March-april 2009

SPORTS NEWS IN BRIEF: MARCH-APRIL 2009

ARCHERY India trio clinch recurve gold: Mangal Singh Champia, Jayanta Talukdar and Rahul Banerjee combined to clinch their second successive gold in the men’s recurve team event as India signed off with three medals in the Archery World Cup Stage I at Santo Domnigo in Dominican Republic.

Dola Banerjee settled for a third place finish in the women’s recurve, while women’s compound team of Jhano Hansdah, Bheigyabati Chanu and Manjudha Soy also finished third.

BADMINTON Yonex-Sunrise Indian Open: Men’s Singles: Taufik Hidayat, Indonesia. Women’s Singles: Hongyan Pi, China. Men’s doubles: Tan Fook Choong and Wan Wah Lee, Malaysia. Mixed doubles: Flandy Limpele and Vita Marissa, Indonesia.

CRICKET Women’s World Cup: Caroline Atkins top-scored with 40 runs and Nicky Shaw took four wickets for 34 as England beat New Zealand by four wickets to claim the women’s World Cup. India finished third.

West Indies-England One-Day Series: England ended their ragged tour of the West Indies on a high when an Andrew Flintoff hat-trick helped them beat the hosts by 26 runs in a rain-shortened match to win the one-day series 3-2.

New Zealand-India One Day Series: Virender Sehwag (125 not out) smashed the fastest ODI century by an Indian to fashion the team’s commanding 10-wicket win in the fourth match, also giving India their first one-day cricket series win in New Zealand. Sehwag’s 60-ball hundred bettered Mohammad Azharuddin’s 62-ball century against the Kiwis at Baroda. India won the series 3-1.

New Zealand-India Test Series: India still needed to take two wickets before the third Test was called off and declared to have ended as a draw. However, India came out stronger by winning the three-Test series 1-0. This was India’s first Test series win in New Zealand after 41 years. Earlier, Harbhajan Singh scalped six wickets to guide India to their first Test triumph on New Zealand soil in 33 years as the visitors spanked the Kiwis by 10 wickets in the first Test. The second Test ended in a draw.

South Africa-Australia Test Series: Australia clinched a series win over South Africa and remained top of the world rankings after completing a crushing 175run victory in the second Test. South Africa left-arm spinner Paul Harris took six wickets as the Proteas beat Australia by an innings and 20 runs to win the third Test but lose the three-Test series 2-1. The first Test had been won by Australia.

Gautam Gambhir breaks Gavaskar’s record for most runs after 25 tests: Gautam Gambhir’s 167 in the third Test against New Zealand helped him reach 2,271 runs (average 54.07), the most by an Indian in his first 25 tests, eclipsing Sunil Gavaskar’s 2,256 (avg 52.47).

Dravid becomes world record holder of most catches: India’s Rahul Dravid became the world record holder of most catches in Tests, surpassing Australian Mark Waugh, when he caught New Zealand opener Tim McIntosh at third slip for his 182nd catch on the fourth day of the third and last Test against New Zealand.

Deodhar Trophy: West Zone beat East Zone to win the title.

Vijay Hazare Trophy: Tamil Nadu defeated Bengal by 66 runs to win the Premier Cup.

Australia receives Test Championship Mace: Australian captain Ricky Ponting received the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test Championship Mace for his team’s top finish in table in the 2008-09 calendar year.

TENNIS Serena Williams voted player of the year: Serena Williams has been voted the WTA tour player of the year for the second time. Dinara Safina was selected most improved player for 2008, and Zheng Jie of China was chosen comeback player of the year. Top-ranked Cara Black of Zimbabwe and Liezel Huber of the United States were chosen doubles team of the year. Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark was selected newcomer of the year.