Storms Give Shock a Shocking Defeat

Lauren Jackson’s return gave the Storm a third straight win they needed. Jackson

Scored nine of her 14 points in the third quarter to help lead the storm against Tulsa Shock 74-57 last night .

Wright scored 12 points,Camille Little scored 10 and Swin Cash 9 for Seatttle which

Resulted into a tie with Phoenix for second place in the Western conference.

Jackson played only for 15 minutes in the fourth quarter and the storms comfortably

Lead.

Tiffany Jackson and Sheryl Swoopes each scored 12 points and Amber Holt had 10 for Tulsa (1-25), which extended its WNBA record to 20 straight losses.

Lauren Jackson has averaged 15.7 points in the three games after missing 20 games.

Jackson made 4 of 9 shots from the field, including two 3-pointers. She opened the second half with a three-point play and a 3-pointer.

Defending champion Seattle hopes to overtake Phoenix for second as the top two conference teams earn homecourt advantage in the playoffs. The Storm are 12-2 at home and 4-10 on the road.

Jackson scored nine and Cash had five to input a 28-16 run in the third quarter and give the Storm a 56-41 lead. Jackson hit two 3-pointers in the quarter to help offset Holt's eight points, including two 3's.

Seattle led 28-25 at halftime as scored 10 to help keep the Shock close.

in spite of Tulsa's nearly 7-minute scoreless drought to start the second quarter, the Shock closed the first half with six straight points.

The Storm struggled as well with a 4-minute scoreless extend early in the second quarter and shot 3 for 16 from the field in the period. Jackson and Cash were a combined 1 for 11 in the first half, including Cash's 0-for-5 effort.

Tulsa's only win this season came on June 18, 77-59 against Washington.

Timbers Lead Chivas

Eric Brunner scored a goal in a glance beautifully kicking in a corner heading off

Mike Chabala and taking Timbers into 1-0 lead over Chivas USA yesterday.It was

Brunner’s third goal of the season.

The timbers had played better in the first half much shooting out Chivas USA

And holding the game about 53 percent .They had almost taken the lead earlier

Before only when the David Horst Attempted in the 32^nd minute.Chivas USA

Goal keeper Dan Kennedy appeared to be caught going the wrong direction but

Found able to make a save.

As Juan Pablo Angel and Justin Braun not in the starting line up ChivasUSa

Has been playing in more defensive way.Chivas USA coach Robin Fraser decided tosave Angel for this weekend’s game with Real Salt Lake.While Braun is nursing an injury but is on the 18.

Rain Perturbed 4th Test

England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and elected to bat first in the fourth Test against England at the Oval on Thursday.

While the England go into the match with an unchanged playing eleven,India have brought in RP Singh in place of the injured Praveen Kumar.

Team India hopes to lift the gloom from its campaign in England by putting up a spirited performance, after England inflicted three humiliating defeats on the Indians to become the No 1 team in Test cricket.

It's been 12 years since India last lost all the Tests in a series, losing 0-3 to Australia in 1999-2000.In all probability, The Oval Test will be the last in England for the likes of Sachin Tendulkar,Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. And while Dravid still remains the standout performer among the ruins, Tendulkar and Laxman would want to shed off disappointment and help the team cross the 300-run mark, which India haven't achieved in six innings on tour so far.

Though England are set to replace India's No 1 in the ICC Test rankings, another loss at The Oval will hurt the visitors' ranking badly.

England's hopes of devastating India were hindered by the weather on Thursday, with rain preventing play after lunch on the first day of the fourth Test at The Oval.

England, who won the toss, defied the dull overhead conditions by opting to bat first on a typically good Oval pitch.

Strauss was 38 not out and fellow left-hander Alastair Cook 34 not out, with England already 3-0 up in this four-match series after a devastating innings and 242-run victory third Test victory at Edgbaston saw them replace India at the top of the ICC's Test Championship table.

Rain meant only 26 of the day's scheduled 90 overs were bowled.

England's most concerning moment of the morning came when Strauss, on 24, bailed out of a pull shot against an Ishant Sharma bouncer crashed his helmet breaking a piece of the peak.

But, after a replacement helmet, Strauss was not bothered again by a largely insufficient India attack.

Sri Lankans The Winners

Sri Lanka played really well with bat and ball. Sri Lanka were earlier strongly placed at 220-1 after 38 overs but paceman Doug Bollinger bagged three wickets in two overs, including those

Of Tharanga and Kumara Sangakkara. The hosts made their best start in the series when Tharanga and Dilshan put on 139 for the first wicket in the day-night match, watched by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Nasheed.
Jayawardene was the other main scorer who bagged 36 in 33 balls.

The Australian bowlers, who set up their team's comfortable victories in previous games, had to wait for more than 25 overs for the first wicket.

Bollinger provided the breakthrough when he had Dilshan caught pulling by Michael Hussey before Tharanga and Sangakkara added 81 in 13 overs for the second wicket.

Sangakkara hit a 37-ball 49 before being trapped leg-before by Bollinger, who got his second wicket in the same over when he had Dinesh Chandimal caught by Clarke in the slips.

Bollinger struck again when he had Tharanga caught behind in his next over.

Upul Tharanga hit a century and paceman Lasith Malinga grabbed five wickets as Sri Lanka posted a crucial 78-run win over Australia in the third one-day international on Tuesday.

Left-handed opener Tharanga made 111 for his 12th one-day hundred as Sri Lanka scored 286-9 before dismissing Australia for 208 in the must-win match, despite Michael Hussey's fighting 63.

Man-of-the-match Tharanga, playing his first series after serving a three-month drugs ban, passed 4,000 runs in one-day internationals during his 139-ball knock, which contained 12 fours.

Australia, who won the first two games of the five-match series, were struggling at 52-3 after Eranga bowled Brad Haddin in his opening over and then held a return catch to dismiss Ricky Ponting

Skipper Michael Clarke and Hussey steadied the innings with a 71-run stand for the fourth wicket before Malinga struck a vital blow.

The Australian captain looked set for a third successive half-century before being caught by Mahela Jayawardene at mid-on. Malinga ensured the win when he dismissed Hussey to finish with 5-28, his fourth five-wicket drag .

Sri Lanka Vs Australia 3rd ODI

Sri Lanka have been poor and they have not returned to the form they had shown at the World Cup where they were Runners Ups. The batting has not been able to post a score big enough for the bowlers to defend and the bowlers are being played without no trouble. It really shows that Sri Lanka struggle when the top 4 don’t perform in the batting line up. They are 1 loss away from losing this series so the batting will really have to score some runs and play out the 50 overs and the bowlers will have to build pressure on Australia. It can be told that Sri Lanka have been poor with the bat when you see Kulesakera is tied on 68 runs with Sangakkara in the ODI series. Randiv is the only bowlers to have taken more than a wicket and he was dropped last match and neither bowler has succeeded in building pressure and taking the wicket.Australia have came up with 2 positive results but Sri Lanka have played 2 terrible matches according to what they are capable of. Australia being 2-0 up only need this win to secure a trophy and be declared the winner of the series.

It has just perfect ODI series for Australia when they were expected to get smashed due to the spinners playing a big role. It has been the complete opposite with the only worry being on Brad Haddin’s form. Only 5 batsman have had a bat with 4 of them batting twice and that is a good stat when it comes to Australia’s batting in the past. Shane Watson has been strong at the top getting Australia off to a good start and it came to the joy of Australia seeing Ricky Ponting performing so far this series. Clarke and Ponting have made great contributions so far this series.Mitchell Johnson has looked just as good as he ever has already with 8 wickets from 2 matches and Bollinger has 4 to his name.

India Vs England 3rd Test Day 2

India and England 3rd Test Day 2 match was delayed by rain at Edgbaston a bit. England had already established in this match on Day 1itself and they continued the same pressure on the Indian Team.Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook have not been among the runs in the last 2 Tests but they seem to be taking full advantage of the flat conditions at Birmingham. The Indian bowlers strived hard in the first session and bowled within the narrow areas but the slowness of the pitch and little carry came to England’s rescue.

Praveen Kumar bowling did well he did not concede any runs and the England openers kept on striving hard to hit.Sreesanth did also well in the first half and did not allow England's batsmen to blow more.

Ishant Sharma failed to bowl effectively again.

England is in form now to control this Test match.They may score a firm total and again India will be in misery.

England Vs India – 3rd Test

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is back into form with a blazing defense before India were bundled out for 224 in their first innings to give England in the third cricket Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

Put into bat, India were unsteadily placed at 111 for seven before Dhoni (77) formed a dazzling range of stroke play to give some decency to the Indian total.

Dhoni, who has been struggling with form right through the series, found an able ally in Praveen Kumar (26) as they put on 84 runs for the eighth wicket on a Edgbaston track which seemed to have no demons after the first hour’s play.

England openers Andrew Strauss (51) and Alistair Cook (26) scored 84 for no loss at close on the opening day, trailing India by 140 runs in their first innings.

Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad were the chief Players for England as they bagged four wickets each.

India has to blame themselves for the shocking crumple as most of the batsman off to either poor shot selections or dreadful strokes. Only Rahul Dravid was dismissed by good delivery by Bresnan.

Opener Virender Sehwag couldn’t make any impact as India’s batting lineup fall to 100 for six in 34.4 overs.

India’s top-order fall once again against pace bowling as openers Gautam Gambhir (38) and Virender Sehwag (0) as well as Sachin Tendulkar (1) and Rahul Dravid (22) were sent back.

VVS Laxman (30) and Amit Mishra (4) in no time and if it had not been for Dhoni, things could have been more embarrassing for India.

Dhoni took 16 balls to get off the mark — through a pre-determined push to covers off Bresnan — but then took the attack to the opposition camp on an increasingly slow Edgbaston pitch.


He reached his half century when he off-drove Graeme Swann, introduced into the attack in the 47th over, having faced 63 balls. He hit seven fours and two sixes.

England finally made a breakthrough when Bresnan dug in a short delivery and a pull from Kumar only resulted in an edge to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

Ishant Sharma (4) next joined Dhoni and both added 29 for the ninth wicket before Dhoni edged an extravagant hit into the hands of lone slip fielder.

Ishant was brilliantly caught by Cook to bring the innings to an end as Indians, for the fifth time in the series, had failed to gather 300

Strauss took 14 balls to get off the mark and there was scoreless for 20 balls. But in between, he showed off some delightful strokes off the front and Back. Strauss hit 10 fours in his half century while facing 76 deliveries.

Earlier, Virender Sehwag's return was spoilt by Broad who dismissed him in the first ball that he faced. But India appeared to have overcome the early blow when Gambhir and Dravid were at the crease but disaster struck when the left-hander, after facing 64 balls, played on to a Bresnan delivery with the score at 59 for one.

The Indians were in for more trouble as Broad induced an edge from Tendulkar (1) but the biggest blow for the Indians came when Bresnan dismissed the in-form Dravid with a peach of a delivery .
Suresh Raina, made only two from 21 balls before Anderson distressed his stumps.

VVS Laxman, who twice hit Bresnan for fours through the off-side in one over, pulled at a short delivery and was easily caught at midwicket as the Indians slipped to 100 for six.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra hung around for 13 balls before binding wide.

Sri Lanka’s Victory Over Australia

Australia must come to conditions with Sri Lanka's spinners if they are to turn around their 20-20 defeats by the host nation and win the forthcoming one-day series that starts with the first ODI on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis became the first bowler to take six wickets in the shortest form of the game by taking 6-16 in the hosts' eight-run win in the second 20-20match on Monday, winning the series 2-0.

Michael Clarke, who captains Australia's Test and one-day teams, joined the team for training at Pallekele on Tuesday ahead of a five-match ODI series.

Senior batsmen Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey also return to strengthen the one-day international squad.

The Australia skipper said he saw no threat in the pitch for Wednesday's game and said batsmen who get a start should be well placed.

Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who missed the Twenty20 series through injury, could return for the one-dayers, while opening batsmen Upul Tharanga is also likely to play after serving a suspension for using a banned substance during this year's World Cup.

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said he and Tharanga will open the batting while Mahela Jayawardene, who was his opening partner in the Twenty20 matches will drop down to No. 4.

Chamara Kapugedera and Chamara Silva also return to the squad to strengthen the middle order.

Suns Give Sparks a Hot Shot

Connecticut Sun defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 79-70 to achieve their second victory at Staples Center in WNBA.

Tina Charles had 20 points and 13 rebounds,Renee Montgomery hit four 3-pointers and scored 16 points for the Sun 12-6, who used a 12-0 run to start the fourth in winning for the sixth time in seven games.

Connecticut won its third straight on the road after starting the season 1-5 away from home.

Charles hit a free throw and later added a pair of jumpers during the run, resulting in a 68-56 lead. The Sun's defense held the Sparks scoreless for 4½ minutes.

DeLisha Milton-Jones had 14 points to lead the Sparks 7-12, who were playing the first of a season-high, six game-homestand. Tina Thompson and Ebony Hoffman scored 13 points apiece.

Milton-Jones hit a jumper to end the Sparks' scoring drought and followed with a layup on the next possession to cut it to 68-60 with 4:57 left. The Sparks trailed 71-65 after Kristi Toliver's 3-pointer with 3:08 remaining, but Charles answered with a jumper.

Charles, who recently earned her first All-Star selection, leads the league with 10.6 rebounds per game. She had just seven points and six rebounds at halftime before asserting herself down the stretch.

Montgomery had missed her last 11 shots from 3-point range coming in. She hit three 3s in the second quarter, the last of which put the Sun ahead 33-32 after they trailed by as many as nine.

Since winning the first two games under Joe Bryant, the Sparks have dropped six of their past seven. Bryant took over as head coach for Jennifer Gillom on July 10.

Jenna O'Hea gave the Sparks their biggest lead at 25-16 when she was fouled while making a layup with 7:44 left in the second. The Sparks shot 50 percent in the first half and led 40-35 at the break.

Olin Leads in US Senior Open

Browne fought off to shoot a 65 and create a two-shot lead over Mark O'Meara through Saturday's third round of the U.S. Senior Open at Inverness.

Browne, never a winner in his three years of competition since turning 50, set the tournament record for lowest score through 54 holes. After a record-tying 64 followed by a 69, he's at 15-under 198.

O'Meara had a 66 in a head-to-head duel. Playing in the same pairing, he pulled even with Browne with a birdie at the ninth hole but Browne had five birdies on the difficult back nine.
A 2-hour, 45-minute rain delay in the morning prevented the last seven threesomes from finishing the second round. Play was suspended by darkness, with those left on the course to return early Saturday morning.

Among the other household names within six shots of the lead were John Huston, Larry Nelson, Jeff Sluman, Jay Haas, Nick Price, Steve Pate, Tom Kite, Bernhard Langer and Russ Cochran, the winner of last week's Senior British Open.

Heading into the final round, it's apparently a two-man race. Six shots off the pace at 9-under 204 are Jeff Sluman ,Peter Senior ,Joey Sindelar and Mark Calcavecchia
Hale Irwin shot his age and was at 7-under 206 with New Mexico club pro Jeff Roth and Michael Allen.

India vs England game ends in tie

Ian Bell struck a solid 159 as England scored 374-run on the third day in the second cricket Test against India at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

With two full days left, India will have to bat out to prevent England from going 2-0 up in the four-match series and extricate them as the number 1 Test team.

Earlier, controversy spoiled the second session of play after Bell was run out off the last ball before tea.

The incident happened when Morgan flicked one towards deep square leg, but a diving Praveen Kumar prevented the ball from crossing the boundary.


Presumptuous that tea had been called, Bell walked off the fold before the bails were removed at the batsman's end by Abhinav Mukund.

The Indians appealed and Bell was give out after replays had shown that the ball had not gone for four.

However, in a high-minded gesture, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni called back Bell after the tea break.

The Indians, who were booed by English fans when they came back after the tea break as Bell's dismissal did not go down well with the home crowd, were later praised for their gesture.

The generosity towards him did not make much of a difference to Bell, though, as he could add just 22 runs to his score before nicking Yuvraj Singh to first slip.

India fought for a while after Kumar took the wickets of Morgan and Jonathan Trott - coming in to bat at number seven due to a shoulder injury - with the second new ball, having them caught in the slip cordon. But they could not maintain the pressure on the opposition.

Bell, for his masterly knock, batted for five and a half hours and faced with 206 balls, hitting 24 authoritative fours.

Resuming at an overnight score of nine, Bell lost his skipper Andrew Struass in the first session, Pietersen in the second, and then himself got a second chance in the final session.

The feature of his innings was the flurry of fours he hit.

In the first session, he made 75 runs and struck 14 fours, i.e scoring 56 runs in boundaries.

In the afternoon session, he added 53 runs and slammed six fours, while his 22 in the final session featured three hits to the fence.

Thanks to their batsmen's aggression, England on Sunday scored at a pace that saw them score 417 runs from 90 overs at nearly five runs an over.

In all, England hit 55 fours and two sixes during the day. The final session alone yielded 187 runs.

Bell put on 162 runs for the third wicket with Pietersen and 104 for the fourth wicket with Morgan, partnerships that gave England the advantage.

Pietersen played a sensible knock, batting for 160 minutes and 120 balls and hitting seven fours.

Morgan made his 70 runs from a mere 88 balls and hit eight fours and a six in 104 minutes of batting.

Later, Prior, continuing with his good form in the series, put on 102 runs from 110 balls for the seventh wicket with Bresnan.

Prior looks good enough for another century in the series and has so far batted for 102 minutes, faced 55 balls and hit eight fours and a six.

Bresnan has hit nine fours from 66 balls for his 47.