Cricket: Openers humiliate West Indies attack
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Your support makes all the difference.West Indies suffered a blow to morale in Tasmania yesterday when two Australian Test hopefuls savaged their pace attack in the final warm- up match before the first Test in Brisbane next Friday.
After Stuart Law, the Australia XI captain, won the toss and decided to bat following an early rain delay his openers, Matthew Elliott and Matthew Hayden, hit unbeaten centuries as an Australian XI amassed a daunting 316 without loss on the opening day of a four-day match at Hobart's Bellerive Oval. At the close, Elliott was on 153 with Hayden 10 behind on 143.
Missing the services Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Kenneth Benjamin, the West Indies' weakened fast bowling attack failed to impress.
Hayden was dropped twice before bringing up his century, first on 15 by Sherwin Campbell at point and then on 84 by Robert Samuels at square leg, both times from the bowling of the paceman Nixon McLean, who is making his first tour with West Indies.
The pair had reached 199 by tea and were merciless in the final session, lifting their scoring tempo to add another 117.
The luckless McLean finished with 0-80 runs from 20 overs, while Ian Bishop was the most economical, conceding 52 from his 18 overs.
The partnership between Elliott and Hayden was the highest opening stand in a first-class match in Hobart.
Wasim Akram took 3 for 20 from eight overs and rallied Pakistan to a 41-run victory over New Zealand in yesterday's Singer Champions Trophy final in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
His bowling enabled Pakistan to dismiss the Kiwis for 119 in 36.5 overs after his side had reached a total of 160 in 48.5 overs.
New Zealand appeared headed for victory as their opener Mark Greatbatch made a forceful 52 off 80 balls. Greatbatch's first half-century in the three-nation event included seven boundaries, but when his careless sweep shot was caught by Ijaz Ahmed off Mushtaq Ahmed with the score at 98 for four, the New Zealand innings crumbled.
"We knew that we were around 30 runs short for a winning total," Wasim said, "but we had a team meeting at the lunch break and inwhich we said never lose hope."
Saqlain Mushtaq, Shahid Afridi and Mushtaq Ahmed each took two wickets apiece while Salim Malik led the batsmen with a modest 40.
TOUR MATCH (Hobart, Tasmania; first day of four): Australia XI 316 for 0 (M T G Elliott 153no, M L Hayden 143no) v West Indies.
SINGER CHAMPIONS TROPHY Final (Sharjah, United Arab Emirates): Pakistan 160 (48.5 overs) New Zealand 119 (36.5 overs). Pakistan won by 41 runs.
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