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Sunday,
March 24, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Bopanna bags double crown
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Big blow
to English cricket
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West Indies must
improve : Harper Historic Test win for Indian eves
JCT beat ITI 2-1 in NFL
Salgaocar down
Vasco 3-2 Railways, Punjab eves in title clash
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Bopanna bags double crown New Delhi, March 23 Bopanna received the biggest pay cheque of $ 1300 and 12 ITF points of his career for his singles victory. He and Vijay Kannan had shared $630 and 12 ITF points when they beat the Thai twins of Sanachai Ratiwatana and Sonachat Ratiwatana 6-3,6-4 in the doubles title clash yesterday. Rohan Bopanna’s temperament was put to a stern test when he clashed against Dmitri Mazur of Uzbekistan. But despite a mid-match slump, he crawled back into form to score a memorable victory. Though Bopanna had a powerful serve, a searing backhand, with matching ground strokes, his rather sluggish movements on the court was a cause for concern as the Uzbek was athletic and agile in the basically baseline duel. With frills cut out, both the players were involved in an engrossing contest, but what clinched the tie in favour of Bopanna, when the chips were down, was that he scored the big points with his serves and some clever placements. The first set was aggressively contested till the seventh game, when Bopanna made a couple of wrong returns, and dropped serve to trail 3-4. But he broke back in the 10th game, to take the set into tie-breaker. In the tie-breaker, Bopanna hit a few remarkable ground stroke winners, and then finished off with an ace to annex the set. In the second set, Bopanna looked a bit nervous when he sensed his chances of victory, but this almost proved to be his undoing as after dropping serve in the fourth game, he broke back to lead. Serving for the match at 5-4, he dropped serve again, and Manzur consolidated his position to wrest the set. In the third set, Bopanna gained an early break when Mazur dropped serve in the first game, and then played steady tennis never to lose the advantage, till he hit the jackpot. It was a fine capping of a remarkable week of tennis for the 22-year-old, six-feet three inches tall Bopanna, who has been retained in the Indian Davis Cup team for the tie against New Zealand to be played in New Zealand in April. Meanwhile, the All-India Tennis Association (AITA) has taken Bopanna and Sania Mirza under its wings to give them the best possible facilities to further their tennis career. Bopanna said he would continue to train at the tennis village of CGK Bhupathi in Bangalore, but the AITA would take care of all his travel requirements. AITA secretary Anil Khanna said Mr CGK Bhupathi had been given blanket authority to draw up the travel schedules of Bopanna and Sania Mirza, considered as the best tennis prospects among boys and girls in India at present. Mr Khanna also indicated that former national champion Prahlad Srinath would be named as the fifth member of the Indian Davis Cup squad. The AITA will bear all the expenses incurred on him. The services of an extra player can be of immense help when the need arises, and also to keep the other players on full alert. Srinath has also been authorised by the AITA to iron out the deficiencies of promising players like Sunil Kumar Sepaeya, and the former national champion seemed to be taking his new assignment in all seriousness when he toiled it out in the sun with Sunil Kumar for long hours to give the young player some real good sparring opportunity. The original Davis Cup squad is: Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Harsh Mankad and Rohan Bopanna, with Ramesh Krishnan as the non-playing captain. |
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Hollioake dies in mishap
Sydney, March 23 The police said, Hollioake, (24), died when the Porsche car he was driving spun out of control in the suburbs of South Perth at 12:30 am (8pm IST Friday) today. Hollioake’s girlfriend Janaya Scholten, 22, the other person in the car, sustained grievous injuries and was in a critical condition at Royal Perth Hospital. Holliaoke had played in two Tests and 20 ODIs, the last being the Kanpur one-dayer in India in January. He was with the England squad in New Zealand before coming to Australia but did not play the first three matches there due to a knee injury. The family of the Australia-born cricketer, who had come Down Under along with older brother Adam, a former England captain, to see his parents Daria and John, was devastated. “We are totally devastated and just want the family to be left in peace to mourn our loss. He was a wonderful kid,” father John Hollioake told PTI on the telephone from Perth. “Last night was just one of the normal family dinners we had each year before the boys would return to England for the next season. We always loved it. Just don’t know what to say.” According to Sgt Byrne of the West Australian Police, “It was single vehicle, Porsche coupe, driven by Hollioake. It left the road while negotiating a left hand bend and hit the brick boundary wall of a house. Hollioake died of his injuries.” Hollioake’s car crashed through a metre-high cyclone fence and travelled about five metres diagonally across a footpath before ploughing into a brick retaining wall at the back of a block of units, he said. The cricket world plunged into mourning as the news of the cricketer’s death spread. The England team requested today that the Union Jack be lowered to half-mast during the lunch break in its second Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. Team management had also requested that a minute’s silence be observed before the start of the fourth day’s play tomorrow in tribute to Hollioake.
PTI |
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Big blow to English cricket London, March 23 In the heady spring of 1997, when England briefly looked like posting a challenge to the mighty Australians, Hollioake was selected for the third one-day international. England, under his brother Adam, had won the first two matches convincingly and the stage was set at Lord’s for Ben to make his debut. Hollioake drove Glenn McGrath’s third ball for four en route to a dashing 63 from 46 balls as England cruised to their third successive six- wicket victory. He also lofted Warne in to the stands and his imperious upright style made an instant impression on the critics England won the first Test on a tide of euphoria but were quickly brought back to earth as Australia found their form, having the better of a rain-ruined second Test at Lord’s and winning the third and fourth by crushing margins. The two Hollioake brothers were selected for the fifth Test at Trent Bridge, with Ben becoming the youngest England debutant at the age of 19 years 269 days since Brian Close in 1949. Ben scored 28 and two, not enough to retain his place, and his only other Test came in the following summer when he played in the 10-wicket loss to Sri Lanka. Despite his evident ability both as a batsman and medium-fast bowler, Hollioake’s figures for Surrey were mediocre and unsubstantiated magazine allegations that he had smoked cannabis during an England A tour of Sri Lanka in 1998 did not help his cause. Hollioake had scored his first first-class century in the second test and notched another in the third, two impressive innings which seemed to represent a breakthrough. Instead his county form did not improve and at the start of last season he had played only seven one-day internationals to add to his two tests. He was recalled to the England side in the triangular series against Australia and Pakistan, doing enough to win selection for a one-day series in Zimbabwe and in the one-day squad who toured India and New Zealand. A knee injury kept him out of the New Zealand series. “Ben was a hugely talented young cricketer, a popular member of the side, and he will be greatly missed by everyone in the England dressing room,’’ said England coach Duncan Fletcher. “He was one of a number of young players that we were looking to take to the World Cup with the one-day squad next winter and it’s tragic that a young life has been lost in this way.’’ Chairman of selectors David Graveney said: “This is a great loss of someone who was young and so talented. I remember how proud his family was when both Ben and his brother Adam were capped together for England.”
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Kiwis fight back in 2nd Test Wellington, March 23 At the close New Zealand were 70 for one from 36 overs in reply but will clearly need to force the pace in the rain-shortened match if they are to square the three-Test series. On a day overshadowed by news of the road accident death of their England colleague Ben Hollioake, the tourists went to lunch at 199 for four with New Zealand on the back foot. But the New Zealanders struck back well in the afternoon session, capturing the final six wickets for 81 runs. The first after lunch came with the score at 221. Hollioake’s Surrey team mate Mark Ramprakash fell when he chopped an Ian Butler ball on to his stumps for 24 and on the same score the mainstay of the England innings, captain Nasser Hussain, was out for 66. Hussain attempted his favoured sweep to Daniel Vettori but mistimed the shot and the ball appeared to either hit the back of the bat or the gloves and balloon to Nathan Astle at second slip. From Hussain’s unhappy reaction, he obviously thought the ball had missed both bat and glove and hit him on the forearm. Andy Flintoff had scored just two when he mistimed a shot backward of square off Butler and got a leading edge that gave Chris Drum the easiest of catches running in from mid-on. In the following Butler over Ashley Giles was caught behind off a no-ball, the second England reprieve after Hussain was caught by Butler off a Vettori no-ball shortly before lunch. Giles scored 10 before he cut a ball straight to Craig McMillan at point off Butler and Andy Caddick struck a couple of fine blows before he was undone by some clever bowling by Chris Martin. Martin bowled two bouncers in succession then gave Caddick half-volley which he dispatched straight to the hands of Mark Richardson at mid-off. A fighting last wicket stand between wicketkeeper James Foster and Matthew Hoggard realised 30, with Hoggard last out for seven and Foster not out 25, including the only six of the innings when he went down the pitch and lofted Drum over long-off. Scoreboard England (1st innings): Trescothick c Vincent Vaughan c Fleming b Drum 7 Butcher c Astle b Drum 47 Hussain c Astle b Vettori 66 Thorpe c Fleming b Martin 11 Ramprakash b Butler 24 Flintoff c Drum b Butler 2 Foster not out 25 Giles c McMillan b Butler 10 Caddick c Richardson Hoggard c Parore b Butler 7 Extras (b-12 lb-2 w-2 nb-18) 34 Total (all out, 88.3 overs) 280 Fall of wickets: 1-26 2-63 3-133 4-163 5-221 6-221 7-223 8-238 9-250. Bowling: Butler 18.3-2-60-4 (10nb), Drum 24-6-81-2 (3nb 2w), Martin 17-3-54-2 (2nb), Vettori 25-3-62-2 (3nb), Astle 1-0-1-0, McMillan 3-0-8-0. New Zealand (1st innings): Richardson not out 29 Horne b Caddick 8 Vincent not out 30 Extras (lb-1 nb-2) 3 Total (for one wicket, Fall of wickets: 1-16 Bowling: Caddick 9-2-10-1 (nb-1), Hoggard 10-5-18-0 (nb-1), Giles 15-1-38-0, Flintoff 2-0-3-0.
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Murali refuses to comment Mumbai, March 23 Muralitharan is here to accept the Rs 5 lakh worth Ceat international cricketer of the year award. South Africa, despite losing hands down to Australia in back-to-back Test series, was voted as the best team of 2001-2. The award committee comprising three former captains — Sunil Gavaskar of India, Ian Chappell of Australia and Clive Lloyd of West Indies — ignored the views of two most outspoken but well respected former cricketers Bishen Singh Bedi and Michael Holding who both consider Muralitharan a “chucker’’. The Sri Lankan off spinner, who is the most likely candidate to break West Indian pace bowler Courtney Walsh’s record, did indirectly express his gratitute for recognising his feat despite the controversy that has dogged him since umpire Darryl Hair called him for throwing in Australia. That time too Ian Chappell supported the aggrieved bowler. However, Bedi propped up the issue again calling Murali a “javelin thrower’’ in international cricket magazine “The Wisden”. Holding, who had one of the most graceful actions and run-up, supported Bedi and told Murali to quit. Muralitharan has a certificate from an Australian research centre which claimed that his action was the result of a birth deformity. Bedi’s retort to that was if someone is blind by birth he cannot have the right to fly a plane. Muralitharan was not at all pleased by Bedi’s view and instead was confident that he would play an important role in the cricketing destiny of his country. The Tamil-speaking cricketer considered his team’s chances of winning the World Cup in South Africa early next year brighter since they would be touring the host country for a Test and one-day tour prior to the big event. His colleague Marvan Attapattu was also picked as the best international batsman while Murali himself got one more award as the best bowler. V.V.S. Laxman’s double century against Australian in Kolkata got him the best match-wining performance award. The following are the other winners: S. Venkatraghvan (best umpire), Sachin Tendulkar (viewers’ choice), Sunil Gavaskar (lifetime achievement), Ayaz Memon (best cricket journalist), Harsha Bhogle (best cricket commentator), Balvinder Sandhu (best junior coach) and Mark Waugh (best fielder). Chappell justifying Ceat’s claim as the most accurate analysis awards in the world, clarified that the acclaim was not to make cricketers prefer personal goals over team’s interest. Such types have not won this award since its inception six years ago, he added.
UNI |
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West Indies must
improve: Harper Port of Spain, March 23 The former Guyanese and West Indies allrounder said Gary Sobers’ role during the camp would be to help everyone in the team, particularly with their batting. His input should help them to be better prepared. Along with Sobers, former fast bowler Andy Roberts is also sharing his experience and knowledge with the players. Harper pointed out most of the players were involved with their respective teams in the Busta Cup and Busta International Shield.
AFP |
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Historic Test win for Indian eves New Delhi, March 23 India took the upper-hand in the one-off Test match by scoring a challenging 404 in their first innings. The Indian innings was built around the efforts of skipper Anjum Chopra (80), Hemlatha Kale (64), Anju Jain (52) and half-centuries by Mithali and Mamta Maben. The Indian eves then did well to skittle out the hosts for a paltry 150 in their first innings. Neetu David finished with 3 for 41 while Depa Kulkarni bagged 2 for 14. Forced to follow on, South Africa managed 266 to set a victory target of just 13 runs for India, according to information received here. India got the required runs without any loss of wickets to effect an emphatic victory. India’s tour of South Africa involved four one-dayers and one Test.
PTI |
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Mishra
claims 4 wickets
Durban, March 23 Brief Scores: India ‘A’: 212 (R Gavaskar 43, A Kale 33; Nel 3/67, Peterson 3/45.) S A President’s
XI: 369 for 7 (G Dros 103 no, L Bosman 62, A Amla 48; A Mishra 4/91, R Patel 2/121).
PTI |
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Agassi advances; Roddick freezes Miami, March 23 But not even three rain delays could distract defending champion Andre Agassi as he yesterday began his bid for a fifth Miami Masters title with a clinical 6-3 6-1 victory over Britain’s Greg Rusedski. Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Sebastien Gorsjean also opened their accounts in impressive fashion, the Russian third seed disposing of Spain’s Tommy Robredo 6-4 6-0 while the seventh seeded Frenchman brushed aside Italy’s Andrea Gaudenzi 6-1 6-4. Having dipped to number 10 in the world following a first round exit last week in Indian Wells, Agassi arrived in Miami in desperate need of a solid result to keep from slipping further down the rankings. A loss to the 38th-ranked Rusedski would have also ended a streak that stretches back to May 1988, a span of nearly 14 years that has seen either Agassi or Pete Sampras in the world top-10. After the start of the match was delayed a half hour because of rain, Agassi and Rusedski played two points when the skies opened again forcing them off the court for 40 minutes. When play resumed both men appeared to have problems finding their rhythm, particularly Rusedski who double-faulted on set point to hand Agassi a 1-0 lead. With Agassi up a set and leading 2-1 in the second rain again began to fall causing another 45 minute delay.
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JCT beat ITI 2-1 in NFL Ludhiana, March 23 In the first session, JCT exhibited
an attacking game and ITI failed to cope with their speed. Though JCT
made fine attempts during the first 10 minutes, yet they could not get
the desired results as on two occasions Hardip Gill and Ram Pal failed
to collect the ball inside the box. In the 13th minute, JCT forced a
free kick when striker Stephen was obstructed. The shot taken by
Hardip Gill was deflected off a defender’s foot and Hardip Saini
latched on it and with a sizzling grounder put his side ahead 1-0. JCT
kept tormenting the ITI defenders with a flurry of raids from both
flanks with the forward line working in tandem but they failed the
increase the lead. ITI threatened the rival territory in the 27th
minute when Kenninth and Mohd Salisu managed to pierce through JCT
defence and in the process earned a corner but Raghuveer Singh’s
shot went aside. In the second session, ITI reorganised themselves,
played like a well knit unit and displayed brilliant moves. They got
the equaliser in the 73rd minute when Raghuveer dodged past JCT
defenders and rolled the ball towards Sailsu who from outside the box
lobbed the ball in the net (1-1). The all important goal for JCT came
with just two minutes to go for the buzzer. Hardip Gill, Ram Pal,
Hardip Saini and Jaswinder Singh weaved a good move and succeeded in
stroming the ITI citadel and a horde of ITI defenders tried to clear
the ball. In this goalmouth meele Hardip Saini scored an opportunistic
goal to help his team clinch the cliff hanger 2-1. |
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NFL tie shifted Margao, March 23 According to AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco, the local organising committee at Kolkata had expressed its inability to hold the match on March 27 at Salt Lake Stadium due to unavailability of police on that day and also on subsequent days. The same match has been shifted to the Cooperage football ground, Mumbai, and will be played on the same day.
UNI |
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Salgaocar down
Vasco 3-2
Margao, March 23 Salgaocar scored through Alvito D’Cunha (28th, 72nd) and substitute Bruno Coutinho (86th). Vasco went all out in the closing stages and reduced the margin through Rui Wanderly Weis (85th) and Marcos Pereira (87th). Vasco enjoyed the upper hand for better part of the match and had many scoring chances but failed to capitalise on the numerous chances that came their way. Rui, who did not play in the last match against East Bengal with two yellow cards, was the livewire in their attack. He was unlucky twice. Once his try hit the cross bar and went out and later Kalyan Chaubey blocked a shot from close. Chaubey put in a fine performance under the bar as he denied Abhay Kumar and Marcos from scoring. Vasco were reduced to 10 men midway into the second half after Abhay Kumar got his second booking from referee Walter Pereira for a foul on Eugene Gray.
PTI |
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Railways, Punjab eves in title clash Jalandhar, March 23 In one-sided affair, Railways, dominated the proceedings before dashing the hopes of Mumbai with an impressive 4-0 victory. Railways started scoring in the 11th minute of the game through Surinder Kaur. Mumbai eves failed to avail an opportuinty to score the equaliser in 20th minute when their attempt to convert a penalty corner was foiled. The score was 1-0 at the lemon break. In the second half, Railways succeeded in increasing the tally when Mamta scored a field goal in 48th minute (2-0). Jyoti S.Kullu scored two field goals in 53rd and 64th minutes of the game (4-0). In a closely contested game, Punjab scored an impressive 2-1 victory over Haryana. The hosts won in extra time as both the teams were locked 1-1 till the 70th minute. The first half was virtually dominated by Haryana who opened the account when Balwinder successfully passed through the rival defence before steering the ball into Punjab’s goal (1-0). Haryana players were in control for most of the time in the first half. The score was 1-0 at the lemon break. In the second half, both the teams entered the field in an attacking mood. Punjab scored the equaliser in 50th minute of the game when Renu Bala converted a penalty corner the (1-1). After this both the teams tried their best to gain control of the ball but failed in the 15-minute extra time Punjab sealed victory when Renu Bala converted a penalty corner in 84th minute. |
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