THE CITY'S UNIVERSITY STADIUM HAD HOSTED THE WEST INDIES FOR AN ODI IN 1988. The third T20 International played on Tuesday between India and New Zealand in Kerala’s capital city made for an enthralling contest, as the match went right down to the wire. Eventually, India emerged victorious by six runs in the last over to take the series 2-1.
Thiruvananthapuram was hosting an international cricket match after a gap of 29 long years. The T20 was played at the new Greenfield stadium, which can be used for playing football matches as well. Two years back, the stadium had hosted the final of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championships where India had beaten Afghanistan to win the title. However, it was back in 1988 that the city had its first brush with international cricket. The West Indians led by Viv Richards took the field against the Indians marshalled by Ravi Shastri in a one day international (ODI), played at the University stadium. India scored 239 in their allotted 45 overs which was overhauled comfortably by the opposition. The West Indians won by 9 wickets, riding on Gordon Greenidge’s 84 studded with five sixes, as well as a century from Phil Simmons. This was in fact the last ODI of the series, which the West Indies went on to win 6-1. Four years earlier though, the city had been declared as the venue for its first ever one-day international. The match was played between India and Australia on October 1, 1984 at the University stadium. India were led by Sunil Gavaskar and Australia by Kim Hughes. In the 37-over match, India were bowled out for 175. The ‘Colonel’, Dilip Vengsarkar top-scored for the hosts with 77 runs. Carl Rackemann and Tom Hogan shared the spoils for the visitors, snaring 7 wickets between them. Australia were 29/1 in the eighth over when the skies opened up and the match was subsequently called off. GIANLUIGI BUFFON CLAIMED TOP PRIZE IN THE GOALKEEPER CATEGORY, AHEAD OF FC BAYERN'S MANUEL NEUER. Cristiano Ronaldo has been crowned world player of the year at FIFA's The Best awards. The Real Madrid forward beat Barcelona's Lionel Messi to top spot for the second year running, with Paris Saint Germain's Neymar Jr. also missing out.
The Portuguese was a hot favorite to retain the prize after another successful 12 months saw him add La Liga and FIFA Club World Cup medals to a third Champions League triumph in four years, the latter secured in large part to his 12-goal haul during the competition. "Thank you very much. It's great to be around these amazing players. I am so happy," said a beaming Ronaldo, after collecting the award from Diego Maradona and Brazil's Ronaldo in London. Messi looked on as his rival collected a rebranded version of the award he last won in 2015. One of the two has won its equivalent every year for the past decade; Kaka's triumph in 2007 was the last time football fans were treated to a different winner. The fact that Messi missed out, despite scoring 37 times during Barcelona's ill-fated 2016/17 title challenge and collecting a Copa Del Rey medal, is testament to the level they've pushed one another to in recent years. Zidane collects coaching award Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane was named best men's coach for 2017, becoming the first man to lead his team to a successful defense of the European Cup in the Champions League era. The former France star finished ahead of Chelsea's Antonio Conte and Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri in the judges' decision. Lieke Martens was crowned the best female player for 2017, ahead of USA's Carli Lloyd and Venezuela's Deyna Castellanos. Martens enjoyed a remarkable season for the Netherlands and FC Rosengard, lifting the Women's EURO 2017 title in August. "I couldn't have achieved this without my family," said Martens. "Dad and Mum, this is for you." The best female coach award went to Sarina Wiegman, who masterminded the Netherlands' Women's Euro 2017 triumph on home soil. Golden gloves Gianluigi Buffon claimed top prize in the goalkeeper category, ahead of FC Bayern's Manuel Neuer and Real Madrid's Keylor Navas. Neuer has been at his imperious best when fit over the past 12 months, though recurring injury problems ultimately dented the recently-appointed Germany captain's chances of winning. Buffon sealed the top spot thanks to a year which saw the 39-year-old win Serie A and reach the Champions League final with Juventus, going 660 minutes without conceding a goal in the competition before losing to Ronaldo's Madrid in the final. Best of the rest The Puskas Award, given for the year's best goal, was awarded to Olivier Giroud for his stunning "scorpion kick" volley for Arsenal in the Premier League. The fan award, which was collected by Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool in last year’s ceremony — thanks to their spine-tingling joint rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' — was won by Celtic for the celebrations which accompanied the 50th anniversary of their historic European Cup triumph. The sport's governing body has argued for years that a Test championship is needed to boost the 5-day format's popularity. Wellington: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to approve plans for its long-awaited World Test Championship at a meeting in New Zealand this week, it was reported Monday.
The sport's governing body has argued for years that a Test championship is needed to boost the five-day format's popularity as crowds and television viewers flock to the big-hitting Twenty20 version of the game. But squabbling over formats and fears that some nations will be disadvantaged have twice stymied efforts to launch a league structure since 2010. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that plans for a nine-nation Test championship were now well advanced and the ICC was set to give the concept a green light on Friday at a meeting in Auckland. It said the first edition of the competition would run over a two-year cycle beginning in 2019, culminating in a final between the top two teams at Lord's. Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said the league competition would give Test series a broader international "context", making them more than stand-alone bilateral contests. "You're also creating structure in such a way that you no longer have games without meaning. They are all part of a league championship," he told the Herald. Purists view Test cricket as the pinnacle of the sport but it has struggled, particularly in Asia, as lucrative T20 competitions such as the Indian Premier League have caught the public's imagination. A recent innovation designed to reverse the trend is the introduction of day-night Test matches, which moves playing sessions to more spectator-friendly hours. The idea of four-day Test matches has also been floated, although traditionalists oppose the move. The Herald reported that the ICC will also look at a major shake-up of one-day international fixtures at the Auckland meeting. It said a 13-nation ODI league was being considered, which would operate on a three-year cycle with results affecting World Cup qualification. Under the plans, the number of ODIs in a series would be capped at three, ending the lengthy five-match series that are currently part of the international fixture list. |
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