England and India tied a pulsating Cricket World Cup contest in Bangalore on Sunday in just one highlight of a remarkable sporting weekend.

Tournament-favourites India posted a mammoth 338 all out thanks largely to Sachin Tendulkar’s sublime 120, but a one-day international-best 158 from England captain Andrew Strauss put his side on course for a remarkable win.

However, England nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and needed 14 from the last over to share the spoils with the competition co-hosts.

On Saturday Sri Lanka, one of the three hosts nations, suffered an 11-run defeat to Pakistan, who had been stripped of the right to stage games due to security fears.

England remain on course for their first Grand Slam and Six Nations title since 2003 – the year they won the Rugby World Cup – after beating France 17-9 at Twickenham on Saturday.

Earlier that day Wales kept their Championship hopes alive with a 24-16 win over Italy in Rome. Ireland did the same on Sunday, seeing off Scotland 21-18 at Murrayfield.

In the Premiership, there were wins for the top four – Leicester, Saracens, Gloucester and Bath – plus London Irish and Newcastle.

In Rugby League’s Super League, leaders Harlequins, Warrington, Bradford, Huddersfield, Salford and Catalan Dragons were victorious.

Birmingham pulled of the shock of the weekend, beating Arsenal 2-1 in the League Cup Final.

On-loan striker Obafemi Martins pounced on a defensive error to score the winner with a minute of normal time remaining. Nikola Zigic’s header had given City an early lead, which Robin van Persie’s volley cancelled out before the break.

Manchester United extended their advantage over Arsenal at the top of the Premier League to six points with a 4-0 thrashing of Wigan and Manchester City consolidated third place by drawing 1-1 with Fulham.

Wolves climbed off the foot of the table and out of the bottom three with a 4-0 demolition of Blackpool and West Ham boosted their survival chances by defeating Liverpool 3-1.

In the other games Aston Villa eased past Blackburn 4-1, Everton saw off Sunderland 2-0 and Newcastle drew 1-1 with Bolton.

Finally, England’s Luke Donald beat world golf number one Martin Kaymer to win the WGC match play in Arizona. Donald won 3&2 to jump six places to number three in the world rankings.

The FA Cup provided the major drama of the sporting weekend as non-league Crawley Town almost forced a replay against Manchester United and League One Leyton Orient managed that feat versus Arsenal.

United could only muster a 1-0 win at home to Crawley, who spurned several chances to equalise. Orient went one better thanks to Jonathan Tehoue’s late leveller, which earned them a rematch at the Emirates. The winner of that game will face United at Old Trafford in the quarter-finals.

The only confirmed last-eight game is Birmingham versus Bolton after they beat Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton respectively. Stoke, who saw off Brighton, will play West Ham or Burnley and Manchester City or Aston Villa will take on Everton or Reading. City and Everton won fourth round replays versus Notts County and Chelsea respectively – the holders beaten on penalties at Stamford Bridge.

In the only Premier League game of the weekend West Brom and Wolves drew 1-1 in the West Country derby at the Hawthorns.

The Cricket World Cup began in Asia on Saturday with India comfortably defeating co-hosts Bangladesh thanks to Virender Sehwag’s superb 175. On Sunday New Zealand thrashed Kenya by 10 wickets and Sri Lanka, the third co-hosts, outclassed Canada.

In the second round of Rugby League’s Super League there were wins for defending champions Wigan, Harlequins, Warrington, Castleford, Wakefield, Leeds and St Helens.

In Rugby Union’s Premiership leaders Leicester, second-placed Saracens, third-placed Gloucester, Bath, Harlequins and Exeter were victorious.

The Six Nations returns next weekend with a potential title decider between England and France at Twickenham on Saturday after Italy face Wales in Rome. On Sunday Scotland play Ireland at Murrayfield.

Rugby Union

England’s Chris Ashton scored four tries in an impressive 59-13 win over Italy.

Wales ended a nine-match losing streak to beat Scotland 24-6 in Murrayfield, while France edged out Ireland in a closely fought 22-25 result in the Aviva Stadium.

Football

Wayne Rooney cemented a four-point gap at the top of the Premier League with an absolute screamer against fierce rivals Man City on the weekend.

Spanish giants Real Madrid have insisted they have not lodged a bid for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, whilst former England manager Steve McClaren has said he is open to the idea of coaching in the Championship.

Cricket

England captain Andrew Strauss has insisted his team believes they can win the ICC World Cup in Bangladesh later this month.

Rob Barnett’s Sports Round Up

There were goals galore in the Premier League on Saturday – an amazing 41 in only eight games.

Leaders Manchester United surrenderd their unbeaten record, losing 2-1 at bottom side Wolves. However, second-placed Arsenal failed to take full advantage, letting a 4-0 lead slip after going down to 10 men to draw 4-4 at Newcastle.

The other results on a record day were Aston Villa 2 Fulham 2, Everton 5 Blackpool 3, Manchester City 3 West Brom 0, Stoke 3 Sunderland 2, Tottenham 2 Bolton 1 and Wigan 4 Blackburn 3.

Sunday’s two games only yielded one goal each as £50million striker Fernando Torres’ Chelsea debut against former club Liverpool was a losing one and Birmingham won at West Ham. Sunday also saw West Brom sack manager Roberto Di Matteo.

The Six Nations began in style on Friday evening with England beating Wales 26-19 in Cardiff thanks to two Chris Ashton tries. On Saturday Ireland needed a late Ronan O’Gara drop-goal to see off Italy 13-11 in Rome and France were 34-21 victors over Scotland in Paris. Next Saturday England host Italy and Wales travel to Scotland. On Sunday Ireland face France in Dublin.

England’s tour of Australia ended on a low note with the hosts completing a 6-1 one-day series win in Perth. Both sides have a raft of injury concerns ahead of the World Cup, which begins on February 19.

Green Bay Packers won a pulsating Super Bowl, beating Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in Dallas. It is the fourth time they have won American Football’s most coveted prize.

Finally, the Super League season starts next weekend with all seven games at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

Guest Blogger Dazz Jones, on a placement with CVM, courtesy of Moorlands Bible College.

So I’m at this Christian men’s conference … sitting at the back, watching with interest. Let’s be honest, there is something great about hanging out with just blokes to hear the message of Jesus. It’s encouraging. Fact.

At one stage, my new friend Alex, a Welsh guy who works for a Christian men’s movement called CVM, asked whether the men in the room believed they could reach 1,000,000 men with the message of Jesus.

Many men in the room raised their hands, some even cried out their confirmation like protein-filled falcons. However, Alex and I chatted after the event, and I got hear about the response from his point of view.

Not all men raised their hands. In fact, quite a few mouthed the word “no”, while others simply shook their heads.

It was amazing to look back in hindsight and remember almost every man singing with real gusto the songs and hymns about how amazing and powerful God is, how good he has been to us in gifting us with salvation. Yet when it comes to seeing people transformed by the world-changing message of Jesus, some doubt the entire thing.

This is a large hurdle we face in men’s ministry in the UK. Most blokes in this country are lost while many Christians think the message of Jesus is only relevant for the church. They say they believe that God is powerful and gracious enough to save their soul, but as for saving another man, they are not so sure. I guess Christian revivals are limited to China, Africa and India then.

The other strange thing is that during the event, one of the worships songs was called “Mighty To Save”, in which all the men declared that their Saviour can “move a mountain” and that “he alone is the author of salvation”.

I re-read the message of Jesus and I still believe God is mighty  and think that if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in me [Rom 8:11] then I’m more than a conqueror [8:37]. If God can save me, he can save you.

Believe.

Andy Murray suffered the heartbreak of a third Grand Slam final defeat as he lost the Australian Open decider to Novak Djokovic in straight sets.

Murray, who also fell at the final hurdle in the 2008 the US Open and last year’s Australian Open – both times to Roger Federer, was defeated 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 by Djokovic in Melbourne.

It leaves Britain still without a male Grand Slam singles winner since Fred Perry won the US Open in 1936.

Blue Square Premier side Crawley Town earned a dream FA Cup tie with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Crawley became the first non-league side to reach the competition’s fifth round in 17 years thanks to victory at Torquay.

Three League One teams will play Premier League opponents: Leyton Orient host Arsenal, Sheffield Wednesday travel to Birmingham and Brighton play Stoke.

Another League One side, Notts County, could face top-flight Aston Villa after holding big-spending Manchester City to a draw.

England surrendered the one-day series to Australia with two games remaining after another disappointing display in coloured clothing.

Having kept the series alive on Australia Day, the tourists lost by 51 runs in Brisbane as Australia took a 4-1 series lead.

Finally, the Six Nations starts this weekend: Wales host England in Cardiff on Friday evening before Ireland take on Italy in Rome and defending champions France meet Scotland in Paris on Saturday.

Press Association Sports Reporter Rob Barnett has recently joined the CVM writing team. We are very excited about this partnership. Below is his Monday sports round up. Enjoy.

Manchester United and Arsenal made emphatic statements about their Premier League title ambitions this weekend with big home wins.

United stayed top as Dimitar Berbatov’s hat-trick capped a 5-0 thrashing of Birmingham while the Gunners moved up to second with Robin van Persie also netting three times in a 3-0 victory over Wigan.

In another notable Premier League result, Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish enjoyed his first win since returning as Reds manager with a 3-0 triumph at Wolves.

The England cricket team have come down from their Ashes success with a bump, albeit with several different players in the one-day series against Australia.

The injury-hit tourists are 3-0 with four games to play after suffering a 46-run defeat in Hobart on Friday and a four-wicket loss at Sydney on Sunday. The series continues in Adelaide on Wednesday, which is Australia Day.

The group stage of rugby union’s European Cup reached it’s climax this weekend with four British and Irish teams progressing to the quarter-finals.

Northampton will play Ulster and Leinster face Leicester. The other two quarters are all-French affairs with Perpignan against Toulon and Biarritz versus Toulouse.

I awoke, standing 95% naked in the middle of my room with my iPhone in my hand, as a woman spoke down the phone to me: “Do you think the message of Jesus has become irrelevant to men?” she asked.

Three days previous I had agreed to be interviewed by a BBC radio reporter regarding the issue of British men and Christianity. The interview was due to take place on Sunday morning at 7am, and so I set my alarm accordingly. Unfortunately, my alarm did not go off.

I slept through the early stages of the interview, but still answered each question.

Listening back to the broadcast, I was absolutely astonished at how coherent my answers were. (Some of my close friends are trying to persuade me to sleep through any future interviews.) I told my boss about my stupidity straight away, and hoped he would see the funny side of it. Thankfully, he laughed uncontrollably.

There are so many lessons in my sleep talk saga for us all:

1) Make sure you set your alarm properly

2) Go to bed earlier

3) Check tomorrow’s diary schedule tonight

But I think the most important thought I’ve had since the embarrassing episode, is the pointlessness in taking myself too seriously. We sit and ponder our deepest ambitious flings, we pledge to live differently to the previous generations, we promise ourselves through gritted teeth that we will overcome our tests and trials. Yet when all is said and done, what are we? Sleep talkers, foolish dreamers and naval gazers.

But before we develop our sombre frowns, maybe our mortality isn’t that bad after all.

Ecclesiastes sums it up

I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

This lot just made me laugh. (Original source)

“If the enemy is in range, so are you.” — Infantry Journal

“It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed.” — US Air Force Manual

“Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword, obviously never encountered automatic weapons.” — General MacArthur

“You, you, and you … Panic. The rest of you, come with me.” — U.S. Marine Corp Gunnery Sgt.

“Tracers work both ways.” — U.S. Army Ordnance Manual

“Five second fuses only last three seconds.” — Infantry Journal

The three most useless things in aviation are: Fuel in the bowser; Runway behind you; and Air above you. — Basic Flight Training Manual

“Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once.” — Maritime Ops Manual

“Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.” — Unknown Marine Recruit

“If you see a bomb technician running, try to keep up with him.” — USAF Ammo Troop

“You’ve never been lost until you”ve been lost at Mach 3.” — Paul F. Crickmore (SR71 test pilot)

“The only time you have too much fuel is when you’re on fire.” —Unknown Author

“If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage it has to be a helicopter — and therefore, unsafe.” — Fixed Wing Pilot

“When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane, you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash.” — Multi-Engine Training Manual

“Without ammunition, the USAF is just an expensive flying club.” — Unknown Author

“If you hear me yell; ‘Eject, Eject, Eject!,’ the last two will be echos. If you stop to ask ‘Why?’ you”ll be talking to yourself, because you’re the pilot.” — Pre-flight Briefing from a 104 Pilot

“What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots? If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies; but If ATC screws up, …. the pilot dies.” — Sign over Control Tower Door

“Never trade luck for skill.” — Author Unknown

“Airspeed, altitude and brains. Two are always needed to successfully complete the flight.” — Basic Flight Training Manual

“Mankind has a perfect record in aviation — we have never left one up there!” — Unknown Author

“Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it.” — Emergency Checklist

“The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it can just barely kill you.” — Attributed to Max Stanley (Northrop test pilot)

“There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm in peacetime.” — Sign over Squadron Ops Desk at Davis-Montham AFB, AZ

“If something hasn’t broken on your helicopter, it’s about to.” — Sign over Carrier Group Operations Desk

“You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal.” — Lead-in Fighter Training Manual

As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing, the crash truck arrives. The rescuer sees a bloodied pilot and asks, “What happened?” The pilot”s reply: “I don’t know, I just got here myself!”

So I’m through the op. It’s not nearly as bad a thing as many blokes who may read this have had to face. But I’ve allowed myself to get down and frustrated over this. There have been weeks stuck in the house, off work, a premature retirement and being made to face for myself, the sort of risks/benefits decision, as a medic I ask my patients to take. Like the decision to have a treatment which carries risks, not as a life saver (as it often is with my patients), but to give me full exercise capability in the long term. For instance, getting back to 100 mile-a-day cycle treks across France, with the mad Revd. Beech. And after making the decision, with difficulty, I get an infection so the op’s delayed for a week with one day to go and the risks increase and other things go wrong.

Nothing new for many blokes reading this, but one of the things I do best is worry. I’ve done dangerous sports in the past and now, extreme (some would say) endurance cycling, which literally reduces grown men to tears. But through it all, I worry. I worry about all sorts of things, not just this. During these frustrating weeks, I’ve been reading the first part of the Book of Psalms. It’s all there; The Lord is always with you and will guard you and guide you through everything including in David’s case, life and death situations, not just non-urgent back surgery. That’s the unchanging truth in Scripture and that’s enough for anybody. But because I’m weak and a worrier, I keep asking God to give me some more reassurance that I’ve made the right decision. But I’m not looking around for ‘signs.’ I don’t do that, much.

Then 2 days before the final date of the op, I’m reading a national daily paper. I don’t get it normally; I’ve just read it a few times while stuck in the house and not for several days previously. Again, my mind’s a million miles away from ‘signs’. I’m just browsing, filling in the boring hours, when I realise I’m reading an article featuring my surgeon and the hospital where I’m going to be a patient. It’s not a complaint, by the way, it features him as a leading expert in something. Then, at the top of another article on the same page, I catch sight of a photograph of a familiar face–someone who was a medical student in my year, who now does medical articles for that paper. I haven’t read one for years, but that day, his column was about the latest evidence showing that the best treatment for people with back problems like mine is not to mess about delaying things with physio etc, (the previous traditional way to deal with it), but to get on with early surgery–which was just what I had decided.

Carl came to see me and I showed him the page. And just as though to underline it, while we’re talking, in a lull in the conversation, a voice on the radio solemnly names the newspaper. We both smiled and thanked God. This sort of ‘fleece’ experience hardly ever happens to me, but when it does, it comes completely unexpectedly. I shouldn’t require it and I don’t deserve it and it’s always possible to dismiss it as a coincidence. But I’m taking it as a kind reassurance to a worrier at just the right time, from a God who amazingly cares about details. What do you think?

I went for my op with much more confidence. The lesson I suppose is to be thankful for the health I‘ve got and when fit again, to strengthen my all too weak resolve to use it in following Jesus–and perhaps, to try and stop worrying so much. Lord help me to do that.