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England’s group opener may prove pivotal today

November 30, 2012

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Dubai, November 30: England’s opening game against South Africa at 11.20am today will be an early barometer of the Red Roses’ contention for an Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens hat-trick this weekend. Having won here in Dubai for the last two seasons, Ben Ryan’s squad now face tough early tests in Pool C against the Springboks, Samoa and Portugal. After a bowl final loss to Spain in round one of the nine leg HSBC Sevens World Series at Australia’s Gold Coast Sevens last month, England are now 10th in the overall series standings with all to play for in round two in Dubai.

South Africa meanwhile finished third in Australia, losing out to eventual winners Fiji in the semi-finals of the Cup.

Samoa, who England play at 3.28pm today, also topped their group in Australia beating England in the group phase 19-17.

Portugal, whom England lost to 14-12 during the group phase of 2010 Dubai Rugby Sevens, are also no pushovers. England will play them in their last game of the day at 5.44pm. The Portuguese are tied for 15th in the standings with Tonga on one point apiece. They finished bottom of their group at the Gold Coast and failed to score on their way to a Shield semi-final exit.

Fiji and New Zealand pose the biggest threat should England emerge from their group unscathed. Winning at Gold Coast, thanks to an all-star performance from Joji Ragamate who top scored with 59 points, the Fijians are now on course for a hat-trick of consecutive events. They ended last season with victory in London and maintained form heading into the new campaign this season with honours at the Gold Coast.

Playing Spain first up in Pool A from 9.50am Friday, the Fijians then play Scotland at 1.36pm and Kenya at 6.58pm, in what appears to be an easy route into the competition.

Kenya, managed by former England coach Mike Friday, however, could provide an upset having knocked out hosts Australia in the Gold Coast in the Cup quarters 21-14, only to lose to the Kiwis in the semis. While Fiji top the standings on 22 points, Kenya are fourth on 15 points and demand recognition in one of their strongest starts to a campaign.

Ten times series champions and the current series holders New Zealand are second on 19 points and face Wales at 10.36am, Russia at 2.22pm and Argentina at 7.22pm in Pool B.

An improving Argentine side, fifth in the tables on 13 points pose the Kiwis biggest hurdle, but the Welsh will be looking to salvage pride from a difficult opener.




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News Network
July 25,2020

New Delhi, Jul 25: Former India spinner Anil Kumble said that he has never understood why people compared him with Australia's Shane Warne.

Kumble was doing an Instagram live session with former Zimbabwe pacer Pommie Mbangwa and it was then that the spinner also talked about being the third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.

"It feels really wonderful to finish with these many wickets. I never bothered about statistics or what my average should be, I wanted to bowl the whole day and be the one to take wickets. To finish as the third-highest wicket-taker in Tests alongside Murali and Warne is very special. All three of us played in the same era, there were a lot of comparisons, I do not know why people compared me with Warne. Warne was someone really different and he was on a different plane," Kumble told Mbangwa during the interaction.
"These two guys could spin the ball on any surface so it became really difficult for me when they started comparing me with Warne and Murali. I learnt a lot by watching them both bowl," he added.

The Indian spinner announced his retirement from international cricket in 2008. He finished with 619 wickets in the longest format of the game.

He has the third-highest number of wickets in Tests, only behind Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Australia's Shane Warne (708).

Kumble is the second bowler in the history of international cricket after England's Jim Laker to take all ten wickets in an innings of a Test match.

He had achieved the feat against Pakistan in 1999 at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. Kumble had bowling figures of 10-74 from 26.3 overs in the second innings of the Test match.
Kumble will be coaching Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Hampshire, Jul 31: David Willey's maiden five-wicket haul guided England to a six-wicket victory over Ireland in the first ODI here on Friday.

With this win, the hosts have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

Chasing a small target of 173 runs, England got off to a bad start as opener Jonny Bairstow was given LBW in the third over, bowled by Andy McBrine. Jason Roy was then joined by James Vince and the duo added 22 runs on the board before the former was dismissed.

Craig Young then got hold of Vince, who was caught behind after scoring 25 runs. Sam Billings and Tom Banton then took the charge of the chase but the latter too was caught behind which ended his 11-run innings.

Banton's dismissal brought skipper Eoin Morgan on the field. Billings and Morgan played stunning innings and kept scoring boundaries. Morgan struck a scintillating six on the last bowl of the 28th over to take England over the line. Morgan scored 36 runs while Billings played a knock of 67 runs.

Earlier, after being asked to bat first, Ireland witnessed a poor start as Paul Stirling was dismissed in the very first over of the innings, bowled by Willey. Andy Balbirnie then joined Gareth Delany but Willey struck again in his next over, removing Balbirnie.

Delany then played furiously and smashed three consecutive boundaries to Saqib Mahmood in the fourth over. However, the fall of wickets did not stop as England took three wickets in quick succession. Mahmood bowled Harry Tector while Delany and Lorcan Tucker were sent back to the pavilion by Willey.

Kevin O'Brien and Curtis Campher then took the charge and played cautiously, taking their struggling side over the 50-run mark. Adil Rashid got hold of O'Brien (22) in the 22nd over before Simranjit Singh was run out in the same over.

Andy McBrine was the next batsman and he played brilliantly along with Campher, who went on to complete his half-century. Both formed a 66-run partnership before McBrine (40) was dismissed by Tom Curran.

Campher remained unbeaten on 59 but failed to find a partner as England bundled out Ireland on 172 runs.

The second ODI between both teams will be played on Saturday.

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News Network
March 29,2020

New Delhi, Mar 29: Former Indian batsman Wasim Jaffer on Sunday picked his all-time IPL team and appointed wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni as its captain.

Jaffer's team's feature opener Rohit Sharma, current Indian skipper Virat Kohli, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, spinner R Ashwin, and pacer Jasprit Bumrah as seven domestic players.
While the foreign players spot have been occupied by West Indies' swashbuckling batsman Chris Gayle, all-rounder Andre Russell, Afghanistan's spinner Rashid Khan, and Sri Lanka's veteran pacer Lasith Malinga.
Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been picked as 12th man by Jaffer.

Earlier this month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to postpone the IPL to April 15, 2020, as a precautionary measure against COVID-19 outbreak.
The board also assured that it will work in unison with the Sports Ministry and will adhere to the guidelines issued.

The 13th edition of IPL was scheduled to commence from March 29. 

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