Cup race heats up as India whip Pakistan

Kohli hits a six en route to an unbeaten 78.

India and Pakistan’s cricketing fortunes are intertwined — they’ve forever fluctuated between the sublime and the ridiculous. Today at the World Twenty20, it was India’s turn to be sublime andPakistan’s to be ridiculous. 

India had the perfect game. They had to win today. They picked their best team, read the wicket well, set smart fields, and took wickets through the innings to hold Pakistan to a modest 128. It was hardly a straight-forward chase. On a dry wicket, against Pakistan’s creative spinners, India needed to chase down the runs quickly to improve their abysmal net run rate of -2.506. Thanks to Virat Kohli’s 78 (61b), the target never proved troublesome. 

Young left-arm spinner Raza Hasan raised the prospects of a humdinger when he caught-and-bowled Gautam Gambhir for a duck in the first over. But Virender Sehwag and Kohli’s easy-like-a-Sunday-morning partnership India steered to safety. 

Pakistan’s last line of defence was some magic from Saeed Ajmal. But it took Kohli two balls to wipe away the threat. In Ajmal’s first over, Kohli bashed a four through cover. In his second, Kohli cut a straight ball off the stumps for another four past point. Ajmal didn’t know where to bowl to Kohli afterwards. It didn’t help that his captain Mohammad Hafeez’s competitive spirit had diminished as was visible from his defensive fields. 

Yuvraj's twin strikes knocked the winds out of Pakistan's sail.With the win, India now have a marginally better run rate (-0.452) than South Africa (-0.605), but a fraction lower than Pakistan's (-0.426). This implies that if they wish to be in the semifinal, they must win their next game by a good margin because Australia (with four points and a massive NRR of +1.712) have practically qualified. [See the points table]

Earlier, Hafeez elect to bat here at the R. Premadasa Stadium. Zaheer Khan began the game looking like a weekender who’d gone straight from his bed to the ground for a Sunday knockabout. His nine-ball first over had a wide, a four, five wides and one more wide before he finally zoomed on to his favourite length off the ninth ball. The thick edge off Hafeez’s bat flew to slip. Sehwag lunged to his right but grassed the ball as he went down with it. Pakistan 1, India 0. 

Pakistan’s good start was short-lived. Irfan Pathan’s perfectly-contoured out-swinger did its trick and trapped the dangerous Imran Nazir in front. Shortly afterwards, Pakistan’s innings went to pieces.

Pakistan promoted Shahid Afridi, who is as far away from good form as the North Pole is from the South. He began smashing Irfan for two fours, and it seemed this inspired move would pay off. But the key to bowling on this dry wicket was taking off the pace. Irfan and Lakshmipathy Balaji took the hint and slowed the fiery Pathan down with a barrage of cutters. Dhoni had a long-on and deep mid-wicket, and Afridi holed out to the latter.
 
MS Dhoni now had two options: to push some overs from part-timers Yuvraj Singh and Kohli, or to continue with his front-liners to get some more wickets. He gambled with the part-timers, and it worked a charm. Yuvraj and Kohli’s first five overs produced a total of 22-3, turning the game decisively. 

Umar Akmal and Shoaib Malik threatened to bring Pakistan back briefly. Flogging Kohli for 15 of his next over brought the innings to life. Dhoni returned to his front-line spinner and Ashwin did the job again. He dismissed Malik and Akmal in back-to-back overs. Balaji mopped up the tail. Dhoni couldn’t have written this better. 

The larger picture: at all World Cups, India 8, Pakistan 0.

‘Ausome’ Watson stars as Australia thrash South Africa

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Colombo: Shane Watson and Xavier Doherty delivered the goods as Australia defeated South Africaby eight wickets in the Super Eights at the Premadasa

Stadium. But it wasn’t easy, especially at the start.

Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn bottled up the Aussie openers, keeping them on their toes, beforeDavid Warner cracked under pressure to the former. The little man made room, swung hard, only to find the full length delivery smashing into his middle stump. So much so, that the first boundary came after 16 deliveries, that too off first change Jacques Kallis. Four runs Shane Watson.

The right-hander soom made it clear that he wasn’t going to keep quiet for long, going after Morne Morkel, who erred by offering too much width. Three fours off the pacer’s third over, and Abraham de Villiers decided to try spin. There was to be no turnaround, as Botha and Peterson bowled short, and were punished promptly by Watson, who simply loves sending the ball to the midwicket fence. 76/1 after 10 overs, and the Aussies were on track after the slow start.

If someone had to stop Man of the Match Shane Watson, it had to be the man himself, as he holed out to Wayne Parnell at long-on, not before smashing Peterson for consecutive fours.  With a life in ‘run-a-ball’ mode, Michael Hussey and Cameron White took the Kangaroos home to a comfortable win with 14 balls remaining.

Earlier, Australian skipper George Bailey won the toss, and tossed the ball to Xavier Doherty, who opened up Richard Levi’s defences right away,  bowling the opener off just the third delivery of the inning. It was Jacques Kallis’ turn next, as he edged the left-arm spinner to keeper Matthew Wade, playing away from the body as the ball turned away. Trouble, on the double for South Africa.

The sour moments continued as Hashim Amla, came outside the off-stump, trying to hook a delivery  that rose on him. First wicket for Shane Watson, second catch for Wade,and third wicket down for South Africa. It didn’t stop there. JP Duminy stepped out to Doherty, missing the ball, as it went between his legs, and into the wicketkeeper’s hands. Stumps dislodged, and batsman No.4 made his way to the dressing room.

Soon after Doherty (3/20) finished bowling his quota of four overs, Proteas skipper AB de Villiers picked opposite number George Bailey at cover, as he tried in vain to attack Watson. Robin Peterson(32) did well to employ the switch hit against Brad Hogg, striking two fours with the improvisation, as he tried to help his side switch gears, with Farhaan Behardien (31) for company. The Aussies allowed the odd hit, but ensured that the opponents batted with their feet on the brakes. However, Peterso cut loose in the final over, hitting three fours in three different directions at the Premadasa, as South Africa finished with 146/5.

It wasn’t enough.

Sri Lanka maintain spotless Super Eights record

Captain's knock.PALLEKELE: Sri Lanka cruised to their second win in the Super Eights after a bowling performance the equivalent of a tourniquet and effortless batting handed the West Indies a nine-wicket thrashing here, on Saturday. The hosts had scraped out Super Over win against New Zealand in their first match. This result was more easily achieved.

A restrictive attack confined the Windies to 129 for five - the lowest Twenty20 score at the venue - after Darren Sammy elected to bat, and a belligerent Mahela Jayawardene (65*,49b) ensured the target was achieved with 28 balls to spare.

Sri Lanka now have now have two wins in as many matches, with another game against England to go. With the Brits reputation against quality spin already tainted, Sri Lanka look a safe bet for the semi-finals from Group 1. For the West Indies, it was a crushing blow after their dominating win against England in the first match and their dependence on Chris Gayle was plain to see on Saturday.

Sri Lanka suffered just one stutter in their chase when Tillakaratne Dilshan was cramped for room by Ravi Rampaul and edged to the 'keeper. Jayawardene soon found his groove, carving the wicket-taker through point and slamming him for four over mid-wicket. The Lankan fifty came up in 5.5 overs, and the hundred in 13.2 overs, as a fluent Kumar Sangakkara (39*) and Jayawardene added 108 runs in just 75 balls. Jayawardene reached his fifty in 45 balls, with ten fours and a huge six off Sammy, and helped Lanka achieve their biggest Twenty20 win in terms of balls remaining. 

Tight bowling

Ajantha Mendis celebrates dismissing Johnson Charles.It was Lanka's bowling that set up the win. The West Indies found themselves unable to break the shackles imposed on them by an eclectic attack. They finished on 129 for 5, the lowest Twenty20 International total at Pallekele.Marlon Samuels (50) and Dwayne Bravo (40) put up the only resistance with a 65-run stand for the third wicket after Chris Gayle had his first failure of the tournament. Mendis bowled a miserly four overs for 12, picking up two wickets and Nuwan Kulasekara took the pace off the pall to alarming effect - as Gayle found out when he edged a concealed off-break to Kumar Sangakkara behind the wicket. 

It didn't help the Windies' cause that Jeevan Mendis's legbreaks and Lasith Malinga's yorkers proved equally hard to get away. It was Malinga, however, who conceded the first boundaries in his first over to Johnson Charles, who after being bamboozled out of his wits by Ajantha was stumped off a googly in the fifth over. 

Gayle departed next, after a nine-ball two, done in by Kulasekara's disguised dolly, and Samuels and Bravo came together to forge the only decent partnership of the innings. Bravo sparkled through the off-side against Angelo Mathews and stroked sixes off Rangana Herath - in the side for the facially injured Akila Dananjaya - and Ajantha. He looked solid in his 34-ball 40, but fell to Jeevan in the 15th over, pulling the leg-spinner to be caught at long on.

The West Indies were 90-3 after 15 overs, and they lost Kieron Pollard in the next over - yorked by Ajantha's faster one, the spinners 100th Twenty20 wicket including domestic scalps. Andre Russell joined Samuels, and a loose 18th over form Kulasekara saw the Windies make a surge towards a challenging total. Both Rusell and Samuels scored sixes and Samuels added a couple of fours as well, as Kulasekara leaked 21. Samuels reached his fifty in the 19th over and perished in the ultimate, when his skier was held smartly by Dilshan in the outfield. Mendis finished with unbelievable figures of 4-1-12-2, six of those 12 runs coming off one shot.

Six-happy Wright keeps England alive

Luke Wright's knock keeps defending champion England alive.
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PALLEKELE: Luke Wright's savagery averted a potential spinning disaster for England as the defending champions registered a six-wicket win over New Zealand here, on Saturday. Chasing 148, England looked set to implode against New Zealand's army of slower bowlers, before Wright yanked them out of danger with a display of six hitting. He cleared the ropes five times in his 43-ball 76 and added 89 runs in ten overs with Eoin Morgan. 

The partnership ensured that England won with seven balls to spare despite both set batsmen giving up their wickets in the concluding moments. This was the defending champions' first win in the Super Eights, after they had lost to the West Indies in the previous game. Fast bowler Steve Finn had earlier rattled the Kiwis with three for 16 after Ross Taylor elected to bat. James Franklin's half-century gained for New Zealand a fighting total, and when Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum removed the English openers early in the chase, the chase was headed south.

Wright dominates

Wright and Morgan got together at the fall of Hales (22) and struggled initially as Taylor inundated them with spin. They reached 50 in nine overs and needed exactly 99 from 11 at that point. England had fallen shamelessly to India's tweakers in the league stage and another capitulation here to spin looked likely.

But the Kiwi spinners had neither the guile nor the skill to make the best of a favourable situation. Wright started scoring freely. He carted a six off Nathan McCullum, and reached a crescendo of brutality in the 15th over, when Southee came on with 60 needed from six overs. One six was a monstrosity struck above and behind hte bowler. The next was heaved over mid-wicket and gave Wright his fifty in 33 balls. 

Nicol was shown his place next. Two more sixes, both on the leg-side, one on bended knee, the other on the move. Kyle Mills took out Morgan (31) in the ext over, but was not spared either as Wright thrashed two boundaries, bringing the asking rate crashing down. Wright was finally out for 76 in the 19th over, the job almost done and defending champions England well and truly alive in the Super Eights.

Steve Finn starred with three wickets.Finn claims three 

New Zealand elected to bat under overcast skies and the threat of rain. They rallied around Franklin's fighting half-century to post 148-6, enduring four penetrating overs by Steve Finn. Finn, who irritated immensely by repeatedly knocking over the stumps in his follow through (hence causing a dead ball), took three for 16.

The tall England quick trapped Martin Guptill in front with a fast and full delivery in the second over of the day and McCullum who had in the previous over by left-arm spinner Daniel Briggs struck two boundaries, became Finn's second wicket when he sliced to Luke wright at third man.

Graeme Swann's off-spin made an appearance in the seventh over and claimed Rob Nicol. Deceived by the slowness of the surface,  Nicol struck to Jonny Bairstow at square leg, as the Kiwis descended to 42-3. Swann rushed through his overs as Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson got in the middle, but disaster struck when Briggs retured for his second over and ended Williamson's stay as the batsman went for the cut but edged to Kieswetter behind the wicket.

James Franklin batted way better than what it looks like here.Franklin pushes ahead
Swann bowled through his quota for 20 runs, after which James Franklin began to nudge New Zealand ahead. The left-handed batsman clubbed Briggs for a six and four in the 15th over and two more boudnaries -  a short ball deflected to third man and a full toss swung to long leg - off Stuart Broad's 16th pushed the innings forward.

Finn came back for his last over and claimed his third wicket, Ross Taylor (22), ending a 40-run stand when the New Zealand captain pulled into the hands of the fielder at the deep mid-wicket boundary. Franklin dominated the stand heavily, outscoring Taylor 33 runs to 7, and continued to dent England as he stepped away and scorched Finn through the off-side for four.

But Finn had, just like several times earlier in the innings, had dislodged the bails at the non-striker's end in his follow through, hence a dead ball was called and the batmsan deprived of his sweetly struck boundary. In the next over, Franklin hooked Bresnan into ths stands. 

Not to be outdone, Nathan McCullum swung Broad for two sixes as 17 came from the 19th over. Franklin reached his half-century with a single in 33 balls but was run-out going for the second run. He and Nathan McCullum (16, 10b, 2x6) addded 39 in just 21 balls and the Kiwis piled 52 in their last five over. It looked enough ten overs into England's chase. But Wright's timely six-hitting spree took England home and rested, at least temporarily, vulnerability to slow bowling.

Windies rise as England slip

Johnson Charles: A good findPALLEKELE: Powered by rookies Johnson Charles and Samuel Badree, the West Indiescharged to a 15-run win over England in a Super Eights Group 1 match of the ICC World Twenty20 at Pallekele, here on Thursday.

The 23-year-old Charles struck a 56-ball 84 - his highest score in any form of cricket - andGayle an explosive fifty as the Caribbeans posted a challenging 179-5 after electing to bat.Ravi Rampaul struck twice in the first over of England's chase to have them reeling on 0-2.

Although England recovered through a dizzying century stand between Alex Hales (68) and Eoin Morgan (71*), the pursuit ended on 164-4 as the assault came too late in the chase. Leg-spinner Badree, playing only his third Twenty20 International, bowled his four overs for just 20 runs, while Gayle conceded 27 in his four, also picking up a wicket.

England fell short as the run-rate rocketed beyond control after they attempted damage control following Rampaul's first-over double strike of opener Craig Kieswetter and Luke Wright. Jonny Bairstow's dismissal to a fine piece of catching athleticism by Kieron Pollard left England floundering on 55-3 in 10 overs. And then began a stunning revival.

England attack

Hales and Morgan launched a ferocious counter-attack and lived on their luck to add 107 in just 58 balls to take their team tantalisingly close to the target. Morgan was especially severe, dominating the partnership 70 to 33, and striking five sixes in his 36-ball 71. Some of his attempted hits landed tantalisingly in no man's land, but those he connected sailed well over the boundary. Morgan was also reprieved by Gayle when the batsman had backed too far and was mock-Mankaded by the bowler several times in rapid metronomic succession, much to Gayle's own undisguised delight.

After Bairstow's exit, England needed 125 from 60 balls, but regular hits to the fence kept them in with an outside chance. Hales reached his fifty with a six off Samuels in the 13th over and Morgan gained maximum mileage against the spin of Gayle and Sunil Narine. The English southpaw waded into Rampaul when he returned for his second spell. Thirty-one runs in two overs served to spoil Rampaul's figures as Morgan unleashed three sixes, leaving the requirement to 23 off Samuel's last over of the innings.

Eoin Morgan: This chancy, chancy world.Morgan found the boundary on the first ball, then played a dot and ran a single. Hales, who had been relatively more circumspect all this while with a 51-ball 68, realised the cause was lost and advanced out of his crease and was stumped off a widish delivery. England ultimately paid the price for losing two wickets without scoring in the first over, and then consuming deliveries trying to make amends. Their inability to get going against spin resurfaced.

Windies bat first

Earlier, Gayle and Charles ealier ran up an express opening partnership of 103 in 11 overs to get the West Indies to a testing 179 for five after Darren Sammy elected to bat. The openers scored contrasting half-centuries. Gayle was quick on the go but was frustrated at first as Charles kept him away from the strike.

Gayle got going against Jade Dernbach, pulling and driving him for boundaries. The pace of Steve Finn and Stuart Broad was met with authoritative cuts and a flick - all for  for boundaries.  The Windies reached 47-0 after six overs, but it was when Samit Patel - in the side for Tim Bresnan - came on in the eighth over that all hell broke loose.

Gayle crashed three sixes over the legside. The pitch that was being played on was the same that was used for the first game of the day - the Sri Lanka and New Zealand Super Over thriller - and the ball had been taking turn for Graeme Swann. But when Swann came on immediately after Patel's massacre, he received the same treatment. This time it was Charles who followed up a four with two huge sixes over long-on as the Windies jagged up their scoring rate.

Gayle reached his half-century in 29 balls and soon after Finn dropped Charles on 39 off Swann. Finn redeemed himself on the next ball by holding Gayle's mistimed shot at long-on.  Charles took over after Gayle's dismissal. gaining fours off Luke Wright to reach his fifty in 36 balls. The West Indies lost Marlon Samules cheaply to Broad, but Charles continued to score freely, clouting Patel for another six and hitting fours off Finn and Dernbach.

Visibly tired the 23-year-old played a weary shot to be caught at mid-on when a century was in sight. The 84 was his highest score in any form of professional cricket. England slowed things down after this, but Dernbach leaked 15 in the final over as the Windies ended with a more than competitive score.

Super Over Sri Lanka, Game Over New Zealand

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Tillakaratne Dilshan plucked the ball from the air at the long off fence, as an island watched with its heart in its mouth. Martin Guptill could only close his eyes and walk, for Lasith Malinga had forced him to blink. One ball later, Sri Lanka had defeated New Zealand by 6 runs. But that isn’t the story of the match.

40 overs and 348 runs weren’t enough to decide a winner, for the the Super 8s started with a Super Over, with Sri Lanka winning the eliminator. But nobody knew that it would end this way, definitely not Jayawardene and Dilshan, who came out to chase the 175-run target that the Black Caps had given them. 

Time does freeze when Jayawardene steps out to drive, and it doesn’t stand still like his head, when he flicks it to midwicket.  Opening partner Dilshan played his heart out as well, pulling and driving like nobody was watching, as the Lankans brought up 62 runs with just five overs being bowled. The Black Caps were clearly finding it hard to put their thinking hats on.  

Seriously. Ross Taylor gave the first ball to Nathan McCullum who gave away 17 runs. Didn’t he have anyone else to turn to? 

Thankfully, Jayawardene decided to gift his wicket away, top-edging Jacob Oram to Daniel Vettori at fine leg. Not that the Sri Lanka were keen to relent, as No.3 Kumar Sangakkara came down the track to hit the ball to midwicket. Four runs in Vettori’s bowling figures. Oram’s height wasn’t respected either, as his short deliveries were put away with ease to the leg side fence, with Sangakkara’s handsome bat sending the white ball to the cleaners.

Then came the mix-up. Dilshan fresh from completing his 50, played James Franklin between deep square leg and midwicket, Sangakkara went for a second run, was sent back, for good, as Brendon McCullum negated the poor throw with some great work behind the stumps. Jeevan Mendis’ life at the crease lasted just nine deliveries, and it was clear that Dilshan had to carry his bat through.  28 needed from 18, with the shore still some distance away.

Six followed by heartbreak. Right after hitting James Franklin to midwicket for a six, Dilshan went for a second run, threw in the dive, only to be beaten by Southee’s excellent arm, and McCullum’s gloved digits. Silence everywhere. The first hole in the boat. Thisara Perera, the second.  The equation- 8 needed from 6. The match looks to swing New Zealand’s way, before LahiruThirimanne comes outside the off-stump to scoop the ball to the long leg fence. One needed from one.

Ross Taylor thinks he has hit the stumps, without the ball in his hands, he thinks the Sri Lankans have won, and an entire island agrees with him. The third umpire Steve Davis thinks otherwise. Replays show that the ball slipped from his hands, and hit the stumps, with Thirimanne’s bat still outside the crease. That moment when you don’t know whether to cry or laugh, eat or drink. Time to begin the match within the match. 

Sadly for New Zealand, they won the toss, tied the match, but lost the super over.


Opener’s day out in Pallekele

Earlier, the Kiwi openers started well after being asked to pad up by their skipper. Guptill took the aerial route, taking a short step forward, to lift the ball to the long on fence. He tried it again off the next delivery, didn’t connect, with the ball flying to Thisara Perera at mid on, only to be dropped. He didn’t spare Lasith Malinga either, using the depth of the crease,  turning his bat, to send the ball past backward short leg, for four. In a subsequent over, the right-hander smashed him down the ground. New Zealand were chugging along, with no breakthrough in sight for Jayawardene.

Enter Mahamarakkala Kurukulasooriya Patabendige Akila Dananjaya Perera. An 18-year old debutant who was a net bowler only a few months, picked up a wicket in his very first over, offering a flighted delivery, that Guptill hit straight to Perera at long off. Unfortunately, he was hit below his left eye, after a caught and bowled chance from Rob Nicol, went through his hands. The teenager ignored the swelling, and carried on, bowling from around the wicket.

But birthday boy Brendon McCullum, was in no mood to offer his sympathy, using his feet to go to the pitch of the ball, smashing it for six over long off. Ajantha Mendis however forced the right-hander to blink, with the slog sweep taking the bottom edge, only to fly into Thisara Perera’s hands at deep square leg.  

Rob Nicol meanwhile was coolly living by the sword, getting on his knees to swat the ball for three sixes on the on side, bringing up his 50 in the process. Boy wonder Dananjaya soon forced an error out of Nicol, with the ball flying to Thirimanne at deep midwicket. Skipper  Ross Taylor did well to play some cheeky shots , by playing late, before falling to a slower delivery from the back of Nuwan Kulasekara’s right hand. Slog….Over. 

By the time the 120th delivery was bowled,  New Zealand had lost  7 wickets, and had given Sri Lanka 175 runs to win. 

Big guns set to boom in semi-final race

The World Twenty20 shifts to a higher gear in Sri Lanka on Thursday when the hot favourites begin an intriguing race for the semi-finals in the Super Eights round.

The preliminary league, which ended on Tuesday, separated the men from the boys as lesser teams like Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland exited the competition.

All eight seeded teams will contest the second round, divided into two groups with the top two from each half advancing to the semi-finals.

The road to the Super Eights was bumpy for some, a smooth ride for others, and with monsoon rains set to add to the uncertainty, the next round promises another roller coaster ride.

Australia, South Africa, India and Pakistan, clubbed together for the Super Eights in the 'group of death', all came through unscathed by winning both their preliminary matches.

But in the other half, defending champions England, New Zealand and hosts Sri Lanka moved up with just one win each, with the West Indies going through without even winning a game.

Darren Sammy's Caribbean stars lost to Australia and then had their match against Ireland abandoned by rain, allowing them to scrape through with a superior run-rate over the Irish.

England had won the last edition in 2010 after a similar winless start in the preliminary round, but Sammy refused to derive any consolation from that.

"I am aware of what happened back in 2010, but the most important thing is that we have got to do well in the Super Eights," the West Indies captain said.

"We have to keep improving our game and hopefully we can go out there and express what we have with us."

The West Indies take on England in the second match of Thursday's double-header in Pallekele, following the opener between Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Stuart Broad's England will look to put their campaign back on track after suffering an embarrassing 90-run loss to India in Colombo on Sunday when they were bowled out for their lowest T20 total of 80.

The action will hot up with the group two double-header in Colombo on Friday when power-packed South Africa meet Pakistan, before India take on Australia later at night.

The marquee fixture in the Super Eights will be Sunday's clash between India and Pakistan in Colombo, the first T20 international between the arch-rivals since the inaugural World Twenty20 final in 2007.

A well-balanced Pakistan, boosted by the presence of prolific spinner Saeed Anwar in a versatile bowling unit, will look to break the jinx of never having beaten India in the 50-over World Cup or the World Twenty20.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose young side defeated Pakistan in the 2007 final in Johannesburg, played down the hype over Sunday's game.

"It's never about one team," said Dhoni. "One has to play consistently well through a tournament to win. We will take it one game at a time."

The competition will be intense as even two wins out of three in a Super Eights group may not guarantee a semi-final berth if one team loses every match and the other three beat each other.

If teams are equal on points, run-rates will determine which one loses out.

With bad weather forecast for the rest of the tournament, several twists and turns could be on the cards before the winner is crowned on October 7.

Nazir blitz takes Pakistan into Super Eights

Man of the Match Imran Nazir shows how it's done.PALLEKELE: There were no unexpected slip-ups from the tournament's most unpredictable side as Pakistan stormed into the Super Eightsfollowing a dominant display againstBangladesh, on Tuesday.

Set a target of 176 to win the match and 140 to qualify for the next stage at the expense of their less illustrious sub-continental cousins, Pakistan brought a knife down on Bangladesh's hopes, which would have soared after their starShakib Al Hasan's scorching 84 (54b, 11x4, 2x6) had taken them to a score that seemed competitive even after the 36-run deduction accounting for Net Run Rates.

But the reprieved Imran Nazir (72, 36b) had different ideas. The classy opener smashed nine fours and three sixes after he was dropped early in his knock, and with skipper Mohammad Hafeez (45) added 124 in 13.3 overs in a blistering partnership at the top of the innings. The alliance set up Pakistan's eight-wicket win, allowing them to top Group 'D' and placing them with India, Australia and South Africa in a mouth-watering battle for two semifinal berths.

Hafeez launched Pakistan's highest successful Twenty20 International chase with two fours off Mashrafe Mortaza and calamity struck for Bangladesh in the next over when Nazir was dropped at mid on by Abul Hasan off Shafiul Islam. Carnage followed. 20 came off Shafiul's next over and 15 off Mortaza's fifth of the innings, as Pakistan raced to 50.

Nazir reached his half-century in 25 balls as wickets continued to elude Bangladesh. Pakistan reached 100 in the 11th over and the first breakthrough came in the 14th over when Nazir was out caught at long off against Abul Hasan. In the same over, Hafeez nicked one behind to depart for 45. Nasir Jamshed walked in and clubbed a four and six off Hasan to take Pakistan over the 140-run red line in the 16th over. Jamshed wasn't finished. His 14-ball 29 allowed Pakistan to romp home with 8 balls to spare.  

Shakib, the lone star

Earlier, Bangladesh elected to bat knowing that they needed not only to beat Pakistan but do so by a margin of at least 36 runs. Shakib's dashing knock gave them a fighting chance of doing that, the 175-6 total setting Pakistan a Super Eights qualifying target of 139, a requirement neither here nor there.

Bangladesh began in right earnest with openers Mohammad Ashraful and Tamim Iqbal (24), who smashed 17 runs in Umar Gul's first over, which included five wides. After Ashraful was out, Tamim went after Hafeez with successive boundaries and with Shakib at the other end preying on some indiscriminate short-pitch bowling, runs flowed.

Shakib: One man does not a team make.A questionable call and a slip caused Tamim's run-out, but Shakib made light of the loss to smack fours off Saeed Ajmal when the dangerous offie was introduced in the tenth over, although one boundary did arrive off the edge.

Pakistan's failings in the field soon surfaced. Sohail Tanvir dropped the mother of sitters from Mushfiqur Rahim off medium pacer Yasir Arafat's first ball. In the same over Shakib reached his fifty in 33 balls with a pulled six and on the last ball of Arafat's opener, Shahid Afridi dove full length to his left from mid off but was unable to hang on to Shakib's shot.

Shakib and Mushfiqur (25) added 68 in 8.5 overs for the third wicket and Bangladesh were going steady at 127-2 in 14 overs before two quick wickets - of Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah - pegged them back. Kamran Akmal could have made it another wicket when he failed to take a sharp catch of Nasir Hossain off Afridi. Shakib, meanwhile, attacked Gul again when the bowler returned, picking him for three fours as the innings regained momentum. 

The Bangladesh batsman became his country's highest Twenty20 International score when he paddled Ajmal to the fence in the 19th over. Posibilities of a century appeared transiently, but Shakib was out in the final over for 84, caught at the boundary trying to clear long off off a full toss. By then his job was done and 33 taken from the last three overs.

Rain-aided West Indies slide into Super Eights

My Gangnam dance that did the trick, heh.COLOMBO: Goodbye Ireland. Hopefully we shall bid adieu to Bangladesh tomorrow and let the real tournament begin.  

On a gloomy Monday, the West Indies advanced to the Super Eights when their final Group 'B' league match against Ireland was abandoned due to rain after just one completed innings.

The Caribbeans elected to  bowl and, on the back of an improved performance in the field, restricted Ireland to 129-6 in the 19 overs that the innings had been reduced to. Soon after Ireland walked off the field, the rain came down again and prevented the West Indies from undertaking their pursuit.

The split points allowed everybody's favourite team to progress on account of a superior net run rate, while Ireland, all of whose batsmen got starts but were unable to build, would have been disappointed to not have had one last tilt - however unlikely - of scuppering the West Indian chase and making the last eight cut.

The West Indies thus became the second team after England in 2010 to make the Super Eights despite not winning a single game in the league stage. In the Super Eights, the West Indies will  battle for two semifinal berths with the other teams that were placed second in their respective league groups: England, Sri Lanka and - if Pakistan does not lose to Bangladesh by a margin of more than 75 runs on Tuesday - New Zealand.

The composition of the other Super Eights group will be (provided Pak beat Bangladesh) India, Pakistan, Australia and South Africa - a tantalising tussle for two semifinal slots.

On Monday, it can be logically concluded that all the West Indians were deprived of was a decent hit before the business end of the tournament after Ireland struggled to 129-6. Except for skipper William Porterfield, who perished for his second consecutive golden duck, most of the Irishmen got starts.

Both teams had lost to Australia in the league phase, and with a place in the last eight on the line, the battle lines were firmly drawn in this first 'knock-out' fixture of the World Cup. Fidel Edwardsremoved Porterfield with a yorker on the first ball of the match. Ed Joyce and Paul Stirling found some confidence and Ireland had made 33 for one after five when the rain came down.

After an hour's delay, which caused a reduction in the number of overs to 19 per side, Sunil Narine came on and bowled Joyce. Stirling top-edged while attempting a pull and Chris Gayle claimed Wilson, following up the wicket promptly with a Gangnam style dance.

The O'Brien brothers added 26 as Niall pulled Andre Russell for six and Kevin punched another off Edwards. Gayle grabbed Niall with a faster one, while his brother Kevin was castled by a yorker. Ireland staggered to a total that might not have tested the West Indies anyway, especially since fast bowler Boyd Rankin was not in the eleven.