Reigning champions England crash out of World Twenty20 after defeat to Sri Lanka

England came up short in defence of their ICC World Twenty20 title following the 19-run defeat to hosts Sri Lanka, and must head home before the semi-finals.
Stuart Broad's team spluttered to 18 for three, against Lasith Malinga - and despite a maiden Twenty20 international half-century from Samit Patel, could not sustain a telling recovery in pursuit of 169 for six at Pallekele.
Sri Lanka hit seven sixes in all, and it was clear England faced no easy task to win their last Super Eight match - as they had to if they were to qualify on net run rate ahead of West Indies.

Game over: Sri Lanka celebrate their comprehensive victory over T20 holders England

Sri Lanka v England

Click here for full scorecard 

In the event, their attempt was undermined from the outset as Malinga took three wickets in his first over on his way to a career-best five for 31 in this format.
That was not quite the knockout blow, England twice briefly threatening to put themselves back in contention. But in the end - even with a late hand from Graeme Swann to help narrow the margin - Patel (67) was left with too much to do on his own.
No Sri Lanka batsman had been able to single-handedly dominate, after being put in under lights, Broad (three for 32) faring best of the England bowlers.
But each kept hitting big shots - and once Malinga got to work, it all proved far too much for the 2010 champions who had rarely convinced in a stuttering group campaign.
Steven Finn and Jade Dernbach used the new ball well for them, until the latter dropped short in his second over - and was hooked, by Mahela Jayawardene, and upper-cut, by Tillekeratne Dilshan, for sixes.
Dernbach had already had Dilshan dropped head-high at slip by Swann. But it was not a costly miss, because Finn soon had the opener lbw bang in front.

Flummoxed: England were once again undone by spin as they surrendered their crown in Pallekele

Jayawardene played and missed at some early drives but then batted serenely, as he almost always does, to help his team to 74 for one at the halfway mark.
The 11th over, however, brought an advantageous trade-off for England - eight runs off Swann, and two wickets.
Swann had Jayawardene well-held by Eoin Morgan, diving in at deep midwicket, and then Kumar Sangakkara controversially caught-behind next ball.
Sangakkara appeared perplexed to be given out by Steve Davis, and replays did not obviously demonstrate any contact with the bat - but Jonny Bairstow, keeping wicket in place of the dropped Craig Kieswetter, did not mind about that.
Sri Lanka had to start again, with two men in on nought.
But Jeevan Mendis immediately swept and then slog-swept Swann for boundaries, and at the other end Angelo Mathews climbed into two off-drives for boundaries off Broad.
After the fourth-wicket pair shared a half-century stand in five overs, Broad returned to become the second England bowler to put himself on a hat-trick.

Broad appeal: The England captain took three wickets as Sri Lanka posted a total of 169

He had Mendis mis-pulling to midwicket, and then Mathews edging on to his stumps as he tried the same shot.
Once more, two new batsmen were in on nought. But again, they flourished - Thisara Perera especially with some muscular hitting to give the hosts the edge at the interval.
That narrow advantage was soon much broader when Malinga, held back until the third over, made an instant and terminal impact.
Luke Wright cut him hard but straight to point, where Dilshan took the catch; Bairstow, promoted to number three, lasted only two balls before falling for a change of pace and getting underneath one to mid-off, and Alex Hales was perhaps a little unfortunate to be given out lbw.
Patel breathed some life into England's reply nonetheless, energising a 55-run stand with Morgan as he took particular toll of Ajantha Mendis with a string of off-side boundaries.

Man of the moment: Malinga was the star with the ball as England came up well short of the hosts' total

But Morgan was to fall lbw, trying to reverse-sweep Akila Dananjaya, and then Ravi Bopara - recalled here as the extra batsman in place of Kieswetter - confirmed he is still out of form when no match for Jeevan Mendis' leg-spin variations.
Patel carried on regardless to and beyond an impressive 37-ball 50, containing seven fours and a six.
But no significant support was forthcoming until Swann helped him plunder 51 from just 28 balls to keep England in with the slimmest of chances until almost the end.
Malinga returned, however, to bowl Patel off-stump as he made room in the penultimate over.
An inexperienced England line-up therefore exited, with hints of their potential if nothing more tangible, from a tournament which perhaps came too soon for several talented but still developing cricketers.

Celtic legend Larsson in frame to take reins at Rovers after impressing in Sweden

Henrik Larsson is the shock new name being considered by Blackburn Rovers to replace Steve Kean.
The Celtic legend has emerged as a candidate after working wonders on a shoestring in his first managerial job in his native Sweden.
Larsson, 41, took his first job in management with Second Division side Landskrona to learn the ropes after finishing his playing career.

Hand it to him: Larsson is building a great reputation in management  

The former Sweden international, who won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2006, wants a job in England after telling Landskrona he will not be renewing his contract when their domestic season ends next month.
Blackburn owners Venky’s have British-born Indian coach Judan Ali on their short-list but would prefer a high-profile name to get fans back onside after Kean resigned last week.
They have had an official approach for Spurs’ technical co-ordinator Tim Sherwood turned down and are considering other options.
Larsson remains a huge  name in the game and has  commanded respect in Sweden after opting to take his first job at a lower level and keeping the club clear of relegation.
He is good friends with former Barcelona managers Pep  Guardiola and Frank Rijkaard, and has been working with a similar system to Barca’s at Landskrona.
Larsson, who led Celtic to a famous victory over Blackburn on their way to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, already has his full UEFA Pro Licence and his coaching methods are admired in Sweden.

Holding the fort: Eric Black is currently in charge at Rovers

His stay there will come to an end this season and he is now under consideration for a role with a big Championship club.  
Rovers are fourth in the table, but the next manager will be under enormous pressure to get them promoted at the first attempt, following last season’s relegation from the Premier League.
They are working to a 10-day time frame to replace Kean and Larsson is now one of the serious options being considered.
His name will appeal to Rovers simply because his standing in the game is so high around the world that it will appease their furious supporters.
If Larsson does return to the British game, there will  inevitably be speculation linking him with a return to Celtic in the future.
Eric Black, a former assistant manager at Parkhead during Larsson’s earlier years there, is in charge of Blackburn on a caretaker basis and led them to a 1-1 draw at Charlton on Saturday, but the Venkys want a big name to replace Kean.
Larsson’s release clause is £65,000 but that will not be a problem to Blackburn’s owners if they decide to go ahead with an official approach.

Staying put: Rovers made an official approach for Sherwood

QPR 1 West Ham 2: Jarvis and Vaz Te strike to sink 10-man Rangers

Queens Park Park Rangers’ 3D match-day programme made its debut, but on the pitch Mark Hughes’s side need to get back to basics.
Two points from their first six games was certainly not what was hoped for after such heavy investment over the summer, even if substitute Adel Taarabt’s sensational goal provided a glimpse of this side’s potential.
Matt Jarvis and Ricardo Vaz Te scored for West Ham before Taarabt’s brilliant individual goal and fellow substitute Samba Diakite was sent off for a second bookable offence. West Ham picked up eight bookings but managed to keep 11 players on the pitch, although the flurry of yellow cards will cost them a £25,000 fine.

Net result: Jarvis's header gave West Ham an early lead at Loftus Road

Match facts

QPR: Julio Cesar, Hill, Nelsen,Mbia, Onuoha (Hoilett 84), Wright-Phillips (Taarabt 56), Granero, Faurlin, Park (Diakite 55), Zamora, Cisse.
Subs not used: Green, Mackie, Ephraim, Ehmer.
Sent off: Diakite (75).
Booked: Taarabt, Diakite.
Goals: Taarabt 57.
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Reid (Tomkins 23), Collins, O'Brien (McCartney 35), Noble, Diame, Vaz Te, Nolan, Jarvis, Cole (Carroll 72).
Subs not used: Henderson, Maiga, Benayoun, O'Neil.
Booked: Diame, Noble, McCartney, Jaaskelainen, Nolan, Cole, Collins, Tomkins.
Goals: Jarvis 3, Vaz Te 35.
Attendance: 17,363
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).
Latest Premier League results, fixtures and table

A first Premier League away win since March 2011 will compensate for the financial burden. Midfielders Mark Noble, Mohamed Diame and Kevin Nolan were excellent, and Andy Carroll impressed in front of England manager Roy Hodgson during his 20-minute cameo.
Sam Allardyce said he had no problem with Hodgson including Carroll in his squad to face San Marino and Poland in England’s World Cup qualifiers, but the West Ham boss warned that the striker is ‘woefully, woefully short of match practice’ after missing a month with a hamstring injury.
Allardyce added: ‘I’m sure Roy will deal with it in the right way. England will be sensible. Andy held the ball up and we started creating more chances. I’m delighted. We gave QPR a torrid time.’
West Ham are up to seventh place, but Rangers stay rooted to the bottom of the Barclays Premier League. Only Southampton have conceded more goals this season and it took Hughes less than three minutes to fold his arms and assume the stern, furrowed brow we have seen so often since he took over at Loftus Road.
A clean sheet in their last home game against Chelsea and an encouraging display in a 2-1 defeat by Tottenham had suggested signs of improvement, but QPR reverted to playing like a collection of individuals as West Ham denied them time and space.

Double your money: Vaz Te fired home from close range to extend the Hammers' lead

This always promised to be a challenge for a team missing four defenders — Anton Ferdinand, Jose Bosingwa, Fabio and Armand Traore — but QPR were undone with alarming ease.
Vaz Te and Nolan were allowed to exchange passes as West Ham attacked down the right, before Jarvis pounced on Nolan’s mis-hit shot at the far post.
The summer signing from Wolves could scarcely believe his luck as Julio Cesar stayed rooted to his line and Jarvis drifted in, unmarked, to open his Premier League account with the simplest of headers.

Pick that one out: Taarabt scored a stunning long range effort

Shaun Wright-Phillips carved out a good chance down the right and Djibril Cisse saw a fierce shot blocked and a scissor kick fly just over the bar. But there was little composure about QPR’s play.

The crowd’s boos of frustration grew louder when they conceded a second goal after 34 minutes. James Tomkins, on for Winston Reid who had received an elbow in the face from his own goalkeeper, recycled the ball after a scrappy goalmouth scramble.

The defender picked out Vaz Te — again at the far post —  and his left-foot shot took a heavy deflection to beat Cesar.

Look who's back: Carroll made a welcome return after an injury lay-off

QPR had little choice but to attack in the second half, with the crowd making clear their desire to see Taarabt. He scored within a minute of casually jogging on to the pitch in full-length sleeves and black gloves, picking up the ball on the left and curling it into the top right-hand corner.
The Moroccan’s introduction energised QPR, who got the ball forward with more purpose and less haste. Cisse again caused problems, sprinting clear before seeing a right-foot shot cannon into Jaaskelainen, but it was West Ham who had the best chance to score again. Nolan played a beautiful ball through to Cole, who pulled his shot horribly wide.
Cue the introduction of Carroll, who brought down a long ball before shooting with his left foot and then his right, as West Ham saw out six minutes of stoppage time.

Flat out: Winston Reid's match was cut short after a collision with his goalkeeper

Hughes said: ‘Tonight was a big opportunity for us to get three points and we haven’t taken it. We’ve had a big investment in the club and we’re looking to improve this year — and we will.
‘But until we get results on the board, everything’s up for debate and the focus starts to come on the club as a whole. If we start winning matches then it goes away.’

Worrying times: QPR remain winless this season despite Hughes' spending this summer

Red alert: Diakite was handed his marching orders after receiving two yellow cards

That’s quite a splash! Daring zookeeper dives into swimming pool followed by 450lb tiger for thrilling show

A brave zookeeper has taken a real leap of faith - into a swimming pool with a fearsome tiger.
Daring Jeff Harwell, 30, dived into the water closely followed by 450lb Bengal tiger Akasha to the astonishment of visitors.
The pair amazed crowds with their ‘romping and splashing’ in the 50ft pool at Out of Africa Wildlife Park at Camp Verde in Arizona, United States.
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Jeff Harwell shows no fear as he dives into the swimming pool with eager Akasha preparing to follow him

Crowds hold their breath behind the safety of a wired fence as the zookeeper leaps through the air

The Tiger Splash show is a firm favourite at the wildlife theme park, exhibiting the natural and spontaneous behaviour of tigers as well as unique interaction with humans.

 

Throughout the thrilling display the zookeeper and his assistants use giant balloons and inflatables to playfully tease the tigers, encouraging them to jump into the water – seemingly unnerved about any potential danger.
Photographer Kathleen Reeder, 55, snapped the Tiger Splash Show from a safe spot behind a wired fence.

The 450lb fully-grown Bengal tiger begins his own leap, keen to follow his keeper

Akasha keeps his gaze on the feet of Mr Harwell who has to blindly trust the tiger as he enters the water

With all four paws off the ground, the giant playful cat can't wait to begin the game

She said: ‘I loved watching the tigers and their interactions with the staff because they have a very special bond.
‘The show features Bengal and Siberian tigers interacting in a predator-prey relationship of romping and splashing.

The weight and strength of the tiger can be seen as he jumps through the air while his playmate is completely submerged

Akasha tightly closes his eyes as he causes a massive splash in the pool to the delight of the spectators

‘It is unique, thrilling, and exciting.
‘The crowds “oooh” and “aaah” as the tigers play with their caretakers and various colourful toys.’
Mr Hawrwell has worked at the zoo - and with 12 year old Akasha - for five years putting on the unique half-hour show seven days a week.

Halloween is coming to town: Adorable photos show disabled children using their chairs to bring a little bit of Hollywood to the scary season

Wheelchair-bound Carter might not be able to mount a broomstick, but he can certainly drive an ice-cream truck, as proven by his latest Halloween outfit.
His is among a series of inspiring photographs which capture parental love for a child in a way that will have you wishing it was your dad behind the camera.
As mothers and fathers neared fist-fights in department stores for this year's must-have seasonal costumes, the more creative of parents got to work, demonstrating that homegrown often really is best.

The original and the best: Complete with a multi-coloured awning, window display of cone options, and a board advertising the menu, Carter uses the wheels of his chair to propel himself along in this magnificently crafted costume

The mums and dads behind these photos have been embracing their children's disabilities to create the perfect outfit such as little Carter's ice cream truck.
Carter has spina bifida and is wheelchair-bound. But like any young American boy, Halloween features high on his social calendar.

 

His costume encompasses his chair, making him the driver of 'Buster's ice cream truck'.
Complete with a multi-coloured awning, window display of cone options, and a board advertising the menu, Carter uses the wheels of his chair to propel himself along in this magnificently crafted costume.

Super Mario is among the super-creative designs

This is how we do it: One child is dressed as a DJ

And of course he himself is dressed the part, wearing a flat-cap chef's hat and crisp white uniform - he'll soon have the local kids running!
Carter's photo was the first to be published in what has become an internet sensation of accessible (and amazing) Halloween costumes.
'Best. Dad. Ever. I shed a tear for this one,' one Reddit user commented.
'Not only will he be going trick-or-treating, but his costume is way cooler than what the other kids will have. Win on the dad's part,' said another.
Since the photo of Carter went live last October, other parents have followed suit, decorating their children in an array of creative costumes.

Is it a bird, is it a plane... No! It's Batman - complete with his home-grown Batmobile

Aye aye cap'n: One girl dresses up as a pirate's ship

From Fireman to Batman, to Super Mario, these kids have the wheels to pull off some pretty special designs.
One youngster, dressed as Darth Vader, used the sides of his chair to create Dark-Lord shields around himself as he wielded a red light-saver.
Another had his chair transformed into a DJ deck to fulfill his dream as a music maker.
Other highlights included a girl in a pirate ship, another driving a Flintstones-style chair, and one dress as Pee-wee Herman.

It may look innocent... But don't let the grin of this 'Cars' costume fool you!

Forget what you heard: This is Snoopy Halloween style!

Then of course there is the child dressed as Snoopy, set up atop a dog kennel and another built into one of Disney's 'Cars' vehicles. 
And the spate of creativity shows no signs of drawing to a close, as proven by one child who rocked up in a 'manic Christmas pudding' outfit.
Perhaps the best is yet to come.

Yaba daba do!: One girl is Flinstones-efied

Christmas come early: Get ready for the 'manic Christmas pudding'

Trash politics: Labor union backing Barack Obama uses garbage man at Mitt Romney's $12m mansion to attack him in ad claiming he 'doesn't care'

Mitt Romney's garbage man is starring in a new attack ad that features him at work picking up trash outside the Republican nominee's $12 million California mansion.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) labor union features the garbage man in an ad that juxtaposes him talking about how tough his job it with Romney's notorious '47 per cent' comments in which he says that 'my job is not to worry about those people' who don't pay federal income tax.
In the ad, the garbage man states: 'My name is Richard Hayes, and I pick up Mitt Romney's trash. We're kind of like the invisible people, you know. He doesn't realize you know that the service we provide, you know, if it wasn't for us you know, it would be a big health issue, us not picking up trash.'
Scroll down for video

Trash talk: 'Romney doesn't care that my body's going to breakdown,' says garbage man Richard Hayes

The video shows the garbage being collected from outside Mitt Romney's oceanfront home

Sea view: Governor Romney's $12 million villa is in the La Jolla area of San Diego

Hayes is shown at work early in the morning for the City of San Diego sanitation department. As he humps trash cans, an arrow points to an ocean-front home along with a caption: 'Mitt Romney's $12 million house in San Diego, CA'.
He says: 'Residents do come out and shake our hands. Sometimes they give us hugs and thank us for the job we're doing, hand us water and Gatorades you know, tell us we're doing a good job and keep up the good work.

 

'Picking up 15, 16 tons by hand, you know that takes a toll on your body. When I'm 55, 60 years old, I know my body's going to be break down. Mitt Romney doesn't care about that.'
In the '47 per cent' video, filmed at a fundraiser in Boca Raton, Florida in May, Romney's comment that 'my job is not to worry about those people' was a reference to his belief that those who didn't pay federal income tax would all vote for President Barack Obama in any event.

The attack ad is a response to the Republican presidential candidate's recent '47 per cent' remark

The AFSCME labor union has released an attack ad against Mitt Romney featuring the man who collects his garbage

The AFSCME, one of the top three big labor unions in the United States, endorsed Obama's re-election bid last December and vowed to spend more than $100 million to support his campaign. Jim Messina, Obama's campaign manager, was present for the endorsement.
In June, Lee Saunders, AFSCME's first black president, said at its annual convention: 'We must work our hearts out to re-elect President Obama.'
But he insisted the AFSCME was non-partisan: 'And we must hold politicians of all political stripes accountable for what they say and what they do. Because when it comes to what affects our members and our rights, it’s not about left versus right; it’s about right versus wrong.'

GOP whistle blower reveals how 'a golf cart full of prostitutes' was wheeled into party fundraiser

A Republican whistle blower testified he saw a golf cart full of what he presumed were prostitutes being wheeled into a GOP fund-raiser during a 2008 convention.

Former Florida GOP Delmar Johnson testified against chairman Jim Greer, who is on trial for theft and fraud after he was accused of stealing money from the state party.
Johnson is the state's star witness in the trial and gave a video-recorded deposition in June which was recently obtained by The Orlando Sentinel.

Plea deal: Delmar Johnson, right, has testified against Jim Greer in his fraud and theft trial - which has been pushed back to February

He said the cart full of women was being wheeled into a party fund-raiser in the Bahamas in 2008.
According to the Sentinel, the 33-year-old called Greer 'dictatorial' and said he blind-sided him in early 2009 when he proposed creating Victory Strategies LLC, the company that prosecutors say Greer and Johnson used to steal money from the state party.
Greer has insisted he has done nothing illegal. He claims the company earned legitimate fund-raising commissions.

 

However prosecutors charge that Greer set the company up in secret to funnel $125,000 of party money into his personal bank accounts.
As well as revelations about how the money was spent and how it was covered up, Johnson talked about the Bahamas fundraiser where major party donors and prominent Florida Republicans were in attendance.

Plea deal: Johnson was not charged because he struck a plea deal with prosecutors and paid back $65,000 of the money

Mugshot: Former Florida state Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer was arrested on June 2, 2010, for fraud, theft and money laundering charges

In his deposition, Johnson said: 'I specifically saw a golf cart with young ladies drive by, the extent of why they were there I did not specifically know. But I could presume they were prostitutes.'
He identified a number of prominent Republicans in attendance, including Tallahassee lobbyist Brian Ballard.
He told the Sentinel on Friday that he and around 100 other people were there but they knew nothing about guests spending time with prostitutes and said it was 'ridiculous and disgusting' that the people who attended were thrown into a 'scandalous lie'.
Johnson, who owned a 40 per cent share of Victory Strategies, was not charged in the case because he struck a deal with prosecutors which required him to testify against Greer and repay $65,000.
Greer promoted Johnson to be executive director of the Florida Republican Party in January 2009.
Greer, 50, of Oviedo, is charged with four counts of theft plus fraud and money laundering. He is pleading not guilty.
His trial has been pushed back to February after being set for November while his defense attorney haggles with GOP attorneys over party emails.
Some of the most prominent Florida Republicans are named as witnesses for Greer's trial.

Obama faces expectations problem as voters overwhelmingly think he will defeat Romney in big Denver debate clash

More than half of American voters think Barack Obama will outsmart Mitt Romney in the first presidential debate, to be held in Denver on Wednesday, setting up an expectations problem for the incumbent.
An ABC News/Washington Post poll shows that voters, by a 56-29 percent margin, expect Obama to 'win' the debates. More than 63 per cent believe he will secure re-election on November 6th.
The two candidates have largely withdrawn from the campaign trail in preparation for their first head-to-head meeting on stage. Senator Rob Portman of Ohio is playing Obama in Romney debate sessions while Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts is acting the part of Romney for Obama.

Expectations problem: President Barack Obama, left, uses a cell phone to call supporters during a visit to a local campaign office

Obama is spending three days of debate preparation at the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort, a luxurious golf community a few miles from the Las Vegas strip. 
The White House pool report described Obama's hotel as having 'a Middle Eastern theme and a view of the lake from the lobby' and the resort as ' is a strange mix of desert sand pits, green lawns, palm trees and new homes' complete with a golf course.
It will be the first of three debates between the two men and almost certainly the most important. 
Romney remains narrowly but consistently behind in national polls and is slipping further in crucial swing state polls. He needs a big night to change the trajectory of the race.
Both campaigns have been furiously trying to play down the hopes of their nominee. 'The man has been on the national stage for many years,' Republican vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan said of Obama on Fox News Sunday. 
'He's an experienced debater, he's done these kinds of debates before. This is Mitt's first time on this kind of a stage.'
Last week, Beth Myers, a senior Romney aide, released a memo calling Obama 'a uniquely gifted speaker... widely regarded as one of the most talented political communicators in modern history'.
For their part, the Obama campaign has been unusually complimentary about Romney.

Pressure mounts: A worker on stage helps put up a sign that depicts a bald eagle with the words, 'The Union and the Constitution Forever', as preparation continues for the 2012 presidential debate in Magness Arena, at the University of Denver

Jen Psaki, Obama's travelling press secretary, warned that  Obama 'has a tendency to give longer substantive answers', which could be problematic. 'That's something clearly we're working on.'
Robert Gibbs, another senior adviser, said recently: 'Mitt Romney I think has an advantage, because he’s been through 20 of these debates in the primaries over the last year. He even bragged that he was declared the winner in 16 of those debates.'
Obama's team, however, has been studying years of footage  going back to the Romney's 1994 debates with Senator Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts.
Romney has spent at least eight days over the past month getting ready for the three debates against Obama, beginning intense sessions almost a month ago at an aide's home in Vermont. 
He has also held long sessions in Los Angeles, his Boston headquarters and the Back Bay Events Centre, where the auditorium holds 1,100 people.

Republican presidential nominee and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney talks to U.S Senator Rob Portman (R) on his campaign plane enroute to Denver

In some respects, each candidate has the same objective - to force his opponent to defend their record or proposals, to avoid looking defensive and to provoke the other man to come across as tetchy or condescending.
'The challenge that I'll have in the debate is that the president tends to, how shall I say it, to say things that aren't true,' Romney told ABC recently. 
'I've looked at prior debates. And in that kind of case, it's difficult to say, 'Well, am I going to spend my time correcting things that aren't quite accurate? Or am I going to spend my time talking about the things I want to talk about?'"

ROMNEY'S OBAMA MIMIC

Mitt Romney has been preparing for his first live TV debate by practising against a Barack Obama mimic as the latest national polls put the president’s lead at only 2 per cent.
Despite that reduced margin, Mr Obama is still leading by 11 per cent in swing states, so tomorrow’s showdown in Denver is becoming critical for his Republican challenger.
Sixty million viewers are expected to tune in for the 90-minute debate – the first direct encounter between the men.
Both have broken off campaigning to prepare. Rob Portman, an Ohio senator with a talent for impersonation, has been playing Mr Obama for weeks to try to help his fellow Republican.
Campaign staff say the 56-year-old approaches the exercise like a method actor, imitating the president’s voice, mannerisms and cadence.
One aide said: ‘He became Barack Obama. Physical mannerisms, parsing of his voice, everything.’

Romney, like Obama, can appear thin-skinned at times. Portman is said to have made a number of personal jibes in preparation so that Romney can practice not getting riled.
The Republican nominee  took part in 19 primary debates during 2011 and 2012, spending more than 30 hours of time on stage with up to seven other candidates at a time. But he has not done a one-to-one debate, as Obama did three times in 2008 against Senator John McCain, for many years.
Romney has spent time watching video of Obama debating Democratic primary rival Hillary Clinton in 2008, including his sniffy retort to his opponent: 'You're likeable enough, Hillary.' Romney aides will be hoping for another such moment from Obama.
Obama will be hoping Romney gets angry, as he did with Governor Rick Perry during a primary debate in Las Vegas after Perry accused him of hiring illegal immigrants.
'Rick,' Romney interjected. 'I'm speaking. I'm speaking. I'm speaking. I'm speaking," Romney said, visibly agitated and at one point reaching over to put his hand on Perry's shoulder. 'You get 30 seconds. This is the way - the way the rules work here is that I get 60 seconds, and then you get 30 seconds to respond, right?.
Romney added: 'Would you please - would you please wait? Are you just going to keep talking? Or are you going to let me finish with my - what I had to say?'
In another later debate, when Perry challenged Romney on health care, Romney fulled the caricature of his being wealthy and out of touch by saying: 'Rick, I'll tell you what, 10,000 bucks? $10,000 bet?'

The amazing story of America's most experienced F-16 fighter pilot who flew 151 combat missions across the world

America's most experienced fighter pilot flew 151 combat missions around the world -- bravely attracting enemy fire so he could seek out and destroy enemy weapons.

Lt Col Dan Hampton sat in the cockpit of a F-16 fighter plane for 20 years, logging more than 600 combat hours -- helping to secure the skies over Iraq and to protect American airspace after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

He recounts his harrowing career in the US Air Force in the tell-all autobiography 'Viper Pilot: A Memoir Of Air Combat.'

Scroll down for video

Fighter: Dan Hampton, author of Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat, in front of an F-16 fighter plane

During his tours of duty, he witnessed first hand some of the most historical moments of the U.S. armed services, including helping to hunt down Saddam Hussein during the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

From 1986 to 2006, Hampton flew missions as a leading member of the Wild Weasels, an elite Air Force fighter squadron whose mission is widely accepted as the most dangerous job in modern air combat.

 

'It was time for this story,' Hampton said in a statement released by his publisher. 'No grand designs or philosophical fluff - just an honest view of life and war from one fighter cockpit.'

In the 20 years Hapton spent as a pilot, he flew 151 combat missions, made 21 hard kills on surface-to-air-missile sites, received four Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor and one Purple Heart.

Hampton writes about his experiences in the squadron, in which he piloted the first planes sent into war zones, flying deep behind enemy lines purposely seeking to draw fire from surface-to-air missiles and artillery.

Hard at work: Hampton at the controls of his plane during his days in the U.S. Air Force

Lethal: The F-16 'Flying Falcon' is known to be one of the world's deadliest fighter jets

'They must skillfully evade being shot down and then return to destroy the threats, thereby making the skies safe for everyone else to follow,' reads the release. 'Today these vital missions are more hazardous than direct air-to-air engagement with enemy aircraft.'
Hampton's record number of strikes on high-value targets make him the most lethal Wild Weasel pilot in American history.
Hampton logged twenty years and more than 600 combat hours in the world's most iconic fighter jet: the F-16 'Fighting Falcon' - or the 'Viper', as pilots call it.
Hampton helped spearhead the 2003 invasion of Iraq, leading the first flight of fighters over the border en route to strike Baghdad. Among his targets were Saddam Hussein's suspected hide-out and his escape helicopters, which he personally destroyed.

Legend: The pilot racked up 20 years, 151 combat missions, 21 kills, 12 medals and one Purple Heart

He shares stories from Iraq of saving ground soldiers from certain death, evading heat-seeking missiles locked on his tail, and of being wounded in a terrorist attack.

The retired pilot also relives the morning of 9/11 when he and his F-16 took to the skies above the United States and played a crucial role in the unprecedented act of closing America’s airspace. Hampton, under orders to shoot down any plane that did not identify itself, helped escort a Delta Airlines flight to the ground that day.

But given the paranoid atmosphere of that terrible day, he writes, 'we were fortunate that no one got shot down.'

He adds: 'It always surprises me how bloodthirsty the ground-pounders seem to be. One controller told me that he'd "give me clearance to fire..." - all I had to do was ask.'

Memoir: Hampton has recounted many of his most memorable experiences in his autobiography

Hampton was also responsible for calming down an over-excited air traffic controller in Charlotte, North Carolina who declared a 'free-fire zone' for 20 miles around the city in response to a helicopter with its lights out landing men on the ground.

The quick-thinking captain soon realised that the chopper had probably been sent out by the Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, and ordered a colleague to contact the base to ensure that the Air Force did not accidentally shoot down U.S. troops.

Hampton also reveals what it takes psychologically to have 'the right stuff'.

The author's memoir is already getting early praise.

'Hampton is not shy about recounting brushes with death,' read a Kirkus review. 'The author concentrates on the fighting and does a fine job communicating the camaraderie and hair-raising incidents of service in the elite macho fraternity of American fighter pilots.'

Published by HarperCollins, Viper Pilot comes out on October 2.