Daily Excelsior.........sports

England women
force draw in
second test

LONDON, Aug 18: After conceding a first innings lead of 134 runs, England women hung on grimly ............more

Javagal Srinath leaves
for Leicestershire

BANGALORE, Aug 18: Paceman Javagal Srinath left here for England today to play for Leicestershire, ......more

Mauresmo to meet
Capriati in
Canadian Open final

MONTREAL, Aug 18: France’s Amelie Mauresmo advanced to a showdown with American Jennifer .......more

S Africa makes 196 for 8 wkts after winning the toss

TANGIERS (Morocco), Aug 18: Half centuries by Boeta Dippenaar and Mark Boucher helped South Africa recover from a dreadful start to make 196 for eight wickets against Pakistan in the Morocco Cup one-day ......more

MIET Club wins by huge margin in Nerolac Cup

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 18: MIET Cricket Club registered a big 121 runs victory over TRCC in the ongoing Nerolac Cup Cricket Tournament being played at Paloura here today.............more

State Powerlifting Championship begins

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 18: President Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Mr Ram Sahai today declared open the State Powerlifting Championship at Indoor Complex, M A Stadium, here................more

Atman Cup U-19 Cricket Tournament
Pioneer Club upsets Atman, wins opening tie by 14 runs

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 18: Unbeaten knock of 34 runs by Mudassar and splendid bowing performance by Sanjay and Zahid guided Pioneer Cricket Club (PCC) to a 14 runs victory over Atman Cricket Club (ACC) in the opening ......more

Stiff Chinese challenge for India ....

Andre Agassi halted in Washington semi-final ....

Soumyadeep, Mouma win singles crowns in ranking TT meet....

Now cricket to be taught as a subject in a city school....

England women force draw in second test

LONDON, Aug 18: After conceding a first innings lead of 134 runs, England women hung on grimly to salvage a draw in the second cricket test against India at Taunton yesterday.

At close on the fourth and final day, England had made 198 for six with their skipper Clare Connor unbeaten on a resolute 46.

The first test of the series had also ended in a draw.

The highlight of the match was the world-record score of 214 by the 19-year old Indian vice-captain, Mithali Raj, in only her third test innings.

Mithali’s monumental score was only the fifth double century in the history of women’s test cricket and it bettered Australian K L Rolton’s unbeaten 209 scored against England at Leeds last year. Incidentally all the five double centuries have been scored against England.

But once her 10-hour vigil at the crease came to an end early yesterday, England ripped through the rest of the Indian innings.

England used nine bowlers, the most successful of whom was Nicki Shaw who took 3 for 74 from 27 overs.

Brief scores:

England 333 and 198 for six drew with India 467 (M Raj 214, J Goswami 62). (PTI)

Javagal Srinath leaves for Leicestershire

BANGALORE, Aug 18: Paceman Javagal Srinath left here for England today to play for Leicestershire, joining the English County side as an overseas player for the last five weeks of the season.

"I am looking forward to the experience. It will give me match practice and keep me fit," the speedster, who will be 33 on August 31, told PTI before his departure via Chennai.

Srinath replaces Australian Michael Bevan as Leicestershire’s overseas player. Bevan had to depart to join the Australian squad for a one-day Triangular Series with the Kenyans and Pakistan at Nairobi.

Srinath would play in five Frizzell County Championship matches and four Norwich Union League matches. He would make his debut in the floodlit league match against Kent at Canterbury on August 21.

This will be the second experience of playing County cricket for the "Karnataka Express". He was Gloucestershire’s overseas player in 1995 when he took 87 wickets at under 20 runs apiece in 15 matches.

Srinath said he was scheduled to return to India on September 22 to play in the Ranji Championship.

Srinath, considered by many as the fastest bowler India has ever produced, had announced his retirement from test cricket a few weeks ago but made himself available for the one dayers.

However, he was overlooked for last month’s one-day Triangular Series also involving Sri Lanka and hosts England and has not been included in a list of 20 probables for the September ICC Champions Trophy in Colombo.

But Srinath, who has said he was leaving the test scene to focus on next year’s World Cup in South Africa, seems to have taken his non-inclusion in his stride and appears to have not lost heart.

"I was looking forward to the ICC Championship but the doors have been shut on me. The bowlers are doing a good job and they deserved to be in the team," he had said.

Srinath’s decision to play for Leicestershire is seen as a bid to stay in contention for the World Cup in South Africa early next year.

He made his test debut in 1991-92 season in Australia and has played a total of 64 tests and 204 one-day internationals. He has taken 232 test wickets at an average of 30.46 and 276 wickets in one-day internationals at just under 29 runs apiece. (PTI)

Mauresmo to meet Capriati in Canadian Open final

MONTREAL, Aug 18: France’s Amelie Mauresmo advanced to a showdown with American Jennifer Capriati in the final of the Canadian Open after beating Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova 6-2 7-6.

Seventh seed Mauresmo sailed through the first set with a powerful service game against the eighth seeded Hantuchova yesterday.

The 19-year-old Slovakian upped her game in the second set, but could not convert two set points in the 12th game before falling to Mauresmo in the tie break.

Second seed capriati advanced to the final when Yugoslavia’s third seed Jelena Dokic retired because of a thigh injury when she was lead 7-6 4-0.

Capriati has won two of the three matches against Mauresmo this year, but lost their last encounter in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon. (AGENCIES)

S Africa makes 196 for 8 wkts after winning the toss

Some excellent bowling by veteran pacemen Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis reduced South Africa to 29 for four in eight overs after South Africa had won the toss and chosen to bat first.

Herschelle Gibbs was out first ball, caught behind chasing a wide ball from Akram, and Jacques Kallis was bowled for three by Younis in the second over.

Graeme Smith, who opened in place of Gary Kirsten, was out three overs later, trapped Leg Before Wicket by Akram for five.

Justin ontong came in and hit a couple of boundaries but was caught and bowled by Younis for 10 in the eighth over.

Jonty Rhodes was the fifth South African out, caught behind by Rashid Latif off the bowling of Azhar Mahmood for 11 in the 15th over with South Africa one run short of its 50.

Mahmood, who was in the side to replace fellow fast bowler Mohammad Sami, was one of two changes Pakistan made to the team that lost to Sri Lanka by 39 runs on Saturday, with Shoaib Malik replacing opener Saeed Anwar.

Dippenaar and Boucher steadied the innings, taking South Africa past 100 in the 27th over.

But after making 55 off 89 balls, Dippenaar - who was back in the side after recovering from a fever and came in at number four - was run out in the 34th over, leaving South Africa on 127 for six. (AP)

SCOREBOARD

South Africa:

H Gibbs c Latif b Akram 0

G Smith lbw b Akram 5

J Kallis b Waqar 3

B Dippenaar run out 55

J Ontong c and b Waqar 10

J Rhodes c Latif b Mahmood 11

M Boucher b Mahmood 57

L Klusener not out 28

N Boje b Akram 1

S Pollock not out 13

Extras (lb-2, w-4, nb-7) 13

Total (for 8 wkts, 50 overs) 196

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-8, 3-10, 4-29, 5-49, 6-127, 7-167, 8-171

Bowling: Akram 10-2-31-3, Waqar 10-0-48-2, Mahmood 9-0-33-2, Razzaq 10-0-39-0, Afridi 10-0-28-0, Malik 1-0-15-0. (PTI)

MIET Club wins by huge margin in Nerolac Cup

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 18: MIET Cricket Club registered a big 121 runs victory over TRCC in the ongoing Nerolac Cup Cricket Tournament being played at Paloura here today.

Batting first, MIET made 205 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the allotted 15 overs. In reply, TRCC, bowled out for 84 runs in 10.5 overs.

Vaneet was top scorer with 64 (3x6, 9x4) from MIET, while Konal contributed 55 runs (5x6, 3x4). Rahul added 31 (4x6, 1x4) runs. For TRCC, Jimmy took two wickets while the remaining five batsmen run-out.

Chasing the target, TRCC lost all the wickets for 84 runs in 10.5 overs. Chandan was maximum scorer with 15 runs. For MIET, Rahul and Sohail shared three wickets each.

Later, Rahul was declared as man of the match for his all-round performance.

In another match played yesterday, Baba Jamuna Dass Cricket Club (BJDCC) defeated Friends Cricket Club (FCC) by 50 runs to advance into the second round. Batting first, BJDCC made 174 runs for five wickets in 15 overs, which FCC could not chase and lost all the wickets for 124 runs. Rameshwar, who was top scorer with 92 runs and also took two wickets, was declared as man of the match.

State Powerlifting Championship begins

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 18: President Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Mr Ram Sahai today declared open the State Powerlifting Championship at Indoor Complex, M A Stadium, here.

When the last news came, the lifters, who are around 40 in number had already completed their preliminary round of ‘Squad’ and were competing in the ‘Dead Lift’ event. Earlier, the participants recorded their weights in the morning.

Now, these lifters will start their day tomorrow with ‘Bench Press’ competition. After adding the points out of three different events, the judges will decide the fate of first three position holders of different weight groups.

The prize distribution function will take place in the evening at 7 pm. The competitions are being held under the overall supervision of Ajay Sharma.

In today’s events, Rakesh Chopra, Faisal Pal, Aman Singh, Mohinder Pal (senior), Mohinder Pal (junior) and Daljeet Singh acted as judges

Atman Cup U-19 Cricket Tournament
Pioneer Club upsets Atman, wins opening tie by 14 runs

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

Tale-ender, Mudassar, who came at number seven position, played quickfire innings of 34 (off 29 balls, 4x4) runs guiding PCC to set a target of 125 runs in the stipulated 20 overs for eight wickets. In reply, ACC could not chase the score when their wickets started falling on regular intervals ending the innings on 110 runs in 18 overs.

From PCC, Vikas followed Mudassar on the scoreboard with 21 runs made with the help of three fours, while Rahul contributed 11. For ACC, Deepak took two wickets for 12 runs in two overs, while Anil also bagged two giving away 20 runs in four overs. Sunny, Ricky and Sagar shared one wicket each.

Batting second, ACC though maintained the required run-rate but continued loss of wickets caused them a 14 runs defeat when all their wickets fell for 110 runs in 18 overs.

Deepa and Anil were to maximum scorer with 17 and 16 runs respectively, while Sagar added 15 runs to the total. Ricky contributed 14 runs hitting one six and one boundary. For PCC, Sanjay took three wickets for 19 runs in three overs. Zahid also bagged three wickets for 29 runs in four overs, while Sachin took two for 20 runs. Vikas and Mudassar took one wicket each.

Ashwani and Mukesh were umpires, while Amandeep Singh was scorer.

Next matches of the Atman Cup will be played between Hind Cricket Club and St Paul’s Cricket Club at 7.30 am and Karam Chand Cricket will meet Stadium XI at 2.30 pm on Monday.

Earlier, chairman of the Atman College of Education, Mr Sanjay Mahajan, who was chief guest on the occasion, declared the tournament open soon after the introduction session was over.

Meanwhile, the organising secretary of all the cricket competitions being organised at the Green Field Coaching Centre, Varinder Sharma informed that the final of the Talent Search Tournament between CS XI and RCC XI will be played on August 21 at 4 pm.

Stiff Chinese challenge for India

NEW DELHI, Aug 18: India is drawn in the tough pool "C" for the football event of the 14th Asian Games, being held in Busan (South Korea) from September 29 to October 14, according to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

In this group India would be up against the might of the tough Chinese side. Bangladesh and Turkmenistan will be the other contenders vying for a spot in the quarter finals to be held on the eighth of October.

Ranked 23rd in Asia and 130th in FIFA rankings, the 14th Asian Games being held from September 29 to October 14, would test the new found confidence of the Indian soccer team after its recent exploits in the Six-nation Tournament in Vietnam. India under 23 team won the LG Cup in August. The other teams in the tournament were host Vietnam , Vietnam U-23, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The football event of the Games starts two days before the opening ceremony when South Korea take on minnows Maldives in the opening match at the main stadium on September 27. Host South Korea will be hoping that the football buzz generated by their phenomenal success in the recent World Cup continues in the Asian Games 2002 . Korea are placed in group "A" with Malaysia, Maldives and Oman.

The other World Cup host, Japan are drawn in pool "D" with Uzbekistan, Bahrain and Jordan. While group "B" comprises United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Yemen and Thailand.

Iran will defend their Asian Games title, which they won by defeating Kuwait 2-0 in the final in Bangkok four years ago, with an opening group "E" match against lowly rated Mongolia. Other teams in the group are Qatar and Lebanon.

Unfancied Pakistan will play against the formidable 1998 Asian Games silver medalists Kuwait, Tajikistan and Hong Kong in which under-23 sides will be battling for a gold. Teams, however, can include three over-age players in the competition.

Only five teams will compete in the women’s football event including title holders China, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam.

The Asiad schedule Group C

27-Sep-02 3 Busan 16:30 Turkmenistan vs. China

27-Sep-02 4 Ulsan 19:30 India vs. Bangladesh

30-Sep-02 15 Yangsan 16:30 Turkmenistan vs. India

30-Sep-02 16 Masan 19:00 Bangladesh vs. China

03-Oct-02 27 Yangsan 16:30 China pr vs. India

03-Oct-02 28 Busan 19:00 Bangladesh vs. Turkmenistan

Quarterfinals

08-Oct-02 37 Masan 17:00 1st C vs. 1st D

08-Oct-02 38 Yangsan 17:00 1st E vs. 1st F

08-Oct-02 39 Ulsan 19:00 1st A vs. 2nd B,C,D

08-Oct-02 40 Busan 19:00 1st B vs. 2nd A,E,F

Semifinals

10-Oct-02 41 Ulsan 17:00 Winner 38 vs. Winner 39

10-Oct-02 42 Busan 20:00 winner 37 vs. Winner 40

3rd place

13-oct-02 43 ulsan 16:00 loser 41 vs. Loser 42

Final

13-oct-02 44 busan 19:00 winner 41 vs. Winner 42 (PTI)

Andre Agassi halted in Washington semi-final

WASHINGTON, Aug 18: Top seed Andre Agassi has missed his chance for a sixth Washington title after losing 6-3 6-4 to fellow American James Blake in the semi-finals of the Legg Mason Classic.

Blake now meets Thailand’s paradorn Srichaphan in today’s final.

"He played a great match," Agassi said of his sixth seeded opponent. "I had plenty of fight. I just didn’t deliver."

Blake capitalised on what he called an "off-day" for Agassi, who had struggled on Friday to beat Sweden’s Thomas Enqvist in three sets.

The 22-year-old former Harvard University student dominated the one-hour match, returning the ball as fast and hard as Agassi. He also broke Agassi’s serve three times in the second set.

"He had an off-day," Blake said of the five-time champion. "I knew I had to capitalize on it."

Earlier, Srichaphan, who knocked Agassi out of Wimbledon in the second round in June, ousted Chile’s Marcelo Rios 3-6 6-2 6-2 in the other semi-final match.

"I got a little tired after the first set and I was struggling with my knee," said the fifth seeded Rios, who also fought Washington’s summer muggy heat.

"I wasn’t expecting to be in the final," said the 23-year-old Srichaphan, who was ranked outside the top 100 earlier this year.

Having won the first set 6-3 in 27 minutes, Rios quickly found himself down 1-5 in the second set after losing serve twice.

Srichaphan noticed Rios was playing slower than in the first set and played more aggressively.

"In the second set, I started to stay down, stay low and hit the ball hard," the 14th seed said.

The Thai then broke Rios’s serve three times to go up 4-1 in the third set to eventually take the match.

Rios failed to capitalize on his first serves, winning only 58 percent of them, while Srichaphan won 89 per cent of his first serves. Each had three double faults. (AGENCIES)

Soumyadeep, Mouma win singles crowns in ranking TT meet

DURGAPUR, Aug 18: Top seeds Soumyadeep Roy and Mouma Das did justice to their reputation annexing the men’s and women’s singles crowns respectively in the Indian Oil Servo National Ranking Table Tennis meet here today.

Roy, representing Petroleum Sports Control Board, came back strongly after dropping the first two sets to put it across the promising S Sarathkamal of Railway Sports Promotion Board 2-11 9-11 12-10 11-6 13-11 12-10 and clinch the title before a sizeable crowd at the Sidhu Kanhu Indoor Stadium.

Mouma, on the other hand, overcame a stiff mid-match resistance from the ninth seed T Pradeepa of Tamil Nadu to fashion a 11-9 11-4 7-11 7-11 11-3 11-6 victory in the final.

Roy, who went down to the veteran S Raman in the final of the Inter-Institutional Tournament in Delhi last week, looked a bundle of nerves against the RSPB player at the outset.

Sarathkamal, who scalped the second seed Arup Basak and the fancied Subhojit Saha on way to the final, opened a quick lead in the first set which he pocketed in no time.

He continued his awesome form in the next set winning 11-9 to raise visions of producing another giant killing act.

But the seasoned Roy clawed back into the match from the third set and showed tremendous grit to win four sets at a stretch to not only win the title but also a monetary award of Rs 30,000. (PTI)

Now cricket to be taught as a subject in a city school

BANGALORE, Aug 18: Cricket is a religion for millions of fans in India and now it will be a taught as a subject in a city school.

Students at the St Joseph Boy’s High School will have the privilege of learning cricket as a subject. A cricket academy has been launched officially in the school.

The school has introduced the subject not merely to produce cricketers, but to lay more stress on development of character, team spirit and leadership skills.

The course extends over 45 lessons based on manuals provided by the legendary frank "typhoon" Tyson, the English medium pacer in the fifties. One’s prowess in batting, bowling and fielding would also be tested and will constitute the practical aspects of the study.

In a release here, the Parent Teachers’ Association said that today’s introduction this of section of study would also mark an endowment from it.

It would award the "innovator Jesuit Rev Michael John Rolling Trophy" for the student showing the highest degree of leadership qualities and team spirit, coupled with exceptional all-round skills.

Other endowments were the "Gladwyne Maurice Rego Rolling Trophy" for excellence in batting and the "Tevinder Singh Mehta Rolling Trophy" for excellence in bowling, the release added. (UNI)