Jul
31
Barry staying at Villa
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Aston Villa say that Gareth Barry will be staying at the club and not moving to Premier League rivals Liverpool.
Villa claim the Reds failed to meet a deadline to sign the midfielder, who stated he wanted to move to Anfield, and now any switch is off.
“During talks in the past few days, a final deadline to conclude this episode was set that all parties were aware of and agreed to,” said a Villa statement. “This deadline has now passed and so Gareth will remain with Villa.”
Villa are believed to have slapped an £18m price tag on the 27-year-old and have rejected a number of bids from Liverpool which fall short of this figure.
Jul
31
South Africa dominate first day
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South Africa took a great step towards winning the series on the first day of the third Test after dismissing England for a paltry 231. Michael Vaughan was dismissed for a golden duck while Alastair Cook (76), Ian Bell (50) and Andrew Flintoff (36 not out) scored the only runs of note.
Andre Nel and Jacques Kallis were both outstanding with the ball, each taking three wickets at Edgbaston. But Flintoff gave England hope after removing Graeme Smith (7) late on to leave South Africa at 38-1 at stumps.
Jul
30
Keane joins Liverpool
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Liverpool have completed the signing of striker Robbie Keane from Tottenham for a fee that could rise to £20.3m.
Keane, 28, underwent a medical on Monday after agreeing personal terms on a four-year contract worth around £80,000 a week over the weekend.
Spurs said they agreed an initial fee of £19m plus a potential further £1.3m. Tottenham have also agreed to drop their official complaint to the Premier League after Liverpool apologised for their conduct in pursuing the Irishman.
Jul
30
Murray heads to Cincinnati
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Andy Murray heads to Cincinnati this week buoyed by an encouraging run to the semi-finals of the Toronto Masters.
The British number one beat Novak Djokovic for the first time before losing a high-quality contest against in-form Spaniard Rafael Nadal. The Scot had a first-round bye and will face American Sam Querrey in the second round on Wednesday.
Nadal and Roger Federer continue their battle for the world number one spot at the Masters Series event.The Spaniard will dethrone Federer in Cincinnati if he wins the title and his rival loses before the semi-finals.
Jul
30
Wolves name Lowes as head coach
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Warrington have named James Lowes as their head coach until the end of 2009.
The 37-year-old had impressed in the role after taking the job until the end of the season following the sacking of Paul Cullen in May. Wolves have recorded a run of six wins in seven games under Lowes’ leadership and have seen their bid to make the Grand Final revived.
“Within an hour of talking to the club, everything was sorted,” Lowes said. “The ball’s in my court and I’m going to enjoy this opportunity. Whatever happens at the end of the next year, we’ll cross that when we come to it.”
Jul
30
Tweddle hampered by injuries
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Great Britain gymnast Beth Tweddle has picked up a rib injury ahead of the Olympics in Beijing.
GB coach Adrian Stan said, at the team’s Macau training camp, that the 23-year-old’s injury was “minor but unsettling”. “She went rather gingerly about her training on Tuesday. She will spend an extra three days on the island where she can use softer mats before she rejoins her colleagues in Beijing on Monday.”
Studd said the injury was clearly hampering Tweddle’s preparations after a frustrating year in which she has been troubled by ankle problems. Tweddle injured an ankle in training last month, meaning she was unable to defend her all-around title at the recent National Championships.
Jul
30
Injured Donald might miss Ryder Cup
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Injured Luke Donald’s hopes of making September’s Ryder Cup team suffered a further setback when he withdrew from August’s USPGA Championship.
Donald has not played since he picked up a wrist injury during the final round of the US Open in June. The 30-year-old faces a struggle to qualify automatically for the team and is not guaranteed a wild card entry.
Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo has previously said: “To pick a man who is injured would be a major story.”
The USPGA takes place at Oakland Hills, Michigan from 7-10 August. The top five players from both Europe’s world points list and the Order of Merit earnings will be selected for the Ryder Cup, which is being held in Louisville, Kentucky.
Jul
30
Hill backs Hamilton to win title
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Former world champion Damon Hill believes Lewis Hamilton will wrap up the Formula One drivers’ title with time to spare this season. The 23-year-old Briton has picked up two straight wins to lead the standings by four points with eight races left.
“I think he psychologically demolished the opposition at Silverstone,” Hill said. “He is on a roll now as you could see from his performance in Germany. It may be finished before the season is over.”
The English driver missed out on the drivers’ title by a single point in his first season in the sport.
Jul
30
Third test begins today
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After the incriminating defeat in the second test against South Africa, England will look to pick up the pieces when the third test gets underway today at Edgbaston.
Already, another couple of changes have been made to the England side, with Steve Harmison included in the squad in place of Darren Pattinson. But the final 12 elected on the eve of the match means that Harmison will not be included in the playing eleven. Ryan Sidebottom is fit again and raring to go after missing the second test match, while Paul Collingwood might just find his place back in the side. Tim Ambrose luckily retained his place in the squad, as there was talk that he might be replaced by the in-form Matt Prior.
South Africa will be trying to prove fourth time lucky as they have failed on the previous three tours to win the series, and that after taking the lead in the series. The last time, in 2003, they were up 2-0 and went to draw the series 2-2. Andre Nel might be back in the side and he promises to show his mellowed down side to the world now.
A cracker of a match is expected.