Sydney, Jan. 6: South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who top-scored with 89, has rated the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) pitch among the three toughest third-day wickets he has encountered in his 11-year career.

"It''s not nice staring down the wicket and you make sure you run on the side of it so you don''t fall down," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Boucher, as saying.

"But we can''t control that. It''s the playing surface we have been given and we''ve just got to try and play on it as best we can," he added.

However, pitch curator Tom Parker said he was influenced by forecasts of showers for the eve of the Test and the first morning to keep watering to a minimum.

Los Angeles - The San Antonio Spurs turned up their trademark defense down the stretch to turn back another opponent.

Tim Duncan had 19 points with nine rebounds, and Argentine Manu Ginobili blocked Dwyane Wade's shot in the final minutes as the Spurs beat the Miami Heat 91-84 on Monday night en route to their eighth win in the last nine games.

"It was a good defensive game both ways," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said. "The defense was sound and we were able to make a couple of shots down the stretch. That's the way we have to be if we want to do anything at the end of the season."

Brisbane, Australia - Novak Djokovic's upcoming defence of his Australian Open title was plunged into disarray on Tuesday as the Serb crashed out 6-4, 6-4 in his opening match at the Brisbane International.

The world number two was upset in his first match of the season and now has no chance to gain ranking ground this week on Roger Federer, who competes in Doha.

Gulbis earned his first win over his former teenage companion at a Munich tennis academy after losing to Djokovic at the French Open and Cincinnati Masters last year.

Djokovic lasted just 88 minutes as he was upset by the world number 53, with Gulbis breaking in the fifth game of the opening set to start his roll to victory.

London, Jan. 6 : England fast bowler Stephen Harmison has said that he would like coach Peter Moores and skipper Kevin Pietersen to resolve their differences sooner than later, as that will be good for the England team.

Moores, the head coach, and Pietersen, the captain, are set for crisis talks this week with Moores''s job understood to be on the line.

"They have got to get their heads together and have a chat and sort out the issues," The Independent quoted Harmison, as saying.

Melbourne, Jan 6: Golden girl Stephanie Rice seems unfazed by her coach's "unfit" remarks, for the stunner was spotted partying hard in Sydney yet again.

The 20-year-old Olympic winner was seen partying at the 21st birthday bash for fellow swimmer Kenrick Monkat The Eastern in Bondi Junction.

A source revealed that Rice was the life of the party.

London, January 6 : A 14-year-old girl from southeast London has raised Britain's hopes of marvellous success in weightlifting during the Olympics in 2012, for she has smashed almost every national record in the country.

Zoe Smith had earned herself the tag of Britain's strongest girl last year, when she lifted three times her own nine-stone bodyweight.

And now the British Olympic Association has named her Athlete of the Year in her sport.