England swept to ICC World Twenty20 glory on the back of a thrilling seven-wicket win over Australia in a thoroughly one-sided final in Barbados.

They overhauled a target of 148 with full three overs to spare, earning them a first global title after 35 years of asking and capping a remarkable upturn in fortunes in the shortest form of the game.

It could be argued that the contest was settled during a blistering start to a contest that lived up to all expectations – at least for the numerous travelling England supporters at the Kensington Oval.

They claimed three wickets in the first three overs to lop the top off a powerful Australia batting line-up, and, although they recovered to post 147 for six, Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen banished any remaining doubts over the outcome with a ferocious second-wicket stand of 111 in barely 11 overs.

Kieswetter smashed 63 off 49 balls and Pietersen 47 off 31, breaking the back of a run-chase that faltered only when both perished in the space of seven balls with the winning line in sight.

That allowed Paul Collingwood to hit the winning runs, deserved reward for a captain who has done so much to shape this vastly improved side.

As uplifting as England’s triumph was, the manner in which they played today – and throughout the latter stages of the tournament – will have brought more much cheer to those fans who have seen their side struggle to find a winning formula in limited-overs cricket.

That approach was exemplified by man-of-the-match Kieswetter and player-of-the-tournament Pietersen, who employed the sort of brutal strokeplay that has characterised England’s campaign to ensure the early loss of Michael Lumb was no more than a hiccup.

Reduced to a perilous eight for three after 17 balls, Australia were thankful for a spirited middle-order recovery started by Michael Clarke and featuring valuable contributions from Cameron White and David Hussey.

Clarke negotiated England’s early charge to make a run-a-ball 27, White smote 30 off 19 deliveries and Hussey made a more measured 59 off 54.

England’s bowlers – led by the exemplary Graeme Swann, who claimed 1-17 off four exemplary overs – came in for some late punishment, but Ryan Sidebottom nevertheless emerged with admirable figures of 2-26.

By contrast, Australia struggled to contain Kieswetter and Pietersen, and the lack of a frontline fifth bowler did not aid their cause; Shane Watson was plundered for 42 off three overs as England romped home in thrilling fashion.

The emphatic manner in which England wrapped up victory mirrored their early dominance with the ball, which began when Watson edged Sidebottom’s third delivery.

Wicketkeeper Kieswetter failed to cling on high to his right, but Swann, at slip, cut short his celebrations to pouch the rebound.

Australia’s nerves were evident in their reckless running between the wickets early on, and David Warner perished as a result, called for a ludicrous single by Clarke and comfortably beaten by Lumb’s direct hit as he charged in from cover point.

England’s joy turned to euphoria when Brad Haddin fell two balls later, Kieswetter diving full-length down the leg side to take a gloved pull.

There was no better indication of where the balance of power lay than the fact that Australia did not score a boundary until the fifth over, and managed just two in the first 12.

England’s tried and tested plan of employing both spinners in tandem after the fielding restrictions had been lifted bore fruit as Swann accounted for Australia captain Clarke in his second over.

Beaten in the flight as he advanced, Clarke chipped to short midwicket, where Collingwood flung himself to his left to take one of the catches of the tournament.

Hussey and White traded sixes in one Michael Yardy over that cost 21 as Australia finally found some momentum, and they looked to have laid the platform for a late-innings assault by sharing a half-century stand off 37 balls.

Their alliance had appeared increasingly ominous for England when Stuart Broad, back-pedalling at mid-on, misjudged a skier to reprieve David Hussey on 25, but he redeemed himself in remarkable fashion the following over.

Although White sliced Luke Wright, bowling his first over of the competition, over point, Broad made good ground towards the boundary to claim a splendid sliding catch.

David and Mike Hussey repaired the damage once more with a combination of controlled hitting and clever placement, David pulling a waist-high full toss from Tim Bresnan for six before stepping across to off and flicking Broad expertly over short fine-leg.

He went to a 49-ball fifty in the penultimate over of the innings, only to be beaten by Wright’s throw from long-on as he chased a second run to get back on strike moments later.

The early departure of Lumb, who drilled Shaun Tait to mid-on, failed to deter Kieswetter and Pietersen, both of whom refused to rein in the attacking instincts which have served them so well in the Caribbean.

Kieswetter’s method relies on a certain amount of luck, but the majority of his shots were packed with authority, most memorably a mighty sweep for six off a perfectly reasonable Watson delivery.

Pietersen was no less emphatic. As with Kieswetter, there were plentiful meaty drives, and his innings peaked when he lifted Tait, Australia’s quickest bowler, over mid-on and into the stand at long-off off successive balls.

Kieswetter charged to his maiden international Twenty20 half-century off only 40 balls, and the 100 stand arrived off just 62. He celebrated by lifting Dirk Nannes one-handed over deep backward square-leg for six.

Pietersen lofted Steven Smith to long-off and Kieswetter was bowled, bizarrely, making room and offering no shot to Mitchell Johnson to raise fears of an England wobble.

A swept six from Eoin Morgan set the stage for Collingwood, who weighed into the hapless Watson with a flurry of trademark heaves through the leg side to spark scenes of utter jubilation amongst England players which have never been seen before in coloured clothing.

Source: ECB

Michael Hussey’s latest rescue mission saw Australia beat defending champions Pakistan by three wickets with just a ball to spare to reach the World Twenty20 final on Friday.

Set a huge 192 to win, Australia collapsed to 62 for four.

But, initially through Cameron White, who made 43, and Hussey’s unbeaten 60, they recovered and will now face old rivals England in Sunday’s final at Barbados’s Kensington Oval.

Australia needed 18 to win off the last over, from off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.

Mitchell Johnson took a single off the first ball and then Hussey took over.

The left-hander pulled Ajmal for six, struck him over long-on for six more, brought the scores level with a four and thumped another six for good measure as Australia finished on 197 for seven in pursuit of 192.

The man-of-the-match faced just 24 balls, but hit six sixes and three fours.

Hussey had come in after brother David had fallen to leave Australia 105 for five in the 13th over.

But the elder Hussey refused to be cowed and together with Johnson, who made a mere five from three balls, put on an unbroken 53 in just 16 balls.

“This game of cricket just keeps amazing me every day,” Michael Hussey said.

“I can’t believe it, it’s one of the best feelings of my career.”

Cameron White sparked the initial revival, with 43 off 31 balls, including five sixes, and Michael Hussey said: “Cameron has batted really well all tournament, we needed someone to change the momentum and he did that really well.”

Elated Australia captain Michael Clarke said: “Michael Hussey is an absolute freak…Once Cameron got out I thought it was going to be really tough but with Hussey in you never know.”

Defeated Pakistan captain Shahid Afrid added: “It was a very good (Pakistan) total but the way White and Hussey played, they played mature and good innings.

“We perhaps lost it in the last over but Ajmal has bowled really well in this tournament.”

Opener Kamran Akmal’s 50 and younger brother Umar’s even more rapid 56 not out came against an Australia side, yet to lose at this tournament, which had thrashed them by 34 runs in a first round group match.

Left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer, who led the attack with three wickets for 35 runs, removed Australia openers David Warner (nought) and Shane Watson (16).

And when wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal completed two neat stumpings off left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman and leg-spinner Afridi to dismiss Brad Haddin and captain Michael Clarke respectively, Australia were 62 for four inside nine overs.

David Hussey and White staged a brief revival before the former was caught and bowled by Rehman.

White though kept swinging away but when he drove an Aamer full toss straight to Mohammad Hafeez, Australia were 139 for six in the 17th over.

Australia though, thanks to Michael Hussey, kept going to seal a superb come-from-behind win.

Pakistan, sent in by Clarke after rain delayed the start, saw their innings start with a Dirk Nannes maiden.

But Kamran Akmal and left-hander Salman Butt (32) shared a first-wicket stand of 82 as Australia’s pace trio of Nannes, Shaun Tait and Johnson failed to make an early breakthrough.

Nannes’s second over saw the match’s first boundaries when Kamran Akmal, stepping away to leg, lofted him high over the covers. Next ball he drove straight down the ground for another four.

Kamran Akmal was severe on Watson, driving the medium-pacer’s first ball back for a huge six.

Akmal then took two more boundaries off Watson to complete a fine fifty off just 32 balls with two sixes and six fours.

But he was out for 50 after Warner, running round from the extra-cover boundary, took a fine diving catch off Johnson.

Umar Akmal smashed Johnson for two enormous sixes, the second a crunching pull over midwicket that saw him to fifty in just 29 balls, with four sixes and two fours.

Source: NDTV Cricket

England stormed into the final of the ICC World Twenty20 with a crushing seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia.

A potentially tight semi-final tussle never came to pass after England restricted their opponents to 128 for six – and then knocked off that inadequate total with four overs to spare.

Sri Lanka, who won the toss, paid for losing early wickets and left England with breathing space to pace what proved an easy chase on a sluggish surface.

Paul Collingwood’s team are therefore only the fifth from their country to reach an International Cricket Council tournament final, and will have their chance to claim a piece of history at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Sunday by becoming the first to win the silverware for England in 35 years of trying.

Pakistan or, more enticingly, Australia will earn the right to face them there when they meet in tomorrow’s second semi-final at this venue.

England had clever game-plans for each batsman, and most worked to a tee as only Angelo Mathews, who top-scored with 58, cut any ice for Sri Lanka.

Even the powerful Mathews struggled to reach, let alone clear, the ropes – with only three fours and one six in his 40-ball fifty.

But he stayed put to keep Sri Lanka’s faint hopes alive of reaching a second successive final in this competition, eventually cashing in when Tim Bresnan – so impressive over the past two weeks – proved a relative weak link, leaking 17 runs in his final over to concede 41 in all.

Although Bresnan’s first delivery of the match – a leg-stump half-volley – was routinely dispatched for four by Mahela Jayawardene, England could scarcely have got off to a better start in powerplay.

Collingwood profited personally for posting himself at second slip when he pocketed a Sanath Jayasuriya edge from Ryan Sidebottom’s first ball.

Tillakaratne Dilshan mis-hooked Bresnan to be well caught by Luke Wright, diving in at deep square-leg; then Stuart Broad emulated Sidebottom, by striking with his first ball, for the big wicket of Sri Lanka lynchpin Jayawardene.

Broad has espoused the virtue of aiming to hit the top of off-stump, and that no-nonsense approach did the trick as a little extra bounce had Jayawardene edging behind.

Sri Lanka then found themselves 47 for the loss of their top four in the 10th over, Kumar Sangakkara getting too much on a chip towards long-off at Graeme Swann and Kevin Pietersen making no mistake with a running catch.

The next five overs went Sri Lanka’s way, but not damagingly so as Mathews and fellow big-hitter Chamara Kapugedera were forced to play more conservatively than is their nature.

Mathews might have been run out on 18, with the score on 58 for four, by a better throw from Michael Lumb as the batsman scampered a tight two into the off-side deep.

With the spin overs gone, Broad and Sidebottom’s tactics were slow bouncers and clever lines – which mostly did the trick, despite the occasional wide or no-ball call, as Mathews and Kapugedera found it hard to adapt to altered timing requirements.

Kapugedera fell to a back-foot drive at Broad which did not beat mid-off – but Mathews kept going almost till the end, eventually run out trying for his 10th two.

If Sri Lanka dared to hope they had salvaged a total they could defend, they did not do so for long as Craig Kieswetter and Lumb racked up an opening stand of 68 in under nine overs.

Kieswetter, in particular, succeeded where Sri Lanka had failed – striking powerfully to and beyond the boundaries, until Lasith Malinga interrupted him in full flow with a swinging yorker.

Lumb had luck on his side. He should have been run out on 11, but Ajantha Mendis dropped the ball with the England opener stranded – and substitute fielder Nuwan Kulasekara then could not hold on to a tough chance at long-off, with Lumb on 23.

He made 10 more before aiming adventurously across the line and losing his middle-stump to Thissara Perera.

Paul Collingwood perished when he skied a leading edge off Perera, but Pietersen – back in harness after his Atlantic dash to see the birth of his first child – smashed an unbeaten 42 to complete a straightforward task with a six and a four from successive balls off Malinga.

Source: ECB

West Indies saved their worst for last as they were knocked out of their home tournament with a crushing six-wicket defeat by Australia. The hosts were in trouble as soon as the captain Chris Gayle fell second ball and flopped to 105, which their unbeaten opponents eased past in 16.2 overs.

Australia’s next engagement is Friday’s semi-final against Pakistan while Sri Lanka, who qualified in the first game of the day in St Lucia, face England on Thursday. Sri Lanka’s five-wicket victory over India left West Indies needing to win by 24 runs to reach the last four ahead of Kumar Sangakkara’s side, but that quickly proved impossible.

All Michael Clarke’s men needed to do to qualify on top of Group F was avoid a heavy loss. Instead they produced another muscular performance as they chase their first global Twenty20 title.

David Warner blasted four boundaries and a huge six over long-on in 12 balls to kick-start the pursuit. He fell for 25 when edging Jerome Taylor and when Shane Watson (5) played-on to Sulieman Benn in the next over the hosts started to wonder.

The slim hope was brief as Brad Haddin took over once he got comfortable to secure the result and give Australia their fifth win in the tournament. Haddin finished with 42 off 46, departing a ball before Gayle delivered five wides to end the match. David Hussey was 10 not out as the tourists finished at 109 for 3.

The only worry for Australia entering the next stage is the ability of Clarke to lift the pace when required. Given a risk-free opportunity to show some muscle, he chipped the ball around in his usual style to collect 16 from 24 before being run-out by Dwayne Bravo’s direct hit from backward point.

West Indies did not recover after losing Gayle, who played on to Dirk Nannes, and Australia’s well-rounded attack picked off his team-mates with ease as the innings ended six balls early. West Indies slumped to 60 for 5 in the 10th over as they were out-gunned, with Mitchell Johnson collecting 2 for 22, before the legspinner Steven Smith snuffed out any chance of a revival. Smith was on a hat-trick when he removed Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy on the way to an impressive 3 for 20.

Ramnaresh Sarwan, the No. 3, tried to hold the innings together with 26 off 32 balls, but there was too much damage at the other end and he exited in the 15th over. Nikita Miller (10 not out) and Benn (9) were left to add 20 for the last wicket to take West Indies to triple figures.

The other opener Shivnarine Chanderpaul (24) raised the rate after Gayle’s exit before attempting to force Johnson down the ground, where David Hussey dived for an athletic take at mid-on. West Indies were 52 for 3 when Bravo was unlucky to be run out for 6 after Sarwan drove back to Johnson and the ball brushed the bowler’s fingers to ricochet on to the stumps. An over later Narsingh Deonarine hadn’t scored as he found Michael Hussey at deep square leg to give Smith his first wicket.

Johnson’s second came with Denesh Ramdin’s edge behind on 1 and Pollard was stumped from a beautiful ball from Smith, who confused the batsman with a drifting legspinner. Smith then caught-and-bowled Sammy and when Sarwan fell to David Hussey (2 for 3), West Indies’ chances of a home success were gone.

Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo

Sri Lanka took a huge stride towards the World Twenty20 semifinals with a five-wicket last ball win over India that knocked their Asian rivals out of the tournament on Tuesday.

Chamara Kapugedera’s six off the final ball saw Sri Lanka to a dramatic win after man-of-the-match Angelo Mathews and captain Kumar Sangakkara both made 46 to revive the innings after a top-order collapse.

If Australia beat hosts the West Indies in the day’s second and final Group F match, also at Beausejour, Sri Lanka will go through to the last four.

And even if the Aussies are beaten, they would have to lose by 24 runs for the West Indies to get in ahead of 2009 beaten finalists Sri Lanka.

India – who lost all their Super Eights matches – had to win by at least 20 runs to keep their own slim semifinal hopes alive.

Having made 163 for five, that meant restricting Sri Lanka to 143 or under.

But their hopes of doing just that ended when Chamara Kapugedera struck a Vinay Kumar full toss for six off the penultimate ball of the 19th over.

Kapugedara repeated the dose next ball and Sri Lanka needed 13 to win off the last over.

Mathews put them in sight by smashing the first ball of the 20th over, from left-arm quick Ashish Nehra for six.

But he was run out off the fifth ball going for a tight single by bowler Nehra’s direct hit, having faced 37 balls with three sixes and two fours.

However, with three needed off the last ball, Kapugedera carved Nehra over cover for six to finish on 37 not out.

Sri Lanka were rocked by the early loss of star batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya.

Jayawardene’s previous scores this tournament were 81, 101, 98 not out and nine. But he was out third ball when he nicked a good length delivery from Nehra and was caught at slip by Yusuf Pathan.

Veteran left-hander Jayasuriya was out for a duck when he pulled Vinay Kumar straight to Dinesh Karthik at deep midwicket.

Tillakaratne Dilshan, player of the tournament at last year’s World Twenty20 in England, made 33 at better than a run-a-ball before he swung Pathan to Yuvraj Singh at deep backward square.

But Sangakkara hit back with a 33-ball innings featuring three sixes and two fours before he was bowled middle stump missing a cut shot against Kumar.

Sangakkara’s exit left Sri Lanka 105 for four in the 15th over.

Kapugedera was given a reprieve on seven when, looking to guide Nehra through third man he edged behind but a diving Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s captain and wicketkeeper, couldn’t hold the one-handed chance.

Suresh Raina top scored with 63 for India on the ground where he made a century against South Africa earlier in the tournament.

India were well-placed for a big score at 90 for one at the halfway stage but Sri Lanka, led by unorthodox quick Lasith Malinga (two for 25), restricted them to just 73 runs from the second 10 overs.

Source: Times of India

England scrambled a three-wicket win over New Zealand to complete a perfect ICC World Twenty20 Super Eight record.

England needed to reach only 120 in reply to the Black Caps’ 149 for six in today’s final Group E match at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia, to remain top of the table on run-rate.

But on the back of an important stand of 52 between Eoin Morgan and Luke Wright, they did the job properly to ensure they can welcome Kevin Pietersen back from his fatherly duties in London – where his baby son was born today – with the lure of a chance to reach his first final in a world event.

New Zealand, meanwhile, paid for missing their opportunity and were edged out for a place in the last four on run-rate by defending champions Pakistan – who, like South Africa, also managed just one Super Eight victory to England’s three.

From the moment Craig Kieswetter got England’s run-chase off to a flying start with a straight six and a four in Nathan McCullum’s first over, they were almost always on course to book a semi-final back at this ground on Thursday – against the runners-up in Group F.

Kieswetter was gone by the end of the third over, slicing a catch to point off Kyle Mills.

Pietersen’s understudy Ravi Bopara failed to beat the off-side ring and was caught at cover when he tried to muscle Scott Styris’ lack of pace for a boundary, and Michael Lumb went lbw for 33 sweeping at Daniel Vettori on the same score in the next over.

Styris’ skills were ideally suited to this stop-start surface, and Paul Collingwood soon fell victim too when he chipped a catch to midwicket – the third of three wickets in three overs for six runs.

That wobble to 66 for four made New Zealand temporary favourites, only for Morgan to once again demonstrate his big-game temperament with a fluent 40.

Wright eventually hooked a slower Shane Bond bouncer to be caught at deep backward-square for 24.

But Morgan stayed put almost until the end, leaving Tim Bresnan to finish the job with 23 not out after he was athletically caught by Vettori off a mis-pull at Bond, as England got home with five balls to spare.

After winning the toss, the Black Caps had Brendon McCullum, Styris and Ross Taylor’s useful contributions to thank principally for a total which proved inadequate but was more than either Pakistan or South Africa managed earlier in the day on the same pitch.

McCullum lost his opening partner Jesse Ryder to a mow across the line, bowled by Bresnan, but still gave his team some run-a-ball momentum in the first half of the innings.

He was to go to the second of two catches in the leg-side deep off Graeme Swann for 33, Stuart Broad having made a notable take and cleverly stayed just inside the rope at deep backward-square to see off Aaron Redmond.

From 65 for three in the 11th over, Taylor and Styris added another 62 in seven until the latter got little distance and too much height on an attempted hit over the top to be well held by Wright for 31.

That was the first of two wickets in an over by Broad, Gareth Hopkins bowled for just a single – and although Taylor stayed long enough to count his second six off Ryan Sidebottom en route to 44, New Zealand had to settle for a lower score than had seemed likely.

In the final analysis, it was within England’s range – meaning this time there will not even be the almost mandatory last-four place for New Zealand in an International Cricket Council tournament.

Source: ECB

South Africa were knocked out of Twenty20 World Cup when they lost to Pakistan by 11 runs as the defending champions kept their hopes alive in the tournament at the Beausejour Stadium in St. Lucia on Monday.

Saeed Ajmal took 4 wickets as South Africa failed to chase a low victory target of 149 runs, managing 137/7 in their 20 overs.

Pakistan can still go through to the semi-final of the tournament if England beat New Zealand in the next match.

The Proteas got off to a poor start in their run chase as Misbah-ul-Haq took a good catch at mid-wicket to dismiss Herschelle Gibbs (3) off Abdul Razzaq in the third over.

Smith’s poor form in the tournament continued as he fell after scoring a run-a-ball 13.

South Africa lost their second wicket when their captain Graeme Smith gave a simple catch to his Pakistani counterpart Shahid Afridi at mid-on.

Umar Akmal took a good catch at long-on to dismiss Jacques Kallis and reduce South Africa to 56/3.

South Africa then slid further into trouble as Jean-Paul Duminy gave a simple catch to Khalid Latif at deep mid-wicket to be reduced to 68/4.

AB de Villiers kept the South African hopes alive by hitting a half-century off 38 balls just before taking South Africa over the 100-run mark.

But soon after de Villiers was caught behind by Kamran Akmal while playing a scoop shot.

Mark Boucher contributed with a 14-ball 12 and AB Morkel remained unbeaten on a run-a-ball 7 as the Proteas could not get big hits off the Pakistani spinners.

Earlier, Charl Langeveldt took 4 wickets as South Africa restricted Pakistan to 148/7.

Opting to bat, the defending champions got off to a bad start as Dale Steyn gave South Africa an early breakthrough when he had Salman Butt caught by captain Graeme Smith at mid-on.

Pakistan lost their second wicket when Jacques Kallis had Khalid Latif caught by Dale Steyn at mid-on.

Pakistan were in a spot of bother at 18/3 when Langeveldt trapped Mohammad Hafeez plumb in front of the wicket.

Akmal hit 2 sixes and 3 fours in his 33-ball 37 and added 51 runs with his brother Umar Akmal for the fourth wicket before Herschelle Gibbs took a good diving catch at backward point to dismiss him and reduce Pakistan to 69/4.

Umar Akmal then put up a 61-run stand with his captain Shahid Afridi as Pakistan crossed the 100-run mark.

But just when Akmal and Afridi looked to take Pakistan to a formidable total, Langeveldt dismissed Akmal and Afridi in one over to reduce Pakistan to 132/6.

Akmal hit 4 sixes and 2 fours in his 33-ball 51 before he was caught by Herschelle Gibbs at long-on. Langeveldt struck again three deliveries later when he clean bowled Afridi who hit a six and 4 fours in his 18-ball 30.

Misbah-ul-Haq threw his bat around before he was dismissed by Langeveldt for 3 and Abdul Razzaq remained not out on 10-ball 11.

Both teams have made one change in their teams. Pakistan have brought in Khalid Latif in place of Mohammad Sami and South Africa have replaced Morne Morkel with Roelof van der Merwe.

Teams:

Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (Capt.), Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal, Khalid Latif.

South Africa: Graeme Smith (Capt.), Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, Albie Morkel, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher, Johan Botha, Dale Steyn, Roelof van der Merwe, Charl Langeveldt.

Source: Times of India

Cameron White smashed a gutsy 49-ball 85 as a rampaging Australia stormed into the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 after trouncing Sri Lanka by 81 runs in their Super Eights match here on Sunday.

Battling all odds, White came up a with a stunner of an innings that lifted Australia to 168 for five from a calamitous start after electing to bat.

White’s crafty knock and his unbeaten 101-run partnership with Mike Hussey (39) snatched the initiative from the Sri Lankans, who had reduced the Australians to 67 for five.

Spinner Suraj Randiv was responsible for Australia’s misery early on as he bowled a dream spell in which he took three wickets and conceded just 20 runs.

Sri Lanka’s start, like Australia, was disastrous as they lost wickets in a heap but they could find a White like rescuer and were bowled out for a paltry 87 in 16.2 overs.

Australia are unconquered so far and the comprehensive win in Sunday’s encounter, which boosted their net run-rate (+3.25), have ensured their place in the semi-finals.

Sri Lanka will now have to beat India on Tuesday and pray that Australia beat West Indies if they have to make the last-four stage.

In-form Mahela Jayawardene has been instrumental in his sides’s smooth run so far in the tournament and his failure on Sunday impacted Sri Lanka’s performance.

Also, the Australian fast bowlers yet again were clinical with Mitchell Johnson (3/15) and Dirk Nannes (2/19) sharing five wickets.

Jayawardene (9) fell immediately after hitting Nannes for a six and soon Sri Lanka were three for 26 as yet again Aussie pacers spit fire.

Tillakaratane Dilshan (20) and Angelo Mathews tried to put up some fight, hitting Shane Watson for 15 runs in the sixth over but Johnson removed both in the next over.

Dinesh Chandimal (19) was the other batsman to manage a double-digit score and his dismissal, a stumping off Steven Smith (2/13), ended all Lankan hopes.

Earlier, Randiv rocked the Australia middle-order before White scored a masterly half-century to rescue his side.

Electing to bat, Australia were in an unusually pathetic situation of having lost four wickets at a score of 33 and were reduced to 67 for five in 11 overs but White brought his side back in the match.

White made Sri Lanka pay heavily for dropping him, when he was on 23 in 11th over, and raised the match winning partnership with Mike Hussey.

Sri Lanka were all over Australia after Randiv’s super spell but White killed the Lankan joy with his bludgeoning innings, adorned with six fours and as many sixes.

His fiery 49-ball knock helped Australia muster 69 runs in the last five overs and go into the defence of the total with momentum.

White was going hammer and tongs while Mike Hussey, the ever reliable, supported him by rotating the strike.

Sri Lankan bowlers undid all the good work done at the start as they were hammered around all round the park.

Australia, who have looked so far the most dangerous side in the tournament, were off to a shocking start after winning the toss as their top-order collapsed.

Kumar Sangakkara made some intelligent moves and his bowlers — both pacers and spinners — responded well as they were spot with their line and length.

Angelo Mathews did not have fearsome pace but was rewarded for his persistence on the off-side as he removed dangerous Shane Watson (1) and Brad Haddin (15) in successive overs to give his side a fabulous start.

Randiv, drafted into final-XI on Sunday, made sure that his side does not feel the absence of Muttiah Muralitharan as he bowled a sensational first over, scalping David Warner (9) and David Hussey (0) off successive balls.

While Warner was out in the slip region, Hussey was stumped by Sangakkara after being foxed by the line.

Michael Clarke became the third victim of Randiv just two balls after Mendis dropped White.

Source; NDTV Cricket

Chris Gayle finished agonisingly short of becoming the first man to make two international Twenty20 centuries, but by the time he was run-out, he had already swiped West Indies to a total that provided too tall for India’s batsmen who yet again floundered against the short ball. The defeat leaves India facing an early exit for the third straight global tournament, and the same questions about batting technique which were raised followed the elimination from last year’s World Twenty20 will be asked again.

After Gayle’s slaphappy innings, in which almost all his runs came on the leg side, India’s top-order weren’t given anything to drive by West Indies’ new-ball bowlers. They faced the barrage of bouncers promised before the match, and even the short deliveries of the gentle medium-pacers Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo discomfited them initially.

The home side’s fielding was also a dramatic improvement to the error-strewn show against Sri Lanka, with Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard being exceptional. India’s batting slide started with an athletic forward-diving catch by Pollard at square leg to dismiss opener M Vijay, who again failed to replicate his IPL form on the more demanding tracks in the Caribbean. Gautam Gambhir was also having a tough time, and just after edging a bouncer from Kemar Roach in the fifth over between slip and the keeper, he failed to evade a scorching short ball to glove to Denesh Ramdin.

Two overs later, Rohit Sharma, the only batsman to enhance his reputation in the pasting by Australia, was controversially dismissed after the ball lobbed off his arm to the keeper. He stood his ground and asked Billy Bowden to call for the third umpire. After consultation with Simon Taufel, Bowden upheld his original decision, and India were down to 38 for 3, and the asking-rate was in double digits.

There were fitful efforts to resuscitate the chase: first by Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh, who showed glimpses of their top-class hitting in a 42- run stand, but both holed out in the space of five deliveries. MS Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan, two of the quickest scorers, swung a few sixes, and with 32 needed off the final two overs, it wasn’t only the most one-eyed of fans who were hoping for a win. However, Bravo’s slide-rule throw from long-on ended Dhoni’s stay and with it, the big crowd in Barbados knew an important win was sealed.

Unlike West Indies’ effort, the Indian fielding, usually a barometer of their performance, was shoddy, spilling two chances, one of which proved extremely expensive – Dhoni and Pathan colliding into each other as they went for a skier near square leg when Gayle was on 47, after which he blasted 51 off 26 deliveries.

Gayle was just opening out when that catch went down; he had warmed up with a whip over long-on for six in the eighth over and followed it up in the next with the biggest six of the tournament, off Pathan, which bounced on the roof. He then extended Ravindra Jadeja’s poor tournament by smearing his second ball, a full toss, for a flat six. Next up was Zaheer Khan, who was flicked over square leg for four, then Yusuf was clubbed down the ground so flat that the non-striker Sammy fell to the ground to take evasive action.

Then, Dhoni’s gamble of giving Raina the 17th over went awry, when Gayle smacked a couple more leg-side sixes. Gayle found the roof behind midwicket again in the next over, and looked set for a century when he entered the final over on 96. However, after Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan were sent back by Ashish Nehra, he tried to scramble back a second on the fourth delivery, but the end of his bat bumped in the air as he dived full-length to try and make his ground, and was run-out.

He was given good support by three partners through the innings. First Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who never really hit top gear though he showed off a range of reverse-sweeps, set up the base with a steady 80-run stand. West Indies then sent in a pinch-hitter Sammy, who played an array of proper cricketing shots, the highlight of which was a chip for six over long-off, to collect 19 off 10 deliveries. Finally, Pollard showed his batting is as much about power as timing during a quick cameo.

West Indies can bask in the glow of overwhelming India, but their celebrations will be tempered by the knowledge that they are still likely to need to beat a red-hot Australia to progress to the semi-finals.

Siddarth Ravindran is a sub-editor at Cricinfo

England put themselves on course for a place in the ICC World Twenty20 semi-finals with a 39-run trouncing of South Africa in the Super Eight match in Barbados.

They cashed in on Kevin Pietersen’s second successive half-century to post 168 for seven – a challenge South Africa never threatened to meet as spinners Michael Yardy and Graeme Swann took five important wickets for 55 between them.

England therefore remain unbeaten in Group E and, even if South Africa can see off champions Pakistan in St Lucia on Monday, Paul Collingwood’s side must simply avoid a heavy defeat to New Zealand later that day at the same venue to reach the last four.

Pietersen, who smashed 53 from 33 balls, shared a second-wicket stand of 94 in under 11 overs with Craig Kieswetter, once Michael Lumb went early after Collingwood had won the toss.

England were unable to convert the momentum of that partnership into a truly dominant total, but were still well in advance of the runs put on the board in today’s earlier match between New Zealand and Pakistan on this same surface.

A surprise over of new-ball spin from Johan Botha did for Lumb, pinned lbw on the back foot by a quicker and flatter delivery.

However, Pietersen and Kieswetter responded with all-out attack, against their native country.

Pietersen was first to climb into a succession of front-foot fours off pacemen Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, the former suffering most notably.

Kieswetter had a little fortune on his side – caught at third man on seven only to be reprieved by a Morkel no-ball, and badly dropped at deep midwicket by JP Duminy on 29 with the score 79 for one in the 10th over.

The faster the ball was delivered, on a pacy pitch, the further the duo seemed to hit it; Pietersen charged to his fifty with his eighth four to go with a six from just 30 balls.

The stand ended when Pietersen swept Botha straight into the hands of short fine-leg – just reward for the off-spinner, who conceded only 15 runs in four overs.

But Collingwood soon demonstrated he was up for some power-hitting too, depositing the fourth ball he faced – from Jacques Kallis – into the stand at wide long-on.

Kieswetter produced a mirror-image six to the opposite corner of the ground from Duminy’s first ball of the next over, but got underneath another big hit straight afterwards to heave high to long-on, where he well held by Steyn.

Collingwood managed another mighty maximum over his preferred corner before skying a catch almost in the crease to be caught behind off Morkel – and when Luke Wright was bowled trying to heave a well-directed yorker from Charl Langeveldt, much depended on Eoin Morgan to deliver yet again.

He did well enough with 21 to help a par 43 come from the last five overs, in a total which was not as big as had seemed likely yet nonetheless proved to be plenty.

After the top three were gone for 44 in the eighth over, South Africa were already up against it.

Captain Graeme Smith was third out, chipping a catch to deep midwicket in Swann’s first over.

Yardy had outdone Swann’s party piece of striking early as Herschelle Gibbs swepts his first delivery to Sidebottom, running and tumbling back from short fine-leg.

Before then, Kallis had mistimed a drive at Stuart Broad straight to mid-off and Albie Morkel went for a second-ball duck when he was bowled by Yardy.

The chase was way off schedule, and stayed that way.

AB de Villiers mistimed a pull at Swann and was caught in the ring, and, although Duminy, who hit 39, and the dependable Mark Boucher tried to mount some resistance, they had been left with much too much to do.

In the end they were unable even to bat their overs, and Sidebottom took advantage with late wickets to finish with the best statistics of 3-23, while Swann took 3-24.

Source: ECB