Burnley’s Charlie Austin is Europe’s first striker to reach the 20 goal mark this season and it comes as no surprise that Premier League clubs are battling it out to acquire the 23 year old’s signature. The Daily Mail has alleged that the Englishman has been observed by Premier League scouts in his last five games and that the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle and Everton are keeping a close eye on his progress, in the Championship, as the season edges closer to the January transfer window.

Burnley signed Austin almost two years ago from Swindon Town for a fee of £1.5 million and the club will surely be looking at a far greater valuation of the player despite him playing just one full season in the Championship.

Dani Pedrosa staved off championship rival Jorge Lorenzo in a close-fought Grand Prix of Japan at Twin Ring Motegi this afternoon. The Repsol Honda rider secured his fourth win in five races to slash another 5 points off Lorenzo's lead in the championship.

Alvaro Bautista of San Carlo Gresini Honda was ecstatic after scoring his second podium in third place, getting the better of Cal Crutchlow in a thrilling battle in the closing laps of the race.

Returning to action this weekend was World Champion Casey Stoner at Repsol Honda, following recuperation from his ankle injury sustained in Indianapolis. The Australian was not at a hundred percent, but was raring to go aiming to compete in the final rounds before he retires at the end of the season. He was mathematically out of the championship prior to the race.

Crystal Palace have stood firm over their prized asset Wilfried Zaha amid strong interest from Premier League giants, with manager Dougie Freedman claiming that the teenager was worth more than £11m. Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City have all been tracking the 19 year old winger, who has made a flying start to the Championship season by bagging four goals already. His impressive displays have pushed Palace up to 4^th place in the standings and Freedman has no intention of letting him go anytime soon.

The manager told Sky Sports: “I know he is worth more than £11m. You're getting him cheap if you get him for that. Wilfried has dedicated himself to the game and is heading in the right direction. We give young players the chance to play and that's what he is doing now.”

Germany's Bernhard Langer, the last man to win The Senior Open Championship on Scottish soil, began his bid to reclaim the title with a flawless six under par opening round 64 to establish one shot lead at Turnberry. The former World Number One and two-time Masters Champion birdied the second, third and seventh holes before the turn and then produced an almost identical back nine, picking up further shots on the 11th, 12th and 17th holes.

"I'm very pleased with the way I played," said Langer, who was Senior Open Champion at Carnoustie two years ago. "I played smart, played well, hit some good drives, good iron shots and made a few putts. I maybe even left a couple of putts out there, as well. But overall, it was very solid. No blemishes."

To a professional, it's never nice to know that the media (and the fans) consider it a fluke that you're in the lead of a Major, with the gossip being about how long it'll take you to choke under the pressure. But Louis Oosthuizen probably wouldn't mind, since considering his past record at the Open he could hardly have predicted himself that he'd be in the leading group on Saturday. And after another sub-70 round (his third straight), he'll go into the final day's play having answered the critics and ensuring the tournament is his to lose.

It didn't start all well, though, for the South African. A bogey on the first hole, coupled with a quick charge from Englishman Paul Casey, meant that a lot of the monumental lead he had carefully built in the opening rounds was already half eaten into after he'd spent just an hour out on the course. But, to his credit, Oosthuizen never put a foot wrong from that point forward, and with the help of a few good breaks, he managed to card a 3-under score of 69 to stay four strokes clear of the field. His driving, in particular, was wonderful to watch, with his bravery at times edging on ridiculous even when the pressure was on him. His tee shot on the 17th was inch-perfect, while he had a 12-footer for eagle on the final hole. Had he made more of those chances (only a par and a birdie) the Open would almost definitely have been his.

The tenth game of the World Chess Championship in Sofia ended in a routine draw with both players keeping the game mostly by the book and deciding to split points after just(!!) 60 moves. Anand surprised the audience in the Military Club as well as the many thousands following the game on the internet, by opting to return to the Grünfeld Defence, with which he lost the first game in this Championship match.

The Grünfeld has a cherished history in the classic game of chess, with the first recorded instance of its use dating back to 1855, when an Indian Mahesh Chander Banerjee used it against John Cocrane. The move though is named after the Austrian Ernst Grünfeld who used it in Vienna, 1922 - when he defeated Alexander Alekhine.

The World Chess Championship is tantalisingly poised, with just three games left to play. In probably the most exciting games of chess in recent memory, Veselin Topalov fought a bitter battle with the defending champion and emerged with a priceless draw after a mind-numbing 83 moves to earn a slim edge over Viswanathan Anand.

The players resumed hostilities after a day of well deserved rest, with Topalov having wrested the momentum from the champion - thanks to two intense draws and a win in their last three games. The stage is set for a memorable climax to this razor sharp contest of wit and preparation. On a day when Bulgaria was celebrating its Day of Bravery with The Feast of Saint George, the patron saint of the Bulgarian Army,  the players were engaged in a battle inside the Military Club in Sofia for the title of the Undisputed Champion of the glorious game of Chess.