England win first world title in limited overs cricket after 35 years of trying.

T20 world Cup 2010: England won the Twenty20 World Cup in magnificent style with a 111 run partnership from South Africa born batsmen Kevin Pietersen and Craig Kieswetter setting them up for a 7 wicket win over Australia on 16 May.
At a sun blessed Kensington Oval, England restricted Australia to 147/6 before knocking off the runs with little trouble to claim their first world title in limited overs cricket after 35 years of trying.
Paul Collingwood struck the winning runs with 18 balls to spare and his team raced on to the field to hug him in scenes of wild celebration.
David Hussey's intelligent 59 had helped Australia recover from a dreadful start where they lost their opening 3 wickets for just 8 runs.
Australia, the current 50 overs World Cup and Champions Trophy holders, were searching for a unique treble of T20 world titles.
Clarke's side were favourites but England responded well to losing opener Michael Lumb early, as Pietersen and Kieswetter set about destroying Australia's bowling.
Even when both lost their wickets, Eoin Morgan and Collingwood kept their nerve to steer England to glory without any of their customary nerves.
The impressive way in which Pietersen ( 47runs from 31balls ) and Kieswetter ( 63runs from 49balls ) went on the attack will be the enduring memory of this game.
But as Clarke said Australia had been at least 30 runs short of a score that would have really stretched England and it was the early bowling and fielding which set up the win for England.
The stuttering start began when Shane Watson was caught by Graeme Swann at slip off Ryan Side bottom after keeper Kieswetter had spilled the ball out.
Hard hitting left hander Dave Warner was then run out after a hesitant call from skipper Michael Clarke and then Brad Haddin was controversially ruled caught behind when replays showed Side bottom's leg side delivery brushed his hip.
After Clarke went, caught by Collingwood off the excellent Swann, Cameron White ( 30runs from 19balls ) and Hussey led the recovery with a 50 run partnership in 6.2 overs.
David Hussey had been dropped by Stuart Broad when on just 25runs but Broad made some amends by taking a fine catch to remove the dangerous White.
Mike Hussey joined his brother and the pair put on 47 runs from 22 balls but England's batsmen wiped out all that hard work with clinical ease.
In their barren years England lost three times in World Cup finals, in 1979, 1987 and 1992 and also were defeated on home soil in the 2004 Champions Trophy final.
England win first world title in limited overs cricket after 35 years of trying.

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Michael Hussey hit 6 sixes in all to finish with an unbeaten 60 in just 24 deliveries

T20 world Cup 2010: Michael Hussey smashed 3 sixes in four balls to lead Australia to a remarkable three wicket win against heart attacker Pakistan cricket team in the last over of 14th May T20 World Cup semi final in St Lucia.
Michael Hussey hit 6 sixes in all to finish with an unbeaten 60 in just 24 deliveries as Australia passed Pakistan's 191 for 6 wickets, the joint second highest score of this tournament.
Australia were in trouble at 62 for 4 down in the ninth over but then Cameron White blasted 5 sixes in his 43 off 31 balls to get his side back in the game.
In last over Mitchell Johnson pushed a single to give Hussey the strike and the left hander responded with some astonishing batting. He pulled a quicker short ball over the mid-wicket boundary and then blasted the next delivery way over long On. Hussey followed up by slashing a four backward of point before whacking the penultimate delivery for another six over long On.
Earlier, Akmal brothers " Kamran and Umar " both scored fifties as defending champions Pakistan set Australia an imposing 192 to win their World T20 semi final.
In an innings that began with a Dirk Nannes maiden, opener Kamran made exactly 50 runs before big hitting younger brother Umar followed up with a blistering 56 not out as Pakistan made 191/6.
Kamran Akmal and left hander Salman Butt (32 runs) shared a first wicket stand of 82 runs. Even Australia’s normally fine fielding became ragged by the end, with usually tidy keeper Brad Haddin conceding 10 byes in an extras total of 20. At the end of the 6 over powerplay, Pakistan were 40 without loss.
Kamran Akmal, then cover drove the 5th ball of the over from the all runder for four and, off the last, cut the medium pacer for another boundary to complete a fine fifty, his 5th at this level, off just 32 balls with 2 sixes and 6 fours.
Teams
Australia: David Warner, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wkt), Michael Clarke (capt), David Hussey, Cameron White, Michael Hussey, Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait, Dirk Nannes
Pakistan: Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi (capt), Umar Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Khalid Latif Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal

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Saeed Ajmal and sparkling Umar Akmal gave a hope to Pakistan

T20 world Cup 2010: South Africa were knocked out of the World T20 by living up to their reputation of coming up short in crunch matches after a Charl Langeveldt masterclass in end innings bowling had kept Pakistan to a gettable total. The bedrock of the defending champions' first victory in the Super8 were Saeed Ajmal and sparkling Umar Akmal cameo, but Pakistan will also thank the South African top order for idling early in the chase.
Like in the first round game against India, South Africa left the onslaught for too late. On a track which did not have too many demons, they were just 3 fours and 3 twos in the first 10 overs from a line up bosting some of the world's boom boom hitters. AB de Villiers responded to the climbing asking rate with some belated power hitting, but once he fell attempting an audacious scoop, Pakistan's bowlers choked the runs again and South Africa went down by 11 runs.
The match was slipping away from South Africa when they were at 71 for 4 after 13 overs, but AB de Villiers exploded with a four and 2 sixes in one Abdur Rehman over to keep it alive. The second of those brought up his half century (53runs), and a roar from a pumped up AB de Villiers but when his attempted scoop off yet another Ajmal doosra lobbed to the keeper, Pakistan were back in charge.
South Africa's bowlers were immaculate at the start to keep Pakistan's traditionally fragile top order to 19 for 3 wickets, the worst performance in the 1st six overs in this competition. Exhibit, A poor shots was from Salman Butt, who pulled a short and wide delivery that he would have been better off looking to cut. Then the man picked to strengthen the batting, Khalid Latif, chipped to wide mid On before Muhammad Hafeez's troubles with the bat continued when he was lbw for 1.
The Akmal brothers started the firefighting by taking on the spinners. van der Merwe was clobbered for 3 straight sixes in 5 deliveries before Gibbs swooped at backward point to get rid of Kamran, but with Pakistan batting down to No. 8 the game was even at 69 for 4 after 11 overs.
The flood of runs continued with arrival of boob boom Afridi. Umar Akmal wowed the crowd with a paddle scoop over short fine off the pacy Kallis, and Afridi muscled boundaries over cover and midwicket. The horrors at the start were completely forgotten by the sprinkling of Pakistan fans in the ground after Umar Akmal scuttled across the stumps to swing Albie over deep backward square leg and Afridi absolutely hammered a flat six over long-on to take Pakistan to 102 for 4 after 14 overs, with the finisher Abdul Razzaq still to come.
3 fours were taken off a Dale Steyn over and Umar Akmal was flamboyantly celebrating his half century (51runs) after blasting Langeveldt for a straight six on the first delivery of the 17th over. Things unraveled swiftly from there, with Umar holing out to long on and Shahid Afridi being bowled by a full delivery from Langeveldt 3 balls later. There were no more boundaries and Pakistan finished with a whimper, only 16 coming off the final 3 Overs with help of
" Great test Cricketer Misbah-ul-Haq ".
However, Pakistan lived up to their billing of being most dangerous when cornered by stubbornly defending the small total to retain an outside chance of progressing to the semi finals.
After second match England vs Newzealand, Pakistan was hopeful and congratulate to remarkable and marvelous team effort of the English team defeated the Kiwis, Weldon England you gave us a light of hope, now lucky Pakistan will be play semifinal against Favorite Australia.

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Salman Butt, only one batsmen in the Pakistan, Inwardly Sincere

T20 world Cup 2010: Defending champions Pakistan were on the brink of elimination from the World Twenty20 after losing to New Zealand by just ONE run in a thrilling Super Eights match here on 08 May.
New Zealand fast bowler Ian Butler took an impressive three wickets for 19 runs as opener Salman Butt, who finished on 67 not out, so nearly saw Pakistan to victory after a top-order collapse.
Pakistan, chasing 134 to win, finished on 132 for seven in reply to the 133 for seven New Zealand made after losing the toss.
The title holders began the final over, bowled by Butler, needing 11 to win.
Left hander Salman Butt couldn’t make contact with the first ball but slashed the second down to third man for four. Off the fifth ball, Pakistan ran a bye and that left Abdur Rehman, who’d earlier taken 2 wickets for just 19 runs in his first Twenty20 international for nearly 3 years, on strike with two needed off the final ball.
Abdur Rehman, also a left hander, made good contact as he swung at a legside delivery from Butler but the ball flew straight to Martin Guptill to spark joyous celebrations amongst the New Zealand team.
Man of the match Butler, selected along with Mills after fellow seamers Jacob Oram and Tim Southee were dropped, then struck twice to reduce Pakistan to 58 for five in his first match of the tournament.
Butler had Misbah-ul-Haq lbw for 3 and then, after digging in a short ball on a lively pitch, saw Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi caught pulling for 11 by a diving Nathan McCullum, running in from deep midwicket.
Abdul Razzaq gave Pakistan renewed hope by driving New Zealand captain and left arm spinner Daniel Vettori for a six and a four off successive balls.
Razzaq then finished a 15th over from Vettori that cost 16 runs with another huge six, this time lofted over deep midwicket, to leave Pakistan in the far more healthy position of 94 for 5.
Then Razzaq failed to connect several times against Shane Bond before flat batting the bowler for a massive six over long on that landed on top of the pavilion.
However, when Razzaq holed to off spinner Nathan McCullum for a 28 ball 29 it meant Pakistan were 111 for 6 and needed 23 off 13 balls for victory.
That became 22 off two overs and then Butt, giving himself room, drove Mills for a superb six over long off.
Salman Butt, only one of three batsmen in the Pakistani innings to make it into double figures, faced 54 balls for his undefeated 67, with a six and 8 fours.
Vettori led the way for New Zealand with 38. Only opener Brendon McCullum (33runs) also made it past 30.

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Pakistani Cricketrs put down five catches against England.

T20 world Cup 2010: Kevin Pietersen’s unbeaten 73 runs saw England to a 6 wicket win over defending champions Pakistan in the opening Super Eights match of the World Twenty20 at the Kensington Oval on 06 May 2010.
Pietersen, who put on 60 for the 3rd wicket with captain Paul Collingwood (16 runs), gave England a scare when he clipped his ankle with his bat on 16 and he was dropped on 34.
Pakistani Cricketrs put down five catches, with Saeed Ajmal dropping three, in an error strewn display.
In total, Pietersen faced 52 balls with 2 sixes and 8 fours as his side finished on 151 for four in reply to Pakistan’s 148/9.
England won with three balls to spare in a match their star batsman ended with a boundary, off Saeed Ajmal.
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was left reflecting on his team’s mistakes.
England had a huge slice of luck early in their reply when in the 1st over of their innings Craig Kieswetter, on nought, struck Abdul Razzaq straight to mid on only for Ajmal, who appeared to have caught the ball, to drop it as he tried to throw it up in celebration.
Saeed Ajmal then gave left hander Michael Lumb, on 23, a reprieve, when he dropped another catch hit straight to him.
But the spinner did help end a first wicket stand of 44 when he had Lumb (25runs) stumped by Kamran Akmal.
Pietersen recovered from his injury to strike Razzaq for 2 fours in 3 balls and he was given a life on 34 when a drive off Saeed Ajmal was tipped over the boundary for Six by Fawad Alam.
Pietersen completed a 37 ball fifty with a straight six off leg spinner Afridi.
Earlier, Pakistan started well after being sent in but lost three wickets for 6 runs as they collapsed from 71 for one to 77 for four with the hard hitting Afridi run out first ball for nought.
Umar Akmal went on to make 30 runs before he was well caught on the boundary by Pietersen, running round from long on, off left arm quick Ryan Side bottom.

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Mohammad Aamer bowled a 5 wickets in last over against Australia.

T20 world Cup 2010: Australia whipped Pakistan en route to an imposing 191 before bowling the defending champions out for 157 at the Beuasejour Stadium here on 02/05/2010.
Chasing the impossible target was a tough ask and Pakistan started miserable by losing the inform Kamran Akmal off the first delivery of the run chase.
Akmal's partner Salman Butt blazed a few boundaries before he was undone by a short ball from Shaun Tait. Misbah-ul-Haq (41runs) and Shahid Afridi (33runs) combined for a good partnership but it was too much for Pakistan as they lost by 34 runs.
There was some good bowling, with three wickets each for pacemen Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes, and outstanding catching from Australian.
Earlier, Captain Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat first on a placid surface and openers David Warner (26runs) and Shane Watson (81runs) delivered robustly, scoring 50 in the first 6 overs.
Pakistan picked Warner and then Clarke in quick succession but David Hussey ( 53 runs with a 29 ball ) put paid to any hopes of a comeback which included 4 sixes off Mohammad Sami in one over. Hussey would thank Salman Butt for his party as he was dropped by the latter on 19.
In the end, even as Aamer bowled an extraordinary last over, there was little joy for Pakistan as they faced a daunting task Mohammad Aamer bowled a five wickets ( 3 by Aamir and 2 run out ) in last over.

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Kamran and Salman Butt shared a 142 run partnership.

T20 world cup 2010: Pakistan made an encouraging start to the defense of their T20 World Cup title with a 21 run win over Bangladesh on 1st May 2010.
Wicket keeper Kamran Akmal (73runs) and man of the match Salman Butt (73runs) shared a 142 run partnership that laid the platform for Pakistan’s defensive total of 172 for three.
Bangladesh recovered from a slow start to make a late charge at their target with Mohammad Ashraful belting 65 and Shakib Al Hasan 47 but their dismissals ended their team’s slim hopes and they finished on 151/7.
Pakistan cricket team now have a perfect record against the Tigers in Twenty20 cricket having beaten them four times out of four games.

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