Sport

Sports Digest: Good start by McCann

Cycling David McCann has got the 2006 season off to a good start with a strong showing on the first three stages of the cycling…

Wed Jan 18 2006 - 00:00

Cycling David McCann has got the 2006 season off to a good start with a strong showing on the first three stages of the cycling Tour of Siam in Thailand. The Giant Asia professional is lying an excellent second overall, 42 seconds off the race lead of Koji Fukushima (Japan).

McCann is current the leader of the Asian Continental Tour classification and his squad is currently lying second in the teams' classification, while Martin Irvine (Ireland) is second in the young rider classification. He is some two minutes and three seconds behind Kai Tsun Lam of the Hong Kong Shanghai Sports Institute team.

The race continues today with a 124.3 kilometre stage from Chumphon to Ranong.

Hendry crashes out

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Six-times champion Stephen Hendry crashed out of the Snooker Masters at Wembly after a shock second defeat to fellow Scot Alan McManus yesterday.

Hendry lost four frames on the spin having led 4-2, slipping to an unexpected 6-4 loss at the hands of his rival at the Wembley Conference Centre.

McManus, who won the title in 1994 when he beat Hendry 9-8 in a memorable final, now plays Welshman Mark Williams in the quarter-finals.

"It's a great win to have under your belt. I always enjoy playing Stephen and feel comfortable playing him," said McManus.

"For some reason I don't feel under pressure. I'm probably the only one expecting myself to win against him."

India get reminder

International chiefs have reminded India of their responsibilities to the world game following the cricket powerhouse's decision to organise its own calendar.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed, in a letter to the BCCI's honorary secretary Niranjan Shah, was reacting to the Board of Control for Cricket in India's dual announcement that it would not take part in the ICC Champions Trophy from 2008 onwards and would host Australia for three years in a row from 2007.

Such revelations suggest India are ready to break from the ICC's future tours programme, which currently allows for each of the 10 Test-playing nations to face each other home and away over a five-year cycle.