West Indies v Australia, 1st Test, Bridgetown, Day4,Cricinfo

West Indies 449 for 9 dec and 71 for 5 (Hilfenhaus 3-17) lead Australia 406 for 9 dec (Clarke 73, Harris 68*, Roach 3-72) by 114 runs

How quickly this game can change. West Indies started the fourth day searching for a way to turn their dominance into a victory. They ended it hoping to avoid defeat. In between, Ryan Harris led an outstanding tail-end fightback from Australia that allowed Michael Clarke to make a bold declaration from behind, a decision that was justified when Ben Hilfenhaus scythed through the top three West Indies batsmen in the first five overs of their second innings.

As tea approached, it was hard to tell who was wobblier, the West Indies batsmen or the rummies in Kensington Oval's Party Stand. At least the spectators had an excuse for their lack of stability. Clarke's declaration gave West Indies half an hour to bat before the break and when it arrived they were 4 for 3. Australia's last three pairs had just added 156 runs between them. It was about as disastrous a period as West Indies could have endured.

In a few crazy hours, all the hard work the hosts had done over the first three days evaporated. By stumps, they had steadied a little, but only a little, and they finished the day at 71 for 5, with Narsingh Deonarine on 20 and Carlton Baugh on 2. It meant West Indies held a slim lead of 114 runs and with only five wickets in hand, they still needed a solid batting performance on the fifth morning to prevent the Australians chasing a small target.

The pitch had started to show some variable bounce but after the way their tail-enders batted, Australia would fancy their chances of chasing a target of around 200. For West Indies, much rested on the shoulders of Deonarine, a man with a point to prove after he was told by the coach Ottis Gibson he was on probation having been recalled to the side for the first time in nearly two years.

Smart stats Ryan Harris' 68 is the highest score by an Australian No.9 batsman against West Indies and the third-highest at the position for Australia since 1990 after Mitchell Johnson's 96 and Damien Fleming's 71. Nathan Lyon's 40 is sixth on the list of top scores by Australian No.11 batsmen. There have been only three half-centuries scored by Australian No.11 batsmen with Glenn McGrath's 61 the highest. The 77-run stand between Harris and Lyon is the second-highest tenth-wicket stand for Australia against West Indies. The highest is the 97-run stand between Rodney Hogg and Tom Hogan in Guyana in 1984. The partnership aggregate for the last two wickets (121) is the fourth-highest for Australia in Tests against West Indies and their highest in West Indies. West Indies lost their first three wickets for just four runs. The score at the fall of the third wicket (4) is the second-lowest for West Indies against Australia. The previous lowest (3) came in Brisbane in 1992. Australia declared their first innings with a deficit of 43 runs. It is only the second time since their 169-run loss in Perth in 1988 that Australia have declared behind West Indies.

Deonarine had helped West Indies recover with a 50-run stand that ended shortly before stumps when Darren Bravo (32) edged behind off Peter Siddle. It was just the breakthrough the Australians wanted after Hilfenhaus ripped through the top order and Harris nicked out Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who had clung on like a barnacle in the first innings but managed only 12 in the second.

West Indies were 17 for 4 when Chanderpaul was done by a good ball that moved away fractionally off the seam. Hilfenhaus had also found just enough movement to trouble Adrian Barath, who was the first to fall when he was bowled by a ball that shaped to swing away and then straightened back between bat and pad.

Two balls later, Kraigg Brathwaite feathered behind playing an uncharacteristically aggressive stroke and his edge was so thin that the umpire Ian Gould did not appear likely to give him out, but the batsman walked. In his next over, Hilfenhaus trapped Kirk Edwards lbw and a review of Gould's decision could not save the batsman, and Clarke's decision to declare 43 runs in arrears was looking inspired.

The Australian lower order had provided major frustrations for West Indies, especially Harris, who finished unbeaten on 68, and the No.11 Nathan Lyon, who remained not out on 40. They had put on 77 for the final wicket and could have batted on further, but Clarke wasn't convinced a draw was the best outcome Australia could manage.

Australia added 40 runs after lunch and the innings was nearly brought to an end with the score at 391 when Harris was given out lbw to Fidel Edwards for 66. But with a review up his sleeve, Harris asked for the third umpire to check Gould's on-field decision and the replay showed the ball would have sailed over the top of the stumps.

There were precious few other opportunities for West Indies as their heads bowed and shoulders slumped during the final partnership, the second-highest tenth-wicket stand ever by an Australian pair against West Indies. Things had started perfectly for West Indies as they took the new ball in the first over of the day and quickly had Michael Hussey back in the dressing room having added only one to his overnight score.

Hussey pushed forward at a Kemar Roach delivery that angled across him and his edge was well taken by Carlton Baugh low to his left. Siddle followed for 0 when he ducked a shortish delivery from Fidel Edwards and gloved a catch to gully, and Australia were 250 for 7. Matthew Wade and Harris added 35 for the eighth wicket and both men played some promising shots but Wade's patience eventually deserted him and he drove expansively at Edwards and edged to slip for 28 from 97 deliveries.

Hilfenhaus provided some entertainment with five boundaries in his 24, an innings that ended when he tried to whack Roach over midwicket and lost his middle stump. But it wasn't the end for the Australian lower order as Harris and Lyon's partnership reached 37 at lunch, both men having played some impressive strokes and they were particularly good at driving when the bowlers overpitched.

Harris struck seven boundaries and brought up his half-century from his 76th ball with a clip through midwicket, and his determination was evident in his celebration as he gritted his teeth and settled in for some more batting. Lyon also played some strong drives and brought up his highest first-class score.

Clarke denied him the chance of scoring a half-century, but it was the furthest thing from the captain's mind as he sought a way to win the match. By stumps, victory had become a much more realistic proposition.

New Zealand v South Africa, 1st Test, Dunedin, Day 4,cricinfo

New Zealand 273 and 137 for 2 (Taylor 48*, McCullum 58*) need a further 264 to beat South Africa 435 for 5 (Rudolph 105*, Boucher 34*) and 238

An unbeaten 82-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor set up a tantalising final day in Dunedin, in which all four results remain possible. South Africa need eight wickets to take the series lead, while New Zealand require another 264 runs to complete their highest successful fourth-innings chase. Rain forecast for tomorrow however, may prevent a result.

McCullum and Taylor were positive through their association, especially harsh on width outside the off stump from South Africa's fast bowlers. A mid-session flurry in the evening even produced 40 runs from 31 deliveries, as the pair smacked five fours and a six, making it clear New Zealand were not simply chasing a draw. Although the pitch had become considerably slower and lower over the past two days, a lack of marked increase in turn for Imran Tahir will bolster hopes of an unlikely upset. The possibility was not lost on Graeme Smith, who stationed men on the offside fence towards the end of the day.

The two batsmen had put on a promising partnership in the first innings, only to throw their wickets away when New Zealand seemed headed for a significant first innings lead. But on the fourth evening, false shots were rare. Jacques Kallis had Ross Taylor slashing at one too close to his body, late in the day, but apart from that solitary misjudgment, only the truly loose deliveries were attacked. A languid cover drive by Taylor relied more on timing than his characteristic power to reach the fence, while McCullum's innings displayed a keen awareness of the field, which he sought to manipulate. It has not always been the case for him, even at times during this tour. He was unbeaten on 58, when the umpires called it a day, due to bad light, with Taylor two short of his fifty.

The chase was set up by Jacques Rudolph, who became South Africa's third centurion in their second innings, with an unbeaten 105, embellishing an impressive record in New Zealand, where he now boasts an average of 98.6. South Africa had moved slowly in the first session of the day, largely unwilling to take risks to spur an ambling run rate, but alongside Mark Boucher, Rudolph quickened the tempo after lunch, and South Africa declared with a lead of 400 midway through the afternoon session. He had taken 140 deliveries for his 59 at the end of the first session, but needed only 35 more to move to triple figures, shortly before Smith motioned the innings closed.

Eighty-nine overs in the field on day three had seemingly sapped the New Zealand attack, as their opening forays on day four lacked pace and penetration, while South Africa progressed slowly to a hefty lead. Chris Martin was negotiated without fuss by South Africa's overnight pair - much as he had been throughout several toothless spells the previous afternoon - and though Doug Bracewell coaxed modest nip from a placid surface, his first spell found chiefly the middle of Kallis' blade, when the batsman resumed an unhurried innings on 107.

Smart stats For the 15th time overall in Tests and the first time against New Zealand, three South African batsmen scored centuries in an innings. The last time this happened was in the third Test win against Sri Lanka in CapeTown. Jacques Rudolph scored his sixth Test century and his second against New Zealand. On the previous occasion he scored a century against New Zealand, South Africa lost the match by wickets. It is his first Test century since the 102 against Australia in Perth in 2005. South Africa's total of 435 is their highest second-innings score in Tests against New Zealand. On the previous occasion when they made over 400 in the third innings (Johannesburg in 2007), they went on to win by 358 runs. If New Zealand are to win the Test, they will become only the fifth team to chase over 400 in the fourth innings. West Indies hold the record for chasing the highest target (418) in Tests. The highest target chased by New Zealand is 324 against Pakistan in 1994. The 82-run stand between Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum is the fourth-highest third-wicket stand for New Zealand against South Africa and is presently their third-highest stand for the third wicket in the fourth innings.

Trent Boult drew the unenviable task of bowling into a strong, chilling wind, but it turned out a blessing when Kallis misjudged the pace of the third ball in Boult's first over. Expecting the ball to arrive much quicker, Kallis was through a clip off the pads, and ended up scooping it in the air to Rob Nicol at midwicket.

Despite that early breakthrough, New Zealand were unable to build pressure as South Africa ambled on comfortably via risk-averse accumulation. The run-rate rarely stirred above three an over, and when AB de Villiers sought to raise it, he found McCullum at deep midwicket with his first truly expansive stroke.

The declaration prior to tea gave South Africa enough time to prise the first New Zealand wicket before the break, when Martin Guptill fell prey to Vernon Philander, who induced bounce and slight movement off the seam to take Guptill's edge on 6.

Dale Steyn was down on pace throughout his spells in the second innings, perhaps hampered by a swollen big toe on his landing foot. Morne Morkel threatened with the new ball, hitting Nicol on the shoulder and the wrist in his first spell, but had his natural bounce hamstrung by an aging pitch playing lower as the match wore on.

Tahir could not generate the turn he might have hoped for, but was handed a wicket nonetheless - off the worst ball he bowled in the innings. Nicol's surrender was perhaps the most mindless dismissal of the summer, when he slapped a knee-high full toss to Smith at mid-on. The batsman cringed regretfully almost as soon as he played the stroke, but South Africa were gleeful at the bonus - Tahir barely able to believe his luck, or the folly of a batsman who had scraped through another testing new-ball period from the seamers.

McCullum's fluency was immediate though, as he hit boundaries from each of the first two overs he faced. New Zealand will rest their hopes with him and Taylor, when the pair resume tomorrow, if the weather allows it.

South Africa Vs Sri Lanka 3rd Test at Cape Town Day4 Cricinfo,Live Score

South Africa 580 for 4 decl. (Kallis 224, de Villiers 160*, Petersen 109) and 2 for 0 beat Sri Lanka 239 (Dilshan 78, Philander 3-46, Steyn 3-56) and 342 (Samaraweera 115*, Kallis 3-35) by 10 wickets 

South Africa won their first home series since 2008, a period in which they had been denied on five occasions, prevailing over Sri Lanka by 10 wickets to take the rubber 2-1. An innings defeat seemed the most likely result at the start of the day, but a wicketless pre-lunch session and another century from the resurgent Thilan Samaraweera helped Sri Lanka barely avoid that ignominy.

Needing two runs to win in the fourth innings, South Africa got home without facing a legal delivery, with Dhammika Prasad over-stepping and Alviro Petersen punching down the ground to trigger relief and smiles in the home camp. Graeme Smith has now captained his side to 41 Test wins - joint second with Steve Waugh in the all-time list. Only Ricky Ponting, with 48, lies ahead.

Smart stats Sri Lanka have now lost all the four series they have played in South Africa. However, this is the first tour in which they have won a match. South Africa regained form by winning their first home series since 2008. Their last home series win came against West Indies in 2008 (excluding Bangladesh matches). Since then, they lost to Australia and drew series against England, India and Australia. South Africa improved on their Cape Town record with another victory. They have now won 16 matches and lost just three at the venue since their readmission. Their only losses have come against Australia. The win is South Africa's sixth by a margin of ten wickets (excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe matches). It is also their second ten-wicket win in Tests in Cape Town after the victory against England in 1995-96. Thilan Samaraweera, who scored his second century of the series, becomes the first Sri Lankan batsman and the 11th visiting player to score two or more centuries in a series in South Africa since 1990.. Samaraweera became the seventh Sri Lankan player to score 5000 runs in Tests. His average of 53.42 is the second-highest among Sri Lankan players who have 5000-plus runs. Jacques Kallis became the second South African player to take six catches in a Test. Only five players have taken more catches (7) in a Test. Kallis also became only the fourth player to score a century and take six of more catches in the same Test. Matthew Hayden, Garry Sobers and Frank Woolley are the others to achieve this. Dale Steyn went wicketless in a completed innings for the second time in the series. While in Durban, he bowled 23 fruitless overs, on this occasion, he went 20 overs without success.

Once again, Vernon Philander made the breakthroughs for South Africa in a passage when they were beginning to look listless. Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews had extended their overnight association to 142 runs, and were looking at ease against the second new ball, when Philander ended the fun with a double-strike. The tail slogged along merrily, while Samaraweera chiselled his way to three-figures. Jacques Kallis and Imran Tahir side-stepped his defiance, and ended the innings at the stroke of tea.

Samaraweera's effort took his series tally to 339 runs, and put to rest all doubts over his ability to handle conditions outside the subcontinent. His century was only the fourth by a Sri Lankan in this country, with three of them coming on this tour, but it wasn't enough to extend the match to the fifth day.

As on the third evening, South Africa were persistent with their lines of attack at the start of play, but the rewards were not so readily available. The closest they came to getting a wicket before lunch was when Samaraweera was stranded mid-pitch following a misunderstanding with Mathews. Petersen picked up rapidly in the covers and had a good sight of the stumps as he threw, but missed. A little later, Mathews came close to being run out, but this time Hashim Amla's throw went wide.

Barring those two scares, Sri Lanka had few concerns in the morning. Samaraweera got going with a neat flick through square leg off the day's second ball, and a couple of controlled edges through the off side. Thereafter, he settled down to wait and pick off the leg-stump offerings that came his way. He got to his fifty by steering Tahir to third man as the first hour drew to a close. Mathews' first boundary of the morning came off a thick edge that flew past the cordon, but he gradually buckled down to seal his end. Progress came through dabs and tucks, until Tahir slipped a full toss on the pads that Mathews whipped expertly to the boundary.

With the pitch slowing down and seam movement absent, Smith moved the cordon from behind the wicket to front. Armed with the old ball, Kallis sent down an energetic spell of fast bumpers, with slip, short leg, short cover, silly mid-on, and later leg slip, in place, but Samaraweera stayed firm. The gambit had failed, and it was over to Philander with the second new ball.

Sensing the pivotal moment of the day, Samaraweera took Philander on. He cracked one square, plastered another down the ground, and pulled emphatically to take three boundaries in an over. Philander persevered, though, and dispatched Mathews in his next over, with an indipper that kept low to hit the pads. Two overs later, Dinesh Chandimal perished to a lazy waft away from the body, giving Kallis his fifth sharp catch in the match, all of them in the slips. He would later come on to hold a sixth off his own bowling, to go with three wickets and a double-century. The Man-of-the-Match adjudicators had an open-and-shut case in front of them.

India Va Australia 2nd Test at Sydney Day4 Cricinfo,Live Score

Australia 4 for 659 dec beat India 191 and 400 (Gambhir 83, Tendulkar 80, Laxman 66, Ashwin 62, Hilfenhaus 5-106) by an innings and 68 runs

This was supposed to be India's best chance to win a Test series in Australia. It has taken only eight days of cricket for Michael Clarke's men to deny them that goal. On the fourth afternoon in Sydney, an attack led by Ben Hilfenhaus deconstructed India's formidable batting line-up, bit by bit, to secure an unbeatable 2-0 series lead with victory by an innings and 68 runs, Australia's first innings win over India in 12 years.

The last such result also came at the SCG, in 2000. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were all part of that side, as they were members of the outfit that lost this time around. It is unlikely they will have another chance to beat Australia at home. For now, India still hold the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and should they win in Perth and Adelaide they will retain it. But their grip on it is as weak as Chris Martin's forward defence.

This was an Australian victory that will be remembered for Clarke's unbeaten 329. But on the fourth day, it was a second consecutive five-wicket haul from Hilfenhaus that was the highlight. Hilfenhaus completed the success with the final wicket when R Ashwin, who had made a fighting 62, skied a pull and was caught by Nathan Lyon running around from mid-on.

The Australians were overjoyed. Clarke especially was thrilled. His declaration on the third day, when he could have chased personal milestones like Brian Lara's world-record Test innings of 400, was designed to ensure Australia would win the match. They did so with three and a half sessions remaining. Clarke is not the kind of man to harbour any regrets. The win was everything.

He knew better than anyone that batting on the SCG surface was not particularly difficult, and as Tendulkar and Laxman put on a 103-run stand his mind might have flicked back eight years, to a 353-run partnership between the same men at the same ground. Fittingly, it was Clarke with his left-arm spin that ended the partnership, and India's hopes of saving the Test.

Tendulkar had reached 80 and seemed to be on track to register his long-awaited hundredth international hundred in the SCG's hundredth Test when Clarke changed the course of the day. He produced a delivery that was accurate enough to draw Tendulkar into a stroke and turned just enough to catch the edge, which ricocheted off Brad Haddin's gloves and was snaffled by Michael Hussey at slip.

When the new ball arrived, the other architect of that one threatening partnership, Laxman, on 66, fell to a near-perfect delivery from Hilfenhaus, who finished with 5 for 106. The ball angled in and then nipped away to beat the outside edge of Laxman's bat, clipping the edge of the top of off stump, and the batsman could scarcely believe his fate, confident as he appeared that he had covered his wicket.

From there, the wickets fell steadily. MS Dhoni (2) chipped a return catch to Hilfenhaus, who seemed to think it was a bump ball. But the umpire's decision to have the third official check on the shot revealed it had lobbed cleanly back to Hilfenhaus without touching the ground, surprising some of the Australians.

Virat Kohli was lbw to James Pattinson for 9, a fraction unlucky as the ball kept low, but there was no question over the decision. Peter Siddle joined in by removing Zaheer Khan, who had made an entertaining 35 when he slashed hard at a delivery outside off and was taken by Shaun Marsh running back from extra cover.

Briefly, Ishant Sharma and Ashwin staved off the Australians with a 42-run stand, but Ishant (11) was lbw to the offspin of Nathan Lyon. That was the only breakthrough of the match for Lyon, who also collected just one in Melbourne and has not removed a top-six batsman since the first Test of the summer, against New Zealand at the Gabba. Though usually loath to change a winning side, Australia might consider replacing him with Ryan Harris at the WACA.

There are far more questions for India. For a while it looked like they might take the match into the fifth day as they worked through the first session for the loss of only one wicket, that of Gautam Gambhir. He missed the chance for his first Test century in nearly two years when, on 83, he stood on the crease and reached his bat a long way forward to the bowling of Siddle, who found a leading edge that was snapped up by David Warner at point.

Tendulkar and Laxman continued to fight. Laxman played some of his trademark wristy flicks through the leg side, against the fast men and also the offspin of Lyon, and Tendulkar showed off some wonderful cover-drives early in the morning. Shortly before the lunch break, Tendulkar upper-cut a frustrated Pattinson over the sole slip for another boundary.

But it was all a big tease for the Indian fans. In a match where three Australians made tons, including one triple-hundred, India needed more than a handful of pretty half-centuries. There are questions over their batting and their bowling as the Perth Test approaches. They have a week to sort out their problems.

India Va Australia 2nd Test at Sydney Day4 Cricinfo,Live Score

Lunch India 191 and 3 for 243 (Gambhir 83, Tendulkar 70*, Laxman 44*) trail Australia 4 for 659 dec by 225 runs

Gautam Gambhir missed the chance for a drought-ending century but Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman continued to fight for India on the fourth day in Sydney. Gambhir was the only batsman to fall during the day's opening session as India added 129 runs to their overnight total and reduced the deficit to 225, but at 3 for 243 plenty of work still remained for them to make Australia bat again.

Tendulkar was on 70 and Laxman had reached 44, and the Australians were keen to ensure there was no repeat of their 353-run partnership at the same ground eight years ago. Laxman had survived a scare before he had scored when he gloved the ball down the leg side off Peter Siddle, but the ball appeared to drop fractionally short of the gloves of Brad Haddin.

It was a difficult morning for Haddin, who let several byes go past, the ball often swinging after it passed the batsmen. Later in the session, fewer balls were getting past the bat as Laxman started to play some of his trademark wristy flicks through the leg side, against the fast men and also the offspin of Nathan Lyon.

Tendulkar played some wonderful cover-drives early in the morning and shortly before the lunch break upper-cut a frustrated James Pattinson over the sole slip for another boundary. It wasn't quite as controlled a stroke as the upper-cuts he had played in Melbourne, but all the same he made it to lunch safely and the prospect of a hundredth international hundred was certainly on the cards.

There were several impressive cuts and clips through the leg side from Tendulkar, who had lost only one partner during the session. On 83, Gambhir stood on the crease and reached his bat a long way forward to the bowling of Siddle, who found a leading edge that was snapped up by David Warner at point. It was a disappointing end for Gambhir, who has not scored a Test ton since January 2010

Bangladesh vs Pakistan 2nd Test at Mirpur Day4 Cricinfo,Highlights

Bangladesh 338 and 114 for 5 trail Pakistan 470 (Taufeeq 130, Misbah 70, Azhar 57, Akmal 53, Shakib 6-82) by 18 runs

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Shakib Al Hasan became the first Bangladesh player to score a hundred and take a five-for in the same Test, but that wasn't enough to stop Pakistan from taking charge of the second Test in Mirpur. Shakib's importance to the outcome of the match was highlighted by Pakistan's jubilant reaction to his dismissal late in the day - in the exuberance of the celebration, Younis Khan was pushed over by one of his team-mates.

Pakistan's batsmen made unrelenting progress in the first half of the day - Adnan Akmal reached his maiden Test half-century and Misbah-ul-Haq completed his seventh Test fifty of the year to stretch the first-innings lead to a healthy 132. In contrast, the Bangladesh batting's perennial struggle to put up strong performances in both innings of a Test continued, and they slid to 114 for 5 by close.

It was a typical beginning to the innings. Tamim Iqbal started as though it was a Twenty20, cracking five boundaries in his 21 before falling in the final over before tea. It was a dodgy decision as he was ruled out after the ball ricocheted off his helmet to slip. He stood around making his displeasure clear, and pointing to the helmet to indicate where the ball hit him, actions which are likely to earn him a meeting with the match referee.

To make it worse, off the next ball, Umar Gul removed Shahriar Nafees lbw for a golden duck to spark thoughts of a familiar top order collapse. Like the light in Mirpur, Bangladesh's chances also began to fade early.

Gul got the new ball to jag around, and though he couldn't complete the hat-trick after tea, he thoroughly examined the batsmen's technique outside off. Aizaz Cheema wasn't as incisive early on, but returned to take two big wickets - Mahmudullah and Shakib. Both dismissals were due to a long-standing problem with the Bangladesh batting - poor shot selection. Mahmudullah looked to flatbat a delivery that was well outside off, top edging it to deep point and Shakib steered a catch to backward point.

One of the other reasons for the home side's troubles at the Test level is the lack of quality medium-pacers, and they were unimpressive again on the fourth morning. That prompted Mushfiqur Rahim to give marathon spells to the left-arm spin pair of Elias Sunny and Shakib. Sunny bowled through the entire morning session, while Shakib had sent down a 23-over spell by the time Pakistan's innings ended.

Comfortably placed at 292 for 3 overnight, Pakistan were expected to be more adventurous on the fourth morning to set up a declaration, but the dismissal of Younis in the second over of the day led to a more measured approach. Sunny struck in his first over, getting the ball to jump and turn, and Younis nicked it to the wicketkeeper as he looked to defend.

Neither Misbah nor Asad Shafiq are known for an aggressive brand of batting, and there was plenty of caution in their partnership early on. Only three runs were scored in the first seven overs of the day, before Misbah broke free with a couple of boundaries in a Nazmul Hossain over. Shafiq also got going with consecutive fours off Shahadat Hossain, but once Sunny and Shakib started to bowl in tandem, the run flow subsided again.

Misbah, to his credit, attempted to push the tempo with an array of sweeps - delicate paddles from outside off, reverse-sweeps and powerful conventional ones to try and throw the spinners' off their line and length. The partnership swelled past 50, before Shakib finally had reward for his tight bowling - Misbah falling to the sweep, top-edging to slip.

The Bangladesh fielding was again below par: Robiul Islam shelled a simple chance at mid-on, Mahmudullah dropped another at slip and there was another let down at midwicket by Sunny.

Bangladesh's spirits were lifted when Shafiq was given a tight lbw appeal, but Abdur Rehman and Akmal played a series of strokes to take the lead close to 100. Rehman then fell to a catch at slip, and the rest of the tail was mopped up by Shakib.

As if a century to rescue the team from 43 for 4, and then scooping up six wickets wasn't enough, Shakib was expected to prop Bangladesh up with the bat in the second innings as well. He wasn't able to, leaving Bangladesh needing something of a miracle to save the Test on a track where Pakistan's potent spin attack was getting plenty of help.

Bangladesh Vs Pakistan 2nd Test At Mirpur Day4 Live Score

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India Vs West Indies 3rd Test Day4 Cricinfo,highlights,Live Score

West Indies 590 and 81 for 2 lead India 482 (Ashwin 103, Tendulkar 94, Dravid 82) by 189 runs

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There was a century at the Wankhede Stadium, but not the one the sell-out crowd came to see. Sachin Tendulkar missed his historic ton by six runs, but the fans at least had the consolation of watching are Ashwin conjure an energetic hundred to become the first Indian since 1962 to take five wickets and score a century in the same match. When Ashwin walked out, India were facing the possibility of a humiliating follow-on on the flattest of tracks after the West Indies' quicks struck three times with the second new ball, but with the help of Virat Kohli, he sliced the deficit to a far more manageable 108. In recent times, West Indies' batting has rarely shown the ability to put up strong performances in both innings of a Test, but the all-too-familiar collapse didn't occur in the final session as Darren Bravo and Kraigg Brathwaite steadfastly hung on against the spinners. West Indies' fast bowlers began the day with intent - Ravi Rampaul starting with a bouncer to Tendulkar and Fidel Edwards striking with his first delivery of the day, getting VVS Laxman to edge to gully. It was all about Tendulkar for the next half an hour though, as he galloped to the nineties with a series of sumptuous strokes. The cla**ic straight drive, an effortless punch past cover, an audacious upper cut over third man for six all suggested Tendulkar was in top form, turning the Wankhede into a buzzing cauldron of noise. Ravi Rampaul switched the mute-button on though, by getting a short-of-length ball to jump at Tendulkar, who edged it to Darren Sammy at second slip. The seemingly interminable wait continues. The crowd was at its most dejected then, and their mood didn't improve when MS Dhoni was bowled by Sammy soon after. With only the inexperienced Kohli and the bowlers to come, and India needing 60 more to force West Indies to bat again, the follow-on looked a distinct possibility. All the hoopla may have been around Tendulkar, but it was a far more important day for Kohli, who finally got the chance to show his credentials for the No. 6 spot. He responded well, with an array of wristy pictures, guiding India ever closer to the crucial 391-run mark.


The early boundaries came through measured drives and pictures, as he outscored Kohli in their partnership. After lunch, two streaky edged fours were bookended by murderous hits over mid-on for six off Bishoo. There were late cuts for four off Edwards and Marlon Samuels, audacious paddles to fine leg after jumping across the stumps on consecutive deliveries, and an air of level-headedness even as he started to run out of partners. He started to decline the singles towards the end, and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed the tension of seeing whether Ashwin could make it to the hundred with last man Pragyan Ojha for company. The No. 11 survived 14 deliveries, including a testing over from Edwards, before Ashwin stabbed the ball past gully in the next over to bring up the century which caps an eventful month in which he has already won the Man-of-the-Match award on Test debut, and got married. Even with a sizeable first-innings lead, West Indies looked like the only team likely to lose - their batsmen needed to withstand a trial by spin, and even if they succeeded the visitors couldn't risk declaring too early on the fifth morning to push for a victory given the might of the Indian batting. Ojha caused some early excitement by getting rid of both Adrian Barath and Kirk Edwards within the 11th over, but Brathwaithe again showed that though he may lack flair, he wasn't short on defensive doggedness. At the other end, Bravo continued to bat as fluently as you'd expect from a man who has two centuries in his previous two innings. There was a moment of concern, when he edged a chance to Kohli at forward short leg in the final over of the day but that was put down.


Smart stats R Ashwin became the 20th player to score a century and take a five-for in the same Test. It was the 27th instance of such a feat, and only the second since 2000. There were 11 fifty-plus scores in the first two innings of the match, which is a Test record. There are six instances of ten such scores. Ashwin's hundred is the 13th for India by a No.8 batsman, which is the most by any team. Pakistan are next with 11. Sachin Tendulkar is the first batsman to be dismissed in the 90s ten times in Tests. Rahul Dravid and Michael Slater have been out nine times each. On the third day, Dravid became the second-oldest batsman to score 1000 Test runs in a calendar year, after denial of normal Bradman, who scored 1025 runs in 1948 at the age of 40.

South Africa Vs Austrelia 2nd Test Day4 Cricinfo,Live Score Card

Series heads for gripping finish

Australia 296 & 142 for 3 (Ponting 54*, Clarke 1*) trail South Africa 266 & 339 (Amla 105, de Villiers 73, Cummins 6-79) by 168 runs

Aided greatly by Usman Khawaja, Ricky Ponting summoned his deepest reserves of skill and focus to give Australia a fighting chance of chasing 310 to square the two-match series against South Africa.

Ponting's 122-run union with the sure-handed Khawaja, who was out to Imran Tahir only one ball before the close, took the tourists to 142 for 3, leaving the match and series deliciously poised with one day remaining.

In an innings critical to his career and perhaps the manner of its conclusion, Ponting presented the straightest bat he has managed in quite some time to make a first Test half-century since the opening Test of the Ashes series last December. The captain Michael Clarke will accompany Ponting on the final morning.

Dale Steyn's bold striking meant the tourists required the highest fourth innings target to win a Test at the Wanderers, despite a stirring six-wicket haul on debut for the 18-year-old Pat Cummins.

Shane Watson and Phillip Hughes failed to repeat their first innings displays, both out to Vernon Philander with only 19 scored, but Ponting and Khawaja dulled the home side's offensive.

Without Steyn's 41, speckled with three sixes, Australia might easily have been chasing a target as thin as 250, after the hosts lost 4 for 29 in the morning to be 266 for 7. Cummins' remarkable efforts, adding up to one of the most outstanding debuts by an Australia fast bowler in the past 40 years, prevented South Africa from making the game entirely safe.

Hashim Amla went on to a deserved 105 from his overnight 89, but was involved in a run-out to account for Ashwell Prince and then became Mitchell Johnson's third wicket of the series. Nathan Lyon delivered another useful spell, only to be denied the wicket of Steyn via the vagaries of the DRS.

Australia's openers added 174 in the first innings, but in the second Watson allowed Philander to crash a straight delivery into off stump second ball, and after a pair of boundaries Hughes sparred at the same bowler to present a catch to Jacques Kallis in the slips.

Khawaja had begun with a pair of wonderfully crisp boundaries in Philander's first over and Ponting, the eyes of the cricket world upon him in the manner of Mark Taylor at Edgbaston in 1997 or Steve Waugh at Sydney in 2003, eluded the early shuffle and lbw that had confounded him so far on this tour. Though he was beaten by the odd seaming delivery, twice Ponting swivelled into the pull shots of his pomp. Khawaja proved equally adept with a horizontal bat, and Australia's 50 was raised before tea.

Play resumed in bright sunshine, and Ponting made hay in the company of Khawaja to frustrate the diligent efforts of South Africa's bowlers. Slowly, but increasingly surely, they met the challenge of each bowler, be it Steyn's pace, Philander's line or Morne Morkel's bounce. Tahir's introduction had Ponting scampering down the wicket almost every ball, and overthrows gifted Khawaja a first half-century in his fourth Test.

Steyn was straining every sinew in search of a wicket, but Khawaja in particular was able to pick him off for runs, and one hook sailed over the head of fine leg for a splendid six. There were the vaguest signs of fatigue or discomfort from Steyn, in a match that has tested the stamina of bowlers on both sides.

Smart stats Pat Cummins became the first Australian fast bowler to take a five-wicket haul on debut since Stuart Clark in Cape Town in 2006. Cummins' analysis of 6 for 79 is the best bowling performance by an Australian bowlers in a Test in South Africa since South Africa's readmission. The 147-run stand between AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla is the second-highest fourth-wicket stand for South Africa against Australia since South Africa's readmission. Amla's century is his 14th in Tests and his second in consecutive matches against Australia. He has now scored 4136 runs at an average of 47.54. The 122-run stand between Usman Khawaja and Ricky Ponting is the fourth-highest third-wicket stand for Australia in Tests against South Africa (since the latter's readmission). Ponting has been involved in three century stands for the third wicket.

Khawaja was on 65 when Tahir switched to over the wicket against Australia's No. 3. A natural against pace, Khawaja is still learning to read spin, and he prodded uncertainly forward to edge a googly to slip. Clarke only had time to face one ball, pushed for a single, before the umpires tramped off for bad light and eventually called stumps.

The tourists had needed a rush of wickets on the fourth morning, and Clarke started off with Cummins and Johnson in search of it. Swinging the old ball prodigiously at times, Cummins maintained his rapid progress when he coaxed de Villiers into chasing one that curled away. Clarke held the catch and dared to hope.

Amla completed a century of formidable composure, cuffing Peter Siddle through point to get there, but his insistence on a short single to the right of Ponting resulted in a mix-up with Prince and the left-hander's exit. Johnson, still somewhat out of sorts, was able to produce a handy cutter that took Amla's outside edge on the way through to Brad Haddin, and suddenly Australia's position was arguably the one preferred by neutrals.

Mark Boucher swatted three boundaries before driving at Lyon and snicking to slip. He loitered at the crease partly because he also hit the ground, as well as out of recognition that not much batting remained after him. Steyn had made only five and the lead was only 246 when he was beaten by a Lyon off break and so very nearly lbw. But the umpire Billy Bowden demurred, suspecting an inside edge, and Australia's referral was refused, not for an inside edge but because the ball's projected path was not hitting enough of leg stump.

This episode felt more damaging in the ensuing overs, as Steyn demonstrated the knack for nuisance batting he had famously shown with JP Duminy at the MCG in 2008, and Philander played with the level of skill befitting a No. 8. Clarke tried Michael Hussey before reverting belatedly to the second new ball.

Nearing lunch, Steyn swung hard at Johnson and edged through the hands of Clarke, and Siddle moved the ball too much to claim the outside edge the tourists so desperately required.

Having rested up in the latter part of the morning session, Cummins produced a snorter first ball after lunch to clip the glove of Philander. Bowden hesitated before giving Philander out, but the batsman's decision-referral found just enough circumstantial evidence to ensure the original call was upheld. Next ball Cummins whirred down a yorker to wreck the stumps of Morne Morkel, thus claiming five wickets, and Imran Tahir did well to keep out a hat-trick ball that tailed away.

By surviving the over Tahir allowed Steyn to keep blazing away, and he lustily struck sixes off Siddle and Cummins. Those hits, plus a glove down the legside, added precious runs. Tahir managed one boundary himself, but Steyn eventually nicked Cummins behind to conclude yet another beguiling passage in this all-too-short series.

South Africa Vs Australia 2nd Test day4 Live Score,Cricinfo

South Africa 266 & 339 (Amla 105, de Villiers 73, Cummins 6-79) lead Australia 296 by 309 runs

Dale Steyn's bold striking for South Africa meant Australia required 310, the largest fourth-innings target to win a Test at the Wanderers, despite a stirring six-wicket haul on debut for the 18-year-old Pat Cummins.

Without Steyn's 41, speckled with three sixes, Australia might have been chasing a target as thin as 250, after the hosts lost 4 for 29 in the morning to be 266 for 7. However, Cummins' remarkable efforts, adding up to one of the most outstanding debuts by an Australian fast bowler in the past 40 years - not to mention his first five-wicket haul in first-class, list A or Twenty20 cricket - prevented South Africa from making the game entirely safe.

Hashim Amla went on to a deserved 105 from his overnight 89, but was involved in a run-out to account for Ashwell Prince and then became Mitchell Johnson's third wicket of the series. Nathan Lyon delivered another useful spell, and was critically denied the wicket of Steyn via the vagaries of the DRS.

Australia needed a rush of wickets on the fourth morning, and Michael Clarke started off with Cummins and Johnson in search of it. Swinging the old ball prodigiously at times, Cummins maintained his rapid progress when he coaxed de Villiers into chasing one that curled away. Clarke held the catch.

Amla completed a century of formidable composure, cuffing Peter Siddle through point to get there, but his insistence on a short single to the right hand of Ricky Ponting resulted in a mix-up with Prince and the left-hander's exit. Johnson, still somewhat out of sorts, was able to produce a handy cutter to touch Amla's outside edge on the way through to Brad Haddin, and suddenly Australia's position was arguably the one preferred by neutrals.

Mark Boucher swatted three boundaries before driving at Lyon and snicking to slip. He loitered at the crease partly because he also hit the ground but also out of recognition that not much batting remained after him. Steyn had made only five, and the lead was only 246, when he was beaten by a Lyon offbreak and nearly lbw. But the umpire Billy Bowden demurred, suspecting an inside edge, and Australia's referral was refused, not for an inside edge but because the ball's projected path was not hitting enough of leg stump.

Steyn then demonstrated the knack for nuisance batting he had famously shown with JP Duminy at the MCG in 2008, and Philander played with the level of skill befitting a No. 8. Clarke tried Michael Hussey before reverting belatedly to the second new ball.

Nearing lunch Steyn swung hard at Johnson and edged through the hands of Clarke, and Siddle moved the ball too much to claim the outside edge the tourists desperately required.

Having rested in the latter part of the morning session, Cummins produced a snorter first ball after lunch to clip the glove of Philander. Bowden hesitated before giving Philander out, but the batsman's referral found just enough circumstantial evidence to ensure the original call was upheld. Next ball Cummins whirred down a yorker to wreck the stumps of Morne Morkel, thus claiming five wickets, and Imran Tahir did well to keep out a hat-trick ball that tailed away.

By surviving the over Tahir allowed Steyn to keep blazing, and lustily struck sixes off Siddle and Cummins, plus a glove down the leg side, added precious runs. Tahir managed one boundary himself, but Steyn eventually touched Cummins behind to conclude yet another transfixing passage of play in this all-too-short series.

Srilanka Vs Pakistan 3rd test Day4 Cricinfo

Sri Lanka ahead but struggle to step up the pace

Tea Sri Lanka 413 and 68 for 1 (Sangakkara 43*, Paranavitana 19*) lead Pakistan 340 by 141 runs

A mix of old-school batting and innovation from Misbah-ul-Haq and butter-fingered Sri Lankan fielding helped Pakistan cut into the deficit on the fourth morning in Sharjah. Following that, Sri Lanka, searching for quick runs to set up a declaration, were only able to make 68 between lunch and tea leaving them only 141 ahead with four sessions to play.

Kumar Sangakkara extended his excellent run in the series, becoming only the third Sri Lanka batsman to make 500 runs in a series, but the out-of-form Tharanga Paranavitana had a difficult time, plodding to 19 off 80 deliveries.

On Saturday, Sri Lanka were buoyed by some late blows, and perked up even more after striking twice early today. Chanaka Welegedara removed Abdur Rehman in the first over of the day, getting the batsman to nick to the slip cordon, where Mahela Jayawardene fumbled but the ball landed in the Paranavitana's lap at first slip. Soon after, Umar Gul heaved a length ball to mid-off and Sri Lanka were eyeing an early end to the Pakistan innings.

That would have happened if wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva had held on to a regulation take after Misbah edged Rangana Herath early in the day. That was the easiest of the three lives Misbah had - Angelo Mathews flew goalkeeper-style at mid-off but couldn't latch on, and Paranavitana put down a similarly difficult chance at square leg.

Misbah made the most of those opportunities. He may have scored at a rate deemed slow even by Test standards, but there were also several moves from him that wouldn't have been out of place in a limited-overs game: he kept shuffling around in his crease, especially against Herath, there was a reverse-sweep for four and a savage six over long-on.

He regularly declined singles to shield No. 10 Saeed Ajmal and, though there were some close lbw calls, the pair defied Sri Lanka for 18 precious overs - that didn't just reduce Sri Lanka's lead but ate into the time available to force a result. Misbah looked headed for his fourth Test century, but top-edged a slog-sweep off Suraj Randiv to fall for 89. The final pair couldn't last very long after that, with Welegedara removing Junaid Khan to wrap up the innings and complete his five-for.

Sri Lanka's reply got off to a horrible start as Tillakaratne Dilshan, the man most capable of providing them momentum, fell victim to Gul's knack of striking in the first over. Paranavitana, with only two half-centuries in his previous 15 innings, would have been dismissed by Gul for the fifth time in the series if Asad Shafiq had pouched a chance early on. He wasn't at ease against the spinners either, surviving several close calls for lbw.

Sangakkara too began watchfully, but began to open up once the slow bowlers came on. Mohammad Hafeez was greeted with a lofted on-drive for four, before Sangakkara crashed sixes in successive overs to boost the dawdling run-rate. Despite his efforts, Sri Lanka still need at least 100 runs in the final session, and a quick burst tomorrow to stand a chance of winning.

Sl Vs Aus 3rd Test Day4 Cricinfo

Interesting final day ahead

  

AP Sri Lankan batsman Anjelo Mathews acknowledges the crowd after scoring his maiden test century as Australia's Usman Khawaja looks on during the fourth days' play of the third test cricket match between Australia and Sri Lanka in Colombo on Monday.

The Sri Lankan Captain T.M.Dilshan dithered on what a good lead would be to declare this morning, even as Anjelo Mathews consumed precious time on Monday morning to bring up his century. This game could end in a draw,and it will be because Sri Lanka did not back itself up and declare. Anjelo, in line for captaincy, looked more interested in his personal landmark than in the team pulling level in this series.

Angelo Mathews, one of the two Sri Lankan batsmen who held the side together in this series against Australia, and the tail were in the middle for close to 20 overs and the addition to the total was less than 50.

And, if Sri Lanka is not left with enough time to chase down the target set by Australia – that is if the Aussies fold up on Tuesday morning – then, Anjelo will not need to look any further to find out who stood between a possible thrilling victory and a dreary draw.

Australia were barely 52 runs ahead in their second innings at the end of Day 4 in the last and final test of the three test series against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club grounds here on Monday. The Aussies lost 3 wickets for 209 runs.

The Aussie second innings began well with the opening pair putting on 62 runs in even time, despite the fact that Phillip Hughes (122 not out) was on a pair when he came on to bat. He has no 50 to his name in the past 10 innings and he has struggled through this series. But the placid pitch rarely threatened him, and he looked comfortable against the only decent spinner in the game, Ranganna Herath.

Herath managed to trouble all the other batsmen and M.Clarke looks particularly awkward against him. But he survived the day.

Earlier, four early wickets for Australia, and a lead of over 150 for Sri Lanka set the stage for an interesting day’s game on the fourth day. The Sri Lankan first innings closed at 473 runs, in reply to Australia’s 316 all out.

The day began with the solid-looking S.Eranga departing, dragging a Siddle fuller delivery into the wicket after making 12. R.Herath was trapped leg before by Siddle, for 3 and a bad mix-up between Anjelo Mathews and C.Welegedara meant that Welegedara had to leave. Mathews was then on 95, as S.Lakmal, the last man in, faced four anxious deliveries.

Mathews brought up his hundred in 256 balls, 388 minutes. Mathews had started his day on 85 runs off 205 balls and remained not out on 105

The next few overs saw similar fields and it was clear that Australia was being defensive. Mathews did not opt for the slog. He instead was in the compiling mode – and it was clear later in the day that this is not what his team wanted

Srilanka Fight Hard

Sangakkara, Jayawardene revive Sri Lanka

For the first time in this series, the Sri Lankan top-order batted with a lot more responsibility on the fourth day of the second Test against Australia here, as it fights for a draw with one more day left to go.

Sri Lanka was 223-2 at stumps on day four. Australia is still ahead by 14 runs and it would require another similar effort on the fifth and final day, to keep the relentless Aussies at bay.

Again, for the first time in this series, the first, second and third-wicket partnerships exceeded 50 runs. Kumar Sangakkara (69 not out), who narrowly missed out on a fifty in the fist innings made up for that loss. He and Mahela Jayawardene (38 n.o.) were at the crease at close.

Sri Lankan captain T.M. Dilshan (36) led a spirited fight-back in the company of opening batsman Tharanga Paranavitana (55), and kept the Aussies at bay for almost an entire session. At lunch, Sri Lanka had progressed to 83 for the loss of Dilshan in 28 overs.

It was not supposed to be like this. Dilshan was in full flow when, at 11.35 am, rain, the presiding deity of the match intervened again after 25.4 overs was bowled. Sri Lanka was 81 without loss when the players hurried off following sharp showers. About 20 minutes later, play resumed and two overs were bowled.

The first over proved eventful as Dilshan lost his concentration and slashed a delivery outside off-stumps into the hands of Watson in second slip. For the fourth time in as many innings, Dilshan, who has demanded accountability from his colleagues, failed to capitalise on the opportunity.

With the pitch easing off and not offering anything to the pacemen or the spinners, Australian bowlers sought to keep the ball in the right areas to slow down scoring. While Copeland succeeded in this and was exceedingly frugal in giving away anything, the others did not have the same degree of success.

The opening pair put up a 50 partnership and looked set for a great deal more when Dilshan slashed at a delivery and left. In between, there was a straight forward chance that Michael Hussey put down offered by Dilshan at gully, and also a chance of a run out. But the luck, for once, favoured the Sri Lankans and they kept going on from there.

Paranavitana too had a share of luck. It looked as if he had gloved a Johnson delivery. Replays were inconclusive and the third umpire concurred with the field umpire’s ‘not out’ decision on this. A few moments late, writing on Twitter, Shane Warne lashed out: “Rubbish decision in Sri Lanka by 3rd umpire - smashed the glove and a noise - OUT !!!!!”

Hussey’s dream series continued with him striking yet again in the first over of his spell. Clarke had tossed the ball to Hussey more out of desperation than anything else. Bowling a decent line and length to the two batsmen, he drew Paranavitana out with one pitched on the off and moving further away. Paranavitana got a feather, the third umpire ruled, following an Aussie referral. In 99 per cent of such cases, the batsmen would be given the benefit of doubt. Not today though.

Earlier, Michael Clarke declared at the overnight score of 411 for 7 and took the gamble to push for a win with two days left in the match. The threatening clouds have refused to subside, and there is also a rain forecast for the last day of the game. In three days, nearly three sessions have been lost to the weather.