LONDON: They live in a right-handed world, historically stigmatised and challenged by tasks as simple as using scissors – but when it comes to taking wickets at the World Cup, being a southpaw seamer is a distinct advantage. Mitchell Starc leads the way at the top of the World Cup bowling charts, with 24 wickets in eight matches so far ...

LEEDS: Chris Gayle removed Afghanistan top-scorer Ikram Alikhil with his tame off-breaks as the West Indies secured just their second win of a chastening World Cup campaign on Thursday. The Caribbean side scored 311 for six in their 50 overs in Leeds and although the Afghans put up a brave fight, they ultimately went down by 23 runs. Gayle, almost ...

LONDON: It’s Friday morning and Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza wins the toss and decides to bat first in their last group game against Pakistan at Lord’s. Such a call from Mashrafe, if he beats Sarfraz Ahmed at the spin of the coin, would end any faint hopes Pakistan have of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals. So bleak is the ...

England win the toss and bat! “I think the pitch and overheads,” [are the decisive factor}, says Eoin Morgan. “The pitches have got tougher, slower, lower as the match goes on, and it’s a trend that the pitches haven’t been as good as the last few years. It’s a bit like a quarter-final, we train hard, play hard, today is ...

Former champion Maria Sharapova was knocked out of Wimbledon in the first round on Tuesday, raising more questions about her future in the sport. The 2004 champion retired with a right arm injury in the final set of her tie with Frenchwoman Pauline Parmentier who claimed a 4-6, 7-6 (7/), 5-0 win. Sharapova, now ranked at 80 in the world, ...

India’s 87-Year-Old fan Charulata Patel took social media by storm with many of her photographs and videos going viral in the backdrop of the team’s victory over Bangladesh on Tuesday. After the match, which India won by 28 runs at Edgbaston to qualify for semi-finals, captain Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma met Charulata Patel and sought her blessings ...

DOHA: Pakistan defeated India 3-1 to lift the IBSF Snooker World Team Cup 2019 title in Qatar on Tuesday. The pair of Asjad Iqbal and Muhammad Bilal outclassed Team India’s Pankaj Advani and Laxman Rawat 3-1 in the final. The Indian team was outplayed by Pakistan who won the first two frames. The Indian team, however, bounced back to win ...

BELO HORIZONTE: Brazil advanced to the Copa America final with a 2-0 win over old rivals Argentina on Tuesday in a pulsating and, at times, a bad-tempered match decided by a goal in each half from Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino. Both sides tried to impose themselves physically early on but it was Jesus who gave Brazil the lead after ...

LYON: Defending champions United States reached the women’s World Cup final for the fifth time after an incident-packed 2-1 win over England, who missed a late penalty, on Tuesday. In a tournament that has earned unprecedented attention, the much-anticipated game certainly delivered with an abundance of excitement and relentless effort, topped by moments of wonderful skill. It was business as ...

CHESTER-LE-STREET: As the group stage of the World Cup edged closer to wrapping up, hosts England take on New Zealand in a bid to cement their place in the semifinals at The Riverside in Durham today.  For England, the return of opener Jason Roy proved to be a turning point as they handed India their first defeat of the tournament ...