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Defending champion among the Indian participants Ram Singh Yadav, who won last year’s full marathon in a timing of 2:18:22 will head the pack which includes the likes of Deep Chand, Satya Prakash and Anand Kumar in the upcoming Mumbai Marathon, which will be held on January 18.

Former winner A Leelamma, Indresh Dhiraj, Sukanya Mal and Aruna Devi will be carrying the Indian aspirations in the women’s full marathon, while in the shorter version it will be local lass from Nasik, Kavita Raut along with Preeti Rao, Preeja Sreedharan, Vaishali Chatare and Anju Bijare who will be vying for top honours.

In the main marathon, the men’s field sees the return of John Kelai, attempting to make it a hat-trick of titles. Kelai clocked 2:12.27 while claiming the title for the first time in 2007 and lowered it to 2:12:22 last year.

He will be aiming to further lower that timing to break the existing course record of 2:12.03 that was set by Daniel Rono in 2006. Kelai will face a strong challenge from fellow countryman Japhet Kosgei, who has a personal best of 2:07.

Though Kosgei failed to finish among the top places in 2008, the experience should hold him in good stead. He also has to his credit a 2:09 finish last year to prove his credentials.

The other big names in the men’s field are French/Kenyan Simon Munyutu, who clocked 2:09 in Paris last spring, and Ukrainian Olexander Kukin, who boasts a best of 2:07 and likes to run in hot conditions. Moroccan Adrerahime Bouramdane, with a best of 2:08.20, set in 2007 and Russian Oleg Kulkov, with a best of 2:11, recorded in 2008 are the other athletes of note.

The women’s field is led by Kenyan Margaret Okeyo, a former London Marathon winner, making her debut in Mumbai. Okeyo has a personal best of 2:25 and will be pushed hard by fellow Kenyan Lenah Cheruiyot, who ran 2:26:00 in Paris in 2008. The Ethiopian challenge will be led by Shitaye Gemechu (2:26) and Leila Aman, while Russian Irina Permitina (2:26:51) and China’s Xin Zhang (2:26:32), are also strong challengers.

Owais Shah, a member of the visiting England ODI team and also a part of their Test squad, was today named in the Middlesex side for the Twenty20 Champions League cricket tournament.

Shah, though, is yet to be given the clearance by the England and Wales Cricket Board to play in the Twenty20 competition.

Middlesex`s other national team player Andrew Strauss has not been named been named for the championship.

Shaun Udal will lead the English T20 champions which also boasts of Indian left-arm spinner Murali Kartik.

Pakistan`s domestic Twenty20 champions Sialkot Stallions too announced their squad to be led by national team skipper Shoaib Malik.

The squads:

Middlesex Crusaders: Shaun Udal (captain), Alan Richardson, Benjamin Scott, Billy Godleman, David Nash, Dawid Malan, Edmund Joyce, Eoin Morgan, Gareth Berg, Murali Kartik, Nick Compton, Owais Shah, Steven Finn, Timothy Murtagh, Tyron Henderson.

Siakot Stallions: Shoaib Malik (captain), Abdul Rehman, Adeel Malik, Ali Khan, Bilal Hussain, Faisal Naveed, Kashif Raza, Kamran Younas, Mansoor Amjad, Muhammad Ayub Muhammad Ali, N Qazi, Qaisar Abbas, Sarfraz Ahmad, Shakeel Ansar.

Werder Bremen rediscovered their scoring touch on Sunday to beat Cologne 3-1 and get back into the race for European places.Werder, surprisingly held to a goalless draw with Bochum last weekend, had no such problems in attack once Diego had put them ahead with a penalty in the 15th minute.

It was only Werder’s fifth league win but it was enough to take them up to seventh place with 20 points from 13 games.

“It wasn’t our best performance but it will give us a boost in confidence,” goalkeeper Tim Wiese told Premiere TV.

Bayer Leverkusen lead the standings with 28 points after a 2-1 win over Schalke 04 on Saturday.

Hoffenheim trail them on goal difference following their 3-2 victory over VfL Wolfsburg, with Bayern Munich three points behind them in third after they were held 2-2 at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Werder were runners-up to Bayern last season but this term they have been too inconsistent to get near the leading three.

They played brilliantly in a 5-2 win away to Bayern back in September and followed it up with a 5-4 victory over Hoffenheim but then managed just two points from their next four matches.

Last weekend’s failure against relegation candidates Bochum let them in the bottom half of the table but they played far more like title challengers on Sunday.

Frank Baumann’s run into the box prompted a clumsy challenge from Pierre Wome and gave Diego the chance to put them ahead from the spot.

They were on top from then on and doubled the lead with a terrific barging header from Naldo from a corner just before the break.

Milivoje Novakovic pulled one back early in the second half with a nice run and shot but Hugo Almeida restored the two-goal cushion with a perfectly struck half-volley a few minutes later.

English soccer star David Beckham will join AC Milan on loan in January, according the Italian club club’s vice-president Adriano Galliani.The LA Galaxy midfielder is expected to train with Carlo Ancelotti’s side during the Major League Soccer’s (MLS) closed season.

Galliani said the England international will be available to play in Serie A and the UEFA Cup. But Beckham, who is yet to officially agree to the deal, will be available for only two months because he must report back to Galaxy in time for the start of

pre-season training. The new MLS season starts in April.

The 33-year-old is reportedly contemplating the move on the advice of England coach Fabio Capello, who feels that the player will benefit from a brief return to one of Europe’s most competitive leagues.

Capello has maintained that the player won’t be considered for the friendly against Spain in February, if he remained inactive.

‘Beckham wants to train and play with Milan,’ Galliani said.

‘We want him. He will arrive in January and we will sign him. It’s not just a shop-window deal, it’s a great deal. He will be available for Ancellotti for Serie A and the Uefa Cup.’

Galliani said the Briton’s commercial value had persuaded Milan to go for the deal.

‘Football today is not just about tactics and technical abilities. It’s about full stadiums and sponsors.

Daniel Vettori completed a fine all-round display to lead New Zealand to a three-wicket victory over Bangladesh on Tuesday, the captain setting up the win with two fifties and a nine-wicket haul.

Set 317 runs to win the opener of the two-match series, New Zealand cruised to the victory target in the final session of the fifth day with Vettori’s contribution backed up by solid batting performances from Aaron Redmond and Daniel Flynn.

Resuming after the tea interval on 281-5, nightwatchman Vettori fell for 76 and Flynn for 49 to leave Jacob Oram (8) and Kyle Mills to polish off the remaining few runs.

“It is always important for the captain to set standards so it was pleasing for me to have made a contribution with the bat and ball,” Vettori said.

“I am pretty pleased with the effort in chasing 317 against Bangladesh who I thought had the momentum. Shakib and Razzak bowled exceptionally, so it was not an easy challenge.”

“Throughout the history of New Zealand cricket we have never chased that well outside our country. So it was really pleasing.”

Vettori was bowled by left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak (3-93) while Flynn fell agonisingly short of a maiden Test 50 when he was bowled by Shakib Al Hasan when only one run was needed for victory.

Shakib took 7-36 in the first innings and took a further two wickets in the second.

Earlier, Redmond contributed to his side’s cause with his maiden Test half-century to help New Zealand complete a rally from a first innings deficit of 74 runs when they were skittled out for just 171 in reply to the home side’s 245.

Vettori’s 4-74 (to go with his 5-59 in the first innings) helped restrict Bangladesh to 242 in the second innings, setting New Zealand up for a difficult run chase that they will be delighted to have achieved.

Resuming the final day on their overnight score of 145-2, New Zealand added 67 runs for the loss of two wickets before lunch, with opener Redmond falling for 79 when he was caught by Zunaed Siddique at slip off the bowling of left-arm spinner Shakib.

Playing in his fourth match, Redmond’s score was his highest in Test cricket after the 29-year-old struggled to make an impact in his previous six innings against England earlier in 2008.

Paceman Mashrafe Mortaza (1-37) took the other wicket to fall in the morning when he had Ross Taylor caught at backward-point by substitute fielder Mahbubul Alam for nine.

Razzak also removed Brendan McCullum for two in the afternoon session, trapped lbw, but the visitors always had enough wickets in hand to reach their target.

The second and final Test will be played in Dhaka from Oct. 25-29.

In a first of its kind incident, the DDCA on Wednesday, abruptly sent back two players attending the Ranji camp from the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium on charges of cheating and misrepresentation of facts.

Raman Sachdeva and Sahn John arrived for practice but coach Vijay Dahiya asked the two players to leave midway following orders from the DDCA top brass. The DDCA had received a complaint that the two players had represented Guru Gobind Singh College in the University of Delhi competition without being valid students of the institution.

The college was subsequently debarred from the competition and the incident was communicated to the DDCA for further action.

“I was told by the sports secretary (Sunil Dev) today to inform them to leave the camp. I cannot confirm if the boys will be part of the camp anymore or not, that’s up to the DDCA to decide,” Dahiya told Sportline.

Dev, meanwhile, confirmed the incident and said the matter is pending inquiry. “We received a complaint initially and got it counter-checked from the University of Delhi officials. However, the final decision on the matter and the action, if any, will taken by the president in a day or two,” Dev clarified.

This drastic action assumes significance because the Association of Indian Universities, of which DU is a part, and DDCA, come under the framework of BCCI. Both Sachdeva and John were included in the initial Ranji probables list following their performances in the DDCA league matches.

MICHAEL HUSSEY provided the blueprint for Australia’s batsmen, if they are to have success in Indian conditions. The left-handed batsman controlled the Australian first innings with the kind of sense and serenity that reduced India’s bowlers to a helpless lot till Zaheer Khan extracted late reverse-swing in a sharp burst that took his innings bag to five wickets and kept the Australians down to 430.

When India’s reply began Virender Sehwag showed a different way to succeed, but no other batsman should attempt to copy it, for few can bat with such disregard to opposition attacks or conditions. India made a sound start, reaching 68 without loss in one-and-a-half hours before an energetic evening shower brought play to an early close.

What is remarkable about Hussey’s batting is that there is very little remarkable in what he does. That he can concentrate for long periods is well known, but he does not do so to the detriment of run scoring.

That he can clear the ropes was in evidence, when he lifted Harbhajan Singh for a six over midwicket. To be fair Hussey was helped along by some undisciplined bowling from the Indians.

While Ishant Sharma ran in with intensity, and was rewarded with the early wicket of Shane Watson when a ball kept a touch low to beat the stroke and rattle the timber, there was no-one to tie the other end down. Zaheer began the day poorly, bowling far too often on the pads and getting picked off with ease.

Neither Anil Kumble nor Harbhajan threatened and Hussey went quietly from his overnight 46 to the nineties. If Hussey was well set, Brad Haddin certainly wasn’t and India’s best chance was to prise him out early.

Instead they allowed a partnership of 91 to develop almost unchecked. Hussey got to his ninth hundred, a remarkable achievement considering he’s only playing his 26 th Test match, with an inside edge four to third-man off Ishant, but no-one could grudge him that slice of luck.

Haddin (33) had just begun to play a few shots when Ishant returned for a second spell where he interspersed slower deliveries just often enough to deceive the batsman. One such finger-rolled off-cutter elicited the drive from Haddin and VVS Laxman extended to his full height to take a sharp catch above his head at short cover.

Craig White’s first minutes as a Test cricketer were less than special and he too fell to Ishant’s slower ball, ballooning an easy catch to Harbhajan at cover. Hussey continued to resist even as his partners changed and Brett Lee proved better than the two that had gone before him.

He was involved in the fourth 50-partnership of the innings, and only fell when Zaheer hurried one through to flatten the off stump as Lee (27) played late. Mitchell Johnson dragged an inducker onto his leg stump and just when it appeared that Hussey would run out of partners he was last man out.

Zaheer picked up his 6 th Test five-for, with Hussey dragging a widish ball back onto his stumps. Hussey had batted just under seven hours for his 146 and Australia had posted a healthy 430 in their first dig on this tour.

Hussey walked off to a warm round of applause from the Bangalore crowd, perhaps sparked off by Rahul Dravid patting the Aussie on the back while running off to get his own pads on. But Dravid need not have bothered.

Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag soaked up the pressure of the scoreboard with consummate ease, dropping the ball down with soft hands and pinching quick singles. Sehwag was not content with merely running hard, and attacked whenever he was given width, picking up seven boundaries to Gambhir’s three as India closed on 68 for no loss.

Sehwag and Gambhir had each faced 55 balls, but unsurprisingly, Sehwag had 23 runs more than Gambhir’s 20.

Let the race for the ace begin. But don’t think a truck full of money will be the top factor in where CC Sabathia decides to sign.

After the Brewers were bumped out of the NL playoffs Sunday with a 6-2 loss to Philadelphia, the free-agent-to-be said that happiness, not money, will play a major role. The big left-hander sure had fun in Milwaukee, too.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say this was one of the better times I had in my career,” said Sabathia, who went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts with the Brewers. “Coming here, meeting these guys and being on this team, was a good experience.”

Sabathia said he hasn’t made any decisions on his future. But he certainly added lots of zeros to his potential pay day after Cleveland traded him to Milwaukee for four prospects on July 7.

The reigning AL Cy Young winner pitched seven complete games in the NL and made four consecutive starts on three days’ rest, including a complete game in a 3-1 victory over the Cubs that gave Milwaukee the NL wild card.

“I enjoyed my time. These guys are great. This clubhouse is awesome,” Sabathia said.

He was awesome, too, in carrying Milwaukee to its first postseason trip since 1982.

Sabathia would have been the Game 5 starter, if necessary, but had to settle for a pinch hit at-bat in the third inning and an offseason to rest after 256 2-3 innings, including playoffs.

“I feel fine. I feel good, actually,” Sabathia said. “I thought I’d be a lot more sore than I am, actually. I feel real good and had no problems doing what needed to be done.”

General manager Doug Melvin just laughs at the question now if giving some of the Brewers’ best prospects was worth it for Sabathia. Principal owner Mark Attanasio thinks that they might have a chance at re-signing him even though he’ll likely get at least as much as Johan Santana did this past offseason with his $137.5 million, six-year deal with the Mets.

“The numbers you hear for a player like CC start to approach what we pay the team, so you have to be creative on how you structure things. But, they’ve got financial advisers and they can be creative, too, so we’ll see,” Attanasio said.

Sabathia, who was 18 when he was drafted in the first round by Cleveland in 1998, said he’s looking for a comfortable place that’s best for him and his family.

“Even when I was in Cleveland, I told people I want to have fun. I like to play this game and I want to be around people I enjoy, because you have to be around them eight months a year,” Sabathia said. “It’ll all factor in.”

It’s also well-known that he’s fond of Southern California, and he’d like to make decision soon.

“I want to get it done pretty quick. I try to be as less free as possible,” Sabathia said. “All that is is stress, having it drag on through the winter. We’ll see what happens.”

One thing is for certain, though. His plans will revolve solely around his family.

“I can guarantee you I won’t be flying around going to different cities,” Sabathia said. “I’ve pretty much been to every city. I’ve got a lot of friends around the league. They’re going to have to come to me.”

Impressed with Mahendra Singh Dhoni`s captaincy skills, former Test player Chetan Chauhan said the flamboyant cricketer reminds him of the World Cup winning skipper Kapil Dev.

“The way Dhoni handles his responsibilities as a skipper on and off the ground reminds me of Kapil Dev. Like Kapil, Dhoni also leads the team from the front and is always ready to take tough decisions on the ground. That`s the secret behind his success,” Chauhan said while releasing a book written on Dhoni.

The book named as `Captain Cool: The MS Dhoni Story` has been authored by sports writer Gulu Ezekiel.

“He is very much involved with the game all the time, that`s the character which I really admire in him,” Chauhan said.

The former cricketer, who played 40 Test matches, said the Ranchi-lad is ready to lead the Test team but felt the selectors did the right thing to wait for the time being.

“He is already on the line for the job. But what`s the hurry? (Anil) Kumble is doing a fine job now, so let him continue. He (Dhoni) will also get the opportunity very soon,” he said.

resident of Delhi and Districts Cricket association (DDCA), promised to take every possible measure to ensure security during the third Test against Australia at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground.

“I don`t think Australia will hesitate to come to Delhi. We will take full security measures to organise the match successfully. We have the experience of holding much more sensitive matches like the Indo-Pak series in 2006 and this time also we will do it properly,” he said.