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DLF IPL
Karthik plays a shot on Thursday. — PTI
Super Kings win, courtesy Vijay
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Saina: This inspires me to work harder
Saina Nehwal recieves the Padma Shri from President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi on Wednesday. — PTI
Preparations on for Kabaddi World Cup
Himachal institute of sports to be set up
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Daredevils end Royals’ run
In reply, Rajasthan Royals folded up for 121 in 17.3 overs. This was Daredevils’ second consecutive victory at home and fifth overall while Royals suffered their first defeat after scoring four straight wins. Though Dinesh Karthik was the hero of the Delhi victory, bowlers Parvez Maharoof and Amit Mishra too played their parts well. David Warner displayed a fine facet of his fielding ability by plucking four brilliant catches and one amazing direct run out. Daredevils were in dire straights when Karthik joined Gambhir as they were struggling at 67 for 4 with Warner, Sehwag, Collingwood and Kedar Jhadav back in the pavilion in 8.3 overs. But Karthik quickly got into his scoring mode to overtake his skipper and his run-gathering at a fast clip gave Daredevils a run-rate of 9.47 which the Rajasthan Royals could never match. Because of Karthik’s belligerence, Daredevils added 42 runs in the last 19 balls and 68 runs in the final five overs. Karthik hoisted Sumit Narwal for two consecutive sixes in the 17th over and then pulled Shaun Tait to bring up his 50 off 36 balls. He also pulled Tait for a huge six in the penultimate ball of the innings, and repeating the shot he was caught by substitute Ashish Raut to be out for a blazing 69 (38b, 6x4,4x6). In fact, it was due to the aggression of Karthik that Narwal's bowling figures were spoilt after he had got the prized scalps of Warner, Sehwag and Gambhir. After Gambhir and Karthik laid a good foundation for the bowlers to operate, it was no-go for Royals. Mahararoof, who replaced the injured Dirk Nannes, fully justified his place in the team when he got rid of Michael Lumb and Fazal off the second and fifth ball of the first over. With the ball keeping low, stroke play was difficult, and leg-spinner Amit Mishra seized the opportunity to keep the Royals batsmen tied up and his final tally of 3 for 25 off four overs was a fine exposition of controlled spin bowling. Daredevils seemed to fear only the presence of the big-hitting Yousuf Pathan who set the stands ablaze with two consecutive sixes off Ladda in the seventh over. Pathan tried to hit Mishra too with a mighty heave, but Warner took a brilliant catch to signal the beginning of the end of the Royals dream.Wicket-keeper batsman Naman Ojha was Royals top-scorer with 27 as the rest of the batsmen simply wilted under the tremendous pressure put on by the Delhi bowlers and fielders to cave in rather abjectly to bring a blot on Shane Warne’s winning record. Scoreboard
Delhi Daredevils: Warner b Narwal 4 (8) Sehwag c Dogra b Narwal 19 (12) Gambhir c Pathan b Narwal 43 (37) Collingwood run out 16 (8) Jadhav c Pathan b Warne 10 (9) Karthik c sub Tait 69 (38) McDonald not out 14 (9) Extras:
(lb 4, w 4, nb 5) 13 Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 188 Fall of wickets:
1-24, 2-25, 3-50, 4-67, 5-146, 6-188. Bowling: Pathan 3-0-25-0, Narwal 4-0-36-3, Voges 1-0-9-0, Tait 4-0-53-1, Warne 4-0-26-1, Trivedi 4-0-35-0. Rajasthan Royals: Lumb c Warner b Maharoof 0 (2) Ojha c Karthik b Mishra 27 (14) Fazal lbw b Maharoof 0 (2) Jhunjhunwala run out 2 (5) Voges c Warner b Mishra 15 (17) Pathan c Warner b Mishra 24 (14) Dogra st Karthik b Ladda 20 (25) Warne run out 0 (1) Narwal c Warner b Collingwood 12 (9) Tait st Karthik b Sehwag 11 (12) Trivedi not out 7 (5) Extras:
(w 3) 3 Total: (all out; 17.4 overs) 121 Fall of wickets:
1-0, 2-1, 3-29, 4-32, 5-66, 6-71, 7-73, 8-96, 9-113. Bowling: Maharoof 3-0-13-2, McDonald 2-0-17-0, Mishra 4-0-25-3, Yadav 3-0-21-0, Ladda 4-0-37-1, Collingwood 1-0- 6-1, Sehwag 0.4-0-2-1. |
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Super Kings win, courtesy Vijay
Chennai, March 31 Opting to bat, Bangalore rode on a 49-ball 52 from South African Jacques Kallis to post a competitive 161 for four, but the hosts overhauled the target with one over to spare at the floodlit M Chidambaram Stadium.
Opener Vijay, who studded his innings with six sixes and four fours, gave Chennai the required momentum in the beginning, while Raina completed the task with an unbeaten 35-ball 44, which he made with the help of four fours and a six. Chasing the 162-run target, Chennai were off to a good start with the openers Vijay and Matthew Hayden raising 61 runs before a Anil Kumble googly trapped the Australian in the seventh over. Englishman Kevin Pietersen claimed Vijay just after the strategic break in the 11th over but by then the right-hander had set the tone for his team. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (14) started well but failed to make it big and fell to South African speedster Dale Steyn in the 16th over. The hosts suffered another loss in the very next over with all-rounder Kallis uprooting the stumps of Albie Morkel (1). But Raina held his nerve to clinch the issue in company of C Ganapathy with one over to spare. For Bangalore, Steyn took one wicket for 20 runs, while Kumble scalped one for 16. Earlier, Kallis helped Bangalore post the 162-run target.
— PTI Scoreboard Royal Challengers Bangalore: Pandey c Dhoni b Thushara 5 (7) Kallis run out 52 (49) Uthappa c Gony b Jakati 21 (13) Kohli c Vijay b Jakati 34 (24) Pietersen not out 23 (14) White not out 21 (13) Extras: (lb 1, w 4) 5 Total: (4 wickets; 20 overs) 161 FoW: 1-12, 2-54, 3-117, 4-117. Bowling: Thushara 4-0-30-1, Gony 3-0-39-0, Morkel 4-0-40-0, Jakati 4-1-17-2, Muralitharan 4-0-21-0, Ganapathy 1-0-13-0. Chennai Super Kings: Vijay c Pandey b Pietersen 78 (39) Hayden st Uthappa b Kumble 12 (14) Raina not out 44 (35) Dhoni c Dravid b Steyn 14 (19) Morkel b Kallis 1 (3) Badrinath c Uthappa b Vinay 7 (6) Ganapathy not out 0 (0) Extras: (b 1, lb 5, w 2, nb 2) 10 Total: (5 wickets; 19 overs) 166 FoW: 1-61, 2-104, 3-138, 4-143, 5-152. Bowling: Kumar 3-0-42-0, Steyn 4-0-20-1, Kumble 4-0-16-1, Kallis 3-0-21-1, Pietersen 2-0-26-1, Vinay 3-0-35-1.
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KKR look to recharge campaign
Kolkata, March 31 Four losses from seven matches ring a warning bell in the Kolkata camp and if they have to revive their fortunes, the upcoming home matches will certainly be the determining factor. The last season’s wooden-spooners, with a new captain (Ganguly), coach (Dav Whatmore) and mentor (Wasim Akram) at helm, had begun the season on a perfect note defeating the defending champions in their first match.
They continued their winning run against the last season’s runners-up, Royal Challengers Bangalore, but things took a turn for the worst as they went on to suffer a hat-trick of losses, an eerie reminder of last season’s performance. But they managed to get their act together with a much-needed win against the hapless Kings XI Punjab in a match where Manoj Tiwary exploded to form with a 47-ball 75 not out and Ganguly chipped in with an equally useful 50. Against an attack boasting of Brett Lee and Piyush Chawla, the win boosted the sagging morale of their batting order that has depending too much on Chris Gayle. Australian all-rounder David Hussey is due a big knock, so is Gayle, who has sparkled occasionally, but Ganguly’s main area of concern would be their domestic recruits - the likes of Mandeep Singh and Wriddhiman Saha. Knight Riders’ over dependence on Gayle was exposed in their last match against Delhi Daredevils when the side, chasing 178, gave up soon after the dismissal of the West Indies captain. Even team boss Shah Rukh Khan is miffed and does not want any excuses from his captain Ganguly, if his tweets yesterday are any indication. “This loss was about toss... The last hitch because of the pitch... Time for excuses is over. Either we play better or keep being deserving losers... I am disappointed and will try and sleep this disappointment off. Hope the team introspects and comes back strong. Professionals can do that,” he tweeted. Against Deccan Chargers, Knights have a psychological advantage of beating the champions in the first leg encounter but at the same time it will test the home team against Vaas and RP Singh when the two teams face tomorrow.
— PTI |
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Saina: This inspires me to work harder
Chandigarh, March 31 Saina had recently become the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals of the prestigious All England Championship and had barged into the top five bracket of world rankings. However after giving Swiss Open a miss, she is currently placed at number six int he world. “I do not think about the rankings as it puts you under undue pressure. I still have one and half week before Asian Championship starts in Delhi. I am focusing hard to win the tournament for my country. After that Commonwealth Games is certainly where my energies will be concentrated.” On the challenges she expects from other players, Saina said, “Every match will be tough and I am up for the challenge.” Former All England winner and Saina’s coach Pullela Gopichand was also all praise for his ward. “This is a very encouraging that somebody from the sports fraternity has been chosen. More so with Saina getting it, as it will inspire many others to do well for the nation. Everybody is proud of what she has done till now. We expect many more feats in the near future form the champion.” Meanwhile. ace boxer Vijender Singh, who is also to recieve the Padma Shri, will be awarded by the President in the second session on April 7 in the capital. |
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Advantage Bayern as Ollic strikes late
London, March 31 United, which scored twice in added time to shock Bayern 2-1 in the 1999 final, had not long conceded a 77th-minute equalizer to France winger Franck Ribery when Ivica Olic dispossessed Patrice Evra in the United area and shot low into the bottom corner last night. And United's bad night got worse seconds later when star striker Wayne Rooney, who had opened the scoring with his 34th club goal of the season, was helped from the field with an ankle injury that could threaten his involvement in next week's second-leg match at Old Trafford. United can still advance to the semifinals for a fourth straight year with as little as a 1-0 win, but veteran midfielder Paul Scholes is the only fit player in United's squad to have scored more than one goal in the club's nine Champions League matches. "He's got a kick in the ankle," United manager Alex Ferguson said of Rooney. "We'll just have to wait and see tomorrow. Hopefully it's not too serious." Ferguson said Rooney could sit out Saturday's crucial Premier League meeting with Chelsea. But it was not a lack of cutting edge that cost United victory on Tuesday at Allianz Arena. United appeared to be cruising after Rooney's 11th goal in nine matches, but Ribery equalized with a free kick that deflected off Rooney and beat goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. United was trying to keep possession for the closing moments and hold on for a draw but Olic ran from behind Evra to steal the ball and feint to beat Van der Sar with a side-footed shot. Lyon secured victory over Bordeaux through two goals from Lisandro Lopez, a string of saves by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and defensive blunders from its French rival. Lopez put Lyon ahead in the 10th minute before Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh equalized four minutes later with a header. Brazilian winger Michel Bastos made it 2-1 from a tight angle in the 32nd and Lopez sealed the victory in the 77th with a penalty. But Lloris made an amazing reflex save with the score at 2-1 in the 61st, blocking a volley from five meters (yards) by Chamakh. The result ended Bordeaux's unbeaten run in the Champions League this season, but Lyon will miss Lopez and France winger Sidney Govou to suspension in the April 7 second leg after both picked up yellow cards. — AP Rooney out for a month
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, who injured his ankle in his club's Champions League game against Bayern Munich on Tuesday, has been ruled out of action for a month. Though that means that he will not kick another ball for United this season, fears of his non-availibity for this summer's World Cup in South Africa, appear to have been discounted. Rooney had limped off in agony after a challenge by Bayern striker Mario Gomez in the final seconds of United's Champions League defeat.
— ANI |
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Preparations on for Kabaddi World Cup
Patiala, March 31 All district officials and sports departments are working day and night to ensure that everything goes as per plan and also there are no lapses on the part of any department. The rehearsal for the opening ceremony that would be conducted at YPS Stadium is on full swing and the ground has been prepared to host the big event. District Sports Department Jasbirpal Kaur Brar informed that the ground is totally ready and suitable arrangements have been made for the dignitaries and order people. She said the department had made seating arrangement for 25,000 people. There will be 22,000 chairs in the ground and the carpets would be spread in the ground to accommodate more people, she added. On the security front, the district administration is taking every possible step to avoid any incident of mischief. SP City Shamsher Singh informed that along with the city police, 400 cops from outside the city have been deployed to ensure that the entire situation is under control. Around 20 DSPs, 5 SPs and 50 SHOs are being called from outside for this duty, he added. He also informed that two VVIP gates would be made. SSP, Patiala, Ranbir Singh Khatra is the overall security in charge and the entire force would be taking rounds of the nearby areas as well. Sikander Singh Maluka, vice-chairman of the organising committee of the tournament and ex-minster, after inspecting the YPS stadium informed that the preparations were upto the mark and ensured that the programme would be one of its kind. He also informed that there would be no entry fee for the spectators. The teams that are taking part in this tournament that offers cash prize of Rs 2.16 crore include India, Pakistan, America, Canada, England, Australia, Norway, Italy, Iran and Spain. |
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Himachal institute of sports to be set up
Nalagarh, March 31 A ticket counter for easy availability of IPL tickets for the cricket matches to be played at Dharamsala would soon be opened at Baddi. This will help the aspirants to buy tickets for the first-ever IPL matches at Dharamsala. Thakur said the HPCA would help in setting up this institute. Apart from providing the basic sports facilities it will give a suitable platform to the budding sportsmen. As many as 50 coaches would be recruited to train sportsmen in various fields. While expressing concern at the lack of fund availability for sports facilities in the nation Thakur said it was lamentable that though the business houses were enhancing their business profitability year after year they spared little funds for supporting sports activities. |
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Lahore, March 31
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New Delhi, March 31
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UEFA Champions League
Hayden could contribute only 12 before hosts suffered their first loss, but it was Vijay who attacked the Bangalore bowlers from the very beginning and his aggression had the Bangalore bowlers clueless.
