GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday February 15 2014
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Sharma’s career-best haul puts India on top of NZ (REUTERS) - India consolidated their advantage after paceman Ishant Sharma’s career-best six-wicket haul, reaching 100 for two at the close of play on the first day of the second Test against New Zealand (NZ). Ishant was the pick of the tourists’ bowlers, who were given first use of the green and bouncy Basin Reserve wicket after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won his seventh successive toss. The tall right-armer took six for 51 and helped bowl the hosts out for 192 after tea. Mohammed Shami provided admirable support with 4-70. Shikhar Dhawan was on 71 and Ishant, sent in as nightwatchman after Chesteshwar Pujara was out for 19, was three not out at the close. “It was a bit of a mixed day, losing the toss and getting put in wasn’t in the plan,” New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham told RadioSport. “I thought we did all right to get to 180 to give us something to bowl at but they batted quite well there. “I think slightly,” he added when asked if India had the ad-
vantage at the end of the day. “We know that from the West Indies Test that wickets tend to get lost in clumps. “There is still a bit in it and hopefully it will keep swinging tomorrow.” Kane Williamson topscored with 47 for New Zealand after being dismissed three times and recalled twice due to no-balls. Neesham (33) and Southee (32) provided cameos towards the end. Williamson was given out once to Zaheer Khan in the final over before lunch on 15 and then again on 23 when Pujara took a good catch at forward short leg off Ishant during the afternoon session. Both times, however, television replays showed the bowler had overstepped the mark. Dhoni had earlier wasted little time asking the hosts to bat on the green wicket. Although openers Hamish Rutherford and Peter Fulton made a breezy start with seemingly little assistance for Zaheer and Shami, the introduction of Ishant changed the game as he bowled with hostility and forced the batsmen
to leave the hosts floundering at 26 for three. Their troubles deepened shortly before lunch when captain Brendon McCullum was well caught at mid-off by Ravindra Jadeja when driving at a full Mohammed Shami delivery. New Zealand tried to fight back in the afternoon session with Corey Anderson (24) and debutant Neesham helping the
Inshant’s fifth wicket, of BJ Watling, leaves New Zealand reeling at 86 for 6. to play. He destroyed New Zealand’s top order with three
wickets in 14 balls, dismissing Rutherford (12), Fulton (13) and debutant Tom Latham for a duck
NEW ZEALAND first innings P. Fulton lbw b I. Sharma H. Rutherford c Vijay b I. Sharma K. Williamson c R. Sharma b Shami T.Latham c (wkpr) Dhoni b I. Sharma B. McCullum c Jadeja b Shami C. Anderson c Kohli b I. Sharma B.J.Watling c R. Sharma b I. Sharma J. Neesham c Dhoni b Shami T. Southee c Vijay b I. Sharma N. Wagner not out T. Boult c Pujara b Shami Extras: (lb-2, w-8, nb-6)
hosts past 150. Their resistance ended after tea, however, when Ishant took his sixth wicket, having Southee caught behind for a 32, and Shami had Trent Boult pop a short delivery to Pujara to end the innings. New Zealand hold a 1-0 lead in the two-match series after their 40-run victory at Eden Park in the first game.
To t a : ( a l l o u t 5 2 . 5 o v e r s ) 13 192 Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-26, 3-26, 12 4-45, 5-84, 6-86, 7-133, 8-165, 9-184. Bowling: Z. Khan 17-3-57-0 (nb-2, 47 w-1), Mohammed Shami 16.5-4-704 (nb-1, w-2), I. Sharma 17-3-51-6 0 (nb-3), . Jadeja 2-1-12-0. INDIA first innings 8 S. Dhawan not out 71 M. Vijay c (wkpr) Watling 24 b Southee 2 C. Pujara lbw b Boult 19 0 I. Sharma not out 3 Extras: (b-4, w-1) 5 33 Total: (2 wickets; 28 overs) 100 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-89. 32 Bowling: 9-4-18-1, T. Southee 5 7-0-29-1, N. Wagner 7-0-36-0, C. 2 Anderson 3-0-14-0, J. Neesham 16 2-0-8-0.
Senanayake seals dramatic three-wicket win for Sri Lanka SACHITHRA Senanayake struck a four off the final ball of the match to earn Sri Lanka a dramatic three-wicket victory in the second Twenty20 international against Bangladesh and in the process seal a 2-0 series triumph. In a low-scoring encoun-
ter, Sri Lanka looked in big trouble as they slumped to 50 for six in pursuit of Bangladesh’s 120 all out at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong. However, star man Kumar Sangakkara edged the tourists closer to their target with a
run-a-ball 37 before Thisara Perera (35 not out) and Senanayake (12 n.o.) took them past the winning post. For the second time this week the match was in the balance right until the last delivery, with Sri Lanka needing two runs for the win, and Senanayake
Malik, Akmal and Fawad back in Pakistan World T20 squad
(REUTERS) - Pakistan have recalled former captain Shoaib Malik and wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal for next month’s World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. Malik has not featured in a Twenty20 for his country since November while Akmal returns after last playing for his side at the 2013 Champions Trophy in England. Middle-order batsman Fawad Alam, who has not been picked since 2010, is also back in the 15-man squad as is paceman Umar Gul who has played only three one-day internationals in the last 11 months due to knee surgery. “Malik, Kamran and Fawad have been rewarded for their good form in domestic cricket,” said acting chief selector Azhar Khan. “Unfortunately Mohammad Irfan has not been picked because of fitness issues.” Paceman Irfan has not played for Pakistan since in-
Shoaib juring his hip in a T20 against South Africa in Dubai in November and doctors have told him to rest for up to two months. Squad: Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Shahid Afridi, Ahmed
Malik Shehzad, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Sharjeel Khan, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Sohaib Maqsood, Junaid Khan, Bilawal Bhatti, Anwar Ali, Zulfiqar Babar, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Talha.
was his side’s hero as he turned Farhad Reza to the boundary for the match-winning runs. Sri Lanka, the top-ranked T20I side in the world, also won another thriller right at the death on Wednesday when they clinched a two-run victory here in the opening encounter after defending a total of 168 for seven. Perera bowled the final over on that occasion, dismissing Anamul Haque for 58 off the last ball having been hit for 14 off the previous five balls, but
it was his batting which proved key yesterday. After five of Sri Lanka’s top seven batsmen had fallen for single-figure scores, Perera and Sangakkara helped get their side back into the game with a 46-run partnership the highest in the match - before the latter was dismissed by Rubel Hossain with 25 runs still needed. At that point Bangladesh must have felt the game had swung back their way, but Perera and Senanayake took it
away from them again as Sri Lanka added the T20 series to their Test triumph over the same opponents. Earlier, Bangladesh had been bowled out for 120 off the penultimate ball of their innings. Sabbir Rahman (26) and Haque (24) were the only players to get into the 20s as Lasith Malinga (three for 20), Senanayake (two for 11) and Nuwan Kulasekara (two for 32) prevented the hosts from cutting loose. The two nations will now do battle in a three-match