Australia trounced South Africa by seven wickets on Wednesday to move smoothly into the final of the Cricket World Cup, chasing down a paltry target of 150 with 18.3 overs to spare. Australia’s bowlers blew away South Africa, reducing them to 27-5 before the Proteas rallied to reach 149 all out, Justin Kemp top-scoring with 49 not out.
South Africa coach Mickey Arthur says the best way to stop all-conquering Australia winning their third World Cup in a row is to put the pressure on Ricky Ponting’s team from the very first ball of Wednesday’s semifinal. Two-time defending champions Australia seek to extend their 21-game winning streak and march into yet another final.
South Africa’s Graeme Smith on Wednesday confronts a riddle that no captain has so far unravelled — how to beat Ricky Ponting’s Australians in the World Cup. Smith has already failed once when his team were well beaten by Australia in a group match at St Kitts last month, but he hopes to be second-time lucky when the two sides clash in the semifinals.
The West Indies’ Bennett King became the latest international coach to quit on Monday as the revolving doors of cricket management gathered speed. King quit after the West Indies, who won the first two World Cups and reached the final in 1983, won just one Super Eights match and failed to qualify for the last four of the 2007 tournament.
South Africa skipper Graeme Smith is concerned over his slow recovery from a knee injury ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal against Australia. Smith batted in the nets on Monday and did light exercises under the supervision of team physiotherapist Shane Jabbar before applying an ice pack to the problem area.
Heavyweight hitters Jacques Kallis and Matthew Hayden kicked off the mind games ahead of Australia and South Africa’s potentially explosive World Cup semifinal on Wednesday. Kallis is one of four South African survivors from the dramatic tied semifinal against Australia at the 1999 World Cup in Birmingham.
Weary of its reputation of being unable to win the big match, South Africa gets another chance to rid itself of the ”choker” label with another trip to the Cricket World Cup semifinals. Australia, always quick to focus on their opposition’s mental weaknesses, says it senses fear among the South Africans.
Opener Ed Joyce hit 75 to help England into the Super Eights with a seven-wicket win over Kenya in a rain-affected World Cup Group C decider on Saturday. Dublin-born Joyce, who made 66 against Canada last Sunday, combined with Kevin Pietersen (56 not out) to eliminate the Africans with 10 overs to spare.
Lou Vincent found his form as New Zealand made it three World Cup wins out of three in Group C with a 114-run success against Canada at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in Gros on Thursday. Vincent’s 101 was the centrepiece of New Zealand’s World Cup record score of 363 for five.
New Zealand qualified for the World Cup Super Eights thanks to a 148-run victory over Kenya in Group C on Tuesday.Ross Taylor hit 85 but was struck down with a hamstring strain in New Zealand’s 331-7, the highest one-day international score at the Beausejour Stadium.
Andrew Flintoff has denied having a drink problem after losing the England vice-captaincy at the World Cup after a night of boozy antics saw him dropped for the match against Canada. Flintoff, the star of England’s 2005 Ashes success, was one of six players fined following a late-night drinking session.
Andrew Flintoff is ”upset and embarrassed” at being stripped of the England vice-captaincy for his drunken antics at the World Cup. Flintoff fronted a news conference on Monday at the team’s hotel, admitting he was ashamed of himself. He was suspended for England’s 51-run win over Canada on Sunday.
England tried to made light of Andrew Flintoff’s absence with a 51-run victory against Canada in their World Cup Group C match on Sunday. England made 279 for six after being sent in but, despite reducing Canada to 65 for four, were unable to bowl out the minnows without their pace-bowling all-rounder.
New Zealand drew first blood against England as they won the teams’ World Cup group-C opener by six wickets in St Lucia on Friday. Chasing 210 for victory, New Zealand finished on 210 for four with nine overs to spare after having recovered from 19 for three in five overs.
Steve Tikolo struck an unbeaten 72 and took two wickets to guide 2003 semifinalist Kenya to a seven-wicket win over Canada in the opening Group C match of the World Cup. Tikolo top-scored on Wednesday, with opener Maurice Ouma contributing 58 runs as Kenya replied to Canada’s 199 all out with 40 balls to spare.
Every time England seamer Liam Plunkett wants inspiration, he just reaches for his iPod. The England cricket team has downloaded clips of the greatest moments of its players on to their digital music players and portable-game consoles, as well as their laptops.
All-rounder Dwayne Bravo and compatriot Dave Mohammed wrecked Zimbabwe’s batting to leave West Indies with a modest victory target of 153 in the fifth One-day International on Wednesday at the Beausejour Cricket Ground. Bravo captured three wickets for 24 runs from 9,2 overs and Mohammed collected three for 37 from 10 overs on his ODI debut.