Sports Sunday, May 26, 2019 19 New Zealand brush aside India Smith’s ton sparks in low-scoring WC warm-up REUTERS to leave India floundering at “It was quicker in the first in- LONDON 39-4. Ravindra Jadeja’s 54 off nings than the second innings, 50 balls gave India a respect- it got slower later on.” During Aussies to victory NEW Zealand comfortably able total before he was caught the chase, Kohli opted not to beat India by six wickets in a sharply at backward point by give his trio of front-line fast World Cup warm-up match at Martin Guptill. bowlers too many overs with England skittled out for 285 during a World Cup warm-up match The Oval in London on Satur- James Neesham’s me- Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jas- day after restricting the Virat prit Bumrah and Mohammed AFP England’s reply saw James Kohli-led side to 179. Shami bowling only four overs SOUTHAMPTON (UNITED KINGDOM) Vince, on his Hampshire Skipper Kane Williamson India’s top order capitulat- each. home ground, make 64 and and Ross Taylor made a 114- ed in the first innings as “We bowled well. They STEVE Smith ignored the stand-in captain Jos Buttler a run partnership for the third Trent Boult made the best were going at four, 4.5 (runs) jeers of the crowd to mark his blistering 52. wicket which helped the Kiwis use of seaming conditions per over and looking at that in first match against England But both batsmen got out to chase down the total with isolation we did well,” Kohli since a ball-tampering ban when well set as England, top nearly 13 overs to spare. to pick up three quick said. with a century that set up Aus- of the one-day international “Facing a quality side like wickets. “From 50 for four to get tralia’s 12-run win in a World rankings and fresh from a 4-0 India and scoring some runs to 180 was a good effort. And Cup warm-up clash at South- series win over Pakistan, suf- is always good,” Williamson dium pace came in handy as of course, there wasn’t much ampton on Saturday. fered their first defeat of the said. he picked up three wickets in the pitch when we came to Smith’s 116 was the centre- season. India’s top order capitu- but there was nothing on of- bowl.” India play one more piece of world champions Aus- Buttler, leading England lated in the first innings as fer to assist spinners Mitchell warm-up game against Bang- tralia’s 297 for nine. in the absence of the injured Trent Boult made the best use Santner and Ish Sodhi who ladesh in Cardiff on Tuesday A target of 298 proved just Morgan, hit 24 off one over of seaming conditions to pick were both carted for 19 and 18 while New Zealand play West beyond England, without four from fast bowler Nathan Coul- up three quick wickets, send- runs respectively in their three Indies in Bristol on the same first-choice players including ter-Nile. ing Rohit Sharma, Shikhar overs. day. The World Cup begins on captain Eoin Morgan and fel- A fierce cut for four was fol- Dhawan and KL Rahul back to “We didn’t get too much Thursday. low batsman Joe Root, as the lowed by an 84-metre straight the pavilion for a combined 10 from the spinners but hope- Brief scores World Cup hosts and favourites six before Buttler cut another runs. fully we can get them some New Zealand 180 for 4 (Taylor 71, Williamson were dismissed for 285 with boundary. Kohli also fell quickly, cas- work in the second warm-up 67) beat India 179 (Jadeja 54, Boult 4 for three balls left. He didn’t score off the tled by Colin de Grandhomme game,” Williamson added. 33, Neesham 3 for 26) by six wickets “I’m pretty chilled, every- fourth ball of the 27th over but one’s entitled to their opinion,” Australia’s Steve Smith celebrates his century during an ICC World made amends off the last two, Smith told Sky Sports during Cup warm-up match against host team England in Southampton on with a huge pulled six off the the innings break when asked Saturday. (REUTERS) fifth delivery followed by an about the crowd’s taunts. edged four past wicket-keeper RabaDA READY FOR ENGLAND CHALLENGE “I’m just happy to be back But that fixture was played as he returned to the pavilion to Alex Carey. playing. Fortunately, I was able in front of fewer than 30 spec- be replaced by Smith, coming But Coulter-Nile had his CARDIFF: South Africa speedster Kagiso hoped Rabada would get better as the tourna- to contribute today and hope- tators whereas there were sev- in with Australia 82 for two. revenge when Buttler chipped Rabada conceded feeling rusty in their warm-up ment progressed. fully I can take this form into eral thousand in the main arena The BBC reported there him to short mid-wicket. match against Sri Lanka but was relieved that “KG has been slowly building up, working the World Cup.” on Saturday for the first of sev- were a few chants of “cheat, Vince then guided paceman he did not feel any pain on his return to action on his action and working on his run-up. Today Afterwards, Australia cap- eral Anglo-Australian clashes cheat, cheat”, although a lone Jason Behrendorff straight from a back injury. was the first time he was bowling at full inten- tain Aaron Finch said: “Overall in a season featuring both the Australia fan shouted “Get ‘em to Nathan Lyon at short third A key cog in South Africa’s bid for a maiden sity,” du Plessis said. the way we batted was a good World Cup and a five-Test Ash- Stevie!”. man. World Cup title, Rabada returned home from Rabada headlines what is one of the effort. I thought Steve Smith es series. There was, however, the Worryingly for England, the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this best pace attacks in the tournament who will played a really impressive Warner was booed first by customary round of applause fast bowler Mark Wood could month to avoid aggravating a back problem begin their campaign on Thursday against an knock.” spectators on Saturday when he from the crowd for a batsman only manage 3.1 overs before ahead of the showpiece tournament. England side teeming with explosive stroke- Smith and David Warner walked out to open with Finch reaching his fifty when Smith going off with what a team The right-arm paceman returned figures of players. only returned to international after Australia lost the toss. got to the landmark. spokesman said was “left foot 7-0-40-1 in their 87-run victory against 1996 “England is going to be a stiff challenge, duty earlier this month after Long a thorn in England’s discomfort”. champions Sri Lanka on Friday and was not but an enjoyable one,” said Rabada, who they both completed year-long Jeers & boos side, Smith went to 99 with a England do, however, ex- unhappy with the outing. turned 24 on Saturday. suspensions for their roles in And when the left-hander superb carved six over third pect to have Morgan back from “I felt a bit rusty, but it was good to get a “It’s crunch time - the first game of the a ball-tampering scandal in arrived at the crease, one fan man off Ben Stokes. a finger injury when they open run out in the middle and get a feel for things World Cup and it’s going to go down in history. South Africa. shouted: “Get off Warner you The next ball delivery saw the World Cup against South again,” he said. “They’re a strong team, with good batsmen The disgraced duo’s first cheat.” Smith complete a 94-ball hun- Africa at the Oval on Thursday. “There’s no pain. I’m feeling all right, just and bowlers. Multiple players from our team match in England this tour Warner’s dismissal for 43, dred, including eight fours, rusty in terms of my bowling smoothness. But have played against England, we’re familiar was a hastily arranged, unof- caught in the deep by Jonny prompting yet more boos as Brief scores it’s all a work in progress. with them and that helps. ficial warm-up match against Bairstow off Liam Plunkett, well as clapping to acknowl- Australia 297 for 9 (Smith 116, Warner 43, “That’s why we have warm-up games so “On the day, we have to rock up. With the the West Indies on the nurs- was greeted by immediate edge his century before he was Plunkett 4-69) beat England 285 all out it’ll be a challenge for me to get ready before quality they possess, we need to make sure we ery ground at Southampton on cheers from England fans. dismissed off the penultimate (Vince 64, Buttler 52, Behrendorff 2-43) by the tournament starts.” Skipper Faf du Plessis are on top.” (AFP) Wednesday. But there were more boos ball of the innings. 12 runs Panesar hopes M Pallonji claim Gulf Incon-Metabo cricket title to return to TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK Cenia, General Manager, Me- Praveen was dismissed in the DOHA tabo Middle East, and Prateek third over. Thereafter, they action soon Yadav, Business Development pressed the accelerator with M Pallonji capped their calcu- Manager, Metabo.