The laboratory test report on debris of the collapsed press box of the Bangabandhu National Stadium reached the National Sports Council on Sunday. Prepared by the Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultancy of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, the report pointed out the flaws in design and maintenance of the hanging roof that collapsed on October 8.
   The National Sports Council has already received another report from the Army Engineers Corps and the report of the BUET is also in hand now. The five-member probe committee of the NSC will now study the two reports and prepare its final report and submit it to the chairman of the NSC, General Moeen U Ahmed. After his approval the report would be made public.
   ‘We will need another two days to submit it to the president, after his endorsement we will reveal the report,’ said Aminul Islam Khan, the secretary of the NSC.
   It was learnt that the roof of the press box was designed as a hanging one but it was not constructed with enough safety measures. The roof was hanged from the lower side of the columns and not from the upper side that made it vulnerable. The width of the pipes was also not similar. If the roof was hanged from the upper side of the columns only then it would have been stronger.
   The 14-inch corrugations on the roof held a substantial quantity of rain water and the structure was not strong enough to bear the weight. Moreover, there were only two rain pipes and both of them were blocked with bottles and garbage and so the water could not flow down the outlets.
   The steel wires holding up the roof from six pillars were just a farce. Four of the six pillars were standing with the strings undamaged after the roof collapsed.
   The report also pointed out the inexperience of the construction firm and the designers for building such a high-tech structure.
   The NSC is determined to punish all the persons who are found guilty and another investigation is also going on to find the anomalies in the tender process and the unfair means adopted by the NSC officials during the past government’s tenure. The probe committee has already found enough evidence of corruption in the renovation works of the BNS and the collapse of the press box roof was an example of the irregularities.

India (294/6) beat Pakistan (248) by 46 runs
   Salman Butt smashed a career-best 129, but failed to stop a Yuvraj Singh-inspired India from posting a 46-run win over Pakistan in the third one-day international here on Sunday.
   The left-handed opener hit 17 fours in his fourth hundred – all against India – as his side were bowled out for 248 chasing a 295-run target to concede a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
   Butt, 23, failed to upstage Indian left-hander Yuvraj who scored an impressive 77, brought off a run-out and then bagged a wicket to cap a superb all-round performance. He was named man of the match.
   ‘Yuvi is our trump-card, I said that even before the start of the series. We want him to bat for at least 30 overs because his knock is always important,’ said India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
   ‘We wanted to win this match and go 2-1 up in the series. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was at his best today and he exploited the conditions well.’
   Butt posed the main threat to India’s total with a 142-ball knock but received little support from the other end as his side lost their way after an explosive start.
   He went for big shots from the beginning as Pakistan raced to 72 off just nine overs, but lost hard-hitting Shahid Afridi (12) and in-form Younis Khan (21) in the process.
   Yuvraj had a hand in the next two dismissals, running out experienced Mohammad Yousuf (16) with a direct hit from backward point to the non-striker’s end then trapping Malik (12) leg-before.
   Butt continued to dominate the Indian attack a wide range of attacking shots as he added 80 for the fifth wicket with Misbah-ul-Haq (38), but it came too late to swing the match in his team’s favour.
   The asking-rate kept climbing as Pakistan needed 96 to win in the last 10 overs with six wickets in hand. They lost their last five wickets for a meagre 34 runs, with seamer Rudra Pratap Singh finishing with 4-63.
   Harbhajan was the most economical bowler, giving away 32 in 10 overs.
   ‘Butt is batting superbly and we now want him to score the same way in the series. There are still two more games to go and we will try to win those,’ said Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik.
   ‘We dropped Yuvraj early on and he went on to score 70-odd runs. We are lacking in fielding and we need to work hard in this department.’
   India were earlier indebted to Yuvraj for reaching a challenging total on a slow turning wicket as the middle-order batsman put on 100 for the fourth wicket with Dhoni (49) to build on a blazing start.
   India got off to a brisk start after being put in to bat as Sourav Ganguly (39) and Sachin Tendulkar (29) added 68 for the opening wicket off just 10.4 overs.
   Pakistan looked like containing runs when left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman bowled Gautam Gambhir (25). The Indian batsman was earlier involved in a verbal duel with bowler Shahid Afridi, forcing England umpire Ian Gould to intervene.
   There was no respite for Pakistan as Yuvraj and Dhoni exploded with a flurry of boundaries, helping their side plunder 89 runs in the closing 10 overs.
   Yuvraj offered a chance on 26 when a diving Butt failed to latch on to the catch at mid-wicket. He cracked three sixes and four boundaries in his 32nd half-century.

Australia (551/4 dec) lead Sri Lanka (211 & 218-5) by 122 runs at stumps, day 4
   A dour innings from Michael Vandort and some inclement coastal weather in Queensland allowed Sri Lanka to force the Brisbane Test into a final day.
   Resuming at 80-2, some 260 runs behind, they were 218-5 when play was called off for the day with only 56 overs played during the course of the day.
   Vandort was bowled by Stuart MacGill for 82, with skipper Mahela Jayawardene adding an even slower 49.
   Sri Lanka were 213-3 before two quick wickets gave the hosts some heart.
   It was a vastly improved batting performance from Sri Lanka compared to their first innings 211, played in much better coditions.
   Vandort and Jayawardene stayed together for the first 31 overs of the day, and their partnership was worth 102 when debutant Mitchell Johnson put a bit extra into a ball outside off-stump - which Jayawardene edged to Adam Gilchrist.
   After hitting 10 boundaries and facing 170 balls the tall left-hander Vandort was finally deceived by a superb ball from MacGill.
   The delivery drifted away from him and turned back sharply to hit his off-stump - providing the leg-spinner with his 200th Test wicket - and there was time for one more wicket too.
   That came when Thilan Samaraweera (20) played an aggressive shot off Johnson which flew to Michael Hussey at gully.
   An improved weather forecast for Monday means Australia should be able to wrap up victory without too much toil on the final day.
   But apart from the rain, the performance of Vandort, who batted for more than four hours in his first Test against Australia, was the main talking-point.
   Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s cricket governing body Sunday asked their counterparts in Australia to end the lock out of international media from the ongoing Test series between the two nations.
   ‘Our chief executive Duleep Mendis has written to Cricket Australia to see if they can settle the issue’, Samantha Algama, the SLC spokesman told AFP.
   SLC officials said they were seeking international coverage of the Sri Lanka-Australia second Test in Hobart where spinner Muttiah Muralitharan could pass Shane Warne’s tally of 709 Test wickets.
   ‘The Murali issue is our concern. If the problem continued, we will not have any pictures when Murali manages to break the record,’ SLC secretary Kangadaran Mathivanan said.
   The Cricket Australia (CA) decision has meant that no coverage was possible by international news agencies in the first Test at Gabba which is scheduled to end Monday.
   The world’s top three global news agencies said Thursday they would boycott the first cricket Test between Australia and Sri Lanka after organisers imposed unprecedented restrictions on coverage.
   The agencies, Agence France-Presse, Reuters and Associated Press, suspended all coverage of the 2007-08 season over CA demands, including one that they hand over rights to all photos taken at matches.
   The blackout of photos, news reports, graphics and video has meant that many international cricket fans have been unable to see photos of their favourite team or read about the match’s progress.
   The conditions imposed on photographers and journalists applying for credentials to cover cricket raise grave concerns about press freedom, the agencies said.

South Africa (226 & 422/3 dec) beat New Zealand
   (118 & 172) by 358 runs
   Fast bowler Dale Steyn finished with match figures of ten for 93 as South Africa completed a crushing 358-run win on the fourth day of the first Test against New Zealand at the Wanderers Stadium here on Sunday.
   New Zealand, set 531 to win, were bowled out for 172 in their second innings. It was the biggest win by a margin of runs by South Africa. The margin was two runs bigger than when they beat England at Lord’s in 1994.
   Steyn, bowling at high pace and exploiting a pitch of variable bounce, took five for 59 after taking five for 34 in the first innings.
   Captain Daniel Vettori made a fighting unbeaten 46 for New Zealand but his team were outclassed after making a good start to the match when they bowled out South Africa for 226 on the first day.
   The Black Caps also suffered from injuries and illness, including an abdominal strain which brought an early end to the tour for strike bowler Shane Bond, who did not bat in the second innings.
   It took only nine balls for South Africa to make the first breakthrough of the day after New Zealand resumed on 57 for three. Steyn dismissed Scott Styris for 16 when the batsman gloved a catch down the leg-side to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
   Brendon McCullum was peppered with short deliveries and took a painful blow on the left forearm as well as being hit on the right glove.
   But McCullum made 26 before fending Steyn to Herschelle Gibbs at gully.
   Michael Papps, selected as an opening batsman but only able to bat at number seven after being off the field all day Saturday because of illness, made only five before steering Jacques Kallis’ first delivery of the innings to Graeme Smith at first slip.
   Jacob Oram, batting with a runner after suffering a hamstring strain while bowling on Saturday, made 40 and shared a seventh wicket stand of 45 and took the match into the afternoon before he lofted a catch to mid-on off left-arm spinner Paul Harris.
   The end came rapidly with Iain O’Brien caught at short leg off Steyn and Chris Martin was bowled by Steyn.
   After their first innings failure South Africa bowled out New Zealand for 118 and then piled up 422 for three declared in their second innings, with Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla making centuries.
   The second and final Test starts at Centurion on Friday.

World number one Roger Federer on Sunday rode to the defence of fellow Swiss Martina Hingis, who inspired him as a young player, dismissing suggestions she could have taken drugs.
   Former women’s number one Hingis, 27, announced her retirement on November 1 after admitting she was under investigation for a positive test for cocaine.
   Her manager confirmed during the week that she will fight her positive test.
   And Federer, 26, insisted that he would be backing Hingis in her fight to clear her name.
   ‘I can’t ever imagine in any way that she took drugs,’ Federer said in an interview with the weekly Le Matin on Sunday.
   ‘I really hope that she can prove her innocence. I support her,’ he said.
   Federer revealed that Hingis, one of the teenage stars of the game in the 1990s, was a player who had inspired him.
   And he pointed out that it was alongside her in the Hopman Cup that he won his first title in January 2000, a year before he claimed his first ATP crown in Milan.
   ‘I know she has said she was proud to have in some way helped me at the beginning of my career,’ said the 12-time Grand Slam winner who has 52 titles to his name.
   ‘At the time, mixing with her, playing in doubles with her, was a privilege for me.’
   Hingis has insisted she is ‘100 per cent innocent’ and that this was backed up by a negative result on a hair test, which can show whether or not someone has taken cocaine.
   The Swiss star, who has five Grand Slams to her name, first retired in 2003 due to persistent ankle injury problems, but returned to the circuit in 2006.
   Meanhile, Federer said he feared that suspicions of match-fixing and betting would damage the game.
   ‘We cannot and should not cheat in tennis. It’s a sport in which there is a lot of money, it’s true, and some can be tempted to cheat.’
   But he added: ‘I’ve friends in this sport who don’t earn as much as I do but they don’t cheat.’

Australia’s tour of the West Indies, which was once one of the highlights of the calendar, has been downgraded to a three-Test series next year. The WICB has released the schedule for the contest for the Frank Worrell Trophy, which starts in May and finishes in July after five one-day internationals and a Twenty20.
   The past three Test trips to the Caribbean included four five-day matches for Australia, starting with their 2-1 victory in 1994-95, which was the first time they had won there since 1972-73. Australia have held the trophy since Mark Taylor led the triumph, although the 1998-99 series was drawn.
   Jamaica will host the first Test from May 22 followed by matches in Antigua and Barbados. The Twenty20 fixture, the first international of its type in the Caribbean, will be at Barbados, which plans to install lights for the occasion, before the one-day series begins on June 24.
   Sri Lanka will tour the West Indies before Australia, playing two Tests and three ODIs. The Tests will be in Guyana and Trinidad in March and April followed by the limited-overs matches.

The Bangabandhu National Stadium’s international recognition hangs in the balance until Salman Al Namsham a FIFA and AFC official, arrives in the capital Dhaka to undertake a second inspection of the big bowl on November 24.
   In August this year the official outlined a number of recommendations to renovate the stadium to fulfil the criteria of an international venue. But since then nothing has been done and to make matters worse the cause of the press box roof collapse on October 8 is yet to be determined.
   His recommendations included widening of the entrances of the stadium, upgrading of the dressing rooms and press box and improvements to the field itself.
   The BFF has also forwarded certain renovation proposals to the NSC but the ruling body of the country’s sports has hardly responded so far.

Team East defeated Team West by three wickets at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium on the third day of the Challengers Cup on Sunday.
   Chasing a target of 166 in the second innings, Team East clinched victory in 52.2 overs with Shakil scoring 51, Salahuddin 39.
   Hasibul, Shahjahan and Arful all claimed two wickets each. Mahmuduzzaman was adjudged as the man of the match.
   Meanwhile, Team North scored 263 in their first innings at the BKSP in Savar and dismissed Team South for just 50 runs in their first innings.
   Saiful bagged five for 23 runs.

Ajker Deshbidesh won the Cox’s Bazar Press Club Media Football tournament defeating Daily Bakkhali 1-0 in the final at the local stadium on Sunday.
   Mahbub slammed the winner in the 20th minute. He was also the event’s highest scorer with four goals.
   Lt Col Golam Mowla, CO, DGFI, distributed prizes as the chief guest.
   Police super Parash Kumar Majumder, deputy CO of 17 ECG Maj Anisur Rahman, ADC Arifur Rahman, general secretary of the DSA Abdul Khaleque, the president of the press club Atahar Iqbal were also present on the occasion.
   Dhaka Bank, Cox’s Bazar Pourashabha and AVS Multi Purpose Firm sponsored the competition.

The Combined Sports Family congratulated renowned sports organiser and architect Mubasshar Hossain on being elected the senior vice-president of the World Architect Union and regional chairman of the Asian Architect Union in Sri Lanka recently.
   Member-secretary of the CSF, Fazlur Rahman Babul, joint secretaries Ahmed Sazzadul Alam and Reazul Kabir Kawser and all members wished him a continued success in sports and his profession.

Mohammad Asif’s elbow injury may rule him out of Pakistan’s tour to India altogether, as the Pakistan board mull several medical options to resolve a problem that refuses to go away.
   Asif was initially withdrawn from Pakistan’s squad for the first three ODIs, on the day Pakistan left for India, but his right elbow continues to trouble him. A board official told Cricinfo that the chances of Asif joining the team for any of the remaining ODIs or Tests are very slim.
   ‘The elbow is still causing him trouble. We are considering different medical options because the problem has refused to go away and has troubled him for much of the last year. Right now, it is looking very doubtful that Asif will take any part in India at all,’ the official said.
   Nasim Ashraf, chairman PCB, revealed recently that Asif might have to go to Australia to receive treatment on the injury. ‘We have two reports on his injury. One specialist says he requires surgery, another feels he can recover without surgery. We have sent his reports to a top specialist in Australia and we are awaiting his response,’ Ashraf said.
   The board, according to Ashraf, are also considering preventing their fast bowlers from playing county cricket, to prevent them from being overworked and risk injuring themselves. Already this season, Umar Gul and Asif have been stopped from playing county cricket, though the board compensated both financially.
   Asif’s elbow first caused him problems on the tour to England last year, where after a brief, but high-workload stint with Leicestershire, he had to sit out the first three Tests of the summer series. Since then, the problem has plagued him intermittently, generally flaring up after he has bowled an excessive number of overs in Tests.
   The same injury forced Asif to miss four out of five ODIs against South Africa at home recently.

World number two Rafael Nadal overcame a stuttering start before sweeping aside Richard Gasquet as he kicked off his bid for a first Masters Cup title here on Sunday.
   The muscle-bound Mallorcan lost the first set but found his rhythm in the second and third, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Fellow Spaniard David Ferrer upset third seed Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 in the later match.
   ‘In the beginning I was a little bit nervous. Matches here are always very difficult because you play against the best,’ Nadal said.
   ‘So I started the match with a few doubts but later I played more aggressively. It was important to get the break in the beginning of the second set, and I finished much better than I started.’
   Nadal is seeking a breakthrough win in the elite eight-man tournament after pulling out injured in 2005 and losing to Roger Federer in last year’s semi-finals.
   But he paid for a pedestrian opening when Gasquet, in his first Masters Cup appearance, converted the last of three break points with a pinpoint forehand to go 5-3 up in the first set before serving it out.
   In a rollercoaster second set, Nadal broke, was broken but then broke again in successive games before clinching it 6-3, pumping his fists in celebration.
   As the Spaniard hit his stride, Gasquet fell off the pace and he capitulated in the fifth game of the third set, hitting a forehand long on the second break point to put Nadal 3-2 up and serving.
   Gasquet saved one match point at 5-3 but Nadal made no mistake on serve, converting the first of two chances with a backhand volley at the net.
   ‘He’s a fighter, he fights a lot. I missed some shots and when you miss some shots against him, the set is finished,’ Gasquet said.
   ‘I had to play a perfect match to win. I did the perfect first set, and after I fought. I played incredible but he has such a great forehand.’
   Later Ferrer broke an out-of-sorts Djokovic in the opening game and converted his second match point, winning 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 42 minutes.
   Djokovic has been the revelation of the season, winning five tournaments and reaching his first Grand Slam final, but cut a frustrated figure as he notched up 41 unforced errors.
   ‘Well, it wasn’t my day. Of course, this is sport. We all have to get used to the wins and losses,’ said the Serb.
   ‘I was the favourite in this match, but he proved that he’s a great player and absolutely he deserved to win.’
   Both men are competing in their first Masters Cup, with Ferrer winning three titles on his way to a career-high sixth in the rankings.
   ‘In the first game he was a little bit nervous and maybe I used that to win the game,’ Ferrer said.
   ‘I played with a lot of confidence and I played really, really good tennis.’
   Nadal had won all three of his previous tour meetings with Gasquet, but had not faced the Frenchman in two-and-a-half years.
   The 21-year-old has landed six titles this year, including his third straight French Open crown—the first player to do so since Bjorn Borg who took four between 1978-81.
   However he has struggled with knee tendinitis and, until last week’s Paris Masters, had not reached a final since July.
   Gasquet secured the last berth in the year-ending tournament by reaching the Paris semi-finals, leaping from 13th to eighth in the rankings.
   Gasquet, also 21, has enjoyed his best season to date, winning a career-best 48 matches and his fifth tour title. He is the first Frenchman since Sebastien Grosjean in 2001 to appear at the Masters Cup.
   Defending champion Federer opens his campaign on today.

DNA samples taken from the body of former Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer will be re-tested, extending the inquest into his death into a fourth week.
   Woolmer, a former England batsman was found unconscious in his Jamaica hotel room on March 18, a day after his Pakistan team was humiliated by Ireland in the Cricket World Cup.
   Woolmer was pronounced dead at the University of West Indies hospital but an autopsy called the death suspicious and then murder, which sparked an intense manhunt by Jamaican police until a review reversed the findings.
   Coroner Patrick Murphy has asked for more tests of samples from Woolmer’s corpse, pushing the review beyond Friday’s scheduled conclusion.
   The latest testimony focused upon what money Woolmer had and when and where he had obtained it. Money he had on March 12 was not his World Cup per diem.
   Michael Hall, director of cricket operations for the Cricket World Cup, testified that Pakistan was to receive an allocation of 23,920 dollars US on March 14.
   ‘It is my recollection that the Pakistan team received their money on the 14th of March,’ Hall said.
   Patricia Baker-Sinclair had earlier testified that she saw Woolmer with what appeared to be a large roll of US currency talking to an Indian man in the Pakistan team’s dressing room at Sabina Park.
   Attorney Jermaine Spence, representing the International Cricket Council, said a coach carrying such sums was not unusual, especially during long road trips when they are tasked with distributing player per diem payments.
   Murray Stevenson, the former fitness trainer of the Pakistan cricket team, testified that Woolmer told him he was planning retirement after the World Cup.
   Two empty champagne bottles were found in Woolmer’s room when his body was discovered. They were confiscated and tested.
   ‘He told me he had two bottles of champagne in his room at the hotel and that we would drink it on Wednesday (March 21) when the team played Zimbabwe, because it would be his last game in international cricket,’ Stevenson said.
   Stevenson was also questioned about his decision to relocate from room 375, opposite the hall from Woolmer’s room 374. He said it was due to noise from a nearby entertainment centre.
   Stevenson moved two floors up to the 14th floor on March 17 but kept the key of the prior room.
   Hotel information systems manager Lorraine Taite testified that after Stevenson was relocated, his key card was used to enter his former room but she could not say who had done so, nor if another guest was given that room.
   Stevenson was among 22 members of the Pakistani team interrogated by the police. He was also fingerprinted and DNA samples were taken from him. Neither matched items from Woolmer’s hotel room.

Steve Harmison has admitted that he was worried he wasn’t Test ready even though he took six wickets for the Lions in South Africa. He said it was only his three wickets in the second innings against the Cobras that made him feel happier and somewhere towards being ready to return to England’s attack for the first time since the summer.
   ‘It was like chalk and cheese,’ he told The Daily Mail of the two innings. ‘Two different bowlers. ‘Six for kicks’ looks great but it wasn’t very good and I felt I had a huge amount to do before I could consider playing Test cricket in the near future.
   ‘My action was all over the oche and that dented my confidence a bit. There was no rhythm or momentum. Not much felt right at all, in fact. Inside I knew that if my bowling didn’t improve and fast I’d be struggling and there just might not be enough time to get things right.’
   Harmison is playing in South Africa in a bid to get match fit ahead of England’s Test series in Sri Lanka.
   ‘Don’t get me wrong,’ he said. ‘I love playing for England and I’m desperate to do so as soon as possible. I’m the one who instigated coming out here in the first place because I wanted to give myself the best chance of being fit and ready.
   ‘But there is no way I would jeopardise England’s cause or my reputation by pleading with them to pick me if I’m not anywhere near ready to play Test cricket. My thinking was that if the bowling didn’t get better I would tell them I wasn’t ready.’
   However, he was soon boosted by taking 3 for 46 from 16 overs in the second innings - albeit after a wonky start. ‘When the first over of the second innings took 10 balls, I thought: ‘Here we go again’. But after that things just clicked.’
   He gave credit to England’s bowling coach, Ottis Gibson. ‘Thanks to the work I had done with Ottis, my wrist position was much better and the ball was coming out straight. After the way I had felt before it was a helluva relief.’

Taiwan held off a spirited Thailand to win the Asian Hopman Cup mixed team event on Sunday and earn a place in next month’s tournament proper in Perth.
   Lu Yen-hsun and Hsieh Su-wei sealed victory with a commanding performance in the deciding doubles match, hammering Thai pairing Danai Udomchoke and Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-4, 6-0 to complete the line-up for the eight-nation Hopman Cup.
   ‘We’re so happy to win, it’s not easy to come here, play all these matches,’ Lu told reporters.
   ‘We’d split the points, so it all came down to the final match and we realised we needed to take our chance to win.’
   Hsieh gave Taiwan the early advantage, dictating the opening match with Tamarine to win 6-3, 7-5.
   The 21-year-old blasted the ball around the court and forced struggling Tamarine into a stream of errors. Hsieh broke her opponent at 4-3 to win the first set and held her nerve and her serve to climb back from 4-2 down to take the second.
   In the men’s singles, Danai beat Lu 7-6, 6-4 to bring it to 1-1 overall, edging ahead in a tight but entertaining match against the Asian number two.
   The players were evenly matched throughout, with Asian Games gold medallist Danai countering Lu’s big serves and heavy topspin drives with powerful returns and perfectly-placed drop shots.
   Danai won a close first set tiebreak and kept his composure throughout a tricky second set packed with powerful serving and heated rallies. The Thai broke his opponent at 5-4 to earn the win and level the score.
   Taiwan’s victory gave them the final berth in the Hopman Cup, which starts on December 29. Also competing will be four-times champions the United States, Serbia, France, Australia, Argentina, Czech Republic and last year’s winners India.

Italy’s Alessio Di Mauro has been banned for nine months after becoming the first professional to be caught in a betting crackdown, the ATP said on Saturday.
   The world number 124, who made the Australian and French Open first rounds this year, has also been fined $60,000 after an ATP probe launched in April found he wagered on other players’ matches between November 2, 2006 and June 12, 2007.
   No attempt was made to fix results but an independent hearing officer decided he had committed an offence under the ATP anti-corruption programme.
   He could have faced a maximum three-year suspension.

England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar has said he doesn’t regard himself as his side’s primary spinner, ahead of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka. Panesar’s spin partner on the tour will be Nottinghamshire’s off-spinner Graeme Swann, who impressed during last month’s one-day series in Sri Lanka, but Panesar is sure to play if England opt for only one spinner in the eleven.
   ‘I don’t see myself as the number one spin bowler in the side,’ Panesar told Reuters. ‘The only reason I say that is because I am still young and need to learn. That number one tag is quite a strong statement.’
   Panesar has played 20 Tests while Swann, who is a capable lower-order batsman, is as yet uncapped. England could also opt to play two spinners as they did during their 2-1 Test series triumph when they visited Sri Lanka in 2001.
   Panesar said he was grateful for the tips he got from Muttiah Muralitharan when Sri Lanka toured England in 2006. ‘He said you should always try to turn the ball but not complicate things by trying to bowl too many different types of deliveries and just keep it simple.’
   England play two three-day warm-up games in Colombo before the first Test starts in Kandy on December 1.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Dhaka University and Bangladesh Cricket Board here on Sunday for the development of cricket infrastructure at DU.
   DU Treasurer Prof Syed Abul Kalam Azad and Chief Executive of BCB Mahmudur Rahman signed the MoU.
   DU Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz, Pro-VC AFM Yusuf Haider, Adviser of Physical Training Centre Prof Didar-Ul-Alam, Chairman of DU Cricket Committee Syed Alamgir Jafar, National Manager of Grounds and Facilities Management Committee of BCB Emran Abedin were present on the occasion.
   Under the agreement, the BCB will develop central ground of the university, including building of gallery and press box and setting up pitches, targeting the next World Cup Cricket.

Ten-man Bayern Munich crashed to their first defeat of the season as they were humbled 3-1 by defending Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, but still stay top.
   Two goals by Mario Gomez – scorer of a double in their 4-2 defeat by Lyon in the Champions League on Wednesday – and a wonder strike by Turkish international Yildiray Basturk at Stuttgart’s Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion meant the leaders were in the shock situation of being 3-0 down at half-time.
   ‘Mentally, my team weren’t there today,’ said Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
   ‘Stuttgart were far superior and more aggressive.
   ‘Above all, the first quarter of an hour was disappointing.
   ‘We will look at the game and talk about it, but Stuttgart deserved the win.’
   Bayern had only conceded four league goals before this game and Stuttgart took the lead when Germany’s player of the year Gomez met a cross at the far post and the ball went in off his hip on 10 minutes.
   A net-buster of a shot from 30 metres by Basturk made it 2-0 before a bicycle kick from Brazilian Cacau was tapped back by Roberto Hilbert into the path of Gomez on 42 minutes who made it 3-0.
   Hitzfeld responded by swapping Lukas Podolski after an ineffective first-half with German international strike partner Miroslav Klose, the top-scorer at last year’s World Cup, and adjusting his midfield.
   But Bayern’s fortunes did not improve as they were reduced to ten-men after Brazilian Lucio was shown a red card on 70 minutes for lashing out against Stuttgart’s Swiss defender Ludovic Magnin.
   Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni hit a late consolation goal as Bayern fell to their first defeat in any competition this season.
   In their defence, this was Munich’s second game in less than 48 hours after they drew 2-2 with Bolton Wanderers in the UEFA Cup on Thursday night.
   The win lifts Stuttgart to eighth and after an exceptionally poor start to the season, this was a welcome tonic for Armin Veh’s side.
   ‘We had planned to start aggressively,’ said Veh.
   ‘The early goal gave us some security and it gave us a lot of confidence and the performance grew from there.’
   Werder Bremen are now just a point behind Bayern in second-place as Brazilian midfielder Diego struck with two first-half goals as the home side won 4-0 against fourth-placed Karlsruhe.
   After they were humbled 2-1 by Lazio in Rome in midweek this was a much more assured performance.
   ‘We controlled the game from early on and the two goals by Diego settled us down,’ said coach Thomas Schaaf.
   ‘That was much better than Tuesday night in Rome, it will be a big party for the fans.’
   Hamburg are in third after they drew 1-1 at Schalke 04.
   The guests fell behind to an early goal when defender Mladen Krstajic headed the home side into 1-0 lead on 12 minutes.
   But Hamburg got themselves level when Croatian striker Ivica Olic scored with a header on 35 minutes as it finished 1-1.
   Having struggled earlier in the season, Hansa Rostock are up to 14th as they picked up a much-needed three points after striker Enrico Kern hit a hat-trick in their 3-1 win over bottom-club Energie Cottbus.
   Hertha Berlin had Brazilian striker Andre Lima to thank as his goal three minutes from time gave his side a 1-0 win over Hanover at a snow-covered Olympic Stadium as a heavy shower before kick-off made conditions difficult.
   Mid-table side Eintracht Frankfurt drew 1-1 at Borussia Dortmund.
   On Friday night, VfL Bochum put some daylight between themselves and the bottom three with a 2-0 win over second-from-bottom Duisburg with goals by Canadian defender Daniel Imhof and Danish striker Tommy Bechmann.
   This Sunday, Arminia Bielefeld are home to Nuremberg while VfL Wolfsburg take on Bayern Leverkusen.

League leaders Bayern Munich’s 3-1 surprise defeat at VfB Stuttgart on Saturday was the German giants’ first defeat of the season and has left the club’s senior figures reeling in shock.
   Having enjoyed a six-point gap at the top of the Bundesliga in the middle of October, Bayern have had their lead trimmed back to a single point after they were humbled in Stuttgart.
   Bayern’s water-tight defence had only conceded four goals in 12 league games all season, but that record was smashed by Stuttgart as Germany’s player of the year Mario Gomez scored twice to put the home side 3-0 up at half-time.
   And the second-half dismissal of Brazilian defender Lucio was the final nail in Bayern’s coffin.
   Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni scored a late consolation goal, but it was too little, too late as Bayern’s run of 24 competitive games without defeat came to a spectacular end.
   ‘You’re obviously going to suffer minor setbacks at some point during a season,’ said Bayern captain Oliver Kahn, whose side now has a two-week break thanks to next weekend’s Euro 2008 qualifiers.
   ‘We’re still top of the table. If we now go on and win the league, no-one will ever mention this game again.
   ‘We were lethargic in the first half, we didn’t go looking for the ball, and we didn’t win the ball.
   ‘We never came near the attitude we needed for this match, so there was no way we were going to come away with anything.
   ‘We’ve now got 14 days to get over it, and then we’ll be back with a vengeance.
   ‘We’ll sit down and analyse the situation, but we’re not going to panic.’
   But Bayern have now gone four games without a win, which is not acceptable for the ambitious Munich side.
   Scoreless draws with mid-table Bundesliga sides Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund plus the defeat in Stuttgart, as well as last week’s 2-2 UEFA Cup draw with Bolton Wanderers means the German giants have hit something of a low-point.
   ‘It’s not been a good week for us,’ said Bayern’s chairman of the board Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as his side played their second game in less than 48 hours.
   ‘Unfortunately, we failed to win in the UEFA Cup on Thursday, and today we’ve deservedly lost for the first time this season.
   ‘Our problems started two or three weeks ago. The task now is to regroup and start a new run.’
   Having splashed out 69 million euros last summer to recruit a team of stars including French midfielder Franck Ribery and world-class strikers Toni and Miroslav Klose, coach Ottmar Hitzfeld was far from impressed.
   ‘We slept through the first quarter of an hour,’ said Hitzfeld, whose side have a two week break before they play VfL Wolfsburg.
   ‘We didn’t show enough aggression, we tried to play our way to success.
   ‘We always knew it would be extremely tough in Stuttgart, so I fail to understand why we weren’t up for it physically.
   ‘We were badly organised at the back and non-existent up front.
   ‘We gave our opponents all the encouragement they needed.
   ‘We woke up after their second, we had a promising spell and we were close to pulling one back.
   ‘If we’d scored, I think we’d have gone on and taken something from the game, but it was unbelievably difficult at 3-0 down.’
   With Werder Bremen and Hamburg just one point behind, a few more poor results in the Bundesliga could see Bayern toppled from top spot which would trigger alarm bells in Munich.

UEFA president Michel Platini’s proposals to revamp the Champions League face a key test today when league, club and player representatives meet at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon to discuss the planned changes.
   The 16 members of UEFA’s new strategy council will have a final chance to raise any objections before the new format is put to the executive committee of European soccer’s governing body in Lucerne on December 1.
   If adopted, the changes will be introduced from 2009.
   Promising to bring a wider international range of clubs into the competition as part of his bid for the UEFA presidency in January, Platini plans to guarantee more places to champions from outside the 12 highest-ranking countries.
   He has also proposed a separate qualifying route for domestic cup winners who would be offered spots previously reserved for teams who finished high up in their respective leagues.
   The latter idea has faced the strongest opposition from the top clubs and leagues, who asked for more time to consider the changes after Platini first unveiled them in Monaco in August.
   Sources within the European Professional Football Leagues – which represents 25 of the continent’s top leagues – told Reuters this week that they were still opposed to the inclusion of cup winners in the competition.
   In September, the 24 club representatives making up UEFA’s club forum gave majority support to the overall plan but there was opposition from bigger clubs, particularly to the cup winners idea.
   Resistance is likely to be stiff again on Monday when only big clubs are present. The strategy council’s club representatives comprise Chelsea’s Peter Kenyon, AC Milan’s Umberto Gandini, Barcelona’s Joan Laporta and Ajax’s Maarten Fontein.
   With the exception of Chelsea, three of those four clubs are members of the self-appointed G14, which represents 18 of Europe’s top clubs and has also expressed opposition to the changes.
   ‘We are of course against the cup winners idea, but there is a consensus forming on both sides and we are open to working with UEFA to finding a compromise,’ G14 general manager Thomas Kurth told Reuters this week. The G14 is holding its own meeting on Tuesday.
   UEFA has also indicated that there is still room for manoeuvre.
   ‘The UEFA president knows very clearly what the core of the project is and that is to have more champions from middle-sized countries in the competition,’ Platini’s special adviser William Gaillard told Reuters on Friday.
   ‘Everybody knows we are not going to negotiate on that.
   ‘The other things are the icing on the cake. Some national associations would rather have places for cup winners and others would rather delay any decision because of ongoing contracts. But we think the final details can be adopted by consensus.’
   The strategy council is also set to discuss less controversial changes to the format of the second tier UEFA Cup competition, also put forward by Platini in Monaco.
   The main proposal involves creating a more ‘comprehensible’ group stage involving 12 groups of four teams each with the top two qualifying for the knockout stages.
   The current UEFA Cup group stage involves eight groups of five teams, with the top three progressing.

Roy Keane admitted Sunderland had been taught a harsh lesson about life in the Premier League after they blew the chance to beat local rivals Newcastle.
   Keane’s side were on course for their first home victory in the Tyne-Wear derby for 27 years when Danny Higginbotham headed them into a 52nd-minute lead.
   But the hosts allowed Newcastle to level 13 minutes later when James Milner’s cross crept in at the far post.
   Sunderland should still have taken the points but Kenwyne Jones missed a glorious chance and Michael Chopra hit the bar.
   It was harsh on the Black Cats but Keane insisted his players must realise Premier League opponents will hit back if they don’t kill them off.
   ‘The beauty of the Premiership is if you don’t take your chances it will come back to haunt you and that’s what happened,’ Keane said.
   ‘We can talk all day about luck but the players had the chances. We keep getting these lessons in the Premiership.
   ‘That will only change with experience. We’ve got a lot of players who haven’t played in the Premiership before. These are lessons you have to learn and you have to learn them quickly.’
   Sunderland are slipping down the table after a run of seven matches without a win, but Keane is convinced his team will turn it around.
   ‘I think Sam (Allardyce) will be slightly happier than me today,’ he said. ‘I thought the overall performance was outstanding.
   ‘A few things are going against us but I’ve got great belief in the players. If we keep playing like that we will have a decent season.’
   Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce was relieved to avoid defeat after a disappointing recent run.
   He conceded his side had started badly but was encouraged by the way they battled back.
   ‘We deserved it because of our response after we went a goal down. It was what I was looking for from the start,’ he said.
   ‘It’s a little bit more acceptable if you come back from a goal down away from home in a derby game and get a draw.
   ‘It’s a big local derby and we haven’t lost. That’s very important for the fans.
   ‘Up until the goal Sunderland had out-muscled us and we couldn’t get our passing game going.
   ‘Their goal was disappointing. We can’t afford to keep giving silly mistakes away.’

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton may have blown his best chance of winning the Formula One title by failing to secure this year’s championship, according to fellow-Briton Jenson Button.
   ‘He (Hamilton) is a great driver, but there are lots of great drivers in Formula One who did not have his package,’ the Honda driver told the Mail on Sunday.
   ‘What would worry me is the lost opportunity.
   ‘You can’t say in my sport: ‘Oh well, I only missed out by a point so next year I’ll go one better.’ It doesn’t work out like that,’ he added.
   Hamilton had a 12-point lead going into the penultimate race of the season in China but ended up losing the title by a single point to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen after a nightmare season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix last month.
   ‘He should be sick as a dog because another chance like that might not come round again,’ said Button.
   The 22-year-old Hamilton, who won four races in his rookie season, will start next year as a title favourite. But Button, speaking from experience, warned that Formula One was a fickle sport.
   Button won in Hungary last year and talked of fighting for the championship until it became clear that the 2007 Honda was way off the pace.
   He ended up scoring just six points while Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello drew a blank.
   ‘The car was a complete dog and I’m just not interested in racing like this any more,’ Button told the newspaper.
   ‘I remember after Hungary this year wanting to hit something.
   ‘I’d won that same race 12 months previously and now I was there sitting in something which was undriveable,’ he said.
   Button said he would love to win the championship with the Japanese team that he has been part of for five years but he warned that there was a limit to his patience.
   ‘I have to start winning and if I don’t then I have to be ruthless,’ he declared.
   ‘There’s an option in my contract which means we can all sit down and discuss the future at the end of the season. If things don’t work out, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing,’ he said of the year ahead.
   ‘I’m not saying I expect to win the world title but I do expect a dramatic improvement.’
   Meanwhile, Hamilton insisted Sunday that he wants to stay with McLaren for life.
   The 22-year-old narrowly missed out on the driver’s championship title in his first full season and looks set to be McLaren’s number one driver next season after the departure of Fernando Alonso.
   Now Hamilton has set his sights on winning the world title and staying with McLaren throughout his racing career.
   Hamilton told Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek programme: ‘I don’t know how long I will be in Formula One but the team I am with right now is the only team I want to be with.
   ‘I know the guys so well and I had a great season. They gave me a great opportunity. I want to win world championships and I want to win it for them.
   ‘I see my career ending with them. I don’t feel there is anywhere else to go. When you are in Formula One there are the top teams and I believe McLaren is a top team, so why would I make a sidestep or a back step to any other team. I want to be the best driver there is today.’

Sir Alex Ferguson feels Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo have the potential to emulate another Manchester United trio.
   United legends Sir Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best all won the European Footballer of the Year award in the 1960s and Ferguson admits it would be ‘fantastic’ if his current attacking jewels could repeat the feat.
   And while the Red Devils boss does not want to saddle his players with lofty expectations, Ferguson is excited by the ability of Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo.
   ‘Don’t forget that the other three all won European Player of the Year which was unique coming from one club,’ said Ferguson in the News of the World.
   ‘If these lads ever did achieve that level, it would be fantastic for us as a football club to have them, but I think that is years ahead.
   ‘With players of their ability nothing is impossible. I wouldn’t want to put that accolade or pressure on them until a few years when they’ve achieved more.
   ‘But they do have similar aspects to their game. They are courageous, they enjoy playing, they can beat men. They are exciting players, they are young enough.
   ‘They produce moments in a game that can change everything that is happening on the pitch. They can turn a match with their individual skills.
   ‘Each of them has these things in his locker. You hope one of them will produce the things that will win games for you.’

A soccer fan was killed during clashes between supporters of rival clubs in Italy on Sunday, police said.
   The clashes erupted at a motorway restaurant near the Tuscan city of Arezzo.
   A police source said the victim appeared to have been inside a car of Lazio fans and that Juventus supporters were also involved in the clashes.
   ANSA said Lazio’s match with champions Inter Milan at 1400 GMT may be postponed with soccer officials in urgent talks with the government.
   Italy is battling a serious soccer hooligan problem and suspended all soccer for a period in February when a policeman was killed in riots outside a top-flight match in Catania.
   Juventus are due to play at Parma later.
   Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said he had been informed of the incident and told reporters: ‘Certainly these events are very worrying.’
   Sporadic violence has continued in recent months despite the security crackdown prompted by February’s incident.
   Officials said last month that fan injuries caused by violence around stadiums had been cut by 80 per cent from last season but that it was difficult to combat violence away from the grounds.

Palermo moved up to seventh in Serie A after coming from behind to beat Napoli 2-1 on Saturday thanks to a second-half double from Giovanni Tedesco.
   The first top-flight meeting between the sides in 34
   years lost some of its edge when Napoli fans were
   banned from the Stadio Renzo Barbera because of recent crowd trouble. But the players still served up an entertaining game.
   Palermo, who had not won at home since September 26, controlled the first half with Franco Brienza hitting a post before Mariano Bogliacino gave promoted Napoli a surprise lead in the second.
   Midfielder Tedesco levelled on 57 minutes when his clever lob took a deflection on its way into the top corner.
   The derby of the two Sicilies, so called because of former monarchs who ruled Sicily and the kingdom of Naples, was settled in the 67th minute when Tedesco turned in a corner from close range.
   Palermo were later awarded a penalty for handball but
   the referee reversed his decision after consulting his linesman.
   Earlier, Sampdoria recorded a 3-0 home win over third from bottom Empoli.
   Eighth-placed Sampdoria, one spot higher than Napoli, took an early lead when Sergio Volpi’s free-kick went in off defender Guillermo Giacomazzi.
   Experienced striker Vincenzo Montella doubled their advantage before halftime and Paolo Sammarco tapped in a late third to help the Genoa-based side erase memories of the 5-0 hammering by AC Milan in their last home game.

Mohamed Sissoko has revealed his frustration at Rafa Benitez’s rotation policy at Liverpool.
   The Mali born midfielder has started just six games this season after some disappointing performances.
   He failed to feature again in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday and he admits he finds it difficult to not play a part in the action.
   ‘It can be frustrating,’ Sissoko told the Daily Star Sunday.
   ‘I played a lot in my first season and then again at the start of last season before I got injured. I am more relaxed when I’m in the starting line-up. That’s only natural.’

Roger Federer admitted he was desperate to win gold at next year’s Beijing Olympics to fill one of the last gaps in his glittering trophy cabinet.
   The Swiss world number one, in China for the Masters Cup showpiece, said the Olympic title would be ‘very special.’
   ‘I would like to go there and win a medal,’ he said. ‘I want to get at least the semi-finals and go from there. But an Olympic gold would be something very special.’
   Federer has compiled 12 Grand Slams among his 52 tournament wins with a record stint of nearly four years on top of the world rankings.
   But Olympic success has been elusive. Federer, now 26, finished fourth in 2000 and was knocked out in round two at Athens.
   Federer said he would be honoured to repeat his role
   as flag-carrier for Switzerland
   at the Beijing opening ceremony.
   ‘I don’t expect it but it would be another great honour for me, because I’ve already done it in Athens 2004 which was great for me,’ he said.
   ‘If they allow me to do it again, I would.’

Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard struck in the dying minutes to give Liverpool a 2-0 win over Fulham at Anfield on Saturday.
   Antti Niemi had threatened to dent Liverpool’s title ambitions as Fulham’s veteran Finland keeper produced a string of spectacular second-half saves to frustrate the hosts.
   But substitute Torres, who had only been on the pitch 12 minutes, eased the tension after he turned visiting captain Aaron Hughes before hitting his eighth goal for the club in the 82nd minute.
   And Gerrard sealed Liverpool’s first home win in the league since September 1 from the penalty spot two minutes later after Peter Crouch had been fouled by Carlos Bocanegra. It left Liverpool three points behind joint Premiership leaders Arsenal and Manchester United in the table.
   Rafa Benitez, who was taking charge of his 200th match with Liverpool, saluted Torres’s match-winning cameo role.
   Benitez sprang a major surprise before kick-off when he named an unchanged starting line-up for the first time in 13 months.
   The Spaniard was persuaded to keep faith with the same side which crushed Besiktas 8-0 in the Champions League four days earlier, which meant seven-goal leading scorer Torres was once again left on the bench.
   It was only the second time in his spell as manager at the club. Yet Benitez must have wished he had opted to make changes as he watched his players produce a disjointed first-half performance against a team which had failed to win in 26 visits to Anfield.
   Niemi was forced to parry a powerful low effort behind for a corner from fellow countryman Sami Hyypia in the sixth minute while Crouch was denied his first Premier League goal in eight months by the woodwork on the stroke of half time.
   Yet that was about all Liverpool could muster in a frustrating opening 45 minutes for the hosts.
   Fulham were certainly more resilient than Besiktas and did not look like a team which had gone 14 months without an away win in the league.
   The London club arrived at Anfield on the back of their best run of form since Sanchez, the former Northern Ireland manager, took over.
   They were unbeaten in their previous three outings and might have taken a shock lead had Jose Reina not produced a flying save to deny former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy in the 15th minute.
   But it was Niemi who was the busier of the two keepers in the second half as Liverpool upped the tempo in an effort to break the deadlock.
   Niemi produced a string of top-class saves to frustrate the hosts. Andriy Voronin was twice denied by the 35-year-old, while Yossi Benayoun, who scored a hat-trick against Besiktas, was denied a place on the scoresheet by Niemi’s finger-tips.
   But Benayoun was guilty of a bad miss in the 55th minute as he fired over from inside the six-yard area after man-of-the-match Niemi had produced another wonderful save to keep out a free-kick by Brazilian defender Fabio Aurelio.
   With the clock ticking down and home fans growing increasingly restless, Benitez sent on Spanish international Torres for the final 20 minutes in place of Voronin and the change did the trick.
   Within 12 minutes the club record signing broke the deadlock with his fifth league goal for Liverpool after cleverly turning Hughes inside the Fulham penalty area.
   Gerrard guaranteed victory from the spot – his fifth goal in his last six outings – after referee Steve Tanner had adjudged Bocanegra to have fouled Crouch.
   Earlier, West Ham United won 5-0 at bottom club Derby County.
   West Ham’s victory over Derby was their biggest in the Premier League since December 2000.
   Three of West Ham’s goals came in an eight-minute spell in the second half as Billy Davies’s hapless Derby recorded their fifth successive game without a goal, the club’s worst run since 1920.
   Derby have six points from 13 matches while West Ham move up to ninth with 18 points from 12.
   Lee Bowyer put West Ham ahead after 42 minutes before Matthew Etherington (51), an own goal from Eddie Lewis (55), a second from Bowyer (59) and a free-kick by Nolberto Solano (69) piled on the home team’s misery.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez saluted Fernando Torres after the Spanish striker climbed off the bench to fire his side within three points of the Premier League summit.
   Benitez’s side were heading towards another frustrating Anfield draw before club record signing Torres climbed off the bench to score his eighth goal for the club.
   Liverpool’s first home win in the league since September 1 was confirmed when Steven Gerrard scored a controversial penalty after Peter Crouch was adjudged to have been fouled by Carlos Bocanegra.
   Yet until Torres’s goal in the 82nd minute, Fulham looked to be heading towards a crucial point as their Finland international keeper Antti Niemi produced a breathtaking performance to frustrate the hosts.
   Liverpool head into the international break with confidence high. This win moves them three points behind joint leaders Arsenal and Manchester United, who both play on Sunday.
   ‘If you want to stay at the top of the table, you have to win at home,’ acknowledged Liverpool manager Benitez. ‘This was a really important win, with the international break coming up, to keep our momentum.’
   Benitez was full of praise for Torres, who had been an unused substitute in the 8-0 Champions League thrashing of Besiktas in midweek.
   ‘The idea against Besiktas was to keep him on the bench, but today he was fitter than he was four days ago so he could be part of the team,’ Benitez said.
   ‘To see Fernando come back and score such an important goal for us was really good. The other strikers have also done a fantastic job. Andriy Voronin had two or three good chances, but you must give credit to their keeper.
   ‘I had confidence we would score because we were creating chances, but we had to be patient.’
   Benitez admitted he had taken a risk by naming the same side that had faced Besiktas four days earlier. It was the first time in 13 months that the Liverpool manager, renowned for his tinkering, had decided against making changes.
   ‘We were unchanged from the other night because we scored eight goals and played so well,’ added Benitez. ‘But you could see two or three players were really tired. It was good in the end because we won. It was a little bit of a risk because some players were not really fresh. Will I name an unchanged side again? I will if we score another eight goals!’
   Benitez’s side are now unbeaten in 13 games in the Premier League, a run stretching back to May 5 when they lost by a single goal at Fulham.
   The London club rarely looked like winning at Anfield, but for long periods Niemi’s heroics looked like earning his side a crucial away point.
   Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez said that his side were full value for a point until Torres’s introduction.
   Sanchez was critical of referee Steve Tanner for awarding the penalty which allowed England midfielder Gerrard to score his fifth goal in six appearances.
   ‘We restricted Liverpool to long-range shooting before they decided to introduce a bit of talent from the substitutes’ bench,’ said Sanchez. ‘From my point of view it was a reasonably soft goal to concede.
   ‘It was not a penalty. Goal difference for us is very important and that was a goal that shouldn’t have been given.’

Six away points from a possible 18 is not good enough for a team with title aspirations and Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard admitted that he would have to go back to the drawing board after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Getafe.
   ‘I think we tried to play football our way but once again it didn’t work and it is my job to find a solution to collect points away from home,’ Rijkaard explained.
   ‘I have to think of something different for the away games. It could involve a change of system.’
   Michael Laudrup was a hero at Barcelona after helping them win the 1992 European Cup but the now-Getafe coach put past feelings aside to mastermind a sensational win over ten-man Barcelona.
   Barcelona could have replaced Real Madrid at the summit but fell to their second defeat of the season with Manu del Moral (27) and Juan Albin (90) on target.
   Substitute Gianluca Zambrotta was sent off for a wild challenge late on to cap a miserable night for the Catalans who are now a point behind Real having played one game more.
   Elsewhere, new Valencia boss Ronald Koeman, another Barcelona old boy, enjoyed a winning start in his first league match in charge with his club running out 3-0 winners over Murcia.
   Ivan Helguera scored first before Spanish international David Villa, returning after a spell on the sidelines, stole the show, bagging a brace either side of the interval.
   Valencia are now level on points with Barcelona who have won just once on their travels this season leaving Rijkaard concerned.
   ‘We did not create many chances and the fact that Uche had more shots than our entire team proves that something didn’t work,’ the Dutchman said.
   ‘However there is a long way to go in the league and a lot of factors come into play - but obviously if you want to achieve something you must collect points on your travels and so far we have failed to do this.’
   It was the first time Getafe, a club that was founded in 1983 and is enjoying only its third season in the top division, had defeated the mighty Barcelona in the league and the result will please their old boss Bernd Schuster.
   Schuster, now in charge of Real Madrid, will hope his side can capitalise on Barca’s slip and victory over Mallorca on Sunday would see them move four points clear of their foes.
   All the pre-match talk had been of Barcelona enacting revenge over Getafe with last season’s cup semi-final still at the back of their minds.
   Leading the semi-final 5-2 from the first leg Barcelona somehow lost the return leg 4-0 and Getafe, then under the management of Schuster, progressed to the final.
   Getafe took a surprise lead with Manu scuffing in a half-volley from close range after Barca failed to defend a set-piece.
   Rijkaard made one change at the interval replacing Lilian Thuram with Italian full-back Zambrotta as Carles Puyol reverted to the centre of defence.
   Predictably Getafe built a defence bottleneck for Barcelona and there was no way through for Ronaldinho and company.
   Zambrotta produced a ferocious two-footed challenge five minutes from time and was issued his marching orders and a goal in stoppage time was the final nail in the coffin.

If Barcelona have aspirations to win the Spanish championship this season they will have to sort out their erratic away form quickly after suffering a shock 2-0 loss at Getafe on Saturday.
   Michael Laudrup was a hero at Barcelona after helping them win the 1992 European Cup but the now-Getafe coach put past feelings aside to mastermind a sensational win over ten-man Barcelona.
   Barcelona had the chance to replace rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table with a victory but they fell to their second defeat of the season with Manu del Moral (27) and Juan Albin (90) on target.
   Substitute Gianluca Zambrotta was sent off for a wild challenge late on to cap a miserable night for the Catalans who are now a point behind Real having played one game more.
   At home Barcelona are playing like champions but on their travels they look anything but that and manager Frank Rijkaard will be concerned that his team have managed just one win away from home this season.
   It was the first time Getafe, a club that was founded in 1983 and is enjoying only its third season in the top division, had defeated the mighty Barcelona in the league and the result will please their old boss Bernd Schuster.
   Schuster, now in charge of Real Madrid, will hope his side can capitalise on Barca’s slip and victory over Mallorca on Sunday would see them move four points clear of their foes.
   All the pre-match talk had been of Barcelona enacting revenge over Getafe with last season’s cup semi-final still at the back of their minds.
   Leading the semi-final 5-2 from the first leg Barcelona somehow lost the return leg 4-0 and Getafe, then under the management of Schuster, progressed to the final.
   Barcelona were full of confidence heading into this match after wins over Real Betis and Rangers and the return to form of Brazilian Ronaldinho, scorer of three goals in his last two league outings.
   French international Thierry Henry had the first real opening on 23 minutes racing onto an Andres Iniesta pass but his side-footed effort was blocked.
   Four minutes later Getafe took a surprise lead with Manu scuffing in a half-volley from close range after Barca failed to defend a set-piece.
   Rijkaard made one change at the interval replacing Lilian Thuram with Italian full back Zambrotta as Carles Puyol reverted to the centre of defence.
   Predictably Getafe built a defence bottleneck for Barcelona and there was no way through for Ronaldinho and company.
   Zambrotta produced a ferocious two-footed challenge five minutes from time and was issued his marching orders and a goal in stoppage time was the final nail in the coffin.

Justine Henin’s career-best season carried her into the final of the WTA Championships in defence of her title, a 6-4, 6-4 win over Ana Ivanovic earning the world number one a showdown with former world number one Maria Sharapova.
   Despite an aggressive start by Ivanovic and a temporary recovery by the Serb in the second set, Henin again proved herself one the most gracefully complete all round players the sport has ever seen, using many skills to weather the difficulties. They helped her extend her winning run to 24, the longest by anyone on the WTA Tour since Henin herself achieved the same sequence early in 2005. It also earned the chance of two other notable statistics.
   If Henin beats Sharapova on Sunday she becomes the first player to win 10 titles in a season since Martina Hingis in 1997, and the first to remain unbeaten post-Wimbledon since Steffi Graf 18 years ago.
   ‘I played well but I was a bit tired today and my foot hurts,’ said Henin, who has had 66 matches this year, winning 62. ‘But I am in the final, which is always special and it’s the last match of the season, so I hope I can make the one last step.’
   For a while it looked as though the penultimate step might be more difficult than it was. Ivanovic set up some storming early attacks, launching heavy inside-out and cross-court forehands, usually her most dangerous shot, but applying good pressure with the backhand as well. She also earned an early break but then lost it, though she often had the champion containing and defending hard, forcing a prolonged crisis in the third game in which there were seven deuces with Ivanovic having four break points. One of them saw another excellent Ivanovic off-forehand appear to skim the outside of Henin’s backhand sideline, but it was called out. A Hawkeye appeal suggested that the line judge had been correct by no more than a millimetre – well beyond the computerised system’s degree of accuracy. But Henin had so many stroke-making options that she always seemed to have a choice of escape available. And once she had saved that game, the match had a different feel.
   Henin rubbed in Ivanovic’s disappointment by breaking immediately for 3-2 and then again for 5-2. Despite failing to close out the set at the first attempt, Henin managed it comfortably enough the second time. She then accelerated to 3-0 in the second set before Ivanovic, finding another hot streak, recovered to 3-3. Henin regained momentum to reach 5-3, but while serving for the match at 5-4 almost went break point down at 15-40.
   Her cross court drive was called out, but Henin appealed to Hawkeye and succeeded, a decision reversal which was ‘huge’ she agreed.
   ‘I am happy with this system,’ Henin said. ‘I wasn’t feeling a hundred percent about the call but thought I must challenge it. I thought it was out, but I had to take the risk – and it was in. It was very important.’
   It made the score 30-30 instead, putting the pressure back on Ivanovic. Two more solid rallies by Henin closed out the match.

Steve McClaren believes David Beckham is on a mission to win over 100 caps for England and prove his critics wrong.
   England’s head coach insists he has no regrets about sending Beckham into international exile after the 2006 World Cup, before recalling him last season.
   LA Galaxy star Beckham, 32, is back in the squad for Friday’s friendly in Austria and the crucial Euro 2008 qualifier with Croatia at Wembley five days later.
   Beckham is chasing 100 caps and is currently three short of his goal.
   And McClaren, who checked on Beckham’s fitness on a recent visit to the United States, said, ‘If you know Becks well, he likes proving people wrong – and I think he still has a lot to prove.
   ‘He always has a lot to prove and he has a lot to prove over there. I read a couple of things about him not enjoying the experience over there and I couldn’t have found that further from the truth.
   ‘He loves it, he’s settled and his kids go to great schools and have a great lifestyle. He’s got a quieter lifestyle to before.
   ‘He was disappointed to be injured in his first season there, but also having come back into the England squad and the impact he made in the summer, he was looking forward to capitalising on that.
   ‘He’s itching to prove these injuries are behind him and he’s fit. I’ve said to him, “You’re in the squad and we’ll see how you are.” That doesn’t mean he’ll play.
   ‘But I have no regrets about what I did. I wouldn’t say he’s proved me wrong. I know David Beckham well and I knew what his reaction would be, and he showed that in the summer.
   ‘It wasn’t difficult to leave him out. I thought it was for the benefit of the team and players could come in and take over that mantle on the right, but I found that wasn’t the case.’

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has poured cold water on reports suggesting he has fallen out with Stamford Bridge team-mate John Terry.
   Following Jose Mourinho’s departure as Blues manager in September, there were claims of a rift between Lampard and captain Terry.
   The England midfielder is aware of the whispers, but is keen to stress he has ‘a great friendship’ with his club and international colleague.
   ‘I have heard the rumours and sniping about me and JT,’ Lampard told the News of the World.
   ‘How we have fallen out and don’t speak any more. How Mourinho’s departure has come between us. But it’s just rubbish.
   ‘It’s people trying to manufacture a split where there isn’t one. As far as me and JT - we have a great working relationship and a great friendship. There’s been no fall-out and we both agree it’s time for everyone to stand up and be counted, to stand together.’
   Lampard also offered his backing to Mourinho’s replacement, Avram Grant, who he feels has been unfairly judged in comparison to his predecessor.
   He added: ‘I like Avram, but I think it’s been difficult for him. His public persona is completely different to Jose Mourinho’s, so it seems such a contrast and some people are criticising him for that.
   ‘But that’s ridiculous. He’s a totally different character, so no-one should expect the same fireworks, the same drama. He is a calm, quiet man. The sort to have a gentle word in your ear rather than make a big, bold announcement to the team.’

Michael Ballack admits he is ‘happy’ to be training with the Chelsea first team following six months on the sidelines. The German midfielder underwent an ankle operation at the end of last season and rejoined his team-mates for training this week.
   He has been buoyed by his return to full training and the former Bayern Munich star is now looking to take the next step in his rehabilitation.
   ‘Six months is a long time and it was my first injury when I have been out for such a long time,’ Ballack told Chelsea TV.
   ‘It’s a great feeling after so many months being in the gym and training on my own to be training with the team. I am happy to be back. I will go step-by-step now and I will see if I will improve.’
   Chelsea manager Avram Grant is expecting to have Ballack available for selection in around a month’s time.
   Grant said: ‘Ballack has trained with us this week in two training sessions. His progress is very good and I think he will be available if nothing else happens in four to five weeks. That is not long for a player that didn’t train for six months.’

Thaksin Shinawatra will give Sven Goran Eriksson money to spend in January after Adriano claimed Manchester City are his ‘first choice’.
   City boss Eriksson is looking to sign a striker in the New Year and has most recently been linked with a bid for Tottenham Hotspur’s Dimitar Berbatov. Though owner Shinawatra did not divulge the club’s targets, he confirmed he will provide Eriksson with funds to add to his squad when the transfer window reopens.
   ‘We will invest in the team in the January window if we see the right player at the right price,’ Shinawatra told the News of the World.
   ‘I know that Sven has some ideas and I will continue to give him the support he needs.’
   Internazionale misfit Adriano is rumoured to be among City’s targets, with the Brazilian hoping to leave the Serie A champions in January. Adriano also suggested he could move to the Premier League in exchange for Rolando Bianchi, who has struggled at City since his big-money move from Reggina in the summer.
   ‘I have spoken to the club and I am moving on in January,’ Adriano is quoted in the News of the World. My first choice is Manchester City and Eriksson, and I know Inter like Bianchi.’