Printable View
yea it's that homeland curse so i also don't expect them to win but that just the thing about cricket it's very unpredictableQuote:
Originally Posted by sean michael
if u look at that game we played against australia where we were chasing 450+/- runs it didn't look like we could win but we did (those are 2 of bowlers thats we sending to the world cup) anyway i hope west indies does well i haven't seen them play in a long time how is their form?
there is this 1 coloured kid in our team gibbs the world cup is in his hands
he is like u-god in our cricket team
the potencial to be the best but most of the time plays the part of the weakest link
gibbs can take the game away but mostly goes out in single figures
we moved him up & down the order the man is just to stoned to play i hope he lays off the weed during the world cup
yeah it is unpredicable, i just cant see them winning with the inexperienced team they have.
isnt peterson injured?
if peterson is injured then england is fucked
is brian lara still playing?
australia gave him a cracked rib ...Quote:
Originally Posted by RAMESH
anywaz thiz is a dope Thread i can not wait for the world cup
i hope all the matches are tight games good luck to all teams
peace!!
that's australians for u
i don't know if u noticed but umpires favour them
before they cracked his ribs was he scoring alot of runs?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RAMESH
yeah lara is still going.
maybe lara still got the strenght for the final hour i love a comback even though it hardly ever happens i suppose that what makes it so great
in cricket one man doesn't make a team but it sure does inspire
good thread btw, cricket doesn really get discussed much on here.
what date does the world cup start on?>
the world cup starts in march
cricket's my favourite sport i just think alot of cats didn't get a proper introduction to the sport & they just don't know about it
thats true, australia were flogged yesterday by new zealand, we made about 150 and they won by 10 wickets.
not looking promising.
^^ yeah but you aint have Ponting and he couldve probably won that match by himself. Bond bowled fuckign awesome but
Team *Matches Points Rating
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
1
South Africa 36 4595 128
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
2
Australia 45 5692 126
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
3
Pakistan 34 3780 111
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
4
New Zealand 36 3996 111
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
5
India 48 5243 109
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
6
Sri Lanka 44 4733 108
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
7
England 36 3806 106
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
8
West Indies 39 3956 101
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
9
Bangladesh 35 1454 42
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
10
Zimbabwe 34 755 22
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
11
Kenya 9 0 0
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
http://img.cricinfo.com/icc/spacer.gif
Last updated: 18 Feb 2007
South Africa is the new leader in the LG ICC ODI Championship table.
The Proteas have taken over at the summit of the table following Australia's five-wicket loss to New Zealand in Auckland on Sunday which cost Michael Hussey's side two rating points.
And even if Australia wins the final match of its three-match series against the Black Caps, in Hamilton on Tuesday, it will not be enough for it to regain top spot.
It is the first time since the listings began in October 2002 that Australia has not occupied top position.
The side that leads the table on 1 April stands to win US$175,000, with US$75,000 going to the second-placed team and so, with the ICC Cricket World Cup starting in the Caribbean on 13 March, there is still an opportunity for Australia to regain top spot ahead of that cut-off date.
South Africa has taken over thanks to an outstanding recent run of form in the past 12 months. Since it failed to qualify for the finals of the tri-series against Australia and Sri Lanka last February it has won 15 of its next 21 matches.
That run includes a 3-2 series win over Australia, sealed when it scored a then world-record 438-9 at Johannesburg, as well as seven wins from its last eight completed matches.
Form like that has lifted South Africa's rating by 10 points since the end of February 2006 while, during that same period, Australia's rating has slipped by seven points, not helped by five losses in its last six matches including Sunday's reverse at Eden Park.
New Zealand's victory, which secures the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, has lifted it to 111 rating points and it now only trails third-placed Pakistan when the ratings are recalculated to three decimal places.
If Stephen Fleming's side can complete a 3-0 clean sweep on Tuesday then it will overtake Inzamam-ul-Haq's side, a timely boost for the side that failed to reach the tri-series final against Australia and England earlier this month.
India, meanwhile, is only two rating points further back in fifth place having moved ahead of Sri Lanka thanks to its 2-1 series win, completed with a seven-wicket victory over Mahela Jayawardene's side in Visakapatnam on Saturday.
To track movements in the table, visit the odi predictor where you can see how it will unfold with all possible combinations of results.
Former Australia captain Mark Taylor feels on a good day the ICC CWC can go to any of the top teams:
Who are you putting your money on to win the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup?
There are a few teams who could win it. Obviously Australia, but India on a good day, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and South Africa are also contenders. I think its wide open. Look what England have just achieved. Nobody gave them any chances of winning three consecutive matches against Australia in the Commonwealth Bank Series, but they did so. Anything can happen on the day.
Why do you think they can win?
Australia have won the past two ICC Cricket World Cups and they know what it takes to win. India on their day are capable of beating anyone - they have a very strong batting side. Sri Lanka are a very good all-round side in one-day cricket. New Zealand are always tough to beat and they have a very good captain in Stephen Fleming and South Africa are also a very good team.
Who do you think is the best captain in the game today?
That is a tough one. Ricky Ponting has taken his captaincy to a new level this summer, Stephen Fleming is a good captain, and Graeme Smith is also very good. Michael Vaughan has done a good job for England.
The South African cricket was isolated from the international cricket, as a result of ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1970, because of its government's apartheid policies. It was the period when South Africa was emerging as the top test-playing nation in the world, after purging the powerful Australians 4-0 with ease. South Africa was readmitted to the international cricket in 1991, and became full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and one-day international status. They played their first ever One-day international against India on November 10, 1991.
South Africa surprised the cricketing world in their first ever world cup appearance in 1992, when they reached up to the semi-finals. In the ICC World Cup 1999, South Africa again reached to the semi-final but lost to Australia, as a result of tie. Today, the South African team has emerged as one of the most elite teams, competing with Australia for the acknowledgement as the best cricket team in the world. South Africa is placed in Group A of the ICC World Cup 2007 groupings, along with Australia, Scotland and the Netherlands. The team will start its world cup 2007 campaign against the Netherlands on March 16, 2007 in St Kitts and Nevis, West Indies.
Arguably his most famous innings came in a record-breaking one-day contest against Australia at Johannesburg when South Africa chased down an improbable 434 in 49.5 overs. Gibbs' contribution was a 111-ball 175 to power the hosts to a 3-2 series win in perhaps the greatest cracker of all.
Andrew "Andy" Flower (born 28 April 1968 in Cape Town, South Africa) was a cricket player for Zimbabwe and arguably its greatest. He is considered to be one of the best wicket-keeper batsman next only to Australian Adam Gilchrist. He made his international debut in a one-day international against Sri Lanka at New Plymouth, New Zealand in the 1992 cricket World Cup. He was Zimbabwe's wicket-keeper for over 10 years and, according to official statistics, by far the finest batsman the country has ever fielded.
Nearing the end of his career, Flower achieved international recognition (along with team mate Henry Olonga) in 2003 by wearing a black armband in a Cricket World Cup match to protest against the policies of Zimbabwe's government, led by Robert Mugabe. He and Olonga released a statement on 10 February, stating in part:
In all the circumstances, we have decided that we will each wear a black armband for the duration of the World Cup. In doing so we are mourning the death of democracy in our beloved Zimbabwe. In doing so we are making a silent plea to those responsible to stop the abuse of human rights in Zimbabwe. In doing so, we pray that our small action may help to restore sanity and dignity to our Nation. This act led to pressure from Zimbabwe's government and Flower's retirement from Zimbabwean cricket.
GIBBS Career Highlights
He has hit a couple of double centuries in his Test career, both contrasting innings. His first was an innings of 211 not out against New Zealand at Jade Stadium in 1999. His innings took 468 balls while his second double century, 228 against Pakistan came off just 240 balls. In that innings in Newlands he put on a national record of 368 with Graeme Smith. He has put on a further two 300 run opening stands with his captain, making them the only pair in Test history to break 300 on 3 occasions. He also holds the South African second wicket record, a partnership of 315* with Jacques Kallis.
Gibbs is one of only 3 batsman in ODI history to score hundreds in 3 consecutive innings, with the others being Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar. [1] On the 6th of October 2002 in the 2nd ODI against Bangladesh, Gibbs had a chance to become the only batsman to score 4 hundreds in a row. South Africa were set 155 for victory and Gibbs fell just three runs short, finishing unbeaten on 97. When just 6 runs were needed for victory Gibbs had the strike and was on 96 but Alok Kapali bowled a legside wide which went for 4 and his task was made too difficult. [2]
On March 12, 2006, Gibbs played a monumental innings against Australia, scoring 175 off just 111 balls leading South Africa to victory in the highest scoring one-day international match in history. His innings broke several batting records. It was the highest ever score made in an ODI against Australia, beating Robin Smith's effort in 1993. By bringing up his hundred off just 79 balls he also brought up what was at the time the fastest ever ODI century against Australia. More importantly however it was the fastest ever hundred by a South African batsman against any opposition, although the record would be broken later in the year by Mark Boucher. [3] It was also the highest ever score by a batsman in South Africa. He scored 126 runs in boundaries, the most ever by a batsman. [4]
[edit] Struggle with form
In the past two series against England and the West Indies he was brought down the order from opening batsman to the middle order due to lack of form. After the move he regained form and looked more comfortable batting against the older ball. On April 22, 2006, Gibbs paid the price for his recent run-drought, and was dropped for the second and third Tests against the New Zealand cricket team. He has been short of confidence in Test cricket of late, and scored only 6 and 2 in the First Test at Centurion Park. South Africa's chief selector, Haroon Lorgat said, "We had a meeting and agreed that a break and a fresh start next season will do him a world of good." This decision has been widely viewed as a harsh one.
He came back into the side in the middle order but continued to struggle for runs. On the conclusion of the 1st Test against Pakistan in January 2007 he had gone over 2 years without a century. He had come close on many occasions to ending the drought, getting out in the 90's four times.
[edit] Controversies
On the tour of the West Indies in 2001, along with several teammates he was found guilty of smoking marijuana. [5]
He was involved in the match fixing affair with former captain Hansie Cronje, who offered him $15,000 to score "less than 20" in the 3rd One-day International of a series. He tearfully claimed to the King Commission of inquiry into corruption in South African cricket that he didn't follow through on his side of the bargain, in fact scoring a fine 74. As a result he was banned for only six months. He has since repeatedly refused to tour India fearing arrest and has refused to even speak to Indian Police over the matter.
However, Gibbs was named in the South African squad to tour India in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, and as a result, he had to meet with Indian Police over his involvement in the match-fixing scandal. [6]
On the 15th of January 2007 it was announced that Gibbs would face an disciplinary panel after making racist comments during the 1st Test against Pakistan. His words had been picked up on the stump microphone and as a result heard across the world. The comments were said to have been directed at members of the crowd after teammate Paul Harris had been abused by them whilst fielding. The Pakistani management made an official complaint to referee Chris Broad and Gibbs was banned for 2 Tests. [7] He appealed against the ban but this was rejected by the ICC's code of conduct commissioner, Richie Benaud. The ban was however changed to 1 Test, 1 Twenty 20 and one ODI match - all against Pakistan
Kevin Peter Pietersen MBE (born 27 June 1980 in Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa) is a cricketer, an attacking right-handed batsman and occasional off-spin bowler who plays for England and Hampshire. As of the end of the 2006 season, his ODI average for England alone (excluding the two games he played for the ICC World XI) was 59.30, more than eleven runs higher than any other England batsman to have played more than four ODIs. [1] The successful start to his international career has seen him rise rapidly to third in the ICC rankings of Test batsmen, behind only Ricky Ponting and Mohammad Yousuf and third in the ODI rankings, behind only Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting.
Early history
Born of an English mother and a South African father, Pietersen attended Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg and made his first-class debut for Natal's B team in 1997/98. He continued with the newly-renamed KwaZulu-Natal side for the next two South African seasons, but a lack of opportunities in his homeland, caused in part by the country's racial quota system, caused him frustration and he moved to England. [2] [3] He played cricket for Cannock CC as their overseas player, and helped them win the Birmingham Cricket League before being signed to play for Nottinghamshire for the 2001 season. In South Africa he was regarded predominantly as an off-spinner who was capable with the bat, and impressed members of the England side when playing a Tour Match during England's visit in 1999/00. He took four top order wickets and despite batting at number nine scored 61 not out off 57 balls, hitting four sixes, and it is said that it was at this point that Nasser Hussain recommended to him that he secure himself a contract with a county side.
In 2000 Clive Rice who had seen him play in 1997 in South Africa at a schools week heard that Pietersen was playing club cricket in Birmingham and immediately offered him a 4 year contract to play for Notts. He made an immediate impression with his big hitting and athletic fielding and managed an impressive batting average of 57.95 in his first year in county cricket, making 1,275 runs that season; in July he made 218 not out in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 352 with John Morris at Derby, having been lbw for a duck in the first innings. The following year he made another unbeaten double ton, 254 not out at home to Middlesex, in which he again took part in a huge partnership — this time 316 for the fourth wicket with Darren Bicknell, and in 2003 he scored 764 runs in one-day cricket.
Pietersen was selected for the 2003-4 ECB National Academy tour of India, and had a successful tour scoring 147 not out, 31, 114, 115, 32 and 94 in his six first-class innings to record an average of over 100 with the bat, as well as making 131 in a one-day match against India A in Bangalore.
Prior to the tour of Zimbabwe, Pietersen moved from Nottinghamshire, where there were rumours of tensions with team-mates, to Hampshire under the captaincy of Shane Warne. In the 2006 New Year Honours list, Pietersen, along with the rest of his England team mates, was awarded the MBE for his role in the successful 2005 Ashes series.[4]
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ords_Final.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/co...gnify-clip.png
Pietersen warming up in the nets at Lord's in September 2005
England career
Pietersen was selected for the full England one-day side to tour Zimbabwe and South Africa in 2004/05. He played in three of the four one day games in Zimbabwe, scoring 47, 77 and 0 in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th one dayers as England won the series 4-0.
Pietersen was then added to the one-day squad to face South Africa. With Andrew Flintoff withdrawing from the squad due to injury, Pietersen was looked at as a big-hitting replacement for the all-rounder, and claimed a place in the first team with 97 off 84 balls in the warm up match against South Africa A, in the face of a hostile crowd.
Pietersen made a 96-ball 108 in the second ODI at Bloemfontein, celebrating reaching three figures by kissing the badge on his helmet ostentatiously — and, to many of the crowd who saw him as a traitor to the country of his birth, provocatively; they deliberately turned their backs on him as he returned to the pavilion. He made 75 at Cape Town, then at East London Pietersen made an unbeaten 100 from just 69 balls, scoring a 6 off the last ball of the innings to get it, the fastest century by an England player in a one day match, but was unable to compensate for the team's slow start, England losing by eight runs. The final game at Centurion Park was another losing cause, with Pietersen coming to the wicket at 32/3 and ending with 116 from ten fours and six sixes. Pietersen ended the series with 454 runs in five innings, but England lost the series 4-1. By the end of the series, the South African crowds had generally replaced hostility with respect for Pietersen, applauding his performance.
Despite press speculation, Pietersen was not picked for the Tests against Bangladesh, with his early season form being dogged by a foot injury, but with his county form picking up he was picked for the Twenty20 match against Australia at Southampton, making 34 from 18 balls and taking three catches as England won by 100 runs.
In the triangular series against Australia and Bangladesh, Pietersen did not get to bat in the first ODI at The Oval as England won by ten wickets, but scored 91 off 65 balls in the match in Bristol against Australia, who had lost the day before to Bangladesh. Pietersen's performances at this point sparked intense press speculation and comments from former England captains calling for him to be brought into the Test side for The Ashes later in the summer. In the rest of the triangular series, Pietersen wasn't needed to bat against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge, and then scored 19 off 28 balls, 23 off 26 and 6 off 10 in the matches at Riverside against Australia, Headingley against Bangladesh, in the tied final against Australia. Pietersen also played in all three matches of the Nat West Challenge against Australia, scoring 15 off 23 and 74 off 84 in the first and third matches, and not being needed to bat in the second. However, he also was forced off the field in the third over of Australia's run-chase in the third match with a groin problem.
Speculation over Pietersen's place in the England Test team was ended in July with the announcement by the England chairman of selectors David Graveney that Pietersen had been selected ahead of veteran Graham Thorpe for the final place in the England Test team. In the first Test of the Ashes at Lord's, Pietersen scored 57 in his first innings in Test cricket and 64 not out in his second as England collapsed to a heavy defeat, becoming only the 4th player to top score in both innings on debut for England, the eighth England player to score a half century in each innings on his debut, and the third cricketer to do so at Lord's. In the second Test at Edgbaston he scored 71 in the first innings and 20 in the second, with England narrowly winning. In the drawn 3rd Test, Pietersen struggled with 21 and 0, then scored 45 and 23 in the fourth as England went 2-1 up. By that stage of the series, some pundits including ex-players were beginning to question whether Pietersen had the patience and the mettle for Test cricket, and were stating that it was time for him to produce the goods. In the fifth and final Test of the Ashes at The Oval on 12 September 2005, Pietersen did not contribute significantly in the first innings. In the second innings, however, with the stakes at their highest (England would regain the Ashes for the first time in 16 years if they could bat the day out) Pietersen scored his maiden Test century with 158, securing the match and the series for England. His innings included seven sixes - a record for an English player in an Ashes innings. Pietersen was named man of the match for his efforts, and finished the series with the most runs by a batsman at 473 runs over the 5 Tests, an average of 52.55. However, he had a less successful series in the field, dropping six catches in the five Tests, a point he made wryly when questioned about the Australians dropping him three times on the final day.
Pietersen was awarded a central contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board until the end of the 2005 summer, and was named both the ICC One-Day player of the year and the ICC Emerging Player of the year in 2005. Along with the rest of the England side, Pietersen had a much less successful time in the subsequent tour of Pakistan, which England lost 2-0, although he did score his second Test century. A few months later, Pietersen toured India with the England team, scoring one fifty in each of the first two matches but not in the final match which England won. He also passed 1,000 ODI runs during this tour with 71 in the second ODI, equalling Viv Richards' record of 21 innings to reach this landmark [5]
Pietersen scored 158 again, in the first Test of the summer on 11 & 12 May 2006 against Sri Lanka, and followed it up with another 100 in the second Test including an extravagant reverse slog-sweep for six off Muttiah Muralitharan. Video In doing so he passed the milestone of 1,000 Test runs in his 12th Test match. In the 2nd Test he scored 142 out of England's total of 295 and became the first batsman since Graham Gooch in 1990 to score a century in 3 successive Test innings on English soil. This performance propelled him into the top ten of the ICC cricket ratings
australia yesterday scored 346 in a one dayer againgst new zealand....and new zealand managed to get that total with 3 balls to spare.
fucking ridiculous, and the aussies have about 4 key players in doubt for the world cup.
looks like it could be interesting,
i remember trinidad used to be good
first of all lol @ this thread, you know who is gunna win this thing, i think we are in a spot at the moment but hey, we won the ashes and i think what happens between that and the world cup doesnt mean jack shit. half our team out at the moment, hussey still kickin ass but without ponting etc its not a real team, every played team sport with a few people for a while ? imagine if 5 of them left at once, your team would fall to shit. just the way it is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sean michael
a good underdog situation is arising, makes you think if they ment it to be like that ? hahaha
aussie aussie aussie :thumbup:
don't worry to much all the teams got problems in their side only makes the games more exciting
quite a few of our good players didn't make the team because of our racial quota system but still we the best
we always have been the best the world just didn't know it
Group A, St Kitts (all start 1330 GMT)
14 Australia v Scotland
16 Netherlands v South Africa
18 Australia v Netherlands
20 Scotland v South Africa
22 Netherlands v Scotland
24 Australia v South Africa
Group B, Trinidad (all start 1330 GMT except *)
15 Bermuda v Sri Lanka
17 Bangladesh v India
19 Bermuda v India
21 Bangladesh v Sri Lanka
23 India v Sri Lanka
25 Bangladesh v Bermuda (*starts 1430 BST)
GROUP C, St Lucia (all start 1330 GMT)
14 Canada v Kenya
16 England v New Zealand
18 Canada v England
20 Kenya v New Zealand
22 Canada v New Zealand
24 England v Kenya
Group D, Jamaica (all start 1430 GMT)
13 West Indies v Pakistan
15 Ireland v Zimbabwe
17 Ireland v Pakistan
19 West Indies v Zimbabwe
21 Pakistan v Zimbabwe 23 Ireland v West Indies
World Cup warm-up schedule
MARCH
5 Bermuda v England, St Vincent
5 Scotland v Sri Lanka, Barbados
5 Canada v Pakistan, Trinidad
5 Kenya v West Indies, Jamaica
6 Australia v Zimbabwe, St Vincent
6 Bangladesh v New Zealand, Barbados
6 Ireland v South Africa, Trinidad
6 India v Netherlands, Jamaica
8 Bangladesh v Scotland, Barbados
8 Bermuda v Zimbabwe, St Vincent
8 Canada v Ireland, Trinidad
8 Kenya v Netherlands, Jamaica
9 New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Barbados
9 Australia v England, St Vincent 9 Pakistan v South Africa, Trinidad 9 India v West Indies, Jamaica
India crush S Lanka to win series
One-day international, Visakhapatnam: India 263-3 (41 overs) bt Sri Lanka 259-7 (47 overs) by seven wickets Scorecard
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image..._yuvraj270.jpg Yuvraj launched some powerful strokes to steer India home
Yuvraj Singh hammered an unbeaten 95 and Sourav Ganguly (58no) kept up his fine form as India beat Sri Lanka to clinch a 2-1 one-day series triumph.
Chamara Silva's (107no) maiden ODI ton was the main reason Sri Lanka achieved 259-7 in a game cut to 47 overs by dew.
But on a good batting pitch it never looked adequate once Robin Uthappa (57) and Virender Sehwag (46) attacked.
Ganguly left with cramp in over one but returned to add 145 with Yuvraj and seal a seven-wicket win in 41 overs.
The end came in such a hurry, with Yuvraj crashing four fours and a six, that there was no need for the runner Ganguly had called for to come out.
His return to the pavilion earlier heralded a spell of dreadful bowling and blistering strokeplay from Uthappa.
The 21-year-old thrashed four fours off one Dilhara Fernando over and was brutal on anything slightly short or straying in direction either side of the wicket as he reached his third ODI fifty in 33 deliveries.
Three wickets then fell in quick time, including a bizarre run-out when Sehwag lazily failed to complete a single, and the run rate slowed.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...ganguly203.jpg Veteran left-hander Ganguly continued his terrific recent form
But the target was always within comfortable reach with man of the series Ganguly continuing in the good nick which had brought him 289 runs in his previous five one-dayers.
He showed superb footwork to launch two of his three maximums off spinners Malinga Bandara and Sanath Jayasuriya.
Yuvraj also demonstrated his ease on a docile track by also picking up three sixes, none more impressive than the one which saw Bandara dispatched over mid-wicket.
Sri Lanka's innings was far more laborious and they were in real trouble at 56-4 in the 13th over.
Man of the match Silva - playing in only his 14th ODI and recently recalled after a four-year gap - batted with composure to rebuild the innings. He showed good footwork against off-spinner Harbhajan Singh to hit a six and two fours in one over, and 76 runs came in the last seven. It ultimately proved futile and the hosts will travel happier to the Caribbean after a comfortable victory achieved without the rested Sachin Tendulkar
Aussie star Lee out of World Cup
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...574103_lee.jpg Lee's absence is a massive blow to Australia's chances
Australia fast bowler Brett Lee has been ruled out of next month's World Cup with an ankle injury.
The 30-year-old will be replaced in their 15-man squad by New South wales team-mate Stuart Clark, who took 26 wickets in the recent Ashes series.
Lee injured ligaments in his left ankle last week while training.
"It is a great disappointment for Brett Lee and it is a significant blow for our planning and preparation," said chief selector Andrew Hilditch.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/...audio_text.gifNews conference: Australia's Brett Lee
"However, it does give a tremendous opportunity for Stuart Clark, who was extremely unlucky to miss out on initial selection."
Lee, who has 267 wickets from 150 one-day internationals - 22 of them taken during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, will not be able to resume bowling for two to three months.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif
He knows where every ball is going, he is a guy who understands his tactics and he is a leader in that side
Geoff Lawson on Stuart Clark
"I think it's every young kid's dream to play for their country and to play in a World Cup is probably what it's all about as far as one-day cricket goes," he commented.
"It's pretty hard to swallow, but you've just got to accept things sometimes.
"Now it's just a matter of letting the ankle settle down and giving it a chance to heal up. There's a possibility within two to three weeks that there might be some surgery to clear out a bit of old bone floating around in the ankle."
Formal approval for Clark's inclusion has still to be given by the International Cricket Council but that is certain to be a formality - and Lee sent him a good luck message after his injury prognosis was confirmed by team doctor Trefor James.
"It's really disappointing for Brett. He's a friend in the team and a friend outside of the team as well. It's hollow, but I'm still excited about going to the World Cup," said Clark.
606 DEBATE: Your thoughts on Australia's team selection
A number of leading figures in Australian cricket, including former fast bowler Geoff Lawson, had criticised the original decision to leave him out of the squad.
"He knows where every ball is going, he is a guy who understands his tactics and he is a leader in that side," said Lawson.
"He's the kind of guy they need out on the park to help in a crisis. It's not just his bowling that is beneficial, it's his cricket knowledge."
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...7_clark203.jpg Clark's mastery of line and length made him a big hit in the Ashes
But Clark admitted he was not the finished article as far as one-day international cricket is concerned and would be happy to fill any role asked of him.
"I've got to get better at bowling in the powerplays and that's what I'll be looking to do while I'm over there, [but] I don't expect any new ball - I don't expect any favours," the 31-year-old added.
Australia, who will be bidding for a hat-trick of World Cup wins in the Caribbean, are also sweating on the fitness of Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden.
All-rounder Symonds has had surgery on a torn bicep tendon and Hayden broke his toe in the final match of the recent Chappell-Hadlee Series in New Zealand. But batsman Michael Clarke (sore hip) and skipper Ricky Ponting (back problem) are of lesser concern. Ponting said: "My back's fine. The last few nights I've slept a lot better and felt a lot better in the morning. Hopefully when I get to the West Indies I'll be pain free and ready to go."
South Africa - Captain Fantastic
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image..._smith_416.jpg
Age 26
ODI debut: v Australia, March 2002
In his fifth year at the helm after becoming his country's youngest captain aged 22, Graeme Smith leads as he bats - like granite. Perhaps the highlight of his leadership was the win over Australia last March, when he fired 90 from 55 balls to help his side to a world record 438-9 in the deciding match. Smith overcame a difficult run of form in the home one-day series against India, in which he scored only one run in his first three innings, to plunder three sixes in a 79 as his team recorded an emphatic 4-0 win.
South Africa - Master Blaster
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...9_kemp_416.jpg
Age 29
ODI debut: v Sri Lanka, January 2001
Few players hit the ball harder than an in-form Justin Kemp. England were on the receiving end when he fired his maiden fifty from only 36 balls with four sixes in 2005, and followed it with 80 from 50 balls in the next match - clearing the ropes seven times. For all his explosive hitting, he has been dismissed in single figures 20 times, five of which were ducks, but he underlined his power with another seven sixes in an unbeaten 100 in India, also claiming five wickets in successive games with his seamers.
THIS IS WHAT U ARE GOING TO BE UP AGAINST
South Africa - Pace Ace
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image..._ntini_416.jpg
Age 29
ODI debut: v New Zealand, January 1998
Makhaya Ntini has terrorised batsmen across the world for almost a decade. Though not statistically the quickest, he is one of the most fearsome pacemen due to his unusual angle of delivery wide of the crease, stemming from his upbringing in rural Mdingi, where stumps were set in concrete. Sharp inward seam movement and a combative temperament make a formidable blend - as Pakistan found out in the Champions Trophy when he took 5-21, and Australians Justin Langer and Andrew Symonds discovered when he clouted them on the lid.
South Africa - Young Pretender
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...lliers_416.jpg
Age 23
ODI debut: v England, February 2005
AB de Villiers is a talented sportsman, who it is believed could have shone in golf - he is a scratch player despite playing infrequently - or tennis had he chosen them. Athletic in the field, running out England captain Michael Vaughan on his debut, he gave options replacing Mark Boucher behind the stumps, but with the gritty keeper back, de Villiers now patrols the important off-side areas. Still awaiting his maiden one-day century, but came closest in the final match of the series against India with an unbeaten 92.
South Africa - Dark Horse
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...5_hall_416.jpg
Age 31
ODI debut: v West Indies, January 1999
An unsung hero in a set-up that likes to focus on team spirit rather than superstars, Andrew Hall offers more options for a flexible South Africa side. He has been a regular member of the one-day squad for eight years, has played county cricket with Kent, where he topped the batting and bowling averages in 2006, and has experience of West Indian conditions having taken 2-21 in Port-of-Spain in 2005. In November he produced a fine all-round display with an unbeaten 56 followed by 3-45 against India
Herschelle Gibbs
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/132500...ibbsnew300.jpg
Gibbs made an impression in the West Indies
After Herschelle Gibbs is fined for smoking cannabis, BBC Sport Online traces the career of the flamboyant South African.
Herschelle Gibbs' latest indiscretion has further dulled the lustre of what promised to be a glittering cricketing career.
His admission that he smoked marijuana, along with four other members of the squad and physiotherapist Craig Smith, comes hard on the heels of his match-fixing suspension.
He revealed that he had agreed to accept money to play badly in a one-day international against India when quizzed during the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal.
But the 27-year-old opener has been at the centre of controversy before, following his fateful dropped catch against Australia in the 1999 World Cup.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/132500...ibbsnew150.jpg
Gibbs scored two one-day centuries in three matches
He also received a fine for partying into the early hours before a one-day international, and was revealed last year as the father of a young boy.
The suspended three-match ban for breaching the partying misdemeanour could now see him facing another period away from the cricket field.
After his six-month ban for his part in the match-fixing madness ended, Gibbs would have thought he was no longer going to spend time on the sidelines.
A precocious talent, Gibbs made his Western Province debut at the tender age of 16 and soon established himself as an attacking stroke player with a good claim to a place in the national side.
He was also a coloured cricketer in a sport dominated by whites, and as such helped fulfil the United Cricket Board's commitment to create a more racially-inclusive team.
Gibbs' Test record Runs: 1563
100s: 2
50s: 7
By the time he had forced himself into the South African team in November 1996, he had also acquired a flourishing reputation as a fielder.
He claimed his maiden one-day century against the West Indies in January 1999 and finally conquered his natural impetuousness to record his maiden Test ton against New Zealand in March of the same year.
His performances earned him an automatic place in South Africa's World Cup squad.
But it was his blunder - a crucial dropped catch in the Super Six match against Australia - that threw Steve Waugh's side the lifeline that would eventually lead them to the world title.
Gibbs' one-day record Runs: 2061
100s: 5
50s: 9
Gibbs caught Steve Waugh in the middle of what would become his match-winning innings of 120 at Headingley, but then dropped the ball prematurely as he celebrated.
The umpires ruled that he did not have full control of the ball. Australia survived to beat South Africa in the last four and thrash Pakistan in the final.
He recovered to play an important role in South Africa's Test series and one-day victories over England last year and looked set to enjoy a long tenure at the top of the game.
But in April 2000, Gibbs was charged with match-fixing by Delhi police, along with Cronje, Pieter Strydom, Henry Williams and Nicky Boje.
Late night shenanagins
He was in hot water with the UCB again when he admitted being out at a nightclub until 3am the night before South Africa's second one-day international against Australia in Cape Town in April last year.
He was fined 5000 rand and banned for three matches. All but a third of the fine was subsequently suspended on condition that Gibbs was not found guilty of a similar offence.
Now because of his dalliance with 'dagga' - the South African term for marijuana - he could be on the outer once more.
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/inli...tml?alt=player
A crouching lefthander with a high-batted stance and a grimace reminiscent of Graham Gooch, Ashwell Prince was helped into the national team by South Africa's controversial quota system, although he quickly justified his selection by top-scoring on debut with a gutsy 49 against the mighty Australians in 2001-02. That innings, and a matchwinning 48 in the third Test at Durban, seemed to shed his reputation as a one-day flasher. But by the start of the 2002-03 season, his form had fallen away horribly, and he failed in four consecutive home Tests against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
However, Prince returned to the side following some good domestic performances, and valuable knocks in the middle order against the West Indies and England at home has seen Prince become a more regular member of the South Africa one-day side. Despite two hundreds in the 2004-05 season - an unbeaten 139 against Zimbabwe at Centurion and 131 in South Africa's 2-0 rout of the West Indies - Prince still does not find himself an automatic selection in the longer format of the game. Long rated highly by SA's cricket supremo Ali Bacher, Prince is strong through the off side, and was Western Province's player of the year in 2001. His throwing from the deep has been hampered by a long-term shoulder injury, but he remains a brilliant shot-stopping fielder in the covers. The highlight of his career was a fine 119 in the third Test against Australia at Sydney in early 2006, but it was during this series that he became bunny to a legend: Shane Warne. Warne dismissed him in the first five innings - though Prince played the rest of the bowlers admirably - and troubled him plentiful when South Africa hosted Australia in March. Scores of 17, 27, 33 and 7 overshadowed a fantastic 93 in the first innings at Johannesburg.
In July 2006 he was named as South Africa's first black captain in the absence of the injured Graeme Smith. The result was a disappointing 2-0 whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka. Prince made way for Mark Boucher to captain in the tri-series, also featuring India, which was ultimately aborted following South Africa's withdrawal over security concerns. Prince was not included in South Africa's squad for the Champions Trophy, but continued his sterling 2006 Test form against India at home. The highest run-scorer on either side in the three-Test contest, Prince's series highlights included an outstanding 97 in a loss at Johannesburg and a third career hundred at Cape Town. When Pakistan toured next, Prince was the only centurion in the three-Test series. His 138 laid the foundations for victory in the first Test at Centurion Park, and his numbers can't be argued with, as he ended the season's six Tests averaging 60.67. It was enough to earn him a recall to the one-day side, including a ticket to the West Indies for the World Cup.
Jamie Alter February 2007