The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 26

26 Wednesday May 28 1997 Dettori finds perfect partner, page 23 Qascoigne bounces back, page 24 Barcelona break bank for Ronaldo, page 24 Cricket's cup quarter-finals settled, page 25 SportsGuardlan Why even Sky could not save play-offs Henman elbowed out in first round Baal LBB GBPzmfkSSImjR BBBbI SawL BBc ayBBBBBBViiBBBBBBBBBBB9 Stephen Slerley In Paris ALL the old arguments about whether British players disregarding the inimitable Fred Perry can ever excel on clay were trotted out again here yesterday when Tim Henman was put out to Wimbledon grass by the Frenchman Olivier Delaitre. But the arguments are largely irrelevant. Henman lost because he is still recovering from elbow surgery in March. This was only his fourth match since then and he might well have lost on any surface. His forehand, particularly, continues to let him down under pressure.

The more interesting discussion is whether the British No. 1 has time to mount any sort of challenge at Wimbledon and emulate his run to last year's quarter-finals. This must be doubtful. His right elbow gave him trouble during the Italian Open in Rome but since then be has been receiving specialised electrode treatment. He needs time and more matches, yet Henman should really have got past Delaitre, a player world-ranked 159 and 30 years old this weekend.

The Frenchman took the first set 6-2 but after an early service break in the second set Henman 's serve began to fizz and Delaitre's previously tight-knit game began to unravel. At 1-1 in the fourth set, though, Henman crucially lost an extraordinary game that lasted 26 minutes and contained 13 deuces. "If I had lost that, I would have lost the match," admitted Delaitre after going on to win 6-2, 2-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4. Henman will do a lot better here one day, although the nearest he may get to Perry's 1935 title is a bottle of Perrier. Goran Ivanisevic, the No.

4 seed, and the former French champion Jim Courier joined Henman as first-round losers, both beaten by Swedes. Magnus Gus-tafsson beat the Croat 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 and the American fell 6-1, 6-2. 4-6, 1-6, 6-4 to Magnus Larsson. taneous recorded heart beat. Now if, in the same way, it were possible to superimpose a tape of Monday 's game on to the live action from tonight's European Cup final, we would be presented with the most pertinent critique of the skill in English football.

To analyse the performance of Andy Lin-ighan against that of Matthias Sammer. to match David White with Alessandro Del Piero, to contrast Carl Tiler with Jurgen Kohler would prove pain beyond the endurance of the most masochistic apologist for our game. Oddly, though, as the sad farrago of misplaced passes, scuffed shots and orbital up-and-unders that was Monday's play-off progressed, it became strangely compel ling in a way that European Cup finals equally prone to mutual cancellation often are not. The panic was obvious as the two teams recognised this might be their last chance to escape upwards. Next season the First Division ill divide neatly between the Premiership wannabes with their expensive stad iums and deep pockets Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough, Sunderland.

Wolves. Manchester City and those finding themselves elevated so high, the surprise is they are not suffering nosebleeds Crewe, Stockport. Bury. Those sides of med turn resources will be squeezed, the marzipan in the middle, trapped and unable to move. The fear of being left behind dictated the rhythm of Monday's game which, as is usual with play-off finals, resembled a typical one-day cricket match: the kind of event where you wonder why they bother with the preamble when all that counts is the last minute thrash.

As time ebbed away, the spectators began to sense something would soon have to happen, which would send them either delirious or blubbing: that Steve Claridge moment. THE tension of waiting for the inevitable was horribly contagious. When it arrived it was with a strike far more attrac ti ve than the game merited. What should have ended with a scrambled, ugly mess of a goal was concluded by a glorious Brazilian bender from David Hopkin that was not so much from a different planet from what had gone on before, as a different solar system. It was a goal Zinedine Zi-dane, Lothar Matthaus and the rest would give their pensions to reproduce in the European Cup final tonight Which must be the first time anyone has been able to say that about a contribution tothe play-offs.

yesterday In the chair Henman playfully takes an absent linesman's place during a long deuce game Olivier Delaitre Jim White AT ONE point during the first half of Mon day's play-off final between Crystal Palace and Sheffield United, Sky 's commentator yelled: "It's dire." For a moment it seemed realism had crept into the over-energetic hype that is Sky football coverage. But it turned out what he had actu ally said was "it's a ref erence to Crystal Palace's striker. Bruce of that ilk, at that moment about to trip over the ball. In terms of skill, application and aptitude Monday's game was Dyer indeed. As was the entire weekend of play-off hos-tilities (Crewe apart).

Dave Bassett, Sky's summariser. employed a wild euphemism when he suggested "This is a bit of a non-event in terms of shots on goal." Before the game we were told Palace's main threat was Dyer himself. On the day he turned out to be a forward with a first touch that makes Andy Cole's look magnetic. Dyer's most memorable contribution to the Wembley occasion was the Adidas-style logo carved into his hair, making liiin tile fit at fuulUaliet ever to provide advertising space on his scalp. As the scoreline suggested, Sheffield United were no better served, looking as they did to Jan Fjortoft.

Inflexible, baking in the summer heat, an over-priced Scandinavian import, what else could we expect from a man whose middle name is pronounced Aga? Yet the game was not entirely devoid of interest. There is a craze sweeping some of the sadder recesses of the United States at present involving the album Dark Side Of The Moon, and the Him The Wizard of Oz. Apparently, so someone without much of a social life has discovered, if you pop the movie on to your video machine, turn down the sound and play the album. Pink Floyd's music provides a second-by-second commentary on Judy Garland's film. For instance as the Straw Man starts to cavort in a field on the screen, the line "the lunatic is in the grass" can be heard on the record.

Similarly when Garland puts her ear to the Tin Man's chest, the album comes up with a simul Chairman ready to sack Taylor Mike Sehrey finds the pressure mounting from Australia to force the out-of-form captain to stand down or be dethroned TOM JENKINS Mark Ramprakash was yesterday appointed Middlesex captain as Mike Gatting ended his 14-year tenure in the job after finding the demands of combining it with his new role as England selector too great. The 39-year-old former England skipper and the longest-serving county captain in recent times was appointed a selector at the start of the season. But Middlesex lost out in the group stage of the Benson and Hedges Cup after becoming the first county to lose to Ireland and are only mid-table in the County Championship. Middlesex issued this statement yesterday: "The original plan was that Mike Gatting should continue as captain until the end of the 1997 season before handing over to Mark Ramprakash. However, given his duties as an England selector, Mike feels that in the best Interests of Middlesex the time has come for a younger man to take over." reverse the trend before the opening Test in Birmingham a week tomorrow.

Before the tour Taylor had indicated he would reassess his position after a month, and if necessary stand down in favour of his vice-captain Steve Waugh. In effect this would give him two Tests in which to come good. But England's stirring one-day triumph has caused a rethink in the Australia camp, some members of which might wonder how long they can carry someone simply for his leadership. On tour matters of selection are in the hands of a committee comprising Taylor, Waugh and the team coach Geoff Marsh. But Marsh has already indicated he does not regard it as in his brief to STABBING international cricket captains from long distance, Mike Atherton might recall, has been a peculiarly English disease.

But now Australia, riddled with self-doubt after a disastrous start to their tour, including the 3-0 whitewash in the Texaco series, have been infected. Their chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns yesterday said that if the beleaguered captain Mark Taylor has trouble falling on his own sword, he would be willing to push the blade home himself. Taylor is in the worst form of his life and has held on to the captaincy only because of his side's exceptional Test record. But, with no Test half-century to his name since late 1995, personal failures in the first two one-day internationals last weekend and his omission from the third, the tour has reached a crisis point even before the first Ashes Test. At Bristol yesterday Taylor, desperately scrabbling for form, was caught at the wicket for a duck, and he has only three possible innings to COMPUTING FAXING COPYING The Guardian Crossword No 20,975 ultimate drop an Australia captain while on tour, and Waugh almost certainly would not want to be accused of instigating a coup.

So if Taylor is to be dethroned it seems he must be persuaded to do it himself or risk the intervention from afar. Speaking from Queensland Hohns suggested it would be preferable for Taylor to make up his own mind. "He is the sort of person who, if he is not travelling all that well as a player, would probably make the decision himself," he said. "But occasionally difficult decisions have to be made regarding team selection. I am happy to make such decisions for the tour selectors if necessary and that would include a decision about Mark's captaincy." IMAGING TM Look tor the symbol that guarantees you great photo imaging to enhance your PC performance.

The results will leave you reeling. Set by Gordius Across photo opportunity ilvlnIiIcUltl Vl loioi tisit miisiai aim IoIIiIpHqIi.IpIUIiIiIiI PlAlwiaiMiiiTteflwSjalaiiiioisi 'PI'SS''I lllllllUleHlWTTl SOLUTION M.74 17 Poor act one performance received in silence (8) 18 Unlisted building and how it feels? (8) 20 Kent river over the hill (6) 21 Lubrication the king took w'th no difficulty (6) 22 Sergeant Major has a way of verbal communication (4) 23 Wrong start to kitchen? (4) Soliitfon ttmomw If Stuck? Than cat our solution line on ONI SM US Can cot 50p par minute at all timea. Sarvtce sup pfead by ATS (D Recycssd pap mat 41 Mtiai Sim IS Age when desire to flog grips head prefect (4,5) Down 1 Greengrocer's superfluous figure (10) 1 Set battles in Hollywood? (4,4) 3 The misconstruction of belief (6) 4 Early Christian who was neither hot nor cold? (4) 5 Blow that caused waters to collect in a heap? (4-6) 6 Current control requires short tea break (8) 7 Hood's moll (6) Joint found in washing machine (4) 14 Overturned royal by way of cheating at cards (1 0) 18 England supporter offers misplaced help in goal (1 0) Plot to convert oil and turn into perfume (9) 10 A politician common feature of Hampstead (5) 11 A stone of fish (7) 12 Pupil from eastern nation? (7) 13 Lear unfortunately began his madness by letting it go (5) 14 Hope's fictional 1 3 (9) 16 Horse doctor's role in case of serious illness? (8,7) 15 Cook omitting nothing in feast near Yeovil (4.5) 11 Enthusiasm got us into trouble (5) 19 Former PM gains weight (7) 13 The last sort of behaviour expected from a rogue (7) 14 The sovereign has the edge (5) For fine detail. Freephone 0500 550111 Canon tnT.