Sri Lanka fight back after Elgar ton GALLE (Sri Lanka)—At 195 for 1, South Africa had made a near-perfect start to the Tests after the victorious ODI series, but Sri Lanka hit back with four wickets after tea to edge the day on a flat, dry pitch. Dean Elgar became the first South Africa opener to make a Test hundred in Sri Lanka but his dismissal in the final session kickstarted the hosts’ fightback. It had been all South Africa till then. In his first Test as captain, Hashim Amla had won the toss on a pitch expected to turn later. Elgar, in only his third Test innings as opener, and his first outside South Africa, had responded with an innings full of positivity and equally high on concentration. Faf du Plessis, batting at No. 3 for the first time in Tests, h a d battled h i s South Africa 1st innings: w a y Petersen lbw b Perera .... 34 through Elgar c Chandimal scoreb Lakmal ........................ 103 l e s s F. du Plessis c Silva p e r i b Perera ............................ 80 o d s Amla c Perera b Herath . 11 w i t h de Villiers b Lakmal ........ 21 a g Q. de Kock not out ........ 17 g r e s D. Steyn not out ............... 0 s i v e Extras: (lb2) ....................... 2 f o o t work Total: (for 5 wickets) 268 Fall of wickets: 1-70, 2-195, against spin. 3-220, 4-246, 5-266 Bowling: ............ O-M-R-W By tea, Lakmal .................. 16-6-29-2 t h e Eranga .................... 9-4-32-0 s e c Herath .................. 37-7-95-1 o n d Mathews ............... 2-0-10-0 wicket Perera ................. 27-3-100-2 p a r t -
nership had grown to 124. Alviro Petersen’s fall against the run of play for 34 in the morning had been the only blip for the visitors. To add to Sri Lanka’s worries, Shaminda Eranga had been restricted to nine overs after splitting the webbing of his right hand while fielding. But Sri Lanka had found some promising reverse swing after lunch, and they did so again after tea. The first examination yielded no results but during the second Elgar went after a Suranga Lakmal delivery that held its line and edged it behind. A small, but significant opening had been made. Amla was intent on driving at anything pitched up, but the timing just wasn’t there. He tried to loft the tireless Rangana Herath over the off side, but only spooned a catch to wide mid-off for 11. Du Plessis, who was eager to combat spin by advancing down the pitch, finally failed to reach the pitch of an offbreak from Dilruwan Perera and forward short leg was in business. AB de Villiers seemed to be taking South Africa to stumps safely, despite Sri Lanka taking the second new ball, when he tried a weak, loose drive to Lakmal and found his stumps disturbed in the penultimate over. The final session had cost South Africa four wickets for 74 runs in 31 overs. The first one had read 111 for 1 in 29 overs. Both captains were eager to bat and it soon became apparent why. There was no seam movement, barely any swing and the bounce was largely predictable as well as harmless. Elgar and Petersen did what they were required to do: they left well, defended strongly off either foot and having seen
there was nothing alarming in the pitch, soon started putting the bad deliveries away. The duo put on 70 at more than four an over. Herath came on as early as the seventh over, and finished with 37 for the day. The pitch wasn’t conducing for him so early in the match. Elgar was even able to go back and late-cut him against the turn to the third-man boundary. The runs were flowing now for South Africa. By the tenth over, Angelo Mathews had brought himself on as the fourth bowler. South Africa have had three century opening partnerships in Tests in Sri Lanka and this looked set to be the fourth one but in Perera’s second over, Petersen went back to a flighted delivery and was caught in front as it came on without much turn. Du Plessis walked in and worked himself to a steady start with a series of paddle-sweeps. He was smothered after lunch though, but finally broke free from a period where he made 6 off 45 by skipping out to loft Perera over mid-off and mid-on for consecutive fours. Elgar was much more comfortable in the crease, playing late, allowing the ball to come on, and then committing himself with conviction. He was watching the ball so hard that even when Perera seemed to have beaten him with flight and drift, he was able to adjust and place the ball past mid-off for four. That took him to 90, and a straight six, when on 96, off the same bowler brought a long-drawn scream of a celebration. South Africa took tea at 194 for 1, but despite being a bowler short, Sri Lanka weren’t prepared to hand them a third session on the trot.—AFP
Pakistan get Champions League T20 invite K A R A C H I —Pakistan will send its team so Lahore Lions will be pardomestic Twenty20 champions Lahore Lions to play in the Champions League to be held in India in September, an official said Wednesday. The Lions, led by former Pakistan Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez, beat Misbah-ul Haq´s Faisalabad Wolves in the final of the event held in February. The Twenty20 champions of Australia, South Africa, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies will also take part in the event. “We have received an invitation to send our Twenty20 champion
ticipating in the event in September,” a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman told AFP. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier this month announced the event will take place on its grounds, ruling out a possible neutral venue in the United Arab Emirates.
The event is likely to start on
reached a deal to sign Filipe Luis from Atletico Madrid subject to the defender agreeing personal terms
September 7 although no final dates have yet been announced. The Lions also include international stars Ahmed Shahzad, Nasir Jamshed, Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz. No Pakistan team featured in the first three editions of the Champions League, which started in 2009. The Sialkot Stallions, led by Shoaib Malik, played in the qualifying stages of the event held in South Africa in 2012 but failed to progress to the main rounds. Misbah-led Faisalabad suffered the same fate, failing to qualify for the main rounds when they featured in the event in India last year. Both Pakistan Cricket Board and the Board of Control for Cricket in India are hoping to revive bilateral cricketing ties in December 2015 after last month´s signing of six series in the next eight years.—AFP
Swimming: Injury forces Australia’s Sullivan to retire
BERLIN—The German Football Federation is defending Germany’s World Cup-winning players after they performed a routine that poked fun at defeated opponent Argentina. During Tuesday’s raucous Berlin victory party, six players bent double and sang ‘’this is how the gauchos walk,’’ then jumped up singing ‘’this is how the Germans walk.’’ The daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said the act hurt Germany’s image as a tolerant nation and a leading Twitter trend in Germany Wednesday was ‘’(hash)gauchogate.’’ Federation president Wolfgang Niersbach said the players performed the routine spontaneously and didn’t intend to mock anyone.’—AP
SYDNEY —Australian triple Olympian and former world record holder Eamon Sullivan on Wednesday announced his retirement from competitive swimming on medical advice. The 28-year-old, who pulled out of this month’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games with an injury, has been told his shoulder will not hold up to the training required to prepare for the 2016 Rio Olympics. “I’m at a point where I’ve had one too many injuries, and it has become too much to manage,” he said. “In the end my body has let me down, so I’m very disappointed, but it’s the right time.” Swimming Australia chief executive Mark Anderson said Sullivan’s contribution to the sport over more than a decade should be applauded. “As an athlete he’s been the world’s
Chelsea agree deal to sign Atletico’s Luis
Celtic off to solid start in Iceland
REYKJAVIK—Scottish champions Celtic gave themselves L ONDON —Chelsea have a sporting chance of progressing in the Champions League
German soccer players Roman Weidenfeller, Shkodran Mustafi, Andre Schuerrle, Miroslav Klose, Mario Goetze and Toni Kroos celebrate on stage at the German team victory ceremony, near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Tuesday.
Germany players criticized over ‘gaucho’ dance
SRI LANKA: Dean Elgar played confidently against the spinners during Sri Lanka vs South Africa, 1st Test at Galle.
best, which is what we are all striving for as part of the goal to be the best in the world in and out of the pool by 2020,” he said. “In addition to what he has achieved in the pool, Eamon has at all stages promoted the sport, especially in his home state of WA (Western Australia), where he’s been extremely active across community and grass roots levels.” Sullivan had qualified for Glasgow by winning the men’s 50m freestyle national title in April. A former world record holder in both the 50 and 100m freestyle, he went to three Olympic Games—Athens, Beijing and London— and won silver in 2008 in the men’s 100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay. He also won bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay at Beijing.—AFP
with the Premier League club. Luis impressed as Atletico won the Spanish title and reached the Champions League final last season and the Brazilian leftback is likely to fill the void left by Ashley Cole’s move to Roma. A statement published on Chelsea’s official website read: “Chelsea Football Club can confirm an agreement has been reached with Atletico Madrid for the transfer of Filipe Luis.”—AFP
Uruguay likely to host World Cup 2030 I SLAMABAD —Uruguay are favourites to host the FIFA World Cup 2030 with Russia hosting the 2018 edition and Qatar 2022, the US has been earmarked for the 2026 World Cup. However, since Uruguay is a small country, with a population of only just over 3.3 million, there are some reservations in the footballing circles, Daily Mail reported. For this reason FIFA want the 2030 World Cup to be cohosted by Argentina to mark the competition’s centenary. “FIFA wishes to celebrate the World Cup’s 100 years in Argentina and Uruguay, I can confirm that,” AFA president Julio Grondona, who is also FIFA’s senior vice-president, told earlier this month. “An agreement has been signed by the two associations (AFA and Uruguay’s AUF). —APP
after cruising to a 1-0 away win over KR Reykjavik on Tuesday. A late goal from Callum McGregor, on his debut, was enough to make the second qualiying round second leg in Scotland next week little more than a formality. New manager Ronny Deila’s first competitive game in charge turned out to be a stroll in the unprepossessing setting of the KR-vollur stadium. The Norwegian, who only took over from Neil Lennon last month, saw his side control the first half, with Kris Commons hitting the bar, but they could not convert their easy superioirty into goals. Leigh Griffiths and substitute Teemu Pukki also hit the woodwork in the second half before 21-year-old McGregor, making his first competitive start for the Hoops after impressing in pre-season, drilled a shot low past home goalkeeper Stefan Magnusson with seven minutes remaining. But their lack of firepower will have set the alarm bells ringing for Deila and he will know that if the Hoops are to make the main Champiuons League draw, they will have to sharpen ujp their act in front of goal. Commons, top scorer last season with 32 goals, rattled the bar from 25 yards with a dipping volley and moments later, forced a good save from Magnusson with a powerful drive. In the 74th minute Deila introduced Pukki and Derk Boerrigter for Stokes and Griffiths in his bid to find a goal. As the home side found themselves with their backs against the wall, Pukki hit the post after Magnusson had made a double save from Commons and McGregor. The visitors kept pushing for the opener and Boerrigter was the next Hoops player to be foiled by Magnusson before McGregor turned past three players to fire in a low drive.—AFP
Brazil to host World Cup for Robots ISLAMABAD—Brazil, which organized the justconcluded FIFA World Cup 2014, will now host a soccer tournament for robots that will bring together thousands of university students from dozens of countries. The event, which will be held from July 19-25 in the north-eastern city of Joao Pessoa, is divided into five different categories based on the size and characteristics of the robots, organizers said. Although the centerpiece is the soccer competition, RoboCup 2014 also encompasses other leagues covering rescue operations and domestic tasks, news agency Efe reported. RoboCup’s organizers say around 3,000 university students from 45 countries and 400 teams will participate in this year’s competition, which will attract approximately 60,000 spectators.—APP
Dhoni wanted complaint be registered against James Anderson, says Team India manager BIPIN DANI OBSERVER CORRESPONDENT M UMBAI —England pace bowler James Anderson has been charged by the ICC for his alleged altercation with Ravindra Jadeja but it was Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and not the all-rounder Jadeja, who suggested the complaint to be lodged against the bowler. This was revelaed by manager Sunil Dev. Speaking exclusively over his mobile from London on Wednesday afternoon, he said, “no, not Jadeja, but our captain wanted action against Anderson”. “Our captain was firm (on his opinion) and we had to back him”, he added. “I didn’t even wait for the Indian cricket board’s permission to lodge the complaint. It was not necessary”. The England and Wales Cricket Board has been backing the right-arm bowler who will be completing 31 years on July 30". According to the manager, the hearing may be held within a week’s time. “We are prepared to attend the hearing immediately after the Test”. “The name of the adjudicator is not finalized yet, nor we have received any
instructions from the BCCI on the appointment of the lawyer”, Dev added. The adjudicator is likely to be from the neutral country. “We are not sure who would be the witnesses in this hearing but Mahi (along with Jadeja) may be asked to attend the same”. The team manager also rubbished the claim of the British media, which have voiced the opinion saying Anderson is unplayable by Indian batsmen and therefore this complaint has been registered”. Family backing Back home, Jadeja’s family was surprised to learn that the ECB has been trying to charge their son. “My brother hardly speaks at home and would never indulge in such controversy”, Jadeja’s sister, Naina, said from Rajkot. “Here the culprit is claiming as if he is clean (Chor kotwalne date)”, she said. The family is yet to hear from Jadeja on this issue. The ICC had flown match-referee Ranjan Madugalle to pacify India and Australia players in 2008 when Harbhajan was charged for making a racist comment against Andrew Symonds. This time the ICC lawyer took charge to resolve the issue, but Team India was firm on action.