Day the losing captain won

THEY may have lost the Test and with it the opportunity to take the No.1 Test ranking, but the South Africans were successful in winning over a once-antagonistic Australian public with a performance that will rate among the most courageous witnessed in the 126-year history of the SCG. more (Sydney Morning Herald — 1 hour ago)

• Fight for top spot rages on (The Age)
• Borrowed clothes, battered body, skipper bats anyway (The Age)
• Australia claims victory in third Test (The Brisbane Times)
• Pressure mounts on the crack outfit (Sydney Morning Herald)

Exhilarating, intense and sporting - long live Test cricket

AND they said Test cricket was dead! Roll over Allen Stanford and all the other unbelievers with a concentration span of 10 minutes, writes Peter Roebuck. more (Sydney Morning Herald — 1 hour ago)

Fickle fame over for Gulbis

Latvian giant-killer Ernests Gulbis bows out of Brisbane International. - Brisbane Times more (The Brisbane Times — 8 hours ago)

• Stunned Novak a Head case (The Brisbane Times)
• Tsonga moves into box seat (The Brisbane Times)
• Open defence still on track, says Djokovic (The Age)
• Shock as top seed sent packing (The Brisbane Times)

Beckham at home among stars

DUBAI: David Beckham stepped out on the field for the first time with his new AC Milan teammates on Tuesday. more (Sydney Morning Herald — 1 hour ago)

• Milan wins on pens after Beckham starts (CNN)
• Spartans determined, but Rovers escape (The Age)
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Messi cup hat-trick boosts Barca bid

Lionel Messi hit a hat-trick as Barcelona triumphed 3-1 in their Spanish Copa Del Rey last-16 first leg tie at 10-man Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. more (CNN — 16 hours ago)

Chaos reigns, Poms in a mess

LONDON: England's Ashes preparations were thrown into disarray amid reports their captain and coach had quit their posts on Wednesday over an inability to work together. more (Sydney Morning Herald — 13 minutes ago)

• England's captain, coach resign (The Age)
• Pietersen, coach quit over row (Sydney Morning Herald)
• Warne's to blame for Pietersen stand-off: Gooch (The Brisbane Times)
• England blames Warne (The Age)
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Hopoate to fight in the US

Hopoate eyes world ranking with fights in the US - Brisbane Times more (The Brisbane Times — 7 hours ago)

Nadal, Federer easily advance at Qatar Open

DOHA - Rafael Nadal routed Fabrice Santoro 6-0 6-1 on Tuesday in his first ATP Tour match of the year, while Roger Federer and Andy Murray also breezed into the second round of the Qatar Open. more (Sydney Morning Herald — 12 hours ago)

• Holder Murray, Federer, Nadal win in Qatar (CNN)
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Smith tips Ashes struggle for Australia

GRAEME SMITH couldn't go without one parting shot, giving Australia a sly sucker-punch with the comment that England would likely regain the Ashes this year. more (Sydney Morning Herald — 1 hour ago)

• One-armed warrior's brave batting may stall his recovery (Sydney Morning Herald)

Low and behold, contentious catch gets thumbs-up

THE last time an Australian claimed a low catch on the final day of an SCG Test, the cricket world almost went up in flames. So two nations held their breath when Andrew McDonald, among the young men with the big job of bowling Australia to victory in his debut Test, lunged low and to his right in his follow-through, stuck out a hand and splayed his fingers underneath a leading edge from South African batsman Jacques Kallis. more (Sydney Morning Herald — 1 hour ago)

• Caught fair in the spotlight (The Age)
• Australia on track to win Third Test (Sydney Morning Herald)
• Kallis blow hurts Proteas (The Brisbane Times)
• South Africa in trouble at SCG (The Age)
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