Trescothick flies home from India

Trescothick's stress-related illness ended his England career

Somerset's Marcus Trescothick has had to fly home from the Champions League Twenty20 in India after a recurrence of his stress-related illness.

The former England opener will play no further part in the event which has seen Somerset reach the second phase.

"Marcus has made a great effort to travel to India," said Somerset director of cricket Brian Rose.

"Regrettably it has not worked out for him and he has travelled back to England to rejoin his family."

Rose added in a statement on the club website: "The club and all his team mates have fully appreciated this effort and personal commitment and look forward to further success on his behalf."

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Kiwi Oram retires from Test arena

Oram has over 2,000 runs and 130-plus wickets to his name in ODIs

Injury-plagued New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram has confirmed his retirement from Test cricket.

The 31-year-old has quit the long form of the game in an effort to prolong his international career.

He will remain available for the shorter versions of the game - Twenty20 and one-day internationals.

"This decision has been a very tough one and has not been made without careful consideration and discussion with those closest to me," Oram said.

The last few years have shown that my body cannot handle the strains and stresses that come with being an all-rounder, playing all three formats for up to 10 months a year.

"For the sake of longevity I have had to make a decision that will decrease my workload, so I can concentrate all my efforts on the shorter forms of the game."

Oram said aside from injuries, the pending arrival of his first child next month and a chance to spend more time with his family were factors in his decision.

"I have attempted to delay any decision about my future career path for some time now," he added.

"However in light of my latest injury at the Champions Trophy it has became clear to me that now is the time to sacrifice something to try and stay in the game longer.

"I am hoping this decision extends my career. I do not want to put an exact time frame on that, as I have learnt that sometimes my body and my mind are on different wavelengths."

Oram, who plays for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, said he was hoping to feature at the ICC World Cup in 2011.

The 6ft 6in medium pace bowler and left-hand batsman has a history with injuries restricting his appearances for New Zealand since his debut in 2002.

He has suffered from various back ailments, fractures to his fingers as well as Achilles and calf muscle problems and last month failed to make it to the Champions Trophy in South Africa after straining his hamstring in training.

He said he would leave the Test arena with some regrets after only featuring in 33 Tests since his debut in 2002.

"I have really enjoyed my Test career and I leave that format with many fond memories. I would be lying if I said I had no regrets, however these feelings were not powerful enough to make me reconsider this decision."

Oram scored 1,780 Test runs at an average of 36.3, including five centuries, and picked up 60 wickets at an average of 33.

New Zealand Cricket CEO Justin Vaughan said he understood the decision for Oram to cut back on his workload. "Jacob has made a tremendous contribution to our Test team over the past seven seasons, and his experience will be missed," said Vaughan.

"But we fully understand the difficulties he has faced with injuries - and we hope this decision will help him prolong his playing career."

Oram will remain on a contract with NZ Cricket but will slide down the ranking list.

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Denly in frame as England wait on Pietersen

	Joe Denly has earned the right to a place in England's Test squad for South Africa

In the aftermath of their Ashes victory, and shortly before their momentum was destroyed by a chaotic month of one-day hammerings, England's cricketers vowed to use their summer success as a platform for greater glory. There would be no repeat, said Andrew Strauss, of their tailing-off in 2005, when victory against Australia was a prelude to a run of dismal form that culminated in their 5-0 whitewashing in the return series Down Under.

To all intents and purposes, that building process begins at Lord's at noon on Thursday, when the national selector, Geoff Miller, unveils their squads for England's winter tour of South Africa. Five years ago in the corresponding Test series, Michael Vaughan's men won a thunderous contest, sneaking a 2-1 victory against opponents who began in disarray but gathered momentum with every match.

This time around, however, South Africa will start as the No. 1 Test side in the world, and in Graeme Smith they possess a steely captain who exacted the ultimate revenge by toppling Vaughan in person during last summer's triumph in England. It counts for little that England have subsequently won five completed ODIs in a row against South Africa, including the shock of the tournament in the recent Champions Trophy. As far as England's aspirations are concerned, Test success remains the benchmark.

To that end, one of the very first names on Miller's list will be a man who still speaks with a thick South African accent, but who announced himself as a bona fide Pom by producing the decisive innings of the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval. Barring a long-forgotten duck in Belfast, Jonathan Trott has been in mothballs ever since his nerveless 119. He was overlooked for the one-day debacle against Australia because the squad for the Champions Trophy had to be named in advance of his Test debut, but the assurance of his footwork and the clarity of his shot selection mean he is sure to take the squad place of the man whom he replaced at The Oval, Ravi Bopara.

Trott, in fact, could well be one of four players in England's top seven set for a return to the country of his birth - Strauss left Johannesburg at the age of six but returned with aplomb in 2004-05 with 656 runs in the five Tests, while the wicketkeeper Matt Prior also hails from the Highveld. But the most imposing returnee of the lot, fitness permitting, will be Kevin Pietersen, whose absence from the sharp end of England's Ashes campaign left the batting dangerously short of gravitas until Trott's timely arrival.

If missing out against Australia was a crushing disappointment, it will be cruelly exacerbated should Pietersen's Achilles injury deny him the chance to play his first Test in South Africa, having made his full England debut in the ODIs against Zimbabwe that preceded the last trip five years ago. A recent infection in the stitching of his wound pushed Pietersen's rehabilitation back by several weeks, but Strauss remains confident that his star man will be ready to resume his career at least in time for the Test leg of the tour that commences on December 9.

"The information we have got at the moment is that he is getting better quite quickly now," Strauss told BBC Radio Four. "We are very hopeful he will be making the trip to South Africa, hopefully playing some part in the one-dayers and then a full part in the Test series. That is great news for us. We have sorely missed him and the sooner he is back the better."

With Andrew Flintoff now retired, and Stuart Broad still feeling his way as a Test-class allrounder, England's batting will need to be bulked out regardless of Pietersen's availability. Ian Bell produced one of the best innings of his unfulfilled career when he top-scored in England's first innings at The Oval with a gritty 72, and so deserves one more chance to make the No. 3 slot his own. But with Alastair Cook under some pressure as an opener following a poor Ashes campaign, the new name in the frame is likely to be Kent's Joe Denly, whose upright technique has earned plaudits during his early forays in the one-day side, and whose calm demeanour bodes well for the tough challenge that lies ahead.

After saving the Cardiff Test with the rearguard of his life in July, Paul Collingwood finished England's Ashes campaign with his place under habitual scrutiny, but a brief break during the Australia one-dayers enabled him to return revitalised for the Champions Trophy. His subsequent buttock strain will not, in Strauss's opinion, have any impact on his selection for the Test squad, and in fact the reverse is probably true, because he will now have a chance for a proper break from the grind, having escaped his commitment to play for the Delhi Daredevils in the forthcoming Champions League.

England's bowling presents another set of conundrums entirely. James Anderson found form in the Champions Trophy after a difficult final month of the English season, and has established a handy new-ball pairing with Graham Onions, with Ryan Sidebottom seemingly assured of his place in the squad alongside Broad. However, since the retirement of Flintoff, England lack a bowler with the pace to frighten opponents ... unless, of course, they take a punt on a man who went missing spectacularly on the last South Africa tour (and for that matter on most overseas trips either side of the 2004 West Indies tour).

Steve Harmison recently declared his unwavering commitment to England, although he then tempered that resolve by hinting he could retire if overlooked for this winter's campaign. However, given the steepling bounce on offer during the recent one-dayers at the Wanderers, Harmison could be worth his squad place even if Johannesburg proves to be his only appearance of the tour.

Graeme Swann has stormed past Monty Panesar in the spin-bowling stakes, and the legspinner Adil Rashid has since slipstreamed him as well - first by impressing in the ICC World Twenty20, and then by demonstrating his allround credentials during an impressive but ultimately unsuccessful home ODI debut against Australia at The Oval. Given how brutally AB de Villiers treated the last legspinner to make his debut in South Africa, Bryce McGain at Cape Town back in March, there is an element of risk in overlooking Panesar's unspectacular offerings, but that could be said for the selection of all wristspinners. Shane Warne would never have been the player he was had it not been for some brave decisions from above, and on the evidence so far, Rashid has the demeanour to cope.

Which leaves room for one last selection, that of the reserve wicketkeeper. Prior's place is sacrosanct at present, after a summer of aggressive strokeplay at No. 6 allied to vastly improved glovework, but the identity of his understudy remains impossible to pinpoint. James Foster looked the part behind the stumps during the World Twenty and impressed in front of them as well, not least in the Pro40 when he spanked five sixes in a row against Durham.

However, it was Surrey's new signing Steven Davies who earned the call-up for the Champions Trophy when a virus cut short Prior's participation. Meanwhile, the quiet clamour of late has been for the quietest achiever on the county circuit. Geraint Jones was jettisoned in ignominious circumstances during the 2006-07 Ashes, and has barely been mentioned in dispatches since. However, five hundreds in Kent's Division Two title push - the most by a county wicketkeeper for 25 years - could yet earn him a remarkable recall.

Test squad (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Jonathan Trott, 5 Kevin Pietersen, 6 Paul Collingwood, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Graham Onions, 12 Ryan Sidebottom, 13 Joe Denly, 14 Adil Rashid, 15 Geraint Jones (wk), 16 Steve Harmison.

ODI squad (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Joe Denly, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Owais Shah, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Luke Wright, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 James Anderson, 12 Graham Onions, 13 Ryan Sidebottom, 14 Tim Bresnan, 15 Adil Rashid.

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Australia retain Champions Trophy

ICC Champions Trophy final, Centurion:
Australia 206-4 (45.2 overs) beat New Zealand 200-9 (50 overs) by six wickets

Shane Watson's magnificent knock featured 10 boundaries and four sixes

Shane Watson's second successive century ensured Australia held on to the Champions Trophy with a six-wicket win over New Zealand at Centurion Park.

Watson, aided by Cameron White (62), rebuilt Australia's innings from 6-2 to take them past their target of 201.

White fell to Kyle Mills (3-27) but Watson hit two sixes in a row to end the match and finish unbeaten on 105.

Earlier, spinner Nathan Hauritz (3-37) helped restrict New Zealand to 200-9, with Martin Guptill (40) top-scoring.

Although a fiery opening new-ball spell from Mills and Shane Bond had given the Black Caps fresh impetus with two quick wickets inside three overs, Watson and White batted with intelligence and composure to ensure the world champions leave South Africa as the world's best one-day side in the world.

Bond removed opener Tim Paine, caught at first slip by Ross Taylor in the second over, before Mills snared the key wicket of tournament top scorer Ricky Ponting, trapped lbw in the following over.

Bereft of scoring opportunities, Australia managed just 18 from the 10-over mandatory powerplay, the lowest total in the entire two-week tournament, surpassing New Zealand's modest 22 a few hours earlier.

However, fresh from an unbeaten 136 against England on Friday, Watson greeted the arrival of New Zealand's second-string seam attack with disdain, dispatching anything short and wide for four.

Kyle Mills was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers

Although White succumbed to Mills - the second of his three dismissals - for 62, Watson continued his sensational form, smashing two successive sixes off Jeetan Patel to bring up his fourth one-day hundred as well guide Australia to victory with 28 deliveries to spare.

New Zealand's task was made the more difficult when captain Daniel Vettori - one of the stand-out candidates for Player of the Tournament - was forced to withdraw before the match because of a hamstring problem.

With off-spinner Jeetan Patel the only change from the team which beat Pakistan in the semi-final, stand-in skipper Brendon McCullum elected to bat on an energetic - if unpredictable - Centurion wicket.

Rampant after their nine-wicket annihilation of England on Friday, Australia once again named an unchanged XI, with new-ball pair Brett Lee and Peter Siddle instantly extracting pace and sharp bounce from the wicket.

And it was Siddle who made the initial breakthrough, snaring a top edge from a wild McCullum slash outside outside off stump and into the gloves of Paine in the fourth over.

Neither Aaron Redmond or new batsman Guptill could penetrate the vice-like grip as New Zealand limped to 22-1 at the 10-over powerplay.

The run-famine relented with the introduction of second-change bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Watson, with Guptill in particular punishing anything full and outside off stump.

But with New Zealand slowly wresting the momentum in their favour, Redmond recklessly conceded his wicket charging a wide Hauritz delivery in the 19th over, with Paine whipping off the bails in an instant.

The off-spinner landed his second wicket when Guptill returned a simple catch in the 23rd over, ending his promising innings of 40, before Taylor was brilliantly caught by Mike Hussey at backward point off Johnson in the following over to leave New Zealand teetering at 81-4.

Consolidation arrived in the form of Neil Broom and James Franklin, with the pair compiling a patient 65-run stand in 14 overs.

But just after taking the batting powerplay in the 39th over, calamitous running saw Broom gift his wicket to Australia for 37 shortly after a series of confident boundaries.

Franklin departed for 33 in the 41st over as Lee speared a vicious yorker at the left-hander's toe from around the wicket, uprooting the off stump in the process.

Ian Butler became Hauritz's third wicket, trapped lbw, before Patel and Bond took the Black Caps beyond the 200-run mark with a boundary from the final ball of the innings.

Brendon McCullum dropped Cameron White on 14

But despite their electric start with the ball, Kiwi skipper McCullum was left to lament a dropped catch when White was on 14.

The Victoria captain top-edged an attempted pull of Ian Butler high in the air, but the wicketkeeper failed to cling on to a tough chance running backwards towards fine leg.

New Zealand's support seamers could not find the same disciplined lines as Mills and Bond, with Watson, in particular, capitalising as Butler and Franklin dropped short, while off-spinner Patel was lofted with a slog-swept six over mid-wicket.

The Queenslander brought up his 10th one-day 50 from 74 deliveries in the 26th over, although he was fortunate to survive a very confident appeal for leg before against Franklin soon after.

White brought up his half century with a punchy straight drive for four over Butler's head, but his innings came to an abrupt end when he played on to his stumps attempting to shoulder arms to a Mills delivery in the 35th over.

Hussey soon followed, cutting Kyle Mills to point, but Watson took Australia past their winning target in emphatic style to ignite a celebratory pyrotechnic display high in the Centurion night sky.

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Younus rues dropping catch after Pakistan's Trophy exit

Pakistan skipper Younus Khan blamed himself after dropping a crucial catch in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final defeat against New Zealand, saying the elimination was the biggest disappointment of his career.

"Personally that moment when I dropped Grant Elliott in the semi-final still haunts me and will continue to haunt me," he told reporters on Monday after the team's return from South Africa.

New Zealand edged out favourites Pakistan by five wickets on Saturday after Younus grassed a simple catch off top-scorer Elliott, who was on 40 with 69 runs required from 64 balls to win.

Elliott, who played with a broken thumb, went on to score 75 not out and steer his team into the final against Australia, to be played later on Monday.

Younus, who also had a hairline fracture in his little finger, was disappointed Pakistan could not repeat their successful Twenty20 World Cup campaign.

"It was a trophy I was desperate to win for my country because the ICC Champions Trophy was shifted from Pakistan to South Africa," said Younus, who has been advised four weeks rest.

"I wanted to show the world that even while fighting a war against terror, Pakistani people are a resilient lot and cricket would never die in our country."

The tournament, which had been originally scheduled for last year, was postponed and moved out of Pakistan due to security concerns.

Pakistan next face New Zealand in a one-day series to be played in the Gulf venues of Abu Dhabi and Dubai from Nov. 3.

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England wait on Broad and Prior

England seam bowler Stuart Broad will have a late fitness test ahead of Friday's ICC Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia at Centurion.

England will make late decisions on both Prior and Broad

Broad complained of tightness in his left buttock during Tuesday's defeat by New Zealand, and a scan revealed a torn muscle in his buttock.

England will also make a late decision on wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who has missed the last two games with illness.

He could be replaced by Steve Davies, who has joined up with the squad.

Team director Andy Flower said they had already approached the International Cricket Council - who must approve any replacement to the squad - about bringing Davies in for Prior.

"Matt's over the worst of that illness, but he's still nowhere near 100%," explained Flower.

"We have chatted to the ICC about replacing him in the squad and the protocols involved to do so, and that option is still available."

Batsman Eoin Morgan has kept wicket for the last two games, but either Davies or a recovered Prior could play, probably in place of Ravi Bopara at Centurion.

After having his scan, Broad joined Thursday's practice under the supervision of physio Kirk Russell and team doctor Mike Stone, but halted during a series of exercises and seemed to be struggling with his movements.

The trio were joined by Flower and captain Andrew Strauss, who held further discussions before Broad simulated running between the wickets with a bat - but he did not appear to be moving freely, and left for the dressing room with Russell and Stone.

"He bowled a few overs at full pace in the nets and practised running between the wickets and had a little fielding test," Flower told BBC Sport.

"He has got a little tear in one of the muscles in his backside, so he's not 100%.

"But we're going to give him a little more time to see if he can be fit for the game, and give him another test in the morning.

"He's an important player in our side, who's just hitting his straps in this tournament, but if we can't get him in we've got other players who can take his place."

If Broad is unable to feature, Tim Bresnan's all-round abilities could see him edge out fellow seamer Graham Onions, whose inclusion would lengthen England's tail.

Another option would be to name Adil Rashid as a second spinner.

"Bresnan's probably the obvious replacement as a first-change bowler, but we'll make that decision tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Australia have been granted permission from the ICC to add batsman David Hussey to their squad as cover for injured vice-captain Michael Clarke, who has returned to Australia with a back injury.

But Hussey appears unlikely to play at such short notice against England, although he may offer them batting cover in the event that they make Monday's final.

Having played the same side in all three group games, seamers Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger are expected to miss out again, along with batsman Adam Voges.

Australia will go into the match as clear favourites, but spinner Nathan Hauritz says he has been impressed with England's revival since their 6-1 thrashing in the recent one-day internationals series.

"We played seven games back-to-back against each other and it can get a bit monotonous and draining at times," he said. "It was a fresh start for England over here and they've done really well.

"They have obviously looked at a few different areas, seen what they need to do and it's worked for them so far."

The defending champions booked their meeting with Andrew Strauss' team by scrambling a bye off the final ball to beat Pakistan by two-wickets on Wednesday to finish top of Group A.

"We knew if we tied the game we were going through anyway so it didn't really matter what happened on the last ball, but we still want to win every game," Hauritz added.

"It doesn't bother me who we play, we've been playing some good cricket recently. It's good to play England because we know their games and they know ours but it's a new game and a new venue."

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England (from): Andrew Strauss (capt), Joe Denly, Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wk), Ravi Bopara, Luke Wright, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Ryan Sidebottom, James Anderson, Tim Bresnan, Graham Onions, Adil Rashid.

Australia (from): Shane Watson, Tim Paine (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Mike Hussey, Callum Ferguson, Cameron White, James Hopes, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger, David Hussey.

Umpires: Billy Bowden, Aleem Dar, Tony Hill (third umpire), Asad Rauf (fourth umpire).

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Shoaib, Steyn and Anderson vault into the top 20

The group stage of the ICC Champions Trophy 2009, as expected, has provided thrilling, exciting and nail-biting finishes, as well as a couple of heart-breaking results which have caused plenty of reshuffle in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Team and Player Rankings.

Host South Africa, which entered the tournament as the number-one side in the team rankings on 126 ratings points, has slipped to third on 121 ratings points after suffering defeats against Sri Lanka and England which resulted in its elimination from the tournament it won in 1998 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

In contrast, defending champion Australia has regained the top spot on 126 ratings points after recording victories over the West Indies and Pakistan. Former winner India, which also took an early flight home after losing to Pakistan with its match against Australia being washed out, has retained its second position but has conceded two ratings points and now sits on 124.

However, India can regain the coveted number-one spot if sixth-placed England defeats four-time world champion Australia in the first semi-final at Centurion on Friday. Defeat would drop Ricky Ponting's side to 124 ratings points and behind Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side when ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

There will be plenty at stake in the second semi-final when 2000 winner New Zealand goes head to head with Pakistan at The Wanderers on Saturday. A defeat for Younus Khan's men will drop it to 109 ratings points and potentially in sixth place if England upsets Australia.

If Australia beats England and New Zealand defeats Pakistan, the green shirts will slip one place to fifth.

In case of Australia beating England and Pakistan defeating New Zealand, Australia will go to 127 ratings points and Pakistan will rise to 113 ratings points while England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand will be locked on 106 ratings. Nevertheless, England will be in fifth position, Sri Lanka in sixth spot and New Zealand in seventh place after the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings, it is still India first and second with Dhoni leading Yuvraj Singh in the batting table and Nuwan Kulasekara of Sri Lanka just ahead of New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori in the bowling chart.

But good performances in the group stage of the ICC Champions Trophy have helped several star players improve upon their rankings and move up the ladder.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, South Africa captain Graeme Smith has rocketed five places to third position after scoring 206 runs while Australia's Mike Hussey is just behind in fourth position after jumping two places to trail second-placed Yuvraj by four points.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is the third leading run-getter to date with 176 runs, has also improved his ranking by four places and he now sits in ninth spot with eighth-placed Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar firmly within his sights.

Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik, who put on 206 runs for the fourth wicket against India, have also made movements in the right direction with Yousuf climbing one place to 13th and Shoaib, who is the second lead run-getter to date with 178 runs, vaulting eight places to 15th.

Other notable batsmen outside the top 20 are England's Paul Collingwood 21st (up by six places) and Owais Shah 30th (up by nine places), New Zealand's Martin Guptill 40th (up by 24 places) and Eoin Morgan of England who has shot 31 places to 43th spot.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, South Africa's Dale Steyn has achieved his career-best ranking to date to assume eighth position. His six wickets in the tournament have helped him rise 14 places to share the position with Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralidaran who has dropped three places.

Also on the charge is England fast bowler Stuart Broad whose 10 wickets to date have helped him jump four places to 14th spot while his team-mate James Anderson has returned to the top 20 in 19th place after his seven wickets have helped him climb 16 places.

In the top 10, New Zealand pair of Kyle Mills and Shane Bond have improved their positions by two places. Mills shares second place with his captain Vettori while Bond is in fifth spot.

Also achieving his career-best ranking is Sri Lanka's magician spinner Ajantha Mendis who is now in seventh position after rising four places.

The only change in the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for all-rounders is Shahid Afridi who has climbed one place to share fourth spot with Jacob Oram of New Zealand.

Forthcoming matches in the ICC Champions Trophy 2009:

2 Oct - Australia v England, Centurion (d/n)

3 Oct - Pakistan v New Zealand, The Wanderers (d/n)

5 Oct - Final

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Vettori urges Black Caps to go step further

Johannesburg: New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has urged his team to go one step further in the ICC Champions Trophy following their exuberant show so far in the tournament sealing a semi-final clash against Pakistan on Friday.

"It is about time we made a final. There is a lot of determination in the group when we come to these tournaments and there is an expectation of us as a One-day team," The New Zealand Herald quoted Vettori, as saying.

"We have had a pretty good One-day team over the years. Now, it is up to us to deliver a little bit more than that. We know when we get to a semi-final it could be anyone's day and we are just hoping it is ours," he added.

New Zealand's progress is also remarkable for the fact that they had to deal with injuries of some key players including fast bowler Daryl Tuffey - who broke his hand, opener Jesse Ryder - who suffered a groin injury batting against Sri Lanka and all rounder Jacob Oram - with a hamstring injury.

New Zealand's win in their must-win Group B match against England also secured an extra day's rest for the team and another match at the Wanderers, a venue which suits the fast bowlers.

"We are fortunate enough to have the later semi-final now. So, that helps us," Vettori said.

"And, to be honest, 99 per cent of the wickets we play on are featherbeds. So, it is not a problem once in a while to have wickets, which challenge the batsmen. I don't have a problem with it at all," he added.

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Australia eye final berth

Centurion: Having sneaked into the semi-finals with a last-ball victory over Pakistan, Australia will have to plug their batting loopholes when they take on their traditional rivals England in the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy here tomorrow.

Chasing 206 against Pakistan, Australia's middle order collapsed from a comfortable position before they struggled their way to the semi-final and skipper Ricky Ponting will have to ensure his men do not repeat the same mistakes.

Australia had recently registered a convincing 6-1 victory over England in the ODI series in England and Ponting will hope his team draws inspiration from that series and comes up with a similar performance tomorrow.

"We had a very good series against England over there but its different conditions here and I think they are playing really good cricket. We have to make sure we play well in the next match on Friday," said Ponting.

On papers, Australia does not seem to have any chink but yesterday's match showed their vulnerability to quality bowling specially at the end overs.

Australia's top order has so far fired in unison with Tim Paine, Ponting and Mike Hussey leading the way for the team.

However, opener Shane Watson's poor form will be a cause of worry for the Aussies.

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