CURLING:

THE world of curling has been shaken by the news that this year's World championships have hit the financial buffers, posting a loss of $372,000 Canadian dollars and having its accounts seized by the local authority, leaving scores of creditors unpaid.

It has also been reported that the real final debt could top the half a million mark, as rights fees to the World Curling Federation and Canada's national body also remain unpaid.

This tale of woe comes despite the news that some of the largest-ever crowds turned up to pay and watch the week's play at Hamilton, Ontario, some 136,096.

Athletics

SCOTTISH Schools lost away to Welsh Schools overall in the annual TSB under-20 international at Carmarthen. The girls won their match with six individual wins while the boys finished second with two.

Lee McConnell (Holyrood Secondary) scored a double success in the 200m (24.5) and the high jump (1.75m), Sarah Little (Mary Erskine) won the 800m in 2-15.99, Joanne Walker (Loudoun Acad) the javelin with 42.64m, Cathy Garden (Kinross HS) the hammer with 44.94m, and Fiona Hunter (Arbroath Academy) took the triple jump (11.14m). The successful boys were James Hendry (Glasgow Academy) in the 1500m (4-03.05) and Jeremy Smith (Kirkwall Grammar) in the javelin (57.48m).

Cricket

SCOTLAND, despite a dramatic last ball win over Holland, had to content themselves with third place in Group A of the inaugural European Championship in Denmark. Run-rate - the summer game's equivalent of football's goal difference - counted against the Scots, with Holland topping the group and England taking second spot. Holland's final opponents will be Ireland, who topped their group with a 100% record. Scoreboard:

Holland 162 (K van Noortwijk 64, M Nota 30; M Allingham 4-35, G Reifer 3-28), Scotland 163 (I Stanger 33, M Smith 29, M Allingham 29 n.o.). Scotland won by two wickets.

Britannic Assurance County Championship:

At Chelmsford. Nottinghamshire 97 (R C Irani 5-27, M C Ilott 4-31), Essex 234 for four (G A Gooch 91).

At Cheltenham. Leicestershire 159 (B F Smith 68 n.o., A M Smith 6-55) and 80 for five, Gloucestershire 71.

At Old Trafford. Lancashire 334 for two (J E R Gallian 178 n.o., S P Titchard 92 n.o., J P Crawley 54), v Derbyshire

At Northampton. Middlesex 157 (K R Brown 54, J P Taylor 5-36), Northamptonshire 92 for five.

At Worcester. Durham 240 (P Bainbridge 67, S R Lampitt 4-57), Worcestershire 39 for four.

At Harrogate. Hampshire 266 (K D James 71, M Keech 63), Yorkshire 76 for no wicket.

At Guildford. Surrey 411 (A J Stewart 74, G J Kersey 68 n.o., G P Thorpe 66, M A Butcher 57, P W Jarvis 4-82), Sussex 260 for nine (A P Wells 81, I D K Salisbury 58 n.o., N J Lenham 51, B P Julian 4-41).

Tetley's Challenge Series. At Edgbaston. Pakistan 297 (Saeed Anwar 131, Inzamam-ul-Haq 51) and 147 for eight (Ijaz Ahmed 52), Warwickshire 310 (D R Brown 76, T L Penney 66, Mushtaq Ahmed 7-91.

Tourist match. At Cardiff. South Africa A beat Glamorgan by an innings and 44 runs. South Africa A 346 (D N Crookes 105, H D Ackerman 99, N Pothas 64), Glamorgan 165 (J H Kallis 4-31, L Klusener 4-39) and 137.

Youth One-Day International. At Chester-le-Street. England Under-19 beat New Zealand Under-19 by two wickets. New Zealand 265 for seven(M Walker 60, C McMillan 57), England 268 for eight (A C Morris 76).

Cycling

Scottish National Track League at Meadowbank. Eighth round winners. Men's Open five miles: N Hall (City of Edinburgh RC). Devil: G Herd (CoE RC). 2k handicap: S McWilliam (CoE RC). 5k: A Laing (Musselburgh RCC). Junior: R Muir (Edinburgh RC) 2pt. Juvenile: S Falconer (Duned in CC) 7. Women: Flying lap: K Wylie (Team Caledonia). 5-mile: Wylie. 1000m scr: Wylie.

Overall. Men's Open: 1, D Smith (CoE RC) 89pnts; 2, Hall 78; 3, Williamson 59; 4, Laing 44 (veteran). Junior: Chapman 34. Juvenile: Falconer 52. Women: Wylie 78.

Golf

A HOLE in one with a No.6 iron at the thirteenth helped Glenbervie's Robbie Vallaly to a 5 and 3 win over Alan Shand in the semi-final of the Stirlingshire Boys' Matchplay championship at Bonnybridge yesterday. Results:

R Vallaly (Glenbervie) bt A Shand (Campsie), 5 and 3; L Shand (Campsie) bt J Good (Campsie), 1 hole.

Greyhounds

SHAWFIELD results: First race - Tilehurst Bog (1) 9-4 (jt fav), Clune Bracken (5) 9-4; #7.45. Second - Slaney Deer (2) 7-4 (fav), Clydesider (1) 9-4; #5.40. Third - Dapper Don (2) 3-1, Bawndaw Alan (4) 4-1; #14.60. Fourth - Thorny Diamond (2) 5-2 (fav), Greenmount Pearl (1) (3-1); #9.92. Fifth - La Ina (1) 4-1, Rosden Mac (3) 7-4; #10.79. Sixth - Blair Adam (1) 3-1, Kismuil (2) 7-4; #8.18. Seventh - Bobos Wishes (1) 4-5 (fav), Sandy Fire Flyer (4) 4-1; #3.89. NR: Bertha. Eighth - Ballybrack Tina (2) 7-4 (fav); Go Away (4) 4-1; #8.51.

Tennis

Poloc Summer Series ratings tournament. Women. Semi final: J Shaw (Ayr) bt N Smith (Craighelen) 6-0, 6-1. Men. Section 1. Semi finals: G Porter (Helensburgh) bt N Smith (Craighelen) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2; S McKinnon (Poloc) bt R McVicar (Clarkston) 7-6, 6-1. Section 2, final: G Smith (Kilmarnock) bt John Singh (Broomhill) 6-4, 6-3.

Men's Tableau quarter finals: I McFarlane (Giffnock) bt K Reid (Newlands) 3-6, 6-2, 10-8; R McIntosh (Giffnock) bt John Singh (Broomhill) 6-2, 6-2. Semi final: I McFarlane bt R McIntosh 0-6, 1-5 (conceded).

Solihull Junior International Tournament. Boys. Singles. 18 and under. First round: G Smith (David Lloyd) bt N Jordan (Cheshire) 6-0, 6-2. Second round: Smith bt D Marray (Yorkshire) 6-2, 6-1. Third round: R Zidkyahu (Israel) bt Smith 6-3, 6-0; G Gordon (DL) bt S Kay (Warwickshire) 6-1, 4-0 retired. Quarter final: D Anegbi (Israel) bt Gordon 6-2, 6-1. Girls. Singles. 18 and under. Quarter final: S McFadyen (Colinton) bt K Miles (Hereford and Worcester) 6-3, 6-4. 16 and under: C Wallace (Devon) bt P Downes (DL) 6-2, 6-2. 12 and under. Second round: T Lazanski (Israel) bt N Slater (DL) 6-1, 6-2; C Washington (Leicestershire) bt K McRae (DL) 6-0, 6-2.

Yachting

AN all-Scottish showdown in the final race of the Sigma 33 UK national championships is in prospect today on the final day of Ford Week in Cork, Ireland. Clyde boats Phoenix (John and Hilary Connelly) and Vendaval (David Wilson) took first and second place.

Phoenix took fourth place in yesterday's second heat while St Joan completed a Clyde 1-2, chasing Gavin Watson's Rupert across the finish line.