Pakistan skipper Sarfraz proud of England draw despite Headingley hammering

Sarfraz Ahmed

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed insisted he was proud of his youthful side even after an innings and 55-run defeat at Headingley denied them a Test-series victory in England.

That overwhelming loss, completed inside three days on Sunday, meant the two-match campaign ended all square at 1-1 following what Sarfraz said was Pakistan’s “perfect” nine-wicket victory in the first Test at Lord’s.

Defeat left Pakistan still looking for their first Test series success in England since 1996, when fast-bowling greats Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were in the side.

Despite skittling England out for just 184 in their first innings at Lord’s, Sarfraz elected to bat after winning the toss in Leeds.

While the Headingley pitch provided a typically good surface, overhead conditions quickly became humid and cloudy, creating a swing-friendly environment that made batting difficult.

Even so, Pakistan would still have expected to have made more than their 174, which featured a third fifty in as many Tests from teenage leg-spinner Shadab Khan.

That total meant they were always chasing the game and, were just one individual effort away from conceding a large first-innings lead.

Having fielded brilliantly as a side at Lord’s, Pakistan saw Hasan Ali drop a routine catch when Jos Buttler was on four.

The dashing Buttler punished Pakistan with an unbeaten 80 in an England reply of 363.

Pakistan, 189 behind on first innings, then slumped to 134 all out in 46 overs second time around as their top order again failed to fire.

But having also overseen a victory over Test debutants Ireland in Dublin during this tour, Sarfraz was pleased with Pakistan’s progress.

“When we came here people thought we will not win one game but the way we played at Lord’s everything was perfect, our fast bowling was perfect, our batting and fielding were perfect,” Sarfraz told reporters.

“It’s disappointing that we had a chance to win the series but unfortunately we didn’t play well here.” – ‘1-1 good for us’ –

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Overall there were still plenty of plus-points for Pakistan, not least the bowling of seamer Mohammad Abbas who took a match-winning eight for 64 at Lord’s.

“I am proud of my young team, the way Abbas is bowling, Shadab is doing well, Faheem Ashraf did well, so I’m really disappointed that we didn’t win (at Headingley) but 1-1 is good for us,” said wicket-keeper Sarfraz.

Experienced opening batsman Azhar Ali averaged just 16.75 during the series while Sarfraz averaged 10.33 — well below his career Test mark of 37.78.

“Azhar is our main batsman, it’s correct he is not in good nick but he scored a good fifty at Lord’s,” said Sarfraz.

As for his own batting, Sarfraz added: “I am not satisfied with my batting in the series.

“I committed mistakes and played a few bad shots.” Pakistan arrived for this tour having gone several months without a Test since a 68-run defeat by Sri Lanka in Dubai and Sarfraz said playing three in relatively quick succession was always likely to prove a tough challenge for his team.

“We played our last Test in October, so it’s difficult when you play a Test after five or six months. Test cricket is a different format, you have to adjust to five-day cricket. If you have to field for two three days, it’s tough,” explained Sarfraz.

“The more you play Test cricket, you get to mature as Test player. Now we have five Tests in the UAE (two against Australia and three against New Zealand), then we have three in South Africa and that will help us mature as a Test team,” he added.

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French Open 2018: Alexander Zverev in maiden quarter-final

German tennis star Alexander Zverev (Photo: AFP)

German second seed Alexander Zverev claimed his third successive comeback win at the French Open to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final on Sunday, edging Russian Karen Khachanov in five sets.

The 21-year-old played some stunning tennis in the closing stages of a dramatic 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 fourth-round victory and will next face Dominic Thiem who reached a third successive quarter-final in Paris by seeing off Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4.

World number 38 Khachanov has now lost at the last-16 stage at Roland Garros twice in a row, while Zverev ended his wait for a maiden major last-eight appearance at the 12th attempt.

“Well, I’m young, so I might as well stay on court, get some practice and entertain you guys,” smiled Zverev, who is bidding to become the first German man to win the French Open since 1937.

“Me and my brother (Mischa) are guys that spend three, four hours a day in the gym, lifting heavy weights, on the treadmill. It paid off today.” A tight first set heated up in the 10th game when Zverev saved two set points, the second after becoming incensed when the umpire overturned a line call of out from a Khachanov shot.

But the Russian sealed the set at the third time of asking, leaving the world number three needing a fightback for the third consecutive match.

There was excitement at the end of the second set too as a marathon game saw Zverev fail to serve it out to level the match, firing long on Khachanov’s fifth break point after wasting three set points.

But the German gathered himself, taking a tie-break as the momentum swung back in his favour.

That proved a false dawn for Zverev, though, as Khachanov eased through the third set with some powerful hitting.

But Zverev, as he did in his wins over Dusan Lajovic and Damir Dzumhur, forced a decider, sealing the set with an ace after saving two break points.

And he secured an impressive victory, finishing the match with 63 winners and 17 aces.

Thiem, the only man to beat Rafael Nadal on clay this year, held off a short-lived Nishikori revival on Court Philippe Chatrier to set up a clash with Zverev.

“I think that’s the matchup most of the fans in Germany and Austria were hoping for when they saw the draw,” he said.

“He’s an amazing player. I mean, probably now the third-best after Rafa and Roger (Federer). So it’s going to be an amazing challenge for me.” Former champion Novak Djokovic faces Fernando Verdasco later in the day, looking to reach the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time since Wimbledon last year.

US Open champion Sloane Stephens cruised past Estonian Anett Kontaveit 6-0, 6-2 to book a last-eight spot for the first time.

Stephens, the 10th seed, had previously made the fourth round for four successive seasons and will next play either Australian Open champion and second seed Caroline Wozniacki or Russia’s Daria Kasatkina.

American 13th seed Madison Keys also reached her first Roland Garros quarter-final with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu.

Keys, the US Open runner-up to Stephens last year, will face Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva for a place in the semi-finals, after the world number 98 saw off Barbora Strycova 6-4, 6-3.

“First week, my goal is to get to the second week,” said 23-year-old Keys.

“Then once you get to the second week, every match obviously has more nerves, and there’s more on the line.” On Monday, all eyes will be on the showdown between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, with the latter trying to end an 18-match losing streak to her bitter rival.

Three-time champion Williams is playing her first Grand Slam tournament since taking time off last year due to pregnancy, while Sharapova is at Roland Garros for the first time in three years after serving a doping ban in 2016 and being refused a wildcard 12 months ago.

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Kevin Abel's gem, hot bats power Oregon State Beavers past LSU, into super regional

By Ron Richmond for The Oregonian/OregonLive

CORVALLIS -- Kevin Abel took a two-hitter into the ninth inning, Steven Kwan and Cadyn Grenier homered, and Oregon Staterolled into its seventh super regional with a 12-0 victory over LSU to win the Corvallis Regional at Goss Stadium on Sunday night.

The Beavers (47-10-1), as the No. 3 national seed, will host No. 14 seed Minnesota in the best-of-three super regional starting Friday or Saturday, with the winner advancing to the College World Series. The Golden Gophers (44-13), winners of the Big Ten regular-season title and the conference tournament, beat UCLA 13-8 on Sunday to advance to their first super regional.

The pitching-depleted Tigers (39-27), who burned through three available arms in a 9-5 win over Northwestern State to stay alive, were no match for a second turn at OSU's potent lineup.

Starter Devin Fontenot (3-1) exited in the second inning after 54 pitches -- 46 coming when the Beavers batted around in the first -- and three LSU relievers fared no better.

The Beavers outscored the Tigers 26-1 over two regional games and recorded their seventh shutout of the season. LSU finished as the national runner-up last year.

Abel was brilliant through eight innings, allowing on an infield single in the third and a pinch-hit single in the eighth. He exited in the ninth after a leadoff single on his 114th pitch to a standing ovation from the crowd of 3,915.

Abel struck out eight, walked one and allowed just one runner as far as third base. He also had 12 flyball outs, with the hardest hit ball off Abel coming in the fourth on a smash to left-center that Kwan ran down and caught one step before crashing into the fence.

Kwan also hit a leadoff home run, his second, into the right-field bleachers to spark a three-run first inning for OSU. Michael Gretler added an RBI single and Jack Anderson was hit by a pitch to drive in a run.

The Beavers went up 5-0 in the second on Trevor Larnach's bases-loaded walk and Kyle Nobach's fielder's choice. It could have been worse, as OSU left the bases full for the second inning in a row.

Cadyn Grenier hit his fifth homer, and OSU's 57th of the season, for a 6-0 lead in the third. Nobach drove in two runs during a four-run sixth inning and added an RBI double in the eighth for the final run.

-- Ron Richmond for The Oregonian/OregonLive

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Intercontinental Cup | Sunil Chhetri eyes landmark as India face Kenya

The Indian players will aim to gift their skipper Sunil Chhetri a memorable 100th international match when they face Kenya in an Intercontinental Cup tie here on Monday.

India sit pretty at the top of the four-team table after their facile 5-0 victory over Chinese Taipei in the opening match of the Intercontinental Cup football tournament. Kenya are second thanks to their 2-1 win over New Zealand on Saturday.

“I had a dream but never dreamt of playing 100 international matches. This is unbelievable,” Chhetri said prior to India’s practice session at the Mumbai Football Arena here on Sunday.

“Honestly, I never think much about milestones. It was only when I was having a chat with my mom the other night that she became a bit emotional. How big it was for her made me realise how big the occasion is,” he added.

Chhetri is the second Indian after former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia to achieve the feat. Bhutia, who represented the country from 1995 to 2011, played 104 international matches, scoring 40 goals.

“I need to thank my parents, friends, family, all my coaches, players, fans, media for their support in my journey in being able to be the second person in history to play 100 international matches for my country. It feels special,” Chhetri said.

“I just feel I will be able to keep my emotions under control, play the game as we should, stick to the plan and try to win the game for the country.”

Referring to his ‘mentor’ Bhutia’s accolades for Chhetri evolving as a player, the ‘disciple’ said that “as players grow older they start filtering stuff.”

“Once you grow older and you play more, you understand what’s not good for you rather than what works for you. As you grow older you tend to start filtering stuff which is not needed and which is not important for you. That’s what is learnt. So I do the things which work for me. It’s monotonous but I hope it continues,” he said.

“I still remember my first match for India. We were in Pakistan and Nabi-da (Syed Rahim Nabi) and me were the rookies. We were kind of chilling knowing that we may not be fielded. But Sukhi-sir (Sukhwinder Singh) made both of us start the game. I scored a goal and in my euphoria I ran to the Pakistani fans and started to celebrate,” he smiled.

Chhetri asserted that the Indians will go all out to ensure a victory against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup match on Monday. The Indian forward line was impressive against Chinese Taipei, but the Kenyans have a stronger defence and should be much tougher to score against.

“As a player you are lucky if you get tougher games and the toughest one will be against Kenya. The matches coming up the next day are always the toughest. The Asian Cup in UAE will also be very tough,” he said.

“As a player I have been in many a tough match. The games against South Korea, Australia and Bahrain in the 2011 Asian Cup were so tough. We played Japan in Bengaluru and that was tough too,” he recollected.

“Sometimes I feel the importance of the match makes it tougher. The matches against Myanmar (away in Yangon) and the home match against Kyrgyz Republic were tough in our road to qualification for the UAE Asian Cup.”

Chhetri also informed that he enjoys the competition against the youngsters in his quest to get fitter and better.

“I feel good when I speak with Udanta (Singh) and sprint with him. I feel good when I try to get past Sandesh (Jhingan). I feel good when I try to score against the big wall (Gurpreet Singh Sandhu). All of them are true professionals,” he said.

“The desire in the present squad makes it special. The camaraderie is great and there is not a single ego clash within. There’s an ardent desire to improve and its really good to lead this bunch of players. We have the desire and the talent. We need to keep working hard,” he added.

The four teams playing in the Intercontinental Cup tournament are India, Kenya, New Zealand and Chinese Taipei.

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Ni Nengah Widia, an Indonesian athlete Wins Gold at the Heavy Lift Weight Championship in France

Indonesia should be proud of Ni Nengah Widiasih figure. Thanks to the athlete from Karangasem Bali, Indonesia reverberated in the arena of World Championship Powerlifting European Open Championship Berck Sur-Mer France 2018.

Widia, once he was called, managed to snatch a gold medal in the championships held from 25 to 29 May. In the event that followed more or less 40 countries, Widia down in 45 kilogram class.

"Glad really, really grateful," said Widia welcomed his victory

Achievement boast of Indonesia's mainstay athlete was immediately appreciated by Menpora, Imam Nahrawi. Through his Instagram account, the pride was pronounced by the minister. He hopes Widia will continue to shine until the Asian Para Games event to be held in Indonesia next October

Meanwhile, Widia claimed to have long been preparing himself for this championship in France. His determination is strong to bring Indonesia to the top of the championship.

"It must be hard training during preparation, it's been long since it was already in Pelatnas," said Widia who always wore a wheelchair because both legs were paralyzed

Ni Nengah Widiasih (Photo: Instagram @nahrawi_imam)

Despite achieving the highest achievement in the event, the 28-year-old athlete was not immediately satisfied.

"Do better than what I've achieved," said Widia who previously won the bronze medal at the Paralympics event Rio de Janeiro 2016.

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