England emerge World T20 champions!

BARBADOS:England stormed to a seven-wicket victory over Australia at the Kensington Oval to break their 35-year duck in International Cricket Council tournaments.

The ease of England's success in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 made a mockery of previous failures, as Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen's stand of 111 helped them cruise past Australia's 147 for six - with three full overs to spare.

Kieswetter (63) hit six fours and a six in his 40-ball 50 and Pietersen was almost as dominant in a run chase which became no-contest long before captain Paul Collingwood clubbed the winning runs.

Both of England's second-wicket pair got out before the end, allowing Collingwood to appropriately shepherd his team to the previously elusive silverware.

Australia, hitherto unbeaten in this tournament, stumbled disastrously to eight for three in the third over after being put in on a pacy pitch.

David Hussey (59) oversaw a well-crafted recovery. But England had taken a telling advantage, and were in no mood to let it slip this time against the old enemy. Hussey shared a fifth-wicket stand of 50 with Cameron White and also combined to good effect with his brother Michael to help add 55 in the last five overs.

But the resulting total never looked enough, and in the end England made it seem woefully short.

Their only minor moments of discomfort came with an early departure of their own - Michael Lumb spearing a catch to mid-on off Shaun Tait - and then an embarrassing five-minute hiatus for the organisers as groundstaff struggled to fix a glitch with the sightscreen.

Teams

Australia: DA Warner, SR Watson, MJ Clarke (Captain), DJ Hussey, CL White, MEK Hussey, BJ Haddin (WK), SPD Smith, MG Johnson, SW Tait, DP Nannes

England: MJ Lumb, C Kieswetter (WK), KP Pietersen, PD Collingwood (Captain), EJG Morgan, LJ Wright, TT Bresnan, MH Yardy, GP Swann, SCJ Broad, RJ Sidebottom

Azlan Shah: Pakistan take 5th position

IPOH: Pakistan clinch fifth position in the Azlan Shah Hockey cup in Ipoh city of Malaysia after beating China 6-5.

Pakistan and China managed to score a goal each in the allotted 70 minutes. Both the teams scored five goals each in the penalty shoot out.

However it was pakistan who eventually knocked out the opponents in the sudden death round by taking a lead of 6-5.

Australia will take on Malaysia for the third spot match while India and South Korea will meet in the final of the tournament.

KARACHI: Issara Kachaiwong of Thailand won his second Asian snooker title in four years when he beat Pakistan’s Mohammad Sajjad 7-3 in the final in Chanthaburi before a sizeable home crowd on Saturday.

Earlier, he had done his country proud by capturing the crown in Sri Lanka in 2006.

The title clash saw the two players fighting aggressively until three-all when the Pakistani gave up losing the next four frames in a row.

Kachaiwong won the battle 17-49, 78-15, 65-73, 94-40, 66-6, 43-64, 85-30, 81-1, 123-8, 120-1.

The Thai cracked three efficient breaks of 78, 80 and 61 in the second, ninth and tenth frames. Sajjad chalked up a break of 51 in the sixth frame.

Sajjad became the second Pakistani to have played the final since the inception of the Asian Snooker Championship in 1984 the first being veteran Mohammad Yousuf who captured the crown in 1998. Sajjad, however, earned the distinction of scoring highest break (134) of the event.

Earlier, Kachaiwong’s compatriot Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon edged past two-time former Asian champion, Yasin Merchant of India, 3-1 to seize third position.

After conceding the opener 0-88, the Thai was home 64-59, 106-0, 77-36.

Results:

Final: Issara Kachaiwong (Thailand) bt Mohammad Sajjad (Pakistan) 7-3 (17-49, 78-15, 65-73, 94-40, 66-6, 43-64, 85-30, 81-1, 123-8, 120-1).

Playoff for third position: Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon (Thailand) bt Yasin Merchant (India) 3-1 (0-88, 64-59, 106-0, 77-36).