Spain grab World Cup with extra-time goal
JOHANNESBURG: Spain stunned the Netherlands to win their first World Cup on Sunday in sensational fashion with a goal in the last minutes of extra time.

Germany edge Uruguay to claim third place
PORT ELIZABETH: Sami Khedira`s 82nd-minute header earned Germany a 3-2 victory in a rousing and rain-soaked World Cup third-place play-off match here on Saturday.

Spain make maiden World Cup final
DURBAN: Germany had a newfangled swift, stylish game, but did they have the fight of old Or was the revamp so complete that any old traditional German-ness had been done away with Carles Puyol’s bomber-like header over a quarter from the end was the perfect script for Germany to turn back the clock.

Viva Espana! Spain euphoric at semi-final win
MADRID: The whole of Spain erupted with joy as it reached the World Cup final for the first time ever with a 1-0 win over Germany.

Netherlands beat Uruguay in World Cup semi
CAPE TOWN: The Dutch did not serve up a footballing master class on Tuesday but the tide of orange attackers still proved too much for Uruguay in the World Cup semi-final in Cape Town.

Portugal out: Villa strike puts Spain into quarter-finals
CAPE TOWN: Red-hot David Villa scored his fourth goal of the World Cup to fire European champions Spain past Iberian arch-rivals Portugal 1-0 on Tuesday and into quarter-final clash against Paraguay.

Japan lose to Paraguay in shootout
PRETORIA: Japanese star Keisuke Honda led Japan`s attack but the Blue Samurai lost 5-3 to Paraguay on a penalty shootout in the World Cup last-16 match on Tuesday.

Brazil defeat Chile 3-0, face Dutch in last eight
JOHANNESBURG: Brazil set up a mouth-watering World Cup quarter-final clash against the Netherlands with a convincing 3-0 win over Chile on Monday at Ellis Park.

Dutch advance after victory over Slovakia
DURBAN: Arjen Robben and Wesley Sniejder fired the Dutch team to a 2-1 victory over Slovakia here on Monday to set up a World Cup quarter-final against either Brazil or Chile.

Tevez double puts Argentina into last eight
JOHANNESBURG: Argentina will meet Germany in the World Cup`s quarter-finals after striker Carlos Tevez struck twice - once controversially - to seal a 3-1 win over Mexico in Sunday`s round of 16 match.

Germany thrash England 4-1, reach last eight
BLOEMFONTEIN: Germany thrashed England 4-1 on Sunday to reach the World Cup quarter-finals with goals from Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski and a double for Thomas Mueller with Matthew Upson netting a consolation for England.

Gyan fires Ghana past USA into last eight
RUSTENBURG: Ghana`s Asamoah Gyan scored three minutes into extra time to send Africa`s last World Cup contender into the quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory over the United States on Saturday.

Suarez fires Uruguay into quarterfinals
PORT ELIZABETH: Uruguay became the first country to make it into the World Cup quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over South Korea at a sodden Nelson Mandela Bay stadium here on Saturday.

Victorious Spain, Chile into World Cup last 16
PRETORIA: David Villa took advantage of a blunder by goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and also set up an Andres Iniesta goal to give Spain a spot in the World Cup last 16 on Friday with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Chile.

Toothless Swiss suffer World Cup agony
BLOEMFONTEIN: Goal-shy Switzerland suffered World Cup heartbreak on Friday when they crashed out of the tournament after a goalless stalemate against central American minnows Honduras.

Portugal advance with Brazil after drab draw
DURBAN: Portugal qualified for the second round of the World Cup after battling to an ill-tempered 0-0 draw with five-time champions Brazil in their final Group G game on Friday.

Ivory Coast score three but not enough for last 16
NELSPRUIT, South Africa: Ivory Coast fell short of their goal chase to make the last 16 at the World Cup as they beat North Korea 3-0 in their Group G match to continue the exodus of African teams here on Friday.

Japan make history by sinking Danmark
RUSTENBURG: Superb free-kicks by Keisuke Honda and Yasuhito Endo inspired Japan to an exhilarating 3-1 win over Denmark that sends them into the last 16 of a World Cup for the first time on foreign soil.

Netherlands beat Cameroon for Slovakia clash
CAPE TOWN: The Netherlands reaffirmed their status as one of the World Cup favourites on Thursday by beating Cameroon 2-1 to set up a knockout round clash with Slovakia.

Champions Italy knocked out of WC by Slovakia
JOHANNESBURG: Reigning champions Italy were knocked out of the World Cup on Thursday as they slumped to a sensational 3-2 defeat to unheralded Slovakia in an Ellis Park thriller.

Paraguay top group after goalless draw with NZ
POLOKWANE, South Africa: Paraguay topped Group F at the World Cup on Thursday after a drab 0-0 draw with surprise packets New Zealand.

Defoe saves England blushes, USA win Group C
PORT ELIZABETH: England and the United States qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup from Group C on Wednesday, but the US won the group with a last-gasp 1-0 victory over Algeria. A volley from Jermain Defoe gave England a hard-fought 1-0 win over Slovenia, but the the United States pipped England to the top spot when Landon Donovan scored one minute into stoppage time.

Australia stuns Serbia by 2-1
NELSPRUIT: Tim Cahill and Brett Holman scored second-half goals Wednesday to help Australia beat Serbia 2-1 in Group D of the World Cup, though both teams were eliminated.

Germany beat Ghana by 1-0
JOHANNESBURG: Germany beat Ghana 1-0 after a second-half goal from Mesut Oezil to win Group D and set up a second-round World Cup clash with traditional rival England.

Late Argentine goals crush Greek resistance
POLOKWANE: Martin Demichelis struck a late goal to set up Argentina for a 2-0 World Cup win over Greece Tuesday, top spot in Group B and a second-round showdown with Mexico.

Uruguay and Mexico advance, hosts and France out
JOHANNESBURG: Uruguay and Mexico reached the World Cup last 16 on Tuesday while 1998 champions and 2006 runners-up France and hosts South Africa were eliminated as Group A concluded.

S.Korea through after Nigeria blow chance
DURBAN: Nigeria squandered a golden opportunity to become Africa`s first, and possibly only, representative in the second round of the continent`s first World Cup when they were held to a 2-2 draw by South Korea on Tuesday.

England need victory in tense Group C
JOHANNESBURG: England’s World Cup is in the balance with everything up for grabs for all four teams in Group C on Wednesday (today).

Portugal rout North Korea 7-0 in 2nd round
CAPE TOWN: A merciless Portugal tore North Korea to shreds in a 7-0 rout on Monday, putting them within reach of the knockout rounds and eliminating the Asian nation from the World Cup.

Chile beat 10-man Switzerland to close in on last 16
PORT ELIZABETH: Chile continued their dream World Cup run with a 1-0 defeat of 10-man Switzerland here on Monday to move within touching distance of the last 16.

Villa double seals Spain`s win over Honduras
JOHANNESBURG: Goals either side of half-time by Barcelona`s new signing David Villa saw Spain beat Honduras 2-0 in their Group H clash at Ellis Park on Monday to put their World Cup back on track.

N.Korea fans in Japan devastated over World Cup exit
TOKYO: Ethnic Koreans in Japan cried over North Korea`s early exit from the World Cup on Monday, but said they were grateful for the rare chance to unite and see the team in its first finals in 44 years.

Brazil into last 16 after beating Ivory Coast
JOHANNESBURG: Brazil qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup with a 3-1 win against Ivory Coast in their Group G clash at Soccer City on Sunday, but had star midfielder Kaka controversially sent off.

Paraguay on brink of knockouts after beating Slovakia 2-0
BLOEMFONTEIN: A powerful Paraguay side beat Slovakia 2-0 in Bloemfontein on Sunday to leave the South Americans on the brink of qualification for the World Cup knockout phase.

Kiwis pull off stunning draw with Italy
NELSPRUIT, South Africa: New Zealand achieved their greatest footballing result here on Sunday with a stunning 1-1 draw agaisnt defending champions Italy`s in their World Cup Group F match.

Netherlands beat Japan, win pole position in Group E
DURBAN: Wesley Sneijder fired the Netherlands to a comfortable 1-0 win over Japan and pole position in World Cup Group E here on Saturday.

Ghana go top with draw against 10-man Aussies
RUSTENBURG, South Africa: Ghana edged clear at the top of World Cup Group D after an exciting 1-1 draw with ten-man Australia at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Saturday.

Bradley’s late strike seals USA draw with Slovenia
JOHANNESBURG: Midfielder Michael Bradley’s late goal sealed the United States’ fight back as they drew 2-2 with Slovenia at the World Cup on Friday night to keep their hopes of reaching the last 16 alive.

Woeful England draw with Algeria
CAPE TOWN: A woeful England failed to find the killer touch in a disappointing 0-0 draw with Algeria on Friday, putting them under huge pressure to beat Slovenia in their final group game and stay alive in the World Cup.

Serbia shock10-man Germany 1-0
PORT ELIZABETH: Serbia stunned Germany 1-0 here on Friday in a pulsating World Cup tie marked by a cluster of yellow cards, Miroslav Klose`s sending off and Germany`s Lukas Podolski missing a second-half penalty.

Argentina beats South Korea 4-1 at World Cup
JOHANNESBURG: Gonzalo Higuain scored a hat trick in Argentina`s 4-1 win over South Korea at the World Cup on Thursday, a result that put the South Americans on the brink of qualifying for the next round from Group B.

Greece beats 10-man Nigeria 2-1 at World Cup
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa: Greece earned its first World Cup win Thursday, coming from behind to beat 10-man Nigeria 2-1 in Group B on Thursday.

Mexico beat France by 2-0
JOHANNESBURG: Former World Cup winner France were left on the brink of a first-round exit after a 2-0 defeat to Mexico.

Uruguay beat host nation South Africa by 3-0
PRETORIA: Uruguay beat South Africa 3-0 in their World Cup Group A match on Wednesday thanks to two goals from Diego Forlan including a penalty after the host nation`s goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was sent off.

History-making Swiss shock favourites Spain
DURBAN: World Cup favourites Spain crashed to a shock 1-0 defeat to unfancied Switzerland in their opening game of the tournament here on Wednesday.

France a tempting prey for Mexico
POLOKWANE: After ruining South Africa’s opening party plans, Mexico take on an unsteady France side on Thursday (today) eager to highlight their growing reputation as World Cup gatecrashers.

Chile earned first World Cup victory in 48 years
Jean Beausejour`s strike earned Chile a first World Cup victory for 48 years as Marcelo Bielsa`s side got their 2010 campaign off to a winning start.

Brazil beat North Korea by 2-1
JOHANNESBURG: Five-time World Cup winners Brazil opened their South Africa 2010 campaign with a workmanlike 2-1 win over Asian minnows North Korea on Tuesday.

Drogba back as Ivory Coast draw with Portugal
PORT ELIZABETH: Ivory Coast and Portugal entered the World Cup fray here on Tuesday and produced a goalless draw marked by Didier Drogba`s return to action just ten days after surgery on his broken arm.

Group F kicks off with thrilling stalemates
RUSTENBURG: New Zealand defender Winston Reid headed an equaliser in the dying seconds to earn a 1-1 draw with Slovakia on Tuesday after defending champions Italy had drawn 1-1 with Paraguay in Cape Town as Group F kicked off on Monday night.

Spain finally enter the fray
DURBAN: European champions Spain will be one of the last two teams in action in the opening flight of group matches, a position the perennial World Cup underachievers also hope to be in at the end of South Africa 2010.

Chile seek first win in 48 years
NELSPRUIT: Chile face Honduras in their opening Group H match on Wednesday (today) on the 48th anniversary of their last World Cup victory with a golden opportunity to rid themselves of an unwanted record.

South Africa confident of first World Cup win
JOHANNESBURG: South Africa claim they have shrugged off opening day World Cup jitters and will be much more enterprising against Uruguay on Wednesday (today).

Italy`s title defence off to stuttering start
CAPE TOWN: Italy got their title defence off to a stuttering start on Monday when they needed to come from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Paraguay in their World Cup opener.

Honda gives Japanese historic win in FIFA world Cup 2010
BOEMFONTEIN: A goal by Keisuke Honda gave Japan their first World Cup win outside their country on Monday as they beat Cameroon 1-0 in their Group E clash.

Late Kuyt strike helps Netherlands beat Denmark
JOHANNESBURG: The Netherlands got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start on Monday with a 2-0 victory over Denmark thanks to an own-goal and a late tap-in from Liverpool`s Dirk Kuyt.

Superb Germany dismantle Australia
DURBAN: Three-time champions Germany fired out a warning to World Cup challengers with a comprehensive 4-0 dismantling of Australia in their opening Group D match here Sunday.

Dutch must guard against over-confidence
JOHANNESBURG: Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk’s side face two dangers when they start their World Cup Group E campaign at Ellis Park on Monday — opponents Denmark and the possibility of being too confident.

Marchisio in spotlight for Italy
KARACHI: The Italians have been battered, criticised and given up for dead by many pundits and fans, who believe that the squad is an ageing one but in Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio, there is probably light at the end of the tunnel for the defending champions.

Green gives England opener blues against USA
RUSTENBERG: England’s players couldn’t get off the field fast enough as the Americans lingered to savour the night.

Gyan penalty sinks Serbia
PRETORIA: An 85th minute penalty from Asamoah Gyan gave Ghana a 1-0 victory over Serbia in World Cup Group D on Sunday — providing Africa with their first win in the tournament.

Slick South Koreans blank appalling Greece
PORT ELIZABETH: South Korea registered the first win at the 2010 World Cup, a richly deserved 2-0 victory against Greece here Saturday to give them a live chance of achieving their ambition of a last 16 berth.

Heinze header gives Argentina 1-0 victory
JOHANNESBURG: Lionel Messi lit up the World Cup on Saturday with a mesmerising individual performance but profligate Argentina still only beat Nigeria 1-0 with a goal from Gabriel Heinze in Group B.

Uninspiring France struggle to draw with Uruguay
CAPE TOWN: Former champions France failed to set the World Cup alight on Friday as they struggled to a 0-0 draw against 10-man Uruguay in an uninspiring start to their campaign.

Hosts South Africa held to a draw by Mexico
JOHANNESBURG: A stunning goal from Siphiwe Tshabalala almost gave hosts South Africa the perfect start to the World Cup before they were held to a 1-1 draw in front of almost 85,000 fans at Soccer City on Friday.

What do you expect from Day 1?
11 June 2010 is a day billions have looked forward to for a long while. It is one on which the 19th edition of the FIFA World Cup will get underway.

Australia beat Sri Lanka, win third straight title
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Australia won an unprecedented third straight title and fourth overall when they beat Sri Lanka by 53 runs under Duckworth & Lewis method in the rain-curtailed final of the World Cup 2007 here at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.

Sri Lanka, Australia face-to-face in World Cup final today
JAMAICA: It will be 'oriental' magic versus professionalism when Sri Lanka and Australia clash in the $5 million ninth World Cup final here Saturday.

We can achieve something different, says Murali
Muttiah Muralitharan hopes that a Sri Lanka victory in Saturday's World Cup final against champions Australia can help heal the war wounds of his strife-torn country.

Sri Lanka will have to play out of their skins: Clarke
Australian batsman Michael Clarke says his side is in almost unbeatable form heading into tomorrow night's World Cup cricket final against Sri Lanka.

Fernando could be axed for final
Sri Lanka's cricket selectors have hinted they will replace fast bowler Dilhara Fernando with Farveez Maharoof for Saturday's World Cup final.

Aussies ready for Sri Lanka: Ponting
Australian captain Ricky Ponting insists the world champions are ready to face down Sri Lanka's veteran bowlers Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas in the World Cup final beginning Saturday night in Barbados.

McGrath and Tait fire Australia into World Cup final
GROS ISLET, St Lucia : Glenn McGrath and Shaun Tait struck it rich as Australia stormed into a fourth successive World Cup final with a crushing seven-wicket win over South Africa on Wednesday.

South Africa hope to make own luck in semi-final against Aussies today
JAMAICA: South Africa will hope luck will finally smile on them in their unenviable World Cup semi-final against holders Australia.

Fleming resigns as New Zealand one-day skipper
New Zealand's Stephen Fleming said he will resign as captain of his country's one-day team after the 81-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the World Cup semi-finals in Jamaica this morning.

Jayawardene guides Sri Lanka into World Cup final
KINGSTON, Jamaica : Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene led his side into the World Cup final with a maiden tournament hundred as the 1996 champions beat New Zealand by 81 runs at Sabina Park on Tuesday.

Fleming targets SL top-order
New Zealand captain Ste-phen Fle-ming belie-ves Sri Lan-ka's top-or-der batting is a weakness the Black Caps can expose when the teams meet in Tuesday's first World Cup semifinal.

Hayden looking to savage Proteas attack again
Matthew Hayden batted on Monday until even the bowling machine had had enough before pronouncing himself fit and ready to add to his World Cup tally of 580 runs.

Lankans back up team for Cup win
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan sports stars are rallying behind the national team competing for the cricket World Cup in the West Indies with a mass gathering set for Monday.

Aussie record counts for nothing, says Kallis
BRIDGETOWN: South Africa vice-captain Jacques Kallis has warned that Australia’s unbeaten record in the World Cup will count for nothing when the sides meet in the semi-final in St Lucia on Wednesday.

Proteas try to forget 1999 nightmare
South Africa say their agonising exit against Australia in the 1999 World Cup will not weigh them down in their repeat semi-final clash on Wednesday evening.

Australia planning end to Styris run spree
Australian captain Ricky Ponting has promised the world champions have plans to curb the run-scoring of New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris.

Sarwan leads West Indies to emphatic win over Bangladesh
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados : Ramnaresh Sarwan missed a hundred but still guided the West Indies to a resounding 99-run World Cup win over Bangladesh at Kensington Oval here on Thursday to ensure they would not finish in the bottom two of the Super Eights table.

Maharoof gives Sri Lanka selection headache
Seamer Farveez Maharoof gave Sri Lanka a World Cup semi-final selection headache after he claimed four victims in his team's Super Eights eight-wicket win over Ireland.

Johnston looking for a repeat Irish performance
Ireland captain Trent Johnston is looking for his side to repeat the effort they showed in defeating Bangladesh when they face Sri Lanka in their final World Cup Super Eights match starting tonight in Grenada.

Hall and Smith fire South Africa into World Cup semi-finals
BRIDGETOWN : South Africa rode on Andrew Hall's maiden five-wicket burst to storm into the World Cup semi-finals with an emphatic nine-wicket win which humiliated England on Tuesday.

South Africa play down players' drinking
South Africa's team management have attempted to play down a controversy over a number of their players staying out drinking late on Saturday night (local time) after a World Cup defeat against New Zealand.

Ponting follows up Hogg double in win over Lankans
Grenada : Australia captain Ricky Ponting scored an unbeaten 66 as the champions stretched their unbeaten run at the World Cup to 26 games and 20 consecutive wins with a seven-wicket Super Eights victory against an under-strength Sri Lanka .

World Cup Super-8s:Australia-Sri Lanka clash today
GRENADA: In the World Cup Super Eights stage, defending champions Australia will play against Sri Lanka today at the National Stadium.

Watson to miss Sri Lanka match
Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting says injured all-rounder Shane Watson will not play in tonight's World Cup match against Sri Lanka.

Ireland upstage Bangladesh in their Cup final
BRIDGETOWN:Ireland put up a spirited show to beat Bangladesh by 74 runs to win the battle of the giantkillers and raise their hopes of avoiding the World Cup Super Eights wooden-spoon.

South Africa aim to outplay Kiwis in today's crucial match
GRENADA: South Africa aim to put more daylight between themselves and England when they take on New Zealand in a do-or-die match here today .

Australia beat Ireland to reach semi-finals
BRIDGETOWN: Australia required just five overs of hostile pace to storm into the World Cup semi-finals with a crushing nine-wicket win over a hapless Ireland in a Super Eights match here on Friday.

Aussies set to experiment against Irish
Australian captain Ricky Ponting says he may use the World Cup match against debutants Ireland starting tonight in Bridgetown, Barbados, to give some of his lesser-used players a chance to see some action.

Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by six wickets
ST GEORGE'S: Chaminda Vaas ensured Sri Lanka didn't miss Lasith Malinga by removing New Zealand's top three in a six-wicket World Cup Super Eights win at Grenada's National Stadium.

Kiwis face Lankans today in Super Eights
GRENADA: New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming believes his side can win the World Cup and their Super Eights match against fellow contenders Sri Lanka in Grenada Thursday (today) will go a long way to seeing if he is right.

Malinga out of Black Caps encounter
An ankle injury has ruled Lasith Malinga out of Sri Lanka's Super Eights clash against New Zealand in St George's, Grenada, starting tonight .

England outlast Bangladesh to keep hopes alive
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados : England thwarted another strong challenge from Bangladesh's spinners to register a much-needed four-wicket win in a World Cup Super Eights match on Wednesday.

Giant-killers Bangladesh look for England scalp today
BRIDGETOWN: Bangladesh hope their spin king trio can bamboozle England, just like they did South Africa, and boost their bid for a World Cup semi-final place on Wednesday.

England fined for slow over rate against Australia
Michael Vaughan's troubles in the Caribbean have continued with England being fined for their slow over-rate during the seven-wicket defeat by Australia in the World Cup Super Eights match in Antigua.

Lara apologises for Windies flop
ST GEORGE'S, Grenada: Brian Lara apologised for West Indies' miserable World Cup campaign on Tuesday after a 67-run defeat against South Africa virtually ensured their elimination from the tournament.

Hobbling de Villiers wrecks West Indian dream
ST GEORGE'S, Grenada : AB de Villiers slammed a maiden one-day international as South Africa beat the West Indies by 67 runs in a World Cup Super Eights match at the Grenada National Stadium on Tuesday.

Fleming says NZ on course for Cup
Guyana - After a comfortable win over Ireland today, Stephen Fleming finally voiced what cricket World Cup observers have been harping on about for weeks -- New Zealand are genuine title contenders.

Captaincy getting to Vaughan: Fletcher
England coach Duncan Fletcher says Michael Vaughan's string of low scores may be down to the captaincy weighing on him.

Proteas suffer Gibbs injury blow
South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs is almost certain to miss the crucial World Cup clash with the West Indies beginning in Grenada tonight (Australian time) because of a calf strain.

Fulton, Vettori star in big Kiwi victory
Guyana : Peter Fulton hit a solid 83 as New Zealand boosted their chances of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals with an emphatic 129-run win over Ireland in a Super Eights match on Monday.

Sobers backs under-fire Lara
West Indies legends Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Everton Weekes have thrown their support behind under-fire skipper Brian Lara as the hosts faced up to a make-or-break World Cup week.

Aussies cruise to 7-wkt victory over England
NORTH SOUND, Antigua: Australia has maintained their unbeaten record by defeating England by seven wickets in the Super Eights World Cup match here at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Sunday.

Ravi Bopara is a cricketer of immense substance
In Sri Lanka’s last-ball win by just two runs in a Super Eights World Cup 2007 match on Wednesday, none could have been more proud than England’s Ravi Bopara, who showed himself to be a cricketer of immense substance, in spite of the fact that, at a month short of his 22nd birthday, he had never yet been in a situation to compare with the one he was thrust into on the day.

Hopes on standby for Australia's Watson
ST JOHN'S, Antigua: Reigning champions Australia have placed James Hopes on World Cup standby cover for injured Queensland team-mate Shane Watson, it was announced here.

Sri Lanka’s thrilling 2-run win over England
NORTH SOUND, Antigua: Sri Lanka recorded a sensational two runs victory over England in a thrilling finish in their Super Eights World Cup match here at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

Sri Lanka face England in crucial Super Eight match
ST JOHN'S, Antigua: In-form Sri Lanka meet stuttering England in the World Cup Super Eights later on Wednesday and although the tournament still has a long way to go the clash could be crucial.

Kallis guides SA to easy 7-wkt victory over Ireland
PROVIDENCE, Guyana: Jacques Kallis with an unbeaten 66 runs from 86 deliveries cruised South Africa to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Ireland here at the Providence Stadium. He hit eight boundaries and was deservedly declared the man-of-the-match.

Flintoff eases fitness worries in nets
England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff bowled and batted in the nets in Antigua overnight (local time), easing concerns about an ankle problem ahead of Wednesday's World Cup Super Eights clash with Sri Lanka.

South Africa ready for serious Ireland challenge
GEORGETOWN: South Africa will treat their next World Cup Super Eight matches against Ireland and Bangladesh as "huge" games which could clear the way to the semi-finals, according to coach Mickey Arthur.

New Zealand beat Bangladesh by nine wickets
ANTIGUA: New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming's 102 not out set the seal on a comprehensive nine wicket victory against Bangladesh in the World Cup Super Eights match here as his side moved a step nearer the semi-finals.

New Zealand to face Bangladesh in WC fixture today
ANTIGUA: In Super Eight round of World Cup Cricket Tournament, New Zealand would take on Bangladesh today (Monday).

Sri Lanka humble West Indies by 113 runs
PROVIDENCE, Guyana: Sri Lanka defeated the West Indies by 113 runs by bowling them out for 190 in 44.3 overs in the Super Eights World Cup match here on Sunday.

Australia wary of threat from Bangladesh
Australia captain Ricky Ponting could be forgiven for a hint of exasperation after being reminded of his team's shock loss to Bangladesh in Cardiff two years ago.

England beat Ireland by 48 runs
GEORGETOWN, Guyana : England rode on Paul Collingwood's fighting half-century and four wickets by Andrew Flintoff to beat Ireland by 48 runs in their Super Eights match here on Friday.

Kiwis too good for Windies
ANTIGUA: The unbeaten 102-run fourth wicket partnership between Scott Styris and Craig McMillan guided New Zealand home to beat the West Indies by seven wickets in 39.2 overs in their first Super Eights World Cup match here at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

South Africa escape Malinga's bowling magic, beat Sri Lanka by 1 wicket
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga took four wickets in four balls before South Africa scrambled a one-wicket win in their World Cup Super Eight match at the Guyana National Stadium Wednesday.

Marshall to replace injured Lou Vincent
Hamish Marshall was given permission by the ICC on Tuesday to join New Zealand's ICC CWC squad as a replacement for Lou Vincent who has broken his wrist.

Mystery pitch for SA, Lanka
South Africa and Sri Lanka will be entering new territory when they meet in ICC Cricket World Cup Super Eights match at the Guyana National Stadium.

Ireland deny Pakistan win fixed
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Ireland captain Trent Johnston has dismissed suggestions his side’s shock victory over Pakistan was a fix.

McGrath on brink of record after Australia beat West Indies
ST JOHN'S, Antigua : Glenn McGrath was on the verge of making more cricket history as world champions Australia got their Super Eight campaign off to a winning start with a 103-run defeat of World Cup hosts West Indies on Wednesday.

Rain-hit match to continue on reserve day
ST. ANTIGUA: Rain started as soon the Australian team finished its 50 overs, having made 322 runs for six wickets here at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Tuesday.

Australia, West Indies open the Super 8s
West Indies captain Brian Lara will use all the weapons at his command on Tuesday including history, crowd support and his own special skills in the World Cup Super Eights match against champions Australia.

Bangladesh joy is despair for India
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad : Bangladesh made history when they qualified for the World Cup second round with a seven-wicket victory over debutants Bermuda on Sunday and eliminated mighty India in the process.

Sri Lanka qualify as India face World Cup exit
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad : Sri Lanka stormed into the World Cup Super Eights after virtually knocking India out of the tournament with an emphatic 69-run win here on Friday.

India in make-or-break clash with Sri Lanka today
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: India are determined to ward off the spectre of an early exit and its repercussions as they gear up for their do-or-die clash with Sri Lanka in the World Cup here on Friday (today).

Netherlands beat Scotland by 8 wickets
BASSETTERE, St Kitts: Netherlands beat Scotland by 8 wickets in their World Cup Group A match at Warner Park here on Thursday.

Vincent ends drought as New Zealand overpower Canada
GROS ISLET, St Lucia: Lou Vincent found his form after two noughts with a hundred as New Zealand made it three World Cup wins out of three in Group C with a 114-run success against Canada at the Beausejour Cricket Ground here.

Pak team imbalanced, lacked fighting spirit in World cup: Moin Khan
ISLAMABAD: The former captain Pakistan cricket team Moin Khan has demanded President Gen Pervez Musharraf to interfere in the matters concerning Pakistan cricket and termed the current team for the world cup as an imbalanced team lacking fighting spirit.

Tearful Inzamam dedicates final win to Woolmer
Inzamam-ul-Haq broke down in tears this morning as he dedicated his last match as Pakistan captain to Bob Woolmer, the team coach who died on Monday morning .

NZ tighten security after Woolmer death
GROS ISLET, St Lucia - Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer's mysterious hotel room death has prompted an unobtrusive tightening of security around New Zealand World Cup cricketers.

NZ tighten security after Woolmer death
GROS ISLET, St Lucia - Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer's mysterious hotel room death has prompted an unobtrusive tightening of security around New Zealand World Cup cricketers.

India desperate for victory in Sri Lanka clash
India are determined to ward off the spectre of an early World Cup exit as they gear up for their do-or-die clash with Sri Lanka on Saturday morning.

Sri Lanka demolish Bangladesh by 198 runs
TRINIDAD, JAMAICA: Sri Lanka has qualified for Super-eight stage of the World Cup Bangladesh by a large margin of 198 runs in their group ‘B’ World Cup match here today.

Pakistan’s consolation victory over Zimbabwe
KINGSTON, JAMAICA: Pakistan emerged victorious for the first time in the 2007 World Cup after being ousted from the mega event when they beat Zimbabwe by 93 runs under D/L system in their last group ‘D’ World Cup match here.

Pakistan struggling without Woolmer, says Mushtaq
Mushtaq Ahmed admitted that the Pakistan team is having a hard time coming out from under the depression that has engulfed them following the death of coach Bob Woolmer.

Dravid asks team to ignore fan fury
PORT-OF-SPAIN : India captain Rahul Dravid has called on his players to stay strong and ignore the boorish behaviour of their supporters back at home.

Harmy against flintoff decision
Steve Harmison fears England could rue the decision to strip Andrew Flintoff of the vice-captaincy if Michael Vaughan picks up an injury at the World Cup.

Scotland reach their highest World Cup score
BASSETERRE, St Kitts: Scotland gave South Africa’s attack a surprise workout on Tuesday when they registered their highest World Cup score of 186-8 in the Group A match here at Warner Park.

Pakistan to play final World Cup game against Zimbabwe
KINGSTON, Jamaica: Pakistan will play their final World Cup group D game against Zimbabwe at Sabina Park on Wednesday, the team spokesman said.

Smith leads Proteas into Super Eights
Captain Graeme Smith just missed out his first World Cup century but still led South Africa to a seven-wicket win over Scotland and into the World Cup Super Eights in Basseterre, St Kitts this morning.

Kiwis crush Kenya by 148 runs
GROS ISLET, ST. LUCIA: New Zealand defeated Kenya by an impressive margin of 148 runs in their group ‘C’ World Cup match to qualify for the super-8 stage here today.

Flintoff keen to make amends
Andrew Flintoff is focusing on reproducing his best form for the team and will not contemplate his chances of captaining England again.

Fletcher banks on united force
Coach Duncan Fletcher believes England’s off-field problems can “pull the side together� as they bid to get their World Cup challenge back on track.

Ponting's rejuvenated troops ready to look after No.1
WITH confidence restored by a couple of easy wins, Ricky Ponting has warned South Africa to expect the full force of Australia's desire to reassert their world superiority when the two top teams meet in St Kitts on Saturday.

We all owe debt to Woolmer, says Irish coach
Ireland coach Adrian Birrell says the minor cricketing nations owe Bob Woolmer a debt of gratitude after his efforts to promote the sport around the world.

South Africa plan Woolmer tribute win over Scots
South African captain Graeme Smith said his team would make their Group A match against Scotland tomorrow morning a tribute to Bob Woolmer.

West Indies beat Zimbabwe by 6 wkts
KINGSTON, JAMAICA: The West Indies have qualified for the super eiWith a winning six, the West Indies captain, Brian Lara made his team beat Zimbabwe by six wickets with 13 balls left here today.

India set twin records in Bermuda thrashing
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad : Virender Sehwag roared back into form with a blazing century as record-setting India thrashed debutants Bermuda by 257 runs in their second World Cup match on Monday.

Former players call for new leadership after World Cup exit
KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has called for a complete overhaul of the national team in the wake of the shock World Cup defeat to Ireland on Saturday that sent them crashing out of the tournament.

West Indies eye Super Eights
KINGSTON, Jamaica: Hosts West Indies could become the first side to confirm a place in the Super Eights at the World Cup, when they face Zimbabwe at Sabina Park here on Monday (today).

Flintoff sacked as vice captain and dropped
England's Andrew Flintoff was sacked as World Cup vice-captain and dropped for their Group C game against Canada on Sunday after a late-night drinking session.

Australia complete crushing win over Dutch
Australia crushed the Netherlands by 229 runs in Basseterre, St Kitts this morning to record the third-largest winning margin in the history of the World Cup.

Woolmer death an 'unbelievable shock': Ponting
Ricky Ponting has extended the Australian cricket team's sympathies to the family of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer, who died in Jamaica early this morning.

England embarrassed despite beating Canada with 51-run
GROS ISLET, St Lucia: England tried to make light of Andrew Flintoff's absence with a 51-run victory against Canada in their World Cup Group C match here Sunday.

Pakistan sent home by bold Ireland
KINGSTON (Jamaica): A magnificent performance from Ireland, and an innings of real class from their wicketkeeper, Niall O'Brien, sent Pakistan crashing out of the World Cup.

South Africa set to ignore spinning option throughout WC
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (AP) - South Africa appears certain to buck the trend and become the only World Cup team not to play a specialist spinner.

First match pivotal for England, NZ
GROS ISLET, St. Lucia (AP) - England and New Zealand know their first World Cup match on Friday is the most important of the group and could shape the rest of the tournament.

Windies have a long way to go: Lloyd
KINGSTON, Jamaica: West Indian legend Clive Lloyd believes his players have a long way to go in their bid for a third World Cup crown saying that the home team has too many players without enough international experience.

New Zealand's McMillan injured
GROS ISLET: New Zealand suffered an injury setback ahead of their World Cup opener against England when batsman Craig McMillan was hit on the foot by a yorker from fast bowling team-mate Shane Bond during practice here Wednesday.

‘Big three’ mull over new batting order
KINGSTON, Jamaica: Just days before Pakistan left home for the Caribbean, Inzamam-ul-Haq announced that he is planning to promote himself up the order to provide greater stability to the team’s batting line in the World Cup.

Flower demands sporting sanctions against Zimbabwe
Former Zimbabwean captain Andy Flower has called for sporting sanctions against the regime of Robert Mugabe following the vicious beating of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Sri Lanka demolish Bermuda by 243 runs
PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD: Sri Lanka defeated debutants Bermuda by a large margin of 243 runs in their group ‘B’ match at Queen’s Park Oval here today.

Ireland record shock tie with Zimbabwe
KINGSTON, Jamaica: Ireland and Zimbabwe tied dramatically their World Cup Group D match at Sabina Park here on Thursday.

Symonds eyes return against Netherlands
All-rounder Andrew Symonds is set to return to the Australian side for Monday morning's World Cup clash with the Netherlands.

Jayasuriya aims to inspire 1996 repeat
In his fifth and final World Cup, Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s veteran opener, says his batting is as explosive as it was in Sri Lanka’s 1996 title triumph. Jayasuriya briefly retired from the game in 2005, but said the memory of that World Cup victory pushed him back.

Fleming vows to erase bad England memories
Stephen Fleming will have revenge on his mind when New Zealand open their World Cup campaign against England in St Lucia on Friday. Both teams were involved in the CB series in Australia, with England winning and Fleming's side failing to make the finals.

Moody bats for minnows
SRI Lanka coach Tom Moody said today he would not be surprised if the minnows stretched top sides in the World Cup.

Smith won't fall for Aussie hype
South African captain Graeme Smith refused to be drawn into a slanging match with Australia, saying his focus is on playing the Netherlands and Scotland before facing the world champions.

Anderson in England injury scare
England was given an injury scare ahead of its World Cup opener against New Zealand when fast bowler James Anderson was taken to hospital with a finger injury.

Zimbabwe and Ireland eye crucial edge
JAMAICA: Under-strength Zimbabwe and debutants Ireland may look like a lightweight contest in a World Cup group which also includes West Indies and Pakistan, but for the captains, its serious business.

Afridi’s record tough to beat: Jacob Oram
ST LUCIA: Big-hitting New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram does not believe Shahid Afridi’s record 37-ball hundred will be bettered at this World Cup.

Tikolo on top as Kenya cruises
KENYA captain Steve Tikolo led from the front as his side beat fellow minnows Canada by seven wickets in the opening Group C World Cup match on Wednesday.

Australia romp to victory over Scots
BASSETERRE, St Kitts: Australian skipper Ricky Ponting cracked his fourth World Cup century to guide his side to a 203-run thrashing of Scotland in their opening Group A match on Wednesday.

Aussies could get whacked in a bar: Gavaskar
NEW DELHI: Sunil Gavaskar delivered a strong retort in what was the latest in his media-driven verbal-joust with Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting.

Smith to Punter: we're proud to be number one
South Africa skipper Graeme Smith has opened the World Cup psychological battle with rival Ricky Ponting by insisting that being the best in the world does matter.

Canada and Kenya aim for early lifeline
GROS ISLET, St Lucia: Canada and Kenya may be the two minnows in a Group C featuring England and New Zealand, but they will both fancy their chances of beating the other in St Lucia’s first match of the World Cup proper at the Beausejour Cricket Ground here on Wednesday (today).

India need all players’ performance to win: Dravid
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: India captain Rahul Dravid launched a passionate defence of under-fire teammate Virender Sehwag on Sunday following the opening batsman's struggle to find World Cup form.

McGrath targets Wasim’s World Cup record
BASSETERRE, St Kitts: Playing his final tournament, Glenn McGrath has one remaining personal target.

ICC summons Umer, Rana for random dope test after WC opener
KINGSTON, Jamaica: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has summoned Pakistani pacers Umer Gul and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan for a random dope test after the World Cup opening match .

Windies beat Pakis by 54 runs in World Cup opener
KINGSTON, Jamaica: The West Indies, aiming to be the first team to win cricket's World Cup in front of its own fans, beat Pakistan by 54 runs in today's opening match of the competition in Sabina Park here.

Lloyd prescribes winning formula for Windies
West Indies legend Clive Lloyd has prescribed a formula which he says could aid the team in becoming the first hosts to win a cricket World Cup.

Ponting convinced Aussies have gold blend
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: Australia captain Ricky Ponting is confident that his two-time defending champions have the right blend of experience and youth to snatch a third successive World Cup.

Vaughan backs youth brigade
Michael Vaughan has urged his young side to play with “no fear� if they are to emulate England’s class of 1992 and reach the latter stages of the World Cup.

Mystery man Mason lifts lid on cup hopes
ST LUCIA: It's little wonder Michael Mason was a star turn at the New Zealand cricket squad's peer review session – a management strategy designed for team-mates to get to know each other better.

Both teams have equal chances to win WC opener: Woolmer
KINGSTON, Jamaica: Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has warned against over-confidence, however, said: "If there's any subconscious complacency, we're going to knock it out of them this evening."

India better prepared than 2003: Wright
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Former India coach John Wright believes Rahul Dravid’s 2007 team are better prepared for a World Cup title assault than they were four years when they reached the final.

Pak, WI face-to-face in World Cup opener today
JAMAICA: Pakistan will open its quest tomorrow against host West Indies in the ninth World Cup opener here at Sabina Park Tuesday (today).

Lara denies ‘partying’ allegations
Jamaica: West Indian captain Brian Lara has rejected rumours that his players partied hard on the night before their embarrassing defeat against India in Montego Bay on Friday.

Ponting believes We are still favourites
Ricky Ponting believes completing a World Cup hat-trick would be 'ultra special' for holders Australia.

No favourites in World Cup: Fleming
Montego Bay: New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming says that there are no clear favourites in the World Cup and all the top teams will fancy themselves winning the coveted trophy.

Real game starts tomorrow: Woolmer
KINGSTON, Jamaica: Pakistan may have posted impressive back-to-back wins in a couple of warm-up matches in Trinidad this week but coach Bob Woolmer is fully aware that the real game would begin with the World Cup opener against the hosts here at the Sabina park tomorrow.

India need all players’ performance to win: Dravid
Jamaica: India captain Rahul Dravid launched a passionate defence of under-fire teammate Virender Sehwag on Sunday following the opening batsman's struggle to find World Cup form.

Inzamam positive ahead of WI clash
Jamaica: Inzamam-ul-Haq says he would be in a positive frame of mind when Pakistan take the field against the West Indians in the World Cup opener tomorrow here at the Sabina Park.

Bangladeshis mark successive victory in WC warm-ups
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: After defeating a major team New Zealand by two wickets on Tuesday, Bangladesh easily beat Scotland by seven wickets in their second warm-up match today.

Dutch collapse to spin of Tikolo as Kenya win warm-up match by 9 runs
DANIEL TOWN, Jamaica: A terrific performance by the Netherlands top order was ruined by a catastrophic collapse as Kenya beat them by nine runs in Jamaica on Friday.

India and Windies in World Cup trial of strength
India and hosts West Indies will face each other in a trial of strength before the Cricket World Cup in a warm-up on Friday.

Vaughan braced for Australia test
England captain Michael Vaughan will field for 20 or 30 overs in Friday's final World Cup warm-up match against Australia in St Vincent.

‘No plan to retire from cricket’: Gilchrist
JAMAICA: Australia’s vice-captain Adam Gilchrist said he has no plan to retire from One-day International or Test cricket now or even after the World Cup. However, this will be his last World Cup.

Waqar asks Pathan to view old footage to rediscover form
MUMBAI: Former Pakistan pace spearhead Waqar Younis suggested struggling India seamer Irfan Pathan should view his old footage to draw inspiration ahead of next week’s World Cup.

Zimbabwe bowl Bermuda out for 136
KINGSTOWN, ST. VINCENT: Bermuda were all out for 136 in exact 50 overs against Zimbabwe in their second warm-up match here today at Arnos Vale Ground.

Pakistan aiming for tough show against South Africa
KARACHI: Replacement players Mohammad Sami and Yasir Arafat were available to feature in Pakistan’s second pre-World Cup warm-up game against South Africa to be played at the Frank Worrell Memorial Ground in Trinidad today (Friday).

Pietersen Ready For Spin
Key England batsman Kevin Pietersen is ready to suppress his natural attacking instincts at the World Cup and instead nurdle his way to good scores on the slow Caribbean wickets.

Ricky Ponting unsure on bowling attack
ST VINCENT: Ricky Ponting goes into Friday’s World Cup warm-up against England still unsure of his best bowling line-up, in spite of Tuesday’s win over Zimbabwe.

Mohammed Sami, Yasir Arafat allowed to play in WC
DUBAI: International cricket Council (ICC) allowed Wednesday pacers Mohammed Sami and Yasir Arafat to play in World Cup as replacement for Mohammed Asif and Shoaib Akhtar.

Gilchrist backs bowlers to bounce back
Adam Gilchrist says aggressive batsmen like himself won't have it all their own way at the World Cup, despite fellow Australia opener Matthew Hayden's prediction that a landmark score of 500 runs in a one-day international innings is now in sight.

Kiwi Gillespie numbed by virus
New Zealand pace bowler Mark Gillespie has contracted a virus that has numbed his bowling arm and may threaten his chances of playing in the opening round of ICC Cricket World Cup matches next week.

Punter pleased enough by win
Australia captain Ricky Ponting declared himself content with his side's return to winning ways despite failing to dismiss Zimbabwe.

They’ve done it again: Bangladesh shock Kiwis
Bangladesh pulled off a major shock on Tuesday when they defeated New Zealand by two wickets here in an ICC Cricket World Cup warm-up.

Australia thrash Zimbabwe by 106 runs in WC warm-up match
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent: Australia thrashed Zimbabwe by 106 runs in their first warm-up match of the world Cup here today.

India thrash Holland in WC warm-up
New Delhi: India beat the Netherlands by 182 runs in their first World Cup warm-up match at the Trelawny in Jamaica on Tuesday with important contributions from Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh.

Pakistan too much for Canada
Pakistan's batting power proved too much for Canada in their warm-up match in Trinidad as the Asian side eased to a 77-run victory in Trinidad.

West Indies get the perfect warm-up
Bridgetown (Barbados): Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle bludgeoned Kenya's bowling attack on Monday, hoping it will be a sample for long-waiting West Indies fans of what to expect at the World Cup.

Pakistan start World Cup campaign today
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Rahul Dravid, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Ricky Ponting take their first tentative World Cup steps on Tuesday (today) against teams destined to be amongst the whipping boys of the 2007 tournament.

India warm-up against the Netherlands
Montego Bay: Team India are getting ready for the biggest cricket tournament.

South Africa beat Ireland by 36 runs
TRINIDAD: All-rounder Andrew Hall rode to South Africa's rescue with bat and ball in their World Cup warm-up match against Ireland in St Augustine on Monday.

bermuda short of quality
England completed their expected emphatic victory over Bermuda after gaining useful practice for the majority of their squad in the opening warm-up match for the World Cup.

Sri Lanka cruise to 159-run win over Scots
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Sri Lanka cruised to a comfortable 159-run win over Scotland at the Three Ws Oval here in their opening World Cup warm-up match.

Bermuda World Cup Squad and Players to Watch
For the outside world, Bermuda cricket team is as mysterious as the Bermuda triangle with one striking difference, that is, former isn’t as formidable as the latter.

Greg Chappell Believes Australia Will Star At World Cup
India coach and former Australia captain Greg Chappell said on Tuesday Australia's chances of defending their World Cup title should not be written off despite losing their last five one-day internationals.

Inzamam seeks Waugh-style swansong
KARACHI: Many believed Inzamam-ul-Haq’s career was over in 2003, but now he is not only leading Pakistan’s challenge in the Caribbean but also seeks a Steve Waugh-style Cup swansong.

Clark confirmed to replace Brett Lee
SYDNEY: The International Cricket Council has approved Australia's request to include Stuart Clark in its World Cup squad as a replacement for the injured Brett Lee.

mccullum heralds gilchrist
New Zealand star Brendon McCullum believes Adam Gilchrist has raised the bar for wicketkeepers around the world ahead of the World Cup, which gets underway in the Caribbean next month.

hamilton bats away holding remarks
Scotland batsman Gavin Hamilton has hit back at Michael Holding after the West Indies legend claimed there are too many minor cricketing nations heading to the World Cup.

India up for any challenge: Dravid
Rahul Dravid, the Indian captain, has refused to be drawn in to speculating about the World Cup pitches, most of which have been re-laid for the tournament beginning on March 13, and has said that his team was “fully equipped� to deal with any conditions.

Zimbabwe cricket team leaves for World Cup
The Zimbabwe national cricket team is expected to leave the country on Wednesday for Jamaica to take part in the 2007 Cricket World Cup being hosted by the West Indies.

Bangladesh thrashes Bermuda
Bermuda's lead-up to the World Cup couldn't get any worse. After losing to Antigua and Barbuda, largely regarded as one of the lesser domestic sides in the West Indies last week in a warm-up match.

Pathan declared fit for World Cup
NEW DELHI: Indian fast bowler Irfan Pathan has been declared Sunday fit and he would be available for his country in the forthcoming World Cup

New Zealand name World Cup squad
WELLINGTON: The New Zealand cricket selectors on Tuesday remained loyal to the established members of their one-day cricket squad for the World Cup in the West Indies, despite a disappointing summer.

Aussies name WC squad, Symonds in
New Delhi: The Australian selectors announced their squad for the World Cup early on Tuesday.

West Indies name 30-man squad for cricket World Cup
Teenager Keiron Pollard was among five newcomers named to the West Indies 30-man squad for the cricket World Cup.

Bermuda's Trinidad tour hit by more rain
Heavy rain continued to hamper Bermuda's World Cup cricket preparation in Trinidad over the weekend. On Saturday wet conditions resulted in postponement of the national squad's third practice match against local league side Police CC.

Tigers announce World Cup 30
Teenage openers Tamim Iqbal and Junaid Siddique are among the names on Bangladesh's 30-man shortlist for the World Cup.

Harris and Tuffey still in the hunt
Chris Harris and Daryl Tuffey are still in the frame for World Cup selection after both players were named in New Zealand's 30 man squad for the World Cup.

McGrath targets historic win
Glenn McGrath has set his heart on winning an unprecedented third successive World Cup in March, as he looks to bow out for Australia in style.

England to gauge World Cup preparations against Australia
MELBOURNE: Opener Andrew Strauss is one of the England cricketers determined to settle some scores from the Ashes debacle in the limited-overs tri-series against Australia and New Zealand.

The list of 30 World Cup probables
Rajkot: The National Selectors on Friday picked the 30 probables for the World Cup to be played in March-April in the West Indies.

Zimbabwe announces Cricket World Cup squad
Zimbabwe Cricket has announced the preliminary 30-man squad for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup in the West Indies beginning in March.

Harris in Proteas provisional WC squad
Durban: Left-arm spinner Paul Harris, who made an impressive debut in the third Test against India at Cape Town last week, was on Tuesday included in South Africa's provisional squad for the World Cup in the West Indies.

Door open for Ganguly return in World Cup season
New Delhi: Sourav Ganguly is set to return to India's One-day squad after 15 months out as selectors move to infuse life into a battered team ahead of the World Cup.

Pakistan opt for ‘tried and tested players’ for World Cup
KARACHI: Pakistan on Wednesday announced their 30-man preliminary squad for this March’s World Cup in the West Indies, deciding against including any new face in the list.

Kapil looks towards the World Cup after defeats in SA
Chennai: Former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev said he hoped the national team would have learned lessons from defeat in South Africa and would prepare well for the World Cup.

Pakistan include rookie all-rounder in WC probables
Karachi: Karachi's young all-rounder Fawad Alam was the only notable inclusion in Pakistan's provisional squad for the upcoming cricket World Cup which otherwise contained no surprise.

Australia win maiden Champions Trophy title
MUMBAI: Australia defeated the West Indies by eight wickets on Sunday to win the 10-nation Champions Trophy for the first time in five attempts.

Australia win maiden Champions Trophy title
MUMBAI: Australia defeated the West Indies by eight wickets on Sunday to win the 10-nation Champions Trophy for the first time in five attempts.

Awesome Gayle powers West Indies into final
JAIPUR, India: Chris Gayle smashed 133 not out to power holders West Indies into their third International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy final with a six-wicket victory over South Africa at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Thursday.

WI beat SA in second semi-final
JAIPUR: South Africa made 258-8 and lost Thursday to West Indies 262-4.Chris Gayle hit an explosive 15th ODI century as West Indies surged to 224-1 after 37 overs in pursuit of 259 to win the Champions Trophy semi-final.

ICC takes a swipe at under-performing India
NEW DELHI: India's long-running dispute with the International Cricket Council (ICC) flared up Wednesday after the world governing body poked fun at the losing Indian team.

Pakistan bans dope-tainted Akhtar, Asif
LAHORE: A doping tribunal on Wednesday banned Pakistan's top fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar from international and domestic cricket for two years for using performance enhancing medicines, the tribunal's chief said.

Australia beat New Zealand to enter final
MOHALI: Australia secured a first appearance in a Champions Trophy final with a 34-run victory over New Zealand in Mohali.

Australia beat New Zealand to enter final
MOHALI: Australia secured a first appearance in a Champions Trophy final with a 34-run victory over New Zealand in Mohali.

Gayle talks about his batting success
Jaipur: In-form West Indies opener Chris Gayle said the key to his success in the ICC Champions Trophy was quick adjustment to Indian pitches.

Gayle talks about his batting success
Jaipur: In-form West Indies opener Chris Gayle said the key to his success in the ICC Champions Trophy was quick adjustment to Indian pitches.

Australia keen to clip New Zealand wings in slog overs
MOHALI: Australia captain Ricky Ponting said his team will need to restrict New Zealand's big-hitting batsmen in the slog overs of Wednesday's Champions Trophy semi-final.

Australia keen to clip New Zealand wings in slog overs
MOHALI: Australia captain Ricky Ponting said his team will need to restrict New Zealand's big-hitting batsmen in the slog overs of Wednesday's Champions Trophy semi-final.

Dwayne Bravo cleared over England ‘catch’
AHMEDABAD: The West Indies player Dwayne Bravo was on Sunday found not guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct after his controversial catch in the Champions Trophy match against England.

Dwayne Bravo cleared over England ‘catch’
AHMEDABAD: The West Indies player Dwayne Bravo was on Sunday found not guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct after his controversial catch in the Champions Trophy match against England.

Bravo not guilty of code of conduct breach
New Delhi: West Indies player Dwayne Bravo has been found not guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct during his team's ODI in the champions trophy against England, the ICC said today.

Bravo not guilty of code of conduct breach
New Delhi: West Indies player Dwayne Bravo has been found not guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct during his team's ODI in the champions trophy against England, the ICC said today.

Afridi offers apology to the nation on poor showing
KARACHI: National cricket team’s all rounder Shahid Afridi has begged excuse from the nation for his failing to perform in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Aussies cruise into semifinals
Mohali: Australia cruised to a six-wicket win over India in their final league match at Mohali on Sunday to enter the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Aussies cruise into semifinals
Mohali: Australia cruised to a six-wicket win over India in their final league match at Mohali on Sunday to enter the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Injured Agarkar out, India want Sreesanth as replacement
Medium pacer Ajit Agarkar was today ruled out of India's crucial Champions Trophy match against Australia after a fractured left thumb.

Injured Agarkar out, India want Sreesanth as replacement
Medium pacer Ajit Agarkar was today ruled out of India's crucial Champions Trophy match against Australia after a fractured left thumb.

Ntini 'bounces' Pakistan out of Champions Trophy
Makhaya Ntini registered his fourth five-wicket haul in ODI cricket as South Africa joined New Zealand and the West Indies in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy by beating Pakistan by 124 runs at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.

Ntini 'bounces' Pakistan out of Champions Trophy
Makhaya Ntini registered his fourth five-wicket haul in ODI cricket as South Africa joined New Zealand and the West Indies in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy by beating Pakistan by 124 runs at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.

SA team support UN fight against HIV/AIDS
INDIA: Members of the South African cricket team took time away from their busy training schedule as they prepare for next Tuesday’s must-win ICC Champions Trophy match against Sri Lanka to lend their support to some young fans who are living with HIV and AIDS.

SA team support UN fight against HIV/AIDS
INDIA: Members of the South African cricket team took time away from their busy training schedule as they prepare for next Tuesday’s must-win ICC Champions Trophy match against Sri Lanka to lend their support to some young fans who are living with HIV and AIDS.

Harmison aiming for redemption
LONDON: England fast bowler Steve Harmison is viewing Saturday’s (today’s) ICC Champions Trophy clash against Australia as an opportunity for redemption.

Harmison aiming for redemption
LONDON: England fast bowler Steve Harmison is viewing Saturday’s (today’s) ICC Champions Trophy clash against Australia as an opportunity for redemption.

Ponting, Flintoff downplay Ashes
JAIPUR: Australia captain Ricky Ponting and his England counterpart Andrew Flintoff do not believe their vital Champions Trophy match here on Saturday (today) is a prelude to next month’s Ashes.

Ponting, Flintoff downplay Ashes
JAIPUR: Australia captain Ricky Ponting and his England counterpart Andrew Flintoff do not believe their vital Champions Trophy match here on Saturday (today) is a prelude to next month’s Ashes.

Sri Lanka beat Kiwis to keep hopes alive
Mumbai: Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by seven wickets at Mumbai on Friday to keep their hopes alive of making to the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Sri Lanka beat Kiwis to keep hopes alive
Mumbai: Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by seven wickets at Mumbai on Friday to keep their hopes alive of making to the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy.

India set to pardon Azharuddin
MUMBAI: India’s cricket chiefs said on Thursday they would go ahead and resurrect former captain Mohammad Azharuddin from a life of shame despite objections from the sport’s world governing body.

Harmison under no pressure ahead of vital Australia clash
JAIPUR, India: England fast bowler Steve Harmison says he will feel no extra pressure when his team clash with Ashes rivals Australia in a crucial Champions Trophy match here on Saturday.

Harmison under no pressure ahead of vital Australia clash
JAIPUR, India: England fast bowler Steve Harmison says he will feel no extra pressure when his team clash with Ashes rivals Australia in a crucial Champions Trophy match here on Saturday.

ICC Champions Trophy springs to life as underdogs rule
MUMBAI: Australian captain Ricky Ponting on Thursday warned his world beaters to shed their lethargy after the ICC Champions Trophy exploded with three successive shock results.

ICC Champions Trophy springs to life as underdogs rule
MUMBAI: Australian captain Ricky Ponting on Thursday warned his world beaters to shed their lethargy after the ICC Champions Trophy exploded with three successive shock results.

SL geared for do-or-die battle against Kiwis
MUMBAI, India: Sri Lanka can’t wait to take the field in Friday’s (today’s) key Champions Trophy match against New Zealand, a game they must win to stay in the tournament.

SL geared for do-or-die battle against Kiwis
MUMBAI, India: Sri Lanka can’t wait to take the field in Friday’s (today’s) key Champions Trophy match against New Zealand, a game they must win to stay in the tournament.

Yasir Arafat, Abdur Rehman reach India
LAHORE: Yasir Arafat and Abdur Rehman reached India Thursday to join the Pakistan cricket team in India for ICC Champions trophy.

Yasir Arafat, Abdur Rehman reach India
LAHORE: Yasir Arafat and Abdur Rehman reached India Thursday to join the Pakistan cricket team in India for ICC Champions trophy.

Tribunal to decide pace duo’s doping case in two weeks
KARACHI: Pakistan on Wednesday named a three-member tribunal to investigate the doping scandal involving pace stars Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif.

Tribunal to decide pace duo’s doping case in two weeks
KARACHI: Pakistan on Wednesday named a three-member tribunal to investigate the doping scandal involving pace stars Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif.

Windies beat Australia by 10 runs
MUMBAI: In yet another upset result at the ICC Champions Trophy, pace bowler Jerome Taylor took a hat-trick towards the end of the innings and helped West Indies snatch a thrilling ten-run victory against Australia at the Brabourne Stadium here on Wednesday in a Group A fixture.

Windies beat Australia by 10 runs
MUMBAI: In yet another upset result at the ICC Champions Trophy, pace bowler Jerome Taylor took a hat-trick towards the end of the innings and helped West Indies snatch a thrilling ten-run victory against Australia at the Brabourne Stadium here on Wednesday in a Group A fixture.

ICC: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by four wickets
Jaipur: Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in their ICC Champions Trophy match at the Sawai Man Singh stadium in Jaipur on Tuesday.

Australia begin Champions Trophy quest against West here on Wednesday.
MUMBAI: Tournament favourites Australia will begin their quest for Champions Trophy honours against West Indies here on Wednesday.

Australia begin Champions Trophy quest against West here on Wednesday.
MUMBAI: Tournament favourites Australia will begin their quest for Champions Trophy honours against West Indies here on Wednesday.

Chappell backs Irfan
New Delhi: Unperturbed by the criticism of carrying out experiments, team India coach Greg Chappell has asserted that he would continue with his style of functioning.

Chappell backs Irfan
New Delhi: Unperturbed by the criticism of carrying out experiments, team India coach Greg Chappell has asserted that he would continue with his style of functioning.

Smith slams wicket as sub-standard
Mumbai: It almost looked like a question of sour grapes as South Africa captain Graeme Smith termed the wicket for yesterday's ICC Champions Trophy match against New Zealand as sub-standard and hit out at the schedule of the tournament.

Smith slams wicket as sub-standard
Mumbai: It almost looked like a question of sour grapes as South Africa captain Graeme Smith termed the wicket for yesterday's ICC Champions Trophy match against New Zealand as sub-standard and hit out at the schedule of the tournament.

Bad day for cricket: Strauss
LONDON: Andrew Strauss has been left dismayed by the latest blow to cricket’s reputation with Pakistan bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif having failed pre-tournament drug tests.

Bad day for cricket: Strauss
LONDON: Andrew Strauss has been left dismayed by the latest blow to cricket’s reputation with Pakistan bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif having failed pre-tournament drug tests.

Woolmer, Younis expresses disappointment over dope case
JAIPUR: Pakistan's team management on Monday put a brave face on a drug row involving Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, saying the team were geared up for the Champions Trophy battle against Sri Lanka.

Woolmer, Younis expresses disappointment over dope case
JAIPUR: Pakistan's team management on Monday put a brave face on a drug row involving Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, saying the team were geared up for the Champions Trophy battle against Sri Lanka.

Abdul Rehman, Arafat named as replacements for Shoaib and Asif
Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board Monday nominated Yasir Arafat and left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman as replacements for pacers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif.

Abdul Rehman, Arafat named as replacements for Shoaib and Asif
Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board Monday nominated Yasir Arafat and left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman as replacements for pacers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif.

Fleming leads New Zealand to convincing victory
MUMBAI: The trend of low scores and poor pitches continued at the ICC Champions Trophy, as New Zealand crushed South Africa by 87 runs in a Group B match at the Brabourne Stadium here on Monday.

West Indian paceman Collymore to miss Australia match
MUMBAI: West Indian fast bowler Corey Collymore will miss Wednesday's Champions Trophy Group A match against Australia.

Kiwis face stiff South Africans today
MUMBAI: New Zealand return to competitive cricket after a six month absence to take on formidable South Africa in their opening Champions Trophy match here today.

Kiwis face stiff South Africans today
MUMBAI: New Zealand return to competitive cricket after a six month absence to take on formidable South Africa in their opening Champions Trophy match here today.

Shoaib and Asif fail PCB dope test
Mumbai: Two Pakistan speedstars tested positive for doping. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif failed an internal PCB dope test. Both players, according to the PCB, have been asked to return to Pakistan.

Shoaib and Asif fail PCB dope test
Mumbai: Two Pakistan speedstars tested positive for doping. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif failed an internal PCB dope test. Both players, according to the PCB, have been asked to return to Pakistan.

India beat England in Champions Trophy opener
JAIPUR, India: Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan shared five wickets in their incisive opening spells to set up India’s four-wicket win over a fighting England in an ICC Champions Trophy match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Sunday.

India beat England in Champions Trophy opener
JAIPUR, India: Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan shared five wickets in their incisive opening spells to set up India’s four-wicket win over a fighting England in an ICC Champions Trophy match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Sunday.

Pakistan win warm-up with bowlers failing yet again
KARACHI: The Pakistanis failed to dismiss their opponents all out for the second time in three days, although they again won a warm-up fixture against the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) President’s XI at the Neerja Modi School Ground in Jaipur on Saturday.

Pakistan win warm-up with bowlers failing yet again
KARACHI: The Pakistanis failed to dismiss their opponents all out for the second time in three days, although they again won a warm-up fixture against the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) President’s XI at the Neerja Modi School Ground in Jaipur on Saturday.

India face England in ICC Trophy opener today
JAIPUR: England and India will play opening match of the limited-overs ICC Champions Trophy today.

India face England in ICC Trophy opener today
JAIPUR: England and India will play opening match of the limited-overs ICC Champions Trophy today.

Sri Lanka thrash Windies by nine wickets
MUMBAI: Paceman Farveez Maharoof’s maiden five-wicket haul paved the way for Sri Lanka’s nine-wicket victory over the defending champions West Indies to top the qualifying phase of the Champions Trophy .

Extra burden on SL ahead of Windies clash
MUMBAI, India: Sri Lanka are desperate to cut down on troublesome extras as they prepare to take on the West Indies in the final qualifying showdown of the Champions Trophy on today.

Nafees ton bolsters Bangladesh
Led by Shariar Nafees, who created history on Friday, Bangladesh finally registered a victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 and ensured that they would be traveling to Khwaja Moin ud-din Chisti’s tomb in Ajmer in buoyed spirits.

Gayle wants to carry on ‘good work’ in Champions Trophy main round
JAIPUR: West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle said he want to carry on his rich form of batting in main round of the Champions Trophy after his two impressive innings in the qualifying round.

Gibbs probe wont effect team’s morale, says Smith
MUMBAI: South African captain Graeme Smith said that probe of Herschelle Gibbs from Indian police would not effect the team’s morale.

Gibbs probe wont effect team’s morale, says Smith
MUMBAI: South African captain Graeme Smith said that probe of Herschelle Gibbs from Indian police would not effect the team’s morale.

ICC Champions Trophy: BD to confront Zimbabwe on Friday, 13
JAIPUR: Bangladesh will confront play Zimbabwe in Jaipur in a Champions Trophy qualifier but only pride is at stake because West Indies and Sri Lanka have taken the qualifying places for the main tournament.

Herschelle Gibbs appears before Delhi Police
New Delhi: South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs on Thursday appeared before the Delhi Police here for questioning in the match fixing scandal of 2000.

Herschelle Gibbs appears before Delhi Police
New Delhi: South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs on Thursday appeared before the Delhi Police here for questioning in the match fixing scandal of 2000.

Playing in India helped me: Anderson
New Delhi: James Anderson, the England fast bowler, believes his prior experience in India has helped him become a better bowler ahead of the Champions Trophy.

Playing in India helped me: Anderson
New Delhi: James Anderson, the England fast bowler, believes his prior experience in India has helped him become a better bowler ahead of the Champions Trophy.

Warne to work under Terry Jenner for pre-Ashes tuneup
SYDNEY: Shane Warne is lining up for a pre-Ashes refresher with his spin bowling mentor Terry Jenner ahead of the opening cricket Test against England in Brisbane on November 23.

Warne to work under Terry Jenner for pre-Ashes tuneup
SYDNEY: Shane Warne is lining up for a pre-Ashes refresher with his spin bowling mentor Terry Jenner ahead of the opening cricket Test against England in Brisbane on November 23.

West Indies qualify with crushing win
JAIPUR: The West Indies advanced to the main draw of the Champions Trophy when they thrashed Bangladesh by 10 wickets in a qualifying match here on Wednesday.

Mohammad Asif uses McGrath comparisons as motivation
NEW DELHI: Pakistan bowling prospect Mohammad Asif is perfectly happy to hear people comparing him to the great Australian paceman Glenn McGrath.

ICC Champions trophy: Bangladesh to face West Indies today
JAIPUR: West Indies skipper Brian Lara cautioned his players against complacency when they face Bangladesh in a Champions Trophy qualifier today (Wednesday) aiming to seal a second victory to reach the main rounds.

Sri Lanka defeat Zimbabwe by 144 runs
AHMEDABAD: Sri Lanka defeated Zimbabwe by 144 runs on Tuesday to virtually assure themselves of playing in the main rounds of the Champions Trophy with their second consecutive win.

Spinners under pressure, says Vettori
LONDON: New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori says slow bowlers are under pressure as never before in one-day cricket due to power-plays.

England can win ICC Champions Trophy: Harmison
LONDON: Fast bowler Steve Harmison insists England have what it takes to upset the form book and win this month’s International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy in India.

England can win ICC Champions Trophy: Harmison
LONDON: Fast bowler Steve Harmison insists England have what it takes to upset the form book and win this month’s International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy in India.

PCB reaffirms Inzamam as Captain in West Indies tour
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to appoint Inzamam-ul-Haq as Skipper for West Indies Tour starting from November 06.

PCB reaffirms Inzamam as Captain in West Indies tour
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to appoint Inzamam-ul-Haq as Skipper for West Indies Tour starting from November 06.

Pakistan determined to put best efforts in ICC: Younus
NEW DELHI: Pakistan were determined to put weeks of off-pitch drama and a damaging captaincy row behind them at the ICC Champions Trophy, stand-in captain Younis Khan said on Saturday.

Pakistan determined to put best efforts in ICC: Younus
NEW DELHI: Pakistan were determined to put weeks of off-pitch drama and a damaging captaincy row behind them at the ICC Champions Trophy, stand-in captain Younis Khan said on Saturday.

ICC Champions Trophy: Sri Lanka to confront Zimbabwe today
AHMEDABAD: Sri Lanka cricket coach Tom Moody will raise Zimbabwe to the same league as Australia and India when they clash in Tuesday’s International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy qualifier here.

Forget about Ashes for now says Flintoff
Although this coming Ashes is the most eagerly anticipated of series, the England captain Andrew Flintoff was yesterday trying to urge his team to concentrate on the here and now: the Champions Trophy in India.

Forget about Ashes for now says Flintoff
Although this coming Ashes is the most eagerly anticipated of series, the England captain Andrew Flintoff was yesterday trying to urge his team to concentrate on the here and now: the Champions Trophy in India.

Ashes not a distraction for us, says Ponting
New Delhi: Australian captain Ricky Ponting said his team was not worried about the Ashes series later this year and they were aiming to do their best in the Champions Trophy.

Ashes not a distraction for us, says Ponting
New Delhi: Australian captain Ricky Ponting said his team was not worried about the Ashes series later this year and they were aiming to do their best in the Champions Trophy.

Sehwag comfortable batting in middle order
New Delhi:Indian vice captain Virender Sehwag Sunday said that he was comfortable batting in the middle order as India goes into the ICC Champions Trophy.

Sehwag comfortable batting in middle order
New Delhi:Indian vice captain Virender Sehwag Sunday said that he was comfortable batting in the middle order as India goes into the ICC Champions Trophy.

Gayle force destroys Zimbabwe as WI triumph
AHMEDABAD, India: Chris Gayle grabbed three wickets in 13 balls and hammered 41 off 34 balls as the West Indies whipped Zimbabwe by nine wickets in a Champions Trophy qualifying match here on Sunday.

Fearless Flintoff confident England can win Champions Trophy
Andrew Flintoff arrived in India bristling with confidence that he can lead England to success in the Champions Trophy. "We don't fear anything," the England skipper told a press conference here on Saturday. "We go out to express ourselves.

Fearless Flintoff confident England can win Champions Trophy
Andrew Flintoff arrived in India bristling with confidence that he can lead England to success in the Champions Trophy. "We don't fear anything," the England skipper told a press conference here on Saturday. "We go out to express ourselves.

Sri Lanka brush Bangladesh aside
MOHALI, India: Led by a fluent century by Upul Tharanga, Sri Lanka started their Champions Trophy campaign in fine style beating Bangladesh by 37 runs in the first qualifying match here at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday.

Jayawardene warns his team against complacency
Mohali: Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene has asked his teammates to guard against complacency when they take on lowly Bangladesh in a qualifying match of the Champions Trophy, saying a slip-up could prove disastrous for his team.

South Africa skipper Smith fancies chances in Champions Trophy
New Delhi: South African captain Graeme Smith said that his team was one of the favourites to lift the Champions Trophy and that his players were raring to go.

South Africa skipper Smith fancies chances in Champions Trophy
New Delhi: South African captain Graeme Smith said that his team was one of the favourites to lift the Champions Trophy and that his players were raring to go.

Windies Keen To Build Momentum
The West Indies will have more than damaged pride to play for when they open the defence of their ICC Champions Trophy with an unwanted qualifying match against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Indian Police to Quiz Gibbs Over 2000 Tour Scam
NEW DELHI: South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs is likely to be questioned by Indian police over a 2000 match-fixing scandal during the Champion’s Trophy which starts tomorrow, officials said.

Indian Police to Quiz Gibbs Over 2000 Tour Scam
NEW DELHI: South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs is likely to be questioned by Indian police over a 2000 match-fixing scandal during the Champion’s Trophy which starts tomorrow, officials said.

Cullen replaces injured Clark for Australia
Off-spinner Daniel Cullen has been drafted in to replace the injured Stuart Clark in Australia's Champions Trophy side. Cullen learnt of his selection during a practice match between South Australia and Tasmania and was over the moon.

Cullen replaces injured Clark for Australia
Off-spinner Daniel Cullen has been drafted in to replace the injured Stuart Clark in Australia's Champions Trophy side. Cullen learnt of his selection during a practice match between South Australia and Tasmania and was over the moon.

Australia's Stuart Clark out of Champions Trophy
Australian pace bowler Stuart Clark will miss the ICC Champions Trophy in India after suffering a thigh injury playing club cricket last weekend.

Australia's Stuart Clark out of Champions Trophy
Australian pace bowler Stuart Clark will miss the ICC Champions Trophy in India after suffering a thigh injury playing club cricket last weekend.

Amat's golden goal wins bronze for Spain
Pol Amat's spectacular golden goal a minute into extra-time helped European champions Spain beat Korea 3-2 and win the bronze medal at the 11th FIH men's hockey World Cup on Sunday.

Germany beat Australia for second straight World Cup
Germany came from behind to win a second straight hockey World Cup on Sunday, defeating Olympic champions Australia 4-3 in a thrilling repeat of the 2002 final.

Aussies in World Cup final
MONCHENGLADBACH, Germany: Australia qualified for the final of the field hockey World Cup tournament, after defeating South Korea 4-2 in the first semifinal here on Friday.

England beat New Zealand 4-3
MONCHENGLADBACH, Germany: England won their 5-8 places men’s field hockey World Cup championship match with a 4-3 defeat of New Zealand here on Friday.

Pakistan stun the Dutch in rousing encounter
Skipper Muhammad Saqlain came up with a goal-line save seconds before close to help Pakistan clinch a 3-2 win against the Netherlands in a 5-8 positions classification match of the 11th FIH men's hockey World Cup on Friday.

Hockey WC: Australia to meet Korea in semi-final
Olympic champions Australia ran circles around Pakistan on way to a fluent 3-0 win in the concluding match of the league phase of the men's hockey World Cup here on Wednesday night.

We didn't fix a draw, claim semi-finalists Germany
Germany denied they had purposely played for a scoreless draw with South Korea on Wednesday, a result that put both teams through into the semi-finals of the men's field hockey World Championship at the expense of the Netherlands.

Australia 3 defeated Pakistan 0
The final match of the day and the preliminary round overall was the clash between Olympic champions Australia and Pakistan.

England beat South Africa 3-1, to contest for 5-8 slots
England overcame South Africa 3-1 in their concluding pool B league fixture of the men's hockey World Cup on Wednesday and qualified to play for 5-8 positions.

Hard-fought win earns semis berth for Spain
Spain joined Australia in the semifinals of the 11th FIH men's hockey World Cup with a hard-fought but unimpressive 4-2 win against Japan in their concluding pool A match on Wednesday.

Germany, Korea shut the door on the Dutch
World champions Germany and Korea played out a goalless draw and shut the doors on the Netherlands while advancing to the semi-finals of the 11th FIH men's hockey World Cup from pool B on Wednesday.

Australia thrash Kiwis, enter semifinals
Olympic champions Australia became the first team to enter the semifinals of the 11th FIH men's hockey World Cup as they romped to a 7-1 win against traditional rivals New Zealand on Tuesday.

Hockey World Cup: Holland beat India 6-1
India suffered ignominy once again as they lost 1-6 to the Netherlands in their last pool B match of the men's hockey World Cup here on Tuesday.

Minnows Japan shock Argentina 4-3
Japan, the lowest ranked team in the ongoing 11th hockey World Cup, snatched a 4-3 win against Argentina for their first win in pool A on Tuesday.

Germany rout South Africa 5-0
Defending champions Germany moved closer to booking a berth in the semifinals as they routed South Africa 5-0 in a pool B match of the 11th FIH men's hockey World Cup on Tuesday.

Spain beats New Zealand 3-1
Three different players scored on Monday to lift Spain past New Zealand 3-1 at the men's field hockey World Cup.

Hockey WC: Korea beat India 2-1
India's agonising sequence of conceding late goals continued to haunt the team as they suffered a stunning 1-2 defeat against Korea in a pool B encounter of the men's hockey World Cup on Monday.

Netherlands keep semi-final hopes alive with 4-3 win
Two brilliant penalty corner conversions by Taeke Taekema on either side of his yellow card suspension lifted the Netherlands to a 4-3 win against England and kept their hopes alive of a semi-final berth in the men's hockey World Cup at Monchengladbach.

Pakistan out of world cup by Argentina
MONCHENGLADBACH: Argentina held Pakistan with a 1-0 in the men's hockey World Cup on Monday after which the green shirts are out of world cup.

Germany hold the Netherlands 2-2
The Netherlands and defending champions Germany played out a rousing 2-2 draw in a crucial pool B match of the 11th FIH men's hockey World Cup Monchengladbach.

South Africa held India by 1-1
Monchengladbach : Bruised and battered with two defeats on the trot, India`s misery in the Hockey World Cup was compounded on Saturday after being held to a 1-1 draw by underdogs South Africa in a Pool B encounter .

New Zealand beat Japan in World Cup hockey
Monchengladbac: A goal by Simon Child in 43rd minute powered New Zealand to a 1-0 victory against Japan and placed them at the top of pool a with seven points in the 11th FIH Men's Hockey World Cup here tonight.

Australia 4-0 win over Argentina in World Cup hockey
Olympic champions Australia turned on the heat and romped to a 4-0 win against Argentina for their first win in two pool A matches of the 11th FIH men's hockey World Cup at Monchengladbach.

Argentina holds fancied Spain to 1-1 draw
Displaying great grit and determination Argentina frustrated highly fancied Spain as they held them to a 1-1 draw to throw the group 'A' wide open in the hockey World Cup at Monchengladbach.

Korea overpower England 1-0 for their second win
Playing fast and attacking game Asian Games gold medallist South Korea piped England 1-0 by a late goal for their second straight win in the Hockey World Cup at Monchengladbach and served notice that they are also in the hunt for the title.

New Zealand settle for 4-4 World Cup draw against Pakistan
MONCHENGLADBACH, Germany: New Zealand conceded the lead three times before having to settle for a 4-4 draw against Pakistan in an entertaining Pool A clash, in the men’s World Cup hockey tournament here near Dusseldorf on Friday.

Pakistan trounce Japan 4-0
Monchengladbach (Germany) : Playing at half-pace, four-time champions Pakistan warmed up with a 4-0 win against Japan in their opening pool A match of the 11th FIH men's hockey World Cup.

Spain beats Australia in hockey
Spain beat Olympic champion Australia 3-1 at the men's hockey World Cup. Spain displayed an imaginative attack with goals from Eduard Tabau in the 8th minute, Pol Amat in the 11th and Xavier Ribe in the 41st.

England beat India 3-2 in World Cup hockey
Monchengladbach (Germany), England defeated India 3-2 in a Pool B match of the men's hockey World Cup here Thursday.

Korea stun favourites Holland 3-2
Asian Games Champions South Korea stunned hot favourites Holland 3-2 in their first match here at the 11th World Cup being played at Monchengladbach.

New Zealand outplays Argentina 3-0 in their opening match
Playing an all out attacking game, New Zealand overpowered Argentina 3-0 in their opening pool 'A' match of the Hockey World Cup at Monchengladbach.

Germany beat India 3-2 in World Cup hockey
Third ranked Germany edged past sixth ranked India 3-2 in a fluctuating opening Pool B match of the World Cup in Germany on Wednesday.

Italy wins fourth FIFA World Cup title
BERLIN: Italy won the World Cup in a penalty shootout, beating France 5-3 Sunday after a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes.

France beat Portugal to reach World Cup final
MUNICH: France beat Portugal 1-0 with a Zinedine Zidane penalty on Wednesday to advance into the World Cup final where they will meet Italy on Sunday.

Italy shatter Germany 2-0 in semi-final
DORTMUND: Italy scored two sensational late goals in extra-time to book their place in the World Cup final for the first time in 12 years with their 2-0 win crushing the dreams of host nation Germany here on Tuesday.

Italy set up a semi-final meeting against Germany
Italy set up a semi-final meeting against Germany by cruising to a 3-0 win against Ukraine in Hamburg.

Germany beat Argentina on penalties to reach semifinals
Germany are through to the World Cup semi-finals are beating Argentina 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra-time in Berlin.

France defeat Spain 3-1, reach into quarters
An inspired France marshalled by Zinedine Zidane swept to a 3-1 win over Spain here on Tuesday to set up a dream World Cup quarter-final date with Brazil.

Cup record for Ronaldo as Brazil blank Ghana 3-0
A moment of Ronaldo class and a controversial Adriano goal helped give Brazil a 3-0 win over Ghana here on Tuesday but their path to the World Cup quarter-finals was far from smooth.

Spain look to avenge earlier losses
Kamen: A quick glance at the history books suggests the World Cup second round showdown between France and Spain is balanced on a knife edge.

Figo free to face England
BERLIN : Portugal captain Luis Figo is free to face England in the World Cup quarter-finals after FIFA said he was highly unlikely to face any action for head-butting Dutch player Mark van Bommel.

Ronaldo's quarter final hope
Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to play in Saturday's quarter-final clash against England despite limping out of the 1-0 win against Holland.

Ukraine beat Switzerland 3-0
Man of the match Oleg Gusiev slotted home the decisive penalty here on Monday to book debutants Ukraine a place in the World Cup quarter-finals as they beat Switzerland 3-0 in a penalty shootout after a dull match had finished 0-0 after extra-time.

Totti penalty rescues Italy from Socceroos
Francesco Totti scored a penalty in the last minute of stoppage time to give 10-man Italy a 1-0 win over Australia in the World Cup second round on Monday.

Portugal fear double trouble
Portugal face an anxious wait to see if they will have Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo available to face England in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday.

Brilliant Rodriguez fires Argentina into last eight
A brilliant goal from Argentina’s Maxi Rodriguez gave his country a 2-1 extra-time win over Mexico in the World Cup second round here on Saturday.

ENGLAND 1-0 ECUADOR
England advanced to the last eight of the 2006 FIFA World Cupâ„¢ as a second-half free-kick from captain David Beckham proved enough to secure a 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Sunday, 25 June 2006.

Germany Beat Sweden 2-0 In Final 16 Match
Munich, Germany :It was a beautiful day in Munich on Saturday, as World Cup hosts Germany impressively beat Sweden 2-0 with two goals scored by German golden boy Lukas Podolski in the first 12 minutes.

PORTUGAL 1-0 NETHERLANDS
Portugal progressed to a quarter-final against England after eliminating the Netherlands through a first-half goal from Maniche in Nuremberg on Sunday, 25 June 2006.

Spain made it through to the last 16 of the World Cup as Group H
Spain made it through to the last 16 of the World Cup as Group H winners after a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Kaiserslautern.

Switzerland go throw in to super 16
Switzerland topped Group G and cruised into the last 16 after Phillipe Senderos handed them a 1-0 win over South Korea in Hanover on Friday.

Sheva sends Ukraine through
Ukraine booked their place in the last 16 of the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over ten-man Tunisia in a lacklustre encounter in Berlin.

Soccer: Vieira-inspired France seal last 16 berth
COLOGNE - Man of the match Patrick Vieira helped lift France into the last 16 with a 2-0 win over Togo in their concluding World Cup Group G fixture here on Friday.

Australia 2-2 Croatia at World Cup
Australia qualified for the last 16 knockout stages of the World Cup on Thursday after drawing 2-2 with Croatia in their final Group F match in Stuttgart.

Brazil 4-1 Japan
Brazil wrapped up their World Cup Group F campaign with a 4-1 win over Japan here on Thursday as an energised Ronaldo emerged from his shell to score the two goals that made him joint all-time World Cup top scorer with Germany's Gerd Muller.

Debutants Ghana beat US 2-1 to earn last 16 place
Ghana won a place in the last 16 of the World Cup with a 2-1 victory over the United States in a Group E decider on Thursday they largely controlled.

Italy clinch last 16 spot with 2-0 win over Czechs
Italy clinched top spot in World Cup Group E on Thursday, eliminating the 10-man Czech Republic with a 2-0 victory.

First things first for Ghana
Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic's main task ahead of the final World Cup Group E clash with the United States in Nuremburg tomorrow morning has been to banish dreams of a possible second-round clash with Brazil.

Injured Owen devastated by World Cup heartbreak
Germany: England striker Michael Owen has been ruled out for the rest of the World Cup finals with a knee injury, the Football Association said yesterday.

Ivory Coast 3-2 Serbia & Montenegro
Ivory Coast came from two goals behind to beat 10-man Serbia & Montenegro. Serbia were 2-0 up after 20 minutes, Nikola Zigic rounding Boubacar Barry for the first and Sasa Ilic punishing Cyril Domoraud's poor control.

Holland 0-0 Argentina
World Cup heavyweights Argentina and Holland played out a goalless draw in a keenly fought contest in Frankfurt. Argentina came closest to scoring when Dutch defender Khalid Boulahrouz deflected a Juan Roman Riquelme free-kick on to the post.

Angola eliminated from WC after 1-1 draw with Iran
Angola failed in their bid to reach the knockout phase of the World Cup finals on Wednesday, drawing 1-1 with already eliminated Iran.

WC record for Scolari after Portugal win 2-1 against Mexico
Portugal sealed top spot in World Cup Group D on Wednesday by beating Mexico 2-1, while the Mexicans also reached the last 16 despite their defeat.

PARAGUAY 2-0 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Paraguay’s disappointing FIFA World Cup™ campaign finished on a high note as they beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in Kaiserslautern's Fritz-Walter-Stadion on Tuesday, 20 June 2006.

SWEDEN 2-2 ENGLAND
England and Sweden drew 2-2 in Cologne on Tuesday, 20 June 2006 - a result that sends both teams through to the Round of 16 from Group B.

Croatia see Viduka as chief threat
Croatia have picked out Australian striker Mark Viduka as the main threat to their World Cup hopes and will man-mark him during their group F decider on Friday morning .

Fabien Barthez insists France can win their second World Cup
Fabien Barthez insists France can win their second World Cup despite their current woeful form.

Police Prepare For World Cup Clashes
Cologne, Germany : Both German and British police have sent out alerts against the possibility of clashes since Germany and England are going into key games. Nearly 50,000 English fans are expected in Cologne for England's next match against Sweden.

Harry Kewell has been cleared
Harry Kewell has been cleared to play in Australia's final group match after FIFA dropped a charge that he had insulted referee Markus Merk following the 2-0 defeat by Brazil

Germany thump in three to storm past Ecuador
Germany clinched top spot in Group A by coasting to a 3-0 victory against a below strength Ecuador in Berlin.

Poland a 2-1 victory over Costa Rica in their final Group A game
Two goals by centre-back Bartosz Bosacki gave Poland a 2-1 victory over Costa Rica in their final Group A game in Hanover this morning, sending Polish fans home with some consolation for an early World Cup exit.

Spain has defeated Tunisia (3-1), despite an early goal
Berlin, Germany : Spain has defeated Tunisia (3-1), despite an early goal which put La Nactional on the defensive.

Ukraine curshes Saudi Arabia by 4-0
Ukraine revived their hopes of advancing to the World Cup's second round with a crushing 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in World Cup Group H in Hamburg this morning.

Switzerland beat Togo in there 2nd leg match
Berlin, Germany (AHN) - Togo's World Cup mission was brought to an end on Monday after it lost its second game against Switzerland. Two Swiss goals from Alexander Frei and Tranquillo Barnetta raised Switzerland's hope for a second round ticket.

De Rossi says sorry to bloodied McBride
Italy's Daniele de Rossi has apologised to US striker Brian McBride for the elbow to the face that saw him red-carded in their Group E World Cup clash on Sunday morning.

ROONEY PREPARING FOR SWEDEN CLASH
Wayne Rooney will start England's final World Cup Group B game against Sweden on Wednesday morning (AEST), coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said overnight.

Togo World Cup squad announced that they had settled their pay dispute with the national football association
On Sunday the Togo World Cup squad announced that they had settled their pay dispute with the national football association. Earlier in the day the players had refused to leave their base in Wangen, threatening not to play Monday's match against Switzerland until the row was settled.

Dick Advocaat was pleased to come away from Sunday's Group G clash
South Korea coach Dick Advocaat was pleased to come away from Sunday's Group G clash against France with a point after being outplayed for most of the match.

France were held to a 1-1 draw against Korea
France were held to a 1-1 draw by a dogged South Korea side in Leipzig this morning to leave World Cup Group G wide open after the former champions missed a series of late chances.

The five-times world champions Brazil moved into the last 16 of the World cup finals
Brazil moved into the last 16 of the World Cup finals with an unimpressive 2-0 victory against a hard-working Australia side in Munich.

Japan And Croatia Draw 0-0
Nuremberg, Germany : With both countries having been desperate to win a game after being defeated in their opening matches, Japan and Croatia closed the match with a 0-0 draw in Nuremberg.

Angola held Mexico in a 0-0 draw in Hanover
Angola held Mexico in a 0-0 draw in Hanover this morning, leaving both teams still with a chance of qualifying for the World Cup second round from Group D.

The Netherlands booked a place in the last 16 of the World Cup
The Netherlands booked a place in the last 16 of the World Cup with a thrilling 2-1 win over a spirited Cote d'Ivoire in Stuttgart this morning.

Argentina beat Serbia by 6-0
Argentina beat Serbia and Montenegero in their 2nd match and go throw in super 16.

Argentina bullish but Messi stuck on sidelines
Lionel Messi has survived an injury scare but the 18-year-old may have to wait a little longer to break the record, held since 1934, of being Argentina's youngest player ever to feature in a World Cup.

SCHOOL KIDS SENT HOME FOR TURNING UP IN ENGLAND KITS
SIX primary school children were sent home yesterday for turning up for lessons in England football kits.

SICK AND DIZZY RONALDO IN HOSPITAL
TROUBLED striker Ronaldo trained with Brazil yesterday, despite being taken to hospital for checks on Wednesday night after feeling dizzy and sick.

Sweden beat Paraguay by 1-0
Sweden midfielder Freddie Ljungberg grabbed a priceless late goal to secure a 1-0 Group B win and eliminate Paraguay at the World Cup this morning.

England beat Triniddad and Tabago by 2-0 and reach in super 16
Nuremberg, Germany :Two late goals by England's Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard took the English side to victory over Trinidad and Tobago.

Ecuador Through To Final 16
ECUADOR coach Luis Suarez hailed his side's qualification to the second phase of the World Cup as a "historic day".

Germany Stuns Poland In Injury Time 1-0
Hosts Germany are all but assured of progressing to the second round of the World Cup finals after a last-gasp 1-0 win over Poland in Dortmund this morning.

Saudi Arabia tie their opening match agianst Tunsia by 2-2
Munich, Germany : There was plenty of drama on the field today as Saudi Arabia managed to tie Tunisia in their opening match of the World Cup.

Spain kicked off World Cup Group H with a 4-0 victory over 10-man Ukraine
David Villa was the two-goal hero as sensational Spain kicked off World Cup Group H with a 4-0 victory over 10-man Ukraine in Leipzig on Wednesday. After a long history of underachievement in major tournaments, Luis Aragones' side gave broad hints of a possible summer of glory with their opener.

Paraguayan defender Delio Toledo has not recovered from a left leg injury
Oberhaching, Germany :Paraguayan defender Delio Toledo has not recovered from a left leg injury suffered in the loss to England.

Gianluca Zambrotta likely to return against the USA on Saturday.
Gianluca Zambrotta has resumed full training and is likely to return to the Italy team against the USA on Saturday.

Ballack Looking Forward To Return Ahead Of Germany's Clash Against Poland
Dortmund, Germany : Germany's Michael Ballack, who was benched during their first game against Costa Rica last Friday due to a calf strain, says he is 100 percent fit and ready to take on the Poles Wednesday.

RONALDO TO GET SECOND CHANCE
Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira insists he will keep faith with Ronaldo and his side's attacking style against Australia on Sunday.

Spain unchanged as doubts linger over Shevchenko
World Cup Group H favourites Spain look set to stick with their blueprint for the anticipated starting line-up against debutants Ukraine after completing a final training session before the two teams meet tonight .

Mohammed Al-Deayea out of his starting line-up for Saudi Arabia's World Cup opener
Coach Marcos Paqueta has decided to leave veteran goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Deayea out of his starting line-up for Saudi Arabia's World Cup opener against Tunisia on Wednesday.

Swedish Players Regret Bust-Up After Trinidad And Tobago Match
Frankfurt:A spokesperson for the Swedish team has confirmed that there indeed was a bust-up between their players both on the pitch and it the locker rooms and that now the players regret their heated debates.

Rooney return may be delayed
Trinidad and Tobago's physical style could convince England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson to delay Wayne Rooney's comeback.

Fear of losing dominates Arabic derby build-up
Fear of defeat and an early World Cup exit has dominated the mood of both Tunisia and Saudi Arabia ahead of Thursday morning's match in Group H.

KOREA REPUBLIC 2-1 TOGO
South Korea took their time to get going before finally overcoming the resistance of 10-man Togo. The one moment of real quality in the first half came when Togo's Mohamed Kader controlled the ball on his thigh and lashed home a fine shot.

France 0-0 Switzerland
There was once again no separating France and Switzerland as they played out a goalless draw in their opening 2006 FIFA World Cupâ„¢ match in Stuttgart on Tuesday, 13 June 2006.

Brazil 1-0 Croatia
Brazil beat Croatia to become the first team to win eight successive matches in the World Cup finals.Croatia's tactics frustrated Brazil for much of the match, but just before the interval Kaka's wonderful curling left-footed shot beat Stipe Pletikosa.

Czech Republic win by 3-0 against United States
Two goals for Tomas Rosicky and a Jan Koller header gave the Czech Republic a 3-0 victory over the United States this morning - but Koller later suffered an injury that threatens to end his World Cup early.

Italy Defeat Ghana 2-0
Andrea Pirlo and Vincenzo Iaquinta both found the net as Italy began their Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over Ghana. Milan midfielder Pirlo bent a fierce low shot into the bottom corner six minutes before the interval, before sub Iaquinta sealed the win with a late strike.

Australia Beats Japan 3-1 At Opener Game
Kaiserlautern : Australia's substitute Tim Cahill registered two late goals, giving his country an impressive victory during its World Cup opener against Japan on Monday afternoon.

Tunisia striker Francileudo Santos is making good progress in his recovery from a shin injury
Tunisia striker Francileudo Santos is making good progress in his recovery from a shin injury, but will not be ready to face Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

GOAL DROUGHT GETTING TO VIDUKA
Australian skipper Mark Viduka admits he is concerned by his lack of goals in recent internationals as he prepares for the Socceroos' World Cup opener against Japan in Kaiserslautern.

Italy is willing to sacrifice flair for three precious points from its opening World Cup match
Italy is willing to sacrifice flair for three precious points from its opening World Cup match against four-time African champions Ghana tomorrow morning .

Theo Walcott suffered a calf injury.
England's teenage striker Theo Walcott has suffered a calf injury in training but is expected to be fit enough to be available for selection on Thursday when Sven-Goran Eriksson's side face Trinidad & Tobago in Nuremberg.

Christoph Metzelder hopes the euphoric home support
Germany defender Christoph Metzelder hopes the euphoric home support will help his side overcome an obvious "lack of quality".

Zico wary of Kewell threat
Japan coach Zico has warned his players to be aware of the threat posed by Harry Kewell in Monday's World Cup clash against Australia.

Omission puzzles Trez
Juventus striker David Trezeguet has admitted he is puzzled by his inability to hold down a regular place in France's starting line-up.

Socceroos, Japan set for must-win opener
Rival teams Australia and Japan square off in their Group F opener tonight (AEST) with defeat threatening to kill off their World Cup dreams at the first hurdle.

Totti gets green light to face Ghana
Italy coach Marcello Lippi has confirmed that playmaker Francesco Totti will play in Monday's World Cup opener against Ghana.

Sanchez backs England for final
Mexico legend Hugo Sanchez believes England are good enough to reach the World Cup final in Germany.

Rooney may play against Trinidad
Striker Wayne Rooney may make a shock World Cup debut for England against Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday.

Portugal beat Angola
Portugal held off spirited debutants Angola to open their World Cup campaign with a 1-0 win here Sunday to place them atop Group D with Mexico.

Robben strike sinks Serbia
A first-half Arjen Robben strike was enough for the Netherlands to beat Serbia & Montenegro 1-0 in their Group C match in Leipzig on Sunday.The Chelsea winger ran onto a deft flick from Ruud van Nistelrooy to outsprint Goran Gavranjic and slot the ball home past Dragoslav Jevric.

Maxico beat Iran by 3-1
Maxico beat iran by 3-1 in there world cup opening match at Neuramburgh.

SWEDEN 0-0 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
An amazing match in Dortmund saw FIFA World Cupâ„¢ debutants Trinidad and Tobago hold Sweden to a goalless draw.

England wins against Paraguay by 1-0
England got their FIFA World Cupâ„¢ campaign off to a winning start in Frankfurt with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Paraguay on Saturday, 11 June 2006.

Veterans Larsson and Yorke in twilight duel
Sweden and Trinidad & Tobago kick off their World Cup campaigns on Sunday morning (AEST) with both teams pinning their hopes on two 34-year-olds looking to shine once more in the twilight of their careers.

Togo boss Otto Pfister has quit his job
Togo boss Otto Pfister has quit his job with World Cup debutants Togo due to an unresolved dispute over bonus payments among the squad. "Otto Pfister left the hotel with his co-trainer Piet Hamberg at 22:00 (local time)," team doctor Joachim Schubert said early on Saturday.

Pressure builds on Argentina ahead of Cote clash
Argentina, dogged by the national shame of the early first round exit they made four years ago, are feeling the pressure ahead of their first 2006 World Cup match against Ivory Coast in Hamburg tomorrow morning (AEST).

Dudek lashes out at Poland
Poland reject Jerzy Dudek has lashed out after seeing his team-mates crash to a shock 2-0 defeat against Ecuador in their opening World Cup match this morning.

Ballack plays down Klinsmann rift
Germany skipper Michael Ballack has played down speculation about a potential rift between him and Jurgen Klinsmann.

Japan's Yanagisawa fit for Socceroos clash
Japan striker Atsushi Yanagisawa has declared he will be fit to start in Monday night's World Cup Group F opener against Australia.

Ecuador eyeing early progress
Ecuador goalscorer Carlos Tenorio is adamant they can go far in their second World Cup campaign.

POLAND 0-2 ECUADOR
Luis Suarez’s Ecuador side began their 2006 FIFA World Cup™ campaign with a convincing 2-0 win over Poland in Gelsenkirchen

GERMANY 4-2 COSTA RICA
Hosts Germany opened the 2006 FIFA World Cupâ„¢ finals with a 4-2 win over Group A rivals Costa Rica in Munich on Friday, 9 June 2006.

Ballack fit to play - report
Michael Ballack has stunned German football fans by declaring he is fit to play against Costa Rica in Friday's World Cup opener.

Gerrard half a chance for England opener
Injured England midfielder Steven Gerrard has emerged as a fitness concern for Saturday's World Cup opener against Paraguay, describing himself as only "50-50" for the match.

Boniek: Zurawski Is Poland's Inspiration
Warsaw: Former Polish great soccer star Zbigniew Boniek has revealed he believes Celtic player Maciej Zurawski is the winning ingredient that Poland needs in order for the soccer world to stand up and take notice of the Eastern European country's talent.

Paraguay confident of beating England
The Paraguay squad claim they have the resources to defeat England in Saturday's Group B opener.

Ronaldo laid low by World Cup fever
Brazilian superstar Ronaldo has given the world champions another scare after missing Thursday's training session with a fever.

Ecuador In An Upbeat Mood Ahead Of Poland Game
Frankfurt : With their first World Cup game less than 24 hours away until kick-off, reports from the Ecuador camp in Germany say the team feel upbeat and optimistic about their clash with Poland on Friday.

Germany Has High Expectations For Opening Match Against Costa Rica
Munich : Germany with high expectations opens the World Cup with plenty of pressure without its captain.

Crouch ready to lift England
England will place their World Cup faith in a two-metre tall 'dancing robot' called Peter Crouch when they take on Paraguay on Saturday.

Jemaa out of Tunisia's World Cup
Tunisia striker Issam Jemaa withdrew from the World Cup on Wednesday after injuring

Gennaro Gattuso is set to miss Italy's first two games
Gennaro Gattuso is set to miss Italy's first two games of the World Cup after suffering a thigh injury. The combative Milan midfielder is expected to sit out the Group E games against Ghana and the USA after tests on Wednesday revealed a strain in his left thigh which will sideline him for 15 days.

Toure trumpets Ivory Coast cause
Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure believes the first-time qualifiers can make a massive impact in Germany. The Arsenal centre-half played a key role in his country's run to the Nations Cup final in February, and says the 'Elephants' can now also be successful on football's biggest stage.

Poland's Bak And Krzynowek Ready For The Pitch
Wolfsburg, Germany (AHN) - Poland receives yet another boost of confidence for their team ahead of the World Cup as star players Jacek Bak and Jacek Krzynowek recover from injury and illness in time to join their team on the pitch for Poland's game opener against Ecuador.

Japan will match Australia blow for blow, warns Miyamoto
Captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto says Japan's ''Blue Samurai'' are ready to deal with the rough stuff as they prepare for what could be a bruising encounter in their opening World Cup Group F match against Australia on Monday.

Paraguay counting on backing of German fans
PARAGUAY hope to use the long-standing England-Germany rivalry to their advantage when they face Sven-Goran Eriksson's side in their first World Cup Group B match on Saturday. "We have the advantage because the fans will be rooting more for us than for the English," striker Nelson Valdes said yesterday.

Problems Growing In Holland Camp Ahead Of World Cup
Frankfurt : After three Holland players having sustained injuries in a rather aggressive game against Australia that was to be a friendly match, midfielders Nigel de Jong and Stijn Schaars have been put on standby.

Spain fight back to beat Croatia
Australia's World Cup Group F opponents Croatia suffered a blow this morning when they slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Spain in Geneva.

French Striker Out With Broken Leg
Paris: A friendly match between France and China has cost Paris dearly, with a striker suffering a broken leg.

Rooney to play at World Cup after independent verdict overrules club
WAYNE Rooney will start full training with the England squad in Germany today after he was judged fit for World Cup action by an independent medical specialist last night.

Ballack doubts linger after failed training session
Germany captain Michael Ballack appears to be losing his race to be fit for Saturday morning's World Cup opener against Costa Rica after he failed to complete a training session overnight.

Ghana Wins 3-1 Over South Korea
Edinburgh, Scotland : Ghana won 3-1 over South Korea over the weekend in a pre-Cup friendly match.

Poland's Zurawski Says His Teammates Are Ready For Action
Wolfsburg, Germany : Despite having lost to Columbia in an embarrassing show of lackluster performance and only edging Croatia buy one goal in a friendly over the weekend, Poland's star forward Maciej Zurawski believes his team is ready for World Cup action.

Sweden Coach Lagerback Confident His Team Will Prevail Against England
Dortmund, Germany : Swedish coach Lars Lagerback says that he is confident that his team can prove their strength against England in the first round of the World Cup games.

Guimaraes warns dismissive Germans
Costa Rica coach Alexandre Guimaraes has scoffed at German media reports rubbishing the Central American side's chances of causing a FIFA World Cupâ„¢ upset against the hosts in Friday's tournament opener.

captain Michael Ballack missed another training session because of his calf injury
GERMANY captain Michael Ballack missed another training session because of his calf injury yesterday, heightening concerns that he may not be fit for the World Cup opener against Costa Rica on Friday.

Ukraine Wins 4-0 Over Costa Rica In Friendly
Kiev, Ukraine : With only a few days to go before kick-off begins for the World Cup in Germany, Ukraine won 4-0 over Costa Rica in a friendly match in Kiev over the weekend.

Ronaldo recovers from foot complaint
Striker Ronaldo trained with Brazil overnight after recovering from the foot blisters which forced him off at half-time in Monday morning's (AEST) World Cup warm-up against New Zealand.

Socceroos eyeing off Japan clash
The Socceroos play their final World Cup warm-up match against Liechtenstein tomorrow morning (AEST), but the players admit to already having one eye on next week's tournament opener against Japan.

Ronaldinho doesn't frighten me, says Hargreaves
How England's right back against Belarus has suddenly become the 'right man for Ronaldinho' is something Sven-Goran Eriksson might have to explain if his side reach the World Cup semi-finals.

Veteran Latapy faces battle for Trinidad place
Russell Latapy will have to fight for the chance to weave his magic at the FIFA World Cupâ„¢, the veteran Trinidad and Tobago striker said on Tuesday.

Rosický Set For Training Return
According to the medical staff, Czech Republic playmaker Tomáš Rosický is ready to get back to World Cup training.

Togo completed their preparations for the World Cup with a 4-0 victory over local German side
Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor scored as Togo completed their preparations for the World Cup with a 4-0 victory over local German side Wangen.

Rooney back in training
It was lift-off for Wayne Rooney yesterday after he emerged unscathed from his most intensive training session since breaking his foot.

Claudio Reyna has been declared fit for his country's opening World Cup group game
USA captain Claudio Reyna has been declared fit for his country's opening World Cup group game against the Czech Republic on Monday.

Soccer: The man who could sprinkle magic dust for Brazil
"There's a young guy who plays for Sao Paulo called Kaka who plays just behind the front two. You don't know anything about him in Europe, but watch him if he is chosen for the World Cup."

Brazil favourites for Mexicans
Mexican fans may have high expectations for their own team at the World Cup in Germany, but they still don't believe they will beat Brazil.

Shevchenko eyes Thursday return
Although ruled out of Ukraine's 3-0 win against Libya today, strikers Andriy Shevchenko and Serhiy Rebrov are expected to return to the reckoning for Thursday's game against Luxembourg.

France enters World Cup with goalkeeper controversy
PARIS : France enters the World Cup with a goalkeeper controversy.

Koller confirms Monaco move
Czech international striker Jan Koller has confirmed that he has agreed to join AS Monaco FC on a two-year contract.

Comeback hopes as England's Rooney takes a flyer in training
British newspapers are dominated by photographs of England striker Wayne Rooney curling a right-foot scissor kick on his first day back in full training since breaking a bone in his foot.

United States beat Angola 1-0
HAMBURG: Brian McBride scored as the United States beat Angola 1-0 Monday night in a closed-door practice game played without fans or media.

Boruc looks likely to start Poland's World Cup opener against Ecuador
Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc looks likely to start Poland's World Cup opener against Ecuador on Friday. "Boruc has the best chance," goalkeeping coach Jacek Kazimierski told reporters at training camp on Monday.

Mexico shift focus to opener with Iran
Mexico are seeking a change of fortune at the World Cup and after some poor results in warm-up matches cannot wait for their opener with Iran.

Iran's key midfielder on injury list
Iran's key midfielder Mehdi Mahdavikia will be fit for the team's opening match against Mexico despite a thigh injury, coach Branko Ivankovic said on Sunday. Mahdavikia, who plays for Hannover 96, was hurt in last week's warmup match against Croatia, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Poland a 1-0 home win over fellow World Cup hopefuls Croatia
A second half header from Ebi Smolarek gave Poland a 1-0 home win over fellow World Cup hopefuls Croatia on Saturday. He nodded home from a corner after 53 minutes, although Croatia went close when Dario Srna sent a first-half free-kick against the crossbar.

Japan 1-0 win over Malta in their final World Cup warm-up
Keiji Tamada scored his first international goal for 18 months to lead Japan to a narrow 1-0 win over Malta in their final World Cup warm-up on Sunday.

Brazil issue warning with four-goal display
Brazil forwards Ronaldo and Adriano shrugged off their disappointing club form by scoring to set the world champions on their way to a 4-0 win over New Zealand in their final World Cup warm-up match on Sunday.

Ghana win by 3-1 in World Cup warm-up match against South Korea
Goals from Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien steered Ghana to a 3-1 World Cup warm-up victory over fellow finalists South Korea on Sunday.

Australia a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the Netherlands
A Tim Cahill strike earned Australia a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in a pre-World Cup friendly on Sunday. The midfielder pounced after a Mark Viduka penalty had come off the bar and back off Edwin van der Sar, cancelling out a first-half Ruud van Nistelrooy strike.

Sionko gets Czech call to replace Smicer
Rangers midfielder Libor Sionko has been called up to the Czech Republic's World Cup squad to replace the injured Vladimir Smicer.

Sven: Rooney could train on Monday
Sven-Goran Eriksson sees no reason why Wayne Rooney cannot train with his England team-mates on Monday after stepping up his recovery programme on Friday.

Pernia eager to seize chance
MADRID: Mariano Pernia has dedicated his call up to Spain's World Cup squad to his father Vicente who missed out on a place in Argentina's squad for the finals in 1978.

Neville ruled out of Jamaica friendly
Gary Neville has been ruled out of England's final World Cup warm-up game against Jamaica with a hamstring injury - but coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is confident the Manchester United player will be fit for the World Cup.

Spain coach Luis Aragones has called up Getafe left back Mariano Pernia
Spain coach Luis Aragones has called up Getafe left back Mariano Pernia to replace the injured Asier del Horno, the Spanish Football Federation said on Thursday.

Japan calls for reality check
Japan's veteran goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi has warned his team against complacency at the World Cup following their solid 2-2 friendly draw against Germany.

Gary Neville missed training on Thursday
England defender Gary Neville missed training on Thursday as he nursed his hamstring injury.

Smicer Out Of Czech World Cup Squad
Former Liverpool midfielder Vladimir Smicer has admitted defeat in his battle to make the World Cup.

South Korea draw 0-0 with Norway in a friendly in Oslo
South Korea continued their preparations for the World Cup as they drew 0-0 with Norway in a friendly in Oslo on Thursday.

Holland Fight Back To Beat Mexico
Holland continued their build-up to the World Cup with a 2-1 win over Mexico in Eindhoven.

Paraguay star Santa Cruz fit for England
Paraguay's star striker Roque Santa Cruz will be fit to face England in their opening FIFA World Cupâ„¢ match, the South Americans' coach Anibal Ruiz said on Thursday.

Lay Off Hargreaves, Urges Lamps
Frank Lampard has urged Owen Hargreaves' critics to lay off the Bayern Munich midfielder.

Hiddink keen for Kewell to play warm-up
Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink is hopeful attacking midfielder Harry Kewell will play some part in next week's World Cup warm-up match against Liechtenstein next Wednesday.

Brazil wary of Australia
Brazil have failed to win any of their last meetings against World Cup Group F opponents Australia, Croatia and Japan, suggesting their first-round progess will not be as easy as anticipated.

A step in the right direction
England put an unconvincing opening 45 minutes behind them to comfortably dispose of Hungary in their penultimate World Cup warm-up international, against Hungary at Old Trafford.

Valente takes optimistic view
He may not have made his international debut before the age of 27 but Nuno Valente has certainly made up for lost time in recent seasons.

Iran battle back to beat Bosnians
Iran fought back from two goals behind to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 5-2 in a FIFA World Cupâ„¢ warm-up match that raised serious questions about their defence ahead of the trip to Germamy.

Strikers looking sharp
With the big kick-off in Germany approaching fast, there were promising signs from several strikers who looked in fine fettle in the FIFA World Cupâ„¢ warm-up games played this weekend.

La Volpe considers attacking quartet
Mexico coach Ricardo La Volpe, famous for his astute tactical brain, continues to tinker with his side ahead of their Germany 2006 opener with Iran on 11 June.

Lokvenc helps depleted Czechs beat Costa Rica
Substitute Vratislav Lokvenc struck eight minutes from time to earn depleted Czech Republic a 1-0 victory over Costa Rica in their FIFA World Cupâ„¢ warm-up on Tuesday.

Fitness questions for US duo
As the USA team spend a couple of days relaxing ahead of their departure for Germany, fitness concerns remain for midfield generals John O'Brien and Claudio Reyna.

Berhalter's US berth confirmed
The United States Soccer Federation has officially notified FIFA that Gregg Berhalter will replace injured defender Cory Gibbs in the USA's squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germanyâ„¢.

Turkey 1-1 Ghana: Amoah forces draw
World Cup debutants Ghana drew 1-1 with Turkey in a World Cup warmup match in the northern German city of Bochum on Friday.

Knee injury rules Edmilson out of World Cup
WEGGIS: Barcelona defender Edmilson has pulled out of champions Brazil's World Cup squad due to an injury to his right knee, team doctor Jose Luis Runco said on Wednesday.

Ghana rings the changes in World Cup squad
Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic revealed several surprises when he named his final 23-man squad for the World Cup finals on Friday, the first of the five African representatives to do so.

Switzerland 1-1 Italy: Gygax earns draw
World Cup finalists Italy and Switzerland shared a scrappy 1-1 draw in a warm-up match on Wednesday.

Lippi confident Totti will pass the fitness test
Marcello Lippi is confident playmaker Francesco Totti will be fit for the World Cup.

France defeat Denmark 2-0 in a World Cup warm-up match
LENS :France delivered a convincing display to defeat Denmark 2-0 in a World Cup warm-up match at Lens' Felix-Boallert stadium on Wednesday evening.

Japan's Kaji given clean bill of health
Defender Akira Kaji was on Wednesday given the green light to play in Japan's World Cup opener after an injury scare in a warm-up game against Germany.

Kewell confident of making Australia squad
SYDNEY : Injured Australia striker Harry Kewell has joined up with his team mates at their training camp in the Netherlands, confident he will be fit for the start of next month's World Cup finals in Germany.