Danfe Club enter semis

BIRATNAGAR: Man of the match Pramod Singh took scored 48 runs and took one wicket as Danfe Cricket Club defeated Itwan Cricket Club by 55 runs and entered the semi-finals of the Rani Cup Cricket Tournament, today. Batting first, Danfe were bowled out for 170 runs in 30 overs. Ratan Rauniyar and Rupak Shrestha scored 33 and 19 runs respectively. For Itwan, Nilesh Karki, Bishal Maskey and Sudarshan Dangol took two wickets each. In reply, Itwan failed to reach the target and were packed for 115 runs in 27.3 overs. Ajay Rai scored 37 runs. For Danfe, Deepesh Shrestha claimed three wickets whereas Dipendra Thapa and Ratan Rauniyar grabbed two wickets apiece. — HNS

Lleyton Hewitt withdraws

KEY BISCAYNE: Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt withdrew from this week’s Nasdaq-100 Open with a toe injury, a day after losing the Pacific Life Open final to Roger Federer. No 2-ranked Hewitt hurt the toe during his semi-final victory over Andy Roddick at Indian Wells, and aggravated it during final against Federer. Hewitt was possibly returning to his Australian home to have the injury fully examined. The tournament features 18 of the men’s top 20. Roddick and Serena Williams were the defending champions. — AP

Carroll expected to leave

MANCHESTER: Roy Carroll is expected to leave Manchester United this summer, forcing the club to look for a new goalkeeper to go with American international Tim Howard. Carroll, will be on the Northern Ireland squad to face England in a World Cup qualifying game at Old Trafford on Saturday, has failed to negotiate a new deal with the Reds. Goalkeeper has been United’s weakest position in the past season, with manager Alex Ferguson using both Carroll and Howard at various times. Both goalkeepers were dropped for bad mistakes. — AP

Fleming in exclusive club

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming has joined an exclusive club of world cricket captains scalped by Australia. India’s Sachin Tendulkar, England’s Alec Stewart and Nasser Hussain, West Indies’ Jimmy Adams, and Pakistan’s Wasim Akram and Inzamam-ul-Haq were already claimed by the Australians. Australian captain Ricky Ponting said Fleming was always their target. He averaged 15.80 in a recent one-day series which Australia won 5-0, and is now 9.00 from four Test innings in the series which the Kiwis trail 0-1. — AFP

India to tour Zimbabwe

NEW DELHI: India will tour Zimbabwe in September for a two-Test series and could also play a one-day triangular series with New Zealand as the third team, a top Zimbabwe cricket official said. Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) president Peter Chingoka, who was here to attend ICC meetings, confirmed that India would tour Zimbabwe this year. “We will play two Tests on a reciprocal basis and India would play two in September in Zimbabwe,” Chingoka said. He also gave ample hints that India would also take part in a one-day triangular series. — HNS