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| Two late goals give Everton the win Two goals in the last seven minutes were the difference between Everton and Burnley at Goodison Park. feeds.timesonline.co.uk |
Liverpool frustrated by resurgent Reading STRANGE to think that four months ago Liverpool were favoured by many to win the Premier League. A solitary game into 2010, their domestic season has been reduced to a frantic attempt to cling on to a Champions League place and a hopeful tilt at the FA Cup. feeds.timesonline.co.uk |
Southwell's jump racing on the Flat puts frustrated trainers on a high There were more horses on the track than spectators watching from the grandstand but racing was the winnerThis was nobody's idea of a good time. Even by the standards of all-weather Âracing, Southwell is an unglamorous place and its limited charisma is not improved by ice on the ground and snow in the air, but there was plenty of gratitude here  as the Nottinghamshire track did its best for the frostbitten community of jumps racing.The cold snap has prevented any racing from taking place on turf since the Sunday before last and, as jump racing on Âartificial surfaces is banned, a lot of chasers and hurdlers have been standing idle in their boxes. Their trainers and owners have been unable to win any prize money, while their jockeys have also been deprived of any income from riding fees.Southwell offered some Âlimited respite by using their ÂFibresand all-weather track to stage a card of Â"bumpers" – races on the Flat for horses who are Âsupposed to mature into jumpers in time. A first for British racing, it attracted 62 runners but proved of almost no interest to Âspectators, who numbered 38 on the grandstand steps as the tape went up for the first. Nevertheless, some of the Âbiggest names in the sport were delighted to stop Âshovelling snow and go racing."They've done a great job, because we're all working away and nothing to do, so it's a great initiative and needs Âsupporting," said Nicky Henderson, who made the 145-mile journey from his ÂBerkshire base. "We've had some days that it's been quite enjoyable in the snow and other days, like yesterday, it was absolutely horrendous."We've done nothing but dig and sweep and dig our way out and then you get up this morning and it's all covered again. We were lucky to get out of Lambourn."After 30 years with a licence, ÂHenderson has little left to learn about his sport but racing horses on Fibresand was new to him. He had phoned colleagues, including Sir Mark Prescott, for advice as to tactics and appeared pleased with the outcome: three winners from six runners."It's been a very good day and they've looked after us very well," he said, when the hat-trick was in the bag. "It's Âinteresting and we're learning a lot because it's strange ground for us. You probably do want them to be quite fit. It's all right but it makes them work hard and they don't quicken up much in it."A similar card of bumpers will take place at Kempton on Saturday if the jumps card scheduled for that day is abandoned after an inspection this afternoon. The novel twist is that even horses with experience over obstacles will be allowed to run and Henderson has entered Punjabi for one of Kempton's bumpers, though he said the reigning champion hurdler was unlikely to run. Big names from other stables who may be testing the Polytrack surface include Twist Magic, Celestial Halo and Air Force One.Punjabi is more likely to go to ÂHaydock for the Champion Hurdle trial a week on Saturday, with the Irish Champion at ÂLeopardstown the next day as a Âpossibility. It is Henderson's fervent hope that one of those races take place, because he wants to get two runs into the Ânotoriously stuffy seven-year-old before his title defence, and the Kingwell on 20 February is Âsupposed to be the second.If Haydock and Leopardstown also fall victim to the weather, Punjabi may have to race against his stablemates, Binocular and Zaynar, and the trainer would much rather keep them all apart until the ÂCheltenham Festival. "But, as we keep running out of races, the problem becomes more acute," he said.Henderson had problems getting ÂBinocular fit during a similar cold snap in February last year. "Another week would be a disaster, two weeks would be even worse but at least it's January, not ÂFebruary," he said.That stab at optimism might not have survived a conversation with his fellow trainer Ferdy Murphy, who was also here. "We won't panic yet," Murphy said, "but someone's just told me that there's a bad forecast from Monday for the next two weeks and that would be bad news."But everybody's in the same boat. I suppose one of way of looking at it is that there'll be a lot more sound horses in March than there were last year, so the opposition [at the Festival] is going to be a bit tougher."Horse racingChris Cookguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Ponting narrowly misses milestone Australia 519-8 dec & 219-5; Pakistan 301 & 103-4Australia's captain Ricky Ponting narrowly missed out on a slice of history as his side closed on a series whitewash against Pakistan in the third Test at Bellerive in Hobart.After they had resumed at 59 for one with an overall lead of 277, Simon Katich made his first Test century of the summer while Ponting fell just short of becoming only the seventh man in Test history to score a double century and a century in the same match. He was dismissed for 89.Shane Watson then took two for 24, including the wicket of the Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf, as the tourists – chasing a notional 438 but realistically needing to bat out almost five sessions to save a draw – slumped to 103 for four before rain offered a reprieve.Ponting fell just after lunch, being given out on referral after he gloved a ball down the leg side while trying to sweep the off-spinner Shoaib Malik, with the declaration coming soon after.The captain thus missed out on joining his compatriots Doug Walters and Greg Chappell, the West Indians Laurence Rowe and Brian Lara, India's Sunil Gavaskar and the former England captain Graham Gooch in reaching the milestone.As for Katich his century – which came off just 137 balls and included 13 fours – capped a fine match after he took three for 34 on day three.The Australian pair went after the Pakistan bowling from the outset in a bid to build a lead of 450-plus quickly and give the team maximum time to bowl Pakistan out for a second time on what has been an ideal batting wicket.But there were signs on day four of a few balls keeping low, with Ponting being surprised by one from the young quick Mohammad Aamer in only the seventh over of the morning. Ponting also survived a referred caught-behind decision as he reached for a wide delivery from Aamer when on 62.Pakistan slumped to 67 for three by tea after the openers Salman Butt and Imran Farhat fell early on and Yousuf lost out on a referral as he was adjudged lbw to Shane Watson for 23.It was Doug Bollinger who struck the initial breakthrough when he dismissed Butt for eight with a delivery that kept slightly low and bowled the left-hander between his bat and pad in the fifth over.Then it was Peter Siddle's turn when he claimed Farhat for 14 five overs later with a superb delivery that squared him up and caught the edge, giving the wicketkeeper Brad Haddin a sharp catch low down.But Watson claimed the most important wicket when he trapped Yousuf plumb in front, with the Pakistan captain wasting one of their two permitted unsuccessful referrals by challenging the decision. And the other was lost when Watson struck again in the evening session to trap the dangerous Umar Akmal lbw for 15, the batsman being caught on the crease to give the third umpire Billy Doctrove no grounds to overturn the call.Khurram Manzoor remained 23 not out, having played the anchor role for 86 deliveries after arriving following Butt's exit, with the former captain Shoaib Malik unbeaten on 18 at the other end as Pakistan hoped the forecast of further rain on day five would come to their rescue.Australia Cricket TeamPakistan cricket teamRicky PontingCricketguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
South Carolina beats No. 1 Kentucky 68-62 COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Top-ranked Kentucky found out it's got some growing up to do. And college basketball will most likely find a new No. 1.... hosted.ap.org |