Tears greet Sri Lanka team on return from Lahore

Sri Lanka's wounded and shaken cricketers returned home Wednesday to tearful hugs from their relatives, saying they were lucky to be alive after a deadly attack on their team bus in Pakistan. "There were just these images of life flashing through my mind -- all the while bullets were being sprayed at our bus, people around me were shouting," spin maestro Muttiah Muralitharan recalled. "I am glad to be back," he said, hugging his Indian wife Madhi Malar. Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge welcomed the side's safe arrival under tight security at Colombo airport.
"I never thought I will be able to come home alive," admitted skipper Mahela Jayawardene as he was greeted by his relieved wife Christina. Batsmen Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavitana, who were both treated in hospital in Pakistan, were among the first of the 25-member touring party to leave the airport to be taken to a private hospital in Colombo. the entire team "Both of them may need further treatment and surgery," said Geethanjana Mendis, a sports medicine specialist who travelled to Pakistan to assess the wounded before their return flight. He said the entire team needed medical evaluation while some would require more care, although none of the injuries were life threatening.
gun and grenade ambush A total of seven players and an assistant coach were hurt in Tuesday's gun and grenade ambush in the Pakistani city of Lahore which left six policemen and two civilians dead. Spin bowler Ajantha Mendis left the chartered aircraft with a plaster behind his right ear. Vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara, another of the wounded, told reporters that the players were "relieved to be back home." The parents of injured medium pace bowler Suranga Lakmal embraced and cried when their son walked out of the airport lounge. "He is our only son. We have not eaten anything since we heard the news," his father Albert said.
Before leaving Pakistan, Jayawardene extended his gratitude to their driver for possibly saving the team, who were being escorted to the Gaddafi stadium for the third day's play of the second Test. "We owe the team bus driver our lives for his remarkable bravery in the face of direct gunfire," he said in a statement. "Had he not had the courage and presence of mind to get the bus moving after the initial attack then we'd have been a far easier target for the terrorists." Jayawardene expressed the team's "deepest and heartfelt condolences" to the families of those killed. Sri Lanka agreed to tour Pakistan despite the high security risk. They replaced India, who refused to go following the deadly Mumbai assault in November which Indian authorities blame on a Pakistani militant group.
Sri Lanka won a three-match one-day series 2-1 in February, when everything passed off without mishap. They returned to play a two-Test series, drawing the first game in Karachi last week in what was Pakistan's first Test match in 14 months. Assistant coach Paul Farbrace told the BBC how he discovered that he was bleeding. "There was a lot of shouting and people hitting the floor and when I got to the floor I realised the blood that I could see was coming from me -- luckily superficial wounds," Farbrace said. While there has been no claim of responsibility, some Sri Lankan officials fear a link with an ongoing military offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels in the island's north. Others blame Pakistani Islamist militants or Al-Qaeda.

Swann puts West Indies in a spin

ST JOHN'S: Graeme Swann's off-spin proved the undoing of West Indies as England took command of the third test by bowling out the hosts for 285 on the third day on Tuesday.

England lost captain Andrew Strauss in reaching 31 for one in their second innings at the close, a lead of 312 runs with nine wickets remaining.

Swann became the first England off-spinner in 10 years to take five wickets in a test innings, completing figures of five for 57 on a ground where slow bowlers usually have little joy with his well-flighted and positive bowling.

Ramnaresh Sarwan's stylish 94 was the only bright spot in a largely poor West Indies batting display but he was one of a number of batsmen who got out to loose strokes.

Chasing England's 566 for nine declared, West Indies could ill-afford any recklessness but although they may have feared England's pace bowlers being able to make the most of the ridge on the wicket it was Swann who proved their downfall.

After West Indies resumed on 55 for one overnight, the spinner made two breakthroughs before lunch.

Opener Devon Smith and nightwatchman Daren Powell resisted well for over an hour before left-hander Smith was bowled by Swann playing an awful shot across the line.

Powell, normally a tailender, produced his longest test innings before he edged a well-flighted, turning Swann delivery to Paul Collingwood at slip.

Ryan Hinds helped Sarwan add 70 for the fourth wicket until Andrew Flintoff moved a ball sharply away to have the left-hander caught for 27 by a diving Matt Prior behind the stumps.

Then Shivnarine Chanderpaul, so often the anchor of West Indian batting, made just one before he edged an outswinging half-volley from Broad straight to Prior.

Sarwan batted beautifully, timing the ball crisply, but having survived a risky single when Stuart Broad missed the stumps with the batsman stranded, he had another escape when Broad spilled a caught and bowled opportunity.

Just six runs short of his century, Sarwan came down the track in an attempt to drive Swann over the top only to loop the ball to Flintoff at mid-on who snaffled the chance.

With his next ball Swann dismissed Denesh Ramdin, gleefully taking a caught and bowled from a poor full-toss.

Flintoff removed Brendan Nash before Swann picked up his fifth wicket by trapping Sulieman Benn lbw.

With a tired bowling attack, Strauss decided to bat again and force West Indies to try and save the game batting last.
Strauss did not make it through the session, though, edging Fidel Edwards to Devon Smith at second slip.

Nightwatchman James Anderson entered the record books with his 46th test innings without making a duck but he was lucky to get through to the close as he was dropped by Hinds at third slip off Edwards.

The last off-spinner to take five wickets in a test innings for England was Peter Such against Australia in Sydney in 1999.

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