Warriors v South Australia, CLT20 2010, Centurion

Warriors v South Australia, CLT20 2010, Centurion

Clinical Warriors charge into final

Sriram Veera in Centurion

September 25, 2010

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Warriors 175 for 6 (Jacobs 61, Ingram 46, Harris 3-16) beat South Australia 145 for 7 (Ferguson 71, Tsotsobe 2-16) by 30 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Davy Jacobs made 61, off 41 balls, to become the leading run-scorer in the Champions League © Associated Press Enlarge
Related Links Matches: Warriors v South Australia at Centurion Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20 Teams: Australia | South Africa | South Australia | Warriors

Warriors owned this Centurion night. The batting defined purpose at the start: Davy Jacobs and Colin Ingram unleashed hell in the Powerplay and allowed the middle-order to soak up the inevitable pressure exerted by the slow men in the middle overs. Then the tail finished strongly. Warriors were 77 for 1 from seven overs, reached 128 for 4 in 16, when the tail wagged in style to push them to a strong total. The perfect script reached its climax when their spinners Johan Botha and Nicky Boje choked the chase after Lonwabo Tsotsobe left South Australia gasping for breath by removing their in-form openers in the fourth over.

The script had its moments of drama. South Australia had given the second over to a spinner Aaron O'Brien. It made sense. The pitch appeared as it was raked before the start; it looked dry and withering. It was obvious that spin was the way to go. It took one aggressive move by Ingram to upset the plan, though. Ingram rushed down the track to the third delivery of the over and smacked it to the straight boundary. Immediately O'Brien pushed it through shorter. Mistake. Ingram pulled one for a six and cut the other for a four and Warriors had moved to 20 for 1 from two overs. It was the beginning of a ferocious assault.

The game lurched forward even more dramatically in the next over. It was Jacobs v Tait and we had a clear winner. Jacobs's batsmanship is simple: a cocked wrist that snaps late to unleash violence, and tonight it was Tait who copped it. Jacobs unfurled a peach of a straight drive and followed it up his trademark shuffle-and-explode move: He moved across the stumps, waited back inside the crease and whipped a 151 kmph full delivery over square-leg for an outrageous six. He moved across again and dragged the next ball past mid-on for another boundary, and Warriors were truly up and away. When Daniel Christian bowled an over of tripe with three overpitched deliveries on the legs - all of which were put away for boundaries by Jacobs - the score read 77 for 1 from 7 overs.

South Australia's slow men - O'Brien, Cullen Bailey, the legspinner, and Daniel Harris, the mediumpacer so ideal for this track - kept them in the game by picking three wickets for only 51 runs in the next nine overs. You wondered then, if this trio can cause this much damage, what would Botha and Boje do later?

Boje's first blow of the day came with the bat, though. He mowed Christian in the final over for two sixes and unfurled a smart sweep to pick up another boundary. And when Justin Kreusch smote the final delivery beyond the long-on boundary, the crowd grew delirious. They could sense that it could be a special night. It was.

South Australia must have fretted about playing spin on this track but it was the seamer Tsotsobe who stunned them with a double strike in the fourth over of the chase. Both the Redbacks' openers, especially Michael Klinger, are extremely strong on the off side and so, Tsotsobe tied them by bringing the ball back into the middle stump.

Both perished to weak on-side shots. Harris top-edged an intended pull and Klinger flicked lamely to midwicket. And when Botha and Boje came on with their strangulation acts, the chase petered out. Ferguson played a few big hits in the end but the fight had long evaporated into the Centurion night. The home crowd lapped it up with great delight. Right through the game, they kept chanting, "Let's go Warriors, let's go". It felt as if one was back at the Warriors' den at St George's park in Port Elizabeth.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s Powerplay 16-20 overs NB/Wides Warriors 46 17 6 62/1 47/2 0/2 South Australia 52 14 4 36/2 33/3 0/6

Sriram Veera is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Victoria v Wayamba, CLT20 2010, Centurion

Victoria search for big win against Wayamba

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya

September 19, 2010

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Match facts

Monday, September 20
Start time 1730 (1530 GMT)

Big Picture

	John Hastings has been a key player for Victoria since the start of the Australian domestic season in 2009-10 © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Analysis : How the teams can qualify for the semi-finals Matches: Victoria v Wayamba at Centurion Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20 Teams: Australia | Sri Lanka | Victoria | Wayamba

David Hussey's Super Over pyrotechnics have spiced up the race for the semi-finals in Group A, one that would have been decided had Chennai Super Kings beaten Victoria Bushrangers on Saturday. That result has offered a ray of hope for laggards Wayamba, who've belied expectations thus far. Mahela Jayawardene and Jehan Mubarak, their experienced top-order batsmen, have failed to fire, while their bowling, including Ajantha Mendis and Chanaka Welegedara, was torn apart in a dispiriting defeat against Chennai. Another flop will knock them out of the tournament.

Victoria bounced back from their opening defeat with some fiery batting up front led by Aaron Finch, and good support in the bowling line-up, to the opening seamers Peter Siddle and Dirk Nannes. Their two consecutive wins, however, have both gone into the final over. In what is effectively a must-win encounter, they will want a big margin of victory on Monday given their net run-rate of -0.407, behind table leaders Warriors and Chennai. If they do that, they'll remain in the hunt but with their fate at the mercy of other results in the group.

Team news

Brad Hodge returned to the line-up for the game against Chennai while Rob Quiney slipped down the order. Injuries notwithstanding, Victoria could retain the same XI.

Victoria: 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Brad Hodge, 3 Matthew Wade (wk), 4 David Hussey (capt), 5 Andrew McDonald, 6 Rob Quiney, 7 John Hastings, 8 Clint McKay, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Dirk Nannes, 11 Bryce McGain.

There were problems aplenty for Wayamba against Chennai. Welegedara was smashed for 47 in four overs while Mendis went wicketless for 45. The allrounder Farveez Maharoof missed that game with injury and, if he recovers, will be a boost in both departments.

Wayamba: 1 Mahela Jayawardene, 2 Jeevantha Kulatunga, 3 Jehan Mubarak (capt), 4 Kushal Perera (wk), 5 Farveez Maharoof, 6 Thissara Perera, 7 Shalika Karunanayake, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Ajantha Mendis, Chanaka Welegedara.

Watch out for ...

Watching Isuru Udana bowl sometimes makes one think if he is a spinner with a longish run-up. Such is his preference for the slower ball. But he's been very effective, with 25 wickets in 16 games at 15.32 for his team. Far less sparing in his use of variation than most other seamers, Udana's skill will be tested against an explosive Victorian opening pair.

John Hastings mixes it up well when bowling and was Victoria's best bowler against Chennai, picking up 2 for 22 in four overs. He's been quite successful in the domestic arena, finishing the 2009-10 season as Victoria's highest wicket-taker in the three competitions including the KFC Big Bash. His career economy rate of 7.76 is slightly on the higher side, something he'll want to address given how heavily Victoria rely on their support seamers for containment.

Key contests

Victoria batsmen v Wayamba spinners: Against Chennai, Hussey and Finch picked R Ashwin's variations well and targeted him for harsh treatment. The rest of the line-up, however, floundered against Muttiah Muralitharan and Suresh Raina. Like Ashwin, Ajantha Mendis has a deceptive carrom ball, but is coming into the match after a thrashing at the hands of Chennai's batsmen, a game in which Rangana Herath fared marginally better. Given Victoria's mixed show against Chennai, their tussle with Wayamba's under-fire spinners could be filled with intrigue.

Stats and trivia

• The Chennai-Victoria game was the 32nd tie in seven years of Twenty20 cricket and the first in the Champions League's history.
• Dirk Nannes has picked up 59 wickets in Twenty20 games this year, second in the list behind Kieron Pollard who is on 60

Siddhartha Talya is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo

Australia v New Zealand, Champions Trophy, final, Centurion (Underdog tale reaches tough climax)

Match facts

Monday, October 5, 2009
Start time 1430 (1230 GMT)

Big picture

	Leader of men: Daniel Vettori has got the most out of the resources available to him © Getty Images
Related Links News : 'We were ready for the big moments' - Ponting Analysis : All numbers point to Australia Matches: Australia v New Zealand at Centurion Series/Tournaments: ICC Champions Trophy Teams: Australia | New Zealand

Underdogs in films make a mockery of the form book. Exhibit 1: New Zealand come to the Champions Trophy, sans superstars, sans high ICC rankings, and after being well and truly battered for more than a month in the sapping heat of Sri Lanka. They are - it is fair to say - the outsiders in this tournament.

Underdogs in the movies start out of their depth, find the happy knack of winning, and then start liking what they feel. Exhibit 2: New Zealand are outclassed by South Africa on a true Centurion pitch. Then Sri Lanka, fooled by the earlier two pitches at the Wanderers, put New Zealand in, and discover they have given their opponents first use of a batting beauty. Against England, New Zealand get a spitting beauty of a pitch, call right at the toss, and run through the batting.

Underdogs in the movies are hit by injuries, handicaps, and miseries, but every setback inspires them. Exhibit 3: New Zealand lose Jacob Oram before their campaign starts. Jesse Ryder pulls his left abductor muscle during the Sri Lanka game, but before leaving plays the kind of innings that must have led to the coining of the phrase "beware the wounded batsman". Then Daryl Tuffey, at the time looking their best bowler, breaks his hand while fielding and is ruled out for the rest of the tournament. Next up, Grant Elliott, hero of the win against England, breaks his thumb, but braves the injury to score a heroic unbeaten 75 in the semi-final.

The real villains start appearing only in the later stages of underdog movies. Exhibit 4: On paper Pakistan have everything they need to end this underdog tale, but their occasional overconfidence and exceptional play from the underdogs take New Zealand to the final.

Underdogs in the movies meet the biggest, scariest villain right at the end. Exhibit 5: It is always Australia's fate, or that of any champion team, that their excellence, consistency, their hard work, will always be seen as villainous in romantic underdog stories. We can also conveniently forget that they too lost three of their most important players - Nathan Bracken, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin - in the lead-up to the tournament. Champions, though, don't deserve such considerations. Every good underdog story needs a mean villain, and Australia have rarely failed to oblige at world events.

If more context is needed, New Zealand have historically seen Australia as big brothers, and have always sought to bring their best against them. Moreover, New Zealand are yet to beat Australia in a tournament final, and have lost six times (tournaments with more than one final have been considered as one). Centurion will not provide them with a freak pitch either. It's all stacked up against New Zealand this time, and no self-respecting underdog story would have it any other way.

How good this story is will be known by Monday evening, or rather early on Tuesday morning in Australia and New Zealand.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

Australia - WWWLW
Ominously they are peaking at the right time. Even more ominously they have survived the one token scare that champion sides face, in the game against Pakistan.

New Zealand - WWWLL
Their weakened line-up has made the rest even more determined. They will rely a lot on their bowlers and fielders to find a balance between defence and attack, and restrict Australia like they did Pakistan.

Team news

Both teams gave satisfactory performances in the semi-finals, and both are more or less settled - even if not entirely by design.

Australia (probable): 1 Shane Watson, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Cameron White, 6 Callum Ferguson, 7 James Hopes, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Nathan Hauritz, 11 Peter Siddle.

A discussion on allrounder Brendon Diamanti has its merits - Neil Broom hasn't had much to do in the tournament - but New Zealand are not likely to tinker with a winning combination. And the way Elliott came through the semi-final, a big worry for them has been taken care of.

New Zealand (probable): 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Aaron Redmond, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Neil Broom, 6 Grant Elliot, 7 James Franklin, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Shane Bond, 11 Ian Butler.

Watch out for...

Daniel Vettori is definitely in the running for the Player-of-the-Series award. Against Sri Lanka he rescued a floundering middle order, and against Pakistan he promoted himself to No. 6 and guided a nervous side through to the final. And that's besides his routine job, during which he has taken seven wickets at an average of 17.71 and an economy-rate of 3.97. He is now four wickets short of the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, Wayne Parnell.

Ricky Ponting has a habit of turning it on on the big day. But he is a bruised captain, too, the only Australian leader since time immemorial to have lost the Ashes twice. He has also led them to successive unsuccessful campaigns at ICC events. When was the last time they failed to win three majors in a row?

Shane Watson is a threat to Vettori for that series award. He has taken six wickets at 16.83, and put behind him the lean run with the bat that he experienced at the end of the England series and at the start of this event. If he bats like he did in the semi-final, we could be in for a swift finish.

Pitch and conditions

Centurion, apart from the Pakistan-Australia game, has had flat batting pitches, which could made it harder for New Zealand to pull off an upset. A 30% chance of precipitation means we should get a complete game.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have entered 13 tournament finals before this, and have won four of those.

• Since their 1999 World Cup triumph, Australia have reached 19 tournament finals, and have lost only three: in 1999 to Sri Lanka in Colombo, and two CB Series finals to England and India in 2006-07 and 2007-08 respectively.

• The whole New Zealand team has scored six ODI centuries between them (Ross Taylor 3 and Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and Grant Elliott one each), Ponting has 28.

• Australia have beaten New Zealand in six tournament finals. This will be their first meeting in a final at a neutral venue.

Quotes

"We are playing at a level which would win us the big games. We look to play best cricket when it matters. We are peaking at the right time for the finals."
Ricky Ponting can feel what those wanting a close contest are dreading.

"But once you reach that level, you realise there is an immense desire to go all the way and I think there's no relief in the camp. It was all about how we're going to win tomorrow as opposed to it's great the we've made it"
Reaching the final was once New Zealand's goal, but not anymore, says Daniel Vettori.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Sout Africa v Sri Lanka, Champions Trophy, Group B, Centurion

Match facts

Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Start time 1430 (1230 GMT)

	Will Smith be any closer to that trophy in a fortnight's time? © Getty Images
Related Links Players/Officials: Nuwan Kulasekara | Kumar Sangakkara | Graeme Smith | Dale Steyn Matches: South Africa v Sri Lanka at Centurion Series/Tournaments: ICC Champions Trophy Teams: South Africa | Sri Lanka

Big picture

Lack of choices can be a blessing in disguise. Hence we have potentially the best event organised by the ICC in a long while. Not entirely by design, though: there was no window for a longer tournament, there isn't even a reserve day for the final. So there was no space for flab or Super Sixes or Eights or whatever. Although Bangladesh can argue they had a better case than West Indies, few could have envisaged the political turmoil in the Caribbean when the tournament was being drawn up. As a result the preliminary groups are neither meaningless cakewalks nor so fickle that one freak loss ends the tournament for a team. Throw in the fact that the top three teams are so close to each other, the No. 1 ranking is likely to change hands more often in this tournament than the baton in a relay race. So good on the ODIs, which do with this shot in the arm.

It helps that South Africa has been the setting for memorable starts to world events. In the first match of the 2003 World Cup, Brian Lara's century helped West Indies beat South Africa by three runs in a tense finish. Four years later the ICC went to South Africa unsure if the World Twenty20 would be accepted by the audience. The same two teams, in 37.4 overs, hit all such trepidations out of the Wanderers. The possibility of an exact repeat has been ruled out by the draw, which pits Sri Lanka opening the tournament against the hosts, but a similar start is needed.

Both players in the act on Tuesday run the risk of becoming perennial best men: both have been consistent limited-overs teams for large parts of last 15 years, but only two players in each team have tasted success in an ICC event: Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan won the 1996 World Cup, and Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis won the inaugural Champions Trophy in 1998.

Since then South Africa have lost two World Cup semi-finals, one World Twenty20 semi-final, and three Champions Trophy semi-finals. Sri Lanka haven't been that consistent, but they too have lost a World Cup final and semi-final each, a World Twenty20 final, and shared a Champions Trophy final.

Not much has changed on that front: this is another best chance for South Africa to shrug off the chokers' tag, and although Sri Lanka are not starting off as favourites it would be folly to underestimate them. So let the nearly men kick the nearly tournament off.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)

South Africa - LWWWL
Forget their record in big tournaments, this is indeed South Africa's best chance in a big tournament. They are the most settled team among the eight, Australia are not what they used to be - their 6-1 win in England notwithstanding - and others generally have more issues to settle than the hosts. They last played an international match back in April. Will they be rested or rusty?

Sri Lanka - LWWLL
A new-look team trying to bring together mavericks, team players and veterans makes for interesting following. Their No. 5 ranking in ODIs should not prompt other teams to let their guard down.

Watch out for...

Dale Steyn has stated what the world knows in its heart of hearts but is not so convinced about when it comes to big tournaments. "If the team play to their potential, and this might sound cocky, I really believe no side can match us at the Champions Trophy." The world is waiting, Dale, for the "team to play to their potential".

Nuwan Kulasekara quietly became the No. 1 bowler in ODIs without many noticing, and has kept the ranking for some time now. Now he will be tested in the open and, if the conditions help swing, his accuracy, inswingers, and the odd one that goes straight could just confirm the ICC rankings.

	Since 1998 South Africa have lost two World Cup semi-finals, one World Twenty20 semi-final, and three Champions Trophy semi-finals. Sri Lanka have lost a World Cup final and semi-final each, a World Twenty20 final, and shared a Champions Trophy final

Graeme Smith has not shied from making statements for his team, and on the first day of the tournament, with regular co-opener Herschelle Gibbs out, his team needs the leader in the front.

Kumar Sangakkara the captain has been conspicuous in trying to bring a hard edge to his skilled team, but Sangakkara the batsman last scored an ODI century in June 2008, against Bangladesh. Sri Lanka won't mind a reconciliation of the two Sangakkaras.

Team news

Smith has confirmed Hashim Amla will open with him in Gibbs' absence due to a rib injury that has ruled him out of the first match. It probably won't hurt the middle order, which looks settled - only Albie Morkel and Mark Boucher could be needed earlier than usual. The most likely to sit out are Robin Peterson and Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Expect a toss-up between Roelof van der Merwe and Wayne Parnell for the final position.

South Africa (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Roelof van der Merwe/Wayne Parnell, 9 Johan Botha, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 Dale Steyn.

Murali should be fit to take the field now. After the tri-series final that Sri Lanka lost to India, Sangakkara had said Murali was fit but they didn't want to risk him before the Champions Trophy. Whose place will he take if he plays is an interesting question. Unless it is a rank turner, Ajantha Mendis should be the man most likely to sit out.

Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilina Kandamby, 6 Chamara Kapugedera, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Thilan Thushara, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Lasith Malinga.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa lead 5-1 head-to-head on Sri Lanka in ICC events. They lost to Sri Lanka in the 1992 World Cup, and tied with them in 2003, but have won all other encounters.

• Murali, with 23 wickets, is the highest wicket-taker in Champions Trophy history.

• Sangakkara, with 22 catches and four stumpings, leads the dismissals table for wicketkeepers.

Quotes

"Our team has a lot of variety. We have got a left-armer, we have got pace, we have got allrounders and we have got spin. It is nice as a captain to have so many options."
Graeme Smith likes what he sees when he casts an eye over South Africa's squad.

"A game's a game and it doesn't matter who the opposition is. But it's nice, because we've come here as underdogs in this game and they [South Africa] have got a major tournament to start, to kick off in front of their fans and the pressure is really on them."
Kumar Sangakkara plays a mind game or three.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo