SA demolish Scotland by 130 runs

Sunday, June 07, 2009 LONDON: South Africa made a blistering start to itsTwenty20 World Cup campaign, beating Scotland by 130 runs on Sundayto qualify for the Super 8 stage. A.B. de Villiers hit 79 not out off 34 balls, smashing six sixes and five boundaries to help South Africa post 211-5 _ its highestTwenty20 score and the fifth best in the short history of the format. Jacques Kallis scored 48, while Graeme Smith made 38 and Albie Morkel 24 in 11 balls. Scotland never looked like chasing it down, slumping to 13-4before being bowled out for 81 in the 16th over with only Kyle Coetzer (42) and Majid Haq (15) reaching double figures. Morkel took 2-15, while offspinners Johan Botha and Roelof vander Merwe each took 2-17 and Dale Steyn 2-21. South Africa plays New Zealand at Lord's on Tuesday. Scotland has been eliminated from the tournament. Scotland captain Gavin Hamilton won the toss, but his decision to field looked rash as Kallis hit five fours in a single over. The Scots didn't help themselves with some erratic fielding. Kallis was dropped on 43 when he chipped a ball from Glenn Rogers to Hamilton, who initially took the catch but then lost control of the ball as he hit the ground. Haq briefly halted the South African charge when he removed both openers in the space of three balls in the 10th over. Kallis dragged a delivery on to his stumps to make it 87-1. Smith was out attempting to sweep, the ball looped into the air and being easily caught by wicketkeeper Colin Smith. Herschelle Gibbs was stumped for 16 off Ryan Watson, making it125-3 in the 15th over, but De Villiers and Morkel reignited the innings with a 50-run partnership from only 19 balls. The pair hit 22 from the 17th over before Morkel was caught by Coetzer off Gordon Drummond for 24 in the 18th over. De Villiers reached his 50 from 25 balls. In the final over, Coetzer produced a diving catch to remove Mark Boucher for 2, but De Villiers responded with two successive sixes. Scotland made a disastrous start to its reply. Watson was bowled by Steyn for 4 and Hamilton was caught by J.P. Duminy off Wayne Parnell for 5 inside two overs. South Africa then took two wickets in a many balls. Navdeep Poonia was run out for 0 and Steyn then bowled Colin Smith. Neil McCallum made 8 before he was bowled by Botha, who then trapped Jan Stander lbw for 2. At 41-6, Scotland was in danger of posting a lower total than theTwenty20 international record of 67 scored by Kenya against Ireland last year. But Coetzer hit 42 before he was caught and bowled by Van derMeuwe, who then bowled Majid Haq with his next ball. Gordon Drummond was bowled by Morkel for 1 and the victory was completed when Morkel bowled Callum MacLeod.

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India's swine flu death rate is increasing

Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...

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US drones to target Taliban in Afghan war

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