Page 313 - Sports
Battle for top spot between Chennai, Delhi
Having already qualified for the playoffs, Delhi Capitals will look to consolidate their top position when they face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday.
GT20 Canada to be played from July 25-August 11
The second edition of the Global T20 Canada will be played here from July 25 to August 11 with top shorter format players from West Indies, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan expected to participate. The five franchises are Vancouver Knights, Toronto Nationals, Winnipeg Hawks, Edmonton Royals and Montreal Tigers. The sixth team in the tournament was West Indies B. Some of the prominent cricketers who played last year are David, Dwayne Smith, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Tim Southee, Shahid Afridi and Peter Siddle. Warner, however, in all likelihood will miss this edition as he is all set to make his Test comeback in the Ashes just after the World Cup. The tournament will comprise a total of 22 matches including the three playoffs games and the finals to be played on Sunday, August 11. West Indies legend Brian Lara, who is also a Brand Ambassador of the League, said: "I was there to see the first edition of the league and was enormously impressed with the overall quality .
KL Rahul defends playing slow initially
Kings XI Punjab opener KL Rahul defended his strategy of playing slow initially while chasing a mammoth 213 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, saying one between him and Chris Gayle was supposed to go all out upfront while the other tried to take the game deep. Chasing a huge total, Rahul (79 off 56; 4x4, 5x6) made a valiant effort with the bat but lacked support from the other end as Kings XI were restricted to 167 for eight. "That's been the team plan. One of me or Chris Gayle look to bat 15-16 overs as deep as possible so the others can play around," said Rahul at the post-match press conference. "That doesn't mean that you don't play your shots. I tried my shots a few times, it didn't come off, few went for boundaries, few hit the fielders." Rahul though finished with a strike-rate of 141.07 but at one stage he had just made 39 off 36 deliveries when the required rate was well above 15 runs per over. The 27-year-old explained that he knew he could make up for it in the back end had he ..
Riyan recollects 'like father, like son' moment with Dhoni
There's a famous phrase in English: Like father, like son. This totally fits Riyan Parag, who has already caught the eyes of many with his performances in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Malan, Duckket in for Ireland, Pakistan series
Dawid Malan and Ben Duckett have been added to the England squad for the upcoming ODI against Ireland and the one-off T20I against Pakistan while James Vince has been added to the squad for the five-match ODI series against Pakistan.
CSK look to be back on top against Delhi Capitals
Their net run-rate slipping into negative after a defeat against Mumbai Indians, defending champions Chennai Super Kings will be keen to get back to No. 1 spot when they take on current table-toppers Delhi Capitals in an IPL match here on Wednesday. An interesting contest is on the cards between two current top teams and a win for either side will help it consolidate its position and ultimately could have a bearing on where it finishes in the final standings. Mahendra Singh Dhoni-less CSK went down rather tamely to Mumbai Indians in their last game, which saw their net run-rate falling. Now with just two games left in the league stage, CSK will look to roar back with victories to seal a spot in the top two and get the home comfort in Qualifier 1. Without his inspiring presence, CSK's batting collapsed against MI and they lost the game by 46 runs to surrender their position at the top of the points table to Delhi. With 16 points from 12 games, CSK will be hoping that their talismanic ..
Duckett, Malan added in England squad for Ireland, Pakistan series
England have added Ben Duckett and Dawid Malan to the squad for the one-off ODI against Ireland and T20I versus Pakistan.Duckett had smashed two ODI half-centuries against Bangladesh in 2016, which earned him four Test caps. Malan on his T20I debut against South Africa in 2017 scored 78 off 44 balls. Later in the year, Malan raised his bat after registering his maiden Test ton against Australia at Perth.Jason Roy has been ruled out from the squads due to a back spasm. The Surrey batsman will continue to receive treatment before meeting up with the squad ahead of the ODI series against Pakistan. Mark Wood has been dropped and will play for Durham in two One-Day Cup matches before joining the ODI squad in London next week.Meanwhile, James Vince, already in both the squads, has been named in the squad for five-match ODI series against Pakistan.England have been forced to make changes in the squads due to a number of matters outside of their control, with Alex Hales dropped after copping .
Somerville, Rance added to New Zealand XI squad
Off-spinner Will Somerville and pacer Seth Rance have been added to New Zealand XI squad to play against Australia XI in three unofficial one-dayers ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.Both the players, who have attended all training camps at Lincoln, expand the touring squad to 15. The three one-day matches will be played in Brisbane on May 6, 8 and 10.Somerville made a starring debut for New Zealand in the series-clinching third Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi late last year, while Rance has featured in limited-over squads.The squad is scheduled to depart for Australia on May 2.Following is New Zealand XI squad: Tom Latham (c), Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell, (wk), Doug Bracewell, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Seth Rance, Hamish Rutherford, Blair Tickner, George Worker, Will Young, Will Somerville.New Zealand, the first country to name its World Cup squad, will then play India and West Indies in the warm-ups, before opening its campaign
India suffer second defeat in MU-15 C'ship
India suffered their second defeat 1-3 in the ongoing MU-15 Championship at the hands of Mexico by 1-3 in Palmanova.Jesus Hernandes Moreno opened the scoring for Mexico early on Monday, before Carlos Eduardo Guillen added another. Aula Siba came inches close to pulling one back for India when he got an opportunity to tap it in from inside the six-yard box. However, he sent his shot agonisingly wide.Eventually, Sridarth won and converted a penalty towards the end of the first half of this 70-minute match to give Coach Bibiano Fernandes' team a fighting chance. Moreno scored again, just after the changeover, to secure the three points for the Mexicans.In the second half, Indians knocked hard on the doors of Mexicans but could not turn the tables. Ashu, Amosa Lalnundanga and Ratanbi Singh combined well to create a few chances, but it was too little, too late, as Mexico ran away with the win in the end.India will next play against Slovenia in their last group stage game on April 30.
It was complete performance: Kane Williamson
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Kane Williamson said his side came out with a complete performance as they clinched a convincing 45-run win against Kings XI Punjab in their Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture, here.
De Roon, Pasalic fire Atalanta into fourth
Midfielders Marten de Roon and Mario Pasalic scored late as Atalanta beat Udinese 2-0 to surge back into the top four in Serie A on Monday. The side from Bergamo move ahead of Roma into the final Champions League spot days after booking their ticket to the Coppa Italia final on May 15 against Lazio. The battle for elite European football next season remains tight with six teams in the running to join Juventus and Napoli in the competition next season. Atalanta with 59 points from 34 games move one point ahead of Roma who drop to fifth with four games left of the campaign. "We're experiencing something remarkable, the lads are doing incredible things," said coach Gian Piero Gasperini as his team target a place in top-tier European football for the first time. "It's in our hands now." Inter Milan, on 62 points, are just three points ahead of Atalanta, with Roma a point behind followed by Torino and AC Milan both on 56 with Lazio still in the running in seventh on 55. "Roma have only one
Another chance for Barca's old guard to leave heavier stamp on Europe
It was ten years ago Alex Ferguson dubbed them the best team he had ever faced but those left from Barcelona's iconic generation still have work to do. Three remain and when Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique line up against Liverpool on Wednesday, they may wonder if this could be their best chance of another, and perhaps final, Champions League triumph. Pep Guardiola's mesmeric side had just danced around and dizzied Manchester United in 2009, their 2-0 victory completing an historic treble, when Ferguson conceded: "Nobody has given us a hiding like that." But not long after the final whistle at Wembley, Ferguson expressed doubts too, about the longevity of that Barca group and then, whether they could ever be replaced. "Great teams go in cycles and the cycle they're in at the moment is the best in Europe," he said. "How long it lasts and whether they can replace that team...they have the philosophy but it's difficult to say if you can find players like Xavi, (Andres) ...
IPL 2019 is stepping stone for World Cup: Warner
David Warner signed off his Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 journey in a grand fashion by scoring a brilliant 81 to help Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) beat Kings XI Punjab by 45 runs, here on Monday.
Coutinho sale launched Liverpool European elite return
Liverpool have grown used to seeing their prized assets snatched away by Spanish giants over the past decade, but the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona has helped lay the foundations for a successful rebuild at Anfield. Coutinho, who has struggled to match the expectations of his ?142 million ($183 million) price tag, will come up against his former team at the Camp Nou on Wednesday as Liverpool travel to Catalonia for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on the back of a 10-game winning run. Liverpool learned their lesson from the departures of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano to Madrid and Barcelona that quickly dismantled the title-challenging team put together by Rafael Benitez and the devastating effect of losing Luis Suarez to Barca had five years ago. With the Spanish champions desperate for star power when Neymar walked out to join Paris Saint-Germain in August 2017, the Reds hierarchy dug their heels in and drove the price up for the Brazilian. Coutinho ...
Liverpool's flying full-backs ready for Barca test
Neither Trent Alexander-Arnold nor Andrew Robertson have Lionel Messi's star power, but the buccaneering Liverpool defenders could play just as vital a role as the Barcelona captain in their mouth-watering Champions League semi-final. Virgil van Dijk has hogged the spotlight among Liverpool's defenders with a superb campaign that earned the Dutch centre-back the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year award. Ahead of Wednesday's first leg against Messi's Barca, Robertson and Alexander-Arnold have emerged as essential contributors to Liverpool's bid for Champions League glory. With 24 assists between them in all competitions, England right-back Alexander-Arnold and Scotland left-back Robertson are pivotal figures in Jurgen Klopp's game-plan. Robertson's 11 assists have equalled the Premier League record for a defender and Alexander-Arnold is not far behind, with nine, making Liverpool's full-backs are as much wingers as defenders. It has become the most demanding, ...
Love match as Altidore and Stephens announce engagement
American tennis star Sloane Stephens and USA international Jozy Altidore announced a love match with both posting on Twitter that they are getting engaged. Altidore tweeted the news on Monday with a picture and a message that read, "Forever starts now" while Stephens wrote "Forever yes" next to a red heart. The couple have been dating since 2016. The 2017 US Open champion Stephens has won six WTA Tour titles and was runner up at the French Open last year. Stephens grew up in Fresno, California but moved to Florida to attend a tennis academy at a young age. She and Altidore were childhood friends during her time in Florida. In addition to her Grand Slam success, the 26-year-old Stephens was a member of the 2017 US Fed Cup team and reached the championship match of the WTA Tour Finals in 2018. The 29-year-old Altidore currently plays for Toronto FC in the Major Soccer League and has represented the US at almost every level, including two World Cups. Altidore, who grew up in Boca Raton, .
Czech international Sural killed in auto crash in Turkey
Czech Republic international Josef Sural was killed and six other Alanyaspor players were injured on Monday when their van crashed on the way home from a Turkish league soccer match. The 28-year-old Sural died in the hospital during emergency surgery, Alanyaspor president Hasan Cavusoglu told NTV television by telephone. The six other players were reported to be in stable condition. Cavusoglu said Sural and his six teammates hired a private luxury van to return from a game at Kayserispor in central Turkey. The crash occurred near the entrance to the town of Alanya, on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Cavusoglu said the driver of the van was being questioned by police. "Our pain is huge," Cavusoglu said. State-run Anadolu Agency said the van veered off the road and overturned. It identified the injured players as Wanderson Baiano, Steven Caulker, Isaac Sackey, Papiss Demba Cisse, Welinton Souza and Djalma Campos. Cavusoglu later told CNN-Turk television that the injured players had ...
I worked on being the best father and best husband, says Warner recalling ball-tampering ban
The 12-month ban a thing of the past now, David Warner Monday said he just tried to be the best father and the best husband in the aftermath of the career-threatening ball-tampering episode. Warner and Steve Smith were handed 12-month bans by Cricket Australia for their role in ball-tampering in South Africa last year, a punishment which both the player have already served. Post the ban, Warner was in imperious form in the ongoing IPL and signed off his season with 692 runs, the highest so far in the tournament, before heading home for World Cup preparations. "I have had time off to work harder at my game. Put the bat down for 16-18 weeks and just worked hard on being the best father and husband, that has worked for me. Yeah, I try to be the funny man in the team, the prankster," Warner said at the post-match press conference. Warner, who is the leading run-getter in the ongoing IPL with 692 runs, said he just backed his natural instinct. "It's obviously great to get out there and do
Warner signs off in style as SRH beat KXIP by 45 runs
David Warner notched up his eighth half century of the season to help Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Kings XI Punjab by 45 runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Rajiv Gandhi International stadium here on Monday.
India lost 1-3 to Mexico in MU-15 football tournament
India lost 1-3 to Mexico to suffer its second defeat of the 2019 MU-15 Tournament in Palmanova, Italy on Monday. This was India's second defeat in as many games, after it lost 0-3 against USA on Sunday. Jesus Hernandes Moreno opened the scoring for Mexico early on, before Carlos Eduardo Guillen added another. Aula Siba came inches close to pull one back for India, when he got an opportunity to tap it in from inside the six-yard-box. However, he sent his shot agonisingly wide. Eventually, Sridarth won and converted a penalty towards the end of the first half to give India a fighting chance. However, Moreno scored again, just after the changeover, to secure the three points for the Mexicans. It was a second half to forget for the Indians who knocked hard on the Mexicans' door but to no avail. Ashu, Amosa Lalnundanga and Ratanbi Singh combined well to create a few chances, but it was too little, too late, as Mexico ran away with the win in the end. India will next play Slovenia on ...