Sri Lanka beat New Zealand in super over thriller

September 28, 2012
lankan_victory

Hosts Sri Lanka today pulled off a nail-biting victory over a spirited New Zealand via the Super Over after their opening 'Super Eight' match of the ICC World Twenty20 saw fortunes fluctuating from one team to the other till the very end, here.

With both teams tied at 174 after the end of their innings, the result was decided with the help of a Super over.

Sri Lanka batsmen Mahela Jayawardene, Thisara Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan scored 14 for one in the Super Over before paceman Lasith Malinga restricted New Zealand's challenege to six for one, accounting for Martin Guptill's wicket on the fifth delivery.

The thrilling climax followed an equally dramatic run-chase by Sri Lanka as they replied to New Zealand's 174 for seven with opener Tillakaratne Dilshan's blitzkreig at the top and his 80-run opening-wicket partnership with skipper Jayawardene at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Sri Lanka required 28 from three overs, 21 from two and 8 runs in the last over, bowled by Tim Southee.

In the last over, Southee conceded just three runs off his first four deliveries to make the equation 5 required from two balls.

Lahiru Thirimanne tied the score with a four over short long leg and put his side in charge.

With one needed off the last ball, Thirimanne managed an inside edge and ran towards the non-striker's end. James Franklin targeted the non-striker's end where New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor was stationed.

Taylor dropped the ball which ricocheted off his hand and dislodged the bail, prompting the umpire to refer the decision to the third umpire.

TV replays showed that the ball deflected off Taylor's hand and fell onto the stump, resulting in scores being tied.

The match provided complete entertainment to a sell-out crowd, who were left on the edges of their seat as both the teams fought for supremacy.

Dilshan (76) and Jayawardene (44) gave a dream start to Sri Lanka's run chase before New Zealand pulled back through some fine bowling and fielding.

The hosts made heavy weather of their run chase after losing Kumar Sangakkara (21) and Jeevan Mendis (8) in quick succession.

Dilshan departed in the pen-ultimate over of the innings after hitting Franklin for a six off the first ball before being run out off the next.

It was the seventh tied match in all Twenty20 cricket, with New Zealand involved in four of them.

Earlier, a brisk half-century by opener Rob Nicol helped New Zealand reach a competitive total. He struck 58 off 40 balls and his knock was laced with three fours and four sixes.

Nicol took his time before launching an assault on the host bowlers to lay a solid platform for the Kiwis.

Nicol along with fellow opener Guptill got off to a cautious start before the latter started to fire, picking up boundaries on a regular basis.

It was debutant Akila Dananjaya who dismissed Guptill for a well-made 30-ball 38 off his first over. Guptill's knock was studded with six hits to the fence.

After Guptill's departure, Nicol and McCullum were watchful, but kept the scoreboard moving by hitting the occasional fours and sixes off the loose deliveries.

Luck was on Nicol's side as he was dropped by Dananjaya when on 31.

Ajantha Mendis, however, cut short McCullum's quickfire innings of 25 in the 13th over with New Zealand yet to reach the 100-run mark.

But in the very next over off Mendis, Nicol smashed three sixes to change the complexion of the game totally, adding 24 more runs to the Black Caps' total.

Just when things started to look dangerous for the hosts, Dananjaya took his second wicket of the match, sending back Nicol.

Taylor (23) thereafter chipped in with some crucial runs that lifted the New Zealanders to a healthy total.

HR

T20 WC: Rob Nicol fifty takes New Zealand to 174/7 against Sri Lanka

A brisk half-century by opener Rob Nicol helped New Zealand reach a competitive 174 for seven against Sri Lanka in the opening Super Eight match of the ICC World Twenty20 here today.

Live Cricket Scorecard

Nicol struck 58 off 40 balls and his knock was laced with three fours and four sixes.

Nicol took his time before launching an assault on the host bowlers to lay a solid platform for the Kiwis at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Opting to bat, Nicol along with fellow opener Martin Guptill got off to a cautious start before the latter started to fire, picking up boundaries on a regular basis.

It was debutant Akila Dananjaya who dismissed Guptill for a well-made 30-ball 38 off his first over. Guptill's knock was studded with six hits to the fence.

After Guptill's departure, Nicol and Brendon McCullum were watchful, but kept the scoreboard moving by hitting the occasional fours and sixes off the loose deliveries.

Luck was on Nicol's side as he was dropped by Dananjaya when on 31.

Ajantha Mendis, however, cut short McCullum's quickfire innings of 25 in the 13th over with New Zealand yet to reach the 100-run mark.

But in the very next over off Mendis, Nicol smashed three sixes to change the complexion of the game totally, adding 24 more runs to the Black Caps' total.

Just when things started to look dangerous for the hosts, Dananjaya took his second wicket of the match, sending back Nicol.

Captain Ross Taylor (23) thereafter chipped in with some crucial runs that lifted the New Zealanders to a healthy total.


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News Network
June 13,2020

Mumbai, Jun 13: Vasant Raiji, who was India's oldest first-class cricketer at 100, died in Mumbai in the wee hours of Saturday.

Raiji was 100 years old and is survived by his wife and two daughters.

"He (Raiji) passed away at 2.20 am in his sleep at his residence in Walkeshwar in South Mumbai due to old-age," his son-in-law Sudarshan Nanavati told PTI.

Raiji, a right-handed batsman, played nine first-class matches in the 1940s, scoring 277 runs with 68 being his highest score.

He made his debut for a Cricket Club of India team that played Central Provinces and Berar in Nagpur in 1939.

His Mumbai debut happened in 1941 when the team played Western India under the leadership of Vijay Merchant.

Raiji, also a cricket historian and chartered accountant, was 13 when India played its first Test match at the Bombay Gymkhana in South Mumbai.

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and former Australian skipper Steve Waugh had paid a courtesy visit to Raiji at his residence in January when he had turned 100.

It has been learnt that the cremation will take place at the Chandanwadi crematorium in South Mumbai on Saturday afternoon.

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News Network
June 5,2020

Jun 5: The Asian Football Confederation has awarded the hosting rights of the 2022 Women's Asian Cup to India for the first time since 1979.

The decision was taken at the AFC Women's Football Committee meeting. In February, the AFC Women's Football Committee had recommended India to be hosts.

In a letter to the All India Football Federation, Dato Windsor John, General Secretary, AFC wrote: "The Committee awarded the hosting rights of the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 Finals to the All India Football Federation."

The tournament will likely be held in the second half of the year. In the 1979 edition, India had finished as runners-up.

"I need to thank the Asian Football Confederation for finding us suitable to host the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2022," AIFF President, Praful Patel said.

"The tournament will galvanise the aspiring women players and bring in a holistic social revolution as far as women's football in the country is concerned," he added.

The tournament will feature 12 teams, expanded from the previous slot of eight teams.

India qualifies directly as hosts. The event will also serve as the final qualification tournament for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

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India had also hosted the AFC U-16 Championships in 2016 and the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017.

"The tournament will play a huge role in further popularising women's football in India. The Women’s Asian Cup 2022 comes on the back of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2020, and will help us sustain, and build on the momentum gained," AIFF General Secretary, Kushal Das said.

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News Network
July 5,2020

Colombo, Jul 5: Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Mendis was on Sunday arrested for knocking down a pedestrian while driving, police said.

Mendis hit a 74-year-old man, killing him in the wee hours, in the Colombo suburb of Panadura.

He is to be produced before a magistrate later today, police said.

The 25-year-old wicket-keeper batsman has represented Sri Lanka in 44 Tests and 76 ODIs. Mendis was part of the national squad which had resumed training after the Covid-19 lockdown.

Sri Lanka's international assignments, including a tour by India, have been cancelled due to the pandemic.

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