Ponting dazzles with double ton

Pakistan in trouble yet again

Opener Butt incredibly ran out his side’s two best batsmen in skipper Mohammad Yousuf and youngster Umar Akmal late on day two, as Australia coasted along nicely in sight of an historic fourth-successive clean sweep against the Pakistanis at the Bellerive Oval.
After Australia finally declared their first innings at 519 for eight at tea, Peter Siddle struck twice in the one over before the two incredible run-outs that left Pakistan reeling at 94 for four at stumps and still needing another 226 runs just to avoid the follow-on.
Both run outs occurred in the last thirty minutes of the day with the first coming after Yousuf played a superb off-drive off Doug Bollinger.

After running two Yousuf called for a legitimate and easily obtainable third run but Butt refused to run ending up in the run out of the Pakistan captain. Butt again at the non-striker's end, just a few overs later, left the teenage sensation Akmal stranded as the visitors' running between the wickets equalled their deplorable catching attempts during Australia's innings.

Score board

Australia (I Innings, O/n: 302/3)
Watson c Farhat b Gul    29
Katich lbw Asif    11
Ponting c Yousuf b Aamer    209
Hussey c Sarfraz b Aamer    6
Clarke b Kaneria    166
North c Sarfraz b Asif    21
Haddin c Gul b Kaneria    41
Johnson c Sarfraz b Kaneria    8
Hauritz (not out)    12
Extras (B-1, lb-3, W-5, nb-7)    16     
Total (8 wkts decl, 142.5 overs)    519
Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-52, 3-71, 4-423, 5-443, 6-498, 7-499, 8-519.
Bowling: Asif 36-8-104-2, Aamer 31-7-97-2, Gul 25-4-98-1, Kaneria 42.5-2-189-3, Malik 8-0-27-0.
Pakistan (I Innings)
Farhat c Haddin b Siddle    38
Butt (batting)    34
Manzoor c Ponting b Siddle    0
Yousuf (run out)    7
U Akmal (run out)    8
Malik (batting)    4
Extras (B-1, W-1, nb-1)    3     
Total (for 4 wkts; 36 overs)    94
Fall of wickets: 1-63, 2-63, 3-74, 4-84.
Bowling: Bollinger 6-2-13-0, Siddle 10-3-20-2, Johnson 7-1-32-0, Hauritz 13-4-28-0.