SPORTS Friday, September 8, 2017 21 Holder leads Bahrain athletes West Indies recovery London set for challenge est Indies Jason DT News Network in the last few months. Ironman 70.3 World WHolder starred in a BRIEF SCORE Manama I see the race as a great Championship, which dramatic fightback as England 46 for 4 (Malan he championship challenge and it would is my main goal of the tumbled on a remarkable first 13*, Stokes 13*) trail West Tseason is heating mean a lot to show a year,” says the Spaniard. day of the third and deciding Indies 123 (Stokes 6-22) up with the Bahrain good performance.” “I hope the hard training Test against England at by 77 runs Endurance Team Holly Lawrence is will be reflected on race Lord’s yesterday. heading into the on deck to defend the day.” When bad light eventually that would surely have been Ironman 70.3 World crown she won last year Also competing is ended play, England had halted a lot earlier for bad Championships. The on the Sunshine Coast. Brent McMahon, who slumped to 46 for four light before the advent of races will be held over While the British athlete has sealed qualification in reply to West Indies’ floodlights at Lord’s. two days, with female remains undefeated for Kona and is now seemingly mediocre 123 all Mark Stoneman was athletes racing on over the 70.3 distance focused on doing well out -- a deficit of 77 runs -- caught behind for one off Saturday and male since her championship over the shorter distance. with the three-match series before fellow athletes on Sunday. win, she admits her “I’ve recovered from my all square at 1-1. left-handed opener Alastair With only women preparation has not Lake Placid effort and Dawid Malan and Ben Cook (10) fell in similar racing, there will be clear been optimal. “After a have put some good Stokes were both 13 not fashion. water and road ahead little setback with a foot work in to prep for the out after towering paceman Tom Westley then saw his for the leading athletes, issue I haven’t had the 70.3 World Champs,” Holder had taken two for 18 prospects of an Ashes tour allowing a true test of ideal preparations being he says. “It’s been good in six overs. place fade whem he was who is the fastest. Swiss sidelined from running to get up on the toes It seemed England would plumb lbw to Holder for star Ryf in full health is for a few weeks. But I’m after focusing on two have the upper hand when eight -- his fifth successive bidding to take the title pleased to be healthy and Ironmans through May, Stokes returned Test-best single-figure score in Test back makes this race one can’t wait to be on the June, and July.” figures of six for 26 in 14.3 . to watch. start line-on Saturday Mikel Calahorra unchanged overs either side Holder struck at the start “It will be a fast race battling it out with the rounds out the Bahrain of tea. of his next over to have with some very fast girls best!,” Lawrence said. Endurance presence But never before had a opposing captain and star racing. So I know I will Javier Gomez is in Chattanooga this Test at the ‘home of cricket’ batsman Joe Root well caught have to show my very back on the world weekend. started so late in the English for just one by Kieran Powell best to have a chance championship starting Meanwhile, Ben season and the 19 overs in the slips. for the win,” says the line to retake the title Hoffman is at Ironman England faced Monday was Malan, on his Middlesex two-time 70.3 world after missing last year’s 70.3 Santa Cruz for a time enough for a collapse home ground, survived the champion, who has been edition recovering from hit-out in the lead-up to of their own in still heavily hat-trick. training at altitude in a broken elbow which Kona. He took the third overcast conditions on a Earlier, Stokes’s figures Switzerland. “Training also took him out of spot on the podium green-tinged pitch affected surpassed his previous Test- has been going well contention for the Rio there last year and is by a fungal infection. best of six for 36 against and I hope to be able to Olympics. “I am very looking to improve on England rapidly declined at Trent Bridge in A Bahrain team member participates show what I prepared excited to race the that finish. to 24 for four in a match 2015. (AFP) during the previous event Lyon spins Aussies to victory Chittagong Bangladesh had been on a Smith’s side after returning most by an Australian bowler athan Lyon spun Australia high after their historic first career-best match figures of in a two-match contest. to a series-levelling win Test win over Australia. But 13-154. Opener also Nover Bangladesh yesterday with Lyon brought them back to Lyon claimed a third stood out with two successive a 13- match haul in the earth with a bump. successive six-wicket haul to centuries in the series including second and final Test. The off-spinner, who dismiss Bangladesh for 157 in 123 in Australia’s first innings Chasing 86 for victory on a received the man of the match their second innings. He took that helped secure a crucial deteriorating Chittagong pitch, award, set up the win for Steve his series tally to 22 wickets, the 72-run lead. the visitors lost their top three The hosts had bowled out batsmen before completing a Australia for 377 in the first seven-wicket win in the final innings, preventing their session of the fourth day. visitors from adding a run , who hit the Thursday morning to the winning six to take his score overnight total and restricting to 25, and , their lead to 72. on 16, helped Australia bounce But Bangladesh skipper back from their loss in Dhaka Mushfiqur Rahim said his last week. batsmen were not good enough after electing to bat first. BRIEF SCORE Mushfiqur managed a top score of 31 off 103 balls in Australia 377 (Warner Bangladesh’s second innings. 123, Handscomb 82, Smith But none of the other batsmen 58, Mustafizur 4-84) and could cope with a pitch that 87 for 3 (Maxwell 25*) brought joy to Lyon. beat Bangladesh 305 Bangladesh started the day (Mushfiqur 68, Sabbir 66, on a high, dismissing number West Indies’ appeals succesfully for the Lyon 7-94) and 157 (Lyon Australian cricket player (C) celebrates with his 11 batsman Lyon in the second wicket of England’s Tom Westley 6-60) by seven wickets teammates over of the day. (AFP)