SportCast News

Sports News Podcast by Marlon Dale Ferreira

[sportcast]

Travis' Ton (112 n.o) Helps Aussies Stay Ahead 

The Ashes - Day 2 - England vs Australia - Brisbane 

Australia all-rounder Travis Head got back into Test contention as he stroked an unbeaten century (112) on the second day of the first Ashes cricket Test against England at Brisbane as the home side finished the day at 343 for 7, a lead of 196 in the first innings.

Head entered the crease with Australia on 189 for 3 and showed he was as good as any other frontline batter as he kept his team in the match striking 12 fours and two sixes after opener David Warner missed his century by six runs.

Head did not waste time in taking stock of the proceedings while ensuring England’s bowlers in the absence of paceman James Anderson continued to be kept at bay for the rest of the day.

In the process Head made up for the loss of Steven Smith who made just 12 runs and opener Marcus Harris who stayed at the crease for just 17 balls before his dismissal for three runs.

Having bundled out England for a score of 147 on a rain-curtailed first day, Australia while finishing the day four runs short of a 200-run lead looked set to press home the advantage.

Head faced only 95 balls in reaching his unbeaten 112 after Warner played cautiously hitting 12 fours and two sixes while consuming as many as 176 deliveries in making 94 and sharing in a 156 alliance for the second wicket with Manus Labuschagne who chipped in with 74.

There was very little that England’s bowlers could have done other than wait for the Australian batters to make a mistake which was hard to come by as paceman Ollie Robinson in the absence of Anderson justified his presence by claiming the wickets of Warner, Harris and Cameron Green who was bowled for a first-ball duck.

Scores:

England first innings 147 (Ollie Pope 35, Jos Buttler 39, Chris Woakes 21,Mitchell Starc 2 for 25, Josh Hazlewood 2 for 45, Pat Cummins 5 for 38) Australia first innings 343 for 7 (David Warner 94, Marnus Labuschagne 74, Travis Head 112 not out, Ollie Robinson 3 for 48)

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Jaffna Kings Out-Bat Kandy Warriors In Six-Hitting Frenzy 

7th Match - LPL 2021 - Jaffna Kings vs Kandy Warriors - Khettarama Stadium 

Jaffna Kings banished their rivals Kandy Warriors to the last slot in the on-going LPL with a 14-run win in a rain shortened 14-over match at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday night.

After their innings was disrupted due to rain, the Jaffna Kings returned in all their fury to smash away a 181 total for the loss of six wickets that put them on a pedestal as the Kandy Warriors were literally batted out of the contest to end up at 166 for 5 in the allotted 14 overs.

Opener Avishka Fernando and his captain Thisara Perera led the charge for the Jaffna Kings with half centuries in a devastating show of six-hitting that brought the duo 13 sixes with the former clobbering seven out of the ground.

Their innings picked up further when Shoaib Malik and Chathuranga de Silva kept the scoreboard ticking with 16 not out and 21 respectively as the Jaffna Kings reached 181 for 6 in the allotted 14 overs.

Off-spinner Tillekaratne Sampath was destroyed in the one over that he bowled as he conceded 31 runs that had five sixes.

To win the match, the Kandy Warriors had to get off to a blistering start and they managed 64 runs in six overs before Charith Asalanka was out for 42 in 19 balls, while his opening partner Kennar Lewis went on to make 41 in 36 balls.

But Number Three batter Rovman Powell did some desperate hitting in a bid to fall in line with the asking run-rate and struck 61 in 19 balls with seven sixes before he was out bowled by fast bowler Suranga Lakmal.

The star in the Jaffna Kings line-up Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva conceded 47 runs in three overs, but it did not matter as the Warriors fell short by 15 runs.

Scores: Jaffna Kings 181 for 6 in 14 overs (Avishka Fernando 53, Thisara Perera 53, Chathuranga de Silva 21, Shiraz Ahmed 3 for 22) Kandy Warriors 166 for 5 in 14 overs (Kennar Lewis 41, Charith Asalanka 42, Rovman Powell 61, Jayden Seales 2 for 40)

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A Cake-Walk Win For Pakistan Over Bangladesh 

2nd Test (Day 5) - Pakistan vs Bangladesh - Dhaka 

Pakistan crushed Bangladesh by an innings and eight runs in a clinical performance to win the second and final cricket Test in Dhaka on Wednesday to wrap up the series 2-0.

Continuing from an overnight 76 for 7 after off spinner Sajid Khan left Bangladesh reeling on the previous day, Pakistan got rid of the rest of the home team’s batting in next to no time.

Khan snapped up two more wickets including the scalp of Shakib Al Hasan for 33 to end with 8 for 42 as Bangladesh were dismantled for 87 giving Pakistan a 203-run lead on the first innings that made them enforce the follow-on.

The second innings marked a different scenario for Bangladesh as they lost their first four wickets with just 25 runs on the board with the Pakistan pace duo of Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali doing the damage that made the result imaginable.

The difference overall was that Bangladesh were able to occupy the crease for 84.4 overs compared to 32 overs that Pakistan needed to bowl them out in the first innings.

The middle order pair of Liton Das (45) and Mushfiqur Rahim (48) stood firm after the initial collapse but after taking the total to 98 they parted company when Das became Sajid Khan’s ninth wicket in the match.

With Rahim losing his wicket in a run-out, it marked only a matter of time before Bangladesh caved in towards defeat as Shakib Al Hasan batting for a second time in a day went on to top score with 63 before he was bowled by Khan.

Khan finished with a haul of 12 wickets to take the player of the match award while his team-mate and opening batter Abid Ali was adjudged player of the series for an aggregate of 263 runs from just three innings.

Pakistan also won the first Test in the series that is part of the World Test Championship qualifying round.

Scores:

Pakistan first innings 300 for 4 declared (Abid Ali 39, Abdullah Shafique 25, Azhar Ali 56, Babar Azam 76, Fawad Alam 50 not out, Mohammed Rizwan 53 not out, Taijul Islam 2 for 73)

Bangladesh first innings 76 for 7 overnight 87 (Najmul Hossain 30, Shakib Al Hasan 33, Sajid Khan 8 for 42) and 205 (Mushfiqur Rahim 48, Liton Das 45, Shakib Al Hasan 63, Shaheen Afridi 2 for 39, Hasan Ali 2 for 37, Sajid Khan 4 for 86) Result: Pakistan won by an innings and eight runs Series: Pakistan 2-0

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Colombo Stars Fail To Shine 

Match 6 - LPL 2021 - Dambulla Giants vs Colombo Stars - Khettarama Stadium 

Dambulla Giants shot down the Colombo Stars by 18 runs after making a rousing 195 in their LPL match at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday.

The Dambulla Giants never looked like losing control in their defense of the total as the Colombo Stars had none in their batting line-up to shine for the day and take them across the line with most batters making starts but never on top of the bowling.

From all 11 who batted the Colombo Stars could only boast of a highest contribution of 26 that was made by Dinesh Chandimal as they got in and out at crucial stages that gave the Dambulla Giants enough positives in defending the total.

The Colombo Stars at one stage had just two wickets in the bag to get 46 runs in the last three overs that showed to what extent the Dambulla Giants had maintained their grip on the match right from the start.

The match was as bad as over for the Colombo Stars who lost five wickets for 78 runs meaning they had to score 118 runs in 9.2 overs with all five of the Dambulla Giants bowlers playing their part to perfection.

The Dambulla Giants had no hesitation in batting first after winning the toss and got off to a flier when openers Niroshan Dickwella (17) and Phil Salt (62) smashed 50 runs in just 3.1 overs to set the course.

They reached the 100-mark in 10 overs for the loss of just three wickets and after the exit of Salt it was the turn of Najimullah Zadran (54) and Dasun Shanaka (38) to pile on the runs.

But overall it was Salt who was the most aggressive on the day when he clobbered eight fours and two sixes to make his 62 in 34 balls.

Scores: Dambulla Giants 195 for 6 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 62, Najimullah Zadran 54, Dasun Shanaka 38, Dushmantha Chameera 3 for 34) Colombo Stars 177 in 18.5 overs (Tom Banton 23, Kusal Perera 20, Dinesh Chandimal 26, Dhananjaya de Silva 21, Chamika Karunaratne 2 for 46, Nuwan Pradeep 3 for 50, Tharindu Ratnayake 2 for 17, Imran Thahir 2 for 36)

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Australia Pace Trio Rattle England In Ashes Opener 

The Ashes - 1st Test (Day 1) - England vs Australia - Brisbane 

Australia’s pace battery of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins rattled England to dismiss them for a paltry and humiliating 147 on the first day of the first Ashes cricket Test in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Deciding to bat first after winning the toss, England’s batters could not prove or make their intentions clear as they suffered their first blow when opener Rory Burns was bowled in the first ball of the innings by Starc from which they could not recover as wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals.

Dawid Malan (6), Joe Root (0) and Ben Stokes (5) all departed with only 29 runs on the board before England slumped further and got into more trouble when co-opener Haseeb Hameed was the fifth out with the total at 60.

England had some relief when Jos Buttler (39) and Ollie Pope (35) reached a half century partnership for the sixth wicket, but just as they appeared to have had a feel of the bowling, Starc had Buttler caught behind that triggered a second collapse after a 52-run stand.

It took Australia just another 9.2 overs to wipe out the rest of England batting with Cummins cleaning up the England late order batters to finish with five wickets that included the scalp of Chris Woakes for 21.

Australia needed just two sessions to bowl out England in 50.1 overs and the touring team could not have a fling with the ball in return as rain followed by poor light conditions prevented any further play for the day.

Australia’s pace trio needed just 38.1 overs to account for nine of the ten wickets with medium fast bowler Cameron Green taking one wicket.

For Australia, wicket-keeper Alex Carey made his first Test appearance in the absence of Tim Paine who opted to stay out of the Ashes series over an explicit text message scandal he sent to a female co-worker.

Scores:

England first innings 147 (Ollie Pope 35, Jos Buttler 39, Chris Woakes 21,Mitchell Starc 2 for 25, Josh Hazlewood 2 for 45, Pat Cummins 5 for 38) vs Australia

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Kandy Warriors Sent Crashing By Galle Gladiators 

Match 5 - LPL 2021 - Galle Gladiators vs Kandy Warriors - Khettarama Stadium 

Left arm slow bowler Samith Patel plucked three crucial scalps, as the Galle Gladiators crept in to down the Kandy Warriors by four wickets in their LPL match at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday night.

Patel signaled he meant business in the second ball of the innings by claiming the wicket of opener Kennar Lewis for a duck and moving in for a new spell sent back Angelo Perera (10) and Rovman Powell (1) in one over that put the breaks on the Kandy Warriors who reached a 143 total they were unable to defend.

Opener Ahmed Shehzad, with 56 that came off 51 balls with seven fours and a six and Kamindu Mendis (32) were the only two batters from the Kandy Warriors that came in handy at the crease.

The Galle Gladiators had a sound start with the bat in reply with openers Kusal Mendis (16) and Dhanushka Gunathilaka (45) putting on 62 runs in 7.3 overs to set the foundation for the win, as a desperate Kandy Warriors skipper Angelo Perera eventually tried in as many as eight bowlers including himself without much success apart from leg-spinner Sachindu Colombage who came in as the sixth bowler to take three wickets.

Express paceman Lahiru Kumara suffered the ignominy of being hammered for 22 runs in one over that included two fours and two sixes that dashed away any hopes that the Kandy Warriors had of making a match of the proceedings.

Scores: Kandy Warriors 143 for 6 in 20 overs (Ahamed Shehzad 56, Kamindu Mendis 32, Samith Patel 3 for 13, Dhananjaya Lakshan 2 for 11) Galle Gladiators 147 for 6 in 19.2 overs (Dhanushka Gunathilaka 45, Bhanuka Rajapakse 22, Lahiru Madushanka 22 not out, Sachindu Colombage 3 for 20)

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Pakistan Spinner Sajid Khan Sends Bangladesh Reeling 

2nd Test (Day 4) - Pakistan vs Bangladesh - Dhaka 

Pakistan off spinner Sajid Khan left Bangladesh reeling at 76 for 7 on the fourth day of the second and final rain-curtailed cricket Test after they declared at 300 for 4 in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Khan ripped the heart out of the Bangladesh team when he took all six wickets to fall to a bowler with one batter run-out.

Bowling the third over of the innings, Khan sent back opener and debut maker Mahmudul Hasan Joy without scoring, followed by the wicket of Shadman Islam who faced 28 balls and made just three runs.

Khan made further inroads when he had the scalps of Mushfiqur Rahim for 5, Liton Das for 6 and Mehidy Hasan for a duck while in-between Mominul Haq was run-out for 1.

The Bangladesh innings collapsed further when Najmul Hossain who put up some resistance with 30 was trapped leg-before by Khan that left Shakib Al Hasan as the only top order batter at the crease to counter the off-spinner, which he did by remaining unbeaten on 23 with three fours from 32 balls.

Earlier in the day, with no rain that washed out all but six overs of the third day’s play, Pakistan continued from their overnight 188 for 2 and declared at 300 for 4.

The overnight pair of Azhar Ali (56) and Babar Azam (76) took their partnership to 123 before parting company, when Ali was caught behind with the total at 193 that brought Fawad Alam to the crease.

Fawad continued to pile up the runs after losing his partner Azam with the total at 197 to share in a 103-run stand for the fifth wicket with Mohammed Rizwan, as the two batters made unbeaten half centuries before the declaration.

With only a day’s play left, Pakistan who won the first Test may be forced to settle for a draw, unless rain stays away and their bowlers can bag another 13 Bangladeshi wickets.

Scores:

Pakistan first innings, 188 for 2 overnight, 300 for 4 declared (Abid Ali 39, Abdullah Shafique 25, Azhar Ali 56, Babar Azam 76, Fawad Alam 50 not out, Mohammed Rizwan 53 not out, Taijul Islam 2 for 73)

Bangladesh first innings 76 for 7 (Najmul Hossain 30, Shakib Al Hasan 23 not out, Sajid Khan 6 for 35)

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Jaffna Kings Feast On Dambulla Giants 

Match 4 - LPL 2021 - Jaffna Kings vs Dambulla Giants - Khettarama Stadium 

Jaffna Kings had one of the easiest wins in T20 cricket as they beat the Dambulla Giants by eight wickets with more than seven overs to spare in their one-sided LPL match at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday.

The Jaffna Kings could not have asked for a much simpler target after bundling out their opponents for just 110 runs in 19.3 overs as Avishka Fernando (33), Tom Kohier-Cadmore (45 not out) and Shoaib Malik (26 not out) eased their way to the target in just 12.3 overs.

The trio accounted for eight sixes and six fours and needed just 67 balls to finish off the match as Dambulla Giants paceman Nuwan Pradeep came under a severe peppering to concede 39 runs in three overs with 18 of the runs by way of three sixes.

The Dambulla Giants perhaps paid the price of deciding to bat first and not being able to set a defendable target as none of their batters came to grips against the spinners as Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva accounted for six wickets.

Among Theekshana's three wickets were the scalps of opener Phil Salt for 13 and Dasun Shanaka for the same score while Hasaranga picked up the wickets of Chamika Karunaratne (18), Ramesh Mendis (14) and Marchant de Lange (13) conceding only 16 runs off his four overs.

Unable to live up to their branding, the Giants had just nine fours and two sixes to savor against the spirited Jaffna Kings whose outfit won the title in its inaugural event last year.

Scores: Dambulla Giants 110 in 19.3 overs (Nuwanidu Fernando 23, Maheesh Theekshana 3 for 22, Suranga Lakmal 2 for 28, Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva 3 for 16, Jayden Seales 2 for 23) Jaffna Kings 114 for 2 in 12.3 overs (Avishka Fernando 33, Tom Kohier-Cadmore 45 not out, Shoaib Malik 26 not out)

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Rain Continues To Play Spoilsport - Pakistan 188/2 

2nd Test - (Day 3) - Pakistan vs Bangladesh - Dhaka 

There was no play possible on the third day of the 2nd cricket Test match as rain continued to play spoilsport.

Pakistan are currently 188 for the loss of 2 wickets with skipper Babar Azam and Azhar Ali still occupying the crease on 71 and 52  respectively.

Pakistan lead the series 1-0 and a washed out two days would result in a series victory for the Pakistani's.

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Colombo Stars Dish Out Galle Gladiator's First Loss 

3rd Match - 2nd Edition - LPL 2021 - Colombo Stars vs Galle Gladiators - Khettarama Stadium 

The Colombo Stars emerged victorious over Galle Gladiators, but had some trouble chasing down a miniature target of 117.

Galle Gladiators found themselves in all sorts of trouble when Colombo's Chameera, Wiese and skipper De Silva each picked up wickets by the 5th over.

The Galle Gladiators were shaken and struggling at 22 for 3 wickets before Ben Dunk came to their rescue with a useful knock of 38 runs.

Isuru Udana and Noor Ahmed also salvaged what they could of the mediocre innings, after Galle lost wickets in the stretch of 5 overs following Dunk's dismissal to be 77 for the loss of 8 wickets.

The pair put on a 39 run partnership in the remaining 4.3 overs, taking Galle's score to 116 for 8.

The Stars did not have it their way either, taking almost 18 overs to secure the victory.

The Colombo Stars lost a total of 6 wickets, but out performed the Gladiators with the bat thanks to skipper Dhananjaya, David Weise and Dinesh Chandimal who all posted scores of over 20 runs.

Colombo Stars won the match by 4 wickets and 15 balls to spare with Dhananjaya De Silva picking up Player of the Match for his 24 runs, two wickets and two catches.

Chief Scores:  

Galle Gladiators 116 for 8 in 20 overs (Ben Dunk 38, Isuru Udana 25 not out, Dushmantha Chameera 2 for 25, Akila Dhananjaya 2 for 19 and Dhananjaya De Silva 2 for 18.

Colombo Stars 117 for 6 in 17.4 overs (Dinesh Chandimal 26 not out, David Wiese 22, Nuwan Thushara 2 for 26 and Pulina Tharanga 2 for 31)

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New Zealand Crash To Crushing Defeat As India Take Sweet Revenge 

2nd Test (Day 4) - India vs New Zealand - Mumbai 

New Zealand were subjected to one of their most humiliating defeats in Test cricket as India wrapped up the second and final Test by one of the biggest margins to win by 372 runs in Mumbai on Monday.

Faced with what was an impossible target of 540 on a slow turning pitch the Kiwis continuing from an overnight 140 for 5 were blown up in next to no time as they were bundled out for just 167 with the not out batter Henry Nicholls making 44 before he was stumped by Wriddhiman Saha to give spinner Ravichandran Ashwin his fourth wicket.

The writing was on the wall for New Zealand when India declared their second essay at 276 for 7 to add to a first innings lead of 263 after bundling out the visitors for 62 in the first innings.

The win brought India some vengeance for their defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the final of the 2021 World Test Championship in July this year and gave them the much needed points in the current qualifying round.

Ashwin was adjudged the player of the series for his 14 wickets in both Tests while Mayank Agarwal was declared player of the match for his scores of 150 and 62.

But there was no award for New Zealand's Indian-born spinner Ajaz Patel who took all ten wickets in India's first innings which is considered one of the most hard-to-achieve feats in cricket with only two players to have done it in the past and with the honours held by England's Jim Laker and India's Anil Kumble.

India left the field in Mumbai winning the two-Test series -1-0 with the first game ending in a nail-biting draw at Kanpur as New Zealand's last wicket pair held on for eight overs.

Scores: India first innings 325 (Mayank Agarwal 150, Shubman Gill 44, Wriddhiman Saha 27, Ajaz Patel 10 for 119) and 276 for 7 declared (Mayank Agarwal 62, Cheteshwar Pujara 47, Shubman Gill 47, Virat Kohli 36, Axar Patel 41 not out, Ajaz Patel 4 for 106) New Zealand first innings 62 (Mohammed Siraj 3 for 19, Axar Patel 2 for 14, R Ashwin 4 for 8) and 140 for 5 overnight, 167 (Daryl Mitchell 60, Henry Nicholls 44, R Ashwin 4 for 34, Jayant Yadav 4 for 49)

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Dambulla Giants Take Down Kandy Warriors 

2nd Match - 2nd Edition LPL - Dambulla Giants vs Kandy Warriors - Khettaram Stadium 

A powerful start to Dambulla's innings saw the Giants finish at 190 for 7 before restricting the Kandy Warriors to 170-8, to win by 20 runs.

Giants openers Niroshan Dickwella and Phil Salt took the fight to the Warriors with a huge 97 run first wicket partnership off a mere 7.4 overs.

Salt smashed a quick 64 inclusive of 5 sixes and 4 fours in 27 balls to pave the way for the lower order.

Kandy's Lahiru Kumara and Powell troubled the Giants with wickets towards the end, but bowler Ramesh Mendis came through with a quickfire 22 not out off 11 balls to take Dambulla's total to 190 for 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.

Kandy had trouble chasing down the given target and were under pressure by the start of the third over.

Kandy lost openers Thomas and Lewis, as Asalanka followed not long after leaving Kandy struggling at 28 runs for loss of three wickets.

Angelo Perera, Rovmania Powell and Sachindu Colombage tried to stitch the innings back together, but fell short due to an intense bowling attack consisting of Imran Tahir, Ramesh Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep and Dasun Shanaka.

Kandy finished 170 for 8 and 20 runs short, giving Dambulla their first set of points of the season.

Chief scores:

Dambulla Giants 190 for 7 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 64, Niroshan Dickwella 37, Dasun Shanaka 24, Lahiru Kumara 3 for 34, AL-Amin Hossa in 2 for 36) Kandy Warriors 170 for 8 in 20 Overs ( Roman Powell 42, Sachindu Colombage 27 not out, Angelo Perera 24, Nuwan Pradeep 3 for 31, Ramesh Mendis 3 for 21)

Player of the Match - Phil Salt (Dambulla Giants)

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Galle Gladiators Beat Jaffna Kings By 54 Runs In  LPL Opening Encounter 

1st Match - 2nd Edition Lanka Premier League 2021 - Khettarama Stadium 

Galle Gladiators were triumphant over the Jaffna Kings, as the second edition of the LPL 2021 kicked off at the R.Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.

The Gladiators put on 164 runs in the first innings and then bowled Jaffna out for 110, winning the game in fine style by 54 runs. Samit Patel scored 42 and picked 3 wickets to stumble Kings to an early end.

The Galle Gladiators were off to a flying start but lost two wickets in the fourth and fifth over.

Bhanuka Rajapakse scored 56 inclusive of 3 sixes and 6 fours before Samit Patel took over scoring an additional 42, taking Galle to a total of 164 for 7.

An all round performance by the bowlers saw the Jaffna King's struggle to a measly 110 all out by the 18 over, with Player of the Match Samit Patel claiming the best bowling figures of 3 for 21 in 4 overs.

Chief Scores

Galle Gladiators 164 for 7 (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 56, Samir Patel 42, Jayden Seales 3 for 23 and Wanindu Hasaranga De Silva 2 for 30) Jaffna Kings 110 all out in 18.4 overs (Wahab Riyaz 27, Upul Tharanga 17, Samit Patel 3 for 21, Mohamed Hafeez 2 for 11, Pulina Tharanga 2 for 13)

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Hamilton Wins Saudi GP To Set Up Season-Ending Title Decider 

- By Marlon Dale Ferreira. 

In what the experts described as a race riddled with chaos and disputes, Lewis Hamilton kept his chances of retaining the Formula One title as he beat his closest contender Max Verstappen to win the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix on Sunday as the kingdom held a Formula contest for the first time.

The win meant Hamilton is now set to face up to Verstappen in the season-ending and title-deciding race in Abu Dhabi in a fortnight's time in what has been one of the most gruelling times for both champion and challenger.

Sunday's race was stopped twice before Hamilton won despite slamming into the rear of Verstappen as both drivers ended on equal points rendering the Abu Dhabi event the most important of the season.

The crash happened when Verstappen was asked to concede the lead to Hamilton when at one stage the Mercedes was blocked off the track with 13 laps left. But the challenger regained the lead and held it until the last six laps.

The race was also not without its share of controversy when Verstappen's Red Bull team spoke to race director Michael Masi over which position Verstappen should be in at another  restart and it was agreed the Dutchman would have to be behind Hamilton.

Verstappen however will go into the final race in Abu Dhabi as the championship leader based on win counts and Hamilton will have to beat him to secure an eighth world title.

Even before the race proper, Verstappen crashed into a wall in a contest for pole position on the previous day and had to settle for third place giving Hamilton the prominence.

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India Have New Zealand On The Ropes Facing Defeat 

2nd Test - (Day 3) - India vs New Zealand - Mumbai 

India left New Zealand facing an inevitable defeat at 140 for 5 after setting them a target of 540 on the third day of the second and final cricket Test in Mumbai on Sunday. No team in the history of Test cricket has chased down and won a target in excess of 500 and with a pitch favouring the slow bowlers, only a miracle will be able to save the Kiwis from defeat.

New Zealand are the current title holders of the World Test Championship and the defeat could send them down in the rankings against a team they beat in July this year to bag the prize.

The situation that India subjected New Zealand to, gave the Kiwis no escape route after they were bowled out for 62 in the first innings that have the host team a comfortable 263-run lead which they enhanced in the second innings and declared at 276 for 7 with the opening pair of Mayank Agarwal (62) and Cheteshwar Pujara (47) setting the course as they accounted for 15 fours and two sixes.

New Zealand openers Tom Latham (6) and Will Young (20) could not make any headway in the innings which crumbled further when Ross Taylor was dismissed for 6. Daryl Mitchell played some shots but could not go beyond a contribution of 60 as he attempted a second six against a ball from spinner Axar Patel only to be caught at deep extra-cover.

His dismissal followed the exit of Tom Blundell run-out without scoring that left Henry Nicholls at the crease unbeaten on 36 with seven fours.

Scores: India 325 (Mayank Agarwal 150, Shubman Gill 44, Wriddhiman Saha 27, Ajaz Patel 10 for 119) and 69 for no loss overnight, 276 for 7 declared (Mayank Agarwal 62, Cheteshwar Pujara 47, Shubman Gill 47, Virat Kohli 36, Axar Patel 41 not out, Ajaz Patel 4 for 106) New Zealand first innings 62 (Mohammed Siraj 3 for 19, Axar Patel 2 for 14, R Ashwin 4 for 8) and 140 for 5 (Daryl Mitchell 60, Henry Ncholls 36 not out, R Ashwin 3 for 27)

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Rain Lashes Pakistan-Bangladesh Test 

2nd Test (Day 2) - Pakistan vs Bangladesh - Dhaka 

Only 30 minutes of play was possible on the second day of the second and final cricket Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Dhaka on Sunday, as heavy rain ruled out any chances of play in the final two sessions.

There was no play in the pre-lunch session due to rain and when the proceedings began at 12.50 pm the Pakistan overnight pair of Azhar Ali and Babar Azam were able to take the total along to 188 for 2 without further loss, as only 6.2 overs was possible before the skies opened out once again and rendered no play possible.

Ali reached his half century and remained unbeaten on 52 with seven fours made off 136 balls while Azam took his score to 71 made off 113 balls with eight fours and one six in an unbroken stand of 118 for the third wicket.

The pair came together when Pakistan openers Abid Ali (39) and Abdullah Shafique (25) left the crease with the total at 70 after they won the toss and decided to bat first in the two Test series that is part of the ICC World Test Championship qualifying round.

Pakistan have already won the first Test.

Scores: Pakistan first innings 161 for 2 overnight, 188 for 2 (Abid Ali 39, Abdullah Shafique 25, Azhar Ali 52 not out, Babar Azam 71 not out, Taijul Islam 2 for 49) vs Bangladesh

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Rain Spoils Pakistan's Innings 

2nd Test (Day 1) - Pakistan vs Bangladesh 

Rain and bad light curtailed the first day's play of the second and final cricket Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Dhaka on Saturday as only 57 overs were possible.

Deciding to bat first after winning the toss, Pakistan openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique put on 59 runs for the first wicket before Taijul Islam ended the stand by bowling Shafique for 25 followed by the wicket of Ali who was also bowled by Islam for a contribution of 39.

At 70 for 2 Pakistan got into a spot of bother and were bailed out by Azhar Ali (36) and skipper Babar Azam (60) who shared in an unbroken stand of 91 runs for the third wicket.

Azam was the more aggressive of the two hitting seven fours and a six as Bangladesh bowled in 32 overs without success before bad light brought the day's proceedings to an end with the scoreboard reading 161 for 2.

The two teams are involved in a two-Test series as part of the ICC World Test Championship with Pakistan winning the first Test.

Scores: Pakistan first innings 161 for 2 (Abid Ali 39, Abdullah Shafique 25, Azhar Ali 36 not out, Babar Azam 60 not out, Taijul Islam 2 for 49) vs Bangladesh