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The Australian cricket team has donated its $51,000 prize money for beating South Africa today to the Salvation Army’s bushfire relief fund.The Australian Cricket Board said it would match the $51,000, meaning a donation of $102,000 to help victims of the fires that have been burning around NSW fornearly two weeks.After accepting the winner’s cheque at the end of the third cricket Test against South Africa in Sydney, captain Steve Waugh said: “It’s been a great couple of weeks for the Australian team.”But while all this has been going on, the real heroes have been the firefighters saving lives and houses.”The Australian cricket team would like to donate all our prizemoney to the bushfire relief fund.”Earlier this week, Waugh said the team had been prepared to play a benefit match, but that wasn’t realistically possible given the crowded itinerary for the rest of the summer.He said the whole team agreed on the idea of donating the prize money.”We’ve been watching the news every night and quite a few of us have been affected by bushfires in the past.”It’s a small sacrifice from us, it’s not a large amount of money, but we thought it was the right way to go.”Prizemoney is usually divided among team members, which means today’s donation equates to about $4,000 for each of the 13 players who played in the series.

Sri Lanka inningsThe match was played at the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Ground Karachi. Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first. They opened the innings with Harish Ratnayake and Ishan Mutalip. They lost the 1st wicket at 33 when Harish was bowled by Indran for 9. The 2nd wicket also fell at 48. Ehsan Mutalip, however, remained in command of the game punishing the Malaysian bowlers well and proper. After playing an aggressive innings of 61 he was trapped LBW by Sathiswaran. His excellent innings that spanned over 70 balls contained 5 fours. Sri Lanka was now 117 for 3.Another enterprising innings that mounted Sri Lanka’s total was played by Jehan Jayasuriya who scored a scintillating 69 in 63 balls included 6 exciting hits to the boundary and a towering six. The 4th wicket was down at 185. In 38 overs, Sri Lanka was 213 for 4.The third batsman who joined in Sri Lanka’s grand run spree was Jeewan Mendis who contributed valiant 65 in 59 balls with the help of 5 fours. Supplemented by 37 extras conceded by Malaysia, Sri Lanka ended the innings with a massive total of 289 for the loss of 8 wickets. B. Indran clinched 4 wickets for 61 runs.Malaysia inningsFacing a massive target of 290 runs, Malaysia crumbled for a total of 70 runs in 21 overs. Maroof Mohammad (18), Mohammad Yusairi (11) and Mr. EXTRAS (18) were the major contributors to the petty total. The wickets were evenly shared with Wijesiriwarkdena claiming the maximum of 3 for 14 runs in 5 overs. Sri Lanka defeated Malaysia by a humiliating margin of 219 runs.

Aaron Finch ‘s disastrous Twenty20 campaign for Yorkshire looks likely to end prematurely because of a foot injury.The news continues a bleak sequence for Finch in T20 cricket. He played only three matches without success for Mumbai Indians in IPL – his fifth IPL franchise – before his tournament ended early because of a damaged hamstring.He was also taken to hospital after been hit on the chest while desperately searching for form in Yorkshire’s 2nd XI, struck while attempting to pull Worcestershire 2nd XI seamer Chris Russell.Finch has made only 76 in six innings for Yorkshire and sat out their defeat on Sunday against the bottom club, Derbyshire, which saw their hopes of a stealing quarter-final place hanging by a thread.The Australian batsman has a suspected stress reaction in his right foot and did not play the four-wicket defeat to Derbyshire at Chesterfield, which left Yorkshire needing to win their last three games to stand even a faint chance of reaching the knockout stages.Finch sustained the injury during Friday’s match against Durham at Headingley, and Yorkshire’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon admitted he may not play again for the club this year.”In a worst-case scenario, it could be the end of the season for him,” said Moxon. “It’s not looking great; he’s had a scan and, from an initial reading of that scan, it looks as though there’s some kind of a stress reaction.”We’re going to get another reading on it and, hopefully, a conclusive diagnosis, but it looks as though Finchy could be out for a while. He set off to run for a ball in the field on Friday, and he felt a little crack in his foot; he must have had his weight at the wrong angle, or something.”Moxon confirmed that Glenn Maxwell, the club’s other overseas player, would cover for Finch if he is unable to return from this latest setback, which follows a recent hamstring injury.Finch has also played only two Championship matches for Yorkshire, who are top odf the table with strong hopes of retaining their title.The contribution from their second Australian star, Glenn Maxwell, has also been disappointing: remove an unbeaten 92 against Nottinghamshire and he has made only 120 runs in nine knocks and, like Finch, has only played twice in the Championship.

West Brom managed to snatch an unexpected draw in their previous Championship game against Huddersfield Town with two late goals from Karlan Grant and Andy Carroll rescuing a point for the Baggies after they found themselves 2-0 down with 74 minutes on the clock.

Tonight, the Midlands club are back in action against another tough side as Fulham make the trip to the Hawthorns as they look to increase their hefty lead at the top of the league table.

On the chalkboard

One player that did start against Huddersfield that shouldn’t be in the team on this occasion is defender Semi Ajayi.

Despite assisting Carroll’s dramatic goal against the Terriers, the centre-back showed in that game that he may not be the best defensive option for the Baggies as he failed to block any shots or make any interceptions or tackles.

He also showed that he can be a liability at times in terms of his defensive play having lost six of the eight duels he was involved in last week and getting dribbled past on three occasions.

This ultimately earned the 28-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £13k-per-week according to Salary Sport, a disappointing overall match rating of 6.3 from SofaScore, making him the lowest-rated Baggies player on the day, which would have presumably been even lower had he not grabbed the assist that gained his team a point.

Having been slammed in the past for being “very poor” on the ball and dropping a “stinker” of a performance against QPR earlier in the season by West Brom podcaster Adrian Goldberg, Ajayi has shown that he isn’t the most consistent of performers.

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With this in mind and the fact that tonight’s opponents have scored a whopping 90 goals in 36 league games this season, it’s safe to say that the Midlands club will need to be at their very best to get a positive result against Marco Silva’s side, which could then lead to the Nigerian being left out of the team.

In other news: Sold for £10m, now worth £2.7m: Dowling sealed WBA masterclass on £60k-p/w “disaster” – opinion

Fabrice Muamba has spoken out about his last moments before collapsing on the White Hart Lane pitch. The Bolton midfielder spoke of how he felt incredibly dizzy and started to see double before keeling over on the pitch. Muamba has now been fitted with what he describes as a ‘heart seatbelt’ that will keep his heart beating even if he has another lapse.

Elsewhere in the news Harry Redknapp remains confident of a top four finish; Mancini believes he doesn’t deserve the sack, while Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at the Olympic selection process.

Headlines

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Harry Redknapp remains confident of a top four finish despite slumping to yet another defeat in the Premier League – Guardian

Sir Alex Ferguson has bemoaned the whole Olympic selection process and believes it could potentially leave United in ‘absolute chaos’ – Guardian

Roberto Mancini believes he has done too well to get sacked and is unconcerned over his future – Guardian

Tottenham are preparing a £10m bid for Hugo Lloris to replace Brad Friedel who turns 41 next month – Mirror

Theo Walcott has been ruled out for the season with a hamstring injury but should be fit for Euro 2012 – BBC

Adam Johnson suggested that if Manchester City fails to win the title it will be a huge blow for the football club – Sun

Fabrice Muamba has spoken of his last moments before he collapsed on the White Hart Lane pitch – Daily Mail

Wayne Rooney has stuck up for Ashley Young has says his teammate is no diver – Sun

Rafa van der Vaart have revealed that he is happy to remain at Tottenham, even if they fail to make the Champions League this season – Sun

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Kenny Dalglish has no regrets coming back into the Liverpool hot seat – Daily Mail

Arsenal are set to move for Fiorentina’s Adem Ljajic in the summer transfer window – Metro

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Lille striker Gervinho is set to announce this week which club he will join in the summer. The player has admitted a liking for the Premier League with Newcastle planning a bid of around £9.5m but there is also likely to be interest from Liverpool and Arsenal. There is also likely to be interest from Spain and Germany, so there is certainly no shortage of offers for talented Ivorian.

Gervinho’s actual name is Gervais Yao Kouassi who plays as striker for Lille in French Lique 1 – although the player can also play as a winger. Gervinho started his professional career in Belgium playing for Beveren – where he scored 14 league goals in around 2 seasons. In 2007, he moved to France and played for Le Mans and impressed despite the fact that he only scored 8 goals from 59 appearances.

In May, 2008 Gervinho was linked with a move away from Le Mans with other French teams interested but Arsenal were also linked. After hearing about the interest from Arsenal Gervinho suggested it would be a dream to play for the North London club. However, despite the continued interest from Arsenal his next move occurred in France from Le Mans to Lille for a fee of 8 million Euros.

Since moving to Lille Gervinho has really started to fulfil that potential with his goal-scoring; this season hitting 15 goals. The 24 year old striker has also made a number of appearances for his country, since making his debut in 2007. Since then he has made 19 appearances and scored 5 goals. Despite interest from a number of clubs reports in France suggest that Arsenal is the team he is most likely to join. It will certainly be interesting to see how he gets on in the Premier League if those reports proved to be correct. However, the African players that have come in to the English top flight have generally done well – so there is no reason to think Gervinho will be any different.

Check out this video on Gervinho:

[youtube ZtfQXaYG-v0&feature=fvst]

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Both Manchester United and England fans’ hearts must have sunk when they heard the news that Owen Hargreaves’ long awaited return for Manchester United had only lasted five minutes. Thankfully for Owen Hargreaves, it was only a hamstring injury, that to be totally fair could have happened to anyone on the pitch. However, how long can Manchester United hold onto the hope that Hargreaves will be the same player that won both the Premier League and Champions League in his first season at Old Trafford. When Owen Hargreaves’ contract expires he will be 30. Is it time for Manchester United to move into the transfer market and look to replace the England international.

The worry for Manchester United fans must be the interview from Sir Alex Ferguson directly after the 2-1 win against Wolves. Ferguson spoke to Manchester radio station, Key 103 and gave his thoughts on why Hargreaves broke down only five minutes into his return.

‘It is possibly because of a lack of match fitness,’ Ferguson told Manchester radio station Key103. ‘Maybe a bit of anxiety at playing his first game had a bit to do with it too.’

This is the issue that Ferguson has to contend with. Does the manager have any faith in Hargreaves’ mental state. Before his return against Sunderland last season. Ferguson again stated that it was actually Hargreaves’ own mental state that was holding him back from returning. It is very difficult to damn a player who has worked so hard to get himself into a position where he was ready to play, but if his mental state isn’t right it seems unfair on the player to keep building him up only for his confidence to be knocked every time he breaks down. Owen Hargreaves is an exceptional player, but he is no use to Manchester United on the bench. Unfortunately it is time to look at replacing the midfielder.

In January Manchester United need to enter the transfer market in search of a world class defensive midfielder, who at the same time has the passing ability and work rate of Hargreaves. United’s top target should be Lassana Diarra of Real Mardid. With Jose Mourinho purchasing Sami Khedira it seems that Diarra is not needed at the Bernabeu. Diarra is only 23 and would retain his sell on value, a factor that should interest Ferguson. Diarra has also spoken of his frustration of being on the bench at the Bernabeu and has suggested he will be looking for first team football in January.

Manchester United need a player like Diarra. A strong robust midfielder, who has grown up since his days at Arsenal and Chelsea. Diarra would offer United a greater balance to the midfield. At the moment the problems are clear. Michael Carrick can’t tackle and Darren Fletcher’s distribution is poor at times. Added to this the fact that Paul Scholes can’t play every week, United have midfield issues. Diarra would without doubt give greater stability and freedom to Manchester United’s midfield.

Manchester United have waited too long for Owen Hargreaves to return – and to return the player he once was. The fear must be that Manchester United could wait even longer, to find out that Hargreaves will never be the player he once was. Have United waited long enough for the player to prove his fitness. The reality has to be they have, and they must look at replacing the midfielder. Without doubt, there is so much admiration and respect for Hargreaves in the way he has battled to get back to a position of recovery.

However, when the problem has moved from mental to physical, can Manchester United hold on to much hope of him returning and commanding a starting place in the team. I am not saying for one minute that Manchester United should hang Hargreaves out to dry – far from it. The facts are United need Hargreaves playing week in week out. If this is not possible, and the events of the last week suggest this, its time to look at replacing the midfielder.

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Kenny Dalglish has called upon Raheem Sterling to do his talking on the pitch, amid talk that the youngster is growing impatient at the lack of first team chances.

According to reports in the Daily Mail, Sterling has been frustrated at his failure to break into the first team picture and supposed ‘broken promises’ about his opportunities in and around the team.

Tottenham are reportedly monitoring the situation closely and have sent scouts to watch the 16-year-old in recent weeks, in case Sterling decides to call time on his short career at Liverpool.

Sterling is one of the brightest talents at the football club and there has been a clamour for him to get his chance; however Dalglish clearly doesn’t believe he is ready and has called upon the youngster to prove to himself on the pitch, rather than relying on what is said about him in the newspapers:

“You earn the right to a run out by what you do on the pitch, not by what is said in newspapers.”

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Tottenham Hotspur favourite and former Argentina international Osvaldo Ardiles has heralded Barcelona as the ‘future of the football’.Barca defeated Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, capturing their fourth European Cup in emphatic fashion.

It was their second Champions League triumph in three years under coach Pep Guardiola, whose reign has also yielded three consecutive Spanish league titles.

Speaking at Sunday’s London Legends’ Cup, a post-season tournament contested by retired players at Fulham’s Craven Cottage, 1978 World Cup winner Ardiles had no hesitation in declaring this Barca side one of the greatest.

“Barcelona are the team to beat, they are the best team in the world,” Ardiles said.

“I think they are probably one of the best in the history of football. I think they are an extraordinary team with a few wonderful players like Lionel Messi.”

“I think they are going to reign in football for a long, long time. They are all very young as well, it’s a real pleasure.”

“It’s the future of football, this is how football is going to be played in the future certainly.”

Fulham boss Mark Hughes has defended Danny Murphy, after the midfielder came under attack for comments criticising fellow Premier League teams for an over-physical approach.

Murphy named Stoke City, Wolves and Blackburn Rovers as sides he felt stepped over the mark and has since been attacked by the managers of each of those three clubs, as well as a number of other leading figures.

However, Hughes believes that Murphy was merely speaking his mind and making a pertinent point.

He commented:"You must recognise that Danny is at the coalface. In his view in certain games against certain opposition, opponents have over-stepped the mark.

"You have to accept that because even as a manager you don't know the intent of somebody.

"As a player I knew when someone was over-stepping the line or just making a fair and competitive tackle.

"There's a lot been said about Danny being disrespectful to the managers, but having had conversations with him he has huge respect for the managers of the teams he mentioned.

"Maybe the fact we had recent history against the teams he mentioned was fresh in his mind and he was giving examples.

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"We're disappointed by the reaction to it. You must respect he has an opinion. He was being honest.

"He's an honest guy and has forthright views. He's quite prepared to have his say. He's probably been surprised by the reaction."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email