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Kings look to gatecrash Royal party
Pak spank Spain, India also win
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Super Kings halt Mumbai’s winning run
No Rooney for Bayern clash
Rocking the crowd, desi style
Tiger back to first love — golf
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Kings look to gatecrash Royal party
Jaipur, April 6 The fact that they have held their nerves even in the tight games, like the previous one with Deccan Chargers, gives them an edge over Kings XI Punjab which ended up losing a few games which it should have won. Tomorrow’s match will also be the first game in Jaipur this season. Pitch curator Taposh Chatterjee said the pitch is perfect for big hitters like Yusuf Pathan and Yuvraj Singh. “We have prepared the pitch keeping in mind the format of the game. Spectators will come at the stadium to watch fours and sixes,” he said. |
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Pak spank Spain, India also win
Hoshiarpur, April 6 As favourites as the Lions were when they were thrown into the ring with the Christians in the Roman coliseum. And they lived up to their top billing with embarrassing ease when they knocked the daylights out of a hapless Spain 61-32. Had there been a man of the match award it surely would have been bagged by Paksitani raider Yasaf Cheema. He played his heart out in front of a delirious crowd and proved that he was the fulcrum around which the Pakistani team revolved. He proved beyond doubt that offence is the sum total of technique and tactics in which footwork plays a big role. He was the crowd’s darling and since points are scored only through raids it was his raiding ability which caught the fancy of the crowd. A raider is always a scorer and that was precisely the reason why the Cheema always hogged the limelight. This time it was applause all the way for Yasaf as he showed showcased his performance with quicksilver footwork. Like a good raider, he had all the factors-tactics, counter action ability to extricate himself from difficult situations and above all, good footwork-working for him. Every time he would come back after successfully conducting a raid the roar of the crowd was such that it could be heard in the alleys of Peshawar where he learnt the nuances of the sport. In the first match, Meek Seattle, the crowd favourite, played a stellar role in enabling USA beat Iran 62-24. Baljit Singh Malhan also played well and he raided to the rival terrain 11 times to earn 11 points. On the other hand Seattle played the role of a stopper to near perfection and egged on by a vociferous crowd he proved that his grip over the Iranian raiders was hard and fast. He showed tremendous agility to douse many a raid. Late, as the sun came down and the weather became a bit more pleasant, the hosts, taking advantage of the home environ, rattled Australia 58-29. |
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Super Kings halt Mumbai’s winning run
Chennai, April 6 Most of Chennai batsmen got the start but failed to convert them into big scores. Mumbai bowlers got support from their fielders who did some fine work to deny runs to CSK batsmen. Matthew Hayden top-scored with a 31-ball 35, while captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (18-ball 31) and S Badrinath 22-ball 30 not out) made useful contributions after Chennai elected to bat. Chennai top order made a subdued start and last match centurion Vijay was back at the pavilion by the fourth over. — PTI Scoreboard
Vijay b Harbhajan 14 (17) Hayden c Sathish b Pollard 35 (31) Raina c Dhawan b Bravo 23 (18) Dhoni c & b Pollard 31 (18) M Hussey not out 14 (15) Badrinath not out 30 (22) Extras (b 1, lb 1, w 15, nb 1) 18 Total (4 wickets; 20 overs) 165 Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-69, 3-119, 4-119. Bowling: McLaren 3-0-25-0, Harbhajan 4-0-23-1, Malinga 4-0-36-0, Ahmed 2-0-26-0, Bravo 2-0-21-1, Pollard 4-0-27-2, Sathish 1-0-5-0. Dhawan b Thushara 16 (18) Tendulkar c Vijay b Thushara 45 (35) Tiwary c Hayden b Jakati 14 (18) Rayudu st Dhoni b Raina 3 (4) Bravo c Thushara b Tyagi 2 (3) Pollard c Vijay b Ashwin 5 (6) Sathish run out 4 (5) McLaren lbw b Ashwin 1 (3) Harbhajan b Bollinger 33 (23) Ahmed not out 4 (7) Extras (lb 5, w 7, nb 2) 14 Total (9 wickets; 20 overs) 141 Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-66, 3-69, 4-82, 5-86, 6-89, 7-89, 8-105, 9-141. Bowling: Tyagi 3-0-20-1, Bollinger 4-0-39-1, Ashwin 4-0-22-2, Thushara 2.3-0-16-2, Jakati 4-0-27-1, Raina 2.3-0-12-1. |
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No Rooney for Bayern clash
Manchester, April 6 "We're looking at the Manchester City game (on April 17) and maybe Blackburn (on Sunday) as a substitute." Reports in the British media on Monday had suggested the injured England player could make a surprise return at Old Trafford after suffering ankle ligament damage in Munich. I don't think he will be on the bench (on Wednesday) although he might talk me into it, it is a difficult one," Ferguson added with a smile. The 24-year-old, who had been ruled out for two to three weeks, did not take part in a training session on Tuesday. Rooney was in top form before the injury, scoring 34 times in all competitions including the opening goal in United's 2-1 first leg defeat by Bayern. He is a key member of the England team hoping to win this year's World Cup in South Africa. Teenager Federico Macheda had been tipped to replace Rooney on Wednesday but Ferguson said the Italian striker would start on the bench. — Reuters |
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Rocking the crowd, desi style
Hoshiarpur, April 6 2. All the three matches were played under a blistering sun and the surging crowds had a problem laying their hands on water bottles. The organisers had no option except to start the match at 2.50 pm due the fact that the Outdoor stadium does not boast of floodlights. People coming from nearby villages were unanimous in their view that the organisers could have done better by hosting such a big event in the coolness of the evening or under flood lights. 3. Punjab Sports Department officials were on their toes throughout the day. They were assigned duties in the media centre and at various other sensitive places. Director (Sports) and three times hockey Olympian Pargat Singh was in the stadium nearly two hours before the scheduled start of the first match. Pargat is also the Secretary of the Organising committee. 4. Noted Punjabi comedian Bhagwant Mann made a surprise appearance in the Commentators box and he along with the experienced duo of Principal Sarwan Singh and Professor Makhan Singh held fort for nearly three hours regaling the audience with their commentary which was laced with a mixture of wit and sarcasm. |
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Tiger back to first love — golf
Augusta (Georgia), April 6 "I've won numerous times the last few years but I wasn't having anywhere near the amount of fun," Woods said. "Why? Because look at what I was engaged in. When you live a life where you are lying all the time, life is not fun. "That's where I was. Now that has been stripped all away and here I am and it feels fun again." World number one Woods took his first steps down the road to redemption with his first public round of golf and first news conference since his private life became gossip headlines five months ago. More than a dozen women have claimed sexual relationships with Woods, whose wife Elin will not attend the Masters, the first event for Woods after a five-month layoff to try to repair his personal life. Woods said he took the support of his fans for granted as much he had his golf success or his wife in his fall from grace. "So many kids have looked up to me, and so many fans have supported me over the years and I just want to say thank you to them," Woods said. "Especially going through all of this, over the past few months, it really put things into perspective for me and into how much I've actually underappreciated the fans in the game of golf." Many of the sponsors who made Woods the first billion-dollar sportsman have pulled back following the scandal. Woods is hoping to woo them back with his future work on and off the course. —
AFP |
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In what promises to be an exciting contest, a rejuvenated Kings XI Punjab will take on Rajasthan Royals in the first game of the mid-week double header here tomorrow.
The primordial sport of an ancient civilisation made a stunning appearance in this city with thousands of locals.
Manchester, April 6
Tiger Woods has rediscovered the thrills of golf, something that put a claim on his heart before he ever met his wife Elin or began the secret extra-marital sex life that nearly destroyed him.
The 14-time major champion received a warm reception from spectators in a Masters practice round yesterday at famed Augusta National Golf Club, then told reporters he has rediscovered the joy his skillful shotmaking had once brought.
The fact that they have nothing to lose makes the Punjab side all the more dangerous for the teams hoping to make it to the final four. Like KKR, it may play a spoilsport for Rajasthan Royals as well and dent its chances to qualify for the semifinals. With Mahela Jayawardena back in form and Yuvraj Singh seem to be regaining his touch, the batting of Kings XI Punjab looks good, but it is the bowling department where the team will have to put in a lot of effort as Rajasthan’s batsmen are in a good form. 
On the other hand, a victory in tomorrow’s match will take Rajasthan Royals another step closer to a berth in the semifinals. The team is currently placed fourth with five wins from 10 games and another victory will take it to the third spot in the point’s tally. They would be relying on the likes of Yusuf Pathan, Naman Ojha and Michael Lumb to fire in batting, while the bowlers would be led by none other than their inspirational captain Shane Warne. 
On a day, when the fare revolved around some brilliant individual displays, the icing on the cake was provided in the pool B match played between Pakistan and Spain. The men from across the border entered the ground as the overwhelming favourites. 
Earlier, Mumbai Indians produced a disciplined bowling and fielding performance to restrict Chennai Indians to 165 for four. The table toppers, who have lost just one out of their earlier eight matches, did not allow the Chennai side to replicate their brilliant batting show in their earlier match in which they made 246 for five — the highest IPL total.
Chennai Super Kings:
Mumbai Indians: