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Herath, Malinga choke
PakiStan in semifinal |
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A place in final means a great deal for us: Jayawardene Lanka cheerleaders branded an
‘eyesore’
Aussie method vs Gayle power
mystery spinner
Richards more fearful than Gayle: Richie
KP row should have been nipped earlier: Botham
Dark mist hangs over South Africa cricket, says coach Kirsten
Raid-de-Himalayas gets tougher
Eisenhower golf: India placed 22nd
WSH to have 7 teams after merger of Comets, Shers
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Herath, Malinga choke
PakiStan in semifinal Colombo, October 4 After managing a modest 139 for four on a slow Premadasa track, Sri Lankan duo of Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis stifled the Pakistan batsmen in the final overs to restrict them to 123 for seven. Pakistan needed 32 runs off last three overs which is considered to be quite achievable by Twenty20 standards but Mendis and Malinga held their nerves giving only five and four runs respectively of the 18th and 19th
over. Nuwan Kulasekara, who bowled the 20th over, didn’t have any pressure on him as he gave only seven runs to sent the capacity crowd into a tizzy. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath used the conditions to perfection as he recorded the best figures of three for 25 in four
overs. Malinga gave only 19 runs in his four overs while Mendis was also impressive with figures two for 27. Chasing a target of 140 was a tricky one on the slow Premadasa track as batsmen often got confused whether to attack or rotate the strike. Imran Nazir was in his element as he tried to hit each and every ball out of the sight but failed to connect most of them before he dragged one off Mendis onto his stumps. Nazir made 20 with the help of three fours. Then it was Angelo Mathews who got Sri Lanka back into the game trapping in-form Nasir Jamshed leg before and then deceived Kamran Akmal with a slower one. From 57 for three, Pakistan soon became 64 for four, as Herath bowled Shoaib Malik with a classical
left-armer’s delivery. Having got a reprieve at 24, Hafeez who till now was happy to play the waiting game, chanced his arms. First he pulled Mathews for a boundary and then reverse swept
Herath. He followed it up with a straight six. — PTI 140 is the second-lowest total defended by Sri Lanka in T20Is 2 times Sri Lanka have reached World T20 final, second only to Pakistan in the feat Scoreboard Sri Lanka Jayawardene c Hasan b Afridi 42 Dilshan lbw b Gul 35 Sangakkara c Malik b Hafeez 18 Mendis st Akmal b Ajmal 15 Perera not out 11 Mathews not out 10 Extras: (b 3, w 4, nb 1) 8 Total: (4 wkts; 20 overs) 139 Fall of wickets: 1-63, 2-84, 3-117, 4-118 Bowling: Tanvir 3-0-11-0, Hasan 4-0-26-0, Ajmal 4-0-33-1, Afridi 4-0-28-1, Hafeez 2-0-12-1, Gul 3-0-26-1 Pakistan Hafeez st Sangakkara b Herath 42 Nazir b Mendis 20 Jamshed lbw b Mathews 4 K Akmal c Jayawardene b Mathews 1 Malik b Herath 6 U Akmal not out 29 Afridi b Herath 0 Tanvir st Sangakkara b Mendis 8 Gul not out 2 Extras: (lb 2, w 9) 11 Total (7 wkts; 20 overs): 123 Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-55, 3-57, 4-64, 5-91, 6-91, 7-113 Bowling: Mathews 4-0-27-2, Kulasekara 3-0-15-0, Malinga 4-0-19-0, Mendis 4-0-27-2, Perera 1-0-8-0, Herath
4-0-25-3 Sri Lanka won by 16 runs
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A place in final means a great deal for us: Jayawardene
Colombo, October 4 “It (place in the final) means a great deal, thanks to the fans," he said. Sri Lanka on Thursday brought in left-arm spinner Rengana Herath in place of off-spinner Akila Dananjaya and the skipper termed the decision as a tactical change. “It was a tough call keeping out birthday boy Dananjaya but we knew Pakistan were weak against left-arm spin," said Jayawardene, who was adjudged man-of-the-match. “We felt we were 15 short and 140 was a par score. We made mistakes in the field but it didn't cost us," he said. — PTI
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Lanka cheerleaders branded an ‘eyesore’
Colombo, October 4 “The impression created by these cheerleaders is not acceptable,” Ranatunga said on Thursday. “We complained to the ICC (International Cricket Council) that this is harming the image of Sri Lanka. We had a lot of negative feedback which we passed on to the ICC as we had nothing to do with selecting the dance troupes.” The dancers, who are dressed in blue leggings, striped skirts and T-shirts bearing advertising slogans, have been attacked in the Sri Lankan media for their amateur dancing and un-coordinated routines. “The sorry performance of the so-called cheerleaders is not only a disgraceful eyesore, but has show-cased Sri Lanka in a poor light to the entire world,” the Daily Mirror said. The manager of the cheerleaders, Sudev Abeysekara, said attractive dancers were not available due to low wages. “You need good looking girls, and to get the beautiful girls who are professional dancers, you have to pay more,” he said. — AFP
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Aussie method vs
Gayle power
TODAY: Australia v West Indies,
7.30PM Colombo, October 4 Gayle lies seventh in the tournament's top-scorers' list with 144 runs from five matches but his 158-plus strike rate is second only to Brendon McCullum in the top 10 chart. Not surprisingly, the 33-year-old flamboyant Jamaican who can clear boundary almost at will featured prominently in Bailey's pre-match press conference on Thursday. "Absolutely, we will focus on getting him out," said Bailey, leading a team which also contains some of the big-hitters of the game.
"If he has an outstanding game, it's going to be very
difficult for us to win the game. That's the type of player he is," he said. The Tasmanian also sounded wary of West Indies' spin attack, led by off-spinner Sunil Narine whose guile and control have made him quite a handful. "They have a quality spinner in Narine and certainly not be underestimated. I think (Samuel) Badree has had some good success at the top bowling some leg-spin as well," Bailey said. Talking about his own team, Bailey said Australia were considering drafting in Twenty20 specialist David Hussey, a move that might come at Glenn Maxwell's expense. "Still weighing that up," Bailey said. "I guess that's probably the only possibility for a change." "We've got absolute confidence in the middle order that we have. They can score enough runs to get a total that we can defend or we can chase down any total that the West Indies set." Australia's both super eight stage victories came while chasing but Bailey said he would not mind batting first on Friday either. "West Indies' strength is really in their batting. We are very confident that we can chase down anything that they can set and we also feel we can put a score on the board that will be very difficult for them to get. "We were enjoying chasing... but it is nice to perhaps set
runs on the board," he added. — Reuters
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mystery spinner
One of the reasons for West Indies' lack of dominance in the bowling department is the relatively quiet show of their mystery spinner, Sunil Narine. Much was expected of Narine after his superlative performance for his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this year. However, the mystery man flattered to deceive in the first few matches of the T20 World Cup, getting just one wicket in the first four matches. However, there are indications that he has finally come into his true colours when it matters most for the West Indies. West Indies qualified for the semifinals through the Super Over win against New Zealand, not the best way to do it. But Narine caused problems to the New Zealanders, taking three for 20. The winner of the ICC’s Emerging Player of the Year award has a simple explanation for his success in international cricket so far. “When you bring something new to the game, it is difficult for the others,” he says. “Hopefully, I can keep doing a good job for my team. The big reason for my success is that I am enjoying the game.” “I am giving my heart and soul to it. There is no specific reason but to put it simply, I love the game,” said the 24-year-old a few days ago. Narine would know that over the last two weeks, the going has not been good either for him or his team, more so against the Australians. Although rain played a decisive part in their defeat in their group match against Australia, Narine’s below-par performance was also a crucial factor. In fact, the Trinidadian is yet to take an Australian wicket in this format of the game in the 10 overs he has bowled to them in three matches. But the way the Australian batsmen were found wanting against Pakistan’s spinners in their last match, they would not be taking his challenge lightly. As for Narine personally, refreshingly, he and many other youngsters in the team came without any burden of the team’s glorious past. However, they are delighted to be seen as a team that is stronger in the shortest format of the game. “I think it is a nice thing to be seen as a big contender. I think our cricket is on the rise. Hopefully, we can deliver the goods when the time comes,” says Narine. India’s batting legend Sunil Gavaskar is still very popular in the West Indies, especially in Trinidad and Tobago where Narine comes from. It’s no secret how the young West Indian got his name, but he is still waiting to meet the Indian great after knowing that Gavaskar is also aware of this fact. “My dad has followed cricket from a long time ago. He is a great fan of Sunil Gavaskar and that is why he named his son after the legendary batsman. I haven’t got a chance to chat with him on this subject but sometime in the future I may get the opportunity!” The writer is a journalist with CNN-IBN-7 |
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Richards more fearful than Gayle: Richie
Colombo, October 4 "Both (Gayle and Richards) have had significant effect on bowlers of their respective eras. But if I analyse closely, the international bowlers would much rather bowl to Gayle than Richards. Specially in Tests, Richards was more dominant than Gayle. So I would say Vivian Richards was more feared batsman than Chris Gayle," he said. “But yes, in T20 cricket, Gayle is the most destructive batsman," Richardson, who has played for a decade alongside the legendary West Indian, said. Asked whether Gayle would have found a place in Clive Lloyd's West Indies team of 70s and early 80s, Richardson replied, "It's hard to compare two eras as situations were different. We had the world's best opening pair in Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. "I was a specialist opener who had to play at No. 3 as we had such fantastic openers. I don't know whether Gayle as an opener could have replaced either Greenidge or Haynes. If you look at his Test average, it's not more than the Greenidge or Haynes. "Yes, if you talk about the ODI side, may be he (Gayle) would have. Remember one thing....a great player yesterday is a great player today," the former cricketer, who played 86 Tests and 224 ODIs, said. While comparing the temperaments of Gayle and Richards, Richardson said, they are like chalk and cheese. "When Viv was around in the West Indies dressing room, he would ensure that he was heard. He had that presence, the booming voice and was an extrovert. Gayle, on the other hand is an introvert, a man of few words. You would hardly hear him speak. But Gayle's presence adds a lot to the team." About Darren Sammy's captaincy, Richardson was all praise of him. "He has been a great ambassador for West Indies cricket. He is just like what a captain should be. Before he was made the captain, he was still playing for the West Indies and there a few people who are jealous of him but he has done a great job so far. “Credit should also go to coach Otis Gibson whose work ethic has been excellent and he has brought the team together as one unit. His job is to keep the players happy by looking after their needs but also ensure that the discipline is maintained in the side," said Richardson.
— PTI |
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KP row should have been nipped earlier: Botham
London, October 4 Botham said now that the saga has met its end, everyone related to this should move on, especially Pietersen, who should try his best to not disrupt England dressing room's harmony. "Finally, someone has decided to take a bit of initiative and put this long-running and protracted saga to bed. Why on earth we are talking about Kevin Pietersen and a 're-integration' back into the team two months after he was left out of the side is beyond me,” Botham wrote in his column for the Daily Mirror. “This should have been sorted out weeks ago, like adults, and I think both sides have to take some responsibility for that. The good news is that England are going to have him back in their ranks, the bad news is that the drawn-out nature of this is going to make it very difficult for everyone involved to move on,” he wrote. “I think KP knows he made some mistakes in the way he went about things this summer and only he can put them right. He is going to have to show the rest of the dressing room that he is totally committed to what they are trying to do and that will take some doing," he added.
— Reuters |
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Dark mist hangs over South Africa cricket, says coach Kirsten
Colombo, October 4 Kirsten said it was time for the current crop of South Africa players to shed the "choker" tag. "It was a highly pressurised tournament but we were fully aware of that. The legacy that sits with South Africa cricket over these events continues to sit there, it's a dark mist that sits over the team and it will be our responsibility to at some point to overcome it," Kirsten said. "I'm fully confident in the resources we have in this team.”
— Reuters |
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Ronaldo hat-tricks on Real bad day for Ajax
Berne, October 4 Ronaldo’s treble, his second in four days following a three-goal blast in La Liga at the weekend, was complemented by a brilliant Karim Benzema bicycle kick as Real went top of Group D with six points from their two opening games. Ambitious Zenit lost 3-2 at home to AC Milan who spent most of the summer selling their players, Tomas Hubocan putting through his own goal in the 75th minute after the Russians had recovered from two goals behind to pull level. Paris St Germain lost 1-0 at Porto, who have become a stepping stone for South Americans hoping to move to big European clubs, after Colombian James Rodriguez struck a late winner. Manchester City needed a late penalty converted by Mario Balotelli to draw 1-1 at home to Borussia Dortmund in a meeting of the Premier League and Bundesliga champions and claim their first point in Real’s group. There was also late drama at Schalke 04 where Souleymane Camara scored a 90th minute equaliser for debutants Montpellier in a 2-2 draw, their first point in the competition. Champions League debutants Malaga, who appeared set for a rough ride after selling top players in the close season amid restructuring by their Qatari owners, instead notched their second straight 3-0 win in Group C, this time at Anderlecht. Two goals from Eliseu and a Joaquin penalty completed a perfect week for Spain’s four representatives following wins for Valencia and Barcelona on Tuesday. Dynamo Kiev beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 on coach Oleg Blokhin’s European debut and Arsenal beat Olympiakos 3-1 in the evening’s other matches. Ajax, sloppy and toothless, were a shadow of the side which has won four European titles and went behind when Ronaldo pounced on a loose ball to score from close range in the 42nd minute. Three minutes after the break, Kaka floated an inviting cross from the right and France striker Benzema leaped acrobatically to send a crashing volley past Ajax goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer. Niklas Moisander pulled one back before Ronaldo struck twice in three minutes, the second a delightful chip. Scoring three goals is important for me and I am very happy, Ronaldo told Spanish television, clutching another match ball to add to his growing collection. These collections are always very important for me but the most important thing is the team. Milan’s win was the first by an Italian team this season after three draws and left Zenit pointless from two games and facing a quick exit. Struggling in Serie A after offloading several top players in attempt to cut costs, Milan raced into a two-goal lead after only 16 minutes through Urby Emanuelsen and Stephan El
Shaaraway. — Agencies |
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Raid-de-Himalayas gets tougher
New Delhi, October 4 As many as 150 teams with more than 300 participants in four wheelers and 43 bikers will brave the inhospitable terrains and weather conditions of the Western Himalayas to compete for the top prize in the event organised under the aegis of Himalayan Motorsport Association. The first competitive leg of the rally will start off from Shimla on October 7 and end in Leh on October 12, covering over 1,800 kms in six days. The tougher route this year goes through some of the highest motorable passes and human settlements in the world. These include Darcha (3360m), Keylong (3440m), Leh (3524m), Kaza (3650m), Dhanka (3894m), Losar (4079m), Rumtse (4300m), Kunzum La (4551m), Komik (4587m), Pang (4600m) and Wari La (5313m). The four wheelers will compete in three categories: X-treme 4-wheelers (50 teams), X-treme 2-wheelers (33 teams) (both for professional motorsport enthusiasts) and 60 enthusiast teams in the Adventure Trial category for amateurs. There will be 14 foreigners from countries like Austria, Netherlands and the UAE in the field this year. Defending champion Suresh Rana is the favourite to win the title among four wheelers yet again. Amongst the bikers, all eyes will be on Ashish Saurabh Moudghil, who has won the event in 2010.
— PTI |
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Eisenhower golf: India placed 22nd
Antalya, October 4 The biennial tournament is being played over two course at the Turkish golf stronghold — the PGA Sultan course at the Antalya Golf Club and the Cornelia Golf Club. The US led after the first round with a score of 13-under 131, followed by Mexico (9-under 135) and South Korea (8-under 134 at a different course). The Indian team was in action at the Cornelia Golf Club and was paired with top teams USA and Spain. Joshi was the best indian player with a score of one-under 71 with three birdies and two bogeys. Cheema was five-over for the day with 72, his round marred by seven bogeys and two birdies. Chikkarangappa had a round of two-over 72, with two birdies and four bogeys. The conditions for play were excellent, with warm days and clear skies. The opening ceremony was held at the Antalya Golf Club with a march-past of the 72 participating countries. The Indian team is accompanied by Jaydeep Chitlangia as manager and Jesse Grewal as the coach. |
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WSH to have 7 teams after merger of Comets, Shers
New Delhi, October 4 This has been done to ensure the fans’ undivided loyalty in the five-week long tournament, involving 45 matches. The matches will be held at 6 pm and 8 pm on weekends and only at 8 p.m on week days to ensure the maximum attendance for each match. WSH is a joint initiative of Nimbus Sport and Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). “The number of teams in the competition now stands... to ensure undivided support for the team with matches played across multiple venues in Punjab,” a Nimbus media release said here today. “As far as the Punjab teams are concerned, we realised Punjab was too patriotic a market to be split. One team will ensure a huge following,” Sunil Manocha, president of Nimbus Sport, said in a statement.
— TNS |
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Colombo, October 4
Colombo, October 4
Colombo, October 4