Sports world daily: New Zealand beat Sri Lanka to clinch T20 series; Pegula reaches Charleston semis

Jessica Pegula beat Paula Badosa to set up Charleston semifinal clash against defending champion Belinda Bencic.

In the Premier League, former Chelsea star and manager Frank Lampard feels he’s prepared for his return as interim-manager of the club. Meanwhile, former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has helped Burnley overturn their fortunes and earn promotion to the English top flight.

Later, in cricket, New Zealand beat Sri Lanka in a thrilling T20 match to clinch the series against the visitors.

Here’s a look at the key stories from international sporting events through the day for 8 April, 2023:

Seifert helps New Zealand win series

Tim Seifert was the match-winner for the second straight game as New Zealand clinched the T20 series against Sri Lanka with a tense four-wicket victory in Queenstown on Saturday.

Seifert blasted a career-high 88 off 48 balls to fire the Black Caps to 183-6 from 19.5 overs after the tourists had posted 182-6 in the third and final game at John Davies Oval.

The opener struck 10 fours and three sixes in an innings that bore many of the hallmarks of his unbeaten 79 when New Zealand levelled the series at Dunedin on Wednesday.

Captain Tom Latham provided the only meaningful support with 31 off 23 and New Zealand’s middle order nearly conspired to lose the game after Seifert departed with four overs remaining.

Needing to score at little more than a run-a-ball at that stage, the Black Caps stuttered.

Needing 10 runs to win off the final over bowled by Lahiru Kumara (3-38), Mark Chapman struck a six off the first ball before he was the first of three New Zealand wickets to fall.

With two still needed off the last two deliveries, Rachin Ravindra held his nerve to find a gap in the outfield and secure the 2-1 series win.

Latham conceded the run chase should not have become so tight at the death.

“They put us under pressure so it was good to see the way the guys responded to that,” Latham said.

“The way Timmy Seifert went out there and played was really important but obviously it wasn’t ideal going down to the last couple of balls.

“I’d say we always had it under control though.”

It completes a disappointing tour for Sri Lanka, who lost the Test and ODI series by the same 2-0 scoreline but were more competitive in the shortest format.

Pegula to face Bencic in Charleston

Top-seeded Jessica Pegula held off Paula Badosa 6-3, 7-6 (6) on Friday to line up a semifinal clash with defending champion Belinda Bencic as the top four seeds advanced at the WTA Charleston clay court tournament.

Switzerland’s Bencic, seeded fourth, won her ninth straight match in Charleston when she beat seventh-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-3.

Second-seeded Ons Jabeur advanced when Anna Kalinskaya retired from their quarterfinal because of illness.

Jabeur was up 6-0, 4-1 when Kalinskaya called it a day, the Tunisian reaching the semifinals for the third straight year.

She will next face third-seeded Daria Kasatkina, who turned the tables on ninth-seeded American Madison Keys 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2 in a battle of former Charleston champions.

Kasatkina notched just her second victory over Keys in 10 career meetings.

Results on Friday in the WTA clay court tournament in Charleston, South Carolina (x denotes seeded player):

Women’s quarterfinals

Jessica Pegula (USA x1) bt Paula Badosa (ESP x12) 6-3, 7-6 (8/6)

Belinda Bencic (SUI x4) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS x7) 6-3, 6-3

Daria Kasatkina (RUS x3) bt Madison Keys (USA x9) 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-2

Ons Jabeur (TUN x2) bt Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 6-0, 4-1 retired

Lampard ready for Chelsea return

Frank Lampard says his turbulent spell in charge of Everton made him a better manager as he prepares to return to the dugout for his second spell as Chelsea boss.

Lampard, Chelsea’s record goalscorer, managed the Stamford Bridge club from July 2019 until January 2021, when he was replaced by Thomas Tuchel.

The 44-year-old’s unexpected return to Stamford Bridge as caretaker manager until the end of the season came after Graham Potter was dismissed on Sunday, with the club in the bottom half of the Premier League.

Lampard lost his job as boss of struggling Everton in January after saving them from relegation last season but he said he had learned lessons from his 12 months at Goodison Park.

“I’ve definitely changed (since the first spell at Chelsea),” he said ahead of the team’s match at Wolves on Saturday.

“I took some things that I changed on to Everton.

“You ‘evolve’ is probably a better word. I’ve always been very, very open to listening, to looking, to learning and reflecting. I’m certainly not a person who sits here and says ‘I’ve got all the answers’.

“There are things I look back on, things where I think I’ve maybe improved. The results will always be in how I perform here and how I can affect the players now.”

Lampard hinted that he would be interested in staying in the Chelsea job beyond the end of the season.

Kompany helps Burnley back to Premier League

Burnley secured promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking after Vincent Kompany’s men won 2-1 at Middlesbrough on Friday.

A 19-game unbeaten league run has taken the Clarets 19 points clear of third-placed Luton, who have just six games remaining, at the top of the Championship.

The decision to act swiftly to land former Manchester City captain Kompany after his first managerial spell at Anderlecht came to an end has proved a masterstroke.

Many feared the worst when the Clarets’ six-year stay in the English top flight came to an end last season.

Due to the terms of a controversial leveraged takeover by an American consortium in late 2020, a “significant proportion” of a £65 million ($78 million) loan had to be repaid when they were relegated.

Nearly £70 million-worth ($87 million) of players departed as Nick Pope, Dwight McNeil, Nathan Collins and Maxwel Cornet were snapped up by Premier League clubs, while two pillars of the club’s stay in the top flight, Ben Mee and James Tarkowski, left on free transfers.

But Kompany has put together almost an entirely new squad at a fraction of the cost, with his knowledge of the Belgian market and connections at City helping to land bargains.

Full-back Connor Roberts scored the decisive goal 24 minutes from time at the Riverside when the Welsh international turned home Nathan Tella’s cross.

Ashley Barnes had given Kompany’s men the perfect start before Chuba Akpom levelled from the penalty spot with his 27th goal of the season.

With text inputs from AFP

Updated through the day