Page 2212 - Sports
Centurion Cook, Broad defy critics as England hit back
Alastair Cook hit a long- awaited century and Stuart Broad snapped up four wickets as England's much-maligned old guard finally enjoyed a day to remember in the Ashes series on Wednesday. At 3-0 down after three Tests, the Ashes urn is already lost to Australia but Cook and Broad showed their careers are not over yet after critics had questioned their place in the England team. In scorching heat in Melbourne, England bowled out the Australians for 327, with 113-Test paceman Broad capturing four wickets for 51 runs in his best bowling performance in more than a year. Cook then ended a 10-innings stretch without a half- century, the longest drought of his 151-Test career, to claim his 32nd Test ton. At the close, England were 192 for two and trailing by 135 runs with Cook, playing in an English-record 34th consecutive Ashes Test, unbeaten on 104 and skipper Joe Root providing support on 49 in a 112-run partnership. Cook had a huge and symbolic let-off on 66 when rival ...
Day-night Test 'unlikely' in 2019 Ashes - ECB
England will be unlikely to stage a day-night Ashes Test match when Australia tour in 2019, England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison said on Wednesday. Harrison said England did not need a pink-ball Test in their home Ashes schedule, although Australia has already staged four day-night Tests in recent years. The two countries played the first day-night Test against each other in the second match of the current series at Adelaide Oval earlier this month. A further two day-night Tests -- against India and Sri Lanka -- are likely to be staged in the 2018-2019 season. "It's to be decided, but it's unlikely, to be honest," Harrison told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation during the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne. "I think we've got a format that works brilliantly well for us in Ashes cricket in the UK. "Right time, right place, right conditions are the rules for day-night Test cricket. I think we'll wait and see, but it's unlikely I would say." Cricket
U-19 World Cup has gained importance: India seniors
India seniors, including opener Shikhar Dhawan, shared words of encouragement for the World Cup-bound Under-19 squad, saying the tournament is an opportunity for the youngsters to iron out their flaws. "The Under-19 World Cup is a great platform for youngsters as they get an early feel of international cricket. The tournament provides players the opportunity to not just iron out their flaws but also to understand how things pan out in top tournaments," Dhawan, who was player of tournament in 2004, was quoted as saying by the ICC. The southpaw said the event, which gets underway on January 13 in New Zealand, has proved to be successful with more and more players going on to represent their respective senior teams. "I feel this tournament has gained in importance over the years with so many players prospering after doing well in the tournament. Look around and you will see that a number of players in each international side figured in past Under-19 World Cups. "I have ...
England unlikely to host day-night Ashes Test in 2019
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has closed the doors on the prospect of hosting a day-night Test match against Australia during the Ashes series between the two sides in 2019.The inaugural day-night Test took place between Australia and New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval in 2015, which went on to pull record number of crowds and huge television viewership.Since then, Cricket Australia has been stressing for the expansion of the concept, which was also opted during the second Test of the ongoing Ashes series in Adelaide earlier this month.Following the first day-night Test between Australia and England at Adelaide Oval, Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland had indicated there would now be at least one Test underlights in every Australian home summer.However, ECB chief executive Tom Harrison put the cold water on the prospect, saying that it was highly unlikely that a day-night Test would be there in the schedule when the Ashes series would return to England ..
Hathurasingha's first Sri Lanka test against former team
New Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurasingha will take his side to Bangladesh for two Tests and two T20 clashes, Sri Lanka Cricket announced Wednesday. The series will be preceded by a triangular one-day international tournament involving the hosts and Zimbabwe. The first game in the contest will be in Dhaka on January 17 between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe and the final on January 27. Sri Lanka's first Test against Bangladesh will start on January 31 in Chittagong and the second in Dhaka on February 8. The 20 over matches will be on February 15 and 18 in Dhaka and Sylhet. Sri Lanka secured Hathurasingha's release as Bangladesh coach last month in a desperate bid to revive the national team. Out of 57 internationals across three formats in 2017, Sri Lanka lost 40 and won just 14.
Cook leads England chase after Australia's 327
Alastair Cook showed signs of finally getting back in the groove as England set after Australia's 327 first innings total in the fourth Melbourne Test on Wednesday. Cook, playing in an English-record 34th consecutive Ashes Test, and his 151st Test overall, batted with growing confidence after a string of low scores as the tourists reached 72 for one at tea. The former captain had scored just 83 runs in his previous six innings of the lost series, but with the pressure off Cook got more into his stride. At tea, England were trailing Australia by 255 runs with Cook unbeaten on 37 -- his joint-highest score of the series -- with James Vince not out 17. Nathan Lyon claimed the only English wicket with another blinding return catch, this time with his right hand, to dismiss opener Mark Stoneman for 15. The off-spinner is making a habit of sensational catches, particularly his flying effort across the pitch to dismiss Moeen Ali in Adelaide off his own bowling. England earlier .
East Bengal coach confident of win against Gokulam Kerala
Kolkata giants Kingfisher East Bengal would be hoping to go top of the I-League table with a victory when they host Gokulam Kerala FC at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Wednesday.After shrugging of a rather poor start to the season, the Red and Golds have recorded three wins on the spin and return home in hopes of picking all three points against the I-League newbies, thus propelling them to the top of the table, albeit after having played a game more than current leaders Minerva Punjab FC.Head coach Khalid Jamil did not see this as an opportunity to jump the gun and get too excited."We have to just go and play good football. Every team which comes to play us will give their hundred percent so we cannot take anyone lightly. I do not know much about their (Gokulam Kerala FC's) specialities but I had watched their first game. We have to play positive and think about our own game rather than others", humbly said Jamil.Willis Plaza, who announced his comeback into goalscoring form two games
South Africa happy to live in twilight zone
Morne Morkel reopened the debate about conditions under floodlights with a devastating spell of fast bowling as South Africa took command on the first day of a four-day, day-night Test against Zimbabwe at St George's Park on Tuesday. Aiden Markram hit 125, his second century in three Test matches, as South Africa made 309 for nine declared. It looked a match-winning total after Morkel ripped out the first three batsmen to leave Zimbabwe reeling on 30 for four. Morkel took three for 20. Both Markram and Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer said there was a marked difference in conditions for batsmen against the pink ball under lights. "From twilight onwards it does tend to move around quite a bit, definitely more than this morning," said Markram, who was dismissed with what proved to be the last ball before the dinner break. With South Africa losing five wickets for 58 runs after dinner, a total of nine wickets fell for 88 runs in a two-and-a-half hour floodlit session. Markram
Smith denied as England hit back with five wickets
Australia skipper Steve Smith was denied his fourth straight Boxing Day Test century on Wednesday as England fought back with five wickets to leave the hosts at 326 for eight at lunch on day two. England, already an irretrievable 3-0 down in the five-match series, dismissed Smith, Mitchell and Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine and Jackson Bird to take five for 82 in the first session in baking temperatures. Debutant Tom Curran celebrated his first Test wicket as Smith chopped a short, wide delivery on to his stumps on 76, just 30 minutes into the second day's play. It was the first of three similar drag-on wickets for England's bowlers on a slow-paced MCG pitch. At lunch, Pat Cummins was batting on four not out with Josh Hazlewood yet to score. Smith had not been dismissed in a Melbourne Test match since Boxing Day 2014, and was on track for his third century of the series on a bat-friendly MCG pitch. In the previous three showpiece Boxing Day Tests, Smith had scored 192 against ...
'It is not enough to compete' says Jose Mourinho after Man Unt ends game with draw
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said that Manchester United's investment of close to 300 million pounds is not enough to compete, after his side ended the game with a draw of 2-2 with Burnley at Old Trafford."It is not enough. And the price for the big clubs is different from the other clubs. So the big, historical clubs are normally punished in the market for that history," the Guardian quoted Mourinho as saying.Mourinho added that big club is one thing, while big football team is another."One thing is a big club and another thing is a big football team. They are two different things. We are in the second year of trying to rebuild a football team that is not one of the best teams in the world. Manchester City buy full-backs for the price of strikers. When you speak about big football clubs, you are speaking about the history of the club.""When you tell [describe] a club like Manchester United, do you think Milan is not as big as us? You think they are not as big as we are? Do
Premier League: Liverpool takes over Swansea City with 5-0 win
Roberto Firmino scored twice as Liverpool returned to fourth position in the Premier League with a 5-0 win over Swansea City.Philippe Coutinho, captain for the day, led the way with a curling shot into the top corner after six minutes.Seven minutes into the second period Firmino volley in Coutinho's free-kick at the far post.Two goals in a minute ensued Trent Alexander-Arnold rifling in his first goal for the club on 65 minutes before Firmino struck again.Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain added his first home goal in Liverpool colours on 82 minutes.Jurgen Klopp's side move back a point above Spurs, while Swansea stay bottom on 13 points, five off safety.
PBL: Prannoy, Sourabh star in Ahmedabad's win over NE Warriors
World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying, India's H.S. Prannoy and Sourabh Verma comfortably won their respective single's matches to put Ahmedabad Smash Masters beyond North Eastern Warriors' reach in the Vodafone Premier Badminton League here on Tuesday.
Kane's hat-trick leads Tottenham to hammer Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur English forward Harry Kane on Tuesday scored a hat-trick to help his side thrash Southampton 5-2 in the English Premier League's 20th round.
Rohit backs Dhoni's place in limited overs side
Senior India batsman Rohit Sharma today joined head coach Ravi Shastri in backing wicketkeeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni's place in India's limited-overs side. Rohit, who led India in the recent limited overs series against Sri Lanka in the absence of Virat Kohli, expressed his shock at the constant questioning of Dhoni's place. "I am shocked that this question is being raised. If you look at the recent performances, I don't understand why people are still taking about it. It is not about whether he will be part of the 2019 World Cup, his recent form has been good," Rohit was quoted as saying India Today TV. "It (50-over World Cup) is too far and we should focus on what is happening now. He bats at No.6 and does not get to play so many balls as some of us at the top of the order," Rohit said. Under Rohit, Dhoni batted at No. 4 in the first T20I and hammered an unbeaten 39. In Indore, he walked in at No.3 after Rohit and KL Rahul had posted 165 for the first wicket and
Harry Kane overtakes Messi to become top scorer in a year
Tottenham Hotspur's striker Harry Kane has broken records to become the top scorer in a calendar year to finish ahead of Barcelona star Lionel Messi as the leading man for club and country.The England international scored a hat-trick against Southampton and netted his 56th goal of the year for the club to surpass Messi, who finishes the year with 54 goals, as well as Bayern's Robert Lewandowski, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and PSG's Edison Cavani, who are even with 53.Kane had completed the year on 39 goals in the Premier League to break Alan Shearer's League record for goals in a calendar year as the 24-year-old put Tottenham in front in their 5-2 win against Southampton on Tuesday.UK publication Independent reports, Kane's hat-trick was his sixth of the year in the league, with previous three coming against West Brom, Stoke and Hull last season and others against Leicester in May, as well as against Burnley last Saturday.
Injured Tsonga withdraws from season-opener in Doha
Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has pulled out of January's Australian Open warm-up event in Doha with a wrist injury, the tournament organisers announced today. The 32-year-old, who was the 2008 Australian Open runner-up to Novak Djokovic, is still expected to play in the opening Grand Slam tournament of the year at Melbourne Park, which starts on January 15. World number 15 Tsonga, who won the Doha tournament in 2012, struggled with a right knee problem in October before returning to form and fitness in the final weeks of the season -- winning in Antwerp and reaching the final at Vienna. The tournament in Qatar starts on Monday.
Goa beat Bengal to emerge women's Plate group champions
Goa rode on India international Shikha Pandey's half century and disciplined bowling efforts from Santoshi Rane and Sunanda Yetrekar to thrash Bengal by 37 runs and emerge champions in Plate Group of the Senior Women's One Day League at the Eden Gardens here on Tuesday.
Rohit defends Dhoni's place in ODI, T20I teams
India opener Rohit Sharma on Tuesday joined his skipper Virat Kohli in backing former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's future in India's limited-overs side.
Prannoy, Sourabh star in Ahmedabad' win over NE Warriors
Indian shuttlers H S Prannoy, Sourabh Verma and World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei won their respectively singles matches to help Ahmedabad Smash Masters thrash North Eastern Warriors' 4-1 in the Premier Badminton League (PBL) here today. Taking the court for the third fixture of the evening, Tai Tzu of Taiwan star whipped the Warriors' Michelle Li (Canada) 15-6, 15-10 in the Women's Singles to give them a handy 2-1 lead. As the team's Trump Player, she also delivered the extra point as expected. World No. 10 Prannoy then saved four game points to outplay World No. 11 Tzu Wei Wang (Taiwan), to keep his undefeated record in the PBL since the last season intact. His eighth successive victory in the League gave the Smashers an unassaible 3-1 lead. Earlier, Sourabh tamed Pratul Joshi 15-10, 15-7 in a Men's Singles to give them the first point. The NE Warriors got their only point so far, with Prajakta Sawant & Shin Baek Cheol taking the Mixed Doubles' ...
I-League: Indian Arrows thrash 10-man Lajong 3-0
Indian Arrows notched their second win of the Hero I-League campaign as the young colts outplayed ten-man Shillong Lajong 3-0, here at the Ambedkar Stadium on Tuesday.Jitendra Singh's 19th minute goal, Nongdamba Naorem's 86th minute strike and a Rahul K P goal in the dying embers (90+1') proved to be the difference between the two sides in a match largely dominated by the Indian Arrows, where Lajong had been reduced to ten-man in the 60th minute after Lalrohlua was sent off.Brushing aside the rust from their last 0-2 defeat against Gokulam Kerala FC, a robust Arrows took to the field and attacked from the whistle.Jeakson, Amarjit and Suresh Singh's trio in the midfield proved too hot to handle for the Lajong defence line and the trio regularly slipped passes into the final third.The Indian Arrows continued to dominate possession and glitzy football in the final third with fluid passing hampered Lajong's defence, but not enough, as the colts still had nothing to show from their ...