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Ravindra 176, Latham 145 drive New Zealand into complete control

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Rachin Ravindra and Tom Latham put on a 279-run stand to flatten West Indies [Cricinfo]

Centuries from Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra underpinned New Zealand’s domination on Day 3 in Christchurch, as the hosts transformed a modest 64-run advantage into a towering lead that now feels insurmountable.

The pair’s third-wicket stand of 279 ensured a potentially gripping third day went flat halfway through. West Indies merely went through the motions, sitting back and hoping for a declaration to bring them some relief from being run ragged. This was New Zealand’s highest partnership against West Indies since 1987 – surpassing Martin Crowe and John Wright’s 241 run stand.

Things could’ve been a lot different had they caught better.

Ravindra’s innings began under a cloud of uncertainty. On 8, Kemar Roach grassed a sumptuous flick at midwicket as he threw himself at the ball one-handed. On 14, Kavem Hodge put down a regulation catch at slip, leaving Justin Greaves to wear the frustration of being the unlucky bowler twice in two overs. The charmed streak continued when another thick outside edge flew over the slips on 17.

For the first half hour after lunch, Ravindra seemed to live on borrowed time. But once he survived that turbulent spell, the tentativeness gave way to assurance, and the elegance that has come to define his best batting was out in full glory. He raced to 176, before being knocked over late in the day by an Ojay Shields yorker.

By stumps, New Zealand had added 395 to lead by 481. For the record, West Indies will have to achieve the highest successful chase to win at Hagley Oval – 285 is the highest fourt innings score chased down at this venue.

Before Ravindra arrived, Devon Conway and Latham played a solid first hour, focusing on crease occupation in a bid to lay a strong platform. Latham left well early on, while Conway exhibited his artistry – playing the cover drives and on-drives – early in the innings.

Roach moved the ball away appreciably early on to have Conway in a hint of trouble, while Jayden Seales got the ball to lift off a length to have Latham looking scratchy early on. The first 17 overs produced just 35; Latham survived a thick edge that raced between second slip and gully on 29.

Conway set himself in, and was out slashing to deep point for 39 as Hodge plucked a superb catch while moving halfway in from the ropes. Initially off balance, Hodge back-pedalled to complete the catch. One wicket became two when Roach had Kane Williamson nicking behind with a perfect out-swinger.

Having got off the mark with a top-edge for six off Greaves, Williamson was troubled by his late movement before Roach had him in the last over before lunch, with New Zealand effectively 164 for 2. The spell after lunch was perhaps West Indies’ best chance to get into the game as they routinely created chances, only for them to be grassed.

If the first session was about the hard grind, the second was about accumulating and pressing home the advantage. Ravindra didn’t take long to march into the 40s, and even got into a bit of a scrap with Seales. The pair brought up their century stand off just 126 deliveries, with Ravindra’s enterprise allowing Latham to also open up after getting past his half-century.

Latham was particularly punishing square of the wicket on both sides, with the cuts and pulls, as he pounced on a tired attack that kept pounding the ball in even as the surface appeared to have lost a lot of the venom seen on the first two days. Latham brought up his century first, while Ravindra got there with a pull through midwicket – his second successive century.

After he passed a hundred, as West Indies went defensive, Latham brought out the inventive batter in him – scooping and paddling his way to a couple of boundaries. It seemed inevitable the pair would bat through, but a lapse in concentration late in the day saw them fall in back-to-back overs. But even those two wickets were no consolation for West Indies as they face an uphill battle for survival.

Brief scores:
New Zealand 231 and 417 for 4 (Rachin Ravindra 176, Tom  Latham 145, Kemar Roach 2-61, Ojay Shields 2-64) lead West Indies 167 by 481 runs

[Cricinfo]



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Qualifier Maja Chwalinska extends dream French Open run

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Maja Chwalinska beat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the French Open first round [BBC Sport]

Qualifier Maja Chwalinska continued her dream French Open run as she beat Anna Kalinskaya to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.

The world number 114 was left open-mouthed with shock after completing a superb 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 win over 22nd seed Kalinskaya on a blustery Paris day.

Poland’s Chwalinska is the second qualifier after Nadia Podoroska in 2020 to reach the singles semi-finals at Roland Garros.

She is only the sixth qualifier in the Open era to reach the women’s singles semi-finals at a Grand Slam.

Only one – Britain’s Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open – went on to win the title.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka could await Chwalinska the last four, with the Belarusian taking on Russian Diana Shnaider later on Wednesday.

“I honestly don’t know what is going on,” Chwalinska told the crowd.

“I know I repeat myself, but every match here is kind of crazy for me.”

It is a remarkable run for Chwalinska, who arrived at the tournament with just two victories in WTA Tour-level main-draw matches under her belt.

Her sole Grand Slam match win came at Wimbledon in 2022 – but Chwalinska now finds herself on an eight-match winning streak on the Parisian clay, having dropped just one set on the way.

Everything appears to have clicked in place for a player who once feared she might have left the sport for good.

Chwalinska struggled with depression for two years and took an indefinite break from tennis after losing in the first round of qualifying at Wimbledon in 2021.

She did not know whether she would return at that point, having lost her enjoyment of training and competing.

With the support of the people around her, the openness of fellow players such as Naomi Osaka in speaking about their mental health, and brief attempts to enjoy other sports, Chwalinska found herself gradually gravitating back to the tennis court.

It has all led her to this moment of a first major semi-final – and a potential David-versus-Goliath showdown with title favourite Sabalenka.

A list of the six qualifiers to reach the women's singles semi-finals in the Open era: Chwalinska, Yastremska, Raducanu, Podoroska, Stevenson, Matison

In Paris, Chwalinska has played with infectious freedom and joyful creativity, beating two seeded players and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen along the way.

She kept her composure well against Kalinskaya, first having to reset after letting a 5-1 lead slip in the opener, before reeling off five straight points from 3-2 down in the resulting tie-break to take the lead.

She then held her nerve in the second, recovering from being broken as she tried to serve out victory before clinching her first match point on Kalinskaya’s serve.

“I was definitely nervous. I am stressed, of course, but I try to focus on my job and my games,” Chwalinska said.

“I am not focusing on confidence. I am playing against the best players in the world, so I will not compare myself to them.”

Whatever happens in the semi-finals, Chwalinska is now projected to leap up the rankings and into the world’s top 30.

By reaching the semi-finals, she has also secured prize money amounting to £647,700 – more than doubling her career total earnings of £642,400 in the space of 10 days.

[BBC Sport]

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Foreign nationals among at least 21 killed in Delhi fire

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Firefighters and police officers stand at the site after the fire in Delhi [BBC]

At least 21 people have been killed and many others injured after a fire tore through a multi-storey building in south Delhi, police in India’s capital say.

Many of the victims were foreigners – including people from South Asian and African countries who had travelled to India for medical treatment or to accompany relatives undergoing care, local media reported.

The building in the Malviya Nagar area allegedly operated as a bed-and-breakfast catering to patients and relatives of those receiving treatment at a nearby private hospital.

More than 40 people were rescued and taken to hospital. It remains unclear how many were inside the building when fire broke out. Its cause is not yet known.

The blaze is one of the deadliest in recent years in the Indian capital.

“The fire was brought under control quite early on – it was contained very quickly. We have now cleared the building and opened it up for the police,” fire officer AK Malik said.

Delhi minister Ashish Sood said authorities were investigating whether the building had the necessary permissions to operate as a bed-and-breakfast facility, adding that those found responsible for any violations would face criminal action.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and announced compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,088; £1,552) for the families of those killed and 50,000 rupees for those injured.

ANI A burnt building
The building allegedly operated as a bed-and-breakfast catering to patients and relatives of those receiving treatment at a nearby private hospital [BBC]

Videos on social media showed flames shooting from the building as people gathered nearby. Footage broadcast by Indian news channels showed its exterior badly charred as emergency workers searched the site.

Witnesses said the fire spread rapidly, trapping people on upper floors. Bystanders helped some escape before emergency crews arrived.

“The fire broke out at about 08:50… we rushed to the spot to see that the entire building was on fire. There is a mattress shop at the corner from where we took out mattresses and laid them on the road,” Wasim Raj told ANI news agency.

“People started to jump out of the building from the second and third floors. The fire-fighting team had reached the spot immediately and started rescue work.”

Sher Khan, who lives nearby, described scenes of panic as people trapped on the upper floors cried out for help.

“As the fire intensified, it seemed as if there was no way to jump from here. People spread mattresses, and some from the third floor jumped out with a little kid… She was saying that she fractured her leg,” he said.

Israr Khan, another local resident, told reporters that “all of us have been here since morning. We rescued a child who jumped from the higher floor”.

Several people in the building were from Bangladesh and other South Asian countries and had travelled to Delhi for medical treatment, local lawmaker Satish Upadhyay said.

Fires are common in India, where building safety laws are often poorly enforced.

From factories and coaching centres to hospitals and entertainment venues, many of Delhi’s deadliest blazes have exposed a persistent gap between safety rules on paper and their implementation on the ground.

Investigations have repeatedly pointed to lax inspections, faulty electrical systems and buildings operating beyond their approved use.

[BBC]

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US and Iran launch new strikes, as Kuwait says airport hit by Iranian drones

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The US military released video footage of an unloaded tanker purportedly being hit [BBC]

The US military has said it launched “self-defence” strikes on Iran overnight, and shot down ballistic missiles and drones fired at ships and Gulf countries.

The strikes on Qeshm Island, in the Strait of Hormuz, were “in response to attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East”, US Central Command (Centcom) said.

Centcom said Iran had fired two missiles at Kuwait and three at Bahrain, all of which broke apart or were intercepted. Iran said it had attacked US bases and helicopters in a “regional country” using missiles and drones in retaliation.

One person was killed in Kuwait and more than 60 injured when drones hit buildings including its international airport, officials said.

Kuwait’s defence ministry spokesman, Brig Gen Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, called the attack “criminal Iranian aggression”, while the Kuwaiti foreign ministry later said infrastructure including diplomatic missions had been damaged.

Centcom said the strike on Qeshm Island had targeted an Iranian military ground control station. It said the US also shot down three attack drones that had been launched by Iran toward “civilian mariners that were rightfully transiting regional waters”.

Centcom had earlier said it had struck and “disabled” an unladen oil tanker that was sailing towards Iran, as part of the US naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, which began on 13 April.

A US aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of the Botswana-flagged M/T vessel, after its crew “ignored repeated warnings”, it said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said “disrupting the security of the Strait of Hormuz will carry a heavy price for the aggressive US military”.

A foreign ministry statement said the leaders of Kuwait and Bahrain had “direct and unmistakable responsibility” for “last night’s acts of aggression”, according to the AFP news agency, as it condemned the US for the strikes.

Iran has repeatedly attacked targets in Bahrain and Kuwait, where US military bases are located.

The attacks happened as ceasefire negotiations between the US and Iran stalled, with a deal to end the war failing to advance over the weekend.

Map titled “US blockade of Iran’s Gulf coast” showing Iran’s southern coastline along the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman highlighted in red to indicate a blockade. Iranian territorial waters are shaded, with a caption stating, “No ships permitted to approach or leave Iranian coast.” Ports and major jetties are marked with purple dots, including Kharg Island and Bandar Abbas. Surrounding seas are labelled, including the Arabian Sea, and a distance scale, source credit, and BBC logo are visible.

US President Donald Trump this week told his critics to “sit back and relax “, saying that Iran “really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the USA”.

US media earlier reported that Trump had requested edits to the terms of a potential peace deal, after meeting with senior aides to discuss extending the framework of a ceasefire.

The changes related to the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of highly enriched uranium from Iran, the BBC’s US news partner CBS News reported – as well as a framework to reopen negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme.

On Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei denied this had been on the table, adding that Washington was “constantly changing its views and putting forward new or contradictory demands”.

In an interview aired on Wednesday, Trump said Iran had “already agreed” to not have a nuclear weapon.

Trump said Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was “involved” in the talks.

“We seem to be getting along quite well,” Trump told the Pod Force One podcast.

Asked if he would like to meet him, he said: “I’d like to meet him. We probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress on Tuesday that negotiators had not offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for reopening the strait.

“Right now, everything that’s been discussed with them is that … any sanctions relief is condition-based, which means it has to be in return for the reason why those sanctions were put in place in the first place, which is their nuclear programme,” he said.

“The war is over,” he said in another tense exchange with a senator, as lawmakers on the committee questioned the US strategy for ending the conflict.

[BBC]

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