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Martyn, Clarke lead Aussie fightback
Record-breaking Fleming puts Kiwis in command
SA team to be named today
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Strong reply by Haryana
Constantine for change in Santosh Trophy format
Anushikha, Parsoon win TT titles
Aslam storms into final
PSEB, DFA Kapurthala
win
Rathore, Tirkey felicitated
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Martyn, Clarke lead Aussie fightback
Nagpur, October 26 Martyn struck a rollicking 114 to lead an Australian fightback and steer the visitors to 362 for seven at close on the opening day which saw India claw back to some extent with three quick wickets in the last hour's play. Michael Clarke was batting on a quickfire 73 and Jason Gillespie (4) gave him company at stumps on a day which saw the Australians scoring at a brisk pace of four runs an over on what appeared to be a good batting track at the VCA stadium. The 33-year-old Martyn, who hit a match-saving 104 in the Chennai Test, recorded his ninth Test century to not only pull Australia out of an uncertain 86 for three but put the team on course for a healthy first innings total. The stylish right hander found an able ally in Darren Lehmann (70) as the duo put on a breezy 148-run fourth wicket partnership to torment the Indians who had to go into the match without the services of captain Sourav Ganguly and spinner Harbhajan Singh. The hosts managed to scuttle the Australians from laying the foundation for a mammoth total by snapping up the wickets of Martyn, dangerman Adam Gilchrist (2) and Shane Warne (2) in the span of six overs late in the day with Murali Kartik doing the damage. The mini middle order collapse began with the dismissal of Martyn who, after hoisting Kumble over long off, tried a similar shot only to top edge it for a simple catch to Ajit Agarkar at long off. Kartik, who had dismissed Darren Lehmann for his first wicket of the match before tea, then induced a return catch of Gilchrist before Shane Warne was deceived in the air and stumped. More success could have come India's way if only Parthiv Patel had kept up his good work. He reprieved Clarke once more on 62 as he looked blinded at a straightforward edged catch off Zaheer Khan. Martyn and Lehmann had earlier performed the salvage job by sharing a blistering century partnership which put the home team on the backfoot after claiming three wickets in the pre-lunch session. Their association ended when Lehmann, troubled by a hamstring and needing a runner, edged a simple catch to stand-in captain Rahul Dravid at first slip off Murali Kartik. Lehmann's 70 came from 83 balls and contained 10 fours. After Adam Gilchrist won the toss for the third time, the visitors were straightaway on the offensive with Justin Langer (44) and Matthew Hayden (23) adding 67 runs for the opening stand. But Zaheer Khan then struck twice in the space of 11 balls to remove both the opening batsmen before Kumble had Simon Katich caught at forward short leg. Martyn and Lehmann then turned the heat on the Indians as they rattled up runs at a furious pace. Martyn continued from where he left off in Chennai where he scored his first century in India. Martyn reached his century with a wristy shot to point boundary. It was his fourth hundred in the last eight Tests and his fifth in nine Tests in the subcontinent. It was Dravid's 108th catch in Tests and it equalled Sunil Gavaskar's tally. Earlier, the Indians took the field without Ganguly and also off spinner Harbhajan Singh who were down with a thigh strain and an upset stomach, respectively. Sachin Tendulkar returned to the team after a nearly three-month layoff due to an elbow injury. Ajit Agarkar came in for the injured Irfan Pathan while Yuvraj Singh made way for Chopra as India made four changes to the team that played in Chennai. Australia retained the team that played the first two Tests. Scoreboard Australia (1st innings): Langer c Dravid b Zaheer 44 Hayden c Patel b Zaheer 23 Katich c Chopra b Kumble 4 Martyn c Agarkar b Kartik 114 Lehmann c Dravid b Kartik 70 Clarke batting 73 Gilchrist c and b Kartik 2 Warne st Patel b Kartik 2 Gillespie batting 4 Extras
(b-6, lb-12, nb-7, w-1) 26 Total (for 7 wkts, in 90 overs) 362 Fall of
wickets: 1-67, 2-79, 3-86, 4-234, 5-314, 6-323, 7-337. Bowling:
Agarkar 18-2-82-0; Zaheer Khan 21-5-77-2; Kumble 25-6-99-2; Kartik 20-1-57-3; Tendulkar 6-1-29-0.
—PTI |
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Record-breaking Fleming puts Kiwis in command
Chittagong, October 26 Nathan Astle was the other not out batsman on 34. Fleming was associated in a dominating 204-run partnership for the third wicket with Scott Styris (89) that put paid to the home side’s hopes of fighting it out on a pitch aiding turn. Fleming, who got past Martin Crowe’s aggregate of 5,444 runs with an uppish boundary through cover off Mohammad Rafique when on 78, was positive from early on and was not afraid to play lofted shots. The 31-year-old left-hander also set a new mark of Test caps for New Zealand as he was tied at 86 matches with legendary seamer Richard Hadlee before this match. “I had those records in mind when I went out to bat today,” said Fleming, who hammered 15 fours in his eighth Test century. Styris, dropped by wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud off Enamul Haque (junior) on 24, himself hit 10 fours and a six during his fifth 50. He looked set for a century but failed to read a slower delivery and gave a soft return catch to Rafique. “We had decided to bat positively from the beginning after doing well in the opening Test. One has to always cash in on one’s chances,” said Fleming, whose Test aggregate now stands at 5,501 runs. Earlier, the visiting side got off to a brisk start through openers Mark Richardson (28) and Matthew Sinclair (23) before left-arm spinners Rafique and Haque took a wicket each. Scoreboard New Zealand (1st innings): Richardson c Rahman b Enamul Haque Jr 28 Sinclair b Rafique 23 Fleming batting 137 Styris c and b Rafique 89 Astle batting 34 Extras
(b4, lb9, w1, nb13) 27 Total (3 wkts, 92 overs) 338 FoW:
1-49, 2-61, 3-265 Bowling: Baisya 12-0-70-0, Mushfiqur Rahman 11-1-49-0, Mohammad Rafique 34-9-85-2, Enamul Haque (jr) 28-3-95-1, Rajin Saleh 6-0-21-0, Ashraful 1-0-5-0.
— AFP |
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SA team to be named today
Durban: Durban’s cricket star of Indian origin Hashim Amla and six other players of colour are expected to be included in the 14-member team to travel to India for the two-Test series early next month.
United Cricket Board spokesperson Gerald De Kock said the team would be announced officially on Wednesday but there are indications that Amla is a
certainty because of his outstanding performances with the bat in recent months. Others almost certain for the team are skipper Graeme Smith, Shaun Pollock, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Jacques Rudolph, Martin van Jaarsveld, Andrew Hall and Garnet Kruger.
— PTI
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Strong reply by Haryana
Rohtak, October 26 At the draw of stumps, Amit was batting on 39 and Abhimanyu Khod was batting on 56. Earlier in the morning, Jammu and Kashmir won the toss and elected to bat first. Barring opener Divya Pratap Singh (51 runs, 134 minutes, 105 balls, 7x4s), none of the J&K batsmen could stay at the wicket and build the innings. Sadiq-Ul-Mehdi was the other batsman who displayed some resistance during his knock of 26. The entire team was dismissed for 160 after 68.3 overs. Off-spinner Jayant Yadav returned with an impressive bowling analysis of 17.3-7-29-4. Medium pacer Yathrath Tomar dismissed 3 batsmen for 23 runs. In the remaining 113 minutes of play, the hosts were comfortably placed with just 48 runs short of equalling opponent’s first innings score with all wickets intact. |
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Punjab beat TN, enter semis
New Delhi, October 26 Harvinder Singh slotted home the match-winner in the 39th minute of first half. Harvinder, one of the leading scorers of the championship, trapped the ball after it fell free following a partial clearance of a corner by the Tamil Nadu defenders, and despatched it home with a booming drive. Earlier, Bengal put it across Uttar Pradesh to score a consolation 1-0 victory in the last match of group A. The game had only academic interest as Services had qualified for the semifinal from the group. Bengal, 29 times champions, had lost to Services 1-2 in the opening group tie. Forward Shankar Roy Choudhary headed home the winner off a perfect cross from the right by Gaurango Dutta, in the 42nd minute. Gaurango Dutta was adjudged the man of the match. Punjab, who needed only a draw to move up, left nothing to chance, and went for the goal in right earnest. Once Harvinder completed the deed, they took it easy to go through the motions in the rest of the session. L Johny of Tamil Nadu, who fashioned many good moves, was adjudged the man of the match. Punjab have scored 21 goals and conceding just one in five matches. Group A toppers Services will take on group C toppers Kerala in the first semifinal on Thursday (October 28), which will be a repeat of last year’s semifinal at Imphal. Holders Manipur, toppers of group B, will meet Punjab in the second semifinal on October 29. |
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Constantine for change in Santosh Trophy format
New Delhi, October 26 Stephan said the top players were also playing “too many matches, around 75 in a season” and suggested that the number of matches should not exceed 40, like in Japan, to keep them fit and ready for major campaigns. The coach said India’s 1-5 defeat against Oman in the World Cup qualifier at Kochi was the worst result under his coaching. He said the players were taking time to set as “they don’t play together every week”. Stephan expressed surprise that Baichung Bhutia, who was allowed to represent Sikkim in the Santosh Trophy (though Bhutia was on the bench, he did not take the field in any match) by his club East Bengal, was being denied the privilege of playing for the country. The Indian team will leave for Kuwait, sans Bhutia, on November 2 to play a friendly against Kuwait, a build-up for the upcoming World Cup qualifier. Stephan said the reason for not considering players from the Santosh Trophy for the camp, which began here yesterday, was due to its short duration. “I can do only tactical training, I cannot judge every player”, said Stephan. He said the players who make a mark in the Santosh Trophy would be considered for future camps of longer duration. Stephan said he would miss the services of IM Vijayan and Debjit Ghosh, who both have retired, and Joe Paul Ancheri, who is injured. He also took a dig at the media for projecting only India’s defeats and “forgetting when the players do well.”
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Anushikha, Parsoon win TT titles
Rohtak, October 26 Sirsa girl Anushikha won the title in kids (girls) singles category. After beating Sangeeta of Sirsa in semifinal by 3-0, she defeated Swati of Sonepat by 3-0 to bag the title. In kids (boy U-10) category, title went to Panchkula lad Parsoon who defeated Pulkit, also by 3-0 in the final. He had reached the final by defeating Saurabh Verma of Sirsa 3-1. The results: Kids boys under-10: Quarterfinals: Parsoon (Panchkula) b Shubham (Sonepat) 3-0; Saurabh Verma (Sirsa) b Nitesh (Sonepat) 3-0, Shubham (Sirsa) b Abhishek (Karnal) 3-1; Pulkit (Panchkula) b Gaurav Saini (Rohtak) 3-0. Semifinals: Parsoon (Panchkula) b Saurabh Verma (Sirsa) 3-1; Pulkit (Panchkula) b Shubham (Sirsa) 3-0. Finals: Parsoon (Panchkula) b Pulkit (Panchkula) 3-0. Kids (Girls singles U-10): Semifinals: Swati (Sonepat) b Akansha (Rohtak) 3-2; Anushikha (Sirsa) b Sangeeta (Sirsa) 3-2. Finals: Anushikha (Sirsa) b Swati (Sonepat) 3-0. Veterans quarterfinals (All Rohtak): Sarujit Ahluwalia b Ajay Bansal 3-0, Atul Mehta b Preetpal Singh 3-0, Rajiv Khurana b Sanjay Sethi 3-1, Raj Sharma b Pawan Jain 3-0. |
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Anjali leads on day of poor scores
Chandigarh, October 26 The day started well for the defending champion Irina Brar. She set the pace with birdies on the fifth and eighth holes to end up with a two-under card after the first nine. But Irina seemed to lose her rhythm in the return nine. Bogeys on the 11th and 13th saw her fumbling. But in the very next hole she scored a fine birdie. But the worst was still to come. In the 15th hole, she pulled her drive in the left rough. She got stuck. And it was here that she lost three strokes. The bad patch continued into the 16th and 18th holes where she had bogeys. She ended up with a four over card of 76. Anjali Chopra who emerged as the leader today was doubtful whether she would even play the event as she had hurt her shoulder and had to be taken to the doctor. She finished as the leader with a two-over card of 74. Shalini Malik and Bhavna Shetty shared the second spot with an identical score of three-over 75. In the silver division Pikka P. Singh was leading with a gross score of 86. Close on her heel was the youngster Preetinder Kaur , who was just one stroke behind. In the bronze division there is a fight for the top spot between youngster Arshia Singh and the experienced Gaitri M.M. Singh. Both had scores of gross 101. The tournament, sponsored by Bank of Punjab, was inaugurated by Mr G.S. Lehal, Captain of the Chandigarh Golf Club. The results: Overall championship: Anjali Chopra 74, Shalini Malik 75, Bhavna Shetty 75. Silver Salver (0-12): Nett — Sonavi Chopra 70, Srishti Daon 71, Anjali Chopra 71. Challenge bowl (13-24): Gross — Pikka P. Singh 86, Preetinder Kaur 87, Laverry Kumar 88; Nett — Pikka P. Singh 69, Laverry Kumar 70, Preetinder Kaur 74. Bronze Plate (25-36): Gross — Arshia Singh 101, Gaitri M.M. Singh 74, Rabiya Gill 102; Nett — Arshita singh 70, Apurva Gupta 74, Gaitri M.M. Singh 75. Junior Shield: Divia Kapur 78, Vaishavi Sinha 81, Nitika Jadeja 81. Subjunior Shield: Vaishavi Sinha 81, Sharmila Nicollet 87, Laverry Kumar 88. Seniors: Lalita Balasubramaniam 80, Rina Sen 96, Harinder Sandhu 98. |
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Aslam storms into final
Sangrur, October 26 In the second game he dominated the proceedings throughout and won the second game at 15-3. Aslam will clash with top seed Navdeep of Jalandhar who defeated Navjot of Amritsar in second semifinal 15-8, 15-3. Results semifinals: Girls singles: Navita Thakur (Jal) beat Shruti Bansal (Pta) 11-05, 11-0, Sehar Chadda (Asr) beat Heena (Jal) 2-11, 11-2, 11-0. Girls doubles: Sukhman & Komalpreet (Pta) beat Sandeep & Mandeep (Ldh) 15-1, 15-1.
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PSEB, DFA Kapurthala
win
Patiala, October 26 PSEB now square off with CRPF, Jalandhar, while DFA, Kapurthala, meet Guru Gobind Singh Society, Jalandhar, in quarterfinal matches. JCT Academy too rolled into the last eight stage with a solitary goal win against NIS, Patiala. The match between PSEB and the Banga students started off at a sluggish pace with both teams adopting defensive tactics. However, the students soon had the powermen on the backfoot when Palwinder chested down a high ball in front of the custodian and managed to flick into the netting. PSEB defended dourly in the entire first half and paid the price. Once again Palwinder collected the ball from the half line and neatly made his way past a couple of defenders before sending the custodian the wrong way Stung by the reverses, the powermen came back strongly in the second half. A foul near the goalmouth saw referee MS Qureshi awarding a penalty to PSEB. Midfielder Jujhar Singh scored. Late in the second half, the powermen equalised through Jujhar Singh. Even the spot kicks failed to separate the teams resulting in the sudden death rule. In the second set, Gurdeep Singh of the Banga team sent the ball sailing over the cross piece while Parminder Singh scored leaving PSEB 8-7 winners. The last match of the day saw NIS wilting under sustained pressure applied by JCT Academy. Playing a fast attacking game, JCT were all over their rival’s territory and if they did not score it was due to some robust tactics adopted by the NIS defence. Towards the fag end of the contest, JCT medio Yadvinder Singh struck the post with a hard drive but recovered quickly to dab the ball into the goal.
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Rathore, Tirkey felicitated
New Delhi, October 26 The shooter and Capt Pattu were felicitated by the Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy, who presented them both trophies and a cash prize of Rs 25,000 each, a Defence Ministry spokesman said. Olympian hockey player Naib Subedar Ignace Tirkey was adjuged the Best Sportsman for the year 2003-04. He also received a trophy and a cash award of Rs 20,000 from ACM Krishnaswamy.
— UNI |
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Indian colts beat Aussies, level series
New Delhi, October 26
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SD College wins KU inter-college cricket meet Ambala, October 26 Batting first, Government College, Panchkula, scored 166 runs in 41.5 overs. Sandeep scored 42 runs. SD College bowler Prashant took three wickets for 19 runs. Prince, Dinesh and Naib Singh took two wickets
each. SD College scored 166 runs after losing one wicket. Ankur of SD College scored 91 runs with the help of three
sixes and 12 fours. Neeraj Bali scored 58 runs. Ankur was declared man of the match.
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