Lord’s gets new screens

London: Cricket’s headquarters has unveiled a high-tech solution to one of the sport’s perennial problems — how to ensure batsmen can be seen and not disturbed.

Lord’s, already home to a spectacular, pod-shaped media centre, has installed a plastic sightscreen coated with a special film that makes it function like a one-way mirror.

“It’s the best of both worlds,” Lord’s spokesman Iain Wilton said on Tuesday. “It gives the batsman a clear view of the ball against the sightscreen and it enables people to see the cricket clearly.”

The new screen replaces one that has been used for about half a century in front of the famous Lord’s Pavilion at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

“For the spectators behind it just looks like a tinted piece of glass, and for the players it looks very much like a conventional sightscreen,” Wilton added.

Indian eves lose

Dunedin: New Zealand beat India 2-1 in the first Test of a four-match women’s field hockey series in Dunedin on Tuesday. Kayla Sharland and Lisa Walton scored for New Zealand, who led 1-0 at halftime. Annarita Kerketta scored India’s only goal.

The series continues with matches in Oamaru on Wednesday and Christchurch on Sunday and Monday.

Maradona’s plans

Buenos Aires: Diego Maradona is reportedly making plans to return to Cuba to resume drug rehabilitation treatment after his emergency hospitalisation, Argentine media said on Tuesday.

The 43-year-old soccer great could return as early as Thursday to Havana, where has spent the last four years under the care of Cuban specialists, a local broadcast network said. Maradona did not immediately comment on his travel plans. But he said he hoped to return to Cuba in the coming weeks.

On Tuesday, he remained holed up at a country estate where he has spent his days playing golf and receiving wellwishers since his 12-day hospitalisation ended last week.

Becks richest

Paris: Soccer star David Beckham with his $26.8 million per year income is the best paid soccer player in the world, according to France Football magazine’s annual list, published on Tuesday. It was the second straight year that Beckham — who turned 29 three days ago — topped the list.

Two other players from Real Madrid followed Beckham on the list — Brazil’s Ronaldo with income of $19.7 million and French star Zinedine Zidane with $16.7 million in revenue.

1-match ban for Roma

Rome: AS Roma were on Tuesday hit with a one-match stadium ban after trouble erupted when they played AC Milan at the San Siro on Sunday. The referee had to stop the game repeatedly in the second-half after the pitch was pelted with smoke bombs. Milan won the encounter 1-0 to be crowned Serie A champions.

AS Roma’s punishment, handed down by the Italian football federation’s disciplinary commission, comes into play this Sunday against relegation-threatened Perugia.

Sport on Screen

Cricket: West Indies vs England, 7th ODI live from 7.00 pm on TEN Sports
Soccer: Champions League, semi-finals, second leg live from midnight (Thursday) on ESPN
Tennis: ATP Italia Masters live from 12.30 am (Thursday) on STAR Sports