Brendon McCullum led a New Zealand fightback against England with a run-a-ball 97 to help his side to 208-6 when bad light ended the first day’s play of the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday. But three runs short of what would have been the wicket-keeper’s third Test hundred, McCullum was bowled by a quicker delivery from left-arm spinner Monty Panesar.
Monty Panesar returned Test-best figures of six for 126 as England beat New Zealand by 121 runs in the third cricket Test on Wednesday and clinched the three-match series 2-1. Off-spinner Panesar completed his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests, claiming three of the five wickets to fall on the final day, hastening New Zealand’s dismissal for 431 as it chased 553 for victory.
New Zealand’s momentum, picked up from a convincing one-day series victory and first Test win in Hamilton, came to a screeching halt on Monday with a crushing 126-run defeat to England in the second Test. Chasing 438 to win the match, New Zealand flirted with pulling off the impossible when they reached 242 for five late on the fourth day.
A sensational hat-trick by Ryan Sidebottom shattered New Zealand’s run charge and ignited an England fightback on day four of the first cricket Test on Saturday. New Zealand, who had been in control and rapidly building a challenging target, lost five wickets in 29 balls to be left struggling at 147-8 in their second innings.
England slipped to 87-2 in reply to New Zealand’s 470 all out at the close of play on the second day of the first Test on Thursday. Michael Vaughan was 44 not out with Andrew Strauss on one after Chris Martin took two late wickets. England were 383 runs behind on the first innings.
The prized wicket of New Zealand’s big-hitting Brendon McCullum just before stumps gave England a slight edge on the opening day of the first cricket Test on Wednesday. New Zealand ended the day at 282-6 after an 86-run partnership between McCullum and Ross Taylor had lifted them out of a middle-order hole.
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/ 19 December 2007
Mahela Jayawardene was on the brink of setting a Sri Lankan Test century record in helping the hosts reach 287 for six at tea on the second day of the third and final Test against England on Wednesday. Resuming on 147-4, Sri Lanka added a further 140 runs under overcast skies before England picked up two wickets in the final over of the session.
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/ 5 December 2007
Muttiah Muralitharan bowled two magical deliveries when it mattered most to hand Sri Lanka an 88-run win over a fighting England in the first Test on Wednesday. The off-spinner, who became Test cricket’s most successful bowler in the first innings, got out Matt Prior and Ian Bell in the space of three deliveries with the second new ball to end England’s spirited challenge.
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/ 4 December 2007
Kumar Sangakkara became the first batsman to hit 150-plus scores in four consecutive Tests as Sri Lanka pressed for victory in the first Test against England on Tuesday. The left-hander made 152 as Sri Lanka piled up 442-8 in their second innings when they declared 30 minutes before stumps on the fourth day to leave England an imposing victory target of 350.
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/ 3 December 2007
Muttiah Muralitharan shattered the world Test-bowling mark and Sanath Jayasuriya excelled with the bat as Sri Lanka took charge of the first Test against England on Monday. Sri Lanka, trailing by 93 runs on the first innings, easily cleared the deficit and ended the third day’s play on 167-2 in their second knock, a lead of 74 runs with eight wickets in hand.
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/ 1 December 2007
England’s pace-spin duo of Matthew Hoggard and Monty Panesar combined to destroy Sri Lanka for 188 on the opening day of the first cricket Test on Saturday. England replied with 49-1 by stumps after losing opener Alastair Cook to the third ball of the innings when he was trapped leg-before by 100-Test veteran Chaminda Vaas.