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Luke Ronchi blasted a half-century that delivered the second loss in four days for Victoria

Cricinfo staff05-Dec-2009Western Australia 5 for 279 (Voges 64, M Marsh 60, Ronchi 57*) beat Victoria 8 for 277 (White 60, McDonald 52) by 5 wickets

ScorecardLuke Ronchi arrived late to drive Western Australia home•Getty Images

Luke Ronchi blasted a half-century that delivered the second loss in four days for Victoria. After being defeated by Queensland on Wednesday, the Bushrangers went down in the final over in Bunbury when Ronchi lifted Darren Pattinson for six to long-on to take the hosts to a five-wicket triumph.The result was in doubt until Ronchi arrived to muscle his way to 57 from 35 deliveries, finishing the contest with three balls remaining. Adam Voges, with 64, and Mitchell Marsh (60) had set the platform before Ronchi arrived to make sure of the win that puts them back to third on the table.Cameron White’s 60 and Andrew McDonald’s 52 set up Victoria’s total after most of their main batsmen contributed. McDonald opened and gave his side a strong start, following Chris Rogers’ departure in the eighth over, with a run-a-ball half-century before Brad Hodge (42) and David Hussey (36) chipped in.The Bushrangers were guided through the second half by White, who had three sixes in his 80-ball occupation, and a late push came from Matthew Wade’s 19 from 10 deliveries. Ashley Noffke led the hosts with 3 for 43 on his return from an ankle problem while Brad Knowles was rewarded with two wickets.

Middlesex have signed Iain O’Brien, the 33-year-old New Zealand paceman as their overseas player for 2010, replacing Murali Kartik, the Indian left-arm spinner, who has been at Lord’s for the past three years

Cricinfo staff06-Dec-2009Middlesex have signed Iain O’Brien, the 33-year-old New Zealand paceman, as their overseas player for 2010, replacing Murali Kartik, the Indian left-arm spinner, who has been at Lord’s for the past three years.O’Brien is currently playing in New Zealand’s home series against Pakistan but announced he will retire at the end the final Test to move to England and spend more time with his wife.He played county cricket last season with Leicestershire, collecting 21 wickets at 26.04 from his seven matches in Division Two of the Championship.Middlesex struggled in 2009, finishing second from bottom in Division Two and Angus Fraser, the Middlesex director of cricket, feels that O’Brien can offer strong support to the pace attack.”It became clear in 2009 that Middlesex needed to find fast bowling support for Tim Murtagh and Steven Finn, who manfully carried the team’s attack last summer.”Selecting a fast bowler as an overseas player was the obvious way of filling one of these positions, and it is why Murali Kartik was not offered a new contract.”Fraser felt that O’Brien’s availability for the whole season made him a good option for the county as they look to rebuild. “Finding an overseas fast bowler who is available for most, if not all of a season is a huge thing for me,” he said.”Most international fast bowlers tend only to be available for short periods of time, and on occasions their workload is closely monitored by their home board.””Ideally, I want an overseas player to become an integral part of the club structure, to join in with everything and feel part of the club as it moves forward. I was not keen on someone who briefly flits in and then disappears elsewhere. Iain has the potential to fulfil this requirement.”O’Brien has enjoyed a good series so far against Pakistan, taking nine wickets in the two matches but first impressed Fraser during England’s tour of New Zealand in 2007-08.”I watched Iain on a number of occasions [on that tour], and chatted to him on a couple of occasions. During our chats he informed me that he was an into the wind bowler in Wellington, a city I spent two winters playing club cricket in when I was young.”The admission impressed me because, knowing Wellington and its wind as I do, I immediately knew Iain was a determined, wholehearted cricketer. So strong is the wind in Wellington, that if you don’t show those qualities you will not reach the wickets”.Though the deal is initially for only one year, both Middlesex and O’Brien aim to extend the contract to a three-year deal, with O’Brien hoping to register as a domestic cricketer.Speaking when he announced his retirement earlier on Sunday O’Brien said: “I am 33 years old and my main focus now is becoming a ‘proper’ husband, starting a family, settling down and securing my future in England. Cricket has been my number one priority and I’ve placed it in front of everything else. It’s now time to put Rosie first and start a family.”

Zimbabwe ‘A’, having let themselves down against Denmark in the opening match of the Emerging Nations tournament, were hoping to regain their pride by beating the strongest of the visiting teams, Kenya, at Old Hararians Sports Club in Harare

John Ward25-Dec-2009Zimbabwe ‘A’, having let themselves down against Denmark in the opening match of the Emerging Nations tournament, were hoping to regain their pride by beating the strongest of the visiting teams, Kenya, at Old Hararians Sports Club in Harare. Sadly, the match was ended by rain when very nicely balanced, Zimbabwe replying to Kenya’s 225 with 93 for three in just under 20 overs. Had it been possible to apply the Duckworth-Lewis system, which requires a minimum of 25 overs to be bowled, Zimbabwe would have been well placed to win, as they needed only six more runs in 5.4 overs to win, as long as they did not lose another wicket.The home side, whose policy is to rotate their players to give them all a chance, made six changes from the team that lost to Denmark. They also had a change of attitude, looking much more purposeful than they had the previous day.Zimbabwe A put Kenya in to bat on winning the toss. Ravindu Shah was soon under way with a couple of confident strokes, but did not last long; in the third over he hit a low return catch to Bryan Strang off a slower ball and was out for six. When Francis Otieno, unrelated to the other opener Kennedy, played on off the first ball he received from Everton Matambanadzo, Kenya were 12 for two. Once again the side batting first found itself at a disadvantage, although the bowlers were getting little assistance from the pitch.The team consolidated for a while until Steve Tikolo broke loose with two pulled leg-side fours off Strang, and then Otieno pulled and drove Evans for four and six in the next over, and following that a fine six over wide long-off. Rennie came on to bowl his left-arm spin, which is seen more regularly these days, especially when he is captain! He struck in his first over, having Otieno (33) caught at the wicket by Warren Gilmour down the leg side; Kenya were 84 for three in the 20th over.Maurice Odumbe was quickly under way, driving Ray Price over mid-off for four; Tikolo pulled Rennie for a cracking boundary but then swung him to square leg again, where Dion Ebrahim dived to take a fine catch. He scored 41, but with Kenya on 97 for four, the innings was in the balance.Odumbe and Hitesh Modi consolidated in a sound partnership, as they had done several times in the World Cup. They grafted for runs against the spinners, concentrating on ones and twos but keeping the scoring rate at about four an over. With ten overs left, they were just beginning to hit out more aggressively when Odumbe (37) slashed at Matambanadzo, coming back for a second spell, and Dan Peacock at third man took a good diving catch. The batsmen crossed, but without addition Modi (28) was bowled by a fine yorker from the same bowler, and Kenya were suddenly 163 for six.Thomas Odoyo and Tony Suji found themselves as new batsmen together, but it didn’t inhibit Odoyo, who immediately hit Strang high over midwicket for four. Odoyo was dropped at long-off, a hard chance, and then suffered cramp and called for a runner. Fours along the ground were hard to come by on the thick outfield, so there was much running as they tried to squeeze as many runs as possible out of the last few overs. Odoyo swung Matambanadzo over the square-leg boundary, and then bottom-edged a four past the keeper. He had less luck when he skyed a catch to long-leg Doug Marillier to be out for 18; Kenya 220 for seven.In the last over, bowled by Strang, the action intensified. Martin Suji holed out to Peacock on the long-on boundary, and then brother Tony was bowled next ball, both wickets falling at 222. Then, off the final ball of the innings, Peter Ochieng was bowled to give Kenya a final total of 226. With Brijal Patel left on 3 not out. Strang and Matambanadzo took four wickets eachm for 35 and 40 respectively.Zimbabwe A opened with Doug Marillier and Mark Vermeulen, who settled in without trouble. Paul Strang had mentioned the high quality of the Kenyan attack in their match against the Academy the previous year, but Martin Suhi and Ochieng did not appear to cause Marillier or Vermeulen any real trouble. Vermeulen as usual was soon playing his calm, elegant yet powerful strokes, and hit Ochieng for a lazy-looking six over extra cover. He hit a fierce chance to short extra cover that was put down, but it would have been a brilliant catch had it been held. Then he tried one shot too many, trying to cut a ball from Tony Suji that kept low, playing on off the bottom edge for 33, scored off 30 balls; Zimbabwe A 59 for one.Immediately afterwards Marillier got away with a hook that flew off the top edge over the keeper’s head for four. He then took over the role of main aggressor, pulling Suji fiercely several times in his next over. The bowler got his revenge in his next over, hitting the batsman pad-bat to gain an lbw verdict. Marillier scored 33, and the score was 72 for two.Ebrahim, hero against Denmark, suffered a typical cricketing comedown, scoring only a single before snicking Tony Suji low to Odoyo at second slip, who juggled with the ball and then held it. With the score 75 for three, the match was in the balance.Trevor Madondo hit his first ball high over the bowler’s head for a two-bounce four, then sparred at and missed the next two balls. Gavin Rennie began slowly, but began to open up as the clouds lowered and a light rain began. The players tried to carry on, but were soon forced to give in to the elements, with the score on 93 for three after 19.2 overs (Rennie 12, Madondo 7).The rain became heavier and it was soon likely that no more play would be possible. The umpires did check the pitch at 4.25pm, but discovered that some water had got under the covers on the bowlers’ run-ups, and had no alternative but to declare the match over.

Pakistan are looking to hit back in the one-day series against Australia, which starts in Brisbane on Friday

The Preview by Peter English20-Jan-2010

Match Facts

Friday, January 22, the Gabba

Start time 1325 (0325 GMT)Look out: Younis Khan is back in Pakistan’s squad without the responsibility of being captain•AFP

The Big Picture

After the three Tests come the five ODIs and a Twenty20 to complete Pakistan’s tour. While the opening segment of the trip ended in a 3-0 victory for Australia, the limited-overs arrangements will be much more competitive.Despite the result, Pakistan’s squad became more united as the tour went on and they have received some key reinforcements, with Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi added to the unit. The tourists have also troubled Australia in their most recent engagements and their fast-bowling unit, which includes Mohammad Aamer, will worry the hosts at times. Australia won a tight series in the UAE 3-2 last year and the teams also ran into each other at the Champions Trophy, when Australia sneaked home by two wickets.This series will be an important gauge of the popularity of the 50-over game. Twenty20 crowds have been huge for the domestic Big Bash and five-match head-to-head series against Pakistan and West Indies will test Australia’s love affair with the format that began here in the 1970s.

Form guide (most recent first)

Australia NWWWL

Pakistan LLWLL

Watch out for…

Younis Khan is back after resigning the captaincy and Pakistan are glad to have his services. One of the game’s finest batsmen, Younis averages 33.12 over 197 ODIs and will bring some much-needed experience to the young line-up. He won’t be captain – that job is still Mohammad Yousuf’s – but he will be leading from the front.Shane Watson has just come off the best Test campaign of his career, with 609 runs in six Tests, and it will be interesting to see whether that form translates back to the one-day arena. It was his performances at the Champions Trophy and in India that set up his fine summer. He will be a main man with bat and ball as he returns to an old home ground.

Team news

The Australians have picked their 12 and the only tricky decision is whether to leave out a batsman or the allrounder James Hopes, who is only in the squad for the first game. Ricky Ponting is keen for Nathan Hauritz to continue to build on the momentum he picked up during the Test summer and with Mitchell Johnson resting, there are only three front-line fast men in Clint McKay, Peter Siddle and Doug Bollinger. Despite Shane Watson’s heavy five-day campaign, Ponting expects him to deliver 10 overs as well as open the batting with Shaun Marsh.Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Cameron White, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Nathan Hauritz, 9 Clint McKay, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Doug Bollinger, 12 James Hopes.Things are less clear for Pakistan, who are lugging around a 17-man squad. Expect Kamran Akmal to return, more for his power hitting as an opener than his glovework, after he was dropped for the third Test in Hobart. The final bowling place appears to be between Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who has been playing for Tasmania in the Big Bash, and Umar Gul. Younis and Afridi come back to offer some serious strike power.Pakistan (possible) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Younis Khan, 4 Mohammad Yousuf (capt), 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Mohammad Asif, 10 Mohammed Aamer, 11 Saeed Ajmal.

Pitch and conditions

The Gabba has been excellent for batting during the domestic Twenty20 matches over the past month and whoever wins the toss will want to set a big target. In the early overs of the second innings the ball can swing as darkness falls, making life harder for the run-makers, and the extra bounce will take the Pakistanis some time to adjust to. The weather is expected to be fine throughout Friday, with a top of 32C.

Stats and trivia

• Australia and Pakistan have two wins each in five head-to-head contests at the Gabba, with one game rained out.
• Pakistan have won six and lost seven of their 14 matches at the ground while Australia have been successful 14 times in 31 appearances.
• The tourists own the lowest score at the Gabba in an ODI after managing 71 against West Indies in 1992-93.
• Dean Jones has the most runs in Brisbane with 513, while Ricky Ponting is the best of the current group with 324.
• Shoaib Akhtar’s 5 for 25 in 2002 equalled the best figures at the ground for an ODI.
  

  Quotes

  “If you read through their side, it looks a better team on paper than their Test team does. Guys like Afridi and Rana are very experienced and have been match-winners. Their one-day side does look particularly strong.”
  
  Ricky Ponting
  “It’s the best team we are playing against. We will give some fight, we have a young side, and I’m happy with it.”
  
  Mohammad Yousuf

Mithali Raj’s determined 91 was in vain as England held their nerve to clinch a thrilling three-run win over India in Bangalore level the five-match series 1-1

Cricinfo staff21-Feb-2010
Scorecard
Jenny Gunn starred in a superb all-round display•Getty Images

Mithali Raj’s determined 91 was in vain as England held their nerve to clinch a thrilling three-run win over India in Bangalore level the five-match series 1-1. Jenny Gunn and Katherine Brunt were the stars for England in a game that went down to the last over. Gunn’s 64, which included eight boundaries, took England to 183, a total that just about proved adequate. That was made possible by Brunt’s five-wicket haul, her career-best figures, and, crucially, Gunn’s own resolve at the death, as she bagged two wickets and effected a run-out to deprive India after a spirited fightback led by Raj.Brunt made early inroads into India’s reply to leave them reeling at 16 for 4 at one stage. Thirush Kamini, who had been injured while fielding, came to bat with a runner but she was forced to retire hurt after she fell trying to duck a short ball by Brunt. However a win that looked improbable at one stage was made to look likely after Raj and Amita Sharma, who chipped in with 40, added 106 for the fifth wicket. Raj’s batting seemed unaffected by the early collapse and she timed and placed her shots beautifully. Isa Guha broke that stand, though Raj received support from captain Jhulan Goswami who took India within 10 runs of England’s score.At 173 for 6, with 11 needed in 19 balls, India looked good to take a 2-0 lead but were thwarted by Gunn, who orchestrated a twist by dismissing Goswami, stumped off a wide.England had looked lethargic during Raj and Goswami’s stand, even fumbling in their fielding, but once Goswami was dismissed they seemed to smell a chance and came back harder.Nooshin Al Khadeer consumed five balls for one run before Gunn struck again to leave India needing nine in two overs with two wickets to come. Brunt returned to bowl Preeti Dimri first ball as Raj was helplessly left to see the game slipping away from India’s grasp. Three wickets had fallen for two runs.India needed five off the last over. Raj took a single off the first. Gouher Sultana defended the second and then hit the third to cover and tried to scramble a single but was run out by Caroline Atkins. There was a brief moment while England waited to see if Kamini would return and broke into excited shrieks when the Indians indicated she wouldn’t. Raj was unbeaten on 91 off 138 balls.While India were hit by Kamini’s injury, England had lost fast bowler Nicky Shaw (feeling under the weather) and keeper Sarah Taylor (injury) shortly before the start of the game. Isa Guha came in place of Shaw and 18-year-old Tammy Beaumont made her debut in, replacing Taylor behind the stumps.Atkins came up the order to open alongside the in-form Ebony Rainford-Brent. However Goswami and Rumeli Dhar bowled full and straight and strangled the batsmen. Atkins was bowled in the 15th over trying to sweep Dimri. It took England 19.3 overs to get 50. Sultana was brought in to the attack in the 23rd over and she struck in her third over as Rainford-Brent (27) was bowled trying to make room to cut.After that Gunn took charge of the England innings. She tried to scoop to scoop the spinners behind the wicket and lofted Sultana and Dhar to midwicket boundary. At the end of 40 overs, England were 119 for 3. Gunn and Edwards started clearing the boundary more often after that and when Gunn fell in the 43rd over for a 92-ball 64, the two had added 46 at nearly five an over.Sultana hit back late in the innings with the wickets of Edwards and Laura Marsh but tailenders Brunt and Guha picked up 25 runs from the last two overs.

Ryan Sidebottom is set to fly home from the England tour of Bangladesh, after failing to recover from a thigh injury

Andrew Miller in Chittagong04-Mar-2010Ryan Sidebottom is set to fly home from the England tour of Bangladesh, after failing to recover from a thigh injury, and he could yet be joined on the plane by Stuart Broad and Graham Onions, both of whom are being sent for MRI scans on their lower back, as the England camp was hit by a wave of injuries ahead of the third ODI in Chittagong.Sidebottom produced an off-colour performance in the first ODI in Dhaka, before being replaced by the spinner James Tredwell for the second, having aggravated a thigh injury he sustained after landing on the boundary rope during the opening Twenty20 in Dubai last month. He will be replaced in the Test squad by the Yorkshire paceman, Tim Bresnan, who took the new ball in Sidebottom’s absence on Tuesday.For Sidebottom this is the latest in a long line of injuries which have hampered him since his peak in early 2008 when he was England’s leading bowler. He was first struck down with an Achilles problem later that summer against South Africa before picking up a side strain in India. He then played against West Indies, in Barbados, when he was clearly unfit before recovering to be selected for the World Twenty20 last year. On England’s recent tour in South Africa he also picked up a side strain while with the performance squad, but was recalled for the final Test in Johannesburg.Arguably, though, it is Broad’s condition that is causing the management the greatest concern, given how integral he has become to England’s teams in all three forms of the game. He could barely walk when he arrived in the team hotel after a delayed flight from Dhaka on Wednesday evening, and England’s coach Andy Flower, confirmed he had injured the facet joint in his lower back.”There has been a lot happening at the moment, Flower said. “Sidebottom has pulled a side muscle and will be going home on Saturday after the one-dayers have finished. He won’t be fit for the Test matches so he has to go home.”We also have concerns over Broad and Onions. Broad injured something in his back in the last ODI and Onions is also struggling with something in his back. Both of them are having MRI scans tomorrow and we will know more about their results tomorrow afternoon.”Although neither Broad nor Onions has yet been ruled out of the forthcoming Test series, which gets underway on March 12, England have already taken precautions by calling the Middlesex and Lions seamer, Steven Finn, into the squad for the remainder of the tour. England were already without their leading quick, James Anderson, who was rested from this tour due to his ongoing knee problem.”I am delighted to be given such a fantastic opportunity,” Finn said. “To be called up to the full England side is a real honour for me, and I am really excited to be joining up with squad over in Bangladesh.”Whether I get to play any matches over there remains to be seen, however the opportunity alone to train with the squad and impress in front of the coaching team is a fantastic enough experience for me. Whilst I am coming in as cover for the bowling unit, I intend to work as hard as I can and enjoy the experience of being around the England squad and coaching staff.”Finn caught the eye of Flower during the same net session where Ajmal Shahzad was spotted when the performance squad trained with the full team in Pretoria before Christmas. Shahzad made his debut in the second Twenty20 against Pakistan, in Dubai, taking two wickets in his first over and will contest the vacant slot for the final ODI on Friday with Liam Plunkett.

New Zealand’s tension on a day when they lost 11 wickets spilled into frustration with the umpire decision review system

Brydon Coverdale at the Basin Reserve21-Mar-2010New Zealand’s tension on a day when they lost 11 wickets spilled into frustration with the umpire decision review system and the captain Daniel Vettori was spotted heading to the match referee’s room after Australia enforced the follow-on. Their first innings ended when Tim Southee’s caught-behind dismissal was upheld, despite replays failing to confirm if there was an edge.Southee felt he had not hit the ball but the UDRS is designed only to overturn blatantly wrong calls, and the lack of hard evidence one way or another meant the on-field decision remained. The coach Mark Greatbatch was defensive when asked if Vettori had spoken to the match referee Javagal Srinath, initially denying it before telling a New Zealand journalist who pressed the issue in a heated tete-a-tete that “you obviously knew that he went there, so why did you ask the question?””It would be fair to say with the system at the moment it is a little bit inconsistent,” Greatbatch said eventually. “We just asked the question whether the system in place at the moment is consistent. The match referee said yes, so [we’ll] get on with it.”Earlier in the match, Tim McIntosh had been caught off a no-ball that was not picked up by the on-field umpire and Brendon McCullum was also lbw off an over-step, which was noticed when he asked for a referral. Despite New Zealand’s concerns over the review system, Greatbatch was even more displeased with his batsmen.They lost their last six first-innings wickets for 45 in the morning, including an ugly top-edged pull from McCullum, a lazy run-out in which Daryl Tuffey failed to ground his bat, and four catches behind the stumps. Greatbatch said Tuffey’s run-out was “schoolboy stuff” and the general batting effort was disappointing.”We talked about judging line well and we haven’t judged line that well in this game,” he said. “We know they hit the deck hard and a lot of the balls aren’t actually hitting the stumps. It’s just a matter of judging that line well so you soak up that pressure. They’ve bowled very good areas for a long period of time and we haven’t been able to be positive enough to break those shackles.”The only positive to come out of the day for New Zealand was McIntosh’s attritional 83 in the second innings, a 273-minute effort that featured excellent concentration. McIntosh fell late in the day when he prodded to short leg off Nathan Hauritz and his departure left them at 187 for 5 at stumps, still trailing by 115 with two days to play.”He’s that type of player, he focuses well, he watches each ball, he relaxes in between,” Greatbatch said of McIntosh. “It would be nice to see him keep going but he batted nearly five hours and if two or three other guys did that we’d still be well in the Test match. [He has] great focus and he learns quick. He’s battled hard against a bloody good attack.”

Umar Akmal, the Pakistan batsman, has picked up a side strain during the preparatory camp for the ICC World Twenty20 but is expected to be fit in time for the tournament which starts on April 30

Cricinfo staff10-Apr-2010Umar Akmal, the Pakistan batsman, has picked up a side strain during the preparatory camp for the ICC World Twenty20 but is expected to be fit in time for the tournament which starts on April 30.Akmal has stopped taking part in the nets sessions at the training camp in Lahore, and is the fourth player to be injured since the camp started – Pakistan’s leading Twenty20 bowler, Umar Gul, injured his shoulder earlier this week, while allrounder Yasir Arafat and batsman Fawad Alam are also facing fitness problems.Shahid Afridi, who will lead Pakistan’s defence of their World Twenty20 crown, was convinced his players would recover in the three weeks remaining before the competition starts in the West Indies.”There is nothing serious about the injuries, which is why I’m confident that the boys will be ready to give their best in the World Twenty20,” he told the .He said both Akmal and Gul will return to practice in a few days. “Umar is getting troubled by the injury because it becomes painful when he bats which is why he is not attending the nets,” he said. “[Regarding Gul] We are expecting to get the (MRI) report soon but I’m hoping that Gul will be back to training within the next three days.”The Pakistan squad is undergoing rigorous training in Lahore in a bid to improve fielding and general fitness. They are slated to play Bangladesh and Australia in the league phase, on May 1st and 2nd respectively.

In a tournament of largely one-sided matches, New Zealand pulled off their second nail-biting victory and their first Twenty20 win over defending champions Pakistan

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran08-May-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Salman Butt’s mature half-century almost took Pakistan past the finish line•Getty Images

In a tournament of largely one-sided matches, New Zealand pulled off their second nail-biting victory and their first Twenty20 win over defending champions Pakistan, who are now on the brink of elimination. After rescuer-in-chief Daniel Vettori revived his side following the failure of big names, New Zealand survived an Abdul Razzaq onslaught and Salman Butt’s level-headed batting to come through by one run and boost their chances of making the semi-finals.Pakistan’s army of spinners was outstanding in Barbados to keep New Zealand down to what seemed a below-par total, but once captain Shahid Afridi was dismissed in the 10th over following a middle-order collapse, the score was 58 for 5 and New Zealand looked in charge.Butt and Razzaq were the last recognised batting pair, and they played calm cricket, picking 19 off four overs, during which New Zealand’s advantage increased. Razzaq had patiently made 5 of 16 deliveries when he gave yet another exhibition of his ability to transform Twenty20 matches, blitzing two mammoth sixes and a four off Vettori in four balls. He had trouble against Shane Bond’s short and slow deliveries, missing four in a row, before finishing off the over with a humongous hit that just about stayed in the stadium.With 26 needed off 18, and two dangerous batsmen at the crease, the Pakistan dug-out was a happier place. Time for the match to swing again: Nathan McCullum, who has been New Zealand’s best player this tournament, got one to bounce extra and Razzaq’s attempt to again clear long-on ended up as a catch to deep midwicket.Butt reached his half-century off the next delivery, and caressed the first ball of the penultimate over beyond deep extra cover for six to keep the game on edge. A series of singles rounded off the over, and made it 11 needed off the final six balls.Ian Butler, preferred over Jacob Oram, stepped up to bowl. The first four deliveries reflected the game’s fluctuating pattern: dot, four, dot, four, as Butt swung-and-missed twice and connected twice. To continue the pattern, Butt missed the next delivery, a yorker just beyond leg stump, but the batsmen sneaked a bye, though Gareth Hopkins hit direct at the keeper’s end.Two required off the final ball, with Abdur Rehman on strike. After lengthy discussions about the field, Butler charged in and served up a length ball on the pads – ripe for the hitting, but it was only struck as far as Martin Guptill at deep square leg. That confirmed Pakistan’s defeat and ruined Rehman’s first international match in nearly three years, one in which he had been terrific with the ball earlier on.Rehman had put the skids on New Zealand’s top-order after Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder provided New Zealand their first substantial start of the tournament. Guptill was one of several batsmen who were unable to come to terms with the spinners, being beaten several times by Rehman before falling to a diving one-handed catch at long-on by Umar Akmal.The biggest blows for New Zealand came soon after, in the space of seven deliveries. McCullum, quieter after a series of early fours, top-edged a sweep to deep square leg, following which Ross Taylor, still to make an impact in the World Twenty20, nicked Mohammad Sami to the keeper. New Zealand slid to 58 for 4 in the tenth over, bringing in Vettori to do his familiar firefighting.Against Shahid Afridi, who was varying his pace cleverly, and Saeed Ajmal, called on to play the Umar Gul-role of bowling four overs straight towards the end of the innings, Vettori was happy to play a series of sweeps and flat-batted hits down the ground to make more than twice his previous Twenty20 high. Vettori chalked up his first two sixes in international Twenty20, and Nathan McCullum finished off the innings with a swipe over midwicket which proved vital in a match so close that the difference between the two team’s scores was never more than three at the end of each of the final five overs.Still, on a pitch that didn’t have much sideways movement, and with plenty of true bounce, 133 should have been easily overhauled. But Pakistan’s main batsmen, with the exception of Butt, had a tough time against New Zealand’s quick bowlers. Kamran Akmal inside-edged a slower ball from Kyle Mills, Mohammad Hafeez was undone by a kicker from Bond, and a short ball from Mills took out Umar for a golden duck. Misbah-ul-Haq’s misery ended when he was lbw on his 13th ball for 3, and Afridi fell to a forward-diving blinder from Nathan McCullum at midwicket . Pakistan’s top-order matched the limpness of their New Zealand counterparts and set up a low-scoring thriller for the Barbados crowd which has witnessed four one-side matches in two days.

West Indies have been hit by a bunch of injuries ahead of the third one-dayer against South Africa in Dominica

Cricinfo staff26-May-2010West Indies have been hit by a bunch of injuries ahead of the third one-dayer against South Africa in Dominica. The struggling home side, yet to win a match in the series, will be without experienced batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan (left hamstring strain), left-arm-spinner Nikita Miller (right side strain) and fast bowler Kemar Roach (left ankle soreness) at least for the next two ODIs.The West Indies selectors have also dropped the out-of-form Andre Fletcher from the 13-man list for the third and fourth one-dayers. Two players who weren’t picked for the first two matches, Jamaican allrounder David Bernard and 21-year-old batsman Darren Bravo, have returned to the squad.Bravo forced his way back into contention with a Man-of-the-Series performance in the recent A team tri-nation series in Bangladesh, where he scored a hundred and three half-centuries in five innings to make a tournament-high 309 runs. Bernard, who has been in and out of the West Indian one-day side since being selected last June after a six-year absence from international cricket, gets another chance to cement his place.West Indies are 2-0 down in the five-ODI series against South Africa, and lost both Twenty20s which preceded the one-dayers as well.West Indies: Chris Gayle (capt), Dwayne Bravo (vice-capt), Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Dale Richards, Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor