Mon, May 24, 2010 page19

• Twenty20 spices up Floridian suburb

  • REUTERS
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  With the smell of Jamaican jerk chicken and Indian biryani wafting through stands, New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 28 runs in the first official international between two test playing nations in the US.

  The Twenty20 match on Saturday provided an unusual sporting atmosphere for the suburbs of Fort Lauderdale, the flags and shirts in the crowd revealing supporters from Indian, Pakistani, English, South African and Caribbean backgrounds.

  “It was nice to see so many Sri Lankans here, I know they have flown down from many different places in the States, unfortunately we couldn’t do them justice with our performance here,” Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara said.

  

  West Indies cricketer Narsingh Deonarine hits a boundary during the first One Day ­International match between West Indies and South Africa at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in St John’s, Antigua, on Saturday.

  PHOTO: AFP

  The only element that would have jarred with supporters well used to watching cricket on television was scantily clad cheerleaders entering the field of play, dancing at third man while the bowler was at his mark.

  However, there were no complaints from the fans, including a noisy contingent of Sri Lankans who had traveled down from the northern part of the US.

  A slow and low surface and large field at the only ICC certified cricket stadium in the US meant the crowd got to see few boundaries, with just two sixes and 13 fours.

  New Zealand made 120 with Ross Taylor striking 27 and skipper Daniel Vettori a crucial 21 not out at the back end of the innings.

  Sri Lanka never really got going in reply with New Zealand seamer Kyle Mills removing openers Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan cheaply.

  Angelo Mathews top scored for Sri Lanka with 27 as they stumbled to 92 all out with two balls remaining, Scott Styris taking three wickets 10 ten runs in three overs.

  The two teams were to meet again yesterday at the same venue with a bigger crowd expected for a double-header featuring a clash between the US and Jamaica.

  ■S AFRICA V W INDIES

  AFP, NORTH SOUND, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

  Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers scored hundreds as South Africa defeated West Indies by 66 runs in their rain-affected one-day ­international on Saturday.

  Amla anchored the top half of the South African batting with 102 from 109 balls, and de Villiers kept the momentum going with the same score from 101 balls, as the Proteas, put in to bat, reached 280 for seven from their rain-reduced 48 overs on a slow Vivian Richards Cricket Ground pitch.

  South Africa then dismissed West Indies, who had been set a Duckworth/Lewis target of 288, for 215 in 44.1 overs to clinch a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, which continues on Monday at this venue.

  Morne Morkel was the most successful South African bowler with three wickets for 40 runs from eight overs, while Dale Steyn, Ryan McLaren, and Johan Botha collected two wickets apiece.

  West Indies captain Chris Gayle, whose 45 from 39 balls was the home team’s top score, felt let down by the batting again.

  Steyn set West Indies back early, when he had Andre Fletcher caught at slip for four in the third over.

  South Africa were put on the defensive, however, when Gayle gave West Indies a typically flourishing start.
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