Archive for September 2014
Another Mystery Spinner reported for Suspect Action
Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine becomes the latest Suspect
Another Mystery Spinner, this time from the west Indies, Sunil Narine has been reported for suspect action during KKR's Champions League T20 victory against Dolphins(SA) on Monday. According to the report published by ESPNCricinfo, Narine was reported by the umpires Anil Chaudhary, Chettihody Shamshuddin & 3rd umpire Kumar Dharmasena. However, as per CLT20 rules & regulations, the 26-year-old can seek an official assessment.
The Off Spinner has been the leader in the team's bowling attack & grabbed 3 more wickets to take his total wickets tally to 11 from 4 games on Monday. KKR registered their record-13th consecutive win.
Narine's name is now on the "warning list" where if he is reported again for bowling with a suspect action during the course of the tournament, he will be barred from bowling in the remaining games.
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Liverpool Hammered by West Ham
West Ham crush Liverpool 3-1
Liverpool suffered a shock 3-1 loss to West Ham on Saturday away from home. Brendan Rodgers's side were 2-0 down inside 7 minutes of play at Upton Park.
Poor defending by Liverpool, who suffered their 3rd loss in 5th game this season, saw Winston Reid turning the ball in to put the Home side 1-0 up in the 2nd minute.
The Hammers doubled their lead Diafra Sakho's cross beat everyone, including Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet in the 7th minute.
It was poor defending which cost Liverpool the title last season as they eventually finished runners-up to Man City.
However, the attacking force was on display as winger Raheem Sterling pulled a goal back with an unstoppable shot from inside the box in the 26th minute after Mario Balotelli's initial effort was blocked.
Substitute Morgan Amalfitano made the scoreline totally in favour of West Ham side in the 88th minute when he guided home Stewart Downing's through-ball.
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Man Utd Humiliated again, this time by Leicester
Leicester stun United 5-3
Man Utd were on track for a first competitive away victory after goals from Van Persie, Di Maria & Harrera put them ahead 3-1 with just 30 minutes left on the clock.
David Nugent converted a controversial penalty to reduce the deficit to 3-2 after Leonardo Ulloa put them on the scoreline.
Jamie Vardy, made it 4-3 in the 79th minute. Four minutes later, Tyler Blackett was sent off for bringing down Vardy, who scored his 2nd goal & Leicester's 5th from the penalty spot.
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Liverpool Hammered by West Ham
Consecutive Sixes by Marsh takes Perth Scorchers past Dolphins in a Thriller
Mitchell Marsh hits 2 sixes off last 2 balls
What comes to mind when you look at the scoreline in a T20 match, the team chasing needs 12 runs off the last 2 deliveries?
Impossible, Improbable to say the least.
But Mitchell Marsh, the exceptionally talented Australian All-Rounder achieved the impossible feat in a Champions League T20 group stage match for Australia's Perth Scorchers against South Africa's Dolphins.
Earlier, Dolphins overcame a top-order collapse to put up a fighting total of 164/7 on the board after winning the toss & choosing to bat.
March was awarded Man-of-the-Match for his innings of 40 off 26 balls.
Dolphins themselves hammered 67 runs in the last 6 overs of their innings.
Chris Cairns struggling to provide for Family
This situation is in stark contrast to the 44-year-old's flamboyant lifestyle in Dubai in 2010, where he worked as a diamond trader and purchased a 3.2 carat diamond while proposing to his 3rd wife, Mel Croser.
Croser (34), who works as a project manager, recently told a women's magazine that her husband, father of four, took up the cleaning job because "he has no choice, he has to provide for his family.We have bills to pay like everyone else. We don't own a house, we're paying rent and getting by is a struggle."
Cairns and his family however, continue to live in Herne Bay, Auckland's most expensive suburb.
NBA 2K15 Ratings Leaked
Kobe Bryant sits at 89 while 2 more 90+ players are revealed
- Tim Duncan will sit atop the Spurs' NBA 2K15 ratings at 90 overall. The 90 rating is an increase from last year's 87 overall mark to begin the the 2013-14 season.
- While Durant is at 95 overall, James comes in ranked as the highest in the game at 98. This is actually a 2 point drop from last year’s 100 overall rating for James, but with the changes in rating system that is no surprise.
- Kobe Bryant is far and away the best player on the Lakers team, which seems like a pretty accurate depiction with him being rated at 89 as compared to the rest of the team which lies between 79 and 67.
- LA Lakers' player ratings:
Jeremy Lin – 77
Kobe Bryant – 89
Wesley Johnson – 73
Carlos Boozer – 78
Jordan Hill – 76
Nick Young – 78 (best guess considering glare)
Ed Davis – 73
Julius Randle – 76
Steve Nash – 76
Ryan Kelly – 71
Robert Sacre – 67
Jordan Clarkson – 70
Xavier Henry – 73
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All the NBA 2k15 details you need to Know
All the NBA 2k15 details you need to Know
- NBA 2K15 comes out on Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox 360,Playstation 3 and Playstation 4 on October 7, 2014.
- In the previous versions of the NBA 2K series, high ratings were awarded to plenty of players,but NBA 2K15 features only 4 current players with 90+ rating.
- MVP Kevin Durant will be gracing the cover for NBA 2K15.
- Kevin Durant's rating has been revealed as 95. Michael Jordan at 99.
- The other players presumed to be on the 90+ list are LeBron James & Kevin Love.
- While strictly an offline mode, players will be able to take control of one to 30 teams of their choosing and run a league for up to 80 years
- The Crew Mode is undergoing an overhaul & is expected to be back with a bang!
source: www.bleacherreport.com
Cilic defeats Nishikori for US Open title
New York: After the frustration and the waiting; after the nerves and last year's bitterness, it suddenly looked easy for Marin Cilic.
He has never had a bigger one on a tennis court, and the 6-foot-6 Cilic truly did not flinch: walking tall into Arthur Ashe Stadium and playing taller as he swept to the U.S. Open title with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 rout of Kei Nishikori.
"Everything I was working for and dreaming came today," said Cilic, a 25-year-old Croatian. "And I feel for all those other players who are working hard, this is a big sign and big hope that if you are working hard things are going to pay off."
A year ago, Cilic missed the U.S. Open because he was serving a suspension after testing positive for a banned stimulant. Though he faced a two-year ban, he appealed, arguing that he had unintentionally ingested the substance in a glucose tablet, and succeeded in having the suspension lifted after four months.
"It angered me how all the process went, because it was not fair to me," Cilic said last week. "It wouldn't be fair to any tennis player. So that was just very bad memories. But, you know, when you're against big organizations you are small hand. You can't do much. So I just accepted it. When I came back to tennis court I erased it from my memory. I just used the positive parts, which, you know, made me tougher."
He returned to the tour in October and rose in the rankings. He arrived in New York seeded 14th and with two titles already to his credit in 2014. But it would have taken quite a soothsayer to predict that from that platform, he would claim the Open trophy in a men's tennis era when outsiders have so rarely managed to reach the finish line at major tournaments.
"I think the stars crossed," Cilic said in a postmatch interview on CBS, mixing the metaphor but still making an essential point, because a star has certainly made a big difference for Cilic.
Goran Ivanisevic, the big-serving and charismatic Croatian, became Cilic's coach late last year and has clearly brought both expertise and positive energy to his countryman.
"We are working really hard, but the most important thing he brought to me was joy in tennis and always having fun," Cilic said.
Now, both the coach and the pupil have one Grand Slam singles title apiece. Ivanisevic won his in strange-but-true fashion, too, winning Wimbledon in 2001 as a wild card in a final pushed to Monday because of rain.
"I guess Mondays are special for Croatians," Cilic said.
This was likely the last Monday final in history at the U.S. Open. The men's final is scheduled to move back to its traditional Sunday slot next year. In 2016, if construction proceeds on schedule, Ashe Stadium will finally be equipped with a retractable roof.
source: http://sports.ndtv.com/tennis/news/229539-cilic-defeats-nishikori-at-u-s-open-for-his-first-grand-slam-titleSaeed Ajmal banned by ICC
Major blow for Pakistan
The No.1 ranked bowler in ODIs was reported for a suspect action after last month's first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. He can apply for a re-assessment once he has modified his action.
"The player has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect," the ICC statement said.
"The analysis revealed that all his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations."
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Federer, Djokovic suffer Shock Losses at US Open semis
Federer stunned by Cilic after Djokovic suffers shock loss against Nishikori
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| Marin Cilic (R) acknowledges Roger Federer after winning his semifinal match. |
Earlier 10th seed Kei Nishikori stunned top seed Novak Djokovic in the first semi-final winning the contest 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3. He thus became the first Asian man ever to reach a Grand Slam singles final & the first Japanese to reach the semi-finals of the US Open since 1918. The 24-year-old's earlier best effort was reaching the quarter-finals of Australian Open 2012.
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| Japan's Kei Nishikori reacts after beating Novak Djokovic in the US Open semifinal |
De Villiers, du Plessis lift the Cup for South Africa
Harare:South Africa defeated Australia by 6 wickets in a dominating fashion, to win the tri-series ODI final at Harare Sports Club with another outstanding innings by Faf du Plessis on Saturday.
He scored a brilliant 96 from 99 balls & just missed out on another ton, his 4th in 5 innings of the series as South Africa chased down Australia's sub-par total of 217-9.
South Africa won with almost 10 overs to spare, but Du Plessis was caught trying to hit the four that would have won the game & brought him his century.
Meanwhile, Captain AB de Villiers smashed a boundary next ball to finish at 57* out & guide South Africa to another triumph.
Earlier, Fast bowler Dale Steyn set up the win with his fiery spell of 4-34 as Australia were reduced to 144-8, followed by a late recovery by all-rounder James Faulkner & Fast Bowler .
Meet Neymar Jr, one of Brazil's Youngest Captains
22-year old Neymar named Brazil captain for Colombia friendly
Neymar will captain Brazil in their friendly against Colombia on Saturday and received a ringing endorsement from his national team manager Dunga.
Thiago Silva, who was captain under previous coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is absent from the squad and won't feature in this round of friendlies.
The 22 year-old will become one of Brazil's youngest captains but Dunga insisted that he has all the skills to make him the perfect for the role.
Neymar will captain Brazil in their friendly against Colombia on Saturday and received a ringing endorsement from his national team manager Dunga.
Thiago Silva, who was captain under previous coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is absent from the squad and won't feature in this round of friendlies.
The 22 year-old will become one of Brazil's youngest captains but Dunga insisted that he has all the skills to make him the perfect for the role.
'We told him about the advantages and the disadvantages, about the history and responsibility the shirt brings.
'Every time Brazil won a World Cup it did so with leaders who had great personality. We need more players with this characteristic in the group, whether they wear the armband or not.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2744045/Neymar-one-Brazil-s-youngest-captains-friendly-against-Colombia.html#ixzz3CSiFb4rV
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Skill most important in Basketball: Bryant
At 36, Kobe Bryant is no longer one of the quickest or most athletic players in the NBA. The 18-year veteran simply can’t do what he used to do on the basketball floor resulting in the five-time NBA champion needing to evolve heading into potentially the last two years of his career.
As it does to every player in the league at some point, Father Time has started to take its toll on the face of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise and Kobe isn’t denying that fact. The superstar appears to be embracing the challenge of altering his game, but emphasized that speed isn’t the most important thing in basketball during the Nike RISE campaign in China:
“I do the moves over and over,” Bryant said. “Especially in my younger days, I didn’t really focus on trying to get my feet faster. I focused on the moves. Whether it was a fadeaway, or whether it was a crossover, I did the move over and over and over. Then, I got faster at doing moves. My feet got faster at doing the moves. When you have repetition with what it is you’re trying to do, you inevitably get better and faster at that. The most important thing in basketball isn’t speed anyway. It’s not speed. It’s skill.”
After consecutive season-ending injuries, there’s no telling what kind of player Kobe will be entering his 19th season in the league. Although Kobe seems confident that he’ll return to form as an elite NBA player, while admitting he’ll have to change things up, the odds are against him to continue playing at a high level next season.
Heading into the 2014-15 NBA season, the consensus seems to be that the Lakers will be one of the worst teams in the Western Conference. Only time will tell if Los Angeles can truly contend in the West, but the odds are definitely not in the team’s favor with the start of the season right around the corner.
source: http://www.lakersnation.com/kobe-bryant-says-skill-is-most-important-thing-in-basketball/2014/09/03/
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Ronaldo's future at Man Utd?
Cristiano Ronaldo, former Manchester United Striker has achieved his dream of winning the Champions League with Real Madrid, but he says that he still carries a torch for Manchester United, the club he left in 2009.
"I love Manchester. Everyone knows that. Manchester is in my heart," said the 29-year-old Portugal captain. "I left many good friends there, the supporters are amazing, and I wish I can come back one day."
He set a new Champions League scoring record with 17 goals last season & bagged the FIFA Ballon d'Or over eternal rival Lionel Messi.
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Usain Bolt: My Father stopped me from choosing Cricket
Jamaican Speedster Bolt wanted to play Cricket as a child
Bangalore: Jamaica's Sprint superstar Usain Bolt said that his goal as a youngster was to play cricket for Jamaica but his father convinced him to take up track & field instead.
The 100m & 200m record holder, would have followed Jamaican speedsters Michael Holding & Courtney Walsh who terrorized batsmen all over the world playing for the West Indies in the 1980s and 90s.
"Blame it on my dad." said the World's Fastest Man when asked on a promotional visit to India why he did not pursue his love of cricket.
"My father is a huge cricket fan, but when I got to higher secondary, I had two options -- cricket or athletics," he said.
"My dad said because of the system in Jamaica, it would be better to take up athletics. He said, 'You just have to run fast in athletics while it's tougher to get into the national (cricket) team'."
Bolt was in Bangalore to captain a 7-a-side team against one led by India's cricket World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh.
Real Sociedad beat Real Madrid 4-2
Real Sociedad stun Real Madrid
Goals from Sergio Ramos & Gareth Bale put Madrid in sight of a comfortable victory without the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria & Xabi Alonso.
However, Inigo Martinez and David Zurutuza levelled for the hosts before the break and Zurutuza and Carlos Vela sealed a much-needed win for under-fire Sociedad boss Jagoba Arrasate.
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Stoke stun Champs Man City
Ronaldo jokes expressing thoughts about Messi might put him in Jail
Sharapova crashes out of US Open
Wozniacki beats Sharapova to enter Quarter-Finals
This means that only 2 of the top-8 seeded women are now left in the competition. The weather was so punishing that the players had to be given heat break before the third set.
Sharpova was undone by 43 unforced errors & 8 double faults.
Meanwhile Swiss sensation Roger Federer, bidding to become the oldest Grand Slam champion in more than 40 years, grasped his 70th win at the tournament thanks to 57 winners & 13 aces.
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Rafael Nadal pulls out of US Open
