Sportsday - rolling sports news

1. Man Utd's Chris Smalling agrees new contract
2. Snooker: Ding Junhui wins despite 147 blunder
3. Ronnie O'Sullivan starts bid for sixth world title
4. Cricket: Rain delays West Indies v England
5. 19:45 BST: Bayern v Porto; Barcelona v PSG

On that note, it's time to bid you farewell from Sportsday.

But stick with us on BBC Sport as we'll bring you live text commentary on the Champions League quarter-finals, as well as West Indies v England.

Mr Steve Canavan will be back on rolling news duty from 08:00 BST on Wednesday.

Goodnight.

Snooker loopy

It's been an amusing day at the World Championship in Sheffield.

Earlier on Tuesday, we had China's Ding Junhui forgetting he was on for a maximum break.

And during Ronnie O'Sullivan's contest with Craig Steadman, the five-time champion played in his socks.

No, really. You can watch it here.

West Indies v England latest

Here's the latest from Grenada, where they've taken lunch after rain-hindered the morning session.

• West Indies 36-2 after 14 overs

• Not out batsmen: Bravo 19, Samuels 0

• Bowling figures: Anderson 7-4-11-1, Broad 5-2-8-0, Jordan 2-0-8-1, Moeen 1-0-8-0

• England won toss and chose to field

James Gheerbrant and Stephan Shemilt have it all covered over on our live text commentary .

A new challenge for Toure?

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has told French media he is open to "new challenges" and won't stay at the club for the wages.

Reports last week named Toure among those who could leave the Premier League side in the summer, after their underwhelming season.

The 31-year-old told Foot Mercato: "No amount of wages will make me stay at a club if I feel that I no longer belong there or if no challenge exists for me.

"It would be unjust on my part. There comes a moment where numbers don't stop us, it goes beyond that, even if the English press seem more interested in the numbers than the sport itself.

"For the future, I don't know more than you do, because I will always go where I am offered new challenges."

Carter beats McManus

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Ali Carter makes a triumphant return to The Crucible by beating Alan McManus 10-5 in their first-round contest.

The Essex potter will now meet Neil Robertson in the next round.

Carter's world ranking of 13 was protected to enable him to compete at the World Championship, after he twice overcame cancer.

But he told BBC Sport after his win he's keen for people to remember he's still "one of the best in the world" despite his recent health issues.

'I'm aiming high' - Murdoch

Ross Murdoch believes he can challenge for a medal at the World Championships after setting a new Scottish record in the 100m breaststroke.

The 21-year-old finished second behind a world-record swim from Adam Peaty at last week's British Championships.

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"I'll be aiming high. I always do," the 21-year-old told BBC Scotland.

Murdoch rose to prominence at last year's Commonwealth Games, winning gold over 200m and bronze in the 100m.

'We've let ourselves down'

Manchester City have "let themselves down" this season and the squad have had "a lot of honest conversations" since the 4-2 defeat at Manchester United nine days ago, says England goalkeeper Joe Hart.

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The Premier League champions are down in fourth position, 12 points behind runaway leaders Chelsea with five matches left to play.

"We are not in the place where we wanted to be, we wanted to be really challenging for the title like we've done in previous years," Hart told the club website.

"We've got to be honest and win these last games and see where it takes us. We've let ourselves down at key moments."

Tom Poynton on life after tragedy

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Derbyshire wicketkeeper Tom Poynton has spoken to BBC Sport about how he has recovered from the car crash which claimed the life of his father, Keith.

Tom suffered serious leg injuries in the accident last year, and it kept him out for the entire 2014 season.

But the 25-year-old has spent his rehabilitation time working on community projects with Derbyshire, as well as taking on a role with a company where his father was director.

You can read his sad but inspiring story via this link.

Liverpool extend sponsorship deal

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Liverpool have extend their sponsorship agreement with Standard Chartered Bank through to the end of the 2018-19 season.

The bank originally signed up as the club's main sponsor in July 2010, and their logo has appeared on the front of the Reds' shirts for the last five seasons.

Caley Thistle defend Meekings

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Inverness Caledonian Thistle say they will "vigorously defend" defender Josh Meekings after he was served a Scottish FA notice of complaint following the Scottish Cup win over Celtic.

Meekings had been offered a one-match ban, which if accepted means he would miss the cup final against Falkirk.

He was deemed to have handled Leigh Griffiths' goal-bound header in Caley Thistle's 3-2 victory.

Leicester sign Kiwi lock Fitzgerald

Leicester Tigers have signed lock Mike Fitzgerald from New Zealand Super Rugby club Chiefs.

The 28-year-old is the Leicester's second signing this week, following the arrival of Peter Betham from Waratahs.

"Mike will be a good addition to our group of locks, especially with the retirement of Louis Deacon and Brad Thorn," director of rugby Richard Cockerill told the Tigers website.

World Championship latest

Owen Phillips

BBC Sport at The Crucible

BBC

"Ronnie O'Sullivan has been having a bit of new shoe trouble at the Crucible.

"The five-time world champion seemed to be so comfortable in his first-round World Championship meeting with Craig Steadman that he decided to play in his socks.

"But he wasn't risking a fine from snooker's dress-code police for nothing, his new shoes were hurting so he took them off, played a frame and sought a replacement pair from the crowd.

"Tournament director Mike Ganley came to the rescue and a lucky fan has walked away with a new pair of barely worn brogues.

"Hope they fit. And I wonder if a fine will be still be forthcoming?"

Shoes and scores from Sheffield

So Ronnie O'Sullivan is now back wearing shoes (although there's still no confirmation whose they are).

BBC

And he currently leads Crucible debutant Craig Steadman 5-2.

Elsewhere, England's Ali Carter is 8-5 up against Scotland's Alan McManus. No shoe update from their match, though.

Shoeless O'Sullivan

Some strange goings-on at The Crucible. It would seem Ronnie O'Sullivan has chosen to swap his shoes....

George Riley

And is now wearing someone else's size eights:

George Riley

O'Connell rumours dismissed

European champions Toulon have dismissed reports that Ireland captain Paul O'Connell has signed a contract with them.

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Toulon were heavily linked with 35-year-old O'Connell in the aftermath of Sunday's European Champions Cup semi-final victory over Leinster in Marseille.

But in a statement posted on the club's official website on Tuesday, Toulon moved to distance themselves from a swoop for Munster's three-time British and Irish Lions lock.

Play to start in the Caribbean

At last, we bring good news from the cricket.

BBC Sport's Stephan Shemitt: "The cover on the pitch has been completely removed, and there are two members of the groundstaff apologetically dragging a rope around the outfield. I'm hearing that we will start at 16:45 BST. Wonders never cease."

Live text commentary here.

Real Madrid sleeping their way to the top

Wouldn't we all advocate nap time at work?

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno

Real Madrid have 81 bedrooms at their training complex for players and staff to take a siesta, and it could be the secret behind the club's success.

BBC Sport's Alec Fenn explains more here.

County Championship latest

BBC Sussex's Adrian Harms with updates on day three of Sussex v Worcestershire:

"A terrific game of four-day cricket which has ebbed and flowed from one side to another.

"Sussex lead by just 200 with three wickets remaining, but on a good pitch increasingly offering assistance to the spinners, Worcestershire won't fancy chasing more than 250 to win the game."

Champions League

Paris St-Germain are in the same boat as Bayern, after going down 3-1 against Barcelona in their quarter-final.

But Barca coach Luis Enrique isn't getting carried away.

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"The result of the first leg is good but it is not definitive," he said ."We need to play really well to to get through the tie.

PSG manager Laurent Blanc has top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic back in the side and isn't ruling out a Nou Camp upset.

"We know the task is extremely difficult. Our problem is that we have to score, but I do believe we will have plenty of chances to do so," said Blanc.

"We have nothing to lose and we hope to prove we are better than we were in the first leg."

As before, full coverage of the quarter-finals on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sport website.

Champions League

Thomas Muller is confident Bayern Munich can overturn the deficit against Porto in their Champions League quarter-final second leg.

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Porto won 3-1 in their home leg last week but Muller believes his side can still reach a fourth successive European semi-final.

"I know we are able to do it - a 2-0 win playing at home wouldn't be a historic score. It is doable," said the Germany World Cup winner.

"I don't know exactly how we are going to do it but we will do it."

Kick off at the Allianz Arena is 19:45 BST, with live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website.

Amla to join Derbyshire

Here's more on Hashim Amla's move to Derbyshire, which we reported earlier...

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The 32-year-old, the captain of South Africa's Test team, will join in May as cover for Martin Guptill, who will be part of the New Zealand squad touring England next month.

Amla is available to play in two County Championship matches and three T20 Blast games during his short stint with the county.

'Most one-sided match ever'

Hibernian striker Martin Boyle said his side lost "the most one-sided match I've ever watched" in the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Falkirk.

Craig Sibbald's goal ensured the Easter Road men's misery extends to 113 years since they won the Cup.

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Now they must pick themselves up as they continue the battle for promotion from the Scottish Championship.

"I can't fault the commitment and the way they played, it was just that sucker punch at the end," said Boyle.

Teams announced

England and West Indies have announced their line-ups for the second Test.

Here you go...

West Indies XI: Devon Smith, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jermaine Blackwood, Denesh Ramdin (capt & wk), Jason Holder, Kemar Roach, Devendra Bishoo, Shannon Gabriel.

England XI: Alastair Cook (capt), Jonathan Trott, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler (wk), Chris Jordan, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.

The bad news though - it's raining and the start of play has been further delayed.

Enjoying the new job

Jonas Bjorkman takes to Twitter to announce that he's enjoying his new role as part of Andy Murray's coaching team, uploading a video on Instagram of the British number one swatting some powerful looking forehands on a beautiful, cloudless day in Spain.

Twitter

Horse Racing

An Irish racecourse has changed direction.

Wexford is staging a trial today where runners go left-handed round the track, rather than right-handed.

You can follow all the latest horse racing results from the UK and Ireland on the BBC Sport website.

Salford swoop

Salford Red Devils have eased their injury and suspension crisis with the signings of Wigan players James Greenwood and Oliver Gildart on a month's loan.

Prop forward Greenwood, 23, spent last season on loan to London Broncos and has made just one Super League appearance so far for the Warriors in 2015.

Noble to mentor Broncos coach

London Broncos have appointed former Great Britain coach Brian Noble as a mentor to head coach Andrew Henderson.

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Henderson, 35, took charge of the Championship club last month after Joey Grima stood down.

"He'll be a great mentor for me and I'll be able to bounce ideas off of him. He'll be someone I can open up to in that regard," he said.

England bowl first

Good news. The rain has subsided in Grenada - for the time being - and England have won an important toss.

Not surprisingly, given the damp conditions, Alastair Cook has decided to bowl first.

"We would have done the same with the rain around and the moisture," says a disappointed West Indies skipper Denesh Ramdin.

The first test was a draw so this is a big one for Cook and co. Live text commentary here.

No friendly for Wales

Wales will not play a friendly match in the build up to the Euro 2016 qualifier against Belgium in June, BBC Wales understands.

The Football Association of Wales had held talks with a number of countries, including Northern Ireland, about the possibility of a friendly.

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But manager Chris Coleman has decided to concentrate on the Belgium game on 12 June and will hold a training camp.

The squad is likely to meet up on 1 June or 2 June.

Ward edged out

After winning two qualifying matches and battling his way to today's first round of the ATP event in Barcelona, James Ward has been defeated by Marsel Ilhan of Turkey.

On his return to the tour after four weeks out with a knee injury, Ward fought hard but lost 7-6 (2) 3-6 6-1.

Brand and Riley back Blackpool fan

Frank Knight Campaign

Football fans from around the country - and celebrities Countdown presenter Rachel Riley and comedian Russell Brand - have helped raise the £20,000 damages for Blackpool supporter Frank Knight, who was sued by the club's owners for libel.

Knight, 67, published an apology to Owen Oyston and his son Karl after posting allegations concerning them and the club on his Facebook page.

But football fans responded by raising more than £20,000 on a crowd-funding website and Riley and Brand tweeted messages of support.

Blackpool have had a nightmare season and have already been relegated to League One, four years after competing in the Premier League.

Bans for Griffin and Donaldson

Salford prop Darrell Griffin and Hull KR forward James Donaldson have been given one-match bans after early guilty pleas to the Rugby Football League.

Griffin, 33, was disciplined for a high tackle in the Challenge Cup loss at Championship leaders Leigh.

Donaldson, 23, is banned for Grade B kicking in the win over Bradford.

The rain is a pain

More bad news at the cricket.

England captain Alastair Cook had his whites on and the toss in the second Test against the West Indies was scheduled for 15:25 BST - ie, in a minute's time.

But unfortunately it seems to be trying to rain again. The umpire has his brolly up and from the look of this photo, things aren't too promising.

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Can they not relocate to Salford, it's glorious in these parts.

More info here.

Rovers play hardball

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The Times: Blackburn Rovers want around £7m for forward Rudy Gestede, who has scored 17 goals in 36 Championship games this season. Rovers have already rejected a £3.5m bid from Crystal Palace for the 26-year-old.

International newspapers

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Carlos Tevez faces a big few days, says Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.

He will be trying to guide Juventus into the semi-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday as they face Monaco in the second leg of their quarter-final, holding a 10 advantage after the first leg in Italy.

But the paper also reports that the former Manchester United and Manchester City striker now has to decide whether to stay in Italy or move to Argentine side Boca Juniors.

New boss talks

BBC Wales Sport on Twitter: Wrexham given permission to speak to Gateshead manager Gary Mills about vacant manager's position at the Racecourse.

Djokovic could be the best

Novak Djokovic is "a machine" who will get close to Roger Federer's Grand Slam record and go down as one of the greatest players of all time, or at least so says former British number one Tim Henman.

Djokovic, 27, is aiming to lift to his eighth grand slam at next month's French Open and close the gap on Rafael Nadal and Federer, who have 14 and 17 respectively.

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Henman, clearly an admirer, said: "It's the way he's hitting the ball from the baseline, how aggressively he plays and how he does it with so few unforced errors.

"And then his movement and his athleticism - his ability to turn defence into attack is as good as I've ever seen. He is a machine."

'He is an integral part of the team'

More on the Chris Smalling deal.

Louis van Gaal has been talking about keeping hold of his defender for another four years.

The boss said: "Chris has improved and developed immensely during the short time that I have been at the club and has become an integral part of the first team squad.

"He always conducts himself in a very professional manner and it is also pleasing that he has scored some important goals this season too. I'm delighted he has signed a new contract."

New deal for Smalling

Chris Smalling has signed a new contract at Manchester United, which keeps him at Old Trafford until at least June 2019.

The England international, 25, has won two Premier League medals with United, made 147 appearances, and scored nine goals since his debut against Chelsea in the Community Shield in August 2010.

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After agreeing the deal, Smalling paid tribute to boss Louis van Gaal.: "I am so proud to play for such a great club. We have developed as a team over the course of the season under the manager and we are now playing as a complete unit.

"This is a very exciting time to be at Manchester United, we are all determined to get back to where we belong and competing at the highest level."

Smalling's previous deal was due to expire at the end of next season.

Snooker

BBC

Ronnie O'Sullivan starts his bid for a sixth world title with a century break in the opening frame of his first round match against qualifier Craig Steadman.

The Rocket falls down after 13 reds and 13 breaks as a break of 104 puts him 1-0 ahead of the Crucible debutant.

You can follow live coverage on BBC Two, the Red Button and online.

Farrell signs new long-term contract

England fly-half Owen Farrell has signed a new long-term contract with Premiership high-flyers Saracens.

The 23-year-old has been with Sarries since the age of 14 and made his first-team debut in 2008.

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"I owe a lot to this club, in terms of how I've improved as a player and how I've done in my career," he said.

Farrell has earned 29 England caps but missed the recent Six Nations campaign because of a knee injury, with George Ford taking his place at fly-half.

Injured Williams returns to Palace

Midfielder Jonny Williams has returned to Crystal Palace from Ipswich Town after the recurrence of a groin injury.

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The Wales international was substituted just before half-time while playing for Town's Under-21s in the 3-2 defeat by Bristol City on Monday.

Williams, 21, who joined Ipswich from Palace in March for a second loan spell at the club this season, has gone back to his parent club for treatment.

Rain in the West Indies

Not a very promising start to the cricket in the Caribbean.

Hard to believe given the weather in Blighty - it's cracking the flags here in Costa del Salford - but England's second Test against the West Indies in Grenada has been delayed due to rain.

BBC Sport

If you want to follow live text commentary of that rain, head here..

World Championship: second session

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A huge roar at The Crucible as Ronnie O'Sullivan walks out amid flashing strobe lights and funky music to start his quest for his sixth world title.

He's up against debutant Craig Steadman. No pressure on the qualifier, then.

Ali Carter and Alan McManus are also back in play, with Carter 6-3 up from Monday.

You can watch all the action on the BBC Sport website and on the red button.

Foster seals Essex win over Kent

Essex have begun their County Championship Division Two campaign with a five-wicket win over Kent in a low-scoring game at Chelmsford.

Skipper James Foster hit an unbeaten 80, including a six and 10 fours, as they reached 193-5 in the second over after lunch.

A total of 33 wickets fell on the first two days of the game, with neither side reaching 200 in either innings.

Ding's micro snooker challenge

The laughs keep coming from Ding Junhui...

BBC Radio 5 Live's George Riley has tweeted these pictures of world number three Ding playing on a micro snooker table after his win over Mark Davis:

George Riley

"Fresh from a 10-7 win, Ding tries to clear a micro snooker table in a minute. Goes in off, blames the cue," said our reporter at The Crucible.

You can watch Ding's earlier 147 mishap against Davis right here:

Keeping calm

Speaking ahead of his opening round meeting with Craig Steadman at 14:30 BST, Ronnie O'Sullivan says he is trying not to think beyond this match.

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"I catch myself thinking that I am here for two weeks, but then I remember I am only here for two weeks if I make it to the final," said O'Sullivan.

"If I get knocked out in the opening round then it has only been two days. "Hopefully I am here competing at the final stages, if not I will enjoy watching it as well.

"There are a lot of good players playing well here who feel good about their game and I think that this year is going to be tough for whoever gets their hands on the trophy."

THAT missed maximum

BBC Sport's Owen Phillips at The Crucible reports that Mark Davis joked that Ding Junhui could afford not to worry about missing out on the £30,000 prize for getting a maximum break.

"I said to him he has got too much money. I thought it just showed he was concentrating so much on winning the frame," said the Englishman.

Ding found his missed maximum chance funny and said he was so focused on the match and winning the frame that he didn't realise he was on for a 147 until the crowd's reaction and he checked the scoreboard.

"Hopefully I will get another chance but I think about winning the frame first," he said.

"A sad state of affairs"

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Meanwhile, former Newcastle striker Les Ferdinand has had his say on the troubles at St James' Park.

"Supporters are desperate for progress and I think they feel they have hit a crossroads in recent years and become a mid-table team without really challenging," said Ferdinand, who scored 41 goals in 68 Premier League appearances for Newcastle between 1995-1997.

"Mike has put a lot of money into the club, stabilised the club, but it's pushing it forward that the supporters want and they don't believe he is doing that."

'What is going on?'

Newcastle United's Fans Forum group have issued an open letter asking owner Mike Ashley for a "statement of intent" on the club's future plans.

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The forum wants Ashley to respond to three issues: the fan boycott, the omission of Jonas Gutierrez and the ongoing head coach situation.

Fan groups boycotted Sunday's defeat by Tottenham, with a reported lower-than-average crowd of 47,000.

"We feel that the time has come to show our fans respect," the letter said.

Looking mighty fine

Tweeted by Barcelona, ahead of tonight's Champions League quarter-final second-leg with Paris St Germain:

Twitter

Good enough to play bowls on.....

Ticket mystery for Mayweather-Pacquiao

Reuters

There's still no word on why tickets are not on general sale for the much-anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas on 2 May.

The MGM Grand holds 16,500 but only around 1,000 tickets are expected to be made available to the wider public.

Contracts with the MGM Grand remain unsigned, while tickets are also not on sale for other venues across Las Vegas.

Promoter Bob Arum cut a news conference short on Monday before questions could be asked about the ticket issues.

Ali Carter v Alan McManus

Elsewhere at the Crucible....

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Ali Carter and Alan McManus resume their first-round match at 14:30 BST.

Carter's world ranking of 13 was protected to enable him to compete at the World Championship, after he twice overcame cancer.

And the two-time finalist received a rapturous reception on his return to the Crucible on Monday.

He starts the second session 6-3 up against Scotsman McManus.

Snooker

World number three Ding Junhui has set up a second round World Snooker Championship clash with four-time champion John Higgins after a 10-7 defeat of Mark Davis.

The Chinese player was 4-0 down and blundered when on for a maximum 147 break - and £30,000 prize - but looked strong in the concluding frames.

"I was just thinking about winning the frame," he told BBC Sport of his error in going for a blue rather than black when on 96.

You can relive that drama here.

Farrell signs new Saracens contract

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Owen Farrell has signed a long-term contract extension at Saracens.

The England and British & Irish Lions fly-half has been at the club since the age of 14.

Now 23, the outside half has made 109 appearances for the Premiership outfit.

Evans out of World Championship

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Reanne Evans' decade-long reign as ladies' world champion is over.

Evans, 29, lost 4-2 to Hong Kong's Ng On Yee at the semi-final stage in Leeds.

Earlier this month, Evans tried to become the first woman to make the cut for the World Championship, but lost 10-8 to Ken Doherty in qualifying.

The second ladies' semi-final is between England's Emma Bonney and Jaique Ip of Hong Kong.

County Championship: Day three updates

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BBC Coventry and Warwickshire's Clive Eakin at Warwickshire against Hampshire:

"Four wickets in the morning session appear to have given Warwickshire the upper hand at Edgbaston.

"Hampshire are 119-5 at lunch, leading by 158. Rikki Clarke struck in consecutive balls leaving James Vince the second Hampshire batsman in the innings to be out first ball.

"Spinner Jeetan Patel has since claimed two wickets and Hampshire's hopes may now rest on Michael Carberry, who's 55 not out."

Amla to Derby

BBC Derby on Twitter: South Africa batsman and Test captain Hashim Amla signs for Derbyshire County Cricket Club. Will play five matches in May.

County Championship: Day three updates

Nick Webb for BBC Radio Wales, watching Glamorgan v Surrey:

"Surrey tightened their grip on Glamorgan, as the home side lost three wickets in the morning session to reach 210-5.

"The champagne moment for the visitors came when Zafar Ansari ran out Chris Cooke for 20 with a direct hit from the cover boundary.

"With 414 needed to avoid the follow-on, Surrey will be confident of pressing home their advantage while Glamorgan need big scores from their lower order."

Toffees update

Everton FC on Twitter:

Twitter

County Championship: Day three updates

BBC Sport's Elizabeth Ammon at Hove for Sussex v Worcestershire:

"It's another stunning day here in Hove and the pitch remains a good one with no signs of cracking up.

"The century partnership between Ed Joyce and Matt Machan put Sussex into a strong position.

"The duo were ticking the scoreboard along at over four an over before Machan played round his pads and was given out LBW to Alexei Kervezee.

"At lunch, Sussex lead by 87 runs with eight wickets remaining in their second innings."

Kouyate's Silva apology

West Ham's Cheikhou Kouyate, who caught David Silva in the face with his elbow, leaving the City playmaker requiring lengthy treatment and a trip to hospital, has tweeted a series of apologies - and denied it was a deliberate act.

Kouyate wrote: "I would like to say to David Silva that I am very sorry that you were injured during the match on Sunday, but it was not my intention.

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"I went for the ball and my eyes were on the ball. I always play the ball and never the player

"You are a great guy and a great player David Silva and I hope you are back on the field very soon."

County Championship: Day three updates

Dave Callaghan watching Notts v Yorkshire for BBC Leeds:

"At lunch, Yorkshire are 322-4, trailing by 106 runs.

"Although they lost skipper Andrew Gale early on the third day, champions Yorkshire can take heart from the morning session.

"A splendid partnership between Jack Leaning and Rich Pyrah has thwarted the Notts attack. The follow-on has been avoided and the visitors have made steady progress towards Notts' first innings total of 428."

Low on the move

Aberdeen midfielder Nicky Low has signed a pre-contract with Dundee, agreeing a three-year deal.

The 23-year-old had seen his first team opportunities limited at Pittodrie.

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Manager Derek McInnes told the Aberdeen official website: "The option to sign an extended contract with a fellow Premiership club was one which Nicky felt he couldn't turn down.

"He's at an important stage in his career. I'd like to thank him for his efforts during my time with the club."

'Where's the money gone?'

Speaking of the Rocket, O'Sullivan has been quite outspoken in the build-up to the World Snooker Championships, criticising the money on offer to the top players.

"If you go back five or 10 years, I used to get good sponsorship for my logos. I was on £350,000 even before I hit a ball," O'Sullivan told The Times.

"Now there is no money in snooker and the top players are suffering."

Ronnie O'Sullivan: World Championship stats

Ronnie O'Sullivan starts his quest for the 2015 World Championship title at 14:30 BST against Craig Steadman.

Here's a brief numerical breakdown of The Rocket's Crucible history:

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• Ranked second
• Five titles - 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013
• 12 maximum breaks
• Fastest ever 147 break of 5 mins and 20 seconds
• Earnings of £505,616

Silva gives the thumbs-up

Manchester City playmaker David Silva has returned to training.

Silva received eight minutes of treatment and was taken to hospital after being caught in the face by an elbow from Cheikhou Kouyate during Sunday's win over West Ham.

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But tests revealed the 29-year-old suffered no fractures and Silva was pictured on the club's website giving cameras a thumbs-up gesture as he returned to training today.

City face FA Cup finalists Aston Villa in their next Barclays Premier League game on Saturday evening.

Lifelong rivalry behind Wilkinson's rise

Wilkinson Family

Katie Wilkinson was four when she binned ballet classes to follow her twin brother Ben to football training.

And now she's the one playing for the team they supported as kids.

The Aston Villa and England U19 international spoke to BBC Sport's Andrew Aloia about how sibling rivalry inspired her to become a footballer. Read her full story here.

Chow scores two weeks after 'exit'

Wigan midfielder Tim Chow says that two weeks before scoring on his full debut he was told he would be released in the summer.

The 21-year-old made his debut when he came on as a sub against Millwall on 14 April and then four days later scored after starting against Brighton.

Wigan-born Chow has been given his chance since Gary Caldwell replaced Malky Mackay as manager on 7 April.

"Two weeks ago I got told I wasn't getting another contract," Chow told BBC Radio Manchester. "Full credit to the manager, he's come in and straight away he's told me that I've got a future at this club."

#FlopstoFavourites

You've been getting in touch to give us your best sporting zero to hero candidates.

Richard Peace: Stevie Naismith, looked well out of his depth in his first season at Everton but give him some confidence and it's worked wonders.

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Dan Wood: Joe Garner at Preston. Looked average at best two years ago when he joined - now top scorer for second season and League One player of the year.

Stephen McMenzie: Coloccini was useless when he first signed for NUFC and looked a waste of money at £10m. From his second season onwards he was one of the best defenders in the country.

Get involved on Twitter via the hashtag #FlopstoFavourites or on BBC Sport's Facebook page.

McLaren making 'significant' progress

Struggling McLaren-Honda expect a significant step forward in performance at the next grand prix.

AFP

The team, who have yet to score a point this season, are introducing developments to both car and engine in time for the Spanish Grand Prix on 10 May.

Racing director Eric Boullier said: "Most of the back end of the car will be new. Every race we bring new chassis parts to increase performance."

Neilson to remain Panthers coach

Nottingham Panthers have announced that head coach Corey Neilson will remain with the team next season.

The former Panthers player's position was reviewed after the team failed to win any of the three major competitions for the first time since 2009.

Neilson, 38, took on a player-coaching role with Nottingham in 2008, before becoming a full-time coach in 2012.

Villa and Reading charged by FA

Aston Villa and Reading have been charged by the Football Association for crowd disturbances during FA Cup ties last month.

It is alleged both clubs "failed to ensure that no spectators or unauthorised persons were permitted to encroach onto the pitch".

The charges relate to Villa's sixth-round game against West Brom at Villa Park on 7 March, and Reading's replay against Bradford at the Madejski Stadium in the same round on 16 March.

Both clubs have until 23 April to respond.

FFP 'wonderful for English football'

Reading co-owner Khunying Sasima Srivikorn believes that new Financial Fair Play rules are the "most wonderful thing to happen to English football".

Championship clubs must operate with losses of under £3m a season.

From 2016-17, clubs' finances will be monitored over three seasons during which they will may lose up to £15m without having to detail how that loss will be funded.

"Financial Fair Play allows you to invest responsibly," Sasima told BBC Radio Berkshire. "We are committed to doing that carefully, nicely and together with (manager) Steve Clarke.

Snooker

BBC

BBC Sport's George Riley is still shaking his head at The Crucible after Ding Junhui's 147 blunder:

"13 reds, 12 blacks, back in position after a couple of great rescue shots, then he inexplicably forgets and screws instead up for the blue.

"He immediately realises his error and hangs his head. Gasps of disbelief in the press room. He was left shaking his head about it. How can you forget you're about to make a bit of history - and pocket 30k?! Inexplicable."

You can relive the drama here.

Keegan documentary

Newcastle Chronicle: Two Newcastle United fans are putting together a documentary about Kevin Keegan's 1990s team with a scheduled release date of 20 October - 20 years since the Magpies' 5-0 victory over Manchester United.

On this day...

Other sporting anniversaries...

1930: Leicester and Arsenal drew 6-6 in the old First Division, watched by 27,241 fans at Filbert Street.

1990: Rangers clinched the Scottish championship for the 40th time by winning 1-0 at Dundee United.

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2013: Liverpool's Luis Suarez bit Branislav Ivanovic in a 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Anfield. The Uruguayan was later charged with violent conduct and handed a 10-match ban.

On this day

Exactly 19 years ago to the day, in 1996, Manchester United's Eric Cantona was voted player of the year by the Football Writers' Association.

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It was not a bad achievement considering the Frenchman, who had joined the Reds from Leeds four years earlier, missed the first couple of months of the 95-96 campaign, still serving a ban for his infamous kung-fu kick the previous season.

'He's got it all'

Manchester United could have the edge over Liverpool in a battle for rising Dutch talent Memphis Depay, according to Ronald de Boer.

Both Premier League clubs have been linked with the £25m-rated PSV Eindhoven striker.

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Former Ajax and Holland midfielder De Boer told Talksport: "I don't want to say which club is more suitable for him, but if he goes to United he knows there is a Dutch coach there in Van Gaal who knows him from the World Cup. That is an advantage."

De Boer described Depay as "one of the biggest talents in Europe", adding "he has everything".

'Give Rashid a chance'

No news yet on England's starting line-up for the second Test with the West Indies but former captain Michael Vaughan believes Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid should be given his debut.

Reuters

"He might bowl four spells in a day and two and a half of them might look utter rubbish," Vaughan told BBC 5 live. "But that spell and a half might be the difference. That's why you pick him."

The opening game in the three-match series was drawn. The action starts at 15:00 BST - live text commentary on the BBC website from half-an-hour before.

Good choice, says Murray

World number three Andy Murray has welcomed the choice of the Queen's Club grass courts to host Britain's Davis Cup quarter-final against France from July 17-19.

Britain, who were beaten in the last eight by Italy last year, will take on Australia or Kazakhstan in the semi-finals if they beat the 2014 runners-up.

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"Queen's will be a perfect venue," Murray - who has won at Queen's three times - told the Lawn Tennis Association's website.

"I've been playing at Queen's for 10 years now, so I feel very at home there as do the rest of the British team. Fingers crossed it's a memorable summer for British tennis."

Up to you, Jack?

Speaking of Jack Grealish, Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood has urged the 19-year-old to focus on his club before making a decision over his international future.

"It's up to Jack where he wants to go, purely up to him," said Sherwood.

"What I've got to do is make sure he's got that decision to make. He must be doing something right for Aston Villa if he's got those options. That's my priority."

Sherwood added: "I had the same situation with Nabil Bentaleb, who could have played for France but decided to pick Algeria. I did have a chat with him and he asked me what to do. I just said, 'you've got to go with your heart. Do you think you're French or Algerian?'"

#FlopstoFavourites

You've been getting in touch to give us your best sporting zero to hero candidates.

Get involved on Twitter via the hashtag #FlopstoFavourites or on BBC Sport's Facebook page.

Rahul Adapa: Ashley Young - from being the most unwanted player in the Moyes era to the most loved one this season.

Ash Goodin: Gareth Bale -disastrous left-back looking to be sold for £3m or so, to £86m mega star.

Nyanyadzi: Aaron Ramsey - from being booed by own fans to being a whole-season hero and FA cup key moment man.

Grealish a wanted man

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Independent: The English Football Association is to push its Irish counterparts all the way for the services of Aston Villa's dual-nationality Jack Grealish. The Birmingham-born teenager has played for the Republic of Ireland Under-21 team.

Two-year doping ban

Featherstone prop James Lockwood has been given a two-year ban for breaching the Rugby Football League's anti-doping regulations in the first finding of its kind in the UK.

The 29-year-old former Dewsbury forward was handed the suspension by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) after a sample taken in an out-of-competition test last November returned a positive test for growth hormone releasing factors.

'My pride' - Cup Final ref

Jon Moss has spoken of his pride after being appointed to referee the FA Cup final on 30 May.

The 44-year-old from West Riding has been awarded the chance to officiate at Wembley after a season of consistent performances at Premier League level.

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"It was a complete surprise. When I got the call it was the realisation of a dream really. For any referee it is the pinnacle of your career," he said.

Moss will be assisted for the final, between Arsenal and Aston Villa, by Darren England and Simon Bennett. Craig Pawson will be the fourth official and Harry Lennard the reserve assistant referee.

Sportsday headlines

Here's a round-up of Tuesday's sporting headlines:

• Jordan Henderson is on the verge of signing a new five-year deal with Liverpool
• Ding Junhui and Mark Davis are 5-5 in World Championship snooker in Sheffield
• Great Britain choose to face France at Queen's Club in the Davis Cup

Snooker

PA

BBC Sport's Owen Phillips in Sheffield: "A brilliant if somewhat costly moment at the Crucible.

"Ding Junhui was seemingly heading towards a maximum break after 12 reds and 12 blacks when he completely lost concentration after getting slightly out of position and screwed back for the blue.

"A laugh-or-cry moment for the Chinese world number three. He probably laughed because it hadn't quite dawned on him he had just thrown away £30k - and a place in World Championship history, obviously."

If only he'd read our iWonder guide - maths behind the perfect 147.

Pakistan set to host first series in six years

Pakistan are set to host Test-playing opposition in their home country for the first time in more than six years.

Zimbabwe have agreed to travel for a short one-day international series next month, likely to take place in Lahore and Karachi.

No tourists have played in Pakistan because of security fears since the terrorist attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore in March 2009.

Zimbabwe's cricket board will send a security team to assess the situation before pinning down dates.

Crunch-time

We've mentioned what's going on in the Champions League tonight - but there's also some serious action in the Football League.

With the end of the season nigh, there are five important matches in League One - MK Dons v Doncaster, Notts County v Preston, Rochdale v Leyton Orient, Scunthorpe v Bradford, Swindon v Walsall - while Blackburn face Millwall in the Championship.

Big game in League Two as well, with fourth-placed Bury taking on Southend, a place and a point below them. The winners will have automatic promotion in their sights.

Full coverage on the BBC Sport website this evening.

Ding's 147 nightmare

You would not believe what has just happened at the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible.

China's Ding Junhui was on for a 147 break but got so caught up in the moment that he clean forgot.

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Flying along nicely on 96, he potted a red - but instead of getting in position on the next black, screwed back for the blue.

Immediately realising what he had done, the world number three held his head in his hands before both he and opponent Mark Davis started giggling.

Getting a 147 would have earned him a cool £30,000, but the good news for Ding is that he's now within a frame of Davis at 5-4 down. Full coverage here.

Gutierrez heading for St James' exit

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Newcastle midfielder Jonas Gutierrez, 31, is likely to leave St James' Park this summer after a reported row with manager John Carver, report The Sun.

The Argentine, who has overcome testicular cancer, is out of contract in the summer and will not have his deal renewed.

County Championship round-up

And the rest of the scores...

Hampshire hold the advantage over Warwickshire, resuming on 38-1 - a lead of 77 runs.

Glamorgan resume on 124-2 but have a task on their hands after being forced to chase Surrey's 563.

And in Division Two, Essex need 127 runs to win against Kent.

County Championship round-up

Day three in the County Championship starts at 11:00 BST. Don't forget you can listen to ball-by-ball commentary of every game on the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app.

Here's how the matches are shaping up so far:

Sussex closed day two on 8-0 in their second innings, with Worcestershire 36 runs ahead at Hove.

Yorkshire open on 226-3 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, with the hosts leading by 202 runs.

Lancashire have a slender 55-run lead over hosts Derbyshire and resume on 36-3.

A proud dad in a smelly shirt

BBC

Embarrassing dad alert.

Kevin Grealish, the father of Aston Villa midfielder Jack, has revealed on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport he celebrated his son's FA Cup success by spending the day in his game shirt.

Jack, 19, helped Villa beat Liverpool on Sunday to secure his side a place in the Cup final.

And speaking to the Monday Night Club, his dad admitted: "I put his shirt on that he wore yesterday and I've still got it on today…it stinks a bit."

#FlopstoFavourites

There were a few doubters when Jordan Henderson was bought by Liverpool for £20m. Four years later, he's set to earn a new deal and the captaincy.

So we want to know who you think has gone from zero to hero:

Lee Longstaff: Niall Quinn at Sunderland. Got off to a terrible start with poor performances and injuries, but once he was paired up with Kevin Phillips, those two made each other.

Crippy Cooke: Definitely Fabian Delph at Aston Villa. Spent more time on the treatment table and performing poorly when he first joined. But shined under Lambert, and Sherwood, and is now an England international.

Alex Fox: Emmanuel Eboue - subbed as a sub, consistently erratic performances, but I miss him even now.

Get involved yourself on Twitter via the hashtag #FlopstoFavourites or on BBC Sport's Facebook page.

More on Davis Cup venue

Russell Fuller

BBC tennis correspondent on Radio 5 live sports extra

"London's Queen's Club has been confirmed as the venue for Great Britain's Davis Cup quarter-final with France.

The tie - which will take place in the third week of July - will be Britain's first quarter-final on home soil since 1986.

Andy Murray - who was very keen to play the tie on a grass court - has won the Aegon Championships at Queen's on three occasions."

Davis Cup confirmation

Twitter

Big Sam out?

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The Mirror: Outgoing Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp has turned down an offer to take over at West Ham - but boss Sam Allardyce is still set to be sacked by the Hammers this summer.

Snooker

Here's the rundown for Tuesday's snooker showdowns. You can watch both tables live here.

10:00 BST

Ding Junhui (Chn) v Mark Davis (Eng)

Mark Allen (NI) v Ryan Day (Wal)

14:30 BST

Ali Carter (Eng) v Alan McManus (Sco)

Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) v Craig Steadman (Eng)

19:00 BST

Mark Allen (NI) v Ryan Day (Wal)

Mark Williams (Wal) v Matthew Stevens (Wal)

Snooker

Owen Phillips

PA

BBC Sport's Owen Phillips in Sheffield: "All eyes will be on Ronnie O'Sullivan for today's afternoon session at the World Championship but in the meantime the focus will be on Chinese superstar Ding Junhui.

"Ding was far from his best yesterday but looked relaxed and happy after fighting back from 4-0 down to 4-3 against Mark Davis. He was all smiles as he mingled briefly in the press area briefly after his opening session, fulfilling a few of his duties. Maybe the relief has relaxed the world number three.

"The other morning match sees Northern Ireland's Mark Allen face Welshman Ryan Day. On the 30th anniversary of THAT final, could Allen emulate his countryman Dennis Taylor?"

International newspapers

AS

The front page of Spanish sports newspaper AS suggests Javier Hernandez, on loan from Manchester United, is set to start Real Madrid's vital home Champions League tie against City rivals Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

The first leg of the quarter-final ended goalless but Hernandez is likely to play in the second leg because Karim Benzema is struggling with a knee injury.

The paper also reports that Manchester City are interested in signing 20-year-old French centre-half Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao.

#FlopstoFavourites

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From question marks to top marks - captain elect Jordan Henderson has had quite a turn around during his four years at Liverpool.

So let's hear your stories of flops to favourites.

Get involved on Twitter with the hashtag #FlopstoFavourites or on BBC Sport's Facebook page.

International newspapers

A Bola

They are getting excited in Portugal. And they have every reason to as Porto hold a 3-1 lead over Bayern Munich going into tonight's Champions League quarter-final second leg in Germany.

Portuguese newspaper A Bola quotes Porto boss Julen Lopetegui, who says his side have prepared for every possible Bayern team, including the threat of Franck Ribery, even though the midfielder is expected to miss out because of an ankle injury.

Many happy returns...

Happy birthday Brian Phelps. The British diver, who won two Commonwealth gold medals in 1962 and 66, and an Olympic bronze in 1960 - and pictured below in a very bright pair of green shorts - celebrates his 71st birthday.

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Other sporting figures celebrating birthdays today include Indian spinner Srinivas Venkataraghavan, 70; former Hull and New Zealand full-back Richie Barnett, 43; and Real Madrid and Spain midfielder Isco, 23.

Ward on court

James Ward plays Marsel Ilhan of Turkey in the first round of the ATP event in Barcelona at lunchtime today.

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Ward has already won two rounds of qualifying on his return to the tour after four weeks out with a knee injury.

Ward's match gets under way at 11:45 BST.

International newspapers

LEquipe

French newspaper L'Equipe is not confident Paris St-Germain can overturn a two-goal deficit when they face Barcelona away from home in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

PSG, who welcome back midfielder Marco Verratti and former Barca striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic from suspension, have to forget about their performance in the first leg, says the paper.

City wide of target

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Manchester City are likely to miss out on Wolfsburg midfielder Kevin de Bruyne after the 23-year-old, who is rated at £45m by his club, indicated he wants to stay in Germany, reports the Daily Telegraph.

International newspapers

Sport

Spanish newspaper Sport calls on Luis Suarez to continue his good run of form as Barca aim to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for the eighth time in 10 seasons.

Ex-Liverpool striker Suarez says he is happy to be contributing to the team, who hold a two-goal quarter-final advantage before tonight's clash at the Nou Camp.

Big night in Europe

Now then, with no British teams left in Europe it's easy to forget there are four huge Champions League games taking place over the next couple of nights.

Let's focus on tonight for the time being.

Bayern Munich host Porto, aiming to overturn the Portuguese club's two-goal advantage from the first leg. Munich, though, are likely to be without Franck Ribery, who has missed the last six weeks with an ankle injury. Full preview here.

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Over in Spain, Paris St-Germain's enigmatic top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic will return for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona. Lionel Messi and co lead 3-1 from the first leg and are hot favourites to progress. Preview here.

Kick off in both games is 19:45 BST, live text commentary on the BBC Sport website.