Match-fix mastermind pockets his money after pay-off

FIXER Mazhar Majeed twice tried to rig the recent Third Test between England and Pakistan at the Oval to prove to our undercover reporters that he could do it.


He demanded a £10,000 down payment before guaranteeing two no-balls on the second day of the match during a secret meeting outside a restaurant where he was dining with the team.

Then he stuffed the money into his jacket pocket before later opening up the coat in front of players to show them what he'd got.


But Majeed's plan was scuppered when the no-balls fix - already arranged for another gambling client and planned for the third day on August 20 - had to be scrapped because the Pakistani bowling coach had warned his stars to tighten up their bowling.

Undaunted, the brazen crook then offered our man the guarantee that Pakistan skipper Salman Butt would score no runs from the first six balls he faced on the fourth day - a maiden over. Majeed even phoned a number known to be linked to Butt to confirm it.


The player's secret signal to let gambling clients know that the cheating was on was to be Butt tapping midwicket with his bat during the over, as if flattening a bump.


However, again the fix was foiled. It was then that the focus shifted to fixing the current Test at Lord's.


Our fake betting syndicate frontman had already met Majeed on August 16 and 18. But the first handover of cash in the match-rigging scandal came on the evening of Thursday the 19th.


Majeed had invited our man to join him and the players for dinner at the Al Shishawi restaurant in London's Edgware Road.

He introduced him to Pakistan captain Salman Butt and to players Wahab Riaz and Umar Amin.

The property tycoon - whose company Bluesky Developments has sponsored several high profile sporting events and charities - then borrowed Wahab's cream jacket to pop out to our man's Merc for a secret chat.


Majeed said: "Just to show you it's really OK, I'm going to show you two no-balls tomorrow.


"Then you just pay as I said minimum for that, OK. Just £10,000. I'm telling you big money can be made."


He even offered to call the players in front of our man to prove he could control them: "You sit with me, OK, and I'll ring each player who I've got and even talk to them about it. Isn't that enough proof for you?"

Our man handed Majeed ten £1,000 bundles of notes in crisp £50 notes and he quickly shoved them in his jacket pocket. Then he said: "I'm just going to give you two no-balls quite simple. And I'll tell you which bowler's going to do it, and which ball he's going to do it in. This is just a taster. I'll let you know that tonight or tomorrow morning."


Showing his experience at match-fixing, he bragged: "Boss, I'm telling you, OK. I've been doing this constantly and for the next month you're going to see how constant it is.


"So I'm going to say to them (the seven players he controls in the team) I've got a new party. I think he's good, yeah, we'll deal with him. OK?" He pulled the £10,000 bundle out of his pocket and waved it about. "This is to show how serious they are, OK. That will be the deposit. After that... then payment has to be made within 24 hours either in England or Dubai. In cash."


Then Majeed announced that our man would have to pay a huge deposit if he wanted to know the planned RESULTS of fixed matches so he could coin it in by placing bets.


He added: "In terms of deposit, it's gonna be a minimum of £150,000. That's just for your trust.


"That's for me to pay my boys, yeah, right, a certain amount each, OK? Then they give me the authority to work with you. Once the authority is there to work with you, I'll give you everything we do. After that. I don't want any money up front, I just want the money paid after the thing's done."

But he said there would be no fixing the actual results of the Oval and Lord's Tests - "because we're trying to win this game and the Lord's game. Because we want Salman Butt as captain."


The man asked him: "Is he onside as well? Is he in the fixing?" Majeed claimed: "Of course, of course."


He went on to boast of his past successes - saying, "Every single result we've done has come off, every single one" - before revealing he and his bent players had arranged for Pakistan to lose some of the forthcoming One Day International matches against England.


"We've got one result already planned and that is coming in the next three-and-a-half weeks," he said. "Pakistan will lose." Majeed also spelled out that he was already running match-rigging with other gambling syndicates, including "one party in India".


With the dirty deal done, Majeed took our man into the restaurant and ordered captain Salman Butt and other teammates to join us. The players who were eating lamb and chicken kebabs, were relaxed in Majeed's company, joking with our reporters and sharing anecdotes about fellow cricketers.


After Majeed showed our team out of the restaurant he walked back to a group of his players standing outside and opened the jacket into which he'd stuffed the money to show them what was inside. Later bowler Wahab Riaz put on the jacket and posed in it.


But on the Friday morning, Majeed rang our man saying that his bowlers would not be able to bowl the two no-balls. He then invited our reporter to his luxurious home in Croydon on Saturday at 8am to discuss another possible fix before play at the Oval began.


The imposing house in Croydon is hidden behind electronic gates. A Range Rover, flash black Jaguar and Golf were parked in the drive.


Inside, Majeed claimed captain Butt would bat a maiden over just to prove that fixing was taking place. On one of his white BlackBerrys he uses as a "safe line" to call players - which he says he disposes of every fortnight - he rang a number known to belong to Butt.

He said: "Boss, just stick to what we said last night OK? The first full over you play, you just make sure you play a maiden, OK? After the second ball, just go and tap the middle of the pitch as a signal."


Majeed said if Butt gave the signal then people around the world would know that it was time to put massive bets on as the fixing was about to take place.


He then boasted about the players he claimed were working for him in the betting scam - claiming to have seven on his books, including Butt, Asif, Amir and Kamran Akmal, the wicket-keeper already accused of match-fixing by the coach of the Pakistan team, Intikhab Alam.

Majeed also revealed how he launders match-fixing money through the football club he owns, Croydon Athletic in south London. "The only reason I bought a football club is to do that," he said.

And he spilled the beans on how he helps his players hide their money.


"I've opened them all Swiss bank accounts as well, all numbered accounts," he said. "I've got them even English bank accounts too."


To prove it he showed off bank details stored on his BlackBerry including a Clydesdale Bank account number he claimed was Butt's.


And to hammer home the amounts of money our man could win, Majeed called an Indian bookie he regularly deals with and asked him how much he would pay for a definite Oval Test result.

Majeed demanded $1.2million but the bookie replied, "I'll give you one (million)."


Majeed - who has a wife Sheliza and two daughters aged 4 and 6 - flicked through recordings on a TV to show off previous matches he claimed to have fixed.


Later, explaining why Butt did not bat the promised maiden over, Majeed told our man the pitch was too lively for the skipper to guarantee not accidentally edging the ball for a run.


"There was no signal," he said. "He obviously felt the ball was doing too much off the pitch and he couldn't do a maiden. I've not given you any wrong information."

Pakistan seal tense victory over England in Oval Test

Pakistan sealed a tense four-wicket win at The Oval to reduce England's lead to 2-1 with one Test remaining next week.

England resumed 146 ahead but their final pair lasted only four balls and added just one run as Mohammad Amir finished with a career-best 5-52.

James Anderson struck in the first over but Salman Butt (48) and Mohammad Yousuf (33) looked to be in control.

Anderson bowled Yousuf and Graeme Swann took his third wicket to create some late tension but Pakistan held on.

It was Pakistan's first Test victory over England since Lahore in December 2005 and an impressive response from defeats by 354 runs and nine wickets respectively in the first two matches of the series.

For England it was a stark reminder of their fallibility three months ahead of the Ashes.

Defeat brought to an end their run of six successive Test victories and condemned them to a first loss since being thrashed by an innings and 74 runs against South Africa in Johannesburg in January.

Andrew Strauss and his team would have had genuine reason for optimism given recent evidence of Pakistan's vulnerability chasing low totals.

In July 2009 they were bowled out for 117 when needing 168 to beat Sri Lanka and in January this year requiring 176 against Australia they were dismissed for 139.

But hopes of England's final wicket pair adding a potentially crucial 20 or so runs were swiftly ended by the impressive 18-year-old left-arm seamer Amir, who collected his second five-wicket haul and increased his wicket tally to 45 in only his 13th Test.

After Steven Finn had calmly glanced a single to fine-leg, the supposed senior batsman Stuart Broad attempted a reckless pull he was in no position to play, the ball hit high on the bat and looped gently to mid-on.

It meant that the final seven wickets had fallen for a mere 28 to Amir and co in 15 overs.

There was some early encouragement for England when Anderson forced Yasir Hameed into an edge that was snaffled at the second attempt by Swann at second slip but despite more overcast conditions there was little swing, even for the Lancastrian.

Swann was therefore swiftly introduced after five overs, charged with the mild responsibility of capturing just the nine wickets with 112 runs left to play with.

Left-hander Imran Farhat decided to attack him from the outset, skipping down the wicket to launch a four just over mid-on's head from the third ball Swann bowled.

Farhat maintained a positive approach throughout but after six fours in his bold 33 he missed a sweep to one that straightened from the spinner and was lbw.

Pakistan decided to review the decision but it merely confirmed the ball was hitting the middle of the middle stump.

However, Swann was unable to quite produce the magical performance needed and England seamers were toothless for the majority of the innings, with Broad
particularly wayward.

Swann turned one away from Butt and the edge was smartly taken low at slip by Paul Collingwood, leaving the left-hander still without a half century in eight innings since taking over the captaincy from Shahid Afridi in July.

But with the masterful Yousuf at the crease there seemed no possibility of a dramatic collapse and at lunch only 33 were needed with seven wickets intact.

A questionable tactic of bowling well wide of the stumps surprisingly succeeded when Azhar Ali succumbed to pressure and needlessly went for a quick single, with Anderson's agile throw on the turn from short mid-wicket touched on to the stumps at the non-striker's end by Swann, leaving Ali well short of his ground and 24 still required.

Astonishingly Anderson then produced a magnificent away swinging yorker to uproot Yousuf's off-stump, 17 had still to be scored and the crowd sensed something remarkable.

The jitters were clearly evident in the Pakistan ranks, Kamran Akmal padding up to Swann and given out lbw, a decision upheld after the last of Pakistan's reviews.
But Amir joined forces with Umar Akmal to score the remaining 16 runs and England were left to rue the clutter of wickets on Friday afternoon, with Pakistan earning the chance to tie the series at Lord's beginning on Thursday.

Qualifier Arjun Atwal at Wyndham Championship

Qualifier Arjun Atwal became the first Indian to win on the PGA Tour with a one-stroke victory at North Carolina's Wyndham Championship.

The 37-year-old from Calcutta parred the final hole for a round of 67 and a 20-under-par total as he avoided a play-off with nearest rival David Toms.

"That was huge," said Atwal, whose win owed much to a stunning nine-under 61 in his opening round in Greensboro.

"I was really nervous over that [last] putt. My heart rate was probably 150."
Atwal, who lost his Tour card in July, began his final 18 holes with a three-shot lead.

His advantage was gradually eroded, and, at one stage, he shared the lead with six other players.

Atwal, though, birdied the 16th to regain the lead, and as he teed off at the 18th, Toms, who had birdied three of his last four holes for a 64, was alone in second and hoping for a slip-up.

However, Atwal, who had led or shared the lead after each of the first three rounds, was not about to wilt.

He even had the courage to blast his approach to the last in the hope of hitting the spectators' tent that was positioned behind the green in order to get a favourable drop shot.

His plan worked perfectly. The ball hit the base of the tent, Atwal was awarded a drop and he made no mistake with his up-and-down, holing a seven-footer to earn the $918,000 (£591,000) top prize and a two-year Tour exemption.

"I'm pretty sure it's going to be huge back home," Atwal said.

"My in-laws called my wife and said the coverage was just unreal with me leading."
Americans John Mallinger (62), John Rollins (65), Justin Leonard (65) and Australian Michael Sim (62) were all tied for third on 18 under.

Manchester United kick off season with Newcastle rout

Dimitar Berbatov, Darren Fletcher and Ryan Giggs scored as Manchester United began their Premier League campaign with a 3-0 win over Newcastle here on Monday giving the losers a sharp reminder of the gulf in class between the Championship and the elite league.

United had a comfortable advantage over last season’s Championship winners by half time even though it proved to be another frustrating night for Wayne Rooney, who remains goalless for club and country since scoring against Bayern Munich in a Champions League match in March.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was especially impressed by veteran midfielder Paul Scholes and delighted with the result against what he termed a tough outfit.

“They got into the Premier League last season by being a determined and a good unit with a good work ethic,” said Ferguson.

“We were wasteful with some chances. Dimitar Berbatov could have scored three or four, but his performance was excellent. The three points is always important in your first home match. It was a steady performance.”

Berbatov finished off a fine move with just over half an hour gone before Fletcher’s close-range effort made it two at the interval.

And substitute Giggs extended the advantage with a third goal with five minutes remaining maintaining his extraordinary record of having scored in all 19 seasons he has played in the top flight.

Chelsea ended United’s run of three successive Premier League titles with their victory last season but began their attempts to win the crown for a record 19th time in some style.

Newcastle’s survival chances will never be judged on trips to Old Trafford but they showed they are well-organised and Andy Carroll looks like he might manage the step up to the top flight.

They began by managing to contain their hosts and Rooney’s hopeful curled effort as the only occasion that the Old Trafford side threatened in the early stages.

And the newly-promoted side should have taken the lead when Carroll met Joey Barton’s corner unmarked from six yards but glanced his header wide.

Nani had a long-range effort deflected wide and then thumped a free kick into the wall as the home side’s frustration continued.

Carroll went close again with a 25-yard drive that was held by goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

Even when James Perch and Mike Williamson were guilty of slack clearances, Nani failed to take advantage for United.

But the Portuguese did force a scrambling punch from Steve Harper with a lofted cross to the far post for Berbatov.

And Rooney also lifted a shot over the bar after Berbatov headed down Antonio Valencia’s cross.

But just after the half hour, the home team grabbed the lead when Valencia robbed Jonas Gutierrez in midfield, and John O’Shea fed Scholes, who slid through for Berbatov to find the corner of the net.

Barton tested van der Sar once again with a powerful strike to the near post.

But United doubled their lead before the interval thanks to fine work by Patrice Evra.

The French defender burst into the area and his low cross had too much on it for Rooney, but Fletcher fired in on the turn.

Two of the home team’s veterans combined to put the game well beyond Newcastle.

A short corner was worked in-field and Scholes picked out Giggs, who found the corner with a placed volley.

Afghanistan ease to nine-wicket win over Scotland

AYR, Scotland: Afghanistan rubberstamped their dominance over Scotland here on Monday as they cruised to victory by nine wickets in the first of two one day internationals.

Afghanistan, who had beaten the Scots by 229 runs in a four day match that finished on Saturday, made 225-1 after the hosts had scored 224-9 off their 50 overs.

Mohammad Shahzad and Karim Sadiq both made unbeaten centuries after Noor Ali Zadran had been dismissed early on for six.

However, Sadiq and Shahzad never let up as they scored 114 and 100 respectively in a stunning stand of 218.

The only Scottish batsman to give the Afghan attack any trouble was opener Fraser Watts, who scored 55

Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi to receive Sitara-e-Imtiaz

Pakistan’s record-breaking tennis player Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi is set to receive the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (star of excellence), it was announced in an official statement from the government on Saturday.

Qureshi was named amongst the recipients of civil and military honours revealed on Independence Day (August 14) and will receive the award during the Pakistan Day ceremony at the Presidency on March 23, 2011.

The 30-year-old tennis player from Lahore became the first Pakistani to have reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon with his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna in July 2010. He currently ranked 35th in the ATP Doubles Rankings.

Qureshi received the Pride of Performance award in 2005.

Tyson Gay hopes for more athletics glory in London

American sprinter Gay handed Bolt only his second professional 100m defeat when easily beating the Jamaican in last Friday's Diamond League meet in the Swedish capital, clocking 9.84 seconds.

Bolt on Tuesday announced he would not be competing for the rest of 2010 because of a back injury, leaving sprint rivals Gay and Powell to battle it out in the three remaining Diamond League meetings.

Powell, who like compatriot Bolt has run a world-best time of 9.82 secs this year, was absent in Stockholm owing to back trouble and admits he is not at peak fitness.
"I have had a lot of problems with my groin and that spread to my back and hamstrings," Powell said. "Since Paris (July 16), I have been unable to train at 100 percent. I have been getting treatment twice a day every day and slowly I am getting better.

"My coach (Stephen Francis) and manager (Paul Doyle) have all my races lined up but I am not even aware of what is next," added Powell. "All I am doing is focusing on getting healthy and back able to race. I am taking it day by day."

Gay, a three-time world champion, has beaten Powell over 100m on English soil already this season - at the Diamond League event in Gateshead last month - and will be the favourite at Crystal Palace after his recent exploits against Bolt.
Trinidad's Richard Thompson and American pair Walter Dix and Wallace Spearmon are also down to compete in the sprint.

There will be many other intriguing battles in the two-day meet, where the crowd will welcome back a host of athletes who helped Britain return a record 19-medal haul at the European Championships in Barcelona.

Home favourite Mo Farah, the new European 5,000m and 10,000m champion, will take on Kenyan-born American Bernard Lagat over 3,000m. Lagat won world indoor gold at that distance earlier this year.

Also on Friday, three-time world champion Allyson Felix of the United States competes in the 200m and former world champions Bershawn Jackson and Felix Sanchez go up against David Greene and Rhys Williams, who grabbed a British 1-2 at the European Championships, in the 400m.

American 100m hurdler David Oliver has been in form this season, clocking a personal best of 12.89 secs - just 0.02 secs off Dayron Robles's world record - in Paris, and has another chance in London to surpass the Cuban's best time. Britain's new European champion Andy Turner will also be present on Saturday.

American Jeremy Wariner, the Diamond Race leader in the 400m thanks to four victories in the series this season, will go head to head with closest rival Jermaine Gonzales of Jamaica.

And in the field events, there should be a three-way fight for victory in the men's triple jump when Britain's world and newly crowned European champion Phillips Idowu, Sweden's Christian Olsson and France's Teddy Tamgho face off.

There are two more Diamond League events this season - in Zurich on August 19 and in Brussels eight days later.

Perpignan get chance to avenge French rugby defeat

The two clash after a summer which has seen little transfer action while the season will also see the fewest number of foreign players involved than in previous campaigns.

There have been some interesting comings and goings, notably regarding ambitious outfit Toulon who are bidding to improve on their somewhat controversial semi-final loss to Clermont.

They lost Kiwi forward Sonny Bill Williams back to New Zealand but signed England winger Paul Sackey.

His proven try-scoring ability will first be put to the test at home to Bayonne, who have rebuilt since they were saved from relegation only by Montauban's failure to provide sufficient financial guarantees.

Fellow cash-rich club Racing-Metro, who reached the play-offs in their first campaign back in the elite, have also made what should be a good investment in Argentina's 'magic man' Juan Martin Hernandez, who returns from South Africa to former club Stade Francais' bitter city rivals.

Clermont's outstanding scrum-half Morgan Parra, who had a stellar season both in France's Six Nations Grand Slam side and for his club where he assumed kicking duties when Butch James form slipped, is clear they have to set aside what they
achieved last season.

"We mustn't forget what we achieved but then we have put it to a corner of our heads and focus on retaining the title. Winning it twice will be even more difficult," said Parra.

Perpignan will be looking to regain the title they won in 2009 and coach Jacques Brunel is keen to put memories of the Clermont defeat behind them.

"This is not about revenge," said Brunel, who has brought back veteran Australian back Manny Edmonds, who enjoyed a successful five-year spell with them from 2002-07.

"The final is lost, it is finished with and over. We begin another season, another story, a marathon that must see us get off to a good start and that it is against Clermont, is even better.

"They are a big team, who beat us not long ago, against whom we want to show our true worth."

Toulouse won the European Cup for the fourth time last season, but coach Guy Noves wants to reclaim the national title they last won in 2008.

However, they go into their home match with promoted Agen devoid of many of their foreign contingent including former All Black scrum-half Byron Kelleher, who is still recovering from a broken jaw suffered playing for the Barbarians.

Toulon take on Bayonne lacking key players such as South African captain Joe van Niekerk and veteran scrum-half Pierre Mignoni while there is a doubt over England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson who has a shoulder injury.

Stade Francais had a terrible season last term but what they hope is the start of a new golden era under highly-regarded Australian coach Michael Cheika begins at home - at the Charlety Stadium as their previous home Jean Bouin Stadium has been demolished - on Friday against Bourgoin.

Stade president Max Guazzini certainly believes that brighter times lie ahead and takes solace from what happened the last time Stade were not involved in the European Cup.

"Michael (Cheika) played for us. He is a personality who doesn't allow for any nonsense," said Guazzini.

"Regarding our not being in the European Cup, the last time we weren't involved was in 2002/2003 and we went on to be champions."
Fixtures (kick-offs in GMT):

Friday: Toulouse v Agen (1645), Brive v Racing-Metro, Biarritz v Montpellier, Toulon v Bayonne, Stade Francais v Bourgoin, Perpignan v Clermont (all 1700)

Zvonareva shrugs off rain to grab Cincy tennis win

The two Russians needed a total of six hours, 54 minutes to complete their match.

Zvonareva won 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), seizing the victory after a rain delay of two hours and 19 minutes that came with the 28th-ranked Kirilenko leading 5-2 in the third set.

When they returned to the court, Zvonareva won three straight games, and once she'd forced the tiebreaker she took control of that by winning the first three points.

"I always believe in myself," she said. "It doesn't matter if I'm down 5-0, I think I can win it."

Zvonareva, who is scheduled to face 11th-seeded Flavia Pennetta in the third round, did know that the match was her longest in one day.

"Sometimes, they're delayed to the next day, but as far as going back and forth in the same day, that's the longest," she said.

Third-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva became the highest seed to be sent packing as she fell to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-3 in another all-Russian clash.

"I had nothing to lose," said Pavlyuchenkova, who'd lost her previous two matches against Dementieva. "I just wanted to enjoy the match, give her a good game and focus on the future.

"I've had a lot of chances in my other matches against her, but on the deciding points, I would go for it and rush. This time, I tried to not make the same mistake and be more consistent. She didn't really start well, and I tried to take advantage."

Dementieva, ranked sixth in the world, blamed the steamy weather for what she described as the "worst match in a long time for me."

"I just felt like I wasn't into the game," she said. "My concentration wasn't there. I just wasn't ready 100 percent."

Pavlyuchenkova next plays 13th-seeded Israeli Shahar Peer, who moved on with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Nuria Llagostera Vives.

While Zvonareva needed almost seven hours to win, second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki needed just 51 minutes to advance with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Sybille Bammer.

Wozniacki had just four unforced errors to Bammer's 28.

Seventh-seeded Agnieska Radwanska advanced almost as easily, dismissing Alisa Kleybanova 6-4, 6-1.

Christina McHale, the last American in the tournament, stayed alive with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Ayumi Morita, setting up a third-round clash with defending US Open-champion Kim Clijsters.

Clijsters, the fourth seed, waited out a 54-minute rain delay after the first three games of the opening set and advanced with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Dinara Safina.

Their match came right after 10th-seeded Maria Sharapova beat Andrea Petkovic 6-3, 6-1.

Earlier, French Open champion Francesca Schiavone was toppled by Elena Vesnina 6-4, 6-4.

Schiavone, ranked eighth in the world and seeded fifth, won the first three games of the match but dropped six of the next seven. Vesnina then broke her to open the second set en route to the victory.

Pakistan rally frustrates England in Edgbaston Test

Zulqarnain Haider and Saeed Ajmal scored remarkable fifties as Pakistan fought back brilliantly against England on day three of the second Test.

Debutant Haider, who was reprieved by the review system after being given out first ball, made 88 to steer the tourists to 291-9, a lead of 112 runs.

Graeme Swann, who took a Test best 6-60, had reduced Pakistan to 101-6.

But Haider's partnerships with Mohammad Amir (16) and Saeed Ajmal (50) have given Pakistan hope of a shock victory.

It was an extraordinary comeback from Pakistan, who looked to be heading for another heavy defeat after slumping to 94-5 at lunch.

Haider's partnerships with Amir and Ajmal mixed discipline and courage with moments of class and aggression as England's bowlers were flayed to all areas of the ground.

And if conditions are favourable on Monday, Pakistan's bowlers could yet cause England some headaches as the home side chase a victory that would put them 2-0 up in the four-match series.

Andrew Strauss's men were surprisingly sloppy in the field, with several catches going down, while Matt Prior had an inconsistent day behind the stumps and Stuart Broad and Eoin Morgan fluffed run-out chances.

And perhaps more worryingly with the Ashes in mind, England's pace bowlers were far less effective when the ball did not swing, with Steven Finn and Broad letting their line and length stray later in the day.

Fortunately for England, Swann bowled superbly, taking four quick wickets either side of lunch and also broke the 105 stand between Haider and Ajmal.

His first wicket came with only his third delivery of the match - and 13th of the series - ending a partnership of 52 between Imran Farhat and Azhar Ali with a sensational ball to the left-handed Farhat, which drifted, gripped and turned from leg stump to clip the top of off stump.

It was the 20th time Swann has taken a wicket in the first over of a Test spell and an important breakthrough for England after Ali and Farhat, who was surprisingly dropped by Collingwood in the third over of the day, had begun to look settled.

Swann struck again in his next over, extracting alarming turn from the pitch to bowl Ali through the gate for 19.

Shoaib Malik, whose promotion from six to four in the batting line-up has done little to stiffen up Pakistan's top order, was the next to fall during a testing spell from Finn.

Malik withdrew his bat from a delivery which pitched outside off stump and straightened, but the ball brushed off his glove, gifting an easy catch to Prior.

Swann claimed his third wicket in the next over, with a delivery which did not turn as much but rapped Umar Akmal on the pads right in front of the stumps for a clear leg before wicket.

And it was almost two wickets in two balls as Haider was trapped by a ball which kept low. Umpire Steve Davis raised the finger again but a successful Pakistan referral showed the ball was missing leg stump.

Pakistan reached lunch on 94-5 but another wicket fell soon after the interval, with Swann drawing Umar Amin out of his crease and Prior pulling off a tidy stumping.

With six wickets down, it seemed as if an England victory was imminent but a disciplined partnership from Haider and Amir held England at bay for the remainder of the afternoon session.

Broad cut a particularly frustrated figure. Seemingly angered by the umpire's decision to turn down a caught-behind appeal, he rashly threw the ball at Haider, and in the following over he misdirected a throw to the bowlers' end when Amir was well out of his crease.

England took the new ball after tea and finally the breakthrough came in the fourth over when Amir threw his bat at a ball angled across him by Broad and Strauss snaffled the catch at first slip.

The seventh wicket seemed to be the signal for Haider to go on the offensive, clipping Finn through midwicket for four to bring up his fifty and take Pakistan into the lead.

Haider found a worthy ally in Ajmal, who received several blows from England's pacemen but counter-attacked superbly to reach fifty in a thoroughly entertaining partnership.

But just when the duo seemed destined to see Pakistan through to the close, Swann rediscovered some of the turn that had been so effective earlier in the day and Ajmal's edge was well caught by Collingwood at slip.

Haider followed soon afterwards when he mistimed a drive off Swann and was caught by Strauss, but Umar Gul (nine) and Mohammad Asif (13) batted well to keep the Pakistan innings afloat going into what promises to be an intriguing fourth day.

Andy Wood appointed Great Britain badminton head coach

Andy Wood has been appointed head coach of the Great Britain badminton team.

The experienced coach guided Olympic silver medallists Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms to glory on the mixed doubles world stage.

Wood, 47, was also Great Britain head coach at the Sydney and Athens Olympics and team leader in Beijing in 2008.

Badminton England chief executive Adrian Christy said: "Andy will play a pivotal role in establishing a truly world-class environment on court."

Badminton England also looks after the Great Britain badminton program and Christy has no doubt Wood's appointment will bring results.

"Our performance aspirations are all about achieving success and Andy's track record at European, Commonwealth, World and Olympic level is just the experience we were looking to secure," said Christy.

"I know he will prove a continued inspiration to our senior players as well as the next generation of talent we are very focused on developing."

In addition to his success with Robertson and Emms, Wood also coached Simon Archer and Joanne Goode to Britain's first Olympic badminton medal when they secured bronze at the Sydney Olympics.

"I am excited and challenged by this new role which allows me to be fully integrated across our performance group," said Wood.

"We have an exciting blend of talented youth and experienced achievers both within the playing squad and the coaching team.

"With everybody pulling together in an honest, driven, accountable environment then I believe we are very capable of achieving more consistent podium success on the international stage."

His first task in charge will be to take England's nine-strong squad to Copenhagen next week for intensive practice against Denmark's top players in preparation for the World Championships, which begin in Paris on 23 August.

He will then lead England's players at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October.

New GB amateur boxing tournament announced

Britain's top amateur boxers are to compete in a new annual competition to identify the best male and female fighters ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

The best boxers from England, Wales and Scotland will compete in Liverpool against members of GB's podium squads.

"This will be a high-quality competition that will provide a real test for the existing GB boxers," said GB performance director Rob McCracken.
Liverpool's Echo Area will host the event from 12-13 November.

The tournament - which will be called the GB Amateur Boxing Championships - will see a semi-final and final in each of the men's and women's weight categories (10 male and three female classes), with a maximum of 52 fighters on show.

Northern Irish amateur boxers will not be part of the tournament though. In amateur boxing, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland compete as a unified team.

If a boxer who is not currently part of the GB boxing set up wins their weight division, they will automatically be invited to join the squad as a funded athlete for an assessment period and stake a claim for selection at the world championships in 2011 and the London 2012 Olympics.

"The tournament will have an influence on the make-up of the Olympic squad as we move into 2011," added McCracken.

"It is an opportunity for all of the competitors to showcase their skills and stake a claim to be part of the team for 2012."

It is hoped that the tournament will increase competition within the amateur scene, keep podium boxers sharp and give an opportunity to anyone who is in form domestically a chance to stake their claim for inclusion in the GB squad.

"It is important for all our boxers to have regular competition and to be continually challenged in order to get the best out of them," McCracken told BBC Sport.

While victory will see someone added to the GB squad, defeat for a podium member will not necessarily mean they drop out.

"I know the boxers from England, Scotland and Wales will want to make their mark and without doubt the door is still wide open when it comes to gaining selection for the podium squad and hopefully gain Olympic selection. There is still time," added McCracken.

"There is a lot of potential in the home nations and this is a really good opportunity for them to showcase their talent."

With 6,000 tickets available, the tournament will also give Britain's boxers an early insight into the type of atmosphere they are likely to get fighting in front of their own supporters at the London games. Boxing at the Olympics will be held at the ExCel in London's Docklands.

"You can train as much as you want but nothing replicates competition and it is important that all our boxers get used to fighting in front of home fans and hopefully a big crowd with all the emotion that experience brings," said McCracken.
British amateur boxing is currently on a high following June's European Championships in which the team returned from Moscow with five medals (three silver and two bronze).

Bubba Watson shines in Ohio as Tiger Woods wobbles

Bubba Watson fired a first-round 64 to lead the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational by two shots as Tiger Woods looked set to lose his world number one ranking.
Watson carded seven birdies with Phil Mickelson, Graeme McDowell, Kenny Perry and Adam Scott two behind, while Woods struggled with a four-over-par 74.
Mickelson will top the rankings with a win or a top-four finish in Ohio if Woods finishes outside the top 37.

Lee Westwood can also become number one but ended the day with a one-over 71.
England's Westwood, runner-up in two majors in 2010, would secure top status with victory this week with Woods outside the top two, and could also take top spot if he was second if Woods is worse than ninth and Mickelson fails to land the title.

Woods, a 14-time major winner and seeking a record eighth win at the Firestone Country Club, managed just two birdies in a round blighted by six bogeys, including four on the front nine.

In pursuit of his first PGA Tour title this season, Woods missed nine of 14 fairways and totalled 32 putts while recording his worst score at Firestone in 45 rounds.

After finishing the opening round 10 strokes behind fellow American Watson, Woods said: "I didn't play well. The only thing I did well is I kept my patience out there, grinded all day.

"That was the best I could have done. It's frustrating because I warmed up well, my practice sessions at home were good and it was not indicative of how I've been playing."

Woods, who recently returned to the game following a self-imposed five-month exile in a bid to repair his marriage, added: "I've just got to hopefully get it to even par or under par for the tournament and then hopefully put together a good weekend and see where that puts me."

Woods' 270-week reign as world number one is seriously under threat following Mickelson's efforts on Thursday, with the Masters champion bouncing back from two early bogeys with five birdies after the turn - including holing a lob wedge from 50ft on the sixth, his 15th hole - for an inward 30.

US Open champion McDowell was also an impressive performer with five birdies to finish just two shots off Watson.

The left-handed Watson, who earned his maiden PGA Tour win at the Travelers Championship in June, made a steady start but then secured four successive birdies before dropping his only shot of the round at the 15th.

"I knew it was going to be tough but I putted really well, hit good iron shots and made it look a little bit easy," said the 31-year-old. "But we're not done yet. We've still got three tough days of golf to go."

The big-hitting Watson is 17th in the Ryder Cup standings, with the top eight players at the end of next week's US PGA earning automatic spots on the team for October's match in Wales.

"I'd give up my win to play the Ryder Cup. That's how much it means to me," said Watson, who took just 22 putts at Firestone.

Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy are four shots off the pace, with three-time major winner Padraig Harrington carding a 69, Luke Donald and Ross Fisher 70s and Justin Rose a 71.

Portugal's best big at Islas Canarias Santa Pro Jr

Portugal’s Ribeiro and Morais Control Day 2 of Islas Canarias Santa Pro Junior
La Cicer, Gran Canaria -- Day two of competition saw the start of event top seeds, ratings’ favourites and rising athletes delivering an exceptional show of surf in consistent three foot (one meter) waves at the main event venue of La Cicer.

Second-to-last event on this year’s ASP European Junior tour, the Islas Canarias Santa Surf Pro Junior witnessed a rise in pressure, all top seeds having in mind the importance of getting their campaign underway well starting with a win or a second place finish in their respective heats of Round 2.

Losing no time to show his peers he was definitely a contender for the title here in Gran Canaria was Portugal’s “next big thing” Vasco Ribeiro (Cascais, PRT), 16, the current regional ratings’ No. 15 netting the event’s second best heat score including an impressive 8.00 point ride.

“I felt pretty good today for my first heat in the event and was able to let go the pressure,” Ribeiro said. “The waves are a bit tricky but there are definitely some better sets and I am glad I managed to find that one with good potential.”

Ribeiro, who rushed to the front stage of European surfing last year along with fellow countryman and today’s other front runner Morais, confirmed once again he was soon to become one of the major threats of France’s recent domination.

“I am definitely thinking more about the ratings now because this event and the final one next week are crucial,” Ribeiro said. “My main goal is to finish inside the regional Top 4 and get to surf on the ASP World Junior Tour events of Bali and Narabeen. I am taking it heat after heat though and feeling well.”

Pushing Portugal’s domination further atop was last year Islas Canarias Santa Pro Junior runner-up Frederico Morais (Ericeira, PRT), 18, the natural-foot athlete throwing the fins out of each of his top-turns to easily win his battle and advance through to the final thirty-two pack.

“It is pretty similar to last year’s beach where I got that great result so I am really excited to compete in these fast-breaking peaky waves,” Morais said. “I am enjoyinh my time here and of course looking to do well but it’s still a long way to go. As any other event I go to, winning is a goal.”

Morais, who is considered one of Portugal’s best hopes towards a spot in the ASP Elite Top 32 in the upcoming years, will meet with other inform man of the event William Aliotti (Saint Martin, Caribbean, FRA) in Round 3.

“Things have changed this year on tour since guys like Marc (Lacomare) and Joan (Duru) have gone onto the ASP Star and Prime Series,” Morais said. “But things remain pretty tough and the level is high. If you look at the ratings’ current Top 15, anyone can climb into the Top 4 from now on.”

While Portugal’s representatives were clearly taking control of proceedings, France and Euskadi’s (Basque Country) soldiers were not far behind to score big and unleash their most progressive maneuvers to convince the ASP judging panel. Current ratings’ No.2 Tom Cloarec (Hossegor, FRA), Borja Agote (San Sebastian, EUK) and Germany’s lone rider Nico Von Rupp (Praia Grande, DEU) were among those securing their Round 3 ticket.

Tomorrow’s action features eight 4-man heats before the ASP Grade-2 Islas Canarias Santa Pro Junior enters it business end with its final sixteen athletes and the format to change to one-to-one match-ups from the Quarterfinals.