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Tuesday,
May 13, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Aussies poised for clean sweep Lanka in must-win situation Manchester United reign supreme
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Beckham England’s superstar Lacklustre Himachal due for relegation Navy boxers steal the show Arti, Harpreet to lead Punjab Delhi to host circuit meet
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Aussies
poised for clean sweep
St Johns, May 12 The Australians struck three times in the morning session, snaring the wickets of Chris Gayle (19), Devon Smith (23) and Daren Ganga (8) and later dismissed skipper Brian Lara(60) to have the West Indians 228 for four at tea in a chase of 418 for an improbable victory with one more day to go. At lunch, the West Indies were 106 for three with skipper Lara on 27 and Ramnaresh Sarwan on 18. They were 312 runs from denying Test cricket history and victory. Yet again while master batsman Lara was at the crease the West Indies still possessed an outside chance of defying the odds. Lara has scored two centuries in this series and during this innings passed 500 runs for the series. The Australians applied enormous pressure from the opening of play and in the first hour had taken three wickets for 19 runs of 13 overs. Glenn McGrath was back to his metronomical best, sending down 12 overs for 12 runs with five maidens and bowling a beautiful inswinging yorker to trap Ganga leg before wicket. The West Indians lost both openers in the first 25 minutes of play today with Gayle playing an indisciplined pull shot off Brett Lee straight to Steve Waugh at mid-on on his overnight score of 19. Seventeen balls later Smith followed when he sparred at Jason Gillespie and tickled it to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist. The West Indies have never endured the indignity of a 4-0 series whitewash in 73 years’ cricket in the Caribbean, but they have to create Test history to win here, as no team has scored more than 406 to win a Test in the final innings. The highest successful run chase in an Antiguan Test was the West Indies’ 216 for nine against Pakistan three years ago. Brian Lara’s team face the herculean task of scoring 418 runs for an improbable victory or bat out a minimum 203 overs to force a draw against the strongest bowling attack in world cricket. The Australians were bowled out for 417 yesterday, losing nine wickets for 175 after a 242-run opening stand between Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer. Both teams scored 240 in the first innings. When failing light stopped play with five balls left on the third day, the West Indies had made a secure start.
AFP Australia (1st innings) : 240 West Indies (1st innings) :
240 Australia (2nd innings) : Langer c Lara b Gayle 111 Hayden run out 177 Gilchrist c Sub b Banks 6 Love c Sub b Banks 2 Lehmann b Dillon 14 Waugh not out 45 Bichel c Smith b Dillon 0 Lee c Sub b Dillon 18 Gillespie c Lara b Drakes 5 MacGill c Lara b Dillon 0 McGrath c Ganga b Drakes 14 Extras:
(b-4, lb-9, nb-12) 25 Total: (all out, 104 overs) 417 Fall of wickets:
1-242, 2-273, 3-285, 4-330, 5-338, 6-343, 7-373, 8-385, 9-388, 10-417. Bowling:
Lawson 6-1-17-0, Dillon 29-3-112-4, (11nb), Banks 37-5-153-2, Drakes 19-1-92-2, )1nb), Gayle 13-1-30-1. West Indies (2nd innings): Gayle c Waugh b Lee 19 Smith c Gilchrist b Gillespie 23 Ganga lbw b McGrath 8 Lara b MacGill 60 Sarwan batting 67 Chanderpaul batting 34 Extras
(b-5, lb-6, w-1, nb-5) 17 Total (4 wkts, 80 overs) 228 FoW:
1-48, 2-50, 3-74, 4-165. Bowling: McGrath 17-6-39-1, Gillespie 10-6-9-1, Lee 12-3-26-1, MacGill 22-7-72-1, Bichel 14-3-46-0, Waugh 5-0-25-0.
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Lara ‘should let his bat do the talking’ Melbourne, May 12 Former English county player Peter Roebuck, writing in The Age newspaper, said the verbal clash did not reflect well on either side and urged Lara to let his bat do the talking. Lara and Waugh were involved in a war of words on Saturday during the second day of the fourth and final Test in Antigua before they were separated by English umpire David Shepherd. Both players were later let off by match referee Mike Procter, who described their heated exchange as gamesmanship, and “what Test cricket is all about.”
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Lanka in must-win situation
Dambulla, May 12 “We’re in a must-win situation going into the match against New Zealand, which has got everything going for it,” Sri Lankan skipper Marvan Atapattu said today. Atapattu was surprised that his team felt like a stranger at home with the ball skidding off the surface and seaming in overcast conditions. “Our batting is going though a woeful period and the conditions at Dambulla are not making things any easier,” said Atapattu, who was elevated as Sri Lanka’s one-day captain after Sanath Jayasuriya resigned last month. Bowled out for 120, Sri Lanka on Saturday lost the tri-series opener to Pakistan, which in turn lost to New Zealand by seven wickets yesterday. Going into tomorrow’s match against Sri Lanka, which rounds off the first leg of the preliminary league, New Zealand is exuding confidence after its bowlers revelled in conditions tailor-made for pacers. Realising this could be his opportunity to win New Zealand’s second one-day title — the only previous one came in the 2000 ICC Trophy triumph at Nairobi — skipper Stephen Fleming says the familiar conditions had boosted the team’s confidence. “Things are going for us right now... the conditions are favourable and they suit us better than the other two sides,” Fleming said. The Kiwis realise a win tomorrow could put them in the title round of the tournament, while Sri Lanka could miss out on the final. Skipper Atapattu knows that could be a big blow to Sri Lanka’s strong home record, but said his focus was on getting the batting equation right for tomorrow’s game. “We’re going through a prolonged rough patch, I can’t figure out what gone wrong with out batting,” Atapattu said. “Several of our batsmen are out of form, and it’s been like this for seven months. “I just can’t pinpoint the problems ... They start at No. 1 and stretch to No. 7,” he said. Sri Lanka has concerns over opener Jayasuriya’s poor health and his susceptibility to tonsillitis. The former skipper has just had his fourth bout of tonsil problems in three months, but Atapattu said he would be OK for tomorrow’s match. The chances of New Zealand’s pace ace Shane Bond leading its attack seem to be diminishing — team management fears he might have suffered a stress fracture. Team manager Jeff Crowe said Bond’s back pain had increased since he went off the field yesterday during the Pakistan game. “We’re going to get a scan on Shane’s back when we get to Colombo,” Crowe said. AP
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Manchester
United reign supreme
London, May 12 Manchester United crowned a magnificent unbeaten run since Boxing Day with a 2-1 win over Everton at Goodison Park — their 15th in 18 games — shattering their hosts’ UEFA Cup hopes. As if to ram home their superiority over former champions Arsenal, Ruud van Nistelrooy converted Manchester United’s match-winning penalty to take the Golden Boot with 25 goals, one more than last season’s winner, Highbury favourite Thierry Henry. Manchester United had already won their 15th league title the previous weekend. But manager Alex Ferguson still found plenty to savour as he reflected on a season that had looked set to vindicate Arsenal’s claim a year ago of a power shift in English football. “It’s a great day for Manchester United, there’s no doubt about that and you can’t deny our form’s been fantastic,’’ Ferguson told his club’s official website. “Don’t believe all the stories that have come from south of the Birmingham divide. We proved ourselves as champions.’’ Ferguson, whose team had finished without a trophy and third in the table last season, also sent his rivals an early warning. “Next year, we’ll be really enthusiastic and everyone will be looking forward to it,’’ he said. “I think we’ll enjoy our summer better this year.’’ Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, whose team will defend their FA Cup trophy on Saturday against Southampton, finished off with the kind of goal glut they had so badly needed last month. While their lead over Manchester United evaporated in April with three draws, Freddie Ljungberg became the third Arsenal player to score a hat-trick in the space of five days — helping to secure a 4-0 win at Sunderland after Robert Pires and Jermaine Pennant had struck in their 6-1 midweek win over Southampton. However, even a Cup final victory would still make it a disappointing season for the red and white side of north London — denied an unprecedented double by Manchester United and a place in the Champions League quarterfinals by Valencia. Outside the two clubs who have dominated English football for the past five years, Newcastle United and Chelsea are now just two matches away from a place in the lucrative group phase of the Champions League. While Newcastle could afford to relax on Sunday, Chelsea made sure of their place in the Champions League qualifying competition with a 2-1 victory over rivals Liverpool. “Everybody knows that the club needs a little money,’’ said Chelsea’s Italian coach Claudio Ranieri, who needs to hold on to his best players during the close season if they are to make the most of their Champions League chance. Liverpool will have to settle for the UEFA Cup, their League Cup final win over Manchester United being their season’s only lasting achievement after being top of the table in November. Blackburn Rovers return to the UEFA Cup for the second consecutive season, at the expense of an Everton side, who at one stage looked like Champions League candidates. Even the Merseysiders’ 17-year-old England striker Wayne Rooney, the undoubted revelation of the 2002-2003 season, could not prevent yesterday’s costly defeat at Goodison Park. Reuters
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Beckham England’s superstar
London, May 12 Beckham is reputed to be the world’s highest-paid soccer player, and recent hints that he may be moving to Spain to join Real Madrid’s fabulously expensive team have had Britain in a froth of anxiety. Oh, and he’s married to a former Spice Girl.
In the USA, many only know Beckham as Mr Posh Spice, the husband of girl group singer Victoria Adams. But in Britain — and much of the rest of the world — it’s the English soccer captain who gets star billing, while Mrs Beckham picks up the crumbs of media attention. “It’s always nice to be liked,” Beckham once said. “I think it’s great.” And he’s not fussy about who does the liking. As well as being a mainstream male role model and a pinup for women, the dashingly handsome “Becks” is comfortable with his sex symbol status among Britain’s gay community. “He’s a big flirt and he loves it,” says his wife. “He walks around the kitchen going: ‘I’m a gay icon, I’m a gay icon.’” Indeed, there’s little about the Manchester United midfielder that one normally associates with the super-macho world of English soccer and its hooligan undercurrent - other than the ability to score goals with deadly accuracy and his tattoos, including the names of toddler sons Brooklyn and Romeo on his back. A devoted husband who prefers time with his wife and children to partying with friends, the 28-year-old Beckham lavishes attention on his appearance, wearing designer outfits, eye-catching jewellery and, on at least one occasion, bright pink nail varnish. He has been mocked for donning a sarong, and Posh says he likes to wear her skimpy underclothes. Beckham sends scissors snipping across Britain every time he adopts a new hairstyle — including the Mohican-shaped cut he wore at last year’s World Cup — and once caused a sensation by appearing in a glossy magazine with reddish-brown soy sauce dripping from his shaved head, as if he were bleeding. “A lot of kids will follow it,” he said of the fashion shoot. “But then a lot follow by wearing a Manchester United shirt with ‘Beckham’ on the back.” There was a time, however, when the name was far from popular. Born in London’s Leytonstone district near the East End, Beckham joined Manchester United at age 16 and rose to fame as an outstanding scorer of free kicks and penalties, earning a spot in the national team for the 1998 World Cup. But what should have been the 23-year-old’s moment of glory turned into his Waterloo. During a white-knuckle second-round match against England’s archenemy, Argentina, Beckham was sent off for a petulant kick against the opposing team captain, and missed the penalty shoot-out that sealed England’s elimination. Back in Britain, outraged soccer fans burned and hanged effigies of Beckham, who underwent a media lynching for his outburst. Even Prime Minister Tony Blair got involved. “I should think no one feels worse about it than David Beckham does,” Mr Blair said, as some called for the player to be banned from representing his country. “He is obviously going to have to learn from that.” For months, Beckham met with loud jeers when he entered a stadium. He slowly regained his popularity by leading Manchester United to a fantastic winning spree from 1999 to 2001, then sending England into the 2002 World Cup with a stunning free kick against Greece in qualifying. A year ago in Japan, Beckham buried the memory of his 1998 humiliation by scoring the winning penalty against Argentina, sparking huge celebrations across England. A multimillionaire whose fortune was recently estimated at US $ 78 million by The Sunday Times, Beckham is now trying to export some of his fame to the USA. Manchester United is due to make a four-game preseason tour this summer, with games in Seattle, Los Angeles, East Rutherford, NJ, just outside New York, and Philadelphia. Meanwhile, in Britain, the soccer player has even become the subject of an academic study that credits Beckham with changing traditional British attitudes to masculinity, thanks to his clothes-and-family oriented lifestyle. If you need proof, just take a walk down London’s main shopping district, Oxford Street, and see what they’re selling this season: sarongs for men.
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Lacklustre
Himachal due for relegation Himachal cricket has not been making great strides for the past many years. Year after year the state starts its campaign which invariably fizzles out without a whimper. The state fared better when it made the knockout stage in 2001-02. But this was due to the sterling efforts of Rajiv Nayyar and Sangram Singh, who made 520 and over 700 runs, respectively. Otherwise, the state has failed to shed the tag of minnows. The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association fielded a couple of non-Himachal players — four to be precise — this year hoping that it would bolster their campaign during the national championship. The Board of Control for Cricket in India introduced a new domestic format designed to make the domestic cricket more competitive. But things have refused to look up for Himachal who now find themselves at the bottom of the table and the relegation to the Plate group during the next year of the national championship staring in the face. Rathore, who played for many years for Punjab before shifting allegiance to the hill state, did not disappoint. The seasoned opener scored runs against virtually every opposition and was the best batsman on view from the side. Sandeep Sharma and Amit Sharma were the other players, who after playing for Punjab for many years, opted to play for Himachal while off-spinner Aashish Kapoor was the other non-Himachal player to play for the state. Sandeep was also quite effective with the bat besides being a useful bowler, while Amit chipped in with some useful contributions to be the third highest scorer from the side behind Rathore and Sandeep. The contributions from the former skipper Rajiv Nayyar, Nischal Gaur, Sangram Singh and V K Sharma with the bat were mediocre. Among the bowlers Ashok Thakur was the most successful bowler with a tally of 17 wickets, while Kapoor was the second most successful bowler with 13 scalps. Himachal started their campaign, drawing their first match against Andhra Pradesh at Vishakhapatnam as Andhra took the first innings lead. Things looked up next as Himachal gained the first innings lead and one point against Bengal. They did not fare badly against formidable Delhi, holding them to a draw. The performance suffered dramatically as Himachal notched up the scores of 166 and 195 in two innings against Rajasthan to eventually lose the match by six wickets. Hyderabad took the lead against Himachal in the next match, while their performance touched rock bottom against Mumbai, who handed them a humiliating 10-wicket defeat. Their last match was washed out as Himachal remained unable to add to their point tally in five successive matches. A close perusal of the team reveals that a host of players — skipper Vikram Rathore, Amit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma and Vishal Bhatia, who was included in the squad in place of veteran all-rounder Jaswant Rai — hail from Jalandhar. Devinder Arora, who recently concluded his two-year term as coach, was also from Jalandhar. Just a coincidence that the HPCA chief Anurag Thakur also belongs to Jalandhar. |
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Navy boxers steal the show Panaji, May 12 Suraj Badkar, one of the most promising Goan boxer, gave the hosts enough reasons to smile yesterday when he made it to the semifinals and assured himself of at least a bronze medal. After an initial lull, the 17-year-old came back strongly to account for Ajit Pal of Haryana. Former Asian Games gold medal winner and India’s most accomplished pugilist Dingko Singh, who was raring to go in the Federation Cup, was ruled out this morning due to a wrist injury. However, Indian Navy pugilists lived upto their billing as all three boxers, who were debuting in the championship, reached the semifinal with ease. Saranjay started the impressive run for Navy when he made short work of Goa’s Sunil Chodankar. The Goan pugilist showed promise initially but once Saranjay got into the groove, Sunil seemed to be holding back a bit going into the fourth round with the former looking dangerous, the refree stopped the contest. International Rossema Colony easily accounted for Abdul of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and then it was the turn of another international Bipin Pynogrope to continue the good work. Bipin looked in danger of losing out, especially after picking up two warnings for open-fisted bouts, but eventually won a narrow verdict on points against Pandharinath Shirodkar of Goa. PTI
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Arti, Harpreet to lead Punjab Ludhiana, May 12 Other members of two teams are: Girls:
Ekta Sharma, Arti Sharma jr., Verpal Kaur, Harneet Kaur, Anuradha, Rubel, Sukhminder, Lucky, Rajandeep Kaur, Anita and Harmeet Kaur, coach: Prof Darshan Singh, assistant coach: Jaswant Singh, manager: Gurmeet Kaur. Boys:
Talwinder Singh, Bikran Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Karanbir Singh, Amarbir Singh, Jimmy Brar, Mandeep Singh, Rakesh Puri, Vipan and Sinarjeet Singh, coaches: Harjinder Singh and Mohan Lal. Mr Yurinder Singh Hayer will be the Chef-de- Mission. |
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Delhi to host circuit meet New Delhi, May 12 The circuit meet has special significance as the Indian athletic contingent for the second edition of the Asian Athletic Grand Prix, scheduled to be held in Hyderabad on May 28, will be selected on the basis of the performance at the meet. Amateur Athletic Federation of India secretary Lalit Bhanot said the senior national athletic coaching camp would be shifted from Patiala to the Sports Authority of India South Centre in Bangalore from May 20. |
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St Johns, (Antigua), May 12
Chandigarh, May 12
That the state would be in such a situation would not have been visualised by those who conceived the idea of roping in a couple of experienced players from outside the state. More so, since among those given the berths included Vikram Rathore, former international batsman and a prolific run getter in the domestic circuit. 
