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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013 SPORTS

ZHEZKAZGAN: Soyuz TMA-09M capsule carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew of Russian Fyodor Yurchikhin, American Karen Nyberg and Luca Parmitano of Italy lands in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan. The Russian space capsule carrying the Sochi Olympic torch and the three astronauts returned to Earth yesterday from the ISS in a flawless landing on the steppes of Kazakhstan. —AP Olympic torch back on Earth after spacewalk NEAR ZHEZKAZGAN: A Russian spacecraft brought Olympics. His image abroad has been damaged by space travellers — to the provincial capital Mount Elbrus, in the longest torch relay before any three astronauts and the Olympic torch back to Earth what critics say is a clampdown on dissent, and a law Karaganda. The torch taken on the spacewalk will be Winter Games. yesterday after the torch was taken on its first space- banning homosexual “propaganda” among minors. used to light the flame at the Olympics in February in The torch was taken on Thursday to the space sta- walk in the run-up to the 2014 Winter Games in The torch was unlit throughout the space voyage, Sochi, a Russian resort city on the Black Sea. The tion, a $100 billion project of 15 nations, by Japanese Sochi. for safety reasons. That also precluded the possibility torch was taken into space in 1996 and 2000 but had astronaut Koichi Wakata, American Rick Mastracchio Russia’s Fyodor Yurchikhin beamed as he held up that the flame could fail - a problem that has not previously been outside the space station. and Russian Mikhail Tyurin. the silver-and-grey torch alongside American Karen occurred dozens of times, including an incident cap- In Karaganda, Yurchikhin, Nyberg and Parmitano Torches have been brought on space missions Nyberg and Italian Luca Parmitano on the Kazakh tured live on national television in which the torch were given traditional Kazakh robes and chocolates before the 1996 and 2000 Games, but had never steppe after returning from the International Space went out in the Kremlin minutes after Putin presided with their pictures on the boxes. Nyberg felt unwell been taken out into space. Station after a 166-day mission. over the start of the relay. and skipped a news conference. The returning crew also brought back a piece of a Slowed by parachutes and braking rockets fired to Cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky “Space is a serious thing,” Yurchikhin said. “It spacesuit worn by Parmitano that may have been soften the impact, their Soyuz TMA-09M capsule took it with them on a spacewalk on Saturday, posing affects different bodies and different people in differ- responsible for a leak that caused his helmet to fill landed on schedule at 8:49 a.m. (0249 GMT) after a outside the orbiting station with the first Olympic ent ways.” with water, forcing an emergency end to NASA’s last three-and-half-hour descent. torch taken into the vacuum of space. Russia cast the spacewalk as part of its pre-Sochi spacewalk on July 16. The torch display was a suc- “The Olympic torch is home after a four-day jour- After their return to Earth, Yurchikhin, Nyberg and torch relay, a record-breaking trek meant to show off cess, but other tasks on the nearly six-hour spacewalk ney,” a NASA TV announcer said after the flawless Parmitano were pulled through the hatch of the the country’s size, diversity and post-Soviet achieve- on Saturday did not go as well. descent through a cloudless sky and a “bulls-eye cramped capsule, carried to chairs and covered with ments, but the 65,000 km (40,000 mile) relay contin- The cosmonauts were unable to fold up an anten- touchdown” in the tall tawny brush of central thick blankets against the minus 4 Centigrade (25 ued separately on the ground. na from an experiment involving predicting seismic Kazakhstan, near the remote town of Zhezkazgan. Fahrenheit) cold outside. Since Putin held a torch aloft in Red Square on events such as earthquakes, or to reposition a plat- President Vladimir Putin, who has been in power The torch was then handed to a Sochi 2014 official Oct. 6, bearers have taken the Olympic flame to the form designed to anchor astronauts’ legs when they since 2000, has staked his reputation on a successful and flown by helicopter — separately from the three North Pole and will bring it to Europe’s highest peak, work outside the station. —Reuters De Villiers wrecks Pakistan

SHARJAH: AB de Villiers stormed to an unbeaten century to help South Africa beat Pakistan convinc- ingly by 117 runs in the fifth and final one-day in Sharjah yesterday, winning the five-match series 4- 1. AB de Villiers scored 115 from 102 balls with ten boundaries and three sixes-his 15th one-day hun- dred-to lift South Africa to an imperious 268-7 before Pakistan out for 151 in 35.3 overs. Sohaib Maqsood top-scored with a solid 53 but otherwise Pakistan failed to capitalise a weakened South African bowling attack with spearheads and Morne Morkel, and spinner rested for the meaningless match as the series was already decided. Pakistan were 8-2 with (two) and (six) by the fifth over, once again highlighting the top-order failure in the series. It was Maqsood, who hit 56 on his debut in Abu Dhabi on Friday, who gave some consolation SPAIN: This file picture taken on February 1, 2011 shows Ferrari team driver Brazilian to another lackluster effort with a 63-ball Felipe Massa watching a training session at the Ricardo Tormo racetrack in Cheste, half-century before he became one of two victims near Valencia. —AFP for Jean-Paul Duminy who finished with 2-14. finished with 3-36. Williams sign Massa for 2014 made 30 while skipper Misbah-ul Haq managed 18. (nine) and Umar LONDON: Williams have signed Brazil’s Sebastian Vettel having already wrapped Amin (five) failed once more as South Africa took Felipe Massa as one of their drivers for the up his fourth successive Formula One title. the last six for a mere 41 runs. The South 2014 Formula One season, the British team “We are delighted to be able to confirm African skipper hit a 102-ball 115 studded with ten announced yesterday. our 2014 driver line-up and welcome Felipe boundaries and three sixes to lift South Africa who Massa, 32, joins from grid rivals Ferrari, into the Williams family,” said team founder won the toss and batted on a slow Sharjah stadium pitch. De Villiers lifted the tempo in the final overs, for whom he has raced since the 2006 sea- and principal Frank Williams. SHARJAH: Pakistan’s Misbah-ul Haq (right) plays a shot as South African wicketkeeper son, with Pastor Maldonado axed by “He is an exceptional talent and a real hitting Sohail Tanvir’s final over for 25 runs, reaching his hundred with a four towards mid-, which Quinton de Kock looks on during the fifth and final at Sharjah Williams. fighter on the race track; he also brings a Stadium. —AP “The Williams F1 Team is delighted to wealth of experience as we begin a new came off 99 balls. He then hit the left-armer for six, announce that Felipe Massa will join the chapter in our story.” four and four to help South Africa add 114 in the team to drive alongside Valtteri Bottas for Massa said he was delighted to be join- last ten overs. At 105 he also completed 6,000 one- SCOREBOARD the 2014 FIA Formula One World ing another “iconic” team and one for day runs, becoming the fifth South African batsmen Championship season,” a team statement whom Brazilian Grand Prix greats Nelson to reach the milestone. Jacques Kallis (11,469), Herschelle Gibbs (8094), Graeme Smith (6976) and SHARJAH: Scoreboard of the fifth and final day-night international between Pakistan and South Africa at Sharjah said. Piquet and Ayrton Senna had both raced. stadium on Monday: Gary Kirsten (6798) were others to score 6,000 or “The new line-up reflects Williams’ “Williams is one of the most successful and South Africa Pakistan determination to bring success back to the important teams of all time in Formula more one-day runs for South Africa. De Villiers was initially slow, reaching his fifty off Hashmi Amla lbw b Irfan 3 Mohammad Hafeez b Philander 6 team,” added the statement, the marque One,” Massa said. Ahmed Shehzad c Philander b Tsotsobe 2 70 balls, with a big six off towards Q. de Kock lbw b Ajmal 34 having managed just a solitary point in the “When I was a kid, I always dreamed Sohaib Maqsood c Philander b Duminy 53 mid-wicket. He added an invaluable 83 for the sixth F. du Plessis c Tanvir b Khan 46 2013 Formula One constructors’ champi- about racing for Williams, Ferrari or Umar Amin lbw b Philander 5 wicket with Ryan McLaren (27) before lashing out JP Duminy c Shehzad b Hafeez 2 onship with two rounds left. McLaren and I’m glad to be signing with Misbah-ul-Haq c Miller b McLaren 18 in the final overs. De Villiers had built the innings AB de Villiers not out 115 Umar Akmal lbw b Duminy 30 Massa’s Grand Prix future was called into another icon of the sport following my time with an invaluable 62 runs stand for the fourth D. Miller c and b Ajmal 15 Shahid Afridi c and b Parnell 9 question when Ferrari announced they had at Ferrari. wicket with Faf du Plessis who made an 89-balls 46 R. McLaren c Khan b Ajmal 27 Sohail Tanvir c de Kock b McLaren 15 re-signed Kimi Raikkonen for next season. “It is also nice to remember that some of with the help of two boundaries. R. Peterson b Khan 2 Saeed Ajmal lbw b Parnell 1 In 12 seasons in Formula One, Massa has the best Brazilian drivers raced for Williams c Amla b Parnell 0 Quinton de Kock (34) added 50 with Du Plessis W. Parnell not out 8 won 11 races and recorded 36 podium fin- and cemented a strong national link with not out 1 after Hashim Amla fell in the first over of the Extras: (b4, lb5, w7) 16 ishes. the team. Extras: (w11) 11 innings for three. Ajmal finished with 3-45 while Total: (seven wkts; 50 overs) 268 He narrowly missed out on the 2008 “I hope my experience will be useful in Total: (all out; 35.3 overs) 151 Khan took 2-57. South Africa won the first match Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Amla), 2-54 (De Kock), 3-62 Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Shehzad), 2-8 (Hafeez), 3-17 (Amin), drivers’ world title to Britain’s Lewis helping the team in its effort to move on by one run in Sharjah before Pakistan levelled the 4-56 (Misbah), 5-110 (Umar), 6-128 (Afridi), 7-130 Hamilton by just a single point but helped from a difficult period,” he added. (Duminy), 4-124 (Du Plessis), 5-150 (Miller), 6-233 series with 66-run win in Dubai. South Africa then (McLaren), 7-240 (Peterson). (Maqsood), 8-131 (Ajmal), 9-131 (Irfan) Bowling: Ferrari win the constructors’ world title in No Williams driver has won the world Philaner 8-2-23-2 (1w), Tsotsobe 7-0-28-1 (3w), McLaren won both the matches in Abu Dhabi by 68 and 28 Bowling: Irfan 10-0-52-1 (3w), Tanvir 8-0-58-0, Ajmal 10- both 2007 and 2008. title since Canada’s Jacques Villeneuve in runs respectively. The two teams now play 4.3-1-21-1 (2w), Peterson 5-0-29-0, Parnell 7-1-36-3 Massa is currently eighth in the drivers’ 1997, the same year the team won the last 0-45-3 (1w), Hafeez 3-0-10-1, Afridi 10-0-37-0 (3w). Khan (5w), Duminy 4-1-14-2 Result: South Africa won by 117 internationals in Dubai tomorrow and 9-0-57-2 runs to take five-match series 4-1 standings for 2013, with Red Bull’s of its nine constructors’ titles. —AFP Friday. —AFP Prior ruled out of England’s last pre-Ashes tour match

SYDNEY: Vice captain Matt Prior has been ruled mate Ian Bell told reporters at the Sydney Cricket the test team regardless of how well he played experience in the team so we can cope with that,” XI for the four-day match, which starts on out of England’s last tour match before the start of Ground (SCG) yesterday. this week. “I would have thought that if Matt’s fit, he added. “To have four hundreds out of two bat- Wednesday. the Ashes series due to a calf tear but the tourists “There’s still a bit of time (before the first test), he plays,” said Bell. “He’s been a massive part of our ting innings is a fantastic start to the tour. Callum Ferguson, though, gets another chance are confident he will be fit to play in next week’s Matt’s got himself into fantastic shape for this tour success, he’s vice captain of this team, he’s an Hopefully we can carry on with what we’ve done to face the tourists after wet weather limited his first Test in Brisbane. and he’ll be really good with his rehab and I’ve got important guy in the dressing room not just what so far in terms of the batting and also some opportunity to impress in Hobart. Wicketkeeper Prior, who sustained the injury in every faith he’ll be fully fit for Brisbane. he does on the pitch.” bowlers get some rhythm as well. “It would be “Callum Ferguson didn’t get the depth of inter- the match against Australia A in Hobart on “It gives someone else an opportunity, and it’ll After losing substantial part of the Hobart nice to get some cricket this week, but we’ll be national exposure we hoped to give him through Saturday, has a “low grade” tear to his left calf so be good for Jonny Bairstow to get out there with match to rain, England arrived in Sydney to similar ready for Brisbane, no doubt about that.” his Australia A selection,” Cricket Australia’s Pat will not feature in this week’s match against an the gloves on in an England shirt.” wet and windy weather on Sunday. Bell also said he thought key England batsman Howard said in a news release. “We felt it made Invitational XI, a team official said. Back-up wicketkeeper Bairstow played as a Their outdoor training session at the SCG had Kevin Pietersen, who had a cortisone injection in sense to select him in the next tour match against “It’s disappointing, Matt is a key part of our lower order batsman in four of the matches in the to be cancelled yesterday and Bell admitted the his knee on Sunday, would play this week. England.” Australia name their squad for the open- success over the years and obviously we want him first Ashes series of the year but Bell did not think disrupted preparations for the series had not been Australia have dropped batsmen Phillip ing Test today in Brisbane, where the series gets to get recovered as quick as possible,” Prior’s team he had much chance of dislodging a fit Prior from ideal. “We’ve got what we’ve got, we’ve got a lot of Hughes and Usman Khawaja from the Invitational underway at the Gabba on Nov. 21. —Reuters