Nannes wants a shot at Ponting's men

Japanese-speaking fast bowler Dirk Nannes is desperate for the Netherlands to reach the World Twenty Super Eights so that he can take on the mighty Australians.The 33-year-old left-armer had harboured outside hopes of making the Australian team, but once that door was closed, he was more than happy to join the Dutch squad.Nannes has played for Middlesex in English county cricket as well as Victoria in Australia and qualifies for the Netherlands courtesy of his Dutch-born parents who settled down under.His first priority is to try and help his team negotiate a way out of Group B which features hosts England and 2007 runners-up Pakistan.That would likely set-up a chance against Ricky Ponting's Australians in the Super Eights."I'm not really that fussed that (Australia) are not picking me," Nannes told a cricket website."Of course I would like to play for them, but I've been given a really good opportunity by the Dutch team."If I play for Holland, I will probably make the starting XI. If I was picked in the 30-man squad for Australia, the chances are I wouldn't play and they'll play other people."Obviously I would like to play and I do think I would be one of the better players in their team, but they chose not to pick me. I'm still going to go to the World Cup and I'm still going to play."Nannes enjoys the big stage. At the IPL in South Africa, he nudged aside Glenn McGrath in the Delhi Dardevils line-up and claimed six wickets early on at a cost of just 6.48 runs an over.In Australian Twenty20, he helped the Bushrangers win the 2008 title with figures of 4-23 to help beat Western Australia in the final.A colourful cricketer off the field, Nannes plays the saxophone and even speaks Japanese.

Nazir faces penalty, ban for abusing umpire

Opener Imran Nazir, who has terminated his contract with the rebel Indian Cricket League, could face a three-game domestic ban and a fine of Rs 10,000 for his unsporting conduct during Pakistan's national T20 championship in Lahore on Friday night.Match referee Mohammad Sami confirmed he had recommended a fine of Rs 10,000 and a three-match ban on Nazir after he was seen abusing umpire Nadeem Ghouri for giving him out leg before in the final."The umpires also reported against him but I have sent my recommendations to the board and it is now up to them to enforce the penalties," he said."You don't expect players to react in this manner to a umpire's decision. It is not acceptable," Sami said.Nazir, who played a crucial role in Pakistan's runners-up finish in the inaugural edition of the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, is one of the ICL players who is likely to make a return to the national team.However, the Pakistan Cricket Board has still not confirmed whether Nazir had cut off all ties with the ICL and had got clearance from the league to play for the country again.

NEWZELANDS BACKBONE MCCULLUM

The weight of New Zealand's Twenty20 World Cup expectations rests heavily on the shoulders of Brendon McCullum and his burning desire to be recognised as the world's best wicketkeeper-batsman.The diminutive gloveman is the key element in New Zealand's game plan with his audacious batting at the top of the order and his lightning-fast reactions behind the woodwork.That the 27-year-old's name is often mentioned as a contender to inherit the mantle of Australian great Adam Gilchrist speaks volumes for his ability.In the Indian Premier League, the Kolkata Knight Riders valued McCullum at 700,000 US dollars, the biggest offer for a New Zealand player, when they snapped him up last year.They were immediately rewarded when he launched the inaugural IPL series by smashing a record 158 off 73 balls and he ended the season with an average 62.66 with the bat at a strike rate of 204.35.New Zealand's 2008 Player of the Year has also won high praise from Australia where a cameo McCullum performance helped New South Wales qualify for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in October.

Smith eyes T20 trophy after ODI glory

After their numero uno status in one-dayers, South Africa are now keen to lay their hands on the Twenty20 World Cup as well, according to captain Graeme Smith.Smith pointed to South Africa's away Test series win in Australia and England, apart from the ODI glory, and said he would love to cap it by winning the ICC World Twenty20 title on June 21.

"We have had a wonderful past 12 months which has included winning away Test series in both England and Australia and winning home and away ODI series against Australia to gain top spot in the Reliance Mobile ICC world rankings," he said."One of the boxes we still want to tick is to win a major ICC championship and we have two chances to do that in the ICC World T20 next month and again in the ICC Champions Trophy which will be held in South Africa at the end of September," Smith was quoted as saying by Press Association (PA)."I have been very happy with the form our players have shown in the Indian Premier League in the run-up to the ICC World T20 and this augurs well for a good performance," Smith said.South Africa coach Mickey Arthur too was optimistic of his team's chances in the tournament and said, "We should be able to put a team in the field that has 10 batsmen and seven bowlers at any time."

DHONI CONFIDENT OF RETAINING THE T20 CUP

With the cream of IPL in his side, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Sunday his men are more equipped than their counterparts to handle pressure situations associated with the shortest format of the game when they defend their ICC World Twenty20 title.


Dhoni said although other teams have players who featured in the IPL, his side has an upper hand in the biennial event starting here on June 5 as all the 15 members of the Indian squad have featured in the just-concluded IPL in South Africa."The best thing is that we will know more how to handle pressure, when in the last over you need 10 or 15 runs, everyone in our side has faced that situation. There are quite a few players from other countries but most of our players were in the Indian Premier League," Dhoni told reporters at the official press conference here."In IPL you have limited talent in your side, but here we have plenty of options. We have the cream of the IPL so there is less pressure on each and every individual," he added.Dhoni, however, warned his team-mates against complacency and said the defending champions cannot afford to take any side lightly.

"In Twenty20, there is no such thing as a weak side, any individual can take the game away from you. We also can't live on or relish the memories, we have to turn up and do everything from scratch again, it's not about the past," Dhoni said pointing to their triumph in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa two years back."Cricket is a very cruel game, the moment you relax, your mind find yourself in trouble," added Dhoni.The India captain felt that having the same bunch of players in the team for the last few years has also helped his side."I've got quite a few grey hairs. That's one change," Dhoni joked when asked how the team had developed under him."In the last three years there have been few changes in the side. We have played 80 to 90 ODIs together, that's the plus point, it also helps me personally. I can pick ideas according to situation. Also fielding has improved, we have raised the bar."Asked about Sachin Tendulkar who had voluntarily ruled himself out of India's Twenty20 scheme of things, Dhoni said, "It's tough, you always want a player like Sachin in your side. He has a big impact in the dressing room, has lots of ideas. But he wasn't at the last Twenty20 (World Championships in South Africa), the guys are getting used to it."India begin their Group A campaign against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

delhi dare devils vs royal challengers bangalore:nehra strikes early for DD

Delhi Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag elected to bat against the Bangalore Royal Challengers at the Wanderers here on Tuesday.


Delhi rested Dirk Nannes, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Amit Mishra. Andrew McDonald, Yogesh Nagar and Daniel Vettori came into the playing eleven.


The Bangalore outfit has to beat Delhi to stay in contention for the semi-finals. Anil Kumble's team has 12 points and hence, needs to prevail both against Delhi and the Deccan Chargers on Thursday.Delhi, on the other hand, are secure and are sitting on the top of the league table with 18 points and have already qualified for the semi-finals.The resurgent Royal Challengers Bangalore continued their disciplined show with the ball as they restricted table-toppers Delhi Daredevils to 134-7 at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Tuesday. After electing to bat first, Delhi were jolted in the first over as Praveen Kumar removed two wickets. Bangalore, who have to win this game to stay in contention for a semi-final berth, never allowed the Daredevils to recover with Dinesh Karthik's 31 being the top score. Praveen Kumar took three while skipper Anil Kumble took two wickets in the innings.

Chennai can still qualify for semis: Fleming

The stunning loss to Kolkata Knight Riders will not hurt Chennai Super Kings' semifinal chances, insists coach Stephen Fleming, who says the defeat has actually helped as the players are now out their comfort zones.


"We are still in a good position. Looking at the table, there has got to be a lot of things work against us for us not to go through, that's without winning the match," Fleming said.


"We have personal pride in terms of that performance, we want to finish well with a win to get up the table. But as far as the competition goes we are still in a healthy position," he added.Fleming said Chennai are obviously disappointed at going down to a team that had lost eight consecutive matches before last night.


"We didn't take it that lightly. We knew they were going to be dangerous because they have nothing to lose. I think the biggest feeling we have is disappointment. That weren't able to execute any plans or any accuracy with the ball to be able to shut the game down.


"The disappointment is there. And that could be a good thing going into the semifinal, if we play well in the last game, then the players certainly won't be comfortable about their performances. Being in an uncomfortable state is a good thing," he said. 



Fleming, however, lay the blame of last night's defeat on bowlers, who failed to defend a fairly competitive 189. "It is the best we have got and we weren't at our best. I had hoped for better. The dangerous thing with Kolkata Knight Riders was that they had nothing to lose. And the way the likes of Brendon McCullum and Brad Hodge play.


"When you get a big score on the board, it almost forces a team to throw caution to the wind. And that I think was the danger. We weren't accurate as we could be with the cricket ball. We were disappointed that we couldn't defend that score certainly," he said.


Asked about tournament top-scorer Matthew Hayden's injury, Fleming said aggressive treatment was on.


"Matt's got a slight strain in his quad which he picked up in the last game. And the scan revealed that today. We were hoping that it was more bruising but there is a slight tear there. We are hoping with a bit of rest that he would be ripe whether it's for the next game or the semifinals," he said.


"We will be very cautious with our approach for him and we will be aggressive in our treatment. Cautious with our approach because he is certainly vital to our chances of winning this competition," he added.


The tournament has been witness to some poor fielding by all participating teams and Fleming said it was nothing but pressure that was getting the better of fielders. 


"I think it's a bit of pressure. There is a lot of pressure on the guys when they are playing. The conditions, the dark night means that it is very hard to get a focus on the pace of the ball. And that's caused little bit of concern. But basically it's just the pressure."

chennai superkings vs kolkata knight riders:muccullum,hodge guided KKR to a victory

chennai superkings batting

kolkata knight riders batting

Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni elected to bat against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Super Sport Park here on Monday.Mathew Hayden, who has a niggle, was ruled out. George Bailey came into the Chennai side in place of the Orange Cap holder.The Kolkata team made four changes. Ashok Dinda, Ajantha Mendis, Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Anureet Singh returned to the eleven while Ishant Sharma, Shoaib Shaikh, Yashpal Singh and Mashrafe Mortaza were axed.This is the first time the Super Kings and the Knight Riders meet in IPL II as the their game in the first-leg was abandoned due to rain in Cape Town.

A win against the Knight Riders here will guarantee Chennai Super Kings a place in the final four. The Delhi Daredevils have already qualified after their victory in Bloemfontein against the Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.The Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, have only pride to salvage with only one win from 12 games so far. The Knight Riders suffered heartbreaking losses in their previous two games.Suresh Raina plundered a 37-ball 52 and Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 40 from 28 balls to lift the Chennai Super Kings to 188-3 after electing to bat against the beleaguered Kolkata Knight Riders at the Super Sport Park on Monday. Local boy Albie Morkel played a cameo in the death overs, hitting a nine-ball 20. A victory will guarantee the Chennai outfit a berth in the semi-finals.

West Indies vs England 2nd Test Day 4 :England wins series 2-0 against West Indies

England swing bowler James Anderson took 4-38 to help dismiss West Indies for 176 in the second innings and finish with match figures of 9-125 at the Riverside Ground.

Anderson won the man-of-the-match award, while Ravi Bopara was player of the series after scoring 108 in England's first innings of 569-6 declared and hitting another hundred in the first test at Lord's.

West Indies resumed the day on 115-3 and Anderson made the breakthrough 26 runs later after play had resumed following two rain interruptions, drawing Lendl Simmons on 10 into a poor shot that flew straight to substitute fielder Scott Borthwick at point.

Borthwick, fielding because wicketkeeper Matt Prior injured a finger on Sunday, then caught Nash at square leg for 1 to give Bresnan his first test wicket and leave West Indies on 142-5.

Bresnan took his second wicket two balls later when Denesh Ramdin edged an outswinger to Anderson at slip for a duck.

Anderson then ripped Jerome Taylor's off stump out of the ground to make it 163-7, and the final ball of the session he bowled Sulieman Benn for a duck.

West Indies lost Shivnarine Chanderpaul for 47 in the second over after lunch when he edged a delivery to stand-in wicketkeeper Paul Collingwood.

Seven balls later, Tim Bresnan completed the rout when Fidel Edwards top-edged a ball and was caught by Anderson at fine leg.

Rajasthan royals vs delhi dare devils:DD defeated RR

delhi dare devils batting

rajathan royals batting

AB de Villiers' unbeaten 79 and useful partnerships with Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Karthik gave Delhi the impetus to reach 150-3 after electing to bat against Rajasthan Royals in Bloemfontein on Sunday.For Delhi, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir flopped again. Rajasthan bowled well but gave it away in the final few overs as the Daredevils cashed in.Paceman Dirk Nannes, who was rested for Delhi's previous game against Kings XI Punjab which they lost, replaced New Zealander Daniel Vettori, while medium pacer Aavhishkar Salvi came in for Rajat Bhatia, and Amit Mishra replaced Pradeep Sangwan.

kingsXIpunjab vs deccan chargers: Kings XI Punjab beat Deccan Chargers

 kingsXIpunjab batting

Deccan chargers batting 

Yuvraj Singh grabbed a hat-trick to bowl Kings XI Punjab to a vital one-run victory over Deccan Chargers in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.The left-arm spinner finished with 3-13 off four overs as Punjab restricted Deccan to 133-8 in a thrilling last-over finish after posting 134-7 to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals.Deccan needed 11 to win off the last over, but left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan conceded only nine to build on man-of-the-match Yuvraj's effort.Pathan also claimed two wickets, including that of Rohit Sharma. Sharma sustained Deccan's hopes with a quickfire 42 before being bowled. He smashed three sixes and as many fours in his 26-ball knock.There was no hint of collapse after Deccan reached 73-2 chasing a modest target, but Yuvraj dismissed Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Symonds and Venugopal Rao off successive balls.Yuvraj removed South African Gibbs (26) with the last ball of his second over, with Piyush Chawla taking a superb diving catch at point.He had Australian Symonds (25) stumped with the first ball of his next over and then bowled Indian Venugopal Rao to complete his second hat-trick of the tournament, having earlier achieved the feat against Bangalore.Delhi currently lead the eight-team competition with 16 points from 11 matches, followed by Chennai (15/12)), Deccan (14/13), Punjab (14/13), Rajasthan (13/12), Bangalore (12/12), Mumbai (11/13) and Kolkata (3/12).The top four sides advance to the semi-finals.India paceman Rudra Pratap Singh earlier played a key role in restricting Punjab, finishing with 3-26 off four overs to become the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 19 in 13 matches.Singh also got the prize wicket of Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara (56) just when the batsman looked like boosting the innings in the closing overs.

West Indies vs England 2nd Test Day 3 :Anderson puts England on top

James Anderson took three wickets after Alastair Cook had made a Test-best 160 as England closed in on a series win over the West Indies at the Riverside here on Saturday.


The West Indies, at stumps on the third day of the second and final Test, were 94 for three in reply to England's first innings 569 for six declared.


That left them 475 runs behind and still needing a further 276 to avoid the follow-on.Anderson, aged 26 but now the senior bowler in England's attack, ended the day with figures of three wickets for 36 runs in 11 overs, his wickets coming in a burst of three for 21 in 36 balls.


Either side of an initial bad light break the Lancashire paceman, appearing in his 37th Test, bowled Devon Smith and then removed another left-handed opener in Chris Gayle for 19 as West Indies slumped to 38 for two.


West Indies captain Gayle appeared unfortunate to be given out two balls after the resumption by Sri Lankan umpire Asoka de Silva with replays suggesting the ball would have gone high and wide of the stumps. But he did help make the umpire's mind up by not playing a shot.


Anderson then had Lendl Simmons caught in the slips by England captain Andrew Strauss.


Ramnaresh Sarwan, hit on the side of his helmet by a Graham Onions bouncer, was 41 not out and Shivnarine Chanderpaul three not out at stumps.


Anderson's haul capped a fine day after he'd started Saturday by gamely defying everything fast bowler Fidel Edwards sent at him, including a few verbal volleys, for nearly an hour in a gutsy display as night-watchman.


After Friday's total washout, England resumed on 302 for two, with Cook 126 not out and Anderson unbeaten on four.



They continued to pile on the runs thanks to fifties from Matt Prior (63) and Paul Collingwood, 60 not out on his Durham home ground when Strauss declared at tea.


Kevin Pietersen had earlier made a brisk 49 before giving his wicket away in front of a much-improved crowd after the first day had been poorly attended and the second washed out.


England at stumps were all but assured of at least a draw.


That was the minimum they needed to regain the Wisden Trophy they'd lost in the Caribbean earlier this year following a 10-wicket win inside three days at Lord's last week.


Cook and fellow Essex 24-year-old Ravi Bopara (108), whose century was his third in as many Test innings, put on 213 for the second wicket to give England a solid base after Strauss had won a good toss on Thursday.


This was Cook's ninth century in his 43rd Test but significantly it was the first time he'd gone past 150 as he followed up Essex mentor Graham Gooch's advice to make a "big" hundred, the left-handed opener overcoming a shaky start to bat for more than eight hours.


Tall left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn was the pick of the West Indies' attack on a day when their fast bowlers struggled to maintain accuracy.


He took two wickets, dismissing Cook and Pietersen, on his way to figures of two for 146 in 43 overs. Benn ended Cook's innings when the batsman got a leading edge that saw the ball lob Gayle at extra-cover.


Pietersen, bowled for nought by Edwards at Lord's, was in superb touch before lunch.


But he'd added just three runs to his interval 46 when, having been tied down by Benn, he tried to slog against the spin and edged a simple catch to Simmons at backward point.

kolkata knight riders vs deccan chargers:Rohit stuns Kolkata in last-ball thriller

kolkata knight riders batting

deccan chargers batting

Slamming an unbeaten 32 off 13 balls, Rohit Sharma pulled back Deccan Chargers from the brink of defeat to post a six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in a cliffhanger at the Wanderers here on Saturday.The win has consolidated Chargers' position for a place in the semi-final as they now have 14 points 12 matches have tipped Rajasthan Royals for the third position.

Chargers were staring at defeat with 21 needed from the last over while chasing 161, but Rohit, with two sixes and as many fours off IPL debutant Mashrafe Mortaza, tilted the fortunes in their favour.The Knight Riders, with just one win in the tournament, suddenly found themselves eyeing a victory when a superb throw from Mortaza found the dangerous Andrew Symonds (18) short of crease and reduced Chargers to 128 for four in the 18th over.


It looked like Chargers had lost their way after being given a solid start by skipper Adam Gilchrist (43) and Herschelle Gibbs (28) as Murali Kartik (1-12) and Brad Hodge bowled effectively to slow the scoring rate.


Rohit with Venugopal Rao scored an unbeaten 48 runs with the latter contributing 7 to clinch what at one point looked like an improbable win.


Earlier, Knight Riders propelled by David Hussey (43) and Hodge (48) ensured the team set a challenging target.


Brendon McCullum (20) and Sourav Ganguly (33), promoted up the order, got off to a sound start. But after McCullum's departure, Ganguly and Hodge struggled to score. The boundaries dried up, with both the batsman scoring a mere 25 runs in six overs before the strategic timeout.


Ganguly found himself in yet another controversy when he handled a throw while completing a single. The Chargers appealed for obstruction of the field it but were turned down. Ganguly finally departed in the 15th over when he was caught by Harris off Rohit Sharma.


Hussey blazed away from the very first ball, with Hodge also cutting loose. Runs came in fast and furious with Hussey stroking four sixes and two fours in his 17-ball knock.


The Knight Riders got a windfall when RP Singh twice no-balled in the 19th over to be replaced by Harmeet Singh, who was hammered by Hussey for 28 runs in the most expensive over so far of the tournament.

chennai superkings vs mumbai indians:Hayden, Dhoni plot Mumbai's downfall

mumbai indians batting

chennai superkings batting

Riding on yet another superb innings by Matthew Hayden (60), Chennai Super Kings assured themselves of a semi-final berth while ending Mumbai Indians' hopes with a seven-wicket triumph in their Indian Premier League match here on Saturday.Set a target of 148 by Mumbai built largely on JP Duminy's knock of 62, Chennai once again relied heavily on Hayden to romp home with five balls to spare.Hayden was not his usual explosive self to start with but soon cut loose to help Chennai recover from a rather wobbly start.The Australian opener, who is currently the leading run-scorer of the tournament, hit his fifth fifty of the event in the process. Hayden also shared a match-winning 87-run partnership with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (23).

The burly left-hander hit Harbhajan Singh for a massive six in the 17th over to complete his fifty. In fact, that one Harbhajan over turned the match in Chennai's favour as the temperamental off-spinner conceded 17 runs in it.After their bowlers did a fine job to restrict Mumbai to 147 for five, Chennai's chase didn't get off to a very good start as Parthiv Patel was dismissed off the very first ball by Lasith Malinga, who trapped the Indian leg-before.Suresh Raina did not last long either and was brilliantly caught and bowled by Dwayne Bravo after a quickfire 20 off 12 balls that included two fours and an equal number of sixes. Earlier, electing to bat after winning the toss, Mumbai was dealt an early blow when Dwayne Bravo's (5) stumps were knocked off by Albie Morkel in the second over.

Sanath Jayasuriya then played out a blistering 30-run knock that came off just 17 balls. Sri Lanka's ageless warrior, who had been slightly off-colour with the bat, smashed three fours and a couple of sixes before top-edging a Sudeep Tyagi delivery to Suresh Raina at cover.Jayasuriya's dismissal slowed down Mumbai's scoring rate and the team went into the strategy break with 72 runs in their first 10 overs.Mumbai suffered another setback after the break when skipper Sachin Tendulkar (11) holed out to Lakshmipathy Balaji at deep midwicket off a Raina delivery.It was left to J P Duminy, yet again, to steer the innings and he lived upto the task with a 54-ball 62.The South African combined with Abhishek Nayar for a 65-run fourth-wicket stand that was ultimately crucial in Mumbai posting a respectable total on board.Of the bowlers, Muttiah Muralitharan was not among the wickets but bowled a miserly spell, giving away just 19 runs in his four overs.

West Indies vs England 2nd Test Day 2 :England declare at 569-6

Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook did their best to make-up for lost time as they piled on the runs against the West Indies in the second Test here at the Riverside on Saturday.England at lunch were 411 for four. Pietersen was 46 not out off just 50 balls after Cook had fallen shortly before the break for a Test-best 160.Cook batted for over eight hours, facing 340 balls with 17 boundaries.His innings ended tamely when he got a leading edge to left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn and was caught at extra-cover by West Indies captain Chris Gayle. Together with Pietersen, he'd added 84 runs for the fourth wicket in a rapid 107 balls.Cook, who earlier in this match shared a second-wicket stand of 213 with Ravi Bopara (108), was uncertain early in his innings.But he kept his composure as England, 1-0 up in this two-match series after last week's 10-wicket win at Lord's, looked to regain the Wisden Trophy they'd lost earlier this year in the Caribbean.West Indies' cause was not helped by a large extras total of 57, the result of inaccurate pace bowling and indifferent wicket-keeping from Denesh Ramdin.

Fidel Edwards, who bowled nightwatchman James Anderson, was especially wayward, his 11 overs before lunch costing 55 runs for one wicket.England resumed on 302 for two with Cook 126 not out and Anderson unbeaten on four.Anderson reprieved twice off Edwards, on nine and 10, was dropped down the legside by Ramdin and caught off a no-ball by third slip Lendl Simmons.Edwards finally bowled Anderson for 14 to end a stand of 44 with Cook.His exit brought in Pietersen, dismissed by Edwards for a first ball nought at Lord's. Edwards greeted the star batsman with a bouncer as he extracted life from what had been a placid pitch.Pietersen though was soon into his stride, whipping Jerome Taylor behind square and clipping him through mid-wicket in trademark fashion for two fours in as many balls.Cook cover-drove Taylor to the fence to go past his previous Test-best score of 139 not out, made against the West Indies in Barbados in March.But it was Pietersen who drove Edwards down the ground with a flourish to bring up England's 400 before next ball clipping a decent delivery through mid-wicket for another boundary.

Kings XI Punjab vs delhi dare devils:Kings XI Punjab stay alive with tense victory

 delhidaredevils batting
 

 A brilliant all-round display from Irfan Pathan helped Kings XI Punjab beat Delhi Daredevils by six wickets in a low-scoring contest of the Indian Premier League here on Friday.


Pathan, who picked up 2-22 during the Delhi Daredevils innings, blasted three sixes in his 11-ball unbeaten 21 and along with Kumar Sangakkara (43 not out off 47 balls), guided Punjab through with five balls balls to spare.


This was a match Kings XI Punjab needed to win to keep their semi-final hopes alive but chasing 121 for victory they put themselves into all sorts of trouble and at one point it looked their bowlers good work would come to nought.The Punjab pace trio of Brett Lee (3-15), S Sreesanth (2-20) and Pathan vindicated skipper Yuvraj Singh's decision to field first by restricting the marauding Delhi Daredevils batsmen to 120 for nine.


With the wicket keeping low and slow the Delhi batsmen struggled and had it not been for the 50-run partnership between Dinesh Karthik and Mithun Manhas, they would have been in even more trouble.


Top-scorer Karthik (32 off 29 balls) and Manhas (26 off 25) fell trying to clear the ropes.


Lee, who gave away seven runs in his first over, bowled a superb spell, giving away just eight in his next three and picking up three wickets.


Sreesanth and Pathan too joined in with two wickets each that put the spanner in Delhi's innings. But 121 was not an easy target as Punjab found out much to their dismay.


Simon Katich (20), Sunny Sohal (3) and Luke Pomersbach (9) departed with just 35 on board.


Sohal's leg stump was sent cartwheeling by an Ashish Nehra (1-6) beauty while AB de Villiers picked up a great catch at slip to remove Pomersbach off Farveez Maharoof, who finished with 2-29.


Yuvraj (18 off 31) was lucky after he was put down at slip by Gautam Gambhir off Nehra when he was yet to open his account. He added 53 runs for the fourth wicket with Kumar Sangakkara but perished chasing a widish delivery.


And with the run rate mounting, it was left to Sangakkara - he hit six fours - and Pathan to finish off the job.

West Indies vs England 2nd Test Day 1 Highlights

Rain stopped England building on its first-day 302 for two against the West Indies on Friday and prevented the tourists bowlers from getting back into the game to try and save the series.

The covers were on the wicket before the scheduled start of play and stayed there as rain swept across the Riverside Ground, forcing the teams to take an early lunch.

The only hope of any play on day two was the forecast of a brighter spell of weather after the tea interval.

Opener Alastair Cook is unbeaten on 126 after sharing in a second wicket stand of 213 with Ravi Bopara on Thursday. Bopara made 108 to become the fifth England test batsman to score centuries in three innings in a row.

Warne braves injury to renew Sachin rivalry

He was almost ruled out of rest of the IPL owing to his hamstring injury but Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne made a surprise appearance against Mumbai Indians as he did not want to miss possibly his only chance to play Sachin Tendulkar in the Indian Premier League here.


The previous match between the two teams was washed out by rains so with Tendulkar again on the opposite side yesterday there "no way to stop" Warne, who had his leg strapped up, says Rajasthan Royals Director of Coaching Darren Berry.


"We, Jermy (Snape), the physio, and I gave Shane every warning against playing today. You would have needed a semi trial to stop Shane from playing against the Mumbai Indians. With Sachin Tendulkar in their team, there was no way to stop him," Barry said.His leg was strapped up but he said he was playing. And when he says he is playing, it doesn't matter what we are saying," he was quoted as saying by the official IPL website.


Acknowledging man-of-the-match Warne's role in the win, Barry also showered lavish praise on all his boys for their collective effort to pull off the win in the nerve-wrecking encounter.


"I think without a doubt all the players look up to him (Warne). He is one of the greats of all time. He enjoys an enormous amount of respect among our group. 


But, to be honest, it was actually a collective effort from all our players. He is a wonderful captain. Tactically, very good.

Johan Botha's 'doosra' delivery found to be illegal

South Africa spinner must undergo remedial work and further testing if he wants to continue bowling that delivery at international level; off-break and arm-ball deliveries found to have been bowled within the legal limit of extension 

The International Cricket Council today confirmed that an independent test has found the ‘doosra’ delivery of South Africa bowler Johan Botha to be illegal and the player has been warned against bowling that particular delivery in international cricket. 

A comprehensive analysis revealed that his action for the ‘doosra’ exceeded the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under regulations. 

But the same assessment found that Botha’s off-break and arm-ball deliveries were bowled within the tolerance level and so the 27-year-old can continue to bowl those types of deliveries at international level. 

The independent analysis was performed by Prof. Bruce Elliott, member of the ICC Panel of Human Movement Specialists, at the School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, University of Western Australia, Perth on Thursday 30 April. 

The analysis showed that the amount of elbow extension in Botha’s bowling action for both his off-break delivery and arm-ball was within the 15-degree level of tolerance. The mean elbow extension was 12.2 degrees for the off-break and 11.1 degrees for the arm-ball with no single delivery of those types proving to be illegal. 

The analysis showed that the amount of elbow extension in Botha’s ‘doosra’ delivery was 26.7 degrees with no single delivery proving to be legal. 

Botha had been reported following the completion of the fourth ODI between Australia and South Africa in Port Elizabeth on 13 April. The report was made by the two on-field umpires, Brian Jerling and Asoka de Silva, along with third umpire Rudi Koertzen. 

He can apply for re-assessment of his ‘doosra’ action after he has modified it in accordance with clause G of the regulations for the review of bowlers reported with suspected illegal bowling actions. 

Botha has the right to appeal against Prof. Elliott’s conclusions to the Bowling Review Group, in accordance with clause F of the regulations for the review of bowlers reported with suspected illegal bowling actions. Should he choose to appeal, he must lodge written notification with the ICC within 14 days of receiving the report. 

In Prof. Elliott’s report, Botha is advised to review his own bowling action on a regular basis to ensure his elbow flexion levels are minimized and kept within legal limits.

Chanderpaul loses his place at the top of batting rankings

Younus regains number-one position; Pietersen, Strauss and Sarwan also fall as Bopara improves; Swann, Edwards and Onions all make gains in bowling list 

West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul has lost his number-one position in the latest Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after his side’s 10-wicket defeat to England at Lord’s. 

The Guyanese left-hander, who won the player of the year for 2008 at the LG ICC Awards and has been arguably the West Indies’ best batsman since the retirement of Brian Lara, made just four runs in the match and, as a result, has fallen back to second position, level with Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka. 

Pakistan’s Younus Khan has therefore moved back on top of the rankings, a position he briefly held earlier this year thanks to the triple-century he scored in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lahore in late February. The 31-year-old is averaging 51.80 through his 60-match Test career so far and the 313 he scored in that match was the 17th-highest Test score in the history of the game. 

Chanderpaul has an immediate chance to make amends, however, with the second and final Test in the series getting underway on Thursday at Chester-le-Street, a ground he knows well having played for Durham in the English County Championship. 

Another batsman who has slipped in the rankings is England’s Kevin Pietersen, whose first-ball duck in the first innings at Lord’s has ensured he drops three places in the latest rankings and now sits in ninth position. 

Also in the top 20, Ramnaresh Sarwan of the West Indies and England captain Andrew Strauss each lose one place to 14th and 16th positions respectively, with Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman benefiting. 

Outside the top 20, Ravi Bopara was the big mover, gaining 45 places to 72nd position after scoring his second Test century for England while Graeme Swann also took a 44-place leap following his unbeaten 63 at Lord’s and he now occupies 122nd position in the rankings. 

Man of the match Swann has also made significant gains in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers as his match haul of 22-6-55-6 helped his side to victory and also nudged him up eight places on the ladder. 

The 30-year-old off-spinner now sits just outside the top 20 in 23rd position with team-mate Monty Panesar (22nd place) and India’s Ishant Sharma (21st) firmly in his sights as the second Test comes around later this week.

England debutant Graham Onions has broken into the rankings in 52nd position following a memorable start to his Test career. The 26-year-old pace bowler took seven wickets in the match and the Durham player can now look forward to making further gains up the rankings during the second Test, on his home ground. 

The bowling of Fidel Edwards was one of the few highlights of the match for the West Indies. His 6-92 in the first innings was the eighth time he had taken five or more wickets in an innings and that performance has earned him two places on the rankings table and moves him back into the top 20 at the expense of Panesar. 

Muttiah Muralidaran of Sri Lanka still leads the bowling chart followed by Dale Steyn of South Africa and Australia’s Mitchell Johnson. 

The news was not so good for Chris Gayle, who has fallen out of the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders. The big Jamaican has slipped from fifth to sixth position with Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka taking his place. The list is still headed by South Africa’s Jacques Kallis followed by Johnson in second and New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori third.

ICC Cricket Committee to consider results of technology trial at its annual meeting on Monday and Tuesday

Feasibility of day/night Test cricket, over-rates and bad light, as well as bats, switch-hitting and a brainstorming session on the ODI format also up for discussion 

Group to be chaired for the first time by ex-West Indies captain Clive Lloyd; committee includes Mark Taylor, Ranjan Madugalle and Simon Taufel 

Media conference with Lloyd and ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat set for conclusion of meeting on Tuesday afternoon; vision available through SNTV and photos available through Getty Images 

Consideration of the results of the recent trial of the umpires’ decision review system will form a key part of the agenda for the two-day meeting of the ICC Cricket Committee, which will meet at Lord’s in London on Monday and Tuesday (11 and 12 May). 

The trial, which saw players given the opportunity to ask for umpires’ decisions to be reviewed by the television umpire, took place in four Test series divning the past nine months, and the committee will consider whether or not to recommend a continuation of the system. 

The committee’s remit is to discuss and consult on any cricket-playing matters and to formulate recommendations to the Chief Executives’ Committee and the ICC Board for approval. The next meetings of those committees are set for Lord’s during the ICC’s annual conference week, from 22 to 26 June. 

Other items up for discussion by the ICC Cricket Committee include the feasibility of playing day/night Test cricket, how to improve over-rates in international cricket and the regulations governing bad light. 

The committee will also consider whether there should be a maximum weight of bats at international level and the effect of double-sided bats and switch-hits on the game. And it will brainstorm ideas to ensure ODI cricket remains relevant and popular in the face of a cricketing landscape that now features three formats of the game at international level 

The committee will be chaired for the first time by former West Indies captain and ICC Cricket World Cup winner Clive Lloyd, who takes over from ex-India captain Sunil Gavaskar. 

And the meeting will be attended by such highly respected figures within the world of cricket, including David Richardson, ICC General Manager – Cricket, former Australia captain Mark Taylor and Ian Bishop, the former West Indies fast bowler, the last two named now respected commentators on the game. 

It also features umpire of the year Simon Taufel, chief ICC match referee and former Sri Lanka captain Ranjan Madugalle, Kenya captain Steve Tikolo, South Africa coach Mickey Arthur and Tim May, the former Australia off-spinner and now the chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations. 

The committee is representative of all stakeholders in the modern game, including players, umpires and the media. 

Items to be discussed include the following: 

Use of technology – umpire decision review system trial 

The committee will discuss the results of the umpire decision review system, which was trialed in four separate Test series over the past nine months – Sri Lanka v India (August 2008), New Zealand v West Indies (December 2008), West Indies v England (February/March 2009) and South Africa v Australia (February/March 2009). 

The system afforded players the opportunity to request a review by the television umpire of a decision made by the on-field umpire they believed to be incorrect. The third official was able to view the available television pictures and relay information back to the umpire on the field who then had to decide whether or not to reverse his original decision. 

In the first two of the four series involved in the trial each side was allowed a maximum of three unsuccessful appeals per innings. This was reduced to two per side, per innings for the remaining series that formed part of the trial. 

The committee will consider the results of the trial, including the following factors: 


Was the number of overall incorrect umpiring decisions reduced?

Was there an undue negative influence on the pace of the game?

What was the effect on the players and did the process of placing the responsibility on the players for deciding whether a decision should be reviewed work?

Was the process (request for review, consultation and the conveying of the final decision) practical?

What was the effect on the umpires and was the authority of the on-field officials unduly compromised?

Were there any other positives or negatives to be considered?

The committee will consider whether it is appropriate to proceed with further use of the system, and if so, how and when that should take place. 




Playing conditions 

The committee will consider a series of areas relevant to international cricket. These include: 


The feasibility of day/night Test cricket

The improvement of over-rates in international cricket and, in particular, Test cricket

Regulations relating to bad light in international cricket.

The possibility of putting a limit on the number of fielders on the off-side in order to restrict negative bowling tactics



Bats 

The committee will consider whether limits on the weight and depths of bats should be introduced specifically for international cricket. It will also consider any issues raised by the introduction of the double-sided bat and the switch-hit. 

Review of the ODI format 

The committee will decide whether there is a need to recommend any revisions to the One-Day International (ODI) format. 

The principle behind the agenda item is the desire to ensure the format continues to retain its relevance and popularity in a cricketing landscape in which there are now three versions of the game – Tests, ODIs and T20Is – at international level. 

The ICC Cricket Committee is made up of the following people: 

Chairman – Clive Lloyd (former West Indies captain) 

Past players (two) – Ian Bishop (former West Indies fast bowler) and Mark Taylor (ex-Australia captain) 

Representatives of current players (two) – Kumar Sangakkara (to send written comments due to his playing commitments) and Tim May (ex-Australia off-spinner, ICC Cricket World Cup winner in 1987 and now chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations) 

Full Member team coach representative (one) – Mickey Arthur (South Africa) 

Member Board representative (one) – Duleep Mendis (former Sri Lanka captain and now SLC chief executive) 

Associate representative (one) – Steve Tikolo (Kenya) 

Media representative (one) – Ravi Shastri (former India captain and all-rounder and now a widely-respected commentator – first meeting as member of this committee) 

Umpires’ representative (one) – Simon Taufel (member of the Emirates Elite Panel and named umpire of the year five times in a row at the LG ICC Awards) 

Referees’ representative (one) – Ranjan Madugalle (ICC chief match referee and former Sri Lanka captain) 

Marylebone Cricket Club representative (one) – Keith Bradshaw (MCC Secretary and Chief Executive; former first-class cricketer for Tasmania in Australia. The MCC is the custodian of the Laws of Cricket) 

Statistician (one) – David Kendix (a statistician/scorer and the man responsible for the creation and development of the Reliance Mobile ICC Test and ODI Championships) 

ICC President David Morgan, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat and ICC General Manager – Cricket David Richardson will also be in attendance.

mumbai indians vs royal challengers bangalore:

Half-centuries from Sanath Jayasuriya and Dwayne Bravo powered Mumbai Indians to a competitive 149-4 against Bangalore Royal Challengers after electing to bat at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday.


Mumbai were in deep trouble in the early stages when debutant Bangalore pacer Dillon du Preez had Sachin Tendulkar and Ajinkya Rahane dismissed off consecutive deliveries in his debut IPL over. He added a third in his next by removing Jean-Paul Duminy for one.


But Jayasuriya struck a vital partnership with Bravi which yielded 60 runs for the fourth wicket. Jayasuriya's dismissal didn't deter Bravo and Abhishek Nayar to add a further 66 runs to propel the Mumbai Indians to a challenging total.Mumbai made two changes to their line-up, bringing back Dwayne Bravo and Shikhar Dhawan for Graham Napier and Saurabh Tiwary. 


Bangalore, on the other hand, ringed in the changes with Rahul Dravid returning. Wasim Jaffer replaced Sreevats Goswami at the top of the order, while Dillion du Preez was handed his IPL debut as Jesse Ryder made way.

australia vs pakistan 5th odi:Watson ton powers Aussies to 250

All-rounder Shane Watson struck a brilliant hundred to guide Australia to a commanding 250-4 in the fifth and final day-night international against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi Stadium on Sunday.


The 27-year-old right-hander made 116 and shared solid stands of 58 for the first wicket with Brad Haddin (36) and another 57 for the third with Michael Clarke (26) after Australia won the toss and batted.


Watson, who came to this series after missing action since a stress fracture of his back in November last year, struck six boundaries and two sixes off pacemen Umar Gul and Yasir Arafat during his second one-day hundred.He also added 84 for the unfinished fifth wicket stand with Calum Ferguson (41 not out) as Australia made 54 runs in the last ten overs. Watson's partnership with Haddin gave Australia a brisk start before paceman Shoaib Akhtar separated the two, claiming Haddin caught by Younus Khan off a miscued drive.


Haddin hit seven boundaries during his brisk 31-ball knock.Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, whose action was reported illegal after the second match but was played despite the decision, removed Marcus North (five), stumped by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.


Clarke, who hit a brilliant unbeaten 100 in Australia's eight-wicket win in the fourth match here on Friday, steadied the innings with Watson before Gul had him caught behind the wicket.


Andrew Symonds never looked like threatening, taking 24 deliveries for his 15 before he was bowled by Shoaib Malik in the 37th over.


It was left to Watson and Ferguson to give final touches to the innings, with Watson playing some delightful strokes during his 146-ball knock.


Australia enjoy an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.Australia brought in pacemen Ben Hilfenhaus and Ben Laughlin in place of Stuart Clark and Nathan Bracken, while Pakistan included Umar Gul in place of Sohail Tanvir.

kingsXIpunjab vs kolkata knight riders:Mahela seals Punjab win in last-ball thriller

kolkata knight riders batting

kingsXIpunjab batting

Mahela Jayawardene struck an unbeaten 52 to guide Kings XI Punjab to a nail-biting six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League here on Sunday.The Sri Lankan batsman hit seven fours in his 41-ball knock as Punjab surpassed Kolkata's competitive 153-3 in a last-ball finish at St. George's Park.Needing seven from the final over by Kolkata paceman Ajit Agarkar, Jayawardene hit a four while Irfan Pathan (19 not out) fetched the winning runs for Punjab.The victory helped Punjab climb to the second position in the points table while the struggling Kolkata continued to languish at the bottom with their sixth defeat from eight matches.The Yuvraj Singh-led Punjab have now won four of their seven matches in this Twenty20 competition.Punjab were off to a disappointing start with Ishant Sharma claiming Kumar Sangakkara for a duck in the first over but a slew of dropped catches and poor fielding did Kolkata no favours.Simon Katich (34) was dropped on five by Chris Gayle while debutant Sunny Sohal also thrived on a grassed chance to make a fine 26-ball 25.Kolkata's innings was built around Brad Hodge who top-scored with an unbeaten 70 off just 43 balls and shared key partnerships with Sourav Ganguly (22) and Morne van Wyk (18 not out).The Australian smashed 10 fours and a six in a late assault that saw Kolkata put on 101 runs in their last 10 overs.Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla was the most successful bowler with 2-27 from four overs.

chennai superkings vs delhi daredevils:Jakati the hero as Delhi lose the plot

chennai superkings batting
delhi daredevils batting

A splendid 4-24 from left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati led Chennai Super Kings to an 18-run win over Delhi Daredevils to keep them alive for a semi-final spot in the IPL on Saturday.The 28-year-old Jakati was the unlikely star of the night as he turned the match on its head in favour of the Chennai side with a fine display of slow bowling at the Wanderers.Chasing a target of 164, Delhi could score only 145 in 20 overs after stand-in skipper Gautam Gambhir inserted Chennai in after winning the toss on a batting pitch which was hosting the first match of the tournament.Jakati claimed Delhi's twin half centurions David Warner (51) and Dinesh Karthik (52), besides the in-form Tillakaratne Dilshan (13) to help the Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side to their third win in seven matches.With the win, Chennai are on joint third with seven points along with Mumbai Indians (six matches) and Rajasthan Royals (seven matches) behind Deccan Chargers and Daredevils, both on eight points.Till the 15th over, Delhi were on course at 120 for three mainly due to Warner and Karthik but they could add just 25 runs in the last five overs while losing three quick wickets.Delhi lost way once they lost Warner got out in the 16th over and Karthik fell in the 18th over.When Karthik was out at 132 for six, the match was all over and the Delhi lower order could not do much to the incisive bowling and good fielding from Chennai.For Delhi, Warner top-scored with a 40-ball 54, his IPL fifty on debut and he was ably supported by Karthik.Needing to score just over eight an over, Delhi started disastrously losing two wickets for 20 in the fourth over with both opener Gambhir and AB de Villiers falling to left-arm seamer Sudeep Tyagi.They were 71 for three by half-way and were well on course at 120 for three after the 15th over before losing their way in the last five overs.Suresh Raina took a blinder by diving full length to his right in the fourth over to pile on the agony of opener Gambhir (13) who continued his poor run of form in the tournament.Next ball, in-form and only centurion this season, AB de Villiers departed for a golden duck as Tyagi bowled him with a ball that jagged back in.All was not lost for Delhi with Warner and Dilshan going great guns. Warner showed why he is considered a dreaded Twenty20 batsman as he hit three fours in three balls off Albie Morkel in the fifth over.In-form Dilshan (13) hit a huge six off Tyagi in the first ball of the sixth over but that did not intimidate Jakati who dismissed the Sri Lankan with a peach of a delivery which turned from leg to knock back the middle stump.At 72 for three at the half-way mark, Delhi were on course at an asking rate of just over nine.Karthik and Warner raised the hundred in the 13th over and the former hit spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan for two fours in the 14th over even picking a doosra.But then, wickets fell in quick succession with Warner (16th), Manhas (17th), Karthik (18th) and Pradeep Sangwan (18th) making a procession to the hut.Ashish Nehra and Amit Mishra needed an impossible 29 runs from the last over and they could score only 10 to fall short by 18 runs.Earlier, left-arm pacers Ashish Nehra and Dirk Nannes took three wickets each as Delhi Daredevils bowled out Chennai Super Kings for 163.Nehra and Nannes returned with identical figures of 3-27 while medium pacer Rajat Bhatia chipped in with 2-17 in his first game this season.The Super Kings scored at a brisk pace initially and were well on course for a much bigger total as they were 134 for four after the 15th over. But, Dhoni's side could add only 29 runs from the last five overs while losing six wickets.Jacob Oram (3), Dhoni (6), Sudeep Tyagi (13), Laxmipathy Balaji (2) and Muttiah Muralitharan (3) did little for the team's cause.Nannes took two wickets - that of Oram and Dhoni - off successive balls in the 18th over to strike body blow to the Chennai's hopes of a competitive total.The Chennai side began on a strong note but lost two quick wickets - of openers Matthew Hayden (30) and Murali Vijay (14) - to be reduced to 53 for in the sixth over.Vijay could not contribute much in his IPL debut and was out in fifth over off Nehra.Hayden followed his partner to the hut in the next over after living dangerously while also hitting some lusty blows. He could not beat de Villiers at long on in the sixth over after scoring a 19-ball 30 which included four fours and one six.Chennai shifted gears after being 77 for three at the half-way mark and added 57 runs in the next five overs though also losing the wicket of Suresh Raina for 32.S Badrinath hit two sixes and two fours from the 11th and 12th overs before Bhatia broke the dangerous looking third wicket stand of 66 from 41 balls by removing Raina caught by Dilshan at the mid-wicket boundary.Raina faced 21 balls from which he hit two fours and an equal number of sixes.Badrinath, who was looking good for his fifty, gifted his wicket by playing across the line only to see his timbers knocked down by a Bhatia yorker for a 34-ball 45 which had four fours and two sixes.

rajasthan royals vs deccan chargers:DC's slopy work cause them to lose to RR

deccan chargers batting
rajasthan royals batting

Rajasthan Royals made a remarkable recovery from a top order slump to beat Deccan Chargers by three wickets in a thrilling Indian Premier League match here on Saturday.The Royals registered their third victory in the event from seven matches to put their title defence campaign on track, while the Deccan Chargers slumped to their second consecutive defeat to slide from the top of the points table.Chasing a modest 142-run target, the Royals rode on useful contributions from their lower middle order, especially young Abhishek Raut (36 off 23) to scamper home in 19.4 overs after they were tottering at 3/3 at one stage of the match.Earlier opting to bat, Adam Gilchrist (39) started the Chargers' innings on a blistering note, picking up 27 runs of the first three overs and then Rohit Sharma (38) and T Suman (41) stitched a crucial 59-run stand for the fourth wicket to guide Deccan Chargers to 141 for five.The Royals started their innings on a disastrous note as they lost three quick wickets by the end of the second over.

Graeme Smith's misery with the bat continued as he fell without troubling the scorers in the second ball off Fidel Edwards' opening over, caught at third man by Shoaib Ahmed.Swanpil Asnodkar did not do any justice either as he was run out by Gibbs in the very next ball and then Naman Ojha added more worries for the Royals when he gave a straight forward catch to Gibbs at point off RP Singh in the second over to see the defending champions slump to a precarious 3/3. But then came in Lee Carseldine, and in young Ravindra Jadeja's (12) company, the Queenslander added 51 runs in 7.1 overs for the fourth wicket to set the tone for the run chase.

The Queenslander showed why offence is always regarded as the best defence as he brought back the Royals' chase on track, hitting six fours enroute his 31-ball 39.But much to the dislike of Royals' supporters, the bowling change in the 10th over did the trick for Chargers as Venugopal Rao (2/23) broke the partnership, scalping both Jadeja and Carseldine's wickets in a span of four balls to see the defending champions struggle at 60/5 at the halfway mark.However, skipper Shane Warne (21) had other plans. Needing 74 off 54, he hoiked Rao over long on for a six and then added another after the bowler dropped an easy caught and ball chance in his previous delivery. Raut finished off the over with a cheeky four to take 17 runs of the eventful 12th over.

Pragyan Ojha (1/27) stopped Warne's cameo with Gilchrist easily pouncing on to a skier.Dangerous Yusuf Pathan (24 off 14) made his intentions clear from the word go. He struck two back-to-back sixes of Shaoib Mohammad in the 15th over to bring the Royals back in the hunt.With 11 runs needing off 13 balls, the game witnessed another anti-climax when Pathan got out, trying another big hit, caught by Gibbs off RP Singh (2/18). But Raut and Shane Harwood (3) ensured no further worries for the Royals bringing them home with two balls to spare.Earlier, Gilchrist struck Munaf for a boundary and a six over fine leg in the second over and then followed it up with two more fours of Yusuf Pathan's next over to signal his intentions.

Herschelle Gibbs (8) was the first to depart when in-form Pathan (1/19) caught him plumb in front of the wicket. However, the South African seemed unhappy with the decision.Debutant Shane Harwood (2/25) ensured double blow for the Chargers, picking up Azhar Bilakhia with his very first ball of the tournament, caught by Siddharth Trivedi to send the Hyderabad outfit in a spot of bother at 35/2.From there on, Gilchrist and new man in Rohit found boundaries hard to come by, but kept the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos.The former Australian wicket-keeper, however, cut lose in Shane Warne opening over, dispatching the leggie over long on.But Ravindra Jadeja (1/22) cut Gilchrist's innings short just two balls before the strategy break with Pathan taking a smart catch at short mid-wicket. But a 42-ball 59-run stand between Rohit and Suman finally saved the day for Chargers and ensured a decent total for the table toppers.Suman hit Warne for a four and six in consecutive balls in the 13th over to set the tone for the Chargers.Rohit too joined the party, dispatching Munaf over the mid-wicket fence in first ball of the 15th over and then followed it up with a boundary a delivery later.However, Rohit's over aggression finally did him with Warne latching on to an easy catch off Siddharth Trivedi just after the right-hander hit a six off the bowler in his previous delivery.

australia vs pakistan 4th odi:Bollinger, Clarke seal series for Australia

pakistan batting

australia batting

A maiden five-wicket haul by Doug Bollinger and a century from captain Michael Clarke powered Australia to an eight-wicket win over Pakistan on Friday and an unassailable 3-1 lead in the one-day series.Paceman Bollinger, in his second ODI, took five for 35 as Pakistan were bowled out for 197 in 48.4 overs after electing to bat first in the fourth game.Skipper Clarke (100 not out) then hammered his fourth ODI century, sharing an undefeated stand of 197 for the third wicket with opener Shane Watson (85 not out), as Australia cruised home with 34 balls to spare.Clarke, standing in for Ricky Ponting as captain, hit 14 fours.Watson fought his way through a fiery four-over spell from fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who removed Brad Haddin for a duck with the second ball of the innings and trapped debutant Marcus North lbw for one to leave Australia struggling on three for two.Earlier, Bollinger started well on a slow pitch by having opener Salman Butt caught behind for two off his third delivery.His second spell later in the innings yielded four more victims as Pakistan collapsed to lose their last seven wickets for 81 runs.Bollinger dismissed Shahid Afridi (40) and Shoaib Malik (27) when they were well set.Opener Ahmed Shehzad top-scored with 43 and Misbah-ul-Haq chipped in with 34. The final match in Abu Dhabi is on Sunday.

kingXIpunjab vs royal challengers bangalore:Yuvraj heroics in vain as Bangalore clinch thriller

royal challengers bangalore batting

kingsXIpunjab batting

Yuvraj Singh's brilliant all-round display and the first hat-trick of the Indian Premier League (IPL) II was of no avail as Bangalore Royal Challengers pulled of a thrilling eight-run victory over Kings XI Punjab at the Kingsmead here on Friday.Chasing a target of 146 runs, Kings XI were restricted to 137 for seven despite an all-round performance of their skipper Yuvraj Singh, who scored an breezy 50 after claiming a hat-trick.New captain Anil Kumble brought some luck for the Royal Challengers, for whom this was their second successive and third win overall in seven matches.Kings XI needed 17 runs off the last 12 balls but Kumble bowled a brilliant 19th over, giving away just four runs for a wicket to tighten the noose around the Punjab team. Praveen Kumar then bowled a clever four-run last over to script an excellent win for the Royal Challengers.After winning the toss, Kumble decided to bat but his decision backfired as the top three batsmen were back in the dugout with just 38 runs on the board. Shreevats Goswami (2), who had scored a match-winning 43 against Knight Riders, failed to fire while Jesse Ryder (10) continued with his woeful form.Irfan Pathan was a miser (2-19) while Yusuf Abdulla (4-36) got to swing the ball both ways to trouble the Punjab batsmen. But the real star for Kings XI was Yuvraj, who picked up Jacques Kallis (27), Robin Uthappa (19) and Mark Boucher (2) off successive deliveries to put Royal Challengers in a spot of bother.

It took a cameo from Roelof Van der Merwe to bail out Royal Challengers and put a competitive total on the board. The South African all-rounder hit a 19-ball 35 that was studded with three fours and as many sixes.While chasing, Kings XI were on course with Yuvraj and Karan Goel (20) setting up a 70-run first wicket stand. Yuvraj promoted himself up the order in place of Ravi Bopara, who has left for home, and struggled initially against a clever Praveen Kumar but was merciless on Ryder and Van der Merwe.Yuvraj hit four sixes and three fours in his 34 ball innings before being dismissed by Kumble.Kings XI, like other teams in the IPL, fell victim to the strategic time-out break and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. In the last 10 overs, Kings XI lost five wickets. Kumar Sangakkara (17) and Mahela Jayawardene (19) tried to get some runs but their efforts were not enough.

mumbai indians vs kolkata knightriders:duminy's 52 helped MI to a victory over KKR

mumbai indians batting
kolkata knightriders batting

 Elated after his team's second successive win against Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar singled out JP Duminy for praise and said the South African's presence till the end made all the difference.Duminy remained unbeaten on 52 to help the Mumbai outfit, 96 for five after 16 overs, post a competitive total of 148 for six and the total proved just enough to defend.Tendulkar had no hesitation in admitting that Duminy's sterling knock tilted the game in Mumbai's favour."I think Duminy set the match for us," Tendulkar said. "Not to forget about our bowlers, including Zaheer (Khan) but I think Duminy staying till the end made the difference for us," he said.Abhishek Nayar bowled the last over for Mumbai as both Zaheer and Lasith Malinga had exhausted their quota.Tendulkar said it was a calculated risk which paid off in the end."I wanted my strike bowlers to bowl first and get the breakthrough because for a new batsman, it was not easy to come and score runs. So if my main bowlers remove their set batsmen, we can put pressure on them and this is exactly what happened," Tendulkar explained.

Tendulkar's opposite number Brendon McCullum was dejected to concede yet another defeat."It was a close match and I'm little disappointed. We fought well and forced through ahead. Hodge and van Wyk played really well and their partnership was crucial for us," he said."When two guys get going, things are quite easy for you. Brad played incredibly well before he was run out and we could not take our chances," rued the Kiwi player.Out of form so far in the tournament, McCullum came down at number six but could manage just five runs before perishing at a crucial stage."I was trying to bring out my game. When someone like Malinga bowls as well as he did today, it was really difficult to score boundaries off him because of his accuracy," McCullum said.Duminy, who was adjudged Man of the Match for his stellar show, said the pitch was not easy to bat on but he was determined to hang on till the end."It was not the easiest pitch to bat on and I knew spinners would have some role to play here. But the idea was to stay till the end," said the left-hander.