Cristiano Ronaldo Shatters Wales' Euro 2016 Dream, Aims For History

July 7, 2016

Lyon, Jul 7: Cristiano Ronaldo became the "Dragon-slayer" as his record-equalling ninth European Championship goal helped power Portugal past Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bales' Wales and into the Euro 2016 final.

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Ronaldo brilliantly rose above the Wales' defence to score his country's first goal in the 2-0 win in front of 50,000 fans in the Stade de Lyon on Wednesday.

Nani deflected the Portugal hero's shot for the decisive second goal that saw their country into Sunday's final against tournament hosts France or world champions Germany.

Ronaldo and Bale had not spoken in the tournament before Wednesday's match. With victory sealed, Ronaldo embraced his club teammate at the end.

"The team did a marvellous job to reach the final. I hope on Sunday you'll see me crying with joy," said Ronaldo, who as a 19-year-old wept on the pitch after Portugal lost 1-0 to Greece as hosts of the Euro 2004 final.

"I have always dreamed of winning for Portugal -- I hope it is our time now.

"I am very confident. I deserve it, Portugal deserves it, all the Portugese people deserve it."

Bale paid tribute to the three-time world player of the year with whom he has not always had an easy relationship in Madrid.

"He's a natural goal-scorer and he scored yet again," said Bale.

"We're obviously massively disappointed. We've got to be proud of ourselves first and foremost."

Amazing run

"We gave everything, we have no regrets," he added, predicting Wales would be a force in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

"We've given everything, on the pitch, off the pitch," Bale said of Wales stunning campaign in their first major tournament since 1958 when it took a Pele goal to beat them in the World Cup quarter final.

British media called the 31-year-old Ronaldo the "Dragon-slayer" as they recounted how the sharpshooter had stunned Welsh fans brandishing flags and t-shirts with the national red dragon symbol.

Bale had the better of the first half showing off his pace and power to threaten the Portuguese goal.

But five minutes into the second period, Raphael Guerreiro curled a cross to the back post and Ronaldo leapt above James Chester to head past Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

Three minutes later, Nani, who has just completed a move from Turkey's Fenerbahce to Valencia in Spain, instinctively pushed out his leg to deflect a Ronaldo shot past Hennessy.

Tens of thousands of fans celebrated in Lisbon's Praca do Comercio. Heads dropped in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Ronaldo said he had congratulated Bale on Wales' "amazing run".

"They were the revelation team. I wished him good luck and as for the rest (of the conversation) I'd rather not say."

Ronaldo is desperate to win on Sunday at the Stade de France in what could be his last big chance of winning a Euro or world title.

Portugal did not win a match in regulation 90 minutes before the semi-final.

"Maybe it didn't start as we wanted, but this is not a 100 metre dash, it is a marathon," said the captain.

'My flag, my fatherland'

Portugal coach Fernando Santos, 61, said the final will be the highlight of his long and much-travelled career.

Santos said he would be closely analysing Thursday's game between France and Germany for potential weaknesses.

"It is my country, my flag, my fatherland, so from a personal point of view it is very important for me.

"Two very strong teams face off tomorrow. I will watch the game very attentively to analyse our opponent."

Germany were boosted ahead of the Marseille game by the news that captain Bastian Schweinsteiger had recovered from injury and would start the match.

But they will still be missing centre-back Mats Hummels through suspension and striker Mario Gomez and midfielder Sami Khedira through injury.

France, like Portugal, have become stronger as the tournament has progressed and hammered Iceland 5-2 in the quarter-final while Germany needed a penalty shootout to beat Italy.

There is an air of revenge for France, whose fans have never forgotten a 1982 defeat in a World Cup semi-final when Patrick Battiston suffered serious injuries.

French coach Didier Deschamps wants a win to end a run of three defeats in major competitions -- including 1982 -- against their neighbours and rivals.

"We can't change past history, but we've got our own page to write," said Deschamps. "We're facing the best team in the world, but the lads have to believe."

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News Network
January 6,2020

Sydney, Jan 6: Nathan Lyon captured five for 50 and 10 match wickets as Australia crushed New Zealand by 279 runs on Monday, capping a golden domestic summer as they swept the three-Test series.

The off-spinner led the powerful Australian bowling attack to dismiss the Kiwis for 136 and seal another heavy win over the Black Caps after similar victories in Perth and Melbourne.

Australia have been unbeatable this season, winning all five Tests at home -- two against Pakistan and three against New Zealand -- after retaining the Ashes by drawing the series 2-2 in England.

"It's been a great summer for the Australian Test side," Lyon said.

"It's pretty special to be part of it, we have been impressive, pretty clinical, the batters have done well and given us bowlers plenty of time."

Australia declared their second innings at 217 for two with David Warner scoring an unbeaten century, leaving the Black Caps with a revised 416-run target in the fourth innings on a wearing Sydney Cricket Ground pitch.

But the Kiwis buckled under the pressure of Australia's superior bowling attack with Mitchell Starc taking three for 25 to support the wiles of spinner Lyon.

"They were clinical in all areas and after the first match they put us under pressure session after session," said skipper Kane Williamson, who missed the Test with a virus.

New Zealand were reeling early at 27-4 and never recovered after Starc and Lyon took two wickets each in the middle session to put the skids under the tourists.

Starc removed both openers, Tom Latham and Tom Blundell, in the first five overs. Blundell fell to a stunning catch by a diving Lyon at point for two and stand-in skipper Latham lost a review for leg before wicket.

Jeet Raval was out in a review to the faintest of edges on 'Snicko' in Lyon's first over for 12.

First-innings top-scorer Glenn Phillips went for a duck after technology detected a faint outside edge to wicketkeeper Paine off Lyon.

Taylor's Kiwi record

Ross Taylor became the leading all-time Kiwi batsman, going past Stephen Fleming (7,172) before he was bowled by Pat Cummins for 22 to take his Test aggregate to 7,174.

Big-hitting Colin de Grandhomme smacked Lyon for six to bring up his fifty but went next ball hoicking to Joe Burns at deep mid-wicket for 52.

Todd Astle was out to a superb diving catch by James Pattinson in the outfield for 17.

Starc yorked William Somerville's middle stump for seven and BJ Watling was the last to fall, caught at backward square leg by Pat Cummins for 19.

Earlier, Warner completed his 24th Test century and remained unbeaten when skipper Paine declared upon the dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne.

"You know you're capable of doing so," Warner said, when asked about how he had bounced back from his disastrous Ashes campaign in England last year.

"I was in the nets hitting the ball well and had the skipper backing me. To be able to play with freedom helped me. It's all paying off."

Labuschagne, who was dropped on four in a regulation caught-and-bowled chance by leg-spinner Astle, was caught at long on off Matt Henry for 59 -- his seventh score over 50 in eight innings this domestic summer.

Labuschagne finished the home five-Test season with a stunning aggregate of 896 runs, made up of his 215 in the first innings, three other centuries and three half-centuries in eight innings.

There was drama late in the Australian innings when Warner was given an official warning by umpire Aleem Dar for running down the middle of the pitch in scampering a single.

It resulted in five penalty runs being added to New Zealand's first innings total meaning their target was revised down from 421 to 416.

The Test was played against the backdrop of one of Australia's most devastating bushfire seasons with at least 24 people losing their lives in blazes raging across the country, including on the outskirts of Sydney.

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Agencies
January 25,2020

Headingley, Jan 25: England have become the first team in the world to score 500,000 runs in Test cricket. They achieved the feat during the ongoing fourth and final Test against South Africa being played at The Wanderers.

On Friday - the opening day of the Test match -- England captain Joe Root's single through the covers took the Three Lions to a landmark 500,000 run-mark in the longest format of the game. They achieved the feat in their 1022nd Test match.

Australia comes second in the list, with 432,706 runs in 830 Tests. India, meanwhile, are third, with 273,518 runs in 540 Tests, followed by West Indies (270,441 runs in 545 Tests).

In the third Test played at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth, England had become the first team to play 500 Test matches on foreign soil. Australia are the second team to play the most away Test with 404 matches they have played so far.

India have played 268 Tests on foreign soil in which they have won 51, lost 113 and 104 have ended in a draw.

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News Network
March 31,2020

New Delhi, Mar 31: Australia batsman David Warner on Tuesday decided to shave off his head to show support towards all those people who are working relentlessly on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.

After shaving off his head, Warner also challenged his Australian team-mate Steve Smith and India skipper Virat Kohli to do the same.

Warner, shared a time-lapse video on Instagram, of him shaving his head, and captioned the post as: "Been nominated to shave my head in support of those working on the frontline #Covid-19 here is a time-lapse. I think my debut was the last time I recall I've done this. Like it or not".

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Australia's death toll stands at 19, as per the Sydney Morning Herald.

As of 8 am today, 4460 people across Australia have tested positive for COVID-19.

The World Health Organisation had termed coronavirus as a 'pandemic' on March 11.

Earlier in the day, Australia Test skipper Tim Paine also confirmed that the side's tour of Bangladesh is unlikely due to the virus spread.
"You don't have to be Einstein to realise (the Bangladesh tour) is probably unlikely to go ahead, particularly in June. Whether it's cancelled or pushed back, we're not quite sure at the moment," cricket.com.au quoted Paine as saying.

Currently, Australia has 296 points in the WTC from 10 matches, while India has 360 points from nine matches.

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