The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	B’desh oust Windies Advance to Super Eights along with South Africa Johannesburg, September 13 The West Indies were knocked out of the Twenty20 World Cup today when Bangladesh roared to victory by six wickets in their group match. Bangladesh won the toss and limited West Indies to 164 for eight before captain Mohammad Ashraful’s sparkling 61 off 27 balls ensured they reached the target with two overs to spare. Ashraful’s delightful innings included seven fours and three sixes as he tore into the West Indies bowling after neither opener, Tamim Iqbal (10) nor Mohammad Nazimuddin (1), made any impression. Ashraful shared a third-wicket partnership of 109 off 64 balls with Aftab Ahmed, who batted through the innings to finish with 62 not out off 49 balls, with eight fours and a six. The West Indies were once again sluggish in the field and ill-disciplined in their bowling, having been trounced by eight wickets in the tournament’s opening match against South Africa on Tuesday at the same venue. Dwayne Smith’s brutal hitting at the end of the innings lifted the West Indies from a moderate score after he came to the crease with 19 deliveries left and his team on 131 for five. He quickly scored 29 off seven balls, hitting four sixes. Devon Smith earlier scored a patient half-century as the West Indies overcame a tough start. He and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (37) added 95 for the second wicket after the third-ball loss of Chris Gayle but it took them 13.1 overs. Left-arm seamer Syed Rasel performed superbly with the new ball for Bangladesh. Rasel removed Gayle, who notched the first international Twenty20 century against South Africa on Tuesday, hitting a record number of 10 sixes, for a duck as he bowled his four overs for just 10 runs. Spinners Abdur Razzak (two for 25) and Shakib-ul-Hasan (four for 34) then caused a late clatter of wickets. Bangladesh had shocked India as well as South Africa in the ODI World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this year. — Reuters Scoreboard West Indies Gayle c Kapali b Rasel 0 Devon Smith b Razzak 51 Chanderpaul c Mortaza b Razzak 37 Samuels c Shakib b Ashraful 27 Sarwan st Rahim b Shakib 5 Ramdin c Rahim b Shakib 2 Dwayne Smith b Shakib 29 Bravo st Rahim b Shakib 2 Powell not out 1 Extras (lb-2, w-8) 10 Total (8 wkts, 20 overs) 164 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-95, 3-104, 4-126, 5-131, 6-155, 7-157, 8-164 Bowling: Rasel 4-1-10-1, Razzak 4-0-25-2, Mortaza 2-0-16-0, Reza 2-0-22-0, Shakib 4-0-34-4, Ashraful 4-0-55-1 Bangladesh Iqbal c Chanderpaul b Rampaul 10 Nazimuddin c Sarwan b Rampaul 1 Ahmed not out 62 Ashraful c Gayle b Sarwan 61 Shakib c Powell b Sarwan 13 Kapali not out 5 Extras (lb-4, w-8, nb-1) 13 Total (4 wkts, 18 overs) 165 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-28, 3-137, 4-159. Bowling: Powell 3-0-28-0, Rampaul 4-0-35-2, Gayle 4-0-21-0, Edwards 3-0-33-0, Bravo 2-0-34-0, Sarwan 2-0-10-2.
	England subdue Zimbabwe Cape Town, September 13 Kevin Pietersen smashed 79 from just 37 balls , while Dimitri Mascarenhas took 3-18 in four overs as England defeated giant-killers Zimbabwe in their Twenty20 World Cup match at Newlands today. Pietersen, whose knock included seven fours and four sixes, inspired England to a daunting total of 188-9. Zimbabwe finished at 138 for 7 in 20 overs, with Brendan Taylor top-scoring with 47. Earlier, England skipper Paul Collingwood weighed in with 37 from 28 balls as Zimbabwe were brought down to earth after yesterday’s shock five-wicket victory over Australia. Zimbabwe’s fielding was once again brilliant — especially their catching — but Pietersen removed that threat by hitting the ball into the crowd, often with breathtaking ingenuity. Determined to take advantage of a short off-side boundary while facing left-arm spinner Keith Dabengwa, Pietersen played three successive reverse sweeps resulting in a six and two fours. Opening bowler Elton Chigumbura struck two early blows to leave England struggling at 20-2 but that success brought Pietersen to the crease earlier than expected. Chigumbura finished with creditable figures of 4-31. — Reuters Scoreboard England Maddy c Matsikenyeri b Chigumbura 14 Prior c Chibhabha b Mupariwa 20 Wright c Taylor b Chigumbura 0 Pietersen c Masakadza b Utseya 79 Collingwood run out 37 Flintoff b Chibhabha 13 Shah c Chibhabha b Chigumbura 11 Mascarenhas c Masakadza b Chigumbura 0 Schofield not out 9 Broad run out 1 Anderson not out 0 Extras (lb-1, w-3) 4 Total (9 wkts, 20 overs) 188 Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-20, 3-51, 4-151, 5-154, 6-172, 7-178, 8-178, 9-186. Bowling: Chigumbura 4-0-31-4, Brent 3-0-34-0, Mupariwa 2-0-22-1, Utseya 4-0-27-1, Taibu 2-0-20-0, Dabengwa 2-0-29-0, Chibhabha 3-0-24-1. Zimbabwe Sibanda c Maddy b Mascarenhas 29 Taylor b Mascarenhas 47 Taibu b Mascarenhas 2 Chibhabha c&b Schofield 5 Matsikenyeri c Flintoff b Schofield 2 Chigumbura c Wright b Collingwood 8 Masakadza c Wright b Broad 25 Utseya not out 15 Dabengwa not out 0 Extras (lb-4, w-1) 5 Total (7 wkts, 20 overs) 137 Fall of wickets: 1-74, 2-81, 3-84, 4-87, 5-89, 6-104, 7-137. Bowling: Broad 4-0-29-1, Anderson 3-0-31-0, Flintoff 3- 0-18-0, Mascarenhas 4-0-18-3, Schofield 4-0-15-2, Collingwood 2-0-23-1.
	India-Pakistan clash today Durban, September 13 Traditional rivals India and Pakistan will resume their cricketing hostilities when they square up against each other here tomorrow in a Group D clash of the Twenty20 World Cup at Kingsmead. The two Asian giants could not keep their date in the second round clash at the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, following their shocking first-round exits, but this time around, their high-profile clash is expected to provide thrills galore. It will be for the first time in over a decade and half that India will play Pakistan without stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, with the trio not being present to lend a dash and verve to the top order. Similarly, Pakistan will be without their celebrated stars like Inzamam-ul Haq, Mohammed Yusuf, Abdul Razzak and Shoaib Akhtar, who was a late casualty having being sent back on disciplinary grounds. However, despite the fact that both teams will have some new faces, that will definitely not dilute any of the heat that an India-Pakistan match usually generates. Both teams may have new captains, but the importance of this high-voltage clash is definitely not lost on any of them. “For us, any game against India is very special. My team is working hard, and they are keen to go out and give their best against India,” said Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik. Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni too was confident that young Indian guns were capable of handling the high pressure match. “There will be some added pressure on both teams. The good thing about this team is that 12 of our 15 players can bat and bowl. That gives us lot of options. We are fortunate enough to have 3-4 good finishers in the team,” reckoned Dhoni. India will expect some useful runs from batters like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and captain himself, all of whom have handled the pressures of an India-Pakistan match with aplomb. Besides, young guns like Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir too would like to make their presence felt on the big stage. Though Akhtar won’t be there to threaten them with his express pace, Mohammed Asif has shown the ability to be one of the better bowlers to play for Pakistan. Asif’s destructive prowess has already been well documented when he laid India low in the Karachi Test in 2006. Umar Gul and Mohammad Hafeez are also there to support him. However, the most potent threat to the Indians will come from the mercurial Pakistan batsmen who would look to bat with a vengeance against the Indians. Among the seasoned campaigners, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan and Kamran Akmal have been known to excel against India. Yet, men like Shahid Afridi and Imran Nazir can do a lot of damage to the Indian bowling. — PTI
	PSPB Golf Amandeep, Romeo bag stableford title Our Golf Correspondent Chandigarh, September 13 Amandeep Bath (IOCL) and Romeo James (BPCL) clinched the stableford title with a tally of 47 points in the 28th PSPB Golf Tournament which got under way on the lush par-72 greens of the Chandigarh Golf Club here today. Hosted by the Indian Oil Corporation, the tournament will see 100 amateur golfers from all over the country slugging it out in the open event over the next two days. The second spot in the stableford competition was clinched by Chikkarangappa of Indian Oil and Rahul Bakshi of OIL, who edged out MK Jeelani (BPCL) and SK Dhar (ONGC) on a better countback after the two teams were tied at 45 points. Ajoy Barua of IOCL-AOD hit the ball to a distance of 245.5 metres to clinch the prize for the longest drive. JJ Chakola won the average longest drive title with a distance of 240.71 metres. Kuldeep Bery, GM (Security-Indian Oil) won the longest drive in the 55-or-above age group category with a distance of 191 metres. In the ladies section, Vandana Agarwal (OIL) clinched the longest drive prize with a distance of 218 metres. The stableford event was played on a better ball team format with each team comprising two players, each from a different unit. In this format, the better score of the two partners was counted and hence it encouraged aggressive play. Day Two will feature top stars on the national amateur circuit vying for the team and individual honours in the strokeplay event. Three best scores of a team of five will be taken into consideration for the team championship. Simarjeet Singh, Abhishek Jha, Joseph Chakola, Rahul Bakshi and Manav Das will spearhead Oil India’s challenge, while Gagan Verma and Karan Vasudeva will lead the way for hosts Indian Oil Corporation. Vikram Rana, L. Selvadurai and Saurabh Bahuguna will prop up Oil and Natural Gas Commission. Jasjeet Singh, having represented the national side, will be the player to watch from GAIL, while Tarun Ghogale and Amit Nigam will spearhead the BPCL challenge. Players from IOCL (AOD), IOCL (IBP Division) and Balmer & Laurie will also be contending for the title.
	Chopra, Patel crack tons for India ‘A’ New Delhi, September 13 Centuries by comeback men Akash Chopra (137 batting) and Parthiv Patel (110) enabled India ‘A’ pile up 354 for 4 in the first innings against South Africa ‘A’ on the opening day of the four-day cricket match here today. India skipper Mohammad Kaif won the toss and elected to bat, but the visitors rattled the hosts by claiming two early wickets in a space of 7.5 overs with a scoreboard reading 13 for 2. The hosts would have been in a much troubled situation if the visitors had not dropped Chopra twice when he was on 19 and Patel when on 10. These dropped catches proved very expensive for the visitors as Chopra and Patel put up 159 runs for the third wicket to see the hosts out of trouble. The South Africans managed to get two more quick wickets in a space of six overs to reduce India ‘A’ to 178 for 4, but after that they just could not make any breakthrough as Chopra and S Badrinath put up unbeaten 176 for the fifth wicket. India ‘A’ started the procedings with a surprise omission of Suresh Raina and pace bowler Yo Mahesh. The hosts went into the game with two spinners - Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha. Local lad Ishant Sharma spearheaded the pace attack along with Pankaj Singh. South Africa, led by the experienced Boeta Dippenaar, packed the side with three seamers, but for the early breakthroughs, they failed to make much impact. Pujara (8) was the first one to go when he was caught behind by Tseolekile off F de Wet at the team score of 13. Two balls later, Kaif returned to the pavilion without opening his account. However, Chopra and wicket keeper Parthiv Patel steadied the Indian innings and after surviving chances - Chopra being dropped by Hashim Amla and Tsolekile and Patel given a life by Kleinveldt off Wet - thrashed the bowlers at will. The Indians, who were 120 for 2 off 31 overs at lunch, added 115 runs in the second session losing two more wickets. Patel hit four successive boundaries off spinner J Ontong’s first over and kept hitting the bowlers all over the ground. He dispatched spinner W Coetsee for a four to race to his hundred. However, Indian wicket keeper’s aggressive batting came to an end when he was run out at his individual score of 110 that includes 17 boundaries. He departed when the score was 172 (43.4 overs) and the visitors got another quick wicket as Manoj Tiwary failed. The Bengal batsman, seemed to be in tearing hurry and tried to blast Kleinnveldt only to be caught by Amla. He made only two runs and the hosts were down 178 for 4 (46.6 overs). But after that, there was no respite for the visitors as S Badrinath along with Chopra sent the bowlers on a leather hunt and the two were involved in an unbroken 176-run fifth wicket stand coming off 42 overs. Dippenaar made desperate moves, kept reshuffling the bowling, but failed to break the partnership. The bowlers simply could not make any impression either on Chopra or Badrinath. At stumps, Chopra was batting on 137 (1x6, 15x4, 286 balls) and Badrinath was on 77 (1x6, 8x4, 107 balls). Brief scores: India A (1st innings) 354 for 4 in 89 overs (Akash Chopra 137 n.o., Parthiv Patel 110, S. Badrinath 77 n.o.; F de Wet 2-56). — UNI
	Mahindra United storm into final Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Ludhiana, September 13 Mahindra United vanquished Dempo Sports Club 4-2 in a tiebreaker after being locked 1-1 in the regulation period to enter the final of the 29th Hero Cup Federation Football tournament at the Guru Nanak Stadium here yesterday. The two teams were tied 1-1 after the conclusion of stipulated time, and even extra 30 minutes failed to resolve the issue. Eventually, the fate of match was decided through penalty shootout. For Mahindra United, N P Pradeep, Harpreet Singh, D S Djija Pierre scored goals in the tiebreaker, while Edeh Chidi scored two goals for Dempo. Earlier, Mahindra United scored the first goal of the game through Manjit Singh in the 31st minute. He scored through right footer after collecting a pass from his compatriot from midfield. Two minutes later, Roberto Silva of Dempo wasted a free kick as the ball flew over the rivals net. However, Mahindra United’s joy was short-lived as the equaliser came in the 36th minute. Silva scored the goal of a rebound from Chidi. The second half saw both sides making frequent moves, but failed to convert any of them. It was a game of a lot of missed opportunities. A minus from D S Djiaja Pierre of Mahindra was caught from near the goalmouth by goalkeeper of Dempo, Abhijit Mondol. In another attempt Pieere at left flank fumbled, while collecting a fine pass from Manjit Singh at opposite flank and missed an opportunity to score ahead. In the 85th minute following a keen tussle for controlling the ball, Chidi managed to acquire it. However, the ball went aside of the net.
	Pak not to host Champions Trophy New Delhi, September 13 It is now official, the Champions Hockey Trophy will not be held in Lahore. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has decided to move the Champions Trophy Tournament from Pakistan, scheduled to take place in Lahore, from December 1 to 9. A new venue for the tournament has not been decided as yet. A decision will be taken in the next few days and in principle, the FIH will try to keep the same dates for the tournament. India and Malaysia have shown interest in hosting this prestigious event, though both countries have not qualified for it. Top six team of the last year’s World Cup form the field for the champions trophy. After five teams pulled out of the tournament, it was curtains for the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) as it became certain that the FIH was left with no alternative, but to shift the trophy to some other venue. “Two of the qualified teams (Australia and Spain) informed the FIH that they would not be able to participate, while Germany, Korea and Netherlands were unable to confirm their entry. Furthermore, the FIH Athletes Commission was advised by a number of players that they would not play in the tournament.” So, despite the PHF’s desperate last minute efforts to have the tournament played, it failed as the reserve countries, England and Japan, also declined the invitation. — UNI
	Association to donate $5m to ICL Chandigarh, September 13 A US-based India-Pakistan Friendship Association would donate $5 million to the Essel Group floated Indian Cricket League for constructing ‘Indo-Pak Cricket Coliseum’ at the Wagah Border in Punjab. The association, headed by Prehlad Singh Grewal of California, has requested Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal to develop the necessary infrastructure in Amritsar. Vikram Bajwa, BJP in charge NRI Cell in Punjab, and Sant Chhatwal of Indian American Democrats would coordinate the efforts, the letter added. The association has also installed a model at the architect Anil Shah’s office in Los Angeles, for taking in donations for cricket which is Tax deductible under the US Tax Laws. — PTI
	Contract system to stay: BCCI New Delhi, September 13 The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today decided to continue with the existing system of contract for the players, till the Gradation Committee gives a final shape to a new proposal. “Existing player contract system will continue. Four senior players met the Contract Committee today and they have agreed to continue with the prevailing system,” BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah told PTI. “Gradation Committee will sit toward the end of this month or by October first week to finalise things. It will also decide how many players will come under its purview, but players are happy with the existing system,” Shah added. Indian skipper Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble took part in the negotiations after being invited by board president Sharad Pawar. BCCI vice-president Shashank Manohar, treasurer N Srinivasan and former president I S Bindra are members of the Contract Committee. Differences between BCCI officials and the players after the World Cup debacle led to a stalemate on the contract issue, forcing the board to extend the 2005-06 contract by another year. In the earlier negotiations, Manohar had taken a tough stand and had even called for a performance-linked contracts, meaning that players would be rewarded for victories and penalised in case of defeats. According to the existing contract, players in the A grade get an annual amount retainship of Rs 50 lakhs, while the amount is Rs 35 lakh and Rs 20 lakhs for the grade B and C, respectively. — PTI
	McLaren fined $100m Paris, September 13 Formula One leaders McLaren have been stripped of all their 2007 constructors’ points and fined $100 million in a spying controversy involving Ferrari information. However, the governing FIA ruled that the team’s championship leader Lewis Hamilton and Spain’s double world champion Fernando Alonso could keep their points in the drivers’ contest. “The WMSC (World Motor Sports Council) has stripped Vodafone McLaren Mercedes of all constructors points in the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship and the team can score no points for the remainder of the season,” the FIA said. “Furthermore, the team will pay a fine of $100 million, less the FOM income lost as a result of the points deduction.” Points gained by other teams so far this season would also not be affected, it added in a statement. McLaren, one-two winners of last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, were accused of having benefited from a dossier of Ferrari data found in the possession of now-suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan. Asked by reporters whether justice had been done, the International Automobile Federation president Max Mosley answered: “Yes”. The decision effectively ensures Ferrari the constructors’ championship but keeps a thrilling drivers’ battle alive. McLaren were 23 points ahead of Ferrari, who are in turn 57 clear of BMW Sauber. Hamilton, the 22-year-old rookie sensation of the season, leads double world champion Alonso by three points with four races remaining. The FIA said the drivers were not punished because they had been offered immunity in return for providing evidence. The FIA said the motor sport council would receive a full technical report on the 2008 McLaren and will decide in December this year whether to impose any further sanction. The statement added that “No McLaren representative will be allowed on the podium should a McLaren driver win in any of the remaining races of the 2007 season.” It said full reasons for the decisions reached would be published tomorrow. McLaren were found guilty at a hearing in July of possession of unauthorised Ferrari material but escaped sanction after the WMSC ruled, to outrage in Italy, that there was insufficient evidence they had gained from it. However, the team were warned then that they could be kicked out of this and next year’s championship if new evidence was brought to light. — Reuters
	Washout makes India’s path slippery Need to beat Pakistan today or avoid big defeat Durban, September 13 Rain played spoilsport today as India’s Group D match against Scotland in the Twenty20 World Cup was called off without a ball being bowled. The points were divided between the two teams and both India and Scotland now have one point each in their kitty. Scotland, though, have played against Pakistan and do not have any more match in the three-team group. Pakistan, who beat Scotland by 51 runs in their first match, have a net run rate of +2.5 and are through to the next round. For India to reach the Super Eight stage, they need to beat Pakistan in tomorrow’s match or lose by a margin small enough to have a better run rate than Scotland (-2.5). The weatherman has predicted a sixty per cent chances of rain tomorrow as well. If tomorrow’s match is washed out, India and Pakistan will go through to the next round. Earlier today, rain gods played hide and seek as covers were brought and taken off the ground numerous times. Showers forced both teams to abandon their warm-ups and head indoors just an hour before the scheduled start. The covers were brought out but after a brief spell the rain stopped. The two skippers came out for the toss, which was won by Scotland skipper Ryan Watson who decided to field. But immediately after the toss was over, it poured again and continued incessantly. Tomorrow, it will be for the first time in over a decade and half that India will play Pakistan without stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, with the trio not being present to lend a dash and verve to the top order. Similarly, Pakistan will be without their celebrated stars like Inzamam-ul Haq, Mohammed Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Akhtar, who was a late casualty having being sent back on disciplinary grounds. However, despite the fact that both teams will have some new faces, that will definitely not dilute any of the heat that an India-Pakistan match usually generates. Both teams may have new captains, but the importance of this high-voltage clash is definitely not lost on Shoaib Malik and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. — PTI
	Modi commits faux pas New Delhi, September 13 The Indian Cricket League (ICL) may be taboo in BCCI circles, but board president Sharad Pawar was today asked to unveil the logo of the rebel venture, thanks to a gaffe by BCCI’s firebrand vice-president Lalit Modi. The mastermind behind the Indian Premier League — the BCCI’s answer to the ICL, Modi was to invite Pawar to unveil the logo of the Indian Premier League. Describing it as the beginning of a “momentous journey”, Modi invited Pawar to unveil the logo of the Indian Cricket League, which had the audience in splits. Modi was soon to realise the goof-up as he smiled rather embarrassingly and took his seat. Later, while spelling out the details of the league, Modi, however, took the opportunity to snub the ICL and asserted that the IPL was not a reaction to the rebel league. “This not a knee-jerk reaction to any tournament but genuine project of ours which we have been working on for close to two years,” Modi said. He also reiterated that players who joined the ICL would have the BCCI’s doors slammed on them. “There may be many other unauthorised tournaments but the BCCI has made its stand clear and there has been no change in it.” Contract system to stay: BCCI The BCCI today decided to continue with the existing system of contract for the players, till the Gradation Committee gives a final shape to a new proposal. “Existing player contract system will continue. Four senior players met the Contract Committee today and they have agreed to continue with the prevailing system,” BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah told PTI. “Gradation Committee will sit toward the end of this month or by October’s first week to finalise things. It will also decide how many players will come under its purview,” Shah added. — PTI
	Association pledges $5m to ICL Chandigarh, September 13 A US-based India-Pakistan Friendship Association would donate $5 million to the Essel Group floated Indian Cricket League for constructing ‘Indo-Pak Cricket Coliseum’ at the Wagah Border in Punjab. The association, headed by Prehlad Singh Grewal of California, has requested Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to develop the necessary infrastructure in Amritsar. Vikram Bajwa, BJP in charge NRI Cell in Punjab, and Sant Chhatwal of Indian American Democrats would coordinate the efforts, the letter added. The association has also installed a model at the architect Anil Shah’s office in Los Angeles, for taking in donations for cricket which is Tax deductible under the US Tax Laws. — PTI
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