South Africa may decide not to risk premier fast bowler Dale Steyn for the final match of the one-day series against England in Durban on Friday.

The home side need a win to square the series but Steyn has a hamstring injury and missed Sunday’s seven-wicket loss.

An MRI scan showed only a minor grade one tear but he is likely to be rested ahead of the first Test on 16 December.

“For us the priority is the Tests and we’d never compromise Dale’s chances for that,” coach Mickey Arthur said.

The South Africans are already without key all-rounder Jacques Kallis, who has had an injection in his injured rib and is rated only 50-50 to be fit for the opening Test at Centurion.

Arthur brought his players back into the nets a day earlier than originally scheduled after they were bowled out for 119 on Sunday, their lowest ever one-day international total on home soil.

“I didn’t think we could justify two days off after a performance like that,” he said.

“The home truths have been spoken, and now it is a matter of building the team up to try to square the series.

“But we’re certainly not going to panic. We think we’ve got the best players here and we’re confident we can bounce back.”

One man under some scrutiny is the usually prolific JP Duminy who has made 53 runs in the first three games, 41 of those in the opening match.

Both of the left-hander’s most recent dismissals have come from short deliveries but Arthur insisted there was no problem with bouncers.

“Australia tried it as well when they came back to South Africa (earlier this year when South Africa won 3-2 and Duminy averaged 25), and he overcame that and played well.

“I don’t think it’s the short ball that generally troubles him – I think it’s scoring off it.

“He’ll be fine. He just needs one knock – and he’ll be away. He’s genuine quality, we see a huge future with him.”

Both of the left-hander’s most recent dismissals have come from short deliveries but Arthur insisted there was no problem with bouncers.

England (from): AJ Strauss (captain), IJL Trott, KP Pietersen, EJG Morgan, PD Collingwood, MJ Prior (wkt), LJ Wright, TT Bresnan, AU Rashid, SCJ Broad, JM Anderson, GP Swann, SI Mahmood, JC Tredwell.

South Africa (from): GC Smith (captain), HH Gibbs, HM Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, AN Petersen, MV Boucher (wkt), R McLaren, RE van der Merwe, WD Parnell, DW Steyn, CK Langeveldt, JA Morkel, M Morkel.

As you’ve probably heard by now, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has won the 2009 Ballon d’Or for being the European Footballer of the Year. Not only is he the first Argentinean to win the prestigious award (up until 1995 only European footballers playing for European clubs were eligible, thus explaining why Diego Maradona never won in his day), but he also won it by a record margin — scoring a near perfect 473 out of 480 possible points in the voting, 240 more than 2008 Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
So for those of you wondering just what the diminutive maestro did to deserve such an honor, or anyone craving another taste of the magic, here’s a video that gives a small sample of why this was such an easy decision

His statement Wednesday follows a cover story in Us Weekly magazine that reports a Los Angeles cocktail waitress claims she had a 31-month affair with the world’s No. 1 golfer.

“I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves,” Woods said on his Web site. “I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.”
Woods did not offer details of any alleged relationship.

“I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart,” he said.

“I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves,” Woods said. “For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.”
The cocktail waitress, Jaimee Grubbs, told the magazine she met Woods at a Las Vegas nightclub the week after the 2007 Masters—two months before Woods’ wife, Elin, gave birth to their first child. Grubbs claims to have proof in 300 text messages.

About three hours before Woods’ statement, the magazine published what it said was a voicemail—provided by Grubbs—that Woods left on her phone on Nov. 24, three days before his middle-of-the-night car crash outside his home in Florida.

Woods has been subjected to more media headlines during the last week than when he first won the Masters in 1997 and set off the first wave of Tigermania. He has spoken only three times through his Web site, although this was his longest posting.

“Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means,” Woods said. “For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives.”

And he continued to say accounts that physical violence played a role in his Friday morning car crash were “utterly false and malicious.”

“Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect,” he wrote.

His statement came one day after the Florida Highway Patrol closed its investigation into the accident—without Woods ever speaking to state troopers. He was charged with careless driving, which carries a $164 fine and four points on his driving record.

The story soon shifted from a patrol investigation to sordid allegations into his personal life.

In the voicemail released by the magazine, a man says to Grubbs:

“Hey, it’s, uh, it’s Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favor. Um, can you please, uh, take your name off your phone. My wife went through my phone. And, uh, may be calling you. If you can, please take your name off that and, um, and what do you call it just have it as a number on the voicemail, just have it as your telephone number. That’s it, OK. You gotta do this for me. Huge. Quickly. All right. Bye.”

The Associated Press could not confirm Woods was the caller.

The 30-year-old Frenchwoman is a former No. 1 player who finished this season at No. 21.

“I don’t want to train anymore,” Mauresmo said after shedding tears about the decision. “I had to make a decision, which became evident in the last few months and weeks. When you grew older, it’s more difficult to stay at the top.”
Mauresmo, who won both of her Grand Slam titles in 2006, at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, said she was happy to leave on a good note after winning her 25th singles title—her first in almost two years—in Paris this season. She also had seven wins over Top 10 players in her final year.

“It’s a bit sad, but this is the right decision,” Mauresmo said. “I was lucky enough to have an exceptional career and to experience very strong feelings on the court.”

Mauresmo, who was the No. 1 in 2004, played her last match in the second round of this year’s U.S. Open, losing to Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada 6-4, 6-0. She pulled out of her last two tournaments of the year.

“It became very hard in buildup to the U.S. Open,” Mauresmo said. “If I were able to enter the court, play and shine, of course I could continue, but to achieve this you need to put in such hard work. And I’m not capable of that.”

Mauresmo said she has no regrets and feels proud when she looks back at a career that started in 1993.

“I dreamt of this career, I dreamt of winning a Grand Slam title,” she said. “I lifted trophies in every city in the world and I lived 10 magical and unbelievable years.”

Mauresmo, who says she decided to play tennis after watching Yannick Noah win the 1983 French Open, became the first player from France—male or female— to reach the No. 1 spot on Sept. 13, 2004. She held it for five weeks and recaptured it on March 20, 2006, holding it for the majority of that year until falling from the top on Nov. 12. In total, she spent 39 weeks at No. 1.

But she was never able to emulate Noah’s feat of winning on the clay at Roland Garros, failing to go beyond the quarterfinals at the Grand Slam tournament in Paris, where she struggled to withstand the pressure in front of her home crowd.

Mauresmo also won the Fed Cup with France in 2003 and the WTA Tour championship in 2005. She won the Olympic silver medal in Athens in 2004.

She had her best season in 2006, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon with victories over Justine Henin in the finals.

“Amelie will go down in history as one of the best players of her generation and a terrific ambassador for women’s tennis,” WTA Tour chairman Stacey Allaster said. “Amelie is an extraordinary player, one of the nicest and friendliest personalities on Tour, and a true champion both in tennis and in life.”

Asked about a possible comeback, Mauresmo said her decision was definitive.

“Even if I’ve learned to never say never,” the Frenchwoman said. “The players you are thinking about stopped earlier than me before coming back.”

Former No. 1 Henin confirmed in October she’ll make her return to the WTA Tour at the Brisbane International—two weeks before the Australian Open. Kim Clijsters won the U.S. Open in September after coming back from two years in retirement.

Zoltan Gera’s powerful first-half header proved decisive as Fulham kept alive their Europa League hopes with a nervy victory over CSKA Sofia.
Todor Timonov fired against the bar for CSKA before Danny Murphy put a penalty over after Ivan Ivanov’s foul on Gera.
The Hungarian nodded Fulham ahead from Bjorn Helge Riise’s cross but a number of chances were missed to make it two.
And the hosts were almost punished late on when Damien Duff was forced to clear a Kosta Yanev strike off the line.
Fulham’s win, allied to Roma’s victory at home to Basle, means Roy Hodgson’s men stay third in Group E – a point adrift of Basle and two behind Roma.
The final round of matches on 16 December sees the Cottagers travel to Basle and CSKA host Roma, with the top two teams progressing to the last 32.
Injury, suspension and ineligibility meant Fulham were forced to make six changes from the side which started against Bolton on Saturday.
But there was no sign of unfamiliarity as the hosts got off to a pulsating start, flooding forward in numbers and exhibiting a one-touch pass-and-move approach that CSKA struggled to contain.
With full-backs John Paintsil and Stephen Kelly marauding upfield, and Simon Davies and Gera pushing on to support lone-striker Bobby Zamora, Fulham were not short of attacking options and Murphy ensured a steady supply of pinpoint passes.
After CSKA goalkeeper Zdravko Chavdarov reacted well to deny Zamora and Davies, Timonov rattled the woodwork with a venomous left-footed drive – but an opener for the visitors would have come totally against the run of play.
Fulham, full of craft and cohesion, continued to push for a breakthrough and should have had their reward when Gera’s surge into the box was ended by Ivanov’s hopeless tackle.
Murphy appeared full of confidence as he stepped up but then blasted his spot-kick horribly high.
But CSKA, seemingly low on confidence despite the backing of a large and highly-vocal section of the crowd, failed to make Fulham pay.
And, moments after Paintsil saw a fizzing effort well-saved, Riise stood up an inviting cross from the right which Vidanov and Ivanov failed to deal with, allowing Gera to race through and head powerfully past Chavdarov.
Zamora ought to have doubled the lead when he volleyed over and another gilt-edged chance went begging as Davies dragged wide from eight yards out.
CSKA came out for the second half with a spring in their step and it looked as though Fulham might have been made to regret their profligacy.
Spas Delev played Todor Yanchev through on goal, only for Kelly to arrive with a last-ditch challenge, before Delev shinned the ball wide following Yordan Minev’s right-wing cross.
Hodgson had replaced Brede Hangeland with Aaron Hughes at half-time and Fulham’s new centre-half pairing of Hughes and Chris Smalling struggled to gel.
They lacked protection and, with Fulham’s midfield now relinquishing possession all too easily, faced wave after wave of CSKA pressure late on.
The visitors’ big chance came on 81 minutes when Yanev drilled in a goal-bound effort from 25-yards, but Duff got down to repel it off the line with his knee.
Fulham were resorting to counter-attack football but goalscoring opportunities were few and far between and fatigue began to set in.
Delev zipped a shot just over but, despite spending the last quarter firmly on the back foot, Fulham held on for a vital victory.
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson:
“All credit to CSKA, they had nothing to lose in the last 20 minutes and brought talented players on. When you make changes it makes it difficult for players.
“It was foolish to miss a penalty but there were other missed chances and the game could have been dead and buried.
“I’m very pleased that we showed the strength of character to stand up to that.”
CSKA Sofia coach Luboslav Penev on missing the first-half:
“I arrived 15 minutes before half-time and remained in the tunnel until the break. The most important thing is that I arrived during the game and was close to my assistants and my team.
“I was told about the first 30 minutes, they were fast forgotten and we outplayed Fulham in the second half. This is how I would like my team to play always.
“We deserved a goal and at least a point after creating five or six opportunities. Maybe we should have had a penalty too.”