S P O R T S

Aussies earn draw
Birmingham, August 3
Australia batted with grim determination through the final day to earn a draw in the third Ashes Test against England on Monday. Centurion Michael Clarke and Marcus North shared a partnership of 185 and Shane Watson and Michael Hussey also made patient half-centuries in a total of 375 for five which ensured they would go into the fourth test only 1-0 down in the series.

Rising From Ashes Australia’s Michael Clarke plays a shot on the fifth day of the third Test at Edgbaston on Monday. — AFP

Pakistan Tour of Sri Lanka
Lanka make it 3-0
Dambulla, August 3
Mahela Jayawardene scored a brilliant hundred to guide Sri Lanka to a series-clinching six-wicket victory in the third one-day international against Pakistan on Monday. The former Sri Lanka captain, who opened the innings after Sanath Jayasuriya fell sick, scored a sublime 123 as the hosts overhauled Pakistan’s 288 for eight with 21 balls to spare.

Windies win lone T20 tie
St.Kitts, August 3
West Indies finally managed to beat Bangladesh with a five-wicket win in the Twenty20 match which concluded the tour on Sunday. Having suffered defeat in both test matches and all three one-day internationals the victory will be small consolation for the makeshift West Indies team which has been without its leading players throughout the games.

Sports bodies must fall in line: MS Gill
New Delhi, August 3
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr M S Gill said here today that he wanted every sports body in the country to fall in line with the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) Code of Conduct. Dr Gill said this in the context of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) “rejecting” the WADA Code, particularly pertaining to the “whereabouts” clause of the players, though the Minister did not name the cricket body, nor any cricketer.

India thrash USA 3-0 Chandigarh, August 3 Hosts India created history today by thrashing USA in straight sets (25-23, 25-21,25-18) and entered the second round of 2009 World Junior Men Volleyball World championship at Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at Balewadi, Pune.  It was India all the way and the match that lasted 1 hour and 19 minutes saw Indians dominating the proceedings right from the word go and the boys excelled in every department of the game leaving the opponents stunned. The Indian Men’s team celebrate after beating USA in Pune on Monday.

A scenic view of the first Astroturf in Shilaroo near Narkanda, in Himachal Pradesh, which is situated at an altitude of 2,450 metres. The cost of the turf is 4 crore approx. and it took two years to complete. Tribune photo: Amit Bhardwaj

Tiger roars to third Buick Open title
Grand Blanc, August 3
Tiger Woods cruised to a bogey free, final round three-under 69 and a three shot victory to lift the Buick Open title for a third and possibly final time on Sunday. If the troubled Detroit automaker pulls its sponsorship and the Buick disappears from the PGA Tour calendar as expected next season.

JCT Academy beat RCF
Chandigarh, August 3
After suffering a heavy loss against PSEB in their opening game, JCT Academy made amends in the Punjab State Super Football League by beating RCF Kapurthala 1-0 at the Guru Nanak College ground in Phagwara here today. The game started on a cautious note and both teams were a tad slow to find their feet.

Aussies earn draw

Birmingham, August 3
Australia batted with grim determination through the final day to earn a draw in the third Ashes Test against England on Monday. Centurion Michael Clarke and Marcus North shared a partnership of 185 and Shane Watson and Michael Hussey also made patient half-centuries in a total of 375 for five which ensured they would go into the fourth test only 1-0 down in the series.

“We knew it would be hard today but I thought the North-Clarke partnership was something special,” Australia captain Ricky Ponting said. “They batted beautifully and controlled the game for us.” The England attack struggled for inspiration and the hosts’ best moment was a spectacular one-handed diving catch by James Anderson which dismissed North for 96.

They also had a scare when all-rounder Andrew Flintoff tumbled to the ground after twisting his ankle in his delivery side but he dusted himself down and returned to the attack. “The ball wasn’t swinging, we tried a few options but it just wasn’t to be today unfortunately,” England captain Andrew Strauss said. “We grabbed the initiative in the match but unfortunately we couldn't make the most of it today.” — Reuters

Scoreboard

Australia (1st innings) 263

England (1st innings ) 376

Australia (2nd innings) (overnight 88-2)

Watson c Prior b Anderson 53

Katich c Prior b Onions 26

Ponting b Swann 5

Hussey c Prior b Broad 64

Clarke not out 103

North c Anderson b Broad 96

Manou not out 13

Extras: (b-4, lb-6, w-2, nb-3) 15

Total: (five wickets; 112.2 overs) 375

Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-52, 3-137, 4-161, 5-346.

Bowling: Anderson 21-8-47-1, Flintoff 15-0-35-0, Onions 19-3-74-1, Swann 31-4-119-1, Broad 16-2-38-2, Bopara 8.2-1-44-0, Collingwood 2-0-8-0.

Pakistan Tour of Sri Lanka
Lanka make it 3-0

Mahela Jayawardene celebrates his century on Monday. — Reuters

Dambulla, August 3
Mahela Jayawardene scored a brilliant hundred to guide Sri Lanka to a series-clinching six-wicket victory in the third one-day international against Pakistan on Monday. The former Sri Lanka captain, who opened the innings after Sanath Jayasuriya fell sick, scored a sublime 123 as the hosts overhauled Pakistan’s 288 for eight with 21 balls to spare.

Jayawardene compiled 202-run partnership for the first wicket with Upul Tharanga, who scored 76. Victory gave Sri Lanka an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, their first ODI series win against Pakistan on home soil.

Jayawardene’s century, an innings that was hampered at the end by painful leg cramps, was the 11th of his career and his first since 2007. Pakistan hopes were briefly buoyed after the fall of three quick wickets, Sri Lanka sliding from 202 without loss to 212 for three. — Reuters

Scoreboard

Pakistan

Akmal c Sangakkara b Mathews 45

Jamshed c Samaraweera b Thushara 1

Khan run out 44

Malik c Sangakkara b Fernando 12

Akmal b Muralitharan 66

Alam c & b Mathews 13

Afridi b Muralitharan 32

Razzaq c Jayawardene b Kulasekara 30

Hasan not out 30

Aamer not out 4

Extras (b-1, w-10) 11

Total: (eight wickets, 50 overs) 288

Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-80, 3-101, 4-107, 5-149, 6-190, 7-226, 8-266.

Bowling: Kulasekara 10-0-74-1, Thushara 10-0-46-1, Fernando 10-1-62-1, Mathews 10-0-41-2, Muralitharan 10-0-64-2.

Sri Lanka

Tharanga lbw b Ajmal 76

Jayawardene c Alam b Razzaq 123

Sangakkara not out 37

Samaraweera c & b Ajmal 0

Kandamby b Aamer 32

Kapugedera not out 8

Extras (b-1, lb-4, w-8) 13

Total: (four wickets, 46.3 overs) 289

Fall of wickets: 1-202, 2-210, 3-212, 4-268.

Bowling: Aamer 9.3-1-45-1, Razzaq 9-0-62-1, Hasan 7-0-41-0, Afridi 6-0-45-0, Ajmal 9-0-54-2, Malik 6-0-37-0.

Windies win lone T20 tie

St.Kitts, August 3
West Indies finally managed to beat Bangladesh with a five-wicket win in the Twenty20 match which concluded the tour on Sunday. Having suffered defeat in both test matches and all three one-day internationals the victory will be small consolation for the makeshift West Indies team which has been without its leading players throughout the games.

The tourists never truly recovered from a poor start which left them at 12 for three and they were not helped by four run outs. Naeem Islam struck two fours and two sixes as he made 27 from 18 balls but then set off for an impossible run and wicketkeeper Devon Thomas threw down the stumps. — Reuters

Sports bodies must fall in line: MS Gill
M.S. Unnikrishnan
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 3
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr M S Gill said here today that he wanted every sports body in the country to fall in line with the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) Code of Conduct. Dr Gill said this in the context of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) “rejecting” the WADA Code, particularly pertaining to the “whereabouts” clause of the players, though the Minister did not name the cricket body, nor any cricketer.

“I have read in all the papers (regarding the BCCI stand). My attitude is very clear. Last year, we worked hard to get the WADA accreditation (to the dope testing laboratory in Delhi). All the Sports Federations have accepted the WADA Code, and they have fallen in line. So our stand is to support the world body (WADA)”, Dr Gill remarked to a few media persons, as he came out after addressing a conference of State Ministers of Youth Affairs and Sports at Vigyan Bhawan here this afternoon.

Dr Gill reiterated that, “as far as I am concerned, everybody should support the WADA Code of Conduct. I am sure WADA would address all the technical problems (like the whereabouts clause).”

He said the Indian dope testing lab has attained such high credibility that urine samples from even a European country like Switzerland are sent here for testing. The “prestigious recognition” for the Delhi lab was obtained on September 20, 2008 after the matter was pursued by Dr Gill himself during the Beijing Olympic Games.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Randhir Singh, who is also the secretary-general of the Indian Olympic Association as well as the Olympic Council of Asia, also rooted for the BCCI following the WADA code route.

“Everyone should fall in line with the ruling of the international body. It’s for the good of sports”, Randhir Singh told The Tribune.

Randhir said the BCCI took an anti-WADA stance “as the cricketers perhaps did not understand the WADA clause (the whereabouts clause requires the cricketers to be subjected

to surprise checking for drug use)”, he added.

India is so keen to purge the sports of the scourge of doping that a new building has been constructed to house the National Dope Testing Laboratory near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which was the first building to be completed for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The National Anti-Doping Agency has also been reconstituted by inducting eminent medical experts, sportspersons and eminent jurists, to play it fair and square in dope testing.

India thrash USA 3-0
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 3
Hosts India created history today by thrashing USA in straight sets (25-23, 25-21,25-18) and entered the second round of 2009 World Junior Men Volleyball World championship at Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at Balewadi, Pune. It was India all the way and the match that lasted 1 hour and 19 minutes saw Indians dominating the proceedings right from the word go and the boys excelled in every department of the game leaving the opponents stunned.

For India, Gurinder Singh was the star performer winning his team 19 points (17 attacks and 2 blocks) and was closely followed by Manidurai Naveen Raja Jacob with 16 points (15 attacks and 1 on serve).

Tiger roars to third Buick Open title

Tiger Woods holds up the trophy after winning the Buick Open golf tournament on Sunday. — AP/PTI

Grand Blanc, August 3
Tiger Woods cruised to a bogey free, final round three-under 69 and a three shot victory to lift the Buick Open title for a third and possibly final time on Sunday. If the troubled Detroit automaker pulls its sponsorship and the Buick disappears from the PGA Tour calendar as expected next season, then Woods provided a memorable goodbye for a tournament and venue he rates among his favourites.

Playing his first event since missing the cut at the British Open, Woods began a sun-kissed day at Warwick Hills with a one-shot cushion and was not challenged for the lead picking up birdies at the fourth, seventh and 16th for a 20-under 268.

Australians Greg Chalmers (69), John Senden (71) and American Roland Thatcher, with the round of the day an eight-under 64, finished in tie for second on 17-under 271. Golf’s ultimate frontrunner, the world number one is now 36-1 when holding the solo lead going into final round.

The victory gives Woods his fourth PGA Tour title this season and 69th of his career, leaving him just four behind Jack Nicklaus for second on the all-time list with 73. Three of those wins have now come at the Buick Open, a fixture on the PGA Tour schedule for more than 50 years which looks set to leave Michigan, joining the thousands of auto workers who have lost their jobs.

There has no official announcement about the tournament’s future on Sunday but for the spectators, volunteers and Woods himself the event’s fate was sealed. Woods worked his away around the tree-lined layout to an out-pouring of sincere appreciation as spectators acknowledged his loyalty to the event with calls of “Thank you Tiger for remembering Michigan”.

When the 14-time major winner stepped on greens the galleries pleaded “One more year” and “Save the Buick”. In an uncharacteristic display of emotion, Woods intense focus faded as he made his way up the par three 17th and tossed his ball into the cheering crowd. A beaming Woods did it again at the 18th to even wilder applause. — Reuters

JCT Academy beat RCF
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 3
After suffering a heavy loss against PSEB in their opening game, JCT Academy made amends in the Punjab State Super Football League by beating RCF Kapurthala 1-0 at the Guru Nanak College ground in Phagwara here today. The game started on a cautious note and both teams were a tad slow to find their feet. The second half saw the home team get into their stride and the constant pressure bore fruit as in the 65th minute Ajay Singh scored. In tomorrow’s match BSF will take on Punjab Police at the BSF football stadium in Jalandhar. The match begins at 4.30 pm.