Sri lanka 110-1, chasing 370 vs SA
Galle: Sri lanka left-hander Kumar Sangakkara led a steady charge Saturday toward a challenging 370-run target after South Africa declared on the fourth day of the first Test. The former captain was unbeaten on 58 with one six and seven fours as Sri lanka reached 110-1 at stumps on Saturday, needing another 260 runs on the last day with nine wickets still in hand. Sangakkara added 96 runs for the unbroken second wicket with Kaushal Silva 37 not out as Sri lanka suddenly found itself competing after being dominated till before the final session of play. South Africa, which gained a 163-run first innings lead earlier in the day, declared on 206-6 at tea to set up the contest. Earlier, South Africa got some quick runs after lunch that enabled it to declare with four sessions still left in the game. A.B. de Villiers made a speedy 51 in a competitive second session as South Africa added 143 runs while Sri lanka bagged four wickets. De Villiers hit six fours off 58 deliveries during his 36th half century, taking charge after Faf du Plessis (37) and captain Hashim Amla (22) failed to get big knocks with both out after lunch. Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera bagged 4-79 and was supported well by left-arm spinner Rangana Herath who took 2-84. Brief Scores: South Africa: 455/9 declared and 206/6 declared (de Villers 51, Faf du Plesis 37; Dilruwan Perera) lead Sl: 110/1 (Kumar Sangakkara 58 not out, Kaushal Silva 37 not out; Dale Steyn 1/18) by 260 runs at stumps on Day 4.
Rosberg on pole for German GP
Hockenheim: Formula One championship leader Nico Rosberg claimed pole position for the German Grand Prix as Mercedes teammate lewis Hamilton crashed out in Saturday’s qualifying session. Rosberg completed the fastest lap on the Hockenheimring in 1 minute, 16.540 seconds for the weekend’s fastest time in the third part of the session. Williams’ Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa were second and third, respectively, followed by Mclaren’s Kevin Magnussen, Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton crashed in the first part of the session, leading to a seven-minute delay after the British driver spun off the track and crashed into barriers at Turn 13.
Philander fined for ball-tampering
Galle: South Africa seam bowler Vernon Philander was fined 75 per cent of his match fee after being accused of ball tampering during the first Test against Sri lanka. The International Cricket Council (ICC) said the 29-year-old was charged after footage emerged of him attempting to change the condition of the ball by scratching the surface with his fingers and thumb on Friday. “The charge was laid following the conclusion of Friday’s play and after viewing television footage by on-field umpires Billy Bowden and Richard Kettleborough, third umpire Nigel llong, fourth umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge as well as match referee Jeff Crowe,” the ruling body said in a statement.
7 members for Junior ath C’ships
New Delhi: A seven-member Indian Junior Athletics team, comprising of five women and two men, will participate in the IAAF World Junior Championship to be held at Eugene, USA from July 22 to 27. The Indian team will leave for the US from here on Monday. Junior women: Jessy Joseph (800m & 4x400m relay); Archana Adhav (800m & 4x400m relay); V V Jisha (4x400m relay), G K Vijay Kumari (4x400m relay); Navjeet Kaur (shot put). Junior Men: Sachin (discus throw); Parvinder Kumar (javelin throw). Chief coach: J S Bhatia.
Dutee issue in Odisha Assembly
Bhubaneswar: Terming sprinter Dutee Chand’s exclusion from the Indian team for the Commonwealth Games as “painful”, Odisha government today said it will seek a reply from the Athletic Federation of India and Sports Authority of India as to why the girl alone was subjected to such a test. “It is really painful that Dutee Chand has been excluded from the team just two days before the players leaving for the Commonwealth Games. We will seek a reply from both the AFI and SAI as to why only she was put to test and not the others, state sports minister Sudam Marandi said in the Assembly.
ISl clubs to pick local talent
Mumbai: The best of Indian footballing talent will be up for grabs when the franchises of the Hero Indian Super league vie among themselves to pick the players from the Domestic Player Draft in a three-day event which begins here on Monday. The 84-player strong list will feature senior national team players like Subrata Paul, Gourmangi Singh, Nirmal Chhetri, Syed Rahim Nabi, N Mohanraj, Mehtab Hossain, lenny Rodrigues, Jejelalpekhula, Francis Fernandes among others. First day will see the league deciding club’s sequence for the draft through a lot pick, while the following two days will witness club representatives making their best choice through 14 rounds of draft system.
Cagers finish 7th in Asia Cup
Mumbai: India ended their campaign in the 5th FIBA Asia Cup Basketball at Wuhan, China today by swamping Singapore 85-36 to finish seventh in the tournament. India, ranked 11th in the continent and 61st in the world, won the match after leading 49-13 at half time. India, who dominated the ‘key’, led 26-10 after the first ten minutes and increased the lead to 36 points at the halfway mark.