Wade's 41 Push Heat Past Pacers in NBA
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Thursday 17th February, 2011 13 West Indies were not the team ly concern him much. expected to emulate their feats For a second you shudder to from the decade gone past and think what these two can col- they fittingly did not make the lectively do, if they get going semi-finals. It had taken other on the sub-continental pitches. teams four attempts to make But this is when the realisa- their way and it was a disap- tion hits you that born and pointment cricket in the bred on a staple diet of T20 Caribbean has not been cricket, Pollard doesn’t really able to recover from. possess the attributes that It wasn’t based on could make him a consistent something shocking or and fearful ODI batsman. The untoward, just that it word to be noted here is not heralded the end of an fearful, but the other one and era. The signs were true it also reminds you of the time and recognised four when Gayle would be indul- years hence as well. In gent in West Indian cricket. He 1992, they finished would blast the bowlers with a sixth and only consistency that is beyond any above India, Sri other destructive batsmen Lanka and today, barring only Inia’s Zimbabwe. Virender Sehwag. Some of it But somewhere down the came line, the ability to win matches back in gets affected by continuous 1996 efforts to hit the ball out of the with park. Fifty overs are long the enough to keep trying again and again, but rest assured you will be caught out some- time. This is where two names bring the most hope – Chanderpaul and Sarwan, both former captains. There was a time, like much else Cricket World Cup 2011 Preview -W- West Indies likes of Brian Lara, Carl with Windies’ cricket, that Hooper, Shivnarine they were young men who Chanderpaul, Curtly were full of energy and enthu- Ambrose, Richie Richardson siasm. They gave hope of and Courtney Walsh to guide building a future, which them through to the semis, yet although not as shining as the no one expected the glory of earlier times, but strong years gone by. In 1999, the enough to hold their own. gloom returned and it carried Today they stand only as expe- over to 2003 in South Africa, as rienced stalwarts with expec- they couldn’t go past the group tations mellowed down. If at stages on both occasions. At all, they can stand out with home in 2007, they were per- their performances this one haps the first host team in the last time, perhaps some good history of the tournament to will come out of it for West be not considered rank Indian cricket yet. favourites. That they made the The story is pretty much Super Eight stage was perhaps repeated when it comes to the even down to an uncommon bowling. Kemar Roach and group format. Suleiman Benn have their own This brings us to the cur- reputations preceding them; rent scenario. Let’s take a look West Indies captain, the former being credited to be at the fifteen names chosen to the man who set the sun on Darren Sammy represent this erstwhile pow- Aussie skipper Ricky erhouse: Darren Sammy (cap- Ponting’s form as a batsman BY RUSSELL PALIPANE tain), Adrian Barath, Carlton and luck as a captain, while Baugh, Suleiman Benn, here was a time when the latter is one of the best the West Indies ruled Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, spinning talents to come out Tworld cricket. But then and play for his country. Yet the thing about this sport is Chris Gayle, Nikita Miller, they fail to excite for the lack whatever goes up surely does Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, of the same word, consistency, come down, be it a red- Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, in their performances be it for coloured ball or the umpire’s Ramnaresh Sarwan and Devon finger, be it invincible sides Smith. injury reasons or fall-outs from Australia or the The first thought that with their captain. Dwayne Caribbean. Many expect the comes to mind is that this Bravo is the only one who has 2011 World Cup to be the last squad is full of names that some iota of standing in inter- straw for Ricky Ponting and bear more an individual ring national circles, but it will the era of dominance he to them than a collective one. take more than just three belonged to. And if it does In fact, that is how they have bowlers to win nine matches. transpire so, all of it would be progressed over the past few Perhaps then, no other cap- seasons, especially since the akin to the 1987 tournament, tain’s role is as important as T20 leagues came into promi- also held in the sub-continent, that of Darren Sammy here. In nence. The biggest name when the Windies first began the short span of time he has to lose their wa, writes Chetan amongst them, former captain Chris Gayle has on a number been leading the side, besides Narula, for a website named his skill with the bat and ball, ‘Cricket World 2011’. of occasions underlined where his priorities lay and that was he has given enough hints of Two time champions in 1975 forging together a unit that and 1979, and a third straight a time when he was leading can build a collective identity final in 1983, meant there was the side, nay setting an exam- and fight for a common cause. no stopping Clive Lloyd and ple or was supposed to. Other So, the question being, is he his men. But the brakes were names have grown from this deployed by India at Lord’s seed, most prominent being up to the task? The ODI World that summer and they only that of Kieron Pollard, who is Cup is the biggest of chal- took four years to come into a star T20 player today. Other lenges, yes, but it is also the full effect. Four years later, formats of the game don’t real- biggest stage to perform. Wade's 41 push Heat past Pacers in NBA INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Roy Hibbert scored 18 points Oklahoma City scored 68 Dwyane Wade equalled a club and Tyler Hansbrough added 16 points in the first half, a season record for most points in a first for the Pacers. Indiana has won high for a half, and led by as half with 31, and finished with 41 seven of nine under interim many 25 before leading by 18 at overall to help the Miami Heat coach Frank Vogel, with both the halftime break as the defeat the Indiana Pacers 110-103 losses coming against the Heat. Thunder topped the Kings for the on Tuesday night. Miami led by 24 points in the second time in four days. Wade also finished with 12 first half, then lost the lead before Kevin Durant went 5 for 18 rebounds for the Heat, who regaining it for good in the from the field and scored 17 bounced back from a loss to fourth quarter. points, and Nenad Krstic had 16 Boston on Sunday. Thunder 126, Kings 94 for Oklahoma City as seven play- LeBron James scored 10 of At Oklahoma City, Daequan ers finished in double figures in his 27 points in the fourth quar- Cook scored 20 points and Russell scoring. ter and Chris Bosh added 22 Westbrook added 10 points and 11 DeMarcus Cousins returned points and eight rebounds for assists as the Oklahoma City from a one-game suspension to Miami, which has won eight of Thunder set the team's season lead Sacramento with 21 points nine. high for points. and 13 rebounds off the bench..