ICC T20 World Cup 2012 Schedule

GROUPS:

FIXTURES - Qualifiers & Super 8s:

 

FIXTURES - Semi-Final & Final:

No more AUSSIES domination in Cricket

The recent defeats that the Australian cricket team have been facing inflames on everyone’s mind that ‘the Aussies era is over’ in cricket and it has been confirmed after its defeat against India and Pakistan in the world cup. The domination of Australia in cricket for more than a decade has come to an end. They were confident of lifting the world cup for the fourth time consecutively; but it went all in vain as it was thrashed by India in the quarter final match at Ahmedabad's Sardar Patel Stadium. Though Ponting is not in form, he scored an inspirational 104 under immense pressure  which confirms his spot in the Australian cricket team is safe for now but his side's glorious World Cup era is over after losing their quarter-final to India. The three-time defending champions managed to score only 260 losing 6 wickets. The Indians were largely untroubled to reply with 5-261 with 14 deliveries to spare. The start given by Sachin Tendulkar (53) and Gautam Gambhir (50) put off the pressure from Indian side for some time. But the pressure was created when wickets started falling in short interim losing Virat Kohli, Gambhir and Dhoni. But a sensible and matured game by Yuvraj and Raina put the pressure back on Australia. They took 27 runs from the 40th and 41st overs bowled by Lee and Tait which turns to be the turning point of the match. Yuvraj’s unbeaten 57 - his fourth fifty of a tournament where he is averaging over a hundred is adjudged as Man of the Match. Still Ricky Ponting refuses to believe it's the end of an era for Australian cricket. Just as he refused to believe his batting superpowers had left him, Ponting clings to the hope that Australia's period of one-day dominance remains alive.

ENGLAND win back the ASHES

Its a great time for England as they won the ASHES which is considered to be the most precious one even one step ahead higher than the world cup. After a long struggle England managed to lead the series 2-1. The final match decides the fate of the trophy which was over ruled completely by england over aussies. Flintoff leads England off with a stump in hand, leads them up the race to healthy applause. There's Kevin Pietersen in the dressing rooms, the whole England squad looks to be there, they've all played a part. The Man of the Match is Stuart Broad, he was the one who changed the game dramatically in one spell during the first innings. While England's Man of the series is Andrew Strauss for his brilliant batting and splendid captaincy-nominated by Tim Nielsen. For Australia, Michael Clarke for his dominating batting is the Man of the seriesnominated by Andy Flower. The Compton-Miller Medal goes to the player who has had the biggest impact on the series, goes to Andrew Strauss.

Broad: Greatest day of your career? 'By far'. Yea thank god, he says when Athers asks no bragging rights from the old man anymore in the family. 'No-one can replace Fred. He's been a fantastic servant to England cricket and as an up and coming allrounder it's been fantastic to play with him'.

Clarke: I would give the Mos award back for a different result today. Full credit to Eng, they have played really well throughout the series. Congrats to Freddie on a fantastic career and hope to see him in the ODIs soon. The run-outs topped the series off for us. That is the greatest learning curve about this game, just when you think you are doing OK it comes back and smacks you on the backside.

Ponting: We've given our all through the series but unfortunately it hasn't been good enough. Full credit to Andrew Strauss, he's led his side well through the series and deserves all the awards that has come his way. Eng have won some really crucial moments this series, they won the big moments and deserved to win the series. We knew that the result at Cardiff was crucial then as well and There's been countless opportunities for us throughout the series to put our stamp on the series and we haven't been able to do it. I have no idea(when asked if there will be questions about his captaincy). Will have a few questions to answer tonight and once I get back home. I wont take too many special memories from the Oval, this is one place I haven't got too many good memories. But who knows, With us losing here I might even see if I can make it back here for one more go in 2013.

Flintoff ends England's 75-year wait

Andrew Flintoff broke England's 75-year Lord's curse with his first five-wicket haul since the Ashes-clinching Oval Test of 2005. It was, unquestionably, a performance that delivered England to a 1-0 series lead heading into Edgbaston. England’s Victory was sealed 17 minutes before lunch when Graeme Swann pegged back Johnson middle stump with the Australian total at 406. Though Austalia lost 5 wickets for 128, haddin and Clarke took the team towards a safer position. They stick on to the game with their terrible batting performance remains unbeaten throughout the day with a ton in clarke’s account and haddin with solid 80 runs at the end of the day 4.

But only a famous exit from Lord's would do for "Super Fred", and England's allrounder duly obliged with the wicket of Brad Haddin from his fourth ball of the day. Things have changed in the day 5, where Australian batsmen started losing their wickets soon after the match starts. Johnson's early exchanges inspired little confidence that he would be the man to steer Australia to an improbable victory. Johnson half-ducked, half-stabbed at his first delivery from Flintoff and edges off the bowling of Flintoff and Stuart Broad fell inches in front of the slips, and Johnson may well have found pavilion-bound had Flintoff not overstepped before wrapping him on the pads with a straight full-toss that struck in line. Thus the victory fell over England and now leading the series 1-0.

ASHES: 1st Test made a thrilling end

James Anderson and Monty Panesar produced the most important innings of their lives as England's final pair survived 11.3 overs to pull off a thrilling escape at Cardiff. When Paul Collingwood fell for a monumental 245-ball 74 England still trailed by six. The Australians threw everything into the final hour in an electric atmosphere with the crowd cheering the two unlikely batting heroes as though the Ashes had been won. Panesar, the most unlikely of batting saviours, watched the ball like a hawk. Having left expertly against the quicks he played with soft hands against the spinners, and one of the biggest cheers of the day came when he square cut North for a boundary.

However, while Anderson and Panesar were there at the end to soak up the acclaim the escape wouldn't have been possible without one of Collingwood's most determined innings for his country. He came in early after Kevin Pietersen lost his off stump, shouldering arms to Ben Hilfenhaus, and soon faced an England card that read 70 for 5. He found vital support from Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Broad and particularly Graeme Swann, who overcame a peppering from Siddle, to share a 20-over stand.

Collingwood's fifty came off 167 balls, the slowest by an England batsman since Nasser Hussain against West Indies in Port of Spain during the 2004 tour, but the pace of his innings mattered not a jot. His only mistake proved his downfall as he chased some width from Siddle and Mike Hussey took a juggling catch in the gully. Collingwood isn't a superstar; he doesn't fit into the hero mould, but here he was both. Ponting admitted it was a tough result to take and Australia were ahead of the game virtually throughout the final day. However the Ashes thrill started at the end.