Powerplay pivotal as 2 forces collide in T20 World Cup final

 T20 World Cup final - The blistering pace of Pakistan's new-ball bowling attack take on England's blazing opening pair in a head-to-head battle that could well decide the T20 World Cup final. England's openers stormed to a ten-wicket win in Adelaide over India, with Alex Hales and Jos Buttler breaking records in their blitz.

Buttler and Hales have set the tone with the bat, and boast the best average Powerplay in the tournament, an impressive 52 runs for the loss of one wicket.

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The pairs' 170* is not only the highest opening partnership in the Men's tournament history, but it's also the highest partnership for any wicket.

Though they come across their stiffest opposition with the ball: Pakistan.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah are the most impactful side with the ball in the first six overs, on average taking two wickets for just 37 runs.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam did downplay the significance when asked how important the first six overs will be with the ball for Pakistan.

"Utilising the Powerplay to grab as many wickets will be essential for the match."

"Even when you bat, you want to set a great pace for the upcoming batsmen. We will try to maintain and continuously build our momentum hence ensuring better performance."

Neither Shaheen nor Buttler played in the recent seven-match series between the two finalists. But with the bowler looking in prime form and Buttler showing intent from the off against the swinging new ball, this has all the hallmarks of a blockbuster clash.

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Hundreds Of Houses Destroyed By Twin Earthquakes In Greece

  

Twin earthquakes in Greece last week have left around 900 houses uninhabitable, media reported Sunday, while strong aftershocks continue to strike fear into people made homeless and looking for shelter.

Wednesday and Thursday’s quakes, rated at magnitude 6.3 and 5.9, damaged hundreds of buildings in the villages of Larissa, Elassona, Tyrnavos and Farkadona and injured 11 people.

After inspecting around 1,800 structures, engineers said 898 homes would have to be demolished along with some hospitals, schools and churches, Athens News Agency reported.

The mainly agricultural area has many stone buildings that are over 70 years old.

Authorities are rushing in caravans and tents to shelter those left homeless from low temperatures and rainy weather.

Thessaly regional governor Kostas Agorastos said Sunday that temporary housing units and caravans would be hooked up to electricity and water supplies in Damassi and Messohori villages, with at least 100 caravans expected in the coming week.

On Saturday, deputy Interior Minister Stelios Petsas said that each earthquake-hit municipality would receive 300,000 euros ($360,000) on Monday to fund emergency spending.

Meanwhile, seismologists have warned people not to return to damaged homes, forecasting many months of aftershocks.

“It’s a given that post-earthquake activity will be long, at least for 4-5 months, so the best solution is to move earthquake-stricken families to containers,” the director of the Greek Geodynamic Institute, Akis Tselentis, told Kathimerini newspaper.

A magnitude 4.2 aftershock hit late Saturday near the town of Elassona in Thessaly.

Greece is located on a number of fault lines, and is sporadically hit by earthquakes. But they mostly occur at sea and do not cause casualties.

In October, a 7.0 magnitude quake struck in the Aegean Sea between the Greek island of Samos and the city of Izmir in western Turkey. Two teenagers died on the island of Samos in a building collapse.

AFP

Crew of Chinese boat freed from kidnappers: Nigerian army

  

The Nigerian army freed 14 crew members of a Chinese fishing boat from their pirate kidnappers on Saturday after a month in captivity, following a ransom payment, the military said.

The crew of six Chinese, three Indonesians, a Gabon national and four Nigerians were kidnapped in early February when the tuna fishing bat was attacked.

“A ransom of $300,000 was paid before we arrived to rescue them,” and bring them safely to Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Yahaya told AFP.

Kidnap attacks on ships for ransom have become common occurences in the Gulf of Guinea which runs from Senegal to Angola, taking in the southwest coast of Nigeria.

The perpetrators are usually Nigerian pirates.

The Gulf of Guinea accounted for more 95 percent of all maritime kidnappings last year 130 out of 135 cases, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), which monitors security at sea.

The Chinese fishing boast, registered in Gabon, was seized by such pirates using high-speed boats off the Gabonese port of Port-Gentil on February 7.

The boat with the crew still on board was spotted some 110 kilometres from the Nigerian island of Bonny a few days after the attack.

Maritime security consultants Dryad Global said the hijacked Chinese boat was used as a “mothership” for attacks on oil tankers.

Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has its roots in Nigeria’s Niger Delta where oil wealth has failed to reach local populations and deep poverty has stoked militancy and armed unrest.

Gangs speed out from swamps to raid passing vessels, snatch crews and spirit them back to Nigeria’s shores. Theguardianng

Crew of Chinese boat freed after ransom payment: Nigerian army

  

The Nigerian army freed 14 crew from a Chinese fishing boat from their pirate kidnappers on Saturday, after a month in captivity.

Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Yahaya told AFP news agency a ransom of $300,000 was paid before the crew were freed.

The Chinese fishing boat, registered in Gabon, was seized using high-speed boats off the Gabonese port of Port-Gentil on February 7 and the crew – six Chinese nationals, three Indonesians, a Gabon national and four Nigerians – kidnapped.

The boat, with the crew still on board, was spotted some 110km (68 miles) from the Nigerian island of Bonny a few days after the attack.

Maritime security consultants Dryad Global said the hijacked Chinese boat was used as a “mothership” for attacks on oil tankers.

Attacking ships to kidnap their crew for ransom has become common in the Gulf of Guinea, which runs from Senegal to Angola, taking in the southwest coast of Nigeria.

The perpetrators are usually Nigerian pirates.

The Gulf of Guinea accounted for more than 95 percent of all maritime kidnappings last year – 130 out of 135 cases – according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), which monitors security at sea.

The region witnessed a 40-percent increase in cases related to piracy and kidnapping during the first nine months of 2020, according to the IMB.

Experts point to Nigeria’s Niger Delta as a major source of recruitment for pirates. The region’s oil riches do not benefit the local population who also find their traditional economic sectors of fishing and farming wrecked by pollution from oil extraction.

Beset by poverty, the local population is fertile ground for pirate gangs to recruit foot soldiers and to hide out between forays.(News Agency/Aljazeera)

Lagos college of medicine shuts down as students, staff contract COVID-19

  

The Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) has shut down its campus after some students and officials tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement, the institution’s student union said the provost mandated every student to evacuate the hostel and isolate themselves at home for two weeks effective from Friday.

The union said courses and examinations have been put on hold, adding that a communique containing modalities for school resumption will be circulated after the two-week isolation period.

“Owing to the present reality of the Covid19 we are faced with and after an evidence based investigation that some students and College staff have been confirmed positive of the coronavirus, The Provost has mandated that EVERY student should evacuate the hostel and isolate themselves at home for the next 2weeks effective from Friday 15th January. This was a decision made at an emergency academic board meeting,” the statement read.

“The Provost advised that any student with likely/ classical symptoms of the virus should fill a form which shall be sent across board in the shortest time possible and the concerned individuals shall be called upon for testing tomorrow whilst they await the results of their test at home.

“The Provost also reiterated that the college isolation bay shall be set up within this 2 weeks of isolation and complete evacuation of students from the college arena.

“We strongly encourage everyone to STRICTLY adhere to the Covid19 guidelines as stated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control in a bid to help mitigate the spread and impact of the deadly virus within and beyond the college arena.”

Lagos, which is the epicentre of COVID-19 infections in Nigeria, has confirmed 37, 852 cases and recorded 260 deaths.

More than 29,000 patients in the state have also recovered from the disease. TheCableng