Sachin arrives for final Ranji tie
Rohtak: Players of both Mumbai and Haryana teams have arrived here for Sunday’s Ranji Trophy match, which is attracting a lot of attention as it will be champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s final game for his state side in the country’s premier domestic tournament. “Both teams have arrived today,” a Haryana Cricket Association (HCA) official said. The teams will have their first practice session on Saturday morning The match will start on Sunday and conclude on October 30, provided the match lasts full four days. The match at the Chaudhury Bansi lal Stadium will be Tendulkar’s last in Ranji, before he hangs up his boots altogether in international cricket. The otherwise sleepy town village has been sent into a state of frenzy ever since it was announced that Tendulkar would be playing here to warm up for the two-Test series against the West Indies. Excited at the prospect of watching Tendulkar bat from close quarters, there has been a mad scramble for tickets among locals here who have rarely witnessed top-flight domestic cricket. Enthusiastic fans carrying Tendulkar’s poster outside the Chaudhary Bansi lal stadium in lahli village, around 10 km from Rohtak, jumped and ran in delight after they learnt of the veteran’s participation in the match. According to curator Jasmer Singh, the pitch will have something for both batsmen and bowlers.
special rates for srt’s stand
Mumbai: The Mumbai Cricket Association is to offer special tickets for Rs 10,000 each to the public to witness Sachin Tendulkar take his bow from the game when he plays for India in his landmark 200th Test against the West Indies here. “There are around 1,500 seats available to the public at Rs 10,000 each for watching the match (November 14-18) from the upper tier of the Sachin Tendulkar stand. We would be providing the ticket holders tea and snacks,” an official of MCA told said on Friday. The rates of tickets in other stands have been kept between Rs 500 and Rs 2,500, the official added. MCA has already decided to print the tickets with Tendulkar’s photo on both the sides as a collector’s item.
gambhir lauds tendulkar
Kolkata: lauding champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s contribution, opener Gautam Gambhir on Friday said the Mumbaikar’s career has encouraged generations of Indians to love the game. “Sachin’s contribution to Indian cricket cannot be expressed in words. He has inspired us and he will be inspiring next generations too,” said Gambhir on the sidelines of a programme here. When asked to share special moments that he shared with Sachin on and off the field, Gambhir said, “There are many such memories and it is really hard to pick up one.”
Melbourne for icc Conference
Dubai: The ICC Annual Conference 2014 — world cricket’s biggest annual gathering — will take place in Australia for the first time in its history after Melbourne was awarded the right to host the event. The conference will take place in June and will comprise a week of meetings and activities that will be attended by senior decision-makers from over 50 cricket-playing countries. “We are delighted to be taking our annual meetings to Australia for the first time,” commented ICC President Alan Isaac. “As we build towards the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, this will give our Members a wonderful opportunity to gain a better appreciation of the city that will host several prominent matches and check in on the preparations for our flagship event,” he said.
Gary Player to lead awards jury
New Delhi: South African legend Gary Player will lead the jury which will pick the winners of the inaugural Indian Golf Awards to be held next month. The nine-time Major winner, who also had 24 PGA Tour triumphs in a stellar career, said he has been impressed with the idea of the awards. “It’s important in any industry to recognise leaders, and the India Golf Awards will do just that,” said Player. “The recipients of these awards will have shown that they see the huge potential of golf in India, but their efforts need promotion and a media platform to inspire others. This annual event will help golf gain important momentum to establish itself as a prominent sport in India,” he added.
Rain forces draw in Dhaka
Dhaka: The second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand ended in a draw on Friday after rain washed out the fifth and final day’s play at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. The result ensured the two teams shared the spoils in the series after the first Test in Chittagong also ended in a draw. Match officials called off play at 2:08 pm local time (0808 GMT) after overnight showers and continuous drizzle made the ground unplayable. Bangladesh were 269-3 overnight in the second innings, leading New Zealand by 114 runs. left-handed middle-order batsman Mominul Haque remained unbeaten on 126 alongside former captain Shakib Al Hasan on 32 not out.
vani ka[oor wins her maiden title
Gurgaon: Delhi golfer Vani Kapoor on Friday tasted her first success on the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour 2013 as she walked away with the winners cheque after the final round of the 12th leg. The Rs 2,50,000 event culminated at the Golden Greens Golf & Resort in Gurgaon. After several good performances and runner’s up finishes, Vani finally managed her maiden win, carding a total of 209 (72, 69, 68) after 54 holes. With this win, she has moved up one position to the second place in the Hero Order of Merit 2013 with total earnings of Rs 8,81,900 from 12 appearances and one win.