England team celebrates winning the Ashes at The Oval cricket ground in London after beating Australia, Monday. (Reuters Photo)

LONDON, Sept. 13--Kevin Pietersen defied his close friend Shane Warne to score an outrageous maiden test century and seal England’s first Ashes triumph for almost two decades on Monday, Reuters said.
Pietersen broke Australian hearts as he brushed off three dropped catches to score 158 and ensure a draw on the last day of the weather-affected fifth and final test at The Oval.
That gave the home team a 2-1 series win and unleashed jubilant scenes at The Oval, with the 23,000 capacity crowd staying behind to cheer their players around the venue.
Six runs ahead after the first innings and resuming their second on 34 for one, England recovered from a top-order collapse to bat almost the entire day before being dismissed for 35.
The world champions were left to face less than an over from Steve Harmison before accepting an offer of bad light as well as their historic defeat.
The South Africa-born Pietersen was the eighth man out, bowled by Glenn McGrath, but by then he had saved the game.
He hit seven sixes and 15 fours, faced 187 balls and batted for four and three-quarter hours, helping to put on 60 for the sixth wicket with Paul Collingwood and 109 for the eighth with Ashley Giles who made 59.
Warne produced a mammoth performance to take six wickets for 124 to go with his six in the first innings, but did not get enough support.
England, who lost the opening test at Lord’s by 229 runs, last won the Ashes in 1986-87. They have now won their last six test series. Australia had won a record eight Ashes series in a row before Monday.
When Pietersen was finally dismissed, Warne ran over to him to shake his hand before he headed for the pavilion in the evening shadows.
Michael Vaughan’s side seemed to be on the brink of defeat at lunch as the collective genius of Warne and McGrath reduced them to 127 for five.
Pietersen, however, in his first test series for his adopted country, mixed his unlikely good fortune with extraordinary leg-side shot-making.
“He’s got a little bit of genius in him,“ Vaughan said. “To score 158 on a pressure day, it doesn’t get better than that.“
For Warne, Pietersen’s friend and Hampshire team mate who dropped the easiest chance he offered when on 15, there were few consolations, just new records.

LONDON, Sept. 13--Striker Marlon Harewood scored a hat-trick to inspire West Ham United to a 4-0 home win over Aston Villa in the English Premier League on Monday.
Promoted Hammers climbed to seventh in the standings with seven points from four games. They trail leaders Chelsea by eight points with a game in hand.
According to Reuters, Champions Chelsea continued their perfect start with a 2-0 home win over Sunderland on Saturday. They have 15 points from five games, 10 goals for and none against.
Harewood slotted home Teddy Sheringham’s pass from the middle of the area for his first goal in the 25th minute.
The striker was closer in when he netted the second four minutes later after defender Anton Ferdinand had headed down Matt Etherington’s corner from the right.
Harewood completed his hat-trick five minutes into the second half when he shot home after Etherington’s free kick from the right wing to the far post.
Midfielder Yossi Benayoun completed Villa’s misery with West Ham’s fourth goal one minute from time.

Dick Advocaat

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 13--Former Netherlands coach Dick Advocaat has agreed to coach South Korea through the 2006 World Cup finals, the Korea Football Association said on Tuesday.
Advocaat becomes the third Dutchman in less than five years to take charge of South Korea after Guus Hiddink led the team to the 2002 World Cup semifinals, while Jo Bonfrere guided them to their sixth consecutive finals in Germany next summer.
Bonfrere resigned last month amid intense criticism from media and fans after a series of stuttering performances, culminating in a 1-0 defeat by Saudi Arabia in their final World Cup qualifier, Reuters said.
“Dick Advocaat will lead the South Korean national team from Oct. 1,“ KFA media director You Young-chuel said by telephone.
“The contract will run until the end of next year’s World Cup finals. There is an option to extend it if both parties agree.“ Advocaat, who led Holland to the 2004 Euro semifinals, had agreed in the summer to coach the United Arab Emirates after a short stint at Germany’s Borussia Moenchengladbach.
“That contract had been legally terminated,“ Lee Hoi-taek, KFA vice president, told a news conference.
Advocaat and assistant Pim Verbeek would arrive in Korea on Sept. 29. Verbeek was also Guus Hiddink’s assistant during the 2002 World Cup.
“The KFA had considered a South American for the job, but in the end the technical committee decided a European coach would suit the team better,“ said Lee, without elaborating.
South Korea has had mixed success with foreign coaches. While Hiddink took the side to a stunning fourth-place finish at the 2002 World Cup finals on home soil, Bonfrere and his predecessor Humberto Coelho failed to live up to expectations.
Coelho stepped down last year after South Korea suffered a humiliating 0-0 draw with the Maldives in a World Cup qualifier.
“By leading the Netherlands on two occasions, Advocaat has proven he can manage at the top level,“ said Kang Shin-woo, vice president of the KFA’s technical committee. “We need strong leadership. Advocaat is the right man for the job.“

LONDON, Sept. 13--The Proton KR MotoGP team run by three-times world 500cc champion Kenny Roberts will miss the next five races after engine suppliers KTM withdrew their support.
Managing director Chuck Aksland said the British-based team hoped to return for the final race in Valencia, Spain, in November.
“We hope to be in Valencia, and that’s what we are working towards,“ he said in a news release ahead of Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, reported Reuters.
“It’s very disappointing to miss our first race in 20 years,“ he added.
“We have the resources and ability to run a competitive team next year but we need the finance and sponsors.“
The next five races are in Japan, Malaysia, Qatar, Australia and Turkey.
The withdrawal of KTM last month has left the team’s former British superbike champion Shane Byrne without a ride as he was contracted to the Austrian manufacturer.
While American Roberts’s team will be absent, his son and namesake will be celebrating his 100th grand prix start for Suzuki in Sunday’s race.

LONDON, Sept. 13--Ryder Cup players Paul Casey of Britain and Thomas Levet of France were named on Monday as the two wildcards for this month’s Seve Trophy at The Wynyard Golf Club in Country Durham, England, Reuters said.
Englishman Casey completed the 10-man line-up for Britain and Ireland captain Colin Montgomerie while Levet was the final choice by Jose Maria Olazabal for the Continental Europe side.
Both captains gain automatic selection for the Ryder Cup-style team competition with the remaining eight players on each side qualifying via the world rankings and the European Tour order of merit.
“I am looking forward to taking the lead with this talented team as we try to make it three wins in a row over Continental Europe,“ Montgomerie said in a statement.
“We won a hard-fought victory in Valencia two years ago and I’m determined that we hold on to the trophy we first captured at Druid’s Glen in 2002.
“I feel fortunate that I can pick someone of Paul Casey’s stature with Ryder Cup experience who will give the Great Britain and Ireland team opportunity to win the Seve Trophy for the third time in a row.“
Britain and Ireland lead the series 2-1, with Continental Europe having won the inaugural competition in 2000 at Sunningdale Golf Club in England.
Twice US Masters champion Olazabal said: “I have no doubt that this Continental Europe team is strong enough to regain the trophy and we will be competing hard to do so over all four days of the event.
“I selected Thomas Levet as my wildcard pick because he is playing well and he has played in both previous Ryder Cup and Seve Trophy matches.“
Although 10 Ryder Cup players will be in action at The Wynyard Golf Club from September 22 to 25, four leading European golfers have opted out of this year’s competition.
World number six Sergio Garcia, 14th-ranked Luke Donald, world number 17 Darren Clarke and 2000 European number one Lee Westwood have all pulled out.

VIENNA, Austria,
Sept. 13--Bayern Munich manager Felix Magath admitted the absence of Dutch stiker Roy Makaay was pivotal behind his team’s quarterfinal exit to Chelsea in last season’s Champions League so his return for start of the 2005/06 campaign is a real shot in the arm, AFP said.
Dutch international striker Makaay missed the weekend 2-1 win over FC Nuremberg with a knee injury but has recovered in time to face Rapid Vienna in Bayern’s opening Group A fixture on Wednesday.
“We are sure that Roy will be fit to play some part in Vienna,“ confirmed Magath. “He scored a few goals in training and appears to have got over his injury.“
Argentine midfielder Martin Demichelis is also back in contention for Bayern’s short trip to the Austrian capital.
The 2001 champions are in fine fettle after winning a record 13 league matches in a row with four coming in the new season.
Rapid, making their second appearance in the competition, have few stars to match the likes of Makaay, Brazilian World Cup winner Lucio or German international captain Michael Ballack, but one player has a point to prove.
Club captain Stefan Hofmann failed to cut the grade at Bayern and left the club in 2002 after making just one first team appearance.
“Bayern was the opponent I wanted most,“ said Hofmann. “Now I can show how much I have improved.“
Bayern and Rapid have met just once before, in the quarterfinals of the 1967 European Cup Winners Cup, a now defunct competition, with Bayern triumphing over two legs before going on to lift the trophy.
Rapid may have lost that tie on aggregate but they did win the first leg 1-0 in Austria and would settle for that score this time around. For Bayern anything but victory would be considered failure.
Meanwhile, Werder Bremen are pinning their hopes of a Champions League upset against Barcelona on the golden boots of substitute striker Nelson Valdez, Reuters said.
Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf will be unable to field his first choice attacking line-up in Wednesday’s opening Group C clash with the Catalans, with Germany international Miroslav Klose suspended.
That leaves Valdez to partner Ivan Klasnic up front and the Paraguayan has ordered a new pair of golden boots for the game, identical to those he wore when scoring twice against Valencia to send Bremen through to the knock-out stage last season.
“It’s a big chance for me,“ said Valdez, who has been preparing for the opportunity ever since Klose was sent off in the 3-0 win over FC Basel in the qualifying round.

Esteban Batista

ATLANTA, USA,
Sept. 13--Forward Esteban Batista signed with the Atlanta Hawks on Monday to become the first native of Uruguay to join the National Basketball Association, AFP said.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Batista, 22, averaged 20.1 points and 15 rebounds in 40 games with Trouville in Uruguay this past season. He also has played professionally in both Chile and Spain.
“This is the happiest day of my life,“ said the 2.05 meter Batista. “It’s a proud and historic moment for me and for my country.“
At the recently completed FIBA Americas Championship, Batista led the tournament in rebounding with 15.6 boards. He also scored 18.0 points per game, which tied for eighth in the event.

LONDON, Sept. 13--Anderlecht risk setting a record of eight consecutive Champions League defeats when they open their campaign against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Anderlecht’s fate, the unlikely prospect of Inter Milan facing Slovak club Artmedia, named after an advertising agency, and the hopes of a below-strength Real Madrid at Olympique Lyon will be among the night’s other highlights.
Holders Liverpool and their Spanish contingent headed by manager Rafael Benitez face Real Betis in Seville, while beaten finalists AC Milan open at home to Fenerbahce.
Few will be envying Anderlecht, who have seven losses on the board before tackling the Premier League champions in Group G.
Anderlecht coach Frank Vercauteren was not satisfied with their 3-1 win over Mouscron at the weekend, courtesy of a brace from Nenad Jestrovic and one from Mbo Mpenza.
“We didn’t play well against Mouscron and will not have impressed Chelsea,“ Vercauteren told Reuters.
“The bonus was that both strikers scored and Jestrovic got two as he has had a difficult start to the season.“
Chelsea are flying after taking all 15 points from their opening five games of the season - having limbered up by beating London rivals Arsenal in the Community Shield.
Coach Jose Mourinho, who guided Porto to Champions League glory last year but whose Chelsea side were knocked out by Liverpool in last season’s semifinals, will be in a similar hurry to dispense with the group games.
In particular, he will want to settle the score with Liverpool, who they meet at Anfield in a fortnight’s time.
Real Madrid head for Lyon without suspended Brazil striker Ronaldo or injured France playmaker Zinedine Zidane.
Their hosts have won the last four Ligue 1 titles and look poised to finally make an impact in Europe. Playing Real will provide a good measure of both their progress and ambition.
Slovak champions Artmedia unexpectedly made it through from the first qualifying round with an annual budget of under two million euros--a trifling sum to the likes of Inter.
Last season’s semifinalists PSV Eindhoven should take the points at home to a Schalke 04 side whose shaky start to the Bundesliga season continued with a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen.