Northampton, July 11 (IANS) South Africa Champions defeated India Champions while Australia Champions prevailed over West Indies Champions in the last two league games of the World Championship of Legends 2024 here at County Ground.

With that, the league stage came to an end and the four semi-finalists have been locked in.

Pakistan Champions will take on West Indies Champions in the first semifinal while the second will be played between Australia and India on Friday. The winners of the respective games will play the summit clash on Saturday.

In the first match of the day, led by an explosive century from Ben Dunk and a near-century from Daniel Christian, Australia Champions set a commanding total of 274 for 7 in their 20 overs after they were put in to bat first.

Dunk’s 100 off 35 balls, featuring 10 fours and 7 sixes, set the tone for a high-scoring innings. Christian followed with a rapid 99 off 35 balls, which included 11 fours and 8 sixes, ensuring the Australia Champions posted a formidable total. Rayad Emrit was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, taking 4 wickets for 56 runs.

In response, the West Indies Champions started their chase with a early setback, losing Kirk Edwards for just 5 runs. Dwayne Smith led a spirited effort, smashing 64 off 40 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes. His aggressive approach gave the West Indies hope, but wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.

They were struggling at 81 for 4 at one stage before a middle-order resilience was showcased by Ashley Nurse, who played a remarkable innings, scoring an unbeaten 70 off 36 balls with 7 fours and 4 sixes. His late partnership with captain Daren Sammy, who contributed 33 off 18 balls, added some respectability to the score.

However, the required run rate kept climbing, and despite Nurse’s valiant efforts, the West Indies Champions fell short of the target, finishing their innings at 219 for 6 in 20 overs.

Brett Lee and Peter Siddle were instrumental in controlling the run chase, taking 2 wickets each as Australians secured a comfortable victory by 55 runs.

In another action, riding upon blistering half-centuries from opener Jacques Synman and wicketkeeper Richard Levi, the South Africa Champions posted a total of 210/8 in 20 overs, and the bowlers restricted India to 156/6 in the allotted 20 overs to end their campaign on a winning note.

Synman, who scored an unbeaten 82 against Pakistan in the previous game, once again showcased his batting prowess and blasted 73 off 43 balls (10x4s, 3x6s) to lay a solid foundation for his team.

Later, Levi smashed a 25-ball 60, with 5 sixes and as many boundaries, and helped his team dominate the middle overs. While the Indian bowlers did make a strong comeback in the death overs, they couldn’t prevent the Proteas from posting a big total.

Harbhajan Singh (4/25) was the pick of the bowlers for India as the Turbanator rolled back the clock with his off-spin bowling.

Indian openers failed to give their team a good start in the run chase and their top five were back in the dugout with just 77 runs on the board in 11.3 overs. Yusuf Pathan (54* off 44) and Irfan Pathan (35 off 21) shared a vital stand but couldn’t help their side cross the finish line as the asking rate kept getting higher. India lost the game by 54 runs eventually.

Brief Scores:

Australia Champions Vs West Indies Champions

Australia 274/7 in 20 overs (Ben Dunk: 100 off 35 balls & Daniel Christian: 99 off 35 balls; R Emrit: 4-0-56-4) beat West Indies Champions 219/6 in 20 overs (Dwayne Smith: 64 off 40 balls & Ashley Nurse: 70* off 36 balls; Brett Lee: 3-0-30-2, Peter Siddle: 4-0-32-2) by 55 runs.

South Africa Champions Vs India Champions

South Africa 210/8 in 20 overs (Jacques Synman 73 off 43 & Richard Levi 60 off 25; Harbhajan Singh 4/25) beat India 156/6 in 20 overs (Yusuf Pathan 54* off 44, Irfan Pathan 35 off 21; Vernon Philander 2/17) by 54 runs

–IANS

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Charlotte (US), July 11 (IANS) Following Uruguay’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the Copa America semifinals, a heated altercation erupted in the stands involving Uruguayan players and Colombian supporters.

The incident, which occurred after the final whistle on Wednesday evening, saw Uruguay forward Darwin Nunez at the heart of the chaos.

As Uruguayan players approached the stands, a confrontation with Colombian fans quickly escalated into a physical altercation. Punches were thrown, and objects, including beverages and food, were hurled between the two groups. Broadcast footage captured the intense scene, involving both players and spectators, according to Spanish national sports daily Marca.

The Copa America organising body has condemned the “act of violence”, saying “There is no place for intolerance and violence on and off the field”.

“Our work is based on the conviction that soccer connects and unites us through its positive values. We invite everyone in the remaining days to pour all their passion into cheering on their national teams and having an unforgettable party,” it said in a statement.

Colombia extended its unbeaten streak to 28 games after beating Uruguay 1-0 on Wednesday night and qualified for the Copa America final, where on Sunday it will seek its second continental title in its history against Argentina.

After the semfinal loss, Uruguay will play Canada at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday to determine third place.

–IANS

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Charlotte (US), July 11 (IANS) Midfielder James Rodriguez surpassed Argentine great Lionel Messi’s record of most assists for goals in a single edition of the Copa America.

The pass for Jefferson Lerma to score was his 6th assist in the tournament, making him the player with the most assists in a single edition since 2011, when the statistic began to be computed.

The previous mark belonged to Messi, who had registered 5 assists in the Copa América 2021.

With this sixth assist, Colombia’s number 10 achieved his fourth game out of five with at least one assist. He started with two in the victory against Paraguay. He added one more against Costa Rica and another two in the 5-0 against Panama, in the quarterfinals.

Colombia defeated Uruguay 1-0 to advance to the final, which will be held on Sunday in Miami. Awaiting them are Argentina, as Lionel Messi and Co. look to make it a second consecutive Copa America title.

–IANS

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Charlotte (US), July 11 (IANS) Colombia beat Uruguay 1-0 to extend their 28 game unbeaten streak and earning a place in Copa America final late on Wednesday night.

Colombia is headed to Miami Gardens to play Argentina in the Grand Final at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday while Uruguay will stay in Charlotte to play Canada at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday to determine third place.

The first 10 minutes saw two juggernauts cautiously testing each other, resulting in only one shot. Colombia appeared more likely to create the first big chance, but it was Uruguay’s Darwin Nunez who came close.

Nunez battled past multiple Colombian defenders in the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot to the bottom left corner, narrowly missing. Despite several chances, the Uruguayan striker couldn’t score.

After losing center back Ronald Araujo to injury against Brazil, Uruguay suffered another blow as Rodrigo Bentancur went off injured in the 35th minute with Guillermo Varela replacing him.

In the 40th minute, Colombia finally broke through as James Rodriguez’s set-piece delivery leading to a headed goal. Rodriguez’s whipped corner found Jefferson Lerma, who powered it into Rochet’s near post.

This goal marked a milestone for Colombia’s captain, as he broke Lionel Messi’s record for the most assists in a single tournament edition with his sixth, giving Colombia the lead in the semifinal.

In the 45th minute, the match shifted as Daniel Munoz received a second yellow card, reducing Colombia to 10 men just before halftime.

By the 70th minute, the game became increasingly stretched. Uruguayan legend Luis Suarez, coming on as a substitute, had a great chance at the top of the box, but his shot grazed the side of the post.

In the 87th minute, Colombia’s Mateus Uribe missed a one-on-one chance after a Uruguayan defensive mistake. During seven minutes of stoppage time, Uribe had another one-on-one, but Rochet made a crucial save, deflecting the shot off the bar.

Uruguay held on for the final minutes, and a last-gasp effort was blocked by a Colombian defender.

–IANS

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Berlin, July 11 (IANS) Substitute Ollie Watkins sent England to their second successive Euro final with a 2-1 victory over the resilient Netherlands in the semifinal.

Ronald Koeman’s men got off to the perfect start when Xavi Simons danced through the England defense before unleashing a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to break the deadlock after just seven minutes.

The Netherlands’ advantage didn’t last long, as Harry Kane converted a foul-play penalty following a VAR review with a well-placed shot into the bottom right-hand corner in the 18th minute, reports Xinhua.

The Three Lions gained momentum and almost doubled their lead in the 23rd minute when Denzel Dumfries cleared Phil Foden’s shot off the line.

Dumfries remained in the thick of things after rattling the woodwork with a header from a promising position on the half-hour mark.

Gareth Southgate’s men controlled possession but couldn’t convert their chances before the half-time whistle.

After a slow start to the second half from both sides, the Dutch gradually gained the upper hand, but it was not until the 65th minute that Pickford was called into action to save Virgil van Dijk’s header.

England continued to threaten and thought they had regained the lead, but Bukayo Saka’s goal was ruled out for offside in the 79th minute.

The Three Lions stunned the Oranje in the 91st minute when Watkins finished off an attack with a curling shot into the right-hand corner.

The Netherlands piled on the pressure, but England’s defense held firm to set up a meeting with Spain in the final on July 14.

“I’m lost for words! I didn’t want to come off the pitch at the end because I wanted to soak it all in. I don’t think I have ever hit a ball that sweet. I never thought I would play at a Euro 2024 with England, but I’ve put in a lot of hard work to get to this point,” said Watkins

–IANS

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