provide the propulsion needed in the mid-innings period, which will become even more crucial on this tour thanks to the tinkering of Powerplay rules.

The optional Powerplays will now have to be taken between the 20th and 40th overs, meaning fielding restrictions will be in force and batsmen expected to clear the ropes at a time when spinners are normally in operation.

Pietersen has the power and array of strokes to hit the big shots, but his last one-day hundred was in India in 2008 when he was captain and England could only dream of being the world’s best at any form of the game.

A lean trot of one-day hundreds is not rare for English batsmen in one-day cricket but his return of just two half-centuries in 32 innings since that century in Cuttack, at an average of 22.86, is mysterious and includes a period when he was dropped by England in the summer of 2010 for the one-day series against Pakistan.

England believe Pietersen can still contribute and as a fit, dedicated professional there is no reason why he could not be playing at the age of 34 when the next World Cup.

Colombo: The ICC has announced the match schedule and also unveiled the event logo of the tournament which will be staged from 18 September to 7 October next year.

ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat said: “The ICC World Twenty20 has become a marquee event. I am pretty confident that Sri Lanka has got the experience to deliver another world-class event. The culture and diversity that comes with Sri Lanka is superb. I know it is a very popular destination for many tourists which convinces me that next year, you will see many foreign people coming to witness this tournament,”

If everything goes according to pre-tournament seedings then Pakistan and India will lock horns in a Super Eight match in Colombo on Sunday, 30 September.

Mr. Lorgat further said: “Whenever India plays Pakistan, all the fans become very attentive. People start watching with great interest. If it works according to those seedings, then that match will be a great reminder of the fine final in the inaugural event in Johannesburg.”

ICC World Twenty20 2012 Groups

*If a team ranked third in the starting groups qualifies for the Super Eight, it will adopt the seeding code of the team they have replaced – e.g. if Q2 qualify at England’s expense in second place after the group stage, they would be A1 and India still A2.

Super Eight (S8) Groups

Schedule of ‘ICC World Twenty20 2012′

Note: Click here if you want to download the schedule.

Mohali: India beat Pakistan in the semi-final by 29 runs. Sachin Tendulkar scored 85 runs and Wahab Riaz took 5 wickets.

The second semi-final of ICC World Cup 2011 between India and Pakistan lived up to all the hype and buzz that had engulfed the two nations before the match. India was always considered a favorite to win but everyone was wary of Pakistan’s often unpredictable and mercurial methods. Once the day finally dawned, it was India that played really well under pressure and won the all-important match against its arch-rivals.

India won the toss and decided to bat first. Virender Sehwag took Pakistan’s star fast bowler Umar Gul to the cleaners in the first 5 overs. In a tremendous batting display, he scored a quick fire 38 off 25 balls which included a flurry of boundaries.  His innings was brought to an end by an unexpected hero for Pakistan, fast bowler Wahab Riaz.

Sachin Tendulkar, on the other end, borrowed all the nine lives from the proverbial cat and proceeded to use most of them during the match. He had an LBW decision reversed by UDRS. When stumped, his foot was found to be just grounded and two of Pakistan best and most experienced fielders dropped easy catches off his batting. Then wicket keeper Kamran Akmal dropped a catch though it was a tough chance as compared to the earlier lapses.  Sachin went on to make 85 and that cost Pakistan the game.

Sachin Tendulkar scored 85 runs off 115 balls including 15 FOURS

On the other end, Wahab Riaz was bent on justifying his inclusion in place of speedster Shoaib Akhtar. His five wickets left the Indian spectators stunned. The noise in the stadium was conspicuous by its absence while Wahab bowled. Indian wickets fell at regular intervals in spite of generosity of Pakistan fielders who were caught napping many a time. In the end, it was Suresh Raina’s responsible innings that gave Indian fans much to cheer about.

India finally managed to reach 260/9 in 50 overs though it was expected that with such an impressive batting line-up they will go beyond 300 runs. Pakistan’s start was slow and cautious and they managed only a 106/3 in first 25 overs. Yuvraj Singh took two wickets in two overs to put Pakistan batting under extreme pressure.

As runs became hard to get, the required run rate climbed up steadily and all hopes of winning seemed to desert Pakistan. The team managed to score only 231 runs before all ten wickets fell by the end of last over.

Misbah-ul-Haq scored 56 runs off 76 balls with the help of 2 SIXES and 1 FOUR

It was a disappointing loss for Pakistan because the total was not very big and they had a good start but Indian bowling and fielding combined with some rash shot selection by Pakistan’s batsmen tilted the result in India’s favor. India will now play co-hosts Sri Lanka at Mumbai in the final match of ICC World Cup 2011.

Though there is sadness and heartbreak for Pakistan’s die-hard cricket fans at this loss, becoming semi-finalists is also a testimony of Pakistan’s immense cricket talent and resilience. Before the tournament, there was a huge scandal of spot fixing that cost Pakistan its two finest fast bowlers and premier opening batsman. They also lost a wicket-keeper who sought asylum in England.

From the lowest ebb under media glare and legal wrangling, Captain Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar Younis re-built a team that ended Australia’s record of remaining unbeaten in 34 World Cup matches.  The only team to defeat finalists Sri Lanka on their home ground is also Pakistan and Shahid Afridi remains the tournament’s leading wicket-taking bowler.

Result: India won by 29 runs.

Man Of The Match: Sachin Tendulkar (India).

Note: For watching the great match, please click here.

India in the final

Comments by both captains and by man of the match:

Shahid Afridi (Captain of Pakistan): ”First of all I’d like to congratulate the Indian cricket team and the Indian nation for this great victory, and wish them all the best fo the final,” he says, magnanimously. “Wahab really bowled well today, but we missed some opportunities. They played better than us. We didn’t make partnerships, we played some irresponsible shots, and a partnership was crucial. I want to say sorry to my nation. We tried our level best, and we enjoyed ourselves at this tournament.”

MS Dhoni (Captain of India): ”We got off to a fantastic start through Sehwag and Sachin. As the game progressed the wicket got slower, and in the middle overs it was difficult to score. Shahid bowled really well, and it was important to just play the bowling with respect. 260 was a good score for this pitch. It was turning, we read the wicket wrong and that’s why we went with three seamers, but in the end the seamers bowled really well too. We don’t have bowlers who can bowl 140 plus, overall we really on what you might call deception – change of length, line and pace. Zaheer did really well, over the years with experience and in IPL and things like that he’s become really smart. We’ve struggled at times in this tournament, but that’s the beauty of this game.”

Sachin Tendulkar (Man Of The Match): ”First of all I’d like to thank everyone here for terrific support, without that this wouldn’t have been possible, and not to forget the whole team’s efforts today. We just had to make sure we got to a decent, fighting total. When we started I was thinking of 310 to 315, whch was par score for me, but the way the ball started stopping and spinning, something closer to 270 was par.

Going back to Mumbai for this event is going to be a wonderful occasion, we’ve got to be calm and focussed. This has been memorable, and something I will cherish all through my life.”

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Colombo: Sri Lanka beat New Zealand in the Semi-final by 5 wickets. Malinga and Muralitharan took 3, 3 wickets. Dilshan & Sangakara scored 73 & 54 respectively.

Certain chores in life cannot be avoided, like neutering cats, unblocking drains, and beating New Zealand in World Cup semi-finals. But Sri Lanka did it — the latter anyway – with just enough emphasis to suggest that on Saturday in Mumbai they can go all the way.

A couple of times Sri Lanka might have buckled under the strain of ­chasing 218 to win, as the New ­Zealanders fought characteristically before going down by five wickets, but the hosts always had some steel in reserve.

So Muttiah Muralitharan has been granted one more international match to add to his record total of 534 one-day wickets, but Daniel Vettori has not as New Zealand’s gallant captain.

Sri Lanka have always had fine ­batsmen — chaps who could hit a wristy fifty when MCC stopped on the voyage to Australia — but the steel has been acquired only in the last ­generation. Sociologists might see it as a by-product of the vicious civil war, or of the private-school matches that attract enormous crowds of whisky-drinking old boys. Whatever the cause, the home side did not buckle — as South Africa had done against New Zealand – in the cauldron of noise that was the Premadasa Stadium.

Firstly, the home bowlers — backed by their fielders this time, unlike in their quarter-final against England — kept New Zealand to a total that was “20 or 30 short”, according to Vettori’s calculation. Muralitharan, his right thigh bandaged, hobbled through his 10-over allotment to take two for 42 in his last international match in Sri Lanka, before the first of many ovations. “The icon of Sri Lanka,” his captain Kumar Sangakkara claimed without exaggeration, “and a fantastic human being.”

But New Zealand, like England, ­batted against Sri Lanka’s spinners at much the same pace as an elderly matron going to the shops. England hit five fours in 35 overs of spin; New Zealand managed five fours and a couple of sixes in 33.5 overs. It was the 36th of New Zealand’s innings before a ­batsman went down the pitch to a spinner, by when it would have needed all the king’s horses – and Kevin O’Brien – to set a formidable total.

It was the third ball of Sri Lanka’s innings when Upul Tharanga smacked Nathan McCullum back over his head for six. Tharanga’s initial assault had a lasting effect: McCullum could not be trusted to bowl his full allotment of 10 overs, which New Zealand’s second spinner would have been expected to do on a slowly turning pitch. Jesse Ryder and Scott Styris had to fill in with four overs of medium pace, and the total tab came to 59 off 10: all the difference in a low-scoring semi-final.

Scott Styris scored 57 runs off 77 balls including 5 FOURS

An exemplary, steely, partnership took Sri Lanka up to 160: Tillakaratne Dilshan showed he had a quick head as well as hands by reining himself in after Tharanga’s dismissal, while ­Sangakkara regained third place among the leading run-scorers in this tournament, to Dilshan’s first. Only New Zealand’s zeal in fielding, and a fine spell of left-arm pace by Andy McKay, kept them in the match.

And when Sri Lanka wobbled at 169 for four, and 185 for five, their formative experiences may well have kicked in. The Premadasa was a cauldron all day, and especially after dark when victory approached, but so were the school grounds of these players’ youth: Muralitharan’s old school ground has a 10,000 capacity.

It was Thilan Samaraweera though, the player most injured in the Lahore terrorist attack, and Angelo Mathews who took Sri Lanka home in front of their country’s president. Mathews needed a runner having injured his thigh and if he cannot play in the final, Sri Lanka will be much reduced, because he also bowled economical medium pace in the first 15 overs of powerplay, sometimes holding the ball seam-up but delivering an off-cutter.

Tillakaratne Dilshan scored 73 runs off 93 balls including 10 FOURS & 1 SIX

Ajantha Mendis was even subtler, bowling off-spinners to contain the specialist batsmen, then bamboozling the tail-enders with leg-breaks.

Three first-class counties had a ­special interest in yesterday’s game, to see how their new signings got on. Derbyshire may find that Martin ­Guptill is rather intense: he was ­furious when he made a couple of misfields. Gloucestershire have a ­nimble and innovative batsman in Kane Williamson, but Mendis may be the pick of the new crop in that he will bear the first fruit for Somerset. ­Saturday’s final first, though.

Result: Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets.

Man Of The Match: Kumar Sangakara (Sri Lanka)

Note: For watching the highlights, please click here.

Muttiah Muralitharan waves to the crowd after playing his final home international.

Comments by both captains and by man of the match:

Daniel Vettori (Captain of New Zealand): “We set up a great start, but we lost too many wickets at the end, we scrapped hard today. The top order really set it up, we missed out by not capitalising on that, I think that’s where we lost the game. We have been an outstanding fielding side all tournament, we fought hard but it wasn’t enough today. Sri Lanka are going to be a tough side in the final, particularly with their bowling unit. I’ve enjoyed the tournament, the captaincy – I have enjoyed it some of the time, and not for some of the time.” {Vettori signs off as one-day captain.}

Kumar Sangakara (Captain of Sri Lanka & also Man Of The Match): ”The last game for Murali in Sri Lanka, we really wanted to give him a good send-off. Our bowling variety has been great, our fast bowlers are good, our spinners have been good. Murali is the icon of Sri Lanka, on the field, off the field, a fantastic human being and a great team man.”

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Colombo: The first die-hard battle (semi-fianl) of the cup that counts will start on March 29, 2011 between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. There are some key points for both teams.

Author: Tim Holt

Blog: Cricket through the eyes of an Irishman

Read the rest of this entry »

Mirpur: New Zealand produced an inspired fielding and bowling performance to extend South Africa’s horror run in World Cup knockout matches with a 49-run upset win in Friday’s quarter-final.

South Africa appeared to be coasting at 108-2 in the 24th over after restricting New Zealand to 221 for eight, but crumbled to 172 all out.

The “chokers” tag they had been so keen to banish at this tournament will continue to haunt them.

The turning point came when Jacob Oram took an athletic catch on the boundary to dismiss Jacques Kallis on 47, and the rot set in for South Africa. Oram also took four wickets in a key performance.

AB de Villiers was run out for 32 after Faf du Plessis called for a needless single to give New Zealand a second wicket in three balls and leave South Africa reeling on 121-5 in the 28th over.

Tempers flared when New Zealand’s 12th man, Kyle Mills, appeared to say something to Du Plessis after running out with the drinks, prompting some barging and angry exchanges between the two sets of players.

It was a sign of the high tension in the middle, tension that South Africa’s players succumbed to. Du Plessis and Morne Morkel rallied their team briefly with a ninth-wicket stand of 26 but it was too little, too late.

A jubilant New Zealand team heads to Colombo for Tuesday’s semifinal against Sri Lanka or England, while South Africa heads home to deal with the fallout from another big-match failure that leaves them winless in five World Cup knockout matches.

The defeat also brought the curtain down on Graeme Smith’s captaincy of South Africa’s limited-overs team in the worst possible way, while extending Daniel Vettori’s reign as New Zealand skipper by at least one match.

For a long time, the match looked like being a masterstroke by Smith, whose tactic of rotating his bowlers in two or three-over spells and varying his fields successfully prevented New Zealand’s big-hitting batsmen doing any serious damage.

Jesse Ryder scored a steady 83 for the Kiwis and put on 114 for the third wicket with Ross Taylor, but when New Zealand looked to attack at the end of the innings, the wickets fell on a regular basis.

The machine gun : Jesse Ryder

Vettori was the last man to fall when he was bowled by a clever yorker from Morne Morkel, the second of the paceman’s two wickets in the penultimate over.

Vettori’s return to the team and the inclusion of World Cup debutant Luke Woodcock and Nathan McCullum meant New Zealand matched South Africa by including three spinners in their team.

McCullum struck in the first over — although the wicket had more than a slice of luck attached as Hashim Amla bottom-edged the ball onto Brendon McCullum’s boot and it flew to Vettori at slip.

Kallis and Smith guided the recovery for South Africa but the captain was out for 28 when he sliced straight to substitute Jamie How at backward point.

Kallis wicket was the turning point of match

De Villiers joined Kallis but once again, just as South Africa looked set to take control of the contest, a wicket fell — Kallis attempting to reach the longest boundary over midwicket and finding a galloping Oram instead.

Oram’s catch sparked jubilation among the New Zealand players and the momentum gathered pace when JP Duminy was bowled by Nathan McCullum and then De Villiers was dismissed.

Johan Botha, Robin Peterson and Dale Steyn fell cheaply to leave New Zealand on the brink of victory, and though Du Plessis and Morkel made them wait, Woodcock claimed the final wicket to spark the celebrations.

The winner of the 4th quarter-final {Sri Lanka v England} will face New Zealand in semi-final.

Result: New Zealand won by 49 runs.

Man Of The Match: Jacob Oram (New Zealand).

Note: For watching the highlights, please click here.

New Zealand celebrate their 49-run victory

Comments by both captain and by man of the match:

Greame Smith (Captain of South Africa): “No words to describe how I feel. Just have to take it on the chin.. Very disappointing evening. I thought we bowled pretty well. Credit to Jesse Ryder. At 100 for 2, we were sitting well, and then we lost too many wickets. The stand between Jesse and Taylor kept them in good stead, but we kept them to 220, which is very gettable. We lost too many wickets.. Your guess is as good as mine (as to why we keep losing in World Cup knockouts), its been happening since 1992. We have got some big positives out of the World Cup. We weren’t good enough tonight, but we have to take it forward and not get bogged down. New coach and new captain … We are disappointed with tonight, and nothing I say is going to change that for fans back home.”

Daniel Vettori (Captain of New Zealand): ”Every single bowler stepped up today, and probably it was the fielding that got us through. Martin Guptill was exceptional. Once we got 220, we knew we had to be aggressive. We were hanging in there even when Kallis and AB were going. We wanted 250 on this pitch. We lost some wickets, and scrapped through to 220. We knew it was a tricky wicket, and knew it was going to be an old-school one-day game. That’s the sort of game we like to play. Once we got de Villiers and Kallis, we were back in it. The run out of de Villiers was an amazing piece of work. We are pretty happy to be in the semis, and will be glued to the tv to see how the wicket in Colombo plays tomorrow.”

Jacob Oram (Man Of The Match): ”Thanfully I was tall enough and managed to get there for the Kallis caught. I don’t want to take credit for that one, but I suppose Kallis’ dismissal was the turning point of the match. Its so hard when you are injured continuously to get any rhythm, so the feeling has been better to be on the field. We believe we can go all the way now. This is among the best moments in my career, another one is beating South Africa in the 2003 World Cup.”

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