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Sunday, September 30, 2012

Cricket News and Cricket Highlights - Crichotline

Cricket News and Cricket Highlights - Crichotline


Virat Kohli slams fifty as India crush Pakistan by 8 wickets: T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 30 Sep 2012 12:10 PM PDT


Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh set it up with a superb display of spin bowling before Virat Kohli took centrestage with an unbeaten 78 as an inspired India thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan by eight wickets to keep their title hopes alive in the ICC World Twenty20 on Sunday.

Ashwin (2/16) and Yuvraj (2/16) snapped up four wickets between themselves as Pakistan were shot out for a meagre 128 in 19.4 overs. Lakshmipathy Balaji also complemented the ?spin twins? with impressive figures of 3/22 in 3.4 overs.

Kohli, who has been Pakistan’s nemesis in the past, hit a scintillating unbeaten 78 off 61 balls as India won with three overs to spare. The Delhi lad hit nine boundaries and two sixes to take the team home in the high-voltage contest watched by a capacity crowd.

However, Pakistan are still ahead in terms of net run rate of -0.426 which is shade better than India’s -0.452. Had India won with 20 balls to spare, they would have been No 2 in the group.

India will now have to defeat South Africa in their last group-2 match on Tuesday to make it to the semi-finals.

India’s unbeaten record against Pakistan in ICC World Cups has thus been kept intact having beaten them five times in the 50-over version and thrice in the T20 format.

Kohli started with a thickish outside edge off Raza Hasan for a boundary but then played some lovely strokes. A backfoot cover drive off Saeed Ajmal and lovely cover drive off Yaser Arafat were glorious strokes.

He also lofted Shahid Afridi over long-off for a six.

Whether driving on the up or playing off his hips, Kohli was a treat to watch.

Virender Sehwag. on the other hand, was happy to play the second fiddle during the 74-run partnership for the second wicket but did play a lovely lofted shot off Umar Gul?s bowling. More PTI KHS MRM

Pakistan captain Mohammed Hafeez?s decision to bat first on a slow Premadasa track failed to produce the desired result as Ashwin and Yuvraj frustrated the opposition batsmen by maintaining superb line and length.

Ashwin, who operated from round the wicket, had superb figures of two for 16 from four overs while Yuvraj also had identical figures but from three overs.

The duo snapped four Pakistan wickets for only 32 runs in seven overs and it was the reason why Hafeez and Co could not reach a respectable total. Lakshmipathy Balaji also complemented the ?spin twins? with impressive figures of 3/22 in 3.4 overs.

The only notable partnership was of 47 runs between Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal. Malik was the top scorer with 28 before he gave an easy catch to Rohit Sharma. Last match?s hero Umar Akmal played a pull shot off an Ashwin delivery but couldn?t clear Suresh Raina in the deep.

India versus Pakistan matches are never short of drama and this match was also not an exception. Zaheer Khan?s first over saw him bowl three wide deliveries and then being square driven by Imran Nazir for a boundary before Virender Sehwag dropped the opener at first slip.

Irfan Pathan started off the collapse by removing Nazir who had shuffled a long way but the umpire thought that left-arm seamer?s incoming delivery would have hit the stumps.

Nazir stood his ground for a while before leaving.

To everyone’s disbelief, Shahid Afridi walked in at No 3 and smashed the first delivery from Pathan over his head and then another boundary off the bowler through the cover region.

However, with the former Pakistan captain, opposition teams always fancy a chance and Balaji bowled a short one which Afridi tried to pull it over mid-wicket boundary but was caught by Suresh Raina at the boundary ropes. Afridi made only 14.

Yuvraj then got into the act as he removed left-hander Nasir Jamshed and wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal in quick succession to reduce Pakistan to 49 for four. Both hurried onto their shots.

Jamshed tried to play a slog-sweep which was smartly taken by Dhoni while Kamran tried an expansive cover drive of an arm ball only to give the Indian captain his second catch.

Pakistan captain Hafeez scratched around for 28 balls for his 15 before he dragged one onto his stumps off part-timer Virat Kohli?s bowling.

Umar and Malik then got together to conjure a partnership but Ashwin dismissed both of them in quick succession to end Pakistan?s chances of a big score. (PTI)

India vs Pakistan Highlights Super 8 T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 30 Sep 2012 11:06 AM PDT


India vs Pakistan Highlights T20 World Cup 2012. Pakistan vs India Highlights Super 8 T20 Cricket World Cup 2012. Watch Ind vs Pak Highlights T20 World Cup played in Colombo on 30 sept. India vs Pakistan Super 8 Cricket Highlights. T 20 Cricket World Cup 2012.

Pakistan have won their first game in super eights so they will be a bit relaxed than India who are in a must win situation. Pakistan pulled off a thriller against South Africa where they had almost lost but Umar Gul and Umar Akmal helped them win the game. Pakistan team looks to be balanced with both bowlers and batsman performing well. For India choosing five bowlers have backfired and now MS Dhoni is likely to go with 7 batsman again. this could also mean Virender Sehwag will be back in squad to strengthen the top order.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

India vs Pakistan Post Match Presentation Super 8 T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 30 Sep 2012 11:04 AM PDT


Kohli: ‘The key is to stay calm. In the previous match, I was thinking too much. Today, I was more relaxed. I went out and played my natural game and it worked. I have worked hard on my game. As long as I play 10-15 overs, it helps the team. The pitch is much slower in the day and it does something under the lights. Batting is much better in the second part of the game. Playing Pakistan is a high-pressure game and I hope to continue my form.’

Virat Kohli is the MoM for his unbeaten knock of 78.

Dhoni: ‘The team responded well. The players looked relax. After a loose couple of overs, Irfan and Zaheer bowled well. The part-timers also contributed. Balaji was great. Kohli has been consistent in all formats and it is good that he is taking the responsibility. He looks to score runs every time and Sehwag batted well after the loss of Gambhir. Sehwag can accumulate runs quickly against the spinners once he settles in. We were not thinking ahead and we had a nice warm-up session. The support was good for both the sides. In the first over, Sehwag told me that it is nice to play in front of a big crowd. At the end of the day, it feels nice to play in front of a full crowd.’

Hafeez: ‘We could not set a good total. We lost wickets at regular intervals. The batsmen could not settle in and we could not build partnerships. India played well and Virat Kohli batted very well. It was a difficult track to bat on and his innings put India on track. We wanted to win the game and we wanted to put pressure but it did not materialize. We have to improve our fielding. It is a must-win game for us against Australia and we will come back positively.’

India vs Pakistan Scorecard Super 8 T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 30 Sep 2012 10:14 AM PDT


ICC World Twenty20 2012

India vs Pakistan – 20th Match, Group 2

Played at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, 30 Sept 2012

Toss -Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.

Result – India beat Pakistan by 8 wickets

Pakistan Inn

Pakistan Innings R B 4s 6s SR
Mohammad Hafeez (c) b V Kohli 15 28 1 0 53.57
Imran Nazir lbw b I Pathan 8 5 2 0 160.00
Shahid Afridi c S Raina b L Balaji 14 12 2 0 116.66
Nasir Jamshed c M Dhoni b Y Singh 4 5 0 0 80.00
Kamran Akmal (wk) c M Dhoni b Y Singh 5 6 0 0 83.33
Shoaib Malik c R Sharma b R Ashwin 28 22 3 0 127.27
Umar Akmal c S Raina b R Ashwin 21 18 0 1 116.66
Yasir Arafat run out (Y Singh) 8 11 1 0 72.73
Umar Gul c M Dhoni b L Balaji 12 10 1 1 120.00
Saeed Ajmal c M Dhoni b L Balaji 1 2 0 0 50.00
Raza Hasan Not Out 0 0 0 0 0.00
Extras (b 0,lb 1,w 10, nb 1) 12
Total (All Out; 19.4 overs) 128 (6.51 runs per over)

Fall of wickets (Pakistan):

1-17 (Imran Nazir, 1.2 ov), 2-35 (Shahid Afridi, 4.4 ov), 3-43 (Nasir Jamshed, 6.4 ov), 4-49 (Kamran Akmal, 8.2 ov), 5-59 (Mohammad Hafeez, 9.5 ov), 6-106 (Shoaib Malik, 15.2 ov), 7-115 (Umar Akmal, 17.3 ov), 8-115 (Yasir Arafat, 18.1 ov), 9-128 (Umar Gul, 19.3 ov), 10-128 (Saeed Ajmal, 19.4 ov)

Bowling O M R W Econ
Zaheer Khan 3 0 22 0 7.33 (w 8)
Irfan Pathan 3 0 30 1 10.00 (w 1)
Lakshmipathy Balaji 3.4 0 22 3 6.00  
Ravichandran Ashwin 4 0 16 2 4.00 (w 1)
Yuvraj Singh 3 0 16 2 5.33  
Virat Kohli 3 0 21 1 7.00 (nb 1)


India Inn

India Innings R B 4s 6s SR
Gautam Gambhir c & b R Hasan 0 2 0 0 0.00
Virender Sehwag c U Gul b S Afridi 29 24 4 0 120.83
Virat Kohli Not Out 78 61 8 2 127.87
Yuvraj Singh Not Out 19 16 2 0 118.75
Rohit Sharma            
Suresh Raina            
MS Dhoni (c & wk)            
Irfan Pathan            
Ravichandran Ashwin            
Lakshmipathy Balaji            
Zaheer Khan            
Extras (b 0, lb 0,w 2, nb 1) 3
Total (2 wickets; 17 overs) 129 (7.59 runs per over)

Fall of Wickets (India):

1-1 (Gambhir, 0.2 ov), 2-75 (Sehwag, 10.3 ov)

Bowling O M R W Econ
Raza Hasan 4 0 22 1 5.50 (w 1)
Umar Gul 3 0 30 0 10.00 (nb 1 w 1)
Saeed Ajmal 4 0 25 0 6.25  
Shahid Afridi 4 0 34 1 8.50  
Yasir Arafat 1 0 11 0 11.00  
Mohammad Hafeez 1 0 7 0 7.00  



Teams
Pakistan (Playing XI): Mohammad Hafeez(c), Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Kamran Akmal(w), Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan

India (Playing XI): Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Irfan Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Lakshmipathy Balaji

Pakistan elects to bats against India, Sehwag returns, Bhajji dropped – T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:36 AM PDT


Toss: Pakistan have won the toss and elected to bat

Hafeez: ‘We will bat. We have variety in the team and we want to put up a good score. The guys are playing positive cricket. We are looking forward to this game. There are no changes in the team’.

Dhoni: ‘This pitch may turn a bit. We were going to bowl first. Bhajji and Chawla are out and Balaji and Sehwag return. Pakistan play spin well and we have got part-timers who can exploit the conditions. We want to do well in front of a big crowd.’

Teams
Pakistan (Playing XI): Mohammad Hafeez(c), Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Kamran Akmal(w), Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan

India (Playing XI): Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Irfan Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Lakshmipathy Balaji

Australia vs South Africa Post Match Presentation T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:21 AM PDT


Shane Watson: ‘ It’s nice to be able to continue doing well. I know what my role with the bat and ball is. There is still a long way to go. I knew facing Steyn and Morkel would be a big challenge. I wanted to get through the initial overs and take on the other bowlers. It worked out well, unfortunately Warner got out. Hussey and me stabilized the innings. Top 4 batsmen will win you the games. Top order is the most important.’

Shane Watson is the Man of the Match. His fourth consecutive award

Bailey: ‘ Tough call to bring Doherty in. Good start did the trick. We wanted to restrict them to a total which we could chase. Full credit to South Africa, they put on a good total. Great start for Doherty, he was brought in to do jus that i.e. take wickets.’

de Villiers : ‘ We have got a good side, it’s frustrating when we don’t click. Saddest thing is letting the people at home down. Australia are not the worst bowling attack in the world. We could not get off to a quick start. We got close to dismissing Watson, but couldn’t. It’s not all gloom and doom, we will try to win against India by a big margin’

Australia vs South Africa Highlights Super 8 T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 30 Sep 2012 06:40 AM PDT


Australia vs South Africa Highlights T20 World Cup 2012. South Africa vs Australia Highlights Super 8 T20 Cricket World Cup 2012. Watch SA vs Aus Highlights T20 World Cup played in Colombo on 30 sept. South Africa vs Australia Super 8 Cricket Highlights. T 20 Cricket World Cup 2012.

Australia will play against South Africa in the second game of the super eights. South Africa have to win this if they want to stay alive in the tournament. Australia have been in splendid form winning all their matches till now and will now be aiming to book the slot in semi-finals. FOr SOuth Africa the biggest challenge will be to deal with opener David Warner and Shane Watson and the in-form Michael Hussey. The game is getting tougher and one loss will effect a lot.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Australia vs South Africa Scorecard Super 8 T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 30 Sep 2012 05:46 AM PDT


ICC World Twenty20 2012

Australia vs South Africa – 19th Match, Group 2

Played at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, 30 September 2012

Toss - Australia won the toss and elected to field.

Result – Australia beat South Africa by 8 wickets

South Africa Inn

South Africa Innings R B 4s 6s SR
Richard Levi b X Doherty 0 3 0 0 0.00
Hashim Amla c M Wade b Shane Watson 17 15 1 1 113.33
Jacques Kallis c M Wade b X Doherty 6 7 1 0 85.71
Jean-Paul Duminy st M Wade b X Doherty 30 25 4 0 120.00
AB de Villiers (c & wk) c G Bailey b Shane Watson 21 24 0 0 87.50
Farhaan Behardien Not Out 31 27 2 1 114.81
Robin Peterson Not Out 32 19 6 0 168.42
Wayne Parnell            
Johan Botha            
Dale Steyn            
Morne Morkel            
Extras (b 1,lb 0,w 8, nb 0) 9
Total (5 wickets; 20 overs) 146 (7.30 runs per over)

Fall of wickets (South Africa):

1-0 (Levi, 0.3 ov), 2-8 (Kallis, 2.1 ov), 3-33 (Amla, 5.5 ov), 4-64 (Duminy, 10.1 ov), 5-86 (de Villiers, 14.1 ov)

 Bowling O M R W Econ
Xavier Doherty 4 0 20 3 5.00 (w 2)
Mitchell Starc 4 0 30 0 7.50 (w 1)
Pat Cummins 4 0 33 0 8.25 (w 2)
Shane Watson 4 0 29 2 7.25 (w 1)
Brad Hogg 3 0 26 0 8.70 (w 2)
Glenn Maxwell 1 0 7 0 7.00  


Australia Inn

Australia Innings R B 4s 6s SR
David Warner b M Morkel 5 9 0 0 55.56
Shane Watson c W Parnell b R Peterson 70 47 8 2 148.92
Michael Hussey Not Out 45 37 2 2 121.62
Cameron White Not Out 21 13 3 1 161.54
George Bailey (c)            
Glenn Maxwell            
Matthew Wade (wk)            
Pat Cummins            
Mitchell Starc            
Brad Hogg            
Xavier Doherty            
Extras (b 1,lb 0,w 5, nb 0) 6
Total (2 wickets; 17.4 overs) 147 (8.32 runs per over)

Fall of Wickets (Australia):

1-10 (Warner, 3.1 ov), 2-109 (Watson, 13.5 ov)

 Bowling O M R W Econ
Dale Steyn 3 0 15 0 5.00 (w 1)
Morne Morkel 3 0 23 1 7.70 (w 1)
Jacques Kallis 1 0 8 0 8.00 (w 1)
Johan Botha 3.4 0 31 0 8.50 (w 2)
Robin Peterson 4 0 41 1 10.25  
Wayne Parnell 2 0 24 0 12.00  
Jean-Paul Duminy 1 0 4 0 4.00  



Teams:
Australia (Playing XI): Shane Watson, David Warner, Michael Hussey, George Bailey(c), Cameron White, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade(w), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Brad Hogg, Xavier Doherty

South Africa (Playing XI): Richard Levi, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers(w/c), Jean-Paul Duminy, Farhaan Behardien, Wayne Parnell, Johan Botha, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel

T20 World Cup 2012: Australia opts to bowl against South Africa

Posted: 30 Sep 2012 03:37 AM PDT


Toss: Australia have won the toss and elected to field

Bailey: ‘We will bowl first. It was a fantastic partnership between Watson and Warner. Xavier Doherty gets a game today.’

de Villiers: ‘We were not in control for most of the game. I would have batted first and put a good score on the total. Wayne Parnell replaces Albie Morkel.’

Cummins: ‘We have a couple of good spinners in Maxwell and Hogg. I have enjoyed playing here. If you hit the deck hard, some deliveries go through well. I suppose it is a good thing that the middle order has not yet been tested. South Africa will be coming hard at us today.’

Pitch Report: The pitch has very little grass. It is dry and barren. As compared to the other day (28th September), this pitch is a little harder.

India vs Pakistan Live Streaming T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 05:30 PM PDT


India vs Pakistan Live Streams T20 World Cup 2012. Pakistan vs India Super Eight Live Streams T20 Cricket World Cup 30 sept 2012. Watch India vs Pakistan Twenty20 Super 8 Live Streams online 30 sept. Ind vs Pak Super 8 Cricket Live Streams. T 20 Cricket World Cup 2012.

India team in a do-or-die match against the old rivals Pakistan. If India loose here they will be going back home. MS Dhoni strategy of five bowlers have backfired and India is in deep trouble. Virender Sehwag was dropped for the last two matches and he clearly needs to be in the team. He is an explosive batsman and if he start hitting then it will be difficult for opponent to get back. For Pakistan its like everything falling in place. After beating South Africa in last match from a position where they almost lost definitely boost the team confidence.

India vs Pakistan Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup will be broadcasted on Star Cricket, Sky Sports HD and below are the links to watch the game live online.

All Live Streams links will be posted here! So BOOKMARK this Page!!

1. TheCricTVhttp://thecrictv.com

2. TheCricket-TVhttp://thecricket-tv.info

3. TheCricket-TVhttp://thecrickett-tv.blogspot.com/

Australia vs South Africa Live Streaming T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 04:34 PM PDT


Australia vs South Africa Live Streams T20 World Cup 2012. South Africa vs Australia Super Eight Live Streams T20 Cricket World Cup 30 sept 2012. Watch Australia vs South Africa Twenty20 Super 8 Live Streams online 30 sept. Aus vs SA Super 8 Cricket Live Streams. T 20 Cricket World Cup 2012.

Australia with a win in the last game against India will be looking to seal there Semi-Final spot. South Africa lost their opening game to Pakistan have to win this one to stay alive in the competition. South Africa was in complete hold in the last game when Umar Gul took the game away from them. South Africa need to work hard to overcome the short comings so as to beat Australia. The biggest challenge for South Africa will be the openers David Warner and Shane Watson who have been in splendid form. South Africa need to have a game plan to tackle them else this could lead to South Africa being knocked out of tournament.

Australia vs South Africa Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup will be broadcasted on Star Cricket, Sky Sports HD and below are the links to watch the game live online.

All Live Streams links will be posted here! So BOOKMARK this Page!!

1. TheCricTVhttp://thecrictv.com

2. TheCricket-TVhttp://thecricket-tv.info

3. TheCricket-TVhttp://thecrickett-tv.blogspot.com/

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Cricket News and Cricket Highlights - Crichotline

Cricket News and Cricket Highlights - Crichotline


Sri Lanka crush West Indies by 9 wickets in Super 8 : T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 12:53 PM PDT


Mahela Jayawardene on Saturday struck a record-equalling sixth half century in ICC World Twenty20 as Sri Lanka brightened their semifinal prospects with a crushing nine-wicket win over West Indies in their Super Eights match.

Chasing a modest target of 130, Jayawardene struck 65 off 49 balls to guide the the hosts to victory with 28 deliveries to spare, after the bowlers set it up with a disciplined effort.

This was Sri Lanka’s biggest win in terms of balls left.

Aiding skipper Jayawardene in the chase was Kumar Sangakkara (39 off 34), and the two were involved in an unbeaten 108-run partnership for the second wicket, the highest for this wicket in the tournament.

In the process, Jayawardene equalled Chris Gayle’s record of six fifties.

It was always going to be a difficult task for the West Indians after they failed to make use of the first strike.

And though Ravi Rampaul had Tillakaratne Dilshan caught behind with a delivery that kicked up on landing, Sri Lanka were always on the driver’s seat as long as two of world cricket’s most experienced players — skipper Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara — were in the middle.

The small target gave both the Lankan veterans a perfect opportunity to play their naturally game, and they did not lag behind when it came to milking the bowlers.

Anything pitched on the pads were promptly flicked over the midwicket and the squareleg fence, the wayward ones outside off were slashed over point while the short balls were pulled behind square.

And there was also a premeditated reverse sweep four by Jayawardene off Sunil Narine.

The two experienced campaigners took centrestage after Dilshan got the hosts off to a rollicking start, smacking three consecutive fours off Fidel Edwards.

The right-handed opener’s onslaught not only disturbed Edwrads’s rhythm, it also pushed the West Windies back straightaway.

Wile Jayawardene struck 10 fours and a six, Sangakkara had five hits to the fence.

Earlier, Sri Lanka’s bowlers produced a disciplined performance, which laid the West Indies low.

Mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis led the way with measly figures of two for 12, in the process reaching the 100-wicket mark in T20 cricket.

There was a wicket apiece for Nuwan Kulasekara, Jeevan Mendis and Angelo Mathews.

Marlon Samuels was the West Indies’ top scorer with a 35-ball 50, while Dwayne Bravo contributed 40 off 34 deliveries.

The West Indies’ decision to bat first backfired as the Sri Lankans kept them on leash throughout the 20 overs at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

The hosts had their first breakthrough when Ajantha had Charles Johnson stumped by Kumar Sangakkara with the final delivery of the fifth over.

But the bigger for the Windies was losing dangerman Chris Gayle, who, after a frustrating stay at the crease, slashed at a wide delivery by Kulasekara only to offer a diving catch to Sangakkara.

Bravo and Samuels tried to revive West Indies’ innings with a 65-run third-wicket stand — the highest for this wicket between the two teams.

But as the duo sought to settle down, the visitors lost two more wickets in the form of Bravo and Kieron Pollard.

While Bravo was done in by legspinner Jeevan Mendis, Ajantha sent back Pollard with a quicker one to reach his 100th wicket in this form of the game, including domestic competitions.

At this stage, West Indies badly needed big hitters to prop them up, and they found their men in Samuels and Andre Russell (19 off 14 balls), who produced a few effective blows towards the end. (PTI)

Sri Lanka vs West Indies Post Match Presentation Super 8 T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 11:10 AM PDT


Mahela: ‘The boys stuck to their guns and asked a lot of questions off the WI batsmen. To top it off we finished well with the bat. If Chris(Gayle) was batting we would have had different tactics. I thought that if I bowl one guy too much they could line him up so I kept changing it. We still have a game to play. After 12 overs me and Kumar decided to try and finish it off quickly to finish with a good run rate.’

Mahela Jayawardene is the Man of the Match.

Sammy: ‘We are disappointed. We had momentum coming into the game. Playing the SL bowlers in their own backyard is very tough. We have a must win situation. Today they bowled well, we didn’t. We bowled a little too short and wide. We still have one more chance. The way the Sri Lankans used the conditions was good. They varied the pace and did well.’

Sri Lanka vs West Indies Scorecard Super 8 T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 10:41 AM PDT


ICC World Twenty20 2012

Sri Lanka vs West Indies – 18th Match, Group 1

Played at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, 29 Sep 2012

Toss - West Indies won the toss and elected to bat.

Result – Sri Lanka beat West Indies by 9 wickets

West Indies Inn

West Indies Innings R B 4s 6s SR
Johnson Charles st K Sangakkara b A Mendis 12 21 2 0 57.14
Chris Gayle c K Sangakkara b N Kulasekara 2 9 0 0 22.22
Marlon Samuels c T Dilshan b A Mathews 50 35 4 2 142.86
Dwayne Bravo c T Dilshan b J Mendis 40 34 4 2 117.65
Kieron Pollard b A Mendis 1 6 0 0 16.66
Andre Russell Not Out 19 14 0 1 135.71
Darren Sammy (c) Not Out 1 1 0 0 100.00
Denesh Ramdin (wk)            
Ravi Rampaul            
Sunil Narine            
Fidel Edwards            
Extras (b 0,lb 1,w 3, nb 0) 4
Total (5 wickets; 20 overs) 129 (6.45 runs per over)

Fall of wickets (West Indies):

1-16 (Charles, 4.5 ov), 2-16 (Gayle, 5.1 ov), 3-81 (Bravo, 14.3 ov), 4-90 (Pollard, 15.5 ov), 5-123 (Samuels, 19.2 ov)

Bowling O M R W Econ
Angelo Mathews 4 0 31 1 7.80  
Nuwan Kulasekara 4 0 28 1 7.00  
Lasith Malinga 4 0 26 0 6.50  
Ajantha Mendis 4 1 12 2 3.00  
Rangana Herath 2 0 16 0 8.00  
Jeevan Mendis 2 0 12 1 6.00  


Sri Lanka Inn

Sri Lanka Innings R B 4s 6s SR
Mahela Jayawardene (c) Not Out 65 49 10 1 132.65
Tillakaratne Dilshan c D Ramdin b R Rampaul 13 9 3 0 144.44
Kumar Sangakkara (wk) Not Out 39 34 5 0 114.70
Jeevan Mendis            
Angelo Mathews            
Thisara Perera            
Lahiru Thirimanne            
Nuwan Kulasekara            
Rangana Herath            
Lasith Malinga            
Ajantha Mendis            
Extras (b 2,lb 1,w 10, nb 0) 13
Total (1 wicket; 15.2 overs) 130 (8.47 runs per over)

Fall of wickets (Sri Lanka):

1-22 (Dilshan, 2.5 ov)

Bowling O M R W Econ
Ravi Rampaul 4 0 39 1 9.80 (w 4)
Fidel Edwards 2 0 24 0 12.00 (w 5)
Sunil Narine 4 0 23 0 5.80  
Darren Sammy 4 0 28 0 7.00 (w 1)
Andre Russell 1 0 11 0 11.00  
Chris Gayle 0.2 0 2 0 6.00  



Teams:
West Indies (Playing XI): Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy(c), Andre Russell, Denesh Ramdin(w), Sunil Narine, Ravi Rampaul, Fidel Edwards

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Mahela Jayawardene(c), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara(w), Jeevan Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis

Sri Lanka vs West Indies Highlights Super 8 T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 10:30 AM PDT


Sri Lanka vs West Indies Highlights T20 World Cup 2012. West Indies vs Sri Lanka Highlights Super 8 T20 Cricket World Cup 2012. Watch SL vs WI Highlights T20 World Cup played in Pallekele on 29 sept. Sri Lanka vs West Indies Super 8 Cricket Highlights. T 20 Cricket World Cup 2012.

Sri Lanka and West Indies have won their first game in the super eight group and now will look to seal their position in the semi-finals. Sri Lanka won the last match in a thrilling super over against England while West Indies beat England. Chris Gayle comeback really changed the West Indies with top order now performing at their best. Sri Lankan team need a game plan to tackle Gayle as he is one man army who can take the game away. West Indies too need to work on there bowling which hasn’t been the best.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Preview: India vs Pakistan, Super 8, T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 10:20 AM PDT


Humiliated by Australia in their opening Super Eights match, a jittery India will have to pick up the pieces from their all-round failure and come up with an inspired performance against arch-rivals Pakistan in their do-or-die game in the World Twenty20 in Colombo on Sunday.

The Indian team looked completely out of sorts against Australia and they now have to quickly address their woes in all departments of the game when they take on an upbeat Pakistan, who had beaten South Africa in a thriller, if they want to remain afloat in the tournament.

India’s five bowler strategy was a big hit against England in the group match but in conducive conditions against Australia, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s frontline spinners were hammered by Shane Watson-David Warner duo in last night’s match.

Dhoni blamed the short spell of drizzle before the start of the Australian innings as a reason for his bowlers’ failure. But the fact that the entire bowling unit failed to put up a semblance of a fight came as a surprise.

From Ravichandran Ashwin to Piyush Chawla, everyone bowled half-trackers and full-tosses which proved to be cannon fodder for the two dashing ‘Ws’ of Australian cricket.

Although Dhoni may persist with his five bowler strategy, it will be very surprising if leggie Chawla gets another chance in the tournament.

Pakistan are far superior players of spin bowling and consistency has never been Chawla’s forte as he is primarily a rhythm bowler. On their day, the likes of Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez can take Chawla to the cleaners — something Dhoni can’t afford at this juncture of the tournament.

Dhoni had suggested that “slower deliveries will be effective on Premadasa strip” which means that a bowler like Lakshmipathy Balaji will be more effective.

The Indian team also has their share of batting worries and it will be interesting to know whether Dhoni will persist with Irfan Pathan as the makeshift opener and keep Virender Sehwag out of the equation.

Sample this. The Indian batsmen in the three matches so far in the tournament have been able hit only seven sixes (four vs Afghans, one vs England and two vs Australia) while Watson alone has hit seven sixes against India on Friday.

Dhoni incidentally said at the post match press conference that “it was very difficult to justify why Sehwag was dropped”.

However, there are serious questions that need to be asked about Yuvraj Singh’s inclusion in the team.

Largely an emotional decision by the selectors after his remarkable recovery from rare germ cell cancer, each and every passing match has been a proof of the fact that the talented left-hander needed some serious match practice at the domestic level before making an international comeback.

He has totally looked out of sorts while batting although he has somewhat made up with his bowling. Yuvraj has been quiet with the bat and that has affected India’s chances of putting up a big score against Afghanistan and Australia.

The choice between Sehwag and Yuvraj is a difficult one at the moment as both are not contributing with the bat.

But there is still an outside chance of Sehwag playing an impact innings at the top of the order but getting a 40-ball-70 from Yuvraj will be asking for too much at this stage.

Pakistan, on the other hand, would look to put up an improved batting performance as it was due to sheer brilliance of Umar Gul that they were able to beat South Africa after being 76 for seven at one stage.

Talent has never been an issue with Pakistan cricket as they have had that in abundance but consistency has been a problem.

While they employed four spinners against South Africa, they might not use rookie slow left-arm orthodox bowler Raza Hasan against India.

While skipper Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal are automatic choices, there is a chance that Pakistan may play Mohammad Sami who, with his raw pace, can be a bit of an enforcer.

The only problem for Pakistan has been Afridi’s sharp dip in form with the willow which at times does hamper Pakistan’s batting prospects.

Afridi’s propensity of playing high-risk-no-gain kind of strokes have always put his team in trouble and it was not an exception against South Africa.

A lot will also depend on Pakistan’s most talented young batsman Umar Akmal who on his day can take apart any bowling attack in the world.

Skipper Hafeez’s consistency, Ajmal’s tricks and Shoaib Malik’s calming presence are certain positive aspects for the team. (PTI)

Teams (probable)

India: Gautam Gambhir, Irfan Pathan, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c & wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan.

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez (c), Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Kamran Akmal (wk), Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul.

Time: 19.30 local (19.30 IST).

Preview: Australia vs South Africa, Super 8, T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 09:20 AM PDT


On a roll with an all-win record in the tournament so far, a rampaging Australia would look to beat a demoralised South Africa and seal a semifinal berth in their second Super Eights match on Sunday.

The George Bailey-led side’s nine-wicket win over 2007 champions India last night must have done a world of good to their morale after topping Group B with wins over Ireland and the West Indies and they would start as favourites tomorrow.

South Africa, on the other hand, would have to regroup after they shockingly let slip the Super Eights game against Pakistan from a winning position. The Proteas virtually had the game in their bag before allowing Umar Gul to run away with the match later.

The South Africans cannot repeat such a costly mistake against Australia tomorrow as that would mean exit for them and would only strengthen the “chokers” tag labelled on them in big tournaments.

Australia are the in-form side in the tournament with the top-order batsmen in roaring form and the frontline bowlers among the wickets.

The main worry for South Africa would be how to stop the swashbuckling Australian openers Shane Watson and David Warner, who have become the most successful pair in the T20 Internationals, from dictating terms on their bowlers.

The duo mercilessly sent the Indian bowlers on a leatherhunt in their side’s nine-wicket mauling in their first Super Eights match last night.

Veteran Mike Hussey has also done his bit at one down though the marauding openers have not given him much chance to play his usual role of the ‘man in crisis’.

The fast bowlers — Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Watson — also came through against India as they produce pace and bounce on a slowish Premadasa strip though they were expensive against the West Indies in their group match.

Left-arm spinner Brad Hogg has taken two wickets from the three matches he has played so far and without being expensive and he can be handful if the pitch assist slow bowlers.

If there is any cause of worry for the Australians, it could be their middle order batsmen as they have not been tested in the tournament since they have not got the chance in the three matches so far.

South Africa should blame themselves for the heart-breaking loss against Pakistan as they allowed number nine batsman Umar Gul to hit a 17-ball 32 to take his side to victory after being reduced to 76 for seven.

Faced with a do-or-die situation South Africa would be looking up to fast bowler Dale Steyn and veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis to come up trumps tomorrow while also hoping that the top-order, including Hashim Amla, post a big total.

Amla and his opening partner Richard Levi have not done much in the two matches after remaining not out in the group match against Zimbabwe and they need to fire against Australia if they want to stay afloat in the tournament.

The Proteas have a solid batting with the likes of Kallis, J P Duminy and captain A B de Villiers coming down the order but they could score just 133 against Pakistan yesterday.

In the bowling front though, it will be interesting to see who does better tomorrow between a relatively inexperienced Australians and the South Africans who have veteran fast bowlers in the likes of Steyn, Kallis and Morkel brothers.

In the spin department, another veteran Johan Botha has not done much in the three matches he played so far, having taken just one wicket but he can come in handy at the slowish Premadasa pitch on Sunday. (PTI)

Teams:

Australia (Probable): David Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, Cameron White, George Bailey (c), Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Christian, Matthew Wade (wk), Brad Hogg, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc.

South Africa (Probable): Richard Levi, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (c&wk), Jean-Paul Duminy, Albie Morkel, Farhaan Behardien, Robin Peterson, Johan Botha, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel.

Time: 15.30 local (15.30 IST)

T20 World Cup 2012: West Indies opts to bat against Sri Lanka #SLvsWI Super 8

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:21 AM PDT


Toss: West Indies have won the toss and elected to bat

Sammy: ‘We will bat. We played on this pitch in the last game and we will look to defend a score. Just one change, Edwards is back in place of Badree.’

Mahela: ‘We would have batted first as well, but the wicket is holding up well. We will look to do well in this match, unfortunately Dananjaya is not fit, he has a small fracture, we want to give him some time to recover. Rangana Herath will replace him.’

Teams:
West Indies (Playing XI): Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy(c), Andre Russell, Denesh Ramdin(w), Sunil Narine, Ravi Rampaul, Fidel Edwards

Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Mahela Jayawardene(c), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara(w), Jeevan Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis

England vs New Zealand Post Match Presentation Super 8 T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:07 AM PDT


Luke Wright: ‘An important win for us. I tried to build in the middle period. Luckily I could bat till the end. I think we were always looking to attack some bowlers. I think personally Steve Finn should have been the MoM.’

Luke Wright is the Man of the Match

Taylor: ‘ I thought that Franklin batted really well. Spinners did well as well, but it didn’t go our way. Good luck to Sri Lanka in all their upcoming games.’

Broad: ‘ We are delighted. Steve Finn set it up with that bowling display. Later Wright batted well to take us to a win. It was a lot drier wicket. We have a huge game coming up on Monday. ‘

England vs New Zealand Highlights Super 8 T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 07:00 AM PDT


England vs New Zealand Highlights T20 World Cup 2012. New Zealand vs England Highlights Super 8 T20 Cricket World Cup 2012. Watch Eng vs NZ Highlights T20 World Cup played in Pallekele on 29 sept. England vs New Zealand Super 8 Cricket Highlights. T 20 Cricket World Cup 2012.

It will be game which will decided who will be going home. The team loosing here definitely have no chance to go into sem-finals. For England the biggest problem is top order failed to take up responsibility. With Kevin Pietersen not being selected the problem for Stuart Broad are just increasing. England are on the verge of being knocked out if they loose to New Zealand. On the other hand New Zealand have showed their potential many time but luck not in there favor. They lost the last game in super over against the host Sri Lanka. Looking at the forms of both the team New Zealand can be said as a favorites for the game but anything can change.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

England vs New Zealand Scorecard Super 8 T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 05:32 AM PDT


ICC World Twenty20 2012

England vs New Zealand – 17th Match, Group 1

Played at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, 29 Sept 2012

Toss - New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat.

Result – England beat New Zealand by 6 wickets

New Zealand Inn

New Zealand Innings R B 4s 6s SR
Martin Guptill lbw b S Finn 5 6 1 0 83.33
Rob Nicol c J Bairstow b G Swann 11 15 1 0 73.33
Brendon McCullum (wk) c Luke Wright b S Finn 10 10 2 0 100.00
Kane Williamson c C Kieswetter b D Briggs 17 23 1 0 73.91
Ross Taylor (c) c A Hales b S Finn 22 23 2 0 96.95
James Franklin run out (Bairstow/Kieswetter) 50 33 4 2 151.52
Nathan McCullum Not Out 16 10 4 2 160.00
Doug Bracewell Not Out 2 1 0 2 200.00
Daniel Vettori            
Tim Southee            
Kyle Mills            
Extras (b 3, lb 7,w 4, nb 1) 15
Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 148 (7.40 runs per over)

Fall of Wickets (New Zealand):

1-7 (Guptill, 1.3 ov), 2-20 (BB McCullum, 3.4 ov), 3-42 (Nicol, 6.5 ov), 4-67 (Williamson, 11.4 ov), 5-107 (Taylor, 16.2 ov), 6-146 (Franklin, 19.5 ov)

Bowling O M R W Econ
Danny Briggs 4 0 36 1 9.00  
Steven Finn 4 0 16 3 4.00 (w 1)
Tim Bresnan 4 0 29 0 7.25 (w 1)
Graeme Swann 4 0 20 1 5.00  
Stuart Broad 4 0 37 0 9.25 (nb 1, w 2)


England Inn

England Innings R B 4s 6s SR
Craig Kieswetter (wk) b D Vettori 4 14 0 0 28.57
Alex Hales b N McCullum 22 15 3 0 146.66
Luke Wright c Ross Taylor b D Bracewell 76 43 5 5 176.74
Eoin Morgan c D Bracewell b K Mills 30 31 1 1 96.77
Jos Buttler Not Out 5 8 0 0 62.50
Jonathan Bairstow Not Out 5 2 1 0 250.00
Tim Bresnan            
Stuart Broad (c)            
Graeme Swann            
Danny Briggs            
Steven Finn            
Extras (b 0,lb 3,w 4, nb 0) 7
Total (4 wickets; 18.5 overs) 149 (7.40 runs per over)

Fall of wickets (England):

1-21 (Kieswetter, 3.5 ov), 2-38 (Hales, 6.2 ov), 3-127 (Morgan, 16.2 ov), 4-142 (Wright, 18.2 ov)

Bowling O M R W Econ
Kyle Mills 4 0 23 1 5.80 (w 1)
Tim Southee 2 0 32 0 16.00  
Daniel Vettori 4 0 20 1 5.00  
Nathan McCullum 4 0 22 1 5.50 (w 1)
Rob Nicol 3 0 29 0 9.70 (w 1)
James Franklin 1 0 12 0 12.00  
Doug Bracewell 0.5 0 8 1 9.60 (w 1)



Teams:
England (Playing XI): Craig Kieswetter(w), Alex Hales, Luke Wright, Jonathan Bairstow, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad(c), Graeme Swann, Danny Briggs, Steven Finn

New Zealand (Playing XI): Rob Nicol, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum(w), Ross Taylor(c), James Franklin, Kane Williamson, Nathan McCullum, Doug Bracewell, Daniel Vettori, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills

T20 World Cup 2012: New Zealand elects to bat vs England #EngvsNZ Super 8

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 03:20 AM PDT


Toss: New Zealand have won the toss and elected to bat

Ross Taylor: ‘We will bat first. Bracewell replaces Oram. Oram was not feeling well. The pitch is the same and we hope to put up a good score. We got back well in the game against Sri Lanka.’

Broad: ‘I would have batted well. Briggs and Bresnan replace Samit Patel and Dernbach. Briggs’ skills will be useful on this wicket. We have the talent in the side and the guys have to go out and perform. Morgan’s position is flexible and he played well in the previous game.’

Pitch Report: The pitch has got a good soaking in the last couple of days. The groundstaff have watered the pitch and left it. The cracks are opening up. The team that wins the toss should bat first and they should be posting a total somewhere around 180.

Sri Lanka vs West Indies Live Streaming T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 02:22 AM PDT


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Sri Lanka and West Indies have proved themselves in the first super eight game and will now look for a win here to seal the semi-final spot. With Chris Gayle back West Indies top order have strengthened a lot. They are perfoming right from the start but bowling haven’t been very consistent though. Sri Lanka being the home side have pressure to perform and also knows the conditions well. It will be a ood game to watch out for.

Sri Lanka vs West Indies Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup will be broadcasted on Star Cricket, Sky Sports HD and below are the links to watch the game live online.

All Live Streams links will be posted here! So BOOKMARK this Page!!

1. TheCricTVhttp://thecrictv.com

2. TheCricket-TVhttp://thecricket-tv.info

3. TheCricket-TVhttp://thecrickett-tv.blogspot.com/

England vs New Zealand Live Streaming T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 02:17 AM PDT


England vs New Zealand Live Streams T20 World Cup 2012. New Zealand vs England Super Eight Live Streams T20 Cricket World Cup 29 sept 2012. Watch England vs New Zealand Twenty20 Super 8 Live Streams online 29 sept. NZ vs Eng Super 8 Cricket Live Streams. T 20 Cricket World Cup 2012.

England and New Zealand will face-off in the game of the super eights where both teams are in a must win situations. The team who looses will be out of the tournament. New Zealand have played well in the tournament and lost the last game in super over. There batsman are performing and just needs to play good against England. For England top order inconsistency have been an issue which they need to work on.

England vs New Zealand Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup will be broadcasted on Star Cricket, Sky Sports HD and below are the links to watch the game live online.

All Live Streams links will be posted here! So BOOKMARK this Page!!

1. TheCricTVhttp://thecrictv.com

2. TheCricket-TVhttp://thecricket-tv.info

3. TheCricket-TVhttp://thecrickett-tv.blogspot.com/

Preview: Sri Lanka vs West Indies, Super 8, T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 28 Sep 2012 03:30 PM PDT


After notching up contrasting wins in their opening Super Eight fixtures, a stern test awaits both the West Indies and Sri Lanka as both eye a semifinal berth when they square off against each other in the Group 1 match of the ICC World Twenty20 on Friday.

West Indies edged out defending champions England by 15 runs in an exciting finish, while Sri Lanka won in dramatic fashion after a ‘Super Over’ was required to settle the clash with New Zealand last night.

Both Sri Lanka and West Indies are known to raise the bar when it comes to performing at big-ticket ICC events and it would be interesting to see which of the two teams manages to go a notch higher in the battle tomorrow.

Both the sides know the conditions well but the Islanders could bank heavily on the home advantage.

The hosts need to quickly sort out their bowling woes if they fancy their chances of advancing to the semifinals of the tournament as the New Zealand batsmen took their pace and spin attack to cleaners.

The form of Lasith Malinga, who has been very expensive in the competition so far, still remains a concern for Lanka.

The hosts would hope that Malinga gets his act together against the West Indies and is well supported by the likes of Nuwan Kulasekara and Angelo Mathews.

Mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis’ return has also boosted the team and though he was off-colour against New Zealand, leaking 48 runs from his four overs taking just one wicket, the Lankan skipper would still be depending on him to deliver the goods on the slow Pallekele strip.

The return to form of opener Tillakaratne Dilshan also augurs well for the Lankan batting line-up as he single-handedly anchored the run-chase against New Zealand with his 53-ball 76.

Captain Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara would again be expected to deliver the goods with the bat. Their lower middle-order also has enough fire power with the likes of Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne and Jeevan Mendis in the ranks.

The Calypso Charmers, on the other hand, boast of strong batting line-up, led by big hitting Chris Gayle.

Gayle helped Windies post a challenging total against a formidable English attack and, it seems, in the form of unheralded Johnson Charles, the Caribbean side’s opening woes have already been addressed.

Charles scored a belligerent 84 off just 56 balls with help of 10 well-timed fours and three sixes, while Gayle belted six fours and four sixes en-route to a 35-ball 58 to lay a solid platform. However, the middle-order failed to live up to the expectations.

The Windies possess a dangerous spin attack in spinner Sunil Narine, Gayle and Samuel Badree.

And with the Pallekele strip assisting the slow bowlers, West Indies skipper Darren Sammy could well be going in with the combination of three spinners and two specialist pacers as the trio came handy against the Englishmen.

The Sri Lankans, however, can fancy their chances against an erratic West Indian seam attack, which so far has looked pretty ordinary in the tournament, barring Ravi Rampaul.

Rampaul gave good account of his skills in the last match picking up two English wickets in his very first over.

Pacer Fidel Edwards has managed to produce early breakthroughs for the West Indies in both the group matches, but he has been accused of bowling far too many lose balls.

The rest of the West Indies pacers, including skipper Sammy, have been ineffective in the past outings and would certainly like to make amends against the Lankan juggernaut.(PTI)

Teams:

Sri Lanka (probable) Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene(c), Kumar Sangakkara(wk), Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Akila Dananjaya Perera

West Indies (probable) Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy (c), Andre Russell, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree.

Time: 19.30 local l (19.30 IST)

Preview: England vs New Zealand, Super 8, T20 World Cup 2012

Posted: 28 Sep 2012 02:30 PM PDT


Handed contrasting but demoralising defeats in their opening Super Eight matches, England and New Zealand would look for resurrection when they face off in what is likely to be an even contest at the World Twenty20 on Friday.

England were done in by the all-round brilliance of Chris Gayle as they lost by 15 runs to the West Indies, while New Zealand were stunned in the Super Over even though they came close to a victory in regulation play itself.

A distinct flaw in both teams’ approach has been the tendency to leave it for too late, something that is suicidal in the Twenty20 format.

For New Zealand, their top order showed fine form with openers Rob Nicol and Martin Guptill and number three Brendon McCullum coming good with the bat. It is the lower order that hasn’t quite clicked, including experienced all-rounder Jacob Oram.

More is also expected of skipper Ross Taylor even though he has shown glimpses of his explosive self in entertaining cameos.

England, on the other hand, have failed to fire from the top. The team has lost early wickets in most games which has invariably hurt the all-important scoring rate.

In the absence of the temperamental but immensely talented Kevin Pietersen, England’s title defence has looked shaky and the team is likely to be put through a tough test by the Kiwis, who have a reputation of punching above their weight in big events.

“We’ve got to stop losing early wickets because it’s hurting us,” England skipper Stuart Broad has stated, underlining the biggest problem plaguing the team.

The bowlers’ too have not had an exceptional outing so far even though Broad himself can draw confidence from the economical spell he bowled against a destructive West Indian line-up.

A lot was expected of spinner Graeme Swann but he hasn’t really worked much magic in conditions that are considered tailormade for tweakers. But he might hit his stride against the spin-wary Kiwis.

New Zealand’s bowling problems are quite similar. Their pace spearhead Tim Southee hasn’t been too effective.

Experienced former captain Daniel Vettori’s spin has also not produced desired results.

Given the very similar nature of their strengths and weaknesses, it would be an intriguing battle when the two teams clash at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. (PTI)

Teams:

England (probable) Craig Kieswetter (wk), Alex Hales, Luke Wright, Eoin Morgan, Jonathan Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Samit Patel, Stuart Broad (c), Graeme Swann, Steven Finn, Jade Dernbach

New Zealand (probable) Martin Guptill, James Franklin, Brendon McCullum(wk), Ross Taylor(c), Kane Williamson, Rob Nicol, Daniel Vettori, Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills

Time: 15.30 local (15.30 IST)