Twins players gathered in front of the television

Some of the Twins players gathered in front of the television in their clubhouse before Tuesday night's contest against the White Sox and watched video of the pitcher they were preparing to face, Mark Buehrle.

The video was not of the perfect game that Buehrle threw in his previous start, but perhaps it might have helped as the Twins got a glimpse of that unhittable pitcher early on in the contest.

Buehrle was perfect through 5 2/3 innings and set a Major League record of 45 consecutive outs before the Twins were finally able to get to the ace in a 5-3 victory over the White Sox, in front of a crowd of 34,642 at the Metrodome on Tuesday night.

Alexi Casilla broke up Buehrle's bid at a second straight perfect game by drawing a two-out walk in the sixth. Denard Span followed with the first hit of the game off Buehrle -- a single to center -- and Joe Mauer tied the game at 1 with a ground-rule double to left that was misjudged by White Sox left fielder Scott Podsednik.

It was the first of five runs that Buehrle would give up to the Twins over his 6 1/3 innings. The ace hit Michael Cuddyer with a pitch to start the seventh and gave up back-to-back singles that scored one run, giving Minnesota a 2-1 lead. Following a sacrifice bunt by Carlos Gomez to move the runners to second and third, Nick Punto singled to right field to drive in two more runs. Buehrle's final run came when reliever Octavio Dotel walked Justin Morneau with the bases loaded and two outs in the inning.

Prior to the late trouble, Buehrle (11-4) had been sailing through his outing. He retired 12 straight to start the contest, extending his consecutive outs streak to 40 and putting him just one away from tying the Major League record which had previously been set by White Sox closer Bobby Jenks and Jim Barr.

Buehrle tied the record in the fifth by striking out Cuddyer to start the inning and then set the new mark at 42 consecutive outs by getting former teammate Joe Crede to ground out to the shortstop.

Twins starter Scott Baker kept up with Buehrle's effort early as he allowed just three hits over the first five innings. But Baker put the Twins behind 1-0 in the top of the sixth on Jermaine Dye's 23rd home run of the season -- a 427-foot solo shot to left-center. It was the only run Baker gave up over his six innings.From:mlb.mlb.com

Top 5 Sports Stories

1. Quick Hits

* Mets fire head of player development Tony Bernazard for his bizarre behavior. They easily could have fired him for his lack of player development. And in a bizarre twist, the Mets tried to disparage the reporter who had the goods on Bernazard. Bush league!
* Michael Vick can return to the NFL if any team will have him. He can't play in regular season games until he is reinstated which the Commissioner will consider during the first 6 weeks of the season.
* The N.Y. District Attorney is reportedly demanding jail time for Plaxico Burress. He won't let Burress slide over his gun charges.
* Josh Willingham of the lowly Washington Nationals hits two grand slams against Milwaukee. Just the third National League Player to do it. And yes, the Nats won the game wise guy. (14-6)

2. For Pete's Sake

The word is that Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is seriously considering the lifting of Pete Rose's lifetime ban from baseball. Good. Murderers have served lesser sentences. Rose would then be eligible for the Hall of Fame. He's not a shoe-in. He broke baseball's rules on betting and then lied about it for years. Then again, he is the all-time hit leader and he did it "naturally." I've always felt Pete belongs in Cooperstown. Can't wait to hear his acceptance speech.

3. Phanatics

It wasn't a good weekend in Philly A man was beaten to death outside the Phillies ballpark. And inside the stadium there were instances of Cardinal players being hit with laser lights aimed by fans during the game. Philadelphia fans in the past have thrown batteries at players and famously booed Santa Claus. Isn't it the City of Brotherly Love?

4. Undressed for Success

Victoria's Secret has a deal to sell stuff with various baseball team logos. Calm down guys. It's under their Pink brand and it involves tee shirts, hoodies and sweat pants. Still, not exactly a wholesome connection for our National Pastime. Although don't expect the kind of reaction that occurred at Boston College. When Victoria's Secret made a clothing deal on campus some alumni at the Catholic school were outraged. Then again, the alums might have checked out the catalog before bitching. Nothing quite says "inappropriate" like a pair of B.C. flip flops with the message "Go Eagles."

5. Animal House

The fortunes of many players and teams have been affected by zebras. Those damn officials. Then there's a college football player named Joe Windscheffel from Pittsburgh State (Kansas.) His season was ended by a zebra, literally. He was working on a farm when a real zebra charged him, bit his arm, and wouldn't let go. As a result of the injury he won't be able to suit up this season for the Gorillas. (Honest.)

Happy Birthday: Former champion Knick, Olympic gold medal winner and U.S. Senator, Bill Bradley of Princeton. 66.
Bonus Birthday: Archie Bunker's daughter Gloria Stivic, otherwise known as Sally Struthers. 61.
And Jackie Kennedy would have been 80 today.

Today in Sports: The American League rules that the "pine tar game" should be played to conclusion. That the bat should have been thrown out, not George Brett's home run. 1983.
Bonus Event: Dentists come up with a code of ethics. For one thing, using a blow torch to reduce swollen gums is banned. Sweet. 1865.From:www.huffingtonpost.com

Maria Sharapova will headline tonight's session at Stanford

After years of criticism about the quality and depth of its playing field, the Bank of the West Classic hit it really big this year.Maria Sharapova will headline tonight's session at Stanford's Taube Family Tennis Stadium.Venus Williams will take center stage Tuesday afternoon.Serena Williams will hold down the marquee Tuesday night.a

When someone suggested that the tournament, which will also feature Wimbledon semifinalist Elena Dementieva and former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, has the feel of a mini-Grand Slam, defending Bank of the West champion Aleksandra Wozniak smiled and said, "It does.""We should have as strong (a schedule) as we've ever had for Monday and Tuesday," said Adam Barrett, executive vice president of IMG, which owns the tournament.

The obvious question is, how did tournament officials get so fortunate? Four of the top six players in the women's rankings are entered in the 32-player event, as are three of the four semifinalists from this year's Wimbledon.

The schedule is a major reason, officials say. Rather than a two-week break between the start of the Bank of the West and the end of Wimbledon, a three-week gap separated the tournaments this year.But the calendar isn't the only explanation. It helps that San Diego is no longer on the tour's summer schedule, eliminating one of the three California tournaments leading to the U.S. Open in late August. Sharapova was a regular at the San Diego event.

From:www.mercurynews.com

It’s nice to be young. Lance Armstrong,Chugging Along

It’s nice to be young. Lance Armstrong, 37, might have had that thought while watching Alberto Contador, 26, flit away from him in the final seconds on Saturday.

Armstrong knew he was watching somebody else’s destiny, but he was observing it from the best possible place — up close, on the mountain, gallantly protecting his third-place standing, which is vastly preferable to watching it wistfully, on the tube, back home.

The old champion was still a champion on fearsome Mont Ventoux, on the next-to-last stage of the Tour de France. Using his heart and his legs and the experience of his athletic old age, he maintained his highly respectable third position on the podium heading into the Tour’s ceremonial run into Paris on Sunday.

He will defer to Contador and Andy Schleck after the lads wheel up the Champs Elysees, but his comeback will be a grand success.

One must be careful not to patronize this most competitive athlete. The other day, I sent him an e-mail message that, for deadline purposes, I would like to know his mood after Friday’s stage. He fired back a reply: “You don’t want to wait til after the Ventoux?!?” That is the epitome of America’s Mister Lance — defiant until the end.

By putting himself back on his bike, with the whole world watching, Armstrong opened himself to public failure. In the summer of the glorious challenge by Tom Watson, 59, at the British Open earlier this month, Armstrong made another statement for athletic elders.

After Saturday, Contador, Armstrong’s Spanish teammate on the Astana squad, led Andy Schleck of Luxembourg by 4 minutes 11 seconds, with Armstrong in third, 5:24 behind. Bradley Wiggins of Britain was fourth at 6:01, three seconds ahead of Frank Schleck of Luxembourg.

This effort was more than respectable. It was admirable. Armstrong had willed himself back into the peloton, three years after retiring when logic and his weary body had told him he was growing old. Then, watching back home, he realized old age was relative.

Last Sunday, he saw Contador pull away from him. On Thursday, he watched Contador ace the time trial, the way a champion should. It is one thing to have a good cycling team escort the chosen leader through the inclines and headwinds and hairpin turns, but no outrider can assist in the time trial. Contador won that one, too.

•But Armstrong will not give up — and why should he? On Thursday, he announced that he will race next year for a team sponsored by Radio Shack. He will have a stable of domestiques laboring exclusively for him; Armstrong may be the only person in the world who thinks having his handpicked team will give him young churning legs like the set on Contador.

Finishing on the podium is a noble goal and would add to his seven previous victories, tying him with the legendary French rider Raymond Poulidor, to whom bad things always happened. Poulidor finished second or third eight times. For this year, and this year only, Armstrong would settle for a corner position on the podium.

“While it’d be great to win at nearly 38 years old, it’s virtually unheard of in this game,” he said last week.

“So you’ve got to understand and respect that, too.”

Why did he come back? Mister Lance is a complex person. Some people may use the word “ego,” but if ego is a bad thing, then we are all wasting our time following sports.

Take away ego, and you take away Michael Jordan’s sneer and Martina Navratilova’s scowl and Dana Torres’s glint. They all went away and came back, for whatever their reasons, beating a lot of younger competitors, just out of orneriness.

Without ego, Armstrong would not have persevered for three weeks, through rain and heat and tricky curves and steep hills and drunken lunatics lurching centimeters away from him. The old man and the mountain.

None of this affects his past. He won his seven straight Tours, beating a lot of cyclists who were caught taking one thing or another, in a sport that was allowed to be highly dirty. He never had an official positive test, although there were some odd circumstances catalogued by the British journalist David Walsh and others.

There was the thoroughly unofficial positive result for EPO suggested in a 1999 test that had been meant for research only. And he remains open to question for his long and shadowy relationship with the notorious Italian physician Michele Ferrari, known as Dottore Sangue — Doctor Blood.

•None of that counts. His yellow jerseys also stand for the yellow wristbands of his foundation that fights cancer. Armstrong had testicular cancer that spread to his brain more than a decade ago, and he beat that, too. As he chugged up Mont Ventoux on Saturday, Armstrong was flying his flag that said cancer could be beaten, sometimes.

But even if he rides for himself — vengeful litigator of all who attack him — he is one of those athletes that everybody watches. He is indomitable.

A lot of proud athletes never do come back after they stop winning championships. But there is nothing wrong with sheer raging ego to get up the mountain faster than most of today’s riders. Youth is almost always served, but by getting back on his bike, Lance Armstrong won his own personal Tour.From:www.nytimes.com

Holliday, Cards go for another win in Philly

The addition of Matt Holliday paid off quickly for the St. Louis Cardinals, who will try for their second straight win over the Philadelphia Phillies this afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

Holliday was acquired from Oakland on Friday in a multi-player deal and impressed right away during last night's 8-1 victory over the Phillies in the opener of this three-game series. He went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored for the NL Central-leading Cardinals, who remained 1 1/2 games ahead of both the Cubs and Astros in the division. The Brewers dropped 3 1/2 games off the pace.

"It feels good to help the team win," Holliday said. "Obviously, we won against a really good team who has been playing really well. First and foremost, it's good to help the team win."

Julio Lugo, who was acquired this week from Boston, homered and Rick Ankiel ended with three hits and three RBI to help St. Louis post its second straight win after a three-game slide. Joel Pineiro evened his mark at 9-9 with six shutout innings of four-hit ball. He also struck out three and walked one.

Meanwhile, Kyle Lohse has been struggling lately with three straight and six of seven losses, and will start this afternoon for the Cards. The righty last pitched on July 20 at Houston and suffered the defeat for giving up three runs and five hits in seven innings of a 3-2 loss.

Lohse, who is 0-3 in five away outings, fell to 4-6 in 12 starts this season. He will face the Phillies for the second time this season after losing to them back on May 4. In the 6-1 loss at Busch Stadium, the former Phillies was reached for six runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. Lohse is 2-2 with a 3.41 ERA in six career starts against Philadelphia.

Philadelphia has lost two of three games since a season-high 10-game winning streak and saw its lead in the NL East shrink to 5 1/2 games over Florida and Atlanta after Friday's seven-run setback. Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz had two hits apiece for the Phillies, who got a rough start from rookie J.A. Happ. In his first loss of the season, Happ was reached for five runs and 10 hits in six innings of work with six K's and no walks.

Phils new right-hander Pedro Martinez is slated to pitch for Single-A Clearwater of the Florida State League against the St. Lucie Mets on Sunday. It will be his first professional start since September 25, 2008. The 37-year- old veteran signed with the Phillies last week and was subsequently placed on the disabled list because of a mild right shoulder strain.

Rodrigo Lopez is at full strength and will make his fourth start of the season today for the Phillies, all at home. Lopez previously pitched in a 10-1 rout of the Chicago Cubs on July 20 at Citizens Bank Park and hurled six innings of one-run ball to pick up the victory.

Lopez improved to 2-0 and lowered his ERA to 2.60 in three starts this season. The right-hander has been solid since being recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but may head back to the Iron Pigs upon the arrival of Martinez and the possible return of injured starter Brett Myers.

Lopez is 1-1 with a 7.36 ERA in two career starts against St. Louis.

Philadelphia won two games in St. Louis from May 4-5 of this season and is 6-2 in the eight most recent matchups between the teams
From:www.seattlepi.com

The CN Tower is the world’s largest free-standing structure on land

The CN Tower is the world’s largest free-standing structure on land. It soars over the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays and workplace of their general manager, J. P. Ricciardi. There is no truth to the notion that Ricciardi climbed the tower to hang a billboard hawking his best player. It only seems that way.

For almost three weeks, since Ricciardi acknowledged he would listen to offers for the All-Star right-hander Roy Halladay, the issue has loomed over the moribund Blue Jays. Ricciardi avoided reporters before Halladay’s start Friday, seeking refuge in a group of young autograph seekers near the home dugout. But they, too, had proposals.

“I would trade him for stars,” offered Eric Savoy-Pitfield, 13, of Toronto. “I would trade him to Boston for Josh Beckett and Jason Bay.”Ricciardi looked up from the baseball he was signing. “What if they don’t want to do that?” he said, smiling.

The days before Friday’s nonwaiver trade deadline are critical for the Blue Jays. Since Ricciardi’s first season in Toronto, 2002, Halladay leads the majors in victories with 124. Yet he has never pitched in the postseason, something every other pitcher with at least 90 victories in that stretch has done.

“Not being able to watch Roy Halladay in the postseason, the fans get cheated,” the Blue Jays’ Kevin Millar said. “He’s the greatest pitcher going.”Millar said he had seen only one pitcher who prepares as diligently as Halladay: Curt Schilling, his former Red Sox teammate and the winner of three World Series. Halladay’s effort has produced an 11-3 record and a 2.62 earned run average this season, yet the Blue Jays are below .500, buried in fourth place in the American League East.

“I really feel like I’ve fulfilled a lot of obligations, and at some point you have to be a little bit selfish on what you want,” Halladay said Friday, after throwing nine strong innings in a 4-2, 10-inning loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. “I’ve gotten to the point where I can make a decision on what’s best. It’s purely based on having a chance to win.”Halladay continued: “I really do hope it’s here. But I think for me, I’d hate to look back and regret that I had that three- or four-year window and I didn’t take the chance to give myself the best opportunity, and that’s really all I’m trying to do, whether it’s here or someplace else.”

Halladay, 32, has a no-trade clause and a contract that runs through 2010. He has told the Blue Jays that he will wait until his contract ends before discussing an extension. Because he can help a team for two Octobers, not only one, Halladay is at peak value in trades, and he has told Ricciardi which teams appeal to him.The Philadelphia Phillies have been his most aggressive pursuer. Charley Kerfeld, the special assistant to Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro, watched Halladay from the stands Friday.

The Phillies won the World Series last fall, beating Tampa Bay, but starter Brett Myers is out for the season after hip surgery. Halladay would give them a strong chance at another pennant.

“You put him in the National League with the pitcher hitting — there’s no telling,” said Rays Manager Joe Maddon, who chose Halladay to start the All-Star Game. “He could be even more dominant than he’s been here. This guy, he’s just a little bit better than everyone else.”

Ricciardi is seeking a package similar to what Baltimore got from Seattle last year for Erik Bedard. The Mariners gave up two players who soon became All-Stars — closer George Sherrill and outfielder Adam Jones — and three prospects.

To get Halladay, who is far more accomplished, the Phillies would probably have to include the young starter J. A. Happ and some of their best minor leaguers, including the right-hander Kyle Drabek, whom the Blue Jays scouted in Altoona, Pa., on Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers are also said to be interested, and Toronto scouts have fanned out across the minors in recent days. Ricciardi has also said he would not be opposed to sending Halladay to a division rival.

If Halladay is traded, it will be a referendum on Ricciardi, who must have noticed the bed sheet draped along the second deck Friday that said, “Keep Doc, Trade J. P.” Halladay, nicknamed Doc, might be the most popular Blue Jay in years.

Asked for other fan favorites, Manager Cito Gaston listed several from his first stint here in the 1990s. He named Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter and Paul Molitor, members of the Blue Jays team that won the World Series in 1993, the last time the team made the playoffs.

The failure to return to the postseason is often blamed on the high-payroll behemoths of the division, the Yankees and the Red Sox. Unless those teams are in town, the fans largely stay away. The Blue Jays drew 50,098 fans a game in 1993, and now average less than half that.

“I just wish we would have packed the house there,” said the Yankees’ A. J. Burnett, who spent the last three years in Toronto. “They had a good team every year I was there. The fans that were there were always good fans. All we heard was there’s a great buzz in the city about the team, and we’d start off against Boston or the Yankees, win two out of three, and then Seattle comes in and there’s nobody. That was my big disappointment.”

The Blue Jays may never have a payroll to match the Yankees or the Red Sox, but when the Rays won a pennant on a small budget last season, it undercut the financial excuse. Bad investments, more than a lower payroll, have hurt most.

Burnett gave the Blue Jays only one fully healthy season before opting out of his five-year, $55 million deal. Closer B. J. Ryan was released this month in the fourth year of a five-year, $47 million contract.

Two outfielders, Vernon Wells and Alex Rios, have regressed since signing on through 2014. Wells, who will earn $126 million over seven years, was booed every time he made an out Friday, dropping his average to .257 with 10 home runs and 39 runs batted in.

Only Halladay has been money well spent, with a three-year, $40 million contract signed in March 2006 that kept him off the free-agent market. It also tied him to a team in perpetual purgatory, and few could blame him for taking a ticket out.

“Roy being a superstar is not on his mind,” Burnett said. “He just wants to win ballgames and be the best there is, whoever he plays for. That’s his personality. He couldn’t care less if the world knows who Roy Halladay is.”

The world has found out, and Halladay is in high demand. As Ricciardi deliberates, Halladay’s manager cannot imagine a future without him.

“I don’t even want to think about it,” Gaston said. “You’ve got to pencil him in, and if he’s not here, we’ll find somebody to go in that spot. I’m sure they will not fill his shoes, no matter who they are

VIck will get a four-game suspension” story.

Just wanted to check in real quick about something. It seems that ESPN is backing off a little bit on its, “VIck will get a four-game suspension” story. Here’s their new story, which basically says the same thing but softens it somewhat:

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell may be close to reaching a decision on Michael Vick, NFL sources told ESPN.

League sources told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio and Chris Mortensen Thursday that sometime next week Goodell is expected to announce a conditional reinstatement of Vick, which would allow Vick to go to training camp if he signed with a team but that could also include a four-game suspension.

“Can we suspend him in basically double jeopardy?” asked the league source. “That’s the question.”

Honestly, my first instinct when I was asked to blog on the ESPN report was to hold off because the NFL hadn’t issued a response — and I’m kind of burned out on the whole thing. But I went with it. Then I got home late last night and I saw a Twitter (I’m not making this up) from NFL spokesman Greg Aiello:

Despite what ESPN says, commish has made no decisions on MVick.

I inserted that in the blog. But honestly, it wasn’t a flat out denial. It just affirmed that commissioner Roger Goodell hadn’t officially made his decision yet. Fact is, nothing is official until it’s on an NFL press release. But I guess former AJC colleague Chris Mortensen felt uncomfortable enough with his original story that he rewrote it.

Meanwhile, ProFootballTalk.com continues to hammer ESPN for its reporting this week. Excerpts of the post by the website’s Mike Florio:

Continuing arguably one of its worst weeks since becoming an international sports powerhouse, ESPN has backtracked on its report that quarterback Mike Vick will be suspended four games to start the 2009 regular season.

Controversy erupted on Twitter in the aftermath of the initial report, with NFL spokesman Greg Aiello stating, “Despite what ESPN says, commish has made no decisions on MVick.” … ESPN’s Chris Mortensen responded with a tweet of his own, “Despite what anyone says, ESPN did not report a decision has been made based on what I just read on dot.com.”

Not long thereafter, Mort clarified himself.

I take that back,” he said. “After this 12-hr drive, I just read the espn.com story and the lead is erroneous. Guess I can’t get to bed yet.“

From:blogs.ajc.com

Florida's aiming high again this season,national championship

Florida's aiming high again this season, but you won't hear the Gators talking too much about defending their national championship.In fact, their focus is squarely on Atlanta. If they get there, the rest will take care of itself.

"The goal is to win the SEC championship," senior quarterback Tim Tebow said. "I feel if we're champions of the best conference in college football, we should have an opportunity to play for it all. Our focus is the SEC.

"Do we want to be undefeated? Absolutely. But our mindset is not to go undefeated. If we lose a game and still win a national championship, we would take that. Even if we lose, we're not going to be heartbroken if we win a national championship. All we're worried about is getting to Atlanta and winning that game."

The Gators have won two of the last three BCS national championships. But from the sound of things, this might be their most talented team yet.

"I've never been more anxious to coach a football team," Florida coach Urban Meyer said.

From:myespn.go.com

Pakistan took an 425-run lead against Sri Lanka run 183-3

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Pakistan's Danish Kaneria picked up two wickets to jolt Sri Lanka's record victory chase as the hosts closed Thursday's fourth day of the third Test on 183-3, needing 309 more runs on the final day with seven wickets in hand.

Pakistan declared its second innings at 425-9 shortly after the lunch break on day four, and with a 66-run lead from the first innings it set a world record 492-run target for Sri Lanka to win the final Test and sweep the series 3-0.

Sri Lanka made a strong start to the run chase before two late scalps put Pakistan back in charge.

Both sides said they were in position to aim for a victory.

"If you analyze the last two Test matches, every time we were in winning positions and lost batting second," Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam said. "This time we are bowling and 309 runs needed, naturally we have a better chance of winning."

Sri Lanka's left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, meanwhile, said he thought his teams batsmen would get the job done.

"We are batting well now. If we continue this way there is a good chance of us winning the match," Herath said. "The pitch is turning but there are no dangers."

Sri Lanka openers Tharanga Paranavitana and Malinda Warnapura put on 83 for the first wicket before Kaneria broke through, with Warnapura (31) caught by Shoaib Malik at leg-slip.

Then captain Kumar Sangakkara joined Paranavitana in valuable 56-run partnership before Paranavitana (72) was snapped up by Fawad Alam at forward-short-leg off the bowling of Malik. Paranavitana faced 126 balls and hit five boundaries.

Mahela Jayawardene (2) - top scorer in the first innings - was caught soon after by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal off Kaneria.

Sangakkara remained unbeaten at stumps on 50, his 32nd Test half-century, with Thilan Samaraweera on 20.

If Sri Lanka wins this match it will take the record for the highest run chase to win a Test. West Indies currently holds the record for reaching the highest fourth innings target, 418-7 against Australia at Antigua six years ago.

Pakistan elected to bat on after lunch for just 11 minutes, adding 15 runs before declaring.

Malik was the star of Pakistan's second innings, scoring 134 and anchoring three key partnerships that lifted Pakistan from a vulnerable 67-4. He spent more than six hours at the crease and faced 240 balls, hitting 12 fours and two sixes.

Resuming the fourth day on 300-5, the visitors lost overnight batsman Akmal for 74 when he was caught by Jayawardene at slip off seam bowler Nuwan Kulasekera.

Akmal's dismissal ended a record 133-run partnership for the sixth wicket between the two countries. His brisk innings came off just 80 balls and included eight fours and a six.

Malik contributed to a valuable 52-run stand with tailender Umar Gul before he was caught at long-off by substitute fielder Suranga Lakmal off Herath. Gul's quickfire 46 was his highest Test score.

Herath was the best of Sri Lanka's bowlers in the second innings with figures of 5-157, his second five-wicket haul of the series, which Sri Lanka has already won after claiming the opening two Tests.

Veteran seamer Chaminda Vaas was wicketless in the second innings. Playing in his last Test, Vaas will finish his career with 355 wickets.

From:www.google.com

West Indian cricket is in the doldrums.Part New of old players

West Indian cricket is in the doldrums.

West Indies cricket has plunged deep into an abyss with the main-stream players and the cricket board in an almost war-like situation and neither side willing to bend.

It all began with the West Indian Players Association (WIPA) withdrawing the West Indian players from a test series against Bangladesh.

The allegation was having no contracts for four successive series.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in return, named a second string side to play the Bangladesh team and were consequently beaten by a country that had won only one game out of 59!

When things came to light, the WIPA which was accused of not signing and giving out the contracts in time to the West Indian cricketers for the series said that in this day and age it was difficult to play without contracts.

The WICB countered by replying that there were changes made by the WIPA which weren’t acceptable and that they did not receive the contracts on time.

From:/www.examiner.com

Pakistan took an 82-run lead against Sri Lanka

Pakistan took an 82-run lead against Sri Lanka in the third Test match after Danish Kaneria bagged five wickets to restrict the host team's first innings to a modest score.Pakistan reached 16-1 at close of play on the second day. It made 299 in the first innings before dismissing Sri Lanka for 233.

Opener Khurram Manzoor (2) was out bowled by Rangana Herath. Fawad Alam and captain Younis Khan were batting.Sri Lanka lost its last five wickets for 69 runs in the post-tea session despite Mahela Jayawardene's 79 runs and his 71-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Anjelo Mathews (31) that lifted the team from 82-4. Captain Kumar Sangakkara contributed 45.Offspinner Saeed Ajmal took three wickets for 70 runs while Kaneria returned best figures 5-62, his 13th five-wicket innings haul.Kaneria, who had been overlooked for the first two matches of the series, triggered the wicket fall after tea, trapping Chaminda Vaas lbw for seven runs. Jayawardene faced 153 balls and hit 10 boundaries for his runs before being bowled by a Kaneria delivery that hurried from the pitch.

Kaneria later trapped Herath leg before, and had Tillakaratne Dilshan caught behind by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.Dilshan came to bat at No. 8 instead of his usual No. 6 position because of a fractured finger, and he was also cut in the eyebrow after being hit by a ball.Dilshan had yet to score when England umpire Ian Gould ruled an appeal for catch in his favour.Television replays showed that the batsman trying to lift the ball over the wicketkeeper had gloved the ball before being caught by Fawad Alam.From:www.google.com

England-Australia second innings total of 311 for six.

LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - England set Australia 522 to win the second Ashes test at Lord's on Sunday after declaring on their overnight second innings total of 311 for six.

Rain delayed the start of play by 15 minutes. (Reporting by John Mehaffey; Editing by Peter Rutheford; to query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

From:uk.reuters.com

Lance Armstrong is fed up with criticism of his Astana team

Lance Armstrong is fed up with criticism of his Astana team by the French sports minister.

The minister, Roselyne Bachelot, has said Astana riders at the Tour de France remained out of sight of an International Cycling Union inspector for too long during a random doping test last week.

Today, Armstrong erupted, declaring that "Enough is enough." He says Team Astana has "been controlled more than anybody else on the race."

Armstrong's said he's been tested more than 30 times since he returned from a three-year retirement to competition this season. He accused the French government minister of being "slightly political."

Before the race started on July 4 in Monaco, the minister had warned Armstrong that he would be "particularly monitored" for doping during the Tour.

The 37-year old Texan said he was always available for doping controls.
From:cbs11tv.com

Andrew Flintoff announced his retirement

Former England players and coaches hailed Andrew Flintoff as one of the greatest players of his generation, a day after he announced his retirement.

Flintoff, 31, cited the strain of constantly coming back from injury as he announced he was quitting Test cricket.

Bowling great Ian Botham said Flintoff showed he was the one of the greatest all-rounders in 2005 when England defeated Australia to regain the Ashes for the first time in 18 years.

"Throughout the summer he was the leader of the pack and was able to do almost anything he wanted on a cricket field," Botham wrote in the Daily Mirror newspaper.

"His batting, bowling and fielding were in perfect harmony and that can never be taken away from him," he said.

But he said Flintoff's decision to walk away from Test cricket at the end of the current Ashes series was unsurprising.

"Since then (2005) the body has let him down and you can't keep shoving needles into a bloke and expect him to be fine."

Flintoff has suffered a series of injuries that have blighted his career and he now has to overcome a knee problem if he wants to play in the second Ashes Test starting Thursday.

Michael Vaughan said Flintoff caused him to have more management meetings than anybody else during his time as England captain.

"But the match turning, series-winning performances that he put in more than outweighed the odd difficulty he caused," Vaughan wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Flintoff was dropped from the England team to face Canada at the World Cup in 2007, and stripped of the vice-captaincy, after staying out late drinking and riding a pedalo in the early hours.

Ex-England coach Duncan Fletcher wrote in the Guardian newspaper that Flintoff's injuries after 2005 meant he plateaued as a force at the international level.

But he concluded: "It all comes back to the same thing: make what you like of some of Flintoff's off-field behaviour but on the field he will be sorely missed."From:www.google.com

The heart of the NBA season

The 6-foot-8 forward is trying to find himself in Las Vegas -- along with his shot -- in the friendlier, light-on-defense confines of the NBA Summer League, at the wise suggestion of Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Keeping it in perspective because, after all, this is summer league, not the heart of the NBA season, things are going well. He has averaged 20.8 points in four games. He scored 20 points against the Clippers on Monday, and had 17 points the next night against Oklahoma City.

"He's a shot maker . . . and it looks to me like he's playing with confidence," Kupchak said during Monday's game.

Said Clippers General Manager and Coach Mike Dunleavy: "I think he's made a good recovery from his knee injury. He has the ability to score. He's the main focal point of their [summer] team, but I still think he's doing a lot of good things that show separation. Potentially, he can create himself a role with the Lakers."

Morrison was less pleased with his performance after the Thunder game but opened up to reporters about his struggles since his Gonzaga days, when he was the go-to guy and Wooden Award finalist.

He stood in the hallway outside the locker room at Thomas & Mack Center and answered questions about his confidence (improved) and his knee (better) and helpfully repeated his answers if a newcomer joined the scrum.

Morrison realizes there is much on the line, starting in Las Vegas. He will turn 25 on Sunday, but this represents a career juncture for him.

"Yeah, it's my contract year," he said. "If I don't perform well, I might not be in the league. It's definitely a big year."

In Charlotte, it got worse for Morrison before it would get any better. He suffered a torn ligament in his left knee in an exhibition game against the Lakers in October 2007 that required surgery.From:www.latimes.com

Calling for an overhaul of the Pakistan team.

The nation may have just won the Twenty20 World Cup, but Pakistan's test series defeat in Sri Lanka has the country's former stars calling for an overhaul of the team.

Pakistan suffered some spectacular batting collapses to suffer its first ever series defeat in Sri Lanka.

The visitors lost eight wickets for a paltry 47 runs in the first test and went down by 50 runs. In the second test ending yesterday, they were bowled out for 90 in the first innings and then lost eight wickets for 26 runs in the second innings to lose by seven wickets.

"Why not try out those youngsters who are performing well for Pakistan A when experienced batsmen are continuously letting us down in test matches?" questioned ex-test fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz.

Captain Younis Khan blamed the series loss on lack of tests, having played only three in the past 20 months.

But Nawaz said that was "face saving", and did not explain how experienced batsmen Mohammad Yousuf, Misbahul Haq, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal failed in three successive innings.

"They are all experienced enough and lack of test matches is not an excuse," Nawaz said.

"Cricket is a professional sport and its up to experienced players to quickly get adjusted in all three formats of the game."From:www.nzherald

England have not won a test against Australia

July 15 (Reuters) - England have not won a test
against Australia at Lord's since Yorkshire left-arm spinner
Hedley Verity took 15 wickets in the 1934 fixture. England won
by an innings and 38 runs.

 Results since 1934:
2005 Australia won by 239 runs
2001 Australia won by eight wickets
1997 Draw
1993 Australia won by an innings and 62 runs
1989 Australia won by six wickets
1985 Australia won by four wickets
1981 Draw
1980 Draw
1977 Draw
1975 Draw
1972 Australia won by eight wickets
1968 Draw
1964 Draw
1961 Australia won by five wickets
1956 Australia won by 185 runs
1953 Draw
1948 Australia won by 409 runs
1938 Draw

 (Compiled by John Mehaffey; Editing by Justin Palmer; to
query or comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
From:uk.reuters.com

All-Star Game at then-new Busch Memorial Stadium

ST. LOUIS -- Bill DeWitt saw the 1948 All-Star Game as a boy at Sportsman's Park, saw another one there in 1957, saw the 1966 All-Star Game at then-new Busch Memorial Stadium, and then on Tuesday night sat next to the National League dugout and saw the 80th All-Star Game played before 46,760 fans at new Busch Stadium.

The Cardinals' chairman, who had worked so hard with his organization to return this event to St. Louis after an unprecedented 42-year wait, was hoping to watch the NL win this time, especially with a current division leader in his charge. It didn't happen, as Mariano Rivera closed out yet another American League victory, by a 4-3 score, extending its unbeaten streak to 13 games.

When all was said and done, though, DeWitt could not have been more proud of the 80th All-Star Game and everything that surrounded it.

"It went extremely well. We couldn't be more pleased or thrilled," DeWitt said from his box seat immediately to the home-plate side of the NL dugout -- where he was coincidentally greeted by Arte Moreno, owner of the Angels club that hosts this event in 2010. "We were really honored to host the All-Star Game and to see how the people of St. Louis have reacted. They really have embraced it.

"I've been to four St. Louis All-Star Games now, and this is clearly the biggest and best. There are so many events now, it's really a celebration for five days. It's the All-Star Game but it's also everything surrounding it."

The 80th All-Star Game will be remembered for yet another AL victory, this one courtesy of All-Star MVP Carl Crawford's classic leaping catch to rob Brad Hawpe, and also Adam Jones' sacrifice fly that scored Curtis Granderson. But it also will be remembered for Going Beyond.

It was the Midsummer Classic that brought President Barack Obama to the field for a ceremonial first pitch that had not been thrown at an All-Star Game by the nation's chief executive in 33 years. It was the video also featuring four other living Presidents who hailed the All-Stars Among Us -- those 30 winners of a competition to find everyday heroes who have embodied Obama's emphasis on public service.

It was the All-Star Week when:

• Sheryl Crow and special guest Elvis Costello rocked the park grounds underneath the Arch for the free All-Star Charity Concert presented by Pepsi, raising money and awareness for Stand Up To Cancer;

• A field of 8,000 runners took part in the first All-Star Charity 5K and Fun Run presented by Sports Authority and Nike, as founders of Stand Up To Cancer, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Prostate Research Cancer Foundation all addressed them and gathered in an unprecedented gathering.From:mlb.mlb.com/news

Venus Williams VS Agnieszka Radwanska 1/6- Quarterfinals Highlights

Serena Williams VS Venus Williams Wimbledon Final Full Highlights

Venus wins 6-1, 6-2

Venus Williams rips a forehand against Agnieszka Radwanska during her quarter-final win Tuesday at Wimbledon.

Wimbledon runner-up has confirmed her entry to this summer's Roger Cup, alongside sister Serena

If 6-year-olds ran the sports world

I have no time or patience for sentiment. But it occurs to me that there's a little 6-year-old in all sports fans -- or at least there should be. Six-year-olds don't worry about drug tests or collective-bargaining agreements. They don't care about Scott Boras' counteroffer, or what the presiding officer has to say about blood-alcohol levels.

Six-year-olds just want to win, baby.

Here, according to a 6-year-old boy I know, is how various sports would differ if you turned them over to the kids. Call it sports rehab:

If 6-year-olds ran Wimbledon . . .

The championship trophy would have candles on it. And gobs of chocolate frosting.

After you won, the crowd would stand and sing, "You are the champion, you are the champion. . . . "

Then everyone would open gifts.

If 6-year-olds ran Major League Baseball . . .

All players would have to do at least one impression.

When you passed second base, the shortstop would throw water balloons at your head.

Dogs could run out onto the field any time they felt like it. You could call timeouts just to play with them.

On high fly balls, the baserunners could tackle the outfielders.

The moms would have the best seats, close to the field, but they could never holler: "Hey Derek, stand up straight!" or "Tuck your shirt in, sweetie. Grandma is trying to get a nice picture."

The players' dads would coach first and third.

If 6-year-olds ran the PGA Tour . . .

There'd be camping.

If you hit your ball in the water, the other players in your foursome would get to dunk you, then everyone would go for a nice swim.

Golf bags would be filled with licorice and Silly String.

If you sliced your tee shot into the woods, you could stop and build a tree fort.
From:www.latimes.com

Sri Lanka took early charge of the second cricket Test

COLOMBO (AFP) - Seamer Nuwan Kulasekera took a career-best 4-21 as Sri Lanka took early charge of the second cricket Test after bowling Pakistan out for a paltry 90 on Sunday.

The tourists, electing to bat on a wicket that provided early assistance to the seamers, slumped to their lowest total against Sri Lanka after being reduced to 19-4 by the seventh over of the match.

Sri Lanka ended the opening day at 164-3 in reply, leaving them well-placed to build on the 50-run win in the first Test at Galle last week that gave them the lead in the three-match series.

Skipper Kumar Sangakkara led the way with an unbeaten 81 after adding 54 for the second wicket with Tharanga Paranavitana and 51 for the third with Mahela Jayawardene.

Sri Lanka's left-arm fast bowler Thilan Thushara chipped in with two wickets and spinner Ajantha Mendis dismissed the last three batsmen as Pakistan were shot out in 36 overs 45 minutes after lunch.

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik was the lone batsman to defy the Sri Lankan bowlers at the P. Sara Oval, returning unbeaten on 39.

Pakistan caved in just as they had done in the second innings of the Galle Test where, needing 97 more to win on the fourth morning, they lost their last eight wickets for 46 runs.Pakistan's 117 at Galle was their lowest against Sri Lanka, but it took just one more innings to fall below that mark in a reckless display with the bat.Eight batsmen failed to reach double figures, while debutant Fawad Alam was the second highest scorer after Malik with 16 in 81 minutes.Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul Haq later denied the batsmen lacked temperament at the crease, but admitted such collapses "happen with Pakistan".

"I don't want to take the credit away from their bowlers, we all got out to good deliveries," Misbah told reporters.

"Kulasekera bowled really well. It was very difficult to play him with the ball seaming about."These things happen with Pakistan. But we look forward to getting Sri Lanka out early tomorrow and (coming) back into the match."Kulasekera, 26, who leads the International Cricket Council's rankings for one-day bowlers, showed he was equally adept at taking wickets in the traditional five-day format with a remarkable opening burst.

The right-arm seamer, who grabbed 4-71 at Galle, tore through the Pakistani top order in only his eighth Test with three wickets in 15 deliveries at the cost of just three runs.Kulasekera said he was rewarded for sticking to the basics in helpful conditions."There was a lot of help to the seamers in the first session, I just tried to put the ball in the right areas and stuck to the basics," he said."I am really happy to help Sri Lanka reach this position. The wicket has eased up a bit and will help the batsmen for the next two days."From:uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

Jazz received the four-year, $32 million offer

As the Jazz received the four-year, $32 million offer sheet Paul Millsap signed with Portland, accounts surfaced Saturday of a conversation last week between Carlos Boozer and chief executive Greg Miller that could pave the way for Boozer to be traded.According to sources, Boozer was told by Miller that the franchise was going in a different direction, with Boozer saying he could respect the decision but hoped the Jazz would accommodate him with a trade, a request Miller agreed the team would try to honor.

"Any conversations between me and Carlos need to remain between me and Carlos," Miller wrote in a text message. "If/when there's something to say publicly, we'll announce by usual means."There was some skepticism within the organization that such a conversation had taken place. The Jazz have stressed all along to Boozer that he should be prepared to play this season in Utah, given the difficulties associated with making trades.

But such a decision in regard to trading Boozer would seem to increase the likelihood the Jazz will match Portland's offer to Millsap. The offer, however, has been structured so that Millsap will receive a $10.3 million upfront payment in a week's time. The deal calls for Millsap to receive a $5.6 million signing bonus as well as $4.7 million of his first-year salary of $6.3 million. Under NBA rules, teams can pay players up to 80 percent of their salaries for a given season in one lump sum.Jazz president Randy Rigby called the provisions "a little bothersome and a little concerning," but general manager Kevin O'Connor said the Jazz had evaluated in advance all possible signing bonus scenarios for offers between $6 million and $10 million a season.

"They can put a lot of money upfront, but I don't think that that's the issue," O'Connor said, "because I think if your organization is equipped to be able to handle it -- and we've talked about it and what could happen -- there's nothing that surprised us as far as all this goes."

That stood in contrast to Rigby's admission minutes earlier about the offer to Millsap: "It was much more than we'd anticipated."With Boozer's decision June 30 to play the final year of his contract at $12.7 million, the Jazz's payroll stands at more than $73 million pending the decision to retain Millsap. A Boozer trade, however, could provide a measure of luxury-tax relief for the team.

Detroit, Chicago, Golden State, Miami and New York all are believed to have expressed interest in acquiring Boozer, who averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds in his two All-Star seasons while helping lead the Jazz to the 2007 Western Conference finals.Matching the offer to Millsap would cost the Jazz nearly $20 million for 2009-10, between the signing bonus, the first-year salary and luxury-tax penalties, at least for now.

The Jazz have seven days to decide about matching, something they have vowed to do all summer. Meanwhile, DeAngelo Simmons, Millsap's agent, criticized the Jazz for insisting on having an offer sheet brought to them."I think we should've come to an agreement early," Simmons said. "If Paul was their first priority like they said, we should've come to an agreement early."

"It should always be what do you value Paul Millsap as your player?" Simmons added. "Not what happens with Shawn Marion or [Anderson] Varejao. They haven't taken any charges for you. Why would you care about somebody else?"O'Connor said the Jazz didn't want to bid against themselves, before taking a jab at Portland, which signed Millsap despite already having LaMarcus Aldridge at power forward.

"What I can't imagine," O'Connor said, "is if they're going to pay what's reported out there to the backup, what are they going to pay their starter? That's probably a maximum contract."Asked if Portland was trying to bully the Jazz, O'Connor shot back: "I don't think the Miller family likes to be bullied."

The $10.3 million payment to Millsap is nearly 13 times what he made last season, an NBA-minimum $797,581. Deron Williams didn't even get a signing bonus as part of the max contract extension he agreed to last summer with the Jazz.

From:www.sltrib.com

The Beckham Experiment

Beckham 3.0 will launch in the United States when the Los Angeles Galaxy plays the New York Red Bulls in a Major League Soccer match Thursday at Giants Stadium. Two days before, and not by coincidence, “The Beckham Experiment: How the World’s Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America,” by the Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl, will be available in bookstores. Wahl had unparalleled access to Beckham, his legion of austere and demanding handlers, and Galaxy players and officials since Beckham 1.0 descended on America in 2007. Wahl, who recently returned from a seven-month stay in South Africa, where his wife was working as a doctor specializing in infectious diseases, spoke with Jack Bell about Becks and the book.

The way it first came about was because I did two big stories on Beckham for Sports Illustrated, one in 2003 that basically introduced him to America and then in 2007, a cover story when he arrived in M.L.S. For both of those stories, I got extensive one-on-one access to Beckham and the people around him. We did photo shoots in New York and then Spain. I always had a very good relationship and probably interviewed him more than any other American journalist. I think that he and his people appreciated the open-mindedness of my stories. In 2007 they came to us at S.I. about doing a big feature. It got on the cover and they were thrilled.

The idea for the book was originally to follow Beckham and the Galaxy for that year only, but we pushed the book back a year because of Beckham’s injuries in 2007. I went to Beckham’s people in the summer of 2007 to talk about his potential participation in the book. They told me was that in Beckham’s previous book deals for his own books, which were ghost-written, that he had gotten $1 million. The indication was that I would have to pay him significantly to get exclusive interviews for this book.From:goal.blogs.nytimes.com

Serena Williams is best female tennis player

Serena Williams is widely considered the world's best female tennis player, in spite of her No. 2 world ranking. She is the reigning champ of three of the four Grand Slams and owns 11 major titles. She is just one week removed from No. 11, a steamrolling of sister Venus last Saturday at Wimbledon. Seems an odd time to be defending her accomplishments, and why the list isn't longer.

Williams, 27, was on Randalls Island Friday to participate in a clinic with local children involved in the Randalls Island Sports Foundation, before taking the courts of the freshly minted Sportime Tennis Center to play in World Team Tennis matches in the evening. But in between, she responded to an article by Fox Sports.com columnist Jason Whitlock on Thursday that said Serena would "rather eat" than dominate tennis and termed her 11 Grand Slams - only 11 - "a terrible shame."

"Well, you know, sometimes I look in the mirror and say, 'Oh, God, what is this? I don't like myself,'" Williams said. "But it's important to remember that God didn't make cookie cutters."

Williams - who won of her matches Friday night for the Washington Kastles against the New York Sportimes - will be back in the Big Apple at the end of August to defend her crown at the U.S. Open, which she made sure to point out was "priority No. 1 - I'm very excited for the Open." She also mentioned the new lines of sweat-proof sunscreen and lip balm she would soon be introducing to the marketplace, spotlighting the sort of multitasking and branching focus that throughout her career has been a source of admiration in some circles and criticism in others.

From:www.nydailynews.com

Dilshan was the highest runs scorer Twenty20 batsman

Northern Districts have scored a cricket coup, signing Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan for next season's domestic Twenty20 championship.Dilshan was the highest runs scorer at the Twenty20 World Cup in England, averaging 52 runs an innings at a strike rate of 144.

In the IPL in South Africa he was the fifth-highest run scorer, averaging 42 runs an innings, with an impressive strike rate of 122."Dilshan is arguably the best Twenty20 batsman going in world cricket at the moment," ND Cricket chief executive David Cooper said yesterday."It is a significant move for us to sign him and have him coming out to New Zealand.

"We believe that his presence will assist our team and our players in much the same way Andrew Strauss did in early 2008.

"I have no doubt New Zealand crowds will enjoy watching him, too."

Dilshan is playing for Sri Lanka in their test series against Pakistan, where they hold a 1-0 lead.

From:www.nzherald.co.nz

An unexpected winner:Cycling

After 138 miles of a brutal climb through the Pyrenees Mountains Friday, Alberto Contador made the surge that the Tour de France was waiting for, showing his strength in the hardest climb of the longest stage of the Tour. He moved ahead of his teammate Lance Armstrong in the final mile of the stage in Andorra, making a statement that he is Astana’s team leader and strongest rider.

Contador did not win the stage — an unexpected winner, Brice Feillu of France, came out ahead of a breakaway group that led most of the stage — and he did not grab the yellow jersey as the leader because Rinaldo Nocentini of Italy finished far enough ahead in that breakaway group. But Contador made the biggest news.

His strong finish put him six seconds behind Nocentini for the overall lead, although he is only two seconds ahead of Armstrong, who is in third.“I wasn’t surprised Alberto went,” Armstrong said. “I expected him to. Didn’t everybody?”

Until the final few miles, though, Armstrong seemed poised to be the day’s hero, riding strong with four other Astana teammates as they pushed a brutal pace at the head of the peloton. He rode alongside Contador until he made his move. Armstrong said he could have attacked but stayed back to fend off any challengers from rival teams.

“Like I’ve said all along, my first obligation is to the team,” Armstrong said. He ended up finishing 15th in the stage. Their Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer is in fourth place over all, 31 seconds behind Armstrong.

The Astana team leader Johan Brunyeel said the team had no defined plan going into the stage but that Armstrong, Contador, Leipheimer and Andréas Klöden met in the morning and mapped out their strategy among themselves.

A strong headwind through most of the stage, however, affected everyone’s strategy. It made breakaways difficult because chasers could quickly catch up, said Christian Vande Velde, an American riding for Team Garmin-Slipstream who moved up to eighth place with a strong ride in the stage. Vande Velde also said it kept Contador and Armstrong from dominating the stage by themselves.

“The headwind played into everybody’s favor,” Vande Velde said. “Without the headwind, we would have seen different results.”

Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland started the day with a fraction-of-a-second lead over Armstrong and a 19-second lead over Contador. In fact, after Cancellara, the next four places belonged to members of Armstrong’s Astana team. Those team dynamics, with Contador and Armstrong not yet having made clear who was indeed the team’s leader, made for the great mystery of the early stages of this race.From:www.nytimes.com

Michael Phelps broke the world record in the 100-meter butterfly

Michael Phelps broke the world record in the 100-meter butterfly yesterday during the U.S. national swimming championships in Indianapolis, giving him five individual world marks.

The 14-time Olympic gold medalist swam the two-lap final in 50.22 seconds at the Indiana University Natatorium. He lowered Ian Crocker's mark of 50.40, set at the 2005 world championships in Montreal.Phelps holds world records in the 100 and 200 butterfly, 200 and 400 individual medley, and the 200 freestyle.

Rebecca Soni, the Olympic silver medalist, won the 100 breaststroke in an American-record time of 1 minute, 5.34 seconds. She erased the mark of 1:06.20 set by Jessica Hardy at the 2005 world championships.

Hockey

Colorado Avalanche center Joe Sakic officially hung up his skates, ending a standout 20-year career. The native of British Columbia had hoped to play one more season.

But Sakic, 40, missed most of the 2008-09 season with an aching back that required surgery to repair a herniated disk. He tried to get back on the ice before the end of the season, but couldn't.

Elsewhere: The New York Rangers have agreed to a three-year, $9 million deal with forward Ales Kotalik, who had 20 goals with Buffalo and Edmonton last season. . . . Former Detroit Red Wing Jiri Hudler will play next season for Dynamo Moscow in the Continental Hockey League (KHL). . . . Defenseman Kent Huskins signed a two-year deal with the San Jose Sharks. . . . Tampa Bay signed defenseman Victor Hedman, the No. 2 overall pick in last month's draft, to a three-year rookie contract. . . . San Jose signed defenseman Rob Blake to a one-year contract, bringing the veteran back for his 19th NHL season.

Auto racing

Jeremy Mayfield is considering selling his race team because he can't find any funding since his suspension for failing a random drug test, his wife, Shana, said.

Mayfield transferred ownership of the No. 41 Toyota to his wife after his May 9 suspension. He has denied drug use.From:www.philly.com

Ganguly Said:New innings as a cricket administrator

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday indicated his willingness to begin a new innings as a cricket administrator, saying he wants to stay in touch with the game post-retirement.

Ganguly, who turned 37 on Wednesday, said he may have quit international cricket but wants to stay in touch with the game as an administrator.

"I have stopped playing cricket six months ago. I would be connected to cricket. Bengal has a lot of talent and I want to take care of it," the country's most successful captain told reportetrs here.

Already the opposition camp in Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is planning to pit the former captain against CAB President Jagmohan Dalmiya and it could be the stepping stone before Ganguly goes on to head the BCCI, which, according to the rotation policy it follows, is scheduled to have its 2014 President from the East Zone.

To attain the BCCI top post, Ganguly, however, would require to attend at least two annual general body meetings of the board.

Ganguly, meanwhile, kept the cards close to his chest and said, "I want to be a part of cricket in Bengal. I will take one step at a time, don't know what lies ahead."

Dalmiya, on the other hand, played down the development and doubted the veracity of the reports.

"I've got nothing to say on this. This has been done to create a controversy and I'm not getting into it," the former BCCI President said.

Ganguly quit international cricket last year, having accumulated 7212 runs from 113 Tests with an average of 42.17. In one-dayers, his record is even more impressive, amassing 11363 runs from 311 ODIs averaging 41.02.

Ganguly, however, remains part of the Kolkata Knight Riders, which he led in the first edition of the Indian Premier League before Brendon McCullum replaced him.
From:cricket.ndtv.com

Indian domestic tournaments will not see any foreign player

Indian domestic tournaments will not see any foreign player in action from the 2009-10 season, the BCCI's Technical Committee decided here on Wednesday.

The Committee comprising Sunil Gavaskar, Sourav Ganguly, K Srikkanth and Chetan Chauhan took a number of decisions to improve the standards of domestic cricket. The Committee was of the view that the Board should talk to its contracted players and ensure that they represent their respective state sides when not playing for India. They also said only three guest players should be permitted in a state squad, as per rules.

The former cricketers also were of the opinion that the Ranji Trophy knockout matches should be played on a Home and Away basis, as opposed to the neutral venue system, which was in place for the last two seasons. The wickets for the knockout games would be under the charge of the BCCIs Pitch and Grounds Committee member from the zone in question.

A special committee comprising Sunil Gavaskar, Chetan Chauhan, Sourav Ganguly and K Srikkanth should go through the pitch reports of the domestic match referees. The Committee also approved the format for assessment of pitches for domestic tournaments.
The changing of the ball should be made mandatory after 35 overs in one-day games, and the Powerplay rules that are in place for international cricket, should be applied to the domestic circuit. The Committee expressed concern overthe quality of the SG Test balls being used in domestic tournaments.From:cricket.ndtv.com/cricket

Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey have been recalled to New Zealand's

Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey have been recalled to New Zealand's Test or limited-overs squads under an amnesty for players who quit the rebel Indian Cricket League.Fast bowlers Bond and Tuffey both spent time in the unsanctioned ICL Twenty20 competition before being welcomed back under an amnesty for rebel players announced last month by New Zealand Cricket.

The only condition placed on their reinstatement was that they should sever all ties with rebel competitions.Bond will make his initial comeback to international play on the New Zealand A team's tour to India in early August before playing in New Zealand's limited-overs and Twenty20 matches in Sri Lanka. The full itinerary for the New Zealand tour has yet to be finalized.Tuffey was named in New Zealand's Test squad after what chief selector Glenn Turner said was a strong domestic season in which he took 27 wickets at an average of 22.

Turner said Sri Lankan conditions would likely suit Tuffey's bowling style.Bond was named in the one-day and Twenty20 squad alongside Kyle Mills, who will also play on the A team's Indian tour as he attempts to recover form."Many of the (A) squad will be coming off their winter break so the opportunity to get game time in sub-continent conditions is ideal," Turner said. "Shane Bond will also have a good opportunity to get up to speed before returning to the Black Caps."The only newcomer to the New Zealand test squad is uncapped Auckland wicketkeeper Reece Young, who will provide cover for Brendon McCullum.

New Zealand squads:

New Zealand test squad to Sri Lanka: Daniel Vettori (captain), Craig Cumming, Grant Elliott, Daniel Flynn, Martin Guptill, Chris Martin, Brendon McCullum, Tim McIntosh, Iain O'Brien, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Daryl Tuffey, Reece Young.

ODI and T20 squad to Sri Lanka: Daniel Vettori (captain), Shane Bond, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Peter McGlashan, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor.

From:www.google.com

1st Test Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Hightlights Day 3 - Part 2 and details

Pakistan was cruising toward a win in the first Test after debutante bowlers Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Aamer produced three wickets each to end Sri Lanka's second innings cheaply on Monday.Chasing 168 runs to win, Pakistan needed 97 more runs to win at stumps on the third day with eight wickets in hand and two days to spare.

Spin bowler Ajantha Mendis took his first wicket of the match when he had Khurram Manzoor caught at slip by Mahela Jayawardene for 15 runs. Captain Younis Khan did not survive much longer as he was trapped lbw by seamer Anjelo Mathews for three with the total on 39.

Mohammad Yousuf (12 not out) was batting with opener Salman Butt (28 not out) at stumps.Coach Intikhab Alam told reporters later that although Sri Lanka's 167 is "not a steep target," it is important for Pakistan to avoid losing early wickets on the fourth day."Considering the pitch, the way the pitch has behaved, if you see the history of this ground ... the first hour or two will be crucial," Alam said. "We'll make sure we don't have any hiccups."

Sri Lanka resumed their second innings trailing Pakistan by 50 runs but its much-vaunted lineup crumbled under pressure to be dismissed for 217.Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss blamed poor batting for his side's troubles."We didn't bat very well today. I think the boys will be the first to admit that," he said."Obviously we need to take some early wickets tomorrow morning. It's going to be difficult but taking a couple of early wickets, you never know."

The hosts were in early trouble on the third day, Monday, as opener Malinda Warnapura was out second ball of the day caught by Khan at slip off seam bowler Umar Gul.A responsible 68-run partnership followed between Tharanga Paranavitana and Rangana Herath that appeared to form a base for a higher total.From:www.google.com

Best player in tennis history:Andy Roddick

No one ever showed Andy Roddick more respect than the so-called best player in tennis history, Roger Federer. Back in the day when Federer considered Roddick his primary rival, the brash American McEnroe to his European Borg, Federer would praise Roddick even as he buried him, including successive years in the Wimbledon final.

Several years ago, I asked Federer about the generous praise he was already receiving for playing such an aesthetically pleasing game.“There I have to protect Andy,” he said, bringing Roddick into the discussion unsolicited, as he might now with Rafael Nadal. “If you look at the top 10, who else is playing with that power, with that serve? Most of the others are counterpunchers. Andy is also unique.”

Eventually, Roddick became unique in a different way, as kind of a tennis anachronism. In midcareer crisis, with one Grand Slam victory, the sport was passing him by. And Roddick never did have much of a volley.From:www.nytimes.com

Murray going into his first Wimbledon semi-final

Britain's Andy Murray insists he can ignore any media pressure going into his first Wimbledon semi-final.Murray hopes to become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win the men's title, and he swept aside Juan Carlos Ferrero in the last eight.

"It doesn't make any difference to the way you perform, the hype," he said.

"If you ignore it you don't realise it's happening. I don't read it because 90% of the stuff's going to be pretty much untrue anyway. It's been fine."Murray will play two-time finalist Andy Roddick in the semi-finals on Friday after the American overcame Lleyton Hewitt in a five-set thriller.

Having beaten Roddick six times, including a straight-sets win at Wimbledon in 2006, and only lost twice in eight matches, Murray will go into the match full of confidence.

The Scot is the centre of increasing attention as he looks a serious contender to end Britain's long wait for a champion, with Virginia Wade's 1977 victory the last singles title for the home fans to cheer.From:news.bbc.co.uk

Syracuse Basketball Season Highlights 2009

The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference. Since playing its first official season in 1900-1901, the Orange has established a strong reputation as the fifth winningest men's Division I basketball team of all-time, and currently holds an active NCAA-record 39 consecutive winning seasons.
From:en.wikipedia.org

Is America slowly becoming a cricket-playing Country

Is America slowly becoming a cricket-playing country? This interesting NYT video shows how immigrants from South East Asia have developed cricket leagues in New York. After the surprise success of Netherland, Joseph O’Neill’s award-winning novel about a cricketing subculture in New York, is a pattern emerging? The USA Cricket Association says that cricket is “the fastest growing sport in America.”

Some American conservatives might buckle at reports of this quintessentially limey sport being played on their soil by immigrants from the developing world. I mean, how UnAmerican can you get?

In fact, however, cricket has a long-running and well-established heritage in the land of the free — George Washington is understood to have played some variant of the game. In shedding their British colonial yoke, Americans did not immediately also divest themselves of their interest in cricket. The game was popular in early days of the Republic, and has enjoyed several revivals at various stages American history.

Baseball, obviously, won out in the long run. But the possible (admittedly, still highly unlikely) return of cricket should need not be a cause of right-wing frowning. Cricket is at heart a conservative pastime: it is, in its traditional format, a very slow game, demanding patience and a dispassionate temperament. There is an old theory that cricket is one reason Britain never experienced revolution: the idea being that the village cricket match bound the rural classes together, the butcher could play against the country squire as an equal and so on.

That’s almost certainly rubbish. Perhaps, however, cricket, with its equanimous, soothing charm - its association with a gently declining empire — is just what America now needs. Or is it simply too alien to suit the modern American character?From:www.amconmag.com

NBA:Yao Ming facing a broken left foot that could end his career

With Yao Ming facing a broken left foot that could end his career or keep him out for all of next season, the Houston Rockets are making a fast break to land Orlando center Marcin Gortat.Rockets general manager Daryl Morey went to Orlando to visit the free agent center from Poland just after midnight on Wednesday as the free agent negotiation period began for NBA clubs.

Gortat, 25, stands 2.11m and weighs 108.9kg. He averaged 3.8 points and 4.5 rebounds a game for the Magic in a reserve role last season but might be just the player Houston needs to try and replace the injured Chinese superstar.

A Rockets team physician said Monday that a hairline fracture in in the past two months and plucking the backup to NBA star big man Dwight Howard could be the insurance policy for Houston should their worst fears about Yao come true.

The loss of Yao comes after an injury pushed the retirement of Dikembe Mutombo, the Democratic Republic of Congo veteran who spent the past five years as Yao's backup.

From:news.ph.msn.com