The Sports

Thursday 19 March 2015

Rohit Sharma century earns India 109-run win over Bangladesh

Rohit Sharma celebrates his century against Bangladesh

Rohit Sharma’s maiden World Cup century propelled India to a 109-run victory over Bangladesh in the second World Cup quarter-final, in Melbourne.

Sharma struck 137 off 126 balls – his seventh ODI century – as the defending champions posted 302-6 off their 50 overs, Bangladesh struggling to 193 all out in 45 overs in reply.

India, who have now won 100 ODIs under MS Dhoni’s captaincy including their last 11 in World Cup cricket, will face either co-hosts Australia or Pakistan in the second semi-final in Sydney on Thursday.

Sharma set the tone by driving the first ball of the match for four after India had won the toss, going on to add 75 for the first wicket with Shikhar Dhawan (30) in 16.3 overs.

But runs proved harder to come by after Dhawan was smartly stumped off Shakib Al Hasan and Virat Kohli edged Rubel Hossain behind to make it 79-2.

India did not reach their hundred until the 26th over and only upped the run-rate after Ajinkya Rahane (19 off 37 balls) miscued Taskin Ahmed (3-69) to mid-off.

Suresh Raina and Sharma provided the much-needed acceleration in a fourth-wicket stand of 122 in 15.5 overs.

Sharma enjoyed a let off on 90 when he slapped a Hossain full toss to deep midwicket only for the delivery to be called a no-ball on the grounds of height - replays suggesting the delivery was not above the waist.

The opener went on to post his hundred off 108 balls with 10 fours and a six – reaching the landmark with a punch-drive for two through the covers.

Sharma slapped 25 off his last 10 balls as India threatened to run riot and it took a clinical yorker from Taskin Ahmed to end his stay, three overs from the end of innings.

But with license to play his shots, Ravindra Jadeja blasted an unbeaten 23 off 10 balls as Bangladesh conceded 97 off the last 10 overs.

No side has ever chased down 300 to win an ODI at the MCG and Bangladesh’s attempt to make history suffered a major setback when Tamim Iqbal snicked Umesh Yadav behind for a run-a-ball 25.

Calamity followed as fellow opener Imrul Kayes was run out in a horror mix-up with Soumya Sarkar - Jadeja’s athletic stop and throw doing the damage.

Once again Bangladeshi hopes rested on Mahmudullah but after centuries against England and New Zealand the 29-year-old could not repeat the dose, although it took a fine juggling catch on the boundary edge by Dhawan to remove him for 29.

Bangladesh continued to lose wickets at regular intervals – including that of Sarkar for 29 – as Mohammad Shami and Yadav chipped away.

Nasir Hossain (35 off 34 balls) and Sabbir Rahman (30no) delayed India’s advance with a seventh-wicket partnership of 50 off 48 balls – but as the best stand of the innings it was too little, too late.

Highlights of the match will be available on the same channel at 1pm, 4pm and 7pm with The Verdict following each show. Highlights of the match are also available in Hindi over on Zee Cinema.

England recall Geoff Parling for Six Nations clash with France

Geoff Parling: Replaces Dave Attwood in the starting line-up

Geoff Parling has been recalled to the England side for Saturday’s Six Nations showdown with France at Twickenham.

The Leicester lock replaces Dave Attwood in the pack in the only change made by head coach Stuart Lancaster following the 25-13 home victory over Scotland last weekend.

England coach Stuart Lancaster is delighted to have Geoff Parling back in his side to face France at the weekend.

Parling impressed as a replacement in the second half of the Calcutta Cup clash and has been rewarded with a starting berth as England look to clinch the title.

Lancaster said: “Geoff did well off the bench against Scotland and now that he has got some games under his belt we feel it is the right time to start him and use his experience and quality in the starting line-up. He didn't go on the Lions tour by accident. He's been a high quality player for us.

"Geoff has presence and speed around the field. His ability to carry the ball is excellent. It was a tight call but the right call.

"Dave understood the decision and there were performances reasons as well, it wasn't just because of Geoff. It was a difficult conversation but Dave accepted it and knows the areas he has to work on."

Tom Youngs had been tipped for a recall at hooker but Dylan Hartley retains the No 2 shirt and will start in a front row that also includes prop Dan Cole who is set to win his 50th cap.

Great achievement

“It’s a great achievement for Dan to win his 50th cap, especially coming back from his injury last year. He is one of the cornerstones of our squad and we all wish him all the best,” added Lancaster.

Stuart Lancaster has made one change to his team to play France with Geoff Parling coming in for Dave Attwood.

Attwood has started the last eight Test matches for England but he is not even on the bench where there is a recall for Harlequins stalwart Nick Easter.

Lancaster said: "Nick has really impressed in camp and his appearances off the bench in the second row. He is a quality ball carrier and great defender - something we feel we will need in the latter stages of the game."

By kick-off at 5pm on Saturday, England will know exactly what they need to do to win the tournament, with Wales kicking off at 12.30pm in Rome and Ireland's game against Scotland finishing at Murrayfield just before the grand finale starts.

England, Ireland and Wales all have six points from four matches, but England are four points better off than the Irish on points difference and have 25 in hand on Wales.

Lancaster said: “Finishing off the tournament at home is going to be a great occasion. The support against Scotland last week was fantastic and this weekend we really need the crowd to get behind the team and drive them forward in what will be an exciting finale to this year's championship."

England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Jack Nowell, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Joe Marler, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Geoff Parling, 5 Courtney Lawes, 6 James Haskell, 7 Chris Robshaw (c), 8 Billy Vunipola.

Replacements: 16 Tom Youngs, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Kieran Brookes, 19 Nick Easter, 20 Tom Wood, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Danny Cipriani, 23 Billy Twelvetrees.

Chelsea launch amazing attack on referees for 'abnormally low' penalty count

Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic reacts after getting a red card against Burnley last month.

Chelsea have stepped up their attacks on referees by claiming they have been awarded an "abnormally low" number of penalties in the Premier League this season.

The Blues have had just two penalties in 28 league games so far - compared to five spot kicks in just eight Champions League matches.

In an article on the club's official website, titled Penalty Puzzle, Chelsea compare the number awarded to them during the past six seasons.

Hull v Chelsea

Hull 6/1

Draw 10/3

Chelsea 4/9

The two penalties given to Jose Mourinho's men this campaign both came in home derbies - against Arsenal and QPR - and the club highlights that the most recent of those was four and a half months ago.

"Historically, this figure seems abnormally low," the club says.

The website lists the number of Premier League penalties given to Chelsea, season by season - seven in 2013/14, 11 in 2012/13, five in 2011/12, eight in 2010/11, and 12 in 2009/10.

The article continues: "So this season’s tally of two unquestionably bucks the recent trend yet our position as clear league leaders and second-highest scorers suggests we can’t be labelled anything other than an attacking side, spending plenty of time in the opposition box.

"Our two closest challengers in the Premier League this season, Manchester City and Arsenal, have both been awarded seven penalties – the most in the division. City have only scored one goal more than Chelsea and Arsenal two less.

"Last term, the two teams that finished above us in the league – Man City and Liverpool – were awarded more penalties than any other team bar us.

"Of course, it could be that when teams have played the league leaders they have been particularly careful inside their own area. We all have plenty of recollections suggesting this is not the case however.

"From the first half of our very first league game, at Burnley, a number of key penalty-box decisions have not gone our way, Diego Costa the victim that evening after being felled trying to round the keeper."

The website stokes the controversy following Mourinho's recent outbursts and comes after defender Branislav Ivanovic had a penalty claim refused in the weekend's 1-1 draw with Southampton.

Mourinho has been outspoken against referees all season, first suggesting in December that there was a "campaign" against his team.

That claim eventually led to a £25,000 fine and warning for the Blues boss from the FA, although it accepted his defence that he had been talking of a media campaign rather than one by referees.

But on Sky Sports' Goals on Sunday show last month, he went on the attack again, claiming referee Martin Atkinson had wrongly turned down two penalty appeals in Chelsea's match against Burnley the day before and had twice failed to issue the red card to Clarets striker Ashley Barnes.

He lambasted Barnes for the challenge on Nemanja Matic which led to the Serbia midfielder being sent off for his reaction.

He added that referees in general “are not doing well” as he called for the introduction of more technology to assist them.

And Mourinho claimed Chelsea had only one controversial decision in their favour this season, in contrast to all his perceived injustices against them.

Tuesday 10 March 2015

Downton backs Moores as England head coach ahead of talks

Paul Downton: Giving support to Peter Moores

England and Wales Cricket Board managing director Paul Downton has told Sky Sports that he is backing Peter Moores as head coach following England's World Cup exit.

Moores' position has been the subject of speculation since the 15-run defeat to Bangladesh in Adelaide on Monday - England's fourth loss from five Pool A matches.
But Downton said: "I have every faith in Peter Moores. Part of the reason for appointing Peter was he is a very experienced coach.

"Whoever took this job was going to have a really difficult job."

Downton is poised to hold talks with Moores this week, and has been a strong advocate of his since appointing him as England coach for the second time in April last year - at which time he declared him "the leading English coach of his generation".

Moores was tasked with reviving the national team in all formats in the wake of the 5-0 Ashes whitewash and World Twenty20 failure, but so far England's results have largely disappointed under him.

England have yet to win a one-day series under Moores, losing 18 of their 27 ODIs, and suffered a first Test series defeat at home to Sri Lanka.
A Test series win against India followed, and young players have shown some signs of blossoming as Moores has sought to replace the likes of Jonathan Trott, Graeme Swann and Kevin Pietersen.

We're very early into an appointment. Much as we'd like to change things instantly, it takes time

Paul Downton

Downton believes that Moores has not yet had nearly enough time to exert his full philosophy on to the England set-up.
"We're very early into an appointment," he said. "Much as we'd like to change things instantly, it takes time.
"We had a very successful team between 2009 and 2013. We have to rebuild again.
"There are no shortcuts. We have to back our players, invest in them and in time we will be back there again."

Cricket World Cup: Shikhar Dhawan scores another ton as India ease to win over Ireland

Shikhar Dhawan: Celebrates after another impressive knock

Shikhar Dhawan scored his second hundred of the tournament as India won their fifth straight World Cup game, beating Ireland by eight wickets in Hamilton.

Dhawan (100) hit 11 fours and five sixes in a blistering 85-ball knock as he and his opening partner Rohit Sharma (64) notched India’s highest ever opening partnership in a World Cup.
The pair put on 172 together as India chased down Ireland’s 260-run target inside 37 overs.
Mohammed Shami continued his good form with three for 41 from his nine overs as Ireland collapsed from a promising position of 206-3 after fifties from Niall O’Brien (75) and captain Will Porterfield (67).
After Ireland won the toss and chose to bat first, Porterfield and Paul Stirling (42 off 41 balls) put on their own record partnership of 89 – the largest by the team against a top-eight nation.
But after Stirling fell to Ravichandran Ashwin (2-38), Ed Joyce – centurion in their last game against Zimbabwe – was bowled by Suresh Raina for just two.
That led to a rebuilding effort from the Irish with fifty partnerships between Porterfield and O’Brien, and then Andy Balbirnie (24) after Porterfield was picked up by Mohit Sharma.
But Balbirninie’s dismissal – Ashwin’s second scalp – in the 39th over signalled a collapse as the final six wickets fell for just 51 runs, Shami picking up three of them, including the key strikes of O’Brien, and his brother Kevin for one.
He took the final wicket of the innings, that of Alex Cusack as Ireland were all out for 259 with an over to spare.
India’s chase was emphatic – rocketing to 73 without loss from the first 10 overs. Dhawan and Sharma both eased to fifty and hit a combined eight sixes during their electric partnership.
Sharma was bowled by Stuart Thompson (2-45) soon after the pair broke the record for highest opening partnership by India in a World Cup, and Dhawan also fell to Thompson soon after notching his hundred.
The mini-wobble was soon corrected though with Virat Kohli (44no) and Ajinkya Rahane (33no) easing India through to a comfortable win.
Ireland now face a must-win clash against Pakistan in Adelaide on Sunday in order to secure a quarter-final spot, while India play Zimbabwe in Auckland the day before.
Watch highlights of India’s win over Ireland throughout the day on Sky Sports World Cup (channel 403) or with Hindi commentary on Zee Cinema (channel 790).

Sunday 8 March 2015

World Cup: Glenn Maxwell smashes quick-fire ton as Australia beat Sri Lanka

Sangakkara's third World Cup hundred in a row not enough for Sri Lanka

Glenn Maxwell: Has been in excellent form for Australia at World Cup

Glenn Maxwell fell agonisingly short of posting the fastest World Cup hundred during Australia’s 64-run victory over Sri Lanka, a result that secured the co-hosts a quarter-final spot.

Maxwell, looking to better the 50-ball ton Kevin O’Brien scored for Ireland against England in 2011, raced to 98 from 48 deliveries in the heavyweight clash at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

But the batsman – who was dropped on 93 by backpedalling wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara – could only push Lasith Malinga to mid-on for a single from his 49th ball and he subsequently failed to match O’Brien’s record when his 50th delivery went for a leg bye.

However, Maxwell (102 from 53 balls) did wrap up the quickest ODI century by an Australian – 51 balls – and his first in international 50-over cricket as the Baggy Greens posted 376-9, a total they defended comfortably despite a wonderful ton from Kumar Sangakkara (104).

Sangakkara became the first man to score three World Cup hundreds in a row – he also notched three figures against Bangladesh and England – and just the second player, after Sachin Tendulkar, to pass 14,000 ODI runs.

Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka celebrates his century during the 2015 Cricket World Cup Pool A matchagainst Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground

But when he was dismissed heaving James Faulkner (3-48) into the off-side, Sri Lanka were dealt a big blow, and after Dinesh Chandimal (52 from 24) was forced to retire hurt, Australia proceeeded to limit their opponents for 312 in 46.2 overs and leapfrog the Asian outfit into second place in Pool A behind New Zealand.

Australia captain Michael Clarke, fresh from seeing his side clobber a World Cup record 417-6 against Afghanistan in midweek, opted to bat after winning the toss and was in the runs himself.

The 33-year-old (68) and Steve Smith (72) put on 134 for the second wicket following the earlier exits of big-hitting openers David Warner (9) and Aaron Finch (24) within the first 10 overs.

Smith and Clarke departed in quick succession to leave Australia 177-4 in the 33rd over, before Maxwell tore into the Sri Lankan attack during a 160-run stand with Shane Watson (67 from 41), who was recalled in place of Mitchell Marsh.

The man from Melbourne – nicknamed the “Big Show” – brought up his third fifty of the World Cup in just 26 deliveries and had cracked 10 fours and four sixes before he was caught off a Thisara Perera full toss in in the 47th over.

Sri Lanka then collected a flurry of wickets but Brad Haddin’s nine-ball 25 – the veteran drilling nine fours and a maximum – lifted Australia to a formidable-looking total, Malinga the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers (2-59).

Clicked

Sri Lanka lost Lahiru Thirimanne (1) early in their reply, the left-hander cramped for room by Mitchell Johnson (2-62) and edged a rising ball through to Haddin behind the stumps.

But Tillakaratne Dilshan then stunned the SCG by pummelling Johnson for six successive fours in his third over as the 1996 World Cup champions’ batting clicked into gear.

Dilshan (62 from 60) and Sangakkara combined for a rapid 130-run partnership in just shy of 20 overs before the former was trapped lbw by a Faulkner slower ball, Dilshan’s review proving futile.

Mahela Jayawardene (19) hit a glorious four over midwicket early in his innings but as he attempted a single that would have brought the century-hunting back Sangakkara on strike, he was run out at the non-striker’s end by Clarke.

Sangakkara smoked Faulkner for three fours in one over as he pocketed his 24th one-day international hundred but the Australia seamer had the last laugh when, with the run rate rocketing up, the Sri Lanka batsman sliced him to Finch at deep cover.

Chandimal carted Australia’s bowlers all over the wicket when he teamed up with skipper Angelo Mathews (35 from 31), but an apparent hamstring injury forced him to exit the field and Sri Lanka’s charge to derail.

Mathews gloved a Watson bouncer to Haddin shortly after, before Johnson, Faulkner and the excellent Mitchell Starc (2-29) polished off the tail with Sachithra Senanayake (7) the last man out, plinking to Xavier Doherty at mid-on.

CAPTAINS' VERDICT

Australia's Michael Clarke: "Credit to the boys for the way they battled. Watching players around the world scoring so quickly and freely, teams can chase any score now but if we can hold our nerve like that we give ourselves a chance.”

Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews: "We conceded 200 runs in the last 16 overs and it was way too much. We've got to improve in our bowling and fielding. If we can keep the opposition to 300, we can chase it down.

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has allowed champions to stagnate, say Sunday Supplement

Oliver Kay said Manchester City look like they have been playing on auto pilot all season long

Manchester City have “stagnated” this season under head coach Manuel Pellegrini, who may now pay with his job come the summer, says theSunday Supplement panel.

City won the Premier League and the Capital One Cup under the Chilean in the previous campaign but are currently second in the table, five points behind Chelsea and having played a game more than the league leaders.

The champions have been dumped out of both domestic cup competitions and are staring down the barrel of a Champions League exit, with speculation beginning to mount regarding Pellegrini’s future at the Etihad Stadium.

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The Times’ Football Correspondent, Oliver Kay thinks Pellegrini’s side have been listless all season and questioned the boss's tactics.

City have been 'drifting' under Pellegrini, says Oliver Kay

“There feels like there is a stagnation about City this season,” he said. “They have looked like a team on autopilot for much of the season. Tactically and psychologically in games they have looked to be drifting and they never seem to be set up well on the pitch.

“They may only be second and five points off the lead, but they are a team punching under their weight to a dramatic level.”

Should Pellegrini lose his job this summer, then the City boss may come to rue his team’s failure to beat rivals Chelsea in their top-of-the-table clash at Stamford Bridge in January, according to the Daily Mail’s Chief Sports Writer, Martin Samuel.

“City missed a huge opportunity against Chelsea,” he said. “That is the game which will define Pellegrini if this is his last season at City, as that day Chelsea looked like they were there for the taking if City had gone for it. And they did not quite go for it.”

But Samuel also believes recent rumours linking Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti with the manager’s job at Eastlands next season are wide of the mark.

Ancelotti does not fit the right mould at City, claims Martin Samuel

“City’s hierarchy do not like the football Ancelotti plays,” he added. “They want Barcelona-style football, and a Barcelona presence and philosophy.

“And there are only certain managers that will give them that.”