BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (Reuters) - Australia won a record third successive World Cup on Saturday amid scenes of unprecedented confusion as night fell on Kensington Oval.
The Australians, who scored 281 for four from 38 overs, thought they had clinched the rain-reduced match when Sri Lanka needing 63 runs from three to win accepted the umpires' offer to go off for bad light.
As the Australians celebrated exuberantly while the scoreboard flashed "Congratulations Australia", umpires Steve Bucknor and Aleem Dar told the teams they needed to complete the remaining overs or return on Sunday.
Instead, as match referee Jeff Crowe admitted at a news conference later, the match was already over because Sri Lanka had completed the minimum 20 of their revised allotment of 36.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting and his Sri Lanka counterpart Mahela Jayawardene agreed that slow bowlers would bowl the remaining overs because it was so dark and the match finally ended with Sri Lanka 215 for eight and a 53-run victory to Australia.
The fiasco rounded off a trouble-strewn competition which was rocked early on by the suspected murder of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer and has been criticised for being over-long and over-priced for local Caribbean fans.
Australia, unbeaten in 29 World Cup matches since they lost to Pakistan in 1999, are the only team to win the tournament three times in a row. It was their fourth victory overall.
Australia coach John Buchanan, who quits his post after the tournament, said the gap between his team and the rest had been the difference "between night and day".
"Each individual strives for perfection all the time, from a coach's point of view that's a perfect team," he told a news conference.
Their win was set up by vice-captain Adam Gilchrist, who plundered a record 149 when play finally began 2-3/4 hours late.
Gilchrist broke Clive Lloyd's record for the fastest century in a World Cup final and went on to better Ponting's record individual score of 140 not out at the 2003 final. He equalled the World Cup record of eight sixes in an innings and he has also scored more than 50 in each of Australia's hat-trick of wins.
Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden (38) put on 172 for the first wicket, breaking the previous opening record of 129 in a final set by England's Mike Brearley and Geoff Boycott against West Indies in 1979.
Sri Lanka, the 1996 champions, made a spirited reply with Sanath Jayasuriya (63) and Kumar Sangakkara (54) adding 116 from 106 balls for the second wicket with some delightful strokes.
After their dismissals rain again swept across the Kensington Oval, stopping play for 12 minutes, and Sri Lanka's target was reduced to 269 from 36.
SUBLIME GILCHRIST
The Sri Lankans continued to go for their shots in the increasing gloom but wickets fell steadily and the game finally ended in total darkness with nobody on the ground able to figure out what was going on.
Gilchrist, who scored one in each of his last two innings, recaptured the timing that makes him one of the most destructive batsman in international cricket.
He lofted the second ball of Chaminda Vaas's second over for four then hit the left-armer over long-on for six and slashed a further boundary past slip.
Dilhara Fernando replaced the expensive Vaas in the attack but the tall paceman was unable to hold on to a sharp caught-and-bowled from Gilchrist, on 31, at ankle height.
The batsman celebrated with a four and a six from the next two deliveries.
Two sixes off off-spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan and another off Fernando brought up the 100 from 102 balls.
Gilchrist reached his century in 72 balls with eight fours and six sixes, 10 balls fewer than West Indian captain Lloyd's match-winning innings in the 1975 Cup final against Australia.
Hayden was caught in the covers by Jayawardene off the impressive Lasith Malinga and Gilchrist followed one short of his 150 caught off a skier after batting for 104 balls with 13 fours and eight sixes.
"He's a brilliant batsman and today he batted really well," said Jayawardene.
Sri Lanka opener Jayasuriya took fours through extra-cover, point and over slips from a Shaun Tait over.
Glenn McGrath, playing his last match for Australia, began economically before Sangakkara ruined his figures with a six into the crowd followed by two fours.
His dismissal, a simple catch to Ponting at mid-on off Brad Hogg's left-arm spin, was the beginning of the end for Sri Lanka. Jayasuriya was bowled for 63 from 67 balls by Michael Clarke and a difficult task for the remaining batsmen was made impossible by the rain and dark.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
INDIA WINS THE WORLD CUP 2007....
WEST INDIES: MAR 31, 2007.
AFTER HITTING THE CHILLIEST 436/2 INDIA GAVE SOME CHANCES TO THE THEN WORLDCUP WINNER AUSTRALIANS TO HIT 354 / ALLOUT IN 39.5 OVERS.
"IT WAS A GREAT MATCH TO WATCH" AS MANTHRA BEDI TOLD IN AZW TV IN REPLYING TO CONGO ALLROUNDER MAZWINDIR RAXXO.
SINCE THERE WAS A POWER FAILURE OF MORETHAN 198 HOURS IN INDIA, INDIANS LOST THE CHANCE OF SEEING THE VICTORY OF DRAVID'S TEAM OVER AUSTRALIANS...SAID PARAD SAWAR.
UTTAPPA SCORED 234 IN 69 BALLS.
GANGULY SCORED 202 IN 38 BALLS.
DHONI AND SHEWAG IN THE GROUND. RAIN DISTURBED THE MATCH PREVIOUSLY.
INDIANS SET A TARGET OF 786 IN 40 OVERS FOR AUSTRALIA...
Monday, March 19, 2007
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Noida Killings...............................
The forensic examination of bones found near the house of Moninder Singh Pandher, one of the two accused in the Nithari serial killings, has revealed that the skeletal remains were those of four women, four male children and 11 female children.
Sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation's Special Crime team said the polygraph or lie detector test of Maya, a domestic help who earlier worked for Pandher, was 'inconclusive' and that she will have to undergo the test again.
They said that the forensic examination of skeletal remains, including 16 complete and three incomplete skulls, suggested that four of them were of adult females, an equal number of male children and the remaining were of girl children.
Apart from determining that four skeletal remains were of adult females, the approximate age of the other dead could not be ascertained so far, the sources said.
The skeletal remains have been shifted to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics at Hyderabad for DNA profiling.
Sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation's Special Crime team said the polygraph or lie detector test of Maya, a domestic help who earlier worked for Pandher, was 'inconclusive' and that she will have to undergo the test again.
They said that the forensic examination of skeletal remains, including 16 complete and three incomplete skulls, suggested that four of them were of adult females, an equal number of male children and the remaining were of girl children.
Apart from determining that four skeletal remains were of adult females, the approximate age of the other dead could not be ascertained so far, the sources said.
The skeletal remains have been shifted to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics at Hyderabad for DNA profiling.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Its New... New.... New.....Dress..........
Visakhapatnam:: Feb:17,2007:
One by one they all came, took off their t-shirts. and shorts! And the entire Indian team tried the new range of training gear. The team’s official apparel sponsor Nike will be launching their World Cup clothing line on February 20 but the players got a look at the samples on Friday as they tried out their sizes. And from the initial reaction of the players, they are liking this new dark shade of blue and a tinge of grey and orange flavour............................
...........................................................
At Least let them do some auction with their old things to some of the fools and pay that to some orphanage.......
MEN IN BLUE.................
JOIN THE BLUE MILLIONS.....................
One by one they all came, took off their t-shirts. and shorts! And the entire Indian team tried the new range of training gear. The team’s official apparel sponsor Nike will be launching their World Cup clothing line on February 20 but the players got a look at the samples on Friday as they tried out their sizes. And from the initial reaction of the players, they are liking this new dark shade of blue and a tinge of grey and orange flavour............................
...........................................................
At Least let them do some auction with their old things to some of the fools and pay that to some orphanage.......
MEN IN BLUE.................
JOIN THE BLUE MILLIONS.....................
Bofors........ May I Know still the Tanks/Guns are in working condition or Expired???
New Delhi, February 23:
Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi has been detained by the authorities in Argentina on Friday following a request by India to the Interpol.
The Ministry of External Affairs has asked for his extradition from Argentina to India. Quattrocchi was being sought in India for bribe charges relating to his role in the Bofors gun deal.
....................................................................................................
Hi Dudes,
Anybody explain what is Bofors? & Who is Quarrocchi?
Please..........
Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi has been detained by the authorities in Argentina on Friday following a request by India to the Interpol.
The Ministry of External Affairs has asked for his extradition from Argentina to India. Quattrocchi was being sought in India for bribe charges relating to his role in the Bofors gun deal.
....................................................................................................
Hi Dudes,
Anybody explain what is Bofors? & Who is Quarrocchi?
Please..........
Oh, God Why ????
Kochi: Feb20,2007:
Atleast 18 schoolchildren and four teachers died when a overcrowded boat, they were picnicking in, overturned in the reservoir of the Bhooth-athankettu dam, near Kothamangalam today.
The mishap occurred around 6.30 pm, and most of the victims were aged between 10 to 12 years.
Several survivors have been admitted to local hospitals. Some are reported to be in a serious state. Local people, the police and fire and rescue personnel are still searching for the missing. The state government has sought the Navy’s help for search and rescue. Some 106 students and teachers from the St Antony’s school at Elavoor near here had gone for a picnic in the area.
Local sources say they had hired three small private boats for a cruise on the reservoir, overcrowding the boats by at least three times the rated capacity. The boats were taken out disregarding the ban in force on it after 6 pm. One of the boats, meant to carry upto 15 people reportedly carried 37 students and teachers. It was caught in a current and capsized killing the teachers and the students.
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Oh God............Whose Mistake is this??????????????????
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Atleast 18 schoolchildren and four teachers died when a overcrowded boat, they were picnicking in, overturned in the reservoir of the Bhooth-athankettu dam, near Kothamangalam today.
The mishap occurred around 6.30 pm, and most of the victims were aged between 10 to 12 years.
Several survivors have been admitted to local hospitals. Some are reported to be in a serious state. Local people, the police and fire and rescue personnel are still searching for the missing. The state government has sought the Navy’s help for search and rescue. Some 106 students and teachers from the St Antony’s school at Elavoor near here had gone for a picnic in the area.
Local sources say they had hired three small private boats for a cruise on the reservoir, overcrowding the boats by at least three times the rated capacity. The boats were taken out disregarding the ban in force on it after 6 pm. One of the boats, meant to carry upto 15 people reportedly carried 37 students and teachers. It was caught in a current and capsized killing the teachers and the students.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh God............Whose Mistake is this??????????????????
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