DailyCricket

India win 2nd odi

2013-01-15T21:33:00.000-08:00

india beat england by 127 runs

England thrash India to become No. 1 in Tests

2011-08-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

Birmingham: India were thumping their chest when they climbed onto the No. 1 Test ranking. Everyone, including the BCCI and the players, made merry riding on the success they tasted during the period. And then came the World Cup-winning campaign, which took their confidence, or overconfidence depending upon how we see it, to another level. But it all came to cipher when they lost all, their No. 1 spot

Ind-Aus : Watson ton helps Aus reach 224/5

2010-10-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

Mohali: Shane Watson made the most of two dropped catches to score a century as Australia posted 224-5 in their first innings at stumps on the opening day of the first Test against India on Friday.

The Australian opener, let off on nought and 37, made an unbeaten 101 for his second Test hundred to help his side recover from an early blow with a 141-run stand for the second wicket with skipper Ricky Ponting (71).

Watson, who cracked a century in each innings of a practice game before the Test, completed his hundred in the final session when he turned off-spinner Harbhajan Singh to deep square-leg for two runs.

He has so far cracked eight fours in his 279-ball knock. Tim Paine was the other not-out batsman on one.

India did not allow Australia to seize the initiative despite Watson's hundred as left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan grabbed three big wickets, including two in the final session.

The fast bowler trapped Michael Hussey leg-before and then bowled Marcus North for duck. Hussey faced 76 balls for his 17 runs.

Australia, who scored 101 runs in the morning after electing to bat on a pitch lacking pace and bounce, could manage only 45 in the last session. Even Watson could add only 26 to his tea score of 75.

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha kept a tidy line and length, conceding 39 runs in 31 overs.

Australia were comfortably placed at 154-1 before slipping to 222-5, losing well-set Ponting, vice-captain Michael Clarke (14), Hussey and North.

Ponting, averaging just 20.85 in 12 Tests in India before this match, looked set to play a big knock before he was run out by Suresh Raina's direct-hit at the striker's end from mid-wicket.

Words were exchanged between Zaheer and Ponting after the Australian skipper's dismissal. Ponting hit 10 fours in his 124-ball knock.

The Australian captain produced some delightful strokes during his stay at the crease, driving Ojha through the covers to reach his half-century and then square-driving and flicking Zaheer for two fours.

India were left a bowler short in the afternoon when paceman Ishant Sharma departed the field during his eighth over with a leg injury.

Zaheer, returning to the Test squad after missing the recent Test series in Sri Lanka due to injury, was unlucky not to dismiss Watson with his second delivery as Virender Sehwag dropped a catch at gully.

The fast bowler did not have to wait long for his first success, trapping Simon Katich (six) leg-before in his third over.

India introduced spin after 10 overs on a slow track, but Ojha and Harbhajan could not break the Ponting-Watson stand in the morning.

Watson was lucky to survive on 37 when wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni failed to hold on to an edge off Ojha.

He played some handsome shots, straight-driving Sharma and then pulling Zaheer for two fours. He then struck two successive fours off Sharma before the paceman left the field.

Harbhajan, a doubtful starter on Thursday due to a leg injury, was declared fit in the morning.

The second and final Test starts in Bangalore on October 9.

Chennai to face Warriors in final

2010-09-26T01:18:00.000-07:00

Johannesburg: After the grueling play of 16 days where batsmen bludgeoned the ball from outset, bowlers disturbed timbers on numerous occasions and tactical brilliance by skippers dumbfounded many, the ball is set to roll for the last time. And finally the two juggernauts have got the credence to provide the befitting end to this extravaganza.

In Sunday’s final, the Super Kings from Chennai will lock horns with the Warriors of South Africa and, not just a big cheque will be waiting for the winner, but players from both the sides will also be itching to lift the glittering Champions League Twenty20 trophy for the first time.

Both teams compete each other neck and neck in every department of the game. On one hand, Warriors have Davy Jacobs – their skipper – who has put opposition bowlers to the sword throughout the tournament. The other side has Suresh Raina, whose onslaughts, especially against the Royal Challengers Bangalore would have won the hearts of many supporters not just back home but all round the world.

Jacobs’s 252 runs have made him the most successful batsman in the tournament so far, while the batting display by Murali Vijay (236 runs in five matches) and Suresh Raina (201 runs in as many matches) has also helped them earn spots in the list of top four run-getter of the event.

With experienced Michael Hussey at the top, Chennai’s middle order is packed with free flowing S Badrinath, young Anirudha Srikkanth and exceptional MS Dhoni, who is capable of giving his side a big flourish at the end with the help of big-hitting Albie Morkel.

Just like Chennai, Ashwell Prince gives the solidarity to the Warriors side, followed by dynamic Colin Ingram. Justin Kreusch, with his all-round abilities, has done the trick for his captain, while we all are aware of the fighting spirit of Mark Boucher and Johan Botha.

Botha, is equally a tough nut to crack when it comes to scoring off his well disguised spinning deliveries. Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who had a brilliant semi-final game against the South Australia Redbacks and Juan Theron, who has been exceptional with his line and length both upfront and in death overs, complete the Warriors’ line-up which is well capable of making its opposition bite the dust on a given day.

For Chennai, just like batters, their bowlers are also ruling the list of most wicket takers in the competition, with off-spinner R Ashwin is leading the chart with 11 wickets in five matches, followed by the magician Muttiah Muralitharan with 9 wickets in as many games.

Doug Bollinger, too, has troubled many with the spongy bounce he generates from the wicket. The Australian pacer is also the fourth highest wicket taker in the event.

So, with everything is settled equally between the two sides, it would be a battle of nerves and the team that holds it for a longer duration will come victorious at the end.

Raina takes Chennai to Final

2010-09-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

Durban: Ever since Dale Steyn walked off the field without bowling a ball, events unfolded in Chennai's way. It started from Suresh Raina murdering bowlers and continued into the Bangalore innings that never gained momentum and eventually folded up for 123/9 to concede a comprehensive 52-run win.

After water from the heavens turned the Twenty20 affair into a 17-over showdown, it was fours (5) and sixes (6) from Suresh Raina's bat that stormed the Kingsmead as the big-match player butchered Bangalore bowlers, punishing them for 94 runs in 48 balls.

Bangalore were always behind the eight ball chasing a revised target of 176 as per the D/L method. Rahul Dravid got a golden ball duck, which triggered a procession of Bangalore batsmen that continued until the fall of last wicket.

Only Manish Pandey (52 off 44) put up some fight against a Chennai attack that showed teeth right from the first ball. Both Doug Bollinger (3 for 27) and Albie Morkel (1 for 13) were unplayable and took full advantage of a freshened-up pitch under overcast skies.

The middle and lower order of Bangalore tried to use the long handle but were doing that in a losing cause and in that endeavour became victim to Muralitharan (2 for 38), R Ashwin (1 for 32) and L Balaji (1 for 13).

The turn of events started in the Chennai innings when Steyn hurt himself after the rain delay while taking a catch to dismiss Michael Hussey (6). The premium fast bowler hit his head and back badly on the ground, which left him dizzy and not in a state to bowl a single ball.

Bangalore became a bowler short and that too of the quality of Steyn who could run through an opposition with his sheer pace.

From that point on, it was exclusively a Suresh Raina show. The southpaw feasted on Bangalore bowlers who had no answers to Raina's prolific stroke play. Watching Raina go berserk, Bangalore almost resigned to the fact that they would be chasing a mammoth total and looked like waiting for their turn with the bat.

Murali Vijay was the other notable contributor in the Chennai's 174-run effort, scoring 41 off 32 balls in an 81-run second-wicket partnership with Suresh Raina.

Chennai will now face the winner of second semifinal between South Australia Redbacks and Warriors to be played on Saturday.

South Indian battle in South Africa

2010-09-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Champions League Twenty20 may not have the massive following that its more glamorous sibling, the IPL, has but it is clear the players consider it an important tournament. Several incidents highlighted how desperate they are to win it: the dejection on Virat Kohli's face as he sat on his haunches mid-pitch in Durban after a revelatory innings which nearly pulled off a heist against Mumbai Indians; and the ever-smiling Muttiah Muralitharan's broadside at S Badrinath for a less-than-perfect piece of fielding when Warriors were threatening to dump Chennai Super Kings out of the competition.

Perhaps the people happiest with the results over the two days will be the organisers, with two of the IPL teams making it through to the semi-finals and one of them guaranteed a place in the final, ensuring a higher number of eye-balls than if non-Indian teams had qualified.

Chennai have the bragging rights after winning this year's IPL, but Royal Challengers Bangalore can have something to boast about if they upstage MS Dhoni's men on Friday. The two sides have already met in the semi-final of a tournament in

South Africa

- in the 2009 IPL, when Bangalore eased to a six-wicket victory.

Both have had stop-start league phases, but they will take heart from the fact that their best seasons in the IPL also came after campaigns that started off poorly. Both possess formidable batting line-ups, and their main difference lies in the nature of their bowling attack - Chennai's have plenty of spinners, while Bangalore rely heavily on quick bowlers.

The two sides also missed key South African allrounders in their final league matches - Jacques Kallis is out of the tournament with a neck injury, while Albie Morkel has been out for two matches due to an illness. Kallis' absence has upset Bangalore's balance, and Chennai will have even more of an advantage if Morkel recovers from his illness in time.

The overall head-to-head record - Bangalore winning four to Chennai's three - shows how competitive the rivalry between the two sides has been. Friday's semi-final promises to live up to that.

Team news

Chennai packed their bowling with spinners for their match against Warriors in Port Elizabeth, but that strategy might not work in Durban where the track has been less helpful for the slow bowlers. That means they might consider picking one of either L Balaji or Joginder Sharma in place of Shadab Jakati.

Chennai Super Kings (probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Michael Hussey, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 S Badrinath, 5 MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), 6 S Anirudha, 7 Albie Morkel / Justin Kemp, 8 Doug Bollinger, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 L Balaji/ Joginder Sharma.

Bangalore are unlikely to make too many changes to their line-up that beat Lions on Tuesday. One drawback is that their only recognised spinner is Anil Kumble. They do have Cameron White in the line-up, who once played as a specialist Test legspinner, but he has bowled only one over in Twenty20s in his previous 37 matches.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: (probable) 1 Manish Pandey, 2 Rahul Dravid, 3 Robin Uthappa (wk), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Cameron White, 6 Virat Kohli, 7 Dillon du Preez, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Anil Kumble (capt), 11 R Vinay Kumar

Watch out for ...

Ross Taylor was a part of three teams which qualified for the Champions League, but he hasn't yet shown the form that has made him such a coveted Twenty20 player. The semi-final presents a chance for the world's leading six-hitter in Twenty20s to make the impact expected of him.

Another big-name player who has had a quiet tournament so far is Dhoni. A late onslaught against Warriors showed glimpses of what he is capable of, but Chennai will be hoping for more from their captain on Friday.

Key contests

Murali v Bangalore middle-order The constricting spin of Murali, bowling from around the stumps and choking the batsman for room, has been effective all tournament. Bangalore, though, possess a bunch of lethal hitters in the middle-order who could prove hard to contain.

Kumars v Chennai openers M Vijay and Michael Hussey have provided Chennai with solid starts in both the matches they have opened together, giving the likes of Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni the license to go for the big hits. Vinay Kumar and Praveen Kumar could face a stern test.

England Vs Pakistan, 5th ODI

2010-09-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

England - 256/6 (50 overs)

Eoin Morgan - 107(101)

Andrew Strauss - 25(35)

Pakistan - 135 all out (37 overs)

Kamran Akmal - 41

Yousuf - 20

England won by 121 runs, clinch the series 3-2.

Strauss: I am happy with my batting, I have been aggressive in my batting and I am happy to win the series. It has been a crazy series and I am happy that it ended on a winning note. we played well as a team and this has been our toughest series. We can't wait for the Ashes and this summer has helped us prepare for the big series ahead.

Strauss is the Man of the Series

Morgan is the Man of the Match: I am really glad to finish the summer with a bang, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and the teammates have been supportive. The seamers and Swann bowled well for us today.

Afridi: I want to congratulate the English team, we played well as a team as we were rocked by the fixing controversy. I am disappointed, but we have improved a lot, I was not happy with our batting, but our bowlers did a fantastic job and Swann bowled really well today. We clicked as a team and I am happy about it, we have plenty of youngsters in our team and next time we will do better.

A win for

England

and it is as comprehensive as it can get. Chasing 257 to win the match and the series,

Pakistan

folded up for 135. Hafeez and Kamran Akmal started the chase in an aggressive manner, but once their stand was broken

England

took the upper hand. Swann like always struck in his first over and Broad also supported him well with 3 wickets. They were 63 for no loss, but crumbled like nine pins and surrendered meekly to

England

. With this win,

England

clinch the 5-match ODI series 3-2. Stay tuned for the presentation...

Chennai Super Kings Vs Warriors

2010-09-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

Chennai - 136/6 (20 overs)

Hussey - 50(39)

Vijay - 35(27)

Dhoni - 31(21)

Warriors - 128/8 (20 overs)

Jacobs - 32(31)

Krreusch - 25(26)

Boucher - 25(18)

Chennai Super Kings won by 10 runs and qualified for semifinal.

Dhoni: It's an important tournament, coming in as IPL Champs we were expected to do well. There have been a few ups and downs but we've done well as a team. We didn't want to let them get off to a great start. The spinners did well in the middle overs. We got into a tangle with the bat as a result of which we couldn't get runs towards the end. The next game is in Durban, so the quick bowlers will have to do the job for us. The game against RCB in Durban would be fantastic!

Jacobs: I thought we were good with the ball tonight, but not great with the bat. At the start of our campaign, we wanted to make it to the semis, glad that we've made it. Thankfully we had our off day in the league stages, hopefully we will bounce back in the semi-final. The crowd here is always fantastic.

Hussey: I don't think David would be too happy with the result, but yes it was a great game tonight. I wasn't sure what was a good score, we were looking at 150 but in the end 137 proved to be good enough. Dancing isn't my forte, but yes we will celebrate the win.

Mike Hussey is the Man of the Match for his half-century

This game just didn't cease to amaze till the last ball! The Chennai Super Kings have clinched a close game to book a place in the semi-final. Even the most ardent CSK fan would have admitted that defeat was looming large at the half-way mark given the strong line-up of the Warriors, but CSK's bowling unit has lived up to its reputation of being one of the best. They have defended this total with a degree of professionalism. Davey Jacobs started off in his merry way but the spinners pulled it back during the middle overs. Ashwin and Muralitharan put the brakes on the scoring to build the pressure around the Warriors' middle order. Boucher and Kreusch gave them hope with some lusty hits but once they were dismissed, Chennai tightened the screws around the home team to clinch the game. CSK will play RCB in the 1st semi-final on Friday in Durban, while Warriors will take on the Redbacks in the other semi-final on Saturday in Centurion. Stay connected for the presentation.

Wayamba decimate Stags by 74 runs

2010-09-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

Isuru Udana took a hat-trick as the Wayamba Elevens finished their Champions League Twenty20 campaign with a 74-run win over the Central Stags here on Wednesday.

Wayamba could only score 144 for six in their 20 overs but it proved enough as Udana and unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis sent the

New Zealand

team plunging to 16/5. They were all out for 70 in 15.3 overs, the lowest total of the tournament.

The win at St George's Park enabled Wayamba to climb off the bottom of the Group A table. Both teams had lost their first three matches.

The first blow was struck by Mendis who shared the new ball with Udana. Mendis trapped Stags captain Jamie How, the team's leading run-scorer, leg before wicket.

Left-armer Udana, 22, who played for Sri Lanka in the 2009 World Twenty20 in England, deceived Brad Patton with a slower fourth ball of the next over, with the batsman playing too early and popping the ball up in the air for wicketkeeper Kushal Perera to run around to take an easy catch.

Mathew Sinclair over-balanced and was stumped off a leg-side wide and George Worker played down the wrong line to be bowled by a delivery which slanted in to complete the hat-trick.

Udana finished with three for 22 and Mendis with three for 14, while left-arm spinner Rangana Herath had the most economical figures of the tournament, two for seven off four overs.

"We really wanted it today," said Wayamba captain Jehan Mubarak."But there are still a lot of areas we want to work on."

"It was a disastrous batting performance," said How. "We've learned some pretty good lessons and hopefully we'll be back a lot stronger."

Stags take on Wayamba in dead ruber

2010-09-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

Port Elizabeth: The penultimate league game of the Champions League would be a meaningless affair between the Central Stags and the Wayamba Elevens, both of whom would look to take some smiles back home by finishing their campaign on a winning note.

With both teams ending as losers on all three previous occasions, one of them will surely end its losing streak.

Both teams have had a lot of chinks in their armours but the Stags look a smarter bet in this face-off as their batsmen have performed better in comparison to Wayamba who rely heavily on Mahela Jayawardene. His failure - apart from a half century in the last match - has added to the Sri Lankan club's woes, with poor fielding and average bowling making the team look pushovers.

All in all, it has been disappointing second outing for Wayamba in the Champions League and with a collapse in the last match, their confidence will be at an all time low when they take the field against Jamie How's team.

New Zealand

's fighting spirit is not accustomed to three defeats in three games and this would have surely hurt the Central Stags who would look to set the record straight.

While Stags' batting lineup should stand up against Wayamba's challenge, their bowlers haven't impressed and have been hammered by the oppositions.

Jamie How has been inspirational in batting with two fifties on the trot but support from the bowlers has gone missing on the field, leading to failure in defending decent-looking targets. Against Wayamba, though, there would be some incentive for the Stags' bowling lineup that will be up against batsmen in shambles.

The dead rubber may not set the TRP ratings ablaze but the teams on their part would pull every trick out of their bags to take home something to cheer about.

CSK in do-or-die battle Vs Warriors

2010-09-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

Port Elizabeth: It's a three-way battle for the two semi-final spots from Group A of the CL T20 as IPL champions Chennai Super Kings take on South Africa T20 champions Warriors in a must-win game here on Wednesday.

The Warriors with three wins from three matches are atop the points table with a Net Run Rate of +0.975, while the Bushrangers with three wins from four games are in second with a NRR of +0.366. Chennai with two wins from three games are placed third, but they have an enviable NRR of +2.567.

The equation is pretty clear. A win will take Chennai through to the semis, while the Warriors and Bushrangers will battle it out on the NRR depending on how close the game is. However, if the Warriors beat Chennai, they will take the Bushrangers along with them to the last four stage.

Chennai cannot afford to make any mistakes. The loss in the super over in their previous game on Saturday would surely have pushed them on the backfoot, but skipper MS Dhoni's boys will back themselves to come good in Wednesday's game.

Both their batting and bowling have shown their potential in the tournament. Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Anirudha Srikkanth and S Badrinath have all found the sweet spot on their bats. The bowling too has been spot on with Doug Bollinger, Albie Morkel, L Balaji, Muttiah Muralitharan and R Ashwin containing runs as well as picking wickets at regular intervals.

Ashwin had an off-day in the last game when he was hit for 23 runs in the super over, but he has been by far among the best performers in this edition of the tournament having taken seven wickets from three games at an economy rate of 6.67.

Chennai won't want to change their combination ahead of the Wednesday's game, except that they will like Morkel to retain full fitness and play ahead of Justin Kemp.

The Warriors, who have won all their three games, will hope that the law of averages does not catch up with them. It surely will be heartbreaking for them to be knocked out of the tournament because of a lesser Net Run Rate.

Skipper Davey Jacobs will again hold the key for the team's batting that has been over-reliant on him. He's played the sheet anchor role to perfection, while Mark Boucher and Ashwell Prince are the other two batsmen who have been among the runs.

Their bowling though is stronger and Chennai's batsmen will have to deal with some serious pace and bounce with the likes of Rusty Theron, Makhya Ntiniand Lonwabo Tsotsobe all in good touch. Their spinners, Johan Botha and Nicky Boje have also been in good form and can slow down the proceedings at will.

This is too close a game to call, but it will go down to the wire for sure.

Pujara Named in Test Squad as Yuvraj misses out

2010-09-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

22-year-old batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has been named in

India

's Test squad to play

Australia

in two matches in Chandigarh and Bangalore next month.

Yuvraj Singh, who lost his place in the middle order to Suresh Raina on India's recent tour of Sri Lanka, has been omitted from the squad, which also sees quick bowlers Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan handed recalls.

Sreesanth missed the tour of

Sri Lanka

with a knee injury while Zaheer missed out due to a shoulder problem and their return gives the bowling added experience. Their recalls mean there is no place in the squad for Abhimanyu Mithun, who made his debut in

Sri Lanka

having flown in as a replacement for Zaheer.

Saurashtra batsman Pujara has scored 3,925 runs in 49 first-class matches at an average of 60.38, including an unbeaten 302 against Orissa in the 2008/9 Ranji Trophy, which came as one of three triples in the space of a month - the other two being scored for the Saurashtra Under-22s.

In 2001, he scored 306 not out for Saurashtra Under-14s against Baroda Under-14s.

The contest, which gets underway on 1st October, pits

India

, the side at the top of the ICC rankings for Test teams, against an Australian side which could only draw 1-1 with

Pakistan

England

earlier this year.

They begin with a three-day tour match in Chandigarh on Saturday (25th September) and follow the Test series with three One-Day Internationals.

India Test squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, VVS Laxman, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Cheteshwar Pujara, Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, Ishant Sharma, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Sachin Tendulkar, Murali Vijay,

Kholi,White take Bangalore to Semis

2010-09-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

Finally, Virat Kohli's second blitzkrieg in a row, supported by Cameron White, helped Bangalore end up on the winning side and prevent absolute dominance of the South African teams, as they edged out the Highveld Lions by 6 wickets on Tuesday to book a place in the semifinals.

Replacing injured Jacques Kallis, Manish Pandey gave Rahul Dravid solid company as Bangalore set off chasing 160 methodically, but a rush of blood from Dravid (33) saw his off-stump dislodged to give Lions their first breakthrough.

Manish Pandey's 44 runs justified his inclusion in place of injured Jacques Kallis but he couldn't convert it into a half century after being splendidly caught at long-off in quest of quick runs. Though two wickets down, Bangalore still had things under control.

However, Ross Taylor's walk back to the pavilion, soon after Pandey's wicket, made things tense for Bangalore and brought the match in balance with required run-rate climbing to nine runs per over.

But Kohli was in no mood for a close finish like the one against Mumbai Indians where he couldn't take his team home despite a cameo. But in that endeavor, he ran Robin Uthappa out.

That, however, made Kohli's effort even more determined in support of Cameron White who seemed to discover some of his lost big-hitting touch.

The duo wasted no time once the win was 25 runs far and spanked those in style to book a place in semis, a first for an IPL team in the Champions League.

Earlier, some lusty blows by Frylinck in the last over took Lions to a competitive target of 159 in 20 overs. Alviro Peterson top scored with 45 while Vinay picked up 2 wickets for 23 runs for Bangalore.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Lions openers got off to a confident start before Jonathan Vandiar (11 off 11) nicked the ball down the keeper's throat on the bowling of Vinay Kumar.

Richard Cameron followed Vandiar soon back to pavilion as he was out on the very next ball without troubling the scorers.

Captain Alviro Petersen and middle order batsman Vaughn van Jaarsveld's then played some superb shots all around the park in their partnership of 54 off just 26 balls before Vaughn was run out following a mix-up with skipper.

Alviro Petersen (45 off 29) led from the front scoring at a staggering pace but his counterpart Anil Kumble got the better of him just when Bangalore needed, raising hopes of restricting Lions under 170.

Neil McKenzie then brought his experience into play with a 39 run innings but even that could not take Lions to score of around 175 that they would have hoped to get after electing to bat first.

Steyn and du Preez bowled right at the batsmen's toes to stop them from playing the big shots in the death overs that helped in restricting Lions to just 159/6.

Anil Kumble: We knew that all we needed was one big over, what Virat could not achieve against Mumbai, he did it today. Vinay started off well with the ball, Virat and myself bowled some good middle overs and Steyn bowled well at the death. Very happy that we made it to the semi finals, it is one step away now. It will be nice to meet any team in the semis but it will be nice to meet Chennai there.
Alviro Petersen: Our success must not be measured by where we ended up in the tournament but one should look at the obstacles we overcame. We knew if we can pull the run rate back a bit we were in there. We never gave up and I am proud of my boys. We love this tournament, this is a stepping stone for further things to happen to us.
Virat Kohli: Really happy to be there, nice to get a win. I was really disappointed the other day not being able to take my team to victory. But, it was not the same today. I was sure that we would get one big over, I was waiting for it and we got it in the 17th over. Robin is a good friend, it was my mistake that resulted in him getting run-out. He is a good friend and he will understand.
Virat Kohli is the Man of the Match for his match winning knock of 49 runs off just 29 balls.
Glory today for Bangalore as they became the first IPL team to reach the semi-finals of the CLT20 courtesy this six wicket victory over the Lions. After Dravid and Pandey got the team off to a solid start, Kohli stole the show with some fantastic hitting. The turning point of Bangalore's innings came in the 17th over when they smashed 19 runs of Ethan O'Reilly's last over. Thanks to Kohli's exploits, Bangalore will party hard into the night. Stay tuned for the presentation....

South Australian Redbacks Vs Guyana

2010-09-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

SAUS - 191/6 (20 overs)
Callum Ferquson - 55(37)
Cameron Borqas - 48(36)

Guyana - 176/7 (20overs)
Ramnaresh Sarwan - 70(46)
Richard Ramdeen - 35(22)

South Australian Redbacks won by 15 runs.

Klinger: We batted well in the middle overs. I am proud of the guys as we achieved four out of four wins. Tait is valuable to any bowling attack in the world but he will be back for the semi-finals. I thought that our fielding was a bit sloppy today and we need to work on that. We need to get the little things right before the semi finals, mostly in the fielding and in the running between the wickets.

Sarwan: We showed today that we are a capable side. The wicket was similar to the one in the Caribbean but it had a bit more bounce. We need to play with a clear mind and we need to apply ourselves. The youngsters were really impressive today and they grabbed their opportunities with both hands.

Callum Ferguson: The conditions were beautiful for batting. We did not get off to a great start, but I and Borgas decided that we have to step up and steer the team to safety. We are delighted that the middle order has got some runs. The top order has done a great job in the earlier matches. We feel that we are ready to go.

Callum Ferguson is the MoM for his knock of 55 off 37 balls

It has been a spirited reply from

Guyana

but they fell short by 15 runs. Sarwan and Steven Jacobs got things going for

Guyana

with a 56 run stand after the South Australia bowlers kept a tight check on the scoring rate.

Guyana

will be ruing the fact that their bowlers leaked 66 runs in the last five overs which made all the difference. Sarwan made a brilliant 70 but he did not have any kind of support from the other batsmen. In the end, South Australia top the group with four out of four wins, while

Guyana

go home empty handed. Stay tuned for the presentation...

England Vs Pakistan, 4th ODI, London

2010-09-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

Pakistan - 265/7 (50 overs)
Mohammad Hafeez - 64(100)
Abdul Razzaq - 44(20)

England - 227 all out
Andrew Strauss - 68(72)
Steve Davies - 49(61)

Pakistan won by 38 runs.

Victoria Vs Wayamba

2010-09-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

Wayamba - 106 allout (16.3 overs)

Jayawardene - 52

Mubarak - 44

Victoria - 108/2 (13.2 overs)

David Hussey - 47

Aaron Finch - 38

Victoria Bushrangers won by 8 wickets.

David Hussey: I thought we were in deep trouble when they were 81/2, but all credit to Pattinson and Siddle. Both of them were fantastic, exciting Test prospects. I was looking at finishing things off in 7 or 8 overs since our NRR was very poor, but hopefully rain will favour us at PE. We will sit up and watch that clash keenly. We will be quite nervous until then.

Mubarak: This was probably our worst performance of our tournament. Losing the last 8 wickets for 25 is just not acceptable at this level. The wicket was a bit up and down, wasn't the best but once the batsmen were in, they should have made it count. We are all good cricketers, we need to draw from that. We have to also look at how we approach the game, the decisions we make out there in the middle with the bat. We also have a lot of soul searching to do.

Siddle: I didn't start well, I was a bit frustrated, but it's funny how things work, it fell in place for me later on. Pattison bowled superbly as well. It is a fresh wicket and a bit different from the last one we played on. Fresh wickets like this is always a fast bowler's delight. Nice to see some bounce and pace on this wicket.

Peter Siddle is the MoM for his figures of 4/29

Finch: Wasn't the best wicket to bat on, but our bowlers did a great job to restrict them after they were 81/2. I've had a bit of luck at the Centurion. We just wanted to get off to a good start, a win was what we aimed at initially and then boost the NRR towards the end if we could. Hopefully the Warriors could beat Chennai and do us a favor.

A crushing win for the Bushrangers who have raced away to a thumping victory. Once Wayamba were bowled out for 106, it was never an even contest and Victoria just had to bat out their overs to get to the target - which they did quite well. In spite of winning handsomely tonight, the Victoria side will have to rely on the game between Warriors and Chennai on Wednesday to know their fate.If Warriors win then Victoria will go through. Stay tuned for the presentation..

Udana picks up wade

2010-09-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

Wayamba were gunned down for a dismal score of 106 inside 20 overs by a high-quality seam bowling effort backed by some scintillating fielding by upbeat Victoria Busrangers side.

Only Mahela Jayawardene (51 0ff 40 balls) and skipper Jehan Mubarak (44 off 30 balls) provided some resistance in the top order as other batsmen collapsed like pack of cards.

hings looked all right for Waymba when Mahela and Mubarak were going fine, but once Mubarak fell things unravelled quite quickly for them. Siddle took 4 wickets and the tail capitulated in no time.

Earlier winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Wayamba lost opener Jeevantha Kulatunga in the very first ball off the second over. He was clean bowled by pacer James Pattinson for 0.

Soon Mahela Udawatte followed him to pavillion with some brilliant fielding by Clint McKay who hit the stumps directly from the mid off region.

Then Jehan Mubarak and Mahela Jayawardene provided some stability to the team but once Mubarak departed, Bushrangers' bowlers made little work of Wayamba middle order and tail. Five players for Wayamba did not trouble the score.

For Bushrangers, Peter Siddle was the pick of the bowlers with 4/29. James Pattinson and Andrew McDonald took two scalps each.

Bravo won the match for us : Tendulkar

2010-09-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

Durban: Mumbai Indians' captain Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday heaped praise on West Indian Dwayne Bravo for his all-round effort that set the platform for the thrilling two-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in a Group B match of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament here on Sunday.

Bravo scored a 23-ball 29 and together with Saurabh Tiwary (38 not out) stitched a quickfire 64-run sixth wicket stand to take Mumbai to 165 for seven.

Bravo also came up with two crucial wickets - Robin Uthappa and Ross Taylor - during Bangalore's innings which was instrumental in Mumbai's narrow victory.

"Bravo brought us back both with the bat and the ball," Tendulkar said after the victory even though it came too late as Mumbai have been knocked out of the tournament on net run rate.

"We had a great game. I think first half of our batting was not that great but Bravo brought us back. The idea was to concede less runs in Malinga's (penultimate) over so that Zaheer could build pressure in the last over.

"But this game is full of uncertainties. All credit to Virat; he batted well till the end," he said.

Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble blamed his side's sloppy fielding for the loss.

"We bowled well till Bravo and Tiwary took the game away from us. Last five overs we conceded too many runs. Dravid and Virat got us some hopes but in the end it didn't prove sufficient. We had a close game. We just need to be very positive and take more catches," said Kumble.

"I think fielding let us down today. Otherwise, I am really satisfied with the performance."

Man-of-the-Match Bravo said he was satisfied to have contributed to the team's victory with both bat and ball.

"I had a good run with both bat and the ball. When bowling, I just thought of keeping the ball as straight as possible and I got two important wickets. I am happy with the win," he said.

Mumbai thrilling win

2010-09-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Durban: An absolute thrilling cameo from Virat Kohli (47 off 24 balls) turned the 165-run chase into a spine-chilling last-ball climax that eventually ended with Bangalore losing by just two runs at Kingsmead on Sunday. Mumbai, though, crashed out of the tournament despite winning.

Chasing the Mumbai score after Sachin Tendulkar elected to bat first, Old-guards Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis got Bangalore off to a flying start until debutant Abu Nechim struck to remove Kallis (15) and Dwayne Bravo got Robin Uthappa (6) and Ross Taylor (9) caught in quick succession to give Mumbai much-needed breakthroughs.

Indian Statesman Dravid meanwhile completed his half century as the Bangalore team neared 100. But as soon as they crossed the triple-figure mark, Harbhajan Singh castled big-hitting Cameron White (7) to tilt scales in Mumbai's favour.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli's innings soon gathered momentum, whacking Nechim for a six. The young debutant, though, came back well in the same over to control the damage.

The Delhi batsman Kohli, playing for Bangalore, hit the death-over expert Malinga for three consecutive boundaries in the penultimate over to leave his team needing 13 runs off the last six balls.

Such was the impact of Kohli's 24-ball 47 runs, that it made Dravid's 71-run effort look pedestrian but in the end, both didn't prove enough.

Needing three off the last Zaheer Khan ball, a top-edge off Kohli went straight up that saw wicketkeeper Ambati Rayudu circling under it to safely glove the ball and the match for Mumbai.

Man of the Match Dwayne Bravo was the most successful bowler for Mumbai taking 2/23 in his four overs while Zaheer, Nechim and Harbhajan took one apiece.

Earlier in the evening, Bangalore not only kept Mumbai's scoring in check but also continued to chip in at the wickets, restricting Sachin's team to a scoring rate of just over six at the halfway stage.

Praveen Kumar removed Sachin (11) and Rayudu (3) was lapped in the slips by Rahul Dravid off Vinay Kumar that signaled the worst possible start for Mumbai.

Bangalore bowlers continued to thwart every run-making attempt, with Kallis removing fellow-countrymen Duminy (10) in the process.

Steyn eventually marked his run-up in the 11th over and peppered Tiwary with fast short-pitched stuff. The tactics of holding Steyn back paid the richest dividends possible when Steyn gunned down both Dhawan (41) and the dangerman Pollard (0), reducing Mumbai to a sorry-looking 84/5 in 13 overs.

Bravo's dropped caught and bowled chance by Kumble proved costly, with the West Indian turning it on for Mumbai with a 17-ball cameo of 29 runs. It turned out to be the much-needed fillip for the Mumbai innings that looked in tatters for the most part.

The 18th over, bowled by Kumble, went for 22 runs, where Bravo hit two towering sixes and a boundary. It also brought up the 50-run partnership between Bravo and Tiwary.

Steyn, though, soon took care of Bravo, which saw Tiwary taking over with 38 runs of 30 balls. And when Harbhajan (14) too got a few useful runs at the end, the IPL runners-up notched up a challenging 165/7.

Anil Kumble not only went wicket-less but gave away 45 runs in his four overs. Daley Steyn was the pick of the Bangalore bowlers with 3/26.

Late assault takes Mumbai to 165

2010-09-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Durban:Late onslaught by Saurabh Tiwary and Dwayne Bravo gave the much-needed fillip to the Mumbai Indians who reached a competitive 165/7 after a shaky start. Dale Steyn was the most successful bowler for Bangalore with a spell of 3/26 at Kingsmead on Sunday.

Bangalore bowlers not only kept Mumbai in check but also continued to chip in at the wickets, restricting Sachin's team to a scoring rate of just over six at the halfway stage after they chose to bat first.

Sachin Tendulkar and Ambati Rayudu's early dismissals severely dented Mumbai's chances to put up a big total in the all-important encounter against Bangalore. While Praveen Kumar removed Sachin (11), Rayudu (3) was lapped in the slips by Rahul Dravid off Vinay Kumar.

JP Duminy got off to a scratchy start but to his credit, stayed at the wicket which was the need of the hour for Mumbai.

But Bangalore bowlers continued to thwart every run-making attempt by Duminy and Dhawan, thereby tightening the noose. While Uthappa failed a chance to stump Dhawan off Anil Kumble, wicket came from the other end when Duminy (10) could hit only as far as the long-off fielder off Kallis.

Sachin still held Kieron Pollard back, prompting Kumble to do the same with Steyn as Saurabh Tiwary strode into middle. But Steyn eventually marked his run-up in the 11th over and peppered Tiwary with fast short-pitched stuff.

The tactics of holding Steyn back paid the richest dividends possible when Steyn gunned down both Dhawan (41) and the dangerman Pollard (0), reducing Mumbai to a sorry-looking 84/5 in 13 overs.

Bravo's dropped caught and bowled chance by Kumble could have spelled absolute doom for Mumbai but the senior Indian citizen failed to latch onto it.

The partnership Mumbai searched throughout the innings, came much too late for them in the form of a team-up between Bravo and Tiwary. It turned out to be the much-needed fillip for the Mumbai innings that looked in tatters for the most part.

The duo upped the ante from the 17th over onwards but Bravo was particularly severe on Kumble, hitting the skipper for two towering sixes and a boundary in a 22-run 18th over. That also brought up the 50-run partnership in just 30 balls.

Steyn, though, soon took care of Bravo's 17-ball cameo of 29 runs with a full-toss that looked above waist height but was adjudged below it by the square-leg umpire.

Harbhajan (14) got a few useful runs at the end before being run out but Tiwary was the one who held fort for Mumbai with his 38 runs of 30 balls that helped the IPL runner-up reach a competitive 165/7.

The most economical bowler of the tournament until now, Anil Kumble, not only went wicket-less but gave away 45 runs in his four overs. Daley Steyn remained the pick with his 3/26 while Vinay Kumar was the most economical giving away 16 runs en route to taking one wicket.

Lions Vs Guyana, Group - B

2010-09-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Johannesburg: Riding on Ethan O'Reilly's 4/27, Richard Cameron's 42-ball 78 not out and skipper Alviro Petersen 57 not out off 38 balls, the Highveld Lions raced home to a 9-wicket victory over a hopeless

Guyana

team at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Chasing a decent target of 148, Lions got off to bad start losing their opener, Jonathan Vandiar (8 off 11 balls) in the third over to Esuan Crandon.

But that was the only moment of glory for

Guyana

as Lions skipper Alviro Petersen and Richard Cameron played a superb innings to give Lions an easy win with 4.5 overs to spare.

The Guyanese bowlers were blown away by the exploits of Petersen and Cameron as they blasted the bowlers to all parts of the ground.

Petersen, who showed signs of returning to form in their last outing, opened up and dispatched Eusan Crandon for a four and a six in the fifth over to accumulate 15 runs.

In the seventh over, Cameron also got his act together and dispatched Crandon for two fours and a six to bring up his team's 50. He was merciless in his approach and hammered the Guyanese bowlers to all parts of the ground.

Cameron was particularly severe on Christopher Barnwell and Royston Crandon as he treated both the bowlers with disdain, dealing with them in fours and sixes.

In the 14th over,

Cameroon

clobbered two sixes off Devendra Bishoo to take his side closer to the victory target.

Petersen completed the proceedings with a four and a six off Lennox

Cush

in the 15th over.

Earlier put into bat by Highveld Lions in a bright sunny afternoon,

Guyana

scored a respectable total of 148/9 runs in their quota of 20 overs.

Lions' bowlers started in a superb fashion by picking Travis Dowlin in the first ball of the second over. Dowlin was judged in lbw for just 7 on the bowling of Ethan O'Reilly.

Ethan O'Reilly was pick of the bowler for Lions as he finished with superb spell of 4/27 in his four overs.

Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan failed to capitalize on his superb start, Sarwan looked in fantastic form as he hit four classy boundaries in his innings of 21 from just 16 ball before he was caught at point by Jean Symes on the bowling of Craig Alexander. Soon Sewnarine Chattergoon followed him back to the pavillion.

Chattergoon was out chipping the length ball straight to the mid on throats on the bowling of O'Reilly, who picked up his second wicket of the match.

Batsman Christopher Barnwell and Steven Jacobs then tried to consolidate the

Guyana

's innings with 37 run stand before Barnwell was run out to leave

Guyana

tottering at 79/4 in 12 overs.

Guyana

's middle and lower order fell like pack of cards.

Right handed batsman Steven Jacobs was dismissed going for the maximum for fighting 34 off 37 balls. Jacobs was caught in the long off on the bowling of Aaron Phangiso and

Guyana

were reeling at 88/6 in the 14th over.

Jonathan Foo and Royston Crandon lost their stumps on the bowling of O'Reilly trying to up the ante for the team.

Last minute effort from Derwin Christian and Lennox Cush gave a final push to

Guyana

effort and helped them to reach a respectable score of

Craig Alexander and Aaron Phangiso picked up one scalp each.

Victoria got perfect opening against us : Dhoni

2010-09-19T00:41:00.000-07:00

Port Elizabeth: Disappointed after losing to Victoria Bushrangers via the Super Over, Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Saturday said that a good opening partnership played crucial role for the Australian side in the Champions League Twenty20 match here.

"The opening in batting went perfect for Victoria. They played well, but at the end of the day it is disappointing to lose such a close match," Dhoni said after the Group A encounter.

"For sometime it was raining and so the ball was going to the batsmen well. But later we came back well and spinners did good job. (Suresh) Raina also did well," he added.

Riding on Vijay's 53-ball innings, CSK posted 162 for six in 20 overs but then Victoria also managed the exact score and the encounter had to be stretched into the Super Over.

He also defended his decision to use R Ashwin during the Super Over, from which Victoria took 23 runs.

"Ashwin is a bowler who has a lot of variations. So I though the fast bowlers may not do that well," he said.

Meanwhile, his Victoria counterpart David Hussey said he was happy to get the full points against the Indian Premier League side.

"Today we got the points and I am happy that Ashwin bowled the Super Over. It was good performance by the team," he said.

Mumbai Vs Bangalore a Virtual QF

2010-09-19T00:30:00.000-07:00

Durban: Bangalore's loss on Friday against the South Australia Redbacks has given the Mumbai Indians a ray of hope to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League T20 and turned their game against fellow IPL side on Sunday into a virtual quarter-final clash.

With one win from three games and the last league outing on Sunday, Mumbai know that they must win this game to keep their hopes alive of making it to the last four. It definitely helps that they have a positive net run rate and a big win will only help them as the photo-finish in the race to the second semi-final spot hots up in this group and will in all probability be decided by decimals.

The Lions, who are placed fourth in the group, will eye a win against

Guyana

in the first game of the day. A win will put them on four points and also put them within striking distance of a semi-final berth with one game left to play. Bangalore too have two games left, but the team management will surely like to register two straight wins to wrap up a semi-final spot without any more hiccups.

Only Mumbai have Sunday's game to play and therefore, cannot afford to lose the plot now. They have paid for the price of batting and bowling inconsistently and have been stunned by less-fancied sides in two games.

The Sachin Tendulkar-led side had promised a lot with their impressive IPL season but have just failed to click as a unit here.

Except for Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga, who has bagged six wickets by conceding 83 runs in the three matches, none of the Mumbai Indians bowlers have made a mark and that has been the main reason for their tough times in this tournament.

Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh have been disappointing so far. Zaheer has taken just one wicket having conceded 105 runs in the three matches, while Harbhajan has scalped two at the expense of 86 runs.

On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore began the tournament with an easy nine-wicket win over

Guyana

with South African Jacques Kallis starring with the bat and ball. They, however, were brought down to earth with a humiliating eight-wicket loss to South Australia Redbacks on Friday.

Without Kallis, the Anil Kumble-led side failed in both batting and bowling as they were shot out for 154 and then none of their bowlers, including the captain himself and South African Dale Steyn, making much impact against the Australian side.

Chennai Super Kings Vs Victoria Bushrangers

2010-09-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

Chennai Super Kings - 162/6 (20 overs)
Murali Vijay - 73

M.Hussey - 25

Dhoni - 22

Victoria Bushrangers - 162 (all out) (20 overs)
David Hussy - 51
Finch - 41

Match Tied

Super Over
Victoria - 23
Chennai - 13

Victoria Bushrangers won by 10 runs in the Super Overs.

Warriors beat Stags to enter Semis

2010-09-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth: Ashwell Prince and Davey Jacobs put on 147 runs for the first wicket as the Warriors beat Central Stags by six wickets in match 12 of the 2010 Champions League T20 competition at Port Elizabeth.

The team from

South africa

have thus assured themselves of a semi final berth.

Earlier Jamie How's second successive half century helped Central Stags survive an early loss, and a quiet period of play against the spinners, to finish with 175 in their must-win game against the Warriors.

How was supported by an inventive burst from Kieran Noema-Barnett in the end overs, setting Warriors a challenging target in front of their home crowd.

Stags elected to bat first after winning the toss and lost Peter Ingram in the very first over the match for nought.

However, How was in an aggressive mode from the word go as he thrashed the bowlers all around the park in his innings of 88 from just 57 balls. How hit 12 boundaries and three huge sixes in his blinder of an innings.

Brad Patton joined in the fun at the other end, using Tsotsobe's pace and Ntini's angles to pick boundaries and scored a handy 24 in 18 balls before he was judged lbw to Nicky Boje. The Powerplay went for 63 runs.

But introduction of two spinners Nicky Boje and Johan Botha slowed the run rate and in the process Boje picked up his second wicket getting rid of the out-of-form Mathew Sinclair.

The double-strike forced How to downshift a gear but How soon sensed the need of runs and resumed his normal services hitting Nicky Boje and Ntini all around the park.

Kieran Noema-Barnett who joined How took centre stage in the late overs as his cameo of 53 from 34 balls was a treat for the spectators in the stadium.