SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 2014 SPORTS Violence-plagued Bangladesh to host Asia Cup COLOMBO: Asia’s chiefs yester- Bangladesh Cricket Board had made a yesterday that it will seek further clarifica- Murad said in a statement. “Win or lose, month-long bilateral tour of day said violence-plagued Bangladesh detailed security presentation at the tion on the Asia Cup during a meeting of the experience we gain will be very Bangladesh from January 27 that fea- would remain the venue for next meeting. An ACC release said 11 match- the International Cricket Council on important for us.” Bangladesh is also tures two Tests, two matches month’s Asia Cup and added es will be played in the tournament January 9. Afghanistan will join Asia’s four due to host the World Twenty20 tour- and three one-day internationals. Afghanistan as the fifth team in the with the final on March 8. Election- Test nations-India, Pakistan, nament from March 16 to April 6. The “We pay great attention to player regional one-day tournament. Some related violence in Bangladesh has and Bangladesh-in the 50-over tourna- three venues chosen for the World safety and security. We have been observers had expected officials to claimed more than 140 lives since late ment, Huq added. The fast-improving Twenty20 - capital , Chittagong assured of that,” Cricket Sri Lanka’s sec- move the tournament out of October, with opposition parties boy- Afghanistan team, which has qualified and Sylhet-have all experienced vio- retary Nishantha Ranatunga said. “If we Bangladesh following an outbreak of cotting the polls and organizing a series for their maiden appearance in the 50- lence over the past month. want cricket to continue in this region, violent protests and strikes in the capi- of blockades across the country. over World Cup, have also made it to An ICC spokesman told AFP last we need to play in these (Asian) coun- tal Dhaka ahead of elections today. The Pakistan Cricket Board had said their third successive World Twenty20. month that the world body was “active- tries.” Sri Lanka’s cricketers had been “The tournament will go ahead as on Thursday it was seeking its govern- The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said ly monitoring” the situation in attacked by militants during a tour of scheduled in Bangladesh from February ment’s advice about sending a team for it was grateful to the ACC and the other Bangladesh. The danger posed to Pakistan in March, 2009 while they 25,” Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief the Asia Cup due to the continuing politi- teams for allowing it to participate in the teams was underlined last month when were on their way to resume a Test executive Ashraful Huq said after an cal unrest in Bangladesh. But Huq said regional competition. a small bomb exploded outside the match in Lahore. “We have faced these executive board meeting in Colombo. Pakistan did not raise any security con- “Afghanistan needs the kind of elite hotel of the West Indies Under-19 team (security) problems, Pakistan has faced “Everything is in place for the tour- cerns at the meeting. “Pakistan have said level experience that competing in the port city of Chittagong, prompt- these problems and now Bangladesh is nament, no one raised any issue about yes, they have not said no,” he said. against big teams can provide us,” ACB ing them to cut short their tour. Sri facing them,” Ranatunga said. “We must safety,” Huq said, adding the However, a Pakistan board source said chief executive Noor Mohammad Lanka said it will go ahead with its unite to face these challenges.” —AFP Dominant Australia on course for series sweep Aussies on brink of Ashes whitewash over SYDNEY: A dominant Australia looked firmly ting downfall, (3-33), Ryan ond ball of the day, when England on course for a 5-0 Ashes series sweep when Harris (3-36) and (3-23) played inexplicably padded up to an they reached 140 for four, a lead of 311, at decisive roles with another display of top inswinger and was trapped leg before for the close of play after skittling England for quality pace bowling. “It’s obviously not a seven. 155 on a dramatic second day of the fifth test done thing yet, we’ve got to make sure we Harris could have had a second yesterday. Chris Rogers, who had made 73 bat well in the morning and get some more with his next when Ian Bell edged , and George Bailey, unbeaten on 20, and bowl like we did today to bowl them out the ball behind, only for to will resume on day three looking to further again,” Harris told reporters. “We sort of fig- fluff a reasonably simple catch in the slips. inflate the lead before Australia unleash their ure they are going to fire at some stage, we Nightwatchman James Anderson braved a pace attack on the hapless tourists. hope they don’t but... I don’t think the wick- couple of overs of short bowling before England’s bowlers made inroads into the et’s getting any easier. If we bowl like we did departing, also for seven, after finding the Australian batting order in the final session today, I think we’ll go alright.” Australia had edge with a stab at a fuller length Johnson ABU DHABI: Pakistan batsman Mohammad Hafeez (second right) plays a to contribute to the 13 to fall at the made 326 in their first innings before reduc- delivery, which Michael Clarke leapt to claim Sydney Cricket Ground but the day was ing England to 8-1 overnight and drove in the cordon. lasted just shot during the final day of the first cricket Test match between Pakistan defined by a first hour that left the tourists home their advantage by ripping through nine balls and 12 minutes before being dis- and Sri Lanka at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi yesterday. —AFP reeling at 23-5. While a dispirited England England’s top order in the early blitz. It was missed for three courtesy of another edge to had once again contributed to their own bat- Harris who started the carnage with the sec- the slips from a Harris delivery, which Watson took this time after a juggle. Lanka salvage draw

FOLLOW-ON SAVED With England now 17-4 after just 32 min- in first Pakistan Test utes of play, Bell did his best to dig in. He ABU DHABI: The first Test between before by the same bowler soon after tea took 42 minutes to get off the mark but had Pakistan and Sri Lanka ended in a draw on for 55. Hafeez hit 11 fours during his sedate just two runs on the board 14 minutes later the fifth and final day in Abu Dhabi yester- knock. Younis Khan was the other unbeat- when a superb delivery from Siddle had him day after Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed en batsman with 13. Mathews said he was caught behind by Brad Haddin. “We knew we Shehzad hit half-centuries. Hafeez finished happy with his team’s fightback. “Pretty had to start well and pick up early wickets, with 80 not out for his ninth Test half-cen- happy with the and hope to continue we didn’t think we’d get that many, I guess,” tury, his first in 11 innings, while Ahmed like this in the series,” said Mathews, named Harris added. Shehzad notched his maiden fifty on his man-of-the-match. “We were in a spot of Debutant (18) went just debut as Pakistan, set 302 runs in a possible bother after the third day but I am happy after lunch before (18) and of 67 overs, finished on 158-2. that we came good in batting and forced a (47) offered some resistance in a The draw left the three-Test series open, draw.” partnership of 49 for the seventh wicket. with the second Test starting in Dubai on Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq was dis- Wednesday. The third Test will be played in appointed at his side’s batting collapse in When they were dismissed in one Siddle over, Sharjah from January 16. The no-result is the first innings. “It was a pretty even though, England’s hopes of any kind of also a moral victory for the Sri Lankans who match. We dominated the first three days respectable score went with them. England were in a danger of losing after conceding but they came back strongly,” said Misbah, saved the follow-on and looked like they a big 179-run lead in the first innings and who also scored a in the match. might just scramble to tea but Johnson were 186-4 after the third day, leading by “We need to improve our batting because returned to the fray and clean bowled Boyd SYDNEY: Australia’s fielder George Bailey (center) and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin just seven runs with six wickets intact. Sri the way we lost six wickets for 50-odd runs Rankin, the third of the England new caps, for Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews hit a was not good and also our bowling when (right) call an unsuccessful Leg Before Wicket appeal against England’s Ben Stokes 13 to end the innings and bring up the break. career-best 157 not out to pull his team out the wicket is not conducive.” Earlier, Sri (left) on the second day of the fifth Ashes cricket Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground , welcomed to the crease by a of danger on the fourth day when they lost Lanka declared their second innings on yesterday. —AFP chorus of boos, scored 30 not out in a late only one wicket in the full day’s play for 234 480-5 after batting an hour and 30 minutes flourish but England needed him to shine runs. but their slow batting showed they had SCOREBOARD with the ball if they had any hope of saving The target always looked beyond saftey on their minds rather than forcing a the test. Anderson made the first break- Pakistan’s reach as their best winning chase lead in the three-Test series. through for the tourists, though, trapping in all was 314 against Australia It was the unfinished sixth wicket 156- SYDNEY: Scoreboard at the close on the second day of the fifth and final Ashes Test between in Karachi in 1994. Pakistan lost opener run stand between Mathews and Prasanna Dave Warner lbw on his back foot for 16 and Australia and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday: Khurram Manzoor early, caught behind off Jayawardene (63 not out) that continued having Watson caught behind for nine. Australia 1st innings 326 (S. Smith 115, B. (Ballance), 7-111 (Bairstow), 8-112 (Stokes), paceman Suranga Lakmal after scoring on the fifth day and ended all hopes of a Australia captain Clarke was Broad’s first vic- Haddin 75; B. Stokes 6-99): 9-125 (Borthwick), 10-155 (Rankin) eight, but Hafeez and Shehzad avoided any Pakistani win. Mathews batted for 457 min- England 1st innings (8 for 1 overnight): Bowling: Harris 14-5-36-3, Johnson 13.5-3-33-3, tim, feathering an edge behind for six, before further loss and put on 94 in an unbroken utes, hit 16 fours and a six in an extraordi- Alastair Cook lbw b Harris 7 Siddle 13-4-23-3, Watson 3-1-5-0, Lyon 15-3-57-1 first innings centurion (7) got a second wicket stand. Hafeez reached his nary display of patience and fight. Michael Carberry c Lyon b Johnson 0 Australia 2nd innings: thicker edge on a Stokes delivery which Cook half-century with two fours in one Sachitra Prasanna’s 169-ball knock had six fours and James Anderson c Clarke b Johnson 7 Chris Rogers not out 73 claimed in the slips. Senanayake over. He had been dropped a six. Pacemen Junaid Khan finished with 3- Ian Bell c Haddin b Siddle 2 David Warner lbw b Anderson 16 Opener Rogers kept piling on the runs at from the Pakistan team for the two-Test 93, while Bilawal Bhatti took 2-146. Off- Kevin Pietersen c Watson b Harris 3 Shane Watson c Bairstow b Anderson 9 the other end, though, and reached his sixth series against South Africa, also in Abu spinner Saeed Ajmal, who took 18 wickets Gary Balance c Haddin b Lyon 18 Michael Clarke c Bairstow b Broad 6 test half century in his 11th test with a single Dhabi, in October, after scoring just 113 in in Pakistan’s 1-0 win over Sri Lanka in 2011, Ben Stokes b Siddle 47 Steve Smith c Cook b Stokes 7 before upping the run rate even further. “I 11 innings. finished wicket-less in his 49 overs, conced- Jonny Bairstow c Bailey b Siddle 18 George Bailey not out 20 would say it is pretty disappointing today but Shehzad also hit spinner Rangana ing 115 runs-only the fifth time that he Scott Borthwick c Smith b Harris 1 Extras (lb9) 9 326 is way over par on this pitch in my opin- Herath for his seventh four to reach his failed to get a wicket in an innings in his 31 Stuart Broad not out 30 Total (4 wickets; 30 overs) 140 ion,” England batting coach maiden 50 before he was trapped leg- Tests. —AFP Boyd Rankin b Johnson 13 Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Warner), 2-47 (Watson), 3- said. “So once that’s score’s on the board it’s Extras (lb1, w5, nb3) 9 72 (Clarke), 4-91 (Smith) always going to be difficult and once we got SCOREBOARD Total (all out; 58.5 overs) 155 Bowling: Anderson 10-4-36-2, Broad 7-1-26-1, the start we did and lost those early wickets... Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Carberry), 2-8 (Cook), 3-14 Rankin 6-0-25-0, Stokes 5-0-36-1, Borthwick 2-0- (Anderson), 4-17 (Pietersen), 5-23 (Bell), 6-62 8-0. it’s going to be tough from here on in from Scoreboard after the first test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka ended in a draw on the fifth this position.” —Reuters day in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Sri Lanka first innings 204 Bhatti 36-8-146-2, Ajmal 49-10-115-0, Hafeez Pakistan first innings 383 9-1-23-0 NZ beat Windies in rain-hit 4th ODI Sri Lanka second innings (overnight 420-5) D. Karunaratne b Junaid 24 Pakistan second innings NELSON: New Zealand won a rain-affected play in Hamilton next Wednesday. Guptill tury in New Zealand’s rollicking 159-run victory K. Silva c Akmal b Junaid 81 Khurram c P. Jayawardene b Lakmal 8 K. Sangakkara c Younus b Bhatti 55 Ahmed Shehzad lbw b Herath 55 fourth one-day international by 58 runs yester- opened with a determination to occupy the in the third one dayer on Wednesday, survived M. Jayawardene c Shafiq b Bhatti 0 Mohammad Hafeez not out 80 day to take a 2-1 lead over the West Indies in crease as long as possible after struggling two scares to score the bulk of the early runs. D. Chandimal c Rahat b Junaid 89 Younus Khan not out 13 their five-match series. The game in Nelson was against the West Indies in his two previous After being dropped by on A. Mathews not out 157 Extras (lb-1, nb-1) 2 decided under the Duckworth-Lewis method innings with scores of two and one. He 12 and Bravo at first slip shortly afterwards, P. Jayawardene not out 63 Total (two wickets; 52 overs) 158 after wet weather set in with the West Indies crawled to eight off 40 deliveries before crack- both comfortable chances off , Extras (b-4, lb-7) 11 Did not bat: Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, apparently heading for their second consecu- ing his first boundary when he drove a full- Ryder raced to 47 in 49 balls before Ramdin Total (five wickets dec; 168.3 overs) 480 Adnan Akmal, Bilawal Bhatti, Rahat Ali, tive heavy defeat. A timely return to form for length delivery back over the held a catch off Bravo. was Did not bat: S. Senanayake, R. Herath, S. Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan opener , who made 81, saw New bowler’s head and beyond the sightscreen. also dismissed for 47 and added 49 Eranga, S. Lakmal Fall of wickets: 1-24 2-125 Zealand make 285-6 in their 50 overs and the From there, man-of-the-match Guptill never as New Zealand benefited from yet another Fall of wickets: 1-47 2-146 3-150 4-186 5- Bowling: Lakmal 13-1-43-1, Eranga 11-0- West Indies were 134-5 after 33.4 overs when looked back as he batted at nearly a run a ball injury in the West Indies camp. Frontline 324 38-0 (1nb), Herath 21-8-37-1, Mathews 2- the rain sent the players from the field. for the remainder of his innings, which includ- bowler was ruled out with a bro- Bowling: Junaid 36-3-93-3, Rahat 38.3-9-92-0, 0-9-0, Senanayake 5-0-30-0. New Zealand, who won the Test series 2-0, ed four fours and two sixes. Jesse Ryder, fresh ken finger, becoming the sixth injured first- now lead the ODI series 2-1 with one match to from cracking the world’s sixth-fastest ODI cen- choice ODI player in the West Indies squad. With their bowling weakened, the West Indies Putin scraps blanket ban on needed their batsmen to compensate but were SCOREBOARD again let down. protests at Sochi Olympics Chadwick Walton (0) was run out in the first NELSON: Scoreboard on Saturday at lunch in the fourth one-day cricket international between over and Johnson Charles was also removed MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin yes- published on the Kremlin’s website, allows offi- New Zealand and the West Indies at : for a in the fourth over to leave the West terday reversed a blanket ban on protests at the cials to set limits on how many people can take New Zealand innings Overs: 50. Batting time: 213 minutes. Indies 2-2 and the writing was already on the Winter Olympics in Sochi, bowing to pressure part in protests during the Games, which run from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). from February 7 to 23. Martin Guptill c Bravo b Holder 81 Fall of wicket: 1-56, 2-144, 3-203, 4-232, 5-253, 6- wall. and Kirk Edwards man- Russia had initially banned any political protests Putin had issued a previous decree in August Jesse Ryder c Ramdin b Bravo 47 267. aged to put on 60 for the third wicket before Kane Williamson c Ramdin b Best 47 another run out when Edwards gambled on in the Russian Black Sea resort city during the that forbade any rallies or marches over issues Did not bat: Mitchell McClenaghan, , February Games as part of a tough security crack- unrelated to the Games from being held inside Ross Taylor run out 49 out-running Brendon McCullum’s throw from . down, ostensibly aimed at preventing attacks by the tightly controlled security zone. The dracon- Brendon McCullum c Bravo b Narine 14 short cover and lost by a wide margin. Corey Anderson not out 17 Bowling: Jason Holder 10-2-58-1 (2w), Tino Best Islamist militants. ian measure was to take effect on January 7 and 9-0-70-1 (1nb), Dwayne Bravo 7-0-35-2 (3w), Simmons departed for 43, caught by Guptill at Putin signed a presidential decree saying that last until March 21 after the city hosts the Luke Ronchi b Bravo 9 midwicket off Kane Williamson, as the rain was Nathan McCullum not out 9 10-0-47-0, 10-0-47-1 demonstrations, pickets and marches “can be Paralympic Games from March 7 to 16. The IOC starting to fall. When the umpires eventually held” but that their locations and routes must be yesterday praised the decision, saying that it Extras (5lb,6w,1nb) 12 (1w), 4-0-23-0. took the players from the field, Bravo was TOTAL (for 6 wickets) 285 Series: five-match series tied 1-1. agreed with city officials in Sochi along with came after Putin promised the committee last unbeaten on 43, with Ramdin on 17. —AFP regional police and security forces. The decree, year that he would relax rules on protests. —AFP