Page 1949 - Sports
Brazil's Gremio win Recopa Sudamericana
Brazil's Gremio defeated Argentine side Independiente on penalties to win their second Recopa Sudamericana here on Thursday.
De Gea stars as Man U fend off strong Sevilla
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea was largely responsible for his side taking a 0-0 draw from the first leg of their Champions draw away to Sevilla despite being largely overrun by the Spanish side for the majority of the game.
Duminy takes fear out of my game: Klaasen
South Africa's newest swashbuckler Heinrich Klaasen has credited J P Duminy for "taking the fear out" of his game, saying the skipper's presence was a key factor in his match-winning knock against India in the second Twenty20 International here. Klaasen smashed 69 off 30 balls as the Proteas won by six wickets last night to level the three-match series 1-1. The big-hitting batsman said that Duminy, who put on 97 runs off 49 balls for the third wicket with Klaasen, told him to go big. "Duminy was the key factor to my whole innings. Second over or the first over I faced, he told me this over needs to go for 10. He told me to just play my normal game and take the bowlers on. Luckily today it worked out," said Klaasen. "The way JP told me to go, this over needs to go for 20, it takes all the fear out of your game. Then it is very important to keep a calm head. There was a stage when I was swinging quite hard," he added. "They (the Indians) are very skilful bowlers. So it is not easy to ...
Constant drizzle made life difficult for bowlers: Kohli
India skipper Virat Kohli blamed the weather god for making life difficult for his bowlers after they failed to defend a total of 188 against South Africa in the second twenty2o International here. With rain lashing the SuperSport Park, Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal found it difficult to grip the ball and bled 64 in four overs as South Africa chased down the target comfortably to level the three-match series 1-1 here. "Tough one for the bowlers. We were looking at 175 with the loss of early wickets. Manish and Raina batted well initially. Manish and MS were outstanding to get to 190. I thought that was a winning total. Then the weather made it hard for the bowlers. Till the 12th over it was fine but with the drizzle, the wicket settled down. The ball was difficult to grip too," Kohli said. Asked about the conditions, Kohli said: "You don't want play to be stopped. Once the game was continued in the first innings, we knew it was going to be continued throughout. We didn't really
I quite fancy Chahal: Klaasen
"I fancy him quite a lot," said South African big-hitter Heinrich Klaasen of the hammering he dished out to Indian wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, a bowler the rest of his team has struggled to read. After the rain-hit Wanderers ODI, Klaasen once again was the hero in a weather-affected match when his 69 off 30 balls gave South Africa a six-wicket win in the second Twenty20 International against India last night. Much like at the Wanderers, Klaasen was harsh on Chahal and took him for 23 runs in the 13th over to turn the match on its head. The wrist spin duo of Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav have been largely successful against Proteas but have been taken to the cleaners by Klaasen. Chahal finished with 0-64 from four overs last night, the most expensive spell for an Indian bowler in T20Is. The 26-year-old Klaasen said he simply likes playing against leg-spinners. "I fancy him (Chahal) quite a lot. Especially when I was in amateur cricket, there were a couple of quality leg spinners in ...
Win over Leganes lifts Real Madrid up to third spot
Real Madrid moved into third place in the La Liga points table with a 3-1 win away to Leganes in a game which had been postponed in December as a result of their playing in the World Club Championship.
Midfielder Arthur close to Barcelona move
A deal that would see highly rated Gremio midfielder Arthur move to Barcelona next January is "90 per cent complete", according to reports in the Brazilian media.
I hope PSL 3 will unearth two players for Pakistan : Arthur
Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur has pinned hope that the upcoming third edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will unearth two players from the country, who will complete the jigsaw for the 2019 World Cup squad.Insisting that the PSL has played a vital role in developing talent from the country, Arthur gave the examples of Hasan Ali and Shadab Khan who rose to fame following their good performances in Pakistan's T20 league."I feel that the PSL has been wonderful in developing talent. The first edition of the PSL unearthed Hasan Ali whilst the second edition brought to light the talent of Shadab Khan. I am hoping that PSL 3 will unearth another 2 players of talent for Pakistan and that will complete the jigsaw for our 2019 World Cup squad. So, I am looking for 2 players in this PSL to stand up and be part of our future," Pakpassion.net quoted Arthur, as saying.Arthur, however, emphasized that the two players could not just afford to be good in just one discipline and that they ..
Waiting is tough, it works on your mind: Manish Pandey
Indian batsman Manish Pandey says he has endured a tough time waiting for his sporadic chances, asserting that he has what it takes to be a regular pick in the star-studded middle order if given a longer rope. Pandey, who scored 79 not out off 48 balls in the second T20 International here which South Africa won by six wickets to level the three-match series 1-1, has been at best a irregular selection even though he has made most of his chances count with fine knocks, including hundreds on ODI debut and in his first one-dayer in Australia. "Honestly, it's a little tough (waiting for chances) and it works on your mind a lot. Especially on this tour, I have felt it a lot actually but that is what cricket is all about. You have to wait for your chances to play for a team like India where you have so many stars and legend after legend (in the team). So I am trying my bit there," he said after the match last night. "I have got a few chances at number four and I have delivered. So the ...
ISL: Mumbai City look to keep semi-final hopes alive
Mumbai City FC will aim to keep alive their relatively less chances of qualifying for the semi-finals, when they lock horns with NorthEast United FC in their next Indian Super League (ISL) encounter here on Thursday.The Mumbai-based team, who topped the league stage last season, are placed seventh at the moment with 20 points from 15 matches they have played so far.Mumbai City can reach a maximum of 29 points, provided they win their remaining three matches. Mathematically, that should be enough for them to qualify, if others above them like FC Goa, Kerala Blasters, Jamshedpur FC and Chennaiyin FC all drop points at some stage.And Mumbai City are keen to play their role well, starting with a clash against NorthEast United FC at Mumbai Football Arena, Mumbai today."It's good to be alive. We come here knowing that we have a chance and that we have to play better to try and win tomorrow against a team who have played well but didn't have the luck to get better results. I also hope that ..
Kalu Uche's late strike helps Dynamos hold Goa to 1-1 draw
FC Goa's chances of making it to the play-offs of Indian Super League (ISL) were dented after Nigerian striker Kalu Uche struck a late goal to help Delhi Dynamos settle with 1-1 draw in a fiery encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda last evening.FC Goa midfielder Hugo Boumous' goal was cancelled out by Kalu Uche as Goa failed to hold onto their lead after they squandered multiple chances in front of goal.FC Goa are still sixth and five points behind the playoff places with a match in hand over the top four. This is the first draw between the two sides -- and they have now scored a combined 35 goals in 10 matches against each other.When Boumous collected the ball near the half-line, no one expected him to go all the way. But he kept going past defenders before finding a yard to shoot -- Gabriel Cichero was in the way, but only to wickedly deflect it into the net.And just when it looked like Goa would make sure of collecting full points, Delhi created two quick chances ...
Derbyshire sign Proteas' Duanne Olivier as overseas player
South African seamer Duanne Olivier has been roped in by Derbyshire as an overseas player for the first half of the English county season.The 25-year-old will be available for first seven matches in the County Championship and for the entire Derbyshire campaign in One-Day Cup, subject to final clearance from Cricket South Africa (CSA).Reflecting on Olivier's inclusion, Cricket Advisor, Kim Barnett said that Derbyshire wanted to strengthen their new-ball bowling area and, therefore, they believe that the South African seamer is a right choice."We identified new-ball bowling as an area we wanted to strengthen, especially for the first half of the season in red- and white-ball cricket. He is a tall, quick bowler who is keen to prove himself and he will give us another quality option with the ball. He comes highly recommended and will offer further depth to our seam attack," ESPNcricinfo quoted Barnett, as saying.Olivier, on the other hand, was excited to join the club as he said that he .
De Gea stars as Manchester United settle for Sevilla draw
David de Gea deflected the attention away from Paul Pogba with another spectacular display of goalkeeping as Manchester United came away from their Champions League last 16, first leg against Sevilla in Spain with a 0-0 draw. De Gea made two breathtaking saves to deny Steven N'Zonzi and Luis Muriel at the end of the first half at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, denying Sevilla a lead to take to England for next month's return. Sevilla were the more likely side, with United offering little going forward despite the presence of Alexis Sanchez, Romelu Lukaku and Juan Mata in their attack. Lukaku had a late goal disallowed, but United's was the kind of cautious approach seen time and again in such games by Mourinho's teams down the years. Their inability, unwillingness even, to get an away goal leaves the tie wide open ahead of the second leg, with United looking to reach the quarter-finals in their first appearance in the knockout stage of the Champions League since 2014. "The only moment ...
Russian curler's doping hearing cancelled: CAS
The Court of Arbitration for Sport cancelled a hearing into the doping case of a Russian Olympic curler today, hours after reports said he had declined to appear. "In the matter International Olympic Committee and World Curling Federation v Alexander Krushelnitsky, all parties have requested the Anti-doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport to cancel the hearing today," a statement said. A decision in the case will be announced later and will be based on written submissions, CAS said. Krushelnitsky, bronze medallist in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics mixed doubles curling, earlier told Russian media it was "stupid to deny" failing two drugs tests. "I am ready for the appropriate verdict, which in such cases is predictably identical," Krushelnitsky said in a statement published by RIA Novosti. "Due to this, having weighed all the pros and cons, I decided to pull out of the holding of the CAS hearing over my situation. I consider that under the current rules it is useless ..
Bouchard recalls locker room fall in lawsuit testimony
Former world number five Eugenie Bouchard testified in US District Court in Brooklyn that she screamed in pain in a locker room fall at the US Open in 2015, US media reported. "I screamed, 'Oh my God, it burns!" Bouchard told jurors, according to the New York Post. The 23-year-old Canadian was testifying in her lawsuit against the United States Tennis Association, which operates the Grand Slam tournament at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York. Bouchard's suit, which seeks unspecified damages, claims the USTA was at fault for applying a "slippery, foreign and dangerous" cleaning substance. She hit her head in the fall, suffering a concussion and pulling out of the tournament. The USTA has argued that Bouchard, who had played a late mixed doubles match, should have known that the room would be being cleaned at 11 pm, when her fall occurred. A lawyer for the governing body had told jurors on Tuesday that the cleaning spray was only applied after management thought all the players had ...
Mourinho hails McTominay after leaving out Pogba for Sevilla draw
Jose Mourinho described Scott McTominay as "fantastic" in response to his decision to select the young midfielder ahead of Paul Pogba for Wednesday's Champions League last 16, first-leg draw with Sevilla. Pogba had been left out of the starting line-up for the goalless draw with Mourinho apparently unhappy after the French star withdrew from last weekend's FA Cup win at Huddersfield Town citing illness. That followed criticism from Mourinho of Pogba's recent performances, with the Portuguese making a statement by selecting McTominay, 21, alongside Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matic in midfield. Mourinho later complained that there had been too much focus on Pogba before and after the match, and not enough on a player making his second Champions League start. "In my pre-match interview I had four questions and three were about Paul, and Paul was not even playing. That's a bit strange," he said. "If I was one of you (journalists), I would ask if the Manchester United manager agrees that ...
Good night and good morning as Muguruza wins late Dubai duel
Defending champion and top seed Elina Svitolina toiled for more than two hours to reach the Dubai quarter-finals while second seed Garbine Muguruza had to wait until 2 a.m. to complete her opening victory. Play ran exceptionally late at the event, with lengthy, slow-moving matches to blame. Svitolina took two and a quarter hours to overcome stubborn resistance from China's Wang Qiang 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. Muguruza, the runner-up in Qatar last weekend, had to wait out a three-hour epic as Daria Kasatkina beat British seventh seed Johanna Konta 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 before the Spanish second seed got on court in the early hours of Thursday. But Muguruza at least then picked up the pace to defeat American CiCi Bellis 6-3, 7-5, a match which took one and three-quarter hours and ended just before 2 a.m. Svitolina had to save nine of 11 break points against world number 46 Wang who entered the field after the withdrawal of Petra Kvitova, the Qatar champion. "I was a little bit angry at myself that I
Hirscher crashes out of Olympic slalom
Austrian Marcel Hirscher's quest for a third gold medal at the Pyeongchang Games came to an abrupt end today when he bombed out of the first leg of the Olympic slalom. Hirscher failed to find his rhythm on a course set by his own coach, Michael Pircher, and eventually missed a gate. The 28-year-old had already won the men's alpine combined and giant slalom, his first individual Olympic titles after having dominated the World Cup for the last six years. He was aiming to become only the fourth skier in history to win a third gold medal at a single Olympics, joining Austria's Toni Sailer (1956), Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy and Croatia's Janica Kostelic (2002). It was Hirscher's first failure in 21 slaloms, taking in the World Cup and world championships. Hirscher said he had not been overwhelmed by pressure, but revealed he had not been comfortable training all week. "No, no. After winning two gold medals there is no pressure at all," he said. "Everything is fine, I feel sorry for my ...
Centurion T20I: SA bowled well, says Manish Pandey
Indian batsman Manish Pandey on Thursday praised the bowling attack of South Africa, saying that they created pressure at times."We are looking forward for a good game in Cape Town. South Africa bowled very well today. It's good to be one each. We will try to improve our game in the third T-20 and try to win the game. The wickets were little slower. We thought the bowlers were going to bowl little slower but they did not," Pandey said while addressing the press conference after the match.He added: "Hopefully, there will be same batting and bowling plan by South Africa and will see some changes there."South Africa defeated India by six-wickets and levelled the T20 series 1-1 at the SuperSports Park here on Thursday.With this win, South Africa remained alive in the series, with the third T20 match at Cape Town set to be the decider.South African batsman Heinrich Klassen was declared the man of the match for his blistering 69 off 30 balls, laced with seven sixes and three fours.The third
Centurion T20I: Klassen, Duminy blow India away
Solid innings from South African batsman Heinrich Klassen and skipper J.P. Duminy blew India away, as the hosts handed the visitors a six-wicket defeat and levelled the T20 series 1-1 at the SuperSports Park here on Thursday.With this win, South Africa remained alive in the series, with the third T20 match at Cape Town set to be the decider.Earlier, the Proteas won the toss and sent India to bat first. The rain, which washed out the match between India Women and South Africa Women on Wednesday, threatened to play a dampener in this match.South African pacer Junior Dala drew first blood for the hosts when he sent back opener Rohit Sharma for nought.Thereafter, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan steadied the innings and shared a 44-run partnership, before Duminy surprised Dhawan with a low full toss and miscued it to Farhaan Behardien at mid-on.Indian skipper Virat Kohli too failed with the bat as he made just one run. Raina departed afterwards and the visitors were in a spot of bother at .