Gritty Saina enters final of Aus Open
Sydney: Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal stands just a win away from clinching her second title of the year after she stunned world number two and top seed Shixian Wang of China in a gruelling three-game semifinal contest at the Australian Super Series here on Saturday. Sixth-seeded Saina prevailed 21-19, 16-21, 21-15 in a marathon match, which lasted an hour and 16 minutes. Saina will now play Spanish youngster Carolina Marin, who shuttled past Japan’s Yui Hashimoto 21-17, 21-16 in the other semi, in the title clash on Sunday. Saina had lost to Yui in the India Open final last year in New Delhi. (PTI)
PCB, Windies chiefs elected to ICC ExCo
Melbourne: Pakistan and West Indies Cricket Board chiefs, Najam Sethi and David Cameron were elected, on Saturday, to the all-powerful ICC Executive Committee, which will include new ICC Chairman N Srinivasan. The ICC Executive Committee will be chaired by Australia’s Wally Edwards and will also have England’s Giles Clarke. The duo’s election was approved by the ICC Board, under the chairmanship of Srinivasan, during the ICC Annual Conference weekend here. India, England and Australia have permanent representatives on the five-member committee, while the other two members will be elected from the ICC board on an annual basis. David Richardson, who received a two-year contract extension as ICC chief executive, will be an ex-officio member of the committee. The Executive Committee was created as a part of the raft of administrative changes ushered in by the BCCI, ECB and CA, and described by its architects as “the sole recommendation committee on all financial (including ICC distributions and costs), constitutional, personnel (other than event personnel), anti-corruption, ethics, integrity, development and director nominations matters”. (PTI)
Atwal misses cut and so does host Tiger
Washington: Indian golfer Arjun Atwal, playing his first PGA Tour event this season, carded a two-over 73 in each of his first two rounds and missed the cut by one shot at the Quicken Loans National here. Atwal got a spot into the event courtesy his close friend Tiger Woods, who hosts the tournament each year. The tournament is an invitational event with a field of 120 players. Atwal, who does not have a status on the PGA Tour, had not made a start this season. He had three birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey in his 73 and was place tied 64th. The event attracted a lot of attention because it was the comeback tournament for Woods, who, however, missed the cut with cards of 74 and 75. There was a four-way lead at the end of the second round as Marc Leishman (70-66), Oliver Goss (70-66), Ricky Barnes (67-69) and Patrick Reed (68-68) were tied for the top spot. (PTI)
Rain restricts Windies against Kiwis
Bridgetown: Steady rainfall limited play on the second day of the third and final Test between the West Indies and New Zealand to just 33.2 overs with the home side reaching 169 for two in reply to the tourists’ first innings total of 293 at Kensington Oval. West Indies added 137 runs for the loss of openers Chris Gayle and Kraigg Brathwaite in the playing time available under overcast skies. When the weather closed in after 15 minutes’ play in the post-lunch session, Kirk Edwards (42 not out) and Darren Bravo (8 not out) were seeking to build on the promising position. More showers were forecast on the scheduled third day on Saturday, presenting a challenge to both sides to play the sort of positive, adventurous cricket in the time available over the remaining three days to force a result with the series now locked at 1-1. Brathwaite emerged as the unlikely hero of the morning, stroking his way to 68 to follow up his “Man of the Match” innings of 129 in the second Test in Trinidad the previous week before falling to fast-medium bowler Neil Wagner just before lunch.
He put on 79 for the first wicket with Chris Gayle and continued to score freely in another useful second-wicket stand with Kirk Edwards that produced 74 runs before a mis-timed off-drive was well held by Tim Southee diving low to his left at cover. (AFP)