Pedro Hits Hat-Trick As Barcelona Cruise....!

Pedro Rodriguez scored a hat-trick as Barcelona maintained their 100 percent start to the La Liga season with a comfortable 4-0 win over Rayo Vallecano.

The Spanish international rewarded the visitors` bright start when he slotted from after some brilliant play by Lionel Messi on the half hour mark yesterday.

However, just as in recent weeks, Barca were thankful to goalkeeper Victor Valdes for keeping them in front as he saved his second penalty in as many games when he palmed away Roberto Trashorras` effort 10 minutes before half-time.

That was to be the turning point as Pedro added a second barely two minutes into the second-half before sealing his hat-trick 13 minutes from time.

Cesc Fabregas rounded off a fine evening for Gerardo Martino`s men with a thumping finish two minutes later.

"We know that Vallecas is a difficult place to come. They have a competitive team, but we managed to find the spaces and score the goals," Pedro told Gol TV afterwards.

"I am happy with the overall work of the team. In the personal aspect, obviously I am happy too, but I need to give my thanks to my teammates," he added after receiving a trio of fine assists from Messi, Neymar and Fabregas.

Rayo had conceded 14 goals in their last three games and 12 in their previous two meetings at home to Barca, but they had the first clear chance of the game on three minutes as Johan Mojica`s cross was met by the unmarked Alberto Perea and Valdes was forced into a fine save.

Seconds later Barca ought to have taken the lead as a sensational touch by Lionel Messi took him beyond two Rayo defenders on the edge of the area, but he overran the ball as he rounded goalkeeper Ruben Martinez and Anaitz Arbilla cleared.

Neymar then had two great chances to score his first league goal for Barca, but he was denied by a goal-line clearance from Tito and then fired wide following a great turn and pass by Messi.

Henman Says Best Yet To Come From Federer........!

Retired British tennis star Tim Henman has slammed suggestions that Swiss star Roger Federer should retire from the sport, saying that he is `the best player that ever lived`.

The 17-time Major winner has been subjected to growing speculation in the last few weeks over his future in the game, having endured a frustrating loss of form in recent tournaments.

According to Metro.co.uk, however, the former British number one insisted that Federer would bounce back from this frustrating episode in his career, adding that his experience will play a big part in his comeback to the top of the rankings.

Urging fans to continue supporting Federer, Henman also said that they should continue to keep watching and enjoying Federer for as long as they can as it would be a long time before another player of Federer`s calibre arrives on the scene.

Although the Swiss faces a tough battle to catch up to the likes of US Open champion Rafael Nadal and Wimbledon winner Andy Murray given his age, Henman said that it is however, yet too early to write off Federer from the game as even though he has not had the best year, he is still motivated and loves playing the game.

Manchester City Pummelled Manchester United 4-1......!

Manuel Pellegrini was an emphatic winner in the battle of the Manchester derby debutants in the dugout on Sunday, as his side ruthlessly took apart David Moyes` reigning champions at the Etihad Stadium.

Sergio Aguero opened the scoring in impressive fashion as he volleyed home early in the first half, before Yaya Toure forced the ball over the line just before the break to put City firmly in the ascendency.

And, after another well-taken goal from Aguero - his fifth in six derby appearances - Samir Nasri completed the rout with 50 minutes gone as he sent a side-footed effort past the helpless David de Gea.

A late consolation goal from Wayne Rooney, which came courtesy of a brilliant free-kick, will have done little to lighten the mood among the United camp ahead of a midweek League Cup clash with fierce rivals Liverpool. 

The absence of Robin van Persie from the visitors` squad made headlines, with the prolific Dutchman omitted with a groin strain. And, although United were boosted by the return of Danny Welbeck, they were faced with the unenviable task of keeping an opposition pairing of Alvaro Negredo and Aguero quiet at the other end.

Their chances of doing so appeared slim in the opening exchanges, as City began with impressive fluency despite the frenetic nature of the occasion.

And they were rewarded for their endeavour after just 16 minutes when Aguero opened the scoring with a fabulous left-footed finish from inside the box. The Argentinian had plenty of work still to do after Aleksandar Kolarov had picked up the ball from Nasri on the overlap before crossing, but he controlled his volley beautifully to give the hosts the lead.

Kolarov`s adventurous running from full-back caused problems again a few moments later, as the Serbian went down in the area following a challenge from Chris Smalling, but referee Howard Webb showed little interest in awarding a penalty.

Despite a lack of further breakthroughs, City continued to dominate possession, with the frustration of the visitors clearly evident when Rooney picked up a needless booking. The England international was given short shrift by the dominate City centre-back pairing of Matija Nastasic and Vincent Kompany in the aftermath, and Antonio Valencia`s woeful effort from the edge of the box was the nearest United went to getting back into the game.

Their hopes of taking anything from the game were severely dented on the stroke of half-time, as Negredo rose highest to flick on a corner and the unmarked Toure reacted quickly to divert the ball in off his knee from close range.

Moyes could at least take solace from the fact that the interval offered an opportunity to disrupt City`s dominance, but just two minutes into the second half the hosts grabbed a third. Negredo was the provider again, the Spaniard holding up the ball brilliantly under the attentions of Nemanja Vidic in the box before turning and teeing up Aguero for a close-range volley he could hardly miss.

And City fans already in dreamland saw their day get even better just three minutes later, as Kompany`s rampaging run from the back ended in a lofted cross that Nasri emphatically turned home at the back post.

The hosts were happy to concede possession to United and attack on the counter given the size of their lead, but a long-distance effort from Marouane Fellaini, which Joe Hart easily kept out, was the best the visitors could muster despite controlling the ball for long periods.

United`s day was perhaps best summed up by a flurry of activity in the opposition goalmouth that saw Patrice Evra hit the post and Rooney somehow denied by the legs of Hart when his well-struck effort from inside the box looked bound for the back of the net.

The former Everton striker would get his goal eventually, however, curling in brilliantly from a set-piece to add some respectability to the scoreline for the visitors.

Untouchable Vettel Storms To His Fourth Straight World Title......!

Sebastian Vettel took a huge step towards his fourth straight world title Sunday with a superlative victory in Singapore that left his rivals fighting for scraps.

The German, starting from pole, fought off Nico Rosberg in the first corner and despite a safety car intervention, he was untouchable as he scored his third win in a row and a hat-trick of wins in Singapore.

Ferrari`s Alonso finished second to keep up the title pressure on Vettel, who now leads the championship by 60 points from the Spaniard with six races remaining.

Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen braved back pain to finish third but there was disaster for Red Bull`s Mark Webber, whose late charge ended in a blown engine and a ride back to the pits on the wing of Alonso`s Ferrari.

Mercedes` Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton claimed fourth and fifth, Ferrari`s Felipe Massa was sixth and McLaren pair Jenson Button and Sergio Perez occupied eighth and ninth.

But yet again the race belonged to Vettel, who was literally streets ahead of his rivals on the spot-lit Marina Bay circuit through the highways of downtown Singapore.

CLT20 Starts With Qualifiers, Faisalabad Wolves In Spotlight......!

Still trying to find its foothold in the cricketing landscape, the Champions League Twenty20 will enter its fourth season here from Tuesday with the qualifying matches during which Pakistan`s domestic champions Faisalabad Wolves are likely to hog the limelight.

A league which was born out of the hugely successful IPL, CLT20 is gradually establishing its identity but it would take some time for it to truly find a connect with the fans.

The event will kick off with Faisalabad Wolves, led by Pakistan`s Terst skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, taking on New Zealand`s Otago Volts in the first qualifier on Tuesday.

This would be followed by a star-studded Sunrisers Hyderabad, led by Delhi-dasher Shikhar Dhawan, squaring off against Sri Lanka`s Kandurata Maroons in the second qualifier at the PCA stadium.

Barring Volts, the other three teams in the Qualifiers come from the sub-continent, but none among the four feels that either has any big advantage in the event.

The top two teams will advance to the main draw, which has three Indian teams in fray -- IPL champions Mumbai Indians, runners-up Chennai Super Kings and third-place finishers Rajasthan Royals.

In Tuesday’s opening match, the Wolves would mainly rely on their young players including promising medium-pacer Ehsan Adil, Ali Waqas, Khuram Shahzad, Asad Ali, besides banking on the experience of skipper Misbah and Saeed Ajmal, who has been a national asset in all three formats after his Test debut four years back.

The Wolves, who had some visa issues when they landed here, will draw strength from the fact that at the domestic level, they beat teams that had many stars. The Wolves are only the second team from Pakistan to compete in the event after Sialkot Stallions last year. 

Their presence in the event was ensured after much speculation that arose out of rising border tensions between India and Pakistan.

The Squads for the qualifiers:

Faisalabad Wolves: Misbah-ul-Haq, Asif Alli, Ali Waqas, Khuram Shahzad, Muhammad Salman, Waqas Mqsood, Sami Ullah Kham Niazi, Asad Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Ehsan Adil, Hassan Mahmood, Rana Jahandad Khan, Farrukh Shahzad, Imran Khalid, Ammar Mahmood Khan.

Otago Volts: Nicholas Beard, Michael Bracewell, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Mark Craig, Derek de Boorder, Jacob Duffy, Brendon McCullum, James McMillan, James Neesham, Aaron Redmond, Hamish Rutherford, Ryan ten Doeschate, Neil Wagner.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel, Cameron White, JP Duminy, Dale Steyn, Darren Sammy, Biplab Samantray, Thisara Perera, Karan Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, Ashish Reddy, Ishant Sharma, Anand Rajan.

Kandurata Maroons: Lahiru Thirimanne, Nuwan Kulasekara, Upul Tharanga, Thilina Kandamby, Kumar Sangakkara, Shehan Jayasuriya, Chamara Silva, Milinda Siriwardana, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Dhammika Prasad, Ajantha Mendis, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Lahiru Jayaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Suraj Randiv.

Ronaldo And Bale Will Thrive Together, Says Clement...........!

Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, the world`s two most expensive footballers, will have no trouble forming a potent partnership at Real Madrid, according to assistant manager Paul Clement.

Both scored in Real`s 2-2 draw with Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday as Bale made his eagerly-awaited debut having signed from Tottenham Hotspur in a record 100 million euro deal.

Portuguese forward Ronaldo, who signed a new five-year deal with Real at the weekend worth a reported 17 million euros each year, remains the fulcrum of the side and is unlikely to be handing over free kick responsibility to the Welshman.

However, despite the high-profile of both players Englishman Clement, who also worked with Real coach Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea and Paris St Germain, says there will be no ego clash.

Bale and Ronaldo are expected to be in tandem again when Real begin their Champions League campaign in Turkey against Galatasaray on Tuesday.

Former England Pacer Matthew Hoggard Announces To Retire

Former England seam bowler Matthew Hoggard announced he will retire from cricket after making his final first class appearance for Leicestershire next week.

Hoggard, who was part of England`s memorable Ashes winning side in 2005, represented his country in 67 tests and 26 one-day internationals between 2000 and 2008. 

Hoggard`s final professional match will be against Hampshire next week.

Rain Stops Play Again: 3rd ODI Between England & Australia

England slumped to 59 for three inside 16 overs before rain washed out the day/night third one-day international against Australia at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

In Form Younis Khan Shines Again For Pakistan

Younis Khan carried on from where he left off in the first Test as he played another solid innings for Pakistan on the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.

Younis followed up a match-winning double century in the first Test with an unbeaten 52 as Pakistan reached 163 for three at the close of play in reply to Zimbabwe`s first innings total of 294.

When he reached 50 for the 49th time in Test cricket Younis became the fourth Pakistan batsman to reach 7000 runs in Tests. 

Younis and Misbah stabilizes Pakistan's innings as they made 67 runs partnership from 175 balls.