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A sparkling century by Shai Hope, ably supported by Justin Greaves, had the West Indies 212-4 at stumps on Friday and clinging to the remote chance they can save the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch.

Hope was 116 not out and Greaves 55, with the pair putting on 140 for the fifth wicket after the West Indies were in dire straits at 72-4.

New Zealand need six more wickets with the new ball six overs away while the West Indies, set a mammoth 531-run target, need a further 319 runs.

The tourists’ cause was helped by injuries to New Zealand’s pace ranks, which have forced captain Tom Latham to be creative with how he manages his bowlers.

A side strain sidelined seamer Nathan Smith for the remainder of the Test, and lead bowler Matt Henry was restricted to 11 overs because of a hamstring issue.

That brought off-spinner Michael Bracewell and part-timer Rachin Ravindra into the attack earlier and longer than expected.

New Zealand bowling coach Jacob Oram said the result could depend on how they use their two fit pace bowlers — Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes — with the new ball.

But New Zealand’s injuries take nothing away from the stubborn performance of Hope, who is enjoying a purple patch despite battling an eye infection, with 56 in the first innings and coming to New Zealand off a century against India.

Hope played briskly with 15 fours and one six and the delight was evident when he raised his bat after driving Ravindra to the covers for a single to bring up his century.

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Greaves played his support role admirably, offering two faint edges, but both fell well short of the slip cordon.

After the West Indies went to lunch at 11-0, New Zealand dominated the second session with four wickets.

Duffy removed John Campbell for 15 in the second over after lunch with a seaming delivery that clipped the edge of the bat, and Bracewell held the catch diving in front of first slip.

At the start of his next over, Duffy had Tagenarine Chanderpaul caught behind for six.

Right-arm spinner Bracewell picked up an easy wicket when he accounted for Alick Athanaze (five).

A gentle long-hop, which should have been dispatched to the boundary, went instead to Foulkes at mid-on.

Henry made a brief return to the attack to remove captain Roston Chase for four.

New Zealand resumed the day at 417-4 and added 49 runs in an hour before Kemar Roach ended the innings, taking a return catch from Duffy (10).

Roach also took the wickets of Bracewell and Henry to finish with 5-78.

The New Zealand innings closed with 466-8 with the injured Tom Blundell (hamstring) and Smith unable to bat and in doubt for the second Test, which starts in Wellington next Wednesday.

READ: WATCH: Hayden delighted as Root ends century jinx in Australia

SHARJAH: West Indies ace spinner Sunil Narine entered the T20 record books by becoming the third bowler to take 600 wickets in the format during the International League T20 (ILT20) second fixture here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

The mystery spinner achieved the milestone while leading the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders’ opening match against the Sharjah Warriorz on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old removed Tom Abell to take his 600th wicket, after ending his Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on 599 wickets in September.

Sunil Narine has taken 558 innings to reach the feat, the most among the two others. Overall, he bowled an economical spell, giving away only 22 runs in his quota of four overs.

With this, Narine entered an elite list with Rashid Khan and his compatriot Dwayne Bravo, who have more than 600 wickets to their name in T20 cricket.

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Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid Khan tops the chart with 681 wickets to his name, followed by Bravo, whose wicket tally is 631.

Most wickets in T20 cricket

681 – Rashid Khan (495 innings)
631 – Dwayne Bravo (546 innings)
600 – Sunil Narine (558 innings)
570 – Imran Tahir (429 innings)
504 – Shakib Al Hasan (453 innings)

With Rashid joining MI Emirates as a replacement player, the Afghan leg-spinner now has a strong chance to move closer to the 700-wicket milestone, competing in both the ILT20 and SA20 tournaments back-to-back.

Nonetheless, the match began poorly for Warriorz, as their decision to bowl first backfired when Abu Dhabi Knight Riders posted a massive 233-run total.

Liam Livingstone and Sherfane Rutherford delivered explosive innings, with Livingstone blasting 33 runs off a single Dwayne Pretorius over, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Although Tim David, supported by Pretorius and Rashid, showed late resistance, Warriorz ultimately fell short, with the Knight Riders securing an impressive 39-run victory to open their campaign.

READ: WATCH: Hayden delighted as Root ends century jinx in Australia

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday as he expressed gratitude to England’s Joe Root, who finally ended his century jinx in Australia during the second Ashes Test at the Gabba.

Earlier in the day, England’s premier batter Joe Root finally ended his long wait for a Test century on Australian soil with a fighting hundred on day one of the second Ashes Test at The Gabba.

Coming into the contest under heavy scrutiny after twin failures in Perth, where England were bundled out inside two days, the former captain delivered a statement knock under pressure.

The 34-year-old remained unbeaten at the end of the day’s play with 135 runs scored from 202 balls.

Joe Root, who is also the second-highest run-scorer in Test history, had failed to hit a century on his previous Ashes tours.

 

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The ace batter had 892 runs to his name at an average of 35.68 with the help of 10 fifties and no centuries in 29 innings played.

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For this reason, before the commencement of the Ashes 2025, former Australian cricketers have made bold statements, including Hayden, who had made the most audacious claim.

“I will walk n*de around the MCG if he doesn’t make a hundred this summer,” said Hayden during the All Over Bar The Cricket YouTube podcast.

After Root’s century, Hayden issued a video statement praising the batter, and took a sigh of relief.

“Good day, Joe. Congratulations, mate, on the hundred here in Australia. Took you a while, and there was no one that had more skin in the game than me, literally,” said Hayden.

“I was backing you in for the hundred in a good way. So mate, congratulations 10, fifties and finally a 100. You little ripper, mate. Have a beauty and bloody enjoy it,” he added.

READ: QEAT Final: Arshad hits ton to set Sialkot massive target

Virgil van Dijk says Mohamed Salah omission from Liverpool’s team for a second successive match shows no player at the club has “unlimited credit”.

The Egypt international was an unused substitute for Sunday’s win at West Ham and was on the bench for the 1-1 draw at home to Sunderland on Wednesday.

Virgil van Dijk opens up on Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool omission

It was the first time in his Anfield career that he had not started in back-to-back league matches.

The forward was brought on for the second half against Sunderland but struggled to make an impact and is now goalless in five matches.

Salah has scored just four Premier League goals for the struggling defending champions this season, in stark contrast to his haul of 29 last season.

Liverpool captain Van Dijk was asked after the Sunderland draw whether Salah’s omission had sent a message to the dressing room.

“That’s always been the case,” he said. “It’s not like you have unlimited credit; everyone has to perform.

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“Mo has been doing that but the manager made that decision in the last two games. We all want the best for the club.

“I am pretty sure Mo will still be a big part of what we are trying to achieve because he is an amazing player and he has shown it consistently.”

Van Dijk praised playmaker Florian Wirtz, whose shot deflected in off Sunderland defender Nordi Mukiele for a late Liverpool equaliser that left them eighth in the table.

The German, who joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window for £116 million ($155 million), is showing encouraging signs after a tough start to life at Anfield.

“There’s a very good reason why a club like us bought him,” said Van Dijk. “He’s an outstanding, world-class player, in my eyes, who can only become even better, but it will take a bit of time.

“For him he has to stay level-headed. Don’t get dragged into the outside world of when it’s very good or very bad, and don’t get dragged into the numbers game.

“Nowadays there are a lot of eyes on you if you score goals or have an assist or keep clean sheets, but it is also about what you see and the contribution you have for the team.”

READ: National Games: Pakistan Army defeat WAPDA in Netball opener

KARACHI: Pakistan Army edged Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) 27-21 in the inaugural Netball fixture of the 35th National Games here at the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Coaching Centre on Thursday.

Secretary General of the Pakistan Olympic Association, Khalid Mahmood Chaudhary, was the chief guest and inaugurated the 4-day Netball event.

Chairman of the Pakistan Netball Federation, Capt. Zafar Iqbal Awan (Rtd), Secretary General, Muhammad Riaz, Secretary, Sindh Sports Department, and Muhammad Saeed Arian also attended the event.

Chairman of the Pakistan Karate Federation, Muhammad Jehangir, Senior Vice President of the Sindh Tennis Federation, Khalid Rehmani, and a large number of people were also present on the occasion.

 

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In the men’s category, Pakistan Army defeated Pakistan Wapda by 27-21 goals, whereas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) defeated Sindh by 23-19 goals.

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Pakistan Navy also secured a victory against Balochistan by 32-8 goals, while Pakistan Police beat Punjab by 28-12 goals.

In the Women’s event, Pakistan Wapda outplayed Pakistan Army by 15-10 goals.

Both men’s and women’s semi-final competitions will be played on December 6, while position matches, 3rd-position matches, and finals will be played on December 7.

For the unversed, the 35th National Games Karachi are currently underway in the metropolitan city, featuring a range of multi-sport events from 6 to 13 December 2025.

The event will bring together athletes from across the country in a sweeping programme that spans endurance sports, combat disciplines, precision events, and crowd-favourite team competitions.

The event features Olympic mainstays such as athletics, swimming, gymnastics, and fencing. Moreover, Kabbadi, tug of war, netball, and boxing games are also part of the competitions.

It is pertinent to mention that the National Games, first held in 1948, stand among Pakistan’s most prominent multi-sport events and frequently serve as a pathway to international selection.

READ: Wasim Akram reacts to ‘Super Starc’s’ record breaking feat

LAHORE: Haroon Arshad’s second century of the season helped Karachi Blues gain a substantial lead in the second innings and set up a mammoth target against Sialkot in the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) 2025-26 here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

Sialkot closed the day four at 12 for no loss in pursuit of a 533-run target, with openers Azan Awais and Mohammad Hurraira remaining unbeaten on seven and five runs respectively.

Earlier, Karachi Blues were bowled out after piling a massive 458-run total on the board. They added 256 runs to their overnight score of 202-1, thanks to youngster Haroon Arshad’s sublime century.

Sialkot started the day on a positive note as Mohammad Hasnain removed the century maker Abdullah Fazal, who made 114 off 219 balls with the help of 13 fours.

However, seasoned batter Shan Masood paired up with Haroon in the middle, and the duo forged an 84-run stand for the third wicket.

Sialkot’s skipper Usama Mir returned figures of 5 for 98 as the defending champions were kept in the field for almost two days.

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Mohammad Hasnain sent down 34 overs, taking 3-91, while off-spinner Hamza Nazar and Hasan Ali dismissed one batter each.

Shan – who registered his 59th first-class half-century – collected 76 runs off 107 balls, comprising nine fours.

The left-hander also went past the 13,000 first-class runs landmark in his 194th game in the format and 335th innings.

Haroon (116, 236b, 9x4s) brought up his second first-class century off 219 balls before Hamza removed him with a fine delivery that turned to hit the stumps going between his bat and pad in the 92nd over.

21 balls later, Usama bagged his first of five scalps, getting Saud Shakeel caught at slip as Karachi Blues lost seven wickets for 131 runs.

No.6 batter Usman Khan sped up Karachi’s pursuit for an insurmountable target as he contributed 47 off 57 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes, stitching 78 runs with Shan.

Rameez Aziz (30, 65b, 2x4s, 1×6) was the last wicket to fall after he accompanied the tail for 26, 13, and 13-run stands.

READ: Wasim Akram reacts to ‘Super Starc’s’ record breaking feat

Joe Root finally scored his maiden Test century in Australia on his fourth Ashes tour to guide England from a precarious 5-2 to 325-9 at stumps after a pulsating first day of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane on Thursday.

Mitchell Starc became the most successful left-arm fast bowler in history as he claimed 6-71, but the opening sessions of the day-night contest were dominated by Root, who scored a masterful 135 not out.

Number 11 Jofra Archer thrilled the travelling army of fans as he smashed a career-best unbeaten 32 off 26 balls with two sixes to provide some late fireworks.

His unbroken 10th-wicket partnership of 61 with Root was a record for England at the Gabba.

The world’s top-ranked batter, Root, had failed to reach triple figures on three previous Ashes tours.

But the man who is second on the all-time run-scoring list behind only Sachin Tendulkar silenced the critics who said he couldn’t be considered a true batting great until he had made a century in Australia.

Coming to the crease in the third over at 5-2 with Starc swinging the new pink ball, he embarked on an epic knock, bringing up his century with a leg glance to the fine leg boundary off Scott Boland.

Starc’s six wickets moved him to 418 in Tests, surpassing Pakistan great Wasim Akram’s 414 as the most prolific left-arm paceman in Test history.

“Wasim’s still the pinnacle, I think he’s still better than me,” said Starc.

Starc again was the destroyer at the top of the order, removing Ben Duckett in his first over and Ollie Pope in his second to reduce a shell-shocked England to 5-2.

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But unlike in the first Test defeat in Perth, England showed some grit with the partnership between Root and Crawley moving the score onto 122.

Australia, who won the opening Test inside two days, went into this match without regular skipper Pat Cummins.

He had been rumoured to be making an early return from a back injury, but instead the hosts sprung a major surprise by leaving out off-spinner Nathan Lyon for seamer Michael Neser.

It was the first time in almost 14 years that Australia played a Test at home without a frontline spinner.

Duckett was first to go on the last ball of Starc’s first over, nicking a full ball to Marnus Labuschagne at first slip for a golden duck.

Pope then chopped on a wide delivery he could have left alone to leave England wobbling.

Crawley and Root survived an examination from the Australian attack and began to take advantage as the wicket flattened.

Root shared important partnerships with Harry Brook (31), Ben Stokes (19) and Will Jacks (19) as England played more conservatively than they had in the first Test.

Root brought up his half-century off 83 balls, shortly after England had reached 150.

Starc was the only Australian bowler who looked threatening, but Boland did produce the ball of the day — bowling Jamie Smith for a duck with a beautiful delivery which cut back from outside off stump.

England had slipped from 210-4 to 211-6 before off-spinner Jacks justified his inclusion to bolster the batting with some positive stroke play before an expansive drive to Starc brought his downfall.

England were 251-7, which quickly became 264-9 as Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse came and went to a rampant Starc under the lights.

Just when it looked like England would fold, Archer and Root went on the attack.

Pace bowler Archer hit two towering sixes, and Root joined the fun with a reverse scoop off Boland that cleared the ropes at third man.

READ: Joe Root ends Australian century wait in second Ashes Test

Legendary cricketer and one of the all-time great fast bowlers Wasim Akram has lavished praise on Australia quick Mitchell Starc for surpassing his wicket tally in the longest format of the game during the pink-ball Ashes Test.

Akram, 59, took to his social media account to mention the pacer’s hard work, which helped him reach the top level.

“Super Starc! Proud of you, mate. Your incredible hard work sets you apart, and it was only a matter of time before you crossed my tally of wickets. I am pleased to give this to you! Go well, and keep soaring to new heights in your stellar career,” Akram wrote on X

Earlier in the day, the tall Australian quick became the highest wicket-taker among left-arm pacers in Test cricket, leaving behind the legendary Pakistani pacer.

He crossed the landmark by dismissing Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook in a devastating opening spell of the day-night Test, taking his tally to 415 wickets in just 102 matches.

Akram had previously held the record with 414 wickets from 104 Tests.

Most Wickets in Test cricket by Left-Arm Pacers:

Player	Team	Matches	Wickets
Mitchell Starc	Australia	102	418*
Wasim Akram	Pakistan	104	414
Chaminda Vaas	Sri Lanka	111	355
Trent Boult	New Zealand	78	317
Mitchell Johnson	Australia	73	313

Moreover, Starc also strengthened his remarkable dominance in pink-ball cricket.

He now has 87 wickets in day-night Tests, the most by any bowler globally, and has become the first player in Test history to claim more than 20 wickets against a single opponent in pink-ball matches.

Nonetheless, Mitchell Starc picked up another five-wicket haul and ended the day’s play with six wickets to his name. Meanwhile, England managed to add a crucial number of runs on the last wicket and finished the opening day with 325-9.

Joe Root remained unbeaten at 135 from 202 balls, whereas Jofra Archer hit a quickfire 32 from 26 balls.

READ: Joe Root ends Australian century wait in second Ashes Test

BRISBANE: England’s premier batter Joe Root finally ended his long wait for a Test century on Australian soil with a fighting hundred on day one of the second Ashes Test at The Gabba on Thursday.

Coming into the contest under heavy scrutiny after twin failures in Perth, where England were bundled out inside two days, the former captain delivered a statement knock under pressure.

He walked in with his side in early trouble at 5-2 after a hostile opening burst from Mitchell Starc and immediately shifted the momentum with a composed, authoritative display.

Root rebuilt the innings with a crucial 117-run stand alongside opener Zak Crawley, who contributed 76, before continuing the fight almost single-handedly as wickets fell regularly at the other end.

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The milestone moment arrived when Joe Root drove Scott Boland to the rope to bring up his 40th Test century, his first in Australia.

With that effort, the right-hander became only the fourth batter in history to reach the 40-century mark, joining an elite club featuring Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar.

He has now scored Test centuries in eight of the ten countries he has played in.

However, despite his brilliance, England’s lower order crumbled soon after the hundred, with two quick strikes leaving the centurion still standing in a lone battle.

As of this writing, England have scored 292-9, with Root (117) and Jofra Archer (17) at the crease.

READ: Mark Wood provides update on his availability for third Ashes Test

England pacer Mark Wood has cast serious doubt over his participation in the third Ashes Test, admitting that the physical demands of sustained high-speed bowling are becoming increasingly difficult for him to manage.

The 35-year-old returned to Test cricket in the series opener at Perth after a 15-month absence following left knee surgery that cut short his Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year.

While the comeback marked a significant milestone, the fast bowler endured a frustrating outing, bowling 11 wicketless overs before experiencing renewed knee discomfort.

Since arriving in Brisbane, Wood has been wearing a knee brace and confirmed that ongoing pain has complicated his recovery process.

Speaking during the tea interval on day two of the second Test at the Gabba, the right-armer indicated that the upcoming Adelaide Test, scheduled to begin on December 17, may come too soon.

“I think there’s a chance there, but more realistically, it’s probably more Melbourne and then [Sydney] after that… I need to get out of this [brace] first to get moving around,” Wood said.

He also revealed that he has been relying on painkilling injections since the opening Test and acknowledged that age has started to influence how well his body recovers from the rigours of international cricket.

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“Throughout my career, I’ve tried to show resilience and keep coming back and keep trying to push it where I can bowl faster and faster, but I’m getting older now,” he added.

“I don’t know if my body’s coping as well as it used to, but I’ll keep trying. That’s something I pride myself on—to keep running in for the team and be a good team man. I’m hoping I can get this right and charge in again.”

Despite the setbacks, Mark Wood stressed that his competitive drive remains intact.

According to the pace bowler, the mental battle of rehabilitation has been tougher than the physical aspect, as he works through a slow, step-by-step return to full fitness.

“I’m trying to just get through day-to-day at the moment. Later in the series is what I’m aiming for, but I can’t do that much at the moment,” he added.

“I’ve had a couple of injections, resting up, and slowly but surely, running will start soon, then back into bowling.

“It’s more mentally difficult than physically. You’ve got to try and build it back up and come back again, and that’s probably the more difficult thing.”

READ: Mitchell Starc breaks Wasim Akram’s Test record