Birmingham Post

Football: Last Night's Champions League Semi-Final

Football: Never Say Die ; Bigger Picture Hyderjawad Looks Back Over a Remarkable Season for Steve Bruce and Birmingham City

There are few men who can handle a crisis better than Steve Bruce. In a season that has seen Birmingham City lurch from one predicament to another, the manager has exuded composure and humility. In some respects, the 2006/07 campaign has been the club's history in microcosm. And through it all, Bruce absorbed the criticism and turned it into energy. The smile, ubiquitous and endearing, was always genuine.

Horse Racing: Teofilo Looking the Part ; by Martin Kelly and Keith Hamer

Teofilo pleased trainer Jim Bolger in his last piece of serious work before leaving his Irish base for the Stan James 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday. Last season's champion European two-year-old is the 2-1 favourite with William Hill to stretch his unbeaten record to six and give Bolger his first victory in the colts' Classic.

Horse Racing: Drop's Ready to Last the Distance in Sagaro Test

The Last Drop can make his class tell in the Woodcote Stud Sagaro Stakes at Ascot today. Runner-up to impressive winner Sixties Icon in the St Leger last season, the Barry Hills-trained colt should be more than capable of holding his own at Group Three level.

Rugby Union: Wrong Time, Wrong Place and Definitely the Wrong Player Options

How reassuring it is to find out that just because the domestic season has ended it hasn't necessarily meant I'll have to go without my weekly fix of idiocy. Those cricket chaps are fairly decent at it, particularly the northern lad who likes getting lashed and taking to the oceans in a vessel not suited to sea-faring, but they haven't perfected the in- fighting that we in rugby enjoy. Anyway, I'll be surprised if Freddie's tempted to follow a night out on Broad Street with a quick pedal arou...

Rugby Union: Ruddock's Warriors to Play Off the Front Foot

Like day and night, black and white, good cop and bad cop, the contrast could not have been more stark. Almost as soon as John Brain loped, shoulders hunched, out of one of Sixways' blue-framed doors, Mike Ruddock swept through another smiling, promising the world - or at least Europe - and even quoting Rudyard Kipling.

Rugby Union: Nuns' Coach Westgate Quits

For the second time in less than 12 months, Nuneaton face a search for a new director of rugby after Paul Westgate's resignation, writes Howard Clews. Westgate, who took up the reins last summer following the sudden departure of Chris Tar-buck to Leicester Lions, is taking up a permanent job at Eastbourne College. Having combined coaching at Nuns with duties at Loughborough University, he described the new post as "too good a career move to miss". "I shall miss Nuns, especially the exciting f...

Cricket: Bears Face 'David' Plot

They may be the closest of neighbours geographically but when Worcestershire and Warwickshire begin their championship match today, it will effectively set David against Goliath. Warwickshire are the self-styled 'Manchester United of cricket.' Few clubs can compete with the Bears' financial muscle, the size of their squad or the facilities at their fingertips. They used 26 players in first-team cricket last season and made a profit of more than pounds 800,000 the year before last. That they c...

Worcestershire V Warwickshire - the History

Played (1899-2004): 181. Worcestershire won: 38.

Cricket: Spring's Sudden Chill As Legends Depart ; Tribute

True legends are few but three of cricket's greatest have died in the last few days - Tom Cartwright, Arthur Milton and Les Jackson. Each was an integral part of county cricket - from the mid-1950s for 25 years before televison gained control of a game in which standards are in decline - when it was the best. Cartwright died, aged 71, Milton, aged 79, and Jackson, aged 76.

Cricket: Vaughan in First Match for Tykes ; Round-Up

England captain Michael Vaughan is set to play his first LV County Championship First Division match of the season against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl today. Vaughan, who played in only three championship matches last season when injury threatened his playing career, is joined in the 12-man squad by international team-mate Matthew Hoggard and batsman Joe Sayers, who scored 149 not out against Durham in the previous round.

Powell Best in Cheam Feast

Michael Powell, the Warwickshire second XI captain, scored an unbeaten 201 out of 462 for five declared off 93 overs in the opening Championship match against Surrey at Cheam, writes Brian O 'Sullivan. Opener Powell, who won the toss and whose team had Surrey 25 without loss at the close, made the most of a simple slip chance not being accepted when he had scored 54.

Cricket: Sarwan Leading Windies' Tour

The West Indies have confirmed that Ram-naresh Sarwan will be their new skipper, starting with the tour of England which gets underway with a three-day match against Somerset at Taunton a week on Saturday. Daren Ganga had also been in contention for the post vacated by Brian Lara after the disappointing performance by the hosts in the World Cup.

Cricket: Four Attempt to Replace Warne

Australias have named four spinners in a 25-man list of contracted players for 2007-08 in the search to replace Shane Warne. Brad Hogg, the former Warwickshire left-arm leg-spinner, joins fellow wrist-spinner Stuart MacGill and youngsters Dan Cullen and Cullen Bailey.

Golf: Heat May Reduce Rough On Toughest and Longest Open Course ; Golf: The Open

Open Championship organisers said yesterday they do not intend to make the world's greatest golfers suffer at Carnoustie in July, like they did in 1999. "We are not seeking carnage," Peter Daw-son, the chief executive of the Royal and Ancient Club, said. "We are seeking an arena where the players can display their skills to the best effect."

Football: Mcnamara's Past Experience Will Lift Wolves

Amid the excitement and nervousness that is seeping through Molineux, there is the composure of Jackie McNamara. With Wolverhampton Wanderers on the brink of securing a place in the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs, there is a feeling of adventure among the players who know that a victory away to Leicester City on Sunday will confirm a top-six finish.

Football: Blues Set to Be Inspired by Reading ; Football: Coca-Cola Championship

Martin Taylor believes Birmingham City can take heart from the Premiership performances of last year's promoted sides Sheffield United and Reading, who both seem destined to remain in the division. Bridging the gap between the Championship, in which Birmingham have just secured a top two finish, and the top flight has traditionally proved difficult for many clubs who have had problems competing with opponents that have become used building their squads with vast sums of television money.

Football: Westwood Aiming for Title ; League Two

Chris Westwood is delighted Hartlepool will join Walsall as promotion winners, but that won't stopm him aiming to ruin his former club's title dreams. The defender enjoyed his six-year stay with the North-east club, taking them to the playoffs in each of his first seasons befor clinching automatic promotion in 2003.

Football: Pearce Acts Quickly to Ban Barton After Bust-Up ; National Round-Up

Joey Barton's Manchester City career is in doubt after he was suspended by the club for a violent altercation with team-mate Ousmane Dabo. Dabo was left requiring hospital treatment for cuts to his face following the incident, which erupted during a training game at City's Car-rington training complex.

Snooker: Battling O'sullivan Keeps His Nerve in See-Saw Quarter- Final

Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins remain locked at 4-4 after yesterday's first session of their quarter-final clash at the 888.com World Championship in Sheffield. 'The Rocket', a two-time winner of the Crucible crown, found himself 3-1 down to Higgins after the Scot got off to a flying start.