The International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup shock result which saw Ireland mount a terrific run chase to beat England has been confirmed as the most watched non-India game in the host nation.

The Irish completed the major upset after successfully chasing a seemingly unassailable 327 runs, helped in no small part by the fastest century innings in the tournaments history by Kevin O’Brien, who hit 100 runs off just 50 balls.

Non-India World Cup matches involving the weaker sides have seen average ratings for the nine matches standing at 0.74 TVR, though the England-Ireland game more than doubled that by reaching a rating of 1.78 TVR while the peak rating for the match was 8.48 TVR.

Second in the list was the match involving Pakistan-Canada, which saw the former snatching victory after being bowled out by the North American team for 184 runs, notching up ratings of 1.69 TVR with peak ratings standing at 4.63 TVR.

English Premier League soccer giant Manchester United’s CEO David Gill has insisted he is “comfortable” with the club’s financial situation and claimed that a net debt of £370m (US$600m) is not having a negative impact.

Gill went on to tell a UK House of Commons select committee hearing into soccer governance that the club was right to ignore fan groups who were “at war” with the Glazers, who have been unpopular owners with some sections of the fans since taking over in 2005.

Gill stated: “We know it’s there but it doesn’t impact what we do. There has been no impact in terms of our transfers.”

Gill also said that that he does not believe the Glazers have been “an embarrassment” and defended the owners’ silent stance in the face of supporters’ groups, which have staged numerous protests, adding: “We are not going to engage in structured dialogue with organisations like that. I don’t think it’s appropriate. They are at war with the owners.”

Police at the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup have clashed with hundreds of fans once again, this time seeking tickets for India’s World Cup showdown against South Africa on Tuesday, highlighting the country’s inability to handle the huge demand for seats.

Twelve days after similar scenes were witnessed in Bangalore when fans were lathicharged when caught in a frenzy for the host nations game against England, stick-wielding police battered fans in front of the ticket counter at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.

Ticket sales for the February 19-April 2 tournament have proven to be a major headache for Indian organisers, who are unable to meet demand for the high-profile matches, especially those featuring the home team as well as the April 2 final in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.

Tuesday’s episode is likely to raise further questions about the way tickets are being distributed in the cricket-crazy nation.

Representatives of the National Football League (NFL) and its players union are set for a 14th day of debate with a federal mediator regarding how to divide almost US$9 billion in revenue.

The NFL Players Association rejected an offer from the league to reveal audited profitability data for all 32 teams for the past several years, the New York Times reported last night. Union leaders want each club’s audited full financial statements, the newspaper said.

Such disagreements don’t make it impossible to reach an accord and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft told ComCast SportsNet New England on Tuesday, March 8: “We’re doing everything we can to get a deal consummated. I personally believe it’s possible.”

The sides are in a week-long extension of the league’s collective bargaining agreement with players, which was set to expire after March 3. Had the agreement lapsed, owners could have locked out players, shutting down the most popular U.S. sport for the first time since 1987.

George H. Cohen, head of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, brokered a deal between Major League Soccer (MLS) and its players last year, and said the extension ends the evening of March 11.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and executive director of the players’ union DeMaurice Smith have both declined to discuss the specifics of talks, at the request of Cohen.

According to a new 3,000 participant survey by vouchercodes.co.uk, 1 in 10 men are willing to sacrifice their wedding budgets, while 1 in 5 women will ditch their summer holidays to secure tickets for London 2012.

Unsurprisingly the survey revealed that that tickets for the men’s 100-metre sprint races will be the most sought-after, despite the actual race being likely to last under 10 seconds. The race should feature a mouth-watering showdown between Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt and his great American rival Tyson Gay, will be £725 (US$1,180) when they go on sale next week.

This is relatively low when compared to the £20.12 to £2,102 ($32.74 to $3,274) for the opening ceremony and £1,500 ($2,440) for the closing.

The second most popular event was Women’s swimming, which is almost certain to see Britain’s double Beijing 2008 Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington in action, just ahead of diving where Britain’s 16-year-old sensation Tom Daley is tipped to be a strong gold medal prospect in the men’s 10m platform event.

Reporting that 42 per cent of people claim they would sell their belongings to bag an Olympics ticket, vouchercodes.co.uk co-founder Duncan Jennings stated: “Now the Olympic timetable and ticket prices have been released, the excitement around London 2012 is building to fever pitch.

“With higher prices for the most popular events, people are already thinking about what they will have to give up in order to make their dreams a reality.”

Despite the huge ticket prices involved, some Londoners are hoping to make a profit when the city hosts the Games, with 1 in 10 London homeowners planning to sub-let their homes during the Olympics to take advantage of the close proximity of their properties to the Games.

Jennings added: “While the Olympics are a dream ticket, it’s important to shop smart when securing tickets and be aware of the potential pitfalls of subscribing for more tickets than you can afford.”

London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton has already fired a warning regarding illegal tickets found at the Games, saying his organisation are working closely with the Metropolitan Police to make life “very difficult and very painful” for any touts trying to sell counterfeit tickets.

According to Croatian daily newspaper, Vecernij List, the nation has become the latest in a long line of hopefuls linked with hosting a Formula 1 race. 

The newspaper claimed that the project is being planned for just outside the country’s capital, Zagreb, and has the support of the FIA, Bernie Ecclestone and favoured track designer Hermann Tilke. 

According to the report, the project has an estimated budget of US$346.7m, which will wholly come from private investors, and would take more than 18 months to complete.

The owners of cricket’s Indian Premier League (IPL) Kochi franchise have initiated a new contest inviting fans to name the team.

The franchise has provided two options to choose the new name which must include Kerala or Kochi as the first name, and Titans, Commandos, Tigers, Tuskers, Heroes, or United as the last name.

KCPL Director Mukesh Patel said in a press release: “We would like to give an opportunity to all our fans to be a part of our team and select a name for their IPL team.”

Former Union minister of state for foreign affairs Shashi Tharoor had posted on his Twitter page: “As a Kerala MP & cricket well-wisher, had a frank talk with owners of IPL team. Convinced serious changes are coming, including of name.”

The Kochi franchise was initially named Indi Commandoes without having Kerala or Kochi attached to it, however within minutes the team was re-named as Indi Commandoes Kerala after facing flak from fans belonging mostly to Kerala.

Betting firm Betfair has signed a new two-year sponsorship deal with rugby union’s Super 15 competition in Australia, order giving the company stadium and grass signage at the home grounds of all five Australian Super 15 franchises as well as advertising across Super Rugby’s digital platforms.

The deal covers every fixture hosted by the ACT Brumbies, New South Wales Waratahs, Queensland Reds, Western Force and newcomers the Melbourne Rebels, but not games played in New Zealand or South Africa.

Betfair spokesperson, Hugh Taggart said: “The addition of a new franchise and the change to tournament fixtures means there are more local derbies and subsequently bigger Australian audiences both at grounds and through television coverage.”

While the value of the sponsorship has not been revealed, Taggart added: “Suffice to say we believe it represents good value. Super Rugby remains a pretty clear sponsorship space while rugby league is cluttered with corporate bookmakers. The deal should give us excellent exposure to a growing audience.”

Andrew Twaits, Betfair’s chief executive, said: “Its Betfair’s first foray into rugby union and this new partnership will help broaden our awareness nationally, crucially in the key New South Wales and Queensland markets.”

ARU chief executive John O’Neill, himself a non-executive director of rival betting firm Tabcorp, added: “Betfair has been one of our approved betting operators since early 2008 and their decision to become an official partner of Super Rugby in Australia builds on what has been a very good working relationship. The Australian Rugby Union and Betfair have had an open communication channel to ensure the game and the agency maintain their high level of integrity.”

Delegate places for the upcoming 2011 SportAccord Convention in London have been sold out, the event organisers have announced.

The sell-out is not the first in the event’s history but is the earliest, coming one month ahead of the ninth annual edition. The 2011 SportAccord Convention will take place from April 3-8 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bride Hotel in London.

Anna Hellman, executive director of the SportAccord Convention, stated: “We are of course delighted to be sold out again, especially so early, although it’s unfortunate that we will not be able to accommodate everyone who wants to attend.

“We are very concerned with preserving the exclusive networking environment we provide and therefore we put a ceiling of 1,500 delegates on attendance,” added Hellman.