Sunday 17 September 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Football: Bale strikes in vital Madrid win at Sociedad

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Real Madrid got back to winning ways with a 3-1 win against Real Sociedad on Sunday.MADRID (AFP) - Gareth Bale responded in style to his critics with a fine finish as Real Madrid got back to winning ways with a 3-1 win at Real Sociedad on Sunday.Borja Mayoral rewarded a bright start by Real with his first Madrid goal before Sociedads Kevin Rodrigues scored at both ends to give the visitors a 2-1 half-time lead.And Bale secured the three points as he sped past Rodrigues and dinked the ball over Geronimo Rulli for just his second goal of the season on the hour mark.Victory moves the European champions up to fourth and within four points of leaders Barcelona.Bale had received stinging criticism from the Spanish press and Madrid fans for his underwhelming displays in Ronaldos absence in recent weeks as Real dropped points at home to Valencia and Levante.Its great to always score, but the most important thing was to get the three points for the team, get back on track and get back to winning ways, Bale told Spanish TV station Movistar.I just have to try to keep my head down and keep working hard and thats all I can do.I cant control what goes on, I can only control how hard I work on the pitch.You go through ups and downs in your career -- it is how you bounce back.Without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, as he completed a five-game ban, and injured Karim Benzema, Zinedine Zidane handed 20-year-old Mayoral a shock start up front.And the Frenchmans faith was rewarded inside 20 minutes when Mayoral swept home a loose ball with a classy finish from close range.Mayorals strike meant Madrid have now matched a world record of scoring in 73 consecutive games set by Peles Santos in the 1960s.However, the visitors joy lasted just nine minutes as Rodrigues levelled thanks to a blunder from Keylor Navas.Rodrigues fired Alvaro Odriozolas cross towards goal on the volley, but the Real keeper should have made a comfortable stop rather than letting the ball slip under his grasp.The match was then held up as a cameraman had to be stretchered off with his leg heavily strapped as he was injured from fans surging forward from a temporary stand behind the goal Sociedad were defending.Once the game got back underway, a crazy 60 seconds for Rodrigues swung the match back in Madrids favour.The left-back was inches away from bagging a second when his looping effort came back off the bar.However, Real broke straight up the other end and the unfortunate Rodrigues turned Mayorals cross into his own net.Bale sealed the points after the break by scoring for the fifth straight match at Anoeta as his pace took him beyond the Sociedad defence before coolly chipping over the advancing Rulli.Earlier, Alaves sacked Argentine coach Luis Zubeldia after just four games in charge as they slipped to the bottom of La Liga with a 3-0 defeat at home to Villarreal.Zubeldia failed to muster a point or even a solitary goal in his brief stint in charge with defeats to Leganes, Barcelona and Celta Vigo also sealing his fate.By contrast, Sevillas impressive start to the season continued with victory on the road at Girona to move up to second.Luis Muriels first goal for the club since completing a 20 million euro ($24 million) move from Sampdoria was enough for a 1-0 win.And former Chelsea striker Loic Remy also bagged his first goal for Las Palmas to secure a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.

Football: Mbappe makes winning Parc des Princes debut

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PARIS (AFP) - Kylian Mbappe played a decisive role on his Parc des Princes debut for Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday in a thrilling 2-0 win over Lyon with both goals accreditated to the visitors.Lyons youngsters proved more than a match for PSGs multi-millionaires who had to wait until the last quarter of an hour before Lyon defender Marcelo deflected the ball into his own goal.Then four minutes from time Mbappe rushed onto Neymars assist with his close range shot bounding off Jeremy Morel to settle the electric encounter.This sixth successive league win pushed Unai Emerys side three points clear of defending champions Monaco who had maintained their title push with a 3-0 win over Strasbourg 24 hours earlier.Lyons visit on paper had looked to be PSGs toughest test of the Ligue 1 season so far, and so it proved.Despite their 466 million euro strike force of Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Mbappe seven time former champions Lyon emerged with plenty of honour, if not the three points.PSG were restricted to just a handful of shots in the first period as Lyons defence doggedly refused to roll over.PSGs best chances came a minute from the break when on a counter attack Mbappe, appearing before his home supporters for the first time after outings at Metz and Celtic, fed Neymar with the Brazilians rasping shot boxed away by Lyon keeper Anthony Lopes.On the restart Mbappe was switched to take Neymars place on the right.The second half was only minutes old when Lyon striker Nabil Fekir troubled PSG keeper Alphonse Aerola with a tight-angled shot.On 55 minutes Neymar, brought down outside the box by Fekir, flicked the ensuing freekick over the wall only for a diving Lopes to parry the ball away from the top far corner.The PSG crowd then had its collective heart in its mouth as Lyon launched attack after attack on Aerola in the home goal in a thrilling passage of play.PSG captain Thiago Silva had to use his head to stop Lucas Tousarts header, then seconds later Tanguy Ndombele unleashed a superb strike from 30m which had sparks flying off the crossbar.On 72 minutes Emery introduced Giovani Lo Celso for Julian Draxler, and the move proved decisive when Lo Celso crossed from the left with Cavani nudging the ball towards goal with the outside of his foot before its deflection off Lyon defender Marcelo.Lopes then did brilliantly to save a Cavani penalty awarded after Ferland Mendy had felled Mbappe.Cavani struck the spot kick low and left with Lopes intervention sending it ricocheting off the upright and to safety.With four minutes remaining and Lyon looking for a deserved equaliser Neymar passed to Mbappe with the 18-year-old Monaco recruits close range shot hitting Lopes and bouncing off Morel into the Lyon goal.Lyon, losing for the first time this season, left Parc des Princes in fifth place, eight points adrift of the leaders.Lyon coach Bruno Genesio reflected: I dont think theres a club in France that can compete with PSG for the title, but for one match, yes.Earlier a sizzling Mario Balotelli strike ten minutes from time gave Nice a 1-0 win at Rennes and Marseille pulled out of an early season slump when a Clinton Njie brace gave the ambitious southerners a 2-0 win at Amiens.On Saturday a revitalised Radamel Falcao grabbed a brace in Monacos 3-0 win over Strasbourg and Saint-Etienne moved up to third with a 1-0 win over Dijon.Nantes continued their good form under Claudio Ranieri, as they beat Caen 1-0 to make it four games unbeaten without conceding a goal while Bordeaux stayed unbeaten with a 1-0 victory at Toulouse.

Tennis: Belgium shatter Aussie Davis Cup dream, face France in final

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PARIS, Sept 17, 2017 (AFP) - Australias hopes of reaching a first Davis Cup final in 14 years were shattered Sunday when Belgium fought back from an overnight deficit to win their semi-final 3-2 and set-up a title showdown with neighbours France.Steve Darcis, the 33-year-old world number 77, held his nerve in the deciding rubber in Brussels, coasting to a 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Jordan Thompson, a last-minute call-up by Australia skipper Lleyton Hewitt to replace John Millman.David Goffin had levelled the semi-final earlier Sunday by coming back to defeat Nick Kyrgios 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, claiming his 15th win in 16 Davis Cup singles rubbers.Nine-time champions France made the final by seeing off Serbia 3-1 in Lille and will host the Belgians in the November 24-26 championship match.France won their most recent Davis Cup in 2001 before losing the 2002, 2010 and 2014 finals. Belgium made the final in 2015, losing to Britain.Darcis won his 22nd Davis Cup tie but Goffin laid the foundation by winning both of his singles matches against Australia who claimed the last of their 28 titles back in 2003.When David Goffin plays like that, hes one of the best in the world, said Kyrgios, whose own record in the tournament now stands at seven wins and two losses.I can always do better, but he was simply too good today.Goffin admitted he was in peak form, firing 20 aces and 39 winners past Kyrgios.This was probably my best ever Davis Cup match, said the world number 12. It was also the best match I have served in my career.Jo-Wilfried Tsonga fought back from a set down against Dusan Lajovic to lead France into the final.Yannick Noahs hosts went into the day needing just one victory from the final two singles rubbers to take an unassailable 3-1 lead against an understrength Serbia, who were missing Novak Djokovic, Janko Tipsarevic and Viktor Troicki.Lajovic had stunned Lucas Pouille in the opening match on Friday and he eased to the opening set, only for Tsonga to find his rhythm and eventually cruise to a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 win.It was a joy to finish it on the third singles, for me, for the team and for all the people who came to support us, said Tsonga.There were more than 18,000 people, it shows us that there is a craze for tennis in France.In the play-offs, where the winners will feature in the World Group next season, 2016 champions Argentina suffered the embarrassment of being relegated to the zonal groups after a 3-2 defeat to Kazakhstan in Astana.Switzerland, the 2014 winners, edged Belarus 3-2 in Biel despite the absence of Roger Federer and injured Stan Wawrinka.Boris Beckers first outing as head of tennis with Germany ended with a 3-2 win over Portugal in Lisbon while the Netherlands overturned an overnight 1-2 deficit to beat 2012 and 2013 champions Czech Republic to win 3-2 in The Hague.It is the first time in 11 years that the Czechs have lost their World Group status.Hungary stunned Russia 3-1 in Budapest while 2005 champions Croatia, who were runners-up last year, also stay in the World Group with a 4-1 win against Colombia in Bogota.Rising star Denis Shapovalov, 18, led Canada to victory over India in Edmonton thanks to a 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 win over Ramkumar Ramanathan.Japans tie at home to Brazil in Osaka was washed out for the second successive day and will be completed on Monday.

Golf: Leishman fends off Rose to win BMW Championship

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CHICAGO (AFP) - Marc Leishman fired a final-round 67 on Sunday to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the BMW Championship, beating Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler by five strokes.Australias Leishman had seized control of the penultimate event in the US PGA Tours FedEx Cup playoffs with a scintillating 62 on Thursday.He started the fourth round at Conway Farms with a five stroke lead that twice dwindled to two shots over Rose before Leishman finished confidently, with birdies in three of the last four holes.He rolled in a 19-footer from the fringe at the 72nd hole to celebrate his third US PGA Tour title with a 23-under par total of 261.The victory was a vindication after Leishman was unable to close out a win two weeks ago at TPC Boston, where his challenge was doomed by five bogeys on the back nine.Theres probably a few little scars from two weeks ago, Leishman said. I was really determined to not let that happen again, to try and give myself a big enough buffer that I could get it done.And I got it done.Leishmans 261 was a record total for the tournament and his 23-under tied the tournament low in relation to par, set by Dustin Johnson last year.Englands Rose had seven birdies -- and an ill-timed bogey at 17 -- in a 65 for 266.Fowler had five birdies in his four-under 67 to join Rose on 18-under.Former world number one Jason Day of Australia was alone in fourth after a 69 for 268.Leishman, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, moved to fourth in the FedEx Cup standings going into the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.Only the top 30 players in the standings advance to the season finale, where a $10 million playoff bonus will be up for grabs.The four players who moved into the top 30 this week included Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who jumped from 34th to 25th in the standings with a tie for 12th.Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson came up just short in his bid to book a Tour Championship berth.Garcia was embroiled in a lengthy rules discussion at the 18th, where his second shot landed on the rocks aside a creek.Eventually the Spaniard took a drop and made a par that was enough to punch his Tour Championship ticket.I had the possibility of playing it against the rock because it was flat, Garcia said. The grandstand on the right side of the green was in my way, so I was able to get relief from that. So, (I) dropped inside the hazard.Garcia played alongside Mickelson, whose bid to book his trip to East Lake included an eagle at the 15th. The American played the final three holes in one-under par, but finished 34th in the FedEx Cup standings.Asked if the delay as Garcia considered his options bothered him before his own birdie attempt, Mickelson quipped: No. I needed that extra 38 minutes to read that putt.

Formula One: Hamilton wins crucial, chaotic Singapore GP

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - Lewis Hamilton won a chaotic and rain-hit Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday to seize control of the Formula One world championship as his title rival Sebastian Vettel crashed out on the first lap.Ferraris Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, and Red Bulls Max Verstappen all went out just after the start of the first wet race in Singapore, which saw three safety cars and finished with only 12 drivers.It all played perfectly into the hands of Mercedes driver Hamilton, who went from fifth on the grid to first and held off Red Bulls Daniel Ricciardo to clinch his third win in a row.With his 60th race victory and seventh this season, Hamilton -- who said he needed a miracle after struggling in qualifying -- stands 28 points ahead of Vettel with six grands prix left this year.Guys what can I say -- what a turnaround today Fantastic job with the team strategy, Hamilton said over the radio, before leaping out of his car and hugging his engineers.God blessed me today, for sure, he said later, dripping with champagne. I capitalised on the incident -- who would have known that would happen?It was really unfortunate for the Ferraris but a great result for the (Mercedes) team.Ricciardo finished second for the third straight occasion in Singapore, while Hamiltons team-mate Valtteri Bottas was third and Toro Rossos Carlos Sainz finished a career-best fourth.Sergio Perez was fifth and Jolyon Palmer, still digesting the news that he has been replaced by Sainz at Renault next season, placed sixth -- also his best result in F1.Some drivers had expressed concerns about visibility in the wet under floodlights, but the night race had hardly started when it lost three of the first four cars on the grid.Raikkonen ploughed into Red Bulls Verstappen on the first corner, taking both cars out of the race and also heavily shunting Fernando Alonsos McLaren.Pole-sitter Vettel, who had been looking to reclaim the world championship lead from Hamilton, spun further ahead, lost his front wing and ended up reversing down the track, before also retiring.Obviously it sucks being on the wrong side of the track now, but thats what it is, Vettel shrugged after returning to the paddock.But Hamilton dodged the pile-up and he progressed from fifth on the grid to first, ahead of Ricciardo, as the race finally restarted after a safety car.Alonso lasted just a few laps before the damage sustained at the first corner forced him to retire, and Toro Rossos Daniil Kvyat became the fifth man out when he ploughed nose-first into a barrier -- prompting a second safety car.Mercedes declined to pit Hamilton under the safety car but after the restart he reeled off a string of fastest laps on the slowly drying track, extending his lead over Ricciardo.Ricciardo and then Hamilton pitted for ultra-soft tyres after laps 28 and 29 and the Briton emerged 8.7 seconds ahead with 50 minutes left on an increasingly quick track.Hamilton had a healthy advantage of 9.6 seconds when Saubers Marcus Ericsson spun and stopped on Anderson Bridge, bringing out a third safety car and wiping out the Britons lead.Why another safety car? Hamilton grumbled over the team radio.But Hamilton shot off after the restart to maintain the gap from Ricciardo and as he finally took the chequered flag, the grandstand came to its feet and fireworks lit up the night sky.Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen both retired late in the race to bring the total number of casualties to eight.An investigation by race stewards found nobody was to blame for the crash on the first corner, meaning no punishments were handed out.

Basketball: Dragic leads Slovenia to maiden European title

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Slovenia won their first European basketball title on Sunday with a 93-85 victory against Serbia.Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic, playing his last international match, led the way with 35 points as Slovenia, with just two million people, became the smallest country to lift the title since Latvia in 1935.Dragics points were the most in a final since Spanish star Pau Gasols 36 in 2003 and short of Aleksandar Djordjevics all-time record of 41.Klemen Prepelic claimed 21 points and US-born Anthony Randolph, who only became a Slovenian citizen in June, had 11.We were chasing a medal for 25 years and now we have gold -- its incredible, said Prepelic. Slovenias victory push was almost derailed when 18-year-old Luka Doncic hobbled off with an injury with his team leading by eight points midway through the third quarter.With the scores level with just over two minutes left, Klemen Prepelic hit a clutch shot followed by a Randolph jumper to give Slovenia the breathing space they neededEarlier, brothers Pau and Marc Gasol scored 26 and 25 points respectively as Spain claimed their ninth European medal in the last 10 editions with a 93-85 win against Russia in the third-place match.

UN chief urges Iraqi Kurds to scrap referendum

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday urged Iraqi Kurds to scrap plans to hold a referendum on independence later this month, arguing it would detract from the fight against Islamic State jihadists.Guterres said in a statement that any dispute between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan regional government should be resolved through dialogue and constructive compromise.The leaders of Iraqs autonomous Kurdish region are set to hold a referendum on independence on September 25.Guterres said any unilateral decision to hold a referendum at this time would detract from the need to defeat ISIL, the Islamic State group.It would also undermine reconstruction efforts and the return of refugees, he added.On Friday, the United States said the referendum should be called off, a stance also pushed by neighboring Turkey which fears another source of conflict in the region.Iran warned on Sunday that independence for Iraqi Kurdistan would mean an end to all border and security arrangements with the regional government.Guterres urged Iraqi leaders to approach this matter with patience and restraint and offered UN help to address the issue.UN envoy to Iraq Jan Kubis told Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani last week that the United Nations was ready to broker negotiations to address all the problems and outstanding issues between the Kurds and Baghdad, according to a document obtained by AFP.The negotiations would aim to reach a deal within two or three years on the principles and arrangements for future relations between Baghdad and the Kurdish region, the document said.In return, Barzanis administration would agree to postpone the referendum at least until the end of negotiations.

US warns N.Korea will be 'destroyed' if threats continue

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Donald Trumps administration ramped up the pressure on North Korea on Sunday ahead of a week of high-stakes diplomacy at the United Nations, warning Pyongyang will be destroyed if it refuses to end its reckless nuclear and ballistic missile drive.With US officials and their allies scrambling to find ways to contain an increasingly belligerent Pyongyang, the US president will address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday and then confer Thursday with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting.Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-In spoke by phone Saturday night and pledged stronger pressure on Kim Jong-Uns regime, the Souths presidential office said, adding that the North must be made to realize that further provocation would put it on a path of collapse.The Security Council last Monday imposed a new raft of sanctions on North Korea -- but their impact depends largely on whether China, Pyongyangs ally and main economic partner, will fully implement them and on Russia, which is hosting tens of thousands of North Korean workers.Washingtons ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, kept up the rhetorical pressure ahead of the upcoming meetings in New York, asserting that if the North should pose a serious threat to the US or its allies, North Korea will be destroyed.Trumps earlier warning he would rain fire and fury on a recalcitrant North Korea, she said, was not an empty threat.None of us want war, Haley added in an interview on CNN. We wanted to be responsible and go to all diplomatic means to get their attention first. If that doesnt work, General Mattis -- the US defense secretary -- will take care of it.As the US and its allies emphasize the diplomatic track, South Korea is also deploying a state-of-the-art US missile defense system. In their latest call, the White House said Trump and Moon had committed to take steps to strengthen deterrence and defense capabilities of South Korea, offering no details of how it might do so.Analysts say that in the event of hostilities, millions of people in the Seoul area -- as well as the 30,000 US troops in South Korea -- would be vulnerable to attack by the thousands of artillery pieces the North has positioned near the border, with potentially staggering casualties.So far, every effort to persuade the North to back away from its fast-developing nuclear and missile programs -- including its most powerful nuclear test yet, on September 3 -- has proved futile, at times even seeming to prompt new acts of defiance from Pyongyang. The Norths latest show of resistance came when it launched a long-range missile over Japan on Friday, just four days after the UN Security Council had passed a tough new package of sanctions. At the request of the United States, the Security Council will hold a ministerial-level meeting Thursday on ways to enforce the latest sanctions, which include an export ban on textiles, freezing work permits to North Korean guest workers and capping oil supplies.Haley said sanctions had already provided a punch in the gut to Pyongyang but that strict enforcement was crucial.Separately, Trumps national security advisor, H.R. McMaster, agreed that the critical thing is going to be to get all countries, every one, to do all they can to enforce those sanctions, to do everything they can, short of a military conflict, to resolve this problem.But if diplomacy and economic pressure fail, he added, We have to prepare all options.Pyongyang, an insular country with few outside contacts, says it needs nuclear weapons to protect itself from hostile US forces and is determined to build the capacity to deliver a nuclear warhead that could hit the US mainland.North Korea said Saturday it was bent on nothing less than military equilibrium with the United States.As his administration continued its efforts to rein in the North, Trump himself gave a more unbridled account of his latest diplomatic contacts.I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night. Asked him how Rocket Man is doing. Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad Trump tweeted, apparently finding a new nickname for Kim (McMaster confirmed that that was probably Trumps intention). Whether there are gas lines is unclear; very few people own cars in North Korea, outside military and government officials.

Tillerson to meet Russia's Lavrov ahead of UN assembly

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NEW YORK (AFP) - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to meet his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York on Sunday ahead of the UN General Assembly, officials said.According to Tillersons schedule, the top US envoy was to meet Lavrov at the Russian UN delegation at 9.00 pm, as senior international officials gathered in the city.Ties between Washington and Moscow are at what Tillerson has called a historic post-Cold War low, amid tit-for-tat cuts to each others diplomatic missions.But Washington wants to work with Russia to help resolve the crisis in Syria, where both have military forces deployed, and the rivals are trying to work through their differences.Russias President Vladimir Putin will not attend the UN General Assembly this week, but his US counterpart Donald Trump will make his much anticipated first address to the world body on Tuesday.

Interior Minister takes notice of missing PML-N workers in NA-120

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday has taken notice of kidnapping of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) workers on the eve of by-elections in the National Assembly constituency NA-120 Lahore-III, Dunya News reported.Some PML-N leaders including Maryam Nawaz, daughter of the ousted premier Nawaz Sharif, have alleged that party workers were abducted ahead of the polling in the constituency.He also sought report from the concerned authorities regarding missing PML-N workers. Meanwhile, Ahsan Iqbal has termed PML-N victory in NA-120 by-polls as a win against World XI.

Quetta: Shopkeepers stage protest against demolition of market

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QUETTA (Dunya News) - Quetta Metropolitan authorities on Sunday demolished Mutton Market and nearby shops situated near Quetta’s Bacha Khan Chowk, Dunya News reported.Shopkeepers staged protest and blocked roads by burning tyres when machinery from Metropolitan reached Bacha Khan Chowk to demolish shops and market.Angry shopkeepers were of the view that they were treated unjustly. On the other hand, local authorities informed that the market and shops were constructed on government property and the court also announced its verdict in Quetta Metropolitan favour.

Plunkett up for Gayle contest

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CHESTER-LE-STREET2017 (AFP) - England fast bowler Liam Plunkett is excited by the prospect of facing West Indies big-hitter Chris Gayle in an upcoming one-day international series.Veteran left-handed opener Gayle gave England a taste of what they can expect in the five-match ODI clash with a typically rapid 40 as World Twenty20 champions West Indies beat England by 21 runs in the lone T20 international of their tour in Durham on Saturday.A sell-out crowd were rewarded for braving a cold and rainswept night in Chester-le-Street by the sight of Gayle smashing three fours and four sixes in just 21 balls.It was a reminder that the 37-year-old Jamaican has lost none of his power at the crease and England are preparing for more of the same when the ODI campaign starts at Old Trafford on Tuesday.I dont think anyone knows (how to bowl to Gayle) do they? said Plunkett. Hes such a good player he just hits the ball out of the park wherever he wants.None of the West Indies side that played on Saturday featured during their recent 2-1 Test series loss in England.But the likes of Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Jerome Taylor, who missed the Test series because of a clash with the Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 tournament and the legacy of a bitter dispute with Cricket West Indies chiefs, are now back in the fold.Its good they have their experienced players back, a lot of stars, and thats what you want to play against, said 32-year-old Plunkett.You want to beat the best they can bring over.While the West Indies also have two World Cup titles behind them, England have yet to win a major global one-day international trophy, with the 2010 World Twenty20 in the Caribbean their lone piece of International Cricket Council silverware.But England are a much-improved ODI side since their woeful first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.In one-dayers were a good team, we havent won any silverware obviously but in terms of the last two years with the amount of games and series we are a confident team, Plunkett said.We feel like we should beat them (West Indies).Meanwhile, Plunkett could yet become the leading wicket-taker in one-day internationals this year.He has taken 28 wickets in 13 ODIs in 2017, with Afghanistans Rashid Khan (36 wickets) and Pakistans Hasan Ali (31) topping the list for the calendar year to date.The Yorkshireman took three for 27 on Saturday and now looks to be increasingly settled at international level following a stop-start England career.Plunkett made his England debut back in 2005 but it is only in the past two years that he has become a white-ball regular.Im quite comfortable in my own skin with England now, he said.Its good to have that feeling and it would be great to be the number one wicket-taker.It would be great to achieve that but also good to win the series.

All-rounder Pandya stars in rain-hit India win

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CHENNAI (AFP) - All-rounder Hardik Pandya starred with the bat and ball to help India defeat Australia by 26 runs in the rain-hit opening one-day international in Chennai on Sunday.Chasing a revised target of 164 in 21 overs, the visitors were frustrated by wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav who shared five wickets between them. They ended on 137-9.But it was Pandyas 66-ball 83 and two wickets that proved decisive in India taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.Pandya put on a gritty 118-run sixth-wicket stand with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made 79, to lift India from a precarious 87-5 after electing to bat first.In reply, the visitors had to wait for two hours to start their shortened chase as constant drizzle threatened to spoil the contest.Pacemen Jasprit Bumrah and Pandya combined to hurt Australias hopes of chasing a tricky target with three early strikes including skipper Steve Smith for one.Bumrah bowled debutant opener Hilton Cartwright for one. He then took a stunning high catch at short fine-leg to send Smith trudging back to the pavilion off Pandya.Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav also joined the party after getting star opener David Warner caught behind for 25 as Australias innings fell apart.Glenn Maxwell tried to raise Australias hopes with his 18-ball 39, including three fours and four sixes, but Yuzvendra Chahal cut short the batsmans blitz.Leg-spinner Chahal ended with three wickets in his five overs. Pandya and Yadav took two each.Earlier Australian fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile had made an impact with three wickets including the prized scalp of Virat Kohli for nought.Coulter-Nile, who returned after a string of injuries that kept him out since June 2016, put India in early trouble at 11-3.Rohit Sharma, who made 28, and Kedar Jadhav, who scored 40, tried to rebuild with their 53-run partnership before Marcus Stoinis sent the two batsmen back in the pavilion.Dhoni, who has captained the successful Chennai franchise in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, then made his innings count along with Pandya for company.The duo thwarted the Australian bowling with some stubborn batting before Pandya let loose to take the attack to the opposition.Pandya took a special liking to Adam Zampas leg-spin as he smashed the bowler for a four and three successive sixes in an over to bring up his third ODI fifty.Zampa though did get Pandya out for his only wicket in the innings but the bowlers 10 overs cost his side 66 runs.Dhoni soon took over to blast some vital runs in the last five overs as he added 72 runs with number-eight Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who finished unbeaten on 32.The two teams now head to Kolkatas iconic Eden Gardens for the second ODI on Thursday.

Australia Test leg-spinner Holland dies at 70: family

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian Test leg-spinner Bob Dutchy Holland has died following a battle with brain cancer, aged 70, his family said Sunday.Holland died after suffering a brain bleed while in hospital being treated for broken ribs suffered in a fall last week, his son Craig said.Holland was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer in late March and had surgery a week later to remove part of the tumour, followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatment.Holland made his Test debut in 1984 at the age of 38 and spun Australia to victory with 10 wickets against the West Indies at the Sydney Cricket Ground in early 1985.He played in that years Ashes series in England taking five wickets at Lords and took another 10-wicket haul against New Zealand in Sydney.He appeared in 11 Tests, taking 34 wickets, and in 95 first-class matches, most of them for New South Wales, and was still playing state cricket into his forties.He is survived by his wife, Carolyn, two sons and a daughter.

People delivered verdict time and again, Maryam celebrates NA-120 by-polls win

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Maryam Nawaz, daughter of the ousted premier who ran campaign in NA-120 by-polls has said on Sunday (September 17) that the people have delivered their verdict one after the other.Maryam Nawaz congratulated the party workers and leaders over party’s win in NA-120 by-polls.She said that the people who attempted to ‘besiege’ Nawaz Sharif were defeated today. She said that party workers were abducted ahead of the polling today and Amjad Nazeer Butt among many locals of several Union Councils are missing.Party received complaints from voters in NA-120: Khawaja AsifMaryam said that she contacted party workers after learning about the news and the brave locals of NA-120 constituency assured her to not worry as they had faced strongest of the strongest dictators in the past.Polling process for voters of PML-N was hindered, she claimed.She congratulated the NA-120 locals for allegedly foiling all conspiracies against Nawaz Sharif. She further asked the workers of PML-N to safegaurd the dignity of people’s mandate and votes.She urged them to stand like a ‘wall’ between Nawaz Sharif and conspiracies against him.
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