BRISBANE: After a tense and lengthy innings that was shaping as one of the greatest chases in Test cricket, Pakistan's bold bid to beat Australia in the series-opening day-night Test was wrapped up in five balls on Monday.
Asad Shafiq marshalled the Pakistan tail-enders from 173-5 to 449-8 in pursuit of the improbable target of 490, scoring 137 from 207 balls before he was caught at gully, fending off a Mitchell Starc short ball. Four balls and one run later, skipper Steve Smith threw down the stumps from second slip to run out Yasir Shah for 33. That ensured Smith's young lineup held off Pakistan by 39 runs, maintained Australia's unbeaten run at the Gabba since 1988 and avoided the embarrassment of losing the unlosable.
After frustrating Australia on an extended, rain-interrupted fourth day, Pakistan started day five needing 108 to win while Australia needed two wickets. Fewer than 1,000 people were in the crowd when play started under overcast skies, including a small but vocal group of expats cheering every run and chanting "Pakistan Zindabad" — or long live Pakistan.
Shafiq and Shah kept the pressure on Australia in a 71-run partnership that went close to giving Pakistan an unlikely world-record victory.
After Shafiq's departure, the responsibility moved to Shah, who earlier had an lbw decision overturned on review. He dug out a yorker from Starc, steering it toward the slips, but moved out of his crease and Smith swooped. The Australian captain had dropped two catches at second slip, including Shafiq on 72, and admitted he was relieved he got to end the game.
New Zealand's 451 chasing 550 against England in Christchurch in 2002 remains the record for the highest fourth innings total to lose a Test, but this was a closer call.
"The pleasing thing for me, first of all, is we got across the line and won the game," Smith said. "I'm very pleased with that. But I guess last night, sort of showed we're still not the finished product. We've got to continue to work hard, and keep the foot on the throat when we've got them in that position. We've got to be a little more ruthless and get the job done."
Smith praised Pakistan's pluck, with Azhar Ali (71) and Younis Khan (65) contributing at the top of the order before Shafiq took charge to ensure no repeat of the collapse in the first innings, when the visitors lost 7-24 and were all out for 142 in reply to Australia's 429.
"Things got a little bit close for my liking," said Smith, admitting he was nervous when Pakistan got within 60. "It was an amazing game of cricket. Credit to Pakistan, they scored 450 in the last innings of a pink ball Test match — no doubt pink ball test cricket is here to stay."
Australia ended a five-Test losing streak last month with a win over South Africa in a day-night Test in Adelaide, narrowing the losing margin to 2-1 in that series. Smith then led Australia to a 3-0 sweep of New Zealand in a limited-overs series, before the opening Test against Pakistan — the first-ever day-night Test at the Gabba. Pakistan won the second ever day-night Test — beating the West Indies in the United Arab Emirates in October — but the conditions were vastly different with more swing in humid, subtropical Brisbane.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq praised his batsmen, particularly Shafiq, who equaled his highest Test score with his 10th century.
"It set the tone for the series. I can't explain how happy I am for all the guys, especially Asad," Misbah said. "That is one of the classiest innings I have seen. In the context of the game, the way he handled the pressure playing with (the) tail, he made a match out of nothing."
Pakistan has lost 10 consecutive Tests in Australia since 1995 and has never won a Test at the Gabba, where Australia is unbeaten since 1988, but Misbah said they'd travel to Melbourne full of confidence ahead of the second Test starting Dec. 26.
Run out ends thriller, Australia beats Pakistan by 39 runs
Run out ends thriller, Australia beats Pakistan by 39 runs
Al-Hilal crowned Roshn Saudi League champions after Al-Hazem rout
- The 4-1 win at Kingdom Arena means the Riyadh giants have now extended their Saudi Pro League record to 19 championships
RIYADH: Al-Hilal wrapped up the Roshn Saudi League title with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Al-Hazem on Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
The victory means that Al-Hilal have now extended their Saudi Pro League record to 19 championships.
Al-Nassr’s 3-2 win over Al-Okhdood on Thursday had delayed Al-Hilal’s coronation for two days at least, but Jorge Jesus and his men knew a win or draw against Al-Hazem would be enough to clinch the title.
Serbian forward Aleksandar Mitrovic, one of the signings of the season, got the party underway with a penalty after 15 minutes but, with nine minutes of the first half left, an unscripted moment saw Faiz Selemani score with a fine left-foot strike after being put through on goal.
Al-Hazem’s joy did not last long however, with Ahmed Al-Juwaid gifting Al-Hilal the lead five minutes later with a bizarre own goal that sailed over goalkeeper Zaid Al-Malki’s head.
The home team scented blood and proceeded to put the result, and the title race, to bed with two goals in first-half added time.
Mitrovic side-footed home from countryman Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s cross from the left in the 48th minute of the half, and the assister turned goalscorer three minutes later to give Al-Hilal a 4-1 lead at the break.
With Al-Hilal fans already in celebratory mood and the title all but confirmed by the break, the second period inevitably saw the home team take their foot off the pedal.
VAR ruled out what would have been Al-Hazem’s second goal in added time and moments later the final whistle went to confirm the championship for Al-Hilal.
Their fans could finally celebrate a title win that had been on the cards for several weeks.
Chinese duo Wang Chuqin, Chen Meng take men’s, women’s singles titles at Saudi Smash
- Wang claims triple crown with success on 24th birthday
JEDDAH: World No. 1 Wang Chuqin and No. 4 seed Chen Meng from China were crowned the winners of the men’s and women’s singles respectively at the 2024 World Tour Saudi Smash table tennis event in Jeddah on Saturday.
Chen took home the women’s crown with a 4-2 win over big-time rival Sun Yingsha in an epic final (6-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8).
Speaking on the stage after the match, Chen told her fans: “I’m very excited, very happy and still find it unbelievable as it exceeded my expectations. Throughout my Saudi Smash journey, each match was a big hurdle.
“I gave my best to make it here and ultimately won the finals. Facing the match against ‘Shasha,’ I hoped that luck would be on my side to clinch the title.
“Despite a few times reaching the finals, I haven’t claimed a title since Singapore Smash 2022. It’s far from easy to turn an opportunity into a victory. I’m really happy.”
Thanks to her victory, Chen also leaves Jeddah with 2,000 International Table Tennis Federation World Ranking points, enough to secure her return to World No. 2.
Meanwhile, in the men’s competition, World Champion Wang proved that he is still the dominant leader, pulling off an impressive victory over the World No. 10 Patrick Franziska from Germany, winning 4-2 (11-2, 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 10-12 and 11-6) in a thrilling final.
Having already taken the mixed doubles title with Sun Yingsha and the men’s doubles with Ma Long, the men’s singles trophy added the final feather in Wang’s cap in Jeddah as he achieved the Saudi Smash triple crown.
With the win also falling on his 24th birthday, the title provided a perfect celebration.
He said: “I could have taken all three titles in the last Grand Smash; unfortunately, I didn’t. Thanks to the birthday blessings, I’m able to win three titles this time, which I’m happy about.
“It seems like some of these trophies were easier than others to get, but in reality the entire Saudi Smash journey has been long and tough for me, which is also the biggest gain.”
Japan defeat Pakistan in dramatic shootout to win 2024 Azlan Shah Hockey Cup final
- Japan seized an early lead with a field goal in the 12th minute, igniting a fierce contest that ended in a 2-2 draw
- The electrifying shootout phase led to Japan’s convincing 4-1 victory, helping the team clinch the Azlan Shah cup
ISLAMABAD: In a dramatic conclusion to the 2024 Azlan Shah Hockey Cup on Saturday, Japan defeated Pakistan in a penalty shootout after a tense 2-2 draw, dashing the Pakistan team’s hopes that had reached the tournament final for the first time since 2011 following a series of stellar performances.
Six teams participated in the event, including the tournament Malaysia, Pakistan, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand and Canada. Pakistan won the Azlan Shah Cup title three times in the past and was the second runners-up in the last edition which was also held in Malaysia two years ago.
Prior to facing Japan the second time in the tournament, Pakistan played against New Zealand on Friday in a match that ended in a tie.
“Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for,” the Pakistan Hockey Federation exclaimed in a social media post prior to the match. “The FINAL showdown of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is here, and our beloved Green Shirts are ready to take on Japan ... Let’s rally behind our team with all our support and cheers as they aim for glory on the field!”
In a riveting showdown, Japan seized an early lead with a field goal in the 12th minute, igniting a fierce contest that saw both teams neck and neck until the final whistle.
As regular time expired with the score deadlocked, the match escalated into an electrifying shootout phase.
When the dust settled, however, Japan had triumphed with a convincing 4-1 victory, clinching the cup and retaining their top position on the leaderboard where they already stood tall with 13 points right ahead of the final.
Pakistan, despite a valiant effort, were on the second place with two draws.
Harry Kewell’s Yokohama edge Hernan Crespo’s Al Ain in Asian Champions League final first leg
- Yokohama made a bright start in front of almost 55,000 home fans
- The second leg will be played in the UAE in a fortnight’s time
YOKOHAMA: Harry Kewell’s Yokohama F-Marinos fought back to claim a narrow Asian Champions League final advantage over Hernan Crespo’s Al Ain on Saturday with a 2-1 first-leg win in Japan.
Mohammed Abbas scored in the 12th minute for United Arab Emirates side Al Ain but Yokohama’s Asahi Uenaka levelled midway through the second half before substitute Kota Watanabe grabbed the winner six minutes from time.
The second leg will be played in the UAE in a fortnight’s time.
Kewell and Crespo were meeting as coaches almost 20 years after facing each other as players in the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul.
Crespo was part of the AC Milan side that took a 3-0 half-time lead before Kewell’s Liverpool famously came back to draw 3-3 and then win on penalties.
Kewell has led Yokohama to their first Champions League final only four months after taking over at the Japanese club.
Al Ain are the UAE’s most successful club and they are playing in the final for the fourth time, having won it in 2002 and reached the decider in 2005 and 2016.
Yokohama made a bright start in front of almost 55,000 home fans and Elber and Yan Matheus both had attempts at goal within the first five minutes.
But Al Ain threw a spanner in the works with the opening goal just over five minutes later when Abbas stuffed home the rebound after goalkeeper William Popp had denied Soufiane Rahimi.
The UAE side thought they had scored a second in the 30th minute when Matias Palacios fired the ball between Popp’s legs, only for a VAR check to rule it out for offside.
Yokohama had several chances to get back on level terms and Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa had to tip a Takuya Kida shot onto the crossbar with one of them.
Nam Tae-hee then missed a gilt-edged opportunity in first-half injury time with the goal at his mercy.
Yokohama were much scrappier in the second half but they got their equalizer when Matheus’s cross picked out Uenaka to head home in the 72nd minute.
Yokohama substitute Watanabe put the ball in the net again in the 84th minute only to be flagged for offside.
But the goal was allowed to stand after a VAR check, giving Yokohama a precious lead to take into the second leg.
amk/tym
Saudi’s Abdullah Al-Qahtani, Hattan Alsaif shine at inaugural PFL MENA card in Riyadh
- Al-Qahtani heads to featherweight semifinals after stopping Yazeed Hasanain
- Ali Taleb dominates Nawras Abzakh to advance to bantamweight semifinals
RIYADH: The Professional Fighters League began its historic inaugural season of PFL MENA (Middle East and North Africa) at The Green Halls in Riyadh on Friday, with athletes in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions taking center stage and securing their spots in the playoffs.
In the main event, Abdullah Al-Qahtani put on a show for his hometown fans as he impressed against Yazeed Hasanain of Jordan en route to a verbal submission win, earning himself a spot in the PFL MENA featherweight semifinals.
In the co-main event, Iraq’s Ali Taleb was a force from start to finish as he dominated Jordanian Nawras Abzakh to earn a unanimous decision win and a spot in the bantamweight semifinals. Taleb improves to 11-1 in his career.
Morocco’s Rachid El Hazoume showed off his submission skills and forced countryman Xavier Alaoui to tap out to a rear-naked choke submission in the second round. As a result, El Hazoume advanced to the bantamweight semifinals and moved to 14-3 in his career.
Islam Reda of Egypt turned in a strong performance as he defeated Morocco’s Adam Meskini by a unanimous decision to advance to the PFL MENA featherweight semifinals. The win marked Reda’s fifth straight, and it improved his career record to 11-1.
Jordan’s Jalal Al Daaja punched his ticket to the PFL MENA playoffs after edging out Sudan’s Tariq Ismail by majority draw in their bantamweight matchup. The victory pushed Al Daaja’s career record to 12-7.
Algeria’s Elias Boudegzdame was the first fighter in the bantamweight division to advance to the PFL MENA playoffs after scoring a slick second-round guillotine submission win over Egypt’s Hassan Mandour. With the win, Boudegzdame improved to 19-8 in his MMA career.
Saudi Arabia’s own Hattan Alsaif turned in a spectacular MMA debut, knocking out Egypt’s Nada Faheem with a head kick in the second round of their women’s flyweight amateur showcase bout. Alsaif has made history by becoming the first female from Saudi Arabia to sign a contract with a major MMA promotion.
Featherweight division action saw Morocco’s Maraoune Bellagouit land a powerful left hook in the third round to knock out Egypt’s Mido Mohamed and move on to the semifinals. Bellagouit remains undefeated and moves to 5-0 in his career.
In the first featherweight bout of the PFL MENA season, Jordan’s Abdelrahman Alhyasat outworked Ahmed Tarek of Egypt to win by a unanimous decision and advance to the semifinals. Alhyasat improved to 4-0 in his professional career.
Kicking off the action, Saudi Arabia’s own Malik Basahel put on a dominant performance, defeating India’s Harsh Pandya by a unanimous decision in a flyweight amateur showcase bout.
COMPLETE PFL MENA: RIYADH RESULTS
Featherweight bout:
Abdullah Al-Qahtani def. Yazeed Hasanain by verbal submission (punches) at 4:59 of round 2.
Bantamweight bout:
Ali Taleb def. Nawras Abzakh by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
Bantamweight bout:
Rachid El Hazoume def. Xavier Alaoui by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:55 of round 2.
Featherweight bout:
Islam Reda def. Adam Meskini by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).
Bantamweight bout:
Jalal Al Daaja def. Tariq Ismail by majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28).
Bantamweight bout:
Elias Boudegzdame def. Hassan Mandour by submission (guillotine choke) at 0:53 of round 2.
Women’s atomweight bout, amateur:
Hattan Alsaif def. Nada Faheem by KO (head kick) at 0:41 of round 2.
Featherweight bout:
Maraoune Bellagouit def. Mido Mohamed by TKO (punch) at 4:12 of round 3.
Featherweight bout:
Abdelrahman Alhyasat def. Ahmed Tarek by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-27).
Flyweight bout, amateur:
Malik Basahel def. Harsh Pandya by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28).
