Stirling ton sets up six-wicket win

	Paul Stirling blitzes one to the boundary during his match-winning hundred © Getty Images Enlarge

Two sparkling centuries lit up Ireland's clash with Netherlands at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Ryan ten Doeschate propping Netherlands up with his second ton of the tournament and Paul Stirling then launching Ireland's pursuit of 306 with a blazing, 72-ball 101. Ireland's disciplined bowling and far superior fielding proved the difference between the two sides, and they eventually triumphed by six wickets with more than two overs to spare after a far closer finish had appeared possible.

Apart from one lapse in the first over, Ireland had barely fumbled while restricting Netherlands on a benign, batting-friendly surface and closed out the innings in bizarre circumstances with four run-outs in four balls. Netherlands were nowhere near as tight in comparison, putting down three clear chances and failing to keep the pressure on in the field, their lapses repeatedly allowing Ireland to stay ahead of the game.

Netherlands should have had a breakthrough as early as the third over, but Adeel Raja put down a top edge off William Porterfield's bat at third man and Ireland were soon rocketing along at eight an over. Stirling provided the main impetus in that regard, swinging from the hip from the very start of his knock, as the first ball he faced was answered with a wild hook and a top edge that sailed straight over the wicketkeeper for six. He barely slowed down thereafter, hitting very little straight down the ground but repeatedly puncturing the field on both sides of the wicket.

He plundered 19 from Bernard Loots' second over, including a second six over deep midwicket, and shortly after brought up a 25-ball half century, the second fastest in the tournament. Porterfield was rather more circumspect but had no problems putting the bad ball away, and after 68 out of 81 runs came in boundaries in the first 10 overs Netherlands were forced to postpone their use of the bowling Powerplay simply to try and slow Ireland down.

With Pieter Seelaar and ten Doeschate, Netherlands' two most accomplished bowlers, operating in tandem, the tactic temporarily worked but when the bowling Powerplay was eventually taken in the 19th over, and the batsmen attempted to pick up the tempo once again, Netherlands put down two chances in as many overs to lose further ground.

Porterfield eased past fifty in the 20th over but by then Stirling already had a hundred in his sights. Their partnership stretched to 177, a for the opening stand in ODIs, before, in a three-ball flurry of excitement, Porterfield fell to a catch behind and Stirling brought up his century but then thumped the next ball - a long-hop - straight to the fielder on the deep-midwicket boundary. Their departures opened a window of opportunity for Netherlands but Ireland's chase barely missed a step, with each successive batsman making a contribution and the brothers O'Brien closing out the game with an unbroken 28-run partnership at close to nine an over.

While lacklustre bowling and fielding let Netherlands down, the ascendancy had swung between the two teams before lunch and Netherlands had gained in an attacking stand between ten Doeschate and captain Peter Borren. The Ireland bowlers had few answers against the pair and were hampered by an injury to young left-arm spinner George Dockrell, who appeared to dislocate his shoulder as he dived to stop the ball and had to immediately leave the field.

Smart Stats The target of 307 is the second-highest successfully chased score in ODIs in The highest is 316 by India against Sri Lanka in 2009. Ryan ten Doeschate's century is his second of the tournament and he becomes the third player after AB de Villiers and Sachin Tendulkar to score two centuries in the 2011 World Cup. ten Doeschate has now scored five centuries and nine fifties in ODIs. Among batsmen who have scored over in ODIs, his average of 67.00 is the highest. The 121-run stand between ten Doeschate and Peter Borren is the highest for the for Netherlands in ODIs. Paul Stirling scored a century off just 70 balls, which is the fourth fastest in World Cups and the second fastest for an Irish batsman in World Cups. Stirling's 140.27 is the second highest for an Irish batsman for a score over 100 in ODIs The 177-run stand between William Porterfield and Stirling is the third-highest partnership in the 2011 World Cup and the highest for Ireland in ODIs. The 81 runs scored by Ireland in the mandatory Powerplay is their highest score in the first ten overs of an innings in the tournament.

In his absence, ten Doeschate and Borren added 121 for the fifth wicket, by far the largest stand of the innings, in quick time on a pitch that looked increasingly good for batting after the early-morning moisture had been scorched from the surface. ten Doeschate had also been involved in two other important partnerships after Netherlands lost two early wickets and then suffered a further casualty when Wesley Barresi was forced to leave the field in just the second over after being hit on the back of the head by a return throw from Kevin O'Brien.

ten Doeschate kick-started his innings by adding 41 with Alexei Kervezee, who struggled to deal with the early bounce and movement and eventually gave his wicket away softly, pushing a length delivery from John Mooney straight into the hands of Kevin O'Brien. That dismissal brought Barresi back to the crease, and he immediately set about the Irish bowling. He raced into the 40s before he was pinned in front of his stumps, but Dockrell's injury noticeably dampened Ireland's mood and ten Doeschate and Borren quickly seized the initiative once again.

ten Doeschate raised his fifty in the 27th over and with the field set back in defence, the partnership developed with plenty of running between the wickets before he opened up as he closed in on a century. Borren raced to a 56-ball half-century in the 38th over and ten Doeschate went to his own landmark soon after in the midst of another expensive over from Boyd Rankin. He celebrated by heaving Stirling over wide long-on but fell trying to repeat the shot next ball, caught at long-off by Mooney.

Borren and wicketkeeper Atse Buurman didn't allow the pitch to slow Netherlands' momentum and continued to find the boundary - though more than once it was courtesy of outside edges and slashes past third man but the innings ended in farcical circumstances when Netherlands lost four wickets in four balls - all run out - to be bowled out for 306. That still might have been a match-winning total, but ultimately Ireland showed the value of their greater professionalism and the enhanced self-belief that has come from their positive performances in this tournament.

Cowan, Copeland star on attritional day

Sheffield Shield finals are rarely free-flowing, cut and thrust affairs. More often than not they are attritional, absorbing, last-man-standing encounters.

And so it proved on day two of Australian cricket's domestic showpiece in Hobart. While the highlight of day one was the batting of two Test stars, Phil Hughes and Simon Katich, day two featured a battle of wills between two hard-nosed Shield journeymen.

Ben Rohrer has played just 20 Shield matches in four years since scoring 163 on debut at Bellerive. The 29-year-old was preferred for this final over 19-year-old Nic Maddinson, and his experience proved invaluable for NSW this morning.

With the second new ball still nipping around, Rohrer made and unbeaten 64 with a positive display of strokeplay to help NSW reach their total of 440 by lunch time. Rohrer, who was well supported by cameos from nightwatchman Scott Coyte (25) and Trent Copeland (26), cracked seven fours and two sixes in his 91-ball stay. The Blues plundered 124 runs in 29.5 overs and the game charged forward at a rate of knots.

Ben Hilfenhaus put a poor first day behind him when he took a wicket with his first ball this morning. It was little surprise it was his first ball to a right-hander in this innings. He bowled an impressive spell to remove the only two right-handed NSW batsmen - Peter Nevill and Steve O'Keefe - in the top nine, as he found prodigious swing on a cool and overcast morning. James Faulkner and Xavier Doherty both added to their tallies to finish with three wickets apiece.

Whilst the Blues opening batsmen clattered 85 inside 19 overs yesterday, Tasmania's top four took 35 overs to reach the same mark. The middle session was a grind, highlighted by a battle of wills between former NSW batsmen Ed Cowan and former Bathurst wicketkeeper turned wicket-taker in Copeland.

Cowan watches each ball like a hawk and plays to his strengths without trying to over-extend himself. Copeland is the bowling equivalent. He doesn't try to bowl any quicker than 125kph. And instead uses guile and patience to strangle his victims, delivering over after over with metronomic precision.

It was a fascinating duel over four absorbing hours. Cowan finished unbeaten on 80 from 177 balls while Copeland delivered 21 overs and claimed two wickets and perhaps deserved more.

There were other players who impressed aside from the duo. Teenager Pat Cummins, who became the youngest player ever to play in a Shield final, was exceptional in bowling 20 overs over genuine pace. His first ball of the day was 134kph, his last 142kph. In between he was far too fast for Nick Kruger trapping him in front for one, and troubled every Tasmanian he bowled to. No batsman was excluded from the barrage of high-velocity, short balls. George Bailey was troubled more than any but it was Copeland who was rewarded for Cummins' work.

Alex Doolan also played a nice hand as his 46 oozed class and reminded onlookers of the uncomplicated style of Martin Love. But the 25-year-old fell to Copeland, edging behind. Mark Cosgrove's entrance unshackled Cowan and the pair adding 53 in from 13 overs. They will need a lot more tomorrow to eat into the 280-run deficit.

Dockrell suffers shoulder injury

	George Dockrell suffered a dislocated shoulder during his fourth over © AFP Enlarge

, Ireland's 18-year-old left-arm spinner, has dislocated his shoulder during the World Cup match against Netherlands at Eden Gardens on Friday.

Dockrell was one of the standout performers in Ireland's campaign, collecting seven scalps - including Sachin Tendulkar - at an average 29.57. He is due to play for Somerset in the upcoming English county season after signing for them last year.

"He [Dockrell] has dislocated his [right] shoulder and will probably be out for the standard four to six weeks," Ireland captain William Porterfield said after his team's six-wicket victory. "It's not great timing as he was due to start pre-season training with Somerset, so it is a setback for him and hopefully he gets over it quickly."

Dockrell picked up the injury while trying to field off his own bowling in his fourth over and, in his absence, Ireland conceded 306 in their final match of the tournament. He went to hospital for scans and played no further part in the game.

Murali and Sangakkara ease Sri Lanka top

	Muttiah Muralitharan helped Sri Lanka ease past New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium © Getty Images Enlarge

Sri Lanka's old guard combined to ease to a 112-run victory over New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium. his first ODI century since June 2008, supported by a controversial 66 from to haul Sri Lanka up to 265 before spun New Zealand to defeat with 4 for 25.

Coming into the tournament as one of the favourites, Sri Lanka have not quite convinced so far and but for their three most experienced players might have struggled again. Instead the finish was the kind of one-sided result that has epitomised Group A.

New Zealand, though, will rue their misfortune when Jayawardene was reprieved at a critical moment. Sri Lanka had lost both openers and were struggling to get on top of the New Zealand slow bowlers when, in the 24th over, Jayawardene chipped a return catch to Nathan McCullum.

It went low to McCullum's right and the bowler dived full-length to scoop the ball centimetres off the turf. The batsman stood his ground and the decision was sent upstairs. Side-on replays seemed to clearly show McCullum's fingers under the ball but a front-on shot, as it so often does, created doubt that the third umpire, Amiesh Saheba, ruled on. Before then Jayawardene had scrambled for 50 deliveries to make 26 but silkily added a further 40 at a run a ball and Sri Lanka never looked back.

Sangakkara helped himself to a century that he's been waiting 64 matches for. Looking typically unhurried, he was content to work the ball around early on before unfurling some of the stylish strokes that are his hallmark as the innings went on. One six, eased down the ground off Scott Styris, told of a batsman in total

Smart stats The 145-run partnership between Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene is the second-highest for Sri Lanka against New Zealand in a World Cup match. Sangakkara and Jayawardene have put together 4724 partnership runs in ODIs, which is the highest by a non-opening pair. This was also their tenth century partnership in ODIs, which puts them in second place, next only to the Sachin Tendulkar-Rahul Dravid pair, who have 11. In World Cups, this was their third century partnership in ten innings, but the first against a Test-playing team. Only three other non-opening pairs have got three hundred stands in World Cups. The 112-run margin of victory is Sri Lanka's third-highest against New Zealand. Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling returns of 4 for 25 is his second-best in World Cups, next only to his 4 for 19 against Ireland in 2007. New Zealand's total of 153 is their fourth-lowest in a World Cup match, and their poorest against Sri Lanka.

control. The verbal exchanges that Jayawardene got involved with after his escape only served to fire him up and he was soon exhibiting the fluent form that had deserted him since his century against Canada in Sri Lanka's opening game.

The pair added 145 and the importance of the stand was demonstrated by what followed. Sangakkara rushed to his century with four boundaries in six deliveries but was out soon after for 111. Following his dismissal Sri Lanka lost five wickets for 55 in the final 8.2 overs. That they even got so many was almost entirely down to Angelo Mathews, who swatted 41 from 35 balls to thwart New Zealand's fightback.

In the end, the collapse was irrelevant but in the knockout stages, opposition teams will know beneath Sri Lanka's top order is a soft underbelly waiting to be exposed. New Zealand would have backed themselves to make a better fist of chasing but - despite dew, on a ground that will host the World Cup final, hampering the Sri Lanka spinners - Muralitharan and Mendis choked them into submission.

The early work was done by the quicks when Brendon McCullum was given out by the TV umpire after Jayawardene, of all people, claimed a low catch off Mathews. There was some uncertainty as the take was almost spilled at the last moment. TV replays were not entirely certain but, unlike the first time, the right decision was made and McCullum was sent on his was for 14. After Guptill fell for 13, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor threatened to make a match of it but the spinners took over.

Mendis' mystery may have faded with exposure but his variations proved too much for Ryder who nibbed a carrom-ball behind for a 23-ball 19. Muralitharan's introduction had been delayed after he picked up an injury while batting. Despite hobbling around, he was still devastating when he finally got into the attack in the 18th over.

A doosra took care of Kane Williamson for 5 before he landed the killer blow by spinning one back into Taylor's pads. Despite a big stride and a review, Taylor was rightly given out for 33 and his team never looked like competing. Scott Styris chipped a return catch to Muralitharan, who belied his injury to spring up and snaffle the chance, and Nathan McCullum and James Franklin soon followed. Between them Mendis and Muralitharan took six wickets for 59 in 14 overs.

Unlike the frenzied excitement in Group B, the qualifiers in Group A are already settled. Sri Lanka are guaranteed to finish second whatever happens between Australia and Pakistan, which might well leave them in line for a contest against the World Cup mysterybox, England, in the quarter finals.

Pakistan keep focus amid Shoaib retirement

	Shahid Afridi was non-committal about whether Shoaib Akhtar would play against Australia © AFP Enlarge

Even in his departure - perhaps especially in it - Shoaib Akhtar can't help but be the centre of attention. Before Thursday, Pakistan's game against Australia was all about Pakistan's game against Australia: who will top the group, will Pakistan change their opening partnership, will they be able to handle Australia's pace, will history play a role in Pakistan breaking Australia's unbeaten streak, given that they remain the last side to beat them in a World Cup match (at Headingley in the previous century, 1999)?

All this remains relevant but also irrelevant because the answer most people want is whether or not Shoaib will get a chance to play another game in this tournament. He was dropped - not rested - for the game against Zimbabwe and the concerns about his fitness, retirement or not, remain. Shahid Afridi rarely reveals his hand publicly and he seemed in a particular hurry today, so the question remained, essentially, unanswered.

On fitness, on a guarantee of ten overs and younger legs in the field, Wahab Riaz retains his place in the XI from the last game. On emotion - and the management is not particularly keen to let that get in the way - and the believable prospect of a game-changing over or two, Shoaib might sneak in. If Afridi was leaning anywhere between ruling him in and ruling him out, it appeared to be towards the latter. Maybe: "As for future games, let's look at the combination. If he is needed we will definitely use him," was all he would say.

The announcement dominated proceedings. Was this the right time for him to go? "I don't think it is bad timing. Maybe he could have decided after the World Cup but it's up to him," Afridi replied, still non-committal. Was there any friction behind the decision? "I don't think so. He never said anything about being upset or anything. I think he is enjoying himself if he is playing or even if he isn't playing." Was it a good decision? "I think he took the right decision. It was his own decision. Because of his bowling Pakistan won quite a few matches. He has set a good example because in Pakistan normally the selector kicks you out, you don't leave yourself."

In truth, Afridi is right to be blasé about the matter. He, and Pakistan's campaign, cannot be distracted by this, though chances are he is not anyway. He is not a man to dwell on matters too much. And there are other issues of personnel to be resolved, prime among them Ahmed Shehzad. He has been backed unconditionally through five games, which have fetched 51 runs, and worse, some careless dismissals. Do they give him one more game, in the hope he might do something, or should they show some ruthlessness and dump him now?

"Maybe we'll do some changing in the opening," was Afridi's typically concise response. They at least have options now. Asad Shafiq's assured World Cup debut against Zimbabwe - "He did well so he should be in shouldn't he? Definitely he will play next game" - means he remains in the XI. Kamran Akmal can thus resume a promising opening partnership with Mohammad Hafeez - "We can [use Kamran as opener], definitely we can do it" - and Umar Akmal is fit and available for selection again.

Without changing the bent or balance of the XI, Pakistan can make a key personnel change, which is precisely the situation they want to be in. And it leaves them with three spinning options as well. They don't want, as Afridi said, to be experimenting right now.

All that leaves the minor matter of Australia, a team untested and not as ominous as it once was, but a team nonetheless calibrated simply and clearly to win matches. Beat them and maybe top the group, potentially drawing a less difficult quarter-final. Lose and face the top teams from the other group. Ultimately, the best sides will have to be beaten at some stage or another.

"They are a very professional side and they know how to use these conditions as well. They are very strong mentally and physically," Afridi said. "But we know our strength as well, we know how to tackle and deal with these guys, so we are well-prepared. We've made some plans against them and you will see tomorrow in the game we will do something new."

Umpire removed from WC liaison role after TV sting

Devendra Sharma, a BCCI umpire involved in liaison work for the ICC during the World Cup, has been removed from duty following revelations of unprofessional conduct unearthed by a TV sting operation. Sharma was caught by Star News, an Indian television channel, allegedly supplying information about the pitch and conditions before a game, which is a violation of the ICC's code of conduct.

In a statement sent to the press detailing the sting operation, Star News claimed that Sharma "revealed some vital information about the condition of the pitch" a day before the March 6 game between Canada and Kenya. "He said that it's a good batting track and it is going to be a high scoring game," the statement said. "The team after winning the toss will opt for batting first."

Clause 2.3.2 of the code of conduct states that it is a misuse of inside information to disclose it "to any person (with or without reward) before or during any international match or ICC event where the player or player support personnel might reasonably be expected to know that disclosure of such information in such circumstances could be used in relation to betting."

In that game, Kenya won the toss and chose to bat first, with Canada captain Ashish Bagai saying he too would have chosen to bat first. Kenya wound up being bowled out for 198, a total Canada chased down with more than four overs to spare.

Star News also claimed to have recorded five BCCI umpires, and a former umpire, who were allegedly willing to violate professional rules and ethics by agreeing to participate in a corporate tournament that was not sanctioned by the BCCI or any of the state associations. The umpires apparently also agreed to favour certain players with their decisions.

"Reporters tell the umpires that in the tournament some players could get promotions and bonus in their company if they performed well in this tournament," the channel said. "For this the players also depended on 'favours' from the umpires. All six agree that they will be lenient on decisions like LBW and caught behind. They also inform our undercover reporters that a list of players to be favoured should be given to them before matches."

Bangladesh wary of South African pace

	The Bangladesh batting redeemed itself in the game against England © Getty Images Enlarge

Of all the questions had to answer at his pre-match press conference in Dhaka, the one about the score was asked most often. How much would Bangladesh like to put on the board to feel safe if they bat first? How much would they be comfortable chasing? How much do they think South Africa would be looking at?

Eventually Shakib chose to answer in the simplest way possible. "If we bat first we'll have to put on a good total and if we bowl first we'll have to restrict them," he said, wiping his brow. It was probably another way of saying "I don't know" but instead of being that basic he added another line for good measure: 'I haven't seen the wicket yet so I am not sure."

Amongst all those questions the number 58 was not mentioned once, neither were any of the connotations that have come with it. Bangladesh last played in Dhaka on the day that they were bowled out for 58, by the West Indies, a loss that revealed an ugly side to fans that have been welcoming and proud of their status as World Cup hosts. Since then, Bangladesh have recovered admirably, showing that they can handle pressure by chasing 225 to beat England in a tight finish.

That's what Shakib is focusing on. "Throughout this tournament we have played well, even though people have said that we haven't batted enough." That was enough to prompt another round of numbers questions, this time about individual scores. "We've seen even Associate players score centuries at this World Cup, but not one of the Bangladesh batsman has done so," said the questioner, who stopped right there, not bothering to ask anything, just wanting Shakib to respond to what's being perceived as batting failings.

"Only Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli have scored centuries in Bangladesh in the tournament," he said, referring to the opening match in which India put on 370 for 4. "That was a different wicket and we scored 280 in it. No other team has scored more than 250." The pitch at Dhaka is known to be tricky for batsmen, with the average score for a team batting first just 231 - a far cry from the scores in excess of 300 that recent ODIs have seen.

It's hardly the sort of surface that a batting side under pressure will look to play on. What it is is the kind of pitch that promotes character building. It's the type that will reward the man who can withstand an assault from seam bowlers and spinners, who can show patience and who can build an innings with hard work rather than come out and expect to wave his bat around like a wand to conjure up a big score.

It's also the kind of pitch that bowlers will look forward to playing on, particularly a bowling unit that has dismissed all five of the teams they have faced so far. South Africa have a 100% record in the bowling department and with the discipline and variation they have, they will want to hold on to that. It's the most varied attack South Africa ever had at a World Cup and they've kept things fluid by mixing up the combinations. They've opened twice with a spinner, rotated the bowlers creatively and bowled to specific plans.

Shakib said that although the South Africans spinners are bowling "reasonably well" it's not them that the Bangladesh batsmen are worried about. "We'll have to be careful about their fast bowlers too." South Africa have bowled Bangladesh out for 173 and 143 on this surface before, in March 2008, with seamers claiming 12 of the 20 wickets. Those may turn out to be numbers most worth concentrating on.

Shoaib the fastest I've faced - Ponting

	Ricky Ponting on Shoaib Akhtar: "The fastest bowler I've faced in international cricket." © AFP Enlarge

Ricky Ponting has congratulated on "an outstanding career" and said Akhtar was unquestionably the fastest bowler he had faced while playing for Australia. The two men could face off one final time in Colombo on Saturday, after Akhtar at the end of the World Cup, and Ponting said he would always remember the battles they had shared.

"I had some great duels with Shoaib over the years," Ponting said. "To this day, I've always said he's the fastest bowler that I've ever faced in international cricket. There's one spell that everyone can watch on the internet of him bowling to me at the WACA. That was reasonably entertaining - more so for Justin Langer, who was at the other end laughing at me all the time when I was trying to keep Shoaib's deliveries out.

"He was express pace, a very, very good bowler. Over the years he's had his fair share of injuries that have not allowed him to play as much as he would have liked. But even in this tournament so far, you can see that he's still got it with the new ball. He still has good pace, and his experience has helped him at different times as well. Congratulations to him on what has been an outstanding career."

Shoaib made his decision known to his team-mates on Thursday morning at an emotional gathering where he delivered a farewell speech and was embraced by fellow players and support staff.

"We feel sad for Shoaib as he has been a very nice team-mate and we'll always remember him as someone who always tried hard for the team and every player thanks him," Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, said.

The Pakistan coach Waqar Younis added: ""I played with him and then coached him. He has been a great bowler for the country and served the team well. It is a nice way to leave the place for youngsters and that's something we must appreciate."

Several former Pakistan captains also paid tribute to Shoaib. "I would like to remember him as a tear-away bowler who with his strike-rate was a match-winner on his day. He battled through injuries and controversies with a lot of heart throughout his career," Ramiz Raja, now a television commentator, said.

Rashid Latif claimed Shoaib was the fastest bowler he kept wicket to. "He was amongst the most glamorous cricketers of all time," Latif said. "He was famous for his attitude but let me tell you he was down to earth and never been a problem for me when I was his captain. The only worry for me was his pace, quite easily he was the fastest bowler I kept to."

Aamer Sohail added it would be difficult for Pakistan to find a replacement for Shoaib. "When I captained him I found him to be very responsive and eager to perform for the country. He has done the right thing to retire now but it will take time for someone to take his place.

"He has set a good precedent for the future generation of cricketers."

Ponting eager for Pakistan test

	The Pakistan game, Ricky Ponting has said, will give Australia a better indication of where they stand © Associated Press Enlarge

A delayed flight, a midnight arrival at their hotel in Colombo and one afternoon training session on Friday might seem like a rushed preparation for Australia's match against Pakistan on Saturday. In fact, their build-up has been anything but hurried. men have spent more than a month travelling around India and Sri Lanka, but in between rounds of golf and elephant rides, they've hardly got out of second gear on the field.

So far, they haven't needed to, and they enter Saturday's game unbeaten and with first place in Group A there for the taking. Wins over Zimbabwe and a lacklustre New Zealand were followed a fortnight later by victories against Kenya and Canada. At times their opponents have surprised them with fireworks but overall it has been a slow burn, dampened by the wash-out against Sri Lanka, which was poised to be their first major challenge.

Meanwhile, Pakistan have spent a month in Sri Lanka, stumbling once when Ross Taylor took a liking to the short boundaries in Pallekele, but otherwise steering themselves through to the quarter-finals with relative comfort, including a win over the home team. All that this match will determine is who Pakistan and Australia face in their first knockout game, and whether they play it in Colombo, Dhaka or Ahmedabad. But it will also give Ponting an indication of where his men sit.

"We really do start to feel that the tournament is kicking off now," Ponting said. "We've had our games along the way and the other big game we had in our pool matches was the game against Sri Lanka, which was washed out, unfortunately. We've been really excited about playing this game against Pakistan for quite a while.

"During those longer breaks, we've trained exceptionally hard and trained very, very well. We just haven't had the continuity we would have liked with our games. But we got a couple of good results in Bangalore last week. At this stage we're the only undefeated team in the tournament, which is nice for us, but I think we'll get a better feel tomorrow at the end of the game for just where we're at and how well we're placed in this World Cup."

The Australians will fancy their attack against Pakistan, who have been bowled out for 184 by Canada and 192 by New Zealand in their past three games. But the big challenge will be overcoming a Pakistan bowling group led by Umar Gul, with his swinging yorkers, and the captain Shahid Afridi, who is the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.

The last time the teams met in an ODI, Afridi stuck the ball in his mouth. This time, he'll be looking for bite off the pitch and at the Premadasa, where even Steven Smith was turning the ball sharply before the rain came against Sri Lanka, Afridi could be a handful.

"He has been the standout bowler, wickets-wise, in the tournament so far," Ponting said. "He tends to control the middle of their bowling innings particularly well. He doesn't go for a lot of runs, either, which is probably the main reason he's taken the amount of wickets that he has. He builds up pressure, and if he builds up pressure from his end you can guarantee that the guy at the other end is more likely to strike and take wickets as well. That was one of the big things we spoke about this morning, making sure we play him well.

"They've got a number of match-winning players in their team. If you look through their better-performed player through the tournament so far, you'd look at Afridi and Gul as the two guys who have been their standout players. We know we're going to have to play those guys well tomorrow if we want to win the game. They're a dangerous side. They proved that last time they played Sri Lanka here at this venue, how good a side they can be."

Pakistan were also the last team to beat Australia in a World Cup match, at Headingley in 1999, and Ponting's men have now extended their streak to 34 games without a loss. Making it 35 will be their toughest challenge so far in this tournament, but after a month in second gear, they'll be pleased to finally put the foot down.

Looking to lead from the front again - Smith

	Graeme Smith's highest score in this World Cup has been 45 against West Indies © Associated Press Enlarge

When a 22-year-old was given the biggest job in South African cricket, Dhaka was the venue of his first assignment. He had to lead the side to a involving the hosts and India, in which South Africa won three of the four round-robin matches they played. The final, between South Africa and India, was washed out.

Now, eight years on, Smith is ending his tenure as captain and one of the stops on his last assignment is Dhaka. He seems to have fond memories of the place where it all began. "It was a bit up and down at the start, but in the last four years or so I've really felt in control," he said. "From around 2008, I've seen us reap rewards and begun to understand what's required of me. I've had a team that I felt I could really say is mine."

It's interesting that Smith should pick 2008 as the time when things began changing. That was time enough after South Africa's Caribbean World Cup semi-final exit to have a fresh look at the one-day set-up and left time enough to build before the tournament's next edition. In between that they had major Test series to concentrate on as well, and won in England and Australia while drawing in India. They ended up losing the ODI series' that followed those Test wins but 2008 marked the start of South Africa playing to plans, a phrase that encompasses various things we've seen at this World Cup. Like rotating players within the squad to suit conditions and targeting specific players in calculated ways.

It's involved doing a lot of homework, but almost all of it has paid off. When Smith opened the bowling with an offspinner to Chris Gayle, he had him out within three balls. When he opened with a left-arm spinner to Kevin Pietersen, the same happened. They wanted to target the Indians bowlers in the Powerplay and the way they batted in that period won them the match. Similar research has been done for the match against Bangladesh.

Smith looked like an eager school kid as he reeled off the things he had learnt about Bangladesh so far. "We've seen that they have averaged 40 to 41 overs of spin with the ball, so we expect a lot of that. They have seven left handers and play well on the front foot but if we can put pressure on them from the start, they don't have a huge confidence base."

Smith emphasised that even though South Africa have qualified for the quarter-finals, they are not going to slack off. It has nothing to do with the win that Bangladesh earned over South Africa in the 2007 World Cup. "There is no added emotion from our perspective and no revenge talk," Smith said. "Four years it a lot of time to let things go."

What there might be is an eagerness to show how much they have improved from that day in Guyana, when a confident 87 from Mohammed Ashraful and a strangling bowling performance from Shakib Al Hasan and Abdur Razzak saw South Africa bowled out for 184, chasing 252.

"We used to rely on brute force in the past, but we are more subtle now," Smith said. The spinners, for a start, have added to the finesse. All three frontline spinners, Imran Tahir, Robin Peterson and Johan Botha, have been among the wickets but, as is the nature of their trade, it's out-thinking the batsman that has done the trick more than scaring them. Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers have scored picture-perfect centuries and JP Duminy a gritty 99.

They've been "street-smart" as Smith likes to call it but that doesn't mean their bullying days are done. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel can bruise teams upfront, and given that South Africa are determined to pressurise Bangaldesh from the outset, that's what they will be looking to do.

Smith himself may indulge in a bit of the bullying. The captain has been struggling for form, the 45 he scored against West Indies his highest score of the tournament. "It's been frustrating," he said. "I've got a lot of starts and haven't been able to capitalise on them." Getting significant time at the crease and having a good knock is vital to Smith for another reason - it how he shows his ability as a leader. "It's an important time for me to do well. For a long time I have led from the front and I would like to get back to doing that."

Maybe it wouldn't be so crucial to have a defining innings if Smith wasn't wrapping up his stint at the helm. For now, his time is all about the experiences and he hopes Bangladesh will give him one to add to his collection. "It's going to be wonderful for us to play here in this World Cup. We know the crowd are going to be behind Bangladesh, we'll be up for it."

Dernbach called up to England's World Cup squad

	Jade Dernbach (right) has been named as Ajmal Shahzad's replacement © Getty Images Enlarge

The Surrey seamer has been named as the surprise replacement in England's World Cup squad, after Ajmal Shahzad sustained a hamstring strain that ruled him out of contention for the knock-out stages of the tournament.

Dernbach, who is currently in the West Indies with the England Lions, has received approval from the ICC Event Technical Committee, and is expected to be released from his current fixture against , and will arrive in the subcontinent in time for the quarter-finals, which get underway on March 23.

Dernbach, 24, began the winter on the England Performance Programme in Australia before going on to make his England Lions debut last month, playing in the WICB regional four-day competition where he is currently the side's leading wicket-taker. The Surrey player has spent the previous two winters on the ECB Fast Bowling Programme in Florida and Chennai and is a graduate of the Surrey Academy.

Chris Adams, the Surrey cricket manager, believes the call-up is due reward for hard work. "From what we've seen for the last two years with Jade, as a cricketer and a person, he's matured in an accelerated way," he told ESPNcricinfo. "Partly because the situation at Surrey meant from an early age he was being asked to lead attacks which was good exposure and a steep learning curve.

"As a bowler has come on immensely in the last two years, but as a person he has also really matured into an outstanding individual. There are perceptions that people may have had in past that haven't always been that favourable, but take it from me he's an outstanding individual. He'll run through brick walls for his team-mates and loves winning."

One of the aspects of Dernbach's game that has caught the eye on the domestic circuit and kept the selectors interested is his accurate slower ball which has proved very effective in one-day cricket. He has taken 95 wickets in 60 List A fixtures with a career-best of 5 for 31, although his economy rate is high at 6.33, and on the current Lions tour has taken 19 wickets at 15.63 in the Caribbean four-day competition.

"He's developed a slower ball, a very special variance, which is dynamite and is unusual. It's bowled very well and has great deception," Adams said. "All those aspects coming together and this x-factor delivery is good reason for the selectors to have called him up. If you have a slower ball that gets purchase or grip, anything off the pitch, you'll be in the game so long as you can disguise it well which Jade is exceptional at."

National Selector, Geoff Miller, said: "We have been following the progress of Jade for some time and he has impressed throughout his two years on the fast bowling programme in 2008-09 in Florida and Chennai and the England Performance Programme in Australia late last year and during the domestic season with Surrey.

"He is a talented athlete and has performed very well with the Lions on the current tour of the West Indies and we feel his variations will be extremely useful on the surfaces we will be playing on should we progress to the knock out stages of the World Cup."

Dernbach was picked ahead of the Warwickshire allrounder, Chris Woakes, who impressed in his maiden England series in Australia recently. Liam Plunkett, who played the last of those seven ODIs against Australia, is currently injured.

The England team is currently waiting for confirmation that the side has reached the quarter-final stages of the ICC World Cup which is dependent on the remaining matches in the group stages. A victory for South Africa over Bangladesh, or India over West Indies, would be enough to guarantee a place in the last eight.

Dernbach, who was named in England's 30-man preliminary squad, becomes the fourth replacement in England's World Cup 15, although Eoin Morgan - who was replaced by Ravi Bopara - subsequently returned as a replacement for the injured Kevin Pietersen. Chris Tremlett was called up in place of Stuart Broad, who suffered a side strain during the victory over South Africa.

Morton and Willett plead not guilty

Trinidad & Tobago batsman and Leeward Islands allrounder have pleaded not guilty at the Port-of-Spain 10th Court after they were for possession of marijuana on March 11. The matter has been adjourned until June 17.

They reappeared before Magistrate Debby-Ann Bassaw, following their release on March 16 after close to US $3400. They had their passports returned to them, following an application from their lawyer Rajiv Persad.

Morton and Willett were arrested after the first day of T&T's Regional Four-Day Competition match against Leeward Islands in Port-of-Spain for carrying 407 grams of marijuana with an estimated street value of close to US $680. They were picked-up by police following a routine traffic stop and played no further part in the match.

Hilditch wants more impact from Tait

	Shaun Tait should have more impact in the early and middle overs according to Australia' chairman of selectors © Getty Images Enlarge

The man who signed off on Australia's aggressive World Cup attack believes needs to have more impact if Australia are to win a fourth consecutive title. The chairman of selectors, , also said that if Ricky Ponting can steer his side to another world triumph, it would rate as more satisfying than the previous three, which were achieved with great players such as Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist.

Tait was a key part of the 2007 campaign, when he finished joint second on the with 23 at 20.30, and his speed and hostility provided the perfect balance against the control of McGrath and Nathan Bracken. This time, Australia have gone with a trio of seriously quick bowlers, and while Tait is their leading wicket taker, he has also at times been slapped around the ground by moderate batsmen.

As the selector on duty, Hilditch will be watching at the Premadasa on Saturday when Tait, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson try to run through Pakistan, their last chance to hone their approach before the quarter-finals. Hilditch said he was thrilled with the way Lee had returned from his serious elbow injury, but he wanted more from Tait as the knockout stage of the tournament rapidly approaches.

"I'm really happy with how Brett is going," Hilditch said. "I think it's a great credit to him, what he's done at his age and with the injuries he has had. He has come back just brilliantly. He's bowling really well. Mitchell Johnson has been really good. I think Taity has got to improve a little bit. He's going to have to impact with the new ball and then impact in the middle overs. I think the test on how that's going to work is going to be in the next few games."

The other men who will be important for Australia in the middle overs are the spinners, and Steven Smith, who have not yet had a major impact on the tour. Against Pakistan, Hilditch will be keeping a close eye on Krejza, who, having made his name in the longer form of the game, was thrust into the one-day setup due to injuries to Nathan Hauritz and Xavier Doherty.

"It's a big test for Jason tomorrow on what could be a bit of a turning track," Hilditch said. "He's bowling pretty well. It's a steep learning curve, coming from playing Tasmanian cricket to playing against the best players in the world, but I think he's adjusting pretty well and it will be interesting to see how he goes tomorrow."

Australia are chasing their 35th consecutive World Cup match without a defeat, which stretches back to the 1999 tournament, the first of their three straight titles. As a selector since 1996, Hilditch has been involved in choosing all the successful squads, and he said that while 2007 was "the best campaign I've ever seen", it would be overtaken if Ponting lifts the trophy on April 2.

"If we manage to pull this off, I think it would be even better than 2007, because we've lost quite a few players since 2007. We had already lost quite a few players between 2003 and 2007. People forget that before 2007, we lost to England in the one-day series, we lost to New Zealand in the one-day series. We were actually going in looking like significant underdogs in 2007, and then we played the way we did.

"I think this is totally different. We've lost virtually most of the side since that time, and the fact that we've continued on the way we have done is great. This will be a massive challenge in these conditions. They're obviously not our ideal conditions and with this side, a fairly new side, it would be a great effort."

Phillip Hughes earns Hilditch praise

	Phillip Hughes is ending the Australian season with a flourish © Getty Images Enlarge

Australia's chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, has said he is thrilled by the form of the opener who made a century for New South Wales in the Hughes had not made a hundred for more than a year when he raised triple figures against Western Australia last week, and he has followed it with 138 in the biggest match of the domestic calendar.

That return to form might give Hilditch's panel pause for thought when they choose the squad for Australia's next Test series for a tour of Sri Lanka in August. Until he tore his Achilles tendon and made way for Hughes mid-Ashes, Simon Katich was the incumbent opener alongside Shane Watson, but he turns 36 in August and could face pressure from the 22-year-old Hughes to retain his place.

"We want all those players scoring runs," Hilditch said. "If it's a tough decision for us, it's a good thing for Australian cricket. I was thrilled for Phil, I think he turned the corner the last game. I spent a bit of time with him before the last Shield game and he seemed to be in a really good place. Having had a tough season, to emerge like he has is a credit to him."

Hughes played the final three Ashes Tests over the summer but his best score was 31, and he struggled to show any better form in the Sheffield Shield. However, he wasn't alone in that regard - the highest run scorer before the Sheffield Shield final was Rob Quiney with 724, a long way down from the four-figure tallies that leading batsmen usually score.

It's a trend that has worried the Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who has questioned the techniques of some of the younger batsmen on the domestic scene. Ponting said when he was starting out a player wouldn't have been considered for Test selection unless he was averaging around 60, but Hilditch said having watched plenty of games this year, he didn't share Ponting's concerns.

"A lot of people are saying that," he said. "Because I've seen so much Shield cricket [I know] it's been an unusual year. Probably at least three wickets around the country have been particularly bowler-friendly. There's always been the odd wicket that has been like that. It's been tough conditions for batters.

"I think in the end that will be a good thing for Australian cricket, because rather than playing on flat tracks they've had to play on very difficult tracks. I think their techniques will improve the more they have to do that. It's probably been a good thing. We haven't seen this year the thousand-plus runs that we used to always see but the conditions have been a lot harder, so I'm not reading too much into it."

Porterfield proud of Ireland's show

reflected proudly on Ireland's World Cup campaign after they complete their stay in the tournament with a six-wicket victory against Netherlands. Paul Stirling led an impressive run chase with 101 off 72 balls, adding 177 for the first wicket with Porterfield, which enabled Ireland to hunt down 307 with 14 deliveries to spare.

It was the second time they had chased down more than 300 to win following the famous pursuit against England, in Bangalore, when they reached 329. Two victories was a fair return for Ireland, whose reputation has been further enhanced, but it could have been even better after they wasted a golden chance against Bangladesh and also competed against West Indies.

"We have turned up for every game. We were consistent with the ball and on the field stands but haven't backed it up with the bat consistently what we did today," Porterfield said."But when you put yourselves into winning positions you will win more than you lose. It was great to chase 300 for the second time in the tournament.

"Anytime we got behind the run rate we just picked up. We played good cricket in the second half of the game. So I am very pleased."

Porterfield was happy to play second fiddle to Stirling as he dispatched the Netherlands bowlers around Eden Gardens, but was less pleased with Ireland's display in the field. "It took a lot of pressure of me," he said. "I was happy to play the second fiddle and watch someone smash it around and get a century off 70 balls.

	Ireland have an impressive account of themselves during the World Cup © AFP Enlarge

"But we should not have been chasing that [many]. We let ourselves down in the first half. But we have bowled and fielded well throughout the tournament and it was nice to see the batters coming to the party today."

Ireland's competitive showing at the tournament came at an opportune moment with Associates still waiting to find out whether they'll have a chance to appear in the 2015 World Cup when it is trimmed to ten teams.

Although Netherlands finished winless they didn't disgrace themselves and pushed England close during their opening game with Ryan ten Doeschate hitting a fine hundred. He followed that with 106 against Ireland, but Netherlands' bowling has been their weakness and couldn't contain the Ireland top order.

"We batted pretty well to get more than 300 and I think our total was quite defendable," Peter Borren, the captain, said. "We did not show discipline in bowling and dropped some catches, so we are pretty disappointed. We probably should have won the game. Fielding has been an area of concern for us in the last couple of years. Ireland saved 20-25 runs with their fielding and we did just the opposite, giving away runs that we could have saved."

Taylor questions use of technology

	Nathan McCullum gave Mahela Jayawardene some lip for not taking his word that he held the catch cleanly © Getty Images Enlarge

, New Zealand's stand-in captain, has said that if technology cannot be conclusive it should just not be used. Taylor's remarks came in the wake of the controversial return catch of during the Sri Lanka innings, which was pouched spectacularly by to hold the catch inches above the ground. But the third umpire ruled the decision against New Zealand.

Jayawardene went for a premeditated push towards the leg side, but was surprised by a slower delivery from McCullum which arrived late. Having rushed into the shot, Jayawardene could only watch the ball loop towards the unmanned space at silly mid-on. But McCullum leaped from the spot where he had finished his follow-through as if he was standing on a diving board. Amazingly he managed to get the tips of the fingers of his outstretched right hand under the ball.

Viewed from the press box, which is behind the bowler's arm, the first reaction was that the catch was taken on the first bounce. But numerous close replays indicated McCullum had actually held one of the catches of the tournament. His reaction was nothing short of ecstatic: he picked himself up and stamped the ground with one foot and pirouetted delightedly. But Jayawardene had his doubts and asked Asad Rauf, one of the on-field umpires, to refer the decision to the TV umpire. Moments later, third umpire Amiesh Saheba gave Jayawardene the benefit of the doubt, much to the chagrin of McCullum. Along with his captain Ross Taylor, both men argued with the on-field umpire Rauf briefly before leaving with their heads shaking. Simon Doull, the former New Zealand fast bowler, was livid in the commentary box and was adamant about the authenticity of the catch.

It was a critical moment in the match when Sri Lanka were struggling at 87 for 2 after 23.1 overs with Jayawardene on 26. "I haven't seen the catch, I have seen it only live. I thought it was carried, but the third umpire obviously had other things," Taylor said after the match. "When you generally think that you have taken the catch, it's your natural instinct. It is disappointing."

Asked if he would prefer the batsman taking a fielder's words in such a situation, Taylor said he would not rule that out. "It depends upon the person. You look at Jacques Kallis; he asks the fielders if they caught it cleanly and he trusts the words of the fielders. You put it up to the batsman to make the decision and at the end of the day you just hope the technology is right and if the technology is not right, well then don't use it."

, Sri Lanka's captain and Jayawardene's batting partner at the time of the incident, differed. According to Sangakkara, his team-mate had the right to ask for a referral. "I was completely blocked from behind. Mahela was very honest and he said he was not sure he caught it cleanly," Sangakkara said. "Mahela is someone who walks when he nicks it and if he saw Nathan had taken a clean catch he wouldn't have come around. He wasn't very sure and the umpires weren't sure because they were unsighted, so they checked with the technology and they went in favour of Mahela."

Sangakkara pointed out that during the New Zealand innings, Brendon McCullum had also waited for the third umpire's ruling on a low catch held at slip by Jayawardene, though it is not certain whether that was simply done in retaliation. "That's the way the game is played," he said. "We had Brendon McCullum stand his ground when Mahela took that catch and they went upstairs and it was proved that it was a clean catch. So it can go either way."

Taylor identifies loss of wickets as downfall

New Zealand may wonder how far they have progressed after the against Australia three weeks ago. Then, as now, their batsmen failed to build partnerships. Then, as now, New Zealand collapsed without putting up a fight. The only difference: back then they were tried by pace, while today the noose was tightened by the spinners. Just replace Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Brett Lee with Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga.

So have New Zealand become such an easy picking? Sri Lanka captain, was confident that New Zealand never liked the variety in his bowling attack. And it was not a recent allergy they had developed. "We kind of understand that they find the variation in our bowling attack a bit troublesome," Sangakkara said after the 112-run victory. "They find Mendis, Malinga and Murali quite difficult, so we try to maximise on that particular fact."

The only time New Zealand's batsmen showed some promise was when Jesse Ryder and were steadily beginning to rebuild the innings after the early loss of the openers. Ryder was timing the ball well, while Taylor showed the same spirit visible during his match-winning century against Pakistan. But it was not an easy pitch - it was taking sufficient turn, and coupled with a good bounce, it was a shot in the arm for the spinners. Also the dew made the ball skid. Patience was New Zealand's life vest. Sadly their batsmen left too many loose ends and lost their way pretty quickly.

After the demoralising loss to Australia, John Wright, the New Zealand coach, had imposed a condition that it was mandatory the top order lasted for at least 35 overs. The other rider was that not more than three wickets could be lost. On Friday, the New Zealand innings folded in exactly 35 overs. "We just did not get there," Taylor, New Zealand's stand-in captain for the game, said. "We put plans in place to try to achieve them and today we did not do it."

	Jesse Ryder timed the ball well before he edged one from Ajantha Mendis © Getty Images Enlarge

It would be harsh to single out Taylor because he was only filling in for the injured Daniel Vettori, who has been sidelined by a knee injury. Also, the absence of Kyle Mills, a frontline bowler, has not helped matters. New Zealand's problems were aggravated when Hamish Bennett, Mill's replacement, was forced to leave the field midway into his fifth over after he picked up a calf strain.

Taylor felt that Bennett's absence in the crucial middle overs allowed Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene to establish themselves and lay a good foundation. "In losing Hamish Bennett, we lost a little bit of firepower during the middle stages. But the way we came back to restrict them to 260 with a bowler down was not too bad. But we just kept losing wickets. At the end we were up with the rate but when you keep losing wicket 260 becomes a big target."

The loss will not hurt New Zealand's cause much as they have already booked a quarter-finals' berth. Even if it is not yet clear who their opponent will be, Taylor felt that it was important for the players to regroup fast and start from a new page. "The confidence would have taken a dent. But we have played some good cricket over the last little while. We have got to think positively. In the next couple of days we will know who our opponents are and then plan accordingly. The break allows us to recover from the injury toll."

Sind win Pentangular Cup after tough battle

Sind's batsmen came through in the end, but it was a harder-fought victory than it seemed it would be after the first innings. Sind had amassed a 214-run lead, but after having knocked of that deficit on the third day, Baluchistan proceeded to build a lead on Friday, and ended up setting Sind a challenging total of 236 to win.

That target started to look increasingly large, as Sind lost three early wickets. Khurram Manzoor, centurion from the first innings, was out in the first over of the second, edging one to the wicketkeeper off seamer Abdur Rauf. Rauf had picked up six wickets in the first innings, albeit for 143 runs, and his form continued as he took two more wickets to leave Sind 56 for 3.

At the other end, Aqeel Anjum seemed to be in a hurry to finish the match on the fourth day itself, and his belligerence kept the run-rate above six runs an over. Anjum finally found support in Hasan Raza, and the two built a 93-run partnership. That seemed to seal the game for Sind, but Baluchistan were given a sniff when Anjum was bowled by left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar for 72 off 55 deliveries.

However, Sarfraz Ahmed made sure Sind kept their foot on the gas. He scored his 48 off 49 balls and took Sind home with four wickets to spare. Rauf finished with ten wickets for the match, but the first-innings lead proved too much for Baluchistan to overhaul in the end.

They had put up a real fight, though. After resuming on 301 for 5 on Friday, Rizwan Haider, the man who had rescued them with his 81 in the first innings, went on to get a half-century in the second as well. His 62 and wicketkeeper Gulraiz Sadaf's 48 helped push Baluchistan's score to 449. It was not enough in the end though

Tasmania in sight of first-innings lead

	Ed Cowan celebrates his century © Getty Images Enlarge

Tasmania's middle order scrapped and fought through an absorbing third day of the Sheffield Shield final between Tasmania and New South Wales in Hobart. Led early in the day by a gritty 133 from Ed Cowan, the Tigers controlled the day's play on a flat wicket at the Bellerive Oval. Contributions from Mark Cosgrove (47), James Faulkner (71) and Luke Butterworth (74*) put the home side in a commanding position at stumps on day three.

Cosgrove batted with uncharacteristic patience, at one stage seeing out 36 consecutive dot balls as he and Cowan ground out an important 116-run stand, before he was unfortunately and seemingly incorrectly given out caught down the leg side. Cowan's dismissal looked dubious too, with the centurion given out off the bowling of Steven O'Keefe for an inside edge onto the pad that was caught by Phil Jaques under the helmet. Replays suggested he didn't get close to it.

To write the Blues' performance in the field off as lucky, however, would be unfair, as their pace attack, led by Trent Copeland (3 for 108 off 50 overs) toiled manfully creating a number of chances throughout the day. Copeland and Pat Cummins (2 for 103) bowled brilliantly in tandem after drinks in the first session, beating the bat on countless occasions. Cummins, 17, has added a lethal inswinger to his repertoire and continues to impress in just his first season of state cricket.

The reward eventually came with the wicket of Cosgrove, but the Tigers again dug in to avoid the dreaded middle-order collapse; Blues keeper Peter Nevill not helping the visitors' cause when he dropped a straightforward edge from Faulkner when he was on just 21. After Cowan's dismissal, Butterworth and Faulkner batted without risk and looked to be cruising towards stumps until Faulkner spooned a Cummins full toss to mid-off, ending their 100-run stand.

The Blues need wickets early on day four with the third new ball, as their slim chances of victory fade with every hour of cricket that passes.

Abject Bangladesh surrender meekly

	Lonwabo Tsotsobe scuttled Bangladesh's chase inside eight overs © Getty Images Enlarge

Bangladesh were not favourites to win their virtual pre-quarterfinal against the might of South Africa, especially after the visitors breezed away to 284, but it was the meek manner of their abject batting surrender that would have jarred even their most faithful fans. Eight overs in to the tall chase, and the heart of their batting line-up had been ripped out by Lonwabo Tsotsobe, causing the substantial crowd at the Shere Bangla Stadium to quickly start dwindling. They never recovered from those initial blows, and all they managed was to beat their lowest total of 58 achieved against West Indies earlier in the tournament by 20 runs, before being put out of their misery by Robin Peterson's fourth wicket.

This was after South Africa came out blazing in the morning, and the solid base that the openers gave allowed Jacques Kallis and Faf du Plessis to consolidate and accelerate seamlessly, giving their spin-heavy attack a substantial cushion to stifle Bangladesh and bowl them to the top the group. That they did so with 206 runs to spare was a testimony to how the fight completely went out of Bangladesh, and also confirmed England's qualification for the knockouts.

It was not that South Africa's attack, minus Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, held a lot of alarms. Tsotsobe did get enough bounce off the slow wicket to trouble the batsmen, and also got it to cut in from a very tight line outside off stump. But it was more a case of poor shot selection by the Bangladesh batsmen under the pressure of a big chase in a must-win game in front of a large home crowd. The first four dismissals were demonstrations of the various ways of how not to play on a low and slow wicket.

Smart Stats The 206-run defeat is the second largest for Bangladesh in and their largest margin of defeat in World Cups. The previous highest margin of defeat in World Cups was the 198-run loss to Sri Lanka in 2007 This is Bangladesh's second score below 100 in World Cups. They now share the record for most 100 with Canada, Namibia and Ireland. Bangladesh's 78 is their sixth-lowest score in ODIs and their lowest against against South Africa. Three of their top six lowest scores have come in Dhaka. Bangladesh scored just seven runs in the bowling Powerplay which is the lowest score by a team in the bowling Powerplay in the tournament. The previous lowest was nine runs by Kenya against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh have been much more poorer in ODIs in Mirpur than in the games played in Chittagong. They have been bowled out twice under 100 in Mirpur and average just 16. In Chittagong, they average 32.75 and score at a slightly higher run rate. The 98-run stand between Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith is the 14th fifty-plus stand between the pair for the in ODIs. They are behind the South African record of 21 fifty-plus stands which is jointly held by Herschelle Gibbs and Smith and Gibbs and Gary Kirsten. Jacques Kallis became the highest for South Africa in World Cups after going past Gibbs' tally of 1067 runs. The win is South Africa's eighth by a margin of 200 runs or more in ODIs. It is also the third-largest margin of victory for South Africa in World Cups. Robin Peterson's 4 for 12 is his best bowling performance in ODIs surpassing his 3 for 22 against England in Chennai.

Tamim Iqbal was too early into the pull off a short Tsotsobe delivery that was way outside off stump, and was caught behind off a healthy under-edge, as South Africa referred successfully after umpire Daryl Harper missed the deflection. Imrul Kayes shouldered arms to a full Tsotsobe delivery that cut back in to shatter the stumps. Graeme Smith had started with Johan Botha, and his suffocating lines had Junaid Siddique in absolute uncertainty, not sure whether to go back or forward, and he ended up being trapped in front by one that went straight on. Shahriar Nafees played on, driving in princely fashion from the crease to one that nipped back in slowly.

Bangladesh's chase was only eight overs old, and already their dream had caved in at 21 for 4. Mushfiqur Rahim pottered around for some time before being snapped up one-handed by an alert Smith at slip off Peterson. Before his dismissal, Bangladesh managed seven runs in the bowling Powerplay, the lowest in the tournament, trumping Kenya who had made nine runs against Sri Lanka.

Amid all the anti-climax, Shakib Al Hasan displayed his class, straight-driving and pulling Tsotsobe, and caressing and slashing the spinners for boundaries. There were loud cheers as Bangladesh passed 58 but Shakib departed soon after as Bangladesh's party rapidly came to a rude end. Peterson cleaned up the tail as Bangladesh lasted all of 28 overs to bring the curtain down on what was ultimately a chaotic campaign.

Bangladesh's struggles stood out against the contrasting approaches of Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith, which had worked perfectly for South Africa at the top as the duo batted their way to a 98-run opening stand. It was fascinating to see how the openers went about tackling the spinners in their different styles. While Amla allowed the ball to come to him, and played it as late as possible off the back foot, Smith was very eager to push forward and use his feet frequently in an attempt to meet the ball early.

Amla carried on in the nonchalant fashion that has made him the world's most prolific one-day batsman of late. Anything marginally short was quickly dispatched, even against the turn. Smith was uncertain to start with, but Bangladesh helped him settle the nerves with a couple of freebies on leg stump that he happily put away past short fine leg.

It was only after the drinks break that the openers lost their cool and their wickets. JP Duminy followed and at 141 for 3 with 20 overs to go, Bangladesh were in it. But Kallis and du Plessis started milking the singles calmly. Only four boundaries were hit in the next 12 overs but South Africa still scored at five an over. The duo added 82 risk-free runs inside 15 overs as the Bangladesh attack struggled for penetration.

Peterson did not let South Africa miss the seventh batsman they had left out, clattering 22 in nine deliveries as 83 came off the last eight overs. Even though wickets tumbled late, there was enough spunk in Peterson and Botha to lift South Africa to 284. It turned out to be much more than sufficient for a Bangladesh outfit that finally lost the spark that had made it come back strongly twice in the tournament after crushing losses to West Indies and India, with wins over England, Ireland, and Netherlands.