WEDNESDAY, 10.30AM:
THE first leg of the 1998 Rothmans Cup soccer competition got under way on Tuesday with preliminary round matches in Cape Town and Durban.
Seven Stars beat AmaZulu 2-1 in their match at the Chatsworth stadium in Durban. George Dernaley and Jerome Jansen scored for Stars, while Simon Magagula saved face for AmaZulu.
SPORT BRIEFS
ENGLAND RINGS CHANGES FOR TEST
THE English team to face South Africa in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge on Thursday has seen five changes. It is likely that all five will make the final line-up, but this is not a certainty. Legspinner Ian Salisbury gets his Test recall, as does Mark Butcher. Graham Hick is also back in contention after a brilliant season with the bat. Andy Flintoff is also back in the side, as is speed merchant Alan Mullally.
Likely teams:
South Africa: Gary Kirsten, Gerhardus Liebenberg, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Hansie Cronje(c), Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Allan Donald, Paul Adams, Makhaya Ntini.
England: Michael Atherton, Mark Butcher, Nassar Hussain, Alec Stewart (capt), Mark Ramprakash, Graeme Hick, Andy Flintoff, Dominic Cork, Ian Salisbury, Darren Gough, Alan Mullally.
RAIN FOILS SA A AGAIN
RAIN again intervened in the first unofficial “Test” between South Africa A and Sri Lanka A at the Asgiriya Stadium on Wednesday, causing the match to be rescheduled to Thursday. Both teams decided to call the day’s play off soon after the scheduled lunch break.
BROOKS OUT
BLUE Bulls hooker Jannie Brooks will not play rugby for at least a month after tearing ligaments in his knee on Tuesday.
SCHEEPERS GOES DOWN
BENONI southpaw Naas Scheepers was outpointed by Shea Neary in Liverpool on Tuesday night, thereby failing to win the WBU light welterweight title. Scheepers fought on the back foot almost right through the bout, as Neary gave him little chance to press forward an attack.
‘REST TRI-NATIONS IN 1999’
SPRINGBOK coach Nick Mallett has called for the Tri-Nations rugby competition to take a break in the World Cup year. Mallett said Test rugby should be kept to a minimum in a World Cup year, in order to maintain the competition’s place as the international showpiece.
TRI-NATIONS SELL-OUT
SATURDAY’S 50th rugby Test between South Africa and New Zealand at Athletic Park in Wellington is a sell-out, with the final tickets being sold on Monday. A crowd of 39000 fans will watch the match.
NTINI ALSO INJURED
THE South African team in Engalnd faces an injury crisis ahead of the fourth cricket Test against England at Trent Bridge on Thursday. Seamer Makhaya Ntini has pulled up with an ankle injury, but team physiotherapist Craig Smith is confident he will be fit.
ERNIE IN AT THREE
SOUTH African world number-two golfer Ernie Els is at number three on the European money list, and has earned 386759 this year. Fellow South African Retief Goosen is at number 16 on the money list, with winnings of 154699. Britons Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie are at one and two on the list with winnings of 545350 and 432289 respectively.