World Cup Updates For India, Pakistan and other Teams

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Bangladesh in Super Eights



Bangladesh made history when they qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup second round with a seven-wicket victory over debutants Bermuda on Sunday and eliminated India in the process.

It was Bangladesh's best-ever performance in the tournament since making their Cup debut in England in 1999. They failed to go beyond the first round in England and then again in the next edition in 2003 in South Africa.

Bangladesh's second win in the four-team Group B also knocked former champions India out of the tournament. Sri Lanka have already advanced to the Super Eights with an all-win record.

India had already finished their group campaign with one win and two defeats and their slim hopes rested on an unlikely Bermudian win. The Cup debutants lost of their three matches.

Bangladesh had to face many anxious moments chasing a rain-revised target of 96 in the 21-overs-a-side game before entering the next round.

They survived a three-wicket burst from new-ball bowler Saleem Mukuddem before man-of-the-match Mohammad Ashraful (29 not out) and teenager Saqibul Hasan (26 not out) completed the job in semi-darkness at the Queen's Park Oval.

"We were a little bit nervous chasing the target as it was a very important match for us. Then, Ashraful and Saiqbul batted very well," said Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar.

"I am delighted as the boys showed a positive approach. I hope we continue to perform in the next round. We have been playing good cricket in the tournament. The win has given us confidence to do well in the Super Eights."

Ashraful admitted it had been a challenging run chase.

"It was very difficult to bat as the ball was moving around a lot," said Ashraful.

"But I knew that if I stayed at the wicket and could score 30 runs that we would win."

Mukuddem grabbed three wickets in his lively opening spell to send Bangladesh reeling at 37-3 in the pressure game, but he lacked support from the other end.

Saqibul sparked celebrations in the Bangladeshi camp when he lofted left-arm spinner Dwayne Leverock over mid-on for the winning four. He put on 59 for the unfinished fourth-wicket stand with Ashraful.

Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak earlier bagged three wickets to raise Bangladesh's hopes of posting a crucial win. He finished with 3-20 to help his team restrict Bermuda to a modest total.

Fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza and left-arm spinner Saqibul each took two wickets to provide valuable support.

Dean Minors top-scored for Bermuda with 23. Opener Oliver Pitcher made 22 and Lionel Cann smashed 16 off just six balls with one six and two fours. Pitcher was later stretchered off the field while attempting to take a catch.

Bashar won a good toss in overcast conditions and had no hesitation in putting Bermuda in to bat. The move clicked as Mortaza grabbed two early wickets to put the opposition in a spot.

Mortaza struck in his opening over when he had Stephen Outerbridge caught by Mohammad Rafique at fine-leg before accounting for Delyone Borden, who was held by Bashar at mid-off.

Bermuda suffered a big setback when they lost David Hemp (nought), the only professional in their ranks. Hemp, who *****ed a half-century against India, was caught at Aftab Ahmed at point off left-arm seamer Syed Rasel.

The debutants were reduced to 35-4 in the 11th over when Razzak trapped skipper Irvine Romaine leg-before for 11.

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Lara picks Akram over McGrath



Statistics might soon suggest Glenn McGrath has been the best bowler in World Cup history but Brian Lara, a well-qualified judge, does not agree. McGrath claimed 3 for 31 against West Indies on Wednesday to take his World Cup tally to 54 wickets – one short of Wasim Akram’s mark – from four campaigns.

Should McGrath break the record in the next game he will have hit the mark from 33 matches – three fewer than it took Akram to reach 55 dismissals. Lara, however, knows who he would rather take guard against. "For me over my 15 or 16 years of playing international cricket, Tests and one-day internationals, Wasim Akram is definitely the most outstanding bowler I've ever faced," he told AFP.

"If you play a number of World Cup matches - McGrath has been to the final in the last three World Cups, 1996, 1999 and 2003 - that means he has played a lot of games. But it doesn't take away from the fact he is an outstanding fast bowler and he deserves to be up there with the very best."

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Sponsors join India and Pakistan at the exit



Fans in India and Pakistan are not the only ones complaining about their early World Cup departures. Major sponsors such as Pepsi are apparently rethinking their marketing campaigns based around the two sides, while advertisers in India have demanded cheaper television spots.

"We are sunk," Rajmohan Singh, a Delhi-based advertising executive, told AFP. "No one wants to advertise any more. Is there a World Cup going on? Where? My figures don't show that."

LG Electronics said it was reconsidering its global partnership with the ICC. "Our requirements were different when we signed up with cricket seven years ago," LG's Indian spokesman, Girish Rao, said. "Today, we have lot of visibility being the No. 2 brand in the Indian market. But a final decision will be taken by our parent company."

Sony Entertainment Television, which is broadcasting the tournament into India, said it was struggling to keep its advertisers. "It is a commercial contract and has to be honoured," Naresh Chahal, an official with the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, said. "When India reached the final in 2003, did Sony ask advertisers to pay a higher amount on sealed deals?"

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The man of the match is...



The dramatic conclusion to South Africa's one-wicket win against Sri Lanka led to confusion all round. At the man-of-the-match presentation Charl Langeveldt was handed the honour for his 5 for 39 (never mind the balls he survived at the end). But a few hours later the ICC apologised to Sri Lanka when it emerged that Lasith Malinga should have been jointly handed the award.

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Kumble set to retire from one-dayers


Anil Kumble is set to announce his retirement from one-day cricket on Friday, March 30, at a function organised by the Karnataka State Cricket Association. News of the function, to be held at its M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, ends speculation over whether or not Kumble would hang up his coloured India shirt.


The speculation began soon after India's exit from the World Cup when various media sources harked back to an interview Kumble had given to CNN-IBN, the television news channel, before the team left for the West Indies. Kumble had said that this would be his last World Cup, and "probably" his last one-day tournament.


The official announcement, when it comes, will take no one by surprise, as Kumble (36) has been in and out of the one-day team in recent times. A recurring shoulder injury that has often needed pain-killing injections prompted Kumble to concentrate on Test matches at the expense of one-day tournaments He pulled out of the recent home series against West Indies and Sri Lanka, paving the way for Harbhajan Singh and Ramesh Powar to get a go. It was understood, among those that mattered in Indian cricket, that Kumble would be used sparingly and then brought back for the World Cup, where his experience could prove critical.


That said, Kumble played in just one match in the Caribbean, picking up 3 for 38 against Bermuda. Harbhajan was preferred over Kumble as the lone spinner in India's matches against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, both of which they lost.


A giant of a matchwinner in Tests, Kumble's efficacy in the limited-overs version of the game has fallen away somewhat in the recent past, especially since he lost a bit of pace and zip after suffering a career-threatening shoulder injury in 2001. However, his overall numbers still make for very good reading: 337 wickets from 271 matches at an average of 30.89 and an economy rate of 4.30. His best figures, 6 for 12, came in the final of the Hero Cup against West Indies, at Kolkata, which India won.

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Shields: it is "categorically" a murder investigation



Mark Shields, Jamaica's deputy commissioner of police, told the media on Thursday that Bob Woolmer could have been strangled with some sort of fabric - possibly a hotel towel - which would help explain why no marks were found on his neck.


Speculation has intensified in the last few days over Woolmer's death, with some beginning to question whether he was in fact murdered. The lack of marks of the neck has been put forward as one of the oddities in the case, but Shields reiterated that it was "categorically" a murder investigation.


"If it's some form of manual strangulation and there are no physical marks on the neck of the victim, therefore there may have been something between the hands of the assailant and the neck of the victim," he said. "That is as far as I will go."


Shields also said that examination of the CCTV from the night of Woolmer's death had now been analysed and that the police now had images of everyone who had been in the Pegasus Hotel's 12th-floor corridor.


However, he admitted that there was still uncertainty over the time Woolmer had been attacked. All that was known for sure was that he sent an email sometime between 8pm and 9pm, and that he had also ordered room service during that period. "Until I establish an exact time of death it is very difficult to tie down when we should be looking at the tape," he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Ere Seshiah, the pathologist who carried out the autopsy on Woolmer's body, spoke out after increasing speculation that his conclusions were open to doubt.

"Questions are always there but I'm confident of my ability," he said. "I worked on this post mortem for two hours. I did a complete post mortem and arrived at a cause of death. Then I prepared my report and handed it over to the top police command. I did the best of my abilities and so did my team. We did our best."

Shields earlier said that he had no reason to doubt Dr Seshiah's findings and stressed that there were additional factors which had not been made public that backed up the case that Woolmer had been murdered.

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Malinga's hat-trick and South Africa's edge
Review Of Match.




Where dem hats?

Charl Langeveldt didn't get his chance, picking up wickets four and five with the last two balls of his spell, while Muttiah Muralitharan was denied by Justin Kemp deflecting one off the pad to short leg. Lasith Malinga though got it right, even if it was hat-trick interruptus. Shaun Pollock was cleaned up by a slower ball - by Malinga's standards anyway - and Andrew Hall lobbed the last ball of his eighth over to cover. Chaminda Vaas gave up a single to Kallis in the next over, and after a toe-touch and stretch, Malinga ran in to spear one outside off stump. Kallis went for it, got the edge, and tried to con the umpire by standing there. No cigar. Hat-trick for Malinga, and it got even better a ball later.


Anything coach can do

Chamara Silva's judgement of a run wasn't quite the best, but few were prepared for what followed. Herschelle Gibbs picked up the ball and started to sprint to the stumps, with Silva only slightly quicker to turn than the QE II. Within range, and with Silva comfortably adrift of the crease, Gibbs dived into the stumps like a rugby winger over the try-line. Up in the players' balcony, a fielding coach was watching. His name? Jonty Rhodes.



Oranges are not the only fruit?

You hear of peaches, but it was a Jaffa that Vaas came up with early in the South African innings. Pitched outside the line of off stump, it had AB de Villiers poking forward hesitantly. He never had a chance. The ball jagged back so sharply that it brushed the pad on its way to clipping the top of middle stump.

Bring it on

No matter how awry his direction may be at times, Malinga rarely compromises on pace. His thunderbolts were expected to play a major part in Sri Lanka's campaign, but thus far it hadn't quite gone to plan. Having already got some tap from Graeme Smith, he hurled one down at 88.2 mph. Another foot further, and it might have been the perfect yorker. As it was, it was right in Smith's hitting zone, and the ball raced to the sightscreen even before Malinga had uncoiled himself from his follow-through.


An edge will do

By the time Malinga stepped up for his final over, it was time to bring out the Imodium in the South African dressing room. And seldom will have an outside edge been celebrated quite like it was when Robin Peterson just about managed to get bat to another express delivery. The ball streaked to third man and Peterson demolished the stumps at the bowlers' end in celebration, leaving Sri Lanka to ponder their own late collapse.



Plastic eyesore

It's easy for an outsider to watch on TV and pass judgement on the abysmal crowds at some of these World Cup games. This was the first match to be played at a new stadium, and a near-full house might have been expected. But when the cheapest seats in the house cost US$25 (5000 Guyanese dollars) - those on the grassy mound, which was fairly full - and the next lot cost either US$75 or 100, you can't really blame the average Guyanese for staying away. The three big stands were largely huge swathes of shiny plastic, and if such eyesores are to be avoided, the ICC and the local organisers need to take a long hard look at prices that would put a tout to shame. For the record, 5,220 trooped through the gates.

Seen and heard

As the wickets tumbled, the few South African in the stands and the media enclosure looked dazed. Cricket's consummate chokers have crumbled under pressure before, and there was a certain macabre thrill in witnessing the latest episode. Perhaps it was appropriate that a fringe player hit the winning runs, instead of those who have been there and choked that.

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SA escape Malinga’s four-in-four magic


Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga became the first man to take four wickets in four balls in an international match before South Africa scrambled a one-wicket win in an ICC CWC Super Eights match at Providence here on Wednesday.

"It was pretty stressful," admitted South Africa captain Graeme Smith.

"I even caught one or two of the guys having a cigarette!"

South Africa were heading for a comfortable win, with four runs needed and five wickets in hand to reach a target of 210 when Malinga yorked Shaun Pollock with the fifth ball of his eighth over.

Andrew Hall then scooped a catch to cover off the next ball.

Jacques Kallis took a single off the next over from Chaminda Vaas but was then caught behind for 86 off the first ball of Malinga's ninth over.

Makhaya Ntini had his stumps scattered by a fast yorker as Malinga became the first bowler in one-day international history to take four wickets off successive balls.

Charl Langeveldt, who earlier took a career-best five for 39 as Sri Lanka limped to 209 all out, scrambled a single off Malinga before Robin Peterson edged a boundary to clinch a crucial win for South Africa.

Smith said his team had dominated 95 overs of the match.

"We always knew it was going to be a difficult chase. It was a very good effort on our part to restrict them to 209 and then chase the way we did. Bar the last five overs I think we were very good today."

The win relieved some of the pressure on South Africa, whose 83-run defeat against Australia in St Kitts Saturday meant they entered the Super Eight phase without any points.

It also ensured that South Africa would collect a 150,000-dollar bonus as the world's number one-ranked team as they cannot be topped by the April 1 cut-off for the International Cricket Councils championship ratings.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene was philosophical about the defeat, his team's first in the tournament.

"The way we batted wasn't very pleasing. We didn't deserve to win. But Malinga's heroics showed that we don't give up."

Jayawardene, who delayed taking the final power play until the 45th over, when Malinga took his first two wickets, admitted that Sri Lanka were not in the game until the wickets started to fall.

"We never had a chance. So when he took his wickets I just told him to enjoy it and not put a lot of pressure on himself."

Smith said that despite the late collapse it was a key win for South Africa.

"We have won a tight game and in the last while we have been in tight games a number of times and have won them. It hasn't always happened that way for South African teams in ICC CWCs," said the skipper.

Off-spinner Muttiah Muralidaran had appeared the only major obstacle to South Africa's win.

He ended a 95-run second wicket stand between Smith and Kallis when he had Smith stumped by Kumar Sangakkara for 59 in his second over.

Murali struck twice off successive balls in the second over of a second spell, and his eighth of the innings, when he took a return catch from Herschelle Gibbs and trapped Mark Boucher leg before.

The whole of the Sri Lankan team and many in a small crowd went up when the hat-trick ball to Justin Kemp was caught by Russel Arnold at short leg.

But umpire Daryl Harper gave Kemp not out and replays showed the ball went off Kemp's pad.

Murali took three for 38, while Malinga finished with four for 54.

Earlier Russel Arnold (50) and Tillekeratne Dilshan (58) were mainly responsible for Sri Lanka, who won the toss, making a respectable total.

They put on 97 for the sixth wicket after their side slumped to 98 for five.

But after Dilshan was caught at third man off Makhaya Ntini, who took two for 26, Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for one run, with Langeveldt taking three wickets in his final over, all to attempted big hits.

Langeveldt, 32, took two wickets in a first spell of two for 22 in six overs.

He came on at a crucial time, replacing opening bowler Shaun Pollock, who was hit for 32 in his first four overs.

Following the example of Australia, who appeared to target Pollock, Sri Lankan opening batsman Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya went for their shots against the South African veteran, who holds a big lead at the top of the ICC one-day bowling rankings.

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'We never had a chance' - Jayawardene


Failure to capitalise on what were virtual home conditions for Sri Lanka left their captain Mahela Jayawardene frustrated though not disheartened after a classic finish in a classic match. "We just did not deserve to win this game for the way we batted today, full stop," Jayawardene said.

"We always knew the wicket would suit us, our spinners. It was definitely a game for us to win. But the way we played today, we never had a chance, except for that last burst from [Lasith] Malinga.

"We knew this probably was a 230-240 wicket. Losing early wickets, a couple of loose shots and then the way we finished the innings, we were not very happy with that. But a lot of credit to the bowlers who put us back in the game."

Regardless of the defeat, the Sri Lankans provided a sensational twist to a match which, at the three-quarter point, had lost even interested observers. It was yet another message from a team which remains a strong contender.

"We don't give up," Jayawardene said. "That's one thing that we never do. We believe we can win matches from any situation, and we showed that.

"Murali bowled brilliantly and Mali [Malinga] showed what he is all about. He can be a big force. He went for a few runs with the new ball, but he usually does pick up early wickets with that as well. He can be a handful for the lower middle-order and the tail-enders, and he has been so for quite some time. He can pick up wickets.

"I can use him at any stage - use him in one-over spells, two-over spells. He is always good to go. He is something special that we have in this team and hopefully we can use that to our benefit in the future."

South Africa have now drawn level with Sri Lanka on points in the Super Eights table, and if they face each other again in the tournament it is not likely to be in conditions quite so favourable to Sri Lanka. "It was a big game for us," Jayawardene said. "We knew this was a very big game and two points would have been very crucial.

"But the way we played today, I am not that disappointed. I would have been disappointed if we had played really good cricket and then lost. The way we played, we never had a chance, we still managed to create an opportunity."

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Peterson let off with a reprimand


Robin Peterson has been reprimanded for smashing the stumps after he hit the winning runs in South Africa's one-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Peterson demolished the stumps at the non-striker's end with his bat after edging a four to third man off Lasith Malinga.

"I actually meant to swing my bat above the stumps but my spikes got caught up in the pitch and I lost balance," Peterson explained. "It didn't look pretty but I'll take the two points, whatever it looked like. I'm just so happy to be able to contribute towards the win."

The ICC match referee, Jeff Crowe, summoned Peterson to a disciplinary hearing but let him off with a warning. "It was decided to give him an official reprimand," Crowe said. "No fine will be imposed."

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Viv Richards offers India help


West Indian legend Vivian Richards offered to help India's cricketers to develop their mental toughness after what he called their "mind-boggling" ouster from the ICC CWC.

Richards, widely regarded as the most destructive batsman in history, said a lack of self-belief had sent India crashing to their worst ICC CWC performance since the 1979 edition in England.

India -- the 1983 champions and 2003 runners-up -- were stunned by Bangladesh in their opening match before suffering a second defeat against Sri Lanka to be knocked out of the tournament.

"Like many of their fans, I find India's ouster from the tournament as mind-boggling," Richards, 55, wrote in a syndicated column that appeared in Indian newspapers.

"I would not blame the team management for this debacle, but there has to be some reason why a team as supremely talented as India does not achieve more success.

"The reasons have less to do with talent and potential and more to do with mental strength. Each player, especially the experienced one, is responsible for himself and capable of self-training and managing his mental preparation.

"These are aspects that come from within, so blaming coach Greg Chappell or even captain Rahul Dravid is not going to take Indian cricket ahead.

"I would certainly like to help India in this aspect of their preparation if asked to.

"I have always enjoyed a challenge as a player, and would enjoy the challenge of instilling self-belief and confidence in a group of players as talented and promising as the Indians."

Richards, who helped the West Indies win the first two ICC CWC in 1975 and 1979, said the Indians would do well to learn lesson from his team's experiences.

"I remember we were devastated when we lost the 1983 ICC CWC final (to India)," he wrote.

"That is why we came in full force and with great intent to win when we toured India later that year. We needed to prove to the world and more importantly to ourselves, that we were the best team."

That year, Clive Lloyd's men avenged the defeat with a 3-0 victory in the six-Test series and blanked the hosts 5-0 in the one-dayers.

Richards said he hoped India would bounce back on the tour of Bangladesh in May for two Tests and three one-dayers.

"They should regroup and convince everyone that what happened in Port-of-Spain was a blip, and nine times out of 10 there can be only one winner in an India-Bangladesh encounter," he wrote.

"Having said that, we must also acknowledge that the Bangladeshis are a talented, fast-improving bunch. They remind me of the Sri Lankans in the late 1980s, and therefore cannot be considered pushovers."

India's cricket chiefs, who are due to discuss the ICC CWC debacle in Mumbai on April 6 and 7, declined to commit themselves with respect to Richards' offer of assistance.

"We will decide on the future course of action in Mumbai," said Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah.

The brain-storming session is to include first-hand accounts from Chappell and Dravid as well as a discussion with former captains like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev.

Richards, who retired in 1992 after being overlooked for the ICC CWC that year, scored 8,540 runs in 121 Tests at an average of 50.23 with 24 centuries.

He also made 6,721 runs in 187 one-dayers at 47.00 with 11 hundreds.

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Nobody will beat us - McGrath


Glenn McGrath believes no side will threaten Australia in their push for a third successive World Cup, provided the defending champions keep up their current form. McGrath, who is poised to become the leading wicket-taker in World Cup history, said Australia had the ability to win every match in the tournament, as they did in 2003.

"If we go and play the way we have I can't really see any team getting close to us," he told AFP. "In any Australian sport it seems that attitude is carried right across the board." McGrath said his confidence was genuine, like when he correctly tipped a 5-0 win in the Ashes a few months ago.

"I don't say anything I don't believe," he said. "We've been so successful over such a long time, we know how to win, what we've to do."

He said the experience within the squad was a major factor in their belief. McGrath and Ricky Ponting have each played in the last three World Cup finals, Adam Gilchrist in the last two, while Andrew Symonds, Brad Hogg and Matthew Hayden also tasted success in the 2003 decider.

"When you walk on the field you just have to look around you, the guys that are walking with you," McGrath said. "There are some amazing players, some of the greats of all time. It does give you a lot of confidence."

McGrath has 54 World Cup wickets from his four campaigns and is one short of Wasim Akram's tournament record. However, McGrath said winning a third successive title with his team-mates was his main aim.

"Guys like Akram are sort of heroes of mine," McGrath said. "He is known as one of the best bowlers of all time. To finally go past him, if I get a couple of more wickets, that would be something special. It's nice to get little milestones along the way but they are not the be-all and end-all."

McGrath, who is farewelling international cricket after the World Cup, said he had no regrets about retiring and spending more time with his wife Jane, who has had cancer and a brain tumour. "If it was just about playing, I think I could continue all the time," he said.

"It's everything else that goes with it. The travel, the training, you name it, the time away from Jane and the kids. So I've been lucky enough to have 14 years at the top level so it's my turn to move on."

McGrath has the chance to break Akram's record when Australia take on Bangladesh in Antigua on Saturday. Should Australia win it will be their 17th consecutive victory in World Cup matches.

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Relaxed Ireland hope to spring a surprise


An Irish bookmaker has announced that an old barrel of Guinness will be burnt and the ashes collected in an urn that can be used as a trophy for all future matches between Ireland and England. That particular version of the ashes may never enjoy the prestige of the fragile urn that was once in the possession of the Bligh family, but the very fact that such an idea has come up should give you some idea of the pride that's at stake when two entities separated only by the breadth of the Irish Sea go head-to-head at the new stadium in Providence on Friday.

Having turned over Pakistan a fortnight ago, Ireland won't fear anyone and they will undoubtedly be boosted by the return of Trent Johnston, who missed the encounter against West Indies with a rotator-cuff injury. Johnston's tidy medium-pace and lower-order hitting are integral to Irish hopes, and he showed with a stunning catch against Pakistan that he's no slouch on the field either.

By this time, Johnston and his team were supposed to be back in Ireland, reflecting on their first taste of the World Cup. The West Indies game should have been Adrian Birrell's last in charge, and Phil Simmons, the former West Indies opener, would have been engaged in planning for the future.

The future right now is a golden one, with six Super Eights matches against the best that world cricket has to offer. Johnston called it a hugely exciting time, before thanking the employers who have given most of the players extra time off. "We've had lots of phone calls to make to our bosses back home and they've all been outstanding and we can't thank them enough," he said, a feeling no doubt echoed by Kyle McCallan, who stood in as captain for the West Indies game.

McCallan is a teacher, and has had to ask his headmistress for an extra month off after the dramatic tie against Zimbabwe and the stunning upset of Pakistan sealed Ireland's place amongst the game'e elite. Johnston refused to put any pressure on his side, saying that they'd just go out and enjoy the Super Eights, as they had the three group D games, when the vociferous support from the travelling Irish inspired them to their greatest feats.

They'll probably have a full squad to pick from against England. Rest has allowed the torn fibre in Johnston's shoulder tendon to heal, and Dave Langford-Smith, his fellow Australian, is also putting the pain of back spasms behind him. Being the joker in the Super-Eights pack doesn't faze Johnston one bit. On the contrary, it's a tag that he appears to relish. "They would think they have two easy points and we are happy about that," said Johnston, looking at how the other teams might view his



Johnston reiterated his mantra of performing well in all three disciplines before saying that "the fielding has been outstanding". In Jeremy Bray, Eoin Morgan and Niall O'Brien - the latter two have represented Middlesex and Kent - Ireland have the batsmen with the potential to score big runs, and they'll no doubt take encouragement from the meeting last June when Ireland managed 263 in response to England's 301.

""""""Being the joker in the Super-Eights pack doesn't faze Johnston one bit. On the contrary, it's a tag that he appears to relish. "They would think they have two easy points and we are happy about that," said Johnston, looking at how the other teams might view his. "Maybe they'll be relaxed in their approach, and that's the incentive we need to spring an upset like we did against Pakistan."""""""

On a pitch where the bounce could be variable, the biggest danger for England might be Boyd Rankin, soon to be under Mike Hendrick's tutelage at Derbyshire. A cattle-and-sheep farmer from near Londonderry, Rankin has corrected journalists who have put his height down at 6'7". Apparently, he's an inch taller, with size-15 feet to boot, and his ability to generate good bounce at lively pace will pose questions for the England top order.

"It would be one hell of a party," admitted McCallan when asked about the possibility of victory in a match that also brings with it centuries of political baggage. "We are going ball by ball, we need to be realistic and at the end of the day, we're concerned only about what we can control."

If he and his mates need any omens, it was just over 15 years ago that rank outsiders Zimbabwe knocked over England in a thrilling game in the Australian country town of Albury. The decisive factor in that game was the bowling of Eddo Brandes, a chicken farmer who blasted out five wickets as England fell nine short of a meagre total of 134. Anything a chicken farmer can do, a sheep farmer can do better? And what better incentive than an urn that might give off the flavour of Guinness?

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Styris steers NZ to thumping win


West Indies might have begun the World Cup with hopes of breaking the home-team jinx and winning the big prize, but two losses over three days in the Super Eights have dented their chances, leaving them with plenty of work to do in their remaining four games. Australia dispatched them by 103 runs, New Zealand comfortably enough by seven wickets, and the shoulders of the men in maroon drooped just a touch by the end of a tiring few days.

Things went wrong from the word go, when Stephen Fleming won the toss, and having judged the pitch and conditions perfectly, put West Indies in. Shane Bond justified Fleming's decision by producing the opening spell of the tournament, swinging the ball prodigiously at high pace, and it was only some extremely circumspect batting from the West Indian openers that ensured that wickets didn't fall in a heap. The New Zealand bowlers whittled away, and after 25 overs West Indies were not too well placed at 89 for 4.

Bond hustled at genuine pace and almost every ball swung late and left the left-handed openers. There was plenty of playing and missing, and certainly no attempt at any big shots. Eventually it got to Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who played well in front of his body and only managed an edge to Scott Styris at second slip.

Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan then continued the job of seeing off Bond, and slowly the scoring opportunities arose. Sarwan crunched a crisp extra-cover drive, Gayle thumped more than one ball over mid-off, and a partnership began to build. But, at 66, Sarwan chopped hard at a ball from Jacob Oram that was too close to the stumps and the thick inside edge was brilliantly caught by Brendon McCullum diving to his left, snatching it one-handed just inches from the ground.

The Oram-McCullum combination claimed its second victim when Marlon Samuels failed to withdraw his bat and gloves in time to a ball that pitched on a length and reared up more sharply than he expected. Oram took his third wicket when Gayle, on 44, made a bit of room and shaped to cut, but ended up dragging the ball back onto his stumps. At 81 for 4 West Indies were in more than a spot of bother.




Brian Lara eased the pain a bit with a measured innings, bringing some semblance of control to the batting. Although not at his four-hitting best, Lara was at least on top of the proceedings, keeping the scoreboard ticking over, breathing life into an innings that was in danger of lapsing quietly into deep sleep. Dwayne Bravo did his best to help Lara along, adding 47 for the fifth wicket. Bond, brought back into the attack to nip the partnership in the bud before it became really dangerous, struck right away. He bowled one just around off that held its line, and Bravo, expecting the ball to come in, pushed at it, handing McCullum his third catch of the innings.

When Lara fell soon after, for 37, with the team score only 150, the alarm bells were clanging. Lara played an uncharacteristic and ungainly across-the-line slog against an offcutter, and inside-edged to McCullum, who was standing up to the stumps to Styris.

Denesh Ramdin, fresh from a half-century against Australia, could only make 15 before tamely chipping Daniel Vettori to point. At the meantime Lendl Simmons - an opener for West Indies Under-19, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies A and the senior team - was sent out to bat at No. 8 and clearly didn't relish the task. He played out a maiden in the 39th over of the innings, and struggled to 3 off 19 balls, before finally deciding to play a few shots. Dwayne Smith mowed, missed and was bowled by Vettori. Daren Powell proffered pad to a full, straight ball, and Bond nailed Corey Collymore to end the West Indian innings on 177.

When West Indies set out to defend a fairly indefensible 177 they needed one of Powell or Collymore to provide a blistering start. Powell bounded in with admirable enthusiasm, and a peach of a delivery, just the second of the innings, came in with the angle just enough and straightened to peg the top of Peter Fulton's middle-stump. Hamish Marshall soon became Powell's second victim, half-checking a drive to Lara at mid-off. New Zealand's lot could have been even worse had a couple of close shouts for lbw been upheld.

But then Fleming, who intelligently bided his time against Powell, built a partnership with Scott Styris. The two added 41 for the third wicket, and appeared to be comfortably heading towards the target, when, under a slight drizzle, Fleming took off for a nonexistent single and Lara nailed down the stumps with Fleming nowhere in the picture. He made 45 and New Zealand were 77 for 3.

From there on, only a brief shower halted New Zealand's canter to victory. Styris helped himself to an unbeaten 80, beginning slowly but in determined fashion, and accelerating to the point where he sealed the deal with a flourish as a seven-wicket win left New Zealand sitting pretty in the competition.

[usman_mugal89]

We want to continue the good work: Fleming


New Zealand came up with another sterling performance in their first Super Eight match, getting the better of a hapless West Indies by 7 wickets. Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming hopes that his team continues in the same manner in upcoming matches.

“We have a tricky game against Bangladesh, who beat us in the warm-up match but we are really looking forward to the games ahead”. Fleming said.

Agreeing that it was a very good toss to win Fleming added, “The bowlers bowled very well. We did not get many wickets in the first 10 overs but the opening bowlers had the batsmen in trouble.”

On Jacob Oram, who was chosen Man of the Match for his crucial 3-wicket haul Fleming felt, “There was enough in the pitch for Oram to exploit. He played an excellent support role to Bond and Mason.”

Speaking on the team’s strategy while chasing the small total, the New Zealand captain said that they only wanted to bat out the overs. “We knew the West Indians did not have great depth in their bowling after Powell and Collymore.”

West Indies skipper Brian Lara also accepted that it would have been good to win the toss since batting second was relatively easy. However he also felt that the team’s batting let them down again.

“We were in a good position when Gayle and Sarwan were involved in a partnership but then we lost three wickets quickly. Then I and Bravo also fell almost at the same time which did not help our cause”, said Lara.

Despite the loss he was all praise for the bowlers. “We started very well thanks to Powell and the bowlers stuck it out despite the conditions being very easy for batsmen.

On the upcoming tough games Lara said, “We have to win all our next four matches.”

Man of the Match Jacob Oram revealed that the finger injury that almost ruled him out of this premier tournament hasn’t been troubling him much till now.

[usman_mugal89]

Top of the flops
By CricInfo Readers



Some players are enjoying a stellar World Cup, scoring runs and taking wickets as though they were going out of fashion. Others have not been so fortunate. With the first phase over and the Super Eights swinging into action we asked for your nominations for the worst players of the tournament so far. There was a huge response and below are the XI who came out top




Virender Sehwag

If it was up to some of our readers, the entire Indian squad would have made up this column. But then feelings are running fairly high at the moment. Sehwag, though, was quickly at the head of the pack despite glimpses that he may have turned the corner, not with his ton against Bermuda, whose attack Geoff Boycott's mother would have creamed to all parts, but his promising 48 against Sri Lanka. However, his failure against Bangladesh, dragging Mashrafe Mortaza into his stumps, set the tone for India's campaign and they never found second gear when it mattered.



Chris Gayle

The coolest man in cricket hasn't quite warmed to the World Cup. It doesn't help that he's an opener as early conditions, especially in Jamaica, have helped the bowlers but Gayle's game isn't in full gear. A brutal innings was on the cards against Zimbabwe until he was cut off for 40 off 48 balls and against Ireland he went too hard, too soon and picked out mid on. However, it's hard to criticise because he has always played this way and the switch can be flicked in the space of one innings.


Lou Vincent

After a late charge into New Zealand's World squad, Vincent was shaping up as the Kiwis' power player in the top order. Two matches into the campaign he certainly wasn't hanging around at the crease; back in the pavilion for ducks against England and Kenya, facing a total of 10 balls. When, at the start of his third knock, he made Anderson Cummins appear more lethal than when he ran in for West Indies, Vincent was threatening to become a specialist cover point. A change of attitude broke the shackles and an increasingly confident century followed...but some guys just don't get the lucky breaks. Facing Shane Bond in the nets he took a ***** on wrist, which x-rays confirmed would rule him out for the rest of the World Cup.



Younis Khan

None of Pakistan's big three fired, but it was Younis's two failures while batting at No. 3 which really damaged their prospects. With such a flimsy opening partnership Younis was, in effect, a third opener and his scores of 9 and 0 meant Pakistan never managed a solid base in the two matches that mattered. Against West Indies he played an ill-judged hook then the might of Ireland's seam attack, in the shape of Boyd Rankin, was too much on a green top at Sabina Park. He slipped down the order against Zimbabwe and heaved a few boundaries, but by then his and the team's focus was on anything but cricket.



Sachin Tendulkar

Remember, these choices are those of our readers. It is the fans who idolised Tendulkar for years who have nominated him for this list. Is it the end of an era? World Cup history is littered with Tendulkar moments and he is still comfortably the leading run-scorer of all time. However, his tame dismissal against Bangladesh, undone by an arm-ball, and being bowled off the inside edge against Sri Lanka are further signs that his powers are waning. Even his late-over flogging of Bermuda appeared more the act of a man desperately trying to hang on rather than someone stamping his authority on a game.

Andrew Flintoff

Take one England cricketer, throw in a dash or two of St Lucia's finest cocktails, allow to party for a few hours and top off with a pedalo. Every knows Freddie likes to enjoy himself but when he fell into the sea following England's defeat to New Zealand he'd stretched his long leash too far. It wasn't as though he'd tried to single-handedly defy the Kiwis - a first-ball duck and no wickets - and although he was only one of six players fined, the management decided this had been one too many exploits from Flintoff. He was dropped for the match against Canada, stripped of the vice-captaincy and returned, chastened, against Kenya. Keen to make amends he bowled with pace, but he has a lot of ground to make up during the Super Eights.



Mike Hussey

Mr Cricket has lost his mojo. The man who couldn't stop scoring can now barely buy a run with four World Cup innings totaling 20. However, this needs some context. Australia have not exactly been in the mire when Hussey has walked in; twice there's been 300-plus on the board and he has never had his chance with less than 200 rattled up. The longest potential innings he's had is 15 overs - against West Indies when he chopped Daren Powell into his stumps - so neither has there been huge amounts of time on offer. Yet, because of his near unstoppable form of the last two years the whispers are starting as to whether his weakness has been found. If carving to deep extra-cover is a weakness then maybe he has. But when, or if, Australia find themselves at 50 for 4 you can guess who they'll want walking to the middle.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

A third Indian and another big-name player who failed when the pressure was on. The small West Indian grounds should have been made for Dhoni's strokeplay, instead his contribution was limited to 29 against Bermuda and a handful of catches. His limp cut shot against Bangladesh was in the middle of the collapse which sealed India's fate, but he can't be blamed too much for not picking Murali's doosra. That will be of no consolation to the billions who don't have their team to follow and the glamour boy of Indian cricket has lost his sparkle.




Daan van Bunge

van Bunge was pretty much on a hiding to nothing when Luke van Troost tossed him the ball against South Africa in St Kitts. The scoreboard was already rattling along and the batsmen had the bit between their teeth. A couple of Herschelle Gibbs sixes were par for the course - young leggie, small boundaries - three was starting to look bad and four was getting silly. Then Gibbs decided to have some fun and van Bunge found himself a place in history as the first man to go for six maximums in an international over.

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan


With the absence of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif this was the chance for Naved-ul-Hasan to show that he could carry Pakistan's attack. The plan lasted one match as he leaked vital runs at the end of West Indies' innings during the opening game. It was a continuation of Naved-ul-Hasan's struggles which started in South Africa when he was regularly flayed around the ground, losing his ability to bowl that pinpoint yorker at the death. After Pakistan's early exit a clear out is expected and Naved-ul-Hasan will be one of those nervous about his place.

Dwayne Leverock

The Bermudan big man took a heavy pounding despite the early excitement created by his 2 for 32 against England in the warm-up match. He conceded runs at 7.7 an over as his flighty left-arm spin was too easy for the batting line-ups of India and Sri Lanka. His fielding, too, didn't stand up to the pressure of top-level cricket - except for one outstanding moment. Flinging himself to his right he hung onto an edge from Robin Uthappa's bat. His celebration will be a defining image of the tournament and really that's what matters.

[zfrak]

Well Good Reviews .......... I think more will follow as four Teams r getting K.O. from the Tournament