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South Africa and Sri Lanka opened the ICC Champions Trophy in style on Tuesday evening at SuperSport Park Centurion. Or should we say Sri Lanka opened the ICC Champions Trophy in style, scoring a massive 320 runs in their innings.

Proteas captain Graeme Smith won the toss and choose to bowl, why? I haven’t a clue to be honest. How can you choose to chase at SuperSport Park Centurion? I mean really, Sri Lanka are one of the most consistent teams in the world, they have big match temperament and on top of that it’s a pitch that assists the batsmen and SuperSport Park Centurion has the highest ratio of six’s. But wait it gets better, how do you choose to chase when Herschelle Gibbs is not playing… and you haven’t chased a score in three months.

Let’s give credit to Sri Lanka and specifically Tillakaratne Dilshan who scored 106 runs (116 balls) to setup the 55 run victory. Mahela Jayawardene supported Dilshan with his 77 runs from 92 balls.

The Proteas tried to keep the run rate under control, but quality bowling from the Sri Lankans ensured that wickets fell regularly as the run rate kept ticking upwards. The rain brought the pain to an end for the crowd.

Some sights and sounds from SuperSport Park Centurion, Tuesday 22 September 2009:

Traditional Zulu dancers entertaining the crowd as the rain stopped play:

Sho’t Left is an initiative of South African Tourism that encourages you to get out of your routine and experience the beauty and excitement your country has to offer. In South Africa, we love cricket, so what better way to take a Sho’t Left than to the ICC Champions Trophy?  If you’re a fan of cricket and a fan of Sho’t Left, you could win 2 tickets to the awesome ICC Champions trophy games in September.

Sho’t Left have over 50 tickets to give away to all the Champions Trophy matches and to be eligible to win, all you have to do is:

1. Become a fan of the Sho’t Left page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/shotleft)
2. Save the pic on the page of the cricket ball to your computer by right clicking your mouse and selecting “Save image as”
3. Post it as your Facebook profile pic.
4. Show them that you have done it by writing your Good Luck message for the Proteas on the Sho’t Left fan page wall
5. Get yourself ready for an absolutely AWESOME day at the cricket!

Become a fan now for a chance to win!

Terms and conditions apply: http://www.facebook.com/shotleft#/shotleft?v=app_7146470109

The ICC Champions Trophy 2009 kicks off today at SuperSport Park Centurion. Sri Lanka will take on the hosts South Africa.

There is some talk about there being some spin in the pitch which should see both teams fielding two spinners, in Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe for South Africa and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis for Sri Lanka. The inclusion of the second spin bowler will probably keep Wayne Parnell or Mhakaya Ntini out the side.It would be difficult to leave Parnell out, remember how he took Australia apart at the same ground a few months back?

The home ICC Champions Trophy is probably South African crickets best opportunity to win an ICC trophy, and shake the tag of ‘chokers’ and ‘nearly boys’.

The ICC has announced the schedule of warm-up matches to be played in the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy to be staged at The Wanderers and Centurion from 22 September to 5 October.

The matches will be played on 18 and 20 September in Potchefstroom, Benoni and Pretoria. In line with previous ICC events none of these matches will carry official ODI status.

On 18 September, South Africa takes on the West Indies in Potchefstroom and Pakistan faces South Asian rival Sri Lanka at Willowmoore Park, Benoni. Both the matches will be day/night fixtures and will start at 14h30 (SA time).

In the other match of the day, which will start at 09h30 (SA time), New Zealand plays the Warriors (Eastern Cape franchise team of Cricket South Africa) at LC de Villiers Oval, University of Pretoria.

On 20 September, India plays New Zealand in Potchefstroom and Pakistan takes on the Warriors at Willowmoore Park in two day/night fixtures while Sri Lanka meets the West Indies in a day game at LC de Villiers Oval.

So the general from SuperBru asked the question: What happens if an ICC Champions Trophy 50 over game ends in a tie? Stays as tie? Goes to super over? Bowl out? So I went in search of the answer.

According to the official ICC Champions Trophy website: In the event of a tied match in the semi-final or Final the teams shall compete in a one over per side eliminator to determine the winner.

So if it’s a tie in the round robin stage, then it will be delcared a draw, if it’s tied in the semi or final then they’ll play a one over per side eliminator.

There are a host of fantastic promotions happening at Wanderers and Centurion stadiums in South Africa during the ICC Champions Trophy 2009. All you have to do to take part is to be at the stadiums.

Thousands of fans will be lining up at each match to earn the chance to WIN up to R100 000 CASH with a Champion Throw at the stumps. All fans have to do is hit one stump from the boundary with a Champion throw and they could walk off with R100 000 cash!

Kids will also be able to swap old cricket equipment to be in a chance with winning some limited edition Reebok merchandise and also be in a chance with winning a whole range of LG prizes including cell phones, DVDs or televisions.

And if that wasn’t enough, fans who attend the ICC Champions Trophy could also be in with a chance of winning a First Class Emirates Holiday prize valued at R300,000 in Dubai!

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The top eight cricket-playing countries will battle it out over two weeks to be crowned the ICC Champions 2009, with the winners banking $2-million (about R16-million).

The runners-up will receive $1-million, the losing semi-finalists will take home $400 000 and the teams finishing third in each group will win $100 000.
Player update:

England: All-rounder Andrew Flintoff has been withdrawn from England’s squad for the One-day series against Australia and the ICC Champions Trophy, as he’s due to undergo surgery on his injured right knee.
Kevin Pietersen is also absent from the English team, and has undergone surgery of his Achilles and is not expected to be fit in time.

Australia: Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin’s participation in the Champions Trophy has been cast in doubt after it was announced he would undergo surgery for a broken finger later this week.

Standard Bank has had a long and successful relationship with South African cricket and we’re proud to announce that this relationship has just been extended to include the sponsorship of the 2009 International Cricket Council (ICC) Trophy, which takes place in South Africa from 22 September to 5 October.

We are one of only four local sponsors involved with the event, which is also supported by the ICC’s other commercial partners. Clement Motale, Director of Sponsorships for Standard Bank, said that as a long-term sponsor of the Standard Bank ODI team, the bank recognised the stature of the ICC Champions Trophy as one of the premier international 50-over contests outside the ICC Cricket World Cup.

“With Proteas currently ranked as the best ODI team in the world, this event is sure to deliver a feast of cricket to South African fans,” Motale added.

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