Tomorrow maTch
Thu, 12 mar 2015 06:30 am IST
SA vs UAE
westpac Stadium, wellington
Dhoni credits bowlers with India's World Cup turnaround
India ease past Ireland Notches 9th straight World Cup win
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India's Shikhar Dhawan celebrates his century (100 runs) during the Pool B Cricket World Cup match between India and Ireland at Seddon Park in Hamilton on March 10. (Getty Images)
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Hamilton, marcH 10 (aFP): Shikhar Dhawan hit an aggressive century as defending champions India recorded their fifth victory in a row at the 2015 World Cup with a thumping eight-wicket win over Ireland in Hamilton on Tuesday. Chasing a modest 260-run target, Dhawan notched his second century of the tournament with an 85-ball 100 as India lost only two wickets in 36.5 overs on a batting-friendly Seddon Park pitch. This latest victory meant India, yet to lose at this World Cup and already into the quarter-finals, were guaranteed to finish on top of Pool B ahead of their last group game against Zimbabwe in Auckland on Saturday.
9th Open Naga Wrestling C’ship
KoHima, marcH 10 (mExn): Wrestlers participating in the 9th Open Naga Wrestling Championship 2015 scheduled on March 12 at Kohima, have been asked to report at the Kohima Local Ground on March 11 at 2 PM for collection of player entry card and related information. A press release from the Publicity Committee further requested all tournament officials to report at the venue at 3 PM on March 11 for final briefing.
Ireland, meanwhile, will likely need a win against Pakistan in their last Pool match in Adelaide on Sunday to reach the last eight. "We have put in a lot of yards in the last few weeks. It is all about being fresh for Pakistan. If you can't get up for these games you won't be up for any," said Ireland captain William Porterfield. Pakistan, Ireland and South Africa, who all have six points in five matches, will vie with the West Indies (four points) for the three remaining quarter-final spots on offer from Pool B."Our bowlers are really doing the job for us, they've stepped up -- not just the three fast bowlers, the spinners are complimenting
them and when we've used parttimers they've done well," said India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Ireland's Niall O'Brien scored a run-a-ball 75 while Porterfield made a solid 93-ball 67 in Ireland's 259 all out in 49 overs. India proved their strength in batting yet again as Dhawan and Rohit Sharma (64) put on their team's best World Cup opening stand of 174 against a struggling Irish attack. Dhawan, who stroked 137 in the win over South Africa, completed his eighth one-day international hundred with a single off Kevin O'Brien to square leg. He reached three figures off just 84 balls. But one ball later
Rape claim against Bangladesh World Cup hero Rubel dropped
dHaKa, marcH 10 (aFP): A Bangladeshi actress who filed a rape case against cricket star Rubel Hossain said Tuesday she was withdrawing the charges against the fast bowler, a day after his match-winning heroics at the World Cup. Naznin Akter Happy, 19, made the rape allegation earlier this year after claiming 25-year-old Rubel had reneged on a promise of marriage that he made while they were having an "intimate affair". The allegation had threatened to scupper Rubel's chances of appearing in the World Cup after he was remanded in custody by a court in Dhaka. But he was later granted bail until the end of the World Cup in view of "national interest" as he was a key member of Bangladesh's team. In the latest twist of a saga which has
gripped the conservative Muslim-majority country, Happy said she had decided to forgive her former boyfriend. "I've forgiven him. I am not going to continue the case against him," Happy told a TV channel on Tuesday. Rubel took four for 53 in the win over England in Adelaide on Monday, which enabled Bangladesh to qualify for the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time. Although victims of alleged rapes are usually entitled to anonymity, police waived reporting restrictions after Happy told the Bangladeshi media that she would drop the allegations if Rubel agreed to marry her. Rubel has consistently rejected the allegation of rape or claims that he had offered to marry Happy, instead accusing her of "blackmail".
Chelsea on a high for the Champions League visit of PSG
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london, marcH 10 (aP): With a title already secured and their Premier League title prospects enhanced, Chelsea's players have enjoyed a strong start to March. "There is a great buzz around the place," Chelsea defender Gary Cahill said. "The (League) Cup final was huge in terms of the atmosphere around the club and the dressing room." Chelsea goes into Wednesday's Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain a week of rest. The first leg ended 1-1. While Chelsea currently holds a five-point lead in the Premier League — with a game in hand — PSG trails Lyon by a point in the French league. Here are some are some things to know going into the second leg: FINISHING STRUGGLING PSG coach Laurent Blanc is worried that his
PSG's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Chelsea's Gary Cahill during a Champions League match at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on February 17. (AP Photo)
team's poor finishing in recent weeks could prove costly at Stamford Bridge. Although PSG easily beat Lens 4-1 on Saturday, his players missed a glut of chances. "We'll need to be more clinical against Chelsea, I don't need to spell out
why," Blanc said. PSG traditionally relies heavily on Zlatan Ibrahimovic for its goals, but his form has not been great since he came back from a nagging heel injury. Edinson Cavani has 18 goals this season, and his form is im-
proving, but if those two are off form then PSG will need goals from the midfield. COSTA'S GOAL SEARCH The most significant addition to the Chelsea squad since hosting PSG a year ago was Diego Costa. The Spain striker has netted 16 Premier League goals this season, but his finishing has evaded him in the last six games in all competitions. And the former Atletico Madrid player is still searching for his first European goal in a Chelsea shirt. POLICE PRESENCE The behavior of fans will be in the spotlight around London on Wednesday after racism by Chelsea fans in Paris last month. PSG published a message from British police addressed to its traveling fans on its website Monday, advising fans not to "frequent pubs near to the stadium, before and after the game."
Hamilton, marcH 10 (aP): Mahendra Singh Dhoni says his bowlers have brought about India's "remarkable difference" between a fruitless tour of Australia and the Cricket World Cup and are making him look good as a captain. India was heavily beaten by Australia in a four-test series in December and January, and finished last behind Australia and England in a one-day tri-series which seemed the most unpromising preparation for the defense of its world title. Dhoni said a 10-day break after that series allowed India to freshen up, and the massive fan support they received in their opening cup match against Pakistan hugely boosted their confidence and motivation. But he said the greatest contribution to the transformation of India, unbeaten in five cup matches, has come from the bowling attack. With Tuesday's eight-wicket win over Ireland, which left India unbeaten and atop Pool B, Dhoni matched Clive Lloyd's record of nine consecutive World Cup victories. He deflected credit for the achievement, pointing out captains are made by the players they lead. India has bowled its opponents in all five of its matches so far, and it is that, Dhoni said, that has underpinned its success. "I'm best when the bowlers are bowling well," he said. "It makes the job slightly easy for me because you have a plan, but unless it's executed well ... "It can make you look like a good captain, but at other times people can look and think, 'What is he doing?' You can have two slips but if the bowler bowls on the pads it doesn't really look good.
Dhawan fell to a loose shot off Stuart Thompson. In all, Dhawan hit 11 fours and five sixes. Rohit was dismissed when he played on to Thompson after hitting three sixes and as many boundaries off 66 deliveries. India's previous best opening stand in a World Cup was the 163 shared by batting great Sachin Tendulkar and Ajay Jadeja against Kenya at Cuttack in 1996. Virat Kohli (44 not out) and Ajinkya Rahane (33 not out) wrapped up the chase with a 70-run unbeaten stand for the third wicket to give Dhoni his ninth straight win in the World Cup, a run that started with the team's
"I feel that's where the remarkable difference has come from — the bowlers' end. They're very aware of the plans, and at the same time they're bowling to the field. That's the big difference in our performance so far." Dhoni said he didn't feel that his decision to relinquish the test captaincy impacted on his leadership of the one-day side. "I'm just the same," he said. "The things that have changed are the results. "Apart from that, the players are the same, so I don't think that has anything to do with the test captaincy. "The things the bowlers are doing are things that I haven't seen for a long time, particularly with the Indian team setup. You used to keep telling them bowl to one line, bowl one length, that creates pressure, but it was more like a said thing that was listened to by them, but now they've seen and they've tasted it." Dhoni praised India's ability to rally as a team after the "difficult" tour to Australia. "The moment you start thinking about participating in a World Cup the adrenaline starts flowing," Dhoni said. "Then, with a lot of fans coming from India, and starting with an India-Pakistan game, was just fantastic. "That also gives you that extra edge and pushes you one step further. Ultimately, the players have had to lift themselves up because it was not an easy test series (against Australia), playing four test matches in a month's time is very draining, and it's always the same bunch of players who are playing the test matches. "Hopefully, we'll keep moving forward with the kind of momentum we have."
march to the 2011 title on home soil. Australia's Ricky Ponting holds the record for the most consecutive World Cup wins as captain with 24, while Dhoni and Clive Lloyd, who led West Indies to victory in the first two editions in 1975 and 1979, have nine apiece. Earlier, Ireland failed to capitalise on a good solid start. Batting first after winning the toss, Ireland were 89 without loss in 15 overs, with Paul Stirling (42) giving good support to skipper Porterfield. Stirling hit four boundaries and two sixes during his 41-ball knock before holing out to off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who finished with two for 38. Part-timer Suresh Raina
bowled Ed Joyce for two before Porterfield and Niall O'Brien added a valuable 53 for the third wicket. But once Porterfield fell, caught off paceman Mohit Sharma, Ireland slumped from 206 for three to 259 all out in 49 overs. Mohammad Shami grabbed the key wicket of dangerman Kevin for only one run to finish with figures of three for 41. Niall O'Brien completed his 14th ODI half-century with a six off Ashwin but fell to a soft dismissal off Shami when Ireland needed him to stay till the end. Andy Balbirnie, one of Ireland's most successful batsmen in the tournament, made 24 before he swept Ashwin straight to Shami at square-leg.
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Welbeck sinks United as Arsenal reach FA Cup semis
Arsenal's Danny Welbeck , centre, shoots and scores his sides second goal of the game during the English FA Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester on March 9. (AP Photo)
mancHEStEr, marcH 10 (rEutErS): Discarded striker Danny Welbeck returned to demolish Manchester United's hopes of silverware by netting the winner in Arsenal's 2-1 FA Cup quarterfinal victory at Old Trafford on Monday. England international Welbeck, who joined the Londoners in September after his United career stalled, pounced on a horrendous back pass by Antonio Valencia in the 61st minute to send the holders through. In a rip-roaring first half Nacho Monreal's cool finish put Arsenal ahead in the 26th minute but Wayne Rooney's diving header evened it up three minutes later. United, who will now ponder a second consecutive season without a tro-
phy in the wake of manager Alex Ferguson's retirement, ended the match with 10 men after Angel Di Maria was red-carded for grabbing the referee's shirt just seconds after being booked for diving. Welbeck had managed only two goals for Arsenal since October and was not having much joy on his first return to Old Trafford since his 16 million pounds (24.20 million) switch. But he produced the game's decisive moment with a helping hand from United's bungling defence. There seemed little danger as a high ball was pumped forward but Phil Jones elected to chest the ball to Valencia who wafted a weak pass in the direction of keeper David De Gea. It never stood a chance and Welbeck clipped the
ball round the Spaniard and rolled it into an empty net. "We had to start without apprehension and play at a high pace and we did that well," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who admitted in the buildup that he was still haunted by a 1999 FA Cup semi-final defeat by United. "Danny Welbeck, I believe is just happy to score. He worked extremely hard today and deserved his goal." It was Arsenal's first FA Cup win over United since the 2005 final and their first in any competition since May 2011. With a Wembley semifinal against second tier Reading or third tier Bradford City to come next month, Arsenal are favourites to retain the trophy and claim a record 12th FA Cup. Liverpool will have
other ideas, although they must win a replay against Blackburn Rovers to book a semi-final spot against Premier League rivals Aston Villa. A lively start to the game saw Marouane Fellaini squander a chance for United before Alex OxladeChamberlian carved open the home defence with a mazy dribble to tee up Monreal. With fellow countryman De Gea to beat, the left back poked an effort inside the near post. The lead lasted three minutes with Rooney, who has still not won the FA Cup, heading in Di Maria's pinpoint cross. United struggled after the break and Arsenal could have won by a bigger margin with Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez both denied by the superb De Gea.
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