World Of T20 Cricket

India’s wretched run the Super Eight Group E in the ICC World Twenty20 came to a bitter end at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Tuesday, the defending champions failing to reach the modest target set by South Africa. India had  a great chance to treat the packed ground to a consolation victory but the fans were let down again by the team’s batsmen.

And it was evident how wrong coach Gary Kirsten had been in suggesting that he had not been able to connect to the players because of the Indian Premier League – the South African team management did not seem to have any such issues, even if many of their players were also busy with their respective franchises.

For all that, India head home after another batting failure even though their slow bowlers turned in a heart-warming show in bowling 14 overs to give the team a chance to score a consolation win. The Indian batsmen lost their way against South Africa’s spinners whose nine overs saw them concede just 32 runs and take five wickets.

Riding on a well constructed 63 by AB de Villiers (51 balls, seven fours), South Africa made 130 for five in 20 overs, struggling through 14 overs of spin. The Indian slow bowlers – as many as five of them – conceded just 75 runs and took three wickets to keep the South African total down to manageable levels.

Despite getting off to a sound start of 48 runs by Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma in the first six overs, India crumbled when spin was introduced. Johan Botha claimed the wickets of Gambhir and Suresh Raina in successive overs while fellow off-spinner Jean-Paul Duminy scalped Rohit Sharma in his only over to push India’s challenge back.

Yet again, it was down to whether Yuvraj Singh would be able to pull the chestnuts out of the fire but with Mahendra Singh Dhoni getting run out, his task became that much more difficult. Yuvraj and Harbhajan Singh tried hard to match the mounting asking rate, it was clear that South Africa’s allround bowling had the men to stop India.

South Africa had been stopped at 128 by New Zealand at Lord’s but the side succeeded in eking out a one-run win over the Black Caps earlier in the tournament, relying on their faster bowlers but on Tuesday, it was their spinners who delivered the knockout punch. It is hard to overlook the fact that left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe bowled 14 dot balls in his four over spell.

South Africa have not been beaten in the ICC World Twenty20 and will meet Pakistan in the semifinal in Trent Bridge on Thursday while Sri Lanka will take on the West Indies in the other semifinal at the Oval on Friday.

As for India, it will not be surprising if some players choose to stay back in England for a few days, given the heat that is being generated by three successive losses in the Super Eight. The defeat on Tuesday was reminiscent of a lacklusture show by another Indian team against New Zealand at the same venue in the farewell Super Sixes game at the 1999 ICC World Cup.

Scorecard:

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written by Swapnil \\ tags: ICC T20 2009 World Cup, India, South Africa

Show South Africa a World Cup and panic can set in. Their history in the 50-over variety includes ties, collapses and misread Duckworth-Lewis charts, while their stay at the inaugural Twenty20 event, which they hosted in 2007, ended with a batting demise that meant they couldn’t even progress on net run rate. So can they set the record straight this time?

Graeme Smith believes there is more confidence and belief in this South Africa side than ever before and their record over the last year and a half supports him. They have risen to the top of the one-day rankings and also secured Test-series successes against England and Australia.

However, the other side to that coin is that it has been a long period of intense action, and how South Africa cope with fatigue will be a key issue. But after this tournament they have a break before the Champions Trophy, so success here would the perfect way to sign off a period that has taken South African cricket to new heights.

South Africa have previously used Twenty20 internationals to blood youngsters, experiment and rest senior players but this squad represents the strongest they could put together. Jacques Kallis, who was omitted in 2007, will have a point to prove and arrives on the back of a consistent IPL.

The experience in the party is highlighted with three survivors from the 1999 World Cup in England – Kallis, Mark Boucher and Herschelle Gibbs – when they had the trophy within their grasp before it slipped away. That trio would dearly love to put the record straight.

 

Strengths

Their fielding should be out of the top drawer with a cover circle made up of Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy and AB de Villiers. In a format where small margins make all the difference, the runs they save can prove crucial. Their middle-order hitting power, with the likes of Mark Boucher and Albie Morkel, means that the batting line-up packs a real punch.

Weaknesses

The pace-bowling support for Dale Steyn could be a little thin on experience with Wayne Parnell and Yusuf Abdulla still raw in international terms and Morne Morkel prone to spraying the ball around. Then there is the pressure factor; they have dealt with it on numerous occasions in the recent times, but will their World Cup nightmares come back to haunt them?

X-Factor

Spin bowling is a key part of Twenty20 and in Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe, South Africa have two excellent limited-overs performers. Botha has been told he can’t bowl his doosra after being reported for his action, but his experience will be vital to Graeme Smith, while van der Merwe has impressed in the early days of his career.

Key players

AB de Villiers has enjoyed a brilliant time in all versions of the game and his performances at the IPL further lifted his status. But he can also change a match in the field with a stunning run out or catch. Albie Morkel can also alter the course of a game in one over of strong hitting.

 

T20 form guide

They have played four Twenty20 internationals this year, all against Australia, with honours even, however the last two matches were convincing wins for South Africa.

 

Squad Graeme Smith (capt), Johan Botha, Yusuf Abdulla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Roelof van der Merwe

Source: Cricinfo.com

written by Swapnil \\ tags: ICC World Twenty20, South Africa

South Africa has edged out England to be named host nation of the 2009 IPL. The decision was made after a meeting between the IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi, and the Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive, Gerald Majola, in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The IPL also announced that a final schedule for the 59 matches and the host venues for the eight franchises will be released shortly.

IPL’s opening ceremony will be held in Cape Town, and that the defending champions Rajasthan Royals will play the first game. The tournament will commence on April 18, a week later than initially scheduled, and a day after the one-day series between South Africa and Australia ends. Sources said Johannesburg, Durban, Centurion, Port Elizabeth, East London and Cape Town would be the host venues.
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written by Swapnil \\ tags: IPL, South Africa