Sports

COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Angelo Mathews’ resilience could not deny New Zealand their first test victory in Sri Lanka in 14 years as the visitors won the second test by 167 runs to level the two-match series  yesterday.

(Reuters) – Kevin Durant greeted former team mate James Harden with 37 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder blasted Houston Rockets 120-98 on Wednesday to spoil the shooting guard’s return to the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

(Reuters) – Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo were named on the shortlist for FIFA’s Ballon d’Or award yesterday at a news conference in Brazil.

RIO DE JANEIRO,  (Reuters) – Brazilians are proud of their ability to pull improvised solutions out of a hat and Thursday’s appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari as national team coach was a classic case of “jeitinho brasileiro”.

-also cites football chaos, govt’s lack of vision By Emmerson Campbell In an hour-long emotional speech that ended in tears, celebrated national football coach Jamaal Shabazz formally resigned from his post, citing commitments to his home country, conflicts within the GFF and government’s lack of vision for the sport in development plans.

Four teams including defending champions, Back Circle who trounced Bent Street, five-nil, clinched quarterfinal berths Tuesday night in the Guinness Greatest of the Streets Competition at the Banks DIH Car Park.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua,  CMC – Grenada’s National Stadium will host international cricket for the first time in four years when Zimbabwe tour the Caribbean next year.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,  CMC – Trinidad and Tobago will boost their preparation for January’s Caribbean Twenty20 when they take on Canada in a three-match series starting here next month.

Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) president Phillip Fernandes says Guyana stands a good chance of walking away with the over US$1,000 prize in the 2012 championships when the Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Hockey Championship starts today at the National Gymnasium.

-Lloyd seeking advice from President Ramotar Former Secretary of the now disbanded Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Anand Sanasie said it plans to select a team for the 2013 Caribbean Twenty20 tournament on Monday, after a three-day trial meet.

(Reuters) – Ferrari are considering whether to lodge a protest that could lead to the result of the Formula One world championship being overturned.

Physical Education teachers from 10 city schools will be involved in a training programme from December 11th to the 14th organized by the Guyana Netball Association (GNA) aimed at facilitating the reintroduction of netball in schools.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson plans to take his one-man theater show on the road across the United States early next year.

COLOMBO,  (Reuters) – New Zealand were within sight of their first test victory in Sri Lanka in 14 years after 17 wickets fell on a thrilling penultimate day of the series yesterday.

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – After batsmen ruled the first two tests, fast bowling could be the decisive factor when Australia and South Africa re-engage their heavyweight tussle for the number one test ranking in the final match of the series today.

(Reuters) – Golf’s rulemakers proposed a ban on players anchoring long putters to their body yesterday, saying they wanted to outlaw the practice by 2016 in order to preserve the “skill and challenge” of putting.

KHULNA, Bangladesh,  CMC – Opener Lendl Simmons and wicketkeeper Devon Thomas hit high-powered half-centuries as West Indies warmed up for tomorrow’s start of the five-match limited overs series with a 118-run victory over the Bangladesh Cricket Board XI here yesterday.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) –  Indiana guard George Hill delivered the kind of last-gasp, game-winning basket Kobe Bryant is famous for to give the Pacers a scrappy 79-77 win over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

BRASILIA,  (Reuters) – Luiz Felipe Scolari is set to be named as the new coach of 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil today, a source close to Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) told Reuters yesterday.

The Kashif and Shanghai Organisation has renamed its annual football tournament in tribute to the late proprietor of the Bakewell Company Naeem Nasir, who had been one of their main sponsors over the years.