RUGBY UNION
Wellington defeat Stormers
Ngani Laumape scored two late tries, one that began deep inside the Wellington Hurricanes’ territory, as the home side secured a scrappy 41-22 victory over the South Africa-based Stormers at Wellington Regional Stadium yesterday. Laumape’s second try was the result of an audacious chip-pass from All Blacks flyhalf Beauden Barrett about 15m from his own line and with flanker Brad Shields in the sin bin. Fullback Jordie Barrett also crossed twice, while Julian Savea, Cory Jane and Beauden Barrett grabbed tries for the home side. Stormers’ replacement hooker Ramone Samuels scored the visitors only try, with S.P. Marais and Robert du Preez kicking the rest of their points.
CRICKET
BCCI faces pressure
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is coming under increasing pressure to name a squad for the Champions Trophy, with Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid joining calls for the board to quit stalling. The BCCI missed a deadline last month for announcing a team and is to hold a special meeting tomorrow to discuss a potential withdrawal from the 50-over international tournament. It is facing mounting criticism over its tactics, which stem from a dispute with the International Cricket Council over changes to revenue sharing.
CRICKET
Billings touts England form
England wicketkeeper Sam Billings has returned home from the Indian Premier League (IPL) carrying with him the message that rivals are “petrified” of his team ahead of next month’s Champions Trophy on home soil. Billings said his interaction with players during IPL Twenty20 matches convinced him of a newfound respect for his nation’s limited-overs prowess. “The best thing about the IPL is you share a dressing room with these guys and previously in this country we haven’t made one-day cricket a priority as such, but people are petrified of our side now,” Billings told British media.
CYCLING
Bardiani-CSF riders banned
Two riders from the Italian team Bardiani-CSF have been kicked out of the Giro d’Italia on the eve of the nation’s biggest race after testing positive in an out-of-competition doping test. The UCI, the sport’s governing body, on Thursday said that Nicola Ruffoni and Stefano Pirazzi returned positive tests for growth hormone-releasing peptides in samples collected last week. The riders have the right to have their B samples tested, but have been provisionally suspended from competition. That means neither were to be at the Giro’s start line yesterday on the island of Sardinia.
RALLYING
Timo Makinen dies, aged 79
Finnish legend Timo Makinen, known for his hat-tricks of international victories, has died aged 79, local media said yesterday. Makinen, who was was nicknamed “The Flying Finn” of motor rallying among several other prominent Finnish athletes, won the RAC Rally — now named Wales Rally GB — three times in a row from 1973 to 1975 in a Ford Escort. Born in Helsinki on March 18, 1938, Makinen’s death was announced by his son on Facebook late on Thursday, Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reported, without specifying the exact cause.
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
The Philadelphia 76ers, fueled by 36 points from Tyrese Maxey and a triple-double from Joel Embiid, on Thursday beat the Houston Rockets 128-122 in an NBA overtime thriller. Cameroonian big man Embiid scored 32 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and handed out 10 assists, posting the ninth triple-double of his career to help the Sixers end the Rockets’ three-game winning streak. Rockets star Kevin Durant scored 36 points and Amen Thompson added 17, but Thompson was scoreless in the fourth quarter. Even so, the Rockets led by nine midway through the final frame, Maxey tying it at 115-115 with 40.1 seconds left. Durant missed a
Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah on Saturday secured his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia with Luciano Benavides scraping home by two seconds to claim the motorbike title. “We’ve worked very hard since last year. I might not be showing much emotion yet, but it’s there, deep down. We are so happy to win,” al-Attiyah said at the finish. Al-Attiyah, at the wheel of a Dacia, only had to avoid a final day slip-up to top the podium after bringing his career tally of stage wins to 50 on Friday. The 55-year-old, who took clay pigeon shooting bronze at the
Tobias Harris on Monday scored 25 points as the Detroit Pistons held off the Boston Celtics to score a 104-103 victory in their top-of-the-table Eastern Conference showdown. Harris was one of four Detroit players to finish in double figures, with Jalen Duren adding 18 points and point guard Cade Cunningham scoring 16 points with 14 assists. The win sees Detroit extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to 31-10, 5.5 games ahead of second-placed Boston, who fell to 26-16 with the defeat. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics scoring with 32 points and almost snatched victory in the
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