Page 605 - Sports
McCullum announces BBL retirement with coaching intentions
Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum announced his retirement from Big Bash League (BBL) as he looks to transition into a coaching career.The 37-year-old, who ended his international career in 2016, told his teammates at Brisbane Heat of the decision after his side's six-wicket win against Adelaide Strikers on Sunday. However, McCullum will continue playing in other T20 leagues before beginning his career as a coach."I will continue to play T20 cricket in 2019 in various competitions around the world and will then look to transition into a coaching career. The prospect of being able to transfer the skills, experience and leadership I have been lucky enough to bank over my long T20 and also international career into coaching is very exciting," ICC quoted McCullum, as saying in a statement.McCullum has been linked with the Heat in 2011 and has been a regular for the tournament since 2016. He has scored 920 runs in 34 matches, which includes nine half-centuries."I have absolutely .
Guptill ruled out, Neesham called up for T20Is
Seam-bowling all-rounder Jimmy Neesham has made it to the New Zealand T20I squad that will take on India following opener Martin Guptill's ruling out after sustaining back injury.Guptill picked up the injury during fielding practice ahead of the final ODI and underwent a fitness test in Wellington. However, he continued to feel pain in his lower back. "Unfortunately Martin has not recovered in time for this T20 series, which is very condensed with three games over five days," ICC quoted New Zealand coach Gary Stead, as saying on Monday."It is a shame as he is obviously a big part of our white-ball sides, but we have got to look at the big picture and ensure he gets the injury right."The opener will return home to Auckland for rest and recuperation with a hope he regains fitness in time for the series against Bangladesh next week. Guptill has been one of the most consistent performers in the white-ball formats for his country. He has amassed a world record 2272 runs at an average of
Bates avers restricting Mandhana in T20Is key for White Ferns
Wellington [New Zealand], Feb 4 (ANI): No team has trounced New Zealand Women in the past as Indian Women have. To heal the heartbreaks of a first-round exit in the 2018 World T20 and the ODI series defeat, Suzie Bates hankers to reduce Smriti Mandhana's boundaries in the forthcoming T20I series, beginning on February 6.India's tour of New Zealand saw Mandhana's formidable form, which helped her side win the first two games and clinch the ODI series 2-1 by huge margins, resulting in the 22-year-old becoming the number one ODI batswoman along the way.In an exclusive interview to ANI, Bates said: "She [Mandhana] is a classy player and loves pace on the ball. She has scored at a very good clip in the one-dayers. So we will have to come up with good plans to reduce her boundaries in T20Is."The Indian opener, adjudged the Women's Cricketer of the Year and named in T20I Team of the Year by ICC in 2018, played a crucial role in India's campaign at the World T20, scoring 178 runs in five ...
Bertens defeats Vekic, wins St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy
Second-seeded Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands rolled to a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 win over Croatia's Donna Vekic to clinch the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy final and claiming the eighth title of her career.
Sri Lanka skipper says battered team will bounce back in SAfrica
Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal insisted Monday his battered team can lift their game and be competitive on the upcoming tour to South Africa despite being outplayed over two Tests by Australia. The visitors lost the opening day-night Test in Brisbane by an innings and 40 runs inside three days and followed it up by a 366-run thrashing on day four in Canberra. It extended a dire run of results for troubled Sri Lanka, who have been hit by injuries and off-field dramas. They have now lost a home series to England 3-0, then away to New Zealand 1-0 to go with their two defeats in Australia. The first Test in South Africa looms on February 13, with the squad flying straight there from Australia this week to continue a gruelling overseas schedule. "We are a young team and always learning how to play, especially in these tough conditions. We will bounce back in South Africa," Chandimal said "I mean, they are three tough tours, we have finished two and now South Africa. "South Africa is .
Fowler banishes demons to capture first Phoenix Open
Rickie Fowler survived a nervy back nine on Sunday to shoot a three-over 74, out-dueling Branden Grace down the stretch to win the Phoenix Open for his fifth US PGA Tour title. Fowler lost a five-stroke lead on a roller-coaster back nine, and closed with the highest score by a winner in tournament history, but he still managed to banish some demons at TPC Scottsdale. He held the 54-hole lead here twice before, including last year when he finished in a tie for 11th. "I had to dig deep and fight through. It wasn't easy out there," said Fowler. "I am happy to get this one out of the way. "It has been long time to get a win here. There have been plenty of good finishes, but too many second-place finishes." His 17-under 267 total was good enough to win by two strokes over South Africa's Grace, who briefly held the lead on Sunday but made a bogey on 17. Grace fired his second straight two-under 69 to finish alone in second. American Justin Thomas was third after a one-over 72 for a ...
Santander winner stuns Inter, AC Milan hold Roma
Federico Santander scored the winner as struggling Bologna stunned Inter Milan 1-0 to pile the pressure on coach Luciano Spalletti as Roma rescued a point with a 1-1 draw to AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico. Santander's header gave new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic the perfect start as the relegation-threatened side earned their first win in over four months. But Spalletti's Inter were booed off the pitch at the San Siro after their third-place cushion was cut to four points on city rivals AC Milan, who occupy the final Champions League berth, with Roma a further point back in fifth. Paraguayan forward Santander broke through after 33 minutes with his header enough to seal just a third win this season and first since September 30. Inter are still searching for their first win of 2019, being held to a goalless draw by Sassuolo and losing 1-0 to Torino in Serie A before exiting the Coppa Italia on penalties to Lazio in the San Siro this week. "Unfortunately when we have to fight or to cope ...
Aguero hat-trick sinks Arsenal, City close gap on Liverpool
Pep Guardiola was glad to see Manchester City's clinical best return as Sergio Aguero's hat-trick closed the gap Premier League leaders Liverpool to just two points in a 3-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday. The champions were let off the hook by Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Leicester on Wednesday, 24 hours after City's shock 2-1 defeat by Newcastle with what Guardiola described as an unrecognisable performance. This time City did take advantage of playing a day before Jurgen Klopp's side, who travel to West Ham on Monday, to pile on the pressure and jump back ahead of Tottenham, who had leapfrogged City into second on Saturday. "After what happened at Newcastle, everybody thought we would be seven points behind, everyone expected Liverpool to beat Leicester," said Guardiola. "But a lot of things are going to happen until the end of the season, a lot of games will be tough. That is the real Premier League, you know better than me what that means and what we have to do. "The most important ...
Benzema on target again as Real close gap at the top
Real Madrid gained ground on both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in La Liga as Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior each scored in a 3-0 win over Alaves on Sunday. Benzema, Vinicius and Gareth Bale started together for the first time and two thirds of the newly-dubbed 'BBV' delivered as Madrid capitalised on Barca being held by Valencia and Atletico losing at Real Betis. Mariano Diaz, on as a substitute, added a third late on. After 22 rounds, this is the first in which Madrid have been the only winners from the established three clubs, which is as much an indication of their own inconsistency as the sturdiness of Atleti and, particularly, Barca. Madrid could now overtake Atletico if they win the city derby next weekend but the difference behind Barcelona, whom they face in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, is still a considerable eight points. "We will fight for everything until the end," Solari said. "Today there was a real hunger to cut the gap." It may have been the 5-1 loss to Barca in .
Hockey midfielder Navjot Kaur completes 150 international matches
Indian women's hockey team midfielder Navjot Kaur, who climbed the ranks in the national team with significant performances, completed the milestone of playing 150 international matches.The Kurukshetra-born player achieved the feat during her side's match against Ireland in India's tour of Spain on Sunday. Kaur made her international debut in 2012 in a series against New Zealand in Napier after showcasing her talent in junior tournaments such as the Junior Asia Cup and International U-21 tournament in the Netherlands, where India had finished third.She was part of the team that excelled at the Hockey World League Semi-Finals 2015 taking India to the doorsteps of the 2016 Rio Olympics.Hockey India Secretary General Rajinder Singh congratulated Kaur, saying: "Navjot has shown India that her experience is vital for the team, time and again with her improved performances over the years. I congratulate her on completing her 150 international matches for India today. She is an inspiration
'It's a bad dream,' Sala's father says after plane recovered
Argentine football star Emiliano Sala's father Sunday was awakened from a sound sleep to learn that the plane in which his son was killed, has been found. "I can't believe it. It's a bad dream," Horacio Sala said when contacted by Cronica TV at his home in Progreso. He was the only one to stay behind in Argentina when the family rushed to Nantes, France to try to help with the search. "I talk to them every day. But since I don't have WhatsApp it's expensive to call them or for them to call me. But anyway, they kept saying days were going by, and that there had been zero word on Emiliano, or on the plane," his father said. Sala was travelling from France to join up with his new club, Premier League side Cardiff City, in a light aircraft on January 21 when it went missing close to the Channel Islands. Suspected debris from the plane washed up on the Normandy coastline in France last Wednesday. Sala was flying in the Piper PA-46 Malibu plane after transferring from French team Nantes in .
Trump: NFL people thankful he signed criminal justice bill
President Donald Trump claimed that "a lot of people" from the NFL have been calling and thanking him for signing legislation addressing concerns with the criminal justice system. Trump also said during an interview broadcast Sunday that he and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell have set aside their differences over players kneeling during the national anthem. Trump relentlessly criticised the practice as being disrespectful to the American flag and he faulted Goodell for not doing enough to stop it. Players saw kneeling during the "Star-Spangled Banner" as a prime opportunity to heighten public awareness of how minorities are treated by the criminal justice system. The president pivoted to the new criminal justice law when he was asked if he thought the players who knelt had a point, and whether he was sensitive to their concerns that most victims of police violence are black. Trump said the legislation was the product of years of effort dating to before he took office. "And I got it ...
Azam's 90 in vain as Pakistan lose T20 series winning streak
Babar Azam hit a majestic 90 but Pakistan's long streak of series wins came to an end in the second Twenty20 international against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday. South Africa took a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match series with a dramatic seven-run win. Pakistan had not lost a T20 series since they were eliminated from the World T20 in India in March 2016. Pakistan were on track to overhaul South Africa's 188 for three until Azam was out off the first ball of the 17th over. It started a collapse in which six wickets fell for 34 runs in four overs. The contrast between the two innings was stark. South Africa started slowly but stand-in captain David Miller plundered an unbeaten 65 off 29 balls as the hosts scored 127 runs off the last ten overs, including 29 off the final over bowled by Usman Shinwari. Pakistan scored rapidly at the start of their innings, with Azam hitting the first three balls off Beuran Hendricks for four. It was 70 for one at the end of the ...
ISL: Lanza brace helps ATK move up
Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) boosted their chances of landing a top-four finish with a dominant performance to outsmart Jamshedpur FC 2-1 in an Indian Super League (ISL) contest at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Sunday.
45 injured during jallikattu event in Tamil Nadu's Tirupur
At a jallikkattu event in nearby Tirupur on Sunday, 45 persons were injured, police said. A total of 500 bulls, including the traditional kangeyam bulls and 550 tamers, participated in the sport which was inaugurated by state Animal Husbandry Minister Udumalai Radhakrishnan. Officials said 45 persons involved in the game were injured, of which 38 were treated for minor injuries. Two were admitted at the government hospital here and four at the government hospital in Tirupur. Those injured include 29 tamers. Ten persons watching the game and two bull owners were also injured. The bulls were sent to the arena only after medical checkup by veterinarians, with 13 medical teams and 13 ambulances kept ready for any emergency, police said.
Rashford strike lifts surging Man Utd into fifth
Manchester United closed in once more on a top-four Premier League finish as Marcus Rashford's fine form continued with the only goal in a 1-0 win at Leicester to move up to fifth. Rashford cushioned Paul Pogba's through ball into his path before blasting home his sixth goal in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's 10 games in charge just nine minutes in. A 2-2 draw at home to Burnley in midweek is the only match Solskjaer has failed to win and another victory lifts United a point above Arsenal and to within two points of fourth-placed Chelsea in the fight for Champions League football next season. However, as is often the case on the road, United relied on goalkeeper David de Gea for all three points as a Leicester side that have often troubled the top six this season improved after half-time. Twice the Spaniard stood tall to deny Jamie Vardy, but De Gea's best save came from Rachid Ghezzal's free-kick that arrowed towards the top corner.
Calicut Heroes beat Chennai Spartans 4-1 in Pro Volleyball League
Calicut Heroes registered a comfortable 4-1 win over Chennai Spartans on the second day of the Pro Volleyball League at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Sunday. Riding on Player of the Match Ajith Lal's scintillating form, Calicut made light work of Chennai, securing a 15-8, 15-8, 13-15, 15-11,15-11 win in front of roaring fans. Lal top scored for his team with 14 points (13 spikes and 1 block), while Chennai's highest scorer was Rudy Verhoeff with 8 points (6 spikes, 1 block and 1 serve). Ahmedabad Defenders will take on Black Hawks Hyderabad on Monday.
Indian National Autocross Championship concludes
The Indian National Autocross Championship (INAC) concluded here Sunday. Run under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, the event is an entry point for many budding drivers to kickstart a career in motorsports. The driver eligibility for the INAC finals was based on performance in the four regional rounds, a media release said. The venue also simultaneously hosted IARC Open Autocross 2019, an open competition for car enthusiasts. Two key highlights of the event were 'Tandem Drifting' and 'The Race of Legends'. Tandem Drifting saw industrialist Gautam Hari Singhania and ace rally driver Gaurav Gill enthral the audience with some amazing sideways action. The Race of Legends boasted of a star-studded line-up of 22 track and rally champions of the past. Vikram Mathias triumphed in the Race of Legends while Nikhil Taneja and Sagar Muthappa finished second and third, respectively.
Stand-in Proteas captain Miller slams half-century
Stand-in captain David Miller hit an explosive half-century as South Africa made a strong finish to their innings in the second Twenty20 international against Pakistan at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday. Miller slammed 65 not out off 29 balls to enable South Africa to post 188 for three in their 20 overs. Captaining South Africa for the first time because Faf du Plessis was rested for the last two matches of the series, Miller went on the rampage in the closing overs after South Africa made a relatively sedate start on an unusually slow, dry Wanderers pitch. Miller hit five sixes and four fours as South Africa scored 127 runs in the last ten overs of an innings which was interrupted for half an hour by a rain shower. The break came with South Africa on 140 for three after 17.1 overs and they added 48 runs off the remaining 17 balls of the innings. New cap Janneman Malan and Reeza Hendricks put on 58 for the first wicket but used up 53 balls. Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim, who opened the
Bhullar signs off T-34th at Saudi International
India's Gaganjeet Bhullar carded an even par 70 on the fourth and final day to finish at Tied-34th place in the inaugural Saudi International golf tournament here Sunday. India's sole player to make the cut, Bhulllar hit the ball very well and gave himself a lot of chances on the final but never really got on top of these greens through the week. From being two-under through the first five holes, he ended even par 70 and finished four-under for the week. Dustin Johnson and Li Haotong slugged it out on the back nine of the Saudi International, before the World No. 3 American pulled off a birdie-birdie finish despite going all over desert to emerge a two-shot winner. Johnson carded three-under 67, while Li, who had four eagles in the third round, including three on the back nine, had three bogeys on the same nine on the final day, in his 69. That sufficed to edge aside Tom Lewis (65) for sole second. Li birdied the last, while Lewis, who threatened to be a spoilsport with five birdies ..