Chris Gayle put Sri Lanka’s attack to the sword with an explosive double-century as the West Indies posted a huge 362-2 on the opening day of the first Test yesterday.
He hammered eight sixes and 26 fours in his 247-ball 219 not out for his 13th three-figure knock in Tests, and his first in the sub-continent, as the tourists made the most of winning the toss on a good batting pitch.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul was unbeaten on 20 at the close of play.
PHOTO: AFP
Gayle’s score was also his best in an away Test, surpassing 197 against New Zealand at Napier in 2008, and his second-highest overall after his triple-century against South Africa at home in 2005.
Openers Gayle and Adrian Barath (50) put on 110 after Darren Sammy won the toss in his first Test as captain, only the West Indies’ second century partnership for the opening wicket in the last four years.
Former skipper Gayle then consolidated his team’s position with a record 196-run stand for the second wicket with debutant Darren Bravo, who scored a solid 58.
Darren Bravo reached his 50 when he drove unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis through the covers for four. He hit six fours before being caught by Thilan Samaraweera at deep square-leg off Mendis while trying to pull.
Sri Lanka, playing their first Test series after the retirement of match-winning spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, only managed to grab two wickets in three sessions.
Off-spinner Muralitharan quit Test cricket in July with a world-record 800 wickets and his replacement Suraj Randiv has rarely put pressure on the West Indies.
Randiv removed Barath in the morning session, but conceded 144 runs in his 32 overs. Mendis finished the day with 1-90 off 29 overs.
Sri Lankan seamers Thilan Thushara and Dammika Prasad also failed to test the West Indies as Gayle, Barath and Bravo gathered runs comfortably to put their team on course for a big total.
Gayle dominated the Sri Lankan attack with a wide range of attacking strokes and completed his century in the afternoon when he hoisted Randiv over long-off for the second six in the over.
He reached his double-century with a single off Mendis.
The 20-year-old Barath, who scored a century on Test debut against Australia at Brisbane last year, looked solid during his 86-ball knock before falling in the penultimate over of the morning session.
Barath, playing only his third Test, was surprised by extra bounce and was caught by Mahela Jayawardene at first slip off Randiv after hitting eight fours.
INDIA V NEW ZEALAND
REUTERS, HYDERABAD, INDIA
New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum stood firm with his sixth Test hundred yesterday to leave the second Test against India evenly poised.
At the close on the penultimate day, New Zealand had reached 237 for four to take an overall lead of 115. McCullum (124) and Kane Williamson (12) were at the crease.
McCullum and his opening partner Tim McIntosh wiped off India’s lead of 122 runs with their first century partnership of the series.
An attacking McCullum and a watchful McIntosh (49) added 125 for the first wicket before the latter got an inside edge off his pads to be caught at short leg off Pragyan Ojha.
McCullum hit 11 boundaries and three sixes during his unbeaten knock. He toned down his approach as the ball got old and the hosts started making breakthroughs.
Ojha earned his second wicket when Martin Guptill (18) got an edge to India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps.
Shanthakumaran Sreesanth reverse swung the ball to breach Ross Taylor’s (7) defense while Jesse Ryder (20) edged part-time off-spinner Suresh Raina to Dhoni.
India’s attack was handicapped by the absence of paceman Zaheer Khan, who could not bowl later in the day after a lengthy absence from the field after reportedly suffering an abdominal strain.
Earlier, spinner Harbhajan Singh shone with the bat once more as he hit his second consecutive hundred to extend India’s first innings lead on the fourth morning at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Harbhajan continued tormenting the visitors with an unbeaten 111, following scores of 69 and 115 in the first Test, and bludgeoned the New Zealand attack with seven fours and seven sixes to bring up his second Test century.
Harbhajan added 105 runs for the final wicket with Sreesanth, who provided able support with 24 off 71 deliveries, before the hosts were dismissed for 472 in response to New Zealand’s 350.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori (5-135) trapped Sreesanth leg before to complete his 19th five-wicket haul in Tests.
PAKISTAN V S AFRICA
AFP, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Pakistan fought to save the first Test against South Africa after being set a world-record chase following magnificent centuries from Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla on the fourth day yesterday.
Pakistan finished the fourth day at 109-2 with Azhar Ali on 37 not out and Younis Khan unbeaten on 11, still needing to bat out 90 overs today for a draw or score a challenging 342 on a deteriorating Dubai Stadium pitch.
Set 451 to win, Pakistan lost openers Mohammad Hafeez (34) and Taufiq Umer (22) after both gave their team a confident 41-run start.
THE ASHES
REUTERS, SYDNEY
Australia kept their options open by naming a 17-man squad for the first Ashes Test yesterday, allowing key players time to prove their fitness and form over the next 10 days.
Left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty was the biggest surprise in the party for the Brisbane Test having made his one-day international debut against Sri Lanka just 12 days ago at the age of 29.
Doherty is one of three spinners in the squad, alongside offspinner Nathan Hauritz and leg-spinner Steve Smith as the selectors wrestle with who should support their likely three-pronged pace attack at the Gabba from Nov. 25.
Uncapped batsmen Usman Khawaja and Callum Ferguson, who with Smith will face England for Australia A this week, were other inclusions who should keep the more experienced players focused.
Vice-captain Michael Clarke (back), opener Simon Katich (thumb) and Doug Bollinger (side) were named despite injury concerns, as was fast bowler Ryan Harris, who suffered swelling to his injured knee up after his return to action last week.
Hauritz has been given a chance to prove his critics wrong after a poor tour of India but the inclusion of Doherty, who took four wickets on his debut, as well as Smith will keep the pressure on him.
“We’ve just got to decide who is bowling the best spin bowling at that particular moment,” Hilditch said.
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
Taiwan’s Lin Yun-ju and Kao Cheng-jui were defeated by their Chinese counterparts 3-0 on Saturday in the men’s doubles final at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash. Lin and Kao received their silver medals after being defeated by third-seeded duo Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin of China 2-11, 4-11, 11-13. The Taiwan pair were left playing catch-up early in the match after the Chinese duo proved unstoppable in the first and second game. Although Lin and Kao picked up their pace in the third game and at one point took a 10-8 lead, they were crucially unable to take
Australia yesterday won two of four races on the first day of the SailGP Sydney event on Sydney Harbour to finish the day atop the points table ahead of Britain and a French team who made an outstanding return after missing the first two events of the season. Australia also had a third and a second placing, finishing the day with 37 points, ahead of Britain with 32 points and France with 27. Britain won the second race of the day and Switzerland, who won the first race, were in fourth place overall. Australia’s prowess in the start box was again the