TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016 SPORTS Venus Williams crashes out of China Open

BEIJING: Seven-time Grand Slam cham- important when I got the first three Peng said. “I’d like to take time to see if I one, dethroning long-reigning Serena “I think this is also one of the keys why I’m pion Venus Williams crashed out of the points. It gave me more motivation.” can go further (in tennis).” Williams. Kerber, 28, started the year playing so good and so consistent, first round of the China Open to Chinese Peng, 30, came of age at the same time ranked 10th but reached her first ever because it’s really important to have your wildcard Peng Shuai yesterday. as China’s first-and only-Grand Slam sin- ‘POSITIVE ON COURT’ Grand Slam final at the Australian Open mind on the court.” Meanwhile, defend- World number one Angelique Kerber, gles champion Li Na. Czech Siniakova, 20, played an in January-and scooped the crown. ing champion Garbine Muguruza booked meanwhile, continued her stellar season She reached a career high of 17 in impressive net game against top seed Her strong run continued as she her spot in the final 16, downing 21-year- beating qualifier Katerina Siniakova in 2011, the same year Li won her first Slam Kerber but was unable to take control of reached the final of Wimbledon and old Yulia Putintseva in her second-round two sets in her opening match in Beijing. at Roland Garros and rose to world num- the match, handing the German a 6-4, 6- bagged an Olympic silver medal in Rio. match. The Spaniard has her eyes on After a close first set, the former US ber five, taking with her the popularity 4 win. “She played really well, especially Kerber credits changing her on-court making her second consecutive WTA Open semi-finalist Peng allowed the of tennis in China. in the first set. I was trying to be patient demeanour-which once earned her the Final-the elite eight-player season finale- American veteran player just one game But Peng’s career has since been and waiting for my shots and for my nickname “Dun Curr-ber” based on the and needs to reach the final in Beijing to point in the second to win 7-5, 6-1. “In blighted by injury, which forced her to chances,” said Kerber after the match. internet meme for “don’t care”-for her late guarantee her qualification. the first set I was really trying to fight miss much of 2015 and pushed her to The German won her second Grand career renaissance. “I think it came from a On the men’s side, David Ferrer and because I think she got three set points,” the brink of retirement. Slam title of the year-and her career-at lot of experience... really focusing and try- fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut said Peng after the match. “After the surgery, no one could guar- the US Open last month in the same ing to (be) more positive on court than both prevailed in their tougher-than- “I think in the second set it’s really antee I could come back to the court,” week that also saw her rise to number negative,” Kerber told reporters in Beijing. expected first-round matches. — AFP Azhar sees positive Pakistan progress

SHARJAH: Skipper Azhar Ali yesterday Bangladesh last year in Ali’s first series as said his team was heading in the right and lost 4-1 to England earlier this direction after a one-day series win over month. That raised calls for his sacking but the West Indies which will lift their rankings Ali felt changes halted the team’s progress. and chances for a direct entry in the World “No matter how many captains you Cup 2019. change if you want to rebuild the team it Pakistan took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in takes one-and-a-half to two years. the three-match series with another “Our nation doesn’t have the patience, thumping 59-run win in Sharjah on Sunday. they want to win instantly. If you don’t win They won the first game by 111 runs at they get frustrated and want change. As a the same venue on Friday. Pakistan, who nation we have to take responsibility. It’s play the last match in Abu Dhabi on easy to look at things in hindsight and call Wednesday, need to beat the West Indies 3- for changes,” said Ali. 0 to rise one place to eighth, displacing Ali said his team was getting right com- their opponents (currently eighth) to ninth. binations. “We are getting allrounders who Hosts England and the top seven teams have brought depth in and we are in one-day rankings on the cut off date of scoring 300 plus,” said Ali whose team post- September 30 next year will automatically ed a big 337-5 in 50 overs on Sunday. qualify for the 2019 World Cup. “We are executing plans in bowling The two remaining teams will join eight which is good, energy levels are high and Associates to feature in the qualifying with wins you lift your confidence. We have round in 2018. played well in the last five to seven match- Ali said the series win put Pakistan in the es,” said Ali of Pakistan’s three one-day and right direction of rebuilding. “It takes time four Twenty20 wins this month. to improve things. You need patience to lift Dismissed for a first-ball duck and nine a team. We started the rebuilding process in the two matches against West Indies, after the 2015 World Cup and it takes one- Ali hopes he strikes form sooner than lat- and-a-half to two years so we are going er. “My series against England was better towards that,” said Ali. Ali replaced Misbah- and I scored runs there. I am playing well KOLKATA: India’s captain Virat Kohli (C) is watched by teammates (L) and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha (2R) as he takes a ul-Haq who along with allrounder Shahid in the nets so it will take one innings to catch to dismiss New Zealand’s (R) during play on the fourth day of the second Test match between India and New Zealand at Afridi retired after the World Cup last year. come in form because my confidence lev- The Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkata yesterday. — AFP But Pakistan were whitewashed 3-0 in el is high.” —AFP Durham relegated India crush N Zealand over financial woes to reclaim top ranking LONDON: Durham have been rele- annually by the governing body - and gated from the County respective four and two-point penal- KOLKATA: India crushed New Zealand by 178 Championship First Division due to ties in next year’s Twenty20 Blast and runs in the second test yesterday to clinch the SCOREBOARD financial problems and Hampshire One-Day Cup. three-match series and reclaim top spot in the world rankings from Pakistan. have been allowed to reclaim their “The England and Wales Cricket KOLKATA: Final scoreboard of the second Test between India and New Zealand in Kolkata yesterday: top-flight place. Board today announced that Durham Chasing 376 for victory, the touring side were Durham’s sanction was agreed has accepted an offer of significant bundled out for 197 in fading light on the fourth India 1st innings: 316 (Cheteshwar Pujara 87, Ajinkya 5-91 (Kohli), 6-106 (Ashwin), 7-209 (Sharma), 8-215 with the England and Wales Cricket additional financial support from ECB day at Eden Gardens to give India an unassail- Rahane 77; Matt Henry (Jadeja), 9-251 (Kumar), 10-263 (Shami) able 2-0 lead in the series. Board yesterday as a condition of in order to manage current and his- 3-46) Bowling: Boult 17.5-6-38-3, Henry 20-2-59-3, Wagner India will return to the top of the New Zealand 1st innings: 204 (J. Patel 47, R. Taylor 36; 15-3-45-1, Patel £3.8 million ($4.8 million, 4.3 million toric debt and revenue issues,” the International Cricket Council test rankings irre- B. Kumar 5-48, M. 8-0-50-0, Santner 16-2-60-3 euros) financial support from the statement read. “ECB has been work- spective of the result of the third and final test in Shami 3-70) governing body. ing with the Board and Chief Indore which starts on Saturday. India 2nd innings: overnight 227/8 (W. Saha 39 not New Zealand 2nd innings: The north-east based county will Executive of the County and its stake- India’s ambition to regain the top ranking out, B. Kumar 8 not out) T. Latham c Saha b Ashwin 74 S. Dhawan lbw b Boult 17 M. Guptill lbw b Ashwin 24 begin next season in the Second holders throughout 2016 in order to after handing over the honour to arch-rivals Division with an additional 48-point ensure that Durham could address M. Vijay c Guptill b Henry 7 H. Nicholls c Rahane b Jadeja 24 Pakistan recently following a washed-out test in C. Pujara lbw b Henry 4 R. Taylor lbw b Ashwin 4 penalty. their financial issues. the West Indies dove-tailed perfectly with the V. Kohli lbw b Boult 45 L. Ronchi b Jadeja 32 Hampshire had been relegated “This support has included bumper test season at home. A. Rahane c Boult b Henry 1 M. Santner lbw b Shami 9 from the First Division after a dismal advancing an annual fee payment of “With the coming home season we have con- R. Sharma c Ronchi b Santner 82 BJ. Watling b Shami 1 season, but they can now look for- £1.294 million. There has been no trol of that situation (staying number one),” cap- R. Ashwin lbw b Santner 5 M. Henry c Kohli b Jadeja 18 ward to another top-flight campaign. direct investment to date. “The £3.8 tain Virat Kohli said at the presentation, referring W. Saha not out 58 J. Patel b Kumar 2 Durham have also lost the right to be million financial aid package - which to the season ahead where India will also host R. Jadeja c sub (Neesham) b Santner 6 N. Wagner not out 5 tests against England, Australia and Bangladesh. B. Kumar c Nicholls b Wagner 23 T. Boult c Vijay b Shami 4 able to apply to host Test matches at has been approved by the ECB Board M. Shami c Latham b Boult 1 Extras 0 the Emirates Riverside. and accepted by the Board of It was an all-round show from the Indian Extras (b 10, lb 1, w 3) 14 Total (all out; 81.1 overs) 197 Limited-overs internationals, Durham CCC - will allow the club to bowlers with spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Total (all out; 76.5 overs) 263 Bowling: Kumar 12-4-28-1, Shami 18.1-5-46-3, Ashwin including a Twenty20 next year, can meet on-going salary, HMRC and and fast bowler Mohammed Fall of : 1-12 (Vijay), 2-24 (Pujara), 3-34 (Dhawan), 31-6-82-3, Jadeja 20-3-41-3. still take place in Durham. operating costs, settle a substantial Shami picking up three each. 4-43 (Rahane), Result: India won by 178 runs. It was first revealed last week that debt to a secured creditor and focus New Zealand opener waged a Durham may face relegation as they on the restructuring and future sus- lone battle, top-scoring for his side with a dogged 74. Latham and (24) sur- and the ECB seek a solution to the tainability of the (four) in similar fashion. wicket of much to the delight of the vived nervous moments before lunch to give Latham concentrated hard to bring up his crowd. Earlier, resuming on 227 for eight, India club’s financial difficulties. An ECB Club.” New Zealand a solid start with a series-best second half-century of the series and added 49 were all out for 263 in their second innings, set- statement on Monday confirmed rel- A Durham County Cricket Club opening stand of 55. Guptill, whose place in the for the second wicket with Henry Nicholls (24), ting New Zealand a difficult target on a wearing egation and a series of further meas- spokesperson added: “The Durham side is under scrutiny after a string of poor who replaced regular captain in track. Wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha ures. County Cricket Club Board welcomes scores, was on six when he was given not out the side. Nicholls edged Jadeja to slip before was not out on 58, his second unbeaten fifty of They include the return of all prize the ECB’s long-term commitment to following a confident appeal for lbw by Shami. Shami picked up two quick wickets by getting the game earning him the man of the match money, the imposition of a revised safeguarding First Class Cricket in the The right-hander was trapped leg before in the ball to reverse swing and New Zealand lost award. Boult, Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner salary cap up to April 2020 - reviewed north-east.” —AFP the first over after lunch by off-spinner Ashwin, seven wickets in the final session. picked up three wickets each for the touring who also sent back stand-in skipper Local boy Shami returned to take the final side. — Reuters Bahrah Malabar Bulls lift Kuwait Kerala Premier trophy

KUWAIT: In a thrilling final held at the Doha Entertainment City cricket ground, Bahrah Trading Company Malabar Bulls cricket team lifted the Kuwait Kerala Premier League Division B Trophy defeating Royal Kings Trivandrum by 30 runs. Bahrah Malabar Bulls won the toss and elect- ed to bat first and made a mammoth total of 201 for the loss of 2 wickets on the back of an unbeaten match winning partnership of 150 runs between Shakeer Hussain and Jaison George. In reply Royal Kings were restricted to 171 runs on the back of some excellent bowling by led by Noushad NP who bowled an excellent spell of 4 overs taking 3 wickets for 19 runs. In the league stages Bahrah Malabar Bulls had an unbeaten run winning all their 10 league matches and qualifying for the final directly. Shakeer was declared Man of the match for his match winning unbeaten century and Noushad NP was declared Man of the Series and Bowler of the Series for his outstanding performance throughout the tournament. Bahrah Trading Company Malabar Bulls is a team which represents players from Malabar DHAKA: England cricketer Ben Stokes takes part in a batting practice session at The region of north Kerala in the Kuwait Kerala Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka yesterday. —AFP Premier league organized by Kuwait Cricket.