Showing posts with label Sports News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports News. Show all posts
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muhammad asif  win the quater final match and qualify the semi final ........
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Australia fast bowler James Pattinson will miss the rest of the Ashes series against England after suffering a stress fracture of the lower back.
The 23-year-old complained of soreness in his hip and back at the end of the second Test at Lord's.
Cricket Australia confirmed Pattinson would miss the rest of the tour after a scan revealed the extent of the injury.
"Unfortunately he will not take any further part in this Test series," said Australia team doctor Peter Brukner.
"Scans have identified an early stage low back stress fracture.
"He will commence a rehabilitation programme with the aim to have him back for the Australian summer."
The tourists say they have no immediate plans to call up a replacement for Pattinson, which could mean a recall for Mitchell Starc.
Starc was left out of the side which was thrashed by 347 runs by England at Lord's on Sunday.
James Faulkner and Jackson Bird are also available as back-up to frontline seamers Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris.
Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Chadd Sayers are among those who could potentially be called up from the Australia A squad currently playing in South Africa.
Cricket Australia general manager Pat Howard said: "While we are obviously disappointed for James, the selectors have five bowlers fit and ready to perform in England, providing them with many options.
"It is also important to note that several players have been performing for Australia A and are available to be called up at any stage if the national selection panel [requires] them."

Pattinson took seven wickets in the two Tests at a cost of 307 runs, and almost helped Australia pull off an unlikely Trent Bridge victory with a gritty 25 not out in a thrilling climax to the first Test.




After the blood letting and recriminations in the wake of Lance Armstrong's doping confession, cycling continues to face questions over whether the sport is riding clean.
The fall out from Armstrong's public confession sent shock waves through the sport and current Tour de France leader Chris Froome has voiced his frustration at continued questions about doping.
So much so that Team Sky gave French newspaper L'Equipe data of 18 of Froome's climbs since he made his major breakthrough in 2011, leaving the French newspaper's sports science expert, Fred Grappe, satisfied the results were consistent with doping-free riding.
Froome's teammate and reigning Tour de France champion, four-time Olympic gold medalist and Knight of the British realm Bradley Wiggins insists the sport is on the path to a bright future.
Transparency
The 33-year-old's place in cycling's elite circle was cemented by his success in the sport's showcase event 12 months ago, the first time a Briton has claimed the coveted crown.
And though injury has robbed him of the chance to defend his title in 2013, Wiggins thinks the sport is in rude health now the furore surrounding its shamed American star has begun to subside.
"The thing with the whole Lance story is his confession wasn't the tip of the iceberg where now all these other problems of the sport have now arisen," Wiggins told CNN's Changing Gears series, speaking ahead of the Tour de France.
"His problem was the final chapter of how the sport was 10, 15 years ago. That can now be put to bed and we can focus now on what's great about the sport now and the athletes we have.
"I think that's a great starting point for the future of the sport."
Read: Doping past haunts Tour
Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after admitting to persistent use of banned substances during his halcyon days at the sport's lofty peak.
Wiggins denies the supremacy of Team Sky in last year's race -- that hinted they could dominate for years to come -- could propel other teams and riders towards the illicit substances that robbed Armstrong of his legacy.
"I don't think they're thinking that," he said. "I think we're the role model, the template of how things are being done now. There's no secret of how we're doing it. We're very transparent, very clear.
"There's been a lot of riders at this team that have left for other teams that know how it works here, so slowly that will get around and I don't think people (will) revert back to that.
"I think the sport is in such a strong position with the anti-doping, the biological passports, that it's becoming harder and harder for people to go back to the old ways.
"I think one of the things that stood out for me, with the whole Lance Armstrong thing, was that he even said 10, 15 years ago there was no out of competition testing.
"It's a daily thing with the whereabouts system, giving your whereabouts seven days of the week. It's a completely different sport now and I think we're leading the way as a sport for other sports to follow.
"No matter what you're doing, you'll always get people that are cynical and are doubters.

"But by continuing to do what we're doing by answering these questions and putting ourselves out there to be shot at in time, it might take 15 years, I think we will gain credibility."



LONDON: Ian Bell's third hundred in successive Ashes matches saw England fight back against Australia in the second Test at Lord's on Thursday.
Ashes-holders England were 289 for seven at stumps on the first day, having been in dire straits at 28 for three when Bell came in.
Yet just when it seemed England had regained control, part-time leg-spinner Steven Smith took three wickets for 18 runs in six overs late in the day.
Tim Bresnan was seven not out and nightwatchman James Anderson four not out at the close.
Bell's 109 was the same score as he made in the second innings of England's 14-run first Test win at Trent Bridge last week, with both these centuries following his 115 in the final match of the 2010/11 Ashes in Sydney.
The 31-year-old was the fourth Englishman to score centuries in three consecutive Ashes Tests after Jack Hobbs, who did it twice, in 1911/12 and 1924/25, Walter Hammond in 1928/29 and Chris Broad, whose son Stuart was in England's side Thursday, in 1986/87.
Bell, together with Warwickshire colleague Jonathan Trott (58) and Jonny Bairstow (67), shared partnerships of 99 and 144.
Yet England's grip was loosened when Smith dismissed Bell, Bairstow and Matt Prior.
After tea, Bell edged a leg-break to Clarke at slip to end a more than five hour innings including 16 fours.
Then 271 for five became 274 for six when Bairstow, still to score a Test century, carelessly chipped a Smith full toss straight back to the bowler.

Smith's purple patch of three wickets for 12 runs in 22 balls continued when Prior was caught behind by Haddin. (AFP)


Hosts Sweden had two second-half penalties saved as they drew 1-1 with Denmark in their Euro 2013 opener.
Mariann Knudsen found the bottom corner to open the scoring for Denmark before Nilla Fischer headed in an equaliser.
In the second half, both sides had chances to take the lead, but Julie Rydahl Bukh could not finish and Lotta Schelin's spot-kick was saved.
Then, with six minutes left, Kosovare Asllani was also thwarted from 12 yards by Denmark goalkeeper Stina Petersen.

Group A - Women's Euros 2013

Pld
GD
Pts
Denmark
1
0
1
Sweden
1
0
1
Finland
1
0
1
Italy
1
0
1
Earlier, Italy and Finland played out a goalless Group A draw.
The Italians created the majority of the chances in a poor game, with Melania Gabbiadini and Alessia Tuttino going closest to breaking the deadlock.
Sweden and Denmark, however, offered far more quality in an entertaining game played in front of a close-to-capacity crowd of 16,128 at the lively and sun-bathed Gamla Ullevi stadium in Gothenburg.
Pia Sundhage's Swedish team, who are ranked fifth in the world and third favourites for the tournament, were the more direct of the two teams but having created the majority of the chances they will be disappointed with only one point.
They were superbly marshalled in midfield by Caroline Seger but Schelin, who has been billed a star of the tournament, was largely quiet before and after her penalty miss.
The hosts had plenty of other options in attack, though, and they could have been two goals to the good within three minutes as the otherwise impressive Asllani and Seger were off-target after good work from Josefine Oqvist.
Although Kenneth Heiner-Moller's Danish side were less of a threat in attack than their opponents, they went ahead when Knudsen waltzed around the Swedish defence after 25 minutes to strike a fine effort from 16 yards.

Finland hold Italy to Euro draw
It silenced the partisan crowd but it seemed to galvanise the Swedish team, who levelled through Fischer 10 minutes later from a floated free-kick.
The hosts continued to push for another goal in the second half, leaving the Danes an opportunity to break on the counter attack, and in a scintillating passage of play after 65 minutes, both teams should have gone ahead.
Substitute Bukh was one-on-one with with Swedish goalkeeper Kristin Hammarstrom, but her attempted chip was expertly saved.
Within a minute Sweden attacked and Asllani was brought down in the penalty area by Christina Orntoft.
But Schelin's spot-kick was saved by Petersen's fine save diving low to her left.

Sweden's leading scorer then chose not to take the second penalty when Theresa Nielsen was penalised for handball, but Asllani suffered the same fate as her effort towards the Petersen's top right corner was beaten out.


Britain's Chris Froome extended his Tour de France lead with a stunning performance in the individual time trial on stage 11 to Mont St Michel.
Froome was second, 12 seconds behind German Tony Martin in the 33km stage.
The Team Sky rider gained two minutes on his nearest rival Alejandro Valverde and leads the Spaniard by three minutes 25 secs in the general classification.
Mark Cavendish had urine thrown at him during the stage, though it is unclear whether he was deliberately targeted.
The incident happened a day after the Manxman collided with Tom Veelers in the sprint that decided stage 10.

Analysis

"I don't think even Team Sky would have anticipated that Chris Froome would put so much time into everybody today.
"I thought he might have taken a minute-and-a-half out of Alejandro Valverde but he took more than that, and out of Contador as well.
"There were no other genuine general classification contenders in the top 10 today, which shows what a difference Froome's all-round ability is making - winning the Tour is not just about climbing, he can time trial as well.
"Missing out on the stage win won't bother Chris, but I think what made a difference there was that the run-in was into a strong headwind that had picked up since Tony Martin was out on the course much earlier in the day.
"The incident with urine being thrown at Mark Cavendish was pretty disgusting. Fortunately that sort of thing is quite rare in cycling, when you consider the number of people on the roadside. It is an open event on open roads and incidents with spectators do happen, but that kind of thing was a first for me.
"I think Cavendish took it badly, and the criticism when he has missed out on stage wins has probably been heavier than it has needed to be. Being booed as well means things have been very difficult for him but he has a strong enough personality to deal with it and bounce back."
Cavendish was one of the first riders to leave Avranches on Wednesday, with world time trial champion Tony Martin also an early starter.
Martin held the best time at the two time-check points all day until Froome, who as race leader was the last man out, rolled off the ramp.
Froome was one second ahead at the 9.5km mark and two seconds ahead at the 22.5km point, but faded as he rode into a headwind in the final 11km and could not beat Martin's time of 36 minutes and 29 seconds. Belgian Thomas De Gendt finished third.
"I had a terrible last 30 minutes," said Martin, who grimaced as he watched Froome's progress on a TV near the finish line at the picturesque island on the Normandy coast.
"At the start I was quite sure I would hold on because I had a good lead on Thomas De Gendt. I didn't expect Froome to come so close and I am really happy he lost some seconds in the final section."
The stage win would have been merely a bonus for Froome, however, because his main objective was to gain time on the riders closest to him in the general classification, where Martin is not a threat.
This relatively short stage was expected to limit his rivals' losses but instead he took more than two minutes out of Valverde, fellow Spaniard Alberto Contador and Dutch rider Bauke Mollema.
"I'm really happy with the result and having extended my advantage on my GC rivals," Froome said afterwards. "The objective today was to try and take the maximum time possible from them.
"It gives me a good buffer going into the next few days but I think I am going to need every second I can get, with the way these guys are riding."
Contador, who is now three minutes and 54 seconds behind Froome, refused to admit defeat.
"No-one has won the Tour de France yet and no-one has lost it, We have to get to Paris yet,'' he said.
"It's true that Chris is in impressive form and is a great climber, but there are still many stages left.''
Froome will not face any challenges to the yellow jersey over the next two flat stages, which offer Cavendish an opportunity to return to winning ways on what has been a turbulent Tour for the Manxman.
So far this year, Cavendish has only one victory - which came in stage five - and he will face stern competition for more from fellow sprinters Andre Greipel and Marcel Kittel.
Results of stage 11:
1. Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step 36:29"
2. Chris Froome (GB) Team Sky +12"
3. Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Vacansoleil +1:01"
4. Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky +1:21"
5. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step +1:31"
Selected others:
11. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Belkin +2:05"
13. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar +2:12"
15. Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo-Tinkoff +2:15"
16. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Saxo-Tinkoff +2:18"
Overall standings after stage 11:
1. Chris Froome (GB) Team Sky 42:29:24"
2. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar +3:25"
3. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Belkin +3:37"
4. Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo-Tinkoff +3:54"
5. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Saxo-Tinkoff +3:57"
Selected others:
8. Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar +5'18"
11. Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Katusha +5'48"
13. Daniel Martin (Ire) Garmin +5'52"
14. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC +6'54"
31 Richie Porte (GB) Team Sky +21'19"
42. Nicolas Roche (Ire) Saxo-Tinkoff +34'13"
83. Peter Kennaugh (GB) Team Sky +1h00'39"
98. David Millar (GB) Garmin +1h12'50"
149. Mark Cavendish (GB) Omega Pharma-Quickstep +1h44'09"
165. Ian Stannard (GB) Team Sky +1h51'42"

172. Geraint Thomas (GB) Team Sky +1h56'34"


England fought back brilliantly with the ball after disappointing with the bat on an astonishing opening day of the Ashes series at Trent Bridge.
In a riotous final session, the hosts lost their last four wickets for two runs in crumbling to 215 all out before tearing through Australia's top order with the new ball to reduce them to 75-4.
Peter Siddle was Australia's outstanding performer on an overcast day which offered plenty of assistance to swing bowlers, removing five of England's top seven to finish with figures of 5-50.
But Steven Finn dismissed Shane Watson and Ed Cowan in successive balls and James Anderson took two wickets of his own to leave the match beautifully poised, with Steve Smith on 38 not out.

Australian five-wicket hauls on the opening day of an Ashes series since World War II

If England can dismantle the remainder of the Australian batting order on Thursday, they could yet escape with the first innings lead they were targeting when captain Alastair Cook won the toss and chose to bat on a dry pitch hardened by several days of sunshine.
It was a decision that appeared justified as the hosts found the boundary 19 times in the first session and advanced to a promising 178-4 in the afternoon.
But a combination of poor shot selection and fine swing bowling saw them lose their last six wickets for 37 runs to round off an innings that had lasted just 59 overs.
With Stuart Broad off the field receiving treatment to a shoulder injury he suffered while batting, Australia began their innings positively. Shane Watson struck successive fours off Finn as they took the total to 19 off as many balls.
But the Middlesex fast bowler gained his revenge with a double strike as first Watson, then Cowan were drawn into chasing balls outside off stump, sending thick edges through to a gleeful England slip cordon.
If Finn's intervention had altered the course of the match, Anderson was about to turn things full circle with the wicket of Michael Clarke for a six-ball duck.
The Australia captain, averaging 66 in his 24 previous Tests as skipper, was beaten by a ball that moved away at the last moment and kissed the top of his off stump.
Anderson's 308th Test wicket took him past Fred Trueman into third on England's all-time list, and his 309th followed soon afterwards as Chris Rogers was trapped lbw to a ball which replays revealed would have brushed the outside of leg stump.
It was a breathtaking finale to a day that began with fireworks and a fly-by from the Red Arrows to mark the renewal of hostilities in one of sport's oldest rivalries.
Australia sprung a huge surprise before the start of play by handing 19-year-old spinner Ashton Agar his Test debut at the expense of Nathan Lyon.
The tall left-armer, of Sri Lankan background, had only played 10 previous first-class matches and was lining up in the Home Counties Premier League for Henley earlier this season.
James Pattinson, one of five Australians playing in their first Ashes Test, was given the responsibility of delivering the first ball of the series. But as a hush descended over the 17,000 fans inside a sold-out Trent Bridge, the 23-year-old sent down a high and wayward bouncer that was rightly called a wide.

At 19 years 269 days Agar is the 13th youngest player to play for Australia and the third teenager since Doug Walters in 1965. (Craig McDermott and Pat Cummins are the other two). He is the 17th player to bowl spin for Australia in the 68 Tests since Shane Warne retired. The most successful is Nathan Lyon - the man Agar ousted from the line-up - with 76 wickets at 33.18.
Left-armer Mitchell Starc delivered a similarly inauspicious first over, but once their nerves settled Australia's new ball pair found plenty of swing and beat the bat with regularity.
Pattinson claimed the wicket of the England captain in the ninth over as Cook aimed a forceful shot at a ball outside off stump and got a healthy nick through to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
Jonathan Trott quickly wrested the initiative back England's way, striking consecutive boundaries in Siddle's first over and cracking Agar's first delivery - a full toss - to the cover fence.
Joe Root had appeared equally assured in a partnership of 51 before he was clean bowled by a superb away-swinging yorker from Siddle.
Kevin Pietersen and Trott followed soon after lunch, the former edging an expansive shot to second slip for 14 and the latter deflecting an equally reckless drive on to his stumps.
Ian Bell and Jonny Bairstow revived England with a counter-attacking partnership of 54, but the wicket of Bell - caught at first slip off another fine delivery from Siddle - proved pivotal as England's lower order folded miserably.
Matt Prior lazily slapped Siddle to point for one and Broad top-edged a pull shot to gift Pattinson the simplest of caught and bowled dismissals.
Bairstow was bowled after playing around a full ball from Starc, with Finn caught behind off the following delivery.

Anderson survived Starc's hat-trick ball but in the following over Graeme Swann prodded tamely to cover to complete the rout.

The semi-final between Sabine Lisicki of Germany and Agnieszka Radwanska was one of the best women's matches seen on Centre Court in recent years. The conqueror of Serena Williams defeated the Pole 6-4, 2-6, 9-7 in a match of thrilling contrast.

Lisicki, who came back from 3-0 down in the final set, is the first German to make the Wimbledon final since seven-time champion Steffi Graf in 1999. She is also adventurous, strong and aggressive, and the match-up on Centre Court with the defensively brilliant Radwanska produced an enthralling contest. In contrast, and under a dimmed media spotlight, Marion Bartoli of France thrashed Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-1, 6-2 to reach her second Wimbledon final, six years after losing out to Venus Williams.
Lisicki, exalted by her victory over Williams and inspired by a text from Graf, has become the focal point in the women's tournament and her display against Radwanska yesterday was convincing in displaying her vigour, both physical and mental. But Bartoli is a singular character who will cause her problems tomorrow.
The 28-year-old Frenchwoman jogs on the spot between points, turns her back before receiving serve and pumps her fists so much she should have a forearm like Popeye. Her style and shape are unusual at the top level of the game. Squat, almost hefty, she has a two-handed style that produces shots of unexpected power. Crucially, she has the will to overcome the odds. The world No.15 was booed when she agitated against further play in her match against Sloane Stephens, fearing that the rain was making the court dangerous. She shrugged off the crowd's disfavour to confound Stephens, particularly with the accuracy of her returns.
Her victory against Flipkens was straightforward. The Belgian, with an injured leg, was unable to match her opponent in rallies or deal with an excellent serve.
Bartoli, unconventional on court, has a pre-match ritual that is beyond the capacity of most tennis players. When the adrenaline of a big match kicks in, most players indulge in a series of rituals, comforted by routine. Bartoli takes a nap. She described her routine thus: "I felt I was just maybe a bit tired and I needed a quick nap just to recover from my early-morning practice and everything I had to do to be ready to go on court. So it was just a quick nap of 15, 20 minutes, and go on court. But so far it's working extremely well, so I don't see why I should change that."
She guards against oversleeping by asking a physio to wake her 20 minutes before going on the court. "That's just the way I am," she said.
Bartoli would not rule out doing the same tomorrow, six years after her defeat by Venus Williams in her only other grand slam final. "The last time I was so young," she said. "I was every time the underdog coming out on court. This time I'm the highest-ranked player and I needed to put out a great performance to go through. I've been able to deal with the pressure really well, and keep improving throughout the championships, keep playing better. Today I think I played a great match."
She reflected on that loss in 2007 by pointing out that she had a short break between beating top seed Justine Henin in the semi-final before playing Williams within 24 hours. "It was hard physically to recover, where today I felt I played a fairly quick match and I have a day off, so I will be totally fresh to go into the final," she said.
She believes she is a different player now, adding: "I'm serving better. I'm doing everything just better. I'm able to hit the ball harder. I'm moving faster. I do just everything a bit better than I was doing six years ago."
Lisicki, too, has realised the promise she made in reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon two years ago as a wildcard, when she lost to Maria Sharapova. She has overcome a serious ankle injury to make her way back to the top of the game and was inspired yesterday by Graf's message. "She wished me luck," said Lisicki. "She told me to go for it. I was just fighting for every single point. I fought my heart out."
She said her return from the ankle injury had been made easier because she has "a passion" for the game. This has been highly visible at Wimbledon 2013, but it does not overshadow that of Bartoli.

Sharapova, Serena Williams and other leading lights have gone but tomorrow has the capacity to provide a final of incident and intrigue.
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Britain's Andy Murray and Laura Robson will both take to Centre Court on Friday after rain affected the schedule at Wimbledon.
Robson will play Colombia's Mariana Duque-Marino in their second-round match at 13:00 BST, with the weather preventing them from appearing on Court Two on Thursday.
Murray will hope to take another step through an increasingly open draw when he plays Tommy Robredo in the third round at approximately 17:00, after 15th seed Nicolas Almagro takes on 24th seed Jerzy Janowicz.
Play media
Playing on Centre Court could prove advantageous, with the weather forecast suggesting the roof might be required at some stage in the day.
Robson, 19, upset 10th seed Maria Kirilenko in the first round, opening up a potential path into the second week of the tournament.
Duque-Marino, 23, is happiest on clay courts but battled through three rounds of qualifying and beat world number 36 Julia Goerges in the main draw on Tuesday.
"She's tough for sure, she's pretty consistent," said Robson. "I think she's got quite a nasty little slice, so it's going to be a tough match."
Second seed Murray, 26, will hope to avoid the fate of Rafael Nadal,Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, all of whom have made early exits.
Almagro is the highest seed remaining in Murray's half of the draw at 15, but the Scot refuses to look beyond his next match and a place in the last 16.
He faces an experienced campaigner in the 31-year-old Robredo, who has fought his way back up to 29 in the world rankings after slipping as low as 471 last year when he missed five months with a leg injury.
"At his age, it's obviously a good effort to come back from a tough injury, but he's a top player," said Murray.
"He had a good win [in round two] against Nicolas Mahut, who has been playing well on the grass. He's very, very experienced. He's extremely fit. He won three matches in a row at the French Open from two sets to love down. He fights right until the last point.
"When he's not injured, he's been in the top 20 in the world for a number of years. He knows how to win tennis matches, so it's a tough match for me."
This time last year, Robredo was ranked 266  and he has since won the 10th ATP title of his career in Casablanca. He was one of the stories of the French Open when he became only the second man ever to come back from 0-2 down in three consecutive Grand Slam matches.
He has also won two of his four previous matches against Murray, although they were their first two meetings in 2006 and 2007.
"I have nothing to lose," said the Spaniard. "I'm enjoying myself. I'm playing great tennis. It's lovely to be in a Grand Slam playing one of the best players on tour.
"Also he's British, so he's going to have the crowd, we're going to have Centre Court. It will be lovely to be on Centre Court here again."
He added: "If I have no chance, I don't go into the court, I go home. This way I have one more day of holiday.
"So I'm going to go for it; I'm going to go into the court and try my best. If I have a chance, I will try to get it. If not, then I'll congratulate him, best of luck to him, see you next time."