KEY POINTS:
BADMINTON
Oceania Championships
(New Caldedonia)
New Zealand won four of the five individual titles on offer. at the Oceania badminton championships in New Caledonia.
Mixed doubles: Henry Tam and Donna Cranston bt Craig Cooper and Renee Flavell 16-21 21-19 21-17.
Women's singles: Michelle Chan bt Rachel Hindley
26-24 22-20.
Men's singles: John Moody bt Stuart Gomez (Australia) 21-12 21-16.
Men's doubles: Henry Tam and Nathan Hannam lost to Glenn Warfe and Ross Smith (Australia) 21-13 21-18.
Women's doubles: Rachel Hindley and Michelle Chan bt Renee Flavell and Donna Cranston 21-14 21-8.
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BASKETBALL
Junior men
United States-based Dion Prewster and Ritchie Edwards will lead New Zealand to the Albert Schweitzer tournament in Germany next month. Basketball New Zealand yesterday announced a 12-member squad for the March 22-30 tournament following a camp in Palmerston North.
Junior Tall Blacks: Duane Bailey (Massey), David Beck (Wellington), Joshua Bloxham (Nelson), Poutu Edwards (Counties Manukau), Ritchie Edwards (Canterbury/US), Samuel King (Otago), Robert Loe (Harbour), Morgan Nathan (Otago), Dion Prewster (Wellington/US), Brook Ruscoe (Wellington), Dennis Tawhiti (Counties Manukau), Logan Van Beek (Canterbury). Reserves: Adam Dunstan (WBOP), Tia-Toa Frost (Palmerston North), James Holland (Canterbury), Adam Rainbird (Nelson), Te Puao Silver (Waikato).
NBL
Otago have signed 2.06m Jay Anderson, considered one of the best shooters in the American minor leagues. Anderson, 26, is the second import for Otago, who had previously lined up another American, Rahsaan Smith, for the 2008 NBL. Anderson recently finished the season in the United States with the Eugene Chargers, for whom he averaged 11 points and six rebounds a game. He was an IBL All-Star in 2006. Otago open their NBL campaign against reigning champions Nelson in Dunedin on March 2.
NBA
Philadelphia 101 Miami 84, Houston 92 Cleveland 77, Chicago 114 Golden State 108.
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CRICKET
State Shield
Canterbury team against Central Districts in Christchurch tomorrow: Kruger Van Wyk (captain), Michael Papps, Shanan Stewart, Iain Robertson, Johann Myburgh, Chris Harris, Darren Broom, Brandon Hiini, Hamish Bennett, Shane Bond, Leighton Burtt, Todd Harris.
Australia Tour
Personal bodyguards will shadow the Australian team during next month's Pakistan tour as part of planned stringent security usually reserved for visiting heads of state. The Pakistan Cricket Board has proposed the measures following Australian concerns over security that has left a question mark over the future of the tour, in a nation which has suffered a string of bombings and other violence. However Cricket Australia still has concerns about the tour, and contacted PCB officials on Thursday about security at venues in Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad, the newspaper said.
* Former South African international Justin Kemp is to return to Kent after signing up to play this year and next. Kemp, 30, who played in four tests and 85 one-dayers for South Africa, played for Kent previously in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. He recently announced his retirement from international cricket. Kent meanwhile received confirmation that Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood has been granted British citizenship, ensuring he will not count as an overseas player for the upcoming season.
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CROQUET
World Championships
Englishman Chris Clarke had more than one reason to celebrate at the world championships in Christchurch yesterday. His day began promisingly when the updated rankings list saw him return to No 1 in the world rankings. It only got better from there as he then beat compatriot James Death to bound into today's semifinals
Clarke, the tournament second seed, saw off seventh seeded Death 26-9 26-15 26-18.
That has booked Clark a semifinal against another Englishman, five-time world champion Robert Fulford, who dominated his quarter-final against world No 6 Keith Aiton, of Scotland, to win 26tp-8 26-9 26-1.
New Zealand's Shane Davis, who beat defending champion and deposed world No 1 Reg Bamford, of South Africa, on his way to the quarter-finals, was eliminated by Stephen Mulliner, of England.
Mulliner was back to his best after a couple of scratchy wins to win their contest 26tp-12 26tp-6 26-10. Aaron Westerby, the other New Zealander in the last eight, was embroiled in a tight match against fifth seed David Maugham, of England.
Their match, which started at 9am, was still undecided last night and fading light requires them to resume this morning. Westerby led Maugham 12-26 26-21 26-12.
Results (prefix number denotes seed), 8-Stephen Mulliner (England) bt Michael Wright (NZ) 26-0 , 22-26, 26-20, Shane Davis (NZ) bt Ian Lines (England) 19-26, 26-13, 26-5, 5-David Maugham (England) bt Paddy Chapman (NZ) 26tp-22 26tp-1, Aaron Westerby (NZ) bt 4-Rutger Beijderwellen (Netherlands) 1-26 26tp-9 26-13, 3-Robert Fulford (England) bt Paul Skinley (NZ) 2 6-0 26-9, 6-Keith Aiton (Scotland) bt Ian Dumergue (Australia) 26-0 26-10, 7-James Death (England) bt Samir Patel (England) 26-7 26tp-22, 2-Chris Clarke (England) bt Bob Jackson (NZ) 26-7 26-22.
Quarter-finals, Clarke bt Death 26-9 26-15 26-18, Fulford bt Aiton 26tp-8 26-9 26-1, Mulliner bt Davis 26tp-12 26tp-6 26-10, Westerby (NZ) leads Maugham 12-26 26-21 26-12.
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GOLF
PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AM
(California)
Little-known American Kent Jones upstaged some of the biggest names in the game by charging one stroke clear in the Pebble Beach National pro-am golf tournament first round yesterday. The 41-year-old journeyman from New Mexico fired a six-under-par 66 in relatively benign conditions at Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of three venues being used this week.
John Mallinger carded a 67 at Poppy Hills to lie one off the pace, level with fellow Americans Roland Thatcher and Tour rookie Brad Adamonis, who both opened at Spyglass Hill.
Long-hitting JB Holmes, who won last week's Phoenix Open in a playoff with Phil Mickelson, was among a group of 10 bunched on 68 after starting out at Spyglass Hill.
All three New Zealanders are in danger of missing the cut after shooting over par in the first round. Grant Waite was the best of them at one-over 73, a round spoiled by four bogeys in the space of six holes on the front nine. Waite is tied for 84th while Tim Wilkinson is a shot behind in 108th and Phil Tataurangi a further two strokes back on six-under in 149th place.
First round (US unless stated) par-72. -
66: Kent Jones.
67: John Mallinger, Roland Thatcher, Brad Adamonis.
68: Jay Williamson, Michael Allen, J. B. Holmes, Kris Cox, D. A. Points, Tim Herron, Robert Floyd, Mark Wilson, Olin Browne, Todd Demsey.
69: Jeff Quinney, Daniel Chopra (Sweden), Yang Yong-Eun (South Korea), Nicholas Thompson, Andrew Buckle (Australia), Brent Geiberger, Jason Day (Australia), Steve Allan (Australia) Brandel Chamblee, Dudley Hart, Steve Lowery.
Also:
73: Grant Waite (NZ)
74: Tim Wilkinson (NZ)
76: Phil Tataurangi (NZ)
INDIAN MASTERS
(Delhi)
First round, par-72
65: Jyoti Randhawa (India).
67: Richard Finch (Britain), Damien McGrane (Ireland).
68: Thomas Bjorn (Denmark), Shiv Kapur (India), Jose Manuel Lara (Spain).
69: Benn Barham (Britain), Hendrik Buhrmann (South Africa), Raphael Jacquelin (France), Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands), David Lynn (Britain), Graeme McDowell (Britain), C Muniyappa (India), Mark O'Meara (US), Chinarat Phadungsil (Thailand), Alvaro Quiros (Spain).
Also:
71: Mark Brown (NZ).
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LEAGUE
NRL
Wests Tigers have signed Great Britain test forward Gareth Ellis to a three-year contract. Ellis will join the 2005 NRL champions next year with the 2007 Golden Boot nominee to finish up with reigning Super League champions Leeds at the end of this year. The 27-year-old has played 19 tests for Great Britain and said he was looking forward to testing himself in the NRL. The Tigers also confirmed the re-signing of star New Zealand Test stand-off Benji Marshall to a one-year contract extension after the 2008 season.
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PARALYMPIANS
Australian Track Champs
(Sydney)
New Zealand cyclists set one world record and won four gold medals at the championships. in Sydney. Paula Tesoriero, of Wellington, claimed the gold medal in the LC3 women's 500m time trial with a world record time of 44.237 seconds. Fiona Southorn, of Waipu, also won gold in the LC1 women's 500m time trial. Tesoriero and Southorn alsa won the LC3 and LC1 women's 3000m individual pursuit respectively.
Leading results
LC3 women's 500m time trial final: Paula Tesoriero (NZ) 44.237sec (world record) 1, Jane Armstrong (ACT) 45.740 2.
LC1 women's 500m time trial final: Fiona Southorn (NZ) 42.113 1, Claire McLean (Western Australia) 43.330 2.
LC3 men's 1000m time trial final: Michael Milton (ACT) 1min 23.072sec 1, Wayne Beckett (NZ) 1:25.780 2.
LC1 men's 1000m time trial final: Michael Gallagher (Victoria) 1:12.705 1, Waine Harding (NZ) 1:17.826 2.
LC3 women 3000m individual pursuit final: Paula Tesoriero (NZ) 4:24.252 1, Jane Armstrong (ACT) 4:34.646 2.
LC1 women 3000m individual pursuit final: Fiona Southorn (NZ) 4:04.053 1, Claire McLean (Western Australia) 4:08.499 2.
LC3 men's 3000m individual pursuit final: Milton 4:13.955 1, Beckett 4:19.269 2.
LC1 men's 4000m individual pursuit final: Gallagher 4:49.510 1, Harding 5:41.160 2.
Women's 3000m tandem pursuit final: Tolreisa Gallagher/Lindy Hou (New South Wales) 3:48.617 1, Jayne Parsons/Annaliisa Farrell (NZ) 3:48.740 2.
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RALLYING
Rally of Sweden
Norway's Petter Solberg, driving a Subaru Impreza, topped the time charts in the opening super-special stage yesterday. World champion Sebastien Loeb was fourth fastest over the 1.9km course at the Karlstad racecourse in his Citroen. The Frenchman, just 1.1sec behind 2003 world champion Solberg, has reached another milestone here as he and co-driver Daniel Elena are competing in their 100th rally together. The Ford Focus duo of Jari-Matti Latvala and Mikko Hirvonen were in second and third-place respectively on a treacherous super-special stage. Australia's Chris Atkinson, who was third in Monte-Carlo, came off worst. His Subaru Impreza stalled on the start line and he lost precious seconds as a result. Atkinson finished 7.3secs behind his teammate.
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RUGBY
Super 14 warm-up
(Perth)
Western Force 39 (James Stannard, David Pusey, Cameron Shepherd, Drew Mitchell, Nick Cummins, Lachlan MacKay tries; Matt Giteau pem 3 con) Queensland Reds 15 (Chris Latham, Chris Siale tries; Clinton Schifcofske con, Berrick Barnes dropped goal).
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SOCCER
AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS
Holders Egypt and Cameroon will meet in tomorrow's final after two remarkable semifinals condemned hot favourites Ivory Coast and hosts Ghana to elimination. Defending champions Egypt ended Ivorian dreams with a 4-1 win in Kumasi. Earlier, Ghana suffered a heart-breaking home defeat with a 1-0 loss to Cameroon.
Semifinals
At Accra: Cameroon 1 Ghana 0
At Kumasi: Egypt 4 Ivory Coast 1
* Veteran Brazilian striker Romario has quit as player-coach of Vasco da Gama after an argument with the club's president Eurico Miranda.
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TENNIS
PARIS OPEN
Second round (prefix denotes seeding): 6-Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 3-0 (Daniilidou retired), Virginie Razzano (France) bt Alize Cornet (France) 6-4 7-5, 3-Marion Bartoli (France) bt Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) 7-5 6-1, Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) bt Yuliana Fedak (Ukraine) 6-0 6-3, 2-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) bt Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 6-4 1-6 6-3, 1-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) bt Nathalie Dechy (France) 6-1 6-3
CANTERBURY ITF 18s
(Christchurch)
Boys, singles, semifinals: 1-James Meredith (NZ) bt 3-Nat Maraga (Australia) 7-5 6-3, 6-Josh Nelson (Australia bt 2-Adil Hakeem (Australia) 6-3 6-3. Doubles, semifinals: 1-Maraga/Meredith bt 6-Renier Moolman (South Africa)/Nikala Scholtz (South Africa) 6-3 6-2, Nick Jones (Britain)/George Morgan (Britain) bt 5-Benjamin Mitchell (Australia)/Ben Wagland (Australia) 6-3 6-4.
Girls, singles, semifinals: 3-Mia Vriens (Australia) bt 1-Chelsea Te Tai (NZ) 6-3 6-3, Amy Askew (Britain) bt 4-Katherine Westbury (NZ) 7-5 7-6. Doubles, semifinals: Mana Ayukawa (Japan)/Miho Kowase (Japan) bt 1-Haruka Naito (Japan)/Westbury 6-3 6-3, 2-Abigail Guthrie (NZ)/ Amelia Harris (NZ) bt 3-Katy O'Shea (Australia)/Te Tai 6-3 6-2.