Kieron Pollard powers Mumbai to first win

April 7, 2013

Pollard

Chennai, Apr 7: When three top line bowlers strike in their opening over, and two others in their second in this blink-and-you-miss format, one can safely assume that the combined effort, more often than not, will hand their team the winning advantage.

It certainly appeared so for two-time champion Chennai in their opening match at Chepauk on Saturday, until West Indian Kieron Pollardturned it around for Mumbai with abreathtaking 57 not out (38 balls; 4x4, 5x6) to lift his team to a fighting 148-6.

Batting-heavy Chennai struggled early on with their chase as they managed just 36 for the loss of two wickets in the Powerplay period of the first six overs, and were never quite in the hunt until MS Dhoniturned the contest on its head with a stunning 26-ball 51 (5x4, 3x6).

Chennai needed 12 from the final over by pacer Munaf Patel when off the first ball when Pollard got into the act again, pulling off a mind-boggling catch on the midwicket fence to dismiss Dhoni as Chennai lost by nine runs after finishing at 139-9.

Chennai must have felt the absence of South Africa allrounder Albie Morkel , but the new ball pair of Dirk Nannes and Ankit Rajpoot couldn't have got off to a better start on their debut for Chennai after sending back Sachin Tendulkar (0) and Ricky Ponting (6) in their for first and second overs respectively.

Dwayne Bravo then struck in successive overs to dismiss Rohit Sharma (8) and the in-formDinesh Karthik (37) to derail star-studded Mumbai, which had lost a cliffhanger to Bangalore on Thursday.

Australian pacer Ben Laughlin had Ambati Rayudu caught at third man to leave Mumbai struggling at 75-5, and it appeared to be curtains when India spinner Ashwin had Dwayne Smithcaught by Bravo in his first over.

Only, it is never quite over as long as Pollard is around, as the big-hitting West Indian smashed five sixes and four boundaries in his 38-ball knock and put on 65 off 48 balls for the unbroken seventh wicket with Harbhajan Singh.

India spinner Ravindra Jadeja let go off a difficult caught and bowled opportunity that Pollard offered on 18 and the effortless striker that Pollard is, hit Ashwin and Bravo for two sixes each and one off Jadeja as he helped Mumbai add 52 runs in the last five overs without losing a wicket.

Mumbai were without their pace ace Lasith Malinga, but pacers Mitch Johnson and Munaf Patel struck early blows before off-spinner Harbhajan Singh clean bowled Hussey for 20.

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha struck in quick succession to dismiss Bravo and Badrinath.

Kevon Cooper's brilliant last over helps Rajasthan clinch thriller

Kevon-CooperNew Delhi, Apr 7: Kevon Cooper is a largely unknown quantity. The Trinidad and Tobagoallrounder has done very little in this event apart from briefly shining for Rajasthan last year.

After a spectacular start in 2012, when he picked up seven wickets in his first two matches, Cooper fell off the radar when he was sidelined with a fractured right knee. On Saturday, he pulled a rabbit out of the hat by bowling a dream last over as Rajasthan secured an unlikely five-run win at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

Given the task of bowling the final over where Delhi needed just nine runs to win, Cooper dismissed Botha (2) with his third ball and with six to win off two balls, sent back his West Indies counterpart Andre Russell (7).

Delhi almost had the match in the bag with David Warner leading the stiff 166-run chase. Warner had the Kotla crowd swooning to his tune with his 56-ball 77 (1x6, 9x4) but his run out changed things as Delhi succumbed to their second defeat of the tournament.

The needless run out of Warner with just 13 runs to win came back to haunt Delhi.

It was a chanceless knock apart from a drop by Rahul Dravid at gully off Sreesanth when on two. Dravid was off the field for the rest of the innings after having landed awkwardly trying to take the catch. Warner opened up after his skipper Mahela Jayawardene's departure (19; 16b, 1x4) reaching his seventh fifty in the league off just 41 balls.

Earlier, Rajasthan skipper Rahul Dravid started off in the same vein as last year in his sixth season of the tournament. His methods might have been a bit crude and not quite out of the manual but results were effective nonetheless as his 51-ball 65 (2x6, 6x4) set the platform for animpressive 165/7 after Rajasthan elected to bat first.

On the day, all the calculated risks paid off as Dravid as he raced to his eighth fifty in the tournament off just 40 balls. It was his third-wicket partnership with Stuart Binny (40; 20b, 3x6, 2x4) which produced 55 runs in just 28 balls that gave Rajasthan a major push.

The target could have been for the home side, who had Umesh Yadav to thank for stopping the slide. The Nagpur paceman, returning from a back injury, looked much more impressive in his second match of the tournament, scalping 4/24 in his four overs.

Yadav mixed up his pace well, cranking it up to 147kph to keep the batsmen in check on a batting paradise. His twin strikes in the 19th over of the innings -- when he dismissed Dravid and Brad Hodge (5) off successive deliveries -- gave Delhi some relief. Ashish Nehra (2/35) complemented Yadav by bowling an excellent last over, picking up two wickets.

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News Network
February 29,2020

Feb 29: India were all out for 242 in their first innings following a stunning battling collapse, triggered by paceman Kyle Jamieson on the opening day of the second cricket Test against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval, here on Saturday.

India were steady at 194 for five at tea but lost wickets in quick succession after the play resumed. Jamieson returned figures of 14-3-45-5.

Hanuma Vihari top-scored for India with his combative 55 while Prithvi Shaw (54) and Cheteshwar Pujara (54) hit contrasting half-centuries.

Virat Kohli's (3) poor run continued while his deputy Ajikya Rahane (7) also fell cheaply.

India lost last five wickets for 48 runs, of which 26 were contributed by last-wicket pair of Mohammed Shami (16) and Jasprit Bumrah (10).

Brief Scores:

India 1st innings: 242 all out in 63 overs. (H Vihari 55, P Shaw 54, C Pujara 54 batting; Kyle Jamieson 5/45, Tim Southee 2/38, ).

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News Network
April 15,2020

New Delhi, Apr 15: Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri on Wednesday urged people to beat coronavirus by staying at home and by maintaining social distancing. He termed the virus 'mother of all World Cups' and asked people to combat this disease together and win the World Cup of humanity.

Taking to Twitter, Shastri shared a video post where he cited cricket examples to aware people about the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. "As I would know, sports teaches you life lessons that can be applied to just about anything you want to pursue in rest of your life.

Today the COVID-19 has put us in a situation where we got our backs to the wall. To combat this coronavirus is like chasing a World Cup where you give your everything in trying to win it. What's staring you at the face is no ordinary World Cup. This is the mother of all World Cups where not just eleven are playing but 1.4 billion are in the playing arena and competing. Guys we can win this. For that, we have to observe the basics. You have got your Prime Minister leading from the front ahead of the curve like other countries have farmed out," Shastri said.

"You have to obey the orders that come from the top: be it centre, state or the frontline workers who are risking their lives. Two orders that stand out: staying home and maintaining social distancing. It is not easy but to win the game you got to go through the pain to break the chain and see the gain. Come on, guys! let's do it together. Let us get out there in a bruit force of 1.4 billion and beat this corona and get your hands on the World Cup of humanity. Let's do it," he added.

With 1,076 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's tally of coronavirus cases has risen to 11,439, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.

Out of the total tally, 9,756 cases are active while 1,306 patients have been cured/discharged and migrated. With 38 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll rises to 377.

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News Network
May 9,2020

May 9: Filipina weightlifting star Hidilyn Diaz noticed live-streamed concerts were collecting money for coronavirus relief and was struck by inspiration: why not raise funds with an online workout?

Since then the Olympic silver-medallist -- and strong contender for her country's first Games gold -- has made enough money to buy food packs for hundreds of hard-hit families in the Philippines.

Diaz has done it all from Malaysia, where she was training to qualify for the now-postponed Tokyo Olympics when much of the world locked down against the virus in March.

"I thought (distribution) would be impossible because I'm not physically present," Diaz, 29, told news agency.

"It's a good thing that I have trusted friends and trusted family members who understand why we need to do a fundraising."

That circle of supporters has handed out the packages, which include vegetables, eggs and rice, to more than 400 families.

The food was bought with donations from about 50 people who joined sessions that lasted up to three hours, and gave them a rare chance to train with an elite athlete.

Diaz rose to fame in 2016 after snagging a surprise silver in the 53 kilogramme category in Rio, becoming the Philippines' first female Olympic medallist and ending the nation's 20-year medal drought at the Games.

Two years later, she won gold at the Asian Games in Indonesia.

However, her quest to qualify for Tokyo is on hold ahead of the Games' rescheduled opening in July 2021.

"I thought all the hard work would soon be over... then it was extended," she said. "But I'm still thankful I can still continue with (the training) I need to do."

Still, the lockdown broke her daily training regimen, keeping her away from weights for 14 days for the first time in her career.

"I felt like I was losing my mind already. I've been carrying the barbell for 18 years and all of a sudden it's gone. Those were the kinds of anxiety that I felt," she said.

But she got access to some equipment, and with her coach's urging, got back to work. She was relieved to find her strength was still there.

Instead of a Tokyo berth, the past months have been about a different kind of accomplishment for Diaz: helping her countrymen get through the coronavirus crisis.

Rosemelyn Francisco's family in Zamboanga City, Diaz's home town, is one of the first to get help from the athlete's initiative, and is deeply grateful.

Her family was not wealthy to begin with, and the pandemic has cost her husband his construction job.

"The food she donated has all everything we need, including eggs," said Francisco, 27.

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