World Cup 2012 Highlights

source: Getty Images

The World Cup is done and dusted for 2012 and the West Indies have taken home the major prize and their fourth major international title. They are also the fourth different champion the tournament has had since its inception in 2007, which says a lot about the excitement and unpredictability of Twenty20 cricket.

As a way to round off the tournament, we'll take a look back at some of our highlights of the Twenty20 World Cup, both on and off the field (or alternatively have a listen to the podcast, which I assure you is incredibly visual):

• The Super Eight stage was where the tournament really got going, with cricket's heavyweights going head to head on a daily basis.

• Pakistan's great escape against South Africa, while helped them qualify for the semi-finals, while conjuring horrible feelings of deja-vu for South African fans.

• Whether you are an Australian fan or not (or even a Watson fan or not!) you have to be impressed by Shane Watson's tournament. Leading run scorer, second most wickets, he pretty much did it all carrying Australia further than the team's form probably deserved.

• The match winning performances of the spin bowlers, who for most of the tournament kept batsmen under their thumbs.

• When batsmen got off the leash though, they went big:

These are some but not all of the many highlights from this crazy three week festival of cricket, if you feel we have missed any, or have your own, feel free to leave a comment below.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT

Throughout the tournament we have been awarding votes on a 3-2-1 basis in recognition of outstanding on-field performance. Now that the World Cup has been run and won by the West Indies, we can reveal our Twenty20 MVP!

The most valuable player according to our calculations was Shane Watson of Australia with 12 votes, followed by the Yuvraj Singh from India with 7 votes, with England's Luke Wright and Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene tied for third on 6. The full standings can be found here.

The Tucker Trophy

The trophy was named in honour of
Malcolm Tucker, known for his
displeasure of poor performances.

The Twenty20 World Cup has seen many awards handed out to many deserving winners; the title to the West Indies, Shane Watson was named the player of the tournament and Marlon Samuels collected the award for the best player of the final. But now we come to the award that no one wants to win: The Tucker Trophy.

West Indies win T20 World Cup after defeating Sri Lanka

Source: cricinfo.com   

• West Indies (Samuels 78, Sammy 26*) 6-137 def. Sri Lanka (Jayawardene 33, Kulasekara 26) 10-101

Summary:

In front of a sell-out home crowd of 35,000, the Sri Lankan's were on the verge of etching their own cricket folklore amongst their fans. It was the West Indies who won the toss and elected to bat first. A horror start with the bat, that included a wicket maiden in the opening over, left the West Indies middle order scrambling for whatever runs they could muster.

Opener Johnson Charles was caught for a duck after 5 balls off AD Mathews. Chris Gayle (3) followed shortly after being found out LBW for the first of Mendis' 4 wickets. Mendis also grabbed the wickets of Bravo (19), Pollard (2) and Russell (0). It took the West Indies an astonishing 12.2 overs to reach 50 runs.

It was left up to Samuels (78) and Sammy (26*) to revive the innings and finish with a defensible total of 137.

The Sri Lankan's innings started in similar fashion to the West Indies. Dilshan was gone for a duck and the home nation were 1-6. Jayawardene (33) and Sangakkara (22) steadied the ship after a wobbly start. Once Sangakkara fell the score was 2-48. In a matter of 5 overs they were 7-69 and the collapse had well and truly crippled the Sri Lankan's hopes of snatching victory in front of their home crowd.

Despite staring into the eyes of defeat, they fought on gallantly before being bowled all out for 101.

First world title after 33 years

West Indies 137 for 6 (Samuels 78, Sammy 26*, Mendis 4-12) beat Sri Lanka 101 (Jayawardene
There were celebrations all over the ground, as the West Indies defeated the host nation by 36 runs in a low scoring final.
The Gangnam- style was all over Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo on Sunday night as the cricket team celebrated their ICC World Twenty20 tournament. They won a world cup after 33 years and the start of a new golden chapter for Caribbean cricket.

Final preview: Sri Lanka vs West Indies

Captains Mahela Jayawardene (left) and Darren Sammy (right) with the T20 World Cup trophy.

                                   
After three weeks and 26 matches, featuring twelve the world's best T20 cricket teams, we are down to just two: host nation Sri Lanka and the West Indies, the entertainers of world cricket. But will it be Sri Lanka who shake off their bridesmaids tag to win in front of their home crowd, or will we see Chris Gayle again leading Gangnam-style celebrations for the West Indies? We break down the two teams to try to find out:

Match report: Gayle blows Australia away

Source: cricinfo.com

• West Indies 205/4 (Gayle 75*, Pollard 38) defeated Australia 131 (Bailey 63, Rampaul 3/16)

Summary:

The West Indies' two most damaging players, Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard were at their destructive best as the Windies crushed Australia to advance to the final. Gayle batted through the innings to make 75 off 41 balls, while Pollard finished the work Gayle begun with a whirlwind 15-ball innings of 38. The duo particularly enjoyed the offerings of Australian spinner Xavier Doherty, and helped themselves to 48 runs from his three overs. Facing a mammoth total for victory, Australia was out of the hunt quickly, losing their top order inside the first five overs. Captain George Bailey recorded his highest T20 score of 63, but this merely limited the damage as the West Indian attack ran through the brittle Australian batting order.

Cricket terminology: A beginner's guide

The cricket world is a world filled with terminology and jargon. This can be quite confusing and intimidating, for both cricket fans and those who are new to the game. But hopefully with this guide some light can be shed on some of the more confusing aspects of the game.

Fielding Positions:

Common fielding positions
 (for a right hand batsman)

When cricket commentators are running short of things to say they will often rattle off the positions of the fielders on the ground. But where are those positions exactly? Let's start with the most common positions, seen at the start of many T20 games:

No. 1: The Wicketkeeper - the only fixed position, catches deliveries and is involved in more dismissals than any other fielder.

No. 2: The Slips - Adjacent to the keeper, most likely place to take a catch. Often multiple slips are used in longer forms of the game

No. 3: Third Man - a run saving position, a lot of balls get edged or guided in this area

No. 4: Point - About 30 yards (27 metres) from the wicket, inline with the batsman. Agile fielders with good anticipation often field here

No. 5: Cover - Similar distance from the batsman, in line with other end of the pitch.

No. 6: Mid-off - Straightest fielder on the off-side

No. 7: Mid-on - Straightest fielder on the on-side

No. 8: Mid-wicket - the mirror of the cover position, but on the on-side

No. 9: Square Leg - Similar to the point position, but on the on-side

No. 10: Fine Leg - another run saving position, for when the bowler bowls down leg-side 

No. 11: Bowler - Obviously not a fielder!

As I said before, these are the most common fielding positions. There are many, many other positions but most of which are variations of these basic ones. At the risk of causing more confusion, a more detailed image of cricket fielding positions can be found here:

Definitions

Let's break down some terminology:

Don Bradman owns the highest
career batting average (99.94)

Average (batting): A batsman's average is the number of runs they score per inning. It is calculated by the number of runs scored divided by the number of times they have gotten out. Not the number of innings. For example a batsman scores 125 runs in 5 innings. His average therefore is 25. But if in one of those innings he doesn't get out his average would be 31.25 (125 divided by 4).

Average (bowling): A bowler's average is the number of runs scored off their bowling divided by the number of wickets they have taken, i.e a bowler records the figures of 2/50, his bowling average therefore is 25.

Economy: How many runs a bowler concedes per over. For example a bowler bowls 2 overs for 10 runs. His economy rate is 5

LBW: Leg before wicket. If a batsmen is struck on the leg and the ball otherwise would have hit the stumps, they can be given out LBW by the umpire. To be out LBW they must be hit inline with the stumps and the ball must not have pitched outside the leg stump

Leg-spin: A type of spin bowling. A leg-spin delivery from a right-arm bowler would spin (as the bowler sees it) from right to left. It is the opposite for a left arm leg-spinner

Maiden: An over where no runs are scored off the bat.

Net run rate: A team's run rate in comparison to the opposition. For example if one team scores at 6 runs an over and their opponents score at 5 runs an over, that teams net run rate is +1. Used to separate teams in group competitions.

Off-spin: A type of spin bowling. An off-spin delivery from a right-arm bowler would spin (as the bowler sees it) from left to right. It is the opposite for a left-arm off-spinner.

A perfect yorker

Run rate: A team's run rate is the number of runs it has scored divided by the number of overs it has faced. For example a team scores 120 runs in 20 overs. Its run rate is 6.

Strike rate (batting): How many runs a batsman scores per 100 balls faced. It is calculated by dividing the runs scored by the balls faced. A strike rate of well over 100 is desired in T20 cricket.

Strike rate (bowling): A bowler's strike rate is how many balls the bowl, on average for each wicket. For example if a bowler bowls 5 overs and takes 1 wicket, their strike rate would be 30.

Wrong-'un: A delivery from a spin bowler that spins the opposite way to what is expected, i.e. an off-spinner bowls a ball that spins as a leg spinner should. Used to deceive batsmen if they don't detect the change. Also known as a doosra, googly and the carrom ball

Yorker: A fast full-pitched delivery that pitches around the batsman's toes, trying to either bowl them out or get an LBW decision.

Hope that's cleared a few things up!

Cricket Terminology: A couple of video guides

Bowling: A few details on the different types of bowling styles, what each is used for and an explanation of a few different terms you may have heard.

Umpiring: An explanation of each of the signals used by match umpires as well as what they correspond to.

Going out: An explanation of each of the 11 different ways a player can be dismissed. 

Semi final preview: Australia vs West Indies

Host nation Sri Lanka has qualified for Sunday's final, but who will they face in Colombo? We take an in-depth look at tonight's semi-final to find out.

Match report: Sri Lanka into dream home final

source: cricinfo.com

• Sri Lanka 139/4 (Jayawardene 42, Dilshan 35) defeated Pakistan 123/7 (Hafeez 42, U Akmal 29)

Summary:
A 63-run opening partnership between Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan has laid the platform for Sri Lanka to record a tight 16-run over Pakistan, earning it the chance to become the first team to win the T20 World Cup as the host nation. The Sri Lankan's began cautiously on what was a  crumbling, spin-friendly wicket (a rarity in T20 cricket) scoring at barely a run a ball for the first ten overs. But this enabled the Sri Lankan's to be more aggressive in the final ten overs to post a competitive score on such a bowler friendly wicket. Pakistan began in a similar manner in their innings, but unlike the Sri Lankan batsmen they were unable to lift the run rate at the innings wore on. Spinner Rangana Herath was the chief destroyer for Sri Lanka, taking 3/25.

Leading from the front:
In important matches, such as this one, what you want is your captains to have a major impact on the result and that certainly is what happened here. Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, back at the controls after a game off, turned in a man-of-the-match performance top scoring with 42 and playing with a freedom and creativity that few others matched on a tricky pitch. The second best player on the night was Pakistan's captain Mohammad Hafeez who also made 42 and took 1/6 with the ball, but unfortunately didn't have the support around him.

Who's hot:

Sri Lanka: Jayawardene was the star, but a few others made important cameos. Kumar Sangakkara made a quick fire 18 and then made two stumpings as wicketkeeper, including that of Hafeez in a moment that arguably turned the result. Herath picked up the key wickets of Hafeez and Shahid Afridi.
Pakistan: Umar Akmal was the only other Pakistani batsman to make a real contribution, continuing his solid tournament with the bat. Paceman Sohail Tanvir conceded only 11 runs from his three overs.

What it means:
Sri Lanka: They advance to the final, and have the chance to win their first piece of major silverware since the 2002 Champions Trophy. In what could be a good omen, both of Sri Lanka's ICC tournament victories have come in tournaments that were held in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan: Made the semi's or better in all four editions of the T20 World Cup, but for only one win. In the end their unpredictability proved their downfall, as there wasn't a consistent performer they could rely on in the tough situations.

The Votes:
MVP: 3- M Jayawardene, 2- M Hafeez, 1- K Sangakkara (not a big match statistically, but involved in the key moments)
Tucker Trophy: 1- U Gul (couldn't get it done with bat or ball), 2- K Akmal (finished dirty tournament with fourth single figure score), 3- S Afridi (Pakistan's talisman made second golden duck of the tournament)

Match report: India win, both teams go home

Source: cricinfo.com

• India 152/6 (Raina 45, Dhoni 23) defeated South Africa 151 ( du Plessis 65, Khan 3/22)

Summary:
South Africa has lost three wickets in the final six balls of its innings to hand India victory in the final Super Eight game, which effectively became a dead rubber. India got off to a stuttering start, dropping to 36/3 before some solid middle-order batting - headed by Suresh Raina - guided the Indians past 150. South Africa similarly got off to a poor start losing two wickets in the early overs but appeared to be cruising at 107/4 (thanks largely to Faf du Pessis) in the 15th over. But from then on they lost 6 for 44, to exit the Super Eights stage without a win.

Hollow victory:
To be able to claim a place in the semi finals, either India or South Africa had to record a massive win to boost their overall net run-rate. But it quickly became apparent that it would not be the case as the match headed toward a thrilling but ultimately meaningless conclusion. South Africa needed 14 to win of the last over, and got a great start with a six from Albie Morkel. Morkel was out next ball and was replaced by his brother Morne who also struck a six to leave South Africa with two runs to get from the last two balls. However bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji held his nerve to dismiss Morne and seal the win.

Match report: Pakistan reach semi's as Watson finally fails

Source: cricinfo.com

• Pakistan 149/6 (Jamshed 55, Akmal 32) defeated Australia 117/7 (Hussey 54*, Ajmal 3/17)

Summary:

Australia's top order has finally came undone in this year's T20 World Cup, exposing a brittle middle order as Pakistan's battery of slow bowlers spun them to victory and a place in the semi-finals. Defending a gettable target of 150 for victory, the spin trio of Mohammad Hafeez (2/22), Raza Hasan (2/14) and Saeed Ajmal (3/17) claimed all of the Australian wickets while also restricting run scoring. Michael Hussey's unbeaten 54 ensured Australia passed the magic mark of 112, the number of runs they needed to qualify for the semi's without having to rely on the result of the South Africa-India match.

Soft underbelly:

For the first time in the tournament, Australia needed runs from batsmen other than Warner and Watson, and were found wanting. The inexperienced middle order of skipper George Bailey, Cameron White and Glenn Maxwell couldn't rise to the occasion. Neither could wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, who could only make 13 in his first at bat for the tournament. If not for veteran Michael Hussey, Australia could well be out of the World Cup.

Match report: Malinga sends England packing

Source: AFP

• Sri Lanka 169/6 (Jayawardene 42, Mathews 28) defeated England 150/9 (Patel 67, Malinga 5/31)

Summary:

A devastating opening over from speedster Lasith Malinga has guided Sri Lanka to victory, and in the process knocking the defending champions England out of the tournament. Bowling the third over of the England innings, Malinga claimed the wickets with his third, fifth and sixth ball to leave England stunned at 18/3. Malinga then returned later in the innings to complete the Sri Lankan victory, taking the wickets of top-scorer Samit Patel and Jos Butler. Malinga's effort came after an even performance from Sri Lanka's batsmen, with all players reaching double figures as they posted a competitive 169 for England to chase.

Which captain?:

Sri Lankan keeper Kumar Sangakkara fronted up to to the toss of the coin as Sri Lanka's captain with the explanation that "Mahela lost three tosses in a row". However when Sri Lanka took to the field normal service resumed, with Mahela Jayawardene quite clearly playing a large role in the direction of the team. The reason? Sri Lanka to their credit at least, was more open after the match about why this occurred: the team had been warned about slow over-rates, with the punishment if it happened again being the suspension of the captain. By replacing Jayawardene with Sangakkara, it effectively was a clean-slate as the threat of suspension was not hanging over Sangakkara's head.

What is T20 Cricket?

Everything you need to know about cricket's newest format!

 

T20, or Twenty/20 cricket is a short, fast, action packed version of the classic game of cricket which aims at compacting all the action of a one day or test game into the short twenty/20 format.

Match report: India thrash local rivals Pakistan

Source: Getty Images

• India 129/2 (Kohli 78*, Sehwag 29) defeated Pakistan 128 (Malik 28, Balaji 3/22)

Summary:

India has overcome a bright start by Pakistan to win by eight wickets, notching their first win of the Super Eight stage. Pakistan bolted out of the blocks, scoring 26 runs off the first two overs before their batsmen seemed to freeze in the face of what was only a steady Indian bowling attack. Pakistan captain Mohammed Hafeez was particularly culpable, scoring just 15 runs off 28 balls. Pakistan were then under pressure to score quick runs later in the innings, but this only led to a batting collapse which had them all out in the final over. India, spearheaded by Virat Kohli, was largely untroubled and unhurried in the run chase, reaching Pakistan's total in the 18th over.

Rabbit in the headlights:

Clashes between India and Pakistan always attract a lot of attention, especially when they meet in a major tournament. That extra attention and pressure seemed to get to Pakistan who were edgy and nervous throughout the match. Their batsmen were tentative often scoring at less than a run a ball, and when they did try to hit out, they often picked out fielders. Pakistan weren't much better in the field either, dropping catches (including Kohli on 42) and bowling erratically.

Match report: Watson carries Australia into Semi Finals

Source: ICC

• Australia 147/2 (Watson 70, Hussey 45) defeated South Africa 146/5 (Peterson 32, Doherty 3/20)

Summary:
Australia has sealed a spot in the T20 World Cup semi-finals thanks to another match-winning performance from Shane Watson. Watson made 70 with the bat and shared a 99-run partnership with veteran Michael Hussey after earlier taking 2/29 to help restrict South Africa to a modest total. South Africa struggled from the outset, falling to 8/2 thanks to the unusual choice of left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty as opening bowler. Their middle order steadied the ship, but apart from a late inning burst from Robin Peterson, never threatened to loosen Australia's grip on the match. Australia made a tentative start to the run chase, losing Warner with the score on ten, before Hussey and Watson guided them home.

The "chokers":
South Africa has an infamous record in major tournaments of finding a way to lose from almost any position, evidenced by their effort against Pakistan last Friday. But while they were never in a winning position against Australia, their lacklustre performance with the bat and especially in the field may suggest there is some mental issues in the South African team in big matches, particularly when you compare this performance with the ones earlier in the tournament.

Match report: Watson stars again as Aussie's thrash India

Source: cricinfo.com

• Australia 141/1 (Watson 72, Warner 63*) defeated India 140/7 (Pathan 31, Watson 3/34)

Summary:

A third consecutive man of the match performance from all-rounder Shane Watson has given Australia the perfect start to the Super Eight stage. Watson formed a threatening pace duo with Patrick Cummins (2/16 and a run-out) to restrict India to 140 on a batting-friendly wicket. He then combined with Dave Warner to thoroughly demoralise India with a 133-run opening partnership, their second century stand of the tournament. Australia reached India's total of 140 with more than six overs to spare.

The man:

Shane Watson has been putting up some silly statistics so far this tournament. He recorded 51, 41 not out and 72 for an average of 82 with the bat. He has also been Australia's chief destroyer with the ball, with eight wickets at an average of just over 11. Scary stuff.

Match report: Lower order heroics rescue Pakistan

Source: cricinfo.com

• Pakistan 136/8 (Akmal 43*, Steyn 3/22) defeated South Africa 133/6 (Duminy 48, De Villiers 25)

Summary:
Some audacious hitting by tail-end batsman Umar Gul brought Pakistan back from the brink to record a famous T20 victory. Gul formed a valuable 49-run eighth wicket partnership with middle-order batman Umar Akmal to rescue Pakistan from a precarious position at 76/7 to within sight of victory when he fell for 32 off just 17 balls. Gul had earlier been part of an unorthodox Pakistani bowling attack containing four spinners. The gamble paid off spectacularly as they were able to stifle the South Africans on a pitch that did offer some assistance to spin bowling.

The sublime and the ridiculous:
This match was a bizarre combination of technical and tactical genius and remarkable gaffes. The decision to play four spinners was a masterstroke, as was both captains use of their spin bowlers. The dismissals of many of the Pakistani top-order on the other hand bordered on the comedic, and looked to have cost Pakistan what should have been a routine victory, before Gul intervened with some remarkable hitting.

New Zealand Knocked Out

Source: cricinfo.com

• West Indies 139 (Gayle 30, Southee 3-21, Bracewell 3-31) tied with New Zealand 139 for 7 (Taylor 62*, Samuels 3-20). West Indies won the Super Over.

New Zealand won the toss and elected to field. West Indies was all out for 139 runs, led by Chris Gayle’s 30, with three balls remaining in its 20 overs in Pallekelle.

New Zealand and West Indies tied on 139 runs after their innings and moved to a ‘super over’ to decide their final eight match at cricket’s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

England keep their Semi's hopes alive with win over New Zealand

Source: Daily Telegraph (UK)

• England 4-149 def. New Zealand 6-148 by 6 wickets with 7 balls remaining.

Summary:
New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat. Their batting order was inconsistent early falling to 4-67 off 11.4 overs. Ross Taylor (22) and James Franklin (50) came to the crease and restored some stability. Steve Finn was the deadliest bowler for the English with 3/16 off 4 overs. The Kiwi's were only able to achieve a modest target of 6 for 148.
England had an almost identical start. They reached 50 runs in 54 balls, the same as New Zealand but, had one more wicket in hand than the Kiwi's. Luke Wright (76) and Eoin Morgan (30) posted an 89-run partnership to steer England to victory with 7 balls remaining.

Match report: Sri Lanka puts one foot in semis with win

Source: Associated Press

• Sri Lanka 130/1 (Jayawardene 65*, Sangakkara 39*) defeated West Indies 129/5 (Samuels 50, Bravo 40)

Summary:

A stifling performance by Sri Lanka's bowlers has all but assured the hosts a place in the semi-finals of the 2012 T20 World Cup. A varied attack of off and leg spin coupled with the cunning of pace bowlers Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasakera restricted the powerful West Indian batting line up to just 129 despite taking only five wickets. That set the scene for an easy run chase, the lowest at the Pallekele ground, spearheaded by veterans Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara who reached the total with 28 balls to spare.

Containment strategy:

Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene got a great read of the local conditions and used them to keep the West Indian line up off-guard. He regularly rotated his bowlers, often giving them just one over at a time to prevent batsmen adjusting to each bowler. His bowlers backed up his plan with a wide array of spinning deliveries, slower balls and yorkers to keep the West Indian batsmen in check. A victory for guile over strength.

West Indies upset Champions England with a 15-run win.

Source: Times of India

• West Indies 5-179 def. England 4-164

Summary:
What an awesome decision by the West Indies to bat first. Johnson Charles (84) and Chris Gayle (58) blasted the English bowlers all over the ground. The opening partnership finished on 103 when Steven Finn redeemed himself by catching Chris Gayle in the deep after dropping Johnson Charles the previous ball. Unfortunately, besides the two openers, everyone else failed to fire with the bat. Despite this, the West Indies posted a respectable figure of 179.
England had a steep task ahead of them chasing down 179. It could not have been a worse start for the Poms with Craig Kieswetter making a duck before the English could get a run on the board. Luke Wright was gone the next ball leaving them 2-0. Ravi Rampaul collected both wickets in the first over and set the tone for the fielding side. Alex Hales (68) and Eoin Morgan (71*) steadied the Poms but it wasn't enough to win, falling short with 4-164.
West Indies won by 15 runs.

Match report: Sri Lanka wins super over thriller

Source: AFP

• Sri Lanka 174/6 (Dilshan 76, Jayawardene 44) defeated New Zealand 174/7 (Nicol 58, Guptil 38) in a super over eliminator.

Summary:

A stifling super over from paceman Lasith Malinga has lifted Sri Lanka to victory in the best game of the T20 World Cup so far. After the scores were tied at the end of the Sri Lankan innings, both teams got to face one extra over to decide the outcome of the match. Sri Lanka took advantage of some wayward bowling from Kiwi Tim Southee (3 wides) to set New Zealand a target of 14 for victory. Malinga then produced a perfect example of death bowling to restrict the New Zealanders to just seven runs. This came after a dramatic finish to the end of the Sri Lankan innings. Needing just one run to win off the final ball Lahiru Thirimanne mis-hit the ball out to the point region, the return came in to Kiwi captain Ross Taylor, who fumbled the ball but deflected it onto the stumps, running out Thirimanne and forcing the super over.

That's what we're talking about:

After a fairly dreary opening week, this match has brought the tournament to life. This match had many twists and turns, with both teams having opportunities to seize the game by the scruff of the neck, only to be stymied by tenacious fight backs by the opposing side. New Zealand will be rueing the moderate finish it had to its innings, while Sri Lanka will be thankful they were still able to scrape a win after Tillakaratne Dilshan had seemingly set them on their way to victory in the regular 20 over period.

World Cup format is damaging T20 cricket

Source: Herald Sun

One of the biggest criticisms of Twenty20 cricket is that it is essentially meaningless, a hit-and-giggle game without the meaning attached to one-day internationals and especially Test cricket. With this criticism in mind, the International Cricket Council (ICC) should view the Twenty20 World Cup as an opportunity to debunk this idea by providing three weeks of exciting cricket packed full of important matches.  But unfortunately what we have got so far in this tournament has been a week of mis-matches with predictable results.

Super Eights preview (part 2)

GROUP 2:

By an odd quirk of the draw, the second Super Eight group features two past winners, the 2010 runner-up and the current No.1 ranked team. It also contains the four unbeaten teams in the tournament, none of whom were overly troubled during the group stage. India did what it had to do against Afghanistan before pummelling England, while Australia have been carried by some impressive performances from Shane Watson. Pakistan's top order has been firing in the group stage and South Africa has underlined it's number one ranking with two disciplined and clinical performances, even in farcical situations.

Who Progresses?

Pakistan looms as a real danger now that its top order, potentially a weak link, is up and running as they have a bowling line-up well suited to T20 cricket in the sub-continent. South Africa has been the most impressive team so far and would be favoured to go through, although it's getting close to the period when traditionally they struggle with a few mental demons. Australia needs it's top order to continue in the form that it showed in the group matches, as their middle order is potentially vulnerable, while India would hope for more of the conditions dished up against England, as their pace stocks look a little thin.

Super Eights preview

The end of the group stages has seen, somewhat predictably, the weakest four teams exit the tournament without threatening to upset the tournament heavyweights.
From here on in though the competition gets much tougher, with the remaining teams split into two groups, with the top two in each progressing to the knock-out semi finals.

GROUP 1:

This must be seen as the weaker group, both in terms of reputation and form. Defending champions England bullied Afghanistan in its opening game before being getting thrashed by India. New Zealand opened impressively against Bangladesh before going down to Pakistan, while both the West Indies and Sri Lanka have been hampered by the weather. The Lankan's could only take to the field for 14 overs in total in their loss to South Africa, while the West Indies second group match was washed out. This creates the curious scenario where the Windies have advanced to the Super Eights without winning a match.

Who progresses?

On form you would hesitantly pick hosts Sri Lanka and the under-rated New Zealand. Sri Lanka have the advantage of home support and conditions and have a good record in big tournaments. New Zealand have been more competitive and consistent then the other two teams in the group and have a good chance to spring a surprise to make it to the semi-finals. To progress from this group, England needs to show that its horrendous effort against spin was a one-off, while the West Indies' unpredictability could shape the outcome of this group.

Pakistan blast Bangladesh for a comfortable 8-wicket win.

Source: cricinfo.com

• Bangladesh 175/6 (Al Hasan 84, Arafat 3/25) lost to Pakistan 178/2 (Nazir 72, Hafeez 45)

Summary:
The pitch suggested it was a batter's paradise with Bangladesh jumping at the bit to bat first. Openers, Tamim Iqbal (24) and Mohammad Ashraful (14) got the scoreboard ticking over quickly before first drop batsman, Shakid Al Hasan came in to blow away a star-studded Pakistani bowling attack. Al Hasan finished with 11 fours and 2 sixes before being caught on 84 by Umar Akmal off Yasir Arafat's bowling. Bangladesh posted 6-175.
Pakistan were tasked with a difficult run chase but, the class came to the fore with Imran Nazir (72) and Mohammad Hafeez (45) delivering an opening partnership of 124 in 13 overs.The game was all Pakistan's from there and Nasir Jamshed (29*) and Kamran Akmal (22*) were left to finish the job with 8 balls remaining.

Stats Watch:
Bangladesh: Shakid Al Hasan made an outstanding 84 with the bat.
Pakistan: Imran Nazir set up the victory with his quickfire 72 including 9 fours and 3 sixes. Yasir Arafat was the lone shining light with the ball recording figures of 3 for 25.

Who's Hot:
The whole Pakistani batting lineup. I would be frightened if I were an opposition bowling attack. Beware of these guys in the Super Eight.
Shakid Al Hasan, but, unfortunately this game was his last for the tournament.

What it means:
Bangladesh is out of the Twenty20 World Cup.
Pakistan flies into the Super Eight group with super form. They will need to maintain every bit of it to achieve a victory over the South Africans on Friday though.

The Votes:
MVP:
3 - Shakid Al Hasan (Bangladesh) 84 runs in a losing team, impressive.
2 - Imran Nazir (Pakistan) a quick 72 with plenty of sixes.
1 - Yasir Arafat (Pakistan) the best bowler of either team.

Tucker Trophy:
3 - Mahmudullah (Bangladesh) a second ball duck guarantees a vote.
2 - Umar Gul (Pakistan) 43 runs from 3 overs with the ball, no wickets and a wide.
1 - Shafiul Islam (Bangladesh) blasted all around the park with the ball, 2 wides and no wickets.

Match report: Harbhajan spins out England

Source: Getty Images

• India 170/4 (Sharma 55, Gambhir 45) defeated England 80 (Kieswtter 35, Singh 4/12)

Summary:

Harbhajan Singh marked his return from a year in the international cricketing wilderness with an off-spin masterclass to guide India past England. Singh claimed 4 for 12 while also bowling two maiden overs as England crumbled in the face of an Indian spin assault on a stereotypical sub-continental turning wicket. Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir had earlier played assured innings to set England a difficult target, as their bowlers struggled to make inroads into the Indian batting lineup. England's run chase never got going, with opener Craig Kieswetter providing the only resistance.

The pitch:

It is fair to say that the English team missed the mark in the read of the pitch, dropping their other frontline spinner, Samit Patel (who took 2/6 in their opening game), in favour of a more pace-oriented bowling attack. India on the other hand played two spinners who combined had the figures of eight overs, three maidens, 6/25. Not hard to see who played the conditions better.

Who's hot:

India: Harbhajan; a bit of a loose cannon, but when he's on form is one of the most dangerous spinners in international cricket. India's big name batsmen are also getting amongst the runs.

England: The team selectors will surely be getting a few queries headed their way given the total misread of the conditions. Off-spinner Graeme Swann was not surprisingly England's most dangerous and economical bowler.

What it means:

India: Goes into the Super Eight stage undefeated and in reasonable form. The bowling effort tonight may quieten a few of the doubters over the strength of the Indian attack.

England: Not all that much, as they still progress to the next stage.  Some opposition teams may view this as a confirmation of England's vulnerability in sub-continental conditions.

The Votes:

MVP: 3- H Singh, 2- P Chawla (2/13, Harbhajan's foil), 1- R Sharma (top-scored with 55)

Tucker Trophy: 1- AB Dinda (went for 26 off two overs), 2- J Dernbach (bore the brunt of Sharma's assault), 3- J Bairstow (1 run, chewed up eight balls, looked decidedly uncomfortable against spin)

Match report: Pakistan edge New Zealand

Source: cricinfo.com

• Pakistan 177/6 (Jamshed 56, Hafeez 43) defeated New Zealand 164/9 (Nicol 33, Ajmal 4/30)

Summary:

A solid performance from Pakistan's occasionally suspect top order laid the platform for a tight 13-run victory over a fast finishing New Zealand. Captain and opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez anchored the innings enabling others, including fifth gamer Nasir Jamshed, to play more aggressively. New Zealand opted to play it safe in early in the run chase, pushing heavy hitters Brendan McCullum, Jacob Oram and captain Ross Taylor down the order. The tactic nearly paid off too, if not for the crafty bowling of Saeed Ajmal and the run-out of Taylor to keep the Kiwi's from reaching the target of 178.

The game-within-a-game:

This match pitted the teams strengths against each other as well as their weaknesses. Pakistan won both of those contests, which led to them winning the match. Pakistan's slightly thin batting line-up was able to resist the efforts of a reasonably pedestrian Kiwi attack, while their bowlers were able to keep in check a potentially dangerous New Zealand batting order.

Who's hot:

Pakistan: Captain Mohammad Hafeez led from the front, backing his batsmen and then came on to bowl four economical overs. Spinner Ajmal held his nerve in the face of a Kiwi onslaught in the final overs.

New Zealand: Opener Rob Nicol looked fluent for his 33, while Ross Taylor was looking dangerous before a calamitous run-out. Spinner Daniel Vettori returned to form after a quiet opening match.

What it means:

Pakistan: Much less pressure on the final group game against Bangladesh. Pakistan can afford to lose by up to 36 runs and still qualify for the Super Eight stage.

New Zealand: The big opening win against Bangladesh ensured qualification for Super Eights, even if Bangladesh defeats Pakistan. The tactic of holding back until the final overs may need to be reviewed, it left too much for them to do in this match.

The Votes:

MVP: 3- N Jamshed (maiden T20 half-century in 5th game), 2- M Hafeez (43 with the bat and 0/15 off four overs), 1- S Ajmal (4 wickets halted NZ momentum)
Tucker Trophy: 1- R Taylor (Kiwi tactics may have caused the loss), 2- K Akmal (only three runs coming in at No.4), 3- N McCullum (5 runs with the bat, conceded 23 off two overs with the ball)

Match report: Watson guides Aussies to Super Eights

Source: Reuters

• West Indies 191/8 (Gayle 54, Samuels 50) lost to Australia 100/1 (Watson 41*, Hussey 28*)

Summary:

Australia advanced to the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup with a 100% winning record thanks to another match-winning performance from Shane Watson, and the mathematical calculations of Messrs Duckworth and Lewis. In a match shortened by rain, the Australian bowlers endured a torrid time from the power-packed West Indian batting lineup led by opener Chris Gayle who top-scored with 54. In reply, Australia's top order got off to a blistering start, reaching 100 in the tenth over before heavy rain halted the match.

The rain:

The deluge that began at the mid-point of the Australian innings ruined what was a potentially thrilling finish. Australia required a further 92 runs off the last 65 balls to chase down what would have been the 4th highest run chase in T20 World Cup history. It also meant that the West Indies didn't get the chance to rectify a poor start to the defence of what was still a tough total to reach.

Who's hot:

West Indies: Chris Gayle threatened to remove any chance Australia had in the match before being deceived by a Watson slower ball. The middle order also provided valuable runs at a rapid rate of knots.

Australia: The top order fired again for Australia, reaching 100 in just 57 deliveries. Mitchell Starc continued his good start to the tournament with three wickets.

What it means:

West Indies: A potentially nervy must-win match against Ireland to progress to the Super Eights. The West Indian bowling attack was unthreatening and leaked runs, something they must look at before the next match.

Australia: Undefeated after two games, but with a worry about the bowling attack which copped a pasting. Lynchpins of the batting order in good form though.

The Votes:

MVP: 3- S Watson (41 and wickets of Gayle and Samuels), 2- C Gayle (games top-scorer), 1- M Samuels (took up attack after Gayle's dismissal).
Tucker Trophy: 1- G Maxwell (went or 17 off one over), 2- R Rampaul (conceded 23 in seven balls), 3- D Smith (made a duck and dropped Watson, which could have won the game for the West Indies).

Match report: South Africa wins Seven7 match

Source: cricinfo.com

• South Africa 78/4 (de Villiers 30, Amla 16) defeated Sri Lanka 46/5 (Sangakkara 13, Steyn 2/10)

Summary:

A large crowd were forced to endure a nearly three hour rain delay before watching the hosts convincingly beaten by the top-ranked South Africans. With the match reduced to just seven overs per side, batsmen were given license to hit out or get out. Unfortunately for partisan crowd, Sri Lanka took the latter while South Africa the former. Captain A.B de Villiers crunched 30 off just 13 balls as South Africa scored at an impressive 11 runs per over. The Sri Lankan chase was over before it began, losing two wickets in the first two overs. 

The farce:

This game was already meaningless as both teams had already progressed to the Super Eight stage after wins against Zimbabwe, but to make it a 14-over game bordered on ridiculous.  Condensing what is already a condensed version of the game. This match was definitely not one for the cricketing purists.

Who's hot:

It's impossible to gauge who was running hot in this match due to its abbreviated nature. De Villiers top-scored with 30 although as he was doing what every other batsman was doing, coming to the crease and swinging with gay abandon, you could argue he was as lucky as he was in form. Who should come under heat are the World Cup and Sri Lankan officials who would not or could not reschedule the game or provide a refund for the 35,000 strong crowd.

What it means:

South Africa: Zilch

Sri Lanka: Nada

The Votes:

MVP: 3- A.B de Villiers (top scored), 2- D Steyn (menacing even in 6 ball bursts), 1-K Sangakkara (top scored for the Lankans and made a nice stumping)

Tucker Trophy: 1- M Jayawardene (made 4 with the bat and ran out opening partner Dilshan), 2- ICC referees and umpires (for not cancelling the game), 3- The weather (the root cause of the problem!)

Match report: Wright sends Afghanistan home

Source: cricinfo.com

• England 196/5 (Wright 99*, Hales 31) defeated Afghanistan 80 (Naib 44, Patel 2/6)

Summary:

English all-rounder Luke Wright fell agonisingly short of a maiden T20 century as England made Afghanistan the second team eliminated in the T20 World Cup. After Afghanistan made a great start to have England 0/1 after the first over, Wright came in at no.3 and batted through the innings to set an almost impossible target for the inexperienced Afghanis. The English bowlers then set about systematically destroying the Afghan batting line-up, reducing them to 26/8 before some lusty hitting by lower order batsman Gulbodin Naib ensured that the crowd at least got their money's worth.

The perfect game:

If you asked England captain Stuart Broad, or any captain for that matter, what the perfect game would look like it would be this. A top order batsman batting through the innings, with the other players feeding him the strike or hitting out themselves. Then the bowlers not taking the foot off the throat of the opposition batsmen for the entire 20 overs.

Who's hot:

England: Wright belied his modest T20 average of 18 to record the second best score of the tournament. The English bowling attack dismantled Afghanistan in a team effort, with no bowler taking more than two wickets.

Afghanistan: Pace bowler Shapoor Zadran start the match in a blaze of glory with a wicket maiden, while Naib bettered his highest score in T20 cricket by 27 runs. 

What it means:

England: Tuned up for the clash with heavyweights India. Will go in with confidence and optimism following India's less than impressive showing against the same opposition.

Afghanistan: Disappointing but rather predictable end for Afghanistan who showed much promise against local rivals India but couldn't back it up. It's the lemonade and sars for Afghanistan in 2012.

The Votes:

MVP: 3- L Wright, 2- S Patel (2/6, pretty tidy figures), 1- S Broad (2/10 with a maiden).

Tucker Trophy: 1- Shaifqullah (finished the tournament with a grand total of 9 runs), 2- M Nabi (46 conceded with the ball, 1 scored with the bat), 3- I Dawlatzai (dropped a catch and went for an eye watering 18.66 runs an over).