Sports

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, CMC – Bermuda hopes of another berth at a Cricket World Cup took another blow when they crashed to their second loss of the ICC 2011 qualifiers with a 60-run loss to Afghanistan yesterday.

MIAMI, (Reuters) – World number two Roger Federer  defeated American Andy Roddick 6-3 4-6 6-4 in front of a noisy  night-time crowd at Key Biscayne on Wednesday to set up a  semi-final with Serbian Novak Djokovic at the Sony Ericsson  Open.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, CMC – Teenaged American striker Jozy Altidore fired a sensational hat trick on Wednesday night to send Trinidad & Tobago tumbling to a devastating 3-0 defeat and leave their 2010 World Cup hopes in tatters.

PRETORIA, South Africa, CMC – Guyanese veteran Sunil Dhaniram smashed an unbeaten hundred and steered Canada to a comfortable 103-run victory over Oman as the ICC 2011 World Cup qualifiers started on Wednesday.

SEPANG, Malaysia, (Reuters) – Formula One world  champion Lewis Hamilton was stripped of third place at last  weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Thursday for  “deliberately misleading” stewards after that race.

PHOENIX (Reuters) – The Phoenix Suns returned to form with  a 114-109 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday,  keeping alive their hopes of making the postseason.

The Under-19 50-over competition to select the team that will represent Demerara in the inter-county competition was officially launched yesterday and will bowl off Monday with two matches.

By Rawle Toney On April 25, Debbie “The Tiger” Tyson will be making her boxing debut again Avlon Scotland of Linden when the two fighters clash in a catch weight contest on the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) and S & S promotion card entitled “The Big Showdown” at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Mentore keen for contest The Gafoors 20/20 semi-finals slated for Berbice and Demerara yesterday were washed out after torrential rain swept across the two counties.

(Compiled by Calvin Roberts) Following up on yesterday’s profiles on the national Under-15 team, Stabroek Sports presents the remaining four players.

Rockaway XI and Zeeburg Warriors both stormed to two victories over their opponents on Sunday in the Guyana Softball League (GSL) organized Memorex Enterprise 15-Over Countrywide Tournament at the Ogle and Leonora grounds respectively.

By Rawle Toney The fifth annual Victory Valley Royals (VVR) inter-school basketball tournament was officially launched yesterday at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court in Linden and  six secondary schools from the mining town are vying for prizes and bragging rights.

The National Referees Committee (NRC) in collaboration with the Guyana Football Referees Council (GFRC) successfully completed a Beginners Referees Course in Berbice  last weekend at the Blairmont Community Center ground, West Berbice.

Reigning race walking champion Rudolph Mitchell continued his winning streak last Sunday when he copped the Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai’s trophy in a “Grow More Food” race organized by Cavaliers Sports and Tour Club (CSTC).

The Presidential Guards and C Division reigned supreme over the field at the conclusion of the Male Inter-Division Knockout Dominoes Competition at the Police Sports Club.

…in ICC World Cup Qualifiers BENONI, South Africa, CMC – Ex-West Indies players had contrasting results as coaches in ICC World Cup qualifiers yesterday, with Phil Simmons celebrating victory with Ireland and Gus Logie suffering defeat with Bermuda.

…as Dyson looks ahead to cricket CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC – The West Indies players’ union tackles the regional governing body on contentious off-field issues today which have jeopardized tomorrow’s fifth One Day International (ODI), but team coach John Dyson focused yesterday on plans to win the series.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The uncapped 16-year-old batting standout Kraigg Braithwaite was named yesterday in the Barbados 13-man squad to face Combined Campuses and Colleges in the penultimate round of the WICB Regional Four-day tournament this weekend.

MIAMI, (Reuters) – World number one Serena Williams  survived a major scare to beat China’s Li Na 4-6 7-6 6-2 and  reach the Sony Ericsson Open semi-finals yesterday.

MILAN, (Reuters) – Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde  has been charged with being involved in Spain’s Operacion Puerto  doping scandal, the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) said in a  statement yesterday.