cricket

Tennis And Cricket Stars Rally Behind Australia Bushfire

January 3, 2020 2:56 pm

Tennis and cricket stars spearheaded by Nick Kyrgios and Chris Lynn on Friday pledged support for victims of bushfires raging around Australia, donating cash for every ace or six they hit.

The blazes have claimed 18 lives and forced mass evacuations, with the country bracing for a weekend heatwave expected to fan the deadly infernos.

Tennis Australia also announced a “Rally for Relief” exhibition match at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on January 15 ahead of the Australian Open, with “the world’s top players” taking part.

It also made a Aus$1.0 million (US$690,000) donation to help communities repair and rebuild …

Du Plessis Praises Cricket South Africa Changes In England

December 29, 2019 5:18 pm

Proteas captain Faf du Plessis gave a ringing endorsement of the changes in management in South African cricket after his side won the first Test against England by 107 runs at SuperSport Park on Sunday.

The win broke a five-Test losing sequence for the Proteas and gave them their first points in the World Test championship.

“We’ve got the right people in the right jobs at the top of Cricket South Africa,” he said of the appointment of former captain Graeme Smith as director of cricket and Mark Boucher as head coach after a period of upheaval in the local …

Liverpool’s Klopp Turns Cricket’s Du Plessis Into Fan

December 24, 2019 4:08 pm

South African cricket captain Faf du Plessis said on Tuesday that a chance meeting with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had turned him into a fan.

Du Plessis was having dinner with Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi in a Cape Town restaurant in November when Klopp, on a private visit to South Africa, walked in.

Kolisi has been a long-time Liverpool fan and Du Plessis posted a picture on both Instagram and Twitter showing the two captains and Klopp, commenting that Kolisi had a “man-crush moment”.

Klopp recognised Kolisi after …

World’s Biggest Cricket Stadium Takes Shape In India

December 13, 2019 5:05 pm

The world’s biggest cricket stadium, with space for 110,000 spectators, is taking shape in India and is likely to host its first international match early next year.

The new stadium in Ahmedabad, built at a cost of around $100 million, will seat more fans than Australia’s Melbourne Cricket Ground which can accommodate around 100,000 spectators.

According to reports, the Sardar Patel stadium is expected to host its first match in March with an exhibition game between an Asia XI and a World XI as the inaugural game.

The stadium will …

Heavy security As Pakistan Host First Cricket Since Attack

December 11, 2019 4:12 pm

Tight security ringed Rawalpindi cricket stadium on Wednesday as Pakistan hosted their first Test match since a deadly attack on Sri Lanka’s team ushered in a decade of sporting isolation.

Despite being targeted in the 2009 guns-and-rocket assault, Sri Lanka have returned for two Tests in Rawalpindi and Karachi which Pakistan hope will help convince other teams to visit.

Eight people were killed and several players and officials were wounded when militants attacked a convoy of buses headed for Lahore’s Gadaffi Stadium for the second Test in March 2009.

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat on Wednesday, …

England Cricket Great Willis Dies Aged 70

December 4, 2019 4:40 pm

Former England captain and fearsome pace bowler Bob Willis has died aged 70, his family announced on Wednesday.

Willis, who captained his country between 1982 and 1984, played in 90 Test matches with his most memorable performance his eight for 43 in the third Ashes Test against Australia at Headingley in 1981.

Star all-rounder Ian Botham would later describe his team-mate as a “tremendous trier, a great team man and an inspiration — the only world-class fast bowler in my time as an England player”.

Willis — who in 1965 added Dylan as a third name by deed poll due …