cricket news
- Thread starter NOFEL
- Start date
Airtel T20 Champions League 2009
Teams participating in the inaugural T20 Champions League 2009.
Group A
Deccan Chargers (India)
Somerset CCC (England)
Trinidad & Tobago (West Indies - Caribbeans)
Group B
NSW Blues (Australia)
Diamond Eagles (South Africa)
Sussex Sharks (England)
Group C
Royal Challengers Bangalore (India)
Cape Cobras (South Africa)
Otago Volts (New Zealand)
Group D
Delhi Daredevils (India)
Victorian Bushrangers (Australia)
Wayamba Elevens (Sri Lanka)
Teams participating in the inaugural T20 Champions League 2009.
Group A
Deccan Chargers (India)
Somerset CCC (England)
Trinidad & Tobago (West Indies - Caribbeans)
Group B
NSW Blues (Australia)
Diamond Eagles (South Africa)
Sussex Sharks (England)
Group C
Royal Challengers Bangalore (India)
Cape Cobras (South Africa)
Otago Volts (New Zealand)
Group D
Delhi Daredevils (India)
Victorian Bushrangers (Australia)
Wayamba Elevens (Sri Lanka)
Asif ruled out of limited over series against NZ
Pakistan bowler Mohammad Asif will not travel to next month's limited-overs series against New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates due to the paceman's deportation from the UAE last year for possessing a small amount of opium, an official of the Pakistan Cricket Board said Monday.
Asif was detained for 19 days in Dubai in June 2008 after 0.24 grams of opium were found in his wallet at the airport, as he made his way home from playing in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
As a result, Pakistan officials believe it would now be unwise to send Asif back there to play three one-day internationals and two Twenty20 games against New Zealand at Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
"If he lands in Dubai he will be caught," Butt told reporters.
"I have talked at the highest level in Dubai and they told me 'don't risk him'."
The limited overs series, which was shifted to the UAE due to security concerns in Pakistan, will be followed by three test matches in New Zealand.
Asif recently returned to international cricket after serving a one-year doping ban, having tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone during the 2008 Indian Premier League.
In 2006, Asif was suspended for a year by the PCB after testing positive for nandrolone, but the ban was overturned on appeal.
The fast bowler has taken 51 wickets from 11 tests, and claimed 38 dismissals from 32 one-day internationals.
Pakistan bowler Mohammad Asif will not travel to next month's limited-overs series against New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates due to the paceman's deportation from the UAE last year for possessing a small amount of opium, an official of the Pakistan Cricket Board said Monday.
Asif was detained for 19 days in Dubai in June 2008 after 0.24 grams of opium were found in his wallet at the airport, as he made his way home from playing in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
As a result, Pakistan officials believe it would now be unwise to send Asif back there to play three one-day internationals and two Twenty20 games against New Zealand at Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
"If he lands in Dubai he will be caught," Butt told reporters.
"I have talked at the highest level in Dubai and they told me 'don't risk him'."
The limited overs series, which was shifted to the UAE due to security concerns in Pakistan, will be followed by three test matches in New Zealand.
Asif recently returned to international cricket after serving a one-year doping ban, having tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone during the 2008 Indian Premier League.
In 2006, Asif was suspended for a year by the PCB after testing positive for nandrolone, but the ban was overturned on appeal.
The fast bowler has taken 51 wickets from 11 tests, and claimed 38 dismissals from 32 one-day internationals.
Playing spin the challenge: Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting speaks much the way he gathers his runs. In a hurry and a lot in a little time. And the fact that he keeps a straight face doing both is just another common point. But about the forthcoming seven-match ODI series against India, a format the Aussie captain has expressed his doubts about, he put it succinctly, calling it a contest between the number one and number two teams in the world.
"...All pointing to an entertaining and good contest over the next few weeks," said Ponting here on Wednesday in the pre-series press conference.
Ponting appears a tad too confident for a captain of a team supposed to be going through a transition. But one can be forgiven for self-belief if they have just thrashed England 6-1 and defended the Champions Trophy.
"We couldn't have done much better than the last 12 games of one-day cricket we have played. We have played consistently good one-day cricket and I'll expect that to continue over the next couple of weeks in India."
However, Australia, when compared to the last 15 years, have seen a dip in their form off late. And Ponting said they would like to keep the recent good form going against India.
"If you look at the Australian teams of the past we have remained consistent whether its Test or one-day cricket," Ponting said.
"There have been some ups and downs over the last two years in Test and one-day cricket. At the moment we have been playing some consistently good one-day cricket and I expect it to continue in India."
Asked how important it is for his team to win here and its implications in the long run, Ponting said: "The challenge will be how our middle order batsmen cope up with playing spin. Michael Hussey has played a lot of cricket here. Shane Watson and Tim Paine play spin well. Our record in one day cricket in the sub continent is good," he said.
"We have got a lot of young players, young as far as experience goes, who are finding their feet in international cricket," Ponting added.
"We have played some good one-day cricket over the last few months and they have grown in confidence from that. This series offers them different set of challenges."
Ponting said a lot of responsibility rested on his shoulders. "I have a good record in one-dayers here as compared to Tests. I have played some of my best one-day cricket over the last few months. A lot of responsibility is on my shoulders," he said.
Like every other Aussie captain has said before him, Ponting said playing India at home is a difficult task. Ponting also said that Indians were strengthened by the return of Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh while his team had been weakened by the absence of Michael Clarke, Callum Ferguson and Nathan Bracken.
Ricky Ponting speaks much the way he gathers his runs. In a hurry and a lot in a little time. And the fact that he keeps a straight face doing both is just another common point. But about the forthcoming seven-match ODI series against India, a format the Aussie captain has expressed his doubts about, he put it succinctly, calling it a contest between the number one and number two teams in the world.
"...All pointing to an entertaining and good contest over the next few weeks," said Ponting here on Wednesday in the pre-series press conference.
Ponting appears a tad too confident for a captain of a team supposed to be going through a transition. But one can be forgiven for self-belief if they have just thrashed England 6-1 and defended the Champions Trophy.
"We couldn't have done much better than the last 12 games of one-day cricket we have played. We have played consistently good one-day cricket and I'll expect that to continue over the next couple of weeks in India."
However, Australia, when compared to the last 15 years, have seen a dip in their form off late. And Ponting said they would like to keep the recent good form going against India.
"If you look at the Australian teams of the past we have remained consistent whether its Test or one-day cricket," Ponting said.
"There have been some ups and downs over the last two years in Test and one-day cricket. At the moment we have been playing some consistently good one-day cricket and I expect it to continue in India."
Asked how important it is for his team to win here and its implications in the long run, Ponting said: "The challenge will be how our middle order batsmen cope up with playing spin. Michael Hussey has played a lot of cricket here. Shane Watson and Tim Paine play spin well. Our record in one day cricket in the sub continent is good," he said.
"We have got a lot of young players, young as far as experience goes, who are finding their feet in international cricket," Ponting added.
"We have played some good one-day cricket over the last few months and they have grown in confidence from that. This series offers them different set of challenges."
Ponting said a lot of responsibility rested on his shoulders. "I have a good record in one-dayers here as compared to Tests. I have played some of my best one-day cricket over the last few months. A lot of responsibility is on my shoulders," he said.
Like every other Aussie captain has said before him, Ponting said playing India at home is a difficult task. Ponting also said that Indians were strengthened by the return of Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh while his team had been weakened by the absence of Michael Clarke, Callum Ferguson and Nathan Bracken.
Akram's wife "clinically improving" when flown abroad against doctors' advice
Huma Waseem, the wife of legendary cricketer Wasim Akram, who died on Sunday in Chennai, India after she was admitted to Apollo Hospital while being transported from Lahore to Singapore for treatment, was “improving clinically” when she was taken abroad against the advice of physicians treating her in Pakistan, Dawn Newspaper reported today.
“A panel of 10 senior doctors of three private hospitals of Lahore were not in favour of taking Huma abroad (Singapore) keeping in view her serious condition,” one of her physicians told Dawn on Monday.
The physician said that after going under dental treatment in Karachi in September last, she developed throat infection and also had dry cough.
She got the treatment and in the first week of October it was diagnosed that she had developed acute renal failure and her white cell count was increasing, he said.
According to him, the other complications Huma developed during the period reportedly were severe infections of kidney with acute tubular necrosis, vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels), SIRS and pulmonary hypertension (high pressure of blood vessels of lungs).
“She was improving clinically when Wasim Akram decided to shift her to Singapore for better treatment,” the physician claimed and added that Akram told one of the doctors that he was under ‘immense pressure’ from his in-laws to get her treated abroad.
Another doctor who examined Huma told this reporter that there was ‘some confusion’ in her diagnosis and this could be one of the reasons behind shifting her abroad.
The air ambulance carrying her from Lahore to Singapore had to stop in Chennai for refueling when her condition worsened.
Dr Munidar Rao of Apollo Hospital (Chennai) told a private channel on Monday that when Huma was brought to the hospital she was in septic shock leading to multiple organ failure and doctors could not save her.
‘I failed to understand as to why she was being shifted to Singapore in such a critical condition,’ he said.
Allama Iqbal Medical College Principal Dr Javed Akram has also questioned the move saying that there was no particular surgery, procedure, or medicine which was available in Singapore and not in Lahore in the case of Ms Akram
Huma Waseem, the wife of legendary cricketer Wasim Akram, who died on Sunday in Chennai, India after she was admitted to Apollo Hospital while being transported from Lahore to Singapore for treatment, was “improving clinically” when she was taken abroad against the advice of physicians treating her in Pakistan, Dawn Newspaper reported today.
“A panel of 10 senior doctors of three private hospitals of Lahore were not in favour of taking Huma abroad (Singapore) keeping in view her serious condition,” one of her physicians told Dawn on Monday.
The physician said that after going under dental treatment in Karachi in September last, she developed throat infection and also had dry cough.
She got the treatment and in the first week of October it was diagnosed that she had developed acute renal failure and her white cell count was increasing, he said.
According to him, the other complications Huma developed during the period reportedly were severe infections of kidney with acute tubular necrosis, vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels), SIRS and pulmonary hypertension (high pressure of blood vessels of lungs).
“She was improving clinically when Wasim Akram decided to shift her to Singapore for better treatment,” the physician claimed and added that Akram told one of the doctors that he was under ‘immense pressure’ from his in-laws to get her treated abroad.
Another doctor who examined Huma told this reporter that there was ‘some confusion’ in her diagnosis and this could be one of the reasons behind shifting her abroad.
The air ambulance carrying her from Lahore to Singapore had to stop in Chennai for refueling when her condition worsened.
Dr Munidar Rao of Apollo Hospital (Chennai) told a private channel on Monday that when Huma was brought to the hospital she was in septic shock leading to multiple organ failure and doctors could not save her.
‘I failed to understand as to why she was being shifted to Singapore in such a critical condition,’ he said.
Allama Iqbal Medical College Principal Dr Javed Akram has also questioned the move saying that there was no particular surgery, procedure, or medicine which was available in Singapore and not in Lahore in the case of Ms Akram
Vettori wants Fleming to coach NZ
New Zealand's captain and de-facto coach Daniel Vettori believes former captain Stephen Fleming would make a 'wonderful' coach of the team.
Vettori is going to lead the team to the United Arab Emitrates for a one-day and Twenty20 series agiainst Pakistan.
The left-arm spinner told the Sunday Star-Times that he was happy to continue as player-coach for the next couple of months, including the home-series against Pakistan next month, but after that he would prefer to see someone coming into the role.
This follows the decision of Andy Moles to step down as the coach after a review process found him ill-equipped to handle this assignment.
"Stephen and I keep in regular touch and he has been quite a quite a big help in going through all this stuff and some other things that have gone on," Vettori told the newspaper.
"He has concerns about my workload and he wants to be a sounding board and do anything he can to help."
"He's definitely got coach written all over him and he could be an extremely successful one. It's just whether he wants to get back into that life of touring the world. He would make a wonderful coach."
However, New Zealand Cricket chief executive, Justin Vaughan, said," I don't think this is the right time," the newspaper quoted him saying.
The team manager Dave Curie will have his leadership responsiblities upgraded to help Vettori for now while the current assistant coach Mark O'Donnell will remain with the team, the report said
New Zealand's captain and de-facto coach Daniel Vettori believes former captain Stephen Fleming would make a 'wonderful' coach of the team.
Vettori is going to lead the team to the United Arab Emitrates for a one-day and Twenty20 series agiainst Pakistan.
The left-arm spinner told the Sunday Star-Times that he was happy to continue as player-coach for the next couple of months, including the home-series against Pakistan next month, but after that he would prefer to see someone coming into the role.
This follows the decision of Andy Moles to step down as the coach after a review process found him ill-equipped to handle this assignment.
"Stephen and I keep in regular touch and he has been quite a quite a big help in going through all this stuff and some other things that have gone on," Vettori told the newspaper.
"He has concerns about my workload and he wants to be a sounding board and do anything he can to help."
"He's definitely got coach written all over him and he could be an extremely successful one. It's just whether he wants to get back into that life of touring the world. He would make a wonderful coach."
However, New Zealand Cricket chief executive, Justin Vaughan, said," I don't think this is the right time," the newspaper quoted him saying.
The team manager Dave Curie will have his leadership responsiblities upgraded to help Vettori for now while the current assistant coach Mark O'Donnell will remain with the team, the report said
"Cricket should embrace technology"
Sachin Tendulkar claims more technology should be used to improve the accuracy of umpiring.
Over the last year, the International Cricket Council have trialled the umpire decision review system.
The ICC believe the process, which allows players to request the television umpire to review a decision made by an on-field umpires, has had a positive impact on the game.
In May this year, the ICC decided to use the system more frequently, but opinion is still divided over the use of technology.
Indian batting legend Tendulkar, 36, believes the referral system needs to be perfected before it is applied.
"I'm not particularly happy with the referrals because I'm not convinced of the angles (on television)," Tendulkar told a news magazine.
"I was not happy when we first went through it."
The review system was first used during India's Test series away in Sri Lanka last year.
Tendulkar suggests on-field umpires should only be called on to decide on lbw decisions, while technology such as the Hot Spot, which presents an X-ray vision indicating the point of contact, should be used for other decisions.
He said: "We are already using technology for doubtful catches. They should use the Hot Spot for bat-pad decisions so the on-field umpire has to only make leg-before calls.
"I'm quite happy with Hot Spot because it establishes quite clearly if contact (was made).
"Hot Spot will come in handy for caught-behind decisions as well."
Sachin Tendulkar claims more technology should be used to improve the accuracy of umpiring.
Over the last year, the International Cricket Council have trialled the umpire decision review system.
The ICC believe the process, which allows players to request the television umpire to review a decision made by an on-field umpires, has had a positive impact on the game.
In May this year, the ICC decided to use the system more frequently, but opinion is still divided over the use of technology.
Indian batting legend Tendulkar, 36, believes the referral system needs to be perfected before it is applied.
"I'm not particularly happy with the referrals because I'm not convinced of the angles (on television)," Tendulkar told a news magazine.
"I was not happy when we first went through it."
The review system was first used during India's Test series away in Sri Lanka last year.
Tendulkar suggests on-field umpires should only be called on to decide on lbw decisions, while technology such as the Hot Spot, which presents an X-ray vision indicating the point of contact, should be used for other decisions.
He said: "We are already using technology for doubtful catches. They should use the Hot Spot for bat-pad decisions so the on-field umpire has to only make leg-before calls.
"I'm quite happy with Hot Spot because it establishes quite clearly if contact (was made).
"Hot Spot will come in handy for caught-behind decisions as well."
Australia's Hopes out, Lee and Johnson injury doubts
Australian all rounder James Hopes will miss Wednesday's second one-dayer against India while fast bowlers Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson are also fitness doubts for the Nagpur game. Hopes suffered a hamstring strain during Sunday's four-run win in Baroda which gave Australia the lead in the seven-match series, a team statement said on Monday after the players underwent scans. Lee has an elbow injury which prevented him from bowling in the final stages as India almost achieved a tough victory target of 293. Left-arm Johnson twisted his left ankle while fielding although he bowled his full quota of overs.
"Brett Lee has a mild right elbow strain and will continue to be treated and assessed prior to the next game," team physio Kevin Sims said.
He added: "(Johnson) will now receive treatment and as with Brett it will depend on how he responds over the next two days before a decision is made on his availability for the second game of the series."
Australian all rounder James Hopes will miss Wednesday's second one-dayer against India while fast bowlers Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson are also fitness doubts for the Nagpur game. Hopes suffered a hamstring strain during Sunday's four-run win in Baroda which gave Australia the lead in the seven-match series, a team statement said on Monday after the players underwent scans. Lee has an elbow injury which prevented him from bowling in the final stages as India almost achieved a tough victory target of 293. Left-arm Johnson twisted his left ankle while fielding although he bowled his full quota of overs.
"Brett Lee has a mild right elbow strain and will continue to be treated and assessed prior to the next game," team physio Kevin Sims said.
He added: "(Johnson) will now receive treatment and as with Brett it will depend on how he responds over the next two days before a decision is made on his availability for the second game of the series."
Australia survive terrific Tendulkar
Nobody does solos better than Sachin Tendulkar, nor, perhaps, has anyone endured as much heartbreak during those solos. It was India of the 90s all over again: Tendulkar almost chased 351 on his own but, with the target in sight, he got out and the rest choked, falling short by three runs with two balls still to go. In Chennai in 1998-99, Tendulkar, having played an innings as incredible as this, left the last three wickets 17 to get; tonight he left them 19 off 17.
With Praveen Kumar hitting a six over long-off and then taking sensible singles, it seemed things would finally change for Tendulkar. With five required off the last three, Praveen - batting with No. 11 Munaf Patel - hit to wide of long-off, came back for a second, and was run out by a split frame. Had Praveen dived, or had the throw from Nathan Hauritz been even six inches off, he would probably have made it. That's how fine the margins were.
Had it been any other team, though, they would have given up long ago and just stood and admired Tendulkar's work. Not Australia. The bowler of that last over, Shane Watson, will not grudge Tendulkar his Man-of-the-Match award. Watson's whirlwind 93 set up the total and he then bowled a tight spell in the middle overs that claimed Yuvraj Singh. Coming back at the endgame, he took out Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh in one over when the chase seemed a cakewalk with 52 required off eight overs and six wickets in hand. Watson's effort, however, was almost a footnote on the night. Such was Tendulkar's innings.
Wickets kept falling around him but Tendulkar gave the bowlers only one half chance before he got out. All night they couldn't get an uncouth shot out of him. He came out of a relatively lean patch, kept the pace up without taking undue risks and playing mostly cricketing shots, struggling for support from the other end, but counterattacking every time a wicket fell. Virender Sehwag may have dominated the first-wicket partnership but Tendulkar got 18 out of 26, 24 out of 34, 29 out of 36, and 73 out of 137 for the subsequent stands.
Tendulkar started scratchily, as the series so far has been for him, and then shifted gears seamlessly. The flicks made the jaw drop for the bat seemed to came down later than usual, and hence the carry the ball finer than usual. Check the 38 runs he got behind square on the leg side. The aerial shots were all hit in vacant areas, many of them straight down the ground, some of them with the spin, to midwicket. Towards the end, late-cuts came out too, cheekily.
The acceleration was acute: from 10 off 19 he went to 50 off 47. But by then he had lost Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh. MS Dhoni would soon go. But Tendulkar found support in Raina, at 162 for 4. It was a perfect partnership while it lasted. Every time the required run-rate would jump up, one of them would pull off a breathtaking shot. Australia started to fumble, Australia started to drop catches. Raina was dropped for 0 and for 22, Tendulkar given a half life when Michael Hussey couldn't hold on to an improbable return catch. Tendulkar started looking surer and surer, and even without taking the Powerplay India brought it down to 52 off 48.
Then Australia were let to get their foot in. Them opportunistic Aussies. Raina top-edged and Graham Manou took a special catch running behind. Harbhajan went in the same over. Tendulkar and Ravindra Jadeja added 32 for seventh wicket, and with the Powerplay going on it seemed a matter of Tendulkar's staying there till the end. But with Australia, it always seemed a matter of getting Tendulkar out. There seemed more men around than there were before, more attempts at stumps ensued, Tendulkar started misjudging singles.
On came Clint McKay, the Victorian debutant, to bowl the 48th over with just 19 required. Tendulkar went to clear short fine leg. It was a slower delivery. He found Hauritz. It was all over. Jadeja ran himself out, Ashish Nehra holed out to long-on, and Praveen was run out in the final over.
The way he batted in the afternoon, Watson wouldn't have known he'd be bowling the last over to save Australia. Watson provided the early impetus, converting a conservative start into a boundary-fest, and Shaun Marsh assumed the perfect anchorman role to take Australia to 350. Fifty-four of Watson's 93 runs came in fours and sixes, Marsh ran 68 of his 112.
Watson made India's bowlers pay dearly for every small error they made in length. Sixty-five of his runs came through midwicket and behind square on the off side, suggesting too many balls on the shorter side. But it was as much about Watson creating the length with his quick eye and footwork, thus putting the bowlers off their plan.
Marsh did his job, letting Watson take most of the strike. He was helped by two dropped catches too. Slyly, like an anchorman should, he went from 12 off 19 to 51 off 66 by the time the second drop came about.
After Watson's dismissal, Australia slowed down a bit, but picked off again in the 34th over. Australia didn't go wild slogging, yet managed at least a boundary hit each in the Powerplay overs, taken in the 35th. Forty-four came in those five, Marsh soon reached his maiden century, his strike-rate crossed 100 as he did so, suggesting a smartly paced innings.
For the innings as a whole to be considered smartly paced, Cameron White and Hussey added 79 in the last seven overs. And as it turned out, they needed every single one of them to survive Tendulkar
Nobody does solos better than Sachin Tendulkar, nor, perhaps, has anyone endured as much heartbreak during those solos. It was India of the 90s all over again: Tendulkar almost chased 351 on his own but, with the target in sight, he got out and the rest choked, falling short by three runs with two balls still to go. In Chennai in 1998-99, Tendulkar, having played an innings as incredible as this, left the last three wickets 17 to get; tonight he left them 19 off 17.
With Praveen Kumar hitting a six over long-off and then taking sensible singles, it seemed things would finally change for Tendulkar. With five required off the last three, Praveen - batting with No. 11 Munaf Patel - hit to wide of long-off, came back for a second, and was run out by a split frame. Had Praveen dived, or had the throw from Nathan Hauritz been even six inches off, he would probably have made it. That's how fine the margins were.
Had it been any other team, though, they would have given up long ago and just stood and admired Tendulkar's work. Not Australia. The bowler of that last over, Shane Watson, will not grudge Tendulkar his Man-of-the-Match award. Watson's whirlwind 93 set up the total and he then bowled a tight spell in the middle overs that claimed Yuvraj Singh. Coming back at the endgame, he took out Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh in one over when the chase seemed a cakewalk with 52 required off eight overs and six wickets in hand. Watson's effort, however, was almost a footnote on the night. Such was Tendulkar's innings.
Wickets kept falling around him but Tendulkar gave the bowlers only one half chance before he got out. All night they couldn't get an uncouth shot out of him. He came out of a relatively lean patch, kept the pace up without taking undue risks and playing mostly cricketing shots, struggling for support from the other end, but counterattacking every time a wicket fell. Virender Sehwag may have dominated the first-wicket partnership but Tendulkar got 18 out of 26, 24 out of 34, 29 out of 36, and 73 out of 137 for the subsequent stands.
Tendulkar started scratchily, as the series so far has been for him, and then shifted gears seamlessly. The flicks made the jaw drop for the bat seemed to came down later than usual, and hence the carry the ball finer than usual. Check the 38 runs he got behind square on the leg side. The aerial shots were all hit in vacant areas, many of them straight down the ground, some of them with the spin, to midwicket. Towards the end, late-cuts came out too, cheekily.
The acceleration was acute: from 10 off 19 he went to 50 off 47. But by then he had lost Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh. MS Dhoni would soon go. But Tendulkar found support in Raina, at 162 for 4. It was a perfect partnership while it lasted. Every time the required run-rate would jump up, one of them would pull off a breathtaking shot. Australia started to fumble, Australia started to drop catches. Raina was dropped for 0 and for 22, Tendulkar given a half life when Michael Hussey couldn't hold on to an improbable return catch. Tendulkar started looking surer and surer, and even without taking the Powerplay India brought it down to 52 off 48.
Then Australia were let to get their foot in. Them opportunistic Aussies. Raina top-edged and Graham Manou took a special catch running behind. Harbhajan went in the same over. Tendulkar and Ravindra Jadeja added 32 for seventh wicket, and with the Powerplay going on it seemed a matter of Tendulkar's staying there till the end. But with Australia, it always seemed a matter of getting Tendulkar out. There seemed more men around than there were before, more attempts at stumps ensued, Tendulkar started misjudging singles.
On came Clint McKay, the Victorian debutant, to bowl the 48th over with just 19 required. Tendulkar went to clear short fine leg. It was a slower delivery. He found Hauritz. It was all over. Jadeja ran himself out, Ashish Nehra holed out to long-on, and Praveen was run out in the final over.
The way he batted in the afternoon, Watson wouldn't have known he'd be bowling the last over to save Australia. Watson provided the early impetus, converting a conservative start into a boundary-fest, and Shaun Marsh assumed the perfect anchorman role to take Australia to 350. Fifty-four of Watson's 93 runs came in fours and sixes, Marsh ran 68 of his 112.
Watson made India's bowlers pay dearly for every small error they made in length. Sixty-five of his runs came through midwicket and behind square on the off side, suggesting too many balls on the shorter side. But it was as much about Watson creating the length with his quick eye and footwork, thus putting the bowlers off their plan.
Marsh did his job, letting Watson take most of the strike. He was helped by two dropped catches too. Slyly, like an anchorman should, he went from 12 off 19 to 51 off 66 by the time the second drop came about.
After Watson's dismissal, Australia slowed down a bit, but picked off again in the 34th over. Australia didn't go wild slogging, yet managed at least a boundary hit each in the Powerplay overs, taken in the 35th. Forty-four came in those five, Marsh soon reached his maiden century, his strike-rate crossed 100 as he did so, suggesting a smartly paced innings.
For the innings as a whole to be considered smartly paced, Cameron White and Hussey added 79 in the last seven overs. And as it turned out, they needed every single one of them to survive Tendulkar
Sri Lankan cricket team arrives in India
Mumbai, Nov 8 (PTI) Sri Lankan Test team, seeking its first win in India, arrived here today to play a three-match series, commencing on November 16.
The Kumar Sangakkara-led squad landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at around 2.30 AM.
The team will begin their campaign with a three-day game against Board President's XI starting on November 11 in Mumbai, from where they will move on to Ahmedabad for the first Test starting on November 16.
Kanpur (November 24-November 28) and Mumbai (December 2-December 6) will host the second and third Tests respectively.
Both the teams have played each other 29 times in Test matches with India having won 11 matches, while the visitors have won only five. The remaining 13 matches have ended in draws.
Interestingly, none of Sri Lanka's five wins have come in India though the visiting team has played 14 matches in the country.
Mumbai, Nov 8 (PTI) Sri Lankan Test team, seeking its first win in India, arrived here today to play a three-match series, commencing on November 16.
The Kumar Sangakkara-led squad landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at around 2.30 AM.
The team will begin their campaign with a three-day game against Board President's XI starting on November 11 in Mumbai, from where they will move on to Ahmedabad for the first Test starting on November 16.
Kanpur (November 24-November 28) and Mumbai (December 2-December 6) will host the second and third Tests respectively.
Both the teams have played each other 29 times in Test matches with India having won 11 matches, while the visitors have won only five. The remaining 13 matches have ended in draws.
Interestingly, none of Sri Lanka's five wins have come in India though the visiting team has played 14 matches in the country.
England keen to maintain top form
England will look to maintain their 100% record on their South African tour as the Twenty20 phase begins.
Following crushing wins in 50-over matches against strong franchise teams, the Eagles and the Warriors, England face South Africa A on Tuesday.
The first of the two full Twenty20 internationals is on Friday, with five one-dayers and the Tests to follow.
England's Graeme Swann said a decision to play the warm-ups as competitively as possible had paid off.
Swann, England's bowling star with 3-26 in Sunday's match, said: "As Andrew Strauss has said before both these games, nearly every tour he's ever been on, England have gone terribly in these warm-up games and don't get anything like the practise and momentum we need out of the games going into a series.
"So he's put a lot of emphasis on treating them like full internationals and I think we have. Everyone's performed, which is positive."
England travelled back to Bloemfontein from Kimberley on Sunday and their efforts were rewarded when Strauss and coach Andy Flower ditched the scheduled training session, giving everyone a day off.
Paul Collingwood returns to the captaincy for the Twenty20 matches, with the in-form skipper for the other formats, Strauss, resting.
Swann was impressed with the way openers Strauss and Joe Denly had set about England's chase of 255 on Sunday. They put on a rapid 175, to make the rest of the task plain sailing.
"It could have been a tricky total to chase, but the way in which Strauss and Joe Denly played at the top bodes very well because they looked very positive," said Swann.
"They also looked to play a fresh, exciting brand of cricket, which is something we probably need because we've not done it for a while."
Kevin Pietersen joins up with the England squad on Wednesday as he completes his recovery from Achilles surgery, while England await news on Graham Onions' sore back.
Onions is the only lingering injury concern after the announcement on Saturday that Stuart Broad's right shoulder problem was not a serious problem - though as a precaution the young Nottinghamshire paceman is expected to sit out Tuesday's match.
That leaves James Anderson, Tim Bresnan and Sajid Mahmood as the likely specialist seam bowlers.
England have not fixed a date for Pietersen to return to the side, and Swann said: "I don't think we're sitting here desperately hoping that other people turn up because I think we're all getting on well, we've got a very positive outlook and we've had some good performances.
"So Kev's just going to add to that, I don't think he's going to change it. You never know, he might even have to fight for his place when he gets here."
England will look to maintain their 100% record on their South African tour as the Twenty20 phase begins.
Following crushing wins in 50-over matches against strong franchise teams, the Eagles and the Warriors, England face South Africa A on Tuesday.
The first of the two full Twenty20 internationals is on Friday, with five one-dayers and the Tests to follow.
England's Graeme Swann said a decision to play the warm-ups as competitively as possible had paid off.
Swann, England's bowling star with 3-26 in Sunday's match, said: "As Andrew Strauss has said before both these games, nearly every tour he's ever been on, England have gone terribly in these warm-up games and don't get anything like the practise and momentum we need out of the games going into a series.
"So he's put a lot of emphasis on treating them like full internationals and I think we have. Everyone's performed, which is positive."
England travelled back to Bloemfontein from Kimberley on Sunday and their efforts were rewarded when Strauss and coach Andy Flower ditched the scheduled training session, giving everyone a day off.
Paul Collingwood returns to the captaincy for the Twenty20 matches, with the in-form skipper for the other formats, Strauss, resting.
Swann was impressed with the way openers Strauss and Joe Denly had set about England's chase of 255 on Sunday. They put on a rapid 175, to make the rest of the task plain sailing.
"It could have been a tricky total to chase, but the way in which Strauss and Joe Denly played at the top bodes very well because they looked very positive," said Swann.
"They also looked to play a fresh, exciting brand of cricket, which is something we probably need because we've not done it for a while."
Kevin Pietersen joins up with the England squad on Wednesday as he completes his recovery from Achilles surgery, while England await news on Graham Onions' sore back.
Onions is the only lingering injury concern after the announcement on Saturday that Stuart Broad's right shoulder problem was not a serious problem - though as a precaution the young Nottinghamshire paceman is expected to sit out Tuesday's match.
That leaves James Anderson, Tim Bresnan and Sajid Mahmood as the likely specialist seam bowlers.
England have not fixed a date for Pietersen to return to the side, and Swann said: "I don't think we're sitting here desperately hoping that other people turn up because I think we're all getting on well, we've got a very positive outlook and we've had some good performances.
"So Kev's just going to add to that, I don't think he's going to change it. You never know, he might even have to fight for his place when he gets here."
Schedule of 2011 cricket World Cup announced
Sri Lanka will open their 2011 World Cup campaign against Canada at the new venue of Hambantota on February 20 according to the schedule released by International Cricket Council yesterday.
Sri Lanka will take on Pakistan on February 26 in Colombo and will play Kenya on March 1 also in Colombo.
Sri Lanka then take on reigining world champions Australia on March 5 in Colombo and then move to another new stadium in Pallekele to play Zimbabwe on March 10.
After finishing their local league stage matches, Sri Lanka will fly to Mumbai to meet New Zealand on March 18 for their final league match.
Champions Australia who have won the last three World Cups will open their World Cup defence in 2011 with a match against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad, India, on Feb. 21.
Four-times winners Australia are in Group A for the One Day International competition along with former champions Pakistan and Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Canada, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands are pooled in Group B.
India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are together staging the 2011 event, with India hosting 29 of the tournament's 49 matches including the final at a renovated Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2.
Pakistan was stripped of hosting rights over security concerns. They will play all their group matches in Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh and India play the first match of the tournament in Dhaka on Feb. 19, two days after the opening ceremony in the same city.
In all, 13 venues will be used in the 43-day tournament.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 match schedule
Groups:
A: Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada, Kenya
B: India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands
Schedule:
Saturday 19 Feb – Bangladesh v India, Dhaka
Sunday 20 Feb – New Zealand v Kenya, Chennai
Sunday 20 Feb – Sri Lanka v Canada, Hambantota
Monday 21 Feb – Australia v Zimbabwe, Ahmedabad
Tuesday 22 Feb – England v Netherlands, Nagpur
Wednesday 23 Feb – Pakistan v Kenya, Hambantota
Thursday 24 Feb – South Africa v West Indies, New Delhi
Friday 25 Feb – Australia v New Zealand, Nagpur
Friday 25 Feb – Bangladesh v Ireland, Dhaka
Saturday 26 Feb – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Colombo
Sunday 27 Feb – India v England, Kolkata
Monday 28 Feb – West Indies v Netherlands, New Delhi
Monday 28 Feb – Zimbabwe v Canada, Nagpur
Tuesday 1 Mar – Sri Lanka v Kenya, Colombo
Wednesday 2 Mar – England v Ireland, Bangalore
Thursday 3 Mar – South Africa v Netherlands, Mohali
Thursday 3 Mar – Pakistan v Canada, Colombo
Friday 4 Mar – New Zealand v Zimbabwe, Ahmedabad
Friday 4 Mar – Bangladesh v West Indies, Dhaka
Saturday 5 Mar – Sri Lanka v Australia, Colombo
Sunday 6 Mar – India v Ireland, Bangalore
Sunday 6 Mar – England v South Africa, Chennai
Monday 7 Mar – Kenya v Canada, New Delhi
Tuesday 8 Mar – Pakistan v New Zealand, Pallekele
Wednesday 9 Mar – India v Netherlands, New Delhi
Thursday 10 Mar – Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, Pallekele
Friday 11 Mar – West Indies v Ireland, Mohali
Friday 11 Mar – Bangladesh v England, Chittagong
Saturday 12 Mar – India v South Africa, Nagpur
Sunday 13 Mar – New Zealand v Canada, Mumbai
Sunday 13 Mar – Australia v Kenya, Bangalore
Monday 14 Mar – Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Pallekele
Monday 14 Mar – Bangladesh v Netherlands, Chittagong
Tuesday 15 Mar – South Africa v Ireland, Kolkata
Wednesday 16 Mar – Australia v Canada, Bangalore
Thursday 17 Mar – England v West Indies, Chennai
Friday 18 Mar – Sri Lanka v New Zealand, Mumbai
Friday 18 Mar – Ireland v Netherlands, Kolkata
Saturday 19 Mar – Australia v Pakistan, Colombo
Saturday 19 Mar – Bangladesh v South Africa, Dhaka
Sunday 20 Mar – Zimbabwe v Kenya, Kolkata
Sunday 20 Mar – India v West Indies, Chennai
Wednesday 23 Mar – First quarter-final, Dhaka
Thursday 24 Mar – Second quarter-final, Colombo
Friday 25 Mar – Third quarter-final, Dhaka
Saturday 26 Mar – Fourth quarter-final, Ahmedabad
Tuesday 29 Mar – First semi-final, Colombo
Wednesday 30 Mar – Second semi-final, Mohali
Saturday 2 April – Final, Mumbai
Sri Lanka will open their 2011 World Cup campaign against Canada at the new venue of Hambantota on February 20 according to the schedule released by International Cricket Council yesterday.
Sri Lanka will take on Pakistan on February 26 in Colombo and will play Kenya on March 1 also in Colombo.
Sri Lanka then take on reigining world champions Australia on March 5 in Colombo and then move to another new stadium in Pallekele to play Zimbabwe on March 10.
After finishing their local league stage matches, Sri Lanka will fly to Mumbai to meet New Zealand on March 18 for their final league match.
Champions Australia who have won the last three World Cups will open their World Cup defence in 2011 with a match against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad, India, on Feb. 21.
Four-times winners Australia are in Group A for the One Day International competition along with former champions Pakistan and Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Canada, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands are pooled in Group B.
India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are together staging the 2011 event, with India hosting 29 of the tournament's 49 matches including the final at a renovated Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2.
Pakistan was stripped of hosting rights over security concerns. They will play all their group matches in Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh and India play the first match of the tournament in Dhaka on Feb. 19, two days after the opening ceremony in the same city.
In all, 13 venues will be used in the 43-day tournament.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 match schedule
Groups:
A: Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada, Kenya
B: India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands
Schedule:
Saturday 19 Feb – Bangladesh v India, Dhaka
Sunday 20 Feb – New Zealand v Kenya, Chennai
Sunday 20 Feb – Sri Lanka v Canada, Hambantota
Monday 21 Feb – Australia v Zimbabwe, Ahmedabad
Tuesday 22 Feb – England v Netherlands, Nagpur
Wednesday 23 Feb – Pakistan v Kenya, Hambantota
Thursday 24 Feb – South Africa v West Indies, New Delhi
Friday 25 Feb – Australia v New Zealand, Nagpur
Friday 25 Feb – Bangladesh v Ireland, Dhaka
Saturday 26 Feb – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Colombo
Sunday 27 Feb – India v England, Kolkata
Monday 28 Feb – West Indies v Netherlands, New Delhi
Monday 28 Feb – Zimbabwe v Canada, Nagpur
Tuesday 1 Mar – Sri Lanka v Kenya, Colombo
Wednesday 2 Mar – England v Ireland, Bangalore
Thursday 3 Mar – South Africa v Netherlands, Mohali
Thursday 3 Mar – Pakistan v Canada, Colombo
Friday 4 Mar – New Zealand v Zimbabwe, Ahmedabad
Friday 4 Mar – Bangladesh v West Indies, Dhaka
Saturday 5 Mar – Sri Lanka v Australia, Colombo
Sunday 6 Mar – India v Ireland, Bangalore
Sunday 6 Mar – England v South Africa, Chennai
Monday 7 Mar – Kenya v Canada, New Delhi
Tuesday 8 Mar – Pakistan v New Zealand, Pallekele
Wednesday 9 Mar – India v Netherlands, New Delhi
Thursday 10 Mar – Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, Pallekele
Friday 11 Mar – West Indies v Ireland, Mohali
Friday 11 Mar – Bangladesh v England, Chittagong
Saturday 12 Mar – India v South Africa, Nagpur
Sunday 13 Mar – New Zealand v Canada, Mumbai
Sunday 13 Mar – Australia v Kenya, Bangalore
Monday 14 Mar – Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Pallekele
Monday 14 Mar – Bangladesh v Netherlands, Chittagong
Tuesday 15 Mar – South Africa v Ireland, Kolkata
Wednesday 16 Mar – Australia v Canada, Bangalore
Thursday 17 Mar – England v West Indies, Chennai
Friday 18 Mar – Sri Lanka v New Zealand, Mumbai
Friday 18 Mar – Ireland v Netherlands, Kolkata
Saturday 19 Mar – Australia v Pakistan, Colombo
Saturday 19 Mar – Bangladesh v South Africa, Dhaka
Sunday 20 Mar – Zimbabwe v Kenya, Kolkata
Sunday 20 Mar – India v West Indies, Chennai
Wednesday 23 Mar – First quarter-final, Dhaka
Thursday 24 Mar – Second quarter-final, Colombo
Friday 25 Mar – Third quarter-final, Dhaka
Saturday 26 Mar – Fourth quarter-final, Ahmedabad
Tuesday 29 Mar – First semi-final, Colombo
Wednesday 30 Mar – Second semi-final, Mohali
Saturday 2 April – Final, Mumbai
New Zealand survive Aamir scare to win series
New Zealand survived Mohammad Aamir's explosive half-century to clinch the series against Pakistan with a narrow seven-run victory in the third one-day international here on Monday.
Aamir, 17, hit an unbeaten 73 for his maiden half-century - the highest score by a number ten batsman in a one-day international - to bring Pakistan, chasing 212, close to an unexpected victory after they were 101-9.
Pakistan were bowled out for 204, giving New Zealand a sensational 2-1 victory in the three-match series. Pakistan won the first match by 138 runs on Tuesday before New Zealand levelled the series with a 64-run win on Friday.
Aamir and Ajmal added a Pakistan record of 103 for tenth wicket but, needing eight off the last over bowled by Jacob Oram, Ajmal holed out for a career-best 33 to end a sensational match.
The previous highest one-day score for a number ten batsman was 56 not out, made by Zimbabwe's Douglas Marillier against India at New Delhi in 2002.
When Ajmal joined Aamir Pakistan needed a mammoth-looking 112 runs in 16.5 overs, but Aamir set the tempo for an unexpected win by hitting Daniel Vettori for three sixes in one over.
Slowly and gradually, he and Ajmal approached the target, beating the previous tenth wicket partnership record by Pakistan in all one-day internationals of 72 by Abdul Razzaq and Waqar Younis against South Africa at Durban in 1998.
Aamir, who hit seven boundaries and three sixes during his 81-ball knock, improved on his previous highest score of 24 made against Sri Lanka earlier this year.
In the end New Zealand kept their nerves and did not spoil the early good work by bowlers which saw Pakistan slump from 47-1 to 101-9.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori admitted Aamir gave them a scare.
"They played brilliantly for the last wicket, bu we knew that its a matter of just one wicket and then we got it," said Vettori. "It's a great series win and very pleasing."
Earlier, off-spinner Ajmal took a career-best 4-33 to raise hopes of a Pakistan win but Salman Butt (25), Khalid Latif (19), Umer Akmal (12) and Shoaib Malik (11) threw away wickets.
Pakistan got off to a solid 47-run start before Vettori triggered a slump, trapping Latif leg-before in the ninth over. That started the slump.
Captain Younus Khan continued his wretched form, edging Shane Bond to slips after making just three. In the previous over, Younus misjudged a single which resulted in Butt's run out.
Umer Akmal (12), Malik (11), Afridi (five) and Akmal (four) played reckless shots as Pakistan slumped badly.
Younus blamed the loss to lack of early partnerships.
"We didn't have big partnerships and in the end it was sensational to come so close," said Younus who lost his third one-day series as captain since taking over in January this year.
Earlier Brendon McCullum, who scored a brilliant hundred on Friday, stood out once again with an aggressive 78-ball 76 which included three sixes and six fours.
New Zealand were well on course for a big score but once McCullum got out, caught and bowled by Shoaib Malik, Pakistani spinners led by Ajmal sparked a middle-order collapse to take last seven wickets for 47 runs.
New Zealand had raced to 72 by the 12th over, with McCullum reaching his fifty off just 47 balls.
It was paceman Umar Gul who provided the breakthrough, removing opener Aaron Redmond caught off Aamir for 21. This was Gul's 100th wicket in 67 one-day internationals.
Ajmal then came into his own, removing Martin Guptill (eight), Ross Taylor (44), Daniel Vettori (15) and Jacob Oram (two) to improve on his best one-day figures of 2-16 against the West Indies at Johannesburg in September this year.
Ross Taylor, who failed to score in the first two matches, helped McCullum add 50 for the third wicket before Ajmal trapped him leg-before.
Both teams now move to Dubai where they play two Twenty20 matches on November 12 and 13.
New Zealand survived Mohammad Aamir's explosive half-century to clinch the series against Pakistan with a narrow seven-run victory in the third one-day international here on Monday.
Aamir, 17, hit an unbeaten 73 for his maiden half-century - the highest score by a number ten batsman in a one-day international - to bring Pakistan, chasing 212, close to an unexpected victory after they were 101-9.
Pakistan were bowled out for 204, giving New Zealand a sensational 2-1 victory in the three-match series. Pakistan won the first match by 138 runs on Tuesday before New Zealand levelled the series with a 64-run win on Friday.
Aamir and Ajmal added a Pakistan record of 103 for tenth wicket but, needing eight off the last over bowled by Jacob Oram, Ajmal holed out for a career-best 33 to end a sensational match.
The previous highest one-day score for a number ten batsman was 56 not out, made by Zimbabwe's Douglas Marillier against India at New Delhi in 2002.
When Ajmal joined Aamir Pakistan needed a mammoth-looking 112 runs in 16.5 overs, but Aamir set the tempo for an unexpected win by hitting Daniel Vettori for three sixes in one over.
Slowly and gradually, he and Ajmal approached the target, beating the previous tenth wicket partnership record by Pakistan in all one-day internationals of 72 by Abdul Razzaq and Waqar Younis against South Africa at Durban in 1998.
Aamir, who hit seven boundaries and three sixes during his 81-ball knock, improved on his previous highest score of 24 made against Sri Lanka earlier this year.
In the end New Zealand kept their nerves and did not spoil the early good work by bowlers which saw Pakistan slump from 47-1 to 101-9.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori admitted Aamir gave them a scare.
"They played brilliantly for the last wicket, bu we knew that its a matter of just one wicket and then we got it," said Vettori. "It's a great series win and very pleasing."
Earlier, off-spinner Ajmal took a career-best 4-33 to raise hopes of a Pakistan win but Salman Butt (25), Khalid Latif (19), Umer Akmal (12) and Shoaib Malik (11) threw away wickets.
Pakistan got off to a solid 47-run start before Vettori triggered a slump, trapping Latif leg-before in the ninth over. That started the slump.
Captain Younus Khan continued his wretched form, edging Shane Bond to slips after making just three. In the previous over, Younus misjudged a single which resulted in Butt's run out.
Umer Akmal (12), Malik (11), Afridi (five) and Akmal (four) played reckless shots as Pakistan slumped badly.
Younus blamed the loss to lack of early partnerships.
"We didn't have big partnerships and in the end it was sensational to come so close," said Younus who lost his third one-day series as captain since taking over in January this year.
Earlier Brendon McCullum, who scored a brilliant hundred on Friday, stood out once again with an aggressive 78-ball 76 which included three sixes and six fours.
New Zealand were well on course for a big score but once McCullum got out, caught and bowled by Shoaib Malik, Pakistani spinners led by Ajmal sparked a middle-order collapse to take last seven wickets for 47 runs.
New Zealand had raced to 72 by the 12th over, with McCullum reaching his fifty off just 47 balls.
It was paceman Umar Gul who provided the breakthrough, removing opener Aaron Redmond caught off Aamir for 21. This was Gul's 100th wicket in 67 one-day internationals.
Ajmal then came into his own, removing Martin Guptill (eight), Ross Taylor (44), Daniel Vettori (15) and Jacob Oram (two) to improve on his best one-day figures of 2-16 against the West Indies at Johannesburg in September this year.
Ross Taylor, who failed to score in the first two matches, helped McCullum add 50 for the third wicket before Ajmal trapped him leg-before.
Both teams now move to Dubai where they play two Twenty20 matches on November 12 and 13.
Duminy scores maiden ton as S.Africa destroy Zimbabwe
Jean Paul Duminy struck his maiden one-day international century to lead South Africa to a crushing 212-run victory over Zimbabwe on Tuesday. The home team took the series 2-0, representing the perfect fillip ahead of Friday's opening Twenty20 against England in Johannesburg.
Duminy, in his 51st ODI, thumped 111 not out in 87 balls as South Africa amassed 331 for five after being sent in to bat. Zimbabwe were then bundled out for 119 in 34.3 overs.
Jean Paul Duminy struck his maiden one-day international century to lead South Africa to a crushing 212-run victory over Zimbabwe on Tuesday. The home team took the series 2-0, representing the perfect fillip ahead of Friday's opening Twenty20 against England in Johannesburg.
Duminy, in his 51st ODI, thumped 111 not out in 87 balls as South Africa amassed 331 for five after being sent in to bat. Zimbabwe were then bundled out for 119 in 34.3 overs.
Australia rest Johnson and Watson
All-rounder Shane Watson and paceman Mitchell Johnson will leave Australia's tour of India early to avoid burn-out.
The Australians face six Tests in eight weeks against West Indies and Pakistan, plus one-day and Twenty20 matches and a tour to New Zealand in early 2010.
National Selection Panel chairman Andrew Hilditch said: "In view of their extremely heavy workload we decided they will depart as soon as possible."
Australia have a 4-2 lead going into Wednesday's final one-day match.
The Australian season begins on 26 November with the first of three Tests against West Indies in Brisbane.
That series is set to finish on 20 December in Perth before the three-Test series against Pakistan begins with the traditional Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
After the completion of that series, scheduled to end on 18 January, the first of five one-day internationals against Pakistan takes place on 22 January.
They come to an end on 31 January and are followed by a solitary Twenty20 international on 5 February, five one-day internationals against West Indies from 7-19 February and two Twenty20 internationals on 21 and 23 February.
All-rounder Shane Watson and paceman Mitchell Johnson will leave Australia's tour of India early to avoid burn-out.
The Australians face six Tests in eight weeks against West Indies and Pakistan, plus one-day and Twenty20 matches and a tour to New Zealand in early 2010.
National Selection Panel chairman Andrew Hilditch said: "In view of their extremely heavy workload we decided they will depart as soon as possible."
Australia have a 4-2 lead going into Wednesday's final one-day match.
The Australian season begins on 26 November with the first of three Tests against West Indies in Brisbane.
That series is set to finish on 20 December in Perth before the three-Test series against Pakistan begins with the traditional Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
After the completion of that series, scheduled to end on 18 January, the first of five one-day internationals against Pakistan takes place on 22 January.
They come to an end on 31 January and are followed by a solitary Twenty20 international on 5 February, five one-day internationals against West Indies from 7-19 February and two Twenty20 internationals on 21 and 23 February.
England slide to warm-up defeat
England succumbed to a humiliating four-wicket defeat against South Africa A in their only Twenty20 warm-up match before Friday's first international.
Alastair Cook made a scratchy 22 and captain Paul Collingwood (18) hit his first two balls for four and six, but five wickets fell within three overs.
Three in a row were run-outs and they were 89 all out with 15 balls unused.
Spinners Graeme Swann and Adil Rashid claimed two wickets apiece but the home team won with 15 balls remaining.
It was not as if the England selection could have been different, with the 11 players on duty the only ones available.
Team captain Andrew Strauss no longer plays Twenty20 internationals and bowlers James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graham Onions were nursing injury niggles.
Star batsman Kevin Pietersen will join the squad on Wednesday before Friday's opening Twenty20 international against South Africa, although he is not expected to play.
In Bloemfontein, Joe Denly struck the third ball fluently through the covers for four but the next two overs went by without a boundary, and after Cook got off the mark with a streaky edge to third man, Denly was caught by a diving Heino Kuhn behind the stumps for seven.
South African-born Jonathan Trott hit one four past square cover but was caught in a similar area which brought in his captain, who made a confident start with lusty blows over square-leg, as England ended the batting powerplay on 37-2.
After Collingwood hit a second four from the first ball of the eighth over there were no more boundaries.
The 50 arrived in the ninth over but it was painful fare and wickets continued to fall, Cook spooning to mid-on having been dropped twice in his 30-ball innings and the run outs contributing to a miserable capitulation.
Collingwood chose to open the bowling with spinner Swann, and he struck in his second over.
Rashid, England's other spinner, was introduced after the batting powerplay but left-hander Rilee Rossouw promptly dispatched him for two fours in his opening over.
Rashid had his man caught at the wicket and Matt Prior's assured stumping in the next over gave Swann a second wicket.
When Justin Ontong was caught off Rashid, 29 were needed from 37 balls, but England soon turned to the occasional spin of Denly, who was unceremoniously smashed for two sixes in three balls over long-on by Vaughn van Jaarsveld to reduce the requirement to four from 24 balls.
Van Jaarsveld was caught by Denly at square-leg off Sajid Mahmood and there was a schoolboy run-out in which both batsmen were at the same end, but it was England who suffered the greater embarrassment.
"Obviously it was disappointing with the bat but I thought we showed a lot of fight with the ball and did well to get them six down but we're not going to win many games losing seven for 20," Collingwood said.
"That's an area we need to look at, and we had a few run-outs which didn't help, but in many ways this is why you have practice games before the actual main event and hopefully we can put things right for Friday."
There was added concern when Swann left the field with a tight thigh but Collingwood was quick to play down fears over the spinner's fitness.
"He felt a bit of side pain but says he's going to be fine and Jimmy [Anderson] and Graham Onions will come back into the reckoning for Friday," he said.
One man who is not likely to feature in that match is Pietersen. "I wouldn't say it's set in stone but it's highly unlikely he'll play in the Twenty20 games," the skipper said.
"We've got to monitor his fitness but that first practice game for the one-dayers [against South Africa A on 17 November] is a more realistic target.
"After a lengthy lay-off we will hopefully ease him back and coming into a Twenty20 I'm not sure that's going to happen."
Broad's shoulder injury kept him on the sidelines and Collingwood added: "I wouldn't have thought he'd be available for the Twenty20s but he's progressing nicely and hopefully he'll be fit for the one-dayers." [starting on 20 November].
England succumbed to a humiliating four-wicket defeat against South Africa A in their only Twenty20 warm-up match before Friday's first international.
Alastair Cook made a scratchy 22 and captain Paul Collingwood (18) hit his first two balls for four and six, but five wickets fell within three overs.
Three in a row were run-outs and they were 89 all out with 15 balls unused.
Spinners Graeme Swann and Adil Rashid claimed two wickets apiece but the home team won with 15 balls remaining.
It was not as if the England selection could have been different, with the 11 players on duty the only ones available.
Team captain Andrew Strauss no longer plays Twenty20 internationals and bowlers James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graham Onions were nursing injury niggles.
Star batsman Kevin Pietersen will join the squad on Wednesday before Friday's opening Twenty20 international against South Africa, although he is not expected to play.
In Bloemfontein, Joe Denly struck the third ball fluently through the covers for four but the next two overs went by without a boundary, and after Cook got off the mark with a streaky edge to third man, Denly was caught by a diving Heino Kuhn behind the stumps for seven.
South African-born Jonathan Trott hit one four past square cover but was caught in a similar area which brought in his captain, who made a confident start with lusty blows over square-leg, as England ended the batting powerplay on 37-2.
After Collingwood hit a second four from the first ball of the eighth over there were no more boundaries.
The 50 arrived in the ninth over but it was painful fare and wickets continued to fall, Cook spooning to mid-on having been dropped twice in his 30-ball innings and the run outs contributing to a miserable capitulation.
Collingwood chose to open the bowling with spinner Swann, and he struck in his second over.
Rashid, England's other spinner, was introduced after the batting powerplay but left-hander Rilee Rossouw promptly dispatched him for two fours in his opening over.
Rashid had his man caught at the wicket and Matt Prior's assured stumping in the next over gave Swann a second wicket.
When Justin Ontong was caught off Rashid, 29 were needed from 37 balls, but England soon turned to the occasional spin of Denly, who was unceremoniously smashed for two sixes in three balls over long-on by Vaughn van Jaarsveld to reduce the requirement to four from 24 balls.
Van Jaarsveld was caught by Denly at square-leg off Sajid Mahmood and there was a schoolboy run-out in which both batsmen were at the same end, but it was England who suffered the greater embarrassment.
"Obviously it was disappointing with the bat but I thought we showed a lot of fight with the ball and did well to get them six down but we're not going to win many games losing seven for 20," Collingwood said.
"That's an area we need to look at, and we had a few run-outs which didn't help, but in many ways this is why you have practice games before the actual main event and hopefully we can put things right for Friday."
There was added concern when Swann left the field with a tight thigh but Collingwood was quick to play down fears over the spinner's fitness.
"He felt a bit of side pain but says he's going to be fine and Jimmy [Anderson] and Graham Onions will come back into the reckoning for Friday," he said.
One man who is not likely to feature in that match is Pietersen. "I wouldn't say it's set in stone but it's highly unlikely he'll play in the Twenty20 games," the skipper said.
"We've got to monitor his fitness but that first practice game for the one-dayers [against South Africa A on 17 November] is a more realistic target.
"After a lengthy lay-off we will hopefully ease him back and coming into a Twenty20 I'm not sure that's going to happen."
Broad's shoulder injury kept him on the sidelines and Collingwood added: "I wouldn't have thought he'd be available for the Twenty20s but he's progressing nicely and hopefully he'll be fit for the one-dayers." [starting on 20 November].
Lee still has a lot to offer to Test cricket: McGrath
Sydney: Australian bowling legend Glenn McGrath has said that pace spearhead Brett Lee can be a major influence in the series against West Indies, and has a long way to go in Test cricket.
Questions have been raised about Lee's ability to survive a Test match following his elbow injury.
"I think Brett's still got a lot to offer, a lot of experience and what he brings to the team, that fear factor, there's still that aura there he's created. I would have Binga in any team I played in if he's back fit again," Fox Sports quoted McGrath, as saying.
McGrath further said Lee should proceed with caution and play when he has completely recovered from the injury.
"In a Test match, the workload is going to be pretty heavy and I don't think Brett would want to go into a Test where he was concerned (about his fitness). If he broke down in that first match back it could damage his career a lot more than just sitting that one out and coming back when he was 100 per cent right," McGrath said.
"I heard he had a bowl at the nets yesterday and was pretty happy about how it went. If he can get through a four-day match then he can get through a Test match," he added.
Lee appears likely to be selected in both New South Wales's one-day clash with Tasmania on Sunday and the Shield game against the Tigers on Tuesday.
Sydney: Australian bowling legend Glenn McGrath has said that pace spearhead Brett Lee can be a major influence in the series against West Indies, and has a long way to go in Test cricket.
Questions have been raised about Lee's ability to survive a Test match following his elbow injury.
"I think Brett's still got a lot to offer, a lot of experience and what he brings to the team, that fear factor, there's still that aura there he's created. I would have Binga in any team I played in if he's back fit again," Fox Sports quoted McGrath, as saying.
McGrath further said Lee should proceed with caution and play when he has completely recovered from the injury.
"In a Test match, the workload is going to be pretty heavy and I don't think Brett would want to go into a Test where he was concerned (about his fitness). If he broke down in that first match back it could damage his career a lot more than just sitting that one out and coming back when he was 100 per cent right," McGrath said.
"I heard he had a bowl at the nets yesterday and was pretty happy about how it went. If he can get through a four-day match then he can get through a Test match," he added.
Lee appears likely to be selected in both New South Wales's one-day clash with Tasmania on Sunday and the Shield game against the Tigers on Tuesday.