WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 SPORTS Future of golf in good hands with ‘Big Three’ ATLANTA: Jordan Spieth’s twin win in the Tour The campaign’s one-two punch of Spieth and Day es which were compelling,” said PGA Tour Spieth tied Tiger Woods’ record low score at the Championship and FedExCup playoffs aptly ended a followed a commanding season from Rory McIlroy, Commissioner Tim Finchem. Masters this year; McIlroy set a host of records with his magnificent PGA Tour season for himself and the the 26-year-old Northern Irishman who closed last “There hasn’t been a consistency of rivalry at the 2011 US Open triumph at Congressional, and Day set sport of golf which has enthusiastically embraced a year’s majors season by winning the British Open top, when you saw the same faces coming down the a majors record for low score in relation to par in win- new ‘Big Three.’ Spieth, 22, put his stamp on the and PGA as he reigned as world number one. Then stretch as many times as you did this year. It was sig- ning the PGA. “The fact that there’s been such a high 2014-15 season with five titles, including wins at the things got dizzy at the top. nificant. So, it’s a tremendous situation.” level from numerous guys, it’s cool,” said Spieth. “We Masters and US Open, a record $12 million in official Spieth and McIlroy traded places for four straight About five years separated each of the old Big push each other.” Day, who like Spieth has registered PGA Tour earnings plus the $10 million FedExCup weeks after the PGA. Red-hot Day took over last Three, with Palmer the elder, followed by Player and five wins in 2015, noted there were other young guns. bonus, and the low adjusted scoring average. Monday for a one-week stay until Spieth reclaimed then Nicklaus. The new wave trio are within five years “Golf is in good shape,” said the Australian. Not only The Texan’s sensational season signoff at East Lake top spot with his Sunday triumphs for the sixth suc- in age and could be battling one another for a long with myself and Jordan, but Rory, Rickie (Fowler) ... took the drama out of the upcoming vote by his cessive change at number one. There has not been a time. “We all want to beat the crud out of each other,” Danny Lee and (Hideki) Matsuyama.” peers for PGA Tour Player of the Year despite a troika anything like this since the days of Jack said Spieth, who was named the PGA of America McIlroy missed a key chunk of the season after remarkable run by 27-year-old Jason Day. Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player. player of the year on Monday. “We want to beat each injuring his ankle playing soccer with friends, but The long-hitting Australian won four of six events “If you go back several decades to the Big Three, other down.” After the tough talk, Spieth said they clearly relishes fully joining in the fun in 2016. “It’s leading up to the Tour Championship, including the where you had Arnold, Gary and Jack, it just seemed were all buddies just hungry to win. It is not just their been a great season and if this is the sign for things PGA Championship for his maiden major, and had a during that 10 or 15-year period they were in a sense frequent appearances in the winner’s circle that has to come, then obviously golf is in a really good spot,” taste of being world number one. at a level of their own and it led to a series of match- triggered excitement, but the firepower they bring. he said. — Reuters S Africa flattened in India tour opener

NEW DELHI: South Africa made a dismal ing a 27-ball 42 and AB de Villiers made 37 start to their 10-week tour of India, losing a off 27 balls, the pair adding 84 for the sec- Twenty20 warm-up match to a second- ond wicket off just 50 deliveries after string side by eight wickets in New Delhi Quinton de Kock was run out in the first yesterday. over. Duminy and Farhaan Behardien India ‘A’, comprising young talent drawn boosted the total by plundering 44 runs in from across the country, chased down a the final three overs. Duminy defended his competitive 189-3 by the tourists with two bowlers’ inability to restrict the hosts, say- deliveries to spare at the Palam ground. ing the tour opener was “not exactly about The surprise win was fashioned by results”. uncapped openers Manan Vohra and “I have full confidence in the ability of Mayank Agarwal, who gave their team a fly- our bowlers and I will back them 100 per ing start with a 119-run partnership in 12.4 cent,” the left-hander said. “I believe they overs. have what it takes to stop the Indian bat- Vohra hit a 42-ball 56 and Agarwal ting line-up. “Today was a day for figuring smashed 87 off 49 balls that included 12 out and assessing what will work for us in fours and two sixes. these conditions.” The tourists are due to Upcoming batsman Sanju Samson play three Twenty20 internationals and five steered the hosts home with an unbeaten one-day matches up until October 25, 31 off 22 balls, leaving the Proteas with before starting a four-Test series on much to ponder ahead of the tougher con- November 5. The first Twenty20 interna- tests ahead. tional will be held in Dharamsala on Friday. Fast bowlers Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris failed to take a wicket, Brief scores: with Abbott proving to be the most expen- South Africa 189-3 in 20 overs (JP sive by conceding 43 runs in his four overs. Duminy 68 not out, Faf du Plessis 42 retired, South African batsmen hit early form- AB de Villiers 37, Kuldeep Yadav 1-26). the lone bright spot for them in the game- India ‘A’ 193-2 in 19.4 overs (Manan with JP Duminy top-scoring with 68 off 32 Vohra 56, Mayank Agarwal 87, Sanju balls that included six sixes and two Samson 31, JP Duminy 1-22). India ‘A’ won boundaries. by eight wickets with two deliveries to Skipper Faf du Plessis retired after scor- spare. — AFP

ZIMBABWE: Pakistan players celebrate their series victory during the second of two T20 cricket matches between Pakistan and hosts Zimbabwe. — AFP Akmal helps Pakistan to T20 win over Zimbabwe

HARARE: Umar Akmal’s aggressive innings proved crucial in a low-scoring game as Pakistan SCOREBOARD beat Zimbabwe by 15 runs to win yesterday’s Twenty20 international at Harare Sports Club and sweep the two-match series. Akmal scored HARARE: Scoreboard for the second Twenty20 international between Zimbabwe and Pakistan NEW DELHI: India A team captain Mandeep Singh bats during a practice match 38 not out from 28 balls and added 24 runs with yesterday: against South Africa. South Africa will play three Twenty20, five one-day internation- Imad Wasim in the last two overs of Pakistan’s Pakistan Zimbabwe als and four Test matches during their 72 day tour of India. — AP innings to boost the tourists’ total to 136 for six, Mohammad Hafeez c Utseya b Jongwe 17 H. Masakadza c Imran Khan b MIrfan 9 which proved beyond Zimbabwe despite Sean Ahmed Shehzad c Cremer b Panyangara 7 C. Chibhabha lbw b Sohail Tanvir 3 Williams’ fighting 40 not out. Sohaib Maqsood c Chigumbura b Utseya 26 C. Ervine run out 1 Sri Lanka off-spinner Williams shared a 60-run partnership for the Shoaib Malik c Sikandar Raza b Cremer 15 R. Mutumbami b Imad Wasim 3 fifth wicket with Sikandar Raza Butt-the only Mohammad Rizwan c Williams b Jongwe 16 S. Williams not out 40 half-century stand in the series-but was always Umar Akmal not out 38 Sikandar Raza b Imran Khan 36 E. Chigumbura c S Malik b M Irfan 17 doosra found illegal playing catch-up after the hosts had slumped to Shahid Afridi c Williams b Panyangara 2 Imad Wasim not out 13 L. Jongwe c & b Imran Khan 8 24 for four at the start of their chase. G. Cremer not out 0 COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Tharindu Kaushal bowled in international cricket.” Zimbabwe finished on 121 for seven, as left- Extras (1lb, 1w) 2 has been barred from bowling the doos- The doosra is the ball bowled by an Extras (3lb, 1w) 4 arm spinner Wasim once again proved the pick Total (6 wkts, 20 overs) 136 Total (7 wkts, 20 overs) 121 ra after independent test results showed off-spinner which turns away from right- of the Pakistani bowlers with figures of 1 for 14 Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Ahmed Shehzad), 2-34 Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Chibhabha), 2-15 it was illegal, the International Cricket handed batsmen. Kaushal has played six from four overs. “Our bowlers were good again,” (Mohammad Hafeez), 3-64 (Shoaib Malik), 4-72 (Masakadza), 3-16 (Ervine), 4-24 (Mutumbami), 5- Council said yesterday. tests for Sri Lanka and has been ear- Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said. “Body lan- (Sohaib Maqsood), 5-106 (Mohammad Rizwan), 84 (Sikandar Raza), 6-101 (Chigumbura), 7-120 The 22-year-old, who has a distinctive marked as the island country’s spin guage is very important and whatever the coach 6-111 (Shahid Afridi). (Jongwe) high-knee run-up, can continue bowling spearhead when Rangana Herath, 37, has asked, the boys have delivered.” Did not bat: Imran Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Did not bat: P. Utseya, T. Panyangara. off-breaks, the governing body said in a eventually retires. With the game being played on the same Mohammad Irfan. Bowling: Sohail Tanvir 4-0-18-1, Mohammad Irfan statement. “The results showed that the Kaushal has already taken two five- pitch as Sunday’s series opener, low and slow Bowling: Chibhabha 2-0-13-0, Panyangara 4-0- 4-0-25-2, Imad Wasim 4-0-14-1, Shahid Afridi 4-0- level of elbow extension measured for all wicket hauls in his career and picked up conditions made the going heavy for batsmen 27-2, Jongwe 4-0-24-2, Williams 4-0-26-0, Cremer 26-0, Imran Khan 4-0-35-2. deliveries bowled was well within the 15- 13 scalps in the three tests against India throughout. 4-0-25-1, Utseya 2-0-20-1. Result: Pakistan won by 15 runs. degree level of tolerance permitted in August, after which he was reported Although Pakistan made a brighter start after under the ICC regulations,” the ICC said. for a suspect bowling action. they once again won the toss and opted to bat Sunday, Zimbabwe’s batsmen had an opportuni- taining stay at the crease had come to an end, “However, the assessment also Starting next month, Sri Lanka will first, they lost wickets whenever their batsmen attempted to force the pace. ty to show what they had learned but lost their Zimbabwe’s hopes vanished. revealed that Kaushal’s Doosra was host West Indies in a series featuring two While Sohaib Maqsood anchored the innings top four with just 24 runs on the board. “I can repeat what I said after the last game,” found to exceed the 15-degree level of test matches, three one-day internation- with a run-a-ball 26, only Akmal and Wasim were That left the middle order with too much to said Chigumbura. “We were disappointing again tolerance and it should no longer be als and two Twenty20s. — -Reuters able to take the attack to the hosts. do, and although Williams shared a 60-run part- with the bat, but the bowlers were good. We After struggling to gain any meaningful nership for the fifth wicket with Sikandar Raza need to make sure we up our game for the ODI momentum, the tourists went into the final two Butt - the only half-century stand in the series - series.” The two sides have just one day off overs with just 112 runs on the board and were he was always playing catch-up. before the three-match one-day international grateful to the pair for some late blows. Once Raza had been bowled for 36 by Imran series gets underway at the same venue tomor- With the same task that had faced them on Khan and Elton Chigumbura’s brief but enter- row. — AFP Australian tour of Bangladesh in doubt

MELBOURNE: The security delegation that was further meetings with the Department of ter Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters in Dhaka sent to Bangladesh to determine whether or not Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and to brief our the Australian team had nothing to be worried it was safe for Australia’s cricket team to visit the Board, Management and players on the situa- about. “There is no reason of skipping Asian country are on their way home, prompting tion,” CA said. Bangladesh tour by Australian cricketers on speculation the tour will be called off. The Australians were due to fly from Sydney excuse of the murder of Italian national in The Australian team missed its planned on Monday morning for the three-week tour Dhaka,” he said. “These are two separate things departure to Bangladesh after being warned by which includes two tests but CA postponed the and I believe the Australian team can safely its government that there was a potential securi- team’s travel plans after DFAT warned that mili- come to Bangladesh for their scheduled match- ty risk from militants. tants could be planning an attack. Bangladesh es. They will be given the necessary safety Cricket Australia (CA) instead sent two securi- Cricket Board officials said they understood measures.” Australia has not played a test match ty experts and a manager to meet with top Australia’s concern but were sure the team in Bangladesh for a decade but were scheduled Bangladesh security and intelligence officials. would be safe and the tour would go ahead. to make their return this year, playing a three- CA said yesterday that no decision on the fate However, at the same time the Australian day warm-up match in Fatullah, starting Oct. 3, of the tour had yet been made but the delega- security delegation was in Bangladesh, an Italian before back-to-back tests in Chittagong from tion was already coming home, which Australian aid worker in Dhaka was shot dead in an attack Oct. 9 then Dhaka from Oct. 17. media said was a clear sign the series would be claimed by Islamic State. Western embassies in Militants have targeted secularist writers in cancelled. Bangladesh have restricted the movements of Bangladesh in recent years, while the govern- “Following yesterday’s meetings, our Head of their diplomats, citing “reliable” information that ment has cracked down on Islamist groups seek- Security, team manager and team security man- more foreign interests will be targeted. ing to make the South Asian nation of 160 mil- Tharindu Kaushal appeals for a decision in this file photo. ager are on their way home from Bangladesh for Yesterday, the Bangladesh home affairs minis- lion people a sharia-based state. — Reuters