CRICKET | Page 4 NNBABA | Page 5 Azam like Westbrook a young shines as To Advertise here Kohli, says Thunder Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 Pak coach down Wizards Friday, December 2, 2016 LEAGUE CUP Rabia I 3, 1438 AH United through GULF TIMES to semis, Arsenal crash out SPORT Page 3 QATAR STARS LEAGUE Classy Lekhwiya crush Sailiya 3-0, Umm Salal win Yousef El Arabi twice on target for former champions; Al-Yahri, Sagbo score in Umm Salal’s 2-0 victory over Muaither Lekhwiya’s Yousef El Arabi gestures to fans as teammates congratulate him after he scored against Al Sailiya in the Qatar Stars League yesterday. By Sports Reporter Boudiaf hoodwinked his marker and tacker Nam-Tae Hee but Al Sailiya’s before Rajab could get close to taking a threatening moves – Umm Salal picked Muaither box but his defl ection from Doha then fi red a shot that was blocked by Cameroonian import Raoul Loe put in a shot with Lekhwiya goalkeeper Claude up a bit of pace in the 21st minute when close range was wayward with only the Sailiya defender Dragos Grigore result- timely dive to thwart the danger. Amine embarrassingly out of position. al-Yahri fi red a bullet from close range goalkeeper to beat. ing in a corner kick for the former QSL After a lacklustre start to the fi rst In the 68th minute, Lekhwiya skip- but his shot was blocked by a Muaith- Three minutes later, al-Yahri scored our-time champions Lekhwiya champions. half, Lekhwiya sprung into life and per Boudiaf went for a long-range shot er defender though goalkeeper Basel his team’s fi rst and his second goal of swept past Al Sailiya, register- From the resulting corner kick, doubled their lead on the 56th minute. towards the Al Sailiyah goal but ‘keeper Zaidan was thrown off balance on the the season to put Umm Salal ahead. ing an impressive 3-0 win in the Lekhwiya’s Spanish defender Chico Lekhwiya striker El Arabi surprised a Gomis produced an acrobatic save, tip- goal-line. Lurking inside the Muaither box, al- Qatar Stars League yesterday. Flores produced a snap-header which pack of three Sailiya defenders by fi ring ping the ball over the crossbar with an With momentum on their side, Yahri made the most of a loose ball and FA double from striker Yousef El Arabi sailed above the goalkeeper’s head be- a curling shot into the back of the net. airborne right-handed fl ick. Umm Salal once again created a bit of fi red a bullet between the legs of de- and a goal from captain Karim Boudiaf fore hitting the crossbar in the 18th Marked by Paul Efoulou, Mubark Eid In the 79th minute, El Arabi doubled breathing space inside the Muaither fender Abdul, aiming for the right of confi rmed all three points for Djamel minute. and Dragos Grigore near the Al Sailiya his tally for the game and assured Le- box – this time al-Yahri chipping a lob goalkeeper Zaidan to score his team’s Belmadi’s side who registered their On the 36th minute Boudiaf pro- box, El Arabi paused for a fraction of khwiya all three points, pouncing on an ball over three defenders but his shot opening goal in the 69th minute. sixth win of the campaign. duced a neat lob shot from the edge of a second before producing a swing- Ali Afi f shot that hit the post and fell to was quickly picked up by goalkeeper In the 80th minute, Umm Salal After a slow start, the match kicked the box for his side’s fi rst goal. The ball ing shot to score a memorable goal for him. Zaidan in the 26th minute. doubled their lead. Halal Mohammed into top gear when Lekhwiya’s El Arabi sailed above goalkeeper Gomis’ head his side. Eight minutes later, Al Sailiya Meanwhile, Umm Salal dominat- Three minutes from the fi rst-half – after dribbling past one Muaither unleashed a powerful shot from the and crashed into the right hand side nearly scored but for Khalid Muftah’s ed proceedings to beat newcomers whistle, Umm Salal’s man of the match defender – chose to slip the ball to an edge of the box in the 5th minute only of the net as the Lekhwiya players cel- quick clearance near the goal-line. Muaither 2-0, with Abdulaziz al-Yahri al-Yahri slipped past his marker Omar unmarked Yannick Sagob who rifl ed a for Al Sailiya goalkeeper Gregory Go- ebrated the goal in emphatic fashion. Efoulou chipped in a ball for Rajab sta- and Yannick Sagbo scoring second half Abdul but his defl ection from close shot past goalkeeper Zaidan with con- mis to pouch the ball. In the last minute before the fi rst- tioned near the Lekhwiya’s goal-line. goals. range was swiftly nipped by goalkeeper summate ease. Lekhwiya slowly found their stride half whistle, the ever lively El Arabi Thankfully for Lekhiwiya, Muftah After a predictably slow start – Zaidan. In the 66th minute, Alef San- In another match, Wakrah and Al in the tie and Red Knights skipper slipped in a neat ball for Korean at- quickly moved in and cleared the ball where both sides struggled to stitch tos produced a snap-header inside the Arabi played out a 2-2 draw CRICKET England and Australia discuss day/night Test Reuters next summer.” CA have hosted two day- one day-night Test. Sydney night Tests under lights over the last “The scheduling of day-night Tests two seasons, both of which have been has been driven by a desire to make test a commercial success with large num- cricket more accessible, so it is wonder- iscussions over whether Aus- bers attending the matches against New ful to see the format resonate with so tralia will host England in a Zealand and South Africa. many of our fans,” Sutherland said after fi rst day-night Ashes crick- While both games were at the Ad- the South Africa game ended on Sun- et Test next year are taking elaide Oval, making it favourite to host day. Smith also told local media he felt Dplace but nothing has been decided yet, a day-night Ashes Test, Brisbane’s The pink ball cricket was here to stay, par- Cricket Australia (CA) said yesterday. Gabba will host its fi rst pink ball Test ticularly given the way lessons learned England head Down Under next No- later this month when Australia play from last year’s match against New Zea- vember for the 2017-18 series and local Pakistan. land had been applied. media reported yesterday that the Eng- England are to host their fi rst day- The inaugural day-night Test lasted land and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had night Test next August at Edgbaston just three days with the twilight dras- agreed in principle to play one of the against West Indies. tically aff ecting the movement of the matches under lights. Alastair Cook, the England captain, pink ball, while batsmen also said they A CA spokesman, however, said there said earlier this year he was against found it hard to see under lights. had not been an agreement yet and the playing an Ashes Test under lights in The match against South Africa last- tour itinerary was still being fi nalised, comments echoed by Australian coun- ed four days and an improved ball did though a day-night Test was part of terpart Steve Smith. not move around as much in the evening the discussions. “Ongoing scheduling Both felt the traditional rivalry, session, nor get scuff ed up by the pitch. of day-night Tests in the Australian the oldest in world cricket, generated “I’ve always said we need to get the summer is a natural progression,” the enough interest.However, CA chief product as right as we can and the ball spokesman said. “The Ashes is a great executive James Sutherland, a major in as good a shape as we can and I think contest and attracts huge audiences proponent of pink-ball cricket, said they’ve made some good improvements both at the ground and on television, the success of the two Adelaide Oval with that,” Smith told Australian Asso- but nothing has yet been confi rmed for games indicated the desire for at least ciated Press. Gulf Times 2 Friday, December 2, 2016 FOOTBALL LIGUE 1 Nice in pole as ton-up Cavani keeps PSG in hunt PSG trail Nice by a solitary point after the Cote d’Azur table-toppers handed Guingamp a first home defeat AFP did that. Everyone must pull together. There is a Paris fi ne margin between success and failure.” Nice will meet PSG just before the Christ- mas break and Favre said that encounter would aris Saint-Germain hotshot Edin- be crucial – albeit they are not looking that far son Cavani bagged his 100th goal for ahead. “If we take the three points in that one the club in a 2-0 win over Angers on then all well and good. (But) beforehand we have Wednesday to keep the reigning Ligue 1 Toulouse, who are a tough opponent. May I re- Pchampions on the heels of leaders Nice. mind you they are the only side to have beaten Cavani scored from the spot, adding to Thi- both Paris SG and Monaco, so that will be a big ago Silva’s opener to round off a win for the Pa- match.” risians, who trail Nice by a solitary point after Monaco, through at the expense of Totten- the Cote d’Azur table-toppers handed Guin- ham to the last 16 of the Champions League, are gamp a fi rst home defeat.