With a penchant for parties, smashing sixes, wearing sunglasses while bowling and generally doing whatever he pleases, Chris Gayle is a cool customer.

Australia are safely through to the World Cup semifinals but not without a serious scare from Pakistan at Adelaide Oval last night.

Follow all the action from the third Cricket World Cup quarter-final between Australia and Pakistan from the Adelaide Oval.

Streakers, pitch invaders and object-tossers will be punished severely if they try to disrupt remaining World Cup cricket matches, police warned today.

The Herald has produced a special interactive that allows readers to compare their favourite players against every cricketer to have played at least 20 ODIs.

He's a man who might just hold the key to New Zealand's batting fortunes not only tomorrow against the West Indies, but for the remainder of the tournament.

Two quarter-finals down, two crushing defeats inflicted as India last night joined South Africa in the World Cup semifinals.

Proteas now face either New Zealand or the West Indies in the first semifinal in Auckland next Tuesday.

The All Blacks are put under a higher level of scrutiny than any New Zealand sports team but expectations are growing around the Black Caps.

If there's one New Zealand player for whom the World Cup quarter-final shapes as pivotal, it is Adam Milne.

It looms as the most lopsided of the four World Cup quarter-finals, but Suresh Raina says there's no chance India will be taking Bangladesh lightly today.

Cricket World Cup fever is beginning to build on the heels of Saturday's quarter-final game.

In a nominee for quote of the World Cup, Chris Gayle suggested, possibly tongue-in-cheek, that he scored a double century against Zimbabwe because he had "cut down on the parties".

Follow all the action from the first Cricket World Cup quarter-final, between South Africa and Sri Lanka.

It sounds like a bad joke, but a fired up West Indies team might not be the pushover New Zealand were looking for.

With a drop-in pitch, metallic exterior and a splash of spare yellow seats, Wellington Regional Stadium is quickly shaping as one of the Black Caps' favourite venues.

The odds suggest New Zealand would be wise to lose a maximum of two wickets in the opening powerplay if they're to win their World Cup quarter-final against the West Indies.

David Leggat runs the rule over this week's quarter-finals.