& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Clarke close to century

Ponting joins 10,000-run club; ton for Katich

AFP, St. John's
Michael Clarke was within sight of his seventh hundred as Australia continued to bat themselves into an impregnable position before lunch in the secund Test against West Indies on Saturday.
At the interval, Australia, choosing to bat, reached 360 for five in their first innings with Clarke unbeaten on 85 and Brad Haddin not out on 33 on the second day of the Test at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
The pair has added 64 for the sixth wicket to consolidate Australia's position, after they continued from their bedtime total of259 for three.
Clarke, the Australia vicecaptain, looked in fine touch from the time he arrived at the crease the about 45 minutes before the sched-
uled close.
He has stroked the ball with crisp assurance with his classical driving, particularly through the arc between extra cover and mid-off, where he has gathered the majority of his 11 fours. .
Clarke reached his 50, when he caressed a delivery from Jerome Taylor to mid-off and scrambled a single.
The innings has been all the more remarkable, considering he arrived in the Caribbean two weeks later than the rest of the squad, after he was granted compassionate leave to attend the funeral of the father of his fiancee.
But Clarke had a huge slice of fortune, when wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin dropped him on 63 down the leg-side.
Clarke anchored Australia through the morning period, although the visitors lost the wickets of century-maker Simon Katich, who got out on his overnight score
of 113, and An drew Symonds.
Katich was caught down the legside, when he feathered his 248th delivery from Taylor in the same over that Clarke reached his half-century.
Symonds arrived and looked set to play in much the same style that he did in the opening Test, but he tried to glance a delivery from Fidel Edwards and was also caught down the leg-side for 18.
On Friday, Katich fashioned his third Test hundred and overshadowed the 10,000-run milestone of captain Ricky’ Ponting to lead a solid Australia batting performance.
Katich remained undefeated on 113 as Australia reached 259 for three at stumps when bad light stopped play eight overs early on the opening day ofthe inaugural Test at the Vivi an Richards Cricket Ground. The venue has became the 11th ground to host Tests in the Caribbean and the 98th
SEE PAGE 18 COL 6