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| Monday,
April 2, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Lara, Hooper lead Windies’
fightback
Australian media ridicules
Ganguly |
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Mark Waugh writes Lanka’s sacked panel hits
back ‘Rift’ between Miandad,
players East Bengal drub
Air-India |
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Mahindras
hold Vasco SC Eves’ soccer trials on April 5 Audit TT
results Bhiwani Club sail into
final Beighton Cup: CESC
triumph Volleyball coach
honoured
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Lara, Hooper lead Windies’ fightback Bridgetown, Barbados, April 1 West Indies were 252 for five at the close yesterday in reply to South Africa’s first innings total of 454. Lara (83) and Hooper (74 not out) put on 116 for the fifth wicket after South Africa’s back-up fast bowlers, Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini, had plunged the home side into trouble. The two most experienced batsmen in the West Indian team earned roars of approval from a crowd which Friday had watched in near-silence as the West Indies gave a shoddy performance in the field. Lara again fell short of a Test century against South Africa, a feat which has eluded any West Indian, after getting the benefit of the doubt from the television umpire when he edged Pollock to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher when he had 21. Kallis and Ntini did the early damage after taking over from Pollock and Allan Donald, who had shone as batsmen Friday when they put on a record 132 for South Africa’s ninth wicket. Kallis took a wicket with his second delivery and finished the day with three for 52, getting the key wicket of Lara late in the day when the batsman pulled a short ball to mid-on. Ntini ended a hard-hitting innings of 40 by left-handed opening batsman Chris Gayle and broke a promising partnership between Lara and ramnaresh Sarwan as he took two for 51. Pollock and Donald were unable to make a breakthrough at the start of the West Indian innings. Scoreboard South Africa (Ist innings): 454 West Indies (Ist innings): Hinds c Boucher b Kallis 2 Gayle c Cullinan b Ntini 40 Samuels c McKenzie b Kallis 6 Lara c Boje b Kallis 83 Sarwan c Gibbs b Ntini 16 Hooper not out 74 Jacobs not out 14 Extras (b-4, 1b-5, nb-8) 252 Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-49, 3-57, 4-102, 5-128. Bowling: Donald 14-7-30-0, Pollock 27-10-65-0 (nb5), Kallis 21-8-52-3 (nb3), Ntini 17-6-51-2, Boje 8-1-28-0, Klusener 7-3-17-0.
AFP/Reuters |
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Australian media ridicules Ganguly Sydney, April 1 While there was kudos for Sachin Tendulkar and his record-breaking feat, the media here has not been happy with Ganguly throughout this tour terming him as India’s increasingly rude captain. Ganguly has done very little with the bat in both the Test and one-day series this season, but he has done his best to have an impact in other areas. The Sydney Morning Herald criticised Ganguly for keeping Steve Waugh waiting for the toss on several occasions, often long enough to earn a public rebuke from match referee Cammie Smith. Yesterday morning, after keeping Waugh and Smith waiting a few minutes, Ganguly tried a new trick. Although the coin came down head, Waugh’s call, Ganguly picked up the coin and said: “We’ll bat. Smith intervened and told Ganguly he had to be joking and gave Waugh his rightful choice,” the paper said. Near the end of the match, Waugh was caught in the deep off Ganguly’s modest medium pacers, and received a verbal send off from Ganguly. The papers felt the Australians looked tired and worn out and were not inspired enough to take on the hosts. There was, however, lavish praise for Tendulkar who became the first batsman to reach 10,000 runs in one-day cricket yesterday. The Herald said when Tendulkar reached his milestone “the crowd went berserk, even by Indian standards, but Tendulkar barely lifted his bat — there was a match still to be won”. Tendulkar went on to reach three figures when he swept Michael Bevan’s first ball for four to the finest of the fine legs, prompting the tour’s first pitch invasion by a henna haired, fully clothed man, the paper said.
PTI |
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Mark Waugh writes NOT
playing in the last three matches of the tour is obviously very disappointing for me. I always enjoy representing Australia and would have done anything to play these games. But that’s the way it goes once in a while and I must admit that I’ve been pretty lucky so far because I’ve rarely missed out because of injury. But when it happens, I guess one has to accept it. I was hit on the finger and ribs by Javagal Srinath at
Pune. It was early in the innings and I had not even reached 10 at the time. It felt quite sore straightaway and I had to take painkillers to get through my innings. Later, when we reached Indore I had an x-ray which confirmed that I had fractured my little finger. Fortunately, the injury did not hamper my batting at
Pune. The pitch was a bit slow and dry and the ball was taking turn. All this made batting pretty difficult, especially when the team was chasing a pretty challenging target. We decided that if we had wickets in the shed, we would have a good chance later. After we saw off the opening bowlers, we started finding the gaps and the scoreboard kept ticking. After Hayden and I posted the 100-plus partnership for the first wicket, it was all pretty much under control. I thought the Indians did not bowl the right line on a pitch that would have assisted them. This also helped us along our way when we were batting. While I did not play in the Indore game, I did go to the stadium. It was pretty unfortunate that I missed out on batting on a good wicket. Having said that, I don’t think the guy who replaced me at the top of the order, Adam Gilchrist, did too badly. Who knows what might have been if I were partnering him while he was going great guns. I don’t think our bowlers had a bad day at Indore, it was just class batting from Sachin that took the Indians to a total of 300. It was a sterling performance studded with some amazing shots. While the target was stiff, we were going very well at one stage. After that, I guess we got a little casual and started playing a few loose shots. We lost a flurry of wickets in a very short time, and our collapse was very similar to the ones we had in the Tests. When you are chasing a target of 300, you need at least three good partnerships, and we had only one decent one. At 2-1, I still think we have more than a chance of winning the series. We should have won the first game and that would have put us in front. Agreed, some of the players are looking a little tired and jaded and need to lift themselves. I think if each individual raises his performance a little bit of discipline and focus will take care of the rest. Plenty has been written about our rotation policy and whether it is a wise move to employ it at all times. Well, the policy has been around for a year and nobody was doubting it when we won 10 games in a row earlier this year. The rotation system will only work when a side has depth, and right now we have plenty of players who can represent the country. For example, Darren Lehmann got just one game in the season in Australia and he scored a fine 100. Others too have made the most of their opportunities. Moreover, it would be silly if we brought over players all the way from Australia and did not give them a game. I see no reason to stop the system and I’m sure the team management will continue rotating players in the next two games too.
Gameplan |
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Lanka’s sacked panel hits back Colombo, April 1 The former secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, Mohan de Silva wrote to all legislators denying that they were responsible for any financial irregularities as alleged by the Sports Minister. The minister sacked the BCCSL committee headed by Thilanga Sumathipala on Wednesday and appointed an interim panel amid a deepening crisis in the board which is the country’s richest sports body. Dismissed treasurer Trevor Rajaratnam said he had circulated the annual accounts of the BCCSL more than a week before the annual general meeting which was scheduled for March 31. “It is quite baffling, to say the least, as to why you have held out that no annual accounts had been circulated, thereby causing grave injury, damage, ridicule and humiliation to the members of the BCCSL executive committee 2000/2001,” Mr Rajaratnam said in a separate letter to Mr Kiriella. There was no immediate reaction from either the minister or the government. Mr Kiriella had charged the outgoing board of having issued a large number of cheques hours before they were sacked. At least one cheque was of Rs 42 million. The interim committee which was appointed on Thursday told banks to report on all cheques issued by the previous management.
PTI |
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‘Rift’ between Miandad, players Karachi, April 1 Faqir Aizazuddin’s report to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which was leaked to the daily Dawn, admitted serious differences between the coach and the players. “Although Miandad wanted to combine the players’ efforts, talent and experience, the senior members of the side gave little thoughts to his words,” the report said. New Zealand secured their biggest-ever Test victory on Friday when they crushed Pakistan by an innings and 185 runs at Hamilton, to level the three Test series 1-1. “Players thought Miandad had negative perception and wanted to oust them from the team,” the paper quoted manager Aizazuddin as telling the board. The PCB’s advisory council is due to meet on Tuesday to announce a new captain and discuss the squad for a tri-series starting in Gulf emirate of Sharjah on April 8. Aizazuddin said the differences between Miandad and senior players continued “beyond repair limits” as the tour of New Zealand progressed. “Miandad was forced to talk to the PCB chairman Lieutenant General Tauqir Zia and offered to return middle of the tour but was asked to stay back,” the report said. In his report, Aizazuddin, himself a first class cricketer, termed the current wicketkeeper-skipper Moin Khan a poor captain, the paper said. “Khan lacked initiative and was uncomfortable with the administrators of the game,” he writes. “Khan is sure that his career is over.” The manager also lashed out at legendary pace pacer Wasim Akram and suspected that he feigned injury to return home last week. “Akram at times played irresponsible cricket and has to change his attitude,” he said. But he praised Akram’s pace partner Waqar Younis as “honest and cooperative with everyone.” Aizazuddin also believes injured opener Saeed Anwar’s career is over. “Anwar has been physically hampered and knows his career is over.” The manager also came down hard on popular all rounder Shahid Afridi, another opener Imran Nazir and all rounder Abdur Razzaq. “Afridi and Nazir do not want to learn while Razzaq was irresponsible in his batting,” he said. The team manager’s report will come up for discussion at PCB advisory council meeting next week, the paper said.
AFP |
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East Bengal drub Air-India Kolkata, April 1 The Kolkata giants took the lead in the 36th minute through defender Falguni Dutta. But a sprightly Air-India restored parity in the early second half as Ratan Singh found the target with a gem of a goal from a distance of 25 yards. However, East Bengal regained their rhythm with substitute forwards Srikanta Dutta and Carlton Chapman striking twice in the later part of the second half to collect full points today. The much-needed victory took the red and yellow brigade ahead of thier nearest rivals Mohun Bagan and FC Kochin by a comfortable margin of six points besides boosting their morale to a great extent before they go for the last five matches of the gruelling league. After 17 matches, East Bengal are now leading the table with 38 points and are followed by Mohun Bagan and F.C Kochin who have so far gathered 32 points each. Air-India after this defeat remained in the shadow of relegation. After losing two points by a draw in their last match against JCT, Phagwara, East Bengal looked determined for a victory from the beginning and forced a couple of scoring chances early. But first overlapping back Falguni Dutta and then striker Bijen Singh wasted those opportunities in the 19th and 24th minutes respectively. East Bengal forced another good chance in the 30th minute but a Dipankar Biswas header off Falguni Dutta missed the target narrowly. Air-India also made their presence felt soon and came near scoring a couple of minutes later. However, their striker Anthony Fernandes’ header off a combined move went out by inches. East Bengal finally took the lead in the 36th minute. Collecting the ball near the rival box, overlapping back Falguni Dutta dribbled past a couple of defenders and unleashed a powerful right footer to beat Air India keeper M V Ansari hands down (1-0). Inspite of conceding the goal, the Air-India men did not lose heart and forced another good chance as their main schemer and veteran striker Godfrey Pereira snatched the ball from East Bengal back Jackson and sent a sharp inswinger which beat East Bengal keeper Sangram Mukherjee but missed the target by a whisker. However, the Mumbai side did not have to wait much for the equaliser and drew level in the 57th minute. This time Air-India striker Satan Singh collecting a pass from Anthony Fernandes sent a measured floater which went over the rival custodian and dipped into East Bengal net (1-1). East Bengal, after conceding the lead, made three changes in their squad bringing in medio Chandan Das for Hamza Zaheer Abbas and replacing strikers Dipendu Biswas and Bijen Singh for Carlton Chapman and Srikanta Dutta which paid rich dividends. Besides consolidating their strength in the midfield, the changes also added thrust to their attack resulting in a series of moves producing two more goals during the rest of the period.
UNI |
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Agassi ousts Rafter, enters final Miami, April 1 Third seed and three-time champion Agassi will face fellow American Jan-Michael Gambill in today’s championship match. “There’s something special about an all-American final,” Agassi said after his victory yesterday. “For me it is great before the match. It is great after the match. But during the match there is no nationality.” Gambill beat seventh-seeded Aussie Lleyton Hewitt 7-5, 6-4 on Friday in the first semi-final. “I know Jan-Michael has been playing incredibly well. He has only gotten better this year,” Agassi said. “I will feel good if I give a few more opportunities to defend some match points.” Agassi seeks his second consecutive Masters Series title after winning earlier this month in Indian Wells, California. At 21-2 this year, Agassi is off to his best start since 1995. Agassi dominated the first and last sets, surprising even himself with the opening blanking. “I wanted to get off to a good start,” Agassi said. “But I consider a good start holding serve with Patrick. I just didn’t want him to be up a break early. But I had never beaten him 6-0 before. I sure broke him three time in a row.” “But with him, all he needs is to get his rhythm going on his serve and he can go through an hour stretch where you don’t even have a sniff at it. So I was thinking to myself, the match is starting right now up 6-0. I was getting the first set and just trying to go to work.” Agassi also defeated Rafter in this year’s Australian Open semi-finals, rallying to win the final two sets in the best-of-five matchup when the Aussie veteran suffered serious cramping. Agassi went on to take his seventh Grand Slam title. Agassi rose to 9-4 lifetime against the two-time US Open champion and 42-11 all-time here. “He started on fire, really well — didn’t let me get into the match and never opened the gates at all in the first set,” Rafter said. “I fought hard to get back in the second and then sort of let it go, a couple of unforced errors. You can’t afford to do that with Andre. “I felt I could sort my way back into it. But in third set he put the pressure back on and that is when a couple of loose points here and there and the match is over.” Rafter, seeded eighth, lost to Agassi twice before here, including the 1994 semi-finals, and has lost seven of nine encounters with Agassi on hardcourts. Rafter reached his first Masters Series semi-final singles in 1999 in Cincinnati. He last reached an ATP final last October in Lyon. AFP Venus claims title Miami: Australian Open champion Jennifer Capriati squandered eight match-winning chances against dangerous Venus Williams and paid the price with a three-set loss in the final of the $ 6.12-million Masters Series on Saturday. Third seed Williams, now second in the world behind Swiss powerhouse Martina Hingis, capped an afternoon of errors with a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4)
win. Capriati showed little of the form which took her to the Australian Open title in January, letting opportunity after opportunity go astray in 30 centigrade heat. The all-Florida battle between a pair of reigning Grand Slam champions divided the local crowd, with boos and cheers equally divided over the two-hour, 19-minute life of the mistake-riddled contest.“I couldn’t have done much better,” said
Capriati. “Mentally, I got discouraged after letting so many match points go, especially two games in a row.
I had a letdown in the tiebreaker. “I got a little fatigued, I was fighting hard to win.” Capriati produced 16 double-faults, including one on the eighth match point in the 12th game of the final set to square the agonising match-up at six game apiece. She previously had three match points in the 10th game, all lost. In the tie-breaker, Wimbledon winner Williams raced to a 5-1 margin before Capriati stirred and managed to save three of the five Williams match points she suddenly faced. Williams finally ended the agony as Capriati put a forehand into the net. “I really got into the match at the end,” said Williams, who has won the title here the last three times she has entered. “I was not nervous, I was able to keep the ball in play.
DPA |
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Mahindras
hold Vasco SC Mumbai, April 1 Vasco’s Uzbek recruit Khoshimov Avazbek, who was instrumental in his team’s previous victories, looked a bit off-colour and also didn’t receive the much needed help from the midfield. The Goans had the first chance in the 22nd minute when hard working Daniel Colaco gave a cross to Peter Rodrigues. Peter tried to take the ball on his head but completely misjudged it to miss the scoring opportunity. The match was marred by a little controversy, when referee Arup Chakraworthy blew the whistle to indicate the end of first half with about six minutes play still left.
PTI |
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Eves’ soccer trials on April 5 Chandigarh, April 1 The trials will be held on April 5 at 10 a.m. at GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar, Ludhiana. Any woman football player of the state can participate in the trials in proper kit. The Punjab Women’s Football Association has decided to conduct two coaching camps with the help of the Punjab Sports Department to prepare the state team. The first coaching camp will be organised by the association for 30 probables from April 5 to 19 and the second for 25 probables from April 23 to May 7. |
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Audit TT
results Shimla, April 1 Saurabh outplayed Amod Dixit of AG, Haryana, 17-21, 18-21, 21-9, 24-22 and 21-17 and Joginder Bisht defeated Nilanjan Guha of AG Rajasthan 18-21, 21-15, 21-8 and 21-18 in the semifinals. In the women’s semifinal, Sudeshna Biswas of AG Haryana beat Shikha Sharma of AG Haryana 21-17, 21-12, 21-19 and Arati Sharma of Audit (Post and Telegraph) edged out Barkha of AG Punjab 21-12, 21-13, 21-18. In the veterans’ section Somnath of AG Himachal Pradesh, defeated Ashok Manjerakar. |
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Bhiwani Club sail into
final New Delhi, April 1 Electing to bat, Youngsters scored 152 for 7 wickets in 25 overs, with Naresh Kumar (59) and Dinesh Yadav (30) doing the bulk of the scoring. But Sunny’s 3 for 28 haul enabled the Haryana team to put a check on the Youngsters’ run-gathering. In reply, Bright Club knocked up 153 for 9 wickets in 23.1 overs. In the quarter-final, Bright Club (135 for 6) had beaten Delhi Development Authority (133 all out) by four wickets. Parinder Sharma’s (3 for 21 and 43) all-round performance was the highlight of Bright’s convincing victory. |
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Beighton Cup: CESC triumph Kolkata, April 1 In the firat match of the day at Mohun Bagan ground, Kolkata Customs had a slight edge over the rivals and the first salvo was fired by Satbinder Singh. The equaliser for Tata Steel came through S.Dhang. A Ahmed and R Singh buttressed the tally for Customs but again T Barla reduced the margin for Tatas. In the second match of the day at the same ground, CESC’s Albert Tete and Anil Maity scored for the winners while S Naik scored a lone goal for Mumbai Customs.
UNI Volleyball coach
honoured Patiala, April 1 Mr Sandhu retired from the department after putting in 31 years of service. He has produced numerous national and international level volleyball players, prominent among them being Pritpal Singh and Harjit Singh, both of whom have turned out for India in various international meets. Mr Sandhu was presented with a scooter and his wife was given a special prize by Mr B.M. Singh, Commissioner, Income Tax.
Prominent among those present during the function were Mr Karanbir Singh Sandhu, President and Mr Naresh Pathak, President and Secretary of the PDVA, respectively, Mr S.S. Tiwana, District Sports Officer, and a host of other dignitaries. |
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