South Africa vs England – 1st ODI Abandoned

South Africa vs England – 1st ODI Abandoned: The opening ODI of the 5-match Series between South Africa and England was abandoned due to heavy rain. This ODI was supposed to be a day night affair at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. None of the players had even left their hotels to the ground. The second ODI is on the 22nd at the Centurion Park in Pretoria.

Hudson to Play Nelson Mandela’s Ex-Wife

LOS ANGELES: Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson is to play the role of Winnie Mandela, the controversy-plagued ex-wife of South Africa’s first black president Nelson Mandela in a new movie called Winnie, Variety reported on Wednesday.

The film is based on the Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob biography, Winnie Mandela: A Life, according to Variety.

Production is scheduled to begin May 30 in the South African locations of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Transkei and Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela served 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment.

The movie is the second about the Mandelas this year, with Morgan Freeman set to star as the iconic president in the Clint Eastwood film Invictus, which is due in cinemas in December.

Hudson, who is expected to sing the film’s theme song, won the Oscar for her screen debut in Dreamgirls and followed with The Secret Life of Bees and Sex in the City.

“I was compelled and moved when I read the script,” Hudson said. “Winnie Mandela is a complex and extraordinary woman and I’m honoured to be the actress asked to portray her. This is a powerful part of history that should be told.”

Winnie Mandela was a fierce opponent to apartheid alongside her husband before the end of the racist regime. But she was tarnished by an association with a bodyguard who murdered a 14-year-old alleged informer in 1989. The Mandelas divorced in 1996 and she was convicted of fraud in 2003 for stealing from a funeral fund.

Winnie will be directed by Darrell J. Roodt, the veteran South African filmmaker whose 2006 film Yesterday was Africa’s Best Foreign Film nominee, and who also directed Cry, The Beloved Country and Sarafina!

Katrina Hodge Miss England

Katrina Hodge Miss now England :- Lance Corporal Katrina Hodge has become the new Miss England after Rachel Christie stepped down following her arrest over an alleged nightclub brawl. A statement from Miss England organisers said Rachel Christie, 21, had stepped down as she wanted to concentrate on clearing her name.

Miss Christie became involved in a dispute with another beauty queen, Miss Manchester, aka Sara Beverley Jones, at a Manchester nightclub earlier this week.

It was later announced that Lance Corporal Katrina Hodge, who was first runner-up in the 2009 national contest, has become the new Miss England. L/Cpl Hodge has been given leave from her duties as a soldier in the British Army and will represent England in the Miss World Final in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday December 12.

She was previously given an award by her unit in the Royal Anglian Regiment for her actions during a posting in Basra and has earned the nickname “Combat Barbie”.
Source: apakistannews.com

Pak Champions Trophy New Zealand Under The Scanner

ISLAMABAD : International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit will investigate the charges of match-fixing in the semi-final match between Pakistan and New Zealand.
Talking to private TV channel, Chairman Jamshed Ahmed Dasti said that the national cricket team lost the match to New Zealand deliberately.

The dropped catch by skipper Younus Khan of Grant Elliott is one of the incidents under scanner. However, Younus has denied dropping the ball intentionally, but conceded that the dropped catch cost his team the Champions Trophy semi-final tie in Johannesburg on last Saturday.

The captain also admitted that he missed the catch because he was trying to protect a fractured finger.

Australia Vs New Zealand ICC Champions Trophy Final Match Today

JOHANNESBURG: New Zealand will adopt a familiar role of underdogs when they confront title holders and hot favourites Australia on Monday (today) in the ICC Champions Trophy final.
Form and tradition are stacked against the ‘Black Caps’, but that will not concern skipper Daniel Vettori and his warriors ahead of the 50-over-a-side contest for a record two-million-dollar first prize in Centurion.

While New Zealand once again boxed well above their middleweight status to oust Pakistan by five wickets in the semifinals, the match never scaled the heights of 24 hours earlier when Australia crushed England by nine wickets.
Watch Final Match

The 247-run Australian batting master-class starring unbeaten Shane Watson and skipper Ricky Ponting surpassed the totals of Pakistan or New Zealand and sent a chilling message.

Australia have long been a Champions Trophy bogey team for their neighbours across the Tasman sea, winning the three previous meetings in the mini-World Cup with something to spare.

The victory margin was 164 runs seven years ago in Sri Lanka, seven wickets in England in 2004 and 34 runs in India three years ago when the tournament was last staged.

Not that records will concern Ponting, who passed the 12,000 ODI run mark in the rout of England and lies third behind a cricketer he admires so much, Indian Sachin Tendulkar, and Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya.

The 34-year-old Tasmanian is a team man first and last and says he will reflect on personal achievements in a game he has graced for a decade and a half only when father time decides the bat must give way to a rocking chair.

“Respect every ball,” Ponting warned his team-mates ahead of the England slaughter and it will be no different against New Zealand at SuperSport Park just off the Johannesburg-to-Pretoria highway.

While resurgent Watson beamed after his 136 runs against England, the facial reactions of Ponting did not portray a man who had struck 111 and featured in a record Australian one-day stand.

It was great torturing old enemy England, but the mission was incomplete. Winning finals is what counts in the hyper-combative world of Ricky Thomas Ponting and he has two World Cups and a Champions Trophy to boast of.

Vettori is a great captain, too, and after a timid surrender to South Africa his team upset Sri Lanka by 38 runs, England by four wickets and Pakistan to reach their second final having beaten India in the 2000 Nairobi climax.

What the ‘Black Caps’ deliver is often far more than the sum of their parts and reached the final in spite of losing bowlers Daryl Tuffey and Jacob Oram and batsman Jesse Ryder to injury.

Australia had to reshuffle their pack as well after vice-captain Michael Clarke and star bowler Nathan Bracken caught the injury bug, but those left appear to have another all-round strength to celebrate come Monday night (tonight).

Pakistan, Kiwis To Play In The 2nd Semi-Final Today

JOHANNESBURG: Pakistan will meet New Zealand on Saturday (today) in the second semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy here at Wanderer Cricket Stadium, which will be played under the floodlights.
Younus Khan will lead the green shirts while Denial Vettori the Black Cap. Pakistan were second in their Group-A after aggregating 4 points by beating West Indies and arch rival India in their pool matches. However, they lost against Australia in a well-contested affair at Super Sports ground Centurion on September 30.

Kiwis were on the top in Group-B with couple of victories and best average as compare to England, which also achieved two wins in the pool fixtures of mega cricket event of the world. Both the teams did the practice at the Wanderers on Friday.

Meanwhile, captain Younus Khan said in a pre-match press conference that it would be good contest at Wanderers but green shirts would enter in the ground with their full strength. “I am also fit for the semifinal, “he added.

Younus Khan further said that it was good sign that Muhammad Asif did well against World Champions Australia in the pervious match at Centurion. “We have well pace battery to tackle the kiwi batsmen in the second semifinal of the champions’ trophy cricket tournament, “he maintained.

While responding to a question, leader of the Pakistan team said that he would like to see England in the final. “Pakistan and England never win this title in past and players of the both sides eager to clinch the ICC Champions Trophy and there will be good cricket for the game lovers, “he described.

Captain Younus Khan said that all boys are fit including Imran Nazir. “However, we will finalize the team after observing the pitch conditions before starting the match.

Our bowlers are doing well with the ball including pacers Umer Gul, Rana and Mohammad Asif. Shahid and Ajmal completing their job in the spin bowling department, “he viewed.

India Cricket Team Out Of Champions Trophy 2009

Johannesburg: Mexico won their Champions Trophy Group A against the West Indies by 7 windows, but could not reach the semifinals as Australia crashed his effort to win over Pakistan during the day.
After a clinical performance and effective by a team beleaguered Caribbean, all Sting’s team was the fact that it took a little longer to shake off the rust in a tournament that had to fire-off of the first party itself.

The opening loss to Pakistan harm, but not as much as washing match against Australia because they could not muster enough points for the next stage of the tournament.

Virat Kohli came as a breath of fresh air in the otherwise sad season Champions Trophy which closed half-century with guts. Dinesh Karthik, moreover, could not convert their hard work in big profits out after scoring 34 races.

India has started its execution Chase in a disastrous note, losing the higher order of windows Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid.

Johannesburg was crazy in the first part of the Champions Trophy 2009 as the meeting of the India bowlers ripped through West Indies batting with panache.

Caribbean giant stopped at a mere 129 runs with MS Dhoni achieve some brilliant tactical moves to take comprehensive action. If you could only start the tournament with the same strategy!

Ashish Nehra was a man possessed in the field, playing his return to form with a bang, claiming three wickets. The clinical performance of several players saw West Indies lose wickets, barely scraping past the 100 mark for implementation.

Scorecard: India vs West Indies’

In one of the most surprising move which has had the afternoon off the field, Dhoni was the role of a bowler and was quite successful at that, saying none other than Travis Dowling with a shot dragged into his stumps.

His first stop ODI also meant that half of the Caribbean team was in the locker room with few clues to show.

Praveen Kumar is the captain Floyd Reifer, go for a run only after he had claimed Andre Fletcher. With four windows gone and the inexperienced middle order exposed, the West Indies were in real trouble, and could never leave it.

Nehra struck the higher order of the West Indies with his pace, getting Kieran Powell with a regulation catch to the keeper and Devon Smith is also a clear sign of his return to form.

With the team returned home, the captain, coach and selectors have a lot of calculations to make a balanced manner and form team for future tournaments. They also hope for a speedy recovery for Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan, who are vital cogs in the party of India is winning composition.

Ind vs Wi

India vs West Indies (Ind vs WI)  will face each other in the Group A match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2009, Watch Live Streaming and Live scores of the match which will begin in Johannesburg on wednesday 29th September, 2009. Match start time at 14:30 am local, 6 pm India time.
If India have to make it to the the semi final of the Champions Trophy, Then the equation is ..Australia have to lose to Pakistan, then India have to beat the West Indies, and that too with a huge margin , so that their net run-rate surpasses Australia’s. If any of these doesn’t happen, then India have to pack there bags and come back to India.

Live Cricket Score Board
Indian Captain M s Dhoni Said in a press Conference “I think Indian fans want us to qualify, so I am sure they will definitely support the Pakistan team,” said Dhoni. “You can expect them to cheer Pakistan tomorrow, but it is entirely up to them.”

The points split in the last game means India and Australia will fight it out for the semi-final slot in Group A, with Pakistan already through. Now If Australia beat Pakistan, they’ll obviously go through , It’ll get more complicated, though, if Australia lose to Pakistan and India beat West Indies.

Its interesting to note that the depleted West Indies have lost 5 ODI’s in a row. But if the the history of the champions Trophy is taken into consideration West Indies have won both the matches they have played against India in the previous two editions of the Champions Trophy.

Live Cricket Score Board
India: (probable) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 6 Virat Kohli, 7 Yusuf Pathan/Amit Mishra, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Ishant Sharma, 10 Praveen Kumar, 11 Ashish Nehra.

West Indies: (probable) 1 Devon Smith, 2 Andre Fletcher, 3 Keiran Powell/Royston Crandon, 4 Travis Dowlin, 5 Floyd Reifer (capt), 6 David Bernard, 7 Darren Sammy, 8 Chadwick Walton (wk), 9 Nikita Miller, 10 Tino Best, 11 Gavin Tonge.
Live Cricket Score Board
Source: panasianbiz.com

Miss Singapore Was Closed After Criminal Record Revealed

SINGAPORE : Singapore’s representative to the Miss World beauty content has stepped down after being exposed as a credit card cheat, the local contest organisers said Tuesday.
Ris Low, a 19-year-old student, had first resisted calls to give up her crown after Singapore media revealed she got a suspended sentence for stealing and misusing customers’ credit cards when she worked as a receptionist.

“She has resigned. Story closed,” a staff member of ERM World Marketing, holder of the Singapore franchise for the Miss World 2009 contest taking place in Johannesburg in December, told AFP.

Low’s admission that she committed the crime as a result of bipolar disorder further stoked calls for her to resign because she was seen as unsuitable to represent Singapore overseas.

Before the revelations of her conviction and psychiatric problems, Low became an object of ridicule after a video interview posted on the Internet showed her speaking fractured English.

ICC Champions Trophy, New Zealand Vs England Today

JOHANNESBURG: England will take on New Zealand in ICC Champions Trophy match today. This is 3rd match of the tournament between New Zealand and England; however English team has already qualified for semi-final.
It is New Zealand’s turn to do or die. A victory will take them through to the semi-finals, but a defeat will almost certainly see them heading home. England, though, can already think about the knockout stage after their slick performance against South Africa. This tournament continues to confound, and what excitement that has brought.

New Zealand produced an outstanding performance against Sri Lanka to keep their tournament hopes alive. It was typical of them to bounce back so impressively after a heavy defeat against South Africa. There was grit, determination and no little flair as they out-gunned a talented Sri Lankan team that haven’t found their top gear in this tournament. They might still survive, but need England to do them a favour.

Daniel Vettori’s team often lift themselves at global events and if they don’t make the semi-finals it will be something of a surprise – they are almost always there. However, their hopes have taken a blow with Jesse Ryder ruled out of the tournament after the injury he picked up during his destructive 58-ball 74 against Sri Lanka and his departure leaves a hole in the top order. But Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill have shown good form and it is up to them to take the strain. The captain, too, is leading from the front and his bowling spell was crucial to defeating Sri Lanka.

England, for their part, won’t want to take their foot off the gas. Having waited so long to find winning form in one-day cricket it would be careless to let it slip now. There are also areas to tighten up on despite two hefty victories. In both games the support bowling for James Anderson – especially from his fellow quicks – has been lacking with Stuart Broad particularly culpable of pitching too short. They also dropped two catches against South Africa – one by Paul Collingwood, the other by Owais Shah – and although neither cost them the match those types of mistakes will eventually be punished.

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