Great Britain have not known a more successful couple of qualifying days at an international rowing regatta as they have had at Banyoles, Spain, this week. Sixteen British crews will start in the 14 remaining finals of this year's first World Cup tomorrow, including two in both the women's double scull and women’s pair, and there is a decent chance that half of them will walk off the podium with gold medals.
Adam Freeman-Pask was a seventeenth British finalist in the lightweight men’s single, which was held today, and won the bronze medal, behind Greece and Italy.
A caveat should be made. The global recession and tighter budgets in the year after an Olympics have prevented some nations from taking part. There is no one here from Australia, New Zealand and China. Germany are barely represented and the United States and Canada have sent only their smaller boats. There is a strong presence from other European countries, however, and the reduced field increases the pressure on the stronger nations to perform.
As with the quads and eights, the women's single scull race on Friday was to decide lanes in the final, with only six entries after three withdrew, but Katherine Grainger, the Glasgow sculler, was pleased with her first race in a new event. "I didn't know if my start would be fast enough," she said afterwards, but it destroyed her rivals. After 500 metres she was five seconds ahead of second place, and although Grainger eased back in the final stretch she beat Brett Sickler, of the United States, across the line by a length.
Peter Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge, competing in a pair for the first time, won their second race of the regatta to reach Sunday’s final. The pair flew away off the start, working up a lead of almost two lengths before relaxing on the run-in. Reed said that he knew Britain would win after the first two strokes. They will be tested on Sunday, but if they can find the same rhythm, they probably have too much class.
"I could feel the strength in the boat and that gave me a lot of confidence," Hodge said. The women's lead pair of Louisa Reeve and Olivia Whitlam had the opposite strategy in their race. They were third after 500 metres but were the fastest in the second half of the race to claim the win.
The first-string women's double of Anna Bebington and Annabel Vernon, who qualified directly for their final on Friday, will be joined on Sunday by Britain's second double of Beth Rodford and Katie Greves, who were second in a repechage, as were the men's and women's lightweight doubles. Matt Wells and Stephen Rowbotham continue to look like the crew to beat in the heavyweight double after a controlled semi-final win.
Alan Campbell, in the single, was also impressive, opening up a gap of 1.5 seconds in the start and eventually finishing almost two lengths clear of Olaf Tufte, the Olympic champion from Norway. Campbell's task in the final will be a little easier, although Tufte should never be written off, after Ondrej Synek, the Olympic silver medal-winner, got caught in weeds and came last in his semi-final.
If there is one cloud at this sun-kissed regatta, it was the uninspiring display given by the men's eight in their race for lanes. They finished fast but were well off the pace for much of the race and have a lot to prove in the final. It is a development crew, with only two of the eight in Beijing last year, but in the absence of so many strong eights nations, their sluggish display is a worry.
Source:The times
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Roger Federer hitting form in French Open
A splendid recovery in Paris shows the former world No1 is almost back to his best after months of anguish and uncertainty
There is an air of hope and vitality in Paris, for Roger Federer and all who are moved by the rich uncertainties of sporting contest. Only a few weeks ago, the prospect of another title for Rafael Nadal, claimed without challenge and concluded by a ritual thrashing of Federer, invited boredom for most, dread for the Swiss.
But after months of anguish and uncertainty, Federer seems a liberated man, the attacking genius of old. Yesterday, he dealt with difficult conditions, with the red dust swirling around as if it was a Texas cattle drive, and an awkward opponent, in Paul-Henri Mathieu, who went for his shots with nothing to lose and made an outrageous number of them. After losing the first set, Federer tightened his game and took control, winning the third-round match 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-4.
His cause was further improved by the very surprising straight-sets defeat of Novak Djokovic, who was the most obvious danger on his side of the draw. Djokovic was flat, almost mediocre, as he lost all three sets to Philipp Kohlschreiber by six games to four. Sometimes, Djokovic wilts in the heat and he admitted that he had no answers to the German, who played as well as required. Nor did Djokovic have a good answer to what was wrong. “I played too passive,” he said. “I couldn’t find my rhythm at all.”
After holding match points against Nadal in Madrid, Djokovic had legitimate hopes of challenging him for the French title and he was very disappointed. But he has a history of losing the physical battle. At the Australian Open this year, he pulled out during his match with Andy Roddick, just as he had at Monte Carlo against Federer in 2008.
It’s not hard to trace Federer’s new-found spirit and confidence, for a fortnight back he cast aside his misery and five consecutive defeats against Nadal by beating him emphatically in Madrid, and on clay. Now that Nadal owns all that Federer holds dear in the game, the psychological tables are turned. Nadal has to defend his position as No 1, as well as his titles, and holding the castle is less natural to him than marauding. Furthermore, those clamouring at the walls are acting for the moment in the common interest to bring him down. In Madrid, Djokovic wounded Nadal in the semi-finals in a three-set match lasting four hours; Federer finished him off.
When Federer was at the summit, he had one adversary to really worry about: Nadal. Nadal has several: Djokovic, Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Federer.
While Djokovic lost tamely, others who might threaten Nadal remain. Del Potro beat Igor Andreev with ease and has yet to drop a set in three rounds. Nor has Tsonga, who brushed aside Christophe Rochus. But it is the resurgence of Federer that is most intriguing and welcome. His fall over the past year had a tragic quality. Hailed as the athletic wonder of our age, his adornments were stripped from him one by one.
When he lost to Nadal in the Australian Open final, Federer wept, and even those who support and admire Nadal had to shed a tear. For while Nadal and most in the hunting pack all have astonishing and varied gifts, none brings such fearful beauty to the game as Federer.
Perhaps he needed to hit the bottom before he could rebound. During the clay-court season, he worked hard on his game and condition, trying to take his game from 98% to 100%, the margin by which he reckoned he had slipped.
He found the two per cent and although there were extenuating circumstances for Nadal in Madrid, Federer was scintillating, his old self, attacking flat out, imposing his own game rather than trying to prove he could match Nadal in a war of attrition. And the weapons, so recently rusty, gleamed in the sun. Federer’s service thundered; his forehand was devastating, but sure.
Most of all, he had the surge of confidence, and that, of course, comes in and recedes not in margins but floods.
The imperative question is whether Federer can sustain his resurgence, the flood-tide of optimism. If he can, he might not be able to win at Roland Garros — with Nadal around, that seems beyond him, and Nadal is crushing all-comers as usual. But Federer might manage to give Nadal a contest and go on to achieve two goals closer to his heart: he can win Wimbledon again; and before the year is out he can be the world No 1.
Source:The times
There is an air of hope and vitality in Paris, for Roger Federer and all who are moved by the rich uncertainties of sporting contest. Only a few weeks ago, the prospect of another title for Rafael Nadal, claimed without challenge and concluded by a ritual thrashing of Federer, invited boredom for most, dread for the Swiss.
But after months of anguish and uncertainty, Federer seems a liberated man, the attacking genius of old. Yesterday, he dealt with difficult conditions, with the red dust swirling around as if it was a Texas cattle drive, and an awkward opponent, in Paul-Henri Mathieu, who went for his shots with nothing to lose and made an outrageous number of them. After losing the first set, Federer tightened his game and took control, winning the third-round match 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-4.
His cause was further improved by the very surprising straight-sets defeat of Novak Djokovic, who was the most obvious danger on his side of the draw. Djokovic was flat, almost mediocre, as he lost all three sets to Philipp Kohlschreiber by six games to four. Sometimes, Djokovic wilts in the heat and he admitted that he had no answers to the German, who played as well as required. Nor did Djokovic have a good answer to what was wrong. “I played too passive,” he said. “I couldn’t find my rhythm at all.”
After holding match points against Nadal in Madrid, Djokovic had legitimate hopes of challenging him for the French title and he was very disappointed. But he has a history of losing the physical battle. At the Australian Open this year, he pulled out during his match with Andy Roddick, just as he had at Monte Carlo against Federer in 2008.
It’s not hard to trace Federer’s new-found spirit and confidence, for a fortnight back he cast aside his misery and five consecutive defeats against Nadal by beating him emphatically in Madrid, and on clay. Now that Nadal owns all that Federer holds dear in the game, the psychological tables are turned. Nadal has to defend his position as No 1, as well as his titles, and holding the castle is less natural to him than marauding. Furthermore, those clamouring at the walls are acting for the moment in the common interest to bring him down. In Madrid, Djokovic wounded Nadal in the semi-finals in a three-set match lasting four hours; Federer finished him off.
When Federer was at the summit, he had one adversary to really worry about: Nadal. Nadal has several: Djokovic, Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Federer.
While Djokovic lost tamely, others who might threaten Nadal remain. Del Potro beat Igor Andreev with ease and has yet to drop a set in three rounds. Nor has Tsonga, who brushed aside Christophe Rochus. But it is the resurgence of Federer that is most intriguing and welcome. His fall over the past year had a tragic quality. Hailed as the athletic wonder of our age, his adornments were stripped from him one by one.
When he lost to Nadal in the Australian Open final, Federer wept, and even those who support and admire Nadal had to shed a tear. For while Nadal and most in the hunting pack all have astonishing and varied gifts, none brings such fearful beauty to the game as Federer.
Perhaps he needed to hit the bottom before he could rebound. During the clay-court season, he worked hard on his game and condition, trying to take his game from 98% to 100%, the margin by which he reckoned he had slipped.
He found the two per cent and although there were extenuating circumstances for Nadal in Madrid, Federer was scintillating, his old self, attacking flat out, imposing his own game rather than trying to prove he could match Nadal in a war of attrition. And the weapons, so recently rusty, gleamed in the sun. Federer’s service thundered; his forehand was devastating, but sure.
Most of all, he had the surge of confidence, and that, of course, comes in and recedes not in margins but floods.
The imperative question is whether Federer can sustain his resurgence, the flood-tide of optimism. If he can, he might not be able to win at Roland Garros — with Nadal around, that seems beyond him, and Nadal is crushing all-comers as usual. But Federer might manage to give Nadal a contest and go on to achieve two goals closer to his heart: he can win Wimbledon again; and before the year is out he can be the world No 1.
Source:The times
Lee Byrne cleans up Royal mess
Royal XV 25 British and Irish Lions 37
WITH only 13 minutes remaining of this vibrant but often alarming occasion on the parched Highveld at the Royal Bafokeng stadium, the Royal XV were leading by 25-13; they needed only a quiet few minutes to seal a famous win and to send shudders down so many British and Irish spines that it would have measured on the Richter Scale.
As it turned out, the Lions flatly denied their valiant hosts that quiet period. They came with a desperate and yet also impressive late charge, which brought them three tries and 24 points in that last 13 minutes, and sent them on to Ellis Park, for the game against the Golden Lions on Wednesday, in better heart. And in the knowledge that they will have to improve mightily.
The tour management bemoaned the large number of basic errors, but there was more to it than that. These Lions were disjointed; it was often difficult to find evidence of a strategy or a wavelength. They never even threatened to win a Royal lineout and, for too long, their only attacking weapon was to send the impressive Jamie Roberts up the middle.
However, class did squeeze through at the end. The Lions can heartily thank Lee Byrne, easily the most accomplished Lion on the field, not only for hitting back and exhuming their chances with a splendid individual try to kick off the final surge, but also for his composure, his footballing excellence and his kicking game.
The Lions also scrummaged well, when they were allowed to by the referee. Some of their driving mauls were also excellent, and how wonderful it is to have this phase back in rugby to clear the field.
Furthermore, Paul O’Connell was impressive as a beacon for his team, and Ronan O’Gara kept his head in the bad times and scored 22 points into the bargain.
Up front, Andrew Sheridan was outstanding at close quarters and in the scrum, probably tearing up the notion that Gethin Jenkins has only to stand up to play in the Tests. However, some of the Lions as individuals were not nearly so impressive. Keith Earls, who seemed overwhelmed by the occasion from an early stage; and the experiment of playing David Wallace at No 8 looked to be a failure.
There was no shame in being taken all the way by the Royal XV because this amalgamation of five of the smaller provinces were not only full-time professionals to a man, but packed full of commitment and good sense and, in Jonathan Makuena, they had the player of the match by a distance.
They were also calm at half-back, where Naas Olivier was superb, but they did struggle up front, and it is difficult to believe that a player has ever been so aptly named in the context of any one game as was Albertus Buckle in the scrum.
There was nothing of a fluke about the Royals’ 18-3 lead approaching half-time, either. They scored when a superb pass behind his back by Hanno Coetzee put captain Wilhelm Koch over for a try, and later in the half when Rayno Barnes, the hooker, exploded out of the heart of a driving maul and scored.
This was all a shock to British and Irish systems and it meant the Lions were desperate for a try before half-time to provide some evidence they were still on the field. And they got one. Roberts and Earls made ground up the middle, the Lions set up a driving maul with Simon Shaw and Sheridan prominent, and when the ball came back, O’Gara fed Tommy Bowe with a delightful flip pass, with Bowe scoring under the posts to make it an acceptable 18-10 at half-time.
When O’Gara kicked a penalty to bring it back to 18-13 there were hints that the Lions would cruise home. But no such luck. First of all, their finishing and their final passes went to pot, costing them two or three tries. And then, to their eternal credit, the Royals came beasting their way back, launching a clever move which sent Bees Roux over the line, with the conversion making it 25-13 and leaving the Lions staring squarely down the barrel.
This was the time when the Royals needed calm. Instead, almost from the kick-off, Byrne launched another chip-and-chase, and even though he could not quite reach the ball as it fell he kicked at it, sprinted on and regathered and made the line. The conversion made it 25-20 and at least the Lions had had to contemplate an impending defeat only for a few seconds.
On they came, by now with regal stride. Alun Wyn Jones forced his way over after powerful forward play and then later, with Byrne running riot, the Lions scored again with Martyn Williams sending O’Gara to the posts.
At the end, the King of Bafokeng presented a gigantic trophy to O’Connell, apparently based on the design of an enormous wooden cake. His Majesty came so close to presenting it to his own subjects.
The first game of any tour is soon forgotten. But this one should live in the memory. It turned back the clock, it brought the Lions out of their extravagant big city lair and even if the attraction of the Super 14 final meant that the crowd was sparse, then it was still memorable for many.
“It was a fantastic honour to play against the Lions, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Koch. Well spoken, and well played. All we know for sure at the moment is that the Lions can finish a game extremely well.
Star man: Jonathan Makuena (Royal XV)
Scorers: Royal XV: Tries: Koch 17, Barnes 27, Roux 66 Con: Olivier, Viljoen Pens: Olivier (2)
Lions: Tries: Bowe 38, Byrne 67, AW Jones 76, O’Gara 80 Cons: O’Gara (4) Pens: O’Gara (3)
Referee: M Jonker (South Africa)
Attendance: 12,352
ROYAL XV: R Jeacocks; E Seconds, D van Rensburg, H Coetzee, B Basson; N Olivier (R Viljoen 58min), S Pretorius (J Coetzee 68min); A Buckle (S Roberts 60min), R Barnes (P van der Westhuizen 68min), B Roux, R Mathee, J Lombard (L Landman 56min), W Koch (capt), J Makuena, D Raubenheimer (R Kember 71min)
LIONS: L Byrne; T Bowe, K Earls (R Flutey 69min), J Roberts, S Williams; R O’Gara, M Blair (M Phillips 66min); A Sheridan, M Rees (L Mears 69min), A Jones (P Vickery 66min), S Shaw (AW Jones 66min), P O'Connell (capt), J Worsley, D Wallace (J Heaslip 66min), M Williams
Source:The times
WITH only 13 minutes remaining of this vibrant but often alarming occasion on the parched Highveld at the Royal Bafokeng stadium, the Royal XV were leading by 25-13; they needed only a quiet few minutes to seal a famous win and to send shudders down so many British and Irish spines that it would have measured on the Richter Scale.
As it turned out, the Lions flatly denied their valiant hosts that quiet period. They came with a desperate and yet also impressive late charge, which brought them three tries and 24 points in that last 13 minutes, and sent them on to Ellis Park, for the game against the Golden Lions on Wednesday, in better heart. And in the knowledge that they will have to improve mightily.
The tour management bemoaned the large number of basic errors, but there was more to it than that. These Lions were disjointed; it was often difficult to find evidence of a strategy or a wavelength. They never even threatened to win a Royal lineout and, for too long, their only attacking weapon was to send the impressive Jamie Roberts up the middle.
However, class did squeeze through at the end. The Lions can heartily thank Lee Byrne, easily the most accomplished Lion on the field, not only for hitting back and exhuming their chances with a splendid individual try to kick off the final surge, but also for his composure, his footballing excellence and his kicking game.
The Lions also scrummaged well, when they were allowed to by the referee. Some of their driving mauls were also excellent, and how wonderful it is to have this phase back in rugby to clear the field.
Furthermore, Paul O’Connell was impressive as a beacon for his team, and Ronan O’Gara kept his head in the bad times and scored 22 points into the bargain.
Up front, Andrew Sheridan was outstanding at close quarters and in the scrum, probably tearing up the notion that Gethin Jenkins has only to stand up to play in the Tests. However, some of the Lions as individuals were not nearly so impressive. Keith Earls, who seemed overwhelmed by the occasion from an early stage; and the experiment of playing David Wallace at No 8 looked to be a failure.
There was no shame in being taken all the way by the Royal XV because this amalgamation of five of the smaller provinces were not only full-time professionals to a man, but packed full of commitment and good sense and, in Jonathan Makuena, they had the player of the match by a distance.
They were also calm at half-back, where Naas Olivier was superb, but they did struggle up front, and it is difficult to believe that a player has ever been so aptly named in the context of any one game as was Albertus Buckle in the scrum.
There was nothing of a fluke about the Royals’ 18-3 lead approaching half-time, either. They scored when a superb pass behind his back by Hanno Coetzee put captain Wilhelm Koch over for a try, and later in the half when Rayno Barnes, the hooker, exploded out of the heart of a driving maul and scored.
This was all a shock to British and Irish systems and it meant the Lions were desperate for a try before half-time to provide some evidence they were still on the field. And they got one. Roberts and Earls made ground up the middle, the Lions set up a driving maul with Simon Shaw and Sheridan prominent, and when the ball came back, O’Gara fed Tommy Bowe with a delightful flip pass, with Bowe scoring under the posts to make it an acceptable 18-10 at half-time.
When O’Gara kicked a penalty to bring it back to 18-13 there were hints that the Lions would cruise home. But no such luck. First of all, their finishing and their final passes went to pot, costing them two or three tries. And then, to their eternal credit, the Royals came beasting their way back, launching a clever move which sent Bees Roux over the line, with the conversion making it 25-13 and leaving the Lions staring squarely down the barrel.
This was the time when the Royals needed calm. Instead, almost from the kick-off, Byrne launched another chip-and-chase, and even though he could not quite reach the ball as it fell he kicked at it, sprinted on and regathered and made the line. The conversion made it 25-20 and at least the Lions had had to contemplate an impending defeat only for a few seconds.
On they came, by now with regal stride. Alun Wyn Jones forced his way over after powerful forward play and then later, with Byrne running riot, the Lions scored again with Martyn Williams sending O’Gara to the posts.
At the end, the King of Bafokeng presented a gigantic trophy to O’Connell, apparently based on the design of an enormous wooden cake. His Majesty came so close to presenting it to his own subjects.
The first game of any tour is soon forgotten. But this one should live in the memory. It turned back the clock, it brought the Lions out of their extravagant big city lair and even if the attraction of the Super 14 final meant that the crowd was sparse, then it was still memorable for many.
“It was a fantastic honour to play against the Lions, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Koch. Well spoken, and well played. All we know for sure at the moment is that the Lions can finish a game extremely well.
Star man: Jonathan Makuena (Royal XV)
Scorers: Royal XV: Tries: Koch 17, Barnes 27, Roux 66 Con: Olivier, Viljoen Pens: Olivier (2)
Lions: Tries: Bowe 38, Byrne 67, AW Jones 76, O’Gara 80 Cons: O’Gara (4) Pens: O’Gara (3)
Referee: M Jonker (South Africa)
Attendance: 12,352
ROYAL XV: R Jeacocks; E Seconds, D van Rensburg, H Coetzee, B Basson; N Olivier (R Viljoen 58min), S Pretorius (J Coetzee 68min); A Buckle (S Roberts 60min), R Barnes (P van der Westhuizen 68min), B Roux, R Mathee, J Lombard (L Landman 56min), W Koch (capt), J Makuena, D Raubenheimer (R Kember 71min)
LIONS: L Byrne; T Bowe, K Earls (R Flutey 69min), J Roberts, S Williams; R O’Gara, M Blair (M Phillips 66min); A Sheridan, M Rees (L Mears 69min), A Jones (P Vickery 66min), S Shaw (AW Jones 66min), P O'Connell (capt), J Worsley, D Wallace (J Heaslip 66min), M Williams
Source:The times
Lee Briers kicks Wolves through
Hull KR 24 Warrington 25
LEE BRIERS dropped an extra-time goal to put Warrington through to the semi-finals rugby league’s Challenge Cup yesterday. Michael Dobson had kicked a penalty with just two minutes left on the clock to take the match into extra time.
Warrington looked to have won the game through Chris Bridge’s try in the 70th minute, but back came Hull KR to claim a vital penalty, which Dobson converted.
Both teams came into this game with a confidence born of recent success, Warrington having won four of their past five league games, Rovers all five, but the cautious opening forecast by some as a consequence did not materialise.
The match was still in the fourth minute when Wolves centre Simon Grix lost the ball in the tackle, conceding possession. Rovers worked the ball left, where Paul Cooke’s cut-out pass sent Peter Fox clear down the touchline. The wing drew Wolves full-back Richie Mathers before passing inside for centre Kris Welham to cross.
Warrington should have been back on level terms almost immediately, Grix failing to release Chris Riley when the young winger appeared to have a clear run to the line, but only the presence of an alert Dobson prevented Vinnie Anderson’s kick-through being touched down as the Wolves put Rovers’ defence under sustained pressure.
It paid off on the quarter hour, when Michael Monaghan’s brilliant and brave inside pass put Anderson over near the posts.
Only an outstanding last-ditch tackle by Shaun Briscoe prevented Anderson getting a second soon afterwards, and defence became the dominant theme of the remainder of the half.
Briers, with a chip and gather, looked to have created a breakthrough shortly before the break, but with players in support, the Warrington stand-off took the wrong option, attempting a kick-through that Briscoe blocked.
Throughout the half referee Phil Bentham had not impressed the home supporters, refusing to penalise what they felt were a series of offsides and forward passes. Their anger when Warrington took the lead shortly after the break was therefore considerable, because the pass from the right wing with which Matt King put Jon Clarke over appeared to be yards rather than inches forward.
Again, the response was immediate. First Dobson timed his short pass perfectly for prop Clint Newton, running on the angle, to breach the Wolves’ defensive line with surprising ease; then Cooke’s well-weighted grubber kick bounced unkindly for Mathers, and Ben Galea, following up, got just enough downward pressure on the ball to satisfy the video referee Richard Silverwood.
Gaps were beginning to appear, and on the hour, Scott Murrell’s sidestep and half-break set Rovers on their way to a length-of-the-field try which put them two scores clear. Daniel Fitzhenry took the ball on and released Dobson, who in turn sent Jake Webster clear.
The Rovers fans began to celebrate, but prematurely, as Briers’ kick was caught by King to keep the Wolves in touch. Bridge’s touchline goal reduced the gap to just four points.
And with 10 minutes remaining, Bridge turned try scorer, taking full advantage of Adrian Morley’s powerful break down the middle, and then goaling to put the Wolves ahead. But the drama for both sets of supporters did not finish there, with Dobson landing a penalty with two minutes left to take the tie in extra time.
Star man: Michael Dobson (Hull KR)
Scorers: Hull KR: Tries: Welham, Newton, Galea, Webster Goals: Dobson (4)
Warrington: Tries: V Anderson, Clarke, King, Bridge Goals: Bridge (4) Drop Goal: Briers
Referee: P Bentham
HULL KR: S Briscoe; P Fox, Webster, K Welham, L Colbon; P Cooke, M Dobson; N Fozzard, B Fisher, C Newton, S Gene, B Galea, S Murrell. Substitutes: M Aizue, D Fitzhenry, S Wheeldon, C Walker
WARRINGTON: R Mathers; C Riley, C Bridge, S Grix, M King; L Briers, M Monaghan; A Morley (capt), J Clarke, G Carvell, L Anderson, B Westwood, V Anderson. Substitutes: B Harrison, M Higham, P Rauhihi, P Wood
Source:The times
LEE BRIERS dropped an extra-time goal to put Warrington through to the semi-finals rugby league’s Challenge Cup yesterday. Michael Dobson had kicked a penalty with just two minutes left on the clock to take the match into extra time.
Warrington looked to have won the game through Chris Bridge’s try in the 70th minute, but back came Hull KR to claim a vital penalty, which Dobson converted.
Both teams came into this game with a confidence born of recent success, Warrington having won four of their past five league games, Rovers all five, but the cautious opening forecast by some as a consequence did not materialise.
The match was still in the fourth minute when Wolves centre Simon Grix lost the ball in the tackle, conceding possession. Rovers worked the ball left, where Paul Cooke’s cut-out pass sent Peter Fox clear down the touchline. The wing drew Wolves full-back Richie Mathers before passing inside for centre Kris Welham to cross.
Warrington should have been back on level terms almost immediately, Grix failing to release Chris Riley when the young winger appeared to have a clear run to the line, but only the presence of an alert Dobson prevented Vinnie Anderson’s kick-through being touched down as the Wolves put Rovers’ defence under sustained pressure.
It paid off on the quarter hour, when Michael Monaghan’s brilliant and brave inside pass put Anderson over near the posts.
Only an outstanding last-ditch tackle by Shaun Briscoe prevented Anderson getting a second soon afterwards, and defence became the dominant theme of the remainder of the half.
Briers, with a chip and gather, looked to have created a breakthrough shortly before the break, but with players in support, the Warrington stand-off took the wrong option, attempting a kick-through that Briscoe blocked.
Throughout the half referee Phil Bentham had not impressed the home supporters, refusing to penalise what they felt were a series of offsides and forward passes. Their anger when Warrington took the lead shortly after the break was therefore considerable, because the pass from the right wing with which Matt King put Jon Clarke over appeared to be yards rather than inches forward.
Again, the response was immediate. First Dobson timed his short pass perfectly for prop Clint Newton, running on the angle, to breach the Wolves’ defensive line with surprising ease; then Cooke’s well-weighted grubber kick bounced unkindly for Mathers, and Ben Galea, following up, got just enough downward pressure on the ball to satisfy the video referee Richard Silverwood.
Gaps were beginning to appear, and on the hour, Scott Murrell’s sidestep and half-break set Rovers on their way to a length-of-the-field try which put them two scores clear. Daniel Fitzhenry took the ball on and released Dobson, who in turn sent Jake Webster clear.
The Rovers fans began to celebrate, but prematurely, as Briers’ kick was caught by King to keep the Wolves in touch. Bridge’s touchline goal reduced the gap to just four points.
And with 10 minutes remaining, Bridge turned try scorer, taking full advantage of Adrian Morley’s powerful break down the middle, and then goaling to put the Wolves ahead. But the drama for both sets of supporters did not finish there, with Dobson landing a penalty with two minutes left to take the tie in extra time.
Star man: Michael Dobson (Hull KR)
Scorers: Hull KR: Tries: Welham, Newton, Galea, Webster Goals: Dobson (4)
Warrington: Tries: V Anderson, Clarke, King, Bridge Goals: Bridge (4) Drop Goal: Briers
Referee: P Bentham
HULL KR: S Briscoe; P Fox, Webster, K Welham, L Colbon; P Cooke, M Dobson; N Fozzard, B Fisher, C Newton, S Gene, B Galea, S Murrell. Substitutes: M Aizue, D Fitzhenry, S Wheeldon, C Walker
WARRINGTON: R Mathers; C Riley, C Bridge, S Grix, M King; L Briers, M Monaghan; A Morley (capt), J Clarke, G Carvell, L Anderson, B Westwood, V Anderson. Substitutes: B Harrison, M Higham, P Rauhihi, P Wood
Source:The times
Will Mick Kinane and Sea the Stars win the Derby?
In the aftermath of Sea The Stars’ brilliant victory in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier this month, no one could wipe the smile off the face of Mick Kinane, the winning jockey. Kinane has seen it all in a career that began 35 years ago at Leopardstown and, with his 50th birthday looming, he knows that retirement cannot be postponed for too much longer. But when a horse nurtured on the gallops turns out to be as good as you expected on the racetrack, the thrill cuts away the years. “If you felt nothing, it would be time to go,” says the Irishman.
Kinane and Sea The Stars will team up on Saturday for a tilt at the history books. The last horse to win the 2000 Guineas and the Derby was Nashwan, 20 years ago; the one before that was Nijinsky, who won the Triple Crown in 1970. If Kinane’s robust confidence is justified around Epsom’s unique contours, the son of Cape Cross will pass into the ranks of the turf’s true aristocracy. “These horses are a rarity,” says Kinane, his tone almost hushed in wonder. “I’ve been waiting for one to come along for a couple of years now and you have to enjoy it when they do.”
Kinane has known more rarities than most, including his two Derby winners, Commander-in-Chief for Henry Cecil and Galileo for Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore, his former employers. O’Brien and Kinane split at the end of a fraught 2003 season, which led many to predict a slow descent into the twilight for Kinane. Instead, John Oxx, another quiet genius of the Irish turf, snapped up the services of a jockey he knew well, prompting a welcome and unexpected Indian summer for the 13 times Irish champion.
After the hothouse atmosphere of Ballydoyle, life at Oxx’s must seem like a cool shower. But the pair have had to bide their time, watching as O’Brien swept all before him. Now, it is their turn and, despite the potential presence of nine Coolmore runners in the Derby field, neither Oxx nor Kinane would swap one of them for their own champion.
“We knew from day one he (Sea The Stars) was a lovely horse,” says Kinane. “He has the class and the pace and he’s got a great temperament. You don’t have to worry about the occasion getting to this fella. He’ll be counting the crowd.”
As a previous victim of Coolmore’s annual embarrassment of riches, Kinane will be watching with interest which horse his old rival, Johnny Murtagh, will pick. The choice mirrors that made by Kinane seven years ago. For Hawk Wing read Rip van Winkle and for Fame and Glory read High Chaparral, the former oozing speed and class, but not certain to stay, the latter solid and strong, sure to be in the frame. Kinane chose Hawk Wing and knew, as soon as he felt the rain on Oaks day, that he had made a mistake. Murtagh duly rode High Chaparral to victory, two lengths ahead of Hawk Wing.
“It’s a very fine line and Johnny won’t get much help from the gallops because Aidan won’t work any of them together,” says Kinane. “You might find out how well some of them have come out of their races, but it’s not easy. I’d say Johnny was definitely taken by the way Rip van Winkle ran in the Guineas. He can’t get that out of his head, but Fame and Glory has been impressive and likes the trip. It’s hard to see him being out of the first three.”
Murtagh’s nerve-ends will be taut enough without any further twists from Kinane, but all is fair in the psychological preliminaries to the big day. There have been signs, notably at Chester and, more recently, on Air Chief Marshal at the Curragh last weekend, of an erratic streak in Murtagh’s riding that was not visible last year. He has made the wrong choice twice already this season and will not relish getting it wrong for a third time when it really matters. “There’s always disappointment when you choose the wrong one,” says Kinane, suppressing a chuckle.
Kinane has experienced every emotion in his 20 rides around the one and a half miles of the world’s most quixotic racetrack. On King’s Theatre, he had the race won until Erhaab came out of nowhere to snatch the prize; on Commander-in-Chief, he turned a second-string ride into unexpected victory and on Galileo he had the rare joy of knowing he would win a long way from home.
“That was the armchair ride of them all,” he says. “It was a smallish field and I was in control every step, which meant I was able to enjoy it. That doesn’t happen very often in any race, let alone the Derby. You’ve got to have a horse with pace, otherwise you’ll be in trouble. But there’s also a brick wall halfway down the straight and a lot of horses can hit the wall after going so quick.”
The question most asked of both Oxx and Kinane over the past month is whether Sea The Stars will be one of them. Kinane has always been more bullish about the colt’s stamina than the more naturally cautious trainer. “It felt like the mile of the Guineas would be the minimum trip for him,” he says.
Perceptions, though, have changed in recent weeks and a horse that was once shorter odds for the Derby, the first under the sponsorship of Investec, than the Guineas is now speared with the suspicion of being best at a mile or 10 furlongs. In part, the fault lies with Sea The Stars, who won the Guineas too comfortably to be a Derby horse, and with history, which dictates that another colt will improve more or be stronger on Derby day. Jim Bolger’s Gan Amhras (third) and Rip van Winkle (fourth) chased Sea The Stars home in the Guineas and would not need much to reverse the places.
“As soon as a horse like Sea The Stars walks through the gates, your hopes are high,” says Oxx. “He’s a big strong horse, he eats, he sleeps, he’s a tremendous athlete, but you don’t know if he’ll stay until the day.”
If it comes down to the coolness and confidence of the men in the saddle, Oxx, who has had a win (Sin-ndar) and a third (Alamshar) from his two previous runners, need have no concerns. Kinane might be 50 in three weeks, but retirement is not in the wind, not when there are good horses to be ridden and big races to be won. “I’ve still got that competitive edge and, thankfully, I’m in good shape physically,” says Kinane. “When the time comes, I’ll be the first to know.”
Sea The Stars could not be in better hands on Saturday.
Source:The times
Kinane and Sea The Stars will team up on Saturday for a tilt at the history books. The last horse to win the 2000 Guineas and the Derby was Nashwan, 20 years ago; the one before that was Nijinsky, who won the Triple Crown in 1970. If Kinane’s robust confidence is justified around Epsom’s unique contours, the son of Cape Cross will pass into the ranks of the turf’s true aristocracy. “These horses are a rarity,” says Kinane, his tone almost hushed in wonder. “I’ve been waiting for one to come along for a couple of years now and you have to enjoy it when they do.”
Kinane has known more rarities than most, including his two Derby winners, Commander-in-Chief for Henry Cecil and Galileo for Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore, his former employers. O’Brien and Kinane split at the end of a fraught 2003 season, which led many to predict a slow descent into the twilight for Kinane. Instead, John Oxx, another quiet genius of the Irish turf, snapped up the services of a jockey he knew well, prompting a welcome and unexpected Indian summer for the 13 times Irish champion.
After the hothouse atmosphere of Ballydoyle, life at Oxx’s must seem like a cool shower. But the pair have had to bide their time, watching as O’Brien swept all before him. Now, it is their turn and, despite the potential presence of nine Coolmore runners in the Derby field, neither Oxx nor Kinane would swap one of them for their own champion.
“We knew from day one he (Sea The Stars) was a lovely horse,” says Kinane. “He has the class and the pace and he’s got a great temperament. You don’t have to worry about the occasion getting to this fella. He’ll be counting the crowd.”
As a previous victim of Coolmore’s annual embarrassment of riches, Kinane will be watching with interest which horse his old rival, Johnny Murtagh, will pick. The choice mirrors that made by Kinane seven years ago. For Hawk Wing read Rip van Winkle and for Fame and Glory read High Chaparral, the former oozing speed and class, but not certain to stay, the latter solid and strong, sure to be in the frame. Kinane chose Hawk Wing and knew, as soon as he felt the rain on Oaks day, that he had made a mistake. Murtagh duly rode High Chaparral to victory, two lengths ahead of Hawk Wing.
“It’s a very fine line and Johnny won’t get much help from the gallops because Aidan won’t work any of them together,” says Kinane. “You might find out how well some of them have come out of their races, but it’s not easy. I’d say Johnny was definitely taken by the way Rip van Winkle ran in the Guineas. He can’t get that out of his head, but Fame and Glory has been impressive and likes the trip. It’s hard to see him being out of the first three.”
Murtagh’s nerve-ends will be taut enough without any further twists from Kinane, but all is fair in the psychological preliminaries to the big day. There have been signs, notably at Chester and, more recently, on Air Chief Marshal at the Curragh last weekend, of an erratic streak in Murtagh’s riding that was not visible last year. He has made the wrong choice twice already this season and will not relish getting it wrong for a third time when it really matters. “There’s always disappointment when you choose the wrong one,” says Kinane, suppressing a chuckle.
Kinane has experienced every emotion in his 20 rides around the one and a half miles of the world’s most quixotic racetrack. On King’s Theatre, he had the race won until Erhaab came out of nowhere to snatch the prize; on Commander-in-Chief, he turned a second-string ride into unexpected victory and on Galileo he had the rare joy of knowing he would win a long way from home.
“That was the armchair ride of them all,” he says. “It was a smallish field and I was in control every step, which meant I was able to enjoy it. That doesn’t happen very often in any race, let alone the Derby. You’ve got to have a horse with pace, otherwise you’ll be in trouble. But there’s also a brick wall halfway down the straight and a lot of horses can hit the wall after going so quick.”
The question most asked of both Oxx and Kinane over the past month is whether Sea The Stars will be one of them. Kinane has always been more bullish about the colt’s stamina than the more naturally cautious trainer. “It felt like the mile of the Guineas would be the minimum trip for him,” he says.
Perceptions, though, have changed in recent weeks and a horse that was once shorter odds for the Derby, the first under the sponsorship of Investec, than the Guineas is now speared with the suspicion of being best at a mile or 10 furlongs. In part, the fault lies with Sea The Stars, who won the Guineas too comfortably to be a Derby horse, and with history, which dictates that another colt will improve more or be stronger on Derby day. Jim Bolger’s Gan Amhras (third) and Rip van Winkle (fourth) chased Sea The Stars home in the Guineas and would not need much to reverse the places.
“As soon as a horse like Sea The Stars walks through the gates, your hopes are high,” says Oxx. “He’s a big strong horse, he eats, he sleeps, he’s a tremendous athlete, but you don’t know if he’ll stay until the day.”
If it comes down to the coolness and confidence of the men in the saddle, Oxx, who has had a win (Sin-ndar) and a third (Alamshar) from his two previous runners, need have no concerns. Kinane might be 50 in three weeks, but retirement is not in the wind, not when there are good horses to be ridden and big races to be won. “I’ve still got that competitive edge and, thankfully, I’m in good shape physically,” says Kinane. “When the time comes, I’ll be the first to know.”
Sea The Stars could not be in better hands on Saturday.
Source:The times
England prepare to stand alone at 2012 Olympics
A young English manager could be given the opportunity to lead an Olympic football team on home soil after the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish said that they would play no part in the 2012 campaign.
An all-England line-up agreed yesterday under a compromise deal between the four home nations opens the way for Stuart Pearce, the England Under-21 head coach, or an up-and-coming coach seeking international management experience to step into the role.
Fabio Capello, the England manager, has expressed an interest and is a frontrunner. But Pearce's chances would be strengthened if Fifa, the world governing body, reduces the age limit of Olympic footballers from under-23 plus three over-age players to under-21 across the board.
Fifa members could do this next week at their congress in the Bahamas in a move that would dash the hopes of David Beckham captaining an Olympic team and would keep Theo Walcott out of the side.
Hopes for a fully represented Team GB collapsed when the Scottish FA, the chief intransigent, made it clear this week that it remained “resolutely opposed” to the idea because it threatened Scotland's independent future at international level.
But, with the 2012 Games taking part largely in England, the other home nations agreed that they could not stand in the way of both men's and women's teams being fielded. The indecision risked hurting England's 2018 World Cup bid.
Fifa set a deadline of May 31 for a resolution. It could ratify the deal at its congress next week which will be attended by Lord Triesman, the FA chairman, and Lord Coe, a director of the 2018 bid. The Olympic football competition will be held in stadiums around the UK, including Old Trafford and Hampden Park. The final will take place at Wembley Stadium
Source: The times
An all-England line-up agreed yesterday under a compromise deal between the four home nations opens the way for Stuart Pearce, the England Under-21 head coach, or an up-and-coming coach seeking international management experience to step into the role.
Fabio Capello, the England manager, has expressed an interest and is a frontrunner. But Pearce's chances would be strengthened if Fifa, the world governing body, reduces the age limit of Olympic footballers from under-23 plus three over-age players to under-21 across the board.
Fifa members could do this next week at their congress in the Bahamas in a move that would dash the hopes of David Beckham captaining an Olympic team and would keep Theo Walcott out of the side.
Hopes for a fully represented Team GB collapsed when the Scottish FA, the chief intransigent, made it clear this week that it remained “resolutely opposed” to the idea because it threatened Scotland's independent future at international level.
But, with the 2012 Games taking part largely in England, the other home nations agreed that they could not stand in the way of both men's and women's teams being fielded. The indecision risked hurting England's 2018 World Cup bid.
Fifa set a deadline of May 31 for a resolution. It could ratify the deal at its congress next week which will be attended by Lord Triesman, the FA chairman, and Lord Coe, a director of the 2018 bid. The Olympic football competition will be held in stadiums around the UK, including Old Trafford and Hampden Park. The final will take place at Wembley Stadium
Source: The times
Ferrari lead teams back into the fray
The white flags were going up over the Formula One battlefield yesterday when Ferrari led the rest of the teams back into the pits where Messrs Ecclestone and Mosley rule supreme.
For weeks, the foot soldiers of the revolution at Ferrari have been trying to convince us that the threat by Luca Di Montezemolo, the company president, to leave Formula One because of the FIA’s plans for a budget cap was serious. But few people outside Maranello believed it and last night the joke doing the rounds in the corridors of Formula One power was: “How many reverse gears does a Ferrari have?”
After hours of negotiations among themselves, the teams under the banner of the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) led by the Scuderia, submitted their entries for next season in time for yesterday’s deadline. They did so, however, on a conditional basis. They said they would race next season so long as a new accord — the so-called Concorde Agreement — was signed between them and Bernie Ecclestone, the commercial rights-holder, and the FIA, setting out the way the sport will be run until 2012.
“The renewal of the agreement will provide security for the future of the sport by binding all parties in a formal relationship that will ensure stability via sound governance,” the teams said. (A potential sticking point here is that Ecclestone wants the commitment from the teams to Formula One to be for five more years, not two).
A second condition was that the teams will participate next year only under the regulations for this season. On the face of it, this appears to amount to a wholesale rejection of the budget cap being proposed by Max Mosley, the FIA president. But sources close to Mosley, were sounding confident last night that the cap would still come in, even if the target figure of £40 million may not be reached until 2011.
Ecclestone was also confident about the cap. “I am sure there will be a cap,” he said. “I think we are seeing the start of what is going to be a huge row,” he said, jokingly. “No, this is the beginning of something positive.”
In addition to the two main conditions, the teams underlined again that they have no interest in a so-called two-tier series in which budget-capped teams race with less technical restrictions than those on unlimited budgets, as had been originally proposed by the FIA.
“All Fota entries for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship have been submitted today on the understanding that (a) all teams will be permitted to compete during the 2010 Formula One season on an identical regulatory basis and (b) that they may only be accepted as a whole,” the teams said.
“All Fota teams look forward with optimism to collaborating productively with the FIA, with a view to establishing a solid foundation on which the future of a healthy and successful Formula One can be built, providing stability and sound governance.”
Source: The times
For weeks, the foot soldiers of the revolution at Ferrari have been trying to convince us that the threat by Luca Di Montezemolo, the company president, to leave Formula One because of the FIA’s plans for a budget cap was serious. But few people outside Maranello believed it and last night the joke doing the rounds in the corridors of Formula One power was: “How many reverse gears does a Ferrari have?”
After hours of negotiations among themselves, the teams under the banner of the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) led by the Scuderia, submitted their entries for next season in time for yesterday’s deadline. They did so, however, on a conditional basis. They said they would race next season so long as a new accord — the so-called Concorde Agreement — was signed between them and Bernie Ecclestone, the commercial rights-holder, and the FIA, setting out the way the sport will be run until 2012.
“The renewal of the agreement will provide security for the future of the sport by binding all parties in a formal relationship that will ensure stability via sound governance,” the teams said. (A potential sticking point here is that Ecclestone wants the commitment from the teams to Formula One to be for five more years, not two).
A second condition was that the teams will participate next year only under the regulations for this season. On the face of it, this appears to amount to a wholesale rejection of the budget cap being proposed by Max Mosley, the FIA president. But sources close to Mosley, were sounding confident last night that the cap would still come in, even if the target figure of £40 million may not be reached until 2011.
Ecclestone was also confident about the cap. “I am sure there will be a cap,” he said. “I think we are seeing the start of what is going to be a huge row,” he said, jokingly. “No, this is the beginning of something positive.”
In addition to the two main conditions, the teams underlined again that they have no interest in a so-called two-tier series in which budget-capped teams race with less technical restrictions than those on unlimited budgets, as had been originally proposed by the FIA.
“All Fota entries for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship have been submitted today on the understanding that (a) all teams will be permitted to compete during the 2010 Formula One season on an identical regulatory basis and (b) that they may only be accepted as a whole,” the teams said.
“All Fota teams look forward with optimism to collaborating productively with the FIA, with a view to establishing a solid foundation on which the future of a healthy and successful Formula One can be built, providing stability and sound governance.”
Source: The times
Agony for Ricky Ponting as Aussie injury jinx returns
RICKY PONTING gave Australia their first injury scare of the summer yesterday when his part in the team’s first full practice session in Nottingham was curtailed after he received a fierce blow on his right wrist.
Ponting lay prone on the ground for a couple of minutes, teammates huddling around him, before being taken away for treatment. In an echo of the mishap that ruled Glenn McGrath out of the Edgbaston Test in 2005 — when McGrath stood on a stray ball on the outfield — Ponting’s injury was the result of a basic error.
About to begin his first batting session, he went to pick up a ball by the side netting just as Mike Hussey played a shot in the adjoining net, the ball hitting Ponting full on the wrist. He was given ice treatment but not sent for an X-ray. This is the same wrist on which Ponting had major reconstructive surgery in July last year after problems in the Caribbean. However, he is expected to be fit for Australia’s first warm-up match against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge tomorrow.
Earlier, Michael Clarke, the vice-captain, had spoken fulsomely about Ponting’s energy and enthusiasm. Clarke said that, contrary to what recent results and Ponting’s own form might suggest, the Australia captain remained at the top of his game as both player and leader.
Since mid-October, Ponting has averaged a meagre 36.1 in Tests and has presided over five defeats that in any other Australian era would each be regarded as a catastrophe — by 320 runs and 172 runs to India; by six wickets, nine wickets, and an innings and 20 runs to South Africa.
Clarke also expressed the surprising hope that Ponting, who at 34 is six years older than his deputy, would lead Australia for the rest of Clarke’s career. “I’m definitely not ready yet with the captain we’ve got,” Clarke said. “Ricky is an amazing cricketer. There are not too many around today who are as good a player as him or as good a leader.
“One of his strengths is that he can not only lead someone like Shane Warne, an all-time great spin bowler, but also Phil Hughes, a 20-year-old kid playing Test cricket for the first time. He’s been one of Australia’s great leaders and is keen to continue playing. I think he has got a long time yet left in all forms of the game.”
Clarke added that English audiences should not underestimate this Australian team just because it contained some unfamiliar names. “It’s been a long time since the likes of Warne and McGrath were playing and we as a team have moved well and truly beyond that. We will never be able to replace those guys but we are not trying to either. It has given new guys an opportunity and those who had theirs in South Africa really made the most of it. If we play the cricket we know we can we might surprise a few English fans.”
While Clarke, like Ponting, declined to predict an Ashes scoreline, Brett Lee ventured that the series would be close.
“It’s going to be tight again and it’s going to be played in the same spirit as 2005,” Lee said. “I just want England at full strength. I want Freddie Flintoff out there, I want Kevin Pietersen playing. I want to test myself against the best. I want packed crowds. I want it to be on again like it was four years ago. Playing it in England feels like the real Ashes to me . . . There’s all the hype, all the attention, all the theatre.”
Meanwhile, Stuart Clark’s hopes of getting up to speed for the Ashes with two championship appearances for Gloucestershire next month have been all but dashed by visa problems. “The chances of Stuart coming are slim,” a club official said.
Like Clark, who underwent elbow surgery earlier this year, Ryan Sidebottom is facing a battle to get enough overs under his belt in time for the first Test. The England left-armer has made a good recovery from an Achilles operation but his inclusion in England’s World Twenty20 squad means his bowling opportunities are limited.
If England reach the semi-finals, Sidebottom may play only one first-class match before the Ashes, barely sufficient for someone who benefits from regular work. He says he may have to look elsewhere. “The is to try and get in as much bowling and cricket as possible, whether I practise in the nets or get some cricket somewhere else,” he said. “I’ve played club cricket for Leek this season and would do it again if the opportunity arose. I need to bowl regularly and prove I am 100% fit, and not 80% and getting through a game umming and ahhing. I’ve worked hard on my fitness and lost a lot of weight. I see myself down the pecking order. All I can do is push hard those players who are doing well.”
WORLD TWENTY20 GROUP AND KNOCKOUT STAGES
Group A
India, Bangladesh, Ireland
Group B
Pakistan, England, Holland
Group C
Australia, Sri Lanka, West Indies
Group D
New Zealand, S Africa, Scotland
Super eight phase:
Group E (probable)
India, England, Australia, South Africa
Group F (probable)
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, New Zealand
- Semi-finals on June 18-19
- Final takes place at Lord’s on Sunday, June 21
- All matches live on Sky Sports
Source:The times
Ponting lay prone on the ground for a couple of minutes, teammates huddling around him, before being taken away for treatment. In an echo of the mishap that ruled Glenn McGrath out of the Edgbaston Test in 2005 — when McGrath stood on a stray ball on the outfield — Ponting’s injury was the result of a basic error.
About to begin his first batting session, he went to pick up a ball by the side netting just as Mike Hussey played a shot in the adjoining net, the ball hitting Ponting full on the wrist. He was given ice treatment but not sent for an X-ray. This is the same wrist on which Ponting had major reconstructive surgery in July last year after problems in the Caribbean. However, he is expected to be fit for Australia’s first warm-up match against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge tomorrow.
Earlier, Michael Clarke, the vice-captain, had spoken fulsomely about Ponting’s energy and enthusiasm. Clarke said that, contrary to what recent results and Ponting’s own form might suggest, the Australia captain remained at the top of his game as both player and leader.
Since mid-October, Ponting has averaged a meagre 36.1 in Tests and has presided over five defeats that in any other Australian era would each be regarded as a catastrophe — by 320 runs and 172 runs to India; by six wickets, nine wickets, and an innings and 20 runs to South Africa.
Clarke also expressed the surprising hope that Ponting, who at 34 is six years older than his deputy, would lead Australia for the rest of Clarke’s career. “I’m definitely not ready yet with the captain we’ve got,” Clarke said. “Ricky is an amazing cricketer. There are not too many around today who are as good a player as him or as good a leader.
“One of his strengths is that he can not only lead someone like Shane Warne, an all-time great spin bowler, but also Phil Hughes, a 20-year-old kid playing Test cricket for the first time. He’s been one of Australia’s great leaders and is keen to continue playing. I think he has got a long time yet left in all forms of the game.”
Clarke added that English audiences should not underestimate this Australian team just because it contained some unfamiliar names. “It’s been a long time since the likes of Warne and McGrath were playing and we as a team have moved well and truly beyond that. We will never be able to replace those guys but we are not trying to either. It has given new guys an opportunity and those who had theirs in South Africa really made the most of it. If we play the cricket we know we can we might surprise a few English fans.”
While Clarke, like Ponting, declined to predict an Ashes scoreline, Brett Lee ventured that the series would be close.
“It’s going to be tight again and it’s going to be played in the same spirit as 2005,” Lee said. “I just want England at full strength. I want Freddie Flintoff out there, I want Kevin Pietersen playing. I want to test myself against the best. I want packed crowds. I want it to be on again like it was four years ago. Playing it in England feels like the real Ashes to me . . . There’s all the hype, all the attention, all the theatre.”
Meanwhile, Stuart Clark’s hopes of getting up to speed for the Ashes with two championship appearances for Gloucestershire next month have been all but dashed by visa problems. “The chances of Stuart coming are slim,” a club official said.
Like Clark, who underwent elbow surgery earlier this year, Ryan Sidebottom is facing a battle to get enough overs under his belt in time for the first Test. The England left-armer has made a good recovery from an Achilles operation but his inclusion in England’s World Twenty20 squad means his bowling opportunities are limited.
If England reach the semi-finals, Sidebottom may play only one first-class match before the Ashes, barely sufficient for someone who benefits from regular work. He says he may have to look elsewhere. “The is to try and get in as much bowling and cricket as possible, whether I practise in the nets or get some cricket somewhere else,” he said. “I’ve played club cricket for Leek this season and would do it again if the opportunity arose. I need to bowl regularly and prove I am 100% fit, and not 80% and getting through a game umming and ahhing. I’ve worked hard on my fitness and lost a lot of weight. I see myself down the pecking order. All I can do is push hard those players who are doing well.”
WORLD TWENTY20 GROUP AND KNOCKOUT STAGES
Group A
India, Bangladesh, Ireland
Group B
Pakistan, England, Holland
Group C
Australia, Sri Lanka, West Indies
Group D
New Zealand, S Africa, Scotland
Super eight phase:
Group E (probable)
India, England, Australia, South Africa
Group F (probable)
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, New Zealand
- Semi-finals on June 18-19
- Final takes place at Lord’s on Sunday, June 21
- All matches live on Sky Sports
Source:The times
Frank Lampard hands Guus Hiddink perfect parting gift
Chelsea 2 Everton 1
AND SO Guus Hiddink got what he wanted. Sunshine, champagne spray at Wembley and a “beautiful ending” to his three-and-a-half months with
Chelsea. His parting gift ensured he will forever be cherished by the club of which he has been temporary manager since February. Not only is the FA Cup football’s most holy hunk of silverware, this was Chelsea’s first trophy since Jose Mourinho and perhaps now they can finally move on from the Portuguese demagogue whose shadow was such that his 2007 dismissal was still being picked over on newspaper back pages yesterday.
Chelsea’s next manager can now start the job in the manner Hiddink left — on his own terms. Carlo Ancelotti is favourite to be appointed, but some qualities of the Blues seem destined to remain constant regardless of who is their boss. Frank Lampard’s ability to influence matches is prime among these and after Louis Saha invigorated the occasion with the quickest ever FA Cup final goal, Lampard decided it with one of the greatest, following Didier Drogba’s equaliser.
After seeing the sweet embrace of ball by net after his shot beat Tim Howard, the midfielder ran to the corner flag and jigged his way around it, mimicking the goal celebration of his father, Frank Lampard Sr, when scoring the winner for West Ham against Everton in a 1980 FA Cup semi-final.
This was a fair result, not least because minutes after Lampard made it 2-1 a refereeing mistake denied Chelsea when Florent Malouda “scored” with an even better strike, a Scud missile of a shot that dipped and wobbled over Howard before exploding off the underside of the bar and coming to earth beyond the goalline. The ball bounced back out and Howard Webb’s assistant referee, believing the ball had not crossed the line, declined to signal a goal.
A score of 3-1 would have been about right. Everton’s commitment was supreme, David Moyes’s tactical set-up was clever and players such as Saha, Joleon Lescott, Phil Neville and Steven Pienaar played at or near to their maximum. But they had needed Chelsea, with resources so superior, to have an off-day and Chelsea didn’t. It was poignant to see Mikel Arteta in a suit, not a strip. Had he, Phil Jagielka and Yakubu not been injured, it might just have been different.
Both sets of supporters were marvellously lusty. Everton’s had waited a long time for an occasion of this size but received instant gratification. Their team’s blade was on Chelsea’s jugular immediately. From the kick-off, Moyes’s midfield worked their way into an attacking position and Pienaar sent in the first of several penetrating crosses he was able to deliver. John Mikel Obi headed weakly, and Alex failed to clear as Marouane Fellaini rose to challenge him. The ball dropped towards the the penalty spot and there, Saha connected perfectly with a left-footed volley to leave Petr Cech sprawling. Everton were ahead with 25 seconds gone. Saha’s goal was the fastest in FA Cup final history, beating one scored by the talkative-sounding Bob Chatt, 30 seconds into this fixture in 1895.
Hiddink had unveiled the only selection surprise, starting with Mikel instead of Michael Ballack so Chelsea could use two holding midfield players against Fellaini and Tim Cahill. The parts played in the goal by both Mikel and Fellaini made this seem a mistake but the next 89 minutes and 35 seconds vindicated the Dutchman. Neither could get on the ball for long and with Everton unable to hold possession upfield, they retreated into their defensive third.
Chelsea flooded forward. Hiddink had also detailed Malouda and Nicolas Anelka to drop off before striking at Everton with pacy runs from deep and Moyes’s full-backs suffered, especially Tony Hibbert. With 21 minutes gone sustained Chelsea pressure was rewarded when Anelka came deep to find Lampard, who spread the ball nicely to Malouda. The Frenchman’s perfect cross curved into Everton’s area for Drogba to outmanoeuvre Lescott and head home. Lampard put one close from distance and Ashley Cole botched an opportunity when Malouda’s ball ricocheted off Fellaini into his path.
Moyes’s men were defending tenaciously. Neville lost possession but hounded Drogba to win it back, Pienaar pressured Anelka into running the ball out for a goal-kick when trying to tee up a shot and even Saha, the lone striker, was glimpsed in the left-back position.
The question was: Could Everton keep it up? Temperatures down on the pitch were touching 40 degrees and their manager did not think so. In the first half, Moyes stood in his technical area waving his players forward in vain. At half-time Hibbert, neutered as a tackler since an early booking, was replaced by Lars Jacobsen, an experienced Dane. Cahill and Fellaini swapped places so the Australian could play off Saha. For a while it worked, Everton got forward more and Saha had a sight of goal but headed over from 10 yards.
Then Lampard struck. Ballack, on for Essien, slipped a pass to Anelka, who found Lampard near the rim of Everton’s penalty area. Neville strained sinew to get back but Lampard checked inside him , slipping as he did so. Yet up he sprang and with his left foot caught the ball’s sweet spot, sending it scorching away from Howard who, despite getting both hands on the orb, could only push it into his net.
Lampard was subsequently booked for trying to win a penalty with a sneaky dive but this only slightly tarnished his afternoon. He was prominent among the Chelsea performers, yet did not outdo Cole, who plucked a ball from Drogba out of the air with an outrageously skilful touch and was justifiably named man of the match.
Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary-general, gave John Terry the old trophy and Hiddink was invited to be the last to hold it, but graciously insisted he raise it jointly with Ray Wilkins, his assistant. He is gone but not forgotten and, after some dreary recent finals, the pageant and quality of yesterday’s will also last in the memory.
CHELSEA: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, A Cole, Essien (Ballack 61min), Mikel, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba, Malouda
EVERTON: Howard, Hibbert (Jacobsen h-t), Yobo, Lescott, Baines, Osman (Gosling 83min), Neville, Pienaar, Cahill, Fellaini, Saha (Vaughan 77min)
Source:The times
AND SO Guus Hiddink got what he wanted. Sunshine, champagne spray at Wembley and a “beautiful ending” to his three-and-a-half months with
Chelsea. His parting gift ensured he will forever be cherished by the club of which he has been temporary manager since February. Not only is the FA Cup football’s most holy hunk of silverware, this was Chelsea’s first trophy since Jose Mourinho and perhaps now they can finally move on from the Portuguese demagogue whose shadow was such that his 2007 dismissal was still being picked over on newspaper back pages yesterday.
Chelsea’s next manager can now start the job in the manner Hiddink left — on his own terms. Carlo Ancelotti is favourite to be appointed, but some qualities of the Blues seem destined to remain constant regardless of who is their boss. Frank Lampard’s ability to influence matches is prime among these and after Louis Saha invigorated the occasion with the quickest ever FA Cup final goal, Lampard decided it with one of the greatest, following Didier Drogba’s equaliser.
After seeing the sweet embrace of ball by net after his shot beat Tim Howard, the midfielder ran to the corner flag and jigged his way around it, mimicking the goal celebration of his father, Frank Lampard Sr, when scoring the winner for West Ham against Everton in a 1980 FA Cup semi-final.
This was a fair result, not least because minutes after Lampard made it 2-1 a refereeing mistake denied Chelsea when Florent Malouda “scored” with an even better strike, a Scud missile of a shot that dipped and wobbled over Howard before exploding off the underside of the bar and coming to earth beyond the goalline. The ball bounced back out and Howard Webb’s assistant referee, believing the ball had not crossed the line, declined to signal a goal.
A score of 3-1 would have been about right. Everton’s commitment was supreme, David Moyes’s tactical set-up was clever and players such as Saha, Joleon Lescott, Phil Neville and Steven Pienaar played at or near to their maximum. But they had needed Chelsea, with resources so superior, to have an off-day and Chelsea didn’t. It was poignant to see Mikel Arteta in a suit, not a strip. Had he, Phil Jagielka and Yakubu not been injured, it might just have been different.
Both sets of supporters were marvellously lusty. Everton’s had waited a long time for an occasion of this size but received instant gratification. Their team’s blade was on Chelsea’s jugular immediately. From the kick-off, Moyes’s midfield worked their way into an attacking position and Pienaar sent in the first of several penetrating crosses he was able to deliver. John Mikel Obi headed weakly, and Alex failed to clear as Marouane Fellaini rose to challenge him. The ball dropped towards the the penalty spot and there, Saha connected perfectly with a left-footed volley to leave Petr Cech sprawling. Everton were ahead with 25 seconds gone. Saha’s goal was the fastest in FA Cup final history, beating one scored by the talkative-sounding Bob Chatt, 30 seconds into this fixture in 1895.
Hiddink had unveiled the only selection surprise, starting with Mikel instead of Michael Ballack so Chelsea could use two holding midfield players against Fellaini and Tim Cahill. The parts played in the goal by both Mikel and Fellaini made this seem a mistake but the next 89 minutes and 35 seconds vindicated the Dutchman. Neither could get on the ball for long and with Everton unable to hold possession upfield, they retreated into their defensive third.
Chelsea flooded forward. Hiddink had also detailed Malouda and Nicolas Anelka to drop off before striking at Everton with pacy runs from deep and Moyes’s full-backs suffered, especially Tony Hibbert. With 21 minutes gone sustained Chelsea pressure was rewarded when Anelka came deep to find Lampard, who spread the ball nicely to Malouda. The Frenchman’s perfect cross curved into Everton’s area for Drogba to outmanoeuvre Lescott and head home. Lampard put one close from distance and Ashley Cole botched an opportunity when Malouda’s ball ricocheted off Fellaini into his path.
Moyes’s men were defending tenaciously. Neville lost possession but hounded Drogba to win it back, Pienaar pressured Anelka into running the ball out for a goal-kick when trying to tee up a shot and even Saha, the lone striker, was glimpsed in the left-back position.
The question was: Could Everton keep it up? Temperatures down on the pitch were touching 40 degrees and their manager did not think so. In the first half, Moyes stood in his technical area waving his players forward in vain. At half-time Hibbert, neutered as a tackler since an early booking, was replaced by Lars Jacobsen, an experienced Dane. Cahill and Fellaini swapped places so the Australian could play off Saha. For a while it worked, Everton got forward more and Saha had a sight of goal but headed over from 10 yards.
Then Lampard struck. Ballack, on for Essien, slipped a pass to Anelka, who found Lampard near the rim of Everton’s penalty area. Neville strained sinew to get back but Lampard checked inside him , slipping as he did so. Yet up he sprang and with his left foot caught the ball’s sweet spot, sending it scorching away from Howard who, despite getting both hands on the orb, could only push it into his net.
Lampard was subsequently booked for trying to win a penalty with a sneaky dive but this only slightly tarnished his afternoon. He was prominent among the Chelsea performers, yet did not outdo Cole, who plucked a ball from Drogba out of the air with an outrageously skilful touch and was justifiably named man of the match.
Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary-general, gave John Terry the old trophy and Hiddink was invited to be the last to hold it, but graciously insisted he raise it jointly with Ray Wilkins, his assistant. He is gone but not forgotten and, after some dreary recent finals, the pageant and quality of yesterday’s will also last in the memory.
CHELSEA: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, A Cole, Essien (Ballack 61min), Mikel, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba, Malouda
EVERTON: Howard, Hibbert (Jacobsen h-t), Yobo, Lescott, Baines, Osman (Gosling 83min), Neville, Pienaar, Cahill, Fellaini, Saha (Vaughan 77min)
Source:The times
Mike Ashley puts Newcastle on the block
THE sportswear tycoon Mike Ashley is to put Newcastle United football club up for sale with a £100m price tag.
Ashley will appoint Keith Harris, chairman of Seymour Pierce, or bankers at NM Rothschild this week with a mandate to achieve a quick sale. His decision comes just days after the club was relegated from the Premier League.
The asking price is £34m less than Ashley paid for the club two years ago. Since then he has ploughed £110m of his own money into the northeast team to pay down its debts.
Ashley told The Sunday Times: “It has been catastrophic for everybody. I’ve lost my money and I’ve made terrible decisions. Now I want to sell it as soon as I can . . . advisers will be appointed shortly.”
If Ashley manages to find a buyer it will put an end to his controversial and occasionally acrimonious two-year spell in control at St James’ Park, having initially put the club up for sale for £400m last September because of a series of protests and demonstrations following Kevin Keegan’s departure as manager.
But dropping out of the top flight of English football has slashed the value of the club.
There has been some interest from Nigeria and South Africa but no firm takeover offers. The club’s demotion will make it harder to drum up bid interest.
Asked if he regretted his decision to buy the club two years ago, Ashley, who owns the sportswear chain Sports Direct, said: “Of course I regret it. I never said I was an expert in football clubs. I was just a fan – although a very wealthy fan. But I’m not so wealthy now. I put my money into it and I tried my best. But I accept my best was woefully short. I am genuinely sorry for everybody about what has happened.”
Ashley landed a £929m pay-day when he floated Sports Direct on the London stock exchange in 2007, but the credit crunch and a string of ill-fated gambles have slashed his wealth from £1.4 billion to £700m, according to this year’s Sunday Times Rich List.
The news comes as talks to give Alan Shearer, the care-taker manager, a full-time contract to rebuild Newcastle United were continuing this weekend.
Ashley also praised former interim manager Joe Kinnear, who took temporary charge of the club after Keegan quit last autumn. “I personally thought Joe put the club back on the right track. He took it from second bottom to 13th but things went against him,” said Ashley. Kinnear was forced to stand down because of ill health.
After its relegation from the Premier League, the club faces a big restructuring that is likely to lead to a clear-out of the first-team playing squad to balance the books. At present, Newcastle relies on a £40m work-ing-capital facility from Bar-clays bank.
Meanwhile, West Ham United is poised to be taken over by its creditors in coming weeks. Sources close to the east London football club say the huge debts of former owner Bjorgol-fur Gudmundsson and those of the club itself have all but killed the chances of any rescue.
This means it will fall into the hands of Icelandic bank Straumur and a consortium of other financial institutions.
Straumur is owed about £100m by Gudmundsson, while the club owes about £45m to a group of banks including RBS.
The Icelandic bank is expected to hold on to the club for between two and three years before putting it up for sale.
Source:The times
Ashley will appoint Keith Harris, chairman of Seymour Pierce, or bankers at NM Rothschild this week with a mandate to achieve a quick sale. His decision comes just days after the club was relegated from the Premier League.
The asking price is £34m less than Ashley paid for the club two years ago. Since then he has ploughed £110m of his own money into the northeast team to pay down its debts.
Ashley told The Sunday Times: “It has been catastrophic for everybody. I’ve lost my money and I’ve made terrible decisions. Now I want to sell it as soon as I can . . . advisers will be appointed shortly.”
If Ashley manages to find a buyer it will put an end to his controversial and occasionally acrimonious two-year spell in control at St James’ Park, having initially put the club up for sale for £400m last September because of a series of protests and demonstrations following Kevin Keegan’s departure as manager.
But dropping out of the top flight of English football has slashed the value of the club.
There has been some interest from Nigeria and South Africa but no firm takeover offers. The club’s demotion will make it harder to drum up bid interest.
Asked if he regretted his decision to buy the club two years ago, Ashley, who owns the sportswear chain Sports Direct, said: “Of course I regret it. I never said I was an expert in football clubs. I was just a fan – although a very wealthy fan. But I’m not so wealthy now. I put my money into it and I tried my best. But I accept my best was woefully short. I am genuinely sorry for everybody about what has happened.”
Ashley landed a £929m pay-day when he floated Sports Direct on the London stock exchange in 2007, but the credit crunch and a string of ill-fated gambles have slashed his wealth from £1.4 billion to £700m, according to this year’s Sunday Times Rich List.
The news comes as talks to give Alan Shearer, the care-taker manager, a full-time contract to rebuild Newcastle United were continuing this weekend.
Ashley also praised former interim manager Joe Kinnear, who took temporary charge of the club after Keegan quit last autumn. “I personally thought Joe put the club back on the right track. He took it from second bottom to 13th but things went against him,” said Ashley. Kinnear was forced to stand down because of ill health.
After its relegation from the Premier League, the club faces a big restructuring that is likely to lead to a clear-out of the first-team playing squad to balance the books. At present, Newcastle relies on a £40m work-ing-capital facility from Bar-clays bank.
Meanwhile, West Ham United is poised to be taken over by its creditors in coming weeks. Sources close to the east London football club say the huge debts of former owner Bjorgol-fur Gudmundsson and those of the club itself have all but killed the chances of any rescue.
This means it will fall into the hands of Icelandic bank Straumur and a consortium of other financial institutions.
Straumur is owed about £100m by Gudmundsson, while the club owes about £45m to a group of banks including RBS.
The Icelandic bank is expected to hold on to the club for between two and three years before putting it up for sale.
Source:The times
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