Cricket Highlights: May 2009

IPL Highlights : Final - Deccan Chargers V Bangalore RC - 5/29/2009 8:03:05 PM

Deccan Innings Highlights

Bangalore Innings Highlights and Presentation

Buoyed by the success of the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), its chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi said the eight-team tournament will be expanded to 10 teams in 2011. Modi said the IPL will be back in India next year and the cramped International Cricket Council (ICC) schedule does not leave any room for the possibility of a second IPL in a calendar year in 2010. "We have been missing India but we have made a strong fan base in South Africa. We have a tight schedule next year. We will have two more teams in the league," said Modi. Modi, who is also the vice president of the Indian cricket board, said that organising the IPL in South Africa was a great experience. "We had a great time in South Africa. Everything was perfect. I am satisfied with the way the tournament was successfully conducted here at such a short time," he said.

Deccan Chargers beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore by six runs in a dramatic finish at the Wanderers in Johannesburg to become the champions of the Indian Premier League, 2009. Chasing 144, Bangalore could manage 137. As a former generation of Indian cricketers could tell you, a modest total is often enough to win a major final. So it was at the Wanderers as the Deccan Chargers put up 143 on the board and then fielded magnificently to stop the Bangalore Royal Challengers six runs short. Spare a thought for Anil Kumble. Six years ago, he watched from the bench as India were annihilated in a World Cup final at this very venue. This time, he did all that could be asked of him, getting Adam Gilchrist for a duck on his way to sensational figures of 4 for 16. Sadly, some of his star batsmen lost their nerve when it mattered, and the Chargers' heroes held theirs.

Rahul Dravid won't look back with any pleasure at the attempted paddle that saw his leg stump knocked out, while Ross Taylor will wonder how he managed to pull one straight to the man in the deep. And what of Robin Uthappa, whose tactics in the final over could be called mindless at best? But this wasn't just about Bangalore's mistakes. Having made 33 with the bat, Andrew Symonds took out Taylor and Virat Kohli in the same over, changing the game decisively. There are few better impact players in the game and if Australia don't win the Ashes comfortably this summer, Andrew Hilditch and his colleagues should be dragged off to the loony bin. And what about Gilchrist, who may have failed with the bat but marshalled his bowling resources so superbly? The one-in-a-generation-cricketer tag is often abused by writers and commentators, but in Gilchrist's case, he has been so much more than that. He's right up there with Bradman, Tendulkar, Richards and Warne.

IPL Highlights : 2Nd Semi Finlal - Chennai Super Kings V Bangalore RC - 5/29/2009 8:03:02 PM

Chennai Innings Highlights

Bangalore Innings Highlights

A 72-run partnership between Manish Pandey and Rahul Dravid proved decisive as Royal Challengers Bangalore booked their place in the Indian Premier League final with a comfortable six-wicket victory over the Chennai Super Kings. Bangalore, one of the worst teams in the inaugural IPL, will now face another side that battled in the 2008 season, Deccan Chargers, in Sunday's final at the Wanderers. Chasing 147 for victory, the win was all set up by veteran Dravid (44) and youngster Pandey (48), who only two days earlier became the first Indian player to score a hundred in the competition's brief history, as their side coasted home with seven balls to spare.

Earlier it was a disciplined bowling display from the Royal Challengers that helped them restrict Chennai, with top scorer Parthiv Patel (36) one of several players to get starts. The wicketkeeper smashed Jacques Kallis for three fours in the second over to help his side raise the 50 in just 32 balls, but his 61-run partnership with Mathew Hayden ended when Vinay Kumar (two for 38) had the Australian caught by Pandey at deep mid-wicket for 26. Eight runs later, Kallis (one for 26) came back to put an end to Patel's 27-ball innings trapping him lbw as the Super Kings reached the halfway stage at 74 for two. Their progress continued to stutter thereafter with Praveen Kumar (one for 26) removing Suresh Raina (20), who top-edged a slower ball that was snapped up by Mark Boucher. At that stage, Chennai were on 104 and the situation again forced Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Albie Morkel to rebuild.

They added 21 for the fourth wicket in 3.1 overs, before Vinay took a well-judged catch off Roelof van der Merwe (one for 23) on the long-on fence to send the India captain on his way for 28, with Morkel (20 not out) eventually lifting his side to a below-par total. Bangalore's chase began promisingly as they raced to 17 in just 10 balls, but they were then handed a double setback. The first one came when Manpreet Gony drew a fine nick from Kallis to send him on his way for nine and that was followed by Morkel making a mess of Van der Merwe's stumps for two. But Dravid and Pandey calmed nerves with a fine 50-run stand that was brought up in just 34 balls as they helped Bangalore to a commanding 82 for two. The pair continued to blossom after the break, but Shadab Jakati struck in his final over when he bowled Pandey to give Chennai hope.

That hope was further enhanced just over two overs later when Muttiah Muralitharan trapped Dravid lbw with 37 runs still needed from 29 balls. But Virat Kohli (24 not out) and Ross Taylor (17 not out) needed just 22 of those deliveries as they eased to victory with more than an over to spare.

IPL Highlights : 1St Semi Finlal - Delhi Daredevils V Deccan Chargers - 5/29/2009 8:02:57 PM

Delhi Innings Highlights

Deccan Innings Highlights

Riding on the back of a quickfire 85 runs by Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist, the Hyderabad team swept past the imposing total of 153 runs to canter to the finals of Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament. Winning the toss, Deccan Chargers elected to bowl and picked up two quick wickets - Gautam Gambhir (0) and David Warner (0) - in the very first over in quick succession, sending jitters to the Delhi camp. However, Delhi captain Virender Sehwag (39 runs off 31 balls, 5 4s), Tillakaratne Dilshan (65 runs off 51 balls, 7 4s and 1 6s) and AB de Villiers (26 runs off 21 balls, 2 6s) helped steady the innings of Delhi Daredevils and set Deccan Chargers an imposing total of 153 runs. For Deccan Chargers, Ryan Harris and R.P. Singh provided the ammunition, picking up 3 and 2 wickets respectively.

While Pragyan Ojha picked up 1. Coming in to bat second, Delhi Daredevils gave a fitting reply, picking up the wicket of Herschelle Gibbs (0) off the second over. Soon thereafter, Delhi picked up the wicket of Azhar Bilakhia (10) and was dreaming of defeating Deccan Chargers for the third time in a row in IPL Season 2. However, the Delhi bowlers had not accounted for Adam Gilchrist, who led the charge from the front, walloping at will and scoring a quickfire 85 runs off 33 balls (10 4s and 5 6s) before he was dismissed by a superb slow delivery by Amit Mishra just before the strategic timeout (10th over). But by then, Gilchrist had hammered the last nail into the coffin of Delhi Daredevil and though they fought back valiantly, picking up the wickets of Andrew Symonds (22 runs off 14 balls, 2 4s and 1 6s).

Deccan Chargers sailed past the victory target with 2 overs to spare and 6 wickets in hand. Final Score: Delhi Daredevils - 153/8 (20 overs) and Deccan Chargers - 154/4 (17.4 overs). Deccan Chargers win by 6 wickets. Not surprisingly, Adam Gilchrist was crowned the Man of the Match for his captain's knock. Incidentally, Gilchrist also set a record of sorts in Supersport Stadium in Centurion by scoring the fastest fifty (off 17 balls) in IPL-2. The second semi-final will be played tomorrow between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers (Bangalore) in Johannesburg.

England Vs West Indies Day 4 Highlights 2Nd Test - 5/29/2009 8:02:03 PM

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Part2

IPL Highlights : Match 56 - Bangalore RC V Deccan Chargers - 5/29/2009 8:02:55 PM

Bangalore Innings Highlights

Deccan Innings Highlights

Bangalore Royal Challengers beat Deccan Chargers by 12 runs in the final group match of the Indian Premier League at SuperSport Park at Centurion on Thursday. The win, Bangalore's eighth in 14 matches, enabled them finish third in the table and avoid a meeting with toppers Delhi Daredevils in the last four. The Anil Kumble-led side now plays second-placed Chennai Super Kings in the second semi-final at Johannesburg on Saturday, while Deccan Chargers Hyderabad take on Delhi at Centurion on Friday. Chasing a mammoth 171 to win, Hyderabad crashed to 158 for six in their quota of overs despite of a valiant 60 by opener Herschelle Gibbs. B Akhil (4-0-18-2) and Anil Kumble (4-0-23-2) were the most successful bowlers for Bangalore.

The result made the elimination of Punjab a formal affair. Hyderabad needed to get past their target in about 11 overs to ensure Yuvraj Singh's men to scrape through to the last four at the expense of Bangalore. It was an improbable ask and eventually never materialized. Going into the match, Bangalore had won their last three matches -- against Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi respectively -- and six of their last eight. Hyderabad, after winning their first four matches in the tournament, had had a roller coaster ride, losing three of their last six. Earlier, a masterclass unbeaten 114 by opener Manish Pandey, who was playing only his third match, helped the Bangalore Royal Challengers pile up a massive 170 for four.

Pandey's century was only the second hundred of the second edition after AB de Villiers's unbeaten 105 for Delhi Daredevils against Chennai Super Kings at Durban. The Karnataka batsman, who represented Mumbai Indians in the inaugural year and was a member of the Indian squad that won the under-19 World Cup, was dropped when on two by R P Singh, and he made Hyderabad pay a heavy price for that faux pas, hitting 10 boundaries and four sixes in his 73-ball knock. For the record, it was the first century by an Indian in the IPL, an unlikely one, but coming from someone who made the most of the opportunity given to him.

IPL Highlights : Match 55 - Delhi Daredevils V Mumbai Indians - 5/29/2009 8:02:53 PM

Mumbai Innings Highlights

Delhi Innings Highlights

Captain Virender Sehwag hit his first half-century of the Indian Premier League season to help Delhi Daredevils triumph by four wickets against Mumbai Indians Thursday. Mumbai made 165-8 off 20 overs in the penultimate group match of the Twenty20 extravaganza and leaders Delhi reached 166-6 off 17.3 overs at Centurion Park. "It was great to score my first half century this season," said opener Sehwag. "It is critical that I am in form with a semi-final at Centurion tomorrow."

Mumbai captain Sachin Tendulkar could not mask his disappointment after Mumbai finished with only five wins from 14 outings and finished second last on the eight-franchise standings. "I thought we batted well today and built a good total, but our bowling was not up to the mark. This was a pity as our bowlers have generally performed well this season." Ajinkya Rahane (56) and Tendulkar (46) performed best with the bat for Mumbai, who battled to get sixes with the first of only two coming from the former 98 balls into the innings.

Australian Dirk Nannes was his usual destructive self with the ball, taking 3-27 in four overs, and Pradeep Sangwan (2-28) was the best of the rest on a chilly afternoon halfway between Johannesburg and Pretoria. Delhi got off to a flying start, putting 60 runs on the board within six overs, and the loss of opener David Warner for only 15 had little impact as Gautam Gambhir (47), Tim Dilshan (24) and Sehweg (50) did the damage. The 'Turbanator', Harbhajan Singh, had a glorious spell late in the game, snatching 4-17 in four overs, but it was too little, too late for Mumbai who also missed the semi-finals last season.

IPL Highlights : Match 54 - Chennai Super Kings V Kings XI Punjab - 5/29/2009 8:02:47 PM

Chennai Innings Highlights

Rajasthan Innings Highlights

The Kolkata Knight Riders knocked out the defending champion Rajasthan Royals in a four-wicket victory in the Indian Premier League at Kingsmead on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Chennai Super Kings successfully defended 116-9 to beat the Kings XI Punjab by 24 runs and join the league-leading Delhi Daredevils in Friday's semifinals. The last two spots will be determined on Thursday when the third-placed Deccan Chargers meet the fourth-placed Bangalore Royal Challengers. The winner will advance and the loser should, too, with a decent run rate. Both teams and Punjab had 14 points, but Punjab had the worst run rate. Delhi meets the already eliminated Mumbai Indians in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader at Pretoria. Last-placed Kolkata played spoiler to Rajasthan with its second straight win and only its third in 14 games.

Laxmi Shukla hit an unbeaten 48 while Charl Langeveldt took three wickets to lead Kolkata to victory with three balls to spare. "It's really disappointing but we were just not good enough the whole tournament," said Rajasthan captain Shane Warne. After a disciplined fielding performance to restrict Rajasthan to 101-9, Kolkata stuttered in reply at 45-6 and it seemed as though Rajasthan would waltz into the semis. But man-of-the-match Shukla cracked three boundaries and two sixes in 46 balls, and shared a match-winning unbeaten stand of 57 with Ajit Agarkar, who was 13 not out. "Every game in the series has gone down to the last over and today was not different," said Kolkata captain Brendon McCullum. "We bowled really well but put ourselves under pressure with the bat. But Shukla and Ajit were brilliant to take us home." Later, Chennai reaffirmed its credentials as a series favourite by eking out a 24-run win over Punjab when it looked like losing.

Defending only 116-9, Chennai star Muttiah Muralitharan, the all-time leading Test wicket-taker, put the Punjab batsmen under pressure to take 2-8 in four overs as Punjab limped to finish on 92-8. Offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin, playing in his first match of the series, claimed 2-13 while Suresh Raina ended with 2-17. Opening bowler Thilan Thushara gave Chennai a good start, taking 2-28. "The spinners did a good job for us," said Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "We picked Ashwin today and he was brilliant throughout. Murali put pressure on the opposition and Raina also bowled well." Luke Pomersbach led Punjab with 26. "We had a good start, we just needed to get partnerships going," Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh said. "We didn't get partnerships going and the wicket was not easy to bat on." But Singh admitted his team batted poorly after the bowlers had given the team a good platform. "When you get in such strong positions you need to nail the opposition," he said.

IPL Highlights : Match 53 - Kolkata Knight Riders V Rajasthan Royals - 5/29/2009 8:02:45 PM

Rajasthan Innings Highlights

Kolkata Innings Highlights

Laxmi Shukla hit an unbeaten 48 while Charl Langeveldt took three wickets as the Kolkata Knight Riders beat the Rajasthan Royals by four-wickets to dump the defending champions out of the Indian Premier League on Wednesday. "It's really disappointing but we were just not good enough the whole tournament," said Rajasthan captain Shane Warne. "I want to thank everyone in South Africa that supported me and the Royals." After displaying a disciplined all-round fielding performance to restrict Rajasthan to 101-9 in their allotted 20 overs, Kolkata stuttered in reply and midway through the innings it seemed Rajasthan would scrape through. But man-of-the-match Shukla reversed the momentum, cracking three boundaries and two sixes in 46 balls to take Kolkata to only their third win of the series with just three balls to spare.

He shared a match-winning unbeaten stand of 57 runs with Ajit Agarkar (13 not out). "Every game in the series has gone down to the last over and today was not different," said Kolkata captain Brendon McCullum. "We bowled really well but put ourselves under pressure with the bat. But Shukla and Ajit were brilliantly to take us home." Kolkata lost opener Sourav Ganguly in the first over after nicking Munaf Patel to Ravindra Jadeja at point for a duck. McCullum was then trapped lbw by Amit Singh on the first ball of the second over to leave Kolkata on 9-2. Rob Quiney produced a stunning diving catch to dismiss Yashpal Singh off Patel in the fifth over.

Pace bowler Patel was Rajasthan's best bowler with 2-14 in four overs. Nine runs later Brad Hodge was stumped by Naman Ojha off Johan Botha for six, then David Hussey was well taken in the deep by Niraj Patel from offspinner Johan Botha's ball to leave Kolkata on 37-5. Suicidal running between the wickets saw Shoaib Shaikh being run out by a combination of Botha and Yusuf Pathan for six in the 12th over. Kolkata, who are already out of contention for the semi-finals, were put on the victory path by their bowlers in a remarkable fielding show. South Africa medium pacer Langeveldt extracted good bounce from the Kingsmead wicket to finish with an impressive 3-15 in four overs, while pace bowler Ajit Agarkar ended with 2-15 in from his four overs.

IPL Highlights : Match 52 - Bangalore RC V Delhi Daredevils - 5/29/2009 8:02:41 PM

Delhi Inning Highlights

Bangalore Inning Highlights

Jacques Kallis hit an unbeaten half-century to guide the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a convincing seven-wicket victory over Delhi Daredevils and keep their hopes of making it to the semi-finals in the Indian Premier League alive, in Johannesburg on Tuesday. Kallis drew on all his experience and carried his bat through the innings during his unbeaten knock of 58 from 56 deliveries in a must-win game for Bangalore. Rahul Dravid scored a brisk 38 from 34 deliveries, but it was Ross Taylor, who made sure of Bangalore's victory with a quickfire 25 from 12 deliveries. Earlier, Praveen Kumar bagged two wickets in his opening over, those of Virender Sehwag and Mithun Manhas for ducks, and Delhi never really recovered after that. They lost wickets at regular intervals to the Bangalore spinners, with Anil Kumble claiming two for 24 in four overs, before finishing on 134 for seven in their 20 overs.

Dinesh Karthik top-scored with 31 from 29 deliveries and AB de Villiers made 28 from 29 deliveries, but the rest of the batsmen failed to cope with spin on a slow pitch. Delhi innings: Electing to bat, Delhi were immediately under the hammer after a double strike from Praveen Kumar in the first over of the innings. Virender Sehwag faced just three balls before he hit one straight to Ross Taylor at square leg and was dismissed for a duck. (0-1, 0.2) The Delhi captain's struggle in the IPL continues; he now has 109 runs from nine matches at 13.62, with a highest of 38 not out. Two deliveries later, Mithun Manhas decided to take on a short delivery from Kumar but got a top edge which flew towards Jacques Kallis at second slip. (0-2, 0.5) Gautam Gambhir seemed keen not to let the Bangalore bowlers continue their domination and broke free with a boundary and six in the third over. He did not stop at that and hammered B Akhil for consecutive boundaries in his first over to take Delhi to 28 for two after five.

The left-hander, however, gifted his wicket with a rash shot after a quick 27 off 19 deliveries. He tried to uppercut a short delivery from Jacques Kallis but hit it straight to Taylor at point. (37-3, 6) In-form AB de Villiers looked set for a big knock before he was beaten by the arm delivery from compatriot Roelof Van der Merwe and was bowled for 28 from 29 deliveries. (65-4, 10.3) Debutant Andrew McDonald didn't last long either and was beaten all ends up by a quick yorker from Anil Kumble, bowled for 3. (70-5, 11.3) Bangalore spinners Van der Merwe, Kumble and part-timer Virat Kohli dried up the runs so much so that Delhi failed to find a boundary for around seven overs. Debutant Yogesh Nagar broke the shackles when he hit Van der Merwe through the covers for a boundary off the last delivery of the 16th over. He, however, fell in Kumble's next over for 20 when his lofted shot over the covers landed straight in the lap of Robin Uthappa. (109-6, 16.5)

Dinesh Karthik top-scored with a brisk 31 from 29 deliveries before his attempted paddle sweep off Kumar was taken by Robin Uthappa at fine leg. (114-7, 17.5) The last two overs went according to plan for Bangalore but for a minor blip, when Uthappa dropped an easy catch from Daniel Vettori off Kumar in the final over. Farveez Maharoof dealt mostly in singles to finish unbeaten on 18 from 13 deliveries and help Delhi reach 134 for seven in their 20 overs. Bangalore conceded just two boundaries in the second half of the innings as their spinners weaved a web around the Delhi batsmen. Delhi, who have already made it to the semi-finals, seemed a bit complacent and none of their batsmen took the responsibility of settling in and ensuring that they stitch together some big partnerships.

IPL Highlights : Match 51 - Chennai Super Kings V Kolkata Knight Riders - 5/29/2009 8:02:39 PM

Chennai Innings Highlights

Kolkata Innings Highlights

Brad Hodge hit an unbeaten 71 and Brendon McCullum top-scored with 81 to lead the Kolkata Knight Riders to a thrilling, last-gasp victory over the Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League match on Monday. Chasing Chennai's total of 188-3, McCullum, who smashed 11 boundaries and three sixes, put on an explosive 90-run third-wicket stand with Hodge off 56 balls at Centurion Park. When McCullum was dismissed after a Shadab Jakati ball clipped his bail in the 14th over, Hodge batted through to take Kolkata to the win. With one run needed from the final ball, Wriddihman Saha (25 off 13 balls) flicked the ball to the off side for a single that gave Kolkata only their second win of the series.

"I thought Brad was fantastic today...he has been fantastic for us throughout," said Kolkata captain McCullum. "But to hold his nerve like that and take us across the line was even better." McCullum said his team was delighted to win after not bowling particularly well to allow Chennai to score a big total. "The irony is that we put up our worst bowling performance of the tournament," he said. "But I'm pleased with the guys. We've given all we possibly could in these last three weeks. Things have not always gone our way. Things have been tough for us as a group. I Hope this (win) is a small payback to us and for our supporters and for everyone in the group."

Kolkata lost Sourav Ganguly (four) early after he was bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan, missing a turning ball as he attempted a cut in the fifth over. The last Kolkata wicket to fall was David Hussey, run out by Muralitharan's throw to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for three in the 16th over. Earlier, Chennai reached 188-3 in their allotted 20 overs, benefiting from wayward bowling from Kolkata. Suresh Raina top-scored with 52 while captain Dhoni added an unbeaten 40. The Indian pair shared a third-wicket stand of 74 after a good start by openers Parthiv Patel (25) and George Bailey (30), who were both run out.

IPL Highlights : Match 50 - Delhi Daredevils V Rajasthan Royals - 5/29/2009 8:02:37 PM

Delhi Innings Highlights

Rajasthan innings Highlights

Spectators arrived with thick blankets at the Outsurance Oval for the match between Team Jaipur and Team Delhi on Sunday evening. The temperature was around seven degrees when the game began and by the time the first twenty overs were bowled, it had dipped to almost one. It wasn't easy out there, whether you were batting or bowling or simply watching it all happen. The poorest sight, of course, was of the cheerleaders, who were adequately skimpy in their dresses and had no choice but to shake a leg for every boundary, six or wicket. All of that was in plenty as leaderboard toppers Delhi defeated Jaipur by 14 runs. In fact, they did almost everything right here, from winning the toss to posting a healthy total of 150 and getting the new-ball pair to deliver.

It dented Jaipur's chances to the extent that, like many teams in fray, even they have to win their next two matches and probably wait and see who figures where in the net run-rate table. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir fell cheaply after Munaf Patel got off to a very impressive start. His second over fetched the wickets of both the openers and Delhi, it appeared, were heading for a batting disorder. That was until AB de Villiers, the cricketer who gets cheered the loudest in South Africa, came to the side's rescue. De Villiers ensured a fighting total for his team with active support from T Dilshan and Dinesh Karthik.

In what could've otherwise been a pleasant outing for Munaf, his 18th over cost Jaipur 25 runs and that it seemed jolted the team's confidence minutes before they were to walk in and bat. De Villiers and Karthik managed 48 runs in the last 20 balls. When the chase began, Jaipur were hardly in the game. Graeme Smith went for a duck, Rob Quiney scored just six, Naman Ojha fell for nine and the only partnership to talk about was the 55-run stand for the fourth wicket. The rest who followed also fell like nine pins. All of this wouldn't have been so easy for Sehwag had it not been for the start provided by Ashish Nehra and Dirk Nannes.