Australian captain Ricky Ponting said his team's top batsmen had not shown enough respect for cricket when they crashed to a shock five-wicket defeat against minnows Zimbabwe in their World Twenty20 match at Newlands on Wednesday.

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The outcome of today's vital Rugby World Cup game between England and South Africa may be just as dependent upon those who are absent as those playing.

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Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful smashed the fastest ever half-century in Twenty20 cricket yesterday to throw the West Indies out of the world championships.

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FLYING HIGH:: Scotland's James MacFadden scored the only goal of the game, a 25m drive which France keeper Michael Landreau palmed into his own net
James McFadden's long-range goal earned Scotland a landmark 1-0 victory over France on Wednesday night to put them firmly on course for the Euro 2008 finals on a winning night for Britain.

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COUNTING CHICKENS? : The Azzurri were unconvincing, but got the win they needed and are looking ahead to what is likely to be an elimination match against the Scots
Italy are looking past their next World Cup Pool C game against minnows Portugal to a do-or-die clash with Scotland that will likely decide which of the two teams earns a quarter-final berth.

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Although Japan narrowly failed to record their first World Cup win in 16 years, their 35-31 loss to Fiji in a tense match on Wednesday won over a whole stadium of fans thanks to their thrilling attacking rugby.

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Tonga have set their sights on Samoa as they aim to become Pacific island kings at the World Cup.

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David Ortiz hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth that barely cleared the low wall in right field to give the Boston Red Sox a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Wednesday.

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BY PAUL HUANG
Jiang Chih-tson's bases-clearing two-run double broke an 8-all tie in the top of the 10th as the La New Bears overcame two rallies by the President Lions to record an 11-8 road win in Tainan on Wednesday evening.

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SAME OLD STORY: World No. 11 China and No. 6 Denmark are old rivals, but the Danes were left ruing their eighth defeat to China, their only victory in a friendly six years ago
Substitute Song Xiaoli came to the rescue in the dying minutes to give China a thrilling 3-2 victory over Denmark on Wednesday in their women's World Cup opener.

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Shahid Afridi smashed 22 off seven balls and then grabbed 4-19 as Pakistan brushed aside Scotland by 51 runs in the Twenty20 World Championships on Wednesday.

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Dirk Nowitzki had 15 points and 10 rebounds on Wednesday to lead Germany over Italy 67-58 and into the quarter-finals of the European Basketball Championships.

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Captain Ane Stangeland Horpestad struck a late winner as former champions Norway rallied from a goal down to beat Canada 2-1 in their opening women's World Cup game on Wednesday.

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China got off to a disastrous start on Wednesday at the Japan Open badminton tournament, with women's world champion Zhu Lin and several top seeds on the men's side crashing out in the first round.

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■ CYCLING
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