PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: West Indies edged out defending champions England by 15 runs in an exciting finish to the World Twenty20 Super Eight group one match at Pallekele stadium yesterday.
Chasing a daunting 180-run target, England came close with Eoin Morgan (71 not out) and Alex Hales (68) putting on a resolute 107-run partnership for the third wicket but in the end they fell short.
England had lost Craig Kieswetter and Luke Wright for first over ducks but Hales, who hit five boundaries and two sixes off his 51 balls, and Morgan’s 36-ball knock, with five sixes and four boundaries, defied West Indies’s four-pronged spin attack.
England needed 125 runs in their last 10 overs but Morgan and Hales paced the innings well before Marlon Samuels bowled an excellent last over, conceding only eight runs.
West Indian captain Darren Sammy said spinners made the win possible.
“We backed ourselves to set a target and the openers got us going well,” said Sammy.
“With (Sunil) Narine, Samuel, Chris (Gayle), we decided to maximize our spinners against England and it worked out.” England skipper Stuart Broad was left disappointed.
“We had to regroup, obviously losing two wickets in that first over hurt us but we showed how good the wicket was. We were quite happy with our effort with the ball and I think we’re disappointed not to win tonight,” said Broad.
West Indies were set on their way for a big total by openers Johnson Charles and Gayle.
Charles smashed three sixes and 10 well-timed boundaries in his 56-ball 84 while Gayle hit four sixes and six fours in his 35-ball 58.
West Indies had raced to 103 by the 11th over when Gayle was finally out, caught by Steven Finn at long-on off as the left-hander tried to hit Graeme Swann out of the ground.
Three of his sixes came in one over from left-arm spinner Samit Patel.
But Gayle’s dismissal allowed England to pull back as they dismissed Marlon Samuels (two) and Kieron Pollard (one) in quick succession, with Broad claiming one wicket besides bowling a maiden over. Charles finally holed out at mid-on, missing a low Jade Dernbach full toss and was caught by Jonathon Bairstow.
Broad was the pick of England bowlers with 2-26.
Windies upstage champions England
Windies upstage champions England
Delap makes his mark as Premier League clubs’ hunt for strikers hots up
- Chelsea’s new signing from Ipswich scored his first goal for the club against ES Tunis at FIFA World Cup
- Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United among clubs looking to strengthen their attacks with new strikers
DUBAI: It was third time lucky for Chelsea’s new striker Liam Delap — who arrived from Ipswich Town earlier this month — when he opened his account on Wednesday for the Blues in their 3-0 win over ES Tunis at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Following last Friday’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of Flamengo, Enzo Maresca’s team required a victory for a place in the knockout stages of a competition they won in 2022.
The result never looked in doubt once defender Tosin Adarabioyo had given them the lead with a well-taken header.
The advantage was doubled moments later as Delap scored his first Chelsea goal, collecting a pass from Enzo Fernandez before holding off one challenge, evading another and dispatching a low drive into the bottom corner.
It was brilliant center-forward play, combining strength, skill and a killer instinct in front of goal. For any striker, their first goal at a new club, regardless of the competition or opposition, is an important milestone.
It settles early nerves, eliminates any negative outside noise and helps to build a positive relationship with the fans, who enjoy nothing more than watching a new forward showcase his goalscoring capabilities.
Delap, who confidently took the Chelsea No. 9 shirt after signing, had shown encouraging signs during his first two performances at the tournament.
In their opening fixture, a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC, the 22-year-old came off the bench and made an instant impact, providing a superb cross which was converted by Fernandez to put the game to bed.
He was then handed his first start against Flamengo and proved a handful for opposition defenders prior to his withdrawal shortly after the hour mark with his replacement, Nicolas Jackson, shown a red card for a reckless challenge just four minutes after coming on.
With Jackson’s one-match ban extended to two following a FIFA disciplinary committee review, Delap is likely to start once again when Chelsea face Benfica in the round of 16 on Saturday, providing the youngster with another opportunity to stake his claim.
It is a summer transfer market in which many of the Premier League’s biggest sides are on the hunt for strikers, and Chelsea appear to have stolen a march on their rivals.
Had Arsenal invested in a proven goalscorer in the last couple of years, they could easily have won a title under Mikel Arteta’s stewardship. The fact he was forced to use midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker during last season’s run-in spoke volumes, and so the search goes on.
Manchester United are yet to reap the rewards of their investment in Rasmus Hojlund who has struggled since moving to Old Trafford in 2023.
The recent signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the probable arrival of Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, suggest Ruben Amorim is far from satisfied with the output of his current attackers.
Yet while both players are undoubtedly strong additions who will elevate the United forward line, they are not traditional center forwards.
Premier League champions Liverpool, who are certainly not short of attacking options, are also thought to be hunting for a striker, with rumors of an audacious bid for Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak continuing to persist.
That particular deal will be a difficult one to pull off, but Arne Slot clearly views the position as an area which needs strengthening, particularly if Darwin Nunez departs.
Of the strikers available on the market, many of the headlines have focused on Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko. While both players are clearly talented, any transfers would naturally involve a huge financial outlay, which many clubs are now wary of given the implications of the Profit and Sustainability Rules.
For Chelsea, the signing of Delap makes perfect sense. As well as being young and hungry, he boasts Premier League experience having scored 12 goals for relegated Ipswich last season.
Additionally, the fact he has played under Maresca, and alongside Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia, in Manchester City’s academy, ensures he should quickly adapt to the team’s playing style.
Under the Clearlake ownership model, Chelsea have been widely criticized for spending huge sums of money on players who have failed to justify their price tags, with a few notable exceptions.
The acquisition of Delap for $41 million, however, might just prove to be the club’s smartest business move yet.
Celtics’ Jayson Tatum progressing well, but won’t return until ‘fully ready’
- Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the All-Star is progressing well following surgery last month
But what won’t change is the Celtics’ front office’s prudence in making sure he has the space and time to make a full recovery.
Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the All-Star is progressing well following surgery last month. But asked about whether the team had put a potential timeline on Tatum’s return, Stevens was definitive that there would be no rushing the star’s rehabilitation.
“We don’t and we won’t,” Stevens said Wednesday night following the first round of the NBA draft. “We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time. ... It’s baby steps right now. He’s actually progressed great, but I don’t know what that means in regard to projected timelines. But that will be in consultation with him ... and everybody else to make sure when he hits the court he is fully ready, and fully healthy. And that will be the priority.”
Tatum is expected to miss most if not all of next season. It has already had implications for next season, with the team opting to trade Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday – both key contributors from the 2024 title team – in an effort to get the team’s salary under the luxury tax second penalty apron.
But Stevens said All-Star Jaylen Brown has already been back to the Celtics’ training facility since he had minimally invasive surgery to clean up his right knee. Brown is doing some light ball handling and work around the rim, Stevens said.
“We said be ready for training camp and I think he’ll probably be going full well ahead of that,” Stevens said.
While Stevens said league rules wouldn’t allow him to address the pending trades of Porzingis or Holiday, he said anything they do this offseason is with an eye toward regaining flexibility after multiple seasons with a high payroll.
“As far as whatever moves that those are a apart of, they’re all separate and hard and things that you’re going to have to do your best to make sure you put yourself in the right positions,” Stevens said. “We knew this was coming. This isn’t a huge surprise. ... The biggest thing for us is making sure that we balance that, maximizing what we can with regard to what we bring back so we can continue to build and grow.”
Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe first picks of 2025 NBA Draft
- The Mavericks’ announcement ended a months-long buildup for the 18-year-old Flagg, who had long been projected as the top pick
- The San Antonio Spurs followed with the No. 2 pick, which they used to select Rutgers freshman guard Dylan Harper
Cooper Flagg anticipated the moment for many months.
Still, when Flagg heard his name called No. 1 overall by the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night in the NBA Draft, he felt a flurry of emotions.
“I’m feeling amazing,” Flagg said as he stood with his family. “It’s a dream come true, to be honest. I wouldn’t want to share it with anybody else.”
The Mavericks’ announcement ended a months-long buildup for the 18-year-old Flagg, who had long been projected as the top pick. The only question was which team would get the chance to select him, and Dallas earned that opportunity when it won the NBA Draft lottery last month, despite having just 1.8 percent odds of moving into the top spot.
Flagg figures to quickly provide a new face of the franchise for the Mavericks, who drew ire from their fan base for trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.
The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg helped guide Duke to an NCAA Final Four appearance while averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks as a freshman. He won the Wooden Award as the nation’s best player while taking home ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC All-Defensive Team honors.
The San Antonio Spurs followed with the No. 2 pick, which they used to select Rutgers freshman guard Dylan Harper. The son of longtime NBA player Ron Harper will join a talented roster that includes prized big man Victor Wembanyama.
Harper said he could not wait to get to San Antonio to prepare for the season.
“I’m feeling everything — all the emotions mixed in one bucket,” Harper said. “I think when you play with a bunch of great players, it brings the best out of you. They’ve got a great young core over there. I’m just ready to get in there and make an impact any way I can with those guys.”
At No. 3, the Philadelphia 76ers selected guard VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor. He was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year after averaging 15 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Bears.
The Charlotte Hornets selected Duke guard Kon Knueppel next, which gave the Blue Devils two freshmen in the top four picks. Now, Knueppel will stay in North Carolina to play in the NBA.
“It was a big spotlight at Duke,” he said. “(We) freshmen didn’t shy away from that, and it prepared us for the next level. Hopefully, that will carry over.”
The Utah Jazz selected Ace Bailey out of Rutgers to round out the top five picks. Harper and Bailey marked the highest draft picks in Rutgers annals.
The next three selections featured three more freshman guards: Texas’ Tre Johnson to the Washington Wizards at No. 6, Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears to the New Orleans Pelicans at No. 7 and BYU’s Egor Demin to the Brooklyn Nets at No. 8.
The Mavericks had the No. 1 overall pick for the second time in franchise history. When they owned the top selection in 1981, they drafted DePaul’s Mark Aguirre over Indiana’s Isiah Thomas.
Pacquiao ‘hungry’ for comeback after four-year layoff
- The 46-year-old Filipino boxing icon faces World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Barrios in Las Vegas on July 19, four years after his last fight ended in defeat
- Pacquiao said while his recovery times were now slightly longer, he had not noticed any drop off in his physical conditioning
LOS ANGELES: Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday that his lengthy layoff from boxing has reignited his passion for the sport as he prepares for next month’s world welterweight title comeback against Mario Barrios.
The 46-year-old Filipino boxing icon faces World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Barrios in Las Vegas on July 19, four years after his last fight ended in defeat.
Pacquiao has reunited with long-time veteran trainer Freddie Roach for next month’s title tilt, and spoke to journalists on Wednesday as he worked out at the Hall of Famer’s Wild Card gym in Hollywood.
“Four years rest has been good for me,” Pacquiao said after showing off some impressive hand speed in an open pads session.
“I’ve been in boxing for so many decades, so it’s good for my body to rest for four years.
“Now I’m back, I’m hungry to fight again. I’m hungry to fight in a big fight like this. To work hard, have discipline, everything like that.”
“I’ve missed boxing. I feel like the passion, the fire in my eyes, working hard — it’s still there.”
Pacquiao said while his recovery times were now slightly longer, he had not noticed any drop off in his physical conditioning.
“I’m fast, I can move like I did before. I can run in the mountains with the young boxers, so I’m happy,” he said.
“I’m enjoying this training camp. There’s a couple of adjustments for bodily recovery. We have to control the body, give my body time to rest and recover.”
Pacquiao, who won 12 world titles in eight different weight classes during a glittering professional career that began in 1995, refused to be drawn on whether his comeback next month would be “one and done” or just the first step of a full-fledged return to the sport.
“It’s hard to say,” he said when asked about future bouts. “Now I’m back so one at a time, after this fight we can plan whatever we want.”
For some in boxing, however, Pacquiao’s return to the ring represents an unnecessary risk.
British promoter Eddie Hearn was the latest to cast doubt on the wisdom of the Filipino’s comeback earlier this month, predicting that the 30-year-old Barrios will be “too young and too strong” for Pacquiao.
Pacquiao smiled on Wednesday when asked for his response to Hearn’s remarks.
“Just watch on July 19th,” he said. “It will be a good fight.”
Borussia Dortmund defeat Ulsan HD 1-0 to win Group F
- With the victory, as well as a draw by Fluminense, Dortmund (2-0-1, 7 points) claims the top spot in Group F to earn a July 1 matchup in the Club World Cup’s round of 16 in Atlanta
A 36th-minute goal from Daniel Svensson was all Borussia Dortmund needed to put away winless Ulsan HD in a 1-0 Group F win in Cincinnati on Wednesday.
With the victory, as well as a draw by Fluminense, Dortmund (2-0-1, 7 points) claims the top spot in Group F to earn a July 1 matchup in the Club World Cup’s round of 16 in Atlanta with an opponent that has yet to be determined. Fluminsense, which could have won the group with a victory over Mamelodi Sundowns, also moves on to the knockouts as the group’s No. 2 seed.
While the score indicates a close match, Dortmund dominated the pitch, putting 11 shots on goal among their 28 overall attempts. Compare that with Ulsan’s three shot attempts, all on goal and all occurring within a 16-minute period in the second half.
Dortmund put the pressure on early and often to open the match, ripping off 20 shots — eight on goal — in the first half. While Ulsan didn’t even get a shot off during the first 45 minutes plus stoppage time, goalkeeper Jo Hyeon- woo continued to deny Dortmund with seven saves.
That included a seven-minute stretch midway through the first half during which BVB put four shots on goal, only for Hyeon-woo to turn away each attempt.
Dortmund did not relent, however, and it paid off in the 36th minute as Svensson collected a touch pass from Jobe Bellingham in the box and put a left-footed shot past the keeper to put BVB in front 1-0.
Both Serhou Guirassy and Bellingham had prime chances to add to that advantage in the closing minutes of the half. Again, though, Hyeon-woo stood his ground to keep Dortmund from extending its lead.
Ulsan strung together their first strong chances at goal early in the second half. In the 48th minute, Kang Sang-Woo’s attempt from the right side of the box was saved by BVB’s Gregor Kobel. The goalkeeper was tested again in the 60th and 64th minutes as Kobel saved left-footed blasts by Lee Jin-Hyun and Ko Seung-Beom, respectively, to maintain the one-goal edge.
That was all that Ulsan (0-3-0, 0 points) could muster, however, as the South Korean side wrapped up Club World Cup play last in Group F. Hyeon-woo finished the day with 10 saves.
