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Friday,
September 20, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Aussies toy with Bangladesh Chetan Sharma writes Aussies to focus on Muralitharan SA eager to ensure smooth passage
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Kirti replaces Madan Lara pulls out of Indian tour DAVIS CUP
India can reach semis: Bhutia
Chaos marks opening of national throwball Prize money introduced in Gurmit hockey Montgomery lads score win Ropar Hawks win Haryana kabaddi at Panchkula
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Aussies
toy with Bangladesh
Colombo, September 19 Electing to bat, Bangladesh could manage only 129 runs before being bowled out in 45.2 overs. In response, Australia knocked off 133 for one in just 20.4 overs to register their second victory which paved their way to the semifinal from the group. Openers Matthew Hayden, who remained unbeaten on 67, and Adam Gilchrist put on 113 runs for the first wicket. Gilchrist was adjudged leg before wicket to Mohammad Rafique for 54 off just 44 balls with nine fours. Hayden then completed the formality in the company of his captain Ricky Ponting, who remained unbeaten on nine runs. Earlier, Bangladesh recovered from a hopeless 13 for four at one stage to post a total in excess of 100. Alok Kapali led a spirited fightback from the late middle-order, comprising captain Khaled Mashud and Tushar Imran. They were the only three batsmen to come up with double- figure scores, Kapali top-scoring with 45 runs while Imran and Mashud chipped in with 27 and 22 runs, respectively. However, the total put up by Bangladesh proved highly inadequate and the Australian openers toyed with the bowling attack to run away with the match. Hayden did the early damage, repeatedly coming out of his crease to smash the bowling to the area of his choice and picking up easy boundaries. Gilchrist followed suit, and after struggling to get his timing right initially, launched a familiar onslaught on the bowling. Bangladesh bowlers compounded their misery by bowling short of length and made it quite easy for the two seasoned batsmen. Hayden completed his half-century off 53 balls with seven fours and a six. Gilchrist followed him on the milestone one ball later, bringing up his fifty in just 44 balls. Bangladesh won a consolation wicket when Gilchrist was caught leg before wicket while trying to sweep Rafique to fine leg fence. Earlier, Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath destroyed the Bangladeshi top-order, which lost two wickets without even a single run on the board. Gillespie, who was the most successful of Australian bowlers claiming three wickets for 20 runs, sent back opener Al-Sahariar and Habibul Bashar with the second and fourth balls of his first over. McGrath dismissed the other opener Javed Omar (4) in the fifth over before Gillespie struck again in the eighth over to dismiss debutant Mazharul Haque for three and leave Bangladesh tottering at 13 for four. Imran and Mashud then got down to resurrect the innings a bit through their fifth wicket partnership before Lee struck for Australia. Imran was caught by Michael Bevan off Lee for 27 which contained five hits to the fence. Bangladesh batsmen looked much more comfortable against the spin attack of Warne and Darren Lehmann. In fact, the eight overs Lehmann sent down allowed them to settle down and play freely. Warne, too, was tackled with comparative ease and conceded 33 runs off his 10 overs. But once the pace attack came back in the final overs, Bangladesh innings crumbled again. Watson, who was introduced into the attack in the 42nd over, struck with his third ball when he trapped Khaled Mahmud leg before wicket, a decision for which the third umpire had to be consulted. Kapali, who grew in confidence as he batted along, was out as the ninth wicket, clean bowled by Lee. His 45 contained three boundaries.
PTI
Scoreboard Bangladesh Javed Omar c Lee b McGrath 4 Al-Sahariar lbw b Gillespie 0 Bashar c Gilchrist b Gillespie 0 Haque c Gilchrist b Gillespie 3 Imran c Bevan b Lee 27 Mashud b Warne 22 Kapali b Lee 45 Mahmud lbw b Watson 9 Rafique run out 5 Baisya not out 2 Islam lbw b Watson 0 Extras: (b-5, lb-1, w-1, nb-5) 12 Total: (all out, 45.2 overs) 129 FoW: 1-0, 2-0, 3-10, 4-13, 5-49, 6-85, 7-118, 8-126, 9-128 Bowling: McGrath 8-3-17-1, Gillespie 10-1-20-3, Lee 7-0-23-2, Warne 10-2-33-1, Lehmann 8-0-23-0, Watson 2.2-0-7-2 Australia Gilchrist lbw b Mohammad Rafique 54 Hayden not out 67 Ponting not out 9 Extras:
(lb-1, w-1, nb-1) 3 Total: (1 wkt, 20.4 overs) 133 FoW: 1-113 Bowling:
Islam 6-0-35-0, Baisya 5-0-27-0, Rafique 5-0-32-1, Mahmud 4-0-34-0, Haque 0.4-0-4-0. |
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Chetan Sharma writes So, the line-up for one semifinal is ready and world champions Australia will face local favourites Sri Lanka in what promises to be an action-packed contest. Not that Australia’s making it to the semifinal from their group was in doubt, but still they had to get through Bangladesh today and they did so with so much ease. Bangladesh could not have been expected to run Australia close but their capitulation without Australia even needing to break sweat only reinforced my comment that they have been pushed into international cricket too soon. I mean, the performance of teams like Bangladesh and Holland has surely devalued some of the matches being played in the Champions Trophy. For Australia the big worry will be that their bowlers have not been tested in a crisis-like situation in either of their two matches so when they bowl to the Sri Lankans it will be quite different than the weak Bangladeshis and New Zealanders. Ricky Ponting’s team needed to know how the bowlers will cope up with pressure but they have been so superb, pressure has not been allowed to come any where near the dressing room. Today too, their bowlers were spot on, and Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee, Shane Warne, Darren Lehman and Shane Watson bowled with guile. Bangladesh lost wickets when their innings began and they hardly recovered past 129. Alok Kapali looked to me a capable batsman and he played a good knock of 45 which helped Bangladesh cross the 100-run mark. Now, I don’t expect teams like Australia to be worried over chasing 130 these days and they did so losing only one wicket. That too when Adam Gilchrist had reached another strokeful half-century. Matthew Hayden also slammed a half-century and it looks to me that he loves batting on the pitches in Asia. He has been in form ever since Australia played a Test series in India in 2001 and has looked impregnable. Both Gilchrist and Hayden will be crucial to the Australian hopes in the semifinal. It will not be easy for the Australians to score quickly once off spinner Muthiah Muralitharan comes on so they will need a good start to consolidate their base.
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Aussies to focus on Muralitharan
Colombo, September 19 “Muralitharan is a world class bowler and bowls well in both forms of the game. The wicket in the Premadasa stadium would naturally be slow and it would be difficult to tackle Murali. We will focus on this aspect as the conditions will suit the home team,’’ Ponting said. Talking to media after Australia’s thumping nine-wicket win over a lowly Bangladesh in their last group match here, Ponting admitted,’’ The conditions here will suit Sri lanka than us...We are trying to get use to the conditions as much as possible in the next few days before the semifinals.’’ Australia, who annihiliated New Zealand by 164 runs in their opening match, ambushed Bangladesh by nine wickets today to top the group with an all-win record. Australia restricted Bangladesh to 129 all out in 45.3 overs, thanks to a three-wicket burst by Jason Gillespie in the initial overs, and knocked off the runs in 20.4 overs with openers Adam Gilchrist and Mathew Hayden scoring half centuries a piece. UNI
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SA eager to ensure smooth passage
Colombo, September 19 “It is important to get out there and play well from a confidence point of view,” Pollock said today as his team prepared for the pool 3 clash tomorrow. A victory would lift South Africa into a last-four meeting with India or England, who clash on Sunday to decide who tops pool 2. South Africa scored a nail-biting two-wicket win over the West Indies on Friday, clinching victory on the last ball. They were a tough fortunate as West Indies fast bowler Mervyn Dillon bowled a wide off the last ball with two runs needed and the batsmen tied the scores by running a bye as well. Number 10 batsman Alan Dawson then hit a four off the final delivery. Pollock said South Africa would prefer to maintain a firm grip on the game against the Kenyans. “At one stage we were fighting against odds (against the West Indies). Our attitude as South African team is to try and be on top and dominate.” All-rounder Nicky Boje will miss the game to recover from a hairline fracture he suffered on his right ring finger attempting a return catch off West Indies skipper Carl Hooper. Also doubtful are batsman Jonty Rhodes, yet to fully recover from a hand injury he suffered during a one-day series in Morocco last month, and fast bowler Allan Donald, who may be rested. Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, batsman Justin Ontong and Dale Benkenstein will come in if the trio do not play. Kenya pushed the West Indies before losing by 29 runs on Tuesday in another display of the talent in their ranks. “They came pretty close to the West Indies score. They definitely can’t be taken lightly,” Pollock said. The South African skipper said Kenya were the best among the inexperienced sides in the prestigious 12-nation event, ahead of new Test entrants Bangladesh and the ICC trophy winners, the Netherlands. Reuters
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Indian cricketers back in Colombo Colombo, September 19 The seven players had left home to spend a couple of days with their family after finishing their opening group-2 match against Zimbabwe which India won by 14 runs.
UNI
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Dalmiya
tightens grip on BCCI
Kolkata, September 19 With his detractors failing to put up a candidate for the President’s post, 60-year-old Dalmiya’s re-election was a foregone conclusion. All attention was focussed on the duel for, the secretary’s post at the 73rd annual general meeting of the board at a hotel here. Dalmiya’s nominee and board’s finance committee chief, Nair ousted the incumbent Niranjan Shah 18-12 in the elections with one vote out of the 31 polled being cancelled. In the last AGM of the board in Chennai, Dalmiya’s nominee and the then secretary J.Y. Lele had lost to Shah, the candidate fielded by AC Muthiah camp, by a single vote. Muthiah had cast the decisive vote for Shah. Soon after the elections, Dalmiya told waiting newspersons that he was happy at the faith reposed in him by board members. “I shall work to the best of my ability to serve the interest of the board and that of Indian cricket,” a beaming Dalmiya said. The BCCI chief said the elections were an integral part of democracy. “But it has been a time tested tradition of the board that once elections are over, we always work together for the cause of cricket.” Describing Shah as a ‘good worker’, Dalmiya said “in democracy sometimes elections become inevitable.” Sixty-five-year old Nair, a former BCCI treasurer, said he was looking forward to working with Dalmiya in solving the challenges before the board. “This is an opportunity as well as a challenge for me to work hard.” However, he refused to answer questions on the players’ contract and the logo controversy saying he needed time to understand the issues. “I have just been elected. Give me some time to get settled and understand the issue,” he said. On persistent queries about the sponsorship issue, he said “the issues are being taken up at appropriate level. The board has a very effective administrative set-up.” When pointed out that he had won a crucial election, Nair said “every election is crucial. I hope I can prove myself.” Dalmiya’s nominees were elected unopposed to the other posts also. While Kishore Rungta was re-elected treasurer, former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Mohanta, Ranvir Singh, Ranga Reddy, Narhari Amin and Kamal Morarka were unanimously elected as Vice-Presidents for the five regions. Jyoti Bajpai was elected unopposed as joint secretary. Dalmiya aides, who expected Nair to get over 20 votes felt that some voters rooted for Shah on personal equations. “He (Shah) has worked hard. He has good personal relations with everyone. Naturally some voters, whom we expected to vote for Nair, voted for him,” sources in the Dalmiya camp said. Accepting the defeat gracefully, Shah said the election only showed that the BCCI was run on democratic lines. “Winning and losing are part of the game. My best wishes to Nair.”
PTI |
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Kirti replaces Madan Kolkata, September 19 Others who were named as the selectors at the BCCI’s AGM here today were Kiran More, Kirti Azad, Pranab Roy and Sanjay Jagdale, sources at the BCCI said. The tenure of Mr Patel, who replaced Shiv Lal Yadav, would be renewable for three more terms. Former national wicketkeeper Kiran More became the West Zone’s selector replacing Chandu Borde. Kirti Azad replaced Madan Lal as the selector of the North Zone while Pranab Roy replaced Ashoke Malhotra in the East Zone. Sanjay Jagdale remained the selector of the Central Zone for the second term, sources
said. UNI |
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Lara pulls out of Indian tour
Colombo, September 19 According to a West Indies board press note, team manger Rickey Skerritt was quoted as saying here today, “Lara has been advised by medical specialists in Colombo that he will miss the West Indies immediate cricketing commitments. That will obviously rule him out of the Indian tour and I have asked the West Indies selectors that a replacement will be needed for the Indian tour,” he added. Lara was admitted to a local hospital here for suspected hepatitis on September 17 soon after he scored a century against Kenya in the ICC Champions Trophy tournament here. He was advised rest by the doctors and was undergoing diagnosis. Blood and other tests were taken the reports of which were not revealed by the team management and the hospital. Lara had been feeling unwell for the last couple of days and decided to play the match against Kenya in which he scored 111 runs in 120 balls to propel West Indies to 261 for six in 50 overs. West Indies, then survived a scare in the form of Kenyan skipper Steve Tikolo who stroked a superb 93 in 91 balls, before winnin by 29 runs to taste their first success in the tournament. West Indies were theoretically knocked out of the ICC Champions Trophy after they lost to South Africa in a last ball finish in their opening match. UNI
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DAVIS CUP
Adelaide, September 19 Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt will open the tie tomorrow against India’s Harsh Mankad in a match that will feature two young players with similar fast and energetic full-court games, but very different rankings- Hewitt is the world No 1 while Mankad is ranked 831. Mankad said the clash with Hewitt would be his biggest match ever. “I will just try to go out and play my best,” he said after the draw. “He is somebody I have looked up to.” Mankad said he had only played Hewitt once before- in 1996- when he lost in straight sets. Hewitt did not even remember the matchup. Hewitt said he was keen to get a victory on the board in the first match to take the pressure off Australia in front of a partisan crowd in his home town of Adelaide. “It’s nice if I go out there and get the job done quickly, a bit of a confidence boost for the boys,” he said, adding that he would not take his lowly ranked opponent for granted. Australia’s other singles player tomorrow is big-serving left hander Wayne Arthurs, who is keen to put behind him the memory of last year’s loss in the deciding match of the Davis Cup final against France in Melbourne. “I want to get a little bit of a monkey off my back,’’ Arthurs said of his four-set defeat at the hands of Nicolas Escude. Arthurs takes on India’s veteran doubles specialist Leander Paes in tomorrow’s second singles match. On Saturday, Hewitt teams up with doubles specialist Todd Woodbridge to take on Paes and Vishaal Uppal. Sunday sees the reverse singles matches in the best-of-five tie. Paes said Australia were a favourites in the doubles, while India are severely weakened by the withdrawal of Paes’ regular partner, world No 5 doubles player Mahesh Bhupathi, who withdrew from the team saying he had a shoulder injury. The matches will be played outdoors at the Memorial Drive tennis center on a fast rebound ace court. While the Davis Cup reaches its semifinal stage at the weekend, Australia are forced to re-qualify for the 16-nation World Group having lost to Argentina in a World Group tie earlier this year. Team captain John Fitzgerald described the India match as the first step on Australia’s campaign for next year’s Davis Cup title. The teams have met 10 times before in the Davis Cup with 27-times title holder Australia holding a convincing 7-3 lead. Indian captain Ramesh Krishnan also wants to put his team back in the top flight. “It is very important for us to be with the top 16,” he said. “We have been there several times in the past ... and we would love to do that again.”
AP |
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India can reach semis: Bhutia
New Delhi, September 19 “China is a strong team...but we are no longer pushovers. If we play to our full potential...the way we did in the LG Cup in Vietnam...we have a realistic chance to reach the semis,’’ Baichung told UNI here. The Indian captain was optimistic about the team’s performance as it had the “zeal and enthusiasm’’ required to deliver at the international stage. “This is a much improved side...the best part is that the team is very young and technically sound...Indian football has improved by leaps and bounds,’’ he added. The ace striker said the present team would be a very good and consistent side in two-year’s time after getting maximum exposure at the international level. Baichung said his team was playing very good football for the past year especially during the last three months when it lifted the LG Cup in Vietnam with the game against Jamaica being one of the best India had ever played. He said the team was shaping very well under the training of coach Stephen Constantine who has been trying different combinations and giving opportunity to the reserve benches to show their mettle in the middle. But the Indian captain struck a note of caution when he said the team needed to shed its complacency and deliver consistently at the international level. India outplayed Uzbekistan 2-0 in the first of their two friendly ties here on Sunday but lost the second 0-1 yesterday. Baichung scored a brace in the opening match and created several chances in the second fixture. UNI
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Chaos marks opening of national throwball Ludhiana, September 19 The organisers were also found ignorant about the rules of the Federation Cup. When asked about first day’s fixtures, schedule and number of teams reached, they gave a list of 10 teams although only eight teams can take part in the event. Men’s section has defending champions Bihar along with Uttraanchal, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Jharkhand, Orissa and Delhi while women’s section comprises current champions, Bihar along with hosts Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh and Delhi teams. In the sub-junior category, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan Chhatisgarh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Pondicherry will be seen in action in the boys section while Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar will battle for top honours in the girl’s section during this four-day meet. An organiser informed that as many as 10 matches, both in the sub-junior section as well as senior category were slated for today however they would be able to conduct only four or five matches. He said that the ties would be finalised tomorrow. Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, Punjab Minister for Sports who was supposed to inaugurate the championship today could not turn up and in his absence, Mr Harpal Singh Kanwar, District Sports Officer, Ludhiana declared the meet open. Today, in the league matches ( sub-junior boys), Punjab prevailed over Chandigarh 5-15, 15-5 and 15-12. Uttranchal drubbed Himachal Pradesh 15-3, 15-3 in which the former’s captain Akhil Verma, Ketan, Ravi and Dinesh excelled. While in the girl’s section, Chandigarh defeated Rajasthan 15-4, 15-11. |
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Prize money introduced in Gurmit hockey Chandigarh, September 19 An added feature of the tournament this time will be 'man of the match' cash awards of Rs 1000 each from the quarterfinal stage onwards. The participating teams are Corps of Signals, RCF, Punjab and Sind Bank, Punjab Police, BSF, EME, PSB Academy, Central Reserve Police Force, Indian Air Force, Northern Railway, Air-India Academy, Western Railway, Central Railway, Sikh Regimental Centre, UP XI, Shajahanpur XI, All-India Post and Telegraph, Central Industrial Security Force, Special Security Board, Ropar Hawks, Faridkot XI, Chandigarh XI, Chandigarh Police, and Shivalik Public School. On the opening day, two matches will be played. While Chandigarh Police will meet Shivalik Public School at 2.30 pm, CISF will clash with UP XI in the second encounter. |
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Montgomery
lads score win Jalandhar, September 19 In a keenly contested game, Montgomery Guru Nanak Senior Secondary School scored an impressive victory over Gobind Convent School, Ferozepore (2-1) to go on top in Pool A nine points. In the 21th minute of the first half Montgomery’s Dilbagh Singh, displayed fine stickwork score a field goal (1-0). Ferozepore lads soon succeeded in scoring an equaliser through Tejbeer Singh, who scored a field goal in 28th minute. The score was 1-1 at the lemon break. Within five minutes in the second half, the Montgomery boys took their lead to 2-1. Inderdeep Singh struck a field goal. Ferozepore boys made attempts to score the equaliser beat Montgomery boys held form. In another match, PAP Government Senior Secondary School defeated Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Lopoke, 2-0. PAP boys went on the offensive from the start of the game and gained the lead in the ninth minute through Sharanjit Singh, who scored from the right flak 1-0. The lead was increased to 2-0 in the 10th minute as PAP’s Sukhjinder Singh scored without any resistance. The Ropar boys earned eight penalty corners in the game, but failed to convert any. In another match Baba Farid Public School crushed Government Senior Secondary School, Lopoke, 7-1. |
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Ropar Hawks win Faridkot, September 19 The goals were scored by Amit Sandhu (45th minutes) and Manbir Singh (59th minute) of the match. The first half was goal-less. As many as 14 teams, including BSF, EME, Signals and from Jalandhar, Ropar Hawks Ropar, PSEB, Patiala, Western Railway, Mumbai, Eastern Railway, Kolkata, Northern Railway, Ambala, SAIL
Delhi, B.G. Roorke, I.A.F., Delhi, and Baba Farid Club, Fafidkot, are participating in the meet. Before the start of the play a two-minute silence was observed in the memory of hockey players Mandeep Singh, Kulwant Singh Bant, and Jaswinder Singh, who lost their lives in a road accident about three weeks ago. |
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Haryana
kabaddi at Panchkula Chandigarh, September 19 Stating this here today, Mr Om Parkash
Godara, Chairman, organising committee and president, Panchkula Distt. Kabaddi Association, said the international star players Ram Mehar (captain Indian team), Shamsher Singh and Ramesh Kumar would be seen in action during this championship. Matches would be played on knockout system. The inaugural match would be played between Panchkula and Yamunanagar. The best eight teams of men and women will be selected during this meet which will participate in Haryana State Games being held on October 20 to October 23 at Hisar. |
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GND varsity meet Amritsar, September 19 |
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Colombo, September 19
In video (
