Ashes second Test Australia thrash England

ADELAIDE: Australia wrapped up a comprehensive 218-run victory over England on Monday to take a 2-0 series lead, leaving them on the brink of reclaiming the Ashes from their fierce rivals.

The home team claimed the four remaining wickets in just under an hour on the final morning in Adelaide and are now just one victory away from winning back the famous urn after three consecutive series defeats.

It was a second emphatic defeat for England after they lost the first Test in Brisbane by 381 runs and the tourists must regroup before the third match of the series, which starts in Perth on Friday. England have only won once in 12 Tests on the traditionally pacy WACA pitch.

"I think that something that is most pleasing is we are finally getting some results," said Australian skipper Michael Clarke.

But he added: "I think we have to be realistic. That's our second Test win in the past 12 months -- certainly not a record we're proud of.

"There's a lot of work for us to do to get back to being the number one team in the world and that's our goal."

England captain Alastair Cook admitted his side lost the game on the first day when they were guilty of several dropped catches, allowing Australia to pile up an imposing 570 for nine declared.

"On that first day we had an opportunity to a put a bit of pressure on Australia. We let a few chances go, and they really made us pay for that," he said.

Cook said England's first innings total of 172 was not good enough. "You don't get too many chances on good wickets and we had the opportunity then and we didn't take it. I thought that was the main difference. Australia took their chances very well," he said.

"It's been a tough five days and we've got to look at ourselves, look at our performance and come back stronger," Cook added.

Under overcast skies, wicketkeeper Matt Prior showed defiance with 69 off 102 balls, before he became the ninth batsman to go.

Peter Siddle finished the best of Australia's bowlers with four for 57. Stuart Broad fell to the fifth ball of the final day after losing his battle of wills with Siddle.

Broad defiantly pulled Siddle's fourth ball for six and then repeated the shot on the next ball only to find Nathan Lyon at deep square leg and fell for 29.

England's Barmy Army supporters attempted to get under Mitchell Johnson's skin, but the pacer, named man of the match for his decisive seven wickets in the first innings, ignored them and instead peppered Prior with a couple of short-pitched deliveries.

Prior saw off Johnson and was looking to reprise his fighting unbeaten 110 off 182 balls to bat England to a draw in the third Test against New Zealand in March.

The wicketkeeper reached his 27th Test half-century off 88 balls with a pulled shot to the boundary off Siddle and he was severe with Johnson.

Graeme Swann was caught at second slip off Ryan Harris for six with the England spinner swinging his bat angrily at the stumps for playing at a ball he should have let go.

And Prior's resistance ended when he fell hooking Siddle to Lyon on the boundary rope.

Monty Panesar was the last England wicket to fall, hitting to Chris Rogers at short extra cover to give Harris his third scalp of the innings.

South Africa beat India by 134 runs in second Ind vs SA ODI

DURBAN: Batting prodigy Quinton de Kock hit his second successive century to set up a convincing, series-clinching 134-run win for South Africa in the second one-day international against India at Kingsmead on Sunday. 

South Africa 280/6 (49.0 ov)

India 146/10 (35.1 ov)

South Africa beat India by 134 runs

 

Man Utd slump to Newcastle loss by 0-1

Manchester United slumped to their second home Premier League defeat in the space of four days as Yohan Cabaye's goal gave Newcastle a first league victory at Old Trafford since 1972. 
The home side struggled to break down the Magpies, other than a flurry of chances at the start of the second half, with Patrice Evra heading against the post before the ball rebounded against Vurnon Anita's arm.
Newcastle struck on the break when Cabaye fired home Moussa Sissoko's cross.
Robin van Persie had a header disallowed as Manchester United tried to respond, but Newcastle held on for a famous victory which means home form that had been cause for concern for boss David Moyes is now turning into a crisis.
The Scot's side have dropped 13 points out of 24 in front of their own fans this season and suffered back-to-back league defeats at Old Trafford for the first time since the end of the 2001-02 season.
Wednesday's loss to Everton meant Moyes's side came into this game already trailing
eaders Arsenal by 12 points and in danger of being out of the title race by Christmas. At this rate, a top-four place will also be beyond them.
Old Trafford has been the site of many a late goal to deny visitors victory in the past but large numbers of home fans had left before the end, clearly believing an equaliser was beyond their side.
The same problems that have haunted Moyes all season were present here - a lack of creativity in midfield, and a vulnerability on the break at the back.
Chances were thin on the ground in a cagey first half, as Newcastle's five-man midfield worked hard to keep their hosts quiet.
With Wayne Rooney suspended, Van Persie's return after four games out was a welcome boost for Moyes and the Dutchman was expected to provide the spark in attack.
There was little inspiration in that department, however, and a tame Phil Jones shot from the edge of the area was the only time Krul had to make a save in the first half.
In fact it was Newcastle who had the best effort before the interval, when Mathieu Debuchy found space to fire in a shot from the right of the area that was pushed away by David De Gea.
Manchester United looked more like their old selves at the start of the second half, when Javier Hernandez tested Krul and Evra's
header was only kept out by a combination of the post and Anita.
But Newcastle survived and hit back in style just after the hour mark when Sissoko escaped down the right and found Cabaye waiting to fire home from his pull-back.
And, for the third time on home soil this season, there was to be no Manchester United comeback.
Van Persie had a goal ruled out for offside, Adnan Januzaj was denied by Krul and substitute Wilfried Zaha curled a shot wide but, in truth, Newcastle did not face anything like a late onslaught. Van Persie was otherwise anonymous, and this was a largely insipid display.

Feeble England could lose 5-0 - Michael Vaughan in Ashes 2013-14

England are in grave danger of being whitewashed 5-0 in the Ashes after a "pathetic" batting display during the second Test match against Australia, says former captain Michael Vaughan.

The tourists crumbled to 172 all out in Adelaide as they finished day three 530 runs behind their dominant hosts.
"England look as if they are petrified of the ball and that is a real worry," said Vaughan on Test Match Special.
"I can't see any other result than 5-0 the way this England team are playing."
England, trailing 1-0 in the series after a heavy defeat in Brisbane, lost their last six wickets for 55 runs as Mitchell Johnson (7-40) ran through their middle and lower order. Australia then reached 132-3 by the close.
Vaughan was alarmed by the lack of fight from England's players in the face of a high-class spell of fast bowling.
"It's been pathetic, feeble - there is no way you can protect this batting today," he said. "England would have been blown away on day one if they'd batted like this. They are mentally shot.
"Even when England lost 5-0 in 2006-07, I don't remember them folding like this. This is as bad as I have seen from an England side."
Vaughan, who captained England to their first Ashes triumph in 18 years in 2005, believes there were signs their standards were slipping during the 3-0 victory over Australia in July and August.
"The last three Test matches of the summer were the warning signs for this England team," added Vaughan.
"They weren't playing great. Their brand of cricket was poor - attritional and very negative. If you can't go out and express your game when you are 2-0 up in an Ashes series on home soil, when you've doctored your own decks, there's a real problem.

Mitchell Johnson take England on back foot

Johnson took 7-40, including a wonderful spell of 5-16 in five overs after lunch, as England were rattled out for a feeble 172 to concede a first-innings deficit of 398 runs.

Only Ian Bell, with an unbeaten 72, and Michael Carberry (60) offered any resistance as their team-mates either tossed their wickets away or were simply unable to cope with Johnson's fearsome pace.
Twice the left-armer was on hat-tricks after both Stuart Broad and James Anderson were bowled first ball, while Matt Prior's dismal run of form continued with his fifth duck in nine Tests.
With time on their side, Australia then opted to bat again, and had extended their lead to 530 with seven wickets still in hand by the close.
But with two full days to come, England need a miracle in the city of churches to prevent themselves going 2-0 down in this Ashes series.
So abject was this display, and so one-sided has been the series thus far, that Australia are now unarguable favourites to win back the urn for the first time since 2009.
Needing 371 to avoid the follow-on after Australia's runaway 570-9 declared, England had begun with determination and discipline, only for all that to rapidly evaporate into the warm south Australian air in the hour before lunch.
Joe Root set the tone, slog-sweeping the first ball he faced from Nathan Lyon to Chris Rogers at deep square leg to throw away his wicket for 15 after 79 previously patient deliveries.

The Analyst: England's batting collapse

If that was wasteful, Kevin Pietersen - scorer of 158 and 227 in his previous two Tests on this ground - was then guilty of a crass misjudgement when, with two men in catching on the leg side, he attempted to flick Peter Siddle over them and instead picked out George Bailey at mid-wicket for just four.
Carberry and Bell briefly arrested the descent, Carberry going to his maiden Test half century, before David Warner clung on to a diving one-handed catch at mid-wicket to see off the opener.
But the real horror began after lunch, when Johnson tore in from the Cathedral End like some fast-bowling banshee to blow the
England middle order away.
In the space of one extraordinary over he had debutant Ben Stokes trapped lbw on review for one, Prior caught behind after being roughed up with two short ones and Broad bowled behind his legs the very next ball.
Graeme Swann survived the hat-trick ball at the start of Johnson's next over but then swiped at a wide one to be brilliantly caught by Michael Clarke at second slip for seven.

Next into the mincing machine was Anderson, bowled for a golden duck and given a fierce send-off by the close fielders as he departed, head bowed.

In five and a half overs Johnson had taken six wickets, England losing six for 24 either side of lunch. Johnson leaves England in disarray

Alone amid the wreckage stood Bell, who went on the attack with only Monty Panesar for company and raced past his half century as Johnson was rested.
But when the fast bowler was recalled to the attack, he bowled the brave Panesar to leave England adrift in a sea of scorn.
As Australia looked for quick runs, Anderson had Rogers caught behind for two and Shane Watson taken in the gully for a duck before Panesar bowled Clarke with a beauty that drifted and turned.
But the pugnacious Warner (83 not out) and Steve Smith (23 not out) saw them to the close at 132-3 to leave their side in total control.

India could be kicked out of Olympics

LAUSANNE: India faces the ultimate sanction of being kicked out of the Olympic movement unless it keeps corruption-tainted officials out of its ranks, IOC president Thomas Bach said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Bach said the IOC is prepared to withdraw recognition of the Indian Olympic Association if it fails to comply with "rules of good governance" by Tuesday, a punishment that would leave the world's second most populous nation out of all Olympic competitions.

"It's about the principles," Bach said. "Good governance for the IOC is a key issue. We need to be strict and to make sure the rules of good governance are being applied."

If India is thrown out, it would be the first time a country has been kicked out of the Olympic movement since South Africa was expelled for its racial segregation policies more than 40 years ago.

The Indian Olympic body is scheduled to meet Sunday in New Delhi to consider amending its constitution to meet the IOC's directive. If there is no breakthrough, the International Olympic Committee executive board is set to recommend "de-recognition" of the Indian committee at its meeting on Tuesday in Lausanne.

"`We will see if there is any last-moment movement," Bach said. "If not, then we have to consider to take the next step."

The IOC suspended the Indian body a year ago because of government interference in its election process. While many of the issues have been resolved since then, the Indians have yet to agree to the IOC demand to bar officials who have been charged with a criminal offense - an impasse which has led to the final ultimatum.

"The (Olympic) charter is clear," Bach said. "If the suspension leads to no solution, then further steps could be withdrawal of recognition."

It would be the first major ruling of the IOC board under Bach, who was elected president on Sept. 10, succeeding Jacques Rogge. Bach is the former president of Germany's national Olympic committee.

The IOC executive board could take a preliminary decision on withdrawing recognition of India. A final ruling would go to the full IOC, which next meets in Sochi, Russia, in early February on the eve of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

"Withdrawal of recognition would mean there is no NOC (National Olympic Committee) any more in India," Bach said. " That means no participation, no subsidies."

Under the current suspension, the Indian body has stopped receiving IOC funding and its officials have been banned from attending Olympic meetings and events. India's athletes are barred from competing in Olympic events under their national flag.

Stripping India completely of IOC recognition would leave the country without any Olympic involvement. It would keep Indian athletes out of the Olympics and related events such as the Asian Games. Other international federations could also follow suit.

The IOC has given athletes from suspended nations the chance to compete as individuals under the Olympic flag. It's unclear what options could be open to Indian athletes if their Olympic body is expelled.

"In the Olympics we would have to see whether we would find individual solutions, but they could in no way represent India," Bach said. "We always want to protect the interest of the athletes. We have to consider a way. I cannot tell you what the result will be."

The IOC said India has three athletes, including two skiers and a luger, who have qualified for the Sochi Games. Sanctions would hurt more for the Summer Olympics, which will next be held in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. India's participation could also be affected for the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, from Sept. 19-Oct. 4.

The IOC has been involved in back-and-forth discussions with India for months. The main issue stems from last year's election of IOA secretary-general Lalit Bhanot, who had been jailed for 10 months in a corruption case related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

The IOC has told the Indian body that anyone charged with an offense by Indian police should be barred from holding office. The Indians have proposed that the directive be limited to barring only those found guilty and sentenced to a jail term of two or more years by a court.

"This is the only remaining point." Bach said. "It's about good governance and nothing else at this moment. All the other issues have been solved in cooperation with the NOC, with the government."

The IOC formally expelled South Africa from the Olympics in 1970. The country, which had last competed at the 1960 Olympics, returned to the fold at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

In recent years, the IOC suspended the national Olympic bodies of Kuwait, Ghana and Panama for political interference, but all were later reinstated.

Imran Khan says sachin is lucky

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan on Saturday said recently-retired Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar was lucky to have never faced the ferocious West Indies pace attack of '70 and '80s.

While delivering a lecture on leadership at an All India Management Association function here, Imran said facing the likes of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall and Colin Croft was a huge task.

In fact, Imran pointed out that some fine talent was forced to be on the bench because the frontliners were irreplaceable.

"There was Sylvester Clark, who used to be on the bench mostly but on a rebel tour of South Africa, he demolished the opposition single-handedly," Imran said.

"My friend, the poor guy, Sunny Gavaskar bore the brunt of the West Indian fast-bowling attack. Sachin is very lucky that he didn't face them," he added.

Tendulkar retired recently after playing international cricket for nearly a quarter of century, notching up most of the batting records to be rated as the greatest of modern era.