CRICKET
West Indies win series
Marlon Samuels and Lendl Simmons both cracked half-centuries to help the West Indies clinch the one-day series against Bangladesh with an easy eight-wicket win in the second match on Saturday. Samuels scored a brisk 88 not out and opener Simmons an impressive 80 as the West Indies achieved a 221-run target with more than seven overs to spare in the day-night match for an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-game series. The final one-dayer will be played in Chittagong tomorrow. Simmons, who hit a century in his team’s 40-run win in the opening match, added 71 for the opening wicket with Danza Hyatt (39) and 111 for the second wicket with Samuels to ensure the victory. Samuels smashed one six and 12 fours in his 74-ball knock for his second successive half-century, while Simmons hit three sixes and as many fours in his 125-ball knock.
CRICKET
McCullem hits Twenty20 81
Brendon McCullum slammed an unbeaten 81 as New Zealand raced to a 10-wicket win in the first Twenty20 international against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Saturday. The New Zealand bowlers set up the victory by restricting Zimbabwe to 123 for eight in their 20 overs after being sent in, with home skipper Brendan Taylor the only batsman to shine, making 50 not out. Opening bowler Kyle Mills and off-spinner Nathan McCullum took two wickets each in a steady New Zealand bowling performance. Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill (40 not out) needed only 13.3 overs to score the required runs. McCullum thrashed six sixes and five fours off 46 balls.
GOLF
USPGA rookie leads pack
USPGA Tour rookie Michael Thompson moved one shot clear after Saturday’s third round of the McGladrey Classic at St Simons Island in Georgia while fellow American Webb Simpson stayed in the hunt for his third victory of the year. Thompson fired a three-under-par 67 on another breezy day to overhaul second-round pacesetter Billy Horschel and post a 13-under total of 197. American Horschel doubled-bogeyed the 16th after dumping his tee shot into water on the way to a 70 to end the day in second place at 12-under. Former US Masters champion Trevor Immelman equaled the course record with 62 to finish level with Simpson at 11-under.
GOLF
Cabrera-Bello in the lead
Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello would take a one shot lead into the final round of the Portugal Masters yesterday thanks to a third round eight-under-par 64 at Oceanico Victoria Golf Course. The 27-year-old is on 18-under for the tournament and leads Sweden’s Christian Nilsson and Chile’s Felipe Aguilar by one shot. Overnight leader Simon Khan fired a 71 to be at 14-under, in a tie for eighth place and four shots off the lead.
GOLF
Gleeson wins in India
Taipei-based Australian David Gleeson completed his renaissance by winning the Hero Indian Open with a final round four-under-par 68 yesterday to end a three-year title drought. Gleeson showed no sign of losing his overnight lead as he closed with a 20-under-par 268 total at the Delhi Golf Club, the lowest winning score on the Indian Open. Chiragh Kumar of India finished second after shooting a 70, three strokes from the champion in the US$1.25 million event. Scotland’s Ross Bain and Taiwan’s Lu Wei-chih, winner of last week’s Yeangder TPC, both shot 67 to share third place on 272.
RUGBY WORLD CUP
Lievremont slams players
France coach Marc Lievremont slammed a section of his World Cup team as “spoiled brats” after they defied his orders by going out to celebrate Saturday night’s 9-8 semi-final win over Wales. With an enigmatic smile on his face throughout, Lievremont elaborated on an earlier comment he had made about going to bed in a bad mood, by delivering the withering verdict on some of his squad. “[Today I am] feeling good,” he said. “I went to bed in a bad mood, because I’d asked the players not to go out and I found out that a few of them had gone out. So we spoke about it this morning and I told them what I thought of them. I told them they are a bunch of spoiled brats. Undisciplined, disobedient, sometimes selfish. Always complaining, always whingeing.”
SOCCER
Mechelen slip to 12th
Taiwan international Javier Chen’s KV Mechelen slipped to 12th in the Belgian Jupiler League on Saturday after a 2-1 home defeat to 10-man Cercle Brugge KSV. Renato Neto opened the scoring for the visitors after 19 minutes and Igor Vetokele doubled their lead just four minutes later. Julien Gorius pulled one back for the hosts from the penalty spot after 28 minutes. Opening scoring Neto was sent off after receiving a second yellow card on 58 minutes, but the Yellow Reds could not find an equalizer against the 10 men. Chen played the full 90 minutes.
CYCLING
Zaugg claims maiden win
Switzerland’s Oliver Zaugg claimed the Tour of Lombardy classic when he powered away in the final climb to snatch his maiden individual win as a professional on Saturday. The Leopard Trek rider took off with about 10km left on the demanding ascent to the Salita di Ello and kept a chasing group at bay, winning by eight seconds. Irishman Daniel Martin was second for the Garmin-Cervelo team, with Joaquin Rodriguez of Spain (Katusha) coming home third. World No. 1 Philippe Gilbert failed in his bid to win the 241km race for the third time in a row, finishing 15 seconds behind the winner.
BOXING
Cleverly retains his title
Nathan Cleverly retained his WBO light-heavyweight title with a majority points decision over Tony Bellew after 12 rounds on Saturday. Cleverly was scored 117-112, 116-113, 114-114 on the three judges’ cards to improve his unbeaten record to 23 successive wins. “I knew he would be dangerous in the first three rounds, but in all honesty I thought he’d tire more, but he held in there and showed he is a brilliant challenger. He’s very fit,” the Welshman (23-0, 11 KOs) told Box Nation TV. Cleverly’s win was greeted by jeers in Bellew’s native Liverpool. “I’m just devastated,” Bellew said. “I’ve got my two kids and I can only apologize to them.”
BOXING
DeMarco stops Linares
Mexican southpaw Antonio DeMarco stopped Jorge Linares of Venezuela in the 11th round of a bloody bout, surging late to claim the WBC lightweight title in Los Angeles on Saturday. DeMarco lost most of the early rounds, but opened a cut on the bridge of Linares’ nose. The Mexican gained strength during a one-sided 11th round, which was finally stopped with 28 seconds left, giving him back the belt he lost to the late Edwin Valero last year. Danny Garcia of the US also defeated compatriot Kendall Holt to remain unbeaten with a split-decision victory in the WBO’s Inter-Continental light-welterwight decider.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and