7th November 1999
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Wallabies on the throne
Great double for Aussies, cup from queen
CARDIFF, Saturday (Reuters) - Matt Burke kicked Australia to a 35-12 victory over France to win the rugby World Cup final on Saturday and become the first nation to win the trophy twice.
Australian captain John Eales received the trophy from Queen Elizabeth, just few hours after the people of Australia by a large majority voted to remain with the queen rather than breaking off as a republic.
It completed a spectacular sporting year for Australia who also won the cricket World Cup in June.
Fullback Burke kicked seven penalties and two conversions for a total of 25 points.
Right winger Ben Tune put the match beyond the reach of France with a late try and prevented a repeat of their miraculous second half recovery last weekend when they beat New Zealand in the semifinal.
Replacement lock Owen Finegan sealed it with a bulldozing try in the final moments, once again converted by Burke.
Flyhalf Christophe Lamaison, hero of last Sunday's shock win over New Zealand, twice gave France the lead in the first half with penalties but each time was answered by Burke who then added two more to before the interval to give Australia a 12-6 halftime lead.
Burke succeeded with a fifth kick shortly after the restart and although Lamaison replied with another penalty for France Burke reopened the gap to 18-9 with his sixth penalty.
Australia twice went close to scoring tries but tremendous French defence denied them.
Winger Joe Roff looked to be through but was tackled on the line and dropped the ball. From the five-metre scrum, Australia again attacked and only a magnificent catch by winger Phillippe Bernat-Salle after a chip from centre Tim Horan denied replacement centre Jason Little a seemingly certain try.
Lamaison kicked his fourth penalty but Australia were putting together almost all the attacking moves and thoroughly deserved their try by Tune.
A break by Horan led to a ruck and from the second phase scrumhalf George Gregan gained ground to pass again to Horan who put Tune away to touch down in the corner. Burke kicked a fine conversion from near the right touchline.
The Australian defence, which has conceded only one try in six matches during the tournament, again proved watertight and France only once threatened their line.
Div 1 Cricket starts next week
Sixteen teams in two groups will battle it out for supremacy in the Premier League division 1 cricket tournament conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka.
This tournament will get underway next week,
The groupings are,
Group A- Bloomfield, CCC, NCC, Sebastianites, BRC, Singha SC, Kurunegala YCC, Matara.
Group B- Colts, SSC, Tamil Union, Moors, Panadura, Galle, Antonians and Police.
Steady response by England
CAPE TOWN, Saturday (Reuters) - A unbroken third wicket stand of 64 runs between Michael Atherton (26) and M. Vaughan(33) helped England to reach 78 for 2 at the close on the second day of their four-day match at Newlands on Saturday.
This was in response to Western Province/Boland XI's first innings score of 358 for nine declared.
Western Province/Boland - (247 for 5 overnight) 358 for 9 dec (L.Koen 96, H.Ackerman 35, A.Prince 21, K.Jackson 80, S.Palframan 72, R.Telemachus 13n.o; Caddick 5 for 53, Mullally 1 for 54, Tudor 2 for 76, Butcher 1 for 34)
England - 78 for 2( M.Atherton 26n.o, M.Vaughan 33n.o; Willoughby 1 for 21, Telemachus 1 for 34)
Openers put Australians in driving seat
BRISBANE, Australia, Saturday (Reuters) - A record unbroken opening partnership of 233 between Michael Slater and Greg, Blewett subdued the Pakistan pace attack and put Australia in a strong position at the end of the second day of the first test as it chased Pakistan's first innings total of 367.
Slater dominated proceedings, his exuberant batting style, timing and a few slices of luck carrying him to 134 not out, while an overshadowed Blewett finished undefeated on 77.
Luck because Slater was dropped on 78 and 99. The pair's unbeaten run stand, scored in just over four hours, eclipsed the previous Australian record for the first wicket against Pakistan of 176 set by Slater and former captain Mark Taylor in Rawalpindi in 1994.
After seeing off, with a few difficulties, the new ball pace pairing of captain Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, Slater and Blewett set about overpowering the Pakistan attack.
Slater in particular started to score runs quickly, and seemed to enjoying his sparring with the pacy Akhtar, who returned through the innings for short fiery spells. Akhtar's pace and line set Slater on his backside a number of times, and he also took a couple of hits to the body.
Earlier, the Australians had hoped to wrap up the Pakistan tailenders quickly and cheaply on Saturday morning after claiming three late wickets on Friday, but were thwarted by an adventurous innings of 61 from wicketkeeper Moin Khan.
Reprising his big-hitting form from the World Cup one-day tournament this year, Khan swiped nine fours and a six off the Australian attack before he was last man out with the score on 367.
As a mark of respect for West Indian fast-bowler Malcolm Marshall who died of colon cancer earlier this week, both teams assembled on the field for a minute's silence before the start of play.
Triple for Maheesha Seneviratne
Thirteen-year-old Maheesha Seneviratne of Bishops College bagged a triple at the Junior National Tennis Championships at the National Tennis Centre Courts at Greenpath last evening. Maheesha won the girls under 14, 16 and 18 singles. In the under 14 singles Maheesha the top seed beat Dushika Subramaniam 6-1, 6-1 and in the under 16 singles being the top seed beat Samanthi Wijesekera 6-1, 6-2.
Maheesha the bottom seed in the under 18 singles beat Samanthi Wijesekera 7-5, 6-2. The Paramanathans too featured prominently, with sisters Jancy and, Bimcy winning the girls under 12 and 10 singles.
In the under 10 singles, Bimcy the top seed bt Navodi de Silva 9/8 and in the under 12 singles, Jancy bt Irufa 6-4, 6-1, 7-5. Sanjeev Paramanathan bagged a double winning the boys' under 16 and 18 singles.
In the under 16 final Sanjeev suprisingly seeded no 10 beat the top seed Dinuka Ranaweera 6-3, 6-2 and in the under 18 finals being the top seed beat Dinuka Ranaweera the bottom seed 6-3, 6-7, 6-2.
Sobhini, Ganendera Champions
Ganendera Subaramanium and Sobhini Wickremage clinched the men's and women's singles title respectively at the Trans Asia hotel Open tennis championships at the hotel courts yesterday. The men's singles title went to the bottom seed Ganendera Subara–manium after he scored a 6-2 6-3 win over top seed Dhevan Peiris. In the Women's final top seed Sobhini Wickre–mage scored a 6-4, 6-2 win over Maheesha
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