GULF TIMES Steps up in Place of Injured Starc SPORT Page 2
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FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 4 NNFLFL | Page 6 Red-hot Patriots Man City clinch division chase League with wild win Cup glory over Steelers Tuesday, December 19, 2017 CRICKET Rabia II 1, 1439 AH Hazlewood GULF TIMES steps up in place of injured Starc SPORT Page 2 WACA SCORECARD England first innings 403 Australia first innings 662-9 (dec) England second innings A. Cook c and b Hazlewood ........................................14 M. Stoneman c Paine b Hazlewood ..........................3 J. Vince b Starc .................................................................. 55 J. Root c Smith b Lyon ...................................................14 D. Malan c Paine b Hazlewood ..................................54 J. Bairstow b Hazlewood ..............................................14 M. Ali lbw Lyon ....................................................................11 C. Woakes c Paine b Cummins .................................22 C. Overton c Khawaja b Hazlewood ...................... 12 S. Broad c Paine b Cummins ....................................... 0 J. Anderson not out ............................................................1 Extras (lb11, b6, nb1) .......................................................18 Total (all out; 72.5 overs) ..........................................218 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Stoneman), 2-29 (Cook), 3-60 (Root), 4-100 (Vince), 5-133 (Bairstow), 6-172 (Ali), 7-196 (Malan), 8-210 (Overton), 9-211 (Broad), 10-218 (Woakes). Bowling: Starc 17-5-44-1, Hazlewood 18-6-48-5, M Marsh 3-1-14-0, Cummins 19.5-4-53-2 (1nb), Lyon 15-4-42-2 Australia won by an innings and 41 runs Australia leads series 3-0 Toss: England Four years after Alastair Cook’s side meekly surrendered the Umpires: Marais Erasmus (RSA), Chris Gaff aney (NZL) Ashes at the same venue, Root’s England were condemned to TV umpire: Aleem Dar (PAK) hand back the urn with the same humiliating 3-0 scoreline Reuters His captain Steve Smith was named “I’m sure the next day or so will It was a delivery from Hazlewood Perth Man-of-the-Match for a second time be pretty tough but we’ve got a bit of that skidded low off a crack and clat- in the series, his brilliant 239 having time to get ready for Melbourne... and tered into off -stump, in a portent of a left England with an improbable sec- show the character of the group we miserable afternoon for the tourists. ustralia thrashed England by ond innings mountain to climb. have.” Incoming batsman Moeen Ali was an innings and 41 runs in the “It’s been an amazing couple of Heavy overnight showers leaked very nearly out four balls later, when third Test in Perth yesterday weeks, I’ve really enjoyed every mo- rainwater onto the pitch in an embar- he edged the same bowler just short of Ato reclaim the Ashes with ment of it,” the beaming skipper told rassment for the WACA ground staff Smith in the slips. two matches to spare and condemn Joe reporters. and rain squalls further delayed the He was unable to capitalise on his Root’s team to a period of gloomy in- “To know everything has worked resumption of play. reprieve, falling leg before for 11, with trospection. out and we’ve been able to get that But even with some 28 overs and fellow off -spinner Nathan Lyon snar- Seamer Josh Hazlewood fi nished urn back, all the emotions came out some three hours lost to the weather, ing his wicket for the fi fth time in the with a fi ve-wicket haul as England at once.” it was far from enough to save the series. were bowled out for 218 before tea on a Smith’s dominant series has put his tourists, who lost their last six wickets Malan backed up his fi rst innings rain-hit fi nal day at the WACA. counterpart in the shade, with Root for 85 runs. hundred with a half-century when he Four years after Alastair Cook’s side struggling with the bat and let down They resumed in peril on 132 for four, pulled Cummins to the fence. meekly surrendered the Ashes at the badly by his senior players across the still 127 runs short of making Australia But he was caught behind for 54 try- same venue, Root’s England were con- three defeats at the WACA, Adelaide bat again, on a pitch with cracks snak- ing to pull Hazlewood after being well demned to hand back the urn with the Oval and in Brisbane. ing at both ends of the wicket. worked over by the tall seamer. same humiliating 3-0 scoreline. “It’s bitterly disappointing,” Root Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow, England’s tail had proved hopelessly Australia quick Pat Cummins told reporters. “One of the most who combined for a gallant 237-run brittle against Australia’s bouncers wrapped up the match, dismissing frustrating things is we haven’t partnership in the fi rst innings, were throughout the series, and it duly fell Chris Woakes (22) behind the wicket, been blown away. In all three games tasked with the rescue mission but the over, with Hazlewood claiming his fi fth triggering a round of bear-hugs with there have been periods where we’ve Australia’s captain Steve Smith and wicketkeeper Tim Paine appeal successfully England wicketkeeper was bowled for victim when Craig Overton was caught whooping teammates in the middle. matched and outplayed Australia. for LBW to dismiss England’s Moeen Ali. 14 on the fi rst delivery he faced. in the gully for 12. FOOTBALL Rayyan, Gharafa square off in QSL Cup fi nal By Sports Reporter competition. We won fi ve of the six we showed in all games in the QSL Cup,” Al Sadd couldn’t fi eld their full squads group stage and also in the semi-fi nal,” this competition will be a shot in the arm Doha games we played in this tournament so said Laudrup. because they had fi ve or six players in he said. for my wards as they gear up to make a far and we’re keen to win the last match “Matches against Al Gharafa are al- the national team. Of course, some sides “We know Al Rayyan are strong oppo- strong comeback in the second phase of as well,” the Danish, Barcelona and Real ways close, so we’ll be wary of them. We gave chances to reserve players and nents, and they’ve got many experienced the QSL Cup. l Rayyan coach Michael Madrid legend said at his pre-match aren’t making any special preparations that’s normal. They’ve to get match ex- and skilful players, such as Sebastian “We’ve to tighten up our defence. Laudrup admitted that his side press conference. for the fi nal as there isn’t much time af- perience. We don’t have a single player in Soria, Rodrigo Tabata and Abderrazaq Ours is a good mix of youth and experi- faced a tough task against Al Last season, Al Gharafa beat Al Rayyan ter the semifi nal. Luckily, we won’t be the present Gulf Cup squad even though Hamdallah, in their ranks. They’ve been ence, who can make up for the absence of AGharafa when they clash in the both times in the Qatar Stars League al- missing any player due to national team we would like to have some players in the scoring goals consistently in the QNB injured (Vladimir) Weiss. I’m optimistic fi nal of the QSL Cup today. though the Lions turned back the tide by duty this time.” Qatar squad,” he added. Stars League as well as QSL Cup. about achieving a positive result. Al Gharafa have proven a tough nut to winning this season. The Dane downplayed the talks that Al Gharafa coach Jean Fernandez is Fernandez added he avoids negative “If you had noticed, young players crack as far as Al Rayyan are concerned “We had lost both our league matches most teams did not take the QSL Cup also keen to win some silverware. thinking ahead of a match. scored the goals for us in the last two and today’s fi nal could well turn out that to Al Gharafa last season. However, we seriously and failed to fi eld full-strength “This is an important game for us and “I never like to go into a game with a games in this tournament. To be realis- way again. could beat them in the fi rst phase of QNB sides. we’ll approach it with all the seriousness losing mentality even if the opponents tic, I believe we’ve a 50 per cent chance “Of course, we want to win this game. Stars League this time. We’ll go into this “I don’t think the teams took this it commands. We fully deserved to be in are much stronger than my players. of winning the fi nal,” the Frenchman After all, it’s the fi nal of an offi cial cup game with the same determination that tournament lightly. Only Al Duhail and the fi nal. We had won big games in the We’re ready even for penalties. Winning said. Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, December 19, 2017 CRICKET SPOTLIGHT FOCUS Hazlewood steps Smith praises bold selectors up in place of aft er triumph AFP Perth period of time and the way he has kept has been exceptional. “The way he has batted has been ustralian captain Steve Smith exceptional as well, we have had some has paid tribute to some bold very valuable runs from him at seven. selections after his team re- “Shaun Marsh as well, he’s come in injured Starc gained the Ashes in Perth and done a terrifi c job.” Ayesterday. Smith credited his bowling attack’s The home team took an unbeatable fi repower for providing the diff erence Hazlewood bowled superbly to finish with 5-48 in England’s second innings 3-0 lead in the series with an innings between the sides, with Mitchell Starc, victory over the English at the WACA Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins as the visitors crashed to an innings and 41-run defeat before tea Ground, despite rain delays and a dam- all capable of bowling considerably aged pitch.