City tightens grip on Premier League lead

Manchester City tightened its grip on top spot in the Premier League on Saturday by registering a 13th straight home victory, easing past Blackburn 3-0 on a day Chelsea ended its lean streak to ease the pressure on manager Andre Villas-Boas. City barely broke into a sweat at fortress Etihad Stadium as it moved provisionally five points clear of Manchester United, with strikers Mario Balotelli, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko scoring. England midfielder Frank Lampard scored one goal and set up another to inspire Chelsea to a 3-0 win over Bolton, ending the team s miserable run of five straight winless games. Chelsea climbed provisionally into fourth place above Arsenal, which plays third-place Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday.

Banned Aamer returns home

Pakistan’s banned cricketer Mohammad Aamer returned home Sunday after serving his jail sentence for spot-fixing in London. Aamer was sentenced for six months, but was released earlier this month due to good behavior after serving half his sentence, for spot-fixing with two teammates – Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif – during a test against England at Lords in August 2010. Butt and Asif are still serving their jail sentences. Aamer did not speak to the waiting media on arriving at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport. Local television showed the 19-year-old left-arm fast bowler – sitting on the back seat of a white car with his lawyer – being driven away to his house in Lahore. “He has arrived with his lawyer Sajida Malik,” Aamer’s mentor Asif Bajwa told the Associated Press. Aamer is banned by the International Cricket Council until September 2015 for bowling deliberate no-balls. Aamer pleaded guilty and did not contest his case in London’s Southwark Crown Court last year and was given less punishment than Butt and Asif. Butt, the then Pakistan captain, was jailed for 2 1/2 years and Asif for 1 1/2 years after being convicted for receiving money to ensure no-balls were bowled in the Lord’s test 18 months ago. The left-arm paceman could appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the ICC ban. “Hopefully the ICC ban will be reduced after his appeal in the CAS,” Bajwa said. “I am very optimistic that Aamer will return to international cricket in near future.” Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf said earlier this month that he would see how Aamer’s appeal goes in the CAS, but the cricket board may assist Asif in his rehabilitation through an education program whether his ban is reduced or not. Aamer was considered one of cricket’s brightest prospects, claiming 51 wickets in 14 test matches and 25 wickets in 15 ODIs before bowling those infamous no-balls. The PCB chief admitted that it was a case of a huge talent lost and said once Aamer serves his ban it was up to the selectors to pick him for the national team.

Five-goal Sandeep gets India to Olympics

They did so with an emphatic 8-1 win over France in the men s final of the qualifying tournament on Sunday. Penalty-corner specialist Sandeep Singh was India s star of the night, scoring five goals (19th minute, 26th, 38th, 49th, 51st) and his second hat-trick against France. The other Indian scorers were Birendra Lakra (17th), S. V. Sunil (43rd) and V. R. Raghunath (56th). France, who made their last Olympic appearance in 1972 at Munich, found the target through Simon Martin-Brisac (24th). India, winners of a record eight Olympic men s titles who failed to make it to the 2008 Beijing Games for the first time since their maiden appearance in 1928, took some time to translate their superiority into goals. Manpreet Singh made a good attempt from top of the striking circle in the 16th minute but his reverse-hit was saved by French goalkeeper Matthias Dierckens. India kept pressure on the French goal and struck twice in quick succession, with Lakra scoring off a Manpreet cross and then Sandeep converting a penalty-corner. France, who lost 6-2 to India in a league match, looked impressive in patches and made it 2-1 when Martin-Brisac deflected in a Sebastien Jean-Jean shot to surprise Indian goalkeeper P. R. Sreejesh. There was no stopping India after that as they pumped in six more goals, with Sandeep scoring four and Sunil and Raghunath one apiece. In other men s matches, captain Ken Pereira scored two goals as Canada downed Poland 4-3 to finish third. Rob Short and Matthew Guest were the other scorers. Artur Mikula, Szymon Oszyjczyk and Bartosz Zywiczka found the mark for Paland. Italy finished fifth with an easy 5-0 victory over Singapore, with Ignacio Salas twice finding the target. Daniele Malta, Andrea Corsi and Agustin Nunez were the other scorers. Two more men s qualifiers will be decided after tournaments in Dublin and the Japanese city of Kakamigahara. Those who have been given a direct entry to the Olympics are defending champions Germany, hosts Britain, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa.