The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 20

20 Tuesday May 28 1996 Henman falls at the first hurdle, page 16 Brown century seals England victorys page 19 Rocca triumphs at Wentworth, 18 Beardsley given the icoid shoulder, page 18 Mike Selvey on the measures open to the TCCB's discipline committee as England's chairman of selectors is called to account French with tears as Henri pas tiiliiaitlian lllirtgworth on the camel says adieu RAYMOND Illingworth, the chairman of the England selectors, has been summoned to appear before the discipline committee of the Test and County Cricket Board to answer charges concerning the serialisation of extracts from his forthcoming, book. The news of the summons was given to him yesterday by the board's chief executive Alan Smith, who drove from Old Trafford to Mlingworth's home in Farsley. With the matter subjudice, the board has forbidden him' to speak about it. But Illingworth said yesterday that his recent newspaper comments about Derbyshire's West Indian-born fast bowler Devon Malcolm, the subject of the hearing, were "fair and constructive. I will be defending myself and putting my case Malcolm was himself taken to task by the TCCB after lending his name to articles criticising Illingworth early this year.

The bowler had reacted strongly after comments from Illingworth during the winter tour of South Africa and had sold his side of the to a newspaper despite the constraints of his TCCB. playing contract, whlch expressly forbids such comment. Among other things Malcolm inferred that niingwdrth's antipathy was racially motivated, although he subsequently denied that was his intention. Ulingworth's comments, in which he cites Malcolm's indifferent new-ball bowling in the final Test against South Africa as costing England the series, are an answer to this. "When the questions were asked," said Illingworth, "he lacked the spirit and fight expected." But the chairman is not bound by the same contract as the players and so was not obliged to submit his book, One-Man Committee, for vetting, by the board before publication on June 13.

The timing of the publication of the articles, as well as their nature, so incensed Derbyshire and Lancashire that they called on the TCCB to refer Illingworth to Gerard Elias QC, chairman of the discipline committee. Elias reckoned there was a case to answer and in turn has referred the matter to the full committee to determine whether there has been any breach of the board's Regulations or Directives. There is thought to be no precedent for a board official being referred in this manner and the TCCB will be determined to deal with the matter swiftly, bearing in mind the availability of the 12-man committee, the need for Wing-worth to prepare a case, and the summoning of witnesses, who could include the England captain Mike Atherton. Five would constitute a quorum and Illingworth has the right to vet the. committee's compilation.

David Graveney, for example; who tried to oust him from the chairmanship in March, is unlikely to be welcomed. The committee has far-reaching powers, including dismissal. But although in theory Illingworth could be sacked from the post he has occupied for the past two years, in reality he seems unlikely to receive more than a reprimand. Illingworth admits that the book is not coming out at a tactful time and could have waited until his retirement from office at the end of the season. But the TCCB indicates that it is the content, not timing, which will be under scrutiny.

If that is the case, then the treatment handed out to Malcolm after his articles must be taken into consideration. Malcolm broke the terms of a contract but was not required to appear before the same discipline No action was taken, although it Is believed he donated to charity a sum equivalent to that earned from the newspaper. If there is any consistency in the board's dealings, Illingworth will receive a rap over the knuckles and be allowed to continue with his role until his retirement Richard Williams their stations for the opening game. Leconte bounced up and down as Johansson, stern beneath his baseball cap, set himself for an unpopular task. After losing the first couple of games Leconte was already puffing his cheeks out and trudging across the baseline.

It took him almost 20 minutes to win a game, and the next one took another half -hour to arrive as he watched Johansson's drives speeding by on either wing and found himself spun round at the net by the young Swede's fierce drives, unable to respond to the crowd's entreaties. "I realised about a year ago that tennis had changed for me," he was to say later. "Suddenly you find that you're always a metre away from where you want to be." The arena had been almost full at the start of the match. By the time Leconte found himself staring down the barrel at 1-6, 0-5, it was half empty. Even before the reduced audience, he went through his dramatic repertoire.

He spread his hands in supplication, he feigned self-strangulation, he put his arm around a line-judge's shoulders and mimed a request for advice. But suddenly, in his darkest hour, a chant arose from a claque of elegant tennis punks in the north stand: "Henri, Henri, Henri." Encouraged, Leconte held his service. When he lost the next game, and the second set with it, suddenly we noticed that the light had gone. At 1-3 down in the third the chantingstarted again. And this time, all around the court, the people stood and joined in.

Leconte dragged himself back to 4-5, and after one majestic winning volley he even strutted around the back court in the way he used to, tecoq d'or in his own farmyard. ftBBirlHPlBKirMEv'4PpBBit flHiuiiHajKdBBflBrilBBrBSra jyr9S9BE9Hr9HBJBBBHUBarEDB909 Illingworth 'not tactful' Sidhu walks out on India NDIA were stunned yesterday when Navjot Sidhu, who had been expected to open the batting in the Test series against England, announced his immediate retirement from international cricket after falling out with the tour management. It is believed that Sidhu, a 32-year-old Sikh, is angry about the way he has been handled by the captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Sidhu, who averaged 40.13 from his 36 Tests, was dropped for the final Texaco Trophy international at Old Trafford after low scores in the first two games of the series, which England wrapped up 2-0 yesterday. Sandeep Fatil, the team manager, said last night that he was making strenuous efforts to persuade Sidhu to reconsider.

"I am surprised that he has decided to retire, but we are not forwarding his retirement letter to the Indian board until we have had a chance to sit down with him tonight when wc reach Chelmsford," he said. "I'm sad because he has a lot of cricket left in him. He's a quiet guy who is well regarded. I can't comment about his relationship with the captain. We need him more now because we are not performing particularly well." Sidhu would say only: "My dignity would be compromised if I carried on with this team." Patil denied that the Sidhu dispute had contributed to India's Texaco Trophy defeat.

"We have no excuses," he said. HC 1 wa 1 int I Lir 'OMAS Johansson was born 21 years ago the Sweflisn town or Linkoping. and accord ing to ms published biographical details he has yet to find a good enough reason to leave. That, you might say, is also how he plays the game. Now in his third season on the ATP tour, he is the image of the efficient modern male tennis player, and good luck to him.

Henri Leconte, by contrast, is married to the only female bullfighter in France. He lives in Saintes-Maries de la Mer, on the edge of the Camargue, where the Gypsies gather once a year to worship the image of the black Madonna. At birth, 32 years ago, he was cast in his own image, and no one else's. Last night Johansson beat Leconte in the first round of the French Open. The score, if you must know, was 6-1, 6-1, 6-4.

But the point was that with this match Leconte was saylngadieu to theStade Roland Garros, and to its centre court, where he had his most memorable brushes with immortality. Leconte's failure to win his home Grand Slam tournament is one of the great injustices of modern sport. He came closest in 1988, losing the final in straight sets to Mats Wi-lander, who was taking his third title. But had Leconte beaten Wilander that day he could hardly have felt better than he must have done last night, taking his leave of Paris. He played his first French Open in 1980, at the age of 16.

Five years later he beat his great compatriot Yannick Noah, who had won the title in 1983, in a classic five-setter which held the entire nation in suspense, thereby reaching the quarter-finals for the first time. It has been a long time since Leconte posed much of a threat to the younger men. Only twice in this decade has he gone beyond the third round of a Grand Slam tournament, after major surgery on his back in 1989. But in 1991 he helped France to their historic Davis Cup victory over the United States, partnering Guy Forget under Noah's non-play-ing captaincy. "Allez le uieux, "a voice rang out as the players took 24 Seal with a pain put Into empty chalet (6) 2B Shiner put companion in needofastiffener(6) Down Blue heaven Claridge and Lennon embrace as Leicester's fans put out the flags while Ndah of Palace lies low PHOTOGRAPH: TOM JENKINS First Division play-off final: Crystal Palace 1, Leicester City 2 Claridge clocks in (aet; 1-1 at90min) late for City Guardian Crossword No 20,664 Set by Audreus Paul Weaver at Wembley LEICESTER CITY won football's Golden Boomerang award here yesterday when they booked their return to the Premier- OHANSSON's nerve held.

As his final winner thumped into the back board, he watched Leconteapplaud the crowd before sinking into his chair and covering his head with a towel, his shoulders heaving with sobs. Then the hero climbed the ladder to the vacated umpire's chair, took the microphone, and addressed his public. "On s'est passe beaucoupdechoses a Roland Garros, "he told them. "De bonnes, demau-vaiscs But this was the hardest moment of all. "Before the match you go through the usual ritual," he said later.

"You have a massage, you get dressed. And then, all of a sudden, the guillotine comes down. And that's it. It's over. Stephen Blerley, page 16 IAISgUlMlEtRMagTTIDiotwlHl LECT0nMREtFlglHl 5J CROSSWORD SOLUTION 20,663 16 Multiformityof Biblical law? (6) 17 One-time President declares himself to be lying in wait (6) 19 Keycutinthetwlnklingof an eye (6) 20 Last actor to go over the top and faraway (6) Solution tomorrow Stuck? Than coll our solutions tine on 0891 338 23S.

Calls cost 39p per mln. cheap rats, 49p permln at all other times. Senrlea supplied by ATS years; they lost the first two, against Blackburn and Swindon, and then beat Derby County in 1994, only to be relegated again last May. It can hardly encourage Leicester that of the eight dubs promoted to the top division via the play-offs since 1988 six have gone straight back down. Before they worry about that, however, their supporters are entitled to a celebration.

Only seven weeks ago there were demonstrations against the club and O'Neill, after the 2-0 defeat by Sheffield United at Filbert Street. O'Neill had to wait eight games for his first league win and Leicester secured a playoff place on the last day of the season with a l-o victory over Watford, their seventh win in 10 games. Palace might count themselves unlucky not to have won automatic promotion before finishing third behind Sunderland and Derby they were 16th when Dave Bassett took charge but they were second-best here. O'Neill, who at Wycombe Wanderers had won the FA Trophy twice and a Third Division play-off, said: "We just about deserved to win it, and that's an understatement We played brilliantly, but I of the differences didn't fancy penalties. I think I would have committed suicide had we lost." Claridge, 30, who arrived at the club via Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Weymouth, Aldershot, Cambridge, Luton, Cambridge again and Birmingham, said: "The ball sat up so I hit it.

It went in off my shin, the most important goal of my life. 'Bass' came up to me afterwards and I thought he was going to punch me but he kissed me." Bassett said: "I must have killed a few robins. This has happened to me three times. We deserved to go to penalties." That was not true. Leicester dominated the first half without creating many chances.

Palace went ahead early on when Roberts, having started the move, drove firmly inside the left post from Houghton's pass. Palace were unlucky not to score again early in the second half and confirm an unjust win, but Leicester equalised when Edworthy was penalised for his challenge on Izzett Crytal Palao: Mnrtyn; Edwotlhy. Brown. Roberts, Qulnn. Hopkin (Veart.

70mln), Pitchor, Houghton, Freedman (Oyor, 9S, Ndah, Toltlo (Rodger, 101). Llotcr Cltyi Poolo (Kalac. 119): Grayson, Whitlow, Walts, Walsh (Hill, 28). Izzotl, Lonnon. Taylor (Robins, 100), ClaridQo, ParKor, Hoskoy.

Allison (Lancaster)- between the ship at the first attempt by beating Crystal Palace with virtually the last kick of the match. Forty seconds into injury time at the end of the extra half-hour, Steve Claridge, a persevering but workaday forward, swung a hopeful boot, connected with his shin and saw the ball fly past the static Palace goalkeeper Mar-tyn. The final whistle blew 11 seconds later. It was a deserved victory for a side who had fallen behind in the 14th minute and, despite playing the better football, drew level only with a Garry Parker penalty 14 minutes before the end of normal time. Everyone was preparing for penalties when Claridge's.

mishit goal went in. Martin O'Neill, the Leicester manager who has now had four managerial successes at Wembley, had just taken off his first-choice goalkeeper Kevin Poole and replaced him with the 6ft 7in Australian Kalac, who, it was thought, was a better penalty stopper. This is the fifth time Leicester have won promotion since they were relegated in 1969, establishing their position as one of the game's foremost yoyo artists. This was also their fourth play-off final in five As a result rules In "forum PEST CONTROL Across 5 Deaf ordatt? that's a hat (6) 6 Niche for a man at bay (6) 9 Bird hopping on calf (6) 10 Fat-headcanfollowemploy-ment without being holy nuisance in the home (5-3) 11 King putting weight back on; so is Granny (4) 12 When somewhere to write is what we need, distracted cries to anger lead (1 0) 13 Monarch to whom uneasy lies may be attributed (7,4) IS Gathered from our lad's fig tree (7,3) 21 Branch member(4) 22 Oriental joke about a little Instant coffee (8) 23 Master with animal is married to the bottle (6) 1 Tralnertuming rough about theoldcensor(8) 2 Fruit crumble for little George and little Arnold (6) 3 The wave needed to achieve prosperity (8) 4 Upset mineral and highball at dance (6) 5 Makeashowhome, perhaps, allowing a French income (6) 7 Goes in front of Queen to measure point on tracks (6) 8 What the fowls eat amounts to very little (7-4) 14 Anything H.T. Weaver may have produced (8) 10 Note on gold in a passage from Pilgrim's Progress (8) America and the UK, the practise of shopping" by which husbands look around the world for the cheapest divorce deal is becoming increasingly popular.

Sally Weale Bill Fitzhugh The fastest, funniest and most original thriller in years! G2 page 6.