Hello folks, its Semi Final time of this edition of the Champions Trophy. Arch rivals Australia and England meet each other today at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. England have won the toss and are going to bat first.
England Innings
Over 0.4: Boundary! Brett Lee to A Strauss, short and wide, this time gets his timing and placement right to cut it to the left of point for a boundary.
Over 1.3: Sixer! P Siddle to A Strauss, short and rising delivery, thats sheer bad luck for Siddle, Strauss went for a hook and could only top edge which was good enough to fly over the slips for a six!
Over 1.6: He is Caught! P Siddle to A Strauss, short of length delivery, flicks it sweetly but fails to keep it along the ground and finds Hopes divng low to his left to take a good catch at squareleg.
Over 2.4: He is Caught! Brett Lee to Owais Shah, short and rising delivery, Oz on top now, Shah shuffles and tickles it down the legside into the gloves of the diving Paine!!
Over 3.3: Boundary! P Siddle to Joe Denly, short and rising delivery, gets on top of the bounce and cuts it to the right of point for a boundary.
Over 4.2: Boundary! Brett Lee to P Collingwood, short and wide, slaps it between point and covers for a boundary, no need of running for that at all!
Over 4.4: Boundary! Brett Lee to Joe Denly, pitched up delivery, clears his frontfoot and smacks it to the left of mid on for a boundary, great placement from Denly.
Over 7.5: Boundary! P Siddle to Joe Denly, pitched up delivery, plays a well controlled drive on the up to a slower one and places that nicely between covers and mid off for a boundary.
Over 8.2: Boundary! J Hopes to P Collingwood, pitched up delivery, smashes that flat over the bowler’s head for a boundary.
Over 8.3: Boundary! J Hopes to P Collingwood, pitched up delivery, plays a glorious drive on the up through extra covers for another boundary.
Over 8.6: Sixer! J Hopes to P Collingwood, pitched up delivery, goes through the line confidently and lifts it handsomely over mid on for a six!!
Over 9.2: Four Runs! M Johnson to Joe Denly, short of length delivery, tucks it to the onside and gives a bad call for a single with Johnson picking the ball with his right hand but unfortunately for Aus failing to hit the stumps and instead conceding 4 overthrows!
Over 9.2: Boundary! M Johnson to P Collingwood, bangs it short, pulls it away flat behind squareleg for a boundary.
Over 9.3: Boundary! M Johnson to P Collingwood, short and wide, cuts it away behind point for a boundary.
Over 11.2: He is Caught! M Johnson to P Collingwood, short and rising delivery, shuffles back for a hook but this one is a bit pacy and bouncy to take the glove and Paine does really well to time his jump and hold onto it!
Over 12.1: Boundary! S Watson to Joe Denly, good length delivery, shuffles back and tickles that off his pads to fine leg for a boundary.
Over 14.1: Boundary! S Watson to Joe Denly, good length delivery, strays onto the pads and Denly gets a bat pad edge that races away to the fine leg boundary.
Over 17.2: He is Caught! P Siddle to Joe Denly, short of length delivery, drives away from his body and its the slight away movement off the seam that forces an edge and its another nice catch taken behind by Paine.
Over 18.1: Single. S Watson to Eoin Morgan, good length delivery, plays a strange lofted shot at this point of the game and is lucky that Hopes puts down an absolute sitter at deep covers!
Over 18.5: Bowled him! S Watson to S Davies, short of length delivery, brings the ball sharply back off the seam and Davies is not good enough to handle that, is way too slow and unsure in his defence and its an inside edge that knocks off the off stump!
Over 20.2: He is Caught! S Watson to Eoin Morgan, good length delivery, stays back to manufacture a cut out of nowhere and can only manage giving catching practice to Paine!
Over 20.6: Boundary! S Watson to Tim Bresnan, bangs it short, pulls it over the infield towards mid wicket and picks up a boundary.
Over 21.4: Boundary! P Siddle to Tim Bresnan, half volley, drives that attempted yorker firmly past the bowler for a boundary.
Over 22.2: Boundary! S Watson to Tim Bresnan, good length delivery, stays back for a forcing drive and gets an inside edge that misses the stumps and runs away to the fine leg boundary.
Over 24.3: Boundary! M Johnson to L Wright, good length delivery, stays back and goes for a cut but can only produce a thick edge that flies wide of the lone slip for a boundary.
Over 34.2: Sixer! Nathan Hauritz to L Wright, flighted delivery, sits down and plays a meaty slog sweep that disappears over mid wicket for a six.
Over 34.6: Sixer! Nathan Hauritz to L Wright, flatter trajectory delivery, sits down again and plays an almighty six over mid wicket that stays hit for a huge six!
Over 36.5: Boundary! M Johnson to Tim Bresnan, pitched up delivery, drives it uppishly with an open face and just manages to elude the diving Ponting at extra covers for a boundary.
Over 37.3: Boundary! J Hopes to L Wright, good length delivery, lifts that flat over extra covers for a boundary!
Over 38.2: Boundary! M Johnson to Tim Bresnan, short and wide, times his cut sweetly to the right of backward point for a boundary.
Over 38.5: Boundary! M Johnson to Tim Bresnan, short of length delivery, strays onto the pads and Bresnan gets a nice deflection that runs away to the fine leg boundary.
Over 39.1: Boundary! P Siddle to Tim Bresnan, short and rising delivery, thats down the legside and Bresnan pulls it away to the fine leg boundary to bring up the 100 of this stand!
Over 39.6: He is Caught! P Siddle to L Wright, good length delivery, goes hard at his drive on the up and Siddle just manages to get some outswing to find the edge to Paine!
Over 40.6: Boundary! M Johnson to Tim Bresnan, bangs it short, looks to duck under that but at the last moment dabs at that with his bat hanging upwards and ends up with a clever boundary over the keeper’s head!
Over 41.3: Boundary! P Siddle to G Swann, good length delivery, flashes that on the up uppishly just past the diving Hussey at point for a boundary.
Over 42.4: Boundary! Brett Lee to Tim Bresnan, good length delivery, plays a forcing drive on the up but only to get a fast thick edge that for once eludes the diving Paine for a boundary to thirdman.
Over 42.5: Boundary! Brett Lee to Tim Bresnan, good length delivery, and again gets a fast and thick edge that beats the diving paine for a boundary!!
Over 43.5: Boundary! P Siddle to G Swann, pitched up delivery, drives it on the up with an open faced blade through extra covers for a boundary.
Over 45.1: Run Out at the Striker’s end! S Watson to G Swann, short and wide, slashes it towards square fine leg and goes for the second run, its a fiery throw from the deep and Swann is too slow to get into the crease. England have taken the batting powerplay. Watson has replaced Siddle.
Over 46.1: Boundary! Brett Lee to Tim Bresnan, bangs it short, pulls it just over the head of mid on for a boundary to take Eng past 250.
Over 46.2: Bowled him! Brett Lee to Tim Bresnan, pitched up delivery, makes room to thrash that through the off side but gets cleaned up a full 147 kmph yorker that crashes onto the stumps.
Over 47.4: Run Out at the Striker’s end! S Watson to J Anderson, short of length delivery, shuffles and flicks it through mid wicket and Onions is called for a second but is sent back and simply has no time at all! Easy run out. Australia need 258 runs to win from 50 overs to enter the Final.
We have an unusual problem at the Centurion Park with the players returning back to the dressing room! The reason is the presence of a massive amount of moths, butterflies and all sorts of flying insects in the air! There is no chance for the batsmen in these conditions!
Australia Innings
Over 1.2: Boundary! Graham Onions to T Paine, bangs it short, pulls it away with disdain through mid wicket for a boundary.
Over 1.3: He is Caught! Graham Onions to T Paine, pitched up delivery, induces the false drive from Paine and its the slightest of away movement that forces a thin edge to Davis!
Over 2.1: Boundary! J Anderson to S Watson, short and rising delivery, pulls that high over mid on for a one bounce boundary.
Over 3.6: Boundary! Graham Onions to R Ponting, pitched up delivery, plays a dangerous drive on the up that sails flat past the diving covers for a boundary.
Over 4.6: Boundary! J Anderson to R Ponting, good length delivery, strokes it on the up to covers and Morgan crazily has a shy at the striker’s end and ends up gifting a boundary through overthrows!!
Over 5.5: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, pitched up delivery, drives it hard onto the ground to the right of the bowler and the ball bounces over the top of stumps and beats mid on to his left for a boundary.
Over 6.1: Boundary! J Anderson to R Ponting, short of length delivery, opens the face and punches it sweetly between point and square covers for a boundary.
Over 6.2: Boundary! J Anderson to R Ponting, pitched up delivery, fine leg is up in the circle and Ricky flicks that off his pads behind square for a boundary.
Over 6.5: Boundary! J Anderson to R Ponting, pitched up delivery, opens the face and drives it fluently past covers for a boundary.
Over 7.5: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, pitched up delivery, Onions is slow to react down in his follow through and Watson’s straight drive has enough force to race away to the boundary.
Over 8.1: Boundary! Tim Bresnan to R Ponting, short of length delivery, shuffles back and pulls it behind square for a boundary. Bresnan has replaced Anderson.
Over 8.1: Boundary! Tim Bresnan to R Ponting, short of length delivery, shuffles back and pulls it behind square for a boundary. Bresnan has replaced Anderson.
Over 8.3: Boundary! Tim Bresnan to R Ponting, short and wide, cuts that away through square covers for a boundary that bring up the 50 of this partnership.
Over 11.4: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, bangs it short, a bit too predictable length now and Watson is ready to move back and pulls it flat behind squareleg for a boundary.
Over 20.5: Single. G Swann to R Ponting, quicker and flatter in the air, flicks it down to long on to bring up his 71st ODI fifty.
Over 20.6: Sixer! G Swann to S Watson, flighted delivery, seems to have mishit his slog sweep but surprisingly the ball sails all the way over long on touching the finger tips of the fielder and falling over the ropes for a six.
Over 22.2: Single. G Swann to S Watson, quicker and flatter in the air, drives it to wide long off to bring up his 10th ODI fifty.
Over 25.5: Boundary! P Collingwood to R Ponting, pitched up delivery, goes through with his drive on the up and lifts the slower one handsomely over the bowler’s head for a boundary.
Over 27.6: Sixer! G Swann to S Watson, flighted delivery, sits down on his knee and plays a strong slog sweep flat over mid wicket for a six.
Over 28.1: Boundary! Graham Onions to R Ponting, short of length delivery, moves back quickly and pulls it away flat towards squareleg for a boundary. Ponting has now become the third player to cross 12k ODI runs!
Over 30.2: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, bangs it short, picks the length early and pulls it away in style through wide mid wicket for a boundary.
Over 30.5: Boundary! Graham Onions to R Ponting, bangs it short, pulls it away wristily through squareleg for a boundary.
Over 32.1: Boundary! Owais Shah to S Watson, dragged way too short, that’s a long hop, pulls it away through squareleg for a boundary. Shah has replaced Onions.
Over 32.4: Boundary! Owais Shah to S Watson, flatter trajectory delivery, sits down and sweeps it along the ground past deep mid wicket for a boundary.
Over 34.2: Sixer! Tim Bresnan to R Ponting, short of length delivery, swivels back into the crease and pulls it stylishly over squareleg for a six!
Over 34.4: Boundary! Tim Bresnan to S Watson, pitched up delivery, drives it hard through extra covers for a boundary.
Over 35.6: Boundary! L Wright to S Watson, short and wide, cuts that away wide of square thirdman for a boundary.
Over 36.3: Boundary! Tim Bresnan to R Ponting, pitched up delivery, drives it through extra covers for a boundary that brings up his 28th ODI hundred!!
Over 37.4: Sixer! J Anderson to S Watson, bangs it short, pulls that flat over wide mid wicket for a six that powers him to a 3rd ODI hundred!
Over 38.3: Sixer! Tim Bresnan to S Watson, bangs it short, pulls it again over mid wicket for another flat and long six!
Over 39.6: Boundary! J Anderson to S Watson, bangs it short, gets a top edge in his pull that flies over the keeper down the legside for a boundary.
Over 40.1: Boundary! P Collingwood to R Ponting, short of length delivery, pulls it away through squareleg for a boundary. Aus have taken the batting powerplay.
Over 40.3: Sixer! P Collingwood to S Watson, short of length delivery, swivels back and pulls it very flat over squareleg for another six!
Over 40.5: Sixer! P Collingwood to S Watson, bangs it short, plays another smacking pull absolutely flat over squareleg for a six!
Over 40.6: Sixer! P Collingwood to S Watson, good length delivery, slogs the slower one high over wide long on for another six!!
Over 41.5: Single. J Anderson to R Ponting, pitched up delivery, drives it past extra covers for a single to finish this Semi Final. Australia win by 9 wickets to enter the Final!