Groin injury could rule Rooney out of Man Utd run-in:
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney could miss the end of the season after injuring his groin in training, but should be fit for the World Cup.
England striker Rooney, 24, who has only just come back from an ankle injury, missed Saturday's 3-1 win over Tottenham because of the problem. "Groin injuries are groin injuries, it might be two to three weeks," said United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
"We'll give it every chance, Wayne's obviously desperate to play."
Before his groin injury, Rooney had only just recovered from ankle injuries he picked up in the two Champions League quarter-final matches against Bayern Munich.
Rooney, who has scored 34 goals for United and eight international goals this season, is seen as pivotal to England's World Cup hopes in South Africa.
United, who are seeking a fourth consecutive Premier League title, only have two games remaining this season, at Sunderland on 2 May and when Stoke visit Old Trafford a week later.
England play Mexico in a friendly on 24 May at Wembley, then against Japan in another friendly in Graz in Austria on 30 May, with their first World Cup match on 12 June against the USA in Rustenburg.
Ryan Giggs scored two penalties in Saturday's win over Spurs, which returned United to the top of the table on 79 points, two ahead of second-placed Chelsea, who have a game in hand and host Stoke on Sunday.
After playing Stoke, Chelsea travel to Liverpool, and host Wigan on the last day of the season.
Rooney, favourite to win the PFA player of the year award on Sunday night, is not the only injury concern for United and England.
source:bbc
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Blackburn 0-0 Manchester United :
MAN UTD 0 - BL.ROVERS 0 : Manchester United's Premier League title challenge is all but over as their season teeters on the brink of disaster.
Despite dominating almost all their clash with Blackburn at Ewood Park, Sir Alex Ferguson's men rarely looked like making their pressure tell.Paul Robinson needed to make two excellent saves to deny Antonio Valencia before half-time, but afterwards, with United so desperate for the points, the former England number one had surprisingly little to do.Not for the first time recently, Dimitar Berbatov was a major disappointment and the fact Rio Ferdinand was feeling his groin towards the end suggested a problem Fabio Capello will not want.There are no worries for Chelsea though, who still lead the Red Devils by a point, with a game in hand, knowing the main danger to their championship aspirations now lies much closer to home, at Arsenal.Although United had not actually lost their last three games, that is how it felt.Even Sir Alex Ferguson spoke in those terms ahead of the clash, a 3-2 win over Bayern Munich apparently not enough to take away the feeling of desolation an away-goals Champions League exit.In such circumstances, a rip-roaring response would normally be anticipated, the players sent out to represent Ferguson eager not to let their manager down.On this occasion, such urgings fell on deaf ears.
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Mumbai book semi-final spot :
An unbeaten 89 by Sachin Tendulkar and a two-wicket haul by Zaheer Khan propelled Mumbai to a 37-run victory against Jaipur and ensure a semi-final berth in the process.
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Maradona banned for two months
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New Zealand win despite Aamer heroics
¤ New Zealand 211 (McCullum 76, Ajmal 4-33) beat Pakistan 204 (Aamer 73*) by seven runs:
The Jekyll and Hyde that is Pakistan cricket displayed both its faces in the series decider against New Zealand. Pakistan needed only 212 to clinch a 2-1 series victory on a placid pitch but their batting combusted in typically dramatic fashion. When all hope was lost, though, there was more drama as Mohammad Aamer scripted a phenomenal comeback with Saeed Ajmal. It was New Zealand, however, who held their nerve to win the decider in the desert.
When Aamer came to bat at No. 10, Pakistan needed 126 runs from 26.5 overs with only two wickets in hand, and people were emptying the Sheikh Zayed stadium thinking the game was over. But what is Pakistan cricket without its twists and turns? And what is New Zealand cricket without a struggle to finish games? Aamer and Ajmal threw their bats around, played conventional and unorthodox shots, and added 103, the second highest last-wicket stand in ODIs. It went to the last over, bowled by Jacob Oram, with Pakistan needing eight runs to win, but Ajmal top-edged the first ball and was caught by Kyle Mills at short fine leg.
Aamer initially appeared as though he was having a lark - a tailender indulging himself in a lost cause. Even when he hit Daniel Vettori for three slog-swept sixes in an over, it seemed a matter of time before the last wicket fell. However, Aamer persevered, cutting and driving Mills in particular, and the game hurtled towards a thrilling finale. The pressure, however, kicked in only when they got close to the target and Ajmal succumbed with Aamer stranded on 73, the highest score by a No. 10 batsman in ODIs.
source:cricinfo.com
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अस्ट्रेलियाको विजयले तेन्दुलकर छायाँमा:
हैदराबाद, कात्तिक २० (एएफपी)- सचिन तेन्दुलकरले एकदिवसीय क्रिकेटमा अनुपम कीर्तिमान बनाए पनि भारत पाँचौं एकदिवसीय खेलमा अस्ट्रेलियासँग ३ रनले पराजित भएको छ। यससँगै चोटग्रस्त खेलाडीले भरिएको अस्ट्रेलियाले सात खेलको शृङ्खलामा ३-२ को अग्रता लिएको छ।
तेन्दुलकरले बिहीवार १ सय ७५ रन बनाए पनि ३ सय ५१ रनको लक्ष्य लिएर आएको भारत दुई बलअगावै ३ सय ४७ रनमा सीमित भयो। तेन्दुलकरको एकदिवसीयमा दोस्रो ब्यक्तिगत उच्च स्कोर हो। सन् १९९९ मा उनले हैदराबादमै न्युजिल्यान्डविरुद्व अविजित १ सय ८६ रन बनाएका थिए।
एक समय तेन्दुलकर एकदिवसीयमा दोहोरो सतक बनाउने पहिलो खेलाडी बन्ने क्रममा पुगेका थिए। पाकिस्तानका सइद अनबरले १९९७ मा भारतविरुद्व बनाएको १ सय ९४ रन एकदिवसीय क्रिकेटको उच्च ब्यक्तिगत उच्च स्कोर हो। क्लिन्ट म्याकीको बललाई फाइन लेगमा स्विप गर्ने क्रममा तेन्दुलकरले नाथान हाउरिजलाई क्याच दिन पुगे।
४५औं एकदिवसीय सतकका क्रममा तेन्दुलकरले कुल १ सय ४१ बल खेल्दै १९ चौका र ४ छक्का प्रहार गरे।
एकदिवसीय र टेस्ट क्रिकेटमा सर्वाधिक रन र सतक बनाउने कीर्तिमानधारी ३६ वर्षे तेन्दुलकरले इनिङका दौरान सात रन बनाएपछि एकदिवसीयमा १७ हजार रन पूरा गरेका थिए। वीरेन्द्र सेवाग (३८) सँग पहिलो विकेटमा ९ ओभरभित्र ६६ रन जोडेका तेन्दुलकरले सुरेश रैनासँग पाँचौं विकेटमा १ सय २७ रन जोडेर भारतलाई विजयको नजिक पुर्याए। रैनाले ५९ बलमा ५९ रन बनाए। राजीव गान्धी रंगशालामा टस जितेको अस्ट्रेलियाले निर्धारित ५० ओभरमा ४ विकेट गुमाई ३ सय ५० रन बनाएको थियो। ओपनर शन मार्शले एकदिवसीयमा पहिलो सतक बनाउनेक्रममा १ सय १२ रन बनाए। १ सय १२ बलमा ८ चौका र २ छक्का प्रहार गरेका मार्शले शेन वाट्सनसँग पहिलो विकेटका लागि १ सय ४५ रन जोडे। वाट्सनले ८९ बलमा ९ चौका र तीन छक्काबाट ९३ रन बनाए। त्यस्तै कप्तान रिकी पोन्टिङ ४५ र क्यामरन ह्वाइट ५७ रन बनाई आउट भए। माइक हसी ३१ रनमा अविजित रहे।
source:nagariknews.com
India-Oz series will be hard-fought
Some Pak players don't want Younus
