Samuels, Sammy give WI first world title since 1979

Flair. Calypso. Frontrunners. Millionaires. Gold chains. Chris Gayle. No, no, no, no, no and no. West Indies' first World Twenty20 win was more digging in, refusing to give up, running and fielding like their life depended on this match, stunning the home crowd, and pulling off one of the most amazing turnarounds in Twenty20 history, especially given the stage. The due share of flair came from one of the most eye-pleasing batsmen going around. There's no need to add "one of the" here, because Marlon Samuels played simply the best Twenty20 international innings ever seen when West Indies were down and the count had reached about eight. A feedbacker to ESPNcricinfo's ball-by-ball commentary asked if Samuels' 78 was the 281 of Twenty20 cricket.

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westindies destroy Australian Bating line-up won by 74 runs

 

So lopsided was West Indies' obliteration of Australia in the second semi-final of the World Twenty20, the victors had near enough to 13 overs to bask in their looming progress to the final against Sri Lanka.

Matthew Wade's departure in the eighth over of Australia's reply to 205 for 4 left George Bailey's team at a forlorn 43 for 6, their campaign collapsing in a few fevered minutes. Bailey was left to offer his team's last gesture of defiance, a breathless 63 from 29 balls, but it served only to narrow the margin.

That they were chasing such a tall tally was down to Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard. Gayle was starved of the strike early and later battled an apparent muscle strain, but in between produced an innings of controlled aggression that helped foster a trio of partnerships with Pollard, Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo. Pollard clumped three of four sixes to be brutalised from Xavier Doherty's final over of the innings, a sequence that broke Australian spirits.

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Akmal fined for ignoring umpires

Umar Akmal has been fined 50 percent of his match fee for ignoring both on-field umpires while going for a change in gloves during Pakistan's semi-final against Sri Lanka in Colombo. There was no hearing as Akmal pleaded guilty and accepted the sanction to the charge laid by umpires Simon Taufel and Rod Tucker.

Jeff Crowe, the match referee, said: "In this incident, Umar showed blatant disregard to both the umpires' requests, which was offensive and unacceptable from an international cricketer and contrary to our unique spirit, hence a level two charge was laid."

"Respect for the umpires is integral and is something which we always emphasise and encourage," Crowe said. "Umar, when pleading guilty, apologised and regretted his action."

The incident happened in the 17th over of Pakistan's chase when Akmal was at the non-striker's end. Akmal remained unbeaten on 29 as Pakistan fell short by 16 runs.

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Srilanka beat Pakistan in 1st semi Final by 16 runs.

On a crumbling, turning, brute of a pitch by Twenty20 standards, Mahela Jayawardene responded with a T20-size classic. His 42 off 36, as delightful as it was delicate, proved to be the difference between the two sides in a tight semi-final. It was a bitterly disappointing night for his opposite number: Mohammad Hafeez outmanoeuvred a rampant Kumar Sangakkara in a crucial moment in the first innings, he came back from a horribly slow start to his own innings, but fell on 42 with some way to go for Pakistan.

It was Sangakkara who returned the favour with a superb stumping off a grubber to send Hafeez back with 48 to defend in 35 balls. Hafeez, who had just opened up with an extra-cover drive, a reverse-swept four and a punch through covers, was this close to making this his own night, but it was to be Sri Lanka's, who won their first Twenty20 international at R Premadasa Stadium, in the process successfully adjusting to a third venue in this tournament, the most for any team.

The powdery surface began to explode upon impact by the third over of the first innings. This was no place for average batsmen who stand there and swing from the hip. This would need a quality batsman. On turning tracks, they don't come better than Jayawardene. With the ball turning square at times, he stayed low, swept and reverse-swept often to play with the spinners' rhythm. Tillakaratne Dilshan, his opening partner, seemed to be batting on a different pitch.

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Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 1st semi-final, World Twenty20, Colombo

 

Pakistan didn't know until late on Tuesday night whether they'd have to keep their hotel reservations in Colombo for a few more days. But when South Africa's Robin Peterson gloved a ball for a single to take the score to 122 against India, a roar went around the Premadasa. It sounded as though Sri Lanka were playing, but the noise was from a legion of Pakistan fans who were celebrating their team's progress to the semi-finals on net run rate, at India's expense. There wasn't much separating the two sides, but Pakistan were better placed because they got their tactics right and won big against Australia earlier in the evening.

Spin has been Pakistan's strength in this tournament and their captain Mohammad Hafeez used his resources astutely. If that meant giving a rookie spinner the new ball and making the most experienced fast bowler wait till the 18th over, then so be it. The plan was to suffocate the Australians with turn on a sluggish pitch and it worked to such an extent that even Shane Watson had a rare, bad outing. The fielders made Australia's qualifying target of 112 seem distant. As a result, Pakistan play their fourth World Twenty20 semi-final tomorrow, but unlike on Tuesday, they will not have the lion's share of the support

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1st Semi Final: Pakistan vs Srilanka

Something about major tournaments stokes Sri Lanka's fire. They have now reached their fifth semi-final in six competitions, second only to Pakistan who have a cleansweep since the 2007 World Cup. In between the major events, they are often underwhelming. Before defeating Pakistan in the home ODIs in June, Sri Lanka had failed to collect silverware in six limited-overs series over 10 months.

Yet they have emerged frontrunners once more. The batting that so often seems fragile against quality bowling has grown a steely backbone. The middle order, abounding in youth, has bared its teeth as well. When England muscled past the top three on Monday, they stumbled into an ambush. The youngsters may not yet have acquired the heavy weaponry their seniors deal in, but they have enough switchblades and brass knuckles between them, and the audacity to dare anyone to a fight. Pakistan's wounds from their last scrap at the Premadasa may not yet have healed.

Sri Lanka's bowling has been their strength, but occasionally it has been made to look brittle by opponents who have cracked its unorthodoxy. With three allrounders now among their ranks, Sri Lanka have stockpiled resources capable of stepping in for ailing front-liners. Thisara Perera has had a career-defining 12 months with the ball, but he has been held in reserve during this tournament in that regard. Others like Akila Dananjaya have emerged to add mettle to an attack that has reclaimed some of the fearsomeness it surrendered since the 2011 World Cup

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India's one-run win not big enough to qualify

 

South Africa have had a few of their parties cruelly crashed by teams world over, but today they spoiled India's when it was only a small gathering. Having been knocked out of the World Twenty20 because Pakistan beat Australia, South Africa won the toss India wanted to win most, kept India down to 152, and passed 121, ensuring India would be eliminated from the tournament on net run rate.

India would have loved to chase and know what they needed to do with the bat to push their net run rate of -0.452 over Pakistan's 0.273, who are now through to the semi-final. However, batting first, all India could hope of doing was set up a huge total and try to win by a margin of around 30. South Africa's bowling, though, was too strong to clobber.

It was not all fun and games for South Africa either. Faf du Plessis laid bare the flaws in their strategy in the games leading up to their final inconsequential match. Watching du Plessis score a fluent 65 off 38, South Africa's think tank would have felt a surge of mixed emotions. After du Plessis got out, all but ensuring India's ouster, that think tank would have watched in horror as the last five wickets fell for 24 runs and South Africa lost by one run. Another heartbreaking loss ended arguably their worst campaign at a World Cup, across formats. It was Gary Kirsten's ninth defeat in nine matches as coach in World Twenty20 Super Eights.

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Australia qualify despite big defeat

 

Pakistan spun a web around Australia's batsmen and a few hours later could celebrate that doing so had secured qualification for the World Twenty20 semi-finals. Though sobered by defeat, the Australians managed to reach the 112 they required to make their qualification for the semis a certainty, while the result also ensured that South Africa were knocked out, regardless of what happened in their final Super Eights match against India.

The 32-run margin to Pakistan meant that India had to win by a wide margin against South Africa in order to elbow their way past Mohammad Hafeez's team into a semi-final spot. Such a scenario would have been undeserved by Raza Hasan and Saeed Ajmal in particular, who tied Australia in the kinds of knots previously unseen at this tournament.

Australia's first loss of the tournament reopened their former doubts when confronted by quality spin on a slow, turning pitch, and also demonstrated the chaos that can ensue if Shane Watson and David Warner do not give the innings a rapid start. Pakistan did not use a paceman until the 18th over of the innings, and other nations can be expected to use similar tactics against Australia for the remainder of the event. In the end it took a half century of considerable composure from Michael Hussey to ensure Australia's qualification.

Their inability to seriously challenge a middling tally will sound a note of warning for Australia's coaches, who also had the odd lapse in the field to ruminate on. Mitchell Starc had pinned Pakistan's captain Mohammad Hafeez lbw with his first ball to push the batsmen onto the defensive, and should also have dismissed Nasir Jamshed for a duck. But Glenn Maxwell dropped the catch at slip, allowing Jamshed to go on to an important 55.

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Spin exposes Australia middle order again

 

When Australia played Sri Lanka at the Premadasa during the 2011 World Cup, the visitors arrived with a very well aired reputation for being poor players of spin. The pitch that was prepared was so dry that Ricky Ponting called it "basically just rolled mud". Sri Lanka played three specialist spinners, but before Australia had a chance to bat the match was rained out. Nineteen months later, at the same venue, Pakistan banked on their phalanx of slow-bowlers and Australia faltered.

This time the pitch was no rolled mud. In fact Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins generated pace and were rewarded with good carry. Xavier Doherty and Brad Hogg managed some turn, but they were hardly unplayable. Still, Pakistan backed their spinners to the extent that if Shoaib Malik had not disappeared for 14 in the 15th over, the Premadasa might have witnessed the first full Twenty20 innings comprised entirely of spin.

Shane Watson and David Warner were forced to exert their own pace on the ball, and though Watson has had success against spin in the past, neither much enjoyed it. Oppositions had wondered what lay beyond the colossal top three, and Pakistan had figured a way to unhinge the vault. Both opener's dismissals hinted at frustration induced by a slower-than-usual scoring rates. At four runs an over Australia were hardly crawling, but the start was a sight more pedestrian than they had been used to in the tournament.

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Today Pakistan vs Australia

 

(i) PAK beat AUS & SA beat IND, Then PAK , AUS Qualifies.

(ii) PAK beat AUS & IND beat SA by 50 Runs, Then PAK , IND Qualify.

(iii) AUS beat PAK & SA beat IND by 60 Runs, Then AUS , SA Qualifies.

(iv) If AUS beat PAK & SA beat IND by 15 Runs, Then AUS , PAK Qualify

One poor showing, against India no less, has suddenly thrown Pakistan's World Twenty20 campaign onto far less certain ground than it had occupied solidly since day one of the tournament. Another loss to Australia, the competition's most assured and dominant team so far, and the Pakistanis will be highly unlikely to make the semi-finals. It is a harsh scenario, but a reflection of the competition's format, calling for consistent results. The hesitance and doubt evident against India must quickly be shed from the minds and limbs of Pakistan's cricketers, but the looming possibility of elimination may not aid the return of a state of focus.

By contrast, Australia know they do not even need to win to progress, for they will qualify for the semi-finals unless Pakistan can inflict the sort of thrashing George Bailey's men have commonly dealt out so for, and a similar margin unfolds in India's match against South Africa. So far led with exceptional poise and power by the irrepressible Shane Watson, the Australians have not had their depth of batting tested. Nevertheless, the likes of Michael Hussey and Cameron White have shown decent touch in their brief stays at the crease, and the confidence of all players has benefited from Watson's show of strength.

These two sides are very familiar with one another, having contested T20 and ODI series in the UAE as a prelude to this event. Australia began that T20 series floundering, and ended it with growing confidence. They have gone up another notch or three since, while Pakistan have been shaken by the India defeat. Mohammad Hafeez's team will hope to regain the confidence they showed in Dubai, or risk elimination from an event they looked in with a chance to win a few days ago.

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England's defence of their World Twenty20 title ended with a 19-run defeat

 

England's defence of their World Twenty20 title ended with a 19-run defeat against Sri Lanka, as the home side were cheered on amid a raucous atmosphere generated by a vibrant home crowd. Lasith Malinga ripped out the top order with three wickets in four balls, to immediately set back a tough chase of 170, then returned to finish with 5 for 31 just when Samit Patel offered England a glimmer.

Malinga had been relatively quiet in the tournament until today, taking three wickets in five matches, but doubled his tally in the blink of an eye when he was brought on for the third over. Luke Wright, promoted to open after Craig Kieswetter was dropped, unleashed a fierce square cut but sent it straight to backward point, Jonny Bairstow was done by a slower ball to end a difficult tournament and next ball Alex Hales was pinned by an inswinging yorker, although replays suggested it was sliding down leg.

There were low expectations from outside the England squad before the tournament and they have never looked like being capable of defending their crown. Patel, at least, could hold his head high with a powerful 67 off 48 balls to show he has been underused whereas others, like Jos Buttler, who gave Malinga his fourth when he hooked to long leg, often appeared out of their depth. Graeme Swann swung strongly, making the highest score by a No. 9 in T20s, and the fifty stand with Patel came from 26 balls but, as against West Indies - whose progression was secured by England's defeat - it always needed a miracle of Medinah proportions.

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New Zealand knocked out after Super Over

They took the New Zealand spirit, trampled on it, and handed over the broken pieces along with their boarding passes. The team that provided the most entertainment in the Super Eights, with two ties, lost both the Super Overs to end up with zero points. West Indies stayed alive, and were not leaving the ground anytime soon. They were done with their celebratory dances, and were now hoping for Sri Lanka to beat England and help them through to the semi-final.

There was no way New Zealand should have lost this, though. Not in regulation time, not in extra time. It was a day for heroes and villains, and they were often the same men. The same Tim Southee that foxed Chris Gayle and went for 3 for 21 in regulation time failed to defend 16 runs in the Super Over. The same Sunil Narine who bowled overs 17 and 19 for five runs and two wickets to keep the match alive fielded appallingly, most noticeably in the final over, allowing Ross Taylor to retain the strike, and force the tie.

What of Taylor, though? He didn't deserve to be on the losing side. He braved that inexplicable pressure his team-mates found themselves under, 127kmph darts from Marlon Samuels delivered from two steps, managed a six each in both the final over and the Super Over, posted his highest Twenty20 score as captain, and yet found himself at loss to explain what just happened to New Zealand.

Let's start with the early heroes then. Gayle was the first one, racing to 30 off 13, taking West Indies to 60 inside the Powerplay. Taylor then made his first good move, an admission that he had erred in the previous game. Doug Bracewell, who was bowled only after the match was practically lost against England, got the new ball, and got Johnson Charles and the promoted Andre Russell out in his first two overs.

For Southee, life was full of possibilities at this time. To the marauding Gayle he rolled his fingers on a short-of-a-length delivery, getting it to cut away, squaring Gayle up, taking the edge that kicked off wild celebrations, which have become the norm whenever teams dismiss Gayle before he has beaten them into submission.

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Watson carries Australia to victory again

Shane Watson has carried Australia in every match of this tournament and has now all but muscled them into the semi-finals with another outstanding all-round performance against South Africa. Watson picked up two wickets to help restrict South Africa and then crunched 70 from 47 balls to set up their successful chase of 147, as the Australians cruised to victory with 14 balls to spare.

The South Africans were lacklustre with the bat and sloppy in the field, and while the result has not yet knocked them out of the tournament, they will need other results to fall their way if they are to progress to the semi-finals. For that to happen, Pakistan would need to lose to both India and Australia, and South Africa would need to beat India and then hope their net run-rate was good enough to sneak them ahead of Pakistan and India.

By the same token, the win has not technically confirmed Australia's place in the semi-finals, but their very strong net run-rate meant that for them to miss out, not only would India need to beat both Pakistan and South Africa but Australia would also need a disaster in their last match against Pakistan. The way Watson is playing, such an outcome seems about as likely as Simon Taufel being drafted in to Australia's XI.

For the fourth time from Australia's four games in this World T20, Watson was Man of the Match. He ended the game on top of the tournament run tally and wicket list. It didn't all go the way of the Australians early in their innings this time around. David Warner was kept quiet and then on 5 had his middle stump knocked back by Morne Morkel when he backed away and tried to release the pressure. Australia were 10 for 1 in the fourth over, and South Africa had a sniff.

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India beat Pakistan by 8 wickets

India-Pakistan matches - never mind the tournament context - often tend to be a contest as much of nerves as of cricketing skills. Keeping in with recent times, where India have tended to come out the mentally stronger side, Pakistan's batsmen tried too hard and imploded to waste a dream start and post the lowest total of the Super Eights stage of this World Twenty20. Virat Kohli, who had scored 183 in his previous match against Pakistan, then steered the chase of 129 with his eighth fifty-plus score in his last 11 international innings.

This was a game where one of two jinxes would be broken. It was India, needing to win this to stay alive, who posted their first Super Eights win in World Twenty20s since 2007. Pakistan were still without a win over India in any World Cup match. Pakistan were every bit a team with a bogey attached to them. They tried flamboyance with the bat and failed, and didn't show heart to back up their talented bowling and attack. India, on the other hand, did the small things well after a nervous start, and were there to accept every opportunity that Pakistan presented.

Anxious more than enthusiastic, Pakistan began with 26 runs and five boundaries in the first two overs, but regressed in the coming overs. Some of their batsmen just froze, including captain Mohammad Hafeez who scored 15 off 28, and they took 6.5 overs to score the next 26. Pakistan played 53 dot balls against bowling that was steady at best. Add to that two balls they didn't even make India bowl.

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Watson and Warner destroy India

Australia's captain George Bailey doesn't think his side is over-dependent on Shane Watson. Who'd be able to tell? Watson has hardly given any of his team-mates a chance so far in this tournament, and that continued in Australia's first Super Eights match as they crushed India by nine wickets in Colombo. To be fair, David Warner was also outstanding and Pat Cummins played a key role with the ball. But Watson was again the stand-out performer, as he has been in all of Australia's matches in the World Twenty20.

Chasing 141, the Australians reached their target with 31 balls to spare. India's decision to pick three spinners - Virender Sehwag was left out to accommodate a fifth bowler - did not work, although there was little distinction between the slow bowlers and the fast men. They were all monstered by Watson and Warner. Yuvraj Singh picked up the only wicket, when Watson drove to cover with eight runs still needed and it meant India narrowly avoided their first ten-wicket defeat in a T20.

Watson had made 72 from 42 deliveries with two fours and seven sixes. He cleared the boundary straight down the ground, over midwicket and over square leg. A pair of enormous consecutive sixes pulled over midwicket off Irfan Pathan showed Watson's power, but also highlighted India's poor bowling. Short balls on the leg side to Watson made about as much sense as dropping Sehwag.

In slightly slippery conditions the spinners also failed to have any impact and were routinely dispatched by both Watson and Warner, whose 133-run partnership was their second century stand in a T20 international this month, and the Australian record for any wicket. Warner muscled three sixes of his own, including two in a row off Harbhajan Singh, whose two overs cost 20 runs. Rare though it may be, Warner was the quiet partner.

He still managed 63 not out from 41 deliveries, striking seven fours and playing a key role in demoralising India early in the chase. They remained disheartened throughout the innings, and the comprehensive nature of the result will make it hard for them to drag themselves back into form for their next match. But they must do so to have any chance of progressing to the semi-finals. And to do that, they need not only to bowl much better, but to bat with more conviction as well.

Smart stats Australia won the match in 14.5 overs, which is thefewest overs in which a team has successfully chased a target of more than 140 in a Twenty20 internationals. India lost with 31 balls to spare, which is their second-worst defeat in Twenty20 internationals. Their worst loss was also against Australia, when they were beaten with 52 balls to spare in Melbourne in 2008. The 133-run partnership between Shane Watson and David Warner is the highest for any wicket for Australia in this format, and the joint fifth-highest opening stand for any team. Watson and Warner have become the first pair to score more than 1000 partnership runs in Twenty20 internationals. On 15 occasions when he has batted in a run-chase, Watson has scored six fifties, and averages 37.76 at a strike rate of 158.38. When batting first he averages 25.25 at a strike rate of 144.28. This was Watson's seventh Man-of-the-Match award in Twenty20 internationals, which equals the record, which is also held by Shahid Afridi. However, while Afridi has played 53 matches, Watson's played only 33.

Their batsmen struggled for firepower and stammered to 140 for 7, which seemed like just a moderately competitive total. That India managed only two sixes said a lot about their performance. Cummins was especially difficult for the batsmen to score from and his pace and accuracy brought him 2 for 16 from his four overs, while Watson picked up 3 for 34 and jumped to the top of the wicket tally for the tournament, with eight from three games.

A few late boundaries from R Ashwin and Suresh Raina helped India push their total up but at no point did their batsmen dominate. Gautam Gambhir picked up a few early boundaries before he was run out for 17 from 12 deliveries, the victim of a fine piece of footwork from the bowler Cummins, who soccered the ball onto the stumps at the striker's end in his follow through.

Pathan and Virat Kohli added 35 for the second wicket before Kohli top-edged Cummins and was caught for 15, and Yuvraj Singh (8) also succumbed to a top-edge when he was taken at deep midwicket off Watson's bowling. Watson struck again in the same over when Pathan (31) chipped to midwicket and things didn't get better for India any time soon.

Rohit Sharma was done in by the angle from around the wicket of the left-armer Mitchell Starc, who bowled him for 1, and at 74 for 5 India were in trouble. Dhoni and Raina steadied with a 30-run partnership but neither man really went on the attack and a build-up of pressure from the Australians eventually brought the end for Dhoni, who drove Cummins to cover for 15.

Ashwin clubbed Starc over midwicket for six and Raina found the boundary twice in the last over from Watson before he holed out to long-off. They at least gave India's bowlers something to defend, but the way India bowled and the way Watson and Warner batted, Australia could have chased down 200. Australia will now enter their second Super Eights match against South Africa full of confidence. And maybe someone other than Watson will get a go next time

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Umar Gul and Umar Akmal pulled off a spectacular win

Umar Gul and Umar Akmal pulled off a spectacular coup to bring Pakistan back from the brink to beat South Africa. The second round of the tournament started with two thrillers on Thursday and the fire carried over into Friday as the match swung three times.

Pakistan put themselves in front with a strong performance in the field as their four frontline spinners wove a web around South Africa. But what should have been a straightforward chase for Pakistan turned into a comedy of soft dismissals and a surprising outfoxing of the batsmen by the South African spinners.

Then, Gul and Umar Akmal took centre stage and shared a stand of 49 in 27 balls for the eighth wicket to inflict a demoralising defeat on South Africa. The pair stroked a series of audacious boundaries as they took on South Africa's pace attack with Jacques Kallis and Albie Morkel the worst hit. To add to South Africa's worries, Dale Steyn left the field with an injured ankle after being struck in his final over.

South Africa will reflect on a number of tactical errors, rather than simply being outplayed. Talking points will centre on be AB de Villiers batting at No. 6, instead of higher up the order and Johan Botha and JP Duminy only bowling two overs each on a pitch that clearly had something in it for spinners -Kallis and Albie Morkel could have been used less.

For Pakistan the strategy may not matter. They take the points and the advantage in the group after looking as though they would at the halfway stage, almost giving it away and then snatching it back in some style to ensure their early efforts did not go to waste.

Only JP Duminy had some measure of the Pakistan attack as the rest of the line-up were troubled and tied down by turn. Raza Hasan did the early containing job, setting the stage for the introduction of Saeed Ajmal, who bowled Richard Levi around his as the opener attempted a reverse sweep to the first ball he faced from Ajmal.

Smart stats The win is Pakistan's third in six Twenty20 internationals against South Africa. All three wins have come in World Twenty20 matches. South Africa's score of 28 at the end of six overs is their second-lowest Powerplay score (20-over innings). The score at the end of ten overs (47) is also their lowest in a Twenty20 international. The number of maiden overs bowled in the game (4) is the joint second-highest in a Twenty20 international. It is the second such instance in matches at the Premadasa stadium. Robin Peterson's economy rate (3.75) is his best for a completed spell of four overs. He is also the eighth South African bowler to concede 15 or fewer runs in a completed spell in a World Twenty20 match. The 49-run stand between Umar Akmal and Umar Gul is the second-highest eighth-wicket stand for Pakistan in Twenty20 internationals. Overall, it is the sixth-highest eighth-wicket stand. Gul's 32 is the second-highest score by a batsman batting at a position between 9 and 11. It is however the highest such score in a World Twenty20 game.

Mohammed Hafeez accounted for Jacques Kallis, who slapped his first ball to cover and South Africa were in serious trouble at 28 for 3. Despite the situation, AB de Villiers chose to hold himself back and Farhaan Berhardien came in ahead of him.

He and Duminy shared a stand of 38 and built the platform De Villiers may have been waiting for. Behardien played two shots in anger before he was stumped and De Villiers finally made his entrance at No. 6. He had seven and a half overs to make an impact but managed 25 runs while Duminy continued to play the anchor role. He suffered from dehydration during his innings and vomited on the field but was able to bowl later on. Given the conditions, some may say he should have bowled more.

Pakistan were in a worse situation than South Africa early on. Imran Nazir gloved an attempted pull to de Villiers and then Robin Peterson found turn and bounce to have Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed stumped in the same over. Kamran Akmal was bowled playing a cut that was not on off Johan Botha and Pakistan were 37 for 4.

Umar Akmal played a Duminy-like innings, taking advantage of anything loose and full and holding back for the rest of the time. He was not shaken by Shoaib Malik handing a catch to third man, Shahid Afridi falling for a golden duck after smashing Duminy to the long-off fielder or Yasir Arafat fending a short ball to Duminy who took a spectacular catch at midwicket.

The two dismissals Duminy was involved in looked to spell the end for Pakistan but Gul was reading a different script. He made his intent known when he clubbed Kallis for back-to-back sixes on the on-side, picking up the length well. Umar Akmal let Gul go wild while he held up his end and Gul obliged.

Gul holed out to Petersen on the cover boundary but he had done enough damage. Umar Akmal's eyes lit up when Morne Morkel offered him a full toss and he hit it flat over midwicket to leave Saeed Ajmal to seal the win with an outside edge to third man.

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Mohammad Hafeez has backed his premier fast bowler, Umar Gul, to put in a big performance

 

Fast bowling has always been Pakistan's most prized asset. To borrow from finance, it has been akin to a treasure chest of US government bonds, usually one of the safest investments on the planet. The batting in recent years has been like mid-market stocks, capable of volatility. Spin bowling has become a productive investment of late, with blue chips in Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi. But as capital from across the world flees to the safety of US government bonds in times of uncertainty, Mohammad Hafeez is confident his fast bowlers will recover from the expensive outings in the group stage and bowl like the match-winners they have been as the World Twenty20 gets tighter.

"We are blessed with some of the greats in Twenty20s, especially Ajmal and Afridi," Hafeez said. "This is our strength, even though we rely on our fast bowlers who unfortunately could not do well in the group matches. We are hoping they come up with good performances. Umar Gul is one of them."

The economy rates of Gul, Sohail Tanvir and Yasir Arafat after two games are 11.71, 9.66 and 9.25 respectively. The form of Gul, the joint-second highest wicket-taker in T20Is after Ajmal, is particularly worrying for Pakistan. Hafeez, though, said Gul was experienced enough to handle the issue.

"He realises when he is not doing the basics right," Hafeez said. "The good thing from what we can see is that he is very focused and working hard in practice. Bowling coach Mohammad Akram is working with him. We know he is our match-winner.

"Pitches in the group matches were really good for batting. Our bowlers tried hard to get something out of them but sometimes you can have an off day. Anyone can have an off day, anyone can bowl badly. But with the positive attitude among our bowlers, I am confident they can return to rhythm soon."

Pakistan played both their group games in Pallekele but Hafeez said that with the side having experience of playing in Colombo, the change of venue for the Super Eights would not make much difference. "I know the conditions will change from Kandy to Colombo, adjustability will be a factor. We have played enough here in Colombo, we know the conditions well."

Hafeez said playing the Super Eights in Colombo gave the Pakistan spinners more opportunity to make an impact. "The pitches in Colombo in the tournament have been batting pitches so far. Spinners play a role here, there is some turn. There was not much turn in Pallekele. We feel with the kind of spinners we have, we will do well here in the Super Eights."

While Afridi's role as legspinner will be crucial, Hafeez said Pakistan were also looking forward to his contributions with the bat. "We are relying on Afridi with both bat and ball. And we are very happy with his attitude during practice. He is batting very well during practice, and when the time comes, he will surely win the game for us."

The return of Kamran Akmal to the side has also boosted the batting, Hafeez said. Kamran smashed an unbeaten 92 as Pakistan came back from 91 for 5 to successfully chase 186 against India in a warm-up game. He also made an unbeaten 22 against Bangladesh, hitting the winning runs after Pakistan had sealed their qualifications to the Super Eights. "Kamran has been an excellent package for Pakistan as a wicketkeeper-batsman. Our batting has been strengthened by his comeback after a year."

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Johnson Charles powered West Indies to their first win of the 2012 World Twenty20

A century opening stand between Chris Gayle and Johnson Charles powered West Indies to their first win of the 2012 World Twenty20 with a 16-run victory against England in their opening Super Eights match. Their top-order batsmen setting a daunting total of 179 for 5 and their quartet of slow bowlers suffocated the England batsmen as they started their reply.

A remarkable fourth-wicket stand of 107 in 58 balls between Alex Hales, who scored 68 from 51 balls, and Eoin Morgan, who made a brilliant, unbeaten 71 from 36 balls, gave England an outside chance of victory, but the pair were left too much to do by another lacklustre performance from their top-order colleagues.

This was England's second successive defeat following the 90-run thrashing India inflicted in their final group game and leaves their hopes of retaining the World T20 trophy hanging by a thread. England will probably need to win both their remaining Super Eights matches, against New Zealand and Sri Lanka respectively, to progress to the semi-finals.

England were always behind in their run chase. Set a demading 180 to win - they have never chased more than 173 to win a T20I - they knew they required a good start. But, while they were expecting a challenge from the spinners, it was the seam of Ravi Rampaul that provided the killer punch.

After three balls of England's reply, Rampaul was on a hat-trick after Craig Kieswetter, attempting to pull a delivery too full for the shot, top-edged to point and Luke Wright, attempting to withdraw his bat from a short delivery, guided the ball off the bat face to slip. A double-wicket maiden never represents a good start for a batting side; when they are chasing nine an over it is likely to prove fatal.

Hales took legspinner Samuel Badree, in the side instead of the pace of Fidel Edwards, for consecutive boundaries - skipping down the pitch to drill a drive through mid-off before cutting the next ball for four when the bowler compensated - and cut Sunil Narine for another. But, at the end of their six Powerplay overs, England had scored just 29 for 2. West Indies, by comparison, had been 47 without loss. It was a gap that England could never completely close.

Hales pulled Darren Sammy for one six and then drove and pulled Samuels for a four followed by a six. But though Jonny Bairstow helped Hales add 55 in 9.3 overs for the third-wicket, Bairstow's struggles against the spin bowling - he made just 18 in 29 balls - put England even further behind the rate and left Morgan a vast amount of ground to make up.

West Indies' selection policy was certainly vindicated. Not only did Charles, the 23-year-old from St Lucia who has little obvious pedigree as an opening batsman, fully justify his position, but the control offered by the quartet of spin bowlers - Badree, Gayle and Narine, in particular - ensured that England were always behind the run-rate and, despite Morgan slogging a Gayle full toss for six over square leg, driving Narine for another and then top-edging another off Rampaul, West Indies always had breathing space.

Smart stats West Indies' 15-run win means they have a 3-0 record over England in World Twenty20 matches, having also beaten them in 2010 and 2009. Johnson Charles' 84 is his highest score in any first-class, List A, or Twenty20 game. His previous-highest was 72 in a List A game against Combined Campuses and Colleges. It's also his first half-century in any international game. The 103-run stand between Chris Gayle and Charles is the maiden century stand for West Indies against England in a Twenty20 international. The previous highest was 84. For England, the 107-run partnership between Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan was their third century stand against West Indies in Twenty20 internationals. Hales has been involved in all three of them. The 107-run stand is also the joint second-highest in a defeat in a Twenty20 international, next only to the 145-run stand between Chris Gayle and Devon Smith against South Africa in the inaugural match of the 2007 World Twenty20.

They produced some outstanding fielding, too. Andre Russell, catching the ball in the air over the midwicket boundary and throwing it back into play before he landed, limited Morgan to two when he must have thought he had a six and Sammy, having picked himself up having dived to parry a clip from Hales, raced after the ball and dived full length to turn a four into a three.

With three overs remaining, England required 46; with two remaining they required 39. Even though Morgan drove two sixes off Rampaul from the first four balls of the penultimate over, the last over, entrusted to Marlon Samuels, began with England still requiring 23 to win. Morgan drove the first delivery for four, but could manage only a single from the next two deliveries and, when Hales was stumped from the fourth ball, dragged wide as Hales advanced down the pitch, England's hopes were extinguished.

Earlier a career-best performance from Charles hastened West Indies towards their total. Charles, overcoming an uncertain start, scored 84 from 56 deliveries and shared in an opening stand of 103 in 11 overs with Gayle to allow West Indies to seize the initiative they never really relinquished.

While Steven Finn, bowling with sharp pace, produced a tight first over with Charles' first boundary coming when he top-edged an attempted pull over slip, Gayle was soon into his stride. Having patted back his first two deliverires from Jade Dernbach, he then crashed three fours from the rest of the over: two pulls and a fierce drive.

Gayle dealt with the pace of Finn comfortably, giving himself room to cut a short ball over point, and greeted the introduction of Stuart Broad, also bowling at a sharp pace and with good control, with a thick-edged over third man and then a flick over mid-wicket.

But it was Samit Patel's introduction for the eighth over that marked a sharp acceleration from West Indies. Patel's third delivery, something of a long-hop, was pulled over mid-on, the fifth was slog-swept over square leg and the final delivery, a quicker ball, was driven over mid-on as Gayle thrashed three sixes from the over.

Johnson followed suit in the following over from Graeme Swann. Having seized on to a poor ball down the leg side with a sweep for four, he followed it with two sixes over the long-on boundary to complete a period of five sixes in 10 balls for West Indies.

Gayle reached his 50 in just 29 deliveries and brought up the 100 stand from 63 balls with another six driven over extra cover. So when Finn, running in from long-off, put down a simple chance offered by Charles on 39 off Swann, it seemed there would be no respite for England. But it turned out to be a moment of fortune for England. The next delivery, Gayle mistimed a thump over long-on and, this time, Finn made no mistake with the catch.

Broad clawed back a little control with a wicket maiden in the 14th over when he had Samuels taken at point as he attempted to slash over the off side, but Charles, who reached his half-century from 36 balls, was back on strike for the next over and skipped down the wicket to drive Patel for another six then latched onto both Finn and Dernbach

Clearly showing the effects of weariness he then drove a full toss to mid-on to depart 16 short of a century. His work was done, though, and despite Morgan's heroics, West Indies were always just one step ahead.

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Srilanka win in super over

Tillakaratne Dilshan, who had scored 76 off 53 in regulation time, set himself under the ball at long-off, turning side ways to make sure he knew where the boundary cushions were - they were six inches from his toenails - and took the catch after the ball had passed his body and had almost entered the air space beyond the boundary. Had Dilshan missed that, this Martin Guptill hit off Lasith Malinga would have left New Zealand needing two off the last ball of the Super Over. The catch sealed Sri Lanka's win. Such were the margins of a freak match that was tied with a freak run-out off the last ball.

About 40 minutes ago, Sri Lanka were 143 for 3 after 16.3 overs, the same score that New Zealand had after 16.3. New Zealand would have been disappointed with the 31 they got after that, considering the start given to them by Rob Nicol, in association with Guptill and Brendon McCullum. With the ball, though, Southee and James Franklin pulled things back against the faltering hosts, who lost two batsmen to run-outs.

Smart stats This is the seventh Twenty20 to end in a tie. New Zealand have been involved in four of the seven. It is also the second tie in the World Twenty20 after the game between India and Pakistan in 2007. Rob Nicol's 58 is his highest score in Twenty20 internationals and the third-highest for a New Zealand batsman against Sri Lanka. Tillakaratne Dilshan's 76 is the second-highest score by a Sri Lankan batsman against New Zealand in World Twenty20 matches. It is also his second-best score in World Twenty20 games after the 96 against West Indies in 2009. Ajantha Mendis conceded 48 off his four overs, the most he has conceded in a Twenty20 game, surpassing the 42 runs against Australia in the World Twenty20 in 2010. New Zealand's total of 174 is their highest score in Twenty20 matches against Sri Lanka. It is also their second-highest score in Pallekele, after the 191 against Bangladesh. Sri Lanka's score of 68 in the first six overs is the fifth-highest Powerplay score in the World Twenty20. The highest Powerplay score (20 overs per innings) is West Indies' 71 against Australia at The Oval in 2009.

Only 30 runs had come in 5.3 overs leading to that even point, which had put Sri Lanka under some pressure. Southee added to it with an over of yorkers to leave them needing 21 off the last two. Ross Taylor risked bowling Franklin, who had helped them win a similar chase recently against India. Dilshan slog-swept the first ball for a six. On the next ball, though, he took an ill-advised second and even a desperate dive couldn't save him.

Thisara Perera scooped Franklin for a four later in the over. At eight required from seven balls, Perera was one delivery from making Southee's last over irrelevant, but Franklin's slower ball arrived after he had finished his swing, and it had enough legs to tickle the bail out of its groove. Southee went back to bowling full and straight from round the stumps. Angelo Mathews took a single first ball, and it was time for Lahiru Thirimanne to test weak hearts.

The first ball he faced, Thirimanne moved well across to the off side in an attempt to beat short fine leg. Southee stayed in the block hole, and Thirimanne managed just the single. Another yorker, another single for Mathews: five off three. Southee remained full, Thirmanne drove and was beaten. Advantage New Zealand.

Thirimanne now dug Sri Lanka out of a hole he had partly dug. Again he took the incredible risk of aiming over short fine leg, Southee missed his yorker by six inches, and Thirimanne got under it. Fists were pumped both in the middle and in the dugout as soon as the ball cleared the fielder. The best New Zealand could get now was a tie. Earlier in the afternoon, Nicol had hit debutant mystery bowler Akila Dananjaya smack on the face with a straight drive, but he and McCullum did not run off the ricochet. Would things have been different had they not been such sports?

That would have been the last thing on their minds when New Zealand pulled the field in to try to save that single. Southee surprised Thirimanne with a short ball, he bat-padded it to point, where Franklin kept a cool head and returned a gentle throw on a comfortable bounce to Taylor at the non-striker's end. Taylor fumbled the take. He missed a dolly. Sri Lanka began to celebrate, and a disappointed Taylor shook hands with the umpires, who - just to be sure - asked for the third umpire's help. The stumps had somehow been broken.

The replays showed the ball had hit Taylor's hand and bounced on to the stumps. In real time it seemed as though Taylor had broken the wicket without the ball in his hands. Technology surprised everyone, and the game went into the Super Over. Southee continued his good work in the tiebreaker, but two of his yorkers were wides. Even so, he had conceded just 10 off the first five balls, but Perera scooped the last delivery over short fine leg to register three crucial runs.

Malinga, who had an average tournament until then, decided this was a moment as good as any to make an impact. He hardly missed his length with the first four balls: two, one, two byes, one. Malinga then missed his yorker by about a foot, Guptill got under it, but this was Dilshan's night

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