Ireland's Kevin O'Brien, who plays his cricket for the Railway Union Club, on Wednesday, stood head and shoulders above some of the sport's greatest names after guiding his country to one of the biggest World Cup shocks with victory over the old enemy England.
The 26-year-old Dubliner almost single-handedly demolished Andrew Strauss's Ashes winners with comfortably the quickest ever century in the tournament, racing to three figures in 50 balls of pure smash and plunder.
Although he was out for 113 shortly before Ireland's moment of glory, their first win over England, by then the damage had been done and his team mates passed the massive 328 target with three wickets and five balls to spare.
No team has ever scored more to win a World Cup match batting second.
Source: rediff.com
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Malinga bags second World Cup hat-trick
Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga became the first man to bag two hat-tricks in World Cups when he skittled out three Kenyan tail-enders in their Group A match on Tuesday.
Malinga, who missed his side's opening two matches with a sore back, fired back with 6-38, including the wickets of Tanmay Mishra (0), Peter Ongondo (0) and Shem Ngoche (0) with successive, full deliveries, the latter two clean bowled.
The Africans were dismissed for 142.
n 2007, Malinga grabbed four in a row against South Africa .
It is the second hat-trick of the 2011 World Cup after Kemar Roach took the last three Canadian wickets in West Indies' victory in Group B on Monday.
Hat-tricks in the World Cup
Chetan Sharma (India v New Zealand ), Nagpur, 1987
Saqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan v Zimbabwe), The Oval, 1999
Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka v Bangladesh), Pietermaritzburg, 2003
Brett Lee (Australia v Kenya), Durban, 2003
Lasith Malinga** (Sri Lanka v South Africa), Providence, 2007
Kemar Roach (West Indies v Netherlands), Delhi , 2011
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka vs Kenya), Colombo 2011
Malinga, who missed his side's opening two matches with a sore back, fired back with 6-38, including the wickets of Tanmay Mishra (0), Peter Ongondo (0) and Shem Ngoche (0) with successive, full deliveries, the latter two clean bowled.
The Africans were dismissed for 142.
n 2007, Malinga grabbed four in a row against South Africa .
It is the second hat-trick of the 2011 World Cup after Kemar Roach took the last three Canadian wickets in West Indies' victory in Group B on Monday.
Hat-tricks in the World Cup
Chetan Sharma (India v New Zealand ), Nagpur, 1987
Saqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan v Zimbabwe), The Oval, 1999
Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka v Bangladesh), Pietermaritzburg, 2003
Brett Lee (Australia v Kenya), Durban, 2003
Lasith Malinga** (Sri Lanka v South Africa), Providence, 2007
Kemar Roach (West Indies v Netherlands), Delhi , 2011
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka vs Kenya), Colombo 2011
Why India doesn't look like a Cup winner
It's rather bizarre when the captain of the national team walks into a press conference after a game and blames the conditions on the back of one of the most clueless bowling and fielding displays in recent memory.
In a way, that statement sums up the situation: India's problems lie with the bowling and fielding but there is little or nothing that the captain can do about it (he in fact admitted in that same presser that there was nothing he could do about the fielding), so the only thing left really is to blame the conditions.
The batting, mercifully, seems to be in top form with two near-perfect performances in Mirpur and Bangalore, but against that, a bowling unit that could not defend 338 runs under lights against an England team coming off a 6-1 defeat and with a dismal track record in Indian conditions does not augur well for India's prospects in this Cup.
Restrict or dismiss?
One of the most interesting things about this Indian bowling attack is that it is not designed to dismiss the opposition, but merely to restrict the runs they score. In other words, this attack's job description is damage control, whether we bowl first or last. The problem therefore is two fold: As any novice knows, the only way to really check run-scoring is by wickets and by not being able to do that, the bowling unit ensures that the pressure on it, and on the team's batting, is relentless. Secondly, to really perform even a defensive role to optimum, the bowlers need support in the field -- and India is by far the worst fielding unit in this competition. Keep in mind that this is not the IPL with very short boundaries; these games are being played on larger grounds, and that means that the slow Indian fielders have more ground to cover, and end up conceding easy twos where other teams keep things down to a single or none. And - the real bad news - Dhoni has admitted in as many words that India has slow movers in the field, and hence the fielding is not likely to improve by much.
So that is the situation - a bowling unit with a defensive mindset, and a fielding unit that is not geared to back up that game plan.
It's rather bizarre when the captain of the national team walks into a press conference after a game and blames the conditions on the back of one of the most clueless bowling and fielding displays in recent memory.
In a way, that statement sums up the situation: India's problems lie with the bowling and fielding but there is little or nothing that the captain can do about it (he in fact admitted in that same presser that there was nothing he could do about the fielding), so the only thing left really is to blame the conditions.
The batting, mercifully, seems to be in top form with two near-perfect performances in Mirpur and Bangalore, but against that, a bowling unit that could not defend 338 runs under lights against an England team coming off a 6-1 defeat and with a dismal track record in Indian conditions does not augur well for India's prospects in this Cup.
Restrict or dismiss?
One of the most interesting things about this Indian bowling attack is that it is not designed to dismiss the opposition, but merely to restrict the runs they score. In other words, this attack's job description is damage control, whether we bowl first or last. The problem therefore is two fold: As any novice knows, the only way to really check run-scoring is by wickets and by not being able to do that, the bowling unit ensures that the pressure on it, and on the team's batting, is relentless. Secondly, to really perform even a defensive role to optimum, the bowlers need support in the field -- and India is by far the worst fielding unit in this competition. Keep in mind that this is not the IPL with very short boundaries; these games are being played on larger grounds, and that means that the slow Indian fielders have more ground to cover, and end up conceding easy twos where other teams keep things down to a single or none. And - the real bad news - Dhoni has admitted in as many words that India has slow movers in the field, and hence the fielding is not likely to improve by much.
So that is the situation - a bowling unit with a defensive mindset, and a fielding unit that is not geared to back up that game plan.
Clueless bowling upfront
The bowling performance against England was a mix of heightened complacency, glaring incompetence and tactical naivete. The team seemed to think that by virtue of having put 338 runs on the board, the game was already won and all anyone had to do was roll their arms over, for England to roll over and play dead. The first few overs of the run-chase perhaps accentuates this point: the bowlers ran in with no field; the field placing was defensive in nature; and neither bowlers nor fielders showed any sign of intent, thus allowing the England openers to dominate from ball one. All of this was manifest in the amount of boundaries conceded on either side of the wicket, through a succession of short and wide half-trackers and gimme balls on the pads. Between them, Munaf and Zaheer bowled only 15 balls on full length in the entire game (and two of those deliveries got the wickets of Strauss and Pietersen).
Consider the effect, from a game plan point of view: If India's plan is to defend a high score and allow pressure to do its work, such bowling at the outset produced the reverse effect - by leaking free runs, it ensured that England was always ahead of India on the chase, and ended up reversing the pressure.
To make things worse, the captain and his bowlers appeared to be talking different languages. In the past, Dhoni has successfully used the defensive ploy, packing one side of the field and getting his bowlers to bowl with discipline on that side. Here, for instance, when he set a leg side field, the bowler responded with one short and wide of off stump; when he brought fine leg in to block the single, the bowler drifted the ball onto the pad, allowing the batsman to get the four through that region...
India now is confronted with the need for a major course correction. Its next game is against the Dutch, and India needs to put on the park a bowling side capable of taking ten wickets. The question is, who? Giving Sreesanth a go would be a good idea. Taking Harbhajan aside and asking him to forget his self-imposed role as container, and concentrate on wicket-taking, would be another. Ravichandra Ashwin, the naturally attacking off spinner, could well be given a go. One thing is for sure - if you only have four bowlers, and barring Zaheer the others are essentially defensive in nature, then when you go up against the bigger teams, it won't matter how many runs your batsmen get; the opposition will hunt the targets down with ease.
Spinners - predictable length, poor field placement
There has been much talk in the press about how the Indian bowling is heavily spin-based and why the so-called variety in the spin department gives India a good chance to go all the way. Piyush Chawla was preferred to Ravichandran Ashwin, probably because of past experience on a "warm-up" track against Australia and sadly, his performance didn’t come through. For starters, the basics were all over the place, his preferred length being short long-hops as opposed to the classic leg-spinner who earns his cents by tossing the ball up, fuller length at best. His start was predictably nervous, and as the game wore on, control became virtually non-existent. Secondly, whenever the lad decided to toss it up, he did so at a "sweeper’s length" and most of the English batsmen swept him without the need for thought. The other culprit there was in keeping with the theme of the show - field placements for well...bad bowling. As a leg-spinner, you would almost bargain for being hit against the turn or being driven, and a half-attacking field is by far the most important incentive you give a leggie, but in this case, you had the Indian skipper push people deeper as the game progressed, and somewhere that did affect Chawla. His length got shorter and shorter, even to some of the lower-order England batsmen.
Ditto for Harbhajan Singh, who by consensus is one of India’s "match-winning" bowlers. It was rather unusual to see Dhoni have a long on in place as Ian Bell walked out on the back of two quick wickets; what that did was tell the batsman that there was an easy, pressure-releasing single to be had at will. What made it worse was that such a mindset was deployed against a team that is considered weak against spin.
There is a quirk in the Dhoni style of captaincy that few talk about. When he has relatively smaller totals to defend (as for instance in the warm up against Australia) he attacks and looks for wickets. But whenever his batsmen gives him runs to work with, he reflexively tends to defend. There is a problem here: if you don't trust your bowlers to attack and get you wickets, the bowlers will over time adopt a defensive posture almost as a matter of course. Harbhajan is a case in point. And the question is, if you don't attack when you have three hundred and more on the board, then when?
Disappointingly, and similar to Kumar Sangakkara's Sri Lanka the previous day against Pakistan, India's spin attack almost runs out of ideas when there are two set batsmen on the wicket. They start bowling shorter lengths, the flight is almost non-existent, the field is often an invitation for the batsmen to keep doing what they prefer, and with a fielding unit that's not the quickest around, not enough pressure is created. The middle-overs are where the Indian fielders put up a body language that reflects utmost disinterest in proceedings, when a tight performance is what will really help bowlers at a time when the opposition is looking to consolidate.
Fear of defeat
Based on the evidence of the last two games, the mindset of the Indian bowlers and fielding unit seems to be a fear of defeat, probably because of the hype and heightened levels of expectation that India will win the Cup. I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case, prompting Dhoni to seek refuge in safe, defensive and conservative tactics.
In many ways, this campaign is a unique one for India, in the sense that they're not just the on-paper favourites (as they usually are in every World Cup, thanks to the hype machine) but one that has the conditions, the home support, and at least as far as the batting is concerned, the players to go all the way.
For that to happen, though, two things are mandatory: The team mindset needs to shift into one of relentless aggression, and the bowling unit as one has to put its hand up and shift its focus to striking hard and often, irrespective of the totals the batsmen put up.
The good bit is, the weaknesses are not out in the open - and India has two games against the associate nations to get its ducks back in a row.
Source: cricket.yahoo.com
In a way, that statement sums up the situation: India's problems lie with the bowling and fielding but there is little or nothing that the captain can do about it (he in fact admitted in that same presser that there was nothing he could do about the fielding), so the only thing left really is to blame the conditions.
The batting, mercifully, seems to be in top form with two near-perfect performances in Mirpur and Bangalore, but against that, a bowling unit that could not defend 338 runs under lights against an England team coming off a 6-1 defeat and with a dismal track record in Indian conditions does not augur well for India's prospects in this Cup.
Restrict or dismiss?
One of the most interesting things about this Indian bowling attack is that it is not designed to dismiss the opposition, but merely to restrict the runs they score. In other words, this attack's job description is damage control, whether we bowl first or last. The problem therefore is two fold: As any novice knows, the only way to really check run-scoring is by wickets and by not being able to do that, the bowling unit ensures that the pressure on it, and on the team's batting, is relentless. Secondly, to really perform even a defensive role to optimum, the bowlers need support in the field -- and India is by far the worst fielding unit in this competition. Keep in mind that this is not the IPL with very short boundaries; these games are being played on larger grounds, and that means that the slow Indian fielders have more ground to cover, and end up conceding easy twos where other teams keep things down to a single or none. And - the real bad news - Dhoni has admitted in as many words that India has slow movers in the field, and hence the fielding is not likely to improve by much.
So that is the situation - a bowling unit with a defensive mindset, and a fielding unit that is not geared to back up that game plan.
It's rather bizarre when the captain of the national team walks into a press conference after a game and blames the conditions on the back of one of the most clueless bowling and fielding displays in recent memory.
In a way, that statement sums up the situation: India's problems lie with the bowling and fielding but there is little or nothing that the captain can do about it (he in fact admitted in that same presser that there was nothing he could do about the fielding), so the only thing left really is to blame the conditions.
The batting, mercifully, seems to be in top form with two near-perfect performances in Mirpur and Bangalore, but against that, a bowling unit that could not defend 338 runs under lights against an England team coming off a 6-1 defeat and with a dismal track record in Indian conditions does not augur well for India's prospects in this Cup.
Restrict or dismiss?
One of the most interesting things about this Indian bowling attack is that it is not designed to dismiss the opposition, but merely to restrict the runs they score. In other words, this attack's job description is damage control, whether we bowl first or last. The problem therefore is two fold: As any novice knows, the only way to really check run-scoring is by wickets and by not being able to do that, the bowling unit ensures that the pressure on it, and on the team's batting, is relentless. Secondly, to really perform even a defensive role to optimum, the bowlers need support in the field -- and India is by far the worst fielding unit in this competition. Keep in mind that this is not the IPL with very short boundaries; these games are being played on larger grounds, and that means that the slow Indian fielders have more ground to cover, and end up conceding easy twos where other teams keep things down to a single or none. And - the real bad news - Dhoni has admitted in as many words that India has slow movers in the field, and hence the fielding is not likely to improve by much.
So that is the situation - a bowling unit with a defensive mindset, and a fielding unit that is not geared to back up that game plan.
Clueless bowling upfront
The bowling performance against England was a mix of heightened complacency, glaring incompetence and tactical naivete. The team seemed to think that by virtue of having put 338 runs on the board, the game was already won and all anyone had to do was roll their arms over, for England to roll over and play dead. The first few overs of the run-chase perhaps accentuates this point: the bowlers ran in with no field; the field placing was defensive in nature; and neither bowlers nor fielders showed any sign of intent, thus allowing the England openers to dominate from ball one. All of this was manifest in the amount of boundaries conceded on either side of the wicket, through a succession of short and wide half-trackers and gimme balls on the pads. Between them, Munaf and Zaheer bowled only 15 balls on full length in the entire game (and two of those deliveries got the wickets of Strauss and Pietersen).
Consider the effect, from a game plan point of view: If India's plan is to defend a high score and allow pressure to do its work, such bowling at the outset produced the reverse effect - by leaking free runs, it ensured that England was always ahead of India on the chase, and ended up reversing the pressure.
To make things worse, the captain and his bowlers appeared to be talking different languages. In the past, Dhoni has successfully used the defensive ploy, packing one side of the field and getting his bowlers to bowl with discipline on that side. Here, for instance, when he set a leg side field, the bowler responded with one short and wide of off stump; when he brought fine leg in to block the single, the bowler drifted the ball onto the pad, allowing the batsman to get the four through that region...
India now is confronted with the need for a major course correction. Its next game is against the Dutch, and India needs to put on the park a bowling side capable of taking ten wickets. The question is, who? Giving Sreesanth a go would be a good idea. Taking Harbhajan aside and asking him to forget his self-imposed role as container, and concentrate on wicket-taking, would be another. Ravichandra Ashwin, the naturally attacking off spinner, could well be given a go. One thing is for sure - if you only have four bowlers, and barring Zaheer the others are essentially defensive in nature, then when you go up against the bigger teams, it won't matter how many runs your batsmen get; the opposition will hunt the targets down with ease.
Spinners - predictable length, poor field placement
There has been much talk in the press about how the Indian bowling is heavily spin-based and why the so-called variety in the spin department gives India a good chance to go all the way. Piyush Chawla was preferred to Ravichandran Ashwin, probably because of past experience on a "warm-up" track against Australia and sadly, his performance didn’t come through. For starters, the basics were all over the place, his preferred length being short long-hops as opposed to the classic leg-spinner who earns his cents by tossing the ball up, fuller length at best. His start was predictably nervous, and as the game wore on, control became virtually non-existent. Secondly, whenever the lad decided to toss it up, he did so at a "sweeper’s length" and most of the English batsmen swept him without the need for thought. The other culprit there was in keeping with the theme of the show - field placements for well...bad bowling. As a leg-spinner, you would almost bargain for being hit against the turn or being driven, and a half-attacking field is by far the most important incentive you give a leggie, but in this case, you had the Indian skipper push people deeper as the game progressed, and somewhere that did affect Chawla. His length got shorter and shorter, even to some of the lower-order England batsmen.
Ditto for Harbhajan Singh, who by consensus is one of India’s "match-winning" bowlers. It was rather unusual to see Dhoni have a long on in place as Ian Bell walked out on the back of two quick wickets; what that did was tell the batsman that there was an easy, pressure-releasing single to be had at will. What made it worse was that such a mindset was deployed against a team that is considered weak against spin.
There is a quirk in the Dhoni style of captaincy that few talk about. When he has relatively smaller totals to defend (as for instance in the warm up against Australia) he attacks and looks for wickets. But whenever his batsmen gives him runs to work with, he reflexively tends to defend. There is a problem here: if you don't trust your bowlers to attack and get you wickets, the bowlers will over time adopt a defensive posture almost as a matter of course. Harbhajan is a case in point. And the question is, if you don't attack when you have three hundred and more on the board, then when?
Disappointingly, and similar to Kumar Sangakkara's Sri Lanka the previous day against Pakistan, India's spin attack almost runs out of ideas when there are two set batsmen on the wicket. They start bowling shorter lengths, the flight is almost non-existent, the field is often an invitation for the batsmen to keep doing what they prefer, and with a fielding unit that's not the quickest around, not enough pressure is created. The middle-overs are where the Indian fielders put up a body language that reflects utmost disinterest in proceedings, when a tight performance is what will really help bowlers at a time when the opposition is looking to consolidate.
Fear of defeat
Based on the evidence of the last two games, the mindset of the Indian bowlers and fielding unit seems to be a fear of defeat, probably because of the hype and heightened levels of expectation that India will win the Cup. I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case, prompting Dhoni to seek refuge in safe, defensive and conservative tactics.
In many ways, this campaign is a unique one for India, in the sense that they're not just the on-paper favourites (as they usually are in every World Cup, thanks to the hype machine) but one that has the conditions, the home support, and at least as far as the batting is concerned, the players to go all the way.
For that to happen, though, two things are mandatory: The team mindset needs to shift into one of relentless aggression, and the bowling unit as one has to put its hand up and shift its focus to striking hard and often, irrespective of the totals the batsmen put up.
The good bit is, the weaknesses are not out in the open - and India has two games against the associate nations to get its ducks back in a row.
Source: cricket.yahoo.com
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sehwag, Tendulkar rise in ICC ODI rankings - world cup 2011
Their brilliant performance in the first couple of World Cup matches has helped Indian batsmen Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar to rise to fifth and 10th respectively in the ICC one-day rankings issued on Monday.
Sehwag, who smashed 175 against Bangladesh, is up six places in the latest chart, while Tendulkar, riding on his 120 against England, has risen five spots.
ICC Rankings
Indians are headed northward even in the bowling rankings with Zaheer Khan in 14th (up by nine places), Harbhajan Singh in 16th (up by four places) and Munaf Patel in 22nd (up by 11 places).
England captain Andrew Strauss, who struck a 158-run knock in yesterday's thrilling tie against India, is in 13th spot in the batting list, up by eight places.
Others who have gone up the charts are Tamim Iqbal in 23rd (up by three places), Misbah-ul-Haq in 32nd (up by 12 places), Younus Khan in 44th (up by four places) and Kevin O'Brien in 52nd (up by four places).
Australia's Shane Watson, JP Duminy of South Africa, Netherlands' Ryan ten Doeschate and South Africa's Dale Steyn have all achieved personal landmarks.
Watson has climbed four places to break into the top 10 for the first time in his career.
Duminy's has risen two places to share the 15th spot with captain Graeme Smith and West Indies' Chris Gayle while Ten Doeschate has jumped 12 places to 20th.
In the bowling list, Steyn has jumped four places to fourth position.
Batsmen losing ground are Virat Kohli in third (down by one place), Kumar Sangakkara in eighth (down by one place), Gautam Gambhir in 10th (down by one place), Jacques Kallis in 14th (down by six places) and Chris Gayle in 15th (down by five places), Ricky Ponting in 19th (down by six places).
South Africa's duo of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers maintain the top two positions in batting chart.
Apart from Steyn, Mitchell Johnson of Australia has rocketed 12 places to fifth position after figures of 4-19 and 4-33 against Zimbabwe and New Zealand, respectively.
Also on the move are are Shahid Afridi in 11th position (up by 12 places), Shaun Tait in 29th (up by eight places), Tim Bresnan in 30th (up by 11 places) and Shoaib Akhtar in 37th (up by seven places).
England's James Anderson has taken a nosedive in the latest rankings dropping 12 places to 24th after figures of 0-72 and 1-91 against Netherlands and India, respectively.
Daniel Vettori of New Zealand continues to lead the field with South Africa's Morne Morkel in second place and Ray Price of Zimbabwe moving up one place to third position.
In the Rankings for all-rounders, Ten Doeschate has moved up four places to a career-best fifth as the top four remain unchanged with Bangladesh's Shakib-Al-Hasan leading the way.
Sehwag, who smashed 175 against Bangladesh, is up six places in the latest chart, while Tendulkar, riding on his 120 against England, has risen five spots.
ICC Rankings
Indians are headed northward even in the bowling rankings with Zaheer Khan in 14th (up by nine places), Harbhajan Singh in 16th (up by four places) and Munaf Patel in 22nd (up by 11 places).
England captain Andrew Strauss, who struck a 158-run knock in yesterday's thrilling tie against India, is in 13th spot in the batting list, up by eight places.
Others who have gone up the charts are Tamim Iqbal in 23rd (up by three places), Misbah-ul-Haq in 32nd (up by 12 places), Younus Khan in 44th (up by four places) and Kevin O'Brien in 52nd (up by four places).
Australia's Shane Watson, JP Duminy of South Africa, Netherlands' Ryan ten Doeschate and South Africa's Dale Steyn have all achieved personal landmarks.
Watson has climbed four places to break into the top 10 for the first time in his career.
Duminy's has risen two places to share the 15th spot with captain Graeme Smith and West Indies' Chris Gayle while Ten Doeschate has jumped 12 places to 20th.
In the bowling list, Steyn has jumped four places to fourth position.
Batsmen losing ground are Virat Kohli in third (down by one place), Kumar Sangakkara in eighth (down by one place), Gautam Gambhir in 10th (down by one place), Jacques Kallis in 14th (down by six places) and Chris Gayle in 15th (down by five places), Ricky Ponting in 19th (down by six places).
South Africa's duo of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers maintain the top two positions in batting chart.
Apart from Steyn, Mitchell Johnson of Australia has rocketed 12 places to fifth position after figures of 4-19 and 4-33 against Zimbabwe and New Zealand, respectively.
Also on the move are are Shahid Afridi in 11th position (up by 12 places), Shaun Tait in 29th (up by eight places), Tim Bresnan in 30th (up by 11 places) and Shoaib Akhtar in 37th (up by seven places).
England's James Anderson has taken a nosedive in the latest rankings dropping 12 places to 24th after figures of 0-72 and 1-91 against Netherlands and India, respectively.
Daniel Vettori of New Zealand continues to lead the field with South Africa's Morne Morkel in second place and Ray Price of Zimbabwe moving up one place to third position.
In the Rankings for all-rounders, Ten Doeschate has moved up four places to a career-best fifth as the top four remain unchanged with Bangladesh's Shakib-Al-Hasan leading the way.
Sri Lanka seek revenge of 2003 upset against Kenya - world cup 2011
Sri Lanka would look to bounce back after their morale-sapping loss in the last match and avenge their 2003 edition defeat at the hands of Kenya when they take on the African associate nation in their World Cup Group A match here on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka, tipped as one of the title contenders, lost to Pakistan by 11 runs on Saturday and they would look to lift their morale with a big win against Kenya at R Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.
They have also got the boost ahead of Tuesday's match with fast bowler Lasith Malinga available for selection for after sitting out of Sri Lanka's last two matches due to a sore back.
Sri Lanka ill-afford to take their Tuesday's opponents lightly though Kenya had suffered heavy defeats at the hands of New Zealand and Pakistan in their last two matches and facing internal division with differences between their coach Eldine Baptiste and senior players.
Against the Kiwis, Kenya were bowled out for 69 runs, their lowest total in ODI cricket, and then Pakistan thrashed them by 205 runs at Hambantota.
But the last time Sri Lanka and Kenya met in a World Cup encounter was in 2003 and the Africans had stunned the 1996 champions on that occasion with an upset win in Nairobi.
Understandably, Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss warned his players not to be complacent
"The fact that we did not win our last game will stop any complacency. Our guys are consciously aware of playing good cricket and we certainly will not take them lightly," Bayliss said.
He said Malinga was able to bowl full steam at the nets today and he would be available for selection.
"Lasith bent over to pick up a cricket ball about two weeks ago and strained his back a little. The physio said that the first two weeks were the most important after his injury as the most likelihood of him re-injuring was that period. He bowled in the last two practice sessions. He has bowled with a full run-up today and batted and fielded. We have a selection meeting in the evening and will decide what to do then," Baylisss said.
Kenya, on the other hand, are facing trouble ahead of their all-important match with reports of differences between players and coach emerging.
Cricket Kenya chief Samir Inamdar yesterday blamed differences between the players and West Indian coach Eldine Baptiste for their lacklustre performances so far.
Kenyan captain Jimmy Kamande, however, dismissed suggestions that there was disunity within the squad and promised a better performance on Tuesday.
"I also read those reports. I have not spoken to the chairman, but I can tell you that my team is very solid. When a team loses people try to find excuses. The thing is we have not performed and we want to play well," Kamande told reporters at the pre-match press conference.
"Obviously Sri Lanka are a solid side. But we have nothing to lose. They are the ones who are under pressure to perform. Having lost to Pakistan, this makes a must win game for them and we will try and put pressure on them," Kamande added.
The Teams (From):
Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain and wicketkeeper), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath.
Kenya: Jimmy Kamande (captain), Tanmay Mishra, James Ngoche, Shem Ngoche, Alex Obanda, Collins Obuya, David Obuya (wicketkeeper), Nehemiah Odhiambo, Thomas Odoyo, Peter Ongondo, Elijah Otieno, Maurice Ouma, Rakep Patel, Steve Tikolo and Seren Waters.
Umpires: Tony Hill (New Zealand) and Shahvir Tarapore (India).
Sri Lanka, tipped as one of the title contenders, lost to Pakistan by 11 runs on Saturday and they would look to lift their morale with a big win against Kenya at R Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.
They have also got the boost ahead of Tuesday's match with fast bowler Lasith Malinga available for selection for after sitting out of Sri Lanka's last two matches due to a sore back.
Sri Lanka ill-afford to take their Tuesday's opponents lightly though Kenya had suffered heavy defeats at the hands of New Zealand and Pakistan in their last two matches and facing internal division with differences between their coach Eldine Baptiste and senior players.
Against the Kiwis, Kenya were bowled out for 69 runs, their lowest total in ODI cricket, and then Pakistan thrashed them by 205 runs at Hambantota.
But the last time Sri Lanka and Kenya met in a World Cup encounter was in 2003 and the Africans had stunned the 1996 champions on that occasion with an upset win in Nairobi.
Understandably, Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss warned his players not to be complacent
"The fact that we did not win our last game will stop any complacency. Our guys are consciously aware of playing good cricket and we certainly will not take them lightly," Bayliss said.
He said Malinga was able to bowl full steam at the nets today and he would be available for selection.
"Lasith bent over to pick up a cricket ball about two weeks ago and strained his back a little. The physio said that the first two weeks were the most important after his injury as the most likelihood of him re-injuring was that period. He bowled in the last two practice sessions. He has bowled with a full run-up today and batted and fielded. We have a selection meeting in the evening and will decide what to do then," Baylisss said.
Kenya, on the other hand, are facing trouble ahead of their all-important match with reports of differences between players and coach emerging.
Cricket Kenya chief Samir Inamdar yesterday blamed differences between the players and West Indian coach Eldine Baptiste for their lacklustre performances so far.
Kenyan captain Jimmy Kamande, however, dismissed suggestions that there was disunity within the squad and promised a better performance on Tuesday.
"I also read those reports. I have not spoken to the chairman, but I can tell you that my team is very solid. When a team loses people try to find excuses. The thing is we have not performed and we want to play well," Kamande told reporters at the pre-match press conference.
"Obviously Sri Lanka are a solid side. But we have nothing to lose. They are the ones who are under pressure to perform. Having lost to Pakistan, this makes a must win game for them and we will try and put pressure on them," Kamande added.
The Teams (From):
Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain and wicketkeeper), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath.
Kenya: Jimmy Kamande (captain), Tanmay Mishra, James Ngoche, Shem Ngoche, Alex Obanda, Collins Obuya, David Obuya (wicketkeeper), Nehemiah Odhiambo, Thomas Odoyo, Peter Ongondo, Elijah Otieno, Maurice Ouma, Rakep Patel, Steve Tikolo and Seren Waters.
Umpires: Tony Hill (New Zealand) and Shahvir Tarapore (India).
Roach's hat-trick scripts Dutch downfall - world cup 2011
Kemar Roach lifted the spirits on a dank day of World Cup action by becoming the sixth World Cup hat-trick-taker as West Indies cruised past a disappointing Netherlands outfit in Delhi.
His whippet pace and low-trajectory overwhelmed a Netherlands who, set 331 for victory, were left to regret their captain's decision to field first. Roach finished the game in style, trapping Pieter Seelaar and Bernard Loots lbw before splattering Berend Westdijk's middle stump to seal a 215-run victory.
His whippet pace and low-trajectory overwhelmed a Netherlands who, set 331 for victory, were left to regret their captain's decision to field first. Roach finished the game in style, trapping Pieter Seelaar and Bernard Loots lbw before splattering Berend Westdijk's middle stump to seal a 215-run victory.
Dhoni 'happy with tied result - cricket
They could not secure victory even after setting England [ Images ] a mammoth 339-run target. But India [ Images ] skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni [ Images ] was happy to escape with a tie result, as he felt at one stage the English appeared clear favourites to win the match
Both teams scored 338 runs in the Group B clash, which was only the fourth tied result in the history of the World Cup.
England skipper Strauss scored a magnificent 158-run knock and along with Ian Bell [ Images ] (59) almost pulled off an incredible win for his side while chasing the huge total.
"The way it was going, it seemed England would win it. So, happy with the tied result. It (the result) may reflect as a win in the (points) table," Dhoni said after the match.
"The way Strauss and Bell were going, it looked it would be all over by the 48th over… until Zak (Zaheer Khan ) came, bowled brilliantly," Dhoni said.
Dhoni though was also disappointed that their attack could not defend such a big total.
"I think so (it was defendable). If 338 is not enough then perhaps in every match you will have to score 350-360 runs, which will be very tough to do.
"It was a different wicket and pretty flat in the second innings, but then there was more pressure on England's batsman. The lower order contributed, Swann, Bresnan and one more guy, Shehzad, all played well," he said.
Strauss, who was adjudged Man-of-the-match for his scintillating knock, though was full of mixed feelings after the match.
"In a way, yes, no...," he said, when asked if he was happy with the result.
"We were in a great position to win. Then we had a shocking powerplay (when both he and Bell got out) and India were favourites then. Some ways we are happy and some ways distraught," the left-handed batsman said.
Strauss also said the thrilling game was good advertisement for cricket.
"It was a great game (for One-day cricket). There was a lot of pressure. Some way it was disappointing and some way it was a privilege to play such a game. It was an outstanding wicket to bat on," he said.
India pacer Zhaeer Khan, who dismissed both Strauss and Bell on consecutive balls to bring India back in the match, said, "The tie result explains everything. Strauss batted well and it was electrifying till the end."
Source: Rediff.com
Both teams scored 338 runs in the Group B clash, which was only the fourth tied result in the history of the World Cup.
England skipper Strauss scored a magnificent 158-run knock and along with Ian Bell [ Images ] (59) almost pulled off an incredible win for his side while chasing the huge total.
"The way it was going, it seemed England would win it. So, happy with the tied result. It (the result) may reflect as a win in the (points) table," Dhoni said after the match.
"The way Strauss and Bell were going, it looked it would be all over by the 48th over… until Zak (Zaheer Khan ) came, bowled brilliantly," Dhoni said.
Dhoni though was also disappointed that their attack could not defend such a big total.
"I think so (it was defendable). If 338 is not enough then perhaps in every match you will have to score 350-360 runs, which will be very tough to do.
"It was a different wicket and pretty flat in the second innings, but then there was more pressure on England's batsman. The lower order contributed, Swann, Bresnan and one more guy, Shehzad, all played well," he said.
Strauss, who was adjudged Man-of-the-match for his scintillating knock, though was full of mixed feelings after the match.
"In a way, yes, no...," he said, when asked if he was happy with the result.
"We were in a great position to win. Then we had a shocking powerplay (when both he and Bell got out) and India were favourites then. Some ways we are happy and some ways distraught," the left-handed batsman said.
Strauss also said the thrilling game was good advertisement for cricket.
"It was a great game (for One-day cricket). There was a lot of pressure. Some way it was disappointing and some way it was a privilege to play such a game. It was an outstanding wicket to bat on," he said.
India pacer Zhaeer Khan, who dismissed both Strauss and Bell on consecutive balls to bring India back in the match, said, "The tie result explains everything. Strauss batted well and it was electrifying till the end."
Source: Rediff.com
Strauss edged it twice but Indians didn't appeal - cricket
The Indian team seems to have a 'hearing problem' in addition to its bowling and fielding woes which led to its failure to defend a strong score of 338 in the World Cup match against England last night.
Much has has been spoken and written about how poor bowling and fielding in addition to a late batting collapse that resulted in the fall of India's last seven wickets for 33 runs and nearly enabled England to win.
But two huge blunders committed by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan appear to have gone unnoticed in the debate and discussion over the tied match.
England skipper Andrew Strauss, who was the architect of India's agony by hitting his highest ODI score of 158, should have been out when he has scored a mere 13 if wicket-keeper Dhoni, Zaheer or close-in fielders had appealed for a caught behind at that point. Strauss clearly nicked a Zaheer delivery but there was no appeal by the Indians.
98 runs later, the England skipper had another stroke of luck when he again edged Zaheer to Dhoni with his score at 111 but none of the Indians on the field appealed.
Some of the television commentators, who heard the replays of the clear nicks, thought that the Indian players probably did not hear the edges because of the crowd noise --an unconvincing argument given the fact that Indian cricketers are used to noisy, boisterous crowds everytime they set foot on the field.
No cricket ground in the world has as vocal spectators as Kolkata's Eden Gardens where over one lakh fans turn out for big matches.
Source: Ndtv
Much has has been spoken and written about how poor bowling and fielding in addition to a late batting collapse that resulted in the fall of India's last seven wickets for 33 runs and nearly enabled England to win.
But two huge blunders committed by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan appear to have gone unnoticed in the debate and discussion over the tied match.
England skipper Andrew Strauss, who was the architect of India's agony by hitting his highest ODI score of 158, should have been out when he has scored a mere 13 if wicket-keeper Dhoni, Zaheer or close-in fielders had appealed for a caught behind at that point. Strauss clearly nicked a Zaheer delivery but there was no appeal by the Indians.
98 runs later, the England skipper had another stroke of luck when he again edged Zaheer to Dhoni with his score at 111 but none of the Indians on the field appealed.
Some of the television commentators, who heard the replays of the clear nicks, thought that the Indian players probably did not hear the edges because of the crowd noise --an unconvincing argument given the fact that Indian cricketers are used to noisy, boisterous crowds everytime they set foot on the field.
No cricket ground in the world has as vocal spectators as Kolkata's Eden Gardens where over one lakh fans turn out for big matches.
Source: Ndtv
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Batting gives the South Africans the edge - Cricket World Cup 2011
It is a contest between a team still looking for its finest World Cup moment and the other whose best in the competition can only be sighted far in the rear-view mirror.
If South Africa is waiting for its time to come, two-time winner West Indies is also looking to turn the clock back.
On Thursday, One-Day International cricket returns to the Ferozeshah Kotla after December 2009, and the untested surface adds to the excitement of the first match of this World Cup where there is no overwhelming favourite.
The pitch will come under scrutiny with the curators too keeping their fingers crossed. Despite heavy rolling and lot of grass being shaved off, concerns over possible low bounce at one end remain.
Overall, the South African batting line-up looks like it will be more than a handful for the West Indies attack. This may well prove to be the decisive factor. But, then, turning things around is well within the West Indies' scope.
Either way, the outcome of the match may not impact the teams' prospects of reaching the quarterfinals — these sides are more than capable of beating Bangladesh, the Netherlands and Ireland.
Eyeing a grand exit?
South African skipper Graeme Smith has reasons to be more anxious than his West Indies counterpart, Darren Sammy. Smith has given indications that this may be his last World Cup, and he will obviously be keen to sign off in glory.
Though the squad has 11 players making their World Cup debuts, South Africa is among the favourites. A fine mix of batsmen suited for one-dayers, a choice of all-rounders, variety in both pace and spin departments, traditionally awe-inspiring fielding — all add up to make South Africa a winning combination.
The line-up, including Smith, Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, Ab de Villiers and Jean-Paul Duminy, reflects the expertise and experience to worry any attack in this form of the game. With tearaway bowlers like Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel and seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe, not to forget a hungry Wayne Parnell, at its disposal, the pace battery appears compact. Add the never-before options like off-spinner Johan Botha, Robin Peterson, a left-arm spinner with all-round capabilities and Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir, and the South African attack assumes menacing proportions. No wonder, some of the ex-South African cricketers have called it their best World Cup squad.
‘Dangerous side'
About the West Indies, Smith said on Wednesday: “Consistency has always been an issue with them when it comes to playing in a series of four to five matches. But you can't take away the fact they have real match-winners in their squad. They are a dangerous side, especially in a one-off game…especially in a World Cup.”
West Indies, winless in the one-dayers against Test-playing nations since June 2009, has the potential to cause upsets. What makes the side “dangerous” is its blend of explosive power and energetic young talent. The side may not have the experience of its rival but has some names capable of turning a match on its head.
Sammy, his deputy Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Darren Bravo, seasoned campaigner Ramnaresh Sarwan and the ever-so-steady Shivnarine Chanderpaul represent the depth in batting.
The pace-attack consisting Kemar Roach, spoken very highly of, along with Ravi Rampaul, Sammy and Dwayne Bravo is far from menacing but together with the spin options in Gayle and left-arm spinners Sulieman Benn and Nikita Miller provide the variety.
Sammy said the “quietly confident” team was keen to go “step by step” in the competition.
“We have a well-balanced side and if we play to our full potential, who knows what could happen. After all, the one-day game is about doing well on that day. And doing what it takes.”
The teams (from):
South Africa: Graeme Smith (Captain), Hashim Amla, Morne van Wyk, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Johan Botha, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Colin Ingram, Wayne Parnell and Imran Tahir.
West Indies: Darren Sammy (Captain), Chris Gayle, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Nikita Miller, Sulieman Benn, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Kieron Pollard, Devon Smith, Kirk Edwards, Andre Russel and Devon Thomas.
Umpires: Simon Taufel and Amish Saheba, Third umpire: Asoka de Silva; Fourth umpire: Richard Kettleborough.
Match Referee: Jeff Crowe.
Match starts at 2.30 pm .
Source: Hindu
If South Africa is waiting for its time to come, two-time winner West Indies is also looking to turn the clock back.
On Thursday, One-Day International cricket returns to the Ferozeshah Kotla after December 2009, and the untested surface adds to the excitement of the first match of this World Cup where there is no overwhelming favourite.
The pitch will come under scrutiny with the curators too keeping their fingers crossed. Despite heavy rolling and lot of grass being shaved off, concerns over possible low bounce at one end remain.
Overall, the South African batting line-up looks like it will be more than a handful for the West Indies attack. This may well prove to be the decisive factor. But, then, turning things around is well within the West Indies' scope.
Either way, the outcome of the match may not impact the teams' prospects of reaching the quarterfinals — these sides are more than capable of beating Bangladesh, the Netherlands and Ireland.
Eyeing a grand exit?
South African skipper Graeme Smith has reasons to be more anxious than his West Indies counterpart, Darren Sammy. Smith has given indications that this may be his last World Cup, and he will obviously be keen to sign off in glory.
Though the squad has 11 players making their World Cup debuts, South Africa is among the favourites. A fine mix of batsmen suited for one-dayers, a choice of all-rounders, variety in both pace and spin departments, traditionally awe-inspiring fielding — all add up to make South Africa a winning combination.
The line-up, including Smith, Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, Ab de Villiers and Jean-Paul Duminy, reflects the expertise and experience to worry any attack in this form of the game. With tearaway bowlers like Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel and seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe, not to forget a hungry Wayne Parnell, at its disposal, the pace battery appears compact. Add the never-before options like off-spinner Johan Botha, Robin Peterson, a left-arm spinner with all-round capabilities and Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir, and the South African attack assumes menacing proportions. No wonder, some of the ex-South African cricketers have called it their best World Cup squad.
‘Dangerous side'
About the West Indies, Smith said on Wednesday: “Consistency has always been an issue with them when it comes to playing in a series of four to five matches. But you can't take away the fact they have real match-winners in their squad. They are a dangerous side, especially in a one-off game…especially in a World Cup.”
West Indies, winless in the one-dayers against Test-playing nations since June 2009, has the potential to cause upsets. What makes the side “dangerous” is its blend of explosive power and energetic young talent. The side may not have the experience of its rival but has some names capable of turning a match on its head.
Sammy, his deputy Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Darren Bravo, seasoned campaigner Ramnaresh Sarwan and the ever-so-steady Shivnarine Chanderpaul represent the depth in batting.
The pace-attack consisting Kemar Roach, spoken very highly of, along with Ravi Rampaul, Sammy and Dwayne Bravo is far from menacing but together with the spin options in Gayle and left-arm spinners Sulieman Benn and Nikita Miller provide the variety.
Sammy said the “quietly confident” team was keen to go “step by step” in the competition.
“We have a well-balanced side and if we play to our full potential, who knows what could happen. After all, the one-day game is about doing well on that day. And doing what it takes.”
The teams (from):
South Africa: Graeme Smith (Captain), Hashim Amla, Morne van Wyk, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Johan Botha, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Colin Ingram, Wayne Parnell and Imran Tahir.
West Indies: Darren Sammy (Captain), Chris Gayle, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Nikita Miller, Sulieman Benn, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Kieron Pollard, Devon Smith, Kirk Edwards, Andre Russel and Devon Thomas.
Umpires: Simon Taufel and Amish Saheba, Third umpire: Asoka de Silva; Fourth umpire: Richard Kettleborough.
Match Referee: Jeff Crowe.
Match starts at 2.30 pm .
Source: Hindu
Five-star Afridi demolishes Kenyans - Cricket World Cup 2011
First it was the batsmen who carved out an important innings from Pakistan, who have not progressed beyond the first round of the World Cup in the last two editions.And later, it was skipper Afridi who penned the perfect script to end the day on a high.
The Kenyan batsmen had no answer to captain Afridi's tantalising leg-spinners as he ended up with figures of five for 16 off eight overs.
Source: rediff.com
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Besieged Pakistan take fresh guard - world cup 2011
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis believes the recent spot-fixing scandal will not have a detrimental effect on their World Cup campaign which gets underway against Kenya here on Wednesday.Former Test captain Salman Butt and pacemen Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were banned on charges of corruption relating to last year's Lord's Test against England.
All three also face criminal prosecution.
But Waqar said his team, who are in action for the first time since the bans were announced, are not worried about the past.
"Whatever happened last year is now history. This is a new place and an important tournament, so we want to be fully focussed and start the event like India and New Zealand did," said Waqar.
Pakistan are also eager to put behind them their tragedy-hit 2007 tournament.
Four years ago, Pakistan suffered an embarrassing three-wicket defeat at the hands of outsiders Ireland in Kingston and crashed out in the first round.
As if the humiliation was not enough, their English coach Bob Woolmer died the very next day, threatening the World Cup and putting the players under investigation by the Jamaican police who initially treated the death as murder.
Even after the death was declared as due to natural causes, Pakistani players came in for severe criticism from home fans who wanted them punished for their first round exit -- their second in as many events.
Captain Shahid Afridi said his team will take all opponents here seriously.
"There have been so many upsets in the World Cup in the past, like the one against Ireland four years ago, so we have that in mind and we will be on our toes in every match, be it Kenya or Sri Lanka," Afridi told AFP.
The current Pakistan squad has only four survivors from that Irish defeat -- Younis Khan, Umar Gul, Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal -- but Afridi said no player has forgotten the shattering loss.
Not even Kenya's abject 10-wicket surrender to New Zealand in a Group A match in Chennai on Sunday, makes Afridi feel at ease.
"If they had a bad day then they can come hard on us. We will be geared up as our main aim is to win all our group matches," said Afridi of the first stage where Pakistan also face Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and Canada.
The top four teams qualify for the quarter-finals from each of the two groups.
Pakistan opener Ahmed Shahzad and middle-order batsman Misbah-ul-Haq hit centuries in the first warm-up match against Bangladesh last week and senior batsman Younis Khan scored 80 in a lost cause against England.
Younis and Misbah will be the key in providing a solid base for hard-hitters Afridi, Umar Akmal and Abdul Razzaq, who can run riot in the final overs and in the batting powerplay.
Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande vowed to have a different approach against Pakistan, after his team was shot out for a paltry 69 against New Zealand.
"Next game, it'll be different opposition and a different approach from us. I would be happy as long as we improve each and every game," said Kamande, whose team reached the semi-final in the 2003 World Cup.
"We didn't express ourselves (in the first match) but we will show improvements," said Kamande, whose team has never met Pakistan in a World Cup match having been a regular feature in the World Cup since 1996.
Pakistan have won all their five one-day internationals against Kenya.
Source: ndtv
England survive Dutch brilliance - world cup 2011
Ryan ten Doeschate produced a scintillating 119 from 110 balls, and followed up with the brilliant bowling figures of 2 for 47 in ten overs, to give England one of the biggest frights of their international lives. However, his very best efforts were not quite enough to propel the Netherlands to an incredible victory in their World Cup opener at Nagpur.
Faced with a massive target of 293, and humiliation on an even greater scale than they suffered at Lord's two years ago, England responded with a determined batting performance under the floodlights, and thanks to composed half-centuries from Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott, they eventually reached safety with six wickets and eight balls to spare. However, the final margin of victory did no justice to the journey they were forced to undertake. Had England stumbled, it would surely have gone down as the greatest upset in World Cup history.
The final overs were fraught with possibility, as England battled with a run-rate that barely dipped below seven an over, against a pumped-up team of performers who could mainline their adrenalin straight from that opening fixture of the World Twenty20. With 69 needed from the final ten overs, Trott was exquisitely stumped off a leg-side wide by Wesley Barresi, who had earlier launched the Dutch innings with a sparky cameo of 29 from 25 balls, and when the in-form Ian Bell was bowled middle stump by the final ball of ten Doeschate's spell, Nagpur really was living up to its reputation as the City of Orange.
That dismissal left England's fate in the hands of Paul Collingwood, who has barely been able to buy an international run all winter, and Ravi Bopara, whose inclusion at the expense of the second spinner Michael Yardy contributed to their problems in the field, but for which he ultimately atoned with a vital 30 not out from 20 balls, including a soothing six over long-on off the first ball off the 49th over - the first of England's innings.
It was Collingwood who proved the key, however. He was England's captain when they lost in 2009, and ten years earlier he had also been on the receiving end of a NatWest Trophy beating while playing for Durham in Amstelveen. The threat of a triple dose of humiliation compelled him to rediscover his fighting spirit, and he restored faith in both himself and his team with an unbeaten 30 from 23.
It was all extraordinarily fraught. Whereas previous shocks have revolved around batting collapses in helpful conditions - think Ireland in Jamaica four years ago, or West Indies against Kenya in 1996 - this performance was all about the weight of runs that the derided Dutchmen were able to pile onto England's shoulders. With Associate cricket in the spotlight like never before, following the decision to reduce the 2015 World Cup to 10 teams, and in light of the recent capitulations by Canada and Kenya in Group A, this was a performance that showed the sport's second tier in the best and most timely light imaginable.
ten Doeschate's prowess in limited-overs cricket is hardly a secret - he averaged 54 in the CB40 last season, and weighed in with nine wickets, as Essex advanced to the semi-finals - but England had no answers to his watertight technique and a shot selection that started out composed before exploding in the closing overs with 52 runs coming from his last 26 deliveries. He came to the crease in the 12th over and though he took 12 balls to get off the mark, the value in gauging the pace of the wicket paid off handsomely.
All told, ten Doeschate struck nine fours and three sixes in a 110-ball stay, the first of which came off a gentle full-toss from Kevin Pietersen, whose two overs were dispatched for 19 and highlighted England's folly in omitting Yardy - Bopara's medium-pace was not called upon. Swann, on his return to the team following the birth of his son Wilfred, was the pick of England's bowlers with 2 for 35 in ten tidy overs, while Stuart Broad was menacing if a touch expensive in his first full international since the Adelaide Test in December. But ten Doeschate treated the rest of England's attack with disdain, as he powered through to his fourth and highest century in 28 appearances for the Netherlands.
After calling for the Powerplay in the 43rd over, ten Doeschate lost his fifth-wicket partner Tom de Grooth, the hero of Lord's 2009, who was bowled by a Stuart Broad yorker for 28. But undeterred, he picked off consecutive boundaries from Tim Bresnan to move through the nineties, before reaching his first World Cup hundred from 98 balls and in remarkable fashion, as a sharp single to short fine leg turned into five overthrows when Trott's shy ricocheted off the stumps and away to the ropes.
On a night that belonged to the Dutchmen in spite of the final result, the nadir of England's performance was reached in the final six overs of their bowling effort. Only last summer, England's attack was touted as their likeliest route to World Cup glory, given how intricately each member of the attack knew their roles, and how quickly they were able to react to changing circumstances. However, the closing overs were a total shambles that would have disgraced a club side, given the breadth and variety of the errors that were committed.
A foretaste of the chaos came in Swann's seventh over, when ten Doeschate, on 47, launched a drive into no-man's land behind the bowler's arm, where James Anderson and Kevin Pietersen converged from mid-off and mid-on respectively, but stopped dead as the ball plugged harmlessly between them.
Anderson's day then went from bad to worse when he returned to the attack in the 46th over. His attempt at blockhole bowling resulted in two awful waist-high full-tosses, the second of which swung away down the leg side for four. Both were called as no-balls, and Anderson was very fortunate not to be withdrawn from the attack by the umpires. Or not as it happens, because the Dutch captain Peter Borren was delighted he remained. He belted three consecutive boundaries in a listless ninth over, to finish unbeaten on 35 from 24 balls.
England's embarrassment didn't end there. Though Broad showed some fight to end ten Doeschate's stay via a catch in the deep in the 49th over, he was denied the wicket of Borren in the same over when Collingwood at midwicket failed to take his required position inside the fielding circle. A no-ball was signalled, Borren was recalled, and there was still time for one more howler, as Swann shelled a sitter at third man to reprieve Mudassar Bukhari.
The Netherlands final total of 292 for 6 was their highest against a full-member nation, and the second highest by any Associate, beating the 230 they scored against England on this very day 15 years ago, at the 1996 World Cup. The hero that day was the 18-year-old Bas Zuiderent, who was the only Dutchman to miss out this time around, as he made 1 from 10 balls before becoming Swann's second victim. It was scant consolation for England on a day that they could not allow to get any worse.
The new opening pairing of Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen went some way towards atoning for England's earlier errors with a 105-run stand in 17.4 overs. They started with clear intent as Strauss snaffled three fours in the first over, from Mudassar Bukhari - two clips off the toes and a fortuitous under-edged cut past off stump, en route to 88 from 83 balls, while Pietersen's first shot was a sweetly timed drive to a Berend Westdijk outswinger.
On a slow deck, Pietersen's instinct was to advance onto the front foot at every opportunity, and his timing seemed in fine fettle even though he kept picking out the fielders in a well-drilled Netherlands outfit. Strauss meanwhile hung back in his crease and took advantage of the Dutch inexperience to nudge and pull eight of his first nine boundaries behind square on the leg-side.
However, as the hardness went out of the new ball and Barresi came up to the stumps to restrict Pietersen's footwork, his returns tailed off appreciably. Having scored 29 from his first 31 balls, he made just 10 from his next 30, before Pieter Seelaar added his name to the list of left-arm spinners to have captured one of the more notable scalps in world cricket. A tempting delivery was tossed up outside off stump, and Pietersen failed to get his feet to the pitch as he poked an uppish drive to short cover.
In the end humiliation was avoided, and given the lop-sided format of the World Cup, England have already made a significant stride towards the quarter-finals. But with the in-form Indians looming in Bangalore on Sunday, there is no room for another performance this poor. The world is watching. And they've taken note.
Source: ndtv
Faced with a massive target of 293, and humiliation on an even greater scale than they suffered at Lord's two years ago, England responded with a determined batting performance under the floodlights, and thanks to composed half-centuries from Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott, they eventually reached safety with six wickets and eight balls to spare. However, the final margin of victory did no justice to the journey they were forced to undertake. Had England stumbled, it would surely have gone down as the greatest upset in World Cup history.
The final overs were fraught with possibility, as England battled with a run-rate that barely dipped below seven an over, against a pumped-up team of performers who could mainline their adrenalin straight from that opening fixture of the World Twenty20. With 69 needed from the final ten overs, Trott was exquisitely stumped off a leg-side wide by Wesley Barresi, who had earlier launched the Dutch innings with a sparky cameo of 29 from 25 balls, and when the in-form Ian Bell was bowled middle stump by the final ball of ten Doeschate's spell, Nagpur really was living up to its reputation as the City of Orange.
That dismissal left England's fate in the hands of Paul Collingwood, who has barely been able to buy an international run all winter, and Ravi Bopara, whose inclusion at the expense of the second spinner Michael Yardy contributed to their problems in the field, but for which he ultimately atoned with a vital 30 not out from 20 balls, including a soothing six over long-on off the first ball off the 49th over - the first of England's innings.
It was Collingwood who proved the key, however. He was England's captain when they lost in 2009, and ten years earlier he had also been on the receiving end of a NatWest Trophy beating while playing for Durham in Amstelveen. The threat of a triple dose of humiliation compelled him to rediscover his fighting spirit, and he restored faith in both himself and his team with an unbeaten 30 from 23.
It was all extraordinarily fraught. Whereas previous shocks have revolved around batting collapses in helpful conditions - think Ireland in Jamaica four years ago, or West Indies against Kenya in 1996 - this performance was all about the weight of runs that the derided Dutchmen were able to pile onto England's shoulders. With Associate cricket in the spotlight like never before, following the decision to reduce the 2015 World Cup to 10 teams, and in light of the recent capitulations by Canada and Kenya in Group A, this was a performance that showed the sport's second tier in the best and most timely light imaginable.
ten Doeschate's prowess in limited-overs cricket is hardly a secret - he averaged 54 in the CB40 last season, and weighed in with nine wickets, as Essex advanced to the semi-finals - but England had no answers to his watertight technique and a shot selection that started out composed before exploding in the closing overs with 52 runs coming from his last 26 deliveries. He came to the crease in the 12th over and though he took 12 balls to get off the mark, the value in gauging the pace of the wicket paid off handsomely.
All told, ten Doeschate struck nine fours and three sixes in a 110-ball stay, the first of which came off a gentle full-toss from Kevin Pietersen, whose two overs were dispatched for 19 and highlighted England's folly in omitting Yardy - Bopara's medium-pace was not called upon. Swann, on his return to the team following the birth of his son Wilfred, was the pick of England's bowlers with 2 for 35 in ten tidy overs, while Stuart Broad was menacing if a touch expensive in his first full international since the Adelaide Test in December. But ten Doeschate treated the rest of England's attack with disdain, as he powered through to his fourth and highest century in 28 appearances for the Netherlands.
After calling for the Powerplay in the 43rd over, ten Doeschate lost his fifth-wicket partner Tom de Grooth, the hero of Lord's 2009, who was bowled by a Stuart Broad yorker for 28. But undeterred, he picked off consecutive boundaries from Tim Bresnan to move through the nineties, before reaching his first World Cup hundred from 98 balls and in remarkable fashion, as a sharp single to short fine leg turned into five overthrows when Trott's shy ricocheted off the stumps and away to the ropes.
On a night that belonged to the Dutchmen in spite of the final result, the nadir of England's performance was reached in the final six overs of their bowling effort. Only last summer, England's attack was touted as their likeliest route to World Cup glory, given how intricately each member of the attack knew their roles, and how quickly they were able to react to changing circumstances. However, the closing overs were a total shambles that would have disgraced a club side, given the breadth and variety of the errors that were committed.
A foretaste of the chaos came in Swann's seventh over, when ten Doeschate, on 47, launched a drive into no-man's land behind the bowler's arm, where James Anderson and Kevin Pietersen converged from mid-off and mid-on respectively, but stopped dead as the ball plugged harmlessly between them.
Anderson's day then went from bad to worse when he returned to the attack in the 46th over. His attempt at blockhole bowling resulted in two awful waist-high full-tosses, the second of which swung away down the leg side for four. Both were called as no-balls, and Anderson was very fortunate not to be withdrawn from the attack by the umpires. Or not as it happens, because the Dutch captain Peter Borren was delighted he remained. He belted three consecutive boundaries in a listless ninth over, to finish unbeaten on 35 from 24 balls.
England's embarrassment didn't end there. Though Broad showed some fight to end ten Doeschate's stay via a catch in the deep in the 49th over, he was denied the wicket of Borren in the same over when Collingwood at midwicket failed to take his required position inside the fielding circle. A no-ball was signalled, Borren was recalled, and there was still time for one more howler, as Swann shelled a sitter at third man to reprieve Mudassar Bukhari.
The Netherlands final total of 292 for 6 was their highest against a full-member nation, and the second highest by any Associate, beating the 230 they scored against England on this very day 15 years ago, at the 1996 World Cup. The hero that day was the 18-year-old Bas Zuiderent, who was the only Dutchman to miss out this time around, as he made 1 from 10 balls before becoming Swann's second victim. It was scant consolation for England on a day that they could not allow to get any worse.
The new opening pairing of Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen went some way towards atoning for England's earlier errors with a 105-run stand in 17.4 overs. They started with clear intent as Strauss snaffled three fours in the first over, from Mudassar Bukhari - two clips off the toes and a fortuitous under-edged cut past off stump, en route to 88 from 83 balls, while Pietersen's first shot was a sweetly timed drive to a Berend Westdijk outswinger.
On a slow deck, Pietersen's instinct was to advance onto the front foot at every opportunity, and his timing seemed in fine fettle even though he kept picking out the fielders in a well-drilled Netherlands outfit. Strauss meanwhile hung back in his crease and took advantage of the Dutch inexperience to nudge and pull eight of his first nine boundaries behind square on the leg-side.
However, as the hardness went out of the new ball and Barresi came up to the stumps to restrict Pietersen's footwork, his returns tailed off appreciably. Having scored 29 from his first 31 balls, he made just 10 from his next 30, before Pieter Seelaar added his name to the list of left-arm spinners to have captured one of the more notable scalps in world cricket. A tempting delivery was tossed up outside off stump, and Pietersen failed to get his feet to the pitch as he poked an uppish drive to short cover.
In the end humiliation was avoided, and given the lop-sided format of the World Cup, England have already made a significant stride towards the quarter-finals. But with the in-form Indians looming in Bangalore on Sunday, there is no room for another performance this poor. The world is watching. And they've taken note.
Source: ndtv
Monday, February 21, 2011
Cricket-Furious Ponting smashes TV after being run out
India Feb 22 (Reuters) - A furious Ricky Ponting took out his frustration at being run out in Australia's opening World Cup match by smashing a television set with his bat in the team's dressing room.
The incident during the Group A match against Zimbabwe was reported to the sport's governing body but an International Cricket Council source said on Tuesday "it was unlikely the matter would be taken any further".
On Monday, the Australian captain was found short of his crease at the non-striking end by a direct throw from the mid-wicket boundary by the lanky Chris Mpofu while attempting a second run.
Ponting was seen talking angrily to himself as he walked back to the pavilion and it appears his emotions spilled over once he was back in the dressing room, where he saw footage of his dismissal being replayed on TV.
"It's true. We have already informed the ICC and the Australian cricket authorities about the incident," Gujarat Cricket Association secretary Rajesh Patel told Reuters before adding that the incident was a minor one.
Australia beat Zimbabwe by 91 runs in their World Cup opener at the Sardar Patel Stadium.
Source: af.reuters.com
The incident during the Group A match against Zimbabwe was reported to the sport's governing body but an International Cricket Council source said on Tuesday "it was unlikely the matter would be taken any further".
On Monday, the Australian captain was found short of his crease at the non-striking end by a direct throw from the mid-wicket boundary by the lanky Chris Mpofu while attempting a second run.
Ponting was seen talking angrily to himself as he walked back to the pavilion and it appears his emotions spilled over once he was back in the dressing room, where he saw footage of his dismissal being replayed on TV.
"It's true. We have already informed the ICC and the Australian cricket authorities about the incident," Gujarat Cricket Association secretary Rajesh Patel told Reuters before adding that the incident was a minor one.
Australia beat Zimbabwe by 91 runs in their World Cup opener at the Sardar Patel Stadium.
Source: af.reuters.com
Criket News - I don't think we expected it to be that easy
New Zealand thumped Kenya by 10 wickets in a lop-sided Group A match of the World Cup on Sunday that appears to justify bids to trim the 2015 edition of the showpiece event by leaving out the whipping boys.
The sparse crowd at the MA Chidambaram Stadium witnessed a total mis-match as New Zealand unleashed their pace trio of Tim Southee (3-13), Hamish Bennett (4-16) and Jacob Oram (3-2) to bundle out Kenya for a meagre 69 in 23.5 overs and returned to overwhelm the target in eight overs.
There was not much room for batting practice chasing a 70-run victory target but openers Martin Guptill (39) and Brendon McCullum (26) stroked some easy boundaries before completing the chase.
The outcome strengthens the International Cricket Council's bid for a 10-team World Cup in 2015, accommodating the weaker teams in the Twenty20 World Cup instead.
"I don't think we expected it to be that easy," New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori told reporters after a perfect start to the tournament suggested the team was determined to put behind a poor build-up that included whitewash against Bangladesh.
"To bowl well and allow the batsmen such a small chase is always pleasing. It was a fantastic efforts by the bowlers," he added.
Source:- Rediff
The sparse crowd at the MA Chidambaram Stadium witnessed a total mis-match as New Zealand unleashed their pace trio of Tim Southee (3-13), Hamish Bennett (4-16) and Jacob Oram (3-2) to bundle out Kenya for a meagre 69 in 23.5 overs and returned to overwhelm the target in eight overs.
There was not much room for batting practice chasing a 70-run victory target but openers Martin Guptill (39) and Brendon McCullum (26) stroked some easy boundaries before completing the chase.
The outcome strengthens the International Cricket Council's bid for a 10-team World Cup in 2015, accommodating the weaker teams in the Twenty20 World Cup instead.
"I don't think we expected it to be that easy," New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori told reporters after a perfect start to the tournament suggested the team was determined to put behind a poor build-up that included whitewash against Bangladesh.
"To bowl well and allow the batsmen such a small chase is always pleasing. It was a fantastic efforts by the bowlers," he added.
Source:- Rediff
Criket News - Jayawardene notches his 2nd World Cup century
Mahela Jayawardene smashed an 81-ball century, the fastest by a Sri Lankan in the World Cup, to set up a 210-run victory over Canada on Sunday in Group A
Jayawardene's quickfire knock surpassed the previous Sri Lankan fastest in the competition, 85 balls by Sanath Jayasuriya scored against Bangladesh in 2007 in Port of Spain.
The former Sri Lanka captain helped set up a hefty 332-7 after Sri Lanka won the toss and batted first.
On a slow pitch where stroke making was difficult and an equally slow outfield at a new stadium, Jayawardene adjusted his game beautifully to suit the conditions and complete his second World Cup hundred.
Jayawardene struck nine fours and a six in scoring 100 off 81 balls. He survived two caught behind appeals at 11 and 22 as the referral system did not have the hot spot or the snickometer to guide the third umpire.
Source:- Rediff
Jayawardene's quickfire knock surpassed the previous Sri Lankan fastest in the competition, 85 balls by Sanath Jayasuriya scored against Bangladesh in 2007 in Port of Spain.
The former Sri Lanka captain helped set up a hefty 332-7 after Sri Lanka won the toss and batted first.
On a slow pitch where stroke making was difficult and an equally slow outfield at a new stadium, Jayawardene adjusted his game beautifully to suit the conditions and complete his second World Cup hundred.
Jayawardene struck nine fours and a six in scoring 100 off 81 balls. He survived two caught behind appeals at 11 and 22 as the referral system did not have the hot spot or the snickometer to guide the third umpire.
Source:- Rediff
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