Page 905 - Sports
England sniff victory after Mathews wicket in second Test
Spinners led by Jack Leach helped England close in on a series-clinching victory after Sri Lanka lost a fighting Angelo Mathews for 88 in the second Test on Saturday before rain stopped play. Moeen Ali trapped Mathews lbw in the first over after tea to end the senior batsman's solid resistance that had kept alive Sri Lanka's hopes of chasing down a target of 301. Leach struck soon to get Dilruwan Perera for one when torrential rain halted proceedings for the day with Sri Lanka on 226 for seven in Kandy. The hosts, who trail the three-match series 0-1, need another 75 to win with three wickets and three sessions in hand. Niroshan Dickwella was batting on 27 when play was stopped. Leach has claimed four wickets with his left-arm orthodox spin while Ali has taken two on a turning pitch. Mathews, who hit his third half-century of the series, took crease with Sri Lanka on a shaky 26-3. The former captain played a gritty innings that lasted 137 deliveries and also built crucial ...
Wagner completes 150 wickets after Pakistan take lead
Left-arm paceman Neil Wagner became the eighth New Zealand bowler to take 150 or more wickets as Pakistan took the lead on the second day of the first Test in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The 32-year-old dismissed Yasir Shah for nine to achieve the feat in his 37th Test before Pakistan reached 225-8 at tea, taking a lead of 72 runs on New Zealand's first innings total of 153 all out. Richard Hadlee tops the chart for New Zealand with 431 wickets in 86 Tests. At tea Babar Azam was batting on a solid 60 with five boundaries and Hasan Ali was four not out. Pakistan were well-placed at 144-4 at lunch, seeking a big lead to get a 1-0 advantage in the three-match series but Trent Boult (3-52) checked their progress by dismissing Asad Shafiq for 43. Debutant left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel, who has figures of 2-64, struck twice to reduce Pakistan's chances of a big lead. Shafiq was bowled off an inside edge as he tried to force Boult while at the other end Sarfraz Ahmed swept away Patel for two and ..
Indian football team stranded ahead of International friendly
Ahead of their first-ever football International friendly against Jordan, seven players and support staff of the Indian national team have been left stranded here at the Kuwait International Airport for over 32 hours due to heavy thunderstorm and rains."Amidst torrential downpour along with lightning and thunder which has inundated Kuwait City with heavy flooding, forced postponements and cancellation of several flights, seven players- Jeje Lalpekhlua, Balwant Singh, Manvir Singh, Sumeet Passi, Udanta Singh, Halicharan Narzary, Ashique Kuruniyan- along with some members of the support staff were left stranded for over 32 hours at the Kuwait International Airport en route to Amman," a statement by All India Football Federation (AIFF) reads.To add to all the dismay and frustration, the luggage including player's kits, team equipment and personal belongings of all the players and support staff also went missing when they landed.However, the match between the two countries will kick-off ..
Zverev tops Isner, becomes first German since 2003 to reach ATP Finals last 4
Alexander Zverev defeated John Isner 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 and became the first German player to reach the last four of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Finals since 2003.
Mathews 87 keeps Sri Lanka afloat in second Test
Angelo Mathews struck an unbeaten 87 to keep alive Sri Lanka's hopes of chasing down a target of 301 despite a persistent England spin attack in the second Test on Saturday. The hosts were 219 for five at tea on the fourth day in Kandy. They still need another 82 runs to win the game and level the three-match series which they trail 0-1. Mathews kept the spinners at bay during his 135-ball stay, building crucial partnerships including a 73-run fifth wicket stand with Roshen Silva (37). Moeen Ali broke Silva's resistance after getting the batsman caught behind with a faint edge. The umpire had given Silva not out before England successfully reviewed the decision in their favour. At the break, wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella (23) was batting alongside Mathews, who hit his third fifty of the series. Jack Leach had rattled the Sri Lankan top-order with three early wickets, reducing the hosts to 26-3 after England were bowled out for 346 in the morning session. Left-handed opener ..
Brazil top Uruguay 1-0 in spirited friendly
Brazil defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a friendly match decided by a debatable penalty converted by Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar.
Manav Thakkar settles for bronze in Belarus Open
India's Manav Thakkar settled for a bronze medal in the U-21 singles category while Harmeet Desai progressed to the pre-quarter finals of the men's singles in the ITTF Challenge Belgosstrakh Belarus Open here on Friday. Manav, who had an impressive run in the tournament, lost to Russia's Denis Ivonin in the semifinals (2-3) to miss out on the gold. He began well, winning the first game 11-5, but lost the next 4-11. They shared the next two games too but Ivonin had the last laugh, winning the hard-fought decider 11-9. Manav made a huge impact earlier, upsetting the U-21 World No. 8 from Japan, Yuki Matsuyama. Harmeet too impressed in his outing, beating Russia's Alexey Liventsov 4-2. He took the opening game 11-9 but lost the next two (6-11, 10-12). The Indian then came into his own and won the next three (11-7, 11-6, 11-6 ) to enter the next round. He takes on China's Zheng Sun in the pre-quarters. Manav, who also competed in the men's singles, lost to Belgium's Robin Devos 0-4 ...
Ecuador coach sounds note of caution after win over Peru
Supporters of the Ecuador national football team should guard against high expectations after the side upset Peru in a friendly, coach Hernan "Bolillo" Gomez has said.
UAE draw 0-0 with Bolivia in friendly
The Emirati national football team played Bolivia to a scoreless draw in a friendly match Friday at Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium in Dubai.
Djokovic battles past Cilic, goes undefeated in ATP Finals round-robin play
Serbia's Novak Djokovic defeated Marin Cilic 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 in his final group stage match at the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Finals and heads into the weekend as the clear favourite to win a record-tying sixth title.
Palmeiras looking to strengthen grip on first place in Brazilian league
Palmeiras will be looking to tighten their stranglehold on the first place in the Brazilian football league when they take on Parana in a late-season clash on Sunday.
Lakshya Sen cruises into semifinals of World Junior Championship
Young Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen defeated Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin of Malaysia 21-8 21-18 to storm into the semifinals of the men's singles event of the BWF World Junior Championship here. The world No 3 Lakshya opened strongly against his Malaysian rival and completed the quarterfinals tie in just 31 minutes. He surged ahead with a solid lead in the first game where his opponent was a mute spectator. But in the second game, the Malaysian did well to keep abreast of Lakshya and was separated only by a few points. The Indian used his court craft and hitting to led throughout. In the semifinals, Lakshya will take on the top-seeded Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, who disposed of Indonesian Alberto Alvin Yulianto 21-14 21-17. "He is a very good player and I am aware of it. I will have to be on my feet to beat him. I am up for the challenge," Lakshya said. However, the Indian pair of Vishnu Vardhan Panjala and Srikrishna Sai Podile could not progress any further as the duo went down to ...
AIFF lauds women's team after advancing to 2nd round of Olympic Qualifiers
The All India Football Federation on Saturday lauded its women's senior team for advancing to the second round of the AFC Olympic Qualifiers. The 2020 Olympic Qualifiers were held recently held in Yangon. "This is for the first time the Indian women have qualified for the second round. Congratulations," AIFF general secretary Kushal Das said. The executive committee members of AIFF met at the Football House. AIFF senior vice-president Subrata Dutta chaired the meeting in the absence of president Praful Patel. The committee condoled the death of former AFC general secretary Peter Velappan, and AIFF medical committee member Dr. Manpreet Gambhir. A minute's silence was observed as a mark of respect for each of them. Das also apprised the committee about AIFF's MoU with the Government of Odisha. "The Government of Odisha has been extremely supportive for the development of Indian Football and I need to thank the honourable CM Shri Naveen Patnaik ji for all his support," he stated. "The ...
Uncertainty over Pakistan participation in World Cup ends after they get Indian visa, new sponsor
Pakistan hockey squad is finally set to fly to India for the World Cup after clearing the visa and sponsorship hurdle that threatened its participation in the mega event beginning November 28. Not only did the Indian High Commission issued visa to the players, the new sponsors have also released nine million Pakistani rupees to cover the team's expenses in the tournament to be held in Bhubaneswar from November 28 to December 16. Sixteen nations are competing in the World Cup. Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Shahbaz Ahmed confirmed that the issues facing the team have been sorted though the new head coach Tauqir Dar and assistant coach Danish Kaleem are still awaiting their Indian visa. "Their applications were submitted a bit late because they joined the team recently but the Indian High Commission has said they will be issued visas soon," he said. He said the issuance of visa was a big relief for the PHF as two years ago the national junior team couldn't go to India to ...
New Zealand push Pakistan back in first Test
New Zealand grabbed the key wickets of Azhar Ali and Haris Sohail to push Pakistan back on the second day of the first Test in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. At lunch, Pakistan were 144-4 with Asad Shafiq (25) and Babar Azam (24) at the crease, trailing New Zealand's first innings total of 153 by just nine runs. The two have added 53 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket stand to bolster Pakistan's bid for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Resuming at 59-2 Pakistan lost overnight batsmen Sohail for 38 and Azhar for 22 in the space of just six balls at the same score of 91. Sohail was the more confident of the two, having hit four boundaries but was caught at short mid-wicket by Tom Latham to a loose shot off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi's low full toss. Azhar, who added 64 for the third wicket with Sohail, was dropped by Jeet Raval off Trent Boult when on 19 and was again lucky two runs later when given not out as the same bowler reviewed for a leg-before decision. But Boult had the last laugh, ...
World T20: Devika Vaidya replaces injured Pooja Vastrakar
Pacer Pooja Vastrakar has been ruled out of the ongoing International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's World T20.The 19-year-old, who "sustained a knee injury during a warm-up match against West Indies ahead of the tournament, has been replaced by spinner Devika Vaidya," according to the ICC.ICC's event technical committee, comprising of Geoff Allardice, Chris Tetley, Mel Jones, Ebony Rainford-Brent, Jennifer Nero and Roland Holder, has approved of her replacement.Vaidya is expected to join the squad in time for the upcoming semi-finals to be played in Antigua on November 22.In the interim, India will play their final group fixture against Australia in Guyana later today to decide the group topper.
Momota stunned in Hong Kong Open semis HONG KONG
Top-ranked Kento Momota was sent packing from the Hong Kong Open Saturday after a stunning semi-final loss to South Korean Son Wan-ho. Son triumphed 18-21, 21-16, 21-19 in an exhausting 89 minutes -- the longest match of the tournament so far -- after seeing off a late boost from the exhausted Japanese star in the decider. Momota led through the first game but slipped for long enough for his opponent to level at 17-all after conceding six consecutive points. He kept the edge after the interval before Son broke into the lead at 12-11 with a gravity-defying let after a tap at net. Momota evened with a backhand after springing back from prone position after a stumble but couldn't stop the sixth seed from powering ahead. Son led through most of the third game but Momota kept at his heels, drawing level five times before an agonising miss on match point. Momota has been in searing form since his return to the sport after a gambling scandal saw him slapped with a 12 month ban. But the ...
Leach rattles Sri Lanka with three quick wickets
England spinner Jack Leach claimed three early wickets to peg back Sri Lanka who were chasing a daunting 301 on the fourth day of the second Test on Saturday. The hosts were 93 for three at lunch, still needing 208 runs to win the game after having bowled out England for 346 in their second innings. Leach, 27, shared the new ball with paceman James Anderson to rattle the Sri Lankan top-order with his left-arm orthodox spin on a turning Kandy pitch. But opener Dimuth Karunaratne, batting on 54, held firm to keep alive Sri Lanka's chances of levelling the three-match series after the tourists won the opening game in Galle. Angelo Mathews (28) was batting alongside Karunaratne who scored his second fifty of the match. Karunaratne, who made 63 in Sri Lanka's first innings of 336, put on an unbeaten 67-run fourth wicket stand with Mathews after the islanders had slipped to 26-3. Leach got opener Kaushal Silva stumped for four and soon sent Dhananjaya de Silva trudging back to the pavilion .
Bowlers toil after India A declare at 467/8 against New Zealand A
Parthiv Patel top-scored with 94 before India A declared at 467 for eight, but their bowlers struggled in the face of New Zealand's strong response in the unofficial first Test here on Saturday. Opting to bat after winning the toss, India A declared their first innings after some useful contributions from the lower-order batsmen. The visitors were 340 for five at stumps on the opening day at the Bay Oval. Medium pacer Blair Tickner was the most successful bowler for the home team, returning figures of 4/80. New Zealand made a strong response, reaching 176 for one at stumps on the second day. Opener Hamish Rutherford, son of former New Zealand captain Ken, was going strong at 106 off 169 balls, hitting 16 boundaries and a six. is opening partner, Will Young, made 49 before falling to off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham. Gowtham was the only India A bowler to pick up a wicket, as the New Zealand A openers put on 121 runs. Mohammed Siraj and Gowtham did the bulk of the bowling while medium ...
Avoid confrontation with Kohli, du Plessis tells Australia
South African captain Faf du Plessis offered tips to Australia ahead of their big-ticket clashes against India: avoid confrontation with Virat Kohli and give him "silent treatment". Du Plessis on Friday said that his team gave India captain Kohli the "silent treatment" in an attempt to keep him quiet when the two teams squared off earlier this year. "There are guys like that in international cricket (who enjoy the confrontation). We feel like that when we play against someone like Virat Kohli, he wants to get into the fight," the Protea said. Du Plessis' South Africa beat India 2-1 in the series but Kohli emerged as the top run-getter with an aggregate of 286 from three Tests at an average of 47.66. "There's one or two guys in each team around the world that we as a team discuss before playing against them. We're like, 'better not say too much to him because you'll get him going'." Kohli has been in imperious form throughout the year. The world no 1 Test batsman notched up 593 runs ...