RAWALPINDI: Usman Kahawaja and David Warner made aggressive half centuries and provided Australia a breezy start of 138-0 at lunch on the third day of the first test against Pakistan.
Pakistan-born Khawaja made full use of two dropped catches and was unbeaten on 70 while Warner was not out on 60 on a placid wicket where Pakistan had declared its first innings at 476-4.
Both left-handers were hardly troubled by the early pace of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah and didn’t let the two specialist spinners -- Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali -- get settled by smashing 23 boundaries in the first session during which Pakistan bowled 32 overs.
Pakistan twice came close to dismissing Khawaja, but Fawad Alam dropped a simple chance at gully in Shaheen Shah Afridi’s fifth over when the opener was on 22. Khawaja added insult to injury by taking three consecutive boundaries against the left-arm fast bowler on either side of the wicket.
Wickekeeper Mohammad Rizwan shelved another chance soon after Khawaja had completed his half century and went for a reverse sweep against left-arm spinner Nauman.
Khawaja raised his fifty off 67 balls with eight fours while Warner raised his fifty off 86 balls with nine boundaries when he smashed offspinner Iftikhar Ahmed for three boundaries in his first over as the wicket hardly gave any assistance to either fast bowlers or spinners.
Pakistan batters Azhar Ali (185) and Imam-ul-Haq (157) had scored big hundreds before Pakistan declared its first innings late on the second day.
Khawaja and Warner lead Australia to rapid 138-0 in 1st test against Pakistan
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Khawaja and Warner lead Australia to rapid 138-0 in 1st test against Pakistan
- Pakistan-born Khawaja made full use of two dropped catches and was unbeaten on 70 while Warner was not out on 60 at lunch
- Pakistan batters Azhar Ali and Imam-ul-Haq had scored big hundreds before Pakistan declared its first innings late on the second day
Record prize of up to $200k for a 9-darter at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters
- Players who complete a perfect leg will receive $100,000, with the chance to double it by hitting the bullseye with a bonus 10th dart
- 8 Professional Darts Corporation stars will take on 8 of Asia’s top players in the tournament on Jan. 19 and 20 at the Global Theater in Boulevard City
RIYADH: Players at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters in Riyadh next week have a chance to win a record-breaking cash prize for a nine-dart finish, with up to $200,000 up for grabs for a perfect leg.
Eight Professional Darts Corporation stars will take on eight of Asia’s leading players at the tournament, which is part of Riyadh Season, on Jan. 19 and 20 at the Global Theater in Boulevard City.
Turki Alalshikh, chairperson of the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, revealed on Thursday that any player who hits a perfect nine-darter during the event will receive a $100,000 bonus, with the chance to double it through the Riyadh Season Bullseye Challenge.
With the leg already won, the player will throw a 10th dart, and if it hits the bullseye the prize will be doubled to $200,000, the biggest amount ever offered by a PDC-sanctioned event for a nine-darter.
Reigning world champion Luke Littler, who will head the line-up in Riyadh, previously hit a nine-darter on the World Series of Darts stage at the Bahrain Masters in 2024.
He will be joined by 2023/24 world champion Luke Humphries, world championship runner-up Gian van Veen, and three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen.
The PDC contingent also includes former world champion Gerwyn Price, world No. 7 Stephen Bunting, former UK Open winner Danny Noppert, and 2023 World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall.
Asia will be represented by Singapore veteran Paul Lim, who in 1990 famously threw the first televised World Darts Championship nine-darter, alongside Filipinos Alexis Toylo, Lourence Ilagan and Paolo Nebrida, Japan’s Motomu Sakai, Ryusei Azemoto and Tomoya Goto, and Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung.
