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South Africa’s Graeme Smith on Wednesday confronts a riddle that no captain has so far unravelled — how to beat Ricky Ponting’s Australians in the World Cup. Smith has already failed once when his team were well beaten by Australia in a group match at St Kitts last month, but he hopes to be second-time lucky when the two sides clash in the semifinals.
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After four World Cup semifinal defeats, New Zealand finally think they are worthy of a place in the final. Stephen Fleming’s Black Caps face Sri Lanka at Sabina Park on Tuesday with the renewed confidence that comes with the knowledge that they beat Australia 3-0 in a one-day series near the end of February.
The JSE was lower at noon trade on Tuesday following a weaker tone on European markets while other players took profits after the market’s strong moves in recent days. At noon, the all-share index was down 0,71%. Resources fell 0,81% while gold- and platinum-mining indices gave up 0,92% and 1,87% respectively.
While business activity levels in Gauteng slowed down in March, overall performance remains at a high level and businesses in virtually every sector should experience healthy activity, according to the latest Gauteng Business Barometer.
Michael Schumacher says he is enjoying Formula One from the perspective of a spectator but that doesn’t mean he’s got his feet up in retirement. His new life may not be revolving around lap times, grid positions and Grand Prix victories, but he is a man in demand.
The differences between Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho appear to have been patched up for the moment. An impromptu hug at the end of the FA Cup semifinal win over Blackburn hinted that the troubled relationship between Russian owner and Portuguese manager was on the mend.
AC Milan have beaten Manchester United on the three occasions they have met in the European Cup. The Red Devils’ injury crisis means it won’t be easy to reverse that trend on Tuesday. United manager Alex Ferguson is without eight players — including three first-choice defenders — for the first leg of the Champions League semifinals at Old Trafford.
If South Africa are to host a Super 14 semifinal for the first time since 2001, then the Sharks are first going to have to overcome some tough local challenges. But the men from Durban will also hope the second-placed Auckland Blues falter against the Northern Bulls in Pretoria this weekend.
The Ethiopian government on Monday again accused Eritrea of ”terrorist activities” aimed at destabilising the region and of orchestrating the kidnapping of a group of Europeans and their Ethiopian guides. In a statement, it ”urged the international community to condemn the ever-worsening terrorist activities of the Eritrean regime”.
Nigeria’s president-elect Umaru Yar’Adua on Tuesday faced a growing tide of discontent after being declared winner of a disputed poll that even the outgoing head of state admitted was far from perfect. In his first press briefing late on Monday, Yar’Adua issued an appeal for national unity.