Sports

MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC – Devastating West Indies opener Chris Gayle said yesterday his form felt better than ever, an ominous sign for Australia heading into the one-day series which bowls off today (last night, Eastern Caribbean time).

The Mayor’s Cup 75th birth anniversary tournament resumed Friday night after a break for the Kashif and Shanghai football tournament with two exciting matches at the Tucville Playfield.

MELBOURNE, Australia,  CMC – Having suffered at the hands of Chris Gayle’s prolific batting during the Test series last December, Australia captain Ricky Ponting said his side had devised a plan to deal with the explosive left-handed opener.

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – Gael Monfils and David  Ferrer, the top two seeds, were surprisingly beaten in the South  African Open semi-finals yesterday.

Ottis Gibson must feel like Elizabeth Taylor’s seventh husband. He is excited to have got hooked as the new West Indies head coach and eager to consummate the deal but, like Larry Fortensky, would be wary of why all of his predecessors didn’t go the distance.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, CMC – The veteran Jamaican light heavyweight boxer Glen Johnson blazed his way back into world title contention Friday night when he knocked out American Yusaf Mack in the sixth round of their crucial title eliminator at NSU Arena.

NAGPUR, India, (Reuters) – Jacques Kallis struck his  third hundred in five Tests and shared a double century stand  with Hashim Alma to put South Africa in control of the first  Test against India yesterday.

HYDERABAD, India, (Reuters) – India’s Yusuf Pathan  lashed a double century to help West Zone record the highest  successful fourth-innings chase in first-class cricket yesterday.

` I am not one for fancy language’ By Marlon Monroe With cricket at all levels in Guyana at an all- time low, newly-elected president of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Roger Harper believes that at the Georgetown level, the physical and mental skills of players have to be honed if there is going to be an elevation of cricketing standards.

By Marlon Munroe The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has partnered with the Kashif and Shanghai organization to stage a double-header benefit football match on February 21 at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground to assist the people of Haiti after they were hit by a 7.0 earthquake on January 12.

It was quarter-final night on Thursday at the Georgetown Courts when the Guyana Squash Association’s Bounty Farm-sponsored handicap tournament continued and in the match between David Fernandes and Allan Downes no quarter was asked for an none was given.

Twenty-six U19 rugby players have been called up by the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) to prepare for possible selection on the national team U19 team to contest the NACRA U19 15 a-side tournament in August, a release from the GRFU stated yesterday.

A three-week teachers’ mini-tennis workshop will commence this afternoon at 4pm at the National Park’s courts.

– quarterfinal round bowls off tomorrow The quarterfinal round of the Muslim Youth Organ-izaton (MYO) Inter–Jamaat ten-over softball cricket competition which is sponsored by F&H Printing Establishment continues tomorrow at the MYO Ground, Woolford Avenue.

Winners of the Power Stout  six-over tapeball cricket tournament were presented with their prizes  at simple ceremony at Banks DIH,  Thirst Park recently.

-GCB president, secretary set to be in action The president and secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board Chetram Singh and Anand Sanasie will tomorrow don their whites to participate in a feature 30 overs-a-side cricket match between Eccles and Wales Sports Clubs for the Agri Centre trophy.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,  CMC – Barbados chief selector Courtney Browne has hailed the move to appoint Ottis Gibson West Indies coach and says the Caribbean will benefit from his experience and competence.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates,  CMC – Umpire Mark Benson, who was forced to quit the second Test between Australia and West Indies in Adelaide last December, has walked away from international cricket.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Haiti’s distressed football fraternity received a much needed boost on Thursday with the announcement that football’s world governing body, FIFA, planned to inject another US$3 million into reconstruction efforts.

MIAMI, (Reuters) – The romantics are backing the New  Orleans Saints but experience and quality points to the  Indianapolis Colts as favourites in tomorrow’s Super Bowl.