Hockey Pro League: Netherlands men beat New Zealand, remain in title hunt
The Dutch claimed a comfortable 4-1 victory on Thursday to take a step closer to overtaking Great Britain at the top of the standings, with two matches remaining. Both Spain and Belgium also remain in the running for the men’s title, making for a thrilling final mini-tournament in Antwerp, starting on Friday.
The Dutch maintained their chances on Wednesday with a comfortable win against the Black Sticks.
Some sensationally speedy teamwork saw Teun Beins and Thijs van Dam combining to feed the ball through to Bijen Koen who lifted it into the roof of the net for the Netherlands's opening goal.
Just three minutes later, an attack down the left-hand side finished with Tjep Hoedemakers passing the ball back from the baseline for Jair van der Horst to tap it in as the home team doubled their lead.
A spectacular save from New Zealand keeper Leon Hayward in the opening seconds of the third quarter prevented his side from dropping further behind. Instead, the Black Sticks pulled one back towards the end of the period with a move down the right. Sam Lane had a swing and a miss after taking it into the circle (which was deemed not to be dangerous on review) and recovered well to cross it in for Dylan Thomas to slot it in.
After a goal from Thierry Brinkman, playing his 150th match for the Netherlands, was disallowed, Jip Janssen fired in the home team’s third off a penalty corner, dragging it through the keeper’s legs, the FIH said in a report on its website.
Moments later, the Netherlands were awarded a penalty stroke after a bad tackle during a goalmouth scramble, and Jasper Brinkman drilled it into the left corner to wrap up a 4-1 victory.
Terrance Pieters was named Player of the Match. “We started pretty well I think. We were 2-0 up at half-time and then we had the feeling that we still needed one more goal to seal the game, which we couldn’t quite get in the third quarter. New Zealand came back to 2-1 so then it was very close again, but I think we managed to play well at the end, stay calm and get the victory,” was quoted as saying by the FIH.
The win took the Netherlands men, who have 29 points from 14 matches, to the third position behind Great Britain (32) and India (30). Belgium are in fourth position with 24 points from 12 matches while Spain are sixth with 21 points from 12 matches.
--IANS
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Ashes 2023: KP, Vaughan blast England for ‘shambolic’ performance, causal approach in second Test
David started the carnage with an 88-ball 66 and Steve Smith (85 not out) built on it while Travis Head blasted them all over the ground while scoring 77 off 73 balls on Wednesday as Australia made a strong start after winning the first Test at Birmingham a few days back.
England's approach to the game came in for severe criticism as they made a mess of winning the toss and electing to bowl on a cloud-covered, rain-dotted day which ought to have been right up their pacemen's street.
Ben Stokes' team was careless with its catching, toothless with the ball and might have been taken to the cleaners if not for two wickets in four balls from the part-time spinner, Joe Root (2-19 off 8 overs). Josh Tongue claimed 2-88 while James Anderson (0-29), Stuart Broad (0-72) and Ollie Robinson (1-86) failed to trouble the Australian batters much.
That led to Pietersen tearing into them from the commentary box, calling their performance “absolutely shambolic”.
Pietersen, who had begun the day with the honour of ringing the pavilion bell before the start of play, offered a merciless assessment as Travis Head and Smith tucked in.
"Now it's one thing walking here, swanning around, saying 'this is a wonderful team to play in, we're creating the best environment'. But this is not Ashes cricket,” boomed another hero of 2005 as he took England to task over their lack of edge," Pietersen said during his commentary stint.
"It's all too easy, too nice. Are you telling me, Ricky Ponting, in 2005 is going to be talking to Geraint Jones? Do you think Michael Vaughan is going to be standing next to Justin Langer saying 'Hey mate, what a cool day, it's overcast, it's beautiful, what an awesome day, environment here at Lord's – what do you think of the wicket'?
“Are you joking? Are you absolutely joking? I just hope they're in their dressing room now and the England coach is giving them the biggest hammering and saying it's absolutely not good enough,” said the 43-year-old Pietersen, who led England in three Tests.
Vaughan agreed that were too casual in the field throughout the day. “England just not sharp enough,” he said on BBC.
“England have got this approach to Test cricket that is quite casual. They talk the talk, the message after Edgbaston was very positive, with young players coming out with bold statements. "But the casual approach came out today in the middle. You get David Warner out and then Steve Smith walks out, and within 15 balls, he's got 25 because England bowled utter dross."
The plan for England now will be to try and bowl out Australia as early as possible on the second day of the match on Thursday.
But for that, they will have to come up with a vastly improved performance from what they produced on the opening day.
--IANS
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Football: Gerardo Martino replaces Phil Neville, reunites with Messi at Inter Miami
The 60-year-old Martino, known popularly as 'Tata', replaces former Manchester United star Phil Neville, who was sacked earlier this month amid a poor run of results.
"Tata is a highly respected figure in our sport whose track record speaks for itself," said Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham in a statement on Wednesday.
"We are confident that his accomplishments and experience as a coach will serve as an inspiration to our team and excite the fans, and we are excited to see the impact he will have on and off the field."
Inter Miami did not provide details of Martino's contract, saying only that the club was awaiting employment paperwork before he could officially begin his tenure, reports Xinhua.
Martino has been out of work since parting ways with Mexico's national team after last year's World Cup in Qatar.
He previously managed Messi during his spells in charge of Barcelona (2013-14) and Argentina's national team (2014-16).
Messi joined Inter Miami as a free agent on June 7 after ending his two-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain.
Inter Miami are currently last in the 15-team MLS Eastern conference with just five wins from 18 games.
--IANS
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Pakistan’s participation at 2023 World Cup in India subject to government approval: Report
New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) Pakistan cricket team's participation in the 50-over World Cup in India later this year is subject to approval from their government,According to an ESPNcricinfo report, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) under its chairman Najam Sethi has written to the ICC, following the release of a draft schedule to all participating countries last week, to highlight they cannot unilaterally approve the fixture list.
"We have written to the ICC that we can't give approval or disapproval to this (World Cup schedule). It's our government who has to decide, just like when it comes to India, it's their government that decides when they go to play," Sethi said
"There is no point asking us if we will play in Ahmedabad. When the time comes, first it will be decided whether we are going or not, then the government decides where we will go," he added.
According to the draft schedule, the World Cup is scheduled to be held across multiple venues in India from October 5. India will play arch-rivals Pakistan in a mouth-watering clash on October 15 in Ahmedabad. Overall, Pakistan are scheduled to play across five venues during the league stage of the tournament.
Notably, there has been an unprecedented delay in announcing the World Cup schedule. Usually, World Cup itineraries are put out at least a year in advance.
Sethi suggested the delay could be because of the PCB needing more time to respond after the ICC had sought feedback on the World Cup itinerary from the boards of all the participating countries as well as its broadcasters. He did not put a timeframe on when the Pakistan government would give them an answer
"The BCCI were about to announce the schedule but we told them we can't confirm without government approval," Sethi said.
"I have taken up the issue with the Prime Minister and they haven't deliberated about this. The PM said they have to involve the foreign office as well and have to think through so it's premature [to ask permission now]. Also, we don't know who will be in power by then so there is no development right now. But when there is a stable government, the time will come and we will ask them [whether we can tour India].
We have also told ICC that considering the security situation, if our government allows us to go we will go otherwise we can't do much. But if they give us permission then it comes down to our venue preference where we are going to play. It's the government's decision, not the board's so we leave it to them. The PCB and BCCI can't decide. Our respective governments will take that call just like we did back in 2016," he added.
India and Pakistan will be facing each other several times over the coming months with the Asia Cup starting August 31. The tournament will be hosted in a hybrid model with four matches being held in Pakistan, and the remaining nine matches being played in Sri Lanka.
--IANS
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Nottingham Open: Murray reaches semis with win over Stricker
Nottingham (UK), June 17 (IANS) Former world No. 1 Andy Murray passed a stern test from Dominic Stricker to reach the semi-final of Nottingham Open, here.The Scot Murray is yet to drop a set this week after defeating Stricker 7-6(2), 7-5 in the Rothesay Open quarter-finals on Friday.
Murray lost just one point behind his first serve in the opening set to gain an advantage on the 20-year-old. Despite trailing 1-3 in the second set, he fought back and earned a decisive break in the 11th game before closing out the match in one hour, 48 minutes.
"Really, really tight match today against one of the best young players in the world.He has a really good game, huge shots from the back of the court but also a really nice touch up at the net," Murray said in his on-court interview.
"I thought in the first-set tie-break I played really well, and came up with some really good passing shots to get me that tie-break. In the second set, I think when I broke back immediately when he went 3-1 up, I think it gave me the momentum back and I felt like I was creating a lot of chances. That's the best I've played across the last two weeks in terms of how I hit the ball and that was really positive," he added.
The three-time major champion has won 13 of his past 14 Challenger-level matches, including title runs in Aix-en-Provence and last week in Surbiton.
The 36-year-old will next face Nuno Borges, who cruised past Japan's Sho Shimabukuro 6-4, 6-4. Borges earned his biggest career title earlier this season, when he triumphed at the premiere Challenger 175 event in Phoenix.
--IANS
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Premier Handball League: Rajasthan Patriots record 36-27 win over Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh
Jaipur, June 16 (IANS) Rajasthan Patriots recorded a stunning 36-27 victory over the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh in Match 17 of the inaugural season of the Premier Handball League, here on Friday.Both teams looked for a quick start to the game and were evenly matched in the opening minutes of the game. Sukhveer Singh Brar of the Golden Eagles started the game in blistering fashion as he was leading the charge for his team, he also became the first player to score 50 goals in PHL. For the Patriots Robin Singh and Mohit Ghanghas looked in fine knick as they were attacking with verve in the early exchanges.
By the 15th minute mark, Rajasthan had established a slender lead as the scores read 5-7 in their favour. Soon after Arjun Lakra came on for the Patriots and had an instant impact as the Golden Eagles were struggling to contain him, he helped his team establish a healthy lead over Uttar Pradesh.
Captain and keeper of the Rajasthan Patriots, Atul Kumar also made some fantastic saves in the first half that saw his team extend their lead further. The half came to end as the scores read 8-16 in favour of the Patriots, who had established a considerable lead over Uttar Pradesh ahead of the second half.
The Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh were looking to turn their fortunes around in the second half, while the Patriots were hoping to put the game to bed in the second half. Uttar Pradesh were slightly unlucky in the early exchanges of the second half as they struck the frame of the goal multiple times.
Omid Reza in the Golden Eagles' goal continued his fine form as he made some incredible saves to allow his team to get a foothold in the game. From there on, Uttar Pradesh were showing great signs of recovery as Harjinder Singh found his finishing touch to drag his team back into the match. Despite the Golden Eagles slowly finding their attacking rhythm, halfway through the second period the scores read 18-25 in favour of the Patriots.
Dmitry Kireev came on for Rajasthan Patriots in the last 10 minutes of the game and was proving to be very effective in attack. Harjinder Singh and captain Vikas were looking to inspire their team to mount a comeback but due to the limited output of their teammates they were unable to cut short the deficit. Soon after, the game ended as the scores read 27-36 in favour of the Patriots.
Mohit Ghanghas emerged as the top scorer for the Patriots in the tie with 9 goals, while Jyotiram Bhushan Shinde was the top scorer for the Golden Eagles in the match with 6 goals. Keeper and captain of the Patriots Atul Kumar was adjudged the most valuable player of the match.
--IANS
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Jr Men’s National Hockey: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh register wins on Day 5
Rourkela (Odisha), June 16 (IANS) Hockey Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Hockey registered wins in their respective pool matches on Day 5 of the 13th Hockey India Junior Men's National Championship 2023 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, here on Friday.In the first match of the day, Hockey Madhya Pradesh beat Kerala Hockey 14-0 in Pool A. Mohammad Zaid Khan (3', 39', 56'), Ali Ahmad (6', 24'), Mohd Konain Dad (8', 18', 43',60'), Captain Ankit Pal (15'), Md Kareem Mansuri (29'), Shreyas Dupe (30', 41'), and Kashif Khan (57') featured on the scoresheet for Hockey Madhya Pradesh.
In Pool B, Chhattisgarh Hockey beat Hockey Andhra Pradesh 13-3 in the second match of the day. The goalscorers for Chhattisgarh Hockey were Karan Lakra (1', 17', 21', 37'), Arjun Yadav (7'), Vishnu Yadav (26', 46', 57'), Captain Tarun Yadav (38'), Sandeep Kumar (42', 45', 58'), and Sonu Nishad (47'). Meanwhile, Kavuru Pardha Sai (18'), Nadiminti Akhil Venkat (36'), and Giduturi Sai (48') scored for Hockey Andhra Pradesh.
Earlier on Thursday, Hockey Punjab defeated Assam Hockey 16-0 in Pool G. Arshdeep Singh (6', 35', 53') opened the account for Hockey Punjab followed by goals from Rajinder Singh (16', 45'), Dilraj Singh (18', 22', 44'), Captain Jaswinder Singh (21'), Sanjay Kumar (21', 54'), Rajat Sharma (25'), Sukhwinder Singh (29'), Ravneet Singh (31'), Arshdeep Singh (43'), and Gurpreet Singh (52') to end the game in their favour.
In the other match on Thursday, Delhi Hockey defeated Hockey Mizoram by a comprehensive 26-1 scoreline. The goal scorers for Delhi Hockey were Pankaj (7', 24', 41', 55), Nitesh (12', 26', 30', 39', 53', 54', 57'), Nitin (17'), Vikas Upadhyay (18', 25', 37'), Aman Sharma (29', 48', 51', 52'), Yogember Rawat (23', 34', 37', 57'), Captain Naveen Bidhuri (35'), Pardeep (56', 59'). Lalramhlua (59') scored a consolation goal for Hockey Mizoram towards the end of the game.
Another match on Thursday saw Hockey Bihar beat Telangana Hockey by 4-1 in Pool H. Hockey Bihar drew first blood through Danish's (2') early goal, followed up by goals from Ashutosh Bharti's (10'), Bhavuk (25'), and Sachin Dungdung (27'). Meanwhile, Peddiniti Neeraj Kumar (53') scored the only goal for Telangana Hockey.
In the last match, Hockey Maharashtra defeated Hockey Bengal 4-1 in Pool H. Hockey Maharashtra took the lead after goals from Vinayak Santosh Hande (25'), Vishal Shridhar Mandade (28'), Prathamesh Dhuri (53'), and Captain Govind nag (59'). Santanu Naskar (39') converted a penalty stroke for Hockey Bengal but failed to change the outcome of the game.
--IANS
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Global Chess League: Triveni Continental Kings to take on Mumba Masters in opener on June 22
New Delhi, June 16 (IANS) Triveni Continental Kings will take on upGrad Mumba Masters in the opening encounter of the inaugural Global Chess League, the organisers confirmed on Friday while announcing the tournaments schedule and the scoring system.The tournament, which is set to be played in Dubai in association with the Dubai Sports Council from June 21 - July 2, 2023, will introduce the franchise format to the sport of chess.
The league will also bring a completely new mixed-team format to the fore featuring the best from the ecosystem among men, women and U21 players.
Each team will have six players and a manager, who will be competing on six boards which will be played simultaneously. While each board will be called a game, all six combined boards will be termed one match. Once the board order is decided, it cannot be altered after drawing lots while deciding the run order of play. And in each match, all the players of one team will play with the same colour.
A game won with Black pieces will result in 4 Game Points (GP) to the winning player. A victory for a player with White pieces will see them win 3 GP. A draw will be rewarded with 1 GP, and a defeat gets the player 0 GP. Each players' GP will contribute to the Team's total Match Points (MP).
With regards to the calculations on Match Points (MP), a team which scores more GP than their opposition will be rewarded with a bonus of 3 MP. If both the Teams are level on GP, they will be awarded 1 MP each. However, if a team scores less GP than the opposing team, they won't get any MP for that Match.
The final will be played over best-of-2 matches. There will be a drawing of lots to determine which Team is White in Match 1, this team will then be black in Match 2. The team who wins more matches will be the Champion. In the event of a tie:
There will be a playoff blitz fixture, which will be a best-of-2 match. The team that was white in Match 1 and black in Match 2 will play white in Match 3 and black in Match 4. The time limit for each game will be all moves in 3 minutes plus 2 seconds. The team that wins the most matches in the fixture will be the Champion.
If the teams remain tied, there shall be a drawing of lots to determine a board from 1 to 6. The player from each team on this board will then participate in a sudden-death blitz game. The time limit for this game will be 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move. The player from the team who was white in Matches 1 and 3, will play white in this game.
If the sudden death blitz game is drawn, then the procedure is repeated except that the colour of the player from each team alternates from the colour the team had in the preceding sudden death blitz game. If the tie remains unbroken, the above procedure is repeated until a sudden death blitz game has a winner.
"One of the most distinctive aspects of the Global Chess League is a unique method of scoring the contests, in addition to sticking to traditional methods. Combined with the mixed-team format, this makes for an exciting tournament in Dubai. We are confident these features will appeal to fans and the global chess community," said Jagdish Mitra, Chairperson of the Global Chess League Board, in a media release.
Speaking about the schedule and scoring system, The FIDE President, Arkady Dvorkovich, said, "Global Chess League is a truly unique tournament. The scoring system and the schedule has been designed in a manner that gives the fans an exciting experience and keeps them glued to their screens. We are looking forward to 10 days of exciting matches in Dubai."
--IANS
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Looking to get my first hundred in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers, says Zimbabwe’s Madhevere
Harare, June 16 (IANS) Zimbabwe all-rounder Wessly Madhevere believes playing the ICC Mens Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023 at home is the perfect stage for him to record his first international century.Madhevere has registered 12 half-centuries in white-ball cricket since breaking into the Zimbabwe team three years ago but is yet to register a century. As Zimbabwe seek ODI World Cup qualification for the first time since 2015 through the Qualifiers on home soil, the 22-year old is keen to show he can be a match-winner with the bat.
"If there is one thing that has been said by the coaches and so many people who know me, is that they are demanding a big score. I know I'm due a big score. I'm looking to get my first hundred in this tournament. Hopefully it happens. That is one of the things that almost everyone is talking about," Madhevere told ICC.
Zimbabwe will open their campaign against Nepal in Harare on Sunday before taking on the Netherlands two days later. For Madhevere, a meeting with the Dutch brings back some happy memories, having taken a hat-trick against them earlier this year.
"I don't know if I can explain the feeling of taking the hat-trick but it was something beyond what I could imagine. For it to actually happen to me came as a surprise but I'll take it and look to take more. It was a brilliant feeling," he said.
"I believe I'm one of those players who thrives on confidence. Being able to contribute to my team and being able to help the team win games, it can only boost my confidence. I'm quite confident right now and hopefully I'll be able to put on some match-winning performances for my team," he added.
It has now been 20 years since Zimbabwe got through the group stage of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup -- doing so twice in succession in 1999 and 2003. Madhevere sees it as a chance to re-establish Zimbabwe's ODI participation at the highest level.
"I was probably 10 when I started watching cricket and dreamed about playing for my country. For it to happen for me right now is massive, I can't even explain. This tournament means a lot. So many players in our squad have dreamt about playing in it," the all-rounder said.
"I've dreamt a lot about playing in a tournament like this. It's exciting times for us and for the nation as well. Guys are keen to get back the status that Zimbabwe cricket had and there is no better chance than this one, so we're really excited about the opportunity," he concluded.
--IANS
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WTC Final: Michael Neser named as replacement for Josh Hazlewood in Australia’s squad
London, June 4 (IANS) Fast-bowling all-rounder Michael Neser has been named as a replacement for Josh Hazlewood in Australias squad for the World Test Championship Final clash against India starting at The Oval from June 7.As per the International Cricket Council (ICC), Hazlewood has been ruled out of the marquee match due to his ongoing left Achilles and left side issue. Neser, who has played two Tests and as many ODIs for Australia, has been brought in for the WTC Final squad after his inclusion was approved by the Event Technical Committee.
Hazlewood had also missed this 'ear's tour of India due to a left Achilles tendon issue, which delayed his arrival in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. He then left the tournament after playing only three games for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) due to a side issue.
Hazlewood had also missed a majority of the last two home summers due to side strains. His absence now means that Neser and specialist pacer Scott Boland are in contention for the third pacer slot and partner with captain Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
Chief selector George Bailey said Hazlewood should be available for selection for the first Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston, starting from June 16.
"Josh was very, very close to being given the green light but we are cognisant that our upcoming schedule means this is not a one-off Test match of us," Bailey was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
Injuries in the last two years have meant Hazlewood has played only four of Australia's last 19 Test matches and has not featured in consecutive first-class games since early 2021. He was picked for the WTC Final squad subject to coming through heavy training loads.
He had said to the ICC on May 31 that he was hopeful of being ready for the clash at The Oval and had even bowled a lot in the training session on Saturday.
On the other hand, Neser has scored 311 runs and taken 19 wickets, with scores of 123, 86 and 90 so far being a standout from his time in the county championship with Glamorgan. Though he was left out of the initial 17-man Australia squad for the WTC Final and Ashes, Neser and Sean Abbott were training with the Test side at Beckenham.
"Michael's County form has been strong and knowing that he was going to be close by allowed for him to keep playing and for us to be able to call on him. He is a great strength to have as part of the fast bowling group."
"This will give Josh an ideal preparation leading into Edgbaston. With six Test matches in a little over seven weeks we will need all of our fast bowling assets," added Bailey, the former Australia cricketer.
Updated Australia squad: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wicketkeeper), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Steve Smith (vice-captain), Mitchell Starc and David Warner
Standby players: Mitch Marsh, Matthew Renshaw
--IANS
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