Page 281 - Sports
Doru in Delhi to pick next India football coach
India's newly-appointed Romanian Technical Director Isac Doru will be a part of the technical committee which will meet here in the capital on Thursday to interview four aspirants for the job of national football coach.
Hampshire signs Chris Morris for T20 Blast
English county Hampshire signed South African pacer Chris Morris on Wednesday for the upcoming T20 Blast.By availing Morris, the county has signed its first overseas player this season.Recently, the bowler was named as a replacement for Anrich Nortje in the South African 15-member World cup team.The pacer will be available for Hampshire after his World Cup commitments and he will be seen representing the county in the T20 Blast beginning from July."I'm really looking forward to joining Hampshire for the Vitality Blast. It's an exciting tournament and it's an exciting summer coming up - I can't wait to get there and play at the Ageas Bowl and express what I can do," Morris said in an official statement released by Hampshire.The 32-year-old has played 23 T20Is for South Africa and scalped 34 wickets with an average of 20.5.Morris has an outstanding domestic record as well, taking 215 wickets at an average of 21.82. He has scored 4,600 runs at a strike-rate of 152.10."We were delighted ..
We deserved to reach Champions League finals: Ajax's Frenkie de Jong
After suffering a loss by Tottenham Hotspurs in the semi-final second leg of the Champions League on Wednesday (local time), Ajax FC's midfielder Frenkie de Jong said that the team deserved to be in the finals, given the way the team played in the whole competition."I think we deserved to reach the final, given the way we played throughout the tournament and also in the first half tonight. In saying that, Spurs also earned their right with that second-half performance," goal.com quoted De Jong as saying."I think everyone enjoyed what we did in the Champions League this season, it was like a fairytale. Unfortunately, it was one with an unhappy ending. So disappointing to give it away in the last few seconds," he added.Ajax was left heartbroken as they conceded a goal in the 96th minute in the match against Tottenham, resulting in their last minute 3-2 victory in the semi-final second leg.Ajax had won the first leg semi-final 1-0 against Tottenham, but by suffering a 3-2 loss in the ...
Tottenham shocks Ajax, to face Liverpool in Champions League final
Barely 24 hours after Liverpool staged a stunning comeback to defeat Barcelona, Tottenham enacted a similar script to brush past Ajax 3-2 to enter the final of this year's UEFA Champions League for the first time. Tottenham will face Liverpool next month.Tottenham, who was down 2-0, in the first half and trailing 3-0 overall, looked down and out before Lucas Moura's heroics turned the team's fortunes dramatically. The English club won the contest by 3-3 in terms of aggregate.Living up to its expectations, Ajax played an aggressive brand of football right from the beginning of the match at Johan Cruyff Arena and soon Matthijs de Ligt's header ensured the team's first goal.In the 35th minute, Ajax doubled its lead after Hakim Ziyech netted a superb strike to give his team a strong advantage.Few believed that Tottenham could come back into the game by achieving similar feats what Liverpool had done at Anfield.The remarkable turnaround began after Moura gave Tottenham its first goal in ...
Delhi pulls off nail-biter contest against Hyderabad
In yet another Indian Premier League contest which went down the wire, opener Prithvi Shaw's (56 off 38) valiant half-century followed by Rishabh Pant's (49 off 21) heroics helped Delhi Capitals register a thrilling two-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator of the tournament here on Wednesday.
Hitting sixes is in my muscle memory, says Rishabh Pant
Dispatching the ball deep into the stands is in Rishabh Pant's "muscle memory" and that's why he doesn't need to look at who is bowling to him once he is in a mood to go hammer and tongs. Pant hit five sixes in his 21-ball-49 as he guided Delhi Capitals to a two-wicket victory in the IPL Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad. "In T20s, you need 40 off 20 or so, then you have to attack one bowler. I don't see who's bowling. It's in our muscle memory, and that's why we practise so much. Today, that was special because I didn't try to hit the ball too hard. I was just watching the ball, and I was trying to time the ball." Pant also said that he ensured that the mindset remains positive when the team is going for improbable chases. "If you are set on a wicket like this, you have to finish the match for your team. I took it very close, but next time I will finish it for the team. (Pressure) I just try to be positive. If your mindset is negative, it doesn't help," said Pant. Prithvi Shaw, .
Carles Cuadrat extends his term with Bengaluru FC
Bengaluru FC head coach Carles Cuadrat has decided to extend his stay with the club as he penned a new deal which will keep him with the Blues till the end of the 2020-21 season.Cuadrat said that he has already spent three years with the club and if he is ready to spend two more years with them then it is an evidence of how happy he is at the club and in the city."I am delighted to continue my stay at a club that functions like a closely-knit family. I have spent three years at Bengaluru FC and the fact that I'm willing to add two more, is testament of how happy I am at the club and in the city. We achieved success last season and I would like to build on it," Bengaluru FC official website quoted Cuadrat, as saying."Importantly, we will be competing in Asia again and that's a challenge we are all relishing. All footballing reasons aside, the love and support the fans have shown me definitely had a part to play in my decision of signing on a new deal," he added.Cuadrat, who arrived at .
IPL Eliminator: Pant power, cool Keemo takes Delhi Capital closer to maiden finale
Young Keemo Paul gave the final touches to a Rishabh Pant blitzkrieg as Delhi Capitals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by two wickets in a nerve-wracking IPL Eliminator here Wednesday. Chasing a target of 163, Delhi Capitals, who had lost the way after a blazing start, were brought to cusp of victory by young Pant, who smashed 49 off 21 balls with five sixes as West Indies' Paul finished it off the penultimate ball of the innings with a boundary off Khaleel Ahmed. Pant, who resurrected the innings from a orecarious 111 for 5 couldn't have chosen a better venue than chairman of selectors MSK Prasad's home ground to drive home a point on his much dbated World Cup exclusion. It was a sense of dja vu for Paul, who had similarly hit winning runs in an U-19 World Cup final in 2016 when Khaleel was the bowler in the final over. Delhi Capital now face Chennai Super Kings in the second Qualifier in their bid to make it to the maiden IPL final against Mumbai Indians. Needing 34 from three overs, Pant .
SA women working to turn Pak series around, says coach Moreeng
South Africa women's team coach Hilton Moreeng on Wednesday said the team is working on to turn around the series against Pakistan.The host faced a shocking eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Pakistan in its opening ICC Women's Championship (IWC) One-Day International match on May 6. The teams are clashing to grab vital IWC points to earn a direct qualification for the ICC Women's World Cup 2021 to be held in New Zealand."It was a disappointing start especially after the preparation we had. Everything was planned to the 'T', but it turned out to be a day that we had to put behind us very quickly as a team. The execution of certain skills wasn't good. Pakistan played better than us on the day and used the conditions well," Moreeng said on the eve of the second encounter."It's a game we're not proud of especially with it being a home series but we sat down as a team and had our debriefing. We know what needs to happen over the next two games, starting with tomorrow's one. We're still ..
Young Shafali Verma will be India's superstar, says Danielle Wyatt
Velocity batswoman Danielle Wyatt lauded her teammate and 15-year-old Shafali Verma, calling her the next superstar for India after her promising knock of 34 against Trailblazers in the Women's T20 Challenge at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Wednesday."Shafali is going to be a superstar for India probably in a year or so. I think she'll break into India team. She stood out for me in the nets from day one as soon as we got into nets. I saw this girl batting, didn't think she was this young but then the coach said she is only 15," Wyatt said after the match."She's going to be incredible. She was properly striking the ball. She was really nice to bat with. I kept telling her to hit straight. I think on that wicket if you poke that's when you're in trouble. I told her to keep whacking it. She knows all the bowlers well," she added.When asked about the flurry of wickets in the 18th over when Velocity needed just two runs, the English cricketer said, "I don't know what play they were ...
Smriti Mandhana told to focus on dot balls, says Deepti Sharma
Trailblazers and India all-rounder Deepti Sharma on Wednesday said her captain Smriti Mandhana suggested her to focus on dot balls against Mithali Raj-led Velocity in the second match of the Women's T20 Challenge."From starting, Smriti (Mandhana) told me that I should focus on dot deliveries rest let them (Velocity) do whatever they want to," Deepti said after the match.Just when Velocity needed two runs off 18 balls, the 21-year-old took three wickets, including Mithali, in a clever spell to spoil the opponent's sweet victory at the Sawai Mansingh stadium. However, on the last ball off Deepti, Sushree Dibyadarshini finally got the job done and took Velocity over the line. Earlier, Deepti bowled out Hayley Matthews cheaply for five, returning with the figures of 4/14.A well-compiled 43 by Harleen Deol helped Trailblazers post 112/6 after put in to bat. Acknowledging the score was not sufficient, Deepti said, "I will call it a fighting score because whenever you score 100 or 110 it ...
Earl Eddings commends improved player behaviour
Cricket Australia Chair, Earl Eddings on Wednesday commended significantly improved player behaviour, highlighting important cultural change taking place across national cricket.As national players across the country prepare for the ICC Men's World Cup and men's and women's Ashes series, Eddings said Australians should have confidence that positive changes are being made which will enhance Australian cricket at all levels."After the events of Cape Town, and through the renewed leadership of Cricket Australia, we have quite rightly turned the spotlight onto each and every aspect of Cricket Australia to ensure positive change is reflected both on and off the field," he said.Eddings pointed to the substantial reduction in the code of conduct charges recorded this past season as a key indicator of the players renewed respect for the game and its millions of fans."Everyone in Australian cricket is well aware that it's not just winning that counts, but how we play the game, and the players .
Sachin fan Shafali shows promise against Trailblazers
At 15 years, Shafali Verma made the most of her opportunity with a promising knock in Velocity's three-wicket win over Trailblazers in the Women's T20 Challenge here on Wednesday.
Linda Zondi called up Reeza Hendricks to cheer him up
South Africa selection convenor Linda Zondi said that he called Reeza Hendricks, who did not find a spot in the recently announced World Cup squad, to explain the decision and to assure that he still had several years left to play."I phoned Reeza after the announcement ... he was very disappointed. I explained our thought process to him. I had to explain how we came to our decision. I told him that it is not the end and he is still going to play for South Africa for another few more years," Sport24 quoted Zondi as saying.Zondi also emphasised that Hendricks averaged only 25 while Markram averaged 41 which contributed in the omission of the former."Selection is not only about stats, but you also need to be factual when it comes to stats. It was a tough one. We had to decide between him and Markram and see where they were," Zondi said."When you look at the collective from Zimbabwe right through, Reeza averaged 25 and Markram averaged 41. It was a collective decision. We sent Markram ...
Cuadrat signs new 2 year deal with Bengaluru FC
Carles Cuadrat will continue to stay with Indian Super League champions Bengaluru FC after he signed a new two-year agreement with the club, which will keep him with the Blues till the end of 2020-21 season. Cuadrat said he is delighted to continue his association with the club. "I am delighted to continue my stay at a club that functions like a closely-knit family. I have spent three years at Bengaluru FC and the fact that I am willing to add two more, is testament of how happy I am at the club and in the city," he said. Cuadrat, in his role as BFC head coach, has led the team to their sixth title in as many seasons when they beat FC Goa in ISL final at the Mumbai Football Arena in March. Having taken over the reins from Albert Roca at the end of the 2017-18 season, Cuadrat said he would like to build on last year's success and was looking forward to this year's Asian Championship. "We achieved success last season and I would like to build on it. Importantly, we will be competing in .
Hyderabad post 162/8 against Delhi in Eliminator
A collective batting effort helped Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) post a fighting 162/8 against Delhi Capitals in the Eliminator of the Indian Premier League (IPL) here on Wednesday.
We were 10-15 runs short, says Trailblazers' spinner Deepti Sharma
Trailblazers off-spinner Deepti Sharma Wednesday said they were 10-15 runs short of what could have been a winning score against Velocity in the second match of the Women's T20 Challenge here. Mithali Raj's Velocity overcame some anxious moments late in the innings before registering a three-wicket win over Trailblazers to keep the race to final open. After their five-wicket win over Supernovas in the tournament-opener on Tuesday, a victory over Velocity would have sealed Trailblazers' place in Saturday's summit clash. But it was not to be as Velocity first restricted Trailblazers to 112 for six after opting to bowl and then chased down the target with 12 balls to spare to keep the tournament alive for all the three teams. "Harmanpreet (Kaur) and Sophie (Bates) asked me to bowl tight. I did the job. I believe we were 10-15 runs short. But still with 112 we had something to bowl at. We made a good fight of it," said Deepti, who finished with impressive figures of 4 for 14 that included
IPL Eliminator: Delhi Capitals restrict Sunrisers Hyderabad to 162/8
Delhi Capitals bowlers pulled the plug in the middle overs, restricting Sunrisers Hyderabad to a par score of 162 for 8 on a good batting surface in the IPL Eliminator here Wednesday. Keemo Paul (3/32 in 4 overs) was ably supported by Amit Mishra (1/16 in 4 overs), Ishant Sharma (2/34 in 4 overs) and Axar Patel (0/30 in 4 overs) as the quartet bowled 40 dot balls between them. Ishant got rid of Wriddhiman Saha (8), who offered a simple catch to Shreyas Iyer at mid-off. Martin Guptill (36, 19 balls) hit three sixes including two off his countrymate Trent Boult to set the pace in the Powerplay overs which yielded 54 runs. Credit to Delhi bowlers as the next 14 overs produced only 108 runs. As Guptill was in attacking mood, it gave the normally flamboyant Manish Pandey (30, 36 balls) to play around before the spinners came in operation. Axar and Mishra choked the run-flow and Guptill was accounted for trying to slog sweep the leg-spinner. His innings had four sixes apart from a ...
Cuadrat pens new deal with Bengaluru FC
Bengaluru FC have reached an agreement with Carles Cuadrat to further the Spaniards stay with the Indian Super League (ISL) champions in a new two-year deal that keeps him with the Blues till the end of the 2020-21 season, the club announced on Wednesday.
Lahiri hopes to reverse fortunes at AT&T Byron Nelson golf
India's Anirban Lahiri would look to hold on to his PGA card when he tees up at the AT&T Byron Nelson golf championship here. Lahiri is still in search of the rhythm that once made him Asia no. 1 a few years ago and won him two European Tour titles back in 2015. Without a title since early 2015, when he won in his home country at the Hero Indian Open, Lahiri is bracing against time to hold on to his PGA card. The event has moved to a brand new site, the exclusive Trinity Forest Golf Club, which has a links-like feel with no trees and is different than most courses on the PGA Tour. Interestingly, Lahiri has been paired with South African Justin Harding, whose rise to world's top 50 has been spectacular over the past year and a half. Harding was in the mix at the Masters for almost 54 holes before finishing a highly creditable tied 12th in his maiden appearance at the Augusta National. Like Lahiri in 2015 and 2017, Harding is seeking a place in the President's Cup and also hoping to