■ SuperbikesGibernau secures pole
Spaniard Sete Gibernau claimed pole position for the Australian MotoGP, waiting until the last lap of qualifying Saturday to edge ahead of Valentino Rossi on the 4.448km Phillip Island circuit. The Honda rider clocked the fastest single lap time of one minute 30.122 seconds. Rossi, who is 30 points clear of second-place Gibernau in the 2004 championship, didn't improve on his best time from Friday's qualifying session and ended one-tenth of a second behind archrival Gibernau. Loris Capirossi was next on a Ducati (1:30.613) to complete the front row of the grid. "I have felt comfortable with the bike right from the first session and we have been able to concentrate on working in the same direction and concentrating on the race," Gibernau said.
■ Cricket
Tendulkar cites Warne
Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar paid tribute to test wicket record holder Shane Warne saying the Australian has become a role model for many kids aspiring to be cricket players, a news report said yesterday. "Warne has done marvelous things for cricket and spin bowling," Tendulkar was quoted saying after the leg spinner claimed his 533rd test wicket Friday during the second test against India to claim the outright record. "He's got kids interested in spin bowling. You get plenty of guys trying to copy him," Bombay publication, the Mid-Day, quoted Tendulkar. Warne overtook Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan's tally of 532 when he dismissed India's Irfan Pathan in the southern Indian city of Madras. An elbow injury has forced Tendulkar to sit out the first two matches of the ongoing test series between India and Australia
■ Auto racing
Vidal sets strong pace
Francois Vidal of Belgium won two special stages and drove his Ford Focus to the lead Friday in the Tour of Corsica rally at Ajaccio, France, while World Rally Championship leader Frenchman Sebastien stayed within 35.1 seconds in third. Duval completed the 122kmover four special stages on dry asphalt in one hour, 15 minutes, 50.6 seconds, leaving him 15.1 seconds clear of Estonian Markko Martin -- also in a Ford Focus. Loeb, driving a Citroen Xsara, is seeking to become the first Frenchman since Didier Auriol in 1994 to win the world title.
■ Baseball
NPL season completed
Ken Suzuki connected for a solo homer in the top of the ninth inning Saturday to lift the Yakult Swallows to a 3-2 win over the Yokohama BayStars in the last regular season game in the Central League. Yakult held a 2-0 lead after the top of the eighth inning at Yokohama Stadium but the BayStars rallied to tie the game on a double by Masaaki Koike and an RBI single by Tatsuhiko Kinjo. Suzuki broke the 2-2 deadlock with his 15th homer of the season as the second place Swallows finished ahead of the Yomiuri Giants in the standings. Yakult starter Masanori Ishikawa picked up the win after holding the BayStars to three hits over seven scoreless innings. Ryota Igarashi retired the side in the bottom of the ninth for his 37th save. The Swallows finished the regular season seven games back of the Central League champion Chunichi Dragons.
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