Shillong Cricket League: United XI win against Lawmali Pyllun SC
Shillong: United XI end Lawmali Pyllun SC winning streak by 53 runs in the league match of the Super Division Shillong Cricket League 2015 organised by the Shillong Cricket Association at the SCA Cricket Ground, Polo on Monday. United XI won the toss and elected to bat. They scored 170 losing 4 wickets in 37.1 overs before rain interrupted the match. An unbeaten half century by Peter Anglican 64 off 86 balls and Jeffreyson Wahlang 56 off 44 balls. Arnold Nongrum and Bhuwan Thapa took 1 wicket each for Lawmali SC. In reply, Lawmali Pyllun SC were bowl out for 117 in 29.5 overs. Ricky Syielieh scored 39 off 52 balls and Laxman Chettri scored 17 off 33 balls. While Babloo Passah took 3/31, Andrew Thabah took 2/21 for United XI. Next Match, Tuesday 03, 2015:- Super Division: Nongthymmai SCC v/s Riatsamthiah SC. Despite losing Monday’s match, Lawmali Pyllun SC has confirmed a place in the finals of the Super League with highest points . United XI will have to win one of their two more encounters. TnT Sputnik will have to wait for the remaining match of United XI CC and the last league encounter between TnT Sputnik and United XI. The finals will be on the 10th March.
Sania breaks partnership with Hsieh, to pair with Hingis
New Delh: India’s top tennis player Sania Mirza has decided to partner former world number one Martina Hingis on the WTA circuit, splitting with Hsieh Su-wei after partnering the Chinese Taipei player in only four tournaments this season. In four tournaments together, they made two second round exits (Dubai and Australian Open), reached semifinals of the Brisbane event and ended with a runners-up finish in Doha last week. “My results with Hsieh have not been extraordinary in the four tournaments we played in since January,” Sania, ranked number five in the world, said. “Hsieh is not feeling comfortable while playing on the Advantage court and feels she’s struggling to make the adjustment. I tried playing on the backhand side in Doha and we did reach the final but I feel I am unable to play my best tennis from the Ad court when we are playing against the top teams of the world,” Sania said explaining the phenomenon. “I will now be partnering Martina, who is one of the most experienced players on the circuit and is an Ad court specialist as well,” the 28-year-old added. Hingis, who came out of retirement in 2013 to play doubles, has a current world ranking of seven. (PTI)
ICC WC: Lanka’s Murali pleads for Herath recovery time
Sydney: Sri Lanka great Muttiah Muralitharan pleaded on Monday for key spinner Ranjana Herath to be kept on ice for the World Cup quarter-finals after suffering a nasty injury to his finger. The 36-year-old Herath needed four stitches in the spinning finger of his left hand after he tried to stop a full-blooded drive from England’s Jos Buttler in Wellington on Sunday. Sri Lanka won the match by nine wickets and with the 1996 champions almost assured of a quarter-final spot, record wicket-taker Muralitharan believes Herath can safely be rested for the remaining pool games against Australia in Sydney next Sunday and with Scotland in Hobart three days later. “He has been Sri Lanka’s steadiest and most reliable bowler so far in the tournament,” wrote Muralitharan in his International Cricket Council (ICC) column. Should Herath be ruled out, as is likely, the main spinning duties will pass to Sachithra Senanayake who was included in the squad after his bowling action was cleared by the ICC. “I would not try to rush Herath back, either for the match with Australia or for the clash with Scotland,” added Muralitharan. “An injury like the one he has picked up to his spinning finger needs time to heal so I would allow him the maximum time to recover.” (AFP)
Australia’s Maxwell mocked for Kiwi ‘choke’ gesture
Sydney: Australia’s Glenn Maxwell was both mocked and praised today after video emerged of him making a ‘choking’ gesture just moments before Kane Williamson launched the giant six that won Saturday’s World Cup clash for New Zealand. Maxwell, a controversial batsman dubbed ‘The Big Show’ by Australian media, was fielding in the deep when he turned to a section of the 40,000 crowd at Auckland’s Eden Park and jokingly placed his hands around his throat to suggest that the home side were about to fail chasing their modest 152-run target. But the Kiwis, who had lost five wickets for 15 at one stage, had the last laugh and claimed a place in the quarter-finals when, with the last pair at the wicket, Williamson sent his match-winning six high into the stands. The video clip was uploaded to Facebook by New Zealand fan Sam Holt and by Monday afternoon had attracted more than 173,000 views, liked by 65,000 people and shared 3,000 times. “This was Maxwell just before Kane Williamson tonked that 6 to win it… How’s that for crowd / player banter?,” wrote Holt. “I sat right behind maxwell and he was awesome. So interactive with the crowd and with a real good sense of humour! Def a good sportsman,” wrote one spectator. (AFP)
