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/ 2 November 2006

Symonds leads Australia to first Champions final

All-rounder Andrew Symonds led Australia to their first ICC Champions Trophy final on Wednesday with a 34-run victory against a never-say-die New Zealand in the first semifinal. Symonds smashed a run-a-ball 58 in Australia’s challenging total of 240-9 off 50 overs and then took the vital wicket of Jacob Oram (43) as the world champions bowled out a fighting New Zealand for 206 in 46 overs.

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/ 31 October 2006

Aussies eye maiden Champions Trophy final

Australia captain Ricky Ponting has urged his team to go flat out to make their first Champions Trophy final when they clash with New Zealand in Wednesday’s semifinal. ”There are no excuses now for us,” Ponting said ahead of the day-night clash against their trans-Tasman rivals at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium.

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/ 31 October 2006

India’s Yuvraj ruled out of SA one-dayers

India’s dashing middle-order batsman, Yuvraj Singh, has been ruled out of next month’s one-day series in South Africa, the cricket board said on Tuesday. Yuvraj suffered a tear in his left knee during a warm-up ahead of Sunday’s Champions Trophy clash against Australia and was rushed to Mumbai to see the board’s medical consultant, Anant Joshi.

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/ 30 October 2006

India recall Kumble, Zaheer for SA tour

Veterans Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan were on Monday recalled to the under-performing Indian team for five one-day internationals in South Africa next month. Leg-spinner Kumble (36) has not been considered for limited-overs cricket since August, 2005, despite being the most successful Indian bowler in both forms of the game with 533 Test and 329 one-day wickets.

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/ 27 October 2006

Fiery Ntini bowls SA into semifinals

Makhaya Ntini grabbed 5-21 as South Africa conjured a great escape to advance to the Champions Trophy semifinals with a dramatic 124-run win over Pakistan on Friday. The Proteas recovered from a disastrous 42-5 within the first hour to post 213-8 before Pakistan were themselves reduced to 27-6 and bowled out for 89 in the eventful day-night international.

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/ 26 October 2006

SA, Pakistan set for winner-takes-all battle

Confident South Africa clash with mercurial Pakistan in an explosive Champions Trophy match on Friday that will take the winner into the semifinals and send the loser home. New Zealand’s win over Pakistan on Wednesday night gave Stephen Fleming’s Black Caps one of the two semifinal berths from Group B, leaving South Africa and Pakistan to scrap for the other spot.

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/ 25 October 2006

ICC turns to chemicals to limit impact of dew

The International Cricket Council (ICC) used a chemical spray to reduce the impact of dew on Wednesday’s Champions Trophy match between Pakistan and New Zealand, saying it was in the interests of a fair contest. Excessive dew late in the evening often tilts the balance in favour of teams batting second in day-night matches.

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/ 9 March 2006

Powerful Pietersen lifts England

A hard-hitting Kevin Pietersen, along with Ian Bell, pulled England out of early trouble with an 81-run stand on the opening day of the second Test against India in Mohali on Thursday. England were struggling on 36-2 following seamer Irfan Pathan’s twin strike, before reaching 118-3 at tea.