Cricket: England overcame a last-minute wobble to complete a seven-wicket win over India at Eden Gardens yesterday and take a 2-1 lead with one Test to play. Ravichandran Ashwin (91no) remained undefeated after his valiant resistance last night, but on the final day it took James Anderson (three for 38) only four balls to see off number 11 Pragyan Ojha as India were bowled out for 247 in their second innings. England were left needing only 41 for a thoroughly-deserved victory, yet then stumbled to eight for three against the spin of Ashwin and Ojha before they got over the line. Ian Bell and Nick Compton settled the nerves and the issue, and England can therefore no longer lose this series.
Athletics: Italian Andrea Lalli won the men’s European cross country championship yesterday while Ireland’s Fioannula Britton retained her women’s crown. Lalli, 25, timed 30min 01sec coming home 11sec ahead of Frenchman Hassan Chahdi while Lalli’s compatriot Daniele Meucci took bronze. Britton, 28, timed 27min 45sec in a thrilling finish edging Portugal’s Ana Dulce Felix by two seconds while Dutch runner Adrienne Herzog was third.
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Golf: Tour elder Peter Senior (picture) overcame galeforce winds to become the oldest Australian Open golf champion with a one-stroke victory at The Lakes yesterday. The 53-year-old Australian held his game together after a three-hour wind delay to post a dogged par 72 final round to win his second Stonehaven Cup at four-under 284 from compatriot Brendan Jones (71). Another Australian, Cameron Percy (73), was third, with English world number four Justin Rose in a group of three golfers at one-under. The previous oldest Open winner was five-time British Open champion Peter Thomson at 43 at South Australia’s Kooyonga in 1972.
Alpine Skiing: Austrian Marcel Hirscher stormed to victory in the men’s World Cup giant slalom here yesterday. The 23-year-old Hirscher, the defending overall World Cup champion, led after the first leg and clocked a combined total time of 1min 54.10sec down the steep, exacting Bellevarde course in sunny, but extremely cold conditions. Germany’s Stefan Luitz finished second at 1.16sec, his first podium placing on the World Cup circuit. And American Ted Ligety, winner of the season’s two opening giant slaloms, was third at 1.42sec.
Horse Racing: California Memory swept to victory for the second year in a row in the 2000-metre Hong Kong Cup yesterday in the most prestigious event at the Longines Hong Kong International Races. The home-team horse was ridden by Matthew Chadwick, who also steered him to a win last year. Describing how it felt to win two Cups in a row, the Hong Kong jockey said: “It’s unbelievable, the best feeling in the world.” Second place was taken by French horse Giofra with third going to Australia’s Alcopop and fourth place taken by Hong Kong’s Dan Excel. Carlton House, the first horse belonging to Queen Elizabeth II to run at the Hong Kong meet, came in sixth.
Hockey: Australia went some way to erasing the pain of their London Olympics flop by winning a record fifth consecutive Champions Trophy in a 2-1 extra-time victory over the Netherlands yesterday. An early Dutch goal was cancelled out by Russell Ford four minutes before half-time, with the final going into golden point extra time. Kieran Govers clinched victory with a brilliant field goal from the top of the circle five minutes into extra time to give the Kookaburras victory.
Basketball, NBA: O.J. Mayo scored 16 of his game-high 40 points in the fourth quarter yesterday to help Dallas rally for a 116-109 NBA victory over the Houston Rockets. The Rockets welcomed head coach Kevin McHale back to the sideline for the first time since he took a leave of absence on November 10. McHale’s 23-year-old daughter Alexandra “Sasha” McHale, who had battled Lupus, died on November 24. Before the game, McHale met briefly with Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, once his team-mate in Boston and still a friend.