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lanka’s Tour Of India 2nd ODI at Nagpur
C’wealth Wrestling |
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Old Trafford awaits Milan, Beckham
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lanka’s Tour Of India 2nd ODI at Nagpur * Lankan opener scores 123 * Fielding haunts India again * Dhoni scores gritty 107 * Raina chips in with 68 Nagpur, December 18 Tillakaratne Dilshan struck a blistering 123 as Sri Lanka held their nerves in the tense dying moments to snatch a three-wicket victory in a high scoring second cricket one-day international against India to level the five-match series 1-1 here tonight.
Chasing India's 301 for 7 built around a captain's knock of 107 by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the visitors made up for their narrow defeat at Rajkot by overhauling the target with five balls to spare in a pulsating floodlit contest. The explosive Dilshan notched up his second consecutive and fourth one-day hundred to lay the platform for the run chase for Sri Lanka. India did well to recover from a rather sluggish start to post 301 mainly relying on Dhoni's fireworks in the end but a few fielding lapses in the very fag end in the Sri Lankan innings tilted the scale in the visitors' favour in a match which went down the wire. The capacity crowd at VCA Statium in Jamtha were treated to another run feast with both teams scoring over 300 runs but unlike the Rajkot feast the bowlers did get some assistance from the track. The Indians, whose fielding has left a lot to be desired in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, were patchy in their bowling and the early dismissals of Virender Sehwag (4) and Gautam Gambhir (2) when they batted did have a bearing in the final outcome. Earlier, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni cracked his sixth hundred and strung together a breezy century stand with Suresh Raina to lift his side to an imposing 310 for seven. Dhoni had the proverbial cat's luck as he was let off on four occasions by the butter-fingered Lanka fielders, thrice by his counterpart Kumar Sangakkara alone before he had reached 50, and the India captain punished them with his second successive hundred in ODIs at this venue, following his match-winning 124 against Australia on October 28. The India captain, who fell to impressive debutant Suraj Randiv for 107 in 111 balls that included eight fours and two sixes, and Raina (68) stitched a stand of 126 in only 119 balls for the fifth wicket to lift India to the 300-plus score after the hosts were struggling just past the halfway stage. Coming together when their side were 132 for four in the 27th over, they helped their side with a run-a-ball partnership on a wicket that offered a lot of turn to the slow bowlers and not a bowler's graveyard as was the case in the first ODI at Rajkot. Dhoni was lucky to escape getting out three times before he crossed 50 with Sangakkara being the culprit on all three occasions. Dhoni rode on these reprieves and surged his way with lofted hits and upper cuts while Raina slammed 68. — PTI
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Indian wrestlers dominate
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, December 18 Kumar Rajender defeated Carlo Van Wyk from South Africa, Krishan Hari beat Minnaar Louis of South Africa in the 55 Kg Greeco Roman while Anil Kumar defeated Farzad Taraash of Australia in the 60 Kg Greeco Roman, and Gurbinder Singh defeated Van Wyk of South Africa. The championship is being held under the aegis of FILA and CAWA. As many as 12 countries are participating in the wrestling championship. The championship would witness wrestling skills of 100 male wrestlers and 37 female wrestlers from Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Scotland, North Ireland, Nigeria, England, Singapore, Pakistan, Cameroon and India. Earlier Punjab minister for revenue, Ajeet Singh Kohar inaugurated the championship.
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‘Delhi can deliver the best-ever CWG’
Melbourne, December 18 "The jury is still out but given the rapid progress that the organisers are making, the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi have the potential to be the best Games ever," he said. Crosswhite said Delhi was slow to react but once they realised that time was of essence, significant progress was made in very little time. "We have had concerns on occasions this year in regards to the organising committee's ability to meet deadlines and requirements. However as 2009 draws to a close I am buoyed by the progress shown in the last couple of months. "After meeting with the CGF in October, organisers have appointed a number of international experts including village operations expert John Lade, event manager Peter Stewart and technology specialist Brian Norse. They all have significant experience in major games such as the Sydney Olympics and Melbourne Commonwealth Games," Crosswhite was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Telegraph'. The Organising Committee were lax in their approach to the Games' preparation which drew flak from CGF top brass but once the Government of India took charge, progress has been fast-tracked. Crosswhite said the government's involvement augured well for the Games. —
PTI |
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Old Trafford awaits Milan, Beckham
Nyon, December 18 Holders Barcelona were given a relatively straightforward task against Bundesliga strugglers VfB Stuttgart, while nine-times winners Real Madrid will face Olympique Lyon. Beckham, who is rejoining Milan on a short-term loan from LA Galaxy, had said earlier this week that he wanted to play against the English side he left in 2003. “Seven years have gone by and I want it to happen,” Beckham, who helped United win the Champions League in 1999, told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Me against United, great, no?” Manchester United director of communications Phil Townsend welcomed the prospect of Beckham's return. "He'll get a fantastic reception as players coming back usually do at United," Townsend told Sky Sports News. "Obviously he was a very popular player with the fans when he was there, a terrific servant for the club and we all hope he is playing for them.” Milan's organisational director Umberto Gandini told Sky television they were happy to have avoided a meeting with Chelsea, coached by their former boss Carlo Ancelotti. “But we’ll be playing against a great team in United, last year’s finalist, a team that plays great football and has this type of clash in their chromosomes,” he said. “But we also have our weapons to use. We'll have Beckham on our side — lots of ingredients for a great match.” Former Inter Milan and Portugal Luis Figo, who has taken an ambassadorial role for the club, said Mourinho would relish the return. “It’s always good to go back to a place where you have been successful and I think it will be a difficult match for both teams,” he told reporters. “He brought them titles. I think the people love him and it will be an emotional return for him.” Barcelona's technical director Txiki Beguiristain was cautious about the draw against Stuttgart but he did allow himself a peek beyond the last 16. “We mustn't be too confident about this," he told reporters. “We must take it seriously. They will have time to prepare for the games against us and we must be ready.” “There are two clashes between Italian and English teams which will put two of the biggest sides in Europe out," he added to Gol television. "That makes a potential quarter-final even more attractive." Real Madrid's tie against Lyon will see Karim Benzema, part of Real's massive off-season rebuilding programme, play against his former club. "It's a privilege to play against Real Madrid," Olympique Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas told Eurosport. —
Reuters
Olympiakos v Bordeaux
Inter Milan v Chelsea
B Munich v Fiorentina
CSKA Moscow v Sevilla
Lyon v Real Madrid
Porto v Arsenal
AC Milan v Man United
The first-leg ties will be played on Feb. 16/17 and 23/24 with the second legs scheduled for March 9/10 and 16/17. |
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Lankan opener scores 123
Jalandhar, December 18
“They are a team that have many resources. Naturally, they are not the armoured car (of the past), but they won their group easily, and up front and at the back they are very strong.
VfB Stuttgart v Barcelona
