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Petrucci Storms To First MotoGP Triumph

Published in Racing
Sunday, 02 June 2019 09:30

SCARPERIA E SAN PIERO, Italy – Danilo Petrucci emerged with his first MotoGP victory after a valiant battle with his Ducati teammate Andrea Dovizioso and Marc Marquez Sunday at the Mugello Circuit.

Off the line and down into turn one at the start, Marquez held the lead from the pole despite challenges from Cal Crutchlow and Dovizioso. Fabio Quartararo got a far from ideal start and went backwards, whilst Alex Rins got a phenomenal start and climbed seven positions by the end of the opening lap.

In the early stages Jack Miller was beginning to push on in the leading group, with Alex Rins making passes behind, taking Cal Crutchlow at turn one.

It wasn’t long before the first drama of the race would unfold, as Valentino Rossi tangled with Joan Mir at turn four, running across the gravel and rejoining in last place. However, a few laps later, on lap eight, the veteran Italian crashed at high speed at Arrabbiata 2, ending his hopes of success after what was already a tricky home round.

At the front of the field, fireworks were already being set off, as Alex Rins and Dovizioso hit the front. Marquez was also being pushed back down the order, with 14 laps to go as Petrucci got ahead of him, followed closely by Miller.

Marquez was down in fifth and at the front of the field, Petrucci and Rins started to press hard. The leading group consisted of nine riders, with Crutchlow, Takaaki Nakagami, Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Viñales. Soon though, the group began to fragment, with Bagnaia crashing out with 12 to go at the final corner.

Despite momentarily losing touch, Jack Miller put in the fastest lap of the race in fifth position, pulling himself back into contention. However, disaster struck the Australian as he crashed at turn four. This took the leading group down to four riders.

Going into the last lap, after various lead changes, Dovizioso got ahead of Marquez at turn one but ran wide, leaving the door open for Petrucci to scurry back through and take the advantage, to the roar of the crowd. Petrucci found himself leading at his home Grand Prix, with Marquez fighting into second.

Marquez and Dovizioso tried their best to get on terms with Petrucci and in the final corner, Marquez gained massively, but try as he might, Petrucci held on for his first MotoGP win, ahead of Marquez and Dovizioso in third.

Andy McMillin Tops SCORE Baja 500

Published in Racing
Sunday, 02 June 2019 13:30

ENSENADA, Mexico – For the second straight race, third-generation desert racing champion Andy McMillin roared to overall and SCORE Trophy Truck race victories Saturday by winning the 51st SCORE Baja 500 in dynamic fashion.

McMillin started first, never lost the physical lead and finished first in the elapsed-time race.

The second race of the four-race SCORE World Desert Championship started and finished in Ensenada, the seaside port on the Pacific Ocean which sits 80 miles south of San Diego.

McMillin, 32, recorded a penalty-free winning time of nine hours, 49 minutes and 12 seconds, averaging 49.39 mph in his No. 31 Red Bull McMillin Racing Chevy Silverado built by Mason Motorsports.

After starting the season with the overall at the 33rd SCORE San Felipe 250 in April, McMillin’s 11th career SCORE Trophy Truck race win moved him into a tie for second with Ed and Tim Herbst, Larry Ragland and Robby Gordon.

That group trails Rob MacCachren, the all-time winningest SCORE Trophy Truck racer with 17 career victories.

It was also Andy McMillin’s third overall victory in the SCORE Baja 500, winning in 2010 with his father Scott McMillin along with his solo driving efforts in 2017 and this year.

A. McMillin joins his father and uncle Mark McMillin with three overall wins each in this race, giving his family a combined 11 overall wins in this race.

Family patriarch Corky McMillin has two career overall victories in the SCORE Baja 500.

Joining Andy McMillin, who won the season-opening SCORE San Felipe 250 in April, on the podium were Andy’s cousin Luke McMillin, also of San Diego and Mexico’s Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez.

Luke McMillin, 26, finished second with a penalty-free time of 9:51:06 (49.23 mph) in his No. 83 Mark Racing Ford F-150. Lopez, 24, came home with a penalty-free finishing time of 10:12:43 (47.49 mph) in his No. 9 RPM Racing Chevy Rally Truck.

Besides podium finishers A. McMillin, L. McMillin and Lopez, 11 of the top 12 overall finishers were SCORE Trophy Trucks. The class had a race-high 38 vehicles start the race.

Fourth were brothers Alan, Aaron and Rodrigo Ampudia (No. 10 Ford Raptor-ID), fifth were Las Vegas brothers Tim Herbst and Ed Herbst (No. 19 Ford F-150-Herbst/Smith), sixth after penalties were assessed was Bryce Menzies (No. 7 Ford Raptor (Huseman) and seventh in class was Mike Lawrence. (No. 85 Ford F-150-Herbst/Smith).

Several returning class winners in the SCORE Baja 500 won again this year. Among them were Jeff Proctor, Glendora, Calif. (Class 7, Honda Ridgeline), David Heredia, Hacienda Heights, Calif. (Class 5-1600, VW Baja Bug), Brad Lovell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Pro UTV Stock FI, Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo), Francisco Septien, Ensenada, Mexico, Calif./Shane Esposito, Temecula, Calif. (Pro Moto 30, Honda CRF450X), Giovanni Spinali, El Cajon, Calif. (Pro Moto 50, Honda CRF450X) and Said Sanchez, Tijuana Mexico (Pro Quad, Honda TRX450R).

Justin Davis captured the unlimited Class 1 while finishing eighth overall among four-wheel vehicles in the No. 185 Green Army Motorsports Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheel desert race car. His winning effort was completed in 10:59:48 (44.10mph).

Davis defeated 13 starters in his class. Starting first he never looked back and finished with a victory margin of 38 minutes, five seconds.

Riding the No. 1x Honda CRF450X, Justin Morgan and his three-rider team raced to the overall motorcycle victory for his sixth consecutive overall motorcycle win in the SCORE World Desert Championship and his fourth overall win in the last five years in this race.

The trio crossed the finish line in 10:50:11 at an average speed of 44.76mph.

Morgan split the riding with Mark Samuels, Yucca Valley, Calif. who won his third overall moto title in this race in three years and Justin Jones, Murrieta, Calif. who won his second consecutive SCORE overall motorcycle title in this race.

Morgan rode from the start to race mile 180, Samuels rode from there to race mile 450, and Jones took it home from that point.

Defeating 24 starters in his class and 37 total UTVs to win the overall UTV win title in this year’s race was former Polaris key executive Craig Scanlon, with a winning time of 13:26.41 in his No. 2931 Polaris RZR Turbo. It was his first SCORE race win as a driver of record.

Besides this year’s SCORE San Felipe 250 overall winner Andy McMillin (SCORE Trophy Truck), other San Felipe class winners who won their class in this year’s SCORE Baja 500 to give them two straight wins to start the season were SCORE Baja 500 motorcycle winners were Justin Morgan, El Cajon, Calif. (Pro Moto Unlimited—No. 1x Honda CRF450R).

The other San Felipe 2-wheel class winner who won this race was Giovanni Spinali, El Cajon, Calif. (Pro Moto 50—No. 500x Yamaha YZ450FX). Spinali’s teammates for this race were Earl Roberts, Mexicali, Mexico/Troy Pearce, Ramona, Calif./John Griffin, Lake Forest, Calif./Jim O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif.

The veteran O’Neal earned his race-record 21st career class win in the SCORE Baja 500.

Pro Quad San Felipe winner Said Sanchez, Tijuana (No. 1a Honda TRX450R) won again for his second class win in this race to remain unbeaten in the 2019 SCORE World Desert Championship.

In one of the closest class finishes in this year’s race a battle of veterans saw the team of Clyde Stacy/Nick Vanderwey defeat Mark Post/Larry Roeseler by just 41 seconds in the SCORE TT Legends class for SCORE Trophy Truck drivers over 50 years old.

Stacy, 74, Bristol, Va. and Vanderwey, 52, Phoenix, drove the No. 5L Chevy Rally Truck V-16 (Geiser) to top Post, 61, Las Vegas and Roeseler, 62, Imperial, Calif., in their 30-year old No. 3L Ford F-150 (Riviera Racing).

Blues' Berube cries foul on number of penalties

Published in Hockey
Sunday, 02 June 2019 11:53

ST. LOUIS -- Blues coach Craig Berube said he doesn't know why his team has been penalized so much in the Stanley Cup Final, but he's not happy about it.

"First of all, we were the least penalized team in the league in the first three rounds; now all of a sudden we've taken 14 penalties in one series," Berube said Sunday, a day after a 7-2 Bruins drubbing. "So I don't know. I don't buy into all of that, to be honest with you. I think that we could definitely be more composed after the whistle. I think we've let some frustration get in there where we maybe do too much after the whistle. So we'll clean that up, for sure. But like I said, we were the least penalized team in the league coming into this series. I don't agree with all of the calls."

After averaging less than three penalties per game in the first three series -- a span of 19 games -- the Blues took five penalties in both Games 1 and 2, then four penalties in Game 3. Boston leads the series 2-1, with Game 4 on Monday in St. Louis.

The penalties have been especially damning considering the Bruins' power play has been historically good. Boston's power play has gone 23-for-63 (35.9 percent) this postseason, trailing only the 1981 Islanders for best playoff record of all time (minimum 15 games). Boston has been a ridiculous 14-of-28 on the road (50 percent) and they were frighteningly effective on Saturday; Boston went four-for-four on their power play, needing only four shots to score the four goals.

The Blues were without one of their primary penalty-killing forwards in Game 3. Oskar Sundqvist was serving his one-game suspension for boarding Matt Grzelcyk in Game 2. Sundqvist is poised to return to the lineup on Monday.

Berube said he has not sought explanation from the league on the officiating. "No, I mean, they make the calls and don't really give us explanations why," Berube said.

Berube said the penalty parade made it difficult for his staff to evaluate Game 3, which was a disaster for the Blues. The city of St. Louis was hosting its first Stanley Cup Final game in 49 years. There was a lengthy pregame ceremony featuring video montages of what this playoff run has meant to the city, and several celebrities were in the crowd, including actors Jon Hamm and Jenna Fischer, as well as Kansas City Chiefs players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The Blues, however, fell flat, falling behind 3-0 in the first period.

Berube said he thought his team played pretty well when they were 5-on-5.

"The penalties, they get four PPGs out of it," Berube said. "The game gets out of reach, so it's a tough game to evaluate. We're going to be fine tomorrow. Our guys will be dialed in, ready to go. they've always responded well after a loss. Like I said, we've lost Game 3s in all three rounds and really came back and played well in Game 4s."

Guido Migliozzi won his second European Tour title Sunday, defeating Darius van Driel in the final of the Belgian Knockout.

Migliozzi advanced to the knockout stages after rounds of 70-66 in stroke-play qualifying and then took down Pedro Oriol, Adrian Otaegui, David Law, Bernd Wiesberger and Ewen Ferguson in a series of nine-hole matches en route to final.

There, he bested van Driel by four, 32 to 36. Migliozzi carded four birdies and a lone bogey. Van Driel saw his chances fade when he dropped shots at Nos. 5 and 6, putting him in a three-shot hole from which he would not recover.

Migliozzi, 22, advanced from qualifying school last year and now has two wins in 20 European Tour starts, following his breakthrough back in March at the Kenya Open.

The win is projected to move him from 203rd in the Official World Golf Ranking to inside the top 100 for the first time. It also skips him ahead of Andrea Pavan in pursuit of Italy's second 2020 Olympic berth, behind Francesco Molinari.

After Saturday's 2-under 70, even Tiger Woods said himself he wasn't going to win. But there must have been something in him when he woke up Sunday to at least give it go, as Woods has caught fire early at the Memorial.

Things got started at the par-4 second, finding the fairway off the tee. With the pin tucked in the back left part of the green, Woods' approach was safely on the putting surface, just over 20 feet away.

Vintage Woods, walking in putts early. He would keep the momentum going on the third hole. Again in the middle of the short grass, Woods tossed a dart to 8 feet, and another look at birdie.

 The trusty Scotty Cameron was only starting to catch fire. A par at the fourth kept things alive, as Woods headed to the par-5 fifth where he made birdie on Thursday and Saturday.

Woods would chip to 4 feet and knock that in for his third birdie of the day. At the par-5 seventh, Woods again went for the green in two, and was left with a nearly 60-footer for eagle. The putt came up just short, and he had another knock-in birdie to move to 4 under on the day, 8 under for the week.

With momentum building yet again, Woods stepped to the par-3 eighth and attacked the pin, using the slope to feed his ball down the hill and within 6 feet of the hole. Another birdie on the day moved Woods to 9 under and tied for sixth.

Woods would go on to make par at the ninth, playing his outward nine in 5-under 31. After a par on the 10th, Woods narrowly missed his first fairway of the day at the 11th. But has he has done so well all week, he took advantage of another par-5 with an approach to just over 20 feet.

Still without a bogey on the day, Woods stepped up to the par-3 12th and dialed in another dart to 11 feet.

That would be the end of the birdie bonanza for Woods on Sunday, with bogeys on 14 and 18 to go along with four pars to end his week at the Memorial.

Hoping for his sixth win at Muirfield Village, and his 82nd overall that would have tied him with Sam Snead, Woods' focus now turns to the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in two weeks.

Liverpool dominate UCL squad of the season

Published in Soccer
Sunday, 02 June 2019 10:21

Six Liverpool players including goalkeeper Alisson, defender Virgil van Dijk and forward Sadio Mane have been named in UEFA's Champions League League squad of the season.

Champions League winners Liverpool's total pipped that of semifinalists Ajax, who had five players including coveted defender Matthijs de Ligt named in the 20-player squad.

- Marcotti: Despite win, Liverpool's journey far from over
- Liverpool ratings: Virgil, Alisson worthy of European title
- Champions League seeding confirmed for 2019-20

A panel of nine experts including England manager Gareth Southgate, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez and former Manchester United manager David Moyes picked the squad, which included both Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus.

Messi finished as outright top scorer in the tournament, with 12 goals, for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign, taking the crown from Ronaldo, who ended his European campaign with six strikes.

Liverpool, who beat Tottenham 2-0 to win the trophy in Madrid on Saturday, also had defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson and midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum named in the selection.

Three Spurs players -- defender Jan Vertonghen, midfielder Moussa Sissoko and forward Lucas Moura -- were chosen.

Champions League Squad of the Season:

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)

Defenders: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax) Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham) Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)

Midfielders: Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham) Hakim Ziyech (Ajax) Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) Frenkie de Jong (Ajax) Tanguy Ndombele (Lyon) Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool) David Neres (Ajax) Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) Dusan Tadic (Ajax) Sadio Mane (Liverpool) Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) Lucas Moura (Tottenham)

Azhar Mahmood has issued a rallying call to the Pakistan team ahead of their World Cup clash with England, reminding them they only need "ten good balls" to account for England's powerful batting line-up.

Monday's game will be played on the same pitch which saw England reach a record score of 481 for 6 against Australia last summer but the Pakistan bowling coach believes his side's attack has the wicket-taking firepower to ensure that record remains intact.

"We know we have ability, they have skill, and they are the best batting line-up," said Mahmood after Pakistan's training session at Trent Bridge. "But a lot of it going on, the 480 pitch has been a world record pitch, but they have to play 300 balls to get to that record, but we have to bowl 10 good balls to get 10 wickets.

"So we have ability, we have the skills to do that, and hopefully we can do it tomorrow."

Pakistan suffered an 11th straight loss in their dismal opening match against the West Indies at Trent Bridge but will take some inspiration from better performances in their four-match series against England last month. While they lost that series four-nil, Mahmood denied it would be a significant upset should Pakistan pull off a victory over the hosts.

"No upset. We can beat them," said Mahmood. "It's not upset. We have ability to beat them. If you see the one-day series, we were not that far from England. They scored 1430-odd runs, we scored 1370 runs, so we were 70 runs short.

"Unfortunately our fielding was not up to the mark and we gave extra bonus because we have an inexperienced bowling line-up, young bowling line-up. They need to learn from their mistakes. So we know what England can do, and we know what we can do."

Mahmood also pointed out the similarity to Pakistan's position at the same stage of the 2017 Champions Trophy. Pakistan lost heavily to India in their opening match of that tournament but then embarked on a winning streak that included ending England's campaign in the semi-finals and then defeating India in the final.

"We are one win away from coming back, and that's happened in the Champions Trophy as well," said Mahmood. "We lost in the Champions Trophy and then we came back hard. So whenever we have lost, we come back stronger, and we have the ability to bounce back.

"I totally believe in this team - totally. If you see these guys, they were part of the Champions Trophy as well, so they have experience. They've played in England, so they have enough experience and motivation to go and win the game for Pakistan.

"This is a World Cup. It won't be easy for us. It will be a roller coaster, not for us, for all the teams. It's a big tournament, so as long as we learn from our mistakes and we move on, it's better for us."

If there was any danger that England might allow a touch of complacency to creep over them before their match against Pakistan, a quick glance at the record books should set them straight.

Yes, Pakistan have lost 11 ODIs in a row. And yes, England are unbeaten in a bilateral ODI series at home since 2015. They go into Monday's World Cup match as strong favourites.

But Pakistan have derailed England's plans before. Just two years ago, in Cardiff, they ended their Champions Trophy hopes at the semi-final stage, while England's new retro kit should ensure memories of the 1992 World Cup final remain fresh in the mind. Indeed, England have beaten Pakistan only once in a global ODI tournament (the World Cup or Champions Trophy) since 1983. That England victory, inspired by a young James Anderson, came back in 2003. An England side still searching for that maiden, global ODI trophy can have no room for complacency.

There is unlikely to be much swing on offer in Nottingham on Monday. Instead, England look set to reunite their two fastest bowlers - Jofra Archer and Mark Wood - in what may be the quickest ODI opening pair they have ever had.

There is logic in the approach. Pakistan looked uncomfortable against West Indies' fast bowling on the same ground on Friday. And while this pitch is not quite the same - it is two along the square and is the strip that produced the world record 481 last year and 444 against Pakistan in 2016 - England will hope their opening pair have the pace and control to unsettle a Pakistan batting line-up that looks low on confidence. In the ODI here a couple of weeks ago, Wood forced Imam ul Haq to retire hurt following a blow on the elbow, while Archer dismissed the dangerous Asif Ali with a bouncer.

With Wood and Archer more than capable of sharing the new balls, there is a possibility Chris Woakes could make way for Tom Curran. There was a time England might have worried about that weakening the batting but, such is Curran's improvement - and Archer's promise - with the bat, that is far less of a concern. Curran is also one of England's more proficient bowlers at the death.

That would be tough on Liam Plunkett and Woakes, who would probably be the bowlers to make way. Plunkett dismissed both South Africa openers on Thursday and contributed nicely in the field and with the bat, while Woakes was only required to bowl five overs and is understood to have recovered well. Both could feel justifiably disappointed to miss out. Maybe it is relevant that both Wood and Archer conceded more than six-an-over in that ODI a couple of weeks ago, too. Plunkett's cutters might not be as glamorous as Wood's pace, but they can prove just as awkward for batsmen.

Either way, England captain, Eoin Morgan, insisted his side would not underestimate Pakistan and cautioned against anyone expecting the vast scores we have seen here in the recent past.

And while he gave nothing away over his team selection - he may even have hinted that it would remain unchanged - the whispers around the England camp gave a slightly different story.

"We prepare for Pakistan at their best," he said. "Two years ago they were the best side in the world in the Champions Trophy. They turned us over and they turned India over. We'll be preparing as best we can for their A game.

"To get anywhere near 481 you have to play unbelievably well. It starts with the very basics of getting ourselves into an innings. You always start on 0. And this pitch maybe a bit different. It looks as if it may be a bit two-paced and with steeper bounce.

"There is a chance Wood could play. We saw the wicket the other day went through with more pace and exposed Pakistan, more so with the short ball. That short bowling could be a trend in this tournament. Over the last couple of years, the end in the short formats has been to bowl leg-spin. But the nature of these pitches might mean that short bowling is the trend.

"The pitches look pretty good. Cross seam deliveries into the wicket might be getting a better reaction than any other bowling. It's potentially coming off two-paced which makes cross-bat shots a little bit harder and means you have to take a higher risk.

"As the tournament progresses, you will probably see the wickets get slower and we'll look at playing three spinners or bringing in a death bowler. We're looking at all aspects."

Rain curtailed England's training session on Sunday. It was noticeable, however, that Joe Root took to the indoor nets where he faced a barrage of short balls. Pakistan's bowlers have some pace and skill of their own. They have curtailed England's plans before. They will not be taken lightly.

Shakib, Mustafizur, Mushfiqur beat South Africa

Published in Cricket
Sunday, 02 June 2019 12:22

Bangladesh 330 for 6 (Mushfiqur 78, Shakib 75, Phehlukwayo 2-52) beat South Africa 309 for 8 (du Plessis 62, Mustafizur 3-67) by 21 runs

As it happened: Bangladesh v South Africa

These teams seem to bring out extremes in one another. In previous World Cups, that has meant one-sided games, in which one side completely dominated the other - as South Africa did with a 10-wicket thumping in their first encounter in Bloemfontein in 2003. Four years later, it was Bangladesh's turn to bring the pain as an array of left-arm spinners sent South Africa spiralling to a 67-run defeat at Providence. The pendulum swung back when Bangladesh wilted to 78 all out under lights in Mirpur in 2011. And now it's swung once more, Bangladesh excelling to soar to a 21-run win.

WATCH on Hotstar - Shakib Al Hasan's solid 75 (Available to viewers in India only)

That result would make this officially the closest South Africa-Bangladesh match in ODI history, but on a day when South Africa were outplayed in all departments, that wasn't saying much. This was Bangladesh's second ever World Cup win over South Africa and, hinting at the momentum they have behind them, their fifth win in their last five completed ODIs.

South Africa's fast bowlers huffed and they puffed, but they couldn't blow Bangladesh's house down. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as Bangladesh's batsmen studded their innings Manhattan with skyscrapers.

ALSO READ - Shakib, the quickest to 5000 runs and 250 wickets in ODIs

Along the way, Bangladesh's achievements, collective and individual, were both many and noteworthy. Shakib Al Hasan became the first Bangladeshi - and fastest cricketer - to the double of 250 wickets and 5,000 runs in ODIs, getting there quicker than the likes of Shahid Afridi and Jacques Kallis. Bangladesh reached 330 for 6, their highest total in ODIs, smashing their previous best against South Africa by 52 runs.

That they soared so high was thanks mainly to a 142-run stand between Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim, which is also Bangladesh's highest in World Cups. Together they built on the solid early efforts of Soumya Sarkar, who took on the short ball with gumption, showing echoes of his early outings against the South Africans at home way back in 2015, when he ramped and hooked his way to 205 runs in three innings to help his team to a 2-1 series win.

WATCH on Hotstar - Mushfiqur's 78 lifts Bangladesh (Available to viewers in India only)

Today, he got his team off to an excellent start with a fluid 60-run opening stand with Tamim Iqbal. South Africa clearly had a plan with the ball, and Faf du Plessis said as much at the toss, telegraphing his intentions by saying: "We're playing the extra seamer today so we want to try and attack Bangladesh with some extra pace." But once Bangladesh showed they were happy to take the short ball on, South Africa floundered for a back-up.

There was much fanfare about the potential in South Africa's bowling attack before this tournament. Kagiso Rabada, Dale Steyn, Lungi Ngidi and Imran Tahir are all match-winners in their own right, and having all four in the same line-up was South Africa's Plan A. But Steyn is yet to recover from the shoulder flare-up that cut short his IPL jaunt, Ngidi limped off with a tweaked hamstring after bowling four wicketless overs in which he leaked seven boundaries, and Rabada endured one of his rare off days, conceding 0 for 57 in his ten overs.

Worse still, South Africa had one of their worst days in recent memory in the field. The trouble started as early as the fifth over, when a regulation edge flew right between du Plessis and Aiden Markram in the slips, gifting Sarkar a second life. Then, as the partnership between Shakib and Mushfiqur grew, South African shoulders sagged and their energy in the field flatlined.

Misfields aplenty - and most egregious of all, Chris Morris' amateurish effort at short fine leg when Mushfiqur swept a ball from Tahir almost straight to him in the 20th over - eased the pressure whenever it started to build. Shakib was first to his fifty, getting there in the 26th over, Mushfiqur following him to the mark three overs later. Neither could kick on to three figures, but Mahmudullah ensured their efforts were not wasted, and Bangladesh's innings crescendoed as 54 runs came from the final four overs.

Bangladesh carried that momentum into the field, and there was a distinctly nervy feel to the start of South Africa's chase. Nerves turned to all-out jitters when de Kock was needlessly run out in the 10th over. Thereafter, it was Bangladesh's best-laid plans that worked out. A trap was set for du Plessis, mid-off being brought up to tempt him into hitting against the spin, and he duly jumped into it - and out of his crease, running past a Mehidy offbreak to be bowled for 62.

South Africa's hopes seemed to depart with him. Mustafizur got rid of David Miller via a leading edge to point, and Rassie van der Dussen played a decidedly flustered hoick across the line to be bowled by Mohammad Saifuddin for 45.

Thereafter, South Africa never looked up for it. All Bangladesh had to do was hold their nerve, and they did just that, opening their World Cup campaign with a win.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza says a collective performance is slowly becoming a winning formula for his side that beat South Africa by 21 runs in their World Cup opener on Sunday.

He didn't call the win their biggest ever but he said the wholesomeness of the performance delighted him, and would give the team much confidence for their next game.

"This is the team we are," Mashrafe said. "We mostly win when everyone contributes. Once most of our players step up, there's a good possibility to win the matches. I think we have been lucky, and played so well. We played well in the 2007 World Cup, and did well in a few matches in the 2011 World Cup too.

"I don't think this is our best win in terms of individual wins, but it wasn't easy for us in these conditions. It is one of our best performances because we are away from home, and I loved the way we played today. We know that it won't happen every day but we will take this win any day."

Mashrafe, however, warned his team-mates and fans not to go overboard with their first win in the competition with eight games remaining.

"We don't want to be too excited," he said. "We just have two points so far, so we should just focus on our game. We have to beat big teams if we want to do well in this tournament.

"I think from now we should forget about today's game. We have to plan against New Zealand, and try to execute it properly. This win will give us confidence but more challenges await us especially for our batsmen."

Mashrafe that he was pleased to see the batsmen play aggressively, yet not take too many risks. Soumya Sarkar embodied the approach by hitting nine chanceless boundaries in his 30-ball 42, before Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim struck fifties, and later Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain blasted 60-odd runs in the last six overs.

"It looked good that the batsmen built the innings without taking risks. I think they told themselves that we don't need to take many risks to score quickly. I hope that they took this message, and will apply it in the middle in the coming games."

Mashrafe didn't discount luck from the equation either, saying that when Mehidy Hasan Miraz got one to turn into Faf du Plessis and got him bowled, he knew something was up for them.

"I am a believer in luck," he said. "Everyone plans but it doesn't always come off. Luck is a factor in these tournaments, if you want to do well. The delivery that got Faf du Plessis was the only ball that turned, so luck is very much a thing."

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EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The country song "All My Ex's Live in Texas"...

Baseball

A's to wear Las Vegas patch in sponsorship deal

A's to wear Las Vegas patch in sponsorship deal

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLAS VEGAS -- The Athletics will play in Northern California for at...

Source: Yanks' Cole to have tests on right elbow

Source: Yanks' Cole to have tests on right elbow

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNew York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole is scheduled to undergo t...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

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    Major League Baseball
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    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

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