Reddy is new PCA chief as Bindra bids cricket adieu
Mohali: Former BCCI president and once a towering figure in India’s cricket administration, I.S. Bindra Saturday formally withdrew from cricket affairs in the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) and was replaced by senior IAS officer D.P. Reddy as the PCA president. Reddy, a Punjab cadre IAS officer, was PCA vice president till now. The decision was taken at the executive committee meeting of the PCA held here Saturday, PCA secretary M.P. Pandove said here. Bindra, 70, who remained associated with cricket administration for nearly 37 years, was the life-time president of PCA. He expressed his inability to continue day-to-day affairs of PCA. Bindra was credited with the construction of the PCA stadium here, the best of its time. PCA is now coming up with a modern and bigger stadium at Mullanpur in Punjab, near Chandigarh.(PTI)
Indian women lose 2nd ODI by 13 runs, England clinch series
Scarborough (UK): Indian women paid the price for losing their cool during the death overs as they lost second successive ODI against England eves by 13 runs to concede the three-match series here on Saturday. England scored a moderate 214 for nine riding on skipper Charlotte Edwards’ patient century. In reply, India were well in the hunt till the 40th over before folding for 201 in 48.4 overs. Harmanpreet Kaur (43), Smriti Mandhana (32) and Mithali Raj (30) got starts but none went to guide the team to victory as medium pacer Jenny Gunn was the most successful bowler with four for 23 in 10 overs. Bespectacled opener Smriti Mandhana (32), who has been in good form again started off well only to lose her way after getting set. She shared a 39-run opening stand with Poonam Raut (11), who was foxed by a slower from seamer Kate Cross offering a simple return catch. (PTI)
Vidit Gujrathi beats Areshchenko to remain in joint lead
Abu Dhabi: Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi continued with his winning ways and put it across third seed Alexander Areshchenko of Ukraine to remain in joint lead after the end of the third round of Abu Dhabi Masters Chess tournament here on Saturday. Fresh from his victory at the Lake Sevan Grandmaster tournament in Armenia, Gujrathi had the opportunity of beating Areshchenko in second straight game after a delightful victory at the lake Sevan tournament. Adding to the injury, this victory for Gujrathi also came with black pieces and puts him in joint lead along with Yuriy Kryvoruchko of Ukraine, Adam Horvath of Hungary and Aleksandr Rakhmanov of Russia. While all the four leaders have an identical three points out of a possible three. As many as 12 players are breathing down the neck of the leaders a half point behind including India’s G N Gopal who played out a draw with Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine. Highest rated Indian in the fray, Abhijeet Gupta was held to a second straight draw in the tournament by Vlad-Victor Barnaure of Romania. The draw helped Gupta inch up only to two points from his three games and he currently stands joint 17th spot with seven rounds still remaining in one of the strongest open of the continent.(IANS)
Hamstrung Clarke doubtful for Australia’s Zimbabwe opener
MELBOURNE: Australia captain Michael Clarke has suffered a hamstring injury during Friday’s training in Harare and is doubtful for their first one-day international against Zimbabwe on Monday. Clarke, who has had a five-month rest since leading Australia to the 2-1 test series triumph in South Africa, experienced pain in his left hamstring while training, a report on Cricket Australia’s website (www.cricket.com.au) said. ‘We will monitor his condition closely over the next 24 hours to see how he responds to further treatment before making a decision on his management,’ team physiotherapist David Beakley said in Harare. Vice-captain George Bailey will lead Australia if Clarke misses the first match of the triangular series, also featuring South Africa. Top order batsman Phillip Hughes, a late replacement in the Australia squad for injured all-rounder Shane Watson, could take Clarke’s place in the side. (Reuters)
Indian cueists bag Asian title
Karachi: India A, consisting of Kamal Chawla, Faisal Khan and Dharmender Lilly, won the Gold medal in the Asian Snooker Team championship here Saturday, defeating Pakistan A 3-1 in the final. The Indian cueists outclassed the highly accomplished duo of Muhammad Asif, former IBSF World Snooker champion, and Muhammad Sajjad, former Asian champion, of Pakistan by 3 frames to 1 in the final. Local favourites and title contenders Asif and Sajjad were subdued by the big breaks of Chawla and Khan. In the semi-finals, India A thrashed Iran 3-1. The mighty Iranians, Amir Sarkosh and current World Under-21 champion Hossein Vafaei Ayouri were helpless against the aggressive display of snooker by Chawla and Khan. Earlier, India A defeated Syria 3-2 in the quarter-finals while India B comprising Ketan Chawla, Varun Madan and Rahul Sachdev went down 1-3 to Pakistan A. (IANS)
Swimmer Ledecky breaks 400m freestyle world record
Gold Coast (Australia): American swimmer Katie Ledecky broke her own world record in the 400-metres freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships in Australia on Saturday. The 17-year-old schoolgirl clocked 3:58.37 seconds to beat her previous mark by 0.49sec. Ledecky only broke the previous world record in the event at the US Championships on August 9 and continues her remarkable run of world records. She holds the world records in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle to make her the first woman since Janet Evans to hold all three records at the same time. Ledecky’s win in the 400m was her fourth gold medal of the Pan Pacific Champ on the Gold Coast. (AFP)