Kiwis in thrilling win

Chris DHAMBARAGE reporting from South Africa

CRICKET: India and New Zealand made sure the Super Eight stage of the ICC World Twenty20 got off to a thrilling start with a match that went right down to the wire in Johannesburg yesterday.

In a match that really could have gone either way, it was the New Zealanders who emerged victorious, winning by 10 runs. Having won the toss and sent New Zealand in to bat, India struck early when they sent Lou Vincent packing with only 11 runs on the board.

But a solid 45 off 31 balls from fellow opener Brendon McCullum meant the New Zealanders got back on track.

He notched up a 50-run partnership with Peter Fulton and another vital 50-run partnership further down the order between Craig McMillan and Jacob Oram saw the Black Caps reaching a significantly improved total of 190 (compared with their disappointing 164 against Sri Lanka on Saturday), their last wicket falling off the final ball of the innings.

In fact, some impressive fielding from the Indians saw New Zealand losing captain Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, McMillan and Jeetan Patel (three of them run out) in the final over, which could otherwise have seen them eclipsing the 200-run mark.

Harbhajan Singh was particularly impressive on the bowling front, conceding just 24 runs off his four overs and taking the vital wickets of McCullum (caught by Gambhir) and Fulton (LBW).

India then got off to a great start, putting on 76 runs before Virendar Sehwag was caught by Scott Styris off Oram for 40. His replacement Robin Uthappa went the very next over without scoring but Gambhir stuck it out, reaching his 50 before succumbing to Vettori for 51.

At this stage, on 104-3 in the 11th over, it seemed India were in control but the wickets fell with increasing regularity after that. Vettori was in particularly devastating form as his side staged a determined fight-back, eventually finishing with figures of 4-20 off his four overs.

Set with a target of 33 off the final two overs and with just two wickets in hand,Singh tried to speed things up with a big one but sent it straight up and eventually into the hands of Vettori.

The final over, which was bowled by Mark Gillespie, with just one wicket in hand and it proved just out of reach for the Indians, who eventually went down by 10 runs.

NEW ZEALAND 190: (B. McCullum 45, P. Fulton 21, C. McMillan 44, J. Oram 35, Rudra Pratap 2 for 29, Harbhajan 2 for 24)

INDIA 180:(G. Gambhir 51,V. Sehwag 40, M. Dhoni 24, Vettori 4 for 20)

JOHANNESBURG, Sunday