AAO KHELEIN

An extraordinary 135 not out off just 58 balls from Sam Billings and a century from Sam Northeast led Kent to a nail-biting Royal London Cup win in a match featuring 754 runs via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

Minor league pitcher Evan Reed says he passed a polygraph test earlier this year after he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a downtown Detroit hotel. Reed, who appeared in 27 games for the Detroit Tigers, was arraigned Thursday and appeared in court via video on two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. A not guilty plea was entered for Reed, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 12. Reed was on the Opening Day roster for the Detroit Tigers but was sent down to the minor leagues in June. The 28-year-old right-hander now plays for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. Wayne County prosecutors said the 45-year-old woman met Reed at a bar in the suburbs on March 30, and she "began to feel odd" after consuming alcohol. They took a cab to the MotorCity Casino Hotel. His lawyer has said Reed and the woman had consensual sex, and Reed echoed that Thursday during a news conference after the hearing. "There was just never force, there was never incapacitat...

. The Argentine Basketball Federation announced the decision on Thursday. The World Cup will be played starting Aug. 30 in Spain, and Ginobili's loss is a big blow for Argentina's chances. The 37-year-old Ginobili played through the injury while helping the Spurs beat the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. He has long relished international competition, but the San Antonio Express-News first reported earlier this week that the Spurs requested Ginobili not play in Spain because of the lingering issue. Skipping the World Cup will help Ginobili recover and be ready for next season with the Spurs. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1pu2F1k

The Boston Red Sox traded right-hander John Lackey to the St. Louis Cardinals for right-hander Joe Kelly and outfielder Allen Craig before Thursday's deadline. The deal leaves the Red Sox without their top two starters. Both teams announced the move a few hours after the struggling Red Sox said they had sent their No. 1 starter, left-hander Jon Lester, to the Oakland Athletics with outfielder Jonny Gomes and cash for slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and a 2015 draft pick. The Red Sox also sent cash and minor league left-hander Cory Littrell to St. Louis. Lackey is 11-7 with a 3.60 ERA in the fourth year of a five-year, $82.5 million deal. Kelly is 2-2 with a 4.37 ERA in seven starts. He has made four starts since being activated from the disabled list on July 11. Craig is batting .237 with seven homers and 44 RBIs. Lackey has had two strong seasons since being sidelined for all of 2012 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He was 10-13 with a 3.52 ERA last year when he pitched hi...

Maximo Gonzalez of Argentina and David Goffin of Belgium reached the Kitzbuehel Cup semifinals on a rain-soaked Thursday, while top-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany lost. Gonzalez upset third-seeded Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, while Goffin downed Paolo Lorenzi of Italy 6-2, 6-1. The two remaining quarterfinals were postponed until Friday. The 104th-ranked Gonzalez lost the second set from 4-2 up but broke Rosol twice in the final set. He will next play Goffin, who hasn't dropped a set in 18 straight wins since Wimbledon, including three challenger events he won. In second-round play, Lorenzi defeated last week's Gstaad champion, Pablo Andujar of Spain, 6-2, 6-0, and Goffin won the last five games to complete a 6-3, 7-5 win over Kohlschreiber. Goffin held on to an early break to win the opening set, and saved three set points against the German after dropping 5-2 down in the second. The match was postponed from Wednesday due to rain. Defending champio...

Repair crews are shoring up a giant hole on Sunset Boulevard caused by a ruptured water main, as officials at the University of California, Los Angeles, continue to assess damage from a 20 million-gallon flood that hit the campus. The Department of Water and Power's Mike Miller says workers are reinforcing the site Thursday and making the 56-by-41 foot crater safe for crews. Meanwhile workers off-site are fashioning new valves and a replacement for the burst section of the century-old steel main line. The DWP says repairs along normally busy Sunset Boulevard likely won't be completed until the weekend. UCLA says six facilities were damaged Tuesday and about 960 vehicles remained trapped in garages, with many below water left behind by the roiling flood. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1m2eojP

The hearing into the Trent Bridge incident between James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja is scheduled on Friday, with massive implications on the series via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

Jonathan Trott's century for Warwickshire failed to dampen the 150th anniversary celebrations in Gosforth as Durham claimed victory via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

Minor league pitcher Evan Reed says he passed a polygraph test earlier this year after he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a downtown Detroit hotel. Reed was arraigned Thursday, appearing in court via video on two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. A not guilty plea was entered for Reed, and a preliminary examination is scheduled for Aug. 12. Reed was on the Opening Day roster for the Detroit Tigers and appeared in 27 games for them before being sent down to the minors in June. The 28-year-old right-hander now plays for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. Wayne County prosecutors say the 45-year-old woman met Reed at a bar in the suburbs on March 30, and she "began to feel odd" after consuming alcohol. They took a cab to the MotorCity Casino Hotel. His lawyer has said Reed and the woman had consensual sex, and Reed echoed that Thursday during a news conference after the hearing. "There was just never force, there was never incapacitation, there was ne...

Ray Rice stepped to the microphone, took a deep breath and spoke for 17 minutes about what he called "the biggest mistake of his life." His arrest for domestic violence against his then-fiancee last February is something Rice figures will haunt him long after NFL career has ended. The Baltimore Ravens running back was arrested on assault charges following a Feb. 15 altercation in New Jersey in which he allegedly struck Janay Palmer. Rice has been accepted into a diversion program, which upon completion could lead to the charges being dropped. "My actions that night were totally inexcusable," said Rice, who during Ravens training camp Thursday spoke publicly for the first time since receiving a two-game suspension from the NFL. "My daughter is 2 years old now. One day she's going to know the power of Google. Me having to explain that to her, what happened that night, that's something I have to live with the rest of my life." Rice was referring to a ...

Glasgow: Indian wrestlers put on an inspiring show winning two gold medals and a silver and bronze each on the last day of the wrestling competition in the 2014 Commonwealth Games at the SECC Hall here Thursday. Olympic medallist Yogeshwar Dutt and Babita Kumari clinched the gold medals while Geetika Jakhar and Pawan Kumar got the silver and the bronze medal respectively. Indian wrestlers finished with a total of 13 medals - five gold, six silver and two bronze. The four medals, including two gold medals, on the last day made up for Wednesday's disappointment when India missed out on four gold medals. The first gold medal of the day came from Babita, who beat Canada's Brittanee Laverdure in the final of the women's 55kg freestyle category. The 24-year-old Babita, who had bagged the silver in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, won 9-2 against the 32-year-old Brittanee, who ended up injuring her finger during the bout. Babita dominated most of the proceedings and it was only in th...

Glasgow: Discus thrower Vikas Gowda won India's first gold medal from athletics in the 2014 Commonwealth Games at the Hampden Park Stadium here Thursday. The 31-year-old Gowda converted the silver he had won four years ago in New Delhi in to the yellow metal with a best throw of 63.64 metres. Cypriot Apostolos Parellis took the silver with 63.32m and Jamaican Jason Morgan held on to the bronze with a best throw of 62.34m. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1u4iI7n

Glasgow: The Indian men's hockey team won their fourth and final Pool A game 5-2 against South Africa Thursday to qualify for the Commonwealth Games semi-finals where they will take on New Zealand at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre here Saturday. India needed to at least draw the contest to have any chance of qualifying for the last four and they did it in style by thrashing the Africans, for whom it was a must-win contest. India finished second in Pool A with three wins out of four matches behind defending champions Australia, who won all four matches to top the group. In the other semi-final Saturday, World No.1 Australia will take on England. India got into business right at the start to earn their first penalty corner in the third minute. Drag-flicker V.R. Raghunath made no mistake in converting the opportunity to open the account for the 2010 silver medallists. India earned another penalty corner in the next minute but this time it was saved by agile South African goalkeep...

Eoin Morgan smashed a brilliant 128 not out from 86 balls to lead Middlesex to a morale-boosting six-wicket victory against London rivals Surrey via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

A Rhode Island man has sued Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo over the phrase "CR7." Christopher Renzi filed the lawsuit Monday in federal court in Providence against the Real (ray-AHL') Madrid forward and a Danish company, JBS Textile Group. The company sells underwear with the phrase "CR7," a combination of Ronaldo's initials and jersey number. Renzi says he uses the trademark — granted in 2009 — on clothing and that he's also used it for a seven-minute exercise program. He says in his lawsuit that "CR7" is a combination of his own initials and the day he was born, Oct. 7. JBS Textile sells CR7 underwear, socks and other items in Europe and hopes to start selling in the U.S. soon. Its lawyer would not comment. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1xG9heF

Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki plans to play a full tournament schedule this fall while fitting in time to train for the New York City Marathon. The former No. 1 player said Thursday that she long had wanted to do a marathon and decided before Wimbledon that she could pull it off this year. She says seeking this challenge wasn't an attempt to distract herself from her personal life — golfer Rory McIlroy broke off their engagement in late May. Wozniacki says she typically runs for a half-hour at a time in training and plans to add hour-long runs to prepare for the 26.2-mile race. The 24-year-old Dane says the longest she's ever run is 10 kilometers — less than a quarter of a marathon. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1o9yX1L

The Oakland Athletics won the Jon Lester sweepstakes, acquiring the left-hander and outfielder Jonny Gomes from the Boston Red Sox for slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes before Thursday's trade deadline. Oakland, with the best record in baseball at 66-41, also received cash from Boston in another blockbuster deal by A's general manager Billy Beane. The Red Sox also get a draft pick in a deal confirmed by both teams. A few hours later, the Red Sox traded their No. 2 starter, right-hander John Lackey, to the St. Louis Cardinals for right-hander Joe Kelly and outfielder Allen Craig, a person with knowledge of the deal said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because neither club announced that trade. Lester is having an outstanding season with a 10-7 record and career-best 2.52 ERA in 21 starts. He's allowed seven earned runs in his last eight games with 54 strikeouts and nine walks. But the Red Sox put him on the trading block because he can b...

A California state senator previously charged with bribery has pleaded not guilty to a new charge of racketeering. State Sen. Leland Yee also pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of accepting and soliciting bribes in exchange for help in Sacramento. The counts were included in a new indictment issued last week. It also alleges that the San Francisco Democrat offered to help pass legislation making it harder for professional football players to obtain workers compensation in California, in exchange for campaign contributions from an unidentified NFL owner. The new racketeering charge accuses Yee of orchestrating a wide-range of criminal activity. The indictment also includes corruption charges previously denied by Yee. The California Senate has suspended Yee but he continues to get paid. He could face 20 years in prison if convicted. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1o9yWuX

The Sierra Leone soccer team has been banned from traveling to the Seychelles for an African Cup of Nations qualifier because of fears over the deadly Ebola virus. Players and officials were barred from boarding a plane Thursday in Nairobi, Kenya, that would have taken them to the Seychelles capital of Victoria for Saturday's game. The BBC reported that Seychelles immigration authorities decided not to allow the Sierra Leone party to travel to the Indian Ocean island because of Ebola. The virus has killed more than 700 people in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria. The BBC also said Seychelles forfeited Saturday's game and a place in next year's African Cup as a result. The Seychelles Football Federation could not immediately be reached for comment. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1o9yWeo

Jack Taylor claimed four wickets as Gloucestershire made it back-to-back Royal London Cup successes with a 35-run victory over Hampshire at Bristol via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

Colin Munro and Colin de Grandhomme both struck rapid centuries to help New Zealand A sink Northamptonshire by 70 runs via the D/L method in a rain-affected clash at the County Ground via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

Derbyshire surrendered their 100 per cent record in the Royal London Cup in frustrating fashion when rain cut short a run-chase against Worcestershire at New Road via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

Kolkata, July 31 (IANS) Egged on by team owner and bollywood hero Abhishek Bachchan, Jaipur's Pink Panthers edged out a highly rated Telugu Titans 46-32 to register their first win of the Pro-Kabaddi League Thursday. The result also signified Telugu's first defeat after clinching a last minute draw against the table toppers U Mumba in the first match. Maninder Singh and Jasvir Singh of Pink Panthers wrecked havoc in their raids into the Telugu Titans half, giving Abhishek a chance to try out his Thai 5 before 5000 odd supporters who cheered lustily for Junior Bachchan. They had a crouching tiger approach with lone defender Gokul Shitole coming behind the raider and as he blocked the way back, Rajesh Narwal and Rohit Rana effected perfect leg holds to kill any chance of further offence. At one point Jaipur were on 13 to Telugu's 7. However, Telugu recovered after the initial nerves and quality raids from Deepak Nivas Mudda and Sukes Hegde meant they finished the first half a...

The Boston Red Sox have traded right-hander John Lackey to the St. Louis Cardinals for right-hander Joe Kelly and outfielder Allen Craig before Thursday's deadline, a person with knowledge of the deal said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because neither club announced the trade. Earlier, the Red Sox sent their top starter, left-hander Jon Lester, to the Oakland Athletics with outfielder Jonny Gomes and cash for slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and a 2015 draft pick. Lackey was 11-7 with a 3.60 ERA as the No. 2 starter in Boston's rotation. Kelly is 2-2 with a 4.37 ERA in seven starts. He has made four starts since being activated from the disabled list on July 11. Craig is batting .237 with seven homers and 44 RBIs. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1oRxC0m

Elena Delle Donne will return to the Chicago sky lineup against the New York Liberty on Thursday night after missing 17 of the last 18 games because of a recurrence of Lyme disease. Delle Donne says she is not feeling 100 percent, but is good enough to be back on the court. The reigning rookie of the year will come off the bench and plans to play about 20 minutes. The 6-foot-5 forward was averaging 21.2 points this season. The Sky announced June 27 that Delle Donne would be sidelined indefinitely because of the disease. Since then, the team has gone 4-8 without its star to fall into last place in the Eastern Conference. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1ADL9h1

Glasgow: Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt won the fifth wrestling gold medal for India beating Jevon Balfour of Canada in the final of the men's freestyle 65kg category in the 2014 Commonwealth Games at the SECC Hall here Thursday. Yogeshwar was declared the winner on grounds of technical superiority after he took a 10-0 lead within 1.53 minutes of the first period. It was also the second gold medal of the day after Babita Kumari's triumph in the women's freestyle 55kg category. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1ADLaBC

Dinesh Chandimal made a difference in his first match on tour, scoring a century and extending Sri Lanka A's winning run on tour via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

There will doubtless be tough days ahead but England appear to have turned a corner. ESPNcricinfo assesses where the team is after levelling the series via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

A Michigan man who has a rare genetic disorder that affects his facial features is suing former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and two others for mocking a selfie he posted online. Jahmel Binion filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Macomb County Circuit Court seeking more than $25,000 in damages. The Detroit Free Press says Binion took a picture of himself last summer, and it later was mocked by O'Neal on Instagram and Twitter. A number of others mocked it online as well. According to The Macomb Daily, Binion has hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, which is characterized by a reduced ability to sweat, sparse hair growth, missing teeth and facial deformities. Upon learning about Binion's condition, O'Neal apologized in April. The Associated Press on Thursday left messages for two O'Neal representatives. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1ptJJ2L

A Scottish court has ordered an Australian medal winner to pay compensation to a Welsh weightlifter after he admitted head-butting him in the athletes' village at the Commonwealth Games. Francois Etoundi, also a weightlifter, assaulted Gareth Evans early Wednesday after a verbal exchange relating to the Welshman's girlfriend. At Glasgow Sheriff Court, Sheriff Andrew Cubie ordered Etoundi to pay 400 pounds ($675) compensation to Evans for causing injury. Cubie says Etoundi brought "the law of the playground" into the village, adding that his behavior "undermines the concept of the friendly games." The Cameroon-born Etoundi, who won the bronze medal in the 77-kilogram (170-pound) division on Sunday, had already been stripped of his games accreditation after being arrested. Evans was fifth in the 62-kilogram (137-pound) division. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1koL1gN

Since Florida's frontier days when cattlemen drove their herds through the state's vast fields and forests, ranchers and native panthers have been natural enemies. The ranchers seek to nurture and protect their calves, while the panthers see them as prey. Human development won the battle, driving the large, tawny cats to the brink of extinction before successful efforts to restore them began decades ago. But with Florida's panther population recovering, some ranchers complain the protected 6-to-7-foot long predators are once again killing their calves. Now, university research supports that claim, at least in one part of southwest Florida. A University of Florida researcher hired by federal wildlife officials has found that panthers are killing calves in an area where the predatory felines are thriving. Her study, the first to quantify the kills and losses, was given to The Associated Press exclusively. The research marks the first step toward the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser...

Ohio State University's fired marching band director was working to fix a vulgar culture "in dire need of change" before he was dismissed last week, he said in a document released by his attorney. The university fired Jonathan Waters last week after the two-month investigation concluded he knew about, but failed to stop, a "sexualized culture" of rituals that included students being pressured to march in their underwear and to perform sexually themed stunts that yielded often-explicit nicknames. Waters detailed the changes he was trying to make in a seven-page document prepared when the university began investigating allegations of sexual harassment within the band. His attorney released the document Wednesday night. In the document, Waters said that he recognized upon taking over the band 20 months earlier that aspects of its culture were "vestiges representing cultural norms from eras gone by" and that culture needed to change. He said the band staff...

' 18-game winning streak. To equal that mark, the Mercury need to win two more games, starting with defending champion Minnesota on Thursday night. The Lynx have dominated Phoenix recently, winning 14 straight over the Mercury from 2011-13. Phoenix finally was able to end that skid this year, taking the first two games from the defending champions, which started off this current 16-game run. Still, that Lynx team wasn't at 100 percent yet with stars Rebekkah Brunson and Seimone Augustus missing the games because of injuries. "Everyone keeps bringing it up," said Griner, whose offseason playing experience this past winter in China was documented in a video — Lifesize — by ESPN as part of the network's IX for IX series that debuted Wednesday morning. "They weren't at their full strength, they are now. It's a good test for us against a very good team in this league." Griner is well aware of winning streaks and how they don't mean much if the end...

India captain MS Dhoni admitted India had to discuss what their best XI is but rubbished the implication that his four-bowlers strategy was defensive via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

, Mo. (AP) — Eric Berry left Chiefs practice on Thursday after hurting his lower right leg, the second injury that the Pro Bowl safety has sustained so far in training camp. Berry missed some time earlier with a dislocated finger. It was unclear what happened to Berry during one of the early sessions of practice at Missouri Western. He was checked by trainers in the injury tent next to the field, then talked with other team officials on the sideline before leaving the field on a cart. Berry was able to put weight on the leg, but was noticeably limping. Chiefs coach Andy Reid was expected to discuss the nature and severity of the injury after practice. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1u3zdk9

A person with knowledge of the trade says the Oakland Athletics have won the Jon Lester sweepstakes, acquiring the left-hander along with outfielder Jonny Gomes from the Boston Red Sox for slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes before Thursday's trade deadline. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because neither club announced the deal. Lester was sought by many teams, including Pittsburgh and the Los Angeles Dodgers, when A's general manager Billy Beane pulled off another blockbuster trade. Lester is 10-7 with a 2.52 ERA in 21 starts. Cespedes won the past two Home Run Derbys at the All-Star game. He is in the third season of a $36 million, four-year contract he signed before 2012. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1u3zdk1

Stats highlights from the final day of the third Investec Test at Ageas Bowl via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

Two-time major champion Li Na is pulling out of the U.S. Open because of a knee injury. The only tennis player from China to win a Grand Slam singles title is also withdrawing from hard-court events in Montreal and Cincinnati over the next two weeks. Li says Thursday in a posting on Facebook that she has "been struggling" with her knee since March "and it is just not where I need it to be in order to play at the highest level." The U.S. Tennis Association tells The Associated Press that Li informed the tournament she won't play. The U.S. Open begins Aug. 25. Li won the Australian Open in January for her second major title. She also won the 2011 French Open. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1pIyOPU

Glasgow: Indian wrestlers continued their impressive run with Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt, Geetika Jakhar and Babita Kumar all qualifying for the final and Pawan Kumar staying in the hunt for a bronze medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games here Thursday. India have won nine medals - three gold, five silver and a bronze - from wrestling and are assured of at least three silvers. Yogeshwar, who had won the gold in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, will be facing Canada's Jevon Balfour in the men's freestyle 65kg category. It is the first time that Yogeshwar is participating in a major tournament ever since he made a move to the 65kg category after his pet 60kg was removed by world body FILA last year. Yogeshwar had won the bronze in the 2012 London Games in the 60kg. Yogeshwar raced away with a 11-0 win over Scotsman Alex Gladkov in the Round of 16. The 31-year-old Indian again disappointed the Scottish fans beating Gareth Jones 10-0 in the quarterfinal and booked his place...

Lexus has signed a two-year contract to sponsor the USA Pro Cycling Challenge as part of a move by the luxury automaker to get more involved with the sport on a global basis. Lexus will become the official vehicle of the Colorado stage race, which begins Aug. 18 in Aspen. It also will provide a three-year lease of one of its hybrids to the winner and become the presenting partner for the jersey awarded to the race's top sprinter. Lexus also announced Thursday that it will provide 125 cars for the race-day caravans. Last year, Lexus commissioned 100 special-edition road bikes designed to demonstrate some shared characteristics between its cars and bikes. The frames use the same carbon-fiber material that Lexus developed for its LFA supercar. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1pIyOj7

: The NBA referee will marry her partner of 20 years on Friday. In an interview with The Associated Press, Palmer says she came out to her fellow NBA referees in 2007. She has not tried to keep her sexuality a secret from the league since that time. "This is actually the big formal coming out," Palmer said. "We are saying to the world, to everyone, here's my wife of 20 years. This is the big coming out." Palmer will marry celebrity hair stylist Tanya Stine in Los Angeles. The ceremony will be officiated by "Basketball Wives LA" star Tanya Young Williams, the ex-wife of former NBA All-Star Jayson Williams. Palmer broke barriers in 1997 when she became the first female to referee an NBA game. Under scrutiny from her first tipoff, Palmer instantly proved she could withstand the grumbling and ref baiting that comes with forging a career in a men's game. She was no publicity gimmick and has since officiated postseason games and the 2014 All-Star Game ov...

The fired Ohio State University marching band director says he was working to change a culture of hazing and inappropriate rituals among members when he was dismissed. Jonathan Waters detailed the changes he was trying to make in a seven-page document prepared when the university began investigating allegations of problems with the band. His attorney released the document Wednesday night. The university fired Waters last week after a two-month investigation concluded he knew about but failed to stop rituals that included students being pressured to march in their underwear, sing lewd songs, and perform sexually themed stunts that yielded often-explicit nicknames. Waters says he was taking steps to change the culture of hazing, inappropriate behavior and vulgarity. Also Wednesday, the band's alumni association issued a statement supporting Waters. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1m0V3iP

Southampton: A listless India crashed to ahumiliating 266-run defeat against England in the thirdcricket Test after an abject batting surrender allowed thehosts to level the five-match series 1-1 here on Thursday. Needing to bat out the whole day with six wickets in handin order to save the match, Indian batting crumbled in thefirst session itself getting bundled out for a meagre 178 in66.4 overs in a completely lopsided contest at the Ageas Bowl. It was one of the biggest defeats for India in terms ofruns on English soil but not their worst, having lost a Testmatch by a mammoth 319 runs in Nottingham during the last tourin 2011. For England, the victory meant an end to a winless streakof 10 Test matches starting from the Ashes Down Under. To add insult to the injury, it was part-time off-spinnerMoeen Ali, who bamboozled the lower-oder batsmen with hiscareer-best haul of six for 67 in 20.4 overs. Pacer Jimmy Anderson provided the first breakthrough inthe morning when he had Rohit Shar...

-streamed network available around the globe. WWE has hit 700,000 subscribers since the company home to Hulk Hogan, Brock Lesnar and John Cena launched the WWE Network in February, an increase of just 33,000 since the company revealed its initial total in April. The sports entertainment giant had hoped to reach 1 million subscribers by the end of the year. WWE could still hit that target by next year, with international network expansion coming Aug. 12 in more than 170 countries and territories, including Hong Kong, Mexico, Spain, and Russia. But WWE lost $14.5 million in the second quarter and will lay off seven percent of the company's staff. WWE announced Thursday a new 10-year partnership with Rogers Communications in Canada that will launch the WWE Network as a traditional pay-TV channel in Rogers' cable systems, also starting Aug. 12. "WWE's core business metrics remain strong, and WWE Network continues to be the single greatest opportunity to transform WWE's...

, 1:08 p.m. Colorado at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m. St. Louis at San Diego, 3:40 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 7:05 p.m. L.A. Angels at Baltimore, 7:05 p.m. Seattle at Cleveland, 7:05 p.m. Cincinnati at Miami, 7:10 p.m. Minnesota at Kansas City, 8:10 p.m. Toronto at Houston, 8:10 p.m. Pittsburgh at Arizona, 9:40 p.m. Atlanta at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. New York at Chicago, 8 p.m. Phoenix at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Atlanta at Tulsa, 8 p.m. Indiana at Seattle, 10 p.m. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1m0USUO

Alastair Cook paid tribute to the work rate of Moeen Ali after his six second innings wickets handed England a thumping victory in the third Test. via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

David Goffin of Belgium won the last five games to complete a 6-3, 7-5 win over top-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round of the Bet-at-Home Cup on Thursday. The 78th-ranked Goffin held on to an early break to win the opening set and saved three set points for the German after dropping 5-2 down in the second. The match had been postponed Wednesday due to rain. Goffin will play Paolo Lorenzi in the quarterfinals later Thursday. The Italian defeated last week's Gstaad champion Pablo Andujar of Spain 6-2, 6-0. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/UNynv7

<>1936 — The Olympic Games open in Berlin. The opening ceremonies is presided over by Adolf Hitler. 1945 — New York's Mel Ott hits his 500th home run in a 9-2 victory over the Boston Braves at the Polo Grounds. Only Babe Ruth with 714 and Jimmie Foxx with 527 have more. 1972 — Nate Colbert of the San Diego Padres drives in 13 runs in a doubleheader sweep of the Atlanta Braves 9-0 and 11-7. 1987 — Mike Tyson wins the undisputed heavyweight championship with a 12-round unanimous decision over IBF champion Tony Tucker in Las Vegas. 1990 — Arkansas jumps to the Southeastern Conference, severing its 76-year tie to the troubled Southwest Conference. 1992 — Eric Griffin, a two-time world champion at 106 pounds, loses to Rafael Lozano of Spain under the new electronic scoring system used at the Summer Olympics, even though all five judges credit him with more blows than his opponent as did five jury members used as a backup in case the computer failed. 1994 — Baltimore's Cal Ripk...

MS Dhoni has revealed the injured Ishant Sharma will not be available for selection for the fourth Test, which begins on August 7 at Old Trafford via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

1 — NASCAR, Sprint Cup, practice for GoBowling.com 400, at Long Pond, Pa. FS1 — NASCAR, Sprint Cup, pole qualifying for GoBowling.com 400, at Long Pond, Pa. FS1 — ARCA, ModSpace 125, at Long Pond, Pa. ESPN — Exhibition, United States men's national team, Blue vs. White, at Las Vegas ESPN2 — Champion Thomas Williams Jr. (17-0-0) vs. Gabriel Campillo (23-6-1), for NABO light heavyweight title, at Shelton, Wash. ESPNEWS — B.C. at Calgary TGC — Champions Tour, 3M Championship, first round, at Blaine, Minn. TGC — WGC, Bridgestone Invitational, second round, at Akron, Ohio TGC — PGA Tour, Barracuda Championship, second round, at Reno, Nev. MLB — Regional coverage, N.Y. Yankees at Boston or Seattle at Baltimore WGN — Chicago Cubs at L.A. Dodgers NBCSN — MLS, Philadelphia at Kansas City ESPN2 — ATP World Tour, Citi Open, quarterfinal, at Washington ESPN2 — ATP World Tour, Citi Open, quarterfinal, at Washington ESPN2 — WTA, Bank of the West Classic, quarterfinal, at Stanford, Calif. via Sif...

Daniel Murphy hit a three-run homer to back up Zack Wheeler's sixth straight strong start, and the New York Mets routed the Philadelphia Phillies 11-2 on Wednesday afternoon. The Mets sent 10 men to the plate in the seventh inning, scoring five insurance runs off the Philadelphia bullpen to take two of three in the series. Wheeler (6-8) gave up two runs and seven hits with four strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings. The 24-year-old right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in six outings in a row. After the Phillies went up 1-0 in the top of the fifth, New York quickly responded — with Wheeler helping himself at the plate. Juan Lagares opened the bottom of the inning with an infield hit when backup shortstop Andres Blanco double-clutched after ranging far to his left to field the grounder up the middle. Ruben Tejada singled to bring up Wheeler, who fouled off his first two bunt attempts. But with two strikes, he got the ball in play — and it was a good one, easily advancing the runners to s...

Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer that kept Alfredo Simon winless since the All-Star game, and the Arizona Diamondbacks held on to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Wednesday, taking a series between two teams struggling to score runs. Goldschmidt's 19th homer off Simon (12-6) gave the Diamondbacks two of three in the series. Simon has gone 0-3 since his first All-Star selection. Didi Gregorius added a two-run homer in the ninth. The Reds fell to 2-10 since the All-Star break. Devin Mesoraco's three-run homer in the ninth off Addison Reed ended a streak of 11 straight games with three runs or fewer, Cincinnati's longest such stretch of futility since 1967. Left-hander Wade Miley (7-7) gave up seven hits and four walks in 6 2-3 innings, improving to 4-1 in his past five starts. Ryan Ludwick had RBI double in the eighth off Brad Ziegler. Reed came on with two aboard and got the last two outs and gave up Mesoraco's homer before getting his 26th save in 31 chances. Neither...

Greg Ives will return to Hendrick Motorsports next season as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ives was race engineer for Jimmie Johnson's record five consecutive championships. He moved to JR Motorsports in 2013 for his first crew chief job, with Regan Smith in the Nationwide Series. Ives was moved to rookie Chase Elliott's pit stand this season. He has five Nationwide wins, including three with points leader Elliott. Hendrick has been on a search for a crew chief for NASCAR's most popular driver all season. Steve Letarte announced in January he was stepping down at the end of the year to take an analyst position with NBC Sports. Earnhardt and Letarte opened the season with a Daytona 500 victory. Earnhardt is ranked second in the Sprint Cup standings. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1n3XyRb

Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer that kept Alfredo Simon winless since the All-Star game, and the Arizona Diamondbacks held on to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Wednesday, taking a series between two teams struggling to score runs. Goldschmidt's 19th homer off Simon (12-6) gave the Diamondbacks two of three in the series. Simon has gone 0-3 since his first All-Star selection. Didi Gregorius added a two-run homer in the ninth. The Reds fell to 2-10 since the All-Star break. Devin Mesoraco's three-run homer in the ninth off Addison Reed ended a streak of 11 straight games with three runs or fewer, Cincinnati's longest such stretch of futility since 1967. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/Xgy2D2

</> E_De Fratus (2). DP_New York 1. LOB_Philadelphia 11, New York 9. 2B_Revere (9), Howard (11), Granderson (19), d'Arnaud (11). HR_Rollins (15), Dan.Murphy (8), Duda (19). SB_Revere (29), Utley (5), Lagares (3). S_Za.Wheeler. Eveland pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. HBP_by Eveland (Howard). WP_K.Kendrick. PB_d'Arnaud. Umpires_Home, Jerry Meals; First, Paul Emmel; Second, Chris Conroy; Third, Jordan Baker. T_3:28. A_37,647 (41,922). via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1n3XsJh

</> DP_Arizona 1. LOB_Arizona 7, Cincinnati 10. 2B_Ludwick (15), Schumaker (11). 3B_D.Peralta (4). HR_Goldschmidt (19), Gregorius (4), Mesoraco (18). SB_Gregorius (3). CS_D.Peralta (2), R.Santiago (1). S_Heisey. SF_Trumbo. Umpires_Home, Eric Cooper; First, Tom Hallion; Second, Tripp Gibson; Third, Chris Guccione. T_3:02. A_26,332 (42,319). via Sify.com http://ift.tt/XgxXzt

Daniel Murphy hit a three-run homer to back up Zack Wheeler's sixth straight strong start, and the New York Mets routed the Philadelphia Phillies 11-2 on Wednesday afternoon. The Mets sent 10 men to the plate in the seventh inning, scoring five insurance runs off the Philadelphia bullpen to take two of three in the series. Wheeler (6-8) gave up two runs and seven hits with four strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings. The 24-year-old right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in six outings in a row. After the Phillies went up 1-0 in the top of the fifth, New York quickly responded — with Wheeler helping himself at the plate. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/XgxQDK

Tiger Woods will find out over the next two weeks if his season is over or just getting started. At least he will be on golf courses that bring good memories. The first stop is Firestone, where Woods is an eight-time winner and the defending champion. After that, he heads to Valhalla for the PGA Championship, where he won in 2000. He needs two good weeks to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs that begin Aug. 21, and that could determine whether he's selected for the Ryder Cup matches at the end of September. Woods doesn't like talking about what might not happen. He figures winning both events will take care of everything. Even so, he's not sure what to expect from having played only six rounds in four months. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/XgxT2E

</> E_Segura (13), Y.Escobar (10). DP_Milwaukee 2, Tampa Bay 1. LOB_Milwaukee 7, Tampa Bay 7. 2B_K.Davis 2 (27), Mar.Reynolds (8), Maldonado (4). SB_Kiermaier (4). CS_Braun (4). WP_Jeffress. Umpires_Home, John Tumpane; First, James Hoye; Second, Bob Davidson; Third, Bill Welke. T_3:14. A_24,809 (31,042). via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1n3XnFp

Justin Masterson began the season as the Indians' ace. He'll end it with a different team in a different league. The Indians traded the disappointing Masterson on Wednesday to the St. Louis Cardinals, a deal that will allow Cleveland to get something in return for the right-hander who was in his final year under contract. In exchange for Masterson, who was scheduled to come off the disabled list later this week, the Indians got outfielder James Ramsey. A first-round pick by the Cardinals (No. 23 overall) in 2012, Ramsey has spent this season at Double-A Springfield, where he batted .300 with 13 homer and 36 RBIs. Masterson has underperformed this season. He started Cleveland's opener but failed to live up to expectations following a 14-10 season and after he turned down a contract extension from the club during spring training. Masterson is 4-6 with a 5.51 ERA in 19 starts this season and has had a noticeable loss in velocity. In five starts before being placed on the DL wi...

Stats highlights from the fourth day of the third Investec Test at the Ageas Bowl via Cricket news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

A person familiar with the deal says the Cleveland Indians have traded starter Justin Masterson to the St. Louis Cardinals. Masterson, who is in the final year of his contract, was dealt for outfielder James Ramsey, said the person who spoke Wednesday to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams have not commented. Ramsey was the Cardinals' first-round pick (No. 23 overall) in 2012. He's been at Double-A Springfield, where he batted .300 with 13 homer and 36 RBIs. Masterson has been a disappointment for the Indians this season. He began the year as Cleveland's No. 1 starter but has underperformed after turning down a contract extension from the club in spring training. On Tuesday, Masterson, who is on the disabled list, said he knew his name was in trade rumors. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1n3M5Rt

Colleges and universities could be more accountable to rape victims under legislation introduced Wednesday by a bipartisan group of senators. Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., led the effort, with lawmakers from both parties saying they have heard too many stories of campus assault and bungled cases. More than a half dozen senators stood with campus sexual assault victims on Capitol Hill as they announced the legislation. At least two senators — Dean Heller, R-Nev., and Mark Warner, D-Va. — said that as fathers of college-age daughters, they want campuses to track the problem more effectively. "There is no reason or excuse to demean, dismiss or deny the problem, and accountability has come," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. Added Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa: "Sometimes a victim is treated worse than the person who committed the crime." The action on Capitol Hill further escalates the dialogue in Washington on an issue long handled l...

U.S. stocks turned slightly higher after the Federal Reserve did exactly what investors expected: Scaling back its support for the economy. Stock indexes edged higher after spending most of the day in the red. KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average rose eight points, or 0.05 percent, to 16,919 as of 2:16 p.m., shortly after the Fed released its latest policy statement. It was down as much as 95 points in midday trading. The Standard & Poor's 500 index was up five points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,975. The Nasdaq composite rose 26 points, or 0.6 percent, to 4,469. FOCUS ON THE FED: Federal Reserve policymakers said the central bank would make further cuts to its monthly bond purchases, a program that is intended to keep long-term interest rates low and encourage borrowing and spending. At the current pace of cutbacks, the Fed's bond purchases will end in October. NEXT STEPS: The Fed restated its intention to keep short-term interest rates low "for a considerable tim...

A ruptured 93-year-old water main left the UCLA campus awash in 8 million gallons of water in the middle of California's worst drought in decades, stranding people in parking garages and flooding the school's storied basketball court less than two years after a major renovation. The 30-inch pipe burst Tuesday under nearby Sunset Boulevard, sending water 30 feet into the air, opening a 15-foot hole in the street and inundating part of the campus that soon was swarmed with police and firefighters. "Unfortunately UCLA was the sink for this water source," UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said. The break came amid a historic drought when residents statewide are being threatened with $500 fines for overuse. "We lost a lot of water, around 35,000 gallons a minute, which is not ideal in the worst drought in the city's history," City Councilman Paul Koretz said. Repairing the pipe could take several days, Department of Water and Power official Jeff Bray said at a Wedne...