Wednesday, April 14, 1999
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S P O R T | Wednesday, April 14, 1999 |
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Ramesh, Dravid guide India to 6-wicket win SHARJAH, April 13 — Sadagopan Ramesh (82) and Rahul Dravid (81) amassed a huge 166-run second wicket stand as India completed a near-perfect chase to subdue Pakistan by six wickets with eleven balls to spare in the final league tie of the Coca Cola Triangular Cricket Tournament here tonight. Paes, Bhupathi sail through NEW DELHI, April 13 —Top seed Leander Paes and unseeded Mahesh Bhupathi breezed into the second round but rest of the Indian challenge evaporated with wildcard entrant Mustafa Ghouse making his exit in the first round of the Servo Indian Oil ATP Challenger Tennis Tournament here today. |
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Fraser was outstanding
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Star bout a lacklustre affair Convincing
victory for RAF Sector Cash
award for Punjab athletes Airlines
triumph in first semis BSF,
PSB sail into semifinals MP
to clash with Karnataka in final
Amandeep, Dipu win Jr
national swimming at Jodhpur |
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Ramesh, Dravid guide India to SHARJAH, April 13 (PTI) — Sadagopan Ramesh (82) and Rahul Dravid (81) amassed a huge 166-run second wicket stand as India completed a near-perfect chase to subdue Pakistan by six wickets with eleven balls to spare in the final league tie of the Coca Cola Triangular Cricket Tournament here tonight. India finally called halt to Pakistan’s recent domination over them by restricting their arch rivals to 205 for nine wickets in 50 overs and then completing a sensible chase to be home by reaching 206 for four wickets in 48.1 overs despite late hiccups due to run outs of Ramesh and Dravid. ‘Man of the Match’ Ramesh (82 - 131 b, 8x4) and Dravid (81 - 121 b, 8x4) reiterated India’s new found confidence by handling the Pakistan attack, their pace scourge Shoaib Akhtar in particular, to carve out a morale-boosting win ahead of the April 16 final against Pakistan. India, coming off embarrassing defeats in the home triseries and the first tie here against Pakistan, gave their fans much to cheer as they hoisted themselves to the top of the three-man pool as stand-in captain Ajay Jadeja once again marshalled his bowling resources well to negate Pakistan’s advantage of winning the toss. Dravid and Ramesh looked set to pull of a nine-wicket win, but Ramesh and Dravid were run out in the 43rd and 44th overs due to horrendous mix-ups and Jadeja fell to a superb catch by Ijaz as India dipped from 183 for one to 190 for four in the 45th over to give some hopes for Pakistan. But Vinod Kambli (9 n.o.) hit the winning boundary with fellow left-hander Robin Singh (7 n.o.) for company to seal the first win for a chasing team in this triseries. UNI: India lost an early wicket when opener Amay Khurasia (5), playing his first match of the tournament, paid the price for shuffling too far across his off-stump. An express delivery from Shoaib Akhtar did him in as it clipped the leg bail, much to the batsman’s disappointment. Khurasia had seemed determined to do well, having glanced Akram to the fine leg fence in the earlier over. Ramesh relished it when Akhtar pitched the ball up to him and picked up fours square off the wicket on either side. But it was Dravid who surprised everyone with his positive approach right from the time he arrived at the wicket. When Akhtar pitched the ball short at him, he responded to the challenge by promptly pulling him to the fence. Then, in Akram’s next over, he played a glorious on-drive. As the Indians kept scoring runs easily, Akram introduced Saqlain Mushtaq into the attack in the 12th over. Ramesh got two fours off him to the third man, the second one, in fact, going past Akram at slip. With Saqlain and Azhar Mahmood in operation, the Indians settled down nicely to milk the bowling. Ramesh, in particularly, had plenty of opportunities to pull and cut as he was fed on either side of the wicket. Dravid hit a classic straight drive off Saqlain to help India go past the 100-mark in the 26th over. Akram brought back Akhtar at this stage, but he failed to make much of an impression on the batsmen who were well set. Ramesh brought up his second half-century of the tournament off 87 balls with five fours. Soon, Dravid also reached his half-century, flicking Afridi to the fine leg fence. He faced 86 balls and struck five pleasing boundaries. With the pair going great funs, Akram shuffled all his bowlers around, looking for a breakthrough as the match was slipping away from his hands. SCOREBOARD India |
Paes, Bhupathi sail through NEW DELHI, April 13 (PTI) —Top seed Leander Paes and unseeded Mahesh Bhupathi breezed into the second round but rest of the Indian challenge evaporated with wildcard entrant Mustafa Ghouse making his exit in the first round of the Servo Indian Oil ATP Challenger Tennis Tournament here today. Bhupathi made a mockery of world rankings by toppling seventh seed Tuomas Ketola of Finland with an authoritative 6-4 6-3 verdict before Paes began his campaign with a less than fluent but one-sided 6-3 6-2 victory over Joseph Sirianni of Australia at the Delhi Tennis Association complex. But promising youngster Mustafa Ghouse joined the ranks of fellow wildcards Prahlad Srinath, Syed Fazaluddin and Nitin Kirtane to crash to a straight sets loss to Gilles Elseneer of Belgium. Ghouse put up a fight in the second set before losing 4-6, 5-7. Paes, seeking to improve his singles ranking which has slipped to 102, took a while to get used to a slightly uneven centrecourt and the balls but kept up the momentum fresh from winning a hattrick of doubles titles with Bhupathi at Chennai to earn a match-up against Ota Fukarek of the Czech Republic. Bhupathi, ranked a lowly 321, displayed virtues as a world class doubles player in volleying and hustling Ketola, a qualifier ranked 186 at the centre court. He will take on German Andy Fahlke next though the latter may not be in peak fitness as he was ill today and failed to play the doubles. Paes survived an injury scare in the first set and struggled with his serves in the second before shutting out his rival easily. With Sirianni serving in the fifth game, Paes tried to run down a deep return to the forehand, but missed his footing to hurt his right ankle. He needed courtside attention from the tournament doctor but continued untroubled thereafter. "The (hard) court slopes off to help water to drain and I missed my footing and landed a bit heavily," Paes said after victory. Paes, did not feel any pain and continued after the doctor’s attention. In the second round tomorrow, Paes meets Ota Fukarek of the Czech Republic. The 255-ranked Ota Fukarek outlasted a slightly higher ranked Noam Behr of Israel in a long-drawn battle on the outer court before clinching the match 7-6 (7-2), 3-6 4-3, Behr retiring due to acute cramps in the eighth game of the decider. Fourth seed Neville Godwin of South Africa became the fourth seeded casualty in the first round when Gregory Carraz of France ousted him 7-6 (7-4) 6-1. But second seed Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus, who took a set off world number two Carlos Moya of Spain in the Chennai ATP Tournament first round, gave no room for surprises. Voltchkov ranked 135, scored a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Michel Kratochvil of Switzerland in a match lasting one hour and 25 minutes to set up a meeting with Wesley Whitehouse of South Africa, who beat Prahlad Srinath in the first round. Top doubles player Jonathan Stark dug deep into his experience as the 380 ranked American scored an upset win over Israel's Lior Mor (209) winning 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 after a long clash lasting just under two hours. But Evan Ran kept Israel's presence into the second round as he scored a comfortable 6-4 6-1 win over Germany's Marcus Hilpert, the Indian national grasscourt champion. Bhupathi produced a splendid effort to outplay the tall Finn Tuomas Ketola. After assessing his rival early on, the Indian made timely forays to the net to catch his rival on the wrong foot and maintained a steady serve and used effective hustling tactics once he settled into a groove. In the first set, Bhupathi traded serves in the seventh and eighth games with Ketola, but clinched the vital break in the ninth game to go up 5-4 before serving out for the set. Then on, Bhupathi had to stave off a lone breakpoint in the fourth game of the second set. Making many forays to the net and volleying with relish, Bhupathi broke the fast tiring Finn in the Fifth and ninth games to close out the match. The Leander Paes-Joseph Sirianni clash never touched any great heights. The top Indian fired six aces, but also sent down as many as seven double faults which he attributed to the change in the balls from those used at Chennai. In a workmanlike show, Paes broke his opponent in third and ninth games to win the first set 6-3 and produced the breaks in the fourth and sixth games in the next. Paes played some
excellent recovery shots as Sirianni was forced into many
errors and also lost his early speed in court movement.
The Aussie also dished out seven double faults, two of
them in the ninth game of the first set. |
England World Cup prospects gloomy LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) — Winning a one-day match of little meaning and less interest is hardly the stuff of dreams for England one month before the cricket World Cup. In a match of no relevance to the outcome of the tournament, England last night halted a sequence of seven one-day losses with a 62-run victory over Pakistan in the Sharjah Cup. Pakistan and India had already qualified for Friday’s final and despite England’s belated victory their overall one-day performances this year do not indicate they will become the first host team to win the World Cup. Prior to their unimpressive outing in Sharjah, England lost six of their final seven matches against Australia and Sri Lanka in yet another triangular tournament. Unsurprisingly captain Alec Stewart remained determined to see silver linings in the storm cloud gathering over the England one-day squad. "Overall it’s been a disappointing tournament," he conceded yesterday. "But I would rather be here in match conditions than at home practising in the nets subject to the weather. It is not all doom and gloom." Indirectly Stewart put his finger on the key to England’s prospects in the Cup, starting at Lord’s on May 14 with the opening match between the home side and defending champions Sri Lanka. Although the sun shone on the opening day of the county championship today, the earliest starting date ever, the English spring weather is notoriously fickle as generations of touring teams have witnessed. Consequently, in a deliberately conservative selection, the England selectors have chosen a squad weighted towards seam bowlers and bits and pieces all-rounders designed to exploit helpful pitches. The worry for the England cricket authorities, frantically trying to woo the youth of the country with a series of marketing campaigns, is that their first choice one-day team is hardly youthful or charismatic and may not even be successful. There was no place in the original squad for Nasser Hussain and Mark Ramprakash, their two most successful batsmen in the losing Ashes series against Australia and two of the best fielders in the country, although Hussain subsequently replaced the injured Mike Atherton. Alex Tudor, who looked in Australia the most promising young England pace bowler in a generation, cannot command a place nor can Ben Hollioake, England’s brightest hope before Tudor came on the scene. None of the above quartet could quibble unduly about their initial omissions but the players chosen in their stead hardly set the pulses racing. Andrew Flintoff is the only player under 27 and the fielding, an area in which South Africa and Australia are outstanding, will be a concern. The upper-order batting in Sharjah was uncertain and the bowling, with its emphasis on medium pace, one-dimensional. Collectively team England are putting a brave face on the current travails. All-rounder Mark Ealham urged supporters not to write off England. "We’ve had a bit of a blip but the selectors have picked a squad of players, including a few specialists for England conditions and there is no reason we cannot go all the way," he said. Coach David Lloyd also exuded his usual optimism. "We’ve still got a lot of work to do but it’s hardly the end of the world," he said. Chairman of selectors David Graveney was even more upbeat. "The lads go back to England knowing that if they do their job we are a match for any team," he said. A nation waits. |
Fraser was outstanding The bubble has burst and Pakistan are no longer invincible. Over confidence and a reluctance to take responsibility by the main batsmen cost them the match. Salim Malik on his return to the team was the exception as he was left high and dry by his colleagues. Too many at the top of the order tried for the big shot and hold out. The pitches have been getting slower and slower, particularly in the second session. Going over the top was bound to be fraught with danger because the bounce wasn't high or true. Some balls kept low and caught the bottom of the bat while others stopped to make batsmen spoon shots in the air. Any thinking batsmen should have worked that out but too many were casual and complacent. Perhaps some of them already believe their own publicity that they are one of the World Cup favourites and can do no wrong. Pakistan has shown a degree of fallibility when chasing runs. They have lost two matches out of the last nine one-dayers and both of them batting second. It is the batsmen who play with gay abandon and irresponsibly put the lower middle order in difficulty. Salim Malik used his vast experience and brain to knock the ball around. He built his innings and waited for the weak bowler, Wells and then attacked him. More of them need a common sense approach when chasing, otherwise their World Cup hopes will rest entirely on whether Wasim Akram can win the toss. He would have to be very lucky to win most of the times and anyway what sort of team are you if you can only win batting first! England will be pleased to get a win. They have been on a losing streak since Australia and carried it on in Sharjah. The trouble with England is they are good at winning when they are out of the competition. It is the same in Test matches. We usually win the last Test match when we've lost the series. We are good at locking the stable door after the horse has bolted! Winning your last match helps you finish on a high note but it can cover up a number of mistakes. Team members go away with false optimism and a bucket full of excuses. The fact is England did not bat well enough in four matches. Whatever the shortcomings and lack of variety, in the bowling they did O.K. This bowling attack was picked to do well on English pitches so it was always going to be difficult for them on Sharjah pitches. Not so the batting. If anything, the pitches here should have been better for batting than those in the matches of the World Cup. Three batsmen were deceived by slower balls, and sending in a pinch-hitter didn't work. Two more absurd run outs, to add to a number of others in previous matches, need some serious attention. A lack of footwork to the spinners by various batsmen and a loss of form by the captain should concern everyone. Alec Stewart hasn't scored a half century in his last seventeen innings. It is imperative to have a captain who is worth his place. At the moment he is not moving his feet and he needs to play straighter. The big plusses for
England have been bowling of Ealham and Fraser who were
supposed to be specialists for English conditions. The
opposition couldn't get after Ealham as he nagged away
and Fraser was outstanding, a mean wicket-taking bowler.
In two matches Knight and Thorpe played well.
Particularly Thorpe who had two excellent half centuries
and came through with no problems from his back. He is
England's best batsman and crucial to any success. —
PMG |
Gelfand moves to third spot DOS HERMANAS, April 13 (PTI) — Boris Gelfand climbed to the joint third spot, winning his postponed first round game against veteran Viktor Korchnoi even as the rest of the field took its second rest day at the Dos Hermanas Chess Tournament yesterday. The win brought Gelfand, a last minute replacement for the indisposed Alexander Morozevich, to three points and he joins Anatoly Karpov and Veselin Topalov in the tie for third to fifth place. Gelfand and Korchnoi were engaged in a 64-move game, which was a queen’s gambit accepted, where the veteran player had black pieces. For the rest of the players it was time for introspection and recovery. But no one needs that more than India’s Viswanathan Anand, who is probably going through the worst patch in memory. Undoubtedly, Anand has been the biggest shock of the tournament. Starting out as one of the favourites. Anand was demolished in round one by Judit Polgar and then he encountered some good opening preparation by Vladimir Kramnik in the third round and lost. Surely excessive play and too little rest is beginning to tell on Anand. He will do well to rest for some time after Dos Hermanas and prepare for his advanced Chess match against Karpov in June and then the World Championship in Las Vegas. Kramnik and Michael Adams share the top spot with 3.5 points each while Karpov, Gelfand and Topalov lie in third place, both with one win each. Kramnik has paced himself nicely, trying for wins with white and playing safe draws with black. There has been no over stretching. Adams is also looking for a big title to boost his status. Standing after fifth
round: Adams and Kramnik (3.5) Karpov, Gelfand and
Topalov (3) Illescas (2.5) Korchnoi (2) Svidler, Anand
and Polgar (1.5) |
Star bout a lacklustre affair ANANDPUR SAHIB, April 13 — The star bout between Jagdish Singh and Shamsher Singh, both of Punjab, turned out to be a tame affair in the Tercentenary Khalsa International Sports Festival which concluded at the Charan Ganga Stadium here late this evening. One expected a keen contest for the Vishwa Khalsa Kesari title in the above 85 kg category in which the winner was assured a hefty prize of Rs 1,25,000. But unfortunately it was a lacklustre affair throughout as both the wrestlers hesitated to grapple. Throughout the referee kept asking both wrestlers to carry on with the game yet both kept gauging each other's strength, employing no technique or any hold. In a six-minute bout a wrestler is supposed to score three points. But even four minutes into the bout, no wrestler had scored any point. The people really seemed to be tired of the farce going on. It was only in the sixth minute of the bout that Jagdish Singh managed to score a point by pushing his rival in a corner. But with the normal time lapsing and no wrestler garnering the required three points, the bout had to be extended for another three minutes. But the same story was repeated even in the extra minutes as both wrestlers showed hesitation in grappling in the real sense. The bout was so boring that had it gone a few minutes further there was a likelihood of the people dragging the two players down the stage. That fortunate moment did not come however as Jagdish Singh was declared the winner with only two points, when a wrestler is normally required to score three points for victory. Perhaps the organisers were afraid of the day-break if they had allowed and waited for the third point, which may never have come. Anyway, a happy ending. But even for this lacklustre effort, Jagdish Singh was awarded the first prize of Rs 1,25,000 and a silver mace. It appears sports is quite lucrative. Shamsher Singh, finishing runner-up, was given Rs 60,000. Bhagat Singh of UP got Rs 40,000 for finishing third while the fourth-placed Harbinder Singh, also of Punjab, pocketed Rs 25,000. For the Mohkam Singh award in the 63 kg weight category, Mukesh Kumar of Punjab beat Gurbinder Singh, also of Punjab, on the basis of points (3-1) to win the top prize of Rs 1 lakh and a silver mace. Gurbinder Singh, who finished runner-up, pocketed Rs 50,000. Ramesh Kumar of Delhi got Rs 30,000 for finishing third while the fourth-placed Yahid Khan of Pakistan had to content with Rs 20,000 prize. For the Bhai Dharam Singh award in the 76 kg category, the fight between Sujit Mann of Chandigarh and Pawan Kumar of Punjab turned out to be a real thriller as both grapplers showed great speed and reflexes to settle the issue between them. However, it was the speed and agility of Sujit which decided the issue in his favour and he was thus awarded the top prize of Rs 1 lakh and a silver mace. Pawan Kumar for finishing second got Rs 50,000. The next two wrestlers — Joginder Singh of Haryana and Rakesh Kumar of HP, respectively, got Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000. The kabaddi final which also turned out to be a see-saw affair between the two teams was finally decided in favour of Punjab (Yellow) who got the better of Punjab (Blue). The match continued for considerable time and provided enough moments of thrill. The final score 48-43 tells all, in favour of Punjab (Yellow). Namdhari Club, Bhaini Sahib, won the tug-of-war event. They defeated Khosa Randhir, Ludhiana, 2-1 in the final. The tie remained a well-contested throughout. The sports event which concluded today remained a big draw over the past five days. Today again, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal spent a few hours at the stadium. Other dignitaries present on the occasion were Mr Barjinder Singh, Editor-in-Chief of Ajit group of newspapers, Mr Nusral Ali Khan, Sports Minister, and film star Dara Singh. International shooter Randhir Singh was also present on the occasion. The Charan Ganga stadium with Naina Devi in the background presented a perfect place for sports and games.
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Empty stadiums worry FIFA LAGOS, April 13 (Reuters) — FIFA said yesterday that it was concerned at the poor turnout of spectators at the current World Youth Cup in Nigeria. "It is worrying to us that spectators are not coming to see the game as expected", FIFA spokesman Marius Schneider said. Attendance at first-round games was less than 3,000 on average. Only 800 spectators saw Ireland beat Australia 4-0 on Saturday in the South-western city of Ibadan. Mr Schneider said the "cost of match tickets and mediocre performance of the host team" could be responsible for the empty terraces. The cheapest seats in the tournament cost 250 naira ($2.70). But this is considered expensive in a country where civil servants earn around 100 naira ($ 1.10) daily. The Nigerian side, who struggled to reach the second round, lost their final group game to Paraguay on Saturday, prompting the sacking of team coach Tunde Disu. He has been replaced by Dutchman Thijs Libregts. Mr Schneider said FIFA was considering lowering prices for tickets, but added that it would be difficult to convince the Nigerian organisers to accept the plan. "We will see that
we can do because the current situation is not
good," he said. |
Convincing victory for RAF Sector JALANDHAR, April 13 — RAF Sector defeated Western Sector by 9-0 in the opening match of the IXth Inter Sector CRPF Hockey Tournament being organised by Group Centre, CRPF, Saraikhas, here today. Pace, punch and proficiency were the hallmarks in RAF Sector's play. RAF outplayed Western Sector in all departments. It was in fact a one sided match. From the very start, RAF had an upper hand. RAF's centre forward Salin Aind opened the goal account of his side in the 11th minute with the help of field goal. Left-in Sudhir Bara scored the second goal for RAF in the 21st minute. Till half-time the score was 2-0 in favour of RAF Sector. On resumption, Western Sector tried to reduce the margin but RAF's confidence and teamwork did not allow them to reduce the margin. Left-out Mohamad Salim of RAF continuously attacked the opponent goal and successfully scored two field goals in the 43rd and 54th minutes, making it 4-0. RAF's centre forward Salin Aind increased the lead in the 56th minute by scoring the angular goal from the right flank of the goalpost and made it 5-0. Mohd Salin scored the sixth goal from his side in the 59th minute. It was again center-forward Salin Aind who scored the seventh and eighth goal in the 65th and 67th minute respectively. Left-in Sudhir Bara made it 9-0 in favour of RAF in the 68th minute. The second match of the day in pool-B between Bihar Sector and Jammu Sector did not impress the spectators as both teams played mid-field hockey. The Jammu Sector's front-line shattered the rival defence but failed to score. In the 5th and 7th minute, the Jammu Sector team got penalty corners, which went abegging. The score-sheet remain blank till the lemon-break. In the second half, for
no obvious reasons, the Jammu men became slow in stead of
maintaining pressure on their rivals. On the other hand,
the Bihar men made some fine moves and continued
attacking the Jammu citadel in search of lead. And they
surged ahead in the 43rd they got the penalty stroke and
this time K. Hembram did not err in finding the target
(1-0). The Jammu Sector equalised in 49th minute when
Poulus Ekka scored a superb field goal. The Bihar men got
six penalty corners in the second half, but they failed
to increase their lead. The score sheet remained 1-1 at
the end of the stipulated period. |
Cash award for Punjab
athletes CHANDIGARH, April 13 — The athletes of Punjab will get handsome cash prize money on the basis of their excellent performance in the National Games held at Imphal (Manipur) in February last, according to a press note of the Punjab Amateur Athletic Association. The association has received a communication in this regard from the Punjab Olympic Association. The athletes along with prize money offered are: Ms Sunita Rani (Rs 96000), Harbans Kaur (Rs 32,000), Jangjit Singh (Rs 32,000), Prabhjot Singh (Rs 27,000), Neelam J. Singh (Rs 22,000), Amindeep Kaur, Hardip Kaur and Sharda Chanal (Rs 10,000 each), Kulwinder Singh and Surinderjit Kaur (Rs 6000 each), Jaspreet Singh, Ajayraj Singh and Sucha Singh (Rs 5000). Coaches — A. Prabhakar and M.S. Dhillon (Rs 5000 each).
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Airlines triumph in first semis LUCKNOW, April 13 (UNI) — A brilliant knock by skipper Vijai Dahiya (101 not out) and his opening wicket partnership of 105 runs with Onkar Singh (38) helped Indian Airlines, Delhi, to defeat Research Design Standard Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow, by eight wickets in the first semifinal of the 49th All-India Sheesh Mahal Cricket Tournament today. At the K.D. Singh Babu Stadium here, the RDSO, put to bat, scored 155 for nine wickets in the stipulated 45 overs. The team opened the innings disastrously, losing first three wickets with only 11 runs on the board off 3.5 overs. Opener Chetan Sachdeva kept his end in tact while wickets fell at regular intervals at the other end. He was unbeaten with 62 runs with two boundaries in his 151-ball innings. Chetan was lucky at his score of nine when he was caught off R.P. Singh but umpire Ranawat declared no-ball. The team’s total was 28 then. Airlines’ R.P.Singh had earlier in the fourth ball of his second over bowled Virendra Pratap for zero. In the next delivery, Sunil Yadav was declared leg before without scoring. Saroj Rai (44) added 86 runs for the fourth wicket with Chetan (62). Saroj hit one six and three boundaries in his 44 runs off 60 deliveries. Sandip Mehrotra was the only other batsman who crossed double figures scoring 12 runs off 16 balls. He was caught at cover off Sukhwinder Singh. Sukhwinder Singh claimed three wickets for 23 runs, R.P. Singh bagged 2 for 26, Vineet Jain, Onkar Singh and Sonu Sharma shared one wicket each conceding 25, 29 and 21 runs, respectively. Chasing a target of 156 runs, Airlines skipper Vijay Dahiya and Onkar Singh (38) erected a century partnership in 22.4 overs. Onkar’s 38 consisted off one six and three hits to the fence while Dahiya hit 12 boundaries in his unbeaten 105. Dahiya and Ishan Gonda added remaining unbeaten 35 runs for victory. Brief scores: RDSO, Lucknow: 155 for 9 in 45 overs (Chetan Sachdeva 62 not out, Saroj Rai 44, Sandip Mehrotra 12, Sukhwinder Singh 3 for 23, R.P. Singh 2 for 26,) Indian Airlines, Delhi:
156 for 2 in 34 overs (Vijay Dahiya 101 not out, Onkar
Singh 38, Sandeep 1 for 33). |
BSF, PSB sail into semifinals CALCUTTA, April 13 (PTI) — Defending champions the Border Security Force (BSF), formidable Punjab and Sindh Bank (PSB), Army Services Corps (ASC) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) sailed into the semifinal of the 104th Beighton Cup Hockey Tournament here yesterday. In a pulsating Group 'B' quarterfinal league clash, BSF Jalandhar, edged past CISF, New Delhi, 4-3, to reach the last four stage as runners-up in the group with four points. CISF, despite having the same number of points as BSF, entered the pre-summit round topping the group on the strength of a better goal difference. In Group 'A', ASC, Jalandhar, pipped City Sports Club, Lahore, 1-0, while PSB drubbed Calcutta Port Trust (CPT) 5-1. PSB and ASC both wrapped up their league engagements with five points, but the former finished group champions with a superior goal difference. Corps of Signals inflicted a shock 2-1 defeat on UP XI ending the latter's hopes of reaching the semifinals. BSF went into the lead in the ninth minute through a Marinus Lakra field strike, and consolidated their position as Harbhajan Singh scored a field goal in the 28th minute and converted a penalty corner five minutes into the second half. CISF's G.B. Xaxa reduced the margin following a combined move four minutes later, but Amrit Lakra put the winners ahead 4-1 in the next minute. The in-form Xaxa again scored in the 55th minute, while Paramvir Singh struck another field goal for CISF in the 60th to make the scoreline 4-3. Though CISF pressed hard to restore parity, the BSF defence held firm for the rest of the match. PSB played a disciplined game dominating their local challengers CPT all through and struck via Sandip Singh, Ajit Pal Singh, Harpreet Singh, Parminder Singh and Sanjeev Kumar. CPT scored their only goal in the 32nd minute with Manoj Das sounding the board. Playing against the weak City Sports Club, ASC scored the winner in the 58th minute through Jaiwant Topno. The scorers for Corps of
Signals were G. Das and N. Lakra. Ranjit Singh struck the
lone consolation for UP XI in the 56th minute. |
MP to clash with Karnataka in final HYDERABAD, April 13 (PTI) — Madhya Pradesh made their maiden entry into Ranji Trophy final by virtue of their first innings lead when their semi-final against hosts Hyderabad ended in a draw here today. Madhya Pradesh will clash with defending champions Karnataka in the final to be held at Bangalore from April 19. Chasing a victory target of 236, Madhya Pradesh, who were one for two overnight, crawled to 203 for three in 84 overs when play was called off in the eighth mandatory over. Raja Ali was unbeaten on 44 and Devinder Bundela on 54. Earlier, Madhya Pradesh in their first innings made 337 replying to Hyderabad’s 280. Overnight batsman J.P. Yadav (83, 123 balls, 13x4) and one-down batsman Harvinder Sodhi (10) began the day’s proceedings on a cautious note adding 81-run for the second wicket in 38.4 overs. Sodhi was the first to depart, trapped lbw by Daniel Manohar. Yadav followed suit, caught by Vinay Kumar at forward short leg off Kanwaljit. Ali and Bundela then frustrated the Hyderabad attack adding 82 runs in 33.2 overs. The two stayed put at the wicket, denying the hosts any hopes of victory. Bundela’s unbeaten
half-century came in 107 balls and contained seven
boundaries while Raja Ali’s 44 came in 187 minutes
off 134 balls with four hits to the in fence. |
Amandeep, Dipu win CHANDIGARH, April 13 — Amandeep Bhaika and Dipu Dhanoa emerged winners of the lucky partners against bogey competition with a plus 6 score at the Chandigarh Gold Club here today. This competition marked the opening of the seventh Chandigarh Open Amateur Ladies Gold Championship with Mr Sean Dexter, Managing Director, Spice Telecom, doing the ceremonial tee off. At the second spot were Brig B.S. Bains and Connie Syal with a plus 5 score followed by K.S. Sibia and Irina Brar (plus 4). In fact three other lucky partners tied for the third place each with a plus 4 score. They included Gurbaz Mann and Ayesha Kapoor, I.P.S. Mann and Dalbir Sahi and Rohit Dagar and Neelu Chopra. But in the back nine count down K.S. Sibia and Irina Brar emerged the third spot winners. The main competition
begins tomorrow. |
Jr national swimming at Jodhpur JAIPUR, April 13 (PTI) — The 26th Junior National Swimming Championship will be held at Jodhpur from June 21 to 25, according to a Rajasthan Swimming Association official. The five-day championship, the first junior event in the state which has already hosted senior and sub-junior nationals, will be held at the Sampoornanand Ayurvigyan Mahavidyalaya pool here, Rajasthan Swimming Association Secretary Bhupendra Singh Shekhawat told PTI today. More than five hundred
players, including top juniors like Reshma Millet, Shika
Tondon, Nityanand, Akbar Ali, Tejaswi Shetty and Mario
Johnson, and officials are expected to participate in the
championship. |
Richards involved in Cup campaign ST VINCENTS, April 13 (AFP) — The West Indies has drafted legendary former batsman Vivian Richards onto their World Cup management team after he proved a secret weapon for them in the recent 2-2 drawn series with Australia. The hiring of the 47-year-old former West Indies captain, who will be asked to help out with the batsmen in the nets, apparently follows his involvement during the third Test when he visited the home dressing room many times, talked to the players and motivated them — ending in a one-wicket win for the West Indies. According to sources close to the team. the players welcomed Richards' contribution and led West Indies Cricket Board president Pat Rousseau to talk to Richards about being officially involved in the Cup campaign. Rousseau, after
discussing it with his board and the team's management,
issued the invitation and Richards accepted. |
H
Saksena chess panel chief CHANDIGARH, April 13 (TNS) — The Chandigarh Chess Association in its elections held at Panjab University elected Mr A.P. Saksena as its President and Dr Anil Raina and Mr Girish Chandra as association Vice-Presidents. Dr Vipnesh Bhardwaj was elected as the Honorary Secretary. Chandigarh Chess Association is affiliated to the All India Chess Federation. Prize money carrom CHANDIGARH, April 12 (TNS) — The second prize money ranking carrom tournament will be held at the Sector 45 St Stephen's School here from April 30 to May 2. Organised by the Chandigarh Carrom Association the tournament is open to players registered with the association. Giving this information to The Tribune Mr Mahesh Sekhri, general secretary, said new entrants would have to get themselves registered with the association. Entries for men's and women's singles close with Mr K.S. Patwal, 639-B/32-A, Chandigarh, on April 24. Veterans athletics CHANDIGARH, April 13
(BOSR) — The National Veterans Athletic Championship
will be held from April 16 to 18 at New Delhi, according
to Mr S.D. Sharma, president of the Veterans Amateur
Athletic Association of Chandigarh. |
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