Italian Ulissi sprints to claim Suisse 5th stage
Porte snatches yellow off Kung
LEUKERBAD, Switzerland, June 13, (AFP): BMC’s Australian rider Richie Porte took the race leader’s yellow jersey off teammate Stefan Kung’s back as Italian Diego Ulissi won Wednesday’s fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse.
Home favourite Kung suffered over the final few kilometres of the 155km stage from Gstaad to Leukerbad which featured three climbs, eventually finishing 3min 23sec down on Emirates team rider Ulissi.
The Italian won a sprint finish from Spain’s Enric Nicolau (Quick-Step) and Dimension Data’s Dutchman Tom-Jelte Slagter.
In his final race before July’s tour de France, Porte, a two-time Paris-Nice winner, now sits atop the overall standings 20sec ahead of Sunweb’s two Dutch riders Wilco Kelderman and Sam Oomen.
“I am just happy to be back racing and to have good form. It wasn’t a simple day but this jersey is all credit to my team today,” Porte said.
“The team was absolutely superb.
Ulissi
They were fantastic all day. It was a hectic start and we covered the first 100km super quick and I don’t think it was an easy day for anyone.
“It may not have looked really hard in the final there but we went hard. All of the guys did their part today and I am so happy to have the jersey and keep it in the team.”
Kung was phlegmatic about a stage where a damaged wheel left him expending scoring 62 as the touring side lost regular wickets and were bowled out for a mediocre 214 in the 47th over.
England, humbled by Scotland on Sunday, made a meal of reaching the low target, however, and when top scorer Eoin Morgan (69), Jos Buttler and Joe Root (50) fell in the space of three overs the hosts were wobbling on 163 for six.
David Willey eased England home, finishing the match off with a booming six.
Sheets of sandpaper with “4” and “6” printed on them were handed out on the approaches to the Oval -- a reminder of the ball-tampering scandal that engulfed Australian cricket this year and cost Steve Smith the captaincy.
Coach Darren Lehmann stood down after the test series in South Africa and Langer’s new-look Australian batting line-up made an inauspicious start.
Travis Head chased a wide outswinger from Willey and edged to Jonny Bairstow for a routine slip catch and Aaron Finch struck a
Australia’s captain Tim Paine (left), reacts as England’s captain Joe Root plays a shot for four runs during the first One Day International (ODI) cricket match between England and Australia at The Oval cricket ground in London on June 13. (AFP)
couple of boundaries before a rash drive at Moeen Ali sent an easy catch to backward point.
Shaun Marsh looked in good nick for his 24 before Moeen got one past his outside edge, the ball striking the top of off stump to leave Australia on 52 for three.
Captain Tim Paine’s rash reverse sweep off Moeen went straight to Mark Wood at backward point for 12.
Australia tried to raise the tempo and Marcus Stoinis lofted a six off of Adil Rashid only to nudge one behind to keeper Jos Buttler having scored 22.
Maxwell, who struck a 52-ball half century, shared an 84-run stand with Ashton Agar for the sixth wicket to raise Australian hopes of a challenging total.
But Maxwell top-edged Liam Plunkett to deep square leg where Bairstow took the simplest of catches and Agar was plumb lbw to Rashid before Plunkett and Wood mopped up the tail.
Billy Stanlake bowled Jason Roy for a duck in England’s reply and when Bairstow was caught on the boundary England were 38 for three.
Morgan and Root put England in total control before the hosts stumbled over the line.
The second match of the fivegame series is in Cardiff on Saturday. hamstring and calf injuries.
Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed Gamage fractured his finger while batting in the first Test.
Batsman Dasun Shanaka, who last played a Test against Bangladesh in February, and all-rounder Danushka Gunathilaka will be flown out as replacements later on Wednesday evening.
It is unlikely that the duo will be available for the start of the second Test at St Lucia on Thursday, given the lengthy flights.
The visitors, though, have Dhananjaya de Silva and Mahela Udawatte as cover for Mathews, and extra quicks