More sports in brief

2,000 Test tickets for Scotia Kiddy Cricket programme

Some 2,000 tickets for the West Indies vs Australia second Test have been set aside for the schools involved in the Scotiabank/West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Kiddy Cricket programme. The 140 schools that are participants in the programme will get the opportunity to send students and teachers to be part of the five-day event, a tactic that should build even more interest in the sport at the primary level.

"We are giving away 400 tickets daily, says Kiddy Cricket national coordinator, Phillip Service. "There has been overwhelming interest as the schools vie for the opportunity to attend. We are now in the process of assigning tickets and look forward to filling the stands with excited students."

This is the 15th year of partnership between Scotiabank and the WICB, who joined together to establish a developmental programme for students at the primary level across the region. Each year, students compete in the parish zone that culminates with the eight top schools vying for the number one position. They also get the opportunity to be part of the Kiddy Cricket interval display that takes place during the lunch break at the second Test series in the Australia tour.

Bishoo, Samuels move up ICC rankings 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC):

West Indies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo has jumped into the top 50 of the Reliance International Cricket Council (ICC) player rankings for Test bowlers, following an outstanding bowling performance in the First Test against Australia in Dominica last week.

Bishoo has climbed 10 places from 53rd to 43rd after a convincing bowling performance landed him with first innings figures of six for 80.

Meantime, West Indies middle-order batsman, Marlon Samuels, has moved up two places in the rankings for batsmen. Samuels, who top-scored for West Indies with 74 in their second innings against Australia, now shares 28th spot with Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was dropped from the West Indies team for the current Australia Test series, is the highest-ranked West Indian.

In the Reliance ICC team ranking, Australia are in second place with a rating of 108 points, while the West Indies remain in eighth spot with 84.

Juventus sign Khedira

TURIN, Italy (AP):

Juventus say they have signed Germany midfielder Sami Khedira from Real Madrid on a four-year contract. The Italian champions said in a statement yesterday that Khedira will arrive on a free transfer on July 1.

Khedira progressed through the ranks at his hometown club, Stuttgart, before moving to Madrid in 2010 and helping the team to a string of titles, including the league, two Spanish Cups and the Champions League. He also won the World Cup with Germany last summer. The 28-year-old Khedira made just 17 appearances in all competition this season for Real Madrid.

Juventus won a fourth successive Serie A title this year, as well as the Italian Cup and reached the final of the Champions League, where they lost to Barcelona.