England 104-6 at close, Pakistan routed for 99

DUBAI: England edged to a slender five-run lead over Pakistan at the close as 16 wickets fell during an extraordinary opening day of the third and final test at Dubai Stadium Friday.

Routed for a low score of 99 in their first innings by England pacemen Stuart Broad (4-36) and James Anderson (3-35), Pakistan spinners moved to the fore to leave England struggling at 104-6.

England, playing for pride after losing the first two Tests and the series, now hold a slight lead on a seemingly batting-friendly pitch.

At the close, Andrew Strauss was unbeaten on 41 and James Anderson was on three not out.

Paceman Umar Gul led Pakistan’s fightback by dismissing opener Alastair Cook (one) and Jonathan Trott (two) before Strauss added 57 for the third wicket with Kevin Pietersen (32) during their bids to overcome batting frailties.

England’s batting had flopped during their two wicket defeat in the first Test here and in the 72-run defeat in the second match in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistani spinners Abdul Rehman and Saeed Ajmal, who grabbed 34 of the 40 wickets in the first two Tests, then grabbed four more wickets, with Rehman dismissing Pietersen and Eoin Morgan (10) and Ajmal accounting for Bell (five).

Pietersen’s dismissal made it 34 leg-before dismissals for the series, beating the previous record of 33 in the Pakistan-West Indies series in the Caribbean in 1993.

Rehman, who took 3-23, then bowled Matt Prior (six) with England just one behind Pakistan.

Earlier in the morning, England’s pace duo of Broad and Anderson bowled well to expose Pakistan, who won the toss and batted. Asad Shafiq topscored with 45.

Anderson struck in the first over, trapping opener Taufiq Umar for a duck.

Broad then clicked into gear, snaring Ali in his third over through a caught behind and Younis in his next, caught off a rising delivery, again by wicket-keeper Prior.

He then claimed Hafeez’s wicket trapping him leg before. Australian umpire Simon Taufel initially turned down the appeal but changed the decision after England called for a review.

Hafeez mocked the decision review system and may face a hearing from match-referee Jeff Crowe of New Zealand after the day’s play.

From the other end Anderson trapped Misbah-ul Haq for one in a decision challenged by the Pakistani skipper to no avail. That left Pakistan struggling at 21-5.

Shafiq and Adnan Akmal (six) added 18 for the sixth wicket before Broad changed ends to dismiss the wicket-keeper, again with a sharp incoming delivery which caught the batsmen in front of the stumps.

Graeme Swann then teased a miscued a drive from Rehman (one) gathered by a grateful Pietersen at mid-off, leaving Pakistan in danger of being bowled out for their lowest ever Test total — 53 against Australia in 2002.

Shafiq hit his first boundary in the last over before lunch to take Pakistan to that lowest mark and then hit another off left-arm spinner Monty Panesar to avoid the ignominy.

But Panesar, who took 2-25, had the last laugh, breaking the 34-run stand — the best of the innings — between Ajmal (12) and Shafiq after lunch.

Gul made 13 before Anderson bowled him to wrap up the innings.

England resisted the temptation to change their line-up but Pakistan brought paceman Aizaz Cheema for Junaid Khan. AGENCIES

Pakistan VS India Semi-Final: Blue Shirts set the target of 261

Blue shirts have set the target of runs for green shirts in the Pakistan VS India 2nd semi-final of ICC World Cup 2011, at Punjab Cricket Association Ground Mohali. Sachin Tendulkar played the innings of 85 runs. Wahab Riaz made his selection right by picking 5 wickets.

According to details Indian Captain MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first. Aggressive Virender Sehwag played powerful strokes all around the ground. He hits five boundaries in the second over of Umar Gul. Sehwag was taken by Wahab Riaz when his score was 38. New batsman Gautam Gambhir and Tendulkar batted very well and added 68 runs in the second wicket partnership. Gambhir was stumped by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal on the score of 27. Virat Kohli failed to play a big innings and was dismissed by Wahab. His score was 9. Wahab not give the chance to dangerman Yuvraj Singh to open his score account and clean bowled him on very first ball.

The innings of Tendulkar ended on 85. He faced 115 balls for this score. MS Dhoni became the fourth wicket of Wahab, his LBW review carries no advantage. Harbhajan Singh bowled out by on 12. Zaheer Khan turned back to pavilion after scoring 9 runs. Ashish Nehra goes runout on the second last ball of innings. India posted the total of 260/9 in the limited number of overs. Wahab Riaz was the best Pakistani bowler with five wickets. Saeed Ajmal finished the innings of two Indian players.

Pakistan VS India 2nd Semi-Final

Pakistan now need 261 runs to win in 50 overs at 5.20 runs per over. Stay with us for more cricket live updates of Pakistan VS India 2nd semi-final.

World Cup 2011: New Zealand beat South Africa by 49 runs

New Zealand beat South Africa by 49 runs in the 3rd quarterfinal of ICC World Cup 2011 at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur. Following the target of 222, all South African side bowled out for 172 runs. Six Proteas batsmen couldn’t enter into the double figures. Jacob Oram got four wickets.

According to details New Zealand Captain Daniel Vettori won the toss and elected to bat first. Kiwi side goes early in trouble by losing the big wicket of Brendon McCullum on the first ball of 3rd over. He scored 4 runs. Soon after, Martin Guptill was taken by Steyn on just 1 run. He played 14 balls for this score. After losing two early wickets, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor batted very sensibly and added 114 runs in the third wicket partnership. Taylor was taken by Imran Tahir when his score was 43. Scott Styris failed to play a big innings and turned back to pavilion after scoring 16 runs.

The innings of Ryder ended on 83, Ingram took his catch on the ball of Imran. Nathan McCullum was bowled out by Steyn on 6. Jacob Oram (7) was clean bowled by Morkal on the first delivery of 48th over. Daniel Vettori also dismissed on the second last ball of the same over. At the end of limited number of overs, New Zealand posted the total of 221/8 on the scoreboard. Kane Williamson was notout on 3. Morne Morkel was best South African bowler with 3 wickets. Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir finished the innings of two, two players.

Following the target of 222, South African side goes early in trouble by losing the big wicket of Hashim Amla. He scored 7 runs after playing 5 balls. Captain Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis played a bit responsible cricket and added 61 runs in the second wicket partnership. Smith turned back to pavilion after scoring 28 runs. This time in-form AB de Villiers came to join Kallis. The innings of Kallis finished ended on 47, he faced 75 balls for this score. JP Duminy failed to play a big innings and was soon taken by Nathan McCullum.

AB de Villiers became the fifth wicket of Kiwi side, he scored 35 runs. Soon after, Johan Botha was dismissed by Oram on 2. Robin Peterson turned back without opening his score account. Dale Steyn was taken by Nathan McCullum on 8. The resistance of Faf du Plessis finished by Oram on 36. Morne Morkel became the victory wicket of kiwis who scored 3 runs. After losing all wickets the score of South Africa was 172in 43.2 overs.
Jacob Oram was the most sussessful bowler of the winning side, he took four wickets. Nathan McCullum finished the innings of three Proteas batsmen.

Rehman helps Pakistan thwart South Africa

ABU DHABI: Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman took three wickets and scored his maiden half-century to foil South Africa’s attempts to win the second Test at Abu Dhabi Stadium on Tuesday.

Rehman checked South Africa’s quest for quick runs in order to set a target for Pakistan with wickets of Alvior Petersen (35), Hashim Amla (62) and AB de Villiers (25) before South Africa closed the fourth day at 173-4, for an overall lead of 323.

Ashwell Prince was unbeaten on 27 and Mark Boucher was 13 not out on a day when the 30-year-old Rehman became Pakistan’s saviour.

Rehman scored a career-best 60 to help Pakistan score 434 in their first-innings in reply to South Africa’s mammoth 584-9 declared — the first time Pakistan crossed the 400-mark in a Test this year.

South Africa, for whom captain Graeme Smith couldn’t open the innings after a recurrence of

Indian top order heaps misery on New Zealand

NAGPUR: Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar built up India’s strong reply with unbeaten half-centuries in the series-deciding third and final Test against New Zealand on Sunday.

The veteran batsmen took the innings on following the dismissal of openers Gautam Gambhir (78) and Virender Sehwag (74) to bring India to 292-2 at stumps on the second day of the match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.

India were ahead by 99 runs with eight wickets in hand, having bundled out the visitors for 193 early in the morning session.

Tendulkar survived some hostile bowling from New Zealand’s quicks to play some breathtaking shots on either side of the wicket. He had so far hit seven boundaries in his 57-run knock off 126 balls.

Dravid played in typically sedate fashion, making 69 with the help of eight fours during his four-hour innings.

He added 79

De Villiers record puts S.Africa in charge

ABU DHABI: AB de Villiers posted South Africa’s highest individual score to give them firm control of the second test on the second day against Pakistan at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Sunday.

De Villiers scored 278 not out to pass Graeme Smith’s landmark of 277 against England in Birmingham in 2003, with captain Smith declaring their first innings closed on 584 for nine shortly afterwards.

Taufeeq Umar (16) and Azhar Ali (34) then took Pakistan to 59 for one before bad light stopped play and stumps were drawn with seven overs remaining in the day.

Mohammad Hafeez was the batsman out, playing across his front pad and being trapped lbw for two in the first over of the innings.

De Villiers came to the wicket with the score a parlous 33 for three on the first morning but immediately looked settled and occupied the crease for more than 11 hours, taking 418

Pakistan is entering transformation phase: Younis

ABU DHABI: Abdul Razzaq’s stunning knock in the second one-day international against South Africa has turned the fortunes of Pakistan cricket and given them self-belief, according to Younis Khan.

Pakistan had lost three games on the trot two Twenty20 Internationals and an ODI when Razzaq’s came up with what many have described as one of the best innings played in limited overs cricket in Abu Dhabi.He scored 63 of the final 65 runs to lead Pakistan to a stunning one-wicket win and his innings changed the complete makeover of the team, giving them a new lease of life and lifting their spirits to new heights.

Razzaq returned home after the ODIs, but Pakistan’s performances continued to climb and evidence of their new-found self-belief was could be seen in the first Test, where Younis played a stellar knock, along side captain Misbah ul-Haq, on the final day to stall South

McCullum hits double-ton as India-NZ Test drawn

HYDERABAD: Opener Brendon McCullum smashed a career-best 225 to help New Zealand draw the second Test against world number one India on Tuesday.

McCullum, playing his 54th Test, unleashed 22 fours and four sixes during his nine-hour innings as the tourists declared at their tea score of 448-8 on the fifth and final day of the match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium.

That left India — who made 472 in their first innings in reply to New Zealand’s 350 — with an improbable target of scoring 327 runs off 30 overs in the final session.

India’s openers Virender Sehwag (54 not out) and Gautam Gambhir (14 not out) took India to 68-0 when the rival captains agreed to call off the match one hour before the scheduled close.

It was McCullum who stole the day’s show and gave the eight-ranked Kiwis plenty to cheer about as they head into the series-deciding third Test

Pakistan need 148 runs to win third Test

LONDON: Pakistan need 148 runs to win the third Test against England at the Oval after bowling England out for 222 in their second innings on Saturday.

But they were immediately put on the back foot when opener Yasir Hameed was out first ball.

Hameed edged James Anderson to second slip, where Graeme Swann needed two attempts to hold on to the chance and leave Pakistan 5 for 1 with captain Salman Butt coming to the crease.

Pakistan needed only four balls of the morning session to wrap up the England innings with Stuart Broad pulling Mohammad Aamer to mid-on to give the Pakistani bowler his fifth wicket of the innings.

Aamer’s figures of 5-52 were his best in Test cricket and gave Pakistan a real chance of pulling one Test back in the series.

England who lost six wickets for 26 runs in a frenzied period on Friday night could only add one run to

Azhar gives Pakistan the edge

LONDON: Azhar Ali helped Pakistan take a firm grip of the third Test by scoring a test-best 92 not out before England were reduced to 6-1 at stumps on the second day at The Oval on Thursday, with captain Andrew Strauss the man out.

Strauss (4) departed to the fourth ball of the innings, caught at second slip off Mohammad Amir. The under-pressure Alastair Cook was yet to score with nightwatchman James Anderson on 2.

Pakistan lead by 69, having established a 75-run first-innings advantage.

Ali, playing his fifth Test, batted for 250 minutes and scored 14 boundaries, six of them coming in a precious 10th-wicket partnership of 38 with Mohammad Asif that frustrated England. Asif was dropped early by Strauss at first slip off Steven Finn.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann finished with 4-68, including his 100th Test wicket, that of Mohammad Yousuf, who made 56 in

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