SYDNEY: Devon Conway and Finn Allen plundered 46 runs off the first three overs to set New Zealand on course for a thumping 89-run win over defending champion Australia on Saturday in the opening game of the Super 12 stage at the Twenty20 World Cup.
Less than a year after losing the 2021 final to Australia in Dubai, the New Zealanders dominated immediately after being sent in to bat in overcast conditions and posted 200-3, their highest-ever total in a T20 World Cup game.
Australia was bowled out for 111 in 17.1 overs in reply for its biggest-ever defeat in a T20 World Cup game, with Tim Southee taking the first and the last wickets to secure New Zealand’s first win here in 11 years.
“An outstanding day. Finn set the tone and another class innings from Devon,” New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said. “Something to build on for our next one.”
Conway blazed an unbeaten 92 from 58 balls and hit the last ball of the innings for six. The end of New Zealand’s innings reflected the start, with the opening pair putting on 56 in 4.1 overs before Allen was bowled by Josh Hazlewood.
“Special performance by the boys tonight,” Conway said. “Credit to Finn how he started, he got the momentum going.
“Quite a young guy in his career but he’s explosive, and he’s fearless.”
He certainly was. The 23-year-old Allen, who only found out Friday night that he’d be starting, hit the second ball of the match for a boundary and the third for a six over mid-on, and then drove a boundary straight down the ground as New Zealand took 14 off the first over from paceman Mitch Starc.
They took 15 off the second over, with Conway turning the first ball from Hazlewood to the boundary at fine leg, and continued the onslaught against Australia’s high-caliber pace trio with 17 off the third over, bowled by Pat Cummins.
Allen, who had a reprieve when he was dropped on 19, clubbed 42 from 16 deliveries before he was bowled by a Hazlewood yorker to start the fifth over.
Conway continued in a 69-run second-wicket stand with Williamson, who scored a run-a-ball 23, Glenn Phillips (12) and Jimmy Neesham to keep the run-rate going at 10 per over.
Australia by contrast lost wickets regularly, beginning with the first ball of the second over when David Warner (5) tried to hit across the line against Southee but only dragged it onto his thigh, then the back of his bat and onto his stumps.
Glenn Maxwell top scored for Australia with 28 while Southee (3-6) and Santner (3-31) took three wickets apiece and kept the run-flow down. The lopsided defeat already has Australia under pressure to make the top two in the group and reach the playoffs.
“They got the jump on us early in those first four overs with the bat and we never really recovered,” Australia captain Aaron Finch said. “They were in front of the game the whole way. We were totally outplayed.”
England won the toss and chose to bowl first against Afghanistan in Perth later Saturday in the second game.
The tournament has been running for a week, with eight teams vying for four places to qualify for the Super 12s.
Sri Lanka topped Pool A in the preliminary round and Ireland beat the two-time champion West Indies on Friday to secure second spot in Pool B and join Australia, New Zealand, England and Afghanistan in Group 1 for the second round.
Group 2 is set for a blockbuster opener on Sunday with archrivals India and Pakistan meeting at a sold out Melbourne Cricket Ground in a night match, after Sri Lanka and Ireland have played in Hobart.
Zimbabwe topped Pool B in qualifying and Netherlands placed second in Pool A to join India, Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh in Group 2 for the Super 12 stage that will finish Nov. 6.
The top two teams in each groups will advance to the semifinals, and the semifinal winners will meet in the final on Nov. 13 at the MCG.
Kiwis upstage defending champion Australia in T20 World Cup
https://arab.news/nck9t
Kiwis upstage defending champion Australia in T20 World Cup
- Australia was bowled out for 111 in 17.1 overs in reply for its biggest-ever defeat in a T20 World Cup game
- “An outstanding day. Finn set the tone and another class innings from Devon,” New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said
Saudi and Japanese football leagues to work together to develop the sport in both countries
- They will collaborate on ways to achieve sustainable growth of the sport, enhance the standard of football, and facilitate exchange of expertise between players and coaches
- The agreement also includes plans for talent-discovery networks, cultural-exchange events, and friendly matches between Japanese and Saudi clubs
RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League and Japan’s Professional Football League have signed an agreement to cooperate on ways to develop the sport in both countries.
To achieve this they will work with teams in both leagues and collaborate on ways to achieve sustainable growth of the sport, enhance the standard of football, facilitate the exchange of experiences and resources between players and coaches, and establish an effective system for communication about technical and administrative matters.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of a Saudi-Japanese business forum by the vice chair of the SPL’s board of directors, Saad Allazeez, and Yoshokaze Ninomura of the J.League.
Allazeez said the agreement reflects the SPL’s transformation strategy and added: “This partnership will open new horizons for exchanging experiences and promoting the continuous development in the field of football between the two countries.
“We look forward to working with our counterparts in Japan to raise the level of the game at all levels.”
The agreement also includes support for the continued growth and development of SPL and J.League through workshops and conferences to consider ideas for strengthening football infrastructure, cooperation in talent-discovery networks to help identify and nurture stars of the future, cultural-exchange events that celebrate the diverse cultures of the two countries and enhance the global appeal of football, and friendly matches between Japanese and Saudi clubs.
Lookman hat-trick fires Atalanta to Europa League, ends Leverkusen’s unbeaten run
- Lookman became the first player to score a hat-trick in a European final since 1975 to secure Atalanta’s first ever continental trophy
DUBLIN: Ademola Lookman scored a stunning hat-trick as Atalanta ended Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-match unbeaten run to win the Europa League final 3-0 on Wednesday and claim their first trophy for 61 years.
Lookman became the first player to score a hat-trick in a European final since 1975 to secure Atalanta’s first ever continental trophy.
“One of the best nights of my life. Amazing performance from the team,” said Lookman.
“We’ve got to celebrate, we made history tonight.”
The side from Bergamo have long lived in the shadow of nearby giants AC and Inter Milan.
However, they have enjoyed a golden era under Gian Piero Gasperini, reaching the Champions League on four occasions, and now have silverware to show for it.
Leverkusen have made a habit of late fightbacks in their remarkable run to winning a first ever Bundesliga title without tasting defeat.
But this time they failed to dig themselves out of a hole created by a slow start.
“It’s a shame that the time it didn’t work out for us was in a final,” said Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka.
“It’s bitter, definitely, we lost a final today but we go on and we’ll make up for it on Saturday (in the German Cup final).
Atalanta’s more purposeful play in the opening stages was rewarded after just 12 minutes.
Davide Zappacosta got to the by-line and Lookman caught Exequiel Palacios napping to fire into the top corner at the back post.
The Nigerian has at times endured a nomadic career, bouncing around the lower reaches of the Premier League on loan spells at Fulham and Leicester after being discarded by RB Leipzig.
But Lookman has found a home in Bergamo, where he will now forever be a hero.
The 26-year-old’s second goal was fit to win any final as he nutmegged Xhaka before curling a powerful shot into the far corner.
Leverkusen’s flying full-backs have been at the heart of their stunning season and should have got them back in the game either side of half-time.
Alex Grimaldo fired tamely into the arms of Juan Musso before Jeremie Frimpong blazed over with the goal gaping.
Leverkusen were also denied a lifeline when Gianluca Scamacca was lucky to escape with a yellow card for wild challenge on Florian Wirtz.
For the fourth time in seven Europa League knockout matches, Xabi Alonso’s men found themselves 2-0 down.
Alonso has enjoyed a rapid rise to become one of Europe’s hottest coaching properties.
The Spaniard has rejected the advances of former clubs Liverpool and Bayern Munich to remain at the BayArena next season.
However, Alonso’s decision to start without a recognized striker did not work and he threw on Victor Boniface at half-time to give his side a focal point up front.
The damage, though, was already done as the German champions looked a side drained by their record run across three competitions.
Atalanta were happy to soak up the Leverkusen pressure after the break and hit on the counter-attack.
The final blow was another fabulous finish from Lookman as he skipped past Edmond Tapsoba and this time blasted into the top corner on his weaker left foot.
Atalanta had lost all three of their previous finals under Gasperini, most recently in last week’s Coppa Italia defeat to Juventus.
But this time they were not to be denied their shot at history as they were roared across the finishing line by the thousands clad in blue and black that had made the trip from northern Italy to the Irish capital.
In doing so they became the first Italian side to win the competition since Parma lifted the UEFA Cup in 1999.
Djokovic celebrates 37th birthday with much-needed win
- The crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to Djokovic as a cake with candles was brought out onto the court
GENEVA: Novak Djokovic celebrated his 37th birthday on Wednesday with a much-needed win as he gears up for his French Open title defense, progressing to the Geneva quarter-finals.
The world number one downed Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-3 in the second round at the Parc des Eaux-Vives grounds.
Djokovic took a wild card to play in Geneva in a bid to rescue an alarming dip in form ahead of next week’s French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year.
The crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to Djokovic as a cake with candles was brought out onto the court following his win.
He lifted the cake and showed it off to the crowd, having a nibble before offering some to the ball boys and girls.
Rain washes out England-Pakistan T20 opener
- Match was supposed to be launchpad for England’s defense next month of T20 World Cup title
- Both teams will now meet each other on Saturday at Edgbaston in second of four-match series
Leeds, United Kingdom: Persistent rain saw the first Twenty20 international between England and Pakistan at Headingley on Wednesday abandoned without a ball being bowled.
The match was meant to be the launchpad for reigning champions England’s defense next month of their T20 World Cup title in the Caribbean and the United States.
But a heavy and lengthy downpour in Leeds led the umpires to call the game off approximately an hour before the scheduled 17:30 GMT start.
The four-match series against Pakistan, the team England beat to win the 2022 T20 World Cup final in Melbourne, will now continue at Birmingham’s Edgbaston ground on Saturday before games next week in Cardiff and at the Oval.
England were also the defending champions heading into last year’s 50-over World Cup in India but Jos Buttler’s men suffered a tame exit, losing six of their nine matches.
The Pakistan T20 series could see the return to international duty of England fast bowler Jofra Archer. Injuries have blighted the quick’s career, with elbow and back problems sidelining the 29-year-old from top-level cricket for 14 months.
2024 LIV Golf Team Championship heads to Dallas
- Fans throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex will welcome LIV Golf’s star-studded teams for the season finale
- LIV Golf CEO: ‘Our LIV Golf players are looking forward to playing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with its great golf tradition’
LONDON, NEW YORK, WEST PALM BEACH: LIV Golf announced on Wednesday the details for the league’s 2024 Team Championship, scheduled to take place Sep. 20-22, 2024, at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas.
Fans throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex will welcome LIV Golf’s star-studded teams for the season finale, with the excitement of head-to-head competition featuring both match play and stroke play that will determine the 2024 LIV Golf League Team Champions.
“Our LIV Golf players are looking forward to playing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with its great golf tradition,” LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman said in a media statement.
“Texas is legendary for producing and hosting great golfers who set a high bar while competing for championships. Our LIV Golf Team Championship at Maridoe Golf Club will be a great experience for our players and all the fans in attendance,” added Norman.
“This year’s Team Championship at Maridoe Golf Club holds special significance for me as we make our Dallas debut and our team strives to defend our title in front of a home crowd,” said Bryson DeChambeau, Crushers GC captain.
“I’m excited to play this course and compete in front of Texas fans for our closing event and can’t wait to bring LIV Golf’s electrifying energy and fierce competition to Dallas,” DeChambeau added.
Meanwhile, Maridoe Golf Club founder Albert Huddleston, said: “Maridoe has been honored to previously host the Southern Amateur, Trans-Mississippi Amateur, East West Cup Matches, USGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship as well as two 2020 COVID tournaments won by Scottie Scheffler and Brandon Wu.”
Maridoe is designed to be an enjoyable but demanding member’s club, according to Huddleston, while always ready to provide a great test for elite golfers to entertain golf enthusiasts.
Maridoe Golf Club, located just 20 miles from downtown Dallas, was ranked by Golf Digest among the top three new private courses in 2018. Built on the site of the old Columbian Club and designed by Steve Smyers, the course is considered among the most difficult in the Metroplex, tipping out at 7,817 yards, and will be the host for LIV Golf’s 2024 finale — a three-day, survive-and-advance tournament featuring team match play and stroke play.
For the LIV Golf Team Championship, teams will be seeded 1-13 based on the final regular season team standings following the 13th event, LIV Golf Chicago, taking place Sep. 13-15 at Bolingbrook Golf Club. Adjustments to the Team Championship format have been implemented to enhance the competition across the three days at Maridoe.
In addition to hosting world-class competition, the LIV Golf Team Championship will feature live music entertainment and family-friendly fun for all ages. Fans can secure the ultimate tournament experience with LIV Golf’s renowned hospitality packages, each delivering an array of amenities.
Tickets for the Team Championship are on sale now at LIVGolf.com
