CRICKET
Dickwella suspended
Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella was on Tuesday suspended for two limited-overs matches after he was punished for dissent during last week’s pulsating Twenty20 win over Australia. The wicketkeeper and opening batsman was docked two demerit points and fined 30 percent of his match fee for his aggrieved reaction to being given out caught behind on Sunday, reaching five points and triggering an automatic ban. Australia wicketkeeper Tim Paine was fined 15 percent of his match fee and received one demerit point for taunting Dickwella over the dismissal in Geelong, Australia. Dickwella was punished after he paused to view the replay, kicked the turf and stared over his shoulder “for a prolonged period of time,” an International Cricket Council statement said. The suspension means Dickwella is to miss today’s third and final Twenty20 against Australia in Adelaide.
RUGBY UNION
Land Rover drops Dan Carter
Former New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter has lost his sponsorship contract with Land Rover after failing a drunk driving test in France last week. The three-time World Player of the Year, who plays in France’s Top 14 for Racing 92, signed as a brand ambassador for the Jaguar Land Rover brand last year. “Over the last few days my management and I have had to front up to my sponsors,” Carter wrote on Facebook yesterday. “Not surprisingly, Land Rover, who for good reason have zero tolerance towards drink driving, have ended their relationship with me... I understand this completely and am disappointed I put them in this position.” British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover is owned by India’s Tata Motors. Carter was tested by police last week after being stopped in his car near the center of Paris, local media reported. He returned to New Zealand over the weekend. The 34-year-old Rugby World Cup winner apologized for a “massive error of judgement” on Facebook and said he would have to let the police and court process take its course.
RUGBY UNION
France lose two to injury
France are to be without flanker Damien Chouly and center Mathieu Bastareaud away to Ireland in the Six Nations after both players sustained injuries, the French Rugby Federation said on Monday. Chouly, who suffered an ankle injury during training earlier on Monday, is to be replaced in the squad for Saturday’s game by Raphael Lakafia, who is joining the group in Nice, France. Bastareaud suffered a knock to the head in a Top 14 match over the weekend, and after having neurological tests he is not available to face Ireland, the federation said, adding that he has not yet been replaced in the squad. France started their campaign with a 19-16 defeat by England at Twickenham before beating Scotland 22-16 at home.
SOCCER
Malaga defeat Las Palmas
Malaga on Monday came from behind to beat UD Las Palmas 2-1 and halt an 11-game winless streak in La Liga. The visitors opened the scoring with Mauricio Lemos at Estadio La Rosaleda, but Malaga rallied with goals by Pablo Fornals and Charles before halftime. It was Malaga’s first win since early November last year. The result moved Malaga to 13th place, two points behind Las Palmas, who dropped a spot to 12th place with their third straight loss in the league.
MOTHER KNOWS BEST: Warriors’ coach Kerr said his 91-year-old mother criticized him for his attitude toward officials that led to his ejection from Monday’s game Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Wednesday rescued the Oklahoma City Thunder with a game-tying buzzer-beater before finishing with 46 points in a 129-125 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz. The reigning NBA champions looked to be heading for a third straight loss after the Jazz inched into a 114-112 lead following Lauri Markkanen’s layup with just three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. However, NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander drained a superb 13-foot jump shot to tie it up at 114-114 as the buzzer sounded to send the game into overtime. Gilgeous-Alexander then took over in the extra period with nine points as the Western
Mohamed Salah’s Egypt knocked reigning champions Ivory Coast out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a 3-2 win in the quarter-finals on Saturday, while Victor Osimhen starred as Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 to set up a clash with hosts Morocco. In Agadir, Morocco, a thrilling last-eight tie saw Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia net in the first half for the Pharaohs before an own goal by Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh brought the Ivorians back into it. Salah then got Egypt’s third early in the second half and they held on after Guela Doue again reduced the deficit. Egypt is to face Senegal
AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE: Sabalenka aims to follow up with a third Australian Open win, while Taiwanese Joanna Garland claimed a WTA 125 title in Canberra Aryna Sabalenka beat Karolina Muchova in straight sets to reach her third Brisbane International final in a row yesterday, a week ahead of the Australian Open. Sabalenka looked in great touch against the tricky Czech, who had won their last three meetings and went into the match as one of the few players with a winning record over the world No. 1. However, Sabalenka showed her class and power as she broke Muchova once in each set to take the semi-final 6-3, 6-4 in 89 minutes to face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the final. “I struggled against her a couple of times [in
Brandon Miller scored 18 points, LaMelo Ball had 17 and the Charlotte Hornets built a 47-point lead in the first half of a 150-95 rout against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night. It was the second-biggest win in franchise history for the Hornets and their largest on the road. The Hornets bounced back from a pair of frustrating losses in a big way, having fallen to Toronto by one point and Indiana by two in their last two games. Charlotte pounded the NBA champion Thunder by 27 in Oklahoma City before those defeats, previously the Hornets’ most lopsided victory of the season. Tre
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