Colombo, March 1
Pacer Lasith Malinga made a grand entry into the World Cup by notching up an unprecedented second hat-trick in the mega event as Sri Lanka crushed minnows Kenya by nine wickets in a group A match, here today. Sri Lanka shot out Kenya for a meagre 142 with Malinga, playing his first match of the tournament, single-handedly destroying Kenya with a career-best six-wicket haul.

And replying, the hosts cruised to 146 for one in just 18.4 overs with Tillakaratne Dilshan (44), Upul Tharanga (67 unbeaten) and skipper Kumar Sangakkara (27 unbeaten) scoring freely.

Malinga also earned the distinction of becoming the first bowler to take a hat-trick in World Cup for the second time as he first achieved the feat earlier in the 2007 edition against South Africa.

It was also the second hat-trick of the ongoing World Cup in as many days after West Indies' Kemar Roach produced the first against the Netherlands in Delhi yesterday.

Obuya brothers — Collins (52) and David (51) — were the only batsmen from Kenya to reach the double-digit mark and it was because of their fighting 92-run third-wicket stand that the African nation could reach near the 150-run mark.

Malinga, who had not played the first two games due to a back problem, accounted for four opposition wickets, including a hat-trick, in a span of 12 balls at the R Premadasa stadium.

Kenya's lower middle-order spoilt the hardwork of Obuya brothers as they lost their last eight wickets for just 40 runs.

Opting to bat, Kenya found the Lankan pace duo of Malinga (6/38) and Nuwan Kulasekara (1/18) too hot to handle as they lost openers -- Maurice Ouma and Seren Waters -- for just eight runs.

Kulasekera struck early for the home team, trapping Ouma in the second over with a delivery that moved in after pitching. The batsman went for the review but TV umpire upheld the decision.

Malinga soon got into the act and trapped Waters in the next over with a lethal indipping yorker that hit the batsman on his toes.

Although Waters did not go for the review, he was perhaps little unlucky as TV replays later showed the ball was missing leg-stump.

Then came in the Obuya brothers, who displayed tremendous grit and determination to steady the rocking Kenyan ship. They showed exemplary patience to rescue Kenya with a 92-run partnership that came off 177 balls.

It took another lethal yorker from Malinga to separate the brothers when he cleaned up Collins but not before the right-hander notched up his maiden World Cup half-century that came off 100 balls and was studded with four boundaries. — PTI

Scoreboard
Kenya:
Ouma lbw b Kulasekara 1
Waters lbw b Malinga 3
Obuya b Malinga 52
Obuya c Samaraweera b Murali 51
Tikolo c Dilshan b Mathews 7
Mishra lbw b Malinga 0
Kamande run out 1
Odhiambo not out 8
Ongondo b Malinga 0
Ngoche b Malinga 0
Otieno b Malinga 0
Extras: (b 1 lb 6 w 9 nb 3) 19
Bowling: Malinga 7.4-0-38-6, Kulasekara 9-1-18-1, Mathews 7-0-20-1, Mendis 9-2-23-0, Muralitharan 8-0-24-1, Silva 3-0-12-0

Sri Lanka
Tharanga not out 67
Dilshan c Ouma b Otieno 44
Sangakkara not out 27
Extras (w-7, nb-1) 8
Bowling: Ongondo 3-0-28-0, Odhiambo 5-0-26-0, Ngoche 4-0-39-0, Kamande 1-0-14-0, Otieno 4-0-26-1, Obuya 1.4-0-13-0.

Colombo, March 1
Enraged with a state-run television network for insinuating that he might have helped fix a World Cup match against Pakistan, former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene is contemplating legal action against the channel.

According to reports in the media, Jayawardene, who made just two runs in the match which the Lankans lost by 11 runs, is furious with the network for suggesting that he might have underperformed in the match.

"...a formal process has been initiated," Jayawardene's manager was quoted as saying by the media here.

The commentators of the TV station had claimed that a local businessman put a USD 18,000 bet on Sri Lanka losing the game an Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera (1) "changed the game" by getting dismissed early.

Bangalore, March 1
After snatching a thrilling tie against favourites India, a rampaging England will look to mow down minnows Ireland and pocket the crucial two points when they meet in a group B match of the cricket World Cup here tomorrow.

After an unconvincing victory against Holland in their opening match, England were in sniffing distance of a memorable win over India on Sunday but the English team almost threw the chance before holding on to an astonishing tie.

Having three points from two matches, England are placed just behind India in the table with the only thing separating them being the run-rate. Andrew Strauss' men would hope to notch up a huge win tomorrow to get to the top.

England's batting has fired in both their previous encounters where they chased down 292 against Holland and scored 338 against India and skipper Strauss would want another solid performance from his batters.

However, the bowling has been a bit lacklustre as they have been leaking runs galore. James Anderson produced the worst World Cup performance by and Englishman when he gave away 91 runs in 9.5 overs, while Stuart Broad's replacement Ajmal Shahzad bled 53 in eight overs against India.

Save for Tim Bresnan, who took 5-48, none of the other bowlers, including spinners have been very successful. — PTI

That was some game in Bangalore, but I’m not entirely surprised by how India fared in the second innings. I’ve said it before — India have a lot of worries about their bowling and that match against England was a glaring reminder.

The bowling is a big problem. Their batting is fantastic; the batsmen can put up a lot of runs. But how many is enough with an attack like that? That bowling unit looks very haphazard and ineffective.

Part-time bowlers like Yuvraj Singh can at best play a supporting role for India.

Good teams will fancy their chances of chasing big scores on such pitches where there is little assistance for the quick bowlers. On Sunday there weren’t enough yorkers or variety and the lack of imagination from the bowlers was startling. Just relying on slower balls isn’t going to win you matches.

Piyush Chawla’s inclusion would have divided opinion in India. He looks a decent bowler to me, but he doesn’t seem a thinking bowler. He needs to start thinking about when to rely on the googly and when to use the leg-break. When a set right-handed batsman is looking to slog to mid-wicket, the googly isn’t going to work.

Chawla seems reasonably good but has a long way to go and obviously has a lot to learn. Also, India cannot afford to rely on part-timers in the bowling department. I don’t believe in part-timers being a reliable means of getting wickets and we have seen the evidence of it in many games so far. India are doing that and it isn’t working.

India’s approach has been to try and bat first and put up a big total. Perhaps they should look to chase instead. That way they may find out how many runs are enough to win matches and put their strongest asset into a different perspective. It’s a tactic I believe they should consider.

Andrew Strauss will be proud of the innings he played. It was a great century. There was a time when people questioned his place in the team but the way he has batted, Strauss has shut everyone up.

The reason he’s done so well is because he’s a proper batsman with a good technique. He’s constantly learning about his game, willing to adapt, and has now figured out how to score briskly while sticking to his natural game. There’s not a lot of improvisation just a change of attitude and that allows Strauss to be in his comfort zone.

The definitive passages of that match in Bangalore were the two batting powerplays. We saw England lost the plot during the batting powerplay, and that’s because they didn’t apply themselves properly.

Same for India, after Sachin Tendulkar had given them such a strong platform. During the batting powerplay, batsmen need to recognise the fact that it is not just the time to swing wildly, they need to understand that with more fielders inside the circle and only three in the deep, they need to adjust their game so that they score more on the less-defended side of the wicket.

The West Indies were expected to beat Netherlands and I’m not surprised by the manner in which Kemar Roach annihilated the batting. Netherlands are too reliant on Ryan ten Doeschate, and once he goes there’s too much pressure on the rest. — PMG

Mohali, March 1
Dale Steyn is not very tall, nor very muscular. Steyn is not overtly aggressive. But he is devastating as a fast bowler. The South African is a smooth operator and comes at the batsmen imperceptibly. As a batsman you are never really in when Steyn is operating.

He can get you any time. He has vast reserves of energy, can bowl consistently around the 150 km per hour mark and can get you with both the new and the old ball.

He can befuddle batsmen with his clever changes of pace. In short, he's the kind of bowler MS Dhoni will desperately want to have in his bowling line-up right now.

But that is far from being the case. Steyn and Morkel form an ominous fast bowling pair for the South African team and they are getting ready to unleash their fury on the Netherlands' batsmen in the game at Mohali on Thursday.

"No it's not an easy match. We are not thinking of it as an easy game at all," said Steyn at the PCA Stadium in Mohali where the Proteas had a training session today. "Here in India you have to be a street smart bowler. If you are trying out and out pace, that will not work here. In South Africa, a short ball can bounce a lot and get you a nick through to the keeper. Here the same short ball will sit up nicely waiting to be spanked to the boundary. Here you have to mix-up, bowl the cutters, the slower ones and the fast balls. That's the secret to success here. I have played here in the IPL and I know how to do that," says Steyn.

In South Africa's opening game of the World Cup against the West Indies in New Delhi, Steyn had figures of 3 for 24. Some experts have slammed the long gaps between matches at this World Cup but the 27-year-old paceman feels that is quite all right.

"I think the break between matches is just fine. It gives players a chance to recover from any niggles. It also gives reserve players a chance to stake their claim in the Playing XI in the net sessions. You can practice a few different things in the nets and all that," feels Steyn.

Ryan ten Doeschate and the rest of the Netherlands' batsmen are going to get a real taste of what fast bowling is all about when they face Morkel and Steyn on Thursday. Steyn is not taking that match lightly and will be going all out. The Dutch will have to figure out a way to deal with the 'street smart' Steyn.

New Delhi, March 1
The West Indies have replaced the injured Dwayne Bravo with Devendra Bishoo. The International Cricket Council (ICC) today confirmed the approval of the Event Technical Committee of the ICC of Bishoo's choice.

Bravo injured his left knee during the West Indies' match against South Africa at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground here on last Thursday, which the Caribbeans lost by seven wickets.

The ICC said any injury-based replacement required a written submission to the Event Technical Committee along with a diagnosis from a medical practitioner as to the extent of the injury, as the replacement player is a permanent addition to the squad.

Bishoo, a 25-year-old spin bowler from Guyana, is yet to make his debut for the West Indies though he has played 21 first-class matches and 13 domestic Twenty20 games besides being a member of the West Indies A team last year.

West Indies vice-captain Bravo is the 11th player to be replaced in the present World Cup after compatriots Adrian Barath and Carlton Baugh, Zimbabwe's Edward Rainsford, Tinotenda Mawoyo and Sean Ervine, Australia's Nathan Hauritz and Michael Hussey, Praveen Kumar of India, England's Eoin Morgan and Sohail Tanvir of Pakistan were earlier replaced.

Patiala, March 1
Boxers taking part in the Shaheed-e-Azam Punjab Games were stumped on day one of the event when they learnt that their first round opponents will be decided by a computer as the manual drawing, which was seen earlier in state level meets, has been done away with.

It is for the first time that the system of computerised draws has been introduced in Punjab. An initiative of the Punjab Sports Department, with the Punjab Boxing Association providing technical guidance, this novel concept has been welcomed by all the 154 men and 114 women pugilists taking part in the boxing competition.

During the last Punjab Inter-District Boxing Championship held at Fatehgarh Sahib last year, first round rivals were decided manually.

Computerised draws have already been introduced at the national and international level, but in the ongoing Games, it has come as a whiff of fresh air as draws decided by the computer leave absolutely no scope for manipulation.

Sports Department senior boxing coach Harpreet Singh, who recently took the Punjab boxing team to Cuba for a two-month training-cum-competition stint, welcomed the new concept.

“In the ongoing Games, boxers who have not played at the national or international level have got a fair idea of what computerised draws are all about,” he said. “Earlier, things could be manipulated by unfair officials by using the manual system.”

Chief Coach of the National team and Dronacharya Awardee, G.S Sandhu, who was present throughout the day’s proceedings, also welcomed the newly-introduced concept. Arjuna Awardee Jai Pal Singh said that it was mandatory for young boxers to get acquainted with new technological advances which are being constantly introduced in the sport at national and international levels.

A total of 268 pugilists from 19 districts are taking part in the boxing event with Nawashahar district failing to turn up. Sources disclosed that boxing was accorded a very low priority in that district as the Punjab Sports Department, Punjab Education Department and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) had failed to post even one coach in Nawashahar.

The organisers have done well to rope in students undergoing Diploma in Sports Coaching in Boxing at the NIS here. There two dozen NIS officials doing duty at the multi-purpose gym at the polo ground where the proceedings are taking place.

Meanwhile, sportspersons and officials expressed happiness at the boarding and lodging arrangements. Women have been lodged at the Government College for Women while the Government College for Physical Education is playing host to men participants.

Patiala, March 1
Riding high on sheer power, Taran Tarn girl Gursharan Kaur defeated Rajveer Kaur from Faridkot in the 72-kg weight category wrestling contest to sail into the final of the Saheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Punjab Games in progress at various venues across Patiala.

In the bouts conducted at the polo grounds, girls from Punjab showed their muscle power, locking horns on the first day of the event. Fighting cold conditions that prevailed in the city due to thick clouds, the women wrestlers showed grit and some of the bouts were close.

In another match, Harinder Kaur from Fatehgarh Sahib thumped Navneet Kaur from Amritsar to make it into the final event in the 48-kg category. The bout was fought closely with both the opponents showing sheer power to outclass each other. However Harinder Kaur proved too strong and entered the final event to be played, late in the evening.

Meanwhile in the volleyball matches the Nawanshahr men thrashed Ropar 3-2. In the second match, Hoshiarpur defeated Ferozepur 3-0. The lanky Hoshiarpur boys used their height to perfection and showed no mercy to their counterparts from Ferozepur and won the game in a short time.

Results:

Wrestling (women’s): 48Kg: Jaspreet Kaur (Faridkot) b Sarbjeet Kaur (Moga), Harwinder Kaur (Fatehgarh) b Navneet Kaur (Amritsar). 51Kg: Kamaljeet Kaur (Faridkot) b Lakhwinder Kaur (Amritsar), Preeti (Gurdaspur) b Shalu (Mansa). 55Kg: Harwinder Kaur (Taran Tarn) b Harpreet (Jalandhar), Rajni Bhalla (Amritsar) b Salma (Ferozepur). 59Kg: Mandeep Kaur (Taran Tarn) b Rajpal (Patiala), Rajwinder (Amritsar) b Amanjeet (Faridkot). 63 Kg: Veerpal Kaur (Ferozepur) b Baljinder Kaur (Jalandhar), Mandeep Kaur (Faridkot) b Karamjeet (Tarn Taran). 67Kg: Rajwant Kaur (Amritsar) b Amandeep (Moga), Navjot Kaur (Tarn Taran) b Daljeet (Faridkot), 72Kg: Jatinderpal (Jalandhar) b Harwinder Kaur (Ferozepur), Gursharan (Tarn Taran) b Rajveer (Faridkot).

New Delhi: In an attempt to recognise the effort of non-cricketing nations in the promotion of the sport, ICC today awarded Cricket Scotland for the Best Overall Cricket Development Programme. Mazhar Khan of the Emirates Cricket Board received the Lifetime Service award while Japan Cricket Association was awarded the Best Women's Cricket Initiative for its outstanding work.

Suriname Cricket Association won the Best Spirit of Cricket Initiative for organising a charity cricket tournament with all proceeds going towards local orphanages. Neil Saint, of France Cricket, has been honoured with the Volunteer of the Year Award. — PTI