Rohit Sharma struck six off last ball of the innings to steer Mumbai Indians to an unbelievable five-wicket victory against Deccan Chargers in the ninth match of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament here on Monday. Chasing 139, Mumbai Indians achieved the target when Sharma along with James Franklin of New Zealand smashed 21 runs in the final over. Sharma hit an unbeaten 73 off 50 balls with five sixes and four boundaries while Franklin …

Paceman Ashok Dinda bowled excellently well to help Pune Warriors upset Mumbai Indians by 28 runs in the third match of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament here at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday. This was the first defeat for Mumbai Indians, who had won the opening match of the tournament on Wednesday. Chasing an easy target of 130, they were restricted to 101-9 in the allotted 20 overs due to intelligent bowling by Dinda, who grabbed …

Paceman Marchant de Lange picked up four wickets on his one-day international debut as South Africa completed a 3-0 clean sweep against New Zealand with a five-wicket victory in the third and final ODI in Auckland on Saturday. South Africa's bowlers bundled out New Zealand for 206 in 47 overs after the visitors had won the toss and opted to bowl in wet and windy conditions at Eden Park. Hashim Amla, who made 92 in the last ODI in Napier on Wednesday, …

Australian researchers Thursday revealed they had filmed a pod of extremely rare Shepherd's beaked whales for the first time ever. The Australian Antarctic Division team was tracking blue whales off the coast of Victoria state last month when they spotted the reclusive mammals, which are so rarely seen that no population estimates of the species exist. Voyage leader Michael Double said the black and cream-coloured mammals with prominent dolphin-like …

The death toll from the devastating earthquake in the New Zealand city of Christchurch last February has been raised to 185, the coroner's office said Thursday. The coroner initially found 181 people were killed as a direct result of the 6.3-magnitude quake, but more deaths had been recorded as part of the toll in recent weeks after reviews of their cases, a spokesman for the coroner said. He said the most recent addition, taking the toll to 185, …

Australia captain Michael Clarke is looking for more of the same from his team after naming an unchanged line-up to that which beat India by 122 runs in Melbourne last week for the second Test. After a season which has featured some peaks and a few deep troughs for Australia, Clarke sees the second of the four Tests, which starts at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Tuesday, as an important measure of the team's battle to improve its consistency. …

Australia's cricketers were Tuesday damned by the press as the "lowest of the low" after a disastrous loss to New Zealand and branded a team in crisis ahead of a Test series against world number two India. Michael Clarke's men handed the Black Caps their first victory on Australian soil in 26 years after a dramatic batting collapse in the second innings in Hobart, described as arguably their most embarrassing defeat in Test history. "Lowest of …

Seamer Doug Bracewell bowled New Zealand to a sensational seven-run victory over Australia in the second Test in Hobart on Monday for the Kiwis' first win in Australia for 26 years. The Black Caps captured eight wickets for 74 runs for a dramatic victory midway through the fourth day of an extraordinary Test match at Bellerive Oval. Bracewell finished with 6-40 off 16.4 overs in a match-winning performance to stun the Australians, who appeared …

Computer science students have come up with an innovative way to help children learn to read — a software that acts as a virtual reading coach. Ashley Steel, Luke Bjerring and Andre Meister of Waikato University worked with a curriculum coordinator in Switzerland and primary teachers in New Zealand to develop software, called BookieMonster, which acts as a reading coach. The software computerises a proven method of learning tuition, dubbed “repeated …

Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori Saturday announced his decision to take an indefinite break from limited-overs cricket to prolong his Test career. The 32-year old, the world’s top ranked ODI bowler, is keen to add to his 105 Tests. “My reason for taking a break from the shorter forms of the game is primarily so that I can preserve my body and continue to represent the Black Caps in Test cricket,” Vettori said. “I also believe a break …