'The total wasn't big enough to put pressure on India'

West Indies skipper Darren Sammy blamed the inability of his batsmen to put up enough runs on the board as the reason for his side's four-wicket defeat against India in the first One-Day International of the five-match series in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

- Scorecard

Opting to bat at the Queens Park Oval on Monday, West Indies found the going tough against the Indian bowlers from the onset and managed to post a modest 214 for nine.

In reply, the visitors achieved the target with four wickets in hand and 31 balls to spare.

"We didn't score enough runs, we kept taking wickets but the total wasn't big enough to put pressure on them (India). It's about going out there and put a challenging total on the board but we couldn't do that," Sammy said.

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http://www.rediff.com/cricket/slide-show/slide-show-1-west-indies-india-sammy-slams-batsmen-for-poor-show-in-1st-odi/20110607.htm

Connecting the dots: Lakers in trouble

"Dot-dot-dot." -- Kobe Bryant after the Lakers' Game 2 blowout loss to the Mavs.

That was Mamba's way of telling J.A. Adande late Wednesday night that the Dallas-L.A. series isn't over, no matter how dire the Lakers' situation looks after two home losses.

We're taking Kobe's dots and giving them to five writers from Dallas and Los Angeles to get their views on where Kobe, Phil Jackson, Dirk Nowitzki, the Lakers and the Mavs stand now.

Here's 5-on-5:

1. Kobe Bryant is ...

Bryant

J.A. Adande, ESPN.com: ... going to have to fill in the blanks. We've been waiting for him to take over, finish and deliver playoff victories this postseason. Hasn't happened the way we're used to it happening.

Tim MacMahon, ESPN Dallas: ... suddenly a one-dimensional offensive player. One of the best slashers in NBA history is settling for jumpers in this series. He's 2-of-7 on shots inside 10 feet this round and 21-of-42 on midrange and long jumpers. He's still getting his points, but the Lakers' offense gets stagnant when all Kobe does is crank up jumpers.

Dave McMenamin, ESPN Los Angeles: ... toying with his legacy. He already has two Finals losses offsetting those five rings of his, and a second-round flameout of this magnitude, with everything set up for the Lakers to three-peat, will always be remembered when you assess his career.

Ramona Shelburne, ESPN Los Angeles: ... trying this whole Zen thing out. The "Kobe face" thing is kinda old. If the Lakers are going out, he's playing this like Phil would.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2011/news/story?page=5-on-5-110506

Kobe Bryant Fined $100,000 for ‘Derogatory Comments' to Official, NBA Says

Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 for directing “derogatory comments” toward a referee who had called a technical foul on the Los Angeles Lakers guard, the National Basketball Association said.

Bryant was given his 15th technical foul of the season for arguing after he got his fourth foul during a 102-93 win against the San Antonio Spurs at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on April 12.

NBA Commissioner David Stern called Bryant’s comments “offensive and inexcusable.”

“Kobe and everyone associated with the NBA know that insensitive or derogatory comments are not acceptable and have no place in our game or society,” Stern said in a statement.

Bryant said he didn’t mean to cause offense.

“My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game,” he said in a statement.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-14/kobe-bryant-fined-100-000-for-derogatory-comments-to-official-nba-says.html

One last step before Men in Blue take the leap

The Indian team’s last public appearance before they leave for Bangladesh to begin their World Cup campaign will happen in style. Tickets for Wednesday’s practice match against New Zealand here have been sold out. There will be some 40,000 pairs of eyes to see how prepared MS Dhoni’s team is for what is being called The Cup that Counts.

Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh skipped Tuesday’s optional training session while the rest worked hard under the uncomfortable sun. Their last chance to put that into practice comes against a team which they thrashed 5-0 in last year’s ODI series. Going strictly by record, this shouldn’t be too tough an outing. “Our mental preparation for the warm-up game against Australia (on Sunday) wasn't perfect, so we couldn’t give our 100%. But it being the last practice match tomorrow, intensity will be high. We need to up a few things in this game,” said Dhoni.

Talking about what exactly these practice games provide, the skipper said: “The heart rate goes up. You want to score runs and try out all variations. At the nets, you don’t know what an outside edge results in. In these games you get to see whether it runs down to the fence or otherwise.”

And then, India have a few things to check. With Dhoni saying Sachin Tendulkar will return for this game and Virender Sehwag spending a long time at the nets with Gautam Gambhir, this game is expected to provide the first glimpse of what exactly India’s batting order would be, at least in the first few matches of the tournament.

This match will also give these three batsmen a chance to play a 50-over game, something they did only in patches over the last year.

One can spend hours at the nets, but to see how fruitful that was, there has to be a reality check. In a simulated match situation, this trio will get a chance to do that.

Giving this match a different dimension is the presence of New Zealand coach John Wright, whose eventful five-year tenure with the Indian team saw the emergence of new India, a team which started believing it could beat the best. Wright was emotional while recalling his days with them.

“We started a process which was driven further by the senior guys after I left. It’s satisfying to see that there are some benefactors of that process in this lot. I would be delighted to meet India in a non-practice game later in the tournament. Home fans will be an advantage for them as long as they do well, but if they don’t, it might become a different factor.”

Past, present and future, there are several hues associated with this game. It might be just a practice game for some. For others, it’s more than that.

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http://www.hindustantimes.com/rssfeed/CricketNews/One-last-step-before--Men-in-Blue--take-the-leap/Article1-662857.aspx

Ecclestone backs Williams F1 flotation

Patrick Head talks to Frank Williams during a grand prix practice session. The pair co-founded the team, which is due to be listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange, in 1977.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has thrown his support behind the Williams team’s plans to float on the stock market.

Williams F1 announced on Wednesday that it had launched an initial public offering (IPO) of almost 30% of its shares on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The company is offering the majority of co-founder Patrick Head's stake at a price of between £20 and £24 per share, valuing Williams Grand Prix Holdings at approximately £225 million.

Williams F1 is the first Formula One team to list on a stock exchange, but co-founder Sir Frank Williams will retain his position as majority shareholder and team principal.

“I have known Frank Williams for more than 40 years,” Ecclestone told Autosport. “He has always run a very efficient organisation. He has never wanted to be taken over by either a car manufacturer or a large company.”

Ecclestone added: “He has supported Formula One in many ways most of his life, as has Patrick Head. We want more Franks and Patricks. If I could buy shares in the company I would.”

Team chairman Adam Parr said: “We have spent the past few years working to ensure a long-term future for the sport. Having accomplished this, the time is now right to assure Williams' own future as an independent constructor, in this rapidly evolving industry.”

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http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/183008/ecclestone-backs-williams-f1-flotation

Nadal ramps up form ahead of quarters

MELBOURNE: World number one Rafael Nadal sent out a warning to his rivals that he's back in business ahead of Wednesday's Australian Open quarterfinal with David Ferrer.

Nadal, bidding for a fourth straight major title to complete a non-calendar year 'Rafa Slam', tagged Monday's straight-sets win over Marin Cilic in the fourth round as his best in the tournament and declared he was healthy.

That's all foreboding news for compatriot and seventh seed Ferrer for their quarterfinal, which guarantees a Spaniard will play in the semifinals.

In Wednesday's other quarter, last year's finalist Andy Murray has an intriguing match-up with Ukrainian giant-killer Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Nadal had been troubled by a virus he picked up in Doha on his way to Australia but there was no sign of his massive sweating in the previous match as he ratcheted up his level against last year's semifinalist Cilic.

"I feel I played my best match by far at this year's Open. I think it was a very good match for me and a very important victory," Nadal said. "I was able to play with high intensity, very good rhythm, playing more inside the court."

Nadal has a 11-3 record over Ferrer, who beat the world number one twice in 2007, including a four-set fourth round victory at the US Open.

"We know each other well. We've played each other a lot of times. I think he's a fantastic player for many years so I have all respect for him," Nadal said.

"I know it's going to be a really difficult match."

It will be Nadal's fifth successive Australian Open quarterfinal and he is in the midst of a 25-match Grand Slam winning streak, his longest, but four off the record run of 29 held by Rod Laver.

The winner will play either British fifth seed Murray or 46th-ranked Dolgopolov in the top-half semifinal.

Murray, who was shattered by his defeat in last year's final by Roger Federer after holding five set points in a marathon third-set tiebreaker, said he was ready for the big matches of the tournament.

"I feel good. The matches are definitely going to get tougher," he said.

"I've been moving well. I'm hitting the ball the best I've have done since the early matches, but it's going to get much tougher. I'm ready for that mentally."

Murray is bidding to win Britain's first male Grand Slam since 1936 and was impressive in losing just five games to Austrian Jurgen Melzer in the round of 16.

Murray, who has yet to drop a set in his four matches at this year's Open, is undefeated in seven matches so far this season.

He is expecting a testing quarterfinal against Dolgopolov, who dumped Swedish fourth seed and two-time French Open finalist Robin Soderling out in the fourth round.

"He's got a very unorthodox game, very different to most of the guys on the tour and he's starting to put everything together," he said.

"He's playing well, taking chances and he has a game that can make you play strange shots or not play that well."

Read more:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/australian-open-2011/top-stories/Nadal-ramps-up-form-ahead-of-quarters/articleshow/7358066.cms#ixzz1C14iMS5V

Australian Open:Relieved Federer at ease with Malisse

MELBOURNE: Roger Federer will welcome the familiarity of his next opponent at the Australian Open after dodging a bullet from nemesis Gilles Simon in the second round early on Thursday.

The defending champion had to pull out his best tennis to get on top of the 34th-ranked Frenchman in a desperate fifth set to claim victory, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 in a spellbinding 3hr 13min showdown on Rod Laver Arena.

Simon is one of only three active players along with world number one Rafael Nadal and last year's finalist Andy Murray to hold a winning record over the all-time Grand Slam title champion.

At one stage it looked as though Simon was going to stretch his winning sequence to 3-0 as he fought back from two sets down to take the match into a fifth set with Federer under the pump.

"I definitely felt something was not going my way," Federer said.

"I really had to play an extremely good game to close it out. Obviously I am quite relieved."

The Swiss great will now have what appears a more comfortable match coming up on Friday against Belgian Xavier Malisse, 30, whom he has played eight times.

Federer has won seven of those encounters, with the 45th-ranked Malisse's only success coming in their first meeting 12 years ago in a Davis Cup tie.

"Physically I'm fine, and I'm really looking forward to my next round opponent, who I've known for a very long time," Federer said.

Federer, who has an extraordinary recall of what happened in his past matches and what strategy he needs for his next opponent, said he will get plenty of positives out of his post-midnight escape.

"There's definitely positives to take out of this match," he said. "I didn't play bad. I didn't think I played bad in the third and the fourth sets. Really, a lot positives came out of the match.

"Sure a match like this can give you a lot of information, and should be very positive in the long run. We'll see how it goes."

Although confident he would ultimately prevail, Federer said at times he felt things weren't going his way against Simon, whose volleying at times in the third and fourth sets was exhilarating.

"I was like, 'This can't be true, right?'" Federer said, when asked what was going through his mind as plucky Simon saved the first three of five match points against him.

"I've had some tough losses last year. Obviously they're in the past and I've had a wonderful last six months.

"But sometimes it just doesn't seem to go your way. As much as you believe and press and do the right things, sometimes you get unlucky and sometimes the other guy just reads your mind or it just all falls into place and it's not your day.

"I didn't feel that feeling out there, but I definitely felt something was not going my way."

Going virtually unnoticed in the tumult of Federer's big escape was that he equalled Swede Stefan Edberg's record for the most Open Era wins at the Australian Open with 56.

Read more: -
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/australian-open-2011/top-stories/Relieved-Federer-at-ease-with-Malisse/articleshow/7323983.cms#ixzz1BXvrW4ox

Knicks Show Suns What They Were

PHOENIX — Amar’e Stoudemire peeked his head around the corner, and first surprise and then satisfaction showed on his face. A large group of reporters had gathered to hear what he had to say in his return here, with a Knicks resurgence under way and the Phoenix Suns still seeking an identity without him.

The constant in all this is that the Knicks added Stoudemire, the Suns subtracted him and the decision has reshaped each franchise.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be the same once I left,” Stoudemire proclaimed.

In retrospect, seven seconds or less did last a pretty long time in Phoenix. That was the maximum amount of time that Mike D’Antoni wanted to elapse before the ball was shot here, creating the system in which Steve Nash dished, Stoudemire dunked and fans cheered.

But D’Antoni departed as coach more than two seasons ago, moving to the Knicks, and Stoudemire took the same path over the summer. Since D’Antoni left, the Suns have had two coaches (Terry Porter and Alvin Gentry) and two general managers (Steve Kerr and Lance Blanks). They have brought in a new president (Lon Babby) and gone through several roster makeovers.

Phoenix did catch lightning last year, going 54-28 in the regular season and making it to the Western Conference finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Stoudemire said he believed the Suns could do well again this season, and that his preference was to stay here with a new contract. But he looked elsewhere, and ultimately toward New York, when the Suns asked him to meet playing requirements in the final years of a maximum deal because of concerns about his surgically repaired left knee.

With Stoudemire gone, the Suns have retreated. The team is not deep enough nor tall enough to threaten top-tier teams, although it may ultimately find a way to grab one of the conference’s last playoff spots. Still, going into Friday’s game against the Knicks, the Suns were only 14-19.

“I wouldn’t use the word rebuilding, but obviously we’re in transition,” Gentry said, before adding in reference to Stoudemire, “We’re a different team than we are when we had him.”

Phoenix is no longer the offensive powerhouse it was, and it recently went through a three-game stretch without topping 100 points. It was the first time that had happened since January 2005.

The Suns are not even the team they were earlier this season, having sent Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson to Orlando in December in exchange for Marcin Gortat, Vince Carter and Mickael Pietrus.

The Suns are 2-6 since that trade, although it did give them future financial flexibility.

The deal also served as an admission that the initial trade the Suns made to acquire Turkoglu — a transaction that involved sending away Leandro Barbosa, another D’Antoni mainstay — had failed. In a twist, Babby, a longtime agent before he assumed his current role with the Suns, had negotiated Turkoglu’s current contract.

“It was ironic, I suppose,” Babby said of the December deal that sent Turkoglu to the Magic. “But I knew from the time I represented Hedo that his place of greatest success was Orlando.”

Now, rumors are resurfacing that Nash could be traded as well, a notion that does not intrigue Babby.

“I answer this question once a week,” Babby said. “He’s the sun and the moon and the star of this franchise, and I expect him to remain so.”

The most vexing problem for the Suns is coping without Stoudemire, who is averaging 26.4 points and 9.0 rebounds for the Knicks. In debating Stoudemire’s future, the Suns opted to absorb his short-term loss and absolve themselves from the threat of a long-term risk should he sustain another major injury.

Meanwhile, Kerr, who is now an analyst for TNT, pointed to a paradox: as things have become tougher for the Suns, they have become easier for Stoudemire.

When Stoudemire was in Phoenix, Kerr said, the Suns often had championship aspirations, which raised expectations. The Knicks, after a long run of ineptitude, simply want to qualify for the playoffs. Stoudemire has the Knicks pointed in that direction and as a result, said Kerr, he is treated like a “rock star.”

“On the climb, which is where the Knicks are now, people focus on all his strengths,” Kerr said. “His explosiveness, his scoring.”

During the last few seasons in Phoenix, Kerr said, “There was a lot of frustration with the fan base because we were so close and couldn’t quite get over the hump.”

He added: “At that point, it becomes a matter of detail. And people picked over the details — Steve’s age or Amar’e’s knees or Amar’e’s defense.”

Nobody is picking apart Stoudemire in New York. Reunited with D’Antoni, he has moved on.

“We’re not the Suns East,” he told reporters on Friday. “Not at all. We’re the New York Knicks.”

Read more

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/08/sports/basketball/08suns.html

Hope springs eternal for Chelsea

If you needed evidence of just how things can change over the course of a season then look no further than Chelsea and Aston Villa.

When the two clubs met in mid-October the goalless stalemate at Villa Park sent Chelsea five points clear at the top of the table while Villa remained eighth.

Now, following Sunday's 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture, the champions are fifth in the table, six points behind leaders Manchester United, while Gerard Houllier's side are still firmly in the bottom half.


To understand Chelsea's plight you need only look at the contrasting emotions in the final few minutes at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

The team celebrated John Terry's 89th-minute goal to put them 3-2 up by dashing over to celebrate with manager Carlo Ancelotti as though they had just won a trophy.

Moments later, as Ciaran Clark was allowed to saunter through a static line of blue training cones and head home his injury-time equaliser, heads dropped and Terry and Didier Drogba left the field at each other's throats.

Cheap goals conceded, late wins lost, players in-fighting - this is not the ruthless Chelsea machine of old, or even of earlier this season. The efficient unit which once inspired little love but plenty of respect feels like a distant memory, so much so that Ancelotti is already looking to a fixture which is two months away as the point when they can get their title chase back on track.

Chelsea are due to play United on March 1, by which time the Red Devils could be out of sight - but Ancelotti is targeting that match as one they must win.

He said: "First United have to win (their game in hand). Second I think the gap is not small but everything is open.

"Obviously we have to beat United here (in March) then we can say something about the title. It is not over because we are improving and we can save something this season."

It is hard to share in that optimism. Chelsea have only won one of their four matches against the other sides in the top five of the table this season, and they are still to play United twice. Even bringing up a match rearranged for spring at the start of the year shows just how far the destination of the title is out of their hands. Unlike United two seasons ago, Chelsea have already dropped far too many points to flat-track bully their way to retaining their crown.

The Italian coach admitted that his squad is in desperate need of replenishment now that the January transfer window is open, but even doing so in the big-spending manner which turned Chelsea into such a force over the past decade could now prove a tall order.

Not only are owner Roman Abramovich's purse strings so much tighter, but Manchester City have the power to outbid them for anyone they choose. Even with the big-money addition of Edin Dzeko set to be sealed as early as this week, City can comfortably match Chelsea in signing any of their targets, such as Benfica defender David Luiz. Besides, the £20 million shelled out for the infuriatingly inconsistent Ramires last summer will hardly encourage Abramovich to wield the chequebook too liberally again this month.

Injury to Alex and the suspension of Branislav Ivanovic forced him to field 19-year-old centre-back Jeffrey Bruma against Villa, with the ensuing result further proof that Chelsea's youth policy, led by the outgoing Frank Arnesen, is a long way off providing what Abramovich must have hoped for by this stage.

Still, as the sharp dip in Chelsea's own fortunes has shown, there is still plenty of time between now and the end of the season for the pendulum to swing back in their favour.

They are only one point behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who seemingly everyone (including, they hope, David Beckham) except Early Doors believes are in with a shout of claiming the title.

Their faltering defence has plenty of room for improvement, whereas Arsenal's is playing about as well as it can.

They have a squad full of players who have experienced several title-winning seasons in years gone by as well as claiming the double last term, a factor so often cited as the reason why United remain unbeaten despite so often playing below par and why this season is too soon for City.

They may be no one's favourites any more, and rightly so, but it would be foolhardy to completely write Chelsea off at this stage.

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http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/early-doors/article/304838/

England complete victory in fourth test, retain Ashes

England have retained the Ashes in Australia for the first time in 24 years, after defeating Australia with a margin of an innings and 157 runs on the fourth day morning at the MCG.

It took England less than an hour and a half to wrap up the Aussie tail leaving Haddin unbeaten on 55 who was waging a battle. England were on top from the moment the coin was tossed and went on to dismiss Australia cheaply for 98 in the first innings.

Bresnan was the star performer for England in the fourth innings as he scalped in-form Hussey for a duck and finished with 4 for 50. He was mobbed by his team-mates as he dismissed Hilfenhaus the last wicket to fall, and the England fans at the MCG burst into celebration.

There was some fight from Brad Haddin and Peter Siddle in the 4th day morning as they put together an 86-run partnership after the early loss of Mitchell Johnson, but it was only ever a matter of time for England.

The victory gave England a 2-1 lead in the ashes series, which will be completed with the fifth and final test in Sydney next week

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http://www.sify.com/sports/england-retain-ashes-after-24-years-news-cricket-km3h9Nccceg.html

4-Goal Burst by Rangers Takes Focus Off Penguins

PITTSBURGH — The Rangers seemed almost like an afterthought Wednesday night, until they scored twice in 15 seconds midway through the third period, on a laser snap shot from Erik Christensen and a rebound by Alex Frolov.

Four and a half minutes later, Artem Anisimov added another goal, and Brian Boyle scored a minute and a half later to give the Rangers a 4-1 win.

The come-from-behind victory — their second in two visits to the Consol Energy Center — revealed the Rangers as legitimate contenders. But it was also costly. They lost Ryan Callahan to a broken hand.

The Penguins are the N.H.L.’s glamour team, and coming into this game the talk was about their loss the night before to their archrivals at the top of the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia Flyers, and about their debut Wednesday in HBO’s “24/7” series leading up to the Jan. 1 Winter Classic at Heinz Field.

Anything but the Rangers. Before the game, Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma acknowledged that he was concerned about a lack of focus, but even he framed it in terms of the Flyers.

“Part of me is worried we’re not fully ready after playing an emotional game against Philly, a first-place team,” he said — prophetically, as it turned out.

The Penguins took the lead on a lovely Evgeni Malkin goal set up by Sidney Crosby late in the first period. Crosby froze defenseman Dan Girardi with a fake slap shot, then passed softly to Malkin, who finished deftly. That extended Crosby’s point-scoring streak to a career-high 20 games.

It also seemed as if it would get the Penguins back to winning after the Flyers ended Pittsburgh’s 12-game winning streak — a streak that began the night HBO cameras first entered the Penguins’ dressing room to shoot the series.

The Rangers’ bracing victory came on a night when Chris Drury, their current captain, returned from an eight-week absence because of a broken finger — and lost Callahan, their probable captain of the future, to a broken hand.

Callahan went to the dressing room just 4 minutes 42 seconds into the game after blocking a shot from Penguins defenseman Kris Letang. It was his third shift, and he did not return.

Callahan entered the game leading N.H.L. forwards in blocking shots, a risky feature of his game. Drury is also a forward who specializes in shot-blocking; he first injured his right index finger in training camp, blocking a shot during a scrimmage.

Callahan is the Rangers’ second-leading scorer, with 10 goals and 23 points in 32 games. His all-out shot-blocking and body-checking — he is No. 2 in the N.H.L. in hits — exemplify the Rangers’ new style of grit and terrier-like pursuit of the puck. But he will probably miss several games.

Drury played well in only his second game of the season, creating a short-handed two-on-one break in the first period and contributing 25 solid shifts.

The Rangers were also helped by a questionable goaltender interference call that wiped out what would have been the tying goal from Malkin with 6:19 left to play. Michal Rozsival pushed Pittsburgh’s Pascal Dupuis into Henrik Lundqvist just before the shot, but the officials said Dupuis was the guilty party.

The result gave the Rangers victories in their last two games over both starring teams in the “24/7” series: the Penguins on Wednesday, and the Capitals, 7-0, last Sunday. Perhaps the wrong team is being featured on HBO.

SLAP SHOT

The Penguins fell to 5-1 in the second game of contests played on consecutive nights. The Rangers are 8-0 and host Phoenix on Thursday. ... The fight night some expected from the Rangers and the Penguins, the two teams that lead the league in fighting majors, did not really materialize. There was just one scrap, Sean Avery against Pittsburgh’s Arron Asham in the third period. The Rangers’ Derek Boogaard did not make the trip, and their most frequent fighter, Brandon Prust, concentrated on hockey. Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma did not dress his most frequent fighter, Deryk Engelland.

Read More

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/sports/hockey/16rangers.html

Lee’s Back: ‘I Never Wanted to Leave’

PHILADELPHIA — On a frigid Wednesday afternoon with blustery winds and snow showers, Cliff Lee again put on a Phillies jersey and fans began longing impatiently for spring.

Philadelphia’s sporting reputation seemed turned on its head. A historically forlorn team in a supposedly forbidding city with sour, disorderly fans had become the stars’ preferred destination over the moneyed offerings of New York.

Lee said he was not afraid to pitch in the pressurized environment of New York or put off by the behavior of Yankees fans. He just liked Philadelphia better. So tiny Citizens Bank Park, a place many felt that pitchers would seek to avoid like blisters on their fingers, will now house perhaps baseball’s top rotation in Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels.

Given the Phillies’ recent dominance in the National League East, Lee said that returning to Philadelphia, for whom he pitched in the 2009 World Series, was “kind of a no-brainer for me.”

He added, “I never wanted to leave in the first place.” To get an opportunity to return and be part of such a heralded pitching staff, Lee said, “is going to be something that’s historic, I believe.”

He said he wanted to clear up one misconception about New York. Reports that his wife had been spat upon or had things thrown or poured on her while he pitched for Texas during the American League Championship Series were inaccurate and did not influence his decision, Lee said.

“No one came up to my wife and spit on her,” Lee said, though his wife, Kristen, did confirm Wednesday that Yankees fans spat toward Rangers fans. “Nobody poured anything on her,” Lee said. “You go to any stadium and the opposing team stands up and starts cheering, especially in the postseason, fans are going to say something to them, they are going to do things like that. That’s part of it. That story was way overblown. It was false. It had zero to do with the whole thing.”

The reasons he chose the Phillies’ offer of five years and $120 million and turned down more guaranteed money from the Yankees, Lee said, were the chance to win a World Series ring that has eluded him twice the past two seasons with Philadelphia and Texas; the strength of the staff; the chance to throw to a pitcher instead of a designated hitter in the National League; the regular sellouts; and the passion of the fans.

“You can feel the volume,” Lee said. “Every game has got an elevated feel compared to everywhere else. They don’t need a teleprompter to tell them to get up and cheer. The feeling of playing on the field feels different than anywhere else.”

Rudimentary discussions with Lee’s agent were held after the World Series, but Ruben Amaro Jr., the Phillies’ general manager, said that once Texas and New York proposed long-term deals, he thought the Phillies did not have a “snowball’s chance in hell” of re-signing Lee, a 32-year-old left-hander.

But discussions between the Phillies and Lee heated up last Friday. The pitcher signaled that Philadelphia was his preferred destination. Eventually, Amaro overcame his reluctance to offer anything more than a three-year deal.

Asked if the re-signing was a tacit admission that it had been a mistake to trade Lee to Seattle for three prospects after the 2009 season instead of keeping him in Philadelphia for 2010, Amaro said, “We needed to replenish our farm system; I didn’t want to leave it bare.”

Back then, Amaro had just acquired Halladay from Toronto for several prospects, which is why he worried that he did not have enough talent left in the minors.

But time and circumstance have changed. Amaro has put together the kind of team that Phillies fans have long detested about the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox — a team on which many of the best players were bought instead of groomed. Now that once-frugal Philadelphia has joined the big spenders, though, no one here is apologizing.

“I don’t know how fiscally responsible it is, but this was a special circumstance,” Amaro said. “It’s kind of intoxicating when you break down what this means as far as the long-term success of a club. To put these four guys at the top of the rotation, it can make for some compelling baseball.”

In this city, where historical sporting misfortunes have left many fans with the sense that things will always end badly, the recent success of the Phillies (they have won the National League East the past four years and the World Series in 2008) and the Lee signing have forced a somewhat changed attitude from Rocky-inspired, blue-collar underdog to expectant favorite.

“I think the whole atmosphere in the city has changed the last four years,” former Phillies reliever Mitch Williams said. “Ten years ago, fans came to the ballpark asking, ‘What’s going to happen to hold us back?’ Now they come with the mind-set, What’s going to happen to help us win?”

On Wednesday, the front page of The Philadelphia Daily News pictured Christmas stockings stuffed with the Phillies’ new four-man rotation. In The Philadelphia Inquirer there seemed to be as much glee at stealing Lee away from New York as there was in bringing him back to Philadelphia.

Under the headline, “For once, we take a bite out of the Big Apple,” Frank Fitzpatrick wrote, “To be honest, it felt so good because we’ve developed an enormous inferiority complex over the years” in being sandwiched between Washington and New York.

“New York had the money and sex appeal,” Fitzpatrick wrote. “Washington had the power. Philadelphia had cheesesteaks, unruly fans and a lot of ‘used to be.’ ”

Now Philadelphia has something New York badly wanted.

“We didn’t beat the Yankees in the ’50 World Series or in ’09,” Larry Shenk, a longtime Phillies spokesman, said with a laugh. “Now we get to beat them.”

Read More

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/sports/baseball/16phillies.html

What is Tevez thinking?

"Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand fast."

Ron Burgundy may have been talking about a bloody fight with a rival news crew in 'Anchorman', but it applies equally to Carlos Tevez's fall-out with Manchester City, which has blown up spectacularly in the last 36 hours.

He handed in a transfer request, City rejected it, then posted a chippy statement on their website, before Tevez hit back saying his relationship with the club's hierarchy was broken beyond repair. Yikes.

When Tevez crossed Manchester in 2009, we wondered what he would have to do to repair his relationship with the United fans. This ought to do it.

The Anchorman fight ended with a man getting stabbed in the heart with a trident. It's a long shot in the Tevez saga, but you can never say never in football.

Let's take a look at what is really going on.

WHAT IS TEVEZ'S MOTIVE?

1- The Lost Soul

This, to ED, is the most palatable solution. Despite the money, the adulation and the goals, Tevez is simply not happy in England.

He has never mastered the language, he misses his children in Argentina, and that snood tells you everything about his view of the weather here.

There's nothing wrong with wanting a bit of fulfilment in life beyond football stardom, even if it won't sit well with the City fans who pay (some of) his £200,000-a-week wages.

He has mooted a return to Boca Juniors and even retirement several times. If he were to return to Argentina, it would serve as a lesson that money isn't everything, and nobody would mind THAT much. Would they?

2- The Puppet

This is the image portrayed by City's statement on Sunday, which so infuriated Tevez. The striker said "I hugely resent" the club's suggestion he was being unduly influenced by his representative Kia Joorabchian - although he did say this in a statement released by a PR company in a standard of English far beyond Tevez's grasp.

The theory is that Joorabchian is deliberately unsettling Tevez, hoping to provoke another big-money move, thereby securing a tidy commission for himself. A slice of signing on fee would also do nicely, hence City's claim he was demanding a new contract for Tevez while the player himself wanted out of the club.

The problem with this is that, since Joorabchian no longer owns Tevez's playing rights, he is no more than a regular football agent - not a breed of angels, admittedly, but there is no reason why Tevez should be more of a puppet than any other player.

Mind you, if Tevez ends up being sold to the highest bidder, City may feel they had some justification for calling out Joorabchian.
3- 'Rooney ' mk II

There is a theory - one roundly rejected by Wayne Rooney and Manchester United - that Rooney's transfer request was merely a device to squeeze more money out of United in contract negotiations.

He said he wanted out, United 'miraculously' convinced him to stay and he got a fat new deal for his troubles. Or so goes the story.

Likewise, there is a school of thought that Team Tevez are attempting a similar trick on City, who (quite sensibly) refused to open contract talks during the season, especially when the player has three and a half years left on his current deal.

But nothing concentrates minds like a big public bust-up and the thought that your best player could be on his way to a rival club.

4- The megalomaniac

Tevez may have cited homesickness in the past, but his statement yesterday focused on "certain executives and individuals" at the club with whom his relationship broken down.

He was quick to point out that he had no problem with Roberto Mancini, Sheikh Mansour or the fans. Which, by process of elimination alone, leaves chief executive Garry Cook as the bookies' favourite as the target of Tevez's ire.

But hang on a second. Cook does have a habit of making crass statements (the best of which remains: "Richard Dunne doesn't roll off the tongue in Beijing"), but what on earth makes Tevez think he should have any sort of relationship with Cook or any of the club's executives?

He's a football player, for pity's sake, and he's got an agent to talk to the suits. If he is trying to influence club policy at boardroom level, it's no wonder he's getting short shrift. Do your job.

Verdict: ED hopes the right answer is 1. It suspects a combination of 1, 2 and 4 contributing to a general unhappiness with life at City.

WHERE WILL HE END UP?

Manchester City

The Rooney farrago shows how quickly these things can be resolved if everyone wants thm to be.

Strange that a club with unlimited resources would be so reliant on a single player, but they are. And Tevez's increasingly prima donna-ish behaviour isn't helping his transfer value any.

Chelsea

Roman Abramovich has kept his wallet close to his chest in recent years, but maintains that if the right player comes along, there will be money to spend.

Whatever Tevez's attitude off the field, he is a dervish on it, and Chelsea have not got enough credit for settling Nicolas Anelka down since his arrival in 2008.

Manchester United

How hilarious would that be? United still clearly need a player like Tevez, and he has shown at City he is worth the £25m Fergie declined to spend on him.

He would only have to put on a red shirt to win the fans back over, and although he has clashed with Gary Neville - who hasn't clashed with Gary Neville?

Real Madrid

They're loaded (in the Spanish sense that they are in debt but can get as much finance as they want - a bit like early-2000s Ireland, really) and they could do with an extra striker - Karim Benzema is clearly not a Jose Mourinho favourite and Gonzalo Higuain is handy but not in Tevez's class.

Mourinho has tamed a few egos in his time, plus Tevez would be in a country where he could speak his mother tongue. And wouldn't that Ronaldo reunion be lovely?

Internazionale

The Serie A champs are in freefall, with an ageing squad that lacks a spark. Plus they have scored a paltry 20 goals in 15 games.

Tevez solves all of the above problems, and Inter head honcho Massimo Moratti is a known admirer. Plus Rafa Benitez is a great man manager. No, really.

Boca Juniors

Tevez has said he wanted to return to Boca when he was 28. He will be 27 in February. If he has personal problems or is homesick, why not just return home and be happy?

Also, if he's interested in boardroom influence, Boca may well make him captain, manager and chief exec. Anything to secure his signature.

Verdict: We know that City are prepared to pay massive sums to secure players, so why wouldn't the reverse be true when selling?

Money isn't really an issue for them - the most important thing is that Tevez doesn't end up at a rival club.

Would they accept £50m from Chelsea or £10m from Boca? Selling him to Stamford Bridge could set City back seasons, so surely they would absorb the financial hit and send him home?

If an English club is out of the question, it looks like a toss-up between City, Real Madrid and Boca Juniors - where Tevez ends up depends entirely on his true motivation.

- - -

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: Ian Holloway is the gift that keeps on giving. Here he is on how Blackpool have coped with their frozen training ground: "We have been in the casino, been in the gym and on the beach. We were there on Thursday. It was brilliant. You have got to adapt.

"We had a poker tournament and the lads were given £20 each to see who was the champion. We gave a lesson to the ones who don't play.

"The boys were looked after and our goalie fell asleep. I don't think he likes cards. Ian Evatt was the winner. He must have had a mis-spent youth."

Seriously, how could any footballer give less than 100 per cent for that man?

FOREIGN VIEW: Spanish fans will be spluttering into their café con leche this morning when they read Jose Mourinho's claim that Spanish officials are victimising Real Madrid.

"That's football and it happens to us a lot," said Mourinho.

"It's very easy to show yellow cards to Real Madrid players and not as many to others. It annoys me that there are players from other clubs who can protest and we can't.

"In the same way that you have coaches who can leave their technical area and others not."

Yes, that's right, Real have a long and illustrious history of getting harsh treatment from officials.


Read More

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/early-doors/article/302989/

HUGHES READY FOR ENGLAND BARRAGE

Phil Hughes has denied he has any problems with short-pitched bowling, saying he will not "lose any sleep" over England's plans to bounce him out during the third Ashes Test in Perth.

The 22-year-old opener has been recalled to Australia's squad to take the place of Simon Katich, who injured his Achilles during the second-Test loss in Adelaide and will now miss the rest of the series.

Having lost his position as Australian opener midway through the last Ashes series in England, Hughes has played just two Tests for Australia since, filling in for other injured players.

He did score a power-packed 86 from just 75 balls earlier this year against New Zealand and still has a Test average of 51.25 after a sizzling first-up series against South Africa in March 2009.

But doubts continue to linger over Hughes' technique after it was brutally exposed by a bouncer barrage from Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff during the last Ashes series.

"The media have got a hold of it and gone on about the short ball," Hughes told the Herald-Sun.

"I'm not worried about it. I'm not concerned about the short ball at all.

When asked his thoughts on England captain Andrew Strauss' plan to hit him with more bouncers on the fast Perth wicket, he added: "I won't lose any sleep over it.

"I've been working on my game. A lot of that stuff about me struggling against the short ball was hyped up through the Ashes, but I won't be changing a lot."

Hughes and his NSW team-mate Steve Smith were told of their escalation to the Test squad by selector Greg Chappell during the last day of the Blues' eight-wicket Sheffield Shield win over South Australia, although Hughes failed to celebrate it properly by being dismissed for a duck during the run chase.

In fact, Hughes has only managed 201 runs from eight first-class innings at 25.12 this summer, although he did manage to score 81 for Australia A in their tour match with England in Hobart.

Despite the lean scoring this summer, Hughes has received the backing of former Australian opener Matthew Hayden.

Like Hughes, Hayden was a domestic cricket run machine who took five years to establish himself in the Australia team during the 1990s.

But Hayden believes Hughes has what it takes to eventually earn a permanent position in the side, a process that may start in Perth next week.

"I think there's people that comment about Phil's technique being this, that and the other thing," said Hayden. "At the end of the day it doesn't matter.

"He scores the runs and he scores a lot of runs.

"Within the side, he's got a great mentor in Justin Langer, whose role specifically is to develop him.

"There's none tougher in the business than him, so he's got some really good support and I think that's going to make a difference in Phil's career."


Read More

http://www.sportinglife.com/cricket/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=cricket/10/12/11/CRICKET_Australia.html

Sir Alex expects a classic

Sir Alex Ferguson is expecting United’s clash against Arsenal to be befitting of the pride and history of both clubs.

The Reds go into Monday night’s game just a point behind the Gunners knowing a win will take them back to the Premier League summit.

And although Sir Alex concedes that the rivalry between the two sides hasn’t been quite as intense since the emergence of Chelsea as a major force back in the 2004/05 campaign, he still always anticipates a match full of drama whenever the pair go up against each other.

“The games, particularly four or five years ago, were so important because both of us were challenging for league titles,” said the Scot. “Chelsea have now come in and it’s been ourselves and Chelsea over the last five years.

“Nonetheless, it’s Manchester United against Arsenal and the history of both teams always guarantees a match of intensity and a lot of the time, controversy.

“I think Monday night’s game will be more or less the same because the pride and history of both clubs determine that.”

Arsene Wenger’s side have failed to secure any silverware since triumphing over United in the 2005 FA Cup final and in recent years have received much criticism for showing a lack of battling qualities needed to grind out results.

However, Sir Alex believes that’s no longer the case and considers Arsenal to be a much more mature

Read More

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2010/Dec/Sir-Alex-expects-a-classic.aspx

Kings Lane Violations

Mario Elie Dec. 9, 2010 Arrested by the California Highway Patrol on suspicion of driving under the influence. Booked at Sacramento County Jail and released. Quote from Elie: “I was pulled over last night on my way home for having a broken taillight. I had been out and had a couple of drinks. My blood alcohol level was slightly over the legal limit. I’m very sorry, embarrassed and disappointed for the position in which I put myself and team. Rest assured, it won’t happen again as I take full responsibility for my actions.” Geoff Petrie: “We are very concerned and disappointed in regard to Mario’s arrest for DUI. This is an ugly form of history repeating itself. We expect better, knowing at the same time there are limits to how far you can go to protect people from themselves. In spite of all of this, we still respect Mario’s right to due process.”

Read more:
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/12/09/3247420/kings-lane-violations.html?mi_rss=Photo%20Galleries#ixzz17gVUiMrw

Kevin Pietersen fined for speeding in Australia

England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has been fined for speeding after driving a Lamborghini sports car along the Great Ocean Road near Melbourne in Australia.

He was fined A$239 (about £150) after clocking 121 kilometres (75 miles) per hour in a 100kph (62 mph) zone.

The England team said no disciplinary action would be taken against him.

Pietersen, 30, was named man of the match after scoring 227 in England's win in the second Test which gives them a 1-0 lead in the Ashes series.

"Geelong highway police detected by laser a yellow Lamborghini travelling north along the Geelong Ring Road at 121km/h in a 100 zone about 2:35pm on Thursday," a police spokesperson said.

"The male driver was in his 30s and was issued with a penalty of A$239 and three demerit points. There were no passengers in the vehicle."

Pietersen had posted pictures of the local scenery on the micro blogging site Twitter , on which he has nearly 115,000 followers.

"Stunning beaches on The Great Ocean Rd.. Gorgeous drive!!" he said.

Pietersen said the car was provided by his friend, the former Australian spinner Shane Warne.

England won the second Test in Adelaide by an innings and 71 runs.

They play Victoria in a tour match on Friday before the third Test, which starts in Perth on 16 December.

Read More

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/9270604.stm

Ashes: England complete innings win in Adelaide Test

The expected deluge of rain failed to save the Australians as they resumed in warm sunshine 137 runs behind on 238-4.

After Michael Hussey fell for 52 in the sixth full over, James Anderson struck twice with successive deliveries.

Graeme Swann took the final wicket an hour before lunch by bowling Peter Siddle to finish with figures of 5-91.

It was an exceptional performance from England, with almost everything going according to plan from the first over of the match, when Jonathan Trott ran out Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting was caught at slip off the next ball.

There was a brief moment of concern on the final morning when wicketkeeper Matt Prior failed to cling on to a thin edge from Hussey three balls after the obdurate left-hander had recorded his 23rd Test fifty, prompting fears that the man known as 'Mr Cricket' might somehow help Australia scrape a draw.

A reprieve for such a renowned occupier of the crease, coupled with uncertainty over the weather, might have led to some anxiety for England but 10 balls later Prior was relieved to see Hussey heading back to the pavilion.

The 35-year-old Western Australian attempted a reckless, out-of-character pull at the impressive Steven Finn, who used the new ball intelligently in the absence of the injured Stuart Broad, who has been ruled out for the series.

Hussey was not in control of the shot as the ball reared up higher than he expected and he could only top edge straight to Anderson at mid-on.

England still had to contend with the combative Brad Haddin, who had made a battling half century in the first innings, and he struck successive fours off Anderson.

However, the Lancashire swing bowler soon took his revenge when an exceptional delivery moved away and caught the edge, giving Prior a routine catch behind the stumps.

The denouement as Peter Siddle is the last Australia wicket to fall

Ryan Harris offered no shot to the next delivery, which swung back the other way, and was given out lbw, a decision confirmed after a referral to the TV umpire.

He became only the second Australian, after legendary wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist, to be dismissed for a king pair - out first ball in both innings - in a Test match.

Marcus North was the only senior batsman left and well though he played for 22, he was sent on his way after England referred an lbw appeal by Swann and replays indicated the ball would have gone on to hit the middle stump.

Australia were capitulating dramatically in much the same way England did at the hands of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne on numerous occasions, including a final-day collapse in Adelaide four years ago.

On that day England lost nine wickets for 60 runs, a feeling Australia became increasingly familiar with as North departed to become the fourth wicket to fall in the space of six overs for the addition of only 25 runs.

Xavier Doherty's unhappy match ended when he was bowled by Swann, who fittingly ended the contest with a perfect off-break that turned in between Peter Siddle's bat and pad to give England their 100th Test victory against Australia, their first win against them by an innings for 24 years, and only their ninth in 30 Tests at Adelaide.

The final wicket also gave 31-year-old Swann, playing only his 26th Test, his 10th five-wicket haul, making him the second England spinner, after Derek Underwood with 17, to reach the mark.

For Australia, the torrential rain they had hoped for did eventually arrive late in the afternoon but by then the England celebrations were in full swing.

And, needing only to draw the five-match series in order to retain the Ashes, it is the tourists who are very much in the ascendancy as the series moves west to Perth for the third Test beginning on 16 December

Fifa kicks the ball 2018:Russia , 2022: Qatar

Watching the presentations the past two days of the two successful men's World Cup bids, Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022), I was struck by how much each relied on an argument so persuasive in Rio de Janeiro's winning bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

It's an argument that asserts a moral imperative to bring the world's two largest sporting events to regions they never have been, as had been the case for the Olympics and South America.

It is an argument designed to appeal to both a sense of fair play as well as a sense of ego in leaving a groundbreaking legacy among those who vote for host cities or countries, even if evidence once again suggests that several voters may have been more interested in lining their own pockets than anything else.

Both Russia and Qatar used maps showing the World Cup had been in almost other region than Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Rio's had showed a gaping Olympic hole over South America.

Qatar's bid chairman said the international soccer federation (FIFA) executive committee members had "an appointment with history." Russia's deputy prime minister said "Let us make history together." Rio had made the same appeal.

"Some things that work, you use again," Mike Lee, chief consultant to the Rio and Qatar bids, told me by telephone Thursday.

One will never know the exact reasons why the 22 FIFA voters chose Russia and Qatar on secret ballots Thursday, but each voter can stand behind the ethically convenient one of spreading the wealth — and the game.

The question now is how long that argument will keep carrying, especially since China wants a World Cup while Africa and India wants an Olympics, all sooner than later.

"I'm not sure that's what played out here," U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said after the United States lost to Qatar 14-8 in the decisive fourth round. "I agree that was an important part of the presentations."

So what might other factors have been?

• FIFA and the IOC love working with authoritarian regimes that will go along with all requests, no matter how costly.

Russia still seems like a dictatorship run by puppet master Vladimir Putin, who promised to throw limitless state resources and rubles at the World Cup project, just as he did in backing Sochi's successful bid for the 2014 Winter Games.

Qatar is a family business, an absolute monarchy in which the Al-Thani family runs everything. Such control over the small country's fabulous wealth means FIFA will not worry about Qatar's ability to fulfill all its organizational promises.

• It's not a good idea to raise corruption charges against the self-important, self-elected pooh-bahs who vote for hosts.

When Swiss IOC member Marc Hodler blew the whistle on host city vote-buying practices in the IOC, it doomed Sion, Switzerland's otherwise superior bid for the 2006 Winter Games, no matter that many felt the billionaire Agnelli family bought those Olympics for their hometown of Turin, Italy.

The Sunday Times of London and the BBC both recently reported allegations of vote trading, vote buying, bribery and kickbacks among FIFA executive committee members. The result? Humiliation for England's 2018 bid, long considered a favorite, with a first-round elimination and just two votes for the country credited with codifying the game's rules and spreading it around the globe in the 20th Century.

Read More

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/ct-spt-1203-hersh-international-sport20101202,0,3796619.column

Ashes 2010: England must hit ground running in Adelaide

While everyone connected with English cricket was both buoyed and mightily impressed with the fighting draw in the first Ashes Test at Brisbane, the message from the management to the players has been to keep their feet firmly on the ground.

Andrew Strauss was quick to make that point again this afternoon, repeating Andy Flower's observation that the match was no more than drawn, and the score line remains 0-0.

Strauss confirmed that everyone in the squad is fit and from that we can conclude that England will probably be unchanged, but there are areas that have room for improvement.

The first is the frustrating business of England's first innings scores.

There has to be much more focus on batting with the same discipline and commitment shown by Strauss, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott in the second innings at the Gabba - but when it really matters in the first innings.

It can be easier second time around, when there is a definite target to aim for, be it a score to beat or a specific number of sessions to survive.

Batting first has no such obvious focal point other than the aim to score as many runs as possible, and the top six batsmen really need to knuckle down and bat Australia out of the match if they possibly can.

The other area of concern - albeit it mild at the moment - is Graeme Swann's form. Strauss strongly defended him on Wednesday, as you would expect, but the off-spinner was well below his best at Brisbane.

Pulled far too often by Michael Hussey in the first innings, Swann was then driven down the ground by Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson in the second, suggesting he is still searching for the right length here.


Things might have been different had Paul Collingwood taken a routine slip catch, which did rather sum up Swann's match.

Ponting always likes to name his team in advance if he can, and I reckon this is the first time against England he has been unable to do that.

The decision to drop Mitchell Johnson was entirely the right one, even though Ponting seemed to load the blame, as it were, on to the four selectors.

Australia had to do something with the bowling attack and I fully expect Doug Bollinger to play, but dare they drop Ben Hilfenhaus as well and replace him with Ryan Harris?

Hilfenhaus bowled pretty well on that flat pitch, and Harris and Bollinger are both returning after injuries.

With doubts about Michael Clarke's decision to declare himself fit for Brisbane, and then bat as if he was seriously discomforted, Australia cannot afford to take a chance that one of their bowlers could break down again.

There is a little more grass on the pitch than usual, but with hot weather forecast for the first two days at least, this is wicket that you definitely want to bat on first.

Then we can see if either team has the firepower to bowl the other out twice.

Read More

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/9249518.stm