Aussies go the other way, pick specialists

Published>Tue, May 11 10 09:11 AM

Bridgetown, May 11 -- The International Cricket Council will one day win an award of some kind for rating and ranking systems it has devised. The danger is, it might be a comedy award. When Australia arrived in the West Indies for the World T20 they were unseeded and ranked a lowly ninth in the world. Ever since the first ball was bowled, they have been the team to beat. Michael Clarke, their skipper, made an extraordinary observation in the middle of the tournament. "I have always believed that it is bowlers who win you matches in this form of the game," said Clarke. In its limited existence, T20 cricket has been thought of as the ultimate batsman's game. Teams like India have used that approach, playing just three frontline bowlers in some cases; packing the eleven instead with batsmen, who can bowl a bit. Australia have chosen to swing it the other way, always having at least four specialist bowlers in hand. The pace battery of Shaun Tait, Dirk Nannes and Mitchell Johnson, backed up by Ryan Harris, has been a permanent fixture. The other crucial decision Australia took was to pick rookie leg spinner, Steven Smith, who is an attacking bowler, ahead of the more experienced and conservative offie, Nathan Hauritz. While Hauritz would be the safer bet, Smith was more likely to pick up wickets. Add to this the presence of a genuine all-rounder in Shane Watson, a wicketkeeper who can comfortably bat at No. 3 or 4 in Brad Haddin, and you get an Australian eleven that has the skills and services that 14 or 15 players from other teams would provide.

That he might still go on to hold the trophy aloft is an illustration of the Australian way- where the team is all-important, and the individual only significant for his part in its march to victory.

Source: Web Search

Honduras lack full arsenal for World Cup says coach

Published Tue, May 11 10 09:07 AM

Honduras would enter the Worlds Cup finals in South Africa down on firepower after a costly injury and lack of playing time by their strikers, coach Reinaldo Rueda said after he named their final 23-man squad on Monday.

Striker Carlo Costly had already been ruled out after he broke his foot playing for his Romanian club Vaslui last week, while David Suazo and Carlos Pavon, key strikers in qualifying, had not been playing regularly recently.

Suazo was coming back from injury and played as a substitute for Genoa at the weekend against AC Milan in Serie A, while Pavon's Real Espana side have been knocked out in the Honduran championship.

"We've all been shocked by Costly's situation," Rueda told a news conference. "He was the only (Honduran) international forward playing and scoring goals.

"We don't have the arsenal we believe we have," said Rueda, who opted for Georgie Welcome over league top scorer Jerry Bengtson in place of Costly.

Midfielder Danilo Turcios, who injured his left knee during the second leg of the Honduran Clausura final on Saturday, was included after his injury was not as serious as first thought.

"In the case of Danilo Turcios we have a positive diagnosis from the medical team. He will be given therapy for two weeks and will be fit for the World Cup," Rueda said.

Honduras have been drawn in Group H with Chile, Spain and Switzerland for the tournament that runs from June 11-July 11.

Source: Web Search

No free World Cup TV for North Korea from South - report

Published Tue, May 11 10 08:27 AM

North Korea will not get free television coverage of the World Cup soccer finals in June from South Korea in the wake of recent "provocative" actions, a news report from the South said on Tuesday.

North Korea are making their first appearance at the World Cup finals in 44 years, hoping to repeat a run they made in England in 1966 where they reached the quarter finals.

South Korean officials have not officially accused the North of sinking a navy ship in March but have made little secret of their belief Pyongyang deliberately torpedoed the corvette Cheonan near their disputed border in retaliation for a naval clash last year.

"In view of its recent provocative postures against the South, it is the government's position that the North must pay an adequate price negotiated under internationally accepted norms," the JoongAng Ilbo daily quoted a government official as saying.

"Broadcast signals are subject to state authorisation for transmission (to the North)," the official said, indicating the government would reject an application from the South's official broadcaster for the World Cup finals, SBS, to transmit there.

SBS has broadcasts rights to all of the Korean peninsula, according to FIFA. It was not clear if neighbouring China has the right to share coverage with North Korea.

South Korea, under the predecessor liberal government, provided video for the 2006 World Cup finals to the North at no cost, paying for 150 million won ($132,500) in expenses including the use of satellites from government funds.

The move to block coverage could incite public outcry in the North and hurt the government, which bans broadcasts from the outside world with only a few exceptions including soccer games from Europe and Latin America.

Though the public can put up with the depravation and poverty, they are not likely to stand for being left in the dark on the World Cup, defectors from the North have said.

Ties between the two Koreas, still technically at war, have turned increasingly hostile since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office in 2008 and cut off aid to the destitute neighbour, with Pyongyang accusing him of deliberately ruining any chance of peace.

Source: Web Search

Hot England, lucky Pakistan make semi-finals

Published>Tue, May 11 10 06:31 AM

England continued their prime form to beat New Zealand in the World Twenty20 Super Eights in St Lucia on Monday, knocking the Kiwis out of the tournament and putting Pakistan through.

Pakistan eliminated South Africa earlier before England secured their passage to the last four after reaching their target of 150 with five balls to spare.

Michael Lumb (32) and Eoin Morgan (40) were the top scorers for England, who were already assured a place in the semis.

New Zealand went into the game needing to win but were some way short of a challenging total despite a smart knock of 44 from Ross Taylor.

Pakistan's place in the last four was a surprise after they lost their opening games to England and New Zealand.

It was particular painful for the Kiwis who came to the Caribbean in confident mood with a full-strength squad free of injuries.

Although England lost opener Craig Kieswetter for 15 in the third over, they raced to 50 inside six overs.

England lost three quick wickets, Ravi Bopara, Lumb and skipper Paul Collingwood, to slip to 66 for four which offered some hope to New Zealand.

But Luke Wright Eoin Morgan to adde 52 runs for the fifth wicket and it was left to all-rounder Tim Bresnan to help finish things off with a brisk 23.

For England, without Kevin Pietersen who is due to return from his paternity leave to rejoin the team for their semi-final, it was about keeping their positive run of form alive.

"I keep saying that in this game it is crucial you keep the momentum going and stay in winning ways and I am delighted that we did that," Collingwood told reporters.

But for opposite number Daniel Vettori it was a bitterly disappointing end to the tournament.

"Fifty was competitive but I would say about 10 below par. We did well to fight back but Morgan and Wright's partnership took it away from us. We could have bowled better. In the end, we just haven't been able to put enough runs on the board," he said.

Source: Web Search

England beat New Zealand by three wickets in Twenty20

Published Tue, May 11 10 06:27 AM

England beat New Zealand by three wickets in their World Twenty20 Super Eight Group E match in Gros Islet, St Lucia on Monday.

New Zealand 149-6 v England 153-7 from 19.1 overs

Source: Web Search

Twenty20 World Cup results and standings

Published Tue, May 11 10 06:07 AM

Twenty20 World Cup Super Eight results and standings on Monday (* denotes qualified for semi-finals).

Group E

Pakistan beat South Africa by 11 runs

England beat New Zealand by three wickets

- -

Standings

Group E P W L T NR PTS

England* 3 3 0 0 0 6

Pakistan* 3 1 2 0 0 2

New Zealand 3 1 2 0 0 2

South Africa 3 1 2 0 0 2

- -

Group F P W L T NR PTS

Australia 2 2 0 0 0 4

Sri Lanka 2 1 1 0 0 2

West Indies 2 1 1 0 0 2

India 2 0 2 0 0 0

- -

Next fixtures:

Playing on Tuesday (GMT)

Group F

India v Sri Lanka, Gros Islet (1700)

West Indies v Australia, Gros Islet (2100)

- - - -

Source: Web Search

Old caterer returns, but no smoke yet in Games kitchen

Published>Tue, May 11 10 05:23 AM

Delaware North wins bid to feed Games Village again

With just a few months left for the Games to begin, uncertainty remains over who will cook food for the hundreds of athletes staying at the Games Village. Delaware North, which had been divested of the tender it won last August, has once again bagged the contract for catering at the Games Village.

Organising Committee spokesperson Lalit Bhanot said Delware North's bid was cancelled last time as they were the only bidders for the tender. However, even the second round of bidding in February attracted just two bidders. "We have given the contract to Delware North at the same cost as last time. We had refloated the tender hoping to get more firms and hence allot the bid at a lower price," said Bhanot.

Interestingly, when the expression of interest for the caterers was floated on June 27 last year, as many as 25 major players had submitted their bids. But the tender floated by the Organising Committee was drafted in such a way that only a few firms could meet the criteria. The tender said only firms who have catered Commonwealth Games, Asian Games or Olympics were eligible for bidding.

The logjam over the caterers has some quarters worried. Sources claimed senior Organising Committee officials, including joint director general Gigi Thomson, had to explain to the Commonwealth Games Federation how the organising committee despite the delay would have to find a way to feed the athletes.

And this will be no easy task. The statistics involved are mind boggling ? 36,000 meals a day during the Games, and a total of over four lakh meals between September 1 and October 30. And it is not just the numbers, for the spread will also have to be extensive too. For example, the breakfast menu alone will need eight types of juices, six types of breakfast cereals, 12 types of cheese, four grilled meats, three cured meats and so on.

Where all the food will beSERVEDMain dining hall2,300paxCasual dining400paxVillage bar110paxWorkforce break areaPolice break areaFour coffee cartsTwo street food stalls20 free vends for cold drinks and other beverages

Number of meals2,71,200Athletes84,720Official90,855Staff2,860Federation guests30,800Police, security

Where do they eat?It is not just the catering at the Games Village that is stuck, the Organising Committee has also not finalised caterers for other venues. A look at all the dining areas for the athletes, officials and organisers:MAIN DINING HALL:Has a capacity of 1,200 and will be open 24 hours. The cuisine will be divided into six zones ? Oceana, Africa, America, Asia, Caribbean and Europe ? and will be served in hot and cold zones. The hot food zone will have Indian and Asian, African Caribbean, European, American, Mediterranean, pizza/pasta, sizzling salads and fast foods. For the fast food zone, the OC is looking at a link-up with a burger chain. The cold food zone will have salad ingredients, complex salads, desserts, whole fruits, sliced fruits, breads, pastries, sandwiches, cereals and toast makers. The service style will be mostly buffet, with self-service for cold items and assistance for hot items. The dining area will be designed in a way so that 180-odd participants of para-games can move about easily. The caterer will have to pay special attention to all types of allergies including lactose, nuts, gluten and chlorine. The catering area will have separate sections pork-free areas, halal meat areas and vegetarian zones.CASUAL DINING HALL:While the main dining hall will be dismantled after the Games, the casual dining hall, a combination of indoor and outdoor seating, will be used as club house after the event. It will have live counters and salad bars.POLICE AND WORKFORCE AREAS:Will serve working meals for the organising committee officials and security officials.VILLAGE BAR:Will be located in the International Zone and will be open from noon to midnight and will serve light snacks. Hot and cold beverages will also be on offer.STREET FOOD:Open from 11 am till 6 pm at two locations in the Games Village, these areas will serve small portions of popular street foods.

Source: Web Search

Scoreboard: New Zealand Vs England, World Twenty20

Published>Tue, May 11 10 05:07 AM

Gros Islet (St Lucia) May 11 (IANS) The following is the scoreboard of the Group E match in the Super Eights between New Zealand and England in the World Twenty20:

New Zealand:

Brendon McCullum c Lumb b Swann 33

Jesse Ryder b Bresnan 9

Aaron Redmond c Broad b Swann 16

Ross Taylor c Bresnan b Sidebottom 44

Scott Styris c Wright b Broad 31

Gareth Hopkins b Broad 1

Nathan McCullum not out 3

Daniel Vettori not out 4

Extras (lb 5, w 2, nb 1) 8

Total (for six wickets in 20 overs) 149

Fall of wickets 1-30 (Ryder, 4.4 overs), 2-59 (Redmond, 8.6), 3-65 (BB McCullum, 10.3), 4-127 (Styris, 17.2), 5-133 (Hopkins, 17.6), 6-141 (Taylor, 18.4)

Bowling:

Tim Brensan 4-0-20-1

Ryan Sidebottom 4-0-35-1

Stuart Broad 4-0-33-2

Graeme Swann 4-0-31-2

Michael Yardy 4-0-25-0

England:

Craig Kieswetter c NL McCullum b Mills 15

Michael Lumb lbw b Vettori 32

Ravi Bopara c Taylor b Styris 9

Paul Collingwood c BB McCullum b Styris 3

Eoin Morgan c Vettori b Bond 40

Luke Wright c Mills b Bond 24

Tim Brensan not out 23

Michael Yardy c Butler b NL McCullum 0

Graeme Swann not out 1

Extras (lb 5, w 1) 6

Total (for seven wickets in 19.1 overs) 153

Fall of wickets 1-24 (Kieswetter, 2.3 overs), 2-60 (Bopara, 6.5), 3-60 (Lumb, 7.2), 4-66 (Collingwood, 8.6), 5-118 (Wright, 15.2), 6-142 (Morgan, 17.5), 7-146 (Yardy, 18.2 )

Bowling:

Nathan McCullim 4-0-37-1

Shane Bond 4-0-29-2

Kyle Mills 3.1-0-32-1

Daniel Vettori 4-0-24-1

Scott Styris 3-0-16-2

Ian Butler 1-0-10-0

Results: England won by three wickets

Toss: New Zealand, who chose to bat

Player of the match : Tim Brensan (England)

Umpries: Steve Davis and Simon Taufel (Australia)

TV umpire: Aleem Dar (Pakistan)

Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)

Source: Web Search

England outclass New Zealand, qualify for semis with Pakistan

Published>Tue, May 11 10 03:37 AM

Gros Islet (St Lucia), may 11 (IANS) England relied on its new found batting prowess and self-confidence to beat New Zealand by three wickets, knocking them out of the World Twenty20.

Chasing 150 to win, England lost some quick wickets in the middle overs but Eoin Morgan (40) and Luke Wright (20) once again came good with a 52-run stand. Tim Bresnan then made an unbeaten 23 of 11 balls to take England home with five balls to spare.

England thus go into the semi-final with a formidable all win record in the Super Eights and much promise to defy history and win their first world championship title in cricket.

Paul Collingwood's team also came as a messiah for Pakistan as they carried the defending champions to the last four stage along with them. Pakistan, on their part, did their bit to stay afloat with a 11 run win over South Africa in the first match of the day. England did the rest.

Pakistan, after losing their second straight Super Eights game with a narrow one-run margin against New Zealand Saturday, needed England to win both their matches. And they did exactly that, first by getting the better of SOuth Africa the same day and then packing off New Zealand.

Though England were without their star batsman Kevin Peitersen, who has flown to England for his impending fatherhood, but it only reflected the strength of this confident England side.

After deciding to bat, New Zealand made a slow start with Brendon McCullam (33) giving himself time in the middle to prepare for a big knock. But that was not to be as he fell to off-spinner Graeme Swann that ended his 32-ball stay. His was the second wicket to fall after Jesse Ryder was bowled by an impressive Bresnan.

New Zealand's innings picked up momentum with Ross Taylor (44 off 33 balls) and Scott Styris (31 off 19 balls) adding 62 run for the fourth wicket. England pacers Stuard Broad (2-33) and Ryan Sidebottom (1-35), however, bowled well in the death overs.

England began their chase with Craig Kieswetter (15) and Michael Lumb (32) playing their strokes. After the former was out to Kyle Mills, Lumb and Ravi Bopara (9) raised 36 runs. But England lost three wickets in quick succession and were reduced to four for 66, skipper Vettori and Scot Styris doing the damage.

Morgan and Wright led the recovery with a 52-run partnership. Morgan struck four fours and a six while Wright hit three boundaries in his 17-ball knock.

Bresnan then used the long handle hitting three fours to see England through.

Source: Web Search

Diana stars with ball, Indian eves crush Lanka

Published Tue, May 11 10 03:07 AM

Basseterre (St Kitts), May 10 (PTI) Off-spinner Diana David wreaked havoc as India crushed Sri Lanka by 71 runs in a lop-sided Group B encounter of the Twenty20 World Cup for Women here today. After skipper Jhulan Goswami opted to bat first, India rode on twin half-centuries from opener Sulakshana Naik (59 off 54 balls) and Mithali Raj (52 not out off 39 balls) to post a commanding 144 for three in their allotted 20 overs. Defending the total, Diana mowed down the Lankan top order and the islanders could manage only 73 runs for nine wicket with just two batters -- Deepika Rasangika (31 not out) and Eshani Kaushalya (10) -- managing double digit scores. Diana conceded just 12 runs in her four tidy overs for those four wickets even though it was Sulakshana who was adjudged player of the match. Indian innings began on a positive note and even though Poonam Raut (12) fell cheaply, the 86 runs added in 10.3 overs by the second wicket partnership of Sulakshana and Mithali laid the perfect foundation for a big total. Even after Sulakshana departed, Mithali continued milking runs with consummate ease to guide the side past the 140-mark. Sri Lanka''s chase got off to a poor start with Chamari Atapattu running herself out and with Diana making the inroads, there subsequently was no looking back for India. Brief score: India: 144 for 3 in 20 overs (Sulakshana Naik 59, Mithali Raj 52 not out; Udeshika Prabodhani 1/15). Sri Lanka: 73 for 9 in 20 overs (Deepika Rasangika 31 not out, Eshani Kaushalya 10; Diana David 4/15).

Source: Web Search

England, Pakistan qualify for World Twenty20 semi-final

Published>Tue, May 11 10 02:57 AM

Gros Islet (St Lucia), May 11 (IANS) England defeated New Zealand by three wickets in the last Super Eights group E match and knocked them out of the World Twenty20.

England qualified for the semi-final with an all win record in the Super Eights and also carried defending champions Pakistan to the last four stage along with it.

England crossed the target of 150 runs with five balls to spare. Eoin Morgan (40), Michael Lumb (32), Luke Wright (23) all played their part in overhauling the target.

Source: Web Search

New Zealand set England 150-run target

Published>Tue, May 11 10 02:47 AM

Gros Islet (St Lucia), May 11 (IANS) New Zealand scored 149 for six against England in the last Group E Super Eights match of the World Twenty20 here.

Brendon McCullum scored 33 while Ross taylor made 44.

For England pacer Stuart Board and spinner Graeme Swann took two wickets each.

Source: Web Search

England beat New Zealand by 3 wickets

Published Tue, May 11 10 02:37 AM

Gros Islet (St Lucia), May 10 (PTI) England beat New Zealand by three wickets in their last Super Eight stage match of the Twenty20 World Cup here today. Brief score: New Zealand: 149 for 6 in 20 overs. England : 153 for 7 in 19.1 overs (Eoin Morgan 40, Michael Lumb 32; Scott Styris 2/16).

Source: Web Search

New Zealand set England 150-run target

Published>Tue, May 11 10 01:27 AM

Gros Islet (St Lucia), May 11 (IANS) New Zealand scored 149 for six against England in the last Group E Super Eights match of the World Twenty20 here.

Brendon McCullum scored 33 while Ross taylor made 44.

For England pacer Stuart Board and spinner Graeme Swann took two wickets each.

Source: Web Search

England restrict New Zealand to 149 for 6

Published Tue, May 11 10 01:07 AM

Gros Islet (St Lucia), May 10 (PTI) New Zealand rode on cameos from Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum and Scott Styris to post a modest 149 for six against England in their last Super Eight stage match of the Twenty20 World Cup here today. In the face of England''s disciplined attack, McCullum (33 off 32 balls) was not at his attacking best and it was the 62-run fourth wicket partnership between Ross Taylor (44) and Scott Styris (31) which turned out to be the cornerstone of the Kiwi innings. New Zealand''s was a rather sluggish start despite two stroke-makers -- McCullum and Jesse Ryder (9) -- opening the innings after skipper Daniel Vettori had won the toss and opted to bat first in a do-or-die match. The opening stand had yielded 30 runs when Tim Bresnan castled Ryder in the fifth over. McCullum tried to assert himself but timing was not always perfect and he struggled to find gaps, partly because of his penchant to hit the ball too hard. The desperation to break loose grew as the English bowlers maintained a stifling line and length and Graeme Swann dealt a double blow in successive overs to peg back the Kiwis. The off-spinner first induced a fatal slog-sweep from Raymond in his second over and returned to have McCullum caught in the deep. Styris joined Taylor in the middle and the duo stepped on gas, helping themselves to some welcome boundaries. Taylor hit Swann out of the ground, while Styris cleared the ropes off a Ryan Sidebottom delivery before Stuart Broad cut short his 19-ball stay. Taylor hit Sidebottom for a six in the penultimate over before holing out in the next ball and exit after a 33-ball cameo and New Zeland eventually halted just before the 150-mark.

Source: Web Search

Pakistan v South Africa - World Twenty20 scoreboard

Published Tue, May 11 10 12:11 AM

Scoreboard after the Twenty20 World Cup match between Pakistan and South Africa at the Beausejour Stadium, St Lucia on Monday:

Pakistan beat South Africa by 11 runs.

Pakistan innings

Kamran Akmal c Gibbs b van der Merwe 37

Salman Butt c Smith b Steyn 2

Khalid Latif c Steyn b Kallis 7

Mohammad Hafeez lbw b Langeveldt 1

Umar Akmal c Gibbs b Langeveldt 51

Shahid Afridi b Langeveldt 30

Abdul Razzaq not out 11

Misbah-ul-Haq c de Villiers b Langeveldt 3

Abdur Rehman not out 2

Extras (lb-1, w-3) 4

Total (seven wickets; 20 overs) 148

Fall of wickets: 1-6 2-14 3-18 4-69 5-130 6-132 7-143

Bowling: A.Morkel 4-0-28-0, Steyn 4-0-26-1 (w-1), Langeveldt 4-0-19-4, Kallis 4-0-28-1, Botha 2-0-13-0 (w-2), van der Merwe 2-0-33-1.

Did not bat: Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal

South Africa innings

H. Gibbs c Misbah-ul-Haq b Abdul Razzaq 3

G. Smith c Shahid Afridi b Abdur Rehman 13

J. Kallis c Umar Akmal b Saeed Ajmal 22

AB de Villiers c Kamran Akmal b Saeed Ajmal 53

J. Duminy c Khalid Latif b Abdur Rehman 3

M. Boucher lbw b Saeed Ajmal 12

A. Morkel not out 7

J. Botha st Kamran Akmal b Saeed Ajmal 19

R. van der Merwe not out 2

Extras (lb-1, w-2) 3

Total (seven wickets; 20 overs) 137

Fall of wickets: 1-12 2-23 3-56 4-68 5-101 6-113 7-135

Bowling: Razzaq 3-0-16-1, M.Aamer 4-0-33-0, Rehman 4-0-35-2 (w-2), M.Hafeez 1-0-5-0, Afridi 4-0-21-0, Ajmal 4-0-26-4.

Did not bat: D.Steyn, C.Langeveldt

Source: Web Search

Holders Pakistan keep their hopes live, South Africa knocked out

Published>Mon, May 10 10 11:57 PM

Gros Islet (St.Lucia), May 10 (IANS) Defending champions Pakistan kept alive their hopes for a semi-final berth and knocked out South Africa of the World Twenty20, beating them by 11 runs in their last Group E match of the Super Eights here Monday.

Spinner Saeed Ajmal's four for 26 and Man of the Match Umar Akmal's 51 kept Pakistan in the hunt and now they have to hope that England, who are now already through, beat New Zealand in the next match of the day at the Beausejour Stadium.

Umar and Shahid Afridi, who smashed an 18-ball 30, set up Pakistan's total of 148 for seven after a slow start. Opener Kamran Akmal also struck a valuable 37 after skipper Afridi opted to bat.

South African batsmen then found Ajmal's 'doosras' tough to handle and could make only 137 for seven with A.B. de Villiers scoring 53.

The Proteas lived up to their tag of chokers once again and lost four wickets for just 68 runs on a track that kept low and slow.

Opener Herschelle Gibbs (3) was sent packing by a stunning catch above his head by Misbah-ul-Haq on the edge of the circle at mid-wicket, before the out-of-form captain Graeme Smith (13) spooned a simple catch to Afridi at mid-on.

Kallis (22) and De Villiers then rebuilt the Proteas' innings, but failed to get the hits, leaving South Africa to get 100 from the last 10 overs.

Umar took an excellent catch diving forward on the run in from long-on to dismiss Kallis, while Latif held on at deep midwicket as Jean Paul Duminy tried to hit out.

De Villiers smashed 20 off one over from Abdur Rehman, but when he departed top-edging an attempted outrageous flick over the keeper's head off Ajmal, the Proteas challenge was all but over.

Earlier in the day, Kamran played a responsible innings of 37 from 33 balls and helped Pakistan recover from a precarious 69 for four.

Umar and Afridi added 61 runs for the fifth wicket to give the bowlers a target of defend. Umar hit four sixes and two fours while Afridi smacked four fours and a six in his 18-ball innings.

Source: Web Search

Pakistan eliminate S.Africa, England into semis

Published>Mon, May 10 10 11:47 PM

Pakistan eliminated South Africa from the Twenty20 World Cup with an 11-run win over the Proteas in St Lucia on Monday which kept their own qualification hopes alive.

The result meant England, who have won both opening Super Eight games, go through to the last four regardless of the outcome of their final match against New Zealand later on Monday.

Pakistan and South Africa both have two points from three matches but Pakistan have a superior run-rate.

New Zealand, also on two points, will go through with a win over England.

Umar Akmal struck 51 from 33 balls, including four sixes, as Pakistan recovered from a poor start to post a respectable total of 148 for seven.

In reply, South Africa were only 56 for three after 10 overs but a spirited 53 off 41 balls from AB de Villiers gave them a fighting chance which they were unable to make the most of as Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal took four wickets.

LAME WAY

It was a lame way for a South Africa side to bow out of a tournament they were capable of doing much better in.

"I guess you run out of excuses, it was just not good enough again," South Africa skipper Graeme Smith told reporters.

"AB was the only one who really played -- and it has been the story of our tournament -- we have struggled to get it together in all three disciplines."

The South African bowlers started well as Pakistan were restricted to 19 for three after the opening six powerplay overs.

But Umar Akmal and his brother Kamran (32) added 51 runs to get Pakistan's momentum going.

After Kamran departed, skipper Shahid Afridi (30 from 18) contributed to a 61-run partnership in just 5.3 overs.

For South Africa, Charl Langeveldt made the important breakthroughs and completed impressive figures of four for 19 from his four overs.

The target should have been within reach for South Africa but they lost both openers cheaply and Jacques Kallis, so often the mainstay of their batting, made a solid 22 off 21 balls before falling to a brilliant diving catch by Umar Akmal off the impressive Ajmal.

De Villiers showed how it could be done, hitting the only two sixes of South Africa's innings, but once he went the lower middle order failed to rise to the occasion.

While there was acute disappointment on the South African bench, the Pakistanis celebrated an unlikely win after their defeats by England and New Zealand.

"I just played my positive game. The wicket was good and the ball went where I wanted it to go," Umar Akmal said.

Source: Web Search

Scoreboard: Pakistan vs. South Africa, World Twenty20

Published>Mon, May 10 10 11:27 PM

Gros Islet (St. Lucia), May 10 (IANS) The following is the scoreboard of the Group E match in the Super Eights between Pakistan and South Africa in the World Twenty20 at the Beausejour Stadium here Monday:

Pakistan:

Kamran Akmal c Gibbs b van der Merwe 37

Salman Butt c Smith b Steyn 2

Khalid Latif c Steyn b Kallis 7

Mohammad Hafeez lbw Langeveldt 1

Umar Akmal c Gibbs b Langeveldt 51

Shahid Afridi b Langeveldt 30

Abdul Razzaq not out 11

Misbah-ul-Haq c de Villiers b Langeveldt 3

Abdur Rehman not out 2

Extras (lb 1, w 3) 4

Total (for seven wickets in 20 overs) 148

Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Salman Butt, 1.4 overs), 2-14 (Khalid Latif, 3.4), 3-18 (Mohammad Hafeez, 4.6), 4-69 (Kamran Akmal, 10.6), 5-130 (Umar Akmal, 16.3), 6-132 (Shahid Afridi, 16.6), 7-143 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 19.3)

Bowling:

Albie Morkel 4-0-28-0

Dale Steyn 4-0-26-1

Charl Langeveldt 4-0-19-4

Jacques Kallis 4-0-28-1

Johan Botha 2-0-13-0

Roelof van der Merwe 2-0-33-1

South Africa:

Herschelle Gibbs c Misbah b Razzaq 3

Graeme Smith c Afridi b Rehman 13

Jacques Kallis c Umar b Ajmal 22

A.B. de Villiers c Kamran b Ajmal 53

Jean Paul Duminy c Latif b Rehman 3

Mark Boucher lbw Ajmal 12

Albie Morkel not out 7

Johan Botha st Kamran b Ajmal 19

Roelof van der Merwe not out 2

Extras (lb 1, w 2) 3

Total (for seven wickets in 20 overs) 137

Extras (lb 1, w 2) 3

Total (for five wickets in 15.4 overs) 101

Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Gibbs, 2.4 overs), 2-23 (Smith, 4.4), 3-56 (Kallis, 10.5), 4-68 (Duminy, 12.3), 5-101 (de Villiers, 15.4), 6-113 (Boucher, 17.4), 7-135 (Botha, 19.4)

Bowling:

Abdul Razzaq 3-0-16-1

Mohammad Aamer 4-0-33-0

Abdur Rehman 4-0-35-2

Mohammad Hafeez 1-0-5-0

Shahid Afridi 4-0-21-0

Saeed Ajmal 4-0-26-4

Result: Pakistan won by 11 runs

Toss: Pakistan, who chose to bat

Player of the match: Umar Akmal (Pakistan)

Umpires: Billy Doctrove and Ian Gould (England)

TV umpire: Billy Bowden (New Zealand)

Match referee: Aaln Hurst (Australia)

Source: Web Search

Pakistan eliminate S.Africa, England into semis

Published>Mon, May 10 10 11:07 PM

Pakistan eliminated South Africa from the Twenty20 World Cup with an 11-run win over the Proteas in St Lucia on Monday which kept their own qualification hopes alive.

The result meant England, who have won both opening Super Eight games, go through to the last four regardless of the outcome of their final match against New Zealand later on Monday.

Pakistan and South Africa both have two points from three matches but Pakistan have a superior run-rate.

New Zealand, also on two points, will go through with a win over England.

Umar Akmal struck 51 from 33 balls as Pakistan recovered from a poor start to make 148 for seven.

In reply, South Africa were only 56 for three after 10 overs but a spirited 53 off 41 balls from AB de Villiers gave them a fighting chance which they were unable to make the most of as Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal took four wickets.

Source: Web Search

India will bounce back in T20 WC: Rajput

Published Mon, May 10 10 10:57 PM

Mumbai, May 10 (PTI) The two back-to-back defeats against Australia and the West Indies in the Super Eights stage notwithstanding, all is not yet lost for India in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup, former India cricketer Lalchand Rajput today said. "All is not lost yet for India. We are capable of staging a comeback. History has shown that we have always done well whenever it matters most," Rajput told reporters here. "I think it will all come up to the net run-rate. Let''s keep our fingers crossed and hope that other teams help us in getting through to the last four stage," he added. Rajput, who was the coach of the national team which had won the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa, said batting has let India down in the tournament. "In T20, we are not getting good starts. The team is missing Virender Sehwag. He makes look bowling easy. Even the fielding has to be taken into account. Team has not performed upto expectations," he said. Rajput felt it was wrong to blame skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the team''s poor performance as cricket is a team game.

Source: Web Search

Pakistan beat S Africa by 11 runs

Published Mon, May 10 10 10:51 PM

Gros Islet (St Lucia), May 10 (PTI) Pakistan beat South Africa by 11 runs in a Super Eight stage match of the Twenty20 World Cup here today. Brief score: Pakistan: 148 for 7 in 20 overs. South Africa: 137 for 7 in 20 overs (AB de Villiers 53, Jacques Kallis 22; Saeed Ajmal 4/26).

Source: Web Search

Pakistan beat South Africa by 11 runs in World Twenty20

Published Mon, May 10 10 10:47 PM

Pakistan beat South Africa by 11 runs in their World Twenty20 Super Eight Group E match in Gros Islet, St Lucia on Monday.

Pakistan: 148-7 (Umar Akmal 51; Charl Langeveldt 4-19) v South Africa: 137-7 (AB de Villiers 53)

Source: Web Search

Serena Williams battles past Dushevina in Madrid

Published>Mon, May 10 10 10:27 PM

A pumped-up Serena Williams drew on all her battling qualities to get past Vera Dushevina into the third round of the Madrid Open on Monday, coming back from a set down and saving a match point for a 6-7 7-6 7-6 success.

The American world number one, who won her 12th grand slam title at January's Australian Open before injury sidelined her for three months, looked to be on her way out of the clay event when the unseeded Russian held a match point at 6-5 in the second set.

Berating herself and appealing to watching coach and father Richard Williams throughout the match, she clawed her way back and took the deciding set despite having a long treatment break for what appeared to be right thigh and lower back problems.

She squandered one match point with a wild backhand at 6-4 in the third-set tiebreak, but a ninth ace on the next point prompted a bellow of delight from the pink-clad 28-year-old after almost three and a half hours of play.

"When I shout like that it's just to get energised," Williams, who is on course to meet Russian sixth seed Elena Dementieva in the last eight, said at a news conference.

"I really try to get myself going. I need energy and I need emotion to help me play better."

Williams, who had a bye into the second round, avoided the fate of three other grand slam champions, Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova, who all lost their opening matches to exit in the first round.

NOT SERIOUS

"I definitely wasn't playing my best tennis and I was far off from playing well but after three hours I thought I had better win," said Williams, who will be bidding for a second French Open crown in Paris starting this month.

"I really wanted to win today because I really wanted to get some matches under my belt," she added.

Without giving further details, she said she hoped her injury was not serious but she had not yet had time to get it checked out.

Third seed Dinara Safina and Serena's sister, fourth seed Venus Williams, are in action later on Monday.

In first round matches, eighth-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur edged past Argentine Gisela Dulko 7-6 7-5 and 16th seed Nadia Petrova beat Russian compatriot Elena Vesnina 4-6 6-2 6-3.

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Top Spanish clubs poised to create own division

Published>Mon, May 10 10 10:07 PM

Spain's top-flight clubs are poised to set up their own division separate from the second tier in a bid to remain competitive with European peers, the professional soccer league (LFP) said on Monday.

The move by Real Madrid, Barcelona and their rivals has been prompted by a spat with some smaller clubs over revenue from audio-visual rights, a key income stream.

After a meeting in Madrid, the LFP, which currently oversees Spain's top two divisions, said agreement had been reached to discuss how to create a separate first division similar to the Premier League or Italy's Serie A.

"The new system of organisation and development will allow a much more attractive and better-run competition than the current one," they said in a statement.

It was unclear if the LFP will have any role in the proposed new first division.

In Spain, clubs negotiate deals with TV companies individually, unlike in rival European leagues, such as the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga and France's Ligue 1, where collective deals are struck and revenue shared.

Real and Barca, the world's two richest clubs, rake in half the available cash, with deals worth about 150 million euros ($201 million) a season, leaving the rest, some of whom are in dire financial trouble, to fight over the scraps.

Mechanisms would be established to control club finances and ensure ways of helping clubs in lower divisions if they were relegated and got into difficulties, the statement said.

"A series of working meetings will start from June 21 to study the best way of putting (the plan) into practice," the LFP said, adding that the goal was to reach an accord before the start of next season.

As sports daily reported on Monday that the clubs in the new first division would share TV cash, with each getting a fixed amount, a figure based on audience share and a further sum according to their final league position.

However, Real and Barca have repeatedly said they are unwilling to accept a system of collective bargaining, arguing that it will hurt their competitiveness in European competition.

The current standings in La Liga underscore their dominance over TV revenue, which allows them to buy the top players and pay the highest wages.

Barca lead on 96 points, Real are second on 95 and Valencia trail by 27 points in third on 68.

Source: Web Search

Rohit Sharma fined for showing dissent

Published Mon, May 10 10 09:51 PM

Gros Islet (St Lucia), May 10 (PTI) Rohit Sharma has been docked 15 per cent of his match fee for showing dissent during India''s 14-run defeat to the West Indies in their Twenty20 World Cup Super Eight Group F match in Bridgetown. The middle order batsman had stood his ground, indicating to umpire Billy Bowden that the ball had gone off his arm en route to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin off Kieron Pollard during the yesterday''s match. Sharma was also seen gesturing to Bowden, asking him to refer it to the third umpire. Though Bowden was unsure of the legitimacy of the catch, he had consulted leg-umpire Simon Tauffel before ruling Sharma out.

Source: Web Search

Pakistan set 149-run target for South Africa

Published>Mon, May 10 10 09:37 PM

Gros Islet (St.Lucia), May 10 (IANS) Pakistan made 148 for seven in 20 overs against South Africa in a crucial Group E match of the Super Eights in the World Twenty20 at the Beaujour Stadium here Monday.

Umar Akmal was the top scorer with 51 while his brother Kamran made 37. For South Africa, medium pacer Charl Langeveldt picked up four wickets for 19.

Source: Web Search

Modi gets 5 more days to respond to showcause

Published Mon, May 10 10 09:21 PM

Mumbai, May 10 (PTI) Suspended IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi got a breather today after the Cricket Board gave him five more days to respond to the first show cause notice issued to him for alleged financial irregularities. The BCCI decision came after Modi sought some documents from the Board to prepare his reply, though he was supposed to respond to the chargesheet by today. "Lalit Modi has requested the Board President (Shashank Manohar) and Secretary (N Srinivasan) to extend time. He was supposed to reply to the show cause notice today. The Board has taken a decision to extend time up to the 15th of May," BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty told reporters here. Shetty''s announcement came soon after Modi''s lawyer Memmood S Abdi handed over the remaining documents pertaining to the IPL which were with the suspended IPL chief. Shetty did not want to reveal the nature of the documents that were handed over to him by Abdi. "All this is between the Board and Modi. I don''t think we need to share it with the media," he said. Abdi told reporters he had handed over to the Board the remaining documents that were with Modi, including minutes of IPL Governing Council meetings, bid documents, franchisee agreements and all contracts starting from 2008 onwards. "This is the final phase of handing over of papers to the Board from our side. We had earlier submitted a bigger bulk of papers on the 8th May," Abdi said. "From our end we have submitted all the papers. The BCCI has not got back to us regarding any more documents as yet. We have retained one copy of whatever documents we have handed over to the Board. These have been endorsed by Shetty on behalf of the Board," Abdi said, adding "the documents handed over to the Board today ran into thousands of pages." The first set of documents, both original as well as notarised copies, which Modi had submitted earlier included all franchisee agreements, global media rights agreements, global media rights packages, all bid documents, media rights licensee agreements, eligibility letters of bidders with details and sponsorship agreements entered into by IPL. Asked about the extension of deadline given by the Board to Modi on his request to reply to the first show cause, Abdi said "there was nothing unusual about it". "When you reply to a show cause notice each word has to be written appropriately," he said. Asked when Modi would response to the second show cause notice that alleged he was planning to start a ''rebel'' T20 league in England, Abdi said, "The deadline for the second will end in 15 days from May 6. So there''s no hurry to reply to it". .

Source: Web Search

Anitha, Prakash excel for Wonder Girls, Rangers

Published Mon, May 10 10 09:07 PM

Mumbai, May 10 (PTI) Led from the front by captain Anitha P, Wonder Girls outclassed Power Girls 76-54 in a women''s tie in the Lakadawala Developers-Mastan YMCA All India Professional Basketball League here today. International Anitha excelled in attack and was equally hard working in defence, besides performing her role superbly as the ball handler to steal the honours in the four-team round robin tie. She top scored with 16 points, followed by Harjeet Kaur (14), Pratima Singh (11) and Reshma G (10). For the losing side, Akanksha Singh ended with 21 points, the highest in the match, while Prashanti Singh (12) and Seema Singh (10) also chipped in. In a men''s match from Group B, Prakash Mishra was in fine form, sinking 31 points to lead Rangers to a 80-60 win over Soldiers. Soldiers struggled to overcome the first quarter deficit of 7-26 conceded to Rangers. Mishra ended the leading scorer from both sides while Vineet Mathew and Sridhar S scored 13 points each for Rangers. Soldiers were aided by Jagdeep Singh (26) and C V Dinesh (14). PTI SSR RSY DB

Source: Web Search

Full Bore shooting range inaugurated

Published>Mon, May 10 10 08:47 PM

Gurgaon, May 10 (IANS) Sports Minister M.S Gill Monday inaugurated the newly- constructed Full Bore shooting range which is a venue for the Commonwealth Games.

The shooting range at CRPF Campus here has been constructed at a cost of Rs.28 crore and is located at the foothills of the Aravali range.

Moveable-type electronic targets system will be used for the first time for Full Bore shooting competitions for 300 yards, 500 yards, 600 yards, 900 yards and 1,000 yards.

Speaking on the occasion, Gill suggested starting of an annual Bigbore shooting competition among the Central Para-Military Forces, State Police Forces and the Army for proper utilization of the facility.

Source: Web Search

BCCI to nurture cricketing talent in NE

Published Mon, May 10 10 08:21 PM

Shillong, May 10 (PTI) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will organise a eight-day coaching camp here from May 17 to hone the cricketing skills of the players from Northeast. Five players each from Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Nagaland, who had participated in the last under 16 and 19 tournaments of BCCI, have been selected to undergo the training to be conducted by the National Cricket Academy. "A physio, a trainer, and a video analyst will be present during the camp to know the strengths and weaknesses of the players," Meghalaya Cricket Association general secretary Naba Bhattacharjee told reporters. "Video analyst has an important role in the game. You can record the entire proceedings when a player is playing and later find out their shortcomings," he said. Nobody from the region has donned India colours in any version of the game till date. Senior coaches Sanat Kumar, Apurva Desai, Rajiv Dutta and T Dilip - all from National Cricket Academy - would train the boys, Bhattacharjee said. More players, picked in batches, will be roped in from across the region to undergo the training in similar coaching camps in future, he said.

Source: Web Search

Congress seeks probe into Himachal IPL matches

Published>Mon, May 10 10 08:07 PM

Shimla, May 10 (IANS) The opposition Congress Monday demanded a probe into the financial affairs of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) and the conduct of two Indian Premier League matches (IPL) the state hosted last month.

'The Income Tax department should audit the HPCA accounts, the funds it generated and expenditure made during the IPL matches,' state Congress chief Kaul Singh Thakur told reporters here. The HPCA is headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anurag Thakur, son of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.

He said the HPCA should come out with a white paper about the funds it had received from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for hosting the matches and how and where these were spent.

Thakur also questioned the state government's decision to sanction Rs.3 crore for developing Dharamsala town before the IPL matches.

'The government should provide details regarding the expenditure made on the development of town during the IPL matches. The government had sanctioned Rs.3 crore, but only a few lakhs had been spent,' he claimed.

The Congress leader also criticised the Dhumal government for extending special hospitality to IPL officials.

'The state government had provided its helicopter for transporting (suspended IPL commissioner) Lalit Modi and his family from Dharamsala to Delhi after the cricket match April 16,' he said, seeking to know why the government was favouring the IPL 'which is functioning on corporate lines'.

Two IPL matches were held April 16 and 18 at the picturesque HPCA stadium in Dharamsala, which - at 4,000 feet - is one of the highest cricket grounds in the world.

Source: Web Search

India have to beat Sri Lanka by 20 runs and more

Published>Mon, May 10 10 07:57 PM

Gros Islet (St.Lucia), May 10 (IANS) To stay in the hunt in the World T20 here, India will not only have to beat last year's finalists Sri Lanka by 20 runs in their last Group F match of the Super Eights but also hope that the West Indies lose to Australia.

India's chances were virtually over after their loss against the West Indies, but Sri Lanka's 81-run loss against Australia, later in the day, has again brightened the hopes of the 2007 champions.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels his boys can still bounce back but dismissed suggestions that a lengthy Indian Premier League (IPL) may have contributed to his side's poor performance in the World Twenty20.

'(People) can always come back and say we have played too much cricket in the IPL, but (we) have to do well in tournaments like these,' said Dhoni.

'The IPL is very different from international format. You have four foreigners. You don't have always the best bowling attack. You have to keep your side balanced. Most of the IPL sides have one bowler who bowls really good, really quick, but apart from that you try to target the weak links, that's what happens in IPL.'

'But in international cricket, most of the sides have got at least three bowlers. You can maybe target one or at the most two (bowlers). I think the IPL is very different, so it would be unfair to compare IPL to international cricket. We are on the losing side and that's the fact right now,' Dhoni said.

Dhoni admitted that his team was found wanting against short-pitched bowling against the West Indies.

'We have prepared well. We knew they would use short-pitched deliveries, and we practised against short-pitched deliveries in the net sessions. But until you don't face it in a game you are not match-aware of what is needed in that situation.'

Dhoni admitted that against Sri Lanka it would be tough as progress to the semis depended on too many other factors.

'It's a little bit too much to ask. You need to do well in a tournament like this, and we still have one more game. We would like to do well (in St. Lucia) against a team that looks in good form, and leave the equation to itself, look to do well, whatever is the equation.'

'We can't do much about it. What we can do is win that game, and that can be our consolation prize more than anything else,' he said.

Source: Web Search

Jayasuriya wants 2011 World Cup as his swansong

Published Mon, May 10 10 07:37 PM

Bridgetown (Barbados), May 10 (PTI) Already retired from Test cricket, Sri Lankan opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya hopes to play in next year''s World Cup in the subcontinent before ending his illustrious international career. Jayasuriya, who was recently elected to the Sri Lankan Parliament, is uncertain whether he would continue beyond this year but said he would want to play in the World Cup, to be co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh early next year. "I had retired from Test matches. Now, I only want to play 50-over and 20-over cricket. My key, at the end of this year, is to assess my international career overall, but I am going along, tour by tour, for now," Jayasuriya, who will turn 41 next month, said. "That (50-over World Cup) has been in the back of my mind. If I perform, I could be selected. I would dearly love to play to the 2011 Cricket World Cup, to finish up my career," said Jayasuriya who began his international career in 1989. Jayasuriya, the most capped ODI player in the world with 444 matches against his name, said the 1996 World Cup triumph was the best moment in his career. "Certainly ICC World Cup 1996 victory for Sri Lanka was the greatest highlight and will always be remembered. Nobody thought that we could play such good cricket. Only after we had won that competition did our players get continuing opportunities to play more Tests, county cricket and go overseas," said the ''Marauder from Matara'' who has 13428 runs and 322 wickets in ODIs against his name. Jayasuriya shone as an opener in that showpiece event and he said it had changed his career. "My approach to batting changed just before the 1996 World Cup. It changed my career. Romesh (Kaluwitharana) and myself were promoted to give us a good start. It worked. Since then, I have been opening in every version of the game, especially the one-dayers, for about 12 years," he told ''Trinidad Guardian''. Asked about any possibility of a Test return, Jayasuriya, who had scored 6973 runs from 110 matches, said: "Look, I am extremely lucky, happy and honoured to have played so much and so well for my country. I know that I helped change what an opening batsman is supposed to be." Asked about his athleticism on the field, exhibited in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup, despite his age, Jayasuriya said: "I do exactly the work that the others do, then do some more. I never do anything loose. I need to be fit, as whatever you are doing, you need to be running from the very first ball, to the end of a T20 game." PTI PDS DB

Source: Web Search

Pakistan win toss, to bat against South Africa

Published Mon, May 10 10 07:19 PM

Gros Islet (St Lucia), May 10 (PTI) Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi won the toss and elected to bat against South Africa in their Twenty20 World Cup Super Eight Group E match at the Beausejour Stadium here today. Teams: Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (capt), Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Khalid Latif, Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal. South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Mark Boucher, Albie Morkel, Roelof van der Merwe, Dale Steyn, Johan Botha, Charl Langeveldt.

Source: Web Search