IPL Points table

IPL Points table 15 May,2009

Team	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR	For	Against
Delhi Daredevils	14	10	4	0	0	20	+0.311	1978/255.2	1953/262.4
Chennai	14	8	5	0	1	17	+0.951	2086/255.3	1855/257.1
Bangalore	14	8	6	0	0	16	-0.191	1994/276.0	2027/273.2
Deccan Chargers	14	7	7	0	0	14	+0.203	2111/272.4	2097/278.1
Kings XI Punjab	14	7	7	0	0	14	-0.483	1787/251.2	1887/248.3
Rajasthan Royals	14	6	7	0	1	13	-0.352	1688/253.1	1810/257.5
Mumbai Indians	14	5	8	0	1	11	+0.297	1897/256.2	1802/253.4
Kolkata	14	3	10	0	1	7	-0.789	1757/248.5	1867/237.5

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Kolkata win by 11 runs on D/L method

Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL, Durban

Gayle helps Kolkata home in rain-hit game

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga

April 22, 2009

Kolkata Knight Riders 79 for 1 (Gayle 44*, McCullum 21) beat Kings XI Punjab 158 for 6 (Yuvraj 38, Pathan 32, Ganguly 2-24) by 11 runs by D/L method
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Sourav Ganguly took two wickets in his first over, Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL, 6th game, Durban, April 21, 2009
Sourav Ganguly took two wickets in three balls in his first over to set Punjab back © Getty Images

Sourav Ganguly made yet another comeback, this time with the ball, to help Kolkata Knight Riders keep Kings XI Punjab down to 158 for 6. Thereafter, Chris Gayle made the most of two dropped chances to dishearten Punjab and take Kolkata 11 ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis par-score when heavy rain ended the match in the 10th over.

Ganguly had been quiet in the lead-up to this tournament; he had lost his captaincy and looked out of sorts in scoring 1 in 12 balls against Deccan Chargers. Today, though, he made his statement with the ball, taking two wickets in his first over and pulling Punjab back from a solid-yet-unspectacular start.

When Ganguly came on to bowl, Irfan Pathan, promoted to No. 3, had just taken Ishant Sharma for 14 in his third over, and Punjab had moved along to 46 for 1 at the end of six overs. Thirty-two of those had come from Irfan's bat, in 17 deliveries.

And then Ganguly struck, fortuitously at first. Irfan went for a six to the deep midwicket area and was caught smartly by Murali Kartik at the boundary. Two balls later, Ganguly got Ravi Bopara, the opener, to edge to the new captain, Brendon McCullum. Both men were elated, the captain with his bowling change, the bowler having proved a point, and both ran in different directions to celebrate and eventually hugged each other.

Punjab moved from 46 for 1 in six to 67 for 3 in ten overs before a rain interruption. Following that, Punjab enjoyed two of the best overs of their innings. Yuvraj Singh hit a six off Ganguly to take 14 off his third over. Yet, Ganguly ended with figures of 24 for 2 off his four. And just after the rain break, in perhaps a poor tactical move, McCullum brought Chris Gayle on, who had trouble gripping the wet ball and bowled three wides in his 14-run over.

Yuvraj couldn't quite manage a reprise of his six sixes in an over at the same venue, during the inaugural ICC World Twenty20. And once he top-edged Moises Henriques in the 16th over, falling for 38 off 28, caught by Yashpal, Punjab were always struggling.

Thirty-six came off 26 balls after Yuvraj's fall, thanks largely to Mahela Jayawardene, who scored 31 in 19, and took the last over, bowled by Ashok Dinda, for 16, the biggest over of the innings.

But the hitting from Irfan, Yuvraj and Jayawardene paled in comparison with Gayle's. He played the first two overs quietly, and enjoyed a dropped sitter by Karan Goel at short midwicket off Yusuf Abdulla. It was a forgettable day for Goel, who had earlier scored a seven-ball duck.

Once Gayle carved Irfan over cover-point in the third over of the innings, the floodgates opened. From 4 off 8 balls, he reached 31 off 15 through a calculated assault on the left-arm opening bowlers. And then, in the fifth over of the innings, the game breaker came. Irfan was spanked straight and pulled square off the first two balls, and then Gayle showed him the greens, teeing off to over wide long-on.

By the time Gayle was dropped again, by Kumar Sangakkara, off a Piyush Chawla googly, he had taken the match out of Punjab's reach as the dark clouds gathered.

For the second game in succession, Punjab have been curtailed by rain, but this time they succumbed to Ganguly and Gayle, as opposed to their first match, when Delhi's chase was reduced to a six-over hit-out.

Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders Live

Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders Live starting from 10:30 GMT(check local listings)

Lady Luck in demand in Bollywood clash

The clash of teams on the field, when the Kolkata Knight Riders take on King's XI Punjab, will be matched, or bettered by the Bollywood battle between team owners Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta. The one thing both teams are hoping for is that the rain stays away so that the better team can prevail.

Skill aside, in this format luck can play a crucial role and it remains to be seen who will have the rub of the green on Tuesday. Both teams come into the game with a loss and will be eager to taste success.

On Sunday, the Kings XI Punjab had to stomach a massive 10-wicket defeat at the hands of Daredevils in a rain-truncated match. And the Knight Riders were thrashed by the Deccan Chargers — the same team that finished at the bottom of the table last season.

Kolkata's new skipper Brendon McCullum, who only got the top job in controversial circumstances, could not do much. McCullum only put one run on board and the Knight Riders ended up losing as many as three important wickets for the addition of only 16 runs.

R.P. Singh, who walked away with 4 for 22, proved to be KKR's nemesis. The loss will certainly set tongues wagging and reopen the debate over whether it was the right decision to relieve Ganguly of the captaincy.

Equally, though, cricket fans in Durban will look forward to a repeat of the T20 World Cup Yuvraj Singh special where he clattered six sixes off an over at this venue. Yuvraj, who could not play much of a role in the first match, will be looking to make an impact. As Shah Rukh reminded fans recently, “it’s important to be lucky on match days”, and both sides will be hoping it’s their turn to be favoured by lady luck.

Tactical time-out a distraction - Chennai official

The IPL's new 'tactical timeout' is a distraction and affects the momentum of a Twenty20 game, according to a top official of Chennai Super Kings. The seven and a half minute break, the interruption caused by the presence of a dog on the field, and the forced omission of South African allrounder Albie Morkel were some of the reasons for Chennai's defeat against Mumbai Indians in the opening IPL game on Saturday, VB Chandrasekhar, Chennai's head of cricket operations, revealed.

"The seven and a half minute break after 10 overs is quite a distraction and comes in the way of valuable momentum, but that is something all teams will have to live with this year," Chandrasekhar wrote in his blog on the team's website. "Further, we had an unscheduled break of seven to eight minutes with a magnificent black canine holding centre stage amid hilarious scenes never before witnessed."

Chandrasekhar, a former India batsman and ex-national selector, is not the only credible face in the IPL to have voiced concerns about the timeout that was introduced to show more commericials on Indian television. Tom Moody, the Kings XI Punjab coach, admitted on Sunday that the timeout had affected his team's momentum, leading to a loss against Delhi Daredevils.

"We had the momentum and we had seven and a half minutes to lose it," Moody said. "It was the perfect time for Daniel Vettori to come on and secure the momentum back in favour of Delhi. But there are going to be days in this tournament when it works in our favour too."

Meanwhile, Chandrasekhar wrote Morkel's omission was a key reason for Chennai's 19-run loss to Mumbai. "A last minute change to the side was to prove costly for us as Albie landed here sans his gear. The airline had lost it in transit from Johannesburg where he had played the last ODI game against the touring Aussies," he wrote. "Albie was very disappointed and stressed at the sad turn of events. We missed him for his all-round skills, although Thushara did bowl well in his opening spell."

The other disappointments for Chennai was the catch dropped by Mathew Hayden at slip to let off Sachin Tendulkar off Andrew Flintoff and the three sixes hit by Abhishek Nayar in another Flintoff over. "Tendulkar was dropped early and later, Abhishek Nayar got stuck into Freddie," Chandrasekhar wrote. "A little more planning was necessary for local players and that is an area to be addressed with greater care. Nayar's cameo gave them a competitive score. These factors, combined with a bad start to our chase when we lost a couple of early wickets, put us quickly in a catch up mode especially as Haydos [Hayden] couldn't dictate terms to Bhajji."

Chandrasekhar wrote that the team was now looking forward to rising to its "expected potential" in Monday's match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, which will also showcase a much awaited clash between Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, his England team-mate. "Dhoni emphasised the need to move on and improve in areas we found sluggish and this was well received," he wrote. "I am sure our team will rise to its expected potential in the next outing. It was not the start we wanted, but a little drubbing on the pride is always good for lifting the level of performance."

Dhoni and Tendulkar lead starcast in opener (IPL CSK vs MUM)

On last year's form, Chennai Super Kings will be favoured to make a winning start to their IPL campaign on Saturday, but Mumbai Indians have a couple of key factors going in their favour which could well make all the difference. Sachin Tendulkar, who missed the first part of the tournament last year, is fit and available from the start this time. Shaun Pollock will be missed with the ball, but his presence as mentor and Jonty Rhodes' as fielding coach could be key, especially since both will be familiar with South African conditions.

The big addition in the Chennai ranks is Andrew Flintoff, who will be available for the first part of the tournament. His bowling, especially, could be hugely vital for a team which struggled occasionally in that area last year. MS Dhoni has gained plenty more leadership experience since last June, and he'll also have the vast tactical knowledge of Stephen Fleming, the coach, to tap into.

Unlike some of the other line-ups, both sides have been pretty low-key so far, keeping the frills out and concentrating on the cricket. Chennai arrived early in South Africa to acclimatise to the conditions, while Mumbai have been in the news mainly for the announcement of their South African coaches. For a tournament which has been in the news for so many non-cricketing reasons, it can't be a bad thing that it kicks off with teams high on talent but low on controversy.

Player form guide

Chennai: Suresh Raina sparkled in New Zealand, scoring an unbeaten 61 in a Twenty20 game and consistently getting the runs in the ODIs too. Dhoni has been consistent too, while Flintoff is coming off a superb matchwinning five-for in the last ODI against West Indies.

Mumbai: Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh were outstanding with the ball in New Zealand, while Tendulkar was prolific in the Tests and the ODIs. JP Duminy has had a quiet series against Australia, though he managed quick cameos in the third and fourth ODIs.

In from the cold

Matthew Hayden last played an international game in early January this year, and it remains to be seen if he can replicate the form he showed for Chennai last year, when he hammered 189 runs at an average of 63 and a strike rate of 144.

Watch out for

Harbhajan v Murali: Harbhajan had an excellent tour of New Zealand, and he loves to bowl in the short formats. Muralitharan didn't do the damage he was expected to in the last IPL, and this is an opportunity to make amends.

Flintoff v Mumbai openers: It remains to be seen if Flintoff gets the new ball, but the fans could be in for a treat if he gets an opportunity to bowl at two of the most prolific ODI batsmen, Tendulkar and Jayasuriya.

Friendly fire

MS Dhoni v Sachin Tendulkar: They are easily the two biggest names in Indian cricket, but come Saturday, and they will walk out for the toss captaining rival teams to kick off a high-profile tournament. Knowing the respect they have for each other, though, there's little chance of anything more unsavoury than the odd friendly banter.

Team news

Chennai need to decide on the opening partner for Hayden. The contenders are Parthiv Patel, Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan and M Vijay. The first two played last year, but neither was entirely convincing. The other issue is deciding on their four foreign players. Matthew Hayden, Andrew Flintoff and Albie Morkel are near certainties, but Muralitharan might pip home boy Makhaya Ntini for the fourth spot.

Chennai Super Kings (probable) 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Parthiv Patel, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 5 S Badrinath, 6 Andrew Flintoff, 7 Albie Morkel, 8 L Balaji, 9 Joginder Sharma, 10 Manpreet Gony, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.

Mumbai's batting appears fairly well settled, but at least one bowling spot is up for grabs. With Sanath Jayasuriya, Duminy and Dwayne Bravo almost sure to play, the fourth foreigner's spot will probably be a tussle among Dilhara Fernando, Lasith Malinga and Kyle Mills. Malinga could add firepower to the attack, but his inconsistency might tilt the scales in favour of Mills.

Mumbai Indians (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Shikhar Dhawan, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Abhishek Nayar, 7 Yogesh Takawale (wk), 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Dhawal Kulkarni, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Kyle Mills.

For Morkel, Duminy and perhaps Ntini, it'll also mean playing the IPL opener within hours of finishing the day-night ODI against Australia in Johannesburg.

Head-to-head record

The two teams split the two games they played in 2008, with each team winning at home: Chennai squeaked through by six runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, but Mumbai took revenge in convincing fashion, winning by nine wickets at the Wankhede Stadium.

Quotes
"Whatever has happened is over and done with. We all make mistakes learn from them. I've moved on as a cricketer and I'm looking forward to doing well for the IPL for Mumbai Indians. Keeping my fingers crossed that I perform the way I have been."
Harbhajan Singh isn't looking back at what was a forgettable IPL 2008 for him

"The expectations have definitely increased this time after we finished runners-up last time. If you compare us to the other teams, I think our team is well-balanced and definitely one of the favourites to win the tournament."
Suresh Raina has high expectations from the Chennai team

IPL-2 may rake in Rs 800 cr for all core, fringe hopefuls

NEW DELHI: India’s newest multinational, with projected revenues of Rs 800 crore in just five weeks, is all set to take wing in Cape Town on Saturday. Welcome to Lalit Modi’s India Premier League, Stage II, the Great Redeemer in these tough times, if you ask the entertainment, advertising and tourism industry.

And, if you believe Peter Roebuck, the famous Australian cricket columnist, “everyone except Elvis has been slated to appear at the opening”. And, some think he has half-a-chance of turning up,

Even before the first match, between Sachin Tendulkar’s Mumbai Indians and MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings, Multi Screen Media (MSM, previously Sony Entertainment TV), which plans to rake in close to Rs 400 crore, claims to have sold 85% of advertising space.
The franchisee teams put together may earn Rs 250 crore from sponsorship deals. The travel-tourism and restaurant sectors stand to gain revenues of Rs 50 crore each. India’s Rs 300-crore restaurant and pub industry, struggling with sagging sales, is hoping that IPL will bring it the much-needed respite.

“We expect a 30-40% increase in footfall and revenues during the IPL season,” says Rohan Jaitley of Bistro Hospitality that runs Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF) pubs in India and has partnered with Adidas, which is designing its pubs across India and offering discounts and vouchers around the IPL.

Going by the experience of IPL-1, corporate sales could pick up, as executives head out to pubs after office hours to catch a drink while watching matches on the big screen. At least, that is the collective faith. Although hotels in lost out on big business after the IPL venue was shifted to South Africa, some are hoping they will partly recoup the loss from increased food and beverage revenues.

Even ITC, the official hospitality partner, which was the most hit by the venue change, believes that IPL-2 will be a booster shot. Says ITC’s hotel division COO Dipak Haksar: “We will be running promotional activities in our pubs and restaurants to woo families and corporate executives during the IPL season and footfalls will definitely increase.”

Adds Lalit Hotels’ COO Vijay Wanchoo: “We anticipate an increase of 10-15% in sales generated by restaurants and pubs, especially during the semi-finals and finals.” According to industry estimates, hotel and restaurant owners could earn Rs 45-50 crore during the IPL.

The IPL’s venue-shift hurt plans of many businesses, but not among those complaining. The industry is seeing a surge in interest for holiday packages to South Africa, with nearly 70% of the package sales coming from companies that are sponsors or planning to take their employees for ‘offsites’ to South Africa.

Flower confirmed as England coach

Andy Flower has been confirmed as England's new full-time team director of cricket after working on an interim basis during the recent tour of West Indies.

Flower, 40, stepped up from his assistant role in January, following the dismissal of the former head coach, Peter Moores. Though England's results were mixed during a turbulent 11-week tour, he impressed the selectors with his work ethic and formed a strong bond with the captain, Andrew Strauss, which was rewarded with a last-gasp victory in five-match ODI series that followed the Tests.

After taking over in such uncertain circumstances Flower admitted it took him a while to decide if he wanted to apply for the full-time post. "When I went on that West Indian tour I didn't know whether I wanted to apply for this job or not. Halfway through I had made up my mind that I did," he said. "I'm very honoured to be given the position. I believe the last three months will stand me in good stead."

Now that he has the top job Flower has the chance to stamp his identity on the team and is looking forward to being able to plan ahead. "I was interim coach for that tour, now that I'm in charge, so to speak, things change, definitely," he said.

Flower's salary is expected to be approximately £250,000, and his first major job will be to help select the squad for the first Test against West Indies, at Lord's, which begins on May 6. An enlarged squad is expected to be named at the weekend.

"There are some big decisions we have to make, it is a huge summer ahead of us," Flower said. "It's going to come up on us very quickly, some of our players are already away at the IPL, and the season starts today so there are big decisions to make and hard work to be done."

Having called upon the professional headhunting firm, Odgers Ray & Berndtson, to help pinpoint the ideal candidate for the role, the ECB were left - partly by design and partly by accident - with what Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, described as "a very short shortlist".

Morris said that 30 people had applied for the role although many high-profile targets pulled out at various stages. "We had a great deal of interest and were very happy at the level of candidates and we believe we have the right man for the job," Morris said. "Andy was a world-class cricketer and we believe he has the potential to become a world-class coach."

One high-profile figure, Western Australia's coach, Tom Moody, chose not to put his name forward, while another, Kent's coach Graham Ford, the former favourite for the role, withdrew from the nomination after criticising the long-drawn-out nature of the process.

Other names mentioned but since ruled out include the coaches of South Africa and India, Mickey Arthur and Gary Kirsten, while Warwickshire's director of cricket, Ashley Giles, was told he lacked sufficient experience, which left him frustrated. John Wright, the former India coach and now New Zealand's high performance manager, remained as the one genuine competitor but in reality the job always seemed to be Flower's since the end of the West Indies tour.

One factor in Flower's favour, in the short term at least, was the sheer volume of cricket faced by England's cricketers in the coming months. After a period of intense upheaval, encompassing the loss of three captains and a coach in the space of four months (and with a fourth captain in the pipeline for the World Twenty20), the time has come for some consolidation at the top, especially with the Ashes looming in early July.

It may have taken Flower until the final weeks of England's tour to register his first victory in the role, but on his watch the team has put a greater onus on personal fitness, which will prove invaluable given that most of the squad faces a non-stop 11-week schedule in the run-up to the Ashes, starting with the IPL in South Africa for several key members, including Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen.

Furthermore, Flower will also have to make a call on the readiness of the former captain, Michael Vaughan, for a return to the Test side. He quit the captaincy in August on account of a prolonged run of poor form, and he made just 12 for MCC against Durham in the season opener at Lord's last week, but Vaughan's reputation in Ashes cricket could well count in his favour, especially if doubts continue to linger about his competitors for the No.3 spot, Ian Bell and Owais Shah.

Alam hopes spinners will trouble Australia

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam is confident his spinners will cause problems for Australia's batsmen, who have struggled against slow bowlers in the ongoing ODI series in South Africa, during the five-match series in Dubai and Abu Dhabi beginning on April 22.

Australia were unable to counter offspinner Johan Botha effectively in both the home and away legs of the ODI series against South Africa and they also struggled against Roelof van der Merwe, who took 3 for 37 with his left-arm spin in the third ODI in Cape Townon Thursday.

"I am pleased to see the Australians lost wickets against spinners and we too have three quality spinners. If the wickets assist slow bowlers we have a good chance," Alam told AFP. "It all depends on the response from the pitch, but we can have more than one spinner in every match and get wickets.

"The ground in Dubai is new, so we will have to check, and there is also the dew factor in the evening. Although there are plans to use chemicals to counter the dew during the innings break, we have to see how it works out during our practice match."

Pakistan have three spinners in their 15-man squad - the specialist offspinner Saeed Ajmal, and allrounders Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi. The Pakistan squad is currently attending a three-day camp before leaving for Dubai on Sunday.

Aus Vs S.A. 5th One Day live

Starting from 12:30 GMT (Check local listings)

McGrath defies odds to play in IPL

Glenn McGrath is in his 40th year. He is a man raising two children and, with a little help from his friends, running a major charity organisation founded by his wife, Jane, who passed away last year after a long battle with cancer.

Clearly, McGrath is a man with much on his plate and more on his mind. And yet, in the coming weeks, he will add to his many commitments by pushing his frame through five gruelling weeks of competition with the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL. It is, by any estimate, a massive ask, and even more so when it is considered McGrath has not sent down a delivery in international cricket since the 2007 World Cup final.

With his day-to-day activities largely focussed on a non-profit organisation, the opportunity to earn for his family - his auction price was $US350,000 - serves as a major motivation for McGrath as he enters his second IPL season. But this is no charity case. Last year, while contending with much heartache at home, the Australian paceman earned his pay cheque by emerging as the most economical (6.61) and durable (14 games) of Delhi's bowlers. McGrath believes more is to come this time around.

"I struggled a bit last year, but that was more about Jane and how the situation was back home," McGrath told Cricinfo. "That won't be a concern this time. Mum may bring the kids over for the middle period, depending on the schedule. My whole focus will be a lot different when I'm there, which I think will all be positive. Last time I think I did reasonably well considering I hadn't played for 12 months. I have no doubts it will be similar this time, but my mindset will be different.

"There is a lot of incentive going over there with the money they're offering. Cricket is not something that I have a great desire to get back and play at the moment. I'm very happy being retired and with everything that I achieved in my life. In saying that, as soon as I got on the field in India (in 2008), I couldn't help being competitive. My natural instincts came out and I was away. That won't be an issue.

"Last year I did a heap of fitness work leading into it, and when I bowled in the nets for half a session I felt like I hadn't ever been away from the game. When I played that Twenty20 match earlier on in the year for New South Wales, and I hadn't done any work leading into it, it felt like I had never bowled before in my life. So basically if I'm fit my bowling will come back really quickly, and if I'm not fit I'm useless."

McGrath will arrive in Delhi the coming days for the Daredevils' week-long training camp before departing with the squad for South Africa on April 7. It is, he says, a time of great excitement, as cricket taps ever deeper into the rich resource that is Twenty20 cricket.

But there is cause for concern, too. While McGrath and his metronomic action are unburdened by international commitments these days, the same cannot be said of the IPL's other major drawcards. Already, Sri Lanka have withdrawn from the spring tour of England due to their players' collective desire to compete in the IPL, while cricketers from the West Indies - called in as eleventh-hour replacements - are upset at being denied the opportunity to play the full five weeks in South Africa.

"To me, the best thing the ICC could do is make a window for it," McGrath said. "You'll stop people having to make a decision. Some guys have to make a decision between playing for their country or go over there and play for six-to-eight weeks and pocket $2 million. As much as you'd like to think they'd have their priorities right, that's a lot of money. You can set yourself up and have that security for your family.



"On the way out to the SCG one day, I got stopped at the traffic lights and someone handed $100 through the window from the car next door. They said, 'We love what you doing with the foundation, and we want to support you.' "



"[A window] would be a huge thing for cricket, and hopefully safeguard it against anything detrimental happening to the game. You're not going to stop it. When I started playing, and the way I still feel now, Test match cricket is the ultimate. But now, with Twenty20 and the potential for what you can earn, soon people will be saying Twenty20 is the ultimate. I'd hate to see it affect Test cricket too much. Hopefully, if there's that window there, you can get back and play Test cricket and focus on that."

McGrath will presumably attract much attention in India as he plies his trade for the Delhi Daredevils, but in his native Australia, it is his charitable work that has attracted most publicity of late. In January, Cricket Australia declared day three of the Sydney Test "Jane McGrath Day", and SCG patrons responded by dressing in pink attire - the colour of the McGrath Foundation - and donating generously. Indeed, McGrath's work for the foundation was recognised with his nomination for the prestigious Australian of the Year Award - more than a year after his retirement from cricket.

"I'm just Jane McGrath's husband these days," he quips. "The support for the foundation has been amazing. To be honest I don't know if it could've gone any smoother if I had a genie and three wishes.

"On the way out to the SCG one day, I got stopped at the traffic lights and someone handed $100 through the window from the car next door. They said, 'We love what you doing with the foundation, and we want to support you.' I was a bit tired and probably a little bit grumpy, and that really picked me up. I thought, 'That's what it's all about.' It's amazing how one little gesture can change your whole day. I still have to pinch myself with just how it went.

"My involvement is increasing. I still have sponsors that I work for. I have to spend time with the kids. I still have to put bread and milk on the table. It would be great to do stuff for the foundation 24-7, but someone has got to pay the bills."

WestIndies Vs England live

England take title after late drama

England lift World Cup after late drama

England woke up on Sunday morning to find their women crowned world champions for the third time following a final in which they had the edge throughout against New Zealand in Sydney on Sunday. As Jonny Wilkinson had kicked his rugby side to glory in 2003 in the same city, so England's Nicky Shaw sealed success for her team to see them home, having taken a career-best 4 for 34.

This match was not quite as nail-biting as the rugby final but certainly had its moments. Though at one stage England were coasting in their chase of 167, they eventually made it home by four wickets.

And while Shaw earned the player of the match - unlike Wilkinson - she wasn't even supposed to play. Although vice-captain, it was only an injury to premier allrounder Jenny Gunn that meant her last-minute inclusion. It proved a stroke of fortune for England.

The final had promised to be a much tight affair with the best two sides in the competition contesting the ultimate honours, but Shaw's wicket burst helped keep New Zealand to a modest total and then England's big batting guns had just too much firepower when it counted.

Their all-round game was a credit, the bowlers taking wickets when it mattered, the fielders the catches and then their batsmen took advantage of bowling that was both too short and too full at times. And the most important thing was that, even though they went on to lose a few wickets, they held their nerve at the crucial point.

The key passage of the game came in the New Zealand innings, kickstarted by Shaw who removed the dangerous Suzie Bates, then Amy Satterthwaite off successive balls. New Zealand went on to lose 6 for 92, Shaw dismissing form batsman Haidee Tiffen and Nicola Browne, becoming the first woman to take four wickets in a World Cup final.

The wicket of Browne was an important one - she had offered New Zealand some hope, along with Lucy Doolan in an eighth-wicket stand of 62. Together they boosted their side from 7 for 101. Partnerships were badly lacking for New Zealand, in initial contrast to England who found themselves on 1 for 74 in their reply.

The hard-working Caroline Atkins and Sarah Taylor seized the advantage quickly and entertained with some pure cricket shots. Having pleased the crowd with her typically strong shots, Taylor then perished to a soft one, such has been her wont this tournament.

No matter, it simply brought the world's No. 1 batsman to the crease. Claire Taylor had arrived in the final averaging 75.75 for the tournament. She began by sparing no mercy on the New Zealand attack before Aimee Mason bowled her on 21, giving her opposition some hope (2 for 109).

Atkins departed soon afterwards for 40, brilliantly caught by the tumbling Sophie Devine in gully off Doolan and New Zealand had a hint of a chance. Their determined bowlers continued to try their best but with Doolan again striking, with Edwards adjudged caught behind when she hadn't touched it.

Lydia Greenway then fell top-edging to midwicket, before Beth Morgan ran herself out failing to push back into her crease. With 15 runs required and four wickets in hand, Tiffen then dropped a hard chance off Holly Colvin, but Shaw stood defiant, with some classy drives that belied the pressure of the final.

Both sides had started nervously - the usually solid Tiffen consistently poking away from her body under Katherine Brunt's pace and swing, while the bowler and her fellow opener Isa Guha delivered some wides. But it was all about who held their nerve and, while England's bowlers struck golden rhythm and crucial wickets, New Zealand's batsmen were prone to losing their heads.

It could have been the same story for England at one point, but with a vast bank of experience from which to draw, they stood firm.

England played the more complete cricket and deserved the trophy. They will now enjoy the benefit of the world No. 1 ranking for the foreseeable future - perhaps even until the World Cup in 2013. And with the World Twenty20 coming up, England are already looking a fair bet. For now, though, they will enjoy their first World Cup title since 1993.

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