Sheikh Russell KC joined Brothers Union at the top of the Citycell B league table with a thumping 5-0 win over Khulna Abahani at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Saturday.
   Veteran forward Alfaz Ahmed slammed the first hat-trick of the league helping his team register the biggest win in the competition to date.
   Overall it was a one-way traffic as Khulna Abahani failed to provide any resistance to their marauding opponents who also squandered at least five chances. Both Sheikh Russell and Brothers Union are level on seven points but Russell have a better goal advantage.
   Sheikh Russell missed their three regular members – skipper Twati Youness and defenders Burdif Mohammed and Mahmudul Hasan – through injury but had little difficulty as Khulna Abahani looked below-par all through the match.
   Sheikh Russell made their intentions clear from the very beginning with a series of attacks and Monwar put his team ahead in the 6th minute. The attacking midfielder controlled the ball from an Aminul cross and slammed it home with a powerful left-footer.
   Sheikh Russell continued the onslaught and Alfaz and Moroccan midfielder Saeed Ezzanzoun wasted easy sitters in the 15th and 16th minutes. Alfaz failed to beat an advancing Khulna Abahani keeper Nahid while Saeed with al the time in his hand saw his curved effort miss the post by a whisker.
   Saeed Ezzanzoun was unfortunate on 19 minutes as his low shot from a Saiful cross beat Nahid but the ball rolled wide of the side post.
   Hardworking Alfaz saw his endeavour come to fruition on 25 minutes as he unleashed a fierce grounder at the far post off a back pass from Saeed Ezzanzoun. However, Alfaz was too late to kick the ball in the 41st minute after racing down the left as his shot deflected off a defender to safety.
   Saeed Ezzanzoun made amends for his mistakes in the 49th minute by scoring a nice goal. Set free by compatriot midfielder Yighir Mohammed’s back-heel Saeed ran through the defence and slipped the ball between the legs of Nahid.
   Alfaz scored his second on 70 minutes after Ezzanzoun provided a defence-splitting pass and completed his hat-trick in the 78th minute with a low shot from a tight angle after a pass from Mobarak.
   ‘The recall into the national squad motivated me to work harder, I believe I am not finished yet, I will try to continue the trend,’ said the veteran striker who had announced his retirement from national duties a few months ago but was recalled by Manik, the new coach.
   The B league takes a temporary break and will resume on October 7.

Fernando Torres’s double was enough to secure Liverpool a 2-0 victory over neighbours Everton and move Rafael Benitez’s side to the head of the Premier League table after the Merseyside derby was marred by yet another dismissal.
   This time it was Everton’s Tim Cahill who saw red - the 17th player to be dismissed in the last 33 league meetings between the two sides.
   Benitez’s side totally controlled the game, providing a welcome boost after their title credentials had been questioned following last week’s draw with Stoke, while Everton manager David Moyes was left to contemplate a dismal start to the campaign.
   While Liverpool have emerged as the early pacesetters alongside Arsenal and Chelsea, Moyes’ men have now lost their opening three home league games and already look as though they face a season of struggle.
   Yet prior to Torres’ intervention this game appeared destined to provide yet another afternoon of frustration for Liverpool who have yet to convincingly slip into gear despite making an unbeaten start to their campaign.
   For long periods of this game the visitors failed to transform territorial advantage into goals.
   With Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso totally dominating the central midfield areas, Liverpool should have created sufficient chances to have effectively won the game by half-time.
   But despite a couple of promising early runs from left-winger Albert Riera and a typically enthusiastic burst from Robbie Keane, Liverpool posed little threat to Tim Howard’s goal.
   The partnership between Torres and Keane is a particular concern for Benitez with the Irishman yet to score since his 21-million-pound summer move from Tottenham Hotspur.
   And during the first half at least, the two strikers ploughed individual furrows and showed few signs of working in tandem.
   Everton may not have enjoyed anything like the same amount of possession but they created the better first half openings and should have been ahead in the 14th minute when Cahill miscued just four yards out.
   Home frustration grew when Mike Riley rejected two penalty appeals - the first following Martin Skrtel’s check on Yakubu, the second when Jamie Carragher blocked Cahill’s run - that may have been viewed differently by another referee.
   The feeling persisted, though, that if Liverpool to maintain control of the game after the break, then the chances would come.
   And after a 25-yard drive from Gerrard had flashed narrowly wide, the visitors were ahead when Keane and Torres finally combined to carve open the fragile Everton defence and set up the Spaniard’s second goal of the season.
   Gerrard’s weighted pass allowed Keane, played onside by a sleeping Joleon Lescott, to cross from the by-line and the ball dropped perfectly for Torres to volley past Howard just short of the hour.
   It was one of the few occasions the striker had eluded the attentions of Phil Jagielka and it was the Everton centre-back who unwittingly set up Torres’ second just three minutes later.
   Jagieka appeared to have made a crucial intervention, timing his tackle well to deny Dirk Kuyt a shooting chance, but the challenge succeeded only in diverting the ball into the path of Torres who finished from 12 yards.
   Everton were stunned and any chance they had of forcing their way back into the game was gone when Cahill launched an ugly lunge on Alonso to earn a straight red card ten minutes from time.

Simon Katich top-scored with 73 as the Australians were all out for 218 in a two-day practice match against a local side here on Saturday.
   The 33-year-old left-hander hit 10 fours in his 105-ball knock after captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat against the RCA Centre of Excellence eleven.
   Ponting, who averages a dismal 12.28 from eight Tests in India, failed to use the opportunity to find form ahead of the four-Test series, making just five.
   Prolific opener Matthew Hayden (16), making a return after an injury lay-off, put on 54 runs for the opening wicket partnership with Katich.
   Fit-again Shane Watson worked hard for his 30 runs which came off a 91-minute stay at the wicket and included three fours.
   The all-rounder, 27, is set to figure in the opening Test of the four-match series starting in Bangalore on October 9 as a seamer and middle-order batsman.
   Left-arm spinner Gajendra Singh, 20, picked five wickets for 58 runs, exposing Australia’s vulnerability to spin.
   Brief Scores:
   Australians 1st innings: 218 all out in 77.1 overs (S Katich 73, S Watson 30; G Singh 5-58)

Michael Vaughan will be left out of England’s Test squad to tour India, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) national selector Geoff Miller confirmed on Saturday.
   The 34-year-old former England captain, who resigned during his side’s recent series defeat against South Africa, will not be in the Test squad, due to be announced on Monday, because of his poor batting form for Yorkshire recently.
   Vaughan will take a three-month break from international cricket in an attempt to rediscover his form in time for next year’s Ashes series.
   ‘Michael has not been selected for the tour of India because his place in the Test squad cannot be justified based on recent form,’ Miller said.
   ‘Our view is that it will be to England’s benefit if he takes a break from international cricket in the period leading up to Christmas and spends time working on his game.’
   The ECB have discussed the situation at length with Vaughan and come to a mutually agreeable solution.
   The hope is that Vaughan, this month awarded a central contract, will be able to return to his best - and to the England team - either in the Caribbean next spring or in time for the 2009 Ashes.
   ‘We have discussed the situation with Michael,’ Miller added. ‘He fully understands the reasons for the selectors’ decision and has made clear to us that he is fully committed to winning back his place in the England Test side.
   ‘Like all centrally contracted players, Michael will be given a clear programme over the next six months which will include training and match practice over the winter period.
   ‘With a busy period of international cricket on the horizon, we would like to stress that he remains very much part of our plans over the coming year.’

Puma, one of the world’s leading sports goods manufacturers, began its journey in Bangladesh on Saturday through a franchise at the FR Tower at Banani.
   National cricketer Javed Omar Belim is the owner of the franchise shop and he will market various Puma sports gears and apparels in Bangladesh.
   The inaugural ceremony of the franchise was held on Saturday where a number of celebrities were present. National cricket captain Md Ashraful, opener Tamim Iqbal, batsman Rajin Saleh, former national cricketer and TV commentator Ather Ali Khan, renowned actors Humayun Faridi and Ferdous were present on the occasion.

Sri Lanka Saturday named a 15-member squad Saturday for the inaugural four-nation Twenty20 tournament to be played in Toronto next month.
   The squad does not include a specialist wicket-keeper, with Tillakaratne Dilshan standing in for regular keeper Kumar Sangakkara, who recently underwent finger surgery in Australia and will miss the Canadian outing.
   The tournament, scheduled to run from October 10-13, pits Sri Lanka against Pakistan, Zimbabwe and hosts Canada.
   Squad: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Udawatte, Chamara Kapugedera, Jehan Mubarak, Thilina Kandamby, Farveez Maharoof, Thilina Thushara Mirando, Nuwan Kulasekera, Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Jeevantha Kulatunga, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Kaushalya Weeraratne.

The touring Australian team said they were awaiting a security update from Cricket Australia after a bomb blast killed two people and wounded 18 in a New Delhi marketplace on Saturday.
   The Australians were playing a warm-up match against a local side in the northern Indian city of Jaipur when the incident occurred in the Indian capital, where the third Test is to be staged.
   ‘If we have to do anything besides the normal security drill we will do only after getting instructions (from CA),’ Australia’s spokesman Matthew Slade told Indian media.
   Australia decided to go ahead with the tour after a security review following blasts in the Indian capital on Sept. 13 that killed at least 20 people and injured more than 90.
   Australia captain Ricky Ponting said ahead of arrival on Monday that the safety of the touring party would continue to be monitored throughout the tour.
   Australia’s planned tour of Pakistan and this year’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan were both postponed because of security fears.
   The first Test starts in Bangalore on October 9.
   Senior Indian Cricket Board official Rajeev Shukla told reporters in Mumbai: ‘The Australians should not fear about their security. We are in touch with the home ministry. There is no need to panic.’
   Australia were bowled out for 218 in their warm-up match against Rajasthan Cricket Academy.

Shashank Manohar was on Saturday named as new president of the Indian cricket board while former Test opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth was elected as the chief selector.
   The new list of office bearers was unveiled at the annual general meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) here.
   Manohar took over from Sharad Pawar who completed his three-year term as BCCI chief and is also the president-elect of the International Cricket Council.
   Pawar is set to head the world body from 2010 to 2012 after David Morgan completes his curent term.
   Srikkanth, who captained India on the 1989 tour of Pakistan, will head the country’s first ever paid selection panel that will also include Yashpal Sharma, Raja Venkat, Surendra Bhave and Narendra Hirwani.
   N Srinivasan was named as the new secretary in place of Niranjan Shah who was appointed as vice-chairman of the governing council of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
   Lalit Modi retained his post as one of the five vice-presidents and the chairman of the IPL’s governing council.

The challenge facing Delhi on the fourth day - they needed 265 runs with seven wickets in hand - was always going to stretch them, and their batsmen, with the exception of Gautam Gambhir, caved without a fight. They were bowled out within the first session: Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh exploited the cracks in the pitch to pick up seven wickets, and Rest of India won the Irani Cup for the 21st time by 187 runs in Vadodara.
   The slide started in the second over of the day. Gambhir had batted aggressively on the third evening and needed a stable partner. Aakash Chopra, who had not opened because of an ankle injury, joined him with a runner. He had scored 182 in last week’s Nissar Trophy and a confident 42 in the first innings against a versatile and experienced attack. Chopra’s resistance in the second innings, however, ended with his first ball. He drove away from his body at a Zaheer Khan delivery and inside-edged it on to his stumps.
   Kumble brought Harbhajan on inside the first hour to take advantage of the wearing pitch and the offspinner struck immediately. Mithun Manhas tried to pad a delivery but the ball turned into him, deflected off the bat handle, and went to Rahul Dravid at first slip. The only point of interest after that was whether Gambhir, who scored steadily despite the regular setbacks, would reach his century. He fell on 91, edging an attempted cut off Kumble to Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
   This was the last opportunity for the national players to get match practice ahead of the Tests against Australia and coach Gary Kirsten would have expected more. Before the start of the game he, and Kumble, had said this game was an important component in their preparation for the Australia series and each individual had a role to fulfill and understood it well.
   If Sourav Ganguly doesn’t make the Test squad, it will open up a vacancy in the middle order. Two of the contenders for the spot, S Badrinath and Mohammad Kaif, had the opportunity to push their claims in the Irani Cup but failed to turn in convincing performances. Badrinath looked in discomfort in the first innings and did not move his feet. He made a scratchy 16 off 62 balls before he was bowled while trying to cut. He was more confident during his 36 in the second innings before he was struck on the elbow and bowled once again by Ishant Sharma.
   Kaif had made adjustments to his batting stance after chats with Kirsten but met with little success. He failed to convert a start in the first innings, top-edging a pull to midwicket, and edged a scorcher from Ishant off his second ball in the second innings.
   One of the biggest positives was the performance of the bowlers. Zaheer Khan bowled wicket-to-wicket and focused on the batsman’s weaknesses: he exploited Sehwag’s slow footwork and trapped him lbw with one that cut in during the second innings. Ishant was hostile and extracted pace and bounce from a slow pitch, Munaf Patel proved his recovery was on the right path, while both Kumble and Harbhajan showed how dangerous they could be on a helpful surface. Only RP Singh was erratic with his line and length.
   The most significant outcome from this game, however, was the resolute batting of Rahul Dravid, who opened for Rest of India. His poor form over the last year has hurt India but here he succeeded in the most demanding of situations. As the wicket grew slower, Dravid stuck it out for nearly five hours in the second innings. He played the majority of the deliveries confidently, used soft hands to block short balls aimed at the body, and waited for the bowler to feed his strengths.
   It was the sort of preparation Dravid would have hoped for ahead of the Australia series and it was a terrific example of mental discipline for the rest to follow.

Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will face off on Sunday in a repeat of their Australian Open final seven months ago after both advanced in at the Thailand Open.
   Djokovic struggled through a 53-minute first set against third seed Tomas Berdych before the floodgates opened for a 7-5, 6-1 semi-final defeat of the Czech player.
   Tsonga, the number two, took just 52 minutes to set up the grand slam re-match, stamping his authority on fellow Frenchman Gael Monfils with a 6-0, 6-3 win.
   ‘This will be my chance to take revenge,’ said Tsonga, who lost to the world number three Serb Djokovic in four sets in Melbourne.
   ‘This is a totally different match from then. I’m confident and I like my chances.’
   Djokovic was equally enthusiastic about the rematch: ‘It’s great to meet Jo again after that final. It will be very interesting to play him.
   ‘It’s our second match and our second in a final - anything can happen. I don’t see myself as a big favourite, Jo has been playing fantastic tennis, serving and moving well. He’s very motivated.’
   Djokovic and Berdych duelled throughout the first set until the final game, when a Djokovic return on set point tipped over the net cord to land dead on the Czech’s side.
   The Serb then took quick advantage, going up a break in the third and producing a 3-0 lead before Berdych could react, completing victory in just under 90 minutes after a double-break in the second set.
   ‘I broke him twice in the second due to his bad service games,’ said Djokovic. ‘But it felt like I woke up from a dream in that second set.
   ‘I was really sleepy the last two days and especially in the first set.’
   Djokovic will be competing for his fourth title of the season and first since Rome in May. He is into his 16th ATP singles final (standing 10-5) and boasts a 58-13 record in 2008.
   The title showdown at the Impact arena cements the return of the 20th-ranked Tsonga after a three-month absence due to knee surgery in 2008.
   The youngster played for his only other ATP trophy during his grand slam breakthrough.
   Tsonga shot out of the blocks in his first ATP meeting
   with Monfils, lifting the first five games in a quarter of an hour and the set after 21 quick minutes.
   A relieved Monfils fired a ball into the stands after finally getting a game on the scoreboard for 1-1 in the second set.
   From that point, Monfils, ranked 30th, steadied as he tried to close the gap on his friend and training partner.
   But the effort went for nought, with Tsonga taking a 4-2 lead and serving out the win three games later on the first of three match points.
   ‘I’m very happy with my game and my form,’ he said. ‘I never expected to play so well and get such a big win against Gael. To be in the final is like a dream for me.’

Double world champion Fernando Alonso was quickest in final practice for the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix on Saturday, putting his rivals in the shade ahead of qualifying for Formula One’s first night-time race.
   The Renault driver, who posted the fastest time in second practice on Friday, picked up from where he left off by streaking round the city-state’s floodlit circuit in a time of 1 minute, 44.506.
   McLaren’s championship leader Lewis Hamilton was second quickest, a full 0.613 seconds behind the Spaniard, while Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, a point behind the Briton in the standings, was third fastest.
   World champion Kimi Raikkonen had another practice session to forget, languishing way down the order after taking his Ferrari down a run-off area, while McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen also struggled to generate pace after his team took advantage of a ‘free’ engine change.
   Drivers are allowed one ‘joker’ engine change per year without incurring a grid penalty.
   Giancarlo Fisichella, who was the first driver to take his car onto the circuit in Friday’s opening practice, gave spectators the first spectacular crash of the race.
   The Italian’s Force India car went airborne after going straight over a chicane approaching turn 10 and smashed head on into the barriers.
   Fisichella appeared unhurt in the collision but his car suffered extensive damage.
   Qualifying for today’s race begins at 2200 local (3:00pm British time).

Callum Thorp produced the bowling performance of his career, and Steve Harmison overcame a fractured left wrist to scythe through the tail, as Durham took a massive stride towards their first County Championship title with a thumping innings-and-71-run victory against Kent at Canterbury.
   All eyes now turn to Trent Bridge, where Nottinghamshire have been set a massive, and improbable, 442 for victory against Hampshire.
   Durham’s victory puts them eight points clear of Nottinghamshire, on 190 to 182, and means that anything less than a Notts win over Hampshire will suffice for a side that only became a first-class county in 1992.
   At the opposite end of the spectrum, Kent’s capitation has confirmed their relegation for the first time since the two-division Championship was introduced in 2001.
   The day began with Kent’s backs firmly against the wall after the loss of five wickets on the third evening, but so long as Ryan McLaren and Justin Kemp remained, so too did hope.
   Kemp moved to his fifty within minutes of the start, and the pair had taken their sixth-wicket stand to 107 when Thorp made the breakthrough - his sixth of the innings - as Kemp drove loosely outside off for Dale Benkenstein to take a fine low catch at gully.
   Thorp, who comes from Perth but has British-born parents, then claimed his career-best figures with his - and Durham’s - seventh wicket of the innings when Yasir Arafat edged to Michael Di Venuto at second slip for 18, but the prospect of him claiming all ten was ended when Harmison found his range to spectacular effect in his 21st over of the innings.
   Having suffered a fractured left wrist after dropping a Geraint Jones cut shot on the third day, Harmison was bowling in a cast, but that didn’t seem to affect his rhythm too dramatically.
   James Tredwell shouldered arms to a fine delivery that nipped back to detonate his off stump, and within three Harmison deliveries, it was all over. Robbie Joseph pushed tentatively outside off for Di Venuto to claim his second catch of the morning, and Martin Saggers was comprehensively bowled for a first-ball duck.
   As Saggers and the not-out McLaren trudged disconsolately off the field and into the second division, Harmison roared down the pitch in triumph, to be buried beneath a sea of his team-mates.
   Their triumph will not be ratified until the result of Nottinghamshire’s run-chase is known, but deep down, Durham already know that the title is theirs.

Kent captain Robert Key has been fined £1,250 and reprimanded for his comments about a pitch panel which convened at Durham’s Riverside Ground in August.
   Key had labelled the panel ‘a bit of a muppet show’ after Durham’s 43-run win.
   An England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) disciplinary commission ruled Key’s actions to be ‘a serious breach of the directives by a senior player’.
   Key said: ‘I acknowledge the comments I made were inappropriate and I offer an unreserved apology to all concerned.’
   He had raged at the state of the pitch after 38 wickets fell in the space of two days, claiming Durham should have had points deducted.

The Indian Cricket Board Vice President Lalit Modi has extended every possible support to Cricket Australia in its endeavour to organise a world-class domestic Twenty20 tournament next year.
   Inspired by the success of the Indian Premier League, the CA is planning to beef up its domestic Twenty20 competition by hosting a glittering event, featuring the world’s best teams in 2009-10.
   Ensuring his full support, Modi, the chairman of the Indian Premier League said Indians stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are free to play for Australian state teams if they wish to.
   ‘We are very excited they are doing that. We understand they are looking at a franchise model, developing other models, too,’ Modi told The Daily Telegraph.
   ‘We are keenly watching that and are most supportive of that. The Australian Cricket Board has been most supportive of the Indian cricket board. They have asked us already if we would release our players for that and we said yes,’ he added.
   However, the marketing guru of the BCCI whose brainchild the IPL is, said CA can never never ask for share in the financial exploits of the IPL. ‘It’s a domestic tournament. When county cricket (in England) was going well for hundreds of years, we never got the spoils.
   ‘You have to understand, Indian cricket never made money until three or four years ago. It was always England first, Australia second, South Africa third and then India would get a little bit of money. Our market has developed, our game has developed,’ he said.
   Modi feels that cricket has the potential to have domestic Twenty20 competitions in the mould of major soccer leagues.
   ‘I think if you look at the soccer leagues around the world, you have the English Premier League, you have the Bundesliga in Germany, the Italian, the Spanish leagues. You have rugby going on in various countries,’ he said.
   ‘I think each country will develop talent. It may not be on the same scale as the IPL. It may not be eight, 10 or 12 teams, but it may be six teams in Australia.’

In a strong reply to the legal notice sent by Moin Khan, the former Pakistan captain, the PCB has asked him to pay Rs 250 million rupees (approx US$3,210,891) in damages within two weeks.
   On September 19, Moin sued the PCB and demanded Rs 100 million (approx US$1.3m) over its claims that he was involved in recruiting batsman Mohammad Yousuf for the ICL. Moin said ‘false and engineered statements’ were made by the PCB that he pressured Yousuf to join the ICL, and that when the agreement was not finalised, Yousuf paid the player’s fee back to him.
   Taffazul H Rizvi, the PCB’s lawyer, sent a legal address to Moin’s lawyer Imran Aziz Qureshi alleging that Moin did not pay the full amount to Yousuf while signing a contract with him for the ICL last year. The legal notice rubbishes Moin’s claims as ‘whimsical and capricious’ and states Yousuf as having incurred ‘colossal financial losses due to the said arbitration proceedings pending in India’.

Digicel, the main sponsors of West Indies cricket, has refused to allow Stanford to participate in the legal action the telecommunications company has brought against the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in relation to the Stanford Super Series.
   A Stanford media release said ‘Digicel claims that to permit Stanford 20/20 such access would ‘disrupt’ the arbitration’ which is set to begin on October 3 in the High Court in London.
   Stanford wanted to be part of the arbitration proceedings ‘in order to ensure its position was fully and properly communicated to the arbitrator’.
   The statement said that Digicel’s refusal ‘appears to make clear that Digicel is adamant on pursuing its legal proceedings at the risk of destroying the event [Stanford 20/20 for 20] and causing substantial damage to cricket in the Caribbean.’
   The disagreement between Digicel, the WICB, and Stanford is over the status of the Stanford Super Series.
   While Digicel maintains it is an official WICB event with a representative national team and under the terms of its contract with the WICB, that would give it full branding rights. Stanford insists that it is an unofficial team and, as such, is outside any existing WICB-Digicel agreement.
   Digicel had proposed a compromise earlier this month but their proposal was met by a counter-offer from Stanford stating they would not bring on board any of Digicel’s competitors, would pay all their costs, and would give the company some branding rights at the 2008 event.
   However, Stanford’s terms were rejected by Digicel who maintained that it wanted the same branding on Stanford Superstars shirts as it has on the West Indies national team’s shirts for the next five years.

Former Test captains Majid Khan and Zaheer Abbas and present skipper Shoaib Malik will be part of a 15-member committee set up to scrutinise the constitution of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), officials said.
   Former Test players have been asked to submit any recommendations for improving the country’s cricket set-up and constitution to the sports ministry.
   ‘The committee will look at ways to make the cricket board’s constitution more democratic as in its present form it doesn’t encourage accountability,’ law minister Farooq Naek said.

West Ham’s bid to avoid a 30-million-pound payout over the Carlos Tevez affair via an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) looks set to fail after the tribunal said it would be unable to consider the case.
   CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb told the BBC on Friday that the Lausanne-based body could not issue a judgement because West Ham was the only party to the dispute asking for one.
   ‘We would need agreement from Sheffield United and for Football Association rules to allow an appeal to CAS,’ Reeb explained.
   Sheffield Utd are seeking 30 million pounds in damages after a Football Association-appointed tribunal ruled that Tevez had been instrumental in keeping West Ham in the Premier League two seasons ago when he was not eligible to play for them because of contractual irregularities.
   But for Tevez’s illegal contribution to the Hammers cause, Sheffield United could have survived in the top flight and the Yorkshire club are claiming damages to cover lost television income, reduced player values and other losses incurred as a result of relegation.
   In light of that, they would be unlikely to agree to a CAS hearing that would carry the risk of the FA tribunal’s decision being overturned.
   It is equally unlikely that the FA would agree to waive the application of its rule which requires parties to a tribunal to have signed away their rights of appeal to any other body or a court of law.
   News of the setback for the Hammers came as it emerged that at least ten Sheffield United players have taken legal advice over the possibility of suing West Ham for earnings lost as a result of relegation.

Scotland’s Janice Moodie, trying to end a six-year victory drought on the US LPGA Tour, seized a one-shot lead at the Navistar LGPA Classic Friday over world No.1 Lorena Ochoa.
   Ochoa is trying to end a dry spell of her own. Although the Mexican star has the most wins on the US tour this year with six, the last of those was back in May, and she would like nothing better than to return to the winner’s circle here.
   To that end, Ochoa nabbed seven birdies en route to a five-under 67 and a 12-under total of 134 in the 1.4 million-dollar tournament.
   Moodie, who started on the back nine, birdied five of her first nine holes on her way to a five-under 67 for 133.
   Moodie’s last victory on the LPGA Tour came at the Asahi Ryokuken International Championship in 2002, but she said it was too soon to focus on ending that winless run.
   ‘I’m just enjoying the moment right now and trying to keep everything smooth and trying to keep the putting stroke smooth, the golf swing going smooth, and I’ll get to that on Sunday,’ Moodie said.
   Ochoa, who is playing in her first event since the Safeway Classic at the end of August, started the day tied for sixth.
   She, too, started on the back nine and came on strong after the turn with birdies at one and four. She capped her round with back-to-back birdies.
   Ochoa, seeking her first title since winning the Sybase Classic in May, had made two bogeys and three birdies in her first nine holes.
   ‘I’m just glad I took advantage of an early round today,’ Ochoa said. ‘It was playing a little bit easier today than yesterday in the morning. I think I just gave myself a lot of birdie chances.
   ‘I’ve been very accurate with my irons and good with the distance, and hopefully I can continue that,’ she added.
   ‘I have no reason to change anything and hope to do the same thing on the weekend, and hopefully I can be out there on Sunday.’
   American Jill McGill, part of a trio sharing the lead after the first round, fired a three-under 69 to join Ochoa on 134.
   ‘It was a really consistent day,’ McGill said. ‘My only hiccup was a bit of a misclub. It’s tough judging the wind on those elevated tees.
   ‘I gave myself a lot of really good looks but wasn’t quite as confident with the putter today. All in all, I’ll take the three-under and head into tomorrow’s round.’
   Michele Redman’s superb 65 put her in fourth at nine-under 135, while Song-Hee Kim (68) and Christina Kim (66) were tied for fifth on 136.
   Jeong Jang and Jane Park, who shared the overnight lead with McGill on 65, couldn’t maintain the momentum. Park fired a 74 and Jang a 76.

Anthony Kim, still feeding off his Ryder Cup success, retained the lead in the US PGA Tour Championship Friday with Spain’s Sergio Garcia in hot pursuit.
   Garcia, seeking to put his own disappointing Ryder Cup showing behind him, posted the best round of the day with a five-under 65 for five-under 135.
   That left him two shots behind Kim, who posted 69 for 133 in the second round of the seven million-dollar tournament.
   Garcia nabbed five birdies on the front nine, and will play with Kim in the final group on Saturday.
   Kim, 23, thrashed Garcia 5 and 4 in the opening singles match of the Ryder Cup last Sunday as the United States regained the coveted trophy from Europe for the first time since 1999.
   Garcia, however, downplayed any suggestion he was out for revenge. ‘It’s a totally different event,’ Garcia said. ‘You’re not going to win the tournament tomorrow unless you shoot 52.’
   While Kim showed no letdown after his heroics at Valhalla, Garcia had appeared to have a Ryder Cup hangover on Thursday, when he was four over after just six holes.
   Since then, however, he has been near perfect.
   ‘Slower than slow,’ he said of the start to his first round. ‘I didn’t hit a good drive on five, caught a bad break with the trees and went into the bushes and lost the ball.
   ‘After that, I managed to get it back, and it got me going in the right direction. I made a couple of putts here and there. I played solid today, hit some good shots, some good putts and got it going on the front nine with four birdies in five holes.’
   Kim teed off Friday with a four-shot lead over his nearest rivals after a spectacular first-round 64.
   He couldn’t quite match that in a second round that included five birdies and four bogeys.
   He dropped a shot at the difficult par-three 18th, as did Garcia.
   ‘Finishing with a bogey isn’t the best feeling in the world, but I’m proud of the way I hung in there,’ Kim said.
   ‘I didn’t make as many putts as I would have liked. There were a couple of opportunities to hang my head, and I just kept plodding along and fortunately got out of there under par.’
   Phil Mickelson remained in contention with a 68 that left him three off the pace on 136.
   Mickelson rallied after three bogeys in 10 holes, notching five birdies in the final seven holes.
   ‘The putter has been very helpful,’ Mickelson said. ‘I’ve made a lot of putts. I need to drive it a little better. I drove it well the last eight holes and was able to play them under par, but starting out, I didn’t drive it as accurately as I would have liked, and it cost me.
   ‘I know some guys have felt an emotional letdown this week and it has been difficult getting the energy to come and play, but yet when a couple of putts go in and you make a few birdies, that energy level comes up quick.’
   Colombian Camilo Villegas carded a 66 to move into fourth place, five shots off the pace, with Canadian Mike Weir and South Korean KJ Choi another shot back.
   Meanwhile, Vijay Singh again struggled, shooting 74 for a seven-over 147 total.
   It was a disappointment for the Fijian, who only has to complete 72 holes to claim the 10 million-dollar FedEx Cup playoff series bonus.
   Singh won the first two series events in New Jersey and Massachusetts to virtually assure himself of the title, but he had been hoping to cap that success with another victory.
   ‘When I started off (on Thursday) I was a bit too overwhelmed with the situation I was in,’ Singh said. ‘Whatever I did yesterday, people were congratulating me before the tournament even started.
   ‘I want to get congratulated after the tournament, so that kind of plays a weird thing in your mind. I tried to stay focused.’
   With only six players in the 30-man field under par, the course’s new greens have proved daunting.

South Africa’s new President Kgalema Motlanthe reassured FIFA boss Sepp Blatter on Friday that the World Cup host was on track to meet 2010 deadlines, a joint statement said.
   This comes after a week of political turmoil in South Africa in which Motlanthe took office on Thursday to replace former president Thabo Mbeki who stepped down before the end of his term at the behest of the ruling party.
   ‘We remain on course to host in 2010 the best FIFA World Cup ever – an African World Cup. We would like to assure Africa and the world that the deadlines set by FIFA will be met,’ Motlanthe told Blatter by telephone, quoted in a joint statement from the South African government and FIFA.
   South Africa will host next year’s FIFA Confederations Cup and Africa’s first World Cup from June 11 to July 11, 2010.
   Blatter said Motlanthe’s phone-call ‘underlines the importance’ of 2010 to the South African government. ‘I was pleased to hear from him that the 2010 FIFA World Cup is fully supported by all political and governmental authorities and that everything will be done to make 2010 an unforgettable success,’ he added.

A special investigation unit to stamp out match-fixing and corruption in football has been rubber-stamped by UEFA, according to general secretary David Taylor on Friday.
   ‘We will be setting up a special investigations unit to look into situations reported to us in terms of irregular betting,’ he said.
   ‘This is a danger in our game, we will not allow our sport to be destabilised by those who wish to manipulate it.’
   European football has witnessed a string of match-rigging scandals of late, with one of the most high profile in Portugal involving champions Porto and Boavista.
   Both clubs were implicated in a widespread corruption affair which came to light in 2004, whereby a number of referees reportedly received bribes in the form of money and prostitutes.
   Boavista were kicked out of Portugal’s top flight and last month had their stadium seized by fiscal authorities and Porto were initially thrown out of the Champions League, but were later reinstated after an appeal.
   ‘We want a European system, with the goal in the future being not only for European matches, but with the whole of football,’ Taylor said.
   ‘But the first stage is the creation of this investigation branch for the competitions concerned with UEFA.’
   He added: ‘We are employing extra people and strengthening our early warning systems to fight the war against illegal betting and corruption.’
   The unit should be fully operational from next season and will have experts who will review suspected irregularities in European competitions, said UEFA legal affairs director Gianni Infantino.
   ‘We will start recruiting immediately,’ Infantino said. ‘We need additional expertise. We have to set up the necessary tools to fight against this.’
   UEFA has handed a report to Interpol detailing suspicions that 26 matches in the Champions League, UEFA Cup and Intertoto Cup had been fixed.
   Of these, 15 are still under investigation.

Kanu is hoping for a first start for Portsmouth this season in Sunday’s Premier League clash with Tottenham and the Nigerian playmaker believes he can help the club bounce back from what has been a traumatic week for Harry Redknapp’s squad.
   Hammered 6-0 at Manchester City on Sunday, Pompey were on the receiving end of a 4-0 whipping from Chelsea in front of their own supporters in the League Cup in midweek.
   A rare plus from that performance was Kanu’s appearance for the final 20 minutes following his recovery from a thigh problem that has kept him sidelined since he featured in a pre-season friendly against Kano Pillars in Abuja.
   The Nigerian admitted that the scale of the defeats had been tough to digest but insisted that the mood in the camp was far from demoralised.
   He said: ‘The gaffer has told us what he wants, and it is down to us to implement it.
   ‘The spirit in the dressing-room is good and we’re talking to each other, wanting to find a solution.
   ‘We want to give the fans something back. We don’t want them to lose confidence in us.
   ‘I believe on Sunday it’s going to be a good show and we’re going to win because everyone is fed up with what is going on.
   ‘Fitness wise I feel I’m up there again, so I hope I will be involved – as an ex-Arsenal player, I love playing against Tottenham!’
   The visit of Tottenham brings England forward Jermain Defoe up against his former club, nine months after he left White Hart Lane in search of regular first team football.
   Ironically, the summer departures of Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane mean Defoe might have found himself as a regular partner for Russia striker Roman Pavlyuchenko had he stayed in north London.
   Pavlyuchenko opened his Spurs account with a goal in the 2-1 League Cup win over Newcastle in midweek but manager Juande Ramos admits the Russian needs time to adapt to a new club, city and language, time which is in scarce supply for a club marooned at the bottom of the league.
   ‘We are playing every three or four days against new teams,’ Ramos said. ‘It is impossible to think about other teams. I have a lot of work and I only think about Spurs. The situation for us is very difficult.
   ‘Reality is that we are bottom. Maybe in one month we will have moved up a little, in three months maybe more. It is little by little and I am looking in the short term.
   ‘It’s very clear. We have had big changes, new players, new positions – all the players need adaptation. We need passion and we need to work very hard, this is what we need.’

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is backing 32.5-million-pound striker Robinho to help banish the hangover from an embarrassing midweek trip to Brighton.
   City were left red-faced after losing on penalties to the side from League One, the third tier of English football in the League Cup.
   But Hughes has shrugged off the setback as he prepares for today’s short trip to Wigan.
   ‘In defeat sometimes you learn more than when you win,’ he said. ‘We’ll take it all on board and look at what positives there were.’
   Robinho missed the Brighton fiasco after been given a few days off this week and Hughes could see the benefit of that mini-break in the Brazil striker’s training.
   ‘What has struck everyone is that you can see the enjoyment Robinho has in his day-to-day work,’ said the former Manchester United, Barcelona and Wales star striker.
   ‘He has a smile on his face when he comes to training.
   ‘Everyone associates him with flicks and back-heels. His general work, though, is very correct.
   ‘He has a great understanding of what is needed. That is the skill all top players have. He is a great talent.
   ‘Robinho needed time out during the week as he has had a lot surrounding him. He has had a period in his personal and football life where a lot of decisions were made.
   ‘He had issues back home as well that needed resolving, so it was more about clearing his mind. ‘He is back fit, well and looking forward to the weekend. Hopefully we will reap the benefit.’
   Hughes will also recall goalkeeper Joe Hart, England international duet Micah Richards and Shaun Wright-Phillips and Brazilian midfielder Elano as he looks for a repeat of last Sunday’s six-goal demolition of Portsmouth.
   Wigan clinched a place in the last 16 of the League Cup with a comfortable 4-1 victory at Ipswich and have looked impressive this season thanks to some astute summer acquisitions by manager Steve Bruce.
   The former Manchester United defender insists he does not envy the resources that his old team-mate Hughes now enjoys, saying the support he has received from Wigan owner Dave Whelan has been perfect.
   ‘I think there are pangs of jealousy coming my way sometimes when I look at the chaos going on at other football clubs,’ Bruce added.
   ‘I’ve got a chairman here who lets you get on with it and manage the club the way it should be managed. He gives you a free rein with what you want to do and I have no real outside interference.
   ‘I’m very pleased with the job I’ve got, I’m enjoying the challenge of it immensely and I hope that continues.’
   Bruce expects City to start challenging the established top four clubs, but not necessarily this season.
   ‘With the addition of Robinho, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jo, if anybody’s going to break into the top four, they’ve got an outstanding chance,’ he said.
   ‘But to do it overnight is always going to be difficult. Even Chelsea took a couple of years to really get the juggernaut going.
   ‘The teams City are competing against have been at the top end for 10, 15, 20 years, and we’ve seen often enough that money doesn’t buy overnight success.
   ‘That’s the challenge for them but there’s exciting times ahead because of the wealth they’ve obviously got there.’

Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given has questioned Joe Kinnear’s appointment as the new interim manager at the troubled Premier League club.
   Kinnear, the former Wimbledon manager, was on Friday hired by Newcastle owner Mike Ashley to fill the void following Kevin Keegan’s dramatic exit and the forecast sale of the club.
   The unexpected deal with the 61-year-old Kinnear came after former England manager Terry Venables rejected the opportunity to plug the gap
   left by Keegan’s abrupt departure on a similar short-term basis.
   But Given for one is underwhelmed by Kinnear’s arrival at St James’ Park.
   ‘Am I pleased? No,’ Given told The Sun on Saturday.
   ‘The club is still up for sale and we haven’t got a permanent manager so I wouldn’t say pleased.
   ‘It’s going somewhere I suppose but I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.
   ‘I don’t know the man. I’ve met him and said hello but that’s about it.
   ‘The most important thing for the players is to concentrate on Blackburn and on Monday we’ll probably meet him.
   ‘I don’t know what to say but in an ideal world we’d like the club sorted out and a permanent manager.
   ‘Joe Kinnear’s just to oversee things until we get one. It is not an ideal situation.
   ‘No senior players were asked about this as far as I know. I’d class myself as a senior player and no one has told me anything.
   ‘The owner’s come out and said he wants to sell the club, so I think the sooner the better so we can move forward.
   ‘There’s a lot of uncertainty around the club and it’s not helping anyone.’
   Questioned on a possible return by Magpies’ favourite Keegan if and when the club is sold to new owners Given said: ‘I didn’t want to see him leave, so that answers that.
   ‘It doesn’t matter if the new manager or owner comes in next week, nothing can be done until January.’
   Kinnear did receive a vote of confidence from former Wimbledon captain turned actor Vinnie Jones who has backed his old boss to be a success on Tyneside.
   ‘I’d be back in England like a shot if Joe wanted any help,’ Jones told The Sun from Los Angeles.
   ‘I’m sure he will be able to turn the club around and if he feels I’d be able to contribute in any way, I’d get the next plane back from LA.
   ‘I’m not filming for a few weeks so there is absolutely nothing to stop me if I get a call.’
   Jones added: ‘Joe will be
   better than the fans think. He was probably the best man-manager I ever played for because he treated players like adults.
   ‘He will breeze into Newcastle and I can guarantee he will make everyone feel
   at ease because he won’t be overawed by what is in front of him.’
   Kinnear, who also managed Luton and Nottingham Forest, inherits a squad that has lost its last four matches, is currently second from bottom of the Premier League and will be without key striker Obafemi Martins for the duration of his time in charge.
   Kinnear will take charge of the team after Newcastle entertain Blackburn on Saturday and the size of the crowd for that match will give an indication as to how fans have reacted to his appointment.
   The Magpies midweek defeat by Tottenham in the League Cup was watched by the lowest crowd seen at St James’ in 16 years.

Israeli underdog Dudi Sela stormed into his first ATP final in Beijing Saturday as women’s top seed Jelena Jankovic continued her march towards the China Open title.
   Sela, ranked 92 in the world and playing in his first ATP semi-final, beat seventh seed and Wimbledon semi-finalist Rainer Schuettler 6-3, 6-3.
   Sela, who earlier dumped world number five David Ferrer and sixth seed Tommy Robredo from the Beijing tournament, was quickly into his stride, breaking the error-prone Schuettler three times in the opening set.
   The 23-year-old kept up his intensity in the second set, forcing what proved to be a decisive break in the sixth game.
   He said reaching an ATP final had been a ‘dream’ since breaking into the top 100 of the world rankings.
   ‘Before the match I was very nervous because I wanted to be in the final,’ he said, adding now he had ‘nothing to lose.’
   In the first semi-final in the 600,000-dollar women’s draw, Jankovic staved off a fightback from Russia’s Vera Zvonareva, taking the match 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
   Jankovic started the match strongly, taking the first set after forcing two breaks of serve but powerful hitting by Zvonareva, who won the Guangzhou Open last week, brought her level.
   The players swapped breaks at the beginning of the decider, but the Serbian world number two forced a further break and sealed the match, which lasted two hours 22 minutes.
   Jankovic, briefly world number one in August, would close to within a handful of points of Serena Williams at the top of the women’s game with a tournament win here.
   The late evening match in Beijing will feature China’s Zheng Jie against Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova.
   In reaching the last four, Zheng has matched the best ever performance by a Chinese player here and her run includes victories over world number four Ana Ivanovic and tenth-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska.
   Wimbledon semi-finalist Zheng will be looking for a lift from the home fans after she admitted they helped her in her win over Ivanovic, whom she beat on her way to the last four on the grass in London.
   ‘It’s not far to win the tournament. I hope that I can win but I’m going to focus on the next match because all the other three players are great players,’ she said.
   The second semi-final in the 524,000-dollar men’s draw pits second seed Andy Roddick against Germany’s 137th-ranked Bjorn Phau.
   Before this tournament, Phau, who shocked Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez on Friday, had not won an ATP match all season.

The 19,000-euro fine FIFA handed the Croatian Football Federation after Croat fans racially abused England striker Emile Heskey was not harsh enough, UEFA president Michel Platini said Friday.
   Platini said the fine paled into insignificance when compared to the overall image projected by football.
   ‘We must try to be more severe on these recurrent problems while hoping they become less and less,’ he said.
   FIFA fined the Croatian FA on Thursday and warned that further infringements ‘would lead to more severe sanctions’.
   En route to an eventual 4-1 victory for England in a World Cup qualifier earlier this month, Heskey was taunted with monkey chants from a section of the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb when he was booked for fouling Niko Kovac.
   England’s Football Association then took the case to FIFA.
   It is not the first time Croatia’s fans have been sanctioned for racist abuse.
   Croatia had to pay a small fine during Euro 2008 for racist abuse from their fans during their game against Turkey.

Former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz was arrested Friday after a complaint from a financial institution but released without charges, a government official said.
   Sanz, president of the Spanish club from 1995-2000 when they twice won the European Cup and collected a league title, was questioned by investigators in Cordoba, a representative for the Spanish government in Andalusia told state radio.
   He had been detained, along with two other people, said Juan Jose Lopez Garzon.
   Sanz was subsequently released without charges. ‘I had to go through the inconvenience of making a statement about a matter which I had nothing to do with and which they wanted to mix me up with,’ Sanz told reporters on his release.

Holders Tottenham Hotspur will face Liverpool in the fourth round of the League Cup following the draw made on Saturday.
   Spurs, who have made a poor start to the Premier League season and are bottom of the table, will be at home for the tie in the week beginning November 10. The two sides are also due to meet in the league at White Hart Lane on November 1.
   Chelsea, last season’s beaten finalists, will be at home to Championship (second division) side Burnley, who beat their west London neighbours Fulham in the last round.
   Arsenal, who fielded a largely teenage side and beat Sheffield United 6-0 in the third round, were handed a home tie against Premier League rivals Wigan Athletic.
   Manchester United will also be at home against Championship side Queens Park Rangers, who upset Premier League Aston Villa in the third round.
   Brighton, who upset Premier League Manchester City on penalties in the second round, will face fellow League One (third division) side Leeds United if they defeat Derby County of the Championship in their delayed third round match.

Unsettled Barcelona striker Thierry Henry was on Saturday tipped by the Spanish media for a winter return to the English Premier League.
   The France international joined Barca after an eight-year spell with Arsenal in a 24-million euro deal in 2007, but has largely failed to make his mark and on Friday he told a local radio station about his desire to see more of his daughter, who lives in London.
   ‘At the moment I’m not thinking about leaving,’ Henry told Radio Catalunya according to Saturday’s As daily.
   He added: ‘But sometimes things happen in your life that you’re not thinking about.
   ‘Obviously my life is in London because I have my daughter there,’