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Warner earns fitting farewell as Australia complete clean sweep
In a chase of 130, David Warner signed off with a brisk 57 as he led a comfortable chase by Australia who completed a clean sweep over Pakistan.
Australia’s chase suffered an early setback when Usman Khawaja was pinned back by Sajid Khan in the opening over. But Pakistan’s raised hopes were quickly snuffed out by a clinical century partnership between Warner and Marnus Labuschagne for the second wicket.
Typically it was Warner who led the way – cutting, reverse-sweeping and flicking strong boundaries to quickly reverse the pressure on Pakistan who were cock-a-hoop after the early breakthrough. Labuschagne proved to be the ideal foil, remaining solid but prepared to loft the spinners when needed. The duo made sure there weren’t too many hiccups in the chase after that. Warner went on to register his 63rd fifty-plus score in Test cricket, and made his final outing in the format an even more memorable one having already walked out to a guard of honour from Shan Masood and Co.
The duo brought up their seventh 100-plus partnership and made sure that Australia’s bowling efficacy wasn’t wasted. For before the batting heroics, Australia had the bowling to thank for once again to set up the gettable target.
While Josh Hazlewood’s inspired over had reduced Pakistan to 67/7 overnight, they began the fourth day with some resistance from Mohammad Rizwan and Aamer Jamal before the former was out caught at leg slip off Nathan Lyon with Warner taking a sharp catch. As the resistance broke, the rest crumbled as Pat Cummins bouncing out Jamal before Lyon cleaned up Hasan Ali.
Warner and Labuschagne carried Australia through nearly over the line before the former was trapped LBW with 11 to win. Nevertheless, it allowed for a perfect farewell as Australia finished the series with a comprehensive margin of 3-0.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 313 (Mohammad Rizwan 88, Aamer Jamal 82, Agha Salman 53; Pat Cummins 5-67) & 115 (Saim Ayub 33; Josh Hazlewood 4-16, Nathan Lyon 3-36) lost to Australia 299 (Marnus Labuschagne 60, Mitchell Marsh 59; Aamer Jamal 6-69) & 130/2 (Marnus Labuschagne 62*, David Warner 57) by 8 wickets
(Cricbuzz)
Lionel Messi marked his record sixth World Cup appearance with his first hat-trick at a FIFA tournament as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 to open the defence of their global crown, he also became the joint highest scorer at World Cups with the feat.
The former 38-year-old forward thought he had opened the scoring in the eighth minute in Kansas City on Tuesday when he slotted home from close range, but the offside flag was raised.
The dream start to his record-setting appearance, which will be matched by Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal against DR Congo on Wednesday, was not to be denied for long though.
A trademark, mazy run was capped by a drive on the edge of the box from that famed left foot. The power too much for Algeria keeper Luca Zidane, son of World Cup winner with France, Zinidine.
Messi doubled his tally on the hour mark with a simple tap in from a rebound off the keeper following a drive from Alexis Mac Allister.
The moment that even a player as decorated as Messi came in the 76th minute when he drilled low past the keeper from just outside the box.
The strike took Messi level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals.
His substitution came just three minutes later to a standard ovation, even old maestro seemed disappointed to be removed – and most likely rested for Argentina’s tilt at becoming only the third side to defend a World Cup title.
Algeria – the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations winners – offered little, but were themselves denied an early goal when Fares Chaibi’s ninth minute strike was ruled out for offside.
Messi saw to it that there was no opening game upset to be had tat this edition, having lost their opening game at Qatar 2022 to Saudi Arabia.
Messi, who spent the majority of his club career in Spain with Barcelona before moving to French giants Paris-Saint Germain, plys his trade in US football’s Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.
Jordan and Austria open their account in the group later on Tuesday in San Francisco.
[Aljazeera]
United States sprinter Noah Lyles has set the world’s best-ever time over the rarely-run 150 metres race, clocking 14.67 seconds at the Golden Spike meet in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava.
The 28-year-old Lyles on Tuesday beat the previous best of 14.72 set by Kishane Thompson of Jamaica in Florida in April.
At Ostrava, Lyles beat Sinesipho Dambile of South Africa with 14.78, while Australian teenager Gout Gout finished third in 14.96.
“Was there ever any doubt? Was there ever any doubt? We came for a show,” an elated Lyles told Czech TV.
Earlier this month, Lyles took a comfortable win at the Wanda Diamond League meet in Rome with a 9.88 in the 100m, his fastest since clinching gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The high-energy, anime-loving showman has had strong indoor and outdoor performances throughout the year so far, and was named on this year’s Time100 list of the most influential people.
Dutch star Femke Broeders-Bol had to bow to in-form Swiss Audrey Werro in her outdoor debut in the 800m.
The 26-year-old Broeders-Bol has switched from 400m hurdles, in which she had won two world gold medals, and clocked an impressive 1 minute 57.13 seconds for second place.
“It was so cool, I love racing in Ostrava. It was tough, but I enjoyed it,” she said.
Broeders-Bol has also claimed multiple medals as the anchor leg in 4x400m relay teams, notably a gold in the mixed event in the Paris Olympics.
She ran her first 800m since 2017 in February, clocking a national record of 1 minute 59.07 seconds before withdrawing from the rest of the indoor season to nurse a foot injury.
The 22-year-old Werro won in 1 minute 54.45 seconds, half a second behind her personal best from March, after shedding Broeders-Bol with 200 metres to run.
“It was a really crazy run, but the time is very good, so I’m really happy,” Werro said.
Having set the eighth best time ever, she stayed over a second behind the oldest world record in athletics of 1:53.28 set in 1983 by Jarmila Kratochvilova of then-Czechoslovakia, who watched the race from the stands.
South Africa’s 20-year-old Bayanda Walaza won the men’s 100m as he equalled his personal best of 9.94 seconds, beating Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon with 9.99 seconds.
US favourites Ronnie Baker and Jordan Anthony were demoted to the fourth and fifth spots, respectively, with times well over 10 seconds.
[Aljazeera]
An outstanding fifth-wicket stand and an even better sixth-wicket partnership electrified a Sri Lanka chase and propelled them to a tight final-over win against New Zealand. Nilakshika Silva was the primary architect. Having arrived at the crease at 55 for 4, with the required rate soon climbing above nine, she produced her finest international innings – a perfectly-paced 54 not out off 37 that saw Sri Lanka to victory with two balls and five wickets to spare.
Nilakshika had serious support in the two partnerships she was involved in. Kavisha Dilhari joined her for a 50-run stand that repaired the innings, though New Zealand were still firm favourites when they were parted with 45 still needed off 30 deliveries. Kaushini Nuthyangana, who had already had a good game behind the stumps, then hit a nerveless 24 not out off 14, outpacing even Nilakshika during a stand that yielded 48 runs off 28 deliveries.
New Zealand were scuttled by their own poor catching again. Had Bree Illing held a sitter at short fine leg in the 10th over, Nilakshika would have been out for only 1, and New Zealand would have claimed five wickets in five overs. Their ground fielding also fell away during the last few overs, when Sri Lanka’s batters were beginning to reverse pressure effectively.
Their batting had also been reined in by a tight Sri Lankan bowling effort, in which the spinners imposed themselves. Sophie Devine and Melie Kerr hit 45 each, but 150 for 6 always seemed a little light on a Southampton surface that was a little slow, but remained largely good for batting.
The loss means New Zealand have lost their two opening matches, and must now treat games against England, Scotland, and Ireland as must-wins. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are on the points table following their opening defeat at the hands of England. They will now prepare for the match against West Indies on Sunday. A victory there will set them up beautifully for a semi-finals push.
Nilakshika resurrects Sri Lanka
When Nilakshika arrived, Sri Lanka were down to their last three recognised batters, with 95 runs to get off 57 deliveries. It was clear she was timing the ball nicely from the outset, but she repeatedly had trouble piercing the infield and did not find her first boundary until the 13th ball she faced. Thankfully for Sri Lanka, Dilhari was buoyant through the early phase of this partnership, never allowing the required rate to climb too far out of reach.
After the 12th over, however, Nilakshika began to find the open spaces. There were fours through wide mid on and extra cover, and then a six over the head of Devine at deep midwicket, who could have pouched that catch had she stood closer to the rope.
A running mix-up, which perhaps was Nilakshika’s fault, cost Dilhari her wicket. But that only seemed to solidify the resolve within Nilakshika to see the chase through. She was magnificent through the last five overs, finding vital boundaries just as the pressure was mounting, while finding singles in between. With 28 runs needed off the last two overs, it was Nilakshika’s two boundaries off Melie in the 18th that swung the match more decisively in Sri Lanka’s favour. One was a bent-kneed square drive through cover point when Melie had hung the ball out wide. One was a sweep she blasted past Jess Kerr at fine leg.
Nuthyangana shines behind the stumps and with bat
Nuthyangana produced both Sri Lanka’s first piece of brilliance in this game, as well as their last. Her low catch to dismiss Isabella Gaze off the bowling of slinger Mithali Amodhya set the tone for a spirited Sri Lanka fielding performance. She would go on to claim two further catches – running hard towards fine leg to get under one high chance, plus an easier take to dismiss Brooke Halliday, though she did instigate the review that overturned the not out decision.
It will be for her batting that she will be remembered in this game, however. She’d had a high score of 19 not out in 10 T20I innings before this, but played a near-flawless finishing hand alongside Silva. Her first two boundaries came through wide long on, but crucially, she also found the singles and twos in between these bigger blows. With two required off three balls, she spanked one through square leg to spark beaming smiles and joyful celebrations in the Sri Lanka dugout.
Devine and Kerr hold NZ together
In the absence of Suzie Bates, Devine and Kerr were easily New Zealand’s most experienced batters, and they hit 45 apiece to keep the New Zealand innings above water. Kerr enjoyed a 49-run stand with Georgia Plimmer, though both batters failed to find frequent boundaries in the powerplay. Devine later led New Zealand through the middle overs, as Sri Lanka’s spinners found breakthroughs, striking at 150.
NZ’s four in four
New Zealand’s best passage in the game came between overs five and nine in Sri Lanka’s innings, in which they claimed four wickets for 10 runs. Offspinner Nensi Patel struck twice through this spell, eventually finishing with New Zealand’s best figures of 2 for 23. Bree Illing took the important wicket of Chamari Athapaththu, who made 27. The other wicket came from an excellent direct hit run out from Melie Kerr.
SCORES:
Sri Lanka Women 153 for 5 in 19.4 overs (Vishmi Guneratne 17, Chamari Athapaththu 27, Kavisha Dilhari 17, Nilakshika Silva 54*, Kaushini Nuthyangana 24*; Bree Illing 1-33, Nensi Patel 2-23) beat New Zealand Women 150 for 6 (Georgia Plimmer 18, Sophie Devine 45, Melie Kerr 45, Maddy Green 18*; Mithali Ayodya 1-24, Sugandika Kumari 1-28, Chamari Athapaththu 1-21, Nimasha Meepage 1-26, Kavisha Dilhari 2-35) by five wickets
[Cricinfo]
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