Cricket News - by Craig Hill

Twenty20 New Zealand - Cricket News

Australia's Southern Star Women's Cricketers Win Twenty20

February 16th 2009 05:38

The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars collected their third win on the trot against the New Zealand White Ferns with a dominant nine-wicket Twenty20 victory at the SCG.

Playing before the men’s KFC Twenty20 International, Shelley Nitschke starred with both the bat and ball, first collecting 2-16 from her 3 overs as the Stars restricted the Kiwis to a modest total of 91 (off a rain shortened 14 overs).

The all-rounder then blasted 8 boundaries on the way to 54* to carry the side to a win in the 10th over (chasing down the revised total of 83).

“It’s nice to be back scoring runs,” Player of the match Nitschke said.

"The win was good but it was probably more a psychological thing for us going into the World Cup.”

"It really gives us a little bit of momentum for when we come out for the first game of the World Cup (against New Zealand)."

Lisa Sthalekar also performed well with both bat and ball, picking up 2-28 and 23 runs of 25 balls in the run chase while also finishing not out.

Kate Pulford got the White Ferns off to a flyer, plundering two boundaries off Ellyse Perry’s first over before losing partner Rachel Priest after a moment of confusion and subsequent run-out.

Pulford reached 29 off 24 with 4 boundaries before falling to Nitschke in the sixth over.

After losing opener Leah Poulton early in the run-chase, Sthalekar joined Nitchke and the pair went about picking apart the White Fern attack. Sophie Devine was the pick of the New Zealand bolwers with figures of 1-17 from her 3 overs.

The Stars head home before a training camp in Canberra ahead of their March 7 ICC Women’s World Cup opener against the White Ferns in Sydney.

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: Twenty20, Women's Cricket, Australia, New Zealand

Email this Post to a Friend

Australia Beats New Zealand In Twenty20

February 16th 2009 02:00

An extraordinary boundary catch from Adam Voges has helped Australia escape with a thrilling one-run win over New Zealand in the Twenty-20 international at the SCG.

The heavy-hitting Brendon McCullum (61 from 47 balls) appeared to be sweeping the Black Caps to victory when he launched into a Ben Hilfenhaus (1-32) delivery in the penultimate over.

Voges, fielding at long on, took the ball on the boundary but lost his balance and was about to fall over the rope to concede a six.

But in a remarkable piece of quick thinking and composure, he threw the ball in the air as he tumbled over the rope and rose quickly to his feet to re-enter the playing field.

Voges stumbled on the boundary rope but completed the catch on his knees to get rid of the dangerous McCullum.

The visitors went into the last over requiring 14 to win but were unable to get specialist death bowler Nathan Bracken (0-16 from four overs) away.

Nathan Bracken and Brad Haddin

But the brave Kiwis went down fighting, Nathan McCullum (10 not out) hitting a six off the last ball to ensure his team went down by the barest of margins.

Australia's victory before a boisterous crowd of 22,101 ends an indifferent summer on a positive note.

After losing the Test series to South Africa and finishing 2-all in the Chappell-Hadlee series, the Australians made sure their last international appearance for the season was a memorable one.

Set 151 to win, New Zealand's run chase began disastrously, Peter Siddle (2-24) striking twice in successive overs to reduce the Kiwis to 2-12.

The Victorian paceman got rid off Martin Guptill (0) lbw and followed up with the wicket of Peter Fulton (1) in his next over.

McCullum and Neil Broom (36 off 26 balls) embarked on a repair job that yielded 61 for the third wicket and threatened to take the game away from Australia.

But James Hopes (1-40) halted the run flow just when it was starting to look ominous for the home side, enticing Broom into an injudicious swipe over mid-wicket.

Callum Ferguson had to wait for what seemed an eternity as the ball made its way back to earth before taking a very well-judged catch.

The loss of the match-winning McCullum was one the Kiwis never fully recovered from.

The Australians can thank a 52-run fourth wicket partnership between Voges (26) and David Hussey (41) for setting up a competitive total after stand-in captain Brad Haddin won the toss and batted first.

Skipper Daniel Vettori (1-22 from four overs) was again the pick of the Kiwi bowlers.

Haddin made a whirlwind 15 off 10 balls before blasting a return catch to Tim Southee (1-31), who tapped the hot chance in the air before clinging onto the rebound.

The dangerous Dave Warner (23) went the next over, slapping a catch to Vettori at mid- off from Iain O'Brien's (2-34) bowling as Australia's early momentum was temporarily halted.

Ferguson (8) attempted to give himself some room and was yorked by debutant Ian Butler (1-30), leaving the hosts 3-52.

Australia reached 67 at the halfway point of the innings as Vettori's clever finger spinners again put the brakes on the run flow.

Voges' invaluable knock came to an end with the score on 104, trapped lbw by handy all-rounder Grant Elliott (1-11).

Hussey bankrolled the Australians innings with a well-constructed 41 from 39 balls, eventually holing out off Vettori (1-22).

Big-hitting Cameron White (16), debutant Moises Henriques (1) fell at the death chasing quick runs, leaving Hopes (16 not out) and Siddle (1 not out) to see out the overs.

But no-one could have predicted such an amazing finish to the game, the result in the balance until the final few balls and arriving just minutes before heavy rain hit the SCG.

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: Twenty20, Australia, New Zealand

Email this Post to a Friend

Brad Haddin To Captain Twenty20 Australian Team

February 14th 2009 14:29

In-form keeper-batsman Brad Haddin has welcomed the challenge of leading his country in Sunday's KFC Twenty20 International against New Zealand at the SCG.

The New South Welshman takes the reins in the absence of resting skipper Ricky Ponting and deputy Michael Clarke who has a niggling back complaint.

Haddin led the way with the bat throughout the Chappell-Hadlee Series scoring 283 runs at an average of 70, including his maiden ODI century in game three when he was promoted to the top of the order.

"It's pretty exciting," Haddin said of his appointment on Saturday.

"It's probably come about the same way it's come about me opening the batting at the moment with blokes being injured or rested."

"I'm definitely excited and especially about it being in front of my home crowd (at the SCG) so I'm really looking forward to this challenge."

While admitting his surprise, Haddin, who has become a fixture behind the stumps in all forms of the game since Adam Gilchrist's retirement in early 2008, says he has come to expect the unexpected.

"I think that's the one thing I've learnt about professional sport is that things happen so quickly," he said.

"You can be thinking you're down and out and then the next week something like this comes along."

"I think the one thing that can learn from all this is that if you just stay true to yourself and make sure that you're doing all the things that can make you a better cricketer, you just never know what will happen."

But the 31-year-old insists he has no aspirations of leading the side on a permanent basis.

"I'll enjoy this occasion and to do it as a one-off but to do it on a full-time basis, it's quite tough for a wicket-keeper to be captain full-time," he said.

Meanwhile, Black Caps skipper Daniel Vettori remains confident Ross Taylor will play on Sunday despite nursing a hamstring niggle.

But the visitors will be without paceman Kyle Mills (achilles) who returned home on Saturday.

"Ross has travelled with us, I think he'll be ok we'll probably err on the side of caution with him but we'll see how shapes up tomorrow," Vettori said.

Vettori warned his side is desperate to finish their tour on a winning note after rain denied them the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.

"A win I think would be great," he said.

"We're still looking towards that Indian series, we've got Twenty20 matches coming up against them."

"We've got a bit of new-look team so we're looking to finish our tour off on a high."

Haddin agreed the Chappell-Hadlee decider would have been an interesting finish but played down talk Sunday's clash will double as a virtual decider.

"This is a totally different game, Twenty20 is all about entertaining and getting everyone involved and doing everything with a smile on your face," Haddin said.

Sportal

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: Twenty20, Australia, New Zealand

Email this Post to a Friend

Australian Twenty20 Squad Named

February 11th 2009 07:58

Cricket Australia’s National Selection Panel (NSP) today announced a 13-man squad for Sunday’s KFC Twenty20 clash against New Zealand in Sydney.

The 13-man squad is:

Michael Clarke (c) - NSW , 27
Brad Haddin (vc) - NSW , 31
Nathan Bracken - NSW , 31
Callum Ferguson - SA , 24
Moises Henriques - NSW , 22
Ben Hilfenhaus - TAS , 25
James Hopes - QLD , 30
David Hussey - VIC , 31
Mitchell Johnson - WA , 27
Peter Siddle - VIC , 24
Adam Voges - WA , 29
David Warner - NSW , 22
Cameron White - VIC , 25

Ben Hilfenhaus

Commenting on the selected squad NSP Chairman Andrew Hilditch said:

“The National Selection Panel has again picked a squad for this KFC Twenty20 against New Zealand with a view to continuing the development of our younger players and in preparation for the ICC World Twenty20 to be played in England during June this year.

“Given the high workload of Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey since the Indian Test series in October we have decided, in consultation with these players, it is appropriate they miss this game.

“With a hectic and competitive South African campaign departing the day after this match, we felt this option was best in the interest of the player’s workload management.

“This also provides a wonderful opportunity for Moises Henriques. The NSP regards Moises as an exciting young player with the all-round ability to play a role in the World Twenty20. We recently included him in the PM’s XI match against New Zealand where he played exceptionally well and we are hoping this opportunity will help him to continue his development.

“David Warner also returns to the Australian squad for this Twenty20 match. While David was disappointed to be dropped from the one-day squad, we regard him as an exciting young player who definitely remains in our thoughts for the World Twenty20.”

In a repeat of the curtain-raiser concept successfully pioneered by Cricket Australia earlier this year in Melbourne, the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars will play New Zealand before the men’s KFC Twenty20 International between the same nations on Sunday 15 February.

The world’s first men’s and women’s Twenty20 International double-header was contested at the MCG in February last year when the Australian and English women’s teams played before Australia and India’s clash in a KFC Twenty20 International.

It will be the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars’ last official match before they defend their ICC Women’s World Cup crown in Sydney.

That match starts at 3.30pm.

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Craig Hill - Category: Twenty20, Women's Cricket, Australia, New Zealand

Email this Post to a Friend

[ Cricket News Home ] [ Create A New Post ]