Dale Steyn takes four as South Africa seize control of 1st Test against Sri Lanka

Agencies
February 15, 2019

Feb 15: Fast bowler Dale Steyn took four wickets as South Africa seized control of the first Test against Sri Lanka on day two and went to the close on 126 for four, an overall second innings lead of 170 runs at Kingsmead.

South Africa had earlier bowled the tourists out for 191 in their first innings, with the experienced Steyn leading the charge on a slow but seaming wicket.

Captain Faf du Plessis (25 not out) and Quinton de Kock (15 not out) will seek to push the home side past the 250-run lead on the third day, a daunting target against a visiting side that have not passed 300 in any of their last 12 Test innings.

But debutant left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya (2-36) ensured South Africa stuttered in their second innings as he collected the wickets of Temba Bavuma (3) and Dean Elgar (35).

Aiden Markram had the home side off to a positive start with a brisk 28 before he edged seamer Kasun Rajitha to second slip, while Hashim Amla was snatched in the gully off Vishwa Fernando.

South Africa have a long tail with all-rounder Vernon Philander batting at number seven and quick wickets in the morning could bring Sri Lanka back into the contest.

"We want that lead to get up a little bit more tomorrow," Steyn told reporters. "If we bowl anything like we did in the first innings we should be OK. But we do need more runs.

"If you bowl short and aggressive lengths, there is was always a chance of a wicket," he added.

Whatever target they are set, the visitors will have to show more application with bat in hand against a home attack that is expert in their own conditions.

The tourists resumed their first innings on 49 for one on the second morning, but were soon in trouble as Steyn (4-48) struck the opening blow when he trapped Oshada Fernando (19) leg before wicket.

The wily seam of Philander (2-32) then removed Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne (30) with the same mode of dismissal.

Top-scorer Kusal Perera (51) and Dhananjaya de Silva (23) added 43 for the sixth wicket with some attacking stroke-play, but their promising partnership ended on the stroke of lunch when the latter was caught by Duanne Olivier in the deep off Kagiso Rabada.

The procession of wickets continued in the afternoon, with Embuldeniya (23) providing some dogged resistance before he was the last man out, caught by Steyn at mid-off to give Kagiso Rabada a second scalp.

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News Network
May 1,2020

Melbourne, May 1: Reclaiming the top spot in Test cricket has brought smiles back on their faces but Australia coach Justin Langer says beating India in their own den remains the ultimate test and their numero uno status will be put to test when they clash with the Virat Kohli-led team.

After a tumultuous transition phase post the ball-tampering scandal, Australia on Friday displaced India as number one side in Test format but Langer is aware that it does not take long for the situation to change.

"We recognise how fluid these rankings are, but at this time it was certainly nice to put a smile on our faces," Langer told Cricket Australia website. "We've got lots of work to do to get to be the team that we want to be, but hopefully over the last couple of years not only have we performed well on the field, but also off the field," Langer added.

The former left-handed opener underlined what he felt will be the ultimate test of character.

"Certainly a goal for us has been the World Test Championship ... but ultimately, we have to beat India in India and we've got to beat them when they come back (to Australia).

"You can only judge yourself as being the best if you beat the best and we've got some really tough opposition to come," Langer put his priorities in place. The team he insists needs to get better as now others will come gunning for them.

"Getting to No.1 is a great thing, but when you're No.1, you're always the hunted," Langer said. "We've been the hunters for a while, now we're the hunted and we need to get better and better."

Langer also hoped that white ball team under Aaron Finch will win the World Cup. "I know how hard it is to win World Cups ... everything has to go right. One day, I'd love to see Aaron Finch with all his mates lift that T20 World Cup above his head."

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Agencies
August 5,2020

New Delhi, Aug 5: Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Harmanpreet Kaur were on Wednesday appointed as the global brand ambassadors of the WTF Sports.

Raina is also joining the brand as a Strategic Partner. WTF Sports, a fantasy sports gaming platform, was today formally launched in India and globally.

The announcement was made through a web conference with prominent cricket host, Vikram Sathaye moderating and hosting the webinar and Vinit Bhatia, Manit Parikh and Yash Kadakia Co-Founders - India and Global, WTF Sports introducing the cricketers as the Global Brand Ambassadors.

Kaur said it was a perfect fit for her and she can use her strategy and experience while playing.
"WTF Sports was the perfect fit with me, I can use strategy and my experience while playing, I've actually learnt to strategize better as I've played along. Additionally, when we were under lockdown and I couldn't really practice, it was fun to come on the platform and feel like I'm still playing," Kaur said in a statement.

On the other hand, Raina said, "It is exciting to be a part of a fantasy sports platform like WTF Sports not just as an ambassador but also as the strategic partner, it is everything that I embody and what I believe in, it's fierce, fun and competitive."

The app currently hosts three major sports, multiple playing modes, and exciting contests, ensuring that sports fans can get more skillful by letting them strategize and use their sports knowledge into rewarding behaviour.

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Agencies
April 14,2020

Tokyo, Apr 14: Tokyo organizers said Tuesday they have no B Plan in the event the Olympics need to be postponed again because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Masa Takaya, the spokesman for the Tokyo Olympics, said organizers are proceeding under the assumption the Olympics will open on July 23, 2021. The Paralympics follow on Aug. 24.

Those dates were set last month by the International Olympic Committee and Japanese officials after the coronavirus pandemic made it clear the Olympics could not be held as scheduled this summer.

We are working toward the new goal, Takaya said, speaking in English on a teleconference call with journalists.

We don't have a B Plan. The severity of the pandemic and the death toll has raised questions if it will even be feasible to hold the Olympics in just over 15 months. Several Japanese journalists raised the question on the call.

All I can tell you today is that the new games' dates for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been just set up, Takaya said.

In that respect, Tokyo 2020 and all concerned parties now are doing their very best effort to deliver the games next year." IOC President Thomas Bach was asked about the possibility of a postponement in an interview published in the German newspaper Die Welt on Sunday.

He did not answer the question directly, but said later that Japanese organizers and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe indicated they could not manage a postponement beyond next summer at the lastest.

The Olympics draw 11,000 athletes and 4,400 Paralympic athletes and large support staffs from 206 national Olympic committees.

There are also questions about frozen travel, rebooking hotels, cramming fans into stadiums and arenas, securing venues, and the massive costs of rescheduling, which is estimated in Japan at 2 billion- 6 billion.

Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto addressed the issue in a news conference on Friday. He is likely to be asked about it again on Thursday when local organizers and the IOC hold a teleconferene with media in Japan.

The other major question is the cost of the delay; how much will it be, and who pays? Bach said in the Sunday interview that the IOC would incur several hundred million dollars in added costs. Under the so-called Host City Agreement, Japan is liable for the vast majority of the expenses.

This is impossible to say for now, Takaya, the spokesman said.

It is not very easy to estimate the exact amount of the games' additional costs, which have been impacted by the postponement."

Tokyo says it's spending 12.6 billion to organize the Olympics. But a Japanese government audit published last year says the costs are twice that much. Of the total spending, 5.6 billion in private money. The rest is from Japanese governments.

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