Pakistani batsman Salman Butt hits a ball to boundary while he completes a 100 run at the one-day international match between Pakistan and India, at Calcutta's Eden Gardens on the occasion of Indian cricket board's 75th anniversary. Pakistan won by six wickets. (Reuters Photo)

CALCUTTA, India, Nov. 14--Salman Butt struck a maiden one-day century as Pakistan beat India by six wickets on Saturday in their first match on Indian soil in more than five years, reported Reuters.
Butt, in his sixth one-dayer, scored 108 not out off 130 balls out of a total of 293 for four. Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq added 75 to guide Pakistan home in front of nearly 100,000 people in a game celebrating the Indian cricket board's 75th anniversary.
The 20-year-old Butt, who cracked 13 fours, had retired hurt on 68 with cramp but returned to seal the result with an over to spare as India's bowlers struggled with the dew under lights at the Eden Gardens.
"The trainer was very cross because I didn't eat anything, so I promised him I won't do it again," Butt told reporters. "But I couldn't have asked for anything else, this was a gift from God."
All rounder Shoaib Malik added 61 for his ninth one-day half-century. "Nowadays, every total is chaseable. But 292 was a big ask," Inzamam said. "The boys were very determined and full marks to Butt for his excellent knock."
Yuvraj Singh had earlier struck a blistering 78, with 10 fours and two sixes, as India posted 292 for six. Opener Virender Sehwag had given India early momentum with a quickfire 53.
In 2000, the Indian government banned all home and away cricket against Pakistan due to political tensions over the disputed region of Kashmir but relented in 2003 after a thaw in relations.

LONDON, Nov. 14--Dutch winger Arjen Robben was again in inspirational form to keep Chelsea top of the table as the English club and fellow Londoners Arsenal won high-scoring derbies in the Premier League on Saturday, said Reuters.
In the early kickoff, Arsenal exploited some woeful Tottenham Hotspur defending to briefly go top with a 5-4 victory at their north London rivals before Robben scored the second for Chelsea in a 4-1 win at Fulham later in the west London derby.
Frank Lampard opened the scoring in the 33rd minute but Papa Bouba Diop equalized after half time before Robben produced an excellent left-foot finish to cap another impressive display of pace and power.
William Gallas and Tiago then completed the easy victory, the side's eighth win in a row and the third time in four league games they have scored four goals, to keep Chelsea two points clear of champions Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger's side ended a run of three league matches without a victory in the joint highest scoring match in Premier League history.
"Usually derbies are 0-0 or completely crazy. In the end it was a cricket score," Wenger told Sky Sports. "We are back to winning habits in a derby we don't traditionally win." Moroccan defender Noureddine Naybet gave the hosts the lead in Martin Jol's first league game in permanent charge by turning in Michael Carrick's free kick in the 37th minute.
Thierry Henry hit back in first half stoppage time and Tottenham's defence began to fall apart in the second half when Noe Pamarot pulled down Fredrik Ljungberg in the area and right back Lauren slotted home the penalty.

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Nov. 14--With their place in the final round of the World Cup 2006 Asian qualifiers secured, Uzbekistan are already looking beyond their last opening round group game against Chinese Taipei in Tashkent on November 17, reported AFC.com.
While the Uzbeks have reached the final round of the qualifiers for the third time, they are mindful of their failure to get past that stage on the previous two occasions and are looking better preparation this time around.
As a result, they are taking their preparations for the Chinese Taipei match very seriously, with coach Ravshan Haydarov calling up a squad of 24 for their training camp including two players--Aleksey Polyakov and midfielder Server Djeparov--who will be unable to play in the game after picking up their second bookings of the qualification campaign during last month's match against Iraq.
"All key players are due to attend Uzbekistan's final group match regardless the fact that we have already secured our qualification into the final round", wrote Uzbekistan Football Federation official Alisher Nikimbayev on uzfootball.com, the official website of the Uzbekistan national team.
The squad list for Uzbekistan's final group match features 24 players, 11 of which play in the domestic Oliy Liga including nine players from newly-crowned champions Pakhtakor. However, strikers Vladimir Shishelov, Ildar Magdeev and Anvarjon Soliev are due to miss the game as a result of injuries picked up while playing for Pakhtakor.
According to uzfootball.com, two foreign-based defenders Nikolay Shirshov of Rostov and Oleg Pashinin of Lokomotiv Moscow are also unlikely to appear in Uzbekistan's final group encounter due to minor injuries after the tough season in Russia.

Chris Byrd punches Jameel McCline in the fourth round of the IBF Heavyweight Championship fight at New York's Madison Square Garden Saturday. Byrd won the fight by split decision. (AP Photo)

NEW YORK, Nov. 14-- Chris Byrd felt the power and found the canvas. Then Jameel McCline found out what made Byrd a heavyweight champion in the first place. Giving away 56 pounds and several inches, Byrd survived a second-round knockdown and a bigger man's punch to retain his IBF heavyweight title Saturday night on a split decision by the narrowest of margins, said AP.
The fight was the best of two title bouts at Madison Square Garden. In the other, WBA champion John Ruiz retained his title despite being knocked down twice and penalized once in an ugly fight with Andrew Golota.
Ruiz also lost his trainer, Norman Stone, who ran across the ring after the first round and threw a punch at Golota's trainer and then was ejected in the eighth round after repeatedly arguing with referee Randy Neumann.
Ruiz, though, came on strong late in the fight to win 114-111 on two cards and 113-112 on the third. The Associated Press had Golota ahead, 113-112.
As crafty a fighter as the heavyweight division has seen in recent times, Byrd needed every bit of his skills to come on strong in the later rounds to win a split 12-round decision that was in doubt until the final judge's tally was added up.
The good friends hugged as the highly entertaining fight ended and the crowd of 12,777 stood and cheered. Byrd won by 115-112 and 114-113, while McCline was favored 114-112 on the third scorecard.
The AP card favored Byrd, 115-113.
"The way I fought back showed I am a true champion. I had to dig down. He weighed 270 pounds," Byrd said. "I definitely did enough to win the fight. I am a champion."

MELBOURNE, Australia, Nov. 14--France's 2004 world champion Sebastien Loeb clinched victory in the 25-stage Rally of Australia on Sunday to finish the season with a record-equaling six rally wins, according to Reuters.
Citroen driver Loeb matched his fellow countryman Didier Auriol's 1992 record of six victories in a single season. Loeb, who won two of Sunday's six stages, finished second in the 25th and final stage in Western Australia to beat Finland's Peugeot driver Harri Rovanpera by one minute 55.1 seconds overall.
Belgium's Ford driver Francois Duval was third, three minutes 40.2 behind the 30-year-old Loeb, who had sealed his world title last month. Finland's double world champion Marcus Gronholm had been leading the rally before going into a 360-degree spin and slamming into a tree in Saturday's opening stage and withdrawing from the event, escaping unhurt.
Petter Solberg, who finished second in the world championship standings on 82 points behind Loeb's 118, hit a rock on Friday's stage four and withdrew after damaging the steering on his Subaru.
However, Solberg did win five of Saturday's 10 stages and four more on Sunday after returning under the SuperRally regulation introduced mid-season, which allows a driver retired from a rally to resume without being eligible in the overall standings for the race.
Gronholm also made a strong return under the new regulation, with three seconds and one third placing in the first four stages on Sunday. Norwegian Solberg's nearest challengers Markko Martin of Estonia and Spaniard Carlos Sainz both pulled out of the Australia event.
Martin, who finished third in the championship on 79 points, had engine trouble on Friday morning and the 42-year-old Sainz retired from the sport after crashing into a tree on Tuesday while preparing for the event.

LONDON, Nov. 14--Captain David Beckham has been named in England's 22-man squad for the friendly with Spain in Madrid next Wednesday despite not playing since cracking a rib in the 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Wales last month, reported Reuters.
Beckham, who could return to action for Real Madrid against Albacete on Sunday, looks set to line up with club teammate Michael Owen at their home ground of the Bernabeu where England will wear an all white strip like Real.
"It is nice to have David Beckham back with us after his injury. I'm sure he and Michael Owen will be especially motivated for this game," coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said.
"I'm delighted that Michael has found his goal-scoring form at Real Madrid," he told thefa.com Eriksson also included Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland in place of Norwich keeper Robert Green while Chelsea left back Wayne Bridge returns.
Spain coach Luis Aragones included English-based players Xabi Alonso of Liverpool and Jose Antonio Reyes of Arsenal in his squad. "Spain are always strong opposition with some outstanding individual players," Eriksson said. "We have seen the quality of Reyes and Alonso here in the Premiership and they have a good balance of youth and experience."

LOS ANGELES,
Nov. 14--Lindsay Davenport, trying to hold on to her world number one ranking at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships, defeated Serena Williams 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 but still wasn't assured of advancing from the round-robin phase, said AFP.
After two wins and one defeat in Red Group play, Davenport's fate still rested on the outcome of the final round-robin match between French Open champion Anastasia Myskina and fellow Russian Elena Dementieva later Saturday.
Myskina has won six of their 10 matches, including most recently the final at Roland Garros in Moscow last month.
"I'd say I don't think I'll be playing tomorrow," Davenport said. "I think Myskina is a better player than Dementieva. I don't expect her to lose that match."
Williams, who had won her opening two matches in the three million-dollar season-ending event, was guaranteed a semifinal berth by winning the first set over Davenport. But the six-time Grand Slam champion admitted it felt odd to be advancing in a tournament after a defeat.
"I feel like I'm cheating that I'm still in the tournament, but I guess I have a match tomorrow," said Williams, who was disappointed in an erratic performance in which she failed to respond as Davenport raised her game in the second set.
"I think I pretty much shot myself in the foot a few times," said Williams, who finally surrendered the only break of the second set in the final game. "There was no way I should have lost that match."
Daveport's shaky serve shaped up somewhat in the second set and her confidence level grew.
"I got better," said Davenport, who broke Williams in the second and six games of the third, and saved two break points in the seventh before taking the match on her first match point when Williams netted a forehand volley.
"In the third set she gave me some more errors, and I hit the ball a bit more powerfully."

Indiana Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal (r) dunks on New York Knicks foward Kurt Thomas in the fourth quarter in Indianapolis on Saturday. O'Neal had 33 points and 12 rebounds in the 103-97 win. (AP Photo)

INDIANAPOLIS, USA, Nov. 14--Once again, the ailing and short-handed Indiana Pacers built a big lead. This time, they were able to hold off New York's furious comeback. Jermaine O'Neal had 33 points and 12 rebounds, Ron Artest marked his 25th birthday with 22 points and Stephen Jackson added 19 as the Pacers fought off fatigue and beat the Knicks 103-97 Saturday night, AP reported.
It was Indiana's fourth game in five nights, and because of injuries the Pacers had only 10 players available and used just eight, with all five starters logging at least 38 minutes.
Once again, as they did in an overtime loss at Philadelphia the night before, the Pacers built a seemingly comfortable lead in the first half. This time, they stayed in front, but it wasn't easy.
A basket and free throw by Stephon Marbury cut Indiana's one-time 21-point lead to 10 late in the third quarter. The Pacers built it back to 83-67 going into the final period, but Marbury had 11 of his season-high 37 points in the fourth quarter, including a basket that pulled New York to 101-95 with under a half-minute to go.
Artest then iced the game with two free throws before Jerome Williams scored for New York at the buzzer.
Nazr Mohammed added a season-high 20 points for the Knicks.
O'Neal, who had a career-high 39 points in the overtime loss at Philadelphia, scored 12 in the first quarter against the Knicks. He hit five straight baskets at one stretch, including one that gave the Pacers the lead for good at 19-17 midway through the period.
New York still trailed by just two, however, before a 3-pointer by James Jones at the buzzer gave Indiana a 37-32 first-quarter lead.
Artest scored seven points, including two baskets on goaltending calls, and New York missed its first eight shots during a 14-2 Indiana run that appeared to break the game open at the start of the second quarter. Indiana's biggest lead was 61-40 before the Knicks began their comeback.