WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015 SPORTS England look up after thrilling Lord’s victory

LONDON: When England crumbled to summer of struggle with the Ashes quickest ever test century at Lord’s, and Moeen’s superb catch at third man ot Jason Gillespie the saga continued on 30 for four on Thursday morning in the series to come. But , Ben Stokes, England moved into the ascendancy at to dismiss Boult sealed a 124-run victory Monday. first Test against New Zealand, their cap- and had other 429 for six. Trent Boult knocked over the for England. But on the field Cook and his team tain Alastair Cook would have been a ideas. The quartet posted half-centuries last four inside the first hour on “Today, the way our guys bowled... laid down a marker ahead of the Ashes. worried man. to lift England to a total of 389, laying the final day but England had made a we fought incredibly hard on a great With the captain back in the runs, Root a Buffeted by weeks of off-field contro- the foundation for a recovery which statement and their bowlers backed it cricket ,” Cook told reporters. “It’s flexible and reliable presence in the mid- versy in which coach Peter Moores was brought about a famous victory in an up. James Anderson and been a real team effort this week. It’s dle order and the exciting Stokes estab- sacked and the non- enthralling match. reduced New Zealand to 12 for three been a rocky few weeks so to play with lished at number six, England have a selection saga took centre stage, New Zealand batted well to reply and Stokes made a devastating contri- such freedom and passion, the lads are batting order of substance. England took the field in bad shape. with 523 but Cook had the bit between bution with the ball by dismissing Kane pleased with that.” It was a rocky few Although the pace bowling attack A hapless first hour in which Cook, his teeth. The captain occupied the Williamson and Brendon McCullum with weeks indeed. certainly lacks variety, it has the heart Adam Lyth, and crease all day on Sunday to make 153 successive deliveries. With speculation swirling that and fire to ask questions of the failed to withstand the New Zealand and combined with Root’s 84 Spirited resistance from BJ Watling Australian is poised to be Australians in what promises to be an pace attack potentially set the tone for a and an inspired 101 from Stokes, the and Corey Anderson proved temporary appointed coach ahead of his compatri- intriguing Ashes series.—Reuters Alonso better off at McLaren — Briatore

LONDON: Fernando Alonso made the right ENGINE TROUBLE move in leaving Ferrari for McLaren even if Honda have returned to Formula One he has yet to score a point this season, this season to renew a partnership with according to the man who has steered the McLaren that enjoyed rare dominance in Spaniard’s Formula One career from the the late 1980s when Ayrton Senna and start. Italian Flavio Briatore, the flamboyant Alain Prost were team mates. and controversial former Renault team They have, however, struggled with the boss, told Reuters Alonso was happy to be complicated new V6 turbo hybrid power back at the misfiring former champions units that rivals had been using for a year and enjoying the challenge. already. “I believe at one point in Ferrari it was Alonso won two championships with over, from both sides. I believe it was a Briatore’s Renault team, after replacing good change,” the manager said of the Button, and had an ill-fated year at move. “McLaren is a serious team. Honda McLaren in 2007 before returning to we know is a great company and we are Renault and then on to Ferrari. there. “I don’t think the situation of “He is happy to be staying at McLaren (Australian Daniel) Ricciardo (at Red Bull) is now,” said Briatore. “I don’t understand why better than that of Fernando. In Formula you guys think it’s a lot of pressure. Drivers One at the moment you have one team like this are very lucky people. Maybe you and it’s Mercedes. Whatever other team have pressure to pay the rent at the end of you are second, and second is the first of the month but these people have no pres- the losers.” While Alonso has yet to score a sure at all.” point in his six races, Ferrari have been on Briatore, who came into Formula One the podium in every grand prix this season with Italian clothing company Benetton in with the Spaniard’s replacement Sebastian the 1980s, said also that the sport needed Vettel finishing second in Monaco on to return to the basics. Sunday. McLaren ended their drought in “In Formula One you need a gladiator, that race with Jenson Button finishing you need a fight, you need the show, you eighth. Briatore, who was banned from need a race. You don’t need to worry if you Formula One after a 2008 Singapore Grand have fuel or no fuel in the car,” he said. “You Prix race-fixing scandal but subsequently don’t need to worry if your tyres last for had the ruling overturned, felt Ferrari were longer. : This is a Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011 file photo of Sri Lanka’s coach Trevor Bayliss (left) talks with captain Kumar Sangakkara during a still no closer to dethroning Mercedes even “I believe the distribution of the money practice session at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium. —AP if they appeared to be more competitive. is not correct, you give the money to the “(In qualifying) Vettel was seven tenths rich and not to the poor. It makes no sense,” from Lewis (Hamilton) and last year added the Italian, who owns the Billionaire Fernando was fifth (on the grid for Ferrari) brand of nightclubs and boutiques. “In the Australian appointed and seven tenths (off pole),” he said, speak- last 10 years, the costs are too high to have ing at during the race weekend at the prin- a race. For me, Formula One needs to go cipality. “Between Ferrari and Mercedes it is back to racing, instead of talking all the the same distance. The problem is three or time about fuel consumption. I want to talk England head coach four teams are not there any more. With about the fighting between drivers. “The Honda and McLaren, we have a better more similar the cars, the better racing we future.” have. It’s not a big secret.”—Reuters LONDON: England turned to the old enemy in ed in the game,” England’s director of cricket guide England to a series win in the Caribbean an attempt to restore national pride as Trevor said. against what many considered to be a weak Bayliss became the first Australian to be appoint- “He has proved himself in both domestic and West Indies team. ed head coach of the team yesterday. international cricket, has a strong reputation for Former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie Contador boosts Giro lead With an Ashes series against Australia loom- man-management and has shown how to build was expected to be appointed to the role after ing on home soil in six weeks’ time, the 52-year- winning teams in all three formats.” talks with Strauss last week but Bayliss was cho- MIAN: Spaniard Alberto Contador took a on his way to overall victory in 2008, Aru old former Sri Lanka coach has been tasked with sen for his proven track record as a coach. massive step towards his second Giro was a long way from safety. repairing battered reputations following HUGE TASK He led Sri Lanka to the 2011 World Cup final d’Italia triumph by increasing his overall Astana had worked hard to increase England’s 5-0 humiliation Down Under 16 Bayliss faces the huge task of instilling some and has twice won the Sheffield Shield with New lead on Fabio Aru after an epic 16th stage their advantage by the start of the 11.8 km months ago. “What particularly excites me about stability into England after their 5-0 mauling in South Wales. Bayliss has also enjoyed success in won by fellow Spaniard Mikel Landa yester- climb to the summit. Contador was 50secs the role is the chance to work with a very talent- Australia led to a period of turbulence, with off- the Twenty20 format, winning the Australian Big day. Astana rider Landa claimed his second behind and, more worryingly for the ed group of players. I firmly believe that the field matters drawing as many headlines as the Bash and Champions League with Sydney Sixers win of the race in winning the 174km ride Spaniard, totally on his own after losing his team has a bright future and I’ll be doing every- team’s miserable form on the pitch. in 2012 and the Indian Premier League title with from Pinzolo to Aprica in the Italian teammates one by one. thing I can to help them realise their potential During the past 18 months, controversial Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and 2014. Dolomites, which took in no less than five But Contador set about cutting his way and achieve success on a consistent basis,” batsman Kevin Pietersen was sacked after the “His expertise in the shorter forms of the categorised mountain passes including the through the stragglers dropped from the Bayliss said in a statement. England management accused of him of being a game will be vital as we build towards three notoriously difficult Mortirolo. earlier front group. Although Aru was forg- He succeeds Peter Moores, who was sacked divisive presence in the dressing room during major ICC events over the next four years; the In what proved to be another small ing on with Landa and Dutchman earlier this month following England’s dismal the doomed 2013-14 Ashes series. ICC World T20 tournament in India in 2016 and humiliation for his team leader Aru, Landa Kruiswijk, the Italian was soon to be left on performance at this year’s World Cup and a 1-1 ECB managing director Paul Downton depart- the ICC Champions Trophy and ICC Cricket World came over the finish line in 5hr 02min his own too. Contador finally closed the draw in a test series in West Indies. ed in April as he paid the price for England’s fail- Cup which will be staged in England and Wales 51sec to move up to second place overall gap 5km before the summit, prompting “Trevor has an outstanding record as coach, ure to progress during the group stages of the in 2017 and 2019 respectively,” Strauss added. at 4min 02sec behind Contador, who set- Landa-who appeared much fresher than has global experience and is very highly regard- World Cup. Moores was also axed for failing to The Ashes begins on July 8. —Reuters tled for third place at 38sec behind on the Aru-to counter the Spaniard and leave his wheel of Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk. tiring team leader behind, alone and isolat- Astana team leader Aru finished nearly ed, when Contador threatened to ride away three minutes off the pace to drop to third solo. at 4:52 behind Contador, raising further By the summit, Contador, Landa and World Series of Poker doubts about Astana’s leadership with sev- Kruijswijk held nearly a minute’s lead on eral mountain stages on the menu before Yuri Trofimov and Ryder Hesjedal, with Sunday’s final to Milan. Aru’s deficit now at nearly two minutes. On what was billed as the ‘Queen’ stage The gaps remained largely the same starts with new events of the race, Contador emerged a step closer after the descent, with Aru suffering his to his second pink jersey after Astana ulti- own mechanical problem and requiring a mately paid the price for attacking the change of bike before the long ride LAS VEGAS: If the World Series of Poker is lucky, vying for the top prize in the 2006 main event. “My ONLINE TO IN-PERSON Spaniard when he suffered a puncture on through the valley towards the foot of the the popularity of the Las Vegas championship’s biggest concern is actually having enough physical The World Series of Poker is bridging the online the descent of the Aprica, with a little over final climb to Aprica. Aru fought to limit the newest event could cause a poker chip shortage. poker chips,” Palansky said. and offline worlds of poker in a tournament that 60 km remaining. damage, but the grimaces on the Italian’s The annual set of 68 tournaments at the Rio All- will start on WSOP.com and take the final six play- Astana and Katusha pounced on face spoke volumes. Up ahead of him, Suite Hotel & Casino that rewards millions of dol- THE MAIN EVENT ers to a table at the Rio for the win, appealing to a Contador’s misfortune to join forces and Landa pulled ahead of Contador and lars to the best card sharks starts today with a new There will be fewer bricks of cash piled atop the generation of poker players who have grown up open up a gap, which soon left the Spanish Kruijswijk in the final metres of the race to event dubbed the Colossus expected to attract at poker table when the next winner of poker’s Main playing online. race leader a minute down on the stage. put a silver lining around Astana’s now least 10,000 players. The Colossus represents the Event is crowned in November. A guaranteed $10 “You can be in your pajamas anywhere at home But with the Mortirolo to come and seemingly doomed bid to top the race lowest buy-in in 35 years with players ponying-up million top prize is no longer a certainty since top in Nevada,” or a hotel room, or coffee shop, or any- Contador having raced the notorious climb podium on Sunday.—AFP $565 each to win their share of a $5 million prize poker players told series officials they would rather where just so long as you’re physically in Nevada, pool, with the winner likely walking away with see more people win money, in this case the last Palansky said of the new event. And even though nearly $600,000. The 45-year-old event now owned 1,000 players standing. Spreading the wealth is the state has an agreement with Delaware allowing by Caesars Interactive Entertainment Inc. is also likely to drop the top prize closer to $8 million if players there to join in Nevada’s online cash games, spreading the wealth for its $10,000 no-limit Texas the same number of people who entered last year only players physically in Nevada qualify for tour- Hold ‘em main event and hosting an online tourna- do so again. nament matches, he said. ment that will end with a live poker matchup. Poker pro and hall-of-famer Daniel Negreanu The World Series of Poker drew 82,360 players pushed for it. “I don’t think we lose a single player WHY ALL THE CHANGES? last year with 10 percent winning some of the as a result,” he said. “We’re going to have 1,000 peo- “Poker does have an ecosystem and you must $227.7 million in prize money. ple leave the main event in Las Vegas a winner.” continue to bring new players in the game,” said Lance Bradley, the editor in chief of poker news And if the top winner walks away with only $8 mil- Palansky. That said, last year the event had its most site Bluff.com, said the series has long worked to lion or so? entries ever, some 82,360, a massive number com- widen its appeal. But this year appeared to be “It’s not going to be like, ‘aw, man,’” Negreanu pared with the event’s humble beginnings at a unusually ambitious, catering to the regular guy said. He said he’ll be vying for a chance at the small single table in 1970 at Benny Binion’s who doesn’t mind parting with $565 but would slightly smaller top prize, too, just like he does Horseshoe Casino, where the players ultimately blush at spending $1,000, while still attracting “the every year. voted on the winner in the end. “It’s never been pros who don’t want to play against those guys.” more popular,” Palansky said. —AP

Here’s what’s also new: THE COLOSSUS If everyone expected shows up, there will never have been a larger live poker tournament. World Series of Poker spokesman Seth Palansky said the logistics won’t be as challenging as managing the large number of players who might be new to the tournament because of the cheaper entry fee. “Your eyes are a little bigger and you walk a lit- tle slower,” Palansky said of those new to the over- whelming event. That’s why the World Series of Poker has been encouraging advance registration to cut down on the time players might wait in line to pay. The tournament can fit about 24,800 poker ITALY: Spain’s Alberto Contador wears the pink jersey of the overall leader as he cele- players in the single event if need be, Palansky said. brates on the podium after completing the 16th stage of the Giro díItalia, Tour of The World Series of Poker set the last record for LAS VEGAS: In this July 5, 2014 file photo, a man walks by a sign for the World Series of Poker Italy cycling race. —AP largest live poker tournament with 8,773 people during the main event . —AP