MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2014 SPORTS Geisenberger bags luge season title ALTENBERG: Natalie Geisenberger captured the wildly around Sochi, so Hamlin is among those hop- the Winter Olympics,” Hamlin said. Also for the This is the seventh consecutive year that World Cup women’s luge championship for the sec- ing for a bit of a cold snap in a couple of weeks. US, Summer Britcher was 14th and Kate Hansen Geisenberger finished ranked in the top three on ond straight year yesterday, after the German and “I’m going to cross my fingers for winter at was 21st. tour and the 16th straight year in which a German strong Sochi Olympics favorite clinched the season- woman won the season-long title. Geisenberger is long title with a victory in the circuit’s next-to-last race. also the sixth woman to win back-to-back World Cup Geisenberger set start and track records in her titles and the ninth woman with multiple champi- first run at Altenberg on Sunday, finishing the two- onships overall. heat race in 1 minute, 46.332 seconds. Canadian slid- “They all tell me that I’m the top favorite to win ers took silver and bronze, with Alex Gough 0.674 the gold medal at the games,” Geisenberger said. seconds behind Geisenberger and Kimberley McRae “However, my aim is to claim a medal. The pressure is another 0.024 seconds back. high enough and I don’t need to put myself under It was Geisenberger’s seventh win in eight races even more pressure.” on the circuit this season. German teammates In the team relay, Russia finished first, followed by Tatjana Huefner and Dajana Eitberger were fourth Canada in second - with Gough getting her second and fifth. Erin Hamlin was a strong sixth for the US, silver of the day by being part of the effort there - her medal hopes ruined by posting only the 18th- and Germany took third. fastest time in the first heat - one that was slowed by The US team of Hamlin, Chris Mazdzer and the deteriorating ice on an unseasonably warm day with doubles squad of Matthew Mortensen and Preston the temperature in the mid-40s. Griffall placed sixth in the team relay, which is part of The 2009 world champion roared back in the sec- the Olympic program for the first time this year. ond heat with the second-best time, even bettering Germans swept all three disciplines in the World what was posted by Geisenberger in that run. But on Cup this season, with Felix Loch taking the men’s her first run, the later starters had to endure rough crown and the team of Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt ice. “I would say bad luck of the draw,” Hamlin said. winning the doubles points championship. Germany “My first run was actually better than my second. I also finished with the most ranking points in team don’t know how I could have gone any faster unless relays. I had some magic wax or something.” Germany’s Olympic luge qualifiers are planning to The colder the air, the harder the ice, and the ALTENBERG: Erin Hamlin of the US speeds in the ice channel during the first run at the women’s luge skip the World Cup season-ending race at Sigulda, faster the race. And the temperature can fluctuate World Cup race. — AP Latvia, next weekend. — AP NZ beat India in ODI opener NAPIER: A thundering innings by Corey Anderson and a magic spell of bowling by Mitch McClenaghan brought New Zealand a 24-run win over India in their opening one-day international yesterday. Chasing New Zealand’s 292 for seven, India were all out for 268 in the 49th over despite Virat Kohli (123) posting his 18th ODI century. It was the first time India have lost an ODI in which Kohli has reached three fig- ures. They appeared to have victory in their grasp when they needed just 70 from the last eight overs, and Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni looked comfortable in a 95-run partnership for the fifth wicket. But in the space of six deliveries, McClenaghan removed Dhoni (40), Ravi Jadeja (duck) and Kohli to have India reeling on 237 for seven, and they never recovered. That brief spell was where the game was lost, Dhoni said. “Those three wickets that was tough on the team. You don’t expect your tailenders to win the game and it was very important that one of us should’ve carried on. It was disappointing to lose the game.” New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said it was “a captain’s nightmare” when Kohli and Dhoni were in full flight but he had faith in McClenaghan. SHARJAH: Pakistan bowler Saeed Ajmal (left) celebrates after dismissing Sri Lankan NAPIER: India’s Virat Kohli makes his ground as the stumps are hit against New Zealand in the “He’s in the team to attack and take wickets and first one-day international cricket match at McLean Park. — AP batsman Mahela Jayawardene during the fourth day of the third and final cricket the message was pretty simple, ‘try and find a way to Test match. — AFP take a wicket. Be aggressive as you can and be as hos- tile as you can and if it falls your way, great’. I thought Pakistan push Sri Lanka he was outstanding.” SCOREBOARD Anderson had earlier returned to his brutal best hard for series-levelling win with the bat after going off the boil following his NAPIER, New Zealand: Completed scoreboard of the opening one-day international between record-breaking century in 36 balls against the West New Zealand and India at McLean Park in Napier yesterday: Indies three weeks ago. SHARJAH: Pakistan grabbed the prized Australia Ricky Ponting (13,378), South In his first start against India, the world’s top- New Zealand R. Sharma c Southee b McClenaghan 3 wicket of Mahela Jayawardene to press Africa’s Jack Kallis (13,289), India’s rahul ranked ODI side, Anderson blasted an unbeaten 68 off M. Guptill c Ashwin b Shami 8 V. Kohli c Ryder b McClenaghan 123 their advantage for a series-levelling win Dravid (13,288), West Indian Brian Lara 40 deliveries. He hit four sixes, two of them out of the J. Ryder b Shami 18 A. Rahane c N. McCullum b Anderson 7 over Sri Lanka in the third Test in Sharjah (11,953), his countryman Shivnarine ground, then returned with the ball to display his all- K. Williamson c Rahane b Jadeja 71 S. Raina c Southee b Milne 18 yesterday. Chanderpaul (11,219) and Australia’s Allan rounder credentials by removing two of India’s top- R. Taylor c Dhoni b Shami 55 M. Dhoni c Ronchi b McClenaghan 40 Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal removed Border (11,174) are the other members of order batsmen Shikhar Dhawan (32) and Ajinkya B. McCullum c Dhoni b Kumar 30 R. Jadeja c Ronchi b McClenaghan 0 Jayawardene for 46 near stumps on the the club. Rahane (seven). India, who stand to forfeit their world C. Anderson not out 68 R. Ashwin c Southee b Williamson 12 fourth day after an exciting tussle between Jayawardene hit four boundaries and a number one ranking if they lose the five-match series L. Ronchi c Kumar b Sharma 30 B. Kumar run out (Williamson/Ronchi) 6 the bat and ball as Sri Lanka finished at 133- six during his defiant knock. Pakistan did to the eighth-ranked New Zealand, chose to bowl first N. McCullum c & b Shami 2 I. Sharma b Southee 5 5. They now lead by 220 runs with five wick- waste a golden chance of removing on a wicket with a history of favouring the side bat- T. Southee not out 3 M. Shami not out 7 ets in hand and a full day’s play to retain Mathews when Khurram Manzoor dropped ting last. Extras: (lb1, w6) 7 Extras: (lb3, w12) 15 their 1-0 lead. They won the second Test in an easy chance at extra cover off paceman New Zealand lost Jesse Ryder and Martin Guptill Total (seven wickets; 50 overs) 292 Total: (all out; 48.4 overs) 268 Dubai by nine wickets after the first ended Junaid Khan. Mathews was then on 11. early, leaving Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor with Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Ryder), 2-32 (Guptill), 3- Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Sharma), 2-73 (Dhawan), in a draw in Abu Dhabi. It was Rehman (2-36) who raised hopes the task of building the innings. Their no-risk 153 (Williamson), 4-171 (Taylor), 5-213 3-84 (Rahane), 4-129 (Raina), 5-224 (Dhoni), 6- At the close Angelo Mathews was for Pakistan by dismissing experienced approach saw the run rate slump to 3.57 and at one (McCullum), 6-279 (Ronchi), 7-284 (McCullum) 224 (Jadeja), 7-237 (Kohli), 8-244 (Kumar), 9- stage New Zealand went 85 deliveries without a unbeaten on 14 and with him Prasanna Kumar Sangakkara (eight) and Kaushal Silva Did not bat: A. Milne, M. McClenaghan. 259 (Ashwin), 10-268 (Sharma) boundary. Their 121-run partnership, which laid the Jayawardene was on six not out. (36) in the post lunch session, leaving Sri Bowling: Kumar 10-0-38-1 (3w), Shami 9-0-55- Bowling: Southee 9.4-2-43-1 (2w), Jayawardene and Mathews had frustrated Lanka precariously placed at 66-3. platform for a big finish, ended with Williamson out for 71. Taylor followed soon after for 55 and Brendon 4 (1w), Sharma 9-0-72-1 (2w), Jadeja 9-0-61-1, McClenaghan 10-0-68-4 (4w), Milne 7.3-0-40-1 Pakistan in the last session through their It became 89-4 when Dinesh Chandimal McCullum belted a rapid 30.