Sports Bar

Jeev moves up to T7

Defending champion Jeev Milkha Singh shot a one-under 69 to be tied seventh at the halfway stage of the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup in Tokyo. Jeev,at even-par 140,is three shots off lead. Jeev began with a fifth-hole bogey,before birdying the 11th. He had a bogey on the 13th again,but picked up shots on the 14th and 17th holes.

Five-way tie for lead

Top seed D Harika and WGM Meenakshi were locked in a tussle for supremacy but settled for a draw in the third round of the 36th National Women Premier Chess Championship in Chennai. Both players,along with IM Tania Sachdev,WGM Kruttika Nadig and CM Bhakti,share the lead on 2.5 points.

Di Resta impresses again

Paul di Resta staked his claim for the Force India test driver’s job,clocking the second fastest timing on the third and final day of the Young Driver Test in Jerez,Spain. The DTM driver put in 53 laps in a slightly interrupted afternoon programme and completed his schedule with a best of 1min 18.736,the second quickest after Daniel Ricciardo’s 1: 17.418.

India look for winning start

Three-time champions India will look to start their SAFF Cup campaign on a winning note when they take on Afghanistan in Dhaka on Saturday. The side,led by India senior forward Sushil Kumar Singh,has last edition champions Maldives and unpredictable Nepal in their group and a false start in the tournament could prove to be a disaster.

Kyrgyzstan first opponents

Defending champions India open their campaign against Kyrgyzstan on February 17 next year in the AFC Challenge Cup in Colombo,Sri Lanka. Two days later,India take on Turkmenistan in their Group B match before their final group game on February 21 against DPR Korea. The winners of the tournament will qualify for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

Eindhoven advance

PSV Eindhoven scored in the last minute to beat Sparta Prague 1-0 to advance from the group stage of the Europa League. Athletic Bilbao beat Austria Vienna 3-0 to qualify in second place,although their opponent could be in trouble with UEFA after their fans caused play to be held up for 20 minutes by launching fireworks onto the field to protest two contentious goals.

FIFA retains U-23 Olympic rule

FIFA has turned down calls to restrict the Olympic men’s football tournament to players 21 and under,and will stick with an under-23 format plus three over-age players for the 2012 London Games. European governing body UEFA had wanted the change to ensure that top players stay with their clubs during preseason training.

Twenty fielders to stop Sehwag: Bayliss

Mumbai: Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss said his team would have required 20 fielders to stop Virender Sehwag on Thursday. “It didn’t matter what we did. We changed plans,changed the length we bowled,but he was still able to hit the ball wherever he wanted,” Bayliss said.

England win series after washout

Durban: England won the series when the fifth and final one-dayer against South Africa was called off due to persistent rain at Kingsmead on Friday. The match was abandoned at 1700 local time (1500 GMT) without a ball being bowled. It meant England secured the series 2-1,after the first match was also washed out,and became only the second country to win a bilateral one-day series in South Africa.

Mike Young to help out with fielding

Mumbai: The BCCI has roped in the Australian team’s fielding coach Mike Young to help the Indian squad for the Twenty20 and ODI series against Sri Lanka later this month. Chicago-born Young,a former minor league baseball player in America,was scheduled to arrive on Friday.

Greg Chappell,Grimmett in Hall of Fame

Melbourne: Greg Chappell and Clarrie Grimmett will be inducted into the ICC’s Hall of Fame at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday. ICC President David Morgan and Cricket Australia Chairman Jack Clarke will make the presentations during tea.

Bravo’s ton props up Windies

Adelaide: Dwayne Bravo smashed a 156-ball 104,his third century in Test cricket,while Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored 62 to take the visitors to 336 for six on the first day against Australia in the second Test. Brendan Nash and Darren Sammy were both unbeaten on 44 at stumps on Friday.

Having lost the first Test by an innings and 65 runs,and struggling at 84 for three after electing to bat,an under pressure West Indies side responded in style. Chanderpaul kept the scoreboard ticking while Bravo played the more dominant innings in their 116-run stand. Doug Bollinger bowled four overs more than Shane Watson’s 11,but they finished with identical figures of 2/42.

Brief scores: West Indies 336 for 6 in 85 overs (D Bravo 104,S Chanderpaul 62; S Watson 2/42,D Bollinger 2/42) vs Australia

Asif,Kaneria bowl Kiwis out for 99

Wellington: Mohammad Asif’s 4/40 destroyed the Kiwi line-up for a paltry 99 all out in their first innings,to give Pakistan firm command in the second Test on Friday. Danish Kaneria was also amongst the wickets on a seaming Basin Reserve pitch to finish with figures of 6-2-6-3. Pakistan were 64/2 at the end of day’s play with both openers,Imran Farhat (35) and Salman Butt (18) back in the pavilion.

With only 58 overs bowled on an rain interrupted opening day,the visitors began the second day on 161 for six. Shane Bond’s replacement Daryll Tuffey and Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori scalped four wickets each to end the Pakistan innings on 264 all out.

Brief scores: Pakistan 264 and 64 for 2 (I Farhat 35; I O’Brien 2/16); New Zealand 99 all out (R Taylor 30; M Asif 4/40,D Kaneria 3/6)