Afghanistan v SA, Group C, World T20, Barbados

South Africa end Afghanistan's dream

South Africa 139 for 7 (Kallis 34, Hamid 3-21) beat Afghanistan 80 (M Morkel 4-20, Langeveldt 3-12) by 59 runs

Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn delivered Afghanistan a harsh lesson by demolishing them for 80 to end their World Twenty20 dream and hand South Africa a safe path to the Super Eights. There was no mercy from Morkel and Steyn, whose speed and bounce was simply of a standard that Afghanistan had never faced before, and Charl Langeveldt chipped in with three wickets to confirm the result.

The 59-run victory showed the newcomers that, for all their incredible progress over the past couple of years, there is a long way still to go. Afghanistan's spirits were high after their bowling effort, having restricted South Africa to a respectable 139 for 7, but the chase was quickly and comprehensively derailed.

Steyn (2 for 6) beat the bat with his outswing and had Noor Ali caught behind for a duck in the first over, before Morkel ran through the middle order to finish with 4 for 20. The batsmen struggled to react to the quality bowling and especially the short deliveries, and six of the ten dismissals were caught behind the wicket.

That they avoided recording the lowest ever Twenty20 international total was a feat in itself after they were 14 for 6, but the change bowlers proved more to their liking. Mirwais Ashraf gave Afghanistan's fans a few happy moments when he clobbered a monstrous six off Albie Morkel, before Hamid Hassan made a quick 22 from 21 balls, as the lower order cleared the boundary a combined five times.

It was pleasing that Afghanistan fought it out to the end in their first major tournament, but equally appropriate that the eight strongest teams have now progressed to the next stage. There might have been some nervy moments for South Africa at the halfway point - their batsmen had made a strong start and at one stage 180 looked possible - but they need not have worried.

Still, there are some issues for them to address before their next match against New Zealand, notably their scoring rate. Against India, they struggled to judge the tempo of their chase and this time they found it hard to capitalise on a brisk opening in which they raced to 45 for 1 from four overs.

Having struck two healthy sixes over midwicket and long-on off Mirwais in the fourth over, Jacques Kallis soon became tied down and when he tickled a catch down the leg side off Hamid's first ball he had 34 off 33. Hamid was the best of the bowlers for Afghanistan, fast and straight, and finished with 3 for 21 including the lbw of Mark Boucher and JP Duminy, who was wonderfully caught at cover by Nowroz Mangal.

Afghanistan's fielding was sharp, if not always clean, and they began with the snappy run-out of Loots Bosman, caught short by a Shapoor Zadran throw from fine leg. Graeme Smith's quick 27 ended with a skied catch from the second ball of Mohammad Nabi's spin, and the legbreaks of Samiullah were impressively economical.

AB de Villiers cleared long-off against Nowroz and crashed a ball into the windows of the press box, but soon afterwards he was beaten by the same bowler and stumped for 17. There were some late runs from Albie Morkel and Duminy that helped South Africa avoid some blushes having been 90 for 5, and the opening bowler Zadran returned for a wicket in the final over.

It was an appropriate reward for Zadran, who started the match with a wonderful bouncing outswinger that comprehensively beat the bat of Smith. Unfortunately for Afghanistan, Steyn and Morne Morkel had a few of those up their sleeves as well.

Australia v Bangladesh, Group A, World Twenty20, Barbados

Michael Hussey and Nannes take Australia through

Australia 141 for 7 (M Hussey 47*, Smith 27) beat Bangladesh (Shakib 28, Nannes 4-18) by 27 runs

Michael Hussey reprised his favourite role, of the rescue artist, to steer Australia to a competitive total before Dirk Nannes' pace and some world-class fielding confirmed there would be no repeat of last year's embarrassing first round World Twenty20 exit. Bangladesh's defeat also meant defending champions Pakistan, the team most likely to take the flight home in case Group A was decided on net run-rate, also progressed to the Super Eights.

Bangladesh were dreaming of another famous upset in a global tournament in the Caribbean after their armada of spinners thrived on a pitch with bounce and turn at the Kensington Oval to cut Australia to 65 for 6. The slow bowlers had been so effective that there had been no boundaries for more than ten overs after Michael Clarke got off the mark with a lovely hit over long-off in the fourth over, before Hussey and Steven Smith pounded 74 runs to push Australia to 141.

Playing with typical Australian resilience, Hussey and Smith more than doubled the total in the final seven overs. The boundary drought ended with Hussey swiping a short ball from Abdur Razzak to square leg in the 15th over. The real acceleration came two overs later, when Hussey surgically picked off 17 runs off Mashrafe Mortaza - there was an effortless flick for six, a tickle to fine leg for four and a dab to third man for four more.

Smith's runs were collected in a more brawny manner. A powerful lofted cover drive brought him his first four and there were two brutal leg-side sixes off Razzak in the penultimate over, before he was run-out for a quick 27, his first major batting performance on the international stage.

The pair's heroics came after a limp top-order show. Mortaza surprised Australia's power-hitting openers with the extra lift he extracted from the track in the opening over, but regular programming seemed to have returned when David Warner muscled a six and a four off Shafiul Islam in the next. Mortaza had Shane Watson top-edging towards backward square leg in the third over, before Bangladesh's spinners came on to choke the runs, which resulted in a slew of wickets. Neither Clarke nor the promoted Brad Haddin could score fast, and the Twenty20 specialists, David Hussey and Cameron White, also flopped to leave Australia fretting.

But on a pacy pitch, Bangladesh's top order was even more feeble. Shaun Tait worried Imrul Kayes with a string of fast and furious deliveries in the first over before trapping him with a slower one. In the next over, Tait swooped at third man to take a tough, low catch to send back the experienced Mohammad Ashraful. Nannes' short-of-a-length bowling fetched him two wickets in the fourth over when Aftab Ahmed and Mahmudullah miscued attempting cross-batted strokes. With Bangladesh at 15 for 4, both Australia and Pakistan fans were a happy lot.

Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim, two of the best Bangladeshi batsmen, showed some fight and hitting ability in a 48-run stand but another stunning catch ended their resistance. Hussey enhanced his claim for the Man-of-the-Match award by haring back towards the square leg boundary and diving to pluck a slog-sweep from Shakib.

Bangladesh's chances evaporated with that dismissal, and they hobbled along to 114 before being bowled out in the 19th over. Australia's dominance in the field was shown by the number of dot balls they bowled - 58. The bowling attack looks fearsome, the fielding is top-notch and after sweeping through the initial phase, if Clarke's men repeat their performance against India, the odds on Australia claiming the one world title to elude them will shorten considerably.

England v Ireland, Group D, World Twenty20, Providence

Rain saves England in tense washout

England 120 for 8 (Morgan 45) v Ireland 14 for 1 - match abandoned

England inched their way into the Super Eights after a tense washed-out contest at Providence, as the same Guyana weather that had contributed to their downfall against West Indies came to their aid in a fraught and low-scoring contest against the underdogs of Ireland.

After being limited to a mediocre 120 for 8 following a superb bowling display led by Trent Johnston, England had restricted Ireland to 14 for 1 after 3.3 overs of their reply, but persistent bad weather denied them the chance to complete their run-chase, and so England went through by virtue of a superior run-rate.

It was a cruel way for Ireland's campaign to come to an end, because on a slow and cracked surface, their battery of medium-pacers had forced England to scrap for each and every single. And, in an ironic twist, the only man who came close to mastering the requirements was none other than the former Irishman, Eoin Morgan, who stood firm with a determined 45 from 37 balls.

The scenario was much as it had been when the teams last met in an international fixture, on a sticky surface at Belfast back in August, and then as now, the veteran Trent Johnston led the line impeccably. With lateral movement from a tight and full length, he claimed 1 for 14 in his four-over spell, with just a solitary boundary in his 24 deliveries, as Michael Lumb pulled a fractional short ball through midwicket for four.

Whereas Lumb and Craig Kieswetter had started like the clappers against West Indies on Monday, this time they found the shackles hard to break. Boyd Rankin spoiled his figures with a brace of leg-stump long-hops that Lumb clipped round the corner for two welcome boundaries, but that same shot soon proved to be his downfall, as Boyd Rankin stooped at short backward square to cling onto a sharp chance from the first ball of Kevin O'Brien's spell.

New Zealand v Zimbabwe, Group B, World Twenty20, Providence, West Indies 2010,

New Zealand in Super Eights after easy rain-hit win

New Zealand 36 for 1 beat Zimbabwe 84 (McCullum 3-16, Styris 3-5) by seven runs by D/L method

Zimbabwe came into the tournament as one of the form teams after shocking Pakistan and Australia in the warm-ups, but they subsided to one of the lowest Twenty20 totals against New Zealand to become the first team to bow out of the competition. After making a sprightly start, they collapsed spectacularly - losing eight wickets for sixteen runs - to ease New Zealand's path to the Super Eights.

With rain hampering play in Guyana for the second day in a row, Zimbabwe's entire campaign in the West Indies lasted only 48.2 overs. Though the end was not as farcical as the near-darkness climax to the 2007 World Cup final, they was plenty of confusion before the match ended: after play was initially halted 8.1 overs into the chase, the teams came back onto the field an hour and a half later, expecting to play a couple of overs and complete the game. The players stood around for a few minutes before officials decided no more play was possible, declaring New Zealand winners.

On the field, Nathan McCullum was the hero for New Zealand again. After his all-round heroics against Sri Lanka on Friday, he swept through the Zimbabwe middle-order to collect his second successive Man-of-the-Match award. The quick offspinners of Scott Styris also scooped up three wickets in an over to hasten the end of the innings.

Such a limp finish didn't seem likely after Zimbabwe's openers defied New Zealand on a Providence pitch offering plenty of turn. At 57 for 1 in the seventh over, things were looking good for Zimbabwe, but a sharp bit of fielding from Jacob Oram and Gareth Hopkins started the slide. Hamilton Masakadza, one of the biggest-hitters in the Zimbabwe line-up, swung the ball towards deep square leg, where Oram moved quickly to his left and fired in a slightly wayward throw; Hopkins collected yards in front of the stumps and under-armed it to catch a diving Masakadza short.

There was no resistance after that: Andy Blignaut, playing his first international game in five years, had started confidently after being pushed up to No. 3, but made a mess of a slog sweep to be bowled by Vettori.

West Indies Vs England T20 World Cup 2010 , West Indies

England fall victim to rain rules

West Indies 60 for 2 (Gayle 25) beat England 191 for 5 (Morgan 55, Wright 45*) - D/L method

West Indies booked their place in the Super Eights with a controversial rain-assisted victory over England at Providence, as Chris Gayle justified his decision to bowl first with a fiery but shortlived 25 from 12 balls - an innings that proved sufficient, under the provisions of Duckworth-Lewis, to carry West Indies to a revised target of 60 in six overs, after England had produced arguably their finest batting display in the format's history to post an imposing 191 for 5.

England's defeat should not prove costly in the long run, so long as they overcome Ireland in their second group match on Tuesday, but it was nevertheless an unfortunate way for a beautifully poised contest to unravel - and for England it was a case of history repeating itself, after West Indies eliminated them from the last World Twenty20 in a similar scenario at The Oval in June.

The result was more or less a foregone conclusion from the moment that the D/L calculators were brought into play. While the method is unrivalled as a means of resolving rain interruptions in 50-over cricket, it is not so well suited to the hustle and bustle of the 20-over format. It just so happened that the match did come down to the wire - Andre Fletcher eventually sealed it with a pulled four through midwicket with one ball to spare - but it had been a nervy denouement. In a full-length contest, West Indies' challenge might well have petered out as soon as Gayle pulled Graeme Swann to short midwicket in the fourth over.

Instead, Gayle's brief intercession proved sufficient to puncture England's spirits after a hugely impressive performance with the bat. Eoin Morgan top-scored with 55 from 35 balls, and was joined in an 95-run stand for the fifth wicket by Luke Wright, who made 45 from 27, to close the innings with the same positive intent shown by their rookie opening pairing of Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter, who showcased their boundary-clearing abilities with scores of 28 from 18 balls and 26 from 14 respectively.

Nevertheless, with rain in the air, Gayle knew exactly how to pace his reply, and turned on the afterburner. Ryan Sidebottom was dispatched for 15 in an opening over in which he beat the bat three times and found the edge once, only to ruin his good work with a leg-side wide and two half-volleys that were belted over the covers for four and six. And at the other end, Shivnarine Chanderpaul turned his stance inside-out to sweep Graeme Swann over point for another six, as England conceded 30 runs in 2.2 overs, and with it, the contest.

Collingwood was understandably frustrated after the match, but England had plenty reason to be proud of their performance. Their total of 11 sixes was a national record for the format, and though neither of the new boys, Kieswetter or Lumb, was able to build on their starts, their alliance was an undoubted success, as demonstrated by England's Powerplay total of 60 for 1, the highest six-over score of the tournament (until West Indies trumped it in their brief reply).

Once they were gone, however, the older guard of Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen struggled to maintain the dominance, as Miller and Darren Sammy found a tidy rhythm to stymie the flow of runs, but when Morgan and Wright came together at 88 for 4 after 10 overs, they did so with the ideal blend of watchfulness and aggression. It wasn't until both men had their eyes in with five overs remaining that they really cut loose.

Kieron Pollard's first over was clobbered for 16 by Wright, including two sixes - one flat over Sulieman Benn's head at long-on, the other high over the midwicket scoreboard. Morgan then drilled Dwayne Bravo for four straight back down the ground, before sweeping him wristily over backward square leg for six, as the fifty partnership was brought up in 6.5 overs.

Ravi Rampaul, who had conceded 25 in his first two overs, was then clobbered for 27 in his third and final over, including three sixes in three legitimate balls - two for Wright and one, from a free hit, for Morgan, who followed up with a cheeky backhanded dink for four that left Collingwood chuckling at his audacity. He brought up his half-century from 32 balls before picking out Pollard in the deep with four balls of the innings remaining. It ought to have been enough for the contest at hand, but instead England will hope it is a marker for the tournament.

Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwea T20 World Cup 2010 West Indies

Jayawardene ton floors Zimbabwe

Sri Lanka 173 for 7 (Jayawardene 100) beat Zimbabwe 29 for 1 in five overs by 14 runs (D/L method)

Batting was expected to be difficult on a slow and low pitch in Providence but the touch artist Mahela Jayawardene sparkled with a delightful ton, only the fourth batsman to hit a Twenty20 hundred, to charge Sri Lanka to 173. A heavy downpour after one over into the chase left Zimbabwe needing 104 from 11 initially, but it rained again to terminate the match after five overs were completed. Sri Lanka won on the D\L method as Zimbabwe only reached 29 for 1 when the par score was 43.

The rains stayed away, however, until Jayawardene treated the sparse crowd to a charming knock. Only one other batsman in Sri Lanka's top six touched double digits; it said much about the pitch and the form of the other batsmen but most importantly it highlighted Jayawardene's mastery.

There wasn't a single shot in violence from Jayawardene. Not one looked ugly. Not for a moment did he look hurried. And yet, his strike-rate was over 150. It was such a graceful knock that it stood out amid the violence that this format usually brings in batsmen. Perhaps it's his economy of movement and the languid flow of his bat that catches the eye. The experts reckoned the pitch would make hitting on the up a difficult task, that the ball would stop on the batsmen, that timing would be difficult to find. And it appeared so when the likes of Kumar Sangakkara and the rest batted. Not when Jayawardene took strike.

Watson, Hussey set up emphatic win

Australia 191 (Watson 81, D Hussey 53, Aamer 3-23) beat Pakistan 157 (Misbah 41, Tait 3-20, Nannes 3-41) by 34 runs

Australia began to right previous wrongs in this format with an emphatic dismantling of the defending champions at St Lucia, a 34-run win serving serious notice to one and all of their intentions in this tournament. They wear a fresh look about them in this tournament, under a new captain in Michael Clarke at a global event for the first time since 1999 and with some very handy specialists in the squad.

They went about their opening game in merciless fashion, echoing their dominance over Pakistan months earlier. Brutal half-centuries from Shane Watson and David Hussey set them up, before equally brutal pace shoved aside Pakistan's batsmen. That the loss was Pakistan's tenth international in a row to Australia is neither here nor there; more relevant, Australia were very hot and Pakistan very cold.

It was that way from the start. Watson feasted hungrily in the summer at Pakistan's expense and his love affair continued in more romantic surroundings. A little luck initially helped him, two tough chances put down. More help came from the bulldozing ways of David Warner, the pair giving Australia a brisk start.

Pakistan very rarely open the bowling with a spinner and very quickly, Shahid Afridi's experiment with Mohammad Hafeez looked an unquestioned failure. Warner lofted him for an effortless six over long-off to end the second over and in his next, the game was blown open as the pair took 17.

Raina century seals one-sided win

India 186 for 5 (Raina 101, Yuvraj 37) beat South Africa 172 for 5 (Kallis 73) by 14 runsSuresh Raina struggled at first, then he sizzled. He overcame a jittery period of mis-hits and short-pitched bowling, scoring 82 off the last 38 balls he faced, en route to only the third century in Twenty20 internationals. Yuvraj Singh came back to form, Graeme Smith's reluctance to attack with Dale Steyn confounded, and India's 186 was always going to be too much on a difficult pitch and a slow and big outfield.

South Africa's reply, in the face of a four-spinner Indian attack - without using Yuvraj - was even more confounding. Jacques Kallis and Smith struggled to flow, and hesitated to take risks. Their run-rate crossed six an over for the first time in the 11th over, and it was too late by then, despite some late hitting from Kallis.

India had got off to a similar start, albeit against seamers, but unlike South Africa they threw away the caution at a more appropriate time. With two early wickets gone and both Raina and Yuvraj struggling to present the middle of the bat, India were 43 after eight overs. There was no mucking around after that. Although the odd mis-hit remained a feature of the partnership, the sweet shots grew in frequency and India got 143 in the next 12 overs. It worked for them that the mis-hits kept bouncing in front of deep fielders, and the sweet ones cleared them easily.

From the time he came to bat in the first over, Raina was given a fair share of back-of-a-length deliveries. By the time India's both irregular openers, in absence of Gautam Gambhir (down with diarrhoea), ended their struggle, Raina had survived a catch off a Morne Morkel no-ball. He would go on to survive run-out attempts from Smith and AB de Villiers, when on 37 and 47.

Pakistan overcome Ashraful assault for 21-run win

Pakistan 172 for 3 (Butt 73, Akmal 73) beat Bangladesh 151 for 7 (Ashraful 65, Sami 3-29) by 21 runs

Pakistan survived a Mohammad Ashraful scare to begin the defence of their world title at St Lucia with a 21-run win over Bangladesh. Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt had laid the foundations with a 142-run stand that should've put the game beyond Bangladesh. But Ashraful, with Shakib Al Hasan for company, took a real pop at an imposing 173-run target, before Mohammad Sami swung a slow-burning game decisively Pakistan's way.

Bangladesh had been poor for vast chunks of the game, first with the ball, and then in starting the chase. But Ashraful's forceful 91-run stand with Shakib brought them close enough to get Pakistan jittery with five overs to go. Sami, on his T20I debut, ensured it wasn't to be with a fine two-wicket over to effectively end the game.

Spirited Afghanistan succumb to bouncers

India 116 for 3 (Vijay 48) beat Afghanistan 115 for 8 (Noor 50, Nehra 3-19) by seven wickets

Afghanistan certainly weren't overawed, but struggled against short-pitched deliveries, losing five out of their eight wickets to bouncers. As promised India played as they would against a top team, setting up an easy chase and finishing it solidly - without flair and major hiccups. Noor Ali, compact against the quicks and happy to use his feet against spinners, was Afghanistan's best batsman by a fair distance, helping them recover from 29 for 3 with a near run-a-ball fifty. As a fielding unit, they looked like they belonged: tall left-armer Shapoor Zadran's pace impressed, as did the spin of Mohammabi Nabi and Samiullah Shenwari.

The Afghans have learnt most of their cricket in Pakistan, and Noor and Asghar Stanikzai, who scored 80 of the 115 runs, may well have been rescuing a Pakistan innings after a collapse. On the either end of their 68-run partnership, though, the Indian quicks used the bouncers well enough to secure two easy points.

Karim Sadiq, the other opener, showed early signs of nerves, playing and missing thrice before gloving Ashish Nehra down the leg side. Mohammad Shahzad, the bulky wicketkeeper-batsman, too tried big unwieldy shots and was caught down the leg side while the replays suggested that the ball might have gone off the helmet grille. The decision notwithstanding, it was clear the short ball was troubling them.

All-round Sammy steers West Indies home

West Indies 138 for 9 (Sammy 30, Dockrell 3-16) beat Ireland 68 (Sammy 3-8, Rampaul 3-17) by 70 runs

Darren Sammy shone in every way to ensure West Indies overcame the absence of Chris Gayle and a stuttering batting display as they overpowered Ireland. Sammy collected 30 runs, three breakthroughs and a record four catches during the 70-run success. Ravi Rampaul's three-wicket opening burst was also crucial in Ireland being knocked over for 68, the second-lowest total in Twenty20s.

The captain Gayle didn't play due to a problem with his glutes, leaving Dwayne Bravo in charge, and there were thoughts of an upset when West Indies scrapped to 138 for 9 on a sluggish surface. There was a party atmosphere in the stands of the Providence stadium, but life was much more serious on the ground for the home batsmen, particularly when the 17-year-old George Dockrell was operating.

All the worries over the size of the total evaporated as soon as Kemar Roach struck with his second ball and Ireland, an Associate country, could not recover after losing their top three for 11 in 11 balls. William Porterfield (4) edged Roach to Sammy, who dived to his right at second slip for a sharp take, and his team-mates also struggled with the extra pace.

Sammy got his second catch in the next over when Paul Stirling skewed to midwicket and Rampaul (3 for 17) struck again almost immediately to remove Niall O'Brien caught behind. Ireland were 13 for 3 when some relief arrived in the form of rain, but there was no reprieve after the half-hour delay.

Alex Cusack (2) went shortly after the resumption when taken at second slip by Sammy, who seemed to be everywhere, and Rampaul had his third. Sammy then chipped in with the ball, taking care of Kevin O'Brien, as the visitors crawled to 39 for 5. While standing at cover Sammy collected his fourth catch when leaping high to collect the push of Gary Wilson, who top scored with 17. Sammy picked up Boyd Rankin and finished the match to gain 3 for 8 and start the local celebrations.

New Zealand start with tense victory

New Zealand 139 for 8 (Ryder 42, Murali 2-25) beat Sri Lanka 135 for 6 (Jayawardene 81) by two wickets

New Zealand edged Sri Lanka in just the sort of cliffhanger the organisers would have wanted to kick off the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. If McCullum is talked of as a match-winner, it is probably Brendon that one thinks of, but it was his brother Nathan who was the hero with an all-round performance, topped off by a six over long-off to seal a tense victory with one delivery to go.

On a track that lived up to it's pre-match billing of being sluggish, basic line-and-length bowling from New Zealand's slow bowlers was enough to curtail Sri Lanka to 135, despite Mahela Jayawardene's polished 81, his highest score in Twenty20s.

The balance swung from one side to the other through the chase: New Zealand looked in control after Jesse Ryder's power-hitting at the top, but tight spells from the two oldest players in the tournament, Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan, seemingly shut New Zealand out of the game.

When Ajantha Mendis nipped out Scott Styris in the 17th over, the asking rate was over 10 and half the New Zealand side was dismissed. Jacob Oram, though, kept the game alive with two consecutive hits over long-on for six to round off the over. Lasith Malinga sent down an over of patented hard-to-hit full deliveries in the 18th, and two wickets - of Oram and Gareth Hopkins - fell in the first two deliveries of the penultimate over to again put Sri Lanka in charge.

With 18 needed off nine, Daniel Vettori shuffled across and swung Chanaka Welegedara for four in front of deep square leg, and McCullum mishit a low full toss over mid-on to scramble three off the final delivery.

Ten off the final over, from Malinga, was still a tough ask. The first delivery was squeezed to mid-on for a single and they comically stole a bye after Vettori missed a full delivery - with McCullum charging down the track, both batsmen were at the keeper's end, Sangakkara lobbed the ball to Malinga who missed the stumps from a few yards even though he could have walked and taken the bails off.

McCullum then swiped a full delivery to long leg for four to reduce it to 4 off 3, making New Zealand fans believe again. A hard drive to long-on resulted in Vettori's run-out as he attempted a non-existent second, but McCullum's glorious hit over long-off for six off the penultimate delivery confirmed New Zealand's victory.

Raina, Dhoni star in Chennai triumph

Chennai Super Kings 168 for 5 (Raina 57*, Dhoni 22, Fernando 2-23) beat Mumbai Indians 146 for 9 (Tendulkar 48, Pollard 27, Jakati 2-27) by 22 runs

MS Dhoni has added another feather to his captaincy hat. It was he who started the turnaround against a formidable Mumbai Indians attack, his deputy Suresh Raina capitalised on two dropped catches to score a crucial fifty, and Chennai Super Kings defended with aggression, smartness and flair to win the third IPL. Chennai were struggling at 68 for 3 after 12 overs when Dhoni got into the act: 100 runs were added in the last eight, and Raina scored 44 at a strike-rate of 200 after the first drop. The win concluded a fourth consecutive one-sided knockout in the tournament.

Ever since R Ashwin started the defence with a maiden over, Mumbai never really threatened Chennai. Sachin Tendulkar, playing with a split webbing, played his least fluent innings of the tournament, scoring a laboured 48 off 45. Mumbai tried some strange moves: promotions for Abhishek Nayar and Harbhajan Singh bombed, and even at the fall of the fifth wicket, with 69 required off 31, Kieron Pollard was not the man making his way out of the dugout.

There were no problems with tactics for Chennai: they went with the old-fashioned approach of keeping wickets in hand, never mind the slow start, and with M Vijay breaking free, had reached a perfectly acceptable 40 for no loss at the end of Powerplay. Dilhara Fernando brought Mumbai back, removing Vijay with his split-finger slower ball in the eighth over. Pollard ended Matthew Hayden's 31-ball 17-run misery, and S Badrinath holed out in the 12th over.

Dhoni left alone the first ball he faced, was beaten by a legcutter after that, was almost bowled the next ball, and worked a single to end that testing Fernando over. Mumbai can file for lack of sufficient warning for what was to come next. The first ball Dhoni faced from Pollard he charged down and hit him into the second tier - with one hand. The next ball Pollard ran in and didn't let go, stares were exchanged, and Tendulkar rushed in to apologise to the batsman: it was the second time Pollard had done this in his 2.1 overs. Dhoni's bat spoke emphatically, though, with a punch for four to end the over.

Tendulkar was warned sufficiently by now: he had to bring Lasith Malinga, whose yorkers have been near perfect, back before he would have ideally liked to. Dhoni charged at him, converted one into a low full toss, and hit a boundary to extra cover.

Zaheer Khan was brought back in the next over. He produced a top edge that neither Fernando (running in from third man) nor Abhishek Nayar (running back from point) claimed. Salt was in ready supply for Zaheer's wound: out of nowhere Raina produced timing and a four and a six to take Chennai to 108 after 15 overs. In the over that followed, Pollard eked out a skier from Raina, which Zaheer dropped. The next ball Raina made room and lofted over extra cover for six. The ball after was hit to Tendulkar, and cannily they exposed his injured hand by stealing a second. And the next was slogged over midwicket for six. Mumbai needed a time-out to figure out what had hit them.

Fernando, three overs for 12 until then, bowled a poor last over to nearly double the tally. Malinga started the last over superbly: bat couldn't meet ball for the first four deliveries, and Albie Morkel was run out in panic. Then it came apart: five wides, followed by a length ball driven over extra cover, and some manic running, and they were chasing the biggest total in an IPL final.

A maiden over was not the best way to start for Mumbai, but losing Shikhar Dhawan in the second was even worse. The next 10 overs featured smart spin bowling, hustling fielders, run-out opportunities created, signs of desperation of Tendulkar, and eventually the wickets of Nayar and Harbhajan in the 12th over. With the required rate going past 12 an over, Tendulkar holed out to long-off, and Raina pulled off a blinder, running in from deep midwicket, to send back Saurabh Tiwary. To everybody's surprise, JP Duminy walked out, and by the time he walked back, he had left Mumbai 55 to get in three overs.

Pollard made a match out of this too: taking 22 runs off Bollinger's 18th over. Morkel bowled a tight 19th over, with a long-off, and a mid-off up in the circle and so straight it was almost behind him. Pollard hit a catch to him: it just highlighted which captain had got it right on the night.

Asad, Farhat help thrash Panthers

Punjab StaA four-wicket haul from medium-pacer Asad Ali and a century from Imran Farhat inflicted on Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Panthers their third consecutive defeat in the Pentangular One Day Cup, and handed Punjab Stallions a six-wicket win. Wicketkeeper Ahmed Said scored 51, striking three boundaries, but was short of support from the other batsmen as the Panthers were bowled out for 197. Asad was supported by Mohammad Talha and Raza Hasan, who bagged two wickets each.

Farhat ensured the target was achieved with ease, smacking eight fours and two sixes in his 125-ball knock. He remained unbeaten, supported by useful contributions from the middle order to seal victory with 67 balls to spare.

llions 198 for 4 (Farhat 105*) beat Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Panthers 197 (Said 51, Asad 4-39) by four wickets

James Franklin hundred sets up Gloucestershire win

Gloucestershire 230 for 5 beat Derbyshire by 51 runs James Franklin's first one-day century inspired Gloucestershire Gladiators to a 51-run win over Derbyshire Falcons in the opening Clydesdale Bank 40 fixture at Bristol.

The New Zealand all-rounder responded to his new position as opener by hitting 133 off 121 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes, as his side ran up 230 for 5 after losing the toss. Alex Gidman (35) and Chris Taylor (32) offered good support.

Steve Kirby (3 for 44) then took two early wickets to reduce Derbyshire to 31 for 2 and, despite 37 from Chris Rogers and 41 from John Sadler, the visitors were restricted to 179 all out. It was an important win for Gloucestershire, beaten at home in their first two County Championship games of the season. Batting frailty in those matches led to the experiment of promoting Franklin up the order and he responded with a superbly-paced innings.

Overcoming the early loss of Jonathan Batty and Hamish Marshall, the elegant left-hander added 89 in 17 overs with Gidman and 70 in 10 overs with Taylor. Franklin owed his hundred to Taylor's quick thinking. On 95 he would have been run out had his partner not sacrificed himself by crossing before bowler Tom Lungley's throw hit the stumps.

Soon afterwards the Kiwi reached three figures off 104 balls. Surprisingly for an international player of his pedigree, it was the first time he had done so in any one-day competition at home or in England. Franklin's three sixes were all hit straight down the ground.

Tim Groenewald was the pick of the Derbyshire attack conceding 37 runs from his eight overs. After Kirby's double strike, Rogers and Greg Smith put on 47 in 11 overs for the Falcons third wicket before Smith (28) was caught at the second attempt by wicketkeeper Batty off Gidman.

There was still hope for Derbyshire at 103 for 3. But then Garry Park, on 13, carelessly swung off-spinner Taylor's first ball of the game down the throat of Steve Snell at deep mid-wicket. The key wicket of Rogers followed when he had a swing at Franklin and skied a steepling catch to Batty. At 107 for 5, the Falcons were suddenly staring down the barrel.

Sadler ensured their total would reach respectability by being last man out, having hit his 41 off 34 balls, but it was always in a losing cause. He became Kirby's third victim, while Anthony Ireland and Taylor claimed two each.

Somerset ease to 38-run win

Somerset 224 for 5 (39 overs) beat Glamorgan 186 by 38 runs Half-centuries from Nick Compton and James Hildreth were enough to help Somerset open their Clydesdale Bank 40 account with a 38-run win over Glamorgan at the Swalec Stadium. When Somerset defended their 224 for 5 from their 39 overs they were indebted to Alfonso Thomas, who took three for 27 in 7.1 overs and was also responsible for a key run out and a catch as Glamorgan were dismissed for 186 with 11 balls remaining.

Thomas bowled the dangerous Mark Cosgrove, who hit 31 from 21 balls, and then caught Tom Maynard, who had given Glamorgan hope with 48 from 59 balls including two big sixes. After winning the toss, Somerset's final score was rather better than they might have hoped for when they were reduced to 21 for 2 despite winning the toss.

David Harrison claimed both wickets, dismissing Arul Suppiah leg before for a first-ball duck with only the fifth delivery of the contest. And Harrison also claimed the prize scalp of Marcus Trescothick, who edged a short ball behind. But after that Compton, the former Middlesex batsman who had scored a one-day century at the same ground last season, launched a positive recovery helped when he took three fours from one David Brown over.

He also hit a six off Chris Ashling over mid-wicket before he lost Zander de Bruyn as Somerset slipped to 83 for 3 at the halfway mark of the innings. Compton went on to his fifty from 59 balls and looked solid enough until he went leg before as Somerset reached 123 for four in the 26th over.

The positive Peter Trego showed his ability of accumulating quick runs but was dismissed giving Jamie Dalrymple a high catch running in from extra cover. And as Hildreth pressed the accelerator Ashling was dispatched for a second six, and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler also claimed a maximum off Harrison. Hildreth finished unbeaten on 68 from 59 balls.

In reply Glamorgan were not helped when the positive Cosgrove stepped back and was bowled by Thomas's first ball and two overs later Thomas ran out Jamie Dalrymple who was called through for a suicidal single by Gareth Rees.

That put Glamorgan on the back foot from which they never recovered despite a good effort from Maynard, Brown, 28 off 22 balls on debut for his new county, and Mark Wallace.Ben Phillips finished with 3 for 26 from his eight overs including the wickets of Brown and Wallace.

Record opening stand crushes Essex

Yorkshire 233 for 0 beat Essex 232 for 9 by 10 wickets Andrew Gale and Jacques Rudolph both scored unbeaten centuries as Yorkshire thrashed Essex by 10 wickets in their Clydesdale Bank 40 clash at Chelmsford. Responding to a total of 232 for 9, the visitors romped home with 4.1 overs to spare to inflict the heaviest defeat suffered by Essex in a limited overs match.

The previous record was also against Yorkshire, by nine wickets at Headingley in 1982. Gale, in recording his first century in limited overs, finished with 125 that came off 115 balls and included 12 fours and three sixes. Rudolph contributed 101 from 102 balls with the help of 13 boundaries. Their partnership represented their highest for any wicket in one-day league cricket.

The nearest Essex came to breaking it was when the total had reached 64. Gale, 30 at the time, thrashed hard to cover point where Tim Phillips put down a difficult chance low down. But from then onwards, the Yorkshire pair progressed with embarrassing ease while plundering runs from seven bowlers. Yorkshire's other star was West Indies paceman Tino Best who picked up 4 for 46 in his eight overs.

It all left Grant Flower probably wondering what he needs to do to finish on a winning side. In recording his first limited-overs century in English domestic cricket, the Zimbabwean showed he is still a force to be reckoned with even though he is in his 40th year.

He arrived after the first two wickets had gone down in the opening four overs and skilfully found the gaps against both pace and spin to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Flower's innings was punctuated with seven fours and a six, this at the expense of spinner David Wainwright when he launched him over long off, and the only other batsman to put together a worthwhile contribution was skipper Mark Pettini.

While Flower ended with 113 not out from as many deliveries, Pettini struck 51 from 56 balls, before cutting Wainwright to backward point. That dismissal brought to an end a partnership of 81 in 15 overs and none of the remaining batsmen got beyond 16 as Best made his presence felt.

He destroyed the middle order after earlier bowling England opener Alastair Cook with a full toss in his first over. Cook's only scoring stroke was a lofted drive to the boundary from a free hit that followed a no ball. It all added up to a fine start for Yorkshire who came into this game having won their opening two matches in the County Championship.

Hampshire collapse to heavy loss

Durham 264 for 6 beat Hampshire 115 by 149 runs Hampshire produced a pitiful batting display against a second-string Durham attack to lose their opening Clydesdale Bank 40 match by 149 runs at the Riverside. Replying to 264 for 6, which looked little better than par for the pitch, the visitors were all out for 115.

With Mitch Claydon's abdominal strain forcing him to join back injury victims Steve Harmison and Graham Onions on the sidelines, Durham fielded a new-ball pair of Will Gidman and Chris Rushworth.

In three seasons with Durham, 25-year-old Gidman's only first-class appearance had been against Sri Lanka A, while Rushworth, 23, was a surprise addition to the staff over the winter. He left the club after three years in the academy, but continued to impress while playing for his home club, Sunderland.

Gidman's first five balls went for 11 runs, but he was helped by poor strokes from Jimmy Adams and Neil McKenzie in taking four of the wickets as Hampshire slumped to 41 for 5.

Rushworth bowled very tightly and moved one away from left-hander Michael Carberry to have him caught at slip. Dominic Cork, just back from his commentating stint at the Indian Premier League, looked very rusty with bat and ball, while most of his Hampshire team-mates gave the impression they were still reeling from the previous day's championship defeat. It needed an innings of 23 not out by Hamza Riazuddin, who put on 25 for the last wicket with James Tomlinson, to take them past 100.

Durham's Phil Mustard, who scored five half-centuries and a 49 in eight innings in last year's 40-over league, began this season's campaign with 74 off 71 balls. He went down the pitch to hit Cork over long-on for six but was out in the 24th over when he fell lbw attempting a reverse sweep off left-arm spinner Liam Dawson.

Mustard dominated a second-wicket stand of 104 with Ben Harmison, who completed a 68-ball half-century but as soon as he tried to step up the pace he was bowled by Sean Ervine. Ben Stokes, the powerful England Under 19 all-rounder, drove two huge sixes over long-on in making 34 at a run-a-ball.