Sports

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – Despite their disappointing rain-hit drawn Test series, West Indies have jumped one place to seventh in the latest ICC Test Championship rankings.

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – The soccer World Cup helped  to rebrand South Africa but brought in far less money than  anticipated, officials said yesterday.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – The National Basketball  Association said it agreed to buy the New Orleans Hornets from  majority owner George Shinn after a deal to sell the team to  minority owner Gary Chouest fell through.

(Reuters) – World rankings yesterday (U.S. unless  stated, last week’s positions in brackets): Average points 1. 

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka, CMC – With their rain-ravaged Test series behind them, West Indies arrived here in this small southern city yesterday afternoon to begin preparations for their five-match One-Day Inter-national series which bowls off on Thursday.

The Broad Street Futsal team was crowned as the Guinness ‘Greatest of De Street’ champion after they defeated Albouystown in the final of the Futsal Competition on Saturday night at the National Park Tarmac.

THOUSAND OAKS, California, (Reuters) – Tiger Woods’s  miserable year ended with more disappointment as he gave up a  four-stroke lead and suffered a crushing playoff loss to Graeme  McDowell in the Chevron World Challenge yesterday.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Australian media today   were praying for more rain after day three of the Ashes, as   England moved to 551-4 on day three to amass a 306-run lead   before showers saw play abandoned after the tea break.

Umpires called off the third round game of the Pepsi/Carib T20 tournament between Demerara and Essequibo last evening due to intermittent rain at the Guyana National Stadium.

ADELAIDE, (Reuters) – Shane Watson and Simon Katich   made a solid start to Australia’s second innings after England   declared with a lead of 375 on the fourth morning of the   second Ashes test today.

PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka, CMC – Apart from the endless rain, Kemar Roach will have fond memories of the drawn West Indies Test series with Sri Lanka, after he was named Man-of-the-Series.

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – West Indies A batsman Andre Fletcher stroked an enterprising double century as Grenada took control of their opening game of the Windward Islands Senior Championships on Saturday.

Caribbean junior cadet table tennis champion, Chelsea Edghill pranced to three more titles yesterday while Denzel Duff strolled to victory in the 15 and under category despite being outplayed for the 18 and under title.

Guyanese batsman Rohan Mangal was voted Cricketer-of-the-Year at the 2010 annual prize giving ceremony of the South Zonal Council on Friday night in Hermitage San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago.

The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) is planning to send at least two of its junior players on a training stint at a high performance training centre in China next year. 

ADELAIDE, (Reuters) – England’s Kevin Pietersen is a   past master at batting in top gear but it was learning to   shift down that helped him end a long lean spell with a double   century in the second Ashes test yesterday.

Organisers of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) Champion of Champions extravaganza are expecting some overseas boxers on December 18-19 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The Flying Ace cycling club of Berbice will be staging the Phillip Arokium Memorial 40-mile cycle road race on Sunday.

ABIDJAN, (Reuters) – Presidential claimant Alassane  Ouattara said yesterday that incumbent Laurent Gbagbo must step  down after a disputed poll in Ivory Coast, and he named a rival  government as African mediators tried to resolve the stalemate.

BELGRADE, (Reuters) – Serbia stormed to their first  Davis Cup title after Viktor Troicki thrashed France’s Michael  Llodra to secure a memorable 3-2 victory inside a rocking  Belgrade Arena yesterday.