Cricket:
Slow Proteas creep up on Zim
South Africa overcame a sluggish spell to attain a position of strength on day two of their one-off test against Zimbabwe in Harare on Sunday as they reached stumps on 201 for four.
Faf du Plessis’s unbeaten 69 left the Proteas just 55 runs behind Zimbabwe’s first innings total of 256 all out, but not before South Africa had been drawn into a scrap by some canny Zimbabwean tactics.
On a slow Harare Sports Club pitch, Captain Brendan Taylor set a defensive field and instructed Zimbabwe’s medium-pacers to bowl wide outside off stump, putting the onus on No 1 ranked South Africa to show clear intent. The Proteas mostly responded with a dead bat as Zimbabwe kept their discipline, but also lost the key wickets of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers when they tried to force the pace.
“The thing is they’re very good bowlers in their conditions and for the wicket that’s been prepared,” Dean Elgar said. “They’re very patient, they stick to their game plan very well and they seem to try and get you to play outside of your game plan.” Elgar had given South Africa’s innings a solid start as he put on 57 for the first wicket with Alviro Petersen, who was caught behind off John Nyumbu for 32, and went on to score 61 before being caught behind. His dismissal initiated the defensive tactics from Taylor, which appeared to hypnotise the South Africans as they slid to 157 for four.
Amla scored four from 27 deliveries before driving a Tendai Chatara delivery straight to cover, and De Villiers scored seven from 34 before whipping Nyumbu to mid-wicket. Meanwhile, Du Plessis took 31 balls after the tea break to score the two runs he required for his half-century, and added just 21 runs from 81 balls in the final session. “I think that’s pretty much the nature of this test. It’s going to be quite slow and it’s going to be tough for run-scoring opportunities,” said Elgar.
It required the naturally attacking mind set of Quinton de Kock to break the spell, with the left-hander scoring relatively freely on his way to 27 not out. The day had begun with Dale Steyn completing his 24th five-wicket haul in tests when he claimed the final wicket of the Zimbabwean innings. Steyn had Nyumbu caught behind in the fourth over of the day as Zimbabwe added just eight runs to their overnight total of 248 for nine, and finished with figures of 5-46.
The fast bowler now boasts a five-wicket haul against every test-playing nation.
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by seven wickets in Galle Test.
Sri Lanka 533-9 dec & 99-3 beat Pakistan 451 & 180 by seven wickets.
Sri Lanka recorded an exciting seven-wicket win over Pakistan in Galle to move 1-0 ahead in the two-Test series.
Pakistan began the final day 78 runs adrift at 4-1 and was all out for 180, spinner Rangana Herath taking 6-48. Sri Lanka needed 99 to win in 21 overs and Mahela Jayawardene, who will retire from Tests after this series, opened in his final Test innings at Galle. Jayawardene made 26 and Angelo Mathews was unbeaten on 25 from 13 balls as Sri Lanka won with four overs to spare.
Highest Test batting average as captain
101.51 – Sir Donald Bradman (Australia, 24 Tests as captain, 1936-48)
86.93 – Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka, 12 Tests, 2013-date)
69.60 – Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka, 15 Tests, 2009-11)
59.71 – Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan, 28 Tests, 2010-date)
59.11 – Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka, 38 Tests, 2006-13)
59.05 – Michael Clarke (Australia, 37 Tests, 2011-date)
58.80 – Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies, 39 Tests, 1965-72)
*qualification: 10 or more matches as captain
As well as the run rate, the Sri Lankans had to contend with a fast approaching storm, and shortly after they clinched victory, a torrential downpour began. At the start of the final 15 overs, 75 were required and Jayawardene was the second wicket to fall, bowled by a Junaid Khan yorker in the 12th over of the innings, to silence a 5,000-strong crowd who had been hoping he would see the hosts to victory. Kumar Sangakkara, who made his 10th Test double century on Saturday, departed in the 15th over, top-edging to mid-off for 21, but skipper Mathews hit two sixes in an unbroken partnership of 26 in barely two overs with Kithuruwan Vithanage to win it before the rain came.
The second and final Test begins at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Thursday.
England v India: Peter Moores says Test series not won yet.
England 367-9 all out beat India 152 & 161 by an innings and 54 runs
England coach Peter Moores insisted his team would not be complacent following a second successive victory over India. Wins by 266 runs at Southampton and an innings and 54 runs at Old Trafford, put England 2-1 ahead with the final Test at The Oval starting on Friday. “We certainly won’t get carried away. We’ve got a huge game at The Oval to try and win a series,” Moores said.
“We will build on that win and hopefully finish the series strongly.”
England has named an unchanged squad for the final Test, including paceman Stuart Broad, who suffered a broken nose while batting on Saturday. The turnaround in results is a remarkable transformation for Moores and Captain Alastair Cook, who were heavily criticised after England were beaten by Sri Lanka at Headingley in May and then lost by 95 runs in the second Test against India at Lord’s. This summer has seen the introduction to the side of batsmen Sam Robson, Gary Ballance and Moeen Ali, who have all scored centuries, with Moeen also becoming the fastest England spinner, in terms of days, to 20 Test wickets.
“We showed glimpses of playing well throughout the summer, we’ve had people performing really well which has gone a bit under the radar,” said Moores. “Some of the young players coming in, Gary Ballance has done very well and Joe Root – who has been around for a while – is really starting to grow as a player, but we weren’t maintaining pressure for long enough to win a Test match and that was hurting us badly.” Victory at Southampton in the third Test ended a run of 10 matches without a win and the emphatic win in three days at Old Trafford makes England strong favourites to secure the series. “Over the last two Tests those young players have kept performing, we’ve got to know each other a bit better and the senior players have started to play well,” added Moores.
“As a unit, we have maintained pressure for long periods and that has made it harder for India to try and get a foothold in the game. “It’s nice to see some of those positions within a team start to take shape.”
Rugby:
Sharks capitalise on one-man advantage. Sharks coach Brad McLeod-Henderson is happy with his side’s victory over Griquas in round one of this year’s Currie Cup competition with the Durban-based outfit besting the Peacock Blues 31-24 in closely contested affair in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon. The visitors enjoyed a comfortable lead of 18-3 at halftime after Griquas centre Jonathan Francke was shown a red card in the seventh minute for a dangerous tackle. It left the Sharks with one man over on attack as well as defence but, in the end, they had to work hard to best a motivated home side.
Stonehouse delighted with opening win. Pumas coach Jimmy Stonehouse praised his team’s intensity in their surprise 28-21 victory over the Free State Cheetahs at the Mbombela Stadium after a long time out of the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division. The Pumas were playing their first game in the top flight since 2011, but they out-scored the Cheetahs by three tries to two and were worthy winners on the opening weekend of Currie Cup action.
“It was our first game up in the Premier Division and the players were obviously a bit tense, but the intensity was brilliant and the guys refused to lay down,” Stonehouse said. “We were under pressure in the first 10 minutes and it was great to come back the way that we did.”
Lions hammer Blue Bulls. The Xerox Golden Lions turned their 125th year celebration into a massive party with a destructive performance to beat the Vodacom Blue Bulls 41-13 in their Absa Currie Cup match at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday. Playing in their heritage blue and white strip, the Lions exposed some massive frailties in the Blue Bulls line-up and subjected them to a big hiding – one which could go on to haunt them for the rest of the season.
It wasn’t just the score line that was worrying, it was the fact that the Blue Bulls’ reliance on the same game plan and same players that failed in Super Rugby was exposed yet again that will see them look for more than just answers when they head back to Loftus Versfeld.
Watson finds positives in Kings defeat. Despite being outplayed by Western Province, particularly in the second half, EP Kings rugby captain Luke Watson said there were many positive aspects to the team’s return to the Currie Cup premier division in Port Elizabeth on Friday.
Down 11-10 at halftime, WP took control with three tries in the second half to run out deserving 35-16 winners in the competition’s opening game. “I think it is a big stage for lots of our young players,” Watson said. “It is the first time they are playing Currie Cup premier division so the pressure does get to you a little bit, so we have a lot to work on but also a lot of positives to take from the game.” Watson led from the front and was made man of the match for his hardworkingefforts.
August Currie Cup Fixtures:
|
15 |
Sharks |
v |
Pumas |
Kings Park, Durban |
19:10 |
|
16 |
Western Province |
v |
Blue Bulls |
Newlands, Cape Town |
14:00 |
|
16 |
Golden Lions |
v |
Eastern Province Kings |
Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
14:30 |
|
16 |
Free State Cheetahs |
v |
Griquas |
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein |
15:00 |
|
22 |
Pumas |
v |
Griquas |
Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit |
19:10 |
|
23 |
Blue Bulls |
v |
Eastern Province Kings |
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
15:00 |
|
23 |
Western Province |
v |
Golden Lions |
Newlands, Cape Town |
17:05 |
|
23 |
Sharks |
v |
Free State Cheetahs |
Kings Park, Durban |
19:10 |
|
29 |
Pumas |
v |
Sharks |
Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit |
19:10 |
|
30 |
Griquas |
v |
Free State Cheetahs |
GWK Park, Kimberley |
15:00 |
|
30 |
Blue Bulls |
v |
Western Province |
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
17:05 |
|
30 |
Eastern Province Kings |
v |
Golden Lions |
Nelson Mandela Stadium, Port Elizabeth |
19:10 |
Soccer:
Arsenal thrashes City to win Shield.
Arsenal, who went nine years without a trophy before winning the FA Cup in May, collected their second piece of silverware in three months when they crushed champions Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday.
Arsenal thoroughly deserved their emphatic win in the traditional curtain-raiser to the new English season with goals from Santi Cazorla after 21 minutes, Aaron Ramsey after 42 and a stunning long-range third from Olivier Giroud just past the hour. City was without seven players who played in the World Cup while Arsenal was missing their three German World Cup winners Mesut Ozil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski.
But the Gunners, fielding three debutants including £35.0 million striker Alexis Sanchez, were far sharper than City who look like they have plenty of work to do before the start of the new Premier League campaign next weekend.
Absa Premiership | RESULTS
|
10 August AmaZulu 0 – 0 Ajax Cape Town
Bloem Celtic 1 – 1 Black Aces Joel Mogorosi (53) Tendai Ndoro (45)
09 August Orlando Pirates 1 – 2 Moroka Swallows Oupa Manyisa (pen 34) Lantshene Phalane (7) Lerato Chabangu (80)
SuperSport United 0 – 1 Bidvest Wits Sthembiso Ngcobo (pen 70)
Chippa United 2 – 0 Platinum Stars Andile Mbenyane (8) David Zulu (27)
University of Pretoria 0 – 1 Polokwane City Puleng Tlolane (31)
Free State Stars 0 – 1 Kaizer Chiefs George Lebese (54)
Mamelodi Sundowns 1 – 1 Maritzburg Utd Katlego Mashego (1) Mohammed Awal (pen 89) |
|
|
|
|
Golf:
McIlroy wins PGA on thrilling day
Rory McIlroy put himself among golf’s greatest legends on Sunday by winning his fourth major title in dramatic fashion, capturing the PGA Championship in a shotmakers’ showdown at rain-softened Valhalla.
Three weeks after winning the British Open, the 25-year-old from Northern Ireland rallied on the back nine to take his second major victory in a row and third consecutive triumph overall in impressive fashion. “Amazing. Incredible. I’m not sure I’ll ever have another summer like this,” McIlroy said. “I’ve got a lot of golf left to play this year, but I have to enjoy what I’ve just done.”
McIlroy fired a three-under par 68 in the final round to finish 72 holes on 16-under par 268 and edge five-time major winner Phil Mickelson by one shot with Sweden’s fourth-ranked Henrik Stenson and American Rickie Fowler two adrift.
McIlroy’s hat-trick of victories after the British Open and a World Golf Championships event last week give him the longest win streak since Tiger Woods completed a run of five in a row in 2008.
McIlroy became the fourth-youngest man to win his fourth major –trailing only Young Tom Morris, Woods and Jack Nicklaus – and has taken four of the past 15 majors contested. “I try and put all this talk aside every time it comes up, but Tiger and Jack are two of the most successful players in our sport of all time,” McIlroy said. “I’m on a nice track at the minute and I’m on a nice path. I’ve still got a long way to go, but to be in their company at this age is very special.”
McIlroy is the first man to win two majors in a row or in the same year since Ireland’s Padraig Harrington took the British Open and PGA in 2008. Combined with German Martin Kaymer’s US Open triumph in June, McIlroy’s double means Europeans have won three of four majors in a year for the first time. McIlroy took the Wanamaker Trophy, even grabbing the lid as it fell during the awards ceremony, and a $1.8 million (1.34 million euro) top prize. A backstretch trophy battle worthy of anything the Kentucky Derby horses at nearby Churchill Downs ever produced came on a course weakened by 2.2 inches of rain over three days.
Bogeys at the third and sixth holes dropped McIlroy from the lead and even after a birdie at seven he made the turn three off the pace set by penultimate pair Mickelson and Fowler. At the par-5 10th, McIlroy smashed his second shot 274 yards and made a seven-foot eagle putt to pull within one stroke of the leaders. “That was the turning point in the whole tournament for me,” McIlroy said. “I struggled on the front nine and then to get myself within one of Rickie and Phil, I felt like I had a really good chance.”
US left-hander Mickelson found the rough at 16 bounced his bunker shot over the hole and left a 10-foot par putt just short for bogey. McIlroy found a fairway bunker at 17 but hit to 10 feet and curled in the birdie putt for a two-shot lead. An earlier rain delay had forced the players to race nightfall to finish, with dark clouds looming as the drama reached the par-5 18th hole. McIlroy found a greenside bunker with his approach, made while Mickelson and Fowler were on the green in the dimming light.
“It was a classy move for those guys to let us come up because they didn’t need to,” McIlroy said. “They could have let us just stand there and wait in darkness and make it a little bit more difficult. It is true sportsmanship. They called us up and it was a classy move.” Mickelson missed a 70-foot eagle bid but tapped in for birdie to pull within one of McIlroy while Fowler settled for par to end his title hopes.
McIlroy blasted out to 34 feet, left a birdie putt inches short and tapped in to win. “It was good for me to get back in the thick of it, to compete in big tournaments,” said Mickelson, whose only prior top-10 effort this year was a January runner-up finish at Abu Dhabi. “I’m disappointed in the outcome. Had I been able to finish those last five or six holes strong, could have totally flipped the way I look at this year.” Fowler, the US and British Open runner-up who also shared fifth at the Masters, matched Nicklaus and Woods as the only players to finish in the top five at all four majors one year, the first since Woods did it in 2005 but also the first to do so without a win.
“This is probably the one that hurts the most for me with the majors this year,” Fowler said. “I just wish I could have given myself a couple of better looks on the last couple holes.”
PGA Championship | LEADERBOARD
|
1 |
Rory McIlroy |
-16 |
F |
-3 |
66 |
67 |
67 |
68 |
268 |
|
2 |
Phil Mickelson |
-15 |
F |
-5 |
69 |
67 |
67 |
66 |
269 |
|
3 |
Henrik Stenson |
-14 |
F |
-5 |
66 |
71 |
67 |
66 |
270 |
|
3 |
Rickie Fowler |
-14 |
F |
-3 |
69 |
66 |
67 |
68 |
270 |
|
5 |
Jim Furyk |
-12 |
F |
-5 |
66 |
68 |
72 |
66 |
272 |
|
5 |
Ryan Palmer |
-12 |
F |
-3 |
65 |
70 |
69 |
68 |
272 |
|
7 |
Ernie Els |
-11 |
F |
-6 |
70 |
70 |
68 |
65 |
273 |
|
7 |
Jimmy Walker |
-11 |
F |
-6 |
69 |
71 |
68 |
65 |
273 |
|
7 |
Victor Dubuisson |
-11 |
F |
-5 |
69 |
68 |
70 |
66 |
273 |
|
7 |
Hunter Mahan |
-11 |
F |
-4 |
70 |
71 |
65 |
67 |
273 |
|
7 |
Steve Stricker |
-11 |
F |
-3 |
69 |
68 |
68 |
68 |
273 |
|
7 |
Mikko Ilonen |
-11 |
F |
-2 |
67 |
68 |
69 |
69 |
273 |
|
13 |
Brandt Snedeker |
-10 |
F |
-4 |
73 |
68 |
66 |
67 |
274 |
|
13 |
Kevin Chappell |
-10 |
F |
-3 |
65 |
74 |
67 |
68 |
274 |
|
15 |
Charl Schwartzel |
-9 |
F |
-5 |
72 |
68 |
69 |
66 |
275 |
|
15 |
Brooks Koepka |
-9 |
F |
-4 |
71 |
71 |
66 |
67 |
275 |
|
15 |
Marc Warren |
-9 |
F |
-4 |
71 |
71 |
66 |
67 |
275 |
|
15 |
Lee Westwood |
-9 |
F |
-2 |
65 |
72 |
69 |
69 |
275 |
|
15 |
Adam Scott |
-9 |
F |
-2 |
71 |
69 |
66 |
69 |
275 |
|
15 |
Graham Delaet |
-9 |
F |
-1 |
69 |
68 |
68 |
70 |
275 |
|
15 |
Jason Day |
-9 |
F |
+1 |
69 |
65 |
69 |
72 |
275 |
|
15 |
Louis Oosthuizen |
-9 |
F |
E |
70 |
67 |
67 |
71 |
275 |
|
15 |
Bernd Wiesberger |
-9 |
F |
+3 |
68 |
68 |
65 |
74 |
275 |
Motorsport:
Peerless Marquez wins at Indy.
Marc Marquez made history when he claimed his 10th successive MotoGP victory, taking the chequered flag at Indianapolis in a thrilling fight with the Yamahas. Despite starting from pole position, Marquez once again made life difficult for himself as the Honda rider failed to get off the line cleanly. Down in fourth place at the end of the first lap, Marquez slowly clawed his way into the fight for the race win.
Passing Andrea Iannone for third, he hunted down Andrea Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi, who while fighting for the lead touched, forcing them to sit up. That allowed Marquez to pass them both in one move. Into the lead on lap 6, the Spaniard proved he too makes mistakes as ran wide which allowed Rossi back into the front while Jorge Lorenzo, who followed Marquez through the field, joined the fight for the victory. Running wheel-to-wheel, Lorenzo attacked Marquez, who, in turn, attacked Rossi with the Honda rider coming out ahead of the Yamaha duo. Back in the lead on lap 12, Marquez accelerated away from his rivals. Etching out an advantage lap by lap, the Championship leader raced to his 10th consecutive win of this season. In doing so, the 21-year-old equaled Mick Doohan’s record of successive wins set back in 1997.
Lorenzo won the battle of the Yamahas, breaking Rossi’s challenge with ten to go. He eventually crossed the line over four seconds ahead of his teammate. Dani Pedrosa recovered from his disappointing qualifying to finish fourth ahead of Pol Espargaro, Bradley Smith and Dovizioso. Ducati’s Cal Crutchlow, who is off to LCR Honda for next season, completed the top eight.
Alvaro Bautista and Hernandez clashed on the opening lap while Aleix Espargaro and Stefan Bradl collided on lap 13. Hector Barbera, Danilo Petrucci, Iannone and Leon Camier all retired with bike problems.
RACE RESULTS
1. Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 42’07.041
2. Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha +1.803
3. Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP +6.558
4. Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team +10.016
5. Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 +17.807
6. Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 +19.604
7. Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team +20.759
8. Cal CRUTCHLOW Ducati Team +39.796
9. Scott REDDING GO&FUN Honda Gresini +40.507
10. Hiroshi AOYAMA Drive M7 Aspar +55.760
11. Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing +1’05.130
12. Mike DI MEGLIO Avintia Racing +1’05.346
13. Colin EDWARDS NGM Forward Racing +1’08.919
14. Michael LAVERTY Paul Bird Motorsport +1’09.203
15. Broc PARKES Paul Bird Motorsport +1’30.613
NOT CLASSIFIED
Leon CAMIER Drive M7 Aspar 8 Laps
Andrea IANNONE Pramac Racing 13 Laps
Aleix ESPARGARO NGM Forward Racing 15 Laps
Stefan BRADL LCR Honda MotoGP 15 Laps
Danilo PETRUCCI Octo IodaRacing Team 21 Laps
Hector BARBERA Avintia Racing 22 Laps
Yonny HERNANDEZ Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 27 Laps
Alvaro BAUTISTA GO&FUN Honda Gresini 27 Laps