Umar, Azhar, Hafeez guide Pakistan into lead

ABU DHABI  : Taufiq Umar hit his sixth Test century and fellow opener Mohammad Hafeez scored 75 as Pakistan took a firm grip on the first Test against Sri Lanka at Abu Dhabi stadium here on WednesdayThe left-hander made an undefeated 109 and added 118 for the opening wicket with Hafeez and another unbroken 141 for the third wicket with Azhar Ali (60 not out) as Pakistan reached 259-1 by stumps, a lead of 62 with eight wickets intact.If it was Pakistani bowlers' day, with Junaid Khan taking five wickets, on Tuesday it was batsmen's turn on Wednesday who further blunted an ordinary looking Sri Lankan bowling attack.Umar, Hafeez and Azhar batted without any trouble on an unresponsive pitch to frustrate the Sri Lankans who remained in a search for an elusive wicket in the first and thrid session.Azhar, who completed his tenth fifty in his 14th Test, ably supporting Umar.It was Umar who edged Herath towards third man for a couple to take Pakistan past Sri Lanka's first-innings total of 197.The ease with which Pakistani batsmen were coping, Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan immediately took the second new ball in the 81st over as their only chance to stage a fightback.But even that did not bring any luck for the Islanders as Umar hit three boundaries, two off Suranga Lukmal and then glaneced the same bowler for a single to bring up his hundred off 259 balls.Sri Lanka spurned a chance to get Azhar out, when experienced Mahela Jayawardene dropped a catch in the slips off Herath when the right-hander was only seven.Earlier it was Hafeez who anchored Pakistan's innings after they resumed at 27-0.Hafeez hit eight boundaries and a six during his confident knock.Umar reached his 12th half-century with a sharp single, and has so far hit only three boundaries as Pakistan scored only 59 in the second session.Umar was more cautious as Sri Lanka introduced spinners Rangana Herath and Tillakaratne Dilshan from both ends. They bowled four maiden overs between them with tight line and length, but did not get much turn.Hafeez then broke the deadlock in scoring, jumping out of his crease to hit Herath over long-off for a six and then slashed towards third man to bring his fifth Test half-century.He then swept the same bowler for two to bring up Pakistan's 100. Hafeez has so far hit eight boundaries and a six during his 121-ball knock.Sri Lanka's three-pronged pace attack and spinners failed to give any trouble to the Pakistani openers on a pitch which had some grass on the first day.

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Proteas win toss, put Aussies into bat

CENTURION : South Africa won the toss and sent Australia in to bat in the first one-day international at SuperSport Park on Wednesday.South African captain Hashim Amla said the decision to field was influenced by the weather, with showers predicted during the evening. There were two sharp rain showers before the game but the weather cleared in time for the toss.Australia were without Shane Watson (hip injury) and Shaun Marsh (shoulder) and included two new caps in all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, 19, and fast bowler Pat Cummins, 18.Experienced players Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and Dale Steyn returned to the South African team after missing the Twenty20 series between the two teams, which was shared 1-1.Wednesday's match was the first of a three-game series. Teams:South Africa: Hashim Amla (captain), Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Mark Boucher (wk), Johan Botha, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Australia: Michael Clarke (captain), Ricky Ponting, David Warner, Mike Hussey, Brad Haddin (wk), Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Johnson, Xavier Doherty, Pat Cummins, Doug Bollinger. Umpires: Johan Cloete (SA) and Ian Gould (ENG), TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND).

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Pakistan consolidate after Hafeez's fall

ABU DHABI : Openers Mohammad Hafeez and Taufiq Umar notched half-centuries to take Pakistan to 174-1 at tea on the second day of the opening Test against Sri Lanka at Abu Dhabi stadium here on Wednesday.The pair put Pakistan, replying to Sri Lankan first-innings score of 197, on the right track with a solid 127-run stand before Hafeez (75) fell in the second over after the lunch break, leg-before to left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.At the tea break, Umar was unbeaten on a sedate 65 and with him Azhar Ali on 26 not out during their snail-paced unbroken second wicket stand of 56. Pakistan trail Sri Lanka by 23 runs with nine wickets in hand.Hafeez and Umar frustrated the Sri Lankan bowlers and batted without any trouble after Pakistan resumed the day at 27-0.Hafeez hit eight boundaries and a six during his confident knock.Sri Lanka spurned a chance to get Azhar out, when experienced Mahela Jayawardene dropped a catch in the slips off Herath when the right-hander was only seven.Umar reached his 12th half-century with a sharp single, and has so far hit only three boundaries as Pakistan scored only 59 in the second session.Umar was more cautious as Sri Lanka introduced spinners Rangana Herath and Tillakaratne Dilshan from both ends. They bowled four maiden overs between them with tight line and length, but did not get much turn.Hafeez then broke the deadlock in scoring, jumping out of his crease to hit Herath over long-off for a six and then slashed towards third man to bring his fifth Test half-century.He then swept the same bowler for two to bring up Pakistan's 100. Hafeez has so far hit eight boundaries and a six during his 121-ball knock.Sri Lanka's three-pronged pace attack and spinners failed to give any trouble to the Pakistani openers on a pitch which had some grass on the first day

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Pakistan coast to 115-0 in first Test

ABU DHABI : Pakistani's openers remained unseparated to take their team to 115-0 by lunch on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka here on Wednesday.Pakistan, who bowled out Sri Lanka for 197 in their first innings on the back of a five-wicket haul by paceman Junaid Khan, blunted the Sri Lankan attack at Abu Dhabi Stadium.At lunch, opener Mohammad Hafeez was unbeaten on 73 and Taufiq Umar was on 35 with Pakistan only 82 runs behind with all their wickets intact.Resuming at 27-0, Pakistan found the going easy against the Sri Lankan pace duo of Nuwan Pradeep and Chanaka Welegedara, with Hafeez smacking a boundary through covers off the debutant Pradeep in the first over of the day.Umar was more cautious as Sri Lanka introduced spinners Rangana Herath and Tillakaratne Dilshan from both ends. They bowled four maiden overs between them with tight line and length, but did not get much turn.Hafeez then broke the deadlock in scoring, jumping out of his crease to hit Herath over long-off for a six and then slashed towards third man to bring his fifth Test half-century.He then swept the same bowler for two to bring up Pakistan's 100. Hafeez has so far hit eight boundaries and a six during his 121-ball knock.Sri Lanka's three-pronged pace attack and spinners failed to give any trouble to the Pakistani openers on a pitch which had some grass on the first day.The remaining two Tests in the series will be played in Dubai (October 26-30) and Sharjah (November 3-7). The Tests will be followed by five one-day and a Twenty20 international.

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Pakistan to resume innings today

ABU DHABI: Pakistan will resume its first innings against Sri Lanka here Wednesday,Pakistan's seamer Junaid Khan Tuesday claimed his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket, helping Pakistan to gain the upper hand in the first Test while Sri Lanka was all out for a mere 197 total.Pakistan finished the day at 27-0, with Mohammad Hafeez on 17 and Taufiq Umar unbeaten on eight. Pakistan management will be hoping that openers could see out at least the first hour of second day's play.Sri Lanka are without a win in their last eleven Test matches.

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Junaid puts Pakistan on top in first Test

ABU DHABI : Left-arm paceman Junaid Khan chipped in with a maiden five-wicket haul to help Pakistan bundle Sri Lanka for a mere 197-run total on the first day of the opening Test here on Tuesday.The 21-year-old, playing in only his second Test, with 5-38 and was ably supported by pace partner Umar Gul (2-37) and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (2-56) after Pakistan put Sri Lanka into bat on a greenish Abu Dhabi stadium pitch.Pakistan finished the day at 27-0, with Mohammad Hafeez on 17 and Taufiq Umar unbeaten on eight.Sri Lanka, who were confidently placed at 51-1 at lunch, could never recover from the loss of six wickets for 65 runs between lunch and tea, as Khan produced a burst of three wickets in the space of just five deliveries.Vice-captain Angelo Mathews cracked four boundaries and a six in a fighting unbeaten 52 to avoid total disaster, putting up innings' highest partnership with Suranga Lakmal of 54 after Sri Lanka were tottering at 114-7.Paceman Aizaz Cheema (1-51) had opened the gates by dismissing former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara (two) in the second over after lunch, forcing an edge off the left-hander which was smartly held by a diving keeper Adnan Akmal.Opener Tharanga Paranavitana then gloved a short-pitch delivery off Gul to Akmal to leave the Islanders struggling at 79-3. Paranavitana hit three boundaries during his patient knock of 37.Skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan, who demoted himself to number five against Australia last month, hit the first ball he faced for a boundary and added 33 with Paranavitana before Sri Lanka lost the way.Dilshan was unlucky to be given out, caught behind off Ajmal by New Zealand umpire Tony Hill when replays showed he clearly missed the ball.Khan then ripped through the middle-order, dismissing Mahela Jayawardene (28) with the third ball of his ninth over, had Parasanna Jayawardene (nought) three balls later and then Rangana Herath (nought) off the first ball of his next.Khan, who took only one wicket in his debut Test against Zimbabwe last month, returned for his third spell to take the last two wickets, getting Chanaka Welegedara (11) and debutant Nuwan Pradeep (one) to wrap up the innings.Before Khan's final acts, Gul had dismissed Lakamal (18) to end Sri Lanka's resistance.Khan, preferred over more experienced Wahab Riaz, justified his selection as both Pakistan and Sri Lanka decided to enter with three pacemen and one specialist spinner, with the Islanders giving debut to Nuwan Prasad.In the first session Sri Lankan openers were cautious, as Misbah brought on spinner Hafeez in the eighth over. But it was Ajmal who gave the breakthrough dismissing opener Lahiru Thirimanne for 20 before lunch.The three Test series was shifted to United Arab Emirates after Sri Lanka refused an invitation to tour Pakistan in the wake of terrorists attacks on a military base in Karachi in May this year.

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Shakib stars in Bangladesh victory over Windies

CHITTAGONG : Shakib Al Hasan bagged four wickets to set up Bangladesh's consolation eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the third and final one-day international on Tuesday.The tourists were dismissed for their second-lowest total of 61 after being put in to bat, with left-arm spinner Shakib finishing with a career-best 4-16 off five disciplined overs.The West Indies' lowest total in one-day internationals was 54 against South Africa in Cape Town in 2004.Bangladesh, who had lost the first two one-dayers, achieved the small target with 30 overs to spare. Opener Tamim Iqbal top-scored with an unbeaten 36 The West Indies earlier lost their last nine wickets for 28 runs in a dramatic collapse, with man-of-the-match Shakib, off-spinner Nasir Hossain (2-3) and paceman Shafiul Islam (2-21) doing the maximum damage.Opener Kieran Powell (25) and debutant Carlos Brathwaite (11) were the only batsmen to reach double figures in West Indies' dismal batting performance.The West Indies, who had dismissed Bangladesh for 58 in a World Cup match in Dhaka in March, were at the receiving end this time as their innings lasted just 22 overs.Their batting woes began in the 11th over when Shafiul had in-form Marlon Samuels caught by Suhrawadi Shuvo in the covers for his first victim. Samuels, who scored half-centuries in the last two one-dayers, could make just five.Nasir, wicketless in his six one-dayers before this match, was on hat-trick when he bowled Powell and then held a return catch to dismiss hard-hitting Kieron Pollard off successive deliveries.The West Indies made three changes from the side that won the second one-dayer by eight wickets in Dhaka last week.Powell, Anthony Martin and Brathwaite came in place of Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul and Lendl Simmons.Bangladesh replaced Mohammad Ashraful, Alok Kapali, Abdur Razzak and Rubel Hossain with Shuvo, Shuvagata Hom, Shahriar Nafees and Nazmul Hossain

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Sri Lanka slump to spirited Pakistan bowling

ABU DHABI : Sri Lanka slumped against some spirited Pakistan bowling to struggle at 115-7 at tea on the opening day of the first cricket Test at Abu Dhabi stadium here Tuesday.Sent into bat by Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq, Sri Lanka were 50-1 at lunch but lost six wickets with the addition of just 65 runs in the second session as Pakistani bowlers justified the decision to field first on a greenish-brown pitch.At tea Angelo Mathews was on three and Suranga Lukmal unbeaten on nought.Pakistan's three-pronged pace attack justified Misbah's decision as left-arm paceman Junaid Khan (3-21), also proving his elevation over another left-armer Wahab Riaz corect, produced a burst of three wickets off just five balls.Paceman Aizaz Cheema had opened the gates by dismissing former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara in the second over after lunch, forcing an edge off the left-handed batsmen which was smartly snapped up by a diving keeper Adnan Akmal.Sangakkara managed just two.Opener Tharanga Paranavitana then gloved a short-pitch delivery off fast bowler Umar Gul to Akmal to leave the Islanders struggling at 79-3. Paranavitana hit three boundaries during his patient knock of 37.Skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan, who demoted himself to number five against Australia last month, hit the first ball he faced for a boundary and added 33 with Paranavitana before Sri Lanka lost the way.Dilshan was unlucky to be given out, caught behind off Ajmal by New Zealand umpire Tony Hill when replays showed he clearly missed the ball.Khan then ripped through the middle-order, dismissing Mahela Jayawardene (28) with the third ball of his ninth over, had Parasanna Jayawardene (nought) three balls later and then Rangana Herath (nought) off the first ball of his next.In the first session Sri Lankan openers were cautious as their first boundary came only in the 14th over when the left-hander Paranavitana drove Hafeez to the cover boundary.Misbah brought on spinner Hafeez in the eighth over, and he came close to trapping Thirimanne in his first over.Sangakkara brought up the fifty with a single, as Pakistan's pacemen toiled hard under a scorching sun.

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3rd ODI: Windies crash to 61 as Shakib strikes

CHITTAGONG : Shakib Al Hasan grabbed four wickets as the West Indies were dismissed for their second-lowest total of 61 in the third and final one-day international against Bangladesh on Tuesday.The left-arm spinner finished with 4-16 off five disciplined overs as the West Indies lost their last nine wickets for 28 runs in a dramatic collapse after being put in to bat in the day-night match.Shakib was superbly backed by off-spinner Nasir Hossain and paceman Shafiul Islam, who took two wickets apiece as Bangladesh boosted their chances of posting a consolation win after losing the first two matches.Opener Kieran Powell (25) and debutant Carlos Brathwaite (11) were the only batsmen to reach double figures in West Indies' dismal batting performance.The West Indies, who had dismissed Bangladesh for 58 in a World Cup match in Dhaka in March, were at the receiving end this time as their innings lasted just 22 overs.Their batting woes began in the 11th over when Shafiul had in-form Marlon Samuels caught by Suhrawadi Shuvo in the covers for his first victim. Samuels, who scored half-centuries in the last two one-dayers, could make just five.Off-spinner Nasir, wicketless in his six one-dayers before this match, was on hat-trick when he bowled Powell and then held a return catch to dismiss hard-hitting Kieron Pollard off successive deliveries.The West Indies made three changes from the side that won the second one-dayer by eight wickets in Dhaka last week.Powell, Anthony Martin and Brathwaite came in place of Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul and Lendl Simmons.Bangladesh replaced Mohammad Ashraful, Alok Kapali, Abdur Razzak and Rubel Hossain with Shuvo, Shuvagata Hom, Shahriar Nafees and Nazmul Hossain.

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Bangladesh put Windies in to bat in final ODI

CHITTAGONG : Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim elected to field after winning the toss against the West Indies in the third and final one-day international on Tuesday.The West Indies, who have already gained an unbeatable 2-0 lead, made three changes from the side that won the second one-dayer by eight wickets in Dhaka last week.Kieran Powell, Anthony Martin and debutant Carlos Brathwaite came in place of Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul and Lendl Simmons.Bangladesh replaced Mohammad Ashraful, Alok Kapali, Abdur Razzak and Rubel Hossain with Suhrawadi Shuvo, Shuvagata Hom, Shahriar Nafees and Nazmul Hossain.West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Kieran Powell, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Danza Hyatt, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Carlos Brathwaite, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Anthony Martin.Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Shahriar Nafees, Shakib Al Hasan, Shuvagata Hom, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain.

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