Can vs Ken: Hansra, Bagai lead Canada to 5-wicket win

Ashish Bagai and Jimmy Hansra put 132 runs for the fourth wicket as Canada beat Kenya by five wickets in their World Cup Group A match at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi on Monday. Score

Chasing 199, the duo helped Canada reach the total in the 46th over. This was after team-mate Henry Osinde scalped four wicket to bundle Kenya for 198. Osinde earned the Man-of-the-Match award for his efforts.

In the fourth over of the innings, Elijah Otieno scalped Canada opener Rizwan Cheema when the score was 19. Cheema tried to play a pull shot on a short ball from Otieno but missed the line and was completely beaten as the ball crashed into his stumps. he fell for 17.

In the 10th over Zubin Surkari got run out and Kenya lost their second wicket on 37/2. He scored 10. An over later Ruvindu Gunasekera was stumped out in James Ngoche's over with keeper Maurice Ouma performing the final rites. He fell for 18 and Canada to 48/3.

Three wickets down and the score not too impressive, it was time for the Canadian batsmen to forge a partnership. And that's when skipper Ashish Bagai and Jimmy Hansra into into the picture. Batting impressively and patiently the two helped Canada cross the 100-run mark in the 25th over. 

Deep into their partnership the two decided to go according to the book. While Hansra upped the tempo hitting boundaries and over the fence shots, Bagai chose to go steady and provide Hansra with support from the other end. The two batted on to put 132 runs for the fourth wicket before Hansra fell to Nehemiah Odhiamboin the 43rd over of the innings. He went for an aerial shot but James Ngoche in the deep claimed a fine catch to send him back on 70. Canada score at the stage was 180/4. His 70-run innings was punctuated with seven fours and two sixes.

But skipper Bagai was still at the crease and he batted on to help Canada win by five wickets. Bagai remained unbeaten on 64, scoring six seven fours on the way. Canada reached the target in the 46th over when an Elijah Otieno ball was driven towards the boundary by Bagai and Canada score read 199/5 in 45.3 overs.

Canada innings 

Canada's Henry Osinde scalped four as Kenya were bundled out for 198. Earlier, Kenya won the toss and elected to bat. But, the decision didn't really go in their favour as they lost their opener Maurice Ouma to Henry Osinde on the second ball of the innings.

Soon the other opener Seren Waters too departed with Osinde claiming him in the fifth over. Kenya fell to 7/2.

But that wasn't the end of the misery for Kenya as they lost two more wickets with Osinde claiming David Obuya on the last ball of the seventh over and Harvir Baidwan scalped Collins Obuya in the 12 over to reduce Kenya to 41/4. 

Experienced batsman Steve Tikolo (12) too could not stay at the crease for long. As Rizwan Cheema accounted for his wicket on the last ball of the 15th over to push Kenya to 57/5.

After these assaults, Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande and Tanmay Mishra tired to revive the innings with their partnership. The duo batted on to help Kenya cross 100-run mark. But their partnership came to an end when a Balaji Rao's turner got the better of him on 109/6. He got out for 22 after a 52-run partnership with Mishra.

But their innings was far from over as soon Mishra forged a partnership with Thomas Odoyo. Mishra took the onus of pushing up the run-rate. He dealt in singles and doubles to counter the Canadian attack. But, no sooner had he crossed his half-century that he fell.

John Davison lured Mishra into playing a big hit with a flighted delivery. He took the bait and went for an aerial shot but ended up giving a catch to Zubin Surkari at mid-off. He fell for 51 and Kenya went a wicket down to 166/7 in 42.1 overs.

From here on it was easy for the Canadians, who went for the kill and wrapped up their innings in good time. Thomas Odoyo scored 51 before being bowled out by Harvir Baidwan on the last ball.

Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/131724/sports/can-vs-ken-match-report.html

SA vs WI: De Villiers hits a ton as SA win by 7 wickets

South African batsman Abraham Benjamin de Villiers celebrated his century as his team-mates celebrated a fine seven wicket win over the West Indies in New Delhi on Thursday. 

Chasing a meagre 223 for victory in their World Cup Group B match at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium, the South Africans reached the target in the 43rd over.

Their chase was disrupted by light showers post the 38th over when the team total was 199/ 3 with de Villiers batting on 97 and J.P. Duminy on 28. The match resumed within minutes giving de Villiers an opportunity to complete his ton.

De Villiers remained unbeaten on 107 and Duminy on 42

However, the Proteas didn't get off to a good start losing early wickets in their chase. First they lost their opener Hashim Amla and then it was the big-match player Jacques Kallis to walk off the crease with 4 runs written against his name. 

Both wickets fell in controversial fashion. In case of Amla (14), paceman Kemar Roach had overstepped slightly while bowling and Kallis had just walked off after being caught by skipper Darren Sammy in the slip off left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn. There was doubt that the ball had carried off his bat. South Africa fell to 20/2 in 5 overs. Whatever the case, the spinner-pacer combination worked well for the West Indies.

But South Africa, considering the form that they are in, had little reason to worry and their skipper Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers went about their business as usual. The two put on an impressive 119 runs for third wicket milking the opposition bowlers at ease.

Their partnership lasted for more than an hour and erased away the early advantage that the Windies had earned. Finally in the 29th over, paceman Kieron Pollard curved in a delivery to left-hander Smith and uprooted his off-stump on 139/3. Smith fell for 45. 

West Indies innings

West Indies were all out for 222 as the opposition bowlers tightened the noose at death.

South Africa skipper Graeme Smith put the Windies in the middle and West Indies opener Chris Gayle departed on the third ball of the match with offie Johan Botha claiming his wicket.

A surprising decision by South Africa skipper Graeme Smith to give the ball to off-spinner Johan Botha in the very first over. But, the moved paid off as in the third ball of the over he struck to send danger-man Chris Gayle back into the pavilion.

A good length ball from Botha pitched outside off took the edge off Gayle's bat to and Jacques Kallis did the rest in the first slip. West Indies slumped to 2/1 in the very first over.

One wicket down early on but West Indies had little to fear as their other opener Devon Smith and new man Darren Bravo continued to bat on and frustrate the Protea bowlers. The duo put on 111 for the second wicket before a change in bowling accounted for Bravo on 113/2.

On this occasion too it was Botha, who did the trick, claiming him Leg Before. Bravo scored a fine 73 off 82 balls. Post his dismissal Smith too fell on 117/3 with another spinner Imran Tahir claiming his wicket on 36.

Tahir struck again to scalp another danger-man Ramnaresh Sarwan when the West Indies score was 120. He only put two on board before a LBW decision send him back.

Then Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwyane Bravo got on with another partnership. They put on 58 runs for fifth wicket before Bravo got run out on 40. The Windies score at this juncture was 178/5 in 37.5 overs.

However, post Dwyane Bravo's wicket the West Indies batting line-up faltered and they lost quick wickets. Chanderpaul departed when the score was 209/6 and South African paceman Dale Steyn claimed Kieron Pollard on a duck when the score was 213/7. From here on things became easy for the Protea pacers, who got busy counting the opposition scalps.

West Indies could only manage to put 222 on board and were bowled out in the 48th over.

Source:-http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/130780/sports/sa-vs-wi-match-report.html