India vs. Zimbabwe, 1st ODI, Bulawayo

By MichaelP03 on 5/29/10 9:03pm
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International cricket visited Zimbabwe for the first time in two years, as Sri Lanka, India and the home team play for the 2010 Micromax Cup. Zimbabwe are out to (re-)establish themselves as a world class team, and with Sri Lanka and India resting experienced players to breed a new crop for the 2011 World Cup, they have a great chance of improving and impressing after a decade in the wilderness. Suresh Raina assumed the controls for India as his team faced the home side in the first fixture of the tournament.



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Australia vs. New Zealand, Women's Final, 2010 World Twenty20

By MichaelP03 on 5/21/10 7:35pm
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Good friends (and better enemies) Australia and New Zealand met in the final of the women's edition of the 2010 World Twenty20. After their male counterparts failed to topple the auld enemy England, it fell to Alex Blackwell and her team to ensure that the green and gold would take home some gold on the day. In her way was Aimee Watkins and her White Ferns, who had enjoyed a good run up to the tournament and were in their third consecutive World Cup final. They were 0-2 going into this one, and would have hoped that the third time was their charm.

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2010 World Twenty20 Summary, Part 4

By MichaelP03 on 5/18/10 6:53pm
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Group D of the 2010 World Twenty20 was full of the underachievers, the "if onlies" - or so we thought. The West Indies and England were both in gradual states of decline, neither team being able to replicate the successes of their respective outfits of the 1970s and 1980. Both had world class players, and while each team would occasionally shine, neither were what we would call "world cup material" - or so we thought. In the meantime, Ireland, one of the brightest success stories of international cricket, looked to improve on their impressive showing in the 2009 World Cup, and establish themselves as a serious contender for Test cricket.

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2010 World Twenty20 Summary, Part 3

By MichaelP03 on 5/18/10 6:48pm
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Group C of the 2010 World Twenty20 was an interesting one. You had two of the best teams (India and South Africa) against a brand new team that we all heard a lot about, as Afghanistan stepped out from the shadow of their turbulent past and into the world of international sporting competitions. Even thought Twenty20 cricket is notable for evening out the playing field between strong and weak teams, only India and South Africa were really expected to qualify for the Super Eights. If only it was that easy for them. Ironically, given how they performed in the Super 8s, it is Afghanistan who can hold their heads up higher.

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2010 World Twenty20 Summary, Part 2

By MichaelP03 on 5/18/10 6:46pm
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Group B of the 2010 World Twenty20 in the Caribbean was a tricky one - you had last year's finalists Sri Lanka, you had New Zealand, one of the most experienced teams in Twenty20 cricket, and the wild card team, Zimbabwe, who have made significant strides towards re-establishing themselves as a world-class cricket team. Adding to the mix was that in the warm-up games, Zimbabwe had defeated last year's winners Pakistan and the best team in the world, Australia. With all bets taken off the table, this group had the potential to be the trickiest.

 

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2010 World Twenty20 Summary, Part 1

By MichaelP03 on 5/18/10 6:44pm
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The third Twenty20 World Cup came to its feel-good conclusion on Sunday, with England comfortably felling their arch nemesis Australia in the final. In the sixteen days that preceded that game, we were treated to some spectacular cricket, some ordinary cricket, good atmosphere, and, miraculously, none of the administrative blunders that made the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean such a disaster. In this summary, I'll be looking at the twelve teams that competed in the tournament, analyzing their performances, key players, weaknesses and problems.

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England vs. Australia, Final, 2010 World Twenty20

By MichaelP03 on 5/17/10 2:46pm
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At last year's Twenty20 World Cup, England suffered a chastening defeat to the unseeded Netherlands team in the opening game of the tournament, and Australia failed to qualify for the second round, losing both games of their first stage. A year later, in 2010, it was England and Australia in the finals - the two oldest rivals in cricket, and maybe even international sport - facing each other for world Twenty20 glory. Of the three formats in cricket, Twenty20 world trophy is the only one that has eluded Australia's grasp, and England were desperate to win their first global cricket title in 30 years of trying. And it was England who triumphed, cantering to victory by seven wickets in Barbados.

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England vs. Australia Preview, 2010 World Twenty20

By MichaelP03 on 5/15/10 10:03pm
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Not too many people would have put money on an England/Australia Twenty20 final, but there you have it - England and Australia will play the last game of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Championship. At stake is not only the coveted World Cup, but eternal bragging rights. Even the most diehard of Twenty20 critics will undoubtedly turn an eye to the action in Barbados, as the best teams over the last two weeks face each other for the first time in the tournament.

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Pakistan vs. Australia, 2nd SF, 2010 World Twenty20

By MichaelP03 on 5/14/10 3:15pm
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Michael Hussey pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in living memory, as Australia chased down a mammoth Pakistan total by the skin of their teeth to qualify for their first Twenty20 World Cup final. Pakistan were left wondering how they could have lost a game that they were in control of until the very end, but the same Australian tenacity that dominated world cricket from 1999 reared its head in the most timeliest - and unbelievable - of fashions.

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Shane Bond Calls Time

By MichaelP03 on 5/14/10 11:59am
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Photo by Wikipedia user BenchillPhoto by Wikipedia user Benchill

It's been an interesting time for New Zealand Cricket. Despite a brave showing in the 2010 World Twenty20 Championship, they failed to qualify for the semi-finals; however, their next assignment is a groundbreaking series in the United States, the first time that an international cricket match will be held on American soil. Unfortunately, New Zealand will have to embark on this pioneering venture without the services of their main strike bowler Shane Bond, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

 

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