Cricket-One Day International Bangladesh v Zimbabwe line-ups

Published on: Sunday 30 November 2014 //
Dec 1 (Infostrada Sports) - Line-ups for the fifth and final One Day International between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe on Monday in Mirpur, Bangladesh Zimbabwe won toss and decided to bat Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Abul Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Taijul Islam, Jubair Hossain Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza, Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Brendan Taylor, Elton Chigumbura (capt), Solomon Mir

New Zealand name Kane Williamson as skipper for One-Dayers against Pakistan

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williamsoN_m New Zealand’s right-handed middle order batsman, Kane Williamson is all set to lead his team against Pakistan. (Source: AP)

New Zealand on Monday named batsman Kane Williamson as stand-in captain for the upcoming limited overs series against Pakistan, allowing regular skipper Brendon McCullum to take a break.


The move confirmed Williamson’s status as McCullum’s long-term successor, with chief selector Bruce Edgar saying it would give the 24-year-old valuable experience in charge for five one-dayers and two T20 matches to be played in the United Arab Emirates.


Edgar said McCullum, along with pacemen Tim Southee and Trent Boult, would return to New Zealand to prepare for a series against Sri Lanka beginning on December 26.


“Managing players’ workloads will be an important part of our summer’s plans and this is simply an example of that,” he said, stressing that the decision to rest the trio was taken before last week’s death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, which rocked the entire team.


“On the flip side, it gives us a chance to assess and evaluate other players in contention for the World Cup squad, and allows us to work on some of our contingency plans — such as developing Kane’s captaincy experience.”


McCullum scored a double century as he led New Zealand to a resounding innings and 80 run victory over Pakistan to level a three-match Test series 1-1 on Sunday but said after the match that Hughes’ death had overshadowed the win.


Hughes, 25, died on Thursday, two days after being struck by a bouncer while playing a domestic game at the Sydney Cricket Ground.


UPDATE 1-Cricket-Discussions about first Australia-India test ongoing

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* Hughes's funeral set for Wednesday (Updates with Indian team remaining in Adelaide)

India to stay put as Adelaide likely to host series opener

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india_m Local Media reported that a decision on the Brisbane Test will soon be reached by Monday. (Source: PTI)

The Indian cricket team has decided to remain in Adelaide instead of travelling to Brisbane, further indicating that the Adelaide Test appears likely to become the first match of the India-Australia series.


The Indian team was due to travel to Brisbane on Monday for the first Test, which has been cancelled following the tragic death of Philip Hughes, but instead have put their travel plans on hold.


“The Indian side will remain in Adelaide until details for the first Test have been confirmed,” Cricket Australia said in a tweet.


According to reports in the Australian media, the Brisbane Test could possibly be shifted to January.


But CA is yet to announce its rescheduling plans after postponing the Gabba Test, originally slated to start on Thursday, as cricketers continue to mourn the death of Hughes.


Hughes funeral will be held in his home town of Macksville on Wednesday, a day before the first Test was scheduled.


The CA, however, decided to postpone the Gabba Test to give the Australian cricketers more time to grieve their teammates untimely death.


The reports also said that the Brisbane Test could be cancelled entirely, but both the CA and the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) are trying hard to squeeze out a possible time after the Sydney Test, which finishes on January 7, ahead of the ODI tri-series involving India and England.


India and England are listed to play a one-day warm-up match in Sydney on January 12 and the ODIs are scheduled to begin on January 16.


Adelaide Oval would be a fitting venue for the first match of the India-Australia series, given the fact that it was his Hughes adopted home ground for the past two summers.


Fans should simply hold onto their tickets until further notice, says Cricket Australia

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James_m Australia and the Indian board (BCCI) remain in discussions over the future of the first Test. (Source: Reuters)

Cricket Australia and the Indian board (BCCI) remain in discussions over the future of the first Test between the two countries that was supposed to have started on Thursday in Brisbane.


The Dec. 4-8 match at the Gabba was postponed indefinitely on Saturday, following the death last Thursday of Australia batsman Phillip Hughes.


Hughes died two days after he was struck in the head by a short-pitched delivery in a first class game at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with his death causing an outpouring of emotion, sympathy and support from inside and outside the cricketing world.


“We know that there are many people who have purchased tickets to the test match who will be wondering what happens next,” Cricket Australia James Sutherland told the cricket.com.au website on Monday.


“Once the situation has been resolved, we will advise them as a priority. Fans should simply hold onto their tickets until further notice.”


Local media reported that a decision on the test was likely to be made later on Monday, with the India team expected to arrive in Brisbane to begin their preparations.


A two-day game against an Australian XI in Adelaide scheduled for last Friday and Saturday was cancelled following Hughes’s death.


The funeral for the left-hander, who would have turned 26 on Sunday, will be held in his hometown of Macksville in northern New South Wales on Wednesday, with the timing of that considered a major determinant in postponing the first Test.


The fate of the first Test, however, had been in the balance even before Hughes died of his horrific injury as many of the Australia team were among his closest friends and few expected them to be mentally ready for the game anyway.


TV rights make an incoming tour by the India test team by far the most lucrative in the world game so cancellation of the Brisbane match is unlikely.


There is precious little room for manoeuvre, however, with the second Test scheduled to take place in Adelaide from Dec. 12-16 with the third starting on Boxing Day (Dec. 26) in Melbourne and the fourth in Sydney running from Jan. 3-7.


Barcelona edge out Valencia 1-0, closes gap on top

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barca-M Valencia’s Andre Gomes and Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez fight for the ball at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia on Sunday. Barca scored a late winner to edge out the home team. (Source: Reuters)

Barcelona left it late to snatch a 1-0 win at Valencia on Sunday after Atletico Madrid’s 2-0 victory at home to Deportivo La Coruna was overshadowed by the death of a visiting fan hours before kickoff.


A 43-year-old Deportivo supporter had to be pulled out of the freezing Manzanares river near Atletico’s Calderon arena after dozens of rival fans, who police said belonged to radical “ultras” groups, battled in the streets.


The man, who was identified by Deportivo as Francisco Javier Romero Taboada, suffered cardiac arrest, hypothermia and head injuries and died shortly after 2 pm local time (1300 GMT) when he failed to respond to efforts to revive him in hospital.


“It’s disgusting, such scum have no place in football,” Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin said on the club’s website (www.clubatleticodemadrid.com).


“I just hope that they identify those responsible so they can’t repeat actions as regrettable as these,” he added, just one voice in widespread condemnation of the violence.


Barca and Valencia each had plenty of chances in a scrappy game at the Mestalla that was settled when Sergio Busquets pounced on a loose ball and smashed it high into the net in the fourth minute of added time.


The ugly side of La Liga was again on display when Lionel Messi, who had a quiet night after setting a La Liga scoring record last weekend, appeared to be struck on the head by a plastic bottle thrown from the crowd during the goal celebrations.


The Argentina captain did not look to have been hurt and gave the thumbs up as he left the pitch.


Barca’s victory trimmed the gap to Real Madrid back to two points after the leaders set a club record of 16 straight victories in all competitions when they won 2-1 at Malaga on Saturday.


Real have 33 points from 13 matches, with Barca on 31 and champions Atletico on 29 in third. Valencia dropped to fifth on 24 points, two behind Sevilla who thrashed visiting Andalusian rivals Granada 5-1.


Barca should have been ahead in the 14th minute when Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves produced a superb save to deny Luis Suarez, who is yet to open his account in La Liga since his ban for biting expired at the end of October.


The Uruguay international, who joined from Liverpool in the close season, then had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside in the 69th minute.


Barca keeper Claudio Bravo was also on fine form and conjured brilliant stops against second-half efforts from Sofiane Feghouli and Alvaro Negredo.


“We are never satisfied with a draw and we pushed until the end,” Busquets said in an interview with Spanish television.


“The ball fell to me after Alves saved and I put everything into the shot,” added the Spain midfielder.


SHOCKING EVENTS

After the shocking events outside the Calderon in Madrid, midfielder Saul Niguez put Atletico ahead two minutes before halftime and playmaker Arda Turan made it 2-0 10 minutes into the second half.


It was Atletico’s fifth victory in their last six La Liga outings as they seek to defend the Spanish title they won last season for the first time in 18 years.


“We came into the game after two wins and we wanted to continue the run,” defender Diego Godin told Spanish TV.


“Our opponents respect us and they know we are a difficult team to play here at home,” added the Uruguay international, who said the troublemakers outside the ground “do not represent football or any team”.


“This curse must be eradicated from football,” he said. “The Atletico and Depor fans do not deserve to have their image damaged by a few.”


Villarreal climbed above Malaga into sixth with a 2-0 win at struggling Cordoba, who are without a win and stay bottom on seven points.


Cricket-Williamson to lead NZ in Pakistan limited overs series

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Dec 1 (Reuters) - Batsman Kane Williamson has been given the opportunity to flex his captaincy credentials after being named to lead New Zealand in their one-day international and Twenty20 series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.

Cricket-Discussions about first Australia-India test ongoing

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SYDNEY, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Cricket Australia and the Indian board (BCCI) remain in discussions over the future of the first test between the two countries that was supposed to have started on Thursday in Brisbane.

Manoj balances aggression with maturity, lifts East to Deodhar final

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Ever since his debut seven years ago, Manoj Tiwary’s phone must have been pinged with more sympathetic messages than applause or praise. From being hailed as the next Dada of Bengal to eventually becoming the perfect example of an unlucky young cricketer, he has seen it all. Injuries — sometimes picked up during a football game or even while batting — have tagged him at worst possible times.


The impact of these mishaps have been to calm the once temperamental player. “I used to be very short tempered. I got upset about a lot of things, on as well as off the field. But as you grow older you become more mature. My injuries also gave me a lot of time to think about my game and also myself as a person,” he says.


That maturity could be seen at the Wankhede stadium on Sunday. It was Tiwary’s brilliant 151 which ensured East Zone remained in the hunt for the Deodhar Trophy with a 52-run against a Yuvraj Singh-led side (Harbhajan Singh missed out due to mild fever).


There was no shortage of intent in Tiwary’s121-ball knock, which comprised 15 fours and four sixes. But rather than a mindless assault, the innings showcased responsibility tailored to the match situation. Tiwary used his aggression deliberately to break free of tricky situations. With his team on 2 for 33 inside 12 overs, on a track which had helped bowlers initially, Tiwary charged Parvez Rasool and hit the spinner for a six and four. They were just the fifth and sixth deliveries he had faced but the payoff to his gamble was that the field spread out allowing easy singles.


When North Zone threw in their experienced spinner Amit Mishra, Tiwary pulled his first delivery to the midwicket boundary. He slammed two more fours off Mishra’s next couple of overs and ensured the leg spinner couldn’t find a rhythm. He moved to 99 with a boundary past point off Yuvraj before getting to his hundred off the next delivery.


Tiwary ensured the scoreboard kept ticking over but began to accelerate post the 40 over mark when East had reached 178 for 5. 95 runs came off the last ten overs with the last two alone fetching 34 . Rishi Dhawan was hit for a six and two fours in the 49th over while Sandeep Sharma was dispatched for a six and a four in the final over to propel East to a respectable 273/8.


Stuttering chase


The North chase never really got going. Ashoke Dinda had Naman Vohra caught in the slips in the first over and soon had Unmukt Chand top-edging a wide ball to deep third man. All eyes were on Yuvraj Singh but he too disappointed. Chasing a full ball pitched way outside the off-stump, Yuvraj only managing to get an edge to the keeper. At 3 for 29, North still managed to show some fight as Mandeep Singh and Gurkeerat Mann kept things in control before Mandeep found a leading edge to point against the off-spinner Saurashish Lahiri. He fell for 40 and when Mann was dismissed for 83 in the 39th over, North had lost half their side for 174. North needed one long partnership but there was no one to play a knock like Tiwary had done.


With the World Cup around the corner, the fringe players must be on the constant lookout for these opportunities and Tiwary certainly did himself no harm considering his timely ton came in a game watched by the national selectors. Tiwary, however, said he felt no additional pressure. “I don’t carry excess baggage when I go to bat. Earlier I used to think about other people who are watching and that I have to impress them. I used to think that I have to play on the up or play lofted shot like others. But over time I have realised what my game is and tried to improve on that. That helped become more consistent,” he said.


Brief scores: East Zone 273 for 8 (M Tiwary 151, S Goswami 43, S Sharma 3/49, R Dhawan 2/53) North Zone 221 in 47.1 overs (M Singh 40, G Singh Mann 83, A Dinda 2/59, S Lahiri 3/41).


Desert storm: NZ beat Pak by innings and 80 runs

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Emotional New Zealand completed an innings and 80 run win over Pakistan in the third and final Test in Sharjah on Sunday, to level the three-match series 1-1.


Seamer Trent Boult took 4-38 and Mark Craig 3-109 which overshadowed Asad Shafiq’s career best 137 as Pakistan were dismissed for 259 in their second innings in the fading light at Sharjah stadium.


The win was more praiseworthy in a week when New Zealand were left grieved by Australian batsman Phillip Hughes’s tragic death on Thursday, the day when both teams abandoned second day’s play.


Boult ended Shafiq’s fighting 183-minute knock of 18 fours and six sixes — his fifth Test century — with a short delivery. Craig wrapped up the innings by dismissing Rahat Ali for six to end with match figures of 10-203. He took 7-94 in the first innings. Boult struck thrice in the space of 18 balls to leave Pakistan struggling at 24-3 before Craig and Sodhi (2-82) chipped in.


Pakistan won the first Test in Abu Dhabi by 248 runs while the second ended in a draw in Dubai. Pakistan’s batting failure was miserable on a pitch where New Zealand plundered 690.


Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed (37) tried to take the attack to the New Zealand bowlers with a 73-run stand for the sixth wicket before Sodhi removed Ahmed and Yasir Shah (ten) in the same over before tea. Shafiq hit Craig for a six and four to reach his hundred off 123 balls to delay the defeat after Pakistan lost Mohammad Hafeez (24) and Misbah-ul Haq (12) in the post lunch session. Hafeez gave a return catch to Craig while Misbah was adjudged caught behind off the glove on the same bowler and even a referral couldn’t save the Pakistan skipper.


Earlier, Boult had shaken Pakistan at the start of the innings, dismissing Shan Masood (four) in his second over, bowled Azhar Ali (six) in his fourth and trapped Younis Khan for a first ball duck in his fifth in a destructive spell.


Boult’s devastating spell came after New Zealand extended their first innings to 690 in the morning — their highest-ever total in all Test cricket. That gave New Zealand a huge 339-run lead over Pakistan’s first innings total of 351 and they pressed home their advantage quickly with Boult’s strikes.


Smart angles


Masood drove uppishly to be caught in the slips while Ali misjudged a sharp incoming delivery which hit the off stump as he tried to leave the ball. Boult again used the angle well from round the wicket to trap the in-form Younis leg-before. A review could not save the batsman.


New Zealand had added a further 53 earlier in the morning after resuming on 637-8, with Craig (65) becoming the sixth batsmen to reach a half-century — a record number of 50-plus scores in one innings by Kiwis. New Zealand’s innings included a world record 22 sixes, beating the 17 struck by Australia against Zimbabwe at Perth in 2003. In all 35 sixes were hit in the match, beating the 27 shared by Pakistan and India in Faisalabad in 2006.


Pakistan’s much vaunted bowling attack suffered badly, with paceman Rahat Ali taking 4-99 and leg-spinner Yasir Shah conceding 193 runs for his four wickets. New Zealand’s previous highest Test total of 680-8 came against India in Wellington in February this year.


Brief scores: Pakistan Pakistan 351 & 259 in 63.3 ov (A Shafiq 137, T Boult 4/38, M Craig 3/109); New Zealand 690 (B McCullum 202, K Williamson 192, Y Shah 4/193, R Ali 4/99)


Keeping it short, sweet

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Ending a rollercoaster on a high – in the most literal sense – would call for a screaming red fire engine and long ladders to rescue those stranded at the vantage. That busy, noisy scene in a nutshell is PV Sindhu’s season this year. Except, the teenaged shuttler – India’s No 2 and World No 11 currently – is that rollercoaster, the screaming red engine, the long ladder and the stranded joyrider enjoying the view from the top – all rolled into one person. Dizzy and giggly all at once. She’s gotten herself into tangles on the badminton court this whole year, and wriggled out of trouble on her own; her shriek in victories just the same as her scream in defeat’s disgust.


It’s been that kind of 2014 for Sindhu who ended her badminton assignments with her first tournament title of the year, defending her crown at the Macau Open Grand Prix on Sunday. She beat upcoming Korean Kim Hyo Min, ranked outside of the 50s, 21-12, 21-17 in 45 minutes in the final. The frenetic pace and a mid-Set 2 wobble would be the only notably exciting take-aways from the day’s play. But for once Sindhu had won a high-stakes match this year with very little fuss. Though, she did manage to infuse drama into Macau when she trailed 7-17 in the decider against Indonesian Lindaweni Fanetri in Round 2 before extricating herself out with 9 straight points before eventually going on to win the title.


The 19-year-old has played 20 three-setters this year, most upwards of the 1 hour-mark, and been in at least a dozen match-point see-saw battles. She’s lost from the cusp of victory, and bounced back from seemingly hopeless situations.


Consistency’s not her hallmark yet, which is why she can be a World Championship bronze medallist within a month of going out to Li Michelle inexplicably at the CWG.


Because of the rollercoaster ride Sindhu’s been on this whole year, the Macau win stood out as near dull.


Turning out in a screaming yellow tee and shoes to match, Sindhu stayed relentless against the tournament’s giant-killer on final’s day. It was a flurry of smashes in the high-pitched battle from the attacking Indian, coupled with judicious use of high lifts given the drift on the court. Both players were happy to push the pace in frenzied rallies, and it was the greater experience of the pair of 19-year-olds and Sindhu’s abrasive attack that drowned the challenge of the Korean who couldn’t match strokes with intent.


No turning tables


Midway through the second, Hyo Min, who had beaten PC Thulasi at the Asiad with a similar blitz, opened up a 11-7 lead, but Sindhu came back stomping to win the next 5 points and nip in the bud any attempt by the Korean to turn tables. Sindhu prevailed in a long rally at 18-16 and ended the matter without further ado.


“She played very solid today. Almost a perfect match,” coach Gopichand said of the outcome from the flat exchanges between two offensive players, his ward clearly equipped with more firepower. Sindhu made her reach count repeatedly putting the Korean’s backhand under pressure, but it was the mid-court peppered with aggressive blocks and smashes that were enough to clinch her the title.


Sindhu has individual bronze medals from the Worlds, the CWG and the Asian Championships this season. She’s chipped in for team bronzes at Asian Games and made two GP finals, winning the last one. Some of those bronzes like at Glasgow ought to have been gold, and some of them like at the Worlds in Denmark were her punching above her weight, given she’s been between World No 9 – 12 this whole year and not crossed the quarters of Super Series in more than 12 months.


Need for consistency


So even while Gopichand’s relief is evident at the title being pocketed, he’s willing to bide his time with his unpredictable shuttler, who boasts of perhaps the widest array of strokes in India among the women’s singles players. “She could be more consistent. But given her physique and age, consistency’s tough. A few losses at 19 don’t surprise me. She’s had some great wins at Worlds and Asian championships and now Macau.”


It is the wildly attritional matches she’s played against the top shuttlers – losing many but never without a fight – that have earned a reputation of being a ferocious opponent. She’s prone to errors, but can also hit the shrill pitch, out-glare and over-power the best in the world with her attacking arsenal. The drama in matches featuring Sindhu (see box) stays constant as she swings between brilliant and bewilderingly pedestrian, even as she plays in a fashion that can even stress out neutrals.


“She’s been on an emotional rollercoaster with the way she’s played matches. But whenever there’s a bad result, she’s bounced back. It’s a learning curve, and her fight back against Wang Shixian (a 1 hr 26 min marathon) was brilliant,” coach says. It always keeps her opponents on the tenterhooks and guessing; coach Gopichand doesn’t mind he too is subjected to that nervy guesswork.


Qatar will host 2022 World Cup, says defiant Sepp Blatter

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Sepp Blatter took the opportunity to throw his weight behind the capabilities of the Middle East nations (Source: AP) Sepp Blatter took the opportunity to throw his weight behind the capabilities of the Middle East nations (Source: AP)

A defiant FIFA President Sepp Blatter said there would be no moving the 2022 World Cup from Qatar, despite widespread concerns about the bidding process that took the tournament to the Middle East for the first time.


“2022, it is Qatar, and ladies and gentleman, believe me, with all that has been said around the world by whom? Those not involved with what happens in football. The World Cup in 2022 will be played in Qatar,” the 78-year-old Swiss told Asian Football Confederation members in Manila on Sunday.


The remarks, cheered and applauded loudly by Asian delegates, come as FIFA faces heavy criticism for not publishing a report by ethics investigator Michael Garcia into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.


Garcia’s findings were summarised in a 42-page statement published by FIFA ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert last week, which cleared the two winning bids, but which Garcia himself complained included misrepresentations.


FIFA has said it cannot publish the full report for legal reasons.


Asked if the report should be published in full, the Swiss said: “We are going now to the executive committee meeting with all these matters on the 19th (of December) in Morocco.”


A report in British newspaper The Sunday Times said it had passed on a dossier revealing further allegations of corruption regarding the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids, to a House of Commons committee and which were published on Saturday.


Blatter, however, appeared untroubled by the ongoing saga, taking the opportunity to throw his weight behind the capabilities of the Middle East nations.


“It is the second time we will go to organise the World Cup in Asia. The first was a lovely combination, a co hosting, between Japan and Korea Republic. It was a great success, a big success,” said the Swiss, who is seeking a fifth term as head of FIFA next year.


“But we have the next one. It will be the first time in the Arabic world but there is another competition that I would like to underline, the under 17 women’s tournament in 2016.


“For the first time….we are coming with women’s world cup in 2016 to the kingdom of Jordan. It is the trust and confidence of FIFA towards the Arabic world that they can organise all the competitions.”


Following the announcement, the Qatar Football Association were named winners of the AFC’s Dream Asia Award, a prize given, according to the AFC, to a body who use football as a tool for social change, enlighten the importance of social responsibility and promote the culture of giving.


Manchester City crush Southampton 3-0, ascend to 2nd spot

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Manchester City's Yaya Toure, right, scored his sides first goal of the game against Southampton (Source: AP) Manchester City’s Yaya Toure, right, scored his sides first goal of the game against Southampton (Source: AP)

Champions Manchester City galvanised their pursuit of Premier League leaders Chelsea on Sunday with an emphatic 3-0 victory over a Southampton side who have surprisingly come between the leading title protagonists.


With table-topping Chelsea held to a 0-0 draw against Sunderland on Saturday, victory for City at fortress St Mary’s took them above Southampton into second place with 27 points from 13 matches, six behind Jose Mourinho’s pace setters.


After a less than convincing start to the attempted defence of their title, City’s display against Southampton saw them back to their free-flowing best as goals from Yaya Toure, Frank Lampard and Gael Clichy condemned Ronald Koeman’s high-flying side to a first home defeat of the season.


“We beat a very good team,” City manager Manuel Pellegrini, speaking to Sky Sports, said. “They were second in the table and deserved that position.


“It was important to have a clean sheet again, they had just one chance in the 90 minutes and that is important for the trust in our team.


“It was close in the first 45 minutes and we continued working as a team in defence and attack until we scored.”


City screamed for a penalty for a foul on Aguero in a goalless first half when Jose Fonte’s hefty challenge wiped the Argentine out in the box. Incredibly Aguero, making his 100th Premier League appearance, was booked for diving.


But Ivorian midfielder Toure, so often City’s go-to man on their way to the title last season, put his side in front after 51 minutes when his low shot from the edge of the area flicked off Saints defender Toby Alderweireld and past Fraser Forster.


When French defender Eliaquim Mangala received a second yellow for a foul on Shane Long it seemed Southampton had a lifeline but that was snatched away when Lampard ghosted through into space and buried his shot low into the corner after being picked out by James Milner.


Clichy hammered the final nail into Southampton’s coffin when he turned the ball home in the 88th minute.


“I’m disappointed because in the second half the beginning was a bit better than the start of the game,” Koeman told Sky Sports after his side dropped to third.


“You know that if you do some mistakes you are punished for that. It was not good enough today and we have to realise that. The difference was the quality.”


Tottenham Hotspur host Everton at White Hart Lane later on Sunday.


Cricket-Gul recalled for Pakistan's ODI squad

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KARACHI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Experienced pace bowler Umar Gul has been recalled to Pakistan's squad for the limited over series against New Zealand after struggling with a knee problem since last year.

Cricket-ICC says clampdown on bouncers unlikely

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LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - A clampdown down on bouncers is unlikely despite the death of Australian Phillip Hughes this week, International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive David Richardson said on Sunday.

New Zealand register innings win, level series 1-1

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Trent Boult extracted enough movement and pace to rattle the Pakistan top order (Source: AP/File) Trent Boult extracted enough movement and pace to rattle the Pakistan top order (Source: AP/File)

Paceman Trent Boult took four wickets as New Zealand beat Pakistan by an innings and 80 runs to win the third and final Test within four days and level the series 1-1.


Pakistan, who won the first match of the series in Abu Dhabi by 248 runs, were all out for 259 in their second innings in Sharjah on Sunday.


Asad Shafiq staged a lone battle for Pakistan and completed his fifth Test hundred with an aggressive 137 off 148 balls but ran out of partners in the end.


On a docile pitch at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium where New Zealand posted their highest total in Tests, the 25-year-old Boult extracted enough movement and pace to rattle the Pakistan top order.


Shan Masood (4) edged Boult to Tim Southee at slip in the third over, while the paceman bowled Azhar Ali (6) with the last delivery of his fourth over and then returned to dismiss Younus Khan for a duck leg before with the first ball of his next.


Off-spinner Mark Craig, who took seven wickets in the first innings, continued to punish Pakistan by dismissing opener Mohammad Hafeez and captain Misbah-ul-Haq.


Hafeez (24) looked solid before he fell in the second over after lunch, offering a tame return catch to the 27-year-old Craig. Misbah (12) then reviewed the umpire’s bat-pad decision off the same bowler but failed to overturn it.


Sarfraz Ahmed (37) took the attack to the New Zealand bowlers and added a quickfire 73 for the sixth wicket with Shafiq.


But leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, who saw Sarfraz dropped twice off his bowling in one over, took out the wicketkeeper-batsman and Yasir Shah (10) to take New Zealand closer to victory.


The 28-year-old Shafiq smashed 18 fours and six sixes in his knock and added 78 for the ninth wicket with Rahat Ali to delay New Zealand’s celebration. He fell to Boult.


Rahat became the last man out and Craig’s 10th victim in the match.


Earlier in the morning, New Zealand’s first innings closed on 690 with Craig (65) becoming the sixth batsman to score at least a half-century in the innings.


The visitors hit 22 sixes in total, another record for the most number of maximums in a Test innings.


Paceman Rahat and leg-spinner Yasir Shah picked up four wickets each for Pakistan, while part-time off-spinner


Hafeez, who was reported for an illegal action after the first Test in Abu Dhabi, took the remaining two wickets.


PV Sindhu defends Macau Open title, beats Kim Hyo Min 21-12 21-16

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sindhu_m India’s PV Sindhu succesfully defended her Macau Open titile on Sunday. (Source: Express photo by Ravi Kanojia)

Two-time World Championship bronze medallist P V Sindhu lifted her first title of the season by successfully defending the USD 120,000 Macau Grand Prix Gold trophy after seeing off Kim Hyo Min of Korea in the women’s singles finals, in Macau on Sunday.


World No. 11 Sindhu prevailed over 91st-ranked, Kim 21-12 21-17 in the summit clash that lasted 45 minutes at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion in Macau.


The bronze-medallist at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Sindhu faced tough competition from Kim, who had come into the finals after beating seventh seed Chinese Yu Sun but the experienced Indian held her nerves to stave off the challenge from the Korean.


Kim started off on an aggressive note and found the gaps easily to lead 3-0. Sindhu slowly started to decode her rival’s game and not only clawed back at 6-6 with deceptive net play but led 7-6.


Kim wriggled her way out of difficult situation with the help of her back hand returns but she faced resistance from the experienced Sindhu, who used her smashes to notch up winners and entered the interval 11-8 up.


Sindhu dominated the long rallies after the break and caught Kim at the forecourt twice. She also earned points with her soft taps to rush to 19-9 when Kim failed to return a net shot.


The Korean earned a couple of winners with her cross court returns but Sindhu soon reached the game point after making Kim run to four corners of the court. The Indian then clinched the opening game in 20 minutes with a sharp return which Kim couldn’t negotiate.


After changing sides, Kim lost a few points hitting long and wide but her cross court slices helped her move neck and neck at 7-7.


Kim went into the lead when Sindhu made some misjudged at the baseline. The Indian also struggled with the length of her fast attacking lifts, allowing Kim to go into lead at 11-8.


Sindhu, however, got back her bearing after the breather as she drew parity and then went into a 13-11 lead with five straight points. Kim gathered two points to once again fight back to 13-13 but the Korean struggled with the drift and hit long and wide to be 13-17 behind.


Kim grabbed a point with two impressive forecourt returns and aided by Sindhu’s error in judgement at the baseline moved to 16-17. A long fierce rally ensued which Sindhu won after pushing the shuttle at the back of the court.


Sindhu earned a healthy four match-point lead when Kim failed to return a shot. Kim saved one when the Indian hit wide but with the Korean herself sending the shuttle out after that, Sindhu clinched her first title of the season.


Sindhu had lost the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold final to fellow Indian Saina Nehwal in January this year.


Cricket-Test Series Pakistan v New Zealand scoreboard

Published on: //
Nov 30 (Infostrada Sports) - Scoreboard at lunch on the fourth day in the third and final Test between Pakistan and New Zealand on Saturday in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Pakistan 1st innings 351 (M. Hafeez 197; M. Craig 7-94) New Zealand 1st innings (Overnight: 637-8) T. Latham c S. Ahmed b R. Ali 13 B. McCullum b Shah 202 K. Williamson c Y. Khan b R. Ali 192 R. Taylor c Y. Khan b Sh

Cricket-Boult's three-wicket burst puts NZ on course for victory

Published on: //
Nov 30 (Reuters) - Left-arm paceman Trent Boult struck three times with the new ball to put New Zealand on course for a series-levelling victory in the third and final test against Pakistan in Sharjah on Sunday.

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