|
02-22-2012, 08:41 PM
|
#23291 (permalink) | |||
|
Friend Of Today's Movie..
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Palakkad,Kerala
Posts: 6,375
Rep Power: 6437       |
Quote:
Quote:
__________________
Spread this: Quote:
Save this mobile numbers and spread it to all you know through mails&messages.. |
|||
|
|
|
02-24-2012, 07:09 PM
|
#23292 (permalink) |
|
Thani Naadan
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mavelikara
Posts: 7,634
Rep Power: 12108 |
England lose opening T20 to Pakistan
England succumbed to Umar Gul in Thursday night's eight-run defeat, as Graeme Swann's career-best bowling again proved in vain against Pakistan in Dubai. Gul took three crucial wickets to undermine England's chase of 144 for six, to help his team go 1-0 up with two to play. History, therefore, repeated itself for Swann, whose three for 13 bettered by one run his previous best - which came in defeat against these opponents on this very ground almost two years ago. Swann's eventful night, in front of the biggest crowd of England's tour to date, began with a glaring drop to reprieve Asad Shafiq on nine. But he returned to first of all see off the same batsman, with a clumsy and marginal run-out, and then take three wickets for one run in eight balls. A double-wicket maiden featured in the off-spinner's personal best; yet it was to be Gul (three for 18), who eventually had the most telling impact. Kevin Pietersen, in particular, and Craig Kieswetter got England's chase off to a handy start in an opening stand of 48. Pietersen took 13 runs from Junaid Khan's first over but was then responsible for five of the dots in the second, from Gul. He looked in the mood, nonetheless, with 33 from 21 balls - and had just clubbed Shahid Afridi over long-off for six when he did not get quite enough on the next ball, in the leg-spinner's first over, and was very well held by Shafiq almost on the rope at midwicket. Kieswetter was doubly culpable, getting out in the very next over - to an embarrassing shot, backing so far away to Mohammad Hafeez that he could not reach a ball which bowled him leg-stump. Much, therefore, depended on Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan, who had to begin with just one run between them. Morgan missed a drive at Hafeez and lost his leg-stump but teamed up with Bopara, who top-scored with 39 and dominated another useful stand with Jonny Bairstow. Bopara showed no signs of the back injury which ruled him out of England's fourth successive one-day international win here on Tuesday, after his consecutive half-centuries in that format. He scampered four twos, and hit a straight six, in one over from Junaid. But just when it seemed he and Bairstow might finish the job, Bopara achieved a 'Kieswetter' in reverse, going so far across outside off that he did not cover leg-stump and duly lost it to Gul. Pakistan's premier seamer then saw off Jos Buttler, caught at short fine-leg, and had Samit Patel lbw to a yorker first ball. Swann stopped the hat-trick, but could not tilt the match back in England's favour. He had induced a significant mid-innings wobble for Pakistan, before Shoaib Malik (39) and Misbah-ul-Haq kept the hosts' total competitive. After Stuart Broad won the toss, the captain himself did most to quell an explosive start - with a first spell of two overs for five runs, in powerplay. But debutant opener Awais Zia had already fulfilled his brief, clubbing a six and a four in his 18 from 12 balls, before mistiming a slower ball from Steven Finn straight to mid-off. Number three Shafiq had his moment of fortune, dropped by Swann off Jade Dernbach running back from mid-off, as he and Hafeez more than doubled the score. Swann then earned his first moment of redemption when he somehow managed to dislodge the bails - it was not evident with which part of his body and whether it was in contact with the ball - to complete the run-out of Shafiq. That began a run of four wickets for the addition of eight runs - Swann having a hand, or something similar in the first - and then the bowler for the rest. Hafeez picked out the man in the leg-side deep; Afridi chipped straight to midwicket. Then Umar Akmal went for a duck as Dernbach, clearly holding no grudges for Swann's drop, took a fine tumbling catch at long-off. Shoaib and Misbah therefore had to bat sensibly, and fared admirably in a stand of 71 - which included a blatant Swann misfield at short third-man to concede an extra boundary in the final over, off a grimacing Dernbach. By the end of the night, he was not the only one with a scowl on his face in the England camp. Cricket | England lose opening T20 to Pakistan | ESPNSTAR.com
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
02-25-2012, 05:40 PM
|
#23293 (permalink) |
|
Thani Naadan
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mavelikara
Posts: 7,634
Rep Power: 12108 |
De Villiers guides Proteas to victory
An unbeaten century from AB de Villiers led South Africa to a comfortable six-wicket win over New Zealand in the first one-day international in Wellington. The Proteas were in trouble at 35 for three when captain De Villiers (106 not out) came in, but he put on 90 with JP Duminy (46) to steady the ship, then an unbroken 129 with Faf du Plessis (66no) in double quick time as the tourists swept past New Zealand's 253 for nine. That total came on the back of half-centuries from Brendon McCullum, who rode his luck in the early stages of his innings to reach 56, and rising star Williamson, who made 55. But the Black Caps lost wickets at regular intervals and their total never looked better than par. Lonwabo Tsotsobe had Martin Guptill caught behind - and thought he had trapped new man McCullum leg before, shouldering arms to the next ball, only for the batsman to overturn the dismissal on review. DRS saved McCullum again after he was initially adjudged to have edged Robin Peterson to keeper De Villiers, and the Kiwi skipper brought up his side's 50 in the 14th over. Peterson soon struck as Rob Nicol edged to Jacques Kallis at slip having made 30, before McCullum broke out of his shell with his first boundary as he hit his 42nd delivery over mid-wicket for six. Another maximum followed before two fours in successive overs saw him to his half-century from 62 balls but his innings came to an end soon afterwards when he hoisted Kallis to the cover-point boundary, where Peterson took a well-judged catch diving forwards. Jesse Ryder fell cheaply, but Williamson made an impressive 59-ball half-century, before edging to De Villiers soon after. And the lower order struggled to contribute any significant runs as they attempted to up the rate. South Africa were quickly in trouble in their reply as Hashim Amla was bowled by Tim Southee, Graeme Smith edged Kyle Mills to slip and Kallis pulled Bracewell to square leg. That led to a substantial period of rebuilding from Duminy and De Villiers, who showed signs of intent when he pulled Nicol for six. Duminy claimed two fours in three balls off Andrew Ellis, but was caught and bowled by Nicol soon after four runs short of 50. South Africa were 125 for four at that point with 20 overs to go and the game in the balance. But De Villiers passed 50 soon after and heaved a huge six off Nicol two overs later - before Du Plessis survived being given out lbw when the DRS showed the ball was going over the stumps. That proved a turning point as a flurry of boundaries saw South Africa speed towards their target, typified by successive sixes which De Villiers plundered off Nicol. De Villiers reached his faultless 100 in 101 balls, and De Plessis hammered Bracewell for six to pass 50 in an over which cost 16. New Zealand were beaten by then and a Du Plessis single gave South Africa a victory which put them 1-0 up in the three-game series. New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Rob Nicol, Brendon McCullum (capt & wk), Kane Williamson, Jesse Ryder, James Franklin, Andrew Ellis, Nathan McCullum, Doug Bracewell , Tim Southee, Kyle Mills South Africa: Hashim Amla, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (capt & wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Albie Morkel, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe Cricket | De Villiers guides Proteas to victory | ESPNSTAR.com
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
02-28-2012, 12:21 PM
|
#23294 (permalink) |
|
Thani Naadan
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mavelikara
Posts: 7,634
Rep Power: 12108 |
England win T20 thriller
Kevin Pietersen's good form helped England to a thrilling five-run victory and 2-1 T20 series success over Pakistan. Pietersen's unbeaten 62 underpinned only a vulnerable 129 for six and, although Pakistan looked sure to complete the chase with ease at one stage, England's bowlers dug in to sneak the spoils. Saeed Ajmal's four for 23, and the economical back-up spin of Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi, stalled England's momentum after Stuart Broad chose to bat first on an awkward surface at the Zayed Stadium. Their total lacked a double-figure score between numbers three and six as Ajmal, their scourge throughout here, finished his eight weeks' work with 39 wickets. It was only in company with fellow opener Craig Kieswetter and then Samit Patel that Pietersen managed to dominate, but he nonetheless hit six fours and a six from 52 balls. He alone struck the ball with any regularity and authority as England's batsmen struggled to cope with conditions, and it transpired he had done just enough to help finish an arduous trip on a high. It was clear Pakistan did not have an easy chase, but knowing their target and that England had only eight overs of frontline spin seemed a major advantage. Hafeez was caught-and-bowled by Jade Dernbach for a first-ball duck in the second over, and Awais Zia was unluckily lbw to a delivery from Graeme Swann which turned very sharply from round the wicket but pitched outside leg. Asad Shafiq's sensible batting got Pakistan within striking distance, though, by the time he was run out unable to scamper an unwise second to deep midwicket. Two other run-out opportunities evaded England, Zia and Umar Akmal the men to survive. But Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq's pursuit then ran out out steam as Broad in particular put the squeeze on, and the Pakistan captain was last out for 28, bowled by Dernbach trying in vain to heave the six needed from the final ball of the innings. Kieswetter and Pietersen had got England off to a handy start for the third match running, until the former was well-caught at wide long-on by Shoaib Malik in Ajmal's first over. Kieswetter was already responsible for clubbing 12 runs, culminating in a straight six, from Umar Gul's first three deliveries. But neither Ravi Bopara nor Eoin Morgan could get started. Bopara edged a very good ball from Aizaz Cheema to diving wicketkeeper Akmal. Then Morgan's nightmare tour ended with one of his worst innings. He somehow managed an acceptable nine from 11 balls, but could easily have been out twice as he mistimed or simply missed before a mix-up with Pietersen saw him run out. Jonny Bairstow, hero of the series-levelling win in Dubai two days ago, was also all at sea in the desert this time as Ajmal and Afridi took control. Ajmal bowled Bairstow, trying to cut the wrong ball. But it was Afridi who dried up the runs most effectively, as England failed to score from 12 of the 24 balls the leg-spinner bowled. Pietersen lost the strike, facing only 14 of 40 deliveries at one stage, and - until Patel joined him - it was all too much for a succession of new men to the wicket. Patel struck 12 runs, again including a straight six, from the first three balls of Ajmal's last over. But the off-spinner had the last word, when Patel was stumped, and even Pietersen could not get England significantly above six-an-over until Cheema served him a full-toss which disappeared over midwicket for a maximum from the last ball of the innings. It was to prove a crucial blow too, one Misbah was unable to match when his team needed it two hours later. Cricket | England win T20 thriller | ESPNSTAR.com
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
02-28-2012, 05:16 PM
|
#23298 (permalink) | |
|
Active User
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Aluva
Posts: 2,529
Rep Power: 5218 |
Quote:
__________________
I hope there is a day when cancer, is just a zodiac sign.. |
|
|
|
|
|
02-29-2012, 02:32 PM
|
#23299 (permalink) |
|
Thani Naadan
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mavelikara
Posts: 7,634
Rep Power: 12108 |
Morkel, Amla steer SA to victory
Morne Morkel's fifer and Hashim Amla's 92 set up a six-wicket victory as South Africa cruised to a 2-0 lead against New Zealand in the ODI series. Morne Morkel took five wickets as New Zealand collapsed to 230 in the second one-day international against South Africa in Napier. The Black Caps were seemingly cruising towards 300 at 163 for two in the 33rd over with Brendon McCullum (85) going nicely, but they lost three for 20 in the batting powerplay and never recovered. Morne Morkel took five for 38 and Lonwabo Tsotsobe three for 43 as New Zealand, 1-0 down in the three-match series, lost eight for 67 in 16 overs on a flat wicket. Having been put in to bat, New Zealand lost Rob Nicol early on, but manoeuvred themselves into an excellent position thanks to a second-wicket stand of 107 between Martin Guptill (58) and McCullum. McCullum pounced on two short balls for a couple of boundaries but had a moment of luck on 18 when Tsotsobe dropped a sharp caught-and-bowled chance. McCullum pulled Robin Petersen for six while Guptill moved calmly to 50, but the opener attempted to cut a ball that was not wide enough in Jacques Kallis' first over and was caught behind. McCullum appeared to be building a similarly dangerous partnership with Kane Williamson, but the new man was well caught by Kallis running back off Tsotsobe three balls into the powerplay, sparking a collapse. McCullum picked out Justin Ontong at deep square leg and Jesse Ryder fell for a duck, before Morkel wrapped things up by taking the last five wickets, interrupted only by some lusty hitting from Tim Southee, who added 28 in 27 balls. Cricket | Morkel, Amla steer SA to victory | ESPNSTAR.com
__________________
|
|
|
|
 |
| Tags |
| 3349, 3364, 3376, 3379, 3399, cricket, top |
| Thread Tools | |
| Display Modes | |
|
|
Linear Mode
