Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson fell agonisingly short of centuries but New Zealand's imposing total ensured they beat Sri Lanka by 120 runs in the sixth One-day international on Sunday to take an unassailable 4-1 lead in their seven-match series.
New Zealand qualified for the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy after a nervy four-wicket victory over England at the Wanderers, in Johannesburg, on Tuesday. After dismissing England for 146 in 43.1 overs, courtesy Grant Elliott's four for 31, New Zealand made heavy weather of the target in the middle overs before scrambling to 147 for six in 26.1 overs.
Factbox on World Cup match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval.
New Zealand's cricket selectors took a gamble on injury-prone Jacob Oram being fully fit for June's Twenty20 World Cup in England when they named their squad Tuesday. Oram did not take part in the recent three-Test series against India because of an Achilles injury, which has restricted his involvement at international level.
Manchester United reached the FA Cup fifth round and avoided any further embarrassment.
Paul Collingwood, who stepped down as England one-day captain last year, was on Friday named to lead the Twenty20 side in next month's World Cup. Collingwood resigned the captaincy at the same time as Test skipper Michael Vaughan because he felt it was affecting his Test form. The tournament starts on June 5 and ends with the final at Lord's on July 21.
Their desire to win at all costs is beginning to blur their moral compass, Hall of Famer John Bertrand said.
New Zealand beat Australia by six wickets in the second ODI at the MCG on Friday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Australia's fifth successive defeat meant that India displace them from the No 2 spot in the ICC ODI rankings.
New Zealand beat West Indies by nine runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method in the rain-disrupted fifth one-day international at Mclean Park in Napier on Tuesday to win the series 2-1.
James Faulkner has earned his reputation as Australia's man for every occasion the hard way. Whether it's with bat or ball, the all-rounder has become the player Australia's team can always rely on to get them out of pickle.
Despite the painful semi-final loss to New Zealand in Auckland in the World Cup, South African fans and media went easy on its cricket team. A long history of failure at the tournament has often put the Proteas at the sharp end of stinging criticism from the demanding media and fans back home.
The calm, assured manner in which New Zealand chased down South Africa's imposing total on Tuesday to advance to their first cricket World Cup final is a hallmark of a team that has developed into a cohesive unit over the last two years.
Pakistan World XI scored a nine-wicket victory over World XI in the second match of the ICL 20s World Series.
Losing seamer Kyle Mills and all-rounder Jacob Oram to injury does not make New Zealand underdogs heading into the third Test against England, according to captain Daniel Vettori. Mills and Oram, arguably New Zealand's two best bowlers in the series, were ruled out of the match at Napier's McLean Park with calf and hip injuries respectively.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Manchester United's current malaise was laid bare as they struggled past third-tier Rochdale 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the League Cup third round.
Pakistan will be desperately looking to ensure the painful defeat to India becomes a distant past when they run into an in-form New Zealand in Mohali on Tuesday with an aim to bounce back into the World Twenty20 and pacify their bitter fans back home. Pakistan are coming into the Group 2 Super 10 game having suffered their 11th defeat to the arch-rivals in ICC's world events. The 2009 champions entered the tournament after an early elimination in the Asia Cup. On the other hand, the New Zealanders are on a roll with two massive wins over hosts India and Australia, making them one of the strong contenders to lift the coveted trophy on April 3. Another win and they will be in the knockout stages of the mega-event. New Zealand have emerged as the team to beat after the stunned tournament favourites India first up, before getting the better of traditional rivals Australia in a trans-Tasman battle.
Kamala Harris is now the first woman, the first Black American and the first Asian American to hold the country's second highest office, and is now in a strong position to run for the top job four years from now.
Images from the action on Day 2 at the Australian Open.
'You have got to allow yourself the opportunity to stop and smell the roses. Today is about enjoying that. Tomorrow we will turn our attention to the final' 'You have got a group of guys that did everything for each other'
He has undergone private tests to prove his bowling action is legal after receiving a hostile reception from Australian crowds.
Pete's Dragon feels like a rare breath of clean air in the cluttered, loud blockbuster universe, says Raja Sen.
IMAGES from the Australian Open matches played on Friday.
American Express Corporation withdrew its sponsorship for the Asian American Hotel Owners Association convention due to begin Thursday.
Soccer agent Charles Collymore has been charged with a breach of Football Association rules.\n
Global leader in express transportation, FedEx Corp, on Thursday announced its service expansion in India aiming to connect 4,348 cities and towns across the country.
The buyback, if successful, will surpass RIL's 2012 share repurchase of Rs 10,400 cr
Technical analyst S L Joshi tracks the Indian markets using the Elliott Wave Theory
A first look at the Glitterati diamond collection, presented by actors.
Chelsea, looking for a league and Cup double, reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Newcastle United.
List of major transfers in the top Premier League ahead of the 2019-20 season (all transfer fees as reported by British media):
The strategy of returning cash to shareholders through stock purchases could hinder their digital expansion plans
An Australian biomechanics expert says Tendulkar will have to be careful of when he returns to cricket.
A resurgent New Zealand beat England by 13 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis method in a high-scoring second One-day international, marred by a late rain interruption, at The Oval on Friday to level the five-match series at 1-1.
Malcolm Frank, executive vice-president, strategy and marketing, Cognizant, in conversation with Shivani Shinde Nadhe & Ayan Pramanik.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson scored 90 to lay the foundations for a 38-run victory over Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Friday which gave the Kiwis the three-match one-day international series 2-1.
Australian Andy Bichel captured three wickets and hit an unbeaten 37 to help a World XI beat New Zealand by three wickets.
