Dambulla, August 13
Sri Lanka huffed and puffed to a three-wicket win over New Zealand in the second ODI of the cricket tri-series and helped India reclaim the second spot in the ICC ODI team rankings, here today. India had surrendered the second position to Kiwis after the humiliating 200-run loss in the series-opener. Opener Upul Tharanga (70 off 109) was top scorer in Sri Lanka's haphazard chase as Sri Lanka scored 195 for seven in 40.5 overs in a target of 193. New Zealand, electing to bat, were all out for 192 in 48.1 overs after Sri Lanka's pace duo of Lasith Malinga (3/35) and Angelo Mathews (3/36) shared six wickets between them.

The Kiwi total was built around some good effort by debutant BJ Watling (55) and Nathan McCullum (36). The low-scoring match at Rangiri Dambulla stadium was a dull affair as only 32 boundaries, including just two sixes, were scored in the flood-lit encounter. New Zealand, who had 117 rating points before this match, lost three points to slip to fourth spot behind South Africa (115). India gained a position to second with 116 points behind leaders Australia (132). Like the Kiwis, Sri Lankan made a wretched start, losing opener Tilakkaratne Dilshan (5) in the third over. Tharanga raised a 85-run stand for the second wicket with skipper Kumar Sangakkara (48) to steady the innings and then along with Thilan Samaraweera (36 off 38) steered the hosts close to win.

But once Tharanga departed in the 37th over, wickets started tumbling and the hosts were reduced from a comfortable 162 for four to 180 for seven in a gap of 14 balls. However, seasoned Samaraweera kept his cool and brought his side home with 9.1 overs to spare.

Tharanga's patient knock had nine boundaries and Samaraweera helped himself with four boundaries with last one coming for winning runs off Kyle Mills. Mills was the highest wicket taker for the Kiwis with outstanding figures of 4 for 41. Earlier, after a high in the opening match, in which they beat India by a massive 200 runs, the Kiwis hit a low with half of their side returning back to the pavilion inside 23.1 overs. — PTI 

Scoreboard

New Zealand:

Watling c S’kkara b Mathews 55 (68)

Guptill c Kapugedera b Malinga 0 (1)

Taylor lbw b Mathews 16 (34)

Williamson c S’raweera b Mathews 0 (2)

Styris c Jayawardene b Herath 24 (33)

Hopkins c Kapugedera b Malinga 11 (22)

McCullum c Herath b Mendis 36 (64)

Tuffey b Malinga 0 (1)

Mills c Mathews b Herath 11 (25)

Southee c Dilshan b Kulasekara 13 (30)

McKay not out 4 (12)

Extras (b 5, lb 4, w 10, nb 3) 22

Total (all out; 48.1 overs) 192

Bowling: Malinga 10-1-35-3, Kulasekara 8.1-1-35-1, Mathews 10-1-36-3, Mendis 10-0-42-1, Herath 10-0-35-2.

Sri Lanka:

Tharanga c Watling b Mills 70 (109)

Dilshan c & b Mills 5 (9)

Sangakkara c Guptill b Styris 48 (62)

Mahela c Taylor b McCullum 5 (11)

Samaraweera not out 36 (38)

Mathews c Taylor b Mills 0 (1)

Kulasekara c Hopkins

b Southee 7 (3)

Herath c Taylor b Mills 2 (3)

Kapugedera not out 9 (9)

Extras (b 4, lb 1, w 8) 13

Total (7 wickets; 40.5 overs) 195

Bowling: Mills 9.5-1-41-4, Tuffey 5-0-31-0, Southee 6-0-41-1, McKay 4-0-26-0, McCullum 7-0-23-1, Williamson 1-0-6-0, Styris 8-0-22-1.

New Delhi, August 13
He may not have clinched a medal at the World Championships this time but Olympic gold-winning Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra continued to rise in stature by getting elected to the International Shooting Sport Federation's (ISSF) Athlete Committee.

The rifle shooter, who became the first individual Olympic gold medallist for India by finishing on top in the 2008 Beijing Games, was voted into the four-member panel by his fellow marksmen competing in the 50th World Championships in Munich, Germany yesterday.

Bindra, who became a world champion in the 2006 edition, did not have a very good time in the just-concluded edition, finishing 25th in the qualifying of the 10m air rifle event.

Ironically, his name for the committee was proposed by the National Rifles Association of India (NRAI) with which he has often been at loggerheads over facilities and selection procedures.

A total of 827 shooters voted to elect the new committee.

Apart from Bindra, the others who have been elected are Slovak Rajmond Debevec, Frenchman Franck Dumoulin and Russia's Vladimir Isakov.

While Debevec, a seven-time Olympian, clinched the 50m rifle 3 position gold in the 2000 edition, Dumoulin finished on top in the 10m air pistol event of the Games in the same year.

Isakov won a 10m air pistol bronze in the 2004 Athens Olympics and followed it up with another third-place finish in the 50m pistol event of the 2008 Beijing Games.

The committee's chairman and three additional members will be designated by the ISSF from a list of candidates.

The committee's brief is to gather information and opinions from athletes on their needs and problems and to establish a direct link with the athletes within the ISSF.

The committee coordinates activities with the athletes committees of other international federations; it strives for the best possible conditions for the training, accommodation and living conditions for the athletes and supports the fight against doping and drugs. — PTI 

London, August 13
"The fastest man on no legs", triple paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius is aiming to qualify as an able-bodied athlete for the Commonwealth Games but remains non-committal on whether he would actually participate in the mega-event.

The 23-year-old double-amputee South African, who is the world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 metres (sport class T44) events, will be seeking to breach the requisite 46-second mark at the Diamond League meeting at Crystal Palace to make the Commonwealth cut for an able-bodied athlete. Pistorius clocked a personal best of 46.02 sec last month in Italy, just 0.07sec below the qualifying mark to compete in the 400m as an able-bodied athlete in CWG and Olympics.

“I’m hoping the weather will be good, and I'd like to try to go under 45.95 seconds, but if I do, I will leave the decision on the Commonwealth Games up to my coach, Ampie Louw," Pistorius was quoted as saying. "He has been telling me it has been a long season - I've been racing since May - and if I reach qualifying, the final decision will rest with him," he added. Pistorius runs with the aid of Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon fibre transtibial artificial limbs. In 2007, he took part in his first international competitions for able-bodied athletes. — PTI 

FABIO CAPELLO’S chaotic announcement that he was ending David Beckham's international career hit further problems yesterday when the former England said he did not want a “farewell” game at Wembley. Capello made the informal offer to Beckham after the Hungary game on Wednesday as it became clear that he had jumped the gun on announcing the end of Beckham’s 115-cap, 14-year international career. However, that just created more problems when Beckham announced that he had no intention of agreeing to being retired by Capello.

Sources close to the 35-year-old said yesterday that if the Football Association announced that Beckham was to be called into the squad specifically for a farewell game he would resist. There will be an announcement this week that England will play a friendly against France on 17 November, but there will be no attempts by the governing body to market it as the “Beckham farewell”.

Instead the FA is hoping that Capello’s off-the-cuff announcement about Beckham - which was an attempt to be diplomatic about the player - will quietly be forgotten. Capello has now realised that his casual remark in a pre-recorded ITV interview broadcast before the match has caused unnecessary problems that were only exacerbated by the offer of a farewell game. Beckham has been told by specialists that he should be fit to play by the start of October after rupturing his Achilles tendon. The player thinks that he can return before that. Either way, it is unlikely that Beckham will be released by Los Angeles Galaxy for the November game against France because it clashes with potential play-off games in the MLS Season.

On Wednesday night, Capello ruled out the possibility that Beckham could fulfil the role of the yet to be selected English coach whom the FA wants its Italian manager to bring into his staff and groom as a possible successor. Beckham was part of the England staff during the World Cup this summer. Capello said: "This is not a question for me. For me he is a fantastic man and a fantastic player. The relationship with him is really good. No [Beckham will not come back]. I change everything and we are going forward.

You need young players and talented players. I think the players that played [against Hungary] are young and they have talent." The England manager has had a difficult five days and those close to him admit that it is his less than perfect grasp of English that lets him down when he tackles difficult issues. Nevertheless, the Capello camp were bullish yesterday about the 64-year-old's future and believe that, despite the difficult time he endured at Wembley, he is determined to see the job through.

After two international retirements from his squad, the Beckham fiasco and a narrow 2-1 win over Hungary, it did look on Wednesday night as if the Capello regime was finally coming apart. The England manager did not emerge once from his dugout during the game. However, the word from Capello yesterday was that he was encouraged by the new players in the squad and is prepared to see out the difficult times ahead. The England manager concedes in private that it might well take progress at the Euro 2012 tournament in two years' time before he can expect faith to be restored in his regime after the disappointment of the World Cup finals. He fully expected a difficult time at Wembley. However, he believes the likes of Bobby Zamora and Kieran Gibbs are now ready for international football.

New Delhi, August 13
The preparations for the CWG today suffered another blow when the official merchandising partner of the games, a firm called ‘Premier Brands’ pulled out its contract. The company was supposed to supply merchandising items like T-shirts, mugs, coins and perfumes by July. Premier came on board on May 19, but the company says four delays so far have cost it mammoth losses. Items were meant to go on sale when the Queen’s Baton Relay entered India on June 25.

However, according to sources the merchandising sponsor Premier Brands was asked to put these items in deep freeze till 6th August. “They (the OC) have asked us to launch the product from 6th August but they are still not completing the formalities,” said an official from Premier Brands admitted. The move has been expected to have caused severe dent in the revenues of the company as well as of the organisers who have hoped to make from these merchandising items, which normally sell like hot cakes before any big-ticket sporting event.

The upcoming Commonwealth Games (CWG), which are just 49 days away to be held in New Delhi seems to be mired in many controversies. Allegations are flying thick and fast. The Organising Committee (OC) of the CWG who has been dragging its feet earlier on the release of the official merchandise for the sporting event, is in a fix now.

The first phase of sales of merchandising items was to begin from the second week of July, with sales vans and a store at the OC headquarters being the points of purchase. “Early marketing of these merchandising items would have created the much-needed hype and awareness which the CWG sorely needs,” said an OC member.

Pirated products with commonwealth logo were also reported to have hit the market some time ago. Several merchants were selling unofficial branded products with the mascot printed on them. 

Multiple Grand Slam winners Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi were today named in India's men's squad for the Commonwealth Games. The four-strong team, which has Somdev Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna as the other two members, was announced after a meeting of the selection committee, headed by Anil Dhupar.

Somdev will lead India's challenge in the singles along with Rohan Bopanna and estranged partners Paes and Bhupathi, who only come together for national duty, will compete in the men's doubles event. The committee also nominated teen sensation Yuki Bhambri, Vishnu Vardhan and national champion V M Ranjeet as three reserve players for the Games. — PTI

New Delhi, August 13
It will be a home away from home for around 8,000 athletes and officials, who are expected to participate in the Commonwealth Games, as the Games Village has been provided with every conceivable modern facility. The sprawling village complex, situated near the magnificent Akshardam temple on the eastern bank of the Yamuna, will offer dream facilities for the athletes and officials who will start checking into the Games Village from mid-September.

“We have taken the term village quite literally”, says Lt. General Ashok Kapur, Additional Director-General of the Games Village. “Everything the athletes and officials need will be found within the village premises - from luxurious sleeping and staying quarters to basics like toothbrush or shaving kit,” he adds. The logistics involved in catering to over 8,000 persons would be mind-boggling. A total of 34 residential towers, with 1,168 air conditioned apartments comprising 4,008 bedrooms, will house the guests. The main dining hall, with a seating capacity of 2,300, will cater to their food requirements, dishing out

approximately 22,000 meals daily. The village will also have facilities for medical services.

“Each apartment will have facilities which were unheard of in other games villages,” said director of the Games Village Maneck Kotwal. “Special thought has gone into the food that will be provided to the athletes. The comprehensive menu on offer will contain dishes from all six zones of the Commonwealth, at the same time designed to meet the cultural, religious and nutritional needs of the athletes,” explains Kotwal. “We are about 97 per cent ready from the estate point of view. Twelve of the 34 towers have already been finished, with only minor fittings to be done,” he adds.

Several retail shops will be located in the international zone of the village, including a bank, a post office, a general store and a hair saloon. A training area has also been provided within the Village Complex, for athletics, aquatics, weightlifting and wrestling. 

London, August 13
Chelsea (86 pts) Having ended Manchester United's three-year run of titles Chelsea, who also won the FA Cup, will start as favourites to retain the championship despite a low-key transfer summer.

In an effective swap deal Yossi Benayoun arrived from Liverpool with Joe Cole going in the opposite direction while teenage centre back Tomas Kalas will stay with Czech club Sigma Olomuc for a season-long loan.

"I had doubts last year, when I started, but now I have more knowledge about the team and club and about the atmosphere in England and the teams here and so I think we will start the season in a different situation," said coach Carlo Ancelotti.

In: Benayoun, Kalas.

Out: Michael Ballack, Juliano Belletti, Cole, Deco, Miroslav Stoch

Man U (85 pts)

United will be desperate to get back to the top of the tree and they too are sitting pretty much on what they have got with just Mexico striker Javier Hernandez coming in.

In: Chris Smalling , Javier Hernandez

Out: Ben Foster

Arsenal (75 points)

Five years without a trophy is a long time for Arsenal fans who got used to regular silverware but the Londoners look short of depth in comparison with the top two. Keeping midfielder CescFabregas was vital but the key to any success will be turning their endlessly neat approach play into more chances and goals. In: Laurent Koscielny, Marouane Chamakh Out: Mikael Silvestre, William Gallas Sol Campbell, Eduardo

Tottenham (70 pts)

Spurs enjoyed a fantastic season under Harry Redknapp - he won the manager of the season award - but might struggle to crack the top four again by finishing above Manchester City and Liverpool. Having spent a fortune in the previous year there was virtually no activity in the market this summer. In: Sandro Out: Adel Taarabt, Dorian Dervite

Man City (67 pts)

In: Aleksandar Kolarov (Undisclosed, Lazio) Yaya Toure (Undisclosed, Barcelona), David Silva (Undisclosed, Valencia), Jerome Boateng (Undisclosed, Hamburg).

Out: Javier Garrido (Undisclosed, Lazio), Benjani (Released), Sylvinho (Released), Martin Petrov (Free, Bolton Wanderers).

Villa (64 pts)

Out: Wilfred Bouma (Free), Marlon Harewood (Released), Nicky Shorey (Undisclosed, West Brom)

Liverpool (63 pts)

In: Joe Cole (Free, Chelsea), Milan Jovanovic (Free, Standard Liege) Danny Wilson (2 million, Rangers). Out: Philipp Degen (Season loan, VfB Stuttgart), Yossi Benayoun (Undisclosed, Chelsea), Albert Riera (5 million, Olympiakos).

Everton (61 pts)

In: Jan Mucha (Undisclosed, Legia Warsaw), Jermaine Beckford (Free, Leeds United), Magaye Gueye (1 million, Strasbourg) Out: Dan Gosling (Free, Newcastle United)

Birmingham (50 pts)

In: Ben Foster (Undisclosed, Manchester United), Enric Valles (Free, NAC Breda), Nikola Zigic (Undisclosed, Valencia). Out: Lee Carsley (Free, Coventry City), Gary McSheffrey, Franck Queudrue

Blackburn (50 pts)

In: Mame Diouf (loan, Manchester United). Out: Steven Reid (Free, West Bromwich Albion).

Stoke, (47 points)

In: Kenwyne Jones (8 million, Sunderland), Florent Cuvelier (Undisclosed, Portsmouth), Carlo Nash (Free, Everton). Out: Andy Griffin (Undisclosed, Reading), Steve Simonsen (Free, Sheffield United).

Fulham (46 pts)

In: Philippe Senderos (Free, Arsenal), Jonathan Greening (Undisclosed, West Bromwich). Out: Chris Smalling (Undisclosed, Manchester United), Erik Nevland (Free, Viking).

Sunderland (44 pts)

In: Marcos Angeleri (Undisclosed, Estudiantes), Titus Bramble (Undisclosed, Wigan Athletic) John Mensah (Undisclosed, Olympique Lyon), Simon Mignolet (Undisclosed, St Truidense), Cristian Riveros (Undisclosed, Cruz Azul). Out: Kenwyne Jones (8 million, Sunderland), Lorik Cana (5 million, Galatasaray), Marton Fulop (Undisclosed, Ipswich Town), Daryl Murphy (Free, Celtic).

Bolton (39 pts)

In: Marcos Alonso, Robbie Blake, Martin Petrov Out: Zoltan Harsanyi, Nicky Hunt, Ricardo Vaz Te

Wolves (38 pts)

In: Steven Fletcher, Stephen Hunt, Jelle Van Dammec Out: Chris Iwelumo, Andrew Surman

Wigan (36 pts)

In: Antolin Alcaraz (Free, Club Bruges), Mauro Boselli, Ali Al Habsi Out: Titus Bramble, Richard Kingson, Jason Koumas, Mario Melchiot, Paul Scharner

West Ham (35 points)

In: Tal Ben-Haim (Loan, Portsmouth), Pablo Barrera (Universidad Nacional), Thomas Hitzlsperger (Free, Lazio), Frederic Piquionne (Undisclosed, Lyon). Out: Guillermo Franco, Bondz N'Gala

New Entrants

Newcastle

In: James Perch (Undisclosed, Nottingham Forest), Dan Gosling (Free, Everton), Sol Campbell (Free, Arsenal) Out: Nicky Butt (Released).

West Brom

In: Boaz Myhill (1 million, Hull City, Nicky Shorey (Free, Aston Villa), Steven Reid (Free, Blackburn), Pablo Ibanez (Free, Atletico Madrid), Gabriel Tamas (800,000, Auxerre). Out: Robert Koren (Released), Filipe Teixeira (Released),Borja Valero (Loan, Villarreal).

Blackpool

In: Craig Cathcart (Undisclosed, Manchester United), Ludovic Sylvestre (Undisclosed, Mlada Boleslav), Elliot Grandin (Undisclosed, CSKA Sofia), Malaury Martin (Free, Monaco) Out: Ben Burgess (Free, Notts County), Hameur Bouazza (Free, Angers,) Daniel Nardiello (Free, Exeter City). — Reuters

Fixtures

Playing on Saturday

Tottenham v Man City (5.10 pm)

Aston Villa v West Ham (7.25)

Blackburn v Everton

Bolton v Fulham

Sunderland v Birmingham

Wigan v Blackpool

Wolves v Stoke City

Chelsea v West Brom (9.55)

Playing on Sunday

Liverpool v Arsenal (8.25 pm)

Playing on Monday

Man U v Newcastle (midnight)

BRIEFLY

Walcott: Becks a pro
LONDON: Arsenal and England winger Theo Walcott has described David Beckham as one of the world's greatest football icons and one of the perfect professionals that the game has seen. Days after England boss Fabio Capello stunned the nation by calling time on Beckham's career without even telling the player face to face, Walcott said: "David is is one of the perfect professionals in the game." — ANI

Yaya slams 'sex ‘n booze'
LONDON: Manchester City and Ivory Coast football star Yaya Toure has said he despises wayward Premier League players who are allowing their lives to spin out of control. He particularly has taken a swipe at their sexual exploits, late-night drunken binges and habit of falling out of nightclubs in the early hours. Toure also lists smoking as one of his pet hates. — ANI

City to lure Ibrahimovic?
LONDON: Manchester City has offered Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic a four-year deal worth a staggering £96 million, roughly £500,000 a week. The deal would make him the highest-paid footballer in the world, earning £24 million a year. According to The Sun, it would topple the salaries of top stars such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka. — ANI

‘Weirdo' Fabio losing plot
LONDON: England's football stars think coach Fabio Capello is turning into a "weirdo", a man who has lost the plot, and one who is failing to inspire the squad. The Sun quote an insider, as saying: "The players expected a big team meeting when Capello would tell them to put the World Cup nightmare out of their minds and look to rebuilding England. But instead they got silence. He never spoke to them. There was no rallying call, nothing.” — ANI

‘Perroncel trying to cash in’
LONDON: English footballer John Terry has accused Vanessa Perroncel of trying to cash in on the scandal involving them. Terry (29) was accused of having a fling with Vanessa in January. Now, Terry has told his pals that Perroncel (33) is "milking" the situation, and he is furious that she would not let it die. — ANI

Pak, England charity match
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board and the England and Wales Cricket Board are planning to hold an exhibition match to raise funds for the flood-affected in Pakistan. The Pakistan team is currently on a tour of England. The PCB said the proposed match would be between a Pakistan XI and an International XI featuring stars from various countries. — ANI

Atwal tied 69th
SPRIGFIELD (US): Aiming to reclaim his PGA card, Indian golfer Arjun Atwal teed off in only his fourth nationwide tour event this year and opened with an erratic two-under 70 to lay tied 69th at the Price Cutter Charity Championship here. Atwal lost his PGA card after failing to earn the requisite money this season, forcing him to go back to the Nationwide Tour to reclaim his place in the elite group. — PTI

Army School wins hockey title
Jammu: The Army School Akhnoor won the Northern Command Inter School Hockey Championship 2010-11 for Boys and Girls, played at Army School Nagrota on August 11 and 12. A total of six teams participated in the tourney. The chairman of the Army School Nagrota presided over the matches and presented the trophies and certificates to the winners. Senior army officers were also present during the games. — TNS