Wilson Hoops 2009 KATHMANDU: Zenith, Arunodaya, Excelsior and Gyanodaya advanced to the junior boys’ section semi-finals here at the Wilson Hoops 2009 ninth Inter-school Basketball Tournament on Wednesday. Zenith crushed Gyan Niketan 54-16, Arunodaya beat RIBS 44-21, Excelsior edged past Youth Heart 40-34 and Gyanodaya dispatched Mahamanjushree 43-15. In the senior boys’ section, Ullens beat NIMS 65-58 and Young Heart eased past Gyanodaya 74-55 to make it to the semi-finals. Likewise, NIMS defeated Swarnim 38-5 to enter the girls’ section semi-finals. — HNS

President Cup KATHMANDU: Lalitpur District Sports Development Committee is organising the first President Cup Lalitpur District Running Shield Tournament here on June 10-13. Players will vie for 22 gold medals - 20 in athletics and two volleyball — in the four-day event Athletics will be held in Dasharath Stadium while volleyball will be held in Lalitpur, said the organisers here at a press meet on Wednesday. — HNS

Kathmandu win KATHMANDU: Hosts Kathmandu Valley defeated Golden Peak 46-35 in the boys’ section match in the first Kathmandu Valley Inter-school Basketball Tournament here on Wednesday. Chhiring Ghale netted 18 points for the winning team while Shanker Lama scored 20 for Golden Peak. In the girls’ section, Deep Jyoti beat Rose Bud 18-8. In all 12 team in boys’ and seven in girls’ section are vying for the championships. — HNS

Australia beat Kiwis LONDON: Ricky Ponting played a captain’s innings of 56 as Australia beat New Zealand by seven wickets in their ICC World Twenty20 warm-up match here on Tuesday. Australia, chasing 148 to win, wobbled at 26-2 after James Franklin struck twice in his first over. But a stand of 104 between Ponting and Michael Clarke (49 not out), helped Australia to victory with four balls to spare as they made it two wins out of two following Monday’s defeat of Bangladesh. — AFP

England triumph NOTTINGHAM: Kevin Pietersen hit an unbeaten 53 to steer England to an unconvincing six-wicket win over Scotland with six balls remaining in a World Twenty20 warm-up on Tuesday. The Scots batted first with Kyle Coetzer making 34 and Craig Smith hitting 45 to help their team to 136-5. Meanwhile, England skipper Paul Collingwood was delighted to see Pietersen in the runs after shaking off an Achilles injury which ruled him out of the recent one-day series with the West Indies. — AFP