The Guardian du lieu suivant : London, Greater London, England • 15

THE GUARDIAN Tuesday August 9 1988 SPORTS NEWS 15 Cricket Boxing Fifth Cornhill Test: England West Indies, fourth day Westt DmidlBes wDcfleira gjuDff ffonuaD aiirutteir IBF poised to invade Europe Jack Masaarik Mike Selvay at The Oval BNQLAND First Innings 'G A Gooch Logie Ambrose. Curtis Dujon Benjamln Bailev Duion Ambrose rather like the Chinese for bat: with no Chinamen in the side, nor anyone to bowl them, they hadn't a price. England's hopes yesterday rested on an early breakthrough, with accurate seam moters and 30 boxers were at Saturday's meeting, so it is surprising that another 270 have come from nowhere." John Robinson, the IBF's European representative, said last night: "This is not a breakaway; we intend to run side by side with the other organisations. We have 300 persons, British licence-holders, who are applying to join the IBF that's boxers, trainers, seconds, agents, whips and we're interested in the smaller people, guys who feel they have not been given an equal chance by the Board. "We have been advised by leading counsel that any attempt to withhold their licences would be in restraint of trade.

"What we are offering is UK title fights with three scoring judges and a non-scoring referee which the board doesn't have four ring ropes; a doctor who is allowed to be called in by the referee; and licence-holders who are all allowed to vote and speak at all meetings." Ironically, the IBF come into line with the WBC and WBA (and BBBC) on September 1 by reducing their championship distance from 15 rounds to 12. Miguel Lora of Colombia, who outpointed Alberto Davila of Panama to retain his WBC bantamweight title on August 1, could be stripped of the title. He has failed a drug test, and the title could go to Davila. THE American-based International Boxing Federation yesterday announced plans to extend their operations to the United Kingdom and Europe an initiative which seems certain to put them on collision course with the authorities who officially control championship fights in those areas, the British Boxing Board of Control and the European Boxing Union. The IBF say they "have branched out to sanction IBF European title fights, also United Kingdom IBF title fights and Their statement adds: "The British Boxing Board of Control have said any involvement by their licence-holders would be a breach of regulations.

Solicitors' letters have been served." Last Saturday the IBF invited British licence-holders to a meeting in London. Another is to be held in Manchester this Sunday after which, the statement crisply concludes: "It's all systems go for the IBF's new baby." This is news to the British Board. Last night a board spokesman said: "Officially we are not even aware of their existence, and there has certainly been no circularisation of our members. Unofficially we understand that only three pro Cycling Victory spoils Haynes races for safety clutching a souvenir stump photographs: frank baron Gooch still silent over India Racing return A decision about England's captain for the tour, though, is due several days earlier, soon after the summer's final Test, against Sri Lanka, which starts on August 25. Asked whether he would like to lead his country into the Sri Lanka match, Gooch said: "I've not been asked yet, so I can't say." After the fourth succesive defeat at the hands of Viv Ri-chards's men, the England team manager Micky Stewart insisted: "There's no depression or gloom, just disappointment.

"We fancied our chances at the beginning," he said. "But we've been outplayed and they thoroughly deserve what they've got. A four-nil margin is about right." Graham Snowdon STEPHEN ROCHE returns to world-class cycling when the Kellogg's Tour of Britain starts in Newcastle upon Tyne this morning. Roche, who in 1987 became only the second rider to win the Tour de France, Giro d'ltalia and world professional road race title in the same season, has had a traumatic year. in January, he was repor tedly on the verge of walking out on the Spanish-backed Fa-gor team over their choice of manager.

A knee operation was unsuccessful and the Irishman was forced to delay his start to the season. He returned to racing last week and acknowledges that there is a long, hard road ahead. He said yesterday: "My knee has been fine so far, but the big test comes in a stage race such as the Kellogg's Tour, where the daily recovery rate is all-important." Roche discounts the possibil ity of overall victory, and will be happy to take on the role of Tennis "GRAHAM GOOCH, I nursing the damaged Vf band that kept him off tne neia lor tne last paintui act of the disastrous series, last night refused to end the mounting speculation about his winter plans, and would not even tackle questions about his availability for the three-month tour of India. The 35-year-old Essex opener said earlier this season that he would not be up for selection. But now his only comment is "No Gooch is among the 30 or so players who have received tour availability letters.

The replies are due back with the TCCB today, though the selectors will not finalise the party until September 6. Merrick Michael Henderson THE first season of Warwickshire's new order has brought some mixed performances and results, but the team are gathering momentum at just the right time. Today they will beat Northamptonshire at Edgbaston to maintain a healthy interest in the championship race. A late burst by Tony Merrick saw to that. Beginning their second in nings 17 runs adrift, Northamptonshire lost nine wickets four to Merrick in advancing their score by 86.

Warwickshire's total of 278, although not as commanding as they might have liked, was fashioned -by leads title burst JWENTY minutes after 1 1 the tea interval at The 1 1 Oval yesterday, Gus Lo gie clipped a half-volley trom mil uet reitas to tne long-on boundary, pulled up a stump and raced from the field pur sued by the England team and halt the population ot Kenning- ton. West Indies had won the fifth and final Test as convinc ingly as they had the previous tour, by eight wickets with more than a day to spare. As at Headingley, where the margin was 10 wickets, England had enjoyed their moments of glory, glimpsed vic tory even, only to fall at the final hurdle. They fought grandly at times, but the fact that they lost by such a margin a match in which Viv Richards failed to score a run and Malcolm Marshall bowled below par empha sised the gulf between the sides. Long before the end the Cross of St George was fluttering symbolically limp at half-mast over the pavilion.

It was always going to be up hill for England after the racing start provided by Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes on Saturday, but they made West Indies work for their runs. However, once the pair had put together the twelfth century partnership of their illustrious Test association (fitting that they should both finish with 77), there was never any doubt even with Richards in hospital. Carl Hooper made a flashy, chancy 23, then little Logie, whose impishness has been one of the delights of the series, put the seal on things. Jeff Dujon was named man of the match by Fred Trueman for his rescuing 64 in the West Indies first innings, and Graham Gooch and Marshall were named as respective players of the series. No decision has been reached on the England captain of the series.

Of course, they need not have bothered to play the match at all. The result, an eight-wicket win on the eighth day of the eighth month in the eighty-eighth year of the century, was already written in the stars. Eight apparently sounds, in Chinese, like their word for prosperity and is therefore considered lucky. Unfortunately for England it also sounds Scoreboard Britannic Assurance County Championship (Today: 11.00 to 5.30 or 600) GLAMORGAN SURREY Swansea: Glamorgan (4pts) are 48 runs be' hind Surrey (6) with one first innings wicket in nana, loaay: 1 1.0 10 D.au or o.u. SURREV First innings (overnight 293-8) Bullen Melson Barwick 24 Peters not out 3 Boiling Barwick 1 Extras (Ib8, w4.

nb4) 18 Total. 207 Fall of wickets cent: 293. Bowling: Watkin 26-9-69-2: Barwick 22.5-9-44-3; Shastri 40-11-80-3; Ontong Z4-B-M-Z; uerricK GLAMORGAN First Innings A Butcher Bicknell Medlycott 54 A Cottey Feltham 50 Morris Greig Feltham 51 Holmes and Feltham 1 Shastri Ibw Grelg 27 Ontong Ibw Medlycott 18 Cann Feltham Medlycott tC Metson Medlycott 23 Derrick not out 13 Watkin Ibw Greig 1 Extras (b4, nb9) 13 Total (for 9. 90 overs)- 240 Fall of wickets: 109. 117.

120. 164, 199, 205. 224, 246. 249. WORCESTERSHIRE SUSSEX Kidderminster: Sussex (2pls) need three runs to avoid an innings defeat against Worcestershire (8) with two second-innings wicke in nand.

Today: n.u to o.au or o.u. SUSSEX. First Innings: 146 (IJ Gould 60: Newport 5-62). WORCESTERSHIRE First innlnas (overnight 179-4) A Neale Piaott 187 Weston Moores Clarke 94 ts Rhodes Lenham Clarke 8 Newport Pigott 18 lllingworth not 2 Radford and Pigott 1 A Pndoeon Falkner Babinqton 11 Extras (Ib3) 3 Tolal 370 Fall of wickets cont: 263. 303.

350. 358. 359. Bowling: Pigott 21-3-85-3: Babington 26.3-5-83-4; Clarke 34-9-92-3: Bunting 14-1-47-0; Wells 12-2-44-0; Gould 7-1-16-0. SUSSEX Second innlnas Falkner Rhodes Pridgeon 12 Lenham Rhodes Newport 7 Parker Pridgeon Newport- 12 A Wells Rhodes Newport 85 tl Gould Rhodes Pridgeon 8 Wells run out 28 ACS Pigott Ibw Radford 55 Moores Rhodes Radford 24 A Clarke not 8 Extras (bl, Ib3.

wl. nbl) 8 Total (for 8) 221 Fall of wickets: 15. 25, 31, 40. 121, 133. 205, 221 GLOUCESTERSHIRE YORKSHIRE Cheltenham: Gloucestershire (5pls), following on, are live runs behind Yorkshire with eight second-innings wickets in hand.

Today: 11.0 to 5.30 or 6.0. YORKSHIRE First innings: 367 (D Byas 112. PCarrick81). GLOUCESTERSHIRE First innings (overnight 21-0) A Wright Moxon Sldeboltom 33 Romaines Robinson Sldeboltom 35 Balnbridge Sidebottom 1 Curran Hartley 10 Aiioyne Blakey Shaw 10 Pooley Blakey Carrlck 10 A stovoid Hartley Sidebottom 40 tR Russell Love Sidebottom 20 A Graveney not out 7 Lawrence Hartley 4 Alderman Sidebottom Hartley. Extras (IbB, wl, nbB) 17 Total (76 overs).

214 Fallot wlckeUi 67, 69. 91, 91, 108. 134. 181, 205. 214.

Bowling: Hartley 17-1-66-3: Fletcher 13-3-48-0; Carrick 14-7-21-1; Sidebottom 17-4-34-5: Shaw 15-5-37-1. GLOUCESTERSHIRE Second innings A Wright Hartley 34 Romaines Blakey Sidebottom. 4 Balnbridge not out 73 Curran not out 32 Extras (Ib3, nb2) 8 Total (for 2) Fall of wtekelai 8. 84. 148 A A A 30 43 A Smith Harper Marshall.

Maynard Oujon Ambrose uapei c.Marsnan narpor tC Richards Logie Harper Pringle Dujon Marshall A DeFreilas Haynes Harper A Foster sub Marshall Childs not out Extras (Ib6. nb15) IS Total 205 Fall of wickets 12. 77. 116, 121, 160. 160.

165. 196. 198. Bowling; Marshall 24.3-3-64-3; Ambrose 20-6-31-3: Walsh 10-1-21-0: Benjamin 14-2-33-1; Harper 21-7-50-3; Hooper WEST INDIES Flrat innings Greenidge DeFreilas Foster 10 Haynes mcnaras a hosier HDODer Gooch Foster- 11 I A Richards Curtis Foster. A Logie Gooch Foster tP Dujon Ibw Pringle 47 84 17 17 5 10 a Harper run out- Marshall and Childs.

Ambrose not out WKM Benjamin Pringle- A Walsh DeFreilas Pringle-Extras (b7. wl, nb2) Total- 183 FU of wfcketK 9. 16. 16, 57, 126, 15S. 156, 167.

16B. Foster 16-2-64-5; DeFreilas 13-4-aa-u: pringie id-i-qo-a; uapei 7-0-21-0: grinds 6-1-13-1 ENGLAND Second innlnas A Gooch Greenidge Ambrose 84 Curtis Ibw Marshall 15 Bailev Beniamin- 3 34 A Smith Ibw Benjamin A Foster Logie Benjamin Maynard and Benjamin. Capel Ibw Walsh tC Richards Dujon Walsh 10 .12 3 8 pringle Harper- A DeFreilas Haynes Harper Childs not out Extras nb15) 33 Total 202 Fall, contt 108. 125. 139, 157, 175, 177.

Bowling: Marshall 25-6-52-1: Ambrose 24.1-10-50-1; Benjamin 22-4-52-4; Walsh 12-5-21-2; Harper 6-3-9-2. WEST INDIES Socond innlnas Greenidge Richards Childs 77 Haynes not 77 Hooper Foster 23 A Logie not out 38 Extras (b2, Ib3, nb6) 1 1 Total (tor 2) Fall of wlcketi: 131. 162. 328 Bowllna: Foster 18-3-52-1; DeFreilas 17-2-46-0; Childs 40-16-79-1; Pringle 13--zo-u; uapei Umpirasi Bird, Palmer. Wast Indies won by 8 wickets Man of the matehi Oujon.

FIRST TEST (Trent Bridge). En gland: 245 (Gooch 73, Broad 54; Marshall 6-69) and 301 (Gooch 146, Gower S8no). Wast Indies 448 (Hooper 64. Richards 80, Marshall 72, Haynes 60). Draw.

Man of match: Marshall. SECOND TEST (Lord's). West Indiss 209 (Logie 81. Dujon 53; Dilley 5-35. Small 4-64) ana asrr lureeniage iuj, Logie yono, men-ards 72.

Duion 52: Dillev 4-73. Jarvis 4-107). England 165 (Marshall 6-32) and 307 (Lamb 113; Marsnau nso). Indies won oy 134 runs. MoM: Logie.

THIRD TEST (Old Tratford). Enatand 135 (Walsh 4-46) and 93 (Marhsall 7-22). Wast nuies at)4 tor 1 dec (Harper 11. uujon 67; Dilley 4-99). Indies won by an innings and 156 runs.

MoM: Marshall. FOURTH TEST (Headingley). England 201 (Lamb 64 ret hurl; Ambrose 4-58) and 138 (Gooch 50). Wast Indies 275 (Harper 56, Haynes 54; Pringle 5-95) and 67 for 0. males won oy iu wicxers.

mom: amoroso. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Second innings Cook Asit Din Merrick A Fordham Humpage Parsons. 0 Wild Humpage Merrick Gouldstone Ibw Reeve Stanley and Small iD Ripley Parsons 8 20 14 2 15 2 a 1 3 10 88 Lamms 0 Merrick. Cook Ibw Merrick Davis Small Parsons-A Walker not out A Robinson not out-Extras (IblO) Tolal (for 9). Fall of wlckats: 7.

27, 37. 42, 57, 74. 74, 76. 82. LEICESTERSHIRE HAMPSHIRE Leicester: Leicestershire (6pts) lead Hampshire (7) by 70 runs with nine second-innings wickets in hand.

Today: 11.0 lo 5.30 or 6.0. LEICESTERSHIRE First innings 298 (P' Willey 98; Jefferies 5-126) HAMPSHIRE First Innings (overnight 10-1) Smith Taylor 28 0 James Agnew 77 Nicholas Ibw Ferris 3 Terry Ibw Ferris Turner Whlticase Agnew 30 Ayling run out 5 Jefferies and Taylor IS tR Parks not out 38 Maru not out 34 Extras (b2, Ib9. w3, nb14) 28 Total (for 8 dec, 97.3 overs) 280 Fall of wlckats cont: 67, 94, 94, 150, 163, 163. 199. Bowling: Ferris 24-5-58-3: Agnew 25.3-3-63-2; Willey 26-11-51-0; Taylor 15-6-48-2; Such 7-2-29-0.

LEICESTERSHIRE Second innings Briers not out 15 2 8 7 32 Boon Ibw Bakker- Willey not out Extras (lb 7) Total (for 1) FUI 01 WKMtSI 2. Tour match NOTTIHQHAMSHIRI SRI LANKA Trait Bridge: Nottinghamshire drew with the Sri Lankans. SRI LAHKAN8 First innings 307-7 dec (B Kuruppu 158, Madugalle 72). HOmNQHAMSHIRe First Innings 250-5 dec (B Broad 73, fl Evans 50 no). SRI LANKANS Second Innings (overnight 54-1) 'R Madugalle Scott Newell 77 Tillekeratne run out 32 Ravi Ratnayake Scott Newell 35 Manahama not out 37 Maduruslnghe not out 8 Extras (Ib5, w4, nb12) 21 Total (for 7 dec).

244 Fall ol wlckats cont: 110. 197. 200. BowBrm Cairns 150: Millns 143; Birch 20: Evans 20; Newell 132; Evans 20; Broad 30; Pollard 1.0. NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Second innings Pollard not out 82 31 8 Newell not out- Extras (bl.

Ib2, nb5). Total (lor 0). 101 Bowling: Ratayake 7-1-16-0; Labrooy 7-0-38-0: Ahanaama 6-2-19-0: Maduru slnghe 6-1-20-0; Samatasekera 1-0-5-0. Minor Counties Championship Lincoln: Lincolnshire 112 and 83 (S Turner 5-481. Cambridgeshire 100 (N French 5-31) and 99-0.

Cambridgeshire won by 10 wick-els. Bedford: Bedfordshire 191-8 dec (K Gentle 75, Woods 4-59) and 187 (R Ellwood 5-57, Woods 5-88); Cumberland 165 (G Hodgson 52, Knight 4-53, 0 Earl 4-57) and 217-4 (S Sharp 72, Hodgson 61). Cumberland won by 6 wickets. Jesmond: Northumberland 180-9 dec( Perryman 5-50) and 9-1: Staffordshire 175-5 dec. Lelchworth: Hertfordshire 162-6 dec (N llott 68 no) and 17-0.

Norfolk 203-1 dec (P Coote 91 no, Plumb 53). Oxton: Oxfordshire 122 (G Blackburn S-S8. O'Brien 4-30) and 245-3 dec (P Garner 66, A Lester 96 no), Cheshire 163-6 dec and 204 (J Hltchmough 72, 1 Cockbaln 89, 1 Curtis 6-81). Match lied. Inter Sorvlcss Match Aldershot: Royal Air Force 238-9 (Docherty 76).

Royal Navy 222-0 (Hobson 82). RAF won by 16 runs). Today's fixtures MINOR COUNTIIS CHAMPIONSHIP. Letehworthi Hertfordshire Norfolk. Jet mondi Northumberland Staffordshire.

SkHHrhi Buckinghamshire Devon. Peter borough) Cambridgeshire Cumberland. WeMntfoiK Shropshire Oxfordshire. Uaki wales mc Wiltshire. bowling backing the spin of jonn (Jniids.

instead ureenidge and Haynes were able to progress so steadily initially scoring freely square of the wicket as the seamers bashed the ball in short that by luncn they had taken the overnight score from 71 to 131 with out being parted. The only hiccup had been when Haynes, on 37, edged Childs to Richards, who spilled the chance. Greenidge came out after lunch obviously meaning busi ness, having divested himself of sweater and helmet. He should have stayed as he was, for push ing forward to Childs, operating into the substantial rough from over the wicket, he gloved the first ball after the break into the air on the off side and Richards ran round to take a simple catch. For a while England were able to apply pressure, with Childs twirling away at one end, well supported by Pringle at the other.

Childs, with his spin and flight, has impressed enough in his two games to pencil in a winter trip to India. It was classic attrition: Haynes booted ball after ball away; Childs did not waver in line or length. Hooper, weary of pure survival, danced down the pitch and hit Childs for four and then six. Haynes was missed again by Richards, this time a low chance off the glove from a Eringle delivery that bounced, whereupon he leaned back and cut Childs to the third-man boundary to reach his 50. It had taken him almost 4 Vi hours.

England's last success of the series, fittingly, went to their best bowler, Foster, who once again had looked the seamer most likely to take a wicket. Hooper had consistently tried to force the ball close to his body away square, and eventually chopped into his stumps. Logie gave no such chances. He and Haynes enjoyed the cus tomary freebie against Capel, brought on as usual when all else had failed, and by tea only 15 runs were required. Not even Ian Botham, watching immobile in the television commentary box, could have saved that one for England.

SOMERSET DERBYSHIRE Weston-s-Mara: Derbyshire (6pts) lead Somerset (5) by 101 runs with all second-innings wickets in hand. Today: 11.0 to 5.30 or 6.0. DERBYSHIRE Flrat Innings (overnight 324-8). A Warner Waugh Mallender. 45 8 Monensen not out- Malcolm Waugh Mallender Extras (b3, Ib4) 7 Total- 324 Fall of wickets cont: 324.

Bowling: Jones 14-4-58-0: Mallender 20.5-7-29-3; Marks 28-5-61-2; Trump ai-a-01-a; scriven za-b-ai-i; wringie SOMERSET First innings Hardy Sharma. 80 33 4 tN Burns Maher Newman- Pringle ret hurt- Waugh Maher Warner Bartlett Bowler Malcolm- Marks run out Trump Malcolm A Scriven Bowler 44 88 48 a 7 2 0 A Mallender not out- A Jones Goldsmith Malcolm-Extras (Ib10, nbl) 11 Total (for 8 dec. 78.3 overs) 281 Fail of wickets: 64, 142, 157. 220, 234. 271, 281.

281. Bowling: Malcolm 17.3-4-63-3; Newman 12-3-46-1: Mortensen 16-5-44-0: Warner 13-4-42-1; Sharma 15-2-63-1; Bowler 5-1-13-1. DERBYSHIRE Socond innings Bowler not out. Wrinht nnl mil 28 27 Extras (Ib1. nbl) Total (for 0) 2 58 LANCASHIRE MIDDLESEX OM Tratfordi Lancashire (6pts) lead Middle sex id; oy runs with two second-innings vviunoia in uailo.

luuay: I l.u IO 3.JU or o.u. LANCASHIRE First innings 235 (M Wat. kinson 50; A Fraser 4-37). MIDDLESEX First innings (overnight 48-3) TP Downton Mendis Allolt 120 -iw catting Allot! Folley 8 Butcher Hegg Watkinson 40 Ft Brown Mendis Atherton 38 Emburey Watkinson Simmons. ARC Fraser Hughes Atherton 2 Tutneil Watkinson Atherton.

2 Cowans not out 27 Extras (b3. Ib8, nb2) 13 Total 305 FaH of wickets cont: 60, 141, 213, 215, 232, 242. Bowling: Allott 16.2-1-43-2; Watkinson 13-4-31-1: Simmons 37-6-120-1; Follev 20-3-6B-3; Atherton 17-5-32-3. LANCASHIRE Second Innings Mendis Downton Cowans. Fowler Needham Cowans 2 4 A Atnerton Ibw Fraser.

Fairbrother st Downton Emburey IS Watkinson Ibw Cowans 34 Hughes Tulnell Emburey 2 A Hayhurst Gattlng Emburey tW Heoo not out 12 Allott Needham Emburey 14 Simmons not 1 Extras (b4. Ib1) 5 Total (for 81- on Fallot wlckats: 10. 11, 23, 41, 47. 65, 67, 84. WARWICKSHIRE NORTHANTS Edgbaston: Northamptonshire (7pts) lead warwicxsnire oy 69 runs wnn one second-innings wicket in hand.

Today: 11.0 to 5.30 or 6.0. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE First innings 261 (M Gouldstone 50). WARWICKSHIRE Flrat Innings (overnight 73-0) A Lloyd Fordham Davis 121 Moles Ibw Walker 35 Storie Ibw Davis 2 Asll Din Ibw Robinson 28 A Thome Ripley Davis 8 tG Humpage Ripley Walker 2 A Reeve Cook Davis 1 Parsons and Davis Small Gouldstone Robinson 11 Merrick Gouldstone Cook 34 Gitford not out 1 Extras (b7, Ib15, w2, nb13) 37 Total (88.1 overs)- 278 Fan of wlckats: 80, 153, 177, 184, 189, 211, 213, 246, 274. Bowling: Davis 27-4-76-5; Walker 23-2-86-2: Robinson 23-4-68-2; NOB Cook 15.1-2-26-1. Becker pull-out adds to Canada's problems Worcestershire Sussex the captain, Andy Lloyd, whose 121 overcame the menace of Winston Davis (five for 76).

The Test selector who once, spotting Chris Broad at a cocktail bash, muttered aloud that "such a strapping lad would make a fine bowler" missed a chance to find out at Trent Bridge yesterday. Broad, whose fall from grace appears to be terminal, was the purveyor of afternoon donkey drops a little protest at the bat-on antics of the Sri Lankans against Nottinghamshire. His four overs, bowled right and left arm, cost 40 runs as the visitors made 244 for seven. Away from the nonsense it was a good day for the Yorkshire bowlers at Cheltenham. Arnie Sidebottom's five wickets much-improved Weston, who was also worthy of a century.

He was caught behind for 94 before lunch, and Neale went to an agile catch at second slip. Worcestershire were dismissed for 370, a lead of 224 which became even more daunting for Sussex when they lost their first four second-innings wickets for 40. Rhodes kept taking the catches off Newport and Pridgeon. Newport was given five slips and a gully and there were realistic thoughts of an early win. The Wells brothers resisted until Colin was run out by Bent at mid-off, and Alan became another Rhodes victim, domestique to his Fagor teammates Robert Millar, Sean Yates and Malcolm Elliott.

A field of 80 riders is split SO-50 between British and continental teams. Sean Kelly leads the Kas team, and Joey McLoughlin, last year's overall winner as a member of the ANC-Halfords squad, returns with his Z-Peugeot team-mates. Home-based riders likely to show strongly are Mark Wal-sham, the Percy Bilton team leader who won the points and sprints classifications in the Milk Race, and Chris Lilly-white, of Raleigh-Banana, the mountains winner in the round-Britain event. A 2.7-mile individual TT on a city-centre circuit in Newcastle this morning will decide the wearer of the first yellow jersey when the field is flagged away on a 105-mile opening stage to York. Other overnight halts will be at Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol before the final Westminster circuit next Sunday.

Today: Prologue TT, Newcastle, 9.45am; stage 1, Newcastle-York, 105 miles, 1pm. Last week the Canadian foreign affairs department said South African athletes were no longer welcome. This leaves the Canadian Open in breach of one of the most sacred rules in tennis. "The Men's Tennis Council can certainly withdraw our sanction because a rule has been broken in that our tournament is no longer open to all touring pros," said the tournament director John Beddington. The matter will be discussed by the council during the US Open next month, along with an attempt to remove the South African Open from the circuit.

But the Canadian crisis could deepen. The foreign affairs department intends pushing through legislation preventing Canadian athletes from taking part in any international event in which a South African is competing. The most recent ruling forced the South Africans Christo Van Rensberg and Gary Muller out of this tournament and Ros Fairbank, Dinky Van Rensberg and Elna Reinach out of the women's championship in Montreal next week. responsible for the establishment of the present continental women's circuit. Jones, who will be 50 in October, says she relishes her latest challenge.

She will be aided by the former Davis Cup player, Andrew Jarrett. In an attempt to improve tax efficiency, and encourage the support of grass-roots tennis, the LTA has announced that from October 1 all development activity will be integrated under a new and autonomous charitable organisation to be known as the LTA Trust Limited. The new body will embrace the Lawn Tennis Foundation, the existing coaching and development departments of the LTA, and the Indoor Tennis Initiative. Neale's best hits Sussex hard Martin James In Toronto BORIS BECKER was last Dnight forced to pull out of tne 400,000 Canadian Open after suffering a recurrence of a painful injury to both feet. Becker won the US Hard Court title with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over John McEnroe on Sunday but when he woke yesterday he found he was almost a cripple.

"I have been suffering on and off for the past six weeks. But when I got up this morning I couldn't even walk to the bathroom." The tournament physician, John Schaman, advised Becker that he should not compete. The former Wimbledon champion's withdrawal still leaves a star-studded field led by the Wimbledon champion, Stefan Edberg, Ivan Lendl, and the Americans John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. But the Canadian Open does have other troubles. It is one of the world's oldest tennis tournaments, dating back to 1881, but is in danger of being banished from the grand prix calendar.

Gooch non-committal will not have harmed his benefit appeal, as Gloucestershire dismissed for 214 failed to avoid the follow-on. Second time round they lost two wick ets for 148 and resume with Phil Bainbridgeon73. At Weston-super-Mare. Der byshire resume with a lead of 101 alter stretching their first innings lead by 58. Somerset declared at 281 for eight after Bartlett (66) and Hardy (60) had compiled half-centuries topped up by Waugh and Marks.

Leicestershire, leading by 38 runs on first innings, are 70 ahead against Hampshire after a Mark Nicholas declaration at 260 for eight. The snores at Grace Road were caused by Ke vin James, whose 77 spanned four hours and eight minutes. beaten by some movement, for 65. After that Pigott hit a jaunty half-century to remind us of his value as a all-rounder. Gould, who took two wickets against Hampshire in the last match, turned up again as an offspinner while Moores kept wicket, and his seven overs were commendably accurate.

"Now I've got to learn how to turn the ball," he joked self-depreciatingly. Babington pinged away for his four wickets, Pigott earned his three, and Clarke tossed up his leg-breaks for three more, including the permitted indulgence from a full toss to Rhodes. sixes, was also loose and expensive. Much the best slow bowling of the Middlesex innings came from Atherton, who produced 17 overs of beautifully controlled leg spin, taking three wicksts. Lancashire's second innings was, with few exceptions, little short of a disgrace.

Cowans was forced to go round the wicket because of trouble with the footholds and immediately dismissed Fowler off a full toss. It was the start of a procession. Emburey collected four victims and bowled superbly, exposing the waywardness of Lancashire's spinners. The best of the resistance came from Watkinson, whose uncomplicated approach, threatened, all too briefly, partial recovery. David Foot at Kidderminster IT WAS in every way a cheering day for Phil Neale a career-best innings of 167 and the strong scent of a victory which can put Worcestershire above Essex and threateningly close to Kent on top.

The extra half-hour was taken and Sussex hung on at 221 for eight, still three runs short of an innings defeat. Neale, who has never been a reckless strokemaker but is eminently efficient, hit 24 fours and a six in his stay of 284 minutes. He shared a decisive fifth-wicket stand of 181 with the Lancashire Middlesex Ann Jones appointed captain after Connolly Cup success Downton century has Lancashire in a spin David Irvine ANN JONES, the 1969 At Wimbledon champion, has been appointed Britain's captain for the Wightman Cup, the Federation Cup, the European Team Championship and the Maureen Connolly Cup. Her appointment follows her success with the Connolly team last year when Britain won for the first time since 1975. Since retiring from the game she has been involved in a number of key administrative positions.

Until 1984 she was. the Women's Tennis Association's director of European operations and was largely spinners, Lancashire might have been expected to take a first-innings lead. But neither Simmons nor Folley exploited the conditions. Above all they were thwarted by a magnificent hundred by Paul Downton, his first of the season. He spent nearly five hours at the crease and rarely made an error.

On a day of frustrations for Lancashire, his last-wicket stand of 63 with Cowans was purgatory. Folley's bowling was particularly disappointing. His confidence seems to rise and fall like a barometer and early in the day with figures of 6-3-9-3 and Gatting among his victims he should have been on a roll. Instead he went to pieces. Simmons, struck for four Paul FKzpatrick atOldTrafford MIDDLESEX started another day of high summer in difficulties and ended on the verge of victory.

There was the possibility, indeed, that Lancashire might suffer their second successive two-day defeat in the championship. Gatting claimed the extra half hour but, thanks largely to Watkinson and some late resistance from Allott and Hegg, Lancashire were spared that embarrassment. But they have two wickets standing and lead by only 28, and the last rites should not take long today. By rights, on a pitch giving slow but generous help to the.