Page 280 - Sports

WC: England better with Archer in squad, says Plunkett

Terming Jofra Archer as a "class act", England pacer Liam Plunkett believes that the 24-year-old should be included in the squad for the upcoming World Cup beginning at the end of this month.

Keiron Pollard returns to Trinbago Knight Riders for CPL

West Indian all-rounder Keiron Pollard has been named as the marquee player by Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) for the upcoming Carribean Premier League (CPL), marking the player's first appearance for his home franchise."We are delighted to welcome Pollard back home and it's great to continue our efforts to bring as many Trini boys home as possible. I can't wait for the reaction of the fans when Pollard takes the field at our opening game on September 4," Venky Mysore, Director of TKR said in an official statement on Wednesday (local time).Pollard played for Barbados Tridents from 2013 to 2017 and for St Lucia Stars in 2018.TKR has won the CPL title three times and Pollard would be hoping to spring an inspiring performance in the upcoming edition of the tournament.Pollard has played 474 T20Is in total and has a vast amount of experience of playing in the shortest format.The rest of the TKR squad will be decided at the CPL players draft, which takes place on May 22, 2019.This year's CPL .

We weren't very clinical with the catching or in our bowling: Williamson

Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson felt that the total of 162 against Delhi Capitals in the IPL Eliminator was competitive but his team failed to nail it as the players were not "very clinical with the catching or in our bowling". Sunrisers Hyderabad slumped to heart-wrenching two-wicket defeat against Delhi Capitals to crash out the IPL here on Wednesday night. "It was one of those surfaces that produces such close matches. I believed we had a competitive total after the first half. I knew it would be a tricky chase after the powerplay overs as with such totals there are small margins. "We have been in a position of strength before and haven't nailed it, today was another such day and that's a little bit frustrating," said Williamson after the match. Chasing 163, Prithvi Shaw gave Delhi Capitals an ideal start with a 38-ball 56 before they lost their way in the middle. It was Rishabh Pant (49 off 21 balls with five sixes) who brought Delhi to cusp of victory, even as West ...

IPL helps to develop skills: Jonny Bairstow

England wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow, who was in stupendous form in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has hailed the tournament, saying it helps to develop skills of an individual.

IPL: Delhi to fight for final berth against Chennai

Riding high on confidence, Delhi Capitals will aim to make it to their first IPL final when they take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Qualifier 2 of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, here on Friday.

Delhi aim to crack CSK code for maiden IPL final berth

Delhi Capitals, who have finally come together to play like 'Daredevils', will have to produce another special effort to beat the consistent Chennai Super Kings for the first time this season and make their maiden IPL final here on Friday. It was CSK who denied Delhi a top-two spot in the league standings with a crushing 80-run win at Chepauk and the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side stands in their way again, only stakes are much higher in the Qualifier 2. The tense win in the Eliminator, set up by their star player Rishabh Pant, here on Wednesday night is bound to provide an extra dose of motivation going into the knock-out game at Vizag. Pant's 21-ball 49 in a high-pressure game reignited the debate on social media over his non-selection in India's World Cup squad with former England captain Michael Vaughan saying it was "bonkers" to not have the young-wicketkeeper batsman in the mega event starting May 30. His sensational effort made all the difference in the run-chase but he got out .

Nadal beats Felix Auger-Aliassime In Madrid Open

Rafael Nadal who is aiming for a sixth Madrid Open title on Wednesday defeated Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime 6-3 6-3 in straight sets.Playing on familiar territory, the Spaniard relied on his defence to bog down Aliassime's aggressive tactics. After spending some time on the court, the Spaniard started unleashing his serves to which Aliassime had no replies."It's a day to be very satisfied, very happy. I managed to win. I managed to win in two sets against an opponent, who was not easy, and the day was not the best. It was windy and cold. Of course, there have been positive things. I think that my backhand has been really going well and other things. There are many things to improve, of course," Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) quoted Nadal as saying.Nadal, who will be chasing his 18th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros easily took the first set 6-3 and Aliassime finished with 30 unforced errors, including 16 forehands.The 18-year-old Aliassime sought recovery in the second ..

Hampshire sign Chris Morris for T20 Blast 2019

England county Hampshire have signed South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris for the upcoming season of T20 Blast.

IPL: Mishra 2nd player to get out for obstruction

Delhi Capitals spinner Amit Mishra became the second batsman in the history of Indian Premier League (IPL) to be given out for obstructing the field.

Neville plots World Cup glory for England women

England manager Phil Neville has hailed the ongoing revolution in the women's game as he fine-tunes his preparations for the World Cup in France. The women's boss named his squad on Wednesday for the tournament that starts on June 7, with sports stars, musicians and even Football Association president Prince William announcing the 23-strong group player by player via social media. Neville, whose team are grouped with Scotland, Argentina and Japan, said it was a "special period for women's football" as he talked about finding the balance between growing the game and winning matches. "It's been a constant learning curve for me over the last 16 months because ultimately we're in a cut-throat win business and going to this World Cup wanting to win," he said. "There is a development, a growth that we need to keep pushing," he added. "I need to keep exposing my players to the things that we ask them to do in terms of social media stuff, the coaching in schools, the media stuff that they're .

Lucas Moura leads Tottenham to first CL final

Tottenham Hotspur are through to their first Champions League final thanks to a Lucas Moura hat-trick in the semifinal second leg against Ajax whom they defeated 3-2.

First wave of Tokyo 2020 Olympic tickets up for grabs

The first tickets for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics went on sale on Thursday, with Japanese residents able to enter a lottery to watch the sport of their choice. Tickets for the 33 sports range from the cheapest general tickets at 2,500 yen ($23) to an eye-watering 300,000 yen ($2,730) for the best seats at the opening ceremony. Those lucky enough to score the best seats for the showcase men's 100m final will pay 130,000 yen ($1,200). But half of all tickets will be priced at 8,000 yen ($73) or less and special tickets priced at 2,020 yen ($18) are available for families resident in Japan with children, senior citizens, and people with impairments. Prices for domestic residents are "about the same as London 2012 but a little higher than the 2016 Rio Games," Yuko Hayakawa, senior 2020 marketing official, told AFP. The lottery -- only for residents of Japan during an initial period -- runs until May 28, with successful applicants notified on June 20 and payment due a fortnight later. The ...

Kane Richardson elated on inclusion in Australia's WC squad

Australian pacer Kane Richardson expressed happiness on being included in Australia's team for the upcoming World Cup, a tournament Australia's coach Justin Langer calls "the Olympics of Cricket".The pacer was named as the replacement for the injured Jhye Richardson in the 15-member squad on Wednesday."I remember four years ago missing out on at that 2015 team. I was 24 then and I thought at the next one I'll be 28, so that's probably my shot," International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Kane Richardson as saying on Thursday."I still wasn't thinking about it a month ago. But to get the call yesterday that struck me the most. I remember watching the World Cup in England in 1999, that was the one I went to a video store and rented the VHS and watched that back! It kind of hit me then that these things don't come around. It's the Olympics of cricket, is what JL (Justin Langer) has been calling it," he added.Richardson was a part of the team's squad in the recently concluded limited-overs .

Hamilton seeks hat-trick as Ferrari aim for revival

Lewis Hamilton will seek to complete a hat-trick of Catalan triumphs and regain the lead in this year's drivers' world championship as Formula One returns home to this year's first European race at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. The defending five-time champion is a single point behind his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas in the embryonic standings, following their unprecedented four successive season-opening one-twos. But, like his Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff, he is wary of any suggestion that rivals Ferrari are a fading force and knows that the Italian team, armed with an upgraded power unit being introduced two races sooner than planned, will mount a fierce challenge on the track where they shone in pre-season testing. "The results may seem to paint a clear picture, but the truth is that they're too flattering," said Wolff, who rejected the notion put forward by Ferrari's four-time champion Sebastian Vettel that his team were now the underdogs. "The performance has ...

It wasn't our best performance: Kane Williamson

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Kane Williamson said his side did not come out with their best performance in the Eliminator of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and that's why Delhi Capitals deserved to win.

Nadal on the up again, Ferrer ends career in Madrid

Rafael Nadal believes he is finding his rhythm again after beginning his bid for a sixth Madrid Open title on Wednesday by beating Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime in straight sets. The victory also came hours before Nadal's fellow Spaniard David Ferrer played the final match of his career, losing 6-4, 6-1 to Alexander Zverev in his last tournament before retirement. Nadal has endured a turbulent few weeks after slipping to surprise defeats in both Monte Carlo and Barcelona last month before then being hit by a stomach bug on Sunday. But there was never much sign of an upset in the Spanish capital, where the world number two opened up with a 6-3, 6-3 victory. "Right now every victory is important for me because it gives me the option to play again the next day," Nadal said. "Two weeks ago maybe playing again was not a chance to improve because I didn't feel like that in training. "Now I am feeling better in matches and I think every one gives me the chance to get better." Nadal

Lucas hat-trick takes Tottenham to Champions League final and breaks Ajax hearts

Lucas Moura's last-gasp strike took Tottenham Hotspur to the Champions League final for the first time in their history on Wednesday, completing his hat-trick and sealing an incredible 3-2 win over Ajax to leave the Dutch side heartbroken. Ajax's improbable European run seemed set to go on all the way to the final as they led 3-2 on aggregate deep in stoppage time in the second leg of the semi-final at the Johan Cruyff Arena. That was when the ball broke to Lucas in the box and the Brazilian sent a low shot beyond the despairing dive of Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana to seal their comeback, making it 3-2 to them on the night, 3-3 on aggregate, and taking Mauricio Pochettino's men through on away goals. The Ajax players slumped to the turf, their fans stunned, as they go out and Spurs advance to face fellow comeback kings Liverpool in an all-English final in Madrid on June 1. Leading 1-0 after the first leg, the thrilling young Dutch side appeared to have killed the tie after captain ...

England will be 'better team' with Archer, says Plunkett

Liam Plunkett said England would be a "better team" if Jofra Archer made it into their World Cup squad after his fellow fast bowler again impressed on international duty. Archer continued his late bid for a World Cup berth with a hostile opening spell against Pakistan at The Oval on Wednesday. He took one wicket and conceded just six runs in four overs before rain meant there was no result in the first one-day international of a five-match series. The Sussex fast bowler's display was a rare highlight in a mere 19 overs' cricket before a day/night fixture was finally called off at 7:11 pm (1811 GMT) local time amid concerns over player safety on a heavily wet outfield. Pakistan were 80 for two, with Imam-ul-Haq 42 not out and Haris Sohail 14 not out. Barbados-born Archer was not included in England's preliminary squad for the World Cup but could force his way into their final 15 via his displays in this five-match series. "He's obviously a class act," Plunkett, one of England's ...

Those last two overs were like hell: Shreyas Iyer

Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer said the last two overs of their chase in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad were "like hell".

Shreyas Iyer overwhelmed by eliminator win, says last 2 overs were like 'hell'

After winning the eliminator match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer opened up about the pressure that was created on his team, especially in the last two overs of the match."I can't express my emotions. It was such a pressure situation. I was just sitting with my teammates and it felt as if I've been sitting with them for years! Those last two overs were like hell, to be honest," Iyer said during the post-match ceremony on Wednesday.Chasing a target of 163, Delhi got off to a good start as their opener Prithvi Shaw provided a solid base to the team with a knock of 56 runs off just 38 balls.But the team's chase derailed as they lost a flurry of wickets in the middle overs and it was all down to wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant. At this crucial juncture, Pant did not disappoint as he struck a quickfire knock of 49 runs off just 21 deliveries.Pant, however, failed to see the team over the line as .