Kane scores 4 as EPL runner-up Tottenham routs Leicester 6-1
LEICESTER, England: Harry Kane scored four goals in Tottenham’s 6-1 rout of Leicester on Thursday, ensuring the Premier League runner-up is closing out the season with a swagger despite missing out on the title.
Kane will enter the final day of the season on Sunday in pole position to finish as top scorer, with the striker now on 26 league goals — two more than Everton’s Romelu Lukaku. Despite missing three months of the season through injury, Kane has netted 32 times in all competitions.
“It’s the first time I’ve scored four goals and it was a good moment to do it,” Kane said. “I was looking to get one or two goals at least and then hopefully take it into the last game, now I’m in the driving seat at the minute but there’s still one game to play so I’m not resting on my laurels.”
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said he has no concerns about holding on to Kane during the summer transfer window.
“We will keep the players that we want to keep,” Pochettino said. “Maybe we will sell the players that we want to sell. I think we are so, so, so calm about our big players and they are so happy here. We are building a very exciting project.”
Kane’s opener was set up by Son Heung-min, who scored Tottenham’s other two goals against deposed champion Leicester to become the highest-scoring South Korean in a single European season. Son has 21 goals in all competitions this season.
Tottenham, which plays at relegated Hull in the final day of the season on LAHORE, Pakistan: Britain’s National Crime Agency provided the initial intelligence that helped uncover a major spotfixing scandal in the Pakistan Super League (PSC), a leading official from world cricket’s governing body said Thursday.
Sir Ronnie Flanagan, head of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anticorruption and safety unit (ACSU) was speaking to reporters in Lahore after testifying in a case against opening batsman Sharjeel Khan, who has been provisionally suspended by his board since the scandal erupted in February.
Fast bowler Mohammad Irfan and spinner Mohammad Nawaz have already been banned for six months with six suspended, and one month with one suspended, respectively after confessing to failing to report offers to fix matches.
Opening batsmen Khalid Latif, Shahzaib Hasan and Nasir Jamshed, who did not feature in the tournament, have been charged with more serious offenses, and face bans ranging from five years to life if found guilty.
Flanagan, head of the ACSU, said: “The inquiry was led by the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) throughout and our role was simply that before the PSL match we received intelligence that was passed to us by the British National Crime Agency.”
Sharjeel was charged for failing to report an offer to fix and for playing two ‘dot balls’ (balls from which a batsman does not score) in exchange for money.
Latif, whose proceedings will begin later, was charged for luring others to spot fixing.
Flanagan added: “As chairman of the ICC’s ACSU and I work very closely with the domestic anti-corruption units across the world, whatever is the outcome of this case, I would say that the PCB and its unit in this entire process have demonstrated a great determination to keep cricket clean.”
Sharjeel’s lawyer said Islamabad United coach Dean Jones, a former Australian batsman, former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf and former Pakistan opener Sadiq Mohammad will appear as witnesses for his defense next week.
The ICC formed the ACSU in 2001 following life bans on South African captain Hansie Cronje, Pakistan’s Salim Malik and India’s Mohammad Azharuddin after fixing inquiries by their respective countries. Sunday, is seven points behind newly crowned champion Chelsea.
Chelsea has taken the trophy off Leicester, which astonishingly won the title last season but collapsed this year and is currently 11th.
Tottenham was rampant as it sealed a 13th win in its last 16 games in all competitions, having already cemented second place.
Tottenham challenged Leicester for the title last season, before eventually finish- REGGIO EMILIA, Italy: Colombian Fernando Gaviria staked his claim for the sprinters top prize at the 100th Giro d’Italia after powering to a third win on stage 12 that frustrated the hosts again Thursday.
Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, of the Sunweb team, retained the race leader’s pink jersey and an overall lead of 2min 23sec on 2014 champion and race favorite Nairo Quintana of Movistar.
Before the battle for the “maglia rosa” resumes on Saturday, when the race heads back into the mountains, Italy’s drought continued.
Quick Step sprinter Gaviria, already victorious on stages three and five and a runner-up to Australian Caleb Ewan (Orica) on stage seven, claimed his third win with a textbook sprint helped by the formidable lead-out of Argentine teammate Maximiliano Richeze, despite him suffering a puncture in the final kilometers.
Italian Jakub Mareczko finished second to Gaviria for the second time in the race — the first time in the history of the Giro an Italian had failed to win inside 12 stages.
“This win is for the team,” said Gaviria after the 229 km ride from Forli to Reggio Emilia.
On his race debut Gaviria has a firm grip on the sprinters “ciclamen” jersey, which he intends to secure at the finish in Milan on May 28. ing third. Interim Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare saw his side roll over on Thursday.
Apart from an error from Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris — which allowed Ben Chilwell to score — the visitors were
Although German sprint giant Andre Greipel has won only one sprint on the 100th edition so far, Gaviria said: “The best sprinter in this Giro is Andre Greipel. He’s won more stages in his career than me and won more stages of the Giro.”
He added: “We’re motivated to finish the Giro. We have to take some points on the way because I want to win this jersey in Milan.
“I came here for experience, and to win, and I’m gaining both.”
The 13th stage is a 167km ride from Reggio Emilia to Tortona, another day for the sprinters to go for glory before the race moves back into the mountains on Saturday.
Dumoulin, who took command of the race when he powered to victory in the 10th stage time trial, is looking forward to another incident-free day of racing before then.
The 14th stage is perfectly flat for the first 120 km before the peloton tackles a steep 11.8 km climb to the summit of the Oropa sanctuary at Biella.
“It was a sprinters stage and nothing special, actually,” said Dumoulin, who also leads French rival Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) by 2:40 and two-time and defending champion Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain) by 2:47. always on top with Leicester now destined to finish mid-table.
Leicester was on the back foot instantly when Son shot over before Jamie Vardy fired straight at Lloris.
Tottenham dominated possession and Son provided Kane with the opener in the 25th minute.
Leicester defender Christian Fuchs was caught out by Toby Alderweireld’s deep ball which allowed Son to burst into the area. With Fuchs trailing behind, Son teed up Kane to sweep in from six yards.
Dele Alli’s low header was then saved by Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel as Spurs began to raise the tempo, sensing Leicester was there for the taking.
The hosts were enterprising enough but, aside from Vardy’s pace, rarely troubled the visitors who doubled their lead in style 10 minutes before the break.
An intricate move on the edge of the area opened up the Foxes, allowing Alli to spring the trap and his lovely lofted pass allowed Son to find the bottom corner with a first-time volley.
Tottenham threatened to overwhelm the Foxes and Schmeichel saved Eric Dier’s header before the hosts could grab a breather at halftime.
Dier needed to produce a fine block to deny Marc Albrighton and the quiet Riyad Mahrez fired at Lloris before Chilwell pulled a goal back in the 59th.
It was messy from Spurs as Lloris rushed out to beat Vardy to the ball but only succeeded in deflecting it off the striker to Wilfred Ndidi. The midfielder worked it to Chilwell, who managed to squeeze the ball beyond Dier on the line, only for Kane to immediately restore Spurs’ two-goal advantage to spark a rout.
Kane headed in from point-blank range after more neat work from Son and the South Korean grabbed his own double in the 71st. It was no more than Son deserved as neat footwork gave him space on the edge of the box and he curled low beyond Schmeichel.