Bangladesh’s Arafat Sunny denied bail in girlfriend photos case

DHAKA: A court refused to grant bail to Bangladeshi cricketer Arafat Sunny on Tuesday after he was charged with posting “intimate” photos of his girlfriend on social media.

Metropolitan magistrate Zakir Hossain said another court which deals with internet-related crime would instead hear the bail application, meaning the 31-year-old spinner would remain behind bars on remand at a Dhaka prison.

“The court directed us to move to the cyber court to seek bail. It also asked the jail authorities to look after the health of Sunny as he was sick,” Sunny’s lawyer M. Muradduzaman told AFP.

Police arrested the left-arm bowler in a Dhaka suburb on Sunday after his longtime girlfriend Nasrin Sultana, 23, filed a complaint two weeks ago.

In her complaint Sultana said Sunny opened up a fake Facebook account in her name and posted “intimate photos” which she found “offensive and defamatory”.

She also claimed that they had been married since 2014 and filed a separate lawsuit against Sunny on Monday, accusing the player of seeking dowry worth millions from her family.

Sunny has denied all the accusations, including the claim that the couple had been secretly married for more than two years.

If found guilty Sunny could be jailed for up to 14 years and fined 10 million taka (around $125,000) under the country’s strict internet law, which local right groups say is being used to crack down on dissent.

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan has said that Sunny, who has played 16 one-day internationals and 10 Twenty20 internationals. could be banned from the sport if found guilty.

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English Premier League: Leicester complete miracle title triumph

LEICESTER: Thousands celebrated and millions around the world looked on in wonder as 5,000-1 underdogs Leicester City completed arguably the greatest fairytale in sporting history by becoming English Premier League champions.

Second-placed Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea late on Monday was enough for last year’s relegation battlers to seal a scarcely credible title after outshining some of football’s most glamorous teams.

Leicester’s season of 22 wins out of 36 games and just three defeats means they become champions with two games to spare, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool all trailing at a distance.

After fighting off relegation last year and being rated 5,000-1 for the title at the start of the season, Claudio Ranieri’s Thai-owned side have now pulled off a shock rated by many as the biggest seen in sport.

The modest Midlands club are England’s first new champions since Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest in 1978, and their surge in the world’s most watched football league has won them admirers across the globe.

Dancing fans waving blue and white flags poured onto the streets of Leicester, while footage on Twitter showed the team celebrating wildly as they watched Monday’s game at the home of talismanic striker Jamie Vardy.

The players can now look forward to another title party when they lift the trophy at their King Power Stadium following Saturday’s home game with Everton.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. I’ve never known anything like it,” said Vardy. “We were scrapping to stay in the league last season and on Saturday we’ll be lifting the trophy.

“It’s the biggest achievement in the history of a great club and we all feel privileged to be part of it.”

Selby grinds down Ding to win world snooker title

SHEFFIELD: England’s Mark Selby held his nerve in a ruthless display to beat China’s Ding Junhui 18-14 on Monday and win the world snooker championship for the second time.

World number one Selby, champion in 2014, never trailed in the match as he ended Ding’s hopes of becoming the first Asian player to win the biggest prize in the sport.

“It is fantastic,” Selby said.

“It was very special to win it two years ago, but I felt under a lot more pressure now than I did two years ago.

“It was a tough final and with the amount of pressure Ding is under, from China alone but to play like that. I can’t imagine how he could do that.”

Ding, who lost the first six frames, fought back on Sunday to leave Selby 10-7 ahead overnight at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.

The Chinese player started well on Monday and reduced the deficit to 11-10 but Selby rallied and went into the final session 14-11 ahead.

Selby, 32, extended his advantage to 16-11 but Ding, the first Asian player to reach the final, was not finished, conjuring up breaks of 70, 73 and 103 to fight back to 16-14.

The 31st frame was crucial, Selby producing superbly disciplined snooker to win it after a 51-minute tactical battle and he dominated the next to seal the title.

“In the first to 18, a 6-0 lead is not a huge one, especially against someone like Ding,” said Leicester-born Selby who secured the title minutes after his home-town football club won the Premier League crown.

“He played fantastically earlier today and I had to just hang on to him. I’m just over the moon. I saved my best performance for the final and I only had two good sessions in the tournament.”

Selby became the 13th player to win the world title more than once.

Only three players from outside Britain and Ireland have won the crown, Australian Horace Lindrum in 1952, Canadian Cliff Thorburn in 1980 and Australian Neal Robertson in 2010.

“I had a very bad start 6-0 down, I couldn’t win a frame. I was a bit nervous as I hadn’t been in a final before,” said the 29-year-old Ding, a former world number one who had to qualify for the tournament after slipping to 17th in the world rankings.

Messi’s ‘plastic shirt’ fan arrives in Pakistan

Five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi, who idolises the Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi and shot to fame for donning a jersey of his favourite player, has arrived in Pakistan.

He came to Quetta a few days ago where he is living with his father. Reports said he is residing in Hazara Town and arrived in Pakistan from Afghanistan for a better livelihood.

His elder brother Homayoun, 15, made him the blue-and-white-striped plastic shirt with Messi’s named scrawled in marker pen and posted the photos of Murtaza wearing it on Facebook in mid-January.

Murtaza’s father, a poor farmer in Ghazni’s Jaghori district, admitted he could not afford to buy him a replica jersey, adding that Murtaza only had a punctured ball to play with.

Photos of the boy wearing the improvised Messi jersey — made from grocery bags discarded by their neighbour — has touched a chord with football fans around the world.

Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father, had told a wire service that the footballer was aware of the photos that made waves on social media and “wants to do something” for his young fan.

The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) said Messi was keen to meet Murtaza as soon as possible, though no date or venue has so far been finalised.

“Messi has been in communication with the federation to set up a meeting with the young boy,” AFF spokesman Sayed Ali Kazemi said.

“We are working to see whether Messi will come to Afghanistan or the five-year-old will travel to Spain or they will meet in a third country.”

Steve Smith out of IPL with wrist injury

SYDNEY: Australian captain Steve Smith on Monday pulled out of the Indian Premier League with a wrist injury and will return home for treatment ahead of the tour to the West Indies.

Cricket Australia medical official Alex Kountouris said Smith had been struggling with pain in his right wrist for the last week.

“We have been working with his IPL franchise Pune to monitor this and unfortunately it has not resolved,” Kountouris said in a statement.

“As such, he will return home from India for further assessment and treatment ahead of the tour of the West Indies.”

He stressed the injury did not appear to be serious, “but we are keen to give him the time to recover and rehabilitate before heading to the West Indies at the end of May”.

Australia begin the tri-series in Guyana on June 6 against South Africa before facing the hosts four days later at the same venue.

The round-robin tournament sees teams play three matches against each opponent, with the top two advancing to the final on June 26 in Barbados.

Smith’s decision comes a day after Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh pulled out of the rest of the IPL with a side strain.

Australian cricketer Adam Voges in hospital after being hit on head

LONDON: Australia’s Adam Voges was taken to hospital following a concussion scare after the Middlesex captain collapsed during his side’s County Championship match against Hampshire on Sunday.

Voges was struck on the back of the head by a ball lobbed by sub fielder Ollie Rayner and missed by wicketkeeper John Simpson after a boundary hit by Hampshire’s Michael Carberry at Southampton.

The 36-year-old fell straight to the floor before being helped off the pitch by two physios and was subsequently taken to hospital with a suspected concussion as his participation in the game looks to have ended.

Middlesex director of cricket Angus Fraser said: “The feeling from the physio Peter Waxman is that it is a concussion but that will be shown up later.

“It is sad for Adam and disappointing for us as we will have no more use out of him in this match.

“He wasn’t feeling very well in the dressing room so we decided to get him to the hospital to get him checked over. He wants to remain here even if he can’t play.”

eicester’s title celebrations delayed after United draw

MANCHESTER: Leicester’s Premier League title celebrations were delayed for at least another 24 hours after the leaders drew 1-1 with Manchester United on Sunday.Claudio Ranieri’s side would have been crowned champions with a victory at Old Trafford but, with thousands of fans back in Leicester and millions of new converts around the world watching on television, they fell behind to Anthony Martial’s eighth minute goal.

Leicester defender Wes Morgan equalised for the visitors with a 17th minute header before Foxes midfielder Danny Drinkwater was sent off in the closing moments.

Ranieri’s men are now eight points clear of second placed Tottenham and can still secure the first top-flight title in their 132-year history if the north Londoners fail to win at Chelsea on Monday.

Regardless of Tottenham’s result, Leicester will be English football’s most unlikely champions if they beat Everton at the King Power Stadium next Saturday or win at Chelsea in their final game of the season.

ICC have different rules for different members, says Sir Richards

ANTIGUA: Legend cricketer Sir Vivian Richards has said that International Cricket Council (ICC) had different rules for its member countries.

In an interview to a foreign news agency, Richards slammed ICC over reprimanding West Indies side following their World Twenty20 win. He said that the members are held to different standards and India have been given a free pass due to its financal position.

“There are rules in the one-day game under the auspices of the ICC, like for instance the system where you go back to the third umpire and things like that,” Richards said.

“So if you are the sole governing body of world cricket, then everyone should be coming under the same umbrella. The Indians do not play certain things the ICC may have in its rules,” he said.

It should be noted that batsman Marlon Samuels was fined over celebrating his side’s World T20 win by removing his shirt and was also involved in a spat with England’s Ben Stokes. Skipper Darren Sammy had criticized the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) during the post match presentation as well.

The former West Indies batsman believed that the cricket’s governing body has different rules for different teams.

“When you look around the world in terms of the governance of the ICC, there are rules for some and not for others,” he said.

The governing body of the sport had stated that the statements and actions of the West Indies team had brought disgrace to the event.

Glorious summer in sight for Leicester City after many winters of discontent

LEICESTER: When King Richard III was reinterred in Leicester in March last year 500 years after his death, fans of the English city’s unheralded soccer club might have thought it too was dead and buried.

Richard’s remains had been found beneath a municipal car park. Leicester City were also at a low point, bottom of the Premier League table having won just six games all season.

Then they embarked on an incredible run, winning seven of their last nine matches to comfortably avoid relegation.

Now are on the brink of becoming league champions for the first time in their 132-year history, with just three defeats all season.

Their exploits have thrust the provincial city into the global spotlight once again.

“It’s a remarkable coincidence,” Wayne Harding, a season ticket holder for 34 years, said of the link between Richard’s reburial and Leicester’s meteoric rise.

Rated 5,000-1 long shots by bookmakers last August, if “the Foxes” win at Manchester United on Sunday, the title will be theirs with two games still to go.

“Everybody’s buzzing. If they do it on Sunday, it will be an absolutely banging day,” said Harding, 53, standing by a new statue of King Richard outside the city’s cathedral.

Leicester, about 100 miles (160 km) north of London, has become a sea of blue and white, the team’s colours.

Bunting with the club crest flutters from poles in the main shopping thoroughfares and shop windows are adorned with huge Leicester flags and blue and white balloons.

“It’s had a massive impact, everyone’s talking about it whether you’re a fan or not,” said Ian Derry, 51, who went to his first game in 1969.

In a league dominated for the last 25 years by a select few rich, glamour clubs such as Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal, neutrals and supporters from other clubs are also rooting for Leicester, said shop-worker Derry.

“The great escape surprised us all and then to push on to the top and possibly, possibly win it, is unbelievable. All the planets just seem to have aligned.”

ALL GONE MAD

The highest Leicester have previously finished was second, way back in 1928-9. The club has also been FA Cup runner-up four times but never triumphed, although it has won the less prestigious League Cup three times.

Just eight years ago, it was languishing in the third tier of English football.

“I’ve worked in Leicester for 10 years and never heard a word about Leicester football club until this year,” said Phil Wiley, 52, who hails from northeast England. “Now everyone is banging on about them. They’ve all gone mad.”

Billboards for the Leicester Mercury newspaper read “Biggest Game in Club’s History” and “Pubs Set For Big City Party”.

Bars and restaurants are offering blue-themed food and drinks, a butcher is selling sausages named after Italian manager Claudio Ranieri, and pubs are pouring beer named in honour of top scorer Jamie Vardy.

One restaurant is planning to give away 1,000 free curries to season-ticket holders if Leicester win the title.

WHERE IS LEICESTER?

Like its soccer team, Leicester itself has rarely found itself in the headlines.

The city, which dates back to Roman times some 2,000 years ago, is one of Britain’s most ethnically diverse areas, with about half its 330,000 citizens non-white British, according to a 2011 census.

The tourist office’s list of famous residents past and present has few household names, featuring the likes of psychedelic rock band Gaye Bykers On Acid and crooner Engelbert Humperdinck.

“It’s not a high-profile city. We’re not really on the tourist map. When we went abroad and said we’re from Leicester, they didn’t know where it was,” said Bev Danson, 56, who has lived in Leicester all her life.

The discovery and reburial of Richard’s body was estimated to have brought an extra 59 million pounds ($86 million) to the local economy, attracting an extra 600,000 visitors to the city.

Resident’s believe the club’s success will have a far greater impact, with English soccer avidly followed by millions of fans across the globe and the team certain to play in Europe’s most prestigious competition, the Champions League.

“It seems as though all eyes are on Leicester,” said Pratik Master, managing director for Lilu Restaurant which is serving up dishes renamed after the team’s manager, who came in for a meal last week, and players.

The fact that the club has a Thai owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, and a Japanese striker, Shinji Okazaki, has also ensured an eager following in Asia.

“We’ve had a great 18 months in Leicester with Richard III but now with the Foxes it’s brought the world even closer,” Master said.

Kane Williamson confirmed as New Zealand captain in all formats

Auckland: New Zealand Cricket has confirmed that Kane Williamson will take over the captaincy in all three formats of the game following the retirement of Brendon McCullum.

The 25-year-old had been expected to succeed McCullum having already led the side in one-day internationals when the former captain was rested or injured, and at the recent World Twenty20 tournament in India.

He will become New Zealand’s 29th test captain when head coach Mike Hesson’s side tour Zimbabwe and South Africa in July-August.

“Kane has been a leader within the team for a long time now and already shown himself to be an extremely capable captain,” NZC Chief Executive David White said in a statement.

“He’s respected by his peers and the wider cricket community for his professional approach both on and off the field, and has a superb cricket brain.

“His drive to see the team succeed and his passion for the game are what you look for in a leader. He’s ready for the role and will only continue to grow,” added White.

McCullum retired in February following the test series against Australia after four years in charge, during which time the team made their first World Cup final and became more competitive in the longest form of the game.

“It’s certainly an honour,” said Williamson. “I’ve really enjoyed my time spent as captain and believe this team can achieve a lot.

“I’m lucky to have a number of experienced players around me for support and will certainly look to utilise this.”

Williamson, who made his international debut in 2010, had filled in for McCullum as recently as limited overs series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan earlier this year before the former wicketkeeper resumed the job during Australia’s tour of New Zealand in February.

“I’ve certainly learnt a lot from Brendon, as has everyone who has played with him,” added Williamson, who was named in February as the 2015 New Zealand Sportsman of the Year.

“The culture that he and Mike have cultivated has been a huge part of this team’s success in recent times. We not only have good players, but good people too and that certainly makes any captain’s job easier.”

Badree out of IPL with World T20 injury

NEW DELHI: West Indian leg-spinner Samuel Badree has been ruled out of the rest of the Indian Premier League with an injury that he picked in the recent World Twenty20 final.

Badree, who played a major role in the Windies’ triumph over England on April 3 by taking two wickets, was unable to play a single match for his IPL franchise, the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

In West Indies victory in World T20, leg-spinner Badree’s performance in the final was equally key to the West Indies’ victory along with Samuels and Brathwaite. He could have had Jason Roy out lbw in the first ball and then bowled him next ball. He conceded just 16 runs in his four overs which included 14 dot balls and the wicket of skipper Eoin Morgan. He also took outstanding catches to dismiss Alex Hales and Liam Plunkett — injuring his shoulder and wrist while trying to take a diving catch at short third man in the 19th over of the England innings in World T20 Cup final. The Trinidadian finished the tournament with nine wickets and strengthened his status as the top-ranked T20 bowler.

RCB have signed South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi as Badree’s replacement in the ninth edition of the cash-rich league.

Pakistan Cup 2016: Sindh take on Islamabad today

FAISALABAD: Sindh will face Islamabad in their Pakistan Cup 2016 match on Saturday at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Staium, ARY News reported.

Sindh and Islamabad both started their Pakistan Cup 2016 campaing on winning note.

Sindh defeated Balochistan by 42 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis Method while Islamabad had beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by two runs under the (D/L method) as well.

Centuries by Khurram Manzoor and Sami Aslam played a crucial role in Sindh’s victory in their match against Balochistan.

On the other hand, Islamabad side will be relying on their skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal, Sharjeel Khan and Nasir Jamshed in the match.

Islamabad and Sindh are at second and fourth place respectively with two points each.

Sindh (squad): Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Bilal Asif, Hasan Khan, Imad Wasim, Khurram Manzoor, Mohammad Waqas, Saad Ali, Sohaib Maqsood, Anwar Ali, Fawad Alam, Hasan Mohsin, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Amir, Rumman Raees, Sami Aslam and Sohail Khan.

Islamabad (squad): Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Asif Zakir, Hasan Ali, Imran Khalid, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Sami, Sarmad Bhatti, Sharjeel Khan, Arsal Sheikh, Hammad Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Shadab Khan and Zafar Gohar.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau slips from political ring to boxing ring

NEW YORK: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau showed off his sparring skills outside the political ring on Thursday, lacing up a pair of boxing gloves for a workout during a trip to New York.

Returning to the spotlight that accompanied his White House visit and “bromance” with U.S. President Barack Obama last month, Trudeau donned a red sleeveless top that revealed his large native Haida raven tattoo to spar at Gleason’s in Brooklyn, a gym made famous by the likes of Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and “the Raging Bull” Jake LaMotta.

Sanchez double lifts Arsenal into third place

LONDON: Arsenal’s resurgent Alexis Sanchez scored twice to help ease their top-four jitters in a 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League at a less than full Emirates Stadium on Thursday.

Consecutive draws had all but ended Arsenal’s chances of overhauling Premier League leaders Leicester City and they began the night only a point above fifth-placed Manchester United in the battle to secure Champions League football.

However, Sanchez struck twice before halftime and Arsenal were untroubled by a poor West Brom side as they registered their 500th victory in the Premier League.

They moved above Manchester City into third place with 63 points and, with two of their last four games at home to struggling Norwich City and relegated Aston Villa, Arsene Wenger’s side are well set to finish in the top four.

With many season-ticket holders electing to miss the game in frustration at another botched title challenge, the atmosphere was flat inside a stadium with lots of empty red seats.

Sanchez did lift the mood, though, as he took his goal tally to five in the last four league games after a lean spell.

“Overall we should have scored more goals,” a glum Wenger, who has again faced criticism from fans, said.

“Certainly the early goal helped to focus us more on our game. It looks like (Sanchez) is back to his best, he’s sharper, more confident and in the first half he was exceptional.”

Sanchez turned sharply to shoot low past West Brom keeper Ben Foster after six minutes and struck again with a free kick shortly before halftime to put the hosts in control.

Gareth McAuley did send a header against the crossbar in the first half for the visitors but Arsenal were untroubled and should have won by a bigger margin.

Arsenal’s French Olivier Giroud fired straight at Ben Foster and Mesut Ozil was also denied by the keeper, but Arsenal were often guilty of over-elaborating in the final third.

Pakistani wrestler stranded in Beijing due to PIA flight delay

BEIJING: Pakistani wrestler Inam Butt, who is looking forward to take part in the 2016 Olympic Games, failed to reach China’s capital Beijing in order to leave for Mongolia for taking part in the qualifying round due to a four-hour delay of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, ARY News reported.

According to details, the qualifying round of the Olympic games would be contested in Mongolia from 22nd April to 24th April 2016.

Inam Butt clinched gold medal in the South Asian Games in India is also a former gold medalist in the Commonwealth Games will flex his muscles in the 86 kg category.

He was scheduled to reach Mongolia on April 22 whereas the draws will be held on April 23 and the matches will be played. on April 24.

Butt’s flight from Lahore to Beijing was delayed by four hour. He missed the flight to Mongolia after arriving at the Chinese capital late.

ARY News correspondent reported that the Pakistani wrestling hopeful is currently in China and a letter has been sent to International Olympic Committee, explaining them of the situation and seeking relief for the wrestler. A new ticket for Mongolia has been issued to Inam Butt.

Secretary General Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) Arshad Sattar has said that such problems continue to take place as the government does not support the sport having with miniscule budget.

European football roundup: Barcelona lose again, Leicester grab late equaliser

Barcelona completed a disastrous week by losing 2-1 at home to Valencia, their third consecutive league defeat. In England, Leicester City came from behind to earn a late draw, while Bayern Munich look unstoppable at the top of the Bundesliga.

SPAIN

Barcelona’s title bid suffered another setback when they lost 2-1 at home to Valencia — their third straight La Liga defeat — while Atletico Madrid moved level on points with the league leaders after a 3-0 home win over Granada.

Barca have 76 points along with Atletico, who knocked the holders out of the Champions League in midweek, and remain top only due to a superior head-to-head record.

Real Madrid, whose coach Zinedine Zidane said in February that the title race was over, thrashed Getafe 5-1 away and stand just one point behind the leading pair.

An own goal by Barca midfielder Ivan Rakitic put Valencia ahead at the Nou Camp and Santi Mina added a second before Lionel Messi pulled one back with his 500th career goal.

ENGLAND

Leicester City scored a penalty with the last kick of the game to draw 2-2 with West Ham United and open an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur will reduce Leicester’s lead to five points if they win their match in hand at Stoke City on Monday.

Leicester are top with 73 points, followed by Spurs on 65 and Manchester City on 60. City leapfrogged Arsenal into third place after their 3-0 win at Chelsea and Arsenal’s 1-1 home draw with Crystal Palace.

Manchester United, fifth on 56 points, condemned Aston Villa to relegation when they beat them 1-0 at Old Trafford.

GERMANY

Bayern Munich edged closer to a record fourth consecutive Bundesliga title with a 3-0 victory over Schalke 04 as the league’s leading scorer, Robert Lewandowski, scoring twice.

Bayern, chasing a treble of titles in what they hope will be a repeat of the 2013 season, are seven points clear of Borussia Dortmund with four matches left.

Dortmund comfortably beat nine-man Hamburg SV with 17-year-old American Christian Pulisic becoming the fourth-youngest Bundesliga scorer and Colombian Adrian Ramos netting twice.

ITALY

Juventus tightened their grip on top spot in Serie A with a comfortable 4-0 home win over Palermo to go nine points clear of second-placed Napoli, who lost 2-0 at Inter Milan.

Juve took a giant step towards a record fifth consecutiveScudetto but lost midfielder Claudio Marchisio to a ruptured cruciate ligament injury which has ruled him out of Euro 2016.

Francesco Totti scored a late equaliser to rescue a pointfor Roma in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Atalanta, but the game wasovershadowed by media reports of a spat between the 39-year-old forward and Luciano Spalletti, which the coach denied.

Juve have 79 points after 33 matches, with Napoli on 70and Roma on 65.

FRANCE

Paris St Germain rebounded from their Champions Leagueelimination at the hands of Manchester City with a resounding 6-0 victory over mid-table Caen.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice for PSG, who were crownedLigue 1 champions in March and need one win to equal the club’s all-time record points total for a season in the top flight.

Second-placed Monaco beat troubled Olympique Marseille 2-1 to move two points clear of Olympique Lyonnais, who drew 1-1 at home to fourth-placed Nice.

NETHERLANDS

Ajax Amsterdam scored twice in the final five minutes, including a controversial last-gasp penalty, to secure a 2-2 home draw with Utrecht and reclaim top spot. The result threw the Dutch title wide open with Ajax in first place on goal difference from champions PSV Eindhoven, who beat Roda JC Kerkrade 3-0, with three games to play.

The Amsterdam side’s Polish international Arek Milik won a last-minute penalty which he scored to rescue a point for Ajax, who were 2-0 down with four minutes left.