Sri Lanka win despite late drama

Sri Lanka 232 for 9 (Mathews 43, Murali 32, Aamer 3-45) beat Pakistan 196 (Gul 33, Thushara 3-29, Kulasekara 2-30, Murali 2-46) by 36 runsScorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHow they were out
Thilan Thushara's three wickets derailed Pakistan's chase, which left them struggling at 134 for 8 at one stage © Associated Press
Related Links-->
-->
Players/Officials: Nuwan Kulasekara Angelo Mathews Muttiah Muralitharan Thilan Thushara
Matches: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Dambulla
Series/Tournaments: Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka
Teams: Pakistan Sri Lanka
After Angelo Mathews and Muttiah Muralitharan had combined to devastating effect with the bat, Sri Lanka's pace bowlers scythed through Pakistan's top order to lead them to a 36-run victory on a blustery day in Dambulla. Sri Lanka seemingly had the game in the bag at 134 for 8, but a gritty and stroke-filled 62-run stand between Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer so nearly spoilt their day. Pakistan had bossed the opening exchanges after electing to field on a green-tinged pitch, but they never quite recovered from a batting Powerplay in which 54 runs were conceded. With none of the frontline batsmen able to build on starts, it was left to the tail to try and pull off a miracle.
Sri Lanka had scripted a stirring revival of their own in the morning. After 44 overs, they were an underwhelming 169 for 6. But once Nuwan Kulasekara fell, having added 42 with Mathews, Murali whirled his bat like a dervish. Gul was top-edged for four and then straight-driven for six in an over that cost 15, and Shahid Afridi then clobbered through the off side for fours before Aamer put the sheen on a superb debut display by bowling him for 32. It had taken just 15 balls though, and by then, on a surface where run-making was not easy, Sri Lanka had enough of a total to defend.
Pakistan appeared deflated by that revival, and their batting effort never left the ground. Kulasekara started things off, tormenting Shoaib Malik outside his off stump. The odd ball would move away, while others would nip back and force him into the most awkward contortions. The scoreboard was moving thanks to a couple of lovely drives from Kamran Akmal but there was an air of inevitability about Malik's dismissal, bowled playing down the wrong line to a straighter one.
After Lasith Malinga's slingshot pace and slower balls had failed to provide a breakthrough, Kumar Sangakkara turned to Thilan Thushara, and he struck with his very first delivery. Akmal also played down the wrong line to one that deviated little, and saw his stumps pegged back. When Mohammad Yousuf then chased a wide one from Kulasekara, Pakistan had slumped to 48 for 3.
Afridi injected some energy into proceedings, clubbing Malinga over midwicket for six, but there was nothing distinguished about the lazy slice to Thushara that ended his innings at 27. Once Younis Khan flayed Thushara down to Mathews at third man, and Misbah-ul-Haq popped one back to Murali off the leading edge, the cause was hopelessly lost.
Fawad Alam and Abdul Razzaq delayed the inevitable while making no dent on the asking-rate, but it was left to Gul and Mohammad Aamer to send some frissons of worry through the Lankan camp with some cavalier hitting in their own Powerplay. Some sloppy bowling from Malinga helped their cause and it was left to Mahela Jayawardene to seal the deal late on with a direct hit from point to run out Aamer. With Malinga yorking Gul next ball, it was all over.
It could have been so very different for Pakistan, who had seen Razzaq and Aamer bowl really well with the new ball in the morning. The initial breakthrough was delayed only because of indifferent fielding. Akmal put down a sharp chance off Sanath Jayasuriya down the leg side, denying Razzaq a fairytale return after two years in the wilderness. And Razzaq himself could have had Jayasuriya a couple of overs later, but a miscue straight back down the pitch was embarrassingly dropped right in front of the batsman's face.
At the other end, Upul Tharanga was in poor touch, beaten repeatedly outside his off stump with feet scarcely moving. It was Jayasuriya who went first though, slashing the second ball he faced from Gul down to Aamer at third man. Aamer had impressed with the new ball, bowling with pace and beating the bat often. And after Tharanga was put out of his misery, nicking one behind, it needed a 48-run stand between Sangakkara and Jayawardene to resurrect the innings.
As in the Test series, Sangakkara seldom failed to cash in on the bad ball, stroking Gul through mid-on and cover, and clipping Younis' part-time medium-pace through midwicket for fours. But just as it seemed that the time was ripe to accelerate, he was undone by a Saeed Ajmal delivery that dipped and turned, and the attempt to cut merely looped to point.
Then came an almighty stutter. Chamara Kapugedera edged Afridi behind, and the onus was on Jayawardene to up the ante. Thilan Samaraweera couldn't do much on his return to the side, miscuing a pull to mid-on, and when Jayawardene was caught short going for a non-existent second run by Younis' flat throw from midwicket, the wheels were off and the axle nearly broken.
But Mathews and Kulasekara didn't panic, scoring in singles and twos before the Powerplay was taken. The final flourish did the rest, as the previously economical Afridi and Gul were taken apart. Gul tried to return the favour when Pakistan took their own Powerplay late in the game, but by then, it was far too late to be anything more than a consolation.

Sangakkara helps Sri Lanka to a draw

Pakistan 299 and 425 for 9 dec drew with Sri Lanka 233 and 391 for 4 (Sangakkara 130*, Mathews 64*)Scorecard and ball-by-ball details How they were out
Pakistan spent much of the afternoon merely going through the motions, toiling all day for just one wicket © AFP
Related Links-->
Bulletin : Sangakkara key to Sri Lanka's fortunes
-->
Players/Officials: Angelo Mathews Saeed Ajmal Thilan Samaraweera Kumar Sangakkara
Matches: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC)
Series/Tournaments: Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka
Teams: Pakistan Sri Lanka
In the end, neither team wanted it badly enough. Sri Lanka couldn't quite summon up the courage for one final dash, and Pakistan spent much of the afternoon merely going through the motions. When play was called off with the 15 mandatory overs to be bowled, Sri Lanka were 101 short of the 492-run target, and Pakistan had toiled all day for just one wicket. Kumar Sangakkara's 19th Test century was the story of the day, but even his performance was overshadowed by an utterly placid pitch. After 21 wickets fell in the opening two days, the bowlers on both sides could manage just 12 in the next nine sessions.
When Angelo Mathews struck a couple of boundaries soon after reaching his half-century after tea, there was the prospect of a Twenty20-like thrash in the final hour, but ultimately Sri Lanka decided to settle for the 2-0 series win.
With Sri Lanka resuming from their overnight 183 for 3, Pakistan would have fancied their chances of pulling off a consolation victory. But with Sangakkara remorselessly grinding the bowling into the SSC dust, and Thilan Samaraweera contributing a classy 73 to a partnership of 122, Younis Khan was left to forlornly shuffle a tiring bowling pack.
As he showed in Hobart not so long ago, Sangakkara is capable of dazzling counter-attacks in pressure situations. This, on a day when survival rather than urgency was the priority, was all rearguard and little flair, with occupation of the crease the main mantra. The odd languid drive through the covers, or the precise sweep to the spinners would occasionally reveal some intent, but by and large, circumspection was the name of the game.
Prime Numbers
391Sri Lanka's score in the second innings at the SSC, which is their second-highest in the last innings of a Test. They'd scored 410 against Australia in Hobart in 2007.
134The number of overs Sri Lanka batted in their second innings, which is their second highest. They'd batted 141.4 overs in a losing cause against Australia in Hobart in 1989.
2The number of centuries Kumar Sangakkara has scored in the fourth innings of a Test, in 21 attempts. He averages 41.88 in these innings.
114The partnership for the fifth wicket between Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews, which is Sri Lanka's highest for that wicket in the fourth innings of a Test.
With Mathews showing only brief glimpses of his shotmaking potential, the run-rate slowed quite a bit after Samaraweera's dismissal soon after lunch. He had been afflicted with cramp, and was then struck a glancing blow on the helmet by Mohammad Aamer before a doosra from Saeed Ajmal was nicked behind.
Apart from a brain-fade where he nearly handled the ball after digging out a yorker from Younis, Samaraweera had constantly challenged the bowlers, never allowing them to settle into a rhythm. Danish Kaneria, the scourge of Sri Lanka's first innings, was attacked and only Ajmal managed to exercise any real control.
Younis was also badly let down by Umar Gul, who struggled with no-balls and served up dross with the second new-ball. Each mistake was pounced on by Samaraweera, whose classical drives invoked another age. Pakistan still had a slight edge, but with no Flintoff-like talisman to turn to, Younis' brow became increasingly furrowed as the afternoon wore on. Sangakkara's smile only grew wider

Mark Cavendish makes history with ninth stage win

Tour de France 2009: Mark Cavendish makes history with ninth stage win

Cavendish, who rides for Columbia, held off green jersey rival Thor Hushovd of Norway with a wicked turn of pace in the final few hundred metres of the sprint after he had been led in by teammate Tony Martin.

Hushovd finished second while Germany's Gerald Ciolek took third on the 169km stage which began in Bourgoin-Jallieu and which failed to produce a winning breakaway.
Ahead of Saturday's 20th stage, which includes the 21.1km climb to the summit of the Mont Ventoux, Spaniard Alberto Contador of Astana remains the race leader with a 4min 11sec lead on Luxembourg's Andy Schleck.
Third place overall, Lance Armstrong finished just behind the sprinters to close his gap to Contador by four seconds, although the American is still over five minutes off the pace at 5:21.
Cavendish won four stages last year and with his five from this edition it means he eclipses the previous British record of eight, held by England's Barry Hoban, who raced in the 1960s and 70s.

Tour de France 2009: Mark Cavendish loses top spot to gutsy Thor Hushovd

Norway's Thor Hushovd, one of the most talented all-round riders in the peloton, signalled that Mark Cavendish will have to win the green jersey the hard way.

Hushovd made a typically gutsy ride in the mountains between Vittel and Colmar to regain the lead in the points competition.

This was in no way sprinters' territory and Cavendish decided early in the day to conserve his energy for challenges ahead. However, Hushovd sensed an opportunity and grabbed it with both hands.

Although unable to go with the break, which eventually saw Heinrich Haussler take off on his own for a memorable win, Hushovd dug deep to stay with the next bunch, containing all the main contenders. He won the sprint at the finish to take sixth place and 15 priceless points. He now goes back into green, on 205 points to Cavendish's 200.

Cavendish needs to hit back on Saturday during a gnarly run from Colmar to Besancon. The tough undulating terrain, with two category-three climbs en route, will also offer every encouragement to the likes of Haussler and others looking to pick off a stage win.

Hushovd could be tired after his efforts, although he seems to suffer less from fatigue than most, and Cavendish and his Columbia team-mates need to work hard to contain any breaks and ensure their man has a chance to use his pace at the end. After that it is mountains all the way until the last individual time-trial in Annecy next Thursday.

There are a few intermediate sprints on the way but they will probably involve Hushovd more than Cavendish and although the latter would always fancy his chance of winning the final sprint on the Champs-Elysee, Hushovd is also likely to garner points there.

Although there was no movement on the road, or indeed any attempt at movement and attack, in the main competition, Britain's Bradley Wiggins, for the second consecutive day, climbed a position and now lies in a heady fourth place, a superb effort.

Rilando Nocentini will continue to wear the yellow jersey after Brice Feillu, the best-performing of his immediate rivals, failed to close the gap significantly.

On Thursday he had a 15-second deficit reinstated after being impeded by a crash inside the final 3km and the retirement of Levi Leipheimer, who has broken a wrist, resulted in his promotion to fourth.

• delicious
• Digg
• Facebook
• Fark
• Google
• Newsvine
• Reddit
• StumbleUpon
• Yahoo! Buzz
• Mixx
• Twitter
• What are these?

Anderson leads England charge

Australia 156 for 8 (Hauritz 3*, Siddle 3*, Anderson 4-36) trail England 425 (Strauss 161, Cook 95, Anderson 29, Hilfenhaus 4-103) by 269 runs

Australia's 75-year unbeaten record at Lord's is facing its greatest threat, after England's seamers scythed through the tourists' top-order on a rain-interrupted second day at Lord's. James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff bowled with a measure of pace, movement and accuracy that eluded Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle in the preceding innings, and placed England in a position of dominance with Australia still requiring 70 runs to avoid the follow-on.

Anderson turned in a performance befitting his recently-acquired mantle of England spearhead, maintaining a threatening line and swinging the ball just enough to create angst among the opposing batsmen. With Flintoff conceding runs at barely two-per-over at the other end, and Stuart Broad and Graham Onions constantly probing the outside edge, England created a pressurised atmosphere in which the Australians spectacularly cracked. The tourists lost six wickets for the addition of just 49 runs after tea, and must now hope for more of the rain periods that interrupted the second day's play if they are to emerge from this match unscathed.

No less than six Australian batsmen fell to misjudged pull-strokes, indicating that the situation, rather than unplayable deliveries, brought about their demise. The early loss of Ricky Ponting to an incorrect decision by Rudi Koertzen, officiating in his 100th Test, did not help their cause, but too many of his team-mates sought to bash their way out of trouble; a tactic that, against a ruthless England attack in heavy overhead conditions, appeared flawed from the start.

Only now, with Flintoff entering the home straight of his Test career, have he and Anderson become the combination England had long hoped for. Both dazzled under the floodlights, switched on for the first time in a Lord's Test match, against an Australian batting line-up forced to carry the cross of their profligate bowlers from the previous day, and under pressure from the moment they marked centre.

Fortune played a role in Anderson's first two dismissals, with Phillip Hughes strangling a delivery to Matt Prior down the leg-side and Ponting adjudged caught to a ball he missed by some margin. Playing across a sharp, slanting delivery, Ponting struck the instep of his shoe as the ball threaded the gap between bat and pad and lobbed to Andrew Strauss at first slip. Koertzen asked the third umpire, Nigel Llong, whether the ball had carried to Strauss, and subsequently ruled him out for two, continuing Ponting's unhappy association with Lord's when he has 71 runs at 14.20.

England made their own luck thereafter. An obstinate, attritional 93-run stand between Simon Katich and Michael Hussey temporarily drew Australia back into the contest, but with England's bowlers maintaining disciplined lines and the rain clouds closing in, the odds of a momentum-shifting stand was always stacked against them. So it was that Katich, the most measured of Australia's batsmen to that point, swiped at an Onions delivery and was caught by a running, diving Broad at fine leg. The dismissal was a carbon copy of that which led to Katich's demise in Worcester, and represents a triumph for England's planning.

Hussey, having compiled a confidence-boosting 51, followed three overs later in the most frustrating of circumstances. Shouldering arms to a straightening Flintoff delivery, Hussey watched forlornly as the ball dislodged the off-bail in a dismissal that sent Australia's prospects plummeting. England sensed the kill with two new batsmen at the crease, and it wasn't long before Anderson had accounted for Michael Clarke and Marcus North - both dismissed attempting to force the pace of the innings. Broad continued the rout with the wickets of Johnson and Brad Haddin to loose pull-shots, reducing Australia to 156 for eight before bad light stopped play at 6.23pm.

In keeping with the theme of the match, Australia will resume on Saturday with a pair of batsmen afflicted by injury and illness. Nathan Hauritz dislocated a finger on Friday while Siddle vomited on the field before seeking medical treatment in the first session on Saturday. A bleak picture for the tourists.

Earlier, Ben Hilfenhaus temporarily lifted Australian spirits with two quick wickets that went far to rounding out England's first innings for 425. Hilfenhaus claimed the vital scalp of Andrew Strauss with his second ball of the morning, then followed with that of Broad, as the hosts lost their final four wickets for 61 before the first drinks break.

As was the case in Cardiff, England's 10th wicket partnership proved problematic for the Australians, as Anderson and Onions added 47 valuable runs. With Siddle taken from the field with illness - effectively reducing Ponting to just two frontline bowling options - England's tailenders took the attack to the out-of-sorts Johnson. He eventually claimed the wicket of Anderson for 29, but not before his figures had swollen to 3-132 from 21.4 overs.

John Terry remains silent over Manchester City interest as Chelsea head to US

John Terry joined his team-mates on the plane leaving for Chelsea’s pre-season tour of America with questions hanging over a possible move to Manchester City while Joe Cole was left behind after undergoing an operation on his knee.

Terry has yet to break his silence over persistent rumours that Chelsea are willing to listen to City’s overtures for a player who has been at Stamford Bridge since his teens and has come to be an emblem for the club.

And with a public commitment to Chelsea not forthcoming from the player himself, City manager Mark Hughes has been encouraged.

He has already had two bids turned down but will have little hesitation in raising his offer for a second time to around £40 million.

Chief executive Peter Kenyon moved to play down speculation that Terry might be heading to Eastlands when he told the Daily Telegraph’s Jeff Randall on Sky News: “I don’t know what they’re offering but I’m confident John will remain with us.

“John is a talisman; he’s the heart of Chelsea. He came through the academy, he’s our captain and he’s also become captain of England whilst he’s been here.”

Cole did not travel with the rest of the squad after undergoing minor surgery yesterday.

Cole required the operation to correct a small tear to his meniscus in his knee and is expected back in full training in one month.

The England midfielder had recently recovered from cruciate ligament damage sustained in January, an injury that ruled him out of the rest of the 2008-09 season.

Chelsea left for America today and will play the opening match of their tour against Seattle Sounders on Saturday.

Tour de France 2009: Mark Cavendish retains green jersey but fails to win stage 12

On an afternoon when a determined break stayed away and Denmark's Nicki Sorensen sealed an impressive stage win, Mark Cavendish claimed useful sprint points to stretch his lead over Thor Hushovd in their absorbing battle for the green jersey.

For the first time on the 2009 Tour de France Cavendish contested, and won, an intermediate sprint early in the stage at Channes to claim six useful points – to Hushovd's two – and then when the bunch came in behind the break he won the sprint to finish eighth and claim 13 points, one more than Hushovd.

Cavendish now has 200 points to the Norwegian’s 190, with two clear-cut sprint stages to go – tomorrow in Besancon and then in Paris a week on Sunday.

With more than 200km of racing yesterday over gently rolling terrain, the attacks came thick and fast in a first hour, in which the peloton completed an impressive 48km. However, none of those attempts were allowed to leave the peloton’s clutches until the 64km mark, when a six-man group formed.

Sorensen, sensing that this was the decisive point, pulled away from the main bunch to try to join the breakaway group, who were allowed to go on ahead unhindered and soon built a five-minute lead.

With 5km to go, Sorensen then pulled away, leaving the fading Sylvain Calzati to be submerged by the chasing pack, which included Rinaldo Nocentini, who retained the yellow jersey, seven-time champion Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador.

At the finish, Sorensen, 34, was free to bask in a first-ever Tour win after 10 years as a professional cyclist and seven previous Tours. Astada rider Contador remains in second place overall, with Armstrong in third. Bradley Wiggins finished in 17th spot and stays in fifth place,

There were five riders 48 seconds behind Sorensen, while Remi Pauriol was at 1min 33sec and the main peloton arrived at 5min 58sec, with all the contenders for the title arriving safe and sound.

The action could, however, be much hotter today when they race into the Vosges mountains, with the Col du Platzerwasel and the Col de la Schlucht offering the mountain goats an outside chance to show their class again, although neither climb is an epic.

There are three intermediate sprints en route and this could be a day for Team Columbia to fiercely protect Cavendish’s lead because Hushovd survives better in the mountains and might fancy at least the first two sprints of the day.

Tour de France details

Stage 12: 211.5-km from Tonnerre to Vittelge:

1. Nicki Sorensen (Denmark - Saxo Bank) 4hrs 52mins 24secs 2. Laurent Lefevre (France - Bbox - Bouygues) +48" 3. Franco Pellizotti (Italy - Liquigas) same time 4. Markus Fothen (Germany - Milram ) 5. Egoi Martinez (Spain / Euskaltel) 6. Sylvain Calzati (France - Agritubel) 7. Remi Pauriol (France - Cofidis) +1:33" 8. Mark Cavendish (Britain - Columbia) +5:58" 9. Thor Hushovd (Norway - Cervelo) 10. Marco Bandiera (Italy - Lampre)
Other: 17 B. Wiggins (GB, Garmin); 30. N Roche (Rep of Ireland, AG2R); 153. D Millar (GB, Garmin); 158. C Wegelius (GB, Silence-Lotto) all at 5-58.

Overall: 1. R Nocentini (Italy, AG2R) 48h 27m 21s; 2. A Contador (Spain, Astana) at 6s; 3. L Armstrong (US, Astana) 8; 4. L Leipheimer (US, Astana) 39; 5. Wiggins (Great Britain, Garmin) 46; 6. A Kloeden (Germany, Astana) 54; 7. T Martin (Germany, Columbia) 1m 00s; 8. C Vande Velde (US, Garmin) 1-24; 9. A Schleck (Luxembourg, Saxo Bank) 1-49; 10. V Nibali (Italy, Liquigas) 1-54.
Other: 51. Roche 16-45; 65. Millar 28-18; 81. Wegelius 36-14; 132. Cavendish 1h 13m 54s.

Points: 1. M Cavendish 200; 2. T Hushovd 190; 3. J J Rojas (Spain, Caisse d’Epargne) 116.

Mountains: 1. E Martinez (Spain, Euskaltel) 88pts; 2. F Pellizotti (Italy, Liquigas) 71; 3. C Kern (France, Cofidis) 59.

Team: 1. Saxo Bank 143h 47m 41s; 2. AG2R at 34s; 3. Astana 37.

Young rider: 1. T Martin 48h 28m 21s; 2. A Schleck at 49s; 3. V Nibali 54.