Sports

(Reuters) – England struck the first blow at the start of an eight-month campaign against Australia involving 26 matches in all three formats of the game by winning their Champions Trophy Group A game in Birmingham today.

PARIS, (Reuters) – Serena Williams proved an irresistible force once more as she powered past Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-4 to win the French Open for the second time on Saturday – 11 years after her first triumph.

LONDON, (Reuters) – West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin was charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday with “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game”.

LONDON,  CMC – West Indies made heavy weather of a paltry target but held their nerve in the end to beat Pakistan by two wickets and make a winning start to their ICC Champion Trophy campaign here yesterday.

The executives of the Guyana  Horse Racing Authority (GHRA) will meet tomorrow to discuss changes to the draft legislation as well as other matters concerning the ‘Sport of Kings’ at the Kennard’s Turf Club, Bush Lot.

The national under-19 ruggers commenced preparation on Thursday for the North American and West Indies Rugby Association (NACRA) 15s tournament which kicks off on July 6 in Trinidad and Tobago.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Opener Assad Fudadin and skipper Kirk Edwards  smashed centuries as West Indies `A’, responding to Sri Lanka `A’s 472 all out, reached 496 for five in their first innings at the close of the third day of the first four-day “Test” at Warner Park here yesterday.

With  great improvement in the weather golfers will tee off today in the annual Trophy Stall sponsored Golf tournament at the Lusignan Golf Club.

LONDON, CMC- Pacer Kemar Roach says a boost in confidence helped him to rip through the early Pakistan batting as West Indies launched their ICC Champions Trophy in triumphant fashion yesterday.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC- The Jamaican government signaled its commitment to the world-wide fight against doping in sports by announcing a 16 million Jamaican dollar budget for drug testing of athletes and says the figure represents a significant increase.

PARIS, (Reuters) – ‘If at first you don’t succeed try, try, try again’ could be David Ferrer’s personal motto after the Spaniard reached his maiden grand slam final yesterday at his 42nd tilt at a major.

TRELAWNY, Jamaica, CMC- Wellesly Bolt, the father of sprint legend Usain Bolt was robbed of cash amounting to a little less than half a million Jamaican dollars, Jamaica’s media reported yesterday.

United States of America-based sprinter, Adam Harris, says he is expecting a good performance when he competes in the men’s 100m at the 27th New Jersey International Invitational at the Colts Neck High School.

With Bushy Park’s Circuit in Barbados under renovations, the second leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championships (CMRC) billed for September will be staged in Jamaica or here in Guyana.

Tutorial High School’s female team will looking to turn the tables on New Campbellville Secondary when the two sides meet today in the final of the  Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools football tournament at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.

Georgetown recorded an easy nine-wicket victory over East Bank yesterday in the first match of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) Inter-Association Under-17 40-overs-aside tournament at the Everest Sports Club ground.

MIAMI, (Reuters) – Tony Parker led a masterful fourth quarter performance from San Antonio as the Spurs beat the Heat 92-88 in the opening game of the NBA Finals in Miami on Thursday.

MIAMI,  (Reuters) – Miami guard Dwyane Wade said the Heat may have paid the price for their gruelling seven-game series against the Indiana Pacers as the San Antonio Spurs took advantage of late turnovers and missed opportunities to win game one of the Finals 92-88.

PARIS, (Reuters) – Serena Williams gives pet names to her various character traits whereas Maria Sharapova, who will try to prevent the American claiming a 16th grand slam title in today’s French Open final, usually sticks rigidly to the ice maiden routine.

PARIS, (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal displayed the athleticism and self-belief that earned him seven French Open titles to tame Novak Djokovic 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-7(3) 9-7 in a pulsating 4-1/2 hour Roland Garros semi-final yesterday.