Knights beat Cobras by 33 runs in rain-shortened match

September 20, 2014

Raipur, Sep 20: Rains took some sheen off Kane Williamson's record batting display of scoring the fastest ever century in Champions League Twenty20 as New Zealand side Northern Knights beat Cape Cobras of South Africa by 33 runs under Duckworth-Lewis method here on Friday.

Knights beatOpening batsman Williamson produced a sensational batting show as he carried his bat through the innings with a 49-ball 101 not out, the first hundred of this edition, to guide his side to a huge total of 206 for five after being put into bat.

Chasing a huge target of 207 for a win, the Cobras struggled to get going and they were 44 for two when rain arrived at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.

Rain continued and after a long wait, the umpires decided to end the Group B match and the Knights emerged victorious under the D/L method.

As five overs had been completed before the rain came, the match was counted as complete and the par score under D/L method at that stage was 77.

The Knights kept their winning momentum in the tournament as they had won all their three qualifying round matches.

The Cobras run chase began on a disastrous note with their opening batsman Stiaan van Zyl (0) dismissed in the first delivery of the innings bowled by Trent Boult.

The other opener Hashim Amla (20) tried to keep his side on track but the asking rate kept on rising and he fell in the sixth over in his bid to accelerate the innings.

Robin Peterson and Omphile Ramela were batting on 17 and four respectively when rain came in the eighth over, though the Cobras were looking down the barrel at that stage as the asking rate had risen over 12 an over.

Earlier, Williamson scored his first T20 hundred to take his side to a huge total. Today's total of 206 for five by the Knights was the first 200-plus innings of this edition.

Williamson hit eight fours and five sixes in his superlative 49-ball innings and his hundred came from just 48 balls.

His opening partner Anton Devcich also made a substantial contribution of 67 from 46 balls (8x4; 1x6). The duo scored at a brisk pace and laid the foundation of a big total by sharing 140 runs in 13.4 overs.

Knights captain Daniel Flynn, however, did not contribute much as he was out for nought two balls after Devcich's dismissal.

But Williamson continued his punishing mood as he made merry of a mediocre bowling and fielding display from the Cobras to steal the show.

B J Watling joined the party with a 20-ball cameo of 32 as he took 17 runs off Justin Kemp with a six and two fours in the 16th over.

Scott Styris and Daryl Mitchell were also out for noughts but the strong show by the openers ensured that go past the 200 mark.

For the Cobras, Charl Langeveldt and Vernon Philander took two wickets apiece while conceding 27 and 37 runs. Ll the Cobras bowlers, except for Langeveldt, were expensive with Justin Kemp conceding 34 runs from his two overs.

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Agencies
February 13,2020

New Delhi, Feb 13: Sanjiv Chawla, a key accused in the match-fixing scandal involving former South African cricket team captain Hansie Cronje in 2000, was extradited from the UK on Thursday, Delhi Police said.

The 50-year-old British national, accompanied by a crime branch team from London, reached IGI Airport this morning, a senior officer said.

He is likely to be taken to the crime branch office for questioning, he added.

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News Network
January 23,2020

Melbourne, Jan 23: Sania Mirza's return to her first Grand Slam after a two-year break was cut short on Thursday when the former world number one was forced to retire midway through her first round match in women's doubles at the Australian Open due to a calf injury.

India's Mirza, who won six Grand Slam doubles titles, took a break from the game after the China Open in October 2017 and gave birth to her son a year later.

The 33-year-old made a winning return to the WTA Tour at this month's Hobart International with Ukrainian Nadiia Kichenok, picking up her 42nd WTA doubles title and the first since winning the women's doubles in Brisbane in 2017.

Mirza said she strained her calf muscle in her right leg during the Hobart final.

"It just got worse in the match. It was bit of a bad strain, but I had a few days off," she told reporters. "So I obviously had to try to do whatever I could to try to get on the court.

"It felt okay when I went on the court, but it was tough to move right. I just felt like I'm gonna tear it or something pretty bad."

Mirza won her first Grand Slam in mixed doubles at the Australian Open in 2009 and also bagged the women's doubles in 2016.

Mirza always believed there was tennis left in her which inspired her comeback, she told Reuters on Sunday.

She had already pulled out of the Australian Open mixed doubles, where she was to partner compatriot Rohan Bopanna.

Mirza and Kichenok were trailing the Chinese pair of Xinyun Han and Lin Zhu 6-2 1-0 on Thursday when the Indian had to call it quits due to the injury.

"As a tennis player you want to compete, it is the Grand Slam. If it's any other tournament, you would probably take a call and be like 'I don't want to risk it'," she said.

Mirza, who is married to former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik, said she would take two weeks to recover and was hoping to play at next month's Dubai championships.

"When you play a professional sport, injuries are really part of it. And it's something that you have to accept," she said. "Sometimes the timing is really not ideal, it's tough that it happened in a Grand Slam, or just before a Grand Slam."

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News Network
May 5,2020

May 5: Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar says he is interested in becoming India's bowling coach if there is an offer, asserting that he is capable of grooming "more aggressive, fast and talkative" pacers.

Akhtar expressed his willingness in an interview on social networking app 'Helo'.

Asked if he would like to be associated with the Indian bowling unit in future, he responded in the positive. India's current bowling is Bharat Arun.

"I will definitely. My job is to spread knowledge. What I have learned is knowledge and I will spread it," Akhtar said.

One of the fastest bowlers to have played the game, he added, "I will produce more aggressive, fast and more talkative bowlers than the current ones who will tell-off the batsmen in a way that you will enjoy a lot."

He said he has always wanted to share his knowledge among budding cricketers and that he is looking to produce more aggressive bowlers.

He also added that he would like to "coach" IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, for whom he has played in the cash-rich T20 league's inaugural edition.

The former pacer also spoke about his early interactions with Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar in the 1998 series.

"I had seen him but didn't know how big a name he was in India. In Chennai, I got to know that he was known as a god in India.

"Mind you, he is a very good friend of mine. In 1998, when I bowled as fast as I could, Indian public celebrated with me. I have a big fan following in India," Akhtar said.

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