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Managers may come and go, but some traditions never change at White Hart Lane. Having seen his side’s ragged defence repeatedly torn apart in the early stages of last night’s Uefa Cup tie, Juande Ramos changed his line-up for the second half and was rewarded with a spirited fightback that saw Tottenham claim a deserved win and top spot in Group G.

With six points under their belt already, Tottenham should advance to the next stage of a competition which Ramos won in 2006 and 2007 with his former club, Seville. The victory also continued an impressive start to the Spaniard’s reign in north London, which has brought four wins and two draws.

If the first half, in which Tottenham went 2-0 down, was a reminder of the muddled defensive displays which cost his predecessor, Martin Jol, his job, the way in which Ramos changed his formation at half-time offered hope for the future.

Didier Zokora provided steel in front of a three-man defence, while Tom Huddlestone, who replaced the injured Jermaine Jenas, made a crucial contribution within a minute of his arrival as a substitute.

Aalborg fielded only one player who cost a fee (Michael Jakobsen was signed for just £100,000), but the Danes regularly embarrassed their multi-million pound hosts in the first half.

Individually Tottenham’s defenders look like accomplished professionals, but as a unit they can give the impression of a bunch of amateurs playing together for the first time.

If Aalborg’s first goal was a piece of individual brilliance, Thomas Enevoldsen cutting in from the left after less than two minutes to hit a 25-yard screamer past Paul Robinson, their second summed up Tottenham’s carelessness. After 36 minutes Rade Prica was left in acres of space on the left and his cross enabled Kasper Risgaard to bundle the ball over the line from close range.

Tottenham rarely threatened in the first half, but the game was turned on its head within 18 minutes of the interval. After just 39 seconds Huddlestone’s lovely pass through the middle of the Aalborg defence found Dimitar Berbatov, who rolled the ball past Karim Zaza and into the far corner.

Five minutes later the Danes failed to clear a cross from the right and when the ball broke free to Robbie Keane the Tottenham captain unselfishly fed Steed Malbranque, who drove the ball home from eight yards. The turnaround was completed after 63 minutes, Darren Bent scoring at the far post after Aaron Lennon had driven the ball across the penalty area.

After the match Ramos praised the “fantastic” response of his team to their half-time predicament but recognised the problems he faces. “The most important thing in a team is to be balanced, which we’re not at the moment,” he said. “We’re giving too many opportunities to opponents. We know we’re not going to score three goals in every game, so we must cut down on our mistakes.”

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Robinson; Lee (Bent, h-t), Chimbonda, Dawson, Bale; Lennon, Jenas (Huddlestone, h-t), Zokora, Malbranque; Keane, Berbatov (Boateng, 74). Substitutes not used: Cerny (gk), Tainio, Stalteri, Taarabt.

Aalborg (4-5-1): Zaza; Olesen, Califf, Jakobsen, Pedersen; Nomvethe (Lindstrom, 60), Risgaard, Augustinussen, Johansson, Enevoldsen (Curth, 74); Prica. Substitutes not used: Jensen, Jacobsen, Olfers, Mota, Vilakazi.

Referee: P Proenca (Portugal).

Managers may come and go, but some traditions never change at White Hart Lane. Having seen his side’s ragged defence repeatedly torn apart in the early stages of last night’s Uefa Cup tie, Juande Ramos changed his line-up for the second half and was rewarded with a spirited fightback that saw Tottenham claim a deserved win and, for the moment at least, top spot in Group G.

Nevertheless, this was a patchy display that underlined the size of the Spaniard’s task. Aalborg, who fielded just one player who cost a fee (Michael Jakobsen was signed for just £100,000), regularly embarrassed Tottenham on the break and the Danes might easily have been out of sight by the time the home team found their stride.

Consistently poor defending effectively cost Martin Jol his job and the first 45 minutes showed that it will take more than a change in the manager to solve the problems. Individually Tottenham’s defenders look like accomplished professionals, but as a unit they can give the impression of a bunch of amateurs playing together for the first time. The injured Ledley King cannot return quickly enough.

If Aalborg’s first goal was a piece of individual brilliance, Thomas Enevoldsen cutting in from the left after less than two minutes to hit a 25-yard screamer past Paul Robinson, their second summed up Tottenham’s carelessness. After 36 minutes Rade Prica was left in acres of space on the left and his cross enabled Kasper Risgaard to bundle the ball over the line from close range.

Tottenham looked better going forward, though their football rarely flowed. Jermaine Jenas, breaking from midfield, made occasional inroads and a mazy run after 14 minutes opened up the Danish defence for the first time. The midfielder, however, was unable to find Dimitar Berbatov or Robbie Keane with his cross, a failing which Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale repeated several times.

For the most part, Tottenham’s major threat in the first half came from set pieces. Michael Dawson might have had a penalty when he appeared to be pushed by Martin Pedersen, while Pascal Chimbonda’s far post header from a corner went narrowly over the crossbar.

The performance clearly left Ramos seriously underwhelmed. He responded by sending on Tom Huddlestone and Darren Bent for Jenas and Lee Young-Pyo – changes which, remarkably, saw Tottenham take the lead within 18 minutes of the restart.

After only 39 seconds Huddlestone’s lovely pass through the middle of the Aalborg defence found Berbatov, who rolled the ball past Karim Zaza and into the far corner. Five minutes later the Danes failed to clear a cross and when the ball broke free to Keane the Tottenham captain unselfishly fed Steed Malbranque, who drove the ball home from eight yards. The turnaround was completed after 63 minutes, Bent scoring at the far post after Lennon had driven the ball across the penalty area.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Robinson; Lee (Bent, h-t), Chimbonda, Dawson, Bale; Lennon, Jenas (Huddlestone, h-t), Zokora, Malbranque; Keane, Berbatov (Boateng, 74). Substitutes not used: Cerny (gk), Tainio, Stalteri, Taarabt.

Aalborg (4-5-1): Zaza; Olesen, Califf, Jakobsen, Pedersen; Nomvethe (Lindstrom, 60), Risgaard, Augustinussen, Johansson, Enevoldsen (Curth, 74); Prica. Substitutes not used: Jensen, Jacobsen, Olfers, Mota, Vilakazi.

Referee: P Proenca (Portugal).

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Source: Tottenham Hotspur 3 Aalborg 2: Ramos’ bold moves turn Spurs agony into elation

LeBron James

CLEVELAND - An MRI on LeBron James’ injured left finger in Toronto revealed a sprain, and the Cleveland Cavaliers said their superstar would be a game-time decision for Friday’s game against the Raptors.

James hurt his index finger with 4:41 left in the second quarter on Wednesday night against Detroit when he was fouled on a drive by Pistons centre Nazr Mohammed, who slapped at the ball as James began to shoot.

James stayed in the game and made both free throws. He finished the first half but left the court holding his hand in obvious discomfort. He later returned to the bench in street clothes with his injured finger taped to his middle one and iced his hand while watching the Cavs lose 109-74.

X-rays taken at the Palace in Auburn Hills did not show any fractures. James underwent an MRI at Cleveland Clinic Toronto, which confirmed the sprain, the club said in a statement that offered no other details.

The Cavs did not practise on Thursday.

While the team says James is day to day, the Cavaliers likely will be overly cautious with the injury so he doesn’t make it worse. Cleveland is already without starter Larry Hughes (bruised leg) as well as veteran Donyell Marshall (sprained wrist) and can’t afford to lose James for any significant time.

James was playing his first game at the Palace since Game 5 of last season’s Eastern Conference final when he scored 48 points, including Cleveland’s final 25, as the Cavaliers beat the Pistons.

He scored 15 points with three assists before leaving Wednesday’s game.

James leads the NBA in scoring with 31.7 points per game and is averaging 8.5 assists and eight rebounds.

Source: LeBron a game-time decision in Toronto

A £1m discrepancy between the French club Auxerre’s account of how much money they received from Portsmouth for the transfer of Amdy Faye in 2003 and Portsmouth’s own account kick-started the inquiry that led to the arrests on Wednesday of five men, The Independent can reveal. According to a source, Auxerre told French fraud investigators they received £1m less than the £1.5m Portsmouth are said to have paid.

The City of London Police arrested Harry Redknapp, Milan Mandaric, Peter Storrie, Willie McKay and Faye on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. All five arrests were specifically related to the Faye deal, and while CLP investigators remain open-minded about bringing charges, they are effectively looking for a missing £1m.

Interesting? Click here to explore further

Source: Fraud police ‘looking for missing £1m in Faye deal to Pompey’

To sweep or not to sweep, that is the question facing England’s batsmen as they attempt to finalise a strategy to overcome the most dangerous bowler in the world – Muttiah Muralitharan. For when the prince of Kandy is bowling batsmen can often be found reaching for a Hamlet once they have located the sanctuary of the dressing room.

Muralitharan’s doosra (a delivery that spins like a leg-break) was designed to combat the desire of batsmen to sweep him. The controversial delivery – many believe it cannot be bowled without the arm being straightened illegally – has made the shot more hazardous, but, even so, every England player that takes guard against the spinner in the first Test in Kandy, which begins on Saturday, will intend to use it.

As a stroke, the sweep, a shot that involves the batsman putting his front leg down the pitch to cover his stumps and heaving across the line, is one of the more contentious in cricket. To the purist, who loves to see batsmen dance down the pitch and drive elegantly through the covers for four, or rock back on to the back foot and cut the ball to the backward point boundary, it is a slog played by a desperate, uncultured and unskilled heathen.

To most, however, it is a legitimate, highly effective and relatively safe way of combating a high-quality spinner. Whatever your view it is a shot that England’s batsmen have been practising religiously during training sessions and playing regularly in their two warm-up games against the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI.

In many ways both descriptions of the stroke are correct. The sweep is an ugly shot but it can be mighty effective when played well. In public, spinners say they like it when a batsman attempts to sweep them. They believe that it shows the willow wielder has run out of options and it is only a matter of time before a top edge lobs up to the fielder at short fine-leg or the man loitering on the deep backward square-leg boundary.

But who are they trying to kid? It is all a front. Spinners hate being swept, especially by someone who plays the shot well. It messes up the line and length of the bowler and prevents him from settling in to a rhythm. Spinners want to bowl maidens and the stroke reduces the chance of them achieving the goal. The shot used to drive Philip Tufnell, the former Middlesex and England spinner, to distraction and you only have to watch Shane Warne’s reaction to the stroke to see what he thinks about it.

But why is it so effective and why does it frustrate spinners so much? It is effective because it is a shot that everyone can play. A good top-order batsman should possess the ability to hit the ball in different areas of the ground but even the village green No 11 can put his big left hoof down the pitch and heave the ball to an area between the keeper and square-leg, where the fielding captain can position only two fielders. Yes, occasionally the ball will go to hand, but there is a lot of land out there for just two players to cover.

Every cricketer would love to have the confidence and ability to shimmy down the pitch and hit the ball through the covers for four or over the top for six. But very few – Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting are two – are blessed with the skill to do so consistently. For most, coming down the pitch is a hazardous pastime because it opens up another way of getting out – stumped. Charging down at Muralitharan when you cannot pick his variations and have no idea which way the ball will spin is as reckless as playing hopscotch on the M25.

Yet, somehow, each batsman must carry a threat. He has to show the bowler that he can score runs off him, he has to be able to rotate the strike, and he has to try to take the close-in fielders out of the game and make them feel uncomfortable, as though they may get hit. Marcus Trescothick is a magnificent sweeper of a cricket ball and when he shapes to play the shot short-leg is more concerned with getting through the day unscathed than taking a catch.

The danger in fielding at “boot-hill” encouraged Keith Brown, the former Middlesex batsmen, to ask the club for danger money. At the time John Emburey and Tufnell were the county’s likeliest match-winners and the club, quite rightly, coughed up.

Few bowlers have extracted more spin from a pitch than Muralitharan but the deviation he generates can create problems for him. Balls that pitch in line with the stumps tend to slip down the leg side, which means that he has to aim to pitch the ball some distance outside the line of off stump to hit the wicket.

This leaves him open to being swept because a batsman should not be given out lbw if he is playing a shot and the ball hits him on the leg outside the line of off stump, the area where a pad normally ends up when playing the stroke. The doosra suddenly meant that Muralitharan could bowl a ball that pitched in line with the stumps and went on to hit them. The creation made batsmen question the wisdom of playing the stroke, but only briefly.

And that is the principal reason spinners hate the shot; because it can be played, relatively safely, to a good length ball that is about to spin in to or away from you. When played successfully the bowler is forced to vary his length and pace rather than just plug away waiting for a mistake. Not all sweeps are intended to go for four. Batsmen often play it to get off strike, another factor that forces the bowler to change his plan.

A problem for batsmen is the way in which the umpires interpret the game’s laws. In England, and other parts of the world, umpires are reluctant to raise their fingers when the shot is played. They are deterred by the fact that the batsman has taken a big stride down the pitch and most of his pad is often outside the line of off stump.

In Asia, a region where umpires have sympathy for spinners, the officials are not as inhibited. Here, as Alastair Cook found in England’s final warm-up before the Test, they do not like the shot. Unfortunately for England, Aleem Dar and Asad Rauf, two Pakistan-born umpires, are officiating in the Test.

Alan Knott, the former England and Kent wicketkeeper, had three different conventional sweeps; the slog sweep over mid-wicket, the defensive sweep when he was not looking for runs, and one that he just nudged away for a single. Graham Gooch swept his way to a brilliant match-winning, one-day hundred for England in a World Cup semi-final against India in 1987 after practising the shot for hours on a rough outfield for the previous three days. And in 2000-01, following weeks of dedicated preparation on pitches that had been deliberately scuffed up, the shot allowed Matthew Hayden to score 549 runs for Australia in a three-Test series against the same opposition.

Spinners are not too keen on the reverse sweep either because setting a field for it leaves them a fielder short, but we will save that for another day. In Test cricket, unless you are Kevin Pietersen, it is a shot that should be kept in the locker.

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Source: Countdown to the first Test: The sweeping solution

Following a week off for the Thanksgiving holiday, the Bucknell swimming and diving teams will be back in action this Friday, Nov. 30, as the squads will begin competing in Princeton’s three-day Big Al Open, which is set to begin at 11 a.m. with the first of six sessions that will take place throughout the weekend. The Bison will be joined at the meet by some of the top teams from around the country as the women’s squad will face No. 26 Princeton, No. 11 Penn State, Brown, Columbia, Pittsburgh, Rider, Rutgers and Washington State. On the men’s side, the Orange and Blue will take on Princeton, Brown, Columbia, Pittsburgh, Penn State and Rider.

BISON SWIMMING AND DIVING NOTEBOOK

More on the Big Al Open
- Live Results 
- Weekend Schedule: Friday (11/30) - Prelims - 11 a.m., Finals - 7 p.m.; Saturday (12/1) - Prelims - 11 a.m., Finals - 7 p.m.; Saturday (12/2) - Prelims - 10 a.m., Finals - 6 p.m.

Leading the Way for Bucknell’s Women
- Sophomore Abigail Atkinson (Newtown, Conn./Newtown) has two wins and a runner-up showing in the 100 backstroke this season, she has three top-three finishes in the 200 back as well, winning the event versus UMBC. At the Bucknell Trials/Finals Invitational, she qualified for the “A” final in the 200 IM (6th) and the 200 back (5th), while winning the “B” final of the 400 IM.
- Freshman Molly Goebel (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) broke into Bucknell’s record book in the 50 free as she won the event against UMBC and moved into 10th in program history. Then at Duquesne on Nov. 3, she entered the Bison top-10 for the 100 free, recording a time of 52.82, good for fifth on the list, taking second in the meet in addition to finishing as the runner-up in the 50 free. Goebel has also recorded a win in the 100 fly. Most recently, at the Trials/Finals Invitational, she moved up to ninth all-time in the 50 free, placing fourth in that event at the meet and qualified for the “A” final in the 100 free (8th).
- Freshman Macey Keath (Lebanon, Conn./New Canaan) won both the 100 and 200 breast against Duquesne and also won the 200 breast in the Quad Meet at Navy. She also has two runner-up showings in the 400 IM to her credit. At the Bucknell Trials/Finals Invitational, she was seventh in the 100 breast, setting a program top-10 mark in prelims, seventh in the 200 breast and eighth in the 400 IM.
- Sophomore Megan Mongan (Malvern, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) has two individual wins on the year, coming in the 100 IM and 200 IM. She as been the runner-up on three occasions, twice in the 200 free and once in the 200 IM. At the Trials/Finals Invitational, she qualified for the “A” finals in three events–the 100 free (3rd), the 100 fly (4th) and the 200 IM (8th). Her time in the 100 fly landed her ninth in Bison history.
- Junior Kelly Morris (Metuchen, N.J./Metuchen) has finished in the top-three for the 100 and 200 breast four times this season, taking second in the 100 breast twice, while posting one second and one third-place finish in the 200 breast. She placed fifth in both events at the Trials/Finals Invitational.
- Sophomore Sarah Pease (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin Senior High) has come away with third in the 100 fly three times thus far on the year. She also took third in the 200 fly in the team’s season opener against UMBC.
- Senior Kristin Skroski (North Haven, Conn./Hopkins) won the 200 free against UMBC and has recorded four second-place finishes on the year, two in the 500 free and two in the 1,000 free. At the Trials/Finals Invitational, she placed seventh in the 1,650 free and eighth in the 200 free.
- Sophomore Courtney Warren (Montour Falls, N.Y./Watkins Glen) has two wins on the season, which have come in the 50 back and the 100 back. She finished as the runner-up in the 100 back against UMBC and at the Trials/Finals Invitational.
- Sophomore Rebecca Bersani (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) leads Bucknell’s diving contingent thus far. She captured wins on both the one-meter and three-meter boards at the Trials/Finals Invitational, setting a school three-meter record, while posting a personal best in one-meter diving. On the year, she also has two second-place finishes on the one-meter board, and has a second and a third-place showing in three-meter diving.

Underclassmen Start Strong for the Bison Women
- Out of 14 individual wins posted by the Bison women so far in 2007-08, 13 have been recorded by freshmen and sophomores.

Top Performers for the Men Thus Far
- Senior Bradford Bennett (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area) won the 100 breast against Duquesne. He was the runner-up in both the 100 and 200 breast at the Trials/Finals Invitational and qualified for the “A” final in both the 200 IM (6th) and the 100 fly (8th). At the Trials/Finals Invitational, he was an “A” finalist in the 200 back (4th), the 100 back (5th), the 400 IM (7th) and the 200 fly (8th).
- Freshman Gonzalo DeLeon (Ringwood, N.J./Lakeland Regional) claimed his first individual win of his collegiate career against Duquesne in the 200 back. He also has posted two runner-up showings in the both the 200 back and the 100 back.
- Junior Mark Kawczenski (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Hanover Area) won the 50 back against UMBC and the 100 back against Duquesne. He took third in the 100 back in the Quad Meet at Navy and was second in the event at the Trials/Finals Invitational where he placed sixth in the 50 free, as well.
- Sophomore Ben Leboza (Green Oaks, Ill./Libertyville) was a double-winner at Duquesne, taking first in the 200 free and the 500 free. He finished third in the 200 free against UMBC and second in the 400 free in the team’s Quad Meet at Navy. At the Trials/Finals Invitational, he captured fifth in the 500 free, was eighth in the 200 free and ninth in the 100 free.
- Senior Joseph Metcalf (Knoxville, Tenn./Philips Exeter Academy (N.H.)) has five individual wins on the season, three coming in the 200 breast. He also won the 50 and 100 breast against UMBC, took third in the 100 breast at Duquesne and was the runner-up in the event at the Quad Meet. He was a finalist in both the 200 breast and the 100 breast at the Trials/Finals Invitational, placing fifth and eighth, respectively.
- Senior John Peterman (Conestoga, Pa./Penn Manor) was a double-winner at Duquesne, claiming the top spot in both the 50 and 100 free after opening the season with three runner-up showings, which came in the 50, 100 and 200 free. At the Trials/Finals Invitational, he finished second in both the 50 free and the 200 free and took third in the 100 free.
- Senior Grant Steadman (Richmond, Va./Collegiate) won both the 50 and 100 free against UMBC. He finished third in the 50 free at Duquesne and won the “B” final in the event at the Trials/Finals Invitational, while also placing seventh in the 100 free.
- Sophomore Luke Trafton (Bath, Maine/Morse) has five individual wins on the year. He took first in the 200 fly and 1,000 free at Duquesne, won the 400 free at the Quad Meet and was the top finisher in both the 1,650 free and the 500 free. He has also been the runner-up in the 500 free twice and the 200 free once.
- Junior Jeffrey Manning (Bringhurst, Ind./Carroll Jr./Sr. High) leads Bucknell’s divers. He won both the one-meter and three-meter competitions against UMBC and finished fourth in each event at the Quad Meet. At the Trials/Finals Invitational he took second on the one-meter board and tied for second on the three-meter board.

On the Bison Women in 2007-08
- Current Record: (2-2, 2-1 PL)
- After opening the season with a non-scored dual against UMBC on Oct. 6, in Kinney Natatorium. Bucknell held its annual Blue vs. Orange meet on Oct. 27. The Blue squad captured a narrow 126-123 victory. Then against Duquesne on Nov. 3, the Bison fell to the Dukes, 138-124. On Nov. 10, Bucknell picked up wins against American and Lafayette, but fell to Navy. The Bison defeated the Eagles, 223-71, and the Leopards, 170-130, while dropping a 163-137 decision to the Mids. At the Bucknell Trials/Finals Invitational, The Bison took third out of the five squads who competed in the weekend’s action. With 722 points, the Orange and Blue finished ahead of Binghamton (289 points) and TCNJ (109), while coming in behind Towson (1294) and James Madison (841).

On the Bison Men in 2007-08
- Current Record (3-1, 2-1 PL)
- The Bison have competed three times at home, thus far, and twice on the road, opening with a non-scored dual against UMBC and an intrasquad Blue vs. Orange meet on Oct. 27. On Nov. 3, Bucknell picked up a 151-100 victory at Duquesne. On Nov. 10, in Annapolis, Md., the Orange and Blue came away from the day’s action with two wins and one loss, defeating American, 236-57, and Lafayette, 202-92, but falling to host Navy, 159-125. Most recently on Nov. 18, the Bison placed second out of the four squads who competed in the Bucknell Trials/Finals Invitational. With 857.5 points, Bucknell finished ahead of Binghamton (763 points) and TCNJ (543.5 points), but behind Towson (1,294).

New Top-10 Marks Set in 2007-08
- Molly Goebel: 50 free (9th, 24.45), 100 free (5th, 52.82)
- Macey Keath: 100 breast (7th, 1:07.75)
- Megan Mongan: 100 fly (9th, 58.99)
- Rebecca Bersani: one-meter, six optionals (school record, 254.90), three-meter, six optionals (3rd, 248.95)
- Allison FitzPatrick: three-meter, six optionals (4th, 241.70)
- Andrew Vogl: one-meter, six optionals (10th, 134.05)

Honors and Rankings
- Patriot League Preseason Poll - Men: 3rd (74 points); Women: 3rd (77 points)
- Patriot League Female Diver of the Week: Rebecca Bersani (11/21/07)

Next Up
- The Bison will next travel to Hamilton, N.Y., for a Patriot League dual-meet against Colgate, which is set for 1 p.m. on Jan. 12.

Source: Bucknell Swimming and Diving Travels to Princeton This Weekend for Big Al Open

To sweep or not to sweep, that is the question facing England’s batsmen as they attempt to finalise a strategy to overcome the most dangerous bowler in the world – Muttiah Muralitharan. For when the prince of Kandy is bowling batsmen can often be found reaching for a Hamlet once they have located the sanctuary of the dressing room.

Muralitharan’s doosra (a delivery that spins like a leg-break) was designed to combat the desire of batsmen to sweep him. The controversial delivery – many believe it cannot be bowled without the arm being straightened illegally – has made the shot more hazardous, but, even so, every England player that takes guard against the spinner in the first Test in Kandy, which begins on Saturday, will intend to use it.

As a stroke, the sweep, a shot that involves the batsman putting his front leg down the pitch to cover his stumps and heaving across the line, is one of the more contentious in cricket. To the purist, who loves to see batsmen dance down the pitch and drive elegantly through the covers for four, or rock back on to the back foot and cut the ball to the backward point boundary, it is a slog played by a desperate, uncultured and unskilled heathen.

To most, however, it is a legitimate, highly effective and relatively safe way of combating a high-quality spinner. Whatever your view it is a shot that England’s batsmen have been practising religiously during training sessions and playing regularly in their two warm-up games against the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI.

In many ways both descriptions of the stroke are correct. The sweep is an ugly shot but it can be mighty effective when played well. In public, spinners say they like it when a batsman attempts to sweep them. They believe that it shows the willow wielder has run out of options and it is only a matter of time before a top edge lobs up to the fielder at short fine-leg or the man loitering on the deep backward square-leg boundary.

But who are they trying to kid? It is all a front. Spinners hate being swept, especially by someone who plays the shot well. It messes up the line and length of the bowler and prevents him from settling in to a rhythm. Spinners want to bowl maidens and the stroke reduces the chance of them achieving the goal. The shot used to drive Philip Tufnell, the former Middlesex and England spinner, to distraction and you only have to watch Shane Warne’s reaction to the stroke to see what he thinks about it.

But why is it so effective and why does it frustrate spinners so much? It is effective because it is a shot that everyone can play. A good top-order batsman should possess the ability to hit the ball in different areas of the ground but even the village green No 11 can put his big left hoof down the pitch and heave the ball to an area between the keeper and square-leg, where the fielding captain can position only two fielders. Yes, occasionally the ball will go to hand, but there is a lot of land out there for just two players to cover.

Every cricketer would love to have the confidence and ability to shimmy down the pitch and hit the ball through the covers for four or over the top for six. But very few – Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting are two – are blessed with the skill to do so consistently. For most, coming down the pitch is a hazardous pastime because it opens up another way of getting out – stumped. Charging down at Muralitharan when you cannot pick his variations and have no idea which way the ball will spin is as reckless as playing hopscotch on the M25.

Yet, somehow, each batsman must carry a threat. He has to show the bowler that he can score runs off him, he has to be able to rotate the strike, and he has to try to take the close-in fielders out of the game and make them feel uncomfortable, as though they may get hit. Marcus Trescothick is a magnificent sweeper of a cricket ball and when he shapes to play the shot short-leg is more concerned with getting through the day unscathed than taking a catch.

The danger in fielding at “boot-hill” encouraged Keith Brown, the former Middlesex batsmen, to ask the club for danger money. At the time John Emburey and Tufnell were the county’s likeliest match-winners and the club, quite rightly, coughed up.

Few bowlers have extracted more spin from a pitch than Muralitharan but the deviation he generates can create problems for him. Balls that pitch in line with the stumps tend to slip down the leg side, which means that he has to aim to pitch the ball some distance outside the line of off stump to hit the wicket.

This leaves him open to being swept because a batsman should not be given out lbw if he is playing a shot and the ball hits him on the leg outside the line of off stump, the area where a pad normally ends up when playing the stroke. The doosra suddenly meant that Muralitharan could bowl a ball that pitched in line with the stumps and went on to hit them. The creation made batsmen question the wisdom of playing the stroke, but only briefly.

And that is the principal reason spinners hate the shot; because it can be played, relatively safely, to a good length ball that is about to spin in to or away from you. When played successfully the bowler is forced to vary his length and pace rather than just plug away waiting for a mistake. Not all sweeps are intended to go for four. Batsmen often play it to get off strike, another factor that forces the bowler to change his plan.

A problem for batsmen is the way in which the umpires interpret the game’s laws. In England, and other parts of the world, umpires are reluctant to raise their fingers when the shot is played. They are deterred by the fact that the batsman has taken a big stride down the pitch and most of his pad is often outside the line of off stump.

In Asia, a region where umpires have sympathy for spinners, the officials are not as inhibited. Here, as Alastair Cook found in England’s final warm-up before the Test, they do not like the shot. Unfortunately for England, Aleem Dar and Asad Rauf, two Pakistan-born umpires, are officiating in the Test.

Alan Knott, the former England and Kent wicketkeeper, had three different conventional sweeps; the slog sweep over mid-wicket, the defensive sweep when he was not looking for runs, and one that he just nudged away for a single. Graham Gooch swept his way to a brilliant match-winning, one-day hundred for England in a World Cup semi-final against India in 1987 after practising the shot for hours on a rough outfield for the previous three days. And in 2000-01, following weeks of dedicated preparation on pitches that had been deliberately scuffed up, the shot allowed Matthew Hayden to score 549 runs for Australia in a three-Test series against the same opposition.

Spinners are not too keen on the reverse sweep either because setting a field for it leaves them a fielder short, but we will save that for another day. In Test cricket, unless you are Kevin Pietersen, it is a shot that should be kept in the locker.

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Source: Countdown to the first Test: The sweeping solution

Following a week off for the Thanksgiving holiday, the Bucknell swimming and diving teams will be back in action this Friday, Nov. 30, as the squads will begin competing in Princeton’s three-day Big Al Open, which is set to begin at 11 a.m. with the first of six sessions that will take place throughout the weekend. The Bison will be joined at the meet by some of the top teams from around the country as the women’s squad will face No. 26 Princeton, No. 11 Penn State, Brown, Columbia, Pittsburgh, Rider, Rutgers and Washington State. On the men’s side, the Orange and Blue will take on Princeton, Brown, Columbia, Pittsburgh, Penn State and Rider.

BISON SWIMMING AND DIVING NOTEBOOK

More on the Big Al Open
- Live Results 
- Weekend Schedule: Friday (11/30) - Prelims - 11 a.m., Finals - 7 p.m.; Saturday (12/1) - Prelims - 11 a.m., Finals - 7 p.m.; Saturday (12/2) - Prelims - 10 a.m., Finals - 6 p.m.

Leading the Way for Bucknell’s Women
- Sophomore Abigail Atkinson (Newtown, Conn./Newtown) has two wins and a runner-up showing in the 100 backstroke this season, she has three top-three finishes in the 200 back as well, winning the event versus UMBC. At the Bucknell Trials/Finals Invitational, she qualified for the “A” final in the 200 IM (6th) and the 200 back (5th), while winning the “B” final of the 400 IM.
- Freshman Molly Goebel (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) broke into Bucknell’s record book in the 50 free as she won the event against UMBC and moved into 10th in program history. Then at Duquesne on Nov. 3, she entered the Bison top-10 for the 100 free, recording a time of 52.82, good for fifth on the list, taking second in the meet in addition to finishing as the runner-up in the 50 free. Goebel has also recorded a win in the 100 fly. Most recently, at the Trials/Finals Invitational, she moved up to ninth all-time in the 50 free, placing fourth in that event at the meet and qualified for the “A” final in the 100 free (8th).
- Freshman Macey Keath (Lebanon, Conn./New Canaan) won both the 100 and 200 breast against Duquesne and also won the 200 breast in the Quad Meet at Navy. She also has two runner-up showings in the 400 IM to her credit. At the Bucknell Trials/Finals Invitational, she was seventh in the 100 breast, setting a program top-10 mark in prelims, seventh in the 200 breast and eighth in the 400 IM.
- Sophomore Megan Mongan (Malvern, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) has two individual wins on the year, coming in the 100 IM and 200 IM. She as been the runner-up on three occasions, twice in the 200 free and once in the 200 IM. At the Trials/Finals Invitational, she qualified for the “A” finals in three events–the 100 free (3rd), the 100 fly (4th) and the 200 IM (8th). Her time in the 100 fly landed her ninth in Bison history.
- Junior Kelly Morris (Metuchen, N.J./Metuchen) has finished in the top-three for the 100 and 200 breast four times this season, taking second in the 100 breast twice, while posting one second and one third-place finish in the 200 breast. She placed fifth in both events at the Trials/Finals Invitational.
- Sophomore Sarah Pease (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin Senior High) has come away with third in the 100 fly three times thus far on the year. She also took third in the 200 fly in the team’s season opener against UMBC.
- Senior Kristin Skroski (North Haven, Conn./Hopkins) won the 200 free against UMBC and has recorded four second-place finishes on the year, two in the 500 free and two in the 1,000 free. At the Trials/Finals Invitational, she placed seventh in the 1,650 free and eighth in the 200 free.
- Sophomore Courtney Warren (Montour Falls, N.Y./Watkins Glen) has two wins on the season, which have come in the 50 back and the 100 back. She finished as the runner-up in the 100 back against UMBC and at the Trials/Finals Invitational.
- Sophomore Rebecca Bersani (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) leads Bucknell’s diving contingent thus far. She captured wins on both the one-meter and three-meter boards at the Trials/Finals Invitational, setting a school three-meter record, while posting a personal best in one-meter diving. On the year, she also has two second-place finishes on the one-meter board, and has a second and a third-place showing in three-meter diving.

Underclassmen Start Strong for the Bison Women
- Out of 14 individual wins posted by the Bison women so far in 2007-08, 13 have been recorded by freshmen and sophomores.

Top Performers for the Men Thus Far
- Senior Bradford Bennett (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area) won the 100 breast against Duquesne. He was the runner-up in both the 100 and 200 breast at the Trials/Finals Invitational and qualified for the “A” final in both the 200 IM (6th) and the 100 fly (8th). At the Trials/Finals Invitational, he was an “A” finalist in the 200 back (4th), the 100 back (5th), the 400 IM (7th) and the 200 fly (8th).
- Freshman Gonzalo DeLeon (Ringwood, N.J./Lakeland Regional) claimed his first individual win of his collegiate career against Duquesne in the 200 back. He also has posted two runner-up showings in the both the 200 back and the 100 back.
- Junior Mark Kawczenski (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Hanover Area) won the 50 back against UMBC and the 100 back against Duquesne. He took third in the 100 back in the Quad Meet at Navy and was second in the event at the Trials/Finals Invitational where he placed sixth in the 50 free, as well.
- Sophomore Ben Leboza (Green Oaks, Ill./Libertyville) was a double-winner at Duquesne, taking first in the 200 free and the 500 free. He finished third in the 200 free against UMBC and second in the 400 free in the team’s Quad Meet at Navy. At the Trials/Finals Invitational, he captured fifth in the 500 free, was eighth in the 200 free and ninth in the 100 free.
- Senior Joseph Metcalf (Knoxville, Tenn./Philips Exeter Academy (N.H.)) has five individual wins on the season, three coming in the 200 breast. He also won the 50 and 100 breast against UMBC, took third in the 100 breast at Duquesne and was the runner-up in the event at the Quad Meet. He was a finalist in both the 200 breast and the 100 breast at the Trials/Finals Invitational, placing fifth and eighth, respectively.
- Senior John Peterman (Conestoga, Pa./Penn Manor) was a double-winner at Duquesne, claiming the top spot in both the 50 and 100 free after opening the season with three runner-up showings, which came in the 50, 100 and 200 free. At the Trials/Finals Invitational, he finished second in both the 50 free and the 200 free and took third in the 100 free.
- Senior Grant Steadman (Richmond, Va./Collegiate) won both the 50 and 100 free against UMBC. He finished third in the 50 free at Duquesne and won the “B” final in the event at the Trials/Finals Invitational, while also placing seventh in the 100 free.
- Sophomore Luke Trafton (Bath, Maine/Morse) has five individual wins on the year. He took first in the 200 fly and 1,000 free at Duquesne, won the 400 free at the Quad Meet and was the top finisher in both the 1,650 free and the 500 free. He has also been the runner-up in the 500 free twice and the 200 free once.
- Junior Jeffrey Manning (Bringhurst, Ind./Carroll Jr./Sr. High) leads Bucknell’s divers. He won both the one-meter and three-meter competitions against UMBC and finished fourth in each event at the Quad Meet. At the Trials/Finals Invitational he took second on the one-meter board and tied for second on the three-meter board.

On the Bison Women in 2007-08
- Current Record: (2-2, 2-1 PL)
- After opening the season with a non-scored dual against UMBC on Oct. 6, in Kinney Natatorium. Bucknell held its annual Blue vs. Orange meet on Oct. 27. The Blue squad captured a narrow 126-123 victory. Then against Duquesne on Nov. 3, the Bison fell to the Dukes, 138-124. On Nov. 10, Bucknell picked up wins against American and Lafayette, but fell to Navy. The Bison defeated the Eagles, 223-71, and the Leopards, 170-130, while dropping a 163-137 decision to the Mids. At the Bucknell Trials/Finals Invitational, The Bison took third out of the five squads who competed in the weekend’s action. With 722 points, the Orange and Blue finished ahead of Binghamton (289 points) and TCNJ (109), while coming in behind Towson (1294) and James Madison (841).

On the Bison Men in 2007-08
- Current Record (3-1, 2-1 PL)
- The Bison have competed three times at home, thus far, and twice on the road, opening with a non-scored dual against UMBC and an intrasquad Blue vs. Orange meet on Oct. 27. On Nov. 3, Bucknell picked up a 151-100 victory at Duquesne. On Nov. 10, in Annapolis, Md., the Orange and Blue came away from the day’s action with two wins and one loss, defeating American, 236-57, and Lafayette, 202-92, but falling to host Navy, 159-125. Most recently on Nov. 18, the Bison placed second out of the four squads who competed in the Bucknell Trials/Finals Invitational. With 857.5 points, Bucknell finished ahead of Binghamton (763 points) and TCNJ (543.5 points), but behind Towson (1,294).

New Top-10 Marks Set in 2007-08
- Molly Goebel: 50 free (9th, 24.45), 100 free (5th, 52.82)
- Macey Keath: 100 breast (7th, 1:07.75)
- Megan Mongan: 100 fly (9th, 58.99)
- Rebecca Bersani: one-meter, six optionals (school record, 254.90), three-meter, six optionals (3rd, 248.95)
- Allison FitzPatrick: three-meter, six optionals (4th, 241.70)
- Andrew Vogl: one-meter, six optionals (10th, 134.05)

Honors and Rankings
- Patriot League Preseason Poll - Men: 3rd (74 points); Women: 3rd (77 points)
- Patriot League Female Diver of the Week: Rebecca Bersani (11/21/07)

Next Up
- The Bison will next travel to Hamilton, N.Y., for a Patriot League dual-meet against Colgate, which is set for 1 p.m. on Jan. 12.

Source: Bucknell Swimming and Diving Travels to Princeton This Weekend for Big Al Open

OHL

Barry Sanderson’s big night sent the hapless Erie Otters to their 19th loss in their last 20 games.

Sanderson scored twice and added an assist as the Niagara IceDogs beat the Otters 6-3 Thursday night in the Ontario Hockey League.

Sanderson, who had just four goals in 61 games last season, opened the scoring 1:21 into the first period. His second of the game - and seventh of the season -  on a power-play midway through the second period gave Niagara the lead for good as the IceDogs (14-12-0-1) won their second straight.

Niagara moved into a tie for second place in the Central Division with Brampton.

Elsewhere in the OHL it was: Belleville 6 Peterborough 4 and Windsor 8 Kingston 3.

At St. Catharines, Ont., Matt Corrente, Luca Caputi, Andrew Merrett and Chris DeSousa also scored for Niagara, which scored four times in the second period to put the game away. Alex Pietrangelo and Michael Swift added three assists apiece, while Adrian Volpe stopped 32 shots in the win.

Justin Hodgman, Nick Palmeri and Shayne Taylor countered for the Otters (4-19-2-1), who lost their third in a row. Erie ranks last in the OHL in goals scored (69) and surrendered (136) and has just one win in its past 20 games.

Otters netminder Jaroslav Janus made 41 saves in defeat.

  Bulls 6 Petes 4

At Peterborough, Ont., Shawn Matthias’s short-handed goal with 1:37 left in regulation gave Belleville a win over the Petes.

 Spitfires 8 Frontenacs 3

At Windsor, Ont., Eric Wellwood scored twice to lead the Spitfires to a rout of Kingston.

Source: OHL: Otters take 19th loss in 20 games

Frank Lickliter

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - Frank Lickliter II shot his second straight 10-under 62 on Thursday at Orange County National to take a nine-stroke lead after the second of six rounds in the PGA Tour National Qualifying Tournament.

The top 25 finishers and ties will earn 2008 PGA Tour cards, while the next number of players nearest 50 will get full Nationwide Tour exemptions. The remaining players in the 166-man field will receive conditional Nationwide Tour status.

Two Canadians remain in the hunt for a card through 36 holes. Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., had a second-round 4-under 68 at the Crooked Cat course to move into a tie for 15th at 7 under. Bryan DeCorso of Guelph, Ont., had a 2-under 70 at Crooked Cat, putting him in a tie for 24th at 6 under.

Ian Leggatt of Cambridge, Ont., remained near the bottom of the pack after a 1-under 71 at Crooked Cat left him in a tie for 157th at 4 over. Lee Curry of Kemptville, Ont., fired a 73 at the Panther Lake course to slip into a tie for 161st at 5 over.

Related Info

• Follow the Canadians at PGA Q-School

The 38-year-old Lickliter, a two-time winner on the tour, had an eagle, nine birdies and a bogey at Crooked Cat. On Wednesday, he had 10 birdies at Panther Lake.

His 20-under 124 total is the lowest two-round score in the event since the tour began keeping such statistics in 1992. Tommy Tolles had the previous best, playing 36 holes in 16-under 128 in 2000.

Zimbabwe’s Brendon de Jonge (71) and Jason Allred (67) were second at 11 under. De Jonge played at Crooked Cat, and Allred at Panther Lake.

Alejandro Canizares (62), Jim McGovern (66) and Travis Perkins (67) were 10 under. They all played at Panther Lake.

Source: 2 Canadians in the hunt at PGA Q-school

Brett Favre

IRVING, Texas - Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre left Thursday night’s NFC showdown with the Dallas Cowboys with a right elbow injury after being hit hard while throwing a pass that was intercepted.

Favre was hurt with 10:11 left in the second quarter when he was hit by cornerback Nate Jones. Terence Newman made a diving interception of the fluttering pass.

Favre got up and flexed his arm and grabbed at his wrist while walking slowly to the sideline. Aaron Rodgers took over at quarterback on Green Bay’s next possession and Favre’s return was listed as questionable.

Newman’s interception set up the Cowboys for Tony Romo’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens that gave Dallas a 27-10 lead.

Favre remained on the sideline, where he was tended to by team medical officials and continued to flex his right arm.

Source: Favre injures right elbow in Dallas