ICC World Twenty 20: Semi Final 2

Gayle blasts Windies into final

5/10/12- West Indies 205-4 20 overs (Gayle 75*) beat Australia 131 all out 16.4 overs (Bailey 63) by 74 runs

West Indies have beaten Australia by 74 runs to qualify for the ICC World Twenty 20 Final.

Darren Sammy won the toss for West Indies and elected to bat first. The Windies brought Dwayne Bravo back into the side in place of his brother, and David Hussey replaced Glenn Maxwell for Australia. And it was Australia who made a good start, when Mitchell Starc drew Johnson Charles into a drive and the opener was caught behind for 10. One of the in-from batsman of 2012 was in at 3, and Marlon Samuels got off to a good start, including a delicious cover drive off Pat Cummins.

However, Cummins had his revenge, when Samuels, on 26, was bowled by a good slower ball from the young pace bowler. Chris Gayle was still at the crease though, and even though he wasn’t facing much of the strike, he gradually found his range, launching thevleft arm spin of Xavier Doherty for 3 sixes overall.

But Gayle really came to lifevin the 15^th over, when 19 was taken off D. Hussey’s first, as hebwent to his half century off just 29 balls, with one of his maximums going pastb100 metres. Australia did manage to remove Bravo for 37, after he put on 83 with Gayle for the 3^rd wicket. However, that just brought the dangerous Kieron Pollard to the crease, and with Gayle, the pair put on 65 in the final 4 overs of the innings as the West Indies posted 205-4. Gayle ended unbeaten on 75, and Pollard made 38 off 15 deliveries, including 3 sixes in the final over, before being caught off the final ball.

This is the second time these two teams have faced each other in the tournament, and in that match West Indies scored 191 and still lost the game (via D/L), so Australia still held hopes of reaching the final. But they got off to a dreadful start against the spin of Samuel Badree and Samuels, with Warner going in the first over, before he was quickly followed by Mr Cricket and the player of the tournament so far Shane Watson.

Australia reached 42-3 off the powerplay, but then immediately lost their 4th wicket, when, off the first ball of seam, Rampaul had Cameron White caught down the leg side. Australia were faltering to say the least and it didn't get better, as the leading run scorer in T20 history, Dave Hussey, lasted just two balls. The Aussie middle order was proving what many feared.

Australia then lost Matthew Wade and defeat looked a certainty, but captain George Bailey didn't give up easily,as e smashed his way to a 23 ball half century. But when Bailey fell for 23, the game was up, and Australia were eventually bowled out for 131.

A great win for the West Indies, and as they have shown, they can beat anyone on their day. Australia on the other hand looked superb in the first 4 games of the tournament but struggled badly against Pakistan and T20 is a momentum game, so it looks like they've lost plenty of that.

Man of the Match: Chris Gayle for his 75*. Superb innings from the big man, and it is just brilliant to see him back in a West Indies shirt.

ICC World Twenty 20: Day 14 Round Up

Australia through despite Pakistan loss

2/10/12- Pakistan 149-6 20 overs (Jamshed 55, Starc 3-20) beat Australia 117-7 20 overs (Hussey 54*, Ajmal 3-17) by 32 runs @ Colombo

Australia are through to the Semi Final stage of the ICC World Twenty 20, despite losing by 32 runs to Pakistan in Colombo.

George Bailey won the toss and stuck Pakistan into bat first. The Aussies started well as they removed the oppositions skipper and Imran Nazir in the powerplay, as runs were hard to come by. Nasir Jamshed ,however, once again reinforced his reputation in this form of the game, as he led the Pakistan recovery with Kamran Akmal, scoring a 36 ball half century. A quickfire 22 from former Surrey all rounder Abdul Razzaq took Pakistan to 149-6, which was below what they should have got thanks to 3 wickets from Mitchell Starc.

Australia knew that if they reached 112 in their reply, they would be through to the Semi Final. However, they lost the man of the moment Shane Watson early, along with David Warner, as the middle order was being tested for the first time in the tournament. They struggled badly against the Pakistan spin, with 18 of the 20 overs being bowled by the spinners, and even though they went past the 112 needed for qualification, thanks to an unbeaten 50 from Mike Hussey, Australia lost by 32 runs.

                                           

Australia will be annoyed that they have lost, as momentum in Twenty 20 is so important, but I personally believe that today was just a blip and they will come back better in the Semi. But if Warner and Watson don’t fire, it will be interesting to see how the middle order gets on. Pakistan have done what they had to do today, and they will be hoping that South Africa, who are now coincidently out of the competition, beat India, or if India do win, hope that their net run rate is higher than their fierce rivals.

Man of the Match: Raza Hasan for his 2-14. A very good young spinner, and his spell at the beginning of the Aussie innings set the tone for the rest of the game.

India crash out of World T20

2/10/12- India 152-6 20 overs (Raina 45) beat South Africa 151 all out 19.5 overs (du Plessis 65, Zaheer 3-22) by 1 run @ Colombo

India are out of the ICC World T20, even though they beat South Africa in Colombo this evening.

India had to win and hope that their net run rate would be better than Pakistan. Dhoni wanted to bowl first, and know what target he would have to chase, but he lost the toss and was inserted. They lost Gambhir early, and he was quickly joined back in the dugout by Sehwag and Kohli as India struggled. Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh supported Suresh Raina who top scored with 45, as India posted 152-6 off their 20 overs.

India had to restrict South Africa to less than 122 if they were to overtake Pakistan on net run rate. They got off to a great start as they had Amla and Kallis early, but after that it was all downhill for India. with Faf Du Plessis scored a superb 65, as South Africa eased past 122, and were closing in on victory. Both sides were out of the competition by the final over, but you would never have guessed it. 14 were required off the last over, but they could only get 12, as India won by 1 run.

So India will be extremely disappointed that they are out at this stage of the competition, and will feel even worse that their bitter rivals Pakistan have gone through instead of them. South Africa were already out before this match started but they were still as professional as you would expect from any South African team, falling so close to victory in the end.

So the Super 8’s have finished and the Semi Finals are now drawn, with Sri Lanka against Pakistan on Thursday, followed by the West Indies against Australia on Friday. Whatever happens, it will be an exciting end to the tournament.

Man of the Match: Yuvraj Singh for his 21 and 2 wickets. Not an outstanding match for Yuvraj, but it is just great to see him back from his cancer scare earlier this year.

ICC World Twenty 20: Day 12 Round Up

Watson fires Aussies into Semi’s

30/9/12-Australia 147-2 17.4 overs (Watson 70) beat South Africa 146-5 20 overs (Doherty 3-20) by 8 wickets @ Colombo

Australia have qualified for the Semi Finals of the ICC World Twenty 20, after beating South  Africa by 8 wickets in Colombo.

George Bailey won the toss and stuck South Africa in to bat, which immediately looked to be the correct decision. Xavier Doherty was brought back into the side and bowled Levi in the first over, before having Kallis caught in the 3^rd. The star man of the tournament, Shane Watson, then had the danger man Amla caught behind, as South Africa were struggling against the variety of the Aussie attack. de Villiers and Duminy also couldn’t get going, but thanks to 54 from the final 5 overs, South Africa managed to reach 147-5 off their 20 overs, with Robin Peterson top scoring with a 19-ball 32.

Australia lost David Warner early, when Morne Morkel bowled him for 5, but as long as Watson was at the crease, they always looked comfortable. He raced to his 3^rd half century of the tournament, coming off 35 balls, becoming the leading run scorer in the competition in the process. He couldn’t see his side fully home though, as he was caught at long off for 70, but the job had already been done. Mike Hussey struck an unbeaten 45, as Australia completed a comfortable victory.

Another convincing win for the Aussies, and they really are looking one of the stronger teams in the tournament. South Africa on the other hand, tipped by many before the competition began, are all but out, and needed India to beat Pakistan in the later game to stand any chance of getting through.

Man of the Match: Shane Watson for his 70 and 2-29. What more can you say about Shane Watson. He is the leading run scorer in the competition, the leading wicket taker, and has hit the most sixes out of anyone, and this is his 4^th Man of the Match award out of 4 games.

Kohli eases India past Pakistan

30/9/12-India 129-2 17 overs (Kohli 74*) beat Pakistan 128 all out 19.4 overs (Balaji 3-22) by 8 wickets @ Colombo

India have kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the Semi Finals of the ICC World Twenty 20, after easing to victory over Pakistan.

Mohammad Hafeez won the toss and elected to bat first, but as it was for South Africa, run scoring was proving difficult. The Pakistani top order has already fired a few times in the tournament, but today it didn’t, as Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed and Kamran Akmal failed to make double figures, and the skipper fell for a 28 ball 15. Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal added some much needed impetus to the innings, but the damage was already done by India, as Pakistan were eventually all out in the 20^th over for 128, with Ashwin and Yuvraj both claiming 2 victims.

Despite losing Gautam Gambhir in the first over, the Indians didn’t look in any trouble as they hunted down the Pakistani score. Virendar Sehwag found some sort of form, but wasn’t anywhere near his fluent best in 24 ball 29. But it was India’s star man of the last year, Virat Kohli, who led his side to a comfortable victory inside 17 overs, scoring an unbeaten 78 with 8 fours and 2 sixes.

A very good win for India, and they have now given themselves a good chance of qualifying for the Semi Finals. Pakistan cannot string two consistent performances together, which hopefully means for them that they will win their final game against Australia.

Man of the Match: Virat Kohli for his unbeaten 74. Looks a fantastic talent, and has had a superb 2012.

ICC World Twenty 20: Day 10 Round Up

Gul blasts Pakistan to victory over SA

28/9/12- Pakistan 136-8 19.4 overs (U Akmal 43*, Steyn 3-22) beat South Africa 133-6 20 overs (Duminy 48) by 2 wickets @ Colombo

Pakistan have beaten South Africa by 2 wickets in the respective teams opening game of the Super 8’s, thanks largely to an unlikely source with the bat.

AB de Villiers chose to bat first, but lost Amla, Levi and Kallis early, and runs were seemingly hard to come by. The skipper and JP Duminy began to rebuild the innings after Behardien was then dismissed, taking their side over 100 in the 17^th over. However, de Villiers couldn’t see out the 20 overs, and former Surrey all rounder Yasir Arafat removed Duminy, as the South Africans could only muster a below par effort of 133-6.

 Pakistan knew that if they batted anywhere near the way they have been in the last few games, the target of 134 would have been a stroll. However, Pakistan, known for their consistency, quickly fell to 37-4 in the 7^th over, with danger men Jamshed and Nazir two of the four out. The innings was falling apart, as Malik and Arafat then went either side of a Shahid Afridi golden duck. Pakistan required 68 off 33 balls with 3 wickets left, and victory seemed to be South Africa’s, but you should never write off Pakistan. Umar Gul, known for his superb death bowling, hit a fantastic innings of 32, including 3 sixes, in a partnership of 49 with Umar Akmal, as Pakistan completed a most unlikely of victories with 2 balls remaining.

South Africa must be wondering what went wrong today. They batting was very below par, and I can’t remember the last time Amla (8) didn’t get to double figures. The victory was stolen out of the palms of their hands today by Pakistan, who will feel extra rejuvenated after that victory, and are a serious contender for the Trophy.

Man of the Match: Umar Gul for his wonderful 17 ball 32. Without him, Pakistan would have struggled to get to 100, and it shows the amount of all round talent that this side has.

Watson and Warner destroy India

28/9/12- Australia 141-1 14.5 overs (Watson 72, Warner 63*) beat India 140-7 20 overs (Watson 3-34) by 9 wickets @ Colombo

Australia have annihilated India by 9 wickets in the Super 8’s at Colombo, after Shane Watson put in another wonderful all-round performance.

After seeing the way the pitch played in the earlier game, MS Dhoni decided he wanted to set a total for the Australians to chase. They lost Gambhir in the 3^rd over, and their in form batsman Virat Kohli for just 15, as run scoring was as hard as it was in the Pakistan-South Africa game. They continued to lose wickets at a regular pace, as Yuvraj and Rohit couldn’t add anything substantial, and the highest score was in fact the makeshift opener Pathan, who made 31. Ashwin and Raina took their side to a competitive 140-7 off their 20 overs.

However, Australia made the pitch look like the Oval at its flattest, as Watson continued his fine form of the tournament, and Warner was at his bludgeoning best. They raced towards the Indian score with no real alarms, and the pair were seemingly competing with each other to see who could get their half century first. It was Watson to do so, coming off just 28 balls, including 6 huge sixes and just the one four, followed by Warner’s off 37 with 6 fours and 2 maximums. Watson did get out before the end, but Australia won extremely comfortable with 31 balls to spare.

An exceptional performance from Australia, and they just seem to be getting better and better as the tournament goes on. After beating England well the other day, India will struggle to qualify for the next round as their net run rate has been seriously hampered today.

Man of the Match: Shane Watson for his terrific 72 and 3-34. He is the leading run scorer and wicket getter in the tournament so far, and if Australia go far in the tournament, there won’t be many challenging him for the player of the tournament award.

ICC World Twenty20: Day 5 Round Up

South Africa beat hosts in rain affected match

22/9/12- South Africa78-4 7 overs(de Villiers 30) beat Sri Lanka 46-5 7 overs (Steyn 2-10) by 32 runs @ Hambantota

South Africa must feel the rain has followed them around or year, but today, it favoured them as they comfortably beat Sri Lanka by 32 runs in Hambantota. The match was reduced to 7 overs a side after heavy rain, and Sri Lanka elected to field first. However, Hashim Amla once again got his side off to a good start, and skipper AB de Villiers played a rapid knock of 30 off 13 balls, as they reached an above par score of 78 off their allotted overs, with a wicket each for Herath, Kulasakera, Malinga and Perera.

Sri Lanka just didn’t get going at all in their innings, as they lost their most powerful batsman Dilshan run out without facing a ball in the first over of the reply. Jayawardene and Sangakarra followed him back to the dugout soon after, as the result was inevitable before even half of the overs had been bowled.

So 2 out of 2 for South Africa, after their win against Zimbabwe on Thursday, and even though this wasn’t a full Twenty20, it is important to have momentum going into the knockout stages of a World competition. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will be disappointed that they couldn’t put up a better fight and prove to the doubters that they can perform against the best, but they are also through to the next round, and still have time to impress.

Man of the Match: AB de Villiers for his 30 off 13 balls. He added much needed energy and explosion to the South African innings, and ultimately, won the game for his side.

Aussies through to Super 8’s

22/9/12- Australia 100-1 9.1 overs (Watson 41*) beat West Indies 191-8 20 overs (Gayle 54, Samuels 50, Starc 3-35) by 19 runs (D/L) @ Colombo

Australia have beaten the West Indies by 19 runs via the Duckworth Lewis method in Colombo. Darren Sammy won the toss and elected to bat first. Chris Gayle usually allows himself to get settled at the crease before going berserk, but there was no waiting today, and even though he lost Smith early, he went on an assault of the Australia bowlers. He bludgeoned 4 sixes and 5 fours in his 26 ball fifty, before falling to Watson. It was then over to Marlon Samuels to continue from where Gayle left off, and his innings was as good as Gayle’s containing the same amount of maximums, as the West Indies posted a formidable 191-8 off their 20 overs.

David Warner started superbly for Australia, taking 22 off the second over, but he was then caught behind off Edwards for 28. Watson took over from him though, taking apart the West Indian bowlers, especially Marlon Samuels, who went for 22 of his solitary over. Watson and Hussey took Australia to 100-1 in just the 10^th over, which was when the rain came. It didn’t relent, and the Aussies were well past the D/L score.

So back-to-back victories for Australia, and they look a real threat in the competition if Watson can keep up his form at the top of the order. West Indies batted superbly, but there bowling was some what erratic at times, and they will have to improve that in a must win game against Ireland.

Man of the Match: Shane Watson for his unbeaten 41. A second man of the match for Watson in the tournament, and he also picked up 2 wickets in 4 economical overs, proving why he is one of the better all rounder’s in world cricket.

ICC World Twenty20: Day 2 Round Up

Watson blasts Australia to opening win

Group B:

19/9/12- Australia 124-215 overs (Watson 51) beat Ireland 123-7 20 overs (K O’Brien 35, Watson 3-26) by 7 wickets @ Colombo

Australia have avoided a slip up, by comprehensively beating Ireland by 7 wickets in front of a small crowd in Colombo. Ireland batted firstand captain William Porterfield would have regretted that straight away, as Watson had him caught first ball of the game. The Irish top order fell away badly, with them restricted to 33-4 in the 8^th, with Gary Wilson scoring just 5. The O’Brien brothers managed to add some respectability to the innings, putting on 52 for the 5^th wicket, but Ireland were some way short of a good score, ending on 123-7 from their 20.

Watson and Warner got the Australia innings off to a great start, as they eased towards victory. Watson was playing particularly well, adding to his 3 wickets in the Ireland innings, but he did lose his partner when he was caught in the deep off Dockrell. But Watson took a liking to the Somerset man’s bowling, reaching his 50 off 28 balls with a big six. Watson did depart, followed quickly by Mike Hussey, but the victory was never in doubt, as White and Bailey led them home with 29 balls to spare.

A disappointing batting performance by Ireland, with several experienced players failing to make an impact. However, Australia did look very strong, and if Watson can continue with his current form, they will be a tough side to beat.

Man of the Match: Shane Watson was superb throughout the game, getting a wicket with the first ball, before condemning Ireland to defeat with the bat.

India win but Afghans not disgraced

Group A:

19/9/12- India 159-5 20 overs (Kohli 50) beat Afghanistan 136 all out 19.3 overs (Nabi 31, Balaji 3-19)  by 23 runs @ Colombo

India have overcome a potential banana skin, by beating Afghanistan by 23 runs this afternoon. The Afghan skipper Nawroz Mangal stuck India in, and they got a dream start when the left armer Shapoor Zadran removed both Gambhir and Sehwag inside 5 overs. Yuvraj helped the recovery until he was caught at third man, but India still had plenty of firepower left. However, when Kholi was dismissed for a quick fire 50, India struggled to reach the score that they had threatened to earlier. But MS Dhoni took 10 off the final two balls to take his side to a total of 159-5 from their 20 overs.

Afghanistan didn’t die wandering though, as they came out with an obvious intent of unsettling the Indian bowlers. But Big hitter Shahzad perished for 18, before Yuvraj removed the skipper for 22, Sadiq for 26, and Stanizkai for 6 as the required rate started to climb rapidly. They lost two more quick wickets, but with 4 overs to go, they were still in the game, needing 44 to win. However, when Nabi was dismissed for a well made 31, the game was all but up, and they were eventually all out for 136.

So a professional performance from India, against a far inferior opposition, but Afghanistan didn’t disgrace themselves, and on another day, they could have won the game. Their fielding let them down a lot, as they put down 4 chances, with at least 3 that should have been held, and England will have a tough test on Friday afternoon.

Man of the Match- Virat Kohli for his dynamic innings of 51. One of the most consistent players in the Indian team, and without him, they would have struggled today.