Bolt bags 100m gold in rain

World record-holder Usain Bolt won his first 100-meter race since a foot injury suffered in an April car crash, capturing the title at the Festival of Excellence meet here Thursday.

Rainy conditions kept the Jamaican star from approaching his world record of 9.69 from Beijing, where he also set the 200m world record to win gold, but he took the race at Varsity Stadium in 10.00 seconds.

American Shawn Crawford, the 2004 Olympic 200m champion and runner-up to Bolt at Beijing, finished second in 10.25 seconds with countryman Ivory Williams third in 10.28 seconds.

"It felt good," Bolt said. "I think I should have done a little better. For me it's all right. I got through it injury-free, so that's a good thing."

Bolt, 22, crashed his car in a ditch two months ago and required stitches after having a procedure to remove thorns from his left foot as he exited the vehicle.

Bolt, who clocked a wind-aided 9.93 in his first 100m of the season in Jamaica in March, withdrew from a May 2 meet in Kingston after the injury but two weeks later ran the fastest 150m ever in Manchester, England.

'We're not favourites'

Brazil captain Lucio insisted Friday they were not favourites to win the Confederations Cup but would do everything in their power to defend their title.

The five-time world champions jetted in Thursday following their 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Paraguay and are battling fatigue.

But Lucio was upbeat about their chances.

"We're not the hot favourites, but the Brazilian national team has a lot of strength and ability too," he told fifa.com.

"The Confederations Cup is a short tournament and so mental preparation is most important. This competition is over very quickly and the team who are the best prepared will be crowned champions."

Brazil have been drawn against world champions Italy, United States and Egypt in the group stages here with the African champions their first opponents on Monday.

Lucio said their World Cup qualifying wins over Paraguay and Uruguay, which cemented their place at the top of the South American tables, boded well for their chances here.

"Even though this is a different competition, the two qualifying wins were very important," he said.

"These results put us in the best possible frame of mind for the matches ahead. We're going to fight for the title, that's our goal."

Coach Dunga has dropped AC Milan's out-of-form Ronaldinho and is also missing Manchester United midfielder Anderson and Chelsea centre-back Alex, who are injured.

But he still has plenty of talent in his squad, with Manchester City's Robinho leading the frontline along with Sevilla's Luis Fabiano and AC Milan's Alexandre Pato, with new Real Madrid signing Kaka the midfield kingpin.

"Brazil are Copa America holders and have been world champions five times," said Dunga.

"That said, we've obviously got to respect Italy and Spain. The national teams here are all great sides."

Following their match against Egypt, Brazil meet the USA in Pretoria next Thursday. But their real test will come in the clash with Italy, also in Pretoria, on June 21.

Deco seeking Chelsea exit

Chelsea's Portuguese midfielder Deco says he is unhappy at the London club and wants to leave, media reports said on Thursday.

The Brazilian-born playmaker moved to Chelsea last year from Barcelona, but struggled to make an impact under Luiz Felipe Scolari and was then left out entirely by Guus Hiddink.

"I did not like the experience at Chelsea. I want to find another solution and another challenge," the 31-year-old was quoted as saying during a sports tournament at Matosinhos in northern Portugal.

Last month, Deco admitted he was in talks with Inter Milan about a possible move to the north Italian club coached by former Porto boss Jose Mourinho.

However the Portugal international declined to say if there had been any developments. "I am aware there is some interest but I can't say any more about it," he told reporters at the tournament.

"It would be great to work with Mourinho," he conceded, adding he would be delighted to resume collaboration with the manager who steered FC Porto to win the UEFA Cup in 2003 and the Champions League in 2004.

C'Ron transfer fee excessive

Most Spaniards believe the 94 million euros paid by Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo was excessive, according to opinion polls Thursday.

To the question "do you think it was reasonable to pay this price?" some 75 percent of 10,000 Internet users who responded replied "no," one poll by the private radio station Cadena Ser said.

Three quarters of almost 100,000 Internet users who responded to a poll by the Marca newspaper also though Ronaldo was "expensive."

The newspaper ABC said some 72 percent of those questioned in its survey found the amount "excessive."

Manchester United said Thursday it had agreed to sell Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a world record 80 million pounds (130 million dollars, 94 million euros), far more than previous record of 75 million euros paid by Real for Zinedine Zidane in 2000.

Comments posted by Internet users on the site of the Madrid daily El Mundo were almost unanimously critical of the huge sum paid.

Among the comments were: "there's no sense in it," "it's immoral and an insult to the intelligence," and "it's completely insane."

Kaka excited by C'Ron arrival

Brazilian playmaker Kaka has expressed delight at Cristiano Ronaldo's imminent move from Manchester United to join him at Real Madrid.

Despite the world record 94 million euros (130 million dollars) offer for the Portugese star stealing Kaka's thunder, the 27-year-old has no problems vacating the spotlight.

"I rejoice in the signing of Cristiano," the ex-AC Milan star told goal.com on his arrival in Johannesburg where Brazil are defending their Confederations Cup title.

"I do not want to talk any more about this subject because I am here with the Selecao and we are only thinking about winning the Confederations Cup.

"But there's no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world and he will help Real Madrid fight for every title next season."

Kaka signed a six-year contract with the Spanish giants for a reported fee of 65 million euros earlier this month.

It made him the second most expensive player ever, after French great Zinedine Zidane who cost Real Madrid 75 million euros in 2001, until Ronaldo pushed him down to third.

Ronaldo has long been a target for Real Madrid, whose recently-returned president Florentino Perez wants to build a side to compete with Barcelona on the domestic front and the likes of United and Chelsea in the Champions League.

Winning starts for England, Windies

Women's World T20

England, the tournament favourites, and the West Indies enjoyed contrasting wins on the opening day of the women's World Twenty20 here on Thursday.

England, the world 50-over champions, crushed India by 10 wickets while the Windies squeezed past South Africa by just four runs.

Chasing only 113 to win, England openers Sarah Taylor (50 not out) and Charlotte Edwards (61 not out) romped to victory with more than four overs to spare and with 13 fours and two sixes between them.

India's best score was 29 from Mithali Raj while England bowlers, 18-year-old student, Holly Colvin (3-20) and Nicky Shaw (2-28) kept the brakes on.

"This is our biggest game and hopefully this will clinch our semi-final spot," said England skipper Edwards.

"Everyone wanted to see how we'd react to the tag of favourites. Whenever there's a bit of pressure on this team the players come out fighting. I was really, really pleased with Holly - she bowled so well.

"To come out and play as we have done today in front of such an enthusiastic crowd has been fantastic."

West Indies' star was 18-year-old Stafanie (eds: correct) Taylor who celebrated her birthday with a 52-ball 50 in her side's 123 for 7.

South Africa slipped to 82 for 6 in reply but Mignon du Preez, with 38 from 28 balls, gave her team hope while Sunette Loubser hit 19 from 16 balls.

Both were eventually run out as their team's hopes vanished.

Younus hails Razzaq return

Pakistan captain Younus Khan is looking forward to welcoming back Abdul Razzaq into the fold after the all-rounder's late call up into the World Twenty20 squad in England.

Razzaq has been given his chance after Yasir Arafat was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament with a hamstring injury.

His return also marks his re-integration into the Pakistan side following an amnesty for former players in the Indian Cricket League - the rival Twenty20 event to the officially sanctioned Indian Premier League.

A hard-hitting batsman and lively reverse-swing bowling make the 29-year-old a potential match-winner.

Although Razzaq will arrive in England too late for Pakistan's opening match of the second phase Super Eights against Sri Lanka at Lord's on Friday, Younus believes he can still have an impact during the rest of the tournament.

"This game is not possible but I think he will manage the last two games," Younus told reporters at Lord's here on Thursday. "He is a good name in world cricket and in Twenty20 he is a fantastic all-rounder.

"He is a senior guy and his return will be good for Pakistan cricket - he would be in any team in the world," added Younus, who could have Razzaq available for Pakistan's second Super Eights match against New Zealand.

Pakistan lost to arch-rivals India by five runs in the inaugural final of the World Twenty20 in South Africa two years ago.

They looked a shadow of that side during a 48-run thrashing by hosts England first time out at this tournament but bounced back with a convincing win over minnows the Netherlands to book their place in the second round. first two games of this Super Eights. If we win them then we will be in the semifinals."

SA enjoying T20: Graeme

ICC World Twenty20

South African captain Graeme Smith is ready for the challenges ahead in the World Twenty20 after a crushing seven-wicket win over hosts England.

The Proteas unleashed their firepower to bowl out England for a paltry 111 before coasting home in the 19th over in their first Super Eights match at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

Smith said he can't wait to face the West Indies at the Oval in London on Saturday before the final second round game against defending champions India at Trent Bridge next Tuesday.

"We are pretty excited about the prospect of playing the West Indies and the next challenge will be India," he said.

"We played with the same intensity that we have been doing in the past and our plan was to squeeze England.

"Twenty20 is a very unpredictable game, but we are well prepared. We are ready for it."

Smith said his team had a simple plan to overcome the fast and furious nature of the shortest version of the game.

"We try to keep the essentials correct and try our best all the time," he said. "It is important to enjoy our cricket, enjoy our success."

Smith praised young left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell, who picked up three wickets to wreck England's batting before Jacques Kallis hit a half-century to guide the Proteas home.

"We performed well with the ball and everyone in the field played their role well with intensity," he said.

"Parnell has been superb. He's just come in, he's very young and he's handled everything really well. He bowled with pace and control. The crowd was against us but he handled the situation very well."

Kallis, who also chipped in with two wickets, said he has been concentrating on improving his bowling.

"I've worked on it for the last two or three years. I discovered lots of variations in the IPL (Indian Premier League)," said the veteran all-rounder who played for the Bangalore Royal Challengers.

"We knew if someone stayed at the wicket and we got a run a ball, we'd be okay. I think this was a 140-wicket so our bowlers did really well to restrict them."

Owais Shah was the lone Englishman to withstand the Proteas' onslaught with 38 off 33 balls after four of the top seven batsmen managed only four runs between them.

All the six bowlers used by Smith were among the wickets, with Kallis and Roelof van der Merwe supporting Parnell with two scalps each.

Albie Morkel bowled the first maiden over of the tournament that also included the wicket of Kevin Pietersen, but was not called upon to bowl a second over as the others took care of the England batsmen.

South Africa have been in awesome form in the tournament so far, crushing minnows Scotland by 130 runs before defending their modest 128-7 against New Zealand by one run.

Eng vow to fight back

ICC World Twenty20

England captain Paul Collingwood promised home fans his team will bounce back in the World Twenty20 after being handed a cricketing lesson by South Africa.

The Proteas bowled with fire to inflict a morale-sapping defeat on the hosts by seven wickets in their first Super Eights match at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

England were shot out for 111 after electing to take first strike on good batting wicket, a target the South Africans took their time to achieve with 10 balls to spare.

"You will only defend a total like that one in 10 times," said Collingwood. "We did not get off to a great start and never really got a partnership going to get us up to a total we could defend.

"The wicket was playing well and you would need everything going in your favour to defend that total.

"We were beaten by a side who set an example in the field, there were diving catches and they put pressure on the batsmen."

England have endured a mixed campaign so far, shocked by the Netherlands before pulling together to enter the second round with an emphatic win over Pakistan.

England must now win both their remaining games against defending champions India at Lord's on Sunday and the West Indies at the Oval on Monday to ensure their place in the semifinals.

Collingwood admitted it was not the ideal start to the Super Eights, but was confident the hosts will fight back to make a mark in the tournament.

"It has been a roller-coaster ride so far," he said. "We need to go out there against India and get our confidence going.

"We are in a tough group but we believe we have the guys who can win in this competition.

"We will try to get the belief going again over the next couple of days."

A sell-out crowd of 18,000 at Trent Bridge were stunned as English wickets fell like nine pins with young left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell finishing with three for 14.

Owais Shah was the lone Englishman to withstand the Proteas' onslaught with 38 off 33 balls after four of the top seven batsmen managed only four runs between them.

All the six bowlers used by Smith were among the wickets, with Kallis and Roelof van der Merwe supporting Parnell with two scalps each.

England crashed to 25-3 by the sixth over in an inspired display by the South Africans in the field.

Albie Morkel bowled the first maiden over of the tournament that also included the wicket of Kevin Pietersen, but was not called upon to bowl a second over as the others took care of the England batsmen.

The only consolation for England was that their bowlers kept the South African batsmen at the crease till the 19th over before man of the match Jacques Kallis saw the Proteas home with 57 not out.

SL outgun Pakistan

ICC World Twenty20

Sri Lanka kept their composure to beat Pakistan by 19 runs in their opening Super Eights match in the World Twenty20 at Lord's on Friday.

Defending a total of 150 for seven, Sri Lanka remained unbeaten at the tournament as they held Pakistan to a total of 131 for nine.

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga took three wickets for 18 runs.

Pakistan captain Younus Khan made 50 and put on 66 for the fourth wicket with Misbahul Haq.

But the repair work the duo had carried out after Pakistan had been 35 for three was quickly undone by the loss of three quick wickets.

They lost two wickets in as many balls to be 101 for five in the 16th over with Misbah caught sweeping in the deep against Muttiah Muralidaran and the dangerous Shahid Afridi going the same way for a first ball duck.

Earlier, leg-spinner Afridi had kept Pakistan in the game as Sri Lanka, who had been 81 without loss, were restricted to 150 for seven.

But when Younus skied Malinga to wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, the captain holding the catch despite colliding with Murali, Pakistan were 108 for six. Younus faced 37 balls with four fours.

Pakistan had still to score their first run when left-hander Salman Butt was clean bowled off the third ball of their innings by Angelo Mathews.

They then lost two wickets for one run in three balls in the sixth over to collapse to 35 for three.

Shoaib Malik, who'd hit five fours in his 28, was undone by Malinga's slower ball and chipped to Nuwan Kulasekara at mid-on.

Kamran Akmal was then run out after failing to beat Chamara Silva's throw.

At the end of the powerplay, Pakistan were 36 for three - and that was before Murali and fellow spinner Ajantha Mendis had bowled a ball between them.

Pakistan went 34 balls without a boundary before Younus swept Mendis for four and soon afterwards the captain handed out similar treatment to the more experienced Muralitharan.

Another swept four by Younus off Murali saw the skipper post a fifty stand in 47 balls with Misbah.

Sri Lanka were 81 without loss before Afridi (two wickets for 23 runs off four overs), took two for three in six balls to reduce them to 89 for two.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (two for 26) took the key wickets of Sri Lanka captain Sangakkara, stumped by Kamran Akmal, and Mahela Jayawardene, caught in the covers by Afridi.

Openers Tillekaratne Dilshan (46) and Sanath Jayasuriya (26), aided by wayward pace bowling, got Sri Lanka off to a flyer before they fell to Afridi. Left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir endured a nightmare start as he conceded 29 runs, including six wides and three no-balls, in his two overs.

Pakistan next face New Zealand at the Oval on Saturday while Sri Lanka are back at Lord's on Sunday for a match against Ireland.

SCORES IN BRIEF
SRI LANKA: 150 for 7 in 20 overs (Dilshan 46, Jayasuriya 26, Sangakkara 15, Jayawardene 19, Silva 8, Mathews 9 not out; Gul 2-34, Afridi 2-23, Ajmal 2-26)
PAKISTAN: 131 for 9 in 20 overs (Malik 28, Younus 50, Misbahul 21, Fawad 12; Malinga 3-17, Muralidaran 2-28)
Result: Sri Lanka won by 19 runs.
Man-of-the-match: Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Bravo slays India

ICC World Twenty20

Dwayne Bravo bulldozed defending champions India with bat and ball to hand the West Indies an emphatic seven-wicket win in the Twenty20 Super Eights match on Friday.

Bravo claimed four wickets in India's 153-7 before smashing 66 not out off 36 balls to lead his team home with eight balls to spare in a group E game before a packed Lord's.

Bravo signalled the entertaining win by lofting pace spearhead Zaheer Khan for six as the West Indies gained important points ahead of their remaining matches against South Africa and England.

The West Indies won despite a modest contribution from captain and star batsman, Chris Gayle, who made 22 off 28 balls.

When Gayle departed in the eighth over, top-edging a catch off Yusuf Pathan, the West Indies had moved to 42-2 and reached 61 without further loss at the half-way stage of the innings.

Lendl Simmons and Bravo put on 58 for the third wicket, Simmons making 44 off 37 balls before holing out in the deep off left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha.

The West Indies, needing 39 off the last 24 balls, raced home by taking 16 runs off the 17th over by seamer Ishant Sharma and 15 from the next by Harbhajan.

Earlier, Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan staged a late rally with 64 off 35 balls for the fifth wicket after India had managed only 66 on the board by the 12th over for the loss of four wickets.

Left-handed Yuvraj hit 67 off 43 balls with six fours and two sixes.

Yusuf made 31 as India plundered 87 runs in the final eight overs.

Bravo struck in his first over when Simmons sprinted back from square-leg to remove Gautam Gambhir with a superb catch.

And in his second over he claimed the wicket of Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni with his first delivery to make it 66-4.

The West Indies return to the Oval on Saturday to take on group favourites South Africa, while India play hosts England at Lord's on Sunday.

Two teams from the group will advance to the semifinals.