Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara (r) takes a quick run as West Indies bowler Jermaine Lawson looks on during their triangular one-day cricket series match, at Dambulla Stadium, Tuesday. (AFP Photo)

DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka, Aug 3--Fast bowler Farveez Maharoof snapped up three wickets for nine runs to set up Sri Lanka’s 50-run victory over West Indies in the third match of the triangular series on Tuesday, Reuters said.
Maharoof removed both openers before West Indies, replying to Sri Lanka’s 241 for six, were bowled out for 191 in 45.1 overs having partially recovered after being reduced to 75 for six in the 25th over.
Dwayne Smith top-scored with a career-best 68 but the visiting team were always likely to struggle in the absence of 10 of their leading players because of a contract dispute between the West Indies board and the players’ association.
Sri Lanka’s total was built around well-paced innings by captain Marvan Atapattu, who struck 70, and Kumar Sangakkara, with 79. The pair shared a stand of 138 runs for second wicket.
Sri Lanka’s new ball bowlers Maharoof and Dilhara Lokuhettige, called up in place of the injured Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa, then bowled superbly to knock over the West Indies top order.
Maharoof moved the ball off the seam in an unbroken 10-over spell that conceded just nine runs for the wickets of Ryan Ramdass (one), Xavier Marshall (six) and Ricardo Powell (two).
Ramdass, making his one-day international debut, chopped on to his stumps, Marshall nicked a leg-cutter and Powell was bowled off his pads by a delivery that nipped back off the seam.
Maharoof also chipped in with a brilliant diving catch at long leg, three balls after a spilling a simple chance in the same position, to dismiss Slyvester Joseph for nine afetr the batsman flicked a Lokuhettige delivery off his pads.
Lokuhettige, bowling into a strong wind, swung the ball away and also picked up the prized wicket of West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul for 14 with a low return catch.
West Indies, reeling at 39 for five in the 15th over and then 75 for six in the 25th, were never likely to recover but Smith mounted a brave fightback with an explosive 90-ball knock that included nine fours and two sixes.
Smith carried the attack to Sri Lanka’s spinners, especially Upul Chandana who conceded 65 runs in his 10 overs, in partnerships of 46 with Denesh Ramdin and 49 with Deighton Butler.

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard vies for the ball with FBK Kaunas defender Arturas Rimjkevicius (r) during their European Champion League Qualifier 2nd round 2nd leg football match at Anfield Liverpool, Tuesday. (AFP Photo)

LIVERPOOL, UK, Aug. 3--Liverpool needed captain Steven Gerrard’s dramatic intervention to beat a stubborn FBK Kaunas 2-0 in the second leg of their Champions League second qualifying round tie at Anfield on Tuesday, Reuters said.
The England midfielder had only been on the pitch for three minutes before he broke the deadlock with Liverpool’s opening goal in the 77th minute to spur his side to a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Striker Djibril Cisse added a second with five minutes left by volleying home Luis Garcia’s cross from close range.
The European Cup holders, who won the first leg 3-1 in Lithuania last week, go on to a third qualifying round tie against either SK Tirana of Albania and Bulgaria’s CSKA Sofia, who play their second leg on Wednesday.
Until Gerrard’s arrival as a substitute with barely a quarter of an hour to go, Liverpool had labored to penetrate the Lithuanian champions’ defense in a disappointing performance by a side showing eight changes from the first leg.
Gerrard had a free kick blocked with his first touch, set up Cisse for a chance that goalkeeper Sarunas Kilijonas saved, and then scored.
His speculative shot from the left flank flew under the body of an embarrassed Kilijonas for Gerrard’s seventh goal in four qualifying games.
In a tedious first half, Fernando Morientes’s header from Bolo Zenden’s long throw-in in the 12th minute brought a save out of Kilijonas.
Kaunas midfielder Nukri Manchkhava warmed Scott Carson’s hands with a 17th-minute free kick as both sides struggled to create chances.
Halftime substitute Cisse injected some excitement into the game with a searing shot across the face of goal following a neat touch from fellow striker Peter Crouch.
The pair looked a dangerous combination before Crouch, signed from relegated Southampton last month, was forced to leave the field with a thigh injury.
Manager Rafael Benitez’s original pairing of Crouch and Morientes had failed to impress.
Despite dominating the game, Liverpool suffered a second scare when Manchkhava wasted a good chance in the 52nd minute by blazing over the bar from Sami Hyypia’s miscued clearance.
Hyypia nearly made amends for his error when he headed Dietmar Hamann’s corner against the bar in the 69th minute.

CARLSBAD, USA, Aug. 3--Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova had a struggle to overcome Czech Klara Koukalova 7-5 6-3 in the second round of the San Diego Classic on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
It was not such a good day for Kuznetsova’s fellow Russian Elena Dementieva, the third seed going out 7-5 6-4 to China’s Shuai Peng.
Playing her first match in more than a month, US Open champion Kuznetsova looked rusty and was unable to impose her normal authority on the match. “It was tough, I wasn’t playing my tennis,“ said Kuznetsova.
“I felt like I was playing defensive tennis against her best offensive tennis.“
Kuznetsova, who trains in Spain, said she had been practicing on a slower hard court with different balls for the last couple of weeks and was not used to the conditions yet.
“It was like she was hitting every ball at my knees,“ she said. “I couldn’t find a rhythm. But that’s what top players do--they win matches even when they’re not at their best.“
Playing only her second WTA Tour match since almost upsetting Lindsay Davenport at the French Open, China’s highest-ranked player Peng outran Dementieva, staying away from the Russian’s forehand and dominating off the backhand side.
“I wasn’t thinking I was playing a top player, only to play my game and fight for every point,“ Peng said.
“I’m happy that I beat a higher ranked player, but I want to keep improving.“
Peng missed Wimbledon to play in the Chinese National Olympics, which was held at the same time as the grasscourt grand slam.
“I really wanted to play Wimbledon,“ said Peng. “But my team needed me. It was a difficult decision.“
According to Peng’s coach, Alan Ma, the Chinese Tennis Federation was not pleased with the conflict of dates.
“These decisions affect two billion people,“ he said.
Peng and the rest of China’s players will also miss the all WTA tournaments in October, including the Guangzhou Open, because the final stages of the Chinese Olympics are held then.
Dementieva, who often practices with the 19-year-old Peng, was impressed by her opponent’s game.
“She’s very aggressive and hits a heavy ball,“ Dementieva said.
Peng was not the only Asian player to score a win on Tuesday with India’s Sania Mirza taking down Italy’s Tathiana Garbin 6-2 6-2 and Japan’s Akiko Morigami beating 15th seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-1 7-5.

GLASGOW, UK, Aug. 3--Celtic crashed out of European competition for the season but Tuesday’s 4-0 win at home to Slovakian champions Artmedia Bratislava restored some pride, AFP said.
Goals from Alan Thompson, John Hartson, Stephen McManus and Craig Beattie almost allowed the Glasgow giants to overturn their 5-0 defeat from the first-leg, in the second qualifying round of the Champions League.
Though new manager Gordon Strachan’s side were just unable to make amends for their horror show the previous week the reaction at the end from their support showed their efforts were appreciated.
The Celtic manager was unhappy to be out of Europe but satisfied with his team’s attitude.
Strachan said: “It is a big disappointment for me personally that I won’t be able to savour that atmosphere again until next year.
“But I’m very pleased with the performance we gave.
“I expected it from the players who have been here for a while as I know they can operate at that level.
“But the other players, who may not be quite as good, stood shoulder to shoulder with them and didn’t let them down.
“In terms of attitude, heart and determination the performance was very good but we have to play better and get fitter.“
Artmedia Bratislava coach Vladimir Weiss was thrilled with his team’s success but paid tribute to the Celtic fans who had tried to play their part in helping their side to a miraculous come-back right from the kick-off and roared their heroes on while whistling and booing every period of possession by the Slovakians.
He said: “Of course we are very happy. We have got over a big team in two big games.
“After the 5-0 victory it was very difficult to convince the players that a miracle could happen.
“Thank God it didn’t happen but it was close.
“I have played football for many years but I’ve never seen such an atmosphere, the Celtic fans were incredible.
“I’m very proud of my players that in such an atmosphere they were able to win over two games and to go further in the competition.“

Wesley Moodie

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3--Unseeded South African Wesley Moodie used a big service game and steady groundstrokes to stun third seed Tim Henman 7-6 7-5 on Tuesday to advance to the third round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Reuters said.
“Overall, I felt I served well,“ said Moodie, who had nine aces. “And when I do that, I feel I always have a chance to win the match.“
Top seed Andy Roddick avoided Henman’s fate, with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Ecuador’s Giovanni Lapentti to join Moodie in the third round.
Moodie won the opening-set tiebreak 7-4 after each player held serve with little trouble though Henman’s service game fell apart in the second having to save three match points while serving at 4-5 in the second set.
However the Briton’s luck ran out serving at 5-6 when he dug himself into a 0-40 hole before saving another two match points. But at 30-40, Henman’s half-volley hit the net, giving the 113th-ranked Moodie the win.
“He served well and has aggressive groundstrokes,“ said Henman, the 2003 champion, who was playing his first match since Wimbledon. “I didn’t play badly tonight but ended up losing. Sometimes, that’s the way it goes.“
The 26-year-old Moodie, who is still looking for his first singles title, said the victory would give him a boost.
“To beat a world-class player like Tim gives me a lot of confidence,“ he said. “I know that I am able to win these types of matches.“
Roddick, the 2001 Washington champion, smashed eight aces and numerous service winners to subdue Lapentti.
“I felt like I hit the ball better than I normally do in the first round,“ said Roddick, who received a bye in the opening round. “I was in control.“
In other matches, Australian Mark Philippousis, who received a wild card, lost to Luis Horna of Peru 7-5 6-4, while American Robby Ginepri defeated compatriot Kevin Kim 6-2 6-3.

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Aug. 3--Pele said on Tuesday that he helped persuade his former club Santos to sell their 21-year-old striker Robinho to Real Madrid in a $30 million transfer, Reuters said.
Real Madrid announced last Saturday that they had managed to complete the deal, ending a long-running transfer saga.
Santos president Marcelo Teixeira, who accused Real Madrid of trying to use their financial clout to force the deal, had previously demanded the Spanish club pay a $50 million penalty, arguing that Robinho had a contract until 2008.
“As a lifelong advisor at Santos, I gave my opinion,“ Pele said at an event in Sao Paulo organized by a World Cup sponsor.
“I knew that if it went to FIFA, Santos would not win. So they listened to my opinion.“
But Pele, who spent 17 years of his career at Santos, criticized Robinho for refusing to train or play before the deal had been completed.
“The way the deal was done was wrong,“ Pele said. “He didn’t need to have pulled out of the team.“

EAST RUTHERFORD, USA, Aug. 3--Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who has never reached a playoff game in nine National Basketball Association seasons, was obtained by the New Jersey Nets here Tuesday in a trade with Portland, AFP said.
The Nets, who sent the Trail Blazers a 2006 first-round NBA Draft pick in exchange, will reportedly pay the veteran forward between $27 million and $30 million for a five-year deal.
“We are pleased to add a veteran of Shareef’s caliber to our roster,“ Nets president Rod Thorn said. “He is a proven low-post presence who will enhance our frontcourt rotation and add needed depth to our team.“
Abdur-Rahim, 29, averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds last season. He wanted a greater role and likely will have it with the Nets, playing alongside center Nenad Krstic with a solid backcourt of Jason Kidd and Vince Carter.
The third overall pick in the 1996 draft, Abdur-Rahim has averaged 19.8 points and 8.1 rebounds in 672 games for Vancouver, Atlanta and Portland.