Bell hopes for another crack at Aussies in one-day series January 10, 2011 IN-FORM England batsman Ian Bell hopes to have played his way into the Twenty20 side for tomorrow’s first clash with Australia after starring in the warm-up win over a Prime Minister’s XI. Bell hit an unbeaten 124 from 102 balls as England romped to a seven-wicket victory in Canberra, just three days after sealing their [...]
Saracens to sign England star Hodgson at end of the season January 10, 2011 ENGLAND fly-half Charlie Hodgson will sign for Saracens at the end of the season and end his 11-year association with Sale Sharks. The 30-year-old, capped 34 times by his country, is understood to have signed a three-year deal. Hodgson (right), who has scored a record 1,753 Premiership points, underwent surgery in August last year on [...]
Ponting concurs with Ashes post-mortem January 10, 2011 AUSTRALIA captain Ricky Ponting has thrown his weight behind calls for an in-depth investigation into his side’s Ashes humiliation. England’s 3-1 triumph was their first Down Under for 24 years and Australian chiefs are preparing a particularly rigorous end-of-term evaluation. “There’s a review after every season, of which I’m always a big part,” said Ponting. [...]
Jenkins to miss Six Nations January 10, 2011 RUGBY UNION: Wales prop Gethin Jenkins is to miss the entire Six Nations campaign with a toe injury. The Cardiff Blues loose-head will undergo surgery tomorrow and is likely to miss up to 12 weeks. “It is a massive blow to have to replace Gethin Jenkins for the Blues and Wales,” said Blues coach Dai Young.
Silkmen’s Butcher passes away January 10, 2011 FOOTBALL: Macclesfield Town have announced midfielder Richard Butcher has died at the age of 29. Butcher joined the Silkmen in the summer on a two-year deal. A Silkmen statement read: “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the untimely death of Richard Butcher. He was an exemplary professional and a likeable young man.”
Messi wins top Fifa award January 10, 2011 FOOTBALL: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won the inaugural Fifa Ballon d’Or. Messi, 23, won the prize – a merger of the Fifa Player of the Year prize and Ballon d’Or – ahead of his Barca team-mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi.
Torres fires Crawley through January 10, 2011 FOOTBALL: Sergio Torres’ injury-time strike handed non-league Crawley a 2-1 win over Championship side Derby in the third round of the FA Cup. With a replay looking likely, Torres side-footed in from a corner to hand Crawley a fourth-round tie at Torquay.
Dott knocks out Higgins January 10, 2011 SNOOKER: World No1 John Higgins’ Masters campaign was ended by fellow Scot Graeme Dott in the first round. Last year’s World Championship runner-up, Dott, took the final two frames to claim the match 6-4. Meanwhile, Ding Junhui edged out former world champion Mark Williams with a 6-4 victory after n scrappy display from both men.
Cook served up an Ashes feast January 9, 2011 I HAVE to confess I’m more than a little bit jealous – what a fantastic time to be an England cricketer. The Ashes triumph was the greatest series win for as long as I can remember and nobody can ever deny that it was thoroughly deserved. The decisive moment was when England won the toss [...]
Breakthrough series sets up England hero for bumper windfall January 9, 2011 ENGLAND hero Alastair Cook’s record-breaking Ashes displays have hugely boosted his earning potential, with sports marketing experts predicting “the sky is the limit” for a man dubbed the “sponsor’s dream”. The Essex opener arrived in Australia desperately struggling for form and fighting to keep his place in the team, but plundered three centuries and a [...]