Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker says he has relished the challenge of playing in the Barclays Premier League this season. The Germany international has not featured for the Gunners since damaging his ankle in the 2-1 win against Sunderland on February 11th. But he was a regular before the injury and, as he continues his recovery, the 27-year-old said he had been impressed with the quality of the League. “In general…

The Pune Warriors India started their IPL 2012 campaign with consecutive victories against the Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab – but they’ve lost their last three matches as well. With the race for a place in the top four heating up, they need to immediately arrest their slide and look to move up the table. They are barely above the ground floor of the league standings and have a…

Game 1: April 28, 2012 @ Chicago – 10:30 PM (IST) Series schedule: Game 2 @ Chicago – May 2 – 5:30 AM (IST), Game 3 @ Philadelphia – May 5 – 5:30 AM (IST), Game 4 @ Philadelphia – May 6 – 10:30 PM (IST). Game 5, Game 6 and Game 7 – only if necessary Regular season record: Chicago Bulls – 50-16, Philadelphia 76ers 35-31. Home Court Advantage: Chicago Bulls [United Center]….

It’s not a surprise the Seattle Seahawks added another quarterback to the mix. Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson fits right in with the team’s strategy at the position: Throw it against the wall and see what sticks. It is a surprise that Wilson went 75th overall, before Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins was even drafted. We like the fact the Seahawks think different. Wilson is an incredible playmaker who probably would have been…

In the end, one more day of the trip followed the same program as the relax of the series: West Indies conducted difficult and offered Australia with a few complications, but their initiatives came to naught. Instead, Clarke’s second five-wicket take in Assessments assisted the Aussies place up a 75-run success and they took the sequence 2-0, despite some highly effective stunning from the West Indies leader Darren Sammy. It…

Deccan Chargers, after setting a aggressive focus on for Pune Players,enclosed their first success of IPL season five after a flutter 78 by Cameron white and a regimented show by their bowlers. Requested to pursuit 178, Pune could only manage 159 for 7 to lose the match by 18 operates. Pune missing both their openers – Jessie Ryder and Manish Pandey – in the 50-run level. The risky Ryder dropped…

Western Indies will need to finish their maximum effective pursuit since they rewrote the history guides in Antigua nine years ago if they are to stage the sequence against Australia. Ed Cowan and Ponting both obtained half-centuries on the third day in Dominica as the Aussies designed a cause of 310 operates at stumps, and with four wickets still in side there was no immediate end in vision for the…

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar turned 39 on Tuesday with an impassioned plea from his childhood coach to carry on playing cricket for India since he is “far from finished”. “All those murmurs about his retirement must stop, this is not the right time to go,” said Ramakant Achrekar, 80, the man credited with the early training of the leading scorer in Test history. “He must not retire now. He must…

It’s only natural that a significant number of professional athletes find their way into the poker world. Athletes are natural competitors, and once the demands of their bodies end their playing days, many athletes need another outlet for that competitive fire. Poker provides a great way to satisfy that need. It is a fiercely competitive game that requires skill and determination to win over the long term. Orel Hershiser One…

The Miami Heat’s LeBron James and the Utah Jazz’s Al Jefferson today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, April 16, through Sunday, April 22. James helped Miami to a 4-1 week, averaging 31.0 points on 58 percent shooting, while grabbing 7.5 rebounds and dishing out 5.5 assists per game. He did not play in Miami’s only loss of the week,…