Ben Stokes and Steve Smith Shine in Eventful Year
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The Business | SPWOedneRsday ,T DeceS mber 181, 20 19 Second Test match in Karachi Arthur wants better control from Lankan bowlers create opportunities." Among those who will be charged with keeping the run rate down is fast bowler Lahiru Kumara, whom Arthur had previously singled out as being capable of becom - ing one of the best in the world. Arthur had also picked out Kusal Mendis, from among the young batsmen, as a player with a high professional ceiling. "Lahiru Kumara bowls 150kph, he runs in, he's strong, and he's athletic," Arthur said ahead of the Karachi Test. "And I've always looked at Kusal Mendis and watched him play KARACHI: On the last day and just seen what a good player in Rawalpindi, the partnership he is. If we can get him doing between Abid Ali and Babar things consistently, these guys Azam skipped along at 4.2 runs are going to be very good play - an over. Sri Lanka coach Mickey ers. "We've got to give them the Arthur would like his bowlers to environment so they can grow. I contain the Pakistan batsmen a always use the phrase we give little better in the second Test in them the roots to grow and the Karachi. wings to fly. The roots is their Rawalpindi's surface offered technique - it's their base and little to the bowlers on the final their reference point. The "wings day, in which only two wickets to fly" is them playing within fell. With only 167 overs bowled their own characters. They've all through the course of the Test, got that skill and that talent." KARACHI: Sri Lankan Cricket team players busy in their practice session ahead of second test match against Pakistan . the surface behaved more like a Arthur has had only one day two surface on day five. match in charge, but with Sri Sri Lanka's spinners, however, Lanka set to play at least five were unable to check the scoring Tests in the next four months rate of Babar in particular. His (two against Zimbabwe and two 102 came off just 128 balls. Dil - against England, in addition to Cricket in 2019: Ben Stokes and ruwan Perera, Sri Lanka's lead Karachi match), he has limited spinner, traveled at an economy time to settle in. Sri Lanka are rate of 3.54 in the 24 overs he currently third on the World Test delivered, while Dhananjaya de Championship table after three Steve Smith shine in eventful year Silva - the second-best spin op - games played with 80 points, be - LONDON: Ben Stokes starred as Eng - umph by "the barest of margins" in the eventually seeing Marnus Labuschagne tion - conceded 4.36 an over. hind India (360) and Australia land won the World Cup for the first time words of former Black Caps wicketkeeper become Test cricket's first concussion The Karachi surface is expected (216). "I'm still getting to know before producing one of the most memo - turned commentator Ian Smith. substitute. to favour batsmen as well. the guys. I'm still looking to find rable innings in Ashes history as Aus - Ben Stokes's 84 not out helped England Stokes's Headingley heroics: Eng - "It doesn't surprise me how out how they play," Arthur said. tralia’s Steve Smith enjoyed a successful equal but not surpass New Zealand's 241, land had already been bowled out for a well Babar and Abid did, and we "I'm looking at each guy in their return to the international stage after the his innings including a lucky six that came woeful 67 in their first innings when last needed to bowl well at them. role, just to see how they go 'sandpaper' ball-tampering scandal. after a throw from the outfield deflected man Jack Leach joined Stokes with the The thing we've been talking about their stuff. I'm just hoping But they were not the lone standout per - off his bat and went for four bonus runs. hosts still needing 73 more runs to reach about is controlling a run rate a we can go from strength to formers in 2019. Star batsman Smith returns: Doubts a victory target of 359 in the third Test at little bit more," Arthur said. "I strength and reel Australia and Here's a look back at five memorable over whether Steve Smith was still the Headingley. feel they scored a little bit too India back in, so we can put our - incidents from the year in cricket. same Test batsman following a 12-month Test cricket back in Pakistan: A quick. It was a day-two wicket selves in the reckoning for that Perera's 153 not out stuns South ban for his role in the 'sandpaper' ball- weather hit draw between Pakistan and Sri so there was nothing in it. Build - ICC World Test Championship Africa: January saw Kusal Perera com - tampering scandal in South Africa that Lanka in a Test completed Monday may ing some pressure is the way to final." —AFP pile one of the greatest innings in Test his - cost him the Australia captaincy were set - seem to be a run-of-the-mill result. But tory when his stunning 153 not out guided tled in the Ashes opener at Edgbaston this was arguably one of the most signifi - Sri Lanka to a remarkable one-wicket win where he marked his comeback with a su - cant fixtures this year given the match at over South Africa in Durban. perb innings of 144 and 142 during a 251- Rawalpindi marked Pakistan's first Test Sri Lanka still needed 78 more runs for run triumph. It was the start of an on home soil for a decade since a militant victory when last man Vishwa Fernando extraordinary run spree that saw Smith attack on Sri Lanka's team bus made the joined Perera in the middle. score 774 runs at an average of 110.57. country a no-go zone for leading sides. World Cup final thriller: England fi - Australia retained the Ashes as five- And the match itself did see Abid Ali nally ended their 45-year wait for a first match series ended all square at 2-2, with score a century as the Pakistani became men's World Cup title with a stunning win the blow to the head Smith suffered after the first batsman to compile a hundred on over New Zealand in an extraordinary being struck by a Jofra Archer bouncer both his Test and one-day international final at Lord's in July that saw them tri - during the drawn second match at Lord's debuts. —AFP Ufone Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Football Cup Nida Dar named in ICC Women's T20I team of 2019 Peshawar Combined FC, DFA Chitral battle for victory LAHORE: Pakistan women's cricket team all-rounder LAHORE: Peshawar’s Tehmas tween DFA Swabi and DFA Chitral. Khan Stadium witnessed two his - Again, the game proved to be ex - Nida Dar was on Tuesday named by the International toric games of football on Tuesday. tremely competitive with both teams Cricket Council (ICC) in its T20I team of the year 2019. The two semifinals of Ufone Khy - attacking each other’s goal aggres - The announcement was made by the ICC, which also con - ber Pakhtunkhwa Football tourna - sively, with none succeeding. firmed Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry as the winner ment were played amongst the With renewed, energy the teams of the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award, colloquially known presence of local audience. Before again tried hard to score in the sec - as the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year title. She was the semifinals, the players, officials ond half of the game but could not also named the ICC Women's ODI Player of the Year. and the organizers observed a succeed and the game had to be de - Nida is the only Pakistani player to be inducted in either minute’s silence to show solidarity cided in a penalty shootout where ODI or T20I teams named by the ICC for the year 2019. with the martyrs of Army Public Chitral beat Swabi in a sensational She played nine T20Is and scored 272 runs at an average School incident. penalty shootout by 5-4 to qualify of 34.00 and claimed eight wickets at an average of 29.12 The first game was played be - when Muhammad Haris scored in for the title decider. Peshawar and in the outgoing calendar year. Surprisingly, captain Bis - tween Peshawar Combined FC and the 63rd minute to put his team in the Chitral will fight the final at the mah Maroof, who scored 433 T20I runs at an average of DFA Green Kohat. It was an evenly lead. Kohat then tried hard to score Tehmas Khan Football Stadium on 48.11 in 2019 was not picked in the team of the year. Nida, contested game and both teams at - an equalizer but could not get a 17 December at 5pm. In this color - delighted with the accolade, said: “It’s always good for a tacked each other’s goal post but all breakthrough owning to Peshawar’s ful final, Singer Saif Ali Khan will player to get recognition like this. I hope that this achieve - efforts went in vain and none could strong defense hence Peshawar be performing the Official Anthem ment also motivates other players to do well. “I also want score a goal. In the second half both emerged victorious and booked of the Championship titled “Yeh to thank my teammates, coaches, captains and PCB for the teams came to the field with re - themselves a place in the final.