West Indies will meet England in the final of the World Twenty20 on Sunday after stunning hosts India with a seven-wicket win in the semi-final.
India looked in complete control after Virat Kohli's unbeaten 89 took them to 192-2 and Chris Gayle fell for five.
But Lendl Simmons, who was twice caught off no-balls and held on the boundary only for Ravindra Jadeja to step on the rope, clubbed 82 from 51 balls.
Then Andre Russell won it with a six with two balls to spare in Mumbai.
West Indies, champions in 2012, follow their women's team into the final after they defeated New Zealand earlier on Thursday.
The meeting with 2010 winners England in Kolkata will see a two-time World T20 champion crowned for the first time, while India's exit extends the wait for a host nation to lift the trophy.
The lives of Lendl
Simmons, who had to pull out of the West Indies squad before the tournament began because of an injury, only arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday as a replacement for Andre Fletcher.
When he got to the crease at the end of the third over, West Indies already looked out of the chase after opener Gayle was bowled by Jasprit Bumrah and Marlon Samuels was tamely caught at cover.
Three times he could have been out. Ravichandran Ashwin overstepped when he was caught on 18 and Hardik Pandya did the same at 50, the latter being heaved for six from the resulting free hit.
Then, on 69, Simmons was held on the long-on boundary, only for Jadeja to step on the rope as he was trying to offload the ball to Kohli.
Reprieved, Simmons slapped boundaries through the off side and clubbed five sixes straight and to the leg, sharing 97 with Johnson Charles and an unbroken 80 with Russell.
Windies blow through Mumbai
It was an astonishing chase by West Indies, their second highest in T20 internationals and the second largest by any side to defeat India.
While India grew their total by breathlessly scampering between the wickets, West Indies pummelled the boundary on the same run-filled Wankhede Stadium at which England made 230 to beat South Africa.
As West Indies crashed 20 fours and 11 sixes, the previously raucous Mumbai crowd fell increasingly silent.
Kohli show not enough
India, the pre-tournament favourites, could have gone out in the group stage and, when the semi-final came, their bowlers wilted.
But Kohli, who should have been run out by Dwayne Bravo when he was on only one, did not deserve to end up on the losing side.
The right-hander's innings was another T20 masterclass, full of orthodox cricket strokes and brilliant running between the wickets, taking his tournament record to 273 runs at an average of 136.50.
Then, when India were being dismantled in the field, Kohli was thrown the ball and had Charles caught at long-off with his first delivery.
He was even given the responsibility of bowling the final over when only eight were needed. This time, there was too much even for Kohli to do as Russell heaved the winning maximum over mid-wicket.
What they said
Man of the match Lendl Simmons: "I was under pressure, the team said I had to deliver and I guess I did tonight. We didn't get the start we wanted and then I got three chances and I just cashed in."
West Indies captain Darren Sammy: "I said they were 10 runs short. Even when we lost Gayle, we had Simmons just off the flight. We have two West Indies teams in final and I know that means a lot to the Caribbean.
"Yes Gayle is our best player but we have 15 match winners. Today Charles, Simmons and Russell took responsibility."
India captain MS Dhoni: "The only thing I'm disappointed about was the two no-balls [to reprieve Lendl Simmons]. Other than that we did our best. I thought 190 was a good score. It's a demanding format, it was draining because a few of our games were very close."
Thursday 31 March 2016
ICC Women's World T20 Semi Final 2 WI bt NZ
West Indies 143-6 (20 overs): Cooper 61, Taylor 25, Devine 4-22
New Zealand 137-8 (20 overs): McGlashan 38, Satterthwaite 24, Taylor 3-26
West Indies won by six runs
West Indies will meet Australia in their first World Twenty20 final after a six-run victory over New Zealand.
Britney Cooper hit a 48-ball 61 as West Indies made 143-6 batting first, while Sophie Devine picked up 4-22.
New Zealand began well in reply, but lost their leading run-scorers Devine and Suzie Bates in the seventh over.
Sara McGlashan and Amy Satterthwaite put on 59, but Stafanie Taylor's three late wickets proved crucial as the White Ferns subsided to 137-8.
West Indies, who have never won a global title in the women's game, will play Australia in Kolkata on Sunday in a rematch of the 2013 World Cup final.
They were indebted to a superb innings from number three Cooper, who did not play in West Indies' previous game and averaged just nine from 44 previous T20 internationals.
The defeat completes a double disappointment for New Zealand, whose men's team lost their semi-final against England on Wednesday - with both teams having come into those games unbeaten.
What they said
West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor: "We have been waiting for this for four years now and it's fantastic to be in a final. If we are consistent enough we can definitely win in the final."
New Zealand captain Suzie Bates: "Credit to the way West Indies batted, especially Britney Cooper who took the game away from us with a good performance. Probably 140 was too much - we thought we could do it, but we lost wickets at crucial times."
New Zealand 137-8 (20 overs): McGlashan 38, Satterthwaite 24, Taylor 3-26
West Indies won by six runs
West Indies will meet Australia in their first World Twenty20 final after a six-run victory over New Zealand.
Britney Cooper hit a 48-ball 61 as West Indies made 143-6 batting first, while Sophie Devine picked up 4-22.
New Zealand began well in reply, but lost their leading run-scorers Devine and Suzie Bates in the seventh over.
Sara McGlashan and Amy Satterthwaite put on 59, but Stafanie Taylor's three late wickets proved crucial as the White Ferns subsided to 137-8.
West Indies, who have never won a global title in the women's game, will play Australia in Kolkata on Sunday in a rematch of the 2013 World Cup final.
They were indebted to a superb innings from number three Cooper, who did not play in West Indies' previous game and averaged just nine from 44 previous T20 internationals.
The defeat completes a double disappointment for New Zealand, whose men's team lost their semi-final against England on Wednesday - with both teams having come into those games unbeaten.
What they said
West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor: "We have been waiting for this for four years now and it's fantastic to be in a final. If we are consistent enough we can definitely win in the final."
New Zealand captain Suzie Bates: "Credit to the way West Indies batted, especially Britney Cooper who took the game away from us with a good performance. Probably 140 was too much - we thought we could do it, but we lost wickets at crucial times."
Wednesday 30 March 2016
ICC World T20 Semi Final 1 ENG bt NZ
England powered into their second World Twenty20 final as they hammered New Zealand by seven wickets in Delhi.
Batting first, the previously unbeaten Black Caps raced to 89-1 after 10 overs, with Colin Munro blasting 46.
But England came back superbly to restrict them to 153-8, with Ben Stokes taking three wickets at the death as New Zealand scored just 20 off their last four overs.
Jason Roy hit a 44-ball 78 as England reached the target in 17.1 overs.
Eoin Morgan's side will play West Indies or India in the final in Kolkata on Sunday.
But merely having made it to that stage completes a remarkable turnaround from last year's World Cup, where England were humiliatingly knocked out in the group stages, while New Zealand reached the final.
Rampant Roy crushes Kiwis
Coming into this tournament, Roy averaged just 13 from eight T20 international innings and had never passed 30, and he was under pressure for his place after a poor limited-overs campaign against South Africa.
But the 25-year-old Surrey batsman is now the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament after surely his finest innings in an England shirt.
Roy savaged the New Zealand bowlers from the off, taking Corey Anderson for four fours from his first over, and never looked back.
Brutal on the pull and off-driving powerfully, he hit a total of 13 boundaries before he was bowled by Ish Sodhi.
England's fielding fightback turns the game
At the halfway stage in New Zealand's innings, England had conceded 12 fours and two sixes and were looking at a chase in excess of 200.
But they fought back quite brilliantly, as first spin and then outstanding death bowling from the seamers slowed the New Zealand juggernaut to a virtual halt.
Moeen Ali had been smashed for 32 runs from his two overs against Sri Lanka, but here he wrested control, dismissing the fluent Kane Williamson with a brilliant return catch and conceding just 10 runs from his two overs.
Corey Anderson and Ross Taylor steered New Zealand to 133-3 after 16 overs, but from there Stokes and Chris Jordan destroyed their hopes of a good total.
Jordan, consistently hitting a perfect yorker length, had Taylor caught at extra cover, while Stokes accounted for Anderson, Luke Ronchi and Mitchell Santner, all caught on the boundary.
New Zealand managed just one boundary in the last four overs - the least expensive ever bowled by England in a T20 international.
New surroundings stump New Zealand
New Zealand entered the match having won all four of their group matches, and 12 of their last 13 in global tournaments.
But - just as in the World Cup final, when they froze at the Melbourne Cricket Ground - they appeared to be undone by a change of location, as they failed to adapt from the low-scoring conditions in which they had played their previous games to Delhi's more batsman-friendly track.
The Black Caps had defended scores of 126, 142 and 145 earlier in the tournament, but England had broken the back of the chase in amassing 49-0 by the time Williamson turned to his leading wicket-taker Mitchell Santner after four overs.
New Zealand's defeat means that they miss out on a first World Twenty20 final, and ensures that the record of no side ever having won the tournament undefeated will continue.
Batting first, the previously unbeaten Black Caps raced to 89-1 after 10 overs, with Colin Munro blasting 46.
But England came back superbly to restrict them to 153-8, with Ben Stokes taking three wickets at the death as New Zealand scored just 20 off their last four overs.
Jason Roy hit a 44-ball 78 as England reached the target in 17.1 overs.
Eoin Morgan's side will play West Indies or India in the final in Kolkata on Sunday.
But merely having made it to that stage completes a remarkable turnaround from last year's World Cup, where England were humiliatingly knocked out in the group stages, while New Zealand reached the final.
Rampant Roy crushes Kiwis
Coming into this tournament, Roy averaged just 13 from eight T20 international innings and had never passed 30, and he was under pressure for his place after a poor limited-overs campaign against South Africa.
But the 25-year-old Surrey batsman is now the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament after surely his finest innings in an England shirt.
Roy savaged the New Zealand bowlers from the off, taking Corey Anderson for four fours from his first over, and never looked back.
Brutal on the pull and off-driving powerfully, he hit a total of 13 boundaries before he was bowled by Ish Sodhi.
England's fielding fightback turns the game
At the halfway stage in New Zealand's innings, England had conceded 12 fours and two sixes and were looking at a chase in excess of 200.
But they fought back quite brilliantly, as first spin and then outstanding death bowling from the seamers slowed the New Zealand juggernaut to a virtual halt.
Moeen Ali had been smashed for 32 runs from his two overs against Sri Lanka, but here he wrested control, dismissing the fluent Kane Williamson with a brilliant return catch and conceding just 10 runs from his two overs.
Corey Anderson and Ross Taylor steered New Zealand to 133-3 after 16 overs, but from there Stokes and Chris Jordan destroyed their hopes of a good total.
Jordan, consistently hitting a perfect yorker length, had Taylor caught at extra cover, while Stokes accounted for Anderson, Luke Ronchi and Mitchell Santner, all caught on the boundary.
New Zealand managed just one boundary in the last four overs - the least expensive ever bowled by England in a T20 international.
New surroundings stump New Zealand
New Zealand entered the match having won all four of their group matches, and 12 of their last 13 in global tournaments.
But - just as in the World Cup final, when they froze at the Melbourne Cricket Ground - they appeared to be undone by a change of location, as they failed to adapt from the low-scoring conditions in which they had played their previous games to Delhi's more batsman-friendly track.
The Black Caps had defended scores of 126, 142 and 145 earlier in the tournament, but England had broken the back of the chase in amassing 49-0 by the time Williamson turned to his leading wicket-taker Mitchell Santner after four overs.
New Zealand's defeat means that they miss out on a first World Twenty20 final, and ensures that the record of no side ever having won the tournament undefeated will continue.
ICC Women's World T20 AUS bt ENG by 5 runs
England were knocked out of the Women's World Twenty20 by Australia for the third tournament running after a five-run semi-final defeat in Delhi.
Meg Lanning hit a composed 55 and Alyssa Healy a rapid 25 as Australia compiled 132-6 amid a mixed England fielding performance.
In reply, Charlotte Edwards (31) and Tammy Beaumont (32) added 67 for the first wicket inside 10 overs.
But from there, England lost regular wickets to slump to 127-7.
Australia - seeking a fourth straight title - will play New Zealand or West Indies in the final in Kolkata on Sunday.
England, meanwhile, miss out on the final for the first time since 2010.
England pay for panicky finish
Although they arrived at this semi-final having won all four of their group matches, England had already shown plenty of fragility with the bat, collapsing from 59-0 to 109-9 against West Indies and from 42-1 to 92-8 against India.
This time, their middle-order woes finally cost them as they squandered the perfect platform laid by Edwards and Beaumont.
With seven overs remaining, England needed 45 more with nine wickets in hand, but they succumbed to panic.
First Beaumont played an unnecessary slog and was caught at cover, then Natalie Sciver was bowled third ball attempting an overambitious scoop, before Heather Knight smacked Erin Osborne to long-on.
From there, England's hopes rested with the out-of-form Sarah Taylor, but her dismissal - caught behind tamely trying a reverse sweep - summed up England's muddled thinking and sealed their demise.
Classy Lanning guides Australia
After Healy and Elyse Villani got Australia off to a superb start with a partnership of 41 from 27 balls, the Southern Stars were in danger of faltering when both openers were dismissed in quick succession.
Lanning came to the crease having passed 30 only once in four innings in the tournament, but the world's top-ranked T20 batter quickly set about demonstrating her class.
Scoring heavily behind square on the off side, Lanning hit six fours, adding 36 with Ellyse Perry.
As England came back into the game with late wickets, the Australia captain remained a serene presence at the other end - but she could not find any boundaries in the final four overs of the innings as Australia lost crucial momentum.
Fielding fumbles cost England
It was a mixed performance in the field by England, containing both moments of magic and costly instances of ineptitude.
In the closing overs, Natalie Sciver brilliantly ran out Alex Blackwell with a direct hit from deep midwicket, and Anya Shrubsole then accounted for Lanning with another superb piece of fielding, shattering the stumps from long-on.
However, earlier Edwards' side had fluffed two straightforward run-out chances, with Lanning reprieved by a poor Danielle Wyatt throw and Blackwell surviving after a Shrubsole fumble.
Crucial runs were also conceded by poor ground fielding, with the whole haphazard display summed up by the comical moment when an inattentive Natalie Sciver was hit on the head by Katharine Brunt's throw as she walked back to her bowling mark.
What they said
England captain Charlotte Edwards: "I think we know a lot about each other and there are no secrets but Australia held their nerve and we didn't, and that is probably the difference.
"We didn't start particularly well with the ball but dragged it back and then started brilliantly with the bat and then lost our way. We showed glimpses towards the end of getting it back, but it wasn't quite meant to be."
Australia captain Meg Lanning: "We knew the powerplay would be crucial and with the start we got, we got ahead of the game. We knew it would be more difficult when the ball was softer so it was crucial we built on that momentum.
"We didn't start as well as we would like with the ball but we began to hit our lengths and the stumps."
England coach Mark Robinson: "It is a cruel game, another five runs then we were in a super over. Well done to Australia on the day
"There is a little stage fright and we were a little guilty of that in field, but we are not fit enough. Athleticism is a gift, so there is not much we can do about that, but anaerobic fitness we can do something about and we will."
Meg Lanning hit a composed 55 and Alyssa Healy a rapid 25 as Australia compiled 132-6 amid a mixed England fielding performance.
In reply, Charlotte Edwards (31) and Tammy Beaumont (32) added 67 for the first wicket inside 10 overs.
But from there, England lost regular wickets to slump to 127-7.
Australia - seeking a fourth straight title - will play New Zealand or West Indies in the final in Kolkata on Sunday.
England, meanwhile, miss out on the final for the first time since 2010.
England pay for panicky finish
Although they arrived at this semi-final having won all four of their group matches, England had already shown plenty of fragility with the bat, collapsing from 59-0 to 109-9 against West Indies and from 42-1 to 92-8 against India.
This time, their middle-order woes finally cost them as they squandered the perfect platform laid by Edwards and Beaumont.
With seven overs remaining, England needed 45 more with nine wickets in hand, but they succumbed to panic.
First Beaumont played an unnecessary slog and was caught at cover, then Natalie Sciver was bowled third ball attempting an overambitious scoop, before Heather Knight smacked Erin Osborne to long-on.
From there, England's hopes rested with the out-of-form Sarah Taylor, but her dismissal - caught behind tamely trying a reverse sweep - summed up England's muddled thinking and sealed their demise.
Classy Lanning guides Australia
After Healy and Elyse Villani got Australia off to a superb start with a partnership of 41 from 27 balls, the Southern Stars were in danger of faltering when both openers were dismissed in quick succession.
Lanning came to the crease having passed 30 only once in four innings in the tournament, but the world's top-ranked T20 batter quickly set about demonstrating her class.
Scoring heavily behind square on the off side, Lanning hit six fours, adding 36 with Ellyse Perry.
As England came back into the game with late wickets, the Australia captain remained a serene presence at the other end - but she could not find any boundaries in the final four overs of the innings as Australia lost crucial momentum.
Fielding fumbles cost England
It was a mixed performance in the field by England, containing both moments of magic and costly instances of ineptitude.
In the closing overs, Natalie Sciver brilliantly ran out Alex Blackwell with a direct hit from deep midwicket, and Anya Shrubsole then accounted for Lanning with another superb piece of fielding, shattering the stumps from long-on.
However, earlier Edwards' side had fluffed two straightforward run-out chances, with Lanning reprieved by a poor Danielle Wyatt throw and Blackwell surviving after a Shrubsole fumble.
Crucial runs were also conceded by poor ground fielding, with the whole haphazard display summed up by the comical moment when an inattentive Natalie Sciver was hit on the head by Katharine Brunt's throw as she walked back to her bowling mark.
What they said
England captain Charlotte Edwards: "I think we know a lot about each other and there are no secrets but Australia held their nerve and we didn't, and that is probably the difference.
"We didn't start particularly well with the ball but dragged it back and then started brilliantly with the bat and then lost our way. We showed glimpses towards the end of getting it back, but it wasn't quite meant to be."
Australia captain Meg Lanning: "We knew the powerplay would be crucial and with the start we got, we got ahead of the game. We knew it would be more difficult when the ball was softer so it was crucial we built on that momentum.
"We didn't start as well as we would like with the ball but we began to hit our lengths and the stumps."
England coach Mark Robinson: "It is a cruel game, another five runs then we were in a super over. Well done to Australia on the day
"There is a little stage fright and we were a little guilty of that in field, but we are not fit enough. Athleticism is a gift, so there is not much we can do about that, but anaerobic fitness we can do something about and we will."
Monday 28 March 2016
ICC World T20 Final Game of Super 10's SA V SL
South Africa thrashed Sri Lanka by eight wickets in their final game at the World Twenty20.
Sri Lanka reached 45-0 but then lost all 10 wickets for 75 runs to slip to 120 all out, with Kyle Abbott, Aaron Phangiso and Farhaan Behardien each taking two wickets.
Hashim Amla made an unbeaten 56 in a comfortable chase that an AB de Villiers six completed with 14 deliveries to spare.
Both teams had already been eliminated.
Sorry Sri Lanka
This was a horrible display from Sri Lanka, who arrived as the defending champions but leave having beaten only Afghanistan.
Without injured captain Angelo Mathews, their middle-order fell apart after openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal raced to 45 in 28 balls.
Left-arm spinner Phangiso was hit for 10 runs from the first two balls he bowled but, later in the same over, bowled both Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne in successive deliveries.
As South Africa, in particular the excellent leg-spin of Imran Tahir, took pace off the ball, Sri Lanka perished to poor shots and sloppy running.
Late pride for the Proteas
South Africa finish third in Group 1, behind West Indies and England, who play India and New Zealand respectively in the semi-finals.
They may feel unfortunate not to be in the last four - their two defeats both came in the last over of the match - but this was the most comfortable of victories.
Amla was never troubled, occasionally taking boundaries behind square on the off side or wristily whipping through the leg, including one six.
He lost Quinton de Kock to a direct hit from Dilshan and Faf du Plessis to an erroneous lbw, the latter allowing De Villiers to arrive and belt the winning runs off a Suranga Lakmal full toss.
Sri Lanka reached 45-0 but then lost all 10 wickets for 75 runs to slip to 120 all out, with Kyle Abbott, Aaron Phangiso and Farhaan Behardien each taking two wickets.
Hashim Amla made an unbeaten 56 in a comfortable chase that an AB de Villiers six completed with 14 deliveries to spare.
Both teams had already been eliminated.
Sorry Sri Lanka
This was a horrible display from Sri Lanka, who arrived as the defending champions but leave having beaten only Afghanistan.
Without injured captain Angelo Mathews, their middle-order fell apart after openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal raced to 45 in 28 balls.
Left-arm spinner Phangiso was hit for 10 runs from the first two balls he bowled but, later in the same over, bowled both Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne in successive deliveries.
As South Africa, in particular the excellent leg-spin of Imran Tahir, took pace off the ball, Sri Lanka perished to poor shots and sloppy running.
Late pride for the Proteas
South Africa finish third in Group 1, behind West Indies and England, who play India and New Zealand respectively in the semi-finals.
They may feel unfortunate not to be in the last four - their two defeats both came in the last over of the match - but this was the most comfortable of victories.
Amla was never troubled, occasionally taking boundaries behind square on the off side or wristily whipping through the leg, including one six.
He lost Quinton de Kock to a direct hit from Dilshan and Faf du Plessis to an erroneous lbw, the latter allowing De Villiers to arrive and belt the winning runs off a Suranga Lakmal full toss.
ICC Women's World T20 Match 20 SA V SL
Sri Lanka 114-7 (20 overs): Atapattu 52, Kapp 2-17, Luus 2-20
South Africa 104-7 (20 overs): Chetty 26, Van Niekerk 24
Sri Lanka won by 10 runs
Sri Lanka bowed out of the Women's World Twenty20 with a 10-run win over South Africa, with both teams already eliminated from semi-final contention.
Captain Chamari Atapattu hit a crucial 52 as Sri Lanka stuttered to 114-7.
South Africa looked to be coasting in Bangalore as Dane van Niekerk (24) and Trisha Chetty (26) put on 50 for the first wicket inside nine overs.
But from there the Proteas collapsed, losing five wickets for 24 runs, and they fell short, finishing on 104-7.
Neither team advances from Group A, with New Zealand and Australia going through to the semi-finals where they will play West Indies and England respectively.
South Africa 104-7 (20 overs): Chetty 26, Van Niekerk 24
Sri Lanka won by 10 runs
Sri Lanka bowed out of the Women's World Twenty20 with a 10-run win over South Africa, with both teams already eliminated from semi-final contention.
Captain Chamari Atapattu hit a crucial 52 as Sri Lanka stuttered to 114-7.
South Africa looked to be coasting in Bangalore as Dane van Niekerk (24) and Trisha Chetty (26) put on 50 for the first wicket inside nine overs.
But from there the Proteas collapsed, losing five wickets for 24 runs, and they fell short, finishing on 104-7.
Neither team advances from Group A, with New Zealand and Australia going through to the semi-finals where they will play West Indies and England respectively.
Sunday 27 March 2016
ICC World T20 Super 10's WI V AFG & IND V AUS
Australia 160-6 (20 overs): Finch 43 (34), Pandya 2-36
India 161-4 (19.1 overs) : Kohli 82* (51)
India win by six wickets
Virat Kohli's brilliant unbeaten 82 led hosts India to a six-wicket victory over Australia and a place in the semi-finals of the World Twenty20.
Kohli expertly marshalled a chase of 161, taking 32 runs from the last 11 balls he faced to allow MS Dhoni to win it with five balls to spare.
Earlier, Australia raced to 50 from only 22 deliveries but were dragged back to 160-6.
India will meet West Indies in the last four in Mumbai on Thursday.
Australia go out, ending the international career of Shane Watson, who announced his retirement on Thursday.
Classy Kohli does it again
Kohli is a master of the run chase, the right-hander averaging 83.60 in the second innings of T20 internationals before walking out to bat in Mohali.
Steady Indian progress and the regular fall of wickets left the hosts needing 39 from three overs, the required rate higher than any other point in the innings.
Until then, Kohli had mainly settled for manoeuvring the ball and running hard, but launched his attack on James Faulkner, taking a boundary square either side then carving six over long-off.
Twenty were still needed from two, only for Kohli to drive, pull and slap four boundaries from the next over delivered by Nathan Coulter-Nile.
All was left was for skipper Dhoni to hit the winning boundary off Faulkner and, in the end, it was not close.
Australia pegged back
For a time at the beginning of their innings, Australia looked set to move out of sight as Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch punished the wayward bowling of Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin.
But after Ashish Nehra had Khawaja caught behind, India clawed their way back into the contest through the left-arm spin of Ravi Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh, though Australia will be aggrieved at the decision to give captain Steve Smith caught behind off Yuvraj
Glenn Maxwell was bowled by a slower ball from the returning Bumrah just as he was beginning to look dangerous and the late acceleration did not materialise.
Peter Nevill did take 10 from the last two balls of the innings, the only two he faced, but it was not enough.
India peaking at the right time?
India began the tournament as huge favourites to become the first host nation to win the World T20, but were stunned in a defeat by New Zealand in their opening match.
They then needed a remarkable last-ball victory against Bangladesh, who needed only one run from three deliveries, to stay in the competition.
However, this was their most impressive display so far and, with Kohli in supreme form, they will again be heavily fancied to add to their triumph in the inaugural tournament of 2007.
Peaking at the right time has been vital in previous World T20s - no team has ever gone unbeaten - and India may be doing just that.
India 161-4 (19.1 overs) : Kohli 82* (51)
India win by six wickets
Virat Kohli's brilliant unbeaten 82 led hosts India to a six-wicket victory over Australia and a place in the semi-finals of the World Twenty20.
Kohli expertly marshalled a chase of 161, taking 32 runs from the last 11 balls he faced to allow MS Dhoni to win it with five balls to spare.
Earlier, Australia raced to 50 from only 22 deliveries but were dragged back to 160-6.
India will meet West Indies in the last four in Mumbai on Thursday.
Australia go out, ending the international career of Shane Watson, who announced his retirement on Thursday.
Classy Kohli does it again
Kohli is a master of the run chase, the right-hander averaging 83.60 in the second innings of T20 internationals before walking out to bat in Mohali.
Steady Indian progress and the regular fall of wickets left the hosts needing 39 from three overs, the required rate higher than any other point in the innings.
Until then, Kohli had mainly settled for manoeuvring the ball and running hard, but launched his attack on James Faulkner, taking a boundary square either side then carving six over long-off.
Twenty were still needed from two, only for Kohli to drive, pull and slap four boundaries from the next over delivered by Nathan Coulter-Nile.
All was left was for skipper Dhoni to hit the winning boundary off Faulkner and, in the end, it was not close.
Australia pegged back
For a time at the beginning of their innings, Australia looked set to move out of sight as Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch punished the wayward bowling of Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin.
But after Ashish Nehra had Khawaja caught behind, India clawed their way back into the contest through the left-arm spin of Ravi Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh, though Australia will be aggrieved at the decision to give captain Steve Smith caught behind off Yuvraj
Glenn Maxwell was bowled by a slower ball from the returning Bumrah just as he was beginning to look dangerous and the late acceleration did not materialise.
Peter Nevill did take 10 from the last two balls of the innings, the only two he faced, but it was not enough.
India peaking at the right time?
India began the tournament as huge favourites to become the first host nation to win the World T20, but were stunned in a defeat by New Zealand in their opening match.
They then needed a remarkable last-ball victory against Bangladesh, who needed only one run from three deliveries, to stay in the competition.
However, this was their most impressive display so far and, with Kohli in supreme form, they will again be heavily fancied to add to their triumph in the inaugural tournament of 2007.
Peaking at the right time has been vital in previous World T20s - no team has ever gone unbeaten - and India may be doing just that.
ICC Women's World T20 Matches 18 + 19
West Indies Women 114/8 (20/20 ov)
India Women 111/9 (20/20 ov)
West Indies Women won by 3 runs
West Indies booked their place in the semi-finals of the Women's World Twenty20 with a narrow win over India.
Stafanie Taylor (47) and Deandra Dottin (45) starred as the Windies made 114-8.
Jhulan Goswami's rapid 26 from 19 balls left India needing 10 from the last over, bowled by Dottin (3-16), but they fell short on 111-9.
It means England must beat Pakistan later to be sure of qualification, as a heavy defeat would see them risk elimination on net run-rate.
England 148-5 (20 overs)
Pakistan 80 (17.5 overs)
England won by 68 runs
England moved into the Women's World Twenty20 semi-finals with an easy 68-run victory over Pakistan in Chennai.
After an opening stand of 68 with Tammy Beaumont (37), captain Charlotte Edwards batted through the innings for 77 from 61 balls in England's 148-5.
West Indies' earlier win over India had meant group leaders England would have risked elimination on net run-rate if Pakistan had won in 18.1 overs or less.
But Pakistan were bowled out for just 80, with 13 balls to spare.
Nida Dar resisted for 16 from 22 balls in mid-innings but an upset never looked likely.
England will face Group A runners-up Australia in Wednesday's first semi-final in Delhi, while West Indies take on unbeaten New Zealand in Mumbai the following day.
Recalled Marsh spins England to victory
England's bowling heroine was off-spinner Laura Marsh, who had only arrived in India on Wednesday as an injury replacement for Danielle Hazell, and was preferred to slow left-armer Rebecca Grundy as one of two team changes.
After Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole struck with the new ball, Marsh put the brakes on and collected T20 career-best figures of 3-12 from four overs on her first full international appearance since August.
The other change was enforced as illness ruled out vice-captain Heather Knight, handing an opportunity to all-rounder Georgia Elwiss, who also picked up two wickets.
India Women 111/9 (20/20 ov)
West Indies Women won by 3 runs
West Indies booked their place in the semi-finals of the Women's World Twenty20 with a narrow win over India.
Stafanie Taylor (47) and Deandra Dottin (45) starred as the Windies made 114-8.
Jhulan Goswami's rapid 26 from 19 balls left India needing 10 from the last over, bowled by Dottin (3-16), but they fell short on 111-9.
It means England must beat Pakistan later to be sure of qualification, as a heavy defeat would see them risk elimination on net run-rate.
England 148-5 (20 overs)
Pakistan 80 (17.5 overs)
England won by 68 runs
England moved into the Women's World Twenty20 semi-finals with an easy 68-run victory over Pakistan in Chennai.
After an opening stand of 68 with Tammy Beaumont (37), captain Charlotte Edwards batted through the innings for 77 from 61 balls in England's 148-5.
West Indies' earlier win over India had meant group leaders England would have risked elimination on net run-rate if Pakistan had won in 18.1 overs or less.
But Pakistan were bowled out for just 80, with 13 balls to spare.
Nida Dar resisted for 16 from 22 balls in mid-innings but an upset never looked likely.
England will face Group A runners-up Australia in Wednesday's first semi-final in Delhi, while West Indies take on unbeaten New Zealand in Mumbai the following day.
Recalled Marsh spins England to victory
England's bowling heroine was off-spinner Laura Marsh, who had only arrived in India on Wednesday as an injury replacement for Danielle Hazell, and was preferred to slow left-armer Rebecca Grundy as one of two team changes.
After Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole struck with the new ball, Marsh put the brakes on and collected T20 career-best figures of 3-12 from four overs on her first full international appearance since August.
The other change was enforced as illness ruled out vice-captain Heather Knight, handing an opportunity to all-rounder Georgia Elwiss, who also picked up two wickets.
Saturday 26 March 2016
ICC World T20 NZL V BAN & ENG V SL
New Zealand 145/8 (20/20 ov)
Bangladesh 70 (15.4/20 ov)
New Zealand won by 75 runs
New Zealand completed the group stage of the World T20 with a clean slate, and in some style. Signature style too, as they adjusted themselves to a slow and low pitch. An example of that was how their of 145 for 8 was more than double that Bangladesh could manage.
Kane Williamson's crew were playing in their fourth venue, but looked right at home. They picked three spinners on a "very dry surface" and their batsmen were careful not to overreach. The way Colin Munro, essentially selected to slog, spent a majority of his innings without even trying to find the boundary was a clear indication of how well the New Zealand management have assisted the eleven men out on the field. His 35 off 33 balls helped navigate the middle overs after Williamson had led them to a strong start with 42 off 32 balls.
The XI men under Mashrafe Mortaza though played like they were dying to catch the 30-minute flight from Kolkata back home to Dhaka. They did have the batting to threaten New Zealand and make sure Mustafizur Rahman's maiden T20I five-for was match-winning, but slow cutters from Grant Elliott and the legspin of Ish Sodhi bundled them out for 70 in 15.4 overs. It was Bangladesh's lowest total in the format.
Tamim Iqbal's run-out chasing an imaginary single in the second over was almost an omen of the events that would follow. They managed three fours in the fifth over - one off Sabbir Rahman's straight bat, one off his pads and one when Mohammad Mithun waited nicely for a late cut. But such prudent shot selection was a rare sight among the Bangladesh batsmen.
Mithun went for a slog in the very next over and was bowled by a slower ball from Mitchell McClenaghan. Shakib Al Hasan went for the big shot too early in his innings and holed out at long-on. It was only the seventh ball he faced. In comparison, Munro, a man with far less experience, did not even look to strike a boundary until his 25th ball in the 14th over of the innings.
There were instances of brilliance that Bangladesh's batsmen couldn't have fought against. Luke Ronchi effected a fine stumping, weathering extra bounce, after a legspinner from Sodhi had beaten Soumya Sarkar's sweep shot. Then came an unplayable ball. Grant Elliott bowled a simple little legcutter that whisked past Mustfiqur Rahim's outside edge and hit his off-stump. Even the bowler was surprised by the amount of deviation he got.
After 11 minutes of respite when one of the light towers at the Eden Gardens malfunctioned, Mahmudullah fell to Sodhi's googly to make it 48 for 7. After adding 12 runs with Shuvagata Hom, Mashrafe Mortaza was given leg-before to Elliott in the 15th over though all three of his stumps could be seen, and replays confirmed that it would have missed the leg-stump.
Prior to that bit of bad luck during a bad batting collapse, Mustafizur and his bewildering offcutters had held sway. He became only the second Bangladeshi bowler to take a T20I five-for; the other being Elias Sunny who took 5-13 against Ireland in his T20I debut in 2012.
Williamson was coping well with a tired Kolkata pitch - it was the third game played on it - but Mustafizur outfoxed him. The batsman felt the need to do something extravagant - the lap sweep - to put the bowler off. The fact that 20-year old Mustafizur still bowled his cutter full and straight to knock over the off stump points to his composure.
New Zealand went through two periods, 20 balls (between overs 5.0 and 8.2) and 26 balls (between overs 8.4 and 13.0) without boundaries. Munro moved slowly to 17 off 24 balls, during which he survived a plumb lbw appeal against Shakib. Munro finally opened up, hitting a four and two sixes in seven balls before Al-Amin Hossain bowled him for 35.
Taylor, who eventually made 28 off 24 balls, was dropped on nine by Al-Amin at the square-leg boundary. Chances like that kept coming in the final five overs - New Zealand lost five wickets and Mustafizur was even on a hat-trick in the 20th over - but the batsmen still came up with 46 runs to put up a total that proved quite safe because they had done their homework.
England 171 for 4 beat Sri Lanka 161 for 8 by 10 runs
England scraped into the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 with a 10-run win over Sri Lanka in Delhi.
Sri Lanka looked beaten after they were reduced to 15-4 in reply to England's 171-4, in which Jos Buttler plundered 66 not out from 37 balls.
But captain Angelo Mathews attacked England's spinners to leave Sri Lanka needing 15 from the final over.
With an injured Mathews hobbling, Ben Stokes' brilliant yorkers saw England to a semi-final against New Zealand.
Bangladesh 70 (15.4/20 ov)
New Zealand won by 75 runs
New Zealand completed the group stage of the World T20 with a clean slate, and in some style. Signature style too, as they adjusted themselves to a slow and low pitch. An example of that was how their of 145 for 8 was more than double that Bangladesh could manage.
Kane Williamson's crew were playing in their fourth venue, but looked right at home. They picked three spinners on a "very dry surface" and their batsmen were careful not to overreach. The way Colin Munro, essentially selected to slog, spent a majority of his innings without even trying to find the boundary was a clear indication of how well the New Zealand management have assisted the eleven men out on the field. His 35 off 33 balls helped navigate the middle overs after Williamson had led them to a strong start with 42 off 32 balls.
The XI men under Mashrafe Mortaza though played like they were dying to catch the 30-minute flight from Kolkata back home to Dhaka. They did have the batting to threaten New Zealand and make sure Mustafizur Rahman's maiden T20I five-for was match-winning, but slow cutters from Grant Elliott and the legspin of Ish Sodhi bundled them out for 70 in 15.4 overs. It was Bangladesh's lowest total in the format.
Tamim Iqbal's run-out chasing an imaginary single in the second over was almost an omen of the events that would follow. They managed three fours in the fifth over - one off Sabbir Rahman's straight bat, one off his pads and one when Mohammad Mithun waited nicely for a late cut. But such prudent shot selection was a rare sight among the Bangladesh batsmen.
Mithun went for a slog in the very next over and was bowled by a slower ball from Mitchell McClenaghan. Shakib Al Hasan went for the big shot too early in his innings and holed out at long-on. It was only the seventh ball he faced. In comparison, Munro, a man with far less experience, did not even look to strike a boundary until his 25th ball in the 14th over of the innings.
There were instances of brilliance that Bangladesh's batsmen couldn't have fought against. Luke Ronchi effected a fine stumping, weathering extra bounce, after a legspinner from Sodhi had beaten Soumya Sarkar's sweep shot. Then came an unplayable ball. Grant Elliott bowled a simple little legcutter that whisked past Mustfiqur Rahim's outside edge and hit his off-stump. Even the bowler was surprised by the amount of deviation he got.
After 11 minutes of respite when one of the light towers at the Eden Gardens malfunctioned, Mahmudullah fell to Sodhi's googly to make it 48 for 7. After adding 12 runs with Shuvagata Hom, Mashrafe Mortaza was given leg-before to Elliott in the 15th over though all three of his stumps could be seen, and replays confirmed that it would have missed the leg-stump.
Prior to that bit of bad luck during a bad batting collapse, Mustafizur and his bewildering offcutters had held sway. He became only the second Bangladeshi bowler to take a T20I five-for; the other being Elias Sunny who took 5-13 against Ireland in his T20I debut in 2012.
Williamson was coping well with a tired Kolkata pitch - it was the third game played on it - but Mustafizur outfoxed him. The batsman felt the need to do something extravagant - the lap sweep - to put the bowler off. The fact that 20-year old Mustafizur still bowled his cutter full and straight to knock over the off stump points to his composure.
New Zealand went through two periods, 20 balls (between overs 5.0 and 8.2) and 26 balls (between overs 8.4 and 13.0) without boundaries. Munro moved slowly to 17 off 24 balls, during which he survived a plumb lbw appeal against Shakib. Munro finally opened up, hitting a four and two sixes in seven balls before Al-Amin Hossain bowled him for 35.
Taylor, who eventually made 28 off 24 balls, was dropped on nine by Al-Amin at the square-leg boundary. Chances like that kept coming in the final five overs - New Zealand lost five wickets and Mustafizur was even on a hat-trick in the 20th over - but the batsmen still came up with 46 runs to put up a total that proved quite safe because they had done their homework.
England 171 for 4 beat Sri Lanka 161 for 8 by 10 runs
England scraped into the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 with a 10-run win over Sri Lanka in Delhi.
Sri Lanka looked beaten after they were reduced to 15-4 in reply to England's 171-4, in which Jos Buttler plundered 66 not out from 37 balls.
But captain Angelo Mathews attacked England's spinners to leave Sri Lanka needing 15 from the final over.
With an injured Mathews hobbling, Ben Stokes' brilliant yorkers saw England to a semi-final against New Zealand.
ICC Women's World T20 Matches 16 + 17
Ireland Women 91/7 (20/20 ov)
Australia Women 92/3 (13.2/20 ov)
Australia Women won by 7 wickets (with 40 balls remaining)
Australia beat Ireland by seven wickets in Delhi to move closer towards clinching their place in the semi-finals of the Women's World Twenty20.
Ireland, who were already eliminated after losing their first three group games, could not score quickly enough and slipped from 75-2 to 91-7.
Elyse Villani made 43 to help Australia win with 40 balls to spare.
Australia have yet to clinch their semi-final place but will go through if New Zealand beat South Africa later.
England will look to join them in the last four by beating Pakistan in their last Group B game in Chennai on Monday.
Too many dot balls
Ireland's openers failed to score from the first 11 deliveries, but Clare Shillington broke the shackles with a six and then hit three successive boundaries before falling for 22.
Cecelia Joyce hit three fours in her 22, but the Irish managed only two boundaries in the last 15 overs.
Kim Garth top-scored with 27, but took 46 balls to do so, and in total there were 65 dot balls in the innings.
Villani shows her class
Ciara Metcalfe dismissed Australia's Alyssa Healy for six, courtesy of a superb one-handed catch by skipper Isobel Joyce.
Garth saw off Meg Lanning, the top-ranked international women's batter, but Villani stroked six boundaries in her 43 from 35 balls, before being well caught by Lucy O'Reilly off Garth with just seven required.
Ellyse Perry finished unbeaten on 29 as Australia eased home.
South Africa Women 99 (19.3/20 ov)
New Zealand Women 100/3 (14.3/20 ov)
New Zealand Women won by 7 wickets (with 33 balls remaining)
New Zealand Women produced a clinical performance to knock South Africa out of the tournament, after a resounding seven-wicket win in Bangalore. New Zealand hunted down the target of 100 with 33 balls to spare after bowling South Africa out in the last over. With this result, Australia join New Zealand in the semi-finals from Group A.
South Africa's openers - Trisha Chetty and Dane van Niekerk - added 21 after being inserted, but the New Zealand bowlers kept chipping away thereafter. Marizanne Kapp anchored the middle overs with a steady 22, but substantial partnerships were hard to come by.
Just as South Africa were looking for a late surge, they lost their five wickets for nine runs in the space of 11 balls, with Sophie Devine taking three of them in the penultimate over of the innings. Leigh Kasperek contributed with three wickets to become the tournament's highest wicket-taker, with nine scalps.
Suzie Bates, the competition's leading run-scorer, and her opening partner Rachel Priest, the third highest on the run charts, added 57 in just 50 balls to effectively kill the game. Both fell within the space of two overs, though, and Kapp trapped Sara McGlashan soon after, but it was too late. Devine provided the finishing touches with a 17-ball 27, an innings that featured three fours and a six.
Australia Women 92/3 (13.2/20 ov)
Australia Women won by 7 wickets (with 40 balls remaining)
Australia beat Ireland by seven wickets in Delhi to move closer towards clinching their place in the semi-finals of the Women's World Twenty20.
Ireland, who were already eliminated after losing their first three group games, could not score quickly enough and slipped from 75-2 to 91-7.
Elyse Villani made 43 to help Australia win with 40 balls to spare.
Australia have yet to clinch their semi-final place but will go through if New Zealand beat South Africa later.
England will look to join them in the last four by beating Pakistan in their last Group B game in Chennai on Monday.
Too many dot balls
Ireland's openers failed to score from the first 11 deliveries, but Clare Shillington broke the shackles with a six and then hit three successive boundaries before falling for 22.
Cecelia Joyce hit three fours in her 22, but the Irish managed only two boundaries in the last 15 overs.
Kim Garth top-scored with 27, but took 46 balls to do so, and in total there were 65 dot balls in the innings.
Villani shows her class
Ciara Metcalfe dismissed Australia's Alyssa Healy for six, courtesy of a superb one-handed catch by skipper Isobel Joyce.
Garth saw off Meg Lanning, the top-ranked international women's batter, but Villani stroked six boundaries in her 43 from 35 balls, before being well caught by Lucy O'Reilly off Garth with just seven required.
Ellyse Perry finished unbeaten on 29 as Australia eased home.
South Africa Women 99 (19.3/20 ov)
New Zealand Women 100/3 (14.3/20 ov)
New Zealand Women won by 7 wickets (with 33 balls remaining)
New Zealand Women produced a clinical performance to knock South Africa out of the tournament, after a resounding seven-wicket win in Bangalore. New Zealand hunted down the target of 100 with 33 balls to spare after bowling South Africa out in the last over. With this result, Australia join New Zealand in the semi-finals from Group A.
South Africa's openers - Trisha Chetty and Dane van Niekerk - added 21 after being inserted, but the New Zealand bowlers kept chipping away thereafter. Marizanne Kapp anchored the middle overs with a steady 22, but substantial partnerships were hard to come by.
Just as South Africa were looking for a late surge, they lost their five wickets for nine runs in the space of 11 balls, with Sophie Devine taking three of them in the penultimate over of the innings. Leigh Kasperek contributed with three wickets to become the tournament's highest wicket-taker, with nine scalps.
Suzie Bates, the competition's leading run-scorer, and her opening partner Rachel Priest, the third highest on the run charts, added 57 in just 50 balls to effectively kill the game. Both fell within the space of two overs, though, and Kapp trapped Sara McGlashan soon after, but it was too late. Devine provided the finishing touches with a 17-ball 27, an innings that featured three fours and a six.
Friday 25 March 2016
ICC World T20 Super 10's AUS V PAK & SA V WI
Australia 193 for 4 beat Pakistan 172 for 8 by 21 runs
Australia have arrived as a force at the World Twenty20, just in time to wave goodbye to Pakistan, as they completed a 21-run win in Mohali. A storming display with the bat was followed by an improved showing with the ball, setting up what will be effectively an elimination match against India in the final match of the Super 10s on Sunday.
The captain Steven Smith chose Mohali as the venue where he found his rhythm, in turn modulated then audacious in an innings that controlled the tempo of a strong total. He was helped in large part by Shane Watson, who batted with the air of a man freed of tension by his retirement announcement on match eve. Together, their stand left Pakistan with a total too steep despite friendly batting conditions.
In the field, Adam Zampa again bowled with considerable intelligence and character for Australia, winning a duel with Shahid Afridi that Pakistan's captain could not afford to lose if he wished to stay in contention for the semi-finals. James Faulkner's over-the-wrist slower balls then cut a swathe through the latter part of the innings as the run rate climbed, leaving him in possession of Australia's best T20 bowling figures.
Pakistan's chase began firmly, as Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif and Umar Akmal all played with considerable flair. Nathan Coulter-Nile was subjected to some particularly harsh treatment, and at 85 for 2 in the 11th over the match was overmuch open to Afridi's men.
However, Zampa showed his nerve by finding a way past Akmal, and two overs later followed up by coaxing Afridi down the wicket. The stumping was completed without fuss by Peter Nevill, who has provided a steadying presence behind the stumps in this tournament even though he is not in the batsman-wicketkeeper mode that has become dominant in the 21st century.
From there the required rate climbed with increasing steepness, too much even for Shoaib Malik, who hit out firmly at the end. Australia's lack of a second spin bowler to support Zampa has been a point of some contention, but Faulkner's past as a left-arm wrist spinner has helped him assemble a strong array of change-ups that flummoxed the lower order. Josh Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell also contributed tidy overs to the cause.
Smith had named another reshuffled Australian side with the soon to retire Watson dropping down the order to make room for the return of Aaron Finch at the expense of Mitchell Marsh, while Hazlewood was included ahead of John Hastings. Pakistan recalled the fit-again Wahab Riaz in place of Mohammad Irfan, who was described as resting by his captain Afridi.
On an excellent pitch offering some sort of help for batsmen and bowlers alike, Mohammad Amir fought a fascinating early duel with Usman Khawaja. Amir's pace and movement unsettled Khawaja in ways seldom seen over the past few months, and while the opener scored swiftly, it was without his customary assurance. When Wahab replaced Mohammad Sami at the other end, Khawaja remained fretful, and was yorked giving himself room - Amir had undoubtedly played a part.
Finch and David Warner did not linger, but Maxwell produced one of the strokes of the tournament with a pure off-driven six that left many wondering why he seems compelled to resort to the outlandish so often. Even so, there was still much work to do when Smith was joined by Watson, on a ground where in 2010 he made one of his two Test hundreds.
Smith's concentration had been fierce, with Warner and Maxwell's blows allowing him to hustle into an innings without trying anything too lateral. Watson's arrival had Smith taking his tempo up several notches, as they charted a course to a total near 200. Initially, Watson looked a little unused to the middle order, but after scrambling to 10 from 10 balls, he detonated.
Watson's sheer power was shown when he muscled Amir over long-on and underlined once more with a glorious six inside out over cover from Sami. Meanwhile Wahab's efforts to stop Smith from levering the ball through the leg side reached a memorable extreme when Australia's captain took guard well outside off stump. Wahab followed him wider, yet Smith was still able to flip a boundary over midwicket that will make all the tournament highlight reels.
In all, Watson and Smith added 74 in 38 balls. Amir and Sami conceded 92 between them without taking a wicket, figures that appeared unlikely when Khawaja had been groping unsuccessfully at the left-armer's new-ball swing. Australia grew in strength from there, much as they have in this tournament. The meeting with India looms large.
West Indies 123 for 7 beat South Africa 122 for 8 by three wickets
West Indies secured their spot in the World T20 2016 semi-finals with a third successive win but made hard work of chasing a small target of 123. With just a shave over a run-a-ball needed, West Indies were routinely dragged back, to a point where they needed 20 off the last two overs. However, a solid start from Johnson Charles, a composed innings from Marlon Samuels and a six from Carlos Brathwaite in the final over saw them sneak over the line.
South Africa's bowling attack did their best to make up for the blunders of their batsmen, who had slumped to 47 for 5 in the ninth over before eking over 120. Aaron Phangiso, playing in his first international match in five months and the first since remodeling his action last month, and David Wiese both conceded under six runs to the over, but it was Imran Tahir who kept South Africa in the match. The legspinner gave away only 13 runs in four overs and took two wickets off successive deliveries in the 17th over. In the end, it was not enough and South Africa could exit the tournament before playing their final group match. If England beat Sri Lanka on Saturday, South Africa's campaign will be over.
Unusually for the format, this was a battle of the ball. Batsmen from both sides failed to adjust to the sluggish pace of the pitch but South Africa's line-up were also caught unawares by a surprise addition to West Indies' attack. Chris Gayle proved their nemesis in an unexpected way by removing two of South Africa's top six, and he played his part in pegging them back in the Powerplay, a situation from which they never really recovered.
The match-day pitch was not the same as the one used for the qualifying phase or the game between India and New Zealand, so there was some uncertainty as to what a good score would be. That's why Darren Sammy chose to chase and why South Africa were anxious for every run.
Their desperation showed as early as the third ball when Hashim Amla was run out by Andre Russell, who carried that success to his bowling by dismissing Faf du Plessis, caught by Sulieman Benn at mid-off. Russell also took a catch at point when Rilee Rossouw, promoted to No.4 in his first appearance in the tournament, skied the ball.
South Africa held AB de Villiers back after their initial setbacks and he came in at No.5. He saw the side through to the end of their most meagre Powerplay so far - 39 for 3 compared to scores over 60 in the previous two matches - but could not do too much more.
When Dwayne Bravo, the sixth bowler used by Sammy in the first eight overs, was brought on, de Villiers' innings ended. Sammy sensed South Africa were shaken and brought Gayle back on, with success. He broke through David Miller's defences to leave South Africa at 47 for 5.
That score could have become 59 for 6 had Denesh Ramdin completed a stumping off Benn, who foxed Wiese with a flighted delivery. Wiese had come out of his crease and missed, but Ramdin also missed and the reprieve proved a gift for South Africa.
The Quinton de Kock-Wiese partnership, worth 50 runs for the sixth wicket, was the most profitable of their innings. But the going was tough for the pair. They only found the boundary three times in the 44 balls they were together but, by the time de Kock was bowled around his legs by Russell, they had given South Africa something to work with.
Chris Morris took South Africa over 100 but they could only find eight runs off the last two overs and it did not seem enough until they received some reassurance that it could be.
Kagiso Rabada found late swing with his fifth delivery and beat Gayle to remind West Indies it was not going to be easy. West Indies, however, showed they were up to shifting gears.
They waited until the last ball of the third over for their first boundary, when Andre Fletcher lofted Rabada over midwicket for six. Johnson Charles found the going slightly easier off Chris Morris, whose second over cost 11 runs. In the absence of Dale Steyn and Kyle Abbott, Faf du Plessis recognised the need to try something and turned to spin in the Powerplay.
Tahir was brought on to bowl the fifth over and he proved difficult to get away. Wiese was tasked with doing the same at the other end. Collectively, South Africa frustrated West Indies into trying to steal a single where there wasn't one. Fletcher was halfway to the striker's end in the sixth over when Charles sent him back but, even if he had not slipped, Rossouw's direct hit was always going to beat him.
With the fielding restrictions lifted, South Africa brought on their second specialist spinner, Phangiso. Although he has changed his action, his approach appeared the same and he was typically strangling. Phangiso conceded just one run off his first over and six singles off his second. His third over was headed for a similarly economical result but Charles had had enough. He heaved Phangiso over long-on for six and the pressure dissipated.
Charles' aggression did not serve him well a second time. When he swiped at Wiese three balls later, he only managed to sky the ball to du Plessis at cover and the tension was back.
Du Plessis wanted more wickets and brought Rabada back. He started with a leg-side half-volley that Bravo flicked for four. That was followed up by two similar deliveries to Samuels, who carved one over point and then played an upper-cut to third man. West Indies scored 14 off that over to bring the required run rate to under six.
South Africa switched to squeeze mode again. Phangiso's final over cost only three and included Bravo's wicket. West Indies needed 36 off six overs but Samuels was still there. With Andre Russell, he took eight off the next over before du Plessis played his strongest hand.
Tahir's final over - the 17th of the innings - could have seen Samuels dismissed off the first ball but the bowler could not hold on to the return catch. Three balls later, Russell holed out and, the next ball, Sammy was bowled off a googly. Advantage South Africa. The next over - Wiese's final - cost just three. Advantage South Africa. Even though Samuels was still there with West Indies needing 20 off the last two overs.
He hit the first ball of Morris' final over through third man for four and, off the fourth ball, found the same area with the same result. Then he skied the ball. Still advantage South Africa.
Rabada was asked to defend nine off the final over and started with a slower ball. Brathwaite hit the second ball for a six to break the tension, and West Indies completed the win with two balls to spare.
Australia have arrived as a force at the World Twenty20, just in time to wave goodbye to Pakistan, as they completed a 21-run win in Mohali. A storming display with the bat was followed by an improved showing with the ball, setting up what will be effectively an elimination match against India in the final match of the Super 10s on Sunday.
The captain Steven Smith chose Mohali as the venue where he found his rhythm, in turn modulated then audacious in an innings that controlled the tempo of a strong total. He was helped in large part by Shane Watson, who batted with the air of a man freed of tension by his retirement announcement on match eve. Together, their stand left Pakistan with a total too steep despite friendly batting conditions.
In the field, Adam Zampa again bowled with considerable intelligence and character for Australia, winning a duel with Shahid Afridi that Pakistan's captain could not afford to lose if he wished to stay in contention for the semi-finals. James Faulkner's over-the-wrist slower balls then cut a swathe through the latter part of the innings as the run rate climbed, leaving him in possession of Australia's best T20 bowling figures.
Pakistan's chase began firmly, as Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif and Umar Akmal all played with considerable flair. Nathan Coulter-Nile was subjected to some particularly harsh treatment, and at 85 for 2 in the 11th over the match was overmuch open to Afridi's men.
However, Zampa showed his nerve by finding a way past Akmal, and two overs later followed up by coaxing Afridi down the wicket. The stumping was completed without fuss by Peter Nevill, who has provided a steadying presence behind the stumps in this tournament even though he is not in the batsman-wicketkeeper mode that has become dominant in the 21st century.
From there the required rate climbed with increasing steepness, too much even for Shoaib Malik, who hit out firmly at the end. Australia's lack of a second spin bowler to support Zampa has been a point of some contention, but Faulkner's past as a left-arm wrist spinner has helped him assemble a strong array of change-ups that flummoxed the lower order. Josh Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell also contributed tidy overs to the cause.
Smith had named another reshuffled Australian side with the soon to retire Watson dropping down the order to make room for the return of Aaron Finch at the expense of Mitchell Marsh, while Hazlewood was included ahead of John Hastings. Pakistan recalled the fit-again Wahab Riaz in place of Mohammad Irfan, who was described as resting by his captain Afridi.
On an excellent pitch offering some sort of help for batsmen and bowlers alike, Mohammad Amir fought a fascinating early duel with Usman Khawaja. Amir's pace and movement unsettled Khawaja in ways seldom seen over the past few months, and while the opener scored swiftly, it was without his customary assurance. When Wahab replaced Mohammad Sami at the other end, Khawaja remained fretful, and was yorked giving himself room - Amir had undoubtedly played a part.
Finch and David Warner did not linger, but Maxwell produced one of the strokes of the tournament with a pure off-driven six that left many wondering why he seems compelled to resort to the outlandish so often. Even so, there was still much work to do when Smith was joined by Watson, on a ground where in 2010 he made one of his two Test hundreds.
Smith's concentration had been fierce, with Warner and Maxwell's blows allowing him to hustle into an innings without trying anything too lateral. Watson's arrival had Smith taking his tempo up several notches, as they charted a course to a total near 200. Initially, Watson looked a little unused to the middle order, but after scrambling to 10 from 10 balls, he detonated.
Watson's sheer power was shown when he muscled Amir over long-on and underlined once more with a glorious six inside out over cover from Sami. Meanwhile Wahab's efforts to stop Smith from levering the ball through the leg side reached a memorable extreme when Australia's captain took guard well outside off stump. Wahab followed him wider, yet Smith was still able to flip a boundary over midwicket that will make all the tournament highlight reels.
In all, Watson and Smith added 74 in 38 balls. Amir and Sami conceded 92 between them without taking a wicket, figures that appeared unlikely when Khawaja had been groping unsuccessfully at the left-armer's new-ball swing. Australia grew in strength from there, much as they have in this tournament. The meeting with India looms large.
West Indies 123 for 7 beat South Africa 122 for 8 by three wickets
West Indies secured their spot in the World T20 2016 semi-finals with a third successive win but made hard work of chasing a small target of 123. With just a shave over a run-a-ball needed, West Indies were routinely dragged back, to a point where they needed 20 off the last two overs. However, a solid start from Johnson Charles, a composed innings from Marlon Samuels and a six from Carlos Brathwaite in the final over saw them sneak over the line.
South Africa's bowling attack did their best to make up for the blunders of their batsmen, who had slumped to 47 for 5 in the ninth over before eking over 120. Aaron Phangiso, playing in his first international match in five months and the first since remodeling his action last month, and David Wiese both conceded under six runs to the over, but it was Imran Tahir who kept South Africa in the match. The legspinner gave away only 13 runs in four overs and took two wickets off successive deliveries in the 17th over. In the end, it was not enough and South Africa could exit the tournament before playing their final group match. If England beat Sri Lanka on Saturday, South Africa's campaign will be over.
Unusually for the format, this was a battle of the ball. Batsmen from both sides failed to adjust to the sluggish pace of the pitch but South Africa's line-up were also caught unawares by a surprise addition to West Indies' attack. Chris Gayle proved their nemesis in an unexpected way by removing two of South Africa's top six, and he played his part in pegging them back in the Powerplay, a situation from which they never really recovered.
The match-day pitch was not the same as the one used for the qualifying phase or the game between India and New Zealand, so there was some uncertainty as to what a good score would be. That's why Darren Sammy chose to chase and why South Africa were anxious for every run.
Their desperation showed as early as the third ball when Hashim Amla was run out by Andre Russell, who carried that success to his bowling by dismissing Faf du Plessis, caught by Sulieman Benn at mid-off. Russell also took a catch at point when Rilee Rossouw, promoted to No.4 in his first appearance in the tournament, skied the ball.
South Africa held AB de Villiers back after their initial setbacks and he came in at No.5. He saw the side through to the end of their most meagre Powerplay so far - 39 for 3 compared to scores over 60 in the previous two matches - but could not do too much more.
When Dwayne Bravo, the sixth bowler used by Sammy in the first eight overs, was brought on, de Villiers' innings ended. Sammy sensed South Africa were shaken and brought Gayle back on, with success. He broke through David Miller's defences to leave South Africa at 47 for 5.
That score could have become 59 for 6 had Denesh Ramdin completed a stumping off Benn, who foxed Wiese with a flighted delivery. Wiese had come out of his crease and missed, but Ramdin also missed and the reprieve proved a gift for South Africa.
The Quinton de Kock-Wiese partnership, worth 50 runs for the sixth wicket, was the most profitable of their innings. But the going was tough for the pair. They only found the boundary three times in the 44 balls they were together but, by the time de Kock was bowled around his legs by Russell, they had given South Africa something to work with.
Chris Morris took South Africa over 100 but they could only find eight runs off the last two overs and it did not seem enough until they received some reassurance that it could be.
Kagiso Rabada found late swing with his fifth delivery and beat Gayle to remind West Indies it was not going to be easy. West Indies, however, showed they were up to shifting gears.
They waited until the last ball of the third over for their first boundary, when Andre Fletcher lofted Rabada over midwicket for six. Johnson Charles found the going slightly easier off Chris Morris, whose second over cost 11 runs. In the absence of Dale Steyn and Kyle Abbott, Faf du Plessis recognised the need to try something and turned to spin in the Powerplay.
Tahir was brought on to bowl the fifth over and he proved difficult to get away. Wiese was tasked with doing the same at the other end. Collectively, South Africa frustrated West Indies into trying to steal a single where there wasn't one. Fletcher was halfway to the striker's end in the sixth over when Charles sent him back but, even if he had not slipped, Rossouw's direct hit was always going to beat him.
With the fielding restrictions lifted, South Africa brought on their second specialist spinner, Phangiso. Although he has changed his action, his approach appeared the same and he was typically strangling. Phangiso conceded just one run off his first over and six singles off his second. His third over was headed for a similarly economical result but Charles had had enough. He heaved Phangiso over long-on for six and the pressure dissipated.
Charles' aggression did not serve him well a second time. When he swiped at Wiese three balls later, he only managed to sky the ball to du Plessis at cover and the tension was back.
Du Plessis wanted more wickets and brought Rabada back. He started with a leg-side half-volley that Bravo flicked for four. That was followed up by two similar deliveries to Samuels, who carved one over point and then played an upper-cut to third man. West Indies scored 14 off that over to bring the required run rate to under six.
South Africa switched to squeeze mode again. Phangiso's final over cost only three and included Bravo's wicket. West Indies needed 36 off six overs but Samuels was still there. With Andre Russell, he took eight off the next over before du Plessis played his strongest hand.
Tahir's final over - the 17th of the innings - could have seen Samuels dismissed off the first ball but the bowler could not hold on to the return catch. Three balls later, Russell holed out and, the next ball, Sammy was bowled off a googly. Advantage South Africa. The next over - Wiese's final - cost just three. Advantage South Africa. Even though Samuels was still there with West Indies needing 20 off the last two overs.
He hit the first ball of Morris' final over through third man for four and, off the fourth ball, found the same area with the same result. Then he skied the ball. Still advantage South Africa.
Rabada was asked to defend nine off the final over and started with a slower ball. Brathwaite hit the second ball for a six to break the tension, and West Indies completed the win with two balls to spare.
Thursday 24 March 2016
ICC Women's World T20 Matches 13-15
Sri Lanka Women 123/8 (20/20 ov)
Australia Women 125/1 (17.4/20 ov)
Australia Women won by 9 wickets (with 14 balls remaining)
Meg Lanning and Elyse Villani feasted on a toothless Sri Lanka Women attack to convert a tricky chase of 124 into a cakewalk as Australia Women revived their World T20 campaign with a nine-wicket win at the Feroze Shah Kotla in Delhi.
The match was set up by legspinner Kristen Beams and Jess Jonassen, the left-arm spinner, who broke Sri Lanka's back with the wickets of Dilani Manodara and Chamari Atapattu, who made 38 apiece. Then, an unbroken second-wicket stand of 98 that was studded with two belligerent half-centuries studded Australia's dominance as they won with 14 balls to spare.
Sri Lanka opted to bat, but didn't help themselves by gifting wickets away on a platter after a platform was set by Atapattu and Manodara. The pair put together 75 off jut 61 balls as Sri Lanka's hopes of touching 140 received a boost, before the slow bowlers, who were flat and fast to begin with, found their bearings to stem the run flow.
Beams drew Manodara forward, only to deceive her in the air as a thin inside edge rattled into the stumps in the 11th over to give Australia brief respite. Then in her next over, she had Anushka Sanjeewani stumped as relief turned into delight for Australia. Atapattu's wicket completed the collapse as Sri Lanka, motoring along at 75 for 1 hit a road block at 93 for 4.
From there on, the innings was largely reduced to a struggle as the batsmen struggled to put bat to ball. Megan Schutt, was particularly impressive, as she brought out different variations of her cutters to pick up the wickets of Eshani Lokusuriyage and Prasadani Weerakkody to prevent a late onslaught. The last four overs yielded just 19 as Sri Lanka finished at least 15 short of what they looked set to get.
Australia's top order was blown away inside the first three overs in both their previous outings. But that had little bearing on their approach as Alyssa Healy and Villani came out playing shots. While Healy was bowled for 12 after being deceived by Inoka Ranaweera's left-arm spin, Lanning threw the bowlers off guard by improvising on the face of a largely one-dimensional attack that failed to create enough opportunities.
Eight boundaries in the first six overs gave Australia enough leg room to nurdle the bowling. But Lanning wasn't in the mood for charity as she kept Australia in fourth gear throughout, displaying ability to not just bring out the big shots but also use her wrists and delicate dabs to pinch runs at every opportunity. Lanning's effervescence seemed to rub off on Villani, whose belligerence left Sri Lanka with no answers, her fifty coming off just 36 balls, severely denting Sri Lanka's net run-rate and with it their aspirations of a berth in the final four.
Bangladesh Women 113/9 (20/20 ov)
Pakistan Women 114/1 (16.3/20 ov)
Pakistan Women won by 9 wickets (with 21 balls remaining)
West Indies Women 108/4 (20/20 ov)
England Women 109/9 (20/20 ov)
England Women won by 1 wicket (with 0 balls remaining)
Australia Women 125/1 (17.4/20 ov)
Australia Women won by 9 wickets (with 14 balls remaining)
Meg Lanning and Elyse Villani feasted on a toothless Sri Lanka Women attack to convert a tricky chase of 124 into a cakewalk as Australia Women revived their World T20 campaign with a nine-wicket win at the Feroze Shah Kotla in Delhi.
The match was set up by legspinner Kristen Beams and Jess Jonassen, the left-arm spinner, who broke Sri Lanka's back with the wickets of Dilani Manodara and Chamari Atapattu, who made 38 apiece. Then, an unbroken second-wicket stand of 98 that was studded with two belligerent half-centuries studded Australia's dominance as they won with 14 balls to spare.
Sri Lanka opted to bat, but didn't help themselves by gifting wickets away on a platter after a platform was set by Atapattu and Manodara. The pair put together 75 off jut 61 balls as Sri Lanka's hopes of touching 140 received a boost, before the slow bowlers, who were flat and fast to begin with, found their bearings to stem the run flow.
Beams drew Manodara forward, only to deceive her in the air as a thin inside edge rattled into the stumps in the 11th over to give Australia brief respite. Then in her next over, she had Anushka Sanjeewani stumped as relief turned into delight for Australia. Atapattu's wicket completed the collapse as Sri Lanka, motoring along at 75 for 1 hit a road block at 93 for 4.
From there on, the innings was largely reduced to a struggle as the batsmen struggled to put bat to ball. Megan Schutt, was particularly impressive, as she brought out different variations of her cutters to pick up the wickets of Eshani Lokusuriyage and Prasadani Weerakkody to prevent a late onslaught. The last four overs yielded just 19 as Sri Lanka finished at least 15 short of what they looked set to get.
Australia's top order was blown away inside the first three overs in both their previous outings. But that had little bearing on their approach as Alyssa Healy and Villani came out playing shots. While Healy was bowled for 12 after being deceived by Inoka Ranaweera's left-arm spin, Lanning threw the bowlers off guard by improvising on the face of a largely one-dimensional attack that failed to create enough opportunities.
Eight boundaries in the first six overs gave Australia enough leg room to nurdle the bowling. But Lanning wasn't in the mood for charity as she kept Australia in fourth gear throughout, displaying ability to not just bring out the big shots but also use her wrists and delicate dabs to pinch runs at every opportunity. Lanning's effervescence seemed to rub off on Villani, whose belligerence left Sri Lanka with no answers, her fifty coming off just 36 balls, severely denting Sri Lanka's net run-rate and with it their aspirations of a berth in the final four.
Bangladesh Women 113/9 (20/20 ov)
Pakistan Women 114/1 (16.3/20 ov)
Pakistan Women won by 9 wickets (with 21 balls remaining)
West Indies Women 108/4 (20/20 ov)
England Women 109/9 (20/20 ov)
England Women won by 1 wicket (with 0 balls remaining)
Wednesday 23 March 2016
MCC v Yorkshire Day 4
MCC 299 and 257 for 6 beat Yorkshire 275 and 279 by four wickets
Champions Yorkshire were beaten by four wickets in Abu Dhabi as Ian Bell helped lay the platform for a comfortable MCC win. Bell, who has designs on an England Test recall after being dropped over the winter, compiled 66 from 134 balls and although he was dismissed with 57 needed, Ben Foakes guided MCC over the line.
Yorkshire's first defeat of the season - and only their fifth in first-class cricket since Jason Gillespie took charge in 2012 - came with the added discomfort of Tim Bresnan limping off with a sore Achilles, having only bowled two overs. Gillespie, however, suggested his withdrawal was a precautionary measure.
Yorkshire added 40 to their overnight score, despite losing Will Rhodes in the fourth over of the day, to set MCC 256 on a pitch that was increasingly taking spin. Karl Carver, Yorkshire's 19-year-old slow left-armer, got through 25 overs to pick up 2 for 88 but MCC built several useful partnerships on their way to victory in the final session.
Bell, captaining MCC ahead of taking charge of Warwickshire's 2016 fortunes, was at the centre of the pursuit. Adam Lyth's part-time offspin accounted for Nick Browne and Rory Burns was run out but Essex's Tom Westley stroked ten fours and a six during an 84-run stand with Bell that pushed Yorkshire back.
Westley was stumped off Carver but Bell took the score on in partnership with Samit Patel and Foakes before becoming the fifth man out trying to hit over the top with MCC on 199. Yorkshire had been reduced to bowling Jack Leaning and although he picked up his second and third first-class wickets, Rikki Clarke's sprightly 33 ensured MCC would not be derailed.
Champions Yorkshire were beaten by four wickets in Abu Dhabi as Ian Bell helped lay the platform for a comfortable MCC win. Bell, who has designs on an England Test recall after being dropped over the winter, compiled 66 from 134 balls and although he was dismissed with 57 needed, Ben Foakes guided MCC over the line.
Yorkshire's first defeat of the season - and only their fifth in first-class cricket since Jason Gillespie took charge in 2012 - came with the added discomfort of Tim Bresnan limping off with a sore Achilles, having only bowled two overs. Gillespie, however, suggested his withdrawal was a precautionary measure.
Yorkshire added 40 to their overnight score, despite losing Will Rhodes in the fourth over of the day, to set MCC 256 on a pitch that was increasingly taking spin. Karl Carver, Yorkshire's 19-year-old slow left-armer, got through 25 overs to pick up 2 for 88 but MCC built several useful partnerships on their way to victory in the final session.
Bell, captaining MCC ahead of taking charge of Warwickshire's 2016 fortunes, was at the centre of the pursuit. Adam Lyth's part-time offspin accounted for Nick Browne and Rory Burns was run out but Essex's Tom Westley stroked ten fours and a six during an 84-run stand with Bell that pushed Yorkshire back.
Westley was stumped off Carver but Bell took the score on in partnership with Samit Patel and Foakes before becoming the fifth man out trying to hit over the top with MCC on 199. Yorkshire had been reduced to bowling Jack Leaning and although he picked up his second and third first-class wickets, Rikki Clarke's sprightly 33 ensured MCC would not be derailed.
ICC Women's World T20 Match 12
South Africa Women 156/5 (20/20 ov)
Ireland Women 89/9 (20/20 ov)
South Africa Women won by 67 runs
Legspinner Suné Luus's career-best figures of 5 for 8 sent Ireland Women crashing out of the Women's World T20 in Chennai. Luus struck thrice in her first three overs to reduce Ireland to 74 for 6 by the 16th over, in a chase of 157.
Then she accounted for Kim Garth and No.10 Lucy O'Reilly in her final over as the writing on the wall became indelible for Ireland. They barely managed to bat out 20 overs, and ultimately tumbled to their third defeat in as many matches. Luus was complemented by Moseline Daniels and Marizanne Kapp who picked up a wicket each.
Apart from captain Isobel Joyce, who is in her 17th year in international cricket, only opener Clare Shillington managed to move to double digits.
South Africa's first win of the tournament was set up by a fiery start and a late blast. Openers Dane van Niekerk and Trisha Chetty struck six fours and a six in a 41-run opening partnership. The stand ended when van Niekerk was pinned lbw by 19-year old allrounder Garth, for 20. Mignon du Preez made a scratchy 13 before she was bowled by Lewis, and a wobble ensued. From 70 for 1, South Africa stumbled to 84 for 4. However, cameos from Lizelle Lee, Dinesha Devnarain, and Chloe Tryon offset that wobble and lifted their side to 156.
Lee made 30 not out off 24 balls, while Tryon cracked 20 not out off 7 balls, as South Africa took 58 off the last five overs. Their total would prove to be 67 too many for Ireland.
Ireland Women 89/9 (20/20 ov)
South Africa Women won by 67 runs
Legspinner Suné Luus's career-best figures of 5 for 8 sent Ireland Women crashing out of the Women's World T20 in Chennai. Luus struck thrice in her first three overs to reduce Ireland to 74 for 6 by the 16th over, in a chase of 157.
Then she accounted for Kim Garth and No.10 Lucy O'Reilly in her final over as the writing on the wall became indelible for Ireland. They barely managed to bat out 20 overs, and ultimately tumbled to their third defeat in as many matches. Luus was complemented by Moseline Daniels and Marizanne Kapp who picked up a wicket each.
Apart from captain Isobel Joyce, who is in her 17th year in international cricket, only opener Clare Shillington managed to move to double digits.
South Africa's first win of the tournament was set up by a fiery start and a late blast. Openers Dane van Niekerk and Trisha Chetty struck six fours and a six in a 41-run opening partnership. The stand ended when van Niekerk was pinned lbw by 19-year old allrounder Garth, for 20. Mignon du Preez made a scratchy 13 before she was bowled by Lewis, and a wobble ensued. From 70 for 1, South Africa stumbled to 84 for 4. However, cameos from Lizelle Lee, Dinesha Devnarain, and Chloe Tryon offset that wobble and lifted their side to 156.
Lee made 30 not out off 24 balls, while Tryon cracked 20 not out off 7 balls, as South Africa took 58 off the last five overs. Their total would prove to be 67 too many for Ireland.
ICC World T20 ENG V AFG & IND V BAN
England 142 for 7 (Moeen 41*) beat Afghanistan 127 for 9 (Shafiqullah 35*) by 15 runs
The final margin of victory might not show it, but England survived a major scare against Afghanistan to sustain their World T20 hopes.
At 85 for 7 in the 15th over of the match, England were teetering on the brink of a defeat that would have reverberated around the cricket world.
But, through the calm head of Moeen Ali and the broad shoulders of David Willey, England cast off their shackles in the final overs to set a target that proved sufficient on a tricky surface on which batting was never completely straightforward.
Perhaps Afghanistan can feel a little unfortunate. Replays suggested that Moeen was fortunate to survive a leg before appeal off the bowling of Shapoor Zadran in the 18th over when England were 102 for 7. Moeen was on 20 at the time and, with Willey, went on to plunder 35 from the final two overs of the innings.
That Moeen-Willey partnership was crucial. The pair added 57 from the final 33 deliveries of the innings thrashing Amir Hamza for 25 from his final over. His first three overs had cost just 20.
Until then, it had been hard to be certain which side contained the pros who are extended every advantage and which was the side that gained Associate status less than three years ago. With England's panic-stricken batsmen struggling to adjust to a surface far removed from the Mumbai pitch where they made their highest T20I score a few days ago, they seemed to have no idea what constituted a par total. Indeed, it was a surprise they elected to bat first upon winning the toss.
It wasn't that the ball turned especially far for Afghanistan's four spinners. It was that it skidded through and sometimes gripped just enough to plant seeds of doubt. Conditions were not dissimilar to the UAE and England supporters will need little reminder how their batsmen have fared in Test series there.
While James Vince, in the side due to Alex Hales' back injury, had given England a fluent enough start in reaching 42 for 1 in the sixth over, his loss precipitated a collapse that saw them lose five wickets for 15 runs including a spell of three in four balls.
Mohammad Nabi was the unlikely destroyer. After clinging on to a return catch off the leading edge to dismiss Vince, he saw Eoin Morgan - who is in the middle of another fallow patch of form - inexplicably leave a straight one, first ball, which drifted into his off stump.
While Ben Stokes survived a confident leg before appeal from the hat-trick ball, Joe Root was run-out from the next delivery after over-committing to an optimistic single. Nabi, while initially breaking the stumps with his elbow before taking the throw, had the composure to rip a stump from the ground to defeat Root's despairing attempt to recover his ground.
Suddenly England looked petrified. Ben Stokes, losing his balance and his feet as he tried to pull a long-hop out of the ground, was bowled off a bottom edge, Jos Buttler's drive was brilliantly caught at extra cover and Chris Jordan was caught off the leading edge as he tried to turn one into the leg side. Had Moeen been adjudged leg before, England would have been in deep trouble.
But he was reprieved and he made the most of it. Hamza was slog-swept over mid-wicket for six then driven back over his head for four, before Shapoor was lofted over extra-cover for four more. Meanwhile Willey, good enough to open in T20 in domestic cricket, heaved successive sixes over long on off Hamza.
While probably under par, England's final total of 142 was only 20 under the IPL average on this ground.
If Afghanistan were to get close, they probably required a significant contribution from Mohammad Shahzad in reply. But, in the first over of the chase, his attempted heave into the leg side was beaten by Willey inswing and he was struck on the back leg in front of leg stump.
Jordan, bowling at a sharp pace, had Asghar Stanikzai taken at slip off fencing, and Liam Plunkett proved to have too much pace and bounce for a line-up lacking experience against such qualities. Plunkett, preferred to Reece Topley in the England attack, started his World T20 campaign with a maiden and conceded just 12 from his entire spell.
Nabi was lured into a drive to long-on, Rashid Khan was well caught at extra-cover and by the time Najibullah Zadran was run out by Jordan's direct hit - replays suggested his bat was over the line but in the air - and Samiullah Shenwari carved a filthy ball to cover, it became clear it was not to be Afghanistan's day.
While Shafiqullah's late impetus - he thrashed 35 from 20 balls including a magnificent straight six off Jordan to become the highest contributor from No. 9 in this format of international cricket - came too late to save Afghanistan, it may yet condemn England. They required not just victory here, but a victory that significantly improve their net run-rate. A 15-run win does not really provide it.
They will know this was not a convincing performance. Quite apart from their nervous batting, they donated overthrows, misfields and a drop - Buttler failing to cling on to a chance offered by Nabi off Adil Rashid on four - in the field. England will know that more experienced sides will punish them.
That experience is the key ingredient missing for Afghanistan. While they couldn't quite finish the job, they gave one of the Big Three who have made it so hard for them to gain further opportunities a bloody nose. They've proved they deserve their chance.
It is to be hoped that the ECB management who watched this game squirming with discomfort take up their cause in the board meetings that have a disproportional influence on their future advancement.
India 146/7 (20/20 ov)
Bangladesh 145/9 (20/20 ov)
India won by 1 run
How did it come to this?
After 39.3 overs of a pulsating contest in Bangalore, Bangladesh seemed to have a first ever T20I victory against India in their grasp. Two runs needed of three balls, with Mushfiqur Rahim on strike. The game should have been done and dusted, and India were staring at an early exit in the World Twenty20 at their own backyard.
However, Bangladesh proceeded to remarkably offer India a way back into the game, with Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah both being caught in the leg-side boundary off Hardik Pandya. Two needed off one, and suddenly, it was Bangladesh feeling the heat.
Pandya ran in for the final delivery, bowled outside Shuvagata Hom's reach, and MS Dhoni, who had earlier pulled off an outrageous stumping to dismiss the dangerous Sabbir Rahman, ran in 15 yards with one glove and ran out Mustafizur Rahman, who had only just walked into the cauldron.
The one-run win keeps India in their hunt for a place in the last four, with a match against Australia coming up. Bangladesh were heartbroken, having done all the hard work, but falling short by a few inches, quite literally.
Jasprit Bumrah, who bowled a superb third over after a poor start with the ball, gave away just six frantic singles in the penultimate over, leaving Pandya to defend the 11 runs, which he did only just.
Mushfiqur blasted the second ball for a boundary through the covers after Mahmudullah took a single off the first ball. Mushfiqur then got a second four off his bat handle while attempting a scoop, but he was caught at midwicket off the next ball, with Bangladesh needing two to win off the last two balls. Mahmudullah, who changed ends, fell in similar fashion, betraying his coolness under pressure, but Ravindra Jadeja still had to do extremely well to hold on to the catch.
The rest of the Bangladesh innings was just as frantic. Bumrah mis-fielded off the first ball and conceded a four; Tamim Iqbal, the batsman who hit the shot, had his eye on the ball and bumped into Ashish Nehra. Tamim needed medical attention and in the same over, he was dropped by Nehra off his own bowling.
Mohammad Mithun holed out at long-on in the third over before Tamim got another life in the next, this time seeing Bumrah drop a sitter at short fine-leg. Sabbir crashed Ashwin soon after, and Tamim took four boundaries off Bumrah, whose line and lengths went awry. Tamim eventually was stumped for 35 in the eighth over. Sabbir, who added couple of more boundaries, was smartly stumped by Dhoni for 26 off 15 balls.
Mashrafe Mortaza promoted himself to No. 5 and started off with a huge six over long-off but the gamble lasted just five balls. There was more madness to come - Shakib was dropped by Ashwin in the deep cover boundary on 8, and he made the most of the reprieve, nailing two sixes on the leg-side. Ashwin had the last laugh, though, getting him caught at slip in his last over. Shakib's 22 off 15 balls was crucial but so too was his dismissal as he got out at a time when he was timing the ball very well.
Mashrafe seemed to have risen out of his distress over Taskin Ahmed's suspension by bowling a superb four-over spell in which he did not concede a single four or a six for the first time in his career. His captaincy, to use sweepers on both sides of the wicket from the start and bowling changes, was also spot-on. He was backed wholeheartedly by Shakib's four strong overs, while Mustafizur and Al-Amin Hossain took two wickets each.
India could not get off to a good start after their openers were spooked by Shuvagata Hom's initial turn. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan had to settle for singles before they struck a six each in the sixth over. Mustafizur had Rohit skying a flick which was caught at midwicket, in the same over. Shakib then trapped Dhawan, who was looking to sweep in the next over, meaning India had two new batsmen having to get settled on a tricky surface.
One of those batsmen was Virat Kohli, fresh off a fine match-winning knock against Pakistan on another tricky surface. Here, though, he stuttered through his run-a-ball 24, during which Al-Amin dropped a difficult caught- and-bowled chance in the 11th over. Suresh Raina, who top-scored with 30 off 23 balls, broke a boundary drought that lasted five overs, with a couple of sixes off Al-Amin in the same over.
Kohli got his first six in the 14th over but Hom kept his nerve by bowling the next one full and on the stumps. Kohli missed, and Bangladesh were back in the game by getting India's main man and breaking the 50-run third wicket stand.
Pandya blasted 15 off seven balls before he was brilliantly caught in the square-leg boundary by a fully diving Soumya Sarkar. Al-Amin also accounted for Raina in the same over, ensuring India's slog overs did not go to plan. The hosts managed only 34 runs in the last five overs, with 3.2 of them going without a boundary.
In the Asia Cup final, Dhoni had blasted 20 off the penultimate over to all but seal India's win. India's captain was not as explosive with the bat here, but his 13 crucial runs, cunning stumpings and cool run-out with one glove on, made the difference between the two teams.
The night will be remembered in Bangalore for a very, very long time.
The final margin of victory might not show it, but England survived a major scare against Afghanistan to sustain their World T20 hopes.
At 85 for 7 in the 15th over of the match, England were teetering on the brink of a defeat that would have reverberated around the cricket world.
But, through the calm head of Moeen Ali and the broad shoulders of David Willey, England cast off their shackles in the final overs to set a target that proved sufficient on a tricky surface on which batting was never completely straightforward.
Perhaps Afghanistan can feel a little unfortunate. Replays suggested that Moeen was fortunate to survive a leg before appeal off the bowling of Shapoor Zadran in the 18th over when England were 102 for 7. Moeen was on 20 at the time and, with Willey, went on to plunder 35 from the final two overs of the innings.
That Moeen-Willey partnership was crucial. The pair added 57 from the final 33 deliveries of the innings thrashing Amir Hamza for 25 from his final over. His first three overs had cost just 20.
Until then, it had been hard to be certain which side contained the pros who are extended every advantage and which was the side that gained Associate status less than three years ago. With England's panic-stricken batsmen struggling to adjust to a surface far removed from the Mumbai pitch where they made their highest T20I score a few days ago, they seemed to have no idea what constituted a par total. Indeed, it was a surprise they elected to bat first upon winning the toss.
It wasn't that the ball turned especially far for Afghanistan's four spinners. It was that it skidded through and sometimes gripped just enough to plant seeds of doubt. Conditions were not dissimilar to the UAE and England supporters will need little reminder how their batsmen have fared in Test series there.
While James Vince, in the side due to Alex Hales' back injury, had given England a fluent enough start in reaching 42 for 1 in the sixth over, his loss precipitated a collapse that saw them lose five wickets for 15 runs including a spell of three in four balls.
Mohammad Nabi was the unlikely destroyer. After clinging on to a return catch off the leading edge to dismiss Vince, he saw Eoin Morgan - who is in the middle of another fallow patch of form - inexplicably leave a straight one, first ball, which drifted into his off stump.
While Ben Stokes survived a confident leg before appeal from the hat-trick ball, Joe Root was run-out from the next delivery after over-committing to an optimistic single. Nabi, while initially breaking the stumps with his elbow before taking the throw, had the composure to rip a stump from the ground to defeat Root's despairing attempt to recover his ground.
Suddenly England looked petrified. Ben Stokes, losing his balance and his feet as he tried to pull a long-hop out of the ground, was bowled off a bottom edge, Jos Buttler's drive was brilliantly caught at extra cover and Chris Jordan was caught off the leading edge as he tried to turn one into the leg side. Had Moeen been adjudged leg before, England would have been in deep trouble.
But he was reprieved and he made the most of it. Hamza was slog-swept over mid-wicket for six then driven back over his head for four, before Shapoor was lofted over extra-cover for four more. Meanwhile Willey, good enough to open in T20 in domestic cricket, heaved successive sixes over long on off Hamza.
While probably under par, England's final total of 142 was only 20 under the IPL average on this ground.
If Afghanistan were to get close, they probably required a significant contribution from Mohammad Shahzad in reply. But, in the first over of the chase, his attempted heave into the leg side was beaten by Willey inswing and he was struck on the back leg in front of leg stump.
Jordan, bowling at a sharp pace, had Asghar Stanikzai taken at slip off fencing, and Liam Plunkett proved to have too much pace and bounce for a line-up lacking experience against such qualities. Plunkett, preferred to Reece Topley in the England attack, started his World T20 campaign with a maiden and conceded just 12 from his entire spell.
Nabi was lured into a drive to long-on, Rashid Khan was well caught at extra-cover and by the time Najibullah Zadran was run out by Jordan's direct hit - replays suggested his bat was over the line but in the air - and Samiullah Shenwari carved a filthy ball to cover, it became clear it was not to be Afghanistan's day.
While Shafiqullah's late impetus - he thrashed 35 from 20 balls including a magnificent straight six off Jordan to become the highest contributor from No. 9 in this format of international cricket - came too late to save Afghanistan, it may yet condemn England. They required not just victory here, but a victory that significantly improve their net run-rate. A 15-run win does not really provide it.
They will know this was not a convincing performance. Quite apart from their nervous batting, they donated overthrows, misfields and a drop - Buttler failing to cling on to a chance offered by Nabi off Adil Rashid on four - in the field. England will know that more experienced sides will punish them.
That experience is the key ingredient missing for Afghanistan. While they couldn't quite finish the job, they gave one of the Big Three who have made it so hard for them to gain further opportunities a bloody nose. They've proved they deserve their chance.
It is to be hoped that the ECB management who watched this game squirming with discomfort take up their cause in the board meetings that have a disproportional influence on their future advancement.
India 146/7 (20/20 ov)
Bangladesh 145/9 (20/20 ov)
India won by 1 run
How did it come to this?
After 39.3 overs of a pulsating contest in Bangalore, Bangladesh seemed to have a first ever T20I victory against India in their grasp. Two runs needed of three balls, with Mushfiqur Rahim on strike. The game should have been done and dusted, and India were staring at an early exit in the World Twenty20 at their own backyard.
However, Bangladesh proceeded to remarkably offer India a way back into the game, with Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah both being caught in the leg-side boundary off Hardik Pandya. Two needed off one, and suddenly, it was Bangladesh feeling the heat.
Pandya ran in for the final delivery, bowled outside Shuvagata Hom's reach, and MS Dhoni, who had earlier pulled off an outrageous stumping to dismiss the dangerous Sabbir Rahman, ran in 15 yards with one glove and ran out Mustafizur Rahman, who had only just walked into the cauldron.
The one-run win keeps India in their hunt for a place in the last four, with a match against Australia coming up. Bangladesh were heartbroken, having done all the hard work, but falling short by a few inches, quite literally.
Jasprit Bumrah, who bowled a superb third over after a poor start with the ball, gave away just six frantic singles in the penultimate over, leaving Pandya to defend the 11 runs, which he did only just.
Mushfiqur blasted the second ball for a boundary through the covers after Mahmudullah took a single off the first ball. Mushfiqur then got a second four off his bat handle while attempting a scoop, but he was caught at midwicket off the next ball, with Bangladesh needing two to win off the last two balls. Mahmudullah, who changed ends, fell in similar fashion, betraying his coolness under pressure, but Ravindra Jadeja still had to do extremely well to hold on to the catch.
The rest of the Bangladesh innings was just as frantic. Bumrah mis-fielded off the first ball and conceded a four; Tamim Iqbal, the batsman who hit the shot, had his eye on the ball and bumped into Ashish Nehra. Tamim needed medical attention and in the same over, he was dropped by Nehra off his own bowling.
Mohammad Mithun holed out at long-on in the third over before Tamim got another life in the next, this time seeing Bumrah drop a sitter at short fine-leg. Sabbir crashed Ashwin soon after, and Tamim took four boundaries off Bumrah, whose line and lengths went awry. Tamim eventually was stumped for 35 in the eighth over. Sabbir, who added couple of more boundaries, was smartly stumped by Dhoni for 26 off 15 balls.
Mashrafe Mortaza promoted himself to No. 5 and started off with a huge six over long-off but the gamble lasted just five balls. There was more madness to come - Shakib was dropped by Ashwin in the deep cover boundary on 8, and he made the most of the reprieve, nailing two sixes on the leg-side. Ashwin had the last laugh, though, getting him caught at slip in his last over. Shakib's 22 off 15 balls was crucial but so too was his dismissal as he got out at a time when he was timing the ball very well.
Mashrafe seemed to have risen out of his distress over Taskin Ahmed's suspension by bowling a superb four-over spell in which he did not concede a single four or a six for the first time in his career. His captaincy, to use sweepers on both sides of the wicket from the start and bowling changes, was also spot-on. He was backed wholeheartedly by Shakib's four strong overs, while Mustafizur and Al-Amin Hossain took two wickets each.
India could not get off to a good start after their openers were spooked by Shuvagata Hom's initial turn. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan had to settle for singles before they struck a six each in the sixth over. Mustafizur had Rohit skying a flick which was caught at midwicket, in the same over. Shakib then trapped Dhawan, who was looking to sweep in the next over, meaning India had two new batsmen having to get settled on a tricky surface.
One of those batsmen was Virat Kohli, fresh off a fine match-winning knock against Pakistan on another tricky surface. Here, though, he stuttered through his run-a-ball 24, during which Al-Amin dropped a difficult caught- and-bowled chance in the 11th over. Suresh Raina, who top-scored with 30 off 23 balls, broke a boundary drought that lasted five overs, with a couple of sixes off Al-Amin in the same over.
Kohli got his first six in the 14th over but Hom kept his nerve by bowling the next one full and on the stumps. Kohli missed, and Bangladesh were back in the game by getting India's main man and breaking the 50-run third wicket stand.
Pandya blasted 15 off seven balls before he was brilliantly caught in the square-leg boundary by a fully diving Soumya Sarkar. Al-Amin also accounted for Raina in the same over, ensuring India's slog overs did not go to plan. The hosts managed only 34 runs in the last five overs, with 3.2 of them going without a boundary.
In the Asia Cup final, Dhoni had blasted 20 off the penultimate over to all but seal India's win. India's captain was not as explosive with the bat here, but his 13 crucial runs, cunning stumpings and cool run-out with one glove on, made the difference between the two teams.
The night will be remembered in Bangalore for a very, very long time.
Tuesday 22 March 2016
ICC World T20 NZ V PAK
New Zealand 180/5 (20/20 ov)
Pakistan 158/5 (20/20 ov)
New Zealand won by 22 runs
It seems Pakistan are not short of Achilles heels lately. New Zealand aimed an arrow at a rather famous one - their batting while chasing big totals - and came away the victors to become the first team to qualify for the 2016 World T20 semi-finals.
Pakistan, who knew their hopes of staying alive in the World T20 depended heavily on a favourable outcome tonight, looked a chase of 181 in the eye and blinked. Sharjeel Khan's enterprising cameo had set them up. He himself had struck ten boundaries before the Powerplay was done and Pakistan's fifty was raised in 24 balls - their fastest in T20Is.
However, once New Zealand doused Sharjeel's fire, Pakistan's went out as well. The batsmen down the order could not back up the early flurry and will face critique for being poor chasers. There were no boundaries - not one - in the last five overs, which led to the 18th failed chase of a 150-plus target for Pakistan. It left their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals extremely bleak.
New Zealand had done their homework again - underneath a cover of grass lay a belter of a pitch and Martin Guptill began taking advantage of it as soon as he strode out to bat. The seventh ball he faced, from the seven-foot tall Mohammad Irfan, was lofted toweringly high into the air and became the first of six of the night. That shot, and his entire innings - 80 off 48 balls - was simple in design and an exhibition of a batsman well aware of his strengths.
Guptill is a tall man. His reach is longer than most players and he is not short of power either. So the moment he decides to hit straight, he has the upper hand. He secured 32 of his runs in the arc between long-off and long-on, including two of his 10 fours and all three of his sixes.
Sharjeel came out and played an innings equal of Guptill's, at least in impact. His strength appears to be in the midwicket region and New Zealand's bowlers fed him a delicious diet of length and short balls. They attempted to pull the pace off, bowled over and around the wicket and changed their fields but very few thought of changing the line and probing him in the corridor around the off stump. Mitchell McClengaghan was smacked for three fours and a six in the fourth over and was taken off. The new bowler Adam Milne dismissed Sharjeel with wider, fuller delivery that was met with a slog and ended up as a top-edge to point.
That wicket gave New Zealand some breathing room. It allowed their spinners to get into the game without fear of being hit out. Mitchell Santner, who bowled the first over and was smashed for 15 runs, finished his full quota with two wickets and gave away only 14 further runs. His partner Ish Sodhi, who was back at the states of his birth, conceded only one boundary in his four overs and took the crucial wicket of Afridi as well.
The back-end squeeze was fruitful for both teams. At one point New Zealand looked set for over 200. Mohammad Sami was the key man for Pakistan, his 19th over went only for four runs and he finished his spell with two wickets and an economy rate of 5.75.
But Ross Taylor withstood that spell and led a scrappy lower-order effort to muster 53 runs in the last five overs and that Pakistan could not find a contribution like that became their undoing. Umar Akmal played a woeful innings at No. 4, his 24 off 26 balls, with no fours or sixes. Ahmed Shehzad was similarly subdued - he scratched around for 30 off 32 balls. Afridi attempted to make up for it, but he was caught on the long-off boundary by Corey Anderson, who timed his leap to perfection. New Zealand's strangle at one end had defused a big threat at the other, and they kept squeezing until Pakistan had nothing left.
Pakistan 158/5 (20/20 ov)
New Zealand won by 22 runs
It seems Pakistan are not short of Achilles heels lately. New Zealand aimed an arrow at a rather famous one - their batting while chasing big totals - and came away the victors to become the first team to qualify for the 2016 World T20 semi-finals.
Pakistan, who knew their hopes of staying alive in the World T20 depended heavily on a favourable outcome tonight, looked a chase of 181 in the eye and blinked. Sharjeel Khan's enterprising cameo had set them up. He himself had struck ten boundaries before the Powerplay was done and Pakistan's fifty was raised in 24 balls - their fastest in T20Is.
However, once New Zealand doused Sharjeel's fire, Pakistan's went out as well. The batsmen down the order could not back up the early flurry and will face critique for being poor chasers. There were no boundaries - not one - in the last five overs, which led to the 18th failed chase of a 150-plus target for Pakistan. It left their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals extremely bleak.
New Zealand had done their homework again - underneath a cover of grass lay a belter of a pitch and Martin Guptill began taking advantage of it as soon as he strode out to bat. The seventh ball he faced, from the seven-foot tall Mohammad Irfan, was lofted toweringly high into the air and became the first of six of the night. That shot, and his entire innings - 80 off 48 balls - was simple in design and an exhibition of a batsman well aware of his strengths.
Guptill is a tall man. His reach is longer than most players and he is not short of power either. So the moment he decides to hit straight, he has the upper hand. He secured 32 of his runs in the arc between long-off and long-on, including two of his 10 fours and all three of his sixes.
Sharjeel came out and played an innings equal of Guptill's, at least in impact. His strength appears to be in the midwicket region and New Zealand's bowlers fed him a delicious diet of length and short balls. They attempted to pull the pace off, bowled over and around the wicket and changed their fields but very few thought of changing the line and probing him in the corridor around the off stump. Mitchell McClengaghan was smacked for three fours and a six in the fourth over and was taken off. The new bowler Adam Milne dismissed Sharjeel with wider, fuller delivery that was met with a slog and ended up as a top-edge to point.
That wicket gave New Zealand some breathing room. It allowed their spinners to get into the game without fear of being hit out. Mitchell Santner, who bowled the first over and was smashed for 15 runs, finished his full quota with two wickets and gave away only 14 further runs. His partner Ish Sodhi, who was back at the states of his birth, conceded only one boundary in his four overs and took the crucial wicket of Afridi as well.
The back-end squeeze was fruitful for both teams. At one point New Zealand looked set for over 200. Mohammad Sami was the key man for Pakistan, his 19th over went only for four runs and he finished his spell with two wickets and an economy rate of 5.75.
But Ross Taylor withstood that spell and led a scrappy lower-order effort to muster 53 runs in the last five overs and that Pakistan could not find a contribution like that became their undoing. Umar Akmal played a woeful innings at No. 4, his 24 off 26 balls, with no fours or sixes. Ahmed Shehzad was similarly subdued - he scratched around for 30 off 32 balls. Afridi attempted to make up for it, but he was caught on the long-off boundary by Corey Anderson, who timed his leap to perfection. New Zealand's strangle at one end had defused a big threat at the other, and they kept squeezing until Pakistan had nothing left.
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