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Chak de Chhakke
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Scintillating ton by Petersen
Musharraf pats Pak team
Collingwood fined for
late-night binge
Ponting’s injury being assessed
FIFA rankings
Anand takes sole lead
PHF to probe Asia Cup fiasco
Simi leads women’s pro golf tour
India win Asian archery gold
PSB down Amritsar XI
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Chak de Chhakke
Durban, September 19 In reply to India's imposing 218 for four, England managed 200 losing six wickets, with Vikram Solanki scoring 43 for them and Kevin Pietersen contributing 39. For India, Irfan Pathan grabbed three for 37, while RP Singh got two for 28. The day, however, belonged to Yuvraj, who set Kingsmead on fire, hitting six sixes in a Stuart Broad over and his batting pyrotechnics propelled India to an imposing total. After Delhi duo Virender Sehwag (68 from 52 balls, 4 fours,3 sixes) and Gautam Gambhir (58 from 41 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) laid the foundation with an opening stand of 136 runs, Yuvraj (58 from 16 balls, 3 fours, 7 sixes) lit up the stadium with the fastest fifty in Twenty20 that came off just 12 balls and included three fours and six sixes. He also became the first batsman to hit six successive sixes in Twenty20, and the second, after Herschelle Gibbs, in one dayers. It was mayhem in the 19th over as Yuvraj hit Broad's first ball over wide long on and followed by a flick that sailed over square leg. The third vanished over extra cover, fourth cleared backward point, fifth soared over mid-wicket and the sixth was smacked over mid-on to complete the over. India, meanwhile, have little time to rejoice as they need to win tomorrow's match against South Africa to open up a three-way tie for semifinals when run rates would come it account. Already out of the event, England began their chase in the right earnest. Openers Darren Maddy (29) and Vikram Solanki (43 off 31 balls) provided a brisk start and added 53 runs in just 5.3 overs before Irfan Pathan removed Maddy. Solanki and Kevin Pietersen (39 off 23 balls), however, kept the momentum till Pathan got the former in the 11th over. Pietersen was looking dangerous when Harbhajan Singh took a catch off his own bowling after the batsman had whacked the full toss delivery. Paul Collingwood (28) and Owais Shah (21) did play some lusty shots but RP Singh then came up with a two-wicket burst to remove the duo and knock the life out of England’s chase. Earlier today, after Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided to bat first, Indian openers Sehwag and Gambhir found themselves straitjacketed with Andrew Flintoff, James Anderson and Broad bowling an impeccable line and length. The first seven overs yielded 35 runs and Sehwag decided he had enough. Accordingly, Dimitri Mascarenhas was greeted with a one-bounce boundary and three balls later, Sehwag thumped him over point boundary to hit an elderly spectator for the maximum. Chris Tremlett had even worse start to his spell as Sehwag hard-sliced him over third man and Gambhir added salt to injury with a slash that raced to point boundary. Paul Collingwood almost did the trick with his first delivery but Sehwag’s wild swing sent the ball spiralling before falling through Mascarenhas’ butter-fingers. It turned out to be an expensive blunder as the right-hander sent the fourth ball soaring over point boundary and followed it up with a cover drive that went for four to bring his 38-ball fifty. Not to be left behind, Gambhir hit Maddy for successive fours and an another boundary off Tremlett earned the left-hander his 36-ball 50. Both the openers had put on 136 runs in 14.3 overs when Tremlett struck, pegging back Sehwag’s leg stumps as the batsman moved to off to make some room for improvisation. Gambhir joined him in the pavilion five balls later, when he repeated the scoop against Maddy to find the leg slip, having scored a boundary with the shot in the same over. Tremlett dealt another blow by castling Robin Uthappa (6) and from 136 for no loss, India slumped to 155 for three in 16.4 overs. Yuvraj decided to play his own game and back-to-back fours off Flintoff, followed by an exchange of words with the Englishman, was surely a bad omen for the Englishmen. Hit for five successive sixes by Dimitri Mascarenhas in a previous match, Yuvraj settled the score today with Broad being at the end of his fury. Flintoff eventually removed Yuvraj with the penultimate deliver of the innings but the damage was done by then and Yuvraj had done his job. — PTI
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Durban, September 19 Chasing 154 to win, the hosts cruised to 158 for four with five balls to spare on the back of Kemp's violent knock that came off just 56 balls and included six hits to the fence and as many over it. It was, however, Morkel's 4-17 that helped South Africa take an early upper hand in the match as they restricted the Kiwis to 153 for eight in their allotted 20 overs. Lou Vincent (32) and Brendan McCullum (38) gave New Zealand a good start before things went awry and Craig McMillan's unbeaten 48 in the middle order was not enough to prop up the innings. South Africa's victory opened up the group and India would now have to win both their remaining games to force a three-way tie for the semifinals. South Africa lost a couple of early wickets to slump to 17 for two and was reduced to 45 for three in just over seven overs before Kemp and Mark Boucher (23) steadied the boat and then Shaun Pollock (16 not out), beneficiary of a dropped catch, joined Kemp to see the side through. Shane Bond removed Graeme Smith (2) and Mark Gillespie scalped AB de Villiers (1) to put pressure on the hosts and losing Herschelle Gibbs (19) further complicated things for South Africa. — PTI Scoreboard
New Zealand: Vincent b van der Wath 32 McCullum c Boucher b M Morkel 38 Taylor c Boucher b M Morkel 1 Styris c de Villiers b JA Morkel 6 McMillan not out 48 Oram b M Morkel 15 McCullum run out 1 Vettori c JA Morkel b van der Wath 1 Bond c Boucher b M Morkel 0 Gillespie not out 3 Extras (lb-1, w-5, nb-2) 8 Total (8 wkts, 20 overs) 153 Fall of
wickets: 1-68, 2-70, 3-76, 4-90, 5-131, 6-132, 7-137, 8-139 Bowling: Pollock 4-0-41-0, Nel 4-0-23-0, M Morkel 4-0-17-4, JJ van der Wath 4-0-31-2, JA Morkel 3-0-30-1, Philander 1-0-10-0. South Africa: Smith c McCullum b Bond 2 Gibbs c sub (JS Patel) b Martin 19 De Villiers c McCullum b Gillespie 1 Kemp not out 89 Boucher c McCullum b Gillespie 23 Pollock not out 16 Extras (lb-1, w-4, nb-3) 8 Total
(4 wkts, 19.1 overs) 158 Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-17, 3-45, 4-110 Bowling: Bond 4-0-31-1, Gillespie 3.1-1-11-2, Martin 4-0-40-1, Oram 4-0-50-0, Vettori 4-0-25-0
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Scintillating ton by Petersen
Dharamsala, September 19 Though they were aided by some sloppy fielding and ordinary bowling, the visitors deserve credit for the manner in which they accumulated their runs. With complete one session (pre-lunch) lost to inadequate light or moist outfield, their batsmen, not wasting any further time, went about their job in a professional manner. By the time, the opening day’s play of the four-day match ended after an hour’s extension at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium here, they had put an impressive 264 for 4 on board. Opener Alvire Petersen led the charge with a fine hundred. Barring a minor scare when batting on 23 when he was dropped by Suresh Raina, Petersen played an authoritative knock. Displaying timing than power, he pierced the field with precision. Not afraid to take aerial route, Petersen looked decisive in whatever he did. He was particularly severe on the off side where he played some scintillating strokes. His 116-run second-wicket stand with Ashim Amla (49) after the early fall of opener Morne van Wyk laid a solid foundation for the other batsmen to capitalise on. After Petersen fell to left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, the batsmen to follow batted with resolve to consolidate the South Africa ‘A’ innings. A sudden rush of blood which saw Petersen take charge and come out of the crease to play an ambitious stroke off Ojha proved his downfall. The ball remained out of the reach of the batsman and Parthiv Patel behind the stumps lost no time in disturbing the bails. Petersen’s 163-ball 109 included 17 fours and two towering sixes. Skipper Boeta Dippennar also batted well for his 49 before being undone by leg-spinner Amit Mishra, while Ashwell Prince and Justin Ontong denied any further success to the Indian bowlers as South Africa finished a satisfying day in the field. Among the bowlers, Ojha commanded some respect from the batsmen and emerged the most successful bowler. Besides the wicket of Petersen, he sent back dangerous Hashim Amla when the batsman was looking good for a big innings. Lanky Pankaj Singh looked off-colour, while Ishant Sharma, though restrictive, did not look penetrative. Scoreboard South Africa A: MN van Wyk lbw b Sharma 9 Petersen st Patel b Ojha 109 HM Amla c Kaif b Ojha 49 Dippenaar lbw b Mishra 49 AG Prince not out 17 JL Ontong not out 22 Extras (lb-6, nb-3) 9 Total
(4 wkts, 70 overs) 264 Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-125, 3-214, 4-231 Bowling: Pankaj Singh 6-1-30-0, I Sharma 14-5-35-1, PP Ojha 24-3-98-2, VY Mahesh 10-2-41-0, A Mishra 16-4-54-1 |
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Karachi, September 19 Ehsan Malik, the media manager of the Pakistan team, today said that Musharraf had called up captain Shoaib Malik and spoken to him. "It was a manager of the Pakistan team who today said that Musharraf had called up captain Shoaib Malik and spoken to him. "It was a nice gesture from the President and it has lifted the spirits of the players. He told Malik that it was good to see the new combination of new and senior players combining so well in the tournament," he said. Musharraf's spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi said the President had appreciated the spirited performance of the team which had made the country proud. Musharraf is the chief patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board and an avid fan of the game. When fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was recently sent back from South Africa on disciplinary grounds after he had a row with teammate Mohammad Asif, Musharraf had directed the board to ensure there was no compromise on discipline. Musharraf had also lost his cool after Pakistan's dismal show in the last World Cup in March when the team was eliminated in the first round of the competition in the West Indies. There was more good news for the Pakistani players after their win over Australia when the board also announced a cash prize of $10,000 for each player. Ehsan Malik said the announcement was done to appreciate the hard work of the players. The boys are happy because more than the reward, it is the gesture that counts. — PTI
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Collingwood fined for
late-night binge
Durban, September 19 Collingwood was handed the fine by a tour panel that included coach Peter Moores, chairman of selectors David Graveney and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive David Collier. “Collingwood has been levied with a suitable fine,” a terse ECB media release said yesterday. “It’s obviously unacceptable,” Collingwood admitted. “I’m England captain and going to these places isn’t the thing to do. You learn from these lessons and hopefully it won’t happen again.” Collingwood was out first ball in the game against South Africa that England lost by 19 runs. He claimed he had been taken to the club by friends. The incident comes not long after the “Fredallo” incident during the World Cup in the Caribbean in March. Then Andrew Flintoff was stripped of the England vice-captaincy and banned for a match, while five other players were fined after being caught drinking into the early hours of a match day.
— IANS
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Ponting ruled out for rest of WC
Durban, September 19 In yesterday's Super Eight match against Pakistan, which Australia lost by six wickets, Ponting suffered a hamstring strain while batting. Australia's physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said the injury may force Ponting out of action for four weeks, which means he may miss out on the seven-match one-day series against India beginning on September 29. — PTI
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FIFA rankings
New Delhi, September 19 India, which had reached the 151st spot on the back of the victory over Cambodia in the tournament opener, went up further after getting the better of Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan and Syria in the competition. Significantly, India are now just one notch lower than Lebanon, whom they have to face in the first round of World Cup qualifiers on October 8 and 28. India are ranked 24th among Asian nations in the rankings. India was last ranked among the top 150 nations in November 2006 when it was placed 148. India got 127.50 points for beating Kyrgyzstan and 224.40 for getting the better of Syria in the tournament final. At the top of the table, world champions Italy displaced Brazil to become the number one team. The five-time world champions were relegated to third spot as South American rivals Argentina took second place. There were a lot of changes in the top 10 as Germany and Netherlands climbed to fourth and fifth respectively with France dropping two places to sixth. Spain, Portugal, England and Croatia round off the top 10. Japan is the highest ranked Asian team at number 34, followed by Iran (40) and Australia (48). — PTI
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Mexico City, September 19 Anand took his tally to 3.5 points with this timely win. He is closely followed by defending champion Vladimir Kramnik, GM Alexander Grischuk and GM Boris Gelfand. On an action-packed day, when three of the four games ended decisively, Kramnik slipped to second after splitting point with Peter Leko. Grischuk moved into the reckoning by defeating fellow Russian Alexander Morozevich. Israeli Gelfand also joined Kramnik and Grischuk in the second spot by outwitting fancied Levon Aronian of Armenia. Both Gelfand and Grischuk registered their first win in the championship. Anand gave yet another display of his mastery of the Spanish opening in his game against Svidler. Svidler decided to play for the initiative by sacrificing a pawn in the opening with the Marshall Gambit. Anand defended solidly and hung on the extra pawn without allowing his opponent to dominate the position. The game swung in Anand’s favour after Svidler made a passive knight retreat on the 32nd move. This allowed Anand enough breathing space to activate his queen and trade off some pieces. Svidler hastened the end by desperately trying to fan the dying embers of his attack and suffered further material loss. He resigned in a hopeless position after 39 moves, as he was three pawns down without the slightest compensation. Gelfand’s solid play paid off in his match against Levon Aronian. Aronian played ambitiously with the black pieces and opted for the sharp Modern Benoni defence. Gelfand played sound positional chess and used his space advantage to restrict his opponent’s piece play. Aronian sacrificed a pawn to activate his pieces but Gelfand kept the position under control and cruised to victory in 48 moves. Grischuk prevailed over Morozevich in an exciting game. Both players are known for their sharp attacking play and their encounter in the fifth round lived up to the promise. Morozevich played the Ragozin defence against the queen’s gambit and started an early attack on the queenside. Grischuk countered on the opposite wing and targeted Morozevich’s king. The players fought a thrilling tactical battle with sacrifices and counter sacrifices as they vied for the initiative. When the dust settled Grischuk was clearly in the driver’s seat having won a rook for his knight. Morozevich resigned on the 41st move after Grischuk consolidated his position. The game between Kramnik and Hungarian Peter Leko was a peaceful affair. Leko played the closed variation of the Italian opening and the game proceeded at a sedate pace. The players exchanged bishops and knights and agreed to split the point in a level position after 24 moves. — PTI
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Lahore, September 19 PHF secretary Khalid Mehmood said he was not in a position to comment on the issue but the federation would find out the reasons for the disappointing show by the Pakistani players. “Team manager Islahuddin Sidddiqi is expected to submit his tour report in a couple of days that would help us to ascertain the cause of the defeat,” Kahlid told The Post. Pakistan failed to qualify for the semifinals after suffering defeat at the hands of Japan and drawing with Malaysia in the group stage, though they beat Singapore and Hong Kong. When asked about Pakistan’s participation in the Champions Trophy, Khalid said the tournament had been shifted from Lahore due to reasons beyond the control of the PHF but he confirmed that the team would play in the tournament. The Champions Trophy was originally scheduled to be held in Lahore in December but refusal by Australia to take part on security grounds, followed by concern shown by other teams, including South Korea, had forced the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to shift the event to another venue. FIH is yet to decide the new venue but India and Malaysia are reportedly in contention to host the tournament. Khalid stated that the PHF has accepted the invitation by the Indian Hockey Federation to play two exhibition matches on home-and-away basis at Lahore and Chandigarh and PHF has proposed September 4 and 7 as the dates for the two matches. He said the PHF was waiting for a reply from their Indian counterparts on the proposed dates. — UNI
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Simi leads women’s pro golf tour
Chandigarh, September 19 Close on her heels, just one stroke behind, was Chandigarh's golf icon Irina Brar, who unlike her below par outings on the Chandigarh greens, finished with a four-over card of 76. Simi, who was playing on the Chandigarh course after 15 years, called the condition of the greens "hurting" as she double-bogeyed once and sank birdies on the second, third and eighth holes to finish the first nine at four-over 40. The return nine saw the LPGA player shoot three birdies against two bogeys for a one-under back-nine performance and a total score of three-over 75. Irina lost strokes on the first, fourth, fifth and seventh to take the turn at four-over 40. She started with a birdie on the 10th and sank another on the 14th. But then bogeys on the 10th and 16th saw her return a par back nine for a four-over 76 in the first round. Irina totalled 31 putts today as against Simi Mehra's 28 putts. Both Simi and Irina will miss out on a couple of legs of the eight-leg DLF Women's Golf Professional Tour. While Irina will be away after the third leg at Noida playing in the qualifying school for the European Women's Golf Tour in Italy, Simi will be heading for Alabama. But she will be back and will play in five legs of the tour. Nitika Jadeja of Jaipur was one stroke behind Irina. And yet another stroke behind was Chandigarh's Preetinder Kaur who gave a display of steady golf with 12 pars. She was also leading in the B grade professionals. Rukmini Mehta of Kolkata had an opening round score of 80. Chandigarh's Parnita Garewal, who created a flutter earlier this year by making the cut in a men's pro tournament, double-bogeyed three times for a nine-over card of 81. Shalini Malik (82) and Seema Sobti (83) finished in that order. And the lady who must take the credit for bringing in more competition and a bigger purse for the lady golf professionals is hopeful of bringing the European Women's Golf Tour to the country. She is Champika Sayal. A confident Champika said the Women's European Golf Tour will have a cash prize of $2.5 lakh and will be played from December 5 to 8. But as far as domestic professional lady golf is concerned, it will be only Indian lady golfers for at least one
year
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India to host 2009 Asian TT championship
Beijing, September 19 New Delhi, which has not hosted a major international table tennis event for the past 15 years, will hold the 2009 Asian championships. The Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU) denied the only other bidder Doha, enraging Qatari representatives, who stormed out of the meeting, Xinhua news agency reported. ATTU president Li Furong said most of the voters were in support of New Delhi, who hosted the Asian championships last time in 1992. Li did not disclose the result of the ballot, the report said. "Qatar has held a lot of major sports events including the 2004 World Table Tennis championships and the 2006 Asian Games, while India has been away from major table tennis events for 15 years," Li added. — PTI
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Beijing, September 19 The Indian team comprising Jayanta Talukdar, Mangal Singh Champai, Rahul Banerjee had earlier beaten hosts China in the semifinals. "We are very happy to win, I think the key to our victory is our confidence. We just took it (the final) like a practice," said India coach Lim Chae-woong. "The most important thing for us is to win Olympic quotas, so tomorrow's Olympic qualifications will be very important. We have to keep our concentration," Lim said.In the semifinals, India went past China 220-214 while Malaysia upset South Korea 224-222. Then South Korea recovered to beat China 225-223 for the bronze medal.The Indian women's team had to contend with silver medal in compound category after they went down 219-227 to Philippines. — PTI
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PSB down Amritsar XI
Faridkot, September 19 Paramjeet Singh scored a field goal in the seventh minute of the game. In the 49th minute, Major Singh took the score ahead. Kuljinder Singh capitalised on a penalty stroke in the 53rd minute. Three minutes later, Paramjit scored his second field goal.
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