Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle

Kevin Nolan and his team-mates look inconsolable following Aston Villa's winner

Newcastle United's 16-year stay in the top flight ended in the tamest fashion possible as they dropped into the Championship with defeat at Aston Villa.

Damien Duff's unfortunate own goal - deflecting in Gareth Barry's 20-yard shot seven minutes before the interval - ensured Alan Shearer's mission to save Newcastle from relegation ended in devastating failure.

Newcastle's performance was a prime example of why they have failed to survive this season, lacking any fire and urgency despite the scale of the prize on offer if they escaped.

And seconds before referee Chris Foy blew the whistle on Newcastle's Premier League existence, defender David Edgar summed up a desperate day when he was sent off for his second bookable offence after fouling Ashley Young.

Newcastle had opportunites to grasp at a lifeline in the first half, with Obafemi Martins firing off target and Mark Viduka having a shot cleared off the line by Carlos Cuellar.

Shearer reflects on 'sad day' for Newcastle

But when Newcastle needed to find inspiration in the second half, all that was on offer was an almost passive acceptance of their decline as they failed to exert any serious pressure on Villa - at times seeming barely aware of the fate that awaited them if they lost.

Michael Owen made an appearance as substitute midway through the second half, but he made no impact and barely touched the ball. It now appears relegation will almost certainly mark the end of his Newcastle career.

Shearer led the applause for Newcastle's heartbroken fans as the despair of relegation sunk in - and it was clear their affection for the Tyneside icon has not diminished despite this bitter end to his spell in charge this season.

Owner Mike Ashley must now try to persuade Shearer to stay on and provide some semblance of stability to this most dysfunctional of clubs as they attempt to rebuild and reclaim their place in English football's elite.

Shearer may have been the manager when they dropped into the Championship, but the damage was largely done before he attempted to come to the rescue.

And Newcastle's hierarchy must now indulge in serious soul-searching after a season that saw Kevin Keegan's reign as manager end in acrimony and Joe Kinnear's surprise temporary appointment, which ended prematurely after he suffered health problems.

Tears on the Tyne as Newcastle are relegated

Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood could not stop the rot, and the task of reviving Newcastle proved beyond Shearer.

For now, though, Newcastle can only try and digest the disappointment of relegation - and accept that they have been the architects of their own downfall.

It will be a summer of upheaval for whoever takes charge, with a collection of highly-paid players, led by Owen, likely to quit the club.

Owen was only fit enough to take a place on the bench as Newcastle went in search of the result that would preserve their Premier League status - but Shearer's side were lively in attack during the opening exchanges.

Villa keeper Friedel almost let Duff's deflected shot slip in and Cuellar smuggled Viduka's goal-bound shot off the line as Newcastle pressed for an early breakthrough.

Martins also volleyed over the top when he found space 12 yards out in the penalty area, with boss Shearer showing obvious frustration on the sidelines as another chance came and went.

Newcastle, however, were nowhere near as convincing at the back and Fabricio Coloccini was regularly threatened with embarrassment by Gabriel Agbonlahor's raw pace.

Shearer applauds the Newcastle fans following the defeat at Villa Park

Craig Gardner brought a fine fingertip save from Steve Harper before Villa took the lead seven minutes before the interval, helped by a liberal sprinkling of good fortune.

Barry's shot was struck with power, but it was a crucial deflection off Duff that took it out of the reach of Harper and into the bottom corner of the net.

Newcastle's fans, who were in ecstasy when news of Manchester United's goal at Hull filtered through, were stunned into silence as their Villa counterparts celebrated.

There was still time for another opportunity for Newcastle before the interval, with Martins sending a glancing header just wide from Nicky Butt's free-kick.

Newcastle could not apply any pressure in the early stages of the second half, leaving Shearer to make his first change after 56 minutes. Jose Enrique replaced Peter Lovenkrands, leaving Duff to move forward into a more familiar attacking role on the left-flank.

And Shearer swiftly followed this move with the introduction of Owen, giving the injury-plagued England striker the opportunity to possibly end an unfulfilling spell on Tyneside with a flourish.

Barry then missed the chance that would have condemned Newcastle to Championship football. He robbed Butt 20 yards out, but then sent a curling shot inches wide with Harper helpless.

Newcastle were surprisingly lacking any sense of real urgency, and Shearer played his final card with 20 minutes left by sending on Shola Ameobi for the tiring Viduka.

Carew then contrived to waste another opportunity to finish off Newcastle when he somehow failed to find the target after being set up by Agbonlahor six yards out.

Newcastle, despite the increasing desperation of their situation, were offering nothing and Ashley Young fired just over the top after a powerful run.

Enrique's speculative cross almost spared Newcastle in the dying seconds - but it drifted agonisingly wide and referee Foy's final whistle was the catalyst for predictable tears among travelling supporters.

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Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"I think we've played with great gusto and panache, we're open, we create opportunities to win and I guess there's always the possibility we'll concede a goal. That's our season.

"I'm delighted with my players - thrilled with them - we've played 14 games more than a lot of our rivals, I think, and yet we're used the fewest number of players along with Fulham.

"Fatigue possibly cost us a top four spot, but it's tough to get into that group.

"As for the furure - we would be delighted to keep Gareth Barry, of course. He has a year left to run and has been a fantastic servant, but while I'd love to keep him, I accept the fact that there are other things that may materialise. I'll say no more than that."

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Aston Villa: Friedel, Gardner (Heskey 75), Davies, Cuellar, Shorey, Milner, Petrov (Reo-Coker 84), Barry, Ashley Young, Carew (Sidwell 89), Agbonlahor.
Subs Not Used: Guzan, Delfouneso, Knight, Albrighton.

Goals: Duff 38 og.

Newcastle: Harper, Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Edgar, Duff, Guthrie, Nolan (Owen 66), Butt, Lovenkrands (Jose Enrique 57), Viduka (Ameobi 75), Martins.~
Subs Not Used: Krul, Smith, Gutierrez, Ryan Taylor.

Sent Off: Edgar (90).

Booked: Steven Taylor, Edgar.

Att: 42,585

Ref: Chris Foy (Merseyside).

Champions League expanded from eight to 12 teams

	Anil Kumble, Lalit Modi, Adam Gilchrist and other officials at a press conference in Johannesburg

The domestic Twenty20 winners of West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, as well as Delhi Daredevils, will also get an opportunity to participate in the inaugural Champions Twenty20 League, to be held from October 8-23 in India, just after the Champions Trophy. Lalit Modi, the tournament's chairman, said the prize money for the tournament will be US$ 6 million, and the draw will be held in London on June 23 after which the venues will be finalised.

Delhi have been included on the basis of having topped the round-robin stage of the 2009 IPL. They will be joined by Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore, the 2009 IPL finalists.

Other 2009 domestic finalists and winners include Victoria and New South Wales (Australia), Cape Cobras and Eagles (South Africa), Otago (New Zealand), Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies) and Wayamba (Sri Lanka). England's Twenty20 Cup only begins on Monday and the finalists will only be decided on August 25.

There will be a total of 23 matches and the teams will be divided into four groups of three each to play on a league basis before the top two teams from each group move on to the second stage. The four top teams from there will play the semi-finals.

Last year's IPL finalists Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings will not be eligible. Sialkot Stallions, the winners of Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 tournament, will not feature as originally scheduled because their government has restricted travel to India.

"Unfortunately, the Pakistan government won't give them clearance to come to India, and since yesterday was out cut-off date, it's not possible to have a team from Pakistan this year," said Modi. "Delhi Daredevils this year have highest points from the league. But from next year, the third team from India will be decided from a play-off between the two losing semi-finalists."

Modi also said that players from the unofficial ICL could also represent their domestic teams, provided they resign from the league before May 31. However, if their domestic sides qualify for the Champions League those players will not be allowed to play as part of a "one-year cooling period".

The tournament was initially supposed to held from December 3-11 2008 in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore but was put off after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The cancellation came as a huge blow for the teams that qualified for the 2008 edition, as they would have received at least US$250,000 as participating fees. Each team gets a minimum guarantee amount for playing in the tournament.

On the night of the IPL final in Johannesburg, Modi said on television that the fourth season of the IPL, in 2011, could feature ten teams instead of eight.

Deccan snatch title in tense finish

Deccan Chargers 143 for 6 (Gibbs 53*, Kumble 4-16) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 137 for 9 (Ojha 3-28, Symonds 2-18) by six runs

	Andrew Symonds was gutted when he got out, but made up with his aggressive fielding and body language, and smart bowling

Deccan Chargers invoked the bull in their emblem to successfully defend a modest total, beat Royal Challengers Bangalore and win a tournament they had ended up last in the previous season. They bowled with fire, fielded aggressively and sledged and hustled - almost literally - to victory in a final that twisted and turned and lived up to the occasion.

The last of those turning points was the 15th over, bowled by Andrew Symonds, who matched his verbal skills from earlier in the night with the wickets of Ross Taylor and Virat Kohli off back-to-back deliveries. Bangalore were 99 for 6 when the over started, and Taylor had looked dangerous during his 20-ball 27. That Symonds over, though, was symbolic of the night: every time a batsman got away from the bowling, a breakthrough pulled the batting side back.

Defending a total three less than what Bangalore chased easily in the semi-final, Deccan came out pumped, their energy reflecting in their behaviour. Symonds shadowed the latest tyro, Manish Pandey, all the way from the dugout to the crease. Pandey was a marked man during his innings. Symonds followed him wherever he went, giving him lip. Ryan Harris matched the aggression with the ball, clocking 145kmph constantly in the first over, a maiden.

Jacques Kallis looked to take the pressure off his 19-year-old partner. In Harris' next over Kallis took two boundaries to get the chase going. RP Singh brought the balance back when Kallis pulled onto his stumps but out came Roelof van der Merwe, who used adrenalin to push Bangalore further towards the target.

van der Merwe got a mouthful from Symonds and Harris, but he responded by hitting two sixes off one Harris over. Despite the maiden, Harris had gone for 23 in three overs. Even after Pragyan Ojha got Pandey with the first ball he bowled, van der Merwe's pyrotechnics kept Deccan at a distance.

One ball summed up the adrenalin rush van der Merwe was feeling. Beaten in the flight by Ojha he managed an edge which saved him from being stumped but he also dropped his bat. He picked his bat up as he ran the first run, and turned a two into a three, saving himself from the run-out by sprinting down the middle of the pitch and diving into the stumps at the non-striker's end.

One six later the adrenalin got the better of van der Merwe as he jumped out to Ojha and was stumped. The tension was palpable, and it sort of got to a senior pro like Rahul Dravid too. As Bangalore targeted Harmeet Singh, Dravid missed a scoop and was bowled. Bangalore still held the edge, though, with Taylor and Mark Boucher in.

Taylor looked like taking Bangalore home coolly, hitting three fours and a six, until Symonds got him on the pull, with a touch of extra bounce. Adam Gilchrist pulled off a smart stumping down the leg side next ball, and it was all down to Boucher now.

Gilchrist tried to get through Harmeet's last over, during which the youngster claimed Boucher on the cut. The bowling allocation was planned perfectly: RP had two left, and Ojha and Harris one each. Bangalore, with two wickets in hand, needed 27 from the last two overs, and 15 from the last, but RP Singh and Ryan Harris kept their cool despite a six from Robin Uthappa.

Amid the tension of the second innings one felt for Anil Kumble, who spent the most of the last over at the non-striker's end and saw his dream crash. Earlier Kumble had celebrated like a teenager but bowled like the veteran champion he is, and kept Deccan down to a manageable target.

He bowled the first over of the match, took Gilchrist out, then came back in the ninth to dismiss Symonds. That wicket was crucial because Symonds had been dropped on 5 by Dravid, and was reminding Bangalore eerily of the line his batting partner Herschelle Gibbs was apocryphally told during the 1999 World Cup. Kumble again came on in the 17th over to break a dangerous 52-run partnership between Rohit Sharma and Gibbs, when the two had taken Deccan to 110 for 3.

Towards the end Gibbs played a bizarre little innings. He had been inconspicuous in his struggle to score runs earlier, and didn't make much effort to farm the strike in the end. He faced only six balls in the last three overs, and kept taking twos in the last over to hand the strike over to Harris. He had batted the whole 20 overs for less than 60, much like Sachin Tendulkar, in more trying conditions, had in the first match of the tournament. Somehow they both ended up winning.

Collingwood stars in comfortable win

England 161 for 4 (Collingwood 47*, Bopara 43) beat West Indies 160 (Bravo 50, Broad 4-46, Collingwood 3-16) by six wickets

	Chris Gayle hit some meaty boundaries before trying one too many against Graeme Swann

England made easy work of a shambolic West Indies side as they coasted to a six-wicket victory at Bristol. A change of format and having the sun on their backs did nothing to improve the visitors' performance as they were shot out for 160. Stuart Broad did the damage at either end of the innings, but Paul Collingwood was the middle-order destroyer with 3 for 16 and Collingwood completed the victory with a sprightly, unbeaten 47.

The only stages that West Indies threatened to make a match where as Chris Gayle briefly flourished before being outdone by a smart piece of captaincy from Andrew Strauss, then when Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo added 63 for the fourth wicket. However, when Tim Bresnan removed Chanderpaul the order unravelled rapidly against tight bowling and a sharp fielding. England were impressive, but some of the shot selection and general thinking from West Indies left plenty to be desired as the last seven wickets tumbled for a paltry 53.

Broad was on target straight away after Andrew Strauss won a useful toss and trapped Lendl Simmons - who has suspect technique against the moving ball - leg before as the batsman played across a straight ball. In Broad's next over, as he pushed 90mph, he found the perfect length to bring Ramnaresh Sarwan into a loose push outside off.

Gayle, though, responded to the difficulty of 7 for 2 with typical bravado in his 200th ODI. He began by slashing Broad square then drilled him straight for four having almost picked out mid-off attempting a similar stroke. They were followed by a mighty swing over long-on for six and a slice through backward point and suddenly the momentum was shifting.

Strauss countered with a brave piece of captaincy as he introduced Graeme Swann inside the first Powerplay. The first ball to Gayle disappeared high over long-on for another maximum, but Swann is a confident bowler and didn't panic. He pushed the next delivery through a little quicker, Gayle eyed another boundary but the ball clipped the pad and crashed into the stumps. Strauss had gambled at bowling to Gayle's ego and it paid off.

Chanderpaul is so used to top-order wobbles that fixing them is second nature to him and alongside Bravo he steadied the innings. Bravo, who is coming off a six-week spell at the IPL after being ruled out of the Test series on medical advice, looked in good touch as he profited through his favourite leg-side area and also drove Dimitri Mascarenhas for a sweet straight six.

However, just as the stand with Chanderpaul was building a base for West Indies, Bresnan struck when Chanderpaul top-edged a pull to short third-man and shortly after Bravo reached a 55-ball fifty he missed a slower ball from Collingwood.

Although introduced as the sixth option, Collingwood proved mighty effective as he varied his pace and bowled a wicket-to-wicket line. Denesh Ramdin was trapped on the crease and Kieron Pollard was castled as he tried something expansive during the batting Powerplay. Between those wickets, Jerome Taylor was run out in a horrible mix-up with Pollard as he attempted a non-existent single to Strauss, and Broad wrapped up the innings in ruthless fashion with a short-pitched attack at the tail.

The innings folded so quickly that England started their chase before the interval and they lost Strauss when he got into a tangle against a Taylor short ball. Matt Prior, elevated to No. 3 in Kevin Pietersen's absence, guided a catch to Gayle at slip, who took it at the second attempt, but without the surprisingly rested Fidel Edwards West Indies lack the firepower to create major problems.

Ravi Bopara batted neatly, especially through the leg side, and was playing within himself when he was trapped in front of middle and leg by Bravo. It has been said many times, but West Indies would be a far better team if a few more players showed Bravo's enthusiasm. By most of the outfit it was a hopelessly lethargic effort, typified by a number of pieces of sloppy fielding (and even Bravo wasn't immune from that), although Pollard managed a late direct hit to send Owais Shah back for 38.

Shah, who didn't play at the IPL and has lost his Test place, took 13 balls to get off the mark but became more confident as his innings progressed although will be looking over his shoulder when Pietersen returns. Collingwood hit the ball sweetly to complete a day that couldn't have gone much better for England. However, even they will be secretly hoping that they are tested more than this in the near future.

ECB demands clampdown on onselling of tickets

	Ashes tickets on offer on eBay ...the ECB has vowed to clamp down on such sales

The ECB is pressing for more stringent laws to tackle the selling-on of tickets, according to a report in the Guardian.

It is claimed the board has tracked down more than 1900 tickets on offer for the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20, mainly on internet auction and ticket-resale sites. Warnings that people selling seats on this kind of website would be traced and also that tickets could be invalid has seemingly failed to deter people.

On one site today, prices varied from 1p as a starting price up to £725 for 16 seats to the tournament's final at Lord's on June 21. Supply, however, appeared to be outstripping demand. There was far greater interest in seats for the Ashes later in the summer, with tickets having sold out months ago.

The ECB has employed vigorous means to trace sellers and cancel tickets offered on such sites, writing to vendors and offering them a refund but also threatening to take them to court if they are found to have sold on the ticket.

The news is all part of an ongoing campaign by various sporting bodies, including the ECB, to force the government to tighten legislation governing the selling on of tickets. At present, some events, such as football matches, do have a higher level of legal protection.

Websites involved counter that the governing bodies ought to do more to control the initial sale of tickets, an argument dismissed by the ECB.

An eBay spokeswoman , quoted by the Guradian, said the ECB's own official exchange mechanism offered only limited resale. "Even if eBay were to agree to voluntary measures, these tickets would simply be sold elsewhere, either on the internet or on the streets, where there is less consumer protection for fans if there is a problem with the transaction."

Shoaib pulled from World Twenty20 squad

	Shoaib Akhtar will be re-assessed after 10 days

The PCB has withdrawn Shoaib Akhtar from the 15-man squad for next month's World Twenty20, saying - in an unusually revealing statement - that he had been diagnosed with genital viral warts. Rao Iftikhar Anjum's name has been sent to the ICC's technical committee by the PCB as a replacement.

Shoaib's participation had been in doubt after Intikhab Alam, Pakistan's coach, said yesterday he hadn't recovered sufficiently from a skin infection to play the three practice games the Pakistan squad is playing in Lahore.

"Shoaib Akhtar has been withdrawn from the World Twenty20 squad and Rao's name has been sent to the ICC as a replacement," a board spokesman said on Thursday.

The PCB's unusually graphic press release said that a three-member medical panel appointed by the PCB had found that Shoaib was suffering from "genital viral warts and electrofulgration [a surgical procedure] was done on May 12, 2009."

The panel added that "his wound though healing needs further care and treatment for another minimum ten days for the purpose of healing and to achieve skin cover. The Medical Board further recommended his re-assessment after 10 days.

"In accordance with the above program his re-assessment will be carried out on 1st week of June, 2009.In view of the above, PCB has requested ICC Technical Committee for the replacement."

The condition had initially ruled Shoaib out of the training camp the team attended in Bhurban, a mountainous hill resort near Islamabad. At the time, Shoaib expressed confidence that he would recover in time.

Shoaib has not trained since coming back from the series against Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Questions were asked of his fitness levels during the five-ODI and one Twenty20 series; he failed to fulfill his quota of ten overs in any of the four ODIs he played and bowled only two overs in the Twenty20.

The latest episode is yet another blow to an injury and scandal ravaged career that has seen Shoaib play only 46 Tests out of the 96 Pakistan have played and 144 out of the 305 ODIs Pakistan have played since his debut in 1997-98. Shoaib missed the last World Twenty20 in South Africa when he was sent home after hitting teammate Mohammad Asif in a dressing room altercation.

Time to complete perfect turnaround

Start time 16.30 local, (14:30 GMT)

Big Picture

	Anil Kumble has bowled like the champion he is © Associated Press

And so, as a blockbuster second season of the IPL reaches its summit, two of its biggest success stories clash in the finale in Johannesburg. They also happen to be the two most unlikely sides given how they fared in 2008. Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore were the two bottom-placed teams then, now they've busted out of the basement and made the house their own.

Not many would have given Deccan or Bangalore a chance this year to get to the top four. But having pulled off amazing turnarounds and tasted difficult periods earlier in the tournament, both teams have undoubtedly deserved to get where they are today.

Deccan started with four wins, imposed themselves, stumbled, but got it together when it mattered. The manner in which they - rather their captain Adam Gilchrist - crushed Delhi Daredevils in the semi-final was stirring. Gilchrist has led the side well and has been their top run-getter for the second season running. Apart from RP Singh, owner of the purple cap, there haven't been true stand-out performers. Herschelle Gibbs has been inconsistent, Pragyan Ojha has lost some bite in the latter stages, and while Rohit Sharma and Andrew Symonds have contributed they haven't been stunning.

If Deccan have been inconsistent, Bangalore reached the worst level of desperation. The last match they lost in this tournament was the last they could afford to. And they have won their last five games, much like Australia's victorious campaign in the 1999 World Cup.

The major factor in Bangalore's rise has been Anil Kumble, who took over the captaincy from a beleaguered Kevin Pietersen. In 2008 Bangalore's selections of a few final XIs raised some eyebrows, but most unflattering was their habit of choking when victory was in front of them. Kumble changed all that by setting an example that the seniors followed.

Bangalore's younger Indian players didn't start off well at all, but the seniors' performances started to rub off. Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar and Virat Kohli have chipped in with vital contributions to keep the team buoyant in the competition. This has been a team that has paid a lot of attention to preparation.

On form - they've won five in a row, four of them against semi-finalists - Bangalore are a confident side and will be boosted by the knowledge that they beat Deccan last time. However, after forcefully knocking out the top-ranked side in the semi-finals, Deccan will be confident as they face their southern compatriots. Both Gilchrist and Kumble have handled the captaincy with aplomb, and will not want to let the slightest chance go a-begging.

Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)

Royal Challengers Bangalore: WWWWW
Manish Pandey's rise has been exceptional. Hardly given a run last season, he delivered with the first IPL century by an Indian and followed up with another Man-of-the-Match effort in the semi-final. Statistically and psychologically Pandey's form will worry Deccan, because that century came against them. Cameos from Taylor and Kohli have come at right times, and Kumble and Roelof van der Merwe have delivered in pressure situations with their varieties of spin.

Deccan Chargers: WLLWL
Deccan rode into the final on Gilchrist's broad blade and shoulders; an encore should seal them the trophy. The bowling got itself together after Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virender Sehwag threatened to run riot, but what Deccan really need is for Herschelle Gibbs and Rohit Sharma to click. Gibbs made a duck after hitting a brisk half-century in the final league match, and Rohit has only one half-century in the tournament. If he can replicate either of the two flawless finishes against Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab, Rohit can be a big threat.

Watch out for

Adam Gilchrist v Praveen Kumar: Brutal objective v crafty swing bowling. Cosmic experience v smart head on young shoulders. As it stands, it's 2-0 to Praveen. Surprising as it may sound, Praveen took Gilchrist out, early, in both the finals of the CB Series last year. In two matches this season Gilchrist has taken just 18 runs off 12 balls from Praveen. Gilchrist won't count it as a decisive comeback.

RP Singh v Manish Pandey: The IPL's highest wicket-taker against the latest young star to emerge. RP hasn't been at his best over the last few games, and Pandey has two Man-of-the-Match awards on the trot. During his century Pandey faced nine balls from RP, and took 20 runs, including a big six over long-on. RP has loads of experience to go with success against better batsmen, so how he varies his craft against an enthusiastic and trigger-happy opener is an intriguing battle.

	A typical big-match knock from Adam Gilchrist could make the final one-sided © Associated Press

Anil Kumble v Rohit Sharma and Gilchrist: Kumble has led superbly with the ball in Bangalore's winning streak. In Bangalore's last game against Deccan, Kumble dismissed Rohit first ball and allowed Gilchrist only five runs from eight balls. In their earlier match Rohit hit 24 runs off 10 Kumble deliveries and Gilchrist took 13 from 11. Kumble will need to be at his craftiest best against two of Deccan's sweetest hitters.

Team news

With B Akhil injured for the semi-final, Bangalore recalled R Vinay Kumar. His first three overs cost 32, but Vinay picked up Matthew Hayden and then Jacob Oram in the final over, which only cost six runs. He should keep his place, meaning Bangalore are likely to field an unchanged side.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: (probable) 1 Manish Pandey, 2 Jacques Kallis, 3 Roelof van der Merwe, 4 Rahul Dravid, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Virat Kohli, 7 Robin Uthappa, 8 Mark Boucher (wk), 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 R Vinay Kumar, 11 Anil Kumble (capt.).

If D Ravi Teja recovers from a hamstring injury he may come back for Azhar Bilakhia. Ryan Harris should hold his place after that two-wicket first over against Delhi.

Deccan Chargers: 1 Adam Gilchrist (capt./wk), 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 T Suman, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Azhar Bilakhia/D Ravi Teja, 7 Venugopal Rao, 8 Harmeet Singh, 9 Pragyan Ojha, 10 Ryan Harris, 11 RP Singh.

Stats and trivia

• Eight batsmen have scored more than 350 in the tournament, but only one of them - Adam Gilchrist - will be on view in the final. Kallis, Bangalore's highest scorer, has an aggregate of 346.

• Teams chasing have won five out of six times in night games in Johannesburg. In all three games that Bangalore have played here, they've chased and won.

• Gilchrist has scored 86 runs off 63 balls in two innings against Bangalore. In contrast Kallis, Bangalore's highest run-scorer, has only scored 20 off 21 balls in two innings against Deccan. Pandey, though, scored 114 in just one game.

• Bangalore's five wins in a row equal's Chennai's winning streak earlier in the IPL, and is a record for this tournament.

Head-to-head record

The last time these teams met Pandey downed Deccan with a century in Centurion. Prior to that Gilchrist and Rohit's power-hitting ensured Deccan romped to a 24-run win earlier this season, in Cape Town. Bangalore won both their matches last year: the first one a thriller by three runs, and the next comfortably by five wickets.

Xavier Marshall recalled for World Twenty20

World Twenty20 2009

	The big-hitting Xavier Marshall finds a place in the World Twenty20 squad

Xavier Marshall, the Jamaica batsman, has been recalled to the West Indies side for the World Twenty20. His team-mate, the allrounder Dave Bernard who is currently part of the team trying to defend the Wisden Trophy in England, has also been picked for next month's tournament.

Chris Gayle leads the full-strength 15-man squad, with Denesh Ramdin as his deputy. The only player from the side that was selected for West Indies' previous Twenty20 (against England in Trinidad) to miss out is opener Devon Smith.

The explosive but inconsistent Marshall had been a part of the New Zealand tour late last year and also played the first Test against England in February before losing his place after an extended lean patch.

West Indies will be looking to improve on their poor showing in the inaugural World twenty20 in 2007, when they crashed out in the first round after losing matches to South Africa and Bangladesh. In this year's tournament in England, they are grouped with Australia and Sri Lanka in the first phase.

West Indies squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Denesh Ramdin (wk), Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard jnr., Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Xavier Marshall, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor

Lack of cricket won't harm Pakistan's chances - Afridi

ICC World Twenty20 2009

	Shahid Afridi: "Wickets in England might be slower, a little less bounce so I'll make slight adjustments to my bowling.

Shahid Afridi believes Pakistan's recent lack of international cricket will not hamper their chances at the World Twenty20 in England next month. Since January 2007, no team has played as little as Pakistan's ten Tests and 50 ODIs. Even Bangladesh, the weakest Test-playing nation, have played 15 Tests and 55 ODIs and teams such as Australia and India have played nearly three times as much cricket in that time.

The lack of Pakistani participation in the IPL has also not helped, but Afridi, fresh from a successful battle with the Australians, believes Pakistan are strong enough to overcome the dearth. "I don't feel our lack of cricket will make much of a difference because we are still a strong Twenty20 side," Afridi told Cricinfo. "We have a pretty similar team to last time with only a few changes and we have Younis [Khan] as captain now. He has done well and taken the team along with him so far and he will be vital come England."

Afridi himself will be a vital plank in Pakistan's challenge, especially given his fine recent form. He was the leading wicket-taker against Australia, a consistent, nagging threat on slow, low surfaces and pole-axed their batting in Pakistan's crushing Twenty20 win in Dubai. Few will forget either that he was player of the tournament in South Africa two years ago.

England, where he has been effective with the ball in ODIs, offers a different proposition, however. "Wickets in England might be slower, a little less bounce so I'll make slight adjustments to my bowling," he said. "Maybe a bit more flight, but generally, as an ODI leggie, you have to be straight and tight and that works in most conditions."

Until the series against Australia, Afridi's form had been uncertain, especially poor with the bat, over the last year. In 18 matches before the series, his highest score was 28. His bowling, though considerably improved, lacked wicket-taking penetration; in 11 ODIs against established teams last year, he picked up nine wickets.

Pressure was building for his place in the side to be scrutinized. "I don't take or give pressure, no matter what anyone is saying about me. I knew I was backed by the coach, the captain and the team and that is all I needed."

But the form dip did spur him on to a more concentrated fitness and training regime. "It's come about through a lot of individual effort. I've worked really hard on my fitness levels. I used to be tired after bowling six to seven overs previously and then struggle. I've also concentrated in the nets on my lines and lengths because for a legspinner this is vital, especially in ODIs. Abdul Qadir [the chief selector] has helped with tips, though it is easy to listen and harder to actually execute."

Significantly, there were indicators of a revival in his batting fortunes. Though there was still no fifty, a couple of unusually responsible, properly constructed 40s stood out. The fight to curb his instincts, Afridi said, goes on. "I have really fought with myself in the ground, talked to myself a lot during my batting. I've had to control myself because I need to score runs for the team - that is the priority. I want to continue it in England, where I've had some success batting in county games. You need to counter the initial overs there but after that, conditions for lower-order guys like myself, are pretty good."

PCB mulls dropping Ajmal from T20 squad

ICC World Twenty20 2009

	Saeed Ajmal may be dropped as a safety measure

The Pakistan Cricket Board is seriously considering withdrawing the offspinner Saeed Ajmal from the ICC World Twenty20 squad as they await the results of the tests done on his bowling action.

Ajmal's doosra was reported by the umpires during the second one-day international against Australia in Dubai last month but was allowed to continue bowling till an assessment of his action, done by the ICC's appointed biomechanist Bruce Elliott, is completed.

"Elliot is supposed to send a report based on the tests to the ICC in 14-days time maximum but he can do it earlier," Saleem Altaf, the PCB's chief operating officer, told Dawn. "So we are waiting to see what happens. But we are also pondering the possibility of pulling him out of the [Twenty20] World Championship and including a reserve player."

Ajmal and Shahid Afridi are the only two recognised spinners in the World Twenty20 squad.

Meanwhile, the PCB has asked Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam to submit the medical report on Shoaib Akhtar's skin infection, which forced the fast bowler to skip the high-altitude conditioning camp at a mountain resort in Bhurban. He was adviced at least 7-10 days of rest.

"We want to have a look at the medical report because players are supposed to attend the conditioning camp which is primarily meant to check their fitness and endurance levels ahead of the World Twenty20 Championship," Altaf said.

Shoaib was included in the squad despite a long history of breakdowns and fitness problems.

Flintoff expected to miss World Twenty20

ICC World Twenty20 2009

	Andrew Flintoff injured his knee at the IPL, and is now a doubt for the ICC World Twenty20

England could be forced to go into next month's ICC World Twenty20 without the services of their premier allrounder, Andrew Flintoff, after he revealed that he has yet to start running after undergoing surgery on a knee injury sustained during his brief stint at the IPL in April.

Flintoff was one of 15 players named in England's squad for the tournament, which starts at Lord's on June 5. But England could have to name a replacement if he cannot prove his fitness in the next three weeks. "I'd love to play in the Twenty20," he told Sky Sports, "but that might be too tight."

With the Ashes fast approaching in July, England desperately need Flintoff, 31, to be fully fit and firing before the arrival of the Australians. But despite his history of injury problems, which include a hip complaint that caused him to fly home midway through the tour of the Caribbean in March, he remains confident about recovering in time.

"I had an operation two weeks ago and I'm already off my crutches," he said. "The Ashes are a long way off - and I'll be fine for them."

England's Twenty20 captain, Paul Collingwood, conceded that the loss of Flintoff for the tournament would be a "huge blow", but felt sure that they would be able to make do without him.

"He's very much two players in one - as I've always said," said Collingwood. "But I think we've got quite a versatile squad with the players we've got in there. It would be a huge blow if he wasn't going to be fit, but we certainly have the players in the squad to overcome that in many ways."

Collingwood even raised the prospect of leaving Flintoff's place in the squad open for a late return, if he was able to recover in time. "Without Fred, it makes it very difficult to get the right balance between batters and bowlers in the final 11," he said Collingwood. "It's something we're going to have to gauge."

Siddons aims for Super Eights

World Twenty20 2009

	Mohammad Ashraful and Jamie Siddons want a performance to match their 2007 effort

Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, has said beating India and making it to the Super Eights were his team's main goals for next month's World Twenty20 in England. Bangladesh are in Group A along with India and Ireland in the initial phase, from which two teams progress to the Super Eights.

"Our target is to beat India in our first match which will confirm a place in the next round," Siddons told AFP ahead of his team's departure on Friday for the June 5-21 tournament. "We know India are the world champions in Twenty20 cricket. They have talented players. But if our top three players fire, we can beat them."

Bangladesh had qualified for the Super Eights in the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007 after they shocked West Indies by six wickets in their first game.

Siddons was also hopeful of going as far as the semi-finals if his side's key players - captain Mohammad Ashraful, opening batsman Tamim Iqbal, and allrounder Shakib Al Hasan - were on form. "They are the best players in the team," he said. "On their day, we can beat any top side in the world."

Bangladesh have been short of match practice, and the postponement of the home series against Pakistan means they have not played any international games since January. "We are going to England a week earlier than our competitors," he said. "We will play five practice matches, two of which are against Australia and New Zealand, so I hope our boys will acclimatise well to the English conditions."

Their first game is against India on June 6 at Trent Bridge.

Skin problem puts Shoaib in doubt for World Twenty20

World Twenty20 2009

	Shoaib Akhtar has not trained since coming back from the series against Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Shoaib Akhtar's participation in the World Twenty20 has come into doubt after a skin condition he developed last week failed to improve as was expected.

The skin infection ruled Shoaib out of the training camp the team attended in Bhurban, a mountainous hill resort near Islamabad. At the time, Shoaib expressed confidence that he would recover in time but a failure to do so has cast doubt over his place in the squad. Now, it will keep him out of the three practice matches planned between sides led by Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

"Shoaib will miss all three practice matches because of the condition," Intikhab Alam, Pakistan's coach, told Cricinfo. "At this juncture I will not say anything more about his status in Pakistan's [15-man] squad for the World Cup but we will make an announcement on it tomorrow."

Shoaib has not trained since coming back from the series against Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Questions were asked of his fitness levels during the five-ODI and one Twenty20 series; he failed to fulfill his quota of ten overs in any of the four ODIs he played and bowled only two overs in the Twenty20. He managed to pick up three wickets in the series and looked to be visibly suffering in the field and when bowling his second spells.

He was, however, still selected for the World Twenty20, Pakistan's team management expressing confidence in his ability to get fully fit for the tournament in England.

Shoaib's career, particularly of late, has been littered with fitness troubles. During the ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier in the year, then captain Shoaib Malik, openly questioned whether Shoaib was capable of lasting 50 overs in the field as a bowler and fielder.

The latest episode has also reportedly upset the board, who were less than pleased that Shoaib chose to get his treatment done by a doctor of his own choice and not, as policy states, a PCB-appointed one.

preview: Deccan Chargers vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore

CENTURION: Here's a sneak preview to the clash that will decide the semifinal pairings.

What's at stake: Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore are both virtually assured of semifinals berths. They play to decide the pairing against Delhi Dardevils and Chennai Super Kings. Only a disastrous margin can see one of the two teams make way for Kings XI Punjab.

Captain vs captain: Adam Gilchrist holds the key for his side since he sets the tone up the order but Anil Kumble is no different because he tightens the proceedings because he is the best spin bowler on view in this competition.

Key battles: Praveen, Kallis and Kumble challenging the likes of Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs and Rohit Sharma should make for great viewing. The battle between RP Singh and the copybook batsmen Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid would also make for a great tussle.

Team news: Ravi Teja is out of contention for Deccan Chargers with an injury but apart from that both sides appear to have settled on their combination.

Form guide: Both Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore are in-form sides at the moment in the way they handle the pressure and have won matches over the last few rounds.

What happened in the last match in Cape Town: Gilchrist went wild, smashed everybody out of sight and from thereon there was just one result possible. He made a brisk 71 and Deccan Charges built on it to score an impressive 184, in response Royal Challengers Bangalore never really took off.Gilchrist went wild, smashed everybody out of sight and from thereon there was just one result possible. He made a brisk 71 and Deccan Charges built on it to score an impressive 184, in response Royal Challengers Bangalore never really took off.

Man of the match in Cape Town: Gilchrist deserved the award for setting the tone up the order and thereby helping Deccan Chargers run away with the match.

Captain vs captain then: Gilchrist set the tempo for the contestand his opposite number Kevin Pietersen just could not match those lofty levels.