This decision is not up to me but it will come.”Ferguson added that his own club faced a major loss when Eric Harrison, the coach who developed the likes of Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers, retires next year “He will be 60 in the summer He’s had years of working in the cold And I think he will retire He will be a major loss to the club. We will keep him on in some role but he will be very hard to replace.”. Cricket

England’s weary players arrived here yesterday boosted by a burst of enthusiasm from Dominic Cork, the Derbyshire all-rounder who missed the disastrous Zimbabwe leg of the four-month trip because of the break-up of his marriage.
Cork arrived ahead of the main party, and is optimistic that his knee is on the mend after injury. “I feel very fit and I can’t wait to get back on to a cricket pitch,” he said.

“I’ve been following a specific programme designed to build up the muscles around my knee and get me as fit as possible.”I wanted to be in Zimbabwe but unfortunately circumstances did not allow it. I have had my longest break from cricket for a while, however, and I needed rest more than anything.”I don’t think the boys are down or depressed at all,” was Cork’s summing- up of England’s mood. “Obviously they are disappointed by what went on in Zimbabwe but we all know what we’ve got to do out here.”How they respond to the different challenge in New Zealand, classed jointly alongside England in bottom place among Test cricket’s rankings, will almost certainly affect the future of their captain, Michael Atherton. Bookmakers William Hill have already prepared odds on his likely successor – Alec Stewart (3-1), Nasser Hussain (9-2) and Adam Hollioake (5-1) are the leading contenders but Atherton is remaining defiant.”I’ve been appointed for the whole of this winter tour and I intend to see it through, hopefully with some success in the second half,” he said.

“I’m confident of beating New Zealand, you have to be.”In Test match series we certainly have more good days than bad, but we do have the odd bad session and that is what we are looking to eradicate.”The England captain is refusing to become embroiled in a war of words with the media: “I’m afraid that when things go poorly obviously the side expects some criticism, but the nature of the personal abuse that flies around can get quite hurtful at times which is why it’s best not to read the newspapers…the only way to win with the media is to win some cricket matches.”n England Under-19s continued their highly-successful tour of Pakistan by clinching victory in yesterday’s second one-day international in Sialkot to seal the series. Restricted to 213 for 5 in their 40 overs after David Nash top-scored with 49, England triumphed by just three runs after dismissing Pakistan for 210 in the final over.. South Africa 529-7 dec & 256-3 dec India 359 & 144 South Africa win by 282 runs

South Africa yesterday moved closer to a series clean sweep after handing out a second humbling Test defeat to India in Cape Town. India were bowled out for less than 150 for the third time in four innings to give South Africa a 282-run victory and complete a 2-0 series win, with the third Test to come in Johannesburg later this month.
South Africa wrapped up victory by bustling out India for 144 in just 66.2 overs with a combination of pace and spin. India resumed the final day on 52 for 3 with much depending on Sachin Tendulkar, who had scored 169 in the first innings and was six not out overnight. However, in the fourth over the captain aimed a hook at a delivery wide of the off stump from Brian McMillan to give a catch to mid-on.Four balls later Mohammad Azharuddin, who made 115 in the first innings in a 222 partnership with Tendulkar to help avoid the follow-on, drove airily at Allan Donald and was snapped up by third slip.That left the Indian innings in tatters at 61 for 5 and although Vangipurappu Laxman batted for two-and-a-quarter hours for an undefeated 35, wickets fell regularly at the other end.Doddanarasiah Ganesh was bowled off a bottom edge by Donald with Paul Adams combining twice with the wicketkeeper Dave Richardson to dismiss Anil Kumble and Venkatesh Prasad. The latter became Richardson’s first stumping in his 33rd test to add to his tally of 119 catches.Tendulkar admitted his side had big problems to solve, following innings of only 100 and 66 in losing the first Test in Durban by 328 runs.

“We just have to practise more on these bouncy tracks,” he said.SOUTH AFRICA – First Innings 529 for 7 dec (G Kirsten 103, B M McMillan 103no, L Klusener 102no, D J Cullinan 77).INDIA – First Innings 359 (S R Tendulkar 169, M Azharuddin 115).SOUTH AFRICA – Second Innings 256 for 6 dec (A C Hudson 55, D J Cullinan 55, B M McMillan 59no).INDIA – Second Innings(Overnight: 52 for 3)S Ganguly c McMillan b Pollock 30*S R Tendulkar c Klusener b McMillan 9M Azharuddin c Hudson b Donald 2V V S Laxman not out 35A Kumble c Richardson b Adams 14D Ganesh b Donald 1B K V Prasad st Richardson b Adams 15J Srinath absent injured 0Extras (lb1 w-2 nb5) 8Total 144Fall (cont): 4-59 5-61 6-87 7-115 8-121 9-144Bowling: Donald 18-5-40-3; Pollock 12-2-29-2 (4nb); Klusener 9-3-13-0; McMillan 11-4-16-1 (1w); Adams 16.2-4-45-3 (1nb 1w).Umpires: D Hair (Aus) and R Koertzen (SA).. Football

Bolton’s manager, Colin Todd, has made a pounds 1.5m bid for Blackburn’s Paul Warhurst in the hope of heading off a move by Manchester City to sign the versatile player.
Warhurst was due to become Frank Clark’s first signing for City on loan yesterday. The move was blocked when Bolton offered to sign him rather than secure a short-term deal.Clark faces disappointment in his pursuit of Erland Johnsen, too. The Chelsea centre-back wants to go home to Norway.Marek Citko, who played for Poland in the last World Cup, has agreed to join Blackburn Rovers in a pounds 4m transfer. The Widzew Lodz striker will arrive at the weekend for two days of talks and training with Rovers and has agreed to sign, barring late hitches.