KINGSTON: Jamaica, with first innings points in the bag, held the upper hand over India “A” at the close of play yesterday in their seventh-round Carib Beer Series regional cricket match.

The home team, with a slim lead of 10 runs on first innings, were 243 for the loss of seven wickets at the end of the second day, an overall lead of 253. At the wicket were vice-captain Gareth Breese, with 56, and Keith Hibbert, who has four. Breese and allrounder David Bernard revived Jamaica’s innings from 131 for five at tea with an 85-run stand for the sixth wicket. Bernard was out just before the close for 46. Bernard and Breese benefited from sloppy fielding by the Indian juniors, who floored five catches as the two allrounders took the attack to them in the final session.

The Indians had made inroads into the Jamaica batting after being bowled out for 119 about 30 minutes before the lunch break. Salvi and Yadav, who shared eight wickets in the Jamaica first innings, have taken three wickets apiece. Jamaican fastbowler Jerome Taylor also shone in the opening session, picking up another five-wicket haul when he captured three of the four remaining India “A” wickets including the gritty Yadav for 16 and Belaji who made 12. Ratra was unbeaten on 34. Taylor finished with five wickets for 39 runs from 13.2 overs, leaving two each for fellow pacer Darren Powell and Breese, bowling right-arm offspin.

LONDON: Manchester United and Newcastle took advantage of a surprise defeat for football  leaders Arsenal to slash the champions’ lead to the top of the Premier League yesterday.

Arsenal went down 2-0 at Dwight Yorke’s Blackburn Rovers, allowing second-placed Manchester United to move to within two points of them with a 1-0 win at Aston Villa. Newcastle are only five points behind Arsenal after their 2-0 victory at Charlton Athletic. Well-struck goals in each half by Blackburn midfielders Damien Duff and Tugay condemned Arsenal to their first defeat in 13 league matches, dating back to December 7. Blackburn completed a rare double, having won 2-1 at Highbury in October.

David Beckham scored United’s winner at Villa in an early kickoff, while Alan Shearer, with a penalty, and Nolberto Solano, secured Newcastle the points in a bruising game at The Valley. Mick McCarthy suffered a damaging home defeat — 2-0 by Bolton Wanderers — in his first game as manager of bottom club Sunderland, who are now 10 points from safety and seemingly doomed. Elsewhere, Brazilian Juninho inspired Middlesbrough to a 3-2 win at stumbling Leeds United, Southampton fought back to draw 2-2 at Fulham and fourth-placed Everton were held 0-0 at home by struggling West Ham United.

LONDON:  Former England midfielder Steve Stone scored in the fourth minute to give Portsmouth a 1-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and an eight-point lead in the English First Division yesterday.

Trinidad and Tobago custodian Shaka Hislop keep a clean sheet as Portsmouth marched towards promotion to the Premier League next season. Second-placed Leicester City had the chance to cut Pompey’s lead back to five points if they won their evening match at home to Preston North End. Reading climbed to third — the first of the four promotion playoff places — when they came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at home with a 90th-minute winner from midfielder James Harper. They went two points clear of FA Cup semi-finalists Sheffield United, who were held 0-0 at Stoke City. Portsmouth have 79 points, Leicester 71, Reading 64 and Sheffield United 62. Nottingham Forest, beaten 1-0 at Brighton, and Wolves are both on 59 in the other two playoff berths. Ipswich retained their slim chances of edging into the playoffs with a 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Sheffield, Wednesday, with an early strike by Irish World Cup midfielder Matt Holland. They are on 54 points in seventh place.

BIRMINGHAM: World-record holder Stacy Dragila failed to qualify for the final of the women’s pole vault at the World Indoor Athletics Champion-ships yesterday, ruining her highly-anticipated showdown against Russian rival Svetlana Feofanova.

Dragila, the Olympic and two-time world outdoor champion, failed in three attemps to clear the qualifying height of 4.30 metres (14 feet, 1 1/4 inches) —- well short of her world mark of 4.78 (15-8 1-4). For the American team, Dragila’s amazing flop was partly made up later by a stunning gold medal for long jumper Dwight Phillips and victory for Michelle Collins in the women’s 200 in the third-fastest time ever. Having led from the second round with a leap of 8.23 metres (27 feet), Phillips, who had never been close to a medal at a major international championship, appeared to have lost the gold when strong favourite Yago Lamela of Spain took the lead with 8.28 metres (27 feet, 2 inches).

Jumping last, the 25-year-old American then leaped his best ever, 8.29 (27 2 1/2), to snatch the title by 0.01 (less than 1/2 inch). He raced across the infield in celebration and then charged down the track, waving too the crowd. “I’m absolutely ecstatic,” he said. Collins was neck and neck with Muriel Hurtis of France on the final bend but pulled away to win in 22.18 seconds. Only sprint greats Merlene Ottey and Irina Privalova had run faster. Dragila, meanwhile, was dejected. On her third attempt, she hung onto the upright pole in dismay as the crowd watched in disbelief.

Feofanova, whose world record Dragila had broken at the US Indoor Championships in Boston on March 2, was next to compete and sailed over the bar on her first attempt. She is now a clear favourite to win the gold in today’s final. Britain’s Marlon Devonish overcame a tense start to the 200 metres final to win in 20.62 seconds ahead of Joseph Batangdon of Cameroon. The race was held up by the false start disqualification of countryman Allyn Condon, the first of the championship since new rules were introduced. Condon immediately lodged a protest pending an appeal and was allowed to race but withdrew the appeal after failing to make the medals. It was the host nation’s second gold in the space of 20 minutes. World record holder Ashia Hansen won the triple jump with a leap of 15.01 metres (49 feet 3 inches) to tie the third best of all time. Hansen received her medal from Cherie Blair, wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair.

In the absence of Moroccan star Hicham El Guerrouj, who decided to concentrate on the outdoor Worlds in Paris in August, Moroccan-born Dris Maazouzi of France won the 1,500 metres in three minutes 42.59 seconds. He finished ahead of Bernard Lagat of Kenya, who edged him for the silver medal at the outdoor Worlds in Edmonton two years ago. Sweden’s Stefan Holm won the high jump with a leap of 2.35 metres (7 feet 8 1/2 inches) and Russia’s Irina Korzhanenko heaved 20.55 metres (67 feet 5 1/4) to take gold in the women’s shot. Germany’s Tim Lobinger won the men’s pole vault, clearing 5.80 metres (19 feet, 1/4 inches), for his first world title. Another German, Michael Stolle, took silver at 5.75 metres (18 feet, 10 1/4), with Rens Blom of the Netherlands third in the same height.

Ethiopia won gold and bronze in the women’s 3,000 metres, Berhane Adere winning the race in 8:40.25 and Meseret Defar taking third behind Marta Dominguez of Spain. Gail Devers charged into her first world indoor hurdles final with a championship best time; defending champion Allen Johnson just qualified in fourth place in his semifinal; and world 1,500-metre record-holder Regina Jacobs cruised into the final as fastest qualifier. Devers, who first won a world indoor title in the 60-metre dash 10 years ago in Toronto, took a big stride towards a first indoor 60 hurdles gold. The 36-year-old American won her first heat in 7.92 seconds and then ran a championship best 7.74 in the semifinal. Devers, who also won the 60 flat in 1997 in Paris, has the fastest time this year of 7.74 and should be favourite to add to her seven world and Olympic titles outdoors. In the men’s 60 hurdles, defending champion Johnson, Olympic gold medalist Anier Garcia and world-record holder Colin Jackson all made it to the final today.

History will be created today when Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the West Indies St Augustine Campus, delivers the feature address at the formal opening of the University of the West Indies Sport and Physical Education Centre (SPEC) and the 2003 UWI Games at 5 pm.

The St Augustine Campus is the first of the three campuses to have a Sport and Physical Education Centre, which will cater for the overall development of students pursuing programmes at the region’s highest educational institution. The newly-built modern indoor facility will cater for basketball, volleyball, netball, badminton, indoor hockey, indoor football, table tennis and aerobics. The project was spearheaded by Dr Iva Gloudon, Director of Sports and Physical Education at UWI and will add another dimension to the high level programmes offered by the region’s established university campuses.

Roger Boynes, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, is expected to represent the Government of Trinidad and Tobago at this historic function. He will also deliver an address at the opening ceremony, which includes the parade of campus teams (St Augustine, Cave Hill and Mona), cheerleading performances and an aerobics burnout. Professor Gurumohan Kochar, Deputy Principal of UWI, St Augustine Campus, will also be part of the proceedings. According to Dr Gloudon, SPEC must be seen as an institution which “will promote tertiary level programmes that deal with the academic and scientific aspects of sports and physical education.” “Most of the programmes which will be offered will cater for the overall development of those persons who are associated with sports and physical education,” she said.

Dr Gloudon revealed that during her eleven-year tenure at UWI, she worked on upgrading the recreational facilities and that SPEC was conceptualised six years ago. Construction of the massive $30 million indoor facility started three years later with money from UWI and subsequently from corporate sponsors. It will serve as the major centre for this year’s UWI Games (Inter-Campus). The volleyball, basketball and netball segments of the annual Inter-Campus competition will be held at the centre, which is equipped with modern electronic scoreboards.

Cricket and football matches will be contested on campus grounds, while the athletics competition will be staged at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, next Saturday from 8 am. Cricket will be the first competition sport. And the St Augustine Campus will take on Mona tomorrow at the Sir Frank Worrell field from 9 am. Later, the two teams will clash in a football match at the UWI Administrative Field from 3.30 pm. The action switches to the SPEC Indoor Facility in the evening with a volleyball encounter between Cave Hill and Mona at 6 pm, while St Augustine will do battle with Cave Hill in the first basketball showdown from 8 pm.

YOUNG footballers of CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh were told “your future is bright.”

This assurance came from the insurance firm’s managing director Lawrence Duprey, as the TT Pro League champions publicly presented their new technical director. He is Englishman Ricky Hill who was introduced to the media in the CLICO Executive Box, Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain on Friday. Hill replaces Terry Fenwick who guided Jabloteh to the league title last season, but left to take up a job with Northampton Town in the English Second Division. Fenwick was subsequently fired after only seven weeks at the struggling English Second Division side.

Duprey said he was pleased with the improvements made by Jabloteh, with players getting contracts abroad and the team winning the championship. He stated that the focus must be on the development of the players who are supposed to make a difference in their country. The celebrated businessman told the players it all starts with the community outreach programme throughout  the East/West corridor. Duprey  expressed the hope that one day, Jabloteh could become a feeder club for a team in the United States, and said plans are for the building a stadium in Florida.

Hill said he is aware of the abundance of football talent in the Caribbean and particularly in Trinidad and Tobago. He believes he could help nurture this talent, since he is more of a development coach. The Jamaica-born who played at the Queen’s Park Oval with a British All Black team in 1981 said even then, he noted there was not much difference between the teams. He said he was looking forward to consolidating the technical work laid down by his precedessor Fenwick who recommended him for the Jabloteh job.

Hill, who is on a two-year- contract with Jabloteh, said he was always looking to come to the Caribbean and was in contact with the Jamaica Football Federation to help technical director Carl Brown. He comes to Jabloteh following a two-year stint in the USISL Premier League and the Florida Institute of Technology. And Hill, who will be in charge of both the Jabloteh professional and Under-20 squads, will also provide technical advice to the Under-17, Under-15, Under-13 teams. The 44-year-old Hill who distinguished himself at Luton Town, Leicester City and Le Harve FC in France, graduated to earn three full England caps. He also played for the England youth and Under-21s and is well-qualified, holding both the FA and UEFA coaching badges.

MARTIAL Arts expert Darryl Williams continues to fly the Trinidad and Tobago flag high in his adopted homeland of New York, USA.

The former Diego Martin resident, currently chief instructor of the Karate Centre in New York, was recently elevated to the position of General Secretary of the Shuko-Kai Internation-al, the international umbrella body for the Shito-Ryu style of  karate . This type of the art form is pioneered by the Japan Karate-Do Federation (JKF), the governing body for the sport there. The appointment was made by the president of Shuko-Kai International, Shihan Kunio Miyake, Eighth Dan, vice-chairman of the USA-NKF (USA National Karate-Do Association).

USA-NKF is the National Governing Body (HGB) for the sport in the US and are associated with the Pan American Karate Federation and the World Karate Federation. Sensei Williams is one of TT’s most accomplished karatekas, holding a Fifth Degree Black Belt from both the International Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Kai (February 2002) and Shuko-Kai (January 2003). He is also a league referee with the USA-NKF and a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Alliance for Sport and Physical Education (TTASPE). Sensei Williams has also distinguished himself as a successful participant of two highly recognised graduate coaching programmes in the US.

Among his responsibilities as the new General Secretary of Shuko-Kai will be working with international members to meet compliance regarding the technical and administrative areas of the organisation. The top TT karateka is also expected to visit India later this year to conduct a series of technical workshops. Currently in TT on a short visit, Sensei Williams announced that the 2004 Pan American Shuko-Kai Championships will be staged in Port-of-Spain and already 12 countries have indicated their participation. For information about Shuko-Kai Trinidad and Tobago, contact Michell Omar or Sensei Archie Leiba at telephone number 672-2309.

EAST LONDON: Sri Lanka booked their place in the Cricket World Cup semi-finals yesterday at New Zealand’s expense with a clinical victory over Zimbabwe in East London.

Opener Marvan Atapattu carried his bat in an unbeaten knock of 103 to lay the foundations for the win. SCORES: Sri Lanka 256-5 (50 overs) beat Zimbabwe 182 (41.5 overs) by 74 runs And the unlucky dismissal of Andy Flower for 38 in his final innings for Zimbabwe sparked a collapse as paceman Chaminda Vaas took his tournament wicket haul to a record-equalling 20. Sri Lanka will now play defending champions Australia in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.

The New Zealand team would have been watching the match in the hope that Zimbabwe might spring a surprise. And the match did not begin well for Sri Lanka as captain Sanath Jayasuriya and Atapattu made a slow start in the face of steady bowling from Heath Streak and Andy Blignaut. Jayasuriya departed for 22 in the 13th over when he edged a seaming delivery from Streak to wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu. But Atapattu combined well with Avishka Gunawardene in a patient 83-run partnership before Gunawardene was caught and bowled by spinner Doug Marillier for 41.

There was still work to do when Aravinda de Silva (25) edged a ball from Sean Ervine to Taibu to make the score 175-3 in the 41st over. But Kumar Sangakkara survived an early let-off to hit 35 runs from 25 balls before he was caught by Grant Flower off Streak. Russel Arnold was caught by Grant Flower off Hondo for one but Vaas (11 not out) chipped in as Atapattu reached his century in the final over. Zimbabwe began their reply in style as openers Craig Wishart and Doug Marillier hammered some early boundaries. But Pulasthi Gunaratne had Marillier caught for 19 by Jayasuriya in the sixth over before bowling Travis Friend for 21 to make it 68-2.

Andy Flower and Wishart kept the run rate on course until the opener was bowled by Jayasuriya for 43. But the collapse began in earnest after Andy Flower was harshly given out leg before wicket to De Silva, with TV replays showing a thick inside edge. Taibu was bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan for two, and Andy Blignaut then hit a full toss from Dilhara Fernando straight into the hands of De Silva. Vaas then took his 19th wicket of the tournament by bowling Ervine for 12. And, after Jayasuriya had dismissed Streak for two and Grant Flower for 31, Vaas equalled the World Cup record by bowling Douglas Hondo to end the match.

DURBAN: Australia defeated Kenya with 18.4 overs remaining yesterday but it was the East Africans who could claim a moral victory after impressing with both bat and ball at the Cricket World Cup. Despite a hat-trick from Brett Lee, Kenya recovered to reach 174-8 in their day-night Super Six match. 

SCORES:Australia 178-5 (31.2 overs) beat Kenya 174-8 (50 overs) by 5 wkts

And two unheralded bowlers did the damage as the world champions stumbled to a five-wicket win. Peter Ongondo, opening the bowling in the absence of the rested Thomas Odoyo, doubled his career wicket-haul in a seven-over first spell that brought two for 24. And the introduction of Aasif Karim’s left-arm spin brought three wickets in just two overs.
But Andrew Symonds and Ian Harvey steadied nerves with an unbeaten 71-run fifth wicket stand, Symonds finishing marginally ahead on 33 not out.

The bulk of Kenya’s runs came from fourth wicket pair Ravindu Shah and Steve Tikolo, who put on 79 runs after coming together with the score 3-3. Lee began his rout by striking Kennedy Otieno on the elbow, the ball ricocheting onto the stumps as the opener fell to the ground in pain. Brijal Patel was unable to deal with an inswinger, gaining a thick edge to Ricky Ponting at second slip, and a yorker beat David Obuya’s defences next ball.  X-rays revealed Otieno’s arm was not broken but he was unable to keep wicket after sustaining serious swelling. Standing at the opposite end from the carnage, Shah was undeterred, taking on Glenn McGrath’s short-pitched approach in particular in striking six fours. But the arrival of spin duo Brad Hogg and Darren Lehmann brought the run-rate back in check and achieved the breakthrough. The 23-over partnership was finally dislodged when Hogg induced a high top-edge from Shah – four short of his half-century —- to deep square leg.

Kenya captain Steve Tikolo benefited from two difficult dropped catches from Ponting to reach a 97-ball 50 before becoming Lehmann’s first victim, caught in the deep. Andy Bichel put a poor first spell behind him to take two wickets in the first over on his return. But his figures were permanently ruined by a Martin Suji six, just over the cover boundary, part of a ninth-wicket stand with Hitesh Modi worth 30 in 6.1 overs. The cavalier hitting continued as Australia put on 50 runs in the first five overs. Matthew Hayden was the victim of over-confidence, holing out to midwicket for 20. But the rest of the wickets were well earned, even that of Adam Gilchrist, who edged Ongondo behind after smashing 67 from 42 balls.

WORLD CUP HAT-TRICKS
Chetan Sharma (Ind) v NZ 1987
Saqlain Mushtaq (Pak) v Zimbabwe 1999
Chaminda Vaas (SL) v Bangladesh 2003
Brett Lee (Aus) v Kenya 2003