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Chris Gayle lit up the Sawai Mansingh Stadium with a quite spectacular display of power-hitting as West Indies stormed into their second successive Champions Trophy final. Gayle’s run-a-ball unbeaten 133 - and his 154-run opening wicket stand with Shivnarine Chanderpaul - turned what was supposed to be a close game into an absolute no-contest, as West Indies chased down 259 with six wickets in hand and 36 balls to spare to earn the right to challenge Australia for the title on Sunday.

No-one would have thought the match would have been such one-way traffic after South Africa puffed their way to 258 for 8 on the back of a controlled innings of 77 from Herschelle Gibbs. With the ball not coming on to the bat in the afternoon, it was assumed that West Indies would have to battle hard to get to the target. It took just two balls to alter that assumption significantly.

Shaun Pollock, the epitome of accuracy, started with a wide, then was spanked down the ground off the next two deliveries - once off either foot - for fours. That set a trend which continued through the entire innings, as Gayle decided to make this match his own. Pollock’s gentle pace was just perfect, as Gayle creamed him down the ground and took a giant stride forward and deposited a huge six over long-on. Pollock’s five overs went for 34 - 24 off them courtesy Gayle from 18 balls - and Pollock wasn’t needed again.

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JAIPUR, Nov 2: Even before the start of the Champions Trophy, Chris Gayle had made up his mind to occupy the crease and play his shots according to the merit of the ball. With two hundreds already in the tournament, he was confident and sure about about his role in the team as well.

So, when the big moment arrived in the second semi-final against South Africa at the Sawai Man Singh stadium on Thursday, Gayle yet again responded like a champion.

He marshaled his resources to perfection by cracking a match winning knock 133 as West Indies blew away South Africa by six wickets. Brian Lara and his men will now face Australia in the final at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on November 4.

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Match in Pics: Windies vs South Africa

Earlier, South Africa won the toss and elected to bat on a double-paced track. The decision was hardly justified by the top-order batsmen who looked tentative. Yet, South Africa managed to make 258 for the loss of eight wickets.

The second half was a complete Gayle show that enabled his team to finish the match with as many as six overs to spare. The Jamaican made his 15th ODI ton, his sixth on Indian soil and third in the championship.

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International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Malcolm Speed says money is not a true barometer of cricket success.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of the ICC’s two-day executive board meeting starting in Mumbai on Friday, Mr Speed said he judged organisations on three criteria and the amount of money a cricket board had took a back seat to on-field performance.

"I judge them on how well the team performs, how they look after stake-holders in terms of facilities on the ground etc, and how well they use resources like population to produce great cricketers," he said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) signed a $1.3 million rights deal this year, but has been involved in a series of commercial disputes with the ICC.

The BCCI is refusing to endorse a document allowing cricket’s governing body to seal a fresh multi-million dollar sponsorship deal from 2007-2015.

The ICC meeting will discuss whether the Indian board should be allowed to bid for its global rights, usually restricted to media companies.

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The combination of India and Champions Trophy has been a nightmare for Australia twice in the past, but Ricky Ponting and co. finally ended that jinx, thrashing India by six wickets to emphatically move into the semi-finals of the tournament. A target of 250 should have tested them even on a good batting strip, but their openers got them off to a frenetic start, while Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn ensured there would be no hiccups, both getting to fluent half-centuries as Australia ended the contest with 26 deliveries to spare. India, meanwhile, followed Sri Lanka and Pakistan in exiting the tournament, making it the first time since the 1975 World Cup that no team from the subcontinent has made it to the semi-finals of a major one-day championship.

Australia didn’t have a lot going for them at the start - they lost the toss, had to field first on a pitch which was quite different from the one on which Pakistan were demolished by South Africa’s pace attack, and then had to battle through an early onslaught from Virender Sehwag, another batsman who rediscovered his touch. Sehwag’s 65 and a superbly controlled 52 from Rahul Dravid put India on course for a challenging total, but Australia then took over, pulling it back towards the end with regular wickets. India finished about 20 runs short of the score they would have expected after the start, and then Australia never allowed India a sniff in the field, shutting them out of the contest with some destructive strokeplay in the first 15 overs.

Teams have struggled to bat under lights at Mohali, but the Australians waded into the listless Irfan Pathan and Munaf Patel from the start. Taking full advantage of the half-volleys and short balls that were on offer, Adam Gilchrist - who had earlier become the first wicketkeeper…

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Malcolm Speed, chief executive of the ICC, has blamed the ICC’s shortcomings with regard to implementing the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code during the Champions Trophy on the lack of drug-testing culture in India.

"The current ICC Champions Trophy is our first tournament since we became signatories to the WADA Code and it has presented us with some challenging issues,'’ Speed said in a statement on Tuesday. "These issues are logistical ones and are understandable given no infrastructure or culture of drug-testing exists currently in India, and when these issues have been raised with us we have worked hard to ensure they have been dealt with."

Speed was responding to a top WADA official’s criticism on Monday that the ICC had an unprofessional attitude towards fighting the drug menace in the sport.

"We’ve been on many doping control testing missions with lots of federations," Yousef Hasan, the WADA official said. "We’ve been dealing with them professionally and they’ve been dealing back very professionally as well. But unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about ICC."

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On Friday England’s Test squad sets off on the journey of a lifetime, from London to Sydney via Hong Kong, to begin their defence of the Ashes. This morning, Monty Panesar made a journey of a much more prosaic nature - from Luton to a park in Denmark Hill, South London, where he sat in a bandstand fielding questions and shivering in a biting autumnal breeze.

It was a far cry from the conditions he’ll face Down Under. Panesar is England’s not-so-secret weapon for the Ashes. Spared the rigours of the recent ICC Champions Trophy, he has being whiling away the hours since the end of the English season with gym and net sessions at the National Academy in Loughborough and at his county base in Northants. "I’ve just been keeping myself busy," he told the assembled press corps. "I’m really excited about going to Australia, I’m really looking forward to it."

Panesar is a cricketer of his times when it comes to press conferences. He’s not a man for the big statement, he just prefers to stick to "good areas" and let the ball do the talking. Australia, he points out, "is very passionate about cricket"; the prospect of big crowds are "exciting"; his hopes of playing in the Tests depend on "whatever the management feels is right". He is maddeningly yet gloriously deadpan.

One senses that nothing will ever rattle his cage - which is a useful character trait to possess when you have Australia’s finest lining up to tonk you out of the park. "It’ll all be part of my development," he shrugs with a quiet confidence. Four years ago, he was part of the academy squad that provided back-up to England’s walking wounded Test team. "I felt pretty comfortable out there. Rod Marsh taught me a few things, and it was beneficial. I got a few wickets, and there’s a bit more bounce, which helps the spinners."

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The last two times South Africa have come up against West Indies in big tournaments - the World Cup and the Champions Trophy - they have been at the losing end. It could be just coincidence, but Graeme Smith, the South African captain, is certainly aware of the history. "We know that they beat us in the World Cup and the last Champions Trophy," he said at a pre-match press conference. "They’ve got some top-class players and if they play like that, they can beat any team in the world, like they’ve shown in the game against Australia in the earlier part of the tournament. You’ve got to give them all the credit."

But the same West Indian team folded for only 80 on another day, and consistency isn’t a word you’re likely to use in their context. This unpredictable nature could go against them in a big semi-final. "It’s the semi-final, so you’ve got to be sure you’re up for the game. West Indies have match-winners and in one-dayers one match-winner can win you a game," said Smith. "It’s like what we did against Pakistan, we just made sure that our own game is right, that’s our game plan. It’s been one of our strengths so far in this tournament. Tomorrow is going to be no different."

Another thing that has been inconsistent in this tournament is the pitches. From city to city, from strip to strip, each 22-yard patch has played differently. What did Smith make of this one? "It does look pretty dry at the moment but just looking at it and speaking to some guys in the teams that have played here in the earlier games, it has been a bit two-paced, a little bit up and down," he said. "I guess the harder ball will be difficult to bat against. Otherwise, the teams will have to adapt to the conditions. This wicket has been different from the ones we have played on. That’s the tough part of the tournament, every wicket has been different and adapting to the conditions has been the key."

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Nafees added to the century he scored in Zimbabwe in August

Shahriar Nafees made 123 as Bangladesh completed a 101-run consolation win over Zimbabwe in the Champions Trophy.

Dropped in the covers on nought, Nafees shared 84 in 20 overs with Saqibul Hasan (37) and 80 from only 14 overs with skipper Habibul Bashar (30).

Brendan Taylor hit a patient 52 but two comical run-outs and tight slow bowling saw Zimbabwe skittled for a paltry 130.

Neither team was able to qualify for the main tournament after both were beaten by Sri Lanka and West Indies.

Looking to atone for a 3-2 series defeat in Zimbabwe in August, Bangladesh made a nervous start, losing Rajin Saleh who was trapped in front in the fifth over after making no contact with an agricultural swipe across the line.

Aftab Ahmed soon joined him in the pavilion when he gloved a leg-side delivery and was superbly snaffled one-handed low to his left by diving wicket-keeper Taylor, leaving Bangladesh 26-2 in the 10th over.

Nafees and Saqibul rebuilt the innings slowly, bringing up the 100 in the 28th over, with the opener completing his fifty from 92 balls shortly afterwards.

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Fleming is set to beat Arjuna Ranatunga’s one-day record

Stephen Fleming has set his sights on lifting the World Cup before ending his long tenure as New Zealand skipper.

He will set a new record on Wednesday when he leads them for the 194th time in a one-day international.

And the game against Pakistan in Mohali will decide whether the Kiwis reach the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy, a tournament they won in 2000.

But Fleming is already thinking about next year’s World Cup and admitted he has a “burning ambition” to win it.

“The biggest worry for us is that we have been inconsistent in big tournaments.

“I think we are a side that gets a bit comfortable once it has won a game,” the 33-year-old commented.

That view has been born out at the Champions Trophy with the Kiwis beating South Africa in their opening game and then losing to Sri Lanka after under-performing with the bat.

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Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott has called for Duncan Fletcher to be axed as coach following the side’s comprehensive defeat to Australia in a Champions Trophy group match on Saturday.

“If you talk to people like John Wright and Bob Woolmer, successful coaches with a lot of experience, they will tell you that the job comes with a shelf-life. And Fletcher just reached the end of his,” Boycott wrote in Monday’s Daily Telegraph.

England lost to India by four wickets in their opening match and were dismissed for 169 by Australia before losing by six wickets.

Zimbabwean Fletcher took over as coach seven years ago and the highlight of his career was guiding England to Ashes success last year after 18 years of Australian domination.

He is currently on a rolling one-year contract with the England board.

“I’m not saying he is a terrible coach. In fact, I think he has done a good job — full marks to him for the way he made England’s test team competitive after the dark days of the 1990s.

“But, after a while, I believe a coach runs out of new ideas and the players get comfortable and complacent with him. He almost becomes too familiar and the players stop listening.”

England’s one-day form has been poor for a while, particularly after injuries to a number of premier players.

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Herschelle Gibbs and his laywer on their way to chat with the Delhi police © AFP

Suspicions of match-fixing during England’s hosting of the cricket World Cup in 1999 have led Indian police to Britain only days after they formally questioned South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs.

Delhi police are probing whether matches held in England were fixed by gambling syndicates and have requested the assistance of Scotland Yard.

Video footage of South Africa’s matches during the 1999 tournament and the UK bank accounts and telephone records of disgraced South African cricketer Hansie Cronje have been requested by the Delhi investigators. Cronje, the now-deceased South Africa captain, became a pariah in April 2000 when he admitted accepting bribes from gambling syndicates.

Before being banned for life and later dying in a plane crash, he was the subject of the King Commission set up by South Africa to investigate the bribery claims. However the King Commission did not focus on any of the matches in the 1999 World Cup.

Of particular concern is Bangladesh’s defeat of Pakistan in a group game, although claims have also surrounded South Africa’s loss to Zimbabwe and a second phase match between India and Pakistan. Zimbabwe and Bangladesh won when their opponents had already assured qualification.

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With the World Cup less than five months away, Barbados is gearing up to play host to plenty of cricket fans. The latest initiative is to have 14 cruise ships docked at its port, of which six will serve as permanent floating hotels to make up for the lack of conventional hotel rooms.

The Jamaica Gleaner quoted Noel Lynch, the country’s tourism minister, as saying that these ships will accommodate around 12,000 fans and help handle the huge influx of fans expected during the tournament. “We are expecting about 20,000 fans for the finals,” Lynch said. “Of that number, our ports will accommodate some 12,000 and the land-based entities the other 8,000 people.”

Lynch also confirmed that much of the extra accommodation had already been sold out. “The Indians, particularly, have eaten up all of the rooms.”

The World Cup has also meant an opportunity for the West Indies to showcase itself as a tourist destination with sound infrastructure, and Lynch indicated that plenty of work was in progress in Barbados to ensure that the country would be in top shape when the tournament starts. “When cricket fans arrive in Barbados, they will see a new-looking Kensington Oval, and major infrastructure work showcasing Barbados as a seriously developing nation on the cusp of being developed.”

© Cricinfo

Also see World Cup, 2007.

Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock can take heart from the surface on view © Getty Images

Graeme Smith might just be enjoying himself a little more in the state of Gujarat than he did in Mumbai. The Sardar Patel Stadium, for starters, resembles more closely the stadia he is used to playing at back home - it’s big, has colourful bucket seats as a backdrop, the outfield is a lush green. And most importantly, the pitch also had just a tinge of green on it - not the kind of grass that would make it a seaming bunsen, but the kind that would hold it together and ensure that the top didn’t come off, as it did when South Africa went down to New Zealand in Mumbai.

Smith was livid after that match, lambasting the pitch after a game of two halves was easily won by New Zealand. When he appeared for his pre-match press conference in Ahmedabad, looking forward to the game against Sri Lanka, he was far more relaxed, and even smiled once or twice, as he fielded the usual questions. But then, that has been the nature of this tournament.

The format has made it such that each team needs at least two wins to be reasonably assured of making it to the semifinal. With one loss and two games to go, South Africa have no uncertainty left - they just must win, to stay in the competition. Sri Lanka, who already have one win, against New Zealand, but lost to Pakistan, can’t breathe any easier. In that sense, the manner in which results have unfolded has meant that this tournament has virtual quarterfinals, even if the organisers did not design it thus.

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Mitchell Johnson: “I want to try to get around that 150. I’m always trying to bowl quick” © Getty Images

First it was Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar in Malaysia. Then it was Kevin Pietersen and figures of 3 for 40 in a fine performance against England on Saturday. Now Mitchell Johnson has re-set his sights on bowling at 150kph as his promising international career develops quickly.

Talk of Johnson gaining the third fast-bowling spot for the first Ashes Test has gained more momentum after he surprised Pietersen with his pace and then out-thought him during the six-wicket win at Jaipur. Johnson’s figures in his eighth ODI backed up his 4 for 11 in Malaysia last month and he said he was growing in confidence with every match.

As Australia prepared to leave for Mohali, where they will play India on Saturday and aim for a spot in the Champions Trophy semi-finals, Johnson also spoke about his plan for Pietersen, which involved a short ball that struck the bat handle followed by a full one angled across the batsman.

“That one probably zipped through a bit more,” he told AAP. “My plan to him was to get a short one in early and then try to get that nick early. From the footage that I’ve seen, he likes to get forward early. Maybe Andrew Flintoff as well. Shane Watson got him out trying to play the pull shot and got him on the forearm as well, trying to get forward. Maybe that’s a pretty good option with those guys.”

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Inzamam-ul-Haq leads his side back onto the field … but too late to save the Test © Getty Images

The ICC is to intervene on England’s claims for compensation from the forfeited Oval Test after Pakistan rejected their demands for £800,000 in lost revenue.

As expected, following the failure to reach an agreement between the two countries’ boards, the ECB has now requested assistance and an ICC disputes panel will decide how much compensation England are to receive following Pakistan’s forfeiture of the game.

The ECB originally asked the PCB for £800,000 after they refunded all fifth-day ticketholders and also gave a 40% reimbursement to the 23,000 in the ground on the day of the abandonment, the fourth day. But Pakistan formally rejected this claim, as they maintain that the actions of the umpires were to blame for the resulting refusal by Pakistan to resume the match, and as the employers of the officials, the ICC is responsible for the losses.

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