Bangalore, October 6
Just who will reap the rich harvest for all the hard labour put in, will be unravelled tomorrow when a charged-up Royal Challengers Bangalore take on New South Wales Blues in the first semifinal of the Champions League Twenty20 here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The Royal Challengers are on a high after sensational back-to-back victories. They showed how competitive they can be to distance themselves from their rivals. After a stunning last-ball win over South Australia Redbacks last night, RCB will run into another strong Australian opponents and Group A toppers New South Wales in what could turn out to be a cracker of a contest.

Having languished at the bottom of the table till the fag end of the league, Daniel Vettori's men transformed themselves from a beleaguered outfit to fierce fighters, posting tournament high totals in successive matches. They set Somerset a highest target of 206 and then rewrote their own record yesterday, chasing a tournament-high 215 against the Redbacks.

RCB's batting will revolve around Chris Gayle. The Jamaican has been amongst the runs, providing breezy starts. He took Bangalore by storm with a 46-ball 86 against Somerset and another powerful show by him can carry RCB into the final.

Asserting Gayle's importance in the side, Virat Kohli said, "Gayle is a wonderful impact player for us. I always have believed since IPL that if he doesn't get the runs, we would struggle. If he doesn't fire, I have to step up and Tillakaratne Dilshan has to take the mantle."

RCB's Sri Lankan import, Dilshan sizzled against the Redbacks, silencing his critics with a well crafted 47-ball 76 that helped RCB pull off a stunning win. Kohli, who has turned out to be the Mr Dependable for RCB, will be keen to continue with his run-scoring spree.

Further down, RCB can rely on Mayank Agarwal, Saurabh Tiwary, Daniel Vettori and wicketkeeper-batsman KB Arun Karthik, who sealed the last-four berth with a towering last-ball six.

However, RCB's bowling has been pretty ordinary so far. When rival batsmen have got going, the bowlers, except Vettori and Syed Mohammad, have been at sea.

RCB would be hoping that the bowlers get their act right in the crucial game against the Aussie outfit.

NSW, who won the inaugural edition of the tournament in South Africa, are on a high and will be determined to regain the title.

David Warner has been in destructive form, reflected in his belligerent unbeaten 135, the highest individual score so far, against Chennai Super Kings.

Simon Katich's men have put up good performances and have worked as a team, recovering splendidly after losing to Cobras in their opening game. They have won three games on the trot.

NSW made a tremendous fightback by smashing 16 runs in the final over before defeating Trinidad and Tobago via the Super Over Eliminator in a dramatic league game in Chennai.

Another victory tomorrow could well make them strong contenders for the title. — PTI

New Delhi, October 6
The controversial Hot Spot has been a disappointment in the recent India-England ODI series and it will not be used in the five-match one-day contest between the two countries starting on October 14, according to the head of the company behind the technology.

BBG Sports chief executive Warren Brennan said his company has decided not to bring the Hot Spot technology for the upcoming ODI series after it did not find BCCI's support. "BBG Sports is disappointed at how the Hot Spot performed in the UK during the England vs India series. There were several incidents where we were hoping for better outcomes from the technology," Brennan said.

"Following the comments by Mr Srinivasan on September 20th in relation to Hot Spot and the DRS process, BBG Sports believed it did not have the support of the BCCI and promptly decided not to bring the Hot Spot to India for their upcoming home series," Brennan was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

During India's ODI series in England in August, Hot Spot had proved inconclusive during referrals of several appeals for caught-behind and was subsequently criticised by the BCCI. In July, the BCCI had agreed to a compromise with the ICC wherein the Hot Spot was made mandatory in the use of DRS while ball-tracking technology was made optional. — PTI

Patiala, October 6
After the Punjab sports department decided to ban Kabaddi players found positive during the last leg of the inaugural Kabaddi World Cup held in the state of Punjab, the National Anti-Doping Agency agreed to test players in this year’s tournament.

Pulling up their socks ahead of the second Kabaddi World Cup being held under the aegis of the Punjab Sports Department, as many as 51 Kabaddi probables in the men’s section were tested by a special National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) in Ludhiana on Wednesday.

Sources confirmed that the trials for the men campers were conducted for the event being backed by the Punjab government and 51 campers were short-listed for the same. “All of the campers were tested and their reports are expected to be out in a week’s time”, he stated.

NADA chief Rahul Bhatnagar confirmed to TNS that they had tested all the campers and this was done following a written request by the director sports, Punjab, Pargat Singh. “We will further take samples during the tournament that starts in November and would keep an eye on dope offenders”, he added.

“As many as 16 players were found positive during the previous tournament but even after one year, not even a single player appeared before our Disciplinary Panel,” Bhatnagar said. “However, now we have been assured that these 16 players have been banned from any future participation”, he claimed.

When contacted Pargat Singh said that short-listed probables would train in a camp, and after the doping results are out the 14-member team would be picked. “We will not allow any tainted player inside the team”, he added.

The department has decided to hold the Cup from November 1 to 20, for both men and women.

London, October 6
Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt agreed to score no runs in an over during a Test match against England last year as part of a 'spot-fixing' scam, a court in London heard today.

Prosecutors said Butt, 26, confirmed in a telephone call with his agent - a conversation recorded by an undercover journalist - that he would bat out a maiden in the third Test at the Oval in August 2010.

Butt is on trial with fast bowler Mohammad Asif, 28, on charges of conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat at gambling. They have both pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee told Southwark Crown Court that Butt's agent Mazhar Majeed rang the journalist from the now-closed News of the World tabloid, after an earlier arrangement for no-balls to be bowled in exchange for £10,000 ($15,500) fell through.

In what Jafferjee said was "potentially damning evidence concerning Salman Butt directly", a plan emerged for Butt to bat out a maiden in the first full over he faced.

The journalist said that could happen in any case and that he wanted proof, so Majeed called Butt on his other phone and put it on loudspeaker so the reporter could hear.

"You know the maiden we were doing in the first over?", Majeed said. "Yeah", Butt replied. Majeed then tried to get him to do another in his third over, but Butt did not want to, the jury heard.

The following day Majeed met the journalist, then texted Butt four times to remind him to tap the middle of the pitch after the second ball he faced as a signal that he would bat out that over.

Jafferjee said that that day, "as events transpired at The Oval, matters were somewhat out of Butt's control", as he had come in to bat earlier than expected, faced a new ball and had to take a single run. — AFP

New Delhi, October 6
Confident but cautious too, teen boxing sensation Vikas Krishan will be aiming to go one better on his senior Vijender Singh by moving beyond the semifinals when he steps into the ring tomorrow as the lone Indian left in fray at the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The tall and calculative 19-year-old, whose ring craft belies his tender age, won a thriller of a contest last night to be the only Indian, among four in action, to make it to the semifinals. The Asian Games gold-medallist in the 60kg category is competing in his maiden event since jumping a couple of divisions to 69kg a few months ago, but adjustment has hardly seemed a problem for the Haryana-lad.

Tomorrow, he is up against Ukraine's European Championship bronze-medallist Taras Shelestyuk, who was impressive in his stunning triumph over third seed Andrey Zamkovy of Russia, but the Indian is far from intimidated. "All the boxers in this competition are tough, no one can be underestimated. So I presume that he is good and I will strive to give my best against him. It is important to respect your opponent but one should not be intimidated. So when I step into the ring, I will be confident," Vikas said. — PTI

Pune, October 6
Close on the heels of the Lionel Messi-led Argentine side's match in Kolkata, English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers will make a maiden appearance in their owner Venkys' backyard as they take on local side Pune FC in an exhibition match here tomorrow.

Puneites are in for a treat as the likes of New Zealand and Blackburn skipper Ryan Nelsen, former England international David Dunn, multiple Spanish and Champions League titles winner and former Spanish national Michael Salgado, and Nigerian striker Ayegbeni Yakubu will showcase their wares against Arata Izumi and co. at the Shiv Chatrapati stadium at Balewadi on Friday.

The match though not as high-profile as the one between Argentina and Venezuela at the Salt Lake stadium last month, will nevertheless be important for both the teams. The visitors are having a torrid time of late as they are languishing in the relegation zone in the English Premier League, having won just one match of their first seven ties.

This has ruffled the fans as the team had barely managed to save itself from relegation last season, and calls for the head of coach Steve Kean have got momentum. Though a win here may not silence their vexed supporters, anything less than it will give the voices a new reason to dissent.

Meanwhile, for Pune FC, who begin as underdogs, the match is a great opportunity to show that irrespective of its failure to reach the knockout stages of the recently concluded Federation Cup, its steady improvement since promotion to the I-league, including a third place finish last year, was not a fluke.

While a victory would surely surprise the team itself, a spirited performance against a technically superior side will give the hosts great confidence ahead of the new I-League season commencing later this month. — PTI

Bilbao, October 6
Lacklustre so far in the top tournament, world champion Viswanathan Anand would look to regain his touch and storm back into reckoning for title when he takes on world number one Magnus Carlsen in the first round of the second leg of fourth Final Masters here.

Anand is lying third in the points table on six points, along with Levon Aronian of Armenia and Norwegian Carlsen in the six-player double round-robin event that recommences after a five-day break. With five rounds to be played at Bilbao in the category-22 super tournament, Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk leads the pack on 10 points, followed by American Hikaru Nakamura on seven points. Francisco Vallejo Pons of Spain has three points in his bag and stands at the bottom of the standings.

"There are five more rounds to go and so it's difficult to make a prognosis, especially taking into account the system of the Bilbao rule. So everything is still uncertain and I think there will be a big fight until the end," said Anand at the opening ceremony of the second leg.

After an unexciting draw with Carlsen in the tournament opener at Sao Paulo in Brazil, Anand went down to Ivanchuk in the third round and won against Pons in the next besides two other draws. Given the tournament situation, Anand has a lot to catch up.

Carlsen sounded confident after his win against Ivanchuk in the previous round.

"Truthfully I'm not at all concerned with who will win the tournament, really. I'm just trying to do my best and try to win it myself. That's about all I can say. Of course now Ivanchuk is in the lead but anything can happen," he said. — PTI

Tokyo, October 6
Top seed Rafa Nadal ran hard-serving Canadian Milos Raonic ragged in a 7-5, 6-3 victory to secure a place in the quarterfinals of the Japan Open on Thursday. Defending Tokyo champion Nadal will face Santiago Giraldo next after the Colombian beat Russia's Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 7-6 to reach the last eight of the $1.34 million hardcourt event.

"It's not fun if you can't touch the ball," Nadal told reporters after dashing off to the practice court following his match. "His first two service games, I didn't win a point. But it's fantastic mental practice to try to stay focused on your serve and to wait for your chances on the return. Today I didn't have one break point on my serve, which is a very positive thing."

Britain's Andy Murray joined Nadal in the last eight by crushing American Alex Bogomolov 6-1, 6-2, relishing the warmer conditions a day after playing under a closed roof. Nadal took a tight first set when Raonic's biggest weapon let him down at a crucial time, the 20-year-old double-faulting before slicing a volley long on an aggressive charge to the net. — Reuters