The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 32

32 The Guardian Thursday April 20 2000 www.cricketunllmited.co.uk I www.footballunlimited.co.uk Table manners Davis accused of deliberate go-slow 35 Weary SaBinrfts see ttireble diresunni Hsicfle Drill sh grand prix Spat -7 and sheer weight of matches is in danger of scuppering Saints' entire season. They still have to wedge in their rearranged league game against Wasps, with their diary so crammed that talks continue about scrapping it altogether and treating the Tetley's final against the same opponents as a "winner-takes-all" contest. Nothing last night suggested the Saints are overflowing with surplus energy and Quins, equally diffident at the outset, gradually recognised they were pushing at a half-open door once Ali Hep-her had missed two kickable early penalty efforts. The home flanker Adam Leach, one of Quins' more consistent performers, finally opened the scoring in the 27 th minute from a close-range lineout and another woefully mis-hit Hepher penalty attempt just before the interval further increased the Saints' sense of unease. If Paul Grayson's appearance for the second half in place of Matt Allen was designed to spark his team into life it failed miserably.

David Officer surged past him inside four minutes to score under the posts and the speedy Gollings struck twice more within seven minutes. Scorers: Harlequins: Tries: Leach, Officer, Gollings 2. Conversions: Liley 3. Penalty: Liley. Northampton: Tries: Allan.

Beal. Mender. Conversion: Grayson. Harlequins: Gollings: Keyter, Officer. Greenstock.

Daniel; Liley, Richards; Barnes, Ridgway, Leonard. Llewellyn (captl. Morgan (Jenkins. 73mm). White-Cooper.

Leach (Evans, 79). Sanderson. Northampton: Beal, Sleigtilholme (Bramhall, 71 1. Northey (Tucker, 58), Allen (Grayson h-t), Cohen. Hepher.

Malone; Volland Waller (Mendez. 53), Scelzo. Metcalfe (Newman. 531. Phillips.

Allan. Holmes, Lam (capl). Referee: A Rowden (Berkshire) Rugby Union Robert Krtson at the Stoop Harlequins 29 Northampton 17 It had to happen some time but few at Northampton guessed it would be Harlequins who derailed their treble ambitions. Last night, though, the mental and physical strains of an achingly long season finally ensnared a Saints side who have been running on empty for longer than they care to admit. Fair play to a Quins team beaten in their last five league and cup games, several of whom have been told they will be surplus to requirements next year, but Northampton currently look like marathon runners whose legs have turned to jelly.

They could still win two cups, of course, yet a four-point gap has now opened up between them and the Premiership leaders Leicester. At 26-0 down with 20 minutes to play, it could have been even worse. Only after Quins' young full-back Ben Gollings had sprinted over for the second of the home side's four tries did the Saints show a glimmer of life. But three tries in the final quarter were not nearly enough to save them. Far from marching in at the end, some looked barely capable of making it to the team bus.

The Northampton line-up showed eight changes from last Sunday's European quarter-final and Bath will surely see some weary men on Saturday. An exhausted Budge Pountney had already been told to take a break in the sun Johnny Herbert, David Coullhard and Eddie Irvine have to accept that the media has finished examining them and moved on. Jenson is the new story. "But I feel his management needs to give some thought towards protecting the 20-year-old from all this hype, particularly when Jenson is in the position that he has nothing substantive in terms of results to back it up. It's all a bit sad but I suppose he feels it has to be done." Head's observations throw into sharp focus the opposing forces pulling at Button behind the scenes.

On the one hand. Williams want to provide a secure and mentally uncluttered environment in which Button can capitalise on his huge natural talent. On the other his managers David Robertson and the former racing driver Harald Huysman seem determined to milk every penny of commercial advantage out of his sexy, youthful image. The mere detail that Button has achieved nothing in formula one so far, apart from a single world championship point when he was promoted to sixth place in the Brazilian grand prix after Coulthard's disqualification, is not being allowed to stand in the path of this commercial bandwagon. Behind the scenes Williams have made it clear that Button's commercial activities must not impinge on the team's obligations to its key sponsors or its engine partner BMW.

Yet Robertson and Huysman clearly feel they deserve a healthy return on the reputed 150,000 investment with which they staked Button's rise through the British formula Ford championship in 1998. They also steered him through formula three in 1999 before striking the deal which gained him the BMW Williams drive. "We are anticipating a real demand for his gear this weekend at Silverstone," said Robertson. "But it will also be marketed at all the rest of the races this season. I see no reason why sales could not top the $6m 3.75m mark." Robertson also confidently predicts that there will be an autobiography of Button coming soon, which overlooks the fact that, at present, this is a volume which has yet to be written about a career which has yet to take place.

Yet the two men have a breezy confidence which tends to catch one off guard. Their excessive familiarity certainly failed to strike a sympathetic chord with either McLaren's managing director Ron Dennis or the Jaguar Racing chairman Jackie Stewart, both of whom they approached with the offer of Button's services. However, for Robertson and Huysman the real challenge comes not in selling T-shirts or a book which might be written in the future but ensuring there is still something to write about Button in 2001. Before then Williams will have to decide whether to retain Button or to take up their option on the prodigiously talented Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya, who won the Indycar championship last year at his first attempt. It promises to be a close call, so it might be wise for Button's management to hold off on the serialisation rights at least for the time being.

Williams advise their driver to launch dazzling career before dazzling gear Alan Henry Amid the razzmatazz of a club in London's West End formula one's latest phenomenon Jenson Button launched a dazzling new range of sports and leisure wear yesterday centred round his distinctive new helmet livery and his so far modest level of achievement in only three grands prix. Yet at precisely the moment Button's business managers changed into top gear in their drive to accelerate the 20-year-old towards multi-millionaire status, a touch on the brake pedal in the form of a firm warning came from Patrick Head, the technical director of the young Briton's BMW Williams team who will be looking to consolidate on a promising start to the season at Silverstone on Sunday. The straight-talking, pragmatic Head has been around formula one for more than 25 years and in that time has seen many drivers burning out prematurely by doing too much too soon. He is anxious that Button should avoid this fate. "I suppose this is motor racing's equivalent of the Spice Girls," he said.

"It is certainly not driven by us here at the team. I suppose you could say it's all a little unfortunate and driven by hype but that's the way it is. "Formula one is the equivalent of the pop music industry and Jenson is the new arrival. 7-56-4E Dementleva (Rus) bt Noor lander (Nethl 6-26-3H Parkinson (USI bt Zuluaga (Coll 6- 4 6 3 Leon Garcia ISp) bt Mrvagi (Japan) 4- 6 6-1 6- 3 Tu (USI bt Grande tit) 6-1 ret A Smashnova (Isr) bt A Barna (Ger) 6-26-41 Majoll (Cro)PtM Shaughnessy (USI 1-6 7-6 7-5AMysklnalRuslbtAStevenson (US) 6-4 6-3 A Jidltova (Rus) Bt Kruger (SAI 3-66-27-5B Rlppner (US) bt Panova (Rusl 6-44-66-1J Ookic tAus) bt Horn (US) 6-4 6-2 Second round: Seles (US) bt Edelone(USI6-06-0M Pierce (Fr) bt LeonGaiua(Sp)6-l 6-1ASanchez-Vlcarto (Spl bt Suarez (Argl6-37-5A Frailer (US) bt Rippner (US) 7-6 7-5 Ukhovtsava IRusl bt Parkinson (US) 6-0 6-0. WTA BUDAPEST OPEN Second round: 0 Barabanshlkova (Beta) bt Habsodova ISIovak) 6- 2 ret Pftkowskl (Fr) bt A Hopmans (Nethl 6 3 6-1 Antonla Sanchez-Lorenzo (Sp) bt Nacuk (Yug) 6-2 1-66-1 Garbin III) bt A Mol (Ausl 6-3 J-66-1.

GIROBANK TOUR (Bournemouth) Men: First round: Barker Warks) bt Lewis (Wales) 7-56-1 Amey (Derbysl bl Davis (Warks) 6- 4 6-1 Maggs (Avon) bt Harston (Essex) 7 5 6-0 Sanger (Ootsetl bt Rhodes (Surrey) 6-2 6-1 Lockwood (Suffolk) bt A Graveson (Bucks) 6-1 6-4 Barker (Warfcsl ot Lester (Herts) 6- 4 6 4 Trudgeon (Cornwall) bt McManus (Kent) 6- 4 6-1 Watts (Wilts) bt Longland Hampsl 6-2 6-4B Gudzelak lYorks) bt Taylor (Heretord Women: First round: Hock (Lanes) bt Butcher INortfantsI 7-5 6-2 HLonlBiicks)blACooperlSii1folk)7-5 1-6 6-3LColmsonlOxon)PtCHornewood ISussex)6-36-3. Baseball NATIONAL LEAGUE CifKinriaif San Francisco 13Ftorrda 12 Pittsburgh 5 Montreal 4 Chicago Cubs 3 NY Bristol take step towards Europe Jenson Button proudly unveils his brand new helmet Photograph: Garry Weaser BANK OF SCOTLAND. PREMIER LEAGUE 3 District 3: Forres Mechanics 4 Lossiemouth 0 Nairn Co 0 Elgin 2 District 4: Fort William 2 Clachnacuddm 7WickAcademyOBrora 1 LEAGUE OF WALES Rhayader Town 5 Conwy 0 Motherwell 111 Dundee Utd (013 McCu'loch 22 Maine 46 Hannah 82 4,271 Vos83 0 ft Pts Rangers 30 23 6 1 83 22 75 Celtic 30 18 3 9 80 35 57 Hearts 31 13 8 10 43 36 47 Motherwell 31 11 9 11 41 59 42 Hibernian 30 9 10 1 1 44 50 37 Dundee Utd 30 10 6 14 31 47 36 Dundee 31 10 5 16 40 57 35 St Johnstone 30 8 10 12 31 39 34 KUmarnock 31 6 13 12 32 4131 Aberdeen" 30 T6T8 3373 24 RYMAN LEAGUE First Division: Maidenhead Utd 2 Wealdstone 0 Vandanel Trophy: Final: Bartend, 1 Northwood 2 'Jenson has nothing substantive in terms of results to back it up. It's all a bit sad' Mets 10 Milwaukee 7 Atlanta 4 Philadelphia 3 1 2wvsJ St loins 6 San Diego 4 Ar izonj 1 Colorado 1 Los Angeles 5 Houston 3 AMERICAN LEAGUE Cleveland50aiVland8Detrort08oston 7 Toronto lOAnaheim 16CritcagoWS lSSeattle Yankee1; 6 Basketball NBA Wastngton81 Boston 114 Atlanta 111 New Jersey 109 (2nd ot) Cleveland 88 Charlotte 103NewVork 100 Detroit 88 Miami 9 7 Toronto 73 Chicago 89 Philadelphia 93 Dallas 1 12 LA Lakers 102Denver 105Ulah 104(01) LA Clippers 100 Portland 116Phoemx98 Houston 107 Sacramento 1 1 2 Seattle 1 19 (ot) Bowls SPRINS WATERLOO (Blackpool) Ftfm round: Harrison (Blackpool)bl McCluskey IMeltnam) 2 1 -14 Sigsworth (Meltham) bt Lord (Crawshawboothl 2 1 -1 8 Sillitoe IDoncaster) bt I Broadhurst (Macclesfield) 21 -13 Hodson (Longtonl bt 0 Kirkham Strelfordl 21-20D Leigh (Altringhaml hi Houghton (Maccleslieid) 21-18. Snooker WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (Sheffield) First round: Davis (Engl btGDott (Scot! 10-6 Lee (Engl bl Helgason (Ice) 10-3 A McManus (Scol beat BOnd (Engl 10- 7 Higgms (SCO) leads Harold (Eng) 5-4 8 Snaddon IScol leads White (Eng) 5 4.

Ice Hockey IIHF WORLD SENIOR CSHIP (Katowice, Pol) Pool Denmark 4 Great Britain 6 Estonia 1 Poland 5 Great Bntam 3 Kazakhstan 1 Germany 3 Denmark 2, swept into the lead when Agustin Pichot burgled the ball from King and raced 40 metres for the first try. Just before half-time, and with Bristol having only just regained their full complement, they scored again. Their other Argentine back Eduardo Si-mone perpetrated another act of theft, enjoying an easy run-in after Fraser Waters fumbled the ball. Two conversions by Honiball had Bristol 23-9 up. But Wasps summoned enough energy and pride to make a fight of it in the second half.

King kicked two more penalties, then went over from short range for a 60th-minute try that trimmed Bristol's advantage to four points. Bristol's greater vigour in the loose deservedly earned them a third try through the replacement scrum-half Gareth Baber. Another penalty by King gave Wasps hope of retrieving the situation but not for long. Scorers: Wasps: Try: King. Conversion: Logan Penalties: King 6 Bristol: Tries: Pichot.

Simone. Baber. Conversions: Honiball 2 Penalties: Honiball 4. Wasps: Utton. Lewsey IRoiser.

66rmn), Waters, Denney (Henderson, 58). Logan, King. Wood. Le Chevaker. GieenmglLeota.

54). Moltoy. Reed. Shaw. DaKagtc leapt), Worsley.

Scrivener VoHey. 541 Bristol: Best, Dewdney. Simone. Mayer (Back, 65), Rees. Honiball, Pichot (Baber, h-t), Johnstone (Gerraid, 65).

Williams. Lemome. Arcner. Sheridan. Salter.

Vander (Short, 651, Ryan (captl Referee: Goodk'le lYorkshire) Hugh Godwin at Loftus Road Wasps 25 Bristol 31 Wasps' obvious fatigue after the exertions of their Heineken Cup exit at Northampton on Sunday were last night seized upon by Bristol, who gained what could be three priceless points in their attempt to qualify for next season's European competition. Wasps gifted two first-half tries to the team they hammered in the domestic cup so recently and, when going all out for the win at the end with a punishing series of tapped penalties on the Bristol goal-line, they were unable to find the vital breakthrough. Those expecting a feast of tries after these two clubs amassed 75 points in their Tetley's Bitter Cup meeting at Reading 12 days ago were sorely disappointed during a scrappy first quarter. Alex King potted three penalties for Wasps and Henry Honiball did likewise for the visitors but Bristol surprisingly came alive in adversity. No sooner had the flanker Craig Short come on as a blood replacement for Matt Salter than he was off again, sin-binned after a punch-up at a scrum.

Undaunted, Bristol NHL Eastern Conference: Buffalo 3 Philadelphia 2 (ot. Philadelrjbia tead 3 -1 Flonoa 1 New Jersey 2 (New Jersey le ad 3 01 Western Conference: Edmonton 3 Dallas 4 (Dallas 'ead 3-1 Fixtures 7.45 unless stated) Football UEFACUP Semi-finals, second leg: Leeds (0) Galatasaray (21 18.0! Lens 01 Arsenal 1 1. NATiONWlbE CONFERENCE Sutton Utd Scarborough MecMtllan Trophy: Semi-final, second leg: Kingstoman Hayes. RYMAN LEAGUE Premier: AJdershot Purfleet Second: Wvenhoe In Tooting Mittham (7 30). OR MARTENS LEAGUE Eastern: Oatttottl i St Leonards (7.30) FIRST NORTH WESTERN TRAINS LEAGUE First Mossley Present Cables (7.30) PONTINS LEAGUE Second: MacclestieldvRochdale 17 30)League Cup, Semi-final: Scunthorpe AVON INSURANCE COMBINATION First DMekm: Luton Bournemouth! 2.0).

Rugby Union AIB LEAGUE Second Dfic Old Belvedere Bective Rngrs (7.30) Rugby League SUPER LEAGUE Oen Bosch 1 Ajax 1 Rugby Union ALLIED DUNBAR Premiership One-. Harlequins 29 Northampton 17Wasps25Bristol31- JEWSON NATIONAL LEAGUE Two South: Mel Police 7 Esher 33 WELSH NATIONAL LEAGUE First Dhri sion: Tondu 3 1 Rumney 1 2 Tennis ATP MONTE CARLO MASTERS (Monaco) Second round: I Chela (Argl bt Henman (GB) 6-24-66-3R Krajicek (Neth) bt Enqvist (Swe) 7 -5 6-1 Ruud (Norl bt Ferteira (SAI 5- 76-4 6-3 A Corretja ISp) bt Santoro (Fr) 6- 0 6-4 Alami (Mori btM Norman (Swe) 6-3 3-6 6-1 SqulllarHArqlbt MehgeiMBr) 6-26-4 Ferrero (Sp) bt 11 Aran (Mori 6-0 6-3 A Costa ISp) bt Golmard (Fr) 2-6 6-4 6- 2 Oosedel bt Escude (Fr) 6-06-2 Plollne (Fr) bt Novak (Cr) 6- 4 6- 3 Gaudlo (Aral bt Mantilla (Sp) 6-3 7-50 Hrbaty ISIovak) bt Kafelnikov (Rusl 6- 3 5- 7 6- 4 SchaMun (Neth) bt Moya (Spl 6- 4 4-6 6-1 A Clement (fr) bt Zabalela (Argl 6-7 6-07-5K Kucera (Slovak) bt A Medvedev (Ukrl 7- 6 6 4 Boutter (Fr) bt Sarqsn(Arni6-26-3 WTA TOuflTKiton Head. South Carolina! First round: Liknovtteva (Rus) bt I Ostertoh (US) 6-34-66-1K Brand! (US) bt Talaia iCro) 7-6 6-1 MSema (Sp)bt Hopkins (US) DR MARTENSLEAGUE Eastern: Fisher Ath London 3 Raunds Tn 0 Premier: Bishop Sutton OChippenham Town 4 FA PREMIER REERVELEAGUE 7 Chelsea 0 Coventry 0 rojsgNSljAGyE '7" Premier: Burnley 0 Store 3 Oldham 1 West Brom 1 First: Lincoln 1 Stockport 1 Scarborough 0 Rotberham 0 Shelf Utd 2 Wrexham 2 Shrewsbury 1 Notts Co 1 Walsall 1 Blackpool 2 Second: Chesterfield 6 Chester 2 Wigan 1 Mansfield 1 League Cup: Semi- final: Tranmere 0 Huddersfieid 3 AVON INSURANCE COMBINATION First: Bristol City 3 Peterborough 2 1 Levton Orient 0 Ipswich 0 Ports.nouth 1 Brighton 1 HiiHLANLEAGUE jTZZIZ-Z Cup, District 1: Keith 1 Buckie lb 0 District 2: Huntty 0 Cove Rngrs 2 Rothes 2 Deveronvale Results Football CHAMPIONS LEAGUE I Quarter-final, second leg Bayem Munich (1)2 Porto Sergio 15. Linker 90 Jjrdel90 i 50.000 lagg 3-?) Man Utd (0) 2 Real Madrid Beckham 64 Keane 20 (ogl Scholes 88 (oenl Raul 50. 52 59.178 (agg-2-Ji 11)3 FA CARUNG PREMIERSHIP Leicester 19.

64 10) 0 Tottenham Ginola 90 0 (Oil 39 76 25 65 32 60 39 60 28 68 29 55 51 51 49 51 45 48 44 46 48 45 48 43 48 43 45 41 55 40 48 32 65 32 Man Utd Liverpool i Arsenal Leeds Chelsea Aston Villa i Sunderland West Ham i Everton Tottenham I Leicester Newcasde Middlesbrough Coventry Southampton i Derby Wimbledon 33 23 7 3 84 33 19 8 6 51 32 18 6 8 60 33 19 II 45 31 16 10 7 4i 34 15 10 9 41 33 14 9 10 52 3 14 9 10 46 34 12 12 10 58 34 13 7 14 50 33 13 33 12 33 12 34 11 33 11 33 8 34 7 6 14 46 7 14 53 7 14 39 8 15 43 7 15 41 8 17 37 11 16 44 ShetfWed Bradford 1 Watford 33 7 6 20 30 33 6 8 19 29 33 5 5 23 28 53 27 61 26 f.7 20 ARNOTT INSURANCE NORTHERN LEAGUE First Division: Bilirngham Town 1 Sedlmgtun Terriers 2 Qrook Town 2 Seaham Red Star 2 FraelarsJerw Exduskxts: Millennium Limited, I i I I 1 Deposit Oder nalUble If you purine vtw new Editions, Direct Fleet Supply: DetTronstrators, Motattlity Employee Car Purchase Plan. Offer available at parttdoattno, deafen only..