ICC Champions Trophy 2009/10

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Fixtures

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Pakistan draw first blood in Champions Trophy

JOHANNESBURG: Pakistan defeated the West Indies by five wickets in their first Group A match of the ICC Champions Trophy here at the New Wanderers Stadium on Wednesday night.

Chasing a rather easy target of 134, Pakistan completed the task in just 30.3 overs for the loss of five wickets.

Young batsman Umar Akmal top scored with an unbeaten 41 while stand-in captain Shahid Afridi was 17 not out.

Both added 58 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket stand after Pakistan lost their five top order batsmen for 76 runs.

Gavin Tonge bagged four wickets for 25 runs.

Earlier, Pakistan bowlers skittled out West Indies for 133 runs in 34.3 overs after the West Indies captain Floyd Reifer won the toss and elected to bat first but their batsmen could not resist the Pakistani seamers and the West Indies lost their seven wickets for 47.

Later, their late-order batsmen took out the team from disaster and succeeded in taking the score to 133.

Number nine batsman Nikita Miller emerged as top scorer with 51 from 57 balls. He struck six fours and a six.

For Pakistan, seamers Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul claimed three wickets each while spinner Saeed Ajmal got two wickets. Sahhid Afirdi and naved-ul-Hasan took one wicket each.

All-rounder Shahid Afridi led Pakistan in the absence of Younus Khan, who was ruled out of the match due to a finger injury.

West Indies: Floyd Reifer (captain), Darren Sammy, David Bernard, Tino Best, Travis Dowlin, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Dale Richards, Devon Smith, Gavin Tonge, Chadwick Walton.

Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain), Imran Nazir, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Rana Naved-ul Hasan, Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamir, Saeed Ajmal.

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S Africa to take on New Zealand today

CENTURION: After their heart-breaking defeat in the first match, South Africa would look to bring their campaign back on track when they clash against a diffident New Zealand at Super Sport Park here today.

The hosts lost by 55 runs to Sri Lanka yesterday but would take confidence from the fact that the Black Caps are coming into the event after a morale shattering Lankan tour.

The Kiwis lost their Test series in the Island nation and also failed to make the final of the tri-series, losing both the league matches.

New Zealand have a decent attack, bolstered by return of Shane Bond, but have to overcome their batting woes.

They mostly depend on the trio of Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor who have been far from impressive in the recent past.

Let''s hope South Africa''s second match in the ICC Champions Trophy against New Zealand proves a better spectacle than Pakistan''s low-scoring victory over West Indies.

To lose by 117 balls suggests the West Indies haven''t improved since their dismal showing against England earlier this year. Pakistan looked awesome, though.

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S Africa win toss, elect to field in Champions Trophy

CENTURION: South Africa has won the toss against New Zealand and elected to filed in the third match of ICC Champions Trophy on Thursday.

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Parnell helps Protease dismiss Kiwis for 214

CENTURION: Pace bowlers Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn helped South Africa dismiss New Zealand for 214 runs in 47.5 overs after they put them into bat in their second ICC Champions Trophy Group B match here on Thursday.

Parnell bagged five wickets for 57 runs while Steyn and RE van der Merwe claimed two wickets each.

For New Zealand, Ross Taylor top scored with 72 hitting two sixes and six fours.

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South Africa beat New Zealand by 5 wickets

CENTURION: AB de Villiers scored an unbeaten 70 to steer South Africa to a five-wicket win over New Zealand in Champions Trophy Group B on Thursday.

The hosts, who lost their opening match to Sri Lanka, will now go into their final group game against England on Sunday knowing that victory would almost certainly book them a place in the semi-finals.

New Zealand were sent in to bat and compiled a mediocre 214 all out built around Ross Taylor''s 72 off 105 deliveries.

South Africa lost wickets regularly in reply, but De Villiers ensured that they were always ahead of the required run-rate as he breezed to 70 not out off 76 balls, including
nine boundaries.

The home side gave a much-improved bowling display on a pitch that had more of a green tinge than in the loss to Sri Lanka, with Dale Steyn (two for 32) and Jacques Kallis
particularly economical.

Left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe showed that he can both contain and take wickets as he completed figures of two for 35 in 10 excellent overs.

New Zealand opening batsman Brendon McCullum scored 44, before Taylor and South African-born Grant Elliott (39) combined for a fourth-wicket stand of 71.

But the Black Caps suffered a late collapse in which they lost their last five wickets for 11 runs.

Wayne Parnell, expensive in his first two spells, returned to claim three more wickets and finish with career-best figures of five for 57.

Hashim Amla (38) and Kallis (36) put on 52 for the second wicket to keep South Africa on target after the early loss of captain Graeme Smith.

Kallis looked particularly impressive, being quick to get on the front foot as he stroked six fours off 39 deliveries, before edging a leg-cutter from Shane Bond to wicketkeeper McCullum.

The glovework of McCullum was the highlight in the field for New Zealand as he also took fine catches standing up to pace bowlers Daryl Tuffey and Kyle Mills to remove JP Duminy for 11 and Mark Boucher for 28.

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South Africa defeat New Zealand by 5 wickets

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa defeated New Zealand by five wickets Thursday in a 2009 ICC Champions Trophy Group B match at SuperSport Park.

Scorers
New Zealand 214 in 47.5 overs (R.Taylor 72; W.Parnell 5-57)
South Africa 217-5 in 41.1 overs (AB de Villiers 66 not out; D.Tuffey 2-52).

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