Page 547 - Sports
Umtiti ready to start for Barca against Sevilla
FC Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has said that defender Samuel Umtiti, absent for most of the season due to injury, is fit enough to start against Sevilla.
Shimron Hetmyer's century helps Windies level series against England
Shimron Hetmyer heroics with the bat helped the Windies register a 26 runs win over England in the second ODI.As a result of this win, Windies have levelled the five-match ODI series.Hetmyer scored a knock of 104 runs off just 83 deliveries enabling the team to post 283 runs on the board.Chris Gayle was able to post a half-century again in the second ODI.England's chase got off to a horrendous start as they lost both their openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow in quick succession. Eoin Morgan (70) and Ben Stokes (79) had a 99 runs partnership and they brought England back into the game. But as soon as Morgan departed, England's chase got derailed and they were not able to chase down the total. The team was pegged back by the constant loss of wickets.Sheldon Cottrell was the star with the ball for the Windies as the bowler was able to take a five-wicket haul in the match.Eoin Morgan after the match said "A game is never won until right at the end. Two games into the series I felt we ...
Big Bash league gives Aussies edge over India in T20 series, says Alex Carey
Australia's wicket-keeper Alex Carey believes that his team will give India a tough competition in the T20 series as the recently concluded Big Bash League has the Aussies in T20 mode."The guys have had their Big Bash campaign just finished and they're in T20 mode so we'll hit the two T20s and then get stuck into the five one-dayers", cricket.com.au quoted Carey as saying."The confidence is up for all the players and we're really excited now to get playing, get stuck into the Indians," Carey added. Nine of Australia's 15 man squad for the T20 series played at least eleven BBL matches in the 2018-19 edition. Six players in Australia's squad featured in this year's Big Bash final.The opening batsman Darcy Short was phenomenal in the Big Bash league and was named player of the tournament. The opener is in the running to get the spot in the playing XI as a result of his performance."I think the guys coming off the Big Bash have played a lot of T20 cricket and I think we'll treat these as .
PSG hoping to send fans asleep
Paris Saint Germain admitted Friday they would be happy to send fans asleep after their dominance of the French Ligue 1 title chase was reflected in a new multi-million euro sponsorship deal with a hotel giant. The French champions, who enjoy a 14-point lead at the top of the table and are well placed to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, agreed a new shirt sponsorship deal with the French multinational Accor. PSG president Nasser Al-Khela?fi admitted that the deal could even see fans get the opportunity to stay overnight at the club's Parc des Princes ground in the French capital. "We can imagine that," Al-Khelaifi told AFP when asked if he could see the agreement stretching to hotel breaks at the stadium. "Accor can exploit the lounge spaces at the stadium, create temporary hotels on the pitch or behind the goals. When there are no matches, people want to sleep at Parc des Princes! There are lots of things that can be done." PSG had announced on Thursday that from next ...
'See the light again': Piatek keeps AC Milan's Champions League bid on track
Trigger happy Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek continued his goal-scoring spree in a 3-0 win for his new club AC Milan over lowly Empoli on Friday to keep their Champions League ambitions firmly on track. The 23-year-old joined Milan from league rivals Genoa last month and has now scored seven goals in six matches, including a double in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. Lucas Paqueta had a goal disallowed and Samu Castillejo forced two saves in the first half at the San Siro before Piatek broke through after 49 minutes. Franck Kessie added a second two minutes later with Spaniard Samuel Castillejo, who played a role in the first two goals, heading in the third on on 67 minutes. AC Milan consolidated fourth position in Serie A and pulled within a point of city rivals Inter Milan, in third, who travel to Fiorentina on Sunday. "After a few years, Milan sees the light again," said coach Gennaro Gattuso. The seven-time European champions last competed in the Champions League in the 2013-2014
Controversial strike helps West Ham push Fulham closer to trapdoor
Fulham were given a helping hand towards relegation by Javier Hernandez as West Ham came from behind to secure a 3-1 victory on Friday. Hernandez cancelled out Ryan Babel's early strike by jabbing the ball in with his hand the far post. It was a punch that knocked the stuffing out of Fulham, especially after it was replayed on the big screens to the dismay of the travelling fans. Referee Lee Mason and his assistants missed it but video technology would have surely seen the goal disallowed. That will be scant consolation to Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri, though, as his struggling side conceded further goals from Issa Diop and Michail Antonio. The defeat at the London Stadium left the Cottagers eight points adrift of safety with just 11 matches to go and that bleak picture could look even worse after the weekend fixtures. "It's unbelievable. We started very well," Ranieri told Sky Sports. "They were very dangerous on corners and it was a big pity the referee was covered by players and ...
Deulofeu hat-trick sinks Cardiff in Watford romp
Gerard Deulofeu's first hat-trick in English football saw Watford stroll to a 5-1 victory at Cardiff on Friday and climb to seventh place in the Premier League. Deulofeu fired Watford into a first-half lead before scoring twice in as many minutes just after the hour-mark. Troy Deeney added further gloss with two more -- his first league goals since the start of January coming either side of a Sol Bamba consolation. "During the season I have missed a lot of chances but today I scored three and improved my finishing," said Deulofeu. "That is the way. "The season is really good. We have to finish at the same level. We have to keep going and be strong as a team." Despite their second-half collapse, Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock will no doubt feel that his side should have been awarded a 42nd-minute penalty with the score at 1-0. Josh Murphy had just made his way into the area when Daryl Janmaat clattered him from behind, but referee Simon Hooper was unmoved by frantic Cardiff appeals as he .
Aymeric Laporte signs contract extension with Man City
Aymeric Laporte has signed a two-year contract extension at Manchester City, the Premier League champions announced on Friday. The 24-year-old, who joined City in a then club record GBP 57 million (USD 74 million) deal in January 2018, is now committed to the club until 2025. The French centre-back has excelled this season, becoming a mainstay of a side challenging for success in four competitions. "I could not be happier to commit my long-term future to Manchester City," said Laporte. "The club offers me everything I need to improve my game. I've already made great strides and I want to continue getting better and better." Laporte came through the youth ranks at Athletic Bilbao and was first targeted by City in 2016. He chose to turn down a move at that time, preferring to continue developing in Spain, but City eventually got their man and believe they have done smart business. Director of football Txiki Begiristain said: "Aymeric is a huge talent and the fact he has committed his ...
Chelsea's Sarri cannot understand intense pressure
Maurizio Sarri says he cannot understand why his position as Chelsea boss is under threat when he considers Pep Guardiola's first season at Manchester City. The 60-year-old Italian is clinging to his job, seven months since his appointment, after Chelsea's humiliating 6-0 defeat at City, leaving them outside the Champions League qualification places. Yet Sarri's Chelsea have more wins at this stage of the season than City did in Guardiola's first season at the Etihad Stadium in 2015/16. Guardiola had a history of success at Barcelona and Bayern Munich and was given time and funds to overhaul City, who will be bidding to win a second successive League Cup against Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday. History suggests Sarri is not likely to receive the same leeway but he also pointed to the praise given to Arsenal boss Unai Emery in the Spaniard's first season in the Premier League. Sarri, who is seeking the first trophy of his management career, said: "We are in the first final of the season. .
League Cup final Sarri's last stand as Man City's quadruple hunt heats up
While Manchester City are eyeing the first of a potential historic four-trophy haul as they prepare for Sunday's League Cup final, reeling Maurizio Sarri is facing what could be his last match as Chelsea boss. Beating the Premier League champions to win a trophy may seem like an harsh ultimatum for the Italian just eight months into his reign at Stamford Bridge. But the Chelsea hierarchy are notoriously trigger-happy and the Blues' rapid dip in form since beating City in the league in December has left Sarri close to joining a stellar cast of coaches to be cast aside. The nadir came in a 6-0 humiliation at the hands of City just two weeks ago, the Blues' heaviest defeat in any competition since 1991 and one that saw them slip to sixth in the league. A FA Cup elimination to Manchester United followed, in which tellingly even the fans, who have stayed loyal to previous managers sacked by Roman Abramovich, turned on Sarri. A thumping 5-1 aggregate victory over Malmo in the Europa League .
Man Utd aim to dent Liverpool title dream and boost top-four hopes
Manchester United fans are desperate to deny Liverpool Premier League glory this season, even if it means another title for their cross-town rivals Manchester City. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's in-form team have a chance to severely dent Liverpool's chances on Sunday when they host Jurgen Klopp's side in a fixture that has weighty historical importance to go with its significance in the title race. The match is effectively Liverpool's game in hand, with City, level on points at the top of the table after playing a game extra, facing Chelsea in the League Cup final on the same day. But they face a rejuvenated United under interim boss Solskjaer, who has lifted them into the top four since he took over from the beleaguered Jose Mourinho, sacked in December following a 3-1 drubbing at Anfield. In his spell of more than 26 years as manager at Old Trafford, Alex Ferguson argued more than once that a meeting with Liverpool, rather than City, was United's true derby. It is a feeling that still ...
Emery hopes for change in luck as Arsenal seek stability
Arsenal's bad luck with defensive injuries was summed up when the welcome return of Sokratis in the midweek Europa League victory against BATE Borisov came at the expense of another setback for Laurent Koscielny. Manager Unai Emery hopes French defender Koscielny, who returned from a long-term achilles injury in December, will recover in time to face struggling Southampton at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The Arsenal boss is desperate for his side to discover a degree of consistency, which has been missing since they visited St Mary's Stadium for the first meeting of the season between the two clubs in mid-December. Manchester United, currently occupying fourth place in the Premier League, are just one point ahead of Emery's side and face high-flying Liverpool on Sunday, with sixth-placed Chelsea involved in the League Cup final against Manchester City, giving Arsenal a chance to clamber back into the top four. But to do so, they must avoid a repeat of the display that allowed ...
'Ones for the future': Cottrell, Hetmyer lead Windies to victory
Sheldon Cottrell marked his return to the West Indies team with a five-wicket haul as the home side snatched a series-levelling 26-run victory over England in the second one-day international of a five-match series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Friday. Dropped for the curtain-raiser two days earlier where the English cantered to a six-wicket win in a high-scoring fixture, the 29-year-old Jamaican left-arm fast bowler returned figures of five for 46 as the top-ranked visitors lost their last six wickets for 35 runs to be dismissed for 263 in response to what looked a comparatively modest West Indies total of 289 for six. "You need options in this day and age and Cottrell gave us that extra bit of variation with the ball," said West Indies skipper Jason Holder of his match-winning bowler amid the victory celebrations. "I love his energy. His is one for the future. It's really good to see so many of these players stepping up." Shimron Hetmyer's unbeaten 104 gave a labouring West ...
Careful what you wish for, ECB's Draghi tells eurosceptics
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Leaving the European Union or the euro currency does not equate to greater sovereignty for the country involved, which would then become hostage to decisions made elsewhere, the head of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi said on Friday.
ISL: Sougou hat-trick hands Mumbai play-off spot
Riding on a hat-trick by Moudou Sougou, Mumbai City FC drubbed ATK 3-1 and confirmed a spot in the Indian Super League playoffs at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Friday.
T20: Mumbai beat Punjab; Gujarat win thriller vs Rajasthan
Led by pacer Dhawal Kulkarni, Mumbai defended a modest 156-run target as they defeated Punjab by 35 runs in their Group C Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match here Friday, registering their second successive win in the premier domestic T20 tournament. In a thrilling match in Surat, Gujarat defeated Rajasthan "by one over eliminator" after the two teams ended with identical scores in 20 overs and the match was tied. Opting to bat first, Rajasthan posted 143/7 in their alloted 20 overs at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat. In reply, Gujarat's innings also ended on 143/7 after which the match went into one-over eliminator, which also saw scores being tied. Since scores of the eliminator were also tied, Gujarat were eventually declared winners on the basis of higher number of boundaries hit by them in the main match. They collected four points. In another Group C game in Indore, Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, who had hit an unbeaten 100 in 61 balls against Railways ...
Sougou hands Mumbai play-off spot
A Moudou Sougou hat-trick was enough for Mumbai City FC to drub ATK 3-1 and confirm a spot in the Hero Indian Super League playoffs here on Friday. After three matches without a goal, Modou Sougou (26', 39', 60') returned to the scoresheet with an excellent performance. Andre Bikey headed in a consolation in the 67th minute, but the hosts could not find a way back into the game and are now out of the reckoning. The win takes Mumbai to the third spot on the table with 30 points while ATK remain sixth. A midfield battle ensued in the first half as both teams looked to keep possession of the ball. ATK started the half well but Mumbai soon stamped their authority, showing efficiency in the attacking third. Pranjal Bhumij skipped past his marker on the left flank and crossed into the centre for Sougou in the 21st minute. The Senegalese's first touch took Arnab Mondal out of the equation, but Andre Bikey tackled the ball off his feet before the striker could find the net from ...
Sri Lanka with chance to make history against South Africa
South Africa and Sri Lanka were locked in a tense, low-scoring battle at the end of the second day of the second Test at St George's Park on Friday. Needing 197 runs to achieve an historic series win, Sri Lanka were 60 for two at the close. It was an extraordinary day's play during which 18 wickets fell and 282 runs were scored, leaving both teams with a chance of victory. Sri Lanka, who won the first Test in Durban by one wicket, will become the first team from Asia to win a Test series in South Africa if they can score 137 more runs, while South Africa will earn a face-saving share of the series by taking the remaining eight wickets. South Africa seemed set to take control when Sri Lanka collapsed in a flurry of strokes to be bowled out for 154 before lunch, giving South Africa a first innings lead of 68 runs. But Sri Lanka's bowlers hit back, bowling out the hosts for a paltry 128 - by 40 runs their lowest total in a home Test against the islanders. Suranga Lakmal, Sri Lanka's most
Chennai Spartans beat Calicut Heroes in provolley league final
: Chennai Spartans snapped the unbeaten streak of Calicut Heroes, posting a 3-0 (15-11, 15-12, 16-14) win in the final to win the inaugural Pro Volleyball League here Friday. The Leagues top scorer and Best Spiker Rudy Verhoeff again delivered as he scored 13 points (11 spikes and 2 blocks). For Calicut, leagues MVP Ajith Lal was the highest scorer with 9 points (9 spikes). By winning the first edition of the league, Chennai Spartans also qualify for the FIVB Asian Mens Club Volleyball Championship. The first set was close until Chennai went into a 3-point lead at 8-5 entering the first Technical Time Out (TTO). After losing a super point and allowing Calicut Heroes to close the gap, the home team pulled away and took the set 15-11. Calicut, who hadnt lost a single match this season, started the second set nervously. Chennai didnt have to work hard for their first four points as three errors from skipper Vinith and one from Karthik gave Chennai a 4-1 lead. For Chennai, .
Around 500 to shoot for 14 Tokyo Olympic quotas at ISSF World Cup (Preview)
Despite the scrapping of two of the 16 Tokyo Olympics quotas on offer, the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol New Delhi 2019 is all set for an exciting start with around 500 shooters from 60 nations gunning for glory at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range here from Saturday.