Sports

Shane Bond returns to Test cricket today after an absence of over two years as New Zealand look for a positive start to their home series against Pakistan.

Dilshan to play with broken nose KANPUR, India, (Reuters) – Injured Sri Lanka paceman  bowler Dhammika Prasad will miss the second Test against India starting today but opener Tillekaratne Dilshan will play despite suffering a broken nose.

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – Herschelle Gibbs has been  recalled to the South Africa squad for the remainder of the  one-day series against England.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,  CMC – Cricket’s world governing body, the ICC, are anxiously anticipating a successful roll out of the umpires’ decision review system which will be used in the opening Test between West Indies and Australia starting Thursday.

Teenage golfer Avinash Persaud is the 2009 Guyana Open men’s champion while Christine Sukhram retained the ladies’ title when the curtain came down on the Power Stout Open Golf championships yesterday at the Lusignan Golf Club.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies captain Chris Gayle will return in time for the first Test against Australia starting in Brisbane on Thursday, after flying home last week to attend to his ill mother in Jamaica.

By Rawle Toney Debutants Melanie Patriots pulled off an upset victory over Maccabees beating the more seasoned club 56-51 while Dyna’s Ravens steamrolled Eagles by 56 points (99-43) as the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) Third Division and Open Knock-Out tournaments continued at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Saturday last.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Andy Murray marked the start of  London’s five-year hosting of the ATP Tour Finals with a 6-3 3-6  6-2 win over U.S.

MONTE CARLO, (Reuters) – IAAF president Lamine Diack said yesterday he did not think athletics would soon join soccer in holding its top championship in Africa.

LONDON, (Reuters) – World number one Roger Federer  started slowly but finished like an express train yesterday as  he beat Fernando Verdasco 4-6 7-5 6-1 in his opening match at  the ATP World Tour Finals.

MONTE CARLO, (Reuters) – Jamaican sprinter Usain  Bolt, who became one of the world’s most recognised athletes,  and American women’s 400 metres world champion Sanya Richards  were named IAAF world athletes of the year  yesterday.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – A dream of having a home for the sport in Dominica is one step closer towards becoming a reality.

CLEVELAND, (Reuters) – The Cleveland Cavaliers held  the Philadelphia 76ers to just 10 fourth quarter points to  rally for a 97-91 win on Saturday, LeBron James leading the  home team’s assault with a 32-point effort.

CENTURION, South Africa,  (Reuters) – Paul Collingwood  marked his record 171st one-day appearance with an unbeaten  century to lead England to a commanding seven-wicket victory  over South Africa in the second match of the series yesterday.

KANPUR, India, (Reuters) – Muttiah Muralitharan will  be hoping the bowlers get more favourable conditions when Sri  Lanka face India in the second test from  tomorrow after a flat  pitch consigned the first to a high-scoring draw.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Daniel Bailey is suing a Swedish newspaper for erroneously publishing reports that he had failed a drugs test at the World Championships last August.

Persaud, Sukhram take day one honours Teenage golf prodigy Avinash Persaud took day one honours in the championship flight with two previous winners in contention, while defending ladies champion Christine Sukhram held steady on an intriguing day of the Power Stout Guyana Open Golf championships yesterday at the Lusignan Golf Club.

BRISBANE, Australia, CMC – West Indies’ pacers will hope to get first crack at the Gabba pitch in next week’s opening Test against Australia, with predictions the strip will be lively over the first day of the encounter.

Windies’ revival crucial to test cricket’s longevity Against the perpetual backdrop of debate over the future of Test cricket, the West Indies start a series against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday that the doomsayers expect will accelerate its demise.

By Marlon Munroe The Hand-In-Hand limited-overs second-division competition culminated on Friday evening under lights with Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) making light work of Lusignan Sports Club (LSC) by 87 runs at the Lusignan Community Centre.