NETHERLANDS SUFFER SECOND HIDING

The Netherlands suffered their successive big total defeat in St. Kitts after Australia gave them a 229 run pummeling in the Group A match up. Australia looked unphased and exploded during the final overs to bat The Netherlands out of the match with 358 for 5. After being stranded in the nineties twice this year, Brad Hodge reached his maiden one-day hundred during what was a perfectly paced innings. Defending 359 was not a worry for the double champions and Australia's battery of fast bowlers were too hot for The Netherlands to handle and they were skittled for 129.

Final score:
Australia: (5 wickets; 50 overs) 358
Netherlands: (all out; 26.5 overs) 129

HIGHLIGHTS

AUSTRALIA
Brad Hodge 123
Michael Clrke 93 not out
Adam Gilchrist 57
Brad Hogg 4/27

NETHERLANDS
Daan van Bunge 33
Darron Reekers 25

IRELAND SEND PAKISTAN PACKING

A big Group D match upset in Kingston will in all likeliness see Pakistan go home after the first round of the competition when Ireland beat the former world champions by 3 wickets. Chasing 133 on a difficult pitch, with conditions assisting Pakistan's bowlers, Ireland’s Niall O'Brien led Ireland's response with a superb fifty which was interrupted by a rain break, and Duckworth-Lewis, altered the required total, leaving a confident Ireland side with a well-deserved victory.

Final score:
Ireland: (7 wickets; 41.4 overs) 133
Pakistan: (all out; 45.4 overs) 132
HIGHLIGHTS

IRELAND
Niall O'Brien 72
Boyd Rankin 3/32
Andre Botha 2/5

PAKISTAN
Kamran Akmal 27
Mohammad Sami 3/29
Iftikhar Anjum 2/29

Bangladesh Stun India

Port-of-Spain saw the tournaments first big upset when Bangladesh defeated India in a closely contested Group B Match. Mashrafe Mortaza inspired a clockwork bowling effort, helped largely by a slew of sloppy strokes, a young bowling attack showed composure beyond their years to turn a tricky chase into a stroll, winning by five wickets.

Final score:
Bangladesh: (5 wickets; 48.3 overs) 192
India: (all out; 49.3 overs) 191

HIGHLIGHTS

BANGLADESH
Tamim Iqbal 51
Mushfiqur Rahim 56 not out
Saqibul Hasan 53
Mashrafe Mortaza 4/38
Abdur Razzak 3/38
Mohammad Rafique 3/35

INDIA
Yuvraj Singh 47
Sourav Ganguly 66

South Africa Demolish Netherlands

A well-oiled South African team made very short work of an inferior Netherlands team at St. Kitts in a highly mismatched Group A clash. It was epitomized by Herschelle Gibbs, who slammed six sixes in an over and setting a new record. South Africa smashed 353 from 40 overs (due to a match delay) against Netherlands and then restricted them to only 132 for 9, winning by the embarrassing margin of 221 runs.

Final score:
South Africa: (3 wickets, 40 overs) 353
Netherlands: (9 wickets; 40 overs) 132


HIGLIGHTS

SOUTH AFRICA
Graeme Smith 67
Jaques Kallis 128 not out
Herschelle Gibbs 72 (off 40 balls)
Mark Boucher 75 (off 31 balls)

NETHERLANDS
Ryan ten Doeschate 57
Tim de Leede 21

ZIMBABWE BLOW IT AND TIE WITH IRELAND

Sabina Park saw World Cup 2007’s first nail-biter with Zimbabwe and Ireland tying in an entertaining Group D clash that produced some pulsating, enthralling cricket. Ireland put forth a gritty performance with hero Jeremy Bray making a century. Zimbabwe have only themselves to blame after some poor performances in the field that ultimately cost them the game.

The Irish looked to be getting very little of that famous luck after starting the innings at the crease. Elton Chigumbura (taking 2 for 21) ripped through the middle order. But it was Bray, who kept the Irish in it smacking ten 4’s and two 6’s to finish his innings on 115. He was best supported by Andrew White who went out LBW to Brent on a paltry 28.

Zimbabwe took up the bat and seemed to be cruising to victory on 93 for 1 chasing 222. But within 45 minutes had slumped to 133 for 5. Composing themselves the African team steadied the innings courtesy of Stuart Matsikenyeri and Brendan Taylor. Ireland started to look sloppy in the field, and Zimbabwe looked on course to their first victory of the tournament. Then Taylor was run-out and Gary Brent fell LBW with ten needed.

Zimbabwe, who have had so little to cheer in recent years, will be left wondering quite what happened bur after reviewing some game tapes will see exactly how.

OUR MAN OF THE MATCH

Full Name: Jeremy Paul Bray
Born: 30/11/1973, Sydney, New South Wales
Age 33 years
Team: Ireland
Batting Style: Left-hand bat
Fielding Position: Occasional wicketkeeper

Although the World Cricket League in Kenya was generally disappointing for Ireland, Bray returned with a one-day century to his name when he hit 116 from 136 against Scotland. Born in Australia and representing New South Wales Bray was player of the tournament in the 1992-93 Australian Under-19 Cricket Championships in Brisbane and top scored for Ireland with 71 in their famous win against the West Indies in 2004. He held the highest ever first-class score by an Irishman with his 190 against the UAE in the 2005 Intercontinental Cup until Eoin Morgan surpassed that with his double century against the same opponents earlier this year.

PONTING, AUSTRALIA DEMOLISH SCOTLAND

Australian Captain Ricky Ponting and his arsenal of fast bowlers destroyed minnows Scotland, laying waste to them with a 203-run victory. The World Champions went in first at the crease and set a formidable total of 334 for 6 with Ponting top scoring on 113 off only 93 balls.

It was Ponting’s 23rd ODI century and showed Australia are intent on making this their third successive World Cup triumph in a very one sided affair. The Australian total was bolstered by solid performances by Matthew Hayden (60), Adam Gilchrist (46) and Brad Hogg (40 off only 15 balls ) before the Scots took up the bat and faced the Australian attack.

A 335 total was always going to be a big ask and despite a valiant effort by Colin Smith (51) none of the rest of the order managed to reach a score of over 20. Smith was eventually dismissed by Brad Hogg with the rest of the order tumbling after. The Australian pace attack tore through the Scots with Glenn McGrath being the top wicket take with figures of 3 for 14, finally resulting in all out for 131.

This could have been nothing but a warm up match for the Aussies and an opportunity for the likes of Ponting to increase their run-rate.

OUR MAN OF THE MATCH:

RICKY PONTING
Full Name: Ricky Thomas Ponting
Age: 19/12/1974, Tasmania, Australia
Age: 32 years
Team: Australia
Role: Higher middle order batsman
Batting Style: Right-hand bat
Bowling Style: Right-arm medium
Height 1.78 m

A natural batman, Ricky Ponting plays with a full flourish of the bat and knows only to attack, and his breathtaking, dead-eye fielding is a force in the game by itself. Ponting's growing maturity was acknowledged by the ACB when he saw off competition from Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist to succeed Steve Waugh as Australia's Captain in 2002, leading to a successful 2003 World Cup campaign, clouting a 140 not out in the final. Carreer highlights include 207 against Pakistan, joining Don Bradman and Greg Chappell as the only Australians to reach four double-centuries. Ponting is the world's leading strokeplayer, and finished 2005 with 1544 runs and posted twin hundreds three times in five months.

Kevin Pietersen - England's big gun,pow pow!

Full Name: Kevin Peter Pietersen
Born: 27/06/1980, south Africa
Age: 26 years
Team: England
Batting Style: Right-hand bat
Bowling Style: Right-arm offbreak
Height: 6.04 ft

Expansive with the bat and just as much with his personality, the South African-born Kevin Pietersen is a big-hitting No 5. Shunning his home he favoured of England (his eligibility coming courtesy of an English mother).

His first game for his adopted home was ironically against South Africa in 2005 where he silenced hostile receptions with an unbeaten century in the second ODI at Bloemfontein. Highlights in his career include a pair of 50s in his debut against Australia as well as an impressive 158 on the final day at The Oval, to secure the draw that England needed for a first Ashes triumph in 18 years.