Victoria(British Columbia), Oct 31 (AP) Protesters forced the 2010 Vancouver Games torch relay to be diverted from its planned route, hours after organisers kicked off what is supposed to be the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history.
Several hundred protesters, angry that billions are being spent on the Olympics instead of housing and health care, blocked Victoria city streets for hours yesterday, preventing the torch from passing by Government House and forcing organisers to reroute.
Relay organisers attempted to drive the torchbearers around the demonstration. Instead, they were taken several miles away to Victoria's waterfront.
Then, more than a half-dozen participants lined up side-by-side along the road, where they passed the flame from torch to torch without running their segments.
The run resumed with a short relay to the day's final stop, the provincial legislature.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Vancouver Winter Games torch relay diverted
Australia win toss, elect to bat
New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) Australian captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat against India in the third one-dayer at Feroze Shah cricket stadium here today.
India are unchanged for the match but injury-hit Australia have been forced to bring in debutant Graham Manou to replace regular wicketkeeper Tim Paine, who broke his finger during the second ODI in Nagpur.
All-rounder Moises Henriques has replaced Shaun Marsh and Doug Bollinger comes in for Ben Hilfenhaus for the visitors.
The series is currently level 1-1.
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma.
Australia: Ricky Ponting (c), Shane Watson, Cameron White, Mike Hussey, Adam Voges, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Johnson, Graham Manou, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger.
Irfan not to play against Delhi in Ranji match
Vadodara, Oct 31 (PTI) After missing Irani Trophy and Twenty20 tournaments earlier this year, medium pacer Irfan Pathan has preferred opted out of the first Ranji Tie against Delhi beginning here November 3 due to a knee injury.
He has been replaced by Shatrunjay Gaekwad, who had been dropped from the initial team announced by the selection committee of Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) a couple of days ago.
In irfan's absence, Connor Williams will lead the team and Pinal Shah would be his deputy.
The team: Connor Williams (Capt), Satyajit Parab, Yusuf Pathan, Jacob Martin, Azhar Bilakhia, Pinal Shah(V. Capt, WK), Rakesh Solanki, Shatrunjay Gaekwad, Rajesh Pawar, Sankalp Vohra, Ketan Panchal, Swapnil Singh, Salim Yusuf Veragi, Ajitesh Argal and Murtuja Vahora.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Brett Lee out of India series, returns to Australia
New Delhi, Oct 30 (PTI) Injury-ravaged Australia's campaign in the ongoing one-day series against India received a body blow today with pace spearhead Brett Lee ruled out of the remainder of the series because of an elbow injury.
The 32-year-old would return home midway through the series to consult specialists, the team management said in a statement.
Lee was unable to complete his 10-over spell during the first ODI against India in Baroda and was not available for selection in the second match of the series in Nagpur.
Today, he had a light practice at the Ferozeshah Kotla and captain Ricky Ponting said he was 85 percent fit.
"Brett's elbow injury has not responded as well to treatment as we would have liked and therefore a decision has been made to send him home to consult with an elbow specialist," team physiotherapist Kevin Sims said.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Less ODI would prolong Tendulkar’s career: Border
| NEW DELHI, Oct 29: Sachin Tendulkar should cut down on his limited over appearances to prolong his Test career, feels former Australia captain Allan Border. "I have high esteem for Tendulkar and his achievements in international cricket. But I think, it would be better for him to appear in fewer limited over matches, including one-dayers. It would help him to prolong his Test career," Border said. Border, who made 11,174 runs for Australia from 156 Tests, feels Tendulkar’s ability to handle pressure is the mantra behind his success in international cricket. "Representing your country for 20 years in international arena is not a small achievement. There is always a lot of pressure on an international cricketer and I must say Tendulkar has managed it beautifully," Border said. Tendulkar, who has till date scored 12,773 runs from 159 Tests, since making his debut against Pakistan in Karachi way back in 1989. "Like many others, his career was also disturbed by injuries. But even after many ups and downs, Tendulkar still has the same passion and love for the game," said Border, who is here as the brand ambassador of Airtel Delhi Half Marathon to be held on Sunday. "Tendulkar is a player who always looks for improvement. It would be very difficult for others to climb to his stature," the former left-handed batsman said. Border also expects a keen contest between India and Australia in the ongoing seven-match ODI series, but feels the hosts have the momentum after last night’s comprehensive win. "After thrashing Australia in the second match, India certainly has gained the momentum. But both the teams are evenly powerful and I expect a close finish, probably a 4-3," the 54-year-old Aussie said. Riding on skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s breathtaking 107-ball 124, India crushed Australia by 99 runs to claw their way back into the series, which is now levelled at 1-1. "India would have a slight edge because they know the environment. And it is always difficult to deal with so many injuries while playing such a long series. It’s very important to keep the key players fit," Border said. Australia’s injury woes deepened when wicketkeeper Tim Paine was ruled out for the rest of the series after he broke his finger during the second ODI in Nagpur. "The team (Australia) is still going though a transition period after retirements of players like Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Justin Langer. It is always difficult to fill the void," Border said. He also lavished praise on India captain Dhoni for his leadership qualities. "Dhoni is a aggressive captain and he has brought about that attitude in the squad. He is leading by example like what he did in the last match. He is also getting support from his team-mates," Border said. (PTI) |
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
India win by 99 runs
Dhoni smashed a 107-ball 124 to guide India to a record 354 for seven, the highest against Australia, after they were sent in to bat before the home team bowlers bundled out the visitors for 255 in 48.3 overs at VCA Stadium at Jamtha, to cancel out their narrow four-run loss in Vadodara on Sunday. Besides tearing visiting attack to shreds to notch up his fifth ODI ton in 147 matches, Dhoni clobbered two century stands 119 with Gambhir for fourth wicket and 136 with Raina for the fifth, pushing India score past earlier highest against Australia 315 all out in Bangalore in March 2001. The Australian bowlers felt the full fury of Dhoni’s blade after Gambhir was run out just before the mandatory change of ball. Dhoni joined forces with another left-hander Raina, who struck one six and six fours, to simply tear the Aussie attack to ribbons with a partnership of 136 in only 96 balls.
Matthaeus rejects coaching job
Monday, October 26, 2009
Beckham certain to return in January: Milan
The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder, who wants to play in Europe to try to secure his place in England's World Cup squad, had previously said the deal was 95 percent done.
"It's 100 percent certain. The only thing that is missing is the signatures but the agreement is complete," Galliani told Italy's Sky television.
Beckham is expected to stay at the San Siro from January until the end of the Serie A season in May, just as he did this year.
He has previously said he intends to go back to Galaxy following June's World Cup in South Africa, if selected by England coach Fabio Capello.
Media reports had linked the former Manchester United player with a return to the Premier League but the 34-year-old had always said another stint at Milan was his preferred option.
TOI
Sunday, October 25, 2009
National school games from Oct 26
Panaji, Oct 24 (PTI) The Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Goa will conduct the 55th National School Games in football, baseball and taekwondo for the year 2009-10 from October 26 to 30 at the Nehru stadium, Fatorda.
Addressing a press conference, Susan D'Souza, Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Goa said in all 24 states will participates in different categories.
She said Goan boys and girls have been undergoing rigorous training for the last 15 days and hoped that they would bring laurels to the state.
Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Manipur, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Bihar have so far confirmed their participation in the event, stated Suzan.
Schiavone wins Kremlin Cup
MOSCOW, Oct 25: Italy’s Francesca Schiavone won just the second title of her career on Sunday by defeating Olga Govortsova of Belarus 6-3, 6-0 in the Kremlin Cup final.
The 29-year-old veteran, ranked 24th in the world and seeded eighth in Moscow, won in one hour 17 minutes to record her second win in three head-to-head meetings with Govortsova.
The finalists traded breaks throughout a closely-fought first set, but it was Schiavone, the 2005 runner-up here, who was the more consistent.
Oz pip India to go 1-0 up in the series
Praveen, Harbhajan heroics in vain • Ponting and Co solid with bat VADODARA, Oct 25: Praveen Kumar and Harbhajan Singh’s batting heroics took India agonisingly close to a sensational win before the hosts slumped to a four-run defeat against Australia in the first match of the seven-ODI series on Sunday. At 201 for seven in their pursuit of a 293-run victory target, India seemed heading for a comprehensive defeat before Praveen (40 not out) and Harbhajan (49) came up with a defiant 84-run stand off 57 balls for the eighth wicket that nearly took them home. Much to the disappointment of the crowd, India eventually managed 288 for eight, put together by cameos from Gautam Gambhir (68), Virat Kohli (30), MS Dhoni (34), Praveen Kumar and Harbhajan. Earlier, Ricky Ponting (74) led from the front and was amply supported by Mike Hussey (73), Tim Paine (50) and Cameron White (51) as the visitors rattled up 292 for eight after opting to bat first on a featherbed track. Faced with the daunting task of scoring at 5.86 per over, the star-studded Indian line-up came a cropper against some disciplined bowling and tight fielding to be left struggling at 201 for seven with the last 10 overs remaining. Harbhajan and Praveen brought down the target to 30 from the last 15 balls and then nine from the last six. But once Harbhajan departed off the second ball of the final over from Peter Siddle, India lost the momentum and Australia stopped the hosts four runs short of their total. Earlier in the innings, Gambhir played the sheet-anchor’s role after the cheap dismissal of openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar to top-score with 68 off 85 balls with six fours and a six in it. Dhoni and Kohli, surprisingly promoted to number four in the batting order, made starts before getting out when in their 30s. After being 167 for three in the 35th over, the Indians lost three quick wickets - Gambhir, Suresh Raina (9) and Dhoni - while adding only 19 runs and it became 201 for seven at the fall of Ravindra Jadeja in the 40th over. Harbhajan and Praveen kept the hosts in the hunt with some lusty hits to raise visions of a come-from-behind victory, but in the end it proved of no avail. With this win, Australia surged to their second successive victory at this venue over the home team, having beaten the hosts by nine wickets in 2007 at this ground. The thrilling victory put the visitors 1-0 up in the series ahead of the second day/night encounter at Nagpur on October 28. Though India came close, their top-order batting, bowling as well as fielding were thoroughly exposed by the Australian team which is riding on a high after whipping England 6-1 and then retaining the Champions Trophy in South Africa. Scorecard Australia: Shane Watson lbw b Nehra 5; Tim Paine c Dhoni b Sharma 50; Ricky Ponting lbw b Jadeja 74; Cameron White c Raina b Nehra 51; Michael Hussey c Kohli b Sharma 73; Adam Voges c Gambhir b Harbhajan 3; James Hopes run out (Sehwag) 14; Mitchell Johnson not out 14; Brett Lee b Sharma 0 Extras: (b-0, lb-2, nb-2, w-4) 8 Total: (for eight wickets in 50 overs) 292 Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Watson, 1.2 overs), 2-102 (Paine, 18.6), 3-151 (Ponting, 29.3), 4-227 (White, 42.2), 5-233 (Voges, 43.5), 6-256 (Hopes, 46.3), 7-291 (Hussey, 49.1), 8-292 (Lee, 49.6) Bowling: Praveen Kumar 10-0-77-0 (2w); Ashish Nehra 10-0-58-2 (1nb); Ishant Sharma 10-0-50-3 (1nb); Harbhajan Singh 10-0-57-1 (2w); Ravindra Jadeja 9-0-39-1; Suresh Raina 1-0-9-0 India: Virender Sehwag c Paine b Lee 13; Sachin Tendulkar c Ponting b Watson 14; Gautam Gambhir lbw b Johnson 68; Virat Kohli c Watson b Voges 30; Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Lee b Watson 34; Suresh Raina c & b Johnson 9; Ravindra Jadeja lbw b Hauritz 5; Harbhajan Singh b Siddle 49; Praveen Kumar not out 40; Ashish Nehra not out 2 Extras: (lb 10, w 14) 24 Total: (For eight wickets in 50 overs) 288 Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Sehwag, 4.2 overs), 2-45 (Tendulkar, 8.1), 3-103 (Kohli, 20.4), 4-167 (Gambhir, 34.1), 5-183 (Raina, 36.3), 6-186 (Dhoni, 37.2) 7-201 (Jadeja, 39.5), 8-285 (Harbhajan Singh, 49.2) Bowling: Brett Lee 6-0-28-1; Peter Siddle 9-0-55-1 (3w); Shane Watson 10-0-70-2; Mitchell Johnson 10-0-59-2 (5w); James Hopes 2-0-10-0; Adam Voges 4-0-22-1; Nathan Hauritz 9-1-34-1 (PTI)
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Thursday, October 22, 2009
add add * Chawla signs up with Surrey for 2010 county season
London, Oct 22 (PTI) After a successful stint with Sussex, young Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has now signed up with the Surrey County Cricket Club for the 2010 English domestic season.
The 20-year-old took 36 wickets for Sussex last season at an average of 27.25, a performance that made an impression with Surrey manager Chris Adams.
"There were two clear objectives in picking our overseas signing for next season. I wanted the player to be of true International class and I wanted them to be able to commit to spending the vast majority of their season with us ? Piyush fulfills both requirements handsomely," Adams said in a statement.
"There is a fine spin tradition at Surrey which runs from Jim Laker and Tony Lock to Ian Salisbury, Harbhajan Singh and Saqlain Mushtaq and I hope our latest arrival will one day take his place alongside those names," he added.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Nimbus bags TV rights from BCCI for four more years
Mumbai, Oct 20 (PTI) Nimbus Communications has bagged the broadcast rights from the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) for the four years, starting April 2010, for Rs 2000 crore.
Nimbus are the existing right holders for which they had paid the Board USD 612 million and the deal comes to a close next March.
As per the deal, finalised by the BCCI's marketing committee that met today, Nimbus would be paying Rs 31.5 crore per international match - ODI, T20 or Test, according to sources.
The committee also decided to float fresh tenders for the team sponsorship rights that's currently with Sahara, the sources added.
Abhijeet and Rahul share lead at Chandigarh Open
Chandigarh, Oct 20 (PTI) Local lad Abhijeet Chadha and Noida's Rahul Bajaj returned identical even-par 72 cards to share the lead after the opening round of the Chandigarh Open here today.
Just one shot behind the leaders were Tarundeep Chadha and last year's runner-up Vikram Rana.
Further a stroke behind were Chandigarh's Angad Cheema and Akshay Sharma, and Kapurthala's Imamul Haque as they returned a matching two-over 74 card at Chandigarh Gold Club.
"The greens are just not up to the mark and that was causing a lot of problems. Considering the wind and the unpredictable greens, I think even par is a good round out here this week," said Abhijeet.
Patel elected as AIFF pres, Dasmunsi honorary pres
New Delhi, Oct 20 (PTI) Union Minister Praful Patel was today formally elected as the president of the All India Football Federation, thus bringing curtains to ailing Priyan Ranjan Dasmunsi 20-year reign as the head of the AIFF.
Patel, the civil aviation minister in the UPA government at the centre, was elected to the top post unopposed at the Annual General Body meeting of the AIFF at its headquarters here.
Patel was working as acting president of the AIFF since Dasmunsi suffered a cardiac arrest last October.
"I really thank everyone for the support that you have offered to me and I hope we all will work together for the upliftment and development of the game in the country," Patel said in a statement issued by the AIFF.
Dasmunsi held the post of AIFF president since 1988 before encountering the heart-attack, which made him bed-ridden.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Somerset did not deserve to be in semis: Langer
Hyderabad, Oct 19: Former Australian opener Justin Langer has said that his Somerset side did not deserve to reach the semi-finals of the Twenty20 Champions League after their six-wicket defeat to New South Wales. Somerset’s top order failed to fire as they limped to 111-7 - a total the Blues eased past with 49 balls to spare. Departing skipper Langer managed just five in the final competitive game of his 19-year career. "We have been outplayed for a lot of the tournament. I've played for a long time and I know it’s time," the Daily Express quoted Langer, 38, as saying. (Agencies)
Asif barred entry in UAE for NZ ODI
Karachi, Oct 19: Pakistan will not be able to take their key strike bowler Mohammad Asif to UAE for a limited-overs series against New Zealand next month because of the pacer’s detention in Dubai last year over possession of a banned substance.
Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, said on Monday that Asif cannot be a part of the Pakistan team as he will not be allowed entry into the UAE.
"Asif cannot play in the series against New Zealand because he cannot go to UAE. He was deported from Dubai (last year) and according to regulations he cannot enter there," said the PCB chief.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Trinidad beat Eagles by 24 runs
Hyderabad, Oct 18: Trinidad & Tobago confirmed their semi-final berth by beating Diamond Eagles by 24 runs in their Super Eight match of the Champions League on Sunday. Chasing a target of 214, the Eagles could manage 189 in the alloted 20 overs losing 5 wickets.
Earler, Adrian Barath led a stunning Caribbean onslaught with a marvelous 41-ball 63 to power Trinidad & Tobago to a massive 213 for four against Diamond Eagles in a League A match of the Champions League here today.
NSW seal semi-final berth
HYDERABAD, Oct 18: Stuart Clark did the spadework and David Warner then set the tone of the chase as New South Wales crushed Somerset by six wickets with 8.1 overs to spare to book a semi-final berth in the Champions League on Sunday.
Clark (3/15) and his bowling colleagues first restricted Somerset to an unflattering 111/7 and Warner (40 off 16 balls) then came down hard on the English side as NSW cruised to 112 in 11.5 overs, losing four wickets and recording a thumping victory that earned them a semi-final berth.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Australia for scholarships to Indian hockey players
New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) Eager to help Indian hockey get back on its feet, Australia today pledged support in providing training and scholarships for budding players and coaches here.
Visiting Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith announced that starting next year, two players -- a male and female -- and a coach will get free training at the Institute of Sports and Hockey Facility in Perth.
"India is one of the premier hockey playing nations and we are sad that India failed to qualify for Beijing Olympics.
So, all the hockey playing nations, including Australia, want India to return to its historic place as a great hockey playing nation," he told reporters after visiting the Major Dhyan Chand stadium and the Talkotra Stadium here.
Under the scholarship, the selected trio will get a two-week training stint at the Institute which has been in existence for the past 20 years.
Mumbai to host final, two other matches of 2011 WC
Mumbai, Oct 14 (PTI) Mumbai will host the final, along with two other matches, while Mohali will host one of the semifinals of the 2011 cricket World Cup to be organised jointly by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The Local Organising Committee met here today to finalise the venue-based distribution of the 29 games that India is scheduled to host. The rest of the 20 games of the 49-match event have been awarded to Sri Lanka (12) and Bangaldesh (8).
The committee decided to give two other matches to Mohali apart from the semifinal.
Ahmedabad has been given a quarterfinal and two other games, while Kolkata and Delhi will host one India and three other matches each, BCCI secretary N Srinivas said in a statement.
Jaipur has been left out of the list of venues with Nagpur, Chennai and Bangalore getting one India game each.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Indian ODI squad on October 15
Mumbai, Oct 12 (PTI) The Indian cricket squad for the forthcoming seven-match one-day series against Australia will be picked in Chennai on October 15.
"The ODI squad is to be picked on the 15th at Chennai," Cricket Board sources told PTI today.
The selection is keenly awaited following the team's dismal display at the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa where it got knocked out in the preliminary stage itself.
The national selection panel, barring chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth, that watched the N K P Salve Challenger Series which ended in Nagpur yesterday would have some options to bolster the under performing team.
The ODI series would start with the day encounters at the Reliance (previously IPCL) Stadium in Vadodara on October 25 and end with the final day/night clash at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on November 11.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
ONGC edge past BPCL to top pool in Murugappa hockey
ICC suspends WADA’s whereabouts clause
“We need to find a solution to the practical problem India is having, which is a constitutional issue of the country, which is why we decided to suspend the ‘whereabouts’ clause,” ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat was quoted as saying by ‘Cricinfo’ after an Executive meeting of the world body.
The ICC will soon discuss the code with WADA and in a Board meeting scheduled three months from now, it will decide whether to implement the code or not. Until then, the ICC will continue testing players without using the contentious clause.
The clause requires players to give their whereabout details a month in advance for out of competition testing and the Indian players have opposed it, saying it infringes on their privacy and poses a threat to their security.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
India Blue pip India Red by one wicket
Nagpur, Oct 8 (PTI) Suresh Kumar scored a match-winning 87 to help India Blue beat India Red by one-wicket in a nail-bitting contest at the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy cricket tournament here today.
Suresh first shared a crucial 57-run fourth wicket stand with pinch-hitter Harbhajan (36 off 36) and then added 55 alongwith Mahendra Singh Dhoni (37 off 40) to set the platform for the run chase.
Out-of-form Ishant Sharma and leg-spinner Ravindra Jadeja were the pick of the bowlers for India Red. Ishant answered his detractors in style, picking up four wickets for 56 runs from his 10 overs, while Jadeja scalped two victims, giving away 36 runs.
Earlier, riding on Harshad Khadiwale's 51-ball 55 and Ishant Jaggi's 54, India Red posted a competitive 248 runs on the board.
Union Cabinet approves additional fund for CWG
New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) The Union cabinet today approved additional fund for the expeditious completion of capital's infrastructure for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
On a day when the Commonwealth Games Federation delegation inspected proposed venues to take stock of Delhi's preparation for the Games, the cabinet decided to allot more money.
"There are certain areas in which the organisers are lagging behind and that's why the cabinet decided to allot some extra fund so that infrastructure is ready well in time," a source told PTI.
The money is especially for the Nehru Stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremony besides athletics, lawn bowls and weightlifting competitions and Jamia Milia Islamia, venue for rugby and table tennis.
The Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held from October 3 to 14 and over 6000 athletes from 71 countries are expected to take part in the mega event.
CGF delegates happy with CWG facilities: Bhanot
New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) Commonwealth Games Organising Committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot today said that all the visiting CGF delegates are satisfied with the facilities and exuded confidence that all infrastructure related to next year's mega-event will be completed before the deadline.
Delegates from all the 71 member nations of the Commonwealth Games Federation are presently in the Capital for the CGF General Assembly to be held here on October 12 and have inspected a few under-construction venues and the Games Village today.
"We could have completed the stadiums two years back but it would have been of no use. But there are still 360 days to go for the Games and I can assure you that everything will be completed much before the deadline.
"Most of the delegates are very impressed with facilities. We have addressed all their queries.
Duminy's brilliance dump Bangalore in CL opener
Bangalore, Oct 8 (PTI) J P Duminy dazzled with the bat with a blistering unbeaten 99 to guide Cape Cobras to a five-wicket victory Royal Challengers Bangalore in the high-scoring opening Group C match of the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament here today.
Not a single Bangalore bowler was saved from Duminy's pyrotechnics as the left-hander struck eight fours and five sixes in his scintillating 52-ball knock to power the South African side home with two balls to spare.
Apart from Duminy, Henry Davids (27 off 21) and Ryan Canning (20 off 18) were the other notable scorers for Cobras.
Praveen Kumar was the pick of the bowlers for Bangalore, picking up three wickets for 32 runs.
Earlier, Robin Uthappa made a brisk 51 off 39 balls while Taylor scored an unbeaten 53 off 24 deliveries to help Royal Challengers post a formidable 180 on the board.
India placed with South Africa, England in 2011 World Cup
JOHANNESBURG: India have been placed in Group B -- along with England and South Africa -- for the 2011 World Cup in the sub-continent, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Wednesday after a Board meeting.
"In Group A there will be Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya. In Group B there will be India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands," the ICC said in a statement.
The meeting also approved the schedule for next year's Under-19 World Cup scheduled in January in New Zealand.
"The full schedule will be posted on the ICC website shortly," the statement read.
Apart from this, the meeting also discussed ways to promote cricket and decided to have more research on the concept of day/night Tests.
"A competitive analysis of other sports and entertainment products will be carried out by a working group and there will be further research carried out into various proposals for product development and variation of Test cricket, such as day/night Test matches," the ICC said.
"The working group will be chaired by ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat and will include a representative from each Full Member as well as the ICC General Manager - Commercial, Campbell Jamieson and ICC General Manager - Cricket, David Richardson," it added.
Group A: Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya
Group B: India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands.
WSG signs up Gautam Gambhir in a three-year deal
Mumbai, Oct 8 (PTI) Indian opener and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Gautam Gambhir has been signed up by leading Asian sports marketing firm World Sport Group for three years.
The exact figures that the left-handed Delhi cricketer would reap from the deal with WSG, which has Sachin Tendulkar among its clients, were not mentioned in the statement issued by the company, but it's understood to be worth in crores.
WSG CEO Venu Nair said Gambhir is the second Indian cricketer after champion batsman Tendulkar to be signed up by the group.
"Gautam Gambhir - India's opening batsman in all forms of the game currently adds a left hander dimension to the right hander we already represent. The association is a long term one and is for Gautam's worldwide representation rights," Nair said in a media release.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
ICC declares Champions Trophy a huge success
Johannesburg, Oct 7 (PTI) International Cricket Council President David Morgan today termed the just-concluded Champions Trophy "a huge success" and said the event has proved to be a great advertisement for one-dayers.
"I'm delighted with the quality of the tournament and the level of cricket that has been played throughout this competition. It has been a huge success," Morgan said in a statement.
"The cricket was enthralling and the feedback on the event from the players and followers of the game has been overwhelmingly positive. I believe the cricketing world thoroughly enjoyed this re-branded competition as I did," he said.
Morgan said the event, which had been criticised as meaningless by several former cricketers, has proved that it deserves to be there on the ICC calendar.
McGrath replaces Paul Collingwood in Daredevils
New Delhi, Oct 7 (PTI) Australian pacer Glenn McGrath today replaced injured English batsman Paul Collingwood in the Delhi Daredevils team for the Champions League Twenty20 starting tomorrow.
Collingwood will miss the event due to a buttock injury he picked up during the just-concluded Champions Trophy in South Africa.
Retired from international cricket, McGrath will come into the tournament with little match practice as he had warmed the bench during the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa.
Meanwhile, the event's technical committee also allowed South African side Cape Cobras to replace their injured player Richard Levi with Stiaan van Zyl.
Levi is nursing a hand injury he sustained during training in Bangalore this week.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
SAI cannot be blamed for Usha's ill-treatment: Gill
Gill wondered why Usha had blamed SAI after she had been offered a shabby accommodation in Bhopal, prompting the red-faced state government to shift her to a hotel.
"I have a special place for PT Usha. What I learn now is that she has come for the national athletics organised by the state government and their minister came on TV to apologise. If there was any drawback, it was on their part for whatever happened last night," Gill said.
"The SAI centre, in any case, offered her accommodation, the best they had to offer, and gave a car to transport her. I'm not clear why she had to suddenly talk of the SAI centre," Gill said.
Usha was offered an accommodation at the SAI hostel in Bhopal which she found sub-standard and the legendary athlete was in tears as she criticised the SAI officials for their apathy.
"The Industry Minister of the state government took her to the hotel and said some mistakes had happened. They were good to apologise. It was surprising that SAI was dragged in the issue," Gill said.
Watson stars in Aussie win
Australia were crowned the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy winner after Shane Watson's unbeaten century, guiding the defending champions to a six-wicket victory over a depleted New Zealand in the low-scoring final match here tonight.
Watson hit an unbeaten 129-ball 105 (10X4, 4X6) and starred in a 128-run stand with Cameron White (62) under tremendous pressure as Australia, chasing 201 against New Zealand's never-say-die pacers, overcame a wobbly start to reach 206 for four in 45.2 overs.
Earlier, a rudderless New Zealand, sans their injured skipper Daniel Vettori, fumbled and faltered their way to 200 for nine.
The Kiwis had just two decent partnerships in their innings but Martin Guptill (40) and Aaron Redmond (26) took 15.1 overs to raise 61 runs for the second wicket, while Neil Broom (37) and James Franklin (33) added 65 in 14.1 overs, which underlined their struggle in the middle.
For Australia, Nathan Hauritz claimed three for 37.
Considering Australia's batting might, the match seemed to have all the ingredients of a lop-sided show but for Shane Bond and Kyle Mills, who injected drama by dealing early blows that jolted Australia out of any complacency they had.
Shane Bond's second delivery removed Tim Paine (1) and Mills then trapped in-form Ricky Ponting (1) in the next over to reduce Australia to six for two wickets inside three overs.
And New Zealand pacers maintained the same pressure as Australia crawled to 34 for two after 15 overs, an austerity they are not accustomed to.
Watson and White did not panic and ran hard between wickets, while helping themselves to the occasional boundary.
The duo paced the chase with utmost maturity, first weathering the crisis and then opening up.
Mills eventually returned to remove White but the stand had yielded 128 precious runs by then and even Michael Hussey's (11) wicket came too late as Australia had pocketed the match by then.
Watson wrapped it up in style, hitting two successive sixes to romp home.
Earlier, Vettori's last minute pullout with a hamstring injury was just the start of New Zealand's woes and they never got going after opting to bat first at the SuperSport Park.
As if losing Jacob Oram, Daryl Tuffey and Jesse Ryder at different stages of the tournament was not bad enough, the Kiwis walked out in the middle without their inspirational captain and man-in-form Vettori.
This was a mighty blow for the Kiwis as Vettori was New Zealand's leading wicket-taker in the tournament with seven scalps under his belt besides leading their batting averages.
In his absence, Brendon McCullum took over the captaincy reins and Jeetan Patel was drafted in the playing XI but New Zealand were clearly not the same force.
McCullum opted to bat first but to his horror, by the time the match was into its 27th over, the Kiwi top order was cooling their heels in the hut.
McCullum himself let the team down when it mattered most. Not a single run came off the bat in the first two overs as McCullum scratched around before returning for a duck when Peter Siddle ended his 14-ball struggle to get off the mark.
Life was not easy for Guptill and Redmond either with the Australian pacers maintaining a stifling line and length and their fielders ensuring there were no freebies.
Guptill hit Mitchell Johnson for two fours in the same over in a rare moment of aggression but it took him and Redmond 15.1 overs to raise those 61 runs before they were hit by the next setback with Nathan Hauritz getting a distinctly uncomfortable Redmond stumped.
Situation demanded patience and Guptill had got the start as well but the Kiwi batsman made a complete mess of it, offering a tame return catch to Hauritz to leave his team tottering at 77 for three and the crisis was not over yet.
Michael Hussey took a blinder off Johnson to remove Ross Taylor (6) in the next over and then Brett Lee trapped in-form Grant Elliot (9) to polish off the Kiwi top half.
Broom and Franklin tried to put things in order but both perished just when they had started to open up and New Zealand barely managed the 200-mark.
Eden Gardens misses out yet again
The BCCI's internal politicking has ensured that once again, an international tour will go by without a Test match at the venue that has been called "the Lord's of India" - the Eden Gardens at Kolkata.
According to a report on the channel CNN-IBN, the three cities that will host Test matches in the series between India and Sri Lanka are Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
The root of the issue lies in the fact that the Cricket Association of Bengal is led by Jagmohan Dalmiya, who has a long-running feud with the top brass of the BCCI.
This has resulted in the fact that the Eden Gardens have not hosted a Test match since November 2007 when India played Pakistan.
In comparison, since that date there have been 10 Test matches played in India, and the break-up of the cities that have hosted the matches is thus:
Bangalore - 2 matches; Chennai - 2 matches; Mohali - 2 matches; Ahmedabad - 1 match; Kanpur - 1 match; Delhi - 1 match; Nagpur - 1 match.
Even taking into account the rotation policy of the BCCI, it doesn't account for the fact that venues have received two Tests in the period when the Eden Gardens hasn't received a single one, and that all the venues chosen for the Sri Lanka series are from the venues above.
The comparison would be more stark if ODIs were taken into account, since the Eden Gardens has not hosted a single ODI since February 8 2007. Since that time, there have been 22 One Day Internationals played in India, and not a single one at the Eden Gardens.
The break-up of the venues that have hosted ODIs from February 9, 2007 is:
2 matches each: Bangalore, Rajkot, Guwahati and Kanpur
1 match each: Margao, Vishakhapatnam, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Vadodara, Nagpur, Mumbai, Mohali, Gwalior, Jaipur, Indore, Cuttack and Delhi.
Watson credits Warne and IPL for revival
"It (the IPL stint) got my confidence up as a player. It allowed me to come back to the Australian team. It was a massive turning point to play on such a big stage," Watson said after striking his second hundred of the tournament to guide Australia to the title with a six-wicket win over New Zealand.
"The captaincy and coaching ability of Warne was a great learning experience. I learnt how to control my emotions," he added.
The all-rounder played under Warne in the Rajasthan Royals team in the first edition and was the most valuable player of the tournament putting up excellent an performance with both the bat and ball.
Watson rated the 105 he scored in Monday night's final as one of the best of his career.
"In 2007 World Cup semi-finals against South Africa, I was really pumped up but didn't do so well. So it's great to be involved in such a great win. It's one of the real highs of my career and very, very special for everyone in the changing room," he said.
As an opener, Watson has huge boots to fill with both Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist now retired but he has shown the spark in recent months.
"Hayden and Gilchrist are huge boots to fill. They always got off to fliers and they nearly always came good in big events. Hayden was the top scorer in the 2007 World Cup and Gilly scored that memorable century in the finals.
"I'm just trying to be as best I can be," he said.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Randhawa, Kapur miss cut at Alfred Dunhill Links
St Andrews (Scotland), Oct 5 (PTI) Jyoti Randhawa and Shiv Kapur missed the cut after returning over-par cards in the third round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Golf Championship here.
While Randhawa carded a two-over 74, Kapur was even worse at four-over 76 in the penultimate round, finishing the rain-hit event outside the top-60 and ties.
At the top, Luke Donald turned in the lowest round of his European Tour career, carding an eight-under 64 to take the lead at the 14-under.
Concessional CL T20 tickets for students
Mumbai, Oct 5 (PTI) In a bid to lure students to watch watch the Champions League Twenty20 matches, the organisers have announced concessional tickets for the October 8-23 tournament in three Indian cities.
Besides, the organisers have also promised to take the international stars to select schools and colleges for interacting with the students, a media release said.
The initiative, termed "Champions in Schools Programme", would see all three host venues - Hyderabad, Bangalore and Delhi - having specially demarcated student stands located in good viewing positions, the release said.
The students would be offered 25 per cent concession on the rate of tickets for block bookings of 500 or more or a 20 per cent rebate for individual bookings upon production of bonafide I-cards.
NZ win toss, elect to bat against Australia in CT
Centurion, Oct 5 (PTI) New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat against Australia in the final of the Champions Trophy here today.
The Kiwis were dealt a big blow just before the match as skipper Daniel Vettori pulled out of the game due to a hamstring injury.
Vettori has been replaced by Jeetan Patel in the playing eleven and in his absence Brendon McCullum will lead the side.
Apart from Vettori, there are no other changes in the Kiwi squad, while Australia preferred to stick to the same playing eleven.
Squad:
Australia: Ricky Ponting (C), Shane Watson, Tim Paine, Mike Hussey, Cameron White, Callum Ferguson, James Hopes, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle.
New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (C), Aaron Redmond, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Neil Broom, James Franklin, Kyle Mills, Ian Butler, Shane Bond, Jeetan Patel.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Post-2012 FTP to be discussed in ICC Board meeting next week
Johannesburg, Oct 3 (PTI) The working draft of the ICC's post-2012 Future Tours Programme will be discussed at its Board meeting on October 7 and 8 after member nations gave their inputs to the Chief Executives Committee (CEC) in a meeting here.
The CEC, chaired by ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat, met in Johannesburg this week.
"With the current FTP due to conclude in May 2012, CEC continued to engage in developing a further draft of the FTP post-2012. This followed feedback received by ICC management from Members. This process is ongoing and includes a working draft to be presented to the next Board meeting," the ICC said in a statement.
The post-2012 FTP has been hit controversies with Pakistan alleging that it has not been given its due in the schedule.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Manavjit wins trap gold, India bag team silver
New Delhi, Oct 2 (PTI) Reigning world champion Manavjit Singh Sandhu won the individual gold in trap and then joined hands with Mansher Singh and Anwer Sultan to bag the silver medal in team event of the Asian Clay Shooting Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Mansher also finished with two medals after winning the bronze in the individual event.
The day, however, belonged to Manavjit who shot 121/125 in the Qualification Round and 19/25 in the final to win the trap gold.
Mansher shot 113 and 21 to finish with the bronze.
In the team event, Manavjit (121), Mansher (113) and Anwer Sultan (109) totalled 343/375 to win the silver, while the gold went to Kuwait (346).
In women section, Shagun Chowdhary finished fourth with a score of 82/100.
This Championship concluded today and India finished with four gold, two Silver and one bronze medals.
India defeat Denmark in World team Squash C'ship
New Delhi, Oct 2 (PTI) Ritwik Bhattacharya showed remarkable grit and determination after being two games down as India stunned host Denmark in the mens's world Team Squash Championship today.
The win has taken India to the 17th position play-off match against Asian rivals Hong Kong tomorrow at the Squash Centre in city of Odense.
The first match witnessed heroics from Ritwik, who in a nerve-wrecking clash defeated the Danish top seed Rusmus Nielsen 4-11, 12-10, 1-9, 11-9, 11-8 in 52min.
After losing the first game easily, Ritwik failed to capitalise his 10-6 lead in the second game. But the world number 65 then stepped on the gas and kept his opponent behind with excellent volleying and consistency.
Ponting, Watson smash centuries to lead Aus to final
Centurion, Oct 2 (PTI) Skipper Ricky Ponting (111) and Shane Watson (136) smashed elegant centuries as Australia trampled England by nine wickets to storm into the final of the Champions Trophy at the SuperSport Park here today.
Their sublime unbeaten knocks produced a stunning record 252-run second-wicket partnership for Australia as the defending champions continued to torment England.
Chasing 258 to win the first semifinal and earn their second shot at the title, Australia crushed the target with 8.1 overs to spare.
En route to his 28th one-day hundred, Ponting became the first Australian batsman to touch the 12,000 run-mark when he pulled Graham Onions for a four in the 29th over.
Ponting and Watson, who outscored his skipper with his third ODI hundred, put on an amazing batting display to outwit their rivals yet again.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Indians win three medals in Canoe Championship
New Delhi, Oct 1 (PTI) Indian Kayaking and Canoeing team have clinched three medals, including two silvers, in the 13th Senior and seventh Junior Canoe Championships in Tehran, Iran.
Indian duo of Amarjit Singh and Lakha Singh bagged the silver medal in C-2 Senior Marathon category, while compatriot Jamesboy Singh fetched silver in C-1 500m section in the tournament that was held from September 26-29 at Azadi Lake.
Bhakta Singh and Vivek Kumar won the bronze medal in the C-2 Junior Marathon category, a release said.
The team returned this morning.
