Twenty20: England crush Afghanistan by 116 runs

England crushed Afghanistan by 116 runs courtesy an unbeaten 99 off 55 balls from Luke Wright in a Group A match of the World Twenty20 Championship at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Friday.

Wright and Eoin Morgan put on a partnership of 72 runs, helping England to 196 for five. Stuart Broad, Samit Patel, Jade Dernbach and Grame Swann all took two wickets each as the Afghan innings folded for 80 in 17.2 overs.

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Chris Gayle wants birthday win against Australia

One of the most feared batsmen in the shortest form of cricket, Chris Gayle wants to celebrate his 33rd birthday with a victory when the West Indies play Australia in their opening match of the World Twenty20 Championships on Saturday. The big hitting West Indies opener, who turns 33 on Friday, says an opening win is important in building confidence as the Caribbean side attempts to secure a place in the super-eights, reports CMC.

“The key for us is to get to the second round and try and take it step by step. My birthday is coming up tomorrow, but my mind is on Saturday when we face the Australians,” said Gayle.

“The first game is vital. You don’t want to play catch-up cricket in T20, so it’s a very big match for us. It will also get our confidence going.”

The West Indies are preparing for their opening Group B contest against Australia at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

“No real big plans. I am going to spend it with the West Indies women’s team,” said Gayle jokingly in response to questions about celebrating his birthday.

“I’ll be 33 so I’m really looking forward to it. I’m looking to celebrate with a win over Australia on Saturday night.”

Gayle entertained onlookers with some stunning stroke plays hoisting several balls out of the Colts Cricket Ground as training session continued on Thursday.

The Windies arrived in Sri Lanka ten days ago after a nine-day camp at the Sagicor High Performance Centre in Barbados, and Gayle said everyone is eager to get going.

“In our team we bat right down and bowling-wise we have spinners and fast bowlers,” said the left-hander.

His 117 against South Africa at the Wanderers in 2007 is the only century by a West Indian in the shortest format and he has hit a world-record 290 sixes in 110 T20 matches.

“The key is balance. You have to have good balance to be able to hit a lot of sixes,” he said as journalists queried his ability to hit sixes.

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Leverkusen held to goalless draw by Metalist Kharkiv

Leverkusen and Metalist Kharkiv started with one point in their UEFA Europa League adventure following a goalless draw in Group K at BayArena.Metalist Kharkiv suffered two heavy defeats against Leverkusen two seasons ago but on Thursday they played on an equal footing against the hosts that failed to exploit their goal scoring opportunities in the second-half.

Both sides staged a lively first-half as Kharkiv’s Jonathan Cristaldo forced a parry by Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno from a sharp angle and Renato Augusto’s effort from inside the box was blocked by Metalist goalkeeper Oleksandr Groyainov.

In the second-half Leverkusen were more active whilst Kharkiv fastened on counters.

Leverkusen’s Karim Bellarabi had the winner on his foot twice but Groyainov parried his two efforts, in addition Andre Schuerrle rattled the corner of the goalpost with a rebound.

Rosenborg now occupies first position in Group K, followed by Kharkiv, Leverkusen and Rapid Wien.

“My team made a good impression but they lacked in resoluteness, ” Leverkusen coach Sascha Lewandowski said.

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Stoke’s Andy Wilkinson banned for three matches

Stoke defender Andy Wilkinson has been suspended for three matches for his clash with Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli in the Premier League match.Wilkinson caught Balotelli in the face with his elbow during Saturday’s 1-1 draw at the Britannia Stadium in an incident that was missed by referee Mark Clattenburg.After reviewing the video evidence, an independent Football Association disciplinary panel decided the 28-year-old had a case to answer.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis confirmed the club would not appeal against the punishment, meaning Wilkinson will miss his side’s next three Premier League matches against Chelsea, Swansea and Liverpool.

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Antonio Di Natale denies Anzhi Euro triumph

Substitute Antonio Di Natale rescued a dramatic 1-1 draw for Udinese in the first minute of stoppage time to deny Anzhi Makhachkala a debut victory in the Europa League group stage.The 34-year-old scored when Anzhi goalkeeper Evgeny Pomazan palmed away a weak shot straight into the veteran’s path on Thursday.It extends Udinese’s streak of unbeaten home matches in European competition to seven.Lacina Traore had put Guus Hiddink’s side ahead just before half time, bursting down the left to send a fierce shot across goal that Udinese stopper Daniele Padelli turned into his own net.

The Ivorian was credited with the goal nonetheless.

The encounter was Anzhi’s first serious test of their capability to deliver silverware fast as decreed by billionaire owner Suleiman Kerimov, and it was unclear if they passed.

In a group with Liverpool and Young Boys, Hiddink had played down their tag as favourites to win it, and evidence emerged in Udinese that he wasn’t simply being modest.

Anzhi, riding high in the Russian Premier League, failed to string together the kind of fluid football that saw them roll over their opponents in the preliminary rounds.

But fourth-from-bottom Udinese, for their part, couldn’t seem to improve upon their wretched Serie A form to take advantage of their sub-par opponents.

Mehdi Benatia missed a clear chance for the hosts in the 17th minute, heading Marco Faraoni’s free kick wide from six yards out.

Andrea Lazzari hit a dipping half-volley just after the half-hour mark, and Faraoni went wide ten minutes later.

Traore’s goal left Udinese deflated in a half they had controlled, and they came out in the second half with greater resolve.

Swedish front man Ranegie, a deadline-day signing from FC Malmo, went close twice.

First the 28-year-old volleyed just wide after a well-directed knock-down from Pablo Armero, then he turned Joao Carlos in the box but fired straight at Pomazan.

The chances kept coming with Faraoni the next to miss, sending an inch-perfect cross from the left sailing over the crossbar.

The wasteful finishing prompted Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin to bring on Di Natale in place of defensive midfielder Emmanuel Badu with half an hour remaining.

But Anzhi continued to frustrate their hosts in midfield and broke up attacks in their infancy, detracting from the match as a spectacle but defending a lead away from home effectively.

Yuri Zhirkov linked up well with winger Oleg Shatov down the left for the former to have a shot on goal that was blocked by a sliding defender.

Samuel Eto’o, who scored five goals in the preliminary rounds, nearly put Anzhi two up, sending a curling shot toward the top corner that Padelli got a fingertip to.

Udinese substitute Dusan Basta nearly walked the ball into the net in the 86th minute, but Pomazan scrambled across his goal to stop it before it cross the line, prompting fans to start leaving the stadium.

But the Italians had the final say at the death, taking a deserved point.

Anzhi stormed through the competition’s three qualifying rounds, overpowered Hungary’s Honved 5-0 and Vitesse Arnhem 4-0. Anzhi beat AZ Almkaar 6-0 on aggregate in the play-off round.

Anzhi are currently third in the Russian Premier League with 17 points after eight games, while Udinese are just one place above the relegation zone with one point in three Serie A games.

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Late Inter strike denies Rubin Kazan San Siro win

An injury-time leveller from Yuto Nagatomo denied Rubin Kazan a famous San Siro win against Inter Milan in their Europa League opener.Nagatomo volleyed home Diego Milito’s cross in the 92nd minute to make it 2-2 and share the points with the plucky Russian side Thursday.Rubin had looked to be in for a shock win just six minutes from time when Jose Rondon, a 13 million euro summer acquisition from Malaga, cushioned a through ball from Roman Eremenko and tucked it into the corner.

The Russians had even taken an unexpected lead in the 17 minute, Alexander Ryazantsev slamming home the rebound when Samir Handanovic had saved Bibras Natkho’s weak penalty.

Brazilian midfielder Jonathan had bought down Turkish forward Gokdeniz Karadeniz for the spot kick.

But Inter’s 19-year-old Croatian striker Marko Livaja levelled it in the 39th minute in an exquisite move.

When Antonio Cassano split the Rubin defence to find Esteban Cambiasso, the Argentinean jinked past Sergei Ryzhikov to chip into the path of Livaja, who out-jumped three Rubin defenders to score.

Livaja had headed over from a remarkably similar move moments earlier as the hosts had begun to turn the screw.

But it was far from one-way traffic.

Finnish international Eremenko, who had a stand-out game, burst clear down the right and was inches away with a low drive that whistled past Samir Handanovic’s right post.

And Ryazantsev, revered for a spectacular strike at the Camp Nou in 2009 that helped his side to an improbable 2-1 Champions League win over Barcelona, hit the outside of the post with a run and shot just before half time.

Right after half-time Kurban Berdyev’s side went on the attack, forcing Handanovic into uncomfortable interceptions that prompted the San Siro crowd into jeers.

But Inter broke quickly and Livaja curled just over when released by Cassano.

The introduction of veteran Argentinean striker Diego Milito in the second half couldn’t seem to spur Andrea Stramaccioni’s side onto greater things, but in the dying seconds he combined with Nagatomo to save Inter’s blushes.

In another Italian-Russian clash earlier Thursday, substitute Antonio Di Natale rescued a dramatic 1-1 draw for Udinese in stoppage time to deny Anzhi Makhachkala a debut victory in the competition’s group stage.

Rubin next host Partizan Belgrade while Anzhi welcome Young Boys on Oct 4.

Inter next travel to Azerbaijan to face Neftci Baku.

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New Blood Test a Clue to Premature Birth

Researchers from the University of Gutenberg have claimed to have developed a blood test that helps predict whether a pregnant woman experiencing preterm contractions is likely to give birth within seven days or not. The blood test has been said to be 75 to 80 per cent accurate. The researchers studied 142 pregnant women with early contractions sans rupturing of membranes, who came from the Sahlgrenska University Hospital during 1995-2005.

Preterm delivery or delivery before 37 full weeks of pregnancy is one of the biggest problems in the arena of perinatal medicine because it increases the risk of a child to be seriously ill in the short as well as long-term. The downside is that only about 30 per cent of women, who come in with early contractions, give birth before full-term.

Published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the study revealed that the new blood test method looks at two specific proteins in the pregnant woman’s blood along with an already established examination of the length of the cervix. Researcher Panagiotis Tsiartas said further studies will have to be done before the method can be used. He also added that if the results of the studies are good, new types of treatments will have to be done to prevent premature birth and treat its complications.

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Perfumes could Cause Asthma

According to a new report, scented candles, air fresheners and other such perfumed products may expose a person to adverse health effects, such as migraine and asthma. The report suggested that perfumed products may cause allergies, migraine, asthma and even one’s sex desire. Almost a third of the people exposed to scents in the form of molecules in the fragrances suffer from health effects as these molecules trigger the immune response causing scaly, cracked skin and itchiness.

Dr Susannah Baron, consultant dermatologist at Kent and Canterbury Hospital and BMI Chaucer Hospital said that while the number of cases of allergies is on a rise, so are the amount of perfumed products. Baron added that fragrance allergy as a contact dermatitis or a flare-up of existing eczema comes up at the site where a perfumed product is applied.

Two surveys conducted by Anne Steinemann, professor of civil and environmental engineering and public affairs at the University of Washington were quoted to have found more than 30 per cent of reported adverse health effects arising from being exposed to fragrances in daily life.

Steinemann said that while adding fragrance implies cleanliness, one is exposing himself/herself to a much bigger problem i.e. throwing toxic chemicals in the air.

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