Sport Shorts

LONDON – Italian MotoGP rider Marco Melandri is under doctor’s orders to stay silent for a week after an operation on his vocal chords.

The official MotoGP website www.motogp.com said on Tuesday that Melandri had a polyp removed at a hospital in Milan. It was the Gresini Honda rider’s second operation in a matter of weeks, with the 24-year-old undergoing surgery on his left arm last month.The website said Melandri, who won three races this year and finished fourth overall, would have to participate in a number of sessions to “re-educate” himself to speak after remaining silent for a week.SYDNEY – Michael Vaughan continued his rehabilitation from a knee injury by making nine runs in an England Academy cricket match in Perth yesterday.Hoping to regain his place in the England team later in the Ashes series, Vaughan batted 40 minutes for nine runs against a Western Australia Second XI before being caught at mid-on.Vaughan, who made a duck in his first match back last week, could join some of his England team mates in an Invitational XI against an Australian Cricket Board chairman’s XI at Lilac Hill on Friday.England play a two-day tour match against Western Australia in Perth starting on Saturday before the third test at the WACA beginning on December 14.Vaughan, who captained England to their Ashes victory in 2005, has not played a test for more than a year.Australia lead the current series 2-0 after wins in Brisbane and Adelaide.Nampa-Reuters and AFPIt was the Gresini Honda rider’s second operation in a matter of weeks, with the 24-year-old undergoing surgery on his left arm last month.The website said Melandri, who won three races this year and finished fourth overall, would have to participate in a number of sessions to “re-educate” himself to speak after remaining silent for a week.SYDNEY – Michael Vaughan continued his rehabilitation from a knee injury by making nine runs in an England Academy cricket match in Perth yesterday.Hoping to regain his place in the England team later in the Ashes series, Vaughan batted 40 minutes for nine runs against a Western Australia Second XI before being caught at mid-on.Vaughan, who made a duck in his first match back last week, could join some of his England team mates in an Invitational XI against an Australian Cricket Board chairman’s XI at Lilac Hill on Friday.England play a two-day tour match against Western Australia in Perth starting on Saturday before the third test at the WACA beginning on December 14.Vaughan, who captained England to their Ashes victory in 2005, has not played a test for more than a year.Australia lead the current series 2-0 after wins in Brisbane and Adelaide.Nampa-Reuters and AFP