Bangladesh level Sri Lanka ODI series
BD clinch thriller to level ODI series against Sri Lanka P ALLEKELE (Sri Lanka)— Nasir Hossain hit an unbeaten 33 under pressure as Bangladesh levelled the oneday series against Sri Lanka 1-1 with a three-wicket win in the thrilling third and final match. Bangladesh, chasing a rain-revised target of 183 off 27 overs, won the day-night match with six balls to spare in Pallekele to register their fourth one-day victory
against Sri Lanka in 33 matches. The tourists needed 17 to win off the last 12 deliveries, but Nasir eased the pressure when he smashed three fours in an over from seamer Thisara Perera before Sohag Gazi hit the winning boundary. “It’s a huge win for us,” said Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim. “It was a challenge for us to do well
Sri Lanka innings: Perera b Mahmudullah . 56 Dilshan c Nasir b Shahadat ................... 125 Sangakkara b Razzak .... 48 Perera b Razzak ................ 4 Mathews b Razzak .......... 6 J. Mendis b Gazi .............. 5 D. Chandimal b Rahman . 0 L. Thirimanne not out ... 25 Kulasekara lbw b Razzak11 S. Senanayake b Razzak . 0 L. Malinga not out .......... 5 Extras: (lb2, nb1, w14) ... 17 Total: (for nine wickets) ....................... 302 Fall of wickets: 1-116, 2-203, 3-212, 4-228, 5-233, 6-238, 7263, 8-291, 9-291 Bowling: ........... O-M-R-W Shahadat ............ 10-0-71-1 Rahman ............... 10-0-65-1 Gazi ...................... 10-1-52-1 Razzak ................. 10-0-62-5
Mahmudullah .... 10-0-50-1 Bangladesh innings: Anamul b Mathews ...... 40 Mohammad Ashraful lbw b Senanayake ................ 29 Jahurul Islam b Mathews26 Mushfiqur Rahim run out 9 Nasir Hossain not out .. 33 Mahmudullah lbw b Senanayake .................. 6 Mominul b Malinga ...... 11 Ziaur Rahman b Malinga 0 Sohag Gazi not out ......... 4 Extras: (b4, lb13, w9) ..... 26 Total: (for 7 wickets) ... 184 Fall of wickets: 1-77, 2-97, 3119, 4-126, 5-144, 6-166, 7166. Bowling: ........... O-M-R-W Kulasekara ........... 4-1-29-0 Malinga ................ 6-0-29-2 Mathews .............. 5-0-39-2 Senanayake .......... 6-0-26-2 T. Perera ................ 5-0-44-0
Bolt to race 150m on Copacabana beach R IO DE J ANEIRO—Usain Bolt, the two-time reigning Olympic champion over 100 and 200m, will bid to better his world record over the rarelyraced distance of 150 metres on Rio de Janeiro’s famed Copacabana beach on Sunday. The Jamaican sprint star set the world best of 14.35sec
over 150m at an exhibition race in Manchester in 2009, and will again race on a track laid over one of the world’s most iconic sandy beaches. “It will be my first speed event of the season,” said the 26-yearold, who last year claimed an unprecedented second treble gold sprint showing at the London Olympics.—AFP
against big teams, so I am very happy with the effort. We have not been in such situations before and that’s why the boys were panicking, but we pulled it off.” Bangladesh began their chase on an impressive note when Anamul Haque (40) and Mohammad Ashraful (29) put on 77 for the opening wicket in 12.5 overs before completing the upset win in the penultimate over. Sri Lanka won the first one-dayer by eight wickets in Hambantota, while the second match at the same venue was abandoned due to rain. Tillakaratne Dilshan earlier scored a 128-ball 125 to help Sri Lanka post a challenging 302-9 in 50 overs. The in-form opener, who made an unbeaten 113 in the first match, hit 12 fours in his 16th oneday hundred. “We were disappointed as we had runs on the board. The bowling let us down today. We batted brilliantly even though we lost our way in the middle,” said Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews. Dilshan, who reached his century with a single off leftarm spinner Abdur Razzak, was the seventh man out, caught by Nasir at midwicket off paceman Shahadat Hossain in the
47th over. Razzak, who removed Nuwan Kulasekara and Sachithra Senanayake off successive balls in his last over, finished with 5-62, his fourth five-wicket haul. He also completed 200 wickets in one-day internationals. Sri Lanka were reduced to 263-7 before Lahiru Thirimanne hit a 15-ball 25 not out late in the innings to help his side cross the 300-mark. The hosts got off to a solid start after electing to bat as Dilshan and Kusal Perera (56) added 116 for the opening wicket. Dilshan then put on 87 for the next wicket with Kumar Sangakkara (48), who completed 11,000 one-day runs during his 49-ball knock. Perera started impressively as he lofted Shahadat over long-on for the first six of the match and then hit the same bowler for three fours in an over. Playing his seventh onedayer, Perera fell after completing his maiden half-century as he was caught by Nasir at point while attempting to cut off-spinner Mohammad Mahmudullah. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will now play a one-off Twenty20 international in Pallekele on Sunday.—AFP
Tayyub clinches CAS National Jr Squash C’ship PESHAWAR —Tayyub Aslam of ZTBL won the trophy after shocking top seed Ali Bokhari of Punjab in the final of the 15th Chief of the Air Staff National Junior Squash Championship played here at PAF Hashim Khan Squash Complex on Friday. Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan was the chief guest the final. AVM Northern Air Command M. Arif, Base Commander Peshawar Air Commodore Waseem Hussain, former World Champion Qamar Zaman, OC PAF Sports Control Board Wing Commander Ijaz Khan, officials, players and spectators were also present. Tayyub despite being erratic in the whole proceedings stunned Ali in the marathon five sets battle lasted for 63 minutes. Tayyub, entered as second seed against top seed Ali, committed 11 errors by hitting the tin three times each in the first and second sets and five in the fifth sets, staged a strong comeback by winning the grant Championship, carried Rs 0.5m as prize money. Ali Bokhari committed one error in first, second and
KANDY: Mushfiqur Rahim and Angelo Mathews with the trophy after Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in 3rd ODI.
Misbah rules out quitting one-dayers L AHORE —Pakistan Captain Misbah ul Haq has said that he had instead decided to adopt a more aggressive and positive approach to batting after being criticised for his slow displays. “I have discussed this with all my players and they all agreed that overall we all needed to be more positive while batting and put aside fears of losing our wicket,” Misbah said while talking to reporters. “They have all pushed me to play more shots and be more positive. I have no intentions of returning to play T20s for Pakistan. I have changed my batting style because I believe I can continue to play ODIs which I don t want to quit now.” Misbah, 38, who has been Pakistan s test captain since 2010 and ODI skipper since 2011, has come in for criticism in Pakistan for his batting and captaincy after his side were swamped 3-0 in the test series in South Africa and lost the one-day series 3-2. “I have heard what the critics have had to say. It has fired me up and also made me reassess how I can play a more purposeful role for my team as a batsman and for myself,” he said.—Online
he made a comeback in the second he won by 11-6. Ali again took the lead by winning the set 9-11 but he managed his position, winning the remaining two sets 11-7, 11-4 to seal the fate of Ali at 3-2.—APP
RAWALPINDI: Students of Foundation University Medical College take part in various competitions during Sports Gala held at Pasban Sports Complex.
M IAMI —Five-time cham- Radwanska of Poland. pion Serena Williams wasted no time booking her berth in the WTA Miami final by steamrolling Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-3 to set up a title clash with third seed Maria Sharapova. Russia’s Sharapova, a
Williams is bidding to become just the fourth woman in the modern era to win the same event six times, joining Chris Evert, Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova. Evert is the only player over the age of 30 to win the title,
Azarenka in 2011 and Radwanska last year, all in straight sets. Not only is Sharapova trying to end her Florida frustration, she is trying to become only the third woman to win both major March events, Indian Wells and
four-time runner up in Miami, was equally dominant as the newly-crowned Indian Wells winner hammered Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 6-1 in the other semi-final on Thursday. The 31-year-old Williams SPORTS REPORTER blasted 12 aces and won 83 R AWALPINDI —The annual percent of her first serves in sports gala of Foundation the 65-minute match against fourth seeded University Medical College the (FUMC) was held at Pasban Sports Complex Rawalpindi. Rector, Foundation University Islamabad (FUI), Maj. Gen. Gul Muhammad HI(M) (Retd), was chief guest on the occasion. Principal FUMC, Maj. Gen. Dr. Nasim-ulMajeed HI(M) (Retd) was also present. The events of the Gala L A H O R E —The executive included cricket, football, committee of Lahore City basketball, table tennis, 400- Cricket Association (LCCA) meter relay, 100-meter race, has been deprived of 60-meter race, spoon race, watching the matches of chatti race, 3-legged race and ongoing of Faysal Bank tug of war. Rector FUI dis- T20 Super Eight as there tributed the shields, trophies were not issued honorary and medals among the win- p a s s e s . ners of different competiIt is the first time that tions. passes were not issued to While addressing the the executive committee of gathering, Rector FUI said, the Lahore City Cricket As“the importance of sports sociation comprising 20and other co-curricular ac- member and instead only tivities cannot be over em- issued accreditation cards phasized. Besides providing to top four officials of body. the much needed physical The executive committee activity, these are also impor- members belonging to all tant for the personality de- the three affiliated zones velopment of the students.” here on Friday expressed He said, such events also their their disappointment play an important role in and said it was shocking breaking the monotony of that they were not issued exhaustive academic sched- passes or cards for watchules. ing the tournament. He appreciated the stu“ It is unfortunate that dents for enthusiastically we cannot watch the participating in the sports matches of our own team gala. “I take this opportunity which is taking part in the to congratulate those who event in our own home won prizes in different com- town “,they said adding “ petitions. However, those The matches are being who could not secure a posi- played in front of an empty tion should not lose heart and stadium and no considerstrive hard to win next time”, ation was given to the exhe said. ecutive committee of the
doing so at the age of 31 years, two months in 1986. Sharapova is in her fifth final in quest of her first Miami title. “It would mean so much to me,” Sharapova said. Four-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova lost to Kim Clijsters in the 2005 Miami final, to Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2006, Victoria
Miami, in the same year. Graf swept the pair in 1994 and 1996 and Clijsters did it in 2005. Sharapova broke Jankovic three times in each set to win her 11th match in a row, ending matters after 63 minutes by breaking the Serb with a forehand winner.— AFP
FUMC sports gala concludes
fifth sets, otherwise he was so cool against his strong rival Tayyub. “It was full game points I have given to Ali Bokhari as I committed 11 errors,” Tayyab told APP in a post final talk. Tayyub lost the first set to Ali at 9-11 but
Sharapova, Williams to clash in Miami final
LCCA executive committee KPK Inter-Region Women Athletic deprived of watching to start today P T-20 tournament LCCA which includes the zonal presidents secretaries who are the main force to revive cricket at grassroots level “. They said it was a common practice in the past that the entire set up of the LCCA was given passes or issued accreditation cards by the the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) at the time of holding of a national or a national tournament in Lahore to acknowledge their services for the cause of cricket at early level. They appealed to the Chairman, PCB, Chaudhary Zaka Ashraf to look into the matter and to take measures to address this issue. “ We are supplementing the ongoing efforts of PCB as far revival of cricket is concerned at grassroots level and the way we are being treated is quite painful “, they added. When contacted a spokesman of Lahore City Cricket Association said they will be taking up this matter with the Pakistan Cricket Board chief and they expect a favourable action in this regard.—APP
ESHAWA R —The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inter-Region Women Athletic Championship will commence Saturday here at Qayyum Sports Complex under the aegis of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Sports (Women). This was stated by Director Sports (Women Games) Rashida Ghaznavi while talking to APP on Friday. She said all the seven regions Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat, Malakand, Hazara, Mardan and host Peshawar will take part in the Championship. She said all arrangements in this connection have already been completed and hopefully the event will be organized in befitting manners. She said a total of 14 women games would be organized out of which Hockey, Volleyball, Basketball and Cricket have completed while the athletic event will follow Khyber Pakhtunkhwa InterRegion Women Judo Championship from April 1-2 and Table Tennis event will be organized on April 3-4 here at Qayyum Sports Complex. She said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inter-Region Women Squash Championship will be organized in Abbottabad from April 6-7.—APP