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Bangladesh spinner Abdur Razzak (41) celebrates with wicketkeeper Musfiqur Rahim after getting the wicket of India’s Sachin Tendulkar at the Queen’s Park in the Port-of -Spain on Saturday. — AFP photo

Bangladesh turned in a spirited all-round performance to defeat much-fancied India by five wickets and deliver the first major upset of the ICC World Cup in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad on Saturday.
   India, touted by many as a favourite to win the tournament, was outplayed by their neighbours and relative minnows of the international game in every department of the game.
   The Bangladesh charge was led by their brigade of teenagers — three of them scoring half centuries to help their team reach the target of 192 set by India with nine balls to spare.
   Seventeen—year-old opener Tamim Iqbal, playing only his fifth one-day international, showed the way with some calypso strokes in a stunning 51 off 53 balls featuring two sixes.
   Two other teenagers carried followed Tamim’s work through to play a big role in Bangladesh’s second win over India in 15 one-dayers, as Saqibul Hasan (53) and wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim (56 not out) put on 84 for the fourth wicket.
   Bangladesh boosted their chances of qualifying for the next round. They will play Sri Lanka and debutants Bermuda in their next two games, while India need to win their remaining two matches in Group B to stay in contention.
   The stunning triumph was set up by pacer Mashrafee bin Murtaza, who grabbed four wickets in a superb exhibition of fast bowling to rattle the famed Indian batting line-up. India were dismissed for 191, their lowest total against Bangladesh.
   Only Sourav Ganguly (66) and Yuvraj Singh (47) managed to keep their batting reputation intact on India’s first day in the tournament, which eventually ended in a nightmare.
   It was Bangladesh’s biggest day in the tournament since making their debut in 1999. They had just one win against a Test-playing nation when they beat Pakistan in England.
   Habibul Bashar’s side were the deserving winners as they bowled with great discipline, fielded with enthusiasm and then batted boldly to stun their much higher-ranked opponents.
   Tamim never gave the impression he was playing his fifth one-dayer as he treated the Indian attack with sheer contempt, hitting two sixes and seven fours in his 53-ball knock.
   The pick of his shots was a huge six off left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan, the batsman stepping out to send the ball crashing into the stands. His audacious innings ended when he was caught behind off paceman Munaf Patel.
   His blitz eventually demoralised India, who continued to struggle for wickets as Mushfiq and Saqib batted sensibly to ensure the efforts of Tamim and Mashrafee did not go to waste.
   The 18-year-old Mushfiq kept one end intact with his second half-century, while the 19-year-old Saqib struck one six and five fours in his third half-century.
   The morning session belonged to Mashrafee, who jolted the Indian top order on a pitch which offered both bounce and movement. He not only took two early wickets, but also kept beating the bat during his fiery opening spell.
   He was brilliantly supported by left-arm spinners Mohammad Rafique (3 for 35) and Abdur Razzak (3 for 38) on a day when Bangladesh kept the pressure on India right from the opening over.
   Ganguly top-scored for India with a half-century, but even he too was not allowed to score freely by the Bangladesh seamers and spinners.
   Only Yuvraj Singh played with freedom in his team’s below-par batting performance, smashing a 58-ball 47. He shared an 85-run stand for the fifth wicket with Ganguly.
   Mashrafee and left-arm seamer Syed Rasel kept the batsmen silent during their opening spells, while Razzak and Rafique continued the good job to reduce India to 72 for 4.
   Both the teams observed a minute’s silence before the match in memory of Bangladeshi cricketer Manzarul Islam Rana, who died in a road accident near Dhaka on Friday.

Bangladesh’s dream start to the World Cup by defeating former champions India on Saturday gives them a great chance to progress to the super eights of the tournament. The victory, Bangladesh’s second against India and in their first encounter in a World Cup, undoubtedly represents Bangladesh’s finest cricketing moment, surpassing even the win against Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup and the one against Australia at Cardiff in 2005.
   Habibul Bashar may have lost the toss in the morning, but thereafter, the day was all Bangladesh’s. A brilliant opening spell by Mashrafee bin Murtaza, in which he accounted for Virender Sehwag and Robin Utthappa, was crucial in setting the tone of the game. Mashrafee bowled with controlled aggression, and with the maturity of the bowler who ended last year as the highest one-day wicket-taker in the world for the year. He was more than ably supported by his new-ball partner Syed Rasel, who bowled beautifully, running through his ten overs on the trot for only 31 runs.
   Much was made of the one-dimensional nature of Bangladesh’s bowling attack in all the pre-match conversations, but the three left-arm spinners, led by Mohammad Rafique, did the job for their team. They didn’t allow the Indian batsmen to settle down in the middle overs by taking wickets at regular intervals. Rafique and Abdur Razzaq both took three wickets and broke the backbone of the Indian batting before Mashrafee returned to clean up the tail.
   However, the best feature of Bangladesh’s performance was the fielding. It was the kind of performance that Australia or South Africa would be proud of. Not only were all the catches taken, including a brilliant one by Razzaq diving forward, the ground fielding was absolutely superb, with Bangladesh’s bevy of young players showing off their agility and skills.
   By the time the Bangladesh batsmen came out to chase the Indian total of 191, there was an air of inevitability about this match, which was quickly confirmed by the whirlwind innings played by Tamim Iqbal. The young left-hander, picked for his ability to hit over the top during the power plays, did just that, hitting seven fours and two sixes in his 51. He didn’t let his team feel the early loss of the dependable Shahriar Nafees, who went to Zaheer Khan.
   However, the significant partnership for Bangladesh came when Saqibul Hasan joined Mushfiqur Rahim after the fall of Tamim. Both players enjoyed some luck, but mixed caution with aggression to put on 84 brilliant runs to take the game away from India.
   Mushfiq, the young wicket-keeper batsman who took Khaled Mashud’s place in the squad, showed maturity well beyond his years to play a wonderful unbeaten innings of 56. It was only right that he got to hit the winning run, smacking a four through the covers, to signal the win in a match in which Bangladesh outplayed India in all departments of the game.
   Serious questions were raised when this squad was announced about the lack of top class experience of the players, many of whom are in their teens. However, the way the players handled the pressures of a crucial World Cup game, that too against players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid who most of them would have grown up idolising, is a great testament to their growing maturity and courage.
   The Tigers also recovered in time from the shock and sadness that dominated most of the hours leading up to the match against India because of the loss of former team-mate Manzarul Islam Rana, who died in a tragic accident in Khulna on Friday. Captain Habibul Bashar in his reaction to the death of Rana had promised that his team would put up a special performance to pay respect to the memory of Rana, and the victory against India is a fitting tribute to a player who always gave his all when playing for his country.
   Bangladesh will now hope to repeat this feat against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. However, even if the team is unable to beat Sri Lanka, a good performance in that match followed by a convincing win against lowly Bermuda should be enough to take Bangladesh to the super eights.

The entire Dhaka city burst into a spontaneous cheer and hundreds of people flooded the streets of the capital as the ball shot past the boundary off Mushfiqur Rahim’s bat to seal Bangladesh’s win over India in the early hours of Sunday.
   Anticipation was in the air all across the capital on Saturday night as the ticker on television screens clocked the slow, steady rise of Bangladesh’s runs. At different parts of the capital gatherings of eager supporters started getting thicker as news spread of an imminent win.
   The Dhaka University authorities had set up a giant screen at the Teachers-Student Centre at the beginning of the World Cup. Every day around 1,000 teachers and student watched the game there. But on Saturday it was five times higher than the usual attendance. As the match progressed and Bangladesh’s prospects of winning looked brighter, the attendance grew strong to stronger.
   As Mushfiq hit the winning boundary all of them burst into celebrations. Students from different dormitories of Dhaka University started to gather there. Chanting the only word they could think of — ‘Bangladesh, Bangladesh’ — they roared the quiet night out of its lull.
   A car draped over with the colours of the Bangladesh flag was spotted. They drummed up everything they could lay their hands on. People from nearby areas came en masse, some on rickshaws, others on bikes. Most just walked together on the streets!
   ‘This is just the beginning. We will rock the Caribbean!’ said Noman, a student of Dhaka University, while jumping all over.
   Small celebrations were spotted at Satmasjid Road, Tejgaon and Gulshan. Many had gathered privately at homes to watch the game, while some food outlets kept special arrangements with large screens for their customers.
   Coffee World outlets at Dhanmondi and Banani had spectators till the end of the game. The odd hour kept most indoors, but the sheer show of support and joy of celebration resembled that of Bangladesh’s first major cricketing success — the win of the ICC trophy in 1997.

Bangladesh teenagers Tamim Iqbal and Saqibul Hasan led their country to a famous five-wicket win over India in a World Cup sensation here on Saturday.
   Chasing just 192 to win, Bangladesh wrapped up the Group B match at the Queen’s Park Oval with nine balls to spare.
   Tamim, aged just 17, hit 51 off 53 balls with 19-year-old Saqib making 53 off 86 balls. Eighteen-year-old Mushfiqur Rahim made an unbeaten 56 off 107 balls to see his side home. ‘I just tried to play my natural game,’ said Tamim, who collected seven fours and two sixes. ‘I like to play my shots.’
   Saqib added: ‘It’s a good win and we knew that if we could bat 50 overs we would win.’
   Meanwhile, Indian captain Rahul Dravid admitted his team face a battle to qualify for the next round.
   ‘Our backs are up against the wall,’ said Dravid who chose to bat at the Queen’s Park Oval and saw his much-vaunted batting line-up skittled out for just 191 by a young Bangladesh team.
   ‘It was a disappointing day. We didn’t get enough runs on the board. I thought 240 would have been a good score but the wicket surprised us,’ said Dravid.
   ‘Their bowlers kept it really tight and they didn’t let us get away. We lost a few late wickets which could have been the difference between 20 and 30 runs.
   ‘With another 30-40 runs, it would have been a good game.’
   India will have to beat Sri Lanka as well as minnows Bermuda to have any hope of making it through to the second round Super Eights.

Defending champions Australia are already looking beyond the formality of dismissing the Netherlands today as the countdown begins to their World Cup clash against South Africa.
   Captain Ricky Ponting has one eye on the crucial match against the world number one Proteas on March 24 which will decide who tops Group A.
   ‘We are ready for our next two matches and have planned well for South Africa which I expect to be a real good contest,’ said Ponting after his team saw South Africa crush the Netherlands by 221 runs at Warner Park on Friday.
   South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs became the first man in one-day cricket history to hit six sixes in an over when he smashed five straight ones and one towards mid-wicket off hapless leg-break bowler Daan van Bunge.
   Gibbs finished with a 40-ball 72, Jacques Kallis hit an unbeaten 128, while Mark Boucher hit the fastest World Cup fifty off just 21 deliveries during his quick-fire 75 not out as South Africa mustered 353-3 in a shortened 40-over match.
   But Ponting, who himself smashed five sixes in his 113 in Australia’s 334-6 in a 203-run win over Scotland on Wednesday, was not surprised at the run-riot.
   ‘It doesn’t actually surprise me that much. Gibbs’s was a fairly rare feat but having played out there the other day it’s a pretty small ground and it could have happened, not easily, but the way some of the players are hitting the ball these days it doesn’t surprise me at all.’
   Ponting predicted a high-scoring match against South Africa.
   ‘I think 350 is very much a par score out there, it’s just so small a ground. The straight boundaries are really small. I mis-hit a few the other day to the top of the grandstand.
   ‘If we bat first (against South Africa) then we are going to have to make a really good score to be competitive,’ said Ponting whose side has failed to defend big totals, including a world record score of 434 against South Africa last year.
   ‘That last match was a fitting end to a great series. I expect the game to be a really good contest and we have special plans for all of their guys.’
   ‘They are number-one ranked one-day team in the world now, so they are doing lots of things right. We’ve got a good rivalry with South Africa in Test and one-day cricket,’ said Ponting whose team lost their world number one spot to Greame Smith’s side last month.
   Australia are expected to be unchanged on Sunday after all-rounder Andrew Symonds, recovering from arm surgery, was ruled out.
   The Netherlands, playing their third World Cup since 1996, will be hard pressed to pick up pieces after their South African rout.
   ‘It will be tough but we must cheer up and face Australia in the next game,’ said Dutch skipper Luke van Troost. ‘We were doing well until the tenth over of the South African match but from there we lost our way. I would be happy if we could repeat our first ten over performance and bat better.’
   Australia beat the Netherlands in their only previous World Cup meeting by 75 runs in South Africa in 2003.
   Teams
   Australia: (from): Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Nathan Bracken, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn McGrath, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson, Stuart Clark.
   Netherlands (from): Luuk van Troost (captain), Peter Borren, Daan van Bunge, Ryan ten Doeschate, Mark Jonkman, Muhammad Kashif, Alexei Kervezee, Tim de Leede, Adeel Raja, Darron Reekers, Edgar Schiferli, Jeroen Smits, Billy Stelling, Eric Szwarczynski, Bas Zuiderent.

Take a bow Vanessa, Geraldine and Maebh, the unheralded stars of the Irish cricket team.
   Without them, Ireland may not have managed their thrilling last ball World Cup tie against Zimbabwe.
   Irish girls all, Vanessa is the wife of skipper Trent Johnston, Geraldine is married to batsman Jeremy Bray, who made an unbeaten 115 in Thursday’s match, while Maebh met Dave Langford-Smith when the bowler travelled to Ireland to attend Bray’s wedding.
   The common link? Johnston, Bray and Langford-Smith are all Australian.
   Johnston met Vanessa when he was playing club cricket in Leinster but then moved to Sydney.
   However, the couple returned to Ireland where Johnston was entitled to an Irish passport through marriage.
   He then announced himself as an international player when he took two wickets in Ireland’s famous win over the West Indies two years ago.
   ‘Ireland is home now. I love the lifestyle – the weather’s different but the people are just as laid back,’ Johnston told the Sunday Tribune newspaper.
   Bray was Australian player of the year at under-19 level and played youth Tests for his country.
   He played for New South Wales but went to Ireland when girlfriend, Geraldine, returned to care for her seriously ill father.
   Langford-Smith arrived in Ireland for Bray’s wedding and met Maebh.
   ‘We went home for our honeymoon in December 2005 and after a few weeks I started to feel homesick – for Ireland,’ said the bowler.
   The trio’s odyssey enjoyed a glorious stopping-off point here on Thursday with Ireland’s last-ball tie in the country’s first World Cup match.
   ‘We have played quite a few games which have gone to the last ball or the last over,’ said man-of-the-match Bray, the 12th opening batsman to carry his bat in a World Cup game.
   ‘But the skipper has always told us to keep fighting and fighting even when our backs are to the wall.’
   Bray said he was looking forward to taking on Pakistan in the next match here on Saturday.
   ‘They are a fantastic side but it’s one-day cricket. If we play to our ability and they have an off-day, anything can happen.’

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and team officials have denied reports of discord in their World Cup squad in the Caribbean.
   Reacting to stories in Pakistan and Indian papers that there have been problems between the captain and media manager Pervez Mir, Inzamam told the ‘Daily Jang’ newspaper that the people spreading these rumours were anti-Pakistan.
   Pakistan lost their opening match of the World Cup to hosts West Indies and there have been reports about Inzamam criticising Mir and refusing to attend a news conference.
   ‘Whenever we lose rumour mongers spread such stories. These people are not well-wishers of the team and want to derail our campaign,’ Inzamam told Jang.
   ‘There is no discord in the team and I get along well with the media manager and players,’ he said.
   Mir insisted gossip mongers had launched a propaganda campaign against the team.
   ‘All these rumours are not true. There is harmony in the team and we will do well,’ he told a Pakistani newspaper.

Muktijod-dha rode their luck to get their much-needed victory in the B league when they squeaked past Dhaka Mohammedan SC 1-0 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Saturday.
   Skipper Moni’s glancing header off a Titu corner gave the red outfit its first win after a draw and a loss in their last two matches.
   However, Mohammedan were an unlucky bunch as they created a few chances but due to the poor marksmanship of the strikers the traditional black-and-white outfit suffered the agony of their first defeat in three matches.
   Muktijoddha were at the receiving end most of the time but luck was on their side and they came away with their maiden win.
   Midfield maestro Arman curved a 40-yarder in the 2nd minute after seeing Mohammedan custodian Himel out of position but his effort missed the post by a few inches.
   But Mohammedan launched a series of attacks, Emeka’s header off a Paul Mwach Ukwu cross missed the target by a whisker, Nakib’s volley went miles over the crosspiece on 32 minutes and Emeka’s grounder whistled past the side post three minutes later.
   Muktijoddha, however, went up against the run of play as Moni knelt down to head a Titu corner into the far corner of the post when the Mohammedan defenders were thinking of something else.
   Titumir Chowdhury, the second-choice custodian who replaced Aminul who is yet to play a match in the B league, punched away a Paul
   Mwach Ukwu thunder from the top of the box in the 58th minute.
   Emeka squandered another chance in the 73rd minute as his volley off a Mithu cross
   went straight into the lap of Titumir.
   Muktijoddha took a defensive approach in the last few minutes and right-back Saiful was shown the red card for time-wasting minutes before the final whistle.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting predicted on Friday a run feast in excess of 700 runs when the world champions meet South Africa in their final World Cup Group A match on March 24.
   Ponting told a news conference at Warner Park he had not seen South African Herschelle Gibbs make one-day international history by hitting six sixes in an over against the Netherlands earlier in the day.
   But the Australian skipper, who hit five sixes in his 113 against Scotland at the same venue on Wednesday, said he was not surprised.
   ‘Having played on that ground, it’s very, very small,’ he said. ‘With the way the guys are hitting the ball these days, it didn’t really surprise me.
   ‘I think 350 is very much a par score out there, it’s just so small a ground. The straight boundaries are really small. I mishit a few the other day to the top of the grandstand. If we bat first then we are going to have to make a really good score to be competitive.’
   Australia scored 334 for six from their 50 overs against Scotland, a tally topped by South Africa on Friday who amassed 353 for three from 40 against the Netherlands in a rain-shortened match.
   The Australians, who are aiming for a World Cup hat-trick in the tournament which ends in Barbados on April 28, play the Netherlands on Sunday.
   Unsurprisingly, Ponting was not asked any questions about the Dutch but plenty about the South Africans, who displaced his side as the world number one in the International Cricket Council rankings last month while the Australians were losing five matches in a row.
   ‘They are a very good team and have been for a long time,’ he said. ‘They are the number one ranked one-day side in the world now, they must be doing something right.
   ‘We have a great rivalry with South Africa and have done for a long time in both test cricket and one-day internationals. I expect the game to be a real good contest.’

West Indies legend Sir Viv Richards hailed Herschelle Gibbs on Saturday after the South African created history by becoming the first player to hit six sixes in an international over.
   Gibbs achieved the landmark in the 30th over of his side’s 221-run demolition of the Netherlands at Warner Park before going on to make a 40-ball 72.
   ‘Herschelle Gibbs was one of the players who I thought could achieve the feat and I’m delighted he’s done it,’ said Richards who also noted that Gibbs’s heroics also prompted a leading drinks company to pay out a million dollars to charity.
   ‘A million dollars is a lot of money and this sum will go to a great charity.’
   Gibbs said he didn’t know of the campaign of the Johnnie Walker group to stump up the money.
   ‘I was not aware of the charity announcement. I have seen Brian Lara hitting some sixes in a Test so I thought, may be, something similar and it happened.’
   Gibbs’s record feat, along with Jacques Kallis’s unbeaten 128 and another rapid 31-ball 75 not out by Mark Boucher, which included the fastest ever World Cup half century, helped South Africa pile up 353-3 in a shortened 40-over-a-side match.
   South Africa then restricted the Netherlands to 132-9 in their 40 overs to win by a comprehensive 221-run margin, the third largest winning margin in World Cup history.
   ‘After the fourth six, I thought it could be on,’ added Gibbs.
   ‘I thought about using my feet and coming down the pitch, but then I changed my mind and decided to stay in the crease.
   ‘The idea was for me to have another two goes at the record and luckily I didn’t miscue any of them, so it was quite nice.’
   The last two deliveries from the hapless leg-break bowler Daan van Bunge were heaved to long-off to complete the unique feat.
   ‘If the ball presents itself, I’ll try everything,’ said Gibbs.
   ‘I was lucky the straight boundaries were quite small but the six sixes was a bonus, it was just nice to get a hit in the middle.’
   South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, who hit a 59-ball 67, said he was happy at his team’s work out.
   ‘I am happy that most of the guys had a hit out and now we look forward to the game against Scotland and then the big one against Australia,’ said Smith ahead of the remaining Group A matches.

Dutch captain Luuk van Troost wanted to make history against South Africa and he got his wish.
   However, his hapless, hopeless team will be remembered as having suffered the third heaviest World Cup defeat, having conceded the most sixes in an innings and having played their part in accommodating the fastest tournament half-century ever made.
   If that wasn’t enough history for one day, his leg-break bowler Daan van Bunge then did his bit by allowing South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs to become the first man ever to hit six sixes in an over in an international game.
   ‘Before the game we said let’s make history by beating South Africa. Well, we made history but in an another way,’ admitted van Troost, whose team was dismissed for 131 to lose by 221 runs.
   South Africa piled up 353-3 in a game reduced to 40 overs-a-side after overnight rain had delayed the start of the Group A mismatch at Warner Park.
   Jacques Kallis smashed an unbeaten 128, Mark Boucher hit a 21-ball fifty while Gibbs boasted a 40-ball 72.
   Even more embarrassing for the World Cup organisers was the fact that three of the heaviest defeats in tournament history have come in the last three days with Bermuda losing by 243 runs to Sri Lanka and Scotland being routed by 203 runs by defending champions Australia.
   The Aussies remain the undisputed demolition kings having beaten Namibia at the last World Cup in 2003 by 256 runs.
   The 31-year-old Gibbs is only the third man in the game’s history to hit six sixes in an over.
   West Indian great Sir Gary Sobers was the first to reach the landmark playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan at Swansea in 1968 with Malcolm Nash the bowler taking the punishment.
   Former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri then equalled the feat against Raj Tilak for Bombay against Baroda in 1984.
   Hovever, both those achievements came in first-class matches, not international one-dayers.
   Van Troost admitted it was embarrassing being captain as Gibbs unleashed all of his firepower.
   ‘What can you say? I told Daan after the third ball, ‘try to bowl a quicker one’ and he said, ‘I just did.’
   ‘There were a few good balls in it and a few shit balls. It’s terrible to be a captain in that situation. The last couple of overs I didn’t know where to put my players any more, or where to bowl, I thought I’ll take the last over, someone’s got to do it. Nightmare for a captain.’
   In all South Africa hit 18 sixes, another record.
   When asked how van Bunge reacted in the dressing room, van Troost replied: ‘He had some flashbacks. He started laughing as he was sitting in the dressing-room. Serious!
   ‘What can we say? It’s a nightmare. We can hide in our rooms or take the positives out of it, and show against Australia (their next opponents on Sunday) that we can play better than today,’ said van Troost.
   ‘They totally outplayed us, I was quite happy with the start actually (when they removed opener AB de Villiers for nought), but after that they were cruising. After we came off everyone was very negative.’

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said his side now had a ‘game in hand’ after beating England by six wickets in their opening match of the World Cup.
   Both Test nations are overwhelming favourites to qualify from a Group C also featuring Canada and Kenya. And, if that does happen, New Zealand will carry two points forward into the second phase, Super Eight stage.
   That could yet prove important but the 33-year-old Fleming, a veteran of 271 one-day internationals and New Zealand’s most experienced captain, said he wouldn’t be getting carried away by Friday’s victory.
   ‘It’s not the be all and end all. We tried to look at both sides of it and have two answers in case we didn’t get the two points. It’s somewhere in the middle. It’s like a game in hand although we have to do the right work in these next two games.
   ‘But the four teams carrying a win could easily lose the first game (in the Super Eights) and then you are back to scratch,’ the left-handed opening batsman added.
   ‘It was a nervy win, a great relief and brilliant to get the two points in the bank,’ said Fleming. ‘It was a tense day. The first game could have a massive bearing on the next stage and to win it was a great relief.’
   He added: ‘It was a poor top-order display that put the pressure smack back on us but we responded well.’
   Fleming also praised fast bowler Bond.
   ‘Shane’s ability to change his pace was very effective. To get two of the big guns, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, so quickly, was the turning point.
   ‘That really cut down a 250 par score to 210. Flintoff and Pietersen, coming to the end of an innings, can be incredibly dangerous.’

India’s Sachin Tendulkar is to be featured as a superhero in a new range of comic books, animation and games to hit the stands in June. The batsman is his country’s best known face following his exploits with the bat since his debut as a curly-haired 16-year-old in 1989.
   The character is to be known as ‘Sachin Tendulkar—the Master Blaster’ and the advanced images released by Virgin Comics on Saturday shows him dressed as a modern animation action hero.
   Dressed in a body armour, the superhero wields a flaming cricket bat.
   ‘In this new venture, Sachin (Tendulkar) hopes to bring more excitement and joy to Indian children and share with them another new dream of ‘being Sachin’,’ a press release from Virgin Comics said.
   Tendulkar, 33, holds the records for most hundreds in tests (35) and one-dayers (41) and most runs in one-day cricket (14,783).

Millions of fans back home may by expecting India to win the World Cup, but skipper Rahul Dravid believes the most significant thing is that the players should not let themselves down.
   Nicknamed ‘The Wall’ for his solid defence and sound temperament, Dravid says he is aware of the fans’ expectations and the players should do their best to live up to them.
   ‘It’s just the way you look at it (burden of expectations)... look at it as a great opportunity, look at it as a chance to make a lot of people happy. At the end of the day, the boys can only try their best,’ said Dravid.
   ‘We should not let ourselves down. That’s really important. We have to go out there and do our best. If we do that, I think the hopes of a billion people will be satisfied.
   ‘Yes, they (fans) want us to win, but more importantly they want us to be good representatives of our country and do our best. That’s what we aim to do.’
   When asked to name a player who could clinch the Cup for India, Dravid said he did not believe his side can win the event on the strength of one person’s performance alone.
   ‘If you want to compete against top sides, I think you need a team effort and all the guys to contribute. At various stages of the tournament, they need to put their hands up and be match-winners for us,’ said Dravid.
   ‘I don’t think you can name one person. I don’t think we can win the World Cup on the back of one person’s performance. We have got a lot of good players in the team and we expect everyone to perform.
   ‘If the majority of players have a good tournament, stand up at critical stages of the games and be counted, then I think we will do pretty well.’
   The Indian captain said the early part of the tournament would be crucial because it would give an opportunity to all the teams to get used to the conditions and find the right combinations.
   ‘The early part of the tournament is about testing the form of your players. It is about testing the conditions and getting used to them. As the tournament goes on, the teams might start looking at different things,’ he said.
   Dravid was not worried over the Caribbean pitches, saying his team had the flexibility to adjust to any condition.
   ‘Everyone is telling me that pitches will be low and slow in the Caribbean, but no-one really knows. We just have to adapt to whatever conditions we are playing in,’ said the Indian skipper.
   ‘Each island is probably going to be different. The good thing about us is that we have got flexiblility in the team and quality in all the departments.’

In a major change to the playing conditions during the World Cup, teams would have an option of making changes in the playing XI on the reserve day of a match if toss but no play is possible on the originally scheduled day.
   Calculation on net run-rate and amended role of ICC match referee were also clarified for the showpiece event at a recent pre-tournament meeting involving event officials, captains, coaches and managers of the 16 competing teams.
   During the meeting, which took place in Montego Bay, it was agreed that in the event of a toss but no play-taking place on the first scheduled day of a match, the toss could take place again and the teams changed for the reserve day.
   In announcing this decision, the ICC also clarified the situations concerning the calculation of net run-rate during the tournament and the role of the match referee in relation to Law 21.3 (‘Umpires awarding a match’).
   Explaining the decision concerning the potential for a re-toss on day two of a rain-ruined match, ICC General Manager Cricket and Chairman of the Tournament Technical Committee David Richardson said: ‘Under the original playing conditions the result of the toss was carried over to the reserve day even if a ball was not bowled on day one but
   there was a groundswell of opinion against that in the meeting.
   ‘The concerns included the fact that conditions may change overnight and that might result in a side being unfairly disadvantaged if the original toss remained in place.
   Richardson, however, said in such a case the match would be regarded as one.
   ‘In effect, in those circumstances, the captains have agreed to discount the first toss. As such the first toss will be deemed not to have taken place at all and that means there is no question of players being awarded caps on the basis of that first day,’ he clarified.

Reigning champions Bangladesh Rifles defeated Uttara Sporting Club 25-14, 25-8, 25-7 in the opening match of the Dhaka Metropolis Premier Division Volleyball League on Friday.
   In the other match of the day, Bangladesh Police outplayed Fire Service and Civil Defence by 25-8, 25-7 and 25-19 points.
   The managing director of the NCC Bank, Md Nurul Amin, inaugurated the league as the chief guest. Vice-president of Bangladesh Volleyball Federation Morshed Chowdhury and general secretary Ashiqur Rahman Miku were also present.

Ireland’s World Cup players will spend St Patrick’s Day night on Saturday with their families when they will have their first alcoholic drink since their nail-biting tie against Zimbabwe at Sabina Park.
   Ireland play their second Group D match against Pakistan on their national day and victory would eliminate Pakistan and put the Irish on the cusp of qualification for the Super Eights stage.
   They kicked off their campaign in the seven-week World Cup which culminates in the final on April 28 in Barbados with a thrilling tie on Thursday with Zimbabwe.
   Win, lose, or tie, though, the Irish are getting ready for an almighty party on Saturday on the north coast of Jamaica, where the majority of the Irish fans have based themselves.
   The Irish traditionally drink their home country’s specialty, Guinness, on the special day.
   ‘The majority of us are going to spend the evening with our families up in Ochos Rios – hopefully it will be fantastic,’ Ireland batsman Eoin Morgan told Reuters.
   ‘None of us had a drink after the Zimbabwe match. Our fans came over and sang to us, which was brilliant, but we didn’t have a drink.’
   Team manager Roy Torrens said the reputation of Irish people for enjoying a tipple is not that accurate in the case of the cricket team.
   ‘When we have a team dinner, all you can see is 12 Pepsis, two lemonades and a shandy,’ Torrens told Reuters.

Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer believes non-Test playing nations should be at the World Cup despite a series of humiliating results here.
   Three of the four heaviest defeats in the history of the World Cup came in the first three days of the 2007 tournament.
   Sri Lanka beat Bermuda by 243 runs, South Africa romped to a 221-run win against the Netherlands, in a match reduced to 40 overs each because of rain, while Scotland lost by 202 runs to Australia.
   But Woolmer, whose Pakistan side were facing Ireland on Saturday, insists that the Associate member sides, comprised of mostly amateur players, will only improve by being exposed to top level competition.
   ‘My view is that the World Cup is a wonderful incentive for these countries to improve their cricket internally and help grow the game worldwide,’ Woolmer wrote in his www.cricinfo.com column.
   ‘Ultimately, it’s only when the players in those countries are playing regular top-class cricket and are paid professionally that they will start to make inroads into the Full Member nations.
   ‘In addition, players who were born in the high-performance countries but moved overseas with their parents when they were young are now returning to the land of their birth to help with their experience and to try and gain a place in the team with the World Cup as their incentive.
   ‘In fact the ICC has increased the funding 10-fold in order to narrow the gap between the full member countries and the Associates.
   ‘The associate countries have been prepared better for this World Cup than ever before and it has started to show in their performances.
   ‘Ireland, in particular, have shown a rapid improvement, captained by an Australian, Trent Johnston, a medium-fast seamer and, with a number of players who have county experience in England, they have a very good team. Any side underestimating them will be doing themselves few favours.’

Daniele De Rossi trusts Roma can cause a Champions League upset against Manchester United, especially with a Francesco Totti ‘worthy of the Ballon d’Or.’
   ‘We began as the underdogs with Lyon and perhaps are also a little at a disadvantage against Manchester, but everything is possible,’ assured the World Cup winner.
   ‘We are more convinced of that now than ever considering the great confidence boost we received in France.’
   The Giallorossi were held to a 0-0 draw at the Olimpico in the first leg of their second round tie against the French giants, only to earn a shock 2-0 victory away to qualify.
   If they do get past Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, they still face a semi-final challenge with either Milan or Bayern Munich.
   ‘If Roma were to go all the way and win this very difficult competition, it really would be a miracle. A little sporting miracle.’
   That controversial win at the Stade de Gerland was even more uplifting after a series of refereeing errors went against them.
   ‘If you play better than your opponents, with more determination, then even if a goal is disallowed and some free kicks aren’t given, at the end of the day you will still qualify,’ assured De Rossi.
   In his career, the Roma youth product has most often been compared to Manchester United’s own Paul Scholes.
   ‘I know how strong Scholes is and how much experience he has in this type of game. It will certainly be exciting to play against him.’
   Sir Alex named De Rossi among the danger men, but did not mention captain Totti in that list.
   ‘If we continue the Champions League as we are now, seeing as he also won the World Cup, I think Totti would deserve the Ballon d’Or as the best player in Europe,’ said his team-mate.

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has admitted that the club’s ambitions for this season now hinge on their next two games – a Merseyside double-header against Everton and Liverpool.
   Arsene Wenger’s team, knocked out of the League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League in the space of ten days earlier this month, must now focus on securing a Champions League spot for next season by clinching a top four Premiership finish.
   Three points at Goodison Park against Everton today, followed by another victory over Liverpool at Anfield on March 31, will all but secure that top-four slot for the Gunners.
   But Spanish youngster Fabregas admits that Arsenal still believe second place and an automatic Champions League spot could yet be up for grabs between now and the end of the season.
   Fabregas said, ‘The next two league games with Everton and Liverpool will be massive, especially Liverpool because we can take a step towards closing in on third place.
   ‘It is not hard to be motivated now. For every footballer, football is our life and what we enjoy the most, so whenever I play football, I am motivated.
   ‘It is true at times that you have bigger games than others and for us right now second place is an objective we still want to try and achieve that.’
   David Moyes, who celebrated his fifth anniversary as Everton manager earlier this week, has guided his team to a series of impressive results against Arsenal at Goodison in recent seasons.
   The Scot is without broken foot victim Tim Cahill for the rest of the season, however, and he admits that the loss of the Australian midfielder will force him to rethink his team’s approach against Wenger’s men.
   Moyes said, ‘Tim is very important to us and we will need to find a new balance now, a new blend, and it’s something that I need to look for.
   ‘Losing him for such an important chunk of the season is a big, big miss, and with our squad they way it is, we are quite limited in our options, but I will have to find something.
   ‘You hope to win as many of your home games as you can and I just hope we can do it again against Arsenal.
   ‘It’s a big ask. They have been here already this season and beaten us in the League Cup, so we know we have to change that around.
   ‘But we played with ten men that night for most of the match, against a team which then went on to do very well in other cup ties. It’s a real hard game, but one we have to take something from.’
   Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky is set to continue for Arsenal after recently returning from injury and he insists that, despite the club’s failures in the cups, they still have plenty to play for.
   He said, ‘The win against Aston Villa in midweek was very important as we have moved ahead of Liverpool now.
   ‘Staying ahead of them is a big target for the last stage of the league.’

Owen Hargreaves has been restored to the England squad for this month’s crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers away to Israel and Andorra.
   The Bayern Munich midfielder, one of England’s few successes at the World Cup in Germany last year, returns after recovering from a broken leg and his dynamic presence represents a significant boost for head coach Steve McClaren as he prepares for two qualifiers he cannot afford to lose.
   Defeat by Croatia in Zagreb in October has left England struggling in third place in their qualifying group and in serious danger of failing to qualify for a major tournament for the first time since the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
   There is no place in McClaren’s squad for either Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton or Aston Villa’s left-sided midfielder/defender Gareth Barry, both of whom were involved in last month’s friendly defeat by Spain.
   Barry’s omission is the greater surprise as first choice left-back Ashley Cole is suspended for the Israel match and his usual back-up, Wayne Bridge, is injured.
   McClaren has been forced to do without giant Liverpool striker Peter Crouch, who is injured, and has dropped Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips.
   Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster impressed against Spain but McClaren has indicated that Tottenham’s Paul Robinson will be handed the gloves for the crucial match with Israel in Tel Aviv on March 24.
   Squad
   Goalkeepers: Scott Carson, Paul Robinson, Ben Foster
   Defenders: Ashley Cole, John Terry, Phil Neville, Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, Jonathan Woodgate
   Midfielders: Owen Hargreaves, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Michael Carrick, Stewart Downing, Kieron Dyer, Scott Parker, Aaron Lennon
   Forwards: Darren Bent, Andrew Johnson, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe.

President of the French Football Federation Jean-Pierre Escalettes on Friday said he was ‘shocked’ at Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger’s comments blaming France’s mismanagement for Thierry Henry’s injury-plagued season.
   Escalettes has joined UEFA president Michel Platini in criticism of the Gunners boss adding he ‘supported’ the firm retort of France coach Raymond Domenech on Thursday.
   Domenech blasted Wenger saying he was ‘getting seriously tired’ of the Arsenal manager’s grumblings adding, ‘He is starting to get on everyone’s nerves. He doesn’t know absolutely everything.
   ‘He is not the only one who has a right to exist in the world of football.’
   Wenger created widespread fury among and around the French camp on Tuesday when he blamed Henry’s below-par season on what he believed was poor handling of the striker by the national team.
   Henry has been plagued with injury this season and the final blow came for the 29-year-old when he was ruled out for the rest of season following a groin and stomach muscle tear suffered in their Champions league exit to PSV Eindhoven.
   FFF president Escalettes said that by experiencing the workings of the national team first hand it was hard to believe there was any substance to Wenger’s complaints.
   ‘I am lucky enough to be close to the France team, and for two years I have seen all the precautions that are taken and the competence of the medical staff.
   ‘It is not because he (Thierry Henry) played one and a half hours in Bosnia that he has problems today.’
   However, Wenger fuelled the debate when, speaking to French sports daily L’Equipe, he said he was not interested in Domenech’s remarks adding that the French coach was ‘a relentless provocator.
   ‘The coach never calls me. He draws on clubs that improve their players and then scorns these clubs, he pays them no attention.
   ‘Is a telephone call to give news on a player with whom you rub shoulders with on a daily basis too much to ask for? If this process existed, there wouldn’t be a problem.
   ‘The only one (national coaches) who never calls me is Domenech,’ concluded Wenger.
   Despite understanding Wenger’s viewpoint in the affair, Lyon boss Gerard Houllier believes Domench’s only interest is for the greater good of the national team.
   ‘I am behind Arsene, you know that well. But Raymond (Domenech) does what he wants and he knows what he must do to qualify France for Euro 2008. If there are nine Lyon players against Austria, I will adapt myself around it.
   ‘I met Raymond Domenech concerning Robert Duverne
   the day of the Marseille game and it went very well,’ added Houllier.

Low-profile Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has been praised to the heights by England manager Steve McClaren as the team prepares for forthcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers.
   Carragher looks set to come in at left back against Israel in Tel-Aviv on Saturday, though he normally plays in central defence for his club.
   England’s strong central defensive pairing of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand have been instrumental in keeping Carragher, who has made 32 appearances for his country, out of his favourite position.
   However, having watched most of his recent performances – particularly the 29-year-old’s superb displays against Manchester United and Barcelona – McClaren would have no hesitation in giving Carragher the responsibility of replacing the suspended Ashley Cole.
   ‘Jamie is one of those unsung heroes every team needs,’ said McClaren after naming his squad for the Euro 2008 qualifier. ‘He is very professional and very conscientious, someone who quietly gets on with his job and is probably only missed when he is not in the side.
   ‘His performances against Manchester United and Barcelona were fantastic and I am really delighted with his form.’
   As expected, McClaren has omitted Joey Barton, Gareth Barry and Shaun Wright-Phillips, who all featured against Spain.
   The England coach is facing a worrying few days, though, with 13 of his party due to be involved in FA Cup quarter-final replays on Monday, threatening an injury nightmare which could completely wreck his planning for the game.
   At least Owen Hargreaves is available for the first time since September after recovering from his broken leg.
   The Manchester United target is a certain starter as McClaren looks to get the best of out more attack-minded midfield duo Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to rebuild a qualifying campaign which has seen England slump to third in Group E.
   However, McClaren, whose own position will come under renewed scrutiny should England fail, remains confident about England’s chances of progression.
   ‘We have been in this situation many times before,’ he said. ‘I have been involved with this squad for five years now and we have had bad results in every qualification.
   ‘This is the time when the big players have to step forward. We have done it before.
   ‘We are good enough to do it again. We have to go out and prove it.’
   Following the Israel fixture, England play Andorra in Barcelona on March 28.

Alex Ferguson has told Jose Mourinho, ‘We won’t bottle this title.’
   Manchester United face Bolton today with a six-point lead and vastly superior goal difference.
   Fergie famously labelled the last few weeks of the season ‘squeaky bum time’ when United were battling to hold off Arsenal in 2003.
   They finished as champions that year. And the Reds boss warned that, with just nine games to go, Chelsea can forget about his team letting it slip this time either.
   Fergie said, ‘We’ve got a fantastic goal difference and we’re six points clear.
   Obviously every game is a cup final situation but it is
   what you can make of it yourselves.
   ‘The players have shown they have the composure and confidence in their game to do it.
   ‘In a couple of games, against Fulham and Liverpool, they have also shown they have got the guts and determination to see it through too.
   ‘So, going into the middle of March what more could I look and ask for?
   ‘They are all showing me the right signs and I’m quite happy with that.’
   Ferguson reckons that Chelsea will win all their remaining games – at least until the two sides meet again at Stamford Bridge on April 15 – so he wants his side to focus on themselves and match the Blues point for point.
   He said, ‘We’ve got to assume that Chelsea are going to go the whole way, so why should we worry about that.
   ‘We’ve got to make sure we concentrate on our own thing. If we get three points against Bolton then we can expect Chelsea to do the same against Sheffield United.
   ‘But why worry about that? We should get the points in the bag, count the games off one by one and hopefully that will get us to where we want to go.’

Thierry Henry insists Arsenal’s young guns will deliver silverware next season.
   The North London club will end the term empty-handed for the second time in succession.
   But Gunners skipper Henry believes Arsene Wenger’s troops will challenge Chelsea and Manchester United for honours in 2007-08. The French hitman – who will miss tomorrow’s Everton clash with groin and stomach injuries – also reveals his dream of returning to Wembley, which opens its doors to the public for the first time today. Henry, 29, said, ‘If someone asks me how to describe this season, I would say we could have done better.
   ‘I don’t think anyone would argue the potential is certainly there within the team. Next season, we need to bring back some silverware. I think that is very important.
   ‘We need to repay the fans but we also have to repay Arsene, who has shown a lot of confidence in the team.
   ‘It is generally a young side but Arsene has shown great faith in the players. Hopefully now, the team can continue its improvement and compete with United and Chelsea next season. I am sure that will be the case.
   ‘Also, everyone must keep faith with Arsene. Some people are having a go at him from outside the club but it is very unfair.
   ‘Whatever people are saying about him, he is still the main man. He has put together this current team at a fraction of the cost of what other managers have. That’s something he should get great credit for.’
   Henry is devastated Arsenal will not be involved in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
   He said, ‘Whenever I go to our training round at London Colney, I drive by it as I am heading out of London. It looks a fantastic stadium.
   ‘I played twice at Wembley in the Champions League. It’s an amazing place.
   ‘I really hope I get the chance to play there with Arsenal or France. My first time was against Solna. I scored, we won 3-1 and it was my first time at Wembley – that was all I cared about.
   ‘I am sure the new stadium will also give players and fans a special feeling.’

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said on Friday he supported the decision of new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to review the plans for the club’s proposed stadium.
   The Americans have halted preparatory work to set up a review of the new stadium to discover if they can increase the proposed 60,000 capacity.
   ‘We talked about 60,000 fans, that would be fantastic but now we’re talking about 70 or 80,000 and that would be better,’ Benitez told reporters on Friday.
   ‘More Liverpool supporters could see the game and there are more possibilities for the club in terms of money. For me, it’s good for the club.’
   Benitez says building the new stadium is just part of the work Hicks and Gillett need to complete to bring Liverpool onto a par with Manchester United and Chelsea.
   He believes the club are heading in the right direction but need to speed up their plans.
   ‘The message is clear – we need to improve in a lot of things,’ he added.
   ‘You can’t spend 100 million pounds each year on players to improve the team. We are a top side, we are in the Champions League and we have to look at ways of improving the club.
   ‘It is clear we are in the right way but we have to go maybe faster.’
   Liverpool have played at Anfield since Everton left in 1892 and the proposed new stadium would be close to Anfield on Stanley Park, the open space which separates Anfield from Everton’s home at Goodison Park.
   Although Anfield once held almost 62,000 for an FA Cup match against Wolves in 1952, the current capacity of the ground is just over 45,000.

Nemanja Vidic has admitted he took time to settle in at Manchester United as his style of play was too ‘strong’ for English football.
   The Serbia defender, who arrived in 2006 from Spartak Moscow for £7m, failed to impress in his early days in England and many were critical of United for paying such a high fee.
   This season, however, Vidic has been a revelation, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s men having conceded just 19 goals all season in the Premiership, and the player believes it was just a case of adapting to the less physical English game.
   ‘I came here having played in a different league, with a totally different style of football,’ he told the Daily Mirror. ‘The first three months at United were really hard.
   ‘I didn’t play very well and didn’t feel very good in those first few months, so I had to make sure I improved and was able to adapt to the English style.
   ‘After those first few months, I settled in better and started to improve. After every training session and game, I was improving and felt much better. ‘The referees here don’t allow strong games, so you have to be more patient. When a player gets a small touch, a referee will give a foul, so being patient in English football is more important than being strong.’

England’s new 800- million pound ($1.45 billion) stadium has finally opened its doors to the public for the first time as a precursor to the FA Cup final in May, the BBC reported on Saturday.
   About 60,000 Londoners were allowed into the 90,000-capacity national arena in order to test turnstiles and escalators as part of the safety certificate application. A football session will take place on the pitch and visitors will be asked to collectively flush the stadium toilets. The ground was due to re-open in August 2005 but a series of hold-ups cancelled music and sports events.
   Members of an England fan club have also been invited to Saturday’s ‘community day’, which will feature music and dancers from the local area.

Claude Makelele should wait until next season to renew his contract with Chelsea because of the pressures of playing for club and country, Jose Mourinho said on Friday.
   Mourinho, who has described Makelele as one of the ‘untouchables’ of his team, suggested at a news conference Chelsea should hold off as the player could not play so often for the club when still involved with France.
   ‘I think it is one thing Makelele playing for Chelsea and another thing is Makelele playing for Chelsea and for France,’ the Portuguese coach said.
   ‘When a 34-year-old man should be resting, he is playing international matches so when he comes back to Chelsea it’s not to play but to rest. It’s one thing being 24 and another being 34.’
   Mourinho, who clashed with France coach Raymond Domenech at the start of the season over Makelele’s call-up, said he now fully respected the player’s choice to appear for his country.
   ‘We respect the fact his national team wants him because he is a very good player, so there is no conflict,’ Mourinho said.
   ‘But he is not playing any more with Chelsea the number of matches he would normally.’
   Mourinho said there was no reason to look at Makelele’s contract more than a year in advance.
   ‘At his age it’s time to analyse his performance month after month, year after year,’ he said.

Specialists have told Paolo Maldini that he could be ready for the first leg of the quarter-final with Bayern Munich.
   The club website announced he had visited specialist Professor Marc Martens in Belgium and that an operation would not be necessary.
   The medic recommended continuing with physiotherapy to solve the issue and, although ‘the situation will be monitored daily,’ it’s believed Maldini can be back within six weeks.

Herschelle Gibbs became the first man to hit six sixes in an over in a one-day international while Jacques Kallis smashed an unbeaten century as South Africa inflicted a 221-run World Cup defeat on the Netherlands here on Friday.
   Gibbs hit a robust 40-ball 72 coupled with Kallis’s unbeaten 128 as South Africa’s batsmen pulverised hapless Dutch bowling to muster 353-3 in a Group A match reduced to 40-over-a-side.
   Ryan ten Doeschate then hit a fighting 57 as the Netherlands managed 132-9 in their 40 overs.
   Doeschate shared a 42-run sixth wicket stand with Tim de Leede who made 21, in an otherwise dismal batting show by the Dutch.
   Mark Boucher joined the run-feast with a rapid-fire 31-ball unbeaten 75 which included nine boundaries and four sixes.
   He also hit the fastest half-century in a World Cup match beating West Indian Brian Lara’s 23-ball feat against Canada at Centurion in 2003 by two deliveries.
   But it was Gibbs who grabbed the headlines.
   He launched into Dutch right-arm leg-break bowler Daan van Bunge in the 30th over, hitting him for five straight sixes and one to deep mid-wicket at the Warner Park ground.
   ‘It’s up there with the best things I’ve done,’ said Gibbs.
   ‘I never thought about getting six in a row, but if it’s your day, it’s your day.
   ‘After the first three I thought I was in with a chance, but I decided I wasn’t going to charge him, I’d wait to see what he does and luckily they fell into the right slot.’
   Kallis hit eleven boundaries and five sixes during his unbeaten 109-ball knock and added 115 runs for the third wicket with Gibbs off just 71 balls.
   South Africa hit 18 sixes in all beating Pakistan’s record of most sixes in a one-day innings of 14 hit against Sri Lanka at Nairobi in 1996-97.
   The 33-year-old Gibbs followed West Indian great Sir Gary Sobers and India’s Ravi Shastri who both hit six sixes in an over but they came in first class cricket.
   Sobers was the first to reach the landmark playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan at Swansea in 1968 with Malcolm Nash the bowler taking the punishment.
   Former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri then equalled the feat playing for Bombay against Baroda in 1984.
   Gibbs, playing his 199th match, finally holed out to van Bunge at long-on off Dutch captain Luuk van Troost in the 31st over much to the sigh of relief of some 500 orange-clad Dutch fans among a disappointing crowd of 3000.
   He hit seven sixes and four boundaries during his entertaining innings.
   Kallis, who watched Gibbs’ onslaught at the other end, reached his 15th one-day hundred off 97 balls studded with ten boundaries and two sixes.
   South African skipper Graeme Smith hit a 59-ball 67 with six boundaries and a six after his team had lost opener AB de Villiers, caught behind off the second ball of the innings to paceman Billy Stelling.
   The historic feat will also cost a leading drinks firm one million dollars.
   The Johnnie Walker company had already agreed to donate the money to charity in honour of the first player to register the landmark.
   Former West Indies skipper Viv Richards had hoped on the eve of the World Cup that six successive sixes would be hit.
   ‘These days we are seeing more and more big totals and sixes being hit in one-day cricket by powerful batsmen with big bats, yet no-one has ever hit six sixes in one over of any international match,’ said Richards on Tuesday.
   ‘The only people who have ever done it in first-class cricket are our own Gary Sobers and India’s Ravi Shastri and to me this tournament, with our traditionally short boundaries, is the time to change that.’

A spark of inspiration from Brian Lara spurred Herschelle Gibbs to create World Cup history when he lofted six sixes in one over against the Netherlands on Friday.
   Gibbs blasted the ball back over hapless leg-spinner
   Daan van Bunge’s head
   four times and over the ropes on the on-side twice to become the first player to rack up 36 runs in a single over at a one-day international and a World Cup.
   ‘I’d seen Brian Charles Lara hit a few (sixes) in Test match cricket and thought I could do something similar. Today happened to be that day,’ Gibbs told a news conference following his team’s 221-run Group A victory.
   ‘The last two balls landed in the right areas for me to have a go and luckily I didn’t miscue either of them. If the ball’s in the right place I’ll try anything.’
   Gibbs’s heroics allowed him to become only the third member of an exclusive club of players who have hit six sixes in an elite match.
   He joined West Indian Garfield Sobers and India’s Ravi Shastri, who both achieved the feat in first class cricket in 1968 and 1985 respectively.
   The 33-year-old launched Van Bunge’s first delivery of the 30th over high over long-on, and followed that blow with strikes over long-off, twice, a six over mid-wicket, and another pair of sixes over long-off.
   Gibbs’s whirlwind innings was ended five balls later when he holed out a catch on the long-on boundary to Van Bunge off a ball from Dutch captain Luuk van Troost. He faced just 40 balls for his 72, which included four fours and seven sixes.
   Despite the remarkable performance, Gibbs refused to get carried away.
   ‘The World Cup only happens every four years and it was good to get some runs in the manner that I did,’ he said.
   ‘The six sixes were an added bonus. It was just good to spend some time out in the middle again.’
   Gibbs’s fireworks were worth $1 million (515,000 pounds) to charity after a World Cup sponsor promised to donate the sum if a player hit six sixes in an over during the tournament.
   Johnnie Walker said it would pay the money to Habitat for Humanity charity which campaigns against poverty around the world.

New Zealand match-winner Scott Styris said the competition for places within the side had spurred him on to score an unbeaten 87 and take two wickets in the World Cup win over England on Friday.
   The all-rounder is not the biggest name in the New Zealand team but he was pleased to show his worth in
   the six-wicket Group C
   victory, especially with in-
   form batsman Peter Fulton unlucky to miss out on a place in the side.
   ‘I haven’t played very well since I came back from a back injury, so it is great to contribute,’ Styris told reporters.
   ‘I knew the heat was on me to go out and deliver. It is the sign of a good side when you can’t take your position for granted.’
   Asked if opposition sides underestimated him because of his quiet manner, the 31-year-old said, ‘I’ve been around for a while. I don’t have a point to prove to anyone.’
   With Michael Vaughan’s men lumbering to 209 for seven, Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming said the bowling of paceman Shane Bond and removing England’s middle-order in quick succession was key to the victory.
   ‘Today was ideal to get the big guns, Flintoff and Pietersen, so quickly. It really cut down the 250 score,’ he said.
   ‘It was a nervy, nervy win. It is a great relief to get the two points in the bank.
   ‘This first game could have a massive bearing, certainly on the next stage.’
   England captain Vaughan said New Zealand had put them under a lot of pressure with the ball and he bemoaned the fact that none of his players went on to score a century, a common problem in their one-day displays.
   New Zealand were 72 for four at one stage in their chase but England could not capitalise.
   ‘In the field we had a small sniff of an opportunity to beat them when they were four down,’ he said, before immediately looking ahead to the next match against Canada on Sunday.
   ‘I think it is a good thing that we play so soon. We know the conditions here now. We will certainly be picking what we think is the best XI against Canada,’ he added.

England captain Michael Vaughan insisted there was no question of giving everyone a game against minnows Canada today just for the sake of it after his side’s World Cup campaign got off to a losing start with a six-wicket defeat against New Zealand.
   England and New Zealand are favourites to qualify from a group also featuring Kenya.
   Assuming both Test sides do go through, New Zealand will now carry forward two points into the second phase, Super Eight stage.
   Even though Canada went down to a seven-wicket thrashing by Kenya on Wednesday, Vaughan said England couldn’t afford to take them lightly.
   ‘It’s a good thing we play again so soon. Bodies might be a little bit tired but it’s sometimes the best thing to get back on the horse and play,’ said Vaughan.
   ‘We know the conditions here now. We just need to make sure we improve our performance and make sure we come out on Sunday night with a victory.
   He added, ‘We’ll certainly be picking what we feel is the best XI to beat Canada. There’ll be no thought of playing players just to get practice. We need to win the game and make sure we get our World Cup campaign off and running.’
   But despite Friday’s defeat, the Vaughan insisted it was too soon to write off England’s chances.
   ‘How significant this is only time will tell. It’s not a great start and we have to make sure we win the next two games to get into the Super Eights. But it’s certainly not the end of our tournament by a long way.’
   And there were words of consolation from New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming.
   ‘England are a good side. They’ll go alright at this World Cup.’
   New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond rocked England with two wickets in four balls as he dismissed top-scorer Kevin Pietersen, who made 60 on his World Cup debut, and Andrew Flintoff (nought) in quick succession.
   Not for the first time, an England batsman failed to press on to a big score when well set.
   Although England, thanks to pacemen James Anderson and Plunkett, made a blistering start in the field they ran out of runs in a match where New Zealand won with nine overs to spare.
   ‘We didn’t get a player to an 80 or a hundred when we know that if we do that we will post a decent total,’ said Vaughan, who looked in good touch before playing on to James Franklin for 26.
   ‘In that position of 130-odd for three with 17 overs left, we should have played a lot better, got a lot more and put them under a lot more pressure.
   ‘It’s a disappointment and a frustration. But we were also in a position of strength when we were in the field and we couldn’t capitalise on that either,’ added Vaughan, who pointed out that players had made match-winning hundreds during England’s triumphant one-day series in Australia.’
   ‘Full credit to New Zealand, they put us under a lot of pressure with the ball. Shane Bond bowled very well,’ Vaughan said.
   ‘With the early wickets, there was a moment when we were all thinking this could be it. But when you’ve got the experience of Jacob Oram and Scott Styris coming in and playing the way they did, they quite easily saw them home and over the line.’
   Teams
   England (from): Ed Joyce, Michael Vaughan (captain), Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Jamie Dalrymple, Paul Nixon (wk), Liam Plunkett, James Anderson, Monty Panesar, Jon Lewis, Sajid Mahmood, Ravi Bopara, Andrew Strauss.
   Canada (from): John Davison (captain), Ashish Bagai (wk), Geoffrey Barnett, Umar Bhatti, Ian Billcliff, Desmond Chumney, Austin Codrington, George Codrington, Anderson Cummins, Sunil Dhaniram, Ashif Mulla, Henry Osinde, Abdool Samad, Kevin Sandher, Qaiser Ali.

Sachin Tendulkar has hinted at playing the 2011 World Cup in the subcontinent if his ‘body holds good’. ‘I don’t know if this is my final World Cup. The one in 2011 is quite far from here but it all depends on how my body is holding up,’ he said during a UNICEF function for awareness of HIV-AIDS among children in Port-of-Spain, where India open their World Cup campaign against Bangladesh.
   ‘We can reach the finals,’ Tendulkar - who was recently announced as a cartoon superhero - added. ‘Our chances are very good but all we need is to stick to basics and gain an early momentum.’
   He also gave the example of West Indies’ recent form when assessing how unpredictable the one-day game was. ‘West Indies were all-out for 85 against us but they then defeated Pakistan. In one-day cricket, everyday is a new day,’ he said. ‘We can’t take any opposition lightly. We can’t afford to be over-confident. Since we would face very different oppositions, we need to have flexibility in planning.’
   Questioned on his rivalry with Brian Lara, Tendulkar quickly said: ‘I’m glad we both have been able to give some wonderful cricketing years to the world. We have extremely high regard for each other and are good friends and that’s what matters to us.

As TV channels and newspapers flashing pictures of cricket lovers, wearing special make-ups to look distinct and beautiful from each other, many youngsters in Mumbai are going for a hair-colour.
   A visit to Mumbai’s National Saloon narrates how much cricket fever has started gripping the young and not so young fans’ mind and soul during this ICC World Cup.
   Cricket fans in Mumbai are making a beeline to this haircutting saloon where the demand is for getting one’s hair coloured with colours of national flags of popular and favourite teams playing in the World Cup.
   Besides Team India’s loyal fans, there are many who like Australia and the West Indies. And, thus the hair colour has to be just like the respective country’s national flag.
   ‘I like the Indian team and so I have opted to be painted in the tricolour’s colour. Last time, a fan had got himself painted with the same. So I thought of doing the same this year. If I get chance to go to the West Indies, I will definitely go,’ said Mahesh Gawdekar, a cricket fan while coming out of the hair saloon after hair-colouring.
   Apart from that some of them have also opted for designer haircuts. A few of them have opted to get a hair cut just like their favourite cricketers in the Team India and among them hard-hitting Mahender Singh Dhoni and master-blaster Sachin Tendulkar are the favourites.
   But still, a large section of people are opting for painting of the Indian tricolour.
   ‘People come here mostly for painting of the Indian national flag. We all believe that India will bring the World Cup this year,’ said Arun, owner of saloon.
   Everyday, about 12 colouring sessions are conducted which means for each customer, it is nearly an hour of patient sitting.
   Of course, these cricket crazy youngsters don’t mind scoffing rupees 200-500 to get the face or hair coloured as per their personal choice.