Woods slumps to Match Play defeat

Tiger Woods lost 4&2 to Tim Clark to crash out of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in the second round.
But the world number one, making his comeback after major knee surgery, refused to be too downcast.
"I hit one bad eight iron and one bad drive so I'm happy with the way I was striking the ball," he said.
"Tim is a wonderful player and he made birdies while I didn't sink enough putts. I feel great, though, and I will go home to evaluate what to do next."
Woods jumped into an early lead with a birdie at the second but Clark hit back to win five and six.
The American restored parity with a birdie on seven, but his South African opponent took command with consecutive birdies on 11, 12 and 13.
Woods holed an outstanding bunker shot on 14 to reduce the gap to two, but his challenge was effectively ended by a wayward tee shot on the driveable par-four 15th.
He blocked his drive out to the right, but it bounced off a cart path into the desert and out-of-bounds.
Woods trudged back to the tee and found the middle of the putting surface with his third shot, but he missed the par putt, leaving Clark with two putts from 20 feet to go three up with three to play.
The South African then hit his tee shot on the par-three 16th to four feet while Woods missed the green to the right.
When his chip stopped 18 inches short of the hole, he removed his cap to signal the end of his comeback.
"I had to try and forget who I was playing," said Clark after his victory.
"I played him here a couple of years ago so I did know what to expect but I was a little nervous on the first tee.
"He may have been a little rusty but he was still going to be able to play some shots that I couldn't.
"He holed a great bunker shot on 14 and it was game on again, but he made a couple of mistakes near the end."
Clark will play Rory McIlroy in round three after the Northern Irishman birdied the last two holes to beat Hunter Mahan one up.
The American opened up a two-shot lead on the 12th, but McIlroy hit back on the 13th and a Mahan error on 14 levelled the match.
McIlroy finished with four threes, sinking 10 and 20 feet putts on 17 and 18 respectively, to wrap up victory.
"I was standing on 13 at two down, but I dug deep and played my best golf when I had to which was satisfying," said the world number 17.

Wilson claimed a prize scalp in American Anthony Kim

"It was a great way to finish and it gives me momentum going into the game against Tim."

Lee Westwood was the only casualty on an otherwise great day for England's golfers.

He squared his match with Stewart Cink on 17, but eventually lost on the 23rd when he made his first bogey of the tournament.

Paul Casey and Ross Fisher were the big winners.

Casey, who has a home two hours up the road in Scottsdale, won four of the first nine holes against Australia's Matthew Goggin and sank birdies on 13 and 14 to run out a comfortable 6&4 winner and set up a meeting with Sweden's Peter Hanson, who beat Canada's Stephen Ames 2&1.
Fisher birdied four of the first eight holes to go up four up on America's Pat Perez, then closed out the match with an eagle on the 13th. Fisher takes on Jim Furyk after the American overcame Germany's Martin Kaymer 4&2.
Oliver Wilson was also in impressive form, sinking eight birdies to lead by two at the turn on his way to a 3&2 win over America's world number 11 Anthony Kim. His reward is a third-round match with Justin Leonard who defeated Davis Love III with a par at the last.
Luke Donald recovered from two down with two to play to beat Vijay Singh. A Donald birdie at 17 and Singh bogey at 18 took the game down the 19th and the Fijian left his par putt short to hand victory to the Englishman who will play Ernie Els next.
The South African was never behind as he beat Steve Stricker 3&2.
Ian Poulter capped a remarkable day with a one up victory over Charl Schwartzel. The South African played a bogey-free round, but Poulter sank three birdies, including what turned out to be the crucial one on 17.
Poulter meets Sean O'Hair who defeated his fellow American Boo Weekley 2&1 in a scrappy match. The duo's combined score was nine over par after 11 holes, but O'Hair hit a couple of birdies in the closing holes to secure the win.
Elsewhere, Phil Mickelson survived a late charge from Zach Johnson to win at the last to set up a clash with fellow American Cink.
And Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez was overwhelmed by Camilo Villegas, who birdied four of the first five holes on his way to a 5&4 win. The Colombian plays Geoff Ogilvy, who beat Shingo Katayama on the 19th.

Djokovic to meet Ferrer in final

World number three Novak Djokovic claimed a hard-fought win over Frenchman Gilles Simon to reach the final of the Dubai Championships.
The Serb needed two hours and 44 minutes to beat the world number eight 3-6 7-5 7-5.
"I really believed till the end and mentally this is a very important win for me," said Djokovic afterwards.
He will face fourth seed David Ferrer in Saturday's final after the Spaniard beat Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-2 6-2.
Ferrer dominated throughout and Gasquet's challenge disappeared from early in the second set as the Spaniard wrapped up victory in 75 minutes.
"This was my best match in the season and I was very focused," said Ferrer, who had lost two previous semi-finals this year after being match point up.
"Playing Djokovic will be difficult of course but I shall fight a lot."
Djokovic and Simon struggled to produce their best tennis in the 100-degree heat in Dubai.
Djokovic failed to find any consistency early on and made a forehand error to trail 4-2 in the first set.
Both players had their chances to break in the second set before Djokovic broke in the final game with a forehand winner.
He then bounced back from trailing 0-2 in the decider to level at 3-3 when Simon produced a backhand error and broke again for the match, setting it up after Simon netted a low volley and then sealing the win with a smash.
"If I want to stay on top of the men's game, I have to win these matches," Djokovic added. "I made a lot of unforced errors in the first set and at the start of the second set.
"He was playing kind of solid, but only one style of tennis throughout the whole match. I needed to change something in my game so I could start winning the games and points, and that's what I did.
"I became more patient and played more from the baseline to give myself opportunities."

S Africa hit back after North ton

South Africa stabilised after a disastrous start to finish day two of the first Test on 85-3 in their reply to Australia's formidable 466.
Australia's Marcus North collected a debut Test century with 117, while Brad Haddin (63) and Mitchell Johnson (96no) also helped pushed the total on.
Graeme Smith (0) and Hashim Amla (1) were back in the pavilion as South Africa slumped to 2-2 in reply.
Jacques Kallis (27) and Neil McKenzie (35 not out) helped the hosts recover.
Australia started the day on 254-5 and never looked like exposing the weaknesses that saw them hanging on at 38-3 on the first day.
As the South Africans clung to the hope that a breakthrough would accompany the new ball, North and Haddin picked up their half-centuries in comfort.
Haddin survived four overs after its introduction before falling to Makhaya Ntini, but North shrugged off his and Andrew McDonald's (0) demise to make steady progress to three figures.
At the other end, Mitchell Johnson set about the bowling with aggression and the pair quickly racked up a century partnership, before North was lured down the track attempting to heave across the line to Paul Harris.
Johnson continued to punish Harris, crashing three sixes off one over from the left-armer, as he cantered past 61 to rack up his best-ever Test batting figures.
But the paceman found himself stranded four runs short of his first century as Morne Morkel claimed the final two Australian wickets in successive deliveries.
Dale Steyn's exploits on the first day ensured that he finished as the pick of a dispirited set of bowlers with four wickets at a cost of 113 runs.
Johnson soon found consolation as his fifth delivery drew a thick edge from Smith and a tumbling catch from Haddin.
In the following over debutant Ben Hilfenhaus tempted Amla with a full, swinging ball that was snapped up by Ricky Ponting at second slip to leave South Africa in deep trouble just eight balls into their innings.
Kallis came to the crease and, supported by McKenzie, steadied the ship in becoming only the eighth Test batsman in history to reach 10,000 runs with a push through covers.
But Mike Hussey hung onto a sharp catch at gully off the bowling of Peter Siddle to remove Kallis, silence the Wanderers and ensure the home side remain in a precarious position.

Flintoff to return home from tour

Andrew Flintoff is to return home from England's tour of the West Indies on Friday to have treatment on his injured right hip.
The 31-year-old is due to fly back out to rejoin the tour on 10 March in time for the five-match one-day series.
The all-rounder sustained a muscle strain in his hip in the drawn third Test at St John's last week.
The problem kept him out of the fourth Test currently being played in Barbados and he will also miss the fifth Test.
"Returning to England allows me to get intensive treatment back home and work with people who have helped me overcome injuries in the past," Flintoff told BBC Five Live.
"The lads don't need me hanging around the dressing room.
"With an injury like this you have to allow it to take its natural course and over the past two days I've been doing some exercises. I've been happy with the way it's going.
"I'll put this down to wear and tear - it's a bowler's injury."
Flintoff also suffered a left-side strain in the opening week of the tour, prompting the selectors to call up all-rounder Ravi Bopara from the England Lions' tour of New Zealand as cover.
Bopara has taken Flintoff's place in the side for the fourth Test, in which England amassed 301-3 in the first day, and is likely to deputise for him again for the final Test in Trinidad which starts on 6 March.
Flintoff bowled flat-out in St John's as England chased victory in vain on the final day of the third Test but he was in visible distress because of the injury.
He spent Thursday's morning session in the fourth Test receiving physiotherapy in the dressing room in a bid to get fit again.
But after lengthy management discussions, the medical staff recommended he temporarily return to the UK to receive better rehab treatment, overseen by England's chief medical officer Dr. Nick Peirce and his own fitness guru Dave Roberts.
Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, said he was hopeful that Flintoff would rejoin the tour in time for the one-off Twenty20 international on 15 March and the five-match one-day series which takes place between 20 March and 3 April.
"We're determined that we are going to do everything possible to get Andrew fit for the one-day international series which starts in a couple of weeks time," said Morris.
"It is something we have done with Andrew before when he was recovering from his ankle injury.
"Being around the England team environment can be something of a goldfish bowl and by returning home he can concentrate on receiving some intensive treatment.
"A muscle tear is a muscle tear and time is a key ingredient in this."
The longer his injury takes to heal, the more scrutiny will be placed on Flintoff's lucrative deal with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, which runs for three weeks in April.
Flintoff had earlier insisted he will recover from his injury in time to play in the IPL.
His first scheduled game is on 11 April for the Chennai Super Kings against Bangalore Royal Challengers.
Flintoff added that he wanted to return to action for England in the forthcoming limited overs series because he had "missed a lot of international cricket" stating it was "irrespective" of the IPL coming soon after.
England would prefer that the all-rounder concentrate on reaching peak fitness for this year's Ashes series against Australia rather go to India and risk suffering a relapse.
BBC Radio 5 Live cricket correspondent Arlo White said: "Flintoff would help his own cause if he could feature in the one-day international series - if he doesn't then the clamour for him to be withdrawn from the IPL would grow."
Sean Morris, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers Association has already acknowledged that the England and Wales Cricket Board would make the final decision on whether Flintoff goes to India or not.
"It is very clear that Andrew is centrally contracted, he plies his trade for England," he said.
"The central contract states that the ECB have the ability to decide where and when contacted players will play.
"The players are comfortable with that, they don't have a problem at all but ultimately if it was touch and go, common sense would prevail and we wouldn't want to take any risk whatsoever."

Flintoff expects to play in IPL

Andrew Flintoff insists he will recover from his hip injury in time to play in the Indian Premier League in April.
The England all-rounder will miss the fourth Test against the West Indies, starting on Thursday in Barbados and is a doubt for the rest of the series.
But he is confident he will be fit to join the Chennai Super Kings franchise, which bought him for £1.1m at auction, for the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.
"For all intents and purposes I'll be fit," Flintoff told The Guardian.
"The IPL's still a while away so I don't think it will be touch and go."
Flintoff, who has a muscle strain in his right hip, hopes to return for the fifth Test in the Caribbean, which starts on Friday, 6 March, and the Twenty20 match and five one-day internationals that run from 20 March to 3 April.
He said: "I'm intending to go to India, but it's not really at the forefront of my thinking - I want to play Test cricket and I want to play the one-day internationals."
And he insists that it is vital for England's players to play in the IPL with the ICC World Twenty20 taking place on home soil this summer.
"As much Twenty20 cricket going into that World Cup will obviously benefit the side," he said.
"You see how the Indians have gone - it's had a knock-on effect in one-day internationals.
"Financially it's great, but to further our game and get better in that form of the game it's important we go."
Sean Morris, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers Association said playing in the IPL could be a vital part of Flintoff's pre-Ashes preparation.
"It may well fit perfectly with his rehabilitation, he's got to bowl four overs a day in the warmth, where as 15 overs in Durham in a long sweater might be slightly less beneficial," Morris said.
He acknowledged, however, that the England and Wales Cricket Board would make the final decision on whether Flintoff goes to India or not.
"It is very clear that Andrew is centrally contracted, he plies his trade for England. The central contract states that the ECB have the ability to decide where and when contacted players will play.
"The players are comfortable with that, they don't have a problem at all but ultimately if it was touch and go, common sense would prevail and we wouldn't want to take any risk whatsoever," he said.
Morris rejected any idea that there would be tension between the ECB and IPL over Flintoff.
"I can't see there being any tug of war between the franchise and England because Freddie is such a crucial part of the England set-up, he will want to perform during the summer and I know he will be working hard to make sure he is fully fit at the beginning of the summer.
"His responsibility will always be to England, he would be the first to say that, what we all want to see is Freddie fit, firing and knocking a few Aussies over.
"The reality of professional cricket is you can get injured in the nets at lords as much as you can playing in Chennai, so injury is part and parcel of the job.
"If he went out and played in a warm up match for Lancashire and got injured, people would say why is he doing that?"
The ECB has given permission for Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah permission to play in the IPL.
But chief executive David Collier suggested on Sunday that Flintoff may be prevented from taking part if he is deemed a fitness risk in an Ashes year.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting and his deputy Michael Clarke have already pulled out of the competition in order to focus on international cricket commitments.

International Twenty20 Series: New Zealand v India

New Zealand beat India by 7 wickets

New Zealand won the toss and decided to field

India Innings 162 for 8 (20.0 overs)

New Zealand Innings 166 for 3 (18.5 overs)

India Innings - Close

			Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Gambhir		b O'Brien	6	7	1	0
Sehwag		b O'Brien	26	10	0	4
Raina	not out		61	43	2	5
R Sharma	c McCullum	b Butler	7	7	0	1
Yuvraj	lbw	b Vettori	1	3	0	0
Dhoni		b Butler	2	6	0	0
Y Pathan	c Oram	b McCullum	20	8	0	3
I Pathan	c McCullum	b Ryder	12	14	1	0
Harbhajan		b Southee	21	22	2	0
Extras		3w 3lb	6
Total		for 8	162	(20.0 ovs)

Bowler O M R W Southee 4.0 0 42 1 O'Brien 4.0 0 36 2 Butler 4.0 0 29 2 Vettori 4.0 0 18 1 McCullum 2.0 0 27 1 Ryder 2.0 0 7 1

Fall of wicket 25 Gambhir 32 Sehwag 54 R Sharma 56 Yuvraj 61 Dhoni 82 Y Pathan 101 I Pathan 162 Harbhajan

New Zealand Innings - Close

			Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Ryder	lbw	b I Sharma	1	4	0	0
McCullum	not out		56	49	2	3
Guptill	lbw	b Harbhajan	41	28	4	3
Taylor		b Zaheer	31	20	1	3
Oram	not out		29	15	3	2
Extras		3nb 5w	8
Total		for 3	166	(18.5 ovs)

Bowler O M R W Zaheer 4.0 0 20 1 I Sharma 4.0 0 35 1 I Pathan 3.0 0 38 0 Harbhajan 4.0 0 19 1 Y Pathan 2.5 0 37 0 Yuvraj 1.0 0 17 0

Fall of wicket 2 Ryder 56 Guptill 106 Taylor

Umpires: G A Baxter, E A Watkin
New Zealand: Ryder, McCullum (W), Guptill, Taylor, Oram, McCullum, Vettori (C), Butler, Southee, Thompson, O'Brien
India: Sehwag, Gambhir, Raina, Yuvraj, R Sharma, Dhoni (C/W), Y Pathan, I Pathan, Harbhajan, Zaheer, I Sharma

Test Match Series: Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Pakistan drew with Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat

Sri Lanka 1st Innings 644 for 7 (155.2 overs)	Sri Lanka 2nd Innings 144 for 5 (31.0 overs)
Pakistan 1st Innings 765 for 6 (248.5 overs)

Sri Lanka 1st Innings - Declared

			Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Warnapura	c Misbah	b Arafat	59	48	9	0
Paranavitana	c Misbah	b Gul	0	1	0	0
Sangakkara	c Misbah	b Kaneria	70	104	9	0
M Jayawardene	c Akmal	b Malik	240	423	32	0
Samaraweera		b Kaneria	231	318	31	0
Dilshan	c Akmal	b Malik	0	3	0	0
P Jayawardene		b Kaneria	18	22	2	0
Vaas	not out		12	22	1	0
Extras		9nb 1w 4lb	14
Total		for 7	644	(155.2 ovs)

Bowler O M R W Gul 24.0 2 92 1 Sohail 21.0 2 131 0 Arafat 26.0 2 90 1 Malik 36.0 3 140 2 Kaneria 46.2 5 170 3 Younus 1.0 0 6 0 Butt 1.0 0 11 0

Fall of wicket 3 Paranavitana 93 Warnapura 177 Sangakkara 614 M Jayawardene 614 Samaraweera 614 Dilshan 644 P Jayawardene

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Pakistan 1st Innings - Declared

			Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Khurram	c P Jayawardene	b Mendis	27	98	3	0
Butt	c M Jayawardene	b Muralitharan	23	70	3	0
Younus		b D Fernando	313	568	27	4
Malik	run out		56	168	7	0
Misbah	lbw	b D Fernando	42	153	3	1
Faisal	lbw	b M Jayawardene	57	141	6	0
Akmal	not out		158	184	8	5
Arafat	not out		50	129	2	2
Extras		18nb 5w 4b 12lb	39
Total		for 6	765	(248.5 ovs)

Bowler O M R W Vaas 36.0 10 66 0 D Fernando 39.0 2 124 2 Mendis 59.0 14 157 1 Muralitharan 65.0 14 172 1 Dilshan 19.0 3 82 0 Paranavitana 5.0 0 33 0 Sangakkara 10.0 0 34 0 M Jayawardene 6.5 0 41 1 Warnapura 9.0 0 40 0

Fall of wicket 44 Butt 78 Khurram 227 Malik 357 Misbah 531 Faisal 596 Younus

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Sri Lanka 2nd Innings - Close

			Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Warnapura	c Akmal	b Gul	2	5	0	0
Paranavitana	run out		9	19	2	0
Sangakkara	lbw	b Kaneria	65	66	10	0
Dilshan	c Faisal	b Gul	8	6	1	0
M Jayawardene	c Faisal	b Kaneria	22	38	2	0
Samaraweera	not out		24	30	4	0
P Jayawardene	not out		7	29	1	0
Extras		7nb	7
Total		for 5	144	(31.0 ovs)

Bowler O M R W Gul 9.0 1 41 2 Sohail 6.0 0 33 0 Arafat 6.0 0 32 0 Kaneria 9.0 1 35 2 Malik 1.0 0 3 0

Fall of wicket 2 Warnapura 32 Paranavitana 45 Dilshan 103 M Jayawardene 120 Sangakkara

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Umpires: S J Davis, S J A Taufel
Pakistan: Butt, Khurram, Younus (C), Faisal, Malik, Misbah, Akmal (W), Sohail, Arafat, Gul, Kaneria
Sri Lanka: Paranavitana, Warnapura, Sangakkara, M Jayawardene (C), Dilshan, Samaraweera, P Jayawardene (W), Vaas, D Fernando, Mendis, Muralitharan

Arsenal 1-0 Roma

A first-half penalty from Robin van Persie gave Arsenal a narrow lead going into the away leg of their Champions League last-16 clash against Roma.
Arsenal were the better team over the 90 minutes, taking a deserved lead when Van Persie was fouled by Philippe Mexes and then fired in low from the spot.
Fellow striker Nicklas Bendtner struck over from eight yards, while Emmanuel Eboue sent his shot inches wide.
Marco Motta went close for Roma but his 25-yarder was saved by Manuel Almunia.
Apart from that and a John Arne Riise shot that fizzed past the Arsenal upright, the team from Italy's capital did little to excite their band of supporters at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsene Wenger's side dominated for large periods, created many chances and should have added a couple more to Van Persie's solitary effort. Nevertheless, it was a vast improvement on Arsenal displays of recent weeks.
The key to their success on the night came in the form of the trio in attack - Bendtner, Samir Nasri and Van Persie.
None of the three occupied the conventional positions up front which confused Roma's backline from the whistle.
Bendtner largely played on the left but that did not stop him from bulldozing into the area whenever he saw the defensive door left ajar.
His forays almost paid big dividends on a handful of occasions.
The lanky Dane's first effort suffered as a result of mis-control from Nasri's fine ball into the area, a good block inside the six-yard area then denied him a second bite before he smashed wildly over the bar from eight yards after the break.
One man who was more proficient in front of goal, when it mattered, was Van Persie.
The Dutchman's penalty strike came just before the interval, won when he was tripped by Mexes after being played into the area.
Van Persie's low, driven spot-kick gave Doni no hope in the Roma goal.
The second half opened in farcical fashion as Arsenal only had nine players on the pitch when Roma kicked off.
William Gallas was receiving treatment as the players were called out for the restart, but a superstitious Kolo Toure waited for his team-mate as he is always the last man to leave the dressing room.
Luckily it did not cost Arsenal, who had numerous chances to extend their lead in the second half.
Apart from Bendtner's wasted effort, Abou Diaby had a wonderful low strike tipped around the post by the agile Doni before Eboue flashed wide after pouncing on a mistake by Simone Loria.
Roma, who have only won one of their previous 15 games away to English sides, were a better proposition in the second half but provided little threat in attack, with Francesco Totti and Julio Baptista disappointing.
Wenger brought on Mexican left-sided forward Carlos Vela and Welsh youngster Aaron Ramsey in the hope that they could give his side a little bit more to play with at the Stadio Olimpico, but it remained at 1-0 with the promise of a nail-biting second leg.

---

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue (Ramsey 82), Denilson, Diaby (Song Billong 62), Nasri, Van Persie, Bendtner (Vela 67).
Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Djourou, Gibbs, Merida.
Booked: Toure, Nasri.
Goals: Van Persie 37 pen.
Roma: Doni, Motta, Mexes, Loria (Diamoutene 71), Riise, Perrotta, De Rossi, Brighi (Pizarro 56), Taddei, Julio Baptista (Vucinic 82), Totti.
Subs Not Used: Artur, Ribeiro, Tonetto, Montella.
Booked: Mexes, Brighi, De Rossi.
Att: 60,003
Ref: Claus Bo Larsen (Denmark).

US team plans to enter F1 in 2010

The founders of a proposed Formula One team from the United States insist they are ready to enter the sport in 2010.
Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson, the duo behind the scheme, have said the cars will be built in North Carolina and driven by American drivers.
They also confirmed they have finance in place and that F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has given them his backing.
"I told Bernie Ecclestone about this in Brazil 2006, and he just said, 'great, get it done'," Windsor told Autosport.
"He has kept in touch ever since and has always been supportive."
Windsor, a journalist and television presenter, is a former Williams team manager and will assume the role of sporting director while Anderson has many years of experience in both F1 and Indy Car as a race engineer.
The current global economic crisis has forced many teams into cost cutting measures ahead of the new season on 29 March, while struggling Honda are still looking to find a buyer.
Despite this USF1 will not be be backed by a manufacturer or wealthy businessman, with Windsor saying they have put together a viable business plan that will work.
"If you look at the way it's gone in the recent past, it's been either you find a rich trillionaire and have him dominate, or you are lucky enough to be invited by a large car company to set up their F1 operation," he said.
"Ken and I have been around long enough to know we didn't want to do those things.
"We always wanted to do our own team our way. We have got some things we want to bring in.
"The key was not to selling anything more than a very small stake in the team.
"We set ourselves some unbelievably steep hills to climb in a recession, but we only wanted to sell a small part of the team, and, as we sit here now, I'm pleased to say we've done that and we're now two guys that can say we are going to do an F1 team because we have the capital to do it."
F1 has a rich history in north America and can boast two former world champions in Phil Hill and Mario Andretti.
However, races in America and Canada have recently been taken off the calendar and there are currently no US or Canadian drivers competing in the sport.
Danica Patrick, the first woman to compete in the Indy Car series in the US, has been linked with a seat with the new team as have former Torro Rosso driver Scott Speed, and Andretti's grandson 21-year-old Marco.
Anderson has admitted that Patrick would be an attractive proposition for USF1 and is keen to see if the 26-year-old would fancy becoming the sixth female F1 driver.
"Danica's great - she gets a lot of press," he said.
"IndyCar Series boss Tony George would probably be pretty mad with me if I took her out of the IRL (Indy Racing League), but we'll see.
"I don't know if it's something she wants to do. We'd certainly love to test her and go from there."

The balance of the England team

Andrew Flintoff's absence from the England team for the fourth Test in Barbados underlines how big a role he plays.
The tourists, already without their first-choice wicketkeeper, are now without Flintoff, so are thus deprived of their best bowler and a top-order batsman.
Essex batsman Ravi Bopara and Kent seamer Amjad Khan have been drafted in, but England are not allowed to field 12 players so how should the team shape up for Barbados?
Bearing in mind the need to take 20 wickets and level the series at 1-1 with one match to play, who should form the bowling attack?
Steve Harmison has been passed fit, but did not look at his lethal best having been reprieved in Antigua. Would you give him another chance, and hope he can regain the form he showed in the Caribbean on the previous tour, or is his inconsistency too much of a risk in a must-win match?
Should Ryan Sidebottom return to give some balance with his left-arm seamers or has he lost that crucial bit of zip that made him so dangerous against the Windies in the home series of 2007?
Perhaps Khan should be given a chance, having taken five wickets in the tour match preceding this Test, or is it too much of a risk to give him his debut?
There have been fitness doubts over spinner Graeme Swann so who should deputise if he does not make it? Monty Panesar or is it time to give 21-year-old Adil Rashid his debut, particularly in view of his highly-rated batting capabilities?
No discussion about England would be complete without some debate about the batting order, and sure enough the absence of Matt Prior and Flintoff has created some uncertainty.
With Tim Ambrose not likely to be risked above number seven, who comes in at six? Bopara, aged 23, is a hugely talented strokeplayer who could not have done much more than make an unbeaten 124 from 125 balls in the recent tour match.
He also bowls useful medium pacers so should he be first choice to improve a fledgling Test career that has comprised only three Tests, all of which were on a difficult tour of Sri Lanka, when he was dismissed for a duck on four occasions.
There were suggestions that Ian Bell would be handed a recall but would that be a backward step? and would he then have to bat at three, causing further disruption to Owais Shah's hopes of cementing the number three spot? Can Bopara bat at three or is his style of play more suited to the number six slot?
Should Kevin Pietersen move up to three? There are many issues to resolve so please send in your thoughts on the best England line-up for this important Test.

NZ cricketers delay Zimbabwe tour

New Zealand's cricket team has delayed its forthcoming tour of Zimbabwe citing "security concerns".
The tour, due to take place in July, has now been shelved until June 2010.
New Zealand Cricket's chief executive Justin Vaughan agreed a deal with his Zimbabwean counterpart at a meeting in South Africa.
"This is a pragmatic solution that allows the situation in Zimbabwe to be monitored over the next year," Mr Vaughan said in a statement.
'Genuine risks'
New Zealand Cricket had faced a heavy fine by the International Cricket Council (ICC) if it cancelled the tour.
"Given that Zimbabwe remains a full member of ICC we have continuing obligations to play them on a reciprocal basis, therefore this agreement is an acceptable outcome for the present time," he added.
New Zealand's government had said it may delay the tour because it was concerned about the security of the team's players.
Zimbabwe's Zanu-PF government, led by the authoritarian Robert Mugabe, has embarked upon a power-sharing deal with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
More than half Zimbabwe's population is in need of food aid and inflation - estimated by some economists at 10 sextillion per cent - has left its currency almost worthless.
"I'm pretty reluctant for the Black Caps to travel," New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said during the weekend. "There are very real, genuine security risks for our players."
He added: "We don't support that (Zimbabwe) regime. We don't support what is happening in that country, and we don't want to give a signal that we do."
After the announcement, a New Zealand government spokesman welcomed the move, the AFP news agency reported.
"It's obviously a good outcome from our point of view," the spokesman said. "We didn't have anything directly to do with it."
New Zealand last toured Zimbabwe in 2005, for two Tests and a one-day tri-series including India, although then-Prime Minister Helen Clark was against the tour.

Premier League v Serie A

This week sees three Premier League teams come up against Serie A opposition in the first knockout round of the Champions League.

Holders Manchester United travel to Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan on Tuesday, while Arsenal host Roma in London.
On Wednesday, Chelsea's new coach Guus Hiddink will lead the side against the Blues' former coach Claudio Ranieri, now at the helm of Juventus.
The domestic leagues in England and Italy have laid claim to being the best in the world.BBC Sport looks at how they compare, focusing on the players, the top two managers, stadiums and attendances, TV money and their European Cup pedigree.

New baby rules Prior out of Test

England wicketkeeper Matt Prior will miss the fourth Test against West Indies after flying home to be with his wife, who gave birth on Sunday.
Prior received the news at 0430 GMT that wife Emily had the couple's first child, a boy.
Prior had said he would fly home if the baby arrived early and was due to leave the tour temporarily on 2 March.
Tim Ambrose will wear the gloves in Barbados, where the penultimate Test gets under way at 1400 GMT on Thursday.
Ambrose, 26, has played 10 Tests for England, scoring 55 on his debut against New Zealand in Wellington and then 102 against the Kiwis in Hamilton.
The Warwickshire wicketkeeper was dropped for the winter tour to India after a disappointing series against South Africa at home.
But he made an impressive 74 and took two catches on day one of England's two-day match against a Barbados Cricket Association President's XI.Prior, who made an unbeaten 126 on his debut against West Indies at Lord's in 2007, has looked assured on this tour and should regain his place for the fifth Test in Trinidad, which starts on 6 March.
The 26-year-old's absence at the Kensington Oval will mean a second alteration for England following the news that Andrew Flintoff is to miss out with a hip injury.
Prior would have been a viable option to bat at number six given his average is in excess of 40, enabling England to retain a five-man bowling attack.
But the selectors are less likely to consider Ambrose for that position, meaning they might be forced into playing four bowlers.
Ravi Bopara, who hit a hundred in the tour match on Sunday, and Ian Bell would be vying for the spare batting berth.
Worcestershire wicketkeeper Stephen Davies is part of the one-day squad but he is not scheduled to arrive in the Caribbean until later this week.
England are bidding to square the series at 1-1 following their defeat in Jamaica and draw in Antigua.

Younus century rallies Pakistan

Younus Khan hit his 16th Test century as Pakistan finished day three of the first Test against Sri Lanka on 296-3.
Beginning the day at 44-1, Pakistan lost Khurram Mansoor (27), caught behind off Ajanta Mendis at 78-2
But Younus, who put on 149 in a third-wicket stand with Shoaib Malik (56) before the ex-skipper was run-out, remains unbeaten on 149 in Karachi.
Misbah-ul-Haq is not out on 20 with Pakistan 148 runs behind the follow-on target of 444.
Younus had survived a close lbw appeal against Ajanta Mendis before he was dropped on 92 by Tillakaratne Dilshan, who spilled a difficult chance at short mid-wicket.
The 31-year-old soon brought up his hundred off Dilhara Fernando batting alongside Shoaib, who in turn scored his seventh Test half-century.
But the all-rounder's demise came shortly after when he attempted a quick single off leg-spinner Mendis, but Muttiah Muralitharan's direct hit caught him just short of his ground.
New batsman Misbah continued the push towards the follow-on total, compiling 72 with his skipper before the close of play.

Jonathan Agnew column

Had Andrew Flintoff been fully fit, England would probably have won this thrilling Test match. Now they face an anxious wait to see if his hip will recover in time for the next Test which starts in Barbados next Thursday.
But having said that, Chris Gayle's men thoroughly deserved their draw, showing a steely determination and discipline not associated with West Indian teams in the recent past.
Everyone contributed, not least the last pair, Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards who clung on in the fast fading light for 10 overs.
The draw was set up by the partnership of 148 between Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul which lasted long into the final day.
They both fell to Stuart Broad who was given the second new ball and responded magnificently.
With a five-wicket haul in Jamaica, and now this bowling performance, this series might very well be the moment he truly comes of age.
As far as England's tactics go, I am not sure there was much more Andrew Strauss could have done.
The follow-on will be talked about, but if you have two of your bowlers, Steve Harmison (ill) and Flintoff (injured), unable to give of their best and needing time to recuperate, it makes it very difficult to take to the field immediately again.
He set good fields, with an extra man in the leg side to encourage the bowlers to bowl straight - which they did not do often enough - and his decision to give Owais Shah a bowl almost worked.
All in all, this will be remembered as a fabulous Test match - and given the chaotic background to the game, that is more than anyone expected.
Quite how the pitch lasted five days is beyond everyone - perhaps it was a timely reminder to the Antiguan cricket authorities that the Recreation Ground is a cricket ground, first and foremost, and one that has a unique character and a real soul. Let's hope that this hastily rescheduled Test is not the last to be played here.
So to Barbados, where England can expect overwhelming support as they try - again - to level the series.

Sri Lanka pair break Test record

Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera broke a 52-year-old record as they set a new mark for the highest fourth-wicket stand in Test cricket.
The Sri Lanka batsmen put on 437 against Pakistan to erase the record of English greats Peter May and Colin Cowdrey, who put on 411 in 1957.
Captain Jayawardene scored 240 while Samaraweera made 231.
Sri Lanka finally declared on 644-7 with the hosts 44-1 at the close of play on day two of the first Test.
Opener Salman Butt was the man to go, edging Muttiah Muralitharan to Jayawardene at first slip for 23.The prolific Jayawardene, who became the first Sri Lankan to pass 8,000 Test runs on Saturday, hooked up with Kumar Sangakkara to set the all-time Test mark of 624, in 2006 against South Africa.
The Sri Lanka captain's partnership with Samaraweera, who hit his maiden Test double century in the process, is the eighth highest overall in the history of Test cricket.
May and Cowdrey's previous mark for the fourth wicket came against the West Indies at Edgbaston, and was one of the oldest significant Test records around.
Jayawardene has said he will resign the captaincy following this two-match series, with Sangakkara expected to succeed him.
After batting through nearly the first two sessions in Karachi, Jayawardene and Samaraweera were dismissed just before tea after a partnership that spanned 643 balls and 450 minutes.
The double centurions and Tillakaratne Dilshan all fell in the space of 10 balls, with Jayawardene the first to go.
He tried to sweep off-spinner Shoaib Malik but was brilliantly caught down the leg side by keeper Kamran Akmal with the total on 614.
Samaraweera fell seven balls later, with no addition to the score, when he was bowled by a flipper from leg-spinner Danesh Kaneria.
And Pakistan got their third wicket at the same total when Dilshan was caught behind playing defensively at a doosra from Malik.
Sri Lanka added another 30 runs before declaring on their highest total against Pakistan and the late dismissal of Butt leaves them well in control.
Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam said the pitch had not been prepared to his team's liking.
"We were not expecting this sort of track. We wanted a surface with some grass and bounce," said Alam.
"I do not want to make excuses for our performance but let me make it clear we did not ask for this sort of pitch."

Branson keen on Honda - F1 boss

Tycoon Richard Branson would "love" to take over the Honda Formula One team, Bernie Ecclestone has said.
Honda have confirmed Branson's Virgin Group is one of several potential buyers of their F1 outfit.
The British-based team was put up for sale in December after Honda announced they would quit the sport as both a constructor and engine supplier.
"I've spoken to Richard's people about it. He would love to do it," said F1 supremo Ecclestone.
The Japanese carmakers hope a deal can be done in time for the start of the 2009 season in Australia on 29 March.
It is thought the team are up for sale for £1 - although any buyer would need to find a budget in the region of £40m to run the outfit for the new campaign.
Honda have said they are negotiating with several buyers and hope a deal can be done in time for the start of the new season on 29 March.
Speaking about the prospect of Virgin being involved with F1, Ecclestone said: "I'd like it very much. It would be super. We're working to try to make it happen."
The team are very short on time to put a deal together to enable them to compete this season.
They are planning to use Mercedes engines, but the German company has set a deadline by which the team have to prove they have the finances in place to pay for the power-plants.
BBC Sport understands that deadline expires in a matter of days.
Honda announced they were pulling out of F1 because of the effects of the global economic crisis.
Since then the leading contender was rumoured to be a planned management buyout led by the team's current chief executive Nick Fry, principal Ross Brawn and three other senior Honda Racing executives.
Honda are prepared to provide some funding to go towards a racing budget for 2009 as this would be cheaper than paying off the contracts of the team's 700 employees.
Branson has been involved with F1 in a minor capacity - his Virgin Mobile company sponsored the Jordan team in 2002.
Virgin Atlantic Japan have also been personal sponsors of Honda-backed Japanese driver Takuma Sato for the past four years.
But a source close to Branson told BBC Sport that the entrepreneur had in the past been reluctant to get involved with F1, because he saw the sport as a "big black hole for money".
Should a buyout be put together, it would be a major boost for the career of English driver Jenson Button as well as the jobs of the team's 700 employees.
Button has no other options for a place in F1 this coming season.
Honda first competed in F1 in 1964 and has clocked up three Grand Prix wins as a full works team.Its engines have also been behind dozens of victories by stars such as world champions Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost

Oram ton ensures Lord’s draw

LONDON: Jacob Oram’s 101 secured a draw for New Zealand on the fifth and final day of the first Test against England at Lord’s here on Monday.
Oram’s fifth Test hundred, and first against England, was the centrepiece of New Zealand’s second innings 269 for six - 227 ahead. When Oram came to the crease, after wicket-keeper and leading batsman Brendon McCullum had retired hurt on 11, New Zealand were only 78 runs ahead at 120 for four. But by the time he was out, New Zealand had made the game ahead of the start of the second Test of this three-match series at Old Trafford on Friday. Oram, 55 not out at tea, sped through the 90s with three boundaries after England had taken the new ball with the tall left-hander on 89. He cut the first delivery with the new ball, from Ryan Sidebottom for four to go to 93, drove the left-arm quick down the ground to reach 97 and reached his hundred with a forcing shot through the offside against the same bowler.
But one ball after completing a 120-ball hundred with two sixes and 15 fours that got him onto the Lord’s honours board, he was bowled having dominated a stand of 132 with Daniel Flynn in which the Test debutant made just 22. There was still time for McCullum, who made a run-a-ball 97 in the first innings, to resume before he was caught behind for 24. Flynn finished on 29 not out with New Zealand captain, man-of-the-match for his first innings five for 69, unbeaten on nought. New Zealand resumed after lunch on 113 for three, just 71 runs ahead. And 16 balls later that became 115 for four when Jamie How, trying to turn fast bowler Stuart Broad legside, was well caught for 68 by Alastair Cook at third slip. Opener How, celebrating his 27th birthday on Monday, batted for over three hours facing 131 balls with nine fours for his second Test fifty. McCullum then had to retire hurt after a short ball from Broad hit his unprotected left forearm.
Fortunately for New Zealand an X-ray subsequently revealed McCullum had not suffered a break. Oram then pulled left-arm spinner Monty Panesar for the first six of the match before a square-cut boundary off fast bowler James Anderson saw the tall him to a 67-ball fifty. New Zealand started on Monday on 40 without loss, a deficit of two, with How unbeaten on 26 and Aaron Redmond, who’d avoided a pair on his Test debut, 14 not out. But only seven runs had been added when Redmond, pushing forward with an angled bat, edged Anderson straight to Andrew Strauss at first slip. And they were only 10 in front when, 17 balls later, James Marshall was lbw for nought to an inswinging delivery from Sidebottom, who’d taken four for 77 in New Zealand’s first innings 277. How, on 46, drove loosely at the last delivery of Broad’s first over on Monday only for Strauss to drop the head-high slip chance as the ball burst through his hands.
Vaughan’s decision to bring Monty Panesar into the attack was soon rewarded when, with his sixth ball on Monday, the left-arm spinner had Ross Taylor lbw to effectively leave New Zealand 57 for three. England, who were well placed at 148 for one after a first century opening stand between Strauss and Cook, had to settle for a modest first-innings lead of 42 after being bowled out for 319. Vaughan top-scored with 106, his 18th Test century also equalling the Lord’s Test record of six held by former England captain Graham Gooch. Although the pitch offered little turn, left-arm spinner Vettori took five or more wickets in a Test innings for the 14th time in his career. And when Vettori dismissed Vaughan to end the innings, he become only the second New Zealand cricketer after Sir Richard Hadlee to take 250 Test wickets. afp

Intensive Course: ICC Arbitration

Prof. Pierre Tercier Chairman of the ICC International Court of Arbitration; Professor at the University of Fribourg.
8-9 April 2009
The International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris is one of the most important and best known institutions of arbitration and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Its unique set of procedures have been applied to more than 15’000 disputes since their adoption in 1922. Against the background of the general system of international commercial arbitration presented in the general courses, students taking ICC Arbitration are offered a concrete review of the ICC arbitration process and its specificities, such as the Terms of References and the scrutiny of the award by the arbitration institution. Students are also confronted with the writing of some documents related to a procedure before the ICC. It is a rare privilege that we offer our students to be taught the ICC Rules and practice by the person in charge of running the ICC International Court of Arbitration.

West Indies v England 3rd Test

Captain Andrew Strauss has defended his decision to not declare earlier as England failed to beat West Indies in an exciting finish to the third Test.
The visitors had looked set to level the series at 1-1 but the home side held out for a draw in fading light.
Strauss declared on 221-8 in the second innings, setting West Indies an improbable 503 for victory, but England fell agonisingly short by one wicket.
"We had over 130 overs to bowl the West Indies," said the Middlesex batsman.
"On most fifth-day wickets that is more than enough overs."
After their shocking defeat in the opening match of the series, England were on top for much of the match in Antigua but Ramnaresh Sarwan (106) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (55) led a determined survival effort by the home side.But although Andrew Flintoff was not firing on all cylinders because of a hip problem, Stuart Broad weighed in with 3-51, Graeme Swann also took three wickets to go with his 5-57 in the first innings and James Anderson picked up two.
Questions will be asked about his decision not to enforce the follow-on after the West Indies first innings, and the timing of his declaration on the fourth day, but Strauss said: "We needed to bat again, particularly with Freddie being injured.
"When you get so close there are always things you think about. But there are many positives to come out of this Test match. We will take those positives and continue to get better."
He added: "I don't regret it because Steve Harmison was very ill - we didn't know if we would get any overs out of him and Fred had this injury so we weren't sure how many overs we would get out of him.
"So, it was very important we gave our other bowlers a rest so they could come with their fuel tanks as full as possible for the final innings, so I don't regret that.
"There are always things that you think, 'I might have done this slightly differently or that differently' but generally the effort the guys put in was outstanding. "
Flintoff, who faces a scan in the next two days, still managed to contribute 14 overs on the final day and almost wrapped up the win with a couple of inswinging yorkers.
"We tried to bowl him today as little as possible but we probably bowled him more than we wanted to," Strauss added.
"His last spell was incredible considering his fitness. We'll get a scan done in Barbados - he may be fit [for the next Test], he may not be."
Despite the disappointment, with Strauss admitting a draw "almost feels like a defeat", he is confident England can still win the series.
"It's tough to take. I thought we did enough but it wasn't to be," he said."Right through this match we played exceptional cricket and if we can continue in similar fashion we will come out on top."

Jonathan Agnew column

Had Andrew Flintoff been fully fit, England would probably have won this thrilling Test match. Now they face an anxious wait to see if his hip will recover in time for the next Test which starts in Barbados next Thursday.
But having said that, Chris Gayle's men thoroughly deserved their draw, showing a steely determination and discipline not associated with West Indian teams in the recent past.
Everyone contributed, not least the last pair, Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards who clung on in the fast fading light for 10 overs.
The draw was set up by the partnership of 148 between Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul which lasted long into the final day.
They both fell to Stuart Broad who was given the second new ball and responded magnificently.
With a five-wicket haul in Jamaica, and now this bowling performance, this series might very well be the moment he truly comes of age.
As far as England's tactics go, I am not sure there was much more Andrew Strauss could have done.
The follow-on will be talked about, but if you have two of your bowlers, Steve Harmison (ill) and Flintoff (injured), unable to give of their best and needing time to recuperate, it makes it very difficult to take to the field immediately again.
He set good fields, with an extra man in the leg side to encourage the bowlers to bowl straight - which they did not do often enough - and his decision to give Owais Shah a bowl almost worked.
All in all, this will be remembered as a fabulous Test match - and given the chaotic background to the game, that is more than anyone expected.
Quite how the pitch lasted five days is beyond everyone - perhaps it was a timely reminder to the Antiguan cricket authorities that the Recreation Ground is a cricket ground, first and foremost, and one that has a unique character and a real soul. Let's hope that this hastily rescheduled Test is not the last to be played here.
So to Barbados, where England can expect overwhelming support as they try - again - to level the series.

COLLONGES ALL GOLD AT LEOPARDSTOWN

Neptune Collonges dominated the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown to provide Ruby Walsh with his first victory in the prestigious Irish race.
He will now join Denman and Kauto Star in trainer Paul Nicholls' attempt at repeating his one-two-three in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
Despite his bright grey colour, Neptune Collonges does not enjoy as high a public profile as his stablemates in Britain but is familiar to Irish racegoers and he was collecting a third Grade One win in the country following two Punchestown Gold Cups.
With Cheltenham title holder Denman not impressing on his belated return at Kempton recently, Neptune Collonges was trimmed to the same price (5-1 with the sponsors) to go two places better than his third in 2008. Nicholls' 2007 champion Kauto Star - the probable mount of Walsh - is the 7-4 favourite.
While talk of Cheltenham served to whet the appetite, this was a prize not to be sniffed at even if it was not the strongest of renewals on paper.
Neptune Collonges' only previous start this season had been at the Dublin course over Christmas when he fell at the penultimate fence of the Lexus Chase.
There were to be no such mistakes this time around and he tracked his fellow West Country raider and last year's hero The Listener.
The two greys, both fitted with nosebands and carrying yellow colours, looked pretty similar from afar but there was only one likely to win as Neptune Collonges seized the lead at the third-last.
Having negotiated the next obstacle without any trouble, the only problem came from the stubborn Welsh National winner Notre Pere.
His jockey had been pushing him along some way from home but he never quite looked like eating into the 8-13 favourite's advantage and was held by five lengths.
"We've done a lot of work with him since last time as he got very lazy," said Nicholls.
"It's come together well and he will improve for the run so we're very happy with him. I'm really looking forward to the Gold Cup now.
"It took the horse a week to regain his confidence after his fall here the last day.
"He took a good old blow today, he has been giving the young horses a lead over the baby hurdles to get his confidence back.
"That's the best he's jumped for a while and we put a sheepskin noseband on him to help him concentrate.
"If we got this ground in Cheltenham it would be ideal. We will probably go to Punchestown after Cheltenham."
While not in Walsh's league, Nicholls was an accomplished horseman himself and he recalled: "I won this race as a jockey 21 years ago aboard a horse called Playschool."
Jockey Andrew Lynch said of the Jim Dreaper-trained runner-up: "He ran super and jumped super. The other horse was just a bit pacier.
"The ground was a bit dead but they weren't going into it and I was always going a stride too quick.
"He's a real natural over fences and he's improved a fair bit from his last run. It is up to the trainer and owner but I see no reason why not (run in the Gold Cup)."
The Listener dropped away tamely and finished last of the six runners while Chelsea Harbour ran a scorcher of a trial for the Grand National, coming from a long way off the pace to be third.

Ghana Face Rwanada in World Cup Qualifie

Ghana has been drawn to face Rwanda in the opening fixture of the 2010 International Cricket Council (ICC) U-19 World Cup preliminary qualifiers in Mozambique.
The qualifiers run from February 27-March 5 and are expected to attract the likes of Sierra Leone, Gambia, Swaziland, Rwanda and Mozambique.
Like all the other teams, Ghana is expected to touch down in Mozambique on February 27 before taking on Rwandathe following day.
Rwanda is well aware that the odds are against them as they have never beaten Ghana in an international game.
The two sides have met twice; in the 2004 and 2008 ICC/ACA World Cricket League Div 3 tournaments in South Africa.
In 2008, the sides met at the semi-finals and Rwanda were beaten hands down. Not used to playing swing bowlers, Rwanda crumbled to a paltry score of 23, her lowest ever score in an ICC game.
However, Rwanda's U-19 coach Martin Ondeko is optimistic his charges will give Ghana a run for their money.
Ondeko is currently taking a provisional squad of 18 youngsters through drills at Kicukiro.
"I have a couple of talented guys in the team but on a whole, I'm impressed with the team's fielding and bowling," said Ondeko who also happens to be one of Uganda's celebrated cricketers.
The winner in Mozambique will proceed to Zambia to contest with Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia for the lone 2010 U-19 World Cup slot at stake.
The 2010 World Cup will be hosted in Kenya.
ICC WC qualifier
Format- Round Robin, 50-over Matches
Rwanda's fixtures
Feb 28: vs Ghana
March 1: vs Mozambique
March 2: vs Gambia
March 3: vs Sierra Leone
March 4: vs Swaziland