Ponting smashes LCD in Australia dressing room

Ahmedabad, Feb 22 (PTI) Australian skipper Ricky Ponting smashed a LCD television set in the team''s dressing room here, apparently in a fit of anger, after he got run out against Zimbabwe, sources in the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) said today.
The incident took place immediately after Ponting was run out on 28 yesterday by a direct hit from Chris Mpofu in the Group A clash between Australia and Zimbabwe.
GCA said that they had informed the Australian cricket authorities about the incident
But when the Australian media manager Lachy Patterson was contacted, he said he was not aware of any such incident.
GCA officials said that they would be holding a meeting today to decide on further action in this regard.

Article source- http://in.news.yahoo.com/ponting-smashes-lcd-australia-dressing-room-20110221-203100-866.html

Spurs hold Man United to goalless draw

London: Manchester United survived the late dismissal of Rafael Da Silva to draw 0-0 at Tottenham Hotspur and Kenny Dalglish endured a frustrating return to Anfield as Liverpool were held 2-2 by Everton on Sunday.

Sunderland drew 1-1 with neighbours Newcastle United and Birmingham City and local rivals Aston Villa also shared two goals all four Premier League matches ended in stalemate.

Tevez sparkles as City beat Wolves

United's eighth draw in 10 away games took them top on 45 points from 21 matches, ahead on goal difference of Manchester City, who beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-3 on Saturday and have played two games more.

Arsenal are third on 43, Chelsea fourth on 38 and Spurs fifth on 37. Liverpool stay 13th on 26 points, behind Everton on goal difference.

Tottenham went into Sunday's game with high hopes of securing their first win over United in 20 attempts spanning 10 years but they never did enough to unsettle the impressive visiting defence.

Peter Crouch shot just wide in the breathless early exchanges and Rafael van der Vaart sent an exquisite curler just over the bar once the game had settled.

Brazilian fullback Rafael collected his second yellow in the 73rd minute for a hotly-disputed trip of Benoit Assou-Ekotto but though Spurs threw men forward they never looked like ending United's unbeaten record this season.

"It was tight. I felt we just about edged it without being able to get the goal but I never felt we were going to get beat. It was never a game I could really see them scoring in today," Spurs manager Harry Redknapp he told reporters.

"United are very strong and disciplined at the back and hard to break down but I couldn't say at the moment they are on another level and are going to walk away with the championship.

"You can't be as good a team as you were a year ago when you haven't got (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Carlos) Tevez. Other teams have improved and got closer to them but they've lost players like that and are still up there."

Alex Ferguson thought it was a decent point for his team.

"It was a tough game, they didn't make many chances against us, we were a bit careless with our use of the ball," he said.

"Our defenders were particularly good but when we were in the final third maybe we needed a better pass."

It was a very different type of draw at Anfield, where Kenny Dalglish went through the full gamut of emotions on his emotional first home game in charge.

Liverpool, without suspended captain Steven Gerrard, produced a committed performance and deservedly led their Merseyside neighbours through a crisp strike by Raul Meireles.

More on EPL

Everton, though, turned the game upside down with two goals in the first seven minutes of the second half from Sylvain Distin and Jermaine Beckford.

Liverpool came back strongly and levelled through Dirk Kuyt's 68th-minute penalty after Tim Howard fouled Maxi Rodriguez.

"The players' attitude and desire to get back in the game was really something," said Dalglish, whose first two games ended in defeats by Manchester United and Blackpool.

"We could have been more than one up but we were really pleased with the way we played and that's great credit to the players who have had to adjust to the new ways of playing and training.

"There is a lot of belief coming back into the players and that is great for us"

Everton boss David Moyes admitted Liverpool were the better team in the early stages.

"I was delighted to come in only 1-0 down after the first half because Liverpool were the better team but I'm disappointed we didn't take all three points after the second half," he said.

This article is taken from- http://www.sify.com/sports/spurs-hold-man-united-to-goalless-draw-news-football-lbrkQsbheda.html

MLB 2K11 sees return of its million dollar challenge

Last year, 23-year-old Wade McGillberry won a million dollars through MLB 2K10's perfect game promotion. This year, another lucky player of 2K Sport's latest baseball game, MLB 2K11, will get the same cash prize.
There are a few tweaks this time around with the promotion. For starters, the start date has been pushed back from release day, March 8, to April 1.
This will prevent anyone from winning by using spring training rosters or stadiums, like Mr. McGillberry had done last year. This will force players to attempt the challenge with Opening Day rosters and actual MLB stadiums, but also give them a chance to practice their pitching craft in the game.
"We wanted to give the competition a more true-to-life experience," says Chris Snyder, 2K Sports' director of marketing. "This year, we wanted the competition to coincide more with opening day, so now fans who buy the game on launch day will have almost a full month to practice before they go for the million dollars.
"You won't be winning in a spring training stadium this year."
The age limit is also being dropped from 18 to 13. The reason why has to do with MLB 2K11 cover athlete Roy Halladay.
Snyder explains:
"Last year, Halladay's son, who is about 13-years-old, was telling us about how he was going for the perfect game and had it through seven innings. We were listening to him, but at the same time we were cringing a bit because the rules last year stated that you had to be 18-years-old to win the million dollars. So this year, we opened it up even further and dropped the age limit to 13. We took this directly from Roy's kid and wanted more people to have the chance to go for the perfect game this year."
All other requirements remain the same as last year. This includes having to record yourself with video playing the game.
This information is taken from- http://www.gamernode.com/news/10045-mlb-2k11-sees-return-of-its-million-dollar-challenge/index.html

Tendulkar is today’s Bradman, says Lara

Saluting the longevity of Sachin Tendulkar, West Indies great Brian Lara has described the Indian batting legend as the ‘Don Bradman’ of modern era but refused to the compare the icons of different eras.

Lara, himself a legendary left-handed batsman from the Caribbean, said what astonishes him the most about Tendulkar is his longevity.

“I don’t think there is any race. Both are great players. Tendulkar has shown the world what he is capable of and his longevity in the game is something to be really appreciated,” Lara said.

“The time he will spend in the game, records are going to tumble. The fact that someone can be there from the age of 16 and still at the age of 37 perform brilliantly is something that I cherish more than anything else,” he said.

The West Indies player is of the opinion that Australian great Don Bradman, who ended his career with an incredible Test average of 99.96, and Tendulkar should not be compared as they played and flourished in different eras.

“He is our period’s Don Bradman. Forget the difference in averages with Bradman but whoever I have spoken to who have seen very old players in action, they believe that he [Bradman] would not have averaged 99 in today’s cricket.

“So I believe that Sachin is our period’s Bradman,” Lara, who visited Dubai for a jewellery brand endorsement, told Gulf News.

Lara said he has just got back into cricket by playing three games in a Twenty20 tournament in Zimbabwe.

He also denied reports that he is becoming Zimbabwean coach but said he will be helping them in the batting department. He said he is fanatical about golf these days and spend time on the course.

“I love the game and have been working hard to bring my handicap down to five. I would love to get it a bit more lower. I spent a lot of time today at the Ernie Els Golf Course,” he said.

This article is taken from- http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/article923576.ece

Outdoor play is vital for kids

Children chasing one another in parks and playgrounds or playing outdoor games is a sight now rarely seen due to academic pressure and the lure of video games, say experts, warning of the dangers of neglecting physical activity.

"Play Life", quantitative research commissioned by Nickelodeon channel and conducted by Hansa Research Pvt Ltd, revealed that only 25 per cent children play outdoor games on a daily basis while a whopping 39 per cent are not active in outdoor play at all.
Nina Elavia Jaipuria, the senior vice president and general manager of Nickelodeon India, said the results of the study had left them dumbstruck.
"It has been an eye-opener and has thrown up some startling insights. Outdoor play is clearly deprioritised in a kid's life today. It is a wake- up call for children, parents and schools too," said Jaipuria.
The rising trend of video games, other than academic pressure by schools and parents, is to be blamed, she said.

" Entertainment mediums are so many that children are opting for comfort. Video games like playstations and online games interest them more than to shed sweat in community parks," Jaipuria said.
Samir Parikh, a consultant psychiatrist with Max Healthcare, said: "It is disheartening but it is an obvious change that is clearly visible in every home. The social change that has taken place of giving importance to video games and activities has become the major reason for this."
"The time spent in school has increased, the time spent in academics has increased - extra classes have become a routine for schools," said Parikh.
According to experts, a lack of physical activity can lead to a lot of psychological and health problems like obesity. Children who do not spend enough time playing outdoors are also typically deprived of social interactions and natural stimulation.
Playing outside is one of the best ways to boost self-esteem in young children and qualities of leadership and cooperation may also begin to emerge, the experts say. Children who play outside for an average of 90 minutes per day in good weather have less risk of heart trouble later in life.
According to the findings of the survey, of the 75 per cent of the children who do not play outdoors on a daily basis, in the case of over half (38 per cent), it was the parents who did not allow them to play.
"Parental restriction is one of the biggest reasons for an inactive, non-playing generation. Our research shows an alarming 38 per cent of parents don't poke them to go out and play due to various reasons," said Jaipuria.
"The aspect which has suddenly brought in a major change is the way parents and children have started giving priority to academics over sports, which they are forgetting plays also an equal and integral part in the overall growth of the kids," Parikh added.
Seema Gupta, the mother of a 13-year-old, admitted that academic pressure was coming in the way of children playing.
"In our time, our parents used to force us to go out and play, but now it has changed. It is not that we want to deliberately make our child sit at home with books all around," she said.
"One of the reasons is the pressure put on children by the academic curriculum. Secondly they prefer indoor games like the playstation or would rather watch television. And also, with so much stress, they lose energy and like to sit back at home and relax rather than going out and raising sweat," Gupta pointed out.


This article is taken from- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/parenting/Outdoor-play-is-vital-for-kids/articleshow/6918600.cms

Play Wonderful, Worldly Games with 225 Kid Outdoor Games

As children, much of learning came from playing games.  In fact, it has been said that children tend to learn better when their lessons are as jam-packed with fun as they are with information.  Even as we get older, we realize that making things fun makes the learning process much easier and more enjoyable.  With 225 Kid Outdoor Games by Paidotribo, teachers, parents and babysitters everywhere can occupy their children (ages 2-16) with entertaining, educational games from around the globe.

Spanning a wide range of ages, 225 Kid Outdoor Games also spans the world, with games from 83 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America.  In fact, when you begin, the main page (also the All Games page) provides a map menu.  Simply tap on whichever continent or region you find interesting to peruse their various countries and available games.
Each country will be listed alphabetically, with their games listed alphabetically underneath their name.  Each games tab will list the suggested age group, the duration of the game and whether any materials are needed.  With games falling within a 3-15 minute allotted time period, these short durations make the games ideal for children considering most have rather short attention spans.  Tap on the game and you will find an illustration that depicts what the game will look like so you know the basics and if you are following the directions carefully.  Swipe past the image to move to the next page, which will reiterate the suggested age and game’s duration, as well at the setup and necessary materials.  Swipe again and you will find a description of the game as a whole.  Also, in the bottom right corner, users may rate, bookmark or email the game’s details to a friend.
Using the Search tab, users can choose what types of games to look for by specifying their desired age range, preferred duration and country of origin.  They may also filter according to whether a game requires materials or not.  The bottom button will let users sift through the entire list of 225 games.  The Shake tab allows users to choose the desired age group, and then shake their device to choose a random game from all that fall into that given bracket.  The New Game tab allows users to enter the details for their own game, while the Bookmarks tab will list every game that you have bookmarked in the past.
With short games that require no equipment and very few materials, 225 Kid Outdoor Games caters to the simple and easy, while encouraging development, tolerance and interest in other cultures.  By embracing the games other children play in dozens of countries all around the world, perhaps children will learn to be more accepting of these differing culture, as said tolerance will become natural at a young age.  Plus, the convenience of this application helps anyone who must keep a group of children entertained, for it provides a nearly endless supply of amusing activities right in the palm of one’s hand.
225 Kid Outdoor Games [iTunes Link] requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. A small expedite fee was paid by the developer to speed up the publication of this review.
This article is taken from- http://www.theiphoneappreview.com/11/225-kid-outdoor-games-iphone/