MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017 SPORTS

Nissan sets off the ICC Champions Trophy tour Around the world in 100 days

DUBAI: There are 100 days to go until the start start of what will be a fantastic summer of crick- of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, which will et celebration in the UK with two major back- be played in England and Wales from the 1st to-back events - the ICC Champions Trophy fol- to the 18th June and features the top eight lowed by the ICC Women’s World Cup. one-day teams in the world. This milestone also marked the start of the ICC Champions COMPETITIVE Trophy 2017 Nissan Trophy Tour, a global jour- “Our thanks to Nissan for bringing us this ney bringing the excitement of the ICC global trophy tour, providing the fans from the Champions Trophy closer to fans competing nations with a special experience around the world before it arrives in England in the build up to the events. We are confident at the start of the summer. that the ICC Champions Trophy will be as com- As global partner and official car of the ICC, petitive and thrilling as preceding editions, Nissan will be transporting the ICC Champions bringing together some of the finest 50-over Trophy in official vehicles on the ground in cricketers in a short and sharp event in which major cities as well as taking the trophy on every match counts.” some more unusual journeys to surprise and Roel de Vries, Nissan Corporate Vice delight cricket fans. Nissan has also collaborat- President and Global Head of Marketing com- ed with the ICC to create a series of events that mented: “We partnered with the ICC to bring will bring fans together with the trophy and cricket fans closer to the excitement of the enable them to share their excitement and game. We want the Nissan Trophy Tour to anticipation for the tournament. build excitement and anticipation on the jour- The launch of the ICC Champions Trophy ney towards the ICC Champions Trophy tour- 2017 Nissan Trophy Tour was held at the ICC nament in the UK in June.” Academy in Dubai’s Sport City. The event Former Pakistan Shahid Afridi brought together local school teams, cricket attended the launch event and added “I want fans, Academy coaches, ICC staff, Nissan to thank the ICC and its sponsors for their sup- they live and hopefully help us build a new Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in March series of events across host cities in England employees and former Pakistan Captain port of cricket. By taking the Champions generation of fans.” before flying to , New Zealand and and Wales in May, before the opening game ShahidAfridi. ICC Chief Executive David Trophy on a global tour, they’re enabling fans The trophy will visit all the competing Australia in April. The ICC Champions Trophy between England and Bangladesh at Richardson said: “The global trophy tour is the to connect with the event regardless of where nations in the next 100 days, heading to India, 2017 Nissan Trophy Tour will culminate in a on 1st June.

CRICKET De Villiers passes milestone in SA win

WELLINGTON: South Africa captain AB de last five one-day matches. been cruising at 114-1 before de Grandhomme’s Villiers became the fastest man to score 9,000 The visitors were adept at rotating the strike double strike. Their vaunted middle order failed one-day international runs as he led his side to a and ticking the scoreboard over, with 116 runs to fire with falling at regular intervals 159- victory over New Zealand in the third coming from singles. A surprising double strike and they were in trouble at 180-6 by the 39th one-day international on Saturday. by de Grandhomme in the 23rd over slowed the over. De Villiers, however, then combined with De Villiers scored 85, having needed just five visitors momentum, with the all-rounder having (35) to add 84 runs for the sev- runs to surpass former India captain Sourav (36) caught by Tim Southee before enth that gave them a target that was Ganguly, who took 228 to achieve the de Kock was caught by Jimmy Neesham three achievable but never in danger of being threat- milestone. De Villiers did it in his 205th innings. balls later at deep midwicket. South Africa had ened by the hosts. —Reuters PUNE: Australia’s Steve O’Keefe celebrates after ’s wicket during third day South Africa scored a credible 271-8 in their of the first cricket test match against India in Pune, India, Saturday. — AP 50 overs and then their pace bowlers ripped the top off the hosts to reduce them to 58 Bangladesh’s Rahim relishes for six in the 20th over before bowling them out India hope Pune rout for 112 in 32.2 overs. The victory gave de Villiers’ chances against Sri Lanka team a 2-1 lead in the five-match series with the acts as wake-up call fourth game in Hamilton on Wednesday. DHAKA: Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur hosted in August 2016. Colin de Grandhomme was the only New Rahim believes his team has “a good chance” But the team will be without some of its PUNE: India will be hoping that by the end ending up on the losing side. That was Zealand batsmen to really come to grips with of an upset victory against Sri Lanka given the star players during the Bangladesh tour fol- of March their Pune capitulation can be unsurprising, considering India possess the the drop-in pitch at Wellington Regional island nation’s current dearth of heavyweight lowing the retirements of Kumar Sangakkara, viewed from the lofty heights of a seventh world’s top two ranked bowlers in spinners Stadium with 34 and highlighted that he players. A 16-member squad will leave today Mahela Jayawardene, and consecutive test series triumph as an aber- Ravichandran Ashwin and was batting too low at number eight in the to play two Tests against the Sri Lankans-one Muttiah Muralitharan. ration that acted as a brutal wake up call to and a batsman in Kohli who recently order. (2-12 from five overs) in Galle on March 7-11 and another in Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan are the world’s number one side. became the first to score four double hun- and (3-5 from 5.2 overs) were Colombo, which starts on March 15 and will the only players to have scored more than The shell-shocked hosts have a week to dreds in as many series. the most economical of the South African be Bangladesh’s 100th Test. 1,000 Test runs against Bangladesh while off- The teams are also scheduled to play three spinner Muralitharan claimed 89 wickets in 11 regroup before they again engage an But Ashwin and Jadeja managed only a bowlers. De Villiers had again held his side’s Australian touring party which made Virat dozen wickets between themselves in the 50-over One-Day Internationals (ODIs) before Tests. innings together with a composed knock and facing off for two Twenty20 Internationals at “They (Sri Lanka) are going to miss some Kohli and his team of world-beaters look match, the same number that Australia left- was only dismissed in the final over when he quite ordinary in a 333-run first test rout armer Steve O’Keefe alone bagged in the the tail-end of the tour, which wraps up on players who have been part of their team for failed to get underneath a Trent Boult full toss April 6. many days. Regular captain inside three days. two innings. and was caught on the boundary. As they head south to Bengaluru, Kohli’s Kohli blamed the Indian batting for the Sri Lanka have a good record at home, is also absent,” Rahim said in Dhaka ahead of also gave his side a solid beating Australia 3-0 in the last series they the team’s departure. — AFP team will be forced to ponder the end of humbling after they scored 105 and 107 in foundation with 68, the opener passing 50 in his their hard-earned 19-Test unbeaten run their two innings and the image of the cap- and what their captain described as their tain frozen in a crouch with his bat in the worst batting performance in two years. air as an O’Keefe shattered the SCOREBOARD “I would say that we needed something wickets behind him will not fade fast. like this for us to get a reality check and “Even a part-timer can get four wickets if Scoreboard at close of play in the third between New Zealand and South Africa understand what are the things we need to you don’t apply yourself. And I certainly on Saturday in Wellington, New Zealand. work on and keep persisting with it, not would like to think that that was the case take anything for granted at any stage, with our batting line-up in this game,” he South Africa Innings New Zealand Innings D. Brownlie c de Kock b Rabada 2 especially at the test match level,” Kohli told said. “It rarely happens that four or five Q. de Kock c Neesham b de Grandhomme 68 H. Amla c Williamson b Southee 7 T. Latham c Duminy b Parnell 0 reporters after the defeat. Australia might batsmen make errors in judgement in both F. du Plessis c Southee b de Grandhomme 36 K. Williamson b Phehlukwayo 23 be just below their hosts in the Test rank- the innings, especially with the way we bat- A. de Villiers c Neesham b Boult 85 R. Taylor lbw b Pretorius 18 N. Broom c Amla b Phehlukwayo 0 ings but arrived in the country earlier this ted in the last few months. “I would say this J. Duminy run out (Southee) 16 J. Neesham c&b Parnell 13 month having lost their last nine tests in was our worst batting performance and we D. Miller c Broom b Santner 3 spin-friendly conditions in Asia. need to accept that.” India’s shoddy per- M. Santner b Pretorius 1 D. Pretorius b Ferguson 11 C. de Grandhomme not out 34 formance with both bat and ball translated W. Parnell run out (Santner, Latham) 35 T. Southee c de Kock b Rabada 5 ‘FINAL FRONTIER’ to their fielding too as they dropped A. Phehlukwayo not out 1 L. Ferguson b Tahir 4 They were swept 4-0 sweep the last time numerous catches to compound their Extras (lb-2 w-7) 9 T. Boult c de Villiers b Pretorius 4 they played a series in India and had not problems. Australia captain Total (for 8 wickets, 50 overs) 271 Extras (w-8) 8 won a Test since 2004 in what former cap- was dropped four times and he made India Fall of wickets: 1-41 H. Amla, 2-114 F. du Plessis, 3- Total (all out, 32.2 overs) 112 tain Steve Waugh once called Australian pay dearly with his 18th test hundred in the 115 Q. de Kock, 4-157 J. Duminy, 5-164 D. Miller, 6- Fall of wickets: 1-2 T. Latham, 2-11 D. Brownlie, 3- 48 K. Williamson, 4-48 R. Taylor, 5-51 N. Broom, 6- cricket’s “Final Frontier”. second innings. 180 D. Pretorius, 7-264 A. de Villiers,8-271 W. 58 M. Santner, 7-77 J. Neesham, -82 T. Southee,9- Parnell. There were many predictions of a result India were also found wanting in their 95 L. Ferguson,10-112 T. Boult inside three days on the turning track choice of referrals in the match, losing all Did not bat: I. Tahir, K. Rabada Bowling: K. Rabada 10-0-39-2(w-2); W. Parnell 8-0- dished out at the Maharashtra Cricket four reviews while fielding and managing Bowling: T. Southee 10-0-66-1(w-2); T. Boult 10-0-47- 33-2; A. Phehlukwayo 5-0-12-2(w-1); D. Pretorius Association Stadium, which was making its to overturn one decision from the umpire 1; L. Ferguson 10-0-71-1(w-3); C. de Grandhomme 5.2-1-5-3; I. Tahir 4-1-23-1(w-1). debut as a test ground, but none had India out of three while batting.—Reuters 10-0-40-2(w-2); M. Santner 10-0-45-1. Result: South Africa won by 159 runs AB de Villiers