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Pakistan lose the initiative
Pakistan Under-19s squandered a commanding overnight position, losing nine wickets for 110 runs on the third day of the one-off Test in Karachi
Cricinfo staff<br>November 22, 2007
23-Nov-2007
Bangladesh U-19 343 and 58 for 3 (Mithun 30*) lead Pakistan U-19 328 (Amin 112, Shehzad 104, Hossain 3-70) by 73 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Pakistan Under-19s squandered a commanding overnight position, losing nine wickets for 110 runs on the third day of the one-off Test in Karachi to allow Bangladesh a chance of salvaging a draw after taking an unlikely first-innings lead of 15. At the close, they were 58 for 3, a lead of 73.
Pakistan lost Ahmed Shahzad early on - he added four to his overnight 100 - and Umar Amin, who also failed to capitalise on his hundred the day before, followed soon after. Bangladesh kept up the pressure by rotating their bowlers - they used eight in the day - with slingy fast bowler Rubel Hossain the most successful, picking up 3 for 70. Subashis Roy, Suhrawardi Shuvo and Mahmudul Hasan chipped in with two wickets each.
Pakistan made good inroads in the final session, taking three wickets to leave Bangladesh needing to bat well on the last day if they are to force a draw
Full postLaxman and Dhoni give India the edge
A 115-run partnership between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and VVS Laxman after a sudden wicket burst pushed India back into contention
India 228 for 6 (Dhoni 57, Laxman 57*) trail Pakistan 231 (Misbah 82, Kumble 4-38) by three runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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A match that appeared to be drifting inexorably in Pakistan's direction in
the afternoon session was left tantalisingly poised after a 115-run
partnership between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and VVS Laxman pushed India back
into contention. Shoaib Akhtar bowled with tremendous pace to dismiss both
openers, and there were two wickets too for Sohail Tanvir on debut, but
after slumping to 93 for 5, India would have been satisfied to end the day
just three runs adrift.
Dhoni and Laxman eased the immediate pressure with scampered singles, a
pattern broken only when Dhoni cut Mohammad Sami powerfully for four.
Laxman then played two magnificent strokes down the ground off Tanvir, and
Dhoni greeted Danish Kaneria's reintroduction with a savage cut for four,
but at tea, it was still Pakistan that were dictating terms.
Full postVaughan satisfied with team progress
England's opening match of their Sri Lanka tour may have petered out to a tame and predictable draw, but within a matter of hours came a reminder that the real action is only just around the corner
Andrew Miller in Colombo
22-Nov-2007
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Colombo's daily cloudburst may have held off long enough to allow a full day's play, but when it arrived it arrived with a vengeance. The thoughts of the captains, Michael Vaughan and Mahela Jayawardene, and the various SLC dignitaries on show, were accompanied by the din of cascading water on the thatched roof of a picturesque if somewhat impractical garden pavilion. It was not the ideal omen for such an eagerly awaited contest.
For Jayawardene it has been a trying month. He returned earlier this week from Australia, where the pleasure of a maiden Test century against Australia couldn't distract from the disappointment of a 2-0 series defeat, nor from the Muppets controversy that dogged his side's every press conference. It hardly helped that he was addressed as "Marvan" for the first question of the evening, although he rode out the faux pas with customary good grace.
Sri Lanka did have a silver lining to their Australia trip in the form of Kumar Sangakkara's heroic 192 at Hobart, an innings that brought his side improbably close to a record-breaking win. But in the four days prior to that they had managed to take just seven out of 20 Australian wickets, and only four in the previous game at Brisbane. "We're not playing to our potential as yet," said Jayawardene. "We need to work harder and make sure we are more consistent with our performances."
Full postShahzad and Amin push Pakistan into control
Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Amin struck fine hundreds to allow Pakistan to eke out a slight advantage on the second day of their Under-19 Test against Bangladesh at the National Stadium in Karachi
Cricinfo staff<br>November 21, 2007
22-Nov-2007
Pakistan U-19 214 for 1 (Amin 108*, Shehzad 100*, Talukder 52*) trail Bangladesh U-19 343 by 129 runs
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The pair put on 212 for the second wicket, both registering their second hundreds at this level, following centuries against England earlier this year. They had come together after Shan Masood, vice-captain, was dismissed without scoring and stuck together for five minutes short of five hours, ending the day unbeaten.
Full postEngland enjoy valuable work-out
England's batsmen enjoyed a serene afternoon of batting practice as their opening warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Board President's XI meandered to a predictable draw
Andrew Miller at Colombo CC
22-Nov-2007
England 315 for 6 (Cook 63, Collingwood 52) drew with Sri Lanka Board President's XI 500 for 5 dec (Kapugedera 141, Tharanga 112, Kandamby 107*)
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Scorecard
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With just one more game to come before the first Test at Kandy, England's innings contained four retirements and just one other wicket, that of Michael Vaughan, who played across the line to a quicker delivery from the legspinner Malinga Bandara, and was given out lbw for 38. Up until that point, Vaughan had looked in fine touch, as he and Alastair Cook launched their new opening partnership with a 77-run stand for the first wicket.
In a possible sign of things to come, it was the younger man Cook who faced the first over from Nuwan Kulasekara - a significant development because, remarkably, neither he nor Vaughan, who was Marcus Trescothick's regular opening partner from 2002 to 2004, have ever taken first strike in a Test match.
Full postMisbah and Sami frustrate India
After having picked up eight Pakistani wickets for 142 in the first two sessions, India ran out of steam after tea as Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Sami took Pakistan to 210 for 8
Pakistan 210 for 8 (Misbah 71*, Sami 20*) against
India
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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Anil Kumble's first day as India's Test captain went nearly perfectly for
two sessions, but a spirited rearguard action from Misbah-ul-Haq and
Mohammad Sami redressed the balance somewhat on an engrossing opening day
at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Misbah, who had never gone past 41 in his
previous seven Tests, batted more than four hours for his unbeaten 71,
while Sami embarrassed more illustrious team-mates with a defiant 20 that
spanned the entire final session.
After having picked up eight Pakistani wickets for 142 in the first two
sessions, India ran out of steam after tea, with nothing more than half
chances coming their way. The best of them came just before stumps, when
Misbah pulled Munaf Patel to midwicket. Harbhajan Singh got his hands to
it, but the ball was struck with such force that it burst through his
fingers and went for two.
Full postAziz and Talukder keep Bangladesh afloat
Pakistan U-19 v Bangladesh U-19, Only Test, Karachi
Cricinfo staff<br> November 20, 2007
21-Nov-2007
Bangladesh U-19 273 for 7 (Aziz 77, Talukder 52*, Rameez 3-57) v Pakistan U-19
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Having been put in to bat, Bangladesh U-19 overcame a poor start to finish on a respectable 273 for seven after the first day's play against Pakistan U-19 in the only Test at the National Stadium in Karachi.
Imad Wasim, the Pakistan captain, had immediate success after winning the toss as Tamim Iqbal, a senior regular with 18 ODIs behind him and vice-captain for the tour was trapped in front of the stumps off Mohammad Rameez, off only the second ball of the match.
Full postAudacious Lehmann shines in last hurrah
Darren Lehmann brought the champagne to his own one-day send-off with a fizzing century which drove South Australia to a record-breaking chase in Adelaide as they hunted down 306 against Western Australia
Jenny Thompson in Adelaide
21-Nov-2007
South Australia 2 for 308 (Elliott 133*, Lehmann 126*) beat Western Australia 6 for 305 (Ervine 134*, Ronchi 69) by eight wickets
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Scorecard
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Talk about saving your best for last. Darren Lehmann brought the champagne to his own one-day send-off with a fizzing century which drove South Australia to a record-breaking chase in Adelaide as they hunted down 306 against Western Australia. It was a superb knock, his 126 from 104 balls a fitting firework display for the thousands of fans who watched him and Matthew Elliott gun down records for fun.
Elliott made a century of his own as the pair entered the highest successful chase in one-day domestic history, and their unbroken 236-run stand was a record for any wicket for South Australia in this competition. It was also Elliott's highest score in the tournament, while Lehmann passed 4000 one-day runs for South Australia.
Full postVictoria put wounded Bulls out of their misery
Victoria rode on Brad Hodge's unbeaten 286 to secure their first Pura Cup win against Queensland since December 2004, crushing the Bulls by 276 runs
Cricinfo staff
21-Nov-2007
Victoria 113 and 5 for 581 dec (Hodge 286*, Jewell 188) beat Queensland 341 and 77 (McKay 4-31, Denton 3-26) by 276 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
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Victoria rode on Brad Hodge's unbeaten 286 to secure their first Pura Cup win against Queensland since December 2004, crushing the Bulls by 276 runs. Queensland's attack was depleted by injury but their batsmen had no such excuse in crumbling for 77 after the Bushrangers set them a chase of 354 from 73 overs.
The Bulls had just over two sessions to pursue the win but Clinton McKay and Gerard Denton had toppled them by tea. McKay claimed a career-best 4 for 31 and Denton confirmed his spot as the competition's leading wicket-taker with 3 for 26.
Full postKapugedera and Kandamby make England sweat
England's bowlers continued to toil with little reward on the second day at Colombo Cricket Club
Andrew Miller at Colombo CC
21-Nov-2007
Sri Lanka Board President's XI 500 for 5 dec (Kapugedera 141, Tharanga 112, Kandamby 107*) v England
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Scorecard
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The Sri Lankan Board President's XI eventually declared on 500 for 5, after Kandamby had brought up his century with a cut off James Anderson. Moments later the rains arrived with seasonal predictability to deny England the immediate prospect of a response with the bat. Instead, they were left to mull over a performance that had been several notches short of the intensity they will require when the first Test begins at Kandy on December 1.
The pick of the attack on the second day was Matthew Hoggard. Though he momentarily lost his run-up during the first day's play, he was back to his frugal and well-grooved best this time around, and made the only breakthrough of the morning session. Tharanga, who had been 92 not out overnight, brought up his hundred in the sixth over but then fell to Hoggard's fifth ball of the morning, as he steered a lifting delivery to Ravi Bopara in the gully.
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