Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwea T20 World Cup 2010 West Indies

Jayawardene ton floors Zimbabwe

Sri Lanka 173 for 7 (Jayawardene 100) beat Zimbabwe 29 for 1 in five overs by 14 runs (D/L method)

Batting was expected to be difficult on a slow and low pitch in Providence but the touch artist Mahela Jayawardene sparkled with a delightful ton, only the fourth batsman to hit a Twenty20 hundred, to charge Sri Lanka to 173. A heavy downpour after one over into the chase left Zimbabwe needing 104 from 11 initially, but it rained again to terminate the match after five overs were completed. Sri Lanka won on the D\L method as Zimbabwe only reached 29 for 1 when the par score was 43.

The rains stayed away, however, until Jayawardene treated the sparse crowd to a charming knock. Only one other batsman in Sri Lanka's top six touched double digits; it said much about the pitch and the form of the other batsmen but most importantly it highlighted Jayawardene's mastery.

There wasn't a single shot in violence from Jayawardene. Not one looked ugly. Not for a moment did he look hurried. And yet, his strike-rate was over 150. It was such a graceful knock that it stood out amid the violence that this format usually brings in batsmen. Perhaps it's his economy of movement and the languid flow of his bat that catches the eye. The experts reckoned the pitch would make hitting on the up a difficult task, that the ball would stop on the batsmen, that timing would be difficult to find. And it appeared so when the likes of Kumar Sangakkara and the rest batted. Not when Jayawardene took strike.

Watson, Hussey set up emphatic win

Australia 191 (Watson 81, D Hussey 53, Aamer 3-23) beat Pakistan 157 (Misbah 41, Tait 3-20, Nannes 3-41) by 34 runs

Australia began to right previous wrongs in this format with an emphatic dismantling of the defending champions at St Lucia, a 34-run win serving serious notice to one and all of their intentions in this tournament. They wear a fresh look about them in this tournament, under a new captain in Michael Clarke at a global event for the first time since 1999 and with some very handy specialists in the squad.

They went about their opening game in merciless fashion, echoing their dominance over Pakistan months earlier. Brutal half-centuries from Shane Watson and David Hussey set them up, before equally brutal pace shoved aside Pakistan's batsmen. That the loss was Pakistan's tenth international in a row to Australia is neither here nor there; more relevant, Australia were very hot and Pakistan very cold.

It was that way from the start. Watson feasted hungrily in the summer at Pakistan's expense and his love affair continued in more romantic surroundings. A little luck initially helped him, two tough chances put down. More help came from the bulldozing ways of David Warner, the pair giving Australia a brisk start.

Pakistan very rarely open the bowling with a spinner and very quickly, Shahid Afridi's experiment with Mohammad Hafeez looked an unquestioned failure. Warner lofted him for an effortless six over long-off to end the second over and in his next, the game was blown open as the pair took 17.

Raina century seals one-sided win

India 186 for 5 (Raina 101, Yuvraj 37) beat South Africa 172 for 5 (Kallis 73) by 14 runsSuresh Raina struggled at first, then he sizzled. He overcame a jittery period of mis-hits and short-pitched bowling, scoring 82 off the last 38 balls he faced, en route to only the third century in Twenty20 internationals. Yuvraj Singh came back to form, Graeme Smith's reluctance to attack with Dale Steyn confounded, and India's 186 was always going to be too much on a difficult pitch and a slow and big outfield.

South Africa's reply, in the face of a four-spinner Indian attack - without using Yuvraj - was even more confounding. Jacques Kallis and Smith struggled to flow, and hesitated to take risks. Their run-rate crossed six an over for the first time in the 11th over, and it was too late by then, despite some late hitting from Kallis.

India had got off to a similar start, albeit against seamers, but unlike South Africa they threw away the caution at a more appropriate time. With two early wickets gone and both Raina and Yuvraj struggling to present the middle of the bat, India were 43 after eight overs. There was no mucking around after that. Although the odd mis-hit remained a feature of the partnership, the sweet shots grew in frequency and India got 143 in the next 12 overs. It worked for them that the mis-hits kept bouncing in front of deep fielders, and the sweet ones cleared them easily.

From the time he came to bat in the first over, Raina was given a fair share of back-of-a-length deliveries. By the time India's both irregular openers, in absence of Gautam Gambhir (down with diarrhoea), ended their struggle, Raina had survived a catch off a Morne Morkel no-ball. He would go on to survive run-out attempts from Smith and AB de Villiers, when on 37 and 47.

Pakistan overcome Ashraful assault for 21-run win

Pakistan 172 for 3 (Butt 73, Akmal 73) beat Bangladesh 151 for 7 (Ashraful 65, Sami 3-29) by 21 runs

Pakistan survived a Mohammad Ashraful scare to begin the defence of their world title at St Lucia with a 21-run win over Bangladesh. Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt had laid the foundations with a 142-run stand that should've put the game beyond Bangladesh. But Ashraful, with Shakib Al Hasan for company, took a real pop at an imposing 173-run target, before Mohammad Sami swung a slow-burning game decisively Pakistan's way.

Bangladesh had been poor for vast chunks of the game, first with the ball, and then in starting the chase. But Ashraful's forceful 91-run stand with Shakib brought them close enough to get Pakistan jittery with five overs to go. Sami, on his T20I debut, ensured it wasn't to be with a fine two-wicket over to effectively end the game.

Spirited Afghanistan succumb to bouncers

India 116 for 3 (Vijay 48) beat Afghanistan 115 for 8 (Noor 50, Nehra 3-19) by seven wickets

Afghanistan certainly weren't overawed, but struggled against short-pitched deliveries, losing five out of their eight wickets to bouncers. As promised India played as they would against a top team, setting up an easy chase and finishing it solidly - without flair and major hiccups. Noor Ali, compact against the quicks and happy to use his feet against spinners, was Afghanistan's best batsman by a fair distance, helping them recover from 29 for 3 with a near run-a-ball fifty. As a fielding unit, they looked like they belonged: tall left-armer Shapoor Zadran's pace impressed, as did the spin of Mohammabi Nabi and Samiullah Shenwari.

The Afghans have learnt most of their cricket in Pakistan, and Noor and Asghar Stanikzai, who scored 80 of the 115 runs, may well have been rescuing a Pakistan innings after a collapse. On the either end of their 68-run partnership, though, the Indian quicks used the bouncers well enough to secure two easy points.

Karim Sadiq, the other opener, showed early signs of nerves, playing and missing thrice before gloving Ashish Nehra down the leg side. Mohammad Shahzad, the bulky wicketkeeper-batsman, too tried big unwieldy shots and was caught down the leg side while the replays suggested that the ball might have gone off the helmet grille. The decision notwithstanding, it was clear the short ball was troubling them.

All-round Sammy steers West Indies home

West Indies 138 for 9 (Sammy 30, Dockrell 3-16) beat Ireland 68 (Sammy 3-8, Rampaul 3-17) by 70 runs

Darren Sammy shone in every way to ensure West Indies overcame the absence of Chris Gayle and a stuttering batting display as they overpowered Ireland. Sammy collected 30 runs, three breakthroughs and a record four catches during the 70-run success. Ravi Rampaul's three-wicket opening burst was also crucial in Ireland being knocked over for 68, the second-lowest total in Twenty20s.

The captain Gayle didn't play due to a problem with his glutes, leaving Dwayne Bravo in charge, and there were thoughts of an upset when West Indies scrapped to 138 for 9 on a sluggish surface. There was a party atmosphere in the stands of the Providence stadium, but life was much more serious on the ground for the home batsmen, particularly when the 17-year-old George Dockrell was operating.

All the worries over the size of the total evaporated as soon as Kemar Roach struck with his second ball and Ireland, an Associate country, could not recover after losing their top three for 11 in 11 balls. William Porterfield (4) edged Roach to Sammy, who dived to his right at second slip for a sharp take, and his team-mates also struggled with the extra pace.

Sammy got his second catch in the next over when Paul Stirling skewed to midwicket and Rampaul (3 for 17) struck again almost immediately to remove Niall O'Brien caught behind. Ireland were 13 for 3 when some relief arrived in the form of rain, but there was no reprieve after the half-hour delay.

Alex Cusack (2) went shortly after the resumption when taken at second slip by Sammy, who seemed to be everywhere, and Rampaul had his third. Sammy then chipped in with the ball, taking care of Kevin O'Brien, as the visitors crawled to 39 for 5. While standing at cover Sammy collected his fourth catch when leaping high to collect the push of Gary Wilson, who top scored with 17. Sammy picked up Boyd Rankin and finished the match to gain 3 for 8 and start the local celebrations.

New Zealand start with tense victory

New Zealand 139 for 8 (Ryder 42, Murali 2-25) beat Sri Lanka 135 for 6 (Jayawardene 81) by two wickets

New Zealand edged Sri Lanka in just the sort of cliffhanger the organisers would have wanted to kick off the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. If McCullum is talked of as a match-winner, it is probably Brendon that one thinks of, but it was his brother Nathan who was the hero with an all-round performance, topped off by a six over long-off to seal a tense victory with one delivery to go.

On a track that lived up to it's pre-match billing of being sluggish, basic line-and-length bowling from New Zealand's slow bowlers was enough to curtail Sri Lanka to 135, despite Mahela Jayawardene's polished 81, his highest score in Twenty20s.

The balance swung from one side to the other through the chase: New Zealand looked in control after Jesse Ryder's power-hitting at the top, but tight spells from the two oldest players in the tournament, Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan, seemingly shut New Zealand out of the game.

When Ajantha Mendis nipped out Scott Styris in the 17th over, the asking rate was over 10 and half the New Zealand side was dismissed. Jacob Oram, though, kept the game alive with two consecutive hits over long-on for six to round off the over. Lasith Malinga sent down an over of patented hard-to-hit full deliveries in the 18th, and two wickets - of Oram and Gareth Hopkins - fell in the first two deliveries of the penultimate over to again put Sri Lanka in charge.

With 18 needed off nine, Daniel Vettori shuffled across and swung Chanaka Welegedara for four in front of deep square leg, and McCullum mishit a low full toss over mid-on to scramble three off the final delivery.

Ten off the final over, from Malinga, was still a tough ask. The first delivery was squeezed to mid-on for a single and they comically stole a bye after Vettori missed a full delivery - with McCullum charging down the track, both batsmen were at the keeper's end, Sangakkara lobbed the ball to Malinga who missed the stumps from a few yards even though he could have walked and taken the bails off.

McCullum then swiped a full delivery to long leg for four to reduce it to 4 off 3, making New Zealand fans believe again. A hard drive to long-on resulted in Vettori's run-out as he attempted a non-existent second, but McCullum's glorious hit over long-off for six off the penultimate delivery confirmed New Zealand's victory.