CENTURION: India believes victory over New Zealand in today’s World Cup Super Six match will give it a better chance of winning the tournament, captain Saurav Ganguly said yesterday.

Ganguly told a news conference that Sri Lanka, which qualifies for the semi-finals if New Zealand loses and it then beat Zimbabwe, had the ability to upset defending champions Australia in the semi-finals. “We want to win this because it settles a lot of combinations,” Ganguly said. “It gives Sri Lanka an opportunity to qualify for the semi-finals. They could be a handy side in Port Elizabeth where the ball has turned a lot.”

Australia beat India by nine wickets in the first round, dismissing it for its lowest World Cup score of 125. Ganguly said he might reshuffle his batting order today to give all his batsmen an opportunity before the semi-finals. “That is an option we definitely are looking into. We want all our batsmen to be in good touch before we go to Durban,” he said. He said India were not too concerned about the prospect of facing Shane Bond, one of the fastest bowlers in the world, who took six for 23 against Australia. “The pressure is on New Zealand,” he said. “Pakistan have a better attack and we beat them. Even England’s pace attack was very good and we beat them under lights in Durban. So there is no reason for us to panic (today).”

Ganguly added he was looking forward to meeting Kenya in the semi-finals. “I’ve got to be honest,” he said. “It is better than facing other sides like South Africa or West Indies. We will have to play well. Kenya have played well in this World Cup and luck has gone their way. “We have to be really, really up for the game because they have surprised quite a few teams. We don’t want to be surprised.”  New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said his side would feel no special pressure against India after spending almost the entire World Cup with their backs to the wall. “It’s the same scenario,” he told a news conference. “We have to play one more good game. It’s the same as it’s been since we lost our opening match against Sri Lanka. We have been up against the wall the whole time.”

EX-NATIONAL youth cricketer Adrion Rahim blasted his way to 268 runs for Union Hall against Woodland without being out, in their Division II “A” South Zonal Council cricket match.

First, Rahim scored an unbeaten 186 in his team’s 349-run first innings, and was again unbeaten when they totalled 215 for seven, this time with 82. But despite Rahim’s heroics, Union Hall were forced to settle for a draw. Another outstanding performance came from Junior Joseph who snatched match figures of 10 wickets for 58 runs and scored 52 for Petrotrin Pointe-a-Pierre to crush Young Lions in a Division I game. Shafeek Mohammed also had a good game for the P-a-P reserve team, taking 120 off the Young Lions’ attack in their reserve league game.

Here are the scores:
Division I – A – PETROTRIN P-A-P 250 – K. Celestine 61, J. Joseph 52, R. Boodram 41, R. Sewdass 5/66 and 165 for 6 declared – R. Boodram 49, J. Joseph 26, J. Dookie 3/24 vs YOUNG LIONS 118  – D. Halls 35, J. Joseph 6/34 and 131 – D. Halls 28, H. Ragbir 24, J. Joseph 4/24.
DIAMOND UTD 201 – G. Collins 63, P. Sookdeo 52, E. Bachoo 5/65 and 180 – S. Kanhai 40, P. Sookdeo 35, I. Ramnanan 5/24 vs BEN LOMOND 284 – E. Dass 45, L. Ramnanan 44, S. Kanhai 5/69 and 97 for 5 – F./ Barroo 33.
B.JOY HYO 341 – J. Ramnanan 75, V. Narine 67, K. Narine 65, J. Ramoutar 5/56 vs USINE 83 – V. Manpool 4/35, K. Narine 4/35 and 156 – D. Rampersad 42, J. Ramnanan 3/22.
Division I “B” (Reserve) – B.JOY HYO 164 – N. Baptiste 66, D. Sonnylal 33, J. Mahabir 4/35 vs USINE 108 – J. John 41, K. Jaggesar 3/21 and 97 for 5 – J. John 36,.
PETROTRIN 293 – S. Mohammed 120, S. Sooknanan 40, W. Mohammed 3/65 and 49 for 2 – K. Manohar 27 vs YOUNG LIONS 249 – S. Ali 63, N. Mohammed 45, L. Astee.e 3 /48.
BEN LOMOND 84 – D. Sookdeo 46, J. Paul 4/12 and 125 – H. Mahelal 25, S. Beharry 3/16 vs DIAMOND 118 – S. Beharry 41, H. Mahelal 4/28 and 50 for one.

Division II – A – OJ SPORTS 202 – D. David 70,  J. Bishop 34, K. Ali 5/54 and 105 for 8 – D. Farris 25, D. David 23, B. Jibodesingh 3/9 vs MYO 104 – I. Ali 30, R.  Behrue 4/34 and 110 for six – J. Fransoir 26.
PARAGON 223 – H. Bridgelal 107, J. Dhanesar 3/35 vs X-MEN 114 – R. Thomas 36, S. Goomansingh 4/30 and 67 – A. Gunness 6/10.
UNION HALL 349 – A. Rahim 186 not out, W. Bally 6/97 and 215 for 7 – A. Rahim 82 not out, V. Ramlakhan 42, W. Bally 4/78 vs WOODLAND 287 – B. Angard 87, R. Harripersad 42, C.D. Singh 3/87.
PIPARO UNITED 228 – B. Lezama 50, P. Ramon-Fortune 39, K. Ramsawak 4/37 and 65 for three – D./ Lezama 25 vs EVERGREEN 283 – S. Nandlal 63, M. Ramasir 51, B. Solozano 5/36.
Division II – B (Reserve) – X-MEN 167 – D. Neeranjan 36, N. Mangroo 3/22 vs PARAGON 59 – A. Ramasray 19, D. Neeranjan 3/17.
UNION HALL 188 – L. Ramoutar 58, S. Walay 44, V. Deonarine 3/20 vs WOODLAND 192 for six – V. Deonarine 70, K. Mungal 33, D. Gabriel 5/34.
O.J. SPORTS 199 for eight – G. David 46, R. Deonarine 35, K. Gangabissoon 35 not out vs MYO 155 for nine – J. Ali 26, N. Ramnath 3/40.

TILE IT Central Sports edged out Caroni Wanderers and Transbrokerage Couva Sports for the final berth in the Carib Cup quarter-finals.

The Chaguanas-based club nosed ahead of Wanderers by 0.04 point after they concluded their Group C match against CLICO Preysal on Wednesday. They lost by 22 runs and completed three rounds with one victory with a net run rate of .17.  Wanderers and Couva Sports also ended with one win each and three points.  They finished with an overall net rate of .21 and .51 respectively. Central Sports eventually placed second to Preysal in Group C and they will clash with Group D leader FCB Clarke Road United in the quarter-finals carded for March 25 and 26.

Preysal, Group C winner, will do battle with defending champion PowerGen Sports which finished as Group D runner-up. Ceramic MerryBoys, Group A leader, will tangle with S&J Endeavour Sports (Group B runners-up) while former champions Alescon Comets (Group B winners) play Queen’s Park,  Group A runner-up. MerryBoys, Comets, Preysal and Clarke Road played unbeaten in the three rounds and finished with maximum nine points each. Semi-finals are scheduled for April 1 and 2 and April 8 and 9. The grand final will be contested under floodlights at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre on May 2.

A TOTAL of  ?125,000 (TT$1.2 million) will be at stake when an official European Seniors Tour event, the 2nd Tobago Plantations Seniors Classic tees off at the Tobago Plantations Beach golf course on April 3. 

With just three weeks to go until the start of the Classic preparations on the course are now nearing their final stages. The Tour’s top 72 players, representing more than 18 countries worldwide, will match their golfing skills at the three-day 54-hole tournament,  the third event on the 2003 European Seniors Tour calendar. Heading the star-studded line-up will be defending champion Steve Stull of the United States, who last year clinched a three-stroke victory over runner-up John Chillas of Scotland with an impressive 11-under par total of 205.

Also taking part in the event will be England’s Denis Durnian who clinched second place in the 2002 Order of Merit and Scotland’s Bernard Gallacher, the three-time former European Ryder Cup captain. Local hopes fall firmly on the shoulders of 50-year-old Alan Mew, Trinidad and Tobago’s only representative in the event, who has received a sponsor’s invite to take part in the tournament from the host venue, Tobago Plantations. The tournament has attracted valuable support from a host of local sponsors, including TIDCO, THA, Guardian Holdings and Hilton Hotels. Tournament organisers WSM are also delighted to announce a further sponsorship deal with Kilpatrick Company, the golf course equipment supplier.

Rupert Vitoria, sponsorship manager at WSM, said:  “We are delighted with the level of sponsorship support for the 2003 tournament. “With its extensive international media coverage, including television distribution to a potential 68 million viewers, the tournament provides an ideal platform for local and international sponsors to showcase their brands to a worldwide audience. It also provides Tobago with an ideal opportunity to further enhance its reputation as one of the world’s fastest growing golfing holiday destinations. “I look forward to working closely with all our sponsors during the course of the tournament week to ensure that they leverage maximum benefits from their association with the event.” Chris Patey, director of golf at Tobago Plantations, said: “With just over three weeks to go until the start of the tournament, preparations are now very much in their final stages and we are looking forward to welcoming the European Seniors Tour players and officials to Tobago Plantations at the beginning of April.  “Following the success of last year’s inaugural tournament, the 2003 Seniors Classic has much to live up to.  I am confident, however, that the event will be every bit as successful as 2002, if not more so.”

The 2003 European Seniors Tour tees-off in Montego Bay, Jamaica on March 21 before moving on to Barbados on March 27 for the Royal Westmoreland Barbados Open.  The players will then make the short hop to Tobago on March 30, giving themselves a few days to acclimatise to the local conditions before the tournament gets underway on April 3.

ST MARY’S opened the 2003 Berger Paint Secondary Schools Hockey League in emphatic fashion when they defeated a combined Diego Martin Secondary/St George’s College team by a crushing 5-0 margin in the boys Under-19 category at the St Joseph’s Convent Ground.

And Providence ‘A’ showed little mercy on a Holy Name Convent ‘B’ outfit, whipping their opponents 3-0 in a girls Group ‘A’ contest, also at the same venue on Wednesday. Matthew Tang Yan went on a goal-spree, notching four goals for The Saints in their rout, while Nicholas Camacho added the other. And, in the earlier contest Jade Piper, Danielle Grenado and Cherrise Phillips were on target for Providence. But matches at the Princes Building Ground, between South East Port of Spain (SEPOS) and St Anthony’s in the boys as well as SEPOS and Bishop’s Anstey in the girls, were postponed until next week.

LONDON: After the unforgettable spectacle of the Cheltenham Festival, punters have somewhat less interesting fare on offer today but nevertheless there could be some value available in the shape of Indien Royal at Warwick.

From the successful yard of Paul Nicholls, Indien Royal has yet to add to the stable’s tally but his turn can come in the Systimax SCS Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle. The ex-French gelding has raced just three times for Nicholls and has finished second on each occasion and last time out may have been a shade unlucky when beaten eight lengths by the useful Red Wine in a decent contest at Newbury. He deserved plenty of credit that day as he forced the pace, knocked the fifth hurdle flat, all but getting rid of his rider, but was still galloping to the line. Indien Royal’s form reads well and he warrants the nap. At Fakenham, Rainbow River stands out as the best bet on the card in the Holkham Country Fair, 19th & 20th July 2003 Conditional Jockeys’ Maiden Hurdle.

A moderate performer on the Flat, Rainbow River shaped well on his hurdling bow at Market Rasen earlier this month when chasing home the smart Man O’Mystery. He was sent in pursuit of Man O’Mystery from the second last but was always fighting a losing battle and went down by half a length. Although flattered by his proximity to the cosy winner he still had the third horse 14 lengths away and looks well up to the task today.

At Lingfield, Snuki has a great chance to open his account for the season in the Bet Direct On Channel 4 Page 613 Claiming Stakes. Gary Moore’s colt scored twice at the Surrey track in December but has failed to add to that record in three starts this year, but showed enough last time to suggest his turn was near. He finished strongly to take the runner’s up slot, beaten one and a half lengths by Learned Lad. Clearly in good heart, Snuki looks the one they have to beat. Westbound Road can give in-form trainer David Loder and top owner Sheikh Mohammed another success by taking the betdirect.co.uk Handicap.

SELECTIONS: FAKENHAM: 2.10 Son Of A Gun, 2.40 Take The Stand, 3.10 Needwood Lion, 3.40 Cool Roxy, 4.10 Bard Of Drumcoo, 4.40 Rainbow River.
LINGFIELD: 1.50 Far Storm, 2.20 Connect, 2.50 Jodeeka, 3.20 Tease, 3.50 Kelpie, 4.20 Westbound Road, 4.50 Snuki, 5.20 Miss George.
WARWICK: 2.00 Bold King, 2.30 Kadito, 3.00 Over Zealous, 3.30 INDIEN ROYAL (NAP), 4.00 Chief Witness, 4.30 Cassia Green, 5.05 Inner Sanctum.
DOUBLE: Indien Royal and Rainbow River.

ORLANDO: Karl Malone became only the second man in NBA history to reach 36,000 career points, pouring in a total of 40 to propel the Utah Jazz to a 111-108 victory over the Orlando Magic Wednesday.

Malone, who will be 40 in July, also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out seven assists in Wednesday night’s game to join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who had 38,387 points. NBA scoring leader Tracy McGrady had 32 points for the Magic, while Pat Garrity added 20 and eight boards.
In BOSTON: The New Orleans Hornets had their five-game road winning streak snapped as they were thumped 93-65 by the Celtics. Antoine Walker notched 23 points and Paul Pierce 21 for the Celtics.
In PHILADELPHIA: Allen Iverson notched 31 points to carry the surging 76ers to a 96-93 victory over the Indiana Pacers, their 12th win in 14 games.

In DETROIT: Chauncey Billups matched his season best with 33 points as the Pistons trounced the Los Angeles Lakers 111-88. Teammate Mehmet Okur added a career-high 22 points. Shaquille O’Neal had 24 points and 13 rebounds and Kobe Bryant scored 21 for the Lakers.

In ATLANTA:  Shareef Abdur-Rahim notched 29 points and Jason Terry added 22 as the Hawks thumped the Milwaukee Bucks 111-92.
Sam Cassell had 24 points and Gary Payton 19 to pace the Bucks.

In MINNEAPOLIS: The San Antonio Spurs handed the Minnesota Timberwolves their first loss in 18 home games, winning 111-99. It was the Spurs’s 26th victory against just five losses in 2003. Stephen Jackson had 22 points to top San Antonio while Tim Duncan added 18 and 14 rebounds. Troy Hudson had 30 points for Minnesota, 20 in the third quarter. Kevin Garnett collected 17 points and 13 rebounds.

In MEMPHIS: The Memphis Grizzlies opened up a 41-29 first-quarter lead on their way to a 124-95 rout of the Chicago Bulls.
Pau Gasol had 27 points to pace the hosts, who won for the fifth consecutive game to tie the franchise record.

In HOUSTON: Steve Francis, Glen Rice and Cuttino Mobley all topped 20 points as the Rockets outlasted the Los Angeles Clippers 118-114 in overtime. Francis picked up six of his team-high 25 points in overtime. Yao Ming added 10 and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who are now tied with Phoenix for the final playoff berth in the West.

In PORTLAND: The Blazers broke open a close game with lopsided second and third quarters to rout the Toronto Raptors 125-103.
Six Blazers were in double figures, led by former Raptor Damon Stoudamire with 20 points. Vince Carter had 21 to top Toronto.