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Australia dethroned
Gambhir powers Delhi’s win
Punjab whip Services
Services claim overall trophy
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NFL: JCT clash with East Bengal today
Air-India subdue Churchill
Lions rule over Shers
IHF may be hauled up in Parliament
Sasikiran makes it two in a row
Kapur misses on top finish
Taipei pair wins WTA title
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Australia dethroned
Auckland, February 18 Australia set what seemed an imposing target of 336, but Ross Taylor, Peter Fulton and Craig McMillan belted New Zealand to victory with an over to spare. They now hold an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series. It was Australia’s fourth successive loss and second successive series defeat as the reigning world champions continue to struggle in a drastic form slump a month before the World Cup. South Africa now take over as the number one ranked team. Stung by their 10-wicket loss to New Zealand in the first match of the series on Friday, Australia scored at will from all New Zealand bowlers with the exception of Shane Bond. Their 336 for four, with a captain’s knock of 105 from Mike Hussey, was a record score on the Eden Park pitch, easily eclipsing New Zealand’s 304 for five against Sri Lanka 24 years ago. But it was a short-lived record as Taylor’s 117 and an unbeaten 76 from Fulton provided the backbone of the New Zealand innings, before a quick-fire 52 in 30 balls from McMillan provided the final impetus. He came to the crease with New Zealand requiring nine runs an over, and departed with four overs remaining and the target down to a run a ball. New Zealand’s run chase started shakily when Captain Stephen Fleming, who is struggling for consistency, fell to Nathan Bracken in the third over for six. Fellow opener Lou Vincent, who has been enjoying a golden run this summer, saw his luck desert him in the eighth over, also to Bracken and New Zealand were in trouble at 47 for two. Taylor and Scott Styris brought up the century but Styris never looked comfortable. When he went in the 20th over for 17 runs, New Zealand appeared to be in trouble at 113 for three. However, the arrival of Fulton was the start of New Zealand’s fightback. The tall right-hander, known as “two-metre Peter” admitted to being hurt after he was dropped from the New Zealand squad for the series and only regained his place when all-rounder Jacob Oram was injured in the first match. With a point to prove, Fulton set about backing up Taylor and they put on 115 runs for the fourth wicket before Taylor top-edged Watson to Hussey at midwicket. Fulton brought up his half-century with a towering six that was caught by Cameron White inside the field of play, but the Australian stepped back over the boundary rope with the ball in hand. He gave no other chances and his 76 off 65 balls included five fours and two sixes. McMillan blazed away with seven fours and two sixes in his 52 before he was caught by Hussey off Watson two balls in a row. He was called back the first time for a no ball but on the next delivery, he played an identical shot to a legitimate ball. The result was a drastic swing of fortune for the Australians after being sent into bat and posting the morale-boosting innings from Hussey and an unbeaten 97 from Brad Hodge. Matthew Hayden and Phil Jaques plundered 17 off the opening over from Daryl Tuffey, to offset the unplayable deliveries at the other end from Bond whose opening six-over spell conceded just seven runs. They also punished New Zealand for omitting quick bowler James Franklin from the playing 11, with the fifth bowling option shared among part-timers Styris, McMillan and Vincent. Between them, the three gave up 102 runs from 11 overs. Scoreboard Australia Hayden c Vettori b Gillespie 24 Jaques c Fleming b Bond 3 Haddin c and b Vettori 49 Hussey c Taylor b McMillan 105 Hodge not out 97 White not out 42 Extras
(b-1, lb-5, nb-2, w-8) 16 Total (4 wkts, 50 overs) 336 Fall of wickets:
1-26, 2-52,
3-122, 4-252. Bowling: Tuffey 10-0-80-0, Bond 9-4-39-1, Gillespie 10-2-57-1, Vettori 10-0-54-1, Styris 4-0-34-0, McMillan 5-0-44-1, Vincent 2-0-22-0. New Zealand Vincent c Jaques b Bracken 26 Fleming c Haddin b Bracken 6 Taylor c Hussey b Watson 117 Styris c Hussey b Watson 17 Fulton not out 76 McMillan c Hussey b Watson 52 McCullum not out 19 Extras
(b-1, lb-11, nb-2, w-10) 24 Total (5 wkts, 48.4 overs) 337 Fall of wickets:
1-9, 2-47,
3-113, 4-228, 5-313 Bowling: Bracken 10-1-66-2, McGrath 9.4-0-50-0, Tait 9-0-64-0, Watson 10-0-58-3, Hogg 7-0-58-0, White 3-0-29-0.
— AFP
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Gambhir powers Delhi’s win
Patiala, February 18 The venue has always been a happy hunting ground for Gambhir, who has scored tons of runs here in junior cricket. Winning the toss on a placid wicket, Delhi opted to bat first and both Gautam Gambhir and Akash Chopra put on 114 runs for the first wicket. It was this partnership which virtually knocked the fight out of Haryana. Gambhir was joined by Delhi skipper Shikhar Dhawan in the middle and the two added 109 runs for the second wicket. Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia chipped in with useful knocks as Delhi ended their innings at 294 for 4. In reply, Haryana floundered at the very start and were reduced to 27 for 2 by Amit Bhandari. Left arm seamer Ashish Nehra failed to impress and he was punished by Vishal Sahni and Sachin Rana for bowling an erratic line and length. Brief scores: Delhi: 294 for 4 (Gambhir 116, Chopra 52, Sachin Rana 2 for 52);
Haryana: 237 for 7 (Vishal Sahni 53, Dhruv Singh 45, Abhishek Sharma 3 for 40).
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Punjab whip Services
Mohali, February 18 Earlier, Services started on a shaky note as Gagandeep sent Imran back to the pavilion for his and the team score reading zero. Jasvir scored 42 runs and opener Amit Pal Singh (31) and middle-order batsman Sarabjit Singh (30) offered some resistance. Brief scores: Services: 150 all out in 49.4 overs (Jasvir 42, Amit Pal 31, V.R.V. Singh 3 for 29); Punjab: 151 for 1 in 33 overs (Dinesh Mongia 70, Karan Goel 61). HP has it easy
Chandigarh: Himachal Pradesh registered a comfortable seven-wicket win over Jammu and Kashmir. In reply, Himachal achieved the target in just 39.3 overs, thanks mainly to a 69-run knock by P. Dogra and a fine knock of 43 from Sandeep Sharma. Brief scores: J&K: 183 runs all out (Nabi 44, Sarandeep 3 for 31); Himachal: 184 for 3 in 39.3 overs (Dogra 69, Sandeep 43)
— PTI
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Services claim overall trophy
Haryana were placed at fifth position (30-22-28) while Punjab finished seventh (25-39-40). The closing ceremony was attended by thousands of people, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here this evening. The Games flame was extinguished and the IOA flag was lowered to hand it over to Jharkhand, the host of the next edition. A cultural extravaganza, dare devil show, horse show and then a series of live performances by singing stars Usha Uthup and Debojit Saha coupled with the military bands and fireworks lighted up the clear sky. Hockey: Punjab lose in final
Services came from behind to upset defending champions Punjab 2-1 and claim the gold medal in the men’s hockey competition at the 33rd National Games here today. The Bhetapara hockey stadium was the scene for some unsavoury scenes as play was halted for 12 minutes in the second half when Punjab players walked out protesting the Services equaliser. Luckily, better sense prevailed and players came back on but one could still see them arguing with the officials and there was some heckling and pushing of the umpires too. Punjab took the lead in the 19th minute through Daler Singh. Services came back with a penalty corner goal from Khadangbam Rinel Singh (45th) and Eliazer Lakra (65th). Punjab men are handball champs
Punjab beat Services in an exciting encounter to take home the men’s handball gold medal today. The match was evenly contested throughout and Punjab emerged champions winning 30-29 in extra-time. Services led 12-11 at the break in regulation time but Punjab edged the second period 14-13 to tie the match at 25 apiece and send it to extra-time. In the first period of added time, Punjab took a 3-1 lead and though Services led 3-2 in the second half, they fell short by a goal. Sukhdev Singh was the highest scorer for Punjab with nine goals while the stellar effort from Services’ Naya Chandra Singh Irungbam (9) and Naveen Yadav (8) went waste.
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NFL: JCT clash with East Bengal today
Chandigarh, February 18 With seven points from four outings, East Bengal under the watchful eyes of Brazilian coach Carlos Roberto Pereira da Silva and his deputy, Bikash Panji, are keen to put up an impressive show in their third away match. Having made an unimpressive start, losing to Air-India 0-1 at Mumbai on January 7, East Bengal got into their rhythm subsequently, beating HAL and Mohammedan Sporting 3-1 and 2-1 respectively. In the fourth round, Goa’s Churchill Brothers held them to a 2-2 draw at Kolkata on January 21. The red and gold brigade lost the services of top players like Indian captain Baichung Bhutia, who signed for Mohun Bagan this season, and foreigners like Mike Okoro. Former coach Subhas Bhowmick, who steered the club to dizzy heights with key victories in the ASEAN Club Championship at Jakarta and elsewhere a couple of seasons back, has also shifted his loyalty to Mohammedan Sporting. Nevertheless, East Bengal have an envious track record with three NFL titles and as many runners-up positions. Last season they finished second with 31 points, five points behind champions Mahindra United. Despite losing the services of stars like Bhutia, the red and gold brigade have hired some quality players this season. Among them is Japan-born midfielder Arata Izumi, who incidentally made his debut in the Durand Cup against JCT on November 22 last. In the current league, Izumi boosted East Bengal’s tally with a goal against HAL on January 11. However, among the foreign recruits, Kenyan striker Boniface Ambani is the latest rage. As East Bengal’s leading scorer with three goals, Ambani is expected to play a dominant role against JCT tomorrow. When East Bengal beat Mohammedan Sporting in the third round last month, Ambani had scored one of the two goals. Again, when East Bengal split points with Churchill Brothers in the fourth round through a 2-2 draw in Kolkata on January 21, Ambani scored both the goals. East Bengal also have talented players like Bibiano Fernandes, Asim Biswas, Syed Rahim Nabi, Alvito D’ Cunha, Debarata Roy, S. Malswamtluanga, Freddy Mascarenhas, and former JCT and Mohun Bagan medio Hardeep Singh Saini. JCT supporters cannot forget the 4-0 drubbing handed down to East Bengal in the Durand Cup on November 22 last. However, in the current league, the mill men’s campaign thus far has remained sluggish. Having lost to Mohammedan Sporting 1-2 in their lung opener at Kolkata on January 5, the mill men did notch up a 2-0 win over Mohun Bagan at Ludhiana on January 10 thanks to a brace by striker Sunil Chhetri. But thereafter, JCT were held to gaol-less draws by Goa’s Churchill Brothers and Dempo SC at Ludhiana last month. JCT’s fortunes rest with Nigerian striker Edeh Chidi, internationals Rennedy Singh, Sunil Chhetri, and striker Parveen Kumar. Although JCT have a sound defence manned by wing back Daljeet Singh and stopper back Anwar, the absence of Harpreet Singh is a major cause of worry for coach Sukhwinder Singh and manager Parminder Singh. Harpreet suffered an injury in the previous match and subsequently underwent a surgery. With Karanjit Singh emerging as a dependable goalie who won praise for his superb showing against the visiting Sao Paulo club of Brazil, the team management hopes that the midfield and attack functions effectively tomorrow. In the 10th edition of the NFL, JCT lost both the home and away matches to East Bengal by an identical 0-1 margin. While JCT lost the home match at Ludhiana on February 2 last year due to a suicidal goal by defender Narinder Singh, the away match ended in East Bengal’s favour through a goal by Jayanta Sen. Tomorrow, JCT enjoy a slight edge going by their recent performance. The kick-off is at 3 pm.
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Air-India subdue Churchill
Mumbai, February 18 Keeping the shape at the back and looking much more cohesive in the midfield, Air-India pocketed the maximum three points as they sustained their fine start to the campaign. An early goal by forward Samson Singh set up things superbly for the airmen, who enhanced their lead mid-way through the second half, courtesy an own goal by Churchill’s substitute defender Selwyn Fernandes. HAL outplay Sporting Clube
Bangalore: Local giants Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Sports Club defeated Sporting Clube de Goa 2-1 to garner full points from their fifth round National Football League match here today. Xavier Vijayakumar scored in the 44th minute and Satish Kumar (82nd minute) for the HAL while the Goan club reduced the margin in the 70th minute through a penalty kick, converted by Nigerian Macpherlin Dudu at the Bangalore Football Stadium. This win put HAL ahead of Mohun Bagan and Sporting Clube de Goa, who both have four points from five matches in the league table. Dempo down Bagan 2-1
Kolkata: Leaders Dempo Sports Club came from behind to down local giants Mohun Bagan 2-1 here today. It was Bagan which forged ahead in the 25th minute through skipper Bhaichung Bhutia but Ranti Martin levelled the score for Dempo before the lemon break. Climax Lawrence scored the match winner for the Goan outfit in the second half.
— PTI
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Lions rule over Shers
Chandigarh, February 18 Thereafter, Lions roared with aggression and thwarted the dangerous rival raids strategically. Lions making precise distribution, switched over to making more counter attacks. It was only in the 19th minute, when Lions were successful in striking the equaliser. In this raid, their striker Hari Prasad put Sandeep Michael in possession of the ball with a short pass. Sandeep, at the middle of the circle, dodging couple of defenders sent the ball home (1-1). Just two minutes before half-time, Lions earned the second penalty corner, which fetched them match winner. During this juncture, their Pakistani import Rehan Butt pushed the ball and their other foreign player Paul Blake set it up just right for drag-flick specialist Len Aiyappa, who made no mistake to beat rival custodian Kamaldeep. Steelers edge past Dynamos In the second match of the day, Orissa Steelers stole the show and quelled the challenge of Chandigarh Dynamos and maintained their position at the top of the second leg of PHL. Steelers won 4-2. Dynamos opened their account in the 6th minute through Rajpal Singh. Buoyed by this goal, Steelers came back with aggression and scored the equaliser in the 12th minute through their first penalty corner. Steelers converted another penalty corner in the 25th minute. Tirkey pushed the ball and their Argentine import Mario Alamada executed only to take lead (2-1). Mario Almada scored again in the 34th minute and consolidated the lead. Thereafter, Dynamos’ Harvinder Singh made a long pass to Mandeep Singh who took control of the ball into the circle only to reduce the margin in the 40th minute 2-3. However, after six minutes Steelers’ staged another comeback through a superb field goal by their forward Prem Kumar making it 4-2 to clinch the honour.
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IHF may be hauled up in Parliament
New Delhi, February 18 After conducting a protest rally a few months ago, a set of former players Aiyar a few days back with a plea to hold a thorough inquiry into what they alleged to be “financial irregularities” of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). Sources said during a meeting for nearly an hour, Aiyar urged the Olympians to seek the support of Parliamentarians and initiate a process for the issue to be discussed on the floor of the Houses. The Minister, sources said, prescribed names of some 20 Parliamentarians whose voices are counted in the both the Houses. When contacted, Aiyar said he suggested the former greats approach the legislators, as the IHF was an elected autonomous body.
— PTI
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Sasikiran makes it two in a row
Moscow, February 18 Sasikiran, who started with a draw and a loss in the first two rounds, came out good with his black pieces against the Russian and can now look up for an encore of last year’s result when he tied for the first place in this strongest open of the world. After two victories and a loss, National Champion Surya Shekhar Ganguly played it safe against Ni Hua of China and settled for a draw in a mere 12 moves of a French defence game while lady luck finally deserted Woman Grandmaster D. Harika as she was beaten by Zahar Efimenko of Ukraine. Former World junior champion P. Harikrishna was held to his third draw in the event when he failed to break the ice against Boris Savchenko of Russia and S. Vijayalakshmi did well to hold Grandmaster Thomas Luther of Germany. World’s youngest Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi continued to struggle with his white pieces and was tamed by Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia. With five rounds still remaining, Evegeny Tomashevsky of Russia continued to lead the tables with 4 points from as many rounds. Sasikiran and Ganguly are on 2.5 points and the coming few rounds will decide their fate in the event. Harika remained on 2 points after the loss while Harikrishna and Vijayalakshmi are now on 1.5 points. Parimarjan is on just one point from his four games. In the ‘B’ group being played simultaneously, R. Arun Karthik continued with his dream run and defeated Alexander Filipenko of Russia. The victory enabled Karthik to take his tally to an outstanding 5.5 points out of a possible six games played in this section and he now shares the lead with Vasif Durarbeyli of Azerbaijan. On the toes of the two leaders is a pack of three players on 5 points that includes India’s Suvrajit Saha.
— PTI
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Kapur misses on top finish
Jakarta, February 18 On a day interrupted by a lightning storm, Kapur starting his final round four shots behind the leader made a great charge and shot the day’s second best card of 67 but still came one short behind winner Miko Ilonen (71) of Finland. It was still his best-ever finish on European Tour, bettering his seventh place last year in the event co-sanctioned between Asian and European
Tours. Ilonen, a first-time winner, ended with a total of nine-under 275, while Kapur (67), Frankie Minoza (71) and Andrew Tampion (69) tied for second at 276. Of India’s other challengers, Gaurav Ghei had a good closing day with a 68 that saw him jump from overnight 50th to tied 23rd at even par 284 and SSP Chowrasia (73) was tied 33rd at one-over 285. — PTI
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Taipei pair wins WTA title
Bangalore, February 18 In a battle that lasted for one hour and 46 minutes, the Australian Open finalists emerged winners in the super tie-breaker to pocket $ 7,620 while the runners-up received a cash pack of $ 4,020. It was a rare feast for thousands of tennis lovers as the match was keenly contested right from the beginning with the fourth seed pair, after stretching the set to a tie-breaker, won the set only to make the top seed fight back and win the second.
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Guwahati, February 18
