Eragonlatrilogia.com

Sixteen months after losing 4-0 in a six-match series to Australia, England have now been beaten 3-0 in a contest that gave them one less opportunity to lose 4-0, and the only real difference between now and 1989 is that they once or twice found themselves in a position to win. However, whenever this prospect presented itself, it was always the signal for an England wicket to represent the first pebble in an avalanche. England fly to Auckland tonight for three one-day internationals in New Zealand - a suitable punishment if ever there was one - with a team as knackered as it is demotivated, and a captain reflecting that the happiest time he spent in Australia was three weeks in a hospital bed unable to watch England playing cricket. Her lead slipped to two strokes with four holes to play, but Pierce kept her nerve and concentration to finish in style, with birdies on the final three holes, including a 15-foot putt on the 16th green.n Laura Davies could finish only joint seventh after a disappointing final round in the Takara World International in Sanbu, Japan, which was won by Ikuyo Shiotani.Scores, Digest, page 27. Hockey BILL COLWILL Bobby Crutchley, Cannock's discarded international striker, scored four times as they defeated Southgate 7-2. Cannock made light of the absence of four players and their manager and coach on Welsh duty to give notice of their intent to play all-out attacking hockey in their attempt to retain their National title.Justin Pidcock claimed two goals and the stand-in player-coach David Mayer got the first goal to set them on their way after Southgate had taken an early lead with a Pietro Attala penalty.Mahmood Bhatti, another player cast aside by England after just two short appearances, capitalised on the new no offside rule as he scored three times in East Grinstead's 5-0 win against Surbiton, the other goals coming from Ben Barnes and Alistair Boyce.Reading's new recruit Manpreet Kochar scored in a 5-2 victory at Havant, and Great Britain's Phil McGuire scored both Teddington's goals in their 2-0 victory at Barford Tigers, who were missing their top striker, Dharminder Singh.In the First Division, Beeston, who headed the League last season, are again setting the pace with a 5-0 win against Isca.Results, Digest, page 27. "When I birdied the 17th with a 25-foot putt it gave me a two-shot cushion on Mark and I was able to bogey the last without being worried."Davis, who had eight birdies and an eagle-three at the long fifth in his 62, said: "It was the best round I have played on the European Tour."VOLVO RANKING (Order of Merit): (British and Irl unless stated): 1 C Montgomerie pounds 717,146.36; 2 I Woosnam pounds 541,298.94; 3 R Allenby (Aus) pounds 456,803.66; 4 C Rocca (Ita) pounds 424,335.19; 5 L Westwood pounds 337,791.37; 6 A Coltart pounds 313,569.75; 7 D Clarke pounds 298,670.50; 8 M McNulty (Zim) pounds 274,847.03; 9 P Broadhurst pounds 267,744.30; 10 P Harrington pounds 261,023.91; 11 T Bjorn (Denmark) pounds 260,534.78; 12 P McGinlay pounds 248,200.29; 13 P Mitchell pounds 246,952.37; 14 R Russell pounds 245,580.21; 15 J Van de Velde (Fra) pounds 245,461.88; 16 M-A Martin (Spa) pounds 240,413.35; 17 W Riley (Aus) pounds 239,733.17; 18 M-A Jimenez (Spa) pounds 234,371.08; 19 S Ames (Tri) pounds 232,534.12; 20 J Lomas pounds 226,072.90.n Britain's Caroline Pierce overcame Dottie Pepper and Michelle McGann in a head-to-head showdown in the final round of the JAL Big Apple Classic to collect her first American LPGA tour victory in nine years.Pierce started the day three strokes ahead of Pepper and McGann, but faced an uphill task against two players who have won seven tournaments between them since June. He then dropped his first shot of the day with a bogey-five.However, that was good enough to give him his second European Tour victory - he won the Alfred Dunhill Cup in Ireland three years ago - and, more importantly, he collected a first prize of pounds 108,330 which gives him the same figure in Ryder Cup points."I have played fantastically this week," Clarke said.

It was my goal to pass pounds 700,000 today so that I would have the chance to go for the million and now I have done it."Clarke, who was overshadowed by Montgomerie's achievements, shot a superb 63 to finish on 264, 24 under par, to beat Mark Davis, of Essex, by one shot, Paul Broadhurst by two and Montgomerie by three.Davis shot a best-of-the-week 62, 10 under par, and chased Clarke all the way home, but the Irishman, who had eight birdies and an eagle-two at the fourth on his card, was two shots clear when he stood on the 18th tee. "If I win there I will go over the million pounds mark," he said. "The first prize in Valderrama is pounds 150,000 and I get a pounds 150,000 bonus for being European No 1, so I can get to seven figures with a victory there. His next target is to finish the season with more than pounds 1m on the Order of Merit. Montgomerie, who finished three shots behind Irishman Darren Clarke when he shot 65 for a four-round aggregate of 267, 21 under par, collected pounds 32,500 and has now won pounds 717,146.36 this year in Tour events.The Scot, who has finished in the top four in four of his last five tournaments, has only one more counting tournament, the Volvo Masters in Valderrama later this month. The great Australian would have felt for both players, though particularly for Ivanisevic, who at least has the youth to build successfully on the experience of his first Grand Slam final.Though Agassi had a tick on his cap, it did not remind him to doff it to the Duchess of Kent when he was presented with the trophy and the winners' cheque for pounds 265,000.

The odd lapse of protocol will be overlooked on this occasion.. Golf Colin Montgomerie officially became European No 1 for a record-equalling fourth successive year when he was fourth in the Linde German Masters in Berlin yesterday. It was to happen twice more, the second time terminally, with those self-inflicted wounds.Ken Rosewall, popularly regarded as the best player never to win the title, was watching from the Royal Box. By then they had been through a tie-break, which the Croat edged, 10-8, and two sets which were dominated by Agassi from the moment he broke Ivanisevic in the opening game of the second set.It was only the eighth time in the entire tournament that Ivanisevic's service game had been penetrated. The American does, however, share Borg's penchant for dismantling the big servers.Though the aces rained again yesterday, the 20-year-old Ivanisevic was unable to break Agassi's serve until the second game of the fourth set.