DIGEST:Matthew Hayden recorded his 28th Test century but India captain Anil Kumble struck back with five wickets to leave Australia at 337 for nine on the opening day of the first Test in Melbourne.
Hayden scored 124 and shared a first-wicket partnership of 135 with Phil Jaques as the hosts had the better of the first two sessions after Ricky Ponting won the toss. Australia were 213 for three at tea, before the tourists hit back in the final session, picking up six wickets.
Resuming at 111 without loss after lunch, Hayden and Jaques added a further 24 runs to their stand before Kumble finally made the first breakthrough.
The veteran leg-spinner enticed Jaques out of his crease with a googly and the opener was well stumped by wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Ponting faced only 13 deliveries before falling to Zaheer Khan. Bowling around the wicket, the paceman took out the off-stump with a beautifully pitched delivery to dismiss the Aussie captain for only four. In the next over Michael Hussey was lbw to another Kumble googly to leave Australia at 165 for three.
Hayden held things together and was unbeaten on 121 at tea, but then on 124 he popped a Zaheer delivery to mid-on.
CRICKET: Marlon Samuels and Shivnarine Chanderpaul compiled a fourth-wicket stand of 111 runs to put the West Indies in a strong position after day one of the first Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth.
Samuels made 94 before he was dismissed by Dale Steyn, while Chanderpaul built a gritty, 128-ball 43 not out as the tourists reached 281 for four at stumps.
Fifth man in Dwayne Bravo will resume day two on nought having faced seven balls.
The West Indies made a blistering start to the day with captain Chris Gayle powering 13 boundaries on his way to 66 from just 49 balls before lunch.
Gayle's knock was in stark contrast to the workmanlike efforts of Samuels, who faced 142 deliveries on his way to a laborious half-century.
Darren Ganga was the first wicket to fall when he edged an Andre Nel delivery to Mark Boucher for 33.
Gayle's dashing innings came to an end a short time later when he edged spinner Paul Harris to Jacques Kallis at slip.
Runako Morton (33) was the only batsman to fall in the afternoon session after pushing Makhaya Ntini to point where Ashwell Prince took a simple catch.
Jacques Kallis allowed just 12 runs in 11 overs.
HOCKEY:Three Rock Rovers, Cork Harlequins and Annadale finished the year on a winning note yesterday by capturing their respective St Stephen's Day provincial Cup finals.
In the Neville Cup at Serpentine Avenue, Pembroke Wanderers, fielding an under- strength side, crashed to a heavy, 6-1 defeat by Three Rock.
But it was no pushover for Cork Harlequins in the Peard Cup final at Garryduff.
They had to work hard and long to carve out a 2-0 win over Church of Ireland's seconds, with the winning scores arriving in the closing six minutes from Paul Lombard and Richie Gash.
The Ulster Kirk Cup decider produced the tightest finish between Lisnagarvey and Annadale.
The latter led 3-0 before Lisnagarvey came back.
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