2013 is going to be a great year!!

[Gob]

India 129-2 (17 overs) bt Pakistan 128 (20 overs) by 8 wickets



India reignited their World Twenty20 campaign with a comprehensive eight-wicket Super Eights victory over their bitter rivals Pakistan in Colombo.

Thrashed by Australia on Friday and in danger of going out of the competition, India skittled Pakistan for 128.

India lost Gautam Gambhir in the first over, but the composed Virat Kohli took the lead in a well-timed run chase.

Kohli made 78 not out as India won with 18 balls in hand to take the group to the final round of matches.

India play South Africa on Tuesday and group leaders Australia take on Pakistan, with all four teams still in with a chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Super Eight Permutations

On Tuesday, Australia play Pakistan before India play South Africa.

IF AUSTRALIA WIN - Aussies are through with maximum points, India will join them if they win (by any margin). If South Africa beat India then SA, India and Pakistan will all be on two points and it goes down to net run rate.
IF PAKISTAN WIN - Australia and Pakistan will both be on four points, and South Africa are eliminated. If South Africa beat India then Australia and Pakistan go through. But if India beat South Africa, then Australia, Pakistan and India will all be on four points and the top two will go through on net run rate.

The 2007 World T20 champions have now beaten Pakistan in every World Cup match between the teams, whether in 50-over or 20-over formats.

[dales]

SF came from behind today and beat the Padres.

[MajGenl.Meade]

I thought it was Padres who usually came from behind?

[Gob]

Oh pisspots!!!

Sri Lanka 169-6 beat England 150-9 by 19 runs



Defending champions England have been knocked out of the World Twenty20 after being overpowered by hosts Sri Lanka in their final Super Eights match.

Chasing Sri Lanka's 169-6, Samit Patel scored a classy 67 but England finished on 150-9 to lose by 19 runs.

Stuart Broad's side slumped to 18-3 after fast bowler Lasith Malinga took three wickets in an over on his way to figures of 5-31 in Pallekele.

Sri Lanka join West Indies, who ended New Zealand's hopes, in the last four.

Making history

Lasith Malinga becomes the fourth bowler in history to take a five-wicket haul in Test, one-day and T20 cricket - emulating Pakistan's Umar Gul, New Zealander Tim Southee and his compatriot Ajantha Mendis. His haul puts him second in the list of leading wicket-takers for the tournament.

As in previous games in the tournament, notably against India and West Indies, England were let down by their top order batsmen.

India's slow bowlers skittled England for 80 in the group stages and, with so-called mystery spinners Ajantha Mendis and Akila Dananjaya in the Sri Lankan line-up, it was expected to be another trial by spin.

However, it was fiery fast bowler Malinga who blew England's top order away with a devastating burst in the third over of their reply.

Luke Wright, promoted to opener in place of the dropped Craig Kieswetter, was first to go when he cut straight to Tillakaratne Dilshan at point.

Jonny Bairstow, who also kept wicket, followed two balls later when he skied a slower ball to Nuwan Kulasekara at mid off before Alex Hales was pinned in front by a yorker.

That third wicket was unfortunate for England, with replays suggesting the ball was going to miss leg stump, and it was left to Samit Patel and Eoin Morgan to repair the damage.

Patel, enjoying the responsibility of batting at number four, looked England's most comfortable batsman as he flayed Angelo Mathews for a massive six, got stuck into Kulasekera, and then plundered 14 runs from Ajantha Mendis's first over.

Analysis

"Patel played the spinners so well he's got to be earmarked for a high batting position in the one-dayers in India. It was a brave effort considering he's had so little batting on this tour. Malinga conceded a few runs but he got five wickets."

Indeed, if England can take any consolation from this defeat it was the performance of Patel ahead of this winter's Test tour to India.

The Notts all-rounder dominated Mendis, who had recorded figures of 6-8 against Zimbabwe in the group stages, and cruised to 67 by mixing class with controlled aggression.

He remained unperturbed by wickets falling at the other end, with Morgan missing a reverse sweep to Dananjaya and being given out leg before, and a woefully out of form Ravi Bopara scratching around for six balls before being bowled by Jeevan Mendis.

When Swann added some late impetus with a counter-attacking 34 from 22 balls, England sensed the improbable was possible but Malinga ended those hopes when he came back to bowl Patel in the penultimate over before Kulasekera took care of Swann.

Malinga was brutally effective with the ball, but it was the elegance of Mahela Jayawardene that got Sri Lanka off to a good start with the bat.

The opener defied the early loss of Dilshan to stroke 42 before becoming the first of two wickets in as many balls for Swann.

Jayawardene holed out to Morgan at midwicket before Sangakkara was given out caught behind, despite replays suggesting he had not touched the ball.

Angelo Mathews went on the counter with a quickfire 28, but Broad stalled any momentum by dismissing him and Jeevan Mendis in consecutive deliveries.

Thisara Perera powered 26 crucial runs, including two sixes, in the closing overs before Malinga took over with the ball.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Oh pisspots!!!

Indeed.

[oldr_n_wsr]

The only thing worse than watching cricket is reading about.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Not only that but also your majesty is like a stream of bat's piss!

(It was one of Shaw's)

Meade

[Gob]

India 152-6 (20 overs) beat South Africa 151 (19.5 overs) by one run

India failed to reach the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 despite beating South Africa by one run in Colombo.

After posting 152-6, India had to restrict the Proteas to 121 or fewer in order to advance on net run-rate.

But Faf du Plessis's 65 was enough to knock India out, even though Lakshmipathy Balaji bowled last man Morne Morkel with two needed to win.

Victory by 31 runs or more would have seen MS Dhoni's side go through, but they lost too many early wickets attempting to post a score that would have provided them with a big enough winning margin.

In truth, though, despite a poor start that saw the 2007 champions slip to 36-3 against the Proteas, the damage was done by a nine-wicket defeat by Australia in their opening Super Eight match, a result that did terminal damage to their net run-rate.

"If you take that Australia game out, we performed brilliantly," said Dhoni.

After the top three of Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli made little impact, it was left to Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma to repair the damage.

Yuvraj impressed in dishing out some brutal treatment to the South Africa spinners, twice clearing the ropes before being undone by a Morne Morkel slower ball.

[Gob]

Pakistan 149-6 (20 overs) beat Australia 117-7 (20 overs) by 32 runs

Australia qualified for the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 despite losing by 32 runs to Pakistan in Colombo.

Australia reached the last four on net run-rate, and Pakistan went through via the same method following India's narrow one-run victory over South Africa later on Tuesday.

Nasir Jamshed's 55 helped Pakistan to 149-6 before their spinners took over.

Saeed Ajmal claimed 3-17 and Mohammad Hafeez and Hasan Raza took two wickets each to limit Australia to 117-7.

Analysis


"A fantastic performance from Pakistan - very polished. When they are in this form who is going to beat them? Their bowling has been absolutely first-class and their batting - without being unbelievable - was good. This will be a bit of an eye-opener for Australia. Without Mike Hussey, goodness knows what would have happened."

Pakistan meet Sri Lanka in the first semi-final in Colombo on Thursday, and Australia face West Indies the following day.

Although Australia - beaten finalists in 2010 - will be pleased to reach the final four, they will need to work out a way of playing spin more successfully on turning wickets.

"Pakistan outplayed us," captain George Bailey admitted. "The ball turned a lot more than before and they used spin against us very well."

Through some sensational performances by Shane Watson, who has scored the most runs, taken the most wickets and hit the most sixes in the competition, they had bludgeoned their way to a 100% record heading into the game.

[MajGenl.Meade]

With SA and England both out, I s'pose it will have to be a rooting interest for Oz. Mind you, I do enjoy watching Malinga doing the exact opposite of what his name suggests... sheesh, what an arm!

[Gob]

Had the great pleasure of watching him play in Canberra mate, Prime Minister's XI vs. Sri Lanka.

Just a phenomena...

[dales]

Here's hoping that the G-men can but a final nail into LA's chances of any post season play.

[loCAtek]

2012-13 San Jose Sharks Go to Plan B!!!

[dales]

Here's hoping that the G-men can but a final nail into LA's chances of any post season play.

Done.

Buh-Bye Dodgers

[MajGenl.Meade]

I'm from Cleveland - I didn't know they played baseball this late in the year. Wow!

[dales]

Game 7 of the World Series is scheduled for November 1.

[Gob]

Oh arse!!

W Indies 205-4 (20 overs) beat Australia 131 (16.4 overs) by 74 runs



Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard produced a superb display of power hitting as West Indies thrashed Australia to reach the final of the World Twenty20.

Gayle (75no) and Pollard added 65 off 25 balls as the Windies racked up 205-4, the highest score of the tournament.

Despite a defiant 29-ball 63 from captain George Bailey, Australia never recovered from a poor start, crumbling to 131 all out to lose by 74 runs.

West Indies will meet hosts Sri Lanka in the final in Colombo on Sunday.

It was a phenomenal display from West Indies, based around another exhibition by the peerless Gayle.

"The reason Gayle is so good is that normally a batsman puts the bad ball away for four, but Gayle doesn't even have to hit the ball cleanly and it goes for six. He's so powerful, the grounds aren't big enough for him."

Despite facing only 41 balls in the 20-over innings and requiring treatment midway through for a side strain, the left-handed opener still managed to get within 25 runs of a century, smashing six sixes and five fours with a strike rate of 182.

Marlon Samuels helped set the tempo with a breezy 26 and Dwayne Bravo hit three towering sixes in his 37 off 31 balls.

However, it was Gayle and Pollard, who plundered 63 runs off the last four overs, who really demoralised Australia.

[MajGenl.Meade]

You know I don't think anyone gave the Windies a realistic chance of making the finals did they? They've looked pisspoor over the bulk of 2012 in all forms of the game. Surely now they could not manage to beat Sri Lanka?

If the West Indies played two matches in a row, what's the probability of them winning both?

Meade

[Gob]

Windies firepower with the bat, vs Sri Lanka's wizards of spin, be a helluva match!!

[The Hen]

Go Lankans.