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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday August 20, 2015
Gaskin, Persaud set Goodwill records, as Guyana finish fifth at Goodwill Swim Meet By Tamica Garnett NATIONAL record-holder Aleka Persaud last weekend also became a Goodwill Swim Meet record-holder as well as Guyana’s Hannibal Gaskin, while Team Guyana finished fifth at the meet which concluded last Sunday at the Centre of Excellence Swimming Pool, Macoya in Trinidad and Tobago. Guyana finished fifth with 501.5 points, while the event was championed by the Trinidad team who successfully defended their title after amassing 1 477 points. Trinidad and Tobago warded off the efforts from their nemesis, Suriname, who trailed just behind with 1 325.50 points. Barbados placed third with 821.50 points and the St Lucia National Team were fourth with 534.5 points. Last place went to the Bahamas Swimming
Goodwill Swim Meet Boys’ 15-17 200m freestyle gold medallist, Hannibal Gaskin (centre), poses with second-place finisher Leshem Morris (left), and third-placer Omar Adams. Federation who finished with just 88 points. Guyana ended with 29 medals – 21 from individual
events and 8 relay medals. The haul included seven gold, nine silver and 12 bronze medal performances.
Persaud was by far Guyana’s most decorated swimmer at the meet landing five of the seven gold medals, and being one of only three Guyanese swimmers to land gold at the event. Gaskin and Onika George were the only other two swimmers to strike gold. Persaud also ended with a silver medal, which she collected for her record-breaking performance. Young Persaud swam for 36.20 secs in the Girls 8-and-under 50m butterfly, tearing down the 37.40 secs record set by Zoe Anthony last year. Persaud barely made it past Trinidad’s Joy Blackett who was just behind clocking 36.98 secs. Having a remarkable year since the season began, Persaud, who has been collecting nothing but gold medals on the local scene, more than proved that she could also hold her own in
Amla century helps South Africa win ODI opener PRETORIA, South Africa (Reuters) - A century from Hashim Amla laid the foundation for home success yesterday, as South Africa beat New Zealand by 20 runs to win their opening oneday international at Centurion. Amla displayed the form that had him rated the world’s best batsman as he mastered the bowling on a slow track and scored 124 for South Africa to open with 304 for seven off their 50 overs.
New Zealand kept up with the required run rate for most of their chase but lost wickets at key intervals and were bowled out for 284 in the 49th over of the first of a three-match series. Amla scored his 21st ODI century off 126 balls and featured in a 185-run partnership for the second wicket with Rilee Rossouw, who tempered his usual aggressive style to build a steady innings before being bowled in the 42nd over for 89.
It proved a positive start after New Zealand had won the toss and sent the hosts in to bat. But a chance of a much bigger score, on the same pitch where they lost to New Zealand in a Twenty20 international on Sunday, disappeared as South Africa lost five wickets in their last eight overs. South Africa made an immediate breakthrough on the New Zealand batting as Dale Steyn had Luke Ronchi caught behind at the end of the first
over after seeing two earlier deliveries dropped. New Zealand then set about chasing down the target with Tom Latham and captain Kane Williamson amassing 104 runs for the second wicket before a vital breakthrough, as Williamson was caught at extra cover for 47 off spinner Imran Tahir. Latham (60) was the fifth wicket to fall halfway to the target as he walked across his stumps to a straight ball and was dismissed leg-before.
are ranked ninth on 88 points and as such appear reluctant to play such a series that could jeopardise their Champions Trophy qualification. “Unfortunately, since the ICC meddled with the binding nature of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) last year, there is no obligation on any country to stick to commitments made to tour unless these have been confirmed in a binding contact,” said Mani who is of Pakistan origin. “This free-for-all nature of tour commitment opens it to manipulation which is
exactly what has happened in this case. It also shows just how blindly the cricket boards agreed to the changes in the FTP without understanding the consequences.” The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has come under fire from several quarters over the regional side’s failure to advance to the 2017 Champions Trophy. In recent weeks, both WICB president Dave Cameron and CEO Michael Muirhead have blamed Pakistan for the West Indies missing the Champions Trophy.
the regional arena. Swimming in one of the most packed category, Persaud also ruled the roost in the 100m freestyle (1:14.55s), 50m breaststroke (45.29s), 50m freestyle (33.55s), and 50m backstroke (41.01s), while she also landed a silver in the 100m IM. Blackett proved to be Persaud’s biggest competition, finishing behind her in the 50m breaststroke, freestyle and backstroke, before finally getting the better of Persaud in the 100m IM. Blackett’s 1:27.88s was just enough to overcome the 1:29.84s swum by Persaud In the Boys’ 15-17 category Gaskin’s 1:58.66s in the 200m freestyle was just enough to surpass the 1:59.29s record set by Barbados’ Justin Babb back in 2009. Gaskin also collected a silver and a bronze - individual medals - in the 100m butterfly (59.84s) and 100m freestyle (54.80s), respectively. With one gold, three silver and a bronze, Onika George was Guyana’s second most decorated swimmer. George earned silverware in the Girls’ 15-17 category, in the 100m freestyle (1:02.82s), and 100m backstroke (1:12.16s), and bronze in the 200m freestyle (2:20.37s). In the 100m freestyle George was upstaged by Barbados’ Keisha Rouse in a record-breaking 1:01.05s. Leon Seaton, Phillip
DeNobrega, Accalia Khan, Patrice Mahaica and Omar Adams rounded out the medal-earners in the individual category. Seaton came back home with two silver medals, winning them in the Boys’ 9-10 50m freestyle (29.80s) and 200m freestyle (2:29.94s). DeNobrega in the Boys’ 15-17 category garnered two bronze in the 100m backstroke (1:04.78s) and the 200m IM (2:23.52s). Khan, Mahaica and Adams landed a bronze medal apiece - Khan in the Girls’ 15-17 50m backstroke (33.10s), Mahaica in the Girls’ eight-and-under 50m breaststroke (50.11s), and Adams in the Boys’ 15-17 200m freestyle (2:03.71s). Additionally, the swimmers all picked up relay medals from being a part of the relay teams in their respective categories. The Girls’ 15 -17 team won bronze in the 400m medley, 200m freestyle and 400m freestyle relay. The Boys’ 15-17 team included Adams, Gaskin, DeNobrega and Jamal Skeete who copped silver in the 400m freestyle, and bronze in the 200m freestyle. The Boys’ 13-14 team, comprising Nathon Hackett, Antonio Rodrigues, Alex Winter and Antonio Hussein, had silver in the 400m and 200m freestyle relays. Persaud spearheaded the Girls’ eight-and-under relay team for bronze in their 200m freestyle relay.
Pakistan’s Asif, Butt Mani condemns Pakistan U-turn that left Windies in the cold cleared to return - ICC
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CMC) - Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani has accused Pakistan of manipulating an upcoming tri-series to safeguard their qualification for the 2017 Champions Trophy. West Indies needed to play in the tri series involving Pakistan and Zimbabwe, before a September 30 deadline, as their qualification route to the Champions Trophy. The tri-series was originally scheduled from August 17 to September 7.
“The fact that Pakistan have pulled out of the tri-series is simply not cricket and goes against the spirit of the game,” stated Mani, ICC president from 2003 to 2006. Pakistan appear to have reversed their decision after winning their one-day series with Sri-Lanka 3-2 to all but secure their Champions Trophy spot. The Pakistanis later rescheduled the bilateral series with Zimbabwe to September 24 - October 5. With 90 points, they are ranked eight on the ICC 50 overs table while West Indies
PAKISTANI cricketers Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt will be free to return to competitive action on September 2 after serving bans for involvement in match-fixing, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said yesterday. The pair, suspended in 2011 for their part in attempting to fix the 2010 Lord’s Test against England, have fulfilled the conditions laid down by the ICC’s independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal. Fast bowler Mohammad Amir will also be eligible to return to international cricket at the same time. He started playing domestic cricket again in Pakistan earlier this year. The three players were found guilty in 2011 of various offences of corrupt behaviour and their punishments were backdated to start in September 2010. Amir, 23, was banned for five years, 32-year-old Asif for seven with the final two years suspended on specified conditions and 30-year-old Butt, who was Pakistan captain, for 10 years with the last five suspended. They all served jail sentences in Britain.