Massa Impresses On Home Turf

Felippe Massa drove flawlessly in front of his home town supporters to take pole position for the last race of the formula one season. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton Is right behind with his rivals Raikkonen and Alonso right behind him. There are a number of situations where Alonso, Hamilton and Raikkonen can clinch the title.
1. Hamilton wins if he wins the race or finishes ahead of the other two.
2. Alonso wins and Hamilton finshes third or worse.
3. Raikkonen wins and Alonso finishes third and Hamilton finishes 6th.
It is a tall ask for Ferrari and Raikkonen will be hoping he can get all the help he can from team mate Massa. Alonso who is almost sure to leave Mclaren will be going all out to defend his crown and prevent Hamilton from making histroy. Being a Raikonnen fan I can only hope for a what I could call a miracle.

Its England VS South Africa For The Title

South Africa will surely start as favourites against the the team they hammered in the group stages, England. The Springboks had 36 unanswered points in the group stages against the defending champions. England who shocked Australia in the quarters and then beat hosts France to make it to the finals are a new and improved team. No one expected them to be at the finals hbut they are here. South Africa have had a relatively easy run to tis stage having beaten the Pumas comfortably in the semis. They cannot take England lightly and will hae to forget about the easy win in the group stages if they are to accomplish what they did in 1995. The surprise of the tournament were minnows Argentina who remained unbeaten till the semi finals where they went down to South Africa. I'm putting my money on the springboks but England will be looking to create history when they begin they fight to save their title.

Hamilton Faulters, Its Split Wide Open

Lewis Hamilton was on the brink of creating history but an error sent him into race retirement leaving Ferrari's Kimi Raikonnen to take the win. Mclaren teammate Fernando Alonso was second and Felipe Massa third. This result has opened the Driver's Championship wide open. Hamilton sits on 107 points folowed closeley by Alonso with 103 and Raikonnen is right behind on 100. It all comes down to the last race of the season in Brazil. Hamilton was had the race under control after starting from pole but tricky weather conditions caused his tyres to give way and spin out while heading for the pits. Raikonnen capitalised and never looked back. This is a bonus for F1 fans since the last race has so much at stake. Vettel and Button were the surprise of the race as they finsihed in fourth and fifth respectively, their best result of the season.I'm going to be optimistic and pray for a ferrari one-two in the next race with Raikonnen winning the title.

Springboks To Save Southern Hemisphere

Yesterday was one of the worst days Rugby history. At the start of the tournament everyone was asking what was wrong with The Northern Hemisphere rugby with all the big teams from the north putting in poor performances while the southern hemisphere teams were coasting. Half way through the quarter finals stage the roles have been reversed and now its the other way round. Two huge upsets have left people wondering what has happened to the South. England pulled of an upset win over the Wallabies and then later that night France shocked tournament favourites the All Blacks. 20-18. I feel the All Blacks were robbed with that last French winning try whcih clearly was a forward pass. The French defended with gut and strentgh but still that one refereeing error has changed the course of the world cup. From a mouth watering semi prediction between heavy weights Australia and rivals New Zealand, we have hosts Franc vs England. To salavage some pride of the Southern Hemisphere the Springboks should and must win against surprise package Fiji and Argemtina should beat Scotland. There could have been four teams in the semis from the South but now there could be just one. The Springboks should be favourite to take the title now.

Can France Repeat 1999?

I just saw England score a huge 12-10 upset win over the fancied wallabies. The wallabies just did not look like a team and created too many errors. It was however Wilkinson yet again with his four field goals that put the Aussies into their misery. However, my focus is on the other quarter final later tonight. The All Blacks are always the favourites whenever they get on a rugby field and are almost certain to pull off a victory against France tonight. The French firstly are not happy about their team playing in Cardiff when they feel they should have been playing at home. No one is giving them more than a 10% chance of winning tonight. So is it Possible. Retrace your mind to 1999. A certain legend by the name of Jonah Lomu put New Zealand up 24-10. A spirited Christophe Lamaison sparked an epic comeback and the Les Blues won the game 43-31. Lock Fabien Pelous, one of the two players in the present-day starting line up who was there on that October day eight years ago, says his team can be inspired. I hope the All Blacks really put in a game to remember. Im hoping for an All Black Springbok final.

United Finally Amongst The Goals

Manchester United finally found their scoring touch with a 4-0 win over Wigan at Old Trafford which puts them on top of the table temporarily. It wasn't all smooth sailing though for United in the first half. Defenders Vidic and OShea had to be substituted within the first half hour of the game due to injury. which led to a lot of reshuffling in their formation. Refereeing decisions also seemed to be going against them and the crowd were surely voicing their opinion. A brilliant finish by Carlos Tevez in the second half led to the flood gates being opened. Ronalso added the second with his head and he made the point known that he was playing with stitches. He got his second of the game and Rooney completed the rout over Wigan. Its good to see United finally finding their goal scoring touch. Hopefully there will be better days to come.

Englands Last 80 MInutes On The Field As Champs?

England seem to realize that they will have only 80 minutes on the field before their reign as rugby world champions end. England face off today against arch rivals, the Wallabies, in what is a rematch of the 2003 finals where a dramatic field goal gave the english a stunning win to lift the trophy. England have struggled a bit through this tournament to make it to the quarters which included a 36-0 drubbing to the Springboks. Australia start as firm favourites but a 25% chance of rain might favour England. England have made five changes, bringing in Simon Shaw, Jason Robinson, Mike Catt, Phil Vickery and Mark Regan. Australian fly half, Steve Larkham is injured and will be replaced by Berrick Barnes. The good news for Australia is that captain Stirling Mortlock is back after missing two games due to injury. Andy Farrell, the former Great Britain captain injured himself during training and will have to be replaced by Catt. John Connolly took over as coach from Eddie Jones in 2006 and has made a formidable team.England vs Australia matches are always spicy and a treat to watch. their famous rivalry always adds to the occassion and this time will be no different. The two teams are tied 2-2 against each other and this world cup quarter final will be a must watch affair. Later on in the day favourites All Blacks take on host France in the other quarter final.

Stevie's Most Delicate Discussion

England coach Steve McClaren has to do something that he claims is the hardest thing to do in his entire career, and that is to tell captain John Terry that he might not play for England against Estonia in next saturdays Euro qualifier. Terry's dedication to the team is of legendary nature not only for England but also for his club. Right from the start of the season, Terry has been taking injections for his broken toe so he could play for Chelsea. Last week he came to Valencia to play the crucial Champions League match with a face mask, prtoecting his broken cheek bone. However, McClaren is not concerned about his fitness or form, but it is the yellow card the captain carries into the game, which is raising doubts in the coach's mind. He wants Terry to be a part of the team for the more crucial tie against Russia later on. Should Terry be reasonable enough to understand what all he is putting himself through, considering this could shorten his career in the long run? Ashley Cole and Rio Ferdinand are also carrying yellow cards causing the coach to be more cautious.
Surprisingly McClaren has also included Lampard and Owen n his squad though they are to make a return from injury this sunday only. If Lampard comes back then he will have to drop Barry who has been in form and could cause a bit of disharmony among the English creating a pool of 'untouchables'. However Lampard is also the second highest goal getter. McClaren says that if Owen is fit he will surely start. Good Luck to McClaren for sortng out his troubles and his tongue.

Blatter Will Kill The Game

FIFA should start preparing for a series of court cases unless president Sepp Blatter removes the new rule he wants implemented by 2010. Blatter wants that all clubs should not have more than 5 foreign players in the starting line up. The EU has promised to make a big hue and cry about this should this rule come into existence. The G14 which represents 18 of the biggest clubs in Europe warned the president about the complications of this rule. Blatter claims to have the support of Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff and Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. Arsenal in their last Champions League outing last week had only one English born player. Blatter has asked a newly formed committe to look into the situation of the rule and hopes to make a decision by next may.

Yuvraj's Efforts Go In Vain

A brilliant 121 of 115 balls by Yuvraj Singh could not stop Australia from winning the third ODI by 47 runs. Australia's dominance in the season continued as they posted a huge 290 on the board after electing to bat first. Gilchrist and Hayden(60) got them off to a flier before the spinners slowed things down in the middle overs. Clarke (59) who has been in form with the bat put on a big partnership with hard hitter Andrew Symonds. Symonds taking over from where he left of last match blasted 89 of just 65 balls to give the faultering Indians a huge target to chase down. The Indian innings as usual got off to a disaster with Lee and Johnson making early in roads into the line up leaving the hosts tottering at 13/3. Tendulkar and Yuvraj then put on 95 runs before Sachin was bowled by Hogg. Captain Dhoni joined Yuvraj at the crease and soon things started looking up for the Indians as they added 65 runs but Dhoni's dismissal later on sealed the deal. Yuvraj went on to get his eighth ODI hundred but India were all out for 243. Man of the match went to Andrew Symonds for his blistering knock of 89.

Ferrari Also Accused Of Spying

In a dramatic twist to tale of espionage in formula 1, sacked Ferrari staff member Nigel Stepney has opened his mouth claiming that Ferrari were also spying on Mclaren. Nigel who was Head of Development claims that while he was with ferrari, he received information about the Mclaren car. weight distribution and other car parts is the information he claims to have received. Stepney claims the information was given to him by Mclarens Chief Designer Mike Coughlan who played an instrumental role in the 49.2 million dollar fine doled out to Mclaren last month. BBC has seen a copy of the letter sent by Stepney to Max Moxley, the FIA President claiming to have sent a letter to the governing body regarding a certain part of the ferrari car. Stepney feels that Ferrari got off lightly and that, like Mclaren should be docked points.

England Fight Back, Level Series

England needed a good performance after being drubbed in the first ODI and their fielding and bowlers did just that. England struggled in the batting department after winning the toss and electing to bat. No one could capitalise their starts and were soon struggling at 142/6 before Owais Shah (82) and Swann (34) took them to a respectable 235/8 in 50 overs. Mahroof was the pick of the bolwers scalping 3 wickets for 30 runs in his 9 overs. Defending a smallish total isn't easy but the English bowlers were right on target from the word go. Wickets at regular intervals, saw the hosts struggle to reach 100 for 6 in 25 overs. All the bolwers gave nothing away and kept the line tight for the batsmen. Sidebottom returned impressive figures of 10-2-23-2. Swann too was very economical and picked up wickets. His figures read 10-3-27-2. England had a slight problem picking up the last wicket and the pair added 43 runs in 10 overs with Mubarak unbeaten on 44. Sri Lanka were all out for 169 giving the English a victory by 66 runs.

Only One Home Win In Eight

In a surprising day of Champions League Fottball, it was all the away teams that were successful. Porto had a 1-0 away win at Beiktas with a 90th minute winner. Liverpool were stunned at home 1-0 by group leaders Marseille. Liverpool find themselves in a spot of bother with 1 point out of a possible 6. Schalke won 2-0 away to Rosenberg and in one of the heavy weight clashes of the night, Chelsea also beat Valencia 2-1 in Spain. One own goal and a goal by Drogba sealed 3 points for the visitors. Werder Bremen were also given a beating by visitors Olympiakos in a flurry of late goals, 3-1. Lazio grabbed one point from visitors Real Madrid 2-2 where Nistelrooy got a brace for Madrid and Pandev who replied likewise for Lazio. Benfica were beaten at home by Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 and in the only home win of the day Celtic shocked champions Milan 2-1 with a last gasp goal by Mcdonald. Not a good deay for home teams is all I can say.

English Classes For City

Manchester City coach Sven Goran Eriksson is flying high after his side's superb start this season which sees them lying in third spot in the League. This also includes a derby win over rivals, Manchester United. In order to continue this form Eriksson feels that communication is the key on the field. Eriksson has 15 different nationals in the squad and has therefore instructed all of them to take english classes to better their communications on the field which he hopes will help them perform better.Bizzare or a Brain wave? You be the judge.

Is 1-0 The New Trend For United

I am absolutely exuberent with United's 1-0 win at home against Roma. Rooney who hasn't scored for a long time answered his critics with a sublime goal. All the matches that United have one in the premier league this season have been 1-0 barring the win against Chelsea (2-0). It doesn't stop there, even the two rounds of Champions League saw United win 1-0. I don't care as long as they keep winning.
In other Champions League action, Lyon continued their poor run by getting a hammering at home by Rangers 3-0. Lyon have now conceded 6 goals in their two opening matches. Barcelona were comfortable 2-0 winners away to Stuttgart. Sporting Lisbon beat Dynamo Kiev away 2-1. Moscow drew at home to Fenerbahce 2-2 and Inter beat PSV with nine men 2-0. Sevilla got a 4-2 win at home against Slavia and Arsenal trhanks to a Van Persie goal won away Bucharest.

Roma Seek Redemption

Manchester United have defending problems for the second round game in the Champions League. Visitors Roma, will be hoping for a certain payback after they were humiliated here 7-1 last season in the knock out stage. United are going to be without keeper Van Der Sar who is out with a toe injury and will be replaced by Kuscak.Wes Brown and Vidic are also unsure of a start with O'Shea and Pique named as back ups. Ferguson is unsure about Hargreaves who has also been injured and will start with Rooney and Tevez with Saha on the bench. Roma are without defenders Cassetti and Panucci and Cicinho is likely to get a start. Surely we cannot expect a repeat of last season but with United playing I always hope for the best

Smoking Banned In Taxis Before 2008 Games.

Amongst all other efforts to get Beijing ready for the game, the government has banned smoking in all 66,000 taxis in Beijing. Drivers will be fined 13-26 dollars for smoking while passengers will be "exposed through media". The number of cars on the roads are to be limited and foul smelling factories are to be closed. Beijing is going heavy on its pollution and cleanliness checks to get the city ready for the Olympics 2008. Strange tactics if you ask me.

Aussie's Start Revenge Tour In Style

After India knocked Australia out of the Twenty20 World Cup, there could only be one thing on the Aussies mind. Revenge. In the first ODI Australia got 306 only to have rain interrupt their charge when they had the hosts at 9/1.
In the second ODI, thanks to Symonds(87), Hayden(75) and Haddin(87*), Australia set 307 yet again. India kept losing wickets at regular intervals and never really looked like making a match out of it. Utthapa got after the bowling to score a quick fire 41 of 30 balls. A last wicket stand of 32 between captain Dhoni (58) and Sreesanth helped India cross the 200 mark before they were all out for 222 giving the visitors a comfortable 85 run victory. I hope the selectors give the new youngsters a chance in place of Dravid and Tendulkar. Their time has come and change is due. Even without them India won the Twenty20 World Cup.

No More Mercedes At ATP

After being a major sponsor for tennis and the ATP Mercedes Benz will not renew its contract when it expires in 2008. Tennis fans and viewers have been very used to seeing the mercedes logo on the nets of over forty tennis tournaments. The german carmaker plans to shift its sponsorship deals towards other fields such as golf, equestrian and soccer. it also plans to branch out in fashion and lifestyle. The CEO of the ATP has thanked Mercedes for its tremendous support. However all said and done I really dont see how Mercedes could get into the fashion line. Sure their cars are one of the most luxurious on the road and are a certain fashion statement but somehow after such a long time the ATP will surely miss them.

Sri Lanka Trounce Hapless England

England got of to a disastrous start in their Sri Lankan tour. Playing their first of five mathces in Sri Lanka, they were humbled by the hosts, losing to them by 119 runs. The hosts won the toss and opted to bat first scoring 269 in their 50 overs. All the batsmen contributed tot he score with the captain leading the way with a brilliant 66. England got of to a decent start with debutant Mustard (wicketkeeper) and Cook putting on 43 in 7 overs.It was all down hill from there thanks to some superb bowling by Mahroof who finished with 4/31 in 10. The middle order was just blown away to leave them at 102/6. Bopara and Swann put up a little resistance but they were bundled out for 150 in less than 35 overs. One thing I cant understand is what is wrong with the English Keepers? Why so many changes? Jones, Prior, now Mustard.England really need to get their game socks on.

Kasparov For President?

We all know that the United States Of America is having its elections in 2008, but another heavyweight, Russia, is also having its elections the same year. The surprise or the important news from there?- Former World Chess Champion Gary Kasparov has won a primary in Moscow to be the opposing party candidate. People may hate me for this but I don't consider chess to be a sport neither do I call the players athletes but yet chess forms a part of the sporting world. Now a former world champion running for the president of such a huge country has got to be some news. Good Luck to him but I always feel that sports and politics should always stay poles apart.

Hamilton Takes Control Of Championship

In a race full of drama and keenly contested battles, rookie Lewis Hamilton inched closer to creating history and realizing his dream. Hamilton, who pipped Alonso for pole position in ablistering last lap of qualifying led from start to finish to clinch the rain affected Japanese Grand Prix. Alonso hit a wall and was elimintaed from the race early on allowing Hamilton to open up a 12 point lead in the Driver's Championship. The safety car had been out for most of the first few laps due to bad weather conditions. The surprise of the race came from Renault driver Kovaleinen who raced to his first career podium finsih holding of fellow Finn Raikkonen for second place. Hamilton has 107 points followed by Alonso (95) and Raikkonen (90). With just two races left in the season at Shanghai and Brazil, it sure is heading to thrilling finish especially when people are predicting the next two race tracks to favour the ferrari cars.

A Similar Story For United

It was a similar story for Manchester United as they came away from Birmingham City with all 3 points thanks to a goal from Christiano Ronaldo who capitalised on a mistake by defender Quedrue. Manchester United remain in second place, a point behind leaders Arsenal who have a game in hand. Arsenal alo picked up three points away at West Ham with a Van Persie header. Liverpool also playing away from home at Wigan came away with a 1-0 win courtesy of a Benayoun strike. The Losers of the day were Chelsea who were brilliantly held to a 0-0 draw by Fulham at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea also saw star striker Drogba sent off in the 75th minute. Chelsea are now falling behind considerably. Manchester City continued their impressive start to the season with a 3-1 home win against Newcastle United. Bolton stayed in the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw against Derby and Blackburn Rovers came home after beating Sunderland 2-1. The match of the day came from Fraton Park which saw a record number of goals being scored. Portsmouth, with a Benjani hattrick beat visitors, Reading 7-4 in a memroable goal fest. Portsmouth played absolutely brilliant football but should be disappointed about letting 4 goals in. Eight of the goals came in the second half.

Twenty20 Champions Vs The Kings Of ODI'S

Australia are all set to take on India in the first of Seven ODI'S. India who have only recently tasted success by clinching the inaugural Twenty20 world cup will be boosted by the return of the stalwarths, Tendulkar, Dravid, and Ganguly. Zaheer Khan also makes his way in to the bowling line up. Mahendra Singh Dhoni continues to captain the side and has three former captains under him. Australia will be looking for revenge as India knocked them out at the semi final stage at the Twenty20 world cup. It has always been a battle of words when the Aussies are playing and things will not be any different this time. It will be an intense contest as both sides will be out to proive a point. All seven matches should be keenly contested. There are some new rules being implemented in the ODI format of the game, such as the free hit and an extra fielder outside the circle during the power plays.

Ten Men Want To Know

The Referee stole the limelight from the United vs Chelsea match at Old Trafford earlier today. Two dubious decisions saw United run out 2-0 winners at home. About 35 minutes into the game Obi Mikel was sent of on a lose ball foul on Evra. A yellow card was what was needed but the ref had no hesitaion in sending him off. Later in the second half there was a rash challenge by Joe Cole on Ronaldo which was a lot worse than Mikel's and all he got for it was a yellow card. The other talking point about the refereeing was the timing of the first goal. 2 minutes were to be added on for injury time in the first half, but Tevez's brilliant header, his first for United, came 3:32 seconds in to injury time.Saha's 89th minute penalty secured the win. Cheslea had gotten lucky early this season against Liverpool but not his time even though United played brilliantly and deserved to win. Chelsea are planning to appeal Mikel's red card. The refereeing this season however has not been upto the mark.

Its A Thriller Of A Final To Wait For

No one could have ever suggested that India would meet arch rivals Pakistan in the Finals of the Twenty 20 World cup going on in South Africa. In a tournament full of upsets and hard hitting, it has finally come down to the final game and between two countires where cricket is treated as a religion and the rivalry fierce and competitive. Pakistan got the better of New Zealand in the first final bringing back memories of the 1992 and 1999 World Cup Semi Finals. India took on favourites Australia in the second semi final and the match lived up to his thrilling nature. India who opted to bat first were boosted by yet another blistering innings by Yuvraj Singh (70 of 30 balls)and captain MS Dhoni (36 of 18 balls) to an imposing total of 188 in 20 overs. Yuvraj continued his form from the match against England where he hit the fastest 50 (12 balls) in any form of the game which included 6*6's of an over. The bowler unluckily was Staurt Broad. Chasing 188 was never going to be easy and Australia kept up the hunt with Hayden (62 of 47 balls). When Symonds (43 of 26) was dismissed with Australia still needing another 30 odd to win of the last 3 overs it was almost all over for them. Good bowling in the end gave India a 15 run victory and a mouth watering final clash with Pakistan. Afridi vs Yuvraj, both big hitters and a lot riding on their shoulders. The much awaited match takes place on the 24th of Sept. For a ll cricket lovers its a must watch.

Saturday's Premier League Preview

The Premier League is back after a break due to the Euro qualifiers. Saturday does see some interesting match ups in store for viewers.
Everton vs Manchester United- United playing away from home, will be bolstered by the return of Christiano Ronaldo after suspensionand Wayne Rooney from injury. Everton are sitting pretty near the top of the table and have looked good this season. A 2-1 win for United.
Liverpool vs Portsmouth- Liverpool playing away, will look to secure all three points. They have been in top form and are strong contenders for the title this year. 3-0 to Liverpool.
Tottenham vs Arsenal- The Spurs who have started this season pathetically will be hoping to salvage pride against rivals Arsenal. Arsenal have 10 points with a game in hand. 1-1 draw.
Birmingham City vs Bolton- Bolton should come away with all three points at City. 0-2 to Bolton.
Sunderland vs Reading- Sunderland after their stunning opening round win have not had a good run and will be hoping to get something from this game. 1-1 draw.
West Ham vs Middlesbrough- Craig Bellamy has looked in minous form this season scoring regularly for the Hammers. They should pull this one off. 1-0 Hammers.
Wigan vs Fulham- Both teams to fight out for points. 2-2 draw
Chelsea vs Blackburn- The last game of the day sees Chelsea take on Blackburn. Chelsea losing their first game of the season last time would ne hoping to climb their way back to the top of the table. 2-0 Chelsea.

Dravid Resigns As India Captain

News has just come in that Indian Cricket captain Rahul Dravid has sent in his resignation letter to the Board asking to be relieved of duties before the forthcoming Australia series later this month. This has come as quite a shock to all cricket fans considering he hasn't done all that badly as a captain. Dravid took over from Sourav Ganguly two years ago. He has captained India in 25 tests and 79 ODI's. India have won eight tests under his captaincy including series wins over Pakistan, England, West Indies and Bangladesh. HIs only major debacle was India's stunning exit at the early stages of the World Cup after a defeat to Bangladesh. Mahindra Singh Dhoni currently captaining the Indian Twenty 20 side at the Chamionship in South Africa could be the next man to be given the reins.

Sixes And Upsets Galore at Twenty 20 Cup.

The Twenty 20 Championship got off to an explosive start and has proved to be entertaining and absolutely unpredictable. In the first game of the tournament itself, records began to tumble and the crowd was treated to some high quality hitting. Chris Gayle set the stadium alight with a whirlwind innings of 117 of just 57 balls.(7*4's and 10*6's). The West Indies set an imposing target of 205 in their 20 overs for the hosts South Africa but thanks to Gibbs (90* off 55 balls) and Kemp (46*) South Africa brushed them aside. The second day so three matches and a massive upset. Early on New Zealand swept aside Kenya in a game where records fell again. First 4 batsmen (Kenya) out for 0 and 4-7 bowling figures for Gillespie. Pakistan beat Scotland by 50 runs or so thanks to some hard hitting by Afridi (22 of 7 balls)and Younis Khan getting 48 of just 29 deliveries. The last game of the day was dramatic and a shocker. The heavy weights and favourites, Australia against lowly rated Zimbabwe. Australia batting first struggled thanks to some brilliant fielding by the Zimbabweans and could only muster up 138. Zimbabwe reached the target on the penultimate ball thanks to an unbeaten 60 by Taylor, which produced a huge upset. Todays games were just as thrilling and featured upsets. The West Indies were sent packing byt Bangladesh, who have kept up their world cup form. Chasing 178, Bangladesh got their with 8 wickets to spare with credit going to Ashraful (67) and Aftab (69*). England saw off Zimbabwe by 50 runs. Kevin Pieterson doing the damage with an explosive 79. Zimbabwe were cruising at one stage and looked set to pull of another shock when they raced to 75/0 in the 7th over but ran out of steam and were bowled out for 120. The last game between India and Scotland was abandoned due to rain. In 6 matches so far 58 sixes have been hit. It is proving to be a very exciting format of the game. Big and crucial games tomorrow with England taking on Australia. Australia have to win this game and then Run Rate would come into play. The other big game sees India take on rivals Pakistan.

Bring In Technology For Cricket

The recently concluded Natwest Series ended in a farce with England running away with the match by 7 wickets. India managed a paltry 187 with Dhoni getting a crucial 50. England got off to a poor start with both openers sent back to the pavillion for zero. Captain Collingwood (64*) and man of the match, Kevin Pieterson (71*)steadied the ship and took England to victory.
The main talking point about this whole series was the umpiring. After six brilliant one day games that were keenly contested and built up for a huge final, ended on a damp note. This was thanks to umpire Aleem Dar who had two crucial wrong decisions, giving Dravid and Tendulkar out caught behind. Tendulkar had been in scintilating form the whole series and looked good for yet another big score, before being shockingly given out. From 50/1 India slumped to 70/4, game practically over.
It was'nt the first time Tendulkar had been wrongly given out this whole series including the test matches. An LBW, off Collingwood in a test, the caught behind on 99 at Bristol and the final at Lords were just a few of the harsh decisions he faced. Remarkable of him to still keep his cool and carry on playing. Many players would have just got fed up after so muh injustice.
They have the third umpire for run outs and stumpings. I feel they should have it for all other dismissals as well. All the umpire has to do is ask for the third umpire when in doubt. It will make the game a lot more fairer. I don't blame umpires in most cases because it is not an easy job giving these close calls, but there is a limit to human error and when technology is available, then why not use it.

What's With The Seeding System?

All along the years I thought, and I know thats the way it used to be earlier, that there was a method of sorting out the seeds in tournaments. Atleast from the quarter finals onwards it was pretty much determined. In the on going US Open Tennis I was just noticing the way the seeds were placed. In the quarter finals, it always used to be 1 vs 8, 2vs 7, 3 vs 6 and 4 vs 5. So according to this 5th seed Roddick should have been up against Davydenko and not the favourite and world number one, Federer. Davydenko is scheduled to play Federer in the Semis (1 vs 4) but the quarters finals I feel, should also have the same system. I understand that they probably cant adjust all 32 seeds like that but atleast for the top 8 seeds, it should be arranged.

Is This What We Are To Expect?

The inaugural 20-T Cricket World Cup gets underway on the 11th of september. This format of the game is definitely for the bowlers and its absolute entertainment for the fans. 20 overs is all the overs a team has to score maximum no. of runs, where a no ball accounts for 2 runs and a free hit the following ball. In London, two days ago, a young Sri Lankan lad showed us what we could expect from this twenty twent world cup. In the Lancashire's Saddleworth League, Dhanuka Pathirana, scored a staggering unbeaten 277 of just 72 balls, helping his side, Austerlands, to a mammoth 366/3 in 20 overs against Droylsden. His innings consisted of 18 hits to the fence and 29 hits over hit. The funny side of this is, that thinking the match would be washed out, Dhanuka did not bring his bat and had to borrow one. If this is what tenty twenty cricket is all about, I cant wait for the start of the Twenty Twenty World Cup.

Real Display Pure Class

Real Madrid put on a show to remember with a 5-0 thrashing of Villareal away from home. Seeing them pass the ball so fluently was a sight to behold and their finishing was impeccable. Raul scored the only goal for the visitors in the first half but thesecond half was all one way traffic. Sneijder got his first of the game through a brilliantly taken free kick and added a second to his name later on. Nistelrooy and Guti completed the rout which took them to the top of the table. Barcelona kept up with them with a 3-1 win at home to Athltic Bilbao with 2 goals from Ronaldinho(one penalty) in a game which saw both sides reduced to 10 men. Else where Juventus left it to the last minute to secure a 3-2 win away from home at Cagliari. Trezeguet, Del Piero and Chiellini netted the goals for the Old Lady. AS Roma were comfortable 3-0 winners at home to Siena.

India Win To Keep Series Alive

India won the 5th ODI in the Natwest Series to keep their Hopes alives. England,who won the toss and elected to feel could not take advantage of the overcast conditions, were witness to some explosive and classy batting from Tendulkar(71 off 59) and Yuvraj Singh(72 off 57). With the help of Ganguly(59) and Gambhir(51), India amassed 324 in heir allotted 50 overs. Rain came in to play which intorduced the D/L system which left England the daunting task of needing 289 for vicory in a mere 39 overs. Captain Collingwood's effort (91* of 71) went in vain as India won the game by 38 runs.Prior(44) and Bell(46) both provided England with a chance but the task was too much for them. All eyes will be on the sixth ODI in two days time.

Villa Stun Chelsea, Arsenal Overcome Portsmouth

Arsenal, who were reduced to 10 men in the second half secured all three points comfortably against visitors Portsmouth 3-1. Goals from Adebayor(Penalty), Fabregas and Rosicky saw the home side comfortably through. Kanu got a late consolation goal for the visitors who could not take advantage when Senderos was sent off in the 50th minute. The shock of the day came when Aston Villa ran out 2-0 winners at home to favourites Chelsea. Knight scored early in the second half and young upcoming senstation Agbonlahor sealed the win with a goal in the dying minutes. Elsewhere Blackburn Rovers beat Manchester City at home 1-0 thanks to an early goal from striker Benny McCarthy. This surely is turning out to be a great unpredictable season.

Djokovic Escapes, Sharapova Falls

In a match that lasted just under five hours, spectators were treated to some high quality and entertaining tennis. Novak Djokovic, the number three seed, was up against veteran Radek Stepanek in the second round. Djokovic was the firm favourite to walk away with a comfortable victory but unseeded Stepanek had other ideas. Stepanek played brilliant tennis and troubled Djokovic with his serve and volley game. Stepanek took the first set 7-6 but Djokovic responded by winning the second set,alsp 7-6. The third set saw Stepanek fight back and take it 7-5. The fourth set was a mirror image of the third only difference being Djokovic winning it 7-5. The last set was the test for both the players, the ageing Stepanek and the future of tennis, Djokovic. Both players raised their levels and brought out the best in their opponents . The last set was also stretched to a tie break where Djokovic held his nerve to win the marathon match.
Defending champion Sharapova was shockingly sent packing by unseeded Radwanska 6-4 1-6 6-2, leaving the bottom half of the draw slightly open. Radwanska playing in only her second US Open showed no signs of intimidation and played fluent tennis. The number seven seed, Russian Nadia Petrova was also sent home after a loss to A. Szavay in straight sets. 6-4 6-4.
Andy Roddick played some scintilating tennis to demolish former Australian Open chamion Thomas Johansson 6-3 6-2 6-0.

Reds Hammer Six Past Woeful Derby

One couldn't help but feel sorry and pity for Derby as they face a brutal onlslaught from Liverpool at Anfield. Liverpool playing without captain Gerrard and defender Carragher made sure their absence would not be felt. Alonso scored the opening goal and that led to the flood gates being opened. Alonso and Torres finished with two goals each. Voronin and Babel added a goal each. They certainly look a vey formidable and dangerous team. Elsewhere around the league Tottenham blew a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 away at Fulham thanks to a wonder goal by Kamara in the 90th minute. Everton came away with a late victory at Bolton 2-1. Middlesbrough beat Birmingham City 2-0 at home. Michael Owen's late goal helped Newcastle to a 1-0 home win against Wigan Athletic and Reading were hammered at home byt visiting West Ham 3-0. The late night game so United struggle at home against Sundreland. It was Louis Saha, returning from injury for his first game this season who broke the deadlock and gave them a 1-0 victory. Not a very warm welcome home for visiting manager and ex United legend, Roy Keane.

Yet Another Player Dies On the Field

Not even a week has gone by since the shocking death of Sevilla midfielder, Antonio Puerta, with news coming in of the death of yet another player on the field. Chaswe Nsofwa, who formerly played for Zambia, collapsed on the field during a practice session on wednesday. Chaswe joined Israeli club Hapoel Beersheba during the off season and scored two goals in his side's 3-0 win against Hakoach Amidar Ramat on Saturday. Rescue workers failed to start his heart on the fied and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Reports have claimed that it was around 40 degrees celsius with low humidity. May his soul rest in peace.

Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory?

For those fans who stayed up into the early hours of the morning(Indian Time), must have stared at their screens in disbelief as the Indian cricket team lost a match which they should have won with ease. In the fourth ODI of the Natwest Series, India won the toss and elected to bat. They got of to a dismal start losing their first 3 wickets for a mere 32 runs with 10 overs gone. Tendulkar(55) and Yuvraj(71) steadied the ship, and with help from Khan(20) at the tail they took the score to a modest 212. Broad was the pick of the English bowlers picking up 4 wickets. England got of to a miserable start as well and were teetering at 114/7, with batsmen 8 and 9 at the crease. A hundred to win in 25 overs with 3 wickets in hand. Should have been India's game, right? Wrong. India have known to lose games from winning situations and this turned out to be no different. Ravi Bopara(43*) and 21 year old Broad(45*) played maturely and sensibily to take England all the way to victory. Earlier on Agarkar had demolished the England top and middle order scalping 4 wickets. Broad naturally was adjudged man of the match his first in a promising career. Its amazing how many times the Indian team disappoints its fans and how long can we continue to support such a team.

The Champions League Draw

Having just gone through the UEFA Champions League Draw for the 2007-08 season, I couldn't help but try and analyze the various groups. The first thing that I noticed was that two big teams were not there, Bayern Munich and Juventus. The omission of Juventus was understandable as they were in the Serie B last season due to the match fixing scandal, but what about Munich. They couldn't qualify for it, for the first time in their history. Group A- Liverpool, Marseille, Porto and Besiktas. Should be no problem for Liverpool and Porto to advance. Group B-Chelsea, Valencia, Schalke and Rosenborg. This group should see Chelsea and Valencia going through without a problem. Group C- Real Madrid, Werder Bremen, Lazio, Olympiakos. A bit of a tricky group. Real Madrid should be one of the teams going through but the second would be a closesly contested battle between Bremen and Lazio. Group D-AC Milan, Benfica, Celtic and Shakhtar Donetsk. Defending Champions Milan to progress and Benfica and Celtic to battle for
 the second spot. Group E- Barcelona, Lyon, Rangers and Stuttgart. Favourites Barcelona to go through with ease and Lyon could face trouble from Rangers. Group F - Manchester United, AS Roma, Sporting Lisbon, Dynamo Kiev. We all remember last seasons
 match between United and Roma and can expect more though United haven't got off to the best start this season. A tricky and difficult group. Group G- Inter Milan, PSV, Spartak Moscow and Fenerbache. Inter Milan and PSV to go through. The last group, Group H should see Arsenal going into the enxt round easily along with Athens at the expense of Bucharest and Slavia Prague.
It should turn out to be a very thrilling and exciting Champion League with a large number of exciting matches.

Nani Inspires United To First Win

The way things were going in the first hour of the game, I thought it would be another disappointing day for a United supporter. Spurs seemed to be dominating a lot of the play and it was thanks to some good defending and a bit of help from the referee that United managed to keep a clean sheet. Nani showed a bit of magic and brilliance with a screamer of a shot that saw the ball fly best a diving Robinson to bring United their first victory. A 1-0 win at home agaisnt spurs. Spurs were unlucky not have been a penalty awarded to them when the ball struck Brown on the left hand on the way to the goal. Keane started the Spurs momentum with a shot on the crossbar just 23 seconds into the game. Deserving or not Manchester United have their first win and the goal by Nani was deserving enough to be a match winner. Elsearound the world, Milan were comfortable 3-0 winners away to Genoa with Kaka scoring twice just before half time. Inter Milan have only themselves to blame for a 1-1 draw at home to Udinese after an injury own goal gave the visitors a point. The much awaited first match of the much fancied Barcelona ended in a tame draw. Racing Santander held on for 30 mins with 10 men at home to Barcelona.

Its A Ferarri One-Two

Ferarri bounced back with a One-Two finish at the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul. Felipe Massa led from start to finish and was followed by his team mate Kimi Raikonnen who started third from the grid. Lewis Hamilton who started behind Massa on the grid ran into tyre trouble with 15 laps to go and could only manage to finish 5th. Alonso who lost places at the start to fall to 6th managed to come back strongly and finish in third place. Nick Heidfeld had a strong race to finish in 4th. Hamilton still leads the drivers championship with 84 points followed by Alonso on 79 points. Massa has 69 points followed by team mate Kimi with 68

Wins For Big Clubs Around The World

Saturday saw the start of the Spanish La Liga and the Serie A and matches from the Premier League. Liverpool were comfortable winners away at Sunderland with Sissoko and Voronin getting the goals. Chelsea struggled a bit but a goal from Lampard saw them through against Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge. Fabregas scored the lone goal for Arsenal at home against an improved Manchester City. Van Persie had earlier missed a penalty. The Spanish La Liga saw Real Madrid come from a goal down to beat rivals Atletico 2-1. Raul and sneijder were the scorers for Real. UEFA Cup winners Sevilla saw of Getafe 4-1. The Italian League saw the return of 'the old lady', Juventus. The 5-0 drubbing of Livorno show that they are definitely are a force to reckon with this season.Over at the Dutch Eredivisie Ajax, thrashed NEC Nijmegen 5-0 and over in Scotland Celtic humbled Hearts 5-0. An interesting Sunday lies ahead with Manchester United, AC Milan, Inter, Barcelona all ready to play.

The Much Awaited Madrid Derby

The new season of the Spanish League gets underway in a few hours, with the Madrid derby. Atletico, who lost captain Torres to Liverpool at the srat of the season, have made sure that he will not be missed. They have reinforced their attacking options with the likes of, Simao, Luis Garcia, Forlan and Reyes. Meanwhile Real will be kicking off the season with a new coach and many new faces. Metzelder, Saviola, Robben are all looking eager for a starting spot. Real lost the super cup to Sevilla 6-3 on aggregate and will be hoping for a strong positive start. I have a feeling Atletico will take this game.

India Win Thriller, Level Series

India pulled off a thrilling nine run victory in the second ODI to level the series 1-1. After being demolished in the first ODI, India bounced back to score a mammoth 329 in their alloted 50 overs. Inida got of to flyer with Ganguly(39) and Sachin(99). The main controversy in the Indian innings was the dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar for 99. He was adjudged caught behind when replays show the ball coming of the arm. The innings was later bolstered by (49) and Dravid(92*), who played a blistering innings. Flintoff was the pick of the English bowlers claiming 5/56.
England too were given a solid start by openers Prior and Cook who were both dismissed in their 30's. It all looked over when England were 220/6 in the 38th over and needed anohter 110 to win in 12 overs. Then came the fight back by Mascarenhas, who hit 5 towering sixes to score a quick 52 of 39 balls and Broad(29). England fell short by 9 runs finshing at 320/8 in their fifty overs. a brilliant and very thrilling game of cricket. Now we wait for the third ODI.

Transfer Rumours

Its amazing how rumours get around, but i just thought i'd share this with people.It's the word going around with desperate signings taking place with the transfer window coming to a close. From what ive heard and read- real madrid have offered Barcelona 40million for Iniesta. Liverpool have approached Madrid for defender Cicinho, and Spurs have approached Vasco for Riquelme.United seem to be interested in gaining the services of Anelka and the Biggest surprise is Barcelona offering 84 million pounds for Drogba. Imagine if even one of these comes true?

Maiden Tons For Bell And Cook as England reach 288

England put aside their recent test series defeat and amassed 288 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in their 50 overs in the first ODI against India. Bell and Cook put on 178 for the second wicket. Cook was finally dismissed after pacing his innings well, for a well deserved 102. his previous best was 41. Bell on the other hand played an aggressive and commanding innings finishing unbeaten on 126 of just 118 balls. Pieterson who came in to the crease late in the innings was unbeaten for a quick 35. Inida fielded poorly and were always one specialised bowler short. Khan and Singh bowled well, both going for 49 in the 10 overs picking up a wicket each along the way. It'll be an interesting run chase looking at India's formidable batting line up.

India Ready For England

In just a few hours India will take on England in the first one dayer of the Natwest Series. India, who recorded their first overseas test series win in England after 21 years, will be hoping to take their momentum into the one day series.India have a relatively young squad apart from the their big three of Sachin, Sourav and Dravid. England have been boosted by the return of Ansrew Flintoff, who is scheduled to bat at no. 6 and carry the middle order. Broad and Tremlett are expected to play with Sidebottom sidelined with an injury. India will be favourites and have three players with 10,000 runs each. however England who were stunned at home by the West Indies recently will be looking tomake amends after the test series loss. The first one day is being played at Southampton

NO. 50 For Federer

Over the last two weeks we have seen Roger Federer a bit with his game. He lost the Rogers Masters Cup to Djokovic in a third set tiebreaker, in the final. He struggled in the Cincinnati Masters Cup as well, being stretched to three sets against Almagro in the QF and Hewitt in the SF. He beat Hewitt in a third set tiebreak. However the Roger we know was back to his best in the Finals demolishing James Blake 6-1 6-4. This was Federer's 50th title and the surpsrising fact is that 25 of his wins have come in the masters and grand slam events. He is surely looking good for the US OPEN.

Liverpool Robbed Of Victory At Anfield

Those who saw the game will know what I'm talking about. The Liverpool vs Chelsea game was a refereeing disaster. The mush awaited clash of the weekend surely didn't disappoint. It was fast paced with opportunities for both teams right through out the game. Liverpool took the lead with 15 minutes gone through a wonder goal by Torres. It was his first goal for liverpool in the league. Into the second half, referee Styles gave Chelsea a penalty which clearly wasn't there. Video replays show that Malouda was merely jumping over the ball when he was brought to ground and was never a penalty. however Chelsea tok advantage of this gift and equalised with Lampard netting home. United's loss and draws for Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, have surprisingly left Manchester City on top of the table with a 100% record so far.

Stoner Wins 7th Race Of Season

Casey Stoner led from start to finish and extended his league at the top of the riders championship as he clinched the Czech Grand Prix. Stoner finished under 8 seconds ahead of John Hopkins who produced his best finish in MotoGP. Defending Champion, Hayden finished an impressive third claiming his 3rd podium finish in 4 races. Rossi finsihed a disappointing 7th but still remains 2nd in the overall leader. Stoner is close to securing his first ever riders championship.

City Take Derby, Who Does Alex Turn To?

A few minutes ago Manchester City triumphed at home,1-0 against arch rivals Manchester United. Giovanni scored the lone goal for City striking from outside the box and taking a slight deflection of Vidic, before beating diving Van Der Sar. United have now got just 2 points from their first three games, kicking off the worst start in premier league by defending champions. The thing to be noticed was the calibre of bench strength and substitutions made by Ferguson. United were without Rooney(injured) and Ronaldo(Suspended). Playmaker Nani was taken off to bring on Chris Eagles and later 19year old Campbell made his Premier League Debut for United. Is this the kind of bench strength Alex Ferguson hopes to retain the title with? Hargreaves making his debut for UNited in the League played well but Tevez was the disappointment missing two golden opportunites in the second half. United fans are surely worried and hurting a great deal, as they have already slipped 7 points behind the leaders in just 3 games.

Arjuna Award For Saurav Ghoshal

A few days back India's number One squash Player, Saurav Ghoshal was awarded the Arjuna Award. This award is handed out by the government for outstanding achievement in sport. No squash player in India has received this award in over a decade. Ghoshal, 21 was also the firstIndian to win the coveted Britsh Open in 2004. Ghoshal who won his third national title in July has withdrawn from an international tournament with a slight injury. Ghoshal claimed he didn't want to take any chances that could hamper his performance at the upcoming Britsh Open that gets underway middle of next month. He is currently ranked No. 41 in the world and hopes to improve his ranking by the end of the year.

History In The Making? Surely Not.

Martin Jol is without star striker, Berbatov, for tomorrow's home game against nearly promoted Derby. Berbatov has been ruled out for two weeks as he boarded a plane to Munich to get a groin injury treated. Tottenham have never lost their opening three games in a season in the history of the premier league and Jol will be desperate to keep that record intact. He is most likely to start with Keane and Bent and will turn to Defoe in the second half. However I dont think Derby should trouble the Spurs at home too much and Tottenham should come through with a comfortable. victory. However, all eyes this weekend will be tuned to two mouth watering matches. The Manchester Derby kicks off on Sunday without City looking in ominous form whereas United have not got off to a  good start this season and will be without Rooney(injury) and Ronaldo(suspension). The other big match, probably the biggest is between the two heavy weights Chelsea and Liverpool. A draw is what is on the cards but I feel Liverpool will win with the home advantage. Chelsea look a bit dodgy in defence
 without Terry but Soccer is a funny, unpredictable game and we will have to just sit and wait.

India Comfortably Home Against Scotland

India wrapped up the one dayer against minnows Scotland with ease. India won the toss and sent Scotland into bat. They managed a respectable total of 203/9 in 46 overs which was rain interrupted. Scotland were struggling at 49/4 before a steady middle order partnership took them to 131. Haq and Hamilton found their way into the 40's before being sent to the pavillion. The Indian bolwers did well with Singh, Agarka, Chawla and Patel all claiming 2 wickets. India were given a brilliant start by openers Utthapa and Gambhir who put on 104 runs before Utthapa was out for a well compiled 55. Gambhir played a steady innings for his man- of- the- match unbeaten 85 and got support from Yuvraj(38 off 28). India set a target of 209 in 46 overs under the D/L system reached home in the 40th over with 7 wickets in hand.

Heartbreak For United As Chelsea Escape Again

It was another lousy day at the office for Ale Ferguson as Manchester United failed to pick up all three points away at Portsmouth. United playing without injured striker Wayne Rooney had superstar Tevez in the starting line up. However, it was veteran Paul Scholes who got them the lead 15 minutes into the game with a screamer from outside the box. Benjani then equalised 10 minutes into the second half. Portsmouth were down to 10 men midway into the second half but United failed to take advantage and ended up having Ronaldo sent off towards the end of the game. 2 points from the opening two games has left fans sort of shocked and unhappy and are now all nervously waiting for the manchester derby next weekend. Man City have two wins from their opening two games under new manager Eriksson. Elsewhere Chelsea came from behind with two quick goals courtesy of Lampard and Drogba early into the second half, away to Reading, to take them four points ahead of United. Chelsea next have a mouth watering clash against the formidable reds of Liverpool who won their away fixture in the Champions League Qualifier mid week.

Troubled Days Ahead For Jol?

The season could not have got off to a poorer start for Spurs manager Martin Jol after their 3-1 loss at home against Everton.Gardner got the lone goal for spurs whereas Stubbs,Osman and Lescott scored for the toffees. Jol must be wondering what he's doing wrong. Jol started with three strikers, Keane, Bent and Berbatov and even brought in Defoe in place of Bent in the second half but the Toffees were too strong and went to the top of the table. People have a lot of expectations from the spurs team this season and Martin Jol will have to turn things around unless he plans to be the first manager to be sacked this season

What Is Alex Thinking?

Im sure Wayne Rooney's injury has brought about a gloom amongst United
 supporters even though it marks the early arrival of superstar Tevez to the
field. What fans would like to know are where are the replacements? United had John O'Shea playing striker against Reading. Is that how badly 
United are lacking in strikers.Ferguson let Smith and Rossi go, and as far as
we know only brought in Tevez. Saha is out and now united are without rooney
for two months. A draw in the first round is surely not what ferguson had in mind. He better get his substitutions and bench right if he wants 
to hold on to the title.


 

Tevez To Debut Against Portsmouth

With Rooney out of action for around 2 months with a broken foot, Sir Alex has included new signing Tevez, in the starting line up for the mid week clash against Portsmouth. United who drew against Reading at home will be hoping to get three points on the board and stay in touch with the front runners. Liverpool, Chelsea, new look Newcastle all registered first round wins. United fans will also be hoping that Reading can carry on their performance and hold off visitors Chelsea.

Managers To Blame?

Im again taking Soccer as a reference but please feel free to cite examples from other sports. Do managers claim to be the dominant force in the team? Do they Think they are the Boss and can do what they want? Ive seen managers think so highly of their ways of work that they fool around with the roster and end up leaving the team in tatters. The 2006 Fifa World Cup, Argentina vs Germany. Argentina were in the lead and then thanks to the manager they found themselves on the losing side. The manger had substituted play maker Riquelme and not even brought on Messi who was supposed to be the next big star. The Real Madrid coach is also to be part of this debate. End of last season he, wasn't even playing Beckham, but even though fans may think he's done, no one can deny that he played and instrumental part in taking them to the title. England Manager Steve did the same thing leaving him out from the national side but then realized that he had to bring him back. The Indian cricket team is also another example where they keep playing the wrong stars and leaving the performers out. One of the main reasons why I saw Beckham leave United was the rift between him and Sir Alex. Alex thought Beckham was getting bigger than the club itself and wanted Alex wanted none of that. Who knows Beckham might still have been playing at United if it hadn't been for the manager.However nothing against Sir Alex for all that he has achieved.

Too Many Stars = No Trophies?

I know many of you wont agree with this but its somehow being proven slowly. Having a team of Superstars doesn't always get you the results that are expected. Take for example Real Madrid had a touted 'dream team', with the likes of Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo. Beckham, Raul, Carlos, Hierro, and a host more, but they didn't win the league for a long time. The moment some of them left, Real Madrid won the league last season. It happened in the recently concluded Copa America as well, Brazil playing with a relatively young and unknown team managed to upstage the giants, Argentina, to win the cup. Everyone who saw the Argentian team would agree that it was filled with superstars. Its not only soccer but it happens in all sports. Im not fully aware of the stats in Baseball and some other American games such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, etc, but I'm sure many will agree that it happens all the time and all everywhere.

Arsenal's Demise

No one can quite figure out what exactly the Arsenal management is trying. Having just moved to the new Emirates Stadium fans surely would have been expecting a title contention season, however that can't be ruled out, but looking at their transfer season, it doesn't seem likely. Last season they lost Pires, Viera, Wiltord and brought in Baptista who hasn;t done much so far. This season the club has let Henry and Alliadiere go and now even Ljungberg. The only replacement they have got in is striker Da Silva. Surely the board can't expect to be title contenders if this is what they are going to do. This may just be a nervous season for Arsenal Fans.

India's Escape-Rain?

With less than 30 minutes of play left in the day and a very wet outfield, India look to have been saved from defeat and handed a draw. India went into tea at 282/9 still 98 runs from victory, more importantly 1 wicket away from defeat, when the rains came down. Since then there has been no play. It is still raining from the looks of it and does not seem to be stopping so the Indian team can breathe easy and thank their lucky stars for this miraculous escape. Dhoni was the last man putting up a fight with an unbeaten 76 and was at the crease with last man Sreesanth when the heavens opened. England will surely be disappointed having played so well and having the game robbed from them at the brink of victory.

Alonso Closes In On Hamilton

For the first time this season Mclarens driver Lewis Hamilton looked human as he not only failed to get a podium finish but also failed to finish amongst the points. Those who saw the European Grand Prix would have defended the fact that it was definitely one of the finer races this season. Massa who was in the lead was frustrated as he soon lost the lead to Alonso with about 8 laps to go. All credit must goto Alonso for some incredible and aggressive driving. Hamilton who had crashed during qualifying could not manage to finish in the points, though it is remarkable that he was even in the race. Kimi Raikonnen's jinx at the European Grand Prix as he yet again failed to finish due to engine trouble. At the end of yesterday's race, we still see Hamilton in the lead with 70 point but Alonso is right at his heels with 68. Massa moves to 59 whereas Raikonnen has to remain at 52. A lot seems to be in store for us as this year's season moves on.

India In Trouble

With 81 overs remaining in the day India find themselves battling to save the first test. Ganguly and Karthik both fell early to the seamers leaving the lower half of the order 235runs more to win or to battle out more than half the day. Karthik was dismissed for 60 while Ganguly was out LBW for 40. India are currently 173/5 with Laxman and wicketkeeper Dhoni at the crease. Inida must be hoping that the last recognised batting pair can pull them through or else start praying for the rain.

Generous Nadal

With a 6-4 7-5 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka in the Stuttgart final, Nadal claimed his 6th title of the year and finished yet another remarkable clay court season. Playing his 16th straight final on clay, Nadal ran into a bit of trouble in both sets. Being the fighter he is known for, Nadal came from 3-1 down to clinch the first set 6-4. Wawrinka had Nadal cornered in the the second with a 5-2 lead but Nadal took the next five games in no time to clinch the match and title, improving his 2007 clay court record to 31-1. His overall clay court record is an unbelievable 93 wins from 94 matches, the only loss coming in the form of Roger Federer in this year's Hamburg open. Nadal has only dropped three sets in this years clay court season.
Nadal winner of the Mercedes luxury car at the Stuttgart open in 2005, handed over this years Benz to his Coach, who is also his Uncle. Nadal claimed to be still doing okay with his last win and that his Uncle needed a new car. How generous.

India face Uphill Task

India find themselves needing 243 to win on the last day with seven wickets in hand. Karthik who played brilliantly yesterday is still holding on wit 56 to his name. He is holding the fort along wit Ganguly who is batting on 36. The weather will be a huge factor as England take to the field. The weather is dull and gray which will provide a boost for swing bowling. Anderson and Sidebottom must be just waiting to get their hands on the ball. Rain has been predicted and maybe that is what the Indian dressing room is secretly hoping for. Day four saw some superb batting by Pieterson who took the team to a commanding position. Prior joined Pieterson at the crease with England in trouble at 132/5 and a lead of just 229. Pieterson went onto get his 8th test hundred as he put on 119 runs for the 6th wicket with Prior. Prior was finally dismissed for 42. Pieterson was finally out for 134 but had already take England into the drivers seat with a huge lead. England's innings folded at 282 and left India with a huge 380 for victory. India lost early wickets and found themselves at 85/3 before Karthik and Ganguly steadied the ship. It should certainly be a very intriguing last day of cricket at Lords.

Heartbreak for Sergio,as Harrington lifts Claret Jug

Sergio Garcia could not hold on to his three stroke lead on an exciting and dramatic last day at the British Open. At the 14th tee Harrington was -7 while Garcia was in the lead at -8. A stunning eagle took Harrington into the lead at -9 whereas Gracia playing behind Harrington birdied the hole to have a share of the lead. This is where all the drama started. Harrington played par right upto the the 18th tee whereas Garcia dropped a shot on the 15th to leave him one behind the leader. Events of the 1999 Championships seemed to unfold all over again on the 18th. Harrington who led by one had a disastrous last hole and finished with a double bogey to drop one shot behind Garcia at -7. Garcia needed to hold his nerves and Par the last hole for a win and maiden major title. As luck would it have it(for Harrington), Garcia hit his second shot into the bunker and had to be content with a bogey leaving him -7 and in a playoff with Harrington for the title. In the playoff Harrington drew first blood with a birdie on the first of four playoff holes. it stayed that way till the last hole. Garcia could not put any pressure on the last hole and left Harrington wit a short putt for the title.
Richard Green mad a final spurge with a brilliant 64 but found himself two shots behind. Tiger Woods shot a final round 70 to see him finish tied for 12th at -2. Els saw himself finish in the top five yet again with a final score of -5. Vijay Singh who had a disastrous last round of 75 finished at +2.

Garcia In The Lead

Sergio Garcia shot a brilliant 65 to head the first round of the Championship wit a 6 under par.On a windy wet day Garcia showed his putting brilliance that saw him take a two shot lead over Paul McGinley. McGinley led most of the time but could not keep up with Garcia on the last 9 holes and finished with a 67 . Defending champion and favourite Tiger Woods, is in a comfortable position having shot a 69 and four of the lead. The surprise of the day was amateur Rory McIlroy who impressed everyone with a brilliant 68. His 68 had not a single bogey, one of the very who managed that feat. Angel Cabrera, Markus Brier, Boo Weekley and Michael Campbell are tied with Rory for 3rd place. Other big names in the field had average rounds. Goosen shot a 70. Els and Vijay Singh shot a 1 over 72 whereas 'Lefty' Mickelson shot an even par round. We wait to see what happens on day 2 at The Open.

Hatrick For Tiger?

The British Open starts on the 19th of July at Carnoustie and World No.1 Tiger Woods will be gunning for his third consecutive Open title. Woods won his first Open title in 2000. The last Open to be held here was in 1999 where Jean Van De Velde's dramatic last hole led to a playoff where Paul Lawrie clinched the title. Woods as usual will be the firm favorite to take home the title but Els, Singh, Mickelson and a host of others will want the title for themselves. Woods who is chasing Jack Nickalus's record of 18 majors will be hoping to add No. 13 to his collection. Woods has played 10 tournaments this year winning three of them and finishing second twice. He has had seven top 10 finishes with all cuts made. Woods closest rival will be Mickelson who surprisingly has never performed well at the Open except for a third place finish in 2004. Ernie Els will be another favorite who has always produced good results at the Open with 9 top ten finishes in the past 15 Opens including a win in 2002. I'm sure this will be a great Open and one not to be missed.

Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal

Monday July the 16th, Rafael Nadal leads Roger Federer by 85 points in the ATP tour race.The ongoing debate is whether this is the beginning of the end for the World No.1. Federer has a 36-5 record this year with four titles which include the Australian Open and Wimbledon. 21 year old Nadal is 51-8 this season with five titles including his third French Open. They have faced each other 13 times in the past with Nadal leading the duel 8-5. Nadal has beaten Federer every time at the French Open, once in the Semis and twice in the Finals. Most believed this was Federer's year to clinch the elusive French Open having just beaten Nadal in the previous clay court Final at Hamburg. Federer had only himself to blame as he failed to convert 16 of 17 breakpoints. However Federer kept his record intact on grass beating Nadal in both the Finals they have played in. Nadal is young and seems to be improving his game rapidly as was evident in the recently concluded Wimbledon Final where he took the defending champion to five sets. Many believe Federer is running out of steam. His recent lapses on the court before the French open against Canas and Volandri raised doubts about his game. Nadal has a long career ahead of him as compared to Federer and it will remain to be seen how both the players handle the upcoming US open.

English Premier League 2007-08 (Transfer Special)

We are only a month away from what promises to be a very close and exciting season. Over the summer we have seen a large number of signings and more taking place every day. This is just a look at the transfer market and how the teams are shaping up and getting ready for the upcoming season.
ARSENAL-they have had the biggest transfer this season with their most prized possession, Thierry Henry heading to Barcelona for 16 million pounds. They have also let go of their other striker Alliadiere to Middlesbrough. they have brought in Eduardo Da Silva from Zagreb but it will remian to be seen if he can fill such big shoes. With Ljungberg also rumoured to be heading out Arsenal could seem to find themselves in a litle trouble this season.
ASTON VILLA-Their biggest signing of the summer is striker Marlon Harewood from West Ham but they have also let Lee Hendrie and Aaron Hughes go.
BIRGMINGHAM CITY- Have found their way back into the Premiership and have strengthened their side by adding Olivier Kapo from Juventus, and Stuart Parnaby.
BLACKBURN ROVERS- Have had no major signings this season but are in danger of loosing their main striker Benny McCarthy to Chelsea and midfielder Pederson who is debating over a few offers
BOLTON WANDERERS- No major signings but have released Quiniton Fortune and Henrik Pederson. Like Blackburn, they are also in danger of loosing top players such as Kevin Nolan and Anelka.
CHELSEA-The spending team that always creates transfer news.In order to regain the title they have brought in Malouda, Sidwell and striker Pizzaro. They are also rumoured to be trying to get in David Villa, Alves, Pato and Chimbonda. Geremi has confirmed his exit and Drogba, Robben and Shaun Wright Phillips are rumoured to be leaving Stamford Bridge.
DERBY COUNTY- Newly Promoted will face tough relegation battle
EVERTON- Have signed Tim Howard and are in a battle to keep James Beattie at the club.
FULHAM-Have lost Radzinki and Jensen but have signed Kamara, Healy, Konchesky and Hughes to strengthen the side.
LIVERPOOL- Stated to be in a position to contend for the title. With new owners and a surplus amount of spending money, Liverpool has gone on a shopping spree. Torres, Veronin, Babel and Benayoun are the big new faces at the club and might be joined by Heinze. Fowler, Dudek, Bellamy, Zenden and Cisse have all found their way to other clubs. Hyppia is the lastest who might leave the club.
MANCHESTER CITY- Have things to look upto with Eriksson now in charge but will have to find replacements for Distin, Sinclair and Barton. Eriksson has already brought in Bianchi for 8.8 million punds and looks to be adding a lot more.
MANCHESTER UNITED-Defending champions have strengthened their squad and have spent the most this season.Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson are the new faces at Old Trafford and will be hopefully joined by superstar Carlos TeveZ. Gudjhonsen and Defoe are also said to be targets for Sir Alex
MIDDLESBROUGH- Aliadiere and Woodgate are new members of the team whereas Parnaby and Viduka are out. Zamora might find his way into the team
NEWCASTLE-Have also spent big and made some important signings this season such as Viduka, Geremi, Barton and Rozenhal, but have lost Bramble and Parker. They could be futher strengthened with the likes of Shorey, Robinson and Defoe.
PORTSMOUTH- A bit of a surprise package last season have signed Distin, Muntari, and youngster Nugent to strengthen their squad.
READING-Definitely the surprise of last season have lost Sidwell and could lose Lita and Shorey
SUNDERLAND- Managed by Roy Keane and promoted this season will definitely be trying to make a statement this season have signed Richardson from Man United and Etuhu to their ranks
TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS-The underachievers always have brought in Gareth Bale, Darren Bent and Taarabt. Mido and Defoe are ruumoured to be leaving the club.
WEST HAM UNITED- Performed a miracle last season by staying in the Premiership will have to perform another one after losing Sheringham, Carroll, Harewood, Reo-Coker, Benayoun and most likely Tevez. They have however brought in Bellamy, Parker and Wright to give them any hope.
WIGAN- Last day survivors of last season have brought in Sibierski, Bramble, Melchiot, and Koumas. Unsworth is the significant one to have left the club.
So there we have it. There will definitely be more transfers till the league starts and I will bring them to you closer to the start of the season. Till then keep supporting you club and watch the Transfers happen.

The fall of Indian Cricket

I'm sure all the cricket fans especially Indians around the world have been embarrassed and stunned by the Indian cricket team's performance over the past few years including the horrifying world cup performance. Everyone after the world cup could play only one game, the blame game. There were rampant calls for sacking players and resignations. However amidst all this mayhem no one seemed to put the blame on the board. Not one felt that some board members needed to be replaced.
The first point is whether politicians should be allowed to handle the running of the board at all. Why not leave it to people who know more about the game and have more time to devote to it. I strongly feel that politics should have nothing to do with the functioning of the board. However the Govt. can have their say in an away series about the safety issues the same way the England and Australian Board intervened when the world cup was co-hosted by Zimbabwe a few editions ago.
The other surprising point was the team composition after the world cup.The people wanted a change and the board obliged but with a more controversial team. Everyone knew about the patch that Sehwag was going through in the one day format of the game against Bangladesh. According to the stats Sehwag had one of the best records in Tests prior to this series. so why was he axed for the test and retained for the one day series. Surely a hundred against a team like Bermuda had nothing to do with it, even though he had a comparatively better world cup than most others. The inclusion of Dinesh Mongia in the one day squad was a another mind blower. Hasn't he been given enough chances to prove himself and against Bangladesh he failed again. What about giving the youngsters a chance. The youngsters are doing so well and taking the chances given to them. Dinesh Karthick is a prime example. He somehow always performs when needed though his averages indicate a different story. Inspite of doing well he wasn't given a single game during the world cup.
Sourav Ganguly's admission back into the squad has been debated a great deal. Sure he has got the runs to back his inclusion and seems to be in finer form than before but if one would look closely at the one day matches since his return one would see his dismal strike rate.It seems he is trying to make a point to his critics by trying to amass runs but I feel it is at the cost of the team on the whole. So what if the youngsters fail a few times in their first few games, it would help them gain experience and make them stronger. It is no point in retaining non performing stalwarts as they will not be available for the next world cup.
The fitness of the team is the other talking point that no one seems to be interested in. Take a look at the other cricketers from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand for example. They are all genuine sportsmen who have played other sports for either their state or even their country. That is why they are so fit and agile. The Indian mindset is just cricket, batting and bowling. A few rounds of the field, a couple of exercises here and there and thats about it. They don't have the mindset of an athlete. Their reflexes and agility is not the same compared to others. So many times we see the Indians lose a game even before it has started. Australia seem to have a mental edge over India. This needs to change.
Im sure no one could have got away with the debate about the players and sponsors after the world cup. One thing I cant understand is why were the players objecting to the performance clause and the cut in sponsorships. Are they in the team to create advertisements. I'm not saying that ads affects the game. It's just that it should not be priority.Why should they worry about it at all. They get paid enough from cricket alone.It is said that the BCCI is the richest board in the world, so where is all that money going then? Cricket should be their number one priority. Are they so scared of the performance based clause that they can't accept it?
Indian cricket needs a dramatic change and needs a fresh new start. The Board, the players and even the general public are all responsible. the players are what they are today only because of the public. It doesn't matter if we have a few results going against us. Everything takes time to build and hopefully we should have a much better world cup next time around.