JOHANNESBURG, Sep 19 (Reuters):Shoaib Malik and Misbah ul-Haq shared a record partnership to lead Pakistan to a memorable victory over Australia in their Twenty20 World Cup Super Eights match.
Captain Shoaib, who shared a fourth-wicket stand of 101 with Younis Khan in Pakistan's win over Sri Lanka on Monday, bettered that record in Twenty20 internationals with Misbah in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 119.
That carried Pakistan to 165 for four and victory by six wickets with five balls to spare yesterday.
Australia, who had trounced Bangladesh by nine wickets in their opening Super Eights clash on Sunday, had looked on course for victory when seamer Stuart Clark claimed three quick wickets to help reduce Pakistan to 46 for four.
However, the rest of the Australian bowling was ineffective as Shoaib and Misbah turned the match round to secure a rousing win.
Shoaib came in at the fall of the third wicket but it was 23-year-old Misbah who reached his half-century first, off 35 balls.
Misbah finished on 66 not out with seven fours and a six.
Shoaib was content to play second fiddle to his big-hitting partner and ended with 52 not out off 38 deliveries.
"My performance speaks for itself and proves those critics of my selection wrong," Misbah told reporters after Pakistan clinched a place in the semi-finals.
"We have had great players in the middle order like Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan but I definitely now have a chance to cement my place.
I can't compare myself to those great players but I will try to perform like them." Clark was the best of the Australian bowlers, taking three for 27 in his four overs, but he lacked support as Australia failed to capture wickets when the run-chase was on.
Vania beat me tactically: Bartoli KOLKATA, Sep 19 (UNI): World No 12 and top seed Marion Bartoli after being shot out of Sunfeast Open in straight sets by a pocket dynamite Vania King 1-6, 5-7 said she was outplayed by her opponent tactically.
"Vania played better, I had never played her before.
I was not tactically prepared.
The slow surface also helped her to return the balls better," Bartoli said after her ouster.
"I never go into a match thinking I will win this.
But I also think every match is poised at 50-50 before the start.
You just have to back yourself and take your chances and I did just that," King added.
Eighteen-year-old American Vania King, ranked 78 places lower than her fancied opponent, played intelligently and unleashed an array of delightlful strokes at acute angles that literally took the wind out of the French lass.
As the match stretched well past midnight, King showed a combination of pace and power to sent the big French packing.
Vania, who turned pro only last year, broke Bartoli in the fourth and sixth games of the first set in which Bartoli could hold serve only in the second game.
The second set was more competitive, though Vania constantly put pressure on Bartoli's service, with her quick movements on the court and smashing down the line returns.
Vania got four break points in the prolonged third game, but Bartoli managed to save it in the end.
The games went with serves till the eighth, but in the ninth Vania broke the Wimbledon finalist to go up 5-4.
However, Bartoli broke back in the very next game, but Vania again demolished her rival in the 11th to lead 6-5.
Serving for the match, Vania unleashed a good passing shot and finally wrapped up the 98-minute issue by firing an ace.
"I was also not feeling very well since I came here.
I plan to go back home and take rest for a week and then play in Luxemburg and the European circuit," Bartoli, who flew out of the city today, said.
Meanwhile, after the match, Vania, who had partnered Sania Mirza to win the Morocco said, "Marion has a tendency to dominate from the word go.
My game plan was not to let her do so and make her move a lot.
And I guess the ploy worked for me." Anand Scores his 2nd win, leads the championship MEXICO CITY, Sep 19 (UNI): Viswanathan Anand takes the sole lead, when he outplayed Russian Grandmaster Peter Svidler in the fifth round of the World Chess championship here.
The rest day that the players got yesterday seemed to have rejuvenated them as they came back, determined to show their best and win their games.
Alas some have to loose also.
The fifth Round saw heated battles on all the four boards.
The best game of the fifth round though, was fought between World no.
1 Viswanathan Anand and Russia's Peter Svidler.
Anand playing with white, opened with his pet e4 and Svidler decided to continue the game on the Ruy Lopez Closed variations.
Right from the beginning both the players played their natural game.
Though white looked better but the fifth ranked Russian moves made the game very complicated.
It took Anand 39 moves to get out of the complicated positions and to come out victorious.
Anand spoke to UNI after his victory said, "I agree, in a very complicated position he spotted me bit of time.
I used my full quota as well, but at the end the position was unbelievably complicated.
Basically I tried to find some position where white is able to hold on to its pawns costing significant initiative for black.
It is difficult to say anything without doing some analysis." The game between Peter Leko and Vladimir Kramnik, meanwhile, has ended in a draw.
Playing with white Leko opened the game with e4 and Kramnik preferred the Ruy Lopez over his pet Petroff Defense.
It was a short 25 moves game in which neither the Hungarian nor the Russian has any opportunity to go for a result.
In the end both agreed to split point.
With this draw Kramnik, who has been jointly leading the championship with Anand is now on the second spot.
Anand with his second win takes the lead in the Championship.
In an another game of the tournament Israel's Boris Gelfand thrashed Levon Aronian of Armenia, in a game in which he used novelty.
The Last game of the Championship played between the two Russian Grandmasters Alexander Grischuk and Alexander Morozevich was a bitterly fought game in which Grischuk overshadowed his compatriot and won the game.
Standing after fifth Round: 1.
Viswanathan Anand 3.5 points 2-4.
Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Grischuk, Boris Gelfand all on 3 points 5-7.
Alexander Morozevich, Peter Leko, Levon Aronian all on 2 points.
Peter SvidlerRound six Pairing: Peter Leko vs Viswanathan Anand Alexander Grischuk vs Peter Svidler Boris Gelfand vs Alexander Morozevich Levon Aronian vs Vladimir Kramnik About us | Advertise | Other Publications | Subscriptions | Weather | Letters | Send Mail Disclaimer: Information is being made available at this site purely as a measure of public facilitation.
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