Los Angeles  - The Houston Rockets had no problems passing their latest test against one of the league's best.

Yao Ming scored 28 points on 13-of-15 shooting, and the Rockets held the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers to a season-low point total en route to 93-74 victory on Thursday night.

"It is a big win," the Chinese superstar centre said. "We played against one of the best quality teams in this league. They have one of the top records and their quality is almost like playoffs. So, it is a really good test for us to see how far we can go."

Led by the 7-foot-6, Yao and a stellar defensive effort, the Rockets roared to their season-high sixth straight victory and ninth in a row at home.

The three-year-old looks the best among the seven runners

Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar will be a part of the same team as Indian Cricket League (ICL) player and former New Zealand cricketer Hamish Marshall in a Twenty20 exhibition match to be played in Wellington on Friday. Tendulkar and Marshall will take the field as a part of New Zealand Masters in their match against Australia Masters.

The legendary Allan Border is moved after watching Slumdog Millionaire, the Danny Boyle Academy Award-winning movie. The story of an impoverished Mumbai teenager growing up in the slums but making his own fortune against all odds went down well with the tough-as-nail former Australian skipper.

Border hopes at least one, if not more of the 1200 children rescued through an anti-child labour campaign in Mumbai, will choose sport as means to a healthier and fulfilling future.

Surendra Bhave and Narendra Hirwani will be the visiting selectors in New Zealand. At least one member of the national selection committee is likely reach there during, if not before, the start of the one-day series. The other may join him later. Both will stay on till the end of the series.

It is learnt that the selection committee has identified the two on the basis of their availability. North Zone's Yashpal Sharma and East's Raja Venkat are unable to make the trip for different reasons. Yashpal has suffered personal tragedies and has conveyed to the Board about his inability to make the trip.

ICL chairman Kapil Dev says the league is here to stay despite failed talks with BCCI

The involvement of the International Cricket Council (ICC) as a mediator between the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was seen as a shot in the arm for the league.