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Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Josh Charnley stands out as Wigan go top with win over Huddersfield

Huddersfield 6 Wigan 20

Andy Wilson at Galpharm Stadium
guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011 23.40 GMT <li class="history">Article history

Wigan's Sean O'Loughlin scores the opening try against Huddersfield Giants during the Super League match at the Galpharm Stadium. Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/PA Wigan are back on top of the Super League table after a performance that underlined how tough it will be to deny the champions a second consecutive title. The odds were stacked against them with eight players unavailable, and Huddersfield threw everything at them in a pulsating second half, but the Warriors produced a defensive performance that was steely even by the standards they set last season in winning a first Grand Final since 1998.
Josh Charnley, a 19-year-old wing who owed his place to Wigan's various selection problems, had the night of his life, setting up the first try for his captain, Sean O'Loughlin, and scoring a spectacular second with O'Loughlin this time the provider. Charnley also had the goalkicking responsibilities landed on him for the first time in his young career with at least four more likely kickers unavailable,and he popped over four from five, the last of them the conversion to a third try from Ryan Hoffman which he again set up with a left-wing break and inside pass. Wigan have another homegrown star on their hands.
"He's a talent and I always knew he was going to pop his head up at some stage this year," said Wigan's coach, Michael Maguire, who nevertheless took more satisfaction from his team's collective effort in defence. "We've had a few occasions where we've had to defend our line for quite some time but that was definitely up there."
"There were another four or five times where against a lesser defence we would have scored," said Huddersfield's coach, Nathan Brown. "You've got to give credit for that. It was two pretty decent sides playing reasonably well and there wasn't a great deal in it. We've just got to be a bit better next time."
They made a sloppy start, allowing Charnley to collect Thomas Leuluai's kick and float an inside pass to O'Loughlin, who found a clear path to the line. Huddersfield pulled level through one of a series of towering bombs by Danny Brough that gave Wigan's acting full-back Amos Roberts a torrid night, with a deflection off Darrell Goulding handing the England scrum-half Luke Robinson the simplest of tries with the second touch of his first appearance of the season.
But they lacked the composure to capitalise on a number of other chances and instead Wigan regained their lead with a Charnley penalty milked by Leuluai from Kevin Brown. They then extended it to 12-6 with a breathtaking combination between the powerful young wing and O'Loughlin, whose wonderfully precise chip provided further evidence of the range of skills that make him arguably the most valuable all-round player in the competition. Charnley did brilliantly too with a full length dive to catch the ball and ground it in the corner.
But even he was unable to add an improbable touchline conversion, but within minutes he was saving Wigan at the other end, tidying up a dangerous kick from the Huddersfield full-back Scott Grix. Both teams were denied in quick succession by the video referee, the Giants irrefutably after a clear Jamie Simpson knock-on, Wigan more dubiously on a borderline obstruction decision.
But it was their ability to soak up whatever Huddersfield could throw at them that held the key to the 73rd-minute Charnley penalty, followed by Hoffman's try, that sealed a highly significant win. Hoffman was doing especially well to be playing after limping off in the first half with an injury that looked bad enough but sounded even more painful. According to Maguire's description it was "a cork in the backside". This was not champagne rugby but it was vintage Wigan nonetheless.
Huddersfield Giants Grix; Simpson, Cudjoe, Wardle, Hodgson; Brown, Brough; Mason, Lunt, Griffin, Gilmour, Fa'alogo, O'Donnell. Interchange Crabtree, Robinson, Faiumu, Horne.
Try Robinson. Goal Brough.
Wigan Warriors Roberts; Goulding, Marsh, Carmont, Charnley; O'Loughlin, Leuluai; Prescott, McIlorum, Coley, Hansen, Hoffman, Farrell. Interchange Lima, Mossop, Tuson, Mellor.
Tries O'Loughlin, Charnley, Hoffman. Goals Charnley 4.
Referee B Thaler (Wakefield). Attendance 8,151

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Salford secure shock 34-18 win over Hull KR and stop Willie Mason show

• Crusaders lose 32-22 at home to Catalan Dragons
• Hull FC suffer 20-6 home defeat by Wakefield Trinity

Andy Wilson
guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011 23.50 GMT <li class="history">Article history

Hull Kingston Rovers' Willie Mason, centre, was largely anonymous in the 34-18 defeat at Salford. Photograph: Dave Howarth Salford brought Willie Mason down to earth with a bump after his dream debut for Hull KR last Sunday, coming from 18-10 behind to secure a 34-18 win.
The Australian forward was largely anonymous in his second Super League appearance at The Willows, and instead a Salford team missing a number of regulars produced their best performance of the season.
The night was no better for Rovers' local rivals, as Hull FC succumbed to a shock 20-6 home defeat by Wakefield Trinity, who have now wiped out the four-point deduction imposed for a spell in administration.
However, the Crusaders remain on minus two points after a 32-22 home defeat by Catalan Dragons, who repeated the victory they enjoyed on Gareth Thomas's rugby league debut a year ago. Andy Wilson

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Salford secure shock 34-18 win over Hull KR and stop Willie Mason show

Crusaders lose 32-22 at home to Catalan Dragons
Hull FC suffer 20-6 home defeat by Wakefield Trinity

Andy Wilson
guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011 23.50 GMT <li class="history">Article history

Hull Kingston Rovers' Willie Mason, centre, was largely anonymous in the 34-18 defeat at Salford. Photograph: Dave Howarth Salford brought Willie Mason down to earth with a bump after his dream debut for Hull KR last Sunday, coming from 18-10 behind to secure a 34-18 win.
The Australian forward was largely anonymous in his second Super League appearance at The Willows, and instead a Salford team missing a number of regulars produced their best performance of the season.
The night was no better for Rovers' local rivals, as Hull FC succumbed to a shock 20-6 home defeat by Wakefield Trinity, who have now wiped out the four-point deduction imposed for a spell in administration.
However, the Crusaders remain on minus two points after a 32-22 home defeat by Catalan Dragons, who repeated the victory they enjoyed on Gareth Thomas's rugby league debut a year ago. Andy Wilson

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Benzema wants goals to continue

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Updated Mar 18, 2011 12:16 PM ET
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is looking to continue his impressive recent goalscoring form when Jose Mourinho's title-chasers take on local rivals Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday.
Benzema, having previously struggled to justify the £30million Madrid paid Lyon for his services in the summer of 2009, took his tally to nine goals in his last seven appearances with his side's second in their 3-0 Champions League victory over the Frenchman's former club on Wednesday.

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Benzema now has 20 for the season in all competitions, and he is aiming to add to that against Atletico as Madrid look to keep the pressure up on Primera Division leaders Barcelona.
"Now I have some luck and my team-mates are giving me a lot of balls to score goals. Mentally and physically I'm very well, but I'm going to continue working to be a success here. Hopefully this situation will continue as it has been," he told Onda Cero.
"I want to play and score (against Atletico)," added the France international, who admits his side need to be wary of the threat posed by Atletico strike duo Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan.
"They are very dangerous forwards but we are going to Atletico to win this important match."
Madrid's success over Lyon saw them reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons and confidence will be soaring ahead of tomorrow's derby - a match the Whites have not lost either home or away since 1999.
Mourinho's men start the weekend five points behind leaders Barcelona, who host Getafe earlier in the evening, and still in the hunt for three trophies this season.
In the Champions League they were today drawn against Tottenham in the last eight, with a potential semi-final showdown with arch-rivals Barca - who are also Madrid's opponents in the Copa del Rey final.
While Madrid chase silverware on three fronts, Atletico's main goal now is just to try and secure themselves European football next season.
The Rojiblancos won the Europa League and reached the Copa del Rey final last term, but this season has been largely a disappointment with Quique Sanchez Flores' men being early casualties in both cup competitions and struggling in La Liga as well.
Heading into this weekend's clash, Atletico are seventh in the standings on 39 points, three behind sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao and a massive 12 adrift of Villarreal and the final Champions League berth.
Striker Aguero, whose side are unbeaten in their last five matches, admitted: "We know we're having an inconsistent season. We started off well, but there have been some ups and downs. I think the important thing in this league is to not lose points and now we have strung together a streak in which we're not losing.
"We have to be realistic and we know that the Champions League will be very difficult to reach, but we're not going to throw in the towel, we have to believe and have confidence.
"The Champions League has always been our first goal, but we can't leave the Europa League on the side. Our immediate goal is to grab a European spot. Playing well or poorly, the squad has to win."
Looking ahead to tomorrow's game, the Argentina international said: "It doesn't matter what kind of form you are in when you go into a game like that; they're always special matches for both teams. It's going to be a tough match in which we'll have to give our all on the pitch.
"You never know what might happen, but we're going to fight till the end to earn the three points, which would allow us to keep battling with those above us."

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Report Abuse Rea1Mad
- 3/18/2011 7:55:50 PM
All Real Madrid fans, like your father, have to be happy too.
Report Abuse marcbarca
- 3/18/2011 6:49:52 PM
All France fans have to be happy with Benzema's progress. I'm loving it!
Report Abuse TigerTank1942
- 3/18/2011 4:51:28 PM
Lets go Aguero
Report Abuse rotwiessessen222
- 3/18/2011 12:07:26 PM
Real vs Atletico at the Vicente Calderon should be a dog fight as always. Lets see if Benzema can keep it going?

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Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Rossi vows to carry on scoring

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Updated Mar 18, 2011 7:11 AM ET
Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi is refusing to rest on his laurels even though this season is already guaranteed to be his most prolific.
Rossi became Villarreal's record goalscorer earlier this year, passing Diego Forlan, and on Thursday added another to his tally in the Yellow Submarine's successful Europa League last-16 clash with Bayer Leverkusen.

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Italian Serie A

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

Spanish La Liga

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

German Bundesliga

Scores | Fixtures | Table | Stats

French Ligue One

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Scottish Premier League

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Dutch Eredivisie

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The Italy international scored his side's second goal in a 2-1 home win, helping them progress through to the quarter-finals 5-3 on aggregate, and he has now netted 26 times in all competitions this season.
That easily surpasses his previous best campaign, but the 24-year-old insists he is not finished yet.
"Goals are very important for the strikers. I'm happy, but I can't stop now because there are still two more months left of the season in which we are playing for a lot," said the former Manchester United striker, who has now scored in five successive games.
Villarreal's win over Leverkusen moved them a step closer to their first major title, while in La Liga they are well-placed to finish in the Champions League places, currently lying in fourth spot, three points behind Valencia and eight in front of Espanyol ahead of this weekend's trip to Athletic Bilbao.
Rossi said of last night's success: "It was a very important victory against a big team like Bayer Leverkusen. We're all going away very happy and we're already thinking about Athletic.
"We are a team who like to play football. We did it very well and that's why we beat Bayer. Victories like that help boost confidence. Now is when we need to have our feet on the ground because the path is still very long."

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Six Nations 2011: Why Ireland won't risk playing into England's hands

England plan to keep the ball in play in their grand slam quest but Ireland will go the other way and hoof it into touch

Comments (402)

- Shaun Edwards
- The Guardian, Friday 18 March 2011 <li class="history">Article history
Ireland must stop England's Mark Cueto, above, Chris Ashton and Ben Foden running at them. Photograph: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar There are times when it's best not to play certain teams and this week that applies to Ireland. They'll be seething. After the try-with-the-wrong-ball incident and defeat in Cardiff last Saturday you don't have to be a student of Sigmund Freud to know that a combination of being at home in Dublin to an England side looking for the Six Nations grand slam is a pretty potent mixture even without a feeling of righteous indignation.
This won't be the Ireland that got out of jail in Rome, or the one that nearly gave it away in Edinburgh, and anyone who thinks England's first slam since 2003 is there for the taking is in for a shock. If they get it, they'll have deserved it and in some respects they may be wise to look back eight years at the win in Dublin that sealed the slam for a few lessons.
For a start there was the sheer cussedness of England and their then captain, Martin Johnson. He set the tone by choosing Ireland's assigned spot on the red carpet, then refusing to budge. No matter how much the Irish officials flapped as their country's president, Mary McAleese, waited to be introduced, Johnson stood firm. Ireland gave way and Mrs McAleese made her detour before the anthems. Just imagine how England felt.
They then proceeded to knock the steam and the stuffing out of Ireland in the first half before running away with the game, the championship and the grand slam in the second. On Saturday they have to do something similar and that means we should see clear contrasts in the tactical games employed.
England's target will be to take the power from the legs of Ireland's big ball carriers such as Cian Healy, David Wallace, Jamie Heaslip and Sean O'Brien. Early on they'll drive a few lineouts, but the gameplan will be to keep the ball in play. Ireland will go the other way and hoof the ball into touch – and probably row Z at that after last Saturday – to stop England's back three running back at them, something Mark Cueto, Chris Ashton and Ben Foden have done since the opening night of the championship when they came down to Cardiff.
The stats tell the tale better than I can: against England, Wales had four lineouts, last Saturday against the Irish we had 19. Point made?
I know Declan Kidney is starting with Jonathan Sexton this week, rather than Ronan O'Gara, but I can't see Ireland running the tactical risk of playing into England's hands. Obviously Kidney is looking towards the World Cup when he selects Sexton, but there may also be memories of what the Leinster fly-half did to England this time last year in his selection.
Either way, Ireland will be praying that Eoin Reddan's head clears enough for him to start. With Tomás O'Leary suffering yet another unfortunate injury, Ireland are getting a bit short of scrum-halves and it matters that Sexton has the comfort of a man he works with regularly inside him. He had a patchy game against Wales, kicking poorly immediately after replacing O'Gara, but you can put a lot of that down to the Webb Ellis ball, which Wales and only Wales use.
Less contentious than the fly-half selection is the reshaping of the back three, with Keith Earls moving to full-back and the taller Andrew Trimble in to look after the aerial threat of Cueto, but you are back in slightly troubled waters when judging what Ireland do at the breakdown. Quite simply, they are either brilliant or illegal, depending on how you look at things. It's pure Les Kiss, their defence coach, and the latest manifestation of how the former Australian rugby league winger has always gone about getting turnovers. Remember, the law was changed to stop what Ireland (and others) were doing on the ground, but Kiss has just elevated things a foot or so.
In the tackle, the ball carrier is kept off the ground, often by an Irish arm around his neck, while one man goes low and another rips at the ball – all three screaming: "It's a maul, it's a maul," at the referee, just in case the ball carrier has got a knee down, making it a ruck. Some buy it, some don't, but England dare not leave their runners isolated in the tackle. If they don't support the man with the ball they are in trouble.
I already think those bookies giving England a six-point margin are being over-generous.

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Six Nations 2011: Why Ireland won't risk playing into England's hands

England plan to keep the ball in play in their grand slam quest but Ireland will go the other way and hoof it into touch

Comments (402)

- Shaun Edwards
- The Guardian, Friday 18 March 2011 <li class="history">Article history
Ireland must stop England's Mark Cueto, above, Chris Ashton and Ben Foden running at them. Photograph: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar There are times when it's best not to play certain teams and this week that applies to Ireland. They'll be seething. After the try-with-the-wrong-ball incident and defeat in Cardiff last Saturday you don't have to be a student of Sigmund Freud to know that a combination of being at home in Dublin to an England side looking for the Six Nations grand slam is a pretty potent mixture even without a feeling of righteous indignation.
This won't be the Ireland that got out of jail in Rome, or the one that nearly gave it away in Edinburgh, and anyone who thinks England's first slam since 2003 is there for the taking is in for a shock. If they get it, they'll have deserved it and in some respects they may be wise to look back eight years at the win in Dublin that sealed the slam for a few lessons.
For a start there was the sheer cussedness of England and their then captain, Martin Johnson. He set the tone by choosing Ireland's assigned spot on the red carpet, then refusing to budge. No matter how much the Irish officials flapped as their country's president, Mary McAleese, waited to be introduced, Johnson stood firm. Ireland gave way and Mrs McAleese made her detour before the anthems. Just imagine how England felt.
They then proceeded to knock the steam and the stuffing out of Ireland in the first half before running away with the game, the championship and the grand slam in the second. On Saturday they have to do something similar and that means we should see clear contrasts in the tactical games employed.
England's target will be to take the power from the legs of Ireland's big ball carriers such as Cian Healy, David Wallace, Jamie Heaslip and Sean O'Brien. Early on they'll drive a few lineouts, but the gameplan will be to keep the ball in play. Ireland will go the other way and hoof the ball into touch and probably row Z at that after last Saturday to stop England's back three running back at them, something Mark Cueto, Chris Ashton and Ben Foden have done since the opening night of the championship when they came down to Cardiff.
The stats tell the tale better than I can: against England, Wales had four lineouts, last Saturday against the Irish we had 19. Point made?
I know Declan Kidney is starting with Jonathan Sexton this week, rather than Ronan O'Gara, but I can't see Ireland running the tactical risk of playing into England's hands. Obviously Kidney is looking towards the World Cup when he selects Sexton, but there may also be memories of what the Leinster fly-half did to England this time last year in his selection.
Either way, Ireland will be praying that Eoin Reddan's head clears enough for him to start. With Tomás O'Leary suffering yet another unfortunate injury, Ireland are getting a bit short of scrum-halves and it matters that Sexton has the comfort of a man he works with regularly inside him. He had a patchy game against Wales, kicking poorly immediately after replacing O'Gara, but you can put a lot of that down to the Webb Ellis ball, which Wales and only Wales use.
Less contentious than the fly-half selection is the reshaping of the back three, with Keith Earls moving to full-back and the taller Andrew Trimble in to look after the aerial threat of Cueto, but you are back in slightly troubled waters when judging what Ireland do at the breakdown. Quite simply, they are either brilliant or illegal, depending on how you look at things. It's pure Les Kiss, their defence coach, and the latest manifestation of how the former Australian rugby league winger has always gone about getting turnovers. Remember, the law was changed to stop what Ireland (and others) were doing on the ground, but Kiss has just elevated things a foot or so.
In the tackle, the ball carrier is kept off the ground, often by an Irish arm around his neck, while one man goes low and another rips at the ball all three screaming: "It's a maul, it's a maul," at the referee, just in case the ball carrier has got a knee down, making it a ruck. Some buy it, some don't, but England dare not leave their runners isolated in the tackle. If they don't support the man with the ball they are in trouble.
I already think those bookies giving England a six-point margin are being over-generous.

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Miss Utalii waviangukia vyombo vya habari

na Andrew Chale

WASHINDI wa shindano la Urembo la Utalii Tanzania, 'Miss Utalii Taifa 2011' wametoa wito kwa vyombo vya habari hapa nchini kuripoti habari za utalii ulioko nchini ili kupanua wigo kwa jamii kutembelea mara kwa mara.
Hayo yalisemwa jijini Dar es Salaam jana na warembo hao, walipotembelea ofisi za kampuni ya Free Media Limited, inayochapisha magazeti ya Tanzania Daima na Sayari, ili kujifunza mambo mbalimbali.
Warembo hao wakiongozwa na mshindi wa pili wa shindano hilo, Happy Whitney Andrew, walisema kuwa changamoto kubwa zinazoikabili jamii ya Watanzania ni kutokuwa na elimu ya kutosha juu ya umuhimu wa utalii wa ndani, hivyo kuviomba vyombo vya habari kutoa mara kwa mara habari za utalii.
Pia, waliomba kuungwa mkono katika majukumu yao ya kutangaza vivutio vya utalii na faida zake.
Kwa upande wake, Mhariri Mtendaji wa magazeti ya Tanzania Daima na Sayari, Absalom Kibanda, aliwapa changamoto mbalimbali warembo hao zinazoikabili tasnia ya habari na utalii pia, ambapo aliwataka kutumia mataji yao kuutangaza utalii wa ndani.
Washiriki waliotembelea mbali ya Happy Whitney ni pamoja na Daisy Mushumbusi (mshindi Miss Utalii Kipaji), Mariam Rabi (mshindi wa Tatu), Immaculate Alphonce (mshindi wa tano), Sweet Manira(mshindi miss Utalii wa ndani).

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Bomoa bomoa yatua Yanga

na Juma Kasesa

UONGOZI wa Yanga ya jijini Dar es Salaam, umetangaza bomoa bomoa ya nyumba zilizojengwa katika eneo la klabu hiyo lililopo mitaa ya Twiga na Jangwani ili kupisha ujenzi wa kisasa wa Uwanja wa Kaunda.
Hatua hiyo inakuja siku chache, baada ya Kamati ya Ujenzi na Maendeleo ya klabu hiyo, chini ya mwenyekiti wake Mbaraka Igangula, kuanika mipango yake ya kutaka kuujenga uwanja huo katika muonekano wa kisasa ambao utagharimu sh bilioni 3.5.
Akizungumza jijini Dar es Salaam jana, Ofisa Habari wa Yanga, Louis Sendeu alisema, bomoa bomoa hiyo itahusisha wananchi wote waliojenga eneo la kuzunguka Uwanja wa Kaunda ambalo ni la klabu kihalali, baada ya kuthibitishiwa na Wizara ya Ardhi, Nyumba na Maendeleo ya Makazi.
Alisema, licha ya kuwa eneo hilo hati yake imepotea, bado haitawazuia kupanua uwanja huo na tayari wameanza mchakato wa kuisaka kwa kuwataka wanachama au mashabiki wanaofahamu ilipo, kutoa taarifa kituo cha polisi au kwa uongozi wa klabu hiyo.
"Mtu yeyote anayefahamu ilipo hati ya Uwanja wa Kaunda atoe taarifa kituo cha polisi au kwa uongozi, lakini hata isipopatikana tutaendelea na ujenzi, kwa kuwa wizara husika imeshatuthibitishia eneo lote lililojengwa karibu yetu ni la kwetu," alisema Sendeu.
Alilifanua kuwa Kamati ya Igangula, imepanga jengo lingine la klabu hiyo lililopo Mtaa wa Mafia lijengwe ghorofa 10 na tayari michakato imefikia hatua nzuri.
Katika hatua nyingine, uongozi wa klabu hiyo umetangaza kuwa Kamati ya Utendaji inatarajiwa kukutana Machi 22 mwaka huu kujadili barua ya kujiuzulu kwa Makamu Mwenyekiti, Davis Mosha.
Kwa mujibu wa Sendeu, kamati hiyo licha ya kujadili masuala mbalimbali kuhusu mechi tatu za mwisho zinazoikabili Yanga katika Ligi Kuu Tanzania Bara, pia itajadili kwa kina suala la Mosha na kwamba ilishindwa kukutana mapema kutokana na wajumbe wengi kuwa na udhuru.

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Stars, Afrika ya Kati kuchangia Gongo la Mboto
• Nchimbi aponda maandalizi timu za taifa

na Juma Kasesa

SHIRIKISHO la Soka Tanzania (TFF), limeanika hadharani viingilio vya mchezo wa kusaka tiketi ya kufuzu kucheza Fainali za Mataifa ya Afrika (CAN), kati ya timu ya Taifa ya Tanzania ‘Taifa Stars' na Jamhuri ya Afrika ya Kati ambapo asilimia moja ya mapato ya mchezo huo yatapelekwa kwa waathirika wa milipuko ya mabomu ya Gongo la Mboto.
Mchezo huo umepangwa kupigwa Machi 26 mwaka huu, Uwanja Taifa, jijini Dar es Salaam na tayari kikosi cha timu ya taifa kimekwishaingia kambini jijini Dar es Salaam juzi kujiwinda na mechi hiyo.
Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari jijini Dar es Salaam jana, Ofisa Habari wa TFF, Boniface Wambura, alisema mashabiki watakaokaa viti vya kijani na bluu watalipa sh 3,000 huku viti vya rangi ya chungwa wakilipa sh 5,000, VIP C sh 10,000, VIP 20,000 na VIP A sh 40,000.
Alisema, tiketi za mchezo huo zitaanza kuuzwa Machi 24 katika vituo mbalimbali jijini Dar es Salaam, ambako waamuzi wa mchezo huo wanatarajiwa kutoka Shelisheli huku Kamisaa akitokea Kenya.
Akizungumzia kambi ya timu ya Taifa, Wambura alisema baadhi ya wachezaji walioitwa wameisharipoti, isipokuwa wale wanaocheza soka ya kulipwa wanaotarajiwa kuwasili wakati wowote na wale wa Simba ambao wataondoka na timu yao kwa ajili ya mchezo wa Ligi ya Mabingwa barani Afrika dhidi ya TP Mazembe ya Jamhuri ya Watu wa Congo.
Wakati huo huo, Waziri wa Habari, Vijana, Utamaduni na Michezo, Emmanuel Nchimbi, ameiponda TFF kwa maandalizi ya zimamoto inayoyafanya kwa timu za taifa, kutokana na kuwaweka kambini wachezaji wiki moja kabla ya mechi.
Nchimbi aliyasema hayo jijini Dar es Salaam jana, wakati alipofanya ziara ya kutembelea makao makuu ya TFF Karume Ilala jijini, kupata maelezo ya utendaji wa shirikisho hilo.
Waziri Nchimbi alisema, utaratibu wa kuwaweka kambini wachezaji kwa muda mfupi, hautawasaidia wachezaji kuzoeana na kuweza kucheza kama timu, jambo litakaloifanya Tanzania kuendelea kuwa kichwa cha mwendawazimu.
Alisema, utaratibu unatakiwa ubadilike na timu iwekwe kambini muda mrefu na serikali itakuwa tayari kushirikiana na TFF, katika kusaka wadhamini wa kuziweka timu za taifa mapema kambini, ili ziweze kuchanua katika medani ya kimataifa.
Alimpongeza Rais wa TFF, Leodegar Tenga, kwa kuchaguliwa kuwa Mjumbe wa Kamati ya Utendaji Shirikisho la Soka Barani Afrika (CAF), na pia kwa kuliendesha Shirikisho la Soka Tanzania kwa utulivu, jambo lililochangia kuanza kuleta maendeleo ya soka nchini.

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Klabu Ligi Kuu zalamba mil. 24.5/-

na Juma Kasesa

TIMU 12 za zinazoshiriki Ligi Kuu ya Soka Tanzania Bara, zimevuna kitita cha sh milioni 24.5 kila mmoja kutoka kwa wadhamini wa ligi hiyo, Kampuni ya Simu za mkononi ya Vodacom.
Kwa mujibu wa Ofisa Habari wa Shirikisho la Soka Tanzania, (TFF), Boniface Wambura, fedha hizo zimelipwa na Vodacom ikiwa ni nauli kwa msimu wa Ligi 2010/11, ambako kila klabu imepokea hundi ya sh milioni 5.2 kama malipo ya awali, kabla yakumaliziwa mgawo wao wa mwisho.
Wambura alisema, fedha hizo ni sehemu ya udhamini wa kampuni ya Vodacom katika ligi hiyo, ili timu ziweze kumudu gharama za kwenda vituo mbalimbali kucheza mechi za ligi hiyo inayotarajiwa kufikia tamati Aprili 10 mwaka huu.
Katika hatua nyingine TFF, imewakumbusha wanachama vyama vya mpira wa miguu vya mikoa, vyama shiriki na klabu za Ligi Kuu kuwa haitambui mapinduzi ya uongozi yanayofanyika kwa kuwa ni kinyume na katiba zao.
Alisema, iwapo kuna kiongozi amejiuzulu, kinachotakiwa nafai yake kujazwa na siyo kufanyika kwa mapinduzi.

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Nahodha ngumi akiri nidhamu imemtema kikosini

na Samia Mussa

ALIYEKUWA nahodha wa timu ya taifa ya ngumi za ridhaa Tanzania, Joseph Martin, amekiri kutemwa kwenye kikosi cha timu hiyo kutokana na makosa mbalimbali yakiwamo ya utovu wa nidhamu.
Akizungumza jijini Dar es Salaam juzi, Martin alisema kuwa hizo ni changamoto kwa wachezaji wote walioachwa katika timu hiyo na wametoa nafasi ya kuonyesha vipaji vyao kwa chipukizi hao waliochaguliwa.
Alisema kuwa wametambua udhaifu wao, hivyo watatumia muda huo ambao wako nje ya timu kujifunza na kujirekebisha.
Aidha, Martin alisema kuwa kama wameachwa kwa sababu ya kugomea mashindano hawakustahili, ilipaswa waitwe na kupewa adhabu, huku akisisitiza kuwa hawajui vigezo vilivyotumiwa kuchagua wachezaji hao wapya.
"Tumepokea vizuri uteuzi wa timu ya taifa, tunawashauri vijana mambo mawili wazingatie nidhamu na wafanye mazoezi sana, kwa sababu mashindano yaliyo mbele yao ni makubwa yakiwamo ya All Africa Games yanayotarajiwa kufanyika Septemba mwaka huu Msumbiji," alisema.
Naye Waziri wa Habari, Vijana, Utamaduni na Michezo, Emmanuel Nchimbi, amepongeza uteuzi wa timu hiyo mpya uliofanywa na Shirikisho la Ngumi za Ridhaa Tanzania (BFT).
Nchimbi alitoa pongezi hizo Dar es Salaam juzi, katika kikao chake na wajumbe wa Kamati ya Utendaji ya Shirikisho hilo, alipokutana nao kwa mara ya kwanza tangu achaguliwe katika wadhifa huo.
"Timu za taifa zichaguliwe mapema, kwani zinapochaguliwa karibu na mashindano, wachezaji wetu hawapati maandalizi ya kutosha, kwani lengo la serikali ni kufanya mapinduzi makubwa katika sekta ya michezo," alisema.
Aliongeza kuwa taswira ya mchezo wa ngumi ilianza kupotea nchini kutokana na kashfa ya dawa za kulevya iliyotokea katika uongozi wa Alhaj Shaaban Mintanga, hivyo jukumu la uongozi wa sasa ni kusafisha hali hiyo katika jamii.
Kwa upande wake, Katibu Mkuu wa BFT, Makore Mashaga, alisema, jitihada kubwa zilizoanza kufanywa na shirikisho hilo ni kuhakikisha mabondia wote wanaingia katika mpango wa Polisi Jamii ili wahusika wa biashara hiyo na watumiaji, waweze kukamatwa na kufikishwa katika vyombo vya sheria.

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Madrid turns attention back to league, Atletico

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Updated Mar 17, 2011 10:03 AM ET
MADRID (AP)

Real Madrid must quickly put its Champions League advancement aside and turn its focus to the Spanish league with a derby at Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
Madrid beat Lyon 3-0 to reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in seven years on Wednesday, and must now seek to continue its domination over Atletico. Madrid hasn't lost to its crosstown rival since 1999 - a stretch of 20 matches that includes five consecutive victories.

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Cristiano Ronaldo returned from a left-thigh injury to play 74 minutes against Lyon and expects to be available.
''I'm sure that within two days I'll be ready to play against Atletico,'' Ronaldo said.
Mourinho again criticized the league's scheduling as Madrid played for the third time in eight days.
''There's no time to party or to recover, we have a game on Saturday,'' said coach Jose Mourinho, who finally got Madrid into the last-eight of Europe's top-tier competition.
Atletico has scored only once in three defeats to Mourinho-led Madrid, which also knocked its city rival out of the Copa del Rey.
''We know it's been an irregular season but it's important not to lose points in the league and right now we're on a run where we haven't dropped many,'' said Atletico striker Sergio Aguero, whose team is unbeaten in five games. ''Our (season) form doesn't matter too much for a game like this, which is always special for both clubs.''
Barcelona has a chance to pressure Madrid when it faces Getafe earlier Saturday.
The two-time defending champions lead Madrid by five points atop the table but could be without a number of injured players, including France defender Eric Abidal, who was to have surgery on a liver tumor on Thursday.
Lionel Messi and fullbacks Daniel Alves and Adriano are recovering from knocks while Pedro Rodriguez is a ''serious doubt'' to play at the Camp Nou, which is still waiting on defender Carles Puyol's near two month layoff to a knee injury.
Barcelona is looking to set a club record of 27 consecutive games without defeat ahead of away games with Villarreal and Madrid on Apr. 16.
While the league title remains for Barcelona or Madrid's taking for the seventh straight season, Valencia and Villarreal have maintained a healthy lead in the final two qualifying places for next season's Champions League with the pair dueling for third and automatic qualification.
Third-place Valencia leads Villarreal by three points going into Sunday's game against Sevilla, while Villarreal enjoys an nine-point advantage over sixth-place Athletic Bilbao before their meeting.

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Valencia's 4-0 defeat to Zaragoza after its Champions League exit to Schalke led forward Juanma Mata to call on the team to get over its European disappointment quickly.
''Unfortunately the loss in Germany has weighed on us more than we expected since we were so close to getting through,'' the Spain international said of the 4-2 aggregate defeat. ''Against Zaragoza we weren't 100 percent physically or mentally. Now we realize we can't dwell on it.''
Midfielder David Albelda is a doubt against Sevilla, which is coming off a 1-1 draw against Barcelona.
Sevilla and Atletico are tied on points for the league's last Europa League spot, three points behind Bilbao and four back of fifth-place Espanyol.
The deadly earthquake and tsunami in Japan continued to weigh on Mallorca midfielder Akihiro Ienaga, who has made himself available to club and country despite seeing the problems escalate in his native country daily.
''I don't have much news. My family and friends are out of danger but there are still so many people missing and that's worrying,'' Ienaga said. ''We're in a very complicated moment knowing the situation is life or death and the least important thing right now is a game.''
Mallorca takes on Real Zaragoza in Saturday's other game, with relegation-threatened Zaragoza looking for a third win in four.
On Sunday, it's: Deportivo La Coruna vs. Levante; Hercules vs. Osasuna; Malaga vs. Espanyol; Racing Santander vs. Real Sociedad; and Sporting Gijon vs. Almeria.

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Messi fit for Argentina exhibitions

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Updated Mar 19, 2011 12:48 AM ET
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)

Argentina coach Sergio Batista says Barcelona star Lionel Messi has recovered from a right knee injury sustained in the Spanish league last weekend and will be ready to play upcoming exhibition games against the United States and Costa Rica.
Batista said Friday he had talked with Messi and had been assured the world's top player was ready to go. Messi trained with his Barcelona teammates on Friday for the first time since knocking knees with Sevilla goalkeeper Javi Varas and figures to play Saturday against Getafe.
Argentina will play the United States on March 26 in East Rutherford, N.J., and Costa Rica on March 29 in a new stadium in San Jose.
Batista also said that starting goalkeeper Sergio Romero of AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands would miss the matches. He said the club notified Argentine officials, although Batista did not explain why Romero would be absent.
He said Mariano Andjuar of Italian club Catania would start in goal and Agustin Marchesin of Argentine club Lanus would be the backup.

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

The Joy of Six: Goalkeeping calamities

From Gary Sprake's Careless Hands to an unfortunate Brucie bonus, here are six keeping howlers

Comments (139)

The Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar grimaces after another blunder. Photograph: Neal Simpson/Empics Sports Photo Agency 1. LAURENT DI LORTO (FRANCE 1-3 Italy, World Cup quarter final, June 1938)

From the sepia-toned days of Robert Parlane – scorer of the first-ever own goal in an international, mishandling an opponent's long throw as his Scotland team played England in 1879 – to the modern era of your René Higuitas, Packie Bonners, Scott Carsons and Robert Greens, goalkeepers have consistently screwed up on the worldwide stage. But no netminder, however hapless, has ever shed the very last vestiges of their dignity in a manner quite like this.
It being 1938, the clip is in grainy black and white, the medium of the silent Hollywood slapstick motion picture. The leading man is Laurent Di Lorto, goalkeeper of World Cup hosts France and king of verisimilitude. After nine minutes of sparring, the Italy striker Gino Colaussi moved forward down the inside-left channel and looped a lame effort towards the top-left corner. The ball, dropping gently like a towel in an advert for fabric softener, should have been easy to deal with, but Di Lorto suddenly discovered dyspraxia, and involuntarily volleyballed the effort straight into the net, bumping, setting and spiking all in one rapid movement, a hectic flourish that really should have been accompanied by a xylophone trill.
Di Lorto's humiliation was far from over, however. This being 1938, the Italians, representing Mussolini's fascists, played the match not in their usual change strip of white, but a deliberately provocative black. Adding injury to this insult, Di Lorto, having dispatched the ball into his own goal, chased after it like a gormless puppy, and smacked nose first into his right-hand post. Dignity had flown spectacularly out the window, but Di Lorto didn't have long to suffer in public; 81 minutes later, after France were knocked out, his international career followed it.
2. GARY SPRAKE (Liverpool 2-0 LEEDS UNITED, First Division, December 1967)

Gary Sprake kept goal for Don Revie's Leeds United, one of the greatest, most successful and defensively miserly sides in English football history. And yet to this day he is remembered as being almost criminally negligent in his duties as a netminder. It's a bit of a bum deal, really, when you consider he only ever really made two infamous cock-ups during a 12-season stint at Elland Road: leaping over the ill-fated Chelsea midfielder Peter Houseman's pea-dribbler in the 1970 FA Cup final, and throwing the ball into his own net in front of the Kop at Anfield in 1967.
Throwing the ball into your own net, though. In fairness to Sprake, the match that would come to define him was being played in difficult conditions: an inch of snow on the pitch, the ball difficult to grasp in the freezing cold and the wet. With Liverpool leading 1-0 and spraying the ball around magnificently, Leeds were looking to go in at half-time to regroup. They never had the chance. A minute before the break, Sprake advanced to the edge of his area to collect a backpass. Looking to quickly recycle the ball, he shaped to throw the ball to left-back Terry Cooper, but instead the ball slipped out of his control and flew into the far corner of the net.
Whether he changed his mind mid-throw – Cooper was being pressurised by Ian Callaghan, while Roger Hunt was sniffing around the area – or simply lost his grip has never been fully explained. The Kop serenaded Sprake with a rendition of Careless Hands, but contrary to popular myth it wasn't a mass outbreak of instinctive wit. They'd been prompted by the Liverpool PA announcer, who at half-time had goaded the hapless Leeds keeper not only with the Des O'Connor hit single, but also another contemporary chart hit, Thank U Very Much by the local beat-poet combo The Scaffold. Sprake must have felt like jumping from one.
3. BRUCE GROBBELAAR (LIVERPOOL 1-3 Manchester City, First Division, 1981)

Like Sprake, Bruce Grobbelaar is a man remembered more for his failures than for successfully keeping hold of the No1 shirt in a side that defined an era. But them's the breaks when you're occasionally to be found bouncing around your area like a fly trying to circumnavigate a window. Brucie's two biggest bonuses were handed out in successive European Cup campaigns. His first continental catastrophe came against CSKA Sofia in the 1982 quarter-finals. Liverpool were 11 minutes from the semis when Grobbelaar came needlessly haring off his line in a woefully over-ambitious attempt to meet Georgi Velinov's deep left-wing cross; the sortie allowed Stoycho Mladenov to head into an unguarded net. Twelve months later he was at it again in Poland, Liverpool dealing calmly with Widzew Lodz for 48 minutes, until the keeper offered Miroslaw Tlokinski the opening goal on a plate by attempting to catch a flighted ball with one hand.
But Grobbelaar would make up for these errors against Roma the following season, writing himself into European Cup folklore, so let's not be too harsh. Instead, let's concentrate on the match that crystalised him as a clown in the eyes of many neutrals, an endearingly farcical display against Manchester City on Boxing Day 1981 which, at the time, appeared to signal the end of Liverpool as a major force.
Grobbelaar was just over four months into his Liverpool career, having replaced Ray Clemence in the summer. It wasn't going well. Liverpool had already lost four times in the league, and were languishing in 12th position, behind the likes of Swansea, Southampton, West Ham and Brighton. "Liverpool have continuing problems on the field where Bob Paisley, having built the most successful British club side since the war, is presiding over its sharp decline because he cannot adequately replace ageing components," wrote Patrick Barclay in the Guardian. "Paisley has tried the transfer market, but in recent years the likes of Frank McGarvey, Avi Cohen and Richard Money have been bought then discarded, Steve Ogrizovic and Kevin Sheedy cannot break through, Grobbelaar and Craig Johnson look hopelessly raw, Ian Rush remains merely promising. Only Mark Lawrenson and the talented Ronnie Whelan have been unmitigated successes since the days when Paisley iced the Anfield cake with Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Alan Hansen."
Grobbelaar's performance in the City game was a masterpiece of slapstick ingenuity, encapsulating Liverpool's lack of direction. In the first half, he skittered out from his goalline as though he was still high on the Christmas egg nog, missing a simple catch then sprawling around on the floor as his defenders cleared up the mess. In the second half, lessons not learned, he attempted to cradle a high ball in his arms, only dyspraxically to funnel it to the floor, allowing Steve Kinsey to lash for goal; on the line, Phil Thompson was forced to show his keeper how to make a save. Finally Kevin Reeves flicked softly towards the bottom corner, where Grobbelaar bundled into his own net, the culmination of an all-round horror show in which Liverpool, but especially their keeper, looked totally shot.
The result, and Grobbelaar's display, would indeed become significant, but not quite in the way everyone imagined it would at the time. It represented Paisley's Liverpool nadir, but also a turning point, team and keeper pulling themselves together in the second half of the season to win a remarkable championship. None of which took away from the sheer haplessness of this goalkeeping display, mind you, which added to Bruce's Clown Prince legend. "Grobbelaar's misery is complete," ran Alan Parry's famous commentary. "Reeves gets the goal, but really it was almost an own goal by this sad figure." Parry was displaying some brass neck by going there, but even so, has a commentary ever been so damning?
4. ALEX STEPNEY (Birmingham City 0-2 MANCHESTER UNITED, First Division, August 1975)

Considering they've been the best team in the country for two decades now, the modern Manchester United have made a surprisingly sizeable contribution to the canon of goalkeeping howlers. Fabien Barthez – World Cup, European Championship and Champions League winning Fabien Barthez – presenting a double gift to his France team-mate Thierry Henry at Highbury in 2002. Peter Schmeichel – unquestionably the world's greatest keeper during the 90s – famously shanking to the feet of Barnsley's John Hendrie in 1997, or inexplicably waving Paulo Futre through in 1992 with positioning that made 1981-vintage Grobbelaar look like Giuliano Sarti. And then the amazing Massimo Taibi, who played four matches for the club, won two man-of-the-match awards, and made three howling errors, a flap apiece against Liverpool and Chelsea, and that unforgettable crouch over Matthew Le Tissier's dribbler.
But sometimes the oldies are the best. And whether any of the aforementioned – or Jim Leighton – ever had as dreadful a day at the office as Alex Stepney did at St Andrew's in 1975 is a moot point. Stepney had been flattened by the Birmingham striker Bob Hatton in the first minute of the match – "laid out by a heavy charge," as the Guardian reported the day after – but opted to keep playing with a swollen face. He lasted until just after the break when, having taken another clatter going up for a high ball, he decided to direct some beneficial tactical advice to Martin Buchan regarding the last home attack. Play went up the other end, at which point Stepney's heavily swollen jaw released itself from its moorings and swung limply in the breeze. A sheepish Stepney walked off clutching the right-hand side of his face, while Brian Greenhoff took over and kept a drama-free clean sheet.
Stepney is a European Cup winning goalkeeper, who earned a sporting round of applause from the Benfica legend Eusébio in the 1968 final for his outstanding last-minute one-on-one save. Yet to a modern generation, he is principally remembered for breaking his own mouth by swearing at his mates. And letting in Pat Jennings's drop-kick in the 1967 Charity Shield against Spurs.
5. KHALID ASKRI (FAR DE RABAT 1-1 Maghreb de Fes, Maghreb win 7-6 on penalties, last 16, Coupe du Trûne (Moroccan Cup), September 2010)

This carry-on is just ridiculous.
6. PETER ENCKELMAN (ASTON VILLA 0-2 Birmingham City, Premier League, March 2003)

But it's something of a surprise that keepers don't walk off more regularly. Consider the fate of Peter Enckelman in the first second-city league derby for 15 years. Sure, his cock-up in miscontrolling an Olaf Mellberg throw-in, letting it roll over his boot and into the net, was a timeless classic. Having to deal with a Birmingham fan, boiling over with the best part of two decades' worth of pent-up lower-division frustration, getting right up in his grille and accusing him of flagrant onanism was beyond the pale, though. Nobody would have complained if he'd have clattered the fan, Eejit, upside the head, instead of acting with quiet dignity in the face of extreme provocation as he did. Nobody did complain when Eejit ended up in the jug to cool off.
Tragically for Enckelman, he spent six months rebuilding his reputation with a series of solid displays, only to make an arguably worse one in the return fixture at Villa Park, visibly bottling out of gathering a headed backpass and allowing Geoff Horsfield to poke the ball past him and knock it into an empty net. The gaffe pretty much ended his career at the top level; he's currently at St Johnstone on a desperate rebuilding mission, his only high-profile match since his Villa days being the 2008 FA Cup final for Cardiff City, when... but let's not riff on his pain any more.

Posted by Scott Murray Friday 18 March 2011 10.05 GMT guardian.co.uk

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Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Sri Lanka v New Zealand – as it happened

Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan were in stunning form as Sri Lanka thrashed New Zealand by 112 runs

Rob Smyth and Alan Gardner
guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011 08.31 GMT <li class="history">Article history

Genius at work. Photograph: Rajanish Kakade/AP Preamble With the exception of that thing in the mirror and the work of Tracey Emin, it's generally the case that the more you look at something, the more it makes sense: a stereogram picture, the past, and Group A of this World Cup.

For a couple of weeks it has had little meaning, just a bunch of fixtures that have been interesting but relatively free of context. Yet after today's match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka we will, for the first time, have a sense of where the top four will finish - and, therefore, who England might play in the quarter-finals.

New Zealand can finish anywhere from first to fourth, Sri Lanka anywhere from second to fourth. Tomorrow's game between Australia and Pakistan will confirm those standings. Australia can finish anywhere from first to third, Pakistan anywhere from first to 14th, because they make their own rules. (Okay, they can finish anywhere from first to fourth.)

You would probably make Sri Lanka favourites here, although it's an immutable law of cricket World Cups that New Zealand will overachieve. And they scored 358 on this ground against Canada the other day. They also didn't do too badly in their last big game, when they biffed 977 from the last two overs against Pakistan.
Sri Lanka have won the toss and will bat first. Daniel Vettori is still not fit for New Zealand, while Sri Lanka have picked the three Ms. Well, four if you count Angelo Mathews. And why wouldn't you? Don't omit him, that's not nice.
New Zealand Guptill, B McCullum (wk), Ryder, Taylor (c), Williamson, Styris, Franklin, N McCullum, Oram, Southee, Bennett.
Sri Lanka Tharanga, Dilshan, Sangakkara (c/wk), Jayawardene, Samaraweera, Silva, Mathews, Kulasekera, Malinga, Mendis, Muralitharan.
England dept. Who do England want to win this match? Whichever side they would prefer to play in the quarter-finals, basically. The permutations are making my head hurt, but... if Australia beat Pakistan, South Africa beat Bangladesh and India beat West Indies – all feasible results – then England will play the winner of today's match in the next round. I think.
The dream scenario New Zealand win today, Pakistan beat Australia, South Africa beat Bangladesh and India beat West Indies. The result? A maverick-off between England and Pakistan in the quarters.
Look! This link, from David Guy, was lost in yesterday's denouement, what with most of us on the operating table incapable of saying anything except 'Tredwell's gonna get ya!' with a demented half-smile on our phizog, but look at it! Look at Lord Selvey!
1st over: Sri Lanka 4-0 (Tharanga 1, Dilshan 0) There's some dangerous early swing for Tim Southee. Too much from the first delivery, which curves down the leg side and is called wide. And plenty from the last, which swerves past Dilshan's vigorous mow. A good start for New Zealand. "That top trump link is wonderful," says Joshua Collis. "Born in 1980, it's fascinating to compare the 'all time greats' (John Edrich and Chris Old – perhaps shamefully I've heard of neither) versus those who we might naturally consider all time greats today (e.g. Botham, Gooch, Gower, Trueman) . I'd also fancy that you could pick a more rested and fresh team out of that lot today than England's currently exhausted squad."
2nd over: Sri Lanka 7-0 (Tharanga 2, Dilshan 2) With Kyle Mills rested, Jacob Oram takes the new ball. His second ball is a brutish leg-cutting lifter that beats the fencing Dilshan. Good luck playing those. Dilshan responds by flailing a square drive for two. "New and improved World Cup formats: simply abolish Group A," says Dan Smith. "It's just not been pulling its weight." Or: put England in both groups. Sure it's inhumane, but it wouldn't be much worse than the schedule they've had this winter.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 13-1 (Tharanga run out 3) Dumb luck for Upul Tharanga, who is run out backing up. Dilshan scorched the ball back whence it came, and the bowler Southee contorted his body in his follow through to get a fingertip on the ball and help it onto the stumps. Tharanga was well out of his ground so there was no need to use the third umpire. Great work from Southee.
3rd over: Sri Lanka 13-1 (Dilshan 2, Sangakkara 0) Danny Morrison is on commentary. Have you heard him? He makes some nice observations, but I can't get past his voice. As well as the Kiwi twang, it has a kind of playful softness. It feels like he's tickling you while he's talking to you. Or something. "Never mind that [baddish word] Moyles," says Phil Dobbin, "our man Smyth is only halfway through his marathon stint (suspect he's already got his red nose...)." Yep, I'll be back in at 3am tomorrow for Bangladesh v South Africa after another night at Hotel OBO, the world-famous King's Cross palace: £30 per room, or £20 if you take the massage.
4th over: Sri Lanka 19-1 (Dilshan 3, Sangakkara 5) So nearly another run out. Sangakkara was sent back by Dilshan and had to dive desperately to make his ground as Guptill's throw from backward square leg hit the stumps. It went to the third umpire, and Sangakkara was only just home. That again shows the value of diving. Cricket's so good that it can take the bad things from football and make them into a virtue. "Hmmm," says Dan Smith. "Bob Taylor. I see wicketkeepers who aren't also batsmen were as redundant in 80s Top Trumps as they now are in cricket." Top Trumps: ahead of their time.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 19-2 (Dilshan c Oram b Southee 3) A big wicket for New Zealand, and a bit of an odd dismissal. Dilshan rolls the wrists and tries to whirl Southee over the leg side, but there's enough outswing to take a leading edge and the ball goes miles in the air towards third man, where Oram takes a straightforward catch. Dilshan made just three from 15 balls.
5th over: Sri Lanka 23-2 (Sangakkara 9, Jayawardene 0) Sangakkara times Southee through midwicket for four, a gorgeous stroke. This, you don't need me to tell you, is the most important partnership of the innings. "Not sure if you've seen any of the other game that's on today – Netherlands made 306 in 50 overs, but lost their last four wickets, in four balls, all to run outs!" says Duncan Bonnett. "It has to be one of the most remarkable statistics in cricket; can you come up with anything similarly freakish? Oh, and well done to England for getting themselves out of a tight one yesterday." It might well be a first. I think India lost four in four balls against England at the 2003 World Cup – but a couple of those were orthodox wickets, from memory. In an amusing development, I believe that was the first ever OBO over that Barry Glendenning covered. Poor old Baz. Eight years on, he's still typing up the third wicket.
6th over: Sri Lanka 27-2 (Sangakkara 9, Jayawardene 4) An opening batsman caught at third man while playing to leg. Imagine what Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe would have made of that. They would have been nonplussed. But they'd have enjoyed that stroke from Jayawardene, a feather through mid on that goes for four with the add of a clumsy piece of fielding from Bennett. Those are the only runs from the over. Oram is bowling well here. "Ladbrokes are giving pretty good odds for NZ, which could be profitable," says Leo Mirani. "I watched NZ vs Canada at the same stadium on Sunday and neatly got beaned by a low six. Still, it's a lot hotter (understatement) in Mumbai than it was a few days ago, which means the Kiwis may just collapse in exhaustion. I'm assuming you're not getting many emails early Friday morning. Except from the unemployed." It is very quiet. But after yesterday, I don't mind. In fact, I still have loads of unread emails from yesterday; maybe I should publish those.
7th over: Sri Lanka 29-2 (Sangakkara 11, Jayawardene 4) Anyway, who are England going to call up to replace Ajmal Shahzad? The list of injuries has almost been enough to make you forget your own name, never mind that of England's nth-choice seamers. Chris Woakes? Or do they go down the Australia route and pick a batsman or a spinner? "Malinga took four wickets in four balls against South Africa in the last World Cup," points out Gehan Dias.
8th over: Sri Lanka 35-2 (Sangakkara 11, Jayawardene 10) Here's Hamish Bennett. He's a huge man and an even more erratic version of Steve Harmison (I realise that's like calling some a balder version of Duncan Goodhew, but it's true), with all the raw materials except a radar. The first ball is garbage, on the pads, and Jayawardene flicks it away for four. The rest of the over is pretty accurate, mind. That's a good comeback. "Good morning Rob," says Bharath Rajagopalan. "It says, email your best words. How about 'Halcyon' and 'Lassitude' for starters?" Cellar door.
9th over: Sri Lanka 41-2 (Sangakkara 16, Jayawardene 11) Southee is still getting a bit of swing with this new ball, and Sangakkara edges a good delivery low to third man for four. "While I'm doing this whole corresponding-with-the-Guardian thing, I thought you might be interested to know that we've built an iPhone app called Cricket Booth that lets you photograph yourself with the hairstyles of famous cricketers (including such style-icons such as Lasith Malinga, Hashim Amla and Merv Hughes)," says Gehan Dias. The app hasn't quite taken off as we had hoped (surely every cricket fan would want a photo of themselves wearing the beard of Amla) but if you are interested, do have a look at the links here: the app store, and YouTube." That's a great idea. A picture of me with Mike Brearley's Ayatollah beard would look divine on the mantelpiece, darling. A Bruce Reid mullet would look nice, too. J'adore.
10th over: Sri Lanka 43-2 (Sangakkara 17, Jayawardene 11) Ireland are cruising to victory over the Netherlands. You can follow the score here. This game is going through a fairly quiet spell, although I should also apologise for my post-England sluggishness.
11th over: Sri Lanka 45-2 (Sangakkara 18, Jayawardene 12) Jesse Ryder is, a little surprisingly, replacing Tim Southee. Presumably the thinking is that he might swing it. There's a hint of shape, no more, and his first over costs just a couple. "Ref Cricket Booth (9th Over)," says Mark Bradley. "iPhone only? Really? Get it on Android and perhaps we'll talk. And any plans of porting this to other famous sports? I've always wanted a Valderrama barnet myself." A Noel Brotherston for me please.
12th over: Sri Lanka 49-2 (Sangakkara 22, Jayawardene 12) That's a delightful stroke from Sangakkara, a push-drive down the ground for four off Bennett. Is there a more aesthetic batsman in the world than Sangakkara? I'm not sure there is. His batting is so beautiful that it could be a cure for hangovers. "Best words?" says Mac Millings. "Solitude. Evasion. Accidental. Tipsy. Procrastination. Alibi. Escape. From. London." I told you yesterday that this isn't a Chuck Palahniuk workshop.
13th over: Sri Lanka 52-2 (Sangakkara 22, Jayawardene 14) The fire alarm has gone off. It's only a test. Same at 10am every Friday., But what if a fire coincidentally broke out at 10.00.01 on a Friday morning? What then, eh? Oram returns to the attack, in place of Ryder. In the brutal Mumbai heat, a fella of Ryder's size would probably like to bowl in spells of one ball, never mind one over. It's another good over from Oram, with just three from it. "Any suggestions for other chaps to include in the app?" says Gehan Dias. "Kevin O'Brien's purple hair for sure. And perhaps a classic Aussie 'do, a la Bruce Reid or Jason Gillespie. All ideas welcome."
14th over: Sri Lanka 59-2 (Sangakkara 27, Jayawardene 15) Ryder has switched ends, in fact. He bowls a front-foot no-ball, unforgivable for a medium-pacer, and Sangakkara blasts the free hit over mid off for four. "Surely one can't look past Hamish Marshall's charity match afro?" says Ethan Tucker. "Not if you're behind him in the cinema anyway." That's a Curb Your Enthusiasm scene waiting to happen.
15th over: Sri Lanka 60-2 (Sangakkara 28, Jayawardene 15) That ubiquitous Paddy Power advert is so bloody annoying. You know the one. They normally do good adverts, too. This is a personal favourite.
"I was going to send a rather Terry Thomas-esque email about Sangakkara and his aesthetic qualities but thought better of it," says Terry Th Rachel Clifton. "In the Ireland game, Stirling is absolutely flaying the Netherlands – 93 from 63 balls...." And the moment she typed that, inevitably, he was out, for 101 from 72 balls. A sensational innings, mind, and Ireland are well on course for victory.
16th over: Sri Lanka 64-2 (Sangakkara 32, Jayawardene 15) Here's James Franklin. His first ball is a feeble loosener that Sangakkara drives through extra cover for four. No runs thereafter. "Dulux," says Richard Woods. I think he's referring to Matthew Hoggard.
17th over: Sri Lanka 64-2 (Sangakkara 32, Jayawardene 15) A maiden from Oram to the becalmed Jayawardene, who now has 15 from 36 balls. "I have followed the CAPG UNS (TM) for many years as part of an intergenerational study into the effects of national culture on national sporting teams," says Davorder. "My thesis, which has been proved over many cricket World Cups, is that the New Zealand team are in fact the bullies of the sport. When they come up against a minnow side they completely blow them away, as bullies are wont to do with weak adversaries. You can almost see the top Kiwi batsmen salivating at the prospect of improving their averages (after being hammered year in year out by Australia) against the lesser sides at this tournament. Collectively they are all deeply afraid that they might one day be classified as an Associate nation, so they actually put their biggest efforts into these matches (viz. their slaughtering of the hapless Canadians and Zimbabweans). But when they have to play a really good team in, say, the semi-finals they simply implode and go pathetically supine under the slightest pressure imposed by an opponent who can stick up for himself. Any psychologist will tell you this is classic bully behaviour. Read your Tom Brown's Schooldays for a literary treatment. I call this phenomenon in my upcoming book the "Flashman Syndrome". Just you watch. It will happen again - not perhaps in this match, because it is not actually a knockout game (albeit against top quality opposition) - but certainly they will come to grief in the knockout phase when it really matters." I agree, but only up to a point: they were great in 1992, they took care of Australia in 1999, and they beat the hosts in 1983, 2003 and 2007.
18th over: Sri Lanka 68-2 (Sangakkara 34, Jayawardene 17) Four singles from Franklin's over. Feeling generous? Here's today's charity link. Anything you can give is a bonus, especially as the fundraising target on the page is £0.00.
19th over: Sri Lanka 72-2 (Sangakkara 36, Jayawardene 19) Scott Styris will replace Jacob Oram, who has bowled extremely well for figures of 6-0-16-0. Jaywardene drives a single down the ground to bring up a sedate fifty partnership from 83 balls. "It may well be morning in the UK, but it's just gone midnight here in New Zealand, where some of us expats still follow the Guardian for the news (and cricket!)," says Timmy Konar. "And it's Saturday tomorrow - good job because the game could go on 'til 6am our time..." I'd like to say it's worth staying up for but, well, y'know.
20th over: Sri Lanka 75-2 (Sangakkara 38, Jayawardene 20) The offspinner Nathan McCullum comes into the attack. Nothing really happens. This is the group stages of the World Cup at their worst, in truth: a dead rubber, and some pretty sleepy cricket. It has the feel of a warm-up game – which it is, really, just a bit of preparation ahead of the quarter-finals. "Another shameless plug request..." says OBO alumnus Sam Collins. "The Chuck Fleetwood-Smiths are not going away, here's World Cup week 4. It's got a farewell to Shoaib, how to bat like KP and Ebony Rainford-Brent."
21st over: Sri Lanka 78-2 (Sangakkara 40, Jayawardene 21) An off-cutter from Styris grips on the pitch, and Jayawardene pops a leading edge not far to the left of the bowler. Sri Lanka's spinners will be licking their lips at that.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 81-2 (Sangakkara 42, Jayawardene 22) A quiet over from McCullum. "If New Zealand are school bullies picking on the weak kids, Australia must be the sporting jocks of wedgies and knuckle sandwiches," says Ben Dunn. "England, however, are more the geeky, enthusiastic kid who likes a bit of twelve-sided die action and is known as the school spanner." Twelve-sided dice! I'd forgotten how good they were. I used to play those Warhammer things just so I could use one. I had no idea what was going on – not a solitary clue – but rolling that 12-sided die felt so darn good that I couldn't stop.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 85-2 (Sangakkara 44, Jayawardene 24) Four singles from Styris's over. It seems likely that, with the ball turning a bit, Sri Lanka have decided to set their sights relatively low, hence their fairly passive batting. It's a bit of a risk, though, because the pitch is far from a minefield. "You'll agree that these victories against tournament host sides occurred outside the knockout rounds, and in any case being host has been a poisoned chalice on virtually all occasions (save perhaps Sri Lanka in 96)," says David Griffiths. "Certainly, NZ has plenty of talent but they'll only excel against quality sides when they are pyschologically vulnerable for extrinsic reasons. Indeed, NZ was excellent in 92, but crumpled in the match that counted - the semi-final, which was also the only knockout round that was played at that tourney. I think this bears out my thesis." Yes, that's a very good point. In fact, have they ever won a World Cup knockout game? I don't think they have. Even England have won three! Despite that, NZ's three semi-final appearances in the last five tournaments is still a decent overall record.
24th over: Sri Lanka 93-2 (Sangakkara 45, Jayawardene 31) A bit of controversy here. Nathan McCullum thinks he has taken a sensational return catch to dismiss Mahela Jayawardene, but Jayawardene stands his ground so the decision goes upstairs. You know what that means: the replays are not 100 per cent conclusive, even though basically everyone knows it was out, so Jayawardene survives. It was an awesome catch from McCullum, who dived to his right, extended a telescopic arm and clutched the ball between his index and middle fingers. He is extremely annoyed, as is his captain Ross Taylor, and you can understand why. I don't blame Jayawardene for standing his ground, nor necessarily the third umpire, but the system is definitely wrong because Jayawardene was surely out. What it has done is liven up this game: everyone's got the battle fever on now, and Jayawardene pulls McCullum crisply for four. The commentators have got the battle fever on, as well: Simon Doull has just suggested the third umpire Amiesh Saheba should be sacked!
25th over: Sri Lanka 100-2 (Sangakkara 46, Jayawardene 36) That incident seems to have woken up Jayawardene, who glides Styris classily for four to bring up the hundred.
26th over: Sri Lanka 104-2 (Sangakkara 48, Jayawardene 38) Sangakkara works a single to leg, his 9000th run in ODIs. Nine-thousand runs! "After yesterday's nerve-slaughtering, grey-cell-melting bloody stump-biter, there's something beautifully serene about watching two matches that absolutely, positively, do NOT contain England," says Guy Hornsby. "It's good to see a competitive and close Ire v Neth game, and this one looks a fascinating ride, being in full BMO/calm-before-the-storm mode. These two will go on accumulating until the 35th then begin cranking it up, like a 1970s snooker player starting on the chasers to go with his pints as the middle frames approach. It's tough to call, as this pitch had 300-plus on it last week, but you'd guess Sri Lanka could defend anything over 220 with their turners."
27th over: Sri Lanka 109-2 (Sangakkara 50, Jayawardene 42) Jayawardene laps Styris to fine leg, where Bennett makes a brilliant save to turn four into two, and then Sangakkara drives a single to reach yet another half-century. This has been a relaxed effort, from 77 balls and with six fours. I wonder what they think is a par score. 250? "NZ and SA have never won a knockout game at the World Cup," says Andrew Gladwin. "Both have semi-finals as their best result – the only other time there were quarters was in 1996 when both SA and NZ lost in the quarters. I think that is why SA would most like play NZ in the quarters now." I'm quite looking forward to the novelty of quarter-finals. So long as England do a little better than in 1996, anyway.
28th over: Sri Lanka 112-2 (Sangakkara 52, Jayawardene 43) There's a good finish in store at Kolkata, where Ireland need 74 off the last 10 overs with seven wickets still in hand. Back here, Sangakkara drives McCullum down the ground for a couple, just past the bowler's outstretched right hand. It's a hugely underrated skill, judging what is a good score when you bat first in an ODI. These two are usually very good in that regard, so we have to trust them here. We just have to trust them guys! "I write to beg," says Tom Slade, which is always a promising start to an email. "May I prevail upon you to publicise our efforts for Whizz Kids, the children's mobility charity. Three of us are running two marathons in the space of five weeks (London and Edinburgh). It's not quite Eddie Izzard, but, meh. We are not really looking forward to it."
29th over: Sri Lanka 115-2 (Sangakkara 52, Jayawardene 44) Hamish Bennett comes back into the attack and starts with a harshly judged front-foot no-ball. Simon Doull is spitting! The damage is minimal, with the free hit bringing just a single.
Here's Leo Mirani. "HON SMYTH ESQ PLEASE DITCH [BADDISH WORD] DAY MATCH IN FAVOUR OF EDEN STOP DUTCH ENLIVENING GAME IN CAL STOP." Even though I might, I can't. Anywhere, it's all over. Gary Wilson and his roguish smile have just hit 16 from three balls. Ireland need 52 from nine overs.
30th over: Sri Lanka 124-2 (Sangakkara 58, Jayawardene 47) Sangakkara finally pulls out a big stroke, slog-sweeping McCullum viciously for four. Nine from the over, and they may now move a up a gear.
31st over: Sri Lanka 128-2 (Sangakkara 60, Jayawardene 49) Bennett loses his run up, not once but twice. Yet more shades of Harmison, who had that nightmare in Perth (I think) on the 2002-03 Ashes tour. When he does manage bowl a delivery, he falls over and bowls a waist-high, leg-side full toss. He's struggling, having twisted his ankle, so they take a drinks break. Bennett is game, and tries to resume, but he has to hobble off. That was a nasty twist, not least because he is a beast of a man and puts a massive amount of weight on his right foot. Ryder bowls the remaining five deliveries of the over at a cost of three singles.
32nd over: Sri Lanka 132-2 (Sangakkara 62, Jayawardene 51) Kane Williamson comes on to bowl his offspin for the first time, and Jayawardene tucks him to leg for a single to bring up a calm half-century from 74 balls. This has been an old-school one-day innings, with these two laying a base to allow some bish-bosh in the last 15 overs. "Just wondering why you would bother covering SA v Bangladesh when the result is such a foregone conclusion," says Robin Hazlehurst. "Obviously Bangladesh are going to win because then England will be entirely dependant on India beating WI, India will bat first, eff up, and the Windies will chase it down to the last ball of the match and England will have provided yet another squeaky bum nail-biter without even taking part. It's in the stars, you heard it here first, prepare to spend Sunday behind the sofa." I agree. I think Bangladesh might will beat South Africa, but there is no chance India will lose to the West Indies. I do like the idea of England giving us seven nail-biters in a group in which they only play six games.
33rd over: Sri Lanka 138-2 (Sangakkara 62, Jayawardene 57) Jayawardene survives a stumping referral, just dragging his back foot into the crease in time after he missed a swipe at Ryder. He then plays a wonderful stroke, opening the face to steer Ryder to third man for four. "Surely the ONLY hairstyle to sport is that of Ralph Coates….." says Richard Hudson.
34th over: Sri Lanka 141-2 (Sangakkara 64, Jayawardene 58) Kevin O'Brien has hurried Ireland to victory with 14 balls to spare. They made 307 for four and have now made two of the three highest run-chases in World Cup history. I forget the other. That's a fine win to end an excellent tournament for them – but also a frustrating one in some respects, because they could feasibly have won four games rather than two.
35th over: Sri Lanka 155-2 (Sangakkara 72, Jayawardene 64) Fourteen from the over. Sangakkara lifts Styris for the most beautiful straight six, with an immaculate follow through and the highest of right elbows. Then Jayawardene opens the face to play the latest of steers to third man for four. Those were two glorious strokes. Right, Alan Gardner will take you through the last 15 overs. Email him on alan.gardner.casual@guardian.co.uk. Go on.
36th over: Sri Lanka 162-2 (Sangakkara 77, Jayawardene 66) How do? I'm on to relief pitch until the end of the innings. My fastball may only by 85mph but I dare you to pick my swinger ... Sri Lanka are beginning to give it some tap but Nathan McCullum, still quietly seething after that Jayawardene c&b incident, keeps it reasonably tight, conceding just a four and three singles. Sangakkara is now just a couple of boundaries from becoming the highest run scorer of the tournament so far. First person to guess who's currently in pole position will win something very special. No, not that. Honestly.
37th over: Sri Lanka 164-2 (Sangakkara 77, Jayawardene 66) Tim Southee returns. He's had an excellent World Cup so far and is looking very much like a New Zealand great in the making. He starts with two legside wides to completely undermine my opening, however ... Ah, now that's more like it.
WICKET! Jayawardene 66 lbw Southee (37th over: Sri Lanka 164-3) That's definitely out. Mahela, what were you thinking reviewing that? Southee ticked his line across by half a metre and got one to reverse a little back into Jayawardene, who played across the line and was hit on his back pad. There was no bat involved so his only hope was that it was going down leg. It wasn't.
37th over (cont): Sri Lanka 165-3 (Sangakkara 77, Mathews 1) Angelo Mathews is the next man in. The battign powerplay has been taken, by the way. Here's Robin Hazlehurst: "Key word in your competition is 'guess'. Can we agree that all correct answers will be automatically disqualified because they must have cheated and looked it up, not just guessed? So only incorrect answers are permitted. Which should keep the contest going for quite a while, and your prize quite safe." Yes, you could have a peek at cricinfo – but that would be against the Spirit of the OBO (Smyth has a copy). The first attempt in my inbox, from Jos Roberts, is Andrew WRONG Strauss.
38th over: Sri Lanka 170-3 (Sangakkara 79, Mathews 3) "Thanks to Robin Hazlehurst for the phrase 'squeaky bum nail biter' (over 32)," says Dan Smith. "I didn't think it was possible to make that godawful sports journo favourite worse. But he's managed to add some grotesque adult imagery." I know. Bum is a naughty word. Jacob Oram, who strikes me as a man born to be a lumberjack, mixes up the bouncers and fuller deliveries to concede just five runs of the over.
39th over: Sri Lanka 187-3 (Sangakkara 95, Mathews 4) Apparently New Zealand have 28 minutes to bowl their remaining 12 overs, so this could get a bit frantic. Sangakarra leans into a cover drive off Southee that races to the fence. Next ball he uppercuts a six way into the stand over deep-backward square! That was dreamy, in the parlance of our time. Sanga then does it again, chopping the ball over point for four more! This is how you bat in a powerplay, though Southee is giving him far too much room. Sangakarra is now the leading runscorer at the World Cup. I'll give you a clue as to who he has overtaken ... Sean Boiling knows the answer. All you've got to do it track him down.
40th over: Sri Lanka 202-3 (Sangakkara 107, Mathews 6) Sangakarra shows he can score them all round the wicket (because I was doubting) with a little tickle down to long-leg. He then moves to his 11th ODI hundred with a single before belabouring a square drive through point for four more. The final ball of Oram's over is almost driven for a third boundary but a typically excellent piece of fielding by Jamie Howe at long-off save two. "Ryan ten Doeschate?" offers Mac Millings. "If I'm right, can my prize be for you to get me out of work today? I've barely started, and it's already going quite badly." Deal. But it's not Tendo ...
41st over: Sri Lanka 207-3 (Sangakkara 110, Mathews 8) Andrew Roads and Rob Marriott also correctly guessed the second-top scorer of the tournament to far. I'm going to have to share this packet of dry-roasted peanuts round ... If Sri Lanka go boffo like New Zealand did against Pakistan last week, they could still reach 300 here. The highest run chase at the Wankhede is only 220-odd, apparently. "Your fire alarm tests are at 10am on a Friday? That seems cruel, especially to those who got a head-start on the weekend. In my office, they go at 9am on a Monday, just as I'm walking into the building. It's pathetic fallacy at its least subtle, or at least a lousy way to start each and every week." Isn't pathetic fallacy specifically to do with the weather, Jamie Tucker?
WICKET! Sangakarra 111 b N McCullum (42nd over: Sri Lanka 210-4) Nathan McCullum returns and bravely floats one right up, which Sangakarra has a mow at. It was a tired stroke and he didn't quite get to the pitch, with the ball skidding on and clattering the stumps. He goes for Nelson, and hopes the whole way off the pitch. I wish.
42nd over: Sri Lanka 210-4 (Mathews 10, Samaweera 0) "Hi Alan," begins Paddy McQueen, promisingly. "I've no idea what game we're playing (speaking of which, I just lost), but I'm going to say Sachin Tendulkar solely because, whatever the question, he should be answer. I do rather love that man." Man love won't boost Sachin up the run charts, sadly – he's fifth. Excellent over from McCullum, just three off it.
43rd over: Sri Lanka 214-4 (Mathews 12, Samaweera 2) Styris comes on for some of the medium-pace dobble that the fans love to watch has been so effective at this tournament. David Griffiths is back: "Earlier, Andrew Gladwin noted that SA, like NZ, has never won a world cup knockout match, and this is why the SA team probably would want to play NZ in the quarters. I agree. In fact, this match-up is a dream encounter for my purposes, because it will help flesh out a number of my theories that have yet to be tested in competition. I have long speculated on what might happen when the hyper-defensive Voortrekker/laager mentality comes up against the ingrained, and somewhat complacent, white Kiwi settler 'entitlement' culture in a knockout match. To give an analogy, it's a bit like the scientific debate on anti-matter vs matter. I've done some computer modeling on the likely outcome, which I prefer to keep to myself for the moment, but one can never tell what will happen in a real contest." Is this guy for real?
44th over: Sri Lanka 219-4 (Mathews 14, Samaweera 5) McCullum continues with his gentle off-spinners. Indranath Neogy is the latest person to 'guess' correctly, so they get the honour of sating your collective, salivating curiosity ... "Trott was the highest scorer before Sanga overtook him... For my prize I'd like Australia to go out in the QFs and England to make it to the final." I'll have a word with my bookmaker contacts see what I can do.
WICKET! Samaweera 5 c B McCullum b Styris (45th over: Sri Lanka 219-5) Samaweera tries to play a late cut but only succeeds in getting a Rizla on it, with Brendon McCullum pouching it smartly whilst stood up behind the stumps.
45th over: Sri Lanka 222-5 (Mathews 15, Silva 2) The momentum is just swinging back a touch towards New Zealand with those two wickets. "Because you printed Paddy McQueen's sneaky comment, I lost too." I've honestly no idea what Jack Feintuck is talking about.
WICKET! Silva c&b N McCullum (46th over: Sri Lanka 224-6) Another one gone, as 'Muttiah' McCullum picks up his second scalp. Silva played across the line and got a leading edge straight back to the bowler. McCullum missed it at the first attempt but snatched up the rebound before it hit the floor and Sri Lanka are limping towards their allocation.
46th over: Sri Lanka 225-6 (Mathews 16, Kulasekara 1) Nuwan Kulasekara is in and Sri Lanka want to start giving it a bit of humpty, by my reckoning.
WICKET! Kulasekara 1 c Guptill b Southee (47th over: Sri Lanka 232-7) After Mathews had flicked one fine for four to edge his side ever closer to 250, Kulasekara went aerial from the last ball of Southee's over but his pull shot picked out Guptill on the boundary. In fact, Guptill came in too quickly and then nearly took one in the chops as the ball swerved late on him.
WICKET! Malinga 6 c B McCullum b Oram (48th over: Sri Lanka 239-8) That's an superb diving catch by the wicketkeeper to dismiss Malinga after he had top-edged a bouncer over his head. McCullum had to go scampering back as the ball steepled but he threw himself full-length. That's good work too, as the ball before Malinga had kerrunched a six over long-on.
48th over: Sri Lanka 243-8 (Mathews 26, Muralitharan 0) Murali and his big cheshire cat grin join Mathews, who works Oram down the legside for another boundary. To matters Anglo, with Helen Clifford: "I find myself in the unusual position of wanting South Africa to win when they play Bangladesh next, for the good of English pride as a cricketing nation! My cricket coach is South African and has some sort of freakish vendetta against Paul Collingwood, plus all the usual underdog leanings towards Bangladesh, but it would be terrible if England were to go out having been so entertaining thus far. I suppose we can only hope that Bangladesh do enforce a South African choke-a-thon but India sail serenely past the West Indies? Whatever happens, I want bragging rights!" Can we really claim bragging rights if South Africa beat the ninth-ranked team in ODIs? Morally, Bangladesh deserve to go through – but (and who would have thunked it) all the excitement is with England!
49th over: Sri Lanka 255-8 (Mathews 31, Muralitharan 7) Six! A six from Murali! Southee had bowled a text-book death over until then, with full-bungers and the odd change of pace, but Murali picked up his fifth ball from right in the blockhole and deposited it over rope behind the bowler. Southee finishes with three from 63 from his 10 overs, but the Sri Lanka tail is wagging ...
WICKET! Muralitharan 7 run out (50th over: Sri Lanka 260-9) Mathews clips Oram's first ball for four but the batsmen try to push for a second run off the next delivery and Murali is a yard or two short at the non-striker's end.
50th over: Sri Lanka 265-9 (Mathews 41, Mendis 0) Oram suffers the agony of getting a yorker right on target only for Mathews to walk across his stumps a deflect it insouciantly for four. But Oram thunders in with two bouncers to Mendis for the final two deliveries and gets dot, dot as his reward. Still, Sri Lanka have managed a pretty healthy total, despite the middle-order falling away in the last 10 overs. The last word goes to Sean Boiling (this is your prize, Sean): "Mark Nicholas has told me that the highest successful chase on this ground is 229-5. I know what Smyth thinks about those, 'most on a 5th day, most in a 4th innings' type of stats, where do you stand? I'm sticking with NZ. Oram to crush it." I stand on the second floor of the guardian - shortly to be in the canteen for a helping of mulch. Sri Lanka to win by 27 runs. Smyth will tease you through it ... Ta ra
INNINGS BREAK
Afternoon Anyone got anything to talk about?
I'll take that as a no. Bah!
1st over: New Zealand 4-0 (target 266; Guptill 2, B McCullum 1) Lasith Malinga opens the bowling, and his first ball is a leg-side wide. That aside it's a very good over, with three singles from it. "Backed Sri Lanka before the tournament so hopefully they can win this game to avoid India and South Africa in the next stage!" says Harry Mills. "Do you cover the IPL in a similar format in terms of updates?" Generally not. We did do a couple in the first season. I remember a dog being on the pitch for about 10 minutes, debating whether to cock its leg on a good length.
2nd over: New Zealand 5-0 (target 266; Guptill 2, B McCullum 1) Kulasekera's first ball swings in a long way to hit Guptill on the pad. It was going down leg but that degree of swing is very interesting. The next ball swings too much is a wide, but the rest of the over is very accurate, with almost every delivery moving off the straight. An already tricky run-chase just got a lot trickier. In other news, this is a good quiz question from Phil White: who was the last person to play Test cricket in his forties?
3rd over: New Zealand 12-0 (target 266; Guptill 3, B McCullum 7) Brendon McCullum gets just a hint of width and slaps a cut stroke for four, the first boundary of the innings. Good stroke. "Listening to Tony Greig talk about Lasith Malinga's hair and jewellery is very disturbing..." says Thomas Walker. "I think Tony may have a slight man-crush, you could almost hear him drooling into the mic." At least he's not getting a toe massage like he was during one of the earlier games. That was several shades of wrong.
4th over: New Zealand 21-0 (target 266; Guptill 7, B McCullum 12) Murali has limped off the field, which is a big worry for Sri Lanka. McCullum plays an almost identical stroke for four more, this time off Kulasekera, and then Guptill drives handsomely down the ground for another boundary. "The last 40-year-old to play Test cricket?" says Guy Hornsby. "Would we have to go back to Eddie Hemmings? Even if that's wrong, it conjoures up all sorts of amusing mental images. Or indeed this. He really feels like a throwback now doesn't he? Bustling in like a solicitor late for a meeting. He makes Ian Austin look like Jimmy A. Got to love him though." Nope, it's not Hemmings. He bowled pretty well in that memorable summer of 1990, when, after five years without a series win at home, England two of them. Two whole series wins!
5th over: New Zealand 25-0 (target 266; Guptill 10, B McCullum 13) Angelo Mathews replaces Malinga and beats Guptill with a splendid lifting leg-cutter. "Is this the nicest match up possible among the big nations?" says Matt Winter. "I can't think of any historical 'needle', cricket based or otherwise, to give this match up any context. I don't ever remember Vettori punching da Silva in the kidneys following a dodgy caught behind, or New Zealand invading Kandy to secure nice tea for the Empire. Happy to be corrected." There was that run out incident with Murali a few years ago but, off the top of my head, I can't think of anything else. This isn't needle, but didn't the Sri Lankan keeper (Dunusinghe) fall LBW in very odd circumstances in 1994-95? Hit on the head or something?
6th over: New Zealand 28-0 (target 266; Guptill 12, B McCullum 14) Kapugedera saves four with a brilliant stop at mid off when Guptill blasts Kulasekera down the ground. Three singles from the over. New Zealand will be pleased with this start, although the real test will start when the spinners come on. No more news on Murali, who is still off the field. "Since no-one else is talking to you, is the 'best words' game still open?" says Phil Sawyer. Was there ever a game? "Wankle rotary engine, vodka, caribou, vodka, insouciant, vodka and vodka." Vodka is filth. Hope this helps.
WICKET! New Zealand 29-1 (B McCullum c Jayawardene b Mathews 14) In a reversal of this morning's rumpus, Jayawardene takes a low catch off a man called McCullum and the batsman decides not to walk. It was a lovely take, diving to his right at slip when Brendon McCullum fenced at Mathews, and replays showed it was a clean catch. The dangerous McCullum is on his way after making 14 from 16 balls.
7th over: New Zealand 33-1 (target 266; Guptill 13, Ryder 4) The new batsman is Jesse Ryder, and he spanks a cover drive for four to get off the mark. Shot! "More recent than Hemmings," begins Charlie Jeffery. "Surely Gooch or perhaps Alec Stewart?" Yep, it was indeed Alec Stewart, in that feelgood Test against South Africa in 2003. It's interesting, given how many matches he played, to remember that Stewart didn't make his Test debut until the age of 27.
WICKET! New Zealand 33-2 (Guptill LBW b Kulasekera 13) Another one gone. Guptill, stuck on the crease, pushes around his front pad at a fine in-ducker from Kulasekera that hits him in front of off and middle. Guptill walks down the crease with a smidgen of hope that Ryder might tell him to review it, but he very quickly gets the bad news. No point wasting a review on that; it was plumb.
8th over: New Zealand 34-2 (target 266; Ryder 4, Taylor 0) "The sun is sparkling in the sky (alright, it's freezing outside), I'm sat twirling gently in my swivel chair, the office is half empty and there's freshly filtered coffee and chocolate digestives on the go while I watch OBO trundle along," says Mike Murphy. "There's nothing more I could possibly need for my Friday afternoon. Well, maybe some hobnobs for a bit of variety on the biscuit front." Are you a civil servant?
9th over: New Zealand 36-2 (target 266; Ryder 5, Taylor 0) Malinga replaces Mathews (2-0-8-1) and slips a shorter delivery past Taylor's attempted cut. Sri Lanka have unbelievable variety in their bowling attack, it's wonderful. Two from the over. "I'd like to talk about the things that I would like to put in room 101," says Stuart Wilson. " On yesterdays OBO I gave my thoughts on St Patrick's Day, but got shot down in flames by a fellow OBOer. Today I would like to voice my dislike of people who play the guitar. You know the sort, everyone sitting at someone's house having a quiet drink when some Dylan decides it is time to pull out the guitar and play a few songs. Maybe it is because girls automatically gravitate to them or because they are more popular than me, but nothing irks me much more. Fortunately I have now managed to avoid this situation by having no mates and therefore I never get invited to parties." Go and get the guitar.
10th over: New Zealand 37-2 (target 266; Ryder 6, Taylor 0) Sri Lanka are putting the squeeze on, with nine runs and two wickets from the last four overs. "Phil White's question (over 2)," begins Matt Biss. "Clearly it's James Tredwell. I absolutely don't buy the 'born in 82' line. There's a Kanuesque birthdate fabrication scenario going on there. I'm sure he can be carbon-dated back to the late sixties…" So long as he keeps taking four-fors, I don't care if he was originally born as a little dog in 1911.
11th over: New Zealand 53-2 (target 266; Ryder 11, Taylor 10) What an absurd over that was: Malinga should have had two wickets, but he ended up with none and disappeared for 16 runs! The fun started when Tharanga put down a straightforward chance. Ryder flick-pulled Malinga towards midwicket, where Tharanga let the ball go through his hands as he reached above his head. To compound Malinga's misery, the ball went for four. What a chance that was. It wasn't a dolly but it was a sitter. Or are they the same thing? When does a dolly became a sitter? And what's a gimme? I'm confused now. Two balls later, Taylor edges through the vacant third-slip area for four, and then he uppercuts towards third man, where Kulasekera palms a gimme over the ropes for six! Shambolic stuff.
12th over: New Zealand 54-2 (target 266; Ryder 12, Taylor 10) Ryder survives a huge shout for LBW by Kulasekera. The big issue was whether it pitched outside leg stump and, after a chat, Sri Lanka decide not to review. It might also have been too high. Replays show that it pitched a fair way outside leg. "While you were off doing, well, whatever Guardian staff do in their 15-over break, back in the 43rd over, David Griffiths argued that an SA v NZ match would be equivalent to matter colliding with antimatter," says Rob Marriott. "This needs exploring further. Does this mean that both teams will cease to exist, instantaneously releasing an equal amount of energy? And, more importantly, what does this mean for England's chances? Would an amount of energy equal to the South African team be less likely to choke than the actual players themselves? Science, we need answers." You lost me at that fourth comma.
13th over: New Zealand 65-2 (target 266; Ryder 13, Taylor 20) Angelo Mathews is back into the attack, and Murali is back on the field. Taylor takes three twos and then slams a cut stroke over backward point for four. Eleven from the over. "Hey!" says Eamonn Maloney. "Hey! I'm a civil servant. We're very busy hard working people. Why, right now I'm...I'm...well, I'm emailing you out of idle boredom. Good point. Happy now?"
14th over: New Zealand 67-2 (target 266; Ryder 14, Taylor 21) Kulasekera has another huge shout for LBW against Ryder turned down. Again that appeared to pitch outside leg, so they decide not to review, although it was closer than the last one.
"Thanks to Robin Hazlehurst for the phrase 'squeaky bum nail biter'," says Dan Smith. "I didn't think it was possible to make that godawful sports journo favourite worse. But he's managed to add some grotesque adult imagery." At least he didn't call it a 'squeaky bum heart stopper'. That would be a pretty sick way to go.
15th over: New Zealand 73-2 (target 266; Ryder 15, Taylor 26) It's time for spin, in the shape of Ajantha Mendis. His ODI bowling average is still the right side of 20, which isn't bad for someone who isn't an automatic selection. His third ball is a touch wide and Taylor squirts a cut to third man for four.
"England have called up Jade Dernbach, wtf?" says Luke Dealtry. "If in doubt, select a South Anglican, obviously."
16th over: New Zealand 79-2 (target 266; Ryder 17, Taylor 30)
The dew is becoming a factor which, as Simon Doull says on commentary, is a concern in the view of the fact that the final will be a day/night match on this ground. The new bowler, the offspinner Tillakaratne Dilshan, dries the ball vigorously before an over that is milked for six runs. This is turning into a good partnership. "Don't be slagging off the Civil Service," says Owen Griffiths. "There are lots of us out there, and lots of us are on OBO on a Friday afternoon! It's not laziness, or having nothing to do, it is what we pin-striped cockroaches of government call multitasking."
WICKET! New Zealand 82-3 (Ryder c Sangakkara b Mendis 19) A lovely piece of bowling brings a vital breakthrough. Ryder poked at a wider slider from Mendis but was beaten for pace and thin-edged it to Sangakkara, who took a nice catch standing up to the stumps.
17th over: New Zealand 83-3 (target 266; Taylor 31, Williamson 1)
"Ah," says Dan Smith. "Because I noticed that you'd just clocked off, I sent that same mail to Alan Gardner. So I've been published twice and have, consequently, used the phrase 'squeaky bum nail biter' more, I imagine, than anyone else in history. Thank you for making me hate myself. (By the way, the whole sorry thing reminds me of this).
18th over: New Zealand 87-3 (target 266; Taylor 31, Williamson 4) Murali comes into the attack, although he is clearly uncomfortable with his left leg, which he injured while diving for a run earlier in the day. This is a bit of an unnecessary risk, given that Sri Lanka are already through to the quarter-finals. His discomfort manifests itself in a front-foot no-ball, and he bowls Taylor off the resulting free hit. Four from the over. "Speaking of squeaky bum nail biters, what is it with Graeme Swann and 'arse nippers'?" says Mac Millings. "What kind of a baby is that? This obsession of his doesn't seem quite right." Wasn't that Ashley Giles' phrase? He used it to describe the fourth Test in 2005, as I recall; although that Test did a lot more than just nip. It was a full-blown derriere devourer.
19th over: New Zealand 88-3 (target 266; Taylor 31, Williamson 5) A good over from Mendis costs just a single. The required rate is creeping towards a run a ball. "Disappointed that dear old Saj Mahmood has been overlooked as Shahzad's replacement," says Rob Lee-Davey. "His mix of half-track filth combined with the ability to bowl one or two unplayable jaffas every 2nd game is just the sort of unpredictable nonsense that is becoming England's hallmark. Maybe his selection is just a bit too romantic for our crazy campaign, although having said that, who knows what entertainment Dernbach has in store."
WICKET! New Zealand 88-4 (Williamson st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 5) This is breathtaking cricket from both Murali and Kumar Sangakkara. Murali, bowling around the wicket, beat Williamson with a gorgeous flighted doosra slanted across him, and Sangakkara had the bails off in a flash before Williamson could get back in his crease.
20th over: New Zealand 89-4 (target 266; Taylor 31, Styris 1) That dismissal was pure class, two old dons teaching a young kid a lesson. "Quick question re: run outs," says Phill Wainwright, "What's the most amount of run outs one team has had in an innings/match?" I have no idea I'm afraid. Should be easy to find on Cricinfo, though.
21st over: New Zealand 93-4 (target 266; Taylor 33, Styris 3) In the commentary box, Tony Greig and Nasser Hussain are having a lovely chat about the difficulties of playing great spinners – not just the variety in terms of the direction in which the ball is spinning but also, in the case of someone like Shane Warne, the extent of the spin. Warne varied that superbly. Four singles from the over. "We've talked enough about the Boring Middle Overs this tournament, but what about the Boring Middle Hours of the afternoon?" says Piers Barclay. "You've got back from lunch and messed around on the internet for as long as humanly possible, and it's at least an hour or so before you can start winding down because 'it's nearly five'. Any suggestions about how to liven them up?" Have you got Vito from the Sopranos on the brain?
WICKET! New Zealand 93-5 (Taylor LBW b Murali 33) Oh man, Murali is just a joy to watch. The batsmen haven't got a clue what's going on with this around-the-wicket angle, and he has picked up the New Zealand captain Ross Taylor with another beauty. It pitched on leg stump and straightened to beat Taylor on the inside as he crabbed around his front pad. Asad Rauf took a long time to think before raising the finger and, although Taylor reviewed it, replays showed it was hitting the top of middle stump. Outstanding bowling.
22nd over: New Zealand 95-5 (target 266; Styris 4, Franklin 1) Murali has figures of 3-0-7-2. Imagine if he was fully fit! "You can't not play the game," says my colleague Alan Gardner. My head hurts.
23rd over: New Zealand 100-5 (target 266; Styris 5, Franklin 5) Mendis beats Styris with another wider slider and the next ball is almost dragged onto the stumps. New Zealand are trapped in a web of deception, with no idea what the ball is going to do off the pitch. Later in the over Franklin tickles one down the leg side, and poor old Murali winces after it as it goes to the boundary. He's clearly not fully fit as he hardly broke into a jog there, never mind a sprint. Finally Mendis has a biggish shout for LBW against Franklin, but it was missing off stump. "Any chance we could get a description of that breathtaking dismissal please?" says Gavin Bishop. "Or shall we try ourselves? Sorry that was quite sarky." Press F5. It's a problem with the auto-refresh I'm afraid.
WICKET! New Zealand 102-6 (Styris ct and b Muralitharan 7) This is a masterclass from the great man. Styris chips one back whence it came, and Murali leaps to take a sharp two-handed catch before beaming with delight. He now has 1342 international wickets.
24th over: New Zealand 103-6 (target 266; Franklin 6, N McCullum 1) Murali's figures are now 4-0-10-3. Awesome stuff. "Surely the perfect call up for England's wacky World Cup campaign would have been two blokes carrying a large pane of glass across the pitch while the entire England team career towards them on an out of control police wagon, Keystone Cops-style?" says Phil Sawyer. "A few banana skins dropped on the bowlers' run-ups, an umpire swinging a large plank of wood around haphazardly that the batsman at the non-striker's end has to keep ducking under, and a stepladder with a bucket of whitewash balanced precariously on it at first slip wouldn't go amiss."
25th over: New Zealand 106-6 (target 266; Franklin 7, N McCullum 3) The upshot of Sri Lanka winning this match, as they now should, is that if both the weekend's games in Group B go with form – if India beat West Indies and South Africa beat Bangladesh – then England will play Sri Lanka in Colombo in the quarter-finals a week tomorrow. Oh dear. "I don't know what it is, but I have always had a problem with Jacob Oram's name," says Clare Davies. "I am convinced that he is actually named Jay Cobaram and no matter how many times I see it written down, it makes no difference to my belief. Weird, eh? Oh and NZ are going to lose this soon which may be a good thing as I don't think my nerves could take another last-ball arse-nipper."
26th over: New Zealand 112-6 (target 266; Franklin 12, N McCullum 3) Franklin edges Murali for four. New Zealand bat a helluva long way down, with Jacob Oram still to come, but this match will take a deal of winning.
WICKET! New Zealand 115-7 (N McCullum c Jayawardene b Dilshan 4) Now Jayawardene has caught both McCullums. Nathan McCullum threw the bat at a very full, wide delivery from Dilshan and sliced it to slip, where Jayawardene took a lovely sharp catch.
27th over: New Zealand 115-7 (target 266; Franklin 14, Oram 0) One thing's for sure: England can no longer play New Zealand in the quarter-final (unless NZ pull off an absurd victory here). "Calm down Rob," says Guy Hornsby. "Even the most masochistic of us out here sometimes have work to do. But seeing as the NZ innings is going to be over in about 5.3 minutes, I thought I'd jog you from your torpor before you head out for some Liver Compromiser and another night in Hotel OBO. You can check out any time you want, but you can never leave, right?"
28th over: New Zealand 119-7 (target 266; Franklin 16, Oram 1) Oram slices a drive at Murali just past Jayawardene at slip. "If this is Murali bowling whilst injured, God help whoever faces him next match," says Phill Wainwright. "This is awesome to watch. Truly awesome." It is. And it'll probably be England facing him. In Colombo. I no longer feel so jaunty about England's World Cup campaign.
29th over: New Zealand 121-7 (target 266; Franklin 17, Oram 2) "Presumably Dernbach has only been selected as a spare water carrier anyway, so his cricketing skills are of limited relevance," says Robin Hazlehurst. "Is he flying out before Sunday? Be a shame if England got eliminated without playing after he had trekked out there. Meanwhile, how far away are England from setting a record for the largest world cup squad ever? This is their third injury replacement (is it?); can we get a few more in before the end? Maybe beat the 1989 Ashes squad in total." Or better still, start calling up the 1989 Ashes heroes when the entire 15-man squad are injured in a freak banter accident. What are Paul Jarvis and David Capel doing these days?
30th over: New Zealand 123-7 (target 266; Franklin 18, Oram 3) Oram misses a lumbering slog-sweep at Murali. The required rate is above seven an over now.
31st over: New Zealand 127-7 (target 266; Franklin 19, Oram 6) Four from Dilshan's over. New Zealand are playing for their net run-rate just now.
WICKET! New Zealand 129-8 (Franklin c Dilshan b Muralitharan 20) Another piece of magic from Murali. That was tossed up very slowly, inviting Franklin to drive, but he was caught in two minds and pushed it low to Dilshan at short extra cover.
32nd over: New Zealand 134-8 (target 266; Oram 6, Southee 4) Southee sweeps Murali nicely for four. If – and I realise it's a big if – all the weekend's games go in accordance with world ranking, then the quarter-finals will be: South Africa v Pakistan, Sri Lanka v England, Australia v West Indies and India v New Zealand.
33rd over: New Zealand 140-8 (target 266; Oram 9, Southee 7) Dilshan is taking advantage of the match situation to rattle through some fairly cheap overs. His figures are 6-0-24-1. "Apropos not very much, but am I the only person who feels a wave of a totally irrational sympathy/pity whenever they see Scott Styris?" says Andrew White. "I've no idea why, but he just looks like such a nice bloke. It's got so bad that I now find myself 'Styrising' just about anyone who looks minutely troubled in some way. For some reason I slightly Styris Tim Bresnan too..." I know what you mean. There is a touch of the Harvey Pekar about Styris's appearance and gait.
WICKET! New Zealand 144-9 (Southee LBW b Mendis 8) Mendis comes back into the attack and strikes with his fourth ball, a lovely flipper that pins Southee in front. He decided to review it out of desperation, but that was plumb.
34th over: New Zealand 144-9 (target 266; Oram 11, Bennett 0) Murali and Mendis have combined figures of six for 49. England will have a helluva job on if, as is the likeliest scenario, they have to face them in Colombo in the quarter-finals.
WICKET! New Zealand 153 all out (Bennett b Malinga 0); SRI LANKA WIN BY 112 RUNS New Zealand take the batting Powerplay. What's the point, really? I suppose Oram will just try to have some fun. This last wicket shouldn't be long in coming. It takes six balls, in fact, before Malinga cleans Bennett up with a beautiful full-length delivery. Sri Lanka have thrashed New Zealand, with Murali at his most mesmeric and Sangakkara imperious with both bat and gloves. They will definitely finish second in Group A and go into the quarter-finals in good shape, quite possibly to face England. New Zealand will finish third or fourth. Thanks for your emails. See you tomorrow for Bangladesh v South Africa. Bye.

Rutashubanyuma · Mar 19, 2011

Sri Lanka v New Zealand as it happened

Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan were in stunning form as Sri Lanka thrashed New Zealand by 112 runs

Rob Smyth and Alan Gardner
guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011 08.31 GMT <li class="history">Article history

Genius at work. Photograph: Rajanish Kakade/AP Preamble With the exception of that thing in the mirror and the work of Tracey Emin, it's generally the case that the more you look at something, the more it makes sense: a stereogram picture, the past, and Group A of this World Cup.

For a couple of weeks it has had little meaning, just a bunch of fixtures that have been interesting but relatively free of context. Yet after today's match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka we will, for the first time, have a sense of where the top four will finish - and, therefore, who England might play in the quarter-finals.

New Zealand can finish anywhere from first to fourth, Sri Lanka anywhere from second to fourth. Tomorrow's game between Australia and Pakistan will confirm those standings. Australia can finish anywhere from first to third, Pakistan anywhere from first to 14th, because they make their own rules. (Okay, they can finish anywhere from first to fourth.)

You would probably make Sri Lanka favourites here, although it's an immutable law of cricket World Cups that New Zealand will overachieve. And they scored 358 on this ground against Canada the other day. They also didn't do too badly in their last big game, when they biffed 977 from the last two overs against Pakistan.
Sri Lanka have won the toss and will bat first. Daniel Vettori is still not fit for New Zealand, while Sri Lanka have picked the three Ms. Well, four if you count Angelo Mathews. And why wouldn't you? Don't omit him, that's not nice.
New Zealand Guptill, B McCullum (wk), Ryder, Taylor (c), Williamson, Styris, Franklin, N McCullum, Oram, Southee, Bennett.
Sri Lanka Tharanga, Dilshan, Sangakkara (c/wk), Jayawardene, Samaraweera, Silva, Mathews, Kulasekera, Malinga, Mendis, Muralitharan.
England dept. Who do England want to win this match? Whichever side they would prefer to play in the quarter-finals, basically. The permutations are making my head hurt, but... if Australia beat Pakistan, South Africa beat Bangladesh and India beat West Indies all feasible results then England will play the winner of today's match in the next round. I think.
The dream scenario New Zealand win today, Pakistan beat Australia, South Africa beat Bangladesh and India beat West Indies. The result? A maverick-off between England and Pakistan in the quarters.
Look! This link, from David Guy, was lost in yesterday's denouement, what with most of us on the operating table incapable of saying anything except 'Tredwell's gonna get ya!' with a demented half-smile on our phizog, but look at it! Look at Lord Selvey!
1st over: Sri Lanka 4-0 (Tharanga 1, Dilshan 0) There's some dangerous early swing for Tim Southee. Too much from the first delivery, which curves down the leg side and is called wide. And plenty from the last, which swerves past Dilshan's vigorous mow. A good start for New Zealand. "That top trump link is wonderful," says Joshua Collis. "Born in 1980, it's fascinating to compare the 'all time greats' (John Edrich and Chris Old perhaps shamefully I've heard of neither) versus those who we might naturally consider all time greats today (e.g. Botham, Gooch, Gower, Trueman) . I'd also fancy that you could pick a more rested and fresh team out of that lot today than England's currently exhausted squad."
2nd over: Sri Lanka 7-0 (Tharanga 2, Dilshan 2) With Kyle Mills rested, Jacob Oram takes the new ball. His second ball is a brutish leg-cutting lifter that beats the fencing Dilshan. Good luck playing those. Dilshan responds by flailing a square drive for two. "New and improved World Cup formats: simply abolish Group A," says Dan Smith. "It's just not been pulling its weight." Or: put England in both groups. Sure it's inhumane, but it wouldn't be much worse than the schedule they've had this winter.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 13-1 (Tharanga run out 3) Dumb luck for Upul Tharanga, who is run out backing up. Dilshan scorched the ball back whence it came, and the bowler Southee contorted his body in his follow through to get a fingertip on the ball and help it onto the stumps. Tharanga was well out of his ground so there was no need to use the third umpire. Great work from Southee.
3rd over: Sri Lanka 13-1 (Dilshan 2, Sangakkara 0) Danny Morrison is on commentary. Have you heard him? He makes some nice observations, but I can't get past his voice. As well as the Kiwi twang, it has a kind of playful softness. It feels like he's tickling you while he's talking to you. Or something. "Never mind that [baddish word] Moyles," says Phil Dobbin, "our man Smyth is only halfway through his marathon stint (suspect he's already got his red nose...)." Yep, I'll be back in at 3am tomorrow for Bangladesh v South Africa after another night at Hotel OBO, the world-famous King's Cross palace: £30 per room, or £20 if you take the massage.
4th over: Sri Lanka 19-1 (Dilshan 3, Sangakkara 5) So nearly another run out. Sangakkara was sent back by Dilshan and had to dive desperately to make his ground as Guptill's throw from backward square leg hit the stumps. It went to the third umpire, and Sangakkara was only just home. That again shows the value of diving. Cricket's so good that it can take the bad things from football and make them into a virtue. "Hmmm," says Dan Smith. "Bob Taylor. I see wicketkeepers who aren't also batsmen were as redundant in 80s Top Trumps as they now are in cricket." Top Trumps: ahead of their time.
WICKET! Sri Lanka 19-2 (Dilshan c Oram b Southee 3) A big wicket for New Zealand, and a bit of an odd dismissal. Dilshan rolls the wrists and tries to whirl Southee over the leg side, but there's enough outswing to take a leading edge and the ball goes miles in the air towards third man, where Oram takes a straightforward catch. Dilshan made just three from 15 balls.
5th over: Sri Lanka 23-2 (Sangakkara 9, Jayawardene 0) Sangakkara times Southee through midwicket for four, a gorgeous stroke. This, you don't need me to tell you, is the most important partnership of the innings. "Not sure if you've seen any of the other game that's on today Netherlands made 306 in 50 overs, but lost their last four wickets, in four balls, all to run outs!" says Duncan Bonnett. "It has to be one of the most remarkable statistics in cricket; can you come up with anything similarly freakish? Oh, and well done to England for getting themselves out of a tight one yesterday." It might well be a first. I think India lost four in four balls against England at the 2003 World Cup but a couple of those were orthodox wickets, from memory. In an amusing development, I believe that was the first ever OBO over that Barry Glendenning covered. Poor old Baz. Eight years on, he's still typing up the third wicket.
6th over: Sri Lanka 27-2 (Sangakkara 9, Jayawardene 4) An opening batsman caught at third man while playing to leg. Imagine what Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe would have made of that. They would have been nonplussed. But they'd have enjoyed that stroke from Jayawardene, a feather through mid on that goes for four with the add of a clumsy piece of fielding from Bennett. Those are the only runs from the over. Oram is bowling well here. "Ladbrokes are giving pretty good odds for NZ, which could be profitable," says Leo Mirani. "I watched NZ vs Canada at the same stadium on Sunday and neatly got beaned by a low six. Still, it's a lot hotter (understatement) in Mumbai than it was a few days ago, which means the Kiwis may just collapse in exhaustion. I'm assuming you're not getting many emails early Friday morning. Except from the unemployed." It is very quiet. But after yesterday, I don't mind. In fact, I still have loads of unread emails from yesterday; maybe I should publish those.
7th over: Sri Lanka 29-2 (Sangakkara 11, Jayawardene 4) Anyway, who are England going to call up to replace Ajmal Shahzad? The list of injuries has almost been enough to make you forget your own name, never mind that of England's nth-choice seamers. Chris Woakes? Or do they go down the Australia route and pick a batsman or a spinner? "Malinga took four wickets in four balls against South Africa in the last World Cup," points out Gehan Dias.
8th over: Sri Lanka 35-2 (Sangakkara 11, Jayawardene 10) Here's Hamish Bennett. He's a huge man and an even more erratic version of Steve Harmison (I realise that's like calling some a balder version of Duncan Goodhew, but it's true), with all the raw materials except a radar. The first ball is garbage, on the pads, and Jayawardene flicks it away for four. The rest of the over is pretty accurate, mind. That's a good comeback. "Good morning Rob," says Bharath Rajagopalan. "It says, email your best words. How about 'Halcyon' and 'Lassitude' for starters?" Cellar door.
9th over: Sri Lanka 41-2 (Sangakkara 16, Jayawardene 11) Southee is still getting a bit of swing with this new ball, and Sangakkara edges a good delivery low to third man for four. "While I'm doing this whole corresponding-with-the-Guardian thing, I thought you might be interested to know that we've built an iPhone app called Cricket Booth that lets you photograph yourself with the hairstyles of famous cricketers (including such style-icons such as Lasith Malinga, Hashim Amla and Merv Hughes)," says Gehan Dias. The app hasn't quite taken off as we had hoped (surely every cricket fan would want a photo of themselves wearing the beard of Amla) but if you are interested, do have a look at the links here: the app store, and YouTube." That's a great idea. A picture of me with Mike Brearley's Ayatollah beard would look divine on the mantelpiece, darling. A Bruce Reid mullet would look nice, too. J'adore.
10th over: Sri Lanka 43-2 (Sangakkara 17, Jayawardene 11) Ireland are cruising to victory over the Netherlands. You can follow the score here. This game is going through a fairly quiet spell, although I should also apologise for my post-England sluggishness.
11th over: Sri Lanka 45-2 (Sangakkara 18, Jayawardene 12) Jesse Ryder is, a little surprisingly, replacing Tim Southee. Presumably the thinking is that he might swing it. There's a hint of shape, no more, and his first over costs just a couple. "Ref Cricket Booth (9th Over)," says Mark Bradley. "iPhone only? Really? Get it on Android and perhaps we'll talk. And any plans of porting this to other famous sports? I've always wanted a Valderrama barnet myself." A Noel Brotherston for me please.
12th over: Sri Lanka 49-2 (Sangakkara 22, Jayawardene 12) That's a delightful stroke from Sangakkara, a push-drive down the ground for four off Bennett. Is there a more aesthetic batsman in the world than Sangakkara? I'm not sure there is. His batting is so beautiful that it could be a cure for hangovers. "Best words?" says Mac Millings. "Solitude. Evasion. Accidental. Tipsy. Procrastination. Alibi. Escape. From. London." I told you yesterday that this isn't a Chuck Palahniuk workshop.
13th over: Sri Lanka 52-2 (Sangakkara 22, Jayawardene 14) The fire alarm has gone off. It's only a test. Same at 10am every Friday., But what if a fire coincidentally broke out at 10.00.01 on a Friday morning? What then, eh? Oram returns to the attack, in place of Ryder. In the brutal Mumbai heat, a fella of Ryder's size would probably like to bowl in spells of one ball, never mind one over. It's another good over from Oram, with just three from it. "Any suggestions for other chaps to include in the app?" says Gehan Dias. "Kevin O'Brien's purple hair for sure. And perhaps a classic Aussie 'do, a la Bruce Reid or Jason Gillespie. All ideas welcome."
14th over: Sri Lanka 59-2 (Sangakkara 27, Jayawardene 15) Ryder has switched ends, in fact. He bowls a front-foot no-ball, unforgivable for a medium-pacer, and Sangakkara blasts the free hit over mid off for four. "Surely one can't look past Hamish Marshall's charity match afro?" says Ethan Tucker. "Not if you're behind him in the cinema anyway." That's a Curb Your Enthusiasm scene waiting to happen.
15th over: Sri Lanka 60-2 (Sangakkara 28, Jayawardene 15) That ubiquitous Paddy Power advert is so bloody annoying. You know the one. They normally do good adverts, too. This is a personal favourite.
"I was going to send a rather Terry Thomas-esque email about Sangakkara and his aesthetic qualities but thought better of it," says Terry Th Rachel Clifton. "In the Ireland game, Stirling is absolutely flaying the Netherlands 93 from 63 balls...." And the moment she typed that, inevitably, he was out, for 101 from 72 balls. A sensational innings, mind, and Ireland are well on course for victory.
16th over: Sri Lanka 64-2 (Sangakkara 32, Jayawardene 15) Here's James Franklin. His first ball is a feeble loosener that Sangakkara drives through extra cover for four. No runs thereafter. "Dulux," says Richard Woods. I think he's referring to Matthew Hoggard.
17th over: Sri Lanka 64-2 (Sangakkara 32, Jayawardene 15) A maiden from Oram to the becalmed Jayawardene, who now has 15 from 36 balls. "I have followed the CAPG UNS (TM) for many years as part of an intergenerational study into the effects of national culture on national sporting teams," says Davorder. "My thesis, which has been proved over many cricket World Cups, is that the New Zealand team are in fact the bullies of the sport. When they come up against a minnow side they completely blow them away, as bullies are wont to do with weak adversaries. You can almost see the top Kiwi batsmen salivating at the prospect of improving their averages (after being hammered year in year out by Australia) against the lesser sides at this tournament. Collectively they are all deeply afraid that they might one day be classified as an Associate nation, so they actually put their biggest efforts into these matches (viz. their slaughtering of the hapless Canadians and Zimbabweans). But when they have to play a really good team in, say, the semi-finals they simply implode and go pathetically supine under the slightest pressure imposed by an opponent who can stick up for himself. Any psychologist will tell you this is classic bully behaviour. Read your Tom Brown's Schooldays for a literary treatment. I call this phenomenon in my upcoming book the "Flashman Syndrome". Just you watch. It will happen again - not perhaps in this match, because it is not actually a knockout game (albeit against top quality opposition) - but certainly they will come to grief in the knockout phase when it really matters." I agree, but only up to a point: they were great in 1992, they took care of Australia in 1999, and they beat the hosts in 1983, 2003 and 2007.
18th over: Sri Lanka 68-2 (Sangakkara 34, Jayawardene 17) Four singles from Franklin's over. Feeling generous? Here's today's charity link. Anything you can give is a bonus, especially as the fundraising target on the page is £0.00.
19th over: Sri Lanka 72-2 (Sangakkara 36, Jayawardene 19) Scott Styris will replace Jacob Oram, who has bowled extremely well for figures of 6-0-16-0. Jaywardene drives a single down the ground to bring up a sedate fifty partnership from 83 balls. "It may well be morning in the UK, but it's just gone midnight here in New Zealand, where some of us expats still follow the Guardian for the news (and cricket!)," says Timmy Konar. "And it's Saturday tomorrow - good job because the game could go on 'til 6am our time..." I'd like to say it's worth staying up for but, well, y'know.
20th over: Sri Lanka 75-2 (Sangakkara 38, Jayawardene 20) The offspinner Nathan McCullum comes into the attack. Nothing really happens. This is the group stages of the World Cup at their worst, in truth: a dead rubber, and some pretty sleepy cricket. It has the feel of a warm-up game which it is, really, just a bit of preparation ahead of the quarter-finals. "Another shameless plug request..." says OBO alumnus Sam Collins. "The Chuck Fleetwood-Smiths are not going away, here's World Cup week 4. It's got a farewell to Shoaib, how to bat like KP and Ebony Rainford-Brent."
21st over: Sri Lanka 78-2 (Sangakkara 40, Jayawardene 21) An off-cutter from Styris grips on the pitch, and Jayawardene pops a leading edge not far to the left of the bowler. Sri Lanka's spinners will be licking their lips at that.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 81-2 (Sangakkara 42, Jayawardene 22) A quiet over from McCullum. "If New Zealand are school bullies picking on the weak kids, Australia must be the sporting jocks of wedgies and knuckle sandwiches," says Ben Dunn. "England, however, are more the geeky, enthusiastic kid who likes a bit of twelve-sided die action and is known as the school spanner." Twelve-sided dice! I'd forgotten how good they were. I used to play those Warhammer things just so I could use one. I had no idea what was going on not a solitary clue but rolling that 12-sided die felt so darn good that I couldn't stop.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 85-2 (Sangakkara 44, Jayawardene 24) Four singles from Styris's over. It seems likely that, with the ball turning a bit, Sri Lanka have decided to set their sights relatively low, hence their fairly passive batting. It's a bit of a risk, though, because the pitch is far from a minefield. "You'll agree that these victories against tournament host sides occurred outside the knockout rounds, and in any case being host has been a poisoned chalice on virtually all occasions (save perhaps Sri Lanka in 96)," says David Griffiths. "Certainly, NZ has plenty of talent but they'll only excel against quality sides when they are pyschologically vulnerable for extrinsic reasons. Indeed, NZ was excellent in 92, but crumpled in the match that counted - the semi-final, which was also the only knockout round that was played at that tourney. I think this bears out my thesis." Yes, that's a very good point. In fact, have they ever won a World Cup knockout game? I don't think they have. Even England have won three! Despite that, NZ's three semi-final appearances in the last five tournaments is still a decent overall record.
24th over: Sri Lanka 93-2 (Sangakkara 45, Jayawardene 31) A bit of controversy here. Nathan McCullum thinks he has taken a sensational return catch to dismiss Mahela Jayawardene, but Jayawardene stands his ground so the decision goes upstairs. You know what that means: the replays are not 100 per cent conclusive, even though basically everyone knows it was out, so Jayawardene survives. It was an awesome catch from McCullum, who dived to his right, extended a telescopic arm and clutched the ball between his index and middle fingers. He is extremely annoyed, as is his captain Ross Taylor, and you can understand why. I don't blame Jayawardene for standing his ground, nor necessarily the third umpire, but the system is definitely wrong because Jayawardene was surely out. What it has done is liven up this game: everyone's got the battle fever on now, and Jayawardene pulls McCullum crisply for four. The commentators have got the battle fever on, as well: Simon Doull has just suggested the third umpire Amiesh Saheba should be sacked!
25th over: Sri Lanka 100-2 (Sangakkara 46, Jayawardene 36) That incident seems to have woken up Jayawardene, who glides Styris classily for four to bring up the hundred.
26th over: Sri Lanka 104-2 (Sangakkara 48, Jayawardene 38) Sangakkara works a single to leg, his 9000th run in ODIs. Nine-thousand runs! "After yesterday's nerve-slaughtering, grey-cell-melting bloody stump-biter, there's something beautifully serene about watching two matches that absolutely, positively, do NOT contain England," says Guy Hornsby. "It's good to see a competitive and close Ire v Neth game, and this one looks a fascinating ride, being in full BMO/calm-before-the-storm mode. These two will go on accumulating until the 35th then begin cranking it up, like a 1970s snooker player starting on the chasers to go with his pints as the middle frames approach. It's tough to call, as this pitch had 300-plus on it last week, but you'd guess Sri Lanka could defend anything over 220 with their turners."
27th over: Sri Lanka 109-2 (Sangakkara 50, Jayawardene 42) Jayawardene laps Styris to fine leg, where Bennett makes a brilliant save to turn four into two, and then Sangakkara drives a single to reach yet another half-century. This has been a relaxed effort, from 77 balls and with six fours. I wonder what they think is a par score. 250? "NZ and SA have never won a knockout game at the World Cup," says Andrew Gladwin. "Both have semi-finals as their best result the only other time there were quarters was in 1996 when both SA and NZ lost in the quarters. I think that is why SA would most like play NZ in the quarters now." I'm quite looking forward to the novelty of quarter-finals. So long as England do a little better than in 1996, anyway.
28th over: Sri Lanka 112-2 (Sangakkara 52, Jayawardene 43) There's a good finish in store at Kolkata, where Ireland need 74 off the last 10 overs with seven wickets still in hand. Back here, Sangakkara drives McCullum down the ground for a couple, just past the bowler's outstretched right hand. It's a hugely underrated skill, judging what is a good score when you bat first in an ODI. These two are usually very good in that regard, so we have to trust them here. We just have to trust them guys! "I write to beg," says Tom Slade, which is always a promising start to an email. "May I prevail upon you to publicise our efforts for Whizz Kids, the children's mobility charity. Three of us are running two marathons in the space of five weeks (London and Edinburgh). It's not quite Eddie Izzard, but, meh. We are not really looking forward to it."
29th over: Sri Lanka 115-2 (Sangakkara 52, Jayawardene 44) Hamish Bennett comes back into the attack and starts with a harshly judged front-foot no-ball. Simon Doull is spitting! The damage is minimal, with the free hit bringing just a single.
Here's Leo Mirani. "HON SMYTH ESQ PLEASE DITCH [BADDISH WORD] DAY MATCH IN FAVOUR OF EDEN STOP DUTCH ENLIVENING GAME IN CAL STOP." Even though I might, I can't. Anywhere, it's all over. Gary Wilson and his roguish smile have just hit 16 from three balls. Ireland need 52 from nine overs.
30th over: Sri Lanka 124-2 (Sangakkara 58, Jayawardene 47) Sangakkara finally pulls out a big stroke, slog-sweeping McCullum viciously for four. Nine from the over, and they may now move a up a gear.
31st over: Sri Lanka 128-2 (Sangakkara 60, Jayawardene 49) Bennett loses his run up, not once but twice. Yet more shades of Harmison, who had that nightmare in Perth (I think) on the 2002-03 Ashes tour. When he does manage bowl a delivery, he falls over and bowls a waist-high, leg-side full toss. He's struggling, having twisted his ankle, so they take a drinks break. Bennett is game, and tries to resume, but he has to hobble off. That was a nasty twist, not least because he is a beast of a man and puts a massive amount of weight on his right foot. Ryder bowls the remaining five deliveries of the over at a cost of three singles.
32nd over: Sri Lanka 132-2 (Sangakkara 62, Jayawardene 51) Kane Williamson comes on to bowl his offspin for the first time, and Jayawardene tucks him to leg for a single to bring up a calm half-century from 74 balls. This has been an old-school one-day innings, with these two laying a base to allow some bish-bosh in the last 15 overs. "Just wondering why you would bother covering SA v Bangladesh when the result is such a foregone conclusion," says Robin Hazlehurst. "Obviously Bangladesh are going to win because then England will be entirely dependant on India beating WI, India will bat first, eff up, and the Windies will chase it down to the last ball of the match and England will have provided yet another squeaky bum nail-biter without even taking part. It's in the stars, you heard it here first, prepare to spend Sunday behind the sofa." I agree. I think Bangladesh might will beat South Africa, but there is no chance India will lose to the West Indies. I do like the idea of England giving us seven nail-biters in a group in which they only play six games.
33rd over: Sri Lanka 138-2 (Sangakkara 62, Jayawardene 57) Jayawardene survives a stumping referral, just dragging his back foot into the crease in time after he missed a swipe at Ryder. He then plays a wonderful stroke, opening the face to steer Ryder to third man for four. "Surely the ONLY hairstyle to sport is that of Ralph Coates.." says Richard Hudson.
34th over: Sri Lanka 141-2 (Sangakkara 64, Jayawardene 58) Kevin O'Brien has hurried Ireland to victory with 14 balls to spare. They made 307 for four and have now made two of the three highest run-chases in World Cup history. I forget the other. That's a fine win to end an excellent tournament for them but also a frustrating one in some respects, because they could feasibly have won four games rather than two.
35th over: Sri Lanka 155-2 (Sangakkara 72, Jayawardene 64) Fourteen from the over. Sangakkara lifts Styris for the most beautiful straight six, with an immaculate follow through and the highest of right elbows. Then Jayawardene opens the face to play the latest of steers to third man for four. Those were two glorious strokes. Right, Alan Gardner will take you through the last 15 overs. Email him on alan.gardner.casual@guardian.co.uk. Go on.
36th over: Sri Lanka 162-2 (Sangakkara 77, Jayawardene 66) How do? I'm on to relief pitch until the end of the innings. My fastball may only by 85mph but I dare you to pick my swinger ... Sri Lanka are beginning to give it some tap but Nathan McCullum, still quietly seething after that Jayawardene c&b incident, keeps it reasonably tight, conceding just a four and three singles. Sangakkara is now just a couple of boundaries from becoming the highest run scorer of the tournament so far. First person to guess who's currently in pole position will win something very special. No, not that. Honestly.
37th over: Sri Lanka 164-2 (Sangakkara 77, Jayawardene 66) Tim Southee returns. He's had an excellent World Cup so far and is looking very much like a New Zealand great in the making. He starts with two legside wides to completely undermine my opening, however ... Ah, now that's more like it.
WICKET! Jayawardene 66 lbw Southee (37th over: Sri Lanka 164-3) That's definitely out. Mahela, what were you thinking reviewing that? Southee ticked his line across by half a metre and got one to reverse a little back into Jayawardene, who played across the line and was hit on his back pad. There was no bat involved so his only hope was that it was going down leg. It wasn't.
37th over (cont): Sri Lanka 165-3 (Sangakkara 77, Mathews 1) Angelo Mathews is the next man in. The battign powerplay has been taken, by the way. Here's Robin Hazlehurst: "Key word in your competition is 'guess'. Can we agree that all correct answers will be automatically disqualified because they must have cheated and looked it up, not just guessed? So only incorrect answers are permitted. Which should keep the contest going for quite a while, and your prize quite safe." Yes, you could have a peek at cricinfo but that would be against the Spirit of the OBO (Smyth has a copy). The first attempt in my inbox, from Jos Roberts, is Andrew WRONG Strauss.
38th over: Sri Lanka 170-3 (Sangakkara 79, Mathews 3) "Thanks to Robin Hazlehurst for the phrase 'squeaky bum nail biter' (over 32)," says Dan Smith. "I didn't think it was possible to make that godawful sports journo favourite worse. But he's managed to add some grotesque adult imagery." I know. Bum is a naughty word. Jacob Oram, who strikes me as a man born to be a lumberjack, mixes up the bouncers and fuller deliveries to concede just five runs of the over.
39th over: Sri Lanka 187-3 (Sangakkara 95, Mathews 4) Apparently New Zealand have 28 minutes to bowl their remaining 12 overs, so this could get a bit frantic. Sangakarra leans into a cover drive off Southee that races to the fence. Next ball he uppercuts a six way into the stand over deep-backward square! That was dreamy, in the parlance of our time. Sanga then does it again, chopping the ball over point for four more! This is how you bat in a powerplay, though Southee is giving him far too much room. Sangakarra is now the leading runscorer at the World Cup. I'll give you a clue as to who he has overtaken ... Sean Boiling knows the answer. All you've got to do it track him down.
40th over: Sri Lanka 202-3 (Sangakkara 107, Mathews 6) Sangakarra shows he can score them all round the wicket (because I was doubting) with a little tickle down to long-leg. He then moves to his 11th ODI hundred with a single before belabouring a square drive through point for four more. The final ball of Oram's over is almost driven for a third boundary but a typically excellent piece of fielding by Jamie Howe at long-off save two. "Ryan ten Doeschate?" offers Mac Millings. "If I'm right, can my prize be for you to get me out of work today? I've barely started, and it's already going quite badly." Deal. But it's not Tendo ...
41st over: Sri Lanka 207-3 (Sangakkara 110, Mathews 8) Andrew Roads and Rob Marriott also correctly guessed the second-top scorer of the tournament to far. I'm going to have to share this packet of dry-roasted peanuts round ... If Sri Lanka go boffo like New Zealand did against Pakistan last week, they could still reach 300 here. The highest run chase at the Wankhede is only 220-odd, apparently. "Your fire alarm tests are at 10am on a Friday? That seems cruel, especially to those who got a head-start on the weekend. In my office, they go at 9am on a Monday, just as I'm walking into the building. It's pathetic fallacy at its least subtle, or at least a lousy way to start each and every week." Isn't pathetic fallacy specifically to do with the weather, Jamie Tucker?
WICKET! Sangakarra 111 b N McCullum (42nd over: Sri Lanka 210-4) Nathan McCullum returns and bravely floats one right up, which Sangakarra has a mow at. It was a tired stroke and he didn't quite get to the pitch, with the ball skidding on and clattering the stumps. He goes for Nelson, and hopes the whole way off the pitch. I wish.
42nd over: Sri Lanka 210-4 (Mathews 10, Samaweera 0) "Hi Alan," begins Paddy McQueen, promisingly. "I've no idea what game we're playing (speaking of which, I just lost), but I'm going to say Sachin Tendulkar solely because, whatever the question, he should be answer. I do rather love that man." Man love won't boost Sachin up the run charts, sadly he's fifth. Excellent over from McCullum, just three off it.
43rd over: Sri Lanka 214-4 (Mathews 12, Samaweera 2) Styris comes on for some of the medium-pace dobble that the fans love to watch has been so effective at this tournament. David Griffiths is back: "Earlier, Andrew Gladwin noted that SA, like NZ, has never won a world cup knockout match, and this is why the SA team probably would want to play NZ in the quarters. I agree. In fact, this match-up is a dream encounter for my purposes, because it will help flesh out a number of my theories that have yet to be tested in competition. I have long speculated on what might happen when the hyper-defensive Voortrekker/laager mentality comes up against the ingrained, and somewhat complacent, white Kiwi settler 'entitlement' culture in a knockout match. To give an analogy, it's a bit like the scientific debate on anti-matter vs matter. I've done some computer modeling on the likely outcome, which I prefer to keep to myself for the moment, but one can never tell what will happen in a real contest." Is this guy for real?
44th over: Sri Lanka 219-4 (Mathews 14, Samaweera 5) McCullum continues with his gentle off-spinners. Indranath Neogy is the latest person to 'guess' correctly, so they get the honour of sating your collective, salivating curiosity ... "Trott was the highest scorer before Sanga overtook him... For my prize I'd like Australia to go out in the QFs and England to make it to the final." I'll have a word with my bookmaker contacts see what I can do.
WICKET! Samaweera 5 c B McCullum b Styris (45th over: Sri Lanka 219-5) Samaweera tries to play a late cut but only succeeds in getting a Rizla on it, with Brendon McCullum pouching it smartly whilst stood up behind the stumps.
45th over: Sri Lanka 222-5 (Mathews 15, Silva 2) The momentum is just swinging back a touch towards New Zealand with those two wickets. "Because you printed Paddy McQueen's sneaky comment, I lost too." I've honestly no idea what Jack Feintuck is talking about.
WICKET! Silva c&b N McCullum (46th over: Sri Lanka 224-6) Another one gone, as 'Muttiah' McCullum picks up his second scalp. Silva played across the line and got a leading edge straight back to the bowler. McCullum missed it at the first attempt but snatched up the rebound before it hit the floor and Sri Lanka are limping towards their allocation.
46th over: Sri Lanka 225-6 (Mathews 16, Kulasekara 1) Nuwan Kulasekara is in and Sri Lanka want to start giving it a bit of humpty, by my reckoning.
WICKET! Kulasekara 1 c Guptill b Southee (47th over: Sri Lanka 232-7) After Mathews had flicked one fine for four to edge his side ever closer to 250, Kulasekara went aerial from the last ball of Southee's over but his pull shot picked out Guptill on the boundary. In fact, Guptill came in too quickly and then nearly took one in the chops as the ball swerved late on him.
WICKET! Malinga 6 c B McCullum b Oram (48th over: Sri Lanka 239-8) That's an superb diving catch by the wicketkeeper to dismiss Malinga after he had top-edged a bouncer over his head. McCullum had to go scampering back as the ball steepled but he threw himself full-length. That's good work too, as the ball before Malinga had kerrunched a six over long-on.
48th over: Sri Lanka 243-8 (Mathews 26, Muralitharan 0) Murali and his big cheshire cat grin join Mathews, who works Oram down the legside for another boundary. To matters Anglo, with Helen Clifford: "I find myself in the unusual position of wanting South Africa to win when they play Bangladesh next, for the good of English pride as a cricketing nation! My cricket coach is South African and has some sort of freakish vendetta against Paul Collingwood, plus all the usual underdog leanings towards Bangladesh, but it would be terrible if England were to go out having been so entertaining thus far. I suppose we can only hope that Bangladesh do enforce a South African choke-a-thon but India sail serenely past the West Indies? Whatever happens, I want bragging rights!" Can we really claim bragging rights if South Africa beat the ninth-ranked team in ODIs? Morally, Bangladesh deserve to go through but (and who would have thunked it) all the excitement is with England!
49th over: Sri Lanka 255-8 (Mathews 31, Muralitharan 7) Six! A six from Murali! Southee had bowled a text-book death over until then, with full-bungers and the odd change of pace, but Murali picked up his fifth ball from right in the blockhole and deposited it over rope behind the bowler. Southee finishes with three from 63 from his 10 overs, but the Sri Lanka tail is wagging ...
WICKET! Muralitharan 7 run out (50th over: Sri Lanka 260-9) Mathews clips Oram's first ball for four but the batsmen try to push for a second run off the next delivery and Murali is a yard or two short at the non-striker's end.
50th over: Sri Lanka 265-9 (Mathews 41, Mendis 0) Oram suffers the agony of getting a yorker right on target only for Mathews to walk across his stumps a deflect it insouciantly for four. But Oram thunders in with two bouncers to Mendis for the final two deliveries and gets dot, dot as his reward. Still, Sri Lanka have managed a pretty healthy total, despite the middle-order falling away in the last 10 overs. The last word goes to Sean Boiling (this is your prize, Sean): "Mark Nicholas has told me that the highest successful chase on this ground is 229-5. I know what Smyth thinks about those, 'most on a 5th day, most in a 4th innings' type of stats, where do you stand? I'm sticking with NZ. Oram to crush it." I stand on the second floor of the guardian - shortly to be in the canteen for a helping of mulch. Sri Lanka to win by 27 runs. Smyth will tease you through it ... Ta ra
INNINGS BREAK
Afternoon Anyone got anything to talk about?
I'll take that as a no. Bah!
1st over: New Zealand 4-0 (target 266; Guptill 2, B McCullum 1) Lasith Malinga opens the bowling, and his first ball is a leg-side wide. That aside it's a very good over, with three singles from it. "Backed Sri Lanka before the tournament so hopefully they can win this game to avoid India and South Africa in the next stage!" says Harry Mills. "Do you cover the IPL in a similar format in terms of updates?" Generally not. We did do a couple in the first season. I remember a dog being on the pitch for about 10 minutes, debating whether to cock its leg on a good length.
2nd over: New Zealand 5-0 (target 266; Guptill 2, B McCullum 1) Kulasekera's first ball swings in a long way to hit Guptill on the pad. It was going down leg but that degree of swing is very interesting. The next ball swings too much is a wide, but the rest of the over is very accurate, with almost every delivery moving off the straight. An already tricky run-chase just got a lot trickier. In other news, this is a good quiz question from Phil White: who was the last person to play Test cricket in his forties?
3rd over: New Zealand 12-0 (target 266; Guptill 3, B McCullum 7) Brendon McCullum gets just a hint of width and slaps a cut stroke for four, the first boundary of the innings. Good stroke. "Listening to Tony Greig talk about Lasith Malinga's hair and jewellery is very disturbing..." says Thomas Walker. "I think Tony may have a slight man-crush, you could almost hear him drooling into the mic." At least he's not getting a toe massage like he was during one of the earlier games. That was several shades of wrong.
4th over: New Zealand 21-0 (target 266; Guptill 7, B McCullum 12) Murali has limped off the field, which is a big worry for Sri Lanka. McCullum plays an almost identical stroke for four more, this time off Kulasekera, and then Guptill drives handsomely down the ground for another boundary. "The last 40-year-old to play Test cricket?" says Guy Hornsby. "Would we have to go back to Eddie Hemmings? Even if that's wrong, it conjoures up all sorts of amusing mental images. Or indeed this. He really feels like a throwback now doesn't he? Bustling in like a solicitor late for a meeting. He makes Ian Austin look like Jimmy A. Got to love him though." Nope, it's not Hemmings. He bowled pretty well in that memorable summer of 1990, when, after five years without a series win at home, England two of them. Two whole series wins!
5th over: New Zealand 25-0 (target 266; Guptill 10, B McCullum 13) Angelo Mathews replaces Malinga and beats Guptill with a splendid lifting leg-cutter. "Is this the nicest match up possible among the big nations?" says Matt Winter. "I can't think of any historical 'needle', cricket based or otherwise, to give this match up any context. I don't ever remember Vettori punching da Silva in the kidneys following a dodgy caught behind, or New Zealand invading Kandy to secure nice tea for the Empire. Happy to be corrected." There was that run out incident with Murali a few years ago but, off the top of my head, I can't think of anything else. This isn't needle, but didn't the Sri Lankan keeper (Dunusinghe) fall LBW in very odd circumstances in 1994-95? Hit on the head or something?
6th over: New Zealand 28-0 (target 266; Guptill 12, B McCullum 14) Kapugedera saves four with a brilliant stop at mid off when Guptill blasts Kulasekera down the ground. Three singles from the over. New Zealand will be pleased with this start, although the real test will start when the spinners come on. No more news on Murali, who is still off the field. "Since no-one else is talking to you, is the 'best words' game still open?" says Phil Sawyer. Was there ever a game? "Wankle rotary engine, vodka, caribou, vodka, insouciant, vodka and vodka." Vodka is filth. Hope this helps.
WICKET! New Zealand 29-1 (B McCullum c Jayawardene b Mathews 14) In a reversal of this morning's rumpus, Jayawardene takes a low catch off a man called McCullum and the batsman decides not to walk. It was a lovely take, diving to his right at slip when Brendon McCullum fenced at Mathews, and replays showed it was a clean catch. The dangerous McCullum is on his way after making 14 from 16 balls.
7th over: New Zealand 33-1 (target 266; Guptill 13, Ryder 4) The new batsman is Jesse Ryder, and he spanks a cover drive for four to get off the mark. Shot! "More recent than Hemmings," begins Charlie Jeffery. "Surely Gooch or perhaps Alec Stewart?" Yep, it was indeed Alec Stewart, in that feelgood Test against South Africa in 2003. It's interesting, given how many matches he played, to remember that Stewart didn't make his Test debut until the age of 27.
WICKET! New Zealand 33-2 (Guptill LBW b Kulasekera 13) Another one gone. Guptill, stuck on the crease, pushes around his front pad at a fine in-ducker from Kulasekera that hits him in front of off and middle. Guptill walks down the crease with a smidgen of hope that Ryder might tell him to review it, but he very quickly gets the bad news. No point wasting a review on that; it was plumb.
8th over: New Zealand 34-2 (target 266; Ryder 4, Taylor 0) "The sun is sparkling in the sky (alright, it's freezing outside), I'm sat twirling gently in my swivel chair, the office is half empty and there's freshly filtered coffee and chocolate digestives on the go while I watch OBO trundle along," says Mike Murphy. "There's nothing more I could possibly need for my Friday afternoon. Well, maybe some hobnobs for a bit of variety on the biscuit front." Are you a civil servant?
9th over: New Zealand 36-2 (target 266; Ryder 5, Taylor 0) Malinga replaces Mathews (2-0-8-1) and slips a shorter delivery past Taylor's attempted cut. Sri Lanka have unbelievable variety in their bowling attack, it's wonderful. Two from the over. "I'd like to talk about the things that I would like to put in room 101," says Stuart Wilson. " On yesterdays OBO I gave my thoughts on St Patrick's Day, but got shot down in flames by a fellow OBOer. Today I would like to voice my dislike of people who play the guitar. You know the sort, everyone sitting at someone's house having a quiet drink when some Dylan decides it is time to pull out the guitar and play a few songs. Maybe it is because girls automatically gravitate to them or because they are more popular than me, but nothing irks me much more. Fortunately I have now managed to avoid this situation by having no mates and therefore I never get invited to parties." Go and get the guitar.
10th over: New Zealand 37-2 (target 266; Ryder 6, Taylor 0) Sri Lanka are putting the squeeze on, with nine runs and two wickets from the last four overs. "Phil White's question (over 2)," begins Matt Biss. "Clearly it's James Tredwell. I absolutely don't buy the 'born in 82' line. There's a Kanuesque birthdate fabrication scenario going on there. I'm sure he can be carbon-dated back to the late sixties" So long as he keeps taking four-fors, I don't care if he was originally born as a little dog in 1911.
11th over: New Zealand 53-2 (target 266; Ryder 11, Taylor 10) What an absurd over that was: Malinga should have had two wickets, but he ended up with none and disappeared for 16 runs! The fun started when Tharanga put down a straightforward chance. Ryder flick-pulled Malinga towards midwicket, where Tharanga let the ball go through his hands as he reached above his head. To compound Malinga's misery, the ball went for four. What a chance that was. It wasn't a dolly but it was a sitter. Or are they the same thing? When does a dolly became a sitter? And what's a gimme? I'm confused now. Two balls later, Taylor edges through the vacant third-slip area for four, and then he uppercuts towards third man, where Kulasekera palms a gimme over the ropes for six! Shambolic stuff.
12th over: New Zealand 54-2 (target 266; Ryder 12, Taylor 10) Ryder survives a huge shout for LBW by Kulasekera. The big issue was whether it pitched outside leg stump and, after a chat, Sri Lanka decide not to review. It might also have been too high. Replays show that it pitched a fair way outside leg. "While you were off doing, well, whatever Guardian staff do in their 15-over break, back in the 43rd over, David Griffiths argued that an SA v NZ match would be equivalent to matter colliding with antimatter," says Rob Marriott. "This needs exploring further. Does this mean that both teams will cease to exist, instantaneously releasing an equal amount of energy? And, more importantly, what does this mean for England's chances? Would an amount of energy equal to the South African team be less likely to choke than the actual players themselves? Science, we need answers." You lost me at that fourth comma.
13th over: New Zealand 65-2 (target 266; Ryder 13, Taylor 20) Angelo Mathews is back into the attack, and Murali is back on the field. Taylor takes three twos and then slams a cut stroke over backward point for four. Eleven from the over. "Hey!" says Eamonn Maloney. "Hey! I'm a civil servant. We're very busy hard working people. Why, right now I'm...I'm...well, I'm emailing you out of idle boredom. Good point. Happy now?"
14th over: New Zealand 67-2 (target 266; Ryder 14, Taylor 21) Kulasekera has another huge shout for LBW against Ryder turned down. Again that appeared to pitch outside leg, so they decide not to review, although it was closer than the last one.
"Thanks to Robin Hazlehurst for the phrase 'squeaky bum nail biter'," says Dan Smith. "I didn't think it was possible to make that godawful sports journo favourite worse. But he's managed to add some grotesque adult imagery." At least he didn't call it a 'squeaky bum heart stopper'. That would be a pretty sick way to go.
15th over: New Zealand 73-2 (target 266; Ryder 15, Taylor 26) It's time for spin, in the shape of Ajantha Mendis. His ODI bowling average is still the right side of 20, which isn't bad for someone who isn't an automatic selection. His third ball is a touch wide and Taylor squirts a cut to third man for four.
"England have called up Jade Dernbach, wtf?" says Luke Dealtry. "If in doubt, select a South Anglican, obviously."
16th over: New Zealand 79-2 (target 266; Ryder 17, Taylor 30)
The dew is becoming a factor which, as Simon Doull says on commentary, is a concern in the view of the fact that the final will be a day/night match on this ground. The new bowler, the offspinner Tillakaratne Dilshan, dries the ball vigorously before an over that is milked for six runs. This is turning into a good partnership. "Don't be slagging off the Civil Service," says Owen Griffiths. "There are lots of us out there, and lots of us are on OBO on a Friday afternoon! It's not laziness, or having nothing to do, it is what we pin-striped cockroaches of government call multitasking."
WICKET! New Zealand 82-3 (Ryder c Sangakkara b Mendis 19) A lovely piece of bowling brings a vital breakthrough. Ryder poked at a wider slider from Mendis but was beaten for pace and thin-edged it to Sangakkara, who took a nice catch standing up to the stumps.
17th over: New Zealand 83-3 (target 266; Taylor 31, Williamson 1)
"Ah," says Dan Smith. "Because I noticed that you'd just clocked off, I sent that same mail to Alan Gardner. So I've been published twice and have, consequently, used the phrase 'squeaky bum nail biter' more, I imagine, than anyone else in history. Thank you for making me hate myself. (By the way, the whole sorry thing reminds me of this).
18th over: New Zealand 87-3 (target 266; Taylor 31, Williamson 4) Murali comes into the attack, although he is clearly uncomfortable with his left leg, which he injured while diving for a run earlier in the day. This is a bit of an unnecessary risk, given that Sri Lanka are already through to the quarter-finals. His discomfort manifests itself in a front-foot no-ball, and he bowls Taylor off the resulting free hit. Four from the over. "Speaking of squeaky bum nail biters, what is it with Graeme Swann and 'arse nippers'?" says Mac Millings. "What kind of a baby is that? This obsession of his doesn't seem quite right." Wasn't that Ashley Giles' phrase? He used it to describe the fourth Test in 2005, as I recall; although that Test did a lot more than just nip. It was a full-blown derriere devourer.
19th over: New Zealand 88-3 (target 266; Taylor 31, Williamson 5) A good over from Mendis costs just a single. The required rate is creeping towards a run a ball. "Disappointed that dear old Saj Mahmood has been overlooked as Shahzad's replacement," says Rob Lee-Davey. "His mix of half-track filth combined with the ability to bowl one or two unplayable jaffas every 2nd game is just the sort of unpredictable nonsense that is becoming England's hallmark. Maybe his selection is just a bit too romantic for our crazy campaign, although having said that, who knows what entertainment Dernbach has in store."
WICKET! New Zealand 88-4 (Williamson st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 5) This is breathtaking cricket from both Murali and Kumar Sangakkara. Murali, bowling around the wicket, beat Williamson with a gorgeous flighted doosra slanted across him, and Sangakkara had the bails off in a flash before Williamson could get back in his crease.
20th over: New Zealand 89-4 (target 266; Taylor 31, Styris 1) That dismissal was pure class, two old dons teaching a young kid a lesson. "Quick question re: run outs," says Phill Wainwright, "What's the most amount of run outs one team has had in an innings/match?" I have no idea I'm afraid. Should be easy to find on Cricinfo, though.
21st over: New Zealand 93-4 (target 266; Taylor 33, Styris 3) In the commentary box, Tony Greig and Nasser Hussain are having a lovely chat about the difficulties of playing great spinners not just the variety in terms of the direction in which the ball is spinning but also, in the case of someone like Shane Warne, the extent of the spin. Warne varied that superbly. Four singles from the over. "We've talked enough about the Boring Middle Overs this tournament, but what about the Boring Middle Hours of the afternoon?" says Piers Barclay. "You've got back from lunch and messed around on the internet for as long as humanly possible, and it's at least an hour or so before you can start winding down because 'it's nearly five'. Any suggestions about how to liven them up?" Have you got Vito from the Sopranos on the brain?
WICKET! New Zealand 93-5 (Taylor LBW b Murali 33) Oh man, Murali is just a joy to watch. The batsmen haven't got a clue what's going on with this around-the-wicket angle, and he has picked up the New Zealand captain Ross Taylor with another beauty. It pitched on leg stump and straightened to beat Taylor on the inside as he crabbed around his front pad. Asad Rauf took a long time to think before raising the finger and, although Taylor reviewed it, replays showed it was hitting the top of middle stump. Outstanding bowling.
22nd over: New Zealand 95-5 (target 266; Styris 4, Franklin 1) Murali has figures of 3-0-7-2. Imagine if he was fully fit! "You can't not play the game," says my colleague Alan Gardner. My head hurts.
23rd over: New Zealand 100-5 (target 266; Styris 5, Franklin 5) Mendis beats Styris with another wider slider and the next ball is almost dragged onto the stumps. New Zealand are trapped in a web of deception, with no idea what the ball is going to do off the pitch. Later in the over Franklin tickles one down the leg side, and poor old Murali winces after it as it goes to the boundary. He's clearly not fully fit as he hardly broke into a jog there, never mind a sprint. Finally Mendis has a biggish shout for LBW against Franklin, but it was missing off stump. "Any chance we could get a description of that breathtaking dismissal please?" says Gavin Bishop. "Or shall we try ourselves? Sorry that was quite sarky." Press F5. It's a problem with the auto-refresh I'm afraid.
WICKET! New Zealand 102-6 (Styris ct and b Muralitharan 7) This is a masterclass from the great man. Styris chips one back whence it came, and Murali leaps to take a sharp two-handed catch before beaming with delight. He now has 1342 international wickets.
24th over: New Zealand 103-6 (target 266; Franklin 6, N McCullum 1) Murali's figures are now 4-0-10-3. Awesome stuff. "Surely the perfect call up for England's wacky World Cup campaign would have been two blokes carrying a large pane of glass across the pitch while the entire England team career towards them on an out of control police wagon, Keystone Cops-style?" says Phil Sawyer. "A few banana skins dropped on the bowlers' run-ups, an umpire swinging a large plank of wood around haphazardly that the batsman at the non-striker's end has to keep ducking under, and a stepladder with a bucket of whitewash balanced precariously on it at first slip wouldn't go amiss."
25th over: New Zealand 106-6 (target 266; Franklin 7, N McCullum 3) The upshot of Sri Lanka winning this match, as they now should, is that if both the weekend's games in Group B go with form if India beat West Indies and South Africa beat Bangladesh then England will play Sri Lanka in Colombo in the quarter-finals a week tomorrow. Oh dear. "I don't know what it is, but I have always had a problem with Jacob Oram's name," says Clare Davies. "I am convinced that he is actually named Jay Cobaram and no matter how many times I see it written down, it makes no difference to my belief. Weird, eh? Oh and NZ are going to lose this soon which may be a good thing as I don't think my nerves could take another last-ball arse-nipper."
26th over: New Zealand 112-6 (target 266; Franklin 12, N McCullum 3) Franklin edges Murali for four. New Zealand bat a helluva long way down, with Jacob Oram still to come, but this match will take a deal of winning.
WICKET! New Zealand 115-7 (N McCullum c Jayawardene b Dilshan 4) Now Jayawardene has caught both McCullums. Nathan McCullum threw the bat at a very full, wide delivery from Dilshan and sliced it to slip, where Jayawardene took a lovely sharp catch.
27th over: New Zealand 115-7 (target 266; Franklin 14, Oram 0) One thing's for sure: England can no longer play New Zealand in the quarter-final (unless NZ pull off an absurd victory here). "Calm down Rob," says Guy Hornsby. "Even the most masochistic of us out here sometimes have work to do. But seeing as the NZ innings is going to be over in about 5.3 minutes, I thought I'd jog you from your torpor before you head out for some Liver Compromiser and another night in Hotel OBO. You can check out any time you want, but you can never leave, right?"
28th over: New Zealand 119-7 (target 266; Franklin 16, Oram 1) Oram slices a drive at Murali just past Jayawardene at slip. "If this is Murali bowling whilst injured, God help whoever faces him next match," says Phill Wainwright. "This is awesome to watch. Truly awesome." It is. And it'll probably be England facing him. In Colombo. I no longer feel so jaunty about England's World Cup campaign.
29th over: New Zealand 121-7 (target 266; Franklin 17, Oram 2) "Presumably Dernbach has only been selected as a spare water carrier anyway, so his cricketing skills are of limited relevance," says Robin Hazlehurst. "Is he flying out before Sunday? Be a shame if England got eliminated without playing after he had trekked out there. Meanwhile, how far away are England from setting a record for the largest world cup squad ever? This is their third injury replacement (is it?); can we get a few more in before the end? Maybe beat the 1989 Ashes squad in total." Or better still, start calling up the 1989 Ashes heroes when the entire 15-man squad are injured in a freak banter accident. What are Paul Jarvis and David Capel doing these days?
30th over: New Zealand 123-7 (target 266; Franklin 18, Oram 3) Oram misses a lumbering slog-sweep at Murali. The required rate is above seven an over now.
31st over: New Zealand 127-7 (target 266; Franklin 19, Oram 6) Four from Dilshan's over. New Zealand are playing for their net run-rate just now.
WICKET! New Zealand 129-8 (Franklin c Dilshan b Muralitharan 20) Another piece of magic from Murali. That was tossed up very slowly, inviting Franklin to drive, but he was caught in two minds and pushed it low to Dilshan at short extra cover.
32nd over: New Zealand 134-8 (target 266; Oram 6, Southee 4) Southee sweeps Murali nicely for four. If and I realise it's a big if all the weekend's games go in accordance with world ranking, then the quarter-finals will be: South Africa v Pakistan, Sri Lanka v England, Australia v West Indies and India v New Zealand.
33rd over: New Zealand 140-8 (target 266; Oram 9, Southee 7) Dilshan is taking advantage of the match situation to rattle through some fairly cheap overs. His figures are 6-0-24-1. "Apropos not very much, but am I the only person who feels a wave of a totally irrational sympathy/pity whenever they see Scott Styris?" says Andrew White. "I've no idea why, but he just looks like such a nice bloke. It's got so bad that I now find myself 'Styrising' just about anyone who looks minutely troubled in some way. For some reason I slightly Styris Tim Bresnan too..." I know what you mean. There is a touch of the Harvey Pekar about Styris's appearance and gait.
WICKET! New Zealand 144-9 (Southee LBW b Mendis 8) Mendis comes back into the attack and strikes with his fourth ball, a lovely flipper that pins Southee in front. He decided to review it out of desperation, but that was plumb.
34th over: New Zealand 144-9 (target 266; Oram 11, Bennett 0) Murali and Mendis have combined figures of six for 49. England will have a helluva job on if, as is the likeliest scenario, they have to face them in Colombo in the quarter-finals.
WICKET! New Zealand 153 all out (Bennett b Malinga 0); SRI LANKA WIN BY 112 RUNS New Zealand take the batting Powerplay. What's the point, really? I suppose Oram will just try to have some fun. This last wicket shouldn't be long in coming. It takes six balls, in fact, before Malinga cleans Bennett up with a beautiful full-length delivery. Sri Lanka have thrashed New Zealand, with Murali at his most mesmeric and Sangakkara imperious with both bat and gloves. They will definitely finish second in Group A and go into the quarter-finals in good shape, quite possibly to face England. New Zealand will finish third or fourth. Thanks for your emails. See you tomorrow for Bangladesh v South Africa. Bye.

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