Planica, Slovenia  - Gregor Schlierenzauer claimed a record 13th season victory and broke the 2,000-points barrier in the ski-jumping World Cup when he led the way on the world's largest flying hill.

The Austrian Schlierenzauer soared 203 metres in a wind-marred competition which saw only one round of jumping due to the difficult conditions, pipping Poland's Adam Malysz for first place.

Bremen - International Torsten Frings will miss Werder Bremen's Bundesliga match against Borussia Dortmund on the weekend and seems likely to have to withdraw from the Germany squad for the World Cup qualifiers on March 28 and April 1.

The midfielder has an ankle injury that will force him to miss the game against Dortmund and makes him doubtful for the games against Liechtenstein in Leipzig and in Cardiff against Wales.

Falun, Sweden - Claudia Nystad and Axel Teichmann won the prologue races for Germany at the cross-country skiing World Cup finals on Friday.

Nystad won the women's freestyle race over 2.5 kilometres in 7 minutes 12.5 seconds from Sweden's Charlotte Kalla (2.7 seconds behind) and two-time world champion Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland (3.0 seconds).

London - Totten

Guyana (West Indies), Mar. 20 : England cricket captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower have formed a close partnership, and there are reports in the air that the former wants the latter to continue mentoring the team.

"A very close one," was how Strauss defined his relationship with Flower.

Sydney, Mar. 20 : Glenn McGrath is an Australian cricket bowling legend but the word is he''s a mug punter extraordinaire.

The McGrath Foundation is hosting a lunch for 900 at the Sydney Turf Club''s big autumn racing carnival day at Rosehill Gardens, where Sydney Confidential will also share a marquee with Myer.

McGrath will captain a betting team against his former teammate, the more racing savvy Mark Waugh, in the TAB''s Pink Punting Purse event, reports the Daily Telegraph.