CRICKETCRICKET| Page 4 Handscomb, Turner help Australia chase record 359 Monday, March 11, 2019 FOOTBALL Rajab 4, 1440 AH Arsenal end Solskjaer GULF TIMES run with 2-0 win over Man United SPORT Page 2 MOTORCYCLING/ THE VISITQATAR GRAND PRIX Dovizioso beats Marquez in second straight Qatar thriller For Dovizioso and Honda, it was an unexpected victory after having struggled in the pre-season Qatar testing By Sahan Bidappa ers were greeted to less wind Doha and cold conditions in the 22-lap race. Not much sepa- rated the riders as 10 bikes were t was a déjà vu moment neck-in-neck with fi ve laps to for Andrea Dovizioso. The go after Dovizioso had took an Ducati rider has had many early lead. close tussles with reigning The highly-rated Rins had Iworld champion Marc Mar- made the best start, moving quez in the past – including up from 10th on the grid, and last year’s MotoGP Grand Prix went out for an early attack of Qatar — and more often than on Dovizioso. The pair traded not had the better of the Honda the lead many times before the rider. 23-year-old Rins failed to keep Last night at the Losail In- up the pace as Marquez swiftly ternational Circuit, Dovizioso moved into second. once again fended off the chal- Rins – touted as a future lenge of Marquez to win his sec- world champion – showed his ond successive Qatar GP. The quality as the Spaniard moved 32-year-old, in a repeat of last back to second on lap 15, before year’s thrilling race, crossed the outbreaking at Turn 1 on lap fi nish line just 0.023s ahead of 20, which spoiled his hopes of Second placed Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda with his trophy. Marquez in what was a fi tting a victory. way to start the new season. It was then a battle between LCR Honda rider Cal Dovizioso and Marquez as it Crutchlow was gifted the fi - brought back memories of the nal podium spot by Alex Rins, 2018 race. Hoping not to take after the Suzuki rider made a it to the last lap, Marquez made mistake with two laps to go. his move in the penultimate But the rider of the race was lap and passed his rival at Turn Italian legend Valentino Rossi, 10 but Dovizioso was quick to who conjured up his Sunday swoop in at Turn 11 and take magic again to fi nish fi fth after back the lead. starting from 14th on the grid. On the last lap, Dovizioso His Yamaha team-mate and had to rebuff another attack pole-sitter Vinales could only from the reigning champion manage seventh, behind the at Turn 10 before Marquez second factory Ducati of Danilo made a desperate lunge at the Petrucci. last corner. But the 26-year- For Dovizioso and Honda, old ran wide which allowed a it was an unexpected vic- determined Dovizioso to take tory after having struggled in the straight line and win by a the pre-season Qatar testing, whisker. where they were at best 14th. “It was exactly like last year. Dovizioso, however, had shown Exactly the same,” said Mar- MotoGP winner Andrea Dovizioso of Italy exults after receiving his trophy from HE the Minister of Culture the bike had enough pace when quez, who had started from and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali at the Losail International Circuit yesterday. he had qualifi ed second behind third place. “I tried to push but PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil and agencies Third placed Cal Crutchlow of LCR Honda celebrates on the podium. Vinales for the season-opening here in the circuit when you race on Saturday. Later he had overtake on the dirty place, you SPOTLIGHT admitted he ‘didn’t expect’ just go wide, was so diffi cult to to claim a front row start and keep the line. Anyway I tried, I wasn’t considering himself a tried to be there, I tried to push, favourite to win. I tried until the end,” he added. Baldassarri triumphs in Moto 2 despite late Luthi charge “I don’t know, it was a Marquez was content with strange race. I was managing 20 points, conceding the Lo- the rear tyre because every- sail track is not suited for his body was struggling. In the Honda bike. “I am very happy, end it was diffi cult to manage especially because it’s a cir- the tyre. I saw Marc in the last cuit that we struggle on. This lap, struggle a lot with the rear weekend we were struggling a tyre, so it was good for me to lot with the front tyre. We put understand that and I pushed on a medium tyre and I wasn’t really hard in the last lap, but able to push like I would like in Marc never give up, he’s always the brake points. But okay, we there — but I was able to answer fi nish the race, 20 points. One because I put him really on the race, that normally we strug- limit,” Dovizioso said. gle, is less from the calendar,” Unlike in the qualifying, rid- Marquez said with a smile. Qatar Grand Prix results – collated MotoGP Moto2 1. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA/Ducati) 1. Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA/Kalex) 42.36:902, 2. Marc Marquez (ESP/Hon- 39min 56.109sec, 2. Thomas Luthi Picture at left shows Flexbox’s Lorenzo Baldassarri (C) with his trophy after winning the Moto 2 race alongside second placed Dynavolt Intact GP’s Thomas Luthi (L) and third da) at 0.023, 3.Cal Crutchlow (GBR/ (SUI/Kalex) at 0.026sec, 3. Marcel placed Dynavolt Intact GP’s Marcel Schrotter. Picture at right shows Honda Team Asia’s Kaito Toba (C) celebrating his Moto 3 win alongside second placed Leopard Racing’s Honda-LCR) 0.320, 4. Alex Rins (ESP/ Schrotter (GER/Kalex) 2.123. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (L) and third placed Sterilgarda Max Racing Team’s Aron Canet . Suzuki) 0.457, 5. Valentino Rossi (ITA/ Moto2 standings: Yamaha) 0.600, 6. Danilo Petrucci 1. Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA/Kalex) Agencies As the lights went out it was Xavi Vi- Luthi then got in on the act, fight- Porta on the final straight. (ITA/Ducati) 2.320, 7. Maverick Vinales 25 points, 2. Thomas Luethi (SUI/ Doha erge (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) who took the ing his way through to fifth place before In doing so, the 18-year-old Honda (ESP/Yamaha) 2.481, 8. Joan Mir (ESP/ Kalex) 20 points, holeshot from the middle of the front setting back-to-back lap records around star became the first ever Japanese rider Suzuki) 5.088, 9. Takaaki Nagakami 3. Marcel Schrotter: 16 points (GER/ row of the grid whilst carnage ensued the Losail International Circuit to close to win in the Moto3 class. (JPN/Honda-LCR) 7.406, 10. Aleix Kalex) lexbox HP 40’s Lorenzo Baldas- behind. in onto the back of Marquez before “It’s an amazing feeling,” he said Espargaro (ESP/Aprilia 9.636 Moto3 sarri had to fight off huge last Debutant Nicolo Bulega (SKY Racing quickly disposing of the Moto2 veteran. afterwards. “This weekend we have MotoGP world championship 1. Kaito Toba (JPN/Honda) 38 min lap pressure from the returning Team VR46), Iker Lecuona (American The Kalex man then jumped into third worked very, very hard.” 8.887sec, 2. Lorenzo Dalla Porta standings: Tom Luthi (Dynavolt Intact GP) Racing KTM) and Jorge Navarro (+Ego place past Australian Gardner with six Toba and Dalla Porta were wheel-to- (ITA/Honda) at 0.053sec, 3.Aron 1. Andrea Dovizioso 25 points, 2. Marc Fto take Moto2 victory at the VisitQatar Speed Up) all crashed out at Turn 1 be- laps remaining and set up a grandstand wheel rounding the last corner of the 18- Canet (ESP/KTM) at 0.174 finish by catching and passing teammate lap race in Doha, but the Japanese rider Marquez 20, 3. Cal Crutchlow 16, 4. Moto3 standings: Grand Prix. fore Red Bull KTM Tech 3’s Marco Bez- Alex Rins 13, 5. Valentino Rossi 11, 6. 1. Kaito Toba (JPN/Honda) 25 The Italian lead from lap two but had zechi crashed out of his debut ride at Schrotter with four laps left. had just enough speed to grasp victory Danilo Petrucci 10, 7. Maverick Vinales points, 2. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (ITA/ to ride brilliantly in the final sector of Turn 6. Baldassarri blasted his way past Meanwhile, Japanese teenager Kaito in the final few metres, winning by less 9, 8. Joan Mir 8, 9. Takaaki Nagakami Honda) 20, 3. Aron Canet (ESP/ the last lap to hold off a charging Luthi, Vierge on lap two before slowly but sure- Toba snatched victory in the first Moto3 than a wheel’s length. 7, 10. Aleix Espargaro 6 KTM) 16 eventually taking the chequered flag just ly beginning to build up an advantage Grand Prix of the season yesterday, dra- “I did my best,” said the Italian run- 0.026 of a second ahead. over the chasing pack. matically overtaking rival Lorenzo Dalla ner-up, also riding a Honda. Gulf Times 2 Monday, March 11, 2019 FOOTBALL REPORT LA LIGA Valencia snatch late win at Girona, Betis Liverpool restore ease past Celta DPA could only head the ball at Madrid Neto after the goalkeeper had pushed out Seydou Doumbia’s eff ort. “Each goal I score with alencia earned a dra- this club I’ll never forget,” said EPL credentials as matic late 3-2 win Valencia’s match winner over Girona while Torres.