Paes-Black in Wimbledon mixed doubles final

London, July 3 (PTI) Top seeds Leander Paes and Cara Black stormed into the final of Wimbledon mixed doubles event with a straight-set victory over Stephen Huss and Virginia Ruano Pascual here today.

The Indo-Zimbabwe pair beat their 12th seeded opponents 6-4 6-4 in a 71-minute semifinal contest.

Paes and Black, who won the US Open mixed doubles last year, were rusty at the start and were broken in the second game by the Australian-Spanish pair who go up 2-0 and then 3-0.

The top seeds, however, fought back with stunning ferocity to break their opponents in the fifth and seventh games to pocket the first game 6-4 in 35 minutes.

The second set went on serves till the fourth game after which Paes and Black tightened their game to break their opponents once and pocket the set 6-4 in 36 minutes and the match.

PTI

Dhoni gives India invincible lead

Gros-Islet (St Lucia): Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni played another responsible knock of 46 not out as India took an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the series, winning the third One-day international by six wickets according to the Duckworth-Lewis (DL) Method with just one ball to spare here on a rain-marred on Friday.

India capitalised on a good start by openers Dinesh Karthik (47) and Gautam Gambhir (44) and Man of the Match Dhoni played a composed innings off 34 balls as the visitors achieved the rain revised target of 159 in 22 overs at the Beausejour Stadium.

India skipper opted to bowl but the start was delayed by over two hours due to rains and when the game started persistent rains interrupted the game thrice.

Ramnaresh Sarwan's fine 62 off 59 balls went in vain even as West Indies made a challenging 186 for seven in 27 overs. But India were set a target of 195 according to the DL method.

But another spell of shower in the 14th over during India's innings revised gave the target to 159 in 22 overs.

However, it was the 84-run opening run stand that always kept India ahead of the run rate and Dhoni ensured that he stayed till the end as India scampered home to win in the penultimate ball. Dhoni's only six came in the last over and it reduced the equation to four from four balls that India achieved easily.

Earlier, Sarwan's 62 lifted the West Indies to 186 in 27 overs in the rain-shortened match. Left-armer Ashish Nehra led India's bowling with 3-21 off five overs while Harbhajan Singh took 2-35.

West Indies skipper Chris Gayle then blasted off six fours to score a quickfire 27 off 14 balls before he fell on the resumption of the game after the first spell of shower.

Sarwan and Runako Morton (22) then stitched a 51-run stand for the second wicket before a fine piece of stumping by Dhoni off Harbhajan ended Morton's stay.

Sarwan kept on playing his shots while Shiv Chanderpaul (15), Dwayne Bravo (14) and Darren Bravo (21) made valuable contributions. Denesh Ramdin remained unbeaten on 14 from six balls as the West Indies achieved the challenging total courtesy the Duckworth-Lewis Method.


The fourth and the final ODI will be played here on Sunday.

Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/dhoni-gives-india-invincible-lead/42228-13-1.html

Bedi laments lack of recognition from DDCA

New Delhi: A veteran of 67 Tests with 266 wickets to his credit in his 12-year career, former skipper Bishen Singh Bedi has lamented lack of recognition from his home state board of Delhi and District Cricket Association.


"I don't think Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) would have ever remembered me for whatever I did," rued the leg-spinner, who retired from international cricket in 1979.


The 62-year-old cricketer received 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by a magazine at a function here on Thursday, while teen tennis star Yuki Bhambri got the 'Exemplary Achievement' award

and swashbuckling Indian batsman Virender Sehwag bagged 'Jewel of the Nation' award for their contributions to their respective disciplines.


"I'm very surprised. I was not expecting such an award at all, though I am quite excited to be called 'Jewel of the Nation'," Sehwag said after receiving the honour from Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Salman Khursheed.


Yuki on his part said: "It's great to see that tennis is given some recognition in a cricket crazy country like India."


The awards were given by The Sunday Indian magazine in association with Indian Institute of Planning and Management, to recognise regional talents who have made the country proud.

Soruce:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/bedi-laments-lack-of-recognition-from-ddca/42225-13.html

India aim to bounce back from batting debacle

Gros-Islet (St Lucia): India will be looking to edge closer to a rare one-day international series victory against the West Indies in the Caribbean before embarking on a well-earned break from the game.


They face West Indies in the last two ODIs of four this coming Friday and Sunday at the Beausejour Cricket Ground here.


India and West Indies shared the first two ODIs last Friday and Sunday at Sabina Park in Jamaica.

Soruce:Cricketnext.com

Buchanan remains Ponting's fan

He might have shifted loyalties to England but former Australia coach John Buchanan remains a fan of Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting and expects his leadership to become more assertive in the Ashes beginning next week.

Buchanan, a consultant with the England Lions team, heaped praise on Ponting and said the diminutive right-hander would prove his captaincy skills in the series starting July 8.

"He is determined to turn the tables for (the defeat in England in) 2005," Buchanan was quoted as saying by 'The Times'.

"When he led Australia in the past two Ashes, he was surrounded by good lieutenants, but he is now ready to take the captaincy issue forward and move from a consultative style to one of more direct leadership."

Describing himself as a fan of Ponting, Buchanan said he looks to be in firm control of the team.

"I've always been a great fan of Ricky. He is an outstanding team man and he brings that to his leadership style, but it is clear this is now his team," he said.

© PTI

Brazil dethrone Spain at top of FIFA rankings

ZURICH: Brazil has ended Spain's one-year reign at the top of FIFA's rankings, rewarded for its comeback win over the United States in the Confederat
ions Cup final.

Brazil rose four spots to reach the top of the rankings --released Wednesday -- for the first time since August 2007. European champion Spain, upset by the U.S. in the semifinal last week, slipped to second.

Netherlands fell back to third, Italy stayed fourth and Germany slipped two places to fifth.

Russia, England, Argentina, France and Croatia rounded out the top 10.

The U.S., beaten 3-2 by Brazil in a thrilling match Sunday, rose two spots to No. 12.

But it was far from the biggest climber.

North Korea jumped 23 spots to No. 83 after it qualified for its first World Cup since 1966.

Higher up the rankings, Australia hopped over 13 teams to reach No. 16, its highest spot since FIFA began its rankings in 1993. Ivory Coast rose 20 places to become Africa's top team at No. 18.

I can run 9.5, says 'Lightning' Bolt

LONDON: Usain Bolt, the fastest man in history, insisted on Thursday he can run the 100 metres in 9.5 seconds -- if he can get back into his gold med
al-winning Beijing Olympics form.

The Jamaican, 22, also said he had no fear of the in-form Tyson Gay -- and if the US sprinter breaks his 9.69 seconds world record, he will break it back.

Bolt, in Britain as the European athletics season gets into full swing, insisted he had yet to reach his peak.

"With a lot of work I think I probably can go a little bit faster with hard work and dedication. That is the key for getting there. I'm working on it," Bolt told reporters on a visit to a south London sports school.

"I was thinking 9.5 maybe but I've got a lot of work to do to get back to the shape I was in.

"I'm not in the best shape right now but I'm working, slowly but surely. I still have a lot of work to do.

"For me it's always about the World Championships. The fast times will come if I work hard and train really hard, so I'm not really worried about that."

Bolt suffered minor leg injuries in a car crash in April, but he recovered quickly following minor surgery and is now focused on the biennial World Championships, which take place in Berlin on August 15-23.

Both Gay - owner of the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay world titles - and Bolt - who sensationally captured the same treble at the Beijing Games last August - secured their World Championships berths in their national trials at the weekend.

In New York in May, the American ran the 200 metres in 19.58sec, the third-fastest time in history, laying down his intentions for taking on Bolt. The Jamaican won the Beijing gold in a world record 19.30sec.

However, the man nicknamed "Lightning" Bolt is not worried about Gay's challenge to his records.

"I have no problem. Everybody wants to be a world record holder. If he breaks it, it's part of the game for me. I'll work to break it back. It's all fun and games," the triple Olympic gold medalist said.

"I've no fear. I have no fear of any athlete I go against. I compete at my best at all times. I don't worry."

And he insisted that there was plenty more to come from the fastest man on earth.

"I'm not at my peak, I have a little more left in the tank, I have a bit more to go. I'm still trying to get everything together to get that perfect race."

Bolt also hinted that he may compete in the 400 metres in future.

"I think maybe next year I may try it, I think I can maybe run 44 seconds," he said.

Since Bolt became the fastest man alive, he has maintained his laid-back persona and is in no rush to give up the chicken nuggets that powered him to victory in Beijing.

"I do eat too much fast food maybe. I do like to enjoy myself," he admitted.

"I try and stay as much down to earth as possible. I like to have a party because I'm young, so I like to enjoy myself also.

"I train six times a week, mostly in the evening hours when the sun goes down. I'm not really a morning person."

But he added: "I think I was born naturally fast.

"Natural talent takes you just so far, then you've got to put in the work.

"I know what it takes to get to the top. It's all about hard work and dedication. That's what makes me the fastest man in the world."

Soruce:TOI

Paes-Black in mixed doubles semis

WIMBLEDON: Top seeds Leander Paes and his Zimbabwean partner Cara Black breezed into the semi-finals of Wimbledon's mixed doubles event with a facile
straight set win over 11th seeded Andre Sa and Ai Sugiyama on Thursday. ( Watch )

The Indo-Zimbabwean duo needed a little over an hour to swamp the Sa-Sugiyama pair 6-3, 6-3 in the lop-sided quarterfinal match.

In the semi-finals, they will take on 12th seeded pair of Australian Stephen Huss and his Spaniard partner Virginia Ruano Pascual.

The Huss-Pascal duo defeated humbled fourth seeds Kevin Ullyett and Su-Wei Hsieh 6-3, 5-7, 9-7 in a hard-fought quarterfinal match

Source:TOI

Jeev Milkha Singh tied 20th, Randhawa in danger

Paris, July 3 (PTI) Returning from a rib injury, Jeev Milkha Singh fired three-under 68 for the tied 20th place but compatriot Jyoti Randhawa's opening round of 76 jeopardised his prospects of making the cut in the Open de France Alstom golf tournament here.

Among others, Kolkata pro SSP Chowrasia carded 69 to lie tied 32nd while Delhi lad Shiv Kapur's one-over 72 had him tied 85th.

Paired with Colin Montgomerie and Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jeev had, by and large, a satisfying round with the 17th hole bogey being the lone blot on the card.

Jeev said he could still feel the pain in his ribs but was happy with the show.

"I played the pro-am with an anti-inflammatory patch on, and it wasn't too bad. There was a bit of discomfort, but it felt much better than during the US Open

More Indians will be added to ICC Hall of Fame

New Delhi, July 3 (PTI) The presence of just three Indian cricketers in International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame may have generated a controversy in the country but the game's governing body today made it clear that more Indians would be added to the elite list.

The ICC said that the list would be updated annually and would have an adequate Indian representation.

"This is not the final list. I do believe that a number of magnificent Indian cricketers deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. We will soon develop a mechanism and have plans to add more players to the list on an annual basis," ICC President David Morgan told PTI in a telephonic interview from London.