SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2015

SCOREBOARD

WELLINGTON: Scoreboard in the World Cup quarter-final between New Zealand and the West Indies at Westpac Stadium in Wellington yesterday: New Zealand J. Charles b Boult 3 M. Guptill 237 L. Simmons c Guptill b Boult 12 B. McCullum c Holder b Taylor 12 M. Samuels c Vettori b Boult 27 K. Williamson c Gayle b Russell 33 D. Ramdin lbw b Boult 0 R. Taylor run out (Ramdin/Benn) 42 J. Carter b Vettori 32 WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s Martin Guptill (left) and Kane Williamson run between as West Indies’s Jerome Taylor (center) looks on C. Anderson c Gayle b Russell 15 D. Sammy c Ronchi b Anderson 27 during the 2015 World Cup quarter-final match between New Zealand and the West Indies yesterday. —AFP G. Elliott lbw b Taylor 27 A. Russell b Southee 20 L. Ronchi c Benn b Taylor 9 J. Holder c Anderson b Vettori 42 D. Vettori not out 8 J. Taylor c Guptill b Southee 11 Extras (lb2, w7, nb1) 10 Total: (6 wkts, 50 overs) 393 S.Benn not out 9 Extras (w6) 6 New Zealand cruise into Did not bat: A Milne, T Southee, T Boult Fall of wickets: 1-27 (McCullum), 2-89 Total: (all out, 30.3 overs) 250 (Williamson), 3-232 (Taylor), 4-278 (Anderson), 5- Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Charles), 2-27 (Simmons), 3-80 333 (Elliott), 6-365 (Ronchi) (Samuels), 4-80 (Ramdin), 5-120 (Gayle), 6-166 Sammy), 7-173 (Carter), 8-201 (Russell), 9-221 semi-finals, maul Windies : Taylor 7-0-71-3; Holder 8-0-76-0 (1w); Benn 10-1-66-0 (2w); Russell 10-0-96-2 (1nb, 2w); (Taylor), 10-250 (Holder) Sammy 8-0-38-0 (1w); Samuels 7-0-44-0. Bowling: Southee 8-1-82-2 (1w); Boult 10-3-44-4 (2w); Vettori 6.3-0-58-2; Milne 4-0-42-1 (2w); Record-breaking Guptill smashes 237 to post World Cup mark West Indies Anderson 2-0-24-1 (1w) C. Gayle b Milne 61 Result: New Zealand won by 143 runs WELLINGTON: Martin Guptill’s record-shatter- forget it. Everybody here is the same.” en 237 is second only to Rohit Sharma’s 264 ing double century and Trent Boult’s four- Meanwhile a modest Guptill said: “After I got a against Sri Lanka in Kolkata last year, and broke haul sent New Zealand sailing into the World hundred, I thought I should hit some bound- his own New Zealand record of 189 not out Cup semi-finals as they trounced the West aries. “We will let this one sink in tonight and against England in Southampton in 2013. New SA’s De Kock emerges Indies by 143 runs yesterday. Guptill, dropped focus on the semi-finals tomorrow...We have Zealand’s closing charge saw them score 153 on four by , finished on 237 not work to do so I can’t focus on it too much.”West runs in the final 10 overs to further deflate the from the ‘dark spaces’ out, the highest individual score in World Cup Indies added: “It was West Indies. Jerome Taylor, who had Guptill history and the second largest one-day interna- tough to defend. We were in the game until the dropped in this first over, returned the best fig- tional innings of all time, as he led New Zealand 35th over. “Guptill played brilliantly. We put him ures for the West Indies with three for 71, while SYDNEY: Quinton De Kock’s return to form was crucial,” he said. “We’ve all been in dark to 393 for six in their 50 overs at Wellington down early. A set batsman on that pitch is dan- took two for 96. Boult was on the in South Africa’s World Cup quarter-final spaces, and I think he has been in this tour- Stadium. gerous. Having said that we didn’t bowl our money in his first over when he Johnson rout of Sri Lanka was one of the most pleas- nament. “A lot of credit to the selectors, to Boult backed up the opening batsman’s feat well.” Charles for three with his second . ing aspects of a convincing victory for the the coach, the guys who kept backing him. by taking four for 44 to move to the top of the He followed-up with the wickets of Lendl Proteas, not least for the talented 22-year- “I think they must have been tempted a tournament wicket-takers list with 19 as the McCullum setback Simmons (12), Samuels (27) and Denesh old batsman himself. No one doubts the few times to let him go and maybe for me West Indies folded for 250 in the 31st over. The New Zealand, favourites for Saturday’s match Ramdin (nought) to have four for 18 after five lefthanded opener’s talent but producing to take the gloves, but it was a great call kept up with the required run rate, reaching 200 after emerging unbeaten from pool play, had a overs. Gayle was in a particularly ferocious your best under pressure at the World Cup from them to stick with him.” De Kock’s next in the 25th over, but by then they were already rocky start when regular batting hero mood, belting spinner Daniel Vettori out of the is an entirely different matter, as the players chance to prove his worth will be in seven wickets down. , shrugging off McCullum, who won the toss, fell cheaply for 12. attack after one over which cost 21 runs. But who have taken part in South Africa’s previ- Auckland next Tuesday, when the Proteas the effects of a long-standing back injury, But opening partner Guptill, coming into form the 36-year-old Vettori broke the Gayle- ous campaigns will attest. take on New Zealand or West Indies in the cracked 61 off 33 balls, including eight of the 31 late in the tournament, took up the challenge as Samuels partnership when he flung his 1.91 De Kock opened his World Cup with first semi-final. His captain, at least, has no sixes in the match as batsmen on both sides he blasted his second successive century after metre (6ft 3in) frame into the air to save a six back-to-back innings of seven against doubt he would back up his Sydney plundered the short boundaries. scoring 105 against Bangladesh in New and pull off a remarkable one-handed catch on Zimbabwe and India and the runs failed to innings. “At that age, to go through a patch New Zealand will now play South Africa in Zealand’s concluding pool match. He chewed the boundary. Adam Milne, like Tim Southee come against West Indies, Ireland, Pakistan like he has been going through, to come the first semi-final at Auckland’s Eden Park on up the West Indies attack, hitting 24 fours and and Boult, was also expensive but had the sat- and the United Arab Emirates either. Going out there in a quarter-finals of the World Tuesday, with fellow co-hosts Australia facing 11 sixes from 163 deliveries faced as he over- isfaction of bowling Gayle. Corey Anderson into the quarter-final at the Sydney Cricket Cup with confidence shows what kind of defending champions India in Sydney two days took the previous best World Cup score of 215 had Darren Sammy caught behind for 27, leav- Ground, he had accumulated just 53 from player he is and what he can achieve in his later.”Sublime, just sublime,” said New Zealand set by Gayle earlier in this tournament against ing the West Indies 166 for six, before Vettori six innings and both coach Russell career,” he added. “I’m looking forward to captain Brendon McCullum of Guptill’s stunning Zimbabwe. and Southee stepped in to work their way Domingo and skipper AB de Villiers were the next few games to see him up the order display of orthodox clean-hitting. “I will never In all one-day internationals, Guptill’s unbeat- through the stubborn tail.— AFP subject to questions over the value of again.”— Reuters retaining him. On Wednesday, de Kock repaid their faith with a couple of excellent catches behind the stumps and then an unbeaten Pakistan’s Misbah backs 78 off 57 balls, punching the ball through gaps in the field with alacrity and sealing the victory with his 12th four. “It looked like I was batting easy but, trust me, it was India against Australia nothing like easy,” he said after the nine- wicket victory. “I’m just glad I finally con- tributed to the team and to the World Cup. ADELAIDE: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq World Cup games at the venue, with Australia pil- off-break bowler Ravichandran Ashwin, who has 12 Glad to be in the semis now, hopefully we believes India will start as favorites in Thursday’s ing up 376 for nine against Sri Lanka and South wickets in the tournament, as his spin spearhead can get through that and bring the Cup World Cup semi-final against Australia because of Africa smashing 408 for five off the West Indies’ with Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and even Rohit home.” spin-friendly conditions at the Sydney Cricket attack. Defending champions India have been on a Sharma providing back-up. Ground. Misbah, whose side lost to Australia by six roll with seven straight wins, defying the form book Australia have won eight of their last nine com- ‘Dark spaces’ wickets in a quarter-final at the Adelaide Oval on after going through a winless Test and ODI tour of pleted one-day internationals at the SCG, but De Kock first came to international Friday, said the tournament co-hosts will rue being Australia prior to the tournament. Clarke was wary of a rejuvenated India team . “India prominence at the under-19 World Cup in without a quality spinner in their last four clash. Australia captain Michael Clarke conceded playing are a completely different opposition to Pakistan,” 2012, where he was top scorer for the “Playing in Sydney they will miss a good spinner,” India in a semi-final would be a challenge, but dis- he said. “They have different strengths and differ- South Africa side with 284 runs. He made said the 40-year-old Misbah, whose one-day inter- agreed with Misbah that spin would be the crucial ent weaknesses as well. “They are obviously playing his ODI debut against New Zealand early national career ended after Friday’s defeat by factor at the SCG. “I don’t think a ball spun in our a lot better than they were throughout the start of the following year but it was the centuries Australia. “That could be the difference, because game against Sri Lanka,” Clarke said. “It will all depend the (Australian) summer. I said leading into the he scored in three consecutive matches spinners have had a lot of success in Sydney and on what type of wicket gets prepared. If there is a bit World Cup that I thought India were going to be an against India in December 2013 that really Imran Tahir did well the other day. So that could be of grass on it, that will certainly help our fast bowlers. extremely tough team to beat. marked him out as an attacking opening a problem for Australia. “If it does spin, we’ve got spinning options in our “They are a very good team and because they batsman to watch. “They might just be in trouble there, although it squad, so I’m sure the selectors will assess that once have spent so much time in Australia, they know His importance to South Africa goes will be a tough game because both sides are play- we get to the SCG and work out what they think is the the conditions quite well. The game on Thursday is beyond his batting, however, with his ing good cricket.” Leg-spinner Tahir collected four best 11,” the Sydney native added. going to certainly be a challenge. “We definitely steadily improving skills as a wicketkeeper for 26 and fellow slow bowler JP Duminy took Clarke said Australia had the option of picking have to be at our best to beat them. We look for- sparing skipper de Villiers the responsibili- three for 29, including a hat-trick, as South Africa left-armer Xavier Doherty to bowl in tandem with ward to that challenge. Our attitude will be exactly ty. That may have been one of the reasons bowled out Sri Lanka for just 133 to win Glenn Maxwell if conditions favored spin-with the the same as it was leading up to the knockout Wednesday’s quarter-final at the SCG by nine wick- captain himself and Steven Smith ready to chip in. rounds. “Thursday becomes our World Cup final. de Villiers was clearly delighted with de South Africa’s Quinton de Kock Kock’s performance against Sri Lanka. “It ets. But the bat dominated the ball in previous India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has relied on We look forward to it.”-— AFP Pakistan pin hopes on struggling next generation

ADELAIDE: Pakistan will pin their hopes on His dismissal yesterday, giving a simple and South Africa.” The return of Junaid and the next generation after their World Cup catch to Aaron Finch off part-timer Glenn possibly of Mohammad Aamir, who started campaign ended with a quarter-final exit to Maxwell, highlighted his shortcomings. playing domestic cricket last week after his Australia but with departing skipper Misbah- Shehzad managed 222 at the tournament five-year ban for spot-fixing was relaxed, will ul-Haq warning the team is not up to interna- while Maqsood scored 124 in five innings. “If strengthen the bowling. But it’s the batting tional scratch. Pakistan, the 1992 champions, our cricket is to match international standards woes that need attention, a problem Misbah lost their first two matches to India and the then our youngsters have to work hard,” said hoped would be solved sooner rather than lat- West Indies before staging a comeback with Misbah. “They are the best performers in er. “Maybe the lack of international exposure four consecutive wins to earn a berth in the domestic cricket so they have to take the man- was hurting the batsmen so I have suggested quarter-finals. But Pakistan went down by six tle from us. “Besides batting, fitness and field- to the Pakistan Cricket Board that they arrange wickets against Australia in Adelaide, a defeat ing are two key areas where our players have more and more cricket for these youngsters which critics argue exposed the weaknesses of to work very hard because they are not up to because batsmen can only get better with the players and system. international standards,” said Misbah. exposure,” said Misbah. None of Pakistan’s younger batsmen- Pakistan’s preparations for the World Cup Pakistan’s most pressing task will be to pick Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal and Sohaib were badly hit by the suspension of ace spin- up a new captain for the one-day team. Hafeez Maqsood-could match the guile of 40-year-old ner Saeed Ajmal for an illegal bowling action would be one contender as is Shehzad but Misbah who was the main run-getter with 350 and injuries to pacemen Umar Gul and Junaid both have their problems of their own. in seven matches. “It’s necessary that the Khan and spinning all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez’s bowling action was deemed illegal in younger batsmen take responsibility,” said Hafeez (also suspended for his action). Former November while Shehzad has a history of dis- Misbah, who quit ODI cricket after Friday’s captain Wasim Akram said the system is so ciplinary problems. Former captain Shoaib defeat. “They are talented players but maybe faulty that there are no back-ups. “When Ajmal Malik and senior batsman Younis Khan have they were not made responsible enough to and Junaid were out, we did not have back-up also shown desire to lead Pakistan’s one-day help the team.”Akmal is the most talented of bowlers and that hit Pakistan badly,” said team but the PCB last year said it wanted a them all but he failed to turn his full potential Wasim. “Until and unless we put our house in young leader to follow Misbah. “I think into performances, scoring only 164 runs in order we are not going to stand up and be Pakistan should start building a team for the ADELAIDE: Pakistan’s Sohail Khan drops a catch opportunity during their Cricket World seven innings. counted against top teams like Australia, India next World Cup now,” said Misbah.— AFP Cup quarterfinal match against Australia in Adelaide on Friday, March 20, 2015. — AP