nahi filhal tau Japan jaa rahi hoon. wahan pe baith ka jhanda
dekhoon gee.
BTW ghus tau jaon agar apnay parosi maidan main hoay tau
heheh. ISI agent samajh ker paker lenge... onheine tu har ground fence kara wa hai. Kesa kero gi..? 
All About ICC Champions Trophy 2009
- Thread starter Righteous_Fire
- Start date
heheh. ISI agent samajh ker paker lenge... onheine tu har ground fence kara wa hai. Kesa kero gi..? 
Spring Onion
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lakin phir bhi jab hamara dil chahta ha ghus jatay hain hum un main
Murshad
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Yesterday there was a match between Indian and Pakistan. It was really a battle of nerves and who sustained pressure survived. Indian friends are saying oh a, b and c were present so other took advantage of it why you not think all absentees were replaced with best available talent. Same is the case with Pakistan, just look at their strike bowler a real chucha with just seven match experience who was on other side. Look at the difference in experience.
Intestinally, analyzing the game point by point Indian media has again put a sensation in it.
Just watch a clip how they are describing their defeat.
Intestinally, analyzing the game point by point Indian media has again put a sensation in it.
Just watch a clip how they are describing their defeat.
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Murshad
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What went wrong yesterday is analyzed here
It couldn't go on for ever, India's freakish dominance over Pakistan in world events, and it was no disgrace in losing to a team that was better on the day. But the match was closer than the scoreline suggests and while it would be tempting to lay the blame on the three mindless moments while India were batting, the real story was elsewhere.
But let's get the sub-plot out of the way. Gautam Gambhir batted out of his skin and gave it away. Was he too pumped up for his own good? Did the Pakistanis get to him? When the bat was doing all the talk, what insanity to start gesticulating wildly with the handle? And what was he doing charging down the wicket for what would have, at best, been a high-risk single when fours and sixes seemed the natural order? And pray, why didn't he put in a dive?
Brain freeze two: In plain disregard of common sense, Virat Kohli, the young man who some consider the future of Indian batting, decides to take on Shahid Afridi and the man on the long-off boundary and lofts the ball straight to him. India were then 126 for 2 off 21.2 overs.
The final act. Rahul Dravid, the last man standing, eases the ball to deep cover and completes a comfortable two. Harbhajan Singh now wants a third. Then he doesn't. Now Dravid wants it. Harbhajan is now persuaded. But no, the ball is on its way now. Dravid turns back, but it's too late, and worse he seems to have pulled something while stretching and he crumples to the ground as the Pakistanis gather a few feet away from him to celebrate. A fan runs on to the field with the Pakistani flag. Soon they would be swamping the ground.
India lost by 54 runs. But 31 balls were still to be bowled. MS Dhoni put India's failed chase down to the loss of too many wickets. It was in stark contrast to Pakistan's calculated, controlled, polished and smooth building of a monumental score.
But it was also true that India let them. Imran Nazir and Karman Akmal had started sensationally. But they were gone by the ninth over, and between the eighth and 13th over, only six runs were scored. But once Mohammad Yousuf arrived, and India were obliged bring on their part-timers and the field spread, runs were impossible to stop.
At the press conference, Dhoni started by holding the batsmen, including himself, responsible for the defeat. But the questions about the bowlers persisted, and once Dhoni started on the subject, he was damning and he held little back.
"Between the 30th and the 42nd over, we gave away nearly 100 runs. That's too many runs when the field is spread. That was tough. I have never seen so many runs scored backward of point. As a captain you can only set the field, you can't bowl yourself. I think the Pakistan bowlers exploited the conditions really well. The spinners, the fast bowlers, they bowled in the areas where they had fielders.
"Losing the toss was a blessing in disguise. Because when we bowled up, it was tough for them and they played a few shots in the air. But we were quite consistent in bowling short."
Dhoni admitted his bowlers had been fooled into bowling short by the practice wickets in Johannesburg, where the balls rose sharply. "The conditions were different here, and we should have adapted. It's about adaptability and you have to be smart at the international level."
But did he miss a fifth bowler? "At times I felt I was three bowlers short," he shot back. There were times, he said, he didn't know who go to or what fields to set. "Wherever I put a fielder, the ball went elsewhere."
There was only one period, between the eighth and 13th over, when Ashish Nehra and Ishant Shrama bowled the line and length the pitch demanded. But in the end only Nehra emerged with credit, and four wickets for his efforts.
RP Singh started by bowling too full and was driven for two fours, which prompted him to bowl too short and be hit for two more. Ishant's first ball strayed on Younis Khan's pads and the fourth was short and wide. On his return spell, he bowled three crass long hops outside the off stump, all of which were gratefully converted to fours by Shoaib Malik.
And Harbhajan - he had a shocker - straying both in line and length, and was deftly and mercilessly toyed around by two batsmen who were not afraid to play against the turn. But even Malik was puzzled that he wasn't brought in earlier.
Pakistan were 65 for 3 when the Powerplays ended, and instead of going for the kill, Dhoni chose to bring in his part-timers, including Virat Kohli, and allowed Malik, who couldn't get even a single away, to then settle down, and Yousuf to get going right from the start. When Harbhajan was finally introduced, in the 26th over, Pakistan had reached 108.
Dhoni had his reasons for holding back his premier bowler. "When you bowl Harbhajan with a part-timer, the batsmen look to score from the other end and play out Harbhajan. We wanted to force the batsmen to play shots against him."
Would he have needed to do that if he had another bowling option?
India are not out of the tournament yet. But they have only a day to gather their wits and reassess their options. The No.1 rank at the ICC table flatters them at the moment. Their immediate task is to avoid slipping to No.5 or less in this tournament.
Sambit Bal is the editor of Cricinfo
It couldn't go on for ever, India's freakish dominance over Pakistan in world events, and it was no disgrace in losing to a team that was better on the day. But the match was closer than the scoreline suggests and while it would be tempting to lay the blame on the three mindless moments while India were batting, the real story was elsewhere.
But let's get the sub-plot out of the way. Gautam Gambhir batted out of his skin and gave it away. Was he too pumped up for his own good? Did the Pakistanis get to him? When the bat was doing all the talk, what insanity to start gesticulating wildly with the handle? And what was he doing charging down the wicket for what would have, at best, been a high-risk single when fours and sixes seemed the natural order? And pray, why didn't he put in a dive?
Brain freeze two: In plain disregard of common sense, Virat Kohli, the young man who some consider the future of Indian batting, decides to take on Shahid Afridi and the man on the long-off boundary and lofts the ball straight to him. India were then 126 for 2 off 21.2 overs.
The final act. Rahul Dravid, the last man standing, eases the ball to deep cover and completes a comfortable two. Harbhajan Singh now wants a third. Then he doesn't. Now Dravid wants it. Harbhajan is now persuaded. But no, the ball is on its way now. Dravid turns back, but it's too late, and worse he seems to have pulled something while stretching and he crumples to the ground as the Pakistanis gather a few feet away from him to celebrate. A fan runs on to the field with the Pakistani flag. Soon they would be swamping the ground.
India lost by 54 runs. But 31 balls were still to be bowled. MS Dhoni put India's failed chase down to the loss of too many wickets. It was in stark contrast to Pakistan's calculated, controlled, polished and smooth building of a monumental score.
But it was also true that India let them. Imran Nazir and Karman Akmal had started sensationally. But they were gone by the ninth over, and between the eighth and 13th over, only six runs were scored. But once Mohammad Yousuf arrived, and India were obliged bring on their part-timers and the field spread, runs were impossible to stop.
At the press conference, Dhoni started by holding the batsmen, including himself, responsible for the defeat. But the questions about the bowlers persisted, and once Dhoni started on the subject, he was damning and he held little back.
"Between the 30th and the 42nd over, we gave away nearly 100 runs. That's too many runs when the field is spread. That was tough. I have never seen so many runs scored backward of point. As a captain you can only set the field, you can't bowl yourself. I think the Pakistan bowlers exploited the conditions really well. The spinners, the fast bowlers, they bowled in the areas where they had fielders.
"Losing the toss was a blessing in disguise. Because when we bowled up, it was tough for them and they played a few shots in the air. But we were quite consistent in bowling short."
Dhoni admitted his bowlers had been fooled into bowling short by the practice wickets in Johannesburg, where the balls rose sharply. "The conditions were different here, and we should have adapted. It's about adaptability and you have to be smart at the international level."
But did he miss a fifth bowler? "At times I felt I was three bowlers short," he shot back. There were times, he said, he didn't know who go to or what fields to set. "Wherever I put a fielder, the ball went elsewhere."
There was only one period, between the eighth and 13th over, when Ashish Nehra and Ishant Shrama bowled the line and length the pitch demanded. But in the end only Nehra emerged with credit, and four wickets for his efforts.
RP Singh started by bowling too full and was driven for two fours, which prompted him to bowl too short and be hit for two more. Ishant's first ball strayed on Younis Khan's pads and the fourth was short and wide. On his return spell, he bowled three crass long hops outside the off stump, all of which were gratefully converted to fours by Shoaib Malik.
And Harbhajan - he had a shocker - straying both in line and length, and was deftly and mercilessly toyed around by two batsmen who were not afraid to play against the turn. But even Malik was puzzled that he wasn't brought in earlier.
Pakistan were 65 for 3 when the Powerplays ended, and instead of going for the kill, Dhoni chose to bring in his part-timers, including Virat Kohli, and allowed Malik, who couldn't get even a single away, to then settle down, and Yousuf to get going right from the start. When Harbhajan was finally introduced, in the 26th over, Pakistan had reached 108.
Dhoni had his reasons for holding back his premier bowler. "When you bowl Harbhajan with a part-timer, the batsmen look to score from the other end and play out Harbhajan. We wanted to force the batsmen to play shots against him."
Would he have needed to do that if he had another bowling option?
India are not out of the tournament yet. But they have only a day to gather their wits and reassess their options. The No.1 rank at the ICC table flatters them at the moment. Their immediate task is to avoid slipping to No.5 or less in this tournament.
Sambit Bal is the editor of Cricinfo
SSGPA1
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I agree with the weakness but I don't agree with playing Fawad Alam at this stage in the tournament. Why change the winning combination?
Same with Asif, I don't think one bad game from UG mean that he needs to be 'rested'. Gul needs his confidence back and playing against Aus will help. Asif needs to be used as a back up for injured fast bowler.
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x_man
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Ridiculous accent, unnecessary hype, useless sensationalism, superfluous bragging and premature winning syndrome.....
Do they really believe that shouting on national TV helps make their reports more convincing?
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Murshad
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Wlq_HJuQA-k[/media] - India to take on Pakistan at Centurion
Ridiculous accent, unnecessary hype, useless sensationalism, superfluous bragging and premature winning syndrome.....
Do they really believe that shouting on national TV helps make their reports more convincing?
100% agree with you. It was just a game and should be taken as game. On a given who performed well and whose calculations worked, came out winner. Just imagine a hairline mistake from either Shoaib or Yousaf , results might have disastrous for Pakistan eleven. But in high pressure game it becomes a battle of nerves. Few years back Australia made 400+ in 50 over match but South Africa kept their nerves in control and came out as winner. What about todays match between England and South Africa, till 45th over match was evenly balanced even one can feel slight edge for South Africa but after that it was an entirely different story.
But I feel hate is so deeply rooted in hearts, mainly on other side of border that we watch these kinds of clips.
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Hasnain2009
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SecularHumanist
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I don't believe in Imran Nazir at this level. He has been a tried and tested failure at international level. The thing is our people love his aggressive Afridi style batting. The fact is Afridi is a very inconsistent batsman, but he has his bowling to offer us. Imran Nazir only has his batting and we all know his average. If Pakistan wants to be #1 then inconsistent players like Imran Nazir need to be done away with.
MZUBAIR
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IPL performances should not be the base for Test, ODI selection: Dhoni
After having lost to its arch rival Pakistan in their first match of the Champions Trophy, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday pointed out that performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) should not be the base for players being selected for Test and ODI matches.
"The thing is you see good performances in the domestic and IPL circuit and you suddenly think of them as India prospects. But, a 50-over game is different from a 20-over match. It also tests your endurance, whether you are similarly fresh in bowling at the death," Dhoni said during a press conference in Centurion.
It's do or die for India against Australia
Dhoni also pointed out to all-rounder Yusuf Pathan's performance to embark his point. Yusuf has always been in splendid form while playing for his IPL team Rajasthan Royals, but has failed to show a similar display in the international stage.
"Yusuf has loads of talent and he has been dominating at the domestic and IPL level. But, he hasn't translated it in international level. That's a worry," Dhoni said.
Dhoni further said that he would go in with five bowlers to keep a tight hold on Australian batsmen in their do or die game on Monday.
"I would say they are short of confidence. These are talented boys who have bowled well in all conditions. Once they start clicking everything will fall in place," Dhoni said.
Champions Trophy 2009
"It sure gets tough with the batsmen if you play an extra bowler, but then it's one and the same thing if bowlers go for major runs. It again brings the pressure on batsmen. So, in this case the batsmen would have to take responsibility," he added.
After having lost to its arch rival Pakistan in their first match of the Champions Trophy, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday pointed out that performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) should not be the base for players being selected for Test and ODI matches.
"The thing is you see good performances in the domestic and IPL circuit and you suddenly think of them as India prospects. But, a 50-over game is different from a 20-over match. It also tests your endurance, whether you are similarly fresh in bowling at the death," Dhoni said during a press conference in Centurion.
It's do or die for India against Australia
Dhoni also pointed out to all-rounder Yusuf Pathan's performance to embark his point. Yusuf has always been in splendid form while playing for his IPL team Rajasthan Royals, but has failed to show a similar display in the international stage.
"Yusuf has loads of talent and he has been dominating at the domestic and IPL level. But, he hasn't translated it in international level. That's a worry," Dhoni said.
Dhoni further said that he would go in with five bowlers to keep a tight hold on Australian batsmen in their do or die game on Monday.
"I would say they are short of confidence. These are talented boys who have bowled well in all conditions. Once they start clicking everything will fall in place," Dhoni said.
Champions Trophy 2009
"It sure gets tough with the batsmen if you play an extra bowler, but then it's one and the same thing if bowlers go for major runs. It again brings the pressure on batsmen. So, in this case the batsmen would have to take responsibility," he added.
DaRk WaVe
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England defy Smith to reach semis
England's bowlers held their nerve in the face of a supremely gutsy 141 from their habitual nemesis, Graeme Smith, to steer their side into the Champions Trophy semi-final with a game to spare, thanks to a thrilling 22-run victory over the hosts, South Africa, in Centurion. Chasing a hefty 324 after a pair of exceptional innings from Owais Shah and Eoin Morgan, Smith forced England to battle every step of the way, and at 206 for 3 with 14 overs to go, a crushing reversal was not out of the question. However, James Anderson put the game safe with the nerveless figures of 3 for 42 in ten overs, and when Smith himself was ninth man out with 19 balls remaining, South Africa had to face up once more to the ignominy of exiting a global tournament on home soil at the very first hurdle.
It was a startling contest that continued the unlikeliest revival in international cricket. With one shock result already notched up against Sri Lanka, England entered this crunch contest with such confidence that not even the late withdrawal of their wicketkeeper, Matt Prior, could rattle their resolve. A similar scenario in the fourth Ashes Test at Headingley had been the prelude to an England meltdown, but on this occasion, the team took the upheaval in their stride - not least Morgan, who stepped in as a makeshift deputy, and conferred a Gilchristian touch to his batting to convert an already formidable total into an insuperable one, with a breathtaking 67 from 34 balls.
The most revelatory performance of the day, however, was that of the eventual Man of the Match, Shah. Throughout a fraught campaign against Australia, his main failing appeared to be a severe attack of nerves, but having eased himself into the competition with a slow but steady 44 in the victory over Sri Lanka, he launched himself into top gear with a brilliant 98 from 89 balls that included five fours and six sixes - five of which came in a 13-ball onslaught in those habitually stagnant middle overs.
After 29 overs, England were handily paced on 146 for 2, with Andrew Strauss and Joe Denly falling early, but not before they had demonstrated the placid nature of the wicket by picking off eight boundaries in the first nine overs. But the acceleration, when it came, was dramatic. Paul Collingwood, who anchored England's performance with 82 from 94 balls, signalled the charge by pulling Roelof van der Merwe over midwicket for six, whereupon Shah, who had just brought up his half-century from a measured 63 deliveries, crashed 45 runs from his last 21 balls.
Five of Shah's sixes were carted over midwicket, and one, from van der Merwe, was lofted over long-off, and such was his dominance, there seemed no way on earth that he would not record his second ODI century, and England's first since Strauss's losing effort in Guyana in March. But instead of sticking to his long-handled onslaught, Shah attempted a cute dink into the leg-side off Johan Botha, but the ball ballooned unluckily off his pad-flap, and into the hands of Mark Boucher, to bring to an end a third-wicket stand of 163.
morgan, however, picked up where his team-mate had left off, reverse-lapping van der Merwe through third man for four before larupping Botha back over his head for a massive six. England called for the Powerplay in the 42nd over, and though Parnell accounted for Collingwood with a slower ball, Morgan was picking every variation as the innings drew to a close, cracking four fours and five sixes in total, with a versatility of shot selection that no Englishman other than Kevin Pietersen could hope to match.
Regardless of the size of the target, England knew they could afford no margin for error - their record at defending 300-plus targets is a notable Achilles heel, while South Africa have tasted success when it comes to chasing massive run-chases. In March 2006 they overhauled Australia's world-record 434 in a never-to-be-forgotten chase at the Wanderers, and seeing as the main men on that occasion, Smith and Herschelle Gibbs, were opening the batting this time around, there was enough on display for the packed crowd to continue to believe.
Anderson dismissed Gibbs early on, but not before he had taken a shine to Graham Onions' new-ball offerings, while Stuart Broad persuaded Jacques Kallis to pull a short ball down the throat of Denly at square leg. But when Collingwood, at point, dropped de Villiers on 3 in Luke Wright's first over, Smith found a hard-hitting ally in whom he could trust, and South Africa set about their pursuit with gusto.
Graeme Swann entered the attack in the 21st over, but was swept with power for consecutive fours to bring up a run-a-ball half-century. On 59, however, Smith survived a bona fide let-off when Morgan, the stand-in wicketkeeper, failed to gather a scrambling stumping opportunity, and on 82, he was handed an even more culpable let-off when Shah at mid-on dropped an absolute sitter, a chipped drive off the persevering Collingwood, whose canny offcutters had already extracted de Villiers for 35, courtesy of a hoicked pull to deep midwicket.
With 20 overs to go, South Africa still required a hefty 159 to win with three wickets down, which would be a stiff equation even for a Twenty20 international. Onions returned to the attack with a much improved length, as Smith inside-edged millimetres past his leg stump before surviving an exceptionally tight appeal for lbw in his next over. But when Wright was brought back for his fifth over he was cut firmly through third man for South Africa's first boundary for 63 balls, and suitably liberated, Smith punched his next delivery from Onions down the ground to go to 96. Collingwood was brought back to halt the flow, but Smith crunched him past point to bring up his hundred from 104 balls, a fabulously paced innings that left England with deep creases in their brows.
One over later, however, and England were right back in the hunt, thanks to a wonderfully deceptive over from Swann that pinned Duminy to the crease for four precious dot-balls before plucking out his leg stump with a last-ball arm-ball. Though Broad returned to the action with a muddled sixth over that leaked ten runs, Anderson responded by plucking out Boucher's off stump with the first ball of his final spell, and as he and Swann kept the dangerous Albie Morkel under wraps, the asking rate climbed into double-figures.
South Africa claimed the batting Powerplay with 86 runs needed from 48 balls, and the initial result was explosive, as Morkel broke his shackles to launch the struggling Broad for ten in two balls, including a towering six straight back down the ground. But Smith by this stage was suffering visibly from cramp, and when Strauss belied his recently earned reputation for sportsmanship by refusing to allow him a runner, the upshot was predictable. Morkel called for an ambitious bye when Morgan fumbled behind the stumps, but a subsequent direct hit sent him on his way for 17.
With the run-rate spiralling out of control, Johan Botha fell two balls later for a duck, and though Smith gritted his teeth to slap Broad for five fours in two overs, the cause was already lost. Van der Merwe had his stumps splattered by the superb Anderson, also for a duck, and when Smith skied an attempted pull to midwicket, Shah steadied himself to take the chance that effectively killed the contest. As England continued their unexpectedly joyous end-of-season romp, South Africa, once again, were left to contemplate their inability to front up on the big occasion.
South Africa v England, Group B, Centurion Report | Cricket News | ICC Champions Trophy, 2009 | Cricinfo.com
England's bowlers held their nerve in the face of a supremely gutsy 141 from their habitual nemesis, Graeme Smith, to steer their side into the Champions Trophy semi-final with a game to spare, thanks to a thrilling 22-run victory over the hosts, South Africa, in Centurion. Chasing a hefty 324 after a pair of exceptional innings from Owais Shah and Eoin Morgan, Smith forced England to battle every step of the way, and at 206 for 3 with 14 overs to go, a crushing reversal was not out of the question. However, James Anderson put the game safe with the nerveless figures of 3 for 42 in ten overs, and when Smith himself was ninth man out with 19 balls remaining, South Africa had to face up once more to the ignominy of exiting a global tournament on home soil at the very first hurdle.
It was a startling contest that continued the unlikeliest revival in international cricket. With one shock result already notched up against Sri Lanka, England entered this crunch contest with such confidence that not even the late withdrawal of their wicketkeeper, Matt Prior, could rattle their resolve. A similar scenario in the fourth Ashes Test at Headingley had been the prelude to an England meltdown, but on this occasion, the team took the upheaval in their stride - not least Morgan, who stepped in as a makeshift deputy, and conferred a Gilchristian touch to his batting to convert an already formidable total into an insuperable one, with a breathtaking 67 from 34 balls.
The most revelatory performance of the day, however, was that of the eventual Man of the Match, Shah. Throughout a fraught campaign against Australia, his main failing appeared to be a severe attack of nerves, but having eased himself into the competition with a slow but steady 44 in the victory over Sri Lanka, he launched himself into top gear with a brilliant 98 from 89 balls that included five fours and six sixes - five of which came in a 13-ball onslaught in those habitually stagnant middle overs.
After 29 overs, England were handily paced on 146 for 2, with Andrew Strauss and Joe Denly falling early, but not before they had demonstrated the placid nature of the wicket by picking off eight boundaries in the first nine overs. But the acceleration, when it came, was dramatic. Paul Collingwood, who anchored England's performance with 82 from 94 balls, signalled the charge by pulling Roelof van der Merwe over midwicket for six, whereupon Shah, who had just brought up his half-century from a measured 63 deliveries, crashed 45 runs from his last 21 balls.
Five of Shah's sixes were carted over midwicket, and one, from van der Merwe, was lofted over long-off, and such was his dominance, there seemed no way on earth that he would not record his second ODI century, and England's first since Strauss's losing effort in Guyana in March. But instead of sticking to his long-handled onslaught, Shah attempted a cute dink into the leg-side off Johan Botha, but the ball ballooned unluckily off his pad-flap, and into the hands of Mark Boucher, to bring to an end a third-wicket stand of 163.
morgan, however, picked up where his team-mate had left off, reverse-lapping van der Merwe through third man for four before larupping Botha back over his head for a massive six. England called for the Powerplay in the 42nd over, and though Parnell accounted for Collingwood with a slower ball, Morgan was picking every variation as the innings drew to a close, cracking four fours and five sixes in total, with a versatility of shot selection that no Englishman other than Kevin Pietersen could hope to match.
Regardless of the size of the target, England knew they could afford no margin for error - their record at defending 300-plus targets is a notable Achilles heel, while South Africa have tasted success when it comes to chasing massive run-chases. In March 2006 they overhauled Australia's world-record 434 in a never-to-be-forgotten chase at the Wanderers, and seeing as the main men on that occasion, Smith and Herschelle Gibbs, were opening the batting this time around, there was enough on display for the packed crowd to continue to believe.
Anderson dismissed Gibbs early on, but not before he had taken a shine to Graham Onions' new-ball offerings, while Stuart Broad persuaded Jacques Kallis to pull a short ball down the throat of Denly at square leg. But when Collingwood, at point, dropped de Villiers on 3 in Luke Wright's first over, Smith found a hard-hitting ally in whom he could trust, and South Africa set about their pursuit with gusto.
Graeme Swann entered the attack in the 21st over, but was swept with power for consecutive fours to bring up a run-a-ball half-century. On 59, however, Smith survived a bona fide let-off when Morgan, the stand-in wicketkeeper, failed to gather a scrambling stumping opportunity, and on 82, he was handed an even more culpable let-off when Shah at mid-on dropped an absolute sitter, a chipped drive off the persevering Collingwood, whose canny offcutters had already extracted de Villiers for 35, courtesy of a hoicked pull to deep midwicket.
With 20 overs to go, South Africa still required a hefty 159 to win with three wickets down, which would be a stiff equation even for a Twenty20 international. Onions returned to the attack with a much improved length, as Smith inside-edged millimetres past his leg stump before surviving an exceptionally tight appeal for lbw in his next over. But when Wright was brought back for his fifth over he was cut firmly through third man for South Africa's first boundary for 63 balls, and suitably liberated, Smith punched his next delivery from Onions down the ground to go to 96. Collingwood was brought back to halt the flow, but Smith crunched him past point to bring up his hundred from 104 balls, a fabulously paced innings that left England with deep creases in their brows.
One over later, however, and England were right back in the hunt, thanks to a wonderfully deceptive over from Swann that pinned Duminy to the crease for four precious dot-balls before plucking out his leg stump with a last-ball arm-ball. Though Broad returned to the action with a muddled sixth over that leaked ten runs, Anderson responded by plucking out Boucher's off stump with the first ball of his final spell, and as he and Swann kept the dangerous Albie Morkel under wraps, the asking rate climbed into double-figures.
South Africa claimed the batting Powerplay with 86 runs needed from 48 balls, and the initial result was explosive, as Morkel broke his shackles to launch the struggling Broad for ten in two balls, including a towering six straight back down the ground. But Smith by this stage was suffering visibly from cramp, and when Strauss belied his recently earned reputation for sportsmanship by refusing to allow him a runner, the upshot was predictable. Morkel called for an ambitious bye when Morgan fumbled behind the stumps, but a subsequent direct hit sent him on his way for 17.
With the run-rate spiralling out of control, Johan Botha fell two balls later for a duck, and though Smith gritted his teeth to slap Broad for five fours in two overs, the cause was already lost. Van der Merwe had his stumps splattered by the superb Anderson, also for a duck, and when Smith skied an attempted pull to midwicket, Shah steadied himself to take the chance that effectively killed the contest. As England continued their unexpectedly joyous end-of-season romp, South Africa, once again, were left to contemplate their inability to front up on the big occasion.
South Africa v England, Group B, Centurion Report | Cricket News | ICC Champions Trophy, 2009 | Cricinfo.com
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