Cricket: Windies beat hosts to reach semis

AHMEDABAD, India - Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan led holders West Indies to an exciting three-wicket victory over India in a Group A match this morning and a berth in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy.

The left-handed Chanderpaul hit a controlled 51 and Sarwan struck a measured 53 as West Indies chased down the target of 224 under lights with two balls to spare for their second straight victory in the four-team pool.

The finish, however, turned tense when the side, needing 12 off 13 balls, lost Runako Morton (45), captain Brian Lara (5), Sarwan and Dwayne Smith (0) in quick succession before Marlon Samuels (5) struck paceman Ajit Agarkar to the point fence to help his side prevail.

Medium-pacer Ian Bradshaw took three wickets to restrict India to 223 for nine after the hosts were asked to bat first.

The left-armer dismissed Sachin Tendulkar, Irfan Pathan and Yuvraj Singh in a fine display of swing bowling to finish with an impressive three for 30.

In their final match here on Saturday night NZ time, West Indies meet England, who have lost both their previous matches.

India will take on world champions Australia in Mohali on Sunday in what is a do-or-die for both teams as they have one victory each from two games.

Left-handed opener Chris Gayle made 34 to provide West Indies with a 43-run start.

Opener Chanderpaul, who missed the previous match against Australia due to food poisoning, shared in a 57-run stand for the second wicket with Dwayne Bravo (16) as West Indies reached the 100-run mark by the 22nd over.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, gaining impressive turn, had Bravo leg before and part-time off-spinner Virender Sehwag forced Chanderpaul to edge to Rahul Dravid at slip to leave the defending champions at 120 for three.

But Sarwan, who tackled the spinners with confidence on a tricky pitch, and Morton hauled the side out of the tight corner with an 92-run stand.

They grinded the Indian spinners before Morton fell leg-before to Agarkar and triggered a collapse.

Lara, who braved back spasms to play, Sarwan and Smith fell in the space of four balls before Samuels struck the crucial boundary.

Fast bowler Jerome Taylor dismissed aggressive opener Virender Sehwag leg-before for 17 and Bradshaw had Pathan (zero) and Tendulkar (29) playing-on to leave a brittle Indian batting lineup reeling at 69-3 by the 17th over.

India captain Dravid made a fighting 49 and shared in a 61-run fourth-wicket stand with Yuvraj (27) but their exit in the space of six balls allowed the champions regain control.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped India cross the 200-run mark with a feisty 65-ball 51, however, as he hit off-spinner Chris Gayle for two successive sixes over mid-wicket.

Dravid's exit, run out to a direct hit by Dwayne Smith from square leg immediately after Yuvraj was caught by Bravo in the covers, saw the side lose momentum.

Dhoni put on 33 with a patchy Suresh Raina for the sixth wicket and 49 with Harbhajan for the next as Gayle went for 17 runs in one over.

- REUTERS