NEW DELHI (AP):

The Indian Premier League says all of its players must make themselves available for their national teams as a condition of joining the league, negating a possible clash between the lucrative Twenty20 competition and the international calendar.

Organisers said no player would be allowed to play in the IPL if he skipped an official Test or limited-over series with his national team in order to join the Indian competition, Press Trust of India reported yesterday.

MIAMI, Florida (CMC):

Successful Jamaican racehorse trainer Kirk Ziadie, while appealing a whopping 60-day suspension, remains among the leading trainers at the 2009 Calder Meet.

Ziadie, 40, was slapped with a 60-day ban last month after one of his horses turned up a positive dope test but he appealed the ruling and continues to hold prominence at the popular Miami racetrack.

Reigning Calder champion Ziadie won Thursday's second race for his 25th win of the season, giving him joint leadership in the trainers' standings with Martin Wolfson.

GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP):

New Zealand will be hoping for more rain today as it chases an unlikely winning target of 413 to beat Sri Lanka in the first Test.

By stumps on yesterday's fourth day, New Zealand were 30-1 in their second innings. A win is a very remote possibility, given the national team's best-ever fourth innings winning total was 324.

MANCHESTER, England (AP):

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was ruled out for as long as a month because of a thigh injury yesterday.

Manager Alex Ferguson said the England centre back slightly tore his thigh during training last week ahead of the defending champions' Premier League opener against Birmingham.

GENEVA (AP):

The world's most lucrative club football competition, the European Champions League, will earn clubs and organiser UEFA a record €1.09 billion (US$1.55 billion) in marketing and television revenues this season.

The recession-defying figure is a rise of 33 per cent on last season, according to figures released by UEFA. The payouts will be matched for two more seasons after the European governing body signed global television and sponsorship deals - including top-tier partners Ford, Heineken, MasterCard, PlayStation, Sony and UniCredit - through 2012.

LONDON (AP):

England dismissed Australia for 160 and led the deciding fifth Ashes Test by 230 runs at the end of a drama-filled second day at The Oval yesterday. England's first innings ended on 332, then Stuart Broad claimed 5-37 to rout the Australians inside a day. By stumps, England had slumped to 58-3 but their lead was growing more ominous for the Ashes-holding Australians on an unusually bowler-friendly pitch.