BBASKETBALLASKETBALL | Page 5 GGOLFOLF | Page 6 Paul, Harden Sharma catch fi re as targets home Rockets roll win and to sweet 16th US glory Wednesday, March 8, 2018 FOOTBALL Jumada II 1, 1439 AH Ruthless Real GULF TIMES Madrid’s work is far from done SPORT Page 3 FOOTBALL RALLYINGSPOTLIGHT Injured Taylor hammers 181 PSG to continue as New Zealand beat England AFP building despite Dunedin njury-hit Ross Taylor played through the pain to score a remarkable unbeaten 181 and seal a series-level- Iling win for New Zealand in the fourth one-day international Real heartbreak against England yesterday. Taylor limped through much ‘Now is not the time to talk about change, everyone is upset. We want to calm down of his innings in Dunedin after aggravating a thigh injury, but before working out what needs to be changed. We have time to think about that’ batted on to compile a career- best innings and make it 2-2 in the series with one to play. New Zealand ended on 339 for fi ve in reply to England’s 335 for nine, winning by fi ve wickets and taking the fi ve-match series to a crunch decider in Christchurch on Saturday. tin Guptill and Colin Munro both Taylor scored 17 fours and six went for ducks. sixes as New Zealand reached the Kane Williamson and Taylor target with three balls to spare, rebuilt with an 84-run partner- wincing with pain after every ship before England’s star all- shot in the latter half of his in- rounder Ben Stokes dismissed nings. the New Zealand captain at 45 in “It’s still sinking in,” he said the 17th over. after tearfully leaving the fi eld Taylor and Tom Latham then to a standing ovation, revealing combined for a 187-run partner- team medics gave him the option ship, with Latham contributing of retiring hurt due to the pain. 71. “I was glad I made the decision Taylor’s injury came when he to stay out there and swing.” was on 109 and had to dive to New Zealand captain Kane avoid a run-out, infl aming the Williamson rated Taylor’s in- thigh strain that forced him out nings as “one of the great one- of the previous match in the se- day knocks” and said he hoped ries. the batsman would be fi t for the Unable to run freely, he con- decider. centrated on hitting boundaries, “Ross’s knock was just sensa- taking New Zealand to the posi- tional, he’s kind of been batting tion where they needed 80 off the like that all year,” he said. fi nal 10 overs. “Hopefully his injuries are England slowed New Zealand’s minor and we can see him in the momentum with Latham’s dis- next game.” missal and Colin de Grandhom- Taylor’s heroics in scoring his me’s departure on 23. 19th ODI century overshadowed Henry Nicholls looked nervy a fi ne batting performance from when he came to the crease but England, marred by a late col- worked well to give Taylor most lapse that cost them dearly. of the strike. Jonny Bairstow blazed his way With three runs needed off the to 138 off 106 balls and Joe Root fi nal over, Nicholls faced two dot grafted out a hard-fought 102 balls then smashed Tom Curran before England self-destructed for six to seal the win. late in their innings. England should have put Real Madrid’s Brazilian midfielder England captain Eoin Morgan the match beyond reach after Casemiro (R) celebrates with Real had no explanation for the col- Bairstow and Root had them at Madrid’s Portuguese forward lapse but was confi dent his side’s 267 for 1 in the 38th over. Cristiano Ronaldo after scoring his deep batting line-up would not But Bairstow’s departure team’s second goal against PSG on fail so spectacularly again. sparked a collapse that saw six Tuesday. “It isn’t ideal. Normally one of wickets go for 21 runs, ending us (batsmen) comes off , so it is a their hopes of setting a monster fi rst,” he said. total on the small University Oval AFP League knockout tie in six seasons of try- “We won’t look into it too ground. Paris ing. They also need to revamp their squad much at the moment if he hap- A late cameo of 22 off 10 balls again, and replace the likes of Thiago Sil- pens consistently we’ll have to from Curran added a degree of va, Thiago Motta, Dani Alves and Angel Di do something.” diffi culty to the target but also aris Saint-Germain will con- Maria, all in their 30s. New Zealand’s chase started showed New Zealand’s batsmen tinue building the team in the The club insist they are not worried disastrously when openers Mar- that there were runs in the pitch. hope of winning the Champions about falling foul of UEFA’s Financial Fair League in the future, coach Unai Play rules, even if a premature European PEmry said after yet another heartbreak exit will mean a shortfall of millions of SCORECARD on Tuesday. euros. The top French side were beaten by “We are relaxed about it. It is more of England New Zealand: Spanish giants Real Madrid in the last 16 an issue outside the club than inside. It is J. Roy c Santner b Sodhi .................42 M. Guptill c Stokes b Woakes .........0 of the current competition, having exited March and we have until the end of June. J. Bairstow c Southee b Munro .138 C. Munro lbw Wood............................. 0 the event at the same stage last year. There are no worries,” sporting director J. Root c Latham b Southee ........ 102 K. Williamson c Buttler b Stokes 45 PSG’s desire for instant success marked Antero Henrique told L’Equipe last week- J. Buttler c and b Sodhi ...................... 0 R. Taylor not out ................................181 by the signing of Neymar and Kylian end. E. Morgan c Munro b Boult ..............5 T. Latham c Ali b Curran ..................71 Mbappe for a combined 402 million euros One thing that is unlikely to happen is B. Stokes c Nicholls b Sodhi .............. 1 C. de Grandhomme c Woakes ........b ($499 million) has not worked, with Ney- Neymar leaving, despite ongoing specu- M. Ali c Southee b Sodhi .................... 3 Curran ......................................................23 mar left watching Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at British former football players David Beckham (R) and US model Bella Hadid (C) lation that the Brazilian has not settled C. Woakes c Boult b Munro .............. 3 H. Nicholls not out ..............................13 the Parc des Princes that sealed the Paris attend the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match between in France. Qatar’s beIN Sports owns the A. Rashid b Boult ..................................11 Extras: (lb4, w2) ................................... 6 side’s fate from Brazil, where he is recov- Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Real Madrid on March 6 at the Parc des Princes exclusive international distribution rights T. Curran not out ................................. 22 Total: (5 wickets; 49.3 overs) 339 ering from a foot operation. stadium in Paris. for television coverage of the French M. Wood not out .................................... 3 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Munro), 2-2 “We believe in our players. We want to league, and the network is currently in the Extras: (lb1, w4) ..................................... 5 (Guptill), 3-86 (Williamson), 4-273 continue the project, with the two of them defeat, leaving the French side as far away the future,” said coach Unai Emery on process of negotiating new deals around Total: (9 wickets; 50 overs) ........335 (Latham), 5-303 (de Grandhomme) because they are the future of the club,” from being European champions as at any Tuesday. the world. In that context, PSG selling a Fall of wickets: 1-77 (Roy), 2-267 Bowling: Woakes 8-2-42-1, Wood 8-0- said Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatari presi- point since Qatar bought the club in 2011. “When I came here I said I was sure this star such as Neymar this year is unthink- (Bairstow), 3-267 (Buttler), 4-274 65-1 (1w), Rashid 10-0-74-0, Curran dent Nasser al-Khelaifi on Tuesday when Seven years after PSG were bought team can win the Champions League. But able. (Morgan), 5-276 (Stokes), 6-280 (Ali), 8.3-0-57-2, Stokes 7-0-45-1 (1w), Ali asked if the club’s investment should be by Qatar, they have managed to beat it’s a process.” Soon to be out of contract, But in the meantime another period 7-288 (Woakes), 8-305 (Root), 9-313 8-0-52-0 called into question. just three teams in the Champions Emery will not be given another crack at of soul-searching will begin for PSG and (Rashid) Toss: New Zealand After an honourable defeat to Barcelona League knockout stage: Valencia, Bayer the competition in Paris. The club will their Qatari owners. Bowling: Southee 10-0-87-1 (1w), Result: New Zealand win by five wickets on away goals in the Champions League Leverkusen and Chelsea. look for a new coach, and they will be “Now is not the time to talk about Boult 10-0-56-2 (1w), de Grandhomme Series: 2-2 quarter-fi nals in 2013, al-Khelaifi had But PSG are showing no signs of re- tempted to go for a big name after the change, everyone is upset. We want to 2-0-23-0 (1w), Santner 10-0-57-0, Umpires: Shaun Haig (NZL), Rod stated the club’s objective was to win the straining their ambitions.