ICC World Cup 2011: New Zealand beat Kenya by 10 wickets

Pacer Hamish Bennett picked up a career-best four-wicket haul as New Zealand trounced Kenya by 10 wickets in a totally lop-sided World Cup Group A encounter at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. 

Electing to bat first, the Kenyans were sent packing for their lowest World Cup total of 69 in just 23.5 overs before the Kiwis overhauled the paltry target in eight overs.

With just 31.5 overs played, New Zealand recorded the second fastest World Cup victory. In fact, it was a match which lasted less than a third of what a full cricket one-dayer would be.

Kiwi opener Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum scored quick-fire knocks of 39 and 26 respectively to take their team home within three hours.

Earlier, Bennett, who will turn 24 on Tuesday, was the wrecker-in-chief for New Zealand, who came into the mega-event rather low on confidence after losing successive ODI series to Bangladesh and India a few months ago.

His four wickets were instrumental in reducing the Kenyans to their lowest score after the 104 against the West Indies in the 2003 World Cup. This was also the fifth lowest by any team in the World Cup history.

Playing only his ninth ODI for New Zealand after taking 11 wickets from six matches against Pakistan at home recently, Bennett ripped through the clueless Kenyan batting line-up by claiming four wickets in the space of 10 balls as his dream first spell read 5-0-16-4.

Bennett's earlier best came a fortnight ago against Pakistan in Auckland when he took 4 for 46.

Bennett's pace partners, Tim Southee (3/13) and Jacob Oram (3/2) shared the other six Kenyan wickets.

For Kenya, only three batsmen - opener Seren Waters (16), Collins Obuya (14) and Indian-origin Rakep Patel (16 not out) - got into double figures.

Such was the capitulation that the last three Kenyan players - Nejhemiah Odhiam, Shem Ngoche and Elijah Otieno - departed without even disturbing the scorecard.

The Kenyans, opting to bat first on a grass-less wicket, were totally exposed and they lacked technical prowess mostly going across to get rapped on their pads.

Their top five batsmen were adjudged leg before including Maurice Ouma, who went in for a referral, which only confirmed the umpire's original decision.

As the match started, the openers, Alex Obanda and Waters were seen to be well up to their task taking time to analyse the conditions and plodded to get their eyes in while stealing some quick singles.

New Zealand Captain Daniel Vettori decided to open the attack with both pace and spin in operation, bringing in Nathan McCullum from the far end.

But it was Southee, who provided the first breakthrough by dismissing Obanda leg before.

Obanda, who misread the angle of a good length delivery, made 6.

Thereafter, it was Bennett who ruled the roost dismissing Waters, the experienced Steve Tikolo (2), who is playing his fifth world cup, Obuya and Maurice Ouma (1).

With the top five batsmen wilting under pressure, the remaining five batsmen added just 20 runs and Oram polished off the tail in quick time.

The chase was never meant to cause much hassle for the Kiwi batsmen and Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill went after the Kenyan bowling attack from the very start.

While Guptill's 39 runs came off 32 balls, including five fours and a couple of sixes, McCullum took 17 balls to knock off his 26 runs, 16 of which came in boundaries.

Nehemiah Odhiambo ended up being the costliest of the Kenyan bowlers, conceding 21 runs in his two overs, while Thomas Odoyo was no better, giving away 25 runs in his three overs.

Source:-http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/130401/world-cup-cricket-2011/icc-world-cup-2011-kenya-vs-new-zealand-live.html

Pathan ton in vain, SA win by 33 runs

Hosts South Africa beat India by 33 runs (D/L method) in the rain-marred fifth and final ODI to win the series 3-2 at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday. SCORE

Chasing 268, India were all out on 234. The win could have been massive but for Yusuf Pathan's batting blitzkrieg, that saw him score a 68-ball ton towards the end.

 Yusuf Pathan on way to his 105 in Centurion. AP
Coming in to bat at the stage when India were 60/5, Pathan changed the face of the game with his sixes and fours. Spinners or pacers - all were sent across the park. In fact, the over before he was dismissed he hit two sixes and two fours in Lonwabo Tsotsobe's over.


He forged a 100-run ninth wicket stand with Zaheer Khan bringing down the escalating run rate to run-a-ball. But a lofted shot off paceman Morne Morkel ended his 105-run innings that was decorated with eight sixes and an equal number of fours.

Morkel completed his four-wicket haul when Faf du Plessis caught him at extra cover.

Keeping aside Pathan's impressive knock, the hosts dominated the proceedings from the start.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss but failed to capitalise on it. He chose to field first under overcast conditions - a surprising decision keeping in mind that the lopsided Duckworth Lewis method was lurching round the corner.

That and Hashim Amla's impressive 116 not out, took the game away from the Indians.
South Africa put 250 on board in their stipulated 46 overs. But the same target after the D/L calculations swelled and India ended up chasing 268 for a win.

Batting second with a huge total looming large and ball doing wonders in the moist air, India had little chance.

Opener Rohit Sharma was the first to get a taste of South Africa attack that had become lethal under the prevailing conditions.

Even before he could settle down he was bowled out by Lonwabo Tsotsobe on 5 with an inside edge crashing into his stumps. There wasn't any foot movement and his bat-pad gate was wide open.

With a poor stance Sharma's chances were slim, but what followed could have been avoided as Virat Kohli, who had scored a fine 87 in the last match, too fell early.

Morne Morkel's ball took an outside edge off Kohli's bat to carry to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers. He fell for two and India slumped to 32/2.

Then it was skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's turn to walk. It's time he does something about his batting that has hit a new low in South Africa. He managed to score five before Morkel send him back on 45/3.

Post Dhoni, Morkel upped the ante and claimed Parthiv Patel too and India fell to 60/4. Parthiv could only score 38, still his innings was a lot better than those who failed to cross the single digit number.

Hashim Amla en route to his century. AP
However, South Africa's experienced pacer Dale Steyn was still wicket-less. He got an opportunity to open his account when Yuvraj Singh edged his ball to Duminy in the slips when batting on eight. India fell to 60/5. He followed that up with Suresh Raina's wicket.

The left-handed batsman scored a four off Steyn but the next ball was tinge higher than what Raina had expected. He played it on the up but failed to clear Morkel in the deep. India were 74/6 at the stage with practically no chance of a win.

Finally, Yusuf Pathan did what he is famous for - go after the bowlers without thinking of the outcome.

He along with Zaheer Khan batted on to forge a 100-run ninth wicket partnership that highlighted the Indian innings that came to an end on 234 in the 41st over.

Zaheer, who supported Pathan in his endeavour scored a useful 24.

SA innings

Earlier, Hashim Amla became the first batsman to score a century in this ODI series even as the rain gods tried to spoil his concentration.

South Africa were batting on 226/3 in 42 overs against India when showers pushed the covers on.

Post the rains, which lasted for more than an hour, India scalped six wickets in quick succession to reduce the hosts to 250/9 in 46 overs. But Amla carried his bat through the innings to remain unbeaten on 116. The effort earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.

As is the norm in rain-reduced matches, the teams batting second get a revised score with the Duckworth Lewis method coming into the picture.

In this case too the D/L method was applied and the revised score for India was 268 in 46 overs.

Put in after India won the toss, Amla batted with determination scoring an unbeaten 116. On the way he forged two partnerships even as the India bowlers found hard to contain the Protea charge.

South Africa' Morne van Wyk en route to his 56 in Centurion on Sunday. AP
First Amla put on 97 runs for the second wicket with Morne van Wyk and then got busy with another long innings with Jean-Paul Duminy.


Amla and Duminy had put on 102 for the fourth wicket before Munaf Patel scalped Duminy caught and bowled on 35 after the match resumed.

From there on the India pacers got busy counting their victims. Zaheer Khan ended up with two while Munaf claimed three wickets.

In the morning, Protea skipper Graeme Smith failed to read a Zaheer Khan ball and departed early. Pitched on the off, the ball took a strong edge off his bat and Yusuf Pathan did the rest in the slips cordon. He fell for 7 as the hosts went one down with 16 runs on board.

However, India bowlers failed to work on the advantage as Hashim Amla and Morne van Wyk batted on to push the score to 113.

Source:-http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/127470/top-stories/india-vs-south-africa-odi-live-update.html