SPORTWednesday 21 March 2018

QSL Champions Al Duhail hungry

for more

Match Play: Spieth, Reed insame group

PAGE | 31 PAGE | 32-33 PAGE | 35 SA get Rabada

reprieve as focusshifts back to cricket

Tri-series: Qatar seek wins as football returns to Iraq RIZWAN REHMAT THE PENINSULA

BASRA: Qatar will be aiming to make the most of their opportunity to play international football matches when they face hosts Iraq and Syria in a historic Three-Nation Friendship Tournament to be played this week, a team official said yesterday.

Coached by Felix Sanchez, Qatar team arrived in Basra yesterday ahead of their matches against Iraq and Syria. The team was warmly received by Iraq Football Association (IFA) officials.

“There are two more interna-tional matches on our calendar. We are delighted to get more match practice as we prepare for 2019 Asian Cup to be held in the UAE,” Ali Salat, the team’s media chief, said yesterday.

“This is a big opportunity for us to compete against Iraq, one of the toughest teams in Asia. Two of the best teams in Asia are here,” Salat said.

“Also it will be a very important tournament for us to test our players, to test their fitness and their form. They will be playing tough matches here against Iraq and Syria,” he added.

“The coach thinks thanks Iraq for their warm welcome. He feels this will be a great atmosphere by getting to see their own team playing on their home soil,” Salat said.

Qatar take on Iraq on March 21 followed by a clash against Syria on March 24.

The tri-series is the first official

series of football matches since FIFA’s decision to lift ban on hosting of games on Iraqi soil.

“We are allowing international matches to be staged in the cities of Arbil, Basra and Karbala,” FIFA pres-ident Gianni Infantino told reporters last Thursday after a meeting of the FIFA Council in Bogota.

Two days ago, IFA President Abdul Khaleq Masoud praised the efforts made by Qatar Football Asso-ciation (QFA) in convincing FIFA to lift the ban on holding official matches in Basra, Karbala and Erbil.

The QFA received a message from IFA who thanked the ‘excellent and great support’ extended by QFA under the chair-manship of Sheikh Hamad bin

Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani.The IFA note said: “On behalf of

the members of the Board of Directors of the Iraq Football Asso-ciation, and Iraqi sports fans, I extend my thanks and great grat-itude to your efforts and your con-tinuous and unlimited support of Iraqi football, which culminated in the decision of FIFA to allow us to host matches in Basra, Karbala and Erbil. “

The three cities had been hosting friendlies throughout last year as a test run, reports said on Friday.

This week’s tri-series is the first for Qatar since their first-round exit at the Gulf Cup held in December in Kuwait. Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the region’s first.

Top gymnasts eye glory as FIG World Cup begins in DohaFAWAD HUSSAIN THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Top gymnasts from around the world are ready to showcase their skills with an eye on glory as the FIG Artistic Individual World Cup begins in Doha today.

The star-studded line-up taking part at state-of-the-art Aspire Dome includes several Olympic and World cham-pions as gymnasts from as many as 40 countries are taking part in the four-day annual championship.

The stellar line-up includes world champion Xiao Ruoteng of China and Japanese legend Kohei Uchimura, also known as ‘King Kohei’. The duo promises thrilling battle in quest of a gold medal.

In addition, world’s oldest Olympian, Oksana Chuso-vitina, 43 of Uzbekistan will also be competing in Doha.

Ferhat Arican, who became the first Turkish male gymnast after 108 years to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will also be seen in action in men’s parallel bar competition during the event.

Arican warmed up for the Doha showdown with a bronze medal in men’s parallel bar at FIG Artistic World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, last Sunday.

“It’s a great feeling to win

a medal in the first interna-tional competition of the year. I’ll be competing in Doha with a lot of confidence after winning a bronze in Baku,” Ferhat said ahead of the event.

Ferhat’s team-mate Ibrahim Colak also had an impressive outing in Baku, where he won silver medal in rings.

Colak, who won a bronze in rings at the 2015 European Games, will lead his country’s challenge in Doha.

“I had a mild discomfort on the knee and a neck injury almost ruled me out, but in the end I could finish second. We have bigger goals as a team this year. We will try our best to win medals,” said Ibrahim, who had also competed at 2014 FIG World Champion-ships in Nanning, China.

The Qatar Gymnastics Federation (QGF) has been hosting the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup since 2008 but this year’s edition holds utter importance as Doha will also be hosting FIG’s showpiece event - FIG World Champion-ships this year from October 25 to November 3.

“This World Cup is very special for us as it will also serve as the test event for World Championships this year,” QGF President and Chairman of the Organising

Committee Ali Al Hitmi said.“All the preparations for

the event have been com-pleted and we are looking forward to a very successful edition this year,” added Al Hitmi.

“We will leave no stone unturned to make it a

blockbuster as it will give us huge confidence ahead of World Championships,” the QGF President said.

A couple of upcoming gymnasts will also represent the host country in the World Cup. The pair includes Jana Kiki and Ahmed Nabil, who

will be looking to impress and give cheers to home fans who are expected to turn out in good numbers.

The first two days will feature qualifying rounds for men’s and women’s apparatus while finals will be held over the last two days.

Saad Al Dosari, Hassan Al-Haydos, Akram Afif, Pedro Miguel, Salem Al Hajri, Abdul Karim Hassan, Almoez Ali, Karim Boudiaf, Ismail Mohammed, Bassam Al-Rawi and Sultan Al Barek, Abdul Aziz Hatem, Youssef Hassan, Assem Madabo, Ahmed Alaa, Moayad Hassan, Mohammed Alaa, Mohammed Al-Bakri, Ahmad Fathi, Ahmed Moin and Tariq Sulaiman.Coach: Felix Sanchez

QATAR SQUAD FOR THREE-NATION FRIENDSHIP

TOURNAMENT

Qatar football players and officials pose for a photograph with Iraq Football Association (IFA) officials and fans upon arrival in Basra yesterday ahead of their matches against Iraq and Syria yesterday.

FROM LEFT: Syria’s head coach Bernd Stange, Iraqi coach Basim Qasim and Qatar coach Felix Sanchez pose for a photograph following a press conference held in Basra yesterday.

This World Cup is very special for us as it will also serve as the test event for World Championships this year. All the preparations for the event have been completed and we are looking forward to a very successful edition this year: QGF President and Chairman of the Organising Committee Ali AlHitmi

A gymnast in action during last year's FIG Artistic Individual World Cup in Doha in this file photo.

30 WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2018SPORT

Formula One: Hamilton says racing is ‘ridiculously expensive’ in present eraREUTERS

BANBURY: Britain is on top of the world in Formula One, with Lewis Hamilton beginning his quest for a fifth championship in Australia this weekend, but there is concern at grassroots level.

With costs spiralling and some junior kart teams racing on six figure budgets, youngsters hoping to emulate Hamilton’s rise from social housing to stardom are being priced out of contention.

Britain’s Motor Sports Asso-ciation says the number of MSA licence holders in karting -- where future champions learn their craft -- has fallen by 30 percent in the decade since Ham-ilton made his grand prix debut in 2007.

Less than 12 percent of the total are under the age of 21.

“I don’t think it’s an insur-mountable problem but it’s cer-tainly something we need to address quickly,” David Richards, the former F1 team principal who was appointed chairman of the MSA in January, said.

“Otherwise, where will the next Lewis Hamiltons come from?

“So it’s going to be one of our big focuses now over the next couple of years at the MSA, looking at karting and how we can make it more accessible, how we can make it more affordable, how we can stop it becoming too bureaucratic...”

Richards, whose Banbury-based Prodrive motorsport and

engineering company runs race programmes for manufacturers including Aston Martin, recog-nised that Britain was still well off compared to other nations.

The country has produced a string of top drivers, boasts world-class engineering and most of the Formula One teams are based there.

Richards was concerned, however, about what could happen five or 10 years down the

road. “If there are such big bar-riers to participation that we can’t get the talent in the first place, that means we don’t get the best people in,” he said.

“I really do believe that at the grassroots level today, those bar-riers do exist.”

Speaking at the launch of his Mercedes team’s W09 car last month, Hamilton doubted it would have been possible for someone from his background,

without money or connections, to come through now.

“Right now racing is just ridiculously expensive,” said the 33-year-old.

“I think it’s much harder for anyone from a council estate in Stevenage to get to Formula One now.

“It’s pretty much impossible because you don’t have the money.”

Richards suggested electric karts, which can be electronically tuned to ensure they are evenly matched, could be one way to contain costs and level the playing field.

“We can look at ways in which we make sure that the karts are all equal and we don’t end up with this ridiculous situ-ation where people are buying

10 engines to find the best one,” he said.

“We can’t have motorsport accessible only to the rich,” added the businessman. “This sport has got to be accessible to far more people.”

The former Benetton and BAR F1 team boss, who was also a world rally champion co-driver and whose company ran the Subaru team that won titles in the 1990s, hoped to get more women involved at all levels and saw esport as something to be embraced.

The fate of the British grand prix was another concern, with Silverstone hosting the first Formula One championship race in 1950 but its future uncertain after 2019.

Circuit owners the BRDC

have activated a break clause in their contract that means a farewell unless a new deal is struck.

Richards, who has not been involved in negotiations so far, said the race was a key asset that the country should not let slip -- particularly in the light of impending Brexit.

“I think the opportunity to use a flagship event like the grand prix to promote Britain at a time when we need to be promoting ourselves, our engineering expertise and our talent in this country, shouldn’t be lost on gov-ernment,” he said.

“We will do everything we can as a governing body to try and find a way of retaining it and are looking at the opportunities to do that.”

Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes is seen during pre-season testing at Circuit de Barcelon, Catalunya, Montmelo, Spain, in this March 9, 2018, file photo.

Psychology not part of Verstappen’s make-upAFP

LONDON: Max Verstappen says his remarkable success in a short pace of time on the Formula One circuit is not down to being stronger mentally than others, but simply because he enjoys driving fast.

The Red Bull pilot -- who aged 18 became the youngest driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix in 2016 in Spain -- is gearing up for the curtain-raising race of the season, the Australian GP in Melbourne this weekend.

Verstappen -- who added two further victories to his tally in last year’s championship to sweeten the frustrations of seven retirements -- told The Guardian he never pauses to consider how strong he is feeling mentally.

“I never even think of the mental side of things because I never had any issues,” said Ver-stappen, who is now 20.

“If you are a bit weak in your head maybe you can train your mind but it will never be your strong point.

“Many people ask: ‘What do you need mentally to succeed in F1?’ I say: ‘What do you mean mentally?’ I just enjoy it and drive as fast I can.

“But so many people think your psychology is such a massive thing. For me, it’s not necessary.”

Verstappen, whose father Jos also competed in Formula One, had an incredible record in karting racing of 68 wins in his first 70 races. He says that early success shaped his enormous self-belief.

“You always have to believe

in yourself and I had that from karting,” said Verstappen.

“I was never one of those kids saying: ‘Is it all going to be all right?’ If you start doubting yourself like that, thinking: ‘Am I good enough?’ -- maybe there is a reason you’re thinking that.”

Verstappen, who finished sixth in last year’s championship with 168 points, says he is pleased with what he has seen of this year’s car and even dares to hope it is better than the one which saw him finish last season with two victories in the last six races.

“I hope it will be better than that,” said Verstappen.

“I’m very happy with the progress but we have to wait until Melbourne to see where we are.”

As for whether he will one day be crowned world champion, he is more circumspect.

“I always think if I have the right car, the fastest car, then I can become world champion,” said Verstappen.

“But you need to have that car and so far I haven’t had the fastest package.”

Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas knows he needs to step up his game from last season if he is to have any chance of keeping his place at Mercedes and has tar-geted a top-two finish at this weekend’s season-opening Aus-tralian Grand Prix.

The 28-year-old won only three races last year despite getting a drive for the dominant Mercedes team alongside world champion Lewis Hamilton.

With a host of other drivers coveting the Mercedes seat for next year when Bottas’s contract is up, the Finn knows this term

he has to produce - starting at Albert Park on Sunday.

“I do have big goals,” he told reporters at the track yesterday. “I need to try and step up my game and want to start the season well here in Melbourne. Last year, I was third in the race so for sure need to do better than that.”

Before last year’s podium, Bottas had a pretty poor record in Australia with 14th, eighth and fifth places in his three races for former team Williams.

He failed to even start the 2015 race in Melbourne after suf-fering a back injury in qualifying which required an overnight stay in hospital.

“I haven’t found it to be one of my strongest circuits in the past,” he added. “You know, I’ve always had a bit of mixed results but that’s something I want to change. I can’t have bad races for myself.

“I want to be consistent in every place, so I think there were some positives in the race last year, so hopefully we can build on that and be quick in the qual-ifying as well.”

His team mate Hamilton has won only twice in Australia and finished second for the second year in a row last season on his way to his fourth world title.

Bottas is very much aware that his primary function as Mer-cedes chase a fifth successive constructors’ and drivers’ title double is to step into the breach should something go wrong for the Briton.

“If Lewis is having a bad day, or bad race for any reason then I need to be able to fight for the win of the race,” he said.

31WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2018 SPORT

SA get Rabada reprieve as focus shifts back to cricketREUTERS

CAPE TOWN: The focus will switch back to cricket as South Africa and Australia clash in the third Test tomorrow, with the world’s number one bowler Kagiso Rabada handed a reprieve to bolster the home side in a pivotal moment in the tempes-tuous series.

With the four-game series poised at 1-1, Rabada’s availa-bility after he overturned a sus-pension is a huge boost for the hosts on what is expected to be a lively Newlands wicket similar to the surface used for the Test against India in January which lasted only nine sessions.

That pitch was praised by both sides for setting up a good sporting conTest as South Africa claimed a 72-run win, though it heavily favoured the seam bowlers.

“The groundsman says wicket will be the same as for the last one, so we expect both teams to go hard at each other on the field,” South Africa coach Ottis Gibson told reporters yesterday.

“The way the series has been played, there has been a lot of really good cricket.”

Rabada’s availability is key to South Africa’s chances as he has 15 wickets at an average of 16.80 in the series, comfortably the most effective bowler on either side.

“We are very happy he is allowed to play, we all believe it is the right decision at the end of

the day,” Gibson added. “We have made him aware of respon-sibilities for the team, he is a very important player.” Gibson was less sure of the final make-up of his side, whether they stick with an extra batsman and if middle-order batsman Theunis de Bruyn retains his place or makes way

for Temba Bavuma who is fit after a finger injury.

“We are still putting together the final XI at this stage, we don’t know where we will try to make a change. We are trying to win a series, we will select a team to do that,” Gibson said.

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh (groin) and fast bowler Mitchell Starc (calf) have shrugged off injury concerns to be available as Australia also ponder changes having followed a comprehensive 118-run victory in the first Test with a six-wicket defeat in the second.

Spinner Nathan Lyon says they have assessed their short-comings and he expects an improved showing.

“We sat down and had a good debrief. If I am honest I thought we played at about 40 percent in PE. Another 100 runs and it would have been a helluva Test match,” Lyon said.

“We will have a team meeting to sit and discuss where we can better. The pitch is interesting, it looks a pretty good wicket.

“It’s a helluva series with two top teams going at it.”

He said his team was excited to play against Rabada.

“It’s exciting, as Australian cricketers we always want to play against best and he is the number one bowler in the world, so it will be a challenge for all of us that have to bat,” Lyon said.

“The ICC has made their

decision and we respect it, that’s their job. It’s not for me to sit here and say whether it is right or wrong. We have two massive test matches to come and we will have to play at our best to beat South Africa.”

Lyon had an excellent 2017 during which he took 63 wickets at an average of 23.55, but in this series each of his six dis-missals have cost him close to 40 runs despite favourable conditions.

“I think I have played my role (in the series), but credit to South Africa, they have played me well on spinning wickets. I am just trying to hold up an end up and challenge these guys’ defences,” Lyon said.

WHERE? Newlands, Cape Town - Capacity: 25,000

One of cricket’s most picturesque venues,

nestled in the shadow of Table Mountain,

although the malty smells omitted by the

next door brewery spoil the experience at

times.

Cape Town is the grips of a drought which

has seen club cricket in the city cancelled

but Newlands have used their own

groundwater to prepare the venue for the

Test.

Australia have won an astonishing 10

times in 13 Tests against South Africa at

Newlands, losing the other three.

South Africa barely have a winning record

in Cape Town with 24 triumphs to 20 loses

in 55 past Tests. The other 11 were drawn.

WHEN? March 22-26. Play starts at 1030 local time

(0830 GMT) SOUTH AFRICA (World rank-

ing: second) Squad - Faf du Plessis (cap-

tain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, The-

unis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock, AB de

Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen, Kes-

hav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Mor-

kel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungisani

Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander,

Kagiso Rabada.

Coach: Ottis Gibson AUSTRALIA (World

ranking: third) Squad - Steve Smith (cap-

tain), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Pe-

ter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Hol-

land, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon,

Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine,

Jhye Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell

Starc, Warner. Coach: Darren Lehmann

HISTORY Previous South Africa vs Australia Tests at

Newlands Matches: 13 South Africa wins: 3

Australia wins: 10 1902 Australia 10 wick-

ets 1921 Australia 10 wickets 1936 Austral-

ia an innings and 78 runs 1950 Australia

eight wickets 1957 Australia an innings

and 141 runs 1967 Australia six wickets

1970 South Africa 170 runs 1994 Australia

nine wickets 2002 Australia four wickets

2006 Australia seven wickets 2009 South

Africa an innings and 20 runs 2011 South

Africa eight wickets 2014 Aus 245 runs

CURRENT TOUR First Test in Durban Australia won by 118

runs Second Test in Port Elizabeth South

Africa won by six wickets Remaining Test:

Fourth Test March 30-April 3 (1000) Wan-

derers, Johannesburg

FACTBOX (3RD TEST)

In this file photo taken on March 1, 2018 South Africa’s bowler Kagiso Rabada delivers the ball during day one of the first Test against Australia in Durban.

We are very happy Rabada is allowed to play, we all believe it is the right decision at the end of the day. We have made him aware of responsibilities for the team, he is a very important player: SA coach Gibson

Stokes shakes up England for pink-ball Test against Kiwis

REUTERS

WELLINGTON: All-rounder Ben Stokes’ probable return is likely to be a major determinant in the make up of his under-fire England team as New Zealand enters the pink ball era with their first day-night Test at home at Eden Park starting tomorrow.

Stokes missed the 4-0 Ashes series loss in Australia while he awaited the outcome of an investigation into an alleged assault. The 26-year-old entered a plea of not guilty via video link with a Bristol court on March 12.

England have retained much the same squad that lost the Ashes and Stokes’ absence for that series was evident not just across the Tasman but when he returned to England’s one-day side against New Zealand earlier this month.

He was a major influence in the field, with several stunning catches and diving stops while he provided

additional fire-power as the batting all-rounder with 141 runs at an average of 47.

“It’s just having him in the side,” off-spinning all-rounder Moeen Ali told British media. “Knowing we’ve got a much stronger side when he’s playing, it gives everyone else a good lift.

“I know he’s ready to go, and ready to perform, and give back to the team.” Stokes, however, has been bat-tling a back injury sustained while diving when fielding during the one-day series and pending a fitness Test may just play as a batsman, necessitating the need for an extra bowler.

Craig Overton and Mark Wood are then likely to be competing to join Chris Woakes, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad.

Anderson and Broad’s new ball partnership, however, looks like it could be broken with Woakes and

Wood sharing the responsibility with Anderson in a warm-up match in Hamilton that was played with both a pink and a red ball.

Anderson told Britain’s Sky Sports the decision appeared to be because captain Joe Root was contemplating a future without the pair, who have a combined 922 Test wickets between them and consistently opened the bowling for the last decade.

“Obviously he’s disappointed, he’s a very proud bloke and we have opened the bowling for a number of years,” Anderson said.

“He’s bowled first change in the past and I can see what Joe wants to do with looking to the future but also having that experience coming on first change.” The 31-year-old Broad had a poor 2017 and took just 30 wickets in 11 matches last year at 38.80. However he has 399 Test wickets and should become the 15th player to pass the 400-milestone at Eden Park.

New Zealand’s lineup will also undergo a shakeup with all-rounder Mitchell Santner ruled out for the next nine months due to knee surgery, while top-order batsman Ross Taylor is battling a thigh injury sustained during the one-day series.

Santner had occupied the number six batting slot and was the team’s first-choice spinner as New Zealand beat an under-prepared West Indies side 2-0 in December.

The 26-year-old then produced arguably career-best form with the bat during the one-day series against England, scoring 216 runs in four innings at an average of 108 and his absence lengthens the home side’s tail.

- Home advantage - Sri Lanka are the only team to win a day-night Test

away when they beat Pakistan by 68 runs in Dubai

last year. The other seven have all been home-

ground victories. Sri Lanka scored 482 and 96

against Pakistan who replied with 262 and 248.

- Baggy Greens in the pink - Australia have played the most pink-ball Tests and

are also the most successful side under day-night

conditions with a 4-0 record. England and South

Africa have both recorded a win and a loss, while

the only other successful teams are Sri Lanka (1-0)

and Pakistan (1-2).

- Making light of dusk - Pakistan opener Azhar Ali showed changing light

conditions need not be a problem when he com-

piled an unbeaten 302 against the West Indies in

Dubai in October 2016. He batted for nearly 11

hours for what remains the highest score in a day-

night Test. But he went for two in the second in-

nings and five in the first innings of his next Test

under lights against Australia two months later.

- Pakistan pile on the runs -

The highest score in a pink-ball Test is Pakistan’s

579 for three declared in 155.3 overs when Azhar

performed his heroics against the West Indies. Pa-

kistan only managed 123 in the second innings --

when Devendra Bishoo took eight for 49 -- but

held on to win by 56 runs.

- Kiwis’ call - The first pink-ball Test was played between New

Zealand and Australia at Adelaide Oval in Novem-

ber 2015. New Zealand won the toss, elected to bat

and ended up losing by three wickets.

FACTS ABOUT PINK-BALL TEST

Ben Stokes

Australia’s Agar signs for MiddlesexAFP

LONDON: Australian all-rounder Ashton Agar will play for English county Middlesex in their T20 campaign this season the club announced yesterday.

The 24-year-old -- who has been capped four times at Test level and has made seven appearances in T20 matches for his country -- will join up after the completion of Australia’s five match ODI series and one off IT20 fixture against England at the end of June.

He will be available to play in all fourteen South Group matches, and will remain with Middlesex until the end of the Blast, should qualification to the knockout stages be secured.

“I’m thrilled and very grateful to have signed for Middlesex for the upcoming Blast campaign and look forward to the challenge of achieving success with them,” Agar said in a statement issued by Middlesex.

“It’s a great opportunity to play with an exciting group of players coached by Dan Vettori, a person I always looked up to as a young spinner and cricketer in general.

“I can’t wait to walk out at Lords, one of the most beautiful grounds in the world - it’s quite a privilege.”

Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s Managing Director of Cricket, said Agar will fill an important vacuum in the team.

“In conversations with Daniel Vettori it became apparent that we required an all-rounder to strengthen our T20 side. Ashton Agar’s name quickly came to the top of our list,” said Fraser.

“Ashton is developing into a high-quality cricketer.

“He has shown that he can bat at the top of the order and continues to be an effective bowler.

“He is available for the entire tournament and is a cracking young man,” added the former England pace bowler.

32 WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2018SPORT 33WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2018 SPORT

POSITION/CLUB MATCHES WIN LOSE DRAW GF GA GD POINTS

1: Al Duhail 21 18 0 3 81 25 56 572: Al Sadd 21 15 5 1 59 24 35 463: Al Rayyan 21 12 5 4 50 38 12 404: Al Gharafa 21 9 7 5 40 34 6 325: Umm Salal 21 8 5 8 32 33 -1 326: Al Sailiya 21 8 9 4 38 37 1 287: Al Arabi 21 6 9 6 29 40 -11 248: Al Ahli 21 6 11 4 24 39 -15 229: Qatar SC 21 6 11 4 24 43 -19 2210: Al Khor 21 6 12 3 22 38 -16 2111: Al Kharaitiyat 21 4 13 4 28 53 -25 1612: Al Markhiya 21 2 13 6 18 41 -23 12

Champs Al Duhail hungry for moreTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Al Duhail sealed the 2017-18 season QNB Stars League (QSL) title with a 5-0 victory over Al Kharaitiyat in Week 20, having taken an unassailable lead after nearest challengers Al Sadd lost 1-2 to Umm Salal.

Nevertheless, Al Duhail showed no let-up and defeated Al Markhiya 4-2 in Week 21 to increase their points to 57 ahead of the final round of matches, where they will take on Al Sailiya and be crowned in front of home fans.

The Red Knights’ triumph was so special that they achieved it with an unbeaten record, the only team to do so thus far this season. They won 18 matches and drew three.

Al Duhail have a fierce front-line and have scored 81 goals, the most by any team. Al Sadd come

next with 59. And their players, Moroccan striker Youssef El Arabi (26) and Tunisian midfielder Youssef Msakny (25) are compet-ing for the top-scorer award.

They also have the second-best defence as they have conceded only 25 goals, one more than the number of goals against Al Sadd.

Al Duhail had stability in terms of the presence of professional players as except Chico Flores, who was replaced by Lucas Mendes, all other players -Msakny, El Arabi and Nam Tae-Hee - stayed.

Bersides, they have an out-standing array of Qatari players such as Karim Boudiaf, Almoez Ali, Bassam Al Rawi, Ismail Mohamed, Luiz Martin, Mohamed Moussa and Sultan Al Berik,

Al Duhail thus achieved their sixth Qatar League title and first after they were formed by

merging Lekhwiya with El Jaish. Four of them (2010-11, 2011-12, 2016-17 and 2017-18) came when Algerian Djamel Belmadi was at the helm. They had also triumphed under Eric Gerets (2013-14) and current Al Rayyan coach Michael Laudrup (2014-15).

Al Duhail’s ambitions do not stop there. They are also keen on doing extremely well in the Qatar Cup, Emir’s Cup and AFC Cham-pions League.

They have players with great potential, both junior and experi-enced ones, to deliver the goods.

Meanwhile, Al Duhail are the only side to have won the first four games so far in the AFC Champions League group stage, thereby becoming the first team to qualify for the Round of 16 from Group B.

They are well on course to go further in Asia’s premier compe-tition for clubs.

Xavi-led Al Sadd runners-up after losing great chance

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Al Sadd were very much in the QNB Stars League (QSL) title race till the Week 19 action, but the 3-4 defeat to Al Duhail after a thrilling game dashed their hopes.

It was a last-moment goal by Moroccan striker Youssef El Arabi, who tops the scoring chart with 26 goals, that did them in.

The Wolves then completely lost out after losing 1-2 to Umm Salal in Week 20, where Al Duhail defeated Al Kharaitiyat 5-0 to become champions.

Al Sadd went on to lose 0-1 to Al Khor in Week 21, where Al Duhail beat Al Markhiya 4-2.

However, Al Sadd ensured the run-ners-up position with 46 points so far, 11 less than Al Duhail, ahead of their final-week clash against Al Kharaitiyat.

Had Al Sadd beaten Al Duhail, things might have been different as only two points separated them going into their face-off.

Interestingly, Al Sadd (27) were two points behind Al Duhail (29) at the end of the competition’s first phase.

There is no doubt that Al Sadd gained much from their campaign. They performed consistently well through-out the tournament.

There had been a remarkable improvement in their game technically under much-experienced Portuguese coach Jesualdo Ferreira.

They made very limited changes to their squad this season, with all four professional players — former Barce-lona superstar and World Cup winner Xavi Hernandez of Spain, Algerians Baghdad Bounedjah as well as Jugurtha Hamroun and Iran international Morteza Mohammed — staying.

Al Sadd recruited a number of play-ers during the winter transfer window, namely Hamed Ismail, Ali Faridoun, Sami Sabit, Abdulkarim Hassan and Akram Afif.

Al Sadd won the most number of games (15), after Al Duhail (18). At the same time, they have the best defence, conceding 24 goals, one less than Al Duhail.

They were the second best in terms of the number of goals scored (59) com-pared to Al Duhail’s 81.

Al Sadd can still look forward to many tournaments, such as the Qatar Cup, Emir’s Cup and AFC Champions League.

They are the defending champions in the Qatar Cup and Emir’s Cup, and will take on Al Rayyan in the former’s semifinal that features the elite four from the QSL.

Al Rayyan... A plot lost in second phaseTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Al Rayyan were very much in the QNB Stars League (QSL) title race, especially till the end of first phase of the campaign when they and Al Sadd were almost neck and neck, with the duo being close behind leaders Al Duhai.

Al Rayyan had 25 points, two less than Al Sadd and four adrift of Al Duhail, when the League was halfway through. The Lions had many positive results to show for their efforts, including their 2-1 first-phase Qatar Clasico victory over Al Sadd.

However, they went completely out of con-tention following their 0-2 defeat at the hands of Al Sadd in the second-phase Qatar Clasico in Week 16.

Nevertheless, Al Rayyan ensured that they would finish third as they already have 40 points ahead of their Week 22 match against Al Ahli.

Al Rayyan had recorded eight wins in the first phase while drawing one and losing two games. And they had scored 27 goals and con-ceded 17 to be on 25 points after Week 11.

However, things did not go their way once the second phase started. From 10 rounds, they could win only four games while drawing three matches and losing as many.

Al Rayyan’s total tally is 50 goals for, 38 against, 12 victories, four draws and five defeats.

The runners-up position would have guar-anteed them participation in next year’s AFC Champions League as well.

A number of players excelled for Al Rayyan

this season. The most prominent among them is Moroccan striker Abderrazaq Hamdallah, the third-best scorer with 18 goals after Al Duhail’s Youssef El Arabi (26) and Youssef Msa-kni (25).

Their playmaker Rodrigo Tabata, who grabbed the attention with outstanding per-formances, is also in the list with 13 goals even though his form slightly declined towards the end.

Other players who shone among the Al Rayyan ranks are right winger Mohamed Alaaeldin, defender Ahmed Abdelmaqsoud,

who joined Al Rayyan from Al Duhail, goal-keeper Saoud Al Khater, who came good in some matches, and South Korean medio Koh Myong-Jin.

The team hit the headlines in the winter transfer window by roping in defender Ahmed Yasser from Spanish club Cultural Leonesa, where he was on loan from Al Duhail.

Al Rayyan also made big strides on the tech-nical front under Danish great Michael Laudrup. In hindsight, they would have been in the title race till the end had it not been for some defen-sive mistakes.

England struggle in key areas as World Cup loomsAP

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: With less than three months to go, at least half of England’s starting lineup for its opening match of the World Cup remains uncertain.

It makes the upcoming friend-lies against Netherlands and Italy pivotal for England coach Gareth Southgate - and also for a slew of players who might otherwise have viewed the matches as a distrac-tion amid a crucial stage of the season at club level.

Gone are the days when the England team was filled with Pre-mier League superstars and the lineup often picked itself.

The starting XI for its most recent match - a friendly against Brazil on Nov. 14 - contained only five players who would be consid-ered regular starters for their clubs: Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire, Ryan Bertrand, Eric Dier and Jamie Vardy.

Go back to England’s last com-petitive game and the situation was the same. For the World Cup qualifying win over Slovenia on Oct. 5 that clinched England a spot in Russia, only five starters were first-choice at their clubs: Walker, Bertrand, Dier, Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane.

Consequently, Southgate is going to have to rely on a number of players who won’t exactly be match-sharp for the World Cup. Considering England’s squad often turns up at major tournaments burnt out from a gruelling domes-tic season, it might not necessarily be such a bad thing.

It also means there is plenty at stake over the next week for play-ers looking to impress Southgate and earn a place on the plane to

Russia. These are the last friend-lies before Southgate names his World Cup squad and one good 90-minute display could be all it takes.

GOALKEEPERMaybe England’s biggest area

of concern.Joe Hart has been England’s

No. 1 for most of this decade but has struggled for confidence since being let go vy Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in August 2016. A loan spell at Italian club Torino last season featured plenty of mistakes, while he was relegated to backup keeper at West Ham from late November until being recalled for its last game.

Of the possible replacements for Hart, Jack Butland (Stoke) and Jordan Pickford (Everton) have made errors in recent Premier League games and also play for teams who have been in poor form in the last few months. Southgate called up uncapped Nick Pope, who has been superb for Burnley, for the upcoming friendlies but it

would be a massive leap of faith to start him.

“Clearly the No. 1 jersey is up for grabs,” Southgate has said.

It could still be Hart’s jersey to lose, which is something of a con-cern for England fans.

CENTRE BACKIt would help whoever is

selected in goal to have an expe-rienced centre back partnership ahead of him. That won’t be case, however.

Of the five players in South-gate’s latest squad who can play in central defence, there are just 27 international appearances - and John Stones has 23 of them.

However, Stones is currently fourth-choice center back at Man-chester City. Joe Gomez is the subject of rotation at Liverpool, where he plays at right back, while James Tarkowski (Burnley) and Alfie Mawson (Swansea) are new-comers to the squad. Maguire is the other option and is looking increasingly like a World Cup starter, with Chris Smalling and the

experienced Gary Cahill not cur-rently in Southgate’s thoughts.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDThis was once a position of

strength for England - remember when Steven Gerrard, Frank Lam-pard, Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick were competing for start-ing spots? - but it is now a sea of mediocrity, at least when com-pared to the world’s biggest soccer nations.

Southgate experimented with a five-man defense in England’s friendlies against Germany and Brazil in November, meaning he fielded two deep-lying centre mid-fielders in Dier and Jake Livermore. There is also compe-tition from Jordan Henderson, Jack Wilshere and newcomer Lewis Cook, but this department appears to be another area of weakness for England.

The options for the attacking playmaker role look slightly stronger, with Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard now probably ahead of Adam Lallana after his injury-hit season at Liverpool.

BACK-UP STRIKERWith Harry Kane out because

of an ankle injury, the upcoming games will offer clues about who Southgate regards as his leading backup striker heading to the World Cup.

Marcus Rashford is among the striker options but has barely played in that position all season, instead featuring sporadically as a winger at Manchester United.

Injury-prone Danny Welbeck is a fringe player at Arsenal these days, so Jamie Vardy looks to be best-placed to benefit from Kane’s absence in the short term.

Man United extend Young’s deal by a yearREUTERS

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: Manches-ter United have extended Ashley Young’s deal for an extra year by trig-gering a one-year option in the versatile England wing back’s contract, British media said on Monday.

The 32-year-old Young, who is in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for their next two friendlies, has been in fine form for United, keeping left-back Luke Shaw out of the side.

The former Aston Villa winger’s deal at Old Trafford was due to finish this season but his performances under Jose Mourinho saw him recalled to the national team squad in November.

Young was on the bench for Sat-urday’s 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final win at home to Brighton & Hove Albion but was brought on at halftime for Shaw, whose future at United appears uncertain.

Shaw has played just 15 games for United this season, and only seven times in the Premier League, with Young, who joined the club from Villa in 2011, preferred in a wing back role.

England visit the Netherlands on Friday and host Italy on Tuesday in their build-up to the World Cup in Russia in June.

Cook rules out jitters ahead of England ‘dream’REUTERS

LONDON: Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook is confident he can over-come the jitters and make the most of his England debut if given the chance to play in the team’s upcom-ing international friendlies.

The 21-year-old, who captained the England youth team to the under-20 World Cup title last year, was named in manager Gareth South-gate’s squad for the friendlies against Netherlands on Friday followed by Italy four days later.

“There are always a few nerves but I think I’m just excited.”

“If I get the chance to play, I am going to give my all for the team and try to implement my style of play and adjust to how they play as well,” Cook is quoted as saying by the Bourne-mouth Echo.

“I have a lot of learning to do but I have to enjoy it as well.”

Cook was previously called up to England senior team for a friendly against Brazil in November but did not play in the stalemate.

The midfielder says he is focused solely on making a mark in the friendlies rather than worry about his chances of being selected to play in the World Cup finals in Russia in June.

“If I get the chance to play in these games, I need to do what I do here and enjoy it,” Cook added.

“If (going to the World Cup) hap-pens, it happens but I am focused on this camp now and giving my all.”

QNB STARS LEAGUE STANDINGS

England football team training at St. George’s Park, Burton Upon Trent, Britain yesterday.

Pogba can’t be happy at United: DeschampsAFP

PARIS: France coach Didier Deschamps on Monday said that Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba “can’t be happy” with his current situation at Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old arrived at

United from Juventus in 2016 for a then-world record fee of £89m (€105m).

But he was an unused substi-tute in Saturday’s FA Cup win over Brighton after being left out of the starting line-up for the Champions League loss to Sevilla.

“I don’t know why that is,” Des-champs told a press conference ahead of France’s friendly interna-tionals with Colombia and Russia.

“I have not spoken to Paul yet, I’m sure I’ll hear more about it. But of course it’s a situation he won’t be enjoying.

“As to why or how things came to this, there may be many reasons.”

Deschamps played down any potential rift between the player and Mourinho.

“I have a great deal of talks with players at our training camps, to gauge their feelings. It’s not just Paul.”

Pogba has started just 24 matches for United this season, with manager Mourinho preferring Marouane Fellaini and youngster Scott McTominay in recent weeks.

Deschamps’ France, one of the favourites for the World Cup in Russia, face Colombia in Paris on Friday before travelling for a match in St Petersburg on March 27.

Barcelona winger Ousmane

Dembele is back in the France squad after recent struggles with injury, having finally scored his first goal for the Catalan giants against Chelsea after signing last year from Borussia Dortmund for €105m.

Deschamps said he has been encouraged by the 20-year-old’s form since his return to Enersto Valverde’s side.

“He has come back well, he’s been able to play several matches over the last three weeks and he’s better than he was a fortnight ago,” said Deschamps.

“He must still assert himself to be more decisive.”

England’s defender Joe Gomez heads

the ball during a training session at St

George’s Park in Burton-on-Trent, Britain

yesterday, ahead of their international

friendly football matches against the

Netherlands and Italy.

Ashley Young

Al Sadd can still look forward to many tournaments such as the Qatar Cup, Emir’s Cup and AFC Champions League.

Al Duhail achieved their sixth QSL title and first after they were formed by merging Lekhwiya with El Jaish.

The Red Knights’ triumph was so special that they achieved it with an unbeaten record, the only team to do so thus far this season. They won 18 matches and drew three.

Al Rayyan’s Rodrigo Tabata

(right) celebrates with a

team-mate after scoring a

goal in this file photo.

Al Sadd skipper

Xavi Hernandez

(left) celebrates

with team-mates

after scoring a goal

during a QNB Stars

League match in

this file photo.

Al Duhail’s Karim Boudiaf (right)

celebrates after scoring during a

QNB Stars League match in this

file photo.

France’s midfielder Paul Pogba controls the ball during a training

session in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, southwest of Paris, on Monday,

as part of the team’s preparation for the friendly football matches

against Colombia and Russia.

France coach Didier Deschamps

AP

NEW YORK: Major League Baseball is working to finalize a two-game series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox at London’s Olympic Stadium on June 29-30 in 2019, the sport’s first regular-season games in Europe.

The Red Sox have the option of having both games be Boston home games, a person familiar with the planning told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because no announcement had been made.

“I’ve never been to London,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “So, if that’s true, maybe I’m going to London. Anytime you can grow our game, I think that’s a pretty cool thing.”

Baseball officials have long hoped for games on London and settled last year on Olympic Stadium, which is in its second season as home of West Ham of the Premier League.

Because it originally was built for a 400-meter track, it is wider than other large stadiums in the London area and can best accommodate the dimensions of a baseball field.

“This is something the two clubs have discussed for

years with MLB and hope-fully it will become a reality,” Red Sox owner John Henry said in an email to The Associated Press.

MLB chose the June window because it is after the Premier League season and before the stadium must be made available for summer track and field events. MLB hopes to make an announcement within the next two months.

Each player would get $60,000 for participating in the games, according to the col lective bargaining agreement.

“I think it would be a lot of fun, to be honest,” Yankees first baseman Greg Bird said. “I think the travel would be interesting, how they set that up.” MLB is playing regular-season games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Monterrey, Mexico, this year.

Baseball opened its season at Monterrey in 1999 (Colorado vs. San Diego); the Tokyo Dome in 2000 (Chicago Cubs-New York Mets), 2004 (Tampa Bay-Yankees), 2008 (Boston-Oakland) and 2012 (Seattle-Oakland); and at Sydney, Australia in 2014 (Los Angeles Dodgers-Arizona).

The collective bar-gaining agreement had a provision for a 2019 opener in Toyko.

MLB hopes for Yanks-Red Sox series next year

34 WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2018SPORT

James propels Cavs over BucksAFP

LOS ANGELES: LeBron James unleashed his 16th triple-double of the season Monday as the Cleveland Cavaliers welcomed Kevin Love back from injury with a 124-117 NBA win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

It was an upbeat ending to a difficult day, with the Cavs announcing earlier that head coach Tyronn Lue was taking some time off to deal with health concerns.

Love, a five-time All-Star, played his first game since breaking his left hand on January 30, scoring 18 points and pulling down seven rebounds.

“He gives us that real inside presence along with his ability to shoot the ball from the outside,” coach Larry Drew, standing in for Lue, said. “More than anything, I think we’ve really missed being able to go to someone else inside other than LeBron.”

But as so often for Cleveland, James was the real difference maker. He scored 17 of his 40 points in the third quarter as the Cavaliers took control.

James added 12 rebounds and 10 assists -- the 71st triple-double

of his career -- as Cleveland won for the third time in their last four games.

Cleveland led by 17 points with less than five minutes to play and weathered a 14-3 Milwaukee

scoring run that trimmed the deficit to six.

But James never relented. With 1:12 remaining he grabbed a rebound and raced the length of the court for a dunk.

Cleveland’s Jordan Clarkson added two free throws to push the lead to 121-113, the Cavs making five of six from the foul line in the last 36.3 seconds to seal the win.

Two-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks, posting his 23rd 30-point game of the season with 37 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

Cleveland, trying to get back to the NBA Finals for a fourth straight year, maintained their hold on third place in the Eastern Conference. The Indiana Pacers were just half a game behind Cleveland after a 110-100 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Trailing by two points at halftime, the Pacers out-scored the Lakers by 14 points in the third quarter to snap a two-game skid and strengthen their position in the tightly bunched East.

Five Pacers players scored in double figures, led by Myles Turner’s 21. Victor Oladipo added 20 -- including an impressive put-back dunk that was part of Indiana’s third-quarter surge.

“They were kind of cutting us in transition a little bit and we did a great job of slowing that down,” Oladipo said of the Pacers’ second-half adjustments. “In the second half, I think we did a great job of getting stops and defending at a high level.”

In Philadelphia, Australian rookie Ben Simmons unleashed

his ninth triple-double of the season as the 76ers defeated the Charlotte Hornets 108-94.

Simmons scored 11 points with 15 assists and 12 rebounds. His 19th game with 10 or more assists saw him pass Hall of Famer Allen Iverson’s franchise rookie record.

Joel Embiid scored a game-high 25 points and tied his career high with 19 rebounds for Phila-delphia, who are in sixth place in the East -- just half a game behind the fifth-placed Wash-ington Wizards and a game behind the Pacers.

There was drama in Miami, where the Heat beat the Memphis Grizzlies 149-141 in double-overtime to move into seventh place in the East -- half a game ahead of the eighth-placed Bucks.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) grabs a rebound over Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jose Calderon (81) during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena on Monday.

Results from the NBA games on Monday

Cleveland 124 Milwaukee 117

Indiana 110 LA Lakers 100

Philadelphia 108 Charlotte 94

Brooklyn 118 Memphis 115

Miami 149 Denver 141

New York 110 Chicago 92

San Antonio 89 Golden State 75

Detroit 106 Sacramento 90

NBA RESULTS

Atkinson scores to lift Blue Jackets past BruinsAP

BOSTON: Cam Atkinson scored 2:55 into overtime to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-4 victory over Boston on Monday night for their eighth straight victory, spoiling a splendid NHL debut for Bruins forward Ryan Donato.

Sonny Milano, Boone Jenner, Thomas Vanek and Artemi Panarin also scored for the Blue Jackets. Nick Foligno had two assists, nd Vanek and Jenner each added one. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 34 shots.

Atkinson cut in on the left wing and fired a wrister past Rask for the game-winner.

Columbus moved into a tie with Philadelphia with 85 points, but the Flyers hold the tiebreaker for third place in the Metro-politan Division and the Blue Jackets hold the first wild card in the Eastern Conference.

Donato had a goal and two assists for Boston, which moved a point behind idle Tampa Bay for first in the Atlantic. Riley Nash, Brad Marchand and David Krejci also scored for the Bruins, and Tuukka Rask finished with 19 saves.

The Blue Jackets trailed by two late in the second period before scoring three consecutive goals to take a 4-3 lead.

Just 25 seconds after Nash had give the Bruins a 3-1 lead, Milano redirected Ryan Murray’s slap-pass from the right point to pull Columbus within one with just over three minutes remaining in the middle period.

Vanek tipped in a shot from the slot, tying it 5:38 into the third, and Panarin put the Blue Jackets ahead off a faceoff with 8:30 left in regulation.

However, Donato slipped a short pass from the right circle to Krejci, who got the tying goal 20 seconds later while falling to one knee.

Jenner got Columbus on the scoreboard first when he redi-rected Vanek’s pass by Rask 4:15 into the game.

The Bruins scored three straight goals in the second to take the lead. Marchand tied it with his team-leading 31st of the season when he got the puck at the end of a 2-on-1 break, shifted to his right and tucked it behind

Korpisalo 5:41 into the middle period.

Donato, a Hobey Baker Finalist after leading Harvard in scoring this season, pushed Boston ahead with a one-timer that slipped inside the near post from the right faceoff circle at 7:28. The leading scorer on the U.S. team at the Pyeongchang Olympics signed a two-year, entry-level contract on Sunday.

Nash’s power-play goal increased it to 3-1 as he banged home a rebound from the top of the crease with 3:28 remaining.

NOTES: Boston F David Pas-trnak got his 70th point on Marchand’s goal, matching his career-high.... Bruins F Rick Nash was a late scratch with an

upper-body injury.... The Blue Jackets entered with the league’s second-worst power play and went 0 for 2 against the Bruins.... Local Olympians, including eight from the women’s Gold medal-winning hockey team, were honored during a ceremonial puck drop.... Bruins captain Zdeno Chara missed his third straight with an upper-body injury.... Columbus D Seth Jones missed his second straight with an upper-body injury.

UP NEXT Blue Jackets: At the New York Rangers on Tuesday. Columbus won the only other meeting, 3-1 at home on Oct. 13.

Bruins: At St. Louis on Thursday in the first of a four-game road trip.

Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) controls the puck in front of Columbus Blue Jackets centre Mark Letestu (55) during the second period of their NHL game at TD Garden.

New Zealand seek All Black magic against EnglandAFP

AUCKLAND: New Zealand’s cricketers are drawing inspiration from images of Richie McCaw leading the All Blacks to Rugby World Cup glory as they head into their first home day-night Test against England on Thursday.

Despite some injury con-cerns, New Zealand short-ball specialist Neil Wagner was focused on performing at the Eden Park fortress where the All Blacks are unbeaten in 40 rugby Tests dating back to 1994.

England quick bowler Chris Broad, meanwhile, believed the first day-night cricket Test on New Zealand soil could be decided in “one mad hour” -- less time than it takes for a rugby match.

England have selection issues as they ponder the workload Ben Stokes can handle with a trou-blesome back, while New Zealand are sweating on injured senior batsman Ross Taylor and have former Test opener Martin Guptill on stand-by as a middle order option. The history of

day-night Tests, using a pink ball, favours the home side who have won seven of the eight matches played so far. Further troubling England is their recent Test form, having lost the Ashes 4-0 to Aus-tralia in December and January.

Eden Park’s short boundaries should favour batsmen, but that doesn’t worry Wagner who had match figures of eight for 126 when New Zealand beat India at the ground in 2014 and took three wickets in a tense drawn Test against England the previous year.

“I love playing at Eden Park,” he said Tuesday. “A lot of guys find it funny, being a rugby field and with quite short dimensions.

- ‘You get goosebumps’ - “But just the history of it, knowing Richie McCaw and those guys ran out there and won a (rugby) World Cup. It’s a pretty special place and when you walk out there you get goosebumps.” Wagner sees no problems with the pink ball, saying the same rules apply as when using a white or red ball. “You’ve got to make

sure you put it in the right areas,” he said.

But Broad, needing one more wicket to join teammate James Anderson as the only England players with 400 Test dismissals, believes the pink ball has a life of its own in New Zealand.

After 75 overs during an acclimatisation hit out in Ham-ilton last weekend the pink ball “still had the writing on, which is unheard of,” Broad said.

“It consistently seems to do more and I can’t put my finger on it at all... I think it definitely does

more in that twilight period over this part of the world than England.

“The (Eden Park) drop-in pitch generally has been really good but with these pink-ball games you only need a one mad hour and you can break the Test match open.”

Broad is expected to drop down to first change bowler for England, leaving Anderson and Chris Woakes to take the new ball, with a question mark over the remainder of the England bowling line-up.

AFP

NEW YORK: Two-time US Women’s Open champion Karrie Webb has been given a special exemption into this year’s tour-nament, the US Golf Association confirmed. The 43-year-old Australian will be making her 23rd straight appearance at the event, which takes place at Shoal Creek, Alabama from May 31 to June 3.

The seven-time major winner’s unbroken sequence of appearances at the women’s showpiece is the longest active streak by any player.

Webb, who has not won a major since the ANA Inspiration in 2006, won back-to-back US Women’s Opens in 2000 and 2001.

“As a past champion, I’m very grateful and excited to accept the USGA’s special exemption into this year’s US Women’s Open,” Webb said in a statement.

“I have always loved competing in the US Women’s Open and being tested on some of the best courses in the country. I’m looking forward to playing in my 23rd consecutive championship and being tested again at Shoal Creek.”

Webb had a 10-year exemption into the Open following her 2001 win, which expired in 2011. She has earned her place in the event through other exemption cat-egories in subsequent years. She tied for 44th in her most recent Open appearance at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey in 2017.

35WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2018 SPORT

Match Play: Spieth, Reed in same groupAP

AUSTIN: Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed go from being partners to opponents in match play.

Spieth and Reed, who have a 7-2-2 record as partners in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, were drawn in the same four-man group for the Dell Technologies Match Play.

The World Golf Champi-onship begins at Austin Country Club, where Spieth played when he was at the Uni-versity of Texas.

Spieth has a 9-9-1 record in match play as a pro, going 0-5 in his singles matches at the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup. He is 9-4-1 in the Match Play. Reed has an 8-6-2 record, and is best known for taking down Rory McIlroy in the last Ryder Cup at Hazeltine.

Spieth and Reed won’t play each other until Friday. Also in their group are former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and Li Haotong of China.

Round-robin play starts Wednesday, with the winners of 16 groups advancing to a w e e k e n d o f s i n g l e elimination.

Dustin Johnson, the defending champion, is the No. 1 seed for the second straight year.

He has longtime friend Kevin Kisner, Adam Hadwin of Canada and Bernd Wiesberger of Austria in his group.

The opening session Wednesday has some com-pelling matches.

Phil Mickelson, who hasn’t played since winning the

Mexico Championship, opens against Charles Howell III in the first round. Howell has two PGA Tour victories, one of them in a playoff over Mick-elson at Riviera.

Tommy Fleetwood faces Ian Poulter in an all-England match. Poulter has to advance out of his group to have any chance of moving into the top 50 and qualifying for the Masters.

This is the final week for players to earn a Masters invi-tation through top 50 in the world ranking.

Poulter carried Europe to a stunning comeback in the Ryder Cup at Medinah in 2012 when he made five straight birdies to win a fourballs match, which ultimately swung momentum to Europe going

into singles.Poulter’s lone victory in

America was the 2010 Match Play in Arizona when it was single elimination. He was referred to as a “ninja” in match play during the draw.

“I’ve never gone up against a ninja in my life,” Fleetwood said, who wondered if he could find a book called “Karate for Dummies.”

He was driving to St. Andrews for the Dunhill Cup in 2012 and remembers well Poulter’s heroics at Medinah.

“Hopefully, it’s just a memory,” he said.

Rory McIlroy, coming of a victory Sunday at Bay Hill, gets Peter Uihlein in the opening match. Also in McIlroy’s group are Brian Harman and Jhon-attan Vegas.

Matt Kuchar will face Zach Johnson in the opening round. They were partners one time, losing a foursomes match in the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in 2014.

Since going to group play in 2015 at Harding Park in San Francisco, two No. 1 seeds (McIlroy and Johnson) and a

No. 2 seed (Jason Day) have won. Anything goes with 18-hole matches, though having at least three matches allows a player to recover from a bad day.

Not that it makes it any easier to pick a favorite.

“This is as hard to win as trying to pick the Kentucky Derby winner,” Pat Perez said. “I always pick the wrong horse.”

Among those skipping the event are Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler and Adam Scott, mainly for sched-uling reasons. Also missing is US Open champion Brooks Koepka as he recovers from a wrist injury. Joost Luiten withdrew with an injury.

He was replaced by Julian Suri, the No. 64 seed, who plays Marc Leishman in the opening round.

The groups were deter-mined by the top 16 seeds, and then players from the next three segments of the world ranking were added by lottery - one from Nos. 17-32, one from Nos. 33 to 48, and one from No. 49 to 64.

Winning makes McIlroy as good as he already wasAP

AUSTIN: Rory McIlroy had his first Arnold Palmer moment before the tournament even started.

He had just finished his pro-am round at Bay Hill and was about to walk out of the tunnel leading from the 18th green when a man asked him for a picture. McIlroy obliged, because he usually does. But this was different.

The man handed him a black bolero hat and told McIlroy it was from his squadron when he served in Vietnam. He didn’t want a selfie with McIlroy. He wanted a picture of McIlroy wearing the hat that meant so much to him. The hat looked awkward on him with golfing attire, but McIlroy didn’t mind.

It’s all about giving the fans what they want.

Then the 28-year-old from Northern Ireland gave them something even better with what McIlroy described as a “perfect round of golf,” certainly the closing stretch. He birdied five of the last six holes, capping it off with a 25-foot putt on the 18th hole to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

That ended his longest drought without a victory in eight years, and it cast him in a new light with the Masters approaching.

McIlroy had fallen to No. 13 in the world when he missed the cut the previous week at the Valspar Championship, his second missed cut in four PGA Tour events this year. He had not been that low in the ranking since April 25, 2010.

It’s not that he was for-gotten; rather, attention was shifting to so many others that it was easy to feel overlooked. All it took was one victory for the conversation to include his bid for a green jacket to com-plete the career Grand Slam.

“It’s huge for my confidence going into the next few weeks,” McIlroy said.

“I kept saying I didn’t need a win going into Augusta to feel like I had a chance. I just wanted to see signs of good golf. And thankfully, I’ve been able to get both.” Just don’t get the idea his confidence was lagging.

McIlroy always says that when he’s playing well, it’s hard to remember ever playing poorly. And when he’s playing poorly, it’s hard to remember what it was like to play well. But he has a history of going through spurts of mediocrity, and coming out of it strong without

notice. Most memorable was in 2012 when he missed the cut four times in five tournaments. Two months later, he won the PGA Championship and consec-utive FedEx Cup playoff events.

Three times in his career, McIlroy has won in his next start after missing the cut. Five other times, he won after finishing out of the top 30.

That’s why he wasn’t the least bit concerned after missing the cut at the Valspar Championship.

“It’s such a fine line out here, and I might have sounded crazy the last few weeks when I was telling everyone it actually feels pretty close and I’m not that far away, and I’m putting up 72s and 73s,” he said.

“And all of a sudden, it all clicks into place and I end up winning a golf tournament by three shots and shooting 8 under on the last day. So it’s fine lines out here. I think you have to play the game to really appre-ciate that. It’s not as black and white as some people make it out to be.”

He could think of only one time he was genuinely worried about his game.

McIlroy was 19 and in his first full year as a pro in 2008. He had only two top 10s all year on the European Tour. He wasn’t eligible for any of the majors.

He had missed three straight cuts in Sweden, Holland and Scotland. He was concerned he might lose his card. And then he lost in a playoff in Switzerland, lost in another playoff in Hong Kong and won his first pro event early in the next year.

“And I was off and running,” he said.

McIlroy reached No. 50 with that playoff loss in Hong Kong, and he hasn’t fallen out since then. He’s had a few dips, sure, “but it’s not as if I’ve had to panic.”

Palmer and McIlroy share one other connection, at least for now. They are one leg short of the Grand Slam. Palmer never won the PGA Championship. McIlroy needs the Masters. When they had dinner at Bay Hill in 2015 - right before McIl-roy’s first crack at the fourth leg of the slam - the topic never came up.

“It’s amazing to think, all that Arnold did in the game, he never won that Grand Slam,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy at the Masters, Phil Mickelson at the US Open and Jordan Spieth at the PGA Cham-pionship each have a chance at the career slam this year.

Rory McIlroyJordan Spieth (pictured) and Patrick Reed go from being partners to opponents in Match Play.

Spieth and Reed, who have a 7-2-2 record as partners in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, were drawn in the same four-man group for the Dell Technologies Match Play.

Great Webb granted exemption to US Open

Michelle Wie lines up a putt on the 15th green during the final round of the Bank Of Hope Founders Cup at Wildfire Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona. RIGHT: Jessica Korda chips from the bunker on the 15th green during the final round of the Bank Of Hope Founders Cup.

Bank Of Hope Founders Cup

Special Olympics IX Mena Games: Qatari athletes shine in Abu Dhabi

PSL: Zalmi edge Gladiators in Eliminator 1

SPORT7.00PM 4:00PM

Qatar vs Iraqfriendly match

South Africa vs Angola friendly match

FOOTBALL FOOTBALL LIVE ON

TUBE

36WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2018

It’s time to celebrate this, because I made the big effort

to win it. And then be ready for Miami. It is one of my favourite

tournaments on tour.

Del Potro on beating Roger Federer and his preparation for Miami Open

The winning Qatari athletes pose on the podium in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Qatari squad displayed an impressive performance at the Special Olympics IX Mena Games winning a total of 11 medals including 5 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze.

Peshawar Zalmi’s Hasan Ali (left) celebrates a wicket of Quetta Gladiators’ T Kohler-Cadmore during their Eliminator 1 of Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Lahore, yesterday. Zalmi scored 157 all out and restricted their opponents to 156-8 to register one run victory.

Bouchard passes first test in MiamiAGENCIES:

INDIAN WELLS: Canadian Eugenie Bouchard beat American wildcard Allie Kiick 6-2, 6-2 to be among a parade of former top 20 players to win their first round qualifying matches at the Miami Open on Monday.

Bouchard, a former Wim-bledon finalist who has fallen outside the top 100 in the world rankings since reaching a career-high fifth in 2014, fired seven aces as she dispatched Kiick.

The 24-year-old Canadian, who last month won a slip-and-fall lawsuit against the US Tennis Association over an incident at the 2015 US Open that left her with a concussion, was playing her first match since a first-round loss at Indian Wells two weeks ago.

Yanina Wickmayer, who climbed to a career-high 12th in the rankings shortly after reaching the Miami Open quarter-finals in 2010, also advanced but needed nearly 2-1/2 hours to earn a 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-4 win over Australia’s Olivia Rogowska.

Andrea Petkovic, a former world number nine, booked her spot in the second round of qual-ifying when German compatriot Sabine Lisicki retired. Petkovic was leading 4-6, 6-3, 3-1.

Former French Open runner-up Sara Errani, who was ranked fifth in the world in 2013, fell at the first hurdle after being beaten 6-4 5-7 7-6(2) by Czech Tereza Martincova.

Meanwhile, the stars are finally starting to align for Juan Martin Del Potro who will be seeking his third straight ATP title at the Miami Masters this week.

The south Florida showcase got an additional boost on Sunday when Del Potro saved three championship points to hand world number one Roger Federer his first loss of 2018 in a

thrilling 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/2) victory at the Indian Wells Masters.

With the win, combined with injuries to Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, it is now looking like Del Potro is the biggest threat to Federer’s rule over the ATP Tour.

“It’s time to celebrate this, because I made the big effort to win it,” Del Potro said. “And then be ready for Miami. It is one of my favourite tournaments on tour.

“Many Latino-American people are expecting my game there. That make me feel special. I would like to keep surprising myself and see how far I can go.” Del Potro, 29, captured his second ATP title in a row and recorded his biggest victory since

his comeback from multiple wrist surgeries.

Federer was 17-0 on the season heading into the Indian Wells final which was a personal best for him.

Del Potro said the first order of business when he gets to south Florida is to do some celebrating with his team.

“I cannot tell you,” he joked of his party plans. “It will be Miami, maybe tomorrow, but that’s enough.” Del Potro also won the title earlier this month in Acapulco, where he beat three top eight players in a row to clinch his 21st singles crown.

He is back in the top ten rankings this season for the first time since 2014. He dropped to No. 1,045 before beginning his comeback from the left wrist

surgeries in 2016. On Monday, Del Potro moved up to No. 6 in the rankings.

“I don’t care about the numbers. I just want to keep winning titles,” he said.

Del Potro said something changed for him in his career when he upset then world number one Djokovic in the first round of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“After the Djokovic match, my tennis life changed,” he said. “I feel happy again with my tennis life.

“I won the Davis Cup and I say, ‘Okay, I don’t have any more pressure to play tennis because I won everything that I what.’” - ‘Happy again’ - But there was still one thing missing on his resume and that was a Masters 1000 title which he earned by beating Federer.

“I have everything that I want, and I want to keep improving my game to see what can I do,” he said.

Federer goes to Miami licking his wounds after losing his fourth of six career finals to Del Potro. Overall he holds a commanding 18-7 lead but in finals it’s a dif-ferent story, including the 2009 US Open which Del Potro won 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.

“Should I have won the US Open final I don’t know,” Federer said. “I could have. Should have. I didn’t. Same today.

“I am not sure why the final record is what it is. Most of them have gone the distance. It’s been tough against him.” Federer said he spent too much time second guessing himself during Sunday’s match.

“I let an opportunity like this go by. Having him hit something past me, that’s very uncom-fortable for him, and you pick the wrong side and you are like ‘Why am I picking the wrong side?’ Is it him or me? You just don’t know. “Next thing you are shaking hands.

Eugenie Bouchard of Canada plays a shot against Allie Kiik during day 1 of the Miami Open on Monday in Key Biscayne, Florida.

Rugby: Ireland captain Best extends contractREUTERS

LONDON: Ireland captain Rory Best extended his contract with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) yesterday in a deal that will see him stay on until the end of the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

The 35-year-old hooker, who led Ireland to a Grand Slam victory in the Six Nations championship on Saturday, has played 111 times for his country, making him Ireland’s third most-capped player.

Best took the captaincy in 2016 and led the team to their first ever victory over New Zealand as well as a first win over the Springboks on South African soil.

“I feel I can continue to make a contribution to both Ireland and Ulster Rugby and am delighted to have extended my IRFU contract to the next World Cup,” Best said in a statement on the IRFU website. (www.irishrugby.ie)

Meanwhile, England and Bath back Anthony Watson will miss the rest of the season with an Achilles tendon injury, his club said on Monday.

The 24-year-old player, who has scored a total of 15 tries in 33 tests for his country, left the field on an electric cart after 34 minutes of Saturday’s 24-15 Six Nations defeat by Ireland at Twickenham.