Sports

The 2011 Ramcharitar Associated Construction Service 40-overs first division knockout cricket tournament was launched last Friday at the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) office in New Amsterdam.

Yesterday he was not the bane of a disenchanted Caribbean public but rather, the toast of the party, – the West Indies skipper that marshalled his troops to a rare victory over Pakistan with a five-wicket haul at the Guyana National Stadium.

By Treiston Joseph New Silver City Secondary School, with 93 points, yesterday lifted the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) trophy at the annual World Athletic Day track meet held by the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) at the Eve Leary Sports Club ground .

A victory at last! That must have been the thoughts of the West Indies team and its supporters following the team’s 40-run triumph over Pakistan yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence to end a  two year drought.

KARACHI, (Reuters) – Former Pakistan international  off-spinner Akram Raza was among seven people detained by police in Lahore for running an illegal betting ring.

OKLAHOMA CITY, (Reuters) – The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies  105-90 yesterday to seal their place in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Western  Conference finals.

By all counts it was an average game of cricket, and the tone for the ordinariness was set right at the start.

The short boundaries in Indore proved to be bad masters for Rajasthan Royals.

SHANGHAI, (Reuters) – China’s former Olympic and  world 110 metres hurdles champion Liu Xiang ended American David  Oliver’s winning streak of 18 finals at the Shanghai Diamond  League meeting yesterday.

MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) – World men’s marathon  record holder Haile Gebrselassie completed a fourth victory in  the Great Manchester Run over 10 kms yesterday while Briton  Helen Clitheroe won the women’s event.

Yosimi Pol of Team Coco pedalled  his way to the title at the 29th annual Independence Three-Stage Road Race clocking 6:39:59s to dethrone defending champion Warren Mc Kay.

PONCE, Puerto Rico, CMC – Nickel Ashmeade and Rondell Sorillo captured the two men’s sprint on Saturday at the Ponce Grand Prix.

ROME, (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic continued his  domination over world number one Rafa Nadal ahead of the French  Open by claiming the Rome Masters crown 6-4 6-4 yesterday to  stretch his unbeaten run this year to 37 matches.

139 runs while the West Indies needs seven more wickets By Marlon Munroe The see-saw battle of the first Digicel Test match over the past three days is winding down to an enthralling climax after Pakistan recovered yesterday from early trouble to put the West Indies in a spot of bother with an enterprising fourth wicket partnership.

Over three days of a tense, gripping, low-scoring opening Test, played out on a sub-standard surface, the West Indies have disregarded the preceding bickering and back-biting, the carping over the captaincy and the debated departures for the Indian Premier League (IPL), the politicking and the talk of Dudus and Dons, to diligently battle their way into a strong position.

For 19 overs Deccan Chargers, out of the competition already, seemed to be going through the motions.

Brett Lee sledged, Gautam Gambhir sighed in agony, and the crowd lapped it up in delight as Chris Gayle’s brutal cameo obliterated the below-par target set by Kolkata Knight Riders in a rain-hit game in Bangalore yesterday.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Miami’s “Big Three” are safely  through to the final four and appear to be building momentum  with only the top-seeded Chicago Bulls standing between the  Heat and a berth in the NBA Finals. 

MEMPHIS, (Reuters) – The Memphis Grizzlies recovered  from a dismal first half to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 95-83  and force a Game Seven in their NBA Western Conference  semi-final series.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Manchester United were crowned  English champions for a record 19th time yesterday when Wayne  Rooney’s penalty earned a 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers and the  point they needed to win the Premier League title.