Cook hits double century but Ashes opener drawn

BRISBANE: Australia and England drew the first Ashes test on Monday but the tourists will claim a moral victory after Alastair Cook dominated the last two days with an unbeaten double century to rescue a match that had looked lost.

Cook, who was unbeaten on a career-high 235, and Jonathan Trott, who was 135 not out, had built a record partnership of 329 when captain Andrew Strauss declared England’s second innings closed at 571-1 before tea.

Australia, who were 296 runs behind, lost Simon Katich before the break but skipper Ricky Ponting, who hit 51 for his 56th test half century, and opener Shane Watson (41) ushered the hosts safely through the remaining overs to finish on 107 for one.

Cook and Trott completely dominated the first two sessions of the day in front of a sparse fifth day crowd at the Gabba, where England supporters were more numerous and much

Cook joins select company in England run feast

BRISBANE: Alastair Cook became only the fourth Englishman to score a Test double-century in Australia as the first Ashes Test headed for a draw on the final day at the Gabba on Monday.

Cook joined Wally Hammond (3), Reg Foster and Paul Collingwood as double centurions with his unconquered 235 to ensure the Ashes holders avoided defeat after trailing by 221 runs on the first innings.

Skipper Andrew Strauss finally called a halt to England’s run pillage at 517 for one, 40 minutes before tea, with Cook and Jonathan Trott, unbeaten on 135, sharing in England’s highest partnership in Australia of 329 runs.

Australia lost the wicket of Simon Katich for four in the seven overs to tea and were desperate to avoid further damage ahead of this week’s second Adelaide Test.

At tea, Australia were 11 for one with skipper Ricky Ponting on six and Shane Watson yet to

Indian spinners rock Australia after Tendulkar’s double ton

BANGALORE: The second and final test between India and Australia was heading for a gripping climax after bowlers dominated the fourth day on Tuesday.

The Indian spinners reduced Australia to 202 for seven at the close, with Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Hauritz facing the task of extending a slender lead of 185 runs for the touring side who lost the first test by one wicket.

Captain Ricky Ponting made a defiant 72 to hold the innings together before falling to Zaheer Khan in the final session.

The tourists were let down by their top order which struggled against Indian spinners Pragyan Ojha and Harbhajan Singh.

Ojha removed in-form opener Shane Watson, Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey, while Harbhajan accounted for Simon Katich and Marcus North.

“I’m not satisfied. I will be satisfied if we can get them out early tomorrow and get those runs,”

Ponting leads Australia recovery in second test

BANGALORE: Captain Ricky Ponting top-scored with a resolute 77 as Australia recovered from a wobbly afternoon session to reach 285 for five on the opening day of the second and final test against India on Saturday.

Australia, 1-0 down in the series, appeared to have squandered a perfect start when they lost three wickets for 33 runs after lunch.

Ponting then featured in two half-century partnerships with Mike Hussey (34) and Marcus North before the skipper fell in the 76th over.

North was unbeaten on 43 and Tim Paine eight not out when bad light stopped play for the day.

Earlier, Ponting’s decision to bat first on a slow track was vindicated when the in-form Shane Watson (57) put on 99 for the first wicket with Simon Katich (43).

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh removed Katich in the first over after lunch and followed up by dismissing Michael

Australia lose two early wickets in Leeds Test

LEEDS: Australia lost both openers Simon Katich and Shane Watson at 20 after winning the toss and opting to bat against Pakistan in the second test at Headingley on Wednesday.

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Australia lose two early wickets in Leeds Test

Pakistan vs Australlia 1st Test Full Scoreboard

Pakistan vs Australlia 1st Test played at Lord’s London on 13th to 17th July 2010. Pakistan won the toss and choose to field. Australlia Classical win against Pakistan by 150 runs. Man of the match : Salman Butt, Simon Katich.

Pakistan vs Australlia 1st Test Full Scoreboard

Australlia Batting
Shane Watson b M Aamer 4(16b,1/4)
Simon Katich c K Akmal b M Asif 80(138b,9/4)
Ricky Ponting (c) c U Amin b M Aamer 26(39b,4/4)
Michael Clarke lbw b M Asif 47(77b,8/4)
Michael Hussey not out 56(100b,8/4,1/6)
Marcus North b M Asif 0(3b)
Tim Paine (wk) c K Akmal b U Gul 7(46b,1/4)
Steven Smith lbw b D Kaneria 1(7b)
Mitchell Johnson b D Kaneria 3(9b)
Ben Hilfenhaus b M Aamer 1(8b)
Doug Bollinger b M Aamer 4(28b,1/4)
Extras: (b 10, lb 2, w 2, nb 10) 24
Total: (10 wkts, 76.5 ovs) 253

Pakistan Bowling
Mohammad Aamer 19.5 2 72 4
Mohammad Asif 19 5 63 3
Umar Gul 17 3 32 1
Shahid Afridi 3 0 25 0
Danish Kaneria 18 7 49 2

Pakistan Batting
Imran Farhat c T Paine b B Hilfenhaus 4(19b,1/4)
Salman Butt b S Watson 63(94b,12/4)
Azhar Ali c T Paine b B Hilfenhaus 16(43b,2/4)
Umar Amin c T Paine b M Johnson 1(3b)
Umar Akmal lbw b S Watson 5(21b)
Kamran Akmal (wk) lbw b S Watson 0(3b)
Shahid Afridi (c) c M Johnson b S Watson 31(15b,4/4,2/6)
Mohammad Aamer c T Paine b D Bollinger 0(2b)
Umar Gul c S Watson b D Bollinger 7(20b,1/4)
Danish Kaneria c S Smith b S Watson 14(20b,1/4)
Mohammad Asif not out 4(6b,1/4)
Extras: (lb 2, nb 1) 3
Total: (10 wkts, 40.5 ovs) 148

Australlia Bowling
Doug Bollinger 11 3 38 2
Ben Hilfenhaus 12 2 37 2
Mitchell Johnson 10 2 31 1
Shane Watson 7.5 1 40 5

Australlia Batting
Shane Watson c I Farhat b M Asif 31(51b,4/4,1/6)
Simon Katich c K Akmal b U Gul 83(174b,14/4)
Ricky Ponting (c) lbw b M Asif 0(6b)
Michael Clarke b U Gul 12(25b,2/4)
Michael Hussey c I Farhat b U Gul 0(1b)
Mitchell Johnson b U Gul 30(54b,5/4)
Marcus North c K Akmal b M Asif 20(25b,2/4)
Tim Paine (wk) b S Afridi 47(85b,3/4)
Steven Smith lbw b D Kaneria 12(17b,1/4)
Ben Hilfenhaus not out 56(84b,6/4,1/6)
Doug Bollinger b D Kaneria 21(33b,3/4)
Extras: (b 6, lb 5, w 2, nb 9) 22
Total: (10 wkts, 91 ovs) 334

Pakistan Bowling
Mohammad Aamer 18 3 67 0
Mohammad Asif 21 3 77 3
Umar Gul 21 5 61 4
Danish Kaneria 17 2 74 2
Shahid Afridi 14 0 44 1

Pakistan Batting
Imran Farhat c S Watson b S Smith 24(48b,3/4)
Salman Butt st T Paine b M North 92(173b,15/4)
Azhar Ali c T Paine b B Hilfenhaus 42(87b,4/4)
Umar Amin c S Katich b M North 33(54b,4/4)
Umar Akmal c M Clarke b M North 22(30b,3/4,1/6)
Kamran Akmal (wk) b S Smith 46(83b,6/4,1/6)
Shahid Afridi (c) c M Hussey b M North 2(4b)
Mohammad Aamer c M Hussey b M North 19(48b,1/4)
Umar Gul c R Ponting b S Smith 1(10b)
Danish Kaneria c R Ponting b M North 2(11b)
Mohammad Asif not out 1(1b)
Extras: (b 2, lb 1, nb 2) 5
Total: (10 wkts, 91.1 ovs) 289

Australlia Bowling
Doug Bollinger 12 4 43 0
Ben Hilfenhaus 16 8 37 1
Mitchell Johnson 18 5 74 0
Steven Smith 21 5 51 3
hane Watson 6 0 26 0
Marcus North 18.1 1 55 6

Pakistan beaten by 150 runs against Aussies in first Test

LONDON: Australia beat Pakistan by 150 runs to win the first Test at Lord”s here on Friday and go 1-0 up in the two-match series.

Victory gave Australia a record 13th straight successive Test victory over the same opponent, although Sri Lanka”s run of 12 wins in a row over Bangladesh is also still ongoing.

Pakistan, chasing what would have been a new world record fourth innings victory total of 440, were bowled out for 150 as Australia, in the first ”neutral” Test played in England since 1912, won with more than a day to spare.

Part-time off-spinner Marcus North was Australia”s bowling hero with a Test-best six wickets for 55 runs – the first time he”d taken five or more wickets in an innings – on the fourth day here on Friday.

Unheralded medium-pacer Shane Watson had earlier exploited the overcast, swing-friendly conditions to take a Test-best five for 40 as Pakistan were bowled out for a meagre 148 in their first innings.

Australia were also indebted to opener Simon Katich for scores of 80 and 83 in a match where batsmen on both sides struggled.

Pakistan”s Salman Butt, like Katich a left-handed opener, scored his side”s only two fifties. But having made 63 in the first innings, his dismissal by North for 92 on Friday was the catalyst for Pakistan”s final collapse.

The second and final Test starts at Headingley on Wednesday.

Brief scores:
Australia 1st Inns 253 (S Katich 80, M Hussey 56 no; Mohammad Aamer 4-72,
Mohammad Asif 3-63)
Pakistan 1st Inns 148 (Salman Butt 63; S Watson 5-40)
Australia 2nd Inns 334 (S Katich 83, B Hilfenhaus 56 no; Umar Gul 4-61,
Mohammad Asif 3-77)
Pakistan 2nd Inns 289 (Salman Butt 92; M North 6-55)

Result: Australia won by 150 runs

Butt leads Pakistan rally against Australia

LONDON: Salman Butt scored his second fifty of the match and remained unbeaten at the close of the third day here on Wednesday to give Pakistan hope of a record-breaking win in the first Test against Australia at Lord”s.

Butt was 58 not out and Test debutant Azhar Ali 28 not out at the close with Pakistan needing a further 326 runs to reach their imposing goal of 440.

That would surpass the highest total ever scored in a fourth innings to win a Test of 418 for seven made by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2002/03.

Pakistan”s equivalent best is the 315 for nine they made against Australia at Karachi in 1994 while the Lord”s landmark was set by the West Indies when compiling 344 for one against England in 1984.

However, conditions were transformed on Thursday as previously overcast, swing-bowler friendly skies, gave way to bright sunshine, with the pitch still a good one on which to bat.

It would still be a remarkable victory but at least Pakistan were putting up a fight after being dismissed for just 148 in their first innings.

But a first-wicket stand worth exactly 50 was broken when Imran Farhat, miscued a pull off a Steven Smith long-hop to Shane Watson at mid-wicket to give the jubilant debutant his first Test wicket.

However, Pakistan vice-captain Butt, playing pace and spin with equal assurance, scored nine boundaries in his 86-ball fifty.

Australia, bowled out for 334 in their second innings, set Pakistan a formidable target thanks to a second score in the 80s from Simon Katich, also a left-handed opener and tailender Hilfenhaus”s Test-best 56 not out.

Debutant wicketkeeper Tim Paine (47) also made his highest score at this level and shared a ninth-wicket stand of 74 with fellow Tasmanian Hilfenhaus.

No 11 Bollinger also chipped in with a Test-best 21 before he was bowled by leg-spinner Danish Kaneria to end a last-wicket partnership worth 52.

Australia saw their lunch score of 188 for five become 188 for seven as Katich and fellow left-hander Marcus North were both caught behind off Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif respectively.

Katich though had made 83, to add to his valuable first innings 80, after four hours at the crease.

Paine and Hilfenhaus kept the runs coming before the keeper was bowled by the leg-spin of Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi.

The seamer, whose previous best was 20 against England at Edgbaston last year, reached fifty in 81 balls with a six, struck high over extra-cover off Asif, and six fours.

This two-Test series is being played in England because of security concerns in Pakistan.

Watson”s five puts Aussie on top

LORD”S: A characteristic Pakistani batting collapse, highlighted by a bizarre Twenty20-style cameo from captain Shahid Afridi, has put Australia firmly in control of the teams” series-opening Test at Lord”s – despite a batting wobble of its own late on day two.

Afridi was batting in his first Test match for four years but could just as well have kept the coloured clothes on. Arriving at the crease with his team reeling at 5-83 he responded with a brutal 15-minute innings of 31 that epitomised why he is so revered in limited-overs cricket but simultaneously showed why he was a bizarre choice as Pakistan”s new Test captain.

Opener Salman Butt”s impressive 63 was the only valiant batting performance as Pakistan was bowled out for 148 in just the 41st over. Australian all-rounder Shane Watson”s maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket meant Australia”s seemingly disappointing first innings of 253 was actually enough to give it a 105-run lead.

By the end of day two that lead had been extended to 205 runs as Australia went to stumps at 4-100 in its second innings, with Simon Katich on 49 and nightwatchman Mitchell Johnson on two.

The first negative for Australian supporters for the day was the extension of captain Ricky Ponting”s barren spell at Lord”s as he was dismissed LBW. The replay indicated the delivery from Mohammad Asif would have passed leg-stump, however by not playing a shot Ponting made it much easier for umpire Rudi Koertzen, officiating in his second-last Test, to give him out.

It was followed soon after with Umar Gul”s wickets, in successive deliveries, of Michael Clarke for 12 and Mike Hussey for a duck. With 21 minutes remaining the Australians decided to shield No.6 batsman Marcus North by sending Mitchell Johnson in.

Australia started day two by another 31 runs to its first-innings total thanks an unbeaten 56 from Mike Hussey and some solid resistance from Doug Bollinger.

Australia to resumes innings today at Lord’s

LORD’S: Australia will resume its second innings in the first test against Pakistan at Lords on Wednesday.

Mohammad Asif took three wickets in a dramatic burst either side of tea as Australia finished on 229 for nine when bad light forced an early close on the first day of the first Test against Pakistan at Lord”s here on Tuesday.

Asif took three wickets for no runs in seven balls on his way to a return of three for 53 in 17 overs.

Meanwhile teenage left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer, his new ball-partner, made the early inroads on his way to a haul of three for 66 in 18 overs.

Australia”s batsmen all struggled after Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi won the toss and elected to field in overcast, seam-bowler friendly, conditions.

Only left-handed opener Simon Katich, who made 80 but might have been lbw for two, had so far got past fifty although Michael Hussey was 39 not out, with Doug Bollinger unbeaten on nought, at stumps.

Asif struck with the last ball before tea when he had Clarke lbw for 47 to end a third-wicket stand worth 120 with Katich.

And nine balls after the break, Katich pushed uncertainly outside off-stump against Asif and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal for 80.

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