Sports

MELBOURNE, Australia — Michael Clarke signed off with a half century and another World Cup title, leading Australia to a seven-wicket victory over first-time finalist New Zealand before the biggest crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Clarke (74) and Steve Smith (56 not out), the current and the likely future captains, spearheaded Australia to the winning target of 184 in the 34th over to capture its record-extending fifth World Cup title.

Clarke, who played in the winning team in 2007, was bowled by Matt Henry nine runs short of the target in his 245th and last One-Day International.

Australia’s left-arm pacemen did the damage early. Mitchell Starc (2-20), Mitchell Johnson (3-30) and James Faulkner (3-36) combined to dismiss previously unbeaten tournament co-host New Zealand for 183 in 45 overs.

“I wish [Clarke] was out there with me at the end, but what a fitting farewell,” Smith said. “Unbelievable feeling to win this. The bowlers really set it up for us — they’ve done it all tournament.”

Starc removed skipper Brendon McCullum for a duck in the first over after New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat in its first away game of the tournament.

New Zealand slipped to 39-3 in the 13th over, and recovered in a 111-run stand between Grant Elliott (83) and Ross Taylor (40) before Faulkner triggered the rapid demise with two wickets in three balls in a period when Australia took three wickets for one run in eight deliveries.

The last seven New Zealand wickets fell for 33 runs.

Not to be counted out, having bowled out Australia for 151 in a one-wicket pool win at Auckland a month ago, New Zealand took a wicket in the second over to make the chase more interesting.

Trent Boult, who took 5-27 against Australia in Auckland, took a return catch to remove Aaron Finch (0) with the total at 2, but David Warner (45) and Smith steadied the chase with a 61-run partnership in 64 balls.

Warner hit seven boundaries and faced 46 balls before getting cramped for room trying to pull Henry and top-edging to Elliott.

His dismissal brought Clarke to the crease to raucous cheering from the crowd of 93,013, and the 33-year-old skipper shared a 112-run partnership with Smith to remove any doubt about the result.

The New Zealanders had been the story of the tournament, led by McCullum’s enterprising captaincy. On home turf, though, it was Clarke who had the better of the first exchange, with his bowling changes netting wickets quickly, and his fielding changes cutting down the run flow and contributing to dismissals.

Starc, who took 6-28 to keep Australia in the contest against New Zealand at Auckland and had 20 wickets coming into the final, ensured New Zealand made the worst possible start to the final.

He beat the edge of McCullum’s bat twice before bowling the dangerous opener for a third-ball duck to make the total 1-1.

The pacemen dried up the runs and were beating the edge, but it was Glenn Maxwell who made the next big breakthrough when he bowled Martin Guptill (15), the tournament’s leading scorer with 547 runs, with his second delivery.

Guptill, who scored 57, 105, a World Cup-record unbeaten 237, and 34 in his previous four innings, survived 11 overs against the pace battery but succumbed immediately to spin.

Elliott and Taylor helped New Zealand avoids Pakistan’s 132 in the 1999 loss to Australia as the lowest total in a World Cup final — but it could have been worse.

Elliott was on 15 when he was adjudged lbw to Maxwell in the 20th over with the total at 66-3, but New Zealand reviewed the decision and replays showed the ball was missing leg stump.

Taylor faced 72 balls before edging a wider ball from Faulkner at the start of the batting power play and was well caught by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.

Faulkner bowled Corey Anderson (0) and Luke Ronchi (0) was caught at slip to give Starc his 22nd wicket of the tournament.

Daniel Vettori, playing the last international game of his 18-year career, couldn’t hang around with Elliott long enough to continue the kind of late partnership that helped New Zealand to a next-to-last-ball semifinal win over South Africa.

India defended 183 to win the 1983 World Cup title against the West Indies, but New Zealand always faced an uphill battle.

AMMAN — Jordan plays Saudi Arabia in Dammam on Monday in the second friendly of the week as the team tries to finalise the line-up ahead of international qualifiers.

The results of the two friendlies are vital in deciding Jordan's FIFA ranking and the team's position among Asian teams ahead of the draw for qualifiers for the 2019 Asian Cup. The qualifying process will double as part of the qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

Head coach Ahmad Abdul Qader hopes to put the team’s competitive edge back on track after they were eliminated from the Asian Cup earlier this year. Jordan went down 1-0 to Syria on Thursday in the first of two friendlies despite having pros playing on the line-up including Hasan Abdul Fatah and Abdullah Theeb.

The coach acknowledged the team's mistakes in the Syria match. "There were decisive errors that we are fully aware of. We have undergone a transition and the team's inconsistency needs to be tackled," Abdul Qader said.

He noted mistakes were highlighted and that "players were determined and serious in their approach and fully understand what’s needed in the upcoming phase”.

Abdul Qader previously led the U-19 team to Jordan's best achievement of fourth place and qualification to the U-19 World Cup in 2007, while his assistant Islam Diyabat led the U-22 team to a bronze medal in the inaugural 2014 AFC U-22 Championship after beating South Korea.

AMMAN — The women's national football team went up two spots to 54th in the latest FIFA rankings issued on the weekend.

Germany leads the table followed by the US, France, Japan, Sweden, England, Brazil, Canada, North Korea and Australia.

The Kingdom leads all Arab teams and is 11th in the Asian continent ahead of Japan, North Korea, Australia, China, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Myanmar and Uzbekistan.

The latest rank comes after the squad topped Asian Group A qualifiers and reached Round 2 of the qualifiers — the first phase of the qualifying journey to the 2016 Summer Olympics football tournament — which are set for September.

Jordan beat Uzbekistan 2-0, Hong Kong 1-0 and Palestine 6-0. Group leaders will join Vietnam and Thailand in Round 2, from  which the top team will move to Round 3 to play the top five seeded teams — Japan, Australia, South Korea, North Korea and China — which eventually qualifies the top two to represent Asia at the Olympic Games.

It was Jordan's second time in the qualifiers after the 2012 London Olympic qualifiers when they advanced to
Round 2.

Team officials hope the squad will make up for a disappointing 2014 season when the senior women's team exited Round 1 of the 2014 Asian Games and similarly exited the Round 1 of their first AFC 2014 Women's Asian Cup where they were also  the only Arab team to have ever qualified.

In age divisions, the U-19 team last year failed to repeat their 2007 qualification to the AFC U-19 Women's Championship, which eventually qualifies the top three teams to the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. The U-16 team also failed to qualify to the 2015 AFC U-16 Women's Championship after qualifying in 2013.

AMMAN — Argentina's Diego Maradona is supporting HRH Prince Ali's bid for FIFA presidency, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday.

The former footballer said he will discuss the most significant issues related to FIFA with Prince Ali, especially the importance of making comprehensive change in the work of football's governing body, Petra said, quoting CNN Arabic website.

Maradona said he has been following the reforms introduced by Prince Ali to football in the region, expressing his desire to support the prince in leading change in FIFA.

The football legend said he will travel to several countries in the coming weeks to support Prince Ali in his campaign, Petra reported.

Michael van Praag of the Netherlands, former FIFA official Jerome Champagne and former Portugal forward Luis Figo are also due to challenge incumbent Sepp Blatter at the May 29 FIFA presidential election.

In a statement released earlier this year, Prince Ali, FIFA vice president for Asia and president of the Jordan Football Association, said his vision for FIFA reform addresses three primary goals: restoring the football authority’s credibility; serving football, protecting the game neutralising threats; and developing the game globally.

Earlier this month, Bahrain and Brunei said they are supporting Prince Ali's bid for presidency.

AMMAN — The Children’s Porto Dead Sea Ultra Marathon concluded on Friday with the participation of a record number of children aged 6-14 years at the King Hussein Park.

The event witnessed healthy competition among the 1,500 young runners who enjoyed the marathon and a host of family activities.

This year’s event hosted more than 500 runners from Junior Runners Programme representing 20 schools from Amman, Madaba, Zarqa, Salt and Russeifa.

“We are really excited to see so many young runners participate in the marathon representing various schools from various governorates. Young participants also learned so much about leading a healthy life and how to include sports in their daily lives,” Lina Kurd, Run Jordan deputy general manager, told The Jordan Times.

“The Junior Runners Programme is helping many students embrace sports by providing motivation, tools and encouragement so they can share their experience with family and friends,” she added.

According to Kurd all preparations for the Ultra Marathon on April 3 are set and ready.

“We are expecting more than 6,000 runners from all over the world next week and we encourage families to seize the chance and be part of the marathon and enjoy the various events that will accompany
it,” she said.

“The Marathon Village will be open at the King Hussein Park until April 2
to receive late registrations, and for all participants to collect their bib numbers and the marathon bag and T-shirt,” she added.

Results:

6-8 years

9-11 years

12-14 years

SEPANG, Malaysia — Fernando Alonso passed a final medical examination on Thursday and will be able to participate in the Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend after the Spaniard missed the Formula One season-opener in Australia due to concussion.

The double world champion was sidelined following a winter-testing crash in Barcelona last month after leaving Ferarri for McLaren at the end of last season, but has been given the go-ahead to race for a team where he spent one unhappy season in 2007.

Alonso flew to Malaysia after coming through tests by three eminent doctors at Cambridge University on Sunday and then passed the official examination by the governing body’s medical delegate and the Sepang Circuit’s chief medical officer.

“During the examination the driver passed all mandatory fitness tests and has thus been declared fit to race in this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix,” the International Automobile Federation said in a statement.

Considered one of the most skilful drivers in Formula One, Alonso will need to be at his very best around the Hermann Tilke-designed track to have any chance of picking up points on his return to racing for a team that fared poorly in Australia.

Struggling for pace and reliability with the new Honda engine, team mate Jenson Button crawled around Albert Park to cross the line last of the 11 finishers, while Alonso’s stand-in Kevin Magnussen failed to start the race due to engine issues.

“I’ve been working hard on my fitness and I feel good and ready to go this weekend,” Alonso said prior to his departure for Malaysia.

“The weekend will be tough but I’m looking forward to getting into the MP4-30 for the first time in a Grand Prix and getting back to racing.

“It’s clear we have a lot of work ahead of us but Jenson’s result in Melbourne was encouraging from the point of view of reliability and data collection, which are extremely important.”

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas has also been cleared to race in Malaysia after the Finn missed the Australian opener because of a back injury.

Renault F1 managing director Cyril Abiteboul posted a picture of a pair of boxing gloves on Twitter as he packed for Sunday’s “round two” of the Formula One season in Malaysia and he may need them.

‘Undrivable’

The French manufacturer and former world champions Red Bull have been increasingly uneasy partners since the introduction last year of the V6 turbo hybrid power units.

Mercedes, dominant last year, romped to another one-two in the Australian opener on March 15 and Red Bull’s patience is running low.

The tensions had been ratcheted up already before Melbourne when Red Bull designer Adrian Newey suggested there was “no obvious light at the end of the tunnel and all sorts of failings with the engine”.

“It’s one thing where you’re not competitive but you can see your way out of it,” he told the Daily Mail, before a race that saw Red Bull’s Russian Daniil Kvyat fail to start when his gearbox failed on the way to the grid.

“It’s another when you’re not competitive and your partner doesn’t seem to be willing to deal with you.”

His team principal Christian Horner said in Australia that the engine was “undriveable” and accused Renault of making “a retrograde step”.

“They’re obviously in a bit of a mess at the moment,” he added.

Abiteboul hit back this week, telling France’s Auto Hebdo magazine that Newey was charming and brilliant but had spent a lifetime criticising engine partners and was too old to change his ways.

In a Renault preview of Sunday’s race at Sepang, Abiteboul recognised Renault had fallen short but called for teamwork.

“We need to work together to understand our issues, both within the Power Unit and the chassis,” said the Frenchman, who will appear with Horner in what should be a lively Friday news conference.

“Our figures have shown that the lap time deficit between Red Bull and Mercedes in Melbourne was equally split between driveability issues, engine performance and chassis performance.

“It’s therefore the overall package that needs some help and we have been working with the team to move forward.”

Remi Taffin, Renault’s director of operations, said Malaysia should be more of a benchmark and offered a chance to “press the restart button”.

“Our design development group has been working non-stop to create counter-measures to improve driveability and reliability and correct the issues we saw in Melbourne,” he added.

SYDNEY — Australia ended 2011 champion India's unbeaten run at the World Cup with a 95-run victory Thursday that ensured the tournament co-hosts will meet in the final.

Steve Smith scored 105 and shared a 182-run partnership with Aaron Finch (81) to help Australia post 328-7, a record for a World Cup knockout match.

India started its chase confidently, with openers Shikhar Dhawan (45) and Rohit Sharma (34) surviving early scares to get the total to 76 in the 13th over before Josh Hazlewood broke through to change the momentum of the innings. Mitchell Johnson chimed in with two quick wickets and India was eventually out for 233 despite M.S. Dhoni's late cameo of 65.

Australia will play unbeaten New Zealand in Sunday's title match. New Zealand edged Australia by one wicket in the group stage to finish atop Pool A, then beat South Africa with a ball to spare in the semifinal at Auckland.

"To play a World Cup final against New Zealand at the MCG is going to be absolutely amazing," Smith said. "Hopefully another hundred would be nice."

India had won 11 consecutive World Cup matches dating back to a group-stage loss to South Africa in 2011. It finished off the previous tournament with wins over West Indies, Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and then won its first seven matches in the 2015 edition, becoming the only team to bowl out its opposition every time.

India had the majority of the support in the crowd with a huge contingent of traveling fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground but was unable to capitalise at a venue where it has only once previously beaten Australia in a limited-overs international.

Australia won the toss and elected to bat, and the Indian pacemen started well with Mohammed Shami beating the edge twice in the opening over and bowling a maiden in the third. Umesh Yadav (4-72) dismissed David Warner (12) to have Australia in trouble at 15-1 in the fourth over.

That brought Smith to the crease, and he picked up where he left off in the pre-World Cup matches against India. He scored a century in each of the four matches in the test series and 47 in a one-dayer during a stretch of two months when India didn't win a match on Australian soil.

His second-wicket partnership with Finch gave Australia a flying start and a solid foundation before India rallied with Yadav (4-72) removing them both in quick succession.

Smith faced 93 balls and hit 11 boundaries and two sixes before Yadav struck with the first ball of his second spell, making the score 197-2 in the 35th over.

Finch continued with Glenn Maxwell, who belted 23 from 13 balls before sweeping Ravi Ashwin straight to Ajinkya Rahane at deep square leg.

Yadav dismissed Finch in the next over and then Michael Clarke (10) was out to Mohit Sharma, slowing the Australian strike rate right down again.

Shane Watson (28), James Faulkner (21) and Mitchell Johnson, who hit 27 from nine balls, contributed late to help Australia become the first team to post a 300-plus total in a World Cup semifinal.

AMMAN –  Jordan hosts Syria on Thursday in the first of two friendlies slated for this month as the team starts the agenda for upcoming international qualifiers.

Pros playing abroad have joined the squad including Hasan Abdul Fatah and Abdullah Theeb, who play in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Head coach Ahmad Abdul Qader who is at the helm following the departure of Briton Ray Wilkins after Jordan’s elimination from the Asian Cup is hoping the friendlies will help finalise the line-up as the squad readies to leave for Dammam on the weekend to play the Saudi team on March 30.

The results of the two friendlies might help improve Jordan’s FIFA ranking and ultimately the team’s position among Asian teams which will affect their group in the draw for qualifiers for the 2019 Asian Cup which will be expanded from 16 to 24 teams, with the qualifying process doubling as part of the qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

Abdul Qader said his line-up was upbeat and aimed to put morale and competitiveness on track. 

VIENNA — Michel Platini has his eye on one last challenge in 2019, the year FIFA will elect its president.

Given four more years to lead European football’s governing body on Tuesday, Platini hinted at a news conference that he won’t seek another UEFA mandate. Platini, who turns 60 in June, later told reporters that he has only one job left to do in his career.

“If I have to do something it is the last thing,” the former France great said at a post-election briefing. “I will be 64, there is a last thing to do. I don’t know if I want to go in UEFA or I want to go in FIFA or I want to go in another part of the world.”

Platini was long seen as the likely next FIFA president until Sepp Blatter reneged on a 2011 promise to leave this May. Instead, the 79-year-old Blatter is favoured to win a fifth term against three UEFA-supported rivals.

Reflecting on the May 29 election, Platini accused Blatter of using key decisions on the World Cup to help his campaign.

UEFA and Platini want to protect Europe’s 13 qualifying slots for future World Cups, and even add a 14th. Blatter has ensured continental quotas for the 2018 lineup in Russia will be allocated at a special FIFA executive committee session on May 30.

“That means he is playing with that,” Platini said of the timing of the decision on the day after the election.

Platini also took a swipe at FIFA for not following through on charges of unethical behaviour stemming from prosecutor Michael Garcia’s investigation into the 2018 and 2022 bidding contests. The former US attorney resigned in December to protest at how ethics judge Joachim Eckert acted on his recommendations.

“Everybody knows that until the elections there will be nothing,” Platini told reporters. “We are not stupid. Everybody knows.”

Platini, who was interviewed for Garcia’s probe, said he doubted FIFA will release the full dossier.

“I think it will be published after the elections. But I am not sure that it will be the true [report],” he said, recalling that FIFA lawyers previously intervened to alter a report written by FIFA’s anti-corruption advisers.

Platini also noted the likely arrival on the FIFA executive committee in May of Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah of Kuwait. The Olympic power broker is viewed as a potential FIFA presidential candidate in 2019.

“It’s a personage who was a strong electoral base. He is very strong,” Platini said.

Looking to the Champions League final on June 6, Platini said he had an agreement with the governing body of football in South American to allow players also selected for the Copa America, which opens June 11 in Chile, to play in Berlin.

“For me, not to play the Champions League final?” said Platini, musing how a player could react to being asked to miss the match. “I kill them, I change nationality.”

AMMAN — The annual Black Iris Sports Media Awards honouring the Kingdom’s athletes were announced on Monday at a special ceremony organised by the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) at Al Hussein Youth City.

The ceremony, attended by Lana Al Jaghbeer, JOC secretary general, and officials from the JOC and various sports entities in the Kingdom in addition to the media, was a result of voting by members of the local sports media who gave their voice to 11 athletes based on their achievements during the 2014 season.

The voting was followed by the public through the JOC Facebook page and website which attracted more than 125,000 votes with more than 500,000 social media interactions recorded.

Karate champion Abdel Rahman Masatfeh, winner of the silver medal at the Asian Games was named Best Sportsman of 2014 after a heated competition with boxer and silver medallist Odai Hindawi and Muay Thai fighter Mohammad Salameh.

Masatfeh expressed his gratitude to JOC President HRH Prince Feisal, the JOC and all his fans, saying: “I am really honoured and thrilled to receive this prestigious award which will give me more strength to continue with all I have to reach another level.”

The Best Sportswoman title went to Rana Qubbaj, winner of the gold medal at the World Jujitsu Masters, who called on all girls to adopt a sport and represent the Kingdom in major events to show the world that Jordanian girls have the ability to be winners.

The Best Young Achiever Award went to boxer Obadah Kisbeh, who won the bronze medal at the Asian Games, beating taekwondo’s Zaid Halawani and Hamzeh Qattan.

Kisbeh said that this award means a lot to athletes in Jordan. “It is a dream that came true, to win this prestigious award.”

Taekwondo’s Eman Adayleh was voted Best Young Achiever (Female) and was labelled “the young phenomenon” due to her young age. She said: “I joined taekwondo at the age of five and now I am 17 years old. I already feel that I can do more for my country.”

Meanwhile, winner of the gold medal at World Championship in weightlifting Moutaz Juniadi was named Best Paralympic Athlete after receiving 83 per cent of the votes, beating table tennis player Khetam Abu Awad and weightlifting gold medallist Abdel Kareem Khattab.

In an emotional speech, Juniadi dedicated his win to martyr pilot Muath Kasasbeh, who he called “a true hero”, and tackled one of the most important questions an athlete could ask: What happens to athletes after they retire?

“We all are doing our best to win and raise the name of Jordan up high. I have a question that we all seek an answer to. What will happen to all athletes who served their country after retirement? Why don’t we establish some kind of programme so that we can make use of their experience and transfer it to other generations?” Junaidi said after winning her second Black Iris Award.

The Black Iris Sports Award was created in 2006 to recognise sporting excellence in the Kingdom.