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Faisalabad Wolves thrashed Quetta Bears by 51 runs in their opening game at the Gaddafi Stadium. In a game they dominated from start to finish, the openers set the tone with a 70-run stand before Mohammad Hafeez was caught behind. The other opener, 30-year-old Asif Hussain, went on to complete his half-century, which earned him the Man-of-the-Match award, and set up Faisalabad for a competitive total of 147.Quetta’s chase never looked on track after fast bowler Samiullah Khan, who played two ODIs for Pakistan two years ago, nipped out their openers cheaply. The wickets continued to tumble for Quetta – six of their top seven falling in single digits to leave the side at a hopeless 56 for 6. Fast bowler Asad Ali was the most successful of the Faisalabad bowlers, finishing with three wickets including the final two as Quetta folded for 106.In another one-sided match, Gulraiz Sadaf’s unbeaten 71 steered Multan Tigers to a seven-wicket victory over Abbottabad Falcons. It was Multan’s second win in two days, and Abbottabad’s second loss in two days and put them out of the race for the semi-finals.Abbottabad’s trouble, after being put in to bat, was that their batsmen couldn’t score at a rate demanded by Twenty20s. Forties from opener Mir Azam and Adnan Raees pushed Abbottabad to 147, a total which proved too small to defend. Fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, who recently made his debut for Pakistan was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 4-1-11-2.Multan were in a bit of trouble at 23 for 2 after opener Imranullah Aslam’s blasted three fours and a six in his 21. Sadaf and Rameez Alam, though, added 84 for the third wicket to swing the match Multan’s way.Shahzaib Hasan struck a violent 76 off 38 balls, inclusive of 12 fours and a six, to launch Karachi Dolphins to 195, a total they defended easily against Hyderabad Hawks in Lahore.Shahzaib made light of opening partner Khalid Latif’s dismissal for a duck and waded into Hyderabad’s attack with a regal display. Asad Shafiq supported him with 31 off 25 balls in a stand of 106 that came in nine overs and took the game away. The innings lost momentum after Shahzaib’s effort, and a brief spark from Shahid Afridi was the only remaining highlight as Ghumman reined them in with 3 for 29 in four overs.Hyderabad lost Ghumman off the first ball of the chase, but their run-rate stayed within touching distance thanks to Karachi’s generosity with wides and no-balls – 19 in all. Faisal Athar struck 10 fours in his 67, but consumed too many dot balls as Karachi kept the pressure. Lal Kumar weighed in with 40 off 31 balls but it was not enough as Hyderabad fell 20 runs short.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Harbhajan Singh made his maiden Test century•AFP

Harbhajan Singh realised every bowler’s dream of making a Test hundred and VVS Laxman burnished his already lustrous second-innings record to steer India to safety on the final day of the first Test. Chris Martin and New Zealand couldn’t replicate the venom with which they had bowled on Sunday and their chances of victory vanished with the 163-run association between Harbhajan and Laxman.The injuries to Hamish Bennett and Jesse Ryder didn’t help New Zealand either. A serious push for victory against the world’s No. 1 side appeared difficult to sustain once Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum, with 12 overs of international experience between them, were given the ball in the morning.In his previous two Tests, Laxman had turned in contrasting match-winning efforts on the final day. In Ahmedabad, he showed his match-saving skills. It was hard to guess from his unperturbed demeanour and batting that India were battling for survival, and he repeatedly worked the spinners towards sweeper cover and deep point to make his runs. His first violent shot was a sweep that nearly carried to the midwicket boundary to bring up his half-century.Harbhajan was less secure than the cool and collected Laxman. He nearly committed hara-kiri in the third over of the day with an ill-judged call for a single after punching the ball to mid-off. Daniel Vettori’s throw missed the stumps with Harbhajan yards out. Harbhajan also offered half-chances to slip and forward short leg but, despite the shakiness, he never put away his natural attacking strokes. He outscored Laxman with his maverick batting: a powerful sweep against the turn in the air of Vettori , a ferocious down-the-line forehand off Martin, and – riskiest of all – a reverse-paddle off Jeetan Patel.

Smart Stats

• Harbhajan Singh scored his maiden century in his 88th Test, which is third in the list of most matches taken by a player to reach his first Test century, behind Anil Kumble and Chaminda Vaas who took 118 and 97 Tests respectively.

• Harbhajan’s fifty and hundred in the first Test made him only the second No.8 batsman in history to score a fifty and hundred in the same match.

• The 163 run partnership for the seventh wicket between VVS Laxman and Harbhajan is the best ever seventh wicket stand for India against New Zealand and their seventh best in Tests.

• New Zealand last won an away Test not involving Bangladesh or Zimbabwe in 2002 when they beat West Indies at Bridgetown. Overall, they have won one Test and lost 18 of the 31 played since Jan 1 2000.

• Laxman’s average of 51.17 in the second innings in Tests is the second best among Indians behind Sunil Gavaskar and the eighth best among all batsmen to score over 2000 runs in the second innings.

• Tim McIntosh’s pair in the first Test was the eighth for a New Zealand opener overall and the first against India.

By lunch, India’s lead had ballooned to 192, and much of the interest in the second session centred on whether the two batsmen could make their hundreds. Both carried on as they had in the morning: Laxman made unflustered progress with Harbhajan pulling off some enterprising strokes. New Zealand seemed resigned to a draw, with Vettori at one stage imitating Harbhajan’s bird-like flourish during his run-up.With the match meandering and Laxman in his 90s, two umpiring mistakes brought the UDRS, and its absence in this series, back into focus. Steve Davis missed a huge inside-edge from Laxman to give him lbw. Laxman was horrified, a reaction that was repeated next ball by Zaheer Khan, when Davis missed another nick to leave Vettori on a hat-trick. Davis’ concentration had clearly slipped and he called ‘over’ when only five deliveries had been bowled.There was still the matter of Harbhajan’s hundred. He had reached his half-century with a Laxman-like flick and he brought up three figures with a Sehwag-like six, carving the ball over extra cover to move from 95 to 101. Cue generous applause from the dressing-room, and Harbhajan celebrated with a message to his close friend Sachin Tendulkar – imitating the master’s signature crouch.With MS Dhoni having no intention of declaration, Harbhajan continued to make merry, smashing Patel over long-off for six. He was finally dismissed mis-hitting a high full toss from Taylor, and India ended on 266 when Sreesanth feathered a Taylor delivery to the keeper.There was little at stake in the match when New Zealand came out to bat, but questions over Tim McIntosh’s suitability will return after he missed a Zaheer incutter to complete a pair. After a desultory bunch of overs that included Dhoni bowling, the match was called off with New Zealand having reached 22 for 1.New Zealand started the day dreaming of a win, but though they couldn’t break Motera’s jinx of no team chasing down a target, they have proved to India that they are no pushovers. How New Zealand would take 20 wickets against the mighty Indians was the big question before the series; they have shown they can, even when they are one frontline bowler short, and their batting has shown the backbone that was sorely missing during the drubbing in Bangladesh last month. The match may be a draw, but there’s no doubt which team will be happier with their performance in the game.

Younis Khan reminded Pakistan just what they had been missing as his 17th Test hundred guided them to safety on the final day in Dubai. Together with another returnee, the new captain Misbah-ul-Haq, the pair combined to defy South Africa for 57 overs, sharing an unbroken stand of 186 to pull off a result which looked unlikely after Pakistan conceded a 132 first-innings deficit.Shorn of Younis’ services since July last year, the brittle Pakistan line-up have struggled against Australia and England but his resilience alongside Misbah, playing his first Test since the Sydney debacle, ensured a satisfying return. Younis will rightly take the plaudits, anchoring the rearguard with third hundred against South Africa but, as Misbah himself acknowledged, it was the he who was under most scrutiny.”This feels like a win. The team put in a wonderful effort under pressure,” he said. “I was under quite a bit of pressure before this Test but I think my performance today will make it easier for me.”Pakistan’s first-innings collapse from 176 for 2 to 248 all out underlines just how important Misbah’s contribution was, all the more so given that the next man in was Umar Akmal. It ensured that the “fresh start” Misbah promised on the eve of the game ended well and he singled out praise for his partner. “On the second day the bowlers brought us back into the game the plan today was to be positive and not just try to stick it out. Younis’ knock today was a special one.”Returning as the senior batsman in a volatile side, Younis could have been forgiven for feeling the burden of responsibility. Yet after a cautious start his increasingly expansive and certain strokeplay betrayed a man just relieved to be back where he belongs.”There wasn’t any pressure on us because the wicket here is different to those in the subcontinent,” he said. “It didn’t have the kind of uneven bounce that causes the ball to bounce up off the pads. On this wicket it was possible to bat positively and that’s what I was trying to do. I was trying to hit the bad balls for boundaries.”Both batsmen, impressive as they were, had some generous South African fielding to thank. Younis was put down twice, on 16 by Mark Boucher and again by Jacques Kallis when on 70, and Misbah got a slice of luck when Hashim Amla spilled a chance at short leg just before lunch.It meant another final-innings disappointment for South Africa after twice being denied by England last year but on a flat track Graeme Smith was happy enough with his side’s performance.”We knew it was going to be hard because on this wicket once the batsmen get in it was tough to get them out,” he said. “The wicket got slower and slower as the Test went on. Credit must go to Pakistan, especially to Younis, he played really well.”Missed chances are always costly but nobody does it on purpose. It was unusual for those guys to miss those chances because they have been stalwarts of the team for a long time. So obviously they are disappointed with that. But we’ve played good positive cricket throughout the game and we’ll take that into Abu Dhabi.”

John Wright may have had just 36 hours to make a decision after getting the unexpected call to take charge of the New Zealand team, but has said it was an easy call to make.”I thought once Mark [Greatbatch] got the opportunity that’s probably it,” Wright told the . “My appointment was very sudden and unexpected. But it wasn’t that difficult a choice.”To be honest a day into the job you think, given the track record of some of our coaches, it’s a pretty demanding task. You get a honeymoon period when people say nice things, and then you hope results go your way.”Wright was hugely successful as India’s first foreign coach, in the early 2000s, when he catalysed the improvement in the side’s overseas’ record, and oversaw their march to the 2003 World Cup final. Following that stint, Wright had several coaching offers but refused them all until his decision to join New Zealand, who are currently going through a miserable run of form.”When I finished in India I was pretty burnt out,” Wright said. “I needed a spell [away from the game]. I had quite a few offers in that period and there were a couple I thought a lot about but they just weren’t right. Then I started working for New Zealand Cricket putting together a replacement structure for the academy, and a winter programme for our promising kids coming through the ranks.”New Zealand have lost 11 straight one-dayers, including clean sweeps in Bangladesh and in India, leaving their World Cup preparations in complete disarray. Despite the desperate situation, Wright plans to remain in the background – a style that worked well when he was with India – and guide the side past the troubled times.”I will keep things very simple. There’ll be a period of getting to know each other. With any change it takes a bit of settling down. We’ll sit down and have a chat and go out with a simple game plan and see where we get to. I’ve always tried to help players understand what needs to be achieved to win games. That’s simple stuff.”But you don’t want to tell them how to do it because the good ones work it out for themselves. Coaching’s not about telling or ordering. It’s more about helping create an environment where good players who want to learn can get on.”Wright’s laidback approach to coaching has always earned its share of criticism, and he hopes to respond by producing results. “I’ve got a pretty good understanding of myself and I expect to be described in all sorts of ways in the next 15 months or so. But in the end you’re judged by the progress you make. When I finish this job, I just hope I’ve made a difference. Then people can judge you.”

The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division One final between Habib Bank Limited and Pakistan International Airlines in Karachi was marred by controversy as four players were fined a total of nearly $2,000 for ball tampering, slow over-rates and use of abusive language during the game.HBL, who were crowned champions, beat PIA by five wickets with Aftab Alam anchoring the chase of 235 on the final day with a determined century. The day-night game was an unprecedented event in Pakistan first-class cricket and was hotly-contested with lots of chatter between the players and accusations of ball-tampering. However, the trigger for the uneasy atmosphere on the field, though, appeared to have been poor umpiring for a major part of the game.PIA were fined 75,000 rupees ($875) since they bowled 15 overs short, while HBL, who were eight overs behind schedule, were fined 33,000 ($390). Najaf Shah, the PIA left-arm fast bowler, was found guilty of ball tampering and fined 15,000 rupees ($175). Similar fines were imposed on PIA captain Kamran Sajid, who made two half-centuries in the final, and middle-order batsman Fahad Iqbal for showing dissent to the umpires. In addition to the fine, Iqbal was also banned for two one-dayers. HBL batsman Shan Masood was fined 8,000 rupees ($95) for also showing dissent.

The phrase ‘men against boys’ is in desperate need of change to a more gender-unbiased alternative (women against girls doesn’t quite sound right). Four hundred and sixty four – not the number of people in the stadium, not even the aggregate number of runs in the match – but the margin of victory for Eastern Province women against Kei women in a domestic match in South Africa.Eastern Province amassed 494 in their fifty overs in the Women’s Provincial League group game – a record for the tournament – with Claire Terblanche smacking 181 and Marizanne Kapp getting 163. It was always going to be a testing total for Kei, but their resistance was not just meek, it was non-existent. They rolled over for 30, with Kapp taking 6 for 6 in seven overs.Unfortunately for Kei, this wasn’t just a freak off day. In their first game of the season, in October 2010, they were hammered by 306 runs by South Western Districts. On that occasion South Western Districts had been slightly less merciless with the bat, scoring 329, but only allowed Kei 11.3 overs at the crease before bowling them out for 23.In fact, the League has seen several ridiculously one-sided results. In November last year, Gauteng trounced Limpopo by 302 runs, scoring 365 in an innings that saw Limpopo use nine bowlers, none of whom went for less than seven runs an over. Limpopo’s innings of 63 in that match was inflated by 28 extras. Gauteng hadn’t been that generous in the team’ first meeting in October, when they gave away just six extras, bowled Limpopo out for 30 and chased the score in 7.4 overs.Women’s international cricket has seen some maulings too. In 1997, New Zealand beat Pakistan by 408 runs, and there have been three more matches which have seen victory margins of more than 300 runs.Four hundred and sixty four, though, will be difficult to match. But it’s not completely inconceivable. Kei still have seven more matches to play this season, including another encounter against Eastern Province, and two against the leaders of their West/East group – Boland Women.

Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, has said he hopes his side has gained some confidence from their most recent ODI win over Pakistan after struggling in the 50-over format over the last year. Pakistan won the six-game series, played in New Zealand, 3-2, with one game rained out, but New Zealand were victorious in the final match.”There is not much you can do about what’s happened in the past but hopefully we can reflect back on the last game, which was a win against Pakistan, and bring that confidence over to the World Cup.”New Zealand had gone into the Pakistan series having lost 11 consecutive one-day games and Vettori said it was important to learn from one’s mistakes. “I think hopefully we have learned from those losses because it important to do that and we get a chance in the first two warm-up games to see if we have or not.”Former India coach John Wright was appointed to coach the team ahead of the Pakistan series, and Vettori said his knowledge of Indian conditions makes him an important asset. “It is been pretty exciting for us because he knows a lot about the conditions, he knows what it takes to succeed over here and he also knows a lot of people who have succeeded over here. So we can tap into their knowledge as well as John’s.”Vettori said Brendon McCullum, who has been moved up and down the order lately, will open the batting in the tournament. The team might also choose to open the bowling with offspinner Nathan McCullum should the opportunity present itself, a strategy that harks back to the 1992 World Cup, when then captain Martin Crowe chose to open the bowling with offspinner Deepak Patel.New Zealand have three spinners in the side, with left-arm spinner Luke Woodcock, who made his debut against Pakistan in January, joining Vettori and McCullum. “He [Woodcock] has played for a long time for Wellington – about 10 years – and the last two years his spin bowling has been outstanding in the limited overs form, so he has earned his place through performances.”But he is also a very good batsman; he was the highest runscorer in first-class cricket last year, so he can fill a number of roles for us.”When asked whether a quarter-final or semi-final place would represent a successful tournament for New Zealand, Vettori said, “I think we are the same as any team – you come here to try and win and that’s the only thing you look at. But I think it is important for a team to focus on the game in front of them because there is no point worrying about the quarter finals or semi-finals because that is a long way away. “New Zealand take on Ireland in a day-night warm-up game in Nagpur tomorrow. They kick off their tournament against Kenya on February 20 in Chennai.