CRICKET
Misbah makes 99 again
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was dismissed for 99, a week after he was left stranded on the same score, as his side took an 81-run first-innings lead in the second Test against the West Indies in Barbados on Tuesday. Misbah had the dubious honor of becoming the first player from his country to finish on 99 not out during the first innings of last week’s seven-wicket first Test victory in Jamaica. Seeking his 11th Test century on Tuesday, the 42-year-old failed to control a rising delivery from West Indies captain Jason Holder, with the ball hitting his glove and popping up for an easy catch at second slip. Despite the personal disappointment, his team ended the day in a strong position after opener Azhar Ali scored his 13th Test century. The West Indies had to endure a nervous 14 overs in their second innings before stumps and were 40-1 at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, still 41 runs behind Pakistan’s 393. Kraigg Brathwaite was on 8 with Shimron Hetmyer on 22 at the close. Opener Kieran Powell was caught behind by Sarfraz Ahmed for 6 off Mohammad Abbas.
AUSSIE RULES
Teams prepare for China
From chopstick etiquette to dealing with hierarchy, Aussie Rules players are learning about Chinese customs ahead of a groundbreaking match in Shanghai, with teams eager to avoid any missteps. Port Adelaide Power and the Gold Coast Suns have engaged cultural awareness firms to teach players the do’s and don’ts of China ahead of their game on Sunday next week, a report said yesterday. The match is the first-ever played for premiership points outside Australia and New Zealand as the sport seeks to make inroads into the potentially massive Chinese market. “The idea ... is to get a heads up on how cultures are different, how to respect them and not make fun of them,” Port Adelaide player Jack Hombsch told the Age newspaper. “Some things in other cultures are really important to them and what is funny can be different to us.” The clubs have scrambled to make the most of Chinese traditions, with the Gold Coast this week winning the right to play in their home colors of red and yellow, which they share with the Chinese flag. Port Adelaide, who paid A$500,000 (US$375,000) for the rights to the match, had argued that the Suns should wear white, fearing Chinese supporters would gravitate to the challengers. One Australian report, which the club later brushed aside, had suggested that a star player abandon his No. 4 jersey, as the number is considered unlucky in China. All 10,000 tickets to the match at Shanghai’s Jiangwan Stadium have been sold.
GOLF
Thailand Open confirmed
The Thailand Open has rejoined the Asian Tour after an eight-year hiatus, organizers said yesterday, confirming that Australia’s Scott Hend and local favorite Thongchai Jaidee would headline the event later this month. The deal will be seen as a new blow to the struggling rival OneAsia Tour, who poached the tournament from the Asian Tour in 2010, and comes just weeks after the Asian Tour announced it had made a breakthrough deal to return to China, where OneAsia had previously had a foothold. Thailand’s national championship, which dates back to 1965, is to be held this year at Bangkok’s Thai Country Club from May 18 to May 21, with a prize fund of US$300,000.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or