Australia hammer Pakistan

GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC):

A blazing half-century from Shane Watson and incisive fast bowling from Dirk Nannes and Shaun Tait guided Australia to a 34-run victory over defending champions Pakistan in the World Twenty20 Championship yesterday.

Watson struck a masterful 81 as Australia, having won the toss and batted, were dismissed for 191 in 20 overs. Nannes (3-20) and Tait (3-41) then combined to take three wickets each as Pakistan folded lamely for 157 in 20 overs.

The right-handed Watson faced just 49 balls and struck seven fours and six sixes before falling leg before to Saeed Ajmal in the 17th over of the innings. He added 98 for the third wicket with David Hussey, whose 53 came off 29 balls and comprised two fours and five sixes. Hussey was eventually caught at deep midwicket off off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, three balls prior to Watson's demise in the 17th over.

David Warner was his usual aggressive self at the start of the Australian innings, but offered a catch to Umar Akmal at backward square leg off pacer Mohammad Sami when he was on 26, having faced 18 balls.

Dramatic close

Australia's innings came to a dramatic close with their last five wickets falling without the addition of a single run in the last over of the innings bowled by speedster Mohammed Aamer. Two were run outs via underarm throws from wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.

Aamer finished with three for 23, while Saeed Ajmal snapped up three for 34.

Pakistan lost the aggressive Akmal for no score to the first legitimate ball of the innings, and were in further trouble when Salman Butt skied to long off to be caught by David Hussey off Tait in the fourth over for 15. When Mohammad Hafeez was caught by Mike Hussey at square leg off left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson, Pakistan were drifting at 34 for three.

Pakistan's best partnership came via their captain, Shahid Afridi, who joined Misbah-Ul-Haq to post 47 for the fifth wicket. Afridi scored 33 with three fours and one six off 24 balls before ill-advisedly playing across the line to a straight delivery from Tait and losing his off-stump.

Raina stuns SA

GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC):

Suresh Raina struck the first century of the 2010 World Twenty20 Champion-ship, as India secured victory over South Africa by 14 runs at the Beausejour Cricket Ground yesterday.

Sent in by South Africa, India posted a challenging 186 for five in 20 overs, with Raina plundering a stroke-filled 101 that left South Africa's bowlers shell-shocked.

India then restricted the South Africans to 172 for five off 20 overs to earn their second consecutive win of the tournament, having beating Afghanistan by seven wickets on Saturday.

The left-handed Raina, who entered the fray at number three, faced just 60 balls and struck nine fours and five sixes and was the fifth batsman out off the third ball of the final over.

He brought up his hundred in spectacular fashion, smashing medium pacer Albie Morkel over midwicket for a six that measured 90 metres. However, he was dismissed off the very next ball caught by AB de Villiers trying to find the long-on boundary.

Raina, named Man of the Match for this terrific innings, had some fortune early in his knock when he was caught off a Morne Morkel no-ball before he had reached double figures. He shared in two crucial partnerships, adding 88 with Yuvraj Singh for the third wicket and 43 with Yusuf Pathan (11) for the fourth.

Singh delivers

Singh was his usual breathtaking self in scoring 37 off 30 balls with three fours and two sixes before scooping fast bowler Rory Kleinveldt to Graeme Smith at mid-on in the 16th over.

India's acceleration saw them plunder 75 from the last five overs, with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni finishing with 16 from six balls.