 |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Lawson to have say in staff selection, says PCB
Indian colts outclass Bangladesh
Sania-Bethanie reign supreme
NRAI cracks whip on skeet marksmen
Budget for rural sports hiked
Bhutia leads India to victory
Punjab, Haryana in netball final
|
|
Rain rescues India
London, July 23 Requiring 380 to win, India were a vulnerable 282 for nine when the match was abandoned. The worst was avoided by a heroic undefeated 76 from Mahendra Dhoni. The heavy hitter from the heavy engineering town of Ranchi took full advantage of the ball not swinging as much as in the 1st innings. He played one of the most responsible innings of his career; and in the context of the fact that it saved a Test match, possibly the most valuable. When not defending, he cut, drove and glanced with characteristic power and precision. Indeed, he overcame his shortcomings against harmful deliveries on surfaces outside the sub-continent. His 86-run stand with VVS Laxman for the 6th wicket was priceless, because this delayed further English inroads. As is customary in England, prices of tickets for the 5th day — generally the beginning of a working week — are reduced by half. But less than 5,000 were seduced, perhaps as much deterred by the weather as by the thought that it may be only half a day’s proceedings and, therefore, not value for money. In fact, the grimness of the sky matched India’s circumstances; which was rendered gloomier as the overnight not outs departed quickly and India plummeted to 145 for five. The lbw decision against Sourav Ganguly on another day might have gone the other way and few would have complained. But Dinesh Karthik’s exit did not require an appeal to the umpire, as a perfect outswinger did the trick. The clouds remained threatening, the light indifferent, and psychologically, these were advantages for England. But Laxman and Dhoni watched the ball carefully and largely negotiated it with skill. The contrast between the two was conspicuously pronounced. The Hyderabadi artiste oozed grace and touch, finding the gaps with finesse. His partner exhibited an earthier charm, twice upper cutting over the slips. Their rearguard effort looked really promising when the 6 foot 7 inch Chris Tremlett, running in from the rust coloured Victorian pavilion end, cut one back, the ball kept low and dismantled Laxman’s defence. As the light deteriorated and the figures and alphabets on the scoreboard stared luminously on all and sundry, Dhoni embarked on guerrilla tactics. After Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh had only briefly tenanted the crease, he enterprisingly kept Sreesanth away from the strike. Scoreboard England (1st innings) 298 India
(1st innings) 201 England (2nd innings) 282 India
(2nd innings) Jaffer c Pietersen b Anderson 8 Karthik c Collingwood Dravid lbw Tremlett 9 Tendulkar lbw Panesar 16 Ganguly lbw Sidebottom 40 Laxman b Tremlett 39 Dhoni not out 76 Kumble lbw Sidebottom 3 Zaheer c Prior b Tremlett 0 RP Singh b Panesar 2 Sreesanth not out 4 Extras (b-13, lb-5, w-6, nb-1) 25 Total (9 wkts, 96 overs) 282 Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-55, 3-84, 4-143, 5-145, 6-231, 7-247, 8-254, 9-263. Bowling:
Sidebottom 19-4-42-2, Anderson 25-4-83-2, Tremlett 21-5-52-3, Panesar 26-7-63-2, Collingwood 1-0-6-0, Vaughan 4-0-18-0.
|
|
Lanka coast to series win
Colombo, July 23 Sri Lanka briefly looked vulnerable on 79 for four after a spirited display from the tourists’ bowlers, but Chamara Silva (36) guided the hosts home with 18.5 overs to spare. Jayasuriya claimed four wickets for 31 runs from 9.5 overs to become the ninth player in ODI history to take 300 wickets. The 38-year-old, who had scored 12,084 runs in 396 matches prior to this one, is the only player to have scored more than 10,000 runs and taken 300 wickets in ODIs. Jayasuriya was assisted by paceman Lasith Malinga, who ripped apart the Bangladesh top order with the new ball after Sri Lanka had chosen to bowl in overcast conditions. Bowling with great pace, Malinga had Shahriar Nafees (6) caught at slip, bowled Tamin Iqbal (4) with a yorker and then dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim for a duck when wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara took a brilliant one-handed catch. Bangladesh had slumped to 13-3, a position from which they were never really able to recover. Malinga finished with three for 22 from nine overs. Middle-order batsman Aftab Ahmed, however, provided some resistance with 47 from 85 balls, including two boundaries. Ahmed added 61 for the fifth wicket with skipper Mohammad Ashraful, who scored 29, the pair successfully milking the spinners after the quick bowlers were removed from the attack. But Jayasuriya triggered the final collapse as he snared Ashraful and then mopped up the lower order.
— Reuters Scoreboard Bangladesh Nafees c Jayawardene b Malinga 6 Iqbal b Malinga 3 Imran b Maharoof 4 Rahim c Sangakkara b Malinga 0 Ashraful c Sangakkara Ahmed c Jayawardene Shakib b Bandara 15 Reza run out 2 Razzaq c Mubarak Hossain not out 9 Rasel c Mubarak b Jayasuriya 3 Extras
(b-1, lb-2, w-12, nb-1) 16 Total (46.5 overs) 137 Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-13, 3-13, 4-26, 5-87, 6-111 7-117, 8-124, 9-128. Bowling: Maharoof 8-3-11-1, Malinga 9-2-22-3, Fernando 8-0-21-0, Bandara 10-0-41-1, Jayasuriya 9.5-0-31-4, Dilshan 2-0-8-0. Sri Lanka Tharanga c Rahim b Hossain 28 Jayasuriya c Ahmed b Razzak 24 Sangakkara c Rahim b Rasel 6 Jayawardene c Ahmed b Rasel 7 Silva c Ahmed b Ashraful 36 Dilshan not out 20 Mubarak not out 0 Extras (lb-6, w-12, nb-2) 20 Total (5 wkts, 31.1 overs) 141 Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-58, 3-72, 4-79, 5-136. Bowling: Rasel 10-1-39-2, Hossain 10-1-45-1, Razzak 8.1- 0-37-1, Reza 2-0-12-0, Ashraful 1-0-2-1.
|
|
ICL ropes in Lara
New Delhi, July 23 The former West Indies captain became the first high profile overseas cricketer to join the parallel league which has not got recognition from the BCCI or the ICC. Besides Lara, the ICL also contracted ex-India all-rounder Madan Lal to coach its Delhi team and Balwinder Singh Sandhu as director of academies. Former players Rajesh Chauhan and Pranob Roy, who also served as BCCI selector, were roped in as talent scouts. The ICL had earlier announced the signing of India’s 1983 World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev as its Chairman apart from Kiran More and Sandip Patil. But Lara is the first big name to be signed as player for the ICL. “It gives me great pleasure to join the Indian Cricket League. You can’t keep me too far from cricket and hence I return to the game in this exciting new avatar that the Essel Group has launched,” Lara said in a statement issued by the Essel Group. “I feel honoured to captain one of the ICL’s city teams, and hope to use my experience in taking that team to victory in the inaugural ICL Trophy,” Lara said. Himanshu Mody, project head for the ICL, said, “We are extremely honoured to welcome Lara to the ICL family. Lal was excited about his appointment. “I am extremely happy to become a part of the ICL. In the past I have played under Kapil Dev in the team of 1983 which had passion and pride.” — PTI Sandhu said, “I endorse the structure and the system of the ICL. In the past I have been the head coach at the NCA and have been the coach for the U-19 team, both of which will stand me in good stead in performing my duties.”
|
|
Lawson to have say in staff selection, says PCB
Karachi, July 23 “Lawson will have a big say in the appointment of the new support staff for the team, including trainer, physiotherapist and perhaps batting, bowling coaches,” PCB chairman Naseem Ashraf said. Ashraf denied that the board had already decided with Lawson to appoint former Test players Haroon Rasheed and Aaqib Javed as batting and bowling coaches, respectively. “No decision has been taken on this and all these things would only be sorted out when Lawson would reach Pakistan next month,” he said. The PCB chairman, however, did not elaborate on how much say Lawson would have in team selection matters and if he would be involved in the finalisation of the squad for the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in September. The national selectors are due to announce the final squad on August 10 after a series of trial Twenty20 matches between the probables at present attending a conditioning camp in Lahore, which would be shifted to Karachi. Lawson is due to reach Lahore on August 15 but PCB officials said his arrival could be delayed for a few days as he had to wrap up things with Australian state side New South Wales with whom he is attached with as a coach. “Lawson has said he has no problems with the boys’ religious activities as long as these don’t affect their cricket,” a source said.
— PTI
|
|
Indian colts outclass Bangladesh
Mumbai, July 23 Having comprehensively beaten hosts Lanka in their opening tie, India continued their good work by piling on 226 for 7 after being put in to bat by Bangladesh and then restricting their rivals to 129 for five in a match cut to 40-over a side on Sunday. Skipper Tanmay Srivastava notched his second half century of the tournament by top-scoring for India with 56 off 80 balls with four fours, a BCCI media release said. Bangladesh were hardly in the picture when they replied and there was little of note in their innings baring M Hasan's 50-ball 37 not out. Punjab colt Aman Preet Singh grabbed 2 wickets. Brief scores: India: 226 for 7 in 40 overs (Manis Pandey 47, Tanmay Srivastava 56; R Hussain 2 for 42). Bangladesh: 129 for 5 in 40 overs (M Hasan 37 not out; Aman Preet Singh 2 for 25).
— PTI
|
|
Sania-Bethanie reign supreme
Cincinnati (USA), July 23 Sania and her American partner defeated Russian Alina Jidkova and Tatiana Poutchek of Belarus 7-6, 7-5 to triumph at the WTA Tier III event yesterday. For Sania, it was her second Tour doubles title this year and overall fifth, while Mattek won her second WTA title. The two pairs stayed close throughout the match, except for a small 3-1 second-set lead for Jidkova and Poutchek, who could not stretch it further. Sania said she was satisfied with her performance and gave credit for the win to team effort. “We played better matches during the week, but we’re still happy to win. I have to get along with somebody off the court to play with them; Bethanie and I are a good team,” she said. Mattek echoing her views and also praised Sania for her forehand shots. “We are a really good mixture. We’re both solid on the baseline and Sania has a good forehand, so it opens up the court. Same with our serves,” the American said. Bopanna-Qureshi clinch title
New Delhi: Third seeds Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi won a hard-fought final to bag the doubles title at the $25,000 ATP Challenger in Manchester, England. The Indo-Pak team defeated Jesse Huta Galung of the Netherlands and Michael Ryderstedt of Sweden 4-6, 6-3, 10-5 in the final of the grasscourt event on Sunday. This is Bopanna’s second doubles title in the Challenger Series this year, the previous being at Dublin, Ireland, with Adam Feeney earlier this month. For Qureshi, it is his maiden Challenger title. Bopanna’s singles run was cut short after the seventh-seeded Indian was shocked by Harel Levy of Israel in the semifinals, while Qureshi, who was seeded second, had lost to the 27-year-old Bopanna in the quarterfinals.
— PTI
|
|
Harrington wins British Open
Carnoustie (Scotland), July 23 Choi, tipped by many as the Asian most likely to win a Major, totalled three-under-par 281 to end up at the tied eighth place. Padraig Harrington became the first Irishman in 60 years to win the British Open as he overcame the disaster of a double bogey in regulation on the 18th hole and again a bogey on the fourth playoff hole to beat Sergio Garcia in a dramatic finish to the 136th edition of the Open championship. Starting the day six off the lead, world number 12 Choi began strongly with a birdie on the fourth hole, but his hopes vanished when he ran up a costly six on the par-four ninth hole after finding trouble in the greenside trap. Another bogey on the 12th saw him slip further back but two successive birdies on the 13th and 14th holes pushed him into the top 10 in the year’s third Major. “First top 10, I’m very happy. My plan was to be aggressive and I played aggressive shots but they only ended up in pars. That was disappointing. It is still a good accomplishment. It was a memorable week,” he said.
— PTI
|
|
NRAI cracks whip on skeet marksmen
New Delhi, July 23 The NRAI announced a six-member men’s team comprising only trap and double trap marksmen, besides a woman skeet shooter following the selection trials at the Karni Singh range at Tughlaqabad. World champion Manavjit Singh Sandhu, national champion Mansher Singh and Zorawar Singh would represent the trap team while Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Ronjan Singh Sondhi and Vikram Chopra constituted the double trap side for the September 1-10 championship. NRAI general secretary Baljeet Singh Sethi said the skeet shooters returned with very poor scores at the selection trials because of which the entire committee felt they need not go to Cyprus. “Their average score was 114-115 (out of 125) with which they would be around somewhere the 100th place in the world championship. These are very very poor scores, if you ask me,” said Sethi, who had already threatened to crack the whip after their below-par scores in the ISSF World Cups earlier this year. “The entire committee was of the view that they should not go and we could let them train at home only,” he added.
— PTI
|
|
Budget for rural sports hiked
Patiala, July 23 The most prominent among these meets conducted by the ministry in rural sports are the All-India Rural Sports
Programme, North-East Sports Festival, National Sports Festival for Women and the Special Area Games (SAG)
scheme. L.S. Ranawat, executive director (academics), National Institute of Sports
(NIS), while confirming the 10-fold increase in budget for rural sports, said that earlier under the Rural Promotion Scheme financial assistance to the tune of Rs 30,000 per discipline was given to states and union territories for holding district and state-level rural tournaments. A Sports Authority of India
(SAI) official said the scheme likely to benefit the most was SAG, which has been designed for sportspersons in the age group of 14 to 21 years. Talent for SAG is scouted from rural, tribal, coastal and other areas which are normally inaccessible but whose population has the genetic qualities which given them an advantage in some sports. Meanwhile, the ministry has decided that all important schemes and
programmes, like the All-India Rural Sports Programme, National Sports Festival for Women, North-East Festival, promotion of sports and games in schools and the awarding of scholarships, will be handled exclusively by the NIS.
|
|
Bhutia leads India to victory
New Delhi, July 23 India led 1-0 at half-time through a goal scored by Manjit Singh in the 27th minute. Bhutia added two in the 63rd and 86th minutes in the match played at the Municipal Stadium yesterday, according to information received here today. The touring team had drawn 1-1 with second division side Odivelas FC in their first game on July 19 and will take on another third division side, AC Marinhense, on July 26. On July 28, the national team will play against long-time Portuguese Super Liga side and now a top second-level league side Estoril Praia. The team will also visit Portuguese side Benfica’s stadium Estadio da Luz (Stadium of Light).
— UNI
|
|
Punjab, Haryana in netball final
Sangrur, July 23 In the first semifinal, Haryana defeated Chandigarh 24-22. The half-time score was 12-10 in favour of Haryana. Anu and Rupinder scored 12 goals each for Haryana, while Harjit and Mandip got 11 and 10, respectively, for Chandigarh. In the second semifinal, Punjab A beat Delhi 31-18 after leading 16-7 at the interval. Sudha Rani scored 25 goals for the winners, while the remaining six were scored by Jagroop. For Delhi, Manisha got 10 goals.
|
| 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 | |
