England have high hopes of World Cup success

England coach Hope Powell believes the squad she has selected for the forthcoming Women's World Cup in Germany is the strongest she has ever chosen in her 13 years in charge of the national side.
England have never won a major women's tournament but recent victories over the United States and Sweden, first and fifth in the world respectively, mean Powell's team are among the leading contenders for a World Cup that starts in Germany on June 26.
And England have also been boosted by the return of fit again captain Faye White, who has not played for six weeks due to injury.
England reached the final of the European Championships two years ago only to see her side thrashed 6-2 by Germany in Helsinki. But Powell, whose team went through qualifying unbeaten, is confident her squad have overcome the disappointment of that defeat. "I think this is the best squad I've had," Powell said. "The depth is better than we have ever had and the versatility of the players is a brilliant thing to have in your locker.
"The girls have the experience of playing in major tournaments, whether it be at youth level or in the Euros, and our average amount of caps is 49, which is great. "We've got a few girls that can change games too so I'm encouraged by that." England, ranked eighth, beat the States 2-1 but Powell was wary of taking anything for granted in what appears to be a relatively easy group also featuring Mexico, New Zealand and Japan.

No ton no problem for Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen insisted he felt "a lot of happiness" despite missing out on a Test century against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl here on Saturday. Pietersen made a fluent 85 to help England to 195 for four at stumps on the third day of the third and final Test, a first innings lead of 11 runs.
But, just eight minutes before the schedule close, he was caught behind to give otherwise struggling medium-pacer Thisara Perera a first Test wicket.
His exit left Pietersen searching for his first Test century in Britain since making exactly 100 against his native South Africa at The Oval in August 2008. the first match of his brief and ultimately controversial stint as England captain. But the 30 year old said of his latest innings: "Actually, it wasn't frustrating at all. To play the way I've played today has given me a lot of happiness.
"To have gone back to basics and hit the ball straight and kept penetrating the opposite stumps, and playing in three or four areas, for me was brilliant."
Pietersen, who has scored just one hundred in his last 36 Test innings a Test best 227 against Australia at Adelaide in December, added: "If you'd said to me this morning 85 and to play the way I played, the hundreds will come and a lot of them, I hope.
"I had three or four scoring areas I've been really working hard on.

Bell and Morgan build England's lead

Ian Bell carried England into a strong position on the fourth morning at the Rose Bowl as they reached 291 for 5 at lunch which represented a lead of 107. Nightwatchman James Anderson hit a brisk 27 then Eoin Morgan settled in alongside Bell in a steady partnership against a Sri Lanka side that was looking less interested with each passing over.
On the first uninterrupted opening session of the Test, Bell reached his fifth consecutive half century from 74 balls. The late cut to third man was one of his favourite strokes while his cover driving continued to be eye catching. He was rarely in trouble and also dispatched a limping Dilhara Fernando through the covers with elegant timing.
Anderson actually dominated the early scoring in a perfect display of how a nightwatchman should bat having survived his primary role so that the game doesn't seize up. Two boundaries came in the first over of the day and he peppered the off side off a combination of front and back foot. He had just slotted Chanaka Welegedara for consecutive fours when the bowler dragged his length back to find the edge. Morgan took time to play himself in against some fairly gentle bowling but collected his first boundary with a strong square cut then drilled a superb straight drive off Thisara Perera. The visitors carried the air of a team already resigned to watching the weather for a route to safety and it was odd to see a half fit Fernando jog in off half a run up.
Rangana Herath had bowled just four of the 71 overs when he was finally recalled to the attack shortly before lunch then there was some gentle medium pace from Mahela Jayawardene, who bowled for the first time in a Test since August 2009, ahead of the new ball. England, though, won't mind if Sri Lanka take the new ball as it is often easier to scorer more quickly.

Pakistan ready to host Bangladesh

Pakistani football said Tuesday it was confident next month's home World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh will go ahead, promising tight security for the match.
After the first leg of their Asian zone qualifier for the 2014 World Cup in Dhaka on June 29, the two sides were scheduled to meet in Lahore on July 3.
But arrangements ran into trouble after Bangladesh asked FIFA, the game's ruling body, to relocate the match due to security fears.
FIFA has apparently rejected the request in a move welcomed by Pakistan Football Federation  secretary Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi.
"We hosted Palestine and Malaysia earlier this year and both the teams returned happy, so we have proper security arrangements in place and we are confident that the match will go ahead," Lodhi told.
Pakistan has not hosted any major sporting event since militants attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in March 2009, killing eight people and wounding seven visiting players and their assistant coach.
"FIFA knows of our security arrangements made for the Palestine and Malaysian teams so they have no problems and we assure Bangladesh that they will be well looked after," said Lodhi.
Bangladesh Football Federation chief Kazi Salahuddin told AFP Tuesday that FIFA turned down its request to host both games against Pakistan.
"FIFA rejected our request. So our national team will go to Pakistan play the match on July 3," he said, adding that he had not been told where the game will be played.
Team coach Robert Rubcic did not want to travel to the troubled country, Salahuddin said, but the team's appeal to FIFA fell on deaf ears.
The 2009 attack on Sri Lanka's cricketers forced Pakistan to play their home cricket ties on neutral grounds in England, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates. Only the Afghanistan cricket team has since toured Pakistan.Efforts by the Pakistan Cricket Board to host Sri Lanka later this year were also dashed after militants attacked a naval base last month and carried out other high-profile strikes following the killing of Osama bin Laden.
Sri Lanka Cricket refused to send its team, instead offering their grounds to play the three Tests, five one day and a Twenty20 match series.