The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Kiwis win battle for Kasiano
- Khan names Hunter new trainer, to face Molina next
- England out as Sri Lanka, Windies reach semis
| Posted: 01 Oct 2012 07:21 PM PDT WELLINGTON: New Zealand claimed an early victory over Australia Tuesday in the build-up to their rugby league Test this month when Canterbury Bulldogs prop Sam Kasiano finally opted to play for the Kiwis. The New Zealand-born and Australian National Rugby League (NRL) prop of the year Kasiano was eligible for both sides and had been at the centre of a tug-of-war between the Kiwis and Kangaroos for the past year. However, the 22-year-old confirmed shortly before the New Zealand squad was named Tuesday that his allegiance lay with New Zealand. "The selectors are very happy that Sam wants to be in the Kiwi team," New Zealand Rugby League's high performance manager Tony Kemp said. Kasiano joins Manly's Dean Whare as the new faces in the squad for the Test in Townsville on October 13. Melbourne Storm second-rower Kevin Proctor is also uncapped, though he toured with the Kiwis to the United Kingdom last year. Kasiano and Proctor are among seven players who appeared in last weekend's NRL grand final when the Storm beat the Bulldogs 14-4. Jesse Bromwich also played for the Storm while Greg Eastwood, Frank Pritchard, Krisnan Inu and Sam Perrett were with Kasiano in the Bulldogs side. Benji Marshall from the Wests Tigers will again captain the team while Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Roosters) Jason Nightingale (Dragons) and Kevin Locke (Warriors) were not considered because of injury. New Zealand squad: Gerard Beale (Brisbane Broncos), Jesse Bromwich (Melbourne Storm), Greg Eastwood (Canterbury Bulldogs), Kieran Foran (Manly Sea Eagles), Josh Hoffman (Brisbane Broncos), Krisnan Inu (Canterbury Bulldogs), Shaun Johnson (Warriors), Sam Kasiano (Canterbury Bulldogs), Issac Luke (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Simon Mannering (Warriors) Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers), Ben Matulino (Warriors), Sam McKendry (Penrith Panthers), Sam Perrett (Canterbury Bulldogs), Frank Pritchard (Canterbury Bulldogs), Kevin Proctor (Melbourne Storm), Jeremy Smith (Cronulla Sharks), Elijah Taylor (Warriors), Dean Whare (Manly Sea Eagles). - AFP |
| Khan names Hunter new trainer, to face Molina next Posted: 01 Oct 2012 06:42 PM PDT LOS ANGELES: Britain's Amir Khan seeking to end a two bout losing streak has named Virgil Hunter to replace Freddie Roach as his new trainer and plans to meet unbeaten American fighter Carlos Molina in his next bout. The 25-year-old English boxer announced on his website that he had made the switch in trainers and that his next fight would be against Molina at a US venue with the date yet to be determined. "I'm really pleased that Virgil Hunter is to become my new trainer," Khan said. "Everyone in boxing knows about his skills and the success he has enjoyed over the last few years. "I'm looking forward to the start of my training camp and working on some new things with him. With Virgil in my corner, I know that I can get back to the very top of the light-welterweight division." Khan will train for the fight at Hunter's gymnasium in suburban Oakland, California. Among the fighters Hunter has guided are undefeated world super middleweight champion Andre Ward. "Amir is an extremely talented fighter and I'm very happy to become his new trainer," Hunter said. "I have seen a lot of him and he has many attributes such as his speed and heart. "There are certain small aspects of his game that I'm intending to work on in order to help him fulfil his enormous potential." Khan is 26-3 with 18 knockouts but has lost his past two fights, to unbeaten American pugilist Danny Garcia in a fourth-round knockout last July after coming off worse in a controversial split decision to American Lamont Peterson last December. Khan lost 10 months ago in Peterson's hometown of Washington and Peterson would later test positive for high levels of testosterone to scuttle a rematch and make his victory even more dubious, though it has yet to be stripped. Molina, 17-0 with one drawn and seven knockouts, will move up from the lightweight ranks to face Khan. "Molina is a good fighter who has yet to taste defeat, so I know that he will be very dangerous," Khan said. "He is a tricky fighter who possess a lot of natural speed. I always want to face hungry young fighters and in Molina I'm up against a guy who has ambitions of world title success." - AFP |
| England out as Sri Lanka, Windies reach semis Posted: 01 Oct 2012 04:31 PM PDT PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka sent defending champions England packing at the World Twenty20 as they reached the semi-finals along with the West Indies after a dramatic night of action on Monday. Sri Lanka's 19-run win over England, thanks in large part to Lasith Malinga's career-best 5-31, put the hosts into their third successive World Twenty20 semi-finals as they hunt their first major title in 16 years. Earlier the West Indies snatched victory from New Zealand in a thrilling Super Over finish after they were tied on 139. Despite New Zealand's 17 off their extra over, West Indies smashed 19 with a ball to spare. England's reshuffled team may regret sending Sri Lanka in to bat after the hosts posted a challenging 169-6. In reply, at a packed Pallekele stadium, England managed 150-9 and only briefly threatened to pull off an unlikely win. The chase was in trouble from the start as England were rocked by Malinga, who took the first three wickets in his first over. It needed a fourth-wicket stand of 55 between Samit Patel (67) and Eoin Morgan (10) to repair the early damage, but England lost wickets at regular intervals. Patel added 51 with Graeme Swann (34) for the eighth wicket as hope fluttered. But Malinga bowled Patel in the penultimate over to snuff out the danger and improve on his previous best of 3-12 against New Zealand in 2010. "The guys played really well. Lasith is unbelievable, both with the new ball and with the old ball. It would be fantastic if we can win it (the title) but the focus is to keep our feet on the ground," said captain Kumar Sangakkara. In the earlier match, New Zealand started with a bang as they bowled out the West Indies for just 139 in 19.3 overs, with Tim Southee (3-21) and Doug Bracewell (3-31) doing the damage. Chris Gayle's 30 was the innings' top score. Ross Taylor was the mainstay of New Zealand's reply with an unbeaten 62. But with New Zealand needing 14 off the last over, bowled by Marlon Samuels, Taylor hit a six off the fourth delivery but managed just a single on the penultimate ball. Bracewell hit the final delivery but was run out while taking a second run, tying the match as New Zealand closed on 139-7. Taylor scored an impressive 17 for New Zealand in their Super Over off the bowling of Samuels. But the all-rounder then stepped up for West Indies to hoist the winning six off Southee. "Samuels is my go-to man in pressure situations, he's suffering from a bad shoulder so that's why he doesn't bowl more," said captain Darren Sammy. "It was a great fight-back and I am very happy at that." A disappointed Taylor rued New Zealand's missed opportunity - but admitted that the West Indies' Super Over was "pretty awesome". "We probably should have won it in normal time. Credit to West Indies, to score 18 off five balls is pretty awesome. When the first ball is a no-ball that goes for six, it ruins the over," said Taylor. "That's cricket and we're going home now." On Tuesday, Pakistan play Australia and India face South Africa in Colombo to decide the semi-finalists from group two. The semi-finals will be played on Thursday and Friday, and the final is on Sunday. - AFP |
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