Friday 27 July 2012
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Counting down to the London 2012 Opening Ceremony
10,000 volunteers, cast and crew have been rehearsing day and night over the last few months to make the Opening Ceremony a success, with dress rehearsals taking place earlier this week.
Danny Boyle, Artistic Director of the Opening Ceremony, said: ‘The Ceremony is an attempt to capture a picture of ourselves as a nation, where we have come from and where we want to be. The best part of telling that story has been working with our 10,000 volunteers.’
At the heart of the Ceremony is the Athletes’ Parade, a procession of the participating teams in the Stadium, nation by nation.
The big finale is the entrance of the Olympic Flame into the Stadium and the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron, marking the start of the Games.
Thursday 26 July 2012
Japan stun Spain in opening game of 2012 olympics
Yuki Otsu's first-half goal was enough for the Japanese, but the margin of victory could have been much greater as 10-man Spain struggled with the pace and pressure applied by their opponents.
The 1992 Olympic champions were already 1-0 down when they had Inigo Martinezsent-off with five minutes remaining in the first half and they failed to recover from their numerical disadvantage.
Keigo Higashi, Kensuke Nagai and Hiroshi Kiyotake all went close for Japan after the break but a single goal was enough to send them to the top of the group following Honduras and Morocco's 2-2 draw earlier in the day.
Spain started the game by trying to impose their usual possession-based style on the game, but they were hustled from the very first whistle by an energetic Japanese team.
Chelsea's Juan Mata forced Shuichi Gonda into a fine save with Spain's only serious effort of the first half but it was Japan who were threatening more regularly and they were rewarded after 33 minutes when Otsu outmuscled Martin Montoya to prod home Takahiro Ohgihara's corner.
Kiyotake should then have doubled the lead as he pounced on a wayward backpassfrom Alvaro Dominguez but, after rounding David De Gea, he could not turn his shot on target from a narrow angle.
Spain were in trouble a few moments later when Martinez was sent-off for bringing down Nagai just outside the area.
Japan wasted a host of opportunities to extend their lead early in the second half.
De Gea was called into action to make a fine save from Higashi in the 49th minute and the Manchester United goalkeeper should have been left helpless when Nagaibroke through on goal soon after, only for the striker to pull his shot just wide of the target.
Kiyotake had an almost identical opportunity two minutes later at the end of an amazing solo run, but again his shot flew just wide.
By contrast, Spain struggled to create their own clear-cut openings. Jordi Alba's effort was easily smothered by Gonda with 12 minutes remaining before Spain were again thankful to De Gea as he made a stunning stop to once again deny Nagai andHotaru Yamaguchi shot wide with the goal at his mercy in stoppage time.
Japan boss Takashi Sekizuka was understandably delighted with his side's performance but refused to get too carried away.
He said: 'This is still the first match and we still have far to go to even make the knockout round, but I look forward to playing Spain again later in the competition.'
Spain manager Luis Milla said afterwards: 'Despite the result, playing in the Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we have to enjoy it.
'At this level we know the small details count and now we have to work on those and prepare for the next match against Honduras. We have two finals now to try and qualify for the next stage.'
Dwayne Bravo injured in car accident
West Indies cricketer Dwayne Bravo has sustained minor injuries following a vehicle accident on a major highway running through central Trinidad.
The 29-year-old allrounder injured both his hands and was treated at a health facility. The accident occurred on Wednesday on the Uriah Butler Highway and he was released after treatment, reports CMC
Bolt backed for London 2012
Despite recent injuries, Dawes is confident world record holder Bolt will be in peak condition as he attempts to retain both individual titles and help Jamaica keep their 4 x 100m crown.
"He's back fully," Dawes said. "He has been training very, very hard and his performance is on track.
"We expect he'll be fully fit by the time the Olympics come around."
Dawes believes Bolt and sprint rival Yohan Blake could reach new heights inLondon for the Jamaican team.
"Both of them are at the top of their game.
"If the conditions are ideal, then we are going to see something fantastic. We may see records go.
"They are 100% fit and 100% raring to go. They are mentally fit and they are going to be going all out."
First up for Bolt will be the men's 100m's on 4 August in the Olympic Stadium, with his defence of the 200m title starting three days later on 7 August. The men's 4 x 100m Relay starts on 10 August.
Honduras fight back to draw
A Morocco team that was reduced to 10 men held on for a 2-2 draw at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
With World and European champions Spain to come later in Group D, both sides wanted to get off to a good start and that resulted in a relatively cagey opening with few clear-cut chances.
The Africans had the better of the opening period and went ahead seven minutes before half-time thanks to a sweetly struck volley from Abdel Barrada.
Honduras responded excellently after the break though and were level on 55 minutes when Bengtson tapped home Maynor Figueroa's shot from close range.
Bengtson then scored again from the penalty spot, but the lead only lasted two minutes before Zakaria Labyad equalised with a scooped effort that eluded Jose Mendoza.
Zakarya Bergdich was shown a red card for kicking out at Mario Martinez with 19 minutes remaining but Honduras could not take advantage of their extra man and the points were shared.
Honduras manager Luis Suarez was happy with how his side performed in the second half.
'In the first-half we weren't at our best, but in the second we were much quicker, we moved the ball much better and always in the Olympics Honduras shows its best face.
'When the result is a draw it is normally a fair result and Morocco were tactically very good as Japan and Spain will be. However, we are also a very difficult team to beat.'
Archers Ready For Action in Olympics
All 128 archers - 64 men and 64 women - will shoot in a preliminary ranking round that determines seedings for the Individual and Team events.
The men's ranking round begins at 9am.
All archers had a chance to familiarise themselves with the venue on Wednesday, getting their only opportunity to shoot in the elimination range before the knockout matches get under way.
After his own practice session, Great Britain's Simon Terry said: 'We hope (being the Host Nation) brings us an advantage, but we're just going to keep our cool out there.'
London 2012 Tennis draw pits Falla against Federer
The Swiss star, who has been named as the top seed in the men's Singles tournament, will be hoping to continue his run of success on the courts of the All England Club when the action begins on Saturday.
On paper, he will be the favourite to progress, but Federer will be wary of the world number 51, who he nearly lost to in the first round of Wimbledon in 2010.
Also in Federer's half of the draw are 10th seed John Isner of the USA, eighth-seeded Argentinian Juan Martin Del Potro and fourth seed David Ferrer, the leading Spaniard in the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal, the gold medallist from Beijing 2008.
Great Britain's Andy Murray has been handed an extremely tough first-round match against Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka - the world number 26, who he has lost to four times in 10 meetings, including in the third round of the US Open two years ago.
The pair also had a very close battle under the roof at Wimbledon in the fourth round in 2009, with Murray eventually winning in five sets.
Novak Djokovic will face Italy's Fabio Fognini in the first round and could ultimately meet French fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a potential quarter-final clash.
In the women's Singles, top seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus will face Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu in round one, while second seed and Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland meets big-hitting German Julia Goerges.
Wimbledon champion Serena Williams is seeded fourth and faces former world number one Jelena Jankovic from Serbia in a standout first-round clash, with sister Venus taking on ninth seed Sara Errani from Italy.
Both Williams sisters are in Azarenka's half of the draw, while in the bottom half, third seed Maria Sharapova faces Israel's Shahar Peer in round one.
In the men's Doubles, Andy and Jamie Murray will play Austrian pair Jurgen Melzer and Alexander Peya, while defending champions Wawrinka and Federer take on Japan's Kei Nishikori and Go Soeda.
Top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan of the USA face Thomaz Bellucci and Andre Sa of Brazil.
In the women's Doubles, top seeds Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond of the USA were given a bye while defending champions the Williams sisters are unseeded and will take on Sorana Cirstea and Simona Halep of Romania in round one.
Wednesday 25 July 2012
Sachin Tendulkar to BMW’s maiden brand ambassador
Whenever it comes to excellence, only a few names come up to demonstrate the dominance in their respective fields. The case is same with BMW and Sachin Tendulkar too. The carmaker has always excelled in whatever it brings into the market, while the latter needs no introduction for his contribution and success in the world of cricket. Now both the names are coming together in a spirit of partnership.
As per latest reports, the legendary cricketer will soon be signed as the maiden brand ambassador of the German giant. Anticipations are high that the signing will be done during the official launch of the F30-3 Series on 27th July. In fact, the signing is just not what is being speculated. The carmaker has few more stuffs too stocked in the box. Sachin will be presenting the keys of the first hundred 2012 3-Series to its buyers.
The legend is already associated with many other leading brands. Thus, his endorsement of BMW will certainly not be the first prominent brand for him. In fact, he is associated with brands like Adidas, Boost, Castrol, Coco-Cola and many more. It’s nothing but the brand name he owns within himself that makes him too appealing to be resisted for the brands. Moreover, his clean and controversy-free image and personality always takes his name and respect for him to a newer level.
On the other hand, BMW too, doesn’t need any introduction for its name. For the Bavarian brand, it’s just its name that does all for it. The carmaker has a record of having no brand ambassador yet. Now the luxury car brand is looking forward to bring in another factor with its models and its unparalleled driving experience; the Sachin-factor. The carmaker has already earned its value in the country after its models, like the BMW 3-Series, X1 and even 5-Series, did pretty well in the market.
Tuesday 24 July 2012
India vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Highlights | IND v SL | 24-7-12
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POST PRESENTATION
Sunday 22 July 2012
Saturday 21 July 2012
India vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Highlights | IND v SL Today | 21-7-12
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Wednesday 18 July 2012
MATCH 30-Australia vs Zimbabwe 1992 Cricket World Cup
ustralia vs Zimbabwe 1992 Cricket World Cup
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Match 13-Pakistan vs England full Highlights
Tuesday 17 July 2012
Monday 16 July 2012
Isuru Udana in Sri Lanka squad for India ODIs
Isuru Udana the left-arm fast bowler, has been picked in Sri Lanka's 15-man squad for the five ODIs against India, which begins on July 21. Udana, 24, has played six Twenty20s for Sri Lanka, but is yet to debut in one-dayers.
Batsman Chamara Kapugedera, who last played for Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup in March, has made a comeback. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, who was rested for the final three ODIs against Pakistan, is also back in the squad.
Sri Lanka squad for India ODIs
Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Angelo Mathews (vice-capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Nuwan Kulasekara, Thisara Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Lasith Malinga, Chamara Kapugedera, Rangana Herath, Sachithra Senanayake, Jeevan Mendis, Isuru Udana
In: Isuru Udana, Chamara Kapugedera, Rangana Herath
Out: Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Pradeep, Sajeewa Weerakoon
Fast bowlers Dilhara Fernando and Nuwan Pradeep, and spinner Sajeewa Weerakoon - who came in as a replacement for Herath - are the players to miss out from the squad that played against Pakistan.
Udana had played five of his six Twenty20 internationals in 2009, before being recalled for the Twenty20s against Pakistan last month. In first-class cricket in the 2011-12 season, he had picked up 26 wickets at an average of 25.76 for Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club. He is currently playing a tri-series with Sri Lanka A in Harare, against Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Kapugedera has been in and out of the Sri Lanka team. Last year, he played the home series against West Indies and was picked in the World Cup squad. He was then sidelined for almost a year, before making a comeback in the Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia earlier this year: he was called up to the squad for three finals of the CB series, after Sri Lanka suffered several injury blows. He also played the Asia Cup that followed - he was out for a duck against India, and scored 62 in a losing cause to Bangladesh - before being left out for the limited-overs games against Pakistan. Kapugedera, too, is currently playing the tri-series in Zimbabwe.
India to host Pakistan for ODI series in December-January
India and Pakistan will resume bilateral ties with a "short series", comprising three ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals, in December and January. The matches will be held between the Test and one-day legs of England's tour of India and will form the first bilateral series between the two sides since Pakistan toured India in end-2007.
The decision was taken by the BCCI at its working committee meeting on Monday. Rajiv Shukla, a senior BCCI official, said the plan was to hold the three ODIs in Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata, and the Twenty20 matches in Ahmedabad and Bangalore.
"The BCCI was firm that no India-Pakistan series will be held at a neutral venue so it was decided to invite them [Pakistan] after December 22 when the England team leaves after playing the Twenty20 Internationals," Shukla said.
"This was the slot where the tour could have been accommodated and we did that accordingly. I have spoken to the home minister and he has said his ministry has no objection. The Ministry of External Affairs [India's foreign ministry] has also agreed to this tour."
Bilateral cricketing ties were snapped following the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008, though the two countries have played each other in the World Cup, Champions Trophy and Asia Cup.
The decision comes after prolonged, high-level consultations between officials of the two boards and, latterly, of the two governments. BCCI president N Srinivasan and PCB chief Zaka Ashraf have held several discussions this year regarding resumption of ties, with Pakistan hoping to fit in a series at the end of the year, during the Christmas break in England's tour of India.
"It's a positive move by the BCCI," Ashraf told reporters at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. "It's been six months since I have been discussing with the BCCI about the possible revival of ties and the final breakthrough came during the IPL final. Ultimately, we have received the invite from the BCCI and now we will sit to discuss the modalities of the series."
It is Pakistan's turn to host a bilateral series between the two. But there has been no international cricket in the country between Full Members since the March 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team bus and it is understood that India are not keen to play at a neutral venue, as has been the case with all Pakistan's 'home' series since the attack. Subsequently, Ashraf said India had the prerogative to decide on the dates and host the series, but the PCB would want the BCCI to share revenue because the PCB has apparently not yet recovered from the financial loss suffered when India pulled out of their planned tour in 2009.
The news is another step forward in both boards' efforts to improve cricketing relations after the Champions League T20 governing council's approval of the inclusion of the Sialkot Stallions in this year's tournament, to be held in October. Sialkot will be the first domestic team from Pakistan to take part in the event. "The CLT20 is owned by the BCCI, Cricket Australia, and Cricket South Africa, so we will recommend to the governing council that the BCCI has no objection and is prepared to invite a Pakistan team," Srinivasan said at the time.
W Indies v New Zealand 5th ODI Highlights | WI v NZ Today | 2012
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PRESENTATION
Australia name Maxwell for Pakistan series
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Australia have called up the uncapped allrounder Glenn Maxwell for their ODI and Twenty20 matches against Pakistan in the UAE. The batsman Callum Ferguson has also been recalled to the one-day side, having last played for Australia more than a year ago, and Cameron White has been named in the T20 squad, six months after losing the national captaincy to George Bailey.
Michael Hussey will return in both formats, having missed the tour of England due to the premature birth of his child, and Peter Forrest has been dropped. The selectors have also decided to rest Shane Watson and Ben Hilfenhaus from the one-day portion of the trip - the same squad has been named for the one-off ODI against Afghanistan - and they have deemed that Pat Cummins will be fit enough to take part in the three T20s despite his early exit from the England tour with a side strain.
The squads are also without the veteran Brett Lee, who retired from international cricket on Friday, and the offspinner Nathan Lyon has been overlooked after being part of Australia's T20 squad in the Caribbean. The inclusion of Maxwell, 23, has come after his impressive performances for Hampshire in the Friends Life t20 this year - he has made 178 runs at 59.33 and a strike rate of 178.
In February 2011, Maxwell scored the quickest half-century in Australia's domestic one-day history when he brought up his fifty in 19 balls for Victoria against Tasmania, and his powerful striking has proved useful in all formats. Also a handy offspinner and an agile fieldsman, Maxwell has now emerged as a potential selection for the World T20 in Sri Lanka in September, along with fellow spinners Brad Hogg and Xavier Doherty, who will also play in the UAE.
"Glenn Maxwell is a relatively inexperienced player who debuted for Victoria in 50-over and T20 cricket in the 2009-10 season and in the Sheffield Shield the following season," John Inverarity, the national selector, said. "He's a versatile and lively off-spinning allrounder and brilliant fieldsman that has caught the eye of the national selection panel.
"An injury last January somewhat halted his progress but in recent months he has impressed in the IPL and with Hampshire. Glenn will provide another spin bowler option on the slow, low, turning wickets in the UAE."
The three T20s are Australia's last outings in the format before the World T20 and there are unlikely to be any major changes to the 15-man squad for that tournament. The veteran spinner Hogg, 41, has been in the selectors' plans for the World T20 for six months, while the inclusion of Cummins is not surprising, his recent injury notwithstanding, given the desire for him to be part of the world tournament as well.
The inclusion of White came after he revived his lagging form with a strong display for Deccan Chargers in the IPL this year and for Northamptonshire in the Friends Life t20. A year ago, White was expected to be the man who would lead Australia to the World T20 in Sri Lanka but his form led to a reassessment from Inverarity's selection panel.
"Cameron White has recaptured some form in recent months," Inverarity said. "He scored particularly well in the IPL and with Northamptonshire in the county T20 competition. His experience and striking ability resulted in him winning favour with the NSP and shading Steve Smith for a place. Further, he will be able to provide invaluable support to George Bailey and Shane Watson, captain and vice-captain respectively."
Watson has been named in the T20 squad but not for the ODIs, having been sent home early from the England series due to a calf strain. David Warner will be Michael Clarke's vice-captain for the three ODIs, which will start at 6pm local time to avoid the extreme daytime heat, and the series will also provide an opportunity for Ferguson to resume his international career.
"The ODI squad has a strong development aspect to it," Inverarity said. "Shane Watson and Ben Hilfenhaus have not been included and Brett Lee has retired. This will provide development opportunities for others and allow Shane and Ben to complete a more thorough strength and conditioning program before embarking on a very demanding schedule.
"Callum Ferguson played very well at times for the Australian ODI team in 2009 before a serious knee injury halted his progress at international level. The NSP is keen to facilitate Callum's return to consistent good form and has included him in the squad and anticipates that he will benefit greatly from being in the team environment and any opportunities that may come his way.
"Michael Hussey's return to the fold in both squads will be welcomed. His all-round batting skills, the outstanding manner in which he prepares, and his unrelenting quest for excellence will add greatly to the team dynamic.
"The conditions in the UAE will be very demanding. The pitches will be different and it will be extremely hot, necessitating ODIs beginning at 6pm and ending after 1am. The players will be able to add further to their kitbags of experiences."
ODI squad David Warner, Matthew Wade (wk), Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, Callum Ferguson, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Daniel Christian, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson, Xavier Doherty, James Pattinson, Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc
T20 squad David Warner, Shane Watson, Matthew Wade (wk), David Hussey, Michael Hussey, George Bailey (capt), Cameron White, Daniel Christian, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Hogg, Xavier Doherty, Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Ben Hilfenhaus.
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