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India on the verge of resounding victory
Sourav was asked to step down
Buchanan wants his job reviewed
Harikrishna off to a flier
Russia, France gear up for Fed Cup final
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Indian hockey eves hold South Africa
Bhupathi aiming for 10th Grand Slam crown
Tirkey shines in defence as Qalandars win
Jeev tied second
Randhawa takes six-shot lead
Ghei 27th after first round
International standard cricket ground coming up at Ropar
Nehru hockey events rescheduled
Shooters win silver medal
Sair festival begins today
SGGS Society win 2-1
PNB crush FCI
Expedition leaves for Deo Tibba peak
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India on the verge of resounding victory Bulawayo, September 15 The left-handed Ganguly (101) notched up his 12th Test hundred to come out of a prolonged form slump as the visitors rattled up 554 all out in their first innings to take a big lead of 275 and then leave the hosts tottering at 67 for six at close on the third day. After Ganguly completed his first century in nearly two years, it was Pathan who stole the limelight at the Queen’s Club ground late in the day with a brilliant spell of swing bowling to demolish the Zimbabwe top order, returning with figures of four for 35. Harbhajan Singh, wicketless in the first innings, finally claimed his 200th Test wicket with the dismissal of Charles Coventry on what turned out to be the last ball of the day. The off spinner became the fastest Indian to reach the landmark in only 46 Tests. The hosts are still trailing by 208 runs and with two full days left, it is just a matter of time before the Indians wrap up the game for a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Ganguly’s confidence-boosting century came at a painstakingly slow pace as he consumed 261 balls before perishing to Ewing on the very next ball in a bid to force the pace of scoring. Pathan, who grabbed his fourth career five-wicket haul in the first innings, was once again devastating as his deadly inswingers proved too much to cope with for the hosts. With the innings in tatters at 18 for five, skipper Tatenda Taibu (30 not out) once again had to dig deep and there was some sort of recovery through his sixth-wicket partnership with Coventry (24). Ganguly had waited for nearly two years and 13 Tests to add another century to his tally which was his 12th in his 83rd game. India lost only wicket in the afternoon session as Pathan, after a stylishly composed 52, gave a return catch to left-arm spinner Keith Dabengwa. He put on 97 runs for the seventh wicket with Ganguly. Earlier, overnight batsman VVS Laxman was run out after he pushed a delivery to mid-on and called for a single but Ganguly wasn’t prone to respond to his call. In the morning, Zimbabwe made a brave comeback as they struck three vital blows to check India’s progress. Scoreboard Zimbabwe (first innings) 279 India (first innings) Gambhir c Taylor b Mahwire 46 Sehwag b Mahwire 44 Dravid c Taylor b Mahwire 77 Laxman run out 140 Ganguly c Duffin b Ewing 101 Yuvraj b Dabengwa 12 Kaarthick c Taibu b Blignaut 1 Pathan c & b Dabengwa 52 Kumble c Coventry Harbhajan c Coventry Zaheer not out 13 Extras
(lb-7, w-3, nb-4) 14 Total (all out, 151.3 overs) 554 Fall of wickets:
1-88, 2-98, 3-228, 4-356, 5-372, 6-379, 7-476, 8-502, 9-522. Bowling:
Streak 26-3-91-0, Mahwire 25.3-4-92-4, Blignaut 19-2-96-1, Dabengwa 39-7-127-3, Ewing 42-5-141-1. Zimbabwe (2nd innings) Taylor lbw Pathan 4 Duffin b Zaheer 2 Masakadza c Kumble b Pathan 2 Ebrahim b Pathan 1 Taibu not out 30 Streak lbw Pathan 0 Coventry c Gambhir Extras (w-2, nb-2) 4 Total
(6 wickets, 17.2 overs) 67 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-9, 3-9, 4-16, 5-18, 6-67. Bowling:
Pathan 8-3-35-4, Zaheer 6-1-17-1, Harbhajan 2.2-0-14-1, Kumble 1-0-1-0.
— PTI
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Sourav was asked to step down
Bulawayo, September 15 After scoring 101 in India’s first innings, Ganguly said that he was asked on the eve of the match to step down as captain. Ganguly did not take Greg Chappell’s name but give enough indications that it was the coach himself who wanted him to do so. Chappell, when asked about it, said the only thing he would share with the media was the composition the team should have in the match. Ganguly, who left the practice session on the eve of the match for half an hour, confirmed that he did so because he was upset with this demand on him.
— PTI
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Buchanan wants his job reviewed
Sydney, September 15 Arriving home in Brisbane, Buchanan said he wanted to stay on as coach after his contract expires next month, but he added that no one could be exempted from review after the 2-1 series defeat. “I
think it is pretty obvious that changes are needed in a whole range of things,” he told reporters. “I am keen to continue, but I am part of the mix as well, so it is not really up to me to venture into that debate”.
“Everything has to be reviewed. There is no doubt about that,” he said. — AFP |
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Harikrishna off to a flier
Lausanne, September 15 With a full-point lead in the two-game mini-match, Harikrishna needed only a draw against Carlsen in the return game to advance to the semifinals of the unique event, that featured established young stars of the chess world. On the other boards, the first day failed to produce any surprise as the top four seeds cruised to smashing victories over their less-fancied rivals. Coming out triumphant in quick time was top seed Andrei Volokitin of Ukraine, who had it easy against Elisabeth Paehtz of Germany. Second seed and US champion Hikaru Nakamura also scored an easy victory over Georgian Nana Dzagnidze, while Shakhriyar Mamedyarov made merry against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France. Harikrishna was brilliance personified and gave a just indication that he was now ready for bigger battles in match play. Fourteen-year-old Carlsen, one of the most popular players of the world today, was simply no match for the wily Indian, who came out with an
excellent opening surprise by moving the king pawn on the first move. Carlsen was so taken aback by the move that he resorted to Petroff defence, an opening that had gained the reputation of being solid over the years, rather than going for some sharp play, that was his forte. Thereafter, Harikrishna was simply on a cruise. Playing the middle game with absolute concentration, Harikrishna exchanged queens after attaining the bishop pair advantage and Carlsen’s attempts to equalise in an optically balanced position failed one after the other. Picking out holes in black’s position, Harikrishna attested his superiority in the endgame and romped home in 56 moves. This was the longest game on the first day and the only one that lasted beyond the first time control.
— PTI |
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Russia, France gear up for Fed Cup final
Paris, September 15 Anastasia Myskina won the French Open last year, beating Elena Dementieva in the final and the pair will be back on the same centre court this weekend and are likely to face Mauresmo and Pierce in the opening singles. “Of course playing at home is an advantage but I think it will be very tight,” said France captain Georges Goven. “We have Mauresmo and Pierce but Russia have Myskina and Dementieva, which is not bad either. “Myskina has not been quite as strong this year but everybody knows how well she can play on clay. As for Dementieva, she’s a great competitor. Beating her is never an easy task.” France, playing their third successive final, lost 2-3 to the same opponents in last year’s final in Moscow. But Roland Garros is a special place for Pierce, who lifted the French Open trophy there five years ago and played the final again this year. Mauresmo does not like it so much, having often cracked under pressure and never gone beyond the quarterfinals at the French Open. The former world number one, however, can rely on her Fed Cup experience, having won her last 15 matches in the competition. “This is not the French Open,” she said. “It’s a totally different context and it will be a different atmosphere. Russia captain Shamil Tarpishchev also named Dinara Safina and Vera Douchevina, keeping faith with the team that beat the USA 4-1 in the semifinals in Moscow in July. The weekend tie would have been even more glamorous had not world number one Maria Sharapova turned down an invitation to play for Russia this year. Mauresmo and Pierce will be supported by Nathalie Dechy and Tatiana Golovin with Virginie Razzano as first replacement.
— Reuters |
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Indian hockey eves hold South Africa
New Delhi, September 15 The South Africans were able to hold the lead until just before the break when 20-year-old Anjum struck. The two teams missed several opportunities after the break and had to settle for shared points. In another Pool B match, Germany lived up to its billing to blank Canada 4-0. Maike Stockel scored two goals in the ninth and 21st minutes while Franziska Stern (18th) and Eileen Hoffman (43rd) were the other scorers. Defending champions Korea handed out a huge 6-1 defeat to Scotland in their Pool C match. Korea scored through Han Hye Lyoung (15th min), Choi Eun Young (28th min), Kim Go Mi (38th min), Im Mi Ra (41st min), Park Mi Hyun (56th min) and Kim Young Ran (56th min). Scotland reduced the margin by a solitary goal from Aimee Clark, who
converted a penalty corner in the final minute of the match. —PTI |
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Bhupathi aiming for 10th Grand Slam crown
Kolkata, September 15 “Winning a Grand Slam is always special. I am happy to be back with another title. And now, I am one short of my target of 10 Grand Slam titles. Having come so near, it is on my mind now,” Bhupathi said on his arrival in the city ahead of the Sunfeast Open, promoted by his sports management company Globosport. Bhupathi partnered Slovak Daniela Hantuchova to win the title at Flushing Meadows last week to boost his Grand Slam crown tally to nine. Speaking to mediapersons at various venues in the city, where he attended a series of programmes, Bhupathi declared “Only after winning the 10th title will I set myself any further goal”. Asked about his on-court equation with Hantuchova, Bhupathi replied “Oh, it was great. We had a fine understanding. She is a very good partner”. “We played good tennis and staged remarkable comebacks in the second and third rounds. We both enjoyed the game,” he said. On teenage tennis star Sania Mirza’s first-round loss in the Bali meet close on the heels of her spectacular showing at the US Open, Bhupathi said, “She cannot win all her games. Even Pete Sampras did not. You win some, you lose some”. But he described as ‘unfair’ the comments that Sania’s inconsistency was affecting her game. “It is unfair to call her inconsistent on the basis of only one tournament where she made an early exit”. Asked whether he was
considering teaming up with Sania in the mixed doubles, Bhupathi said “I am not ruling it out. It may be a distant possibility. But I have no such plans in the near future”. Responding to queries on the Sunfeast Open, to be held here from September 19 to 25, he said, “Things have progressed satisfactorily. I think the tournament has generated interest and excitement in Kolkata and there will be a big crowd to cheer the players, especially the home-spun ones”. Bhupathi, the most
successful tennis player in Indian history, said Sania’s participation had given an added dimension to the tournament and hoped that the 18-year-old would be able to reach the final and climb up in the WTA rankings. — PTI |
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Tirkey shines in defence as Qalandars win
Karachi, September 15 Tirkey was rock solid in the Qalandar defence but his four attempts to convert penalty corners proved abortive. In fact, the Qalandars forced 11 penalty corners in the match but could convert only one, partly because of Shan-e-Punjab goalkeeper Salman Akbar, who shone even in defeat, saving at least five goals. Within 11 minutes, Akbar had thwarted three Tirkey attempts, much to the frustration of the Indian at the Hockey Club of Pakistan here. The Punjab side, meanwhile, sorely missed their Indian import Sandeep Singh, who had to sit out of the match owing to fever. After a poor second quarter, during which Gohar Rasool wasted a penalty stroke, the Qalandars opened their account in the 57th minute through Shabbir Hussain, who scored from a difficult angle on the 10th penalty corner. It could have been 2-0 within three minutes but Salman Akbar once again came up with a brilliant save to thwart Ishtiaq Mobeen but the latter avenged it in the 62nd minute, scoring the second goal after fed by Adnan Zakir. Shan-e-Punjab received the last blow in the dying minutes when Mohammed Zubair cashed in on a sloppy rival defence to score the third goal for the winners. Both Punjab and Sindh have played all their five league games and are tied with nine points each but the latter enjoy a better goal average and this win has revived their hopes of making it to the final of the tournament.
— UNI |
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Jeev tied second
Tokyo, September 15 Hidemasa Hoshino was leading the field with six-under 66 with six birdies — four of them in a row from 15th to 18th — and no bogeys, after starting from the 10th. Jeev started from the first and had birdies on the third, fifth and sixth holes, before a bogey on the ninth, which saw him turn in two-under. On the back nine, Jeev eagled the 12th with a chip-in, and then bogeyed the next hole. But further birdies on the 14th and 17th ensured a good day. Jeev birdied three of the four par-five holes and bogeyed one. Jeev had made the cut in 10 of the 15 starts so far. Defending champion Chawalit Plaphol was lying tied 47th at one-under 71.
— PTI |
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Randhawa takes six-shot lead Bangalore: Jyoti Randhawa made two eagles in three holes which helped him take an almost unassailable six-shot lead at the end of the third round of the Hero Honda Open (South), the second leg of the Amby Valley PGAI Tour, here on Thursday. Randhawa added a three-under par 67 to his overnight four-under score for a total of seven-under par 209 for 54 holes. Mukesh Kumar managed a par round to be in the second place at 215, while Pakistan’s number one player Matloob Ahmed Rana and Chandigarh lad Harinder Gupta were tied for the third place at level-par 216. The hardworking DGC pro Shamim Khan was in the fifth spot at 217 . — PTI
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Ghei 27th after first round
Taipei, September 15 Ghei was lying 27th, while Arjun Singh, who indicated his return to good form in Singapore, was 48th with a par round. Shiv Kapur and Harmeet Kahlon went one-over at 73 each and Amandeep Johl had an off-day with a five-over 77. Australians Adam Blyth and Pat Giles produced matching seven-under-par 65s to share the first-round lead. Blyth shot seven birdies in the morning, a score matched later by Giles, whose round was highlighted by a 40-foot eagle putt. They were one stroke ahead of compatriot Brad Kennedy. Chinese Taipei’s search for a first winner since 1998 started strongly, with Kao Bo-song and Chang Tse-peng, third in last year’s event, leading the local challenge in joint fourth position alongside Myanmar Open winner Scott Strange on 67. Kao, who was part of the team that won the 2002 Asian Games gold medal in Korea during his amateur days, shot six birdies against a lone bogey. Chang, a distant cousin of former tennis star Michael Chang, launched his campaign with seven birdies against two dropped shots. The 28-year-old Giles, who regained his Asian Tour card by finishing right on the cut off mark at Qualifying School in January, was delighted with his round, that included a monster eagle putt on the par five 12th hole.
— PTI |
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International
standard cricket ground coming up at Ropar Ropar, September 15 The ground is coming up in front of the local Government College. Spread over 10 acres, the complex also houses a football and a hockey ground. This would be the second cricket ground in the district having a turf wicket. After the completion of the ground, the PCA would have an alternative venue to hold matches and tournaments, claimed officials of the association. Three tracks have been prepared in in the 75-yard boundary circle. The fully covered nets with cemented, grassy and mat wickets for practice have also been set up. The work to prepare the ground was started in March. “The estimated expenditure on preparing the ground would be over Rs 5 lakh and the PCA had assured to bear 50 per cent of it,” said Mr Sandeep Budhiraja, secretary of the RDCA. “High quality “selection No. 1” grass has been used to prepare the green top. The wicket was prepared under the supervision of Daljit Singh, curator of the PCA pitch at Mohali,” said Mr Budhiraja. Besides financial and technical help, the PCA has also provided two grass mowing machines to the RDCA. Jobs like providing seating facility and work on water tank for the sprinkler system are pending. “The association is planning to install sprinkler system and benches during this year,” said Mr Budhiraja. The sprinkler would
help maintain the much-needed greenery throughout the year. At present, over 40 young players come regularly for training under Malkit Singh and Rajinder Rana, coaches of the association. The technical adviser is Bhupinder Singh, regular “B” Grade umpire of the PCA. The aim is to prepare the ground before mid-September. The association plans to inaugurate it with the under-14 Minor Inter-District Tournament, which is scheduled to start on September 25.
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Nehru hockey events rescheduled
New Delhi, September 15 The 12th Girls Tournament (under 17) will be held from October 10 to 18, the 34th Junior Tournament for school boys (under 17) from October 18 to 31, the 23rd Sub-Junior Tournament for school boys (under 15) from October 31 to November 14 and the 42nd Senior Nehru Tournament from December 20 to 31. The 13th Champions Colleges Tournament will be held from February 8 to 17, 2006. Normally, the Nehru hockey season ends with the senior tournament, which starts on November 14, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. |
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Shooters win silver medal
New Delhi, September 15 The Indian team, comprising Vivek Singh, Samresh Jung and Satendra Kumar, tallied 1,716 out of 1,800 for a tie in the second place, but won the medal on the basis of last card. Vivek fired 576 from 600 to reach the finals, where he finished sixth with an aggregate of 674.9 (576+98.9).
Samaresh scored 574 and Satendra shot 566 for the final placements of ninth and 15th, respectively. Men skeet shooters disappointed as none of them could make it to the finals. Amit Sanghi fell short by two points for a place in the finals despite a perfect penultimate qualifying round of 25 and a last round of 24. In the first three rounds, he shot 22, 22 and 23. Other Indian shooters in the fray — Navin Jindal and Allan Daniel —shot 106 and 109 respectively.
—PTI |
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Sair festival begins today
Arki (Shimla), September 15 “This festival is celebrated at the time of harvesting of the kharif crop. Farmers participate with zeal in this festival”, said Raja Rajendra Singh. The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister will inaugurate the festival tomorrow at 11 am. A gathering of over 10,000 is expected to cheer the contestants. Prizes for the winners will be sponsored by the local Municipal Nagar Panchayat and a top cement company on the inaugural day. Another cement company is sponsoring the events on the concluding day. An exhibition relating to agriculture will also be part of the festival. |
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SGGS Society win 2-1
Chandigarh, September 15 The Jalandhar outfit took the lead through Manpreet in the 20th minute but Amandeep of GS Parmar FC found the target five minutes later to restore parity. The Jalandhar boys had to wait till the 75th minute to clinch the issue when Navkaran found the match winner to give his team full points. In another match, Bassi FC scored a solitary-goal victory over Sikh National FC, Banga. The all-important goal was scored by Narinder Singh with only a minute to go for the long whistle. |
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PNB crush FCI
New Delhi, September 15 In the Delhi State School Hockey League, JKG School, Ghaziabad defeated Bal Bharti School, Pitampura 2-0, while Barmanand School, Noida drew with Guru Harkrishan Public School, Vasant Vihar, 1-1. |
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Expedition
leaves for Deo Tibba peak Patiala, September 15 The team comprising Lakhwant Singh
Khangura, Samir Kapil, Rahul Kapil, Gurung Singh, Samir Sekhon (all old
Nabhaites) and Sukhjinder Singh (YPS), will be accompanied by experienced mountaineer Rajinder Sharma, who has scaled the Ladakhi peak thrice and Hanuman Tibba (Manali). Rajinder Sharma was also part of the British expedition that successfully scaled the 6632-m Jonali peak in June, 2002. The adventure tour has been organised by Innerline Treks and Travels. According to chief executive of the agency Amarjung Singh Sidhu, it is for the first time that any expedition from the region is attempting to scale the Deo Tibba peak considered to be a technically very difficult to scale. The peak is located in the Pir Panjal range near Manali. It consists of an extensive ice cap and the actual climb is a snow hump, which is accessible once the edge of the ice plateau is reached.
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Jadeja to play for Rajasthan team
Basketball meet
Sugar mills’ meet BSF tournament Volleyball team G Yachti
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