Chelsea ride Drogba strike

London: Chelsea stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League to 11 points with a 1-0 win over struggling West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. Didier Drogba?s first-half winner took Chelsea to 74 points from 29 matches. Manchester United are in second place on 63 and champions Arsenal a further two points adrift in third.

Chelsea, who commemorated the centenary of their foundation with a celebrity-studded dinner on Monday night, dominated from the start as they put the visitors under constant pressure. They were rewarded after 26 minutes when striker Drogba tucked the ball home from eight metres after Damien Duff lost his marker down the left and cut back a precise low cross.

Raul ready to leave Real

Madrid: Real Madrid captain Raul has said for the first time that he would leave the club if he was deemed surplus to requirements. ?After 11 years here I want what?s best for Real Madrid,? the 27-year-old told a Spanish daily on Wednesday. ?If at some time I have to sacrifice myself in order for the team to progress then I will do it.

?If the club calls you up and says that you have to go, then as a player you have to be prepared to look for a way out that will benefit everyone.?

Raul has won three European Cups and four league titles with Real but has come in for heavy criticism for his poor form over the past two seasons.

Jyoti for $1m meet

Hainan Island (China): Jyoti Randhawa, currently second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and 18th on the European Order of Merit, will lead the Indian challenge at the $ 1 million TCL Classic, a joint sanctioned event between European and Asian Tours.

The other Indians in the field are Jeev Milkha Singh, desperate to get out of the winless streak extending to five years, Harmeet Kahlon, whose sole Asian Tour win came in 2002, Rahil Gangjee, winner of the Volvo Masters last season, Amandeep Johl and rookie Shiv Kapur.

Dent knocks out Safin

Indian Wells: Australian Open champion Marat Safin was surprisingly beaten in the third round of the Pacific Life Open on Tuesday, while top seeds Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt advanced to the fourth round.

American Taylor Dent served and volleyed Safin off the court to win 7-5, 6-4, while world No. 1 Federer crushed Gilles Muller 6-3, 6-2 and Hewitt beat France?s Michael Llodra 6-2, 7-6.

Unable to impose his all-court game, Safin grew increasingly frustrated and was warned for racket abuse in the first set. ?It was the worst match I ever played probably in my entire career,? said Safin.

?I haven?t felt so bad on the court ever in my life. Just no matter what I would do, it just would not go my way. The frustration that you get when you?re trying and trying and it just doesn?t go your way is a terrible feeling.?

Bevan best

Brisbane: Former Australian Test and ODI player Michael Bevan was on Wednesday named Australian domestic cricketer of the year after breaking Matthew Elliott?s previous run-scoring record. Bevan, who made his debut for Tasmania this season, scored 1,464 runs from nine matches at an average of 97.60 to erase Elliott?s previous mark of 1,381 for Victoria in 2003-04.

It took Bevan past the 18,000 first-class run mark in a career that has seen him play 232 ODIs and 18 Tests for Australia.

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