Sri Lanka march to semifinal in style

NOTTINGHAM, June 16 (PTI): Ajantha Mendis spun a web around New Zealand as a clinical Sri Lanka stormed into the semifinal of the Twenty20 World Cup, thumping the Kiwis by 48 runs in a crucial Super Eight match here today.

Mendis (3/9) ran through New Zealand’s middle order to trigger a batting collapse as the Kiwis, in their pursuit of a 159-run victory target, were bundled out for 110 runs in 17 overs.

It was an abject batting capitulation by the New Zealand with just three batsmen — Martin Guptill (43 off 34 balls), Aaron Redmond (23) and Brendon McCullum (10) — managing double figures as their last eight wickets fell for just 48 runs.

Earlier opting to bat, Mahela Jayawardene struck an unbeaten 41 while Tillakaratne Dilshan’s made a classy 48 to help Sri Lanka post 158 for five on the board.

Defending the total, Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara’s experiment to start with Sanath Jayasuriya did not really click as Redmond got New Zealand off to a flier, picking up 14 runs of the third over.

Redmond clobbered Jayasuriya for three successive boundaries and then followed it up with a six over long-off.

But Isuru Udana struck gold in the next over, getting the crucial wicket of McCullum, caught by Jehan Mubarak.

Lasith Malinga then foxed dangerous Redmond with a slower full toss and Chamara Silva made no mistake to end the right-hander’s 13-ball stay.

Mendis then proved why he is regarded so highly in world cricket, getting the wickets of Ross Taylor (8) and Scott Styris (2) in his opening over to deal twin blows.

He foxed Taylor with his first ball of the match and Sangakkara completed an easy stumping and then disturbed Styris’ timber with the fourth delivery.

Guptill, however, carried on the fight single-handedly and hit Dilshan over the short long-off fence.

Udana struck in the last ball off the 13th over, clean bowling Jacob Oram and then Jayasuriya drived the final nail in New Zealand’s coffin, getting the vital wicket of Guptil caught by Angelo Mathews at deep backward square leg.

Mendis picked up his third wicket when he made Peter McGlashan to edge one straight to Mubarak at backward point.

As if it was not enough, Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills ran themselves out and then Daniel Vettori fell to Muttiah Muralitharan.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jun1709/Sports1

Shah Rukh slams Gavaskar for criticising Buchanan

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Shah Rukh slams Gavaskar for criticising Buchanan

MUMBAI: Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan took a dig at former India captain Sunil Gavaskar for ridiculing John Buchanan's multiple-captain theory saying he bought the team and would run it the way he wants.

Former Australia World Cup winning coach Buchanan, who is now manager of Kolkata Knight Riders, had suggested the four captain theory for the second season of the Indian Premier League that has ruffled a few feathers, including that of former India skipper Sourav Ganguly.

"I have great respect for Mr Gavaskar. I have grown up enjoying his performance as well as KR Vishwanath and Kapil's. We all respect him too much but having said that I would like to say that please give it (the multiple-captain theory) a breathing space to try now. If we fail we can always go back to the traditional way," Shah Rukh said at a media conference in Mumbai on Sunday to announce new initiatives with Team sponsors Nokia.

The Bollywood star said he has spent a lot of money in buying the team and would like to run it as he deems fit.

"I have spent lot of money on my team. If you have a problem then you buy your own team and run it the way you want," he said, in an obvious response to Gavaskar's comments.

India's batting legend Gavaskar, in a newspaper column, had criticised Buchanan's theory saying too much importance is being accorded to the Australian, who is a failed first-class cricketer and is only trying to get lucrative jobs for "his Queensland pals".

"To comment on his multiple skipper theory is to give it the importance it doesn't deserve but what does require comment is how he has got his Queensland pals lucrative jobs with KKR.

"They have a very big support staff which includes his son and most of them are from Queensland. The owners - poor souls - have little idea that they are being milked," Gavaskar had written.

Shah Rukh, meanwhile, said he would rather try the multiple captain idea and fail than not giving it a chance at all.

"Twenty20 cricket is a new format and last time we did not do well after going by the traditional way (one captain). This time Buchanan will try multiple captaincy in the practice game before the IPL starts in South Africa and see whether he succeeds or not," the Bollywood star said.

Buchanan's concept has generated lot of controversy ahead of the April 18 to May 24 IPL to be held in eight cities of South Africa.

Sourav Ganguly, who led the team last year, had expressed resentment to the multiple captain idea.

The former India captain and Buchanan have had lengthy discussions with Shah Rukh at his residence to thrash out the issues.

Shah Rukh on Sunday pointed out that the concept had been tried out last year itself by Kings XI Punjab.

"It was tried out last year itself by the Mohali team which had a fielding captain (Kumar Sangakkara), a batting captain, a bowling captain and an overall captain Yuvraj Singh," he said.

The Bollywood star gave the example of cricket's cousin baseball which has coaches giving instructions from outside the field to the pitchers, batters and others.

Shah Rukh also expressed hope that his team would perform much better than last year.

"All our players like Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Sourav Ganguly, Brad Hodge, Ajantha Mendis, Ishant Sharma, Mashrafe Mortaza are available," he said.

"Almost 97 to 98 per cent of the players are available and it's a strong line-up. I hope the team performs better than last year," Shah Rukh said.

Source: http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/SRK-slams-Gavaskar-for-criticising-Buchanan-/articleshow/4362502.cms