WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 SPORTS Pakistan look to clinch New Zealand series ABU DHABI: Stand-in captain Shahid here, he is our captain till the World Cup Afridi is hoping Pakistan can maintain and I think he is watching each and every their winning momentum and seal the thing and that’s why the management series against New Zealand in the fourth wanted him to be here,” said Afridi. one-day match in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Pakistan has the option of resting Pakistan lead the five-match series 2-1 wayward paceman Wahab Riaz and after winning the first match in Dubai bringing in all-rounder Anwar Ali. New and the third in Sharjah. Zealand opener Martin Guptill said his New Zealand won the second game, team will look to bounce back once also played in Sharjah. Afridi, leading the again. “Our spirits are still high. We have a side in the absence of Misbah-ul Haq chance to come back and win 3-2. So, who injured his hamstring and was ruled there is still a lot of excitement in the out of the last three games, said he want- camp at the moment. We have two more ed a strong finish from his side. games to go out and prove that we can “The team has been playing here for do it and we know we can do it,” said the last three months and has played Guptill, who described New Zealand’s good cricket so it should be a happy reply of 217 to Pakistan’s 364-7 in Sharjah ending after the Test and T20 trophies as disappointing. were shared,” said Afridi yesterday. “We just didn’t get things right. We Pakistan lost the only Twenty20 didn’t have a platform to launch from like against Australia in October before being Pakistan did. That’s the key in chasing big white-washed 0-3 by Australia in the totals.” The fifth and final match will also one-day series-also played in United be played in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Arab Emirates. They then beat Australia 2-0 in Tests Teams (from): and squared the Twenty20 and Test Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain) series against New Zealand. Pakistan Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, were forced to send paceman Umar Gul Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Mohammad and all-rounder Bilawal Bhatti home after Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Sarfraz Ahmed, both suffered injuries. Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Afridi credited the team management Younis Khan, Zulfiqar Babar, Yasir Shah, COLOMBO: England’s batsman Alastair Cook plays a shot as Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, and Mahela Jayawardene watch dur- for Pakistan’s big 147-run win in the third Anwar Ali. ing the seventh one day international cricket match. — AP match on Friday. “I have not done any wonders,” said Afridi who scored a rapid New Zealand: Kane Williamson (cap- 26-ball 55 and took three wickets in the tain), Corey Anderson, Dean Brownlie, last match,” he said. Anton Devcich, Martin Guptill, Matt Dilshan batters England “I will give the whole credit to the Henry, Tom Latham, Mitchell management, they have created a good McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam COLOMBO: Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed a century atmosphere in the dressing room, all Milne, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, and grabbed three wickets in his 300th one-day inter- SCOREBOARD those players who used to have a fear of Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori. national as Sri Lanka whipped England by 87 runs in failure, they now have no fear of failure the seventh and final match in Colombo yesterday. because the management has given full Umpires: Shozab Raza (PAK) and Dilshan passed the 9,000-run mark in one-day cricket COLOMBO: Full scoreboard of the seventh and final one-day international between England and confidence to the players.” Richard Illingworth (ENG), TV umpire: on his way to a stroke-filled 101 to lead the hosts to a Sri Lanka in Colombo yesterday: commanding 302-6 after they elected to bat in the Afridi said Misbah was still Pakistan’s Joel Wilson (WIS), Match referee: Roshan day-night match in Colombo. Sri Lanka: A. Hales c Prasanna b Dilshan 7 regular captain. “I think Misbah is still Mahanama (SRI). — AFP England were bowled out for 215 in 45.5 overs in M. Jayawardene c Woakes b Gurney 28 J. Root lbw b Prasanna 80 reply after Dilshan’s off-spin broke the tourists’ back T. Dilshan c Ali b Jordan 101 J. Taylor c Sangakkara b Lakmal 2 with the key wickets of Moeen Ali (0), Alex Hales (sev- K. Sangakkara c Tredwell b Ali 33 E. Morgan lbw b Dilshan 4 en) and Eoin Morgan (four). A. Mathews b Ali 20 J. Buttler c Chandimal b Prasanna 23 Joe Root top-scored with 80 but skipper Alastair D. Chandimal not out 55 C. Woakes b D. Perera 34 Cook (32) and Chris Woakes (34) were the only other T. Perera c and b Jordan 54 C. Jordan lbw b Prasanna 0 batsmen to cross 30 in a disappointing batting display S. Prasanna run out 0 J. Tredwell st Sangakkara b Jayawardene 17 by the tourists on the slow pitch. The emphatic victory J. Mendis not out 1 H. Gurney not out 6 gave Sri Lanka the series 5-2 and left England search- Extras: (lb5, w5) 10 Extras: (b4, lb3, w3) 10 ing for a winning formula ahead of the World Cup Total (for six wickets, 50 overs) 302 Total (all out, 45.5 overs) 215 which opens in Australia and New Zealand on Fall of wickets: 1-55 (Jayawardene), 2-120 Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Ali), 2-28 (Hales), 3-51 February 14. The veteran pair of Kumar Sangakkara (Sangakkara), 3-156 (Mathews), 4-236 (Cook), 4-57 (Taylor), 5-78 (Morgan), 6-126 and Mahela Jayawardene could not have asked for a better parting gift in their last one-day international (Dilshan), 5-299 (T. Perera), 6-299 (Prasanna). (Buttler), 7-192 (Woakes), 8-192 (Root), 9-193 on home soil. Bowling: Woakes 9-0-71-0 (w1), Gurney 9-0-60- (Jordan), 10-215 (Tredwell). The duo whetted the appetite of some 20,000 Sri 1 (w2), Tredwell 7-0-50-0, Root 5-0-22-0 (w1), Bowling: D. Perera 9-0-53-1 (w1), Dilshan 10-0- Lankan fans at the Premadasa stadium with some glo- Jordan 10-0-55-2 (w1), Ali 10-0-39-2. 37-3 (w1), Lakmal 8-1-25-2, T. Perera 3-0-22-0, rious strokeplay, but fell just when they looked set for A. Mathews 2-0-3-0, Prasanna 8-0-35-3 (w1), J. a big score. Jayawardene had hit 28 off 22 balls when England: Mendis 4-0-28-0, Jayawardene 1.5-0-5-1. he pulled a short ball from Harry Gurney to the long- A Cook c Jayawardene b Lakmal 32 Sri Lanka won by 87 runs; win seven-match leg fielder. Sangakkara offered a tame catch to mid- M. Ali b Dilshan 0 series 5-2. wicket off Ali after making 33. But the fans roared with delight when the tournament, although he remains non-committal mid-wicket fence in the 44th over, but Chandimal (55 Jayawardene, a part-time off-spinner who was handed about his future in Tests. not out) and Thisara Perera (54 off 26 balls) boosted the ball by skipper Angelo Mathews, had James Dilshan, whose 18th one-day century contained the total with a quickfire stand of 63 from 35 deliver- Tredwell stumped by Sangakkara in his second over to nine fours and a six, put on 55 for the first wicket with ies. Ali and Jordan claimed two wickets each, but finish the match. Jayawardene, who has already Jayawardene, 65 for the second with Sangakkara and seamer Woakes was hammered for 71 runs from his retired from Tests, will hang up his boots after the 80 for the fourth with Dinesh Chandimal. Dilshan nine overs and off-spinner Tredwell gave away 50 in World Cup. Sangakkara too will quit one-dayers after pulled a full toss from Chris Jordan to Ali on the deep seven. — AFP Captains in the spotlight ABU DHABI: Pakistani cricketers Umar Akmal (right) and Younis Khan prepare to bat during a practice session at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan’s stand-in captain Shahid Afridi hoped his team keeps the winning momentum and for second Gabba Test seal the series against New Zealand. — AFP BRISBANE: Australia’s willingness to confront a brave new world without captain Michael Clarke will see Changing times Steven Smith debut as skipper in the second test in Brisbane, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s recall to lead India has fanned fears of a return to the past. Dhoni takes back the reins from Virat Kohli after for Australia recovering from a thumb injury but has a hard act to follow after his stand-in’s performance in Adelaide. BRISBANE: A changing of the guard is tak- ter. This pitch out here is going to suit him Batsman Kohli lost his first test in charge but ing place in Australian test cricket and the perfectly.” Standing 6ft-5in (1.96m) tall, emerged with reputation enhanced after back-to- gathering pace of the rebuilding process Hazelwood has all the physical attributes back centuries and an aggressive push for victory on will be on show in Brisbane this week. for a fast bowler and has been steadily day five that fell short by 48 runs. With one eye on the future, Australian making his presence felt in Australia’s first- Indian media have long put the team’s appalling selectors anointed Steve Smith as their new class competition.