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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Spinners, Uthappa carry Annual Mayor’s Cup football KKR to top of IPL table tourney to
ROBIN Uthappa stole the show as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) moved to the top of the Indian Pre-
SUNIL NARINE
mier League table with a comfortable six-wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab yesterday. After limiting their strug-
gling opponents to a modest total of 138-8, despite the best efforts of Shaun Marsh (56 not out), the Knight Riders made light work of the subsequent chase in Chandigarh. Uthappa raced to 53 from 28 deliveries, while opening partner Gautam Gambhir - the tournament’s leading run-scorer - contributed 34 at a run-aball as the Kings XI attack toiled. A routine victory for the Knight Riders was completed with 17 balls unused, lifting Gambhir’s men above Gujarat Lions, who boast a game in hand. Marsh did his best to hold things together for the Kings XI - striking five fours and one six in his 41-ball knock - but was badly hampered by a lack of support, with Murali Vijay (26) and
Kyle Abbott (12 not out) the only other men to make double figures. Sunil Narine (2-22), Morne Morkel (2-27) Umesh Yadav (1-17) and Piyush Chawla (1-18) all returned impressive figures and Kolkata were big favourites at the half-way mark despite Andre Russell conceding 18 runs in the 20th over. The Knight Riders then seized complete control through their opening pair, Uthappa the chief aggressor as 65 runs came from the sixover powerplay - the highest total of the season to date. Uthappa’s half-century arrived from just 24 balls and by the time he fell lbw on the sweep to Pardeep Sahu (2-18), Kolkata faced a simple target of 57 from 69 deliveries. Maxwell pulled off a
superb diving catch at midwicket to ensure Sahu also picked up the scalp of Gambhir, but it mattered
ROBIN UTHAPPA
little and the Kings XI were well beaten despite Manish Pandey (12) and Shakib Al Hasan (11) falling cheaply. (Sportsmax. com)
Bribes were common part of football - Webb FORMER CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb believed taking bribes was just part and parcel of football business, plea transcripts released by a U.S. judge have revealed. On Monday the court released the guilty pleas of Webb, Argentinian-Italian marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco and Brazilian intermediary Jose Margulies, three of the 40 officials facing charges that range from money-laundering to racketeering. For his part Webb, who pleaded guilty last year and has been living under house arrest since, admitted to regretting the transactions but
saw it as commonplace in world football. “I abused my position to obtain bribes and kickbacks for my personal benefit. I be-
Former CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday April 20, 2016) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & the City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) &AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512)
Answers to yesterday’s quiz:
(1) Shane Watson (RR) (2) Andre Russell (KKR)
Today’s Quiz:
(1) In what year was the IPL held in South Africa? (2) Which franchise won the IPL title when the tournament was held in South Africa??
Answers in tomorrow’s issue
lieved that such offers were common in this business. I deeply regret my participation in this illegal conduct,” Webb was quoted as saying by the AFP. In the plea, Webb also revealed that he received bribes for the sale of commercial rights for the FIFA World Cup 2018, which will be held
in Russia and also for FIFA World Cup qualifying matches for the 2022 edition. Webb also received payments for tournaments in 2012, 2013 and 2014, including the Copa America Centenario, which will be played in the United States this summer. (Sportsmax. com)
PCB disappointed with Windies refusal to tour Pakistan
THE Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed disappointment with the decision of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to not take up an offer to tour Pakistan later this year. The West Indies and Pakistan are scheduled to play in two Tests, five One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals in September and October. The PCB had been optimistic of getting the regional team to play the T20 leg of the tour on Pakistan soil.Despite promises of steep compensation and military grade protection the WICB reportedly considered security concerns in an often volatile Pakistan as too major a consideration to take up the offer. The country has not hosted an elite cricket nation since 2009 when militants attacked Sri Lanka. All its games including the inaugural Pakistan Cricket League (PCL) have been played in the UAE. “We wanted the Twenty20s to be played in Pakistan and made an effort but the West Indies Cricket Board have refused saying they have security fears, so the full series will be played in (the) United Arab Emirates,” explained Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan. (Sportsmax.com)
kick off May 1
THE annual Mayor’s Cup Football tournament which has a total of $1.3M up for grabs will kick off on May 1 with a double-header billed for the Victoria ground, East Coast Demerara. The first match of the 2016 edition of the tournament will see Mahaica tackle Eagles United from 18:30hrs while from 20:30hrs, home side Victoria Kings face Milerock. The winners of the tournament, which ends on May 29 at the Georgetown Football Club ground, will receive the Mayor’s trophy along with $700 000 while the second-place team will take home a trophy and $300 000. The third- and fourth-place teams will also receive trophies as well as $200 000 and $100 000 respectively. On May 2, Golden Grove will face Federal Winners Connections from 18:30hrs at the Victoria ground also and Ann’s Grove come up against Grove Hi Tech from 20:30hrs. Police are down to play the winners of the Mahaica versus Eagles United on May 5 at the Den Amstel ground and home team Den Amstel will clash with the winners of the Victoria versus Milerock affair on the same day. On May 7, Camptown will meet the winners of the Golden Grove versus Winners Connection match at the GFC ground and on the same day, Santos will tackle the winners of the Den Amstel versus the winners of the Ann’s Grove versus Grove Hi Tech affair. Riddim Squad are down to tackle Kuru Kururu on May 8 at the GFC ground and Western Tigers meet Agricola at the same venue. On May 14, Uitvlugt will take on Herstelling at the Den Amstel ground and Pouderoyen come up against Soesdyke. The quarter-finals will take place on May 18 at the GFC ground.
NOTABLE DATES ELTON Felix Dharry had three fights against Orland Rogers and won all. The last time the two met was on April 20, 2013 at the Princess Hotel and Casino. The USA-based Dharry took the vacant Guyana bantamweight title following a third-round technical knockout. Known as `The Coolie Bully’ Dharry became a professional in 2004 at the age of 19. He had three fights without tasting defeat but then went on a losing spree. In a two-year span starting in 2007 Dharry lost five of the six fights he contested. However, he recovered after that and has not looked back since. The December-born fighter became the World Boxing Council (WBC) Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) bantamweight champion after stopping compatriot Dexter Marques at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The fight was staged on May 28, 2011 and Dharry put Marques to sleep with one minute left in the seventh round. Marques entered the ring with a record of 8-1 and has not been defeated since. On the other hand, Dharry has improved leaps and bounds and is undefeated in 15 fights dating back to 2009. In December 2014 he added the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Inter-Continental title to his treasure chest following a unanimous decision victory over Nicaraguan Jose Rios. `The Coolie Bully’ has fought twice in 2015 and once this year and has a record of 20 victories, five defeats and one draw. He is currently on the road to a world title.