CRICKET

Australian seamer Stuart Clark's loss to the Australian team ahead of the first test against South Africa beginning at the WACA ground in Perth on Wednesday has been described as a "huge loss" to the home team by tourists' coach Mickey Arthur. Clark aggravated an old elbow injury in preparation for the first of the three-test series and voluntarily withdrew from selection instead of risking a break-down during the test. "The control he gives to the Australian attack has become crucial to their style of play in recent years and he is a brilliant cricketer," Arthufr said soon after the news of Clark's withdrawal.

CRICKET

The Nashua Cape Cobras slumped to 179 all out to hand the Nashua Dolphins a 53-run victory in their MTN Domestic Championship match at Sahara Park, Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday. Medium-pacer Jon Kent took three for 30 as the Dolphins claimed their first victory of the season with 14 balls to spare. A fifth-wicket partnership of 66 between Vernon Philander (25) and Ryan Canning (49, 52 balls, 5x4) looked to have rescued the home-side after they had slipped to 72 for five with only Justin Ontong (28) of the top-order batsmen offering any resistance to the Dolphins’ bowling attack.

CRICKET

A trademark swashbuckling innings by Virender Sehwag gave India a fighting chance to pull off an historic victory over England after Saturday's intriguing fourth day of the first test. Chasing a daunting victory target of 387, India made it to 131-1 at stumps after a brisk opening stand of 117 between Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. No team had ever successfully chased down a fourth innings target so large in India, and only three have done so anywhere in test history. At stumps, Gambhir was batting on 41 and Rahul Dravid was on two, trying to cope with a deteriorating track.

FOOTBALL

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari was left struggling for an explanation after his Premier League title-chasing side dropped more points at their once impregnable Stamford Bridge home. Sunday's 1-1 London derby stalemate against West Ham was the Blues' fourth home league draw this season and meant they failed to leapfrog Liverpool into first place in the table, instead staying a point behind the Merseysiders. West Ham took the lead through Wales striker Craig Bellamy's 33rd minute effort before Nicolas Anelka equalised for Chelsea six minutes after half-time with his 100th Premier League goal.

GOLF

SA's Richard Sterne overcame his 18th-hole jitters on Sunday at Leopard Creek to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship and claim the 2008 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit title, an honour that guarantees him entry into the 2009 Nedbank Golf Challenge. He parred the difficult par-five after a triple-bogey eight in round two and a double-bogey seven in the third, and finished at 17-under 271 and finished ahead of the second-placed Johan Edfors of Sweden. Sterne’s mind was racing as he stood on the 18th tee: “I was thinking I’ve got make par, that’s all I have to do,” he said.