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.

If I didn’t mention it, maybe the experienced mechanic wouldn’t notice.

Stan, my 11-year-old Fiat Punto, hasn’t been working properly since I smashed it into a concrete slab at Bolton service station last year. Everything but the steering works. For a year I’ve been taking corners like a dysfunctional WW2 tank.

Today, I parked the green machine at a garage in Chesterfield, for a reluctant MOT. I didn’t mention the steering. The way I saw it, he was probably just checking the brake pads. (Whatever they are). Walking back to the flat from the garage was the closest I’ve come to leaving a loved one in a job interview or an exam. I actually turned around halfway down the road to catch what may be my final glance at Stan, the “roadworthy’ stallion.

Three hours later, the dreaded call came. Dave the mechanic had carried out the MOT and was delivering what felt like a judges verdict.

Dave: “Alex, I’ve changed the oil, shaved the brake pads and adjusted part of the engine which was leaking.”

Alex: “Superb, nice one Dave, I’ll pick it up now if you like?”

Dave: “Ummm. Well the thing is, I’ve had a look at the steering shaft.”

Alex: “Oh yeah? Any good?”

Dave: “It’s at a right angle mate. You must have caught it on something. I can get the part in and fit it tomorrow. It’ll cost you about £120 extra though mate.”

Alex: “Ok. My bad.”

The mechanic knew I tried to keep it hidden. He even asked me if I could feel half the car vibrating when I drove it. To which I replied: “Well, ummm, I guess there was, ummm, hmmm, yeah. Maybe”.

I learnt two lessons today. 1) You cannot fool an expert. 2) Do not try to fool an expert.

The truth is, my car will be a lot safer and live a lot longer now the steering is fixed. But somehow I persuaded myself that saving money was far more important. Keeping things hidden is definitely part of my genetic make up. I don’t know how it got there, but since I was a kid, I’ve always been aware of it.

Jeremiah nails it here:

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. 
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. 
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

The heart is deceitful above all things 
and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

“I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, 
to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Peace.

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.

Walking through a wet Cwmbran was about as enjoyable as chewing through a wheelie bin. The Welsh winds threw me up against a tree at one point in my two mile hike to a church called “Victory”. As I approached the revamped warehouse-church, my mind welcomed the sparks of scepticism. The question which provided an umbrella for a million other sarcy thoughts, was this: How can a large shack on a hill in South Wales make a difference? (In hindsight, I think the entire heavenly realm shook their heads at this.)

Within five minutes of sitting in the warm reception, I saw two builders, two businessmen and a musician pass through to speak with the church leaders. It was a bit like a doctor’s waiting room without the sickness. I removed my coat. In fact, I was made to feel at home so much, I could have removed my shirt.

What happened next can only be described as a whirlwind of vision introduced by a man called Richard Taylor. I’ve thought long and hard on how to convey this in blog format, and my conclusion is that bullet points would probably be the most efficient method.

> Church started one year ago with a group of former drug-addicts and a married couple. In one year, the church has grown to 650 people.

> Church is now one of the fasted growing churches in Wales.

> One couple came to faith, got baptised and married in one weekend.

> Church service includes three songs and an hour’s bible teaching.

> In every service at least one person takes their first steps in the Christian faith.

> Richard Taylor, who leads the church, is a former drug addict and found out about Jesus whilst in prison.

I saw what can only been described as the results of faith in Cwmbran. Real faith. Faith in Jesus. I saw a man who actually believed he could change a town, a region and a country with the message of Jesus. And what is more, during my whirlwind introduction, I saw a man who was actually doing it.

There was no rhetoric in the way he talked about Jesus. It was as if he was walking around with the Word of God in his heart. And the Truth is, he was.

As I left the Industrial Unit and headed down the hill back to the station, I was overcome with tears. In a brief meeting with a fellow Welsh Christian, I had encountered the greatest encouragement of all. Amidst the stories of phenomenal growth, mass baptisms and community transformation, I was reminded of the words in 1 Peter 1 vs 8-9. “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Maybe it’s not about personality. Maybe it’s not about how gifted you are. Maybe it’s about believing in Jesus, and then actually doing what he asks in Scripture. Maybe it’s as simple as that. Just maybe.

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.

This week I celebrate a decade following Jesus. I say “following” because that’s the word that best describes what I’ve been doing. But to be honest, sometimes these words would have suited my journey better:

Searching, Chasing, Stumbling, Abandoning, Pestering, Entertaining, Embarrassing.

On February 16, 2001, I had no idea where my mustard seed of faith would take me. And here, ten years later, I still don’t. I read the stories of the faith heroes in the New Testament and long for more confidence in the message of Jesus. That same message, which gave me life to the max a decade ago, has been igniting the souls of men and women across the British Isles even today.

However, my faith anniversary will not take place without sombre reflection. I can think of hundreds of people I have spent time with who have not been able to see the wood for the trees. Men and women have poured out their broken hearts declaring an issue which has hammered their daily lives. I have watched my closest friends yearn for a cure to their deep-rooted lack of joy. I have witnessed the downfall of those closest to me. So many people have snubbed the message of Jesus as a religious anecdote bearing no relevance to their struggle with the human condition. Some of my mates have described in detail the hole in their soul, with wry smiles across their depleted faces.

Their lives come at them from every angle, yet they refuse to stand on the solid rock. They even express envy at the rock on which I stand whilst ignoring my open invitation for them to join me.

But the common denominator in every story I encounter, is the colossal sense of hope.

If the message of Jesus can radicalise a 16-year-old Valley boy on a cold night in February, then it can do the same for anyone and everyone. I know this to be true.

I, like so many others, have been entrusted with the most uplifting, counter-cultural message on the globe. It heals the broken-hearted, grounds the arrogant, inspires the weak, comforts the abandoned, rescues the reckless, exposes the liar, restores the hopeless, and makes me laugh in coffee shops. It is the ultimate game-changer for the human race.

And so I crack on to the next ten years. I forget the things that have hindered me, and I rub my hands for the next chapter.

Proverbs 2

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Peace.

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.

The M25 is the Golem of all British roads; deceptive, deceitful and downright disgusting. The overwhelming sensation of unfaithfulness swarmed me as I drove the company car instead of Stan, my aging Fiat Punto. That sensation soon disappeared when I dipped the clutch on this two-litre beast. I ate up the M1 like a Celtic goblin. And then I hit the M25. The road which has less character than a bus full of Premier League footballers.

I was heading to Essex to stay with CVM faithful Andy Drake, the proud Australian. Every encounter I’ve had with the man from Oz (that sounds weird doesn’t it?) has resulted in uncontrollable laughter. I was excited.

As thousands of cars surrounded me entering the English south, I clung to the hope of beers with the CVM team later that night. However, traffic jams have the edge on my optimism. After two hours of greyness in slow motion, every sense of joy gets deleted. I stare endlessly into the machine.

My Sat Nav could sympathise with me, as it completely lost the plot. At one stage it told me I was in Barnsley, when I was quite clearly in Basildon. The journey was becoming heavy, like the tension one faces in a school exam.

Eventually I arrived, only to find Andy wasn’t at home. I sat alone, in a random street in Essex, with nothing but broken thoughts and stressful twitches to keep me company.

And then, in my rear view mirror, Andy Drake was bowling down the street with the typical air of confidence that can be found on every Australian.

On entering his house I was given melted cheese on toast, (The greatest dish on Earth) a cup of tea, a can of full fat coke and a bottle of Peroni…all at once. Hallelujah. Instantly I was experiencing an “it was worth it” moment.

Can you imagine how much better its going to be for those who have kept the Christian faith on their arrival into eternity?

Every slow motion moment of greyness in this world will be worth every second in the everlasting.

And I’ll drink to that.

Peace.

To find out more about Jesus, read the Gospel of John; the most important book ever written.