Mickey Arthur: ‘We’ve got an attack that’s pretty balanced and we’ve got guys that are sort of specialists in all areas’ © Cricket Australia Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur has defended the selection of three left-arm fast bowlers in the attack for the first Test at the Gabba, where Australia piled on 429 in the first innings. Mohammad Amair, Rahat Ali and Wahab Riaz made up the Pakistan pace attack for…
Australia lose openers, but lead passes 300
Tea Australia 429 and 2 for 40 (Khawaja 13*, Smith 8*) lead Pakistan 142 (Sarfraz 59*, Hazlewood 3-22, Bird 3-23, Starc 3-63) by 327 runsLive scorecard and ball-by-ball details Sarfraz Ahmed was the only Pakistan batsman to make more than Sami Aslam’s 22 © Getty Images An impish rearguard by Sarfraz Ahmed helped Pakistan add 75 for their last two wickets and dissuaded Australia’s captain Steven Smith from enforcing the…
Umpire Reiffel says no to helmet despite head blow
Paul Reiffel was struck on the back of the head by a throw from Bhuvneshwar Kumar during the fourth India-England Test © AFP Umpire Paul Reiffel has dismissed the idea of wearing a helmet while officiating in Test matches, despite suffering a concussion after being hit by a fielder’s throw in the fourth Test of the ongoing India-England series. Reiffel is currently home in Melbourne, after the ICC deemed him…
Australia bat again after taking 287-run lead
Innings Pakistan 142 (Sarfraz 59*, Hazlewood 3-22, Bird 3-23, Starc 3-63) trail Australia 429 by 287 runsLive scorecard and ball-by-ball details Sarfraz Ahmed was the only Pakistan batsman to make more than Sami Aslam’s 22 © Getty Images An impish rearguard by Sarfraz Ahmed helped Pakistan add 75 for their last two wickets and dissuaded Australia’s captain Steven Smith from enforcing the follow-on on a hot third day in Brisbane….
Siboto holds nerve as Titans overcome Morkel injury
Titans 155 for (Markram 33) beat Warriors 149 for 6 (Ackerman 34, Jonker 33) by six runsScorecard David Wiese’s late blows proved the difference © Associated Press Titans claimed a second successive T20 title and denied Warriors a first trophy in seven seasons by defending 156, despite losing their captain Albie Morkel to a hamstring injury in their first over in the field. Lungi Ngidi and Junior Dala both conceded…
Our close catching not up to scratch – Sridhar
Play 02:57 Trott: Root put the pressure back on Mishra Finally a fielding error has hurt India big. They have been lucky that their bowlers have been creating opportunities again and again to make sure a reprieve doesn’t cost them big runs, but finally Moeen Ali – dropped on 0 by KL Rahul – ended the day unbeaten on 120, rescuing England from 21 for 2 with help from Joe…
Root takes the hard road to renewed success
Play 02:05 ‘More disbelief than anything’ – Root Joe Root feels a session batting on a road inside the Chepauk stadium had helped him rediscover his fluency ahead of the fifth Test in Chennai. Keen to gain some practice time after feeling his footwork was “all over the place” in the previous Test in Mumbai, Root turned up the day before the match to find that the net facilities at…
Our close-in catching not up to scratch – Sridhar
R Sridhar: “I think Kohli has been magnificent [in the slips], filling in for Rahane. But we miss Kohli’s energy in the outfield” © AFP Finally a fielding error has hurt India big. They have been lucky that their bowlers have been creating opportunities again and again to make sure a reprieve doesn’t cost them big runs, but finally Moeen Ali – dropped on 0 by KL Rahul – ended…
Najibullah heroics helps Afghanistan clinch series
Afghanistan 183 for 5 (Najibullah 55*, Shahzad 31, Javed 3-40) beat United Arab Emirates 179 for 4 (Anwar 60, Rameez Shahzad 47) by five wicketsScorecard Najibullah Zadran’s second T20I fifty steered his side home in a tense finish © Peter Della Penna/ESPNcricinfo Ltd Najibullah Zadran’s unbeaten 55 helped Afghanistan overcome a wobble and secure a final-over win that gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Zadran, who…
Australian bowlers destroy Pakistan batting in first Test
Brisbane (Australia) – A withering spell of fast bowling backed up by exceptional catching had Pakistan on their knees as Australia took charge of the day-night first Test in Brisbane on Friday. Australia paceman Josh Hazlewood catches Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz off his own bowling in the first Test on December 16, 2016 © AFP SAEED KHAN LIVE SCORE: Pakistan vs Australia 1st Test at Brisbane 2016 Australia’s three-man pace attack…