Reuters sports schedule at 1400 GMT on Thursday:
SOCCER
We will have all the latest news ahead of this weekend's fixtures, which include Chelsea's trip to Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur's home clash against Watford. (SOCCER-ENGLAND-TEAM/, expect throughout)
CRICKET
Indian Premier League (to May 21)
(CRICKET-INDIA/IPL, copy on merit)
Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, second Twenty20
(CRICKET-IT20-LKA-BGD/, copy on merit)
GOLF
Johnson and McIlroy set to take Masters spotlight
AUGUSTA, Georgia - The 81st edition of the U.S. Masters gets underway at Augusta National with red-hot world number one Dustin Johnson seeking his first Green Jacket and Rory McIlroy looking to complete a career grand slam of golf’s four majors. (GOLF-MASTERS/ (PIX, TV), expect by 1400 GMT/10 AM ET, by Steve Keating, Ed Osmond, Frank Pingue and Rory Carroll, 400 words)
Green Jacket pours greenbacks into Augusta economy
AUGUSTA, Georgia - It is anyone’s guess which player will wear the Green Jacket on Sunday night, but one certain winner of the Masters is the city of Augusta. (GOLF-MASTERS/ECONOMY (PIX, TV), expect by 1500 GMT/11 AM ET, by Rick Horrow, 400 words)
BASEBALL
Rodriguez gets his chance to impress for Boston
Venezuela left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez gets a chance to stake a claim for a regular spot in the Boston starting rotation if he takes the mound as expected for the Red Sox against the Pittsburgh Pirates in one of 13 games on the Major League Baseball schedule. (BASEBALL-MLB-HIGHLIGHTS/, expect by 0600 GMT/2 AM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 900 words)
NBA
Playoff berths on line as postseason looms
Two teams with identical 38-40 records are in action with the Chicago Bills facing the lowly Philadelphia 76ers (28-50), while the Indiana Pacers meet the Milwaukee Bucks (40-38), who also have plenty to play for in two of the six games on the National Basketball Association schedule. (BASKETBALL-NBA-HIGHLIGHTS/, expect by 0600 GMT/2 AM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 500 words)
NHL
Leafs seek to clinch playoff berth
The Toronto Maple Leafs seek to punch their first playoff ticket in four seasons when they face the Tampa Bay Lighting in one of 12 games on the National Hockey League schedule. (ICEHOCKEY-NHL-HIGHLIGHTS/, expect by 0600 GMT/2 AM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 900 words)
RUGBY
Foley returns to face rampant Hurricanes
WELLINGTON - Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley has been cleared to play for the New South Wales Waratahs in what looms as a season-defining clash against the Wellington Hurricanes.(RUGBY-UNION-SUPER/HURRICANES, expect by 0900 GMT/5 AM ET, by Greg Stutchbury, 400 words)
(Asia desk editor: John O'Brien)