Pakistan beat Srilanka in first ODI

Pakistan's innings was built around a brilliant 122 from Mohammad Hafeez which saw them post an impressive total of 322-5 in their 50 overs but were made to work hard for their win, finally bowling Sri Lanka out in 49.4 overs.

Besides Hafeez's 122, Sohaib Maqsood (73) and debutant opener Sharjeel Khan (61) were the main contributors on a flat pitch.

Sri Lanka had all but lost the match at 221-7 but Sachithra Senanayake (42) and Seekkuge Prasanna (42) gave Pakistan a scare during their 87-run partnership for the eighth wicket -- a record for Pakistan-Sri Lanka one-day internationals.

Sri Lanka needed 27 off the last two overs but both the batsmen were out in quick succession to hand Pakistan a deserved win.

Pakistan captain MIsbah-ul Haq said his bowlers needed to improve on this performance.

"It was a hard fought win. We need to improve on the bowling and fielding, too many lapses," said Misbah.

Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews was full of praise of his team's battling display.

"We witnessed a great match, especially the stand between Seekkuge and Senanayake, very pleasing to see how they fought," said Mathews.

Sri Lanka got off to a solid start with Tillakaratne Dilshan (30) and Kusal Perera (64) batting quite comfortably against the spin-cum pace Pakistan attack.

Dilshan pulled a short Junaid Khan delivery straight to deep square-leg before Kumar Sangakkara (23) and Perera added 47 for the second wicket.

Perera, who hit five boundaries and a six off 68 balls, also holed out off Hafeez before leg-spinner Shahid Afridi then struck twice, dismissing Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne (10) in quick succession.

Dinesh Chandimal hit a 50-ball 46 while Mathews made 31 off 32 balls during a resolute 73-run stand for the fifth wicket before the tail wagged.

Paceman Junaid finished with 3-44.

Earlier, Hafeez smashed 122 off 129 balls in a power-packed Pakistan batting performance after they won the toss.

Hafeez, whose place was in danger over poor form after only 147 runs in the last eight one-dayers, hit seven boundaries and four sixes in his seventh one-day hundred.

He hoisted paceman Suranga Lakmal over long-on for a six to reach the three-figure mark.

Hafeez added 140 for the third wicket with Maqsood and 83 for the second wicket with Sharjeel to give Pakistan a good platform.

Maqsood was run out after hitting four sixes and two boundaries during an entertaining 68-ball knock.

Shahid Afridi, promoted to fifth in the batting order, produced a fiery 12-ball knock of 34 studded with three sixes and two boundaries as Pakistan mustered 103 in the last ten overs.

Hafeez and Sharjeel raised the scoring rate, with the opener hitting two sixes and a four off paceman Thisara Perera in the 13th over and then hit spinner Sachitra Senanayake for a boundary towards long-off to bring up his half-century off 46 balls.

Dropped on 56 by Thisara off Seekkuge Prasanna, Sharjeel failed to benfit from the lapse, holing out off the same bowler five runs later.

Lakmal finished with the best bowling figures of 2-73.

The second match will be played in Dubai on Friday followed by the third in Sharjah on Sunday and the last two in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Friday.

JF-17 Planes of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid a visit to Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra for briefings on the exports of the Pakistan Air Force’s aircraft, the JF-17 Thunder, Express News reported on Wednesday.
Nawaz was the guest of honour at the inauguration event for the roll out ceremony of the 50th JF-17 aircraft. The event was attended by delegates from China as well as the PAF.
Speaking at the end of the inauguration, the premier appreciated China’s efforts to help Pakistan manufacture 50 JF-17s and also commended the bravery of the Pakistan Air Force.
“Pakistan’s skies are safe due to the efforts of the Pakistan Air Force”, Nawaz said.
Furthermore, he said the last time this project was supposed to be launched, the PAF met with political hurdles which the PML-N government had cleared.
During his speech Nawaz also stated that the inauguration of the planes is a means to “expand the friendship between China and Pakistan.”
Nawaz also reflected on the past joint ventures that Pakistan and China invested in together which include the Karakoram Highway, Chashma Power Plant and the Karachi Civil Nuclear Plant.
Concluding the speech, Nawaz said “We will fulfill all the needs of the Pakistani Air Force”.
The PAC JF-17 is a light weight, single engine, and multi combat aircraft which has been developed by the Pakistan Air Force, the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAC) of China.
The aircraft is 15 metres long and is said to be able to tackle all kinds of weather.

WWE TLC 2013 Results

WWE aired its 2013TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairspay-per-view on Sunday night and the event crowned a new WWE Unified Champion and also featured CM Punk vs. The Shield and Daniel Bryan vs. The Wyatt Family.The event kicked off with a pre-show match between Dolph Ziggler and Fandango (w/Summer Rae). Ziggler tries to superplex Fandango but Summer Rae distracts him and Fandango hits a top rope leg drop for the win. CM Punk defeats The Shield in a 3-on-1 handicap match. Punk hits Seth Rollins with a GTS and goes for one on Dean Ambrose, but Roman Reigns enbters the ring and goes for a spear. Punk sidesteps him and Reigns drills Ambrose, so Punk throws Reigns out ofthe ring and rolls up Ambrose for the win.AJ Lee defeats Natalya to retain the Divas Championship. Natalya went for the Sharpshooter but AJ grabbed her hair and rolled her up for the win.Big E. Langston retains the Intercontinental Championship against Damien Sandow when he plants him with the Big Ending.Cody Rhodes and Goldust retain the Tag Team Championships in the Fatal 4-Way Match. Goldust rolls up Ryback for the first elimination, then Big Show knocks out Antonio Cesaro for the second elimination. Cody Rhodes hits Rey Mysterio with Cross Rhodes after several counters to finally win the match.R-Truth (w/ Xavier Woods) defeats Brodus Clay (w/Tensai and the Funkadactyls) with a roll-up. Tensai andthe Funkadactyls left ringside after arguing with Brodus.Kofi Kingston defeats The Miz by throwing him into an exposed turnbuckle and connecting with Trouble in Paradise.The Wyatt Family defeats Daniel Bryan in a 3-on-1 handicap match. Bryan has Bray Wyatt in the Yes Lock but Bray countered into Sister Abigail for the win.Randy Orton defeats John Cena in the main event TLC match to become the unified WWE Champion. Orton handcuffs Cena to the bottom rope and climbs the ladder, but Cena takes apart the turnbuckle and ropes to free himself. He knocks Orton off the ladderbut Orton uses the rope around Cena's wrist to send him headfirst into a table and then climbs the ladder and pulls down both belts.

Pakistan beat Srilanka by 3 wickets in first T20

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the first Twenty20 International at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.Chasing 146 for victory, Pakistan made it home with five balls to spare with Shahid Afridi making an unbeaten 39, including a six to win.Sri Lanka made 145 for 5 in their innings with Angelo Mathews top-scoring with 50.Pakistan, who won the toss and elected to bowl first, restricted their opponents with none of the Sri Lanka top four able to score at better than a run a ball.Saeed Ajmal picked up the milestone wicket of key man Kumar Sangakkara for 21.Ajmal has got his 400th International wicket. Mathews did provide a spark with five boundaries and a six in his 34-ball innings before falling in the final over to Sohail Tanvir, who was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 34. Sri Lanka set a targetof 146 runs for Pakistan in 1st T20I at Dubai. A 50-run partnership between Sharjeel Khan and Mohammad Hafeez gave Pakistan a solid foundation, and they reached 67 for 1 at halfway after Lahiru Thirimanne took a stunning catch to remove opener Ahmed Shehzad for just four.However, Khan went for 34, and then Ajantha Mendis removed Hafeez for 32 and Umar Akmal for five in consecutive balls, the latter run out at the non-striker's end after the bowler deflecteda Sohaib Maqsood drive onto the stumps.Umar Amin came and went forjust eight before Afridi took the total past 100 with a boundary, leaving Pakistan needing 43 from the final five overs."Boom Boom" Afridi smashed Nuwan Kulasekara for two sixes in the 16th over, and although Lasith Malinga picked up two late wickets, Afridi dispatched Kulasekara for a third six to win the match.

Record cold in Iceland -31°C below zero

The coldest measured temeperature in Iceland since March 8th 1998 was
recorded yesterday, -31°C in Mývatn North Iceland. In 1998 it went
down to -34.7°C.

The temperature yesterday was also the lowest measured in December
since December 27th 1995 when it was -31.7°C.

Coldest 6th of December ever

Meteorologist Trausti Jónsson points out on his blog that the
temperature yesterday (-31°C) is most likely a all time low for the
6th of December.

"It's very rare for the temperature in Iceland to go below -30°C. The
record is -38.0°C in Möðrudalur and Grímsstaðir á Fjöllum, recorded on
January 21st 1918", Trausti wrote.

Tourists in hot springs had to borrow caps

Tourist that were bathing in the Mývatn Nature Baths yesterday had to
borrow caps in the evening, when it was around -30°C. Conditions for
bathing were very nice though and little wind.



The freezing temperatures are not too bad, it's the wind that is our enemy.

South Africa beat Pakistan by 4 wickets in 3rd ODI

Vernon Philander led a strong performance by South Africa’s bowlers to set up a four-wicket consolation win for the hosts in the third and final One-day International against Pakistan at SuperSport Park on Saturday.South Africa this avoided a first ODI series whitewash at home as Pakistan celebrated their first-ever series win over the Proteas.Man-of-the-Match Philander took three for 26 in a Pakistan total of 179 all out. South Africa made heavy weather of the chase but won with 68 balls to spare, steered home by an unbeaten 48 from skipper A.B. de Villiers.Seeking an historic sweep in South Africa, Pakistan struggled in their last game ontour, with only captain Misbah-ul-Haq (79 not out) holding off the bowlers.Misbah hit four fours and two sixes in his gritty knock after Pakistan were 97-7 at one point. Makeshift opener Umar Amin scored 25, as did Sohaib Maqsood, while Misbah and Abdur Rehman (22) shared a 51-run stand for the eighth wicket but South Africa was ontop in the last game despite missing strike bowler Dale Steyn, all-rounder Jacques Kallis and opening batsman Graeme Smith.Philander, recently recalled to the one-day side after starringfor the South African Test team, struck with the fourth ball of the match when AhmedShehzad was caught at first slip without scoring. Ahmed made a century when Pakistanclinched the series by winning the second match in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.Fellow new ball bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe had Asad Shafiq caught behind in the fourth over and Pakistan were unable to build any significantpartnerships against hostile bowling on a pitch which offered good bounce.The best stand of the innings was 51 for the eighth wicket between Misbah and Abdur Rehman (22).South Africa made a fast start, with Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla putting on 39 on35 balls for the first wicket before De Kock mistimed a hook against Bilawal Bhatti and was caught at backward square leg.The momentum slowed as new cap Henry Davids was tied down by Saeed Ajmal before being stumped off the wily off-spinner after struggling to seven off 18 balls.Amla made 41 before being run out after a superb stop and quick throw by Umar Amin at backward point.In contrast to his dazzling 74 off 45 balls in Port Elizabeth, where he played one big shot too many and was out before South Africa ‘crossed the line’, in his words, de Villiers playeda risk-free innings to ensure that South Africa successfully chased down a target for the first time in eight recent attempts.South Africa appeared to be cruising home until Amla was run out in the 16th over to make it 75-3. J.P. Duminy (16) and David Miller (24) also fell after getting starts but de Villiers guided the Proteas home with three fours in his measured 48 from 63 balls.Saeed, who adjudged Man-of-the-Match, was again the best Pakistan bowling, taking two for 34 in 10 overs.With the series decided, both sides showed several changes.Kallis and Steyn, both with minor injuries, were rested from the South African team, while Smith was absent because of a family bereavement.Pakistan made four changes. Mohammad Hafeez and Junaid Khan were injured, according to captain Misbah, while Shahid Afridi and Nasir Jamshed were rested. The newplayers were Umar Amin, AsadShafiq, Sohail Tanvir and Abdur Rehman.While Pakistan head home to prepare for the series against Sri Lanka in the UAE, India are due to arrive in South Africa on Monday for three One-day Internationals and a two-match Test series.