Cricket: Pakistanis botch great start for third test in row

SYDNEY - Pakistan lost eight wickets for just 87 runs to slump to 292 for nine and squander a brilliant start by Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed on the opening day of the third and final cricket test against Australia yesterday.

Butt scored a fine 108, his maiden test hundred, while Yasir blazed 58.

However, their efforts were wasted when the tourists' batting crumbled yet again, as it did in the previous two tests, which ended in heavy defeats.

Recalled legspinner Stuart MacGill captured five wickets and in-form paceman Glenn McGrath bagged three to leave the Pakistanis struggling when play ended early at the Sydney Cricket Ground because of bad light.

Butt and Yasir put on 102 for the first wicket. Butt also shared a 91-run partnership with Younis Khan to help the tourists race to 193 for one when the wheels suddenly fell off.

Younis departed for 46 when he drove MacGill straight to McGrath at mid-off, triggering a collapse that included the loss of three wickets in seven balls for no runs.

MacGill, playing his first test in nine months after he pulled out of Australia's tour of Zimbabwe last year on moral grounds, ripped through the opposition to finish the day with five for 87.

McGrath, who took a career-best eight for 24 in the first test in Perth, claimed three for 38, including two wickets in one over, and Shane Warne took one for 84.

With the team ravaged by injury, Pakistan were not expected to provide much opposition.

But they defied the odds during the first two sessions with a determined display, albeit with a little bit of help from the Australians.

Yasir could not believe his luck when he was dropped on successive balls in the second over of the day from paceman Jason Gillespie.

Warne spilled a straightforward chance at first slip off Gillespie's third delivery, then wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist failed to hold a thick edge off the next ball.

Yasir, who made twin centuries on his test debut against Bangladesh in August 2003 but has not reached three figures since, prospered from his let-off.

He struck six fours and hooked Australian debutant Shane Watson for six to reach 54 at lunch. He was dropped again on 56, but his luck eventually ran out on 58 when he top-edged a sweep from Warne to Michael Clarke with the total on 102.

Butt was initially less aggressive than his partner but raised the tempo after lunch. He brought up his second half-century of the series with a four off MacGill, then reached his first test hundred with a four off Warne.

Pakistan lost Younis just before tea but were still in a strong position at 205 for two before their dismal collapse in the last session.

Captain Yousuf Youhana fell for eight, then Butt's innings, which had spanned more than 4 1/2 hours and featured 16 fours, ended when he was caught by Gilchrist off McGrath.

MacGill removed Asim Kamal for 10 then Shahid Afridi for 12 after the one-day specialist got off the mark with a six then threw his wicket away by hitting a waist-high full toss to McGrath in the deep.

McGrath trapped Naved-ul-Hasan lbw for a golden duck, then bowled Shoaib Akhtar without scoring in the same over.

MacGill completed his five-wicket haul when he had Danish Kaneria caught behind, but wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal at least kept the innings alive with an unbeaten 35 in the fading light.

- REUTERS