 |
|
|
Young guns stand firm for Windies
Govt can stop Zimbabwe tour: ICC
Harikrishna continues to roll
Sania leaving for USA
with high hopes
Steffi loses twice before salvaging pride
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Australia start
favourites
Badminton’s experiment with colour continues
More nightmares in store at Old Course’s hell hole
34 players selected in
5 disciplines
|
|
Young guns stand firm for Windies
Colombo, July 13 Ramdin, a 19-year-old wicketkeeper from Trinidad, hit 56 and Morton contributed 43 as the West Indies closed the opening day at a creditable 271 for 6 at the Sinhalese sports club. Chanderpaul, leading a badly depleted team that is missing 10 top stars, including the world’s leading batsman Brian Lara, made an unbeaten 69 before bad light ended play eight overs early. Number eight Omari Banks stood his ground for two hours for 30 not out, helping Chanderpaul add 79 priceless runs for the unbroken seventh wicket. Lara was among the 10 who refused to sign tour contracts amid a protracted sponsorship row with the West Indies Cricket Board. The 87-Test veteran Chanderpaul was left to lead a motley collection of players of whom none had played more than 10 Tests before the series began. Six were absolute rookies. Sri Lanka, celebrating their 150th Test match, were stung by the rivals’ fightback after watching the tourists being shot out for 110 in a practice game over the weekend. The West Indies went to lunch at 105-3 as Morton and opener Sylvester Joseph put on 58 for the second wicket after Chaminda Vaas claimed Xavier Marshall leg-before for 10 in the third over. Joseph made 28 when he also fell leg-before to left-arm seamer Gayan Wijekoon, the only new face in the home team. Morton hit four boundaries and a six — a towering stroke over mid-on against spinner Rangana Herath — before he was dismissed attempting another ambitious hit off Muttiah Muralitharan. The veteran off-spinner, returning to Test cricket after 11 months due to a shoulder injury, deceived Morton in the air and clipped the off-bail to claim his 533rd wicket. That was the prolific bowler’s lone success for the day, ending with figures of 1-56 from 29 overs. The West Indies slipped to 113 for 5 soon after lunch when Lasith Malinga, working up hostile pace with an unusual round-arm slinging action, dismissed Narsingh Deonarine and Dwayne Smith in the space of three deliveries. Teenager Ramdin showed no signs of nerves on debut by smashing the first two deliveries from Malinga for boundaries. With encouragement from Chanderpaul at the other end, Ramdin settled in to hit nine boundaries during a sparkling sixth-wicket stand of 79 runs in 84 minutes with his captain. Ramdin’s heroic knock ended shortly before tea when he played on to a delivery from Wijekoon. Sri Lanka brought in rookie all-rounder Wijekoon to form a three-man seam attack alongside Vaas and Malinga. The West Indies gave first Test caps to Marshall, Morton and Ramdin. Scoreboard West Indies first innings: Joseph lbw Wijekoon 28 Marshall lbw Vaas 10 Morton b Muralitharan 43 Deonarine c Sangakkara
b Malinga 12
Chanderpaul not out 69 Smith lbw Malinga 4 Ramdin b Wijekoon 56 Banks not out 30 Extras: (lb-6, nb-13) 19 Total:
(for six wickets, 82 overs) 271 Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-72, 3-95, 4-109, 5-113, 6-192. Bowling:
Vaas 13-3-26-1, Malinga 11-0-67-2, Wijekoon 10-1-49-2, Muralitharan 29-8-56-1, Herath 14-1-52-0, Jayasuriya 5-1-15-0.
— AFP |
|
Govt can stop Zimbabwe tour: ICC
Wellington, July 13 In a letter to New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff, Mani said the ICC recognised the right of governments to use sports sanctions as a tool of foreign policy. He rejected Goff’s call on the ICC to relieve New Zealand of its obligation to tour, saying political decisions should be made by governments, not the ICC. Mani’s message was seen today as offering the New Zealand government a means to stop the tour without resorting to legislation. It also appeared to relieve New Zealand Cricket (NZC) of the threat of stiff financial penalties if the August and September tour did not proceed. Green Party lawmakers, who had led opposition to the tour, said Mani’s comments had given the government a “get-out-of-Zimbabwe free card.” Party co-leader Rod Donald called on Prime Minister Helen Clark to act immediately. “It is time for the Prime Minister to play her hand,” Donald said. “Once NZC is released from its ICC obligations by the imposition of a sports sanction on Zimbabwe, the government can focus all its attention on helping to release Zimbabwe from (President Robert) Mugabe’s vice-like grip.” The government had said it could not order its cricketers to remain at home and had rejected the possibility of using legislation to ensure the tour did not proceed. Responding to Goff’s calls for an ICC stand against Zimbabwe, Mani said cricket’s governing body had given repeated consideration to the problems of the troubled southern African nation, but could not make political decisions. “In short, the board recognises that issues of the relationships between countries are driven by politicians and governments that are elected by the people to deal with these political issues,” Mani said. “It is also recognised that governments will, from time to time, elect to use sports sanctions as a tool in their foreign policy programmes.” “Our members accept and respect that where this clear directive is given by a national government, the obligations of the future tours programme will not apply.” The NZC had said it had no choice under its contractual relationship with the ICC but to proceed with tours in line with the future tours programme. Any failure to do so would incur fines of up to $ 2 million and other financial liabilities.
— AP |
|
Harikrishna continues to roll
Taiyuan (China), July 13 With his fourth win on the trot, Harikrishna continues to lead the tables on 4 points and still following him a half point behind is Grandmaster Tigran Petrosian of Armenia, who scored his third victory in the event, accounting for English GM Luke McShane. Former Russian champion Alexander Motylev and Chinese duo of Wang Yue and Bu Xiangzhi are next in line on 2.5 points apiece, but holding the edge here is the Russian as he still has an extra game in hand against Chinese GM Ni Hua, that will be played on the rest day. With seven rounds still remaining in the category-15 round-robin event, Wang Hao of China stands sixth on 2 points, where he is trailed by McShane and Ukrainian GM Sergey Karjakin. The fourth round yet again produced as many as five decisive games with a change of guard as white pieces took the front seat with 4.5-1.5 score, compared to 0.5-5.5 in the previous round. Harikrishna once again showcased his endgame prowess, bruising and eventually squeezing out the defences of Zhong, the Corus B champion of 2004. The opening featured the Leningrad Dutch, where the Chinese played black and steadily, Harikrishna got a slight advantage in the middle game. As the game progressed, it was evident that black had some counter-play and Zhong found some solace after losing a pawn, that led to a seemingly drawish endgame with regular exchange of pieces. However, Harikrishna’s ability to just continue in the queen and pawn endgame was something that Zhong was not aware of. Playing very important intermittent moves between some puzzling manoeuvres, the Indian simply bewildered his rival. When eventually the dust settled, Harikrishna obtained a central passed pawn and slowly increased his advantage by marching the king in to heart of black’s position. The marathon ended after 109 moves, by far the highest in the tournament, giving Harikrishna immense satisfaction. For Petrosian too, it was a very satisfying day, with McShane falling out to some deft planning. The King’s Indian defence did not come good against a Russian-speaking player for the umpteenth time as Petrosian, playing white, simply made his queen superior to black’s double rook in the middle game. Knocking down a couple of pawns, the Armenian finally won a piece to force matters in 59 moves. For the second day running, Motylev recorded a smooth victory in a king and pawn endgame. On the receiving end was former world junior girls champion Zhao Xue of China, who had little clue once again as to what hit her. The Russian first won a pawn in the Rue Lopez, exchanged queens quickly and finally liquidated to a winning endgame to romp home in just 37 moves. In other games of the day, Wang Yue defeated Wang Hao in a keenly fought endgame, while world’s youngest-ever Grandmaster Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine registered his first victory in the event, accounting for Ni Hua of China. The lone draw of the day was between Chinese Bu Xiangzhi and Zhang Pengxiang.
— PTI |
|
Sania leaving for USA
with high hopes
Hyderabad, July 13 Sania will be playing in five tour events in the run-up to the US Open, beginning on August 29. John Farrington, her new travelling coach, will be with her till the Open. Farrington has also coached the world number four doubles pair of Daniel Nestor and Mark Knowles. Sania will then move on to play one event in Indonesia and proceed to Kolkata to play in the tier III WTA event, the Sunfeast Open. She will be figuring in the main draw of the Western and Southern Financial Group Women’s Open at Cincinnati, beginning on July 18. Three of the top 20 women players are expected to play in the tier III event, which includes Patty Schynder, Vera Zvonareva, Jelena Jankovic, Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama, as well as Chanda Rubin, Meghann Shaughnessy and Jill Craybass, to name a few. The 70th-ranked Sania Mirza will then move on to three other events, before playing in Toronto, New Heaven. “I am much more confident after Wimbledon, where I lost to world number five Svetlana Kuznetsova. One volley by Kuznetsova in the third set at 5-4 and 30-all made the difference,” Sania said. When asked about her rash shot in the first set at 4-2 and 40-0 up, she said, “At that level of tennis, even a minor mistake can cost the entire match as world-class opponents will seize it to their advantage.” Though Sania is busy attending various functions, the brand ambassador of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department is
practicing when she gets time. Asked about the flaws in her service and volleys, she said, ‘I tried my level best to minimise them. Reaching the top 70 was easier than reaching the top 50, which is my goal for this year’ she said.
— UNI |
|
Steffi loses twice before salvaging pride
Washington, July 13 Representing the Houston Wranglers, the 36-year-old Graf was unable to shake off the rust of a six-year absence, losing her singles match to Russia’s Elena Likhovtseva of the Sacramento Capitals
5-4. In the tournament, the teams play best-of-nine game single-set matches in five disciplines, two singles and three doubles. Graf, who retired in 1999 after winning 22 Grand Slam titles, then teamed up with Ansley Cargill in women’s doubles, but lost 5-2 to Likhovtseva and Anna Kournikova. However, the German was successful in the mixed doubles after she and Mardy Fish overcame Mark Knowles and Kournikova 5-3. Married to Andre Agassi and the mother of two children, Graf said yesterday’s match would be her only WTT appearance of the season.
— Reuters |
|
Australia start
favourites
Sydney, July 13 The relationship between the two sides have been strained ever since Lleyton Hewitt upset the Argentines with his on-court antics during this year’s Australian Open. Although the feisty Australian remained unrepentant and set the tone for the tie by lobbing a thinly-veiled criticism about Argentina’s playing style, the captains of the two sides have engaged in a different psychological battle. “We feel they are the favourites,’’ Argentina captain Alberto Mancini told reporters today. “They are playing at home and on the surface they choose and obviously it’s not the best surface for us.’’ Australia’s non-playing captain John Fitzgerald was quick to play down his team’s chances and avoid the added burden of
favouritism. “I don’t think it’s fair to say who’s favourite,’’ Fitzgerald said. “It’s a dangerous thing to do from a captain’s standpoint.’’ This weekend’s tie will be played on a portable grass court at Sydney’s Olympic stadium which should suit the Australians. Hewitt beat Argentina’s David Nalbandian in the 2002 Wimbledon final and Australia’s second singles player, Wayne Arthurs, is a grass court specialist despite being ranked 76th in the world. But Australia’s stocks are low with Mark Philippoussis unavailable and Todd Woodbridge recently announcing his retirement while Argentina’s cupboard is overflowing. Nalbandian is ranked 10th in the world and in great form. He took Hewitt to five sets at the Australian Open and reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last month. Argentina’s second singles player Guillermo Coria, the former French Open finalist and world number 15, has also proven his ability of grass by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon.
— Reuters |
|
|
Badminton’s experiment with colour continues
New Delhi, July 13 Talking from Jaipur, Badminton Association of India (BAI) Secretary L.C. Gupta said, “It is not that this is the first time we are experimenting with the concept of colour dress. You have seen it in the Krishna Khaitan Memorial All-India Junior Badminton Tournament in Chennai and also in
Calicutt. We just want to continue the process.’’ “After it dawned upon the IBF that multi-colour apparel may not be a bad idea to draw attention of the television camera, we were asked to go for it on a trial basis. After a threadbare discussion on the issue, we decided to go colour in March,’’ he informed. After Chennai and
Calicutt, Bangalore will now see shuttlers in colourful apparel when the six-day tournament gets underway on July 18. Realising badminton was conceding ground to “spectator sports’’ the IBF proposed a number of innovations, that included colour dress replacing the traditional white apparel, standard court size and table tennis-style points system. The world body said the traditional white dresses made it difficult for the players to properly locate the white shuttle — travelling at a lightning fast speed — with a background of the same colour. New colour dress was the answer to the problem and it would make badminton more of a spectators’ game. Moving one step further, the IBF borrowed points system from table tennis and proposed a new
21-point best-of-three scoring system. Shorter games would cut down the players’ risk factor and prolong their career while this would mean viewers would not run out of patience, the IBF explained. Standardisation of the court’s size for both singles and doubles is the other issue which the governing body is pondering over. “The matter regarding court size is still in the IBF’s court and they are toying with the idea. We are not going to jump the gun and try it right now. But we are going to discuss the new scoring system during the executive meeting later this year. And if it is approved, the senior tournament slated in August could be the last tourney to be played in the old scoring format,’’ the BAI official said. While a handful of countries had embraced the new scoring format, a few others were considering the option and India would take its time before going for it, he said. “The new system was recently tried in a satellite tournament in Nepal and we would also try it. Personally I feel it will take another year before all agree to the innovation,’’ Mr Gupta said. The vital BAI meeting which will address the issue is slated for September 11 in Hyderabad.
— UNI |
|
More nightmares in store at Old Course’s hell hole
St Andrews (Scotland), July 13 The 455-yard Road Hole, so-called because of the road which runs behind the green and is part of the hole, has buried a string of dreams down the years since St Andrews staged the first of its 26 previous British Opens in 1873. Most famous of all was the Japanese pro Tommy Nakajima, who was in with a chance of winning the 1978 Open, but over-struck his birdie putt, which rolled past the hole, caught a down slope and landed in the Road Hole bunker. He took six more shots to find the cup for a nine and his challenge was over. His reward was a new nickname for the bunker: The Sands of Nakajima. Those sands claimed another victim in 2000 when David Duval, who was to win the tournament the following year, ran his ball in there, took four increasingly feverish shots to extract himself and ended up with eight. Tiger Woods had already tied up the tournament with eight shots to spare, but Duval’s ordeal had cost him, temporarily, his dignity and many tens of thousands of pounds as he swapped a likely second place for tied 11th. The Open organisers, the Royal and Ancient, have shallowed the bunker by around nine inches and widened it so that, although more may find themselves in Duval and Nakajima’s predicament, more should be able to escape with one blow of the sandwedge. All the same, a player whose ball comes to rest within the first third of the bunker in front of the green still faces the choice of a flick sideways or backwards as his only escape. The other major change to the hole is the decision to grow the rough considerably either side of the fairway, which is reached by hoisting a tee-shot, blind, over a wall belonging to the Old Course Hotel. A drive into the long grass now leaves almost no chance of recovery and gives even less room for error on a par-four hole, which in 2000 averaged 4.712 shots a time, the second-highest figure recorded in major tournament golf. No wonder, it is universally known as a real par four-and-a-half. Briton Nick Faldo, who won the Open here in 1990, says the modified Road Hole Bunker is still enough to make grown men in the field quake in their spikes, even one as experienced as him. “It is the one hole I can think of in tournament golf, that I will deliberately aim to miss the green, just so I know I will avoid the bunker,” he said yesterday. Ernie Els, the 2002 champion, is more worried about the newly grown rough, which demands such an accurate tee shot and then approach to the green.
— Reuters |
|
34 players selected in
5 disciplines
Jalandhar, July 13 Athletics:
Gurpreet Singh, Dilbagh Singh, Dalbir Singh, Gurwinder Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Talwinder Singh, Barinder Jit Singh, Satinder Singh, Manjit Singh, Sukhpreet Singh, Makhan Singh, Angrez Singh, Varinder Jeet Singh, Gurtej Singh, Sukhbir Kaur and Pawanpreet Kaur. Gymnastics:
Mohit Kumar, Mohinder Singh, Parvesh Kumar, Sahil Prashar and Rajinder Kumar. Weightlifting:
Amit Sharma, Ankur Sharma, Harbir Singh and Rahul Sharma. Wrestling:
Chander Preet Singh, Davinder Singh, Rajwinder Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Jagwant Singh and Harpreet Walia. Boxing: Sharanpreet Singh, Deepak and Munish Kumar. The department, in a bid to encourage bright sportspersons, announced one-time scholarships for players who had won top three positions in various national and international events during 2004-2005. |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
In
video: AP government ropes in Sania and Gopichand as brand
ambassadors. (
Germany’s Steffi Graf was beaten twice in her one-off return to competitive tennis yesterday before salvaging some pride by ending the night on a winning note in a World Team Tennis event in Houston.
