PORT ELIZABETH (South Africa), Oct 17: India were taken by surprise as Kenyan batsmen did an about turn from the previous match between the two countries to post a healthy 246 for six in their alotted 50 overs in the Triangular one-day series here today..............more

England tour to
India still on: ICC

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17: The England cricket tour to India next month is still on as far as the International Cricket Council is concerned, a spokesman said here today ahead of an executive board meeting....................more

Mark Waugh suffers
hand injury in
interstate match

SYDNEY, Oct 17: Australia veteran batsman Mark Waugh’s preparations for the upcoming three-test home series against New Zealand began badly when he split the webbing in his right hand today while fielding in slips...........more

Humpy looses chance
of GM norm

HYDERABAD, Oct 17: Woman Grandmaster Koneru Humpy missed a chance of earning her second .......more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 17: Jammu district made clean sweep in the junior groups (both boys and girls in U-18 and U-16 year)......more

Inter-district Volleyball Tourney
Jammu, Kathua share
honours in U-19 group

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 17: Jammu district bagged the girls under-19 trophy, while Kathua district.....more

Distt Udhampur
Volleyball Champ
from Oct 22

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 17: District Udhampur Volleyball Championship (boys and girls), organised......more

Distt Jammu TT
Champ postponed

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 17: The District Jammu Table Tennis Championship, scheduled to start today......more

Under-19 year girls Handball players of district Rajouri, who finished runners-up in the recently held divisional level Inter-district Handball Tournament poses with coach Jaspal Singh and other officials.

Kenya make a strong total

PORT ELIZABETH (South Africa), Oct 17: India were taken by surprise as Kenyan batsmen did an about turn from the previous match between the two countries to post a healthy 246 for six in their alotted 50 overs in the Triangular one-day series here today.

In sharp contrast to the 90 all out in Blopemfontein, Kenya put up their best batting display in this series after electing to bat today, putting on 121 runs for the opening wicket as Indian bowlers, especially the medium-pacers, wavered in line and length.

Venkatesh Prasad and Harvinder Singh, included in the side in place of Javagal Srinath and Ajit Agarkar who were rested for this match, failed to impress and bowled a number of short deliveries which the Kenyan openers, Kennedy Obuya and Ravindu Shah, capitalised to the maximum.

Kenya, who had shown remarkable improvement in their match against South Africa after taking a 10-wicket drubbing from India, lifted their game further today and the absence of their captain Maurice Odumbe, who has been suspended for two matches, seemed to have spurred them on.

Kennedy Obuya, who had failed in each of the previous three matches of this series, suddenly discovered form and was extremely aggressive in his 64-run knock, the highest for the innings.

Shah, who had scored a half-century in Kenya’s last match against South Africa, continued his good form and produced another fine innings of 50 runs after being promoted in batting order to open the innings.

The good work of the openers was continued by Steve Tikolo, leading the side for the first time in his career, and Thomas Odoyo who added 82 runs for the third wicket.

India used as many as seven bowlers but except for Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh all others proved to be quite expensive.

Kenya started on a very positive note, sending Shah, who topscored in the match against South Africa, instead of David Obuya to open the innings.

After watching Prasad and Harvinder, who interchanged the ends after the fifth over, for some time, both Kennedy Obuya and Shah decided to go on the attack.

Obuya hit Harvinder for a straight boundary and then pulled a shorter delivery from Prasad over the mid-wicket for a six in the tenth over. The Indians missed a simple chance to run the batsman out when the total was on 59 and Obuya made them pay for it.

Even the introduction of Anil Kumble could not restrict the fluent batting of the Kenyans with Obuya driving the leg-spinner through the on-side for a boundary in his second over. Obuya then punished Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, hitting him behind the square for a six and taking two boundaries from his next over.

Obuya then hit Reetinder Singh Sodhi, playing his first game of the series, through the covers for a four which brought up his half-century, compiled off 74 balls. He celebrated the occasion with a huge six over long-off off the last ball of the over.

Shah, who himself hit some glorious shots on both sides of the wicket, was reduced to playing second fiddle to his partner as Kenya reached the 100 mark in the 23rd over.

Desperate for a breakthrough, Ganguly introduced his trump card Harbhajan Singh in the 25th over of the innings but it was Yuveraj Singh, who came in to bowl next, who gave India their first wicket.

Kennedy Obuya, trying for his fourth six, lofted Yuveraj high in the air over mid-on but the ball failed to clear the ropes and Sachin Tendulkar took a well-judged catch at the boundary line. Obuya’s 92-ball knock contained six fours and three sixes.

In the very next over, Shah, who reached his second successive half-century of the series, was also dismissed, caught by Yuveraj Singh at square leg off Harbhajan Singh.

However, the two quick dismissals hardly had any effect on the Kenyans who looked determined to post a good total.

Tikolo and Odoyo continued the attacking style of the openers and scored easily. The Kenyans crossed the 150-mark in the 34th over with these two batsmen going strong.

While Tikolo was content to score through singles and twos, Odoyo traded in boundaries as they scored at quite a brisk pace. At 203 for two after the 42nd over, the Kenyans looked well placed to score in excess of 250 but the Indians did well towards the end to restrict them within that limit.

Harbhajan Singh bowled Tikolo for 27 while Odoyo was dismissed by by Kumble for 51.

The last seven overs yielded just 35 runs during which Prasad claimed two wickets to finish with figures of two for 45 from eight overs. (PTI)

England tour to India still on: ICC

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17: The England cricket tour to India next month is still on as far as the International Cricket Council is concerned, a spokesman said here today ahead of an executive board meeting.

"I have heard numerous rumours from so-called informed sources which claim that England will not be travelling to India later this year," ICC communications manager Mark Harrison told AFP.

"But as far as the ICC is concerned, this is entirely misleading. I can assure you that the ICC will not put any player at risk and therefore we are monitoring the situation in Afghanistan closely.

"Both the english and Indian authorities are in constant contact and they have yet to inform us of any change in their plans."

Doubts over the tour arose following the US strikes in nearby Afghanistan amidst fears of a backlash from Muslim fundamentalists.

Harrison said if either country feels it would not be safe to play in India then they will issue a statement, "but for now, the ICC’s stand is: everything is normal."

Doubts over the tour, which involves three tests and five one-day internationals, arose following the US strikes in nearby Afghanistan.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Lord MacLaurin said on Monday the tour would go ahead only if there was considerable improvement in the situation. (AFP)

Mark Waugh suffers hand injury in interstate match

SYDNEY, Oct 17: Australia veteran batsman Mark Waugh’s preparations for the upcoming three-test home series against New Zealand began badly when he split the webbing in his right hand today while fielding in slips.

Waugh, 36, left the field immediately after the blow on the first day of the four-day Australian interstate match between New South Wales (NSW) and Tasmania.

A NSW official said Waugh was taken to a Sydney hospital where he had two stitches inserted between the little and ring fingers on his right hand.

He returned to Sydney cricket ground to watch the rest of the day’s play and will bat in NSW’s first innings.

Tasmania state were 144 for none after 38 overs with Jamie Cox on 78 and Dene Hills on 64.

Waugh’s career tally of 161 catches in test matches is a world record for a non-wicketkeeper.

He dropped hills at seven at second slip with the score at 24 for none.

In 116 tests he has made 20 centuries and averaged 42.92.

Waugh’s twin brother Steve, the Australian captain who averaged 107 in tests against England this summer, is unavailable for the match against Tasmania because of blood clot in his left leg.

The twins are expected to play in the first test against New Zealand starting in Brisbane on November eight. (REUTERS)

Humpy looses chance of GM norm

HYDERABAD, Oct 17: Woman Grandmaster Koneru Humpy missed a chance of earning her second Men’s Grandmaster norm when she had to settle for a draw against IM Jakab Attile of Hungary in the tenth and penultimate round of the first Saturday GM Chess Tournament played at Budapest.

Humpy needed to win her last two rounds to reach 8.5 points and earn her second men’s GM norm. However, after a pitched battle in a Nimzo Indian defence which later transformed into a Caro Kann defence, humpy, playing black, had to be content with a draw after 47 moves.

With five wins, four draws and one defeat in the ten rounds, humpy now has seven points.

She will play GM Goran Todorovic of Yugoslavia in the last round for the title. (PTI)

J&K Police retain overall trophy in Men’s section
Jammu distt makes clean sweep in Juniors’ group
* Nirmal Singh emerged as fastest man

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 17: Jammu district made clean sweep in the junior groups (both boys and girls in U-18 and U-16 year), while Jammu and Kashmir Police retained the Men’s overall trophy in the State Athletic Championship which concluded at M A Stadium, here today.

In Men’s section, Jammu district remained at number two position as for as medals’ tally is concerned.

In girls under-18 and under-16, Jammu district girls clinched the overall trophies beating Srinagar district in both the finals played today.

Jammu boys also remained at the top in under-18 and under-16 age groups. In under-18 year, Srinagar finished runners-up, while in under-16 category, district Udhampur claimed the overall second place.

Nirmal Singh of Jammu district emerged as fastest man of the championship after he claimed gold in 100 meters race clocking in 11.69 seconds. Sharat Chander of J&K Police remained at number two position making it in 11.71 seconds and Ajay Sharma of Jammu finished third taking 11.72 seconds.

In the under-18 year 100 meters final, Altaf Ahmed of Srinagar bagged gold clocking in 11.50 seconds, while Adit Shafi of the same district finished in 11.59 seconds to secure second position. Third place went to Pankaj Kumar of Jammu.

The prestigious gold in Men’s 4x400 meters race went to J&K Police, while Jammu district bagged silver and Kathua bronze.

Later, prizes were distributed among the winners in various events by Joint Secretary, State Sports Council, B K Magotra and member Sports Council, Romesh Mahajan.

Vote of thanks was jointly presented by Ashutosh Sharma, Ravinder Singh and Kuldeep Singh to all those who extended helping hand in making this championship a success. Ravinder Singh was organising secretary of the three-day long championship. According the organisers, Sunil Mahajan, Ashok Gupta and Tarsem Lal donated trophies and mementos.

Others present on the occasion were Messrs R C Thakur, Sunil Sharma, M S Punnu, Shambu Nath Sharma, Ajit Singh Wazir, Gurdyal Singh, Man Mohan Singh, M S Mir, Surinder Kapoor, Nasib Singh Manhas, Dwarka, Nath Gupta, Krishan Lal Sharma and Gurmohan Singh.