Tottenham reveal new ground plan
October 30, 2008
Tottenham hope to submit a planning application in 2009
Tottenham have confirmed their intention to build a new 60,000-capacity stadium near their current White Hart Lane ground.
Spurs announced the Northumberland Development Project at the same time as their financial results to June 2008.
The development will include leisure facilities, public space and housing.
“The scheme includes the current site and adjoining land, with the stadium sited to the north of the existing one,” said Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.
For the year ending 30 June turnover was up 11% and the building of a new training centre is expected to start next year.
Revenue was up from £103m to £114.8m with net debt of £14.6m though that figure includes property acquisitions.
The Tottenham board pushed ahead with proposals for a larger stadium with a season ticket waiting list of about 22,000 but were conscious of the importance of remaining in the Haringey area.
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Other sites were considered but ultimately it was decided their current location, plus land adjacent to it, was the most suitable option.
“With a waiting list for season tickets of over 22,000 and club membership levels of over 70,000, our need for an increased capacity stadium has been clear for all to see for some time,” said Levy.
“Having reviewed our stadium options it was clear that there were a limited number of alternative sites to our current location.
“Following discussions with council bodies, the London Development Agency, Transport for London and local and central government officials, redeveloping the existing site emerged as the most viable route.
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“We have spent five years buying and taking options over property around the current stadium site to enable us to either develop locally or to gain the critical mass to achieve a substantial site sale as a contribution to a relocation.
“To date this includes almost 60 separate property transactions, including 40 residential and potentially 160 commercial properties at a commitment of £44m.
“The public consultation period will now begin and we would hope to submit a planning application in 2009.
“I am personally delighted that we have been able to put forward a viable option which we know to be the fans’ favourite - remaining at the club’s spiritual home.”
George Meehan, leader of Haringey Council, added: “We have always regarded Spurs as one of Haringey’s prime assets. They bring major economic benefits to our borough and carry out some excellent community work through the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.
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“But more than anything, Spurs have played an integral role in giving a sense of identity to the area it calls home. Tottenham would not be Tottenham without its football club.
“We have been working extremely hard to regenerate the Tottenham area, which suffered so much from industrial decline.
Real progress is being made, and it is extremely pleasing that Spurs has demonstrated that they share our commitment to this continuing regeneration.
“But, as always, we will consider very carefully any plans that are submitted to us, as we strive to ensure that a new stadium delivers real benefits for all who live and work in the area.”
Tottenham MP David Lammy supports the club’s plan to remain in the borough.
“The club is a fundamental part of the life blood of the community, and its continued presence and vision will inspire new generations of young people well into this century,” he said.
Source: bbc.co.uk/
Redknapp salutes Spurs fightback
October 30, 2008
Jonathan Woodgate hugs David Bentley (right) after his incredible strike
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp hailed his side’s “never-say-die attitude” after two injury-time goals earned them an amazing 4-4 draw at Arsenal.
“It was a real old-fashioned slugging match - we went for it and then they went for it,” said Redknapp, who left Portsmouth for Spurs last weekend.
“We conceded sloppy goals but we never gave up, we showed a never-say-die attitude and came back brilliantly.
“It was a fantastic performance and a great result in the end.”
The match was Redknapp’s second in charge since being announced as the successor to Juande Ramos.
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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger
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On Sunday, he guided Spurs to their first league win of the season, 2-0 at home against Bolton, and the extraordinary display at the Emirates Stadium provided further encouragement for supporters.
Redknapp added: “It’s been a difficult week, leaving home at five thirty in the morning and not getting home until nine, but this makes it all worth it.
“It really was an amazing game of football to be involved in. We gave away some bad goals, from set-pieces too, even though we worked hard on that on Tuesday at training.
“But the boys have been fantastic, there’s a real spirit there, a determination. They are jumping for joy in the dressing room.”
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted he had mixed feelings after seeing his side dominate for long periods but fail to secure three points.
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“We are very angry and disappointed but on the other hand we have to stay positive because we were two levels above and produced an outstanding game,” said Wenger.
“Unfortunately we were not rewarded because we lack maturity and instead of being efficient we became a little too negative in the last 10 minutes. The potential is outstanding in the side but the result is down to inexperience.
“In football, nothing is inconceivable. We were a little unlucky as well but you have to produce the maximum with what you have on the pitch and we did not do that.
“My team produced an outstanding performance and deserved to win but maybe we wanted it too much and put ourselves under pressure rather than scoring goals five and six.
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“What happened to us when we were leading 4-2 should never happen.”
Spurs opened the scoring in the 13th minute with former Gunner David Bentley beating keeper Manuel Almunia with a superb 40-yard volley.
And Bentley was delighted that his wonder strike did not go to waste on a memorable night for the midfielder.
“I feel like superman, I could fly home,” he said.
Jermaine Jenas, who scored Spurs’ third goal, hailed the impact Redknapp had already made since his arrival.
“Harry is great motivationally,” Jenas said.
“The lads have done him a favour by reacting to it. It showed complete team spirit and togetherness. We always believed.
“We just showed that never-give-in spirit. Any team who comes to the Emirates and gets a result has done well but given the circumstances, this is just brilliant.”
Source: bbc.co.uk
India v Australia 3rd Test
October 30, 2008
THIRD TEST, Delhi (day two):
India 613-7 dec v Australia
e-mail tms@bbc.co.uk (with ‘For Ben Dirs’ in the subject), text 81111 (with “CRICKET” as the first word) or use 606 after 0900 GMT. (Not all contributions can be used)
INDIA FIRST INNINGS
1022: That was agonising for Australia and now the big question is: will this pan out to be an even more agonising draw, or will India’s spinners do some damage and win the series? I believe that’s the first time two Indian batsmen have scored double hundreds in the same innings. I believe…
1017 - 613-7 dec Laxman finally on strike and he dabs Clarke round the corner to move to 198. Anyone who can find out if any side has ever scored two double hundreds against the Aussies gets a jammy donut. AND LAXMAN DOES IT! He marches down the track and smears Clarke to the wide long-on fence for four and that’s the declaration.
1012 - 609-7 Zaheer gets width from Johnson and slaps him through point for four. Johnson tests Zaheer out with another bumper and Zaheer, eyes closed, hoicks him round the corner for two. And that’s brutal from Zaheer, getting his left leg out of the way and clubbing Johnson over mid-wicket for six. Actually, the man upstairs (not God, but SL Shastri) decides it was a four, not a six.
1007 - 598-7 Zaheer gets his leg out of the way and heaves Clarke over mid-wicket for four to move to 17. Two more for Zaheer with a carve into the off-side and there’s an exaggerated forward defensive from Zaheer to finish the over - I get the impression the Indians are enjoying this a little bit more than they’d care to admit. Five ball over in the previous over, it’s all getting a bit confusing to be honest and I can barely see the screen.
1004 - 590-7 Zaheer laces Clarke through the covers for four. Bit of beef out in the middle - Johnson bowls on short and Laxman tucks him square, but Umpire Bowden rules it a dead ball because Laxman ran on the pitch. Not sure what that’s all about, and neither is Laxman. Johnson digs in a nasty bumper and it comes off Zaheer’s gloves for four.
“Please remember that India has always been the toughest tour in the world. It was not long ago that we had probably our strongest ever side and we were just able to beat India. Credit to India in that they are manhandling the Aussies. Other nations beware thinking that we are on a downhill slide to cricket oblivion.”
Nathan in the TMS inbox
“How come Duncan gets the couch in the TMS inbox? I’ve been standing for ages and my varicose veins are killing me.”
Paul in Lancs in the TMS inbox
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0954 - WICKET - Kumble lbw b Johnson 45, Ind 579-7
Kumble’s gone, trapped in front by Mitchell Johnson. Hawkeye actually reckons it was missing off-stump, but it looked plumb with the naked eye. Zaheer Khan is the new batsman and he’s off the mark with a single.
0951 - 574-6 Kumble uses his feet and clips Clarke over mid-wicket for one. Laxman scampers one before Kumble plays a crackerjack shot, advancing down the track and lofting Clarke over extra-cover for four. I feel a bit sorry for Australia. Is that like feeling sorry for Genghis Khan when he was feeling a little bit dicky?
“I don’t see a problem with keeping them out there in the heat to really drain them. Then give them an hour of hell when the light isn’t as good and it’s cooler to be in the field…” James the geophysicist in the TMS inbox
0947 - 568-6 Johnson, bowling to a 7-2 off-side field, sticks one on the stumps and is sweetly timed to the mid-wicket fence. One more courtesy of a dab to third-man and Kumble nicks a single with a tuck to square-leg.
0945 - 562-6 Three singles from Clark’s over. Sorry Dunc, my jobs taken, by me. But I think there might be a job going at Radio 2 if you want to give them a shout. “When was the last time two batsmen scored double hundreds against the Aussies in the same innings?” asks Charles. Dunno, but I’ll endeavour to find out.
“Having been told that my job is now redundant, I’m searching for new employment whilst watching this fantastic Aussie bashing. Can I have your job please Ben?” Duncan Clark on the couch in the TMS inbox
0939 - 558-6 Surely India aren’t waiting for Laxman to reach his 200? Can’t see any other reason why they’re still out there. Lovely glide from Kumble for one off the bowling of Johnson. Laxman nurdles Johnson round the corner for a couple and that’s his second highest score in Test cricket - 181. Two more for Laxman with a flick off his pads and this Aussie team are sagging on the ropes now awaiting the bell.
0931 - 551-6 A dreamy flicked on-drive from Laxman for four followed by a gossamer glide to the third-man fence. Johnson bearing the brunt of Laxman’s artistry. Oh Anvay (see below), you are awful… but I like you…
“How Ponting must be wishing now for a huge hole to appear in the middle Firoze Shah Kotla pitch for him and his team to dive in, and stay there till eternity rather than experience the agony of another painful defeat at the hands of their new found nemesis.”
Anvay, Pune, India, in the TMS inbox
0927 - 542-6 Kumble chips Clark over cover and runs two before lofting him just wide of the diving Watson at mid-off for four. Ponting looks a bit teary, like a small boy who’s been abandoned at the school gates by his mummy.
0924 - 536-6 “When will India declare?” emails Carole in Maidenhead. Not entirely sure, but there seems to be some activity in the Indian camp, it looks like a decision might be imminent. Either that, or someone’s passing round a copy of Tit-Bits. Johnson back into the attack and India milk him for four singles, including a very classy looking cut shot from Kumble.
0918 - 532-6 Clark with a hint of swing into the right-handed Kumble, but it’s a bit late for that. A single from Kumble brings up the fifty partnership. Big up yourself Laura. You, madam, are a ruddy legend.
“Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie both scored double hundreds against Bangladesh in the first innings earlier this year.”
Laura in the TMS inbox
“I must admit that I am thoroughly enjoying watching the annihilation of this Australian side but then I am brought down to earth when I realise that it’s England up next - what a team this Indian side is. And not only a good one, but one that is very entertaining as well. Perhaps only having a two Test series is not so bad for England after all.”
Barrie in the TMS inbox
0914 - 530-6 Laxman opens his shoulders, reaching outside the off-stump and smearing White one bounce into the long-on fence. Kumble plays a similar stroke, but this time Watson saves in the deep and limits Kumble to two. Stand by for some hammer…
0912 - 524-6 One for Laxman with a prod to point. I expected Laxman to be hitting it to all parts here, but he’s happy working in singles at the moment. Not Kumble though, he moves to 21 with a club off Clark to the long-on boundary.
0907 - 519-6 Lovely easy drive from Laxman off the bowling of White. Two for the shot and he follows up with a dab for one wide of point. When was the last time two players scored double-tons in the same innings? Laxman now 163.
0904 - 515-6 Before anyone else emails in, I should reiterate that Gambhir is the first left-handed opener to score a double-hundred against Australia and he equals Ravi Shastri’s best score for an India opener against Australia. Here’s Clark with a 7-2 field to Laxman and that’s a maiden over.
0841 - 515-6 Wrong line from White and Kumble paddles him fine for four. He likes that shot. And that’s tea time. See you in 20.
0838 - 509-6 White over-pitches and Laxmanleans into an extra-cover drive that runs away for four. Laxman and Kumble pick off Katich for five singles.
0830 - 500-6 Laxman waits on a Katich delivery and whips him round the corner for one. Kumble skips down the pitch and slams the ball straight through Katich’s fingers and to the wide long-on boundary. Kumble follows up with a sweep fine for four.
0826 - 491-6 Cameron White is back into the attack. Laxman picks him off to mid-wicket for one. Still 15 minutes until tea, India would like to have their feet up with 500 on the board.
0820 - 490-6 There’s Laxman’s 150, and that’s his fourth against Australia. The milestone came courtesy of a nudge past short leg for one. And Kumble is off the mark with a handsome sweep shot for two. Hussey, who must have the same life coach as the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, dives full length to prevent the four.
0818 - 487-6 Watson strays onto Laxman’s pads and the tall right-hander whips him through mid-wicket for four. Minimum of fuss, this boy is one class operator. The Aussies must absolutely hate him. Laxman nicks the strike with an ease into the covers.
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0809 - WICKET - Dhoni c Haddin b Watson 27, Ind 481-6
Dhoni slashes Watson to through third-man for four before playing a delightful leg-glance for another boundary. But he’s gone two balls later! Dhoni gets greedy, rocking back and feathering a cut shot to Haddin behind the stumps. Not enough room for that shot. The Aussies into the India tail-end now - Anil Kumble, who has a Test ton to his name (against England at The Oval in 2007) is at the crease.
0804 - 472-5 Dhoni dabs Katich to third-man for a couple before playing a peculiar little deflection round the corner. Dhoni’s good to watch - while some great players make the game look simple, Dhoni has the ability to make a simple game look incredibly complicated.
0801 - 469-5 Paul (see below), can I ask what you do for a living? Whatever it is, you’re in the wrong job. Just a single from Watson’s over, a glide through the gully region from Laxman.
“I can see why you’re being so good to K (see below) with his betting thing. He’s probably just woken up to find policemen in his room and himself arrested for a crime he knew nothing of. He’ll spend the next month in some kind of nightmare state where the more he tries to persuade the unforgiving courts of his innocence the more guilty he’s likely to feel deep down inside, until the point of no return. So it’s good of you to give him a break.”
Paul in Lancs in the TMS inbox
0756 - 468-5 That’s marmalicious from Dhoni - he heaves Katich through mid-wicket for four before playing a more authentic stroke for four through the same area. And a six! Dhoni advances down the track and muscles the ball over the boundary rope. The Aussies had started to throw a few punches back in recent overs, but they’re back on their knees again.
0754 - 454-5 Uppish from Laxman, forcing off the back foot, and the ball drops just short of Katich at short cover. What a shot that is from Laxman, whipping a ball from outside off-stump through wide mid-on for four. Laxman now has 142 from 227 deliveries.
0749 - 450-5 Full-bunger from Katich but Dhoni makes a right pig’s ear of the stroke, looking to clobber the bowler over mid-wicket and getting a leading edge. All of a sudden it’s raining chances. Dhoni steps back and again looks to smash Katich over mid-wicket but hits too straight, but Katich is unable to take a very difficult chance. Thanks to his stop, however, Umpire Dar still has a head.
0743 - 450-5 The next question is, how long will India bat for? I’d imagine they’ll look to declare late in the day and have eight to 10 overs at the Aussie openers. Typically wristy cut from Dhoni for one. A let-off for Laxman - thick outside edge but Haddin and Hayden can’t decide whose the catch is and the ball runs away for four. For the record, that should have been Haddin’s.
0740 - 445-5 Dhoni is the new batsman and he’ll fancy racking up a few quick runs on this deck. Katich has bowled well over the two days. The problem for Australia is, if Katich is finding turn, what are the Indian spinner going to do? Dhoni is off the mark with a cut for one.
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0735 - WICKET - Ganguly c Ponting b Katich 5, Ind 444-5
In short, K (see below), yes. Kumble on a wearing pitch could be a ruddy nightmare. Watson sticking to his task manfully, just one from his over. And Ganguly’s gone next over, driving Katich straight to Ponting at short cover. Soft dismissal.
“Can I just get your view on the likely outcome of the Test? PaddyPower of Irish bookmaker fame have the draw as the most likely outcome. Should we not be lumping on an Indian win at 11/10?”
K in the TMS inbox
0729 - 443-4 That knock from Gambhir equalled the highest by an India opener against Australia - Ravi Shastri also scored 206 in Sydney in 1991. Ganguly is the next man in and it would be nice to see a breezy 50 from the Princely One. Katich on to bowl and Ganguly is off the mark with a tuck to square-leg for one and he follows up with a thump through the covers for four.
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0722 - WICKET - Gambhir b Watson 206, Ind 435-4
Watson is going to have a bowl. He and Gambhir had a little tete-a-tete yesterday and will be fined by the ICC, but it should be pointed out that they were happy to shake each others’ hand at the end of play. Laxman wafts outside off-stump and is beaten, but he does pick up a single with a steer through the covers. But that’s Gambhir gone! A tired old shot, dragging the ball onto his stumps, and the Australians will be glad to see the back of him.
0717 - 434-3 Ponting strays onto Laxman’s pads and is clipped through mid-wicket for one before Gambhir latches onto a short ball and smashes it over mid-wicket. Gambhir follows up with a glide to third-man for one.
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0714 - 426-3 There it is, Gambhir’s double-hundred courtesy of a clip off his pads. Great knock from the little left-hander, he looks like some talent. Good on you Breet Lee - the Aussie paceman puts an arm round him and ruffles his hair. Here’s a frightening stat for you: India’s top six have all scored double-hundreds. Laxman flips Lee through mid-off for a couple and he now has 2000 runs against Australia, and he’s only the second Indian after Sachin Tendulkar to achieve that feat. Grab your hard hats ladies and gents, it’s raining records… wide from Lee and Laxman twirls him through third-man for four and that’s the record partnership for any wicket on this ground, 269 so far.
0707 - 418-3 Punter’s seen enough - he’s going to have a bowl! Bit of width from the Australia skipper and Gambhir steers him through point for one. Laxman prods Ponting into the covers for one before Gambhir drags a short one through mid-wicket to move to 199. Not a terrible first over from Punter, but it’s only Punter…
0703 - 415-3 Gambhir now five runs short of his first Test double ton but he moves to 196 with a drive through point. Full-bunger from Lee and Laxman picks up one to mid-wicket. One more for Gambhir with a clip to mid-wicket.
0659 - 410-3 Haddin goes up for a caught behind against Laxman, but it brushed his pad.
“Reply to Brendan (see below) - You’ll see what cricket is like with the two best bowlers in the world, wait for Ishant and Zaheer in the Aussie innings.” Gowtham, Bangalore, in the TMS inbox
0655 - 409-3 Laxman twirls Lee through mid-wicket for a couple and picks up another run with a similar stroke. A single for Gambhir before Laxman stands tall and eases Lee through point for four. That’s a doozy of a stroke, and Ponting has another nibble at his nails. This partnership now 252 from 399 balls, the Aussies getting their trousers pulled down.
0647 - 401-3 Gambhir brings up the India 400 with a flick through mid-wicket off Clark. When Bob Willis approached the crease, he always put me in mind of a man running from the police with a small dog in tow, the leash held beside him in his right hand. News on some naughty boys: Gambhir and Watson will be punished for their handbags yesterday, say the ICC.
0645 - 399-3 Hello again! Players are back out and Laxman scores off Lee’s first ball, a fiddle to backward square-leg for two. You don’t bowl there to Laxman - the tall right-hander flips Lee through mid-wicket for four more. Lee digs in a bumper and Laxman ducks underneath it with the minimum of fuss. Andy, Brisbane, I’m sure Walcott and Gomez would be breathing sighs of relief were in not for the fact they’ve both passed on to that great pavilion in the sky. Wonder if they have Battenberg cake up there?
“Re run-ups, the first strange run-up that caught my eye was Andy Caddick’s; starting very low and suddenly springing up at the end as if he was ready to clear a hurdle positioned just before the crease. And I may be wrong, but I seem to remember Shoaib Akhtar running in with both hands by his side like a school teacher running across the playground to tell off a naughty pupil.”
Richard, Hong Kong, in the TMS inbox
“In my previous experience of records being mentioned in this live text, and invariably what happens shortly afterwards, I’m betting Walcott and Gomez were breathing a sigh of relief as soon as they saw your reference to them, and Gambhir to fall agonisingly short of that first double century.”
Andy, Brisbane, in the TMS inbox
“Re ‘he really is a Monet of a batsman’ (0553). Do you mean he looks lovely from a distance but a bit ropey close up?”
Sudhakar in Lymm, up early watching the cricket live on a dodgy subcontinental website, in the TMS inbox
“So this is what cricket is like without the two best bowlers in the world. I had kind of forgotten the ’80s.”
Brendan Parnell, Melbourne, in the TMS inbox
“Re: “Ponting reacts as if he’s just been turned away from the gates of heaven.” Better get used to that Ricky! The way you ‘play’ this beautiful game, with your ‘win at any cost’ attitude, you’re heading for a long elevator ride downwards, followed by an eternal bike ride on the river Styx… Nice to see the Aussies struggling though!”
Brian in the TMS inbox
0558 - 393-3 Haddin standing up to Clark and he appeals for caught behind against Gambhir, before apologising to Umpire Dar for his over-enthusiasm. Gambhir moves to 191 with a super glide to the third-man fence. Ponting buries his face in his hand - as India crank the heat up, the Aussie skipper seems to be wilting. And that’s lunch - 97 in that session, the partnership 236, Australia almost out of this series… see you in 40… a clarification: no left-handed opener has ever scored a double-ton against Australia…
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0553 - 389-3 Deary, deary me, Laxman was very nearly a goner there, staying back against White and missing - but it was missing leg. But there’s the hundred from Laxman, slapping White through the covers for four. That’s his 13th Test ton and sixth against Australia. Super knock that, he really is a Monet of a batsman.
“I always thought Shane Warne waddled towards the crease like a fat Australian bloke waddling towards the crease - but then what would Ponting give for that fat Australian bloke now?”
Simon, Milton Keynes, in the TMS inbox
0549 - 383-3 No opener, apparently, has ever made an double ton against Australia in the history of Test cricket. That’s a pretty extraordinary stat. Gambhir moves to 184 with a turn off his legs. An umbrella of fielders behind Gambhir’s bat, but the left-hander still manages to find a gap and moves to 186.
“Anyone who goes back to the ’50s will tell you that the most curious run-up ever was performed (sic) by Doug Wright (Kent & England). Let me see if I can remember it… walk back (orthodox), turn (orthodox) then hop, pause, step, quick-quick, slooooooow, hop, jump, stop for a cup of tea, jump left, skip to the right… deliver… most probably an unplayable skidding leg break.”
David, Spain, in the TMS inbox
0545 - 378-3 Maiden over from Johnson, Laxman must wait for his ton… Gambhir tucks White off his hip for one and here’s Laxman on strike once more… Laxman has a dab at a ball that stays low - he looks very anxious - and still he can’t break the tape, Clarke saving a drive in the covers.
“This is when the quality of the captain comes out and he needs to stand up to the plate. Don’t hold your breath.”
Tim from Brisbane in the TMS inbox
0538 - 377-3 A half chance! Gambhir lunges forward, edge and Hayden is unable to get a hand to the ball diving to his right. Very, very difficult, but the reactions from the Aussie players say it all - it’s all getting very painful out there now, Ponting reacts as if he’s just been turned away from the gates of heaven. Gambhir picks up four before Laxman moves to 99 with a nudge and go.
0532 - 371-3 Gambhir eases Johnson into the covers for a couple before shuffling across his crease and fending some Johnson rib music down to fine-leg for one. Here’s Laxman… Johnson tosses up a juicy one outside off-stump but Laxman watches it go through. No ton for Laxman in that over…
0528 - 368-3 Any more amusing run-up analogies? Oh yeh, and thanks for the weather update, it’s absolutely brass monkeys in Blighty at the moment. Two singles from the over of White before Laxman pushes him to deep cover for a couple. VVS now on 98, two short of his 13th Test ton and, remarkably, his sixth against Australia.
“Re run-ups, I suspect Brett Lee is a bit like Juantareno, opening his legs and showing his class, and surely Harbhajan looks like a trainee semaphore message sender?”
Roger, in Sydney where it will be 36C tomorrow, in the TMS inbox
0526 - 364-3 That’s a good, probing over from Johnson, a maiden…
0520 - 364-3 Gambhir comes over all Strictly, dancing down the track and clipping White to the deep mid-wicket fence. Cracking shot that. This pair have now put on 200. Short outside off-stump from White and Gambhir cuts to deep point for one. The record for the fourth wicket partnership on this ground is 267, made by Clyde Walcott and Gerry Gomez in 1948.
0516 - 356-3 Gambhir walks into a cover-drive and Clarke saves again. The Aussies still throwing themselves around in the field. Gambhir steers Johnson into the covers for one before Laxman turns him round the corner for a single of his own.
0512 - 354-3 Time for a bit of spin and it’s Cameron White to the fore. And that’s a good first over from the Victorian, every ball flighted in the corridor outside Laxman’s off-stump. A maiden and White might just have booked himself in for a serious stint.
0510 - 354-3 Johnson, angling the ball across Laxman, is steered wide of gully for four. Super shot, Swiss timing. Johnson then serves up that rare beast, a Test match wide. Laxman clips Johnson through mid-wicket for a single. Johnson gives Gambhir some width and the left-hander carves him through point for another four. Rob (see below), yes, I think I made a mistake on Johnson’s run up, it looked shorter than it was when he started bowling yesterday. As for Flintoff, I think he approaches the crease like a man running across hot tiles towards an outdoor swimming pool.
“You said yesterday morning (0512) that Mitchell Johnson has a stubbly little run up. I’m not sure about that but I remember he appears to pause in the middle of his delivery stride. Thinking of run-ups, do you think it’s fair to say that Flintoff minces to the crease?”
Rob, in Santa Barbara, California, in the TMS inbox
0500 - 342-3 A new weapon for Gambhir, think he bust his old one playing that prod in the previous over. Laxman picks up a single off Lee with a tickle off his hip. Drinks.
0452 - 341-3 Gambhir plays and misses - but that’s not a lot of use to Australia. Gambhir prods into the off-side and that sounded very clunky, as if he’s playing with an upright hoover. Lovely shot from Gambhir next up, clipping Johnson through mid-wicket for a couple.
0447 - 338-3 Gambhir twirls Johnson through point for one. This is all getting a bit miserable for Ponting and Australia - Laxman slaps Johnson through mid-wicket for four and the Aussie skipper looks as if he has just been shown the workings of his own soul. Good reply from Johnson, hurrying Laxman with a bumper. Laxman hooks, and the ball lands just short of Katich on the square-leg boundary. Laxman moves to 84.
0440 - 329-3 Laxman stands tall, swivels and whip-cracks Lee to the mid-wicket fence. Good comeback from Lee, getting one to rare up at Laxman and take the glove. The ball loops down to third man for another four. I don’t want to get too excited, but as an England fan I can’t help thinking next year’s Ashes series might be reasonably interesting. This bowling attack doesn’t look too crash hot to me… then again, I sort of wish they did have a half-decent spinner because I’ve got a horrible feeling a certain someone might be persuaded to come out of retirement… and I’m not talking about Tim May…
0436 - 320-3 Left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson into the attack. A wide delivery from Johnson but Gambhir misses out, Hussey making a fine stop on the bounce at backward point. Hussey would still be throwing himself about like a ruddy madman with India on 300,000-3. That’s a maiden over from Johnson.
“Is anyone else thoroughly enjoying watching Australia not being able to handle what they’ve dished out for the last 15 years?”
Andy, Brisbane, in the TMS inbox
0432 - 320-3 Just Hayden in at slip and the fielders scattered all over the park. It’s as if the Aussies have had a very big falling out. Gambhir piles into an off-drive but doesn’t time it and only picks up one. Laxman stands tall and steers into the covers for a single before Gambhir flips off his hip to nick the strike.
0426 - 315-3 Laxman mis-times a cut shot but picks up two before creaming Clark through the covers for four. Dreamy shot that. Michael Clarke pulls off a fine stop in the covers, just as a little message to the Indians that his side haven’t given up just yet.
0423 - 309-3 Touch from Gambhir, playing Lee late and twirling him through third-man for four. This is now the highest score by an Indian opener at this ground, passing Vijay Merchant against England in the early 1950s. Lee putting everything he has into every delivery, but he’s not getting anything out of this pitch, it’s got the consistency of one of my mum’s dumplings.
“It’s only day two, but is too early to hope that India lose? You see, after days of noisy Diwali crackers, my mom tells me that my dog’s still shaking with fear and hiding under the bed. I doubt if her tiny heart will stand another lot of crackers if we win.”
Miriam in the TMS inbox
0418 - 305-3 Width from Clark and Laxman, with a wild and windy waft, misses out. Deliberate from Laxman, dropping the hands and angling the ball past gully for four. That’s India’s 300. Clark digs in three successive short deliveries and Laxman yanks the last away for a couple.
0414 - 299-3 Lee from around the wicket and Gambhir on-drives for one. The left-hander’s on-driving was top drawer yesterday. Lee digs in a tempter outside Laxman’s off-stump and the batsman thinks about climbing into it before thinking again. One for Laxman with a clip through mid-on
0409 - 297-3 Clark gets one to nibble past a nervy prod by Gambhir, but that’s Gambhir’s 150 courtesy of a clip off his pads for one. Good knock this, and it could be the knock that ensures India win the series.
“All the talk here in Melbourne is about Gambhir’s various adventures with Messrs Watson and Katich yesterday. The local rag this morning berated GG for ‘deliberately’ striking Watson after the all-rounder ‘accidentally’ got in Gambhir’s way - fine unbiased reporting if I ever I saw it. I have to say that if I was bowling and being liberally flogged all over the pitch I’d be keeping a low profile rather than giving it out quite as much as our dynamic duo did yesterday. Still, can’t wait for today’s action now!”
Jon, Melbourne, in the TMS inbox
0405 - 296-3 Righto, we’re just about ready. New ball only four overs old and Lee will be hoping there’s something in this pitch this morning… BIG SHOUT FIRST BALL! But Umpire Bowden had no problem declaring that not out, it was swinging way down leg. Laxman looks to have lost none of his timing, unfurling a couple of elegant drives that are fielded in the covers. Maiden over to start.
0350 - Morning all, or whatever it is where you are in the world. Massive morning this for both sides - indeed, it could be the session that decides the series. A few wickets for Australia and they’ll feel they’ve still got a chance of winning this Test. But if Gambhir and Laxman are still there at lunch, India will be very hard to beat, especially with skipper Anil Kumble back in the side.
Source: bbc.co.uk/
Phil Spector goes on trial again for actress’ death
October 30, 2008
Phil Spector did not testify at the first trial. He is accused in the death of actress Lana Clarkson.
A prosecutor on Wednesday portrayed eccentric musical genius Phil Spector as a man who repeatedly threatened women with guns and could become “very sinister, very violent and very deadly” when he was drunk.
In a speech reminiscent of the one he gave at the first trial, Jackson briefly described the killing of Clarkson at Spector’s mansion and displayed photos showing her in life and death.
One image showed her body slumped in a chair with blood all over her face.
Jackson also recounted the statement of a chauffeur who told of Spector emerging from the house saying: “‘I think I killed somebody.”‘
The defense opening statement was expected later in the day. In Spector’s first trial, the defense argued the 40-year-old Clarkson became despondent over her fading career and killed herself.
Most of Jackson’s opening dealt with a long line of women stretching over 30 years whom he said were threatened with death by a gun-wielding Spector.
He showed photos of five of them interspersed with quotes from their previous testimony, profane voicemail messages left for them by Spector and, in one case, a video excerpt from the testimony of a witness who has since died.
In that footage, Diane Ogden pointed a finger at her head and testified that Spector held a gun to her face. “He said he was going to blow my brains out,” she testified.
It’s been a year since the jury in Spector’s first trial deadlocked 10-2 with the majority favoring conviction.
There were no witnesses to the shooting and Spector didn’t testify in that trial.
Source: cnn.com
Delta, Northwest deal gets DOJ approval
October 30, 2008
Delta, Northwest merger approved
The Justice Department on Wednesday approved a much-anticipated merger between Delta and Northwest, clearing the way for creation of the world’s largest airline.
After a six-month investigation, government lawyers concluded the merger would likely drive down costs for consumers without curbing competition.
The proposed merger “is likely to produce substantial and credible efficiencies that will benefit U.S. consumers and is not likely to substantially lessen competition,” the Justice Department said in a statement issued by its Antitrust Division.
The merger should create cost savings by combining airport operations, information technology and other efficiencies, ultimately driving down prices for fliers, the regulators said.
The decision caps a six-month Justice Department investigation, which was closed without Justice Department objection to the deal.
The combined airline would be called Delta and keep its Atlanta headquarters and its chief executive, Richard Anderson.
Northwest (NWA, Fortune 500) would become a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta during the integration process.
Another hurdle remains ahead, however: a federal lawsuit seeking to block the deal. Trial is set for Nov. 5 in San Francisco.
The lawsuit was filed in June by 28 airline passengers who believe a merger would violate antitrust law and substantially decrease competition.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL, Fortune 500) and Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest Airlines Corp. have insisted there will still be plenty of competition in the airline industry after they combine, and they have noted the two carriers have relatively few overlapping routes.
On that point, the Justice Department agreed.
“The two airlines currently compete with a number of other legacy and low-cost airlines in the provision of scheduled air passenger service on the vast majority of nonstop and connecting routes where they compete with each other,” the department said in the statement.
Delta hopes to obtain a single Federal Aviation Administration operating certificate in 15 to 18 months.
Shareholders approved the merger late last month.
The two airlines had 85,071 combined full-time employees as of June 30, the last time they reported the figures to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Earlier this year, each carrier announced plans on their own for job cuts. Delta said it would shed 4,000 jobs, while Northwest said it wanted to cut 2,500 jobs.
The new airline would be the biggest in the world in terms of traffic and biggest in the United States in terms of annual revenue, which was a combined $31.7 billion at the end of last year.
Source: cnn.com
New communications tools help emergency responders
October 30, 2008
This mine shaft allows researchers to test the strength of emergency underground radio signals.
It is a problem that scientists and engineers have been grappling with since the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks: How can emergency responders’ communication tools be improved?
“One of the things that became very clear was that the radio signals were lost rapidly between the transmitter, the robot and the person controlling the robot,” electronics engineer Kate Remley said. “So, as a result, the robots were not able to go very far into the rubble pile to look for victims or for survivors.”
From placing equipment inside soon-to-be-imploded buildings to testing a robot’s ability to send audio and video in abandoned mines, Remley and other researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology are working to improve the devices that emergency workers rely on.
The institute conducts research in places that are notorious for rough emergency communications, from tunnels to collapsed buildings to oil refineries filled with metal that interferes with radio signals.
“We did some measurements in an old silica mine in northern California, where we deployed an urban search and rescue robot into the tunnel,” Remley said.
“We monitored the radio wave communication, and we made note of where the signals failed, at what frequencies those signals failed and how far into the tunnel we could go before communication was lost. And we studied both the video that was being transmitted back from the robot and the control communications to the robot,” she said.
The tunnel research revealed a “sweet spot”: a particular frequency in mines, subways and tunnels where radio signals travel farthest. That may help researchers design wireless systems that are more likely to function in a disaster.
The sweet spot varies depending on a tunnel’s dimensions. In a subway-sized tunnel, it is usually in the range of 400 megahertz to 1 gigahertz.
Creating “smarter” robots may also help improve disaster communications.
“A [smarter] robot will monitor its own received signal strength, so it will know when it is beginning to lose communication with its operator, and it will automatically deploy a little repeater [a device that can amplify and rebroadcast a radio signal] behind itself,” Remley said.
“So it’s a kind of artificial intelligence. The robot is saying, ‘I know that I’m in a weak signal environment. I need to correct for that right away.’ “
Not all of the research is done in difficult or dangerous places. The National Institute of Standards and Technology labs in Boulder, Colorado, have some intriguing facilities that also assist researchers in understanding how radio waves move.
One is the anechoic chamber, which means “without reflection.” Remley said it is a very good facility for testing one transmitted signal and one received signal, because there are no reflections off the walls.
The campus also contains a reverberation chamber that creates the exact opposite effect.
“The idea here is, get as many reflections as possible,” engineer Chris Holloway said.
“The magnetic fields bounce around inside this room. If we have a piece of wireless device [and] we want to see how it would work in environment X, Y, Z, we can come in here and change this environment, and it would give a researcher or engineer a very quick and dirty way of testing how a system might work,” he said.
Researchers also put transmitters in buildings that were about to be imploded and measured their signals before, during and after the collapse. Then they tried to locate the equipment after the building was destroyed. Information from those tests could help find rescue workers with two-way radios and help pinpoint trapped survivors with cell phones.
Holloway and others also have created radio maps of public buildings, including shopping malls, sports stadiums and convention centers.
“Part of the project was to look at how these buildings might behave during a collapse,” Holloway said. “If someone is trapped under the rubble, how might you locate them?”
Whether in government or private industry, there is sometimes a disconnect between what scientists think is important and the realities faced by first responders in the field. That’s why the institute works closely with those who know what it’s like in the trenches.
Lt. George Hough of the New York Fire Department has worked with Remley and others at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He stressed that equipment that works well in a lab might not be adequate in a disaster setting.
“It’s got to work in the field for a responder,” Hough said. “It can’t be too complicated, and it’s got to work under many varying circumstances and conditions. So the more testing that is done, the more we’ll be able to understand why it doesn’t work in some of these environments.”
“We need standards in place that will ensure robust communication between whatever the new technology is. It’s not just radios anymore. It’s also the emergency beacons and robots,” she said. “We need to make sure those technologies will operate in a very robust, reliable way.”
Source: cnn.com
Woman loses assisted suicide case
October 30, 2008
Woman loses assisted suicide case
A woman with multiple sclerosis has lost her High Court case to clarify the law on assisted suicide.
Debbie Purdy, 45, from Bradford, is considering going to a Swiss clinic to end her life, but fears her husband may be charged on his return to the UK.
She had wanted a guarantee that her husband, Omar Puente, would not be prosecuted.
There have so far been no prosecutions of relatives of 101 UK citizens who have gone to the Dignitas clinic.
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 How can we make sure that we act within the law if they won’t tell us in what circumstances they would prosecute?  Debbie Purdy
 Q&A: Assisted suicide ruling
‘My brother chose to end suffering’
Analysis: The law needs reform
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Ms Purdy, who was diagnosed with primary progressive MS in 1995 and can no longer walk, was granted permission to appeal because of public interest in the case.
But speaking outside the High Court after the ruling, she said she was disappointed with the result and would be appealing.
“We still don’t know how we can make sure that we stay within the law, because I’m certainly not prepared for Omar to break the law - I’m not prepared for him to face jail.”
“How can we make sure that we act within the law if they won’t tell us in what circumstances they would prosecute?”
She said she was still considering travelling to Switzerland to take a lethal dose of barbiturates prescribed by doctors at Dignitas.
Ms Purdy wants her husband at her side but fears he may be prosecuted on his return to Britain, and says she may therefore have to make the trip earlier than she really wanted.
Aiding or abetting a suicide is a crime punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment.
Guidance
A judicial review was granted to Ms Purdy on the grounds that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had acted illegally by not providing guidance on how decisions on prosecution are reached.
During the hearing earlier this month, she argued the lack of clarification was a breach of her human rights.
But two High Court judges have ruled they had not been infringed and existing guidelines were adequate.
Lord Justice Scott Baker said: “We cannot leave this case without expressing great sympathy for Ms Purdy, her husband and others in a similar position who wish to know in advance whether they will face prosecution for doing what many would regard as something that the law should permit, namely to help a loved one go abroad to end their suffering when they are unable to do it on their own.
“This would involve a change in the law.
“The offence of assisted suicide is very widely drawn to cover all manner of different circumstances - only Parliament can change it.”
It is not the first time the issue has been raised in the courts.
In 2001 Diane Pretty, who had motor neurone disease, failed to get immunity from prosecution for her husband if he helped her to die in the UK.
Several attempts to legalise suicide in Britain have also been rejected.
Source: bbc.co.uk/
Deadly blasts rock Indian state
October 30, 2008
Intelligence officials blame the United Liberation Front of Assam
At least 24 people have been killed in a series of bomb explosions in India’s north-eastern state of Assam, police have said.
More than 60 others were injured in at least nine blasts, the majority of them in the state capital, Guwahati.
The explosions in Guwahati and the towns of Kokrajhar, Barpeta Road and Bongaigaon occurred within an hour after 1100 local time (0530 GMT).
Security forces have been fighting separatist rebels in Assam for decades.
Six people were killed in the first explosion in front of the deputy commissioner’s office in Guwahati.
Five others were killed in the second explosion at Ganeshguri near the state secretariat and four in Panbazar in central Guwahati.
Five others were killed in three explosions that rocked the western town of Kokrajhar.
Explosions were also reported from the towns of Barpeta Road and Bongaigaon, two towns in western Assam.
Assam police chief RN Mathur said most of the bombs were “planted in cars”.
‘Massive strikes’
Intelligence officials said the separatist United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) was responsible for the blasts.
Most fighters in one of the Ulfa’s elite strike battalion have announced a ceasefire with the government and the security forces have attacked and killed many other Ulfa fighters in recent weeks.
“So the Ulfa is striking back in a massive way by taking on soft targets,” Assam police chief R N Mathur said.
“No other group can trigger so many blasts in so many places in such a coordinated fashion.”
Two north-eastern state capitals - Agartala, capital of Tripura, and Imphal, capital of Manipur - have been rocked by serial explosions this month.
Seventeen people were killed and more than 100 injured in these explosions.
Local separatists were responsible for the explosions in the north-eastern cities.
Source: bbc.co.uk/
Bush confident of Iraq troop deal
October 30, 2008
The issue of immunity for US military personnel is said to be a sticking point
US President George W Bush has said he is confident a deal on the future of US troops in Iraq will be approved despite amendments which Baghdad has requested.
After talks with the president of Iraq’s Kurdish region, Mr Bush said officials were analysing the proposed changes to the agreement on US forces.
“We obviously want to be helpful and constructive without undermining basic principles,” he told Massoud Barzani.
Washington had previously said the pact was “final” and could not be amended.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the proposed changes would ban US forces in Iraq from attacking any neighbouring countries - three days after a raid on Syria that Damascus says killed eight civilians.
Iraq also wants greater clarity of what jurisdiction Iraqi law has over major crimes committed by US troops when they are off duty and off base, Mr Dabbagh said.
‘Thoughtful review’
On Tuesday, the Iraqi cabinet authorised Prime Minister Nouri Maliki to re-open talks with the US on the pact, which would allow US forces to stay in Iraq after their UN mandate expires on 31 December.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Mr Barzani at the White House, President Bush confirmed the US had received the Iraqi government’s proposed amendments to the Status of Forces Agreement (Sofa).
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The bar to any revisions is very high Sean McCormack
US state department spokesman Iraqi forces prepare to take control
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“I informed the president we received amendments today from the government, we’re analysing those amendments, we obviously want to be helpful and constructive without undermining basic principles,” he said.
“And I remain very hopeful and confident that the Sofa will get passed.”
State department spokesman Sean McCormack said that although the US would consider Baghdad’s proposed changes, “the bar to any revisions is very high”.
“All of that said, this is a serious negotiation process on a serious issue and we will take seriously any comments from the Iraqis. We will do a thoughtful, thorough review of them and then provide them a response,” he added.
Correspondents say the issue of immunity for US military personnel and contractors was a key sticking point in negotiating the pact in the first place.
The draft is said to grant Iraqi judicial authorities limited ability to try US troops and contractors for major crimes committed off-duty or off-base - and only then if a joint US-Iraqi committee agrees.
The Iraqis have reportedly also raised concerns about the provisional date of 2009 set for US withdrawals from Iraqi towns and cities, and the date of 2011 for withdrawing from Iraq as a whole.
About 144,000 of the 152,000 foreign troops deployed in Iraq are US military personnel.
US warnings
In an interview with the BBC, Iraq’s Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said some of the amendments the government had agreed to seek were substantive.
He said they included Iraq’s demand to have the right to inspect US military bases and the mailbags going to and from them.
Mr Zebari said the suspension of US operations would be very bad for Iraq
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“The Americans have accepted to look seriously into this amendment. Some of them, actually, are language-related formulations, not substantive, but some other amendments are substantive changes, which I personally doubt will go down well with the American side,” he said.
If the agreement was not signed before the end of the year, Mr Zebari said there would be very serious military and economic consequences.
“We’ve been told by the American side very clearly that they will freeze all their operations, military operations, against terrorists. They will freeze all the assistance and aid and training for the Iraqi security forces,” he said.
“They will suspend all economic and reconstruction projects that the US military is doing… if they are not involved. This would really be very bad news for the stability of Iraq and of the region.”
The BBC’s Jim Muir in Baghdad says that although Washington has agreed to examine the Iraqi proposals, there is clearly little appetite for making substantive changes.
The elements which the Iraqis want to introduce may well be beyond the limits of the US negotiators, which means that when the draft is returned to Baghdad, the cabinet will have to take it or leave it, our correspondent says.
Even if it approves the draft, which is by no means certain, it is bound to have a very rough ride in the Iraqi parliament, where Shia and Sunni factions have been either highly critical or rejected it outright, he adds.
Source: bbc.co.uk/
BMI being taken over by Lufthansa
October 30, 2008
BMI is Heathrow
UK airline BMI is being taken over by Germany’s Lufthansa.
Lufthansa is buying the 50% of firm owned by BMI chairman Sir Michael Bishop, who forced the purchase under a long-standing agreement.
The German carrier was already BMI’s second-largest shareholder, with a stake of 30% minus one share.
The deal will give Lufthansa control of more flights from London Heathrow airport than any other airline except British Airways.
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BMI
10.6 million passengers last year
Flies to 51 destinations
54 planes
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Lufthansa accepted that the deal would have an impact on competition at the UK’s largest airport, but said it was for competition authorities to make a decision on whether to approve the deal.
The deal is set to be completed by 16 January - but the German firm would not confirm what it was paying for Sir Michael’s stake. Reports suggest it is about £318m.
BA competition
The German airline signed an agreement with Sir Michael in 1999 that if he ever wanted to sell his BMI stake, it would make the purchase.
There had been growing speculation in recent months that Sir Michael was keen to sell his share in the business.
Lufthansa, which on Tuesday announced its third-quarter net profit had fallen by 75%, said it would “have to deal with” Sir Michael’s decision, which vice president for Europe, Karsten Benz, told the BBC “was not a surprise”.
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LUFTHANSA
83.1 million passengers last year
Flies to 209 destinations
276 planes
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There has been speculation that parts of the BMI business will be sold off.
But Lufthansa refused to comment on Virgin Atlantic’s suggestion that that BMI and Virgin combine their short-haul and long-haul networks.
There would be no job cuts at BMI “for the time being” Mr Benz added, saying Lufthansa had successfully integrated Swiss Airlines into the business and was confident of doing the same with BMI.
Sector under pressure
BMI flew 10.6 million passengers last year and operates 54 aircraft. It controls 11% of landing and take-off slots at Heathrow.
Its two main hubs are Heathrow and Manchester, but it also operates from 13 other UK airports.
The remaining 20% of BMI is currently owned by Sweden-based Scandinavian Airlines (SAS).
Industry observers say the Lufthansa-BMI deal considerably bolsters the German carrier’s position at Heathrow, where BA is planning to form an alliance with American Airlines.
Lufthansa is Germany’s largest airline
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Like almost all airlines, BMI has seen its profits hit this year by the big rises in the price of aviation fuel in the first half of the year.
Rising fuel costs have led to a number of carriers seeking closer ties with rivals, such as British Airways’ plans for a tie-up with American Airlines.
Other airlines have had to cease operations, including Zoom, XL and Sterling.
Analysts said Lufthansa’s relative financial strength, combined with the current troubles in the airline industry, meant it had been able to go on something of a bargain-hunting spending spree.
Earlier this year, Lufthansa had bought a 45% stake in Brussels Airlines.
Lufthansa blamed its 75% fall in net profit for the July to September period on higher fuel costs.
However, aviation fuel is now falling in price as it trails the recent sharp declines in crude oil costs.
Source: bbc.co.uk/