Shaan's Cricket World Cup Update

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
Australia & New Zealand

Quarter-Finals

QF1: South Africa vs Sri Lanka
Sydney Cricket Ground

Match Summary:

Captains Angelo Mathews and AB de Villiers are out for the toss.
Sri Lanka had won the toss and chose to bat first and posted a not so good total. They posted 133 all out. The star of Sri Lanka’s batters was Kumar Sangakkara who got 45 off 96 balls with 3 fours. The best of the bowlers was Pakistani-born South African Imran Tahir with 4 for 27. Spinner JP Duminy got a hat-trick. The victims were captain Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara and Tharindu Kaushal.

Then South Africa were chasing a total of 134 to advance to the Semis and they did that. The star of the South African batters was Quinton de Kock getting 78 off 57 balls with 12 fours. The bowler who got the only wicket was Lasith Malinga.

Scores: Sri Lanka 133 vs 134/1 South Africa
South Africa won by 9 wickets (with 192 balls remaining, 32 overs)

Man of the Match was South Africa’s Imran Tahir.

QF2: India vs Bangladesh
Melbourne Cricket Ground

Match Summary:

Captains MS Dhoni and Mashrafe Mortaza are out for the toss. India won the toss and chose to bat first. They posted a very good score. They posted 302/6 off 50 overs. The star batter was opener Rohit Sharma with 137 off 126 balls with 14 fours and 3 sixes. The star bowler for Bangladesh was 19-year-old Taskin Ahmed with 3 for 69.

Then Bangladesh came into bat chasing 303 off 50 overs. They posted 193 all out. The star of the batters was Nasir Hossain with 35 off 34 balls with 6 fours. The star Indian bowler was Umesh Yadav with 4 for 31.

Scores: India 302/6 vs 193 Bangladesh
India won by 109 runs

Man of the Match was India’s Rohit Sharma.

QF3: Australia vs Pakistan
Adelaide Oval

Match Summary:
Captains Michael Clarke and Misbah ul-Haq are out for the toss. Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. They posted a pretty average total of 213 all out. The star of the Pakistani batters was Haris Sohail with 41 off 57 balls and 4 fours. The star bowler from Australia was Josh Hazlewood with 4 for 35.

That sent Australia in to bat with a target of 214 to play India in the 2nd semi-final in Sydney. They did that. The star batter for Australia was Steve Smith with 65 off 69 balls and 7 fours. The pick of the bowlers was Wahab Riaz with 2 for 54 and a fiery spell in his first 4 overs.

Scores: Australia 216/4 vs 213 Pakistan
Australia won by 6 wickets (16.1 overs remaining, 97 balls)

Man of the Match was Australia’s Josh Hazlewood

QF4: New Zealand vs West Indies
WestpacTrust Stadium, Wellington

Match Summary:

Captains Brendon McCullum and Jason Holder are out for the toss. New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first. They posted a super good total of 393/6. The star batter had the best Cricket World Cup score. That was Martin Guptill with 237 not out off 163 balls with 24 fours and 11 sixes. It was an outstanding performance from the Black Caps opener. The star West Indies bowler was Jerome Taylor with 3 for 71.
That sent West Indies into bat chasing 394 to win. They didn’t do that. Opener Chris Gayle was smacking sixes. He got 8 in total sixes before he got bowled by quickie Adam Milne. They finished all out on 250. The star batter was opener Chris Gayle getting 61 off 33 balls with only 2 fours and 8 sixes. The pick of the Black Caps bowlers was Trent ‘Lightning’ Boult with 4 for 44. Then the semi-finals were announced. The four teams that made it had been 1st or 2nd in their pool.

Scores: New Zealand 393/6 vs 250 West Indies
New Zealand won by 143 runs

Man of the Match was New Zealand’s Martin Guptill.

SF1: New Zealand vs South Africa
Eden Park, Auckland

Match Summary:

Captains Brendon McCullum and AB de Villiers are out for the toss.  South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first. After 38 overs, rain came and that made play reduce to 43 overs. They finished on 281/5 after 43 overs. The star batter was Faf du Plessis getting 82 off 107 balls with 7 fours and 1 six. The star Black Caps bowler was Corey Anderson getting 3 for 72.

That sent New Zealand into bat chasing 298 with D/L (Duckworth/Lewis) method since it was raining and play reduced to 43 overs. Black Caps opener Brendon McCullum was on a roll getting his fifty in 22 balls. Then he got out for 59 off 26 balls with 8 fours and 4 sixes. It came down to do the last over and they needed 12 to win. Daniel Vettori on strike from bowler Dale Steyn.

Commentary from last over:
Ball 1: Steyn runs in, Vettori misses and Elliott calls for a quick single and they get there comfortably.

Ball 2: Elliott swings and it goes high in the air. Someone should catch it and Behardien catches and Duminy makes him drop the catch. That could’ve been a miracle for South Africa and they run for the single.

Ball 3: Steyn bowls wide and Vettori gets an edge and it will run away for 4, great shot by Vettori and third man can’t get there.

Ball 4: Steyn does a bouncer, Vettori misses and Elliott and him run a single.

Ball 5: 5 off 2 balls. Steyn runs in, he bowls on outside off stump and… ELLIOTT HITS IT FOR SIX AND NEW ZEALAND ARE IN THE WORLD CUP FINAL!!! Excitement for New Zealand and tears for South Africa.

Scores: New Zealand 299/6 vs 281/5 South Africa

New Zealand won by 4 wickets (with 1 ball remaining) (D/L)

SF2: India vs Australia
Sydney Cricket Ground

Match Summary:

Captains MS Dhoni and Michael Clarke go out for the toss.
TO BE CONTINUED...