Delhi say ‘Good Knight’ in style

Also See: Scorecard | Gallery

Centurion: Delhi Daredevils beat Kokata Knight Riders by 52 runs in the second match of the 2012 Champions League T20 at the Super Sport Park.Kolkata were never in the hunt after they lost three batsmen within a space of seven deliveries. Gautam Gambhir and Manvinder Bisla fell after playing some poor shots to Man-of-the-Match Irfan Pathan, while Brendon McCullum only lasted two deliveries, as he played a shot straight to Unmukt Chand at point.

To compound the  problem, Jacques Kallis had to retire hurt after taking a hit on his hand from Morne Morkel. Umesh Yadav  made full use of the bouncein the pitch, to force a defensive stroke offYusuf Pathan, with the ball ricocheting onto the stumps. Knight Riders 24/4, with one foot in the grave.

Manoj Tiwary (22) and Rajat Bhatia (22) tried their best, but the target was a bit too much. Earlier, KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir won the toss, and invited his counterpart to take first strike with the bat. Jayawardene and Sehwag saw off Lee and Balaji without any trouble, by putting the bad ball away, while respecting the better ones. After first change Jacques Kallis failed to make an impact, Gambhir turned to Sunil Narine.

First ball. Wicket.

Mahela Jayawardene tried to cut, albeit with too much room, and paid the price as the ball hit his stumps, with the bat nowhere near it. Kevin Pietersen then used his feet against Narine, making the bowler look completely human, with some wristly flicks. But KKR keeper Manvinder Bisla too had a part to play in prolonging the right-hander’s stay at the crease, by dropping him not once, but twice.

Sehwag however enjoyed no such luck, as he made room to Pradeep Sangwan, only to edge the ball to Bisla, who ensured that he got both hands around the ball. New batsman Unmukt Chand took two balls to get his eye in, before getting off the mark with a beautiful drive on the up for four. Pietersen looked for the same result off Lee, with a pull stroke, only to find the ball falling into the hands of Sunil Narine at midwicket. Delhi 64/3.

Chand and Ross Taylor then put together a fruitful 63-run partnership in a rescue act that came right on time. Both batsmen made it a point to step on the gas whenever the opportunity presented itself. U-19 sensation Chand in particular, presented a great picture of himself, playing some good shots all around the ground. Taylor made his way back for 36, not before smashing Balaji for a six and a four. Chand took the cue, smashing two fours and a six, as the bowler added 30 runs to his figures.

Narine however got rid of Chand (40), with an off-break that went through the gate. Delhi then lost a few quick wickets, before Ajit Agarkar and Irfan Pathan got together in the final over, to take the Daredevils to 160/8, again at Balaji’s expense.

CLT20: Titans off to winning start

Jacques Rudolph of the Titans

Scorecard / Action in Images

Centurion (South Africa), Oct 13 (IANS) South African team Titans convincingly beat Australia'sPerth Scorchers by 39 runs in the opening match of the Champions League Twenty20 here Saturday.

A first-wicket partnership of 109 runs between Jacques Rudolph and Henry Davids propelled the Titans to 163 for four.

Perth's top order failed to fire and they could only manage 124 for seven.

Titans, who were put into bat, got off to a flyer. Rudolph (83 not out) and Davids (54) piled on the pressure with some aggressive play.

Perth bowlers looked devoid of ideas and struggled to contain the two openers. The South African team in no time reached the 100-run mark.

However, Davids wicket in the 12th over stemmed the flow of runs as the innings slowed down. Australian spinner Brad Hogg bowled impressively, giving away 26 runs in his four overs but failed to take a wicket.

Tight bowling towards the end by the Perth bowlers meant that the Titans could only manage 58 runs off the last eight overs.

In reply, the Scorchers found themselves in all sorts of problem after being reduced 17 for two in the third over.

Shaun Marsh (7), who has been a revelation in the Indian Premier League, failed to fire while formerSouth African Herchelle Gibbs (19) too didn't impress.

Economical bowling and superb fielding put the Titans in the front seat very early on the innings.

Perth lost wickets at regular intervals and never looked like getting close to the Titans score. Some late fireworks by Mitchell Marsh (52 not out) provided some entertainment for the Australian team.

Medium pacer Cornelius de Villiers was the pick of the bowlers for the Titans taking three wickets.

We're not the favourites: Gambhir

Calcutta: When they take on the Delhi DareDevils in the second match of CLT20 2012, the Kolkata Knight Riders will be going in with a huge reputation to maintain and vast expectations to live up to.Gautam Gambhir's team not only has the tag of 2012 IPL champions, but they are also a formidable unit.

In the pre-match media interaction, while confident of his team's high pedigree, the KKRcaptain refused to burden his team with the 'favourites' tag.

"We're not looking at ourselves as favourites in this competition because the format doesn't make us that... We're not the favourites," Gambhir said after practice in Centurion.

"One thing we know, however, is that we have a lot of potential. When I look around in the dressing room, I see some of the legends of the game and some very talented players. If we play to our potential, we will go a long way in the tournament."

Jacques Kallis and Gambhir himself have been the pillars of KKR's batting for two years and for the team to play to its potential, KKR's two best batsmen will have to overcome the lean T20 patch that accompanied them in the World T20 in Sri Lanka recently. The captain however, ruled out the rigidity of form in the shortest format, saying, "in the T20 format you're never in or out of form."

"Talking about the World Twenty20, this is a format when sometimes when you're in outstanding nick and you don't score runs. At times, when you're not in good form, you get out there, express yourself and get a good score.

"When playing against quality opposition, you need to take risks, which sometimes come off and at times, don't. It's very difficult to maintain those high standards in all three forms of the game and humanly not possible to keep doing it all the time."

Besides, Gambhir also felt that the worth of someone like Kallis cannot be measured only by runs and wickets.

"More than the runs and the wickets, Jacques has been a fantastic role-model for all of us. His attitude off the field has been brilliant. He is selfless and willing to do everything that the team wants him to do. That's why he's the legend that he is and that's the kind of people we want in our team. His selfless quality is his biggest strength, which rubs off on most of us when we play with him," Gambhir said.

KKR have some fantastic overseas players in the team and Gambhir believes, besides their skills, it's their ability to unite with the rest of the team that has made the side successful. Camaraderie, according to the skipper, is the biggest strength of his team.

And as they aim to clock a title double in 2012, the captain wants just one thing from his players: "Go out there, watch the ball and react to it. This format gives you the freedom to express yourself. Hopefully, we do just that and play fearless cricket."

"We gel well together as a team. When we gathered here as a team, it didn't feel like we're meeting after five months. It was like the IPL just got over and we're still together.

"That's the kind of spirit that has made KKR achieve what we achieved in the last IPL."

The conditions in South Africa will be unfamiliar to some of the domestic players but Gambhir feels they will be alright with the guidance from some of the experienced players in the team.

"The conditions and atmosphere are completely different and it's a great learning curve for some of the guys who have never been here before. I think that's where people who have prior experience of playing here will play a huge role.

"Someone like Kallis, who knows the conditions well, Brendon McCullum and myself, who have travelled here before... if we guys can share our experience of playing here with the guys who haven't been here, will be a huge plus."

Always a players' captain, Gambhir said the biggest part of leading a team is to win the players over. "The most important thing is that I believe in my players. Whether or not I trust my gut feeling, I trust my players.

"I know that if I throw the ball to someone, he won't ask me any questions. The most important thing for a leader is to have players who are willing to do anything for him and I have that kind of team."

Deccan Chargers terminated from the IPL

The sale to Mumbai-based Kamla Landmarc notwithstanding, the Deccan Chargers have been terminated from the IPL by the BCCI. This after the owners failed to provide a Rs.100 crore bank guarantee by 5 P.M on Friday, a deadline issued by the Bombay High Court for the team's survival in the Indian Premier League.

Deccan Chargers had asked for an extension, which the court turned down.

Earlier, the owners- Deccan Chargers Holdings Limited had announced that they had sold the team to a Mumbai-based real estate company, Kamla Landmarc. This was revealed in a letter that they had sent to the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange Limited.

The BCCI had terminated the Deccan Chargers' licence last month for failure to comply with a deadline for overdue player fees, which the Hyderabad-based former IPL franchise had challenged.

Viru fit to face Knight Riders

Johannesburg: Virender Sehwag has not been having a great time on the field. Criticised for his form, of late the dashing opener has often been plagued by injuries as well.

With a long season awaiting Team India, the Champions League T20 would be an excellent 'practice pitch' for Sehwag to find his strokes back. But an ankle injury had almost ruined that possibility.

However, the opener had a reason to smile when he was declared fit for the Delhi Daredevils' opening CLT20 game against the Kolkata Knight Riders, at Centurion, on Saturday.

On Thursday, Sehwag reportedly gave a fitness test. He not only cleared that scrutiny, he also went on to play in the Daredevils' warm-up game, against CLT20 competitors the Sydney Sixers.

According to a cricket website, Daredevils' team mentor, TA Sekar, confirmed that Sehwag was fit. Sekar, in fact, said that the batsman had obtained a fitness clearance before flying to South Africa.

An agency report, however, painted a very different picture. As per that report, Sehwag underwent a fitness test on Thursday under the watchful eyes of Kirk Russell.

"Virender Sehwag today appeared for a fitness test which was conducted by Kirk Russell. He cleared the test and was declared fit to play in the tournament from the start," the agency report quoted a Daredevils official as saying.

Sehwag was initially doubtful for the CLT20, after straining a ligament in his left ankle during India's World T20 Super Eights match against South Africa, in Colombo, on October 2. He had gone off the field during the Proteas innings and did not return. It was reported that he could require two weeks of rest.

Sehwag has been troubled by fitness issues over the past one year. After the 2011 World Cup, he had delayed a shoulder surgery, played the IPL and then subsequently missed India's tour of the West Indies and half of the Test series in England.

Then, earlier this year, towards the end of the Australia tour, he had back spasms. That was the reason for the selectors to rest him for the Asia Cup.

Sehwag will not captain the Daredevils at the CLT20 since he had asked the franchise to relieve him of the responsibility so he could concentrate on his batting.

However, Thursday's practice match didn't go along the expected lines for the opener, as he was yorked for nought by Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood.

The Daredevils managed only 107 against the Big Bash champions. Daredevils captain Mahela Jayawardene and star opener David Warner didn't play the game. While Warner was rested, Jayawardene had an appointment with the dentist and was unavailable for the match.

The Knights, too, had a practice game on the day. But their match against South African side Highveld Lions was washed out robbing Gautam Gambhir's side some much-needed match practice.

Kumble to head ICC’s Technical Committee

Former Indian skipper Anil Kumble will be succeeding Clive Lloyd as the chairman of ICC’stechnical committee. The leg-spinning legend was incidentally appointed the head of BCCI’s technical committee only a month ago. He is the second Indian to occupy the chair after Sunil Gavaskar.

Announcing the appointment, ICC President Alan Isaac said ,“In Anil Kumble, we have a new chairman who has unquestioned experience not only as a player with India but also as an administrator with Karnataka State Cricket Association as well. I am sure that he will carry on Clive’s good work and bring, like Andrew Strauss, contemporary thinking to the committee and both understand clearly the issues facing the modern game.”

“I would like to thank Clive Lloyd for his chairmanship of the ICC Cricket Committee and to his tireless contribution to the game. The ICC Board were united in their admiration for his work as chairman. We also thank Ian Bishop for his contribution during his term as well,” Isaac added.

Kumble is also the President of the Karnataka State Cricket Association and a team mentor with IPL side Royal Challengers Bangalore. The 41-year old was also the chairman of the National Cricket Academy.

Ballance, Rashid take Yorkshire through to main draw of CL T20

Gary Ballance and Adil Rashid celebrate Yorkshire's win against Trinidad and Tobago. (Getty Images)

Scorecard | Auckland qualify for main draw | Yorkshire beat Uva Next

Gary Ballance and Adil Rashid's unbroken century partnership helped Yorkshire overhaul the target of 149 against Trinidad and Tobago with six wickets and seven balls to spare in the Champions League Twenty20 qualifying match at Centurion on Wednesday night. This win, Yorkshire's second in the qualifiers, has seen the England county side qualify for the main draw; but T&T and Sri Lanka's Uva Next have been knocked out.

Ballance and Rashid came together with Yorkshire in strife at 51 for 4 in the ninth over, and though the pair didn't take many risks initially in their innings, they were also helped by the fact that T&T's back-up bowlers failed to ask any questions of them. Samuel Badree and Ravi Rampaul conceded only 44 runs in eight overs between them and also took two wickets, but the rest of the bowling support cast was found wanting.

Rampaul took the first Yorkshire wicket to fall when he had Phil Jaques trapped plumb in front and then Badree got into the act when he clean bowled skipper Andrew Gale, who missed a straight one. Adam Lyth and Joe Root got starts but were dismissed in quick succession has Yorkshire found themselves in a bit of bother. But, Ballance and Rashid's stellar partnership in which the former was the more aggressive saw Yorkshire over the line easily in the end. Ballance remained unbeaten on 64 (37 balls, 4x2, 6x6), while Rashid played his part and was 33 not out from 27 deliveries.

Earlier, Ryan Sidebottom took 3 for 13 as Yorkshire restricted the strong T&T batting line-up to 148 for 9, which the Caribbean team reached thanks to some lusty lower-order hitting after a horror start and consolidation by the middle-order.

Lendl Simmons, William Perkins and Adrian Barath were all guilty of playing rash shots and returned to the dug-out in a hurry as T&T lost their top three batsmen with only eight runs on the board in the first three overs. T&T's best passage of play in the match was to follow though as Darren Bravo and captain Denesh Ramdin shared a 93-run counter-attacking partnership for the fourth wicket as Gale and his bowlers found the pair hard to dislodge.

The partnership was broken though at the right time for Yorkshire as Rashid dismissed Bravo (45 from 49 deliveries) off the first delivery of the 16th over; and when Ramdin was run out in the 18th over, T&T's hopes of a 155+ score was all but dashed. Ramdin's 40-ball 59 contained included six boundaries and a six, but his captain's innings wasn't enough to prevent T&T from losing the match and not making the main draw of the tournament. 

Irepressible West Indies rule the world again

Gangnam Style took the Windies to their first World Cup win in over 30 years.

COLOMBO: Gangnam stylists West Indies roused memories of a lost time as they sank Sri Lanka by 36 runs to win the ICC World Twenty20 - their first world title in over three decades. Darren Sammy's side of booty-shaking league mercenaries pulled off a massive upset at the R. Premadasa in a battle between islands on Sunday night, as a shell-shocked home crowd watched its vaunted batting line-up come unmoored against inspired West Indian bowling and fielding. Chasing 137, Lanka lost their last nine wickets for 53 runs as the pursuit ended in the 19th over.

The defeat was Sri Lanka's fourth in as many World Cup finals across formats in the last five years and came despite the home team being considered a firm favourite for the title against the unpredictable Caribbeans. For the West Indies the win may just indicate a revival, a renewal of the spontaneity and energy that was the hallmark of their halycon years at the top of world cricket in the 1970s and 80s.

On a threateningly overcast Sunday evening, if it was Marlon Samuels' single-handed derring-do that took the champions to 137-6 after Darren Sammy elected to bat, it was the their collective effort in the field that proved decisive after a promising stand between Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara threatened to revive the Lankans. Man of the match Samuels, who was dropped by Nuwan Kulasekara on 20, struck six sixes (and 39 in 11 balls off perceived threat Lasith Malinga) to extricate his team from 32-2 in 10 overs. Samuels' 56-ball 78 allowed his team to massacre 105 in the last 10. The all-rounder returned to bowl four overs for just 15, arresting Lanka's quest for quick runs as they succumbed to the unquantifiable pressures of a World Cup chase.

On Sunday night, Sunil Narine's three scalps scored over Ajantha Mendis' four.Lanka fall apart

The hosts would have thought that Ajantha Mendis' superlative 4 for 12, including the scalp of the dangerous Chris Gayle for a 16-ball 3, would have brought the Cup halfway to their dressing room.  But Sunil Narine had a few tricks up his own sleeve, and his 3 for 9 including Jayawardene's prized scalp offset the good work of Lanka's bowling.

Ravi Rampaul started brightly, knocking Tillakaratne Dilsha's off-stump back with a delectable leg-cutter in the second over of the chase and rekindling hopes of the impossible in West Indian hearts. Although the Windies dropped Jayawardene twice - Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell the culpable parties - they lifted their performance in collusion with Lanka's demise.

Jayawardene added 42 in just over 8 overs with Sangakkara as Samuel Badree, Rampaul and Marlon Samuels kept it tight. But the left-hander's dismissal to Badree in tenth over began the slide. Sri Lanka needed 80 from ten at that stage, but fell into an morass as they lost five wickets for 16 runs in a span of 22 balls.

Sangakkara pulled Badree to Pollard, Mathews shuffled endlessly in his crease before being bowled by Sammy, and Narine came on in the 13th over to land the death blow. By this time a drizzle was doing the rounds, and Jayawardene, with an eye on the Duckworth-Lewis target, went for the reverse pull against the mystery spinner, top-edging to his counterpart at point. One ball later, Jeevan Mendis fell short of his ground when Narine broke the wicket following a second-attempt pick up and throw from Bravo at long off. 

Another run out broke Sri Lanka's backbone, as they slid to 64-6 when Thisara Perera was done in by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin trying to steal a bye. Nuwan Kulasekara sparkled momentarily, spanking boundaries to spoil Rampaul's figures as the asking rate shot through the roof. Narine soon removed Kulasekara, and Samuels joined the bowling party by dismissing Ajantha Mendis. All hell broke loose when Narine's third wicket - fittingly Lasith Malinga, who had gifted 40, more than the margin of tonight's victory, in two overs to Samuels - brought the Calypso Kings their first World Cup in 33 years.

Man of the Match Samuels goes big during his 56-ball 78.Samuels' singular strikes

The match was set up brilliantly by Samuels' fearless approach in the first innings as wickets fell like nine pins around him. The West Indies line up appeared loaded to the gunwales. But after losing three World Cup finals across formats in the last five years, Lanka looked prepared. The innings appeared to be going nowhere at 32-2 in ten overs, before Samuels injected it with a vial of uppers.

Johnson Charles was out in the first over to Mathews and after the trio of Lanka's pacemen managed to keep Gayle quiet, the introduction of Ajantha Mendis accounted for the big left-hander. Gayle was trapped leg before by a straighter one, but the the tempo went up when Malinga went for 21 runs, including three impudent sixes, in the 13th over.

Dwayne Bravo was out to a bad decision by umpire Simon Taufel, who was standing in his last match, when he appeared to have inside edged Ajantha on to his pads, but was adjudged leg before. Samuels reached his 50 in 46 balls with a six and West Indies were 87-3 in 15 overs. Ajantha Mendis' double-strike in the 16th pegged the visitors further back - Kieron Pollard perished to the cut and all-rounder Andre Russell was done in by the sweep.

But Malinga returned to bowl the 17th and gave away another 19, Samuels biffing another couple of sixes including a huge tee off that soared all the way to 108 metres. Akila Dananjaya, in the team for the experienced Rangana Herath, got rid of Samuels when the West Indian pulled him straight to mid-wicket. Sammy came in and struck a few lusty blows. It was, in fact, the skipper's 15-ball 26, as well as his two wickets for six, that proved to be vital in the eventual scheme of things. This just may rest for posterity questions over Sammy's place in the side and his captaincy credentials. After all Sammy - and not Viv Richards, or Richie Richardson or Brian Lara - became the first West Indian skipper since Clive Lloyd to hold aloft a Word Cup.

Australia retain women's World Twenty20 title

Scorecard | Gallery

Australia successfully defended their women's World Twenty20 title following an exciting four run win over arch-rivals England in the final on Sunday.

Jess Cameron hit the highest score of 45 in any World Twenty20 final to help Australia to 142-4 in their 20 overs before the champions restricted England to 138-9 at Premadasa stadium.

Spinners Jess Jonassen (3-25) and Lisa Sthalekar (2-16) shared the spoils as England found the going hard on a spin-friendly pitch.

Seamer Julie Hunter grabbed 2-36 to finish as tournament's best bowler with 11 wickets.

But it was all-rounder Sthalekar, also scoring 23 not out, who set up the win with the wicket of England's premier batter Charlotte Edwards for 28 in the eighth over to make the chase difficult for the 2009 champions.

England had pinned their hopes on Edwards who had hit a brilliant half-century in England's seven wicket win over Australia in the group phase.

England needed 16 off the last over but Danielle Hazell (16 not out) managed 11, leaving the Australian players jubiliant.

Australian captain Jodie Fields said her team's hard work had paid off.

"It's a good feeling," said Fields, who missed 2010 final through injury. "England played a really good match, but we had the belief in our team. Just an all-round performance. It's awesome to be standing here as winners.

"All the hard work has been worth it."

Alyssa Healy (26) and Meg Lanning (25) put on 51 for the opening wicket in Australia's competitive total after they were put in to bat.

Cameron smashed five boundaries and a six during her rapid 34-ball knock.

England captain Edwards showed disappointment over the loss.

"It didn't go our way, but congratulations to Australia. We didn't do well up front, and just couldn't pin them," said Edwards, declared player of the tournament on scoring 172 in five matches.

"I'd much rather be lifting the other cup. The youngsters in the team keep me young, so I keep trying to get better."

Hosts Sri Lanka and the West Indies play in men's final later Sunday.

Brief scores:

Australia 142-4 in 20 overs (J. Cameron 45; H. Colvin 2-21); England 138-9 in 20 overs (C. Edwards 28; J. Jonassen 3-25, L. Sthalekar 2-16, J. Hunter 2-36)

World Twenty20 set for rousing finale

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene and West Indies captain Darren Sammy pose with the Twenty20 World Cup trophy. …

Colombo: Clinical Sri Lanka will test their skills against the flamboyant West Indies when both sides battle for their maiden World Twenty20 title in a mouth-watering final in Colombo on Sunday.

A sell-out crowd of 35,000 at the Premadasa stadium will offer boisterous support as Mahela Jayawardene's home team attempt to reverse fortunes after losing three finals in major meets since 2007.

Standing in the way will be the destructive West Indies batting led by opener Chris Gayle, who crushed Australia in Friday's semi-final with a scintillating 75 of 41 balls.

The West Indies recorded their biggest T20 victory when they beat the Aussies by 74 runs after posting the highest total in this edition of 205-4.

Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Marlon Samuels made light of the slow pitch that was regarded as unsuited to aggressive batting, helping themselves to 55 runs in the final three overs.

Sri Lanka defeated the West Indies by nine wickets in a practice game before the tournament and again by the same margin in the Super Eights, but Gayle was confident of ruining the hosts' party on Sunday.

"We're definitely going to rock against Sri Lanka," the swashbuckling Jamaican left-hander said. "We know what to expect -- the atmosphere, the noise and everything else.

"We are definitely going to win this trophy here. I just feel confident about it. We are up against world class players in the Sri Lanka team, but it's going to be good fun."

Australia's bamboozled captain George Bailey offered Sri Lanka good, if obvious, advice on how to beat the West Indies -- get Gayle early.

"If Sri Lanka can get Gayle out for under 20, they will win. But if they don't, the West Indies will prove too strong," said Bailey.

"With the West Indies attack, you can chase down 160. I am sitting on the fence a bit. But the two best teams got into the final."

Hosts Sri Lanka, meanwhile, were quietly confident they can stop the rampaging West Indies batsmen to win their first major title since the 1996 triumph in the 50-over World Cup.

Sri Lanka made the final of two successive World Cups in 2007 and 2011, and also the World Twenty20 in 2009, but were unable to cross the last hurdle when it mattered most.

Jayawardene said his team's strategy on Sunday will be different from previous finals.

"They have all had to be approached in different ways," he said. "One final was in Barbados (2007), one in England (2009) and one was in Mumbai (2011).

"But now we are playing in the Premadasa, so we will approach it differently. We have to adapt. It is all about handling tough situations better."

The classy Sri Lankans have lost just one of their six games in the tournament so far: a seven-overs-a-side rain-affected game against South Africa in Hambantota in the preliminary league.

Jayawardene has himself led from the front with 210 runs, the fourth highest run-maker in the tournament behind Australian Shane Watson (249), Gayle (219) and Brendon McCullum of New Zealand (212).

Sri Lanka will be further boosted by the match-winning form of unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis, who shares the top spot among bowlers with Watson at 11 wickets apiece, and sling-arm fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who has eight scalps.

The ICC, meanwhile, named the retiring Simon Taufel of Australia along with Pakistan's Aleem Dar as the two on-field umpires for the final. Jeff Crowe of New Zealand will be the match referee.

Gayle storm blows Aussies away

Sammy and Pollard played important parts in the 74-run win.

COLOMBO: It was a massacre of the kind we'd always expected from the might of West Indian batting. After blitzing to the highest total in this edition, thanks to Chris Gayle's pyrotechnics, the West Indies unscrewed Australia's chase wicket by wicket on Friday night, winning by 74 runs to enter their first ICC World Twenty20 final. The upbeat Calypso Kings will take on the home side, Sri Lanka, for the title on Sunday.

Electing to bat, Darren Sammy's side posted a mammoth 205-4 as Gayle's unbeaten 41-ball 75 formed the centrepiece around which other batsmen pivoted their aggression. 14 sixes and 13 fours came from the bat as Marlon Samuels (26), Dwayne Bravo (37) and Kiero Pollard (38) partnered Gayle in brisk alliances against an Aussie pace and spin attack that appeared increasingly tattered as the innings progressed. The assault reached a crescendo in the final over when Xavier Doherty's left-arm spin was condemned for 25 runs, as Pollard rained sixes upon the crowd.

An untimely implosion 
Australia's chase was headed nowhere from the start. They lost their first six batsmen with 43 on the board, and although skipper George Bailey blasted a blinder of his own - a 29-ball 63 including four sixes - none of the other batsmen reached 20 on a night of humiliation for the Aussies. Ravi Rampaul(three for 16), Samuel Badree (two for 27) and Sunil Narine (two for 17) starred with the ball, while Pollard too added a couple of wickets to go with his frenetic 15-ball 38. The Aussies were dismissed for 131 in 16.4 overs.

Leg-spinner Badree opened the bowling and drew first blood when he bowled the dangerous David Warner. Michael Hussey, who was always going to be central to the chase, perished when he was caught and bowled by Samuels. Badree struck again when he pushed one past the in-form Shane Watson, and Cameron White snicked Ravi Rampaul to the wicket-keeper down the leg side. Two more wickets - David Hussey chipping back to Rampaul and Mathew Wade undone by Sunil Narine - added to the mess.

The asking rate was nudging 14 when Bailey began his hit out, but it was a bridge too far, and when the skipper fell in the 14th over, it was only a matter of time and by how much. It could be assumed that when Australia began their chase they were still reeling from Pollard's final-over flourish in the West Indian innings, which appeared like a cherry atop the mountain of runs plundered by almost the entire middle order. Gayle, who faced just 41 deliveries, made them all count and featured in key partnerships with Samuels, Bravo and Pollard.

Gayle's knock helped Windies to a huge total.Gayle hits out
Sammy elected to bat and once again Johnson Charles deprived Gayle of the strike, before perishing to an edge off Starc that was taken by the 'keeper. Gaye had faced just 14 balls in the first nine overs, and it was Samuels who struck the first blows, carting sixes off Brad Hogg and Doherty and driving Cummins for four. Samuels was castled by a Cummins slower ball, allowing Dwayne Bravo to take over.

Meanwhile, Australia was starting to wilt under the attack. Wade let slip a full toss to concede four byes and Starc's wide swinging delivery went running down the leg side for  five wides. The gears shifted ominously in the 15th when David Hussey came on. Gayle struck a six and two fours as 19 were taken. Bravo was out after adding 83 in 51 balls with Gayle.

Gayle, who appeared to be troubled by an abdominal spasm, then got into his own. He reached his fifty in 29 balls as the Windies gained 150 in the 17th over, and he and Pollard struck regular boundaries against Watson and Cummins to keep the board ticking. But it was in the final over that the match appeared to slip irrevocably from the Aussies. Doherty came on, was greeted by Gayle with a six, and then brutalised for three more hits over the fence by Pollard, as 25 came from the last six balls. For Australia, whose Starc and Cummins had kept it tight at the start, the 73 runs leaked in the last five overs of the West Indian innings cost them dear.