Clean Sweep by Australia

Australia 231 & 511 for 8 dec beat New Zealand 264 & 302 (Guptill 58, McCullum 51, Johnson 6-73) by 176 runs

Player of the match MG Johnson (Australia)

Left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson on Wednesday helped Australia to a two-nil series sweep over New Zealand.

Johnson picked up 6-73 from 20.1 overs in New Zealand''s second innings as the Kiwis, chasing a world-record 479 runs to win in the Hamilton Test, were bowled out for 302 at lunch on day five.

Australia won by 176 runs and Johnson claimed match figures of 10-132, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

For New Zealand, wicket-keeper batsman Brendon McCullum scored 51, hitting nine fours and one six, before Doug Bollinger claimed his wicket caught at gully in the first over with the second new ball.

Bollinger (2-87) struck again when Jeetan Patel (3) was caught at third slip.

Martin Guptill (58) also hit a half-century, falling to a neat catch from Ricky Ponting at second slip as Johnson took his fourth wicket of the innings at 8-273.

Johnson ended the match by removing Brent Arnel for a duck and Tim Southee for an entertaining 45 from 25 balls.

Johnson, 28, claimed the record of left-arm bowler to reach the 150-wicket milestone in the least amount of Tests (34) with his three wickets during yesterday''s fourth day of play.

Johnson was later named man of the match.

"I''ve enjoyed the tour, it has been great. It has been a great summer for the boys. It''s always great to be able to contribute. The batters set the game up for us and we had to work hard as a bowling group," Johnson was quoted, as saying.

Johnson said he was looking forward to a short break before heading to the West Indies for the Twenty20 World Cup which starts on April 30.

Mumbai Indians beat Kings XI Punjab by 4 wickets

Mumbai Indians defeated Kings XI Punjab by four wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Brabourne Stadium here Tuesday.

Mumbai Indians reached the target of 164 runs losing six wickets with three balls to spare after Shikhar Dhawan made 50 and Saurabh Tiwary scored 31.

Mumbai Indians effectively put one foot in the semi-finals door with this victory. Needing six runs off the last over bowled by Brett Lee, R Sathish and Harbhajan Singh held their nerve to carve out their sixth win in seven games.

Sri Lankan speedster Lasith Malinga snared three wickets in four balls spread over two overs as Mumbai Indians braced themselves up for a 164-run target.

The Mumbai innings, however, kept losing wickets at crucial stages keeping Punjab in the game. Kieron Pollard (20) and Dhawan fell in quick succession before another stutter that saw Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo and Saurabh Tiwary perishing. The match headed into the final over but pace spearhead Brett Lee couldn't manage to keep the Mumbai batsmen quiet, conceding a wide to finish off the proceedings.

Malinga finished with fine figures of 4-22 and was backed up by a splendid bowling performance by the Mumbai Indians bowlers after captain Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and decided to bowl. Kings XI Punjab, already missing Kumar Sangakkara who was banned for the match.

Marsh, playing his first game of this IPL after a prolonged injury layoff, impressed with a fine half-century (57) but lacked support from the other end. Jayawardene contributed a handy 20 but several mix-ups with his partner finally culminated into his run out.

Yuvraj's woeful run in the IPL continued, he dismissed for two.

Sachin was not in a good touch, he scored 11 from 15 balls but quite enough to grab the orange cap of IPL THREE.

Mumbai Indians 164 for 6 (Dhawan 50, Tiwary 31) beat Kings XI Punjab 163 (Marsh 57, Malinga 4-22) by four wickets 

Player of the match SL Malinga (Mumbai Indians)

IPL THREE - POINTS TABLE ( After Match 26 )

Mumbai on top, Delhi sets pace

Warner ton seals big win for Delhi

David Warner deflated the Kolkata Knight Riders by pummeling a blistering hundred to power the Delhi Daredevils to an emphatic 40-run victory on Monday. After Warner drove Delhi to 177-4, the Knight Riders succumbed to 137-9 off their 20 overs.

Warner smashed the second hundred of IPL 2010 to rescue Delhi, who slumped to 38-3 in three overs. The opener belted an unbeaten 107 off just 69 balls and was involved in a record 128-run fourth wicket partnership with Paul Collingwood, who cracked 53 in his first IPL appearance.

Chasing the steep 178-run target, Kolkata never got going as Delhi kept the scoring rate in check, which saw fall of regular wickets. Skipper Sourav Ganguly (five) was the first to perish. Young Mandeep Singh and Manoj Tiwary did not bother the scorers and when Chris Gayle, who was given a life by Virender Sehwag earlier, fell to Rajat Bhatia, it was almost curtains for the Knight Riders.

David Hussey struggled in his 32-ball 29 and Angelo Mathews (24) tried to up the ante but in vain. By the second half of their innings, the writing was on the wall.

Earlier, Warner set the Feroz Shah Kotla on fire by bludgeoning nine boundaries and five sixes after Delhi lost Virender Sehwag (eight), Gautam Gambhir (one) and Dinesh Karthik (zero). Warner though survived a scare when a return catch by Murli Kartik was turned down by the third umpire. Replays revealed that the ball had touched the ground before the bowler had grabbed it.

Gayle, who opened the bowling, removed Sehwag in the first over and then Charl Langeveldt, who replaced Shane Bond in the team, trapped skipper Gautam Gambhir leg before. Karthik then was cleaned up by Ishant Sharma. But through it all, Warner kept flourishing and did not change his game.

Warner was extremely well supported by Collingwood who played the perfect anchor and was dismissed in the last over by a sensational catch by David Hussey on the ropes. Collingwood hit 53 off 45 balls with the help of three boundaries and two sixes.

Delhi Daredevils 177 for 4 (Warner 107*, Collingwood 53) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 137 for 9 (Yadav 2-27, McDonald 2-37) by 40 runs

Sachin, Harbhajan power Mumbai Indians win over Deccan Chargers :

Mumbai Indians stayed on top of Indian Premier League (IPL) with a 41-run win over defending champions Deccan Chargers at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai here Sunday.

Sachin Tendulkar struck a crafty 55 while Harbhajan Singh scored a fiery 49 off 18 balls as Mumbai Indians reached 172 for seven in 20 overs.

Fast bowlers Zaheer Khan, Lasith Malinga and off-spinner Harbhajan then picked up three wickets each to restrict Deccan Chargers to 131 all out in 17.4 overs after Rohit Sharma scored a fighting 45 off 28 balls.

Mumbai Indians 172 for 7 (Harbhajan 49*, Tendulkar 55) beat Deccan Chargers131 (Sharma 45, Malinga 3-12, Zaheer 3-21, Harbhajan 3-31) by 41 runs

Player of the match Harbhajan Singh (Mumbai Indians)

Player of the match DA Warner (Delhi Daredevils)

IPL THREE - POINTS TABLE

Royals victory over the Super Kings

Rajasthan Royals continued their resurgence in IPL III as they registered their fourth consecutive win by beating the Chennai Super Kings by 17 runs on Sunday. The Super Kings, on the other hand, lost their fourth straight game as they could manage only 160-6 in their chase of 178 runs.

Naman Ojha's heroic knock powered the Royals to 177-8. The opener belted 80 off just 49 balls while Michael Lumb (30) and Adam Voges (20) smashed cameos to set the Super Kings a steep target.

Super Kings were in the hunt till the end in their chase after Murali Vijay's 42-run cameo put them on the track and then MS Dhoni (21) powered the chase though the asking run-rate kept rising. However, two run outs dented the Super Kings chase in crunch situations.

First, Yusuf Pathan's direct hit ended Vijay's blazing knock and later, Dhoni collided with S Badrinath for the second time this tournament as the Chennai skipper lost his bat and was comfortably short of his crease while attempting the second run.

It seemed all over for Chennai after Dhoni's dismissal. But Albie Morkel smashed three consecutive sixes off Shane Warne in the 18th over to bring the equation down to 27 off 12 balls. But Shaun Tait did not allow any miracles to happen for Chennai by getting rid of Badrinath (25) and Morkel (28).

Earlier, Lumb and Ojha got Royals off to a super start by bludgeoning 47 in just four overs before the England batsman perished to Albie Morkel.

Ojha however did not allow the momentum to shift by keeping up the run-rate. Rajasthan reached their fastest 100 in IPL III.

Though Shakab Jakati and Muttiah Muralitharan pulled back things in the middle overs, especially with the wicket of the dangerous Yusuf Pathan, Rajasthan looked poised for a massive score.

But after Ojha fell in the 18th over, Chennai struck regularly as Rajasthan failed to up the ante at the death. The Royals lost five wickets in the last four overs including three in the last over.

Uncapped Vinay Kumar in World Twenty20 squad

India named uncapped paceman Vinay Kumar in a 15-man squad for the third edition of the World Twenty20 championship in the West Indies next month.

Left-handed batsman Yuvraj Singh will mark his return to the national side after a wrist injury ruled him out of a test and one-day series against South Africa earlier this year.

Opening batsman Gautam Gambhir and left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra were included in the squad by India's selectors on Friday despite injury doubts over the in-form pair in an ongoing domestic Twenty20 league competition.

The 26-year-old Vinay is one of four pacemen in the bowling attack for the April 30-May 16 tournament spearheaded by Zaheer Khan. India are grouped with South Africa and Afghanistan in the league phase.

Among the notable omissions in the line-up are batsman Virat Kohli and fast bowler Ishant Sharma.

India won the inaugural edition in South Africa in 2007 but bowed out early in the tournament in England last year which was won by Pakistan.

Squad:

 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan,Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Vinay Kumar, Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla.

Yusuf magic makes Deccan invisible

Apart from one dropped catch by Adam Vogues, Rajasthan Royals did no wrong as Shane Warne's pumped-up troops thumped defending champions Deccan Chargers by eight wickets on Friday.

Chasing 149, Rajasthan cruised home with more than four overs to spare. And it was Royals' main man Yusuf Pathan who sizzled again with a sensational 73 not out that came off just 34 balls.

The meager 149-run target was never going to be enough for Deccan after Royals got off to a flier in their chase. Naman Ojha (14) and Michael Lumb (45) added 55 runs off in 6.3 overs and then Pathan came to finish the game with his typical brutal innings.

Pathan smashed two fours and eight sixes as the Royals romped home in emphatic fashion and registered their third consecutive win that has now taken them to the third place in the points table. Only the Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore are above the Royals.

Earlier, Shaun Tait's triple strike restricted the Chargers to their lowest score in the third edition of the IPL.

Adam Gilchrist's decision to bat at Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium immediately backfired as he holed out to youngster Sumit Narwal, who replaced Munaf Patel in the line-up, in the first over the game. VVS Laxman made little in his comeback match as he fell for 10.

Herschelle Gibbs looked he would lead the fight back before a moment a magic by the wily Warne sent back the South African for 25 that came off only 14 balls.

And when Andrew Symonds was run out for 22, Royals took complete control. The home side never let go of the Chargers through regular wickets.

But the total could have been a lot less had Vogues held on to a simple catch offered by Rohit Sharma.

Rohit with some sensible batting took the Chargers to a respectable total before Tait snared him one run short of a well-deserved half-century.

Tait ended with figures of three for 22 while Warne picked one for only 15 runs in his four overs.

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Tendulkar on Wisden cover page

Sachin Tendulkar will grace the cover page of April issue of the Wisden Cricketer magazine which is recognising the Indian batsman's historic ODI double hundred against South Africa last month.
 

The world's best-selling cricket magazine made a late decision to change its original cover image to commemorate Tendulkar's landmark innings.

The magazine has a front cover tribute of Tendulkar's historic ODI double century on February 24 at Gwalior penned by its editor John Stern.

The April issue of the magazine will hit the stands from Friday.

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Tendulkar's idea to be implemented by ECB

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar's suggestion of splitting the ODIs into two equal halves of 25 overs each, is to be implemented not by the Indian cricket board but by its English counterpart ECB.

The England and Wales Cricket Board on Thursday decided the format for the two-innings 40-over trial to be played in Second Xl cricket in the coming English domestic season involving 18 first class counties.

As per the playing conditions each innings of 40 overs will be split into two phases of 20 overs and each team have 10 wickets at its disposal for its entire innings, a media release from the ECB said.

A team's second phase will continue from the point at which the first phase ended. There would be 20 overs of power plays, 10 of which will be the first 10 overs with the other 10 split into two blocks of five, one taken at the fielding team's discretion, the other at the batting team's discretion.

Pink cricket balls and white clothing will be used to understand more about the performance of pink balls in the local conditions, along with how they combine with white clothing, the release explained.

Special provision has been made in the playing conditions for the re-allocation of overs in interrupted matches to take account of the two-phase nature of each innings.

Duckworth-Lewis Method would apply in matches where overs are lost after the commencement of the match, the release added.

The concept of split innings in ODI was proposed by Tendulkar last year.

Mumbai, Delhi, Rajasthan moves up

Sachin sets up win for Mumbai :

A batting masterclass from Sachin Tendulkar saw Mumbai Indians rise to the top of the IPL standings with a five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings at the Brabourne Stadium.

Tendulkar's 72 was the cornerstone of Mumbai's stiff target of 181 which the hosts overhauled with an over to spare. The master batsman continued with his rich vein of form that saw him post his highest score in T20 cricket as well.

Earlier, half-centuries from Suresh Raina and S Badrinath powered Chennai Super Kings to a healthy 180-2. Raina hammered an unbeaten 83 off 52 balls while Badrinath was 55 not out as the pair added an unbroken 142 runs for the third wicket, the highest third wicket partnership in the IPL, after Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and asked them to bat.

Booster for delhi :

The struggling Delhi Daredevils surprised table toppers Royal Challengers Bangalore to register a much-needed 17-run victory at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday. Chasing a steep 184, Bangalore made 166-9 in their 20 overs.

Delhi, who were lingering at the seventh position before the game, rose to the fourth rank with this emphatic win. Bangalore got off to a brisk start but lost their way in the second stage of their innings. Jacques Kallis (27) and Manish Pandey (39) started well with a 71-run stand but the visitors fought back with regular wickets to win convincingly in the end.

Three run outs dented the Bangalore chase as the middle order crumbled under pressure. Virat Kohli (38 not out) tried to keep up the fight but ran out of partners in the end. Robin Uthappa (15), Rahul Dravid (one), Eoin Morgan (17) and Mark Boucher (two) failed as the Banglaore chase ran out of steam.

Earlier, a sensational start by David Warner (33), a steady knock by AB de Villiers (45) and some lusty hitting by Kedar Jadhav (50 not out) took the Delhi Daredevils to 183-4.

Rajasthan Royals gained confidence :

Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab made for perfect rivals in a close game until the visitors ran away with the crucial moments to seal a 31-run victory at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Thursday.

Rajasthan Royals won their previous game against Kolkata Knight Riders, but despite a healthy margin of win it lacked the general buzz of T20 cricket. Tonight was different and Rajasthan, for the first time in this tournament, showed signs of what took them to the title two years ago: team work.

Rajasthan Royals backed up a strong batting performance from Adam Voges and Faiz Fazal with a disciplined bowling effort that choked Kings XI Punjab after their top order had delivered a promising start. The 31-run win meant Rajasthan climbed on the points table.

The players Rajasthan banked on in previous games finally came good, with Michael Lumb finally coming good. The South Africa-born Englishman made a good start to his innings and ended Rajasthan's woes of losing wickets early. As a result, they didn't lose too many wickets and made good use of the start provided by the top order batsmen.

Adam Voges may have been man of the match, but not mentioning Faiz Fazal's knock would be unfair. The left-hander played an impressive support role and there was no reason for him to hit fifth gear when Voges was providing the necessary impetus. Every batsman got a start and Rajasthan's total was one which their bowlers could defend.

Despite a blazing start, the visitors held their nerve and eked out wickets up front. Tait has been expensive but returned with wickets. Warne was taken up for special treatment from the young Manvinder Bisla but returned the favour with his wicket. It was, however, Siddharth Trivedi's spell that began Punjab's slide with Yuvraj's wicket. Trivedi has impressed in both Rajasthan's victories with clever change of pace.

Punjab, on the other hand, must claw back immediately before it's too late for them. They have lost four of their five games - the fifth a fortunate Super Over contest - and they need to re-arrange their batting order soon. Sangakkara did well to open the innings and it bore immediate results, but the arrival of Shaun Marsh may well make them think of drafting him in for Ravi Bopara. He has sure played his part but Marsh would provide much needed solidity.

Mahela Jayawardene is batting far too low in the order to make an impact. He looked good for his cameo, but he would serve his team better if he bats in the top three. But their conundrum is heightened by the success of young Manvinder Bisla, who has been a revelation for his team, and Yuvraj Singh's lean patch.

Rajasthan, on the flip-side scored a hard-fought victory over Punjab and their next clash against Deccan Chargers will prove just how much they have improved to fire against the top teams in the league.

Brand IPL touches the sky

After capturing the hearts and minds of millions all across the world, Indian Premier League has now crossed another landmark.

According to a recent study by a UK-based brand valuation consultancy, the brand value of the IPL has more than doubled to USD 4.13 billion (over Rs 18,000 crore) from USD 2.01 billion in 2009.

Interestingly, brand IPL has a higher valuation than English Premier League club Manchester United, which is valued close to USD 3 billion.

"The IPL brand alone has risen significantly from the previous year's valuation providing tremendous economic value to its owner BCCI," Brand Finance, the brand valuation consultancy, said in a media release.

In comparison to international benchmarks for sporting business such as EPL (English Premier League) which is valued at $12 billion, the IPL juggernaut, in a short span of 3 years, is valued at $4 billion and has the potential to grow further.

The franchises have been a part of this growth. Chennai Super Kings, who were ranked fourth last year, has emerged the most valued franchise in 2010. The CSK franchise has moved up the ladder to number one with a valuation of USD 48.4 million. The Kolkata Knight Riders co-owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan comes in second with a valuation of USD 46 million and the Rajasthan Royals, co-owned by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty comes in third with USD 45.2 million.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore, owned by Vijay Mallya, is ranked fourth with a valuation of USD 41.9 million and is followed by the Mumbai Indians (USD 40.8 million), Delhi Daredevils (USD 40.5 million) and Kings XI Punjab ( USD 36.1 million). The Deccan Chargers are at the base with a valuation of USD 34.4 million.

IPL THREE POINTS TABLE - After Match 18

Aussies crush Kiwis to 10-wkt defeat

Australia 459 for 5 dec & 106 for 0 (Hughes 86*) beat New Zealand 157 & 407 (McCullum 104, McIntosh 83, Vettori 77) by 10 wickets

Player of the match MJ Clarke (Australia)

Test debuts RJ Harris (Australia); BJ Arnel (New Zealand)

Australia carved out a thumping 10-wicket victory against host New Zealand in the Wellington Test to take an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-game Test series on Tuesday.

Stand-in opener Phil Hughes scored a scorching 86 off 75 balls to help Australia reach the target of 106 in the 23rd over just before lunch. Called in at the last minute to replace Shane Watson, Huges hammered 12 boundaries and a six in his brisk knock. The other opener, Simon Katich was unbeaten on 18.

However, it was Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke who was adjudged man of the match for his magnificent innings of 168 in the first essay.

Host resumed the day’s proceedings on 369 for 6 and even a defiant century by Brendon McCullum (104), his fifth, couldn’t really help their cause. Their challenge lasted for 50 minutes when Chris Martin was bowled by Mitchell Johnson, ending the innings at 407.

McCullum innings delayed the inevitable but the end came at 104 when medium-pacer Ryan Harris induced an edge that was picked up by Michael Clarke at first slip in the fourth over of the day. The Kiwis lost their last four wickets for just 19 runs.

Set a meager target of 106, the Aussie openers chased it down before lunch. The Kiwis would have further delayed the result had they held their catches. Tim McIntosh dropped Hughes, on 48, at second slip, which was a rather straightforward catch off Brent Arnel.

The tourists completely dominated the Test and lost only five wickets in the match, where as New Zealand were bundled out for 157 in the first innings.

Tendulkar says no to World Cup T20

Sachin Tendulkar is a difficult man to dislodge; from the wicket and from his decision. As voices rose in unison urging him to play for India in the forthcoming T20 World Cup, the Master Blaster on Tuesday made it clear that he will stick to his stand of not playing Twenty2o internationals.

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar had told CNN-IBN last night that Tendulkar should make himself available for the ICC World T20 in the Caribbean next month, but Sachin is not biting. He told CNN-IBN that he will not play the tournament.

The team for T20 world cup will be selected on Friday and Tendulkar does not feature in the list of the 30 probables.

Tendulkar, who has only played T20 games in the IPL, has been in superlative form for the Mumbai team this season and it is his show in this format that has led many to ask him to reconsider his decision of not playing T20 internationals.

Robin Uthappa floors Chennai

Robin Uthappa bludgeoned an unbeaten 68 from just 38 balls to inspire Royal Challengers Bangalore to an emphatic 36-run victory over Chennai Super Kings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday in IPL THREE.

Uthappa's fiery knock powered Bangalore to a healthy 171-5 on a lively Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch before the hosts' bowlers strangled Chennai's batting order to seal the win. R Vinay Kumar took four wickets but it was Dale Steyn and captain Anil Kumble's economical spells that never let the visitors get away.

Steyn's opening burst followed by skipper Kumble's introduction derailed Chennai's run chase as Australian George Bailey, promoted to No. 3, failed to accelerate before perishing to Vinay Kumar after using up 27 balls for his 18. Suresh Raina and Murali Vijay fell in quick succession as Chennai fell behind at the halfway stage.

S Badrinath staged a mini-revival for the visitors but his 17-ball 31 wasn't enough, while Albie Morkel failed to score the crucial boundaries as Chennai suffered their second consecutive defeat.

Earlier, Bangalore were struggling in the middle overs but Uthappa's quickfire knock, which included six massive sixes, propelled the home side to a defendable total after Chennai captain Suresh Raina won the toss and put them in to bat.

Bangalore lost their first wicket in the form of Jacques Kallis who was dismissed for the first time in the tournament. The opening batsman moved too far across the stumps but was bowled by L Balaji after making 19. Chennai kept the Bangalore scoring in check thereafter, as Rahul Dravid and Manish Pandey failed to break the shackles.

The twin dismissals of Dravid and Pandey before the halfway mark had Bangalore wobbling but Uthappa and Virat Kohli pulled the hosts out of trouble. Kohli, however, was stumped by Muttiah Muralitharan in a bid to clear the boundary.

Uthappa, dropped twice on 5 and 25, made full use of his lives and belted sixes at will. The last five overs saw eight sixes being hit, three of them coming in a Balaji over which cost Chennai 24 runs.

Royal Challengers Bangalore 171 for 5 (Uthappa 68*, Murali 3-25) beat Chennai Super Kings135 for 7 (R Vinay Kumar 4-40) by 36 runs

Player of the match RV Uthappa (Royal Challengers Bangalore)