20 Friday, December 15, 2017 SPORTS SPORTS Friday, December 15, 2017 21 Perth maiden Test century by ADawid Malan helped BRIEF SCORE Williams car England fight back to 305 for four at stumps in the opening England 4 for 305 (Malan 110*, day of the vital third Ashes clash Bairstow 75*, Stoneman 56) v ‘denied’ Massa here yesterday. Australia Ricciardo ‘too After Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat, Malan’s Baku victory unbeaten 110 helped the tourists in the slips on 92. London Grand Prix, where he lost to breathe life back into their He steadied his nerves to elipe Massa would the championship to Lewis Ashes defence by countering notch up his century with a have won Formula 1’s Hamilton. hostile bowling on a bouncy powerful pull shot off Josh Malan’s F Azerbaijan Grand Prix if a “After Baku, which was WACA Ground wicket hosting Hazlewood, having faced 159 failure on the damper system a pretty eventful race, there sensitive’ to 2017 an Ashes Test for the last time. balls in 221 minutes at the had not locked his Williams were a lot of people that came Already down 2-0 in the five- crease, hitting 13 fours and one car’s rear suspension solid, up to me afterwards and said match series, the visitors were six. according to Paddy Lowe. we could’ve won that race if wavering at 131 for four against Malan came to the crease with Massa was running third only,” Lowe said. some fiery pace bowling, but England under pressure against in June’s race, having started “I analysed it and I don’t Malan steadied the innings with short-pitched bowling from ninth, when the race was red- actually agree with most, but an unbroken 174-run stand Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood flagged. I definitely agreed with the F1London seasonpush on and avoid making too many for the fifth wicket alongside and Pat Cummins, and survived maiden When it resumed, Massa Felipe scenario. “If only we aniel Ricciardo believes qualifying was his tweaks, things started to improve but Jonny Bairstow (75 not out), early on by chancing his arm suffered the issue and hadn’t let him down Dweak point during the 2017 Formula 1 season then they fell back into old routines. England’s highest partnership against the rising ball. was passed by with a car failure, as he failed to match his performance from the “We got to a point where we thought ‘it is of the series. He lived dangerously at eventual race he absolutely previous year. what it is, it won’t be the perfect car, just deal England overcame the first, but having survived the winner Daniel would’ve won that The Australian triumphed in Baku but scored 56 with it’,” he said. controversial dismissal of onslaught showed plenty of Ricciardo before race. “It’s such fewer points and ended up two places further down “So I put together some good ones. Then opener Mark Stoneman for 56 resolve as he settled into his rapidly falling a shame that in in fifth in the drivers’ championship compared to we got perhaps stuck in our old ways, there on a third-umpire decision, and innings and teamed up with down the order and his final year, his 2016 campaign. were quite a few practices this year, especially their cause was helped by some Bairstow to build a crucial retiring. we denied him Qualifying has traditionally been a strength of Friday FP2 where I was on top. generosity from the Australian partnership. ton lifts Several drivers that victory.” the Australian’s but he admitted he struggled to get “In the past, if we were quick in practice, we fielders, who dropped three It was just what England claimed they could have (autosport) the most of the new generation of F1 machinery didn’t touch the car, we left it. We felt we had a catches and missed a run out. needed after Australia’s pace won the race without over a single lap. good thing, so why change it? Malan was one of the chief trio came out breathing fire issues, but following “I used to be called a Saturday driver, now I feel “Then come qualifying, the track beneficiaries as the 30-year- old after the lunch break. analysis, Williams I’m probably called a Sunday driver,” Ricciardo would evolve and we would be notched his first century in his They terrorised the English chief technical said. “Who would have thought? worse off. So we’d be caught off eighth Test, and England’s first with aggressive bowling that was officer Lowe “I’ll put it down to a couple of things. I wouldn’t guard with maybe what we hundred of the series. often more than 90 miles per believes Massa say I’ve struggled with the car, but it’s been a bit used to do and what used He would have been run out hour, with Stoneman dropped would have trickier to maximise. to work. for 32 if David Warner had twice on 52 and struck a fierce done it. “There were a lot of laps on Saturdays... I “It was a pretty big managed a direct hit, and was blow on the helmet while on the England England’s Dawid It would mean I crashed twice in qualifying, which is very learning process this dropped by Cameron Bancroft same score. (AFP) Malan celebrates have been his uncharacteristic - Australia and Baku - where it was year. 12th victory trickier certainly. “But we know and first since “For whatever reason, Max didn’t find it as the reasons now. the 2008 complicated to start the year. Naturally, I was That’s why Brazilian Felipe Massa (file pic) probably too sensitive to it as well. I’m confident Rohit has the right stuff “A lot of the time, it was probably better to just next year will drive it and deal with the grip I had as opposed to be better.” try and finetune it too much.” (autosport) for limited-overs game Renault ‘must avoid’ Ricciardo said when he and his team decided to the shorter form of the game bowling, remaining unbeaten showdowns in future in 2007, Rohit was hailed as on 208 off 153 deliveries. London “The message is that we the biggest thing to come That seems to be the enault must avoid putting must avoid putting ourselves Daniel Ricciardo (file pic) out of Mumbai since Sachin template for the man who Ritself in situations where in such a position again,” Tendulkar, with his elegant now has three out of the seven so much is at stake in the final Abiteboul said. “It can be a batting style and ability to hit double hundreds in ODIs. race of the season in future, very stylish way to finish the big shots seemingly with ease. “That is my style of play,” claims its Formula 1 managing season, but we need to have The 30-year-old is an Rohit told reporters. “It was all Stokes director Cyril Abiteboul. a programme that is allowing automatic choice in the about me not making a mistake The French manufacturer us to secure what needs to be Rohit Sharma (file pic) limited-overs side and scored and batting as long as possible. moved ahead of Toro Rosso to secured before that.” his third one-day international That’s what I did. claim sixth in the constructors’ Abiteboul said Renault Mumbai, India double hundred against Sri “There is no secret or championship in the Abu had been quite “extreme” in ohit Sharma has been Lanka on Wednesday, leading formula to it. You just have to finally Dhabi season finale, earning it its settings during the final unable to cement his place the side in the absence of rested bat and not make any mistake.” a $6.5million bonus. weekend of the campaign inR India’s test side but the right- regular captain Virat Kohli. But while Rohit has excelled Abiteboul says the stress of to make sure that its points handed batsman continues to Rohit completed his 16th in the shorter formats, he has such a last-gasp performance target was not wrecked show he has the right stuff for hundred in the 50-over format played in just 23 tests since hits form in needed to be steered clear of by reliability problems. limited-overs formats. in 115 deliveries and then making his debut four years in the future. (eurosport) After making his debut in laid waste to the Sri Lankan ago. (Reuters) Four-day test to have minimum New Zealand Hewitt to make Australian Open return of 98 overs per day: ICC Ben Stokes plays a shot Port Elizabeth enough to enforce the follow- and duration of the sessions, Christchurch cricket board pending had struggled in his few Sydney this time alongside fellow Australian Sam making up the numbers. We want to give ach day of the upcoming on; in five-day cricket the mark with each session lasting a anned England cricketer the outcome of a police appearances for Canterbury leyton Hewitt is coming out of Groth, for whom this will be the last it a fair crack.” Einaugural four-day Test stands at 200 runs. minimum of two hours and BBen Stokes finally found investigation into an incident so far, scoring just 36 runs in Lretirement to play doubles at next tournament of his career. Hewitt won grand slam singles titles between South Africa and To accommodate the extra a maximum of two and a half some form while playing in outside a Bristol nightclub in his three one-day matches and month’s Australian Open. Hewitt said in the Herald Sun: “It’s at the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon Zimbabwe in Port Elizabeth overs, the ICC’s playing hours. In Port Elizabeth, the New Zealand as he smashed September. taking one wicket. The former world number one officially going to be a bit of fun - that’s what the the following year, while he was also will need to have a minimum conditions state that play will normal hours of play are set to 93 in Canterbury’s domestic The 26-year-old smashed Stokes also took a catch and called it quits after his home grand slam in Australian Open is about. victorious in doubles at Flushing of 98 overs per day, as per the run for six and a half hours run from 1.30pm local time to Twenty20 match against Otago seven sixes and six fours in his finished with figures of 1-17 2016 but returned to the court twice more “I’m going to really enjoy it. We’ve Meadows in 2000 partnering Max Mirnyi. ICC’s playing conditions. That in all each day, instead of the 9pm, with the first and second in Christchurch yesterday. 47-ball innings at Hagley Oval from two overs as Canterbury last year in Davis Cup and at Wimbledon. been hitting a lot of balls, hitting every The 36-year-old is currently Australia’s is, eight overs more must be usual six hours for five-day sessions being two hours and Stokes has signed a short- as the home team scored 217 won the game by 134 runs with Now he is making another appearance, day, and we’re not just going out there Davis Cup captain. (eurosport) bowled every day than what Tests. 15 minutes each, and the final term contract with Canterbury for nine in their 20 overs. New Zealand leg-spinner Todd Lleyton Hewitt (file pic) is required in five-day cricket. The home board shall session running for two hours. after being banned from the The England all-rounder, Astle taking 3-18 in 2.4 overs. Also, a lead of 150 will be determine the hours of play (espncricinfo) England team by the country’s who was born in Christchurch, (Reuters)