The Hindu : Sport : Ponting & Co. in sight of victory

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006

Sport

Sport

Ponting & Co. in sight of victory

Bangladesh may make things tough on a deteriorating pitch

QUICK END: Bangladesh lost its last five wickets for the addition of just 24 runs, with Shane Warne and Jason Gillespie doing the damage. — Photo: AP

FATULLAH (Bangladesh): Opener Matthew Hayden and captain Ricky Pointing hit half-centuries on Wednesday to put Australia in sight of victory before suffering a mini-collapse against Bangladesh on the fourth day of the first cricket Test.

Top-ranked Australia requires another 95 runs with six wickets remaining to avoid a major upset at the hands of cricket's bottom-ranked Test-playing nation.

Australia will resume its innings on the final day at 212 for four on a deteriorating Fatullah Osmani Stadium wicket with Ponting batting on 72 and Adam Gilchrist unbeaten on six. A win for Australia is no certainty after it lost three wickets quickly after tea. Australia had begun its run-chase cautiously on a slow and turning pitch and looked comfortable at 114 for one at tea.

Hayden hit 72 off 152 balls before being run out to a direct hit by Enamul Haque from mid-on. Hayden occupied the crease for 273 minutes and his knock included eight boundaries and a six. He added 109 runs for the second wicket with Ponting.

Rafique strikes

Spinner Mohammad Rafique then clean bowled Damien Martyn (7) and had Michael Clarke (9) caught behind by Khaled Mashud.

Bangladesh's breakthrough came shortly after lunch when spinner Haque bowled opener Michael Hussey for 37. Hussey dragged the ball onto the stumps while attempting a sweep, ending his patient 79-ball knock that had four hits to the fence.

Earlier, Shane Warne picked up three and Jason Gillespie two as Australia dismissed Bangladesh for 148 in its second innings and secured an achievable victory target.

Collapse

Resuming at 124 for five, Bangladesh lost its last five wickets in the first nine overs of the day. Bangladesh still managed to set Australia a challenging victory target of 307 thanks to its huge first innings lead of 158 runs.

Gillespie struck the day's first blow, bowling overnight batsman Mashud for a duck, and then went on to dismiss the other overnight batsman, Rajin Saleh, for 33.

``I am not bowling as well as I would like to, but it was satisfying to help the team in a tricky situation,'' said Gillespie.

``The match is not yet over and one should give full credit to the Bangladeshi players for putting up such a stiff fight,'' he added.

Warne, searching for his first wicket in the match, trapped Rafique leg-before for 14 before bowling Mashrafee Bin Mortaza with the next ball for a duck.

Warne also removed Haque — who didn't bother the scorers — to take his tally to three for 28 in the second innings. — Agencies

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