Hi folks, welcome to the 2nd Semi Final between New Zealand and Pakistan, the winner of this contest at Jo’burg will be meeting Australia for the Cup. Well Pak have won the toss and elected to bat first on what promises to be a perfect batting strip!
Pakistan Innings
Over 0.3: Boundary! K Mills to I Nazir, short of length delivery, gets a bit early in the drive and plays it in the air over extra covers for a boundary.
Over 4.1: Three runs. K Mills to K Akmal, short and wide, cuts it past the diving point and picks up three runs.
Over 4.3: Boundary! K Mills to I Nazir, good length delivery, thats down the legside and Imran glances it fine past the keeper for a boundary.
Over 5.2: Boundary! S Bond to I Nazir, short and rising delivery, swivels back and pulls it flat and wide of mid on for a boundary.
Over 6.6: Boundary! K Mills to I Nazir, pitched up delivery, smashes that through covers for a boundary.
Kamran Akmal had taken a blow on the knuckles in one of the short deliveries and is now getting attended to by the Physio.
Over 8.1: Boundary! Ian Butler to I Nazir, bangs it short, swivels back and pulls it away behind square for a boundary. Butler has replaced Mills.
Over 8.3: Boundary! Ian Butler to I Nazir, pitched up delivery, drives it on the up through covers for a boundary.
Over 8.4: Boundary! Ian Butler to I Nazir, bangs it short, pulls that flat behind square for a one bounce boundary.
Over 9.3: No ball + No runs off the bat. S Bond to I Nazir, short and rising delivery, a difficult run out missed by the Kiwis, Nazir played it down to short mid wicket and there was lot of confusion to take the single or not, Kamran was sent back and luckliy the fielder from covers had to come all the way around to try and get a run out.
Over 9.4: He is Caught! S Bond to I Nazir, short and rising delivery, and Bond has got his man, softened him so much that Nazir quite incomepetently fended it off his gloves to the lone slip fielder.
Over 10.4: Boundary! Ian Butler to K Akmal, bangs it short, swivels back and pulls it flat in the air behind square for a boundary.
Over 11.1: Boundary! S Bond to K Akmal, short and wide, flashes it superbly between point and square covers for a boundary. This is the second over of the bowling powerplay.
Over 12.5: He is Caught! Ian Butler to S Malik, short of length delivery, looks to run it down to thirdman and ends up giving catching practice to Taylor at first slip who dives low to his left to take that!
Over 13.5: Boundary! J Franklin to Younis, full toss, comes from round the sticks and Younis heaves that free hit ball over mid off for an easy boundary.
Over 14.2: He is Caught! Ian Butler to K Akmal, pitched up delivery, slashes it hard over covers but finds the man at sweeper covers running in and take a brilliant forward diving catch!
Over 20.5: He is Caught! D Vettori to Younis, flighted delivery, closes the face of the blade too soon in his flick and is tamely caught at short covers!!
Over 24.5: Boundary! D Vettori to Umar Akmal, flatter trajectory delivery, sits down on his knee and sweeps it hard along the ground through wide mid wicket for a boundary.
Over 24.6: Boundary! D Vettori to Umar Akmal, flighted delivery, goes back and cuts it uppishly just wide of short fine leg for a boundary.
Over 25.2: Boundary! J Franklin to M Yousuf, pitched up delivery, drives it sweetly to the left of mid off for a boundary.
Over 30.1: Boundary! D Vettori to Umar Akmal, quicker and flatter in the air, goes back and cuts it hard past point for a boundary.
Over 30.2: Boundary! D Vettori to Umar Akmal, quicker and flatter in the air, cuts it hard again wide of point for another boundary.
Over 35.3: Boundary! S Bond to Umar Akmal, good length delivery, stays back and steers the slower one past the diving keeper for a boundary.
Over 37.3: Boundary! S Bond to M Yousuf, short and rising delivery, cuts that slower one intentionally over the top of slip for a boundary.
Over 38.4: Boundary! K Mills to M Yousuf, pitched up delivery, flicks that gloriously wide of mid on for a boundary.
Over 38.6: Bowled him! K Mills to M Yousuf, short of length delivery, thats the crucial breakthrough for the Kiwis with Yousuf trying to run it down to thirdman but only able to inside edge it onto the stumps, that was just too close to his body.
Over 39.3: Boundary! J Franklin to Umar Akmal, pitched up delivery, drives it gloriously past extra covers for a boundary.
Over 39.5: Two runs. J Franklin to Umar Akmal, short of length delivery, tucks it behind square for a couple to bring up his 2nd ODI fifty.
Over 40.4: Boundary! D Vettori to Umar Akmal, flatter trajectory delivery, steps out and smashes that flat over covers for a boundary.
Over 40.5: Out LBW! D Vettori to Umar Akmal, quicker and flatter in the air, that was a dumb paddle sweep attempted by Umar, a full ball it was which he misses right infront of the stumps to get hit on the pad!
Over 41.1: Two runs. Ian Butler to S Afridi, bangs it short, miscues his pull in the air and the ball falls safely in the gap towards deep wide mid wicket. Slow motion replays have shown that Umar Akmal had got an inside edge onto the pad.
Over 41.2: He is Caught! Ian Butler to S Afridi, short of length delivery, thats a shocker, Afridi tries to run it down to thirdman but can only nick it behind!!!
Over 43.2: Boundary! Ian Butler to U Gul, short and wide, gets a top edge to his cut which flies just over slip for a boundary.
Over 43.3: He is Caught! Ian Butler to U Gul, short of length delivery, goes for the big shot over long off but can only miscue it towards point where Broom does very well to hold onto it after falling down backwards.
Over 44.1: Sixer! D Vettori to Naved-ul-Hasan, quicker and flatter in the air, steps out and plays an amazing flat drive over extra covers for a six! Pak have taken the batting powerplay.
Over 44.2: He is Caught! D Vettori to Naved-ul-Hasan, flighted delivery, steps out and drags his slog sweep straight into the hands of Guptill at wide long on.
Over 46.3: Boundary! S Bond to Mohammad Aamer, short and wide, cuts it flat in the air wide of point for a boundary.
Over 46.4: Boundary! S Bond to Mohammad Aamer, pitched up delivery, makes room and plunders it past covers for a boundary!
Over 46.6: Boundary! S Bond to Mohammad Aamer, bangs it short, pulls the slower one over mid wicket for a boundary.
Over 47.5: Boundary! K Mills to Mohammad Aamer, pitched up delivery, makes room and slams it past mid off who does half stop it but not enough to prevent it from going to the boundary.
Over 48.4: Boundary! S Bond to Saeed Ajmal, short of length delivery, flicks it beautifully towards deep squareleg and Butler makes contact with the ropes while stopping the ball with a slide.
Over 49.4: Boundary! K Mills to Saeed Ajmal, good length delivery, shuffles across with a bent knee and paddles it in the air between the keeper and short fine leg for a boundary.
Over 49.6: Single. K Mills to Mohammad Aamer, pitched up delivery, digs out a yorker and can only get a single from covers. New Zealand need 234 runs to win from 50 overs to enter the Final.
New Zealand Innings
Over 0.2: Sixer! Mohammad Aamer to B McCullum, short and rising delivery, quickly moves back into the crease and plays a tremendous hook that sails a long way over mid wicket for a six!
Over 1.4: Boundary! Naved-ul-Hasan to B McCullum, short and rising delivery, pulls that away behind square for a boundary.
Over 1.6: Boundary! Naved-ul-Hasan to Martin Guptill, short of length delivery, flicks it sweetly through squareleg for a boundary.
Over 4.3: He is Caught! Mohammad Aamer to B McCullum, pitched up delivery, goes for the big lofted shot, the length is not there for that and McCullum slices that high towards covers where Afridi holds onto it safely even after falling down backwards.
Over 5.3: Boundary! Naved-ul-Hasan to A Redmond, pitched up delivery, smashes that on the up over extra covers for a one bounce boundary.
Over 7.2: Sixer! Naved-ul-Hasan to Martin Guptill, bangs it short, pulls that away high and handsome over mid wicket for a six!
Over 7.5: Boundary! Naved-ul-Hasan to Martin Guptill, pitched up delivery, drives the wide slower one through square covers for a boundary.
Over 8.2: Boundary! Mohammad Aamer to A Redmond, short and wide, cuts it in the air to the right of point for a boundary.
Over 9.1: He is Caught! U Gul to Martin Guptill, bangs it short, plays a ridiculous pull shot that only spoons up in the air to mid on! Umar Gul has replaced Naved-ul-Hasan. Pak have taken the bowling powerplay.
Over 10.3: Boundary! Mohammad Aamer to R Taylor, pitched up delivery, plays a flowing drive between point and covers for a boundary.
Over 11.1: Boundary! U Gul to A Redmond, short and rising delivery, plays a superb upper cut that falls wide of thirdman for a one bounce boundary.
Over 13.4: Boundary! U Gul to A Redmond, full toss, flicks the attempted yorker off his pads through fine leg for a boundary.
Over 16.4: He is Caught! Saeed Ajmal to A Redmond, flighted delivery, looks to flick it across but doesn’t get to the pitch of the ball and can only spoon it back to the bowler off the leading edge!
Over 17.2: No ball + Boundary! U Gul to Grant Elliott, short and rising delivery, pulls that past the diving deep mid wicket fielder for a boundary. Freehit coming up now.
Over 24.4: Sixer! Saeed Ajmal to R Taylor, flighted delivery, sits down on his knee and slog sweeps it flat and long over wide mid wicket for a six!
Over 29.4: Sixer! S Afridi to R Taylor, quicker and flatter in the air, thats margnally short and Ross moves back and gives it everything to pull it over squareleg for a six!
Over 29.5: Bowled him! S Afridi to R Taylor, quicker and flatter in the air, thats a poor shot from Ross, he goes back to a full ball to play a cut shot which he obviously misses to let Afridi strike the timber!
Over 37.2: Boundary! S Afridi to Grant Elliott, quicker and flatter in the air, plays a superb drive flat over extra covers for a boundary.
Over 39.2: No runs. Mohammad Aamer to Grant Elliott, pitched up delivery, drives it uppishly to short covers and Younis has put down the most simplest of all catches in the world!
Over 42.1: Single. Saeed Ajmal to Grant Elliott, quicker and flatter in the air, flicks it away to deep squareleg. NZ have taken the batting powerplay.
Over 42.5: Boundary! Saeed Ajmal to D Vettori, quicker and flatter in the air, makes room and slog sweeps it flat towards wide mid wicket for a boundary.
Over 43.2: Single. Mohammad Aamer to Grant Elliott, good length delivery, pushes it to extra covers to bring up his 3rd ODI fifty.
Over 43.3: Boundary! Mohammad Aamer to D Vettori, pitched up delivery, clears his frontfoot and whacks it flat over the non striker’s head for a boundary!
Over 44.1: No ball + Boundary! Naved-ul-Hasan to D Vettori, pitched up delivery, clears his frontfoot and whacks it across flat towards wide mid wicket for a one bounce boundary. And now a freehit coming up!!
Over 45.1: Boundary! U Gul to Grant Elliott, pitched up delivery, makes room and plays a smashing drive flat over covers for a boundary!
Over 45.2: Boundary! U Gul to Grant Elliott, pitched up delivery, shuffles across and whacks it superbly over wide mid on for another boundary, he’s picking the spots very well!
Over 45.3: Sixer! U Gul to Grant Elliott, pitched up delivery, picks the inswinger early and flicks it brillianly high over mid wicket for a six!
Over 46.2: Boundary! Saeed Ajmal to Grant Elliott, flighted delivery, steps out and drives it with an open faced blade through covers for a boundary.
Over 46.6: Stumped Out! Saeed Ajmal to D Vettori, flatter trajectory delivery, steps out to go for a slog over mid wikcet but is beaten by the slowness of that and the turn to get stumped.
Over 47.5: Single. U Gul to Neil Broom, pitched up delivery, digs out a very good yorker and they steal a single from the keeper. New Zealand win by 5 wickets to meet Australia in the Final.