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The dust of the city coated everything – the flags, the crisp new doboks, the hopeful faces of fathers shepherding their children. After 18 years, this was Karachi’s welcome: not a red carpet, but a gritty testament. The National Games had come home. The city, in its quintessential fashion, demanded a pilgrimage. For the first Games on its soil after 18 years, it offered an obstacle course of its own making – cranes standing like sentinels over diverted roads that formed labyrinths of progress. But through the grit and the detours, they came. A river of colour, athletes from every…

Mitchell Starc made a late-career bid for all-rounder status when he scored a half-century and grabbed two wickets under the Gabba floodlights to push Australia to the brink of victory at the close of day three of the second Ashes Test on Saturday. Tailender Starc made 77 in a sparkling 141-ball knock to help Australia to a 177-run lead before working his magic with the pink ball as England staggered to 134 for six at stumps, still 43 runs short of making Australia bat again. Ben Stokes and Will Jacks were both four not out, tasked with restoring a shred…

Australia v England | Second Ashes Test | Day Three If England are to somehow extricate themselves from the hole in which they find themselves just five days into this Ashes campaign, they will need to overcome a series of worryingly familiar concerns that emerged across a Saturday of suffering at the Gabbatoir. Slowly, and then more steadily, the echoes of England tours to have gone belly-up Down Under began to surface. The signs had been there on day two in Brisbane, when five catches were dropped and their pace attack – so menacing so briefly in Perth – fluffed…

England stumbled towards a 2-0 series deficit as they closed day three of the second Ashes Test on 134-6 in their second innings, still trailing Australia by 43 runs.Any faint England hopes rest on another memorable captain’s contribution from Ben Stokes – four not out overnight – after the tourists’ top order again subsided under lights in the day-night Test at The Gabba. With Australia resuming the third day on 378-6, 44 ahead on first innings, Mitchell Starc top-scored with 77 to continue his remarkable series and stretch the hosts’ advantage to 177 when they were finally bowled out for…

Bowling allrounder Liam Scott has hit his maiden first-class century to help South Australia take a mammoth lead over Tasmania in Adelaide South Australia v Tasmania | Sheffield Shield | Day 2 Liam Scott has had the finest day of his cricket career, hitting a maiden first-class century and helping South Australia to a commanding position over Tasmania. After teammate Jake Lehmann also hit a ton, Scott plundered 147 as the home side surged to 426 and a first-innings lead of 231 at Adelaide Oval. The Tigers then went to stumps at 3-73 in reply, still trailing by 158 runs…

Less than 30 overs were bowled at the MCG on Saturday, but Mitch Marsh was dismissed cheaply in that period in a blow to his hopes of a Test cameo Victoria v Western Australia | Sheffield Shield | Day 3 Mitch Marsh’s Test audition has failed, dismissed cheaply for the second time in Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria at the MCG. In his first red ball game since being dropped by Australia following last year’s Boxing Day Test, Marsh made just four in WA’s second innings on Saturday after managing nine on day one. Australia’s white ball star…

After a torrid introduction to Test cricket against India ace Jasprit Bumrah, Nathan McSweeney has staked his claim to replace Usman Khawaja Nathan McSweeney has thrown up his hand to be the man to replace Usman Khawaja, with a superb double century for Australia A against the England Lions. As David Warner urged selectors to return Travis Head to No.5 and put a specialist opener alongside Jake Weatherald, McSweeney made his case on Saturday. The 26-year-old finished unbeaten on 222 in Brisbane, posting his maiden double-century as Australia A went to stumps on day two at 7-554 in reply to…

Justin Greaves produced a nine-and-a-half-hour batting masterclass as his maiden Test double hundred secured an unlikely draw for West Indies against New Zealand.The 31-year-old’s unbeaten 202 was the bedrock of West Indies’ 457-6, the second-highest fourth-innings total in Test match history, in pursuit of an improbable victory target of 531 at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval. Greaves’ method was more metronome than fireworks and while it came against a New Zealand attack depleted by mid-match injuries to seamers Nathan Smith and Matt Henry, his 388-ball vigil forced a draw and earned his team their first points in the new World Test Championship…

An epic 202 not out by Justin Greaves and a stubborn support role by Kemar Roach saw the West Indies salvage a valiant draw in the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch on Saturday. Set a colossal target of 531, 113 more than the current record for a successful fourth-innings chase, the West Indies were 457-6 at the end, the second-highest Test fourth innings. Greaves battled for almost 10 hours and faced 388 deliveries, bringing up his maiden double century in the penultimate over. Roach was unbeaten on his Test best of 58 which included facing 72 dot balls…

Justin Greaves produced an epic unbeaten 202 in a remarkable fourth innings display to help West Indies thwart an injury-depleted New Zealand attack and snatch a thrilling draw in the opening Test in Christchurch on Saturday. Chasing an improbable 531, West Indies, who were bundled out for 167 in their first innings, displayed remarkable character to reach 457-6, the second highest fourth-innings total in Test match history, when players shook hands at Hagley Oval. Player-of-the-match Greaves led their remarkable fightback first with a 196-run stand with Shai Hope (140) and then a 180-run partnership for the unbroken seventh wicket with…