Ishant to ignore tri-series opener against Kiwis

Dambulla: India suffered a shake ahead of their tri-series opener against New Zealand as paceman Ishant Sharma was on Monday ruled out of the match due to an ankle injury.

The lanky Delhi bowler was to do the accountability with new ball along with state-mate Ashish Nehra.  "Ishant is not obtainable for tomorrow's match because of an ankle problem," India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said at the pre-match press conference.

India are previously without experienced pacer Zaheer Khan, senior spinner Harbhajan Singh and opener Gautam Gambhir. Zaheer had missed the just finished Test series against Sri Lanka due to a shoulder problem and flew to South Africa for treatment.

Harbhajan and Gambhir were rested all along with Sachin Tendulkar for the tri-series. Both Harbhajan and Gambhir had missed India's third Test against Sri Lanka due to injuries.

Jessica Ennis Calls Time on 2010 season

UKA today set that Britain’s reigning World and European Heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis has called time on her 2010 season in order to exploit her recovery time ahead of 2011.
The 24 year old, who came to close breaking the UK heptathlon record in winning her European Championship gold last week, made the decision beside her coach Toni Minichiello to ensure the long term plan including reaching 2012 in best possible shape was always the main priority.
At the same time as there are several high profile events remaining in the 2010 summer season, Ennis has reiterated that maintaining her fitness and giving herself the best possible approach to 2012, is the ‘right decision’. Ennis said,“I have had an wonderful season and to win the European Championships was just incredible, it was such a close competition but there was no way I was not going to win!

Dream Players Plans to play Together

The world’s No. 1 and No. 2 players, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, are plan to play doubles together in Toronto, according to the event's Facebook page. The Toronto sports radio station Fan 590, tournament director Karl Hale, who established the matchup, said that Djokovic arrived in Toronto yesterday and Nadal arrived today. It is the first U.S. Open warm-up for both players, so it makes intellect that they might want to get double the matches by adding doubles. Plus, the two of them split the same manager in Benito Perez-Barbadillo. Now if only Roger Federer and Andy Murray would team up.

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.

Gareth Thomas caps rugby club move with call-up to Wales squad

Gareth Thomas is rest to win his first rugby league cap after being named in Wales's training squad for the Alitalia European Cup.
Thomas, 36, a former British and Irish Lions captain, who won the last of his 100 caps in rugby union at the 2007 World Cup, in his first season of league with Crusaders.
He said,‘It is a great feeling,' 'To be able to stand for Wales in a different sport, in such a short space of time, is a massive, massive honour and achievement for me.'

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.