Shoaib's ban suspended till final judgment

Shoaib's ban and its aftermath

Shoaib's ban suspended till final judgment

June 30, 2008

	Shoaib Akhtar's ban has been suspended pending a final judgement but the fine still remains © AFP

Shoaib Akhtar's ban on playing for Pakistan has been temporarily suspended by the Lahore High Court pending a full and final judgement, which technically means the fast bowler is eligible to play for Pakistan. The fine imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the original punishment remains however.

Shoaib was banned on April 1 from playing cricket for Pakistan for five years by the board's disciplinary committee, for comments he made to the media about the board earlier in the year. He had criticised the board's policy on central contracts, as well as playing conditions in a domestic tournament.

After the ban was announced, Shoaib went on to level serious allegations against Nasim Ashraf, the board chairman, in a series of TV interviews. The charges led to a defamation lawsuit being slapped against him by Ashraf and the board though the lawsuit was eventually dropped.

A subsequent appellate tribunal reduced his sentence to 18 months but imposed a hefty financial fine on him of Rs 7 million ($105,000 approximately). Unhappy with the judgement of the three-man tribunal, headed by a retired chief justice, Shoaib then filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court last month.

"Akhtar's appeal of stay against the ban was upheld," Tafazzul Rizvi, the PCB lawyer said. "This means he is temporarily allowed to play until the writ petition is fully heard."

According to a source close to Shoaib's legal team, the judgement is only an interim one until the court hears out the whole case. It is unlikely that the case will proceed at any pace until at least September, after the summer break. "He is technically allowed to play for Pakistan now," said the source.

Understandably, Shoaib was pleased with the decision. "I am relieved. I want to play for my country and my fitness is up to the level," Shoaib said. "I might go to England to play a few county or league games to gain match fitness.

"I want to play in the Champions Trophy and win it for my people. I am thankful to the PCB chairman for his support in the last two months."

Ashraf said only that the decision of the court will be respected. "We have to establish what the court has said but we will always respect the decision of the court. It is up to the selectors to see whether he will be picked."

Whether or not he will have an opportunity to play is another question. It is unlikely that the selection committee will pick him, despite the paucity of pace resources in the current side, given his recent run-ins with the board. "We respect the court's decision," Salahuddin Ahmed, chief selector, told Cricinfo. "Shoaib's selection in the future will be based on his fitness and his match fitness."

The future of Mohammad Asif, Pakistan's other leading fast bowler, is also unclear: he is the subject of an internal three-man board inquiry after he was detained in Dubai for 20 days for allegedly being caught in possession with a drug at Dubai airport.

In any case, Pakistan have no international assignments until late August, when New Zealand are scheduled to visit for three ODIs, though even that is yet to be confirmed. In September, Pakistan is scheduled to host the ICC Champions Trophy.

Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Super Four, Asia Cup, Karachi

Regular strikes hamper Bangladesh's progress

June 30, 2008

25 overs Bangladesh 131 for 4 (Raqibul 35*, Kapali 5*) need another 202 runs to beat Sri Lanka 332 for 8 (Jayasuriya 130, Sangakkara 121)
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Kumar Sangakkara didn't take the field for Sri Lanka after scoring his third century of the tournament © AFP

With Nazimuddin making a sprightly 47 and Raqibul Hasan going along at lively clip, Bangladesh were striving hard to make a decent attempt at an imposing target of 333 against Sri Lanka. In a match they need to win to keep their Asia Cup hopes alive, they had reached 131 for 4 by the halfway mark, needing to score at eight an over to pull off an improbable upset. Alok Kapali, who scored that blazing century against India on Saturday, was still around though.

Nazimuddin started very slowly, but he launched into some fine cuts and drives once he was settled. Ajantha Mendis, who had bamboozled the Pakistanis, was thumped for a four and a six by Nazimuddin, and only a miscommunication with Raqibul saw him run out when in sight of a half-century.

By then, he had already seen Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Ashraful, the side's leading lights, depart. With Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Kulasekara giving nothing away early on, Tamim quickly became restless, and a tame nibble at a Vaas delivery was easily taken by Tillakaratne Dilshan, deputising for Kumar Sangakkara behind the stumps.

Ashraful came in and took three fours off a Vaas over, but then had one of those brain-fades that he's become prone to. He was in no sort of position to try and pull Thilan Thushara, and the top-edge came down into Dilshan's hands.

But with Raqibul starting in strokeful fashion and Nazimuddin determined to tilt at windmills, the run-rate quickly soared, with Thushara coming in for harsh treatment. However, with Nazimuddin's dismissal, and Muttiah Muralitharan coming on to snaffle Mushfiqur Rahim, it looked as though Bangladesh were coming to the end of their Asia Cup campaign.

50 overs Sri Lanka 332 for 8 (Jayasuriya 130, Sangakkara 121) against Bangladesh

	Sanath Jayasuriya helped himself to a century on his 39th birthday © AFP

As birthday bashes go, this one was pretty special, with Sanath Jayasuriya bludgeoning Bangladesh into near-submission as Sri Lanka took a giant stride towards the Asia Cup final. Some of the Bangladesh players were still in diapers when Jayasuriya made his debut, and they must have felt as helpless as babies at times when he celebrated his 39th birthday with the fluent shot-making and power-hitting that typified his halcyon years. He raced to a century off only 55 balls, and it almost escaped attention that Kumar Sangakkara eased his way to an elegant century to follow the one he made against Pakistan just 24 hours earlier. And though it turned out to be a two-man show, Sri Lanka still piled up 332 from their 50 overs.

Jayasuriya and Sangakkara added 201 in only 27.5 overs before Jayasuriya ran out of puff in the Karachi heat. A poor delivery from Alok Kapali was lofted to deep cover where Tamim Iqbal took the catch. There was scarcely any joy because, by then, Jayasuriya had pounded 130 off only 88 balls, with a heady rhythm of cuts, pulls and drives.

Sangakkara carried on though, having been reprieved by Kapali off his own bowling on 51. He drove beautifully down the ground and made good use of both the orthodox sweep and the slogged version. Occasionally, he would also come down the track and loft the ball over the infield, as Bangladesh appeared bereft of options.

When Jayasuriya lashed Mashrafe Mortaza's opening delivery past point for four, it appeared to be a sign of things to come, but with Shahadat Hossain bowling a maiden first up, Bangladesh conceded only 20 in the first five overs. The trouble started after that, with Jayasuriya dusting off his pull stroke and also driving over the infield with immense power.

Sangakkara wasn't to be left behind, piercing the packed offside field cleverly on occasion, but after a while he gave up trying to keep pace. Jayasuriya was unstoppable. When the bowlers dropped short, he would pull over midwicket. If they were too full, the disdainful flick was unveiled. Too much width and the hoardings behind the point boundary were battered with short-arm cuts. And if all that wasn't punishment enough, he would also saunter down the track before lashing the ball over the covers.

The half-century took only 31 balls, and when Abdur Razzak came on, he was taken for 19 runs in his second over. Two crisp fours off Farhad Reza and a single to long leg later, he had a century, the 26th of an illustrious career. Sangakkara, who had caressed some lovely drives himself, was the perfect foil, and Bangladesh's cause wasn't helped when Mushfiqur Rahim fluffed a catch behind the stumps off Razzak right after Jayasuriya had got his hundred.

His eventual departure did stem the tide though, with the other batsmen unable to support Sangakkara. Mahela Jayawardene eased to 20 before pulling a long hop from Kapali to midwicket and neither Chamara Kapugedera nor Silva could get going. Tillakaratne Dilshan was run out by a direct hit from Raqibul Hasan, and when Razzak finally sneaked one under Sangakkara's defence, Bangladesh had managed a comeback of sorts. But thanks to their openers becoming only the 18th pair to score centuries in the same game, Sri Lanka were nearly out of sight by then.

Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Super Four, Asia Cup, Karachi

Sangakkara ton sets up 64-run win

June 29, 2008

Sri Lanka 302 for 7 (Sangakkara 112, Tanvir 5-48) beat Pakistan 238 for 9 (Misbah-ul-Haq 76, Malik 52, Mendis 4-47) by 64 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Kumar Sangakkara was in sublime touch on his way to the ninth ODI hundred of his career © AFP

Kumar Sangakkara's flawless century was backed by a disciplined bowling performance as Sri Lanka took a giant stride towards the final with a comfortable 64-run win over Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi. Sohail Tanvir's five-wicket haul couldn't prevent Sri Lanka from piling 302 for 7, and a lacklustre batting performance all but ended Pakistan's hopes by the halfway mark of their chase. For the hosts, a win here was crucial and the result severely dents their chances of progressing to the final.

Shoaib Malik, the Pakistan captain, opted to field today, perhaps wary after India had chased 300 in their previous game. However, once again his bowlers failed to make an impact barring Tanvir, who varied his pace and angle of attack intelligently. He got precious little support from the other bowlers, and the batsmen picked easy runs on a docile pitch. In contrast, each of Sri Lanka's bowlers played their part on a slowing track to limit Pakistan to 238 for 9. After the fast bowlers had throttled the runs, Ajantha Mendis sliced through the middle order with his bag of tricks to completely derail the chase.

Sangakkara's ninth ODI century - his second of the tournament - was the fulcrum of Sri Lanka innings, and the three sizeable partnerships he was in involved in boosted Sri Lanka to a 300-plus total. Sanath Jayasuriya was trapped lbw by the impressive Tanvir early, but the old firm of Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene set about steadying the innings with a 40-run stand.

The pair rarely had to take any risks, watchful against the good deliveries and putting away the loose ones on offer. As Sri Lanka progressed smoothly, Tanvir was brought back in the 14th over and he made an immediate impact, getting Jayawardene to cut one to Misbah-ul-Haq at point. That brought in Chamara Kapugedera, who gave Sangakkara solid support, sensibly working the singles while using his feet to unleash a couple of huge sixes.

Sangakkara was his usual classy self, compiling his runs in an assured manner, with an impeccably-timed push down the ground for four off Tanvir being the highlight of his knock. He was initially content playing from the crease against the spinners but danced down the track to them as the innings progressed.

Kapugedera had moved to 43, and added 88 for the third wicket, when he perished attempting to sweep a ball from outside off, only to top-edge it to midwicket, handing debutant legspinner Mansoor Amjad his first ODI wicket. Chamara Silva didn't learn from Kapugedera's dismissal and was lucky to see a sweep fly to the third-man boundary.

With Malik sending down some hit-me deliveries and the other spinners ineffective as well, Sangakkara and Silva kept the runs flowing. Yet again Malik turned to Tanvir to limit the damage, and the bowler responded by removing Silva with a delivery that angled in. After bringing up his hundred, Sangakkara threw his bat around before being bowled by Tanvir for 112. Thilan Thushara justified the decision to send him ahead of Tillakaratne Dilshan by crashing a 20-ball 28.

Five stats Sohail Tanvir's 5 for 48 is the first five-wicket haul in ODIs. This was his first game against Sri Lanka. Kumar Sangakkara's 112 was his second hundred in the tournament, and his second against Pakistan. Sri Lanka's 302 for 7 is their second-highest score in Pakistan. The best, 357 for 9, came against Bangladesh earlier in the tournament. Ajantha Mendis' 4 for 47 came on the back of his 5 for 22 against UAE. That after he had gone wicketless in two innings. Salman Butt's first-ball duck was his second no-show in the tournament. He has scored just 35 runs in three innings.

In quest of what would have been their most successful chase against Sri Lanka, Pakistan got off to the worst possible start when Salman Butt inside-edged Chaminda Vaas' first delivery on to his stumps. Only three runs had come off the first three overs before Malik and Younis Khan peppered the off side with boundaries to plunder 26 runs off the next two.

Just as the hosts thought the floodgates had been opened, Sri Lanka hit back with a bunch of miserly overs to maintain the stranglehold. Vaas and Nuwan Kulasekara bowled a tight line and length, and once Thilan Thushara recovered from a poor start to curb the runs, the pressure began to tell.

After Younis fell miscuing a pull to midwicket, Mohammad Yousuf and Malik consolidated, picking up the singles, but struggled to keep up with the asking-rate. With the pitch assisting spinners as the match wore on, Mendis added to his growing reputation by deceiving Yousuf (19) with a straighter one and Malik (52) with a legcutter.

By the time Shahid Afridi got out to a customary ill-advised swipe, the asking-rate had ballooned to nearly ten and there was no way back for Pakistan. All Misbah's 70-ball 76, during which he repeatedly carted the spinners over midwicket, could do was make the margin of defeat a little more respectable.

India and Sri Lanka are now both on four points, and Pakistan will have to win both their remaining Super Four matches to keep alive their thin hopes of qualifying for the title clash.

New Zealand won by 51 runs

England v New Zealand, 5th ODI, Lord's

New Zealand chip away as England chase 267

June 28, 2008

25 overs England 101 for 4 need another 166 runs to beat New Zealand 266 for 5 (Styris 87*, Oram 52)
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How they were out

	Scott Styris picks up the remains of Brendon McCullum's bat, which snapped in half © Getty Images

England's batsmen were under significant pressure at the halfway mark of their chase as they aimed to stop New Zealand winning the series, as Daniel Vettori's men chipped away to leave the hosts at 101 for 4 after 25 overs. They required a further 166 runs to overhaul New Zealand's strong total on a reasonable pitch and a lot was resting on Owais Shah, who had 4, and Luke Wright, who was yet to score.

It looked like a confident Ravi Bopara was preparing to guide the chase as he struck a couple of sweetly timed boundaries straight and through midwicket off Southee . However, when he had reached 30 from 39 deliveries, he was comprehensively beaten by a Vettori arm ball that crashed into his off stump. The heat was already building on the middle order after Kevin Pietersen failed to provide a heroic captain's knock from when he cut Southee straight to Jacob Oram at point on 6.

Pietersen was trying to lift England after the loss of Alastair Cook and Ian Bell, who began well but failed to capitalise on their starts. They added 53 in 11 overs and Bell got things moving in the first over when he drove a slightly wayward Kyle Mills through the on side for a pair of boundaries that raised roars of approval from the England fans.

Cook also showed some encouraging signs in his first ODI of the series, picking off a couple of loose Mills deliveries for boundaries to reach 24 before he edged behind off Southee's second ball. It gave New Zealand two wickets in three overs after Bell walked across his stumps and was trapped in line by Mark Gillespie for 27. They had given England a solid platform but the match was destined to be in the hands of their middle-order colleagues.

50 overs New Zealand 266 for 5 (Styris 87*, Oram 52) v England
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

A perfectly-paced unbeaten 87 from Scott Styris and an entertaining half-century from Jacob Oram ensured England would face a challenging chase to level the series at Lord's, where New Zealand reached 266 for 5 after 50 overs. At the close Grant Elliott was with Styris on 23 and Kevin Pietersen's decision to send New Zealand in on a reasonable batting pitch was looking questionable.

After laying a solid platform of 170 for 4 from 40 overs, New Zealand added 96 in the final ten as Pietersen failed to work out how to plug the leak. At the 40-over mark New Zealand had managed only eight fours and a six, a subdued compilation for a team featuring strikers like Oram, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor, but by the end of the innings they had more than doubled the boundary count.

Oram cut loose with a pair of sixes that cleared long on, giving him a 37-ball fifty and leaving Owais Shah with a double-figure economy rate and even though he departed to a catch at long off, the crowd was given further fireworks when Styris suddenly lifted his tempo. When he reached his half-century from 75 deliveries - with a miscued six - Styris had managed only two fours.

But his next 34 came from 16 balls as he powerfully launched Ryan Sidebottom and James Anderson into the crowd for sixes, making England pay after he was given a life on 13. Styris flashed hard at a Graeme Swann delivery outside off stump and the ball flew over the head of the backward point Bopara, who hurled himself in the air only to see the ball bounce off his outstretched hand.

For most of his stay Styris played the risk-free anchor role that Michael Hussey does so effectively in Australia's middle order. He was happy to take ones and twos and initially had impressive support from a confident Daniel Flynn, who was dropped on 21 at cover by Ian Bell. The pair's 53-run stand soon ended when Flynn (35) misread the line and was bowled trying to drive Swann but the partnership was strong enough to steady New Zealand following their early wobbles.

The big blow came when McCullum edged a good-length Anderson delivery to slip for 23, having been tested by some short stuff in the previous few overs. For a man who usually wields his bat like a lethal weapon it was a remarkably harmless innings from McCullum, who occupied the crease for 57 deliveries.

In the early stages as he struggled to pierce the field it was almost as if his bat was broken. Perhaps there was some fault-line lurking in the middle of his willow, because later in his stay the bat unexpectedly snapped in half as he pushed Anderson to midwicket. While Anderson removed the primary danger man to leave New Zealand at 71 for 3, it was Broad who had grabbed the first two wickets. Taylor edged behind for 4 after an overexcited Jamie How (22) drove a catch to Bopara at backward point having just clubbed Broad for a four and a six earlier in the over.

It meant England did not pay too heavily for giving How a life on 4, when he top-edged an attempted pull that flew high over the head of Tim Ambrose, who ran back and grassed what he should have taken. That was hardly the start the stand-in captain Pietersen wanted after sending New Zealand in on a reasonable batting pitch and by the close the first-time skipper's concerns were mounting.

Gambhir and Raina put India on course

Bangladesh v India, Super Four, Asia Cup, Karachi

June 28, 2008

25 overs: India 152 for 2 (Gambhir 74*, Raina 46*) need another 132 runs to beat Bangladesh 283 for 6 (Kapali 115, Tamim 55)
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How they were out

	Gautam Gambhir made his first fifty of the tournament to lead India's confident reply © AFP

Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina profited from the generosity of Bangladesh's fielders as India appeared set to breeze past another stiff target at the National Stadium in Karachi. Two days after making mincemeat of 300 against Pakistan, they were 152 for 2 at the halfway stage, in pursuit of 284 for victory. Shahadat Hossain, all lively pace and whole-hearted grunting, had given Bangladesh hope with two wickets in the first Powerplay, but the partnership between Raina and Gambhir upset Mohammad Ashraful's best-laid plans. Butter fingers didn't help.

Gambhir had made 56 when his attempt to muscle Mashrafe Mortaza over the infield was sliced up in the air towards point. Farhad Reza made a mess of the catch, and Mortaza was left to squat on the pitch and hold his head in his hands. Soon after, still in the final Powerplay, Raina experienced his own adrenaline-rush moment, top-edging a pull. But again, Mortaza's celebrations were aborted as Mahmudullah spilt the chance at fine leg. Raina had made just 16 at that stage.

Bangladesh had started well enough, with Robin Uthappa inside-edging a full delivery on to his stumps. That brought in Rohit Sharma, another whose fortunes have waned in recent times. With Bangladesh especially generous with overthrows, India didn't need to take undue risks, and Rohit soon got going with an imperious pull and a cover drive for fours.

With Gambhir cutting and pulling anything that was slightly off target, the 50 came quickly enough, but soon after Rohit flicked Shahadat straight to midwicket. Raina, in resplendent form this tournament, was content to rotate the strike early on, and Gambhir quickly got to his half-century with a four and six off Mahmudullah.

The catches were dropped soon after, and with it, Bangladesh's chances of a famous upset may just have gone off into the night sky.

50 overs: Bangladesh 283 for 6 (Kapali 115, Tamim 55) against India

	Alok Kapali's whirlwind century transformed the game © AFP

A truly breathtaking 115 from Alok Kapali utterly transformed the opening game of the Asia Cup's Super Four, with Bangladesh suddenly finding an extra gear to race to 283 from their 50 overs. Despite an attractive half-century from Tamim Iqbal at the top of the order, the innings had meandered along for 42 overs before Kapali cut loose with a ferocity that brooked no answer from the Indians. Mahmudullah turned over the strike at the other end, contributing only 24 to the century partnership as Kapali struck the ball with power and precision.

With eight overs remaining, the innings was becalmed. Pragyan Ojha had bowled a tidy spell and taken two wickets on debut, Yusuf Pathan had given little away, and Ishant Sharma had kept things quiet when called upon. But when Yusuf came on to bowl his final over, Kapali, then on 47 from 64 balls, exploded into life. Two big slog-sweeps for six set the tone, and when RP Singh returned, both batsmen scythed him over backward point for fours.

Manpreet Gony, whose second international outing was a great deal more taxing than the first against Hong Kong, then went for four, six and six as Kapali started to swing with genuine confidence. Mahendra Singh Dhoni once again turned to Ishant to apply a tourniquet, but to no avail. Kapali clipped a slow yorker beautifully through midwicket and then carved one past point as 61 came in just five overs. Of that, 50 had come off Kapali's bat.

India were left to rue another poor session in the field. Kapali had made just 25 when Gony misjudged a catch at long-on off the bowling of Yusuf. Gautam Gambhir gave him another reprieve late on, but by then he had roared into three figures, and changed the complexion of the match.

The innings had a much more circumspect start, with Tamim's cover drive for four off RP the only boundary in the first five overs. But when Nazimuddin cut RP straight to third man, it brought Ashraful to the crease, and there was no dawdling after that. He was fortunate that a slap through point off Gony just brushed Suresh Raina's fingers, but Gony didn't help his cause either by straying on to the pads once too often.

A tidy clip for four off one such delivery got Tamim past 1,000 ODI runs, and when Ashraful then took two fours from an RP over, India's early control had all but vanished. Dhoni turned to Ishant to stem the tide, but Tamim, one of the heroes of that famous World Cup win over India, greeted him with a superb straight drive and a fortuitous edge for four.

Unfortunately for Bangladesh, Ashraful's profligate streak came to the fore just when his team were on top. Gony had been brought back for a second spell, and a half-hearted drive on the up went to Ojha at mid-off. A first international wicket for Gony, and a first catch for Ojha.

Raqibul and Tamim continued to pick up runs at a fair clip, and Dhoni threw Ojha the ball in the 17th over. He started tidily enough, giving little away, and was unlucky as a thick outside edge that took Tamim past 50 just evaded the man at slip.

Yet again though, a moment's carelessness cost Bangladesh dearly. Having creamed Ishant through the covers for four, Tamim then tried to deflect one fine off the pads. Too fine as it turned out, with Dhoni making good ground to his right to take a splendid catch. The second and third Powerplays had fetched just 42, and Bangladesh had to do it all over again.

Raqibul Hasan expressed the desire to push on with a big heave over long-off against Ojha, but was flummoxed soon after, leaving Bangladesh to focus on consolidation rather than acceleration. Ojha came up with a beautiful delivery that turned past the defensive prod to take off stump, and leave Bangladesh on 120 for 4.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Kapali consolidated with a 49-run partnership, but India's bowlers, with Ojha varying his flight cleverly, were slowly establishing a stranglehold. Ojha's second wicket came courtesy a little extra bounce, with Mushfiqur's attempt at a cut finding only Dhoni's gloves.

At that stage, India might have scented the kill. Instead, with Kapali in free-stroking mood, the hunters became the hunted. The last eight overs fetched 90 runs, as Bangladesh overhauled their previous-highest total against India by 26 runs. On a placid pitch, it might still not be enough, but once again, a pint-sized Bangladeshi batsman had left India with a bloody nose.

South Africa tour of England, 2008

June 2008
Sun 29 - Tue 1 11:00 local, 10:00 GMT	Somerset v South Africans County Ground, Taunton
July 2008
Fri 4 - Sun 6 11:00 local, 10:00 GMT	Middlesex v South Africans Uxbridge Cricket Club Ground
Thu 10 - Mon 14 11:00 local, 10:00 GMT	1st Test - England v South Africa Lord's, London
Fri 18 - Tue 22 11:00 local, 10:00 GMT	2nd Test - England v South Africa Headingley, Leeds
Fri 25 - Sun 27 11:00 local, 10:00 GMT	Bangladesh A v South Africans County Ground, New Road, Worcester
Wed 30 - Sun 3 11:00 local, 10:00 GMT	3rd Test - England v South Africa Edgbaston, Birmingham
August 2008
Thu 7 - Mon 11 11:00 local, 10:00 GMT	4th Test - England v South Africa Kennington Oval, London
Wed 13 10:45 local, 09:45 GMT	PCA Masters XI v South Africans Sir Paul Getty's Ground, Wormsley
Thu 14 10:15 local, 09:15 GMT	England Lions v South Africans Grace Road, Leicester
Sat 16 10:15 local, 09:15 GMT	England Lions v South Africans County Ground, Derby
Wed 20 16:30 local, 15:30 GMT	Only Twenty20 International - England v South Africa Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
Fri 22 14:30 local, 13:30 GMT	1st ODI - England v South Africa Headingley, Leeds
Tue 26 14:30 local, 13:30 GMT	2nd ODI - England v South Africa Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Fri 29 10:15 local, 09:15 GMT	3rd ODI - England v South Africa Kennington Oval, London
Sun 31 10:15 local, 09:15 GMT	4th ODI - England v South Africa Lord's, London
September 2008
Wed 3 14:30 local, 13:30 GMT	5th ODI - England v South Africa Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

West Indies v Australia, 2nd ODI, Grenada

Australia hammer undisciplined Windies

June 27, 2008

Australia 213 for 5 (Hussey 62, Clarke 56) beat West Indies 140 for 8 (Chanderpaul 45*, Clarke 3-26) by 63 runs (by D/L method)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out

	Batting was not easy for Michael Clarke but he worked hard for his 56 © AFP

Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke showed West Indies how to apply themselves on a difficult pitch but their hosts ignored the lesson and threw away wickets when the going got tough, handing Australia a comprehensive 63-run Duckworth/Lewis win. When the rain came after 26 overs West Indies' hopes were already dashed and at the resumption they needed a ridiculous 146 more off 14 overs, ensuring Australia took a 2-0 series lead.

The victory came because of two men. On a surface that was sluggish and offered tricky seam movement, Hussey and Clarke compiled a restrained and at times soporific century partnership that allowed Australia to reach 213 for 5 after they had wobbled to 35 for 3. West Indies fell to an almost identical 41 for 3 in the chase but whereas Hussey and Clarke went into Test mode and focused on batting out the overs, West Indies' middle order showed as much patience as a hand grenade.

Australia's attack adopted a stump-to-stump style that suited the conditions and while Shivnarine Chanderpaul displayed his customary resolve, his partners exhibited no such commonsense. Dwayne Bravo had 3 from 21 deliveries when he was frustrated into lofting Shane Watson's slower ball to Hussey at deep midwicket and West Indies were 49 for 4.

Patrick Browne was equally unable to find the gaps and with 1 from 18 balls he edged Clarke to first slip, where Cameron White took a superb diving chance on the second grab. If the situation was not dire enough, Kieron Pollard came in and from his second ball played the worst shot of the lot. In a situation that required a slow and steady consolidation, Pollard went over the top and lobbed Clarke straight down the throat of Watson at long off, much to the frustration of his older, wiser partner.

At the time Chanderpaul had worked hard for 13 from 42 deliveries and when rain halted play one over later, it at least delayed the embarrassment for West Indies. Their revised target, 204 runs from 41 overs, was unattainable and Chanderpaul finished unbeaten on 45 while Clarke ended up with 3 for 26. If little went right for West Indies in the first ODI in St Vincent, there were even fewer positives in Grenada.

Their chase got away to the worst possible start when Brett Lee found Xavier Marshall's edge from the first delivery of the innings. The ball flew low and to the right of Luke Ronchi, who made a good take to give him the perfect introduction behind the stumps in his first ODI. Lee was once again in fine form, seaming the ball effectively and often beating the bat of both Andre Fletcher and Chris Gayle.

A watchful Gayle did not get off the mark until his 13th ball and although a calm and composed innings was required, the captain set a poor example for his troops by miscuing an attempted pull off Mitchell Johnson to Ricky Ponting at mid off. It was a disappointing shot selection, though not as bad as that of Fletcher, who tried to pull a James Hopes delivery that was far too full, and lost his off stump.

The difference between their approach and that of Australia could not have been more stark. Clarke and Hussey knew that after a shaky start - Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell jagged the ball around early and picked up three handy wickets - runs were not their immediate concern. Accordingly, they added only eight runs in the first ten overs of their partnership. Until Clarke drove Darren Sammy back down the ground in the 26th over, there had been no boundaries for 104 deliveries. But Clarke and Hussey are both smart runners between the wickets and they were largely responsible for the fact that 94 of Australia's 213 runs came in singles.

Plenty of comfortable ones and twos were on offer when the spinners operated and if runs weren't exactly leaking there was at least a nagging drip that Gayle needed to deal with. He was not helped by his fielders, who seemed to switch off after the early enthusiasm. Browne was sloppy behind the stumps and Bravo made a meal of what should have been a catch at first slip when Clarke was on 30 and facing Sulieman Benn. Bravo inexplicably moved right, trying to anticipate the cut shot rather than watching the ball, and he failed to get a hand on one that would have gone straight to him had he stayed still.

It was a costly mistake as Clarke went on to sweep and cut a few boundaries in his half-century, which came off 87 deliveries. He eventually fell for 56, struck in line by a straighter Benn ball that he was trying to work through midwicket as Australia gradually tried to lift their rate. Hussey picked up the pace with a six swept over midwicket off Benn and, appropriately given the hard grind for most of his innings, brought up his half-century with a thick edge that flew away for four to third man.

When Hussey holed out to long on for 62 from 105 deliveries his job was done. He had set a solid platform so the lower order could attack and White finished unbeaten on 40 from 39 balls while Hopes added a run-a-ball 17. The allrounders, who might have been under undue pressure had they come in earlier, had an easy task after the Clarke and Hussey partnership, which was worth 100 off 29 overs.

It also gave Ponting, in his 300th ODI, some justification after choosing to bat on a pitch with some moisture. His run of big milestone innings ended when he chipped a catch to short midwicket for 13, out to Taylor for the fifth time in his past six international innings. Australia had already lost Shaun Marsh and Watson, who waited 15 minutes for the first over due to yet another tedious sightscreen fault that did little for West Indies' image after a similar ridiculously long wait in Barbados. In the end it was a batting malfunction that really damaged West Indies' reputation.

Sri Lanka v UAE, Group A, Asia Cup, Lahore

Sri Lanka prevail over spirited UAE

June 26, 2008

Sri Lanka 290 for 9 (Udawatte 67, Jayawardene 61, Shah 3-49) beat UAE 148 (Amjad 77, Mendis 5-22) by 142 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Amjad Ali's 77 gave a spirited start to UAE's chase © AFP

Sri Lanka secured their second big win in two days, this time over UAE, to progress to the second round of the Asia Cup with two points in the bag. Chasing 291, UAE looked like they would make a match of it as opener Amjad Ali hit a spectacular half-century but they hurtled to defeat after his departure, losing their last six wickets for 15 runs as Ajantha Mendis finished with career-best figures of 5 for 22.

Shrugging away any exhaustion from having kept wicket earlier, Amjad took three consecutive fours off the opening over from Nuwan Kulasekera. A wristy flick over square leg, a fine glance past fine leg and a punch between mid-on and midwicket proved Amjad was not going to wait for the bowler to make a mistake.

Perhaps the shot of the day, though, came in the next over when a forward punch from Amjad, powered by a Lara-esque high backlift, sent the ball racing past mid-off. Even the loss of his opening partner Arshad Ali, who was beaten by a brilliant pick and throw by Chamara Kapugedera early on, didn't hinder Amjad's approach.

His cavalier approach took UAE to 83 for 1 after 15 overs and even forced Mahela Jayawardene to delay taking the third Powerplay. Although their reaching the target in 39.1 overs - and so pipping Bangladesh to the second round - was unlikely, they were still in with a chance to pull off an upset. Those hopes faded when Amjad fell trying to clear the long-on boundary off Tillakaratne Dilshan in the 24th over and the tail proved unable to deal with Mendis's mystery spin.

Despite the huge margin of defeat, this wasn't the easy game Mahela Jayawardene would have expected. Having elected to bat first Sri Lanka received an immediate jolt when Wednesday's centurion, Kumar Sangakkara, was trapped plumb low on his back leg by the accurate Zahid Shah. Bowling a tight line and hitting the seam hard, Shah kept the batsmen guessing and was easily the best fast bowler on the day.

After that initial setback, Sri Lanka picked themselves up and sped to 76 for 1 by the end of the first Powerplay. Shah didn't get any support from Fahal Alhashmi, his new-ball partner, who was, at best, erratic. After bowling two wides in his first over, Alhashmi delivered four more in his next, conceding 15 runs off that over, including an exquisite straight boundary by Mahela Udawatte, who went on to make a patient 67.

There was a brief lull before Shah was clubbed by Jayawardene for four consecutive boundaries. But it was important to keep the tempo going in the muggy heat and Jayawardene, who had reached his half-century, looked tired after the drinks break and was run out off a direct hit when going for a tight single.

	Mahela Udawatte's half-century helped Sri Lanka post an imposing total © AFP

At one stage, Sri Lanka seemed likely to cross 300 for the second successive day but a mixture of exhaustion, poor shot selection and impatience helped UAE, who had only played 10 ODIs coming into the game, restrict them.

The two Chamaras, Kapugedera and Silva, didn't show any patience and, attempting to force the issue, threw their wickets in quick succession. Though Sri Lanka raced to 147 in 20 overs, they had lost four top-order batsmen and were left with their last recognised pair of Udawatte and Tillakaratne Dilshan at the crease. The run-rate started to dip as just seven boundaries were scored after the 15th over. And there was not one six in the entire innings.

The onus fell now on the tiring Udawatte and Dilshan. But UAE sensed they had an opportunity as runs dried up in the middle overs. Alhasmi came back in style to first get rid of Udawatte, who mistimed while trying to clear the rope and holed out to midwicket. Dilshan then chased a wide off-side delivery and managed a thick edge to the keeper.

With just the tail to deal with and Sri Lanka stuttering at 189 for 6 after 30 overs, UAE failed to curb Kaushalya Weeraratne and Nuwan Kulasekara, who stopped the slide and constructed a valuable 53-run eighth-wicket partnership.

UAE managed to put on a much better show than the other Associate nation in the tournament, Hong Kong, but the big boys proved too strong for them.

Pakistan v India, Group B, Asia Cup, Karachi

Sehwag and Raina seal thumping win

June 26, 2008

India 301 for 4 (Sehwag 119, Raina 84) beat Pakistan 299 for 4 (Malik 125, Younis 59) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	The 198-run stand between Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina shut Pakistan out of the game © AFP

A mighty performance from India's batsmen, led by Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina, made easy work of a competitive target of 300 and gave the team two points to take into the next round. The pair tore into Pakistan's depleted and wayward bowling attack - scoring at more than eight an over during their second-wicket partnership of 198 - as India reached the target with six wickets and 47 balls to spare, their quickest chase while facing a target of 300 or more.

The Indian approach was in stark contrast to Pakistan's methodical plan in their innings. Their openers played cautiously at the start and accelerated once the new ball had been seen off. Malik's maiden century as captain was the cornerstone of the innings and gave the batsmen who followed the freedom to innovate and bat aggressively to propel Pakistan to 299 for 4. In the end, however, they needed plenty more to challenge a trailblazing Indian batting line-up.

Pakistan's attack was weakened by a rib-muscle injury to Umar Gul, who left the field after bowling only 1.2 overs. Shoaib Malik's offspin was also unavailable because he didn't take the field after cramping towards the end of his century, which left acting captain Misbah-ul-Haq with only three specialist bowling options - Sohail Tanvir, Iftikhar Anjum and Shahid Afridi - and their flat performance cost Pakistan dearly.

Despite snaring Gautam Gambhir early - Misbah showed lightning reflexes in taking a one-handed catch to his left at gully - Pakistan were unable to contain India. After the Kitply Cup final, Dhoni had admitted that promoting Raina ahead of himself was a mistake but today Raina walked in at No. 3, instead of the out-of-touch Rohit Sharma.

Bristling with confidence after his century on Wednesday against Hong Kong, Raina began with free-flowing cover drives when offered width outside off stump by Tanvir and Anjum. He did most of the early scoring and Sehwag hadn't got off the mark till the fourth over. However, Sehwag began to gather momentum by flicking consecutively to the long-leg boundary when Anjum strayed on to his pads, and slashed two short and wide balls from Tanvir to the third-man boundary.

With Tanvir and Anjum ineffective, Misbah turned to Afridi in the 11th over. Afridi bowled one satisfactory over before Sehwag hit him for two straight sixes in his second. Raina lofted Anjum audaciously over extra cover for another six and when Misbah brought Tanvir back, Sehwag immediately glided him down to the third man for four.

Five stats The triumph in Karachi was India's first win against Pakistan in the Asia Cup in nearly 20 years. Shoaib Malik's unbeaten 125 was his first century as Pakistan captain, and his third in Asia Cup matches. India chased down their target at a run-rate of 7.13, the third-best scoring-rate in a second innings' total of 300 or more. India's 301 for 4 was also the first time a team had chased a target of 300 or more in the Asia Cup. The 198-run stand between Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina is the highest for the second wicket, and the third-highest overall, in the Asia Cup. Malik's 125 is the second-highest for a batsman who has ended his innings as retired hurt. The highest is Salman Butt's 129 in the recent Kitply Cup final against India. The top five such scores have come against India.

Pakistan began to haemorrhage runs and by the time Malik took the field, India had raced to 100 in 14 overs. They found the boundary virtually every over: Raina lofted Fawad Alam's left-arm spin over the midwicket boundary, Sehwag hit Afridi over long-on for six once more. And when Malik, who wasn't allowed to bowl for 71 minutes after taking the field, turned to Salman Butt, Sehwag responded by charging him and smashing the ball twice into the stands at deep midwicket to move into the 90s.

Sehwag brought up his century of only 80 balls but Raina missed his, chipping Anjum tamely to Alam at cover. At that stage India needed 90 runs in 23 overs and victory was only a matter of time.

The ease with which India achieved victory was startling for Pakistan, who had worked extremely hard to build a competitive total on a benign pitch. They reverted to the caution-before-aggression approach that won them the Kitply Cup final in Dhaka earlier this month. In that game, Butt and Younis Khan did the groundwork, steering Pakistan cautiously to 104 for 1 after 25 overs before they went on to score hundreds in a final total of 315 for 3.

Today, Malik's effort was an example of how to pace an innings. He and Butt gave the first eight overs to the Indian bowlers and took no risks. By the end of the 13th over, Pakistan had only scored 38 but India's fast bowlers had failed to create wicket-taking opportunities. Thereafter, Malik began to attack, driving Praveen straight for four and then gliding him between Dhoni and short third man. He was offered width twice by Ishant and cut him through and over point for fours. Dhoni finally resorted to spin in the 20th over but by now Malik was well set and he hit Chawla for two fours through midwicket to reach his fifty off 61 balls.

Malik and Younis, who scored 59, strengthened Pakistan's grip on the game during their 129-run stand for the second wicket. Brimming with confidence, Younis swept the spinners fluently, made room to cut, lofted them over midwicket and threw them completely off line by using the reverse-sweep repeatedly. They played crucial roles in setting a challenging target but their hardworking partnership, during which they ran between the wickets splendidly, was put firmly in the shade by the blitzkrieg launched by Sehwag and Raina.

England v New Zealand, 4th ODI, The Oval

New Zealand take controversial last-ball thriller

June 25, 2008

New Zealand 246 for 9 (Styris 69, Oram 38) beat England 245 (Shah 63, Bopara 58, Bell 46) by one wicket
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	The Oval flashpoint: Ryan Sidebottom collides with Grant Elliott, who was given out despite being injured during the incident © Getty Images

On a day that ebbed and flowed dramatically, New Zealand held their nerve to squeeze a tense one-wicket win at The Oval, to sneak a 2-1 lead going into the weekend's series decider at Lord's. Like England earlier in the day, New Zealand stumbled twice either side of a brisk middle-order partnership between two men searching for form, and despite a controversial moment sure to occupy the airwaves and columns for days to come, chased down 246 from the last ball of the game.

Scott Styris hit 69, Jacob Oram marked his first game of the series with a crucial 38, and Kyle Mills defied the odds to remain unbeaten on 25, which all added up to a hair-raising, pulsating chase of a target that had been set up by sparkling (but unfulfilled) fifties from Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah.

In easily the tightest contest of the summer, England were struggling to stay in the contest with New Zealand well placed on 173 for 4 in the 35th over, but hit back to dismiss Styris (brilliantly run out by Graeme Swann and Paul Collingwood), Oram (pulling to the deep) and Daniel Vettori (excellently held by Bopara at midwicket) in the space of 24 balls and for 16 runs - turning The Oval into a cauldron.

A fourth followed in the most controversial manner. With 26 needed from 39 balls, Mills called Grant Elliott for a sharp single. As Elliott bolted out of the blocks he collided with Sidebottom, rugby style, and fell flat to the ground. Ian Bell threw the ball to Kevin Pietersen, who broke the stumps, but England did not withdraw their appeal despite the umpire, Mark Benson, offering Collingwood the chance to think again. A peeved Elliott hobbled off for 24.

With 12 needed from 21, Bell knocked down the stumps with Tim Southee short of his crease. Mark Gillespie then survived a tantalizingly tense maiden 47th over from Swann, and no runs had been scored for nine deliveries when Mills, who had been sizing up the midwicket boundary, swatted Collingwood off the middle for a 106-metre six, to transform the equation from 12 from 10 to six from nine.

Manic singles followed, and it came down to three from six balls. Mills pinched a single, but the next five deliveries seemed to take an eternity as Luke Wright ploughed a channel outside off and Gillespie fished and missed repeatedly. Then, on the last ball, he pushed the ball to Swann at cover and set off for the single that would have secured the tie. Swann's shy, however, missed the stumps and with England's fielders all converging on the stumps, New Zealand's sprinted through for a delirious winning over-throw. England's final blemish in the field proved decisive.

New Zealand should have been in deep trouble long before that moment, after Ryan Sidebottom had nipped out Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor, but a spate of nerves from the home side allowed Styris to rack up some long overdue form. James Anderson should have had him on 0 but Shah at second slip spilled a regulation catch in front of his face. Sidebottom's figures of 5-0-15-2 were tarnished with a 13-run sixth over and nine in the seventh as Styris cashed in on his fortune.

Styris kept flashing and was given two more lives, on 27 and 28, first off Stuart Broad when he slashed hard and Collingwood failed to latch on at backward point, and then when Broad himself dropped a return catch. Styris' best shot, a front-foot drive through extra cover, brought him his first ODI half-century since December 2007.

Like the Styris-Oram partnership, a solid fifth-wicket stand between Bopara and Shah formed the crux of England's ultimately inadequate effort. New Zealand snapped a 41-run stand between a nervous Luke Wright (18) and Bell (46) and when Collingwood followed Pietersen's 0 with a loose shot of his own, the heat was on two men pushing for long-term spots.

Bopara - watchful and solid - and Shah - shuffling and hustling - applied themselves well for most of the 15.2 overs they shared. Shah started with a cross-batted six over midwicket off Southee, and played a more conventional six over extra cover off Vettori, but more importantly was always looking for quick singles, and urging Bopara to look out for the second.

A player with a lot of time to execute his shots, Bopara - after flops the first two matches and a start at Bristol - looked composed during his 78-ball innings. His 58 was a career-best knock, but only a tantalising glimpse of the sublime form he's been showing for Essex in county cricket this summer. He threw it away soon after passing fifty for the second time, playing a languid, frustratingly indifferent drive to Oram at mid-on.

Shah played some stunning shots, including three powerful fours in one Gillespie over as he moved past fifty from 63 balls, but was run out needlessly going for a second run on 63, amid a lower-order collapse. England's last pair lifted the total to 245 but overall it was a disappointing effort from a team that has lost steam with each match of the series.

New Zealand backed themselves to chase when they opted to field after winning the toss, and though it wasn't easy by any means, they go to Lord's with the momentum - and a little sympathy - firmly their way.

Hong Kong v India, Group B, Asia Cup, Karachi

India thrash sorry Hong Kong

June 25, 2008

India 374 for 4 (Dhoni 109*, Raina 101, Sehwag 78) beat Hong Kong 118 (Chawla 4-23) by 256 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Suresh Raina's first ODI century was a spectacular one, and lifted India to a huge total © AFP

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team marked the 25th anniversary of India's World Cup triumph with an emphatic 256-run win over Hong Kong in Karachi to begin their Asia Cup campaign in style. India rested Yuvraj Singh and Ishant Sharma for this game, but they weren't missed much: Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped themselves to centuries against a hapless bowling attack after Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir had built a platform, before Piyush Chawla flummoxed the Hong Kong batsmen.

India put up a near-clinical performance, barring a middle-over spell when Hong Kong's left-arm spinners stifled the batsmen and gave away 47 runs in 15 overs. Had it not been for that India could conceivably have ended the day surpassing the highest total in ODIs - Sri Lanka's 443 - and the largest victory margin in runs with ease. India's 257-run win against Bermuda in the World Cup last year remains the record.

Hong Kong were all but out of the contest once India amassed 374 for 4, but they would be disappointed to be dismissed under 150 and not being able to last 50 overs for the second game in a row. The defeat also ends their challenge in the tournament.

India's innings revolved around two partnerships: the opening stand of 127 between Sehwag - who blitzed 78 off 44 balls - and Gambhir, while Raina, whose 66-ball hundred is the second-fastest by an Indian, and Dhoni amassed 166 for the fourth wicket, an Asia Cup record. Both partnerships came at more than eight an over, and one can gauge how poor Rohit Sharma had been to score 11 off 29 deliveries.

The openers raced to 100 in just 10.5 overs, the quickest India have been to the mark. Hong Kong's opening bowlers didn't pose any menace with their pace, and the batsmen feasted on easy offerings. Tabarak Dar, Hong Kong's captain, then brought on his trio of left-arm spinners, who managed to rein in India's attack. Najeem Ahmed was once again impressive after having given Pakistan a scare on Tuesday, but it was fellow left-armer Najeed Amar who did the damage with the wickets of Sehwag and Gambhir. The two, along with Munir Dar, put the brakes on the scoring as India crawled from 127 in 15 overs to 159 after 25.

Dhoni and Raina, though, managed to more than double the 178 that India had scored after 30 overs. Dhoni, batting at No. 4, was off the blocks quickly, finding the gap through the covers for two fours off Nadeem. He lunged his front foot forward against the spinners, trying to smother the turn. Largely content with the singles, he kept the rate ticking along with Raina.

Five stats India's 374 for 4 is their third-highest total in ODIs. It's also the best in the Asia Cup, and at Karachi's National Stadium. Suresh Raina got to his hundred off 66 balls, the second-fastest ton by an Indian in ODIs. The 166-run stand between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Raina is a record for the fourth wicket in the Asia Cup. India's 256-run win was one shy of the largest victory margin (by runs) in ODIs. It's India who hold the record, with their 257-run win against Bermuda last year. Afzaal Haider conceded 72 runs in his six overs, the worst economy-rate for a bowler having bowled five overs or more in an Asia Cup game.

Raina, using his advantage as a left-hander, managed to push the left-arm bowlers into the gaps and takes the singles. His fifty came at a run-a-ball, but he cut loose against inexperienced bowlers, with his second fifty coming in just 16 balls as India smashed 129 in the final ten overs.

Both batsmen targeted to clear the straight boundary, with Dhoni launching a couple onto the roof. Raina pummelled three sixes and a four - all over long-on - off the 42nd over from Skhawat Ali, which cost 25 runs. Irfan Ahmed was then smartly chipped over extra cover for four, and a slower one was carted behind square to bring up his first hundred. Raina fell for 101, but Dhoni hung around to compile his fourth ODI hundred.

Not much was expected from Hong Kong in reply, but Tabarak and James Atkinson, the 17-year-old wicketkeeper, showed some resolve against the quicker bowlers. However, he was out stumped as he was stepped out and was beaten by a legspinner in Chawla's first over. What stood out in Chawla's performance today was his ability to surprise the batsmen with turning legbreaks - he often has been guilty of relying on the googlies for picking wickets in the past. He managed to also induce Hussain Butt and Courtney Kruger outside their crease, leaving Dhoni to complete easy stumpings. A top-edged slog-sweep fetched him his fourth, and he finished with impressive figures of 10-2-23-4.

Irfan battled before he was run out for 25, and Sehwag wrapped up the game with wickets off successive deliveries. India now face Pakistan on Thursday, and definitely a much sterner test.

Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Group A, Asia Cup, Lahore

Sri Lanka prove too strong for Bangladesh

June 25, 2008

Sri Lanka 357 for 9 (Sangakkara 101, Kapugedera 74, Jayasuriya 72) beat Bangladesh 226 for 7 (Mushfiqur 44, Mortaza 34*) by 131 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara ran the Bangladesh attack ragged with a superb opening partnership © AFP

Mohammad Ashraful was left to rue his decision at the toss - on the sort of pitch where they had piled 300-plus the previous day, Bangladesh decided to field first and paid a heavy price as Sri Lanka, fired by some superb top-order batting by Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya, piled a massive target before inflicting a heavy defeat.

Chasing an insurmountable target, Bangladesh never seemed like waging a battle although a fourth-wicket stand of 78 between Mushfiqur Rahim and Raqibul Hasan played a major hand in delaying the inevitable. For a while the duo played with patience, character even tackled smartly the spin of Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan. But eventually, Muralitharan got the better of their grit, effectively ending the Bangladesh fight.

Earlier the responsibility, once again, fell on Ashraful to play the multiple role of anchor, hustler and finisher. Yesterday, Ashraful had scored a composed century. Today, after his top edge was spilled by Jayasuriya, Ashraful went for a brash pull against a short ball from Dilhara Fernando. The umpire Simon Taufel thought the ball had brushed his gloves but the batsman started his walk with disbelief.

If Bangladesh meandered towards defeat, Sri Lanka always seemed formidable with the bat. Such was the dominance of the Sri Lankans that rarely did their run rate drop below seven. Much of the credit went to the opening pair of Jayasuriya and Sangakkara, who quickly got into the groove once they had gauged that they had nothing to fear from the bowling or the pitch. What unfolded over the next hour was a spectacular batting display that resulted in a 116-run opening partnership, which was the perfect platform for the other batsmen to build on.

It didn't matter that this was the first time in two years the pair went out to open. After the World Cup, this was the seventh pair Sri Lanka had tried out and it proved decisive as it was the first century opening partnership since the 2006-07 New Zealand tour where Jayasuriya had successfully paired with Upul Tharanga.

As Sangakkara caressed the ball to the boundary from close to his body, Jayasuriya cut hard, charged, pulled and hit at everything. Dolar Mahumud suffered the worst carnage as his second over was taken for 25 runs by Jayasuriya, which included two spectacular cuts on his toes past the point boundary.

Bangladesh's bowling was erratic to say the least. Apart from the dependable Mashrafe Mortaza and the left-arm spin of Abdur Razzak, the rest of the bowlers never stuck to the thumb rule of bowling to the fields. Time and again, Ashraful rushed to his bowlers, but as Sri Lanka's final total indicated, that didn't do much good.

Sangakkara took command after Jayasuriya departed, bowled trying to cut Razzak's spin. One of the highlights of the innings came in the 20th over, as Sangakkara clobbered five fours off Mahmud. The first ball was a wide, while the next one was smacked low by Sangakkara past mid-off. The next, a slower one, was swept to long leg for another boundary, after which he smacked one over the bowler's head for the third four. Mahmud had a chance to make amends, but made a mess of a caught-and-bowled chance the next ball. Sangakkara celebrated by sending the last two balls - both of which drifted down the leg side - for fours as well to speed towards his eighth ODI hundred and the second this year.

He accomplished that feat by pushing a single off legspinner Alok Kapali, whose first two balls were pulled for consecutive fours. He fell soon after, though - increasingly tired in the energy sapping heat, he miscued a pull to give Mahmudullah his only wicket.

But Chamara Kapugedera made sure the momentum was never lost, as he piled an intelligent 74, stitching important partnerships with Chamara Silva and Tillakaratne Dilshan. He was especially severe on Kapali, regularly stepping down the pitch to loft.

Sri Lanka now have the leisure of rotating the line-up in tomorrow's final group-stage clash against UAE, while Bangladesh will enter the second round with mixed feelings.

Pakistan v Hong Kong, Group B, Asia Cup, Karachi

All-round Tanvir shines in 155-run win

June 24, 2008

Pakistan 288 for 9 (Younis 67, Alam 63*, Tanvir 59, Nadeem 4-51) beat Hong Kong 133 by 155 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Sohail Tanvir's maiden ODI half-century bailed Pakistan out of a precarious 161 for 7 © AFP

The final scoreline might indicate an emphatic victory for Pakistan but it needed an Asia Cup-record 100-run eighth-wicket stand between Sohail Tanvir and Fawad Alam to set up the win. Both of them made their maiden ODI half-centuries to lift Pakistan to 288, a score which proved well beyond the reach of Hong Kong's inexperienced batsmen.

After Pakistan chose to bat on a blisteringly hot day in Karachi, Nadeem Ahmed, the Hong Kong left-arm spinner, sliced through the Pakistan middle-order as what was expected to be a straightforward opening encounter for the hosts threatened to become a tricky one before Tanvir and Alam's rescue act.

Pakistan were at a precarious 161 for 7 when Tanvir and Alam started working the singles, effectively employing the sweep shot. The left-arm spinners initially kept them in check and the partnership gained impetus only after the 44th over, when Pakistan had progressed to a more reassuring 219.

Tanvir raced to his fifty as a confident reverse-sweep, a conventional sweep and a powerful off-drive all fetched him boundaries. He holed out to long-off in the 47th but Alam, who had been subdued during the partnership, remained unbeaten to ensure the runs kept flowing and that his side weren't bowled out.

Hong Kong had earlier got off to a dream start as Pakistan lost their in-form opener Salman Butt in the first over for a duck. Afzaal Haider, the 36-year-old seamer, shaped the first two deliveries into the left-hander, before getting the next one to move away, inducing the outside edge. On a pitch a bit on the slower side, Haider extracted a hint of movement and troubled Shoaib Malik, who opened the innings, and Younis Khan early on.

With Pakistan on a scratchy 33 for 1 after eight overs, some loose bowling in the next couple of overs let them off the hook. Thirty runs came off them as a flurry of boundaries from Malik gave the innings momentum. He fell soon after to an athletic catch by Hussain Butt at backward point but with Younis getting into his stride and Mohammad Yousuf continuing his splendid form, Pakistan were in command at 121 for 2 after 19.

Left-arm spinner Najeeb Amar bowled it flat and full to restrict the runs at one end while Nadeem was more adventurous, varying his flight and length. He was rewarded with the wicket of Mohammad Yousuf - top-edging a sweep. Younis continued to attack, impudently slog-sweeping Nadeem for six and then paddling him for four. Despite the batsmen's attacking mindset, Nadeem flighted the next ball and Younis, who danced down the track, was beaten by the turn and easily stumped.

	Nadeem Ahmed sliced through the middle order with 4 for 51 to give Hong Kong hope © AFP

There was more joy for Nadeem as Misbah-ul-Haq failed to read a straighter one to be lbw. Another flighted delivery foxed Shahid Afridi, who checked his shot to offer a low return catch, and Sarfraz Ahmed was run out soon after as Pakistan slid to 161 for 7. An upbeat Hong Kong had eight fielders in the ring at this stage but things went all downhill from there.

Faced with an intimidating target, Hong Kong's batsmen were all at sea against Pakistan's formidable fast bowling unit as they were unable to force the pace. A barrage of bouncers, especially from Umar Gul, discomforted the openers but they hung around for a while. Tabarak Dar dodged a snorter from Gul off the penultimate ball of the seventh over but was forced to retire hurt when he was hit on the jaw off the final ball.

That triggered a collapse, with four wickets falling in quick succession. Opener Skhawat Ali was the first to go, pulling Tanvir to substitute Mansoor Amjad at fine leg. Iftikhar Anjum then struck with his first delivery, bowling Irfan Ahmed before Tanvir got his second with a middle-stump yorker to send back Courtney Kruger.

Anjum was soon rewarded again for his wicket-to-wicket line as Hussain Butt became the next batsman to be bowled, leaving Hong Kong at a hopeless 45 for 4. With the spinners backing up the good work of the fast bowlers, the run-rate quickly shot up above eight, and the match meandered towards a foregone conclusion.

Pakistan may have had some anxious moments but will be pleased with the manner in which their lower-middle order pulled them out of a dicey situation ahead of a tough encounter against arch-rivals India, on Thursday.

Bangladesh v UAE, Group A, Asia Cup, Lahore

Ashraful and Raqibul set up easy win

June 24, 2008

Bangladesh 300 for 8 (Ashraful 109, Raqibul 83) beat UAE 204 (Khan 78, Razzak 3-20) by 96 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Mohammad Ashraful played a conservative knock by his standards to help Bangladesh to an imposing 300 © AFP

Led by an unusually cautious century from Mohammad Ashraful, the second of his career, Bangladesh cruised to a 96-run win over UAE in their Asia Cup opener in Lahore. Ashraful was supported by Raqibul Hasan, who made his second-successive 80-plus knock as the pair put on 141 off 122 balls before the left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak sealed the win, in the process becoming the third Bangladeshi bowler to take 100 wickets.

The UAE seamers had a tough time settling in after Bangladesh chose to bat, conceding six wides in the first two overs. Bangladesh did not make use of the freebies, however, as the over-eager Nazimuddin flirted with a perfectly-bowled outswinger from Zahid Shah. Ashraful, off the very next ball, had a lucky escape when an inside edge missed the stumps. He had two more slices of luck but the signs were ominous when he latched on to a short delivery from Amjad Javed.

Meanwhile, Tamim Iqbal, who'd struggled to get going, flicked Fahad Alhashmi to the fine-leg boundary to bring up Bangladesh's fifty and move into double figures. Ashraful then played a copybook extra cover drive against the wayward Javed to bring up the fifty-run stand.

The introduction of spin slowed things down but UAE missed a trick in not using offspinner Mohammad Tauqir after he conceded only six runs off three overs. Against the run of play, Tamim failed to heed Ashraful's call to avoid an unnecessary third run in the 24th over. As though venting his frustration at the run out, Ashraful played a stunning inside-out shot to reach his half-century, followed by another scorcher to the extra cover boundary off Shadeep Silva, though it grazed the hands of the cover fieldsman.

Raqibul, who batted with verve, made his intentions clear by lofting the left-arm spinner, Khurram Khan, one bounce to long-on. Ashraful then hit two successive boundaries against the same bowler, and ran sharp singles and twos with Raqibul as he moved from 73 to 100 without the aid of a boundary.

Raqibul, though, was aggressive, taking three boundaries apiece against Khurram and legspinner Arshad Ali as he picked up 27 from nine balls. He missed out on a golden opportunity to reach his maiden ton, however, when a top-edged pull sailed to the 'keeper Amjad Ali; UAE could have picked up two in two had Javed held on to a catch off Ashraful at long leg. Ashraful was run out soon after and was one of four wickets to fall in quick time. Dollar Mahmud ensured that they did not muddle up the finish, making 20 off 9 to take Bangladesh to their highest score away from home.

Five stats Bangladesh's total of 300 is their second-highest score in ODIs, just one run less than the 301 they scored against Kenya in Bogra in March 2006. The 141-run stand between Ashraful and Raqibul Hasan is the highest for the third wicket in ODIs for Bangladesh. Khurram Khan's 78 is the second-highest score by a UAE batsman in ODIs, six short of Saleem Raza's 84 in the 1996 World Cup. With the wicket of Khurram, Abdur Razzak became the third Bangladesh bowler to take 100 ODI wickets, after Mohammad Rafique and Mashrafe Mortaza. Razzak was playing his 69th ODI; only three other spinners have been quicker to 100 wickets. Raqibul's 83 is his third half-century in nine innings, and just six short of his highest score.

Javed gave UAE a flying start by taking ten runs off the first over bowled by Mashrafe Mortaza, hitting the first ball of the innings to the cover boundary before striking him over long-on in the sixth. But Mortaza had his revenge when he induced a top-edge from Javed, which was pouched by Tamim. Indika Batuwitarachichi lasted only two balls, trapped by Shahadat Hossain.

The two Ali's, Arshad and Amjad did not let the early wickets faze them and took the attacking route. Amjad was particularly impressive, twice driving the ball through the covers and once straight down the ground, but the shot which stood out was a flick off Mashrafe to the midwicket boundary which had a Caribbean flair to it. Arshad almost matched that stroke with a powerful pull off Shahadat. The duo had raised 32 off 28 balls, but their promising stand was stalled when Razzak, introduced in the ninth over, got Amjad to edge to first slip with his first ball.

Arshad kept up the fight, punishing a couple of short balls from Mahmud. But when spin was introduced at both ends, UAE found the runs hard to come by. Mahmudullah, bowling quickish offbreaks, then accounted for UAE's captain, Saqib Ali, who cut him uppishly to Shahadat at backward point.

Khan survived a couple of close lbw appeals, but got going by striking Mahmudullah for a couple of attractive boundaries, one to long-on and then past extra-cover. The 47-run fifth-wicket stand between Khan and Arshad ended when Arshad mis-hit Mahmudullah to Raqibul at midwicket. With wickets falling at regular intervals, Khan let loose a barrage of aggressive strokes. He reached his maiden half-century in the 38th over bowled by Mahmud, during which a misdirected throw from Ashraful gave him four additional runs. After Khan holed out to Razzak, Alok Kapali helped himself to a couple of wickets to seal the result.