Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test heading towards draw

ABU DHABI : Kumar Sangakkara compiled his eighth double hundred in Test cricket and with able support from Prasanna Jayawardene took Sri Lanka closer to salvaging a draw on the final day of the opening test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Jayawardene (110 not out) and Rangana Herath (nought) were the batsmen at the crease at tea as Sri Lanka reached 434 for six, a lead of 120.Sangakkara (211) and Jayawardene, both unbeaten overnight, batted resolutely to add 201 for the sixth-wicket as Pakistan were left to rue Friday's dropped chances. Stylish left-hander Sangakkara, who was dropped on 56 by Younis Khan off Mohammad Hafeez, got past the 200-run mark with a glance to the fine leg boundary. The former Sri Lanka captain, who also survived a run-out chance on 190, hit 18 boundaries during his 431-ball knock, before he fell lbw in the last over before tea to give part-time legspinner Azhar Ali his first Test wicket.Jayawardene, who also received a life on Friday when substitute fielder Wahab Riaz put down an easy catch off Umar Gul, completed his fourth test hundred with a lofted drive over spinner Saeed Ajmal's head.The Pakistan pacemen managed to extract a bit of reverse swing with the old ball in dry conditions at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium and troubled the batsmen but failed to make any break throughs .Pakistan are playing their threeTest "home" series in the Gulf region because of security fears in their own country.

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Taylor’s 2nd successive ton helps Zimbabwe reach 259-8

HARARE : Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor hit his second successive unbeaten century to lead his team to a competitive 259 for eight in the second one-day international against New Zealand at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.Taylor made 107 not out off 105 balls with 12 fours and a six to enable Zimbabwe to recover from a slow start after they were sent in to bat on a pitch which gave early help to New Zealand's seam bowlers. New Zealand lead the three-match series after romping to a nine-wicket win in the first match at the same ground on Thursday when Taylor made 128 not out in a total of 231 for six after the side lost their first four wickets for 21 runs.Zimbabwe made a better start on Saturday with Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza putting on 41 for the first wicket. But they struggled against lively bowling from left-armer Andy McKay and the tall Jacob Oram and limped to 88 for four in the 25th over.Taylor then found an aggressive partner in Malcolm Waller, who hit 42 during a fifth wicket stand of 86 off 73 balls as the conditions became easier for batsmen.Elton Chigumbura (14) and Keegan Meth (20) helped Taylor in partnerships of 40 for the sixth wicket and 29 for the seventh wicket. Taylor was on 98 when Prosper Utseya was dismissed by Oram off the first ball of the last over but Ray Price was able to feed the strike to his captain. Taylor hit the third ball of the over to fine leg to become the first Zimbabwean to hit back-to-back centuries.McKay achieved his best figures in one-day internationals, taking four for 52, while Oram took three for 48, which included 14 off his final over.

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Sangakkara, Prasanna help Sri Lanka take lead

ABU DHABI : Kumar Sangakkara was 15 short of his eighth double hundred as the former Sri Lankan captain in company of Prasanna Jayawardene frustrated Pakistan in the first Test here on Saturday.The left-handed Sangakkara was unbeaten on 185 and together with Prasanna (66 not out) thwarted Pakistan's victory bids on the fifth and final day as Sri Lanka reached 364-5 by lunch at Abu Dhabi stadium.Sri Lanka, who conceded a 314-run lead in the first innings, now have a 50-run lead with five wickets in hand. The Sangakkara-Prasanna stand for the sixth wicket has so far yielded 131 runs.Resuming at 298-5 Sri Lanka survived the two-hour session unscathed as the overnight pair of Sangakkara and Prasanna kept the Pakistan's three-pronged pace attack at bay despite a hostile spell by Umar Gul.Prasanna, dropped by substitute Wahab Riaz off Gul on 11 -- one of six catches Pakistani fielders dropped on Friday -- hit Aizaz Cheema and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for consecutive boundaries to help Sri Lanka erase the deficit.With the second boundary he also brought up his fourth Test fifty, coming off 113 balls.Sangakkara, whose wicket is crucial for both Pakistan and Sri Lanka then came into his own hitting Ajmal for an exquisite cover drive to the ropes. He has so far hit 17 boundaries during his 370-ball knock.Pakistan used all five bowlers but were left to rue the missed chances of Friday which could spoil their chances of taking lead in the three-Test series.The second Test starts in Dubai from October 26, while the third will be played in Sharjah from November 3

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Bangladesh v West Indies: Second day's play called off

CHITTAGONG : The second day's play in the opening Test between Bangladesh and the West Indies was called off without a ball being bowled on Saturday due to a wet outfield following overnight rain.The hosts were 255-4 in their first innings at stumps on Friday after winning the toss, with skipper Mushfiqur Rahim unbeaten on 68 and Naeem Islam on eight not out.The second and final Test starts in Dhaka on October 29.

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Sangakkara leads Sri Lanka fight back to save first Test

ABU DHABI : Kumar Sangakkara put his wealth of experience on show with a pugnacious unbeaten hundred to keep Pakistan's victory bids on hold in the first Test here on Friday.The 33-year-old left-hander notched 161 for his 26th Test hundred to help Sri Lanka, trailing by 314 runs in the first innings, reach 298-5 in their second knock at close on the fourth day at Abu Dhabi stadium.They need only 16 runs to make Pakistan bat again, and will look to bat out at least two of the three sessions on the fifth and final day to salvage an unlikely draw.Sangakkara found an able ally in Prasanna Jayawardene (25 not out) to fight off the second new ball, with which paceman Umar Gul struck with the first delivery to remove Angelo Mathews (22). Sangakkara-Jayawardene stand for the sixth wicket has so far yielded 65 runs.Playing his 101st Test, Sangakkara took the fight to the Pakistani bowlers, adding an invaluable 153 runs for the second wickets with opener Lahiru Thirimanne who made a career-best 68.Walking into bat after Sri Lanka lost opener Tharanga Paranavitana off the very first ball of their second innings on Thursday, Sangakkara batted with resolve as Sri Lanka, resuming at 47-1, reached 125-1 by lunch.Pakistan then hit back by dismissing Thirimanne soon after lunch, run out after the opener, taking a second run but failed to beat a throw from the fine-leg by Azhar Ali.Seven runs later, Mahela Jayawardene (four) played on to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal before paceman Junaid Khan bowled skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan through the gate for nine, leaving Sri Lanka at 191-4.Despite losing partners, Sangakkara kept his cool, hitting Khan for his 11th boundary to reach three-figure mark, his sixth against Pakistan. He has so far hit 16 boundaries during his 295-ball stay at the pitch.Pakistan spilled as many as six catches in the day but their first innings, three off Thirimanne, which helped Sri Lanka fight back.Khan, who destroyed Sri Lanka with 5-38 in their first innings of 197, was the unlukcy bowler on three occasions as Mohammad Hafeez grassed two regulation catches in the slip off Thirimanne when he was on 40.Much to Khan's disappointment Younis Khan held a sharp edge off Sangakkara but the catch was disallowed by the umpires as the ball had bounced before getting into the hands of the slip fielder.Pakistan again let off Sangakkara when Younis failed to hold onto a sharp edge when a Saeed Ajmal's delivery surprised the left-handed batsman batting on 56.Pakistan also let off Prasanna when substitute fielder Wahab Riaz failed to catch a miscued hook off Gul when the batsman was 12.The two remaining Test matches in the series, shifted to neutral venues over security fears in Pakistan, will be played in Dubai (October 26-30) and Sharjah (November 3-7).

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Rahim, Tamin boost Bangladesh against Windies

CHITTAGONG : Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal cracked impressive half-centuries to help Bangladesh post 255-4 against the West Indies on the opening day of the first Test on Friday.Wicket-keeper Rahim scored an unbeaten 68 in his first Test as captain and left-handed opener Tamim made 52 as Bangladesh batted steadily to consolidate their position after winning the toss on a good pitch.Rahim added 79 runs for the fourth wicket with former captain Shakib Al Hasan (40) to prop up the innings after Tamim and Raqibul Hasan (41) fell in the afternoon session.The Bangladeshi skipper has so far hit five fours in his 144-ball knock for his seventh Test half-century.Tamim batted patiently for more than a session before falling to a loose shot, caught by teenager Kraigg Brathwaite at mid-wicket while attempting to slog-sweep part-time spinner Marlon Samuels.He cracked five fours in his 141-ball knock for his ninth half-century in 21 Test matches.Middle-order batsman Raqibul, returning to the Test side after more than a year, also fell in the same session, trapped leg-before by seamer Darren Sammy after hitting three fours in his 92-ball knock.The West Indies struggled for success on a first-day track which had little for fast bowlers and spinners, taking just one wicket in the opening session, two in the second and one in the third and last.Samuels bagged two wickets, while pacemen Ravi Rampaul and Sammy took one wicket apiece.Shahriar Nafees retired with a bleeding nose in the opening session after being struck by a bouncer from paceman Fidel Edwards in the 20th over. He is expected to bat later in the innings.Bangladesh lost opener Imrul Kayes in the 12th over before being steadied by Tamim, who had put on 32 runs for the second wicket with Nafees.Rampaul struck in his sixth over when he had Kayes caught by wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh.Nafees played some attacking shots early in his innings, hitting Sammy for two successive fours and then smashing Edwards for two boundaries in an over.All-rounders Elias Sunny and Nasir Hossain made their Test debuts for Bangladesh.The second and final Test starts in Dhaka on October 29.

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