Darwin, Aug 11 (IANS) Despite South Africa falling short by 17 runs in first T20I to Australia, teenage fast bowler Kwena Maphaka managed to leave his mark with a career-best fiery spell of 4-20. Maphaka, 19, mixed raw pace with aggression to claim the scalps of Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Adam Zampa and Ben Dwarshuis at Marrara Stadium on Sunday. He first uprooted Owen’s off stump with a 144kph delivery, and conceded only 14 runs off the 11 balls he bowled to David before removing him in the pe…

Darwin, Aug 11 (IANS) After striking a blistering 83 in Australia’s 17-run win over South Africa in the T20I series opener, big-hitting batter Tim David said the side’s rapid-fire starts in the shortest format is close to their new-found approach of going all guns blazing in lead-up to next year’s T20 World Cup.In the game at Marrara Stadium, Australia smacked 71 runs in the Powerplay, though they lost four wickets. “It’s obviously not the team plan to be four down within six overs, but th…

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) The 15th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2025 is set to kick off on Tuesday in Jalandhar, Punjab. The tournament will run until August 23 and will follow the new division-based format, which has already been introduced and implemented in the Senior and Sub Junior Men’s and Women’s and the Junior Women’s National Championships earlier this year.The 30 participating teams are split into Division ‘A’, Division ‘B’ and Division ‘C’, with promoti…

Orlando, Aug 11 (IANS) Following Inter Miami’s heavy defeat against Orlando City in the Florida derby at the Inter & Co Stadium on Monday (IST), head coach Javier Mascherano admitted his side was outplayed from the opening whistle. With star forward Lionel Messi out with injury, Orlando opened the scoring early with a second-minute goal from Luis Muriel, but Inter Miami quickly responded in the fifth minute through a powerful volley by Bright – his first goal for the club’s first team. M…

London, Aug 11 (IANS) Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson has warned that the club’s enforced drop from the Europa League could “devalue the competition” as they await the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s verdict on their appeal against UEFA’s decision in a multi-club ownership dispute. In July, UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body demoted Palace to the third-tier Europa Conference League, citing that John Textor — president of Eagle Football Group, the majority owners of Olympi…

Trinidad, Aug 11 (IANS) Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan backed his bowling group to find form as his side’s three-match ODI series against the West Indies heads into a deciding game. The West Indies romped to a series-levelling five-wicket victory over visitors Pakistan in the rain-hit second ODI here at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago on Monday (IST).Batting first, Pakistan posted 171/7 in 37 overs on the back of valuable thirties from Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat in a s…

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) Brazil international Joao Pedro, who joined Chelsea last month, said his ambitions after signing for the Blues is winning titles with club.Chelsea signed the 23-year-old forward from Brighton and Hove Albion on long-term deal that runs through to 2033.“When you join Chelsea, there’s only one thing to think about: winning titles. In every tournament you play, you represent Chelsea, and the goal is to win. That is my ambition—to win titles with Chelsea,” Pedro said o…

Cincinnati, Aug 11 (IANS) Carlos Alcaraz battled past World No. 56 Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 to reach the third round of the Cincinnati Masters here on Monday (IST). Alcaraz raced through the first set in just 28 minutes. But he found himself off course in the second set. With errors creeping in and his intensity dipping, the World No. 2 opened the door for a surging Dzumhur, who began charging the net and taking control of the rallies to level.The Spaniard crucially regrouped in the decider, …

Cincinnati, Aug 11 (IANS) Ben Shelton eased into the third round of the Cincinnati Open after Camilo Ugo Carabelli retired early in the second set with a knee injury. Competing just three days after winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto, Shelton was leading 6-3, 3-1 after 64 minutes when the Argentine retired.Carabelli grasped his knee on the first point of the fourth game of the second set after an awkward movement coming forward into the court. After a medical timeout he could no…

Cincinnati, Aug 11 (IANS) No. 2-seeded Coco Gauff mastered herself and opponent Wang Xinyu with a 6-3, 6-2 victory in 70 minutes to reach the third round at the Cincinnati Masters. Gauff has now won her sixth opening match in eight WTA 1000s this year.She’ll meet No. 32 Dayana Yastremska, a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 winner over Viktoriya Tomova, on Tuesday. Gauff has beaten Yastremska three of four times.Gauff is one of eight Americans in the WTA Rankings Top 50 and the fifth to advance to the third round…