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Warriors look to ambush Knights
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Warne escapes ban; fined $50,000 for spat with Dixit
Unbeaten at home, CSK march to top
Sachin’s compliment is my biggest achievement: Valthaty
Kings XI Punjab’s Paul Valthaty
Aussie Stuart Clark quits full-time cricket
Soccer team to play friendly matches
Powerlifting tops the list of dope offenders
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Warriors look to ambush Knights
Mumbai, May 18 While the Warriors have blown away any chance of making it to the four-team play-offs in this edition of the IPL, the Knight Riders are well poised to make it to the second phase of the tournament, having won seven out of 12 games with a total points tally of 14. And a victory over the struggling Warriors would ease their way to advance to the play-off stage, but they would certainly be aware of the pitfalls that the Pune outfit is capable of creating in their way. A defeat for the Knight Riders would make their position shaky with Kings XI Punjab creeping up the table in grand fashion with a string of victories. Punjab have sent out strong signals to the currently placed top-four teams in the table, following their massive 111-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore last night. Tomorrow's match to be played at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai takes on an extra edge with Sourav Ganguly playing against his old team. The former India skipper would be eager to stamp his authority on the proceedings and send a message to the owners of the KKR, who discarded him after three years. The Kolkata outfit has blown hot and cold this season. A string of wins has been followed by a few losses, including the one against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their previous game. But they have had enough time to recover from that defeat and now would be anxious to hit the ground running and vanquishing the Warriors, who arrested a seven-match losing sequence with two back-to-back victories before suffering a huge defeat at home. The Knight Riders' batting has revolved around five key players in captain Gautam Gambhir (312 runs from 12 games), leading run-scorer Jacques Kallis (358 from 12), Manoj Tiwary, who has been the most consistent with a tally of four under 300 runs at a fine average of 74-plus, Yusuf Pathan and Eoin Morgan. Kolkata's bowling has been sustained by spinners Pathan (11 wickets) and left-armer Iqbal Abdulla (14), but the biggest disappointment has been Brett Lee, who has neither been incisive (4 wickets in 12 games) nor economical (236 runs conceded at over 7 per over and a none-too-impressive average of 59 per wicket). Against Pune's left-oriented top-order batting, Pathan can do the trick as he can take the ball away, which would invite Jesse Ryder, skipper Yuvraj Singh and Ganguly to play against the spin. The Warriors batting has not lived up to expectations and has depended a lot on Ryder (291 runs from 12 games) at the top and Yuvraj (319 from 12) down the order till Ganguly's arrival late in the tournament. — PTI |
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Warne escapes ban; fined $50,000 for spat with Dixit
Mumbai, May 18 Warne was fined for breach of playing contract and warned of a harsher punishment in case he repeated such an offence. "The Commission has decided to impose a fine of USD 50,000 upon Mr Warne," a statement from the IPL's Disciplinary Procedure Commission said. "The Commission is conscious of the duty of all parties involved in the Indian Premier League, to uphold the image and reputation of the game of cricket, the BCCI and the League at all relevant times. Any action which is a breach of this duty is to be treated with all necessary severity. "It regards the public criticism of Mr Dixit as being a serious breach by Mr Warne of his IPL playing contract. However, at the same time, the Commission also recognises that Mr Warne has apologised to Mr Dixit, and that the incident occurred just after the Match," the statement said. The Commission said it took into account Warne's contribution to the IPL and to the game of cricket while handing out its verdict. "In addition, the Commission is cognisant of the contribution to the game of cricket in general, and to the Indian Premier League, which has been made by Mr Warne," it said. The Commission, which comprised IPL chairman Chirayu Amin and Governing Council member Ravi Shastri, heard representations from both Dixit and Warne during the hearing which lasted close to three hours yesterday. The disciplinary panel also made it clear that any repeat of such offence by Warne or any other person would invite a heftier fine or even a ban. "The Commission wishes to stress that any future such occurrences committed by Warne or any other person may result in the imposition of a fine, which may be higher than that imposed in this case, a ban for a number of matches, and/or the deduction of points from the relevant team," it said. — PTI
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Unbeaten at home, CSK march to top
Chennai, May 18 The Kochi batsmen made heavy weather of what should have been an easy chase, and apart from Brad Hodge and Brendon McCullum, no batsman looked like playing a match-winning knock. Hodge stayed unbeaten on 51. For Chennai, the spinners did the job perfectly, with R Ashwin conceeding just 16 runs in his four overs, and also picking the wicket of the dangerous McCullum. Earlier, Wriddhiman Saha cashed in on the missed stumping from Parthiv Patel to guide Chennai Super KIngs to a competitive 152 for five. On a day when most of the CSK batsmen frittered away good starts, young Wriddhiman (46 not out, 33 balls, 1x4, 3x6) answered the critics who questioned his selection for the tour of West Indies. Along with Albie Morkel (13 not out), he added 36 runs in 3.4 overs to take the score past 150. For Murali Vijay (16, 11 balls, 3x4), this tournament has been about hitting some good shots, promising a lot but delivering very little in the end. In the third over from RP Singh, Vijay first hit a tennis bat like jab through mid-off, followed it with a deft flick past fine-leg and a lofted shot over mid-on. However RP came back with vengeance as he came round the wicket and fired in a yorker that uprooted his off-stump. Suresh Raina (19,13 balls, 1x4, 2x6)hit Sreesanth over deep mid-wicket region for couple of sixes before an ugly hoick off a full-toss saw a simple catch being taken by RP. However RP will be remembered for taking one of the finest catches of the tourney to dismiss the in-form S Badrinath (13, 10 balls, 1x6) as he dived full length at the deep midw-wicket boundary to scoop the ball inches above the ground. Brad Hodge was the bowler. Michael Hussey (32, 37 balls, 2x4) was a bit scratchy from the start and even rival captain Parthiv Patel's blooper behind the stumps off Hodge's bowling (he was on 26 then) didn't help matters as he was holed out in the deep. Wriddhiman, who got his first opportunity to bat in the tournament was lucky when he rushed down the track off Ravindra Jadeja's bowling while he was on 7. Parthiv who had a horrible day behind stumps bungled big time. Wriddhiman who is the back-up keeper for the ODIs and T20 took the opportunity as he spanked Jadeja for a six over deep mid-wicket. — PTI Scoreboard Chennai Super Kings Mike c Rao b Jadeja 32 Vijay b RP 16 Raina c RP b Sreesanth 19 Badrinath c RP b Hodge 13 Saha not out 46 Dhoni c Patel b Jadeja 9 Albie not out 13 Extras (lb 2, w 2) 4 Total (5 wkts; 20 overs) 152 Bowling: RP 4-0-34-1, Sreesanth 3-0-23-1, Murali 4-0-26-0, Hodge 3-0-24-1, Vinay 2-0-17-0, Jadeja 4-0-26-2. Kochi Tuskers Kerala Patel c Albie b Ashwin 6 Brendon b Jakati 33 Rao c & b Bravo 19 Hodge not out 51 Jadeja c Raina b Bollinger 19 Shah run out 3 Jadhav not out 1 Extras (lb 2, w 7) 9 Total (5 wkts; 20 overs) 141 Bowling: Ashwin 4-0-16-1, Bollinger 4-0-38-1, Jakati 4-0-23-1, Bravo 4-0-36-1, Raina 4-0-26-0.
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Sachin’s compliment is my biggest achievement: Valthaty
New Delhi, May 18 "I think either Gayle (Chris) or Malinga (Lasith) will get the player of the tournament award but I am happy with my own performance. To get a compliment from none other than Sachin Tendulkar, whom I idolise, is the biggest award for me," Valthaty told PTI Bhasha. "Sachin and Mathew Hayden have been my idol. Sachin briefly spoke to me after a match in Mumbai. He congratulated me for my batting. I can't forget the moment. It has been the high point of my career, my biggest award," said the Mumbaikar. Valthaty shot into the limelight with a blistering century against Chennai Super Kings.Valthaty, who has dominated all the opposition bowlers in this season, rates West Indies great Viv Richards and dashing India opener Virender Sehwag as the most explosive batsmen in world cricket. "There is nobody near Richards as far as power hitting is concerned. Similarly, I think Sehwag is the best in current lot of cricketers. I have watched their batting but I don't try to copy them. It is difficult to do so. They have their own style and I have my own," he said. IPL 4 has been a sort of comeback for him. He made it to India's under-19 squad for the 2002 World Cup in New Zealand with the likes of Irfan Pathan and Parthiv Patel where an injury to his eye in the game against Bangladesh halted his development. He couldn't make the breakthrough into senior cricket for years, and got just one opportunity for Mumbai, a one-dayer in 2006. — PTI
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Khade wins 8 medals in Malaysian Championship
New Delhi, May 18 Khade won gold medals in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle events and two silver in the 50m and 100m butterfly events at the National Aquatics Centre in Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur. Ashwin Menon won a bronze in men's 200m backstroke with a timing of 2:10.86s. Khade reset the meet record in the 50m Freestyle category by clocking 23.01s. In the 100m freestyle he managed a timing of 51.01s while in the 200m freestyle he clocked 1:52.19s to claim gold. In the 100m butterfly event, he clocked 54.67s while Vietnam's Hoang Quy Phuoc (53.56s) took gold. Apart from individual events, Khade won three silver medals in the relay events. "It was a highly satisfying meet and I am happy that I bettered my timings. I look forward to the upcoming events and hope to bring more laurels to India," said Khade. — PTI
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Aussie Stuart Clark quits full-time cricket
Sydney, May 18 "I am going to continue playing club cricket as I still love playing the game, but more importantly I believe I can still help develop Australia's future talent," Clark was quoted as saying by 'The Age'. Insisting that his priority would be the administrative job, the 35-year-old however clarified that he would make himself available for selection for New South Wales' Champions League Twenty20 and domestic campaigns next season. "Playing cricket has given me many opportunities in life and I feel by continuing to play club cricket I am giving something back to the game."The Sydney Sixers is now my professional focus. I will still be available to play in this year's Champions League in India which NSW has qualified for, as well as helping out the RTA SpeedBlitz Blues if need be, and given that it does not impact upon my Big Bash League commitments," Clark, who has taken 94 wickets in 24 Tests at 23.86, said. — PTI
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Manchester City beat Stoke
Manchester, May 18 Carlos Tevez scored twice to take his league tally to 21 goals this season to equal with Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov. Man City moved past Arsenal to claim third place in the Premier League with one round remaining. Making his first league start since injuring his hamstring five weeks ago, Tevez played a one-two with James Milner, before beating two defenders inside the box and smashing the ball into the net to put City in front in the 14th minute at Eastlands. The Argentina forward curled in a free kick in the 65th to join Berbatov on top of the scoring list in the race for the Golden Boot. The 26-year-old Tevez has been linked with a move away from City after submitting and then withdrawing a transfer request earlier this season. Manager Roberto Mancini, however, said the club captain had indicated he now wants to stay. "He is a fantastic striker and a fantastic player for us. I think he will stay here next year. He doesn't have a problem," Mancini said. "I spoke with him many times in the last 20 days. It is my opinion that Carlos stays here next season. In December, he had a problem. But everyone can change his opinion. Carlos is an important player here. The feeling for him is good. Nowhere else can he find behavior that all people have for him." City defender Joleon Lescott had made it 2-0 with a simple header in the 53rd minute, his second goal of the season. City is one point ahead of Arsenal and visits Bolton on Sunday, when the Gunners travel to Fulham. The top three English teams advance to the Champions League group stage. The fourth-place side has to negotiate a two-legged playoff series in August, with four-time European champion Bayern Munich and 2006 semifinalist Villarreal potential opponents. — AP |
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Soccer team to play friendly matches
New Delhi, May 18 All India Football Federation national team director Tathagata Mukherjee said here today that the friendly matches will give the Indian team the right impetus ahead of the UAE match. "The qualifying matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup against the UAE are a challenging proportion for the team. Hence, it is imperative that the national team prepares in the right manner with enough number of matches," he said. India have been drawn to play the first leg of the qualifiers on July 23, and the return leg will be played on July 28. Mukherjee said prior to the qualifiers, the Indian team will be sent to the Gulf for training, to get acclimatised for the matches against the UAE.
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Powerlifting tops the list of dope offenders
New Delhi/Patiala, May 18 According to the figures compiled by NADA for the period May 2010 to April 2011, for in-competition and out-of-competition testing, the highest percentage of doping cases were found in powerlifting. The number of sportspersons who tested positive for prohibited substances as per the NADA and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) rules in powerlifting with a staggering 40 per cent overall, with 53 per cent testing positive for in-competition testing. In fact, most of the doping offenders were from ‘power sports’ like powerlifting, bodybuilding, weightlifting, boxing, and kabaddi. In bodybuilding, 27.8 per cent players tested positive, 10 per cent in equestrian, 8.4 per cent in wrestling and kabaddi and 6 per cent in weightlifting. NADA Director-General Rahul Bhatnagar said NADA would analyse these figures and utilise them to develop its future strategy and it’s Test Distribution Plan for sample collection in various sports disciplines. “Many Indian athletes have been caught for doping during previous competitions which has brought us major embarrassment but we are committed to uplift the standard of sports in India,” he said. “We have already taken various steps for the eradication of drugs and after thorough study of this data, would soon develop new plans to check this practice. “This will not only include the testing of samples but also making players aware as many are ignorant of the drugs, consumption of which that may land them in trouble,” he added. NADA's testing pattern also brought to light some sports disciplines which emerged with a clean slate - like archery, billiards, canoeing, fencing, handball, kayaking, kho-kho, lawn bowl, tennis, rugby, shooting, squash and table tennis.
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Dallas, May 18 The German also notched an NBA playoff record of 24-for-24 free throws as part of an incredible performance from the lanky power-forward, who continued to display the impressive form that helped sweep the Los Angeles Lakers in the previous round. "He is so good that in efforts to prevent him, he draws a lot of fouls and then he scores 24-of-24 free throws. There are very few guys in this league that can do that, unfortunately one of them is Kevin Durant," Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. — Reuters
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play party poopers when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders here tomorrow.
While the Warriors have blown away any chance of making it to the four-team play-offs in this edition of the
IPL, the Knight Riders are well poised to make it to the second phase of the tournament, having won seven out of 12 games with a total points tally of 14. 
Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne today escaped a ban but was fined USD 50,000 for his public spat with RCA secretary Sanjay Dixit, thus clearing the decks for the Australian spin legend's swansong IPL appearance on Friday. The IPL's Disciplinary Commission, which had summoned both Warne and Dixit for a hearing yesterday, decided to let off Warne with only a fine after considering that the Australian cricketer had already apologised for his outburst.
One of the front-runners to win the Orange Cap this IPL season, Kings XI Punjab's opener Paul Valthaty said getting a compliment from his idol Sachin Tendulkar was the biggest achievement for him. One of the revelations of the IPL 4, Valthaty has so far scored 458 runs in 13 matches. Only his team-mate Australia's Shaun Marsh (491) is ahead of him in the leading run-scorers' chart, while Mumbai Indians skipper Tendulkar sits on sixth position with 408 runs from 12 matches.
Sydney, May 18
