COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's spinners, led by Rangana Herath, put in an impressive performance as the second Test against the West Indies ended in a draw on the fifth and final day on Saturday. Left-armer Herath removed Dwayne Bravo, Sulieman Benn and Carlton Baugh (50) as the West Indies were bowled out for 243 in their first innings just before tea in reply to Sri Lanka's 387-9 declared. Sri Lanka declared in their second innings on 57-1, with Tharanga Paranavitana scoring 20 not out and skipper Kumar Sangakkara one not out. Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (26) was the lone batsman to be dismissed, caught behind off Bravo. The West Indies, set an improbable 202-run target off 21 overs, lost openers Chris Gayle (three) and Adrian Barath (eight) before reaching 12-2 in their second innings when play was called off due to bad light. Spinner Ajantha Mendis trapped Barath leg-before and part-time spinner Dilshan had Gayle caught by former captain Mahela Jayawardene at first slip. The three-Test series is tied 0-0 after the drawn matches in Galle and Colombo. The final Test starts in Pallekele on Dec 1. West Indies wicketkeeper Baugh earlier hit six fours in his second Test half-century to help his team avoid the follow-on. The tourists, resuming at 165-5 after rain washed out the morning session, slipped from 205-5 to 209-8 in the afternoon, with Herath taking two wickets and debutant paceman Suranga Lakmal one. The West Indies started the day needing 23 runs with five wickets in hand to make Sri Lanka bat again and made them comfortably as Bravo (20) and Baugh played cautiously in the early stages. Bravo later executed some handsome shots, lofting Lakmal over mid-on for a four and then hitting Herath for a four and a six in the same over. Herath got his first wicket of the innings when he had Bravo stumped in his next over after the batsman had added 44 runs for the sixth wicket with Baugh. Skipper Darren Sammy, out for a duck in his only innings of the drawn opening Test in Galle, failed again, contributing just two runs before being caught by Angelo Mathews at square-leg while pulling Lakmal.

 BRISBANE:
Australia were all out for 481 in reply to England's first innings 260 late on the third day of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba on Saturday.

Michael Hussey topscored with 195 and Brad Haddin contributed 136 with Steve Finn taking 6-125.

GUANGZHOU: Bangladesh cricketers won their nation's first ever Asian Games gold medal by ending Afghanistan's dream run in the inaugural final on Friday. Mohammad Ashraful's men ensured their place in history with a five-wicket victory in a thrilling Twenty20 final in front of 2,000 excited spectators at the Guanggong cricket stadium. The Afghan bravehearts, who had stunned Pakistan by 22 runs in Thursday's semi-final, fought till the end despite being restricted to 118-8 after they won the toss and elected to bat. Bangladesh were reduced to 75-5 by the 16th over, before the sixth-wicket pair of Naeem Islam and Mohammad Shabbir put on an unbeaten 44-run partnership to secure a memorable win. With 19 needed off 12 balls, the pair hammered 17 runs in the penultimate over bowled by off-spinner Karim Sadeq, including two towering sixes by Shabbir, to seal Afghanistan's fate. Naeem returned unbeaten on 34 and Shabbir smashed 33 not out off 18 balls to clinch victory that will spark wild celebrations in the cricket-mad South Asian nation. "I had a good talk with Naeen before the 19th over and we went for it," said Shabbir. "Luckily, it came good. There was no pressure on me, but I am sure my team-mates in the dressing room were tense." Ashraful admitted he had given hope towards the end. "I was feeling a bit low but then Shabbir came and did the job for us," the Bangladesh captain said. "It is thrilling to be part of a gold medal winning team. "There was a bit of pressure because Afghanistan is a very good side and this was our first major final." Afghanistan, a non-Test playing nation, took part in the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean this year and narrowly missed qualifying for the 2011 World Cup. Naeem had earlier taken two wickets for eight runs from three overs to keep Afghanistan down to a modest total. Afghanistan were 66-6 by the 13th over, before Mohammad Asghar revived their chances with an unbeaten 38 off 36 balls, sharing a crucial stand of 44 for the seventh wicket with Shabbir Ahmed (25).

BRISBANE: Mike Hussey anchored a mid-innings revival to push Australia towards England's first innings total when rain ended play on the second day of the opening Ashes Test at the Gabba on Friday. The veteran left-hander dispelled doubts over his place in the team after a lean trot to spearhead Australia's fightback following the loss of four wickets in the post-lunch session. When rain forced play to be abandoned at 4:45 pm (0645 GMT), Australia were 220 for five with Hussey unbeaten on 81 and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin not out 22. Hussey showed the beneficial effects of his restorative 118 for Western Australia in the leadup Sheffield Shield game last weekend to carry on his form renaissance with an enterprising knock of 13 fours and a six off 144 balls. The 35-year-old campaigner survived a near catch in the slips off his first ball to share in an unbroken 77-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Haddin to refuel Australia's charge after England's first innings 260. Hussey blunted the English push after Australia had been rocked by the loss of four wickets after lunch to slump to 143 for five. Pacemen Steve Finn and James Anderson were England's heroes bowling the tourists back into contention straight after lunch. Anderson claimed the prized wicket of master batsman Ricky Ponting for 10 with the second ball after lunch. Ponting attempted to glance down the leg-side only to get a fine edge to Matt Prior. It was a massive wicket for England with Ponting averaging 66.44 in his 14 Tests at the Gabba and who set up the last Ashes series down under four years ago when he scored 196 in the first innings of the corresponding Test. Finn produced a spectacular return catch to dismiss opener Simon Katich off his bowling for 50. The young Middlesex quick flung his giant frame to the ground to take a sprawling return catch in the 37th over. It was Katich's 25th half-century in 55 Tests and his fourth against England. Michael Clarke struggled for fluency throughout his 50-ball stay at the crease before his fitful innings came to an end on nine when he attempted a pull shot off Finn only to top edge a catch to Prior.

COLOMBO: No play was possible due to rain on the penultimate day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and the West Indies in Colombo on Friday.

The West Indies were 165-5 in their first innings in reply to Sri Lanka's 387-9 declared on Thursday, with Carlton Baugh unbeaten on four and Dwayne Bravo on one not out.

With just one day remaining, the Test is heading for a draw. The opening match of the three-Test series also ended in a draw in Galle.

 LAHORE: National cricket team has returned home from Abu Dhabi on early Friday, Geo News reported. 

It may be mentioned that national cricket team played T20I, ODI and Test series against SA in which team lost two fast formats but managed to save tests series by captain’s knock of Misbah-ul-Haq.

Talking to media at Lahore airport, manager cricket team said he was satisfied with the performance put on by cricket team in all three forms of cricket against South Africa, saying selectors would have many good options for New Zealand tour.

To a question, he said Mohammed Yousuf and Umar Akmal will have to undergo fitness tests to place themselves in 16-member squad against Kiwis.

GUANGZHOU: Skipper Khalid Latif smashed an unbeaten 53 off 42 balls as Pakistan won the cricket bronze medal at the Asian Games with a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Friday. Latif, whose five one-day internationals made him the only capped player in his young team, hit four sixes and two fours to lift Pakistan past Sri Lanka's 135 all out with two overs to spare. Three of those sixes came in one over from leg-spinner Malinga Bandara, boosting the total after Pakistan had lost four wickets for 85 runs. Bilawal Bhatti returned unbeaten on a quickfire 24 off 14 balls that included the winning hit for a six off Nuwan Zoysa. Pakistan made amends for the 22-run defeat in Thursday's semi-final against Afghanistan, who take on Bangladesh in the final later on Friday. Sri Lanka's total revolved around an opening stand of 53 in eight overs between Zoysa and Jeevantha Kulatunga. Kulatunga top-scored with 31, while Zoysa, who played 30 Tests and 95 one-dayers primarily as a left-arm seamer, hit two fours and a six in a run-a-ball 24. Dilshan Munaweera's 28 carried Sri Lanka to 100-3 by the 15th over, before the last seven wickets crashed for 35 runs, four batsmen being run out. Left-arm spinner Raza Hassan was Pakistan's best bowler with 2-19 from his four overs.

 COLOMBO: The start of the fourth day's play in the second Test between Sri Lanka and the West Indies was delayed due to rain on Friday.

The West Indies were 165-5 in their first innings in reply to Sri Lanka's 387-9 declared on Thursday, with Carlton Baugh unbeaten on four and Dwayne Bravo on one not out.

BRISBANE: Australian paceman Peter Siddle claimed a hattrick to bowl his team into a strong position against England on the opening day of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba on Thursday.

Siddle captured three wickets with successive deliveries to become only the 11th Australian bowler to take a hattrick in a Test match.

The Victorian fast bowler dismissed Alastair Cook (67), Matt Prior (0) and Stuart Broad (0) with the third, fourth and fifth balls of his 12th over to rock England late on the first day.

Siddle brought the crowd to its feet when he dismissed Broad leg before wicket to bring up his hattrick.

It left England reeling at 197 for seven late in the day after they had won the toss.

GUANGZHOU: Afghanistan beat Pakistan by 22 runs on Thursday to reach the final of the Asian Games cricket tournament as the war-torn nation's battling team continued their fairytale rise in the sport. In the first meeting between the two sides, Afghanistan scored 125-8 in their 20 overs before limiting Pakistan's flamboyant batsmen to a just 103-7. Afghanistan's score did not look enough as Pakistan made a lightning start to their reply, racing to 30 off just three overs. Opening batsman Sharjeel Khan set the tone, hitting 12 off the first over bowled by Sahpur Zadran before he was lbw to Mirwais Ashraf for 23 off 16 balls with four boundaries and a six. But Afghanistan managed to apply the brakes in mid-innings. As tensions rose there was a verbal exchange between Pakistan batsman Khalid Latif and wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad before Mohammad Nabi trapped Latif lbw for 26. Naeemuddin Qazi was then run out to leave Pakistan on 60-3 and two wickets in the same over by Karim Sadiq left Pakistan struggling at 68-5. Naeem Anjum then holed out as Pakistan tried in vain to find the boundaries that would ease the pressure. Earlier, Afghanistan made a steady start through openers Sadiq (19) and Shahzad (17). They reached 35 without loss but a flurry of wickets left them struggling on 55-4. A partnership of 46 between Noori, who hit a quickfire 35 off 30 balls, and Asghar Stanikzai (10) gave impetus to the innings but wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Afghanistan will face either Sri Lanka or Bangladesh in Friday's final.