World Of Sports

Shane Watson was the star of the first Indian Premier League semi-final as he steered the Rajasthan Royals to a 105-run win over the Delhi Daredevils.

Captain Shane Warne had feared a neutral venue could hamper the Royals, who topped the regular league table with 11 wins from 14 matches, but those concerns were quickly laid to rest by Watson as the Royals came through unscathed in a disappointingly one-sided affair.

The Australian all-rounder, who top-scored for the Royals with 52 off 29 deliveries, also dominated with the ball, dismissing the dangerous Virender Sehwag (three) and Gautam Ghambir (11) in quick succession to leave the Daredevils reeling.

Sehwag mis-timed a pull and was caught at deep square-leg by Sohail Tanvir, while Ghambir was caught in the covers while attempting a drive.

Those wickets coupled with that of Shikhar Dhawan (five) - Watson's third wicket - brought the Daredevils' chase to a standstill.

And when Dinesh Karthik (10) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (33) departed cheaply, it was all over bar the shouting.

Earlier Watson built impressively on the platform provided by openers Graeme Smith (25) and Swapnil Asnodkar (39) as the Royals finished with a competitive 192 for nine in 20 overs after being asked to bat first.

Asnodkar had stifled nerves at the start in typically explosive style as he put on 65 runs for the opening wicket with Smith.

The South African had seemed in considerable pain due to a hamstring injury and called for a runner in only the second over. But his stroke-making skills seemed unaffected as he hit Glenn McGrath for three consecutive boundaries in the third over.

The Daredevils had started with Mohammed Asif, just back from an elbow injury, but when the Pakistani proved expensive Farveez Maharoof was pressed into service.

The Sri Lankan delivered immediately, dismissing both openers, but those blows hardly stemmed the flow of runs.

Chelsea have confirmed that Henk Ten Cate has left his position as assistant manager at Stamford Bridge.

The Dutchman linked up with the Blues last October to join Avram Grant's backroom staff following the departure of Jose Mourinho.

However, after Grant was sacked by Chelsea last Saturday, there were suggestions that Ten Cate would also be on his way out of the club.

Ten Cate, though, revealed at the start of the week that he had been assured that he still had a role in West London, where he was under contract until 2010.

He told Voetbal International: "Half an hour before Chelsea made the message about Grant officially known, I was called by the chief executive Peter Kenyon.

"He informed me that the departure of Grant will not affect me. I'd rather go on that than all those newspaper reports.

"That appointment was long planned and therefore separate from recent developments.

"In January I had one such evaluation and then we said we would do again after the season. I have a contract until 2010."

But Chelsea have now issued a statement to confirm that Ten Cate has left his position with the club.

A statement on the club's official website read: "Chelsea Football Club can confirm that it terminated Henk Ten Cate's contract today. This follows a meeting this morning.

"As a result of the team management changes at Chelsea FC, and in the light of any forthcoming appointment, it was clear this was the correct decision for all parties.

"Everybody at Chelsea would like to thank Henk for his contribution since coming to the club last year."

Chelsea target sacked by Serie A giants

Serie A champions Internazionale have sacked manager Roberto Mancini.

The path is now free for the English-speaking Italian tactician to join Chelsea with the ex-Leicester striker reportedly on the club's shortlist.

Mancini, who guided Inter to an impressive third successive Scudetto last season, is now the firm favourite to take up the vacant post at Stamford Bridge.

Inter have revealed Mancini's comments following their UEFA Champions League exit to Liverpool was one of their reasons behind the decision.

The former Lazio and Sampdoria forward stated following their defeat to The Reds he would quit at the end of the season only to change his mind just 24 hours later.

"Internazionale have informed Roberto Mancini that he has been sacked as coach, in particular because of the comments made by the coach at the end of the Inter-Liverpool match," read a statement on the club's official website.

Hours before Mancini's sacking Inter confirmed Mancini's meeting with president Massimo Moratti earlier this week was 'absolutely professional', however, his agent Giorgio De Giorgis stated on Wednesday his client had already left the club.

The Kings XI Punjab rounded off the group stage of the Indian Premier League with a 41-run success over the Rajasthan Royals in Mohali.

Shaun Marsh blasted 115 off 69 balls to lead the Kings XI to a total of 221-3 after they were asked to bat by Royals skipper Shane Watson, filling in for regular captain Shane Warne, who was rested.

Marsh shared an opening partnership of 133 with James Hopes (51 off 35 balls) and 80 with Yuvraj Singh (49 off 16 balls) for the second wicket.

The 24-year-old left-hander, son of former Australian Test opener Geoff Marsh, is the leading run scorer in the competition with 593 runs at an average of 74.12.

And his innings was also enough to put the game beyond the reach of the Royals, who finished well short at 180-7 in reply.

Opening batsman Niraj Patel contributed a 39-ball innings of 57 but the required rate spiralled out of control against some disciplined bowling from the Kings XI, led by leg-spinner Piyush Chawla's 3-35.

The two teams had already reached the last four prior to this match. The result does not prevent Rajasthan finishing top of the standings with 22 points, while the Kings XI are two points behind in second.

The Royals meet the Delhi Daredevils in the first semi-final on Friday with the Kings XI facing the Chennai Super Kings the following day. Both games takes place at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

The agent of Roberto Mancini has indicated that his client is no longer the coach of Serie A outfit Internazionale, although an official announcement has yet to be made by the Italian champions.

Mancini looks to be on his way out of the club less than a fortnight after delivering the club's third consecutive Serie A title.

The 43-year-old's agent, Giorgio De Giorgis, indicated in an interview with Sportitalia television on Tuesday night that Mancini has left the club following a 25-minute meeting with Inter president Massimo Moratti earlier in the day.

De Giorgis also suggested that former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has been lined up as Mancini's replacement.

He told Sportitalia television: "Roberto never expected it to end like this.

"As an outsider, I could rationally understand that something was not right, but that is the way things have gone.

"Roberto is very disappointed also because he has not yet finished his job - he wanted to try and win even more league titles, and maybe even the Champions League.

"Now Mourinho will arrive and he has only got to repeat what has happened in the last few years.

"Roberto is now considering making a statement to avoid gossip and it should be a statement praising the president and those who worked with him.

"Certainly he is shocked and has taken it badly.

"I have spoken with him and he sounded quite down, but tomorrow will be even worse."

Mancini has endured a turbulent season at the San Siro, tendering his resignation in the immediate aftermath of the club's Champions League elimination by Liverpool in March only to be talked into a rethink by Moratti.

"After the Liverpool game, there was tension and maybe Roberto could have avoided it, but the president knows him well and when he apologises, he does so because he realises he has done wrong," De Giorgis continued.

"Roberto has a great quality of being a good person so he has never given his availability to anybody else and has always done his job.

"These last three months have been very testing and the press have not been fair towards Inter.

"The club maybe let things get carried away, destabilising the atmosphere with all this gossip. But he always felt a lot for Inter and to try and lift him, I told him that maybe he will now be able to get back the 10 years he has lost while in Milan.

"He thought he would have a month of holiday now before returning to Inter and continuing to win. Maybe now it will be a bit longer, but I hope somebody calls him [with a job offer] as early as tomorrow because it is never good to be out of work as a coach."

Reports in Italy suggest Mourinho arrived in Milan on Tuesday evening and may be presented as the club's new coach as early as Wednesday.

Fabio Capello hailed the leadership qualities of John Terry after restoring the Chelsea defender as England captain for the friendly international with the United States at Wembley on Wednesday evening.

The Italian revealed he had chosen Terry as his third skipper before he suffered his penalty shootout agony in last week's Champions League final with Manchester United in Moscow.

And Capello believes being awarded the armband will be an ideal tonic for Terry after his penalty miss against the Red Devils denied Chelsea their first Champions League title.

Terry was appointed England captain as David Beckham's successor by the then England coach Steve McClaren in the summer of 2006.

Injury ruled him out of the first match of Capello's reign against Switzerland when Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard led the side out.

But when Terry returned against France for the March clash in Paris, it was Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand who was named as captain by the Italian.

Capello said: "It is very important to try the different captains. My decision will have helped to lift John Terry a little bit after Moscow.

"I made the decision about who would be captain before the Champions League final. The first captain was Steven Gerrard, then Rio Ferdinand and now John Terry.

"I think at this moment it is a good decision for John Terry after the not very nice Wednesday last week.

"When I told him he would be captain, he was very happy. It is very important for an England captain to be a leader - and John Terry is a leader.

"I know him very well. I saw him play a lot of games. He is a leader on the pitch." Capello has not decided who will lead the side against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday but hinted that there may be another incumbent as skipper.

Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry is a strong candidate to lead his country in that game for the first time in the Caribbean.

Capello said: "I think perhaps we will use another one (captain) but you will have to wait and see." The England head coach wants to have his permanent captain in place for the final friendly international in August against the Czech Republic at Wembley before the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign gets under way.

Capello confirmed: "At the start of next season, we will have a (permanent) captain."

Frank Lampard will make his first appearance under Capello against the USA.

And Capello intends to use all four of the Chelsea players who started in Moscow at some stage over the next two games.

Capello said: "I know Lampard very well for the way he has played for Chelsea and I am very happy to see him tomorrow in the midfield against USA.

"He is a very important player for us and I hope tomorrow he plays a good game.

"For the Chelsea players, it is very important to play for the national team and forget the last game in Moscow. In these two games, all the Chelsea players will play some part."

Beckham has impressed Capello as he looks to add to his 100 caps although the Italian would give no assurances about the future of the Los Angeles Galaxy player, who turned 33 earlier this month.

He said: "I have seen David in training. He worked very well. He is very fresh at the moment like the USA players who have just started their season.

"I think the future is good for David. There is no problem. He is very fit now. But as for the future, it is impossible to know." Capello is looking for his side to make further steps forward in the next two games after being pleased with their performance against France two months ago.

He said: "I think it's very important to wait for these two next games. Then we can speak about the progress.

The Chennai Super Kings booked a semi-final showdown with the Kings XI Punjab after they won their final round-robin match against the Deccan Chargers by seven wickets.

The Super Kings needed victory to assure their place and were made to sweat on victory, finally reeling in the home side's 147 for eight when Suresh Raina clubbed a straight six from the second ball of the final over.

They will now travel to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday for the opportunity to play in the first ever Indian Premier League final.

Defeat for the Chargers completed a frustrating campaign when they failed to win at home and managed just two wins in 14 games to finish two wins adrift at the foot of the table.

The home side had laboured to their total of 147 for eight with local duo Venugopal Rao (46) and Dwaraka Ravi Teja (40) leading another Chargers recovery mission after the top-order again failed to deliver.

Openers Adam Gilchrist (five) and Herschelle Gibbs (eight) fell cheaply, before Scott Styris' run-a-ball innings of 20 was ended when he slogged across the line and was bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan.

However, in front of their home crowd, Venugopal Rao and Ravi Teja combined for a 76-run stand from 50 balls to help set a competitive total.

Parthiv Patel (20) and Stephen Fleming (14) got the Super Kings off to a quick start and when captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (37) was caught at long-off by Gibbs from the bowling of Pragyan Ojha, the visitors needed a manageable 33 from 28 balls.

Some tight bowling from Styris loosened the Super Kings' grip on the game, but Raina remained as a steady presence.

The India left-hander found the boundary regularly enough to keep his side in control of the game before supplying the killer blow in the final over, smashing a straight six off Paidikalva Vijaykumar.

A final-ball fumble by Sanath Jayasuriya gifted the Rajasthan Royals a five-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League on Monday.

Jayasuriya, standing at the bowler's end, inexplicably spilled a throw-in from the outfield as he looked set to claim a routine run-out to give Rajasthan the two runs they needed for victory.

Sohail Tanvir had earlier recorded figures of four for 14 as the home side limited Mumbai to 145 for seven.

And Niraj Patel was the Royals' hero with the bat as he cracked a fine 40 from just 29 balls to help his side to 146 for five and earn them their 11th win of the competition.

None of the Rajasthan batsmen were able to get into their stride early on as the form which has propelled them to the top of the IPL table threatened to desert them.

Kamran Akmal (18 off 16), Swapnil Asnodkar (17 off 18) and Shane Watson (18 off 19) all got starts, but were unable to push on.

The big-hitting Australian can count himself somewhat unfortunate though as he fell to a superb piece of fielding from Sachin Tendulkar, who chased after a skied shot before producing a fine diving catch.

But Ravindra Jadeja (23 off 20) and Patel in particular pulled them out of the mire, putting on an unbeaten 73 for the sixth-wicket to see the Royals home - although the winning runs owed much to Jayasuriya's blunder.

Having been put in to bat, Mumbai made a promising start, openers Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar putting on 71 for the first wicket.

After Jayasuriya (38) and Tendulkar (30) had both fallen victim to Siddharth Trivedi though, and the quick thinking of wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal had done for Robin Uthappa (three), Tanvir took charge as he became the highest wicket-taker in the IPL.

The quick removed Abhishek Nayar, lbw for 25, and Shaun Pollock (nought) in successive balls, while Manish Pandey and Dwayne Smith were sent packing in the space of three balls in Tanvir's next over.

Pandey was bowled between bat and pad for three before Smith holed out to Niraj Patel at long off for eight.

Midfielder Maniche feels he has been betrayed by Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari after being left out of the Euro 2008 squad.

Maniche, who is on loan at Internazionale from Atletico Madrid, claims he was told by Scolari that he would feature in the squad and was "heartbroken" to find his name had been omitted.

"In my last appearance with national team, he (Scolari) said he would name me because it could be my last European Championship. I am heartbroken," the 30-year-old said to Portuguese broadcaster TVI.

"I want to share my sadness with the Portuguese fans because I have shared so many joys with them."

Despite the Euros now being out of the question, Maniche remains upbeat about the future and will not consider quitting international football.

"I have to raise my head and move on. I am really proud of my achievements," he continued.

"I am about to become Italian champion and have helped Atletico Madrid reach the pre-qualifying of the Champions League.

"Am I about to quit the national team? No. I love playing for Portugal and always felt enormously proud to do it."

While Maniche was excluded, his younger brother Jorge Ribeiro was on Scolari's list.

And the former Chelsea midfielder - who starred at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup - insists he is happy for his sibling to take up his mantle.

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni faces tough decisions ahead of Tuesday's Euro 2008 squad announcement, according to star striker Luca Toni.

Donadoni will unveil his squad for the tournament in Austria and Switzerland with the biggest decision being whether veteran forwards Alessandro Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi will be recalled to the side.

Juventus star Del Piero, 33, ended the season top of the Serie A goalscoring charts for the first time in his career with 21 goals.

Inzaghi has spent much of the season struggling with injuries, but scored his 100th goal for AC Milan on Sunday, to make it 11 goals in 21 appearances this season.

Bayern Munich's Luca Toni, who will lead Italy's attack this summer, believes it is up front where there is most competition for places on Donadoni's teamsheet.

"Del Piero is a champion and I'm not surprised at the campaign he has had," said Toni.

"But there are many strong players in Italy and I think Donadoni will face a big challenge as he will have to make difficult choices."

Del Piero was dropped from the Azzurri squad after a string of under-par performances in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, during which he failed to score in five appearances.

Both he and Inzaghi were members of Italy's World Cup-winning side in Germany two years ago.

Udinese frontman Antonio Di Natale, who finished as Italy's joint top-scorer with Toni in the qualifying round, has been a favourite of Donadoni since he took over from Marcello Lippi as coach.

Quicker than Del Piero, Di Natale has been Donadoni's first choice to play just off Toni.

Donadoni will also have at his disposal attacking duo Marco Borriello and Fabio Quagliarella, who are ready to make their mark on the international stage.

Borriello has been inspirational while on loan at Genoa this campaign from AC Milan, and the striker was the third leading goalscorer in Serie A.

With Udinese's World Cup winner Vincenzo Iaquinta set to miss out through injury, another spot up front will open up for one of the Euro 2008 hopefuls.

Antonio Cassano's troubled past, which included a couple of unruly incidents this year while on loan from Real Madrid at Sampdoria, have almost certainly ruled him out of contention despite good performances for the Blucerchiati.

Italy's midfield is unlikely to change much from that that won the World Cup two years ago with Donadoni set to opt for AC Milan duo Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo, and Roma's Daniele De Rossi.

Marco Materazzi is expected to partner captain Fabio Cannavaro at the heart of Italy's defence with Fabio Grosso and Gianluca Zambrotta at full backs.

Juve's number one goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon will be between the posts for what will be the 30-year-old's second European Championships, having missed out in 2000 after breaking his hand eight days before the tournament.

Sourav Ganguly's Kolkata Knight Riders finally gave their home fans something to cheer about by ending their Indian Premier League campaign with a thrilling three-wicket win over semi-finalists Kings XI Punjab.

With the visitors having already clinched their semi-final berth and the hosts out of contention, there was little resting on the match for either side.

Punjab will nevertheless have fancied their chances of victory after posting 174 for six - until then the highest IPL total at Eden Gardens - from their 20 overs.

But the Knight Riders - inspired by a brilliant unbeaten knock of 86 from 53 balls by captain Ganguly - had other ideas and stormed back to pick up their sixth win of the tournament in their 14th and final match.

Kings XI captain Yuvraj Singh won the toss and opted to bat first, with Kumar Sangakkara and Shaun Marsh leading the way for the visitors with scores of 64 and 40 respectively and Yuvraj himself contributing 27 before being run out.

James Hopes was dropped on 10 by Umar Gul at third man off the bowling of Ishant Sharma but the error did not prove costly as Gul made amends shortly afterwards to trap the opener leg before wicket for 13.

Marsh and Sangakkara shared an 83-run partnership for the second wicket which came to an end when the former smashed IPL debutant Ajantha Mendis to Aakash Chopra at long-off.

Sangakkara's fourth IPL half-century came off 37 balls before he fell lbw to man-of-the-match Gul playing across the line.

Yuvraj was put down on eight - against off Ishant - by India colleague Sourav Ganguly at deep mid-wicket after a collision with Chopra. He went on to make a typically breezy 27 from 18 balls but was run out in the 19th over by Wriddhiman Saha.

Irfan Pathan (seven) and Piyush Chawla (nought) perished to successive Gul deliveries in the final over as the Kings XI finished 174 for six from their 20 overs.

The home team - Ganguly apart - struggled to stick around for long but Salman Butt, Gul (both 24), Saha (13) and David Hussey (12) at least reached double figures while the skipper prospered at the other end.

Despite having Kolkata reeling on 106 for six midway through the 16th over, however, Punjab were unable to finish them off and were made to pay with Ganguly carrying his bat in style.

Deccan Chargers were guaranteed the inaugural Indian Premier League's wooden spoon on Sunday after the Bangalore Royal Challengers chased down a victory target of 166.

Deccan's 165 all out was built on the foundation of a 101-run opening partnership between Adam Gilchrist (46) and Herschelle Gibbs (47).

But once the international duo departed, the home side struggled with only Rohit Sharma and Venugopal Rao reaching double figures.

Bangalore replied with a well-balanced scorecard - four players making over 30 - as they cruised to a five-wicket win with six balls remaining.

Rock-bottom Deccan started the day two points behind their opponents and seemingly intent on eradicating that gap.

Gilchrist and Gibbs looked in complete command against the Bangalore attack with India Test captain Anil Kumble coming in for some particularly rough treatment.

But just two balls after reaching a 100-run partnership, Gibbs perished when he charged down the track to Kumble, missed and saw his stumps shattered by wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami.

The hosts needed captain Gilchrist to hang around but the Australian went with only eight runs added to the total, caught at long-off by Balachandra Akhil off the bowling of Vinay Kumar.

Rohit made a quickfire 17 and Rao a 12-ball 26 but the rest of the Deccan order failed to fire with man of the match Kumar the pick of the Bangalore attack with three for 27.

The early loss of Wasim Jaffer offered Deccan hope but Jacques Kallis (31), Misbah-ul-Haq (34) and Rahul Dravid (31) kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Cameron White and Akhil saw the visitors home with an unbroken partnership of 30. White ended on 31 not out while Akhil remained unbeaten on 27.

Jose Mourinho has told he will not be returning to Chelsea as manager.

Chelsea are on the lookout for a new manager after the club decided to axe Mourinho's successor at Stamford Bridge Avram Grant on Saturday.

Grant was sacked following Chelsea's failure to pick up any silverware last season when they lost in the Champions League final, Carling Cup final and finished second in the Premier League.

A host of top names have been linked with the vacant manager's post including Frank Rijkaard, Guus Hiddink, Mark Hughes and Sven Goran Eriksson.

A sensational return to West London for Mourinho, who left Chelsea last September in shock circumstances, has also been mooted.

However, Mourinho has informed Sky Sports News he has no plans to return to the club where he won back-to-back Premier League titles during his first two years at the club.

The Portuguese is expected to make a return to management this summer with Italy his most likely destination.

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Here is another great show by MUTV.
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including his goals, fights, tackles, a controversial interview about United fans, what he have done with Alfie Haaland , etc
a MUST see for all Manchester United fans.


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video format: Xvid /// 640 * 480 /// High Quality

Dinesh Karthik struck an unbeaten half-century to guide the Delhi Daredevils to a five-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians with just one ball to spare - and put them on the brink of the Indian Premier League semi-finals.

Sanath Jayasuriya fired 66 off 42 balls, but Mumbai could not capitalise on their good start and posted 176 for eight.

And though Delhi lost regular wickets in reply, Karthik (56 not out off 32) stood firm, backed by Farveez Maharoof (20 no off 13), who struck the winning runs.

Mumbai began with Jayasuriya in typically aggressive form, taking an over to set himself before striking a pair of boundaries off Brett Geeves.

The Tasmanian bowler took more punishment in his next over, with Sachin Tendulkar hitting him for four and Jayasuriya taking 10 off two balls.

The Sri Lankan dished out similar to Yo Mahesh, hitting back-to-back sixes and a four off the seamer's first over.

But Mahesh ended an opening stand of 70 when he bowled Tendulkar (18 from 16), then removed Dwayne Smith for 17 off 17.

Jayarusiya followed, lofting a Amit Mishra delivery to Tillakaratne Dilshan at mid-on, leaving Robin Uthappa to dominate the rest of the innings.

Only Shaun Pollock (16 off 15) contributed at the other end, but Uthappa's swashbuckling unbeaten 46 from 23 took Mumbai up to a competitive total.

Mahesh finished with four for 36.

In reply, Virender Sehwag hammered 18 off six balls and Gautam Gambhir added 19 off nine, but neither could go on.

And that was the story of the innings for the Daredevils, who also had contributions from Shikhar Dhawan (27 off 29) and Manoj Tiwary (36 off 29).

It was Karthik, though, who held his nerve and saw his side home.

He did what his team-mates could not manage, sticking in there to reach a half-century.

He and Maharoof compiled an unbeaten stand of 49, with Delhi needing eight off the final over to win. Back-to-back boundaries from Maharoof did the job.

Graeme Smith smashed 91 to lead Rajasthan Royals to a thrilling 11-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings on Saturday.

The South Africa captain guided the visitors to 211 for five - a total which proved just beyond the battling Super Kings, who finished on 201 for seven, despite half centuries from Parthiv Patel and Albie Morkel, and Suresh Raina's 45.

Chennai needed 15 off the last over for victory but Sohail Tanvir dismissed Morkel for 71 and Abhinav Mukund (nought) with the last two balls of the game.

The hosts' hopes of chasing down the daunting total suffered a setback in the second over when Stephen Fleming (seven) was run out by Tanvir's direct throw, but Raina soon took charge, smashing Munaf Patel for 19 runs off the third over.

He made 45 off 24 balls before he lobbed Shane Warne to deep midwicket where Mohammad Kaif took a simple catch.

Parthiv Patel injected some spark into the run rate with a quick-fire 54 off 40 balls before he came down the track to Warne and was stumped.

Morkel maintained the momentum and reached the third-fastest IPL 50 - off 26 balls - to keep Chennai in contention but the Super Kings' chances suffered a blow when Dhoni was caught by Kaif at long off attempting to loft Tanvir over the boundary.

Subramaniam Badrinath (one) soon followed after skying Patel down the throat of Taruvar Kohli at cow corner and Chennai's hopes disintegrated when Tanvir removed Morkel and then Mukund with the last two balls of the game.

Earlier, Rajasthan started with a bang and hit Makhaya Ntini for 12 in the first over - six of those coming from Swapnil Asnodkar's lofted maximum over long-on off a free hit.

Asnodkar continued to rack up the runs and tormented Gony by bludgeoning him around the park, scoring boundaries at regular intervals.

At the other end Graeme Smith followed suit and raced to 50 inside nine overs, steering Morkel to third man for a quick single to bring up his eighth Twenty20 half-century.

The South Africa skipper oozed confidence as he guided the Royals to 100 runs without loss by nudging Muttiah Muralitharan off the leg side for a single in the 10th over.

Smith dished out the same treatment to Lakshmipathy Balaji at the other end, battering the paceman for a three fours and a six in the 11th over.

The 127-run partnership eventually came to a halt in the next over when Asnodkar was run out at the striker's end after Smith called a single.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was quick to react at extra cover and threw in to Parthiv Patel who whipped off the bails with Asnodkar millimetres from safety.

Smith smashed Raina for six over deep midwicket to come within nine runs of a ton, but he fell the next ball when he was caught by Dhoni at extra cover.

Kamran Akmal entered the fray and pummelled 53 off 28 balls to maintain the imposing run-rate in the final few overs, but Yusuf Pathan (six) mistimed a Morkel delivery and toe-ended to Muralitharan at long off.

Manager handed marching orders at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea have sacked manager Avram Grant after only eight months in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Grant has been under severe pressure in West London since replacing Jose Mourinho last September.

And the Israeli, who steered Chelsea to a second-placed Premier League finish, has now been handed his marching orders after the Blues ended the 2007/08 campaign without a trophy.

Grant's last game in charge of Chelsea was the UEFA Champions League final penalty shoot-out defeat to Manchester United on Wednesday.

A statement on the club's official website read: "Chelsea football club can confirm that Avram Grant has had his contract terminated today (Saturday 24th May). This follows meetings over the last two days.

"Everybody at Chelsea FC would like to thank Avram for his contribution since taking over as manager last September.

"We will now be concentrating all our efforts on identifying a new manager for Chelsea and there will be no further comment until that appointment is made."

The likes of Internazionale manager Roberto Mancini and Frank Rijkaard will now be strongly tipped to take over at Chelsea.

Euro 2008 will be Jens Lehmann's last international tournament, according to Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff.

The 38-year-old Lehmann is expected to continue playing club football after the tournament but Bierhoff indicated that he and coach Joachim Low intend to find a new number one for the international team after the summer.

It is to that end that Bayer Leverkusen's 23-year-old goalkeeper Rene Adler has been called into the squad ahead of Valencia's Timo Hildebrand.

"I expect ties will be severed after the European Championships and we will plan without Jens," Bierhoff told Sport Bild magazine.

"But I still think Jens will play at club level for at least another year."

Lehmann, whose contract with Arsenal has expired, has been linked with both Stuttgart and Bayern Munich after moving into a new home in Bavaria at the weekend.

Marco van Basten has revealed he has not spoken to Johan Cruyff since the two Dutch greats fell out over plans to revive Ajax.

Van Basten, currently preparing Holland for next month's Euro 2008, will take over the Amsterdam giants after the tournament.

He had been due to work alongside Cruyff at Ajax but the two disagreed over how to take the club forward.

However, Van Basten does expect to resume relations with Cruyff, who has frequently helped out with advice about the national team.

"It needs time before everything will be as it was," Van Basten told De Pers.

France duo Thierry Henry and Franck Ribery believe Nicolas Anelka's decisive penalty miss for Chelsea in the Champions League final could actually inspire him when he turns out for Les Bleus at Euro 2008.

The 29-year-old missed Chelsea's seventh penalty to hand the European Cup to Manchester United after the forward had come off the bench during extra-time.

Anelka has already bemoaned the decision to introduce him so late in the match, but former Arsenal team-mate Henry, who lost the 2006 Champions League final against his current side Barcelona, believes the European Championships will be the best cure for a dejected Anelka.

"The best thing to do after this is get back into a big competition. That allows you to forget all about it," Henry told French newspaper L'Equipe.

"When you go on holiday, it keeps coming back to you. With the Euros there, you have to blank it out.

"The disappointment lasts one or two days, then it passes, it has to pass."

Bayern Munich playmaker Ribery added: "Anelka was unlucky. He did what he had to do. It's up to us to motivate him so that he has an extraordinary Euro 2008."

Shaun Marsh and Kumar Sangakkarra both struck half-centuries as Kings XI Punjab heaped more misery on Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League on Friday.

The Australian plundered 60 off 46 balls and the Sri Lankan 50 off 25 as Punjab recorded a six-wicket win.

The IPL's second-placed side - whose place in the semi-finals had already been secured - reached their 176-run victory target with just three balls to spare to finish on 178 for four.

Rohit Sharma (50 off 27) and Adam Gilchrist (50 off 42) had earlier helped Deccan to 175 for four.

Sangakkarra set about the run chase in explosive fashion, racking up nine boundaries and averaging two runs a ball before he was caught by Chamara Silva off Rohit Sharma.

Fellow opener Marsh was rather more sedate, taking 40 deliveries to reach his half-century, before eventually holing out to Herschelle Gibbs.

Yuvraj Singh (17) and Luke Pomersbach (13) came and went quickly, but Mahela Jayawardene (14) and Piyush Chawla (16), who claimed a six apiece off Scott Styris in the penultimate over, saw the hosts home.

Having been put in to bat by Punjab, opening pair Gilchrist and Gibbs put on 79 for the first wicket as Deccan looked to salvage some pride from a desperate tournament.

The South African was especially aggressive, bludgeoning three sixes and as many fours on his way to 44 off before he attempted one big swing too many and was bowled by Gagandeep Singh.

Gilchrist then played onto his own stumps from Ramesh Powar minutes after bringing up his third IPL half-century.

It was Sharma who really looked to take the innings by the scruff of the neck though, sending four maximums hurtling into the stands.

UCL FINAL
Manchester United vs Chelsea
21st May 2008

Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea (6x5 pen)
Full Match + Extra Time + Penalties + Celebrations

A minute before half-time and Sir Alex Ferguson must have been rubbing his hands together with glee.

His masterplan had worked almost to perfection: Cristiano Ronaldo's position on the left wing meant he was up against Michael Essien, isolated at right-back as Joe Cole's defensive contribution was close to zero.

Ronaldo had already skipped past the Ghanaian once - this was the game when it must have been hammered home finally that he is at best a makeshift full-back - before losing him at the far post to deliver a powerful header beyond Petr Cech.

That was not the end of the punishment for Essien, as on the break Ronaldo outsprinted him to deliver a perfect cross for Carlos Tevez, but Cech's renowned brilliance came to the rescue.

It was back to basics by Ferguson, a 4-4-2 starting formation that looked more akin to the 1999 Champions League final than to 2008.

Nevertheless, suspicions that this might play into the waiting hands of Chelsea's familiar five-man midfield were soon dispelled.

Ferguson's surprising decision to start Owen Hargreaves on the right of midfield gave added freedom to Ronaldo.

United also prevented themselves from being outnumbered in midfield by Wayne Rooney dropping deep, and in the opening 45 minutes he rivalled Ronaldo for the player of the half.

It must have been especially galling for Ferguson, therefore, when after Chelsea had survived several close shaves, Frank Lampard seized on a double deflection - and a slip by Edwin van der Sar - to grab an undeserved equaliser.

Avram Grant's tactic for the second half was simple but remarkably effective.

He ordered Chelsea to push much further up the pitch - a slight risk in that they were potentially vulnerable to United hitting them on the break but it also meant that their superior numbers in midfield finally started to pay off.

Didier Drogba had been a lone figure in the first half, and Joe Cole virtually anonymous.

Suddenly - and it was maybe as much down to rediscovered self-belief as the tactical change - Cole was darting here and there, Drogba had support from every quarter and even Essien started to bomb forward - when he is much more impressive than defending.

Ferguson's men did not manage a shot on target in the second half.

By contrast, Essien fired over after this time he beat Ronaldo for skill; Drogba curled a terrific shot against the post; Nemanja Vidic made a vital interception to keep the score at 1-1.

With Claude Makelele the gate-keeper, Cole, Michael Ballack and Lampard were able to take turns to exploit United's weakness.

But just as Chelsea were threatening to overwhelm their opponents, Ferguson realised the way the wind was blowing, sent Hargreaves into the centre and pushed Rooney out on to the right.

That enabled United to stem the flow and the final 15 minutes of normal time drifted into stalemate.

Balance restored, both sides matched each other in extra time - Lampard hitting the underside of the bar, Ryan Giggs denied by John Terry - before red-carded Drogba stalked off in disgrace.

A fascinating tactical battle that swung first one way and then the other, in the end there was nothing to choose between the sides.

Bangalore Royal Challengers picked up only their third Indian Premier League victory with a 14-run win over Chennai Super Kings in a low-scoring encounter on Wednesday.

Rahul Dravid's Royal Challengers - who already have no chance of reaching the semi-finals - looked to be on their way to their 10th defeat in the competition when they made just 126 for eight from their 20 overs after opting to bat first.

But the home team managed only 112 for eight in reply, with Anil Kumble claiming three for 14 and Dale Steyn two for 28.

The visitors must have feared the worst after being restricted to what was a new lowest score by a team who have batted out 20 overs in the IPL.

Dravid was the only Bangalore batsman to stick around for any period of time - long enough to notch 47 from 39 balls.

The former India captain received little in the way of support, with Praveen Kumar the next highest scorer among his team-mates with 21.

South African Albie Morkel was the pick of the Chennai bowlers, finishing with figures of four for 32 from his four overs.

Bangalore never looked like building a substantial total.

Openers Jacques Kallis (five) and Shreevats Goswami (10) fell cheaply and the wickets continued to tumble even when Dravid arrived and gave the innings a touch of stability.

Virat Kohli (10), Misbah-ul-Haq (four) and Mark Boucher (17) quickly came and went with Dravid watching on helplessly from the other end.

Dravid perished in the 17th over, caught at cover by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off the bowling of Morkel, with Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar (nought) falling in the final over.

Despite a solid opening partnership of 60 between Parthiv Patel and Stephen Fleming, the Super Kings never looked comfortable chasing 127.

Mohali skipper Yuvraj Singh, who led his team to a one-run win over Mumbai on Wednesday, said the dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar changed the momentum in their favour.

Yuvraj, however, expressed dissatisfaction with his bowling attack. He said the bowling was well below par, especially the last over when Mumbai needed 19 runs.

"Giving VRV Singh the last over was not a gamble, but infact me bowling myself in the 18th over was a gamble," he said.

"There was every chance that the batsmen would go after me being a spinner rather than VRV Singh, a paceman who is that much more difficult to hit. But we should not have allowed them to come so close in the last over," he added.

Yuvraj, however, praised young spinner Piyush Chawla, saying that he has been a revelation.

"Anytime the team is in disarray I turn to him and eight times out of ten he delivers the goods for me," he said.

The Mohali skipper was also sad about the crowd behaviour in Mumbai booed S Sreesanth.

"Sreesanth is an India player and when he plays for India in Mumbai then the crowds need to support him. This type of booing is not good against India players," he said.

Part 1 (11 minutes)
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Part 2 (14 minutes)
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Part 3 (16 minutes)
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Part 4 (13 minutes)
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Harry Kewell has rejected criticism that he was an expensive flop at Liverpool.

The Australian international was released by Liverpool earlier this month after his contract expired at Anfield.

Kewell saw his five years at Anfield blighted by injury, with the winger failing to hit the heights he did at previous club Leeds.

The 29-year-old has come in for criticism from the media for his disappointing spell on Merseyside, but Kewell is refusing to be made a scapegoat.

"There are always scapegoats, there are always people they want to blame," Kewell told reporters in Australia ahead of his country's friendly against Ghana.

"It's something that they live and die for over there.

"They want to write things that aren't nice, but you just don't read it and you get on with your life."

"The one person I would like to show is probably my old manager," added Kewell.

"I didn't get a chance to show him a lot of what I could do. It would be great just to show him what I was capable of doing."

Portsmouth have been linked with a move for Kewell, but the Australian says he is keeping all his options open.

"I have never shied away from going abroad, playing in the Premiership or playing anywhere," concluded Kewell.

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We’ve all seen Wayne Rooney put it where he wants it. Sit behind the goal when he strikes a ball in his new Nike T90 Laser IIs and it feels like you’re in the path of a guided missile.

Then again, sledgehammer shooting doesn’t mean a thing if you’re hitting the stands instead of the stanchion. When Rooney puts his foot through the ball, you can put away your measuring tape and track his distribution in blades of grass, not metres.

The secret? Take a look under the bonnet of his weapon of choice. Rooney has been part of the T90’s evolution since day one, dropping into Nike World HQ to test prototypes and tell the Nike development teams what makes his game tick.


Source

Virender Sehwag smashed 47 off 19 balls as the Delhi Daredevils eased to a five-wicket victory over the Bangalore Royal Challengers.

The result sees Bangalore's faint hopes of progressing to the semi-finals ended, but Delhi remain on course to finish in the top four.

After restricting the hosts to 154-7 in their 20 overs, Delhi quickly set about chasing down that total, with Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir putting on 90 for the first wicket.

Sehwag was the first to be dismissed after the Delhi captain had hit 10 boundaries out of the 19 balls he faced in his brief, yet explosive innings.

With the Indian opener setting his sights on another boundary, Bharat Chipli sprung expertly at point to take a stunning catch and send the Daredevils opener on his way.

Delhi added another 10 runs to their total before Gambhir was run out for 39, trying to beat Cameron White's throw to turn a single into two runs.

Tillakaratne Dilshan made only four off 10 balls before he was stumped by Shreevats Goswami and AB de Villiers soon followed him back to the pavilion - caught behind after scoring a brisk 21 from 25 balls.

Despite Dinesh Karthik perishing for just six, Shikhar Dhawan (16no) and Farveez Maharoof (13no) came in to carry Delhi over the line and dash any Bangalore hopes of an unlikely turnaround.

Delhi's fast pace was in stark contrast to Bangalore's innings. Opener Chipli made just two runs off the 10 balls he faced before sending a top edge into the hands of Rajat Bhatia, who held on despite losing his footing.

Jacques Kallis set brief early momentum for the hosts, but he went for 25 soon after, edging behind to Dinesh Karthik.

Out of sorts Challengers captain Rahul Dravid then followed for just nine, clean bowled by Dilshan, leaving Bangalore at 73-3 with more than 10 overs bowled.

The run-rate did not improve and Bangalore had barely passed the 100 mark when Goswami went early in the 16th over - out for a well-crafted 52 as he was caught by Dilshan at point.

White, Balachandra Akhil, and Praveen Kumar all went cheaply as the hosts crumbled, but Misbah-ul-Haq did at least restore some pride towards the end, hitting 24 off the last over - including three sixes.

A fine all-round performance from West Indian Dwayne Bravo was the cornerstone to victory for the Mumbai Indians over the Deccan Chargers on Sunday.

Bravo hit a quick-fire 30 before taking three wickets as the Chargers came up 25-runs short of Mumbai's 178-7 in Hyderabad, meaning an end to Deccan's hopes of reaching the last four.

The Chargers opted to field on their home ground but must have been having second thoughts as in-form opener Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar made 39 from the first 17 balls.

The former fell to Venugopal Rao in the third over having made 36 off 15 deliveries, but Tendulkar was more circumspect as he and Abhishek Nayar moved the score on to 72.

However, regular wickets undermined the Indians' innings, Shahid Afridi snapping up Tendulkar and Dominic Thornely and taking a stunning catch to remove Robin Uthappa.

Nayar top scored with 38 from 24 balls including a couple of maximums before Bravo's late cameo on his farewell appearance, but RP Singh got rid of them both to stifle the tail.

Deccan would have been delighted to keep the score to 178 but their reply faltered from the start with Bravo and Dilhara Fernando making early inroads.

At 20-3 from nearly five overs the hosts required something special, and Rao did his best with a brisk half century, adding 74 with Ravi Teja for the fifth wicket - both registering three sixes.

But Bravo returned to snare both within the space of three balls in his second spell, and with them went any chance the Chargers may have had.

The Chennai Super Kings moved a step closer to a semi-final place after they claimed a narrow three-run win over the Kolkata Knight Riders on the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Chasing the hosts' total of 149 for five, Chennai reached 55 for none after eight overs when play was halted due to rain.

And after an hour-long wait the umpires decided to call an end to the match, handing Chennai a narrow win - their seventh of the tournament.

Earlier, Chennai paceman Makhaya Ntini claimed the third hat-trick of the tournament - spread across two overs - as he claimed figures of four for 21 in the hosts' competitive total.

Salman Butt was the Knight Riders' highest scorer contributing 73 from 54 balls.

Ntini claimed the first wicket of his hat-trick at the end of the fifth over when Sourav Ganguly (two) backed away only to see his stumps knocked back to leave the hosts 28 for two.

Butt and Debabrata Das then put on a stand of 86 for the third wicket before Ntini was inserted back into the attack in the 16th over with immediate effect.

The South African bowled Das (27) with his first ball of his second spell, before hitting the stumps again with his very next delivery to remove David Hussey.

Butt finally fell in the 18th over when he was trapped leg before wicket by Lakshmipathy Balaji as the hosts registered a competitive total.

Chennai were gifted two runs to begin their reply as Shoaib Akhtar sprayed the first two balls of the innings.

Chennai's innings gathered further pace in the next over from Ishant Sharma when Stephen Fleming crashed consecutive fours after Parthiv Patel also found the fence.

With rain looming that helped the visitors remain just ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis method, which would prove crucial when play was finally halted.

Michael Carrick has signed a new four-year contract with Manchester United.

The midfielder moved to Old Trafford from Tottenham for a fee of £18.6million in the summer of 2006.

He followed up an impressive first season with an exceptional second, helping United to retain their Premier League title and advance to the final of the UEFA Champions League.

Carrick was a regular starter throughout the campaign and is likely to feature in Moscow against Chelsea on Wednesday.

Essex have confirmed that they have released South African fast bowler Andre Nel ahead of schedule.

Nel was supposed to make his final appearance for the Eagles in Sunday's Friends Provident Trophy (FPT) game against Middlesex Crusaders before heading to the Indian Premier League.

However the 30-year-old will now be available to play for the Mumbai Indians on Sunday after leaving Essex following the heavy defeat to Kent on Friday.

Nel told the club's official website: "I would like to thank Essex County Cricket Club in granting my request to end my time with them early, in order to take up a contract with the Mumbai Indians.

"As always, I have enjoyed my stay with Essex enormously and the excellent way I continue to be treated by the club bodes well for our future relationship should I get another chance to return."

The club's chief executive David East praised Nel for his efforts at the start of the season.

He said: "It is an honour for Essex to have players in their ranks who are attracting the attention of those teams competing in the Indian Premier League.

"We thank Andre for all his efforts during this latest stint with the county. Once again he has proved a very popular member of our dressing room and has played his part in the team's excellent start to the campaign."

Indiand Premier League
Delhi
Delhi Daredevils 118-4 Innings Complete (V Sehwag 51 no) v Kings XI Punjab 94-3
Kings XI Punjab beat Delhi Daredevils by 6 runs (D/L Method)

Kings Punjab XI of Mohali prevailed by six runs in a dramatically-shortened Indian Premier League match against Delhi Daredevils, thanks to a last-ball six from Mahela Jayawardene.

The weather meant the match was already reduced to 11 overs per side in the usual Twenty20 competition, but when Mohali's innings was cut short after just eight overs they were sufficiently ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis method to claim a tight victory.

After winning the toss and batting first at home, the Daredevils made 118-4 from their 11 overs, with captain Virender Sehwag hitting a blistering 51 not out.

Mahela Jayawardene starred for Kings Punjab XI and his remarkable 36 from just 17 balls proved to be enough for the win, with his six from what turned out to be the final ball of the match putting them ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis target for a six-run win.

Sehwag and fellow Indian Gautum Gambhir gave Delhi a good start with an opening stand of 75 before Gambhir was bowled for 40.

Only minimal assistance was offered to Sehwag as he closed unbeaten on 51 from just 26 balls with two fours and five sixes.

Mohali's response started dreadfully with opener Shaun Marsh going quickly, but Yuvraj Singh kick-started the innings with his fine cameo of 23 runs from just eight balls.

Yuvraj's impact got the run-rate rolling and Luke Pomersbach continued that with 25 off 12 balls while Sri Lankan Jayawardene smashed his fine 36 off 17.

The pair's quick-fire partnership of 63 saw Mohali on 94-3 when their innings ended after eight overs.

Jayawardene's clobbered six over deep mid-wicket came off the final ball and the covers came back on again to end the match with Mohali ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis score by six runs to grab the win.

Indian Premier League
Jaipur
Rajasthan Royals 197-1 (G C Smith 75 no, S A Asnodkar 50) v Bangalore Royal Challengers 132-9 (R Dravid 75 no)
Rajasthan Royals beat Bangalore Royal Challengers by 65 runs

Rajasthan Royals put themselves on the verge of a place in the semi-finals of the Indian Premier League with a 65-run win over Bangalore Royal Challengers.

After being put into bat the Royals lost only one wicket in their innings, Graeme Smith smacking an unbeaten 75 to steer them to a total of 197-1.

The Challengers failed to ever get going in reply, the recalled Sohail Tanvir and Shane Warne picking up three wickets apiece as the visitors slumped to 83-8.

Skipper Rahul Dravid played a lone hand to bring some respectability to his team's final total, hitting six fours and the same number of sixes as he finished on 75 not out.

Portsmouth ended their long wait for a second FA Cup victory as they defeated Cardiff 1-0 in the final at Wembley on Saturday.

Both Premier League outfit Pompey and their Championship opponents, Cardiff, went into the 127th cup final hoping to follow up previous respective successes in 1939 and 1927.

And it was Pompey who etched their name in the record books for the second time as a solitary first half strike from Nwankwo Kanu proved too much for Cardiff.

The series of dramatic shocks and giant-killings in this term's competition has done much to restore the nostalgic magic of the FA Cup following the 13-year domination of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Pompey and the Bluebirds, though, served up an inevitably tense finale as Kanu's goal proved to be the conclusion to the tournament and booked a place in next season's Uefa Cup.

Czech Republic captain Tomas Rosicky has confirmed he will miss next month's European Championships due to a tendon injury.

The Arsenal midfielder picked up the injury in the Gunners' FA Cup fourth-round clash with Newcastle in January and had been hoping to recover in time to lead his country at this summer's showpiece tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

However, the 27-year-old revealed he needs to undergo surgery to remedy the problem, ruling him out for much of the off-season.

"I want to announce that I won't be able to play at the European Championship," Rosicky told a press conference in Prague on Friday.

"I have no other option than to undergo the operation - the tendon is likely more damaged than it had seemed.

"This is the worst period of my career. I believed to the last moment that I'd be fine."

The Czechs are sure to be hit hard by the loss of Rosicky, who took over the captain's armband from the talismanic Pavel Nedved when the Juventus veteran announced his international retirement after the 2006 World Cup.

Rosicky insisted, however, that his countrymen will perform well in his absence.

"I'm an optimist," he continued. "I think that the Czech team will be successful at the championship even without me. I trust the team."

The former Borussia Dortmund star added that it was not out of the question for Nedved to end his retirement and make himself available for selection in Rosicky's place.

"It is up to him to make the decision," Rosicky said. "Nobody else but he has to say he's returning."

Czech Republic kick off their Euro 2008 campaign against Switzerland on June 7 before meeting Turkey and Portugal in their other Group A fixtures.

Spain have delayed naming their squad for this summer's European Championship until Saturday following the death of team doctor Genaro Borras on Thursday.

Coach Luis Aragones had initially been set to announce his 23-man party for the tournament on Friday, but that has now been put back a day due to the death of Borras, who passed away at the age of 62 after a long illness.

Although the majority of the Spain squad is set to be as expected, it has been reported that Aragones may make a couple of surprise selections with uncapped duo Santi Cazorla and Sergio Garcia, of Villarreal and Real Zaragoza, possibly in line for call-ups.

However, Real Madrid captain Raul, Spain's record goalscorer, and Barcelona youngster Bojan Krkic both look likely to miss out on the trip to Austria and Switzerland.

Germany coach Joachim Loew has named the provisional 26-man squad for the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland in June. Two uncapped players were named and a 19-year-old midfielder.

Uncapped teenage winger Marko Marin, from second-division Borussia Moenchengladbach, is the shock inclusion in Germany's extended 26-man squad for next month's Euro 2008 tournament.

The 19-year-old, who has starred for Germany's Under-21 side, has been included in the preliminary senior squad by Loew for next month's tournament in Austria and Switzerland from June 7 to 29.

Marin has helped his side win promotion back to the Bundesliga this season after a year in the second division and the teenager admitted he was stunned.

"I am totally overjoyed and can hardly believe it," said Marin, who flies out with the squad on Monday to their Spanish training camp. "It was hard to take it all in at once. I am really looking forward to the 12 days in Majorca now."

There was also a surprise call-up for Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler at the expense of Germany's reserve keeper Timo Hildebrand, 29, who had been a member of the German 2006 World Cup squad. Hildebrand moved to Spain's Valencia from VfB Stuttgart before the season and was regarded as an understudy to goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.

Striker Patrick Helmes has also made the squad after his second-division side Cologne won promotion back into to the Bundesliga.

Loew chose to make the squad announcement at the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain which is located on the border to Austria, in a symbolic gesture demonstrating his aim of reaching Europe's soccer summit.

Finalized at end of May

Loew will take his squad to Majorca, Spain on Monday for a training camp and will cut his squad to 23 when the Euro 2008 squad is finalized on May 28.

Regarding the omission of Hildebrand, Loew said that decision had been particularly difficult.

"All the players omitted were painfully disappointed," he said although he wouldn't comment on whether it meant the end of Hildebrand's international career. "What this means for his further career we will have to leave open."

About Bosnian-born Marin, who has only played four matches in the Bundesliga, Loew said he provided something different to the squad.

"He is good man against man. He has a wonderful quality about his play, very strong in on-again-on situations," the coach said. "We don't have many players of this type … and that's why we decided to take him with us."

Team roster

Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (Arsenal/ENG), Robert Enke (Hanover 96), Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen)

Defenders: Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid/ESP), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Marcell Jansen (Bayern Munich), Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen), Heiko Westermann (Schalke 04)

Midfield: Michael Ballack (Chelsea/ENG), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg), Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), David Odonkor (Real Betis/ESP), Marko Marin (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

Forwards: Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich), Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart), Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke 04), Patrick Helmes (Cologne), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

The Kolkatta Knight Riders were condemned to the lowest total in the Indian Premier League as the Mumbai Indians cruised to an eight-wicket win.

Shaun Pollock laid the early groundwork for Mumbai with three wickets, while there were two apiece for Dwayne Bravo, Rohan Raje and Dominic Thornely as the Knight Riders were bowled out for just 67.

Sanath Jayasuriya then took control of the chase, firing 48 off 17 balls to lead Mumbai to victory with 14 and a half overs remaining.

The Knight Riders were on the back foot from the off.

Salman Butt (13 from 13) attempted to turn Pollock to leg and edged to Tendulkar at slip and Aakash Chopra was run out next ball after some miscommunication with Sourav Ganguly.

Pollock grabbed his second as David Hussey edged through to Yogesh Takawale and made it three courtesy of a slip catch from Robin Uthappa to remove Mohammad Hafeez.

Dwayne Bravo kept it tight at the other end and he claimed the wicket of Wriddhiman Saha thanks to another Tendulkar catch, his second of four.

Rohan Raje bowled Laxmi Shukla and any hopes of a late surge for Kolkata disappeared when Takawale, standing up to the bowling of Dominic Thornely, held a good juggling catch to remove Sourav Ganguly (15 from 20) and the tail duly capitulated.

In reply, Shoaib Akhtar removed Tendulkar early on, but Ishant's first over went for 15 and the result was never in doubt.

Sanath Jayasuriya was the aggressor in chief, plundering both bowlers for a succession of boundaries and claiming a pair of leg-side sixes off Shoaib, one a nonchalant flick and the other a towering pull shot.

Robin Uthappa fell for 10 from eight when he miscued Ishant straight to Ganguly attempting to keep pace his partner.

But Jayasuriya continued undeterred and moved to within two runs of both his fifty and Mumbai's victory with a six off Ishant.

The next delivery went to the boundary to end the game, but the former Sri Lanka skipper was denied his half-century as leg byes were signalled.

The Delhi Daredevils edged a thrilling 12-run win over the Deccan Chargers of Hyderabad thanks to Amit Mishra's dramatic final-over hat-trick.

The Chargers needed 15 runs to win in their final over as they chased the home side's score of 194, but Mishra struck with his hat-trick with the first three balls of his over to destroy their chances.

The Daredevils badly needed the victory to boost their semi-final hopes after four straight defeats - a run which saw them slump from top of the IPL to outside the top four.

Gautam Gambhir top-scored for Delhi with the Indian opener hitting 79, while Shikhar Dhawan was unbeaten on 68 when Delhi closed on 194-4 from their 20 overs.

Virendar Sehwag was dismissed for a duck in the first over after Delhi were put into bat, but Gambhir and Dhawan combi9ned for 133 runs for the second wicket.

The Chargers had just two wins to their name in the tournament, but Shahid Afridi gave them hope as he finally found his form with swashbuckling 33 from 14 balls when opening up the innings.

Despite their big names the Chargers have struggled so far but decent knock from Herschelle Gibbs (22), Rohit Sharma (35) and Scott Styris (29) kept them in touch.

Venugopal Rao hit 16 in three balls of the 18th over and the Chargers hit ten in the next to leave them needing 15 runs from the last over for a thrilling win.

Up stepped Mishra however, and he got rid of Ravi Teja, Ojha and RP Singh in consecutive balls to seal the win for Delhi.

Mishra finished with match-winning figures of 5-17 from his four overs as Delhi got their semi-final hopes back on track.

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Indian Premier League
Mumbai
Chennai Super Kings 156-6 (S Badrinath 53) v Mumbai Indians 158-1 (S T Jayasuriya 114 no)
Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 9 wkts

Sanath Jayasuirya rolled back the years with a devastating century to help Mumbai Indians defeat the Chennai Super Kings.

The Sri Lankan opener belted nine fours and 11 sixes in his 114 not out that overshadowed the first appearance of Sachin Tendulkar.

The Indians' fit-again captain was the only wicket to fall as his side coasted to a target of 157 in just 13.5 overs.

Subramaniam Badrinath had rescued the Super Kings with 56 after they had suffered a slow start to their innings at the Wankhede Stadium.