Champion Feng Tianwei in winning start - #Commonwealth_Games

#GNN - #GLASGOW: Reigning #champion Feng Tianwei got off to a winning start in the Commonwealth Games women´s table tennis singles with a 4-0 win over Nigerian Cecilia Akpan.

Having already progressed through to the fourth round of the mixed doubles alongside Zhan Jian, Singapore´s world number four, Feng beat Akpan, ranked 320 in the world, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 in the second round.

Feng, 27, who has already won gold in the women´s team event, now faces Australia´s Zhenhua Dederko in the third round on Thursday, when she begins her women´s doubles campaign alongside Yu Mengyu.

Second seed Yu, ranked 10 in the world, needed five games to beat England´s Tin-Tin Ho, 15, while third seed Lin Ye won by the same margin against Megan Phillips of Wales, to progress to the third round. (AFP)

England ease past Canada to reach hockey semis - #Commonwealth_Games

#GNN - #GLASGOW: #England will almost certainly face reigning champions Australia in the semi-finals of the men´s hockey event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after a routine 3-1 win over Canada on Thursday.

Just needing to avoid a heavy defeat to seal their passage into the last four, two goals from Ashley Jackson and another from captain Barry Middleton put England 3-0 up before Canadian captain Scott Tupper fired home a late consolation.

New Zealand will ensure they finish top of Group B by avoiding defeat against Malaysia later on Thursday, whilst Australia can also round off a 100 percent record from Group A when they face hosts Scotland. (AFP)

Gerrard calls time on England career

#GNN - #LIVERPOOL: #England #captain Steven Gerrard retired from #international #football on Monday after becoming a pillar of the team in 114 appearances, but making way after the country´s disastrous World Cup campaign.

Gerrard, 34, led England at the World Cup where they bowed out in the group stage. The Liverpool midfielder said he had "agonised" over the decision since returning from Brazil. "This has been a very difficult decision, one of the toughest I´ve had to make in my career," Gerrard told the Football Association´s FATV. "I have agonised over this since coming back from Brazil and have spoken to family, friends and people close to me in the game before coming to this point. I have enjoyed every minute of representing my country and it is a sad day for me knowing that I won´t pull on the England shirt again."

Gerrard has been hailed as one of the best midfielders to come out of England. The first of his 21

international goals came in a famous 5-1 victory over Germany in a World Cup qualifier in September, 2001.

Gerrard said his desire to maintain his form and fitness for Liverpool, particularly given the Reds return to this season´s Champions League, also played a factor in his England retirement. "Most importantly, Brendan (Rodgers) has been fantastic and obviously I have to look after my body as much as possible to ensure I can give everything when I take to the field. To ensure I can keep playing to a high level and giving everything to Liverpool Football Club I believe this is the right decision, and having Champions League football back at Anfield is another big factor in my decision," explained Gerrard.

Gerrard, who made his international debut against Ukraine in 2000, trails just Peter Shilton (125) and David Beckham (115) on England´s all-time caps list.

He appeared at three World Cup finals as well as three European Championships. He captained England on 38 occasions, notably at both 2010 and 2014 World Cups as well as Euro 2012. "I´d like to firstly thank my family and friends for all their support throughout my England journey," said Gerrard. "I´d also like to thank everyone who has been part of my international career, from the England managers I´ve played under to the staff at the FA and, of course, all the players I´ve been fortunate to play alongside. In particular the supporters have been amazing, not least in Brazil when they got behind the team despite the disappointing results.”

England coach Roy Hodgson, who made Gerrard his full-time captain in 2012, paid tribute to his outgoing skipper, saying: "While I´m disappointed in the decision, I can entirely understand Steven´s situation and can have no complaints given the incredible service he has given to his country. I must respect his wishes due to the discussions we have had and the amount of thought and consideration he himself has given it. We shall miss his leadership qualities as we look ahead to the (Euro 2016) qualification campaign with a youthful group of players.”

Former England defender Rio Ferdinand, whose injury saw Gerrard replace him as captain for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, was also full of praise, tweeting: "Gerrard has been an incredible player. Surpassing 100 caps is some achievement."

Midfielder Frank Lampard, who has 106 England caps to his name, could well be the next member of the country´s so-called ´Golden Generation´ to call time on his international career. The ex-Chelsea midfielder, now 36, is expected to announce his decision in coming weeks. (GNN)(AIP)(AFP)

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Injury-plagued Prior pulls out of England duty

#GNN - #LONDON: #England #wicketkeeper Matt Prior said after his side´s crushing defeat by India on Monday that he will not play any more Tests this season and may have ended his international career.

Prior, 32, said he needs time off to treat injuries, including an Achilles problem that will need surgery, which has hit his form.

The Sussex player revealed his decision to step away from England action just hours after his country slumped to a 95-run defeat in the second Test against India at Lord´s.

Lancashire´s Jos Buttler is the leading candidate to replace Prior and he will learn if he has been given the nod on Tuesday when England name their

squad for the third Test in Southampton starting Sunday.

Prior has had a torrid season behind the stumps and his rash dismissal, unwisely hooking Ishant Sharma, played a key role in England´s second innings collapse.

He has dropped six catches of varying difficulty this season and with the bat he has averaged just 25.

Prior attributes his poor form to injury complaints. "I´m not doing justice to myself and more importantly the team and that is what matters first and foremost," Prior said. "I tore my quad before the first Test and my right hand has been beaten to a pulp, but the main issue is the Achilles. Now we have the time, I want to be pro-active about how we deal with it so I imagine that I´ll have an operation. I´ve always said as long as I can do my job I will manage the pain and get on with it, but it has now got to the point where I can´t do my job to the level I expect of myself."

An emotional Prior is reported to have told his England team-mates of his decision in the Lord´s dressing room following their defeat.

He feels he has no choice but to have a spell out of the firing line, but is hopeful of regaining his fitness and challenge for his place next year. For now though he accepts that with 79 Test caps to his name he may have played his last game for England. That is especially difficult to take as he was keen to play his role in rebuilding a team struggling badly after a miserable run of 10 consecutive Tests without a victory. "It is a huge decision and not one I´ve taken lightly obviously because I could have played my last game," Prior said. "Playing for England is the greatest honour you can have in the game and that is my motivation to come back and try and play again in the best possible condition.

I´ve made my decision for the good of the team and whoever comes in I genuinely wish them the best of luck and hope they do well and perform and help the team win. That is all I want. If that happens and I don´t play again, then that was my lot. I´ll be disappointed because there are a few things that I wanted to achieve and thought I would, but I can also look back and know I did some pretty good things," Prior said. (GNN)(AIP)(AFP)

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India hails much-ridiculed Sharma

#GNN - NEW #DELHI: Much-ridiculed paceman Ishant Sharma was the toast of India on Tuesday after a devastating spell of bowling demolished England at Lord´s, securing his team´s first overseas victory for three years.

Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar described Sharma´s career best performance on Monday as

"exceptional" while newspapers said the 25-year-old had earned the right to be regarded as the spearhead of India´s attack.

The long-haired and lanky Sharma, who has been compared by the English media to an Afghan hound, took 7 for 74 on the final day of the second Test in London as India won their first Test away from home since 2011.Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the congratulations for "the wonderful victory" -- India´s first at the headquarters of cricket in 28 years.

"We are very delighted & proud of the great performance," Modi said on Twitter. Speaking to the Indian Express, Tendulkar called it a "remarkable win and a precious day for the entire country" while reserving special praise for Sharma, who was recently dropped from the one-day and Twenty20 side.

"He is a very hard-working guy and a great talent. We all have always had a great faith in him and today he was just exceptional," said Tendulkar who retired last year.

Sharma´s figures were the best by any Indian fast bowler in the fourth innings of a Test, with the team usually reliant on spin to clean up.

But after taking the wicket of England´s beleaguered captain Alastair Cook on Sunday, Sharma ripped through the rest of the order on Monday in a hostile spell of short-pitched bowling more familiar in the Caribbean.

Recalling how Sharma became a butt of jokes on social media last year when he took a pounding against Australia, the Times of India said "one of the most ridiculed Indian cricketers silenced his critics".

The Hindustan Times said that Sharma had used the "short ball to perfection" as a string of England batsman fell victim to his bouncers.

"Indian batsmen have often been at the receiving end of short-pitched bowling abroad but on Monday, Ishant Sharma dished out some heavy chin music" himself, said the Hindustan Times.

"It was a master plan by (Indian captain Mahendra Singh) Dhoni and executed to perfection by Sharma," the paper added.

The victory has helped ease pressure on Dhoni, who has been facing calls to quit over his team´s poor record since the retirement of a series of batting greats including Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Tendulkar.

"For India, this is an important victory, achieved by a young side poised to stride confidently into the future," said The Mail Today.

"This a new team, with new players and a fresh mindset. The era of Tendulkar and other greats is history."(GNN)(AIP)(AFP)

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Cook fails as Kumar double hurts England

(#GNN)- #LONDON: #England captain Alastair Cook suffered yet another failure with the bat as #India seized control of the second Test at Lord´s on Friday.

Cook was out for 10, caught behind by opposing skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The same combination also did for Cook´s Australia-born opening partner Sam Robson (17) and at lunch England were 51 for two in reply to India´s first innings 295 -- a deficit of 244 runs.

Gary Ballance was seven not out and Ian Bell eleven not out, with Kumar having taken two wickets for 17 runs in 11 overs.

Cook´s exit meant it was now 26 innings since the left-hander had scored the last of his England record 25 Test hundreds, with his tally for the calendar years standing at meagre 107 runs in eight Test innings.

The 29-year-old Essex batsman´s poor run of form has also coincided with an England slump that has seen the team go nine Tests without a victory -- their worst winless streak for more than 20 years.

As if conscious he had had often been caught in the slips while struggling for runs, Cook met Kumar´s first ball of the innings with an exaggeratedly straight forward defensive shot. But having looked assured for 40 minutes, Cook´s 29-ball knock, including two fours, came to an end. Not moving his feet, Cook nicked a good length ball just outside off stump that swung away from Kumar through to Dhoni. And it was not long before England´s 22 for one became 31 for two in front of a capacity, sun-drenched crowd.

Robson, dropped in the slips on seven, squandered his reprieve by driving loosely at a ball wide of off stump, Dhoni making no mistake with the catch. Kumar had now taken two for four in 13 balls.

Meanwhile both Shami and Ishant Sharm, India´s other two frontline seamers, had also bowled a far more consistently challenging length than their England counterparts.

It took England just 10 balls to wrap up India´s innings after they resumed on their overnight 290 for nine, with Cook holding a juggled catch at first slip to dismiss Shami (19) off Ben Stokes.

India had been in dire straits at 145 for seven after being sent into bat by Cook on a green, seaming pitch that was the opposite of the bare, lifeless track in last week´s drawn first Test at Trent Bridge.

But England let India of the hook, the tourists doubling their total before stumps, with Ajinkya Rahane making a superb 103 in his maiden Test innings at Lord´s.

James Anderson led England´s attack with four for 60 in 23 overs in what was the Lancashire paceman´s first match since both he and India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja were charged with disciplinary offences under the International Cricket Council´s code of conduct for an alleged clash at Trent Bridge.

Both players must now wait on the verdict of ICC judicial commissioner Gordon Lewis, a retired Australian judge, to discover if they will be banned from any matches in the rest of this five-Test series. (GNN)(AFP)(AIP)