42
Sports International
April 27 - May 3, 2013
TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS
Gayle smashes fastest Twenty20 century in history – Makes highest individual total – Team tallies highest total WEST Indies opener Christopher Gayle made Twenty20 history on Wednesday when he blasted the fastest century en route the highest Twenty20 score. Playing in the Indian Premier League for the Royal Challengers Bangalore the Jamaican batsman clobbered 175 unbeaten runs—the highest total ever recorded. His innings consisted of 17 sixes, another record. He also hit 13 fours in his 66 balls at the crease. To reach the three digit mark the 31-year-old just used 30 balls. It was four balls less than Australian Andrew Symonds. The record in 50-over cricket is Shahid Afridi’s 37-ball ton for Pakistan against Sri Lanka in 1996 while the Test record belongs to Gayle’s fellow West Indian Sir Viv Richards, who flayed England for a 56-ball 100 in Antigua in 1986. In terms of team’s performance, Royal Challengers Bangalore scored the highest total 263 while with Gayle’s 17 sixes; they were able to
Jordan Clark is the fifth player to achieve the feat in professional cricket.
Lancashire batsman hits six sixes at Yorkshire
Chris Gayle brought Pune Warriors to their knees with one of the most destructive innings ever played.
tally 21 which is a new record. “It was just one of those days. I went berserk and it just paid off,” said Gayle, who now has a staggering 11
centuries in T20 cricket. “I had a plain omelette and two pancakes for breakfast. I’m a bit hungry now though”.
LANCASHIRE batsman Jordan Clark has hit six sixes in one over in a second XI game against Yorkshire at Scarborough, off left-arm spinner Gurham Randhawa. Clark, 22, is the fifth player to achieve the feat in professional cricket and the first Englishman. West Indies legend Sir Garfield Sobers was the first to hit six sixes in an over for Nottinghamshire in 1968. India’s Ravi Shastri matched him in 1984, then Herschelle Gibbs and Yuvraj Singh both repeated the feat in 2007.
Clark joined Lancashire’s academy in 2008 and after making his one-day debut for the first team in 2010, he was part of the Second XI Trophy-winning side last season. The Whitehaven-born youngster is yet to make his County Championship debut for the Red Rose county, but has featured in five one-day and nine Twenty20 matches. He told BBC Sport: “I was batting against spin, the wicket wasn’t a massive turner. I thought I needed to step it up a little bit.
US government seeks £78m in damages over Armstrong affair The US government is seeking more than £78m in damages after filing a lawsuit over the Lance Armstrong affair. The banned American cyclist, 41, is accused of violating his contract with his former team and is said to have been “unjustly enriched” while cheating to win the Tour de France. “The US Postal Service paid about $40m [£26m] to sponsor the USPS team from 1998 to 2004,” the court document said. Armstrong has admitted to doping during all of his seven Tour de France wins. The lawsuit also names former team director Johan Bruyneel and team management company Tailwind Sports as defendants. Armstrong ended years of denial in January during an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey in which he described doping as part of the process of winning the Tour. The US government announced in February it would join the 2010 ‘whistleblowing’ lawsuit filed by ex-US Postal rider Floyd Landis, who himself admitted using drugs throughout his career. Tuesday was the deadline for the Justice Department to file its formal
Sir Des Champs in action.
Sir Des Champs wins thrilling Punchestown Gold Cup
Lance Armstrong is in hot water again.
complaint. According to the suit, the Postal Service (USPS) paid about $40m (£26.2m) to be the title sponsor of Armstrong’s teams for six of his Tour de France victories. It added that Armstrong’s salary during that time, excluding bonuses, was $17.9m (£11.7m). “Defendants were unjustly enriched to the extent of the payments and other benefits they received from the USPS, either directly or indirectly,” the complaint said.
The government is seeking triple losses of the sponsorship funds, which amounts to around £78m, under the federal False Claims Act. The government also asked for a jury trial. By flagging up allegations of fraud, Landis could receive a substantial share of any money recovered. The law, introduced by President Lincoln in 1863, stipulates the person bringing the lawsuit can receive 1525 per cent of any damages.
CHELTENHAM runner-up Sir Des Champs held off a late challenge by Long Run to win the Gold Cup at Punchestown. With Davy Russell back on board, the Willie Mullins-trained sevenyear-old just managed to justify his status as the 2-1 favourite. Long Run finished strongly under Sam Waley-Cohen, while Bob Cooper’s mount First Lieutenant was third. For Mullins, the victory was his first at the race since Florida Pearl took the spoils in 2002. After a stewards’ inquiry, the placings were unaltered. “It was a great performance,” said Mullins. “Davy gave him an enterprising ride. He grabbed the bull by the horns at the third last.
“I thought he might have come unstuck at the last, but the horse came again. He jumped well.” Russell, about to retain the Irish jump jockey championship, made a positive move down the back straight, taking up the running off Long Run at the third-last and going two lengths clear . There was not much between Sir Des Champs and Long Run at Cheltenham and yet again the pair proved they were closely matched, because as Sir Des Champs began to tire, Long Run was coming hard at him after the last. Over on the far side Mouse Morris’ consistent First Lieutenant, a winner at Aintree, also had a chance but Sir Des Champs held on by threequarters of a length.