England reaches World Cup quarterfinals, beats Senegal 3-0
Al Khor (Qatar) (AP): England captain Harry Kane scored his first goal of this year's World Cup, helping his team beat Senegal 3-0 Sunday and setting up a match against France in the quarterfinals.
Kane scored for the 52nd time for his country to move within one of Wayne Rooney's England record. He also overtook Gary Lineker as his country's leading scorer in major tournaments with 11 goals.
"The ball just sat up nicely and the connection was perfect," Kane said. "I had one just before that I should have done better with so it was nice to see that one go in."
Jordan Henderson and Bukayo Saka also scored at Al Bayt Stadium while Jude Bellingham played a key role in the opening two goals and Phil Foden had two assists.
England, which reached the semifinals at the last World Cup in Russia, will face defending champion France at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday.
"We enjoyed this one, but of course our focus turns straight to that," Kane said. "It's going to be a really tough game. They're reigning champions but it'll be a good battle."
The must-see contest will feature the tournament's leading scorer in Kylian Mbappe and one of its standout players in Bellingham.
Mbappe scored twice against Poland in a 3-1 victory to take his total at this year's World Cup to five goals.
Bellingham only has the one he scored in England's opening 6-2 rout of Iran, but his game is about so much more.
"Goodness me, @BellinghamJude is unbelievably good. He's the leader in this team. His parents must be so proud. Love him," Lineker wrote on Twitter after the Borussia Dortmund midfielder crossed for Henderson to score the first goal in the 38th minute.
Up to then, Senegal had been creating the more dangerous chances. Ismaila Sarr sent a shot over from close range and then England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had to throw out an arm to block another effort from Boulaye Dia.
All that without the team's player, Sadio Mane, who was ruled out of the tournament with an injury before play even started in Qatar.
Everything changed once Bellingham seized control, charging into the box before setting up Henderson. In first-half stoppage time, he went on another unstoppable run, carrying the ball from just outside England's box and deep into Senegal's half. Foden then played in Kane to double England's lead.
With the 1966 World Cup champions well on their way to a showdown with France, Saka scored in the 57th minute by converting Foden's cross.
STAYING POWER
The match was played to the beat of the Senegal fans' drums, which provided the soundtrack from start to finish. England's fans struggled to be heard over the noise even when the result was beyond doubt.
STERLING WAIT
Raheem Sterling was ruled out before the match started because of a "family matter." England coach Gareth Southgate did not offer any indication if or when the forward would be able to return.
RECORD SET
Bellingham became the youngest England player to provide an assist at a World Cup.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
