NAIROBI, Oct 12: India take on South Africa in the second semi-final game of the ICC Knock-out Cricket Tournament here tomorrow with both teams seeking redemption after a series of match-fixing allegations put their teams in total disarray..........more

Tendulkar due for a
big score: Ganguly

NAIROBI, Oct 12: Indian captain Sourav Ganguly is looking for his opening partner Sachin Tendulkar to deliver the goods against South Africa in the second semi-finals of the ICC Knock-out Cricket Tournament here tomorrow.......more

India Cements Squash Championship
It will be all TN affair in
girls Under-19 final today

CHENNAI, Oct 12: It will be an all Tamil Nadu affair in the girls under-19 final of the India Cements Junior/Sub Junior Squash Championship here tomorrow. ......more

Injured Srinath opts
out of Irani match

MUMBAI, Oct 12: Ace speedster Javagal Srinath has opted out of the rest of India team to play against Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai in the five-day Irani Cup clash, commencing at the Wankhede Stadium here tomorrow, because of a knee problem.....more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 12: Post Graduate Department of Law and Science, University of Jammu beat Degree College Bhaderwah by 8-0 in the ..............more

NZ Women Under-19 Cricket Tournament
Punjab registers 49 runs
victory over Haryana

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 12: Punjab today registered 49 runs victory over Haryana on the third day of the North Zone Women Under-19 Cricket ........more

J&K Kabaddi team to
participate in Junior National

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 12: Mr Kuldeep K Gupta, Honorary General Secretary J&K Amateur Kabaddi Association today informed that trial of Kabaddi in ..........more

Inter-collegiate IT tourney
Commerce College, MAM
college reach semis

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 12: Commerce College and M.A.M College reached semi-final......more

India, South Africa cricket ICC semi-final match today

NAIROBI, Oct 12: India take on South Africa in the second semi-final game of the ICC Knock-out Cricket Tournament here tomorrow with both teams seeking redemption after a series of match-fixing allegations put their teams in total disarray.

The two teams last met in a series in India earlier this year, which was tainted by charges of match-fixing and took heavy toll on both teams.

The two teams look in fine nick with India, after defeating Australia in the quarter-finals rather comfortably, gaining in confidence. South Africa too had a good outing against England crushing them by 8 wickets.

It will essentially come down to which team is able to capitalise on its chances better and a high-powered game is on the cards.

India will once again look to its batsmen to deliver the goods and with the top order in the thick of runs a huge total is likely.

Newcomers Yuvraj Singh, who hit a fluent 84 against Australia and Zaheer Khan, who claimed three wickets in the same match, have shaped up well and will once again be required to put up good performances.

But it would be the knocks of Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, the mainstay of Indian batting for quite some time now, which will be crucial for the team putting up a total in excess of 250.

Vinod Kambli, making a comeback in the tournament after about an year in the wilderness, has looked good in earlier matches but a big knock has eluded him.

Ganguly has pinned big hopes on him, nonetheless. "Vinod has been really timing well and he looks in good nick. He seems a good bet for a big score tomorrow," Ganguly said.

However, bowling seems to be a worry for the Indians as barring Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble, the others have not looked as incisive.

Left-hand spinner Sunil Joshi is likely to be included in the team tomorrow in place of Ajit Agarkar, who has largely been pedestrian in this tournament.

Zaheer, who has impressed one and all with his speed and accuracy and also his ability to keep his cool in crunch situations, has tremendous expectations to live up to and Venkatesh Prasad will be looking to get back his killer instinct for the big game tomorrow.

The tournament has seen a huge difference in the body of Indian players and their performances in the field have looked markedly better. They have latched on to catches and effected difficult run-outs.

The energy and agility that the youngsters have brought, has transformed the entire team and it would be interesting to see how the team fares tomorrow. South Africa, on the other hand, are a better balanced team. In fact, they have been playing better ever since Shaun Pollock took over the reins in the wake of Cronje episode.

They drew a one-day home series against Australia and then defeated them on Australian soil. South Africa also have the advantage of having a better record against the Indians leading 4-3 in seven encounters this year.

Pollock said his team had done a detailed study of the Indian team and devised a strategy to tackle them.

Indeed, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid, as also Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan have been keenly monitored by the South Africans coming into this game.

"We know the openers (Tendulkar and Ganguly) very well. When we were there last in India, they came blazing up front. That’s the way they bat normally," Pollock said.

"But we are ready for them. We have a game plan and we are going to stick to it."

South Africa have a strong batting line-up and are capable of overtaking any total. Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis and Boeta Dippenaar have already sounded the alert having come up with good scores against England.

All-rounders Lance Klusener, Nicky Boje and Shaun Pollock and wicket-keeper Mark Boucher are no mean customers with the bat and it would require an exceptionally good bowling attack to restrain them.

The return of Allan Donald has given new sharpness to their pace attack which even otherwise is quite good. The battery of Pollock, Roger Telemachus, Donald and possibly Makhaya Ntini is enough to give severe headache to any batting line-up as was evident against England.(PTI)

Tendulkar due for a big score: Ganguly

NAIROBI, Oct 12: Indian captain Sourav Ganguly is looking for his opening partner Sachin Tendulkar to deliver the goods against South Africa in the second semi-finals of the ICC Knock-out Cricket Tournament here tomorrow.

"It is time Sachin comes good,"Ganguly said today. "He is too good a batsman to miss out on a big score for long."

Tendulkar has looked good in his scores of 25 and 38 in the first two matches of this tournament, but has failed to go further and going by the lofty standards he has set for himself, he is due for a big knock tomorrow.

The batting maestro has another reason to play a big innings against the South Africans. Of his world record 25 centuries in the one-day internationals, Tendulkar has hit only one - 122 in Baroda earlier this year - against South Africa and his captain is asking for an encore here tomorrow.

Ganguly said just as the South Africans have decided a gameplan for the semi-final, he too had devised a strategy to tackle them.

"We can’t go for the same start as we did against Australia," he said. "On that day, I asked Tendulkar after the second ball itself to go after the bowling.

"But the South African bowlers are different from Australians.

"So we will have to be very watchful," he added.

Ganguly is also expecting a great deal from the find of the tournament Yuvraj Singh. The young left-hander from Chandigarh, not yet 22, smashed 84 off 80 balls against Australia and won India the match.

"He is a terrific lad. Lot of other youngsters would have patted back to Glenn McGrath and accorded him respect. But if it was a half-volley from McGrath, Yuveraj would go for his drive. He has been a very positive influence on the side," Ganguly said.

There is an added incentive for Yuveraj to do well in this match. Ganguly has apparently told Yuveraj to ask anything he wants if he is able to repeat the match-winning performance against South Africa.

"He only has to ask it," said a positive Ganguly.

The Indian captain conceeded that South Africa are a very difficult team to beat.

"They are a very good side, very professional. Besides bowling and fielding, they have a good depth in batting."

Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad hinted that India may opt for left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi in place of Ajit Agarkar for tomorrow’s game.

"The South Africans can struggle against the gentle spin of Joshi," he said.

"(But) we will decide on it when we come to the ground tomorrow." (PTI)

India Cements Squash Championship
It will be all TN affair in girls Under-19 final today

CHENNAI, Oct 12: It will be an all Tamil Nadu affair in the girls under-19 final of the India Cements Junior/Sub Junior Squash Championship here tomorrow.

In the semifinals played this morning, third seeded Joshna Chinnappa of Tamil Nadu lowered the colours of top seeded Priyanka Yadav of Maharashtra 9-5, 9-1, 9-0 to meet her state-mate Vaidehi Reddy, who too had a easy passage into the summit round.

Fresh from her title triumph at the Indian Open Junior Championship in Mumbai last week, second seeded Vaidehi Reddy continued her flawless display thrashing fourth seeded Supriya Balsekar of Maharashtra 9-2, 9-5, 9-2 to enter the final.

Joshna, who owed a great deal to Rhea Bhandare of Maharashtra after an unwarranted faux pas which almost led to her exit from the tournament yesterday, once again proved her prowess in no uncertain terms.

Following her 9-2, 9-4, 9-3 victory Rhea Bhandare after the latter, instead of claiming a walkover (which was permissible under the rules) in a magnanimous gesture asked Joshna to report for the match two hours behind schedule, Joshna meant business on the court.

With her wide repertoire of strokes, Joshna did face a semblance of fight in the first game against Priyanka. Once she found her rhythm and bagged the opening game 9-5, the contest meandered to a tame affair as the local lass won the next two conceding a solitary point 9-1, 9-0.

Results : All semifinals :

Girls under-19 : Joshna Chinnappa (TN) bt Priyanka Yadav (Maha) 9-5, 9-1, 9-0 Vaidehi Reddy (TN) bt Supriya Balsekar (Maha) 9-2, 9-5, 9-2

Girls under-15 : Alisha Mashruwala (Maha) bt Aditi Baweja (MP) 9-0, 9-4, 9-0 Natasha Lal (Maha) bt Liada Deboo (Maha) 9-4, 9-2, 9-5

Boys under-13 : Imran Khan (Del) bt Manek Mathur (Maha) 9-2, 9-1, 9-5 Sandeep Jangra (Maha) bt Fateh Singh (MP) 9-3, 9-1, 9-2

Boys under-11 : Vikram Malhotra (Maha) bt Jay Dalal (Maha) 9-0, 9-3,9-1 Vir Seth (Maha) bt Nitin Chauhan (Maha) 5-9, 10-8, 4-9, 9-5, 9-1. (UNI)

Injured Srinath opts out of Irani match

MUMBAI, Oct 12: Ace speedster Javagal Srinath has opted out of the rest of India team to play against Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai in the five-day Irani Cup clash, commencing at the Wankhede Stadium here tomorrow, because of a knee problem.

‘Srinath sent us a faxed message yesterday in which he expressed his inability to play in the Irani Cup tie as he has been advised rest by his doctor after taking injections for his troublesome knee. He has been replaced in the rest team by (his Karnataka pacemate) Dodda Ganesh’, Cricket Board Executive Secretary Sharad Diwadkar told PTI today.

Despite the absence of Srinath, who had earlier opted out of the ICC Knockout Trophy event now in progress at Nairobi and the October 20-29 Sharjah Tri-series, rest seem to possess enough ammunition to hold the upper hand against the depleted Mumbai side.

The absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli and Ajit Agarkar, all doing duty for India in Nairobi, has left Mumbai pretty weak, especially in batting, and their not-so-sound top-order would be up against a varied rest attack.

The Mumbai batting line-up wears a thin look especially in terms of experience with the uncapped Nishit Shetty and Sushant Manjrekar, who made his debut only last season, placed in the middle with team vice-captain Amol Muzumdar.

The batting will rely heavily on the wiry-looking Muzumdar, who has not lived upto his early promise, and opener Wasim Jaffer, who made his test debut last season and will have a rookie as partner to launch the innings, Vinayak Mane.

Jaffer, Mane, replacement for Amit Pagnis who has joined the Railways, Muzumdar, Kiran Powar, Shetty, Manjrekar and skipper Sameer Dighe will be tested by the rest attack of Ganesh, Ashish Nehra, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Murali Karthik and Sharandeep Singh.

The performance of Jaffer and Muzumdar would be watched intently by the five national selectors who are expected to be present. The Mumbai bowling too, in the absence of kingpin Agarkar and the retired abey Kuruvilla, looks threadbare.

The major burden will fall on the shoulders of experienced Paras Mhambrey who will have back-up seam support from Santosh Saxena, and either Sriram Kannan or Swapnil Hazare, another newcomer.

The Mumbai spin attack, manned by one of the two left-armers - Rajesh Pawar or Nilesh Kulkarni - and offie Romesh Powar can pose some problems to the rest batting line-up which is quite impressive and is led by their captain V V S Laxman, the wristy Hyderabad strokemaker.

Laxman has been given the go-ahead by the selectors to bat in the middle-order for the rest team after his failure in opening the innings for India at the international level barring a blazing 167 in the Sydney test against Australia in January this year. (PTI)

PG Deptt thrashes Bhaderwah in football

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 12: Post Graduate Department of Law and Science, University of Jammu beat Degree College Bhaderwah by 8-0 in the Inter-Collegiate Football Tournament organised by University of Jammu.

The Post Graduate Department of Law and Science, University of Jammu today defeated the Degree College Bhaderwah by 8-0 goal. Playing brilliantly, Mr Ranjit Singh of PG Deptt scored excellent 5 goals where as Gurjit Singh fired 3 goals for PG Deptt.

Till end of the match, the Degree College Bhaderwah could not score any goal even after its hectic efforts due to the solid defence by the players of the PG Deptt. From the beginning of the match, it seemed that there was no match for the players of the PG Deptt, who fully thrashed the every efforts of their opponents.

The second match between GGM Science College and Degree College Poonch could not be played. Thus, GGM Science College got walkover against Degree College Poonch.

The Commerce College will take on Degree College Udhampur and Post Graduate Department Law and Sciences to clash with Degree College Kathua tomorrow.