Half-centuries from skipper Marvan Atapattu and Kumar Sangakkara tightened Sri Lanka’s grip on the second cricket Test against South Africa on Friday after the visitors were dismissed cheaply following a devastating spell from Sanath Jayasuriya. Sri Lanka extended their lead to 492 runs on day three of the Test.
A devastating bowling spell by Sanath Jayasuriya put Sri Lanka in a winning position on Friday as South Africa was dismissed for just 189 in their first innings of the second cricket Test. Jayasuriya’s figures of 5-34 — his second five-wicket haul — surpassed his previous best of 5-43.
World champion Michael Schumacher set a stunning time in Friday’s opening practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix as he started his quest for a record-breaking 12th win of the season. Schumacher bettered Fernando Alonso’s pole time from last year with a lap of one minute and 21,552 seconds, 25 minutes from the end.
A swimmer who sat idle for months because United States took over the pool where he trained. A judo player who practises in a small room because she can’t go out in public without a veil. A runner who jogs on the sand because the streets are too dangerous.
Special Report: Olympics 2004
The Greek athlete expected to light the Olympic flame on Friday was at the centre of a doping scandal on Thursday night. Kostas Kederis, the 200m Olympic champion, is reported not to have shown up for an out-of-competition test and faces the humiliation of being banned.
The fawning Moroccan press would have it that King Mohammed VI has stamped his authority on the troubled country in his first five years on the throne. If M6, as he is colloquially called, does rule with a gentler hand, it is because his father, who enjoyed popping into prisons to keep his torturing techniques sharp, is an impossibly brutal act to follow.
American swimmer Erik Vendt holds up his left leg, pointing to a coin-sized scar on the shin. ”I did that when I was 11 years old,” he said, sounding like someone proudly showing off an old war wound. ”That was the first summer I shaved. I bled for a half hour. I could hardly swim that night.”
Olympic competitors have been forced to adopt a host of cool measures, from special suits to protective headgear, to beat the soaring summer temperatures that will rocket to more than 30 degrees Celsius over the next two weeks. Even horses taking part in the equestrian programme are getting in on the act.
Special Report: Olympics 2004
José Antonio Reyes pinches my tape recorder and turns it towards Manuel Almunia, the Spanish goalkeeper. Putting on his interviewer’s voice, he asks Arsenal’s new signing: “So, Almunia, to start with, how have your first days at the club been?” Before Reyes answers a single question, one thing is clear: he is part of the Arsenal family.
Lightning to blast Old Trafford and a flood to sluice the debris away: the electrical storm that cancelled Manchester United’s friendly with Urawa Red Diamonds early this month could have had those who hate the club’s dominance dreaming of a world without them. Sir Alex Ferguson’s team will be back from this weekend.