Sunday, September 27, 2009

Malik, Yousuf set up important win

Pakistan 302 for 9 (Malik 128, Yousuf 87, Nehra 4-55) beat India 248 (Dravid 76, Gambhir 57, Ajmal 2-31, Afridi 2-39) by 54 runs.
It was a vintage Pakistan show. The near relic formula of doubling the 30-over score worked for them, as Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf accelerated from 139 for 3 after 31 overs to score 163 in the last 19. Then the ugly side of Pakistan emerged: their pace bowlers gave away 31 runs in no-balls and free hits during India's chase. Yet they opportunistically converted two run-out chances to end up comfortable winners of a contest that stayed tense for at least 40 overs of the second innings. For the best part of the day, it seemed another classic would be added to the long list of classics played between India and Pakistan. Coming face to face for the first time in close to a year and a half, the two teams matched each other blow for blow for 90 overs, in terms of play both inspirational and ordinary. In the end, though, India made one mistake too many, and as is often the case with these high-pressure matches it was the mistakes that counted. Harbhajan Singh would wish this day had never happened: he failed to cover for a low-on-confidence pace attack, giving away 71 runs for one wicket (he now has 10 wickets in 15 ODIs against Pakistan), and then ran Rahul Dravid out in what was the final turning point of the match. A valiant Dravid had kept the chase alive, and despite a regular fall of wickets India needed 67 runs in 49 balls when he was called for a non-existent third and was left stranded. The slower bowlers proved to be the difference on a day that the faster men - barring Ashish Nehra and Mohammad Aamer - refused to learn from their mistakes. India's two spinners, Harbhajan and Yusuf Pathan, went for 127 in their 20 overs and took two wickets, while Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal combined to take four wickets for 70 runs in their 18.5 overs. That despite the dew troubling them in the later half of their efforts.
What now seems like a long time ago, the stage was set for Harbhajan to come on and take charge of a remarkable comeback by the Indian bowlers after they had been carted for 51 runs in the first seven overs. At 65 for 3 after 15, though, MS Dhoni delayed the introduction of Harbhajan, and tried to get through some cheap overs from the part-timers. He needed all the cheap overs he could get from them because one of his main bowlers, RP Singh, was completely off tune (Dhoni later said it felt like he was three bowlers short). At that time, Malik looked like going nowhere. His score at various stages of the innings read 3 off 16, 10 off 31, and then 34 off 69. But during that period he didn't throw it away, and was set by the time Harbhajan arrived. At the other end, Yousuf was his usual silken self, reaching 35 off 45 almost unnoticed, having hit just one boundary, that too off a rank long hop from Virat Kohli. And then Yousuf signalled intent, not with a big winding shot, but with a deft late cut off Yusuf Pathan in the 32nd over. Malik followed suit, and guided Harbhajan to the third-man boundary in the next over. In the over after that both Yousuf and Malik cut Pathan for boundaries, and suddenly the Indian bowlers started getting rattled. They made complete mockery of the view that middle overs in ODIs have become formulaic and boring. Even without looking to hit powerful shots, the two just milked the bowlers with ease. Malik became severe, welcoming Ishant Sharma back with three boundaries in one over. Dhoni then brought RP into the attack and he went for back-to-back boundaries against Malik, who had started toying with the unimaginative bowling, going over extra cover, beating third man on both sides, and also hitting the odd straight shot. Yousuf was not exactly slow at the other end, his boundaries through point and over extra cover, both off RP, were a treat to watch. Their 206-run stand took just 188 legal deliveries and broke their own record for the fourth wicket against India. While Yousuf missed his century by 13 runs, Malik went on to get his first ton since last year's Asia Cup. Four of his seven centuries have come against India, and his average of 52.24 against them is a stark contrast to his 35.27 overall. He also crossed 5000 ODI runs during the innings, 1515 of which have come against his favourite opposition. Following Pakistan's relentless accumulation, a charged-up Gautam Gambhir gave India's innings a sensational start, but his first error, a lazy bit of running, hurt the chase about as much as it had helped it. His 46-ball 57 had taken India to 90 for 1 in the 14th over, when Dravid hit firmly to a close mid-off, called Gambhir for a single and sent him back. Gambhir didn't make a desperate effort to dive or sprint back, and was undone by a direct-hit from Younis Khan. Replays showed a dive might have saved his wicket. All the way back Gambhir kept admonishing himself for leaving the job unfinished. After two quick wickets fell to Shahid Afridi, Suresh Raina launched a stunning assault, hurting Pakistan's spinners who by now had started having trouble gripping the ball. The 72-run fifth-wicket stand between Dravid and Raina, who scored 46 off 41, was interrupted by a fast yorker from Ajmal that hit Raina in front of his stumps. The situation was still under India's control, with 98 runs required in 15 overs, and the Powerplay yet to be utilised. Pathan then played an insensible shot to Aamer, edging a big heave to wide slip, and then Dravid was run out for 76, swinging the match irreversibly Pakistan's way.

Australia survive West Indies scare

Australia 275 for 8 (Ponting 79, Johnson 73*, Miller 2-24) beat West Indies 225 (Dowlin 55, Fletcher 54) by 50 runs.
On paper it looked like being a mismatch. On paper, it appears Australia had an easy 50-run victory. In reality there were several nervous periods for Ricky Ponting's men throughout a game they were expected to win comfortably. In the end, the target of 276, set up by strong batting from Ponting and Mitchell Johnson, was too big for a second-string West Indies outfit. But not by much. Ponting will demand more discipline from his bowlers against India and Pakistan after they lacked incision against a starless West Indies top order. West Indies showed plenty of fight, first through the middle overs with the ball and then through Andre Fletcher and Travis Dowlin with the bat. They were 124 for 1 during the 25th over and on a pitch that had dried out and lost some of the demons from earlier in the day, an upset could have been on the cards. Fletcher worked hard and showed uncharacteristic restraint to post his second half-century in one-day internationals. He was scratchy early but worked his way into the game, using his sheer strength to thump four fours and a six, before the chasm in experience - the 11 West Indies players entered the game with a combined 117 ODI caps compared to Australia's 927 - began to show. An outrageously poor piece of running cost Fletcher his wicket when he pushed Brett Lee to mid-off, took off slowly and rather than diving to try and make his ground, jumped in the air outside his crease as he wrongly anticipated Johnson's throw missing. The Australians saw Fletcher's carefree - or careless - attitude to crease management on his ODI debut last year, when he was run out strolling aimlessly out of his ground, and he clearly hasn't learnt his lesson. That was followed by an unfathomable decision to promote the wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton, fresh from his golden duck on debut against Pakistan, to No. 4 with Dale Richards injured and unable to bat. Walton improved - he made a second-ball duck to James Hopes this time - but his horrid attempted slog that was edged back onto the stumps when so fresh to the crease reeked of inexperience and panic. These things can happen with young players but West Indies needed everything to go their way to beat Australia and they quickly moved from a position of potential to a state of vulnerability. Dowlin (55), though trying admirably, just couldn't score his runs quickly enough and was caught top-edging Lee. Nor was there fast scoring from the captain Floyd Reifer, who at 37 appears to have reflexes just a fraction too slow for international cricket. Reifer's only experience against any Australian side came in 1990, when he played against a touring Australian youth team that featured the likes of Damien Fleming and Michael Bevan, and the current selector Jamie Cox. Against the speed of Lee and Johnson, he was unable to do much but defend and made 28 from 56 balls. He couldn't follow the earlier lead of Fletcher and Dowlin, who rotated the strike so well that until Fletcher's run-out they had managed 24 singles from the previous 33 balls. Two consecutive sixes from Darren Sammy off Johnson gave Australia another fright when the equation came in to 66 required from 50 balls, but when Sammy was caught on the boundary their momentum disappeared. It was a shame that West Indies' chase petered out like that, for they had provided a much greater contest than anyone anticipated. But the longer the format the more likely the best team will win; were it a Twenty20 contest anything could have happened. Australia began the match as almost unbackable favourites, fresh from a 6-1 win over England, and facing a team that is the cricket equivalent of an office full of temp workers. Less than a week after playing in Durham at the end of a four-month tour, this was effectively Australia's warm-up match for their next games against India and Pakistan. Things didn't begin well for Australia when they were sent in and Shane Watson was bowled by a cracking late inswinging yorker from Kemar Roach with the first ball of the match. A spicy Wanderers pitch added some heat to what could have been a lifeless encounter and Roach, Sammy and Gavin Tonge enjoyed hitting the cracks.
Several balls jagged sharply back or found extra bounce from a good length and one steep riser from Sammy surprised Ponting so much that he dropped the bat when the ball rapped him on the hands. It was more of a concern for Tim Paine (33), who stayed with Ponting for an 85-run second-wicket stand but was much less fluent than his captain. Ponting latched onto anything wide from the seamers and twice Roach went for 17 off an over, straying to leg too often. The West Indies fast men needed to do more early damage in the wickets column given the uncomfortable bounce, and it was left to the spinner Nikita Miller to peg things back. Australia had reached 148 for 3 in the 31st over when Miller turned one past Ponting, who was stumped by Walton, and Miller then spun one through Cameron White's defences to clip the off stump. A superb 10 overs from Miller earned him 2 for 24 without conceding a boundary, but when the fast men returned the danger for Australia eased. The key for Australia was Johnson's late unbeaten 73. His fierce, clean hitting brought back memories of his highly entertaining 96 in the Test against South Africa at the same venue this year, when he sent several Paul Harris deliveries into the stands. This time, he had the benefit of gaps in the outfield as Australia took the batting Powerplay from the start of the 45th over and added an incredible 69 in those five overs. Johnson cleared the boundary three times and finished with his highest ODI score as he and Lee posted a 70-run stand. It was enough to give Australia 275, thought not without their murmurs of worry. They experienced further palpitations during West Indies' innings before getting across the line. A sharper effort will be required against India and Pakistan.

Spirited England shock Sri Lanka

England 213 for 4 (Morgan 62*) beat Sri Lanka 212 (Kandamby 53, Mathews 52) by six wickets.
Sometimes you just have to get away from it all to find what you are really looking for. After embracing embarrassment throughout a lamentable one-day series against Australia, England's cricketers travelled 6000 miles south from Durham to Johannesburg, where to the astonishment of players, spectators and pundits alike, they atoned for their shortcomings by toppling the tournament pace-setters, Sri Lanka, in their opening match of the Champions Trophy. Dossier-compilers across the cricketing world will doubtless enquire exactly how England passed the time during their 11-hour long-haul flight on Monday, but if their performance stopped short of being sexy cricket, it did at least last rather longer than most of their recent efforts. An ecstatic new-ball onslaught from James Anderson and Graham Onions set England on course for victory as early as the sixth over of the match as Sri Lanka slumped to 17 for 4, and though Thilan Kandamby and Angelo Mathews responded manfully with a pair of well-paced half-centuries, Sri Lanka's eventual total of 212 was chased down with something approaching assurance, with 30 balls to spare. After the early loss of both openers, including the potentially devastating dismissal of Andrew Strauss for 9 via a stunning one-handed interception by Kandamby at midwicket, Paul Collingwood lifted England's intensity with a bullish 46 from 51 balls that included three leg-side sixes, before Eoin Morgan sealed the deal with his highest score in ODIs for England. In between whiles, Owais Shah put his recent jitters behind him with a calm and comfortable 44 that drew the sting of Sri Lanka's spinners, particularly the off-colour Muttiah Muralitharan, before Matt Prior partnered Morgan to the close with an aggressive unbeaten 28. It truly was an upset of the highest order, because the two teams could hardly have come together with their form and fortunes more polarised. In Sri Lanka's opening fixture at Centurion on Tuesday, they racked up the small matter of 319 for 8 as they routed the hosts and tournament favourites, South Africa, in a rain-curtailed contest. England, on the other hand, sloped belatedly into the country with their morale at their bootlaces and their form under a cloud, after the humiliations of their 6-1 trouncing by Australia. This time, however, being under a cloud suited England perfectly. On a green-tinged surface that might have been imported from Uxbridge in April, Strauss won his seventh toss in eight ODIs, and was delighted to unleash a seam-heavy attack in which Onions had been chosen in preference to Tim Bresnan, despite having played only one previous 50-over international. Sure enough, his faith was quickly repaid, as Onions extracted the out-of-form Sanath Jayasuriya with his fifth delivery, caught behind nibbling outside off for a second-ball duck. Four balls later, and Anderson extracted the prize scalp of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka's centurion against South Africa, who had been frustrated for 11 probing deliveries in which his only scoring shot was a prod down to third man. He fell to a scything slash to point off the fullest delivery of Anderson's spell, whereupon Mahela Jayawardene - who seemed to have decided to go down swinging from the outset - was pinned lbw for 9 as he attempted an over-ambitious flick across the line. Kumar Sangakkara endured a torrid mini-innings - he was struck amidships first-ball by a wicked inducker from Onions, but then chased a ball that might well have been called wide, had he not connected with his edge and flashed a high chance to Andrew Strauss at first slip. At 17 for 4 after 32 deliveries, Sri Lanka were staring at the sort of humiliation that West Indies (47 for 7) encountered on this same surface against Pakistan on Wednesday. But Anderson and Onions could not continue indefinitely, and the arrival of Stuart Broad loosened the shackles enough for Sri Lanka to wriggle free. From his second delivery, Samaraweera drove an indifferent length ball through the covers for four, before following up with a handsome slash through point for a second boundary, and before long, England had truly lost the plot. In total, they served up an unforgiveable 21 wides, as they searched for killer deliveries in a bid to skittle the Sri Lankans inside 30 overs, whereas the more patient approach adopted by the Sri Lankan batsmen would have been far more appropriate. Broad took a while to gauge the pace and length for the surface - often his biggest failing as a bowler seems to be his inexperience - while his indiscipline spread to Onions' bowling as well, who beat Samaraweera with a vicious bouncer that almost knocked the batsman off his feet, only to squander that surprise element by beating the life out of the middle of the wicket, instead of pitching it up and inviting the ball to swing. Samaraweera followed up two overs later with back-to-back fours off Onions, before guiding another Broad bouncer over the slips and away through third man.
But, just as England were beginning to strain for inspiration, Broad rediscovered a good length outside off, and Samaraweera's enterprising innings of 30 from 48 balls came to an end thanks to a sharp catch from Paul Collingwood in the gully. Collingwood then followed up with an eight-over spell of accurate cutters that didn't realise any wickets, but conceded just 24 runs in the process - almost half the rate at which Onions and Luke Wright were dispatched. It took a run-out for England to truly regain their control of the contest, as Kandamby set off for a second run from a push into the covers, only to find Mathews rooted to the crease at the striker's end. Two overs later, they claimed their second run-out ... but Strauss, with visions of Collingwood's vilification in a similar situation against New Zealand last summer, asked the umpires to reverse the decision. Mathews had turned Onions into the leg-side, and set off for an intended two, only to collide with Onions, who had tracked back towards the non-striker's stumps, and with no apparent intent in his actions, was standing right next to Mathews as he turned blind on completing his run. Mathews was visibly unimpressed with the decision, and gesticulated as such as he left the crease, but it wasn't until he was in the pavilion tunnel that Strauss called him back to the crease. Three balls and one run later, his generosity was repaid, as Mathews nibbled outside off, and edged Wright low to Prior behind the stumps. As he left the crease for the second time, he acknowledged Strauss's sportsmanship with a wave. Cricket was the winner, and several forests-worth of newsprint were spared. Muralitharan cashed in with an enterprising slogged 18 before he and Malinga had their stumps demolished in consecutive deliveries from Broad, but at the halfway mark, Sri Lanka appeared to have a more-than-competitive total on the board, especially when Kulasekera struck to remove Denly and Strauss inside his first four overs. But the dewy conditions did not play to Sri Lanka's strengths in the slightest. The same, however, could not be said for England, who have now stormed to the top of their group. Wonders truly will never cease.

South Africa cruise to five-wicket victory

South Africa 217 for 5 (de Villiers 70*) beat New Zealand 214 (Taylor 72, Parnell 5-57) by five wickets.
South Africa, led by Roelof van der Merwe and Wayne Parnell with the ball and AB de Villiers with the bat, recovered from their opening-game loss to beat New Zealand in Centurion. New Zealand struggled to put up runs after being put in under slightly overcast conditions, with van der Merwe starring with ten cunning overs while Parnell claimed five wickets. Ross Taylor played a responsible innings that gave New Zealand stability after they were reduced to 92 for 3, but losing their last seven wickets for 51 was a crime. With this win, impossible without de Villiers' cool half-century, Group B is now wide open with England yet to play a match. The pitch was the same one used a couple of days ago when South Africa were mauled by Sri Lanka, but the result was very different. Early on it offered more pace and bounce than the track on which Tillakaratne Dilshan blazed away, but as the afternoon wore on stroke play became increasingly tougher, especially against the older ball. By the time New Zealand were midway into their innings, after Parnell took two early wickets, the spinners found appreciable bounce and the abrasive nature of the pitch made the ball grip the surface. van der Merwe and Johan Botha bowled with control and the effort was complemented by the attacking fields Graeme Smith set, which played a major role in suffocating the batsmen. Runs came at a trickle with New Zealand managing just 72 between the 15th and 35th overs. During that span, the spinners conceded just three boundaries. Taylor had a few close shaves against van der Merwe but overcame his nerves to play a substantial role. He was pleasing when cracking the ball in the arc between point and gully but more than those odd field perforations his contribution was valuable for the manner in which he shored up the pressure of seeing New Zealand through difficulty. Grant Elliott had his moments of indecision when balls from van der Merwe just about missed the edge of the bat, yet managed to pierce the wall of fielders with some excellent shots through cover. His dismissal for 39, bowled by a peach from van der Merwe, snapped a 71-run stand and allowed South Africa back spectacularly. The last five fell for 11 runs in 18 balls, with Parnell nipping out three in the batting Powerplay, and that decided the match. Taylor had carried the innings but the lack of sizeable partnerships hurt them: there were four stands of 30 or more, but none topped 71 as South Africa plugged away. The bowlers did a fine job, and the sharp turn the spinners achieved suggested that batting in the evening would be even more difficult. This is where de Villiers made the difference. Smith failed to get going, chipping Daryl Tuffey to mid-on, after which Jacques Kallis briefly put New Zealand on the back foot. Kallis biffed a 39-ball 36, batting as if the world was his stage, but his dismissal left de Villiers to shepherd the chase. Warning of de Villiers' intentions came early with two sumptuous drives down the ground off Daryl Tuffey. He didn't lag thereafter, embellishing his presence with lovely clips off the pads and excellent judgment of singles and doubles. Daniel Vettori got sharp bite and used his arm ball well, and it was with one that gently turned that he sent Hashim Amla on his way for 38 from 65 deliveries. Kyle Mills returned and was the beneficiary of a wicket as an attempted cut from JP Duminy went off the bottom edge and Brendon McCullum took a sharp catch. de Villiers refused to panic. He collected the singles, punished the loose balls, and didn't buckle under the pressure exerted by a tight spell from Vettori. Singles were vital to South Africa's progress yet sporadically, to give the fans something to purr about, de Villiers found the boundary. He brought up his 19th ODI fifty off 54 balls and Mark Boucher seemed set to seal the win with him until he lost his concentration in the 36th over. South Africa, though, already had the game wrapped up.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Pakistan hold nerve in low-scoring Match

Pakistan 134 for 5 (Umar Akmal 41*, Tonge 4-25) beat West Indies 133 (Miller 51, Aamer 3-24, Gul 3-28) by five wickets.
Pakistan tripped and stumbled and chased with the assurance of sleepwalkers, but ultimately a superior fast-bowling attack and depth in batting sealed them a low-scoring showdown. A fine bowling performance where wickets were shared all around ensured a woefully inexperienced West Indies were bowled out for an unthreatening 133 after they opted to bat. Pakistan's batting has floundered repeatedly this year and today they nearly lost it, bewildered by Gavin Tonge's four-wicket haul, before Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi added 58 to finish the deal. This match as a contest ended well before Pakistan could come out to bat. Floyd Reifer had spoken of the importance of this tournament for fans in the Caribbean, and vowed at the toss that his team would play "the best cricket possible". What followed was anything but, as a combination of accurate fast bowling and not-so-clever batting decided the direction of this match. Afridi, captaining Pakistan for the first time in ODIs, had said after losing the toss that he would have fielded first on a surface he reckoned had a bit in it for his bowlers. He was spot on, and Pakistan's trio of fast bowlers exploited whatever juice there was. There were no magic deliveries or exaggerated reverse swing, just good old line and length but that proved sufficient for an inept line-up. The professionals stuck to the basics: Mohammad Aamer found a bit of seam movement, Naved-ul-Hasan swung it gently and varied his pace, and Umar Gul hit the deck hard to apply the chokehold. At one point it looked as though the game would be finished before the lights came on. West Indies' woes started in the first over, when Dale Richards spooned a return catch to Aamer. Andre Fletcher found it wasn't easy slogging Naved and when he got one that wasn't full enough to stab at, he scooped to backward point. Aamer got Travis Dowlin for 0, trying to cut one that was too full. With the batsmen uneasy defending and playing off the back foot, Aamer settled for back of a length and beat the bat numerous times. Naved found movement when he pitched it up and the slips were kept interested. He hit a tidy line with the new ball and cleverly changed his pace, conceding just 12 off his first five overs. Gul took a few deliveries to find his length, and when he changed his angle to around the stumps he immediately had Devon Smith - the most experienced batsman - lobbing a sharp, rising delivery to second slip. West Indies went from deep trouble to catastrophe in a matter of minutes when Aamer changed ends after a break and ripped one through David Bernard, and Gul nipped out Reifer and Chadwick Walton off successive deliveries. Gul was the pick of the lot, finding a superb line and getting the ball to sit up sharply. Had it not been for some enthusiastic hitting from Nikita Miller, West Indies may have folded for their second lowest score ever. Miller, beginning shakily but gaining in confidence with three boundaries off Saeed Ajmal's second over, showed a technique and temperament that his batting team-mates so desperately lacked. He was last out for 51 off 57 balls as West Indies collapsed in 34.3 overs. A target of 134 was easily going to be in Pakistan's range, but they still managed to make it a tough chase. The openers, with ten overs to negotiate before the lunch break, took the frenzied approach and paid for it. Tonge set the tone for a very good evening by bowling Imran Nazir with a full ball in a wicket-maiden opening over, and then undid Kamran Akmal for seam and carry. Tonge understood the virtue of pitching the ball up, yet also got it to bite off the pitch on more than one occasion. He smacked Mohammad Yousuf in the ribs and should have had him on 1 but Darren Sammy erred at second slip. Tonge bowled a very consistent line, showing an aptitude to test the batsmen by pitching it up; Shoaib Malik was drawn into a fatal drive. Tonge's length was immaculate and Yousuf's was the only wicket he got off a shorter length. Otherwise his variation was generally full or on a good length. At 76 for 5, after Misbah-ul-Haq edged Bernard, the match could have swung either way. Umar's entrance brought some stability to the proceedings and with Afridi, calmed nerves and sealed victory. Umar displayed the virtues required to negate the pressure and turn the heat back on the fielders, backing himself to go over the top. Even a severe rap from a Tino Best beamer didn't deter young Umar from finishing the job. West Indies displayed remarkable fight, but were a few runs short as Pakistan crossed the finish line in the 31st over.

Dilshan and Mendis drub South Africa in rain-hit game

Sri Lanka 319 for 8 (Dilshan 106, Jayawardene 77, Sangakkara 54) beat South Africa 206 for 7 (Smith 58, Mendis 3-30) by 55 runs (D/L).
Led by a blazing century from Tillakaratne Dilshan and a brace of cameos, the world's No. 5 team started their Champions Trophy campaign in fine style by beating the top-ranked side. Graeme Smith's decision to field was based on the lack of dew in the afternoon but none of the bowlers, barring Dale Steyn, made an impression. Dilshan's 92-ball 106, coupled with significant inputs from captains past and present, lifted them to a daunting total that was well beyond South Africa. Sri Lanka carried the energy from their powerful batting display into the field and Ajantha Mendis, unlike the home side's spinners, extracted bounce and turn under lights. Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis showed signs of dominance with an 81-run stand in quick time but once Smith was bowled off Mendis' first delivery, and Kallis and JP Duminy fell in successive balls, Sri Lanka could apply the chokehold. Smith had a smile on his face when the toss went his way and Steyn nipped out Sanath Jayasuriya, but it was soon replaced by a frown. In a 158-run partnership with Kumar Sangakkara, who provided solid support with 54 from 74 balls, Dilshan played anchor and aggressor in equal measure. The first to feel Dilshan's force was Wayne Parnell, preferred to Makhaya Ntini; he struggled to hit a consistent length and went for 39 in five overs. It was a recurring trend in those early overs, Parnell dragging the ball down and Dilshan finding the deep point and midwicket boundaries. Albie Morkel was thrashed for 22 in two overs as Sri Lanka reached 100 in the 13th over. The onslaught forced Smith, who refused to delay the Powerplay, to turn to his spin pair to try and stop the destruction. The pair stemmed the flow of boundaries but lacked bite and Sri Lanka ticked along at over six an over. Dabs, drives, flicks, shots off angled bats, and punches all evaded fielders and Sangakkara brought up his first half-century since February. He fell to an innocuous delivery from Duminy, after which Dilshan's boundary blasting - he hit 16 fours and a six - ended when he slashed the first ball of Steyn's return over to third man. Sri Lanka used the platform extremely well and crossed 300 thanks largely to Mahela Jayawardene's 77 off 61. He was his usual deft self: cutting, nudging and pushing into the gaps with excellent timing. His feet constantly moved as he made room to create singles and, with Thilan Samaraweera playing in a similar vein, Sri Lanka pressed ahead. Before South Africa knew it Jayawardene was on 41 off 40 balls - the majority of those runs coming from controlled paddles and sweeps - and the stage was set for a late surge; the final ten overs cost 85. Parnell gave some respectability to his figures by dismissing Jayawardene and Samaraweera in successive deliveries though by then Sri Lanka were 297 for 5 in the 47th over.
Chasing more than a run a ball from the start, South Africa needed a strong platform. They were in early trouble when Hashim Amla was cleaned up by Angelo Mathews off an inside edge in the third over. Kallis joined Smith, looking leaner having shed a few kilos, and the pair milked the wayward Nuwan Kulasekara, who seemed to have contracted Parnell's problem of bowling short. Kallis was quick to punish him and Kulasekara's fifth over went for 14, with Smith particularly strong through the off side. While Smith danced down the track at will and shuffled about to unsettle the fast bowlers, Kallis chose to clip the ball sweetly from the crease. Smith looked increasingly confident at the crease, but playing for a Mendis offbreak he missed one that skidded and hurried on and had his leg stump pegged back. Mendis had again proved a valuable go-to man for his captain by ending the flourishing partnership. Smith's bullish start hinted at the possibility of a Dilshan-style ambush, but inside four overs Mendis ripped the heart out of the batting order. Kallis showed glimpses of his class in compiling a brisk 41 before he was excellently caught at mid-off by a tumbling Mathews. Next ball, Duminy was castled by a flipper. The required run-rate was already above seven at 113 for 4 in the 21st over, placing too much pressure on the rest of the order. Lasith Malinga, having bowled just one over at the start, returned to dismiss AB de Villiers and later snapped a gung-ho stand between Morkel and Johan Botha before rain interrupted the chase. At that stage Sri Lanka were well in command, and were later adjudged deserved winners. Sri Lanka had previously lost only once after posting a 300-plus total in one-day internationals and, led by Mendis, the masters of asphyxiation struck. Adapting to early-season South African conditions superbly, Sri Lanka have taken the lead in showing that Asian teams are a force to be reckoned with in this tournament. South Africa, frustratingly, have shown again why their ability in multi-team tournaments has long been questioned.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Paine sets up crushing victory

Australia 296 for 8 (Paine 111, Hussey 65, Anderson 4-55) beat England 185 (Hopes 3-32) by 111 runs.
Tim Paine's maiden one-day international century and two spectacular, direct-hit run-outs from Ricky Ponting sent England tumbling to their third heaviest all-time home defeat and a sixth consecutive loss to Australia. In a thoroughly dispiriting display, England were bundled out for 185 in pursuit of the tourists' 296 for 8, allowing the Australians a chance at an unprecedented seven-game series whitewash and moving them into a first-place tie with South Africa atop the ODI rankings. England seemed resigned to another punishing outing when Paine and Michael Hussey combined for Australia's highest third-wicket partnership (163) in limited overs matches against England. That sentiment was mercilessly driven home when Ponting capitalised on the confused states of mind of England's middle order to gun down Matt Prior and Ravi Bopara during the fielding Powerplay; dismissals from which they would never rebound. England's run-chase began disastrously when Andrew Strauss was incorrectly ruled out for the second successive match by Asad Rauf, but the hosts had only themselves to blame thereafter. Prior was caught off-guard at the non-striker's end by a sublime Ponting turn-and-throw at extra cover, while another mix-up from the combustible duo of Owais Shah and Bopara led to the latter's demise six balls later. Bopara's departure rounded out a depressing sequence in which England lost three top-order wicket for 15 runs in the space of 26 deliveries, and when Eoin Morgan fell with the England total on 100, another home defeat seemed assured. The 111-run loss was England's heaviest home defeat in eight years, and 11th worst in their 517-game ODI history. It was, by some distance, the nadir of England's already lamentable series, and will prompt much soul-searching barely a week out from their Champions Trophy opener against Sri Lanka. Earlier, Paine and Hussey posted Australia's highest third-wicket partnership against England to lead the tourists to a near run-a-ball total from their 50 overs. Paine notched his maiden one-day international century in just his seventh match, while Hussey blasted a brisk 65 as part of a 163-run stand that eclipsed the previous record set by David Boon and Allan Border in Sharjah 22 years ago. Australia's prospects of a sixth consecutive victory over England were significantly boosted by the contributions of Paine and Hussey, although James Anderson (4 for 55) ensured the tourists did not have it all their own way. Anderson, clearly rejuvenated after his enforced two-match break, removed Shane Watson and Ponting early and bowled Callum Ferguson with the first delivery of his third spell to apply a degree of restraint to Australia's total. But the afternoon belonged to Paine. Called in as a late replacement for the injured Brad Haddin, the wicketkeeper-batsman displayed temperament far beyond that of a man playing just his third week of one-day international cricket during a 148-ball innings of 111. He batted methodically in the tense, early exchanges, relying on cover and square drives for the bulk of his runs before expanding his repertoire to include a deft reverse sweep off Graeme Swann and a series of well-struck cut-shots. Patience and placement were his major weapons, although Paine did dip into the power reserves on occasion, most notably when he dispatched a Dimitri Mascarenhas slower ball over the long-off rope. Paine was ably supported by Hussey, who operated on a higher gear to his younger partner throughout his 69-ball stint in the middle. Hussey weathered a testing period early before hitting the accelerator to bring the previously subdued Trent Bridge crowd to life. Glides behind square were complemented by withering blows in front of the wicket - his sixes of Ryan Sidebottom and Mascarenhas a highlight - as Australia's third-wicket partnership swelled to 163. Hussey's dismissal to Swann sparked a nervous period for the tourists during which they lost 3 for 17 in 24 deliveries. However, a late surge from James Hopes (38 off 22 balls) and Cameron White (35 off 23) allowed the Australians to take 54 runs from their final Powerplay. The pair combined for a sixth-wicket stand of 53 from 27 deliveries.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Ponting Leads Australia To 5-0

Australia 302 for 6 (Ponting 126, Clarke 52) beat England 299 (Morgan 58) by four wickets. Ricky Ponting has already suffered the ignominy of surrendering the No. 1 Test ranking on this tour, but his final week in England may yet witness Australia's return to the summit of the 50-over game. Ponting produced his highest ever ODI total against England - a breathtaking innings of 126 from 109 deliveries - that provided the platform from which Australia launched a successful assault on England's intimidating 299. Nothing short of a 7-0 series whitewash will allow Australia to usurp the top-ranked South Africans entering the Champions Trophy, and Ponting's 27th career ODI century delivered them to within two wins of the feat. Australia's fifth consecutive victory over England was sealed when Mitchell Johnson blasted Ryan Sidebottom for a straight six with four wickets in hand and 10 balls remaining, however it was the imperious batting of Ponting that will be remembered as the tide-turner. The designated rest period has clearly done Ponting no harm. From the outset, his was an innings of sublime timing and intimidating power that England's bowlers could do little to repel. At one point, Ponting cuffed a Sidebottom delivery over the press box, but his most entertaining sequence came when he pounded consecutive sixes off Adil Rashid, who had the dubious honour of taking the second ball. Ponting's only moment of trepidation came on 35 when, facing Dimitri Mascarenhas, Matt Prior removed the bails with his foot in motion behind the crease. The third umpire, Nigel Llong, found in his favour, however, allowing Ponting to resume his third-wicket stand with Michael Clarke, which produced 123-runs. The Australians suffered a pair of setbacks when Tim Bresnan removed Tim Paine and Shane Watson, the latter for a well-struck 36 from 34 deliveries. But their exits drew Ponting and Clarke to the centre, and both appeared in an ominous mood from the outset. While Ponting powered out of the blocks, Clarke began his innings watchfully before steadily accelerating as the evening progressed. His penchant for scoring runs this series has not been in question, although his ability to do so quickly has emerged as a discussion point, particularly with the Twenty20 captaincy up for grabs. A return of 52 from 64 balls might not have ended the debate, but it did represent a higher gear than those which he has operated on thus far in the series. England were left to rue a poor fielding display that undid much of their earlier work with the bat. Australia's final pair of Cameron White (24 not out from 15 balls) and Johnson (18 not out from 12) were too often allowed charity runs in the closing overs, turning a potentially tense finale into a relatively docile stroll. Earlier, Eoin Morgan's flashing blade propelled England to their highest total of the series, and with it their best chance yet of ending Australia's fortnight of dominance. Morgan's frenetic innings of 58 from 41 deliveries featured an array of dazzling strokes, including powerful sixes to bring up England's 200 and his own half-century. England seemed set for another middle order stammer when Owais Shah departed in the 39th over with the total at 192 for 5, however Morgan's late-innings partnerships with Mascarenhas and Stuart Broad provided the hosts first with ballast, and later authority. The Dublin-born left-hander made his move between the 38th and 42nd overs during England's batting Powerplay, at which time the hosts advanced their total by 45 runs, then proceeded to frustrate the Australians with powerful and occasionally improvised strokeplay, such as his stunning reverse sweep to the boundary off Nathan Bracken. Bracken exacted revenge with his next delivery, though not before Morgan, who was dropped on 38 by juggling Michael Hussey at deep square-leg, had accelerated to his highest one-day international score since shifting allegiances from Ireland. At the time of his departure in the 48th over, England were well on course for a competitive total, and when Rashid blasted three boundaries from Johnson's final over, a intimidating score was in the books. England's middle-order resurgence may not have come in time to save the series, but it will provide team management with a sense of optimism ahead of the Champions Trophy. Too often England's batsmen have been contained and subsequently dismissed by Australia's bowlers over the past few weeks, but on an ideal batting surface the hosts managed a display befitting of an international-standard limited-overs side.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Master Blaster Seals Title For India

India 319 for 5 (Tendulkar 138, Yuvraj 56*, Dhoni 56) beat Sri Lanka 273 (Kandamby 66, Harbhajan 5-57) by 46 runs.
The ghost of batting under the R Premadasa lights was almost buried tonight. Sachin Tendulkar's master class, an 86th international century close to his best, almost became a footnote on a night of punches and counter-punches. Sri Lanka knew being ultra-aggressive was the only way of going about this huge chase, and they counterattacked every time a wicket was lost. Thilina Kandamby, batting at No. 7, almost pulled off a heist against India for the second time in his short career, but the loss of early wickets had left him with too much to do. Don't go by the 46-run margin. India's fielders and fast bowlers were rattled during the frenetic chase. It was their spinners, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh, who saved them the embarrassment. They took critical wickets at critical points and Raina's dismissal of Chamara Kapugedera in the 43rd over, with 68 runs and the batting Powerplay to go, proved to be the decisive blow. A pumped-up Harbhajan then finished off what he started, dismissing the last three batsmen in a hurry. He had earlier taken two wickets in the eighth and 10th over of the innings to rein in an explosive start to the chase. When Harbhajan came on for his first spell, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya had jolted the Indian team out of a dream afternoon. Sixty runs were scored in seven overs and all three fast bowlers were clueless. Harbhajan's first over was a masterpiece. With a slip and leg slip in place, and a strong on-side field, he invited Dilshan to take the risk and hit through the off side. Dilshan took the bait - he didn't have many choices - got one boundary through cover, and was bowled the next ball. In his next over, Harbhajan got Mahela Jayawardene with a doosra, and India were on all-out attack. Three more bowlers took wickets in the first over of new spells, though failing to bring Sri Lanka's run-rate down, which was helped by Thilan Thushara's pinch-hitting. But after they lost the fifth wicket, Kumar Sangakkara and Kandamby settled in for longer innings. Sangakkara was unfortunate when his bat slipped out of his hand and landed on the top of the stumps in the 28th over. With four wickets left, and 138 to get, it seemed over but Kandamby and Kapugedera had other ideas. They didn't panic, kept the singles and the odd boundaries coming, and were helped by sloppy fielding - India missed at least two run-outs and an easy catch. With 80 required in the last 10 overs, five of which would be bowled under field restrictions, India relied on the spinners. Raina and Yuvraj gave nine runs in Nos. 41 and 42 and, in the 43rd, Raina got the ambitious shot out of Kapugedera, ending a 70-run stand in 15 overs. Harbhajan then came on to finish his third five-for in ODIs. The beauty of the chase was that it overshadowed a classy knock by Tendulkar, who rolled back the years, and then some. He stroked, ran and yearned for runs like it was the 1990s, but unlike those days he didn't need to take any risks on the way to setting what looked like a total safe beyond doubt. This was Tendulkar's ninth international century since May 2007, to go with seven scores in the 90s. Judging by this form, 100 international hundreds have become a distinct possibility. A measure of the bowlers' helplessness lay in the fact that the first time he hit a ball in the air was to reach his fifty, that too off a free hit. With Tendulkar batting the way he was, who needed aerial shots? He shared valuable partnerships with Rahul Dravid, Dhoni and Yuvraj, especially crucial being the one with Dravid. Tendulkar and Dravid, walking out with 73 years and 762 ODI caps between them, took charge of what has looked a shaky batting line-up: their 95-run opening stand took them to No. 6 on the all-time partnership aggregates in ODIs.
Tendulkar you simply couldn't take your eye off. Albeit on a flat track, Tendulkar and Dravid were prepared to work hard in sapping conditions, their shirts turning to dark blue with sweat even before the shine went off the white ball. Nuwan Kulasekera and Thilan Thushara didn't serve up loose half-volleys or long hops; Tendulkar had to work for every forceful shot. The first ball he faced he punched sweetly off his toes, wide of mid-off for three. In the fourth over, he took a similar delivery and wristed it wide of mid-on for three. We were on to something. A string of lovely boundaries followed, the best being the punches through a tight cover ring, and the late flicks from off and middle stump to midwicket and cow corner. After Dravid's dismissal, Tendulkar added 110 with Dhoni, who kept the tempo up. By then Tendulkar had started taking the odd chance, stepping out, making room, and hitting Jayasuriya and Mendis over extra cover. One such shot off Mendis, in the 29th over, took him into his 90s and serenely, with ones and twos, came the hundred. After the hundred came the cramps, and when Tendulkar opted for a runner we were reminded for the first time it was in fact the year 2009. Dravid came back to run, but Tendulkar did most of the calling. The bowlers showed no mercy, Malinga bowling a mix of bouncers and yorkers. Tendulkar's response was to hit Mendis for a six inside-out and reverse-sweep two boundaries in three balls. After he got out in the 46th over, trying one reverse-sweep too many, Yuvraj's big hitting got India 42 runs, which also proved crucial in the end.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Methews Fireworks Demolishes India

Sri Lanka 307 for 6 (Jayasuriya 98, Kandamby 91*) beat India 168 (Dravid 47, Mathews 6-20) by 139 runs.
India's stay at No. 1 in the ICC rankings lasted all of 24 hours. Sri Lanka reasserted their superiority at home, scoring 307, and then strangled wickets at regular intervals to completely rout India in the dress rehearsal for Monday's final. Sanath Jayasuriya and Thilina Kandamby scored brilliant nineties after which the Premadasa reaffirmed its status as one of Sri Lanka's safe houses. Leading a canny display of seam bowling was Angelo Mathews, who picked out six wickets like plastic ducks in a shooting gallery. Blinded by the lights, India were steamrolled and suffered their biggest loss, in terms of runs, on Sri Lankan soil. After Kumar Sangakkara had won the toss and chosen to bat, there was a welcome return to form for a key player. Jayasuriya, without a fifty-plus score since January, could have gone on 13 when he edged Ishant Sharma wide of slip, but was chanceless thereafter. He used the width on offer to judder boundaries and as Sri Lanka reached 34 in four overs, India had reason to fear the worst. The loss of Tillakaratne Dilshan didn't cramp Jayasuriya's style and he continued to punish even the smallest indiscretion in line and length. With Jayasuriya pulling and driving RP Singh for three fours in an over, India's best option was to train their efforts at the other end. MS Dhoni gave them the breakthrough by stumping Mahela Jayawardene down the leg side. Sangakkara departed soon after, out lbw to a straight delivery from the impressive Harbhajan Singh, whose first six overs cost 13 as he struck a teasing line. Jayasuriya had been slowed down due to a loss of strike. Incredibly, he spent 13 deliveries spread over 9. 1 overs in the forties. As the pop anthem of the year, the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling", blared across the thumping stadium Jayasuriya raised his half-century. The crowd cheered loudly. Those cheers turned to thunderous applause when Jayasuriya hammered Yuvraj Singh's short-pitched offerings over midwicket for consecutive fours. Jayasuriya's running between the wickets was superb and belied his age. Seven doubles - three of which came in one over - and three triples were just as punishing for India as the 13 boundaries Jayasuriya picked. With the crowd rooting for his every run, Jayasuriya played to the gallery: Ashish Nehra was cleverly swatted wide of short fine leg, Yusuf Pathan was swept and paddled with power and precision. There was to be no century, however, as Nehra removed Jayasuriya for 98. But there was something more deadly to come. Kandamby and Chamara Kapugedera put together an 83-run partnership that would all but seal the fate of the game. As is required when a pair must build on the excellent work of a player before them, they kept the scoring rate healthy. They weren't as belligerent as Jayasuriya but ran well, called loudly, and found the gaps. Kandamby made sure to cut out any ambitious swings through the off side, opting to run hard for must of his initial runs and only backed himself to play aggressive shots when the run rate needed a boost. Anything that was too full or too loose disappeared and plenty in between was pushed away for ones and twos. The boundary patrollers were kept on attention as he swatted and deflected regularly. A fabulous display of clean, crisp hitting - not slogging - helped Sri Lanka poach 53 off the batting Powerplay. A flurry of chips and biffs sailed over the square-leg region and extra cover, in between two awesome laps around the corner and one violent heave over midwicket. Aided by a drop at mid-on when he was 73, Kandamby added 18 more to his total and ensured Sri Lanka a winning score.
On tracks like this, against skilful bowlers who know more about choking than the average serial killer, successful pursuit of 308 needed something special. It wasn't to be. India again lost Dinesh Karthik early in the piece, gloving a short ball from Thilan Thushara down the leg side, and when Sachin Tendulkar turned a slower ball from Nuwan Kulasekara to mid-on, the warning sign was flashing. With Tendulkar back in the hutch India shifted to the lowest gear. Yuvraj Singh survived a clear nick when on 9 but repeated the loose prod and nibbled one behind. Suresh Raina, one of the heroes of yesterday's run chase, nicked his first ball. Rahul Dravid was twice reprieved by Sri Lanka's fielders who missed the stumps, but his luck ran out on 47 when Mathews snuck one past the bat. The rest came and went without much impact against Mathews, who bowled nippy, stump-to-stump seam-up bowling. It literally was a procession: pitch it straight, get a bit of cut and nip, and thanks for coming. Missing their lead spinner and hardly relying on Ajantha Mendis, Sri Lanka's latest masters of asphyxiation did it comfortably in the end.

Lee Shines As Australia Seals Searies

Australia 221 for 3 (Clarke 62*, Paine 51) beat England 220 (Strauss 63, Lee 5-49) by seven wickets. Brett Lee has wanted to prove a point in this series after missing the Ashes and did so in emphatic style as he claimed 5 for 49 to set up Australia's crushing seven-wicket victory, which gave them an unassailable 4-0 lead. After England folded to the pace of Lee for 220, Tim Paine made his first international half-century to set up the chase, then Michael Clarke helped himself to an unbeaten 62 as Australia cruised home with 38 balls to spare. England were still handily placed on 146 for 3 when Lee, who removed Joe Denly in the fifth over, returned for a one-over spell before the mandatory ball change at 34 overs. His first delivery was a pinpoint yorker that was too much for Matt Prior, he finished with a wicket-maiden, and from there the innings nose-dived. However, it was Lee's last spell that was the most destructive as England's last five wickets fell for 20. Lee was just too quick for four batsmen as he demolished the stumps with searing yorkers to complete the ninth five-wicket haul of his career. Nathan Hauritz also deserves huge credit for claiming two key wickets, including Strauss, and conceding just 23 runs from his 10 overs. In a pattern that has become eerily predictable, Andrew Strauss shone at the top with a neat 63, but once again his colleagues couldn't follow suit. It was thrilling to watch Lee in full flow, an absent phenomenon during the Ashes series, as he uprooted the stumps of Luke Wright, Stuart Broad and Adil Rashid in the space of 15 balls. England's frustrations nearly boiled over when Owais Shah swung a full toss from Shane Watson to midwicket and stood his ground, believing the ball had been above waist height. Replays showed it was marginal, but England are far from a happy bunch. There was barely a need for Australia to break sweat during their chase, although Watson's habit of falling lbw continued when he played across a delivery from Tim Bresnan. Paine cashed in on a couple of long hops from Rashid, who was introduced inside the Powerplays and struggled with his length to begin with, while Ricky Ponting eased back into his day job with two boundaries off Bresnan during a second-wicket stand of 57 in nine overs. At times England's bowling was as ordinary as the batting, but to Rashid's credit he recovered somewhat from his loose start and removed Paine via a top-edged sweep. Ponting enjoyed what was little more than an extended net following his three-week lay-off - an ideal way to get himself back into the groove ahead of the Champions Trophy - until he drove Bresnan to cover, but Clarke eased to his half-century from 66 balls in the glorious late-summer sunshine. Australia didn't bother to knock the runs off especially quickly on their last appearance at Lord's for the summer and the batting Powerplay was unused. The ground has brought mixed memories this year, but they will be back again in 2010 when they face Pakistan in a Test. The pattern of England's efforts in this series has been uncanny - and not in a good way. Strauss dominated the scoring at The Rose Bowl, before he fell for 63 off 72 balls, and it was an almost identical situation here as he reached a 48-ball half century having won his fourth toss of the series. However, with Hauritz doing an impressive job in stifling the scoring rate - he had already removed Ravi Bopara - Strauss felt the need to try and increase the tempo, but only managed a thick outside-edge to short third man when England needed him to stay and score a hundred. As he has done throughout the summer, Strauss looked in complete control. He took three fours in four balls off a wayward Nathan Bracken and had just the one awkward moment against Lee, when he got into a tangle against a short ball and gloved the delivery just wide of a diving Paine. Bopara, demoted to No. 3 with Denly's recall, was also playing comfortably in a second-wicket stand of 67. However, Hauritz's introduction slowed England's progress and he made the breakthrough in his third over when Bopara was struck in line with off stump while sweeping to complete another unfulfilling innings. England couldn't get Hauritz away - he conceded just a single boundary in his 10 overs - but again there was a lack of intent and the pressure told on Strauss as the run-rate dropped from over five to nearer four. In a smart piece of captaincy from Ponting, Hauritz was removed from the attack after nine overs to allow Lee a dart before the ball was changed at 34 overs with the result being Prior's demise. Paine pulled off a swift leg-side stumping to remove Eoin Morgan and though ideally two batsmen need to set when the batting Powerplay is taken, England had little option to call theirs soon after Wright arrived as his role in the side is to hit boundaries. It started brightly as the first two overs brought 21, but Lee soon found his range and England were blown away. In every sense.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Yuvraj and Nehra Knock New Zealand Out

India 156 for 4 (Tendulkar 46, Raina 45*) beat New Zealand 155 (Nehra 3-24, Yuvraj 3-31) by six wickets.
India stumbled in pursuit of 156 under lights but MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina kept cool heads to steer them to a six-wicket win with 57 deliveries to spare and with it end New Zealand's tournament. New Zealand, after opting to bat, made a complete mess of things and ended up with 155, a total that briefly challenged India but eventually proved to be inadequate. Inspired by their two most experienced bowlers, New Zealand refused to surrender without a scrap but their spirited effort on the field wasn't enough to defend a modest target. Dinesh Karthik was removed early in the piece to bring Rahul Dravid to the crease but his comeback was a labored 45-ball 14, after which Sachin Tendulkar fell for 46. Raina joined Dhoni and finished off the chase with a calculated 72-run partnership. Dravid endured a few testing moments as he adjusted himself to this format. Shane Bond was particularly quick and nasty in a hostile first spell, which included a fiery maiden sixth over, and repetitively tested Dravid with the short deliveries. Dravid negated Bond's aggression with customary grit only to be trapped lbw by Jacob Oram. Tendulkar came out full of intent and treated the sparse crowd to some stunning shots. He repeatedly whipped Mills across the line, deft of wrists, for boundaries and welcomed Ian Butler into the attack with a fierce cut behind point and the shot of the day - a stylish whip off the back foot to a ball that pitched back of a length. Daniel Vettori was hammered off the back foot as Tendulkar closed in on fifty, but a clever change of pace had him lobbing the simplest of chances to cover. The bowler, the batsman and the catcher couldn't believe it. Sixteen minutes later Yuvraj Singh moped off after he was beaten in flight to pop a catch when attempting to play another slog-sweep for four off Vettori. Raina eased the nerves a pinch by swinging Vettori for six and following up with three past midwicket, and continued to play with a perfect blend of aggression and smartness. His back-foot play was especially pleasing - he rocked back to pull anything even slightly off line - and backed himself to swing deliveries that had a bit of air. Dhoni was his composed self and put his head down to indulge in some good old-fashioned ones and twos. He helped steer the chase with a dependable innings, one devoid of any risks. A cursory look at the New Zealand card would suggest an ordeal against pace on a juiced-up track in Australia or England, but the truth was they struggled against a tidy fast-bowling attack and failed to cope with Yuvraj. Having lost the toss, India turned in a committed display in the field to take to pieces a line-up woefully short on inspiration and effort. Once they had New Zealand at 19 for 3 they provided few escapes routes, and that was the deciding factor in the result. India, led initially by Ashish Nehra before Yuvraj continued the carnage, were on top from the time the first wicket fell. Nehra set the tone for India's domination with a lovely new-ball burst, in which he passed 100 ODI wickets. With his second ball, he beat Jesse Ryder's loose shot across the line to hit him in front of leg stump and then removed Brendon McCullum with one that straightened and rapped the pads in front of middle.
Having watched an edge from Ross Taylor sneak through between slip and keeper, RP Singh held back the length and got Taylor nicking to Dhoni for 11. New Zealand's worries against left-handers - Thilan Thushara has been a handful all tour - continued with a poor display. Such was their discomfiture against the left-arm variety that Yuvraj's gentle slow turners soon looked like missiles. Puttering along to 22 from 41 balls, helping put on 32 with Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill fell in Yuvraj's first over. Barely settling in to see what Yuvraj could offer, or if the pitch would assist turn, Guptill stabbed at one and Dravid, at first slip, reminded all of his class as a catcher with his 194th pouch. Elliott, who looked the only one capable of batting till the 45th over and beyond, was then incorrectly given out for 22 by Kumar Dharmasena down the leg side. Replays showed the ball brushed only his pads as he attempted to tickle it fine. New Zealand had reason to feel aggrieved, but their efforts at the start had been unforgivable. The rest of the New Zealand line-up made fleeting appearances and there was little let-up for them as Dhoni rotated his bowlers, with the top four providing the dividends. New Zealand will need to improve considerably if they are to live up to their No. 4 ranking and challenge teams in the Champions Trophy.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Cameron White's Maiden International Hundered Helps Australia Complete Hatrick

Australia 230 for 4 (White 105, Clarke 52) beat England 228 for 9 (Strauss 63, Watson 3-36) by six wickets.
Cameron White scored his maiden international hundred, and Michael Clarke signed off as captain with a sheet-anchor 52 from 92 balls, as England's under-performing batsmen were taught an object lesson in how to pace a run-chase in the third ODI at the Rose Bowl. Chasing 229 under the floodlights after losing the toss for the third time in the series, White and Clarke added 143 for the third wicket to steer Australia to a comfortable six-wicket victory with nine balls remaining, and secure a virtually unassailable 3-0 lead with four matches of the NatWest Series still to come. Though England's bowlers put up something of a fight with the ball, the match was lost during another inadequate performance from the batsmen, in which Andrew Strauss, once again, was the only redeeming feature. Australia lost both openers early in their chase, and at 56 for 2 after 15 overs, it looked as though they might be forced to struggle for the ascendancy. But whereas England's batsmen produced five partnerships worth between 34 and 41 runs - a stat that perfectly encapsulated the wastefulness of their performance - the Aussies needed just one hefty alliance to make the game safe. For differing reasons, White and Clarke had plenty to prove in tonight's contest - the return of Ricky Ponting for Saturday's fourth ODI will require White to relinquish his No. 3 spot, and Clarke to hand back the captaincy. But both men ensured that the skipper will return to a steady ship after silencing a full house at The Rose Bowl with a performance that was light on fireworks but brimful of determination. Clarke contributed a solitary boundary to a stay that spanned 30 overs, which also happened to be his last shot before being bowled by Graeme Swann one ball later, and while questions remain about his lack of impetus in the middle-order, tonight is not the night for quibbling. Instead, it is a night for White to celebrate his arrival on the international stage. Having never batted higher than No. 5 before this series, today's 116-ball hundred followed on from his maiden half-century in the first match at The Oval, and whereas England's skittish batsmen have continually found new and innovative ways to squander their promising starts, he belied his reputation as a biffer to set himself a platform and, then, crucially, to build on it. His only error with the bat came on 92, during Australia's Powerplay, when Tim Bresnan fluffed a skier at long-on - and while the bowler, James Anderson, was not best pleased at that let-off, Anderson himself had earlier been guilty of letting White off the hook with two run-out chances - the first an underarm shy from five yards that somehow missed the stumps with the batsman on 46, and later a failure to break the stumps with White on 70, and floundering for the crease having worked a single into the leg-side. There was no panic at any stage of Australia's performance, however. They claimed the Powerplay at 154 for 2, with 66 balls of the chase remaining and 75 runs still needed, whereupon White drilled Sidebottom over mid-on for their first six of the series. His own contribution ended with nine runs still required, when he scudded a Luke Wright slower ball to mid-off, but Callum Ferguson and Michael Hussey ensured there were no late dramas. And so England were left to rue another day in keeping with their performances all year, in which their fortunes were dictated entirely by their captain. Having won his third toss of the series under overcast skies, Strauss might well have been tempted to bowl first, were it not for the memory of the failed run-chases that England compiled in the first two matches at The Oval and Lord's. This time, he took it upon himself to set the agenda personally, and at first he did so to fine effect. Though he did not open his account until his 11th delivery of the innings, he then climbed into Brett Lee with three fours in a row - a pull, a cut and a drive, the three staples of his international diet - en route to a 60-ball half-century.
At the other end, Ravi Bopara showed signs of his returning confidence when he drilled the first ball of Nathan Bracken's third over over long-on for six, and at 40 for 0 after seven overs, England were looking in command of their destiny. But then, however, it all started to go wrong. Bopara attempted a repeat stroke, but picked out James Hopes at full stretch running back towards the pavilion, and in the very next over, Matt Prior sized up a violent pull shot to get himself off the mark, but he fizzed a simple chance straight to Hopes once more, this time off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson. Owais Shah, under pressure again thanks to his haphazard running in the second ODI, was adjudged lbw, somewhat unluckily, as replays suggested that Johnson's delivery would have slipped past the off stump. And then, in a lapse in concentration that has been an unfortunate part of his otherwise excellent form in this series, Strauss worked Hauritz in the air with a flick of the wrists, and Clarke swooped low at midwicket to send him on his way. At 98 for 4, Australia were firmly in the ascendancy. Collingwood, charged with raising the tempo as well as providing mature support to the tyro Eoin Morgan, then produced arguably the most culpable dismissal of the lot, as he attempted to biff Shane Watson's medium pace over the leg-side field, but succeeding only in scuffing his drive to Bracken at mid-on for 28 boundary-free runs. And when Luke Wright scorched to short extra cover, it was left to Morgan to cobble together a defendable target. He added 36 in seven overs with Bresnan, including a rare six as Hopes was punched over the top, but the decision to call for the Powerplay in the 42nd over once again scuppered all England's momentum. On 43, Morgan was suckered by a slower-ball full toss from Lee, and patted a tame drive to Johnson at wide mid-off, before Swann played across the line to a wicket-to-wicket delivery from Shane Watson to be adjudged lbw for 3 from three balls (188 for 8). As England dribbled through their allocation, it wasn't until Bresnan cleared his front leg to smash consecutive fours off Watson with three balls of the Powerplay remaining that they managed so much as a boundary in their five sloggable overs. Bresnan and Ryan Sidebottom ensured that the innings was not a total surrender by hauling England through their 50 overs in a ninth-wicket stand of 40, with both men posting their highest scores in ODI cricket before Sidebottom holed out to White off Watson's final ball of the innings. Nevertheless, their modest achievements were a further indictment of the failings higher up the order. Only an inspired performance with the ball would have enabled England to escape. And sure enough, White and Clarke ensured it did not materialise.

Player Rankings

Top 10 Test Batsmen:
RankPointsPlayer NameCountry
1859K.C. SangakkaraSri Lanka
2847G. GambhirIndia
3830D.P.M.D. JayawardenaSri Lanka
4821S. ChanderpaulWest Indies
5818Mohammad YousufPakistan
6808M.J. ClarkeAustralia
7801Younus KhanPakistan
8782G.C. SmithSouth Africa
9779R.T. PontingAustralia
10755J.H. KallisSouth Africa
Top 10 ODI Batsmen:
RankPointsPlayer NameCountry
1828M.S. DhoniIndia
2784Yuvraj SinghIndia
3759S. ChanderpaulWest Indies
4756C.H. GayleWest Indies
5752A.B. de VilliersSouth Africa
6746M.E.K. HusseyAustralia
7732V. SehwagIndia
8731G.C. SmithSouth Africa
9712H.H. GibbsSouth Africa
10707J.H. KallisSouth Africa
Top 10 Test Bowlers:
RankPointsPlayer NameCountry
1844D.W. SteynSouth Africa
2824M. MuralidaranSri Lanka
3786M.G. JohnsonAustralia
4741M. NtiniSouth Africa
5735Harbhajan SinghIndia
6710S.R. ClarkAustralia
7669P.L. HarrisSouth Africa
8650Zaheer KhanIndia
9643J.M. AndersonEngland
10634G.P. SwannEngland
Top 10 ODI Bowlers:
RankPointsPlayer NameCountry
1730K.M.D.N. KulasekaraSri Lanka
2697K.D. MillsNew Zealand
3694D.L. VettoriNew Zealand
4686Shakib Al HasanBangladesh
5680M. MuralidaranSri Lanka
6673M.G. JohnsonAustralia
7672N.W. BrackenAustralia
8655J. BothaSouth Africa
9647A. FlintoffEngland
10645Mashrafe MortazaBangladesh

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Yet Another Samaraweera Ton Helps Sri Lankan Cause

Sri Lanka 216 for 7 (Samaraweera 104, Mathews 51, Bond 3-43) beat New Zealand 119 (Elliott 41, Malinga 4-28) by 97 runs. A batting masterpiece and a fast-bowling barrage. It isn't often that a team can combine both of those forces in one night, but Sri Lanka had all of that, and more, going for them. Thilan Samaraweera compiled a superlative maiden one-day century and Lasith Malinga ripped New Zealand's middle order to shreds as the hosts launched the series with a thumping win, bonus point included. When Sri Lanka were restricted to 216, it seemed a tight contest was on the cards; instead New Zealand folded for 119, sending the smattering of spectators home early. Sri Lanka's innings had been resurrected from 69 for 5 by Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews, but New Zealand never recovered after Sri Lanka's fast bowlers sliced through the order. Within 29 balls, Jesse Ryder (0), Martin Guptill (3) and Ross Taylor (2) were left brooding in the dressing room. New Zealand's shot at victory had been squashed and any self-belief that lingered after the Tests now vanished. And Sri Lanka weren't done. Malinga is hardly the man you want to see with the ball when your top order has been blown away, and what followed was stunning. With his first three overs, comprising deliveries on all sorts of lengths, Malinga kept the batsmen tied down. The fourth was something out of a shooting gallery. Brendon McCullum had run the risk of being arrested for loitering as he squeezed 14 from 51 balls before Malinga rattled his stumps. Two deliveries later Malinga held back his length and drew an edge off Jacob Oram's bat to Kumar Sangakkara. With his next ball, Malinga hurled down a corker that went right through debutant Nathan McCullum. At 41 for 6 in the 19th over, this game was as good as done. The only batsmen to cross 14 were Grant Elliott, with a brave 41, and Ian Butler, whose efforts lessened the margin of defeat. Completing the rout with another yorker was Malinga, whose aggressive bowling had undoubtedly been fuelled by Samaraweera's inspirational batting. Samaraweera, whose highest ODI score coming into this match was 38 not out, teamed up with Mathews and averted a meek surrender with a 127-run association from 134 balls. The pair combined exceptional running between the wickets with some fireworks to help Sri Lanka reach a total that looked remote when they began. Conventional wisdom and statistics at the Premadasa suggest strongly you bat first in day-night matches, and when Sangakkara won the toss it was greeted with loud cheers as the crowd anticipated a quick start. But this was an unusual two-paced track that didn't encourage for blazing shots and Sri Lanka slipped to 22 for 3. Tuffey's reputation as a first-over specialist preceded him on his international return, and it was a special wicket to celebrate too, as Tillakarate Dilshan chopped on. Bond dismissed Mahela Jayawardene for 0, steering a rising delivery to slip, and Sanath Jayasuriya for 7, slashing to third man. Vettori eased Bond back into this format with five tight overs (2 for 9) and Tuffey's consummate spell of 1 for 19 off six overs made for a clinical start with the ball. Tuffey and Bond bowled very straight and shackled the Sri Lankan top order, and the fielders were energetic and predatory as well. There were only two boundaries by the half-way mark - both inside the first three overs - and a run rate of 2.72 indicated how much Sri Lanka had struggled. Almost immediately, Samaraweera and Mathews began to build some momentum, unfazed by the nature of the track and energetically hunting for scoring possibilities. A boundaryless streak, lasting 143 deliveries, was soon snapped. Mathews played his most fluent innings in recent memory. He timed the ball well from the start, getting off the mark with a straight drive off Daniel Vettori, and then placed the ball far more deftly than he had in the Twenty20s. Between overs 33 and 38 the pair added 35, running hard between the wickets and taking runs off Butler, prompting Vettori to call back Tuffey. Samaraweera, who had reached his half-century off 78 balls, cleanly lofted and paddled boundaries to get the small crowd cheering. In the first over of the batting Powerplay, taken after 44 overs, Samaraweera turned it on: he brought up the century stand in 114 balls with a spanking cover drive off Butler, repeated the shot a touch squarer, and paddled four more past short fine leg. Bond returned to bowl Mathews for 51, but Samaraweera achieved his watershed landmark. It was exceptional batting and got Sri Lanka to a total far beyond what New Zealand would have liked. Vettori now has a few days to raise his players' morale. It will be difficult after such a comprehensive defeat, especially against India. New Zealand's next game - and potentially last - game is on Friday. They can, at best, hope to look forward to a new pitch.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Johnson Helps Australia Secure Second Successive Win

Australia 249 for 8 (Ferguson 55, Johnson 43*) beat England England 210 (Collingwood 56, Lee 2-22) by 39 runs .
Already, two matches into this series, a pattern is developing as Australia claimed a 2-0 lead with 39-run victory at Lord's. Once again they were put into bat and managed only a par score as Callum Ferguson top-scored with 55, but then restricted a run-chase that England should have knocked off with ease, especially after reaching 74 without loss. England were guilty of repeating the same mistakes from The Oval as a number of their top-order made starts, but only Paul Collingwood passed fifty as he forlornly tried to hold the chase together. The key performance in many ways, though, was Mitchell Johnson's late assault with the bat after Australia had slumped to 208 for 8 in the 46th over. They didn't look like using up their allocation, but Johnson swung powerfully to club 43 from 23 balls and add 41 off the last 4.2 overs with Nathan Hauritz. It should have been negated by the solid start between Andrew Strauss and Ravi Bopara, but four wickets in 32 balls including two in four by Shane Watson, either side of a fly-past by an RAF Lancaster Bomber, derailed England's chase. And whereas on Friday they managed to get close thanks to the lower-order, this time the chase limped along. While Collingwood, who reached 4000 ODI runs when he had made 14, had Graeme Swann for company in an eighth-wicket stand of 36 there was still a chance, but Swann's mow across the line off a slower-ball from Nathan Bracken signalled the end. It was another example of an England batsman picking the wrong shot at the wrong time. The asking rate wasn't out of control with the Powerplay still to come, but by the time Bracken finished a double-wicket maiden, which also included Ryan Sidebottom's scalp, the game was up and the batting option hadn't been used. Of further frustration for England - as they lost all ten wickets for 136 - was that they were comfortably ahead of Australia's comparison well into the final 10 overs. Strauss had been quickest out of the blocks as he showed the adaptability that is now part of his batting and he and Bopara then began to feast on some loose offerings from James Hopes. However, Watson's introduction changed the game when Bopara walked across his stumps and was struck in front of middle. Watson, who struggled with the ball during his brief spells in the Ashes, celebrated with vigour and was at it again when Prior drove loosely without much footwork. Strauss's demise came two balls after a fly-past from a Lancaster Bomber that brought the Lord's crowd to their feet as it flew in over the Nursery Ground, then turned and made a return pass. The event was to commemorate 65 years since Lord's was handed back after being used as a RAF receiving base in World War Two. The players came onto the balcony to watch, and Strauss was soon rejoining them as he tried to work Hauritz into the leg side and chipped a gentle leading edge back to the bowler. Owais Shah announced his intentions by coming down the pitch and hammering Hauritz over wide mid-off for an authoritative boundary. But the combination of Collingwood and Shah at the crease did suggest some chaos with the running, with one of team's quickest alongside one of the slowest. Collingwood played the ball to the off side and wanted the single but saw Shah hesitate. That caused Collingwood to stutter and by the time both began running it was far too late, with Shah being the casualty. It adds to the lengthy list of run-outs Shah has been involved in and it is a significant problem. To Collingwood's credit he refocused well, but couldn't find anyone to stay with him. Eoin Morgan was pinned lbw by Johnson and Luke Wright, with time to build an innings, wafted at the hostile and accurate Brett Lee before Tim Bresnan fell to a weak cut against Johnson. There are plenty of Australians with points to prove in this series, Lee and Johnson being two of them, and so far that is a major difference. Australia had also stumbled after a solid opening stand, but had enough in the tank to stage a recovery. Bresnan, recalled after Stuart Broad was ruled out with a stiff neck, broke the first-wicket partnership of 62 when Watson drove to cover where Wright held a sharp, mid-air catch. Then it was Wright the bowler who took charge as Tim Paine pulled a short ball to deep midwicket where Morgan, playing as extra batting cover in place of Adil Rashid, steadied himself well under a spiralling catch. Wright, showing the pace he has added this season, then had Michael Clarke caught behind top-edging a pull. The innings was steadied by Ferguson and Cameron White as the pair added 59 before Bopara had White caught behind first-ball. Swann ensured that Australia's middle order struggled to find momentum when he removed Michael Hussey with one that straightened a fraction, and also trapped Hopes on the sweep. However, Ferguson remained and notched another half-century, to continue a prolific start to his international career, until playing round a straight ball to give James Anderson his first wicket since August 3. England should have aimed to bowl Australia out, but instead they lost some intensity in the closing overs as Johnson freed his arms and those runs proved the difference. There isn't much between these sides, but at the moment it's enough.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

ICC Team Rankings

ICC Test Team Ranking:
Rank Country Points Rating
1 South Africa 3672 122
2 Sri Lanka 3248 120
3 India 3327 119
4 Australia 3600 116
5 England 4102 105
6 Pakistan 1424 84
7 New Zealand 2398 104
8 West Indies 1910 76
9 Bangladesh 25513
ICC ODI Team Ranking:
Rank Country Points Ratings
1 South Africa 2280 127
2 India 3658 126
3 Australia 3259 125
4 Pakistan 2297 109
5 Sri Lanka 3013 108
6 New Zealand 1781 105
7 England 2398 104
8 West Indies 1397 78
9 Bangladesh 1257 55
10 Zimbabwe 513 26

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Australia Win In Tense Finish

Australia 260 for 5 (Ferguson 71*, Collingwood 2-47) beat England 256 for 8 (Bopara 49, Shah 40, Johnson 3-24) by 4 runs.
The ECB has taken it upon itself to destroy 50-over cricket, and it really does have a point. For 92 out of 100 overs, this was as awful as any international contest can be. But then suddenly, after six hours of ennui, the contest blazed into life under the Oval floodlights, as Luke Wright and Adil Rashid slashed and carved England to within a six-hit of an incredible and scarcely merited victory. In the end, however, it was left to Ryan Sidebottom to complete the heist by smashing Nathan Bracken out of the ground, but his swing-from-the-hip merely dribbled out to mid-off. And though it may be churlish to say it, the wave of anticlimax that swept the ground was entirely fitting. Australia duly won by four runs, their stodgy innings of 260 for 5 proving sufficient to overcome England's clumsy run-chase on a pitch hewn from the finest suet. Callum Ferguson's career-best 71 not out was the decisive innings of the day; Mitchell Johnson's 3 for 24 were the stand-out figures. But until Wright's uncompromising 38 from 27 balls (which ended when he was run out off a no-ball), Owais Shah's dismissal was set to be the most apt summary of the contest. He reached 40 from 48 balls before treading on his stumps while setting off for a single, and as he departed at 161 for 4 in the 38th over, so England's hopes appeared to go with him. Forget all the criticism that flew in Surrey's direction for the surface they served up for last month's Ashes decider. At least it could be said that that track had been designed with entertainment in mind. This, on the other hand, was designed for cricketing euthanasia. The slow and low surface encouraged neither attacking bowling nor calculated strokeplay, and it wasn't until desperation set in with 82 runs needed from 48 balls that the slogging began and the murmur in the crowd rose even an octave above cocktail party level. Briefly, it was as if we were back at the ICC World Twenty20. And maybe that is the point. Australia were made to flap in those closing overs. Michael Clarke, standing in as captain for the resting Ricky Ponting, juggled his field and his bowlers in equal measure, but - as had been the case all through the day - the extra pace of the seamers proved to be the only surefire way of getting the ball off the square. Bracken's final two overs were swiped for 23, while Brett Lee, who produced an energetic new-ball burst to account for England's captain, Andrew Strauss, was edged through third man for two fours from consecutive deliveries to reduce England's requirement from 27 in 12 balls to 19 in 10. But 13 from the final over proved to be beyond the scope even of the nerveless Rashid, who pulled a handsome four through square leg to raise the crowd's hopes, but was ultimately stranded at the wrong end on 31 not out. Earlier, Rashid had been the pick of England's bowlers as well, conceding 37 runs in ten overs of flighty and accurate legspinners. He joined forces with Paul Collingwood's offcutters to stymie Australia's run-rate, after Shane Watson and Cameron White had overcome the early loss of Tim Paine to add 82 in 15.5 overs for the second wicket. A brace of run-outs did not help their cause, least of all that of White, who had just posted his maiden ODI half-century when he was beaten by a bullet throw from the deep by Graeme Swann that Matt Prior gathered well in front of the stumps. That left all eyes on the captain, Clarke, whose one-day form has been under some scrutiny of late, as the youthful dasher has given way to a more watchful - and consequently stodgy - cricketer. His 45 from 72 balls was a case in point. His strokeplay was as elegant as ever, but he continually picked out the fielders as he was restricted to just three fours in his innings, and having dallied until the 43rd over to call for Australia's batting powerplay, he was caught slashing to point off Collingwood two balls later. Hussey, returning to the scene of his career-prolonging century two weeks ago, provided spirited support to Ferguson as Australia added 47 in five overs for the fifth wicket. But his cameo came to an end when Sidebottom yorked him for 20 from 15 balls, leaving James Hopes to partner Ferguson through the remaining 16 deliveries of the innings. England's initial response was (with the exception of a skittish Strauss) cautious, as they waited for their scoring opportunities, and picked off just seven fours in the course of the first 25 overs. Ravi Bopara produced his most composed performance since the World Twenty20 to keep the chase on course, but the spinner, Nathan Hauritz, changed the tone of the innings when he had Bopara's partner, Prior, caught in the gully off a reverse sweep for 28. At the halfway mark of the chase, England had reached 102 for 2 in pursuit of 261, with Bopara unbeaten on 46 from 80 balls. He was unable to make it to his half-century, however, as Hauritz dragged him out of his crease to be stumped for 49. Shah then started brightly by cracking two fours in a lone and exploratory over from Lee, but his running between the wickets - never a strong point - was an accident waiting to happen as Collingwood was sent sprawling for his crease twice in consecutive deliveries. In the end, he was forced so far back into his crease by Johnson that his heel demolished his leg stump, and that was the end of that. Collingwood never found his timing - at least, not until he was roundly booed by a frustrated crowd for playing out two dot balls in a row midway through the 40th over. One delivery later, he absolutely lambasted a delivery that was fractionally short in length from Johnson, but Watson at midwicket timed his leap to perfection to intercept the shot. Collingwood was gone for 23 from 47 balls, and so too, it seemed, was the match. Wright and Rashid had other ideas, but their enterprising late efforts could not mask the paucity of the overall contest.