Oh yes, women's tennis, we had rather forgotten about that. In the rush to lionise Rafael Nadal, psychoanalyse Roger Federer and canonise Andy Murray, there has been a tendency to overlook how the other half has been getting on. Evidence that the women's tour pales in contrast to the men's is that its most prominent recent headline concerned the deranged father of Jelena Dokic allegedly threatening to “fire a rocket” at the Australian ambassador to Serbia because of his daughter's allegations of physical abuse.
In Rome this week, just to add to the theatre of the absurd, Serena Williams mocked the fact that she was not ranked No1 in the world - and was promptly dumped on her posterior by Patty Schnyder, who called her husband/coach on to the court to give her a pep talk when leading 5-0 in the final set. Before the Italian Open, the two previous high-profile tournaments in the United States were snaffled by Vera Zvonareva, from Russia, and Victoria Azarenka, from Belarus. The earth maintained a steady orbit.
In the BNP Paribas Open final in Indian Wells, California, in March, one all but ruined by powerful winds, Zvonareva defeated Ana Ivanovic in a torrid match and, watching from courtside, it began to dawn that not much had been seen of the Serb recently. Indeed, the most recent time she lifted a trophy was in the middle of October (about the same time as Federer) and since then results had not been up to scratch (much like Federer). But now the clay-court season is under way - pencilled in as the time when she needs to start making the right waves again.
Yet it all looks shaky, Ivanovic having lost a 4-0 lead in the final set in Rome in a crushing third-round defeat by Agnieszka Radwanska, of Poland - not an occasion to dine out on at Sabatini's, where Gabriela used to spend her evenings striving to ignore amorous suitors during the championships in the late 1980s.
Next week the 21-year-old Ivanovic - the 21st-century Sabatini - was scheduled to play the Mutua Madrileña Open in Madrid, a premier mandated event on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, before an emotional return to Paris to defend her French Open title. It does not look as if she will be walking back into Roland Garros on confidence's cusp. A knee injury has forced her to withdraw from Madrid, which will cost her $250,000 (about £165,000) in bonus-pool payments, though she insists that she will be fit for the French Open.
Win or lose there, she will be exceedingly disarming. On the very pretty face of it, defeats do not get her down, but that is where you would misjudge her. Take it from Ivanovic and Craig Kardon, who coached Martina Navratilova to the last of her nine Wimbledon singles titles in 1990 and was brought into the Ivanovic clan in February, she takes defeat as badly as anyone, to the extent that Kardon has spent a lot of time trying to get her not to be so hard on herself.
“I have not adjusted that well to the clay yet and, as a professional athlete, that is what I need to do,” Ivanovic said. “But I have had a lot of different experiences in the past two years, having to cope when not feeling great, being injured as has happened again this week, being frustrated, losing patience with myself.
“Because I am a perfectionist, I had just assumed I would play perfectly all the time, but I have learnt that in those times I have to find a way to win and I am much more OK with that. I am very excited about what is around the corner, but I do need to stay in the moment.”
Ivanovic has played in the past two Paris finals, being thumped by Justine Henin in the first before returning last May and coping (just) with Dinara Safina, the Russian who was as choked by nerves as Ivanovic had been in 2007. As any first-time grand-slam winner discovers, the letdown can be as marked as the high of the triumph. Ivanovic returned to Belgrade after her victory in Paris and was so immersed in the heady celebrations that she lost her core.
“I did a lot of media and other activities in Serbia. I was completely drained and when I got to Wimbledon I thought, ‘OK, I can relax now,'” she said. “But I couldn't find my intensity at all. If I am in that position again, I have learnt that I need to do what is best for my game, not what people expect of me.
“I am a very emotional person in general and I get really fired up, especially in a competitive situation. I didn't know how to handle things before but it is important to realise that you are not going to be at the top of your game all the time. There are going to be setbacks and real champions adjust to that. You might lose, but you must never lose the belief in yourself. I have won the French, I have won big tournaments and I know I can do it again.”
The volatility of so many results in women's tennis is illustrated by the fact that since Federer became the men's No1 in February 2004, spending an extraordinary 237 weeks there before Nadal usurped him in August last year, there have been nine occupants of the women's pride of place. Ivanovic claims never to have been preoccupied by the rankings since she emerged as a real force and was unaware - until the press told her - that last spring's victory at Roland Garros coincided with her ascension to the top spot.
“All I can do is think about my game, to keep developing it and the ranking will take care of itself,” Ivanovic, now the world No7, said. “I just have to do my best in tournaments and focus on that. There is a lot of calmness in me now and Craig has definitely helped with that. I can still learn heaps, there are goals I want to achieve, but it is better to do that with peace of mind, working with someone I trust.”
Kardon was a good catch. Navratilova needed him for a youthful endorsement of her attacking game when others were challenging the concept and, as he says, he is more the American “hard-court serve-and-volley type of guy who specialises in how to make players more aggressive in their approach”. On the clay, relentless aggression is not always the best method.
“It is about being able to grind, to maintain a good mentality in the longer rallies,” he said. “Regardless of this week's injury, Ana is in great shape, so hats off to Scott [Byrnes, her physical trainer]. When I first saw her in Dubai in February, she and her game were in a state, but she has definitely solidified. She is very tough on herself, sometimes too tough. Scott and I have had to pull her in a little bit.
“Do we want to change things? Yes. Do we have goals in mind? Sure. And there is a stubbornness there, too, just like Martina had. What I have said to her is that champions do the ordinary things a bit better than anyone else. That is what she has to learn.”
Ana the Ordinary? There's not much of a future in that
Source:The times
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Trade Centre can profit from step up in trip at Ascot
David Probert was the apprentice find of last season, riding 50 winners, and this excellent lightweight can kickstart another successful campaign by winning the totesport Victoria Cup (2.15) on Trade Centre at Ascot today.
Unraced at two and three years, the well-bred Trade Centre finally made his debut on the all-weather in February. A promising second on his debut at Wolverhampton, he then opened his account at Lingfield Park before being unsuited by a slow early pace when fourth on his handicap bow at the same track.
Trade Centre again looked to be crying out for this step up in trip when a strong-finishing third at Windsor last time and is open to plenty of improvement now that his stamina is more fully tested. This is a big step up in class, but Trade Centre has plenty of potential and, at a general 40-1 this morning, looks a value bet.
In a wide-open contest, the consistent Majuro has been unlucky not to win a big handicap already this season and should not be far away, while Zaahid, last year's winner, cannot be ruled out off a 6lb higher mark.
Supaverdi holds rock-solid claims in the Bovis Homes Fillies' Heritage Handicap (1.40). She started to fulfil her promise when making an impressive reappearance at Bath, powering clear in the final furlong having been boxed in for much of the race. A mere 5lb rise in the weights looks extremely generous and she will be hard to beat.
The best bet of the day is Caravel in the toteswinger Swinton Handicap Hurdle (1.55). A classy handicapper on the Flat, he has been brought along steadily over jumps, comfortably winning his past three starts in novice company. This switch to a handicap will provide him with a tougher test, but he jumps well and has a high cruising speed, so should be able to take it all in his stride. Off a lowly mark, he looks great value at 12-1 with the sponsor and William Hill.
Green Mile holds solid claims in the toteplacepot Long Distance Handicap Hurdle (1.20). He did not enjoy the best of fortune when a good fifth in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival, where an early mistake cost him valuable ground and he was also hampered approaching the final flight. He should be able to make the most of this easier task.
The classic trials continue at Lingfield Park, where Aidan O'Brien yet again holds sound claims with Age Of Aquarius in the totesport.com Derby Trial (3.15). This son of Galileo landed a maiden at Dundalk before being thrown in at the deep end when a fine fourth to stablemate Fame And Glory in group one company at Saint-Cloud last November. That run sets the standard here and he can add another string to the O'Brien Derby bow.
Tottie has been crying out for a test of stamina and looks the one to beat in the totesportcasino.com Oaks Trial (2.40). She stayed on strongly when fifth to Enticement over a mile at Newmarket last November and can reverse placings with Midday, who was a half-length ahead in fourth there.
William Haggas has his stable in cracking form and All About You can give him another success in the Bet In Play at totesport.com Handicap (2.55) at Nottingham. He looks to have been let in lightly to judge by his easy maiden success at Windsor, which has worked out well.
Source:The times
Unraced at two and three years, the well-bred Trade Centre finally made his debut on the all-weather in February. A promising second on his debut at Wolverhampton, he then opened his account at Lingfield Park before being unsuited by a slow early pace when fourth on his handicap bow at the same track.
Trade Centre again looked to be crying out for this step up in trip when a strong-finishing third at Windsor last time and is open to plenty of improvement now that his stamina is more fully tested. This is a big step up in class, but Trade Centre has plenty of potential and, at a general 40-1 this morning, looks a value bet.
In a wide-open contest, the consistent Majuro has been unlucky not to win a big handicap already this season and should not be far away, while Zaahid, last year's winner, cannot be ruled out off a 6lb higher mark.
Supaverdi holds rock-solid claims in the Bovis Homes Fillies' Heritage Handicap (1.40). She started to fulfil her promise when making an impressive reappearance at Bath, powering clear in the final furlong having been boxed in for much of the race. A mere 5lb rise in the weights looks extremely generous and she will be hard to beat.
The best bet of the day is Caravel in the toteswinger Swinton Handicap Hurdle (1.55). A classy handicapper on the Flat, he has been brought along steadily over jumps, comfortably winning his past three starts in novice company. This switch to a handicap will provide him with a tougher test, but he jumps well and has a high cruising speed, so should be able to take it all in his stride. Off a lowly mark, he looks great value at 12-1 with the sponsor and William Hill.
Green Mile holds solid claims in the toteplacepot Long Distance Handicap Hurdle (1.20). He did not enjoy the best of fortune when a good fifth in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival, where an early mistake cost him valuable ground and he was also hampered approaching the final flight. He should be able to make the most of this easier task.
The classic trials continue at Lingfield Park, where Aidan O'Brien yet again holds sound claims with Age Of Aquarius in the totesport.com Derby Trial (3.15). This son of Galileo landed a maiden at Dundalk before being thrown in at the deep end when a fine fourth to stablemate Fame And Glory in group one company at Saint-Cloud last November. That run sets the standard here and he can add another string to the O'Brien Derby bow.
Tottie has been crying out for a test of stamina and looks the one to beat in the totesportcasino.com Oaks Trial (2.40). She stayed on strongly when fifth to Enticement over a mile at Newmarket last November and can reverse placings with Midday, who was a half-length ahead in fourth there.
William Haggas has his stable in cracking form and All About You can give him another success in the Bet In Play at totesport.com Handicap (2.55) at Nottingham. He looks to have been let in lightly to judge by his easy maiden success at Windsor, which has worked out well.
Source:The times
Drugs testers snare Beijing medal-winners
The Olympic 1,500 metres champion and a silver medal-winning cyclist are among six athletes from last summer's Beijing Games to test positive for a blood-boosting drug, officials confirmed yesterday.
Rashid Ramzi, who became Bahrain's first Olympic champion on the track, and Davide Rebellin, a silver medal-winner in road racing for Italy, may be stripped of their medals and banned for two years if a supplementary B sample is also positive.
They were caught under a new rule allowing blood and urine samples to be stored for eight years after a Games for retesting as detection procedures improve. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it had conducted 948 retests of samples, mainly in endurance events where blood doping is of benefit. There were seven positive results involving six athletes.
The athletes were found to have taken Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator (CERA), the new generation of erythropoietin (EPO) that stimulates the production of oxygen-rich red blood cells.
The Dominican Olympic Committee identified Yudelquis Contreras, the female weightlifter, as one of the athletes. Sources said Athanasia Tsoumeleka, the Greek race walker who has already admitted testing positive, and Vanja Perisic, the Croatian 800metres runner, were among the six. The other cyclist was officially named as Stefan Schumacher, a German who faces a lifetime ban from the sport for a repeat offence.
All risk missing the London Olympics in 2012 if they are banned by their federations for more than six months under a new rule introduced by the IOC. The cases bring the total number of drug cheats from Beijing to 15. Nine athletes tested positive during the Games and pre-Games testing caught a further 40 athletes.
The B sample of Ramzi, born in Morocco, will be tested in France on June 8 when he faces an IOC hearing. If he is stripped of his Olympic title, Asbel Kipruto Kiprop, of Kenya, would be upgraded to gold, Nicholas Willis, of New Zealand, to silver, and Mehdi Baala, of France, to bronze.
If Rebellin is disqualified, Fabian Cancellera, of Switzerland, would be awarded his silver medal and Alexander Kolobnev, of Russia, would get the bronze. The IOC has not officially named any of the athletes or their sports.
Today's deadline for London 2012 athletes to sign a controversial image rights agreement has been extended for more negotiation between agents, sports and British Olympic officials. UK Sport had threatened to withdraw Lottery funding to up to 80 athletes unhappy with a contract that would limit their earning potential by tying them to a new, collective sponsorship programme called Team 2012. The row was first reported in The Times.
Source:The times
Rashid Ramzi, who became Bahrain's first Olympic champion on the track, and Davide Rebellin, a silver medal-winner in road racing for Italy, may be stripped of their medals and banned for two years if a supplementary B sample is also positive.
They were caught under a new rule allowing blood and urine samples to be stored for eight years after a Games for retesting as detection procedures improve. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it had conducted 948 retests of samples, mainly in endurance events where blood doping is of benefit. There were seven positive results involving six athletes.
The athletes were found to have taken Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator (CERA), the new generation of erythropoietin (EPO) that stimulates the production of oxygen-rich red blood cells.
The Dominican Olympic Committee identified Yudelquis Contreras, the female weightlifter, as one of the athletes. Sources said Athanasia Tsoumeleka, the Greek race walker who has already admitted testing positive, and Vanja Perisic, the Croatian 800metres runner, were among the six. The other cyclist was officially named as Stefan Schumacher, a German who faces a lifetime ban from the sport for a repeat offence.
All risk missing the London Olympics in 2012 if they are banned by their federations for more than six months under a new rule introduced by the IOC. The cases bring the total number of drug cheats from Beijing to 15. Nine athletes tested positive during the Games and pre-Games testing caught a further 40 athletes.
The B sample of Ramzi, born in Morocco, will be tested in France on June 8 when he faces an IOC hearing. If he is stripped of his Olympic title, Asbel Kipruto Kiprop, of Kenya, would be upgraded to gold, Nicholas Willis, of New Zealand, to silver, and Mehdi Baala, of France, to bronze.
If Rebellin is disqualified, Fabian Cancellera, of Switzerland, would be awarded his silver medal and Alexander Kolobnev, of Russia, would get the bronze. The IOC has not officially named any of the athletes or their sports.
Today's deadline for London 2012 athletes to sign a controversial image rights agreement has been extended for more negotiation between agents, sports and British Olympic officials. UK Sport had threatened to withdraw Lottery funding to up to 80 athletes unhappy with a contract that would limit their earning potential by tying them to a new, collective sponsorship programme called Team 2012. The row was first reported in The Times.
Source:The times
Ian Poulter closes in on Alex Cejka at Players Championship
Europeans have not had great success at The Players Championship, with Sandy Lyle, in 1987, and Sergio García, last year, the Continent’s only winners at what is considered to be the fifth most important strokeplay event in the world.
But men from Europe certainly caught the eye as this year’s event reached the halfway stage. Daniel Chopra, who has an Indian father and a Swedish mother and played in Europe for some years before moving to the United States, played nine holes yesterday in 26 strokes and briefly had a shot at equalling the course record of 63 before finishing with a seven-under-par 65. Ian Poulter moved to within two strokes of the lead, held by Alex Cejka, recording a 68 that left him at nine under, while Justin Rose got to six under before falling back to finish with a 71, three under par. A late rally by Luke Donald yielded a 70 and ensured that he joined Paul Casey (69) in qualifying for the weekend.
None, however, could match the performance of Cejka who was one of the first men to begin play on another stiflingly hot Florida day. He went round in 67 to set a mark of 133, 11 under par, and then sat back and watched as his total remained uncatchable throughout the day. With two rounds remaining, Cejka has his narrow lead over Poulter and is four strokes ahead of a group that includes Kevin Na, with whom he played and who also lives in Las Vegas, Henrik Stenson, the increasingly impressive Swedish golfer, David Toms, who is having something of a renaissance in tournament play this year, and Ángel Cabrera, the Masters champion.
There are not many more interesting men in golf than Cejka, who was born in Marienbad, Czechoslovakia, in 1970 before his father swept him up when he was 9 and the two of them fled communism and struck out for the West. There followed a journey worthy of a Hollywood film as they travelled through one country after another by bus, train, car, on foot and even swimming across the Rhine before they settled in Frankfurt, Germany, where, in time, young Alex discovered golf.
Cejka progressed quickly and soon was good enough to join the tour in Europe where, with his restless nature, his long hair tied at the back and his fast cars, he cut quite a dash. He had modest success there, winning a couple of tournaments, and getting close to a Ryder Cup team, but although this success was not enough to mark him out as a star in the way Bernhard Langer, his hero and mentor was, it was enough nevertheless to give him hope that he could cut it in the US.
So he was off again, this time to Boca Raton in Florida, where he first won his playing rights on the US tour in 2002 and then to Las Vegas, which seemed to suit his rather brash nature.
Cejka began at six under par, one stroke behind Ben Crane, the overnight leader, but quickly moved to ten under with accurate iron play and good putting. He was playing the golf of his life and there was no one watching him. For the second day, the number of spectators seemed far fewer than expected. “It was like a practice round on a Monday,” Cejka said.
Casey’s 69 was steady if unspectacular, the round of a man in form and he deserves to be five under par. Padraig Harrington’s 72, his second in a row, marked a return to steadiness for the three-times major champion.
Source:The times
But men from Europe certainly caught the eye as this year’s event reached the halfway stage. Daniel Chopra, who has an Indian father and a Swedish mother and played in Europe for some years before moving to the United States, played nine holes yesterday in 26 strokes and briefly had a shot at equalling the course record of 63 before finishing with a seven-under-par 65. Ian Poulter moved to within two strokes of the lead, held by Alex Cejka, recording a 68 that left him at nine under, while Justin Rose got to six under before falling back to finish with a 71, three under par. A late rally by Luke Donald yielded a 70 and ensured that he joined Paul Casey (69) in qualifying for the weekend.
None, however, could match the performance of Cejka who was one of the first men to begin play on another stiflingly hot Florida day. He went round in 67 to set a mark of 133, 11 under par, and then sat back and watched as his total remained uncatchable throughout the day. With two rounds remaining, Cejka has his narrow lead over Poulter and is four strokes ahead of a group that includes Kevin Na, with whom he played and who also lives in Las Vegas, Henrik Stenson, the increasingly impressive Swedish golfer, David Toms, who is having something of a renaissance in tournament play this year, and Ángel Cabrera, the Masters champion.
There are not many more interesting men in golf than Cejka, who was born in Marienbad, Czechoslovakia, in 1970 before his father swept him up when he was 9 and the two of them fled communism and struck out for the West. There followed a journey worthy of a Hollywood film as they travelled through one country after another by bus, train, car, on foot and even swimming across the Rhine before they settled in Frankfurt, Germany, where, in time, young Alex discovered golf.
Cejka progressed quickly and soon was good enough to join the tour in Europe where, with his restless nature, his long hair tied at the back and his fast cars, he cut quite a dash. He had modest success there, winning a couple of tournaments, and getting close to a Ryder Cup team, but although this success was not enough to mark him out as a star in the way Bernhard Langer, his hero and mentor was, it was enough nevertheless to give him hope that he could cut it in the US.
So he was off again, this time to Boca Raton in Florida, where he first won his playing rights on the US tour in 2002 and then to Las Vegas, which seemed to suit his rather brash nature.
Cejka began at six under par, one stroke behind Ben Crane, the overnight leader, but quickly moved to ten under with accurate iron play and good putting. He was playing the golf of his life and there was no one watching him. For the second day, the number of spectators seemed far fewer than expected. “It was like a practice round on a Monday,” Cejka said.
Casey’s 69 was steady if unspectacular, the round of a man in form and he deserves to be five under par. Padraig Harrington’s 72, his second in a row, marked a return to steadiness for the three-times major champion.
Source:The times
Resurgent England thrash West Indies by ten wickets
Unnatural streaks in sport, be they winning or losing ones, must always come to an end, and England’s unwanted one of not having won the opening Test for the past 14 series was banished decisively. A victory in three days and by ten wickets is about as emphatic as it comes in Test cricket, and, for Andy Flower, the new team director, this was a welcome start to a job that will only get more difficult.
Once West Indies had been harried out with 28 overs remaining in the day, England needed only 32 to win. The late-afternoon sunshine can hardly be said to have bathed Lord’s in warmth, but the sight of England cantering home did warm English hearts, this being the first Test win since the heady days of Kevin Pietersen’s captaincy. Remember those?
After a winter of discontent during which England failed to win a Test match, lost a captain and a coach and suffered the indignity of being involved with an alleged fraudster, it was important to start this grand summer of cricket well. The selectors led the way with bold choices and the players responded with a near-flawless performance (the only quibble being four dropped chances), special mentions going to Ravi Bopara, Graeme Swann and Graham Onions.
Despite England’s excellence, the temptation to go overboard should be resisted. This was a supine performance from West Indies, save some small passages of resistance. Coping with the earliest Test match in England’s history has been a step too far for them. Clearly, and understandably, they have not enjoyed the conditions, the temperatures, the biting winds and the movement in the air and off the seam. The second morning apart, this was not because of a lack of effort, simply a lack of expertise, and it is hard to see them gaining the required knowledge in the short time before the next Test, which starts five days from now.
At lunch, with West Indies 80 for five, still trailing by 145, it looked as though not just a Friday night but an afternoon on the tiles for England was a certainty, but, as the afternoon sun eased conditions for batting, West Indies rediscovered their self-respect through a stirring three-figure partnership between Denesh Ramdin and Brendan Nash. The manner of their assault brought to mind the eccentricity of Marshal Foch in the middle of the Battle of the Marne in 1914: “My centre is giving way; my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack.”
And so they did. Their partnership was worth 143 at better than a run a minute and was ended only when Stuart Broad hurried one down the hill and scuttled through Ramdin’s defence when the wicketkeeper had scored 61. Ramdin hit 11 fours in his fifty, mostly drives and cuts, as England strove too hard. Nash, punchy and compact, was also strong behind square on the off side and hurried through to his half-century in 93 balls.
England would have completed a much earlier victory had they not given both these batsmen a life: Ramdin put down by Onions off his own bowling on 46, and Nash by Swann off James Anderson at third slip on nought.
It was Nash who was the last man out, trying both to shepherd the tail and get to a hundred, but he finished 19 short of three figures when Alastair Cook held on to a fine swirling catch after the left-hander backed away and cut once too often.
When the early-morning drizzle relented to allow a start at noon, England might have expected the kind of procession witnessed the previous afternoon. Instead, as Lendl Simmons spent valuable time at the crease learning his craft, easing anything off line through the leg side with the kind of upright elegance that reminded observers of Mark Waugh, and Devon Smith engineered his way into the danger territory, for him, of the thirties and forties, England were forced to wait for 45 minutes for their first wicket of the day. Almost inevitably it came when Onions replaced Broad, to the kind of cheers only newly minted heroes can expect. His first ball clattered into Simmons’s helmet, to confirm again that the bowler’s wiry frame can pack a punch; his tenth landed in the hands of Cook, deliberately hovering at a deep leg gully — smart, rather than smart-arse captaincy, this.
The lights dimmed quickly then. Shivnarine Chanderpaul escaped the ignominy of a king pair by cutting Swann to the point fence, but that stroke was the sum of Chanderpaul’s efforts in the match. Prodding forward to Swann, he was deceived by the lack of turn and offered a catch, via inside edge and pad, to Bopara at silly point.
If Swann’s introduction was designed primarily to unnerve Smith — Swann had removed the left-hander four times in the past six innings — it worked in the sense that, on the stroke of lunch, Smith became the third man to fall in nine balls. Onions it was, though, who did the damage this time, a peach of an inswinger flattening his middle stump. West Indies went to lunch, hope extinguished.
“I haven’t seen a left-hander play Swann with any confidence yet,” Andrew Strauss, the England captain, said. “He’s a smart bowler and possibly coming in late in his career means he’s had a little more time to work out how to out-think people. Winning lifts the spirit of the team, makes people feel part of something special. The more you do it, the more you believe you can win with the chips down.”
Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, said: “I’m obvously very disappointed by the manner we lost the game. Conditions hurt us and they will be more difficult in Durham.”
Ticket-holders deprived of a trip to Lord’s today by England’s three-day victory have been offered a full refund and also the chance of a 50 per cent discount for one of the two Lord’s warm-up days for the World Twenty20 in June. The half-price discount applies to Ireland against the Netherlands and New Zealand v India on June 1 or Sri Lanka v South Africa and England v West Indies on June 3. Spectators must present a valid ticket for today’s play at the North Gate ticket office on the day.
Scoreboard
England: First Innings 377 (R S Bopara 143, G P Swann 63 not out; F H Edwards 6 for 92)
Second Innings*A J Strauss not out14A N Cook not out14Extras (nb 4) 4Total (no wkt, 6.1 overs) 32
Bowling: Edwards 3.1-0-12-0; Taylor 3-0-20-0.
West Indies: First Innings 152 (G Onions 5 for 38)
Second Innings*C H Gayle c Swann b Anderson 0D S Smith b Onions 41R R Sarwan b Anderson 1L M P Simmons c Cook b Onions 21S Chanderpaul c Bopara b Swann 4B P Nash c Cook b Broad 81†D Ramdin b Broad 61J E Taylor lbw b Swann 15S J Benn b Swann 0F H Edwards c Bresnan b Broad 2L S Baker not out 2Extras (b 8, lb 18, w 2) 28Total (72.2 overs) 256
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-22, 3-70, 4-75, 5-79, 6-222, 7-243, 8-246, 9-249.
Bowling: Anderson 15-6-38-2; Broad 19.2-2-64-3; Bresnan 7-3-17-0; Swann 17-4-39-3; Onions 12-2-64-2; Bopara 2-0-8-0.
Umpires: S J Davis (Aus) and E A R de Silva (SL).
Source:The times
Once West Indies had been harried out with 28 overs remaining in the day, England needed only 32 to win. The late-afternoon sunshine can hardly be said to have bathed Lord’s in warmth, but the sight of England cantering home did warm English hearts, this being the first Test win since the heady days of Kevin Pietersen’s captaincy. Remember those?
After a winter of discontent during which England failed to win a Test match, lost a captain and a coach and suffered the indignity of being involved with an alleged fraudster, it was important to start this grand summer of cricket well. The selectors led the way with bold choices and the players responded with a near-flawless performance (the only quibble being four dropped chances), special mentions going to Ravi Bopara, Graeme Swann and Graham Onions.
Despite England’s excellence, the temptation to go overboard should be resisted. This was a supine performance from West Indies, save some small passages of resistance. Coping with the earliest Test match in England’s history has been a step too far for them. Clearly, and understandably, they have not enjoyed the conditions, the temperatures, the biting winds and the movement in the air and off the seam. The second morning apart, this was not because of a lack of effort, simply a lack of expertise, and it is hard to see them gaining the required knowledge in the short time before the next Test, which starts five days from now.
At lunch, with West Indies 80 for five, still trailing by 145, it looked as though not just a Friday night but an afternoon on the tiles for England was a certainty, but, as the afternoon sun eased conditions for batting, West Indies rediscovered their self-respect through a stirring three-figure partnership between Denesh Ramdin and Brendan Nash. The manner of their assault brought to mind the eccentricity of Marshal Foch in the middle of the Battle of the Marne in 1914: “My centre is giving way; my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack.”
And so they did. Their partnership was worth 143 at better than a run a minute and was ended only when Stuart Broad hurried one down the hill and scuttled through Ramdin’s defence when the wicketkeeper had scored 61. Ramdin hit 11 fours in his fifty, mostly drives and cuts, as England strove too hard. Nash, punchy and compact, was also strong behind square on the off side and hurried through to his half-century in 93 balls.
England would have completed a much earlier victory had they not given both these batsmen a life: Ramdin put down by Onions off his own bowling on 46, and Nash by Swann off James Anderson at third slip on nought.
It was Nash who was the last man out, trying both to shepherd the tail and get to a hundred, but he finished 19 short of three figures when Alastair Cook held on to a fine swirling catch after the left-hander backed away and cut once too often.
When the early-morning drizzle relented to allow a start at noon, England might have expected the kind of procession witnessed the previous afternoon. Instead, as Lendl Simmons spent valuable time at the crease learning his craft, easing anything off line through the leg side with the kind of upright elegance that reminded observers of Mark Waugh, and Devon Smith engineered his way into the danger territory, for him, of the thirties and forties, England were forced to wait for 45 minutes for their first wicket of the day. Almost inevitably it came when Onions replaced Broad, to the kind of cheers only newly minted heroes can expect. His first ball clattered into Simmons’s helmet, to confirm again that the bowler’s wiry frame can pack a punch; his tenth landed in the hands of Cook, deliberately hovering at a deep leg gully — smart, rather than smart-arse captaincy, this.
The lights dimmed quickly then. Shivnarine Chanderpaul escaped the ignominy of a king pair by cutting Swann to the point fence, but that stroke was the sum of Chanderpaul’s efforts in the match. Prodding forward to Swann, he was deceived by the lack of turn and offered a catch, via inside edge and pad, to Bopara at silly point.
If Swann’s introduction was designed primarily to unnerve Smith — Swann had removed the left-hander four times in the past six innings — it worked in the sense that, on the stroke of lunch, Smith became the third man to fall in nine balls. Onions it was, though, who did the damage this time, a peach of an inswinger flattening his middle stump. West Indies went to lunch, hope extinguished.
“I haven’t seen a left-hander play Swann with any confidence yet,” Andrew Strauss, the England captain, said. “He’s a smart bowler and possibly coming in late in his career means he’s had a little more time to work out how to out-think people. Winning lifts the spirit of the team, makes people feel part of something special. The more you do it, the more you believe you can win with the chips down.”
Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, said: “I’m obvously very disappointed by the manner we lost the game. Conditions hurt us and they will be more difficult in Durham.”
Ticket-holders deprived of a trip to Lord’s today by England’s three-day victory have been offered a full refund and also the chance of a 50 per cent discount for one of the two Lord’s warm-up days for the World Twenty20 in June. The half-price discount applies to Ireland against the Netherlands and New Zealand v India on June 1 or Sri Lanka v South Africa and England v West Indies on June 3. Spectators must present a valid ticket for today’s play at the North Gate ticket office on the day.
Scoreboard
England: First Innings 377 (R S Bopara 143, G P Swann 63 not out; F H Edwards 6 for 92)
Second Innings*A J Strauss not out14A N Cook not out14Extras (nb 4) 4Total (no wkt, 6.1 overs) 32
Bowling: Edwards 3.1-0-12-0; Taylor 3-0-20-0.
West Indies: First Innings 152 (G Onions 5 for 38)
Second Innings*C H Gayle c Swann b Anderson 0D S Smith b Onions 41R R Sarwan b Anderson 1L M P Simmons c Cook b Onions 21S Chanderpaul c Bopara b Swann 4B P Nash c Cook b Broad 81†D Ramdin b Broad 61J E Taylor lbw b Swann 15S J Benn b Swann 0F H Edwards c Bresnan b Broad 2L S Baker not out 2Extras (b 8, lb 18, w 2) 28Total (72.2 overs) 256
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-22, 3-70, 4-75, 5-79, 6-222, 7-243, 8-246, 9-249.
Bowling: Anderson 15-6-38-2; Broad 19.2-2-64-3; Bresnan 7-3-17-0; Swann 17-4-39-3; Onions 12-2-64-2; Bopara 2-0-8-0.
Umpires: S J Davis (Aus) and E A R de Silva (SL).
Source:The times
Button claims pole at last gasp
Formula One championship leader Jenson Button has claimed pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix with a sensational final qualifying lap.
The Briton from the Brawn GP team was the last driver on the track after Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel had jumped ahead of Button's team-mate Rubens Barrichello into pole position.
However, Button produced a record track time of 1min, 20.527sec for the Circuit de Catalunya to claim his third pole of the season. He will chase his fourth win in five races.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel will start alongside Button on the front row, while Rubens Barrichello qualified third for Brawn, with Ferrari's Felipe Massa alongside on an all-Brazilian second row.
Mark Webber of Red Bull starts fifth ahead of Toyota pair Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton failed to progress from the second qualifying session and will start 14th on the grid, while Kimi Raikkonen will start 16th after Ferrari mistakenly left him in the garage thinking his time would get him out of the first qualifying session.
The Briton from the Brawn GP team was the last driver on the track after Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel had jumped ahead of Button's team-mate Rubens Barrichello into pole position.
However, Button produced a record track time of 1min, 20.527sec for the Circuit de Catalunya to claim his third pole of the season. He will chase his fourth win in five races.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel will start alongside Button on the front row, while Rubens Barrichello qualified third for Brawn, with Ferrari's Felipe Massa alongside on an all-Brazilian second row.
Mark Webber of Red Bull starts fifth ahead of Toyota pair Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton failed to progress from the second qualifying session and will start 14th on the grid, while Kimi Raikkonen will start 16th after Ferrari mistakenly left him in the garage thinking his time would get him out of the first qualifying session.
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