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AUSTRALIA WIN BY D/L METHOD: The match has been called off. The Duckworth-Lewis method comes into play and that means Australia have won the match by 17 runs. Shane Watson has been adjudged Man of the Match. Very unlucky for the Windies, who will certainly feel aggrieved by the fact that they couldn’t get the chance to defend such a fine total.
Australia 100-1 after 9.1 overs
Watson 41, Hussey 28
The 8th over really catapulted Australia towards their target of 192. Watson slammed two huge sixes in between a couple of fours and Australia are scoring at a rate of 10.90. But well, rain has descended in Colombo and that is literally a dampener.
As things stand, WI will lose this one. Australian needed to be 81 for 1, they are 100 for 1 #WT20 firstpost.com/sports/world-t…
— FirstpostSports (@FirstpostSports) सितम्बर 22, 2012
Australia 69-1 after 7 overs
Watson 17, Hussey 21
Hussey is making sure that there’s a boundary every over. He’s cleared the ropes comfortable in the 5th over before dispatching the ball for four more. Watson squeezes in a swept six from a free-hit delivery. Aussie run-chase looking pretty good as of now.
Hussey leads the Aussie runchase. AP
Australia 42-1 after 4 overs
Watson 4, Hussey 8
Hussey cuts one away for four to aid Australia’s run-chase, but it’s no secret that they’ve lost their most lethal batsman to what he felt was a debatable decision. There’s is still a long way to go and they are scoring at a run-rate of more than 10-an-over, so that should give them confidence.
WICKET! Australia 30-1 after 2.1 overs
David Warner c Ramdin b Edwards 28 (14b, 3×4, 2×6)
Oh now that is a big wicket for the Windies. Warner stretches out to drive Edwards’ delivery and the bowler and keeper are confident he edged it. Asad Rauf has raised his finger but Warner is not happy. Not at all… he certainly feels very unlucky to be walking back.
Australia 30-0 after 2 overs
Watson 1, Warner 28
Immense over for the Aussies! 22 runs come in the form of two sixes and two fours, aided by a single and a no-ball. Very poor bowling from Rampaul and he gets the treatment from Warner’s willow.
Australia 8-0 after 1 over
Watson 1, Warner 7
Warner’s opened his boundaries account with a lovely cover drive. It just fizzes through the grass to the ropes. Watson is also off the mark with a punched single past the bowler. West Indies were also 8-0 after one over.
AUSTRALIA COME OUT TO BAT
West Indies 191-8 after 20 overs
Narine 4*, Rampaul 0*
Starc was on a hat-trick but he’s been slashed away for four by Narine to end the innings in style and at a very competitive total. Gayle and Samules obviously the heroes after scoring a combined 104 runs in 65 balls but the other batsmen also chipped in with the big shots. Australia are a good team, but to chase this total down could be quite a task.
WICKET! West Indies 187-8 after 19.5 overs
Darren Sammy c Warner b Starc 11 (5b 1×4 1×6)
Denesh Ramdin b Starc 4 (4b, 0×4, 0×6)
Sammy was going for broke in the last over– and why not? He gets a four and a six from the first two balls for his approach but then he tries one right down the ground. It gets a lot of height but no distance and is taken by Warner. Moments later, Ramdin follows him to the hut after being bowled by Starc. Starc on hat-trick.
WICKET! West Indies 171-6 after 18.3 overs
Dwayne Bravo b Cummins 27 (21b, 1×4, 1×6)
Bravo came to life after Samuels and Gayle were out, but he’s done a good job keeping the scoreboard ticking after the big wickets fell. He tries to free his arms for a shot over the covers but misses and the stumps take a beating.
WICKET! West Indies 162-5 after 17.3 overs
Kieron Pollard c Hussey b Watson 10 (8b, 2×4, 0×6)
Great catch and another big-hitter is gone. Pollard whips it towards the mid-wicket boundary where Hussey’s there to take an acrobatic catch.
WICKET! West Indies 140-4 after 15.3 overs
Marlon Samuels c Warner b Hogg 50 (32b, 3×4, 4×6)
The Aussies can celebrate but the damage has already been done. Of course, they’ve reduced the extent of it by dismissing Samuels almost five early. Hogg invites him to hit another six but this time he can’t clear long-on. Fine innings though– almost as good as Gayle’s.
West Indies 138-3 after 15 overs
Bravo 7, Samuels 49
Bravo has been reduced to a mere spectator as Samuels slaughters the Aussie bowlers on the other end. He has plundered three sixes in the last two overs— two over long-on and one over square-leg.
West Indies 111-3 after 13 overs
Bravo 4, Samuels 26
Samuels hasn’t let the run-flow slow down after Gayle’s departure. The Windies did take an over to settle their nerves, but the batsman has hit a four and a six in the 13th over. The six was quite exquisite as he drives it flat and hard over covers. Great shot.
Reuters
WICKET! West Indies 93-3 after 10.1 overs
Chris Gayle c & b Watson 54 (33b, 5×4, 4×6)
Gone! The big man has finally made a mistake in trying to work the ball for a single and edging it high in the air for Watson to take a fine running catch off his own bowling. But the Windies will be mighty pleased with him– 54 from 33 balls is a great return.
West Indies 80-2 after 8 overs
Gayle 52, Samuels 10
It has begun… what the media calls the ‘Gayle-storm’. After clobbering Hogg for six in the 7th over, he tears apart Maxwell— slamming two sixes and a four off his bowling. The Aussies are wondering what to do.
WICKET! West Indies 47-2 after 5.2 overs
Johnson Charles b Christian 16 (12b, 2×4, 1×6)
Charles first diverts a fine shot towards the fine-leg region for four and then inside edges (there was a bit of glove in that) the ball onto the stumps. He was just looking like settling in and he’s lost his wicket. But that’s T20 for you.
West Indies 43-1 after 5 overs
Gayle 23, Charles 12
If you notice, then Charles has remained at 12 runs. But Gayle’s warm-up is over… and he has smashed Cummins for 4-0-4-4-0-6. Isn’t that enough said?
West Indies 25-1 after 4 overs
Gayle 5, Charles 12
There we go… finally some entertainment. Charles has taken up the mantle for big-hitting and has smashed a six and four in the last two balls of Starc’s over.
West Indies 11-1 after 3 overs
Gayle 2, Charles 2
A drab start. That’s what it is in Colombo for the Windies. The Aussie bowlers have been extremely disciplined and it has paid off. Pat Cummins has just bowled a magnificent maiden.
WICKET! West Indies 8-1 after 1.3 overs
Dwayne Smith b Starc 2 (5b, 0×4, 0×6)
Bowled him! Starc is impressive, isn’t he? And he is living up to all the expectations. He finds some movement and nips the delivery from outside off-stump to surprise Smith. Good early breakthrough.
West Indies 8-0 after 1 over
Gayle 1, Smith 2
Nothing explosive in the first over as yet. But while his bat doesn’t do the scoring, his helmet does. A short ball smacks his helmet and runs away for four byes.
West Indies have won the toss and will bat first
West Indies: Darren Sammy, Marlon Samules, Ravi Rampaul, Denesh Ramdin, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Johnston Charles, Dwayne Smith, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard
Australia: George Bailey, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, Pat Cummins, Brad Hogg, Cameron White, Mitch Starc, Glenn Maxwell, David Warner, Daniel Christian, Matthew Wade
