Line-up for Super Six stage in ICC Women’s World Cup completed

Sydney, 12 March 2009
Laura Marsh, Aimee Mason and Suzie Bates shine with the ball while Mithali Raj, Sara McGlashan, Amy Satterthwaite and Nicola Browne excel with the bat
Winless Sri Lanka and South Africa to play in seventh-eighth position play-off
Photos from England and Pakistan match and New Zealand and South Africa match available through Getty Images; images from India and Sri Lanka match available free of charge from the ICC FTP site
The line-up for the Super Six stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 was completed on a day which saw some outstanding performances with the bat and the ball.
From Group A, New Zealand, Australia and the West Indies progressed to the Super Six stage with Haidee Tiffen’s side taking forward four carry-over points, Karen Rolton’s side two and Merissa Aguilleira’s side none, while from Group B, England, India and Pakistan qualified for the next stage with Charlotte Edwards’s side progressing with four carry-over points, India two and Pakistan none.
In the Super Six stage, the three sides in each group will now play the teams which have qualified from the other group from 14 to 19 March. The top two sides from the Super Six will go forward to the 22 March final while the third-fourth and fifth-sixth position play-offs will be staged on 21 March.
The top four teams from the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 will automatically qualify for the 2013 event to be staged in India while the fifth and sixth-placed teams will earn direct spots in the 10-team ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2011 where they will be joined by eight other sides – two each from Asia, Africa and Europe, and one each from Americas and East Asia-Pacific regions – who will qualify from their own regional qualifying tournaments.
At North Sydney Oval and in front of ESPN STAR Sports cameras, England spinner Laura Marsh set up an eight-wicket victory for the two-time former champions when she recorded the fifth best bowling performance in the history of the ICC Women’s World Cup while claiming a career-best 5-15 as Pakistan was bowled out for 78 after being 51-1 at one stage.
In turn, the England batters hardly broke sweat as they achieved the victory target in 23.1 overs with the captain herself, Charlotte Edwards, hitting the winning boundary in her 32 not out.
Marsh, the 22-year-old from Kent who was later adjudged player-of-the-match, was delighted with her performance. "I am pleased with my performance as it’s always nice for the spinners to take wickets in ODIs. It was good that we bowled Pakistan out for a low total and the batters were able to knock off the runs comfortably.
"The ball wasn’t turning much so I concentrated to bowl as straight as possible and tried to bring the slip fielder into play. I wasn’t aware that it was the fifth best bowling performance in a World Cup until someone told me after the presentation. I am definitely pleased with this, also because it came in a match that we won," she said.
Despite its second defeat, qualifier Pakistan marched into the Super Six stage after India defeated Sri Lanka by 35 runs in a low-scoring match at Bankstown Oval to notch up its second win.
The defeat has left Sri Lanka to play in the seventh-eighth position play-off against South Africa on Saturday, 14 March after both the teams finished winless from three matches.
The highlight of the match was a superb batting performance by former captain Mithali Raj who scored more than half her team’s runs. The right-handed batter remained unbeaten on 75 (off 120 balls) as the 2005 World Cup runner-up managed a modest 137-7 in 50 overs after being reduced to 78-7 in 39.4 overs.
Together with captain Jhulan Goswami, Raj added 59 runs for the unfinished eighth wicket in 10.2 overs with Goswami contributing 24 not out.
Sri Lanka, which needed to achieve victory in 45.5 overs to leapfrog Pakistan into third place in Group B, was bowled out for 102 runs with 5.4 overs to spare. Amita Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with 3-19.
Raj was happy that her performance came at a vital moment in the tournament. "It came at the right time. We did struggle in those initial overs when we were four down for 38 runs. So there was a lot of pressure. We tried to get as many runs as we could in those 50 overs.
"We are very relieved that we won this very close match. It’s still not going to be easy for us in the Super Six stage because we have tough sides like Australia and New Zealand, but I think we should play good cricket in the forthcoming three matches.
"I think our only concern would be our batting. It has really let us down against England and even today where we collapsed quite early."
India captain Jhulan Goswami was relieved to win a close game. "Yeah, we are happy to get the win, but I’m not so happy with our batting. A score of 137 is very low, but our bowlers bowled superbly and stuck to the basics and I’m very happy with that.
"It’s important for us to play good cricket in the Super Six stage because each and every match is very important."
At the Bradman Oval, Bowral, New Zealand hammered South Africa by 199 runs after Sunette Loubser’s team lost its last eight wickets for seven runs in 51 balls to be bowled out for only 51 in 22.2 overs while chasing 251 runs for victory.
It was the 20th lowest innings total in women’s ODIs and the ninth lowest total in World Cup history.
New Zealand vice-captain and off-spinner Aimee Mason and all-rounder Suzie Bates played havoc with the ball and shared four wickets apiece conceding two and seven runs respectively. Mason had figures of 4.2-2-2-4 while Bates had figures of 5-2-7-4
Mason, reflecting on her career-best bowling performance, said: "I wouldn’t say it was the best I have ever bowled but it was one of those days when everything comes off. You have to take it when it comes as it is not like that every day.
"We are really pleased with how we did today as we wanted to get to the Super Six stage with a bang. The team is on a real high and a lot of our supporters are over as well and it was a great atmosphere at the ground and awesome to take all of those wickets."
Earlier, New Zealand was rescued by fine half-centuries by Sara McGlashan, Amy Satterthwaite and Nicola Browne after it had slipped to 4-2 and then to 88-3 which soon became 111-5.
McGlashan remained unbeaten on 88 that came off 76 balls and included eight fours and a six while Browne belted seven fours in her 74-ball 51 not out. The two batters put on 139 runs for the undefeated sixth wicket stand from 23.2 overs. Satterthwaite scored at almost a run-a-ball in making 73 with 11 fours and held the top order together.
At Drummoyne, Australia beat the West Indies by 47 runs to finish second behind New Zealand and ahead of the West Indies.
Ellyse Perry was the star performer for the defending champion when she followed up her rapid 36, in Australia’s 211-7, with 2-28 to win the player of the match award. Perry received good support from Erin Osborne (2-22) and Lisa Sthalekar (2-32).
Deandra Dottin was the only West Indies batter to play with some degree of confidence while scoring 51, including four sixes, in her team’s 164-7.
"There are expectations for the number one ranked team to beat lesser ranked teams, but it’s been very positive to see how teams have stepped us against us. I actually think West Indies and South Africa have had two good games against us," said Australia vice-captain Alex Blackwell.
"We do need to work on the some things, which we are definitely doing to improve each game."
Scores in brief:
At North Sydney Oval, Sydney, Pakistan 78 all out, 39.5 overs (Nain Abidi 27, Bismah Maroof 13; Laura Marsh 5-15, Charlotte Edwards 2-2, Katherine Brunt 2-25)
England 82-2, 23.1 overs (Charlotte Edwards 32 not out)
England won by eight wickets
At Drummoyne Oval, Sydney, Australia 211-7, 50 overs (Alex Blackwell 46 not out, Shelley Nitschke 45, Jidoe Fields 42, Ellyse Perry 35; Shakera Selman 2-28, Stafanie Taylor 2-35, Anisa Mohammed 2-45)
West Indies 164-7, 50 overs (Deandra Dottin 51, Stafanie Taylor 32; Erin Osborne 2-22, Ellyse Perry 2-28, Lisa Sthalekar 2-32)
Australia won by 47 runs
At Bankstown Oval, Sydney, India 137-7, 50 overs (Mithali Raj 75 not out, Jhulan Goswami 24 not out; Chamari Polgampola 2-17, Udeshika Prabodani 2-20, Suwini de Alwis 2-34)
Sri Lanka 102 all out, 44.2 overs (Dedunu de Silva 21, Eshani Lokusooriya 20; Amita Sharma 3-19, Rumeli Dhar 2-10, Gouher Sultana 2-16)
India won by 35 runs
At Bradman Oval, Bowral, New Zealand 250-5, 50 overs (Sara McGlashan 88 not out, Amy Satterthwaite 73, Nicola Browne 51 not out; Charlize van der Westhuizen 2-18, Alicia Smith 2-58)
South Africa 51 all out, 22.1 overs (Cri-Zelda Brits 25; Aimee Mason 4-2, Suzie Bates 4-7)
New Zealand won by 199 runs
Points table
Group A
TEAMPLAYEDWONLOSTPOINTSNNR
New Zealand33-6+2.0150
Australia3214+0.7143
West Indies3122-0.6551
South Africa3030-1.7773
Group B
TEAMPLAYEDWONLOSTPOINTSNNR
England3306+1.9284
India3214+0.9192
Pakistan3122-0.9604
Sri Lanka3030-1.2800
Fixtures for Super Six stage:
Mar 14 – Sri Lanka v West Indies, seventh-eighth position play-off, North Sydney No.2
Mar 14 – Australia v India, North Sydney Oval
Mar 14 – New Zealand v England, Bankstown
Mar 14 – West Indies v Pakistan, Drummoyne
16 Mar – Australia v Pakistan, Bankstown
17 Mar – India v New Zealand, North Sydney Oval
17 Mar – England v West Indies, Drummoyne
19 Mar – Australia v England, North Sydney Oval
19 Mar – India v West Indies, Bankstown
19 Mar – New Zealand v Pakistan, Drummoyne

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC announces umpire and match referee appointments for Super Six stage of ICC Women’s World Cup 2009

Sydney, 12 March 2009
The ICC today announced details of the umpire and match referee appointments for the Super Six stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009.
Brian Aldridge will take over the match referee’s responsibilities from David Jukes and will oversee matches at the North Sydney Oval which will be covered live by ICC’s official broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports.
The on-field umpires will be split between Steve Davis from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, Brian Jerling, Tony Hill and Tyron Wijewardena from the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires and umpires from the ICC Associate and Affiliate International Umpires’ Panel, East Asia-Pacific Regional Panel and domestic panel umpires from Australia and New Zealand.
Appointments for the final, third-fourth and fifth-sixth position play-offs will be announced in due course.
Mar 14 – Sri Lanka v West Indies, seventh-eighth position play-off, North Sydney No.2 Oval – Jeff Brookes and Neil Harrison, Gerard Abood (third)
Mar 14 – Australia v India, North Sydney Oval – Brian Aldridge (referee), Brian Jerling and Tony Hill, Sarika Prasad (third), Cathy Cross (fourth)
Mar 14 – New Zealand v England, Bankstown – Shahul Hameed and Tyron Wijewardena, Mick Martell (third)
Mar 14 – West Indies v Pakistan, Drummoyne – Andrew Craig and Lakani Oala, Tony Ward (third)
16 Mar – Australia v Pakistan, Bankstown – Neil Harrison and Tony Hill, Kathy Cross (third)
17 Mar – India v New Zealand, North Sydney Oval – Brian Aldridge (referee), Steve Davis, Shahul Hameed, Brian Jerling (third), Nickl (fourth)
17 Mar – England v West Indies, Drummoyne, Jeff Brookes and Sarika Prasad, Lakani Oala (third)
19 Mar – Australia v England, North Sydney Oval – Brian Aldridge (referee), Brian Jerling and Sarika Prasad, Neil Harrison (third), Graeme Redman (fourth)
19 Mar – India v West Indies, Bankstown – Kathy Cross and Tyron Wijewardena, Shahul Hameed (third)
19 Mar – New Zealand v Pakistan, Drummoyne – Steve Davis and Lakani Oala, Jeff Brookes (third)
21 Mar – third-fourth position play-off, Bankstown – TBC
21 Mar – fifth-sixth position play-off, Drummoyne – TBC
22 Mar – Final, North Sydney Oval – Brian Aldridge (referee), TBC

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Taking cricket to the next level in Bermuda

Dubai, 12 March 2009
Captain Romaine says qualification for the Cricket World Cup 2011 will boost the game in his country even further
With success comes expectation and with expectation comes pressure. After qualifying for the last ICC Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, the Bermuda team knows nothing short of the same will satisfy the cricket-mad inhabitants of that beautiful island nation.
Captain Irving Romaine and coach Gus Logie have been putting the side through its paces on a pre-event training camp around the Caribbean which has seen the squad come away with eight wins out of 10 against sides from Trinidad, St Lucia and Grenada. But the real test is still ahead.
The side is full of exciting talent with Christopher Douglas, Stephen Outerbridge, Fiqre Crockwell and Lionel Cann all leading from the front when it comes to batting.
Meanwhile, the bowling line-up still features the familiar face of slow left-armer Dwayne Leverock and the 37-year-old leads an attack that includes the likes of fellow spinners, Rodney Trott and Delyone Borden as well as the fiery George O’Brien Jnr.
Romaine has no qualms about stating his objective for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which gets underway on 1 April, and he clearly believes his side will be lining out with the best teams in the world come 2011.
"I give us a very realistic chance for us to make it to the World Cup," said the skipper. "We’ve played lots of the teams and beaten them before but it’s going to be a hard tournament and if we play to the best of our abilities and remain consistent we should qualify," he said.
"My expectations for the tournament are for Bermuda to play hard and qualify for the World Cup. We have good players who will be firing all cylinders."
The right-handed, hard-hitting batsman believes victory and qualification will bring an even bigger following to the game in Bermuda.
"It would be amazing and if we were to qualify for the World Cup it would mean a lot for cricket here in Bermuda. Qualifying for another World Cup would make cricket even stronger.
"Over the past few years since we played in the previous World Cup, interest in the game has increased and a lot of young people are getting involved as they’ve seen us on the TV so if we qualified I think it would make the nation’s support of cricket even stronger."
Bermuda (squad): Irving Romaine (captain), David Hemp, Christopher Douglas, Fiqre Crockwell, Lionel Cann, Stephen Outerbridge, Jekon Edness, Janeiro Tucker, Glenn Smith-Blakeney, Dwayne Leverock, Rodney Trott, Tamauri Tucker, Stefan Kelly, Kyle Hodsoll, George O’Brien.
Listen to the full interview with Irving Romaine at http://icc-cricket.yahoo.com/cwcq/audio.html.
This captain’s interview is one of 12 being sent out in the days leading up to the start of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The schedule for those releases is as follows (including those that have been sent out already):
31 Jan – confirmation of all 12 participating teams
10 Feb – fixtures and venues confirmation
10 Mar – squad announcements (all 12 squads)
Releases (12) in the month beforehand, each focusing on one of the teams:
11 Mar – Namibia
12 Mar – Bermuda
13 Mar – Scotland
16 Mar – Ireland
17 Mar – Afghanistan
18 Mar – Canada
19 Mar – Netherlands
20 Mar – UAE
23 Mar – Uganda
24 Mar – Kenya
25 Mar – Oman
26 Mar – Denmark
In addition, there will be further tournament previews and other features sent out before the event gets underway on 1 April.
In total there are eight venues being used for 54 matches played over 19 days with 12 teams fighting it out for the four qualification places on offer in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
The ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, formerly known as the ICC Trophy, incorporates Divisions 1 and 2 of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League and is the gateway for the top Associate and Affiliate teams into the premier one-day tournament in the world.
Day one of the event offers up perhaps the most eagerly awaited fixture of all with defending champion Scotland taking on fierce rival Ireland in an ODI at Willowmoore Park in what will be a repeat of the final in 2005.
Among the teams will be Afghanistan and Uganda, which both qualified from January’s Pepsi World Cricket League Division 3 event in Buenos Aires. The WCL was created to provide a clear pathway for teams outside the top 10 towards improvement and ultimately, the ICC Cricket World Cup. This global event gives ICC Associate and Affiliate Members the opportunity to play similarly ranked sides in meaningful competition regardless of where they are located in the world.
The 12 teams taking part in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier are split into two groups of six teams. Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Oman, Namibia and Uganda make up Group A while Kenya, Netherlands, Bermuda, UAE, Denmark and Afghanistan form Group B.
Each side plays the other teams in its group once with the top four from the groups progressing to the Super Eight stage. The teams each play four Super Eight matches against the sides they did not meet in the group stage. All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Eight stage apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group.
The top two teams in the Super Eight stage will contest the final to be played at Centurion on 19 April. The third and fourth-placed sides will play-off at Potchefstroom, the fifth and sixth-placed sides play off at Willowmoore Park while the seventh and eighth-placed teams play off at Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp.
The top four sides at the event qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. The top six teams secure ODI status until 2013 and also qualify automatically for the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10.
The bottom two teams from the CWCQ, which incorporates Divisions 1 and 2 of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League, will be relegated to Division 3.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Johnson keen to remove Steyn

Dubai, 11 March 2009
Australian bowler joins South Africa’s best in second place on Reliance Mobile ICC player rankings for Test bowlers; Chanderpaul reclaims number one spot in the batting rankings
England drops to sixth in Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship after losing series against West Indies
Fast bowler Mitchell Johnson from Australia has joined South Africa’s Dale Steyn in second place of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers after taking 4-115 in the second Test between the two countries in Durban.
The 27-year-old left-armer has taken a total of 12 wickets for 252 runs so far this series and the final Cape Town Test could be the chance for the Queenslander to overtake Steyn as the sole holder of the number-two spot in the rankings table; the number-one place is still held by Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralidaran.
Further down the top 20 there has been some movement, with Pakistan’s Umar Gul climbing five places to take 13th position, while Gul’s team-mate Danish Kaneria has dropped four spots to 17th position. India’s Ishant Sharma has re-entered the top 20, after South Africa’s Paul Harris dropped to 22nd place.
Outside of the 20, Australia’s Peter Siddle has climbed eight places to 31st while Siddle’s team-mate Andrew McDonald has jumped 11 places to 55th. England’s Graeme Swann, who took a total of 19 wickets in his side’s series defeat to the West Indies, has gained seven places to take 34th place.
England’s defeat in the West Indies has had repercussions for it in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship. Andrew Strauss’s men have dropped down to sixth on the ladder to the benefit of Pakistan which has assumed fifth place. The victory for Chris Gayle’s men was their first Test series win over England since 2004, but they have not risen above their seventh place position on the table.
As reported yesterday, Australia continues its stronghold at the top of the table after their series win over South Africa, with one Test still to play in Cape Town on 19 March. Crucially, Ricky Ponting’s team will now definitely be number one in the world when the annual cut-off date comes along on 1 April ensuring the Test Championship mace and a cheque for US$175,000 will return with them to Australia.
In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen, the West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul has reclaimed the number one ranking after an impressive 147 not out in the final Test against England at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.
Ponting has climbed up one place to take fourth position, while Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardena has dropped down to fifth. South Africa’s Jacques Kallis has risen one place to 11th in the rankings after an impressive 93 runs in the second innings of the Durban Test against Australia, Kallis overtakes India’s Virender Sehwag who has dropped one place to 12th.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Thilan Samaweera has entered the top 20 for the first time and claimed his highest ranking to date of 17th place. The 32-year-old from Colombo scored two double-centuries in as many matches and that effort has pushed him six places higher in the rankings. India’s Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman are currently tied in 18th place alongside Gayle who has risen in the rankings after an enjoyable time of it against the England bowlers.
Outside of the top 20, India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni has risen one place to 32, while England wicketkeeper Matt Prior has climbed eight spots to take 38th place alongside New Zealand’s Jacob Oram.
Australia’s newest batting star, Philip Hughes has climbed a substantial 20 places to 41st in the rankings after scoring two centuries in the Durban Test. The 20-year-old New South Welshman is currently averaging 87.5 from his two Test match performances for Australia as he gets his career off to a flying start.
South Africa’s Jean-Paul Duminy is also heading in the right direction after his performances with the bat have seen him rise another 24 places in the rankings to 45th position, the best ranking of his career to date. Another notable addition to the top 100 is West Indies’ Brendan Nash who has risen 14 places to claim 51st position.
In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders there has been no change at the top, with South Africa’s Kallis still leading the way. Gayle has re-joined the top five, however, pushing out Sri Lanka’s Charminda Vaas in the process.
Reliance Mobile ICC Test Rankings (11 March 2009)
Batsmen
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave HS Rating
Rank (Change) Player Team Points Average Highest Ranking
1 (+1) S.Chanderpaul WI 886 50.01 901 v NZ at Napier 2008
2 (-1) Younus Khan Pak 880 ! 51.80 880 v SL at Lahore 2009
3 ( - ) K Sangakkara SL 854 54.99 938 v Eng at Kandy 2007
4 (+1) Ricky Ponting Aus 825 56.72 942 v Eng at Adelaide 2006
5 (-1) M Jayawardena SL 821 53.23 854 v Ban at Dhaka 2008
6 ( - ) Michael Clarke Aus 802 48.56 825 v SA at Sydney 2009
7 ( - ) Kevin Pietersen Eng 797 51.09 909 v WI at Headingley 2007
8 ( - ) Graeme Smith SA 790 50.33 810 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
9 ( - ) Gautam Gambhir Ind 772*! 49.35 772 v Eng at Mohali 2008
10 ( - ) R Sarwan WI 738 42.57 767 v Eng at Bridgetown 2009
11 (+1) Jacques Kallis SA 734 54.41 935 v NZ at Centurion 2007
12 (-1) Virender Sehwag Ind 729 51.06 854 v SA at Kolkata 2004
13 ( - ) Mike Hussey Aus 712 56.26 921 v WI at Kingston 2008
14 ( - ) Andrew Strauss Eng 707 44.26 769 v SA at Johannesburg 2005
15 ( - ) Ashwell Prince SA 695 45.68 756 v Pak at Centurion 2007
16 ( - ) AB de Villiers SA 690 42.43 692 v Aus at Perth 2008
17 (+6) T Samaraweera SL 687 ! 51.07 687 v Pak at Lahore 2009
18= (-1) Sachin Tendulkar Ind 683 54.27 898 v Zim at Nagpur 2002
(-1) VVS Laxman Ind 683 44.45 753 v Aus at Sydney 2004
(+1) Chris Gayle WI 683 40.00 704 v Eng at Antigua 2009
Bowlers
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave Econ HS Rating
1 ( - ) M Muralidaran SL 855 22.18 920 v Ban at Kandy 2007
2= ( - ) Dale Steyn SA 811 23.78 897 v Ind at Ahmedabad 2008
(+1) Mitchell Johnson Aus 811*! 27.61 811 v SA at Durban 2009
4 ( - ) Stuart Clark Aus 767* 22.96 863 v WI at Bridgetown 2008
5 ( - ) Makhaya Ntini SA 758 28.25 863 v Ind at Durban 2006
6 ( - ) Harbhajan Singh Ind 686 30.88 765 v NZ at Wellington 2002
7 ( - ) Jerome Taylor WI 670* 34.29 717 v Eng at Kingston 2009
8 ( - ) Chaminda Vaas SL 664 29.40 800 v Ind at Chennai 2005
9 ( - ) Brett Lee Aus 660 30.81 811 v WI at Antigua 2008
10 ( - ) Ryan Sidebottom Eng 654* 27.70 769 v SA at Lord's 2008
11 ( - ) Daniel Vettori NZ 653 33.09 681 v Aus at Auckland 2000
12 ( - ) Zaheer Khan Ind 631 34.04 689 v Pak at Delhi 2007
13 (+5) Umar Gul Pak 621* 31.34 627 v WI at Karachi 2006
14 (+1) Jacques Kallis SA 617 30.88 742 v Eng at Headingley 2003
15= (+1) James Anderson Eng 609 35.42 622 v Ind at Chennai 2008
(-1) Andrew Flintoff Eng 609 32.07 810 v Pak at Multan 2005
17 (-4) Danish Kaneria Pak 594 34.87 723 v Eng at Multan 2005
18 (-1) Monty Panesar Eng 585 33.72 721 v WI at Chester-le-St 2007
19 ( - ) Chris Martin NZ 567 33.55 643 v Eng at Lord's 2004
20 (+2) Ishant Sharma Ind 562*! 31.59 562 v Eng at Mohali 2008
All-rounders
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points HS Rating
1 ( - ) Jacques Kallis SA 453 616 v Pak at Durban 2002
2 ( - ) Daniel Vettori NZ 347 369 v Ban at Dhaka 2008
3 ( - ) Mitchell Johnson Aus 303*/* 314 v SA at Johannesburg 2009
4 ( - ) Andrew Flintoff Eng 281 501 v Pak at Multan 2005
5 (+1) Chris Gayle WI 274 /* 282 v Eng at St John's 2009
*indicates provisional rating; a batsman qualifies for a full rating after playing 40 Test innings; a bowler qualifies for a full rating when he reaches 100 Test wickets.
!indicates career-highest rating
Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship (as of 11 March)
Rank Team Rating
1 Australia 126
2 South Africa 121
3 India 118
4 Sri Lanka 108
5 Pakistan 100
6 England 98
7 West Indies 89
8 New Zealand 81
9 Zimbabwe 19
10 Bangladesh 0

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC Chief Executives’ Committee teleconference recommends Cricket South Africa as new host for ICC Champions Trophy

Dubai, 11 March 2009
Subject to agreement over financial arrangements; recommendation to go to the ICC Board for consideration on 16 March
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat: "The meeting agreed we had to do everything possible to ensure the ICC Champions Trophy is a successful event"
CEC also agrees to recommend dates for next year’s ICC WT20 in the West Indies as 30 April to 16 May 2010
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) met via teleconference on Wednesday to consider if weather conditions in Sri Lanka in September/October could permit a successful staging of the ICC Champions Trophy.
The purpose of the meeting was to formulate a recommendation to the ICC Board, which will make a final decision on the matter during a teleconference on Monday 16 March.
During the meeting, Sri Lanka Cricket said it could not guarantee there would be no rain in Colombo during the dates set aside for the tournament, 24 September to 5 October 2009.
On that basis, and with the need to minimise risk and create certainty around the event, the meeting agreed to recommend that Cricket South Africa be sought as the alternative host, subject to agreement over financial arrangements.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "The CEC agreed the need to do everything possible to ensure this year’s ICC Champions Trophy is a successful event.
"On that basis it was felt that it would be too great a risk to stage the tournament in Colombo at a time of year when there was a distinct possibility of rain.
"This was especially relevant given the length of this year’s ICC Champions Trophy has been reduced to 12 days, part of our desire to make it a short, sharp event, as on that basis there would be no room for reserve days.
"South Africa was a successful and excellent host of the ICC World Twenty20 at much the same time of year two years ago and the weather pattern in the area around Johannesburg in September and October is stable and ideal for cricket.
"The meeting therefore agreed it would be prudent to look to hold the tournament in South Africa, subject to agreement over financial arrangements.
"We are extremely grateful for Sri Lanka Cricket’s willingness to step aside in this matter and for Cricket South Africa’s willingness to be considered as the host for the event."
The teleconference also agreed to recommend to the ICC Board that the dates for next year’s ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies would be between 30 April and 16 May.
The tournament will take place in St Lucia, Guyana, Barbados and St Kitts with the latter island staging matches in the women’s tournament that will take place at the same time.
The CEC comprises the chief executives of the 10 Full Members of the ICC and three representatives from the Associate Members. It is chaired by the ICC Chief Executive. The ICC President and the Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee are also entitled to attend.
Haroon Lorgat (chairman) ICC Chief Executive
David Morgan OBE ICC President
Clive Lloyd Chairman of ICC Cricket Committee
James Sutherland Australia
Nizam Uddin Chowdhury Bangladesh
David Collier England
N Srinivasan India
Dr Justin Vaughan New Zealand
Salim Altaf Pakistan
Gerald Majola South Africa
Duleep Mendis Sri Lanka
Dr Donald Peters West Indies
Ozias Bvute Zimbabwe
Associate Member representatives
Dr John Cribbin Hong Kong
Warren Deutrom Ireland
Laurie Pieters Namibia

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Captain says Namibia must learn to adapt to the 50-over game

Dubai, 11 March 2009
Success in four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup can be transferred to shorter format, insists Burger
Making the adjustments needed to convert good performances in multi-day cricket into the shorter format of the limited-overs game will be the biggest challenge facing Namibia in this year’s ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, according to captain Louis Burger.
Burger led his side to the final of the four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup last year, losing in a thriller to Ireland in Port Elizabeth. But while few sides were able to live with the likes of Kola Burger, Gerrie Snyman and Louis Klazinga in that format, the south-west Africans have struggled to replicate that dominant form when the number of overs is restricted to 50 per side.
"The four-day format is good because you play a lot of cricket without the same pressure on you. When batting you have plenty of time and with the ball there tends to be a wider margin of error," said 31-year-old Burger.
"We are playing in the South African amateur tournament which means we play a three-day game followed by a one-day game so we have been getting good practice in both formats.
"There are a few adjustments to be made from one to the other and also with the conditions. The shorter format puts a bit more pressure on you but everyone is adapting well. I think it’s important we make that adjustment when it really matters. If we can, I don’t think there’s any reason why we cannot make the top four of this tournament and get on our way to the World Cup.
"At the moment our preparations are going very well. Playing in that tournament in South Africa has been good for us. The mood in the squad is very good, everyone is excited and looking forward to the competition," he said.
Having been a beaten finalist in this tournament in 2001 (it was then known as the ICC Trophy), Namibia knows what it’s like to take part in the ICC Cricket World Cup. Four years later it just lost out on qualification for the 2007 event in the West Indies so Burger is very keen to turn that fortune around and sample that World Cup experience again in 2011.
"I suppose every team thinks it should get a place in the top four and we feel the same. We work very hard and were very upset not to make the previous World Cup. We have worked hard again this time and on the day it will just depend on who has practiced the most, who works hard or who wants it the most.
"There are plenty of good teams. Everyone deserves a place there but unfortunately only four can get there. It’s our job to make sure Namibia is one of those four," said the all-rounder.
"Cricket in Namibia is very small compared to all the other countries. We only have six premier league teams in the country playing against each other. So development is a very high priority here and the extra money that qualification would bring in through the ICC would help players develop and give a real incentive to younger players to come through the system and stay in Namibia rather than going away to study or work in other countries.
"So, the financial implication is probably the most vital aspect of qualification but the exposure that comes with playing at a World Cup, the experience of playing against the top teams and playing One-Day Internationals are also important."
Namibia (squad): Louis Burger (captain), Raymond van Schoor, JB Burger, Sarel Burger, Gerrie Snyman, Craig Williams, LP van der Westhuizen, Nicolaas Scholtz, Deon Kotze, Bjorn Kotze, Ian van Zyl, Louis Klazinga, Tobie Verwey, Bernard Scholtz, Hendrik Marx.
Listen to the full interview with Louis Burger at http://icc-cricket.yahoo.com/cwcq/audio.html.
This captain’s interview is one of 12 that will go out before the start of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The schedule for those releases is as follows (including those that have been sent out already):
31 Jan – confirmation of all 12 participating teams
10 Feb – fixtures and venues confirmation
10 Mar – squad announcements (all 12 squads)
Releases (12) in the month beforehand, each focusing on one of the teams:
11 Mar – Namibia
12 Mar – Bermuda
13 Mar - Scotland
16 Mar – Ireland
17 Mar – Afghanistan
18 Mar – Canada
19 Mar – Netherlands
20 Mar – UAE
23 Mar – Uganda
24 Mar – Kenya
25 Mar – Oman
26 Mar – Denmark
In addition, there will be further tournament previews and other features sent out before the event gets underway on 1 April.
In total there are nine venues being used for 54 matches played over 19 days with 12 teams fighting it out for the four qualification places on offer in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
The ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, formerly known as the ICC Trophy, incorporates Divisions 1 and 2 of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League and is the gateway for the top Associate and Affiliate teams into the premier one-day tournament in the world.
Day one of the event offers up perhaps the most eagerly awaited fixture of all with defending champion Scotland taking on fierce rival Ireland in an ODI at Willowmoore Park in what will be a repeat of the final in 2005.
Among the teams will be Afghanistan and Uganda, which both qualified from January’s Pepsi World Cricket League Division 3 event in Buenos Aires. The WCL was created to provide a clear pathway for teams outside the top 10 towards improvement and ultimately, the ICC Cricket World Cup. This global event gives ICC Associate and Affiliate Members the opportunity to play similarly ranked sides in meaningful competition regardless of where they are located in the world.
The 12 teams taking part in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier are split into two groups of six teams. Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Oman, Namibia and Uganda make up Group A while Kenya, Netherlands, Bermuda, UAE, Denmark and Afghanistan form Group B.
Each side plays the other teams in its group once with the top four from the groups progressing to the Super Eight stage. The teams each play four Super Eight matches against the sides they did not meet in the group stage. All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Eight stage apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group.
The top two teams in the Super Eight stage will contest the final to be played at Centurion on 19 April. The third and fourth-placed sides will play-off at Potchefstroom, the fifth and sixth-placed sides play off at Willowmoore Park while the seventh and eighth-placed teams play off at Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp.
The top four sides at the event qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. The top six teams secure ODI status until 2013 and also qualify automatically for the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10.
The bottom two teams from the CWCQ, which incorporates Divisions 1 and 2 of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League, will be relegated to Division 3.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Australia to stay top of Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table

Dubai, 10 March 2009
Ricky Ponting’s men hang on to the mace for 1 April cut-off date after taking 2-0 lead in series with South Africa
After winning the second Test in Durban today, Australia has secured its place at the top of the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table now that it has an unassailable lead in the ongoing Test series in South Africa.
Although the table is only updated at the end of each series, South Africa knew before the series started that it needed to win in order to move ahead of Ricky Ponting’s team by the annual cut-off date of 1 April.
Now that a series defeat for Graeme Smith and his men is inevitable, Australia can breathe easy in the knowledge that the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship mace will be returning with them to Cricket Australia’s headquarters in Melbourne along with a cheque for US$175,000.
Consolation for the Proteas could still come in the form of a cheque for US$75,000 for being ranked second in the table when the cut-off date comes around. But if Australia wins the third and final Test in Cape Town, South Africa will drop below India into third position and it will be Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team that claims the prize money for coming second in the rankings on the 1 April cut-off date.
If the final Test in Cape Town ends in a draw with Australia winning the series 2-0, South Africa and India would be level on exactly 118 ratings points, meaning the prize money for coming second would be shared equally between them.
Before the series, Australia’s lead had been cut to five ratings points and a series win of any kind would have been enough for South Africa to go top. But after its disappointment of losing 2-1 at home to the Proteas, Australia emerged stronger and more determined than ever to stay on top of the world.
If Australia wraps up the final Test it will go to 130 ratings points, some 12 clear of India in second. But a win for the Proteas will mean the gap is just nine points.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Monty Panesar fined for excessive appealing

Dubai, 10 March 2009

Amjad Khan receives reprimand for isolated offence while Stuart Broad is found not guilty of inappropriate public comment
England spinner Monty Panesar has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials during the fifth Test against West Indies at Trinidad.
Panesar was found guilty of excessive appealing by Alan Hurst of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees in a hearing after the fourth day’s play concluded in Port of Spain. He was found to have breached Level 1.5 of the code after he repeatedly celebrated a dismissal before the decision was made by the umpire.
"Monty Panesar is a very enthusiastic and exuberant bowler and there is nothing wrong with that but on this occasion he has gone too far," said Mr Hurst.
"On more than one occasion during the day he began celebrating a prospective dismissal rather than appealing and waiting for the decision to be made, thereby not showing due respect for the role of the umpire. He is an experienced player who should know this action is not in the spirit of the game," he said.
The charge was brought by on-field umpires Daryl Harper and Russell Tiffin, third umpire Aleem Dar and fourth official Clyde Duncan. Mr Hurst reached his decision after a hearing attended by the player, the umpires, England team manager Phil Neale, coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss.
Meanwhile, England fast bowler Amjad Khan has received a reprimand for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the same match.
The player was also found guilty of excessive appealing by ICC Match Referee Alan Hurst in a hearing after play concluded in Port of Spain on Monday. Like Panesar, Khan was found to have breached 1.5 of the code after he celebrated a dismissal before the decision was made by the umpire.
"This is Amjad Khan’s first Test match and I am willing to accept that he didn’t fully appreciate the importance of adhering to the ICC Code of Conduct," said Mr Hurst.
"In his defence, he apologised for his actions to the on-field umpire immediately after the incident and again at the hearing. It was an isolated incident but at the same time he has to learn that all players must show due respect for the role of the umpires," he said.
Again, the charge was brought by all four umpires and Mr Hurst reached his conclusion after a hearing attended by the player, the umpires, Phil Neale, Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss.
All Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee. For Level 1 breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct the ICC Match Referee’s decision is final and binding.
In a third hearing, Stuart Broad of England has been found not to have breached the ICC Code of Conduct after a hearing relating to an incident that occurred during the same match against West Indies.
Broad was found not guilty of making public criticism of match officials. Mr Hurst concluded that he did not breach paragraph 1.7 of the ICC Code which relates to making inappropriate comment on a match-related incident or match official.
"On the evidence presented, the actions of the player did not breach the ICC Code of Conduct," said Mr Hurst.
"While a comment attributed to Stuart Broad related to match officials and their performance, it was not specific, not perceived as serious in the context of the whole interview quoted and not proven to be an accurate quote. Also, Stuart was clearly positive about the umpires in other interviews conducted after the game on Sunday," said Mr Hurst.
Present at this hearing were the player, the umpires, Phil Neale, Andy Flower, Andrew Strauss and England media manager Colin Gibson.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

All 12 squads now confirmed for ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier

Dubai, 10 March 2009
All 12 squads have now been named ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2009, which takes place in South Africa next month.
Defending champion Scotland has named a strong panel that includes the experience of proven performers such as Craig Wright, Gavin Hamilton, Neil McCallum and Colin Smith along with the more youthful talent of the likes of Durham batsman Kyle Coetzer, all-rounder Majid Haq from Paisley and 22-year-old Glaswegian batsman Navdeep Poonia.
This year’s tournament promises to be a closely fought event with the top four sides qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Apart from the Scots, the other five teams that took part in the last World Cup – Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya and the Netherlands – will be taking part along with Denmark, Namibia, Oman and United Arab Emirates from Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 2 and the two qualifiers from Division 3, Afghanistan and Uganda.
From North America, across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, this tournament – formerly known as the ICC Trophy – brings together the best international cricketers from beyond the Full Members all gripped by the dream of playing in the world’s biggest cricket event.
Day one of the event could present Scotland with its toughest test as it will come up against fierce rival Ireland in an ODI at Willowmoore Park in what will be a repeat of the final in 2005. Scotland was victorious on that occasion nearly four years ago in Dublin but Ryan Watson and his men will know the Irish will be out to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
For its part, Ireland has also named a formidable line-up which is led by William Porterfield and includes heroes from the 2007 World Cup such as Trent Johnston, Boyd Rankin and Niall O’Brien as well as Middlesex batsman Eoin Morgan and Surrey’s Gary Wilson.
But do not assume that those two will be fighting it out at the end as well as the beginning. Each of the other 10 countries will be hell-bent on making the last four. Other top players who will be on show include Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands), David Hemp (Bermuda), Ashish Bagai (Canada), Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan), Freddie Klokker (Denmark), Thomas Odoyo (Kenya), Gerrie Snyman (Namibia), Hemal Mehta (Oman), Saqib Ali (UAE) and Junior Kwebiha (Uganda), each one of them capable of turning a game on his own.
Among the named squads are WCL Div. 3 qualifiers Afghanistan and Uganda, who add an element of the unknown for many of the more established teams who will not have seen much of those opponents prior to the start of the event on 1 April.
The named squads are:
Afghanistan (squad): Norooz Mangal (captain), Khaleqdaad Noori, Karim Sadiq, Mohammad Nabi, Hasti Gul, Rais Ahmadzai, Dawlat Ahmadzai, Mohammad Shehzad, Hamid Hassan, Samiullah Shinwari, Riffatullah Momand, Noor Ali, Asghar Stanikzai, Shahpoor Zadran, Shafiqullah Shafaq.
Bermuda (squad): Irving Romaine (captain), David Hemp, Chris Douglas, Fiqre Crockwell, Lionel Cann, Stephen Outerbridge, Jekon Edness, Janeiro Tucker, Glenn Smith-Blakeney, Dwayne Leverock, Rodney Trott, Tamauri Tucker, Stefan Kelly, Kyle Hodsoll, George O’Brien.
Canada (squad): Ashish Bagai (captain), Balaji Dorakanti, Eion Katchay, Havir Baidwan, Henry Osinde, Ian Billcliff, John Davison, Khurram Chohan, Umar Bhatti, Arvindan Kandappah, Sandeep Jyoti, Qaiser Ali, Rizwan Cheema, Sunil Dhaniram, Geoff Barnett.
Denmark (squad): Freddie Klokker (captain), Mickey Lund, Carsten Pedersen, Michael Pedersen, Morten Andersen, Thomas Hansen, David Borchersen, Henrik Hansen, Ajay Chawla, Max Overgaard, Rohit Kanaiya, Soren Vestergaard, Rizwan Mahmood, Bahir Shah, Lars Andersen.
Ireland (squad): William Porterfield (captain), Andre Botha, Peter Connell, Alex Cusack, Trent Johnston, Kyle McCallan, John Mooney, Eoin Morgan, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Andrew Poynter, Boyd Rankin, Regan West, Andrew White, Gary Wilson.
Kenya (squad): Steve Tikolo (captain), Peter Ongondo, Hiren Varaiya, Kennedy Obuya, Collins Obuya, Thomas Odoyo, Morris Ouma, Nehemiah Odhiambo , Alex Obanda, Seren Waters, James Kamande, Rakep Patel, Rajesh Bhudiya, Lameck Ngoche, Elijah Asoyo.
Namibia (squad): Louis Burger (captain), Raymond van Schoor, JB Burger, Sarel Burger, Gerrie Snyman, Craig Williams, LP van der Westhuizen, Nicolaas Scholtz, Deon Kotze, Bjorn Kotze, Ian van Zyl, Louis Klazinga, Tobie Verwey, Bernard Scholtz, Hendrik Marx.
Netherlands (squad): Jeroen Smits (captain), Peter Borren, Mudassar Bukhari, Daan van Bunge, Ryan ten Doeschate, Tom de Grooth, Maurits Jonkman, Muhammad Kashif, Alexei Kervezee, Ruud Nijman, Darron Reekers, Edgar Schiferli, Pieter Seelaar, Eric Szwarczynski, Bas Zuiderent.
Oman (squad): Hemal Mehta (captain), Sultan Ahmed, Nileshkumar Parmar, Vaibhav Wategaonkar, Awal Khan, Farhan Khan, Syed Amir Ali, Haider Ali, Syed Maqsood Hussain, Ameet Sampat, Rafeeq Mohammed Al Balushi, Khalid Rasheed, Hemin Desai, Adnan Ilyas and Syed Tariq Hussain.
Scotland (squad): Ryan Watson (captain), Gavin Hamilton, Kyle Coetzer, Neil McCallum, Navdeep Poonia, Qasim Sheikh, Colin Smith, Craig Wright, Jan Stander, John Blain, Dewald Nel, Gordon Goudie, Calum MacLeod, Moneeb Iqbal, Majid Haq.
Uganda: Junior Kwebiha (captain), Joel Olweny, Benjamin Musoke, Roger Mukasa, Lawrence Ssematimba, Kenneth Kamyuka, Frank Nsubuga, Danniel Ruyange, Arthur Kyobe, Charles Waiswa, Nehal Bibodi, Davis Arinaitwe, Akbar Baig, Nandi Kishore, Ronald Ssemanda.
United Arab Emirates (squad): Khuram Khan (captain), Saqib Ali, Arshad Ali, Amjad Ali, Amjad Javed, Naeem Uddin, Fahad al Hashimi, Zahid Shah, Sameer Nayak, Fayyaz Ahmed, Nithin Gopal, Qasim Zubair, Ravi Kumar, Owais Hameed, Muhammed Aman.
The 12 teams taking part in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier are split into two groups of six teams. Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Oman, Namibia and Uganda make up Group A while Kenya, Netherlands, Bermuda, UAE, Denmark and Afghanistan form Group B.
Each side plays the other teams in its group once with the top four from the groups progressing to the Super Eight stage. The teams each play four Super Eight matches against the sides they did not meet in the group stage. All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Eight stage apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group.
The top two teams in the Super Eight stage will contest the final to be played at Centurion on 19 April. The third and fourth-placed sides will play-off at Potchefstroom, the fifth and sixth-placed sides play off at Willowmoore Park while the seventh and eighth-placed teams play off at Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp.
The top four sides at the event qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. The top six teams secure ODI status until 2013 and also qualify automatically for the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10.
The bottom two teams from the CWCQ, which incorporates Divisions 1 and 2 of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League, will be relegated to Division 3.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

England and New Zealand seal places in Super Six stage

Sydney, 10 March 2009
Atkins and Taylor slam unbeaten half-centuries as England beats India by nine wickets
Karen Rolton edges closer to milestone but misses ninth ODI century as Australia defeats South Africa while New Zealand downs West Indies for second successive win
An unbroken 125-run second-wicket partnership between opener Caroline Atkins and Claire Taylor guided two-time former champion England to an easy nine-wicket victory over India to secure a place in the Super Six stage of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 at the North Sydney Oval on Tuesday.
Both Atkins and Taylor, the top-ranked batter in the Reliance Mobile ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings, finished unbeaten on 69 each as England raced to the victory target of 170 with 11.3 overs to spare in a game that was covered live by ESPN STAR Sports.
It was England’s second successive victory and puts it on top of Group B while India is second with one win and one defeat. After Wednesday’s rest day, the first round matches will conclude on Thursday with England taking on third-placed Pakistan at the North Sydney Oval in front of the ESPN STAR Sports cameras while India will go head-to-head with bottom-placed Sri Lanka at Bankstown.
In Group A, defending champion Australia got its campaign back on track after a surprise defeat to New Zealand on Sunday with a comfortable 61-run victory over South Africa while New Zealand put in another tidy bowling performance to defeat the West Indies by 56 runs to join England in the Super Six.
On Thursday, South Africa will have to beat 2000 World Cup winner New Zealand to keep its hope of reaching the Super Six stage alive while the West Indies can go through to the Super Six stage irrespective of the outcome of its match against Australia if New Zealand wins at Bowral.
In that scenario, New Zealand will finish on top of Group A and will take forward four carry-over points to the Super Six stage while Australia will take two and the West Indies none.
In the Super Six stage, the top three sides in each group will play the teams which have qualified from the other group. The top two sides from the Super Six will go forward to the 22 March final.
Put into bat, India slipped from 92-3 to 126-9 in a space of just 14 overs before a late onslaught by Amita Sharma lifted the 2005 World Cup runner-up to 169 all out in 48.4 overs. Sharma clobbered five fours and a six in a 24-ball 33 before being the last batter out.
While wickets fell like nine-pins from one end, former captain Mitahli Raj stood tall before becoming the eighth batter to depart at the score of 123. Raj scored a well-played 59 that came off 90 balls and included nine fours.
Left-arm spinner Holly Colvin was the star of England’s bowling attack when she showed a lot of craft and variation while picking up 3-22. Fast bowler Jenny Gunn also displayed her promise and talent by bagging 3-50 while new-ball bowler Isa Guha finished with 2-16 after claiming the wickets of both the openers.
In its target chase, England was never really under threat despite losing Sarah Taylor (27) as Atkins and Claire Taylor put India’s bowling to the sword with some sizzling drives and sweeps.
Atkins’ knock came off 124 balls and included nine fours while Claire Taylor belted nine fours and a six in a rapid 69 not out off 65 balls. Taylor has now scored 170 runs in two innings, including 101 against Sri Lanka at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.
Atkins, named player-of-the-match, said: "I wouldn’t call my innings a fluent one but our bowlers took all the pressure off us so I was able to scratch around and bat around the two good batters.
"It was great to bat with Claire as she keeps the run-rate up and I can just bat around her."
England head coach Mark Lane was also pleased with his side’s performance. "It was a much improved performance in all three disciplines today. It was good to see Holly Colvin coming into her own and taking 3-22.
"We were excellent in the field with Lydia Greenway taking three catches."
Elsewhere, Australia captain Karen Rolton edged closer to becoming the most successful batter in women’s cricket when she scored an electrifying unbeaten 96 that set up a 61 runs victory over South Africa at the No. 1 Sports Ground, Newcastle.
Rolton, who started the tournament needing 350 runs to leapfrog her former captain Belinda Clark (4,844 runs), clubbed 13 fours in an 87-ball knock but missed out on her ninth career century after running out of overs. Rolton now sits on 4,612 runs and needs another 233 runs to become the leading run-scorer in women’s ODI cricket.
Rolton featured in a 82-run second-wicket partnership off 75 balls with Shelley Nitschke who was also in a punishing mood, belting 11 fours and a six in her 87 that came off 94 balls. Earlier, Nitschke had provided Australia with a flying start when, together with Alex Blackwell, she put on 75 runs for the first wicket with Blackwell scoring 22.
For South Africa, vice-captain Alicia Smith was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-42.
In turn, South Africa was bowled out for 197 in 49.3 overs with Trisha Chetty scoring a fighting 58 that came off 78 balls and included six fours.
Nitschke completed a good day in the field by following up her 87 with 3-43 to claim the player-of-the-match award.
Reflecting on today’s victory, Rolton said: "It was a good fight for the girls and I thought South Africa batted well. We got off to a bit of a slow start and I would have liked a few more runs early on but to the South Africa girls’ credit, they bowled well.
"It was good to be in the middle. We’ve been working hard to try and get some partnerships going and some batters batting through and making runs because we haven’t been able to do that.
"I’m a little bit disappointed with the way we bowled and that’s something we can work on before our next match against the West Indies."
At Bankstown Oval, Sydney, New Zealand laboured to a 56 runs victory over the West Indies after managing just 192-8 in 50 overs, thanks to a quick-fire 41 not out off 35 balls by Sarah Tsukigawa and vice-captain Aimee Mason, who contributed 37 off 63 balls.
The two batters added 57 runs in little over 10 overs for the seventh wicket after New Zealand was struggling at 104-6.
West Indies, which defeated South Africa by just two wickets on Sunday, was never in the hunt after losing Deandra Dottin on the fourth ball of the innings before finishing at 136-8 in 50 overs.
Player-of-the-match Tsukigawa said she had waited for the batting PowerPlay to accelerate the run-rate. "I came out with a plan of setting myself till the 45th over and we knew we had the PowerPlay to take in the last five overs. So it was important to get there and give ourselves a chance to launch from there with a couple of batters still left."
Stand-in New Zealand captain Aimee Mason said: "I am pretty happy with our performance today. It’s always good to lead from the front and I was quite happy with how it went today and obviously very good to get a win as well.
"It wasn’t one of our best performances and was a really hard-fought win. I think we deserved it and we showed the depth in our team, with our batting order and our bowlers doing a great job. The bowlers adapted to the pitch which was pretty slow and took a bit of turn."
Scores in brief:
At North Sydney Oval: India 169 all out, 48.4 overs (Mithali Raj 59, Amita Sharma 33, Anagha Deshpande 32; Holly Colvin 3-22, Jenny Gunn 3-50, Isa Guha 2-16)
England 172-1, 38.3 overs (Caroline Atkins 69 not out, Claire Taylor 69 not out)
England won by nine wickets
At No. 1 Sports Ground, Newcastle: Australia 258-4, 50 overs (Karen Rolton 96 not out, Shelley Nitschke 87, Alex Blackwell 22; Alicia Smith 3-42)
South Africa 197 all out, 49.3 overs (Trisha Chetty 58, Mignon du Preez 37, Cri-Zelda Brits 36; Shelly Nitschke 3-43, Rene Farrell 2-30)
Australia won by 61 runs
At Bankstown Oval: New Zealand 192-8, 50 overs (Sarah Tsukigawa 41 not out, Aimee Mason 38, Amy Satterthwaite 37; Stafanie Taylor 2-33, Kirbyina Alexander 2-37)
West Indies 136-8, 50 overs (Pamela Lavine 40, Stafanie Taylor 38; Lucy Doolan 3-21, Aimee Mason 3-26)
New Zealand won by 56 runs
Points table
Group A
New Zealand22-4+0.8313
Australia2112+0.5783
West Indies2112-0.5159
South Africa2020-0.6705
Group B
England2204+1.6134
India2112+1.1958
Pakistan2112-0.5200
Sri Lanka2020-1.5700
Fixtures for Thursday:
Australia v West Indies, Drummoyne
England v Pakistan, North Sydney Oval (to be covered live by ESPN STAR Sports)
New Zealand v South Africa, Bowral
India v Sri Lanka, Bankstown
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC Chief Executives’ Committee teleconference on Wednesday to consider if weather conditions are appropriate to stage ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lan

Dubai, 10 March 2009
Recommendation to go to ICC Board for consideration at its own teleconference on 16 March; security would be considered as part of preparatory work if eventual decision is to go ahead
Meeting also to consider dates for ICC World Twenty20 2010
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) will meet via teleconference on Wednesday to consider if weather conditions in Sri Lanka in September/October are appropriate to allow it to stage this year's ICC Champions Trophy.
The CEC will make a recommendation to the ICC Board, which will make a final decision on the matter during a teleconference on Monday 16 March.
This follows the meeting of the ICC Board in Perth in January/February when it decided the tournament would not take place in Pakistan.
Sri Lanka was chosen previously as the reserve venue for the event. That decision is now being reviewed because the dates for the 2009 event are later in the year than was the case when it was scheduled to be held last year.
If it is decided that potential weather patterns would permit the event to proceed successfully in Sri Lanka then preparatory work standard for all ICC events, including detailed security assessments by independent security advisors, would take place.
If the eventual decision were to be that those potential weather patterns would not allow certainty in staging the tournament then the ICC would seek bids from interested locations with a view to deciding on a host in April.
During its teleconference, the CEC will also consider dates for next year's ICC World Twenty20 tournament, to be staged in the West Indies.
The CEC comprises the chief executives of the 10 Test-playing Members and three representatives from ICC Associate Members. It is chaired by the ICC Chief Executive. The ICC President and the Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee will also be in attendance.
Haroon Lorgat ICC Chief Executive (Chairman)
David Morgan OBE ICC President
Clive Lloyd ICC Cricket Committee Chairman
James Sutherland Australia
Nizam Uddin Chowdhury Bangladesh
David Collier England
N Srinivasan India
Dr Justin Vaughan New Zealand
Salim Altaf Pakistan
Gerald Majola South Africa
Duleep Mendis Sri Lanka
Dr Donald Peters West Indies
Ozias Bvute Zimbabwe
Associate Member representatives
Dr John Cribbin Hong Kong
Warren Deutrom Ireland
Laurie Pieters Namibia

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Two bowlers reported for suspected illegal bowling actions at ICC Women's World Cup

Sydney, 9 March 2009
England fast bowler Jenny Gunn and Sri Lanka off-spinner Rose Fernando have been reported because of suspected illegal actions.
The two bowlers were reported by umpires Gerard Abood and Kathy Cross at the conclusion of their ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 match which England won by 100 runs at the Manuka Oval, Canberra on Saturday.
In their report the umpires raised concerns over the Gunn’s short-pitched deliveries and Fernando’s quicker balls and decided it was appropriate for their deliveries to be scrutinised further under the relevant ICC process.
That process states that any bowler reported in this way will be dealt with by the relevant Member board as per ICC regulations for women’s ODIs below:
Where a bowler is "called" or reported by the umpires as having a suspected illegal action, the ICC will advise the Member board of this fact.
In such circumstances, the Member will be asked to instigate an immediate assessment of the bowler’s action and to arrange for the undertaking of any remedial action required by the player concerned.
The Member will be asked to report back formally to ICC as to what action has been taken, and the results.
A dated database of bowlers who have been "called" and/or "reported as suspect" will be maintained.
The detail of the subsequent action taken by the Member will also be detailed on this database which will regularly be made available to all match officials for such international cricket matches.
Pending the result of the assessment, the two bowlers may continue to play and bowl in international cricket.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Changes to venues and schedule for ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier

Dubai, 8 March 2009
Details of warm-up fixtures now confirmed
Accreditation process for the event has now closed
The ICC today confirmed a number of changes to the schedule for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2009 to take place from 1 to 19 April.
The three ODI venues being used remain unchanged and will include Willowmoore Park in Benoni and Potchefstroom Cricket Ground for group and Super Eight matches and the Cricket Stadium, Centurion, for the final on 19 April.
The venue at Witrand is no longer being used and the four Group B matches that had been scheduled for that ground will now be split between Potchefstroom Cricket Ground, the Potchefstroom University ground and the Isak Steyl ground belonging to Vaal University of Technology at Vanderbijlpark.
In Group A, Willowmoore Park A has been replaced as a venue in the main draw by LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria and Wanderers Oval 2 has been replaced by the Witwatersand (WITS) University Cricket Ground. Willowmoore Park A will host two warm-up matches on 28 and 29 March along with Willowmoore Park B and Hofmeyr Park at the Pretoria High School Old Boys club.
The changes were made for logistical reasons and because the ICC and Cricket South Africa wanted to ensure that the best possible facilities were available for such an important event.
In total there are eight venues being used for 54 matches played over 19 days with 12 teams fighting it out for the four qualification places on offer in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
The full revised schedule is as follows:
Warm-up fixtures:
28 Mar – Oman v Afghanistan (Willowmoore Park A); Namibia v Bermuda (Willowmoore Park B); Canada v Netherlands (Hofmeyr Park, Pretoria High School Old Boys)
29 Mar – Uganda v Denmark (Willowmoore Park A); Scotland v Kenya (Willowmoore Park B); Ireland v UAE (Hofmeyr Park, Pretoria High School Old Boys)
ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier match schedule:
1 Apr – Ireland v Scotland (ODI, Willowmoore Park, Benoni); Canada v Oman (LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria); Namibia v Uganda (Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp); Kenya v Netherlands (ODI, Potchefstroom Cricket Ground); Bermuda v UAE (Potchefstroom University); Denmark v Afghanistan (Vaal University)
2 Apr – Scotland v Namibia (LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria), Ireland v Oman (Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp), Canada v Uganda (WITS University); Netherlands v Denmark (Potchefstroom University); Kenya v UAE (Vaal University); Bermuda v Afghanistan (Potchefstroom Cricket Ground)
3 Apr – Reserve/training day
4 Apr – Canada v Namibia (LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria); Ireland v Uganda (Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp); Scotland v Oman (WITS University); Kenya v Afghanistan (Potchefstroom University); Bermuda v Denmark (Vaal University); Netherlands v UAE (Potchefstroom Cricket Ground)
5 Apr – Reserve/training day
6 Apr – Ireland v Canada (ODI, Willowmoore Park, Benoni); Oman v Namibia (Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp); Scotland v Uganda (WITS University); Kenya v Bermuda (ODI, Potchefstroom Cricket Ground); Netherlands v Afghanistan (Vaal University); UAE v Denmark (Potchefstroom University)
7 Apr – Reserve/training day
8 Apr – Scotland v Canada (ODI, Willowmoore Park, Benoni); Oman v Uganda (LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria); Ireland v Namibia (WITS University); Netherlands v Bermuda (ODI, Potchefstroom Cricket Ground); UAE v Afghanistan (Vaal University); Kenya v Denmark (Potchefstroom University)
9 Apr – Reserve/training day
10 Apr – Good Friday
11 Apr – A2 v B1 (Willowmoore Park, Benoni); A4 v B3 (LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria); A1 v B4 (Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp); A3 v B2 (WITS University); A5 v B6 (Potchefstroom Cricket Ground); A6 v B5 (Potchefstroom University)
12 Apr – Easter Sunday
13 Apr – A4 v B2 (Willowmoore Park, Benoni); A2 v B4 (LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria); A3 v B1 (Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp); A1 v B3 (WITS University); ninth/10th-place play-off (Potchefstroom Cricket Ground), 11th/12th-place play-off (Potchefstroom University)
14 Apr – Reserve/training day
15 Apr – A3 v B4 (Willowmoore Park, Benoni); A1 v B2 (LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria); A2 v B3 (Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp); A4 v B1 (WITS University)
16 Apr – Reserve/training day
17 Apr – A3 v B3 (Willowmoore Park, Benoni); A1 v B1 (LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria); A4 v B4 (Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp); A2 v B2 (WITS University)
18 Apr – Reserve/training day
19 Apr – Final (ODI, Centurion); third/fourth-place play-off (ODI, Potchefstroom Cricket Ground); fifth/sixth-place play-off (ODI, Willowmoore Park, Benoni); seventh/eighth-place play-off (LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria)

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

New Zealand upsets defending champion as West Indies takes giant step forward by defeating South Africa

Sydney, 8 March 2009
Kate Pulford and Stafanie Taylor win player-of-the-match awards
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat joins teams, spectators and officials at NSO to observe a minute’s silence out of respect for those people killed or injured during Tuesday’s terrorist attack in Lahore
Photos from the NSO match available through Getty Images; images from Newcastle match available free of charge from the ICC FTP site
New Zealand overcame batting hiccups to upset defending champion Australia in a crucial ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 match in front of ESPN STAR Sports’ live TV cameras and 1,350 spectators at the picturesque North Sydney Oval on Sunday.
New Zealand, put into bat, was bowled out for 205 in 48 overs after being 171-3 in 40 overs with a batting PowerPlay in hand. The Kiwis then fought back gallantly to restrict Australia to 132-6 before the match was abandoned due to bad light and light showers to win the match by 13 runs, according to the Duckworth-Lewis method.
The victory has enhanced New Zealand’s chances of topping Group A with matches still to come against the West Indies and South Africa. As favourite to win both those games, it may well take four carry-over points in the Super Six stage which will boost its chances of making the 22 March final.
In another match, at Newcastle, the West Indies defeated South Africa by two wickets with eight balls to spare in a hard-fought match. With this victory, West Indies has all but sealed a place in the Super Six stage as both the teams will have matches against Australia and New Zealand. By contrast, South Africa, if it finishes at the bottom of the table from Group A, will be left to play in the seventh/eighth-place play-off against the bottom-placed team from Group B on 14 March.
Seventeen-year-old Stafanie Taylor was the star for the West Indies when she recorded impressive figures of 8.2-2-17-4 as South Africa, which elected to bat first after winning the toss, was bowled out for 116 in 45.2 overs after losing its last seven wickets for 22 runs.
Only opener Alicia Smith offered any significant resistance while scoring 46 that came off 109 balls and included four fours. She was the fourth batter out at the score of 94 in the 38th over.
The West Indies, in its turn at the wicket, made hard work of that target before achieving victory with two wickets and eight balls to spare.
The West Indies made a shaky start when it lost both the openers at the score of 16 but recovered through a 45-run third-wicket stand between Shanel Daley (26) and Stacy-Ann King (13). However, Afy Fletcher (nine off 70 balls) and Cordel Jack (19 runs off 52 balls) batted slowly and almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
West Indies captain Merissa Aguilleira was relieved and happy with the victory. "We are very happy and all the girls worked hard for this. We knew what we had to do and we came out and did it.
"We knew we could take our time (getting the runs), the girls didn't rush anything. Even though it took a long time at the end of the day we came away with the win."
Player-of-the-match Stafanie Taylor said: "Yeah, I'm very pleased with my performance and happy with the win. We were very confident (in reaching the target), but while chasing small totals anything could happen.
"It was a pretty good wicket for batting, we would have liked to bat first but we came away with the win. There was a bit in it (the pitch) for the pace bowlers, the spinners didn't get much turn - I didn't get as much turn as I would have liked."
South Africa captain Sunette Loubser was disappointed with her team’s batting display. She said: "A little bit (disappointed) is not the word for it at the moment. We made a meal of the batting today. I think the bowlers did really well to almost defend that score. Our batting disappointed us a lot as we lost six wickets for 22 runs right at the end.
"No one’s to blame. It’s the whole team thing but we just need to score more runs to be able to defend it. The girls showed a lot of heart and passion to almost defend it like they did. They never gave up and I'm proud of that fact."
However, the Australia and New Zealand game was the feature match of the day. It started with ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat joining the players, match officials and spectators in observing a minute’s silence out of respect for those people killed or injured during Tuesday’s terrorist attack on the convoy containing the Sri Lanka squad and the match officials.
Put into bat, New Zealand squandered a good start to score only 205 all out in 48 overs.
Captain Haidee Tiffen provided her team with the platform on which New Zealand should have built on but some poor stroke-play and a tactical error led to the team to lose its last seven wickets for only 36 runs off eight overs.
While the Australia team took its PowerPlay between 11 and 15 overs in which New Zealand scored 29 runs and lost one wicket, New Zealand delayed its batting PowerPlay until the 46th over and could use only three overs in which it scored 24 runs, including 14 off the 48th over bowled by Ellyse Perry, and lost both the remaining wickets.
Tiffen finished as the leading scorer with a well played 57 off 113 balls with six fours. She received good support from Suzie Bates (29), Amy Satterthwaite (38) with whom she added 67 runs for the third wicket, and Sara McGlashan (29), with whom she put on 62 runs for the fourth wicket.
Perry was the pick of Australia's bowlers with 3-40 despite dislocating the little finger of her right hand while Lisa Sthalekar and Erin Osborne bagged two wickets each.
Australia, in its target chase, never got to the take-off point and kept losing wickets at regular intervals before rain and bad light stopped play with the home team requiring 74 runs off 112 balls with four wickets remaining.
Kate Pulford caused maximum damage when he claimed 3-32 while new-ball opener Sophie Devine picked up 2-19. Pulford was later declared player of the match.
Reflecting on today’s performance Tiffen said: "I am delighted with the victory over the world’s number-one team but I think we should have scored around 240 or 250. Losing seven wickets for 36 runs is not our standard and we certainly need to look at this area and try to not only bat all 50 overs but need to convert good starts into big scores.
"Just before I got out, we were going to take our PowerPlay. In hindsight, we should have taken our PowerPlay before that over. With losing all those wickets, it certainly was not the plan to take it so late. But it is certainly a thing which we will look at and try to get it right next time."
Scores in brief:
At North Sydney Oval, Sydney, New Zealand 205 all out, 48 overs (Haidee Tiffen 57, Amy Satterthwaite 38, Sara McGlashan 29, Suzie Bates 29; Ellyse Perry 3-40, Lisa Sthalekar 2-35, Erin Osborne 2-37)
Australia 132-6, 33 overs (Shelley Nitschke 27, Jodie Fields 26 not out, Karen Rolton 21; Kate Pulford 3-32, Sophie Devine 2-19)
New Zealand won by 13 runs (D/L method)
At No 1 Sports Ground, Newcastle, South Africa 116 all out, 45.2 overs (Alicia Smith 46; Stafanie Taylor 4-17)
West Indies 117-8, 48.4 overs (Shanel Daley 26)
West Indies won by two wickets
Monday’s fixture:
Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Manuka Oval, Canberra

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

India and England enjoy winning starts on opening day of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009

Sydney, 7 March 2009

Claire Taylor strokes century in England’s 100-run victory over Sri Lanka while Rumeli Dhar wins player of the match award against Pakistan
At both the venues, a minute’s silence is observed out of respect for those people killed or injured during Tuesday’s terrorist attack on the convoy containing the Sri Lanka squad and the match officials
Photos from the Canberra match available through Getty Images; images from Bowral match available free of charge from the ICC FTP site
India and England launched their ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 campaigns in style by registering comfortable victories over Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Bowral and Canberra on Saturday.
Claire Taylor, the top-ranked batter in the Reliance Mobile ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings, stroked her eighth career century to set up an easy 100-run victory over Sri Lanka while India thumped Pakistan by 10 wickets after the girls in green shirts were sent packing for just 57 all out in 29 overs.
Before the start of both the matches, players and officials, together with the match officials and spectators, observed a minute’s silence out of respect for those people killed or injured during Tuesday’s terrorist attack on the convoy containing the Sri Lanka squad and the match officials in Lahore.
At Manuka Oval in Canberra, Taylor was in prime form when she clubbed 10 fours in a 95-ball 101 before falling to Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler Eshani Lokusooriya (2-41) in the 47th over. Taylor’s masterly innings helped England reach 277-5 in 50 overs after Shashikala Siriwardena had won the toss and put Charlotte Edwards’ side into bat.
Taylor, who scored her third consecutive hundred against Sri Lanka at a Women’s World Cup, featured in a 72-run second wicket partnership with Caroline Atkins (50) who scored a well played half century that came off 85 balls and included three fours. Atkins also featured in an 80-run opening wicket stand with Sarah Taylor (38 off 44 balls with three fours).
Later in the order, Lydia Greenway chipped in with a useful 32 not out off 45 balls while Edwards contributed a run-a-ball 27 to ensure England finished its innings on a high.
In its target chase, Sri Lanka made a confident start when it reached 48 without loss before it lost its way by losing three wickets for 15 runs to be reduced to 63-3. Hiruku Fernando (26) and Suwini de Alwis (37) tried to repair the damage and added 57 runs for the fourth wicket but that stand consumed nearly 12 overs which left the Siriwardena’s side with an uphill task against a disciplined England bowling.
With runs difficult to score, Sri Lanka ended well short of its target and closed on 177-7 off 50 overs.
For England, Laura Marsh was the pick of bowlers with figures of 3-32 but there was only one contender for the player of the match award which was Claire Taylor.
Taylor added: "I’m pleased to get some runs early in the tournament. The Sri Lankans must be sick of the sight of me but all due respect to them for keeping going in the field with the ball and attacking us with the bat.
"I’m looking forward to playing against India on Tuesday which I think could be the key match in our group."
England head coach Mark Lane was also pleased with his team’s victory but admitted that his side have plenty of work to do if they are to win this event: "Claire Taylor played brilliantly today for us using all her cricket nouse and experience. The opening bowling lacked penetration and at times the fielding was lackluster.
"Although we accept the two points for the win we must show improvement in all three disciplines before we take on India on Tuesday."
At Bradman Oval, in Bowral, India put up a clinical performance to rout Pakistan by 10 wickets without breaking sweat.
The Indian bowlers justified Jhulan Goswami’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss in front of a decent crowd and under overcast conditions by bowling Pakistan out for 57 in 29 overs. Sana Mir (17) and Bismah Maroof (11), apart from the 10 extras, were the only batters to reach the double figures.
The Indian bowlers, spearheaded by the captain herself, bowled to a teasing line and length and made full use of the early morning conditions. While Goswami picked up 1-18, her new ball partner Rumeli Dhar finished with figures of 8-5-7-3 while vice-captain Amita Sharma bagged 2-9. Priyanka Roy also made her presence felt by claiming 2-13 after being hit away for 11 runs in her opening over.
The target was never enough to test the India batters who achieved victory in 10 overs in bright sunshine. Anagha Deshpande and Anjum Chopra remained unbeaten on 26 and 17 respectively.
Goswami, reflecting on her team’s victory, said: "It was an important victory for us as it was the World Cup opener and against Pakistan. I am glad that we have started the tournament on a winning note and I look forward to improving our performance with every match.
"I never expected Pakistan to be bowled out for 57 but this reflects how well we utilised the conditions. We got a bit sloppy in the later part of Pakistan’s innings and I am not happy about that. We cannot afford to be complacent at any stage because no match is finished until the final bowl is bowled."
Pakistan captain Urooj Mumtaz said: "I will not try to hide behind excuses. The simple fact is it was not a good day in the office for us and we performed poorly in all three departments of the game.
"The girls are really down after today’s performance and it would be difficult to lift their spirits but it’s a World Cup and we have to put this performance behind us and look forward to the next two matches."
On Sunday, defending champion Australia will go head to head with New Zealand at North Sydney in the first of the seven matches that will be covered live by ICC’s board partner ESPN STAR Sports. In the other match of the day, the West Indies will meet qualifier South Africa in Newcastle with the winner most likely to go through to the Super Six stage along with Australia and New Zealand from group A.
Scores in brief:
At Manuka Oval, England 277-5 in 50 overs (Claire Taylor 101, Caroline Atkins 50, Sarah Taylor 38, Lydia Greenway 32 not out, Charlotte Edwards 27)
Sri Lanka 177-7 in 50 overs (Suwini de Alwis 37, Hiruku Fernando 26; Laura Marsh 3-32)
England won by 100 runs
At Bradman Oval, Pakistan 57 all out in 29 overs (Rumeli Dhar 3-7, Amita Sharma 2-9, Priyanka Roy 2-13)
India 57-0 in 10 overs (Anagha Deshpande 26 not out)
India won by 10 wickets
Fixtures for Sunday:
Australia v New Zealand, North Sydney
West Indies v South Africa, Newcastle

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 set to be broadcast in more than 200 countries, thanks to ICC’s broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports

Sydney, 7 March 2009
Seven matches to be shown live from North Sydney Oval; live broadband streaming available free of charge in certain territories
Alan Wilkins, Wasim Akram, Danny Morrison, Belinda Clark, Deborah Hockley and Melanie Jones to commentate on the matches
ICC’s broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports is all set to take women’s cricket to the next level when it televises seven matches of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2009, starting with the Australia and New Zealand match at the North Sydney Oval tomorrow, Sunday 8 March.
Following on from its successful broadcasting of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007 and the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia last year, ESPN STAR Sports has ensured that a global audience of billions will get to see the best of the best in women’s cricket.
The broadcast schedule for the eight-team tournament will see all matches at North Sydney Oval televised, also including two other group stage matches, three Super Six stage matches and the 22 March final.

All eight participating nations will have live television coverage of the tournament in their home countries and it will also be televised in countries like China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Tanzania.
ESPN STAR Sports and its licensees will service cricket’s traditional heartlands in South Asia, England Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the coverage will also be seen across the continents of Africa, throughout the Middle East, Pacific Islands and in the nations of the West Indies.
In addition to this, ESPN STAR Sports will stream the games live on their website, www.espnstar.com, in certain territories and the service will be available free of charge. This ensures that this tournament will have a reach of well over 200 countries and can be viewed in mainland Europe and South America.
ESPN STAR Sports has lined up an experienced combination of men’s and women’s commentators for the tournament that includes former Gloucestershire and Glamorgan left-arm fast bowler Alan Wilkins, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, former New Zealand fast bowler Danny Morrison, former Australia women’s captain and lead run-scorer in women’s cricket Belinda Clark, former New Zealand women’s captain and her country’s most successful batter to date Deborah Hockley and former Australia batter Melanie Jones who scored 1,028 runs in 61 ODIs and also played in five Tests.
Clark, who scored 4,844 in a brilliant career, said: "It is great that ESPN STAR Sports is covering seven matches live which means the sport will go to a worldwide audience as never before.
"These are great and exciting times for women’s cricket and I am pleased to see that everything is being done for the promotion and development of the game. I am sure the players will remember of this tournament for a very long time."
ICC’s news access licensee Sports News Television (SNTV) will also make available to its subscribers Video News Releases (VNRs) on all the seven broadcast matches. This will ensure that news broadcasters in around 100 countries will get access to highlights from the event for their news programmes.
The Women’s World Cup has been running for longer than the men’s version and was first staged in England in 1973. Australia has won the tournament five times in 1978, 1982, 1988, 1997 and 2005 while England has won the event in 1973 and 1993, and New Zealand in 2000.
The format of the event involves the teams being divided into two groups. Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies and South Africa are in Group A while India, England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are in Group B.
The top three sides in each group go forward to the Super Six stage where each side then plays the teams which have qualified from the other group. The top two sides from the Super Six go forward to the final.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC seeks Local Partner sponsors for ICC World Twenty20 2009

Dubai, 6 March 2009
Maximum of three positions available for event taking place in the England in June and including men’s and women’s tournaments
Campbell Jamieson, ICC General Manager – Commercial: "With multiple venues, worldwide media exposure and high spectator numbers expected, this tournament represents a great opportunity for sponsors"
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced it is seeking Local Partner sponsors for the ICC World Twenty20 2009 to be staged in England in June.
Three sponsorship positions are available for the event that features, for the first time, men’s and women’s tournaments running alongside each other and a finals day at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on 21 June.
The positions on offer would be within the tier sitting below Global Partner and Official Partner levels. The content of a Local Partner sponsorship package would be similar to Global and Official Partner packages, although the quantity of the rights and benefits would be in line with its positioning within the sponsorship structure.
Local Partners for the ICC World Twenty20 would join the ICC’s already-existent list of sponsors that receive exclusive rights and benefits from its portfolio of international cricket events.
Those sponsors include Pepsico, Reliance Communications, LG Electronics, Emirates, Reebok and Yahoo!
Local Partner sponsorship is limited to a particular ICC event, in this case the ICC World Twenty20 England 2009. Examples of Local Partners for the ICC’s latest event, the ICC Women’s World Cup, which begins in Australia on Saturday, are The Daily Telegraph and Events New South Wales.
Campbell Jamieson, ICC General Manager – Commercial said: "Local Partners are an important feature of all ICC events because they tend to have a vested interest in the markets in which our events are staged.
"The ticketing component of the Local Partner packages offers an excellent platform for targeted sales promotions by sponsors," he added.
Mr Jamieson said that Local Partner agreements represented excellent value for money, something especially relevant in the current economic climate.
"Our marketing research suggests that the dollar value of the televised brand exposure that Local Partners receive far exceeds their level of investment, primarily because our events are uncluttered in terms of the number of branding messages," he said.
"The world is excited at the prospect of this event, especially after the success of the inaugural men’s tournament in South Africa in 2007 when India beat Pakistan in a thrilling final in Johannesburg, South Africa.
"Twenty20 is the newest form of the game at international level. It has captured the imagination of the public around the world, brought new supporters to the game of cricket and is now returning to the place where the format was invented – England.
"The ICC believes the ICC World Twenty20 2009, with multiple venues, worldwide television and media exposure and with large spectator numbers expected to attend, represents a great opportunity for a sponsor to leverage its brand," added Mr Jamieson
The ICC expects interested parties to be drawn from a range of industries and sectors including alcoholic beverages, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), financial services, grocery, information technology (IT), transportation and energy.
And while it is anticipated that the Local Partners will be found in the UK market, the event affords international exposure and so Local Partner packages include global activation rights.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Event technical committee confirms Sanduni Abeywickrama can replace Chamani Seneviratne in Sri Lanka squad for ICC Women’s World Cup

Dubai, 6 March 2009
The event technical committee of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 has approved Sanduni Abeywickrama as a replacement player for Chamani Seneviratne in Sri Lanka’s squad for the tournament, which kicks off from Saturday.
The confirmation was conveyed to Sri Lanka on behalf of the tournament technical committee on Thursday evening.
Seneviratne’s replacement was allowed on medical grounds after the 30-year-old all-rounder was injured during her team’s first warm-up match against New South Wales at Old Kings.
Abeywickrama, the 26-year-old from Colombo, is a right-hand batter and an off-spinner, and has played five ODIs. Her last appearance was against the West Indies at Colombo in November 2008.
Abeywickrama is the third replacement player to be called up for the tournament after Marizanne Kapp and Debbie-Ann Lewis were approved to replace Kirsty Thomson for South Africa and Juliana Nero for the West Indies respectively.
The event technical committee of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 consists of ICC General Manager – Cricket David Richardson (represented by Chris Tetley, ICC Events Manager), ICC General Manager – Commercial Campbell Jamieson, Eugenie Buckley (Tournament Director), Geoff Allardice (Cricket Australia), Alan Wilkins and Melanie Jones (both independent nominees).
Sri Lanka meets England in the tournament opener in Canberra on Saturday. Its other matches are against Pakistan on Monday 9 March in Canberra and against India in Bankstown on Thursday 12 March.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Shuffling of the pack could be on the cards as players go head to head in battle for top spots in Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Player Rankings

Sydney, 6 March 2009
Taylor and Guha to wear golden armbands to signify their number-one rankings
When the ICC Women’s World Cup gets underway on Saturday there will be more than just team glory to play for as there will also be the battle for the coveted top spots in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Player Rankings.
England team-mates Claire Taylor and Isa Guha start the tournament in the lead positions in the batting and bowling lists respectively and to signify their status both will wear the golden armbands awarded to the leading players in each category. The two will wear them until there is a change in the leadership.
The 33-year-old Taylor spearheads a strong field of six England batters in the top 20 and is the only player currently with more than 800 rating points. In women’s ranking terms, 800 points marks out a player as truly outstanding.
Other England batters in the top 20 and eying upward movements are Sarah Taylor (fourth), captain Charlotte Edwards, the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year (sixth), Lydia Greenway (15th), Caroline Atkins (17th) and Jenny Gunn (18th).
Guha, 23, leads the field of four English bowlers – Holly Colvin (sixth), Gunn (seventh) and Katherine Brunt (10th) – in the top 10 while Nicky Shaw is in 12th spot. Guha is the only bowler in the list above the 700-point mark.
However, Taylor and Guha will face stiff challenges for those top slots from not only their own team-mates but also from the Australia and New Zealand players who will be aiming to head the lists by the time the rankings are next updated at the end of the first round action on Wednesday 13 March.
Defending champion Australia, has four players in the batting top ten, led by second-placed Lisa Sthalekar and also including Alex Blackwell (fifth), captain Karen Rolton (seventh) and Shelley Nitschke (eighth). In the bowling list the host team has five players in the top 20 – Nitschke (second), Sthalekar (fourth), Emma Sampson (fifth), Kirsten Pike (11th) and Ellyse Perry (16th).
New Zealand players also figure prominently in the top 20 batting and bowling tables.
Ninth-placed Nicola Browne leads a trail of four batters also including captain Haidee Tiffen (10th), vice-captain Aimee Mason (11th) and Sara McGlashen (12th) while Sarah Tsukigawa is in 19th position and Amy Satterthwaite lies in 20th spot.
Browne is also the highest-ranked New Zealand bowler in eighth position, followed by Mason in 13th spot.
India has two batters in the top 20, former captain Mithali Raj in third position and Jaya Sharma, who shares 20th place with Satterthwaite. In the bowling table, the losing finalist from 2005 has four bowlers in the top 20 – captain Jhulan Goswami (third), Rumeli Dhar (ninth), Amita Sharma (19th) and Neetu David (20th).
Besides the top four teams, Sri Lanka is represented in the top 20 batters’ list by Dedunu Silva (13th) and captain Shashikala Siriwardena (14th) who also figures in the bowling table in 18th position. Sajida Shah is Pakistan’s highest-ranked bowler in 17th position while South Africa’s Cri-Zelda Brits is in 16th place and fast bowlers Alicia Smith and Ashlyn Kilowan are in 14th and 15th positions respectively.
The highest-ranked West Indies batter is Stefanie Taylor in 33rd position while the Caribbean side has fast bowler Debbie-Ann Lewis in 35th place in the bowling list.
The Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Player Rankings for all-rounders is headed by Sthalekar who holds a narrow lead over team-mate Nitschke. The New Zealand duo of Browne and Mason are third and fourth respectively while England’s Gunn is in fifth place.
Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Player Rankings (as of 6 March)
Batters
Rank Player Team Points Ave HS Ranking
1 Claire Taylor Eng 804 39.13 820 v NZ at Blackpool 2007
2 Lisa Sthalekar Aus 759 37.36 804 v Ind at Sydney 2008
3 Mithali Raj Ind 722 46.50 841 v Aus at Baroda Vadodar 2004
4 Sarah Taylor Eng 698* 40.11 705 v Ind at Taunton 2008
5 Alex Blackwell Aus 661 34.70 692 v Ind at Canberra 2008
6 Charlotte Edwards Eng 654 37.05 691 v SA at Pretoria 2005
7 Karen Rolton Aus 651 48.85 873 v Ind at Vapi 2004
8 Shelley Nitschke Aus 636 ! 29.15 636 v NZ at Hamilton 2009
9 Nicola Browne NZ 626 29.86 653 v Aus at Lincoln 2008
10 Haidee Tiffen NZ 563 29.66 750 v Ind at Lincoln 2006
11 Aimee Mason NZ 552 22.31 624 v Eng at Blackpool 2007
12 Sara McGlashen NZ 524 22.47 581 v Eng at Derby 2007
13 Dedunu Silva SL 521* 21.58 524 v Pak at Bogra 2009
14 S.Siriwardena SL 488* 21.00 500 v Pak at Khulna 2009
15 Lydia Greenway Eng 483 22.55 503 v Aus at Sydney 2008
16 Cri-Zelda Brits SA 465* 29.24 530 v NET at Stellenbosch 2008
17 Caroline Atkins Eng 463* 28.46 471 v Ind at Taunton 2008
18 Jenny Gunn Eng 456 22.37 527 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
19 Sarah Tsukigawa NZ 453* 22.00 456 v Aus at Lincoln 2008
20= Amy Satterthwaite NZ 443*! 24.20 443 v Aus at Hamilton 2009
Jaya Sharma Ind 443 30.75 665 v Aus at Vapi 2004
Bowlers
Rank Player Team Points Ave HS Ranking
1 Isa Guha Eng 719 18.43 740 v Ind at Taunton 2008
2 Shelley Nitschke Aus 677* 22.30 681 v NZ at Hamilton 2009
3 Jhulan Goswami Ind 667 22.23 797 v Eng at Chennai 2007
4 Lisa Sthalekar Aus 663 27.31 674 v NZ at Hamilton 2009
5 Emma Sampson Aus 651* 21.94 666 v NZ at Whangarei 2009
6 Holly Colvin Eng 619* 19.90 632 v Ind at Arundel 2008
7 Jenny Gunn Eng 592 31.22 672 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
8 Nicola Browne NZ 567 33.48 648 v Eng at Shenley 2007
9 Rumeli Dhar Ind 565* 33.52 609 v SL at Dambulla 2008
10 Katherine Brunt Eng 545* 26.33 560 v Ind at Taunton 2008
11 Kirsten Pike Aus 503* 23.97 567 v NZ at Lincoln 2008
12 Nicky Shaw Eng 502* 32.93 517 v Ind at Taunton 2008
13 Aimee Mason NZ 498 33.78 586 v Aus at Darwin 2007
14 Alicia Smith SA 493* 22.10 536 v Ire at Crowthorne 2008
15 Ashlyn Kilowan SA 483*! 20.16 483 v Eng at Shenley 2008
16 Ellyse Perry Aus 475* 25.33 491 v Ind at Canberra 2008
17 Sajida Shah Pak 472* 27.17 499 v NET at Stellenbosch 2008
18 H.A.S.D.Siriwardena SL 471*! 22.43 471 v Pak at Dhaka 2009
19 Amita Sharma Ind 470 31.18 650 v Pak at Karachi 2005
20 Neetu David Ind 456 16.34 794 v NZ at Pretoria 2005
All-rounders
Rank Player Team Points Highest Ranking
1 Lisa Sthalekar Aus 503 514 v Ind at Canberra 2008
2 Shelley Nitschke Aus 431/*! 431 v NZ at Hamilton 2009
3 Nicola Browne NZ 355 383 v Eng at Lincoln 2008
4 Aimee Mason NZ 275 342 v Eng at Blackpool 2007
5 Jenny Gunn Eng 270 353 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Wellington ODI begins three days when cricket world marks tragic events of Lahore

Dubai, 6 March 2009
On Friday in Wellington the world of cricket begins three days remembering the tragic events that took place in Lahore this week.
Ahead of the start of the second ODI between New Zealand and India the players and officials of both sides, together with the match officials and spectators, will observe a minute’s silence out of respect for those people killed or injured during Tuesday’s terrorist attack on the convoy containing the Sri Lanka squad and the match officials.
The gesture will be repeated before the start of the second Test between South Africa and Australia in Durban and the fifth West Indies – England Test match in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, also beginning on Friday.
The opening matches of the ICC Women’s World Cup in Australia over the weekend are also expected to include the minute’s silence.
Players and officials will wear black armbands on the first days of each Test and during the ODIs, replicating the spontaneous gesture of the players and officials at the first New Zealand – India ODI, which took place in Napier on 3 March, the day of the attack, which left seven people dead and several others injured.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "What happened this week in Lahore has shocked and saddened not only the entire cricket community but also those with little or no interest in the game.
"We hope that through these gestures of the minute’s silence and the wearing of black armbands we can let those who have lost loved ones or who are suffering know that the thoughts and prayers of the cricket world are with them.
"These gestures, stretching across the world, will emphasise that the game of cricket is united. We are united against terrorists and united in our desire to do all we can to ensure that the game continues to be played wherever and whenever possible.
"Cricket is a tremendous force for good. It brings together people from diverse backgrounds and provides joy to many millions of people around the globe. It is a tie that binds us and these gestures by the players, officials and spectators will emphasise that fact as well as showing support for those affected by the tragic events in Lahore."

ICC MEDIA RELEASE