2010 ICC World Twenty20 - - First Semi-final Sri Lanka Vs. England: England Needs Another Blistering Knock from Kevin Pietersen

India may have done Sri Lanka a favour while England will hope they have not lost momentum with Kevin Pietersen flying home and back as Sri Lanka and England face off in the first semi final in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.


Sri Lanka fell into a bit of a doldrum and the win against India would have woken up their hunger once more and made them realize that the journey to the top is not that far anymore. Two good matches and the trophy that eluded them in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 could be theirs.

Their record on the points table is not a match for England, but the semi final does not take into account past record or points but rather, what the team does on the day. In that sense, Sri Lanka may have been a sleeping giant waking up to an intense qualification, beating India, and finding that the surface may actually suit their style of slow bowling, clearly advantage over what England have to offer in the same department.

But what England have going is the winning momentum and a great deal of consistency unlike seen before. They have been the team, besides Australia, that have shown the mettle to survive in style. While they will be up against an opponent they have not faced in the tournament so far, they will be comforted knowing one of their key performers in this edition, Kevin Pietersen, is back following the birth of his baby boy.

England have had a good all round performance to get them as far as they have. But even with the momentum behind them, they will know that there is pressure on the team to address the fact that they do not have a major ICC Trophy on their mantle. If they can keep that pressure at bay and do what they have been doing so far, then their victory will depend on how the slightly more erratic Sri Lanka gear themselves for this momentous stage and crack England’s code.

Rest of the schedule is as follows:

Thu May 13

15:30 GMT |21:30 PST
1st Semi-Final - SRI LANKA V ENGLAND
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Fri May 14

5:30 GMT |21:30 PST
2nd Semi-Final - PAKISTAN V AUSTRALIA
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Sun May 16

15:30 GMT |21:30 PST
Final - SRI LANKA / ENGLAND V PAKISTAN / AUSTRALIA
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

ICC World Twenty20 - - Ajantha Mendis Will Be The Key to Sri Lankan Success Against England

GROS ISLET, May 12 - Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara could unleash versatile, young spinner Ajantha Mendis on an England team that has had little experience of playing the talented bowler.

The two teams meet in the semi-final of the Twenty20 World Cup on Thursday on a slow surface that could be well suited to spin.

Mendis, who bowls a mixed-up collection of orthodox off-spin and well disguised leg-breaks was left out of Sri Lanka's reshuffled line-up for Tuesday's dramatic last-ball win over India -- a result that sent them through.

Batsmen internationally have been getting used to reading Mendis's various deliveries but the English, who have only faced the 25-year-old once in last year's Champions Trophy, have hardly encountered him.

"We'll have to have a think about that, how that works with our combinations and batting. We would love him to play. I think he's a top quality spinner and England probably played him once," said Sangakkara.

"It's a realistic possibility but we've got other spinners, even part-timers who are pretty good," he said.

Another Sri Lankan threat to England's powerful batting line-up comes in the form of Lasith Malinga, whose slingy action produces deliveries that can skid-on and keep surprisingly low.

"A few of us have played against them. But it is obviously a slight concern," said England captain Paul Collingwood.

"Quite a lot of the guys haven't played against the angle of Malinga, his skiddiness, his change-ups -- and not many of us have played much against Mendis," he added.

The short format does not allow for players to get their 'eye in' against a new bowler so Collingwood is encouraging his players to watch video of the Sri Lankans.

"When guys are bowling 24 balls at you, you can't give yourself six or seven to get yourself in against them," he said.

"That's one of the things we need to make sure we overcome; we need to watch as much footage as possible and talk about it between ourselves.

"That's another great thing, we are communicating really well. Players who have played against them are passing tips on to the other guys and I think that's helping a lot."

Sangakkara though is hoping that the slower-paced surface will give Sri Lanka the edge.

"We would like to think so, we've got a lot of variation in our bowling attack. We will try to exploit that in these conditions but we've got to think of all the angles," he said.

ICC T20 World Cup 2010 - - Classy Mahela Jayawardene Writiing a Different Script For T20 Version of The Game

BRIDGETOWN: Prolific Sri Lanka batsman Mahela Jayawardene is proving that you do not have to be a slogger to be a run-getter in Twenty20.

The classy batsman has scored 81, 100 and 98 not out in his three innings at the Twenty20 World Cup to leave him with a tournament average of 139.5.



Sri Lanka's Australian coach Trevor Bayliss says the numbers do not lie.

"He is batting as well as everyone in the world knows he can bat," said Bayliss.

"Opening in the 20-overs game is really one of the only spots you can make a big score from and we have got a guy here who is used to making big scores, knows how to go about making big scores, not only in the shorter version but in Test matches as well.

"He is a classical style batsman who doesn't muscle away but still seems to time it pretty well away to the fence or over the fence. He is in a rich vein of form at the moment so hopefully that continues," he added.

On Friday Jayawardene, small in stature but high in experience with 110 Test matches and 317 one-day internationals to his name, showed his qualities again with a perfectly assembled innings.

Piercing the field with well-timed and beautifully executed drives, he was left just two runs short of a hundred.

In contrast to 'Made for T20' players wielding heavy wood, Jayawardene applies traditional skills in the modern context but, while clearly proud of his style, he refuses to criticise more unorthodox batsmen.

"For me, it is a contest between bat and ball and if you are batting with the back of the bat and you are getting runs, you are getting runs," he said.

"You shouldn't criticise the technique of any player. We need all these different players to take that game to a different level.

"I am enjoying it. For me it was about me pushing myself with my technique and ability to see how it would suit for me to play T20 cricket. Batting in the middle (order) was a challenge, I adapted and I did different things.

"But I think opening the batting has given me much more freedom to go out and express myself -- guys need to find that. Yes, I am scoring runs, you are not sure how long you are going to be in this game so every time I go out there I want to score runs.

"I haven't changed a lot but having said that I am playing a few more different shots than I am used to in one-day or Test cricket because of different tactics. You tend to analyse and see what works for you and what doesn't."

ICC T20 World Cup 2010 - - India Vs. Australia: Australia Set a Target of 185 for India

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Australia set a challenging total of 185 for India after Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to field against Australia in the teams' opening Super Eights match of the World Twenty20 at the Kensington Oval here on Friday.


India has to bat extraordinarily well to chase the target successfully. Actually India has to maintain an average of 9.25 from very first ball of their innings. Australian innings paced by their openers two W's, Warner and Watson. Shane Watson blazed six sixes in his 54 to get Australia off to a cracking start against India at the Kensington Oval.

Australia made one change to the team that beat Bangladesh by 27 runs here on Wednesday with left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson, passed fit after an elbow infection, replacing stand-in Ryan Harris.

India made three changes from the side that beat South Africa by 14 runs last time out with opening batsman Gautam Gambhir returning from a stomach illness in place of Dinesh Karthik.

Batsman Rohit Sharma replaced leg-spinner Piyush Chawla and left-arm quick Zaheer Khan came in for fellow paceman Praveen Kumar, out of this tournament with an abdominal injury.

Teams Combination are as follows:

India: 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 M Vijay, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra

Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 Brad Haddin (wk), 5 David Hussey, 6 Cameron White, 7 Michael Hussey, 8 Steven Smith, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Dirk Nannes, 11 Shaun Tait

ICC T20 World Cup 2010 Super-8 Stage - - Thanks to Blistering Knock by Pietersen; England Beat Pakistan Convincingly by 6 Wickets

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Kevin Pietersen eased England to a 6-wickets convincing victory over Pakistan in first match of the super-8 stage.

Earlier defending champions Pakistan made 147 for nine against England in the opening second round Super Eights match of the World Twenty20 at the Kensington Oval here on Thursday.

Pakistan, who were 71 for one, lost three wickets for six runs as they collapsed to 77 for four in the 11th over with captain and hard-hitting batsman Shahid Afridi run out first ball for nought.

They might have been in even worse trouble had not Umar Akmal been given a life on five when wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter missed a chance to stump him off left-arm spinner Michael Yardy, who still took an economical two wickets for nine runs from his maximum four overs.

Umar Akmal went on to make 30, off 25 balls, before he was well caught on the boundary by Kevin Pietersen, running round from long-on, off left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom.

England, who won the toss and fielded put the break on Pakistan's scoring rate until an expensive final over from seamer Tim Bresnan went for 15 runs, with tailender Saaed Ajmal striking a six over the wicketkeeper's head.


A second-wicket stand of 40 in five overs between opener Salman Butt, who top-scored with 34, and Mohammad Hafeez was ended when left-hander Butt drove off-spinner Graeme Swann hard but straight to England captain Paul Collingwood.

Hafeez followed soon afterwards for 18, taken by Stuart Broad at short third man off Yardy.

And next ball Afridi was run out after he pushed the ball straight to cover, set off for a non-existent single and was sent back before giving up as Kieswetter broke the stumps from Luke Wright's throw.

Pakistan made an ideal start with Kamran Akmal hooking the first ball, from Sidebottom, for six over long leg.

Butt was given a reprieve on 13 when he tried to guide Broad down to third man and was dropped by Kieswetter, who couldn't hold the difficult chance as he dived to his left.

But next ball Akmal was out for 15 after he top-edged a hook off Broad to give Kieswetter a much simpler catch.

England innings eased out by Pakistan poor fielding on the ground. Only Saeed Ajmal dropped three simple catches and Abdul Razzaq followed him by missing a crucial caught and bowled chance on his own bowling. He gave a new life to match winner, Kevin Pietersen, who ultimately took England to an easy victory.

English batsmen didn't miss the opportunity provided by sloppy fielding of the title defenders. The best among English batsmen was Kevin Pietersen; who was in superb touch and helped England catch up the target with 3 balls to spare. He made 70* run; while facing 52 balls.

For his brilliant winning knock; Kevin Pietersen declared man of the match. He was preferred over Michael Yardy; who earlier made life difficult for Pakistan batsmen and claimed two cheap wickets.

Pakistan will face black caps and England will take on South Africa on Saturday May 8, 2010 in the next Group E matches of the Super-8 Stage.

ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2010 - - Super-8 Fixture and Matches Schedule

The league phase in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup is finally over. In total, 8 teams qualified for the Super 8 stage. None of the four weak teams could cause any upset and only the strong teams made it to the Super 8.

The Super 8 matches will begin today. Pakistan will take on England at Bridgetown, Barbados in the first Super 8 match, while South Africa will take on New Zealand at the same venue in the second match.

Here are the Super Eight Groups:

Group E – Pakistan (A1), New Zealand (B2), South Africa (C1) and England (D2)

Group F – Australia (A2), Sri Lanka (B1), India (C2), and West Indies (D1)

Super Eights Fixture of ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2010 (Timing: PST - GMT+05:00)

6 May (18:30 PM) - Group E – Pakistan vs England (Bridgetown, Barbados)

6 May (22:30 PM) - Group E – South Africa vs New Zealand (Bridgetown, Barbados)

7 May (18:30 PM) - Group F – India vs Australia (Bridgetown, Barbados)

7 May (22:30 PM) - Group F – Sri Lanka vs West Indies (Bridgetown, Barbados)

8 May (18:30 PM) - Group E – New Zealand vs Pakistan (Bridgetown, Barbados)

8 May (22:30 PM) - Group E – England vs South Africa (Bridgetown, Barbados)

9 May (18:30 PM) - Group F – India vs West Indies (Bridgetown, Barbados)

9 May (22:30 PM) - Group F – Sri Lanka vs Australia (Bridgetown, Barbados)

10 May (18:30 PM) - Group E – South Africa vs Pakistan (St Lucia)

10 May (22:30 PM) - Group E – England vs New Zealand (St Lucia)

11 May (18:30 PM) - Group F – India vs Sri Lanka (St Lucia)

11 May (22:30 PM) - Group F – West Indies vs Australia (St Lucia)

Women's World Twenty20: West Indies Vs. South Africa - - Mistress Blaster, Deandra Dottin's Blistering 38-Balss Century Outclassed South Africa

BRIDGETOWN (Barbados): West Indies' Deandra Dottin wrote herself into cricket's record books by becoming the first women to score a century in a Twenty20 international on Wednesday.

The Barbadian made 112 against South Africa in the opening match of the women's World Twenty20 at Warner Park in St Kitts and needed just 38 balls to reach the landmark in an innings featuring nine sixes and five fours.


West Indies went on to beat South Africa by 17 runs.

Dottin's century was quicker than the corresponding men's Twenty20 record held by West Indies captain Chris Gayle, who also made a hundred in 50 balls also against South Africa in the opening match of ICC World Twenty20 in Johannesburg in 2007.

Her first fifty came in 25 balls and the second in a mere 13.

Dottin's sixth wicket partnership of 118 with Shanel Daley is also the highest in any male or female Twenty20 match beating the 77 set by Australia's Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey in Auckland in 2005.

West Indies' total of 175 for five was also the highest total by any women's team in this format.

Mean while South Africa's chase, in which Shandre Fritz scored 58, was the second highest score by a side batting second in women's Twenty20 cricket.

ICC T20 World Cup 2010 - - Dirk Nannes Best Bowling Claimed 4-18; As Bangladesh Crumbled by 27 Runs

Dirk Nannes claimed the best bowling figures by an Australian in a Twenty20 International as Australia recovered from a shaky start to grab a comfortable 27-run win over Bangladesh.

Wednesday's victory in Barbados, coupled with Australia's 34-run win over Pakistan in St Lucia three days earlier, means Michael Clarke's side have qualified for the Super Eight stage of the World T20 tournament.

Australia will take on India on Friday, Sri Lanka on Sunday in Barbados and on Tuesday they face hosts West Indies in St Lucia in a bid to progress to the semi-finals.

Left-arm quick Nannes took 4-18 to help Australia bowl Bangladesh out for 114 in 18.4 overs.

Australia were struggling at 6-65 in the 13th over before scrambling their way to a reasonable total of 7-141 from their 20 overs after choosing to bat first at Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Veteran David Hussey led the way with an unbeaten 47 from 29 deliveries alongside young allrounder Steve Smith showed maturity beyond his 20 years with an excellent knock of 27 from 18 balls.

Clarke, who struggled for his 16 off 21 balls, was part of a procession of early wickets as Australia's top six batsmen all failed to reach 20.

Hussey also took three outfield catches and won the man-of-the-match award, although Nannes was another worthy contender.

"Our top order obviously didn't perform as well as we'd like," Clarke said.

"The conditions were a lot different to St Lucia. We probably didn't adapt as well as we'd like.

"But to scrape our way to 141, Huss played a wonderful innings as he always seems to do when we're under pressure, and young Steve Smith batted really well.

"Our execution with the ball was spot on."

Defending a total of 7-141, Australia made a breakthrough in the opening over when Shaun Tait (1-15) removed Imrul Kayes for a duck.

Mohammad Ashraful fell for a duck in the next over and Nannes struck again twice in the fourth over of the innings with Bangladesh in massive trouble at 4-15.

Captain Shakib Al Hasan hit 28 and was out to a brilliant diving catch from Hussey at deep square leg at 5-63 from the bowling of leg-spinner Smith (2-29).

Spinner David Hussey (2-8) had Naeed Islam (seven) and Musfiqur Rahim (24) caught on the boundary and Smith bowled Shafiul Islam (16) as the dream started to fade for the Jamie Siddons-coached Bangladesh.

Australia had left out paceman Mitchell Johnson because of an elbow infection and recalled Ryan Harris (1-28). Johnson remains in doubt for Friday's match against India.

ICC T20 World Cup 2010 - - England managed to Reach Super-Eight Stage After Brilliant Knock from Eoin Morgan

PROVIDENCE, Guyana — England captain Paul Collingwood and Ireland counterpart William Porterfield both lauded Eoin Morgan's display in their rain-marred World Twenty20 clash.

Without former Ireland batsman Morgan's 45, England - who went through to the second round because of a superior run-rate to that of the Irish - would have struggled to reach their final total of 120 for eight.

It was the left-hander's second impressive innings in as many days after he'd also top scored with 55 out of a total of 191 against the West Indies here on Monday.

England lost to the West Indies by eight wickets under the Duckworth/Lewis method after rain left the home side with a revised target of 60 in six overs.

Meanwhile rain prevented either side winning at all in the England-Ireland match, with fewer than four overs, as opposed to the minimum five needed for a result under tournament rules, possible in Ireland's reply.

But the worth of Morgan's innings was that, although the points were shared for a no result washout, England qualified for the Super Eights as runners-up to the West Indies in Group D on superior run-rate after Ireland were dismissed for a tournament record low of 68 by the hosts last week.

And because the Dubliner's runs against both the West Indies and Ireland were made in the first innings there was no way anyone could have known for certain how downpours would give them a different context.

Morgan, who three years ago appeared for Ireland against England at the World Cup in the Caribbean, changed allegiance to pursue a goal of playing Test cricket, a level to which his homeland aspires but has yet to reach.

Collingwood, dismissed for nought against Ireland, for one was very glad the 23-year-old Morgan was now a team-mate and no longer an opponent.

"He's a very versatile player. He's got the power, he can play all the shots but he's also got a good mind and that's what you need in the middle order," Collingwood said of the Middlesex batsman.

"You've got to adjust to the situation, and he seems to be reading it pretty well," he added. "I'm absolutely delighted the way Morgs is going and progressing as a player."

His comments were backed up by Porterfield, who said: "I've played against him (Morgan) a few times, but it is a bit different when he's out in the middle in a big game like that.

"Especially over the last six to eight months, he's kicked on big time."

Collingwood, who'd fumed about the Duckworth-Lewis method for rain-affected matches after Monday's loss, said: "I guess the rain's come around today (Tuesday) at a time that's got us through to the next stage.

Meanwhile Porterfield was proud of the way Ireland played after a potentially morale-shattering loss to the West Indies.

"The way we came out today, after Friday's disappointment, was great. If we can take that into every game, we'll go places."

ICC T20 World Cup 2010 - - India Vs. South Africa: India Won by 14 Runs As Suresh Raina Shines With a Brilliant Century

GROS ISLET, Saint Lucia: Opener Suresh Raina’s brilliant century helped India set a huge target of 187 runs for South Africa here on Sunday.


After South Africa captain Graeme Smith won the toss and elected to field, the Indians piled up 186 runs for the loss of five wickets in the allotted 20 overs at the Beausejour Stadium.

Raina's century, 101 off 60 balls, was the centre-piece of India's big total in the Group ‘C’ match. He smashed five sixes and nine fours and became only the third batsman to score a Twenty20 international century.

Only West Indies' Chris Gayle and New Zealand's Brendon McCullum had previously made centuries at this level.

Together with Yuvraj Singh (37) he added 88 runs in 10 overs for the third wicket partnership after the pair came together with India 32 for two in the sixth over.

However, no other batsman could make any good contribution in an effort to accelerate the run-rate.

South African pacer Rory Kleinveldt claimed two wickets while Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis and Albie Morkel took one wicket each.

India made two changes from the side that beat Afghanistan by seven wickets here on Saturday.

Opening batsman Gautam Gambhir was ruled out with stomach illness and his place was taken by Dinesh Karthik.

And, in a tactical switch, leg-spinner Piyush Chawla replaced fast bowler Zaheer Khan.

This was South Africa's first match of the tournament and the Proteas opted to use the big-hitting Loots Bosman as captain Graeme Smith's partner at the top of the order.

In South African Innings; they never seen in control despite a brave effort by AB Devilliers, who made 31 off 15 before getting out to Nehra in the last over.

Harbajan started bowling for India and made every run difficult for Proteas. Jack Kallis also struggled with the big shots and couldn't get South Africa out of the trouble.

According to Graeme Smith "We have to learn a lot to bowl tight in the death overs", in post-match presentation talking to Ravi Shastri. He clearly pointed towards the last five overs of Indian innings in which India piled massive 75 runs.

No doubt about the man of the match; Suresh Raina for his brilliant century. In his comments he added that he was advised to play up to the last over to set the maximum target.

Now India is on top of the table in group with 4 points; winning both of its matches.

ICC T20 World Cup 2010 - - Pakistan Vs.Bangladesh: Afridi Looking Forward to the Match Against Australia After Winning Their Opener by 21 Runs

GROS ISLET: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has insisted revenge will not be on his mind when his side face Australia in the World Twenty20 on Sunday.

Defending champions Pakistan began their title defence with a 21-run win over Bangladesh at the Beausejour Stadium on Saturday.


But they are a much changed side from the one that beat Sri Lanka in last year's World Twenty20 final at Lord's.

That is mainly because of the fall-out from their recent tour of Australia where Pakistan failed to win in three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20.

Even by Pakistani standards, the fall-out was dramatic with former captains Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan receiving indefinite bans for infighting.

Meanwhile Shoaib Malik and Naved-ul-Hasan were both suspended for a year while Afridi and the Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar, were fined and put on probation for six months each.

In Australia, Afridi received a two-match Twenty20 ban for ball-tampering, caused by bizarrely chewing on the ball, in a one-day international in Perth.

But Afridi insisted he was in no mood to put one over the Aussies on Sunday, saying: "Winning and losing is something different but I want my team to play good cricket.

"The guys here are feeling good and are very united. These guys here are my big players."

Afridi hailed opener Salman Butt's performance against Bangladesh.

Saturday's success was built on an opening stand of 142 between Kamran Akmal and Butt, who both made 73.


But it was left-hander Butt who won the man-of-the-match award after a 46-ball innings featuring two sixes and eight fours.

His stylish knock was full of genuine cricket shots and he rarely resorted to crude slogging.

"When we had our camp back home, I saw him in the practice games and he played very well," Afridi said.

"I thought maybe he was going to the West Indies with me but I don't think he will get a chance. But when I saw him he was batting very well, especially in the first six overs, and I told Salman Butt 'you are my main guy.'

"He was playing proper shots as well. In the six overs, you don't need two (Sanath) Jayasuriyas, two (Virender) Sehwags or two Afridis," added the Pakistan captain as he listed some of the biggest hitters in world cricket.

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan was disappointed not to be playing Australia at Beausejour rather than in Barbados, where the expected livelier pitch is set to be in favour of the Aussies' pace attack.

"Pakistan have a very important game tomorrow and mathematically there's still a possibility (that Bangladesh can qualify for the Super Eights)," all-rounder Shakib said.

"In Barbados there will be bounce and carry. We would have loved to have played Australia here."

ICC T20 World Cup - - India Vs. Afghanistan: India Eased Past 7-Wickets Victory Over Debutant Afghanistan

India opened their Twenty20 World Cup campaign with a comfortable seven-wicket win over debutants Afghanistan on Saturday.

The part-timers from Afghanistan were outclassed in every department but posted a respectable total of 115 for eight thanks to 50 from opener Noor Ali and 30 by Asghar Stanikzai.

Despite losing three wickets, India had few problems reaching their target with 31 balls to spare. Murali Vijay top-scored with a brisk 48 that featured three sixes.

India play their next Group C match against South Africa on Sunday while Afghanistan meet the South Africans on Wednesday. The top two teams advance.

ICC T20 World Cup Match 2: West Indies Vs. Ireland - - 70-Runs Victory for The Hosts Despite An Encouraging Peformance by 17-year-old Spinner Dockrell

The hosts were 93-6 with four overs remaining in Guyana after Dockrell had taken 3-16 with his slow left-arm.

But Darren Sammy clicked into gear with 30 off 17 balls to help them achieve a respectable enough total of 138-9.

It was the St Lucian's night as he took 3-7 and held four catches as Ireland crumbled to a dismal 68 all out.

In the first match of the same group that also features Paul Collingwood's England, West Indies won the toss - and as Sri Lanka had done on the same wicket four hours earlier elected to bat first.

But whereas Sri Lanka were unable to defend their score of 135-6, overhauled as they were by New Zealand in a final-over thriller, the Windies ultimately beat the Irish underdogs with total comfort.

Windies skipper Chris Gayle missed the match after straining a buttock muscle, and injury also robbed them of two important bowlers in Sulieman Benn and Jerome Taylor.

Their top five batsmen all got starts, but then got out to give the Irish reason for optimism.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul top-edged a pull in the third over but Dwayne Bravo was unlucky to be caught and bowled by Alex Cusack from a confident drive which bounced off the Irishman's chest and rolled up his leg before being taken.

Dockrell took two wickets in an over when lofted drives were safely taken inside the boundary ropes, and picked up a third through a Niall O'Brien catch at the wicket - after Boyd Rankin had removed Narsingh Deonarine.

But just as Ireland threatened the unthinkable - three years after beating Pakistan in the World Cup - Sammy reignited the Windies innings in timely fashion as 32 runs came in the space of two overs, bowled by Rankin and the experienced Trent Johnston.

Sammy hit two fours and two sixes in that time, while Kieron Pollard added a classy boundary of his own.

And though neither man lasted until the finish, the momentum had shifted.

Sammy took an excellent slip catch from the second ball of Ireland's innings to remove Will Porterfield, and then accepted an easy offering inside the ring when Paul Stirling's attempted pull off Ravi Rampaul went wrong.

Either side of a 30-minute rain break, Rampaul picked up two further wickets as Ireland were rapidly overwhelmed.

In desperation, Kevin O'Brien launched a big shot as soon as Sammy came into the attack, but unerringly picked out long-on.

There was no respite for the batsmen as the wickets were shared around, and the highest scorer was extras, with 19.

Fittingly, the last wicket came when Sammy had Dockrell caught behind for the second lowest total in Twenty20 internationals with 20 balls remaining.

Ireland skipper Porterfield said afterwards: "We were right in it at half time, it was just disappointing with the bat.

"We lost four wickets in the first 21 balls. We were right on the back foot from there and the wicket was always going to get lower and harder to score on.

"We can be pretty positive about the way young George Dockrell bowled and it could be a straight shoot-out between ourselves and England when we play them."

West Indies stand-in skipper Bravo said: "My team-mates made my job very easy, they gave me a lot of information and I am very happy that we won our first game.

"I know Sammy is a clean hitter of the ball. I always had faith in the lower order and knew once we got over 130 it would be difficult for Ireland.

"With Darren and also Nikita Miller bowling it was always going to be very hard for them to get past us if we put the balls in the right areas."

ICC T20 World Cup Match 1: New Zealand Vs. Sri Lanka - - Nail-Biting Opener Ends Up With Kiwi's Victory With 2 Wickets

Breaking News: In an exciting start to the ICC T20 World Cup, New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 2 wickets with a ball to spare. It was a battle of nerves, which finally went in favour of the Kiwis.


Earlier, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first at Providence Stadium, Providence, Guyana. As usual, the wicket played slow and Sri Lanka could manage just 135/6 in 20 overs.

Mahela Jayawardene was the top scorer with 81 off 51 balls, while Dinesh Chandimal made 29. For New Zealand, Shane Bond took 2 wickets.

Chasing a victory target of 136, New Zealand lost McCullum in the very first over. Jesse Ryder batted superbly and made 42 off 27 balls. Other batsmen did not make good contribution.

Although none of the Kiwis played a match-winning score and Sri Lanka was cruising towards a victory, Nathan McCullum made the difference towards the end. He hit an unbeaten 16 off 6 balls to see New Zealand through. He had taken one wicket too.

New Zealand reached 139/8 in 19.5 overs and won by two wickets. For Sri Lanka, Muttiah Muralitharan tok 2 wickets. Nathan McCullum was declared "Man of the Match".

ICC World Twenty20 2010 Kicking Off Today - - New Zeamand Vs. Sri Lanka: Match Preview

On the face of things, one might feel that the organisers of the World Twenty20 made a surprising choice when they scheduled New Zealand v Sri Lanka as the first match today.

But when you look closer, Sri Lanka can boast some of the world's most exciting talents (Tillekeratne Dilshan, Lasith Malinga) while New Zealand may claim to the leading batsman and bowler in Twenty20 internationals.



Daniel Vettori’s economy rate of 5.42 makes him the hardest bowler in the world to get away, while Brendon McCullum is miles clear of the opposition in the run-charts, almost 30 per cent ahead of Kevin Pietersen in second place.

“I’ve developed quite a passion for Twenty20,” McCullum told Telegraph Sport. “The game certainly suits my style of play. Maybe people inside the UK might think that it’s a lottery, but there’s more to it than that. I guess there’s a little bit of luck involved, and maybe a little bit of skill.”

McCullum shares the record for the fastest international Twenty20 hundred with Chris Gayle (both men reached the landmark off just 50 balls). But the innings he will always be remembered for is his extraordinary 158 not out in the very first Indian Premier League match two years ago.

That knock must have put millions on the market value of the IPL, but it also proved to be something of an albatross for McCullum himself.

“It was one of those nights when all the stars align, and you end up feeling completely satisfied,” he says now. “The trouble was that for the next couple of years I found myself trying to play a similar innings every time I went out to bat, and that can certainly have its inconsistencies.

“If you’re immature as a cricketer and you put yourself in a position where you do something special it’s very tough to back that up. Maybe it’s best not to set out looking to hit 20 boundaries in every innings. The innings I played against Australia the other day [of 116 not out] was just as good if not better.”

With McCullum on one team this afternoon and Dilshan on the other, we will see the world’s two finest exponents of the scoop-over-the-keeper shot. McCullum plays it so well that he is entitled to feel aggrieved about its new nickname, “The Dilscoop”. But the shot he really envies is one played played by an England batsman.

“The craziest shot I ever saw was actually in a one-day game, rather than a Twenty20," he says. "Kevin Pietersen lined up a switch-hit off Scotty Styris. That was phenomenal. I have been practising my scoop shot but the switch-hit is one I simply cannot play.”

ICC Twenty20 World Cup, 2010 in West Indies - - Prospective Effects on Caribbean Cricket

Just a week before the start of the Twenty20 World Cup, 2010 in the Caribbean, a former West Indies captain and world class batsman, Sir Vivian Richards, has chided the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the regional players who he said have lost sight of the great legacy of Caribbean cricket.

Twelve countries are participating in the tournament, which bowls off on Friday April 30 in Guyana, with West Indies opposing Ireland and Sri Lanka doing battle with New Zealand.

The other participating teams are: England, India, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, and Afghanistan.

This is the first time that Afghanistan is participating in world class cricket competition.

This is the second Twenty/20 World Cup tournament. The first was won by India, and it is the second World Cup tournament to be played in the Caribbean. The first was the World Cup 2007 (50 overs).

The West Indies were known to be the world champions three decades ago, having won the first two World Cup Tournaments in the 1970s in England, but the game has been slipping away from the Caribbean and the attitude of players has angered many past players and fans.

Richards, who retired from international cricket nearly two decades ago, said, "I honestly believe that we have lost respect in that particular manner for the legacy and when you lose that, you're not quite sure what you're out here for, you're lost."

The Master Blaster said that one of his greatest concerns is the longstanding acrimony between the WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), which has threatened for several years now to derail regional cricket.

Both the WIICB and the players were blamed for the state of affairs that now exists. He said, "To me, if players have a Board they can trust well enough, they're doing the right thing for the Board, I don't think we have the right environment for that." He added that he feels the players also need to show their West Indian pride.

It seems to me that cricket fans in the region, even the "die hard", do not show much interest in the game as yesteryear

The question is what can be done to bring back the glory. It seems to me that the players of today do not have personal pride and the game at heart, and what is disturbing is that they are well paid as compared to the olden days of Garfield Sobers, Wes Hall, Rohan Kanhai and others who had raw talent, faced the fieriest bowlers without helmets. More so, they have all so many coaches, advisors, medical personnel, and even modern technology

The West Indies are struggling at the bottom of the ladder and, unless there is a change of attitude, they might be kicked out of Test Cricket and be placed in the second tier of international competition. a move which would make Sir Learie Constantine, George Headley, Sir Frank Worrell, and other West Indian greats turn in their graves.

Richards said that the players today have no idea what they are playing for, and that they are not familiar with the great history of the game in the region.

However, a few senior players in the current West Indies team, including former captain, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who is the most reliable player in the game today, are optimistic that the home team will perform well, and if possible win the tournament. We will have to wait and see.

Twenty four matches will be played during the Twenty/20 tournament before the two semi finals and the final.

The venues are Guyana, St Lucia and Barbados.

The two semi finals will be played in St Lucia on Thursday and Friday, May 13 and 14, while the final takes place at the famous Kensington Oval, in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Heart-Break For Rookie Fast Bowler Muhammad Irfan As Sami, Abdul Rehman Included in T20 World Cup Squad

LAHORE – The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt has approved Mohammad Sami and Abdur Rehman as replacement injured Umar Gul and Yasir Arafat in the Pakistan T20 team for the World Twenty20 championship.

Earlier, chief selector Mohsin Khan recommended the names of Mohammad Sami and rookie Mohammad Irfan as replacement for injured players but it was learnt that the ICC did not allow Irfan to be named as replacement because he was not among the provisional 30 players given by the PCB.

To avoid getting into further controversy and shun player’s power, the PCB brought in Rehman because Pakistan T20 captain Shahid Afridi wanted to have Irfan in the team while young Shahzaib Hassan’s name to was also doing the rounds. But now the PCB has announced Sami and Rehman to replace the injured Umer Gul and Yasir Arafat for ICC World Twenty-20 and the names have been approved by Chairman PCB.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is hoping unheralded fast bowler Muhammad Irfan gets the go-ahead for the World Twenty20 Championship beginning in Guyana from April 30.

Shahid Afridi feels the 6ft 8inch tall Irfan can be a “surprise weapon” for Pakistan in the tournament.



But even after voting in favour of picking the 27-year-old left-arm pacer from Gaggu Mandi as a replacement for injured all-rounder Yasir Arafat, Afridi is unsure whether Irfan will be able to leave with the touring party April 24.

Sachin Tendulkar's Absence From T20 World Cup is a Relief for Rival Teams - - Pakistan Skipper Shahid Afridi Said

KARACHI, March 28 - Sachin Tendulkar's refusal to return to Twenty20 cricket for next month's World Cup is a relief to India's rivals, Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi said.

India's master batsman quit the format in 2007 but has been in superb form in the Indian Premier League.

Several leading figures have asked him to return for the tournament in the West Indies but the 36-year-old recently ruled out the possibility.

"The way he has blossomed in the last few years he is only getting better and better as a batsman," Afridi told Sunday's Times of India.

"If Tendulkar had played in this World Cup I am sure he would have made a big impact. If he is not playing... it is certainly a big advantage for other teams.

"I think even in T20 cricket you need to bat properly and at times even playing out 20 overs is a big challenge for a team. You need to play orthodox cricket."

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Increased T20 Match Fee and Offered Bonus, as Well, to Boost The Player's Morale Before T20 World Cup

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board, in an apparent bid to boost the players` morale before they defend the Twenty20 World Cup title in the West Indies, has increased their match fees and offered them bonus as well.

In the new central contracts awarded to the players, the Board has increased the match fees of all the three categories for the 20-over format.

"The Board has not increased the match fees for Test or one-day internationals that remain the same as last year," one source in the PCB said.

The match fees for T20 matches has been increased for `A` category players from Rs 150,000 to 250,000, for `B` category players from Rs 100,000 to 200,000 and for `C` category from Rs 75,000 to 150,000.

The match fees for Tests and ODIs remain the same, which are for `A` category Rs 350,000 and 300,000, for `B` category Rs 300,000 and 250,000 and for `C` category Rs 250,000 and 200,000 respectively.

The Twenty20 World Cup will commence from April 30.

The Board has also offered other financial incentives to players including a bonus of 300 per cent of their total match fees for winning an ICC event, 200 per cent bonus for winning a one-day or Test series against India or any top-four team.

The Board has also introduced individual incentives like a prize of Rs 100,000 for a run out, or a bonus of Rs 300,000 for scoring a Test century and 500,000 for making a double hundred.

ICC World Twenty20, West Indies 2010 - - World Cup Schedule and Fixtures

ICC T20 World Cup 2010 will be held in the West Indies from 30 April to 16 May 2010. People are searching for T20 World Cup Schedule & Twenty20 World Cup Fixtures and Selection. So here is a details the Schedule of 2010 Twenty20 World Cup.

Fixtures and Schedule: The three countries in West Indies will be hosting the competition on 2010. Guyana, St. Lucia and Barbados will be hosting all the total of 27 matches. The series will be played in same format as in 2009 T20 World Cup.

The finals on May 16 2010 will be hosted by Barbados. Here is the complete fixtures and schedule of T20 World Cup 2010:

Group Division:

Group A: Pakistan (A1), Bangladesh (A2), Australia

Group B: Sri Lanka (B1), New Zealand (B2), Zimbabwe

Group C: South Africa (C1), India (C2), Qualifier One

Group D: West Indies (D1), England (D2), Qualifier Two

According to worldoftimepass‘ ICC 2010 Worldcup Twenty20 Schedule:

Fri 30: 1st Match, Group D – West Indies v TBC
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Fri 30 : 2nd Match, Group B – Sri Lanka v New Zealand
Providence Stadium, Guyana

May-2010

Sat 01 : 3rd Match, Group C – India v TBC
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Sat 01 : 4th Match, Group A – Pakistan v Bangladesh
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Sat 01 : 5th Match, Group D – England v TBC
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Sun 02 : 8th Match, Group B – New Zealand v Zimbabwe
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Sun 02 : 7th Match, Group A – Pakistan v Australia
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Sun 02 : 6th Match, Group C – India v South Africa
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Mon 03 : 9th Match, Group D – West Indies v England
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Mon 03 : 10th Match, Group B – Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Tue 04 : 11th Match, Group C – South Africa v TBC
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Tue 04 : 12th Match, Group A – Australia v Bangladesh
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Thu 06 : 14th Match – C1 v B2
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Thu 06 : 13th Match – A1 v D2
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Fri 07 : 15th Match – A2 v C2
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Fri 07 : 16th Match – B1 v D1
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Sat 08 : 17th Match – C1 v D2
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Sat 08 : 18th Match – A1 v B2
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Sun 09 : 19th Match – C2 v D1
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Sun 09 : 20th Match – B1 v A2
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Mon 10 : 22nd Match – A1 v C1
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Mon 10 : 21st Match – B2 v D2
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Tue 11 : 23rd Match – B1 v C2
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Tue 11 : 24th Match – D1 v A2
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Thu 13 : 1st Semi-Final – TBC v TBC
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Fri 14 : 2nd Semi-Final – TBC v TBC
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Sun 16 : The Final – TBC v TBC
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados