San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds hit the 755th home run of his career on Saturday, tying the all-time record held by Hank Aaron since 1974.

The controversial Bonds slammed the landmark homer off San Diego Padres pitcher Clay Hensley at Petco Park, San Diego.

Most in the sellout crowd cheered as Bonds circled the bases. It was his first at-bat in the game at a venue where a giant syringe was thrown on the field by a fan last season in protest of Bonds's long-rumoured use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Cricket

England have named an unchanged 12-man squad for their bid to salvage the series against India with victory in the third test at The Oval starting on Thursday.

India lead the three-test series 1-0 after winning the second match at Trent Bridge at the end of last month after the first test at Lord's ended in a draw.

Athletics

Ethiopian distance champion Haile Gebrselassie marked his New York City debut yesterday with an easy half-marathon victory in 59 minutes 24 seconds.

Gebrselassie broke away from a leading pack after 13 kms to set the second fastest time ever recorded in the United States after his own mark of 58:55 in Tempe, Arizona, last year.

American Abdi Abdirahman was second, a distant 65 seconds behind, and Robert K. Cheruiyot of Kenya was third in 1:00:58.

Cycling

Alessandro Petacchi will find out next Saturday if he has been cleared after a controversial positive dope test during May's Giro D'Italia.

The test showed excessive levels of the stimulant salbutamol and the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) asked the federation to impose a one-year ban.

Petacchi is saying he accidentally used too much salbutamol in his asthma inhaler.