Sports

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – India struck back with four late wickets while Australia’s Mike Hussey posted a defiant half-century to leave the first test delicately poised at the close of the third day yesterday.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting gave little indication he would be riding off into the sunset after the India series following his second successive half-century on the third day of the first test yesterday.

MIAMI,  (Reuters) – Rookie Norris Cole shone for the Miami Heat as they beat Boston 115-107 on Tuesday to maintain their impressive start to the National Basketball Association (NBA) season and hand the Celtics their second consecutive loss.

NEW DELHI,  (Reuters) – Ishant Sharma has not been much of a handful for Australia’s batsmen but the superstitious Indian paceman will at least become a real mouthful after tweaking his name in a bid to change his bowling fortunes.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Heavyweight amateur champion Anderson Emmanuel was granted bail and spent Christmas with his family.

LONDON, CMC – Bermudian striker Nahki Wells was on target in English Division 2 club Bradford City’s biggest win of the season, a 3-0 Boxing Day victory against fellow strugglers Crewe Alexandra.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – Australia paceman Peter Siddle deflated a nation of a billion people when he bowled Sachin Tendulkar for 73 in the last over, but India’s fluent batting helped the tourists seize control of the first test  yesterday.

Festive season action in the 22nd annual Kashif and Shanghai tournament continued on Christmas and Boxing Day’s at the Blairmont and Mackenzie Sports Club grounds respectively, with Mill Ballers, Caledonia AIA, Amelia Ward and Milerock securing victories of varying difficulties.

SYDNEY, Australia,  CMC-IANS – A half-century from Dwayne Bravo inspired the Sydney Sixers and was one of the cornerstones in a two-run victory over the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash Twenty20 League yesterday.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Rookie West Indies One-Day International batsman Jason Mohammed says he is bent on maintaining his place in the side despite failing in his solitary match on the recent tour to India.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Gareth Bale’s superb double enabled Tottenham Hotspur to narrow the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City and Manchester United to seven points with a 2-0 win at Norwich City  yesterday.

(Reuters) – The Miami Heat gained a little revenge for their loss in last year’s NBA finals, by spoiling the Dallas Mavericks’ championship celebration with a resounding 105-94 victory on Sunday’s opening day of the season.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – The National Basketball Association (NBA) season belatedly got underway on Christmas Day, with the New York Knicks wrapping up a 106-104 victory over the Boston Celtics.

 (Reuters) – The Houston Rockets recruited the big man they have been looking for when they signed free-agent centre Samuel Dalembert, the NBA team said on Monday.

(Reuters) – The Los Angeles Lakers continued their stumbling start to a new era with a 100-91 road loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday as the visitors matched their poorest opening to a campaign for nine years.

West Indies fans hoping to see Jamaican batsman Chris Gayle back in the regional side may be in for a long wait.

DURBAN, South Africa,  (Reuters) – Sri Lanka, looking to square the three-match series 1-1, were in complete command after 14 wickets tumbled on the second day of the second test against South Africa at Kingsmead  yesterday.

MADRID,  (Reuters) – Alex Corretja will be Spain’s new Davis Cup team captain for the next two years, the country’s tennis federation (RFET) said in a statement yesterday.

DURBAN, South Africa, (Reuters) – Sri Lanka,  looking to square the three-match series 1-1, were in complete  command after 14 wickets tumbled on the second day of the second  test against South Africa at Kingsmead today.

(Reuters) – The Los Angeles Lakers  continued their stumbling start to a new era with a 100-91 road  loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday as the visitors matched  their poorest opening to a campaign for nine years.