Sri Lanka beat Australia by 3 wickets in ODI

HOBART: Sri Lanka beat Australia by three wickets with four balls to spare to go top of the tri one-day series at Bellerive Oval on Friday.

Nuwan Kulasekara hit the winning runs as Sri Lanka reached 283 for seven off 49.2 overs in reply to Australia's 280 for six off 50 overs.

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Spot-fixing: Mohammad Amir arriving on Sunday

LONDON: Mohammad Amir, one of three Pakistani cricketers jailed over spot-fixing charges, is arriving Sunday after spending three months of prison term in Britain, 

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Forrest smashes 104 in Australia's 280-6

HOBART: Peter Forrest scored the first century of the tri one-day series to hoist Australia to 280 for six off their 50 overs against Sri Lanka at Bellerive Oval on Friday.

The newcomer, slotting comfortably into deposed Ricky Ponting's number three batting spot, hit 104 off 138 balls to steer Australia to an imposing total.

Sri Lanka will need to score a Hobart record to chase down Australia's total.

Forrest hit 10 fours and two sixes to take his tournament tally to 234 runs in four innings since his unexpected selection for the tri-series.

His hundred was his not only his first for Australia but also in any one-day match.

He brought up his century by dropping the ball into the off-side and darting for a quick single, before celebrating with fist-pumping jubilation.

He combined in a 154-run third-wicket partnership with skipper Michael Clarke (72) after the loss of openers Matthew Wade (5) and David Warner (7) for just 27 runs.

Forrest looked at ease against the Sri Lankan bowling before he was out in the 41st over holing out to deep cover off Angelo Mathews.

Clarke, in his first match back since hamstring-related trouble, struggled throughout with a stiff back in his 79-ball knock with five fours and two sixes.

The Australian skipper was out to a stunning catch by Thisara Perera in the 39th over for Mathews' second wicket of the innings.

David Hussey remained unbeaten on 40 off 28 balls and paceman Brett Lee 20 not out with Mike Hussey out five overs from the end of the innings to a crashing yorker from Lasith Malinga for 21 off 14 balls.

Australia, who won the toss, left out fit-again all-rounder Shane Watson and paceman Clint McKay, while the Sri Lankans, who were in second place in the tournament standings three points behind Australia, named an unchanged side.

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Cricket: Stirling stars with bat and ball for Ireland

MOMBASA :  Kenya: Paul Stirling starred with both the bat and ball as Ireland beat Kenya by eight wickets in the second Twenty20 international match at the Mombasa Sports Club grounds on Thursday.

The 21-year-old Middlesex player took two wickets in the Kenyan top order and pretty much single-handedly won the game for his team with his unbeaten 65 to give the hosts their second crushing defeat in the three-match series.

Spinner George Dockrell and pacemen Trent Johnston, John Mooney and Kevin O'Brien had each grabbed one wicket apiece as Kenya reached 131 for seven after being put in to bat.

The Irish victory served as a morale boost in their preparations for next month's Twenty20 World Cup qualifying tournament in the United Arab Emirates.

The third and final match in the series will be played on Friday.

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Cricket: Pakistan beat England in nail-biting finish

DUBAI: Paceman Umar Gul took 3-18 to inspire Pakistan to a thrilling eight-run win in the first of three Twenty20 internationals against England at Dubai Stadium on Thursday.

England, the reigning Twenty20 world champions, were cruising at 120-4 after 17 overs, chasing 145 to win, but Gul took two wickets in the 18th over for just three runs to change the complexion of the game, eventually restricting England to 136-6.

Graeme Swann rocked the middle-order with a burst of three wickets off eight balls to restrict Pakistan, put into bat, to 144-6 with Shoaib Malik making 39.

Ravi Bopara (39) and Jonny Bairstow (22 not out) had added 33 for the fourth wicket but Gul dismissed Bopara with the fifth ball of the 16th over and then had Jos Butler (three) and Samit Patel (naught) in the next to bring Pakistan closer to victory.

With 18 needed off the final over bowled by Junaid Khan, England managed just nine.

England were set on the chase by Kevin Pietersen (33) as they reached 48 by the sixth over but Pakistan came back when Shahid Afridi dismissed the in-form Pietersen.

Pietersen, who made back-to-back hundreds in England's 4-0 win in the preceding one-day series, holed out to Shafiq.

Off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez, who finished with 2-18, chipped in with the wickets of Craig Kieswetter (14) and dangerous looking Eoin Morgan (14) to leave England at 80-3, a position from where they should have won but Gul's spirited bowling made the difference.

Pakistan too made a flying start with debutant Awais Zia hitting a four and six during his 12-ball 18 but Pakistan lost four wickets in the space of eight runs as Asad Shafiq (19) fell run out, Mohammad Hafeez (23), Shahid Afridi (seven) and Umar Akmal (nought) followed each other, with Swann taking the last three.

It was left to captain Misbah-ul Haq (26 not out) and Malik (39) to put on 71 for the sixth wicket to take Pakistan to a respectable total.

Malik hit four boundaries and six off 33 balls before he fell to a superb catch by Bairstow off Jade Dernbach off the last ball of the innings. Misbah gave Malik good support during his run-a-ball innings, hitting one four and a six. Swann finished with 3-13.

Pakistan brought in Zia and allrounder Hammad Azam while Bopara and Swann returned for England after missing the fourth one-dayer due to fitness problems.

The second match will be played here on Saturday, while the final match is in Abu Dhabi on February 27.

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Cricket: Sacking Ponting was tough, says Clarke

SYDNEY: Australian captain Michael Clarke has said he was partly responsible for the sacking of former skipper Ricky Ponting from the one-day squad.

Clarke wrote about how difficult the decision had been in a newspaper column on Thursday, while adding that the 37-year-old Ponting remained a "huge part of our Test team".

"I'm 100 percent part of the selection panel - that's part now of the captain's job," he wrote in a New Ltd column. "We've made this decision as a panel.

"It is tough not having the great Ricky Ponting out there... playing one-day cricket for us but that's the decision we've made."

Clarke replaced Ponting as captain after England completed a 3-1 Ashes series win on Australian soil in January last year, becoming part of the national side's selection panel.

Ponting's axing from the one-day side earlier this week as Australia build a side for the 2015 World Cup triggered fierce debate in the country.

Without peer in the 50-overs game, Ponting has racked up 13,704 runs in 375 matches at an average of 42, also winning three World Cups in his 17-year career, two as skipper.

After accepting his one-day international career was over, Ponting said he would continue in test cricket and hoped to play in the 2013 Ashes.

His Test place had also been under pressure at the end of last year but he responded with 544 runs at an average of 108 as hosts Australia whitewashed India 4-0. (Reuters)

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