T20 World Cup Final: Williamson 85 takes New Zealand to 172/4 against Australia
Dubai, Nov 14: Skipper Kane Williamson was brutal and artistic during his beautifully crafted knock of 85, which took New Zealand to a competitive 172 for four against Australia in the T20 World Cup final here on Sunday.
Put into bat, New Zealand literally struggled in the first 10 overs with Martin Guptill's painful 28 off 35 balls slowing the proceedings.
Williamson made the stage his own with a grace of a 'ballet dancer' hitting 10 fours and three sixes in his 47-ball knock.
In the last 10 overs, New Zealand scored an astounding 115 runs to make a match of the 'Grand Finale'.
Williamson shifting gears with such ease that it was a treat to watch him play. The first 16 deliveries that he faced fetched him only 15 runs as Adam Zampa was back then in the midst of a good spell while Guptill's scratchy form also affected the skipper.
But once, he decided that he needed to get a move-on, he hit all those copybook shots at his own free-will scoring 70 off the next 31 deliveries.
The Black Caps skipper showed why he is one of the modern-day greats during the back-10 as he strategically took the attack back to the opposition camp. He became the captain with the highest score in a T20 World Cup final surpassing Kumar Sangakkara.
He first turned the tide in the 11th over when he launched into Mitchell Starc (0/60 in 4 overs) taking 19 off his over including a dropped catch behind square by Josh Hazlewood.
The manner in which he creamed Starc through mid-off by charging down the track, was the most delightful one among the three that he smashed in that over.
When Starc came for his third over and team's 16th, his confidence was already shaken and Williamson made a mockery of him with class of Test match batting mixed with a dash of T20 flair.
One for the ages was a 'pick-up flick' when Starc dragged one into his pads and it soared into the Dubai skyline before landing in the gallery.
If Starc's second over was very bad, the worse came in his third which yielded the Kiwis 24 runs including four fours and a six.
It was a 'half-century' of ignominy that he would like to forget and also forgive Josh Hazlewood for what could possibly be a 'match-turning' bungle.
Hazlewood (3/16 in 4 overs) though was pick of bowlers along with Adam Zampa (1/24 in 4 overs).
The first half of the night certainly belonged to Williamson, who again reiterated the age-old saying -- a technically accomplished Test batter can play any format with authority as he did during an en evening when it mattered the most.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
24,000 quintals of worm-infested jowar worth Rs 6 crore found in Ballari
Ballari: A shocking discovery has come to light in Ballari, where nearly 24,000 quintals of jowar, valued at Rs 6 crore, were reportedly found infested with worms in a godown managed by the Karnataka State Warehousing Corporation (KSWC).
The contaminated grain was distributed to fair price shops in and around the district, as reported by The New Indian Express on Saturday.
The issue was exposed when Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa visited the KSWC's Unit-2 godown. During the inspection, he found that 48,000 bags of jowar, each weighing 50 kg, had become unsuitable for consumption due to worm infestation.
When Justice Veerappa, deputy registrar Aravind NV and others questioned about the condition of the grain, Sharavathi, the manager of the Ballari unit of KSWC, and Sakina, the deputy director of Food and Civil Supplies, explained that they obtained a certificate from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) on March 29, 2024, that “jowar is fit” for consumption, TNIE added. The grain had subsequently been sent to Haveri and other districts for distribution through fair price shops.
However, Justice Veerappa pointed out that the jowar was not even fit for animals to consume. Expressing his displeasure, he stated that negligence by officials had resulted in the wastage of 48,000 bags of jowar.
Meanwhile, Sharavathi reportedly questioned Justice Veerappa's visit to the godown, asking him to provide photographic evidence linked to GPS for confirmation. This demand left him enraged, as he remarked, "This shows they have reached a stage of even questioning us."
Justice Veerappa called the situation "unfortunate" and urged the concerned minister to take immediate action against the officials involved. He emphasised that taxpayers' money had been used to procure the jowar, and its wastage was unacceptable. "We will definitely take action under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act," he vowed.
