Pakistan lose Six wickets for 163 runs in World Cup semi-final

Mohali: Chasing India's total of 260 for 9, Pakistan has lost four wickets for 107 runs in the second semi-final at the Punjab Cricket Association ground in Mohali. They need another 154 runs in the remaining 23 overs with six wickets in hand.

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Indian pacer Zaheer Khan ended the 44 runs opening partnership when had Kamran Akmal caught by Yuvraj Singh at point while going for a square drive. Mohammad Hafeez, who had started to stroke nicely went for an uncalled for paddle sweep off Munaf Patel and edged to wicketkeeper Dhoni for 43 runs.

Yuvraj Singh, the man with the golden arm provided another breakthrough after Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq had put on 33 runs in 8.2 overs. Shafiq, going for a cut off the backfoot missed the straight delivery from him to be bowled for 30 runs. Singh also went on to pick the prize wicket of experienced Younis Khan for 13, caught by a leaping Suresh Raina at cover.

Earlier, Pakistan left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz produced a fine spell of 5 for 46 as India went to post a challenging 260  for 9 in the second World Cup semifinal at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium in Mohali.

India’s master blaster Sachin Tendulkar cracked a fine 85 runs off 115 balls studded with 11 boundaries.

From a healthy 116 for 1, India slipped to 187 for 5 with Riaz kept striking repeatedly. Tendulkar went on to crack  his 95th One-day half century and 15th in World Cup as Riaz struck two vital blows picking the wickets of Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh off successive balls.

Earlier, Tendulkar had become the first player to score more than 400 runs thrice in World Cup breaking Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting’s record of scoring over 400 runs twice in the World Cup. Virender Sehwag, when he cracked the first boundary off Umar’s Gul third ball of the first over completed 1,000 One-day international runs against Pakistan. He played some delectable shots and put on 48 runs with Sachin Tendulkar in 5.5 overs.

Wahab Riaz trapped Sehwag with a delivery that skidded to win a leg before decision. Sehwag had hit nine boundaries during his knock of 38 runs.

In the 11th over, Tendulkar survived two close calls. First he was given out leg before Ian Gould of a delivery from Saeed Ajmal. On review it was proved that the ball was missing the leg stump. Tendulkar was on 23. The very next ball he almost got stumped but replays showed he hadn’t lifted his feet.

However, Gautam Gambhir wasn’t lucky like Tendulkar.  At his score on 27 he was beaten by the flight of Mohammad Hafeez and got stumped by Kamran Akmal.

Gambhir and Tendulkar had put on 68 runs in 13 overs. Tendulkar got a lucky escape at his score on 45 when he was dropped by Younis Khan off Shahid Afridi. Indian score was 118 for 2 at that time.

Wahab Riaz took two vital wickets of Kohli, who was caught at backward point by Umar Akmal while Yuvraj Singh was clean bowled first ball to give him a hat-trick chance.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni prevented him from getting a hat-trick. Tendulkar continued to bat without being affected. At his score on 81, Tendulkar’s attempted pull shot in the air was dropped by Umar Akmal at wide mid-wicket. He went on to add only four more runs.

Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi, who was upset with the earlier dropped catch, held on to a powerful shot from Tendulkar at short extra cover off Saeed Ajmal. Tendulkar and Dhoni had put on 46 runs in 11.3 overs.

Dhoni on 24 became the seventh batsman to score 1,000 runs against Pakistan in One-day matches. One run later he was trapped leg before by Riaz. Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh put on 31 runs for the seventh wicket. After Harbhajan’s exit, Raina remained unbeaten on 36 to ensure India cross the 250 runs mark.

Riaz bowling the last over picked the wicket of Zaheer Khan to pick his fifth wicket.

Clash of the Titans

The India-Pakistan World Cup semi-final clash is being hailed as the mother of all cricket battles. It is a battle which has brought the two nations to a standstill. Both teams are so evenly balanced that the game is expected to be close.

India won the toss and elected to bat against Pakistan at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium in Mohali. They left out spinner R. Ashwin and brought in pacer Ashish Nehra. Pakistan is feilding an unchanged team from their last match.

Many here believe that the match will be a thriller, so much so that it could even make the legendary suspense movie maker Alfred Hitchcock proud.

The drama around this match is unprecedented, with politicians jumping into the fray to capitalise on its glamour — prime ministers of both nations are expected to watch the action live.

PMs meet for 'cricket diplomacy'

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday to watch the cricket World Cup semi-final between their two countries.

The two men were seated in the VIP box for the national anthems before heading on to the pitch at the Mohali stadium in northwest India to shake hands with players from both sides.

THE PLAYERS

India: Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra.

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi (captain), Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal.

OFFICIALS

Umpires: Ian Gould, England, and Simon Taufel, Australia.
TV umpire: Billy Bowden, New Zealand, Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle, Sri Lanka.

Cricket World Cup 2011, India Vs. Pakistan: The Most Important Game You Don't Know About

The national pride of 1.4 billion people is currently on the line as India faces off against arch-rivals Pakistan in the semi-finals of the 2011 Cricket World Cup. (You can follow along online here.) Like its counterpart in soccer, the Cricket World Cup is held once every four years (the holders, Australia, were knocked out by India in the last round), so the chance to advance to the finals doesn't come around very often. A World Cup semi-final would be important enough without it being India vs. Pakistan, but those two countries being involved just takes the game to new heights. Consider the following:

• Cricket is the main sport of both countries, meaning that the natural expression for the political problems between both sides are being taken out on the wicket. The cricketing rivalry between India and Pakistan is insane (think Yankees-Red Sox with 100x the fans and all of the crazy). The last time these sides met, there was nearly a brawl on the field.
• One-day internationals (ODIs) aren't crazy-long. Test cricket can last for days, with subtle strategies which cricket enthusiasts find interesting but that drive everyone else to drink. Short-form cricket involves seeing the ball and hitting it very hard. All the time.
• Pakistan was originally set to co-host the 2011 World Cup with India, but after terrorist attacks on foreign cricket teams touring the country in 2009 lost out to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. This cost Pakistan a lot of money, and although the reasons for doing it were fairly obvious, fans still aren't particularly pleased about losing the chance to have World Cup games in their back yard. Oh, and the game itself? It's being held in India.
• Both teams are very good. India is ranked second in the world in one-day international cricket, while Pakistan is fifth. Amazingly, neither team even made it out of the knockout rounds in the 2007 World Cup, but each team has lost a final within the past twelve years. However, despite being one of the stronger sides in the world and having a winning record against India overall, Pakistan are 0-4 all time against India in the World Cup.
• Sachin Tendulkar plays for India. Tendulkar, now 37, is widely considered to be one of the best players ever to grace the field and holds most of international cricket's batting records. Many might not be familiar with the idea of cricketers as world superstars, but check out this quote: "I have seen God. He bats at no. 4 in India in Tests". From a fan, that would be kind of cool, but it comes from Matthew Hayden, one of Australia's top batsmen over the past two decades.
• Did I mention the over 100 million fans who are watching the game right now?

Although the match started early this morning, it's barely halfway over, with India holding a commanding lead over Pakistan. That Tendulkar guy did the business too, knocking 86 runs during his stand, and it looks like he's put the hosts on course for victory, unless Pakistan can come up with something spectacular, which frankly happens a lot in these matches.

ICC Cricket World Cup India vs Pakistan game tension too much, even for PMs

The tension was too much even for the prime ministers of Pakistan and India. Midway through Wednesday's blockbuster World Cup semifinal, the premiers slipped away for a rest.

The break was actually pre-planned, but it must have been welcome as Pakistan's bowlers restricted India to a competitive but reachable 260 for nine.

Indian premier Manmohan Singh and Pakistan counterpart Yousuf Gilani returned as planned at 7pm local time to witness Pakistan's chase at a ground packed to its 28,000 capacity almost exclusively with anxious India fans.

The carnival atmosphere which had greeted Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag as they strode out to open the batting for India had long since given way to an air of edginess.

Tendulkar, seeking his 100th international century, and Sehwag were greeted by a tumultuous roar as they walked out at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.

Watching them was a host of Bollywood superstars, dignitaries and high-ranking politicians — including the Prime Ministers of both countries in what is being seen as a possible first step toward improved diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan.

Singh and Gilani were warmly cheered by the crowd as they arrived on the pitch following the national anthems. Singh shook hands with the Pakistan players before Gilani, while the roles were reversed as the pair met the India team.

A group of fans held up a banner featuring both the Indian and Pakistan flags on either side of the printed words "Friends Forever."

With the two premiers in attendance, security was inevitably tighter than at any other match. Roads around the fortified stadium were closed, and anyone entering the ground had to negotiate several checks, with bags being meticulously searched for any dangerous or suspicious objects.

Police and soldiers on foot, on horse back and armored vehicles patrolled outside the stadium, where a crush of fans had gathered.

The match had been sold out for more than a week but that didn't stop people queuing at the ticket office in the days leading up to the game, hoping that more seats might be released. On the black market, tickets reportedly fetched up to 100 times their face value.

Those who weren't fortunate enough to get their hands on a ticket watched on big screens set up around nearby Chandigarh, which came to a standstill for the game.

Police also relaxed a ruling banning people living near the ground from climbing on their roofs to get a birds-eye view.

Businesses across the country shut down for the afternoon — in the knowledge that productivity would undoubtedly drop to zero anyway.

The government decreed a half day in Pakistan, meaning work stopped at noon so that people could watch the match.

The sporting rivalry between the nations is as intense as any, but the match took on an added political significance when Gilani accepted Singh's invitation to watch with him.

"I am going there to show solidarity with our team, with their team and to promote cricket," Gilani said.

While the premiers headed to their VIP box, the sellout crowd had their eyes trained on the pitch, most of those eagerly hoping national sporting icon Tendulkar could score a century. There were small pockets of Pakistan fans waving the green and white flag, but they were almost invisible in a sea of Indian supporters.

Tendulkar, whose face adorns posters across the city, was dismissed for 85 after surviving a series of close calls, including four dropped catches.

The crowd fell silent before cheering the world's greatest batsmen from the pitch, but Indian wickets kept falling to leave Pakistan within reach of an upset over its fiercest rival.

The innings break — a chance for the fans to catch their breath — was welcomed not just in the stadium. At Chandigarh, streets that had been quiet during the Indian innings were suddenly teaming with people and bustling with activity at the break between innings.

As the Pakistan reply started, the streets emptied again as people headed back indoors to watch the match.

Pakistan 142/5 off 33 overs chasing 261 vs India

MOHALI: Pakistan made a brisk start to reach 52 for one from 10 overs in pursuit of India's 260 for nine in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Left-arm pace bowler Wahab Riaz took 5-46 while Sachin Tendulkar, one short of an unprecedented 100 international centuries, was dropped four times on his way to 85. Pakistan dropped two other catches.

The winners will face Sri Lanka in the final in Mumbai on Saturday.

* Kamran Akmal struck two confident boundaries off Zaheer Khan's opening over. Zaheer, India's best bowler, was taken off after two overs in which he was unable to get any swing with the new ball. He was replaced by Munaf Patel, who bowled an accurate opening over, but then conceded boundaries in one over from Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez. Zaheer returned in the ninth over and broke through immediately getting Akmal (19) caught at point by Yuvraj Singh. 52/1 off 10 overs

* Virender Sehwag received a deafening ovation when he drove the third ball of the match from Umar Gul to the cover boundary.

He helped himself to a further three fours through an unprotected leg-side and two through the off in Gul's next over followed by a further brace in the hapless paceman's third.

Riaz replaced Abdul Razzaq at the other end and was immediately successful when Sehwag played across his fifth ball and was given out lbw. 49/1 off six overs

* Tendulkar played two exquisite shots off Riaz, turning his wrists late to steer the ball through the leg-side for four then dipping low to carve another boundary through the covers.

With left-hander Gautam Gambhir at the crease, off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was introduced to the attack in the ninth over. 73/1 off 10 overs

* Tendulkar survived appeals off consecutive balls from Ajmal which temporarily silenced the crowd. He was given out lbw for 23 by Ian Gould but appealed against the decision and won a reprieve when the television replay showed the ball would have missed the leg-stump.

Pakistan appealed for a stumping off the next ball and Tendulkar was again reprieved when the replay showed his back foot was grounded. Tendulkar's charmed life continued wheh he was dropped on 27 off Shahid Afridi by Misbah-ul-Haq at mid-wicket mistiming a pull. 99/1 off 15 overs

* Pakistan's luck appeared to turn when off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez lured Gautam Gambhir (27) out of his crease and Kamran Akmal completed the stumping. He added had 68 runs from 66 balls with Tendulkar. But Tendulkar was then dropped on 45 by Pakistan's safest catcher Younus Khan in the covers off the unfortunate Afridi. Tendulkar added to the Pakistan captain's chagrin by driving Afridi over cover to bring up his half-century from 67 balls. 141/2 off 25 overs

* Riaz, brought back into the attack, immediately began to reverse swing the old ball and was rewarded with the wickets of Virat Koli (9) , who lobbed a catch into the covers. Yuvraj, who had averaged 113.66 previously in the tournament, was bowled next ball by a magnificent yorker. 168/4 off 30 overs

* Afridi recalled Gul, whose first four overs had cost 41 runs, to see if he could emulate Riaz and reverse the ball. Tendulkar received two further lives when he was dropped by Kamran Akmal on 70, a difficult chance behind the stumps, again off Afridi. Akmal's brother Umal then dropped Tendulkar on 81 off Hafeez at wide mid-wicket. Tendulkar's luck finally ran out when Afridi held a fierce drive at short-cover off Ajmal after he had scored 85. 200/5 off 40 overs

* Dhoni struggled to get bat to ball as the Indian run rate slipped further. He tried to clip Riaz off his legs but missed a ball which was heading straight for the stumps A series of full tosses from Gul, who had a day to forget, helped India accrue some invaluable late runs, mostly to Suresh Raina who finished on 36 not out from 39 balls. 260/9 off 50 overs

Watch India vs Pakistan Live Stream (30.03.2011) ~ ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 | Semi - Final

This is the second semi-final of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. In World Cup history India win maximum match last eight years against Pakistan. On the other hand, Pakistan now in from and they will not compromise. Obviously, Pakistan vs India match always have some extra pressure and thats why i hope people will enjoy this exclusive cricket match. However, the pre match situation i think you will enjoy it. If you want to enjoy India vs Pakistan live stream coverage just stay with us. Live streaming link of Pakistan vs India match will be available here just from toss. Live

World Cup fever grips radio , BIG FM to air ‘Bollywood Ka World Cup’

92.7 Big FM, the official radio partner for ICC World Cup 2011 gears up for the finale of their most exhilarating game ‘TVS Tyres Bollywood ka World Cup’, an action packed property that brought together the two biggest passions of the country – Bollywood and Cricket. Listeners of 92.7 BIG FM got a chance to be a part of their favourite Bollywood superstars’ team and play the game of cricket on air. One over = 6 questions about a celeb, the one with maximum right answers wins.

After enthralling the 2.6 lac registered listeners and 8500 participants on-air, the game reaches it’s finale, where arch rivals, the Badshah of Bollywood – SRK will battle it out against the heartthrob of bollywood Sallu and the sensational Katz will pitch against the queen of hearts – PC Choppers. The finale will take the pitch of the most sensational game on radio to a new level. And the occasion couldn’t be better, as the Indian team takes on it’s arch rivals Pakistan today!

Registered users will play for the pride of their favorite stars, to once and for all conclude ‘who’s the number uno of bollywood’, for the love of the game – cricket, but most importantly, for the tickets of the ICC World Cup finale.

Commenting on this development, Soumen G Choudhury, Business Head, 92.7 BIG FM. commented, “At 92.7 BIG FM, we are proud to bring the two largest passions of our listeners - Bollywood and Cricket together with our programming ‘TVS Tyres Bollywood Ka World Cup’. The game saw overwhelming response from across 45 stations of 92.7 BIG FM where over 2.6 lac people registered and over 8500 lucky listeners were selected to play the game on air. The radio cricket now enters finale with the top Bollywood teams fighting against each other to attain the number one position. We thank our partners TVS Tyres on being a part of this exciting venture and we hope that the finalists will fight not only for the love of their Bollywood biggies but also for the love of the game, Cricket!”

Pakistan 106/4 off 25 overs chasing 261 vs India

Pakistan made a brisk start to reach 52 for one from 10 overs in pursuit of India's 260 for nine in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Left-arm pace bowler Wahab Riaz took 5-46 while Sachin Tendulkar, one short of an unprecedented 100 international centuries, was dropped four times on his way to 85. Pakistan dropped two other catches.

The winners will face Sri Lanka in the final in Mumbai on Saturday.

* Kamran Akmal struck two confident boundaries off Zaheer Khan's opening over. Zaheer, India's best bowler, was taken off after two overs in which he was unable to get any swing with the new ball. He was replaced by Munaf Patel, who bowled an accurate opening over, but then conceded boundaries in one over from Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez. Zaheer returned in the ninth over and broke through immediately getting Akmal (19) caught at point by Yuvraj Singh. 52/1 off 10 overs

* Virender Sehwag received a deafening ovation when he drove the third ball of the match from Umar Gul to the cover boundary.

He helped himself to a further three fours through an unprotected leg-side and two through the off in Gul's next over followed by a further brace in the hapless paceman's third.

Riaz replaced Abdul Razzaq at the other end and was immediately successful when Sehwag played across his fifth ball and was given out lbw. 49/1 off six overs

* Tendulkar played two exquisite shots off Riaz, turning his wrists late to steer the ball through the leg-side for four then dipping low to carve another boundary through the covers.

With left-hander Gautam Gambhir at the crease, off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was introduced to the attack in the ninth over. 73/1 off 10 overs

* Tendulkar survived appeals off consecutive balls from Ajmal which temporarily silenced the crowd. He was given out lbw for 23 by Ian Gould but appealed against the decision and won a reprieve when the television replay showed the ball would have missed the leg-stump.

Pakistan appealed for a stumping off the next ball and Tendulkar was again reprieved when the replay showed his back foot was grounded. Tendulkar's charmed life continued wheh he was dropped on 27 off Shahid Afridi by Misbah-ul-Haq at mid-wicket mistiming a pull. 99/1 off 15 overs

* Pakistan's luck appeared to turn when off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez lured Gautam Gambhir (27) out of his crease and Kamran Akmal completed the stumping. He added had 68 runs from 66 balls with Tendulkar. But Tendulkar was then dropped on 45 by Pakistan's safest catcher Younus Khan in the covers off the unfortunate Afridi. Tendulkar added to the Pakistan captain's chagrin by driving Afridi over cover to bring up his half-century from 67 balls. 141/2 off 25 overs

* Riaz, brought back into the attack, immediately began to reverse swing the old ball and was rewarded with the wickets of Virat Koli (9) , who lobbed a catch into the covers. Yuvraj, who had averaged 113.66 previously in the tournament, was bowled next ball by a magnificent yorker. 168/4 off 30 overs

* Afridi recalled Gul, whose first four overs had cost 41 runs, to see if he could emulate Riaz and reverse the ball. Tendulkar received two further lives when he was dropped by Kamran Akmal on 70, a difficult chance behind the stumps, again off Afridi. Akmal's brother Umal then dropped Tendulkar on 81 off Hafeez at wide mid-wicket. Tendulkar's luck finally ran out when Afridi held a fierce drive at short-cover off Ajmal after he had scored 85. 200/5 off 40 overs

* Dhoni struggled to get bat to ball as the Indian run rate slipped further. He tried to clip Riaz off his legs but missed a ball which was heading straight for the stumps A series of full tosses from Gul, who had a day to forget, helped India accrue some invaluable late runs, mostly to Suresh Raina who finished on 36 not out from 39 balls. 260/9 off 50 overs

India races to big lead over Pakistan at cricket’s World Cup

MOHALI, India — Sachin Tendulkar’s chancy 85 powered India to 260-9 against a Pakistan side which seemed overwhelmed by the hype built around Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final and the ‘cricket diplomacy’ surrounding it.

Sitting in the VIP box, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani watched on as Tendulkar enjoyed a series of let-offs.

Playing in his sixth World Cup, Tendulkar had an lbw decision overturned on appeal, was dropped by Misbah-ul-Haq, Younus Khan and Umar Akmal, while stumper Kamran Akmal also missed a half-chance.

Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi, also the hapless bowler on three of those four occasions, could only hold his head in dismay as his team mates squandered opportunity after opportunity to cut short Tendulkar’s 115-ball stay that had 11 fours in it.

On a belter of a wicket at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had little hesitation in opting to bat first and he must have felt vindicated when Virender Sehwag (38) tore into the Pakistani attack.

The right-hander smashed five fours to milk 21 runs off Umar Gul’s second over, thus blunting Pakistan’s pace spearhead but India could not make the most of the flying start.

Wahab Riaz (5-46) trapped the opener leg before in the sixth over to end the 48-run opening stand and soon the boundary flow dried up.

The 68-run second wicket partnership between Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir (27) consolidated India’s position but it was not without toil.

Mohammad Hafeez ended the blossoming partnership by removing Gambhir and Riaz returned to claim Virat Kohli (9) and the in-form Yuvraj Singh with successive deliveries to reduce the co-hosts, cruising merrily at 116-1 at one stage, to 141-4.

Suresh Raina’s (36 not out) middle order cameo took India past the 250-mark.

India could have been in a bigger hole but Misbah dropped Tendulkar at mid-wicket, Younus grassed one at cover and Umar Akmal showed the same sloppiness, spilling one at mid-wicket.

Earlier in his innings, Tendulkar used a review to successfully overturn an lbw decision that had gone against him.

Just when it seemed nothing can stop the 37-year-old prolific run-getter from scoring his 100th international century, Afridi caught the Indian off Saeed Ajmal’s bowling, keeping his pre-match promise to deny Tendulkar the milestone.

Hotels to show India-Pakistan match on big screens

The commercial city is all set for the Wednesday's World Cup semi-finals between India and Pakistan. Several hotels will entertain their guests with the match on big LCD screens.

A businessman who rents out LCD screens said all the screens have been booked in advance. "At least six big hotels in the city have made arrangements to show the match live," he added.

Rahul Dev Banarjee, manager of a hotel on Gokul Road here, said they have put up two screens, one each in banquet hall and poolside, in the hotel. The hotel, which charges an entry fee of Rs 350, will treat them to a lavishly spread dinner. "We are expecting around 250 guests on the D-Day," he added.

Chandrashekar, manager of another hotel located near Court Circle, said they have put up two big screens, one each in garden and restaurant.

Police commissioner K Ramachandra Rao said special squads have been formed to to maintain law and order and to check illegal activities during the match.

ICC Cricket World Cup Live India vs Pakistan: Pakistan begin on a firm footing

Pakistan begin their chase well after bowling out India for 260 in the semi final match of the World Cup at Mohali. Both Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez negotiate the opening ten overs without taking many chances and are able to stay above the net required run rate.

The duo both struck boundaries in tandem to blunt India’s pace attack led by Zaheer Khan. Indian skipper has already brought in the other seamers in Munaf Patel and Ashish Nehra and despite a few close calls, the openers have largely been unfazed in playing their strokes.

India's Innings

It was a 300-plus wicket. India, however would be satisfied with the 260 runs that it managed in the crucial semi final match at Mohali. This after Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz struck terror in the middle-order to end the innings with five wickets.

Sachin Tendulkar top-scored for the hosts with 85 after Virender Sehwag gave his team an aggressive start. He looked in fine touch but was eventually removed by Riaz who found his legs in front of the stumps. Tendulkar though kept his composure and struck together a decent partnership of 60 with Gautam Gambhir.
Riaz though came back with a vengeance and despite several dropped catches of Tendulkar, he ensured no other batsman settled in to script a twist in the bowling dominated tale.

Though the average score batting first in a day and night match here is 254, Indians would need their strategy of playing an extra seamer to pay dividends once Pakistan begin their chase.

India bat against Pakistan in W. Cup semis

India made one change from the side that beat champions Australia by five wickets in the quarter-finals, with left-arm quick Ashish Nehra replacing off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as the hosts opted for a three-man pace attack.

Pakistan, who thrashed the West Indies by 10 wickets in their last eight clash, were unchanged and that meant there was no recall for erratic fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.

India batting great Sachin Tendulkar came into this match needing just one more century to become the first man to score a hundred international hundreds.

The 37-year-old has 51 Test centuries and 48 one-day international tons to his credit.

India have won all four previous World Cup matches between the arch-rivals.

The winners of this encounter will face Sri Lanka, who beat New Zealand by five wickets in Colombo on Tuesday, in Saturday's final in Mumbai.

All three remaining teams in the tournament have won the World Cup once, with India triumphing in 1983, Pakistan in 1992 and Sri Lanka in 1996.

India: Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wkt), Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Asad Shafiq, Younus Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi (capt), Abdul Razzaq, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal

Umpires: Simon Taufel (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG)

TV umpire: Billy Bowden (NZL)

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

Pitch conditions: Renowned as a good batting surface, it usually also has plenty of pace and bounce for fast bowlers too.

ICC Cricket World Cup: Tendulkar's chancy knock powers India to 260-9

Sachin Tendulkar's chancy 85 powered India to 260-9 against a Pakistan side which seemed overwhelmed by the hype built around Wednesday's World Cup semi-final and the 'cricket diplomacy' surrounding it.

Sitting in the VIP box, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani watched on as Tendulkar enjoyed a series of let-offs.

Playing in his sixth World Cup, Tendulkar had an lbw decision overturned on appeal, was dropped by Misbah-ul-Haq, Younus Khan and Umar Akmal, while stumper Kamran Akmal also missed a half-chance.

Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi, also the hapless bowler on three of those four occasions, could only hold his head in dismay as his team mates squandered opportunity after opportunity to cut short Tendulkar's 115-ball stay that had 11 fours in it.

On a belter of a wicket at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had little hesitation in opting to bat first and he must have felt vindicated when Virender Sehwag (38) tore into the Pakistani attack.

The right-hander smashed five fours to milk 21 runs off Umar Gul's second over, thus blunting Pakistan's pace spearhead but India could not make the most of the flying start.

Wahab Riaz (5-46) trapped the opener leg before in the sixth over to end the 48-run opening stand and soon the boundary flow dried up.

The 68-run second wicket partnership between Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir (27) consolidated India's position but it was not without toil.

Mohammad Hafeez ended the blossoming partnership by removing Gambhir and Riaz returned to claim Virat Kohli (9) and the in-form Yuvraj Singh with successive deliveries to reduce the co-hosts, cruising merrily at 116-1 at one stage, to 141-4.

Suresh Raina's (36 not out) middle order cameo took India past the 250-mark.

India could have been in a bigger hole but Misbah dropped Tendulkar at mid-wicket, Younus grassed one at cover and Umar Akmal showed the same sloppiness, spilling one at mid-wicket.

Earlier in his innings, Tendulkar used a review to successfully overturn an lbw decision that had gone against him.

Just when it seemed nothing can stop the 37-year-old prolific run-getter from scoring his 100th international century, Afridi caught the Indian off Saeed Ajmal's bowling, keeping his pre-match promise to deny Tendulkar the milestone.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011: Sri Lanka Defeat New Zealand to Reach Final

Sri Lanka survived some late wickets to come through their ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Semi Final against New Zealand, to book a place in the Final, by winning by 5 wickets in Colombo RPS on Tuesday 29th March 2011.

New Zealand set a total of 217 All Out from 48.5 Overs, to which Sri Lanka looked on course to respond easily, as Dilshan (73) and Sangakkara (54) batting at 2 and 3 got them off to a good start. However, despite a late run of New Zealand wickets, Sri Lanka held on to reach 220 for 5 in 47.5 overs, with a couple of overs to spare.

New Zealand’s batsmen were curtailed by good spells of bowling from the Sri Lankan bowlers who’s names begin with the letter ‘m’: Malinga and Medis took three wickets each, while the mercurial Muralitharan also took a brace of wickets from his allotment of 10 overs. Only Styris (57) made more than a half century for the Kiwis in a innings where many got a start, but the Sri Lankan attack always seemed to pick off batsmen just as they looked to be getting comfortable.

In response, openers Tharanga (30) and Dilshan (73) did well, and, when Southee took Tharanga, caught Ryder, up stepped Sangakkara (54) to make an important half century.

However, when Dilshan fell, the score went from 160 for 1 to 169 for 4 very quickly, and Sri Lanka fans had to be thankful for a steadying innings from Samaraweera (23 Not Out) and Matthews (14 Not Out) who brought the match home, despite Silva (13) being bowled by Southee, who was New Zealand’s most effective bowler amassing 3 wickets for 57 runs from his 10 overs.

When Southee and Vettori ran out of overs, however, New Zealand looked a little short of options, and so it would prove, as Sri Lanka reached and passed their total with 13 balls remaining.

The result means that New Zealand have now reached six ICC Cricket World Cup semi finals – and won none of them. Sri Lanka will face the winners of tomorrow’s huge semi final between India and Pakistan in the Final on 2nd April, in Mumbai.
New Zealand v Sri Lanka – ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Semi-Final Scorecard
New Zealand 1st Innings Runs Balls 4s 6s
Guptill b Malinga 39 65 3 0
B McCullum b Herath 13 21 1 1
Ryder c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 19 34 2 0
Taylor c Tharanga b Mendis 36 55 1 0
Styris lbw b Muralitharan 57 77 5 0
Williamson lbw b Malinga 22 16 3 0
N McCullum c Sangakkara b Malinga 9 9 0 1
Oram c M Jayawardene b Dilshan 7 9 1 0
Vettori not out 3 3 0 0
Southee c Sangakkara b Mendis 0 3 0 0
McKay b Mendis 0 2 0 0
Extras 1nb 6w 5lb 12
Total all out 217 (48.5 ovs)

-
Sri Lanka Bowlers O M R W
Malinga 9 0 55 3
Herath 9 1 31 1
Mathews 6 0 27 0
Mendis 9.5 0 35 3
Muralitharan 10 1 42 2
Dilshan 5 0 22 1

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Sri Lanka 1st Innings Runs Balls 4s 6s
Tharanga c Ryder b Southee 30 31 4 1
Dilshan c Ryder b Southee 73 93 10 1
Sangakkara c Styris b McKay 54 79 7 1
M Jayawardene lbw b Vettori 1 3 0 0
Samaraweera not out 23 38 3 0
Silva b Southee 13 25 2 0
Mathews not out 14 18 1 1
Extras 10w 2lb 12
Total for 5 220 (47.5 ovs)

-
New Zealand Bowlers O M R W
N McCullum 6 0 33 0
Southee 10 2 57 3
Vettori 10 0 36 1
Oram 8 1 29 0
McKay 9.5 1 37 1
Styris 2 0 12 0
Ryder 2 0 14 0

ICC allows news channels access to Ind-Pak match

The deadlock between electronic media and ICC over coverage of Wednesday's Indo-Pak World Cup cricket semifinal got resolved on Tuesday, following a request from the Indian Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ambika Soni.

Ambika Soni proposed a 24-hour 'truce' in a dispute created by Indian non-rights holders (NRH) breaching the terms and conditions they had agreed to follow when they were awarded accreditation for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said, "Ms Soni had written to ICC President Sharad Pawar and asked for the television channels be allowed access into the ground at Mohali for this important game. At the same time she agreed to convene a meeting at the Ministry on 31 March 2011 to address the dispute which has been caused by repeated and serious breaches of the terms and conditions which these organisations had signed up to."

"I am grateful for the minister's intervention in calling a meeting but I must repeat that we are committed to protecting the rights and investments of our broadcast partners as well as the exclusivity of our commercial partners. We will not allow that to be compromised and if the relevant members of the News Broadcasters' Association are not willing to give the necessary undertakings we require, we will have no other option but to withdraw accreditation for the final in Mumbai," Lorgat said.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final: India v Pakistan

Venue: Mohali Date: Wednesday, 30 March (1000 BST)
Coverage: Highlights on BBC Two (see listings), Red Button & online at 2200 GMT (UK only); live Test Match Special commentary (BBC 5 live sports extra, Radio 4 LW and online); text commentary online and mobiles; live on Sky Sports

Afridi and Yuvraj have played to their true potential during the World Cup

By Sam Sheringham

Wednesday's titanic semi-final between India and Pakistan could hinge on the contest between two great entertainers who have reinvented themselves as ruthlessly efficient performers at this World Cup.
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh have often been derided as "Hollywood" cricketers, capable of turning on the style when conditions suit them, but just as likely to go missing when their teams need them most.
However, by curbing some of their natural instincts and performing with a new maturity, the duo have taken their games to new heights.

SHAHID AFRIDI

Shahid 'Boom Boom' Afridi earned his nickname for smashing the ball out of the ground with a ferocity and regularity the game had rarely seen.
These days the big scores are few and far between, but the Pakistan captain's capacity to make an explosive impact on games make his moniker as fitting as ever.
Now it is the show-stopping quality of Afridi's bowling that is clearing the bars.

Highlights - Pakistan power past West Indies

In seven matches at the 2011 Cricket World Cup, he has taken 21 wickets at a staggering average of 10.71.
Having only taken four or more wickets on five occasions 312 one-day internationals, he has achieved the feat four times in seven matches at the tournament.
His ability to intersperse conventional leg-spinners with googlies, top-spinners and quicker deliveries on the slow, low, wickets of the subcontinent have rendered him nigh-on unplayable and been the single biggest factor in Pakistan's run to the semi-finals.
Afridi's combination with paceman Umar Gul, who has 14 wickets, has helped the side overcome the shortcomings of an inconsistent batting line-up to beat Sri Lanka, Australia and the West Indies en route to the last four.
With his constant flow of wickets, Afridi has largely led by example, but his leadership has also caught the eye for the way he has galvanised a notoriously fractious squad and imbued them with more energy and efficiency in the field.
"Everybody is standing behind him at the World Cup," said Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul-Haq.
"I think there are always differences in opinion but we always talk to the captain about what he thinks. He's really good at that.
"He listens to the players, especially the senior players and the coaches, we just decide everything with a good co-ordination, and that's why everything is going well and the team is performing well. It's a big thing actually."
Originally selected for Pakistan in 1996 as a leg-spinning all-rounder, Afridi shot to fame at the tender age of 16 with the fastest one-day hundred off 37 balls in his first international innings.
A compulsive slogger, he has hit the highest-number of sixes in the history of one-day cricket and three of the seven fastest centuries.
But while his batting has always been inconsistent and is showing signs of terminal decline - he has just one fifty in his last 21 innings and a tournament average of 10.83 - as a bowler he is undoubtedly at the peak of his powers.
Having declared in 2009 that he was a bowler first and a batsman second, he has become an undisputed master of his craft, as anyone who witnessed his devastating bursts against Kenya, Sri Lanka, Canada and the West Indies would testify.
The one worry for Pakistan would be Afridi's record against India, whose batsmen are notorious for their mastery of spin bowling.
In 63 matches against their arch-rivals, he has 38 wickets at a decidedly ordinary average of 55.50.

YUVRAJ SINGH

England fans will remember Yuvraj Singh as the man who gave Stuart Broad an unforgettable lesson in just how tough international cricket can be.
In launching the fresh-faced seamer for six sixes in an over at the 2007 World Twenty20, India's middle order mauler showed his immense talent for taking attacks apart.
Indeed, Yuvraj has long been recognised as one of the most exciting and destructive performers in the game, as a tally of 216 sixes in international cricket and a Twenty20 strike-rate in excess of 150 would confirm.

India too strong despite Ponting ton

As with many players of his ilk, Yuvraj's undoing has tended to be the absence of a Plan B in bowler-friendly conditions, and a run of low scores saw him dropped from the India side for the first time last year.
Perhaps it was the wake-up call he needed because something has come over Yuvraj at this World Cup and India are reaping the rewards.
In curbing his instinct to go after every ball, he has converted himself into India's "Mr Dependable", judging the pace of a run chase to see him team to victory in a manner that has drawn comparisons with Michael Bevan, Australia's former master finisher.
Although free-scoring openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar have been grabbing the headlines, Yuvraj has played an influential role in four of Indies five victories at the tournament.
In the group games against Ireland and the Netherlands, he entered the fray with India wobbling and steered them over the line with measured fifties, while against the Windies he lifted an otherwise indifferent batting display with an imperious 113.

my responsibility is to bat till the end whether we are batting first or chasing a target Yuvraj Singh

But the left-hander's finest hour came in the quarter-final against Australia after India had been reduced to 187-5 chasing 261 on a slow Ahmedabad track.
Aided by Suresh Raina in a partnership of 74, Yuvraj struck a match-winning unbeaten 57, sealing India's place in the last four by cracking a Brett Lee yorker through the covers for four.
"Finishing a game gives me a lot of confidence going into the next match," said Yuvraj, who has also taken 11 wickets with his left-arm spin.
"I'm just happy about how I am hitting the ball, my responsibility is to bat till the end whether we are batting first or chasing a target."
Overall, Yuvraj has struck 341 runs in six matches, with one hundred and four fifties at a staggering average of 113.66.
And with Wednesday's showdown taking place at Yuvraj's home ground of Mohali, few would bet against another influential display from India's man of the moment.

India-Pakistan clash could be most watched match ever

The cricket diplomacy plus the frenzy can turn Wednesday's semi-final match between India and Pakistan at Mohali as one of the most watched cricket matches ever. The hype and the brouhaha over the match could help ESPN-Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the ICC cricket World Cup, earn more tha
n 40 television viewership rating points. A rating point means about 1.5 crore people have watched the programme live on that day.

"We expect between 60-80 crore Indians to watch the live telecast," said an official of an advertising agency, who has booked the available space, despite the prices being jacked, for advertisement both on ESPN-Star Sports and Doordarshan for the match. 

India-Pakistan cricket matches have always been highly watched.

The 2003 World Cup pool match between India and Pakistan in South Africa, considered a classic one-day clash, got peak television rating of 32.45 in India, highest for any cricket match India had played since the rating systems was introduced.

The number of people, who watched the match, was over three times the viewers for other 2003 world cup matches.

"On an average 40 crore people were glued to television sets in 2003 when reach of television was much less," an official with sports broadcasting company said. 

Such a craze for a cricket match was not witnessed ever again though India and Pakistan clashed again in 2007 T-20 World Cup. It got a television rating 9.5, just a point higher than other matches, says the data provided by Television Audience and Measurement (TAM), a company in the business of measuring performance of television programmes.

The mass following of India-Pakistan match as compared to others can be gauged from the fact that the highest watched cricket game in 2011 World Cup was the quarter final between India and Australia played in Ahemdabad last Thursday.

The match earned 6.53 rating and was watched by over nine crore people. On average, matches in the 2011 world cup had got rating of 4.12.

The titanic semi-final match will be different ball game.

"Much will depend on performance of the team that bats first," the broadcaster said.

New Zealand v Sri Lanka live match update ICC world cup 2011

After 20.4 overs the ongoing battle between Sri Lanka and New Zealand hangs as Sri Lanka’s side managed to pick up two vital wickets of Brendon McCullum and Jessie Ryder. Brendon McCullum scored only 13 runs of 21 deliveries. After sending both players to the pavilion, the Lankan tigers are playing their hearts out on the field. Up till now they have successfully pushed back the Kiwis batsmen with a total score of 76 runs for the loss of 2 wickets after 20.4 overs.

Kiwi skipper, Daniel Vettori called the right side of the coin and elected to put runs on board, as it becomes difficult to chase runs under the lights in Colombo.

Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum opened the innings for the Black Caps. McCullum, unfortunately, let the Sri Lankan bowlers get under his skin, and finally lost his wicket  at a total of 32 runs, to Rangana Herath in frustration.

Mr. dependable, Jessie Ryder stepped in next.

With the arrival of Jesse Ryder on the crease, Guptill and Ryder began a series of irresponsible shots, but primarily only to engineer a partnership that was much needed at this stage of the game. Together they established a partnership of 56 runs, which included some impressive shots from Guptill, who maturely steered the kiwi ship. His innings till now include 3 fours’.

After making 69 runs, New Zealand lost Jesse Ryder’s wicket at the hands of spin wizard, Muttiah Muralitharan in his first over of the innings.  Ryder managed to score only 19 runs of 34 balls. Kumar Sangakkara caught the valuable Jesse Ryder behind the stumps.

Sri Lanka up till now has been successful in putting pressure on the Kiwi batsmen. Their spearheads, Herath, Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga have been performing up to their required potential.

The pitch seems to be lucrative for the spinners. Colombo’s weather is warm and will test the physical fitness of both sides in the later hours of the innings. Crowd in the stadium is cheering the home team and wants them to win the penultimate round of this prestigious competition.

The pitch’s potential for spin indicates the Black Caps dependence on their veteran spinner and Captain, Danial Vettori. Kiwis have replaced their young talent Luke woodcock with another young player, AJ McKay, who has been impressive in their domestic cricket circuit.

All eyes are on Muttiah Muralitharan who is playing his last World Cup and his fans are expecting some breathtaking farewell performance from his end.

ICC Cricket World Cup: New Zealand collapse as Sri Lanka chase 218 to win

Sri Lanka restricted New Zealand to a meager 217 at innings break in the first semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 at R Premadasa ICS in Colombo, Sri Lanka a short while ago.

New Zealand electing to bat first were given a tidy bowling attack by the Sri Lankans who displayed an improved performance in comparison to the quarterfinal encounter played last Saturday against England.

Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis bagged three scalps apiece and Muttiah Muralitharan playing in his final ODI on home soil ended with figures of 2 for 42.

Muralitharan claimed the priceless wicket of top-scorer Scott Styris (57) in the final delivery of his bowling spell, trapped lbw.

Sri Lanka needs to chase 218 to qualify for the final which will be played in Mumbai on Saturday (April 2) against the winner of the second semi-final match between arch rivals India and Pakistan.

New Zealand 217 all out (48.5) (Martin Guptill 38, Ross Taylor 36, Scott Styris 57, Kane Williamson 22, Lasith Malinga 3/55, Ajantha Mendis 3/35, Muttiah Muralitharan 2/42) vs Sri Lanka

Model Poonam Pandey to go nude if India wins Cup

Some fans pour milk on cut-outs of their favourite cricketers, some hold chain prayer meetings for divine intervention during the Indo-Pak epic semifinal clash on Wednesday at Mohali, while there are still others who vow to shed all their clothes if India lifts the World Cup trophy.

Model and cricket fan Poonam Pandey has promised to strip naked in the view of thousands if India wins the Mohali semifinal against Pakistan and eventually lifts the Cup, though she is also open to a players' dressing room peep show if the Indian cricket board permits it, reports said. 

The Kingfisher Calender girl's intention to bare all is bound to pile on additional pressure on the Indian cricket team already coping with mounting crowd expectations at home, not having won the Cup since 1983. 

Poonam recently started a fan page on Facebook to cheer the Indian team. She follows in the footsteps of Paraguay's Larissa Riquelme and Argentinian Luciane Salazar who promised to strip if their football teams won the FIFA World Cup.

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka: Live Cricket Scores and Updates

A six in the first over, a four in the second, and another boundary… Sri Lanka means serious business. 18/0 in 2 overs. Cur RR: 9.00 Req RR:4.16 – and btw, Tharanga has become the first batsman to hit 50 boundaries in this World Cup.

Back for the chase, and I expect a short fight. 217 is not a bad score against a less worthy opponent. But against Sri Lanka today… it’s simply not enough. NZ will count a lot on their bowlers.

217 ALL  OUT – Sri Lanka has dealt an amazing blow to New Zealand. If Sri Lanka plays like this in the final – NO ONE, I mean NO ONE can beat them.

Another Wicket GONE 9 down, New Zealand is in flames now Andy McKay is the last man in for New Zealand – can they bat out their last wicket?

J Oram OUT on a long one  NZ 215/8 in 47.4 overs no one dropping the ball today for SL

Tillakaratne Dilshan replaces Malinga from the Maligawatte End now the match takes on a new complexion

NZ 213/7 in 47 overs Styris does NZ proud – half century plus 7 on 77 balls

OUT another wicket gone!

Styris may be out – hold on!

NZ 210/6 in 46 overs

McCullum OUT already – Orum with a FOUR

NZ 192/5 in 44 overs



Williamson OUT Malinga continues to stifle NZ  NZ 192/5 in 43.3 overs

Brilliant bit of fielding saves a certain boundary – Sri Lanka has been flawless

NZ 190/4 in 43 overs

Malinga likes to inflict damage on batsmen. Yet this time, the batsman wins. FOUR. Williamson won the confrontation now. NZ 175/4 in 41.4 overs, followed by a no ball at 41.5: NZ 179/4. 42 over 180/4 with 8 overs to go.

NZ 165/4 in 40 overs

Taylor IS GONE! Nathan McCullum walks out to take his place

NZ 161/3 in 39 overs 11 to go until the chase

NZ 159/3 in 38 overs

To the boundary, held off by a great diving effort, 3 runs instead of 4



NZ 153/3 in 37 overs

14 Overs to go and its NZ 149/3 at the current rate NZ may not break 210 – a virtual death sentence RR is 4.13 times 14 – do the math

Styris with a FOUR!

NZ 142/3 in 35 overs

NZ 139/3

33.5 One

33.4 No Run

No Run – No Run – then Taylor with One



So uneventful – its as if New Zealand is asleep, or not even playing?? NZ 137/3 in 33 overs

Styris with a FOUR - too few and far between though – NZ 130/3 in 31.5 overs

NZ ProblemNZ 124/3 in 31 overs – NZ has a huge problem – it looks like a case of Malinga-itis!

NZ 122/3 in 30 overs The RR is still low – NZ need a boost soon or it could be curtains – even the commentators say a minimum of 250 is needed.

NZ 102/3 in 26 overs two FOURS helped some

NZ 93/3 in 25 overs

NZ 90/3 in 24 overs NZ is running out of time – and SL only looks stronger

NZ 84/3 in 23 overs

Malinga now has the NZ batsmen totally stymied – what a performance

Malinga is unbelieveable! What an artist – OUT with a clean bowl!

Off the outside edge FOUR!

NZ 83/2 in 21.1 overs

NZ 74/2 in 20 overs

NZ 72/2 in 19 overs

Ryder is OUT! NZ 69/2 in 18.3 overs Two wickets down now – it is not looking good for NZ

NZ 68/1 in 18 overs

NZ 67/1 in 17 overs If NZ does not pick up the pace it is going to be a long day for the kiwis

The last few overs, NZ has only a 1.16 RR – at this rate SL will overtake their score with ease.

NZ 62/1 in 16 overs

NZ 60/1 in 15 overs RR down to 4.0

NZ 58/1 in 14 overs

NZ 42/1 in 11 overs

The commentators are spot on in their discussion. NZ cannot coast through 220 and defeat SL. They have to be more aggressive, it’s all or nothing time.

NZ 38/1 in 10 overs

NZ 37/1 in 9 overs Do you feel it? I do

NZ 35/1 in 8.1 overs

And just like that McCullum OUT! NZ 32/1 in 7.1 overs

NZ 32/0 in 7 overs RR is 4.57

Outstanding start by the Kiwis so far, just under a 5.0 run rate going on

NZ 29/0 in 6 overs

And a leg bye

SIX - a massive shot to start off

NZ 20/0 in 5 overs like clockwork New Zealand hammers out a 4.0 run rate so far.

NZ 16/0 in 4 overs Malinga seems to have found the range

NZ 16/0 in 3 overs

A cheap shot FOUR, rolls into the boundary

NZ 10/0 in 2 overs

One and One and No Run

FOUR straight out.
NZ 4/0 in one over

And a FOUR straight down to the boundary

NO RUN and NO RUN and NO RUN

Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum
Here we go - so much anticipation from the crowd – Malinga is out there – 24 years old and on top of the world of cricket now.
Castrol Index has Sri Lanka at 65 percent over NZ

And the crowd is on its feet – seconds away from the 1st of the ICC semi’s

The Sri Lanka fellows all lined up for their country’s wonderful anthem – uplifting
The proud New Zealand boys, what a beautiful anthem the Kiwis have!
Seconds away – hold on to your office cubicle :O) The ANTHEMS

A chance of showers in Columbo, the world crosses its fingers – the commentators are describing the ground now. Evidently the ground seems a bit slow according to the expert commentary.

In Columbo, this is the biggest match ever at the home stadium, if Sri Lanka wins – it will be their first EVER time in the finals – the stadium is doing more than buzzing, it is shaking. No amount of money can buy a set here today now. This ICC World Cup has had more surprises than anyone ever imagined. Can New Zealand pull off anther work of magic? The safe money is on Sri Lanka continuing their winning ways – in a moment the bowling starts.

One win from Mumbai, two teams now battle for the right to fight for the coveted World Cup of Cricket – this is it!

New Zealand has won the toss and has elected to bat first! Here we go!

Welcome! We are watching Sri Lanka versus England recap until the coin toss of today’s match – stand by for the coin toss.
In a few moments Sri Lanka will take on New Zealand in the first semi-final of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. Regardless who plays tomorrow, all the eyes in the world of this sport are on R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo at this moment.

Both these teams have exhibited their own kind of magic in this tournament, now one gets to prove they have the heart to meet either Pakistan or India in the final. Stay with us for the live play by play, or link to the live streams below and stream the game.
Cosmic Clashes

We have not had to offer so much by way of analysis during this tournament. And there is no reason to over analyze todays matchup either. The die is cast already. Sri Lanka’s bowling and fielding versus New Zealand’s heavy bats – that sounds about right, except for two interesting points – Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan. All the experts are spouting off about the “classic” duel of spinners versus batsmen – but against England Sri Lanka’s fielding fell down, it was two, let me say it again TWO Centuries that swept England back home for fish and chips.

Not discounting New Zealand here, they worked their own brand of wizardry on Australia. Interestingly, at bat was a team effort and bowling had as much to do with South Africa’s downfall as anything. Enough said about the relative strengths and weaknesses. This is cricket, and anything can happen. What I love most about the sport is the “heart” factor (I call it). Players seem to come through in the clinch regardless of yesterdays metrics.

I won’t be going too far out on a limb in predicting Sri Lanka by a nose today. They are favored, but the reason I feel they will prevail actually has little to do with their stats, or New Zealand’s for that matter. There was just something in the way Tharanga and Dilshan carried themselves the other day – call it cosmic, I don’t care – they will do it again.
Stream It If You Can

Again for our readers who want to watch the game online, here are a few websites providing live streaming, live scorecards and updates: ESPNstar.asia (live streaming available only in Asian countries), Crictime.com (site for live streaming, broadcasting on four different servers) and ESPN3.com (ideal for US viewers). Willow TV is also an official online broadcaster in the United States. Our most recent feed came via a very nice mail from someone who created a nice feed here called CricZero. Fans in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland can watch the game via BSkyB. A complete list of 2011 Cricket World Cup broadcasting rights can be found via Wikipedia, or at Yahoo! Sports, in *pdf format.
The likely starting teams:

Sri Lanka: Tillakarathne Dilshan, Upul Thanranga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thillan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan.

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Luke Woodcock, Tim Southee.