Warner sets up 15-run victory

Australia 6 for 321 (Warner 163, Wade 64) beat Sri Lanka 306 (Kulasekara 73, Tharanga 60, D Hussey 4-43, Watson 3-33, Lee 3-59) by 15 runs

David Warner chose a fine time to awaken from his one-day international slumber. His first ODI century set up a 15-run victory in the first final for Australia, who will raise the Commonwealth Bank Series trophy if they repeat their success in Adelaide on Tuesday. But Sri Lanka will enter the second final with some confidence after a remarkable, though ultimately futile, fightback in a chase of 322.

Warner made 163, the sixth-highest score by an Australian in an ODI, and he batted through until the last ball of Australia's innings as they made 321, the second-best one-day international total ever achieved at the Gabba. Sri Lanka's batsmen struggled against the pace of Brett Lee and the canny spin of David Hussey, and the top order left too much work for those who followed.

Not that they gave up. Far from it. Nuwan Kulasekara and Upul Tharanga came together at 6 for 144, needing another 178 runs at nearly nine an over. It seemed an unrealistic goal, and in the end it was. But only just. They used the batting Powerplay to great effect, taking 68 runs from it and attacking Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson, who both served up too many half-volleys and between them finished the match with 0 for 95 off nine overs.

Though Kulasekara and Tharanga had both fallen in the search for boundaries by the time the last few overs came around, they had left their colleagues with some hope. Sri Lanka needed 20 off the final two overs but they couldn't quite get there and the end came when Lasith Malinga skied a catch to deep midwicket off Shane Watson when they needed 16 from five balls, leaving Dhammika Prasad unbeaten on 31.

Watson had also picked up the important penultimate wicket when Rangana Herath pulled to deep midwicket for 5. If only, Sri Lanka must have been thinking, we hadn't left it all up the tail. With each boundary struck by Kulasekara and Tharanga - and there were plenty - Sri Lanka gained hope. Australia's bowling at the death has left a lot to be desired in this series and again it was a weakness.

Kulasekara was especially impressive and a pair of consecutive slog-swept sixes off Hussey really brought the crowd alive. But two balls later he sent a catch to midwicket and was out for 73 from 43 deliveries, his best ODI score. Although Tharanga was the specialist batsman in the partnership he had been the quieter of the two, and he followed a few overs later when he holed out to long-on off Watson for 60.

Sri Lanka will rue their top-order struggle. Mahela Jayawardene was caught behind for 14 when he pushed tamely at Lee and his opening partner Tillakaratne Dilshan followed in Lee's next over. Dilshan had picked up five boundaries in his 27 from 22 balls but his innings ended when Lee nipped one through the gate as Dilshan tried for a big drive.

Dinesh Chandimal cut the first ball from David Hussey, who finished with 4 for 43, to backward point and Kumar Sangakkara lobbed a delivery from Lee to mid-off for 42, trying to lift the tempo as the required run-rate increased. Lahiru Thirimanne and Farveez Maharoof both fell to Hussey before the partnership that nearly saved Sri Lanka.

Even though they didn't steal the win they still created a wonderful match. If anyone thought one-day internationals were dead, they need only see the past week in Australia for the counterargument. On Tuesday, Virat Kohli set up India's incredible chase of 321 in 37 overs and on Friday, Sri Lanka held on for a tense nine-run win despite the best chasing efforts of David Hussey.

And then there was this match, which began with 163 from Warner, an innings that threatened to be forgotten by the end of the game. He was bowled from the last ball of Australia's 50th over but he had done enough not only to set up Australia's win but also to ease any pressure over his place in the side, after an indifferent series at the top of the order.

Warner and Matthew Wade gave Australia an outstanding start with a 136-run opening partnership and although Wade fell for 64, Warner went on and made the most of the platform. He brought up his century with a fortuitous edge to the third-man boundary from his 111th delivery and celebrated with the now-familiar Warner high leap and punch of the air.

It was a more restrained innings than many of Warner's limited-overs efforts but that was no bad thing, and he still had the confidence to go for his shots when the bowlers gave him the opportunity. Warner was especially strong with his drives down the ground, which were generally timed to perfection, and he also pulled with power from midwicket to long-on.

His scoring rate didn't pick up as much as the fans might have liked towards the end of the innings but it was still a wonderful display. He had late support from Michael Clarke, who scored 37 from 25 balls batting at No.6, and Michael Hussey sent a couple of balls over the rope in the final few overs to help Australia to their hefty total.

Hussey had come in at No.7 after a reshuffle in the batting order. The Australians had sent in Daniel Christian and David Hussey early, keen to make the most of the strong opening stand, which ended with a spectacular, freakish catch in the outfield from Herath.

Wade seemed to make good contact with a delivery from Kulasekara but at long-on Herath backed back and in a last, desperate attempt thrust his left hand in the air as he fell backwards, plucking the catch one-handed and avoiding the boundary rope as he fell over and held on to the ball. He appeared almost as stunned by his feat as the spectators were.

It wasn't the last remarkable thing achieved by the Sri Lankans in this match. But despite their fight, they will enter Tuesday's second final in Adelaide needing a win to force a third decider. And after such a closely fought series, that would be a fitting finale.

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ODI axing may push Ponting towards retirement ...

Ricky Ponting, one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era, is likely to announce his retirement on Tuesday from One Day cricket after Cricket Australia's National Selection Panel dropped him from the tri-series squad on Monday.

For the past two years, Ponting has been under huge pressure to retain his place with slump in form and advancing years.

In the current tri-series he has scored mere 18 runs in five matches, which has prompted the selectors to axe the former Australian skipper. However, he had stepped into the captaincy role for two games in place of the injured Michael Clarke. In his last outing on Sunday, he led Australia to victory against India in Brisbane.

Ponting is meeting the media on Tuesday at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The indications are that the 37-year-old might give up the shorter format of the game and keep himself available for Tests after re-discovering his lost touch in the five-day version against India. He hopes to feature in 2013 Ashes series and win back the urn against old foes England.

As soon as Australia opted to keep Ponting out of the squad for the next set of tri-series games, it became clear that he would not be considered again.With Shane Watson also returning from injury and Peter Forrest impressing in his debut series, it is definitely the end of Ponting who has been a prolific run-getter for Australia.Captaincy duties did not affect his batting much and he continued to blossom under leadership responsibilities.

In 375 ODI games, he has scored 13,704 runs at an average of 42.03 with 30 hundreds and 82 half centuries. He made his debut in 1995.

Ponting is second in the all-time highest scorers in ODI cricket with Sachin Tendulkar heading the list with 18,179 runs.

In his last World Cup innings, in Ahmedabad, last year, he scored one of the finest centuries in the 50-over showpiece event. However, that hundred ended in a losing cause against India in the quarter-finals.

That innings of 104 was his last ODI ton and since then he has played 16 matches with a highest score of 90 not out against Sri Lanka.

His numbers in Test cricket are also great. In 162 Tests, he has 13,200 runs at 53.44 with 41 hundreds and 61 fifties.

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The Flying Car Gets Real

The team at Terrafugia is about to fulfill the fantasy of every driver - pilot: a consumer vehicle that can take to the highways and the skies. All they have to do is finish the first one.


Transition is not a flying car. The vehicle, set to go on sale this year, will cruise smoothly on the road and through the sky. It will have four wheels, Formula One–style suspension, and a pair of 10-foot-wide wings that fold up when it switches from air to asphalt.


And when the engineers at Terrafugia in Woburn, Massachusetts, let me sit inside their just-finished proof-of-concept vehicle and grab the steering wheel, it’s easy to imagine piloting this thing up and out of traffic, into the open skies.But we’re not talking about a flying car.

The Transition is a “roadable aircraft.” The team makes this distinction clear in conversation, on Terrafugia T-shirts, and in big, blue letters on the side of the trailer outside their shop.The flying car has been a mainstay of our imagined transportation future for as long as there have been automobiles and airplanes: fanciful vehicles that promise to have us commuting like George Jetson. Scores of garage inventors have spent their lives creating detailed designs, scale models, even working prototypes.


In the 1950s, Molt Taylor, a former Navy pilot, flew a few versions of his Aerocar, an plane/car hybrid that attached to a separate, towable set of wings and a tail. But he couldn’t sign up enough customers to turn it into a business. Now, the people who are closest to making that dream real—putting a car in the air, whatever they call it—are about the least starry-eyed folks you could meet. Terrafugia co-founder Carl Dietrich, 31, winces at that idea.

“I’d hesitate to call any of us visionaries,” he says. “We’re engineers.” Clean Up: Marc Stiller sands a component while Carl Dietrich (kneeling) and Andrew Heafitz look on. John B. CarnettDietrich’s company isn’t hinging its plans on out-of-reach technology or infrastructure.


You won’t find any ducted fans or references to antigravity. He and his team are instead building a single-engine, rear-propeller airplane that just happens to be street-legal. They perfected the design in software simulators and are using materials proven in earlier vehicles.

The Transition will meet Federal Aviation Administration standards in airplane mode and satisfy National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and Environmental Protection Agency regulations on the road. You’ll be able to take off only from a runway, and you’ll need a pilot’s license to do so.


If you’re stuck in traffic, you’ll remain stuck. As they say, a roadable aircraft. Unfortunately, that sober approach doesn’t make their task any easier. Dietrich’s team intends to manufacture and sell several hundred Transitions a year. That means doing things that no flying-car hopefuls before them ever have:

Build an aircraft that can take potholes and protect its occupants if it slams into a brick wall at 30 miles an hour. Do it cheaply and reliably, again and again. Score passing grades from all those federal agencies. Find someone to insure it.

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Most expensive cars

Bugatti Veyron $1,700,000

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is the most powerful, most expensive, and fastest street-legal production car in the world, with a proven top speed of over 400 km/h (407 km/h or 253 mph). It reached full production in September 2005. The car is built by Volkswagen AG subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SAS and is sold under the legendary Bugatti marque. It is named after racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti firm. The Veyron features a W16 engine—16 cylinders in 4 banks of 4 cylinders. 
According to Volkswagen, the final production Veyron engine produces between 1020 and 1040 metric hp (1006 to 1026 SAE net hp), so the car will be advertised as producing "1001 horsepower" in both the US and European markets. This easily makes it the most powerful production road-car engine in history. 
Ferrari Enzo $1,000,000

The Enzo Ferrari, sometimes referred to as the the Ferrari Enzo and also F60 is a 12-cylinder Ferrari supercar named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was built in 2003 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fiber body, F1-style sequential shift transmission, and carbon-ceramic brake discs. Also used are technologies not allowed in F1 such as active aerodynamics. After a maximum downforce of 1709 pounds (775 kg) is reached at 186 mph (301 km/h) the rear spoiler is actuated by computer to maintain that downforce.
Pagani Zonda C12 F $741,000

The Zonda C12 F debuted at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. It is the most extensive reengineering of the Pagani car yet, though it shares much with its predecessors including the 7.3 L V12. Power is increased to 602 PS (443 kW/594 hp) with a special clubsport model producing 650 PS (478 kW/641 hp). The company promises a 3.2 second sprint to 60 mph (97 km/h, a top speed over 374 km/h (225 mph) and it will be the queen in braking from 300 km/h to 0 (186 mph to 0). The Zonda F clubsport has a power to weight ratio of 521 bhp/ton (384 W/kg) . Compare, for example, the Enzo Ferrari which has a power to weight ratio of 483 bhp/ton (356 W/kg).
Koenigsegg CCX $600,910

The Koenigsegg CCX is the latest supercar from Koenigsegg. CCX is an abbreviation for Competition Coupe X. The X commemorates the 10th anniversary of the completion and test drive of the first CC vehicle in 1996. The CCX is intended to be more suitable for the U.S. market and thus engineered to comply with US regulations. The CCX is powered by a Koenigsegg designed and assembled, all aluminium, 4700 cm³ DOHC 32-valve V8 based on the Ford Modular engine architecture enhanced with twin Rotrex centrifugal superchargers with response system, 1.2 bar boost pressure and an 8.2:1 compression ratio. The engine produces 806 hp (601 kW) and 678 lbf.ft (920 Nm) on 91 octane (U.S. rating) gasoline, 850 hp (634 kW) on 96 octane (Euro rating) gasoline and 900 hp (671 kW) on biofuel.
Porsche Carrera GT $484,000

The Porsche Carrera GT is a supercar, manufactured by Porsche of Germany. The Carrera GT is powered by an all-new 5.7 litre V10 engine producing 612 SAE horsepower (450 kW). Porsche claims it will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62.5 mph) in 3.9 seconds and has a maximum speed of 330 km/h (206 mph), although road tests indicated that in actuality the car could accelerate from 0-60 in under 3.5 seconds and to 0-100 in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 335-340km/h (209-212.5mph). 
Mercedes SLR McLaren $455,500

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a sports car and supercar automobile co-developed by DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Cars. It is assembled at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. Most people presume "SLR" to stand for "Sportlich, Leicht, Rennsport" (German for "Sport; Light; Racing"). The car's base price is £300,000 or $455,500. The SLR has a supercharged 5.5 (5439cc) litre dry sumped 90 degree V8. It produces 466.8 kW at 6500rpm (626 hp) and 780 N·m (575 ft·lbf) torque at 3250 - 5000 rpm.
Maybach 62 $385,250

The Maybach 57 and 62 were the first automobile models of the Maybach brand since the brand's revival by DaimlerChrysler. They are derived from the Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept car presented at the 1997 Tokyo Motorshow (which was based on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan). DaimlerChrysler attempted to buy the Rolls-Royce/Bentley marque when Vickers offered the company up for sale. When this attempt failed (they were outbid by BMW and Volkswagen respectively) they introduced the Maybach as a direct challenger in 2002. Both models are variants of the same ultra-luxurious automobile. The model numbers reflect the respective lengths of the automobiles in decimeters; the 57 is more likely to be owner-driven while the longer 62 is designed with a chauffeur in mind. The engine is a Mercedes-sourced 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12, generating 550 hp.
Rolls-Royce Phantom $320,000

The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a luxury saloon automobile made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, a BMW subsidiary. It was launched in 2003 and is the first Rolls-Royce model made under the ownership of BMW. It has a 6.8 L, 48-valve, V12 engine that produces 453 hp (338 kW) and 531 ft·lbf (720 N·m) of torque. The engine is derived from BMW's existing V12 powerplant. It is 1.63 m (63 in) tall, 1.99 m (74.8 in) wide, 5.83 m (228 in) long, and weighs 2485 kg (5478 lb). The body of the car is built on an aluminium spaceframe and the Phantom can accelerate to 60 mph (100 km/h) in 5.7 s.
Lamborghini Murcielago $279,900

The Lamborghini Murciélago is a GT and supercar automobile made by Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. and designed by Luc Donckerwolke. It was introduced in 2002 as the successor to the Diablo. The body style is a two door, two seat coupé. The LP640 version was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March of 2006. It features a 6.5 L engine, now producing 640 bhp, improving performance substantially. There were also a few minor external changes, primarily to the low air intakes.
Aston Martin Vanquish $255,000

The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish is a supercar manufactured by Aston Martin since 2001. It rose to fame after being featured as the official James Bond car in Die Another Day, the twentieth James Bond film. In the film, the Vanquish has the usual Bond film embellishments, including active camouflage which rendered the vehicle virtually invisible. The Vanquish is powered by a 5.9 L (5935 cc) 48-valve 60° V12 engine, which produces 343 kW (460 hp) and 542 N·m (400 ft·lbf) of torque. It is controlled by a fly-by-wire throttle and a 6 speed 'paddle shift' or semi-automatic transmission. A special V12 Vanquish S debuted at the 2004 Paris Auto Show with the power upped to 388 kW (520 hp) and 577 N·m (426 ft·lbf).

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Sachin Tendulkar again misses 100th century

Mumbai:  India was left heart broken as Sachin Tendulkar missed his historic 100th ton and got out at 94 on the fourth day of the Test against West Indies at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.


It was a lifeline for Sachin. Or should we say that it was a lifeline for the entire nation… The icon is just 33 away from the magical land of hundred centuries and on Friday, when he takes fresh guard, millions prayers will bat for him, and his hundredth.


Well, India, having scored 281 for three at stumps on day three, still have to score 109 more to cross the follow-on mark. But who’s bothered…

The first two days of the third Test belonged to West Indies. But the long queues outside the Wankhede, snaking into Marine Drive on Thursday morning, narrated a different story. Charged with a new-found enthusiasm, the expectant fans were eager to keep their date with one of the most unique feats that cricket has ever witnessed. History was not scripted on Day III, so expect Friday to embrace a full house at the Wankhede.


For the record, Thursday's Wankhede was choc-a-bloc. From school kids to Naseeruddin Shah -- they were all there, wanting to get a piece of Sachin's milestone. But it wouldn’t be fair if the sweet music of Rahul Dravid's bat gets drowned in the cheers for Sachin. The lucky 20,000-odd who thronged the stadium on Thursday experienced some exquisite batting from Dravid.


Often the hype around other glamorous feats robs the sheen off Dravid's achievements. A sublime cover drive which took Dravid from 19 to 23, actually carried him past the awesome 13,000-run mark in Tests. 13,000-plus runs in 15 years and 160 Tests! And most of those runs have come when the team were in the doldrums. 

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Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer born 24 April 1973 Bombay. Indian Little master Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is top older batsman on Right-hand cricket player 5 ft 5" height.
The greatest batsman in the world today, Sachin Tendulkar has the cricketing world at his feet. The adulation he commands world over is unsurpassed, perhaps since the days of Don Bradman, to whom of course he has been compared, by no less than the great man himself. While he may not end with a Test career average of 99.94, there is little doubt that based on his vigorous style of batsmanship and his insatiable appetite for runs and big scores, he is the most complete batsman since Vivian Richards. In many ways though he has surpassed even that outstanding West Indian batsman.

When Tendulkar is on song, there is no more majestic sight in the cricketing world. The spectators at the stadium are on their feet cheering while all over the world, TV audiences are glued to the screen. He has scored heavily on all kinds of wickets the world over, in conditions which lesser mortals have not been able to master and against bowlers whom other batsmen have found it difficult to score off. Immensely gifted and blessed with an impeccable technique, Tendulkar's batting is a dream, combining timing, elegance and power. Mentally very strong, Tendulkar is best when confronted by a challenge - as he showed when mowing down Shane Warne in India in 1998.
Captain during two short stints, Tendulkar has made it clear that he would prefer to concentrate on his batting and indeed, he seems to be getting better with every passing year. Scoring two double centuries in successive seasons and being the first to cross the 10,000 run barrier in ODIs is clear proof of this. The best thing from the fans' point of view - if not the bowler's - is that the entertainment, courtesy Tendulkar, is still at the intermission stage.
While his batting ranks him among the best in the world, he is also a part-time bowler and has played a crucial role as a leg spinner or a medium pace bowler who tends to break partnerships. He has more than a hundred wickets in ODIs and 35 in tests, though his bowling averages are above 40. He continues to perform well under the massive weight of expectation of hundreds of millions of cricket followers, in India and around the world, and most recently was named Player Of The Tournament in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.Incidentally, Sachin is the first batsman to be declared run out by third umpire in 1992 in South Africa.

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