Quick Hits

MUAMBA RECOVERING

Photo Credit: thenational.ae

Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba is showing significant signs of recovery after suffering a cardiac arrest during Saturday's FA Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur. The 23 year old spent two days in intensive care following his collapse on the field at White Hart Lane, but is now reportedly breathing independently and responding to family members. Still Muamba isn't out of the woods yet, as his condition remains serious and he'll continue to be monitored in the hospital. Bolton's match against Aston Villa scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed as a result of the tragedy. Fellow players have shown a tremendous outpouring of support over the past few days highlighted by former teammate Gary Cahill unveiling a Pray 4 Muamba shirt from under his jersey after scoring against Leicester City on Sunday.

Photo Credit: skysports.com

VONN COMES UP JUST SHY IN QUEST FOR 2000 POINTS

Photo Credit: chicagotribune.com

American Lindsey Vonn needed just a 13th place finish on Sunday to become the first female skier to earn 2000 points in a single World Cup season. Unfortunately, the 2012 overall champion didn't have luck on her side as she lost a pole at the start of her final run and ended up finishing in 24th earning no points. The disappointing finish to the season should in no way diminish what Vonn did this year though. Vonn won 12 of a possible 37 races, and won the Downhill title, Super G title and the Combined title en route to her record 1980 points. Vonn has captured the women's overall title in four of the past five years.

NCAA HOCKEY TOURNAMENT SEEDINGS OUT

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Boston College (Northeast), North Dakota (West), Union (East) and Michigan (Midwest) are your four number one seeds in the 16-team 2012 NCAA Hockey Tournament. Last year's champion Minnesota-Duluth is the number 2 seed in the Northeast region. No school will be making its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance, but UMass-Lowell is in the national tournament for the first time since 1996 and Ferris State qualified for just the second time in school history and the first since 2003. If you're like me and have no idea where Ferris State is, it's in Big Rapids, Michigan which isn't to be confused with Grand Rapids, Michigan. Click here for a look at the rest of the bracket and the schedule. The first round starts Friday with the championship game in Tampa, Florida on April 7th.

ISNER A GIANT GIANT KILLER

Photo Credit: sport-enews.com

Big John Isner is finally starting to get recognized for more than just being really tall (he's 6'9") and for having played in the longest match in the history of Wimbledon. Over the past month and a half, Isner has defeated both Roger Federer (at the Davis Cup) and world number one Novak Djokovic (at the ATP BNP Paribas Open), a feat that no other player in the world can claim in 2012.  The 26 year old former Georgia Bulldog has seen his ranking rise all the way to a career best #10 in the world.

DID YOU EVEN KNOW THE U.S. HAD A CRICKET TEAM?

Photo Credit: espncricinfo.com

The U.S. fell to 1-5 at the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers after getting thumped by Kenya this morning. The U.S. has one match remaining in Group Play where they'll take on Scotland (4-2) before they likely head to the 11th to 14th Place Play-Offs. If the current standings remain in place, that'll pair them up with Uganda, Hong Kong and Bermuda. The U.S.'s only victory in Group B came over Oman, the only team in the tournament yet to win a match. Afghanistan (6-0 Group A) and Namibia (6-0 Group B) lead their respective groups. The top two teams in the tournament qualify for the T20 World Cup held in Sri Lanka this September and October. The ten Full Member Nations of the ICC (Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe) have already automatically qualified.

TORRES BREAKS OUT OF SLUMP WITH BRACE

Photo Credit: football-talk.co.uk

Spanish striker Fernando Torres broke out of a 26-game goal-less stretch with 2 goals and 2 assists on Sunday as Chelsea defeated Leicester City in the FA Cup quarterfinals 5-2. Torres had not scored a goal in any competition since scoring a pair of goals against Belgium's Racing Genk on October 19th in the Champions League. Since that last goal, Torres had been on the field for 25 hours, 41 minutes without scoring. Chelsea has now won four straight since Roberto Di Matteo took over as interim manager after Andre Villas-Boas was fired.

HARPER DEBUT PUT ON HOLD

Photo Credit: washingtonpost.com

Those of you waiting to see Bryce Harper take the field for the Washington Nationals are going to have to wait a little bit longer. The 19 year old über-prospect was optioned to AAA Syracuse on Sunday where he will start the year. Harper certainly didn't play poorly this spring hitting .286 with a pair of doubles in 28 at bats, but he did strike out 11 times including 4 times against the Tigers on Sunday. Harper has just 109 minor league games under his belt in which he's hit .297 with 17 home runs and 26 stolen bases, and his lack of experience may have played a roll in his getting sent down. Still, despite the demotion, the Nats are still very high on Harper and he still figures to be their everyday centerfielder, possibility as soon as later this season.

CRICKET!!!

Who care about March Madness when you've got Asian Cup Cricket!!! Especially when your bracket looks like mine does after yesterday. But that's a story for another time. In the 11th edition of the Asian Cup, cricket powers India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are squaring off in a round robin tournament with the top two teams meeting once more in the final next week. It's already been an exciting tournament as Pakistan has clinched a spot in the final and Sri Lanka is on the verge of missing the finals for the first time in the tournament's history (dating back to 1984). But the big story so far has been Sachin Tendulkar. If you were one of three people who actually followed our extensive 2011 Cricket World Cup coverage, he's a name you're probably familiar with.

Photo Credit: espncricinfo.com

The 38 year old Indian batsman, who stands all of 5'5" became the first player to score one hundred centuries (100 or more runs in match) in Test and ODI matches organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) when he went for 114 runs against Bangladesh on Friday. The century snapped a 33 match streak in which he'd failed to move on from number 99, the second longest drought of his extensive career. Still, it should not diminish what he's accomplished. Only one other player has even broken 70 and that's Ricky Ponting of Australia with 71.


Featuring on India's National Team since 1989, Tendulkar is the cricket equivalent of Pete Rose (minus the gambling controversy). He is the all-time leading scorer in both test (15480 runs) and ODI (18374 runs) matches and he was India's leading batter in the World Cup as they defeated Sri Lanka for his first Championship in six tries. There's not much left to accomplish for the Little Master, and some speculate he's probably close to hanging them up. Once he's gone, we'll likely never see another player quite like him and most of his records will probably never be broken.


Tendulkar and India take on Pakistan tomorrow in their final game of the round robin portion of the tournament likely needing a win to advance to the tournament finals. India is the tournament's reigning champion having defeated Sri Lanka in the championship game back in 2010.

Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Championship Match

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India is your 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Champion defeating fellow co-host Sri Lanka 277-274 by 6 wickets with 10 balls remaining. In a high scoring affair that saw 3 players score at least 90 runs, it was the Indians who emerged victorious clinching their second World Cup Title thanks to clutch batting from team captain MS Dhoni. Dhoni finished with 91 runs off 79 balls including the game's only sixes en route to being named the man of the match as India overcame getting 0 runs from their top batsman Virender Sehwag who had entered the final with 380 runs. Gautam Gambhir added 97 runs and the World Cup Player of the Series (MVP) Yuvraj Singh took 2 more wickets bringing his tournament total to 15 and also managed 362 runs including 21 in the Championship Match. Sri Lanka gave it their best shot and Mahela Jayawardene tallied 103 runs off just 88 balls with 13 fours, but it wasn't enough as India was able to rally for the victory. Upul Tharanga, who finished the World Cup with 395 runs, managed just 2 off 20 balls in the final as Sri Lanka would have to settle for second place for the second straight tournament. The next World Cup is set to be cohosted by Australia and New Zealand in 2015 as India will look to defend their title.

Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Semifinals

New Zealand put up more of a fight against Sri Lanka than the first time they met, but they still came up short losing 220-217 by 5 wickets with 13 balls remaining sending Sri Lanka on through to the finals for the second straight World Cup and third time overall. In their previous meeting back on the 18th of March, New Zealand didn't have a single batter score more than 33 runs as they were held to 153 for the match. This time was different though as the Kiwis had 3 players eclipse that mark led by Scott Styris's 57 runs off 77 balls. It wouldn't be enough though as Sri Lanka got 73 runs off 93 balls from Tillakaratne Dilshan and 54 runs off 79 balls from captain Kumar Sangakkara who was named the man of the match. Sri Lanka has lost just one match, 277-266 to Pakistan back on the 26th of February, as they will now try and win their first World Cup Championship.

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India defeated Pakistan 260-231 as they too advanced to the World Cup Finals for the 3rd time. India won the Cup back in 1983 and lost to Australia in the finals back in 2003. Sachin Tendulkar led the way for India tallying 85 runs off 115 balls en route to being named the man of the match. All 5 Indian bowlers took 2 wickets as Pakistan, the top seed from Group A, missed a chance to make the finals for the first time since 1999. Wahab Riaz took 5 wickets in his 10 overs of bowling for Pakistan, but it wasn't enough as they lost for just the second time in this World Cup.

 Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

So the final is set with co-hosts Sri Lanka and India face off against one another, each in search of their second championship. Sri Lanka's offense is led by Dilshan (467 runs), Sangakkara (417 runs) and Upul Tharanga (393 runs) while India has been carried by Tendulkar (464 runs), Virender Sehwag (380 runs) and Yuvraj Singh (341 runs). India's Zaheer Khan has taken the second most wickets in the tournament (19) behind only Pakistan's Shahid Afridi (21). Muttiah Muralitharan leads Sri Lanka having taken 15 wickets. The two teams will face off on Saturday to determine the 10th World Cup Champion.

Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Fourth Quarterfinal Match

Sri Lanka got dominant performances from their top two batsmen as Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan each went over 100 runs without making an out leading the Sri Lankans to a victory over England 231-229 by 10 wickets with 63 balls remaining. Jonathan Trott had 86 runs for England, but it wasn't enough to keep them from going home. Dilshan was named the man of the match as he led all batsmen with 108 runs off 115 balls. Sri Lanka will now take on New Zealand on Tuesday in the first semifinal. The two teams have already met once during this World Cup facing off in group play with Sri Lanka winning easily 265-153. Kumar Sangakkara was man of the match leading the way with 111 runs. Sri Lanka has made the World Cup Finals twice, losing to Australia in 2007 and winning the Cup back in 1996.

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Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Second and Third Quarterfinal Matches

The 3-time defending champs have been ousted! For the first time since 1996, the World Cup Champion will be someone other than Australia as the Aussies were defeated by India yesterday 261-260 by 5 wickets with 14 balls remaining. India overcame a huge game from Australia's team captain Ricky Ponting who scored 104 runs off 118 balls, but they were able to grind out a win with 53 runs from Sachin Tendulkar, 50 runs from Gautam Gambhir and 57 from Yuvraj Singh. Singh also bowled 10 overs and took 2 wickets while allowing just 44 runs and was named the man of the match. For Australia it's the first time they didn't at least reach the final since 1992. India now gets ready to face Pakistan in the semifinals.

Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

In a surprising upset, South Africa, the top seed from Group B was eliminated this morning by New Zealand, the number 4 seed in Group A 221-172. Jacob Oram and Nathan McCullum combined to take 7 wickets and no South African batsman was able to produce more than 50 runs. Jesse Ryder led the Kiwi Attack with 83 runs off 121 balls, but it was Oram who was named the man of the match. New Zealand, who has never been to the finals of the World Cup, is now just one match away from doing just that. They will face off against the winner of Sri Lanka vs England on March 29th.

Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Cricket World Cup Wrapup - First Quarterfinal Match

Pakistan, the top seed from Group A, breezed through its quarterfinal match against the West Indies holding them to 112 runs and needing just two batsmen to put up 113 winning by ten wickets with 175 balls remaining. Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez only needed only 20.5 overs to clinch victory for Pakistan. Hafeez was named the man of the match getting a game-high 61 runs off 64 balls and also bowling 10 overs taking 2 wickets and only allowing 16 runs. Hafeez was one of 3 Pakistani bowlers who allowed fewer than 2 runs per over, the others being Umar Gul (7 overs 13 runs) and Abdul Razzaq (3 over 4 runs). Shahid Afridi also bowled well taking 4 wickets in 9.3 overs. Pakistan now awaits the winner of the match between India and Australia as they prepare themselves for their semifinal match on March 30th.

Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Cricket World Cup - First Round in Review

The quarterfinal matchups are set in the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Here are your fixtures that will kick off on Wednesday:

3/23 - Pakistan v West Indies
3/24 - India v Australia
3/25 - New Zealand v South Africa
3/26 - Sri Lanka v England

The winner of Pakistan-West Indies match will take on the winner of India-Australia on the 30th with the New Zealand-South Africa winner will take on the Sri Lanka-England winner on the 30th. The World Cup final will be held April 2nd in Mumbai.

Here's the final standings from group play:

And your scoring and bowling leaders through group play:

Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Photo Courtesy:zimbio.com

Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Day 27

Zimbabwe defeated Kenya 308-147 in the final World Cup match for both teams as neither will be advancing to the quarterfinals. Zimbabwe (2-4) finishes in 5th place in Group A while Kenya (0-6) finishes in 7th and along with the Netherlands were the only teams in the World Cup to not win at least one match. Craig Ervine led New Zealand with 66 runs off 54 balls and was named the man of the match. Kenya got 44 runs off 47 balls from Nehemiah Odhiambo in a losing effort.

 Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

India clinched 2nd place in Group B with an 80 run win over the West Indies 268-188 in the final match of round robin play. India (4-1-1) got a monster game from Yuvraj Singh who produced 113 runs off 123 balls and also took 2 wickets in 4 overs en route to being named the man of the match. The West Indies (3-3) still advances finishing ahead of Bangladesh for the 4th and final playoff spot. Devon Smith led the West Indies with 81 runs off 97 balls in the top spot, but their final 7 batsmen combined for just 15 runs between them as they couldn't keep pace with the Indians.

Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Day 26

Bangladesh needed a win to move into the top 4 of Group B, but you wouldn't have known that had you been watching them play today. Matched up against the South Africans, Bangladesh put up little resistance and fell 284-78 leaving the co-hosts in 5th place and missing the cut to advance. Bangladesh only had 1 of their 11 batsmen in double figures (Shakib Al Hasan with 30 runs off 49 balls), and otherwise they were completely ineffective against South Africa's bowlers. Lonwabo Tsotsobe was named the man of the match for taking 3 wickets in 5 overs and only allowing 14 runs. The honors could have just as easily gone to Robin Peterson who took 4 wickets in 7 overs and only allowed 12 runs. With the win, South Africa clinches first place in Group B. India and the West Indies will play the final Group B match to determine who gets seeds 2 through 4. England is guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals with Bangladesh's loss.

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The Australians were dealt their first loss of the tournament as Pakistan edged them out 178-176 by 4 wickets with 54 balls remaining. The win catapults Pakistan (5-1) into first place in Group A while the Australians will finish in third in the group. Umar Akmal was named the man of the match as he produced 44 runs off 59 balls for the Pakistanis. Pakistan also got strong bowling from Mohammad Hafeez who held the Aussies to just 26 runs in his 10 overs. Brad Haddin led Australia with 42 runs, but it took him 80 balls to do it. So the top 4 spots in Group A are now set with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand all advancing with Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya all going home. Zimbabwe and Kenya will play in the final Group A match tomorrow.

Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Cricket World cup Wrapup - Days 24 and 25

England finally got a result when they needed it most getting a huge victory over the West Indies 243-225 to propel them into third place in Group B, dramatically improving their chances of earning a spot in the next round of the tournament. England moves one point ahead of the West Indies and Bangladesh, but those two teams have tough matches ahead of them. Bangladesh must play 4-1 South Africa tomorrow while the West Indies takes on 3-1-1 India. No batsman from either side produced 50 runs with the West Indies' Andre Russell producing a game high 49 off 46 balls. Jonathan Trott led England with 47 runs off 38 balls, but it was James Tredwell who was the man of the match. Tredwell took 4 wickets in 10 overs and bowled a pair of maiden overs as the Brits conclude their first round with a record of 3-2-1.

 Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

The Netherlands put up a fight scoring 306 runs in their final match of the World Cup, but Ireland edged them out 307-306 by 6 wickets with 14 balls remaining to send the Dutch home winless. Ireland is also eliminated from the tournament as they finish 2-4 and in 6th place in Group B. Ireland's Paul Stirling, just 20 years old, was named the man of the match finishing with 101 runs off 72 balls. Ryan ten Doeschate led the Dutch with a game high 106 runs off 108 balls before having his wicket taken by Stirling who in addition to his century, also bowled ten overs.

  Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Sri Lanka temporarily jumped ahead of unbeaten Australia for the Group A lead following their 265-153 thrashing of New Zealand. It was just New Zealand's second loss of the tournament. Sri Lanka was led by their team captain Kumar Sangakkara who talled 111 runs off 128 balls. Vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene added 66 runs off 90 balls while no one on New Zealand had more than 33. Muttiah Muralitharan took 4 wickets in 8 overs while only allowing 25 runs. While both sides have clinched a berth in the next round, the results of the Pakistan-Australia game tomorrow will determine their seed.

 Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Days 24, 25 and 26

Bangladesh moved a point ahead of England and into 4th place in Group B with a 166-160 victory over winless Netherlands on Monday. The Dutch have on final chance on Friday to grab a win when they take on Ireland as they try to avoid going a winless World Cup showing. Imrul Kayes tallied 73 runs off 113 balls to lead Bangladesh and was named the man of the match. Shafiul Islam meanwhile bowled 9.2 overs and conceded only 15 runs while bowling three maiden overs. Ryan ten Doeschate led the Netherlands with 53 runs off 71 balls in a losing effort. Bangladesh will play South Africa in their final match in Group B Play.

 Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Pakistan improved to 4-1 in Group A play with a rain shortened victory over Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe tallied 151 runs off 39.4 overs and using the D/L method, it was determined Pakistan needed 162 runs off 38 overs to earn the victory. Asad Shafiq's four in the 35th over assured a Pakistani win as they finished with 164. Umar Gul was named the man of the match for taking 3 wickets in 7.4 overs, and Shafiq finished with 78 runs off 97 balls to lead the offense. Craig Ervine led Zimbabwe with 52 runs off 82 balls. Zimbabwe wraps up against Kenya on Sunday while Pakistan will play Australia on Saturday.

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South Africa moved into first place in Group B with a resounding 272-141 over the Irish yesterday. Jean-Paul Duminy produced 99 runs off 103 balls to lead the offense and Morne Morkel and Robin Peterson each took 3 wickets bowling as South Africa improved to 4-1 and the Irish dropped to 1-4. Ireland closes out the tournament against the Netherlands on Friday as they try to avoid giving the Dutch their first win and South Africa will face off against Bangladesh on Saturday as they look to lock up the top seed in Group B.

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Australia remains the only team in the World Cup without a loss as they defeated Canada 212-211 by 7 wickets with 91 balls remaining. Top order batsmen Shane Watson and Brad Haddin combined for 182 of the 212 runs for the Aussies combining for 20 fours and 6 sixes. Watson's 94 runs off 90 balls earned him man of the match honors. 19 year old Hiral Patel led Canada with 54 runs off 45 balls, but it wasn't enough. Canada finishes the World Cup 1-5 and barring some major changes will finish in sixth place in Group A. Australia faces Pakistan on Saturday before heading to the next round.

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Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Day 23

New Zealand improved to 4-1 and moved into first place in Group A with a 358-261 over Canada. The Canadiens fall to 1-4 with the loss. Wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum had 101 runs off 109 balls and was named of the match, and Ross Taylor added 74 runs off just 44 balls. Scott Styris (35 runs off 20 balls) and James Franklin (31 runs off 8 balls) were also effective batsmen for the Kiwis. Canada got 84 runs off 87 balls from team captain Ashish Bagai and 70 runs off 105 balls from Jimmy Hansra in a losing effort. New Zealand will play Ireland in their final Group A match on Friday while Canada will be in action on Wednesday against Australia.

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Australia stayed unbeaten as they cruised to a 324-264 win over still winless Kenya in Group A play. Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke led their attack with 93 runs off 80 balls and the Aussies also got 65 runs from Brad Haddin and 57 runs from David Hussey. Kenya's Collins Obuya was named the man of the match for producing a game high 98 runs off 129 balls in a losing effort. Australia has two games remaining in Group A, against Canada on Wednesday and then the finish up with Pakistan on Saturday. Kenya (0-5) will close out their World Cup with a match against Zimbabwe on Sunday.

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Here's the Latest Points Table:

Image Courtesy: espncricinfo.com

Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Days 20, 21 and 22

Sri Lanka got 277 runs from their top two batsmen and cruised to a 327-188 win over Zimbabwe. Upul Tharanga (133 runs off 141 balls) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (144 runs off 131 balls) stole the show each batting into the 45th over. Brendan Taylor had 80 runs off 72 balls for Zimbabwe (1-3), but it wasn't nearly enough. With 7 points Sri Lanka now takes over the lead in Group A. Dilshan was named the man of the match.

 Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

The West Indies got their third win of the World Cup defeating Ireland 275-231. Ireland falls to 1-3 overall, but regardless of what else happens this tournament they can still take comfort in the fact that they defeated the English. Devon Smith and Kieron Pollard led the attack for the West Indies with Smith scoring 107 runs off 133 balls and Pollard tallying 94 off just 55 including 5 sixes. The Irish got 84 runs off 106 balls from Ed Joyce and 61 runs from wicketkeeper Gary Wilson, but they couldn't muster enough of an attack to beat the West Indies. Pollard was named the man of the match.

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Bangladesh got a big win over England 227-225 as the two sides fight for the final playoff spot in Group B. Only the top four sides in each group advance and with India, the West Indies and South Africa all with 3 wins, a win by the English could have put Bangladesh in a huge hole. As it stands now, England (2-2-1) has 5 points through 5 matches, while Bangladesh (2-2) now has 4 points through 4. Bangladesh's final two matches are against the Netherlands (0-4) and South Africa (3-1), but England has to get through the West Indies (3-1). Imrul Kayes had 60 runs for Bangladesh off 100 balls and was named the man of the match. England got 67 runs from Jonathan Trott and 63 from Eoin Morgan in a losing effort.

 Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

India was dealt their first loss of the tournament today dropping a tight one to South Africa 300-296 by 3 wickets with just 2 balls remaining. South Africa came into the final over needing 13 to win with Robin Peterson the batsman. Peterson delivered a four, then a six, then a two to tie and on the final bowl of the game another four giving South Africa the upset. Peterson, the 9th batter in the South African order finished with 18 runs off 7 balls, 16 of those coming in the final over. Dale Steyn was named the man of the match after taking 5 wickets in 9.4 overs. Sachin Tendulkar had 111 runs off 101 balls to lead India in a losing effort.

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Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Days 18 and 19

Pakistan was dealt their first loss of the World Cup as New Zealand took over first place in Group A with a 302-192 win on Tuesday. Man of the Match Ross Taylor exploded for 7 sixes and 8 fours on his way to a 131 run performance off of 124 balls to lead the attack. Martin Guptill added 57 runs as New Zealand improved to 3-1 in the tournament. Abdul Razzaq had 62 runs off 74 balls to lead the Pakistanis.

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The Dutch fell to 0-4 dropping their latest match 191-189 by 5 wickets with 81 balls remaining to India. Yuvraj Singh was named the man of the match as he led India with 51 runs off 73 balls and also took two wickets in 9 overs of bowling. Vice captain Virender Sehwag added 39 runs off 26 balls for the Indians while Dutch Captain Peter Borren led the Netherlands with 38 runs off 36. With 3 wins and a tie, India sits alone atop Group B.

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Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Days 16 and 17

England rebounded from their loss to Ireland to beat South Africa 171-165. England batted first and then held off the South Africans taking the final wicket in the 48th over. England got 60 runs from Ravi Bopara off 98 balls and 52 runs off 94 balls from Jonathan Trott as they improved to 2-1-1 in the tournament. South Africa (2-1) felt defeat for the first time in this World Cup. Hashim Amla led the South Africans with 42 runs off 51 balls. No other player on their team had over 25. Bopara was named the man of the match.

 Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Ireland tried to play giant killer once again against India, but despite scoring 207 runs, couldn't hold off the Indian offense losing 210-207 by 5 wickets with 24 balls remaining. India got at least 30 runs from 5 different players led by Yuvraj Singh's 50 runs off 75 balls as they overcame 75 runs off 104 balls from Ireland captain William Porterfield. Singh was named the man of the match as in addition to his 50 runs, he also took 5 wickets in 10 overs allowing just 31 runs. India is now atop Group B with a record of 2-0-1 while Ireland sits in 5th with a record of 1-2.

 Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Canada won the battle of 0-3 teams today as they bested Kenya 199-198 by 5 wickets with 27 balls remaining. Team Captain Ashish Bagai (64 runs off 97 balls) and Jimmy Hansra (70 runs off 99 balls) did the bulk of the damage but it was bowler Henry Osinde who was named the man of the match for bowling a pair of maiden overs and taking four wickets in 10 overs while conceding just 26 runs. Kenya got 51 runs apiece from Tammay Mishra and Thomas Odoyo, but it wasn't enough to keep them from dropping to 0-4.

Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Here's the latest cricket table:

Image Courtesy: espncricinfo.com

Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Day 15

Rain was the story today as Australia's match with Sri Lanka was called on account of foul weather after Sri Lanka scored 146 runs in 32.5 overs with 7 wickets remaining. Cricket rules dicate that the game count as a "No Result" and that each team get 1 point in the standings. Australia and Sri Lanka each have 5 points in Group A, but Australia still has a game in hand. Pakistan remains atop the group with 6 points. Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara had 73 runs off 102 balls and was still batting when the game ended.

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Cricket Term of the Day: Nurdle

To nurdle is to score runs by gently nudging the ball into vacant areas of the field. I guess it'd be the equivalent of bunting in baseball.

Cricket World Cup Wrapup - Days 13 and 14

South Africa's offense was too much for the Netherlands as they overwhelmed the Dutch 351-120 as they improved to 2-0 in the tournament and moved to the top of Group B. The Dutch fell to 0-3 as they suffered the 4th worst defeat in World Cup History. The Netherlands now owns 4 of the 8 worst losses ever in the World Cup, having already lost by 215 runs to the West Indies earlier in the tournament. South Africa meanwhile put up the 12th highest total in World Cup History, on the strength of AB de Villiers' 134 runs off 98 balls and Hashim Amla's 113 runs off 130 balls. De Villiers was named the man of the match. Wesley Barresi had 44 runs off 66 balls to lead the Dutch.

 Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

Pakistan became the first team in the tournament to get 3 wins as they defeated the still winless Canadiens 184-138. Neither side got much going offensively as no player scored more than 48 runs. Shahid Afridi was named the man of the match for taking 5 wickets and surrendering just 23 runs in his 10 overs of work. Pakistan is currently in first place in Group A and along with Australia are the only Group A sides without a defeat.

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New Zealand needed just 2 batsman to surpass Zimbabwe's run total as they cruised to a 166-162 win improving to 2-1 in the tournament. Martin Guptill (86 runs off 108 balls) and Brendan McCullum (76 runs off 95 balls) needed less than 2 hours to clinch the win for the Kiwis. Guptill was named the man of the match for his offensive contributions. Brendan Taylor had 44 runs to lead Zimbabwe (1-2).

 Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com

If defense wins championships, then watch out for the West Indies. Bangladesh went all out in just 18.5 overs and was held to 58 runs as the West Indies would need just 44 minutes on offense to take the victory 59-58. Only three teams have ever scored fewer runs than Bangladesh did today. Team Captain Darren Sammy took 3 wickets in 7 overs, Sulieman Benn took 4 wickets in 5.5 overs and Kemar Roach took 3 wickets in 6 overs for the West Indies. Roach was named the man of the match. With the win the West Indies (2-1) now sit in second place in Group B while Bangladesh (1-2) drops into 6th ahead of only the Netherlands.

Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com