Sixers BBL|01 Champions

The Sydney Sixer shave dominated the inaugural KFC T20 Big Final, beating the Perth Scorchers by seven wickets at the WACA on Saturday night.

A blistering stand by opening pair Moises Henriques (70) and Stephen O'Keefe (48) set the visitors on their way to reach 3-158 with seven balls to spare, in reply to Perth's 5-156.

Henriques struck six fours and four sixes in his 41-ball knock to anchor the Sydney innings, before he was stumped by wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi down the leg side off the bowling of leg-spinner Brad Hogg (1-29).

O'Keefe and Nic Maddinson (10) then struggled to reduce the required run-rate, before the latter departed off the bowling of Ben Edmondson (2-30) with the Sixers still needing 23 off 22 deliveries.

O'Keefe was dismissed by Edmondson two balls later, to give the Scorchers some momentum late in the game.

But Steven Smith then upped the ante for the Sixers, striking 21 off 11 balls - including four boundaries - to ensure Sydney bagged the first-ever KFC T20 Big Bash League trophy.

Earlier, the Scorchers won the toss and elected to bat only to start dreadfully, losing South African opener Herschelle Gibbs (zero) and No.3 Ronchi (two) in the first over.

Speedster Brett Lee (2-21) dug in a short ball to start the game, and Gibbs pulled the delivery straight down the throat of Dominic Thornely at deep square-leg.

Four balls later, Lee had his second wicket as Ronchi chased a delivery outside off-stump, only to edge it through to wicketkeeper Peter Nevill.

Mitchell Marsh (77) looked ominous early, and he took to Henriques' bowling in the seventh over, smashing the paceman for 17 runs, including three fours.

He and Marcus North (22) had settled before veteran Stuart MacGill was introduced, breaking their 58-run partnership.

After mixing up his deliveries to start his first over, the leg-spinner removed North when the left-hander top-edged a sweep shot to O'Keefe.

Paul Collingwood (32) eased the pressure on Marsh with a few clever reverse sweeps, as the pair took the score to 3-99 with five overs remaining.

Collingwood then fell when he skied a Mitchell Starc delivery to Smith, before Marsh was given a life when O'Keefe spilled a chance off the bowling of Lee.

It would prove a costly drop as Marsh added another 22 runs, with his unbeaten 57-ball knock helping the Scorchers to a strong total after a poor start.

India slip to third in ICC Test rankings

Adelaide: The humiliating 4-0 whitewash at the hands of Australia on Saturday resulted in India dropping a rung to third spot in the ICC Test rankings with Michael Clarke's team breathing down their neck just a fraction of a point behind in the table.

India, who entered the series in second place on 118 ratings points, have fallen to 111 ratings points while fourth-ranked Australia have boosted their standing in the championship table after gaining eight ratings points which put them alongside their rivals, the ICC said in a statement.

However, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men are still ranked above Clarke's men by a fraction of a point. When the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point, India have 111.10 ratings points while Australia are on 110.80 ratings points.

Nevertheless, Australia will have a chance to move ahead of India when they travel to the West Indies in March to play in a three-Test series which will start in Barbados on April 7.

There, Australia will need to win the series by 1-0 or better to achieve the number-three position on the table.

Since December 16, 2010, India have dropped from 129 ratings points to 111 ratings points.

In the last 13 months, India drew with South Africa (1-1) in South Africa, beat the West Indies in West Indies (1-0), lost 0-4 to England in England and beat the West Indies (2-0) at home before losing 0-4 to Australia in Australia.

The Test Championship table, unlike the ODI Championship table, is updated only after the end of the series.

NZ beat Zim by an innings and 301 runs

Napier: Pacemen Chris Martin and Doug Bracewell shared 13 wickets as New Zealand bowled out Zimbabwe for 51 and 143 on Saturday to win the one-off Test by an innings and 301 runs — its biggest-ever victory margin.

The home side began the third day by extending its first innings to 495-7 declared, then swept through Zimbabwe's fragile batting order in just 28 overs for the lowest total by any team in a Test against New Zealand.

Zimbabwe's middle order put up a little resistance in the second innings, but Martin took a career-best 6-26 and Bracewell claimed 3-26 to complete the mismatch and deliver New Zealand the eighth-largest win by an innings in Test history.

The win was New Zealand's third in its past four Tests — after a 34-run win over Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in October and a seven-run win over Australia in December — and was it's first ever Test victory on Napier's McLean Park.

The 37-year-old Martin was Man of the Match for his match figures of 8-31 which helped New Zealand dismiss Zimbabwe twice in just 2-1/2 sessions.

The four-pronged New Zealand pace attack took every advantage from conditions which were unfamiliar to the Zimbabwe batsmen. Martin found swing and seam movement and enough bounce to continually trouble batsmen.

Of the 20 Zimbabawe wickets that fell on Saturday, 13 fell to catches behind the wicket as batsmen failed to use their feet or to cope with any lateral movement.

Dean Brownlie was one of the beneficiaries, taking five catches in the slips — four in the first innings — while B.J. Watling, on his debut as New Zealand wicketkeeper, took four catches in the second innings.

The selection of Watling as keeper, after he had played his six previous Tests as an opening batsman, was a tactical masterstroke by New Zealand coach John Wright.

By fielding a wicketkeeper who was also a specialist batsman, batting at No. 7, and by promoting Daniel Vettori from No. 8 to No. 6 in the order, New Zealand was able to enter the match with four seamers: Martin, Bracewell, Tim Southee and Trent Boult.

Watling scored 102 not out in New Zealand's first innings, resuming at 52 not out on Saturday morning and going on to a maiden Test century.

He was only the fifth New Zealand keeper after Warren Lees, Ian Smith, Adam Parore and Brendon McCullum to score a century in a Test. Watling also guided the New Zealand innings after captain Ross Taylor was forced to retire hurt on 122 early on the second day.

Taylor suffered a strained calf muscle and will take no part in the three-match one-day and two-match Twenty20 series which the teams will play over the next three weeks.

Watling helped New Zealand add 103 to its overnight total of 392-5 in only 18 over before it's declaration just before drinks in the morning session. He put on 74 in a seventh-wicket stand with Southee (44) which occupied only 11.1 overs and made an early declaration possible.

Zimbabwe then collapsed in the face of the sustained hostility of the New Zealand bowlers. Martin grabbed the first two wickets to fall, dismissing Tinotenda Mawoyo and Forster Mutizwa to set in motion an unstoppable collapse.

Martin, Boult, Bracewell and Southee all took two wickets while Daniel Vettori took the other wicket, claiming his 356th Test wicket which lifted him to 16th on the all-time Test wicket-taking list, moving him one above Dennis Lillee and Chaminda Vaas.

Martin also prompted the collapse of Zimbabwe's top order in the second innings, taking the first three wickets to fall for only nine runs. Bracewell then took two wickets in the first over after tea to reduce Zimbabwe to 12-5 and raise hopes that New Zealand's 57-year-old record for the lowest-ever Test score — 26 — might finally be eclipsed.

But Regis Chakabva played an outstanding rearguard innings of 63 — sharing partnerships of 63 for the seventh wicket with Graeme Cremer (26) and 34 for the eighth with Shingirai Mazakadza (21) — to defy New Zealand for 161 minutes.

Martin finally returned to claim the wickets of Chakabva and Mazakadza and to end the innings. Bracewell's three wickets in the second innings gave him 21 wickets from only three Test appearances to date.

England collapse gives Pakistan series win

Abu Dhabi: Leftarm spinner Abdur Rehman led Pakistan to a crushing 72-run over England and a convincing victory in the series on Saturday, taking a career-best six wickets for 25 as the world's top-ranked Test side was embarrassingly skittled out for just 72 runs.

Victory on the fourth day of the second Test earned Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The last match will be played next week at Dubai, where England were trounced by 10 wickets in the first Test.

England never looked in any real pursuit of the 145-run victory target after Pakistan were bowled out for 214, with Monty Panesar taking 6-62 in his comeback match after an absence of nearly three years.

In reply, only captain Andrew Strauss (32) and Matt Prior (18) managed to reach double figures.

"I don't have words to describe how big this victory is for us, because it has come against world's No. 1 team," Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said.

"It's difficult for any team in the world to bat against the likes of Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman on this wicket."

It was England's lowest ever score in Test matches against Pakistan — and far worse than the 130 registered at the Oval in 1954 and at Lahore in 1987.

Rehman started the England slide in the penultimate over before tea when he removed Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan to reduce England to 39-4.

He left the batsmen guessing in his remaining 7.1 overs after the break, claiming the wickets of Strauss, Jonathan Trott, Stuart Broad and last man James Anderson.

Strauss made no secret of his feelings after losing his first series since West Indies beat England in 2009.

"Pretty down and disappointed," he said.

"We must acknowledge how Pakistan bowled.

"They thoroughly deserved the win."

Strauss led a grim battle with a 100-ball 32 before he was trapped on the backfoot and even his DRS referral could not help England's cause.

Misbah deployed his slow bowlers from the outset after England began their run chase midway after lunch.

Alastair Cook had a torrid 45 minutes before Mohammad Hafeez caught a clean low catch as the ball flew back to him off the leading edge.

England had to shuffle their batting order after Trott could not bat at his usual No. 3 position due to a stomach upset that kept him away from the field in the morning.

But that mattered little for Rehman when he had Trott lbw for just 1 when he came out to bat at No. 7.

Earlier, Panesar had successfully led the bowling attack before Pakistan's tailenders frustrated England for nearly two and a half hours.

Pakistan resumed at 125-4 in foggy conditions but kept the scoreboard ticking against some disciplined bowling from Panesar and Graeme Swann.

Azhar Ali, 46 overnight, waited until the third over before turning Swann to square leg for two runs to complete his 13th Test half century, while Asad Shafiq, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Saturday, had to wait 24 deliveries before scoring his first runs of the day.

Panesar finally broke the 88-run stand when James Anderson held onto a sharp catch at slip to dismiss Shafiq for 43, giving the recalled English offspinner his fourth wicket of the innings.

Pakistan almost slipped to 160-6 when Australian umpire Steve Davis adjudged Ali lbw off Swann but TV umpire Billy Bowden overturned the decision as the hawk eye showed the ball would have turned too much and missed leg stump.

But England did not have to wait long enough to get rid of dangerman Ali once they took the second new ball.

Anderson banged one in short which got a faint edge of Ali's bat and flew to wicketkeeper Prior. Ali's 68 included eight fours.

Pakistan reached 172-7 when Broad won a psychological battle with Adnan Akmal. Just one ball after the pair exchange words, Akmal tried to drive a wide delivery and was out, caught by Strauss.

Ajmal and Rehman then added what might have proved to be an invaluable 26 runs before Panesar struck again. However, England's subsequent batting performance meant the extra runs were never needed.

Australia win by 298 runs to sweep series

Adelaide: Australia registered an emphatic 298–run on the fifth day of the final Test match against India at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday to complete a 4-0 clean sweep.

Chasing a mammoth target of 500 to win, India suffered yet another batting collapse on the fourth day and were reduced to 166 for 6 at stumps. But it took the Australian bowlers less than an hour and just 14.4 overs to wrap up India's tail on the fifth morning.

Ryan Harris ensured that early inroads were made when he drew Ishant Sharma (2) into having a dab at a delivery that moved away from him in just the third over, the edge was found and Brad Haddin did the rest.

Having provided stern resistance in the first innings, Wriddhiman Saha (3) offered little this time around, pushing forward at a fullish ball from Peter Siddle and edging to Haddin.

Zaheer, unlike his previous innings in the series, seemed determined to spent time at the crease rather than flashing at every delivery. He batted for 18 balls from which he scored 15 runs with the help of three boundaries before Ben Hilfenhaus sent him packing. Zaheer lobbed a simple catch to David Warner in the covers while trying to pull a short delivery off Hilfenhaus.

Only four bowlers got a go on the final day and in a turn that has mirrored the series, with all the bowlers chipping in, it was Nathan Lyon who ended the contest when he had Umesh Yadav (1) caught behind.

Ravichandran Ashwin remained unbeaten for India on 15 which came off 31 balls. Lyon turned out to be the best bowler for Australia, finishing with impressive figures of four for 63, while Harris picked up three wickets for 41 runs.

Peter Siddle was declared Man of the Match and Michael Clarke Man of the Series.

The Australians had everything going their way throughout the series. The under-pressure seniors Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey came good, with Clarke enhancing his reputation as a captain. The bowling unit was just too good for the Indian batsmen and never let the Indians settle by picking up wickets at regular interval.

This is India's second Test series whitewash in less than a year and eighth straight loss overseas after they were beaten 4-0 by England in 2011.

2nd Test: Ajmal late strikes peg back England

Abu Dhabi: Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal removed Alastair Cook for 94 and took two more late wickets to restrict England to 207-5 and ensure the second Test is poised at stumps on Thursday after the second day.

Cook hit 10 boundaries in batting for nearly five hours and Jonathan Trott scored a gritty 74 with seven boundaries, but England lost 3-9 late in the day to trail by 50 runs after having bowled out Pakistan for 257 earlier in the morning.

Ajmal went wicketless for 24 overs before dismissing Cook, Kevin Pietersen (14) and Eoin Morgan (3) in his last five to finish with 3-67.

Ajmal mesmerized England's batsmen last week in taking 10-97 to inspire Pakistan to a 10-wicket win in the first Test at Dubai.

Cook put on 139 for the second wicket with Trott before he was out leg-before-wicket when he looked set for his 20th Test century.

Trott should have been out lbw on 22 off Ajmal, but Pakistan failed to ask for a television referral when replays showed that the ball would have hit the top of middle and off-stump.

Becoming frustrated with the stand, Pakistan wasted both their referrals on Trott before and after he had completed his half-century off 95 balls with six fours.

Both England batsmen were watchful as Pakistan failed to take a wicket in the second session on a pitch that offered assistance to the slow bowlers.

Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman broke the stand after tea when Trott missed the line of the ball which brushed his off-stump.

England had lost skipper Andrew Strauss before lunch after having ended Pakistan's innings inside 15 minutes of Thursday's play.

The out-of-form captain struggled for 42 balls before falling to offspinner Mohammad Hafeez, before Trott and Cook joined in for a stand lasting nearly 3½ hours.

Strauss scored only 16 and 9 in the first Test and looked out of sorts on Thursday against spin, with Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq deploying his slow bowlers as early as the sixth over.

Strauss succumbed when a big deflection from his bat onto his pads offered a simple catch to Asad Shafiq close to the pitch.

Earlier, Pakistan added only one run to their overnight score of 256-7 before Stuart Broad and James Anderson ended the innings in the space of 16 deliveries.

Broad finished with 4-47 after trapping Misbah lbw off his fourth delivery, which nipped back into the Pakistan captain. Misbah hit five fours and four sixes in his 84. He used the referral but TV umpire Billy Bowden upheld onfield umpire Steve Davis' decision.

Anderson trapped Ajmal lbw and forced Junaid Khan to loop a catch to slips to end the innings and enable the swing bowler to finish with 2-46.

Offspinner Graeme Swann took 3-52 while recalled spinner Monty Panesar had 1-91.

Australia lead by 382 despite Kohli's ton

Adelaide: Australia were 50 for 3 in their second innings at stumps on the third day of the fourth Test against India in Adelaide, and overall lead of 382 runs. Michael Clarke was on 9 and Ricky Ponting on 1 when the players left the field for the day.

Virender Sehwag rolled the dice and opened the bowling with R Ashwin and he did not disappoint the skipper. David Warner was the first batsmen to be dismissed, giving a return catch to Ashwin for 28.

Shaun Marsh, who has had a disastrous Test series with the bat against India, failed to open his account when he was trapped in front of the wickets by Zaheer Khan. Three balls later, Ashwin claimed his second wicket of the innings trapping Ed Cowan for 10 to leave Australia in a bit of a bother at 41 for 3. But then the star duo of Clarke and Ponting saw off the day without any fuss.

Earlier, Virat Kohli proved that there is some life in the Indian batting order with his maiden Test century. However, his effort went in vain as it was not enough to stop India from incurring a 332-run first-innings deficit. Kohli top-scored with 116 as Australia decided not to enforce the follow-on.

Destined to lose the series after humbling defeats in the first three Tests and chasing Australia's 604 for 7, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman departed before lunch and India looked to be flirting with the follow-on. Having seen his more experienced colleagues depart all too easily, Kohli - with some help from Wriddhiman Saha - provided some much-needed resistance. Kohli and Saha put on 114 for the sixth wicket and lasted all but the entire afternoon session.

The duo mixed up aggression with patience as they forced the Australian bowlers to toil in the afternoon heat. Such was the comfortable nature with which the batsmen progressed that Clarke was left rushing through part-timers and spinners in an effort to bring about the arrival of the second new ball.

Ryan Harris gave the home side a timely boost with the new ball by removing Saha when the batsman shouldered arms to an in-swinger which hit his off stump in the final over before tea. With the resistance broken, Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus ran through the remainder of the order, with the former picking up his first five-wicket haul of the series.

With the option of sending India back in to bat, Clarke decided against enforcing the follow-on.

NZ progress to 331/5 at stumps on Day 1

Napier: Captain Ross Taylor struck his sixth Test century as New Zealand moved in fits and starts to 331-5 after being sent into bat on Thursday's first day of its one-off Test against Zimbabwe.

Taylor was 111 not out at stumps, helping New Zealand build solidly on the 124-run opening partnership between Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill.

McCullum made 83, Guptill 51 and former captain Daniel Vettori a valuable 38 as New Zealand prospered despite losing what was thought to be an important toss.

"It wasn't a bad day, especially being sent in on what was being talked about as a pretty good pitch to bowl on," McCullum said.

"To have got through the day and to have a player on 111 not out at stumps made a good day for us. The pitch showed a bit and our attack may be a bit more potent than their's was in days to come."

More grass than usual was left on the pitch at McLean Park and it was expected to assist the quicker bowlers, prompting New Zealand to name a four-pronged pace attack.

Zimbabwe was more conservative and named an attack based around the 22-year-old quick Kyle Jarvis, his opening partner Brian Vitori and the brothers Shingirai and Hamilton Masakadza. Leg-spinner Graeme Cremer was named in place of veteran left-arm spinner Ray Price, who has a groin injury.

Jarvis was the best of the Zimbabwe bowlers, bowling an exacting line throughout the day and finishing with McCullum's wicket at a cost of 56 runs from 22 overs. He twice beat the outside edge of McCullum's bat in the first over of the day and referred his appeal for lbw against McCullum to the television umpire in the fifth over when he was 16 not out.

McCullum survived and went on to reach his half century in 128 minutes from 86 balls, seeing New Zealand to lunch without the loss of a wicket — a rarity for any side sent in to bat.

Guptill went on to his seventh half century in Tests in 144 minutes off 99 balls but was out shortly after when he edged a rearing delivery from Shingirai Matakadza to wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu.

The century opening partnership was the first three-figure opening partnership in a New Zealand first innings for eight years and 55 matches, since Stephen Fleming and Mark Richardson achieved the mark against England at Nottingham in 2004.

After Guptill's departure, New Zealand quickly lost Kane Williamson (7) to a run-out to slip to 131-2.

McCullum re-established the innings in a 64-run partnership with Taylor but, when he was out early in the final session, the hosts also soon lost Dean Brownlie caught behind for a duck for no score and was 196-4.

Vettori then restored the upper hand to the New Zealand batsmen with his bright innings of 38. He rushed to 21 from only 13 balls with four fours and took away the brief advantage the Zimbabwe bowlers had enjoyed.

He was out stumped off Cremer but Taylor saw New Zealand to stumps without further loss, adding 53 in an unbroken partnership with B.J. Watling who was 15 not out at stumps.

Misbah revives Pak in Abu Dhabi Test

Abu Dhabi: Half centuries by captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq helped Pakistan recover to 256-7 against butterfingered England on day one of the second Test on Wednesday.

Misbah, who won the toss, was unbeaten on 83 while Shafiq made a composed 58 as England's scratchy fielding allowed them to put on a century-stand for the fifth wicket.

England, despite their missed chances, still made stumps with hopes of bowling out Pakistan for under 300, while the home side could harbour confidence of passing 300 as long as their captain is there. He's already been there for nearly four hours.

Misbah, dropped on 30 by James Anderson, hit five fours and four sixes. Shafiq, dropped on 53 by Alastair Cook close to the wicket, hit seven boundaries and a straight six off recalled spinner Monty Panesar.

Misbah took 142 balls to raise his half century but finished the day with a flourish by hitting Panesar for successive sixes in the last over.

England captain Andrew Strauss contributed to the poor day in the field when he floored a chest-high catch of Adnan Akmal before the batsman had scored, off Anderson's second delivery with the second new ball.

Pakistan were struggling at 103-4 just after lunch, but Misbah and Shafiq resisted for more than two hours to regain momentum.

Misbah lofted Panesar for two successive sixes over the long on boundary early in his knock, but waited patiently thereafter to hit his first boundary after tea as the wicket eased out for batting.

Shafiq struggled for nearly half an hour but gained confidence with some crisp boundaries on both sides of the wicket. He brought up his half century with a sharp single off Panesar before he was caught on the back leg by Graeme Swann while attempting a sweep shot.

Earlier, Mohammad Hafeez (31) and Taufeeq Umar (16) provided a steady start of 51 runs.

The openers were little troubled in the first hour and put on 41. Hafeez cut Swann's very first delivery to backward point for a boundary, but soon the offspinner got his line right and bowled well in tandem with Panesar as the Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch, which usually is a featherbed for batsmen, began offering assistance to both spinners.

Swann uprooted Umar's off stump when the left-hander offered no shot to a straight delivery and Panesar bowled Hafeez off a beautifully bowled arm ball, only a delivery after dropping the batsman off his own bowling.

Stuart Broad provided England a sniff of running through the opposition when he sent Younis Khan's (24) and Azhar Ali's (24) off stumps cartwheeling in the second session in space of five runs.

Broad, who took 3-47, trapped Akmal for 9, then Swann, with 3-52, brushed the off stump of Abdur Rehman for a duck late in the day.

Panesar, playing his first test since 2009, replaced paceman Chris Tremlett, who has a back injury and will be flying back home.

Pakistan also made one change from the side that won the first Test by 10 wickets, with fast bowler Aizaz Cheema making way for young paceman Junaid Khan.

Ponting, Clarke power Australia to 335/3

Adelaide: Centuries from Ricky Ponting and Australian skipper Michael Clarke nailed India as the hosts reached 335 for the loss of three wickets at the close of day one of the fourth Test match on Tuesday.

Former Australian captain Ponting scored his 41st Test century after completing 13,000 Test runs, becoming just the third batsmen after Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid to reach the landmark. Ponting has now scored a century in all three of the Test he has played against India in Adelaide, including 242 in a losing cause in 2003.

Resuming from 214 from 3 at tea, Australia continued to pound India. Ponting and Clarke inevitably reached their centuries - for the second time in the series - and runs came by even easier than they had post-lunch. The Indian bowlers were going through the motions, and it wasn't helped by the defensive tactics by captain Virender Sehwag.

Earlier in the second session, Australia had been on the back foot after losing three wickets. But Ponting and Clarke grabbed the upper hand as they added 116 runs. Both looked in good nick from the start, displaying excellent foot movement to negate any seam or spin in a flat Adelaide track.

Clarke had a lucky escape on 39 when an outer edge off the bowling of Ishant Sharma went between wicketkeeper and second slip; surprisingly a first slip was missing. India's pace bowlers tried everything they could but the Australian duo completely dominated them throughout the last two sessions. Umesh Yadav had a day to forget as he was smashed all over the park by the Australian batsmen, conceding 87 from 12 overs.

It was a sorry predicament for India after they had made an encouraging start despite losing the toss. With good batting conditions expected, it was no surprise to see Clarke bat first, but the guile of R Ashwin saw the hosts go to lunch on 98 for 3.

Ashwin was introduced as early as the fourth over by stand-in captain Sehwag and the offspinner did not disappoint. Two maiden overs quickly unsettled David Warner, who was trapped lbw by Zaheer Khan soon after. Ashwin then outfoxed an out-of-form Shaun Marsh, bowling him through the gate with the one that goes straight on, before luring Ed Cowan into a fateful drive shortly before lunch. Cowan had been the mainstay throughout the first session, quietly accumulating on his way to 30 before he was well caught by VVS Laxman at short extra cover.

The hosts are gunning for a series whitewash, having taken a 3-0 lead in the series so far.

Sri Lanka beat South Africa in thrilling finish

Johannesburg: Sri Lanka tailender Sachithra Senanayake smashed a six on the second-last ball for his team to chase down South Africa's total of 312-4 and win by two wickets in the fifth and final one-day international.

Playing in just his second ODI and facing his second delivery on Sunday, Senanayake struck spinner Robin Peterson over midwicket as Sri Lanka lost the series 3-2 but became the first team to score 300 or more to win successive one-dayers since 2007.

AB de Villiers' 125 not out and Graeme Smith's 125 had earlier put South Africa in control at New Wanderers Stadium, adding 186 in 28 overs for for the third wicket. It was Smith's first ODI hundred since September 2009 to ease the pressure after calls for him to be dropped.

But Kumar Sangakkara (102) and Lahiru Thirimanne (69) put on 100 to get Sri Lanka back into the game before falling late on.

"Graeme and AB batted beautifully and almost put it beyond us, but our openers started brilliantly," Sangakkara said. "Thirimanne also came in and performed. Credit goes to those three guys. Senanayake hitting the winning runs with a six was the icing on the cake."

Sri Lanka's run chase started unusually with Upul Tharanga rather than Tillakaratne Dilshan playing the attacking role. He was unbeaten on 34 out of Sri Lanka's 57-0 when rain came in the eighth over.

No overs were lost despite a break of around an hour, and Tharanga continued where he left off before being removed for 46 by a sensational catch when JP Duminy turned and ran toward the boundary fence and held a diving effort.

Sri Lanka were reduced to 175-3 when Dilshan was caught behind for 41 from a rising delivery from Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Dinesh Chandimal followed soon after in similar fashion for 20 off Wayne Parnell's bowling.

But that brought Thirimanne and Sangakkara together and they were rarely troubled. Sangakkara brought up his century off 96 balls by glancing Albie Morkel for four, but he holed out to Duminy two deliveries later.

Thirimanne reached his first ODI half-century moments later but Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera and Nuwan Kulasekara came and went without offering support as the game turned in South Africa's favor.

When Thirimanne fell off the third ball of the last over, Peterson's second wicket in three deliveries, it seemed to be all over. But that all changed following Senanayake's heroics off the penultimate ball.

In South Africa's innings, Smith and De Villiers came together after Alviro Petersen and Francois du Plessis fell cheaply and accumulated steadily before changing their approach.

Having played the anchor role in reaching his century off 129 balls, Smith then hit two sixes off one over from Senanayake.

Smith picked out the leaping Chandimal at mid-wicket off Lasith Malinga, but De Villiers passed 100 with a huge six, then manufactured a couple more to take his side past 300.

Sixers through to Big Bash final

A bloodied Brett Lee has helped ensure the Sydney Sixers will play the Perth Scorchers in Saturday's Big Bash League final after a seven-run win over the Hobart Hurricanes at Bellerive.

Sporting a bleeding nose after a mid-pitch collision with Hurricanes batsman Phil Jaques, Lee and captain Steven Smith grabbed two wickets each as the Sixers defended what had appeared to be a below par 6-153.

The former Test spearhead finished with the impressive figures of 2-22 from his four overs after making the initial breakthrough to remove in-form opener Jonathan Wells for 11 and then hammering one of the final nails into the Hurricanes' campaign with the wicket of Jason Krejza.

Smith finished with 2-22 from two overs, while old-stager Stuart MacGill got the vital wicket of BBL top-scorer Travis Birt for 11 to begin the home side's collapse.

Only Jaques offered any real resistance with 63 off 48 before Smith bowled him trying to reverse sweep to all but end the Hurricanes' fight.

Classy Sixers batsman Nic Maddinson top-scored for the visitors with 58 off 51 balls and eight fours as his side managed just two sixes for the innings.

The Hurricanes were in unfamiliar waters when they lost big guns Birt (11 off 15) and Owais Shah (0 off 3) within the space of one run to be teetering at 3-51.

Needing one of their lesser lights to step up, 'keeper Tom Triffitt looked likely in making 16 off 14 before he was caught superbly by a diving Stephen O'Keefe at 4-85.

Jaques brought up his 50 off 42 balls by pulling Stuart MacGill for four but when Matt Johnston went for just six the home side were staring down the barrel at 5-107.

Lee said he had been putting in extra net work in an attempt to be right for Australia's coming one-day matches after recovering from surgery to have his appendix removed in South Africa.

"That's the reason why I'm running around out here," he said.

"The big picture for me is get back and lead the one-day attack.

"Hopefully we'll get the call for that."

He said the Sixers were still to play their best cricket as they head to the WACA.

"We've played well batting wise and then bowling wise but we haven't really put the two together," he said.

"Tonight was probably the best we've played collectively."

Hurricanes captain Xavier Doherty rated his side's BBL campaign as fair.

"Obviously you rate your success or failure on making the final or making the Champions League," he said.

"Unfortunately we didn't quite get there. We gave it a pretty good shake."

1st Test: Pakistan beat England by 10 wickets

Dubai: Pakistan handed top-ranked England their first Test defeat in 13 months with a blowout 10-wicket victory inside three days on Thursday.

Pakistan stubbornly extended their first innings in the morning to 338 for a lead of 146, then began before lunch dismantling England in their second innings for 160 inside 58 overs.

Umar Gul's aggressive bowling for 4-63, coupled with some shocking shot selection by the Englishmen, left Pakistan with only 15 runs to win the opening Test of the three-match series, and opener Mohammad Hafeez hit three boundaries in collecting them all.

It was top-ranked England's first defeat since losing to Australia in the Ashes Test at Perth in 2010. England had won seven of nine since then.

Pakistan extended their unbeaten run in Tests to eight since May, including six victories.

Offspinner Saeed Ajmal, who grabbed a career-best 7-55 in England's first innings score of 192, added three more wickets to be named man of the match. It was second career match haul of 10 wickets.

Abdur Rehman showed England why they should have included left-arm spinner Monty Panesar with 3-37, and narrowly missed a hat-trick.

After Adnan Akmal's gutsy half-century stretched Pakistan's first-innings lead to 146, Gul had England on the mat by tea at 75-5, claiming three wickets.

Gul had reduced England to 16-1 at lunch when captain Andrew Strauss was adjudged caught behind off a leg-side delivery after TV umpire Steve Davis upheld onfield umpire Billy Bowden's decision.

Opener Alastair Cook (5) and Kevin Pietersen (0) departed from attempting shocking pull shots against Gul.

In his second spell, Gul found a thick outside edge of topscorer Jonathan Trott, who attempted an expansive cover drive to try and to reach a half century. Trott was out for 49 off 111 balls.

Ajmal undid Ian Bell for 4 with his doosra. The batsman halfheartedly called for a review but started walking back after watching the replay on the big screen at Dubai International Cricket Stadium with the ball striking his back leg in front of the stumps.

Rehman struck just before tea when Eoin Morgan on 14 got a faint edge to the wicketkeeper, and was on a hat trick when he dismissed Stuart Broad (17) and Chris Tremlett (0) off successive deliveries with England still 11 runs shy of making Pakistan bat again.

Graeme Swann (39) and James Anderson (15) ensured England did not lose by an innings with a 25-run last wicket stand before Ajmal wrapped up the innings by finding the leading edge of Swann's bat and Asad Shafiq making a low catch and roll at short cover.

Pakistan resumed overnight at 288-7 and thanks to the diminutive Akmal hitting 61 with eight fours, frustrated England for an hour and a quarter.

Akmal lost Gul for a duck when he hit Broad in only the second over of the day to Morgan at point.

Akmal gathered a precious 30 runs with Ajmal before Swann had the latter caught close to the wicket for 12.

The last-wicket stand of 19 — all made by Akmal — added to England's frustration as the Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman kept the strike from No. 11 Aizaz Cheema for four overs.

Akmal played some extravagant strokes that included two reverse swept boundaries off Swann. He brought up his second Test half-century with a similar stroke for two runs and pumped his fist in joy while raising his bat toward his teammates in the dressing room.

Swann finally closed Pakistan's first innings when Akmal went out of the crease but missed the line and was stumped by Prior down the legside. Swann ended with 4-107 while Broad claimed 3-84.

The second Test begins at Abu Dhabi on Jan. 25, and the teams return to Dubai for the last Test from Feb. 3.