Chennai, June 8
Already one up in the three-match series, Asia XI will be hoping for an unassailable 2-0 lead to pocket the Afro-Asia Cup title tomorrow when they cross swords with their African counterparts in the second one-dayer at the floodlit M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here. However, Africa XI captain Justin Kemp today said they were keen to improve and over turn the tables on the Asia XI in the last two back-to-back ODIs.

The weather might play spoilsport as the city, reeling under hot and humid conditions till two days back, is experiencing drizzles since yesterday. The weather office has forecast cloudy sky with the possibility of showers.

If the forecast does turn out true, the Cup, already hit by lack of main sponsors and pull out by some of the big players, could well be a repeat of the last edition in South Africa which ended in a 1-1 tie with the last match being rained out.

Despite missing top guns like India’s Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid and Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, Asia XI proved their superiority so far with a 34-run win in the first ODI at Bangalore after triumphing in the Twenty20 match the day earlier.

The Indian pair of Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag, who were expected to utilise the tournament to reinforce their claim for berths in the Indian team bound for Ireland and England, did put up some decent efforts scoring 45 and 32, respectively, in the first ODI. But they could have used the chance to the hilt had they batted little more cautiously in losing their wickets to rash shots.

With the Chepauk pitch expected to assist the batsmen, Sanath Jayasuriya, Ganguly, Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh will have the edge against the largely inexperienced African bowling.

Asia XI captain Mahela Jayawardene should be happy the way his bowlers performed, particularly new ball bowlers Mohammad Asif, who made a memorable comeback rattling the African XI top order with a three-wicket haul. India’s left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan gave him ample support claiming two wickets.

The experienced Jayasuriya and Harbhajan Singh, who shared four wickets between them, will spearhead the spin attack.

The Africa XI batting, devoid of match practice in the run up to the tournament, left much to be desired and but for the heroics of South Africa’s Shaun Pollock, who has opted to be a batsman, their margin of defeat could have been much more.

Pollock (130) produced a superlative maiden hundred that earned him the man-of-the-match award even though it could not save his side.

The African bowling, lacking teeth in the absence of the likes of Makhaya Ntini added to Pollock’s decision not to bowl, had also been ineffective with Morne Morkel proving expensive in Bangalore.

Despite the presence of the Indian stars, the ticket sales have been dull so far. The organisers, however, are hoping that it would pick up on the match day.

Chief curator K Parthasarathy, meanwhile, hinted a run-feast tomorrow.

“It will be a bouncy wicket. Batsmen known for stroke-play will relish batting as the rise of the ball will be helpful to them. The pitch will behave uniformly throughout the match,” he said.

Teams (from): Asia XI: Sanath Jayasuriya, Virender Sehwag, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene (Capt), Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Yousuf, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Dilhara Fernando, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mohammad Rafique, Mohammad Asif.

Africa XI: A B de Villiers, Loots Bosman, Justin Kemp (capt), Johan Botha, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Boeta Dippenaar, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Steve Tikolo, Thomas Odoyo, Elton Chigumbura, Vusi Sibanda, Peter Ongondo.

Hours of play: 2.30 pm to 6 pm; 6.45 pm to 10.15 pm. — PTI

Graham Ford vs John Emburey

Former South African coach Ford has also coached the English county team of Kent, while Emburey has headed the Middlesex cricket academy.

Mali promises team work

Newly appointed International Cricket Council acting president Ray Mali promised here today that he would strive to work as a team with all cricket-playing nations to avoid an individualistic style of administration in running the organisation.

The 70-year-old cricket administrator, who took up the position after Percy Sonn’s death recently, said, “I am not going to lead it all by myself. I believe in leading it as a team. I would like to chart a way forward as a team, chart a way forward with all countries of the world.”

Mali was addressing a seminar here on the development of cricket organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). He felt that cricket was a unifying force among nations and stressed that it ought to be inclusive and free of discrimination.

Referring to the apartheid era in his country South Africa, Mali lamented that discrimination had retarded potential talent in his country.

He observed that because of the ongoing Afro-Asia Cup some people were feeling “uneasy” as they felt the two continents might try to act as a pressure group. However, he claimed that such apprehensions were unfounded.

“We are not to be seen as a pressure group, but rather as a union trying to make cricket accessible to all. At the same time, other nations should also be involved in the larger project of taking cricket facilities to rural children in Asian and African nations,” he added.

Manchester, June 8
Spinner Monty Panesar and pacer Ryan Sidebottom triggered a West Indies collapse as England took a 141-run lead on the second day of the third Test at Old Trafford here today.

In reply to England’s first-innings total of 370, the West Indies were bowled out for 229, with Panesar being the wrecker-in-chief (4-50). Sidebottom took 3-48, continuing from where he left off at Leeds. Shivnarine Chanderpaul top-scored for the visitors with 50.

Earlier, Ian Bell was dismissed three runs short of a seventh Test century as England were dismissed for 370 before lunch.

England, 1-0 up in the four-match series, added 76 valuable runs in the morning session after resuming on 296 for seven.

Bell’s 97 was another impressive effort on the ground where he scored 59 and 65 against Australia in 2005 and an unbeaten 106 last year against Pakistan. If he had reached three figures it would have been his fifth century batting at number six.

Bell, who faced 191 balls, took his overnight partnership with Harmison to 39 before the tail-ender gloved another short and spiteful Fidel Edwards delivery to the wicketkeeper.

Scoreboard

England

Strauss lbw Taylor 6

Cook c Bravo b Sammy 60

Vaughan b Collymore 41

Pietersen c Bravo b Collymore 9

Collingwood lbw Taylor 10

Bell c Ramdin b Collymore 97

Prior c Morton b Bravo 40

Plunkett b Edwards 13

Harmison c Ramdin b Edwards 18

Sidebottom b Edwards 15

Panesar not out 14

Extras (b-15, lb-8, w-6, nb-18) 47

Total (all out, 105.1 overs) 370

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-117, 3-132, 4-132, 5-166, 6-264, 7-285, 8-324, 9-338

Bowling: Taylor 20-1-67-2, Edwards 20.1-2-94-3, Collymore 25-5-60-3, Bravo 23-4-94-1. Sammy 17-7-32-1.

West Indies (1st innings)

Gayle c Cook b Plunkett 23

Ganga lbw Harmison 5

Smith c Bell b Panesar 40

Morton c Strauss b Harmison 35

Chanderpaul c Pietersen b Sidebottom 50

Bravo c Prior b Sidebottom 24

Ramdin c Pietersen b Sidebottom 5

Sammy c Collingwood b Panesar 1

Taylor c Strauss b Panesar 0

Collymore c Collingwood b Panesar 4

Edwards not out 0

Extras (b-20, lb-10, w-9, nb-3) 42

Total (all out, 52.4 overs) 229

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-49, 3-116, 4-157, 5-216, 6-224, 7-225, 8-225, 9-225.

Durban, June 8
South African all-rounder, Jacques Kallis, has replaced Graeme Smith as captain for the tour of Ireland in a fortnight’s time for matches against India and Ireland.

The convenor of the selectors, Haroon Lorgat, said Kallis had been appointed captain of the 14-man squad because Smith had not yet recovered from surgery to his left knee.

Shaun Pollock, currently playing as a batsman in the Afro-Asia competition in India has also not been considered.

Squad: Jacques Kallis (capt), Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andrh Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Thandi Tshabalala and Mornh van Wyk. — PTI

Mysore, June 8
Right-arm pacer Munaf Patel was all set to return to the Indian team after getting a clean chit from trainer Gregory King on his performance at the five-day fitness specific camp for the bowlers that concluded here today.

King said Patel did not show any ill effects of the back injury that forced him out of the Bangladesh tour last month during the camp but left it to physio John Gloster to give the final all-clear to the bowler.

“Munaf is looking good and coming along well. Obviously John (Gloster) will have to assess him at the next stage, but he completed all the fitness drills with the same intensity as everyone else”, King said.

“And he didn’t have any serious injury in Bangladesh. It was a very short tour and he was sent back as he was not going to play in the next game.”

The injury-prone Patel broke down during India’s tour of Bangladesh last month after complaining of lower back pain and was replaced by Delhi rookie Ishant Sharma before the second Test at Chittagong.

Patel was also replaced by team-mate S. Sreesanth in the Asia XI team in the one-off Twenty20 fixture against Africa XI held in Bangalore on June 5 as part of the ongoing Afro-Asia Cup. — PTI

Paris, June 8
Rafael Nadal moved closer to a rare French Open hat-trick by overpowering Serbia’s Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 today to set up a much-anticipated final against arch-rival Roger Federer.

World number two Nadal, trying to become the first man with three successive Roland Garros titles since Bjorn Borg in 1980, wore down sixth seed Djokovic with relentless groundstrokes to extend his 100 per cent record on the Paris clay.

The 20-year-old Djokovic tried his best but was not tough enough and failed to emulate compatriot Ana Ivanovic, who will face Justine Henin in the women’s final here tomorrow.

In Sunday’s men’s title match, the 21-year-old Spaniard with the bulging biceps will take on world number one Federer, who lost to Nadal in last year’s final and reached this year’s with a tight 7-5, 7-6, 7-6 win over Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko.

Federer bettered the record of seven successive final appearances set by Australian Jack Crawford in the 1930s but was made to work for it.

The elegant 25-year-old Swiss, chasing the only Grand Slam title to elude him, showed more composure when it mattered.

Fourth seed Davydenko, who failed to advance to his first final of a major event, gave his all but it was not enough. The 26-year-old bowed out by sending a backhand wide on the second match point after just over three hours of high quality tennis.

Davydenko, who led in all three sets, broke Federer straight away and earned many break points on the top seed’s next service games.

Federer, who looked sluggish at first, underlined his determination to fight back by saving three break points with as many service winners in the seventh game. In the next game, the Swiss earned his first break opportunity of the match and converted it courtesy of an unforced error from his opponent to level the set at 4-4.

A tiebreak was looming when Davydenko fired a backhand long to drop serve in the 12th game and lose the set after 51 minutes.

The second set was tight until Davydenko broke Federer with a raging backhand winner to move 5-4 up. He then served for the set but Federer raised the level of his game with perfect timing.

A tiebreak was needed, in which Davydenko saved two set points before Federer converted a third with a service winner to take it 7-5.

Paris, June 8
Serbian teenager Ana Ivanovic will stand in the way of Justine Henin’s march into the record books when they meet in the French Open final tomorrow.

The 25-year-old Henin is just one victory away from a hat-trick of title wins at Roland Garros. The only other woman to achieve that in the Open Era (post-1968) was Serbian-born Monica Seles in 1992.

It would also be the sixth Grand Slam title of her career, having already won three in Paris, with one each at the US and Australian Opens, and consolidate her position as world No.1.

On the face of it, the top-seeded Belgian is ideally placed to win here for the fourth time in five years.

The defending champion is on a 20-match winning streak at her favourite Grand Slam tournament, the last 16 of which were won in straight sets. Roland Garros, she says, is her back garden.

The 19-year-old Ivanovic will be playing in her first Grand Slam final, having secured the biggest win of her career last month in the German Open.

Henin though says she is taking nothing for granted against a player who had to leave her home at an early age in order to benefit from proper training facilities.

“I know her a bit, I know what she has done,” she said.

“She’s played an exceptional tournament this year and she’s in great shape. She has matured quite a lot over the last year so this is a match I’m going to work on very seriously.” — AFP

New Delhi, June 8
Finally, there seems a light at the end of the tunnel for the dope-tainted duo of Shailaja Pujari and B. Prameelavalli, currently serving two-year ban each, with the Indian Weightlifting Federation deciding to groom them again for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

In a bold move, which can also invite widespread criticism, the IWF has already managed to convince Prameelavalli to attend the camp and Shailaja is also likely to follow suit.

“Delhi is hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games and we have to field the best team. Going by their records, both Prameelavalli and Shailaja are almost certain to win medals and that’s why we decided to recall them to train,” IWF general-secretary Balbir Singh Bhatia told PTI.

“We are fully aware of the possible consequences, maybe we are inviting criticism with the move. But if we can’t brave that and fail to see the larger picture, we have no business to be here in the federation.

“Both Shailaja and Prameela’s bans expire in March next year and we wanted them to be back to the business. It’s easy to dump them and wash your hands of the issue but we are convinced of their capabilities and would do everything to boost our medal tally in the 2010 Games,” he asserted.

Bhatia also refused to call it softening the federation’s stance. “They have tested positive and so there can’t be any leniency as long as the length of the ban is concerned. But if recalling them serves the country’s purpose, I think nobody should have any problem with that,” he said.

Both Prameelavalli and Shailaja tested positive during out-of-competition testing done by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) at Patiala in February last year.

Persuaded by the IWF, Prameelavalli agreed to join the ongoing camp in Patiala while Shailaja is about to join.

“I discussed the issue with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) director-general and he was also keen to have both Prameela and Shailaja in the March 26-June 14 camp. I’ve met Shailaja three times after she was slapped the ban. We don’t want such promising lifters to fade into oblivion,” Bhatia said.

The IWF official also asserted that the lifters did not intentionally consume performance-enhancing drugs.

“Prameela created three Asian sub-junior records in Tashkent in 2005 and won silver in junior championship the same week, unprecedented in Indian weightlifting history.

“Shailaja won three medals in the Asian Championship in Dubai, bagged the Commonwealth Championship gold in Melbourne and the World Championship in Doha in 2005. With her form, she just needed to enter the stage and walk out with the gold, that too without warm-up. Now why a lifter, assured of medal, would like to commit professional hara-kiri by resorting to drugs?”

Asked then how come they tested positive, Bhatia felt the lifters were the victims of either ignorance or any foul play. “Ignorance is a problem and you can’t rule out foul-play either. Suppose you ask your fellow campers to fetch you a glass of water or food and he or she adds something to that. I’m not sure but this can be the case also.

“That’s why we have instructed all the lifters not to ask others to bring water, food or anything they consume. We’ve told them to go to the source and get it themselves. We can’t take any chance,” he said. — PTI

New Delhi, June 8
Indians were assured of seven medals in the 24th Asian Boxing Championships after Doha Asian Games bronze medallist Vijender along with three others also entered the semifinals of the event at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Vijender beat Syria’s Mostafa Fara in the 75kg quarterfinals to join Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar (54kg) in the last-four stage of the event, which started on June 4.

Jitender Kumar (51kg) and Ajay Kumar (+91kg) also entered the medal rounds to take the total number of Indians in the semis to seven, the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation said today.

While Jitender outscored Indonesia’s Bonyx Yusak Sawehom, Ajay got the better of Qatar’s Alsadiq Khalid.

Earlier, Akhil outboxed Chinese Taipei’s Liu Shih Lung in the last eight. Dilbagh Singh (69kg), Amandeep Singh (48kg), Manoj Kumar (64kg) were the other Indians to make it to the medal round.

Manpreet Singh (91kg) lost in the quarterfinals to Syria’s Samar Khaso. Diwakar Prasad (57kg), T.T. Singh (60kg), Dinesh (81kg) were also ousted. — PTI

New Delhi, June 8
Indian shooters claimed two gold and one silver at the Meeting of Shooting Hopes at Plezen, Czech Republic.

Zakir Khan bagged the gold in free pistol with 549 points.

Zakir, Amit Kumar (523) and Kapil (522) shot 1,594 points to pocket the team event gold as well.

Navdeep Kaur won the silver in the air rifle event with 394 points.

In the air pistol event, Lipica Bhatia (376) finished sixth. — PTI