Dhoni leads India to narrow win in rain

(AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

CASTRIES, St. Lucia (AP) Captain M.S. Dhoni hit an unbeaten 46 off 34 balls Friday to lift India to a six-wicket Duckworth/Lewis victory over West Indies with one ball to spare in the rain-affected third one-day international at Beausejour Stadium.

India needed 11 off the final over and Dhoni hit a six off the second ball from pacer Jerome Taylor to help guide his team to 159-4 off 21.5 overs.

West Indies had totaled 186-7 off 27 overs in an innings disturbed three times by persistent rain.

Sri Lanka 104-3 at lunch vs. Pakistan

GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) Pakistan teenager Mohammad Aamer made an auspicious test debut by grabbing two quick wickets as Sri Lanka ended the opening session of the first test at 104-3 on Saturday.

The 17-year-old left-arm seam bowler gave his team the important first breakthrough in the second over of the match, justifying the decision of captain Younis Khan to bowl first after winning the toss at Galle International Stadium. (MORE)

Harmison defends under fire Flintoff

WORCESTER, England (AP) England fast bowler Steve Harmison is certain his friend Andrew Flintoff will rebound from his disciplinary issues this week in time for the Ashes.

Flintoff, England's leading all-rounder, was reprimanded by team officials and heavily criticized in media after he missed the bus that was taking the team to a war memorial site in Flanders, Belgium on Saturday while on a team-bonding trip. (MORE)

Australia reach 275-4 at close of play

WORCESTER, England (AP) Marcus North scored 106 not out to steer Australia to 275 for four at the close against England Lions on Friday after the third day of their final practice match before next week's Ashes series.

North, using his experience of representing five English county teams, justified Australia's decision to promote him two places to number four to allow him extra batting practice before the first test at Cardiff on Wednesday. (MORE)

Injured Muralitharan out of first test

GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) Spin great Muttiah Muralitharan will miss the Sri Lanka-Pakistan test starting here tomorrow - the first test between the sides since a deadly terrorist attack upon their match earlier this year.

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said Muralitharan felt discomfort in his knee during practice, and while he believed it minor and bowled on for a further 40 minutes, bad news was to follow. (MORE)

Pakistan unhappy with long-term schedule
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) Pakistan is unhappy with the lack of matches allocated to it under the International Cricket Council's Future Tours Program beginning in 2012, a top Pakistan Cricket Board official said Thursday. "We have some strong reservations which we told the ICC in its previous meeting in London last month," PCB's chief operating officer Salim Altaf told the AP. (MORE)

PCB fine Asif over Dubai opium arrest
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) The Pakistan Cricket Board has fined fast bowler Mohammad Asif rupees 1 million ($12,250) for possessing a small amount of opium in Dubai last year, a PCB official said Thursday. "Asif has accepted our decision and he feels he had made a mistake," chief of the inquiry committee Wasim Bari told the AP. (MORE)

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