Sportsday - Wednesday 29 April

1. O'Sullivan in action; Trump & Murphy reach semis
2. Facey guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery
3. Leicester v Chelsea (19:45 BST)
4. GET INVOLVED: best and worst strike forces via #bbcsportsday

Right, that is all from Sportsday Live for today. Thanks for being with us.

The live text commentaries on Chelsea v Leicester and Real Madrid v Almeria are just under way. Enjoy.

Salford considering retired pair

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Salford Red Devils are considering registering retired assistant coaches Martin Gleeson and Ian Watson for their Super League game against Hull FC.

With up to 15 players potentially out for the game on Friday through suspension or injury, Salford had a request to postpone the game rejected.

Former centre Gleeson, 34, retired while ex-scrum-half Watson, 38, played for Swinton last June.

"It's something we've internally discussed," boss Iestyn Harris said.

England need mid-season 'intensity'

England would benefit from a mid-season warm-up, to match New Zealand's Anzac Test with Australia, going into November's Test series says international half-back Kevin Brown.

Steve McNamara's side play France on 24 October in their only friendly match.

The Kiwis, in contrast, have Friday's Test against Australia and then take on Leeds on 23 October.

Brown told the Super League Show: "That will only harden them for the end of the season, we need something similar."

Odegaard, 16, on Real Madrid bench

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Real Madrid have named 16-year-old Martin Odegaard on the bench for tonight's La Liga meeting with Almeria.

The Norwegian, who moved to the Bernabeu from Stromgodset in January, will become the club's youngest-ever player if he makes it onto the pitch.

Second-placed Real are two points behind leaders Barcelona with five matches remaining.

Shortlisted

Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson has joined three Scottish Premiership bosses on the PFA Scotland manager of the year shortlist.

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Celtic's Ronny Deila, Inverness manager John Hughes and Derek McInnes of Aberdeen make up the four-man list.

Leicester v Chelsea (Wed, 19:45 BST)

Stat attack....

• Victory would see Leicester claim five consecutive top-flight wins for the first time since 1964.

• The Foxes have claimed 14 points from a possible 27 when fielding January signing Robert Huth.

• Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 13 top-flight matches (W9, D4).

• PFA Player of the Year Eden Hazard has created 88 goalscoring chances in this season's Premier League, more than any other player.

Khan focussed on mega-fight

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Amir Khan admits that has fallen victim to his own complacency in the past but has vowed that there will no mistakes when he faces American Chris Algieri on 29 May.

Khan could be in line to face the winner of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao's mega-fight or a lucrative domestic match-up with Kell Brook if he wins.

Khan has won his last four fights after suffering back-to-back defeats to Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia in December 2011 and July 2012 respectively.

"I made that a mistake a long time ago when I looked past a fight, and I cannot make that mistake this time around," Khan told Talksport.

"One punch can change a fight and it's all about focussing on what is in front of me. If I win this fight in style it will put me in a great position for a mega-fight."

Spiked pole victim out for weeks

John McGinn is unlikely to play in the "next few" St Mirren matches following a much-publicised freak training-ground injury.

Club captain Steven Thompson admitted he was "mortified" after hurling a spiked pole during a training session which pierced McGinn's thigh.

St Mirren are seven points adrift at the bottom of the table with four games remaining.

A statement released on St Mirren's official website read: "Following John McGinn's training ground accident last week which has been well documented, John went for an MRI scan yesterday. The results would indicate that it is unlikely that John will feature in the next few SPFL Premiership matches."

Gemili faces tough challenge

PA

Adam Gemili has said he faces a tough challenge to make Britain's squad for this year's World Championships because of the quality of British sprinting.

The European 200m champion, 21, is among a crop being called the golden generation of British sprinting.

"Sprinting in Britain is at another level right now," he told BBC Sport. "I've got to make the British team first before thinking of the World Championships but once I do that I'll aim for a medal, aim for the top."

Dybala on Inter hit-list

EPA

Inter Milan want to join the race to sign Palermo striker Paulo Dybala - a reported target for Chelsea and Arsenal - according to vice-president Javier Zanetti.

"If we have only the slightest chance to sign him, we will go for it," Zanetti told Goal.

"But we have to be realistic. We must respect the Financial Fair Play."

Zanetti added that striker Mauro Icardi - whose current deal runs until June 2018 - is close to signing a new deal with the club. The 22-year-old has scored 18 goals in 31 Serie A appearances this term.

Southampton's big ambitions

Reuters

Southampton want to be playing in the Champions League within five years, says executive director Les Reed.

The Saints sit seventh in the table and have already broken their Premier League record points total despite the exit of ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino and several players last summer.

Reed said: "We'd like to think we have the structure to [reach the Champions League] in the next five years. But it's important to be established as a top-six club over that period."

Casillas linked to Gunners switch

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Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas wants to join Arsenal reports the Sun, adding that such a move may spell the end of Manchester United's hopes of keeping David De Gea from moving to the Bernabeu.

Bingham levels up

Stuart Bingham wins the final frame of the session to level up at 8-8 in his world championship quarter-final against Ronnie O'Sullivan.

O'Sullivan, a five-time champion, had trailed 6-3 earlier in the session though so perhaps he will take it as a good afternoon's work overall.

Armitage omission would be cop-out

Toulon's Drew Mitchell says not picking club-mate Steffon Armitage in England's World Cup squad because it might harm morale would be a "cop-out".

The Toulon flanker, 29, cannot play for England while based in France.

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But overseas-based men can be picked under "exceptional circumstances" - meaning he could yet join the squad.

Speaking about the fears over morale, Australia wing Mitchell said: "I think that would be a real shame if they used that as an excuse not to pick him."

Jokanovic to start Hornets talks

Watford are set to open talks over the future of head coach Slavisa Jokanovic.

The 46-year-old Serb is out of contract at the end of the season and has yet to agree a new deal despite guiding the Hornets to promotion.

Jokanovic, who is reportedly a target for Sunderland, took the reins at Vicarage Road in October after a chaotic start to the season which saw predecessors Beppe Sannino, Oscar Garcia and Billy McKinlay leave for various reasons.

Murphy makes semis

PA

2005 world champion Shaun Murphy is through to the last four of the 2014 tournament, beating Anthony McGill 13-8.

The Englishman will play either Barry Hawkins or Neil Robertson next. Their match - currently delicately poised 8-7 in Hawkins' favour - will play to a conclusion this evening.

Live coverage of all the day's quarter-finals is available on the BBC Sport website.

Get involved

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Your best and worst strike partnerships are coming flooding in on Twitter, via #bbcsportsday, on text, via 81111 and on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Alain vandenBroecke on Twitter: Raul, Ronaldo and Zidane

Tommy Hillside on Twitter: Best Peter Lorimer & Allan Clarke for Leeds Utd - worst Jason Lee & Brian Roy for Nottingham Forest

Oli, Birmingham, via text: Darren Bent and Shefki Kuqi at Ipswich, circa 2004. Classic big man/fast man partnership almost got us promoted.

F1 season to start late next year

The season-opening Australian Grand Prix has been pushed back two weeks in 2016, organisers have announced.

The race on 3 April will mean the latest start to a Formula 1 season since 1988, when the Brazilian GP was held on the same date.

Organisers of the race in Melbourne's Albert Park said the event would have an earlier start time than recently.

Moving the event back will compress the F1 calendar, which in 2015 has a number of large gaps between races.

Rocketing ahead

Ronnie O'Sullivan has gone ahead in his World Snooker Championship quarter-final with Stuart Bingham for the first time since winning the opening frame.

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The Rocket is 8-7 up and has a good chance to extend his advantage - Bingham has just missed a pot on 37 allowing Ronnie to the table with the balls well spread.

This is starting to look a little worrying for Bingham fans.

Get in for free

If you're in the Manchester area, and a cricket fan, you could do worse than nip to Old Trafford.

Lancashire CC have just tweeted this:

Twitter

Lancashire, facing Kent in the County Championship division two, are chasing 104 with just over an hour of play remaining.

Could get exciting.

Campbell links up with Baggies

Newcastle striker Adam Campbell is on trial at West Brom, playing an hour in the Baggies' reserve team's 3-0 win over Arsenal earlier this week.

The Chronicle adds that Ryan Taylor, Jonas Gutierrez and Sammy Ameobi are all likely to be allowed to leave in the summer when their contracts expire.

Liverpool - the case for the defence

Have Liverpool really under-performed this season?

Or did last season's second-placed finish raise expectations beyond what was reasonable for Brendan Rodgers and his squad?

Simon Gleave, the head of analysis at statisticians Infostrada, presents the case for the defence.

Northants win for first time in 21 Championship matches

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Northamptonshire recorded their first Championship win in 21 matches as they beat Leicestershire by 92 runs.

The hosts, needing another 332 to win on the final day, saw Azharullah bowl Angus Robson for 32 before the next four batsmen all fell lbw.

Olly Stone removed Mark Cosgrove, Azharullah got rid of Neil Pinner and Rory Kleinveldt (4-86) dismissed Ned Eckersley (37) and Tom Wells (13).

Niall O'Brien hit 58 off 65 balls before Leicestershire were out for 283.

It's bad news for Leicestershire though - they have now gone more than two seasons without a County Championship victory.

Level again

Ronnie O'Sullivan has responded once again in the snooker.

After his error-strewn previous frame, the Rocket made no mistakes this time - he's just made it 7-7 against Stuart BIngham.

The quarter-final is best of 25 and looks like it could be a close-run thing.

Rain ruins Hampshire v Notts

Hampshire CC

Just 9.4 overs of cricket were possible on day four at the Ageas Bowl as Hampshire's game against Nottinghamshire finished as a draw.

Notts declared on their overnight score of 296-4 to leave a target of 392, but rain washed out the morning session.

When play finally got underway at 13:20 BST, the hosts moved to 29-0 before the showers returned.

The umpires were hopeful of resuming at 15:00 BST, but the weather closed in once again and play was abandoned.

Cav beaten, but still leading

Mark Cavendish remains in the points leader's jersey at the Tour of Turkey despite being unable to contest the sprint finish to Wednesday's stage four in Marmaris.

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Cavendish was one of several riders who dropped on the final climb a few kilometres from the finish and could not rejoin the leading group.

It allowed Lotto Soudal's Andre Greipel to win from Nippo-Vini Fantini's Daniele Colli, with Daniele Ratto of UnitedHealthcare in third.

Cavendish, who won the first two stages, remains top of the points standings on 30, with Ratto now level in second place.

From youth team to ... no team

Interesting story in the Daily Telegraph today, which has done a study into how many players from Premier League FA Youth Cup winning teams actually go on to play for the first team.

And the answer, depressingly for any youth teamers reading, is not many.

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"Of all the players to have started for the winning side in the previous 10 FA Youth Cup finals, only 41.7 per cent went on to make a professional debut for their club," says the Telegraph.

It conducted the study on the back of Chelsea's second successive FA Youth Cup triumph earlier in the week.

You'll find the full article here.

Gold denies Allardyce talk rumours

West Ham co-owner David Gold has denied rumours that the club have started talks with boss Sam Allardyce over a new deal.

Allardyce's current deal expires in the summer and Marseille's Marcelo Bielsa and Bournemouth's Eddie Howe are among those linked with his position.

"The decisions that need making will be made at the end of the season," Gold told the Claret and Hugh blog.

"I seem to be saying this for the umpteenth time. I would ask all fans to wait until the end of the season. After all, there's not long to go."

Mistakes galore

Ronnie O'Sullivan has just blown a couple of glorious chances to make it four frames in a row and move 7-6 ahead in his World Snooker Championship quarter-final with Stuart Bingham.

At the risk of criticising one of the most talented players of all-time, O'Sullivan missed two absolute sitters - on a par with a centre forward slashing the ball over the bar from a yard out.

It cost him - Bingham eventually cleared up and it's he, and not the Rocket, who goes ahead.

Join the debate: best and worst strike forces

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Aggie Ford: Let's all imagine how disastrous Shevchenko and Torres could have been together at Chelsea #missedopportunity.

Bass Playin' Ronin: Surely the dream strike force of Klinsmann & Sheringham at Spurs, pure genius there!

Jake Lytham: Ronaldo, Rooney & Tevez in 07/08 had 75 between them in all comps.

Hasselbaink calm about Leeds 'rumours'

PA

Burton Albion manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has said he would make a decision about becoming Leeds boss "with my brain and not my heart".

The 43-year-old, who spent two years at Leeds between 1997 and 1999, has been linked with a return to Elland Road. Current Leeds head coach Neil Redfearn is out of contract in the summer.

"Leeds is a very beautiful club. I'll make decisions for myself with my brain and not with my heart," Hasselbaink told BBC Radio Derby.

"It's difficult for me to talk about because they have a good manager at the moment who has done really well and I have a job here that I really like. It's not nice to talk about those kind of things."

The former Netherlands international added: "I am committed to Burton and I will do everything in my power to make the club successful for as long as I am here. You can't do anything about rumours."

Dunn open to Accrington move

David Dunn would consider playing at League Two side Accrington Stanley when he leaves neighbours Blackburn this summer.

The 35-year-old announced his departure from the Championship club earlier this week, but the one-time England midfielder intends to keep on playing.

"I go and watch Accrington as much as I can - I would say they are probably my second team," Dunn told BBC Radio Lancashire. "So why not, if the opportunity arose and it was right with everybody?"

Wenger has "dominated his devils"

Reuters

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says that he is now a far calmer character than when he managed Monaco between 1987 and 1994.

"I was an absolute firebomb, I was absolutely mad!" he said.

"I have learnt to dominate my devils. I am not sure I have mellowed in my resolute attitude, but in the way I express my feelings and beliefs, certainly I have changed."

Headlines at 4

Been busy? Don't fret. Here's a summary of the main news from the sporting world so far today:

Football: Former Premier League footballer Delroy Facey has been jailed for two and a half years after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery in a match fixing trial.

Boxing: Ahead of Saturday's super-fight in Las Vegas, Floyd Mayweather taunted Manny Pacquiao about earning less than him.

Reuters

Football: The condition of Belgian defender Gregory Mertens has deteriorated following his collapse on the pitch with a heart-related illness.

Sport: The BBC has announced that the 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year will be held in Belfast on Sunday, 20 December.

Ouch!

A non-league manager is in hospital after suffering a freak injury while celebrating his team winning the Western League First Division.

Barnstaple Town's Barry Yeo snapped his Achilles tendon when he and his team "sprung off the dressing room benches chanting" and jumping around.

A 1-0 loss to Oldland Abbotonians ended a 37-game unbeaten run but results elsewhere guaranteed them the title.

"I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," Yeo told BBC Sport.

Hearn unveils new Home Series

Barry Hearn has revealed snooker stars will play for a £1m bonus bounty in a new Home Series.

The chairman of World Snooker announced the Welsh Open, already on the calendar, will be joined by a Scottish Open, Irish Open and English Open from the 2016/17 campaign, to make up the series.

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And Hearn - speaking at the Crucible today - promised any player who won all four in the same season would cash in with the million-pound cheque.

Glasgow, Belfast and Manchester will stage the three new United Kingdom events.

Hearn also announced that prize money for the World Snooker Championship winner will increase dramatically from its current £300,000 to £500,000 for the 2018 tournament onwards.

Get Involved

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The best and worst strike partnerships? Your suggestions are coming in on Twitter, via #bbcsportsday, on text, on 81111, and on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Glen on Twitter: Worst strike pair - Kerry Dixon & David Speedie at Southampton. Both bought with the Alan Shearer transfer money!

Rupert Morgan on Twitter: The fierce partnership of Andriy Voronin and David N'Gog at Liverpool surely have to get mention

James King on Twitter: Mark Stein & John Spencer at Chelsea in the mid 90s. Little & little.

Champion suspended after hit-and-run

Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Jon Jones has been suspended indefinitely and stripped of his light-heavyweight belt after a hit-and-run incident on Sunday that left a pregnant woman with a broken arm.

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Jones has been released on bail after turning himself in to police on Monday.

He has since tweeted: "Got a lot of soul searching to do. Sorry to everyone I've let down."

Clothing company Reebok have also terminated a deal with the 27-year-old.

All square

The Rocket is really taking off now.

Ronnie O'Sullivan has just won a third frame in succession to level his quarter-final with Stuart Bingham.

The players have just gone off to powder their noses but will resume soon with the score locked at 6-6.

'Alive again'

Newcastle United's Jonas Gutierrez on Twitter:

Twitter

The 31-year-old revealed in September that he was being treated for testicular cancer, and made his playing return in March.

Madrid clubs facing transfer ban?

Atletico Madrid say they are unaware of a possible transfer embargo after Spanish media reported Fifa were set to bar the club and city rivals Real Madrid from the next two windows.

According to the reports, Fifa have decided to sanction the pair over the transfer of players aged under 18.

"We have no information regarding that," an Atletico spokesman said. "We collaborated with Fifa in the investigation at all times."

Last year, Barcelona were punished for breaching Fifa's rules on the transfer of international players aged under 18. The club is currently serving a 14-month ban and cannot sign players until January 2016.

McIlroy racing to make big fight

Rory McIlroy faces a race against time to attend the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao mega-fight on Saturday, if he is still involved in the Match Play Championship in San Francisco.

The quarter-finals are on Saturday and McIlroy could be out on course as late as 19:30 local time - just an hour before the fighters are expected in the ring in Las Vegas.

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McIlroy has tickets for the fight according to PGA.com and will have extra incentive to win his last-eight match in double-quick time.

''Nothing that a few quick birdies won't change if I try and win 7&6,'' he said.

Ronnie fights back

Better news if you're a Ronnie O'Sullivan fan.

The Rocket has hit back in Sheffield, winning back-to-back frames to get within a frame of Stuart Bingham at 6-5 down.

Both men are missing pots and it's been scrappy so far. This is set to be a tense affair that looks like it could either way. Best of 25, so first man to 13.

Rain washes out final day at Oval

Surrey CC

Surrey's County Championship match against Essex ended as a draw after heavy rain led to a final day washout at The Oval.

After the morning session was lost, umpires Martin Bodenham and Nick Cook inspected the outfield at 14:30 BST.

However, they deemed it was too wet to play and decided to abandon the match with Surrey on 95-2, still 175 runs short of making the visitors bat again.

Surrey have now drawn both their Division Two fixtures, while Essex top the early table with 31 points.

Leicester v Chelsea (Wed, 19:45 BST)

Leicester boss Nigel Pearson has angrily dismissed suggestions he could field a weakened side against Chelsea, in order to be fresh for Saturday's crunch lunchtime game at home to Newcastle.

"I think any questions that intimate there may be a hint of lack of commitment is pretty poor personally, from either side," Pearson said. "I think that is an insult to our professionalism."

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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, has defended his team against accusations of being boring after they ground out a goalless draw at Arsenal.

"I am very simple in my analysis. Football is about putting the ball in the net of your opponent and stopping your opponent," he said.

Leicester v Chelsea (Wed, 19:45 BST)

So then, there is one big game of football taking place tonight.

Leicester - a place and a point above the relegation zone - host Chelsea, with Jose Mourinho's men two wins away from claiming the Premier League title.

It is going to be a belter.

Jamie Vardy, David Nugent and Jeffrey Schlupp are doubts for the Foxes but Chris Wood is available after being recalled from a loan spell at Ipswich.

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Diego Costa may be risked for Chelsea - a decision will be made nearer to kick-off - but Loic Remy is again ruled out with a calf problem.

Team news here.

Borthwick leads Durham to victory

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Scott Borthwick hit an unbeaten 97 as Durham clinched a six-wicket victory against Sussex at Chester-Le-Street.

Requiring just a further 147 runs to reach a target of 262, paceman Ajmal Shahzad (4-86) bowled Michael Richardson for eight in the third over.

Borthwick and Calum MacLeod (26) shared an 83-run fourth-wicket partnership before the latter lofted a cut off Shahzad to Steve Magoffin at third man.

But Borthwick hit successive fours off Oliver Robinson to hand Durham victory.

GET INVOLVED: Best and worst strike partnerships

Rupert Morgan: The fierce partnership of Andriy Voronin and David N'Gog at Liverpool surely have to get mention #bbcsportsday

The Lazy Hungerist: Henry and Bergkamp for the Gooners. Hard to think of a more talented partnership...

Glen: Worst strike pair - Kerry Dixon & David Speedie at Southampton. Both bought with the Alan Shearer transfer money!

Ronnie further behind

Stuart Bingham has taken the opening frame of the afternoon session against Ronnie O'Sullivan and has extended his lead to 6-3.

Maybe Ronnie needs to put some chalk on the table to get himself fired up. We'll keep you updated with how the quarter-final progresses - or, alternatively, you can follow the action here.

'Brendan Rodgers' season at Liverpool is a failure'

Martin Rickett

Liverpool's season all but ended last night with a damaging defeat by Hull which effectively ended their hopes of Champions League qualification. Our football writer Phil McNulty has been assessing whether the season has been a failure for Brendan Rodgers and his men. The short answer is yes. For the long answer, have a read of this.

Everton target Reds winger

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The Sun: Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj, 20, is set to sign a year-long loan deal with Everton at the end of the season.

ECB

England Cricket ‏on Twitter: Practice bright & early for England at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

First woman in 134 years

The Welsh Rugby Union has appointed a first woman board member in its 134-year history.

Aileen Richards will retire from her role with multi-national company Mars in the US to fill one of two new independent non-executive director roles, the WRU has announced.

Who's running the show?

"There is a scene in Apocalypse Now, where Martin Sheen descends into a trench to be greeted by confusion and mayhem among the ranks. "Who's in charge here, soldier?" says Sheen. "Ain't you?!" shoots back a bewildered GI.

"It's a little bit like that here in Las Vegas before Saturday's big fight - somebody must be running the show, but it's difficult to work out whom."

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So starts a rather excellent feature by BBC Sport's Ben Dirs, who is in Vegas ahead of the fight. It's mind-boggling stuff and makes you realise just how much of a circus the whole thing is.

Check it out here.

Ireland appointment

Ireland have appointed New Zealand's John Bracewell as their new head coach on a deal subject to work permit approval until the end of 2017.

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The former Black Caps player and coach succeeds Phil Simmons, who left his post after eight years with Ireland earlier this year to take charge of West Indies.

Bracewell was the director of cricket at Gloucestershire but he left the county in January.

We have lift-off

The audience is settling into its seats at the Crucible and there is an excited buzz around the place.

It can mean only one thing - The Rocket is about to enter the building.

But although he's the crowd favourite, Ronnie O'Sullivan has work to do, finding himself 5-3 behind in his quarter-final against Stuart Bingham.

Coverage here.

Belfast to host Sports Personality

BBC

The 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year will be held in Belfast on Sunday, 20 December. An 8,000-capacity audience at the city's Odyssey Arena is expected to attend the annual awards show. It will be the first time that Northern Ireland has hosted the event, which first went on the road in 2006.

The programme will reflect on a packed year which includes a Rugby World Cup, Women's Football World Cup and an Ashes series on UK soil.

Lewis Hamilton, above, won the main award last year.

Harris named Lions boss

Millwall have appointed Neil Harris as their permanent manager just a day after they were condemned to relegation.

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Harris, the club's all-time record goalscorer, was named interim boss after Ian Holloway was sacked in March but was unable to keep the Lions in the Championship.

However, the improvement in performances since the 37-year-old took over has prompted chairman John Berylson to hand him the job full-time as the club prepares for life in League One.

'We will bounce back'

Wigan's 23-year-old chairman David Sharpe has backed the club to secure promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt.

After Latics' relegation was confirmed following Rotherham's win over Reading, Sharpe told the club's website: "We will bounce back, I want that to be the main message to our fans.

PA

"Our only target next season is promotion, nothing else will suffice, and the job of rebuilding the club is already well under way."

Dave Whelan handed over the day-to-day running of the club to Sharpe, his grandson, in March.

Empty seats

Shamoon Hafez

BBC Sport in Sheffield

"Surprisingly, lots of empty seats inside the Crucible Theatre, considering a former world champion and ex-finalist are in action. They can't be staying away because of ticket prices as sessions for the World Championship are relatively inexpensive.

"For those that are inside, some have dozed off to sleep. But they were quickly awoken as 2010 winner Neil Robertson stroked in a magnificent 130 clearance to level the match against Barry Hawkins at 7-7.

"This one is a great battle and could go all the way, but with Hawkins 8-7 in front, the players have been called off one frame early following a marathon 70-minute frame. They play to a conclusion at 19:00 BST."

Get Involved

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Dale Napier on Twitter: Ade Akinbiyi and Trevor Benjamin at Leicester

James Hardy on Twitter: Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole satisfy both. Best at Manchester United. Atrocious when they relinked at Blackburn.

Tony in London on text: Jimmy Greaves & Alan Gilzean at Tottenham - the ideal combination

#bbcsportsday on Twitter, 81111 on text and the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Play underway at Ageas Bowl but no cricket at Oval

Nottinghamshire 371 & 296-4 dec, Hampshire 276 & 12-0

The match has finally resumed at the Ageas Bowl after heavy rain saw the whole morning session wiped out.

Nottinghamshire declared on their overnight score of 296-4, setting Hampshire a target of 392, but with play not getting underway until 13:20 BST, a draw seems the most likely result.

Meanwhile, there is still no cricket at The Oval, where Surrey are 95-2 in their second-innings, still 175 runs shy of making Essex bat again after their mammoth first-innings score of 610-8 dec.

The rain should clear shortly, but the restart will be delayed by a wet outfield.

You can listen to live radio commentary on all of today's County Championship matches on the BBC Sport Website.

Salary cap still in place - Premiership

Premiership Rugby insists that its salary cap remains in place and has support of England's top-flight clubs despite a report in the Times claiming that investigations into wages and finances had been suspended.

"We don't make any comment on any salary-cap investigations which might or might not be occurring," a Premiership Rugby spokesman said.

"But there is no amnesty in place. The salary-cap system is an integral part of Premiership Rugby and has the support of our clubs."

Get Involved

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After Barcelona trio Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar racked up their 100th goal of the season last night, your nominations for the best - and worst - strikeforces of all time are coming in via #bbcsportsday on Twitter, 81111 and the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Nick Sutton on Twitter: Frank McAvennie and Tony Cottee for the Hammers

Joe Kelly on Twitter: Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton and John Hartson for Celtic, each unstoppable in their own right alone or together

Alex Humphries on Twitter: Worst ever strike partnership - Valeri Bojinov and Rolando Bianchi at Manchester City circa 2007.

Gloucestershire lower order rally

BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Bob Hunt at Bristol:

Gloucestershire 275 & 379-8, Derbyshire 545-9 dec

"Gloucestershire have made life difficult for Derbyshire in the final morning, and lead by 109 runs.

"A stand of 94 between Hamish Marshall and James Fuller was eventually ended by Mark Footitt, but it was Martin Guptill who stamped his mark yet again on this game.

"His third outstanding catch was probably the best of the lot as he flung himself full length at backward point to dismiss Marshall for 79.

"It's up to the tail to prolong the game further, but Derbyshire will still be hoping to wrap things up about tea time."

You can listen to live radio commentary on all of today's County Championship matches on the BBC Sport website.

Northeast fights for Kent

Lancashire 444, Kent 252 & 209-5

Kent's hopes of salvaging something from the game against Lancashire appear to rest with Sam Northeast.

The 25-year-old is unbeaten on 40, but his side have a lead of just 17 as they reached 209-5 at lunch.

Lancashire picked up two wickets in a morning session affected by rain, Brendon Nash falling to Kyle Jarvis and Darren Stevens trapped lbw by Australian Peter Siddle.

You can listen to live radio commentary on all of today's County Championship matches on the BBC Sport website.

Middlesex in pursuit of 402

BBC London 94.9's Kevin Hand at Taunton:

Somerset 408 & 310, Middlesex 317 & 148-3

"Somerset remain in the ascendancy as they have been throughout the match but Middlesex have given themselves a real chance of another remarkable run chase.

"Almost a year to the day since they chased 472 against Yorkshire, they're 148-3 at lunch in pursuit of 402 on a good batting track with a particularly short boundary on one side.

"Skipper Adam Voges is 34 not out and the key to the visitors' hopes but they were given a fine start by the impressive young opener Nick Gubbins, who made his second fifty of the match only to fall just before the interval."

You can listen to live radio commentary on all of today's County Championship matches on the BBC Sport website.

Durham on course for victory

BBC Newcastle's Martin Emmerson at Chester-le-Street:

Sussex 335 & 265, Durham 339 & 211-4

"Barring a disaster after lunch Durham should wrap up their second win of the season.

"They are in a strong position at 211-4 and need another 51 to beat the early season Division One leaders.

"Scott Borthwick will resume on 75 and was key to a partnership of 83 for fourth wicket with Callum MacLeod which ended with the Scotsman on 26 when he lofted a cut off Ajmal Shahzad to Steve Magoffin at third man."

You can listen to live radio commentary on all of today's County Championship matches on the BBC Sport website.

Pogba and Cavani to swap clubs?

If what Italian website Tuttosport say is true, the transfer chiefs of Paris St Germain and Juventus could be spending a lot of time in each other's company this summer.

They repeat a rumour that Paris St Germain have already agreed a post-tax package worth £138,000 a week with 22-year-old former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.

Apparently PSG striker Edinson Cavani, 28, could be heading in the opposite direction.

Hants confirm Edwards early arrival

PA

Hampshire have confirmed West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards will join the club earlier than first planned.

The 33-year old was due to arrive at the Ageas Bowl in time for the One-Day Cup match against Sussex on 27 July.

However, Edwards will now arrive for Hampshire's T20 friendly against Dorset on Monday, 4 May and will cover for injured Australia seamer Jackson Bird.

Bird, 28, had to pull out of his deal with the club after suffering a neck injury and will be out for some time.

BreakingFacey found guilty of bribery

Former Premier League player Delroy Facey has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery by a jury at Brimingham Crown Court.

Facey, who played for Bolton between 2002 and 2004, acted as a middleman for two men who have already been convicted of match-fixing in November 2013.

Former non-league player Moses Swaibu has been found guilty of the same offence.

Murray in Munich

@mike_dickson_DM

Daily Mail tennis correspondent Mike Dickson: Andy Murray back on the clay in Munich, plays doubles later but several days' rain forecast.

Murray will team up with Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer in the doubles. This is his first tournament since his wedding to Kim Sears.

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One is awesome. The other, frankly, awful.

I refer, of course, to the strike forces of Barcelona and Liverpool and their contrasting levels of output this season.

For while Barca's terrific trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez were taking their combined tally of goals this season to 100 last night, Mario Balotelli was busy firing another blank at the sharp end of Liverpool's attack. Between them, the Italian, Daniel Sturridge, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini have contributed eight Premier League goals this term.

I think this calls for a debate, don't you? We'd like to know your nominations for the best and worst strike forces in football history. Get in touch via #bbcsportsday on Twitter or 81111 on text.

Lewandowski to play through pain?

@lewy_official

He may have suffered a broken jaw and nose last night in the German Cup defeat to former club Borussia Dortmund last night, but Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is in Terminator mood.

He has tweeted to say that he still hopes to play in the first leg of his side's Champions League semi-final tie against Barcelona on 6 May.

Nails.

Vunipola brother re-sign with Sarries

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England duo Mako and Billy Vunipola have signed new deals with Saracens in what are described by the club as "multi-year extensions".

Loosehead prop Mako, 24, joined Saracens from Bristol in the summer of 2011 with number eight Billy, 22, following in 2013 from Wasps.

Rain frustrates at Headingley

BBC Radio Leeds' Dave Callaghan at Headingley:

Warwickshire 435 & 170-5, Yorkshire 303

"An early lunch at Headingley with frequent showers hindering the hopes of a positive finish.

"Warwickshire have gone to 170-5 - an overall lead of 302

"This will be remembered as Ian Westwood's match. He hit 84 in the second innings to follow on from his 196 career best in the first knock.

"Spin bowler James Middlebrook has three wickets, but with the rain causing frequent stoppages a draw seems likely."

Look who's back

Excellent news coming out of Southampton today - striker Jay Rodriguez is back in training.

The 25-year-old ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in April last year, and suffered a setback in his recovery before Christmas.

It was terrible timing for a frontman who had just broken into the England side and was tipped to make an impression at the 2014 World Cup.

Rodriguez is clearly in good spirits today, going on Twitter to post the following:

Twitter

Get Involved

Your favourite sporting quote are coming in on Twitter, via #bestsportingquotes, text, via 81111, and on Facebook.

Adam Roberts on Twitter: Reporter: "Gordon, can we have a quick word please?" Gordon Strachan: ".....velocity" (walks off).

Ammar Hilali on text: "If you even dream of beating me, you'd better wake up and apologise" - Muhammed Ali

Anonymous on text: "They say Rome wasn't built in a day; then again I wasn't on that project" - Brian Clough

Bieber the belt man

The phrase 'here's a story you couldn't make up' is often over-used.

But not on this occasion.

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber will carry Floyd Mayweather's championship belts into the ring before the Las Vegas showdown with Manny Pacquiao on Saturday.

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Yes, you read that right. The 21-year-old, who apparently is a close friend of Mayweather's (even appearing at a recent press conference with him), has - according to The Sun - been asked to lead out the American's entourage at the MGM Grand. in Las Vegas.

As long as he doesn't sing, we'll all be ok.

St Helens half-back Hohaia retires

SWPIX.COM

St Helens have announced that New Zealand half-back Lance Hohaia has retired with immediate effect.

Hohaia played for the Kiwis when they won the 2008 World Cup and also helped Saints to the Super League title in 2014.

However, his involvement in the Grand Final was minimal. Hohaia was unable to continue after being struck twice in the opening minutes by Wigan prop Ben Flower - an offence for which Flower was suspended for six months.

Hugo if you go

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Manchester United have Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris lined up to replace David De Gea if the Spaniard opts to move to Real Madrid rather than sign a new contract at Old Trafford say ESPN FC.

It claims that the Red Devils have made "initial contact" with Tottenham as De Gea holds off on signing a lucrative new deal worth a reported £200,000 a week. De Gea's present deal expires at the end of next season.

Spurs to swap Townsend for Schniederlin?

Reuters

Tottenham are willing to throw either England winger Andros Townsend or anchorman Benjamin Stambouli into the deal to secure the signature of Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin according to the London Evening Standard.

Arsenal, who had been strongly linked with 25-year-old Schneiderlin, are said to be having second thoughts on their pursuit of the France international with Francis Coquelin performing well in his position.

Chelsea meanwhile have Schneiderlin as only a back-up option to the likes of Koke and Paul Pogba.

Lancashire announce profit

Lancashire have announced a profit of £793,000 for the last financial year.

It is a drop on the £3.5m profit posted in 2013, although that year their Old Trafford ground hosted an Ashes Test match.

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Finance director Lee Morgan told BBC Radio Lancashire. "The important thing for us is we're generating positive cash flow and making a profit, so we're going in the right direction."

Carlisle moves to London

London Welsh have announced the signing of former Worcester and Wasps fly-half Joe Carlisle.

Carlisle will move to the Exiles from Italian club Treviso, where he has played European Champions Cup and Guinness PRO12 rugby this season.

The best shots ahead of the big fight

AP

A photo gallery showing the best shots from the build-up to Sunday morning's Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao mega-fight is up on the BBC Sport website.

Fistic figurines, espresso artists and folk dancers - they are all involved.

Shamoon Hafez

BBC Sport in Sheffield

"Judd Trump swiftly wrapped up victory over Ding Junhui at the Crucible this morning and stated afterwards that "no-one will beat him" if he continues to play like that.

"I asked him if he caught the Ronnie O'Sullivan chalk incident, and he said he had, but like O'Sullivan, said he was unaware of the rules about placing the chalk on the table. Trump felt The Rocket made an honest mistake and was unaware of the ruling too.

"World Snooker say they will be speaking to the referee Terry Camilleri to ask him his interpretation of the incident, but no further action will be taken against the five-time world champion."

Hawkins stays strong

It is fair to say that Aussie Neil Robertson was the big favourite heading into his World Snooker Championship quarter-final with Barry Hawkins.

But the Englishman is continuing to impress in the best-of-25 match.

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Leading 5-3 overnight, Hawkins has maintained his advantage and, as it stands, is 7-5 up.

This one looks like it could go down to the wire - coverage here.

Stoney reveals fans support

England and Arsenal international Casey Stoney says that the response to her February 2014 BBC Sport column explaining she was gay has been "98-99% positive".

"When I was initially asked to do a piece, I sat down with my family and my partner and I have to be honest, I was absolutely petrified," Stoney said.

"I didn't know what the response would be. I thought it would be negative and it was completely the opposite: it was overwhelmingly positive.

Stoney's partner - former Lincoln Ladies player Megan Harris - gave birth to twins Teddy and Tilly last November.

Spieth v McIlroy

Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy have plenty of work to do if they are to meet in the WGC-Matchplay Championship final on Sunday.

World number one McIlroy faces Billy Horschel, Brandt Snedeker and Jason Dufner in the new round-robin format.

Spieth is up against former world number one Lee Westwood, American Matt Every and Mikko Ilonen of Finland.

Group winners progress to the knockout stage. The world's top 64 ranked players are taking part.

'I don't compare to Rory ... yet'

Masters champion Jordan Spieth says he welcomes a long-term rivalry with Rory McIlroy - but insists that he has still got some way to go to match the world number one.

The 21-year-old American, who won his first major title at the Masters earlier in the month, is seeded second behind McIlroy at this week's WGC-Matchplay Championship in San Francisco.

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"I'm off to a good start, but I can't compare what I've done to what Rory has done," said Spieth.

"In order to have a rivalry, we need to be competing against each other consistently at the highest level and that hasn't happened yet."

Stockton-on-Tees to host 2016 Championships

Stockton-on-Tees will host the 2016 British Cycling National Road Championships.

The decision from British Cycling means disappointment for the Isle of Man, who were also bidding to stage next year's event.

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After Rotherham boss Steve Evans' pithy put-down to Millwall's Lee Gregory, your favourite sporting quotes are contining to come in on Twitter, text via 81111 and Facebook.

Ronan McAleenan on Twitter: "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered." - George Best

Daniel Darie on Twitter: "If I walked on water, my accusers would say it is because I can't swim." - Berti Vogts

Keith on text: "The after shave will sure taste good tonight" - scrum-half Steve Smith after England beat Wales in 1982.

Earlier in the year team-mate Colin Smart had down a bottle of aftershave at a post-match dinner in Paris.

Battle for Bolasie

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Everton and Newcastle have made contact with Crystal Palace over a £15m Yannick Bolasie deal, with Stoke also keen to sign the 25-year-old DR Congo winger, reports The Mirror.

'I don't fear Ronnie'

Judd Trump became the first man through to the semi-finals of the world snooker championship with a 13-4 victory over China's Ding Junhui. Trump will face either Ronnie O'Sullivan or Stuart Bingham next and he's talking a good game.

"If I play like I did, then I won't get beaten," said Trump. "To keep that up for another five days is going to be extremely hard. This tournament is all about consistency. I have to keep doing it. I don't fear Ronnie but if he plays at his best, he is tough to beat. But if I play at my best, I can match him."

'It's all about the money'

The great thing about boxing is that it is so dignified and opponents are so respectful of each other.

Erm, or maybe not.

Floyd Mayweather has been taunting Manny Pacquiao ahead of their super-fight on Saturday, telling him he should be earning more money.

Reuters

The fighters are sharing around £150m, but the purse split is 60-40 in Mayweather's favour.

"If he'd have worked with us, he'd have made $100m (£90m)," said Mayweather. "Financially, he hasn't been treated right for this fight. And [this fight] is all about the money."

Heart-warming stuff eh? Full story here.

Reliant on Robben?

Reuters

Bayern Munich's season has taken a turn for the worse.

Their hopes of a treble went down the gurgler as they lost their German Cup semi-final to Borussia Dortmund on penalties last night and this morning Arjen Robben has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a tear in his calf muscle after making his comeback in the game.

Striker Robert Lewandowski is also set to miss the rest of the campaign after breaking his jaw and nose.

Thiago Alcantara suffered only a slight bruise in the game however.

Bayern play Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on 6 May.

'We're the best team' - Walcott

Bold words from Theo Walcott today.

The Arsenal winger says the Gunners have been the "best team in Europe" this year and could lift the title next season if everyone stays fit.

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"I think, especially this season, not many people thought we would be challenging for the Premier League," the 26-year-old told the club website.

"In this calendar year, we have been the best team in Europe. It is the strongest the squad has been and everyone is staying fit as well.

"There aren't many injuries in the squad, which is important. If we have an injury-free season, I think we could lift the title."

Nice view

BBC Sports editor Dan Roan on Twitter:

Twitter

We're not jealous of him being in Vegas to cover the fight. At all. Honest.

Bolt on film

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Usain Bolt is to be the subject of a feature documentary following his preparations and performance at the 2016 Olympics.

The Jamaican legend is bidding to land a third successive Olympic 100m and 200m sprint double in Rio de Janeiro.

The film will be produced by production company Fulwell 73, who were behind a similar project on the Manchester United's 'Class of 92'.

Aussie rules?

An Australian bid to host the 2028 Olympic Games would stand a good chance of winning, the head of the International Olympic Committee has said.

IOC president Thomas Bach said Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott had raised the idea of a potential bid during talks in Canberra.

"The prime minister was asking how we see the chances for an Olympic bid from Australia in the future, and I explained to him that... a bid from Australia would enjoy a lot of sympathy and would in fact have a very good chance then also to win," he said.

Which might make one or two other countries think twice before trying to bid for it.

Decision time

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Real Madrid have 48 hours to make a decision on striker Javier Hernandez, 26, as the clock runs down on their first option to buy the Manchester United striker, reports the Daily Mail.

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Gregory P: 'I wouldn't say I'm the best manager in the world, but I'm in the top 1'- Brian Clough

Phil Culverhouse: 'Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the mouth' - Mike Tyson

Joe Wainman: 'I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my room & was in bed before the room was dark' - Muhammad Ali

'Salary cap probe suspended'

The Times report that leading clubs in England have voted in favour of suspending investigations into salary-cap breaches.

"The Times understands that a majority of clubs have voted for inquiries to be suspended, in part for fear of alienating sponsors and fans, and jeopardising their position in negotiations with the RFU over a new relationship governing the release of England players," the newspaper reports.

The salary cap stands at £5m and clubs can be punished with points deductions if they exceed that barrier.

French clubs are allowed to spend 10m euros (£7.2m) on players wages.

Ding Trumped

Well that didn't take long.

Judd Trump, 12-4 ahead overnight at the Crucible and needing only one more frame to finish off China's Ding Junhui, has just rattled in a break of 66 to become the first player to book his place in the World Snooker Championship semi-finals.

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Trump, the 2011 finalist, who is looking in ominously good form, will next face the winner of Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stuart Bingham. That game continues a 14:30 BST, with Bingham 5-3 ahead.

Full coverage of the snooker here.

Surrey hope for Pietersen heroics

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In Division Two, all eyes will be on Kevin Pietersen as Surrey look to bat all day to avoid defeat by Essex at The Oval.

The former England batsman will resume on 8 not out, with Rory Burns unbeaten on 41, as Surrey begin the final day on 95-2, still 175 runs behind.

Derbyshire will be hopeful of wrapping up victory over Gloucestershire, who closed on 253-6 in their second innings, still 17 runs behind.

Leicestershire face a battle to win their first County Championship game in three seasons after David Willey's 88 handed Northants the initiative at Grace Road.

The home side, 44-1 overnight, require another 332 runs to win.

Finally, Kent begin the final day at Old Trafford needing another 44 runs to avoid an innings defeat against Lancashire having reached 148-3 by the close last night.

Durham chase target against Sussex

It's the final day of the third round of County Championship games and in Division One Durham look well placed to end Sussex's winning start to the new season at Chester-le-Street.

The home side will resume this morning on 115-2, needing 146 more runs to win.

Somerset are also in a powerful position and will be looking to take 10 wickets to beat Middlesex who, after closing on 31-0 last night, require another 372 to claim an unlikely victory.

An early declaration could be on the cards at the Ageas Bowl where Nottinghamshire reached 296-4 in their second innings yesterday thanks to 103 from Brendan Taylor and 94 from Alex Hales, a lead of 391 runs over Hampshire.

But a draw probably looks the most likely result at Headingley, where Warwickshire will resume on 108-2 in their second innings, leading county champions Yorkshire by 240.

Easton not ready to retire at 41

The FA

Liverpool Ladies defender Becky Easton says she is not ready to retire from football, despite recently turning 41.

The right-back insists that as long as she is getting picked, she wants to continue playing for as long as possible.

"I think I might have a year or two left in me hopefully," said Easton, who has played 44 times for England.

"If I spent a year on the bench not being involved, that might make up my mind for me, but as long as I can still mix it with these youngsters, I'll keep going."

Get Involved

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Anonymous on text: "Greg Thomas bowling to Viv Richards. Richards played and missed. Thomas said, 'it's red and round you're supposed to hit it.' Viv hit the next ball for six and said 'you know what it looks like now go and fetch it'."

Time for tea

It's tea at the cricket where Pakistan, replying to Bangladesh's first innings score of 332, are 84 for one on the second day of the first Test in Khulna.

Mohammad Hafeez was unbeaten on 52 and Azhar Ali was on 12 after debutant Sami Aslam was caught behind off Taijul Islam for 20.

Bangladesh, who resumed at their overnight score of 236 for four, were dismissed soon after lunch.

Cleverly returns to ring

Former world champion Nathan Cleverly says he has "agreed" a deal to fight WBA light-heavyweight belt holder Juergen Braehmer.

The Welshman, 28, hopes to fight the German after his next fight, which could take place on 30 May against an unnamed opponent.

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"Terms have been agreed," Cleverly told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

"It's just a matter of me getting this next fight out of the way and then we are going to make an announcement."

Cleverly considered retiring after losing to cruiserweight Tony Bellew in November but has returned to light-heavyweight for a "fresh assault" on the division.

Get involved

Your favourite sporting quotes are coming in thick and fast via #bestsportingquotes, 81111 on text and the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Adam Roylance on Twitter: Mario Balotelli: "When I score, I don't celebrate because it's my job. When a postman delivers letters, does he celebrate?"

Pvt Parts on Twitter: Unnamed England fan after the 2007 Ashes whitewash: "We shouldn't have beaten them last time. It only made them angry."

Julian Allen on Twitter: "If a player is not interfering with play or seeking to gain an advantage, then he should be." Bill Shankly.

All aboard for Rio

The Rio Olympics is - if our Maths is correct - 464 days away (it starts on 5 August next year).

But Paralympic sailing champion Helena Lucas has had the honour of being named as the first member of the Great Britain team.

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The Southampton sailor, who turns 40 on Wednesday, is the first confirmed athlete on either the Olympic or Paralympic team.

It will be a third Games for Lucas, who competes in the one-person 2.4mR keelboat event.

"It's amazing that I'm the first athlete to be selected," she said.

The mystery of Morty

Stan Mortensen is regarded as one of the best centre forwards of all time - and remains the only man to have scored a hat-trick in an FA Cup final (even though, confusingly, the game in question is known as the Matthews Final ... Blackpool's 1953 4-3 win over Bolton when Sir Stanley finally secured a winners medal).

Mortensen is remembered at Blackpool FC by a statue near the main entrance.

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But something odd has happened. The statue has disappeared and the club are not saying where it has gone.

It transpires the removal of the statue comes just days before it was supposed to be used as the focal point of a fans protest.

Steve Smith, spokesperson for the protest group Tangerine Knights said: "We were told if we planned to lay any memorabilia around the statue there was a possibility chairman Karl Oyston would take out a civil trespassing injunction."

The club - relegated from the Championship weeks ago after a dismal season marred by poor performances and supporter unrest - are yet to comment.

Gerrard effect

Steven Gerrard's 17th and final season at Liverpool is does not look like one that the former England captain is going to look back on fondly.

Liverpool's victories have dried up markedly with the LA Galaxy-bound midfielder in the team this season.

OptaJoe, tweeting last night after the Reds' loss to Hull which Gerrard missed: "88% - Liverpool have won 7 of their 8 PL games without Steven Gerrard this season (88%), compared to 40% with him (10 of 25). Distraction."

FA Cup sponsorship latest

David Ornstein

BBC Sport

"The Football Association is refusing to comment on reports it is set to sign a £30m sponsorship deal that would see the FA Cup renamed the Emirates FA Cup.

"The governing body insists no deal has been signed with anyone, adding: "We remain in discussions with a number of parties regarding FA Cup partner opportunities".

"Whether or not the matter is discussed at Thursday's FA Board meeting, no final decisions will be taken on FA Cup sponsorship at that meeting.

"The FA is, however, hopeful of confirming a new sponsor for the competition by the end of the current season.

"This season, the FA Cup has not had a sponsor after Budweiser opted not to renew its deal."

Houston apologise for Twitter gag

This is what happens when an over-excited social media manager and a whole load of new emojis mix.

The Houston Rockets knocked the Dallas Mavericks out of the Western Conference last night, but they caused controversy during the second half by tweeting icons of a horse - the Mavericks' logo- and a pistol with the words, "Shhhh. Just close your eyes. It will all be over soon."

Sinister.

It has since been deleted and the following apology posted.

Twitter

Reds forwards on strike

Getty Images

Liverpool went down 1-0 to Hull last night to surely put any lingering hopes of Champions League qualification to bed for the season.

The scoreline was not the only depressing stat from the evening for Reds fans.

Their specialist strikers (Daniel Sturridge, Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini) have scored eight Premier League goals between them this season. Everton's back four (Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman, Phil Jagielka and John Stones) have scored nine.

Chalk capers

Ronnie O'Sullivan and talking points are going together like ice cream and cornets at the Crucible.

The five-time champion took his shoes off in his opening match at the World Snooker Championship, made an offensive gesture in his second game, and now - in his quarter-final with Stuart Bingham - appears to have broken the rules by placing his chalk on the table.

BBC Sport

The rulebook states a seven-point penalty will be awarded to the opponent if a player uses any object to measure gaps or distances, but the incident was missed by match referee Terry Camilleri and World Snooker is now investigating.

Full video here.

Meanwhile, Ronnie's match with Bingham - with the latter leading 5-3 - resumes today at 14:30 BST.

Big fight build-up

BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan is out in Las Vegas for the Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao scrap.

He has been tweeting various images which capture all the razzmatazz and glamour of the occasion.

We'll bring you a selection throughout the day, starting with this...

Twitter

'Bolt is beatable'

British sprinter Adam Gemili says multiple world and Olympic champion Usain Bolt is beatable - but admitted it will be a few years before he is able to challenge the Jamaican.

The 21-year-old, promoting the Anniversary Games in London in July, said: "I would like to be both a 100m and 200m sprinter. We've not had someone who can double up in Britain.

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"I've got a few more years in me before I can be really competitive, before I can challenge those guys in Jamaica and America.

"The main threat is always Usain Bolt. If he turns up on the day, it's going to be tough to beat him, but he is beatable. Maybe when he's still competing when I'm getting into my prime."

"Enjoy League One son"

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Millwall striker Lee Gregory said on Monday that he hoped Championship relegation rivals Rotherham "would bottle it" in their fight against the drop.

Big mistake. Big. Huge.

Rotherham duly beat Reading 2-1 last night to ensure their survival and relegate the Lions.

Millers boss Steve Evans, never short of a word or three, had these words of consolation for Gregory.

"He said we've not got bottle. I've got 12 bottles of pink finest Champagne and we'll be drinking them for about a week," said Evans.

"Look forward to League One, son, and keep your trap shut."

Ouch.

Inspired by Evans, we are looking for your favourite sporting trash-talk, putdowns, ripostes, boasts, hype and honesty.

Send 'em in on Twitter, via #bestsportingquotes, via text on 81111 and on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Chelsea's party trick

Have you ever had an urge to watch six grown men juggle a ball over a dinner table before heading it into a litter bin? If so, you need to get out more... sorry, we meant your luck is in.

Chelsea players including John Terry and Didier Drogba have been filmed performing a head tennis session at the dinner table, before Jon Obi Mikel finishes things off by nodding the ball into a bin, sparking joyous celebrations.

BBC Sport

Don't know what Jose would make of it. In the meantime, you can watch the video here.

Looking up

Hull City goalkeeper Steve Harper reflects on a decent few days for the club on Twitter...

Twitter

Mertens condition worsens

The condition of Belgian defender Gregory Mertens has deteriorated following his collapse on the pitch with a heart-related illness.

The 24-year-old Lokeren player is in a critical condition after being given CPR in the first half of Monday's reserve-team game with Genk.

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He is in an induced coma in a Genk hospital on a life support machine.

"His situation has deteriorated. We are waiting for the worst news to come," a Lokeren spokesman said.

Crucible timetable

Play starts in Sheffield at the World Snooker Championships at 10:00 BST, with full coverage across the BBC.

Barry Hawkins resumes his quarter-final with Australia's Neil Robertson, leading 5-3, while Judd Trump needs only one more frame to see off Ding Junhui (Chn) - he is 12-4 ahead in the best-of-25 frame match.

Head here for the full schedule.

Let the battle commence

So then, it is, of course, fight week.

Floyd Mayweather takes on Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in the early hours of Sunday morning and things are hotting up across the pond.

The BBC has several reporters out there, including Ben Dirs, who was on hand to witness the moment when thousands of fans greeted the boxers as they arrived ahead of the £150m bout.

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"Don't get nervous," Pacquiao told his fans. "I'm the one fighting, so relax."

"I'm more calculated, I'm the smarter fighter," said Mayeather. "He would be a better fighter if he wasn't so reckless."

Let the trash-talking commence.

Trip down memory lane

Rio Ferdinand has posted this on Instagram, with the message: "Just been sent this of a young chap playing for Bournemouth a few years ago! Buzzing for them to get promoted to the Premier League."

Instagram

Ferdinand spent 10-games on loan with the Cherries in 1996, when he was 17-years-old and coming through the ranks at West Ham.

And here's something we'd forgotten about, which happened 12 months later - during the summer of 1997, Man United made an enquiry about Ferdinand but West Ham said no and the Reds signed Henning Berg from Blackburn instead.

Ferdinand did, of course, join United (via Leeds) for £34m in 2002.

Test latest

Leg-spinner Yasir Shah helped Pakistan take four wickets on the second morning of the first test against Bangladesh, reducing the hosts to 325-8 at lunch.

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Shah returned figures of 3-78 as Pakistan made inroads after Bangladesh resumed the day on 236-4. Mohammad Hafeez (2-47) and Zulfiqar Babar (2-99) took two wickets apiece.

At lunch, Shuvagata Hom was on 11 with Mohammad Shahid on 6.

Not on the spot

Here's a rarity - a German side that can't take penalties.

And what's more incredible is that it's Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola's globally-admired side.

One apiece with Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund at full-time of their the German Cup semi-final, the match went to a penalty shoot-out ... in which Bayern somehow contrived to miss every spot kick they took.

Reuters

Xabi Alonso and Philipp Lahm (pictured) slipped as they took theirs, while Mario Gotze was denied and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer hit the bar.

Dortmund converted a couple of theirs to book a place in the final, where they will meet either Arminia Bielefeld and Wolfsburg in Berlin on 30 May.

The price of football

Off the pitch, the Hull-Liverpool game caused a stir.

The £50 price of an away ticket led to many Reds fans boycotting the game, with a Liverpool supporters' organisation condemning "greedy" club.

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Liverpool's The Spirit of Shankly group requested fans did not attend the match and there were empty seats in the away end despite the club having sold the allocation of 2,500 tickets.

"These clubs are so greedy, they charge fans through the nose - it has to stop," said spokesperson Keith Culvin.

Fans also protested outside Anfield.

Delight for Bruce

If Rotherham are happy, Hull are flippin' delighted.

Steve Bruce's men, facing a run-in which includes daunting games against Arsenal, Tottenham and Man United, desperately needed a victory to ease their relegation fears ... and victory they got.

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The Tigers beat Liverpool 1-0 courtesy of a Michael Dawson header to move four points clear of the bottom three - though defeat leaves Brendan Rodger's men almost certain to miss out on Champions League qualification.

Match report here.

Staying up

For those who want to read about how Rotherham stayed up, here's the report of their win over Reading.

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Matt Derbyshire and Lee Frecklington got the all-important goals at the New York Stadium as the Millers recorded only their second win in nine games.

It was an emotional victory for Rotherham, who had three points deducted last week for fielding an ineligible player, but have still managed to retain their Championship place after taking eight points from their last five matches.

'Keep your trap shut son'

First to Rotherham, where the club not only secured their Championship survival last night (sending Millwall and Wigan down) but manager Steve Evans provided some of the most entertaining post-match comments of the season too.

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After the Millers 2-1 win over Reading, Evans had a pop-and-a-half at Millwall, who had suggested Rotherham's players lacked guts.

"A Millwall player said we've not got bottle. I've got 12 bottles of pink finest Champagne and we'll be drinking them for about a week," said Evans.

"Look forward to League One, son, and keep your trap shut."

That's them told then.

Wednesday's back pages

Guardian

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho talks about the future at Chelsea while there's an interesting story about how any rogue bars caught illegally screening the big fight (we surely don't need to tell you that's Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, in Vegas in the early hours of Sunday morning UK time), will face big trouble.

Wednesday's back pages

Independent

David de Gea will stay at Manchester United, with the club set to persuade their much-prized keeper to stay (though £200,000-a-week would, I think it's fair to say, persuade most folk to stay anywhere).

Wednesday's back pages

The Sun

Football's oldest competition is to be rebranded the Emirates FA Cup after the FA struck a £30m sponsorship deal with the Dubai-based company, says The Sun. The FA Cup has had sponsors before, but this is the first time in its 144-year history that full naming rights have been granted.

Wednesday's back pages

The Mirror

Forget the Fergie hair-dryer, Louis van Gaal can dish out a rollicking and a half too if needed. Or so says The Mirror, who claim Daley Blind and Antonio Valencia have been on the receiving end of a tongue-lashing from the manager.

Wednesday's back pages

Daily Express

Welcome to life in the Premier League Bournemouth. One day you're in ecstasy at going up, the next you're being told your manager might be on his way.

Here we go again

Sob. Spare a thought for Wigan and Millwall fans today. Rotherham's win over Reading has sent them down to League One.

Cheer. But Hull fans will have a spring in their step - what a huge win for Steve Bruce's men over Liverpool. The Tigers are now four points above the Premier League drop zone.

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Off-target. And if anyone could nip over to Munich and give the Bayern players some coaching in how to take penalties, that would be lovely.

More on all that shortly. First, the papers...