In today’s UK cricket news, learn more about how Joseph mentioned that the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States and West Indies, will “lay the groundwork” for cricket’s return to the Olympics. Meanwhile, Monday in Bengaluru, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma surprised admirers with a badminton match to highlight the importance of sports in everyday life. Lastly, Middlesex achieved its first victory in the LV= Insurance County Championship Division. One season, Pieter Malan and Max Holden’s half-centuries led the hosts to a dramatic four-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire with one over remaining at Lord’s.
Cricket Can Return to the Olympics in LA 2028
Original Source: ‘LA 2028 excellent opportunity for cricket to re-enter Olympics’
The Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) President Keith Joseph reiterated his confidence that LA28 can give cricket “an excellent opportunity to re-enter the sports program of the summer Olympics in style.” He supported the ICC and CWI’s LA28 Olympic Games bid.
The 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies will “set the foundation” for cricket’s Olympic return, according to Joseph.
Joseph remarked, “We strongly believe the sport’s inclusion in the program will have far-reaching impacts on the development of sport, youth, and peaceful communities in our region.”
“The T20 format, in particular, has offered distinct appeal and attraction for both men and women,” he continued.
“The competition format is compact and exciting and provides quick results in a relatively short time, which are all ideal for multi-sport Games focused on innovation, entertainment, and universal engagement,” Joseph stated.
He continued, “This sport promises to attract over one billion cricket fans to the Olympic Games and open up new sporting and commercial markets worldwide.”
He said it will expand Olympic values and bring more nations to the medal table.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, only Barbados played Women’s T20 cricket. The same is likely if the game becomes Olympic.
Joseph noted that the West Indies cricket team has helped unite the Islands over time. “This team has been and is referred to as the embodiment of our collective aspirations, hopes, and dreams, being one of the finest examples of regional integration, collaboration, and cohesiveness demonstrated through sport in any part of the world,” Joseph stated.
“Whatever our fortunes in cricket contests anywhere in the world, the peoples of the Caribbean and our global diaspora remain insistent that the West Indies cricket team is truly representative of us and stands for us,” he added.
Joseph said, “The region has produced outstanding players in every aspect of the game, rising to the top of the sport, proving ourselves extraordinarily talented and capable of achieving monumental success against other highly legitimate world-class opponents.”
He continued, “The sport of cricket is intricately interwoven into the historical and socio-cultural fabric of what is now popularly known globally as Caribbean culture.”
Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma Delight Fans With Badminton Match
Original Source: Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma surprise fans with badminton face-off, bat for ‘Let There Be Sport’ movement
On Monday, Bengaluru fans were treated to a badminton match between Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma to demonstrate the importance of sports in daily life.
On Monday in Bengaluru, cricket star Virat Kohli and Indian film actress Anushka Sharma surprised fans with a badminton match to promote PUMA India’s Let There Be Sport campaign, which challenges the idea that sports are a distraction from academics.
Virat and Anushka, who have shown a commitment to fitness, unexpectedly entered a city’s top residential society and played a friendly mixed doubles badminton match against two lucky residents to promote a healthy lifestyle.
The lively game featured fun and competitive banter, as well as Virat and Anushka in a never-before-seen avatar, sending a powerful message of embracing sports and fitness into daily life.
“Sports and fitness must be integrated into our culture, curriculum, and daily lives as a valuable and critical life skill. PUMA always comes up with new methods to connect, engage, and inspire audiences. Today’s event brought Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma to consumers. “Virat and Anushka are youth icons and their on-the-spot interactions today will create awareness and encourage people of all ages to take up sports and fitness,” said PUMA India and Southeast Asia Managing Director Abhishek Ganguly.
“As a leading sports brand in the country, it is our responsibility to create a purpose-driven platform like Let There Be Sport to further the development of sports and fitness culture that India has witnessed in the last 5-10 years. Ganguly added, “The initiative has received a great response so far and we hope to achieve our goal of building a fit India.”
“Sports has to be an integral part of everyone’s life,” Virat stated on the occasion. I’m pleased PUMA saw the need and spoke out to make it a necessary like other necessities. It was fun taking time out of our schedules to mingle with locals and crash a co-working space meeting to get employees to perform fitness challenges. I hope many will be motivated and inspired today to take up sports and fitness as a life skill.”
Virat and Anushka surprised co-workers who were busy with their regular routines by visiting a co-working space. They engaged staff in enjoyable fitness challenges after explaining the benefits of prioritizing physical activity in daily life.
The Let There Be Sport campaign by PUMA was essential. Sports are important at schools and universities because they keep you fit in the long run. It was fun to participate in these fitness challenges and meet folks from Bengaluru, where I grew up. “I also enjoyed playing a spontaneous badminton match with Virat and the residents today,” Anushka said.
Virat and Sunil Chhetri talked at PUMA’s Let There Be Sport Conclave about the importance of sports and fitness in the country and shared inspiring anecdotes from their own lives. The conclave also streamed its latest 90-second digital film, which featured brand ambassadors Virat, MC Mary Kom, Sunil, Avani Lekhara, and Bhagwani Devi among common athletes.
PUMA’s #LetThereBeSport campaign encourages individuals to participate in sports and physical activities, proving that only sports can connect people across socio-economic and gender lines.
Middlesex Defeated Nottinghamshire in the County Championship
Original Source: County Championship: Middlesex beat Nottinghamshire with just an over to spare for first win of season
Nottinghamshire declared on their overnight score of 158-6, setting Middlesex a target of 249 in 40 overs after poor weather washed out most of the first two sessions.
Malan and Holden scored 61 and 53, respectively, as Middlesex held their nerve in a tight conclusion to win with six balls to spare.
Malan and Holden’s third-wicket stand was worth 94 from 77 deliveries when Steven Mullaney enticed Malan to hole out to deep square leg with 73 required.
Holden was caught down the leg-side off Broad three overs later, leaving Middlesex to win with Ryan Higgins (22no) and Sam Robson (12no).
Somerset’s encounter with Lancashire at Taunton finished in a tie thanks to 22-year-old Kasey Aldridge’s first-class half-century.
Aldridge, making his first appearance of the season, scored 58 not out in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 87 with Lewis Gregory (34no) as the home side fell from 41-0 overnight to 169-6 in their second innings, with a 56-run lead.
After the last day was rained out, Kent and Essex’s match at Canterbury concluded in a draw. In Division Two, all three games ended in draws due to inclement circumstances.
On the final day at New Road, Gloucestershire ripped through Worcestershire’s top order, denying them victory.
The visitors started on 172-3 in their second innings and added 54 runs in 10 overs when captain Graeme van Buuren retired. Worcestershire were 51-4 when it started pouring at lunch and play was called off. They had to score 301 in 84 overs.
Glamorgan drew in Cardiff after Durham forced them to follow on, with Kiran Carlson’s hundred the highlight.
Carlson (119) and Timm van der Gugten (54no) pushed Glamorgan close to the follow-on mark, but Durham’s seamers bowled the hosts out for 305.
Durham bowlers again dominated Glamorgan’s second innings, which ended with 22 overs remaining due to a strong rain shower.
No balls were bowled on the fourth day of Sussex-Yorkshire’s enthralling match at Hove.
Yorkshire needed 63 to win with seven wickets in hand, another frustrating experience in a season that has seen them lose a tight game to Leicestershire and then have their match against Gloucestershire wiped away without a ball being bowled.
Summary of Today’s Cricket Sports News
Overall, Keith Joseph, president of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), has stated again that he thinks Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) can provide cricket with “an excellent opportunity to re-enter the sports program of the summer Olympics in style.” To have cricket included in the Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) Olympic Games, he gave his full support to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket West Indies (CWI).
On the other hand, to support PUMA India’s ongoing revolutionary initiative Let There Be Sport, which challenges the conventional mindset that sports is a diversion from academics, cricket icon Virat Kohli and Indian film actor Anushka Sharma surprised fans in Bengaluru with a badminton face-off on Monday.
Finally, set 240 for victory in 40 overs, the Seaxes completed their chase with just six balls to spare, giving Middlesex their first win of the County Championship season in a nail-biter. Middlesex’s Pieter Malan and Max Holden both scored 50s, and Notts’ Stuart Broad’s four wickets were wasted.