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Sunday,
January 6, 2002, Chandigarh, India   
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We've
learnt a lot: Pollock South
Africa race quota row rages on |
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Murali
falls one short, Lanka on top Mahindras
add to JCT's misery Punjab
cops stun HAL East
Bengal go down to ITI Churchill
favourites Ram Pal
to lead Thai
Srichaphan enters final Indian
eves favourites against England Indian
boys rout Singapore Sasikiran
in lead MDU
lads annex athletics crown Gurmukh
declared best boxer
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Aussies
register 10-wkt win
Sydney, January 5 Australia, leading by a massive 400 runs on the first innings, dismissed the visitors for 452 and then rustled up the 53 runs without loss for victory inside four days. That followed Australia’s crushing 246-run win in Adelaide and nine-wicket triumph in the Boxing Day Melbourne Test. Australia last swept a Test series against South Africa when Bill Woodfull’s team won 5-0 in 1931-32 here. Australia’s openers Justin Langer (126) and Matt Hayden (105) were announced as joint winners of the man-of-the-match award, with Hayden taking the man-of-the-series award after scoring three centuries in the three Tests. Steve Waugh donated Australia’s winnings of $ 26,000) to the bushfire appeal in the ravaged state of New South Wales. The Australian Cricket Board announced it would match that dollar amount to the fire appeal. But the South Africans, so much the second best team to Steve Waugh’s Australians throughout this series, can thank 80-Test veteran opening batsman Gary Kirsten for avoiding the humiliation of an innings defeat with a defiant seven-hour, 17-minute vigil at the crease. Kirsten, who posted the highest score by a South African at the SCG with 153, was out 45 minutes before tea to give the toiling Australian bowlers the wicket they dearly wanted. The 34-year-old left-hander equalled the record for the most Test centuries for South Africa with his 14th Test hundred to join Darryl Cullinan and went on to better Jim Zulch’s 150 here in 1911. While Kirsten was there, the South Africans had an outside chance of putting up a testing fourth innings target for Australia to chase on a deteriorating wicket, but leg-spinner Stuart MacGill got the big breakthrough when he bowled him off a bottom edge. Kirsten was at the crease for 437 minutes and hit 19 fours off 359 balls. Shaun Pollock put on some last-wicket fireworks, clouting Glenn McGrath for 13 in one over and smacking MacGill into the members’ stand for six. Pollock hit Warne for six over Brett Lee, guarding the long-on fence rope, and then crashed a four off the next ball through extra cover. But South Africa’s near nine-hour innings came to an end with Allan Donald top-edging Warne to Lee to be out for two, leaving Pollock unbeaten on 61 off 83 balls with five fours and two sixes. The leg-spinners finished with the majority of the wickets in the Test. MacGill finished with seven for 174 and Warne came away with six-179. Warne now has 430 Test wickets, just one behind third-placed New Zealander Richard Hadlee (431). It was a case of what might have been for the under-performing South Africans, who have been a pale imitation of the side ranked No 2 in Test cricket behind Australia. The South Africans resumed the fourth day at 209 for two and despite losing Jacques Kallis and Neil McKenzie in the morning session they went to lunch at 299 for four, 101 runs from making Australia bat a second time. Kallis was out in the third over of the morning when Warne coaxed him to edge to keeper Adam Gilchrist for 34. Scoreboard Australia (1st innings): 554 South Africa (1st innings): 154 South Africa (2nd innings) (209 for 2 overnight): Gibbs b Lee 10 Kirsten b MacGill 153 Dippenaar c Ponting b
MacGill 74 Kallis c Gilchrist b Warne 34 McKenzie c MacGill b Lee 38 Ontong lbw b Warne 32 Boucher c Gilchrist b
McGrath 27 Pollock not out 61 Boje b MacGill 1 Henderson b MacGill 2 Donald c Lee b Warne 2 Extras
(b-8, lb-7, nb-3) 18 Total (all out, 141.5 overs) 452 Fall of wickets:
1-17, 2-166, 3-253, 4-282, 5-356, 6-37 2, 7-392, 8-393, 9-403. Bowling:
McGrath 28-5-95-1, Warne 42.5-8-132-3, Lee 19-5-62-2, MacGill 45-13-123-4, M Waugh 6-1-14-0, Ponting 1-0-11-0. Australia: (2nd innings) Langer not out 30 Hayden not out 21 Extras:
(lb-2, nb-1) 3 Total: (for no loss, 10.1 overs) 54 Bowling:
Donald 3-0-12-0, Pollock 3-1-11-0, Boje 2.1-0-15-0, Henderson 2-0-14-0.
AFP |
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We've learnt
a lot: Pollock Sydney, January 5 Pollock, unable to hide his disappointment at the way his team folded under pressure, said: "I think we’ve learnt a hell of a lot. If you play against the a top quality side, it’s just like in tennis when you’re playing against the number one or the number two, you improve as well. "It’s been a disappointing series, there’s no shying away from that, but it’s all about moving on and trying to improve." South Africa lost the third Test by 10 wickets today to lose the three-match series 3-0. Pollock said he had taken heart from his team’s performance in the second innings of the final Test when they made 452, South Africa’s highest ever score at the Sydney Cricket Ground, to avoid an innings defeat after trailing by 400 on the first innings following their dismal 154.
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South Africa race quota row rages on Johannesburg, January 5 In a particularly scathing attack on former star Clive Rice, reported in Johannesburg’s Saturday Star, minister Ngconde Balfour’s spokesman Graham Abrahams said cricketers “who had gained from apartheid in the past were now contributing to racial polarisation”. In an e-mail to Rice and the commentary team of TV channel Supersport’s Extra Cover programme, Abrahams dismisses Rice’s talk of a players revolution over quotas as “nothing but a shallow attempt by you to be at the forefront of crude attempts to shift the balance of power back to those who had gained from apartheid cricket in the past”. Rice, in an interview with The Citizen newspaper last night said South African cricket was heading for a massive player revolt which would bring the sport in the country to its knees. “Nowhere in the world are players chosen on a quota system. I believe upcoming players in this country are crucified by politicians who are trying to get votes”, Rice said. “I am not saying players should revolt, but we are setting up for just that. Justin Ontong was picked for the national side because he is black, not on merit (...). Players should play for South Africa on their straight ability as players”, he added. The debate, cutting to the heart of South African cricket, has been raging here for a week, following a decision by the country’s cricket chief Percy Sonn to force selectors to include a second player of colour, young all-rounder Justin Ontong, in their team for the third Sydney Test against Australia. Rice insisted he did not oppose transition and transformation, but said “whimsical decisions to include players in national sides just on colour” were destructive to the players concerned and the game itself. Former Test cricketers Graeme Pollock, Fanie de Villiers, Ray Jennings and Pat Symcox have also been critical in the last few days of Sonn’s intervention on the inclusion of Ontong. “We can’t have our cake and eat it,” said veteran spin bowler Pat Symcox, who retired from international cricket two years ago. “We have to decide whether we want to be in line with UCB’s (United Cricket Board of South Africa) goal of being the best team in the world, winning World Cups. On the other hand, we are trying to appease political aspirations, which is not very fair on the players,” he added. Abrahams said it was Balfour’s feeling that the former cricketers have been using the media to encourage disunity in cricket. “You were silent during the worst years of apartheid cricket”, Abrahams wrote in his letter to Rice. “And the only conclusion that millions of South Africans can make is that your silence was as a result of you gaining from apartheid,” he added.
AFP |
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Murali falls
one short, Lanka on top Kandy, January 5 Skipper Jayasuriya’s ninth Test century enabled the hosts to post 334 for four at stumps on the second day in reply to the tourists’ 236 after Muralitharan had fallen one wicket short of realising his dream of a perfect 10-wicket haul. The Sri Lankan captain, who had made 92 in the opening Test, was not the only batsman to dominate the Zimbabwean attack as Mahela Jayawardene (56) and Kumar Sangakkara (42) also played aggressively. Russel Arnold was batting on 44 and Hashan Tillakaratne on 35 as the Sri Lankan batting flourished throughout the day, with the runs coming at a brisk pace. The hosts made 111 in the first session and 122 in the next. Jayasuriya led the run-spree, adding 71 for the second wicket with Sangakkara, 120 for the next with Jayawardene and 71 for the fourth with Arnold. He struck one six over long-on off paceman Henry Olonga and 17 fours before sweeping left-arm spinner Grant Flower to Trevor Gripper at short mid-wicket in the last session. The day would be remembered as much for Jayasuriya’s hundred as for off-spinner Muralitharan’s near-miss. Muralitharan came close to joining the perfect-10 twins, Jim Laker of England and Anil Kumble of India, but saw a catch dropped and then a leg-before appeal turned down in his first over. He was not to get another over as seamer Chaminda Vaas bowling gentle medium-pace, ended the innings with his sixth ball when he had Olonga caught behind after the tourists had added two to their overnight total of 234. Muralitharan’s bowling figures would have been the best in Test history had close-in fielder Arnold not missed a bat-pad chance offered by Travis Friend (29 not out) off his first delivery.
Scoreboard Zimbabwe (1st innings): Masakadza b Murali 10 Gripper c Jayawardene
Carlisle lbw b Murali 20 Rennie st Sangakkara
b Murali 0 A Flower c Sangakkara b Murali 8 G Flower b Murali 72 Wishart lbw b Murali 26 Streak b Murali 1 Marillier b Murali 8 Friend not out 29 Olonga c Sangakkara
Extras: (b-3, lb-7, nb-14) 24 Total:
(all out, 97 overs) 236 Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-45, 3-51, 4-67, 5-83, 6-137, 7 -140, 8-166, 9-201. Bowling:
Vaas 17-4-58-1, Zoysa 15-2-44-0, Muralitharan 40-19-51-9, Buddika 5-2-13-0, Samarweera 8-2-33-0, Jayasuriya 12-3-27-0. Sri Lanka (1st innings): Atapattu lbw b Friend 9 Jayasuriya c Gripper b
Sangakkara hit wkt b Friend 42 Jayawardene lbw b G. Flower 56 Arnold batting 44 Tillakaratne batting 35 Extras:
(b-2, nb-7) 9 Total: (for 4 wkts, 89 overs) 334 FOW:
1-11, 2-82, 3-202, 4-273 Bowling: Streak 21-5-55-0, Friend 15-3-49-2, Olonga 15-0-88-0, Marillier 18-2-73-0, G. Flower 13-0-39-2, Gripper 7-1-28-0.
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Mahindras add
to JCT's misery Ludhiana, January 5 For JCT it was the fourth defeat in six outings and they only have two points from two draws. Mahindras, on the other hand, have boosted their tally to 12 points from three victories and three draws which put them in the first position. HAL and East Bengal are second and third with 11 and 10 points, respectively. It was once again a pathetic display by the premier Punjab outfit, with move after move proving abortive while the Mumbai outfit, with an impressive line-up, made most of the chances that came their way. JCT began with a flurry of attacks and a free kick by international Hardip Sangha after Hardip Gill was brought down missed the mark. A well-intentioned Sameer cross also went waste with Ram Pal narrowly missing the target. Sameer, who was named in the first 11, soon had to leave the field after he was hurt in a tackle with a rival defender and was replaced by Jaswant . For a change, Nigerian star Stephan Abarowei was also brought in from the onset but he failed to achieve anything worthwhile. Mahindras', who have roped in a host of internationals this season, including Jules Alberto, Khalid Jamil, Anthony Pereira, S.Venkatesh, and Mohammed Najeeb, were well served by foreign recruits Isa Musa Eroje, Bernard Oparanozie, Habib Adekunle and Austin Akolo. It was against the run of play that Mahindras shot into the lead in the 27th minute. A loose ball off a corner saw Khalid Jamil attempting a powerful right footer from the top of the box which gave JCT custodian Arvind absolutely no chance(1-0). Following a counter-attack, JCT had another good chance after medio Hardip Saini chested the ball before relaying it to Hardip Gill, but the latter shot over. The story of missed chances continued in the second half as a booming volley off a cross from the left by deep defender Balkar Singh sailed past the upright, followed by Gill's feeble attempt after he was put in possession by Sangha. Nevertheless, Hardip Gill made amends for his earlier lapses when he scored the equaliser in the 70th minute. A through pass saw Gill rushing forward towards the Mahindra goal and sensing danger, goalkeeper Virender Singh rushed out of charge to tackle him. However, Gill with full confidence, beat Virender with a gentle overhead lob and the ball sailed in putting JCT on even terms However, just when it seemed that the two teams would settle for a point each, Mahindras came up with another stunning blow in the 78th minute. Following a goalmouth
melee, star striker Raman Vijayan, who had replaced Mohammed Najeeb a short while earlier, gave a quick back pass to Austin Akolo inside the box, who booted home with perfection to give his team full points (2-1). JCT will now take on Mohun Bagan at Kolkata on January 11 while Mahindras will clash with Goa's Churchill Brothers at Margao on the same day. |
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Punjab cops stun HAL Jalandhar, January 5 The lone goal was scored in the 17th minute of play by Praveen Kumar. This was the first win for the policemen, who were placed at the bottom of the league table having lost all their last five matches. With this win, the cops moved two places up from the bottom that is ahead of JCT, Phagwara and Tollygunge. For HAL, who were at the top of the table with eleven points, this was their first loss, having won three matches and drawn two in their previous outings. It was a much-improved Punjab Police side which gave an impressive performance before their home crowd. In numbers the local side had more shots at the goal than their rivals. The game commenced with HAL attacking trio of Mulisa Jimmy, Raja Believ Nurian and Kentbek Mumtuv attacking the cops goal but failing to score. The cops gradually settled down and in the 17th minute skipper Kuldip Singh collected the ball in the mid-field and past it onto Shera on the right, who lobbed the ball to Praveen outside the HAL penalty box. Praveen, after dodging past two defenders, beat the on-rushing HAL custodian Gumderime with a low shot to the left, which sailed into the net. HAL got their chance to equalise 10 minutes latter but Nurian’s shot was well saved by goalkeeper Satish Kumar, who once again brought off many a brillant save.
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East Bengal go down to ITI Kolkata, January 5 The Bangalore outfit conceded an early goal but bounced back brilliantly with two strikes in quick succession to leave their fancied opponents in a daze in front of their home ground. East Bengal striker Omalaja Olalekin put his team in the lead as early as the ninth minute but the
telephone men fetched the equaliser just two minutes later through striker Kenneth Onu while Mohammed Salisu slammed in the match-winner eight minutes before the interval to seal the fate of the glamour club.
PTI |
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Churchill
favourites Kochi, January 5 The home team, fresh from a 2-0 victory over Punjab Police, which incidentally was their first win in this edition from as many matches, will be hoping to keep the momentum going against the Goan giants. Churchill, who started off with a flourish, have collected eight points from five matches. The Goan outfit started with a 2-1 win over JCT in their opener and then thrashed Punjab Police 3-0.
PTI |
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Ram Pal to lead New Delhi, January 5 The
team |
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Thai Srichaphan enters final Chennai, January 5 Playing his second semifinal in ATP tour, Srichaphan was confident right from the
beginning and began superbly breaking Pavel’s serve in the very first game. With today’s win the Thai has won both his encounters with
Pavel, the first win coming in Masters Series in Indian Wells last year.
Pavel found the going tough and his big forehand badly let him down in the crucial match. On the other hand, Srichaphan held his serves with ease. He engaged Pavel in long rallies and waited for the right moment before advancing to the net for the kill. The young Thai has been the cynosure of all eyes with stupendous wins over Max
Mirnyi, Andre Stoliarov and second-seeded Swede Thomas Johannson. The 22-year-old Thai started the contest on a rousing note to run up a 5-2 lead breaking
Pavel, passing him from the baseline and volleying too at times. He held serve even as Pavel looked exhausted. The Romanian made too many unforced errors and was also struggling to get his first serve in. His ground strokes were inept too. He managed to hold serve in the fourth, fifth and eighth games but was down 3-5. But the Thai wrapped up the first set 6-3 in the ninth game, up 40-0 on his serve, with a fine forehand volley. |
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Indian
eves favourites against England Chennai, January 5 Though the hosts will be missing the services of eight members of the seventh World Cup squad which finished third, they hold an edge over the visitors who are going through a bad patch in recent years. Both teams are in transition phase with several new faces in the line ups with India alone having as many as six debutants. The opener, the first international match for the Indians after their semifinal loss against New Zealand in the World Cup in November 2000, would also mark the beginning of the hosts’ preparations for the 2004 World Cup. The recent record favours the Indians as they had won the last two series — in 1995-96 at home and in 1999 on the tour, besides defeating the English in the World Cup in 2000. But, England, who were drubbed 0-3 by the Australians last summer at home, would be aiming to bounce back.
PTI |
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Indian
boys rout Singapore Ludhiana, January 5 Opting to bat first after winning the toss, India amassed a huge total of 310 runs losing just two wickets in their allotted quota of 40 overs, thanks to some superb batting by their opening pair of local lad Karan Goel and Sandeep Yadav from Delhi, who shared a 134-run
partnership. Karan hammered 85 runs off 105 balls, which included 12 hits to the fence and a six while Sandeep’s half century came off 63 deliveries. This was followed by another useful partnership of 117 runs between Karan Goel and Sunny from Haryana. Sunny, in a whirlwind innings, hit not out, 98 off just 63 balls, studded with 12 fours and a six.
Scoreboard India: Sandeep Yadav c Andrew b Petar Muruthi 50, Karan Goel run out (Maxim) 85, Sunny not out 98, Sushil Kumar not out 19. Extras: 58 (b-4, lb-6, nb-7, w-41) Total:
310 for 2 in 40 overs. Fall of wickets: 1-134, 2-251. Bowling:
Maxim Moil 6-0-56-0, Tham Shu 5-0-25-0, Iftekhar 8-0-71-0, Rajesh Lekhwar 6-0-35-0, Petar Muruthi 8-1-58-1, Riaz Altaff 6-0-39-1, Andrew Baker 1-0-16-0. Singapore:
Glen Meyer c Anant b Paras Dogra 26, Zeng Renchun c Rohit b Simranjit Brar 2, Riaz Altaff Hussain c Rohit b Simranjit Brar 3, Iftekhar Haider c R. Arora b Raj Kumar 6, Shaun Karnan c R. Arora b Anant 5, Rajesh Lakhwar st Rohit Sharma b Anant 15, Peter Muruthi c S. Brar b Anant 6, Eric Leong Jai b Sushil Kumar 1, Andrew Baker c Sunny b Sushil Kumar 0, Than Shu Chua lbw b Sunny 1, Maxim Moil Kar n.o. 4. Extras:
27 (b-2, nb-3, w-22) Total: 96 all out in 37.2 overs Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-25, 3-33, 4-60, 5-64, 6-80, 7-88, 8-91, 9-92, 10-96. Bowling:
Sandeep Yadav 5-1-7-0, Simranjit Singh Brar 8-0-29-2, Raj Kumar 6-0-18-1, Paras Dogra 8-3-11-1, Anant 8-0-21-3, Sunny 2-0-7-1, Sushil Kumar 1.2-0-1-2. |
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Sasikiran in lead Hastings (UK), January 5 Both Sasikiran and Harikrishna have five points each from seven games and were followed by GM Alexei Barsov of Uzbekistan on 4.5 points. Top seed GM Zhang Zhong of China is in the fourth spot with four points. He will get a chance to catch up with the Indians as he plays Harikrishna and Sasikiran in the last two rounds. It was an exciting day with as many as four decisive games of the possible five. Zhong outclassed tailender international master Irina Krush of the USA in a long drawn game with black pieces, while the nightmarish run of English GM Peter Wells continued when he lost his third successive game this time to compatriot GM Mark Hebden.
PTI |
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MDU lads
annex athletics crown Rohtak, January 5 Jora Singh, who participated in the 31st National Games held in Punjab, won the decathlon gold by creating a new meet record. He secured 6550 points. Rajesh, a student of Government College Bhiwani, finished first in pole vault. He covered 4.20
meters. Rajesh Kumar got first position in 20 km walk taking one hour and 41.1 minutes. Karamvir of Jat College Rohtak clinched gold in 1500 metres and silver in 800 metres. M.D. University’s Ramesh secured second place in javelin throw. University’s 4x400m realy team got bronze medal. The team comprised Manoj, Parmod, Govind and Ravinder. The M.D. University boxing team secured third place inter university boxing championship organised at Udaipur university. Dharamvir of Vaish College was adjudged best all around boxer. Joginder Singh of Government College and Punit of Vaish College both Bhiwani won gold and silver medals, respectively. |
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Gurmukh
declared best boxer Sangrur, January 5 The following are the results (all finals): Light fly wt: Gurmukh Singh (STC) b Sunil (Pta). Fly wt: Arun (Hsp) b Saurav Verma (Jal). Bantam wt: Bir Davinder Singh (STC) b Gurlal (Asr). Feather wt: Pritpal Singh (STC) b Amandeep Singh (Bth). Light wt: Ranjit Singh (STC) b Harvinder Singh (Sang). Light welter wt: Vicky Singh (Sang) b Gautam (Hsp). Welter wt: Aman (Hsp) b Bhawan Singh (Ldh). Light middle wt: Amandeep (Bth) b Vikramjit Singh (Fkt). Middle wt: Bikramjit Singh (Bth) b Dilbag Singh (Fpr). Light heavy wt: Bhalinder Singh (Sang) b Ram Singh (Pta). Heavy wt: Gurbakhshish Singh (STC) b Simran Singh (Pta). Super heavy wt: Jaspreet Inder Singh (Pta) b Manpreet Singh (Jal). |
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Women’s hockey camp
shifted to Patiala New Delhi, January 5 Indian Women’s Hockey Federation
(IWHF) secretary Amrit Bose announced here today that the camp was in preparation of the Indian team’s training/competition outing in Kenya, to be held from February 1 to 6, and the inaugural Champions Challenge Trophy, to be held at
Randburg, near Johannesburg in South Africa, from February 9 to 17. Mrs Bose said the coaching camp would continue at Patiala till the departure of the team to Kenya. She said the players would have to report at Patiala by January 8. Twenty three players have been called for the final camp. They are: goalkeepers: Tingongliema
Chanu, Helen Mary and Deepika Murthy; full-backs: Amandeep Kaur, Suman Bala, Pushpa Pradhan and Kanti Baa; mid-fielders: Sita
Gussain, Sumrai Tete, Suraj Lata Devi, Masira Surin, Agnecia Lugun, Shahina Kispotta and Gurpreet Kaur; forwards: Pritam
Siwach, Mamta Kharb, Jyoti Sunita Kullu, Nidhi Mukesh Kumar, Surinder Kaur, Neha Singh, Pakpi Devi, Adline Kerketta and Sanggai Ibemhal
Chanu. |
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IHF elections on January 29 New Delhi, January 5 Gill himself is a candidate for a third term in office in the Indian Hockey Federation’s elections, due in May, will now be held on January 29 in Guwahati. “With a crammed international calendar in the coming months, we decided to get the business of elections out of the way so that the work of preparing teams for various tournaments goes on uninterrupted,” Gill said here.
PTI |
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SGFI’s
clarification Ludhiana, January 5 |
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