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

Australia slay Kiwis
for a big win

FARIDABAD, Oct 29: Australia put their one-day cricket triseries campaign on track with an eight-wicket demolition of New Zealand in a highly one-sided encounter here today.............more

England scores
237-4 on first day
of second Test

CHITTAGONG (Bangladesh), Oct 29: Rikki Clarke hit his first-ever test half century leading England’s recovery from a top-order collapse on the first day of the second Test against Bangladesh today. Clarke, playing only his second Test, shared an unbroken 103-run partnership with former skipper Nasser Hussain to salvage the England innings..............more

Manik Verma Puraskar
for Dhanraj Pillay

HARDA (Madhya Pradesh), Oct 29: The Indian hockey team’s captain Dhanraj Pillay has been chosen for this year’s Manik Verma Puraskar. The sportsman shall be bestowed the award at a ceremony in Bhopal on December 24.............more

Ponting, Tendulkar,
Sehwag among
Ceat award winners

MUMBAI, Oct 29: Aussie one-day skipper Ricky Ponting won the international cricketer-of-the-year and batsman-of-the..........more

J&K’s historic win over
champion Punjab
* Ian gives superb performance with a ton and six wickets

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 29: Jammu and Kashmir today registered a historic nine-wicket victory over National champion Punjab in the Polly Umrigar Trophy....more

Inter-college cricket
Unbeaten ton by Bhuvnesh
helps Udhampur College
win by 73 runs

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 29: An unbeaten 109 (off 104 balls, 8x4, 5x6) guided Degree College Udhampur to a big 73 run victory of Government SPMR College of Commerce.......more

Alexander Club trounces
New Bharat 4-1 in tie-breaker

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 29: Alexander Club today defeated New Bharat 4-1 in tie-breaker in the ongoing Ist Banarsi Dass memorial.........more

Deepak guides
J&K Bank’s win
in Durand Cup

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 29: Two goals by Deepak Sangral today guided Jammu and Kashmir Bank to a 2-1 victory over a strong side......more

Australia slay Kiwis for a big win

FARIDABAD, Oct 29: Australia put their one-day cricket triseries campaign on track with an eight-wicket demolition of New Zealand in a highly one-sided encounter here today.

After skittling out New Zealand, who opted to bat, for 97 in 33.4 overs, the world champions overhauled the target in just 16.4 overs for their first win of the triseries after losing to India in their opener in Gwalior on Sunday.

Adam Gilchrist scored a rapid-fire 29 off 18 balls and Matthew Hayden a 53-ball 51 as Australia made a mockery of their trans-tasman rivals who have now lost ten of the 11 matches at neutral venues to the Aussies.

This was the third instance when the black caps failed to go past the hundred mark against the Aussies and their total was also the lowest ever at Faridabad, the previous lowest being India’s 177 against the West Indies in 1994-95.

Brad Williams claimed his career best four for 22 though left-arm seamer Nathan Bracken was more effective, capturing three for 25 as the duo wrecked the Kiwi top order in an destructive opening spell.

Australia have now seven points and are behind India at eight points. New Zealand, who gained three points from the abandoned series opener against India in Chennai, have been pushed down to the bottom of the table with three points.

In sharp contrast to the Kiwis, Australia, who had to bat for eight overs before the lunch break due to their quick disposal of their rivals, were off to a flier.

The two Australian openers — Gilchrist and Hayden —launched the Australian reply with a flourish racing to 47 in six overs.

Gilchrist departed for an 18-ball 29 but not before he had entertained a packed crowd at the Nahar Singh Stadium with a flurry of five fours and a huge six.

Hayden, who looked a little tentative in Gwalior although he did mange to score 47, was his usual aggressive self today as he displayed some brilliant shots.

His unbeaten 51 contained seven boundaries and a six as the Kiwi new-ball bowlers went through their motions knowing well the futility of it all.

The Kiwis were in trouble right from the start after skipper Stephen Fleming made a surprise decision to bat first on a pitch that offered a lot of movement and bounce.

Fleming had mentioned in his pre-match press conference yesterday that moisture on a morning start would help the seamers early on.

His predictions came true as bracken and Williams, later named the man-of-the-match, exploited the conditions to the hilt and had the opposition reeling at 21 for five in the ninth over of the innings.

Had it not been for the 52-run sixth wicket partnership between Craig McMillan (24) and Chris Harris (14), and the huge number of extras (32) — the Kiwi innings might not have lasted the distance that it did.

Compounding the misery for the New Zealanders was the Nahar Singh pitch which offered so much movement and bounce that the seamers had problems with controlling their line, resulting in so many extras.

Bracken, who removed Virender Sehwag in the first over at Gwalior, struck again in his first over removing Chris Nevin for a duck.

In his next over, Bracken beat the Kiwi skipper in the air and Ricky Ponting claimed a diving catch in the slip cordon but, as the TV replays showed, the ball came off the batsman’s thigh pads.

There was no doubt though when a thick edge from Fleming was taken cleanly by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist diving to his left in Bracken’s third over.

At 11 for two, the situation demanded some caution, but Lou Vincent played an irresponsible shot to get out and leave his team in deep trouble. Vincent, whose patient hundred laid the foundation for New Zealand’s domination in the second Test, chose to pull Williams off a good length ball. The result was a simple catch to Andy Bichel at mid-off.

Scott Styris, another centurion at Mohali, middled the ball well but got a bit carried away by his early success. Going for an ambitious drive, Styris edged Williams to Ponting in second slip.

Bracken then struck for the third time when Jacob Oram too failed to adjust to the movement off the pitch and gave Gilchrist his second catch of the match.

It was only the ninth over, and the black caps had sunk to 21 for five. Craig McMillan survived a strong appeal for caught behind off Williams in the very next over but umpire S Venkataraghavan gave the benefit of doubt to the batsman.

The right hander, on 13, also had a reprieve when Matthew Hayden at first slip grassed a simple catch off Bichel. Bichel like Williams, who conceded nine extras in his first six over, had difficulty in finding rhythm. In his fifth over, he conceded three consecutive wides besides a no ball.

Ian Harvey too got enough movement in the air and the right-arm Trundler broke the Harris-McMillan partnership when he had the former trapped Leg Before Wicket.

The workhorse Bichel soon fetched his reward when McMillan, playing down the leg, was ruled Leg Before Wicket.

Williams returned to remove Brendon McCullum who fell to a good low catch by Damien Martyn at square leg before Harvey rapped Vettori on the pads. Williams then had Paul Hitchcock caught by Hayden at first slip.

Australia retained the team that played against India at Gwalior while New Zealand named Chris Nevin in place of Chris Cairns who pulled his hamstring in the Chennai match.

The triseries action now moves to Mumbai where Australia will take on India in a day-night match. (PTI)

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand

C Nevin LBW b Bracken 0

S Fleming c Gilchrist b Bracken 2

L Vincent c Bichel b Williams 0

S Styris c Ponting b Williams 7

C McMillan lbw b Bichel 24

J Oram c Gilchrist b Bracken 0

C Harris lbw b Harvey 14

B McCullum c Martyn b Williams 5

D Vettori lbw b Harvey 0

P Hitchcock c Hayden b Williams 10

D Tuffey not out 3

Extras (lb-12, w-18, nb-2) 32

Total (all out in 33.4 overs) 97

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-11, 3-11, 4-20, 5-21, 6-73, 7-77 8-80, 9-80.

Bowling: Bracken 9-2-25-3, Williams 9.4-1-22-4, Bichel 7-0-29-1, Harvey 8-2-9-2.

Australia:

A Gilchrist c and b Oram 29

M Hayden not out 51

R Ponting c Mccullum b Tuffey 12

D Martyn not out 2

Extras (lb-5, nb-2) 7

Total (For 2 Wkts, 16.4 Overs) 101

Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-90.

Bowling: Tuffey 6.4-0-51-1, Oram 7-1-31-1, Hitchcock 2-0-8-0, Vettori 1-0-6-0. (PTI)

England scores 237-4 on first day of second Test

Clarke, playing only his second Test, shared an unbroken 103-run partnership with former skipper Nasser Hussain to salvage the England innings.

Their fifth wicket stand guided the visitors to post a strong 237-4 at close of play at M A Aziz Stadium in the Southern Port city of Chittagong.

Clarke was unbeaten on 53 joined Hussain on 47, while three other runs came as wides to make up their 103-run stand.

Clarke joined Hussain soon after lunch break after England lost four wickets for eight runs to slump from 88 for no loss at lunch to 134 for four, with Mashrafee Bin Murtaza snaring two wickets and Khaled Mahmud and Mohammad Rafique taking one apiece.

Surrey all-rounder Clarke made his debut in the first of the two-Test series in Dhaka last week. He is also the team’s fourth seamer for the final match.

Clarke smashed eight boundaries off 110 balls to reach his maiden 50.

He overtook Hussain, who played watchfully, surviving a caught-and-bowled chance by offspinner rafique. Hussain struck three boundaries. England, sent in to bat, cruised to 126 without loss before Bangladeshi skipper Mahmud removed Marcus Trescothick for 60, sparking the top-order collapse.

Trescothick hit three sixes and four boundaries before being caught at backward point by Mushfiqur Rahman.

Somerset batsman Trescothick drove a boundary off 16-year-old spinner Enamul Haque to reach his 50 off 111 balls. He was out soon after, cutting a Mahmud delivery to the same fielder who dropped him on 34.

Surrey left-hander Mark Butcher was out for six when he played a ball from offspinner Rafique into his stumps.

Vaughan (54) edged a loose drive off Murtaza to wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud, adding just four runs after the lunch interval.

Graham Thorpe was out for a duck after he dragged a turning ball off Murtaza onto his stumps, reducing England to 134-4.

Murtaza, who failed to get seam or swing in the first session, grabbed two vital wickets in a single over after the break.

Mahmud won the toss and surprised many with his decision to send England to bat first at M A Aziz Stadium, where the pitch was expected to favour batting.

He used seven bowlers, including himself.

England leads the series 1-0 after a seven wicket victory in the first test in the capital, last week. (AP)

Ponting, Tendulkar, Sehwag among Ceat award winners

MUMBAI, Oct 29: Aussie one-day skipper Ricky Ponting won the international cricketer-of-the-year and batsman-of-the-year awards while Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar bagged the cricketer-of-the-World Cup award.

Announcing the awards, Ceat Limited vice-chairman Harsh Goenka told reporters here today that "we are delighted to honour the talents and hard work of the winners and celebrate their victory along with cricket enthusiasts across the globe.

I congratulate our award winners and salute all those who have made it to the top in the Ceat cricket ratings," Goenka said.

While the best match-winning performance for 2002-2003 went to young talents — Mohammed Kaif and Yuvraj Singh — for their memorial partnership in the Natwest Trophy final in England, the lifetime achievement award was given to former Test star Vijay Hazare.

World champions Australia were declared the team-of-the-year and Indian offie Harbhajan Singh was named the bowler-of-the-year and dashing Indian batsman Virender Sehwag the fielder-of-the-year.

The recipients of awards in different categories will be honoured with the Ceat awards during the star-studded 8th annual award ceremony to be held at Taj Mahal hotel on October 31 here.

Two of the three judges, former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar and ex-Aussie skipper Ian Chappell were present during the announcement. (PTI)

J&K’s historic win over champion Punjab
* Ian gives superb performance with a ton and six wickets

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 29: Jammu and Kashmir today registered a historic nine-wicket victory over National champion Punjab in the Polly Umrigar Trophy under-15 cricket tournament played at Science College hostel ground, here today.

After taking first innings lead of 184 runs, including Ian Dev Singh’s 106 runs, J&K were given a target of 42 runs by Punjab after they were bowled out for 226 runs this morning in their second innings.

However, J&K achieved the small target making 44 runs in less than 30 minutes play at 11.45 am today for the loss of Aditya Aima’s wicket in 9.1 overs. Aditya was caught by Sumit Dhiman off Rahul Kumar at 17 runs. Hero of the first innings, Ian Dev was at the crease with 19 runs including four hits to the fence with Adil (8) at the other end.

Earlier, Punjab making a beginning from overnight score of 126 for three in 41 overs were bowled out for 226 runs in 67.5 overs. At one point of time, Punjab batsmen were playing confidently at a score 225 for five. But it was the end of their innings as five wickets were lost by Punjab within a span of three runs. Sixth and seventh wicket fell at the same score of 225 followed by loss of three successive wickets at a score of 226.

With a hundred, Ian Dev also bagged three wickets for 41 runs in 15.5 overs including two maidens. Earlier, Ian also took three wickets in the first innings. Zian Ajaz and Ram Dayal shared two wickets each while Maqsood took one for J&K.

R P Singh (DDCA) and Jasbir Singh (PCA) were umpires in this three-day match. Ashwani Sharma was scorer.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association has congratulated the winning J&K team, especially Ian Dev Singh and has patted the selectors, especially Ankush Abrol for their efforts in guiding J&K to a historical victory over Punjab.

Earlier, last year, J&K defeated Delhi in Polly Umrigar Trophy and registered victory over Haryana two years back.