Cameron White century seals Australia win over Pakistan

　　

　　

　　A dazzling century from Cameron White helped Australia chase down 275 to beat Pakistan in the first in a series of five one-day internationals.

　　White hit 105 from 88 balls under the Brisbane lights as the Aussies sealed a five-wicket win with nine balls left after Pakistan had made 274 all out.

　　With 75 wanted from the last 60 balls Australia were only slight favourites.

　　But White blasted three consecutive sixes from Shahid Afridi to make the final stages of the chase easy.

　　

　　Australia's number five batsman was in exhilarating form, which was just as well given the problems encountered by a top three - who had given the chase an uncertain start at 84-3 from the first 18 overs.

　　But White and Michael Clarke (58 from 76 balls) put on 102 in good time, and Michael Hussey intelligently gave White as much of the strike as possible.

　　The game had begun pretty well for Pakistan, Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal putting on 62 for the first wicket.

　　But there was a lack of acceleration until Afridi walloped 48 from 26 balls, and Pakistan's long tail - with Mohammad Aamer batting at eight - was unable to produce much.

　　Ricky Ponting's direct hit to run out Mohammad Asif ended the innings two balls prematurely.

　　By far the most successful Australia bowler was Shane Watson (4-36 from his 10).

　　

　　As for Pakistan's bowlers, Aamer (1-29 from nine overs) bowled beautifully. But spinners Saeed Ajmal and Afridi were targeted for some savage treatment and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan was also hit for plenty of boundaries.

　　Naved, who had run out Clarke with an athletic pick-up and dive, finally bowled White with a well-disguised slower delivery in his final over.

　　But it came too late to make a difference as Hussey deposited Ajmal over extra-cover for the winning boundary.

 

Gary Neville and Carlos Tevez avoid FA punishment

　　Gary Neville and Carlos Tevez avoid FA punishment

　　

　　Manchester United's Gary Neville and Manchester City's Carlos Tevez have escaped punishment by the Football Association, BBC Sport understands.

　　Neville was under investigation for a one-fingered gesture that took place in United's 2-1 loss to City on Tuesday.

　　Tevez called former team-mate Neville a "boot-licker" and a "moron" for his comments about the Argentine before the Carling Cup semi-final first leg.

　　However, both players have been warned about their future conduct by the FA.

　　It is understood if the players were to be formally disciplined in future the FA reserves the right to refer to Neville's conduct and Tevez's words.

　　

　　The FA has also been in touch with Greater Manchester Police with a view to ensuring the second leg passes off without incident.

　　Both clubs will be under huge scrutiny both before, during and after Wednesday's second-leg at Old Trafford.

　　In September, Neville was cautioned about his future conduct following United's dramatic 4-3 derby win in the Premier League when he ran towards City fans to celebrate Michael Owen's injury-time winner at Old Trafford.

　　The England defender received a £5,000 FA fine and was warned over his future conduct in 2006 because he celebrated in front of Liverpool's fans after United secured a late winner over their rivals.

　　Argentine Tevez joined City in July 2009 following an extended, two-season loan deal with United, with whom he won two Premier League titles and the Champions League.

　　His move to bitter rivals City angered United fans as Tevez was a firm favourite with Old Trafford supporters.

　　Before the first-leg tie at Eastlands, Neville said United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had been right to let Tevez leave the club last summer, rather than signing him on a permanent deal after his two-year loan spell ended.

　　Tevez scored twice in City's 2-1 win, and gestured and cupped his ears after scoring his second goal

　　Cameras appeared to catch Neville making an obscene gesture in response, and afterwards Tevez said his celebration had not been aimed at the United bench but specifically at his former team-mate.

　　"My celebration was directed at Gary Neville," Tevez told ESPN Argentina.

　　"He acted like a complete boot-licker when he said I wasn't worth £25m, just to suck up to the manager.

　　"I don't know what the hell that moron [tarado] is talking about me for. I never said anything about him.

　　"I didn't go overboard in my celebration and it was directed at Gary, not at Ferguson and not at the fans.

　　"I think he did the wrong thing because I was his team-mate and I never said anything bad about him."

　　The row has made plenty of headlines and has done little to help the FA's hopes of reducing tensions between the clubs.

　　And Greater Manchester Police assistant chief constable Ian Hopkins has called for fans to be on their best behaviour, with around 9,000 City fans expected at Old Trafford.

　　He said: "As one of the host cities for the 2018 World Cup bid, the second leg truly is a great day for Manchester to shine. We would ask that fans play their part by behaving sensibly and do the city proud.

　　"I would like to stress that although the rivalry has always been there between the fans, previous derby matches have passed off largely peacefully and without major incident.

　　"I would ask that fans adhere to this tradition on Wednesday, regardless of what happened in the first leg."

 

ECB denies Ottis Gibson will switch to West Indies

　　ECB denies Ottis Gibson will switch to West Indies

　　

　　The England and Wales Cricket Board says there is no truth reports that bowling coach Ottis Gibson is to resign and take over as West Indies coach.

　　Radio Jamaica claims on its website that Gibson "is set to arrive in time to take up the job before South Africa's tour of the Caribbean in May."

　　But an ECB spokesman told BBC Sport: "We are certainly not aware of this and no deal has been agreed."

　　Gibson, 40, played two Tests and 15 one-day internationals for West Indies.

　　A fast bowler, he ended his playing career after the summer of 2007 at Durham - and was immediately taken on as England's bowling coach.

　　He has since been given a full-time staff job at the ECB.

　　

　　Radio Jamaica claims West Indies' current coach David Williams, employed in the main role on a short-term basis, will act as Gibson's deputy. Nobody from the West Indies Cricket Board was available for comment.

　　Gibson played a crucial role as England won back the Ashes last summer, with star bowlers James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff keen to credit his influence on separate occasions.

　　After England won the 2005 Ashes with Troy Cooley in the Gibson role, the ECB failed to extend his contract and Cooley switched allegiance to his native Australia.

　　The loss of Cooley was later cited as a significant reason behind England's 5-0 drubbing by the Aussies in the 2006-07 Ashes.

 

Manchester City will be world's best club - Garry Cook

　　Manchester City will be world's best club - Garry Cook

　　

　　Manchester City executive chairman Garry Cook is confident the club is on the path to global domination.

　　City are one of the richest clubs in the world following their takeover by billionaire Arab tycoon Sheikh Mansour.

　　"This football club is, without doubt, going to be the biggest and best football club in the world," Cook told a fans forum in New York.

　　"I will make no excuses for saying it, as I truly believe it - with the resources and capabilities we have."

　　Cook was speaking before the Football Association urged both Manchester clubs to show restraint ahead of their Carling Cup semi-final second leg next Wednesday after City won the first leg 2-1.

　　In a tense game former United striker Carlos Tevez's goal celebrations prompted a one-fingered gesture from Gary Neville, while subsequently the Argentine branded his ex-United team-mate a "moron" and a "foot-licker".

　　Since Mansour took over in 2008, City have spent almost £200m on players as they look to break Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal's stranglehold on the Premier League's top-four places.

　　

　　City's spending power has also eclipsed their neighbours, with United's holding company debt growing to more than £700m, though it did announce on Friday that a bond issue had raised £504m.

　　Last summer Sheikh Mansour's financial muscle ensured City brought Tevez, Gareth Barry, Emmanuel Adebayor and Joleon Lescott, while United opted not to spend the bulk of the £80m brought in by Cristiano Ronaldo's sale.

　　City also angered United in the summer by displaying a "Welcome to Manchester" poster on completing the transfer of Tevez from his advisors, the Argentine striker having been on loan at United who deemed an asking price of £25m to be excessive.

　　United manager Sir Alex Ferguson retorted by branding City a "small club" while later describing them as "noisy neighbours" after his side's controversial 4-3 derby victory in September.

　　"It's City isn't it? They're a small club with a small mentality. All they can talk about is Manchester United; they can't get away from it," added Ferguson.

　　"They think taking Carlos Tevez away from Manchester United is a triumph. It is poor stuff."

　　Cook's comments follow on from those he made at the club's tour of South Africa in the summer where he said he hoped Manchester City would become "the darling of world football".

　　After Tevez moved to City he explained that the club's vision and "ambition to become the biggest club in the world," had helped convince him to join.

　　The 25-year-old scored just once in his first six games for City, but has recently hit 13 goals in 11 games, including both efforts in City's midweek Carling Cup success.

Venezuela oil 'may double Saudi Arabia'

　　Venezuela oil 'may double Saudi Arabia'

　　

　　A new US assessment of Venezuela's oil reserves could give the country double the supplies of Saudi Arabia.

　　Scientists working for the US Geological Survey say Venezuela's Orinoco belt region holds twice as much petroleum as previously thought.

　　The geologists estimate the area could yield more than 500bn barrels of crude oil.

　　This assessment is far more optimistic than even the best case scenario put forward by President Hugo Chavez.

　　The USGS team gave a mean estimate of 513bn barrels of "technically recoverable" oil in the Orinoco belt.

　　Chris Schenk of the USGS said the estimate was based on oil recovery rates of 40% to 45%.

　　Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), Venezuela's state oil company, has not commented on the news.

　　However, Venezuelan oil geologist and former PDVSA board member Gustavo Coronel was sceptical.

　　"I doubt the recovery factor could go much higher than 25% and much of that oil would not be economic to produce", he told Associated Press news agency.

　　Venezuela holds the largest oil reserves outside the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has proven reserves of 260bn barrels.