Nuwan toys with Pakistan!!!

Seamer Nuwan Kulasekera took a career-best 4-21 as Sri Lanka took early charge of the second cricket Test after bowling Pakistan out for a paltry 90 on Sunday.

The tourists, electing to bat on a wicket that provided early assistance to the seamers, slumped to their lowest total against Sri Lanka after being reduced to 19-4 by the seventh over of the match.

Sri Lanka ended the opening day at 164-3 in reply, leaving them well-placed to build on the 50-run win in the first Test at Galle last week that gave them the lead in the three-match series.

Skipper Kumar Sangakkara led the way with an unbeaten 81 after adding 54 for the second wicket with Tharanga Paranavitana and 51 for the third with Mahela Jayawardene.

Sri Lanka's left-arm fast bowler Thilan Thushara chipped in with two wickets and spinner Ajantha Mendis dismissed the last three batsmen as Pakistan were shot out in 36 overs 45 minutes after lunch.

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik was the lone batsman to defy the Sri Lankan bowlers at the P. Sara Oval, returning unbeaten on 39.

Pakistan caved in just as they had done in the second innings of the Galle Test where, needing 97 more to win on the fourth morning, they lost their last eight wickets for 46 runs.

Pakistan's 117 at Galle was their lowest against Sri Lanka, but it took just one more innings to fall below that mark in a reckless display with the bat.

Eight batsmen failed to reach double figures, while debutant Fawad Alam was the second highest scorer after Malik with 16 in 81 minutes.

Pakistan batsman Misbahul Haq later denied the batsmen lacked temperament at the crease, but admitted such collapses "happen with Pakistan".

"I don't want to take the credit away from their bowlers, we all got out to good deliveries," Misbah told reporters.

"Kulasekera bowled really well. It was very difficult to play him with the ball seaming about.

"These things happen with Pakistan. But we look forward to getting Sri Lanka out early tomorrow and [coming] back into the match."

Kulasekera, 26, who leads the International Cricket Council's rankings for one-day bowlers, showed he was equally adept at taking wickets in the traditional five-day format with a remarkable opening burst.

The right-arm seamer, who grabbed 4-71 at Galle, tore through the Pakistani top order in only his eighth Test with three wickets in 15 deliveries at the cost of just three runs.

Kulasekera said he was rewarded for sticking to the basics in helpful conditions.

When Sri Lanka batted, Malinda Warnapura was leg-before to Umar Gul for 11, before off-spinner Ajmal had both Paranavitana (26) and Jayawardene (19) caught close to the wicket.

News By:Afp, Colombo

The Championship Wimbledon 'Roger is the best'

Pete Sampras hailed Roger Federer as the greatest player of all time on Sunday after the Swiss superstar surpassed his Grand Slam record with a sixth Wimbledon title.

Federer claimed a 15th major with an epic 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14 win over America's Andy Roddick in a 4hr 16min final which featured the longest concluding set in a men's final here.

"In my book, he's the greatest of all time. He has his critics and people point to Rafael Nadal beating him, but for me he's the greatest. He is a legend and an icon," said Sampras, who won seven Wimbledon titles in his career.

"He is a great champion and a good guy. He's very humble, which I like."

Sampras predicted that Federer, who is still only 27, can go on and set more Grand Slam records.

"He can win 17, 18 majors at least. He's only 27 and he can do it if he stays healthy."

The American, who played his last Wimbledon in 2002, flew in overnight to see Federer launch an assault on his record of 14 which Federer equalled when he won a first French Open in June.

"He is effortless when he plays. He serves big, has a great forehand and his backhand. I'm a fan of how he plays, what he's about... he's a class guy on and off the court.

"He's fun to watch. Just his athletic ability, what he's able to do on the run. I think he can and will break every tennis record out there."

Australian legend Rod Laver, the only man to win two calendar Grand Slams, praised the Swiss star's ability on the court.

"Roger is one of those players who keeps the ball in play, has miraculous forehands and backhands," said the 71-year-old.

"It was a great final. Andy is a threat with that serve of his but I think he was very tired by the end."

Bjorn Borg, a five-time Wimbledon winner, predicted many more titles for Federer.

"He can play for three more years at least. If he stays away from injury and is eager to win there will be many more finals," said the Swede.

Borg added: "He simply does not have any more weaknesses left in him. It is such a pleasure to see him play. To me, Roger Federer is the right model for anyone aspiring to be a tennis player.

"It is such a pleasure to just watch him play. His shot-making has got better and I doubt there is any shot he cannot make in any part of the court."

News By: Afp, London

Roger Federer the best ever

Umar Gual Record 5 wicket In T20 World Cup

In frist time in t20 world cup Umor Gual Pick-up 5 wicket in his carrier. 20 overs New Zealand 99 (Gul 5-6, Razzaq 2-17) v Pakistan
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Pakistan seem to have bitten another bullet. At the toss Younis Khan seemed relieved, almost trying to suppress laughter, when he called this a do-or-die match. It was as if he liked that there was no choice left, and his team showed they relished being in such a situation. On the evidence of the first innings, Younis' bowlers had put his team on the path of doing. Abdul Razzaq, formerly a pariah and now making a comeback to official cricket after two years, struck with the fourth ball he bowled, and then in his third over to skittle the New Zealand top order, which was followed by Umar Gul's destruction. Gul was on a hat-trick twice and also became the first bowler to take a five-for in Twenty20 internationals. Those two spells sandwiched a period when the spinners choked the life out of the middle order as a weakened New Zealand, missing Jesse Ryder and Ross, stumbled to a meagre total on a belter of a pitch at The Oval.

How Pakistan would want to thank BCCI for the "amnesty" they accorded the ICL players. For Pakistan had bowled yet another ordinary first over. The first and last balls, from Mohammad Aamer, were boundaries, in between there was poor fielding and no dot balls. Had even Razzaq got off to a poor start, Pakistan would have had to bring Gul on early, which is not their original game plan. But Razzaq got Brendon McCullum before he could cause severe damage, and then Martin Guptill with a trademark straight delivery that the batsman missed. He exulted with arms open, more of a reaction than you can usually draw from Razzaq. Welcome back, Pakistan cricket was poorer without Razzaq.

Razzaq's first wicket was the first dot ball of the innings, but by the time Aamer and Razzaq were done with their three-over spells, New Zealand had barely doubled their score at 1.3 overs. Time, then, for spinners to come on. For the first time, with the medium-pacers having put them in a favourable position. Time also it was for the fielders to raise their game, which they did. Diving saves, hustling fielders, and accurate bowling meant that Scott Styris and Jacob Oram struggled even to rotate the strike.

When it got too much for Oram, he stepped out to Shahid Afridi, in the 10th over, and skied a faster delivery. At the end of that over, Afridi's figures read 2-0-3-1. And because the opening bowlers did their job, Younis had Gul saved up for the last eight overs. At 72 for 4 after 12 overs, New Zealand had their task cut out, facing the yorkers from Gul and trying to accelerate.

Styris tried to put Gul off his rhythm right in his first over, and all he managed was a top edge to long-on. But this was Afridi's moment. He ran from mid-on, his eye on the ball falling over his head, his hands stretching out at the right moment and finishing the catch metres inside the boundary. Pakistan fielding had come a long way from being the laughing stocks of the tournament.

Following that dismissal, it was all Gul, his accuracy and his late swing. Peter McGlashan tried to paddle him next ball, but was undone by the in-dipper. James Franklin saved the hat-trick, but couldn't deny the irresistible Gul for long. With a change of ends, he cleaned up Nathan McCullum and Franklin with straight and fast bowling. Kyle Mills, though, fell to a slower one, giving Gul the five-for and another chance for a hat-trick. The hat-trick didn't come, but New Zealand managed just 27 since Gul's introduction to the attack. When the euphoria of this performance dies, Pakistan will thank a man returning to international cricket for allowing Pakistan to go ahead with their preferred bowling strategy.

Umar Gul Set New Record in T20 world cup against NZ