CHITTAGONG: Graeme Swann completed a maiden 10-wicket match-haul as England ended Bangladesh’s resistance with a 181-run victory in the opening Test on Tuesday.

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Junaid Siddique hit a solid 106 for his maiden Test century and Mushfiqur Rahim an impressive 95 to frustrate the tourists before Bangladesh were bowled out for 331 on the fifth and final day, chasing an improbable 513-run target.

Off-spinner Swann, who took five wickets in the first innings, finished with 5-127 off 49 overs in the second.

England, denied success for more than two sessions by left-handed Siddique and wicket-keeper Rahim, heaved a sigh of relief when Swann removed both batsmen in his opening four overs after lunch.

Swann struck in his first over after the break when he had Siddique caught by Paul Collingwood in the slips before accounting for Rahim, who was bowled after he stepped out to drive the spinner and missed the line.

Rahim, who came in to bat after five wickets fell for 110 before the tea break on Monday, was involved in a 167-run stand for the sixth wicket with Siddique before missing out on his second Test hundred.

Siddique hit 17 fours in his 292-ball knock and Rahim 12 in a 232-ball innings.

Bangladesh’s innings lasted only 10 more overs after the dismissals of Siddique and Rahim, with paceman Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan, and Swann sharing the last three wickets.

Siddique and Rahim kept the England attack at bay in the morning session with their determined knocks, helping their team add 86 to their overnight total of 191-5.

Skipper Alastair Cook took the new ball after 80 overs, but his pacemen Broad, Bresnan and debutant Steven Finn failed to unsettle the Bangladeshi pair.

Siddique, 68 not out on Monday, completed his hundred in style as he drove Finn through the covers for a four to reach 96 and then smashed the same bowler through mid-off for another boundary.

Rahim, who made 79 in the first innings, completed his second successive half-century early in the morning when he drove Finn through the covers for a four.

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Siddique offered a difficult chance on 106 when he attempted to cut Swann, but wicketkeeper Matt Prior failed to hold on to it.

CHITTAGONG : England bagged three wickets in six overs to close in on a big victory in the opening Test against Bangladesh on Monday.

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CHITTAGONG : England bagged three wickets in six overs to close in on a big victory in the opening Test against Bangladesh on Monday.
Paceman Tim Bresnan struck twice in the afternoon session and off-spinner Graeme Swann once as Bangladesh struggled to reach 125-5 in their second innings, chasing an unlikely 513-run target at tea on the penultimate day.
Bangladesh’s highest fourth-innings total is 413, against Sri Lanka in Dhaka in 2008.
Junaid Siddique (38 not out) and Aftab Ahmed (26) steadied the Bangladeshi innings with a 54-run stand for the third wicket before Bresnan grabbed two wickets in his three overs.
The England paceman had Ahmed caught behind then bowled Mohammad Mahmudullah for five runs to reduce the hosts to 105-4.
Swann, who bowled Tamim Iqbal in the morning session, got his second wicket when he removed skipper Shakib Al Hasan, judged leg-before while attempting to sweep. TV replays, however, suggested the ball came off the gloves.
The England spinner has so far captured seven wickets, including five in the first innings.
Tamim, top-scorer in the first innings with 86, contributed only 14 this time before being bowled in Swann’s second over.
Kayes fell in the last over of the morning session, caught by wicket-keeper Matt Prior off paceman Steven Finn after making 23 with four boundaries.
England batted for 50 minutes in the morning, adding 78 runs to their overnight total of 131-5 before declaring their second innings closed at 209-7.
Left-arm spinner Shakib bagged both the wickets, removing Prior (seven) and Swann (32) to finish with 4-62.
Swann hit three fours in his brisk 25-ball knock, while middle-order batsman Ian Bell cracked one six and four boundaries in a 55-ball 39 not out. They put on 65 for the eighth wicket.
Bangladesh were bowled out for 296 in their first innings in reply to England’s mammoth 599-6 declared.

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Pacquiao Vs Clottey Round by Round, Manny Pacquiao vs Joshua Clottey fight is over. The Filipino Pacquiao won over Joshua Clottey! Here is the Pacquiao vs Clottey round by round results.

Manny Pacquiao vs Joshua Clottey fight is over. The Filipino Pacquiao won over Joshua Clottey! Here is the Pacquiao vs Clottey round by round results.
Round 1: Manny Pacquiao 10-9 over Joshua Clottery.
Round 2: Manny Pacquiao 10-9.
Round 3: Manny Pacquiao 10-9
Round 4: Manny Pacquiao 10-9
Round 5: Manny Pacquiao 10-9
Round 6: Manny Pacquiao 10-9
Round 7: Manny Pacquiao 10-9
Round 8: Manny Pacquiao 10-9
Round 9: Manny Pacquiao 10-9
Round 10: Manny Pacquiao 10-9
Round 11: Manny Pacquiao 10-9
Round 12: Manny Pacquiao 10-9
Judges Decision: 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109 Pacquiao wins.

CHITTAGONG: Graeme Swann claimed five wickets as Bangladesh was dismissed at 296 in its first innings Sunday in reply to England’s 599-6 declared, on the third day of the first test.

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CHITTAGONG: Graeme Swann claimed five wickets as Bangladesh was dismissed at 296 in its first innings Sunday in reply to England’s 599-6 declared, on the third day of the first test.
England elected not to enforce the follow-on, keen to rest its bowlers before a likely declaration on Monday. At tea, England was 12-0 in its second innings.
Mushfiqur Rahim scored 79 runs to head the home side’s meager resistance, adding 113 runs for the eighth wicket with Naeem Islam, but the hosts lost their last three wickets in the space of four deliveries.
Resuming on its overnight score of 154-5, Bangladesh looked like making a quick exit when Tamim Iqbal made an early departure, beaten by movement off the seam and bowled by Tim Bresnan. That ended a fine innings of 86 runs.
Nightwatchman Shahadat Hossain was the next to go, as debutant paceman Steven Finn claimed his first test wicket, with Paul Collingwood taking the catch at second slip.
Rahim and Islam came together with the score on 183/7 but dug in for a disciplined partnership that defied England’s bowlers, seeing off almost 10 overs of the new ball before the final collapse came.
Islam (38) was run out attempting a second, beaten by a slick piece of fielding by Michael Carberry. Rahim went next ball as he attempted to smash a Swann delivery through midwicket where substitute fielder James Tredwell took a diving, one-handed catch. Rahim’s 79 came from 152 balls, with 15 fours.
Last man Rubel Hossain negotiated one delivery but was out the next, bowled by Swann.
England is the only test-playing nation to have never lost to Bangladesh in any form of the game.

ISLAMABAD : Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to name all-rounder Shahid Afridi as skipper of national cricket team for Twenty20 World Cup tournament.

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According to the details, the official announcement will be made within one or two days, sources told. Meanwhile, Shahid Afridi on Saturday also met PCB Chairman Ijazz Butt.

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CHITTAGONG : Alastair Cook hammered a career-best 173 to consolidate England’s position in the opening Test against Bangladesh on Saturday.

The England skipper cracked two sixes and 16 fours in his 283-ball knock as the tourists reached an imposing 487-4 in their first innings at lunch on the second day after resuming at 374-3.

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All-rounder Paul Collingwood closed in on his 10th Test century, racing to an unbeaten 86 at the break. Ian Bell was the other not-out batsman on 37.

Cook looked set to complete his maiden Test double-century before falling to off-spinner Mohammad Mahmudullah in the day’s 13th over, offering an easy return catch while attempting to pull a long-hop.

The left-handed opener, leading England for the first time in Tests, could add only 15 to his overnight score of 158. His previous best in Tests was 160 against the West Indies at home last year.

But there was no respite for Bangladesh as Collingwood and Bell continued to gather runs comfortably on an easy-paced pitch. The pair have so far put on 75 for the unfinished fifth wicket.

Collingwood, who was unbeaten on 32 on Friday, smashed the morning’s first six when he hoisted left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan over long-on and then completed his half-century with two runs off Mahmudullah.

Collingwood, who added 93 for the fourth wicket with Cook, has so far hit one six and six fours in his 20th Test half-century.

The second and final Test starts in Dhaka on March 20.

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IPL Opening Ceremony 2010, The IPL 2010 is all set to start in less than 1 hour from now. The honour of hosting the opening ceremony this year has gone to the same venue which hosted the final of the first IPL – the DY Patil Stadium in Nerul (Mumbai). Not too surprising considering the fact that this stadium is today India’ finest cricket venue: in terms of facilities available, no other cricket ground even comes close to the D.Y. Patil Stadium. There is yet another factor which made this venue the obvious choice: millions of viewers will be viewing the live telecast of the opening ceremony on TV, and the lights at the Patil Stadium are technologically advanced making for great viewing pleasure for the TV fans.

The opening ceremony is expected to be grand with big stars such as Lionel Richie having flown in to perform. Along with the international stars you will also see the best of glamour that Bollywood has to provide. All in all, it is going to be one hell of a show. So don’t miss the live telecast on Set Max.

Pakistan has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming World Twenty20 tournament to be played in the West Indies.

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Chief selector Mohsin Khan announced the squad at National Stadium Karachi and informed that naming a captain “is the domain of the PCB chairman (Ijaz Butt)” who will name the skipper later.

Squad
1 Abdul Razzak, 2 Saeed Ajmal, 3 Muhammad Hafeez, 4 Shahid Afridi, 5 Kamran Akmal, 6 Omer Akmal, 7 Umer Gul, 8 Misbah-ul-Haq, 9 Muhammad Asif, 10 Khalid Latif, 11 Salman Butt, 12 Hammad Azam, 13 Fawad Alam, 14 Muhammad Amir and 15 Yasir Arafat.

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