Chennai ride on Hussey rampage to beat Kings XI

MOHALI, Apr 19: Mike Hussey cracked the fastest century in Twenty20 cricket history as Chennai Super Kings pulled off a comfortable 33-run victory over Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League match here today.

Hussey’s blistering unbeaten 116 off just 54 balls steered Chennai Super Kings to an imposing 240 for five on a perfect batting strip at the PCA stadium.

The Chennai outfit then restricted the home team to 207 for four to record a win in their opening match which turned out to be a high scoring contest under lights.

It was a virtual carnage at the PCA ground as Hussey plundered runs at will to notch up the second century in the tournament in as many days after Brendon McCullum’s 158 in the opening match in Bangalore last night.

Electing to bat, the Chennai team took full advantage of a batting track and short boundaries with sixes and fours raining on a hapless Yuvraj Singh-led home team.

Suresh Raina (32), S Badrinath (31) and Matthew Hayden (25) were the other notable scorers for Chennai Super Kings.

The home team started off well and kept themselves in the hunt till the midway stage of the innings but the dismissal of James Hopes (71) brought Chennai back in the game.

Kumara Sangakkara (54), Karan Goel (24) and captain Yuvraj Singh (23) were the other batsmen who chipped in with some runs for Kings XI.

The highlight of the innings was the explosive strokeplay by Hussey, who hit as many as 10 sixes and seven boundaries to record an amazing strike rate of 211.11.

The likes of Brett Lee, S Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan and James Hopes could do nothing to stop the run deluge while the two spinners Piyush Chawla and Karan Goel were little more than cannon fodder.

In fact, Chawla’s only over cost 19 runs forcing Yuvraj to take him out of the attack.

However, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the highest paid player in the landmark auction, could manage just two runs before being trapped leg before by Hopes.

But his team-mates made amends for his cheap dismissal with some lusty hitting which helped the team put on a mammoth total.

Faced with a stiff asking rate, Kings XI got off to a decent start with Goel and Hopes putting on 56 runs in the first five overs.

After Goel’s dismissal, Hopes and the experienced Kumar Sangakkara kept up the tempo with some big hits but the run rate slowed down a bit after spin wizard Muthiah Muralitharan was introduced into the attack.

Muralithan’s experience came handy as he used a lot of variations and gave away just 33 runs in his quota of four overs.

With the required run rate climbing alarmingly after every over, Simon Katich made a valiant effort in the fag end but it was not enough to carry the team to the victory target. (PTI)

Army clinches Gold Cup Hockey tourney

MUMBAI, Apr 19: Sunil Ekka, subdued in the first half, showed his true ebullient self to score a late match-winner which helped Army XI come from behind and put it across holders Bharat Petroleum 2-1 in the Bombay Gold Cup hockey tournament final here today.

Bpcl, who impressed right through the first half in which they took the lead through a 13th minute strike by Amar Aiyamma, who guided in a goalmouth centre from the right sent in by hari Prasad, had to take the back-seat in the latter half to their speedy rivals in the all-Bangalore title clash.

Army xi first equalised in the 42nd minute through an indirect penalty corner goal by Renel Singh before Ekka capped his consistently good performance in the tournament with a superb goal three minutes from the end which fetched the soldiers their second gold cup crown in three years. (AGENCIES)

Playing against India is lucrative for other nations: Modi

NEW DELHI, Apr 19: Refuting allegations that the BCCI acts like a bully towards other boards, vice-president Lalit Modi said the rest of the cricketing world make money only when they play against India.

"Look, no one was concerned about cricket in India for the past 100 years,’’ Modi told BBC’s Hindi programme ‘Ek Mulaqat’ which will be broadcast tomorrow. "Now the situation is such that most of the boards earn only when their team plays against India. Earlier they used to earn when they played against Australia.’’

"If the various cricket boards earn money by playing against India, then we too have to put across our viewpoints firmly. We expect to be treated equally. That’s the reason we are being called overbearing,’’ he added.

Modi is the Chairman and Commissioner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and also heads the marketing sub-committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

He is credited for aggressively selling television rights and various sponsorship rights for the BCCI.

"It has been a mix of everything. The first thing that the new board decided was that the system will be transparent. All the discussions will be carried out by the committee,’ Modi said.

"Of course my experience proved to be useful where money was concerned. I was aware of the kind of money middlemen make in deals like these. And then I was also fortunate, the market was good, there was still enthusiasm for Indian cricket and the broadcast officials received high bids.’’

According to Modi, the BCCI’s income has increased since last year which have a positive effect on domestic cricket.

"The income of the board increased last year. Before that the board had no income. You will see that the income of the board will increase annually. So if any Ranji Trophy player plays all the matches, he will receive Rs 50-60 lakhs,’’ he remarked.

He, however, warned that Team India will have to perform well to ensure that the BCCI contunues to prosper. (PTI)

Five-member Taekwondo team for Asian Senior C’ship

NEW DELHI, Apr 19: A five member Indian team, including two female players, will participate in the 18th Asian Senior Taekwondo championship to be held in Zhengzhou, China, from April 26.
Sunil Kumar and Abdul Mobeen Khan (flyweight) and Surendra Bhandari (bantamweight) would participate in the men’s event while Anjana Sharma (bantamweight) and Meera Chettri (lightweight) would present the Indian challenge in the women’s event, a press release said.
The team, along with Iranian coach Fariborz Askari and a trainer, would leave for China on April 23. (PTI)

Santosh Trophy to enthrall soccer lovers: Haji Nissar

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 19: Minister for Youth Services and Sports, Haji Nissar has said that the conduct of mega soccer event-Santosh Trophy would not only promote the game in the State but also provide a recreational entertainment to the soccer lovers.

He was speaking on the concluding day of U/14 and U/16 football tournament which concluded here today.

In U/14 age group, GMC Coaching Centre and Satwari Coaching Centre emerged winners while BSF Coaching Institute and Parade Coaching Center jointly clinched U/16 title.

The Minister also announced a grant of Rs 50,000 to Iqbal Sports for promoting football activities.

IGP (Armed) Sheikh Owais Shah was the guest of honour. Ravinder Gupta, Director, Youth Services and Sports was also present on the occasion.

The tournament was organised by Jammu and Kashmir Football Association in collaboration with Indian Football Federation and Iqbal Sports, Jammu.

Speech competition held under Fire Service Week

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 19: As a part of Fire Service Week, Fire and Emergency Services today organized a speech competition at its headquarters, wherein students from different schools of the city participated.

The competition was held on the topic "Fire Prevention...Do it for life", which is also this year’s slogan. Vivek Gupta of Dogra Higher Secondary School, Shastri Nagar bagged the first prize, while Nandita Kaul of National Public Higher Secondary School, Shiv Nagar and Mandeep Kour of Dogra Hr Sec School got second and third prizes respectively.

The two consolation prizes were awarded to Poonam Gupta of Luthra Academy, Gandhi Nagar and Simran of Govt Middle School, Kachi Chhawni.

Dr G A Bhat, Director General, Fire and Emergency Services, who was the chief guest distributed mementoes and cash awards to the winners. R S Sodhi, Director, Fire and Emergency Services, was also present on the occasion.

68 Bn emerges overall champion

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 19: 68 Battalion proved their supremacy by emerging overall winners in cross country as the three-day long Jammu OPS Sector Swimming and Cross Country competitions concluded at 72 Bn CRPF, Channi Himmat today.

76 Bn finished runners-up whereas 28 Bn stood third.

In Swimming, 38 Bn bagged top honours followed by 76 Bn who again had to be content with second position.

In individual events, Hari Ram of 72 Bn secured first position in 12km race whereas Sandeep Sharma (68 Bn) finished second.

Niranjan Biswas (38 Bn) had the last laugh in 4km race while Ajay Kumar (68 Bn) stood second.

J C Dabas, IGP CRPF, Jammu was the chief guest on the occasion who distributed prizes among the winner and runners-up teams.

The prize distribution function was held under the chairmanship of Joginder Singh, Commandant, 72 Bn.

ADIGs CRPF, L R Sidhra and Y K Mathur, R C Manhotra, Commandant, IRP 8th Bn and Rashmi Wazir, Commandant, JKAP 8th Bn were prominent among others who were present.

Besides officers of 72 Bn namely Balram Behera, 2nd-in-command, Ashok Kumar, Deputy Commandant, Assistant Commandants Sunit Kumar, Amarjeet Singh, Nir Singh Mina, Pritam Singh and Dr Manjula Jamwal, medical officers, jawans, children and ladies were also present on this occasion.

The competitions were organised by 72 Bn.

Fireworks expected as Knight Riders
face Deccan Chargers

KOLKATA, Apr 19: A cracker of a match is expected as two of the strongest teams in the Indian Premier League Kolkata Nnight Riders and Deccan Chargers cross swords at the decked-up Eden Gardens here tomorrow.

With their tails up after a thumping 140-run victory over Bangalore Royal Challengers in last night’s tournament lung-opener, the Sourav Ganguly-led Kolkata outfit would seek their second consecutive win, while the Hyderabad-based side, led by stylist VVS Laxman, will look to kick-start their campaign on the right note before an expected packed house.

Eden Gardens, the home of cricket in this part of the world, has been spruced up with fresh coats of paint in the galleries and the club house for the BCCI-backed multi-million dollar extravaganza. Both teams have a galaxy of international stars capable of winning a match singlehandedly on their day. Hence, predicting the outcome could be a risky venture.

However, what would be a matter of concern to the two team managements is the absence of several high-priced foreign acquisitions.

Apart from missing banned Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar and two other Pakistanis pacer Umar Gul and left-hand batsman Salman Butt the Knight Riders would also have to do without hard-hitting West Indian captain Chris Gayle, who has been ruled out for a fortnight with a groin strain.

Gul and Butt are slated to join the side after the ODI series against Bangladesh.

Similarly, Deccan Chargers would be forced to take the field without dashing Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi, also doing duty for his national side.

South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs has also not come for the Hyderabad team.

The hosts, spurred on by their all-round show against Rahul Dravid’s side in Bangalore, seem to be high on confidence.

The out-of-the-world knock of 158 from New Zealand wicketkeeper batsman Brendon McCullum has not only made him the highest individual scorer in a Twenty20 match, but has also turned him overnight into a hero for the city side, and a darling of the crowds.

While Ganguly would be hoping for yet another scorcher from the 27-year old from Dunedin, the disciplined bowling of his team must also have added to the satisfaction of the prince of Kolkata.

The fiery pace of Ishant Sharma, the performance of debutante Ashok Dinda and veteran Ajit Agarkar, and the effort of Ganguly himself has made the Knight Riders bowling look high on quality in their first match.

The home fans would also hope for significant contributions from Aussie captain Ricky Ponting and Ganguly, both of whom failed to deliver with the bat last night.

Deccan Chargers’ star-studded line-up includes retired Aussie wicketkeeper batsman Adam Gilchrist, the aggressive Andrew Symonds, New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris, Sri Lankan batsman Chamara Silva and his two compatriots pacers Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa.

Among the Indian recuits, the team includes swashbuckling youngster Rohit Sharma and pacer R P Singh, while the stylish Laxman would be expected to provided the much-needed solidity in the middle. (PTI)

WI’s Bravo joins IPL, England’s Ramprakash rejects offer

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Apr 19: West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has become the latest star to join the Indian Premier League, which kicked-off to an exciting start in Bangalore.

Bravo will play for Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar-led ‘Mumbai Indians’ team, which also features off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and South African fast bowler Shaun Pollock.

Bravo will miss the next week’s Carib Challenge Shield final against Jamaica but Trinidad and Tobago team manager Colin Borde feels the experience Bravo gains in the IPL will benefit the national team in the long run.

"I think everybody is excited for him going up to the IPL and playing with Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Shaun Pollock," Borde was quoted as saying by the ‘Trinidad Express’.

"I think it’s good for him and as a Trinidadian you must feel proud...He’s the first guy to get in the IPL."

Meanwhile, Mark Ramprakash yesterday became the second English cricketer to turn down an IPL offer.

Ramprakash was approached by the Rajasthan Royals to replace South African captain Graeme Smith for two weeks, according to the ‘Daily Telegraph’.

Earlier, Alistair Brown had also turned down an IPL contract. (PTI)

Federer storms into Estoril semi-finals

ESTORIL (Portugal), Apr 19: Roger Federer battled changing weather, which went from sun to rain and back, before beating Portugal’s Frederico Gil 6-4, 6-1 to reach the Estoril Open semi-finals.

A quarter-final twice interrupted by the unpredictable conditions sent the players off court for 35 minutes in the first set and another 25 in the third game of the second.

Federer, working to lift his first title of the season as he begins the pre-French Open clay campaign working with Spanish coach Jose Higueras, was able to come out after the second interruption to finish the job.

"Conditions were tough, you play in heavy conditions, the rain comes, you leave the court and come back and you change quite a bit," said the world number one, now 14-4 on the season.

"There was a lot of wind as well. I didn’t know my opponent at all, I’d never seen him play. That made it tricky.

"He played well for set and a half. Thank god I came back from the second rain delay and had the right game plan. I had to play a really good match today to win."

The top seed will now face Germany’s Denis Gremelmayr, who beat Czech Jiri Vanek 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, for a place in the final.

Nikolay Davydenko stretched his spring win streak to ten matches as he joined Federer in the last four.

The Russian second seed, who won the prestigious Miami Masters title this month, fought past Frenchman Marc Gicquel 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 on the heavy clay.

Davydenko, who confessed that his mental strength is draining away after his run of form, will face Florent Serra of France, who beat Italy’s Flavio Cipolla 6-1, 6-1.

Davydenko said he was so exhausted after losing the second set that he almost did not want to go on.

"I just told myself that I should try and see if I could fight," said the world number four.

In the women’s tournament, second-seeded Russian Maria Kirilenko moved into the semis with a convincing win over Italian Tathiana Garbin 6-0, 6-1 while Czech Iveta Benesova defeated French eighth seed Camille Pin 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. (AGENCIES)

Rastogi’s campaign ends with semis defeat

NEW DELHI, Apr 19: Karan Rastogi went down in straight sets against local challenger Zhe Li to bow out of the USD 15,000 itf tournament in Beijing today.

The fourth seeded Indian lost 6-7 (6) 4-6 in the semi-final clash to his unseeded opponent.

Rastogi and Ashutosh Singh had won the doubles event yesterday after pipping top-seeded Australian pair of Matthew Ebden and Brydan Klein 6-2 6-3 in the final. (PTI)

Bhullar tied 29th, poor day for Indians

BEIJING, Apr 19: A sub-par card eluded all three Indians in the fray with Gaganjeet Bhullar’s one-over 73 being the pick of the lot that had the youngster tied 29th after the penultimate round of the USD 2.2 million Volvo China Open here today.

Bhullar could have been found himself higher in the ladder but for a wretched six-hole stretch that cost him five shots. Birdies on the second, 10th, 11th and 18th were the saving grace for the Indian whose three-day total reads one-over 217.

After a scintillating second round of 69, veteran Gaurav Ghei (220) went three-over 75 today to slide down the leaderboard at tied 44th. His erratic round had three bogeys and a double bogey, as against just a couple of birdies.

Worse was the case with Indian masters winner SSP Chowrasia (223) who returned his worst card of the week so far, a poor 76, to slip to tied 60th.

He has an ominous start, dropping two shots on his opening hole at the Beijing cbd International Golf Club. On his way back, he double-bogeyed the 14th as well, for the second consecutive day. In between, he bogeyed the fourth and eighth, which meant birdies on the third and 15th were of hardly any consolation.

Ireland’s Damien Mcgrane set himself up for his maiden career win with a third round of 68 that gave him the pole position at 11-under 208.

Overnight leader Michael Lorenzo-Vera (208) of France returned a level-par round to slip to the second spot, a place he shares with Englishman Oliver Wilson (70). (PTI)