First test: Pakistan beat England in compelling victory

DUBAI: Mercurial Pakistan have done it once again.

In what can be called a historic win against top-ranked England, Pakistan cruised to a compelling victory when England collapsed for 160. Pakistan were left with just 15 runs to chase to seal the match on the third day of the first test.

England were struggling at 75-5 at tea on the third day of the first cricket Test against Pakistan at Dubai Stadium here on Thursday, needing another 71 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

At the break Jonathan Trott was unbeaten on 42 and with him Matt Prior who has yet to score. Pakistan scored 338 in their first innings to take a 146-run lead.

At the break Alastair Cook was batting on two and Jonathan Trott was eight not out. England still need 130 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

In the morning wicket-keeper batsman Adnan Akmal boosted Pakistan’s lead to 146 with a gutsy half-century.

The 26-year-old right-hander scored a career best 61 for his second Test half-century to take his team to 338, adding another 50 runs after Pakistan resumed at 288-7.

Pakistan were in danger of being shot out early as they lost Gul (nought) in the second over of the day when Stuart Broad forced an edge to gully where Eoin Morgan held an easy catch.

Adnan, who hit eight boundaries during his 129-ball knock, kept the pressure on England with a pugnacious 30-run stand for the ninth wicket with Saeed Ajmal who made 12.

Graeme Swann, who finished with 4-107, removed Ajmal with a sharp spinning delivery that caught the glove and landed in the safe hands of Cook at forward short-leg.

Adnan swept Swann twice for boundaries and then edged the same bowler through the slips for a couple to reach his fifty. His previous best of 53 came against Bangladesh in Dhaka last month.

Adnan was finally dismissed, stumped by keeper Matt Prior as he jumped out of the crease to drive Swann but completely missed the ball.

Broad finished with 3-84 and James Anderson took 2-71.

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Gul strike leaves England on back foot

DUBAI: England lost the key wicket of their skipper Andrew Strauss early in their second innings to leave them hard pressed in their bids to save the first Test against Pakistan at Dubai Stadium Thursday.

Strauss was adjudged caught behind off paceman Umar Gul for six in the fifth over of their second knock.

The wicket fell before England reached 16-1 at lunch on the third day of the match, after Pakistan were dismissed for 338 in their first innings.

Strauss instantly challenged the verdict but was left to trudge off the field after television umpire Steve Davis of Australia upheld the original decision, leaving England in a spot of bother.

At the break Alastair Cook was batting on two and Jonathan Trott was eight not out. England still need 130 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

In the morning wicket-keeper batsman Adnan Akmal boosted Pakistan’s lead to 146 with a gutsy half-century.

The 26-year-old right-hander scored a career best 61 for his second Test half-century to take his team to 338, adding another 50 runs after Pakistan resumed at 288-7.

Pakistan were in danger of being shot out early as they lost Gul (nought) in the second over of the day when Stuart Broad forced an edge to gully where Eoin Morgan held an easy catch.

Adnan, who hit eight boundaries during his 129-ball knock, kept the pressure on England with a pugnacious 30-run stand for the ninth wicket with Saeed Ajmal who made 12.

Graeme Swann, who finished with 4-107, removed Ajmal with a sharp spinning delivery that caught the glove and landed in the safe hands of Cook at forward short-leg.

Adnan swept Swann twice for boundaries and then edged the same bowler through the slips for a couple to reach his fifty. His previous best of 53 came against Bangladesh in Dhaka last month.

Adnan was finally dismissed, stumped by keeper Matt Prior as he jumped out of the crease to drive Swann but completely missed the ball.

Broad finished with 3-84 and James Anderson took 2-71.

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Kvitova scare as Djokovic, Williams stroll

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams made it look easy at the Australian Open Thursday as Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova flirted with disaster.

Defending champion Djokovic thumped Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo and Williams brought up her 500th career win, against Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, to reach the third round.

Former champion Maria Sharapova made it two wins for the loss of just two games, and 2008 French Open winner Ana Ivanovic also strolled through to the weekend fixtures.

Second seed Kvitova had a trickier assignment against battle-hardened Carla Suarez Navarro, but she survived a mid-match meltdown to progress in three sets —and stay on course for the top world ranking.

Djokovic has been in commanding form at the year’s first major as he bids to repeat last season’s astonishing haul of three grand slams among 10 titles, with a 41-match winning streak along the way.

And the Serb expended little energy in his 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 hit-out against Giraldo as he speeds towards an expected semi-final with Andy Murray, his victim in last year’s final, who plays later.

“I try to not underestimate any opponents in early rounds,” Djokovic said.

“Santiago came out early hitting the ball quite flat. But I knew that, you know, sooner or later he’s going to drop the rhythm and I just have to hang in there. I’ve done a good job,” he added.

Williams’s victory kept up her record of reaching the third round in all but one of her 47 grand slams —despite a heavy fall late in the match on her recently injured ankle.

“It’s fine, I just have really wobbly ankles,” she said. “I wasn’t meant to be a ballerina.”Resurgent Sharapova, the 2008 winner, made light of her total lack of competitive tennis this year as she thrashed US qualifier Jamie Hampton 6-0, 6-1, after dispatching Giselo Dulko by an identical score in the first round.

Afterwards, the Russian said being world number one — which she could achieve at the end of this tournament, along with Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka and the current incumbent, Caroline Wozniacki — was not her priority.

“My goal is to be ready for the important ones, for the big ones (tournaments),” said Sharapova, 24. “That’s what matters at this stage in my career to me. I try to prepare as best as I can for them.”

Former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga went through in straight sets against Ricardo Mello but fifth-seeded baseliner David Ferrer, who reached the semis last year, needed five to beat American Ryan Sweeting.

Canada’s Milos Raonic wielded his huge serve as he downed Germany’s Philipp Petzschner 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5.

Among the other women’s results, China’s Zheng Jie upset Italian seed Roberta Vinci in straight sets and Sara Errani ousted Nadia Petrova.

And Cyprus’s Marcos Baghdatis paid for totalling not one, not two, not three, but four racquets in a sensational tantrum during Wednesday’s loss to Stanislas Wawrinka when he was fined US$800.

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