cape town, December 24
South Africa will seek to arrest a dismal Durban run of four straight defeats at Kingsmead when they host India in the second and final Test on Thursday, four days after their epic draw in Johannesburg.

The Proteas are at a loss to explain their miserable run at one of the country’s premier Test grounds, where they have not won since beating West Indies in 2008.

Australia, England, India and Sri Lanka have all enjoyed handsome triumphs in Durban over the world’s top ranked Test team since then and vice-captain AB de Villiers cannot fathom the poor run.

“I am confused about Durban. I don't know what to expect,” he told reporters.

“I am going to play it like I always play my cricket. I am going to take it one ball at a time and use my experience to adapt as quickly as I can. So will the whole team.”

De Villiers suggested it would be a good toss to win, with a lively pitch expected for the first part of the Test.

New Delhi, December 24
The Indian Premier League franchisees will be allowed to retain five cricketers during the 2014 Indian Premier League auction — to be held on February 12 — with the option of buying back a limited number of players through the newly-introduced ‘right to match’ provision.

After a series of discussions, the IPL Governing Council on Tuesday came up with a number of regulations related to Players’ Contracts, Squad Compositions and the Retention of Players in advance for the 2014 Auction.

“The IPL 2014 Player Auction will be held on 12 February, and if necessary, 13 February 2014. The venue of the auction will be announced soon,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a release.

“A franchisee may sign up to a maximum of 5 players (either capped or uncapped, no more than four of whom may be capped Indians) who were in its squad in 2013, including those who were unavailable during the season and those who were taken as temporary replacements.”

Regarding the Salary cap, the Governing Council said the franchises will be charged Rs 12.5 crore, Rs 9.5 crore, Rs 7.5 crore, Rs 5.5 crore and Rs 4 crore for respectively the first, second, third, fourth and fifth capped players retained and it would be “irrespective of the Indian Premier League fee that is agreed between the two parties and which is set out in the player contract.”

Apart from the cricketers who are retained in advance, all other players will have to enter the 2014 player auction process if they want to play in the IPL in 2014, the release said. According to the new regulations, the format of the 2014 Player Auction will be broadly similar to last year but each franchise will have a number of ‘rights to match’ which it may exercise during the course of the auction for those players who were in its squad in 2013.

“The number of ‘rights to match’ available to a franchise will depend on the number of players that the franchise retained in advance,” the press release said. — PTI

Melbourne, December 24
An Ashes series that promised so much has all but fizzled with Australia taking an unassailable 3-0 lead, but Melbourne's Boxing Day Test offers some intrigue as to whether England will continue to self-destruct or salvage some pride from a turbulent campaign.

Arriving as comfortable winners of the northern Ashes series earlier this year, Alastair Cook's team has not had its problems to seek Down Under with spiritless efforts in the field and tumult off it. Graeme Swann's retirement this week, cast as selfless by the spinner but slammed as gutless by critical British media, has only added to the air of a team in disarray. The Coliseum-like Melbourne Cricket Ground might be the world's loneliest place for a team attempting to regroup after passing a sombre Christmas.

Dead rubber notwithstanding, a festive crowd of more than 80,000 are expected to flock to the ground for Thursday's opening day of the fourth Test. England belted Australia in their last MCG meeting to retain the Ashes in 2010-11, but the hosts have humiliated India and Sri Lanka in the two Tests at the ground since. — Reuters

Kevin Pietersen felt like a “clown” after getting out in the first innings of the second test but maintained on Tuesday he has been in prime form during England's heavy defeats in the opening three Ashes matches. Pietersen, though, scotched the idea that he was thinking of following Graeme Swann into early retirement. “I'm 33 years of age. I'm batting as well as I've ever batted. I'll retire when I can't get up to play for England but I'm as good as gold at the moment. I felt like a clown in Adelaide when I hit that ball to mid-wicket off Peter Siddle. I just didn't feel good at the crease at all. Some days you have them,” said Pietersen.

New Delhi, December 24
With three wickets in the final session of the third day, Punjab took a clear edge over hosts Delhi in a Ranji Trophy group A encounter which looks poised for an exciting finish on Wednesday.

At stumps, Delhi were 60 for three chasing a tough target of 327 after Punjab scored 402 in their second innings with significant contributions from skipper Mandeep Singh (60), Gitansh Khera (49) and Siddharth Kaul (32 not out). This was after opener Jiwanjot Singh (147) had laid the foundation, scoring a century on Monday.

It will be an interesting final day as Delhi will require to score 267 runs to win with seven wickets in hand. Unmukt Chand (0) made a poor judgement as he didn't offer a stroke to an inswinger from Sandeep Sharma. Vaibhav Rawal (35) looked good during his hour-long stay before he played on Gony’s delivery.

Mithun Manhas (0) had a poor match as he was bowled by an incoming delivery from seamer Jaskaran Singh. Skipper Gautam Gambhir (22, 71 balls, 3x4) is battling it out in the middle with nightwatchman Ashish Nehra for company.

Virender Sehwag hasn't yet come out but is expected to bat at the fall of the next wicket on Wednesday. It was a day when Punjab batsmen totally dominated the proceedings with skipper Mandeep Singh playing an important role. While Jiwanjot played his defensive game, chipping away with singles and odd boundaries, Mandeep started attacking the Delhi bowlers. He took on Nehra (4/101), pulling him for a six over mid-wicket and then lofted Rajat Bhatia in the next over for boundary over mid-on. Mandeep's 80 came off 113 balls, an essay that included eight fours and a six. The fourth wicket partnership with Jiwanjot yielded 159.

Brief scores: Punjab 74 & 402 (Jiwanjot 147, Mandeep 80, Gitansh 49, Ashish 4/101); Delhi 150 & 60/3 (Gautam Gambhir 22*). — PTI

Pune, December 24
Middle-order batsman Ankit Bawane struck an unbeaten 138 as hosts Maharashtra dished out a commanding batting display to declare their first innings at 488/6 in reply to HP’s 228 on the third day of a Group C Ranji Trophy match on Tuesday.

At stumps, HP were 98 for one in their second essay with Varun Sharma batting on 35 and Paras Dogra on 41. HP still trail Maharashtra by 162 runs with nine wickets in hand and a full day`s play remaining.

Earlier in the day, Bawne completed a fine century after resuming at his overnight score of 76.

Bawne`s 304-ball patient knock was laced with 12 hits to the fence.

Apart from Bawne, Shrikant Mundhe (58) scored a half-century off 96 balls which was studded with nine boundaries and one six.

Akshay Darekar remained unbeaten on 34 off 46 balls along with Bawane, but Chirag Khurana (43) departed after just adding six runs to his overnight score. For HP, Vikramjeet Malik (2/71) and Rishi Dhawan (2/131) shared four wickets between them.

Patiala, December 24
Punjabi University athletes had a good day in the field as they won two gold, two silver and one bronze medals on the second day of the 74th All India Inter University Athletics Championship at Punjabi University.

While Bhumika Thakur got the host university a gold medal in women's long jump, Sidarth Yadav won the gold in men's high jump with a clearance of 2.12 metres.

Bhumika's leap of 5.72 metres was just about good enough as she was able to negate a tough challenge by Alga Vinay James of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, who took silver with 5.70 metres. Kaushalya of Kurukshetra University won bronze with 5.62m.

The two silver medals for Punjabi University came in the men's 20000 metres race walk, won by Deepak Kumar, and the men's 5000 metres race, in which Sunil Prasad finished three minutes after Ankit of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak.

Deepak, however, missed out on gold by seven seconds, losing to Bhupendra Kumar of Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur.

Punjabi University's Amanpreet Kaur, with an effort of 45.40 metres, won bronze in discus throw, which was won by Navjeet Kaur of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, with a throw of 51.23 metres. In the women's 5000 metres race, Kadam Nilam M. of the University of Mumbai out-sprinted Sakshi of MDU in the final stretch to win by one tenth of a second, in a time of 17.30.6 minutes.

Results: Discus throw (women): Bhumika Thakur (Punjabi University) 5.72m, Alga Vinay James (MGU, Kottayam) 5.70m, Kaushalya (Kurukshetra University) 5.62m; 5000m (women): Kadam Nilam M. (University of Mumbai) 17:30.6, Sakshi (MDU, Rohtak) 17:30.7, Varda Pooja (University of Pune) 17:47.8; High Jump (men): Sidarth Yadav (Punjabi University) 2.12m, Chetan B. (Bangalore University) 2.09m, S.Silvester (MS University, TN) 2.03m.

Jamshedpur, December 24
Top ranked woman recurve archer Deepika Kumari of Jharkhand today created another national record when she shot 346 points in women's 50m round in the 34th Senior National Archery Championship at JRD Tata Sports Complex.

Deepika shattered the previous best by Olympian L Bombalya Devi (RSPB), who had set up 333 points out of maximum 360, at the 32nd Senior National Recurve and Compound Championship here in January 2012.

Olympian and teammate of Deepika at Tata Archery Academy, V Praneetha (Gujarat) finished second in the event with 332 points, while Reena Kumari (Jharkhand) scored 322 to clinch bronze. Deepika was also shooting the target well and was on the verge of making an overall championship record but for a mistake she committed in the FITA round, the archer lost her a medal in the 30m distance.

Following a shooting of six arrows in the event, Deepika removed them from the face (target) before the scorers could even record the points, which was in violation of FITA rule clause 14.2.1 and 17.1.1. — PTI

BRIEFLY

BCCI calls WC meeting to discuss Lalit Modi re-entry
New Delhi: The BCCI has called an Emergent Working Committee meeting on Saturday in Chennai to discuss the possible implications of banned former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi's re-entry into Rajasthan Cricket Association. All the affiliated units of BCCI have received a circular in this regard and are gearing up for the decisions that will be taken by BCCI president N Srinivasan at the meeting. "We have received a circular stating that there is an Emergent Working Committee meeting in Chennai on December 28. The agenda is to discuss about Lalit Modi," a senior BCCI official said.

IOA bows under pressure after an eventful year
New Delhi: A usually reticent Sports Ministry was at its persuasive best as it fought for India's re-inclusion in the Olympic fold even as the corruption-tainted Indian Olympic Association (IOA) embarrassed itself by trying hard to defy the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for most part of the year before being forced to bow under pressure in an eventful 2013. The decision to amend the IOA constitution in line with Olympic Charter was taken at its Special General Body Meeting on December 8, 2013, after the IOC served the ultimatum last month that it would de-recognise India if the "charge-framed" persons are not barred from contesting polls.

Yuki, Jeevan get wild cards for Chennai Open
Chennai: India's top singles players Yuki Bhambri and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan were today awarded wild card entries to compete in the $450,000 Chennai Open, beginning Monday here. India's highest-ranked player Somdev Devvarman (90) had made it to the main draw after Estonia's Jurgen Zopp pulled out with a back injury.

Arsenal, Chelsea draw 0-0 in Premier League
London: Arsene Wenger failed for the 10th time to get the better of Jose Mourinho as Arsenal was held to a 0-0 draw by Chelsea on Monday, missing a chance to return to the top of the Premier League. The London derby, played with rain swirling around the Emirates Stadium, failed to produce the drama expected, with few attempts on goal.

Sherwood in charge at Spurs until end of 2014/15
London: Tottenham Hotspur have given the inexperienced Tim Sherwood the chance to stamp his mark on the ambitious London club by naming him on Monday as head coach until the end of next season with their sights on the top four. The Premier League club have promoted their former midfield player from his role as youth development manager to replace Andre Villas-Boas, 36, exactly a week after the Portuguese coach was sacked.

Ratwada Sahib academy to face Surjit academy in final 
Jalandhar: Ratwada Sahib academy and Surjit Hockey academy entered the final of the 16th Olympian Mohinder Singh Munshi hockey tournament at the Punjab Armed Police Hockey Stadium on Tuesday. While Ratwada Sahib beat Chandigarh Academy 2-1 in the first semifinal, Surjit Hockey Academy beat Sports School in a one sided match by 4-0 to make their way into Wednesday’s final.

Three paddlers face ban for age-fudging in sub-jr c’ships
Ajmer: Three budding paddlers were today barred from participating in the Cadet and Sub-Junior National Table Tennis Championships at the MC Chowhan Indoor Stadium here after they were found to be overage. Out of the three paddlers two -- Ronit Bhanja and Udit Bhattacharya -- are from Bengal while the other, Lalruat Puiab, is from Mizoram. Mizoram bore the extra brunt as the state was scratched from the sub-junior boys team event. West Bengal, however, escaped the punishment since Bjanja and Bhattacharya did not compete in the team event. Any further punishment, including a proposed five-year ban of the players, will be taken by the TTFI’s executive board when it meets next.

NSFs must highlight Govt's support: Sports Ministry
New Delhi: The Sports Ministry today asked all the National Sports Federations (NSFs) to acknowledge and highlight the Government's support for all those events that are being funded by it and SAI. "It has been observed that many of the NSFs do not recognise and highlight the support from the Government of India and SAI in the publicity material of the NSFs," a Ministry release said. — Agencies