Champions Trophy has Bond confident

New Zealand are referring to their notes and subsequent defeat of Pakistan in last month's Champions Trophy to prepare for the ODI series starting in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday morning.

Pace bowler Shane Bond is confident New Zealand can hit the ground running in the first of three matches in Abu Dhabi.

The five-wicket defeat of Pakistan in the Champions Trophy in Johannesburg was reason to believe a series win was within their grasp although Bond was wary the environment would suit Pakistan far better than that in South Africa four weeks ago.

"We'll redraw the stuff we had last time on them," Bond said.

"It worked pretty well in terms of the bowlers, we knew what we had to do. Obviously this time we'll have to adapt to the surface which will be flat and slow like Pakistan conditions."

Bond will be a key figure at the top of the bowling order as he continues his return to the international fold.

His return came in September's one-day series in Sri Lanka, followed by the Champions Trophy, where he showed glimpses of his class.

He was feeling fit and already looking beyond the UAE tour - which ends with two Twenty20 fixtures next week - to a solid stint of first-class cricket with Canterbury.

If he comes through that unscathed, a return to the Test stage looms in the three-test home series against Pakistan starting on November 24 in Dunedin.

"It'll be quite nice to get a full run of cricket in this series and then get back and get into some four-day cricket as well. I'm expecting the more I play the better I'll get. I haven't hit top form but it's not far away," he said.

"Everyone goes on about the speed, I'm happy with the pace I'm bowling.

"The more I bowl the more consistent I'll get. I haven't put in a consistent performance yet.

"I've been good in the odd spell then I've come back and haven't been as sharp as I'm supposed to be."

The New Zealand team makeup changed during Bond's lengthy absence from the New Zealand team, as he served penance for his stint in the rebel Indian Cricket League.

He admitted the batting lineup had a green tinge, which put more emphasis on those with the ball to show the way.

"The bulk of the experience is now in the bowling line-up. In terms of being a bowler coming back into the team we have to lead from the front and do well which puts pressure on us but we quite enjoy that," he said.

"If we don't lead we can't rely on the inexperienced blokes to do it all the time."

Bond will also be called on to show leadership off the park following the controversial resignation of former coach Andy Moles.

Wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum lost the vice-captaincy in the fallout from that episode, with New Zealand Cricket calling on the likes of Bond and other senior players to provide increased support for player-coach Daniel Vettori.

Selection interest surrounds whether uncapped Northern Districts opener BJ Watling will be given a start on Wednesday and where McCullum will bat, with speculation that he may be shifted from opener to a middle-order role at some stage.

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Pakistan delibrately lost to Australia, alleges Dasti

Karachi: Match-fixing has returned to haunt Pakistan cricket with the parliamentary committee on sports summoning PCB chief Ejaz Butt, captain Younis Khan and coach Intikhab Alam to seek explanation for the team's Champions Trophy loss to Australia after allegations of deliberate underperformance.

A senior parliamentarian, who heads the national assembly standing committee on sports, has accused the team of deliberately losing to Australia in the Champions Trophy in a group match.

Jamshed Khan Dasti said the standing committee would summon Butt, Younis and Alam shortly to explain the team's performance in the Champions Trophy.

"There is evidence that the team lost the match to Australia on purpose. It underperformed. Then against New Zealand also there are signs the team didn't want to win," Dasti alleged.

"We have been told by some respected and senior people and we are also trying to collect evidence that there might have been some hanky panky in the match against Australia and New Zealand," Dasti claimed.

Pakistan's last-ball defeat to Australia put India out of the Champions Trophy while their defeat to New Zealand in the semifinal came as a surprise to many.

Dasti lashed out at Butt and the team for disappointing the nation.

"I can say we lost to Australia on purpose. And the team's performance against New Zealand was zero. We will get to the bottom of this whole affair and find out the truth the nation must know the truth of what happened in South Africa," he said.

Dasti said the standing committee would not allow corruption in cricket.

"We want to see changes in the board and Butt must go because as it is he is too old for this job," he added.

Dasti said he would issue a notification in two days time summoning the captain and coach and board Chairman to explain themselves before the committee.

"We have heard a lot about match fixing allegations some people are telling us things and we also sense team didn't perform well on purpose. So we want to find out the truth," he said.

Neither Younis nor Intikhab were available for their reaction to the serious allegations by Dasti which is likely to set off a whole new controversy in Pakistan cricket.

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Ponting never doubted teams` ability

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting always retained belief in the ability of his side despite their fall down the one-day rankings.

Having monopolised the top spot in the one-day rankings for many a year, the Australians headed to South Africa as neither favourites nor the top ranked team

However, speaking ahead of Australia's Champions Trophy semi-final clash with New Zealand, Ponting maintained that while many may have written his team off, he always believed they could perform in a tournament such as the Champs Trophy.

"It's always satisfying when you win," said the skipper.

"It's the first time in a few years we have not been ranked the number one team coming into a tournament like this. We were probably number three or four for this one and that is where some of the experts thought we would finish.

"I thought we would be very competitive, Australian teams always are when these tournaments come around. My expectations have always been very high for this team and I expect them to play well again tomorrow," he added.

Monday's final at Centurion is an all-Antipodean affair, and Ponting admits he's looking forward to renewing hostilities with the Black Caps.

"It's always been a great rivalry whether it be cricket, rugby or netball or whatever it is, the countries always seem to have some good clashes. It's one we're looking forward to," explained Ponting.

The Australians hold the edge over their opponents of late, having won four of their last six one-day encounters that went the distance.

Recent form doesn't count for anything to Ponting though, with the batsman quick to compliment the Kiwis' hard working style.

"They play to their strengths and do it very well. They're a very disciplined and calculated side and they have been for a number of years.

"They might not be the most flamboyant players going around but you know they'll always stand up and give their 100 percent so it's important we match them in that department," he added.

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The underdog tale reaches tough climax

Match facts
Monday, October 5, 2009
Start time 1430 (1230 GMT)

Big picture

Underdogs in films make a mockery of the form book. Exhibit 1: New Zealand come to the Champions Trophy, sans superstars, sans high ICC rankings, and after being well and truly battered for more than a month in the sapping heat of Sri Lanka. They are - it is fair to say - the outsiders in this tournament.

Underdogs in the movies start out of their depths, then find the happy knack of winning, and then start liking what they feel. Exhibit 2: New Zealand are outclassed by South Africa on a true Centurion pitch. Then Sri Lanka, fooled by the earlier two pitches at the Wanderers, put New Zealand in, and discover they have given their opponents first use of a batting beauty. Against England, New Zealand get a spitting beauty of a pitch, call right at the toss, and run through England.

Underdogs in the movies are debilitated by injuries, handicaps, and miseries, but every setback inspires them. Exhibit 3: New Zealand lose Jacob Oram before their campaign starts. Jesse Ryder pulls his left abductor muscle during the Sri Lanka game, but before leaving plays the kind of innings that must have led to the coining of the phrase "beware the wounded batsman". Then Daryl Tuffey, at the time looking their best bowler, breaks his hand while fielding and is ruled out for the rest of the tournament. Next up, Grant Elliott, hero of the win against England, breaks his thumb, but braves the injury to score a heroic unbeaten 75 in the semi-final.

The real villains start appearing only in the later stages of underdog movies. Exhibit 4: On paper Pakistan have everything they need to end this underdog tale, but their occasional overconfidence and exceptional play from the underdogs takes New Zealand to the final hurdle.

Underdogs in the movies meet the biggest, scariest villain right at the end. Exhibit 5: It is always Australia's fate, or that of any champion team, that their excellence, their consistency, their hard work, will always be seen as villainous in romantic underdog stories. We can also conveniently forget that they too lost three of their most important players - Nathan Bracken, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin - in the lead-up to the tournament. Champions don't deserve such considerations. Every good underdog story needs a mean villain, and Australia have rarely failed to oblige at world events.

If more context is needed, New Zealand have historically seen Australia as typical big brothers, and have always wanted to bring their best against them. Moreover, New Zealand are yet to beat Australia in a tournament final, and have lost six times (tournaments with more than one final have been considered as one). Centurion will not provide them with a freak pitch either. It's all stacked up against New Zealand this time, and no self-respecting underdog story would have it any other way.

How good this story is will be known by Monday evening, or rather early on Tuesday morning in Australia and New Zealand.

Form guide
(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia - WWWLW
Ominously they are peaking at the right time. Even more ominously they have survived the one token scare that champion sides face, in the game against Pakistan.

New Zealand - WWWLL
Their weakened line-up has made the rest even more determined. They will rely a lot on their bowlers and fielders to find a balance between defence and attack, and restrict Australia like they did Pakistan.

Team news
Both teams gave satisfactory performances in the semi-finals, and both are more or less settled - even if not entirely by design.

Australia (probable): 1 Shane Watson, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Cameron White, 6 Callum Ferguson, 7 James Hopes, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Nathan Hauritz, 11 Peter Siddle.

A discussion on allrounder Brendon Diamanti has its merits - Neil Broom hasn't had much to do in the tournament - but New Zealand are not likely to tinker with a winning combination. And the way Elliott came through the semi-final, a big worry for them has been taken care of.

New Zealand (probable): 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Aaron Redmond, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Neil Broom, 6 Grant Elliot, 7 James Franklin, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Shane Bond, 11 Ian Butler.

Watch out for...
Daniel Vettori is definitely in the running for the Player-of-the-Series award. Against Sri Lanka he rescued a floundering middle order, and against Pakistan he promoted himself to No. 6 and guided a nervous side through to the final. And that's besides his routine job, during which he has taken seven wickets at an average of 17.71 and an economy-rate of 3.97. He is now four wickets short of the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, Wayne Parnell.

Ricky Ponting has a habit of turning it on on the big day. But he is a bruised captain, too, the only Australian leader since time immemorial to have lost the Ashes twice. He has also led them to successive unsuccessful campaigns at ICC events. When was the last time they failed to win three majors in a row?

Shane Watson is a threat to Vettori for that series award. He has taken six wickets at 16.83, and put behind him the lean run with the bat that he experienced at the end of the England series and at the start of this event. If he bats like he did in the semi-final, we could be in for a swift finish.

Pitch and conditions
Centurion, apart from the Pakistan-Australia game, has had flat batting pitches, which could made it harder for New Zealand to pull off an upset. A 30% chance of precipitation means we should get a complete game.

Stats and trivia
New Zealand have entered 13 tournament finals before this, and have won four of those.
Since their 1999 World Cup triumph, Australia have reached 19 tournament finals, and have lost only three: in 1999 to Sri Lanka in Colombo, and two CB Series finals to England and India in 2006-07 and 2007-08 respectively.
The whole New Zealand team has scored six ODI centuries between them (Ross Taylor 3 and Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and Grant Elliott one each), Ponting has 28.
Australia have beaten New Zealand in six tournament finals. This will be their first meeting in a final at a neutral venue.
Quotes
"We are playing at a level which would win us the big games. We look to play best cricket when it matters. We are peaking at the right time for the finals."
Ricky Ponting can feel what those wanting a close contest are dreading.

"But once you reach that level, you realise there is an immense desire to go all the way and I think there's no relief in the camp. It was all about how we're going to win tomorrow as opposed to it's great the we've made it"
Reaching the final was once New Zealand's goal, but not anymore, says Daniel Vettori.

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"Don't think bowlers let team down"

Indian leg spinner Amit Mishra rejected skipper MS Dhoni's criticism of the team's bowling in the Champions Trophy.

Mishra said the bowlers did not make any mistake and credit should be given to rival batsmen.

"That's his (Dhoni) personal opinion," Mishra told reporters.

Even though the Indian bowlers cut a sorry figure against Pakistan and even in the washed out match against Australia, Mishra felt credit should go to the rival batsmen.

"Bowling to the likes of Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey is not an easy task. I don't think our bowlers committed any mistakes. We should give credit to opposition batsmen for playing so well," he said.

India were knocked out of the Champions Trophy in the group stage itself after a loss to Pakistan, an abandoned match against Australia and a consolation win over the West Indies and Dhoni had blamed it on poor bowling and fielding.

Looking back at India's listless campaign in the Champions Trophy, Mishra said the format of the tournament was also to be blamed for India's early exit.

"I'm working on developing a carrom ball"

"This tournament did not have scope for a team to make a comeback. We lost to Pakistan and the wash-out against Australia all but ended our hopes. I hope the ICC takes note of this while conducting future tournaments," he said.

Asked about his game, Mishra said he was developing carrom ball delivery of his own, with inputs from Sri Lankan mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, who has mastered it.
"I am working on developing a carrom ball. I have been observing Mendis, who has invented this delivery. I also spoke to him on it during the tri-series in Sri Lanka last month.

"Narendra Hirwani has been helping me improve my bowling for the past three-four years. I am also taking Anil Kumble's help to improve my top spin and add variations to my googly. I am also working out two different types of flippers," he said.

Besides, Mishra said he was also working hard to improve his batting.

"Dhoni has advised me to concentrate a bit more on my batting and I am working hard at the nets to become a reliable number eight or nine batsman," he said.

On the upcoming one-day series against Australia later this month, Mishra said India would bank on home advantage to get better of the world champions.

"We will benefit from the home conditions and if we execute our plans well, then we might even win by a big margin," he said.

Mishra stressed on the need to have more Test matches.

"You ask any cricketer, his first preference would be Test cricket. That's why I don't think there is any threat to this format. But we should play more Test matches which is not happening right now," he said.

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Kiwis book final spot against Australia

Grant Elliot hit a masterly unbeaten 75 as New Zealand sneaked into the final of the ICC Champions Trophy to meet Australia.

The Kiwis upset the Pakistani applecart by five wickets in the see-saw second semifinal match at Johannesburg on Saturday.

Chasing 234 to book a berth in Monday's final against Australia, New Zealand fumbled as Aaron Redmond (31) and Ross Taylor (38) failed to convert the starts before Grant Elliot (75 not out off 103 balls) played a heroic knock in company of his captain Daniel Vettori (41 off 42 balls) to help them reach 234 for five in 47.5 overs.

Earlier, Umar Akmal (55) and Mohammad Yousuf (45) had starred in a 80-run stand for the fifth wicket and Mohammad Aamer (19) and Saed Ajmal (14) added 35 runs off 34 balls for the last wicket to help Pakistan to a modest 233 for nine.

For New Zealand, Ian Butler (4/44) and captain Vettori (3/43) shared seven wickets between them.

New Zealand's chase got off to an eventful start with Brendon McCullum (17) depositing the second ball in the stands before Aamer returned to settle score in the fifth over as a tumbling Shahid Afridi took the skier.

Martin Guptill (11) promised to continue his good nick with a pulled six of Naved-ul Hassan but his stay was cut short as Umar Gul's first delivery proved a wicket-taking one.

Redmond and Taylor did their best to stabilise New Zealand's chase but both fell just when their team needed them most.

Redmond offered a simple catch to bowler Ajmal while Afridi castled Taylor.

Elliot and Vettori then joined hands to steady the ship and they played sensibly to frustrate the Pakistanis.

Earlier, Pakistan's dysfunctional top order had left them precariously poised at 86 for four inside 21 overs before Yousuf's (45) experience and Akmal's (55) aggression put them back on track with an 80-run stand for the fifth wicket.

But once the duo departed, Pakistan lower order crumbled and it was Aamer's unbeaten 35-run stand off 34 balls with Ajmal for the last wicket that lent some respectability to Pakistan's score.

It did not exactly rain fours and sixes right from the word go but the 46 runs put together by Imran Nazir (28) and Kamran Akmal (24) in nine-odd overs meant Pakistan were off to sedate, if not spectacular, start without early setbacks.

Got questions about your favourite team in the ICC Champions Trophy? Ask Wasim Akram. Send in your queries to fanspeak@espnstar.co.in
Pakistan captain Younus Khan, however, was soon left to introspect his decision of batting first as the next 40 runs cost the side its top four batsmen, including the skipper himself.

Nazir had warmed up with three fours off an Ian Butler over before a Shane Bond snorter did him in.

Butler then dealt two quick blows that had the Pakistan top order reeling.

The lanky Kiwi pacer had Shoaib Malik caught in the slips in his third over and then returned to see the back of Akmal just when the batsman was looking dangerous.

At 69 for three, things were not looking rosy and Pakistan needed a captain's knock from Younus but today was not his day.
His opposite number Vettori had flighted it on the off-stump, Younus wanted to work it to the onside but all he managed was a leading edge and Ross Taylor pouched the dolly at short cover.

Yousuf is not new to such crisis and he decided to haul Pakistan out of the hole in company of Akmal.

The caution, however, meant that boundaries were not easy to come by.

It was at this stage that Akmal decided to play the aggressor's role, leaving grafting to his senior partner Yousuf.

The right-hander went after Vettori, hitting the Kiwi skipper for successive boundaries on two occasions to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Yousuf fell five-run shy of his half-century when Kyle Mills castled him and while Akmal did notch up his second fifty, the youngster fell to Vettori two overs later, trigging another batting collapse.


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Australia storm into Trophy finals

Skipper Ricky Ponting (111) and Shane Watson (136) smashed elegant centuries as Australia trampled England by nine wickets to storm into the final of the Champions Trophy.

Their sublime unbeaten knocks produced a stunning record 252-run second-wicket partnership for Australia as the defending champions continued to torment England.
Chasing 258 to win the first semifinal and earn their second shot at the title, Australia crushed the target with 8.1 overs to spare.

En route to his 28th one-day hundred, Ponting became the first Australian batsman to touch the 12,000 run-mark when he pulled Graham Onions for a four in the 29th over.

Ponting and Watson, who outscored his skipper with his third ODI hundred, put on an amazing batting display to outwit their rivals yet again.

With this win Australia have now humbled England seven times in the last eight meetings. The world champions had landed in South Africa just a few days after drubbing the British side 6-1 in the post-Ashes one-day series.

The defending champions will now meet the winner of tomorrow's second semifinal between Pakistan and New Zealand in Monday's title clash at the same venue.

Earlier, Tim Bresnan smashed a career best 80 to help England recover from a calamitous start and reach a fighting 257 in 47.4 overs after opting to bat.

Bresnan, who replaced Stuart Broad in today's match, raised a crucial 107-run stand in company of Luke Wright (48) to lift England from a precarious 101 for six in 21st over.

Ponting arrived early on the scene as stumper Tim Paine, who had an outstanding day behind the wickets with five catches and a share in two runs outs, failed with bat.

Ponting was in sublime touch as he drove elegantly all around the park, hitting 12 graceful boundaries and a six in his 115-ball knock.

Watson shrugged off a poor start in the event and struck form when it mattered. His 132-ball aggressive innings was laced with 10 fours and seven powerful sixes.

The duo excoriated the English attack with utter disdain and ruthlessly dashed their hopes. Graham Onions (1/47) was the only succesful bowler for England.

At the start, England innings was in tatters having lost six wicket without reaching the half-way mark but Bresnan and Wright batted with steely resolve to extricate their team from the crisis sitaution.

Stay updated with all the on-field and off-field action from the world of cricket
Bresnan, who replaced Stuart Broad in today's match, dug in with Wright to redeem the England innings with some clever batting under pressure.

From a depressing 101 for six in 20.2 overs, England went on to put up at least a fighting total.

Bresnan's splendid knock, adorned with 11 boundaries, came off just 76 balls while Wright helped himself with two boundaries and two massive sixes -- both coming off tweaker Nauthan Hauritz.

Peter Siddle, ICC emerging player of the year, separated the pair when he had Wight caught behind but there was no let up in England's assault as Bresnan in company of Graeme Swann (18) continued the good work.

Swann supported his partner well with some smart batting before running himself out.

Bresnan's excellent innings ended when he attempted a big shot off Brett Lee but was castled.

Siddle (3/55) was the most successful bowler while Lee (2/46) and Shane Watson (2/35) took two wickets apiece.

Run-rate was never a problem for England but they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and soon the top six batsmen were cooling their heels back in the hut.
England did not have the kind of start they wanted as skipper Andrew Strauss (14) got out as early as second over.

After hitting one off Peter Siddle into the crowd in the third man region, Strauss played a sweetly timed shot on the leg but an air-borne James Hopes pulled off a stunning catch.

More to the shock of England side, Owais Shah departed without bothering the scorer as his faint edge flew to the gloves of Paine.

In form Paul Collingwood could not play a big innings but hit a rapid-fire 34 to help England overcome those early jolts along with Joe Denly (36).

The 55-run partnership between the two for the third wicket resurrected the England innings but once Collingwood departed the British team lost the way.

Siddle removed well-set Denly and Shane Watson got rid of Steve Davies (5) and youngster Eoin Morgan (9) in successive overs and suddenly a cruising England was gasping for breath.

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Asif puts Pakistan in a dilemma again

The Pakistan team management is in a fix over the playing eleven for their semi-final clash against New Zealand on Saturday.

Controversial speedster Mohammad Asif came back with a bang against the Australians in their last league game on Wednesday and that has spoilt the Pakistani team for choice.

Pakistan captain Younus Khan admitted that Asif's successful comeback to international cricket after nearly 17 months, has forced the tour selection committee to engage in lengthy discussions to decide upon the playing eleven for the all-important tie.

"We might even decide to play with four specialist pace bowlers in Asif, Rana Naved, Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer but it all depends on the pitch condition at the Wanderers," Younus said from Johannesburg.

Pakistan had rested left arm pacer Aamer and opener Imran Nazir in their last group match against Australia which they lost on the last ball.

Younus said Nazir was rested because he still had stitches on the webbing of his hand which he tore during the game against India.

"We didn't want to risk him. And if he plays in the semifinal, then definitely it would be Misbah-ul-Haq who would have to make the sacrifice by sitting out," he said.

Younus, however, didn't rule out the possibility of both Nazir and Misbah not playing if Pakistan decides to field four pacers.

"It is a dicey situation for us as we don't want to go into the match with any weak links. Reading the pitch correctly would be the key to our performance," he said.

Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said although the selection of the team will be difficult, encountering such a situation is a good sign for the side.

"It is good to be in a position where you don't know which player to drop or rest because all of them are doing well. That is the sort of situation we are facing in the pace bowling department which is our real strength," Yawar said.

He said Pakistan had given their best shot against Australia despite posting a modest target and dragged the game to the last ball.

"I think we fought splendidly despite just defending 205 runs. No one in the dressing room had discussed before or during the match the fact that if we have lost it would have put India out of the semifinals.

"The players were just told to go out and try to maintain their winning momentum. I think the four best teams in this competition have qualified for the semifinals," Yawar added.

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"ODI success will count for nothing"

Nathan Hauritz insists Australia's 6-1 ODI series win over England will count for nothing when the two sides meet in the first Champions Trophy semi-final in Centurion.
The defending champions booked their meeting with Andrew Strauss' team by edging out Pakistan in a nail-biting two-wicket win yesterday to finish top of Group A.

That victory set up a rematch of the one-sided seven-match series, which came to an end just less than a fortnight ago.

Hauritz said: "It doesn't bother me who we play. I think we've been playing some good cricket lately.

"We've played England just recently, so it is good to play them I guess because we know their game and they know ours. It's a new game and a new venue, so it doesn't really matter."

The off-break bowler, who featured in all the matches in the NatWest Series, taking nine wickets, believes the emphatic result will have no bearing on tomorrow's game.

He added: "I don't think it will have anything to do (with it) at all. The only thing is that we get a bit of a better gauge of each other.

"We've known everybody's strengths and weaknesses, whereas when we played India, we hadn't played them for 18 months in one-day cricket. So that's all it is."

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Akhtar: I want India to reach semis

Out-of-favour Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar wants arch-rival India to reach the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy.

"I would like to see India qualify for the semi-finals because their presence will make the tournament more interesting and colorful and we might even end up with a Indo-Pak final which could be a super boost for one-day cricket," Shoaib said on news channel on Tuesday.

"India team is short on confidence"

Akhtar, who was not picked for the Champions Trophy, said India could beat West Indies by a big margin and qualify for the semi-finals despite their disappointing form.

"There is no doubt that at the moment India is short on confidence and Pakistan is high on confidence. But India can change things.

"India are capable of beating the under strength West Indian side by a margin of more than 100 runs. And if they qualify for the semi-finals I think we will see a totally different Indian team in the knockout stage," he said.

Akhtar said India could become a danger for the other teams if they reach the semi finals as their body language and performances would definitely change for better and they would be a different side in the knockout stage.

"Naturally I would love to see Pakistan win the Champions Trophy because that is my team but India must also remain in the competition because they bring value to the competition," he said.

Akhtar said it was ironic that Indian fans were praying for the success of the Pakistan team against Australia so that their team could have a chance of qualifying for the semi finals.

"This is why they say cricket is a funny old game," he joked.

Akhtar said it was important for Pakistan to continue their winning momentum against Australia on Wednesday as beating a top side upped the morale of any team.
"I think tomorrow's match will decide whether Pakistan has the ability to go all the way to win the tournament," he added.

Akhtar also felt that Pakistan needed to rest pacer, Umar Gul against Australia since he was looking tired and needed a well deserved rest.

"I just fear if they persist with him he can break down in coming series," he said.
Akhtar felt off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was still not being properly utilised yet and he could play a decisive role against Australia.

"The Australians don't like him and the best way to disturb them is to give Saeed a leading bowling role in the match," he said.

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We would have an advantage: Ponting

Johannesburg: Australian skipper Ricky Ponting reckons that having played a match at the slow Centurion track will give his team a distinct advantage over Pakistan in their must-win ICC Champions Trophy encounter tomorrow. Ponting said there was no margin for errors in such crucial games and his tem had prepared well to beat Pakistan for a place in the semi-finals.

"It would be easier (for us) if Pakistan were to do so though we are preparing as if we would face their best team in the park. We can beat them and directly qualify," said Ponting when asked about reports that Pakistan would be fielding their B side in tomorrow's game.

If Australia wins tomorrow's first game, the match between India and the West Indies would lose all relevance, and Ponting said he would want his side's semi-final hopes to be decided by their own work. "There is no margin or error.

If it gets rain affected tomorrow or not, the destiny is in our hands. If we don't make it to the semifinals, we would be disappointed.

"We have prepared very well. We have had very good last few weeks.

We want to be the number one side of the world and that's why we prepare the way we do," he said at a press conference here.

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Dhoni considering India options

India captain Mahendra Dhoni says his side to play West Indies will depend on the earlier ICC Champions Trophy game between Pakistan and Australia.

India need an emphatic win in their day-nighter on Wednesday and hope Pakistan convincingly beat Australia to stand a chance of making the last four.

"By the time we start our game, we will know where we stand and what we actually need to do," said Dhoni.

"Accordingly, we will decide the playing 11 then."

India can draw level with Australia on three points if results go their way but the gap in the run-rate of both teams makes it unlikely that they will leapfrog their Group A rivals to qualify in second place behind Pakistan.

India's run-rate is -1.080, while Australia's is +1 with Dhoni citing his side's poor bowling performances as a major reason for the size of that difference.

"This is one of those games where you have to achieve everything," said Dhoni.
"First of all, you want Pakistan to win and Australia to lose. Then you want to win against the West Indies and you have to better your run-rate.

"Overall, I think we have not bowled that well. That's one thing we need to admit. We have bowled twice and what we have seen is that we are not bowling that well.

"But in the last game, I was happy with the performance. Of course, one or two bowlers will have an off-day, but overall it was much better compared to the first game."

Australia will be without batsman Michael Clarke after he returned home because of a back injury but will believe they have enough strength in depth to secure their passage to the semis.

However, Pakistan are aiming to improve on the bowling front in preparation for the match against the Aussies.

"Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer gave away six no-balls, and free hits, against India, most of which were punished. Australia will not waste such offerings either," said Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam.

"We are very strict at practice and always call no-balls in the nets. At times what happens is that pressure builds up and you stretch and strive and that is where you go wrong."

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Run-out recall 'an easy decision'

The Spirit of Cricket occupied the centre-stage at the Champions Trophy once again, and after sparing Paul Collingwood, who had been declared run out after wandering out of his crease, Daniel Vettori said it was an easy decision to make.

Andrew Strauss had made a similar decision in England's opening match against Sri Lanka by recalling Angelo Mathews, who had been stranded after a mid-pitch collision with Graham Onions, and Strauss praised Vettori's decision, which he described as the right one.

Vettori's gesture was more significant for two reasons. There was no case of obstruction in this instance, and Collingwood had no one to blame but himself for venturing out his crease. Secondly, it was a do-or-die match for New Zealand.

"It was a tough decision to make make as a captain when your future in the tournament is on the line," Strauss said. "New Zealand were well within their rights to appeal. Obviously Colly was not going for a run, but he was he was hasty in leaving the crease."

It was an ironic turn of events since Collingwood was captaining England when New Zealand's Grant Elliott had been run out after a mid-pitch collision with Ryan Sidebottom at The Oval last year. The umpires were obliged to rule him out, but Collingwood's refusal to withdraw the appeal had infuriated Vettori and invited widespread criticism from the media.

The incident took place in the 11th over with England struggling at 27 for 3 on a bouncy pitch at the Wanderers. Collingwood had just survived a snorter from Kyle Mills, which flew off a length and whizzed past the batsman's nose on its way to Brendon McCullum.

It was the last ball of the over and Collingwood, taking it for granted that over had been called, had begun walking down the pitch. McCullum, always alert to such situations, under-armed the ball in a flash and the New Zealanders appealed.

Asad Rauf, the square-leg umpire, was already walking in and was looking down, so he referred the decision to Aleem Dar, his colleague in the box. Confusion reigned as the umpire at the bowler's end, Daryl Harper, put his arm around Rauf's shoulders and took him away for a chat.

"It was one of those situations when we had a little time to think about it," Vettori said. "When it went to the third umpire, I deliberated with my team-mates, and the umpires. It was obvious that there was no intention of a run, Colly had wandered down the pitch, and it was a lot easier to call him back and get on with the game.

"According to the laws of the game, it was probably out, but of late we have discussed a lot about the spirit of the game."

Both the captains were of the opinion that Spirit of Cricket was becoming an issue cricketers were concerned with. "It's catching on,'' Strauss said.

"I think no one wants to come to a press conference and answer those tough questions," Vettori said, in jest at first. Turning serious, he added: "I think it is in the forefront on the lot of people's mind."

But Strauss found himself fronting up to questions about the spirit of the game after a visibly cramping Graeme Smith was disallowed a runner at SuperSport Park during his valiant 141. As it turned out, Strauss shouldn't have had to defend himself because the matter had been long taken out of the fielding captain's hands, and the call had been made by the umpires on the field.

In another all-too-similar incident back in December 2006, a Muttiah Muralitharan dismissal during the first Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Christchurch was also the subject of controversy.

Kumar Sangakkara had whipped a Shane Bond delivery down to fine leg for a single to bring up his century. Murali having touched down at the striker's end, turned around and left his crease to congratulate Sangakkara. McCullum was quick to whip off the bails as the throw came in, to run out Murali.

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Australia aim for semi-final berth

Defending champions Australia take on a rejuvinated Pakistan in their final group A match of the Champions Trophy today.

If Australia win, they would book their place in the semifinal no matter what happens in the India-West Indies match.

But if they lose and India win, Ricky Ponting's world champion side has to ensure that its net run rate remains ahead of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men as the two teams would be tied on three points each in such a scenario.

The Australians have had a reasonably good tournament, wining the opening match against the West Indies before dominating the abandoned game against India.

Ponting has led from the front in both the matches, scoring a couple of crucial fifties and putting together match-saving partnerships in tough conditions.

The biggest concern for the Aussies today would be all-rounder Shane Watson. Pushed to the opening slot some time ago, the big-hitting right-hander has come a cropper in the tournament so far, managing two ducks.

He has looked uncomfortable facing up to the new ball and it remains to be seen if he would be persisted with at the top today.

The other opener Tim Paine has, however, adjusted well to the slot. Paine batted through a testing period in the match against India to make a fifty and stabilize the Australian innings.

Mike Hussey also seems to have rediscovered some of his lost form, against India, by scoring a morale-boosting half century.

The bowlers didn't get a chance last night as the heavy downpour forced abandonment of the match.

But Brett Lee and Co. were not too impressive against the West Indians in the opening match, in which the rag-tag Caribbean team gave a mighty scare to the world champions.
The Centurion track has been a batting paradise and it would take quite an effort from the Aussie bowlers to contain an in-form Pakistani line-up.

Pakistan, on the other hand, have little to be concerned about.

They are already in the semis and would be aiming to get some match practice before the last-four stage begins on October 2.

Skipper Younus Khan, who played with a fractured finger in the crucial win over India, might consider resting himself ahead of the knockout round.

It's a match that would decide the semifinal complexion despite the fact that one of the teams has absolutely nothing at stake.

Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Callum Ferguson, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Tim Paine, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Cameron White, Brad Haddin, Doug Bollinger.

Pakistan: Younus Khan (capt), Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Anjum, Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Yousuf, Naved-ul-Hasan, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul.

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Time to push beyond for Vettori & Co.

Let it not be said that finding New Zealand in the semi-finals is a surprise. However, it continues to be a wonder. A small, rugby-besotted nation with a population not much more than Andheri, a suburb in Mumbai, has made reaching the final stages of world events, somewhat an inevitability. When asked about it, Daniel Vettori, whose voice and looks could make him a brooding Hollywood star, said, matter-of-factly, that this is what his nation expects of them.

And why not? Always unfancied, always lacking in star-power, but never in pluck and spirit, they have done it through the ages, and through all the changes one-day cricket has gone through. They reached the final four of the inaugural World Cup in 1975 and have done it four more times since. This will be their third semi-final appearance in the Champions Trophy, a tournament that began in 1998. They also managed a similar feat in the Benson and Hedges World Championship in 1985 and the first World Twenty20 in 2007. Bring on the big stage, and the little men of international cricket rise, over and over again.

They came to South Africa from a miserable series in Sri Lanka, lost their main allrounder before a ball had been bowled; were thrashed by South Africa in the first match; their big-hitting opening batsman went out with a muscle pull after the second game; one of their quick bowlers went out before their final match; and his replacement arrived with an intestinal infection, and consequently, eight kilograms lighter. And they needed to win this match, or lose it only by a small margin, to stay in the tournament.

Put in to bat by Sri Lanka in the previous match, on a pitch that was expected to favour the quick bowlers, their batsmen responded so spectacularly that it became impossible to judge how poorly the Sri Lankans had bowled, or in fact, how juicy the pitch was.

It was a different strip today, and it was certainly more helpful to fast bowlers. But crucially, the New Zealand bowlers knew how to bowl on it. That they were all much taller than the Sri Lankans bowlers was certainly an advantage. But obliging pitches can often seduce bowlers to lose the plot. It's a terrible cliché, bowling in the right areas, but that's what the New Zealanders did. The length was perfect, not too short, and in fact, every now and then, fuller than the batsman expected. The pitch had cracks, and some grass, and balls that climbed off a length hustled the batsman, and ones that were pitched up got the wickets.

Till today, Shane Bond had had a poor tournament. He was unable to make an impact against South Africa, and was carted around by Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene in the next match. Today, he found his mark from the beginning, making the ball rear and deviate off the pitch, and then claiming his victim with sharp, fuller balls. There was no let-up from Kyle Mills from the other end, and then from Grant Elliott, making a return to his 'home ground'.

Were England carried away by the monstrosity of their previous innings against South Africa? Owais Shah's dismissal suggested that. His attempt to slog-whip a rising ball from way outside the off stump was so outrageous that it was impossible to pull off. Paul Collingwood, and Eoin Morgan, the other heroes of that run-fest in Centurion too perished trying to fight fire with brimstone, but what was the guarantee that a more cautious approach would have been profitable?

"The other option would have been to wait and wait and wait for bad balls," Andrew Strauss said later. But for how long? "It (playing shots) looks good when it comes off, and looks bad when it doesn't. There is no harm playing your shots and this is certainly the way we are going to go." To be fair, England didn't have a lot of luck. But Strauss offered no excuses. "We were soundly beaten," he said.

In fact, when they batted, New Zealand showed the merit of an adventurous approach on a tough pitch for the batsmen. Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill, opening for the first time in the tournament, swung hard and often. A couple flew over the slips, and a top-edge landed outside the ropes behind the wicketkeeper. But as evident from the struggle of the batsmen who came later, without those runs at the top, the result could have been different. It got close enough in the end.

The pitches at Wanderers have come for much attention, and some criticism. It is early for cricket in these parts of the world, and perhaps there has not been enough preparation time for the tracks to bind. But Vettori, whose team will play the semi-final at this ground, put the matter in perspective: "We play on enough featherbeds around the world, there is nothing wrong in batsmen being challenged once in a while."

The biggest challenge for his team lies ahead. Nine semi-finals is a great story, but the worry for New Zealand is that it also gets awry from here. They have gone past this only once: having achieved what's par for them, it is now time to push beyond.

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'Whatever happens, it is beyond our control' - Dhoni

Many Indians will find themselves between a rock and a hard place on Wednesday afternoon. For MS Dhoni's Indian team to have any chance of making the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy, Pakistan must beat Australia in Centurion. Those that usually celebrate a Pakistan defeat will instead be keeping fingers crossed that Younis Khan and his unbeaten side can nudge Australia towards the exit.

"I think Indian fans want us to qualify, so I am sure they will definitely support the Pakistan team," said Dhoni. "You can expect them to cheer Pakistan tomorrow, but it is entirely up to them."

Many of the questions that Dhoni faced on the eve of the game related to Pakistan and the possibility that they might take it easy against Australia, with qualification already clinched. Dhoni, though, would not be drawn on the prospect of Pakistan fielding a weakened side.

"Pakistan will not play their XI thinking if they win, India will qualify," he said. "Whatever they need to experiment they will do because they have qualified, they will look at the future. They might try out their reserves. It depends on them, what they want to get out of the game. I don't think they will consider that if they win and if we win comfortably against the West Indies, India will qualify. I don't think that will be an issue."

He also scoffed at the suggestion that he could advise Younis on how to tackle Australia. "Younis is a good captain and he has got a different side," he said. "It's not about suggestions, it's about what you can achieve with your team. Their strength is different, the spinners' contribution will be important because this will be the third match on the same track. So definitely spinners will get some help and the middle overs will be important. It will also depend on the kind of start."

Even India's team composition for the West Indies game will be dictated by what happens in the morning session in Centurion. "I believe they [Pakistan and Australia] are playing a day game and we are playing a day-nighter. By the time we start our game, we will know where we stand, what we actually need to do. Accordingly, we will decide the playing XI. Let's see how it goes, hopefully Pakistan wins."

That India are in this situation at all is largely due to a poor bowling display against Pakistan. Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma, two of the bowlers the captain would have depended on most, veered between the lacklustre and the dismal in the two matches played, and Dhoni admitted that there was an awful lot of room for improvement. "I think overall we have not bowled that well. That's one thing we need to admit. But at the same time in the Pakistan game, whatever happened in the first innings, we were chasing a big score but we could have achieved that target. Unfortunately we were not able to, for some reason or the other, but bowling has been one of the factors.

"We have played just one game, so we can't say if the batting is down and out. We have bowled twice and what we have seen is that we are not bowling that well. But in the last game, I was happy with the performance when it comes to five bowlers taken together. Of course, one or two will have their off-day but overall it was much better compared to the first game. We didn't really pitch too short or too up. If you saw the wicket, there was something for the fast bowlers. Even in the first game, the ball was stopping a bit and there was a bit of swing movement. I thought we bowled really well in the last game against Australia."

The likes of Ishant and RP Singh were also well down on pace, but according to Dhoni, that wasn't as much of a concern as their erratic line and length. "It's not about bowling 140 or 145-plus," he said. "At the end of the day, you have to bowl the right line and length to the batsman. If you see the South African bowlers, they were among the quickest in the tournament but they were also fetched for runs. That means it is not about the pace, it is about where you are bowling and what field you have got. So I don't think pace is the only criteria, it is line and length, the swing and the movement that you can get."

Dhoni has a reputation for on-field calm, but that composure has been severely tested by two very ordinary displays in the field. "Of course it's quite frustrating but at the end of the day you have to realise that everybody who turns up on the field is trying his best to make the team win," he said. "At times, when you are out of form or you are a bit low, you have games or individuals who are not up to the mark, who are a bit low in confidence. You keep motivating them, you just want them to bounce back.

"I felt the last few overs that he bowled, that was more like the Ishant we know. Close to the stumps, bringing the ball in, not giving too much of width to the batsman. It's about when you can really bounce back and it can happen really quickly in cricket. A few shots and a batsman can be in form, a few missed deliveries and all of a sudden, the batsman or bowler can go out of form."

With the schedule being as relentless as it is, Dhoni said that there was a need for squad rotation, though the concept was unlikely to be easily implemented because of the weight of expectation back home. "When it comes to the Indian cricket team, we are expected to win each and every game," he said. "The moment you rotate a few players and you lose a game, it becomes a big issue. It's one thing that the whole of India needs to know and admit to. If you are playing so many games, then players will be rotated and maybe if the bench styrength is not so strong, we will lose a few games. It is has to be accepted.

"What it does is, you don't lose big players in big tournaments, and then it grooms the second line of bowlers. Till you don't give them opportunities to bowl at the international level, you don't expect all of them to turn up on the field and be at their best. It's a kind of process where you save the big players and at the same time groom the youngsters or the upcoming players, so that in case there is an injury in the future, we have players replacing the experienced guys with an experience of at least 25-30 international games. That really helps."

Having performed so well in most conditions over the past two seasons, Dhoni was adamant that his players would need no extra motivation ahead of the game, regardless of what happened in the morning in Centurion. "If there was a winning formula in sport, every team would have applied that and at the end of the day you wouldn't have got a winner," he said. "I don't think there is anything called a winning formula. Of course, you try to motivate your players to give their best because they are representing the country and it is a big tournament.

"We have played well for the last 18-20 months, so we all know we have the potential of doing well. We have done well everywhere in the world, so even if the confidence is a bit down they can really bounce back and give a tough fight to each and every side. At the same time, as is the case right now, it depends on the other game. We will just try to keep the players motivated. Whatever happens, it is beyond our control. We will ask them to think about the things that they can do or achieve in this game."

After two underwhelming displays, India, who arrived here with a serious chance of snatching the No.1 ranking, face yet another failure on the world stage. What Dhoni wants against the West Indies is evidence of the qualities that have allowed his teams to contend for that top spot.

"I feel losing or winning a game is part and parcel of any sport. But at the end of the day, you are quite okay if you have prepared well and done your best, even if you have not won a game.

"Everyone doesn't get to chance to play for India and lead the side. That itself is more than enough motivation. I'm not too much into stats but this is one of those games where you have to achieve everything. First of all, you want Pakistan to win, Australia to lose. Then, you want to win against West Indies, and you have to better your run rate."

Time to perform, and also to bring back the Jeet Lo Dil slogans of 2004. For a few hours at least, Younis and his boys could be heroes across the border.

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Younis hopes to play India in the final

Pakistan captain Younis Khan finds himself in a unique position as his men take on Australia tomorrow in Centurion. Already through to the semi-finals, a third win in the group might help India, should they beat West Indies in Johannesburg, to join them in the final four.

Though Pakistan will experiment with their line-up against Australia to account for injuries as well as giving their bench strength a run, there will be no let-up in their approach. There is even a part incentive, says Younis, in the hope perhaps of playing against India in the final.

"I am just planning about each game as it comes," Younis said. "I wish for India to play in the final against us but we will not worry about that in our game tomorrow. We'll be trying our best. My wish is to win against the top teams, like South Africa, Australia and India. There is nothing in my mind about losing to Australia, and whether India will be out. It is only about what I can do for my country."

When Pakistan beat India by 54 runs at Centurion, it was one of the best-attended games in the tournament, in which crowds have generally been poor. The game was sold out two weeks prior to the match being played, prompting Younis to call for more games between the two neighbours.

Currently, relations between the two countries have cooled considerably from the mid-2000s, following the Mumbai terror attacks last year. That, in turn, has affected cricketing relations between the two and, until the Centurion game, they had not played each other in an international in over a year.

"Who was the biggest winner when we played at Centurion? Cricket. India and Pakistan should play. If we do not play, cricket will not benefit. Players become big names when they perform in these matches. The biggest sold-out crowd here was for that game."

Younis did, however, ask for these games to be treated as normal matches, appealing for calmer reactions from fans on both sides following good or bad results. "We lost to India in the Twenty20 final. Then we beat them the other day, what difference does it make? If we win a final, we'll be so happy anyways that we won't care which team we beat. All I say is, keep it normal. Don't hype us up too much if we beat India, or don't bring India down so much if they lose. This is not how life should be on winning or losing. Life should go on as normal. If Dhoni loses then don't get after him or get after us if we lose. Leave sports as sports."

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England succumb to sporting Kiwis

New Zealand defeated England by four wickets to enter the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy in style.

Paul Collingwood was the recipient of the latest act of sportsmanship at the Champions Trophy but it did not spare England from defeat at the Wanderers.
Collingwood was reprieved by Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori after carelessly wandering out of his crease, in the 11th over of England's 146 all out, during a four-wicket defeat under lights.

Although Collingwood went on to top score with 40, the act of generosity when the laws of the game promoted his departure, was not costly for the beleaguered Black Caps.

Despite being decimated by injury in this tournament, Vettori's men eliminated Sri Lanka, guaranteed top spot in Group B, and therefore sealed a place in Saturday's second semi-final.

Although Stuart Broad made them sweat with four wickets, there were still 22.5 overs to spare when Vettori hauled a Broad delivery through the leg-side for four.

They sealed the win thanks to rampaging contributions from Brendon McCullum (48) and his opening partner Martin Guptill, who hit 53, which preceded a slide from 84 without loss to 140 for six.

The result means that England have now beaten them just four times in their past 18 50-over meetings.

For England, unable to overcome the new-ball challenge on a spicy pitch in mid-afternoon, this was a performance which typified their 6-1 NatWest Series thrashing by Australia which preceded this event rather than the back-to-back wins over Sri Lanka and South Africa that sealed the last-four spot at the earliest ask.

The England batsmen have spoken throughout their week here about refusing to die wondering but such an attitude proved costly in overcast conditions.

They undoubtedly had the worst of things, having lost the toss, and the New Zealanders were able to play with freedom due to a lack of scoreboard pressure.

England's maiden success came when McCullum, who hauled the ball over the rope three times in his quickfire 48, skied to cover off Broad in the 13th over.

The successes which followed, all to edges behind, arguably came after the course of the match had been sealed.

Andrew Strauss' team were already slipping towards defeat - and a place in the first semi at Centurion this Friday - when the Collingwood incident took place.

Having been beaten by a brute of a delivery from Kyle Mills, he stepped two yards up the wicket to examine the spot it had landed and wicketkeeper McCullum under-armed the ball into the stumps.

Technically, Collingwood should have re-entered his ground before his spot of pitch gardening, and square-leg umpire Asad Rauf called for third umpire adjudication.

Rauf and on-field colleague Daryl Harper liaised while the New Zealand players gathered in a huddle.

However, although TV official Aleem Dar confirmed Collingwood out on the replay screen, and he should have been deemed run out under the laws of the game, Vettori withdrew the appeal following prolonged discussions with his team-mates.

As New Zealand prepared to start the next over, Collingwood ran to mid-off to shake hands with Vettori.

To add to the spice of the drama, Collingwood has previous with the Kiwis: as captain 15 months ago he refused to pardon batsman Grant Elliott after a collision contributed to a run out at the Oval.

This latest captaincy issue - following incidents involving Angelo Mathews and Graeme Smith - came with England 27 for three after the top order was blitzed by an injury-hit New Zealand on a bowler-friendly surface.

Strauss, Joe Denly and Owais Shah all perished inside the opening half-a-dozen overs after the New Zealanders won the toss.

In similar conditions to those in which England reduced Sri Lanka to 17 for four in their opening Group B match, and with the floodlights on from the start, ball completely dominated.

Mills got the second delivery of the match to rear off a length and take the edge of Strauss' bat - England's bowlers had been examining the very spot before the toss took place.

Denly's off-stump was sent cartwheeling by a delivery from Shane Bond that nipped back.

Then, Shah, who smashed 98 against South Africa on Sunday to claim the man-of-the-match award, paid for an expansive stroke as his attempted pull off Bond provided a catch behind.

That meant Eoin Morgan, who continued as England's emergency wicketkeeper with first-choice Matt Prior still suffering from a virus, and Collingwood were required to take stock.

Despite knuckling down to the situation, however, left-hander Morgan succumbed to Ian Butler's extra bounce, having scored nine off 40 balls.

Collingwood, who cracked three sixes, was also undone by extra lift as he miscued a pull off Elliott to midwicket.

Elliott's innocuous-looking medium pace also reaped reward in three of his next four overs as he finished with four for 31, his best haul in one-day international cricket.

The inconsistency in the surface then did for Ravi Bopara, whose stubborn 30, came to its conclusion when he was pinned on the pads by a grubber from Bond.

Only a last-wicket stand of 29 between Ryan Sidebottom, preferred to Graham Onions in an unforced change, and James Anderson delayed the second innings until after the scheduled interval.

Aaron Redmond would have been opening for New Zealand but for a 12-hour delay on a long-haul flight from Brisbane via Hong Kong which meant he did not arrive until 7am this morning.

The Black Caps also went into their must-win Group B contest without Daryl Tuffey (broken hand).

That meant Butler, only declared fit on Monday following an intestinal infection, was recalled to the pace attack.

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After Tendulkar, Aamer now eyeing Ponting's wicket

Centurion: After picking up the prized wicket of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, Pakistan's teenage pacer Mohammad Aamer is living a dream but he is still looking to have more fun.

The lanky left-armer made an impressive international debut at the World Twenty20 in England last June and is making waves at the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.
After Tendulkar, Aamer has now set his sight on another batting great - Australia captain Ricky Ponting.

"I was ecstatic after getting Tendulkar out. Now I want to realise another one of my dreams and that is to get the wicket of Ricky Ponting, who is another great batsman," said Aamer on Monday.

Pakistan are in a good position to reach the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy after winning its first two matches against West Indies and India and will top the group with a win against the Australians.

Aamer said that Pakistani bowlers were ready to take on the Aussie batting, saying that his team is looking forward to ending the pool stage with another win ahead of the last-four stage.

"We are all very spirited and I'm confident that the team will also do well against Australia," he said.

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Duminy predicts Australia-Pak final in ICC Champions Trophy

Joahnnesburg: His team out of the tournament after a 22-run defeat against England, South African middle order batsman JP Duminy has predicted that Pakistan would win ICC the Champions Trophy here.

"With us now on our way to our respective homes, my tournament prediction for the final is: Australia vs Pakistan. They are looking like the form team of the tournament," he said.

Duminy said he was hugely disappointed at South Africa having failed to do well in the tournament at home.

"The disappointment levels are huge, especially coming so close on the back of the ICC World Twenty20 exit. I took that defeat very personally, but this one has really hit as a team. After all the hype of coming into the ICC Champions Trophy as the No. 1 team in the world, and then to end last in our group is hugely disappointing."
"We know we have let a lot of people down. The tournament is in our backyard and we really wanted to give the people of South Africa something to celebrate," he wrote in his column for 'Independent Online'.

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