THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013 SPORTS Striker Suarez credited Everton’s Baines plots Boateng extends Bayern with 15th league goal Christmas comeback Munich’s deal until 2018 LONDON: Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was credited with his 15th Premier League LONDON: Everton’s England left-back Leighton Baines revealed yester- MUNICH: Germany centre-back Jerome Boateng has signed a three-year exten- goal of the season yesterday following a review of his side’s 4-1 win over West Ham sion to his Bayern Munich contract to stay with the European champions until day that he hopes to return to action in time for his club’s busy festive United. The Uruguay international played a key role in Liverpool’s fourth goal in last 2018, the club announced yesterday. “Jerome has developed really well here and weekend’s game at Anfield with a long-range strike that took a deflection off West fixture schedule. The 29-year-old, who is bidding to oust Ashley Cole as is one of the most important players for Bayern Munich,” said chairman Karl- Ham defender Joey O’Brien and was recorded as an own goal. However, the England’s first-choice left-back at next year’s World Cup, has not played Heinz Rummenigge. “For this reason it was a logical step to extend his contract Premier League’s dubious goals panel has now ruled that the goal since breaking a toe in Everton’s 3-3 draw with Liverpool on November which we did today.” Boateng had a below-par performance in Bayern’s 3-2 should be credited to Suarez, who also scored earlier in the match. It 23. Manager Roberto Martinez estimated that he would be out of action defeat at home to Manchester City on Tuesday, their first means that Suarez’s lead at the top of the scoring chart has until early January, but Baines is hoping to recover before the end of the home defeat since March, but they still finished win- increased to three goals, with nearest rival Sergio Aguero of year. “The manager said early on it’s quite a broad timeframe that you ners of their Champions League group to reach the Manchester City having found the net 12 last 16. Having joined in July 2011, Boateng times this term. Suarez’s achievement is can be looking at,” he said. “We thought about different things, injec- tions and stuff, but we didn’t know whether that would set me back fur- helped Bayern win last season’s Champions rendered all the more remarkable by the League title as the Bavarian giants became the ther so we are just trying to let it heal naturally at the moment. fact that he missed the first first German side to win the treble of European, five games of the cam- “Obviously the schedule thickens up around Christmas and New Year so league and cup titles. “I am happy, Bayern is one paign as he completed you like to think you would be back and available to help the team at of the biggest clubs in the world and it’s a lot of a suspension for biting that point, but it’s just one of those things. You have to wait and see.” fun and an honor to play for them,” said Chelsea’s Branislav Having won 1-0 at Manchester United and drawn 1-1 at Arsenal in their Boateng, who has made 36 appearances Ivanovic during a game last two outings, Everton currently sit in fifth place in the Premier for Germany. “I want to win more things last season. —AFP League table ahead of Saturday’s home game with Fulham. —AFP with this team in the coming years.” —AFP Australia on the brink against dispirited England N Zealand’s Taylor ton SYDNEY: Already 2-0 up in the series and there and sulk, moan, whinge and make with Mitchell Johnson running riot, excuses - but you will just get beaten. torments West Indies Australia could hardly be charged with You have to get rid of all that, and fight.” more confidence as they look to rout a Australia, a shambolic team at the start dispirited England in the third Ashes test of the year who have discovered unity in WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s Ross Taylor tor- and recapture the coveted urn. In a victory at home, have an unchanged mented the West Indies’ bowlers yesterday, mak- remarkable turnaround, Australia have squad for the third test in a row as they ing the most of an early let-off to score a century on the first day of the second Test as the home transformed themselves in a few short look to give captain Michael Clarke side reached 307 for six. The former skipper, who months from plucky 3-0 losers in England something to cheer about in his 100th scored an unbeaten double century in the series into an aggressive outfit which has domi- test. England have never before come opener, was dismissed shortly before close of nated every aspect of play in crushing from 2-0 down to win an Ashes series play at Wellington’s Basin Reserve for 129 when victories in Brisbane and Adelaide. and will definitely make changes as they Shane Shillingford pulled off a diving catch. Starting on Friday, they have a look to stem their own demise and In-form Taylor arrived at the crease with the chance to drive home their advantage Australia’s rise. home side in deep trouble at 24-2 on a green and win the tiny terracotta symbol of wicket and was dropped before he got off the Anglo-Australian sporting rivalry for the LOST TOSSES mark. In conditions that favoured the bowlers, first time since Shane Warne and Glenn One of the two spinners, Graeme the 29-year-old forged half-century partnerships McGrath signed off with a 5-0 sweep in Swann and Mony Panesar, will probably with Kane Williamson, Brendon McCullum and 2007. Johnson’s personal transformation give way to bowling all-rounder Tim Corey Anderson to swing the match New has been no less spectacular and the Bresnan but England need huge Zealand’s way, taking the sting out of the second oft-ridiculed paceman now gets his improvements in all areas, even down to new ball with BJ Watling. chance to terrorize at his adopted home captain Alastair Cook’s effectiveness in Taylor has amassed a total of 362 runs in just ground, where even in the dark days of the toss of the coin. England won the toss three innings and been dismissed just once. He the 2010-11 series he bowled his coun- in all three of their victories on home soil also passed 4,000 Test runs during his innings try to victory. earlier this year but lost it in the two and now has an average of 46.52, topping the “It should be fast and bouncy and that drawn matches. Clarke has won both list of New Zealand batsmen who have played a minimum of 20 innings. After his early life when excites me a lot, excites all our fast tosses in the Australia-hosted series with dropped in the slips by Kirk Edwards, Taylor bowlers,” said Johnson, who has taken 36 his team going on to win by 381 runs in offered another opportunity on 122 when Tino wickets in five tests at an average of 19.66 Brisbane and 218 runs in Adelaide. Best spilled a catch at fine leg. at the WACA. “We’re familiar with these As every sportsperson since South That came just after Taylor had belted 13 runs conditions and we know where to bowl ... African golfer Gary Player will attest, off one over by the West Indies quick. But he was if you can bowl a ball accurately at some- though, luck is best improved through seldom under pressure as he faced 227 balls and one’s (helmet) grill, I don’t care who you hard work. One of the more disappoint- hit 15 boundaries before slashing at Shannon are, you are going to feel intimidated, ing aspects of England’s misery so far has Gabriel and being well caught by WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s Ross Taylor dives in for his 99th run against West Indies especially on a wicket like Perth.” England their poor fielding with three dropped Shillingford.New Zealand’s cause was also during the first day of the second International cricket match at Basin Reserve in could hardly have chosen a worse arena catches costing them 286 runs in helped by the inability of West Indies strike to find themselves with their backs to the Adelaide. And even if Cook did manage bowlers Best and Gabriel to maintain the good Wellington yesterday. —AP wall than the WACA, where they have to call correctly on Friday morning and line and length that saw them claim openers won only one test in 12, and that back in put his side into bat, England have not Peter Fulton and Hamish Rutherford in quick 1978. managed the sort of 400-plus total they succession. SCOREBOARD Blinding sunlight and sweltering heat would need to accumulate in any of their Fulton, whose leg before wicket first ball dis- look assured for the five-day match and, matches against Australia this year. missal was overturned on appeal, did not make WELLINGTON: Scoreboard at stumps on the opening day of the second Test between New Zealand if the WACA deck is no longer as quick as The disappointing batting, not least a the most of his reprieve as he poked at a Darren and West Indies at the Basin Reserve in Wellington yesterday: it once was, it can still be an intimidating rash of ill-judged hook shots, has called Sammy delivery outside off-stump a few overs New Zealand 1st innings Extras (b16, lb6, nb2) 24 place to face genuine pace bowling of into question the hunger and desire of later and was caught behind for six.