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Results Based News

Reds thrash hapless Villa

Author: Craig Williams
Date: 23/03/2009

Liverpool closed the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester United to just one point with a 5-0 rout of Aston Villa at Anfield.

The football betting odds on Rafael Benitez's men shortened after goals from Dirk Kuyt, Albert Riera and a Steven Gerrard hat-trick extended Villa's run without a league win to eight games.

At Eastlands, defender Micah Richards came to Manchester City's rescue and spared them acute embarrassment as they struggled to defeat stubborn ten-man Sunderland 1-0.

The right-back was City's match-winner as he found the net with a rare goal - his first in more than two-and-a-half years.

City laboured to victory despite having an extra man for 76 minutes after George McCartney's early sending off.

At the JJB Stadium, Ben Watson hit the only goal of the game as Wigan Athletic beat Hull City to keep their European hopes alive.

In Scotland, Celtic fought back to take a hard-earned point from a 2-2 draw at Tannadice against Dundee United.

In cricket, Shivnarine Chanderpaul's century helped West Indies beat England in the second one-day international in Guyana.

Chanderpaul, dropped by Matt Prior on 27, hit 112 not out, as West Indies posted a total of 264-8.

When England responded, only captain Andrew Strauss (105) made a score of any consequence as the tourists were dismissed for 243 with ten balls left.

South Africa completed an innings victory over Australia on the fourth day of the third Test in Cape Town, despite a fine century from Mitchell Johnson.

Johnson finished on 123 not out from just 103 balls as Australia made 422 in their second innings, just 20 runs short of making South Africa bat again.

Paul Harris took a career-best 6-127 in the innings and 9-161 in the match, while Dale Steyn finished with 3-96.

In golf, Argentina's Estanislao Goya survived a late charge from Callum Macaulay to win the Madeira Islands Open by one shot.

Goya, 20, secured his maiden victory in only his sixth career European Tour tournament, but his closing round of 73 almost opened the door for Macaulay.

Meanwhile, Retief Goosen notched his first PGA Tour victory since 2005 by winning the Transitions Championship in Tampa.

In tennis, Andy Murray lost to world number one Rafael Nadal as the Spaniard triumphed in the Indian Wells Masters 1000 final with a 6-1 6-2 victory.

In the women's final, fourth seed Vera Zvonareva secured an impressive 7-6 6-2 victory against Ana Ivanovic.

In Super League, Huddersfield scrum-half Luke Robinson scored twice as the Giants thrashed Harlequins 46-6 while Warrington finally secured their win of the season at the sixth attempt as they beat Hull KR 24-12.

In rugby union, Worcester caused a major surprise by beating Gloucester 14-10 while Harlequins ran in four second-half tries to beat Sale 38-20.

Bristol's relegation is all but confirmed after they lost 21-19 to Wasps while London Irish edged out Northampton 32-27 at the Madejski Stadium.

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