Gold medallist Mo Farah named in English Commonwealth Games team

Farah, who won the 5,000m and 10,000m in Barcelona in July, is fixed by reigning European and Commonwealth triple jump champion Phillips Idowu.
Christine Ohuruogu, who won Olympic 400m gold in Beijing in 2008, will also protect her Commonwealth title. Lisa Dobriskey will look to duplicate her 1500m win from Melbourne in 2006.
The 26-year-old from Kent, who won her first major medal at the Commonwealths four years ago and added a silver at the World Championships in Berlin last year, will also fight in the 800m. But she missed out on a medal at the European Championships in Barcelona.
"To preserve my title would mean a lot to me and the more racing experience I can get in championship events the better," she said. "Other than next year's World Championships, there are extremely few such opportunities between now and London 2012."
Craig Hunter, chef de assignment for England in Delhi, added: "I'm delighted to welcome such a strong group of track and field athletes into the England team for Delhi and look forward to their performances there - especially after such a dramatic European Championships."
"After an wonderful season, two gold medals in the European Championships and a new British 5,000m record, I hope to finish a fantastic summer season with one more good performance in India," he said. He said: "It's been a great season so far and I look to go to India and win another gold medal."
England won six gold, four silver and eight bronze athletics medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The 2010 Games run from 3-14 October and feature 17 sports.

England Beat Hungary 2-1

Steven Gerrard scored twice in four second-half minutes as England came from at the back to defeat Hungary in their first outing since their dreadful World Cup campaign.

England, by and great, received warm backing from the 72,024 inside Wembley, with clapping comfortably outweighing booing after a performance during which Fabio Capello's team produced some eye-catching attacking moves.
But the crowd voiced their disappointment when Phil Jagielka unfortunately guided a low cross into his own net after 62 minutes.
In truth, England had grounds for criticism that are sure to once again raise the subject of goal-line technology.
A Frank Lampard strike that clearly crossed the line was not awarded during England's humiliating 4-1 beat against Germany at the World Cup.
And at Wembley on Wednesday replays optional substitute Michael Dawson had cleared the ball before it had crossed the line.
The coach had moved away from the much-maligned 4-4-2 formation, opting in its place to play Barry, Gerrard and Lampard in a central midfield area, with Adam Johnson and Theo Walcott, who were both left out of the World Cup squad, providing the width as Rooney operated as a lone striker.

Jonny Wilkinson missed England training for Toulon game

Jonny Wilkinson will not be released to join up with England's elite squad when they assemble on 8 August, the fly-half's French club Toulon have confirmed

 

Toulon said Wilkinson "will respect his agreement and be available for the first game of the Top 14 on 13 August".
England boss Martin Johnson is consideration to be happy for Wilkinson to stay in France with Toulon. Johnson also said there had been "close and friendly consultation" with all clubs over player attendance.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has an agreement with English clubs over player let go outside the official international windows, but has to discuss individually with French sides. Back row James Haskell and lock Tom Palmer, who play for French team Stade Francais, have also been called up for the week-long England training campsite by Johnson.

Death a twice loss for rugby and cricket

Eric Tindill, the only man to play tests for New Zealand in both cricket and rugby, and preside in a test in both, has died in Nelson. He was 99 years old.
At the same time as others have become known as double rugby-cricket internationals though appearing only in tour games as different from tests in one or the other sport, Tindill was single in his four-strong achievements.
A halfback or first five-eighths for Wellington, Tindill played 16 matches for the All Blacks, include one test, a 13-0 loss to England at Twickenham in 1936.
Fourteen years later he was refereed three tests, two between the All Blacks and the British Lions, and then one against Australia in 1955. Tindill played five cricket tests as a wicketkeeper-batsman between 1937 and 1947, his first appearance against England at Lord's. His first-class career spanned 18 seasons.

Andrew Flintoff lined out for rest of the spell by Lancashire

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff leftovers hopeful of making his long-awaited comeback from injury but has not set himself a timescale after his domestic season was ended in advance without him playing a match.
The 32-year-old has not played since the the final Ashes Test nearly a year ago, after which he underwent two operations on his right knee and his comeback for Lancashire 2nd XI this week was aborted as a defensive measure.
His province have ruled him out for the remainder of the domestic season - which in reality is only six weeks - in order for him to continue treatment work.This latest delay also rules him out of next month's Twenty20 Champions Trophy in South Africa where he was due to play for Chennai Super Kings.

World Badminton Championships 2011 coming soon

The 2011 BWF World Championships will take place in London, offering badminton fans a sneak preview of the world’s top players in the countdown to the 2012 London Olympic Games. Hosted by BADMINTON England, the BWF World Championships will be played at the world-famous Wembley Arena from 8 -14 August, 2011.

China is currently the most successful nation in the history of the World Championships with 49 titles since 1977 (excluding 2010), but the Chinese are expected to be pushed all the way by players from Denmark, Indonesia, Korea and Malaysia. They will be joined by players from the host nation who will be out to impress ahead of the 2012 London Olympic Games. Top stars such as Nathan Robertson and Anthony Clark will lead the charge in the men’s doubles, and rising talent like Rajiv Ouseph and Andrew Smith will be battling to make their mark on home soil.

England won one gold and two silver medals at the 2006 Championships in Madrid, Spain with Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms securing the gold medal and Anthony Clark becoming one of few players in the world ever to win two medals in the same World Championships. The BWF World Championships is an annual event except in the year of the Olympics and the 2010 edition will be played in Paris, France, in August.

Australia skid to fourth place in ICC Test rankings

Leeds: Australia has slipped to fourth place in the ICC rankings after drawing a Test series against Pakistan at England. Leeds defeat was Australian captain Ricky Ponting's first Test loss against Pakistan.The loss at leading, combined with Sri Lanka's crushing victory over India in the teams' first Test at Galle, has resulted in Australia shedding three ratings points and dropping from third in the Test rankings to fourth with 116 points, replaced by Sri Lanka, who moved from 115 points to 119.

Salman Butt named as a new Pakistan Test captain

Salman Butt has been named Pakistan's new Test captain for the remaining 4 Test matches against England after Shahid Afridi ruled himself out for the Headingley game citing a side strain. Afridi said, I worked out in the gym in the morning and I don't feel comfortable at all and I will not play the next Test. Salman Butt will take over as Pakistan captain after Shahid Afridi's retirement from Test cricket.Kamran Akmal will be selected a new vice captain. Afridi announced his decision on Friday, after Pakistan's 150-run loss to Australia at Lord's.

He will be lead the side in the second Test against Australia in Leeds and the following four Tests against England.