14 Tuesday 24th February, 2009 Regions Morgan Keegan Championships final Bayliss believes Sri Lanka can Roddick wins 1st title still win Test Rex Clementine Pakistani soil in 16 months reporting from Karachi as Australia and India refused to fulfill their com- mitments. While the Trevor Bayliss is of the Australians pulled out last of 2009 in Memphis view that the Sri Lankan year due to security reasons, team can still win the first become the first Czech to win in Memphis India refused to honour their by Teresa M. Walker Test here in Karachi despite since Ivan Lendl in 1991. commitments following the the tourists picking up just Mumbai terror attacks last The American survived a tight match two after 90 year. In between, the MEMPHIS, Tennessee (AP) - Andy Sunday by breaking Stepanek in the 12th overs on day three. After Sri Champions Trophy sched- Roddick won his first title of 2009 and the game of each set to extend his streak of Lanka made 644 for seven uled to be played in Pakistan 27th of his career Sunday, beating Czech years with at least one title to nine. declared, Pakistan reached last October too was called 296 for three and although Radek Stepanek 7-5, 7-5 in the finals of the Stepanek had won off after Australia, New they still require 149 runs to Regions Morgan Keegan Championships. nine consecutive Zealand, and avoid the follow on, with cap- Only Roger Federer (57) and Rafael matches but strug- England raised security con- tain Younis Khan unbeaten cerns. Nadal (32) have won more titles among gled with unforced on 149, the hosts seem to be Bayliss, however, said active players. errors. out of danger. there’s nothing to be Roddick got a bit of revenge for los- The world’s Bayliss said on the flat alarmed of about the situa- National Stadium track, Sri ing to Stepanek in the semifinals in San sixth-ranked tion in Pakistan and said the Lanka could still winthe Test Jose last week and improved to 5-1 all- player took team was quite happy with and stressed the need to take time against the man trying to home the playing here. early wickets to put Pakistan $300,000 win- “We come from Colombo under pressure. “There’s and some of the news and ner’s check and only one team that can win television reports that you 500 ranking this Test at this stage and get from Colombo sounds points for the that’s us. We need to play bad. That seems to be the really well and the longer ATP World case with Pakistan, but you they bat for tomorrow a Tour. He have to be here to under- draw becomes likely and our improved to 17 stand the situation. I am plan would be to take early comfortable and happy to be wins against three wickets in the morning,” here.” losses in match play Bayliss told journalists after Ajantha Mendis was play- this year. Of his 27 Brooklyn Decker, girlfriend of Andy Roddick, the third day’s play. ing his first Test match out- titles, 19 have come in On a batsman friendly applauds during the trophy presentation. side Sri Lanka and after his , both teams have put North America, and 26 wicket world record haul down a few catches and this is Roddick’s sec- Roddick, with his fiancee, model Brooklyn on debut against the Indians, according to Bayliss, the sce- ond at Memphis. Decker, cheering him on at courtside, was the focus was on the bowler. nario could have been differ- The spinner had struggled in coming into the final off the longest match ent had the chances been the ODI series against India of the tournament. He needed two hours, 11 taken. “This is a very flat early this month, but on a minutes to beat Lleyton Hewitt compared to wicket and had the teams dead wicket, the bowler, the 57 minutes Stepanek breezed past quali- taken those half chances, the known in many parts of the score wouldn’t have been fier Dudi Sela. world as a mystery spinner, that high. You like to see a Stepanek came in enjoying the best start showed signs of wicket tak- wicket that has more in it to a year in his career with two titles ing ability. where you will have better “I thought he bowled pret- already to his credit and trying to win for cricket with the bowlers ty well. He had a tough the second straight week. He had won nine coming into play, but every series against India and I consecutive matches but started slowly. now and then you come think he learned from that. I Roddick broke him in the second game to across a wicket like this. I am not too sure whether thought all over players gave go up 2-0. Stepanek trailed 3-1 when he that’s due to the pressure he 100 percent and I am happy broke Roddick and then held serve to even was put under by the with that effort.” the first set at 3-3. Indians, but here his line Sri Lanka are the first and length has been better.” They appeared headed toward a team to play a Test series on tiebreaker when Stepanek trailed 30-40 and hit a forehand long to give Roddick the first set. Tied at 4-4 in the second set, Stepanek 26th ITF tennis gets had a chance to break Roddick at 15-40. The American fought back to force deuce, served up one of his eight aces with a 130 mph, underway at SSC before Stepanek hit a forehand wide after a by Revata S. Silva entries of which a higher long rally. number of over 50 are for- Stepanek kept the match entertaining, at The 26th ITF Junior Int’l eign participants this year. one point using his head to knock a ball Tennis Championship began Well recognised junior play- at the Singhalese Sports ers from India, Thailand, back to a ball girl and then hitting a ball Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, over to a ball boy through his legs. Club tennis courts on Monday (22). The tourna- Kazakhstan, Pakistan, When needing to hold serve to force a ment will go on till Feb. 28. Denmark, China and Canada second-set tiebreaker, Stepanek won only The latter part of the sched- are amongst those entries. one point off a forehand Roddick hit long up ule on the opening day on ‘Excell Trading’ and Andy Roddick holds the winner’s trophy after defeating Radek Stepanek in the championship 0-40. Roddick then closed out the title with a Monday was affected due to ‘Bank of Ceylon’ are the match at the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships tennis tournament in Memphis, Tenn., forehand passing shot, celebrating by rais- rain, according to the SSC main sponsors of the tour- ney while ‘3G Sports,’ the Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009. Roddick defeated Stepanek 7-5, 7-5. (AP Photos/Mark Humphrey) ing both arms in the air. tournament organisers. It is the fifth consecutive year country’s agents for ‘Head,’ that the SSC is hosting this is the official ball sponsor. international tennis event. “We are moving ahead, Sri Lanka’s reigning forging many such partner- women’s national champion ships in promoting tennis in Australia draw first Jithmie Jayawickrema, ITF Sri Lanka. This is one such I am concerned about initiative. Combining the world junior rank 480, is heading the girls’ seedings, strengths of ‘Head’ and SSC, while last year’s boys’ seg- we are confident of pro- SA Tour match pelling tennis in Sri Lanka my bowling – Powell ment winner Guyanga to a new platform,” Suriya POTCHEFSTROOM, South field Sunday. Weerasekera, carrying a has bowling,” Powell admitted. present ITF world rank of Bibile, Director, ‘3G Sports’ Africa (AP) - Marcus North North was touted to be warned his West Indies “If I was another player has been quoted saying in a made a strong case for inclu- competing for the No.6 bat- 640, is the boys’ No.3 seed. team-mates not to allow a looking in and seeing some- Dineshkanthan Thangarajah media release on Monday. sion in the Australian team ting spot in the test team with repeat of the Antigua third- one in my shoes, not pick- ITF White Badge umpire for the first test in Andrew McDonald, and on (571) is the No. 2 of the boys’ Test drama - after they ing up wickets, I would feel seeds. Ishara Seneviratne is the , scoring two the statistics at least he won escaped defeat at the hands bad not to be playing. Tournament Referee and half-centuries and claiming that battle. North scored 52 According to the organis- of England by the narrow- “I have a bit of a problem ers, there have been 80 Shalini de Silva is the career-best first-class bowl- and 50 not out, while est of margins. with the way I grip the ball; Tournament Directress. ing figures of 6-69 against the McDonald contributed 23 and Man-of-the-match I am working on it, it’s get- South African Board 29 not out, and claimed only Sarwan struck 106 in the ting better, my control is President’s XI on Sunday. one wicket in the match. second innings at the getting better. The match ended in a If North was to be selected Antigua Recreation Ground “Hopefully in I draw when the captains as a spinning allrounder for as England were left one can keep on working, try- England dominate agreed to halt play half-an- the first Test, the selectors wicket short of levelling ing to get more consistent hour early on the final day. could opt for four seamers, the series. and pick up wickets. Having declared at the instead of three and spinner His second hundred of “I have to go out there, in warm-up match start of play on their McGain. the series took him to a put all that is being said overnight score of 360-4, 43 North’s spinning ability, tally of 307 runs in three behind me and back myself. BRIDGETOWN, Barbados But 17-year-old pacer runs in arrears, the coupled with 3-29 from seam- innings and also shot him I’ve said we are going to (AP) - Ravi Bopara and Jason Holder grabbed the Australians did well to dis- er Doug Bollinger, saw the into the world’s top 15 rated beat England 3-0 and for us Amjad Khan - flown in as wickets of Alastair Cook (16) miss the President’s XI for President’s XI bowled out in Test batsmen. to do that I have to be tak- cover for sidelined allrounder and Owais Shah (4) before 182 in their second innings. just 41.1 overs. North started However, the 28-year-old ing wickets.” Andrew Flintoff - starred on England went to lunch on The touring team had then by bowling opposition cap- is keen to avoid further Daren Powell (cricket365.com) Sunday as England dominated 109-2. Strauss retired at the reached 171-4 - although two tain Alviro Petersen through rearguard actions in West day one of a two-day cricket interval, but Ian Bell (44) and of the “dismissals” were the gate for 36, and then hav- Indies’ bid for a rare series win. match against a Barbados Tim Ambrose (74) shared a retirements - by the time the ing Gulam Bodi attempt a “There’s two to go and we don’t want West Indies keep same Cricket Association (BCA) stand of 64 for the fourth action came to an end. drive only to be caught by to look too far ahead,” Sarwan said. “We President’s XI. wicket as England’s batsmen On a good batting pitch, keeper Brad Haddin for 29. have to get mentally and physically squad for 4th test off-spinner North’s 6 wickets Top-scorer Heino Kuhn, who ready because this game took a lot out of Bopara struck a run-a-ball continued to prosper. provided food for thought for followed his 99 in the first us. BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP) - 124 not out to pilot England to Medium pacer Kevin the selectors, especially when innings with 47 in the second “It is important we don’t find our- The West Indies cricket selectors on 351-8 declared at Windward Stoute, the pick of the local contrasted with leg-spinner was also a North victim, selves in the same situation because if Sunday chose an unchanged squad of 13 Cricket Club. The Essex all- bowlers with 4-67, then Bryce McGain’s 2-126 in the being caught at deep mid- we do it will be hard to get out of it.” players for the fourth test against rounder smacked 17 fours and claimed two quick wickets to President’s XI’s first innings. wicket. Sarwan shared a crucial 148-run England beginning at three sixes in two and a half stall England. Given that pace is general- In the Australian second stand with fellow Guyanese player next Thursday. hours. Bell was caught at gully The home team leads the five-match ly king at the Wanderers, and innings and at the Rec but Fast bowler Khan then and, in the same over, Matt series 1-0 following victory in the open- that spinners may not get too North opened and crafted a tailenders Daren Powell and Fidel took 2-22 as the young Prior fell for a three-ball duck. many overs there in the first partnership before ing test in and draws in the sec- Edwards took the plaudits by resisting Barbados team limped to 49-4 But the 23-year-old test beginning Thursday, both retired on reaching ond and third tests in Antigua. for 34 minutes in the evening gloom. at the close. Bopara, who has appeared in including McGain in the their half-centuries. Powell, who took the lion’s share of The squad: (), England captain Andrew three tests, and reserve wick- starting lineup might not Brief scores: Australia the strike, may have preserved the (vice-captain), Devon ultimately be seen as a neces- 360 for 4 dec and 171 for 2 hosts’ 1-0 advantage, but he is under Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Ryan Hinds, Strauss, surviving an early etkeeper Ambrose dominated sity. Unfortunately for the 36- (Hughes 53, North 50) South pressure for under-par returns with the Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brendan chance, notched a fine 66 off the rest of the innings with year-old leg-spinner, a bout of African Board President’s ball - he has only four wickets to date in Nash, , , 90 balls with nine fours as the some fluent strokeplay.The gastroenteritis kept him and XI 403 for 7 dec and 182 (Kuhn the series at 48.75 apiece. Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards, Lendl visitors, put into bat, made pair added 147 for the sixth paceman Peter Siddle off the 47, North 6-69, Bollinger 3-29) “I am pretty concerned about my Simmons, Lionel Baker. good early progress. wicket.