Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, 3rd T20 Match, Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, On May 23, 2010 from 16:00 GMT | 21:30 IST Onwards

Cricket history will be made in Florida this weekend when New Zealand play Sri Lanka in two Twenty20 internationals. It is the first time two full members of the International Cricket Council have contested a series in America.

New Zealand Cricket has a partnership with the USA Cricket Association and matches will be played on Saturday and Sunday in Lauderhill, near Miami.

The Kiwis are without injured Jesse Ryder and the now retired Shane Bond so Andy McKay comes into the squad. McKay, a 30-year-old left-arm seamer who has played three one-day internationals, has recovered from a foot injury that kept him out of the series against Australia and the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies.

Sri Lanka are without Muttiah Muralitharan, who has a groin injury. “It’s something different,” Sri Lanka batsman Mahela Jayawardene said. “We’re excited to be here, it’s a great experience and great exposure to play under different circumstances as well as different conditions.”

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, 2nd T20 Match, Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, On May 22, 2010 from 19:00 GMT | 00:30 IST Onwards

T20 International Match will be first time played in the US. This move by ICC is to get into US Market. If the response of Cricket in USA is good then, we may see more and more Cricket in US in the future. New Zealand and Sri Lanka, both have failed to reach the Semis of recently concluded T20 World Cup. Both will be hoping to start this new T20 Series on a good note.

Both T20 Matches will be played at Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida. The stadium is near to the Miami.

For now, Sri Lanka and New Zealand will settle for a bit of cricket history in a land where baseball is the national pastime, basketball and American football rule and cricket is seldom found on the sport pages or telecasts. “Our team and nation is honored to be one of the first two ICC Full Members to be involved in this historic series,” said Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga.

Clearly USA Cricket has some work to do. But cricketers are ready for the effort.”The Blackcaps are really excited,” captain Daniel Vettori said. ”We know the series against Sri Lanka will be a great advertisement for international cricket to US fans.”

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, 1st T20 Match, Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, On May 20, 2010 from 20:00 GMT | 01:30 IST Onwards

Sri Lanka and New Zealand will stage the first cricket matches on US soil between two ICC full members this weekend, a move officials hope will launch a US boom for the sport. “The historic event will provide great exposure,” USA Cricket Association president Gladstone Dainty said.

Saturday and Sunday afternoon matches will be staged at Lauderhill’s Central Broward Regional Park, the only ICC-approved venue in the United States. But with an India property developer sponsoring the Pearls Cup T20 matches and Indian Premier League officials talking about staging US events as early as 2011, the US breakthrough could be only a hint of greater things to come.

For now, Sri Lanka and New Zealand will settle for a bit of cricket history in a land where baseball is the national pastime, basketball and American football rule and cricket is seldom found on the sport pages or telecasts. “Our team and nation is honored to be one of the first two ICC Full Members to be involved in this historic series,” said Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga.

Clearly USA Cricket has some work to do. But cricketers are ready for the effort.”The Blackcaps are really excited,” captain Daniel Vettori said.  ”We know the series against Sri Lanka will be a great advertisement for international cricket to US fans.”

Australia vs England, Final T20 Match, Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, On May 16, 2010 from 15:30 GMT | 21:00 IST Onwards

Another chapter will be added to the old Ashes rivalry between England and Australia when the two cricket giants take each other in the final of the Twenty20 World Cup here at the Kensington Oval on Sunday. England have had a terrific tournament so far, winning all their Super Eight matches convincingly and strolling past Sri Lanka in the semifinal, while Australia survived a scare against Pakistan with Michael Hussey’s match-winning knock in the second semis on Friday.

England have looked like a well-knit side throughout the event. Wicketkeeper-batsman Craig Kieswetter and left-hander Michael Lumb have given solid starts to the Paul Collingwood led-team in most of the matches, while the hunger for runs shown by Kevin Pietersen makes him the most important asset for the English side.

With Collingwood at number four, they have a captain who could take the innings forward with his calm and composure. And Eoin Morgan is just like a ‘pocket dynamite’, who can change his gears depending upon the situation of the match. Luke Wright and Tim Bresnan provide the right balance to the side with their medium-fast bowling and hard-hitting at the depth while Graeme Swan’s positive attitude and Michael Yardy’s experience have strangled the batsmen with their spin bowling in the middle overs.

Everyone knows how threatening Ryan Sidebottom can be if he gets a little help from the pitch. Stuart Broad too can keep the batsmen guessing with his change of pace and length. On the other hand, Australia too looked invincible till their bowlers were put to sword by Akmal brothers and their batsmen fell like a house of cards under pressure. But still, Australia, which was seeded ninth before this tournament, look a very formidable unit to challenge the mighty Poms. David Warner is tailor-made for this format of the game, while his opening partner Shane Watson has had a terrific last year in all forms of the game. With skipper Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin and Michael Hussey, they have got three most seasoned campaigners in T20 and both Cameron White and David Hussey are very capable of sending the ball well over the ropes. Both the Victorians, together with Steven Smith and Clarke give spinning options to the Aussie side. Dirk Nannes, Shaun Tait, and Mitchell Johnson have got plenty of bounce from the Kensington Oval’s wicket so far and they will look for an encore.

Australia vs Pakistan, 2nd Semi Final T20 Match, Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia On May 14, 2010 from 15:30 GMT | 21:00 IST Onwards

After their miraculous entry into the last four stage, defending champions Pakistan face the uphill task of halting the Australian juggernaut in the second semifinal of the Twenty20 World Cup here on Friday.

Pakistan were pushed to the brink after their one-run defeat to New Zealand in their second Super Eight match but Shahid Afridi’s men bounced back to beat South Africa and with a stroke of luck sneaked into the semifinals.

Australia, on the other hand, have crushed whosoever have come under their wheels and remains unbeaten in the tournament so far but that reputation won’t count when they take on an enigmatic Pakistan on Friday. For Australia, their battery of lethal fast bowlers have knocked the stuffing out of the opponent batsman, While Pakistan have an array of spinners who have dominated on the slow wickets here.

For Pakistan, their spinners’ Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal — could pose many questions to the free-scoring Aussie batsmen on this deck and it will be interesting to watch who calls the shots in this crucial game. Will it be the Aussies pacemen or the Pakistani spinners. On a man-to-man basis, Australia are a superior lot. They can bat right up to number nine, which is something Pakistan lack. Their fielding too has been outstanding, something which Shahid Afridi’s men can’t match.

Australia have now learnt how to play T20 cricket. They have a strong batting and bowling line-up. As we have played them at this ground in the first round, we know the areas where Shane Watson and David Warner play their shots. We have plans for them,” said Afridi. “We will play to our strengths. We have three genuine spinners who could use the conditions here very well. Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal have been bowling well. We are confident that they will perform in this crucial game,” added Afridi.

We were in the same situation in the last World Cup in England. But we went on to win the championship. If we could return home with the title, it will be great victory for the people of Pakistan who love cricket and want to see us play home and away, said Afridi.

England  vs  Sri Lanka, 1st Semi Final T20 Match, Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia On May 13, 2010 from 15:30 GMT | 21:00 IST Onwards

Kevin Pietersen will be hellbent to ensure that the first game his newborn son witnesses has the KP trademark stamped on it. The out lander has single-handedly taken England to the semi-finals and after missing the last game, he will be back to take the juggernaut further in the ICC World T20 Championships. Pietersen will be up against a buoyant Sri Lankan outfit, who blighted India ruthlessly in their previous game.

Kumar Sangakkara’s men have been one of the most impressive sides in the tournament and barring their match against Australia, have played the perfect game. Their batting has been outstanding with the classy Mahela Jayawardene leading the pack. Jayawardene’s sublime form coupled with players like Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews and Chamara Kapugedera makes them a formidable batting unit.

The slow St Lucia pitch will suit Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers. Though Muttiah Muralitharan will be missed, young Suraj Randiv has risen in the ranks and is making giant strides. Randiv troubled the Aussies and will be one of the key players England have to watch out for on Thursday. He will also be crucial in Keeping the in-form Eoin Morgan and Luke Wright in check during the middle overs.

To tackle Sri Lanka’s batting, England will turn to tweakers Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy, who have been terrific so far. But against strong players of spin like Jayawardene, Sangakkara and Dilshan, this will be the duo’s toughest test.

England’s most experienced bowler Ryan Sidebottom will have the responsibility of taking care of Jayawardene and Co. early in the innings. On the other hand, Sri Lanka would look to take early control by picking on Sidebottom.

Another lip-smacking contest will be between Pietersen and Lasith Malinga. Pietersen annihilated Dale Steyn and he will target Malinga as well to break the back of the Lankan bowling. The Lankan spearhead will look to send the champion batsman as soon as possible, in view of the destruction he caused against South Africa in a short span of time. Sangakkara has to be careful in rotating bowlers with Pietersen in the middle as apart from Malinga, they lack experience and Pietersen can make them bleed.

West Indies vs Australia 24th T20 Match, Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia On May 11, 2010 from 21:00 GMT GMT | 02:30 IST Onwards

With their campaign back on track after the win over India, an inspired West Indies face an uphill task of upsetting Australia by a big margin in the final Super Eight match to seal their semifinal berth in the Twenty20 World Cup here on Tuesday. West Indies had a disastrous start to their Super Eight campaign when they were thrashed by 57 runs by Sri Lanka but the hosts bounced back in style beating India by 14 runs on Sunday to bag two points.

Luckily for the West Indies, Gayle has struck form at the right time when he decimated India with a 66-ball 98 on Sunday and Shivnarine Chanderpaul also looked in good touch. But the rest of the batting lineup would be a worry for West Indies as none of the players could make a mark during their last two matches. Keiron Pollard, the costliest buy in IPL 3, has failed to live up to his expectations and all-rounders Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo have been mediocre too.
Australia, on the other hand, have been arguably the best team in the tournament, boasting of good balance in batting and bowling.

Shane Watson and David Warner have been destructive in the opening slot and have given Australia good starts. The middle-order batsmen like the Hussey brothers — Michael and David — and Cameron White have done well. The only disappointment has been the form of skipper Michael Clarke, who managed scores of 2, 14, 16 whenever he came to bat for Australia.

Among the bowlers, Dirk Nannes has led the charge, claiming 12 wickets to emerge as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament so far. Nannes has been ably supported by Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson, who have captured eight and six wickets so far. Spinner Steven Smith has also bagged six wickets to contribute to his team’s success.

India vs Sri Lanka 23th T20 Match, Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia On May 11, 2010 from 17:00 GMT | 22:30 IST Onwards

India doesn’t need a miracle on Tuesday. They just need to get their basics right. When two players go for a catch, one needs to call out loud and clear. When they go for the extra run, make sure there is a second run. And when they bowl, they need to keep it straight.

Mathematically still in the fray for the last four stage, India take on Sri Lanka in their last Super Eight game on the placid track of St Lucia after being bounced out by Australia and West Indies in the earlier two games at Barbados. The Lankans, meanwhile, have one win and will eye a second to boost their chances of making it to the semis. However, they have been a one-man show so far. They’ve only won the games in which Mahela Jayawardene has fired. On Sunday he came a cropper against Australia and Sri Lanka went down by 81 runs. Hopefully the Indian team management has made a note of that.

But the Men in Blue have paid for their perennial problem of playing on bouncy wickets. Cramped for time and space, they have injudiciously played the pull shot, though not being physically and technically well equipped to challenge such hostile deliveries. As the frazzled Indian stars may have realised by now, merely throwing the bat around at short balls, without getting inside the line or under the ball, won’t fetch them the runs.

The Lankans too have been plagued by inconsistency. Barring Jayawardene and Sangakkara, who shone with the bat in one game, none of the other batsmen have set the matches ablaze. The bowlers too have not been in the best of form. India’s main challenge will come from Lasith Malinga, but if they can see off his four-over spell, the other Lankan bowlers are not expected to trouble them much. With Muttiah Muralitharan already out of the tournament, the Lankans anyway have one match-winner less amongst their ranks.

So will it be Tuesday Tango or Tuesday Tragedy for India, only time will tell. All we can say is you won’t catch a wink of sleep on Tuesday.

England  vs  New Zealand 22th T20 Match, Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia On May 10, 2010 from 17:30 GMT | 23:00 IST Onwards

Almost certain of a last four spot with consecutive wins, a buoyant England will be gunning for a hat-trick of victory while New Zealand face a do-or-die situation in their last Group E Super Eights stage match of the Twenty20 World Cup on Monday.

With victories over Pakistan and South Africa in their second round matches, England are virtually through to the semifinals and Paul Collingwood’s men would be hoping to complete a hat-trick of victories.

Their fine form notwithstanding, it, however, would be far from a cakewalk for the English side as New Zealand have put behind their 13-run loss against South Africa and eked out a thrilling one run win over Pakistan to put their campaign back on track. New Zealand would seek to carry on the momentum against England to keep themselves in the semifinal hunt and shed their choker’s tag. Incidentally, the Kiwis’ cause could be helped by in-form Kevin Pietersen’s absence in the English ranks.

England would badly miss Pietersen after the right-hander took a break from the tournament to be with his pregnant wife Jessica as the couple prepares for their first child. Pietersen has been in sparkling form in the tournament, scoring an unbeaten 70 in England’s win over Pakistan and made a blistering 53 against South Africa. England have an dependable opening pair in Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter, who have so far given solid starts to their innings.

Especially with Pietersen away, captain Paul Collingwood would expect yet another good showing from his openers. England would also be looking towards Collingwood, Eoin Morgan and Luke Wright to deliver the goods in Pietersen’s absence and make their presence felt in the team. England’s bowling has been impressive so far in the tournament. Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad have been successful with the new ball while Michael Yardy and Graeme Swann chipped in with wickets with their spinners. New Zealand, on the other hand, do have problems to deal with as their batting line up is brittle and rely too much on a few power-hitters.

Pakistan vs South Africa 21th T20 Match, Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia On May 10, 2010 from 13:30 GMT | 19:00 IST Onwards

Their title defence virtually over, a beleaguered Pakistan will be out to salvage some pride, while South Africa will hope to put their Twenty20 World Cup campaign back on track in the Group E Super Eights stage match at the Beausejour Stadium on Monday.

With none of their players featuring in the third edition of the Indian Premier League, defending champions Pakistan entered the tournament as the only side without any fatigue factor but they looked rusty and now risk an early return home after losing their first two Super Eight stage matches to England and New Zealand.

The 2009 champions looked a rudderless lot under Shahid Afridi’s timid captaincy and the burden of leading seemed to have bogged down the all-rounder who looked far from his flamboyance self. The Pakistani batting order, barring Salman Butt, has looked patchy with batsmen like Mohammad Hafeez and Misbah-ul-Haq coming a cropper while the Akmal brothers — Kamran and Umar — also lacking consistency. Their inability to chase down a meagre victory target of 134 runs in yesterday’s cliff-hanger against New Zealand virtually put paid to their semifinal hopes and the batsmen would have to shoulder the blame for the team’s pathetic display.

In contrast, their bowlers did a better job and restricting New Zealand to 133 was a commendable effort. Unlike Pakistan, South Africa have everything to play for as a win might clear their semifinal passage. Having beaten New Zealand by 13 runs in their first Super Eight match, South Africa showed a batting frailty against England yesterday that would keep them worried. Chasing 169 for a win, only four batsmen reached double digit scores before they collapsed in 19 overs for just 129.

In the match against New Zealand, the entire top order had fired in unison but the same batsmen looked helpless against England’s disciplined attack and it is something the Protea think-tank would have to sort out tomorrow.