12 Friday, June 21, 2019 Sports Defending champions Qatar make it to Asian beach handball semi-finals Qatar, the defending champions, continued their impressive run in the Asian Men’s Beach Handball Championship with a fine 2-0 victory over challengers Vietnam in Weihai, China on Thursday. The fifth victory in a row placed four-time winners Qatar, looking for the fifth straight title, on the top of Pool A after the match between two unbeaten sides. In Pool B, four-time runners-up and 2004 champions Oman booked a slot in the semi-finals as they defeated group leaders Iran 2-1. The victory for Oman was quite crucial after losing to Thailand in the group stage. Thailand beat Saudi Arabia 2-1, which meant three teams - Iran, Oman and Thailand - had the same eight points each with four-one win-loss record. But due to better goal difference, Oman and Iran advanced to the last four stage, while the former went to the head of the pool. In the semi-finals, Qatar will take on Iran, while Oman face Vietnam. CUP TALK Spirited Bangladesh win Sri Lanka hope for middle order to click in key game against England LEEDS: Sri Lanka are relying on their middle order to start firing in their World Cup fixture against England on Friday to stay in hearts despite loss to Oz the hunt for a semi-final berth, captain Dimuth Karunaratne said on Thursday. In their previous game against Australia where they were chasing 334 runs for victory, Sri Lanka got off to a strong start, Centuries by Warner & Rahim; Australia go to the top of table with 48-run victory scoring 153-2 in less than 24 overs before their brittle middle order folded up. “They have lots of talent and, you know, they AFP Warner eventually fell to the did really good things for Sri Lanka in the recent past and I NOTTINGHAM (UNITED KINGDOM) same combination after facing think the only thing we need to do now is come up with a good STANDINGS 147 balls, hitting 14 fours and mindset,” Karunaratne told reporters during training. DAVID Warner’s century five sixes. “That’s a key area.” paved the way for Australia to TEAM P W L T NR PTS Khawaja fell in sight of The 1996 world champions are up against a destructive beat Bangladesh by 48 runs at AUSTRALIA 6 5 1 0 0 10 a hundred when he bottom- England batting line-up and Karunaratne is therefore plotting to Trent Bridge on Thursday as NEW ZEALAND 5 4 0 0 1 9 eged a pull off Soumya and stifle England’s big-hitters at Headingley to be in with a chance the reigning champions went ENGLAND 5 3 1 0 0 8 Mushfiqur dived forward to of victory. (Reuters) top of the World Cup table. INDIA 4 3 0 0 1 7 hold a good catch. Warner made Bangladesh BANGLADESH 6 2 3 0 1 5 Trent Bridge has twice pay for dropping him on 10 SRI LANKA 5 1 2 0 2 4 seen England set a record in- England approach every game as with an innings of 166 -- the WEST INDIES 5 1 3 0 1 3 nings score in a one-day inter- if it were their last: Moeen left-handed opener’s second SOUTH AFRICA 6 1 4 0 1 3 national, including the current century of the World Cup -- in mark of 481-6 against Austral- LEEDS: England’s approach to a gruelling round-robin World PaKISTAN 5 1 3 0 1 3 a total of 381-5. ia last year. Cup format is to play every game as if it were their last, all- Bangladesh, needing to AFGHANISTAN 5 0 5 0 0 0 Bangladesh did not help rounder Moeen Ali said on Thursday. surpass Ireland’s World Cup Note: Top four teams qualify for semi-finals. their own cause when a cha- The group stage of the World Cup involves each team record chase of 329-7 against otic mix-up between Tamim playing the other nine once before the top four progress to the England in 2011, struggled to Iqbal and Soumya saw the lat- semi-finals. keep up with the required run- ter run out by Finch’s direct Moeen, who will play his 100th one-day international for rate. hit from mid-on. England against Sri Lanka in their sixth World Cup game at Mushfiqur Rahim hit Shakib Al Hasan, fresh Headingley on Friday, said the team were keeping their foot on a fine 102 not out but the from his match-winning the gas. “Every game we play like it’s our last game and I think wicket-keeper’s entertaining century against the West In- if we play like that... to have the enjoyment and stuff, but every fifth-wicket stand of 127 with dies, then fell for 41 when game is huge,” he told reporters during training. Mahmudullah (69) came too Australia’s David Warner smashes the ball during the Cricket World Cup match against Bangladesh at Trent he chipped a Marcus Stoinis England are second in the standings with four wins from late to alter the course of the Bridge, Notthingham on Thursday. (REUTERS) slower ball to Warner at mid- five matches. Their only defeat was against Pakistan at Trent match as Bangladesh finished off. Bridge. (AFP) on 333-8 after their 50 overs. from eight overs but, by the Tamim played on to Defeat left them in fifth SCOREBOARD time the sixth bowler came on, Mitchell Starc for 62 and the place, with only the top four AUSTRALIA BANGLADESH Australia had already benefit- left-arm fast bowler’s first ball Bumrah won’t relax in nets from the 10-team round-robin D. Warner c Rubel Hossain b Soumya Sarkar 166 Tamim Iqbal b Starc 62 ed from plenty of wayward de- to Liton Das saw the new bats- despite bruising Shankar A. Finch c Rubel Hossain b Soumya Sarkar 53 Soumya Sarkar run out (Finch) 10 group stage qualifying for the U. Khawaja c Mushfiqur Rahim b Soumya Sarkar 89 Shakib Al Hasan c Warner b Stoinis 41 liveries from an attack missing man struck on the helmet by a semi-finals. G. Maxwell run out (Rubel Hossain) 32 Mushfiqur Rahim not out 102 paceman Mohammad Saifud- bouncer but he batted on after SOUTHAMPTON: Indian paceman Jasprit Bumrah takes his “It’s a great achievement M. Stoinis not out 17 Liton Das lbw b Zampa 20 din, who was ruled out with a receiving on-field treatment. net sessions seriously and said he had no plans to drop his but for us it’s about getting S. Smith lbw b Mustafizur Rahman 1 Mahmudullah c Cummins b Coulter-Nile 69 back spasm. Das was eventually lbw to intensity during practice, even after injuring teammate Vijay A. Carey not out 11 Sabbir Rahman b Coulter-Nile 0 these two points and moving Extras (b1, lb5, nb1, w5) 12 Mehidy Hasan Miraz c Warner b Starc 6 Finch, fresh from his 153 leg-spinner Adam Zampa but Shankar. on to Lord’s,” said man-of-the- Total (five wkts, 50 overs) 381 Mashrafe Mortaza c Maxwell b Stoinis 6 in a win over Sri Lanka, set the the experienced Mushfiqur Bumrah’s yorker during Wednesday’s session at the Hamp- match Warner. Did not bat: N. Coulter-Nile, P. Cummins, M. Starc, A. Extras (b4, lb4, w9) 17 tone by launching Bangladesh continued to give the massed shire Bowl left Shankar with a bruised toe, and the all-rounder “You’ve got to adapt and Zampa Total (eight wkts, 50 overs) 333 captain Mashrafe Mortaza -- ranks of Bangladesh fans in skipped the nets on Thursday. Fall of wickets: 1-121 (Finch); 2-313 (Warner), 3-352 Did not bat: Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman it’s about momentum, so far (Maxwell), 4-353 (Khawaja), 5-354 (Smith) Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Soumya), 2-102 (Shakib), the sole survivor on either side the crowd plenty to cheer. Bumrah said Shankar was fine ahead of Saturday’s World things are working well,” he Bowling: Mashrafe 8-0-56-0; Mustafizur 9-0-69-1 3-144 (Tamim), 4-175 (Liton), 5-302 (Mahmudullah), from the Tigers’ shock 2005 There were more roars of Cup match against Afghanistan after the “unfortunate” added. “It was a tad slow, the (1w); Shakib 6-0-50-0; Rubel 9-0-83-0 (1nb, 3w); 6-302 (Sabbir), 7-323 (Mehidy), 8-333 (Mashrafe) ODI victory over Australia in approval when Mahmudullah incident. wicket, but it was a grind for Mehidy 10-0-59-0 (1w); Soumya 8-0-58-3. Bowling: Starc 10-0-55-2; Cummins 10-1-65-0 (3w); Cardiff -- for six over cover. launched Zampa for a 95-me- “We obviously don’t want to injure a batsman...It was not Result: Australia won by 48 runs Maxwell 3-0-25-0; Coulter-Nile 10-0-58-2 (1w); the bowlers, it was very diffi- Man-of-the-match: David Warner Stoinis 8-0-54-2; Zampa 9-0-68-1 (1w). But the opener was out tre straight six before he holed the aim, it was unfortunate that he got hit. He’s okay, he’s fine. cult for the bowlers.” soon after completing his out. But you have to do all your preparations and practise all your The 32-year-old Warner, eighth fifty in 11 ODI in- And the crowd rose to their deliveries.” the highest run-scorer of the a 12-month ban for his role in from Australia captain Aaron nings when he guided a ris- feet when Mushfiqur complet- Few quicks bowl at full tilt at the nets but Bumrah, currently tournament, with 447 runs, is a ball-tampering scandal in Finch (53) and Usman Kha- ing Soumya delivery to Rubel ed his seventh ODI century, the top ranked bowler in one-day internationals, sees it as an back to his devastating best South Africa.