Saudi Arabia impress with the bat in Quadrangular series but lose out to brilliance of Virandeep Singh

Saudi Arabia’s senior men’s cricket team have had a busy three days in the Malaysia Quadrangular Series in Kuala Lumpur. (X/@cricketsaudi)
Saudi Arabia’s senior men’s cricket team have had a busy three days in the Malaysia Quadrangular Series in Kuala Lumpur. (X/@cricketsaudi)
Short Url
Updated 26 April 2025
Follow

Saudi Arabia impress with the bat in Quadrangular series but lose out to brilliance of Virandeep Singh

Saudi Arabia impress with the bat in Quadrangular series but lose out to brilliance of Virandeep Singh
  • Openers Abdul Waheed and Faisal Khan, who have each struck a T20I century for Saudi Arabia, gave the team a flying start against Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR: Saudi Arabia’s senior men’s cricket team have had a busy three days in the Malaysia Quadrangular Series in Kuala Lumpur. They comfortably beat Thailand and Singapore before being involved in a gripping contest against Malaysia, the highest ranked team in the tournament.

The Saudi batting did not quite fire in the first match against Thailand but the lower order kept going strongly so that they reached a total of 156. This was far too much for Thailand, who were bowled out for 90 as Hisham Shaikh took four for 15 and Zain Ul-Abidin three for 13, seven wickets falling for only 20 runs.

Openers Abdul Waheed and Faisal Khan, who have each struck a T20I century for Saudi Arabia, gave the team a flying start against Singapore. Each batter hit three sixes and shared an exhilarating opening partnership of 98 in just 8.3 overs. Waheed made 55 in 34 balls and Faisal 62 from 28 balls in a brutal display of boundary hitting.

The innings tailed off to 178 for eight in 20 overs but Singapore soon collapsed to 33 for eight. Usman Khalid claimed three for 13 and Saudi Arabia won by 96 runs. Malaysia had also won their opening two matches by convincing margins so Saturday’s contest between two unbeaten teams was eagerly anticipated. It did not disappoint in any way.

Saudi Arabia were again given a flying start by their two powerful openers as Abdul Waheed and Faisal Khan shared a stand of 84 in 7.3 overs. After the latter was dismissed for 48 from 25 balls, Waheed went on to reach 82 from 52 balls. A total of 182 for seven did not quite make the most of the electric start, though it set up a competitive chase.

Ghayour Ahmed’s first over in international cricket went for 21 runs, Malaysia rushing to 65 for one after the first six overs. The run-rate was checked in the middle overs, captain Waji Ul-Hassan claiming two wickets to keep Saudi Arabia just ahead. Batter number three, Virandeep Singh, is a quality batsman and he paced his innings to perfection.

Thirty runs were still needed from the last two overs. Aided by a no ball, which he hit for six over mid-wicket, Singh scored all the necessary runs and Malaysia gained victory by five wickets with a ball to spare.

Saudi Arabia had largely been beaten by one man as Virandeep Singh had earlier taken four for 26 to keep the Saudi total under 200. His final 30-run flourish with the bat took him to an unbeaten 93 from 57 balls, containing eight fours and four sixes.

Now, there will be a second round of matches, so Saudi Arabia will face Malaysia in one more league match. On current form, they look likely to meet again in the final, so everybody following this series should be in for a cricketing treat in the coming days.


Pacers take 2-0 lead over Knicks as Pascal Siakam scores 39 points in 114-109 victory

Pacers take 2-0 lead over Knicks as Pascal Siakam scores 39 points in 114-109 victory
Updated 24 May 2025
Follow

Pacers take 2-0 lead over Knicks as Pascal Siakam scores 39 points in 114-109 victory

Pacers take 2-0 lead over Knicks as Pascal Siakam scores 39 points in 114-109 victory
  • Myles Turner added 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who head home halfway to their second trip to the NBA Finals
  • No team has lost the first two games at home and come back to win a series in the conference finals

NEW YORK: Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career-high 39 points, and the Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 114-109 on Friday night for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Myles Turner added 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who head home halfway to their second trip to the NBA Finals. They lost to the Lakers in 2000 in their only shot at the title.

Game 3 is Sunday in Indiana, though the Pacers might prefer to keep it right where it is. They have won six straight road games since falling at Milwaukee in Game 3 of the first round.

Siakam finished 15 for 23 from the field on a night nobody else on the high-scoring Pacers had more than five baskets.

“Special game,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “In the first half he was the guy that got us going and got us through some difficult stretches.”

Jalen Brunson had 36 points and 11 assists for the Knicks, who need a quick turnaround or their first appearance in the conference finals in 25 years will be a brief one. They defended much better after their crushing collapse in a 138-135 overtime loss in Game 1, but couldn’t find enough scoring to come back after a bad start to the fourth quarter.

Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Knicks, but Towns played just 28 minutes as coach Tom Thibodeau went longer with backup Mitchell Robinson, a much better defender who grabbed nine rebounds.

No team has lost the first two games at home and come back to win a series in the conference finals.

“Going into the fourth quarter it’s a tie ballgame. We’ve just got to make better plays, more winning plays,” Thibodeau said.

It was tied at 81 after three, before the Pacers opened the fourth with a 13-4 run to move ahead 94-85 on Siakam’s 3-pointer with 9:17 remaining. They would quickly push the margin back to around there every time the Knicks got any momentum, and it was 110-100 after another basket by Siakam with 2:45 to play.

The Knicks scored nine straight to make it 110-109 on Josh Hart’s basket with 14 seconds to go. Aaron Nesmith made two free throws for the Pacers, Brunson was well off on a 3-point attempt and Turner finished it out with two free throws.

The 50th playoff meeting between the rivals — the Pacers lead 28-22, all since 1993 — more closely resembled their defensive battles of the 1990s than the shootout of two nights earlier. The Knicks led that one by 14 with 2:45 to play before the Pacers caught them on Haliburton’s jumper as time expired and won it in OT.

This time, Indiana raced to a 19-9 lead, but the Knicks quickly caught them when Robinson and Deuce McBride entered and the game remained within a single-digit margin nearly the entire rest of the night.


Arsenal seek to defy the odds against mighty Barcelona in women’s Champions League final

Arsenal seek to defy the odds against mighty Barcelona in women’s Champions League final
Updated 24 May 2025
Follow

Arsenal seek to defy the odds against mighty Barcelona in women’s Champions League final

Arsenal seek to defy the odds against mighty Barcelona in women’s Champions League final
  • Manager Renee Slegers believes her disciplined side can triumph over the Catalan giants of women’s football, who are the strong favorites to win their fourth European title
  • Alessia Russo: They (Barca) are a really good football team, but we are here to win

LISBON: Arsenal will bid to defy the odds against Barcelona in Saturday’s women’s Champions League final in Lisbon, aiming to secure their second title with courage and underrated defiance.

Manager Renee Slegers believes her disciplined side can triumph over the Catalan giants of women’s football, who are the strong favorites to win their fourth European title.

“We want to show courage tomorrow. We respect Barca as a team. They are a really good football team, so we are humble, but we are here to win,” she told reporters on Friday.

“We have to find ways to win, and I am confident that the momentum of the game will shift. It’s important that we deal with every moment really well. We need courage and discipline, and we need to be switched on. If we do all those things well, we can perform well. We believe in our ability tomorrow.”

Arsenal forward Alessia Russo echoed Slegers’ sentiments.

“We want to show courage tomorrow. We respect Barca as a team,” she said. “They are a really good football team, but we are here to win. We have to find ways to win, and I am confident that, if we handle all situations well and stay focused, we can perform well.

“Belief is something we have spoken about a lot as a team this season. We have found lots of different ways to win. It’s been a season full of highs and lows, but we’ve learnt a lot,” the former Chelsea and Manchester United striker added.

Veteran midfielder Kim Little, who played in the 2007 final victory against Sweden’s Umea, looked back in time when asked about Arsenal’s first meeting with Barca in Europe’s top club competition during the 2012–13 season, when the London team won 7–0 on aggregate.

“It’s incredible for me to still be at the club. We came out on top,” Little said. “After 2007 and everything the club has achieved since then, leading the team on this occasion is so special.”
 


McTominay and Lukaku goals lead Napoli to Serie A title and Conte’s ‘most unexpected’ trophy

McTominay and Lukaku goals lead Napoli to Serie A title and Conte’s ‘most unexpected’ trophy
Updated 24 May 2025
Follow

McTominay and Lukaku goals lead Napoli to Serie A title and Conte’s ‘most unexpected’ trophy

McTominay and Lukaku goals lead Napoli to Serie A title and Conte’s ‘most unexpected’ trophy
  • Napoli finished Serie A one point ahead of Inter

ROME: The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli its second Serie A title in three years on Friday.
Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari.
Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams.
“Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.”
Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won at Juventus and one at Inter Milan — not to mention a Premier League title at Chelsea — Conte said it was “the most unexpected, the most difficult, and the most stimulating in terms of the challenge.”
Conte also noted how he had to try and convince players to stay when he arrived last June.
Napoli needed only to do the same or better than defending champion Inter in the final round of matches, so Inter’s 2-0 win at 10-man Como wasn’t enough for the Nerazzurri.
Napoli finished Serie A one point ahead of Inter.
The southern squad’s fourth Serie A title overall capped an impressive turnaround after the Partenopei finished 10th during a dismal title defense last season.
“The one two years ago was one we were  for months, whereas this week we had so much anxiety, we couldn’t wait to get on the field and win this in front of our fans,” said winger Matteo Politano, who provided the cross for McTominay’s goal.
Diego Maradona led Napoli to its first two titles in 1987 and 1990. The 2023 team led by Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia clinched with five rounds to spare.
Inter was heading toward the title until McTominay went airborne to redirect a pass from Politano in the 42nd minute for his 12th goal this season after transferring from Manchester United.
“For me to come and experience this, it’s a dream,” McTominay said.
Lukaku, who was signed from Chelsea in August, controlled a long vertical pass and dribbled by two defenders before scoring in the 51st. It was his 14th goal along with his league-leading 10 assists.
Conte watched the match from the tribune after getting sent off last weekend. But he went down to the pitch at the final whistle and embraced Lukaku, with whom he also won Serie A at Inter in 2021.
McTominay dropped to the pitch in tears when the match finished. Minutes later he was honored as Serie A player of the season.
Napoli players held up signs that read “Again” featuring a “4” for the team’s fourth title.
Napoli fans began cheering and singing hours before kickoff at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and erupted in celebration at the final whistle — including at jumbo screens that were set up in several of the city’s central piazzas.
Cagliari was already sure of avoiding relegation but goalkeeper Alen Sherri was inspired at the start, denying Napoli on multiple occasions early on.
While Napoli won by 16 points two years ago under Luciano Spalletti, this season was a duel with Inter virtually all season. It was also unexpected after Napoli went through three coaches last season – Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzarri and Francesco Calzona.
But Conte constructed the best defense in Serie A, and brought in Lukaku and McTominay to play alongside holdovers from the 2023 team like captain Di Lorenzo, goalkeeper Alex Meret and midfielder Stanislav Lobotka.
Di Lorenzo matched Maradona by captaining Napoli to two titles.
It also helped that Napoli did not play in Europe this season — keeping the team fresher for Serie A.
Inter rested its starters
Defender Stefan de Vrij scored 20 minutes in for Inter, redirecting a corner kick with a bouncing header.
Como was reduced to 10 men when goalkeeper Pepe Reina was sent off at the end of the first half for a foul on Mehdi Taremi. It was Reina’s final game before retiring.
Joaquín Correa added another for Inter after the break in almost the same moment that Lukaku scored for Napoli.
Inter, which is also preparing for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in eight days, rested most of its usual starters, including top strikers Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.


Ben Griffin, Matti Schmid share lead after going low at Charles Schwab

Ben Griffin, Matti Schmid share lead after going low at Charles Schwab
Updated 24 May 2025
Follow

Ben Griffin, Matti Schmid share lead after going low at Charles Schwab

Ben Griffin, Matti Schmid share lead after going low at Charles Schwab
  • Griffin set the early pace by zipping around the course with eight birdies and one bogey

Ben Griffin and Germany’s Matti Schmid share the 36-hole lead at the Charles Schwab Challenge after they each posted 7-under-par rounds of 63 on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.
Griffin and Schmid stand at 11-under 129 through two rounds at Colonial Country Club. They take a two-shot lead into the weekend over John Pak (68), who was the first-round leader.
Chris Gotterup had a bogey-free 65 to move to fourth place at 8 under, and Akshay Bhatia (66) is tied for fifth at 7 under with Japan’s Ryo Hizatsune (67).
Griffin set the early pace by zipping around the course with eight birdies and one bogey, capped by a near-eagle at his final hole, the par-4 ninth. Griffin’s approach shot bounced right over the hole and spun back to 18 inches for his final birdie.
Schmid climbed to 11 under later in the day as he turned in a bogey-free card with seven birdies. Schmid has never won on the PGA Tour, while Griffin’s only win came at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event last month with Andrew Novak.
Rickie Fowler is in the mix after shooting a 64 Friday. Fowler started on the back nine and birdied six holes for a 29 before cooling off on the front.
He’s tied at 6 under with Doug Ghim (65), Brice Garnett (67), J.J. Spaun (68), Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo (66) and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood (67).
Scottie Scheffler (71) is down the leaderboard at 1 under par, and Jordan Spieth (71) made the cut on the number at even par after birdieing his penultimate hole.
Notable names who did not make the weekend included Mackenzie Hughes of Canada (1 over), Aaron Rai of England (1 over), defending champion Davis Riley (2 over), Daniel Berger (2 over) and PGA teaching professional Michael Block (3 over).


Three clubs fighting relegation in SPL Roshn League’s final round

Three clubs fighting relegation in SPL Roshn League’s final round
Updated 23 May 2025
Follow

Three clubs fighting relegation in SPL Roshn League’s final round

Three clubs fighting relegation in SPL Roshn League’s final round
  • Two out of the three clubs — Al-Wehda, Al-Akhdood and Al-Orobah — will be relegated to join Al-Raed
  • Al-Wehda will stay in the league if they win or draw against Al-Ettifaq in Dammam

RIYADH: Three clubs — Al-Wehda, Al-Akhdood and Al-Orobah — will be fighting relegation during the Saudi Pro League (Roshn League) final round on Monday with matches being played simultaneously.

Two out of the three clubs will join Al-Raed, who have already been relegated to the first division. As things stand, Al-Wehda is in 15th place with 33 points, Al-Akhdood is in 16th place with 31 points and Al-Orobah is in 17th place with 30 points.

Al-Wehda will stay in the league if they win or draw against Al-Ettifaq in Dammam. A loss means they will need both Al-Akhdood and Al-Orobah to also lose or draw.

Al-Akhdood must beat Al-Khaleej and hope that Al-Wehda lose, as that would keep Al-Akhdood in the SPL for another new season.

Al-Orobah has the most difficult task. They need to beat Al-Taawoun in Al-Jouf and then hope that both Al-Wehda and Al-Akhdood lose. If that happens, Al-Orobah will move above Al-Akhdood in points and tie with Al-Wehda.

In that case, Al-Orobah would survive because they have a better head-to-head record against Al-Wehda — losing the first match 2–1 but winning the second 4–2.