SPORT DIGEST

Athletics

AFTER a three-week break, Paula Radcliffe could finish only third yesterday behind Lydia Cheromei and Susan Chepkemei, in the mud of Brussels. It was world half marathon champion Radcliffe's first cross-country race of the winter, having declined to run the European Championships a week earlier.

She insisted defeat would not dent her confidence, nor deflect her from her aim of winning the world title in Dublin next March. Scotland's Kathy Butler finished 19 seconds behind Radcliffe, in seventh place. Details:

Men (10,500m): 1, P Guerra (Portugal) 33-02; 2, P Ivuti (Kenya) 33-22; 3, M El Ahmadi (France) 33-26; 24, B Farquharson (GB) 35-45. Women (6000m): 1, L Cheromei 20-57; 2, S Chepkemei (both Kenya) 21-03; 3, P Radcliffe 21-23; 7, K Butler 21-42.

Scotland's Hayley Haining put herself in the frame for the forthcoming World Cross Country Championships with a superb third place in the Reebok Challenge at Cumbernauld with a time of 22 minutes 23 seconds. England's Hayley Yelling won the race in 21:24.

Queen's Drive Road Races (Edinburgh, 3.3miles). Men: 1, M Bell (City of Edinburgh) 16-51; 2, M Flynn (Moray Roadrunners) 17-01; 3, K Hood (Corstorphine) 17-01. Veteran: B Kirkwood (Mizuno RC) 17-04. Under-20: D Eynor (Aberdeen Univ) 18-10. Under-17: C Berry (Corstorphine) 17-26. Under-15 (2.25m): A McColl (Corstorphine) 17-18. Under-13, (1.75m): R Finlayson (Lasswade) 12-10. Under-11 (1m): S Devanney (CoE) 8-43. Women: 1, M van der Lindon 19-47; 2, C A Gray (both CoE) 21-22; 3, D MacDonald (HBT, veteran) 21-38. Under-17: V Young (City of Edinburgh) 23-12. Under 13 (1.75m): A Kennedy 13-45. Under-11 (1m): A Benham (both Lasswade) 9-43.

Springburn 4.5 canalbank race (Bishop-briggs): 1, R Soutar 24-46; 2, J McLaughlin 24-54; 3, D O'Neill 25-48 (all Springburn). Veteran: R Young (Clydesdale) 25-57. Handicap: J McLaughlin.

Cyclists v Harriers 5-mile cross-country (Irvine Moor): 1, S McGregor (Strathclyde University) 27-57; 2, K Girvan (Ayrodynamics, Cyclist) 28-07; 3, L Richardsn (Irvine) 28-32. Veteran: J Simpson (Ayr Seaforth) 29-02. Women: 1, H Morton (Irvine) 34-58; 2, M Todd (unattached) 39-16; 3, M Miller (Irvine, all veterans) 42-07.

Saltwell 10,000m road race (Gateshead): 1, K Bell (Gateshead) 29-14; 2, D Robertson (Sunderland) 29-18; 3, V Wilson (Morpeth) 29-28. Veteran: A Jenkins (Ronhill Cambus-lang) 30-51. Women: 1, C Smallwood (Jarrow) 33-18; 2, K Reynolds (Aurora) 34-45; 3, L Marr (Pitreavie, veteran) 35-07.

Ayr Seaforth Presidents Prize (4-mile road race): L Baker 19-44. Veteran: A Stewart 20-20.

Maryhill 5000m road race (Summerston): M McCartney 17-00. Veteran: K Stevenson 18-25. Women: A Porteous (veteran) 27-15. Handicap: G Watson.

Club Christmas Races. Shettleston Ladies (mile track race): L McNeill 5-37. Veteran: E McKay 6-19. Handicap: K-A McAlpine.

Garscube (3-mile road race): I Cullen 18-03. Veteran: S Cullen 20-08. Women: J McColl (Helensburgh, veteran) 20-28.

Helensburgh (4-mile road race): M Cornish 23-37. Veteran: D Pheaker 24-49. Women: Wei Ling Wong 29-20. Veteran: L Mooney 39-48. Handicap: D MacDonald.

Strathclyde Police (5.5-mile road race): J Pretty 29-26. Veteran: J McMillan 32-40. Handicap: J Pretty.

Falkirk Victoria (2.5 miles cross-country): A Bryce 12-24. Veteran: D Gillespie 12-31. Women: J Stevenson (veteran) 13-26. Handicap: J Martin.

Law and District AC 5-mile turkey trot road relay race (Carluke): F Ross, D Martin, G Martin, T Grant 24-42.

Badminton

Husband and wife Bruce and Kirsty Flockhart (Kelty) picked up a singles title double in the East of Scotland Championships at Meadowbank yesterday but each just missed adding doubles titles as well.

Bruce had little difficulty taking care of Craig Lamb (Dalkeith) in the men's final, winning 15-1, 15-2, but Kirsty had a long battle before overcoming 16-year-old Michelle Wan (Erskine) 11-9, 12-13, 11-8.

Bruce and his former Scotland team-mate, Ken Middlemiss (Edinburgh), then took the men's doubles with a 15-6, 15-10 win over David Forbes (Erskine) and Steve Thomson (Stonehaven).

However, Middlemiss was unable to complete a perfect afternoon for the Flockharts by assisting Kirsty to the mixed doubles title, victory going to Mark McKay (Thurso) and Scottish internationalist Carol Tedman (Carluke) 10-15, 15-2, 17-15.

The major disappointment was the absence of entries from the players attached to the Scottish Institute of Sport, who were attending a training camp in Wales last week. Results:

Men's singles: B Flockhart (Kelty) beat C Lamb (Dalkeith) 15-1, 15-2. Women's singles: K Flockhart (Kelty) beat M Wan (Erskine) 11-9, 12-13, 11-8. Men's doubles: Flockhart and K Middlemiss (Edinburgh) beat DT Forbes (Erskine) and S Thomson (Stonehaven) 15-6, 15-10. Women's doubles: S Godfrey (Livingston) and C Young (Edinburgh) beat R Tarry (Edinburgh) and C Tedman (Carluke) 17-14, 15-6. Mixed doubles: M McKay (Thurso) and Tedman beat Middlemiss and Flockhart 10-15, 15-2, 17-15.

Basketball

Led by their experienced European Promotion Cup trio of Les Jackson, Lynsey Lochhead, and Shirley Campbell, Denny Phoenix went to the top of the Scottish Women's League with a narrow but deserved 64-60 away win over City of Edinburgh at Portobello High School.

Jackson has been in outstanding form this season, following her fine displays for Scotland in Macedonia last June, and scored 13 points as well as dominating the rebounds, but it was Campbell who top-scored with 15, point-guard Lochhead adding 14 and another experienced former cap Kerry Marshall 11.

Former cap Jenny Duff continued her comeback to full fitness, scoring 14 for City, with Louise Donaldson and Lauren Walker, who were both in Macedonia, adding 13 and 12. However, the visitors put a tight clamp on Edinburgh University student Walker's normal prolific scoring.

Troon Tornadoes joined Falkirk Clark Eriksson Fury, Edinburgh Kings and Arbroath CK Graphic Musketeers in the semi-finals of the Scottish Men's Under-21 Cup with a comfortable away win over Boroughmuir at Wester Hailes yesterday, Glasgow University students Ross and Ewen Campbell leading the way with 21 and 17 respectively. Results:

WOMEN. Scottish League: City of Edinburgh 60, Denny Phoenix 64.

MEN. Scottish Cup. Under-21 Quarter-finals: St Mirren McDonalds 59, Falkirk Clark Eriksson Fury 72; Edinburgh Kings 88, Aberdeen NOSKAB Buccaneers 68; Arbroath CK Graphic Musketeers 89, Denny Knights 54; Boroughmuir 55, Troon Tornadoes 85.

Lothian League: Pleasance 56, Wester Hailes EC 46; Fife Wolverines 56, Heriot-Watt Univ B 36; Edinburgh Kings 66, Pentland Tigers 65.

National Basketball Association: New Jersey 89, Atlanta 83; Charlotte 99, Boston 87; Cleveland 99, Utah 92; Minnesota 113, Indiana 110 (OT); Philadelphia 99, Chicago 91; Denver 102, Houston 100; San Antonio 90, Phoenix 82; Miami 93, Golden State 85.

Bowls

West Lothian, the winners two years ago, stretched their unbeaten run in the national indoor league premier division section B to seven points when they travelled to Coatbridge on Saturday and returned with a 96-82 victory. That success leaves them five points clear of second-placed Stirling. Results:

Premier division section A - Auchinleck 73, Blantyre 78 (J Fleming 17, G Whitelaw 21; D McClue 19, J Mitele 17; T Woods 20, T Wallace 14; S Rankin 17, D Mungall 26).

Midlothian 68, East Lothian 92 (W Peacock 12, G Robertson 34; P Conlan 17, A Marshall 19; D Peacock 17, J Allan 18; W Rankin 22, W Wood 21).

Edinburgh 96, Bainfield 63 (A Poole 25, F Muirhead 20; B Mellors 24, G Archer 11; A Jeffrey 17, S Ross 18; R Cossey 30, A Brown 14).

Section B - Stirling 90, Prestwick 61 (D McCormick 30, G Campbell 13; I Sneddon 25, R McCulloch 14; B Stillie 17, J Muir 17; P Black 18, Graeme Campbell 17).

Elgin 85, Aberdeen 59 (J Innes 19, A Perry 16; A Wylie 24, S Henry 13; S Cruick-shank 25, G Forbes 17; G Donaldson 17, J Douglas 13).

Coatbridge 82, West Lothian 96 (G McKenzie 26, G Knox 17; R Proban 22, G Seddon 20; J Purvis 19, R Forrest 28; W Harkness 15, J Mallon 31).

Division 1. East section - Perth 78, East Fife 84; Balbardie 76 Falkirk 61; Garioch 62 Turriff 99;

West section - Dumbarton 71, Lanark-shire 76; Inverclyde 90, Glasgow 66; Irvine 60, Galleon 92.

Division 2. Section A - Dyce 82, Buchan 80; Stonehaven 106, Inverness 60;

Section B - Headwell 97, Alloa 67; Cumbernauld 81, Arbroath 69; Dundee 100, Forfar 61.

Section C - Tweedbank 78, Teviotdale 69; Castlemilk 66, East Kilbride 88; Portobello 63, West of Scotland 84.

Section D - Whiteinch 114, Oban 44; Allender 81, Cowal 73; Fintry 98, Clydebank 54.

Section E - Ayr 68, Ardrossan 102; Newton Stewart 71, Nithsdale 85; Lochwinnoch 110 Paisley 80.

Cricket

Heriot's are closing in on a deal to bring back Tyron Henderson, the South African, next season.

Henderson, a product of the South African Cricket Academy, made a huge impact in his first term at Goldenacre, helping the Edinburgh troops to their first Scottish Cup success in 22 years.

Captain Euan McIntyre has revealed that the club are close to securing the talented all-rounder for a second season with a deal expected to be concluded within the next few weeks.

Curling

Finland became European Curling champions for the first time on Saturday in Oberstdorf, Germany, when they beat Denmark by 8-7 in an extra end of their final.

In the women's event, Switzerland beat Norway 9-4. Results.

MEN. Group A, final: Finland 8, Denmark 7 (extra end). Bronze medal play-off: Sweden 10, Switzerland 7.

World Championships Challenge: France 9, Czech Republic 3.

Group B, final: Italy 4, Czech Republic 5. Bronze medal play-off: Russia 1, England 8.

WOMEN. Group A, final: Norway 4, Sweden 9. Bronze medal play-off: Germany 6, Switzerland 7.

World Championships Challenge: Finland 4, Russia 7.

Group B, final: Finland 8, Czech Republic 4. Bronze medal play-off: Italy 1, England 9.

Golf

Dottie Pepper and Juli Inkster, seeking their fourth straight LPGA title, beat Grace Park and Kelli Kuehne 4 and 3 on Saturday in the Hyundai Team Matches.

Pepper and Inkster will face Sweden's Annika Sorenstam and Canada's Lorie Kane in the final. Sorenstam and Kane beat Meg Mallon and Beth Daniel 2-up in the best-ball event.

''This is what we wanted,'' Sorenstam said. ''For us it would not have been a successful tournament if we did not get to the finals and play those two. They are the defending champs. We played great against them in last year's final but ran out of holes. This year we believe things will be different.''

Pepper made six foot birdie putts at the tenth and fourteenth to go three up, and ended the match with a par on the fifteenth hole.

''There's a big difference between being two down and three down,'' Pepper said. ''That's huge. They had a chance to cut the lead to one, but when we halved the eleventh and 12th hole it took away their chance.''

Defending champions Fred Couples and Mark Calcavecchia won their opening match in the PGA Tour division, and 1999 Senior PGA Tour winners Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson also won.

Couples and Calcavecchia beat Steve Flesch and France's Jean Van de Velde 4 and 3, and Tom Lehman and Duffy Waldorf defeated Phil Mickelson and Rocco Mediate 6 and 5. Couples and Calcavecchia had nine birdies in 15 holes. ''It was a lot more fun than last year,'' Couples said. ''We were both playing well so it was a match we didn't need to rely on each other. I am a little sore. I think it's from riding the golf cart up and down the hills.''

In the senior division, Nicklaus and Watson beat Gary McCord and John Jacobs 4 and 3, and Bruce Fleisher and Australia's David Graham edged Dana Quigley and Allen Doyle 2-up.

Nicklaus and Watson overcame a two-hole deficit with birdies on Nos. 5 and 6, and added birdies on their last four holes.

''We work quite well as a team,'' Nicklaus said of their 10- birdie round. ''We don't panic when we get behind. We just work our way back.''

Nicklaus and Watson have never lost a team match event.

''I don't think you feel unbeatable,'' Nicklaus said. ''You just have to be unbeatable.''

Each the six players on the winning teams will receive $100,000 and a 2001 Hyundai XG300 in the $1.2m tournament on the Pelican Hill Golf Club's Ocean North Course.

Handball

Stirling beat hosts Glasgow Caledonian 29-21 in the last match of the year in the inaugural men's Scottish National League yesterday to jump into second place behind runaway leaders Falkirk.

After a four-week lay-off, Stirling came back strongly with their fifth win in seven games thanks to eight goals from Bruno Yvin, their French left-half, and were never behind, leading 17-10 at half-time.

John McAleer, the Scottish international right-half, scored eight for Glasgow, who are now propping up the league with East Kilbride after only two wins in eight.

Hockey

SATURDAY. MEN. National Indoor League. Division 1: Clydesdale Airways 1, Wanderers 11; Inverleith 3, Western 3; MIM Edinburgh RHG 4, Aberdeen Asset Management 5; Menzieshill 3, Grange 8; Inverleith 6, Airways Wanderers 12; Clydesdale 4, Western 5; Menzieshill 8, Aberdeen Asset Management 5; MIM Edinburgh RHG 5, Grange 4.

Division 2: Dundee Wanderers A 3, Hazlehead 2; MGM 3, Kelburne 7; Vfacto Motherwell 11, Insights Harris 5; Stepps 6, MBC 6; MGM 4, Hazlehead 7; Dundee Wanderers A 4, Kelburne 5; Stepps 3, Insights Harris 4; Vfacto Motherwell 7, MBC 5.

Division 3: Glasgow Univ 3, Watsonians 7; Western A 5, Eastbank 5; Glasgow Univ 4, Eastbank 9; Western A 5, Watsonians 5; Falkirk GHG 8, Stirling Wanderers 2; Clydebank 5, Pender Uddingston 4; Falkirk GHG 6, Pender Uddingston 3; Clydebank 12, Stirling Wanderers 5.

Division 4: Menzieshill 6, Heriot Watt Univ 4; Wesleyan Wanderers 7, Dunfermline Carnegie 8; Menzieshill A 7, Dunfermline Carnegie 2; Wesleyan Wanderers 3, Heriot Watt Univ 3; Giffnock 10, Ayr 0; Hillhead 2, Greenock 5; Giffnock 7, Greenock 9; Hillhead 10, Ayr 0.

YESTERDAY. WOMEN. National Indoor League. Division 1: Trinity 0, Westcoast Western 12; Grange Edinburgh Ladies 0, Bonagrass Grove 9; Clydesdale 3, Papa Jacques 2; MIM Edinburgh RHG 5, Menzieshill 5; Grange Edinburgh Ladies 1, Westcoast Western 9; Trinity 0, Bonagrass Grove 20; MIM Edinburgh RHG 2, Papa Jacques 2; Clydesdale 3, Menzieshill 2.

Division 2: Hillhead 3, Giffnock 3; Stirling Wanderers 9, Perthshire 2; Aberdeen Bon Accord 7, Kelburne 6; Perthshire 0, Giffnock 11; Aberdeen Bon Accord 3, Hillhead 6; Stirling Wanderers 4, Kelburne 4.

Ice Hockey

National Hockey League - Buffalo 3, Florida 2; Boston 4, Carolina 1; Montreal 4, Pittsburgh 4 (OT); Ottawa 6, NY Islanders 0; Philadelphia 6, New Jersey 3; Calgary 6, Toronto 5 (OT); Washington 4, Edmonton 0; Chicago 3, Nashville 0; St Louis 2, Detroit 2 (OT); San Jose 2, Phoenix 1 (OT); Vancouver 4, Columbus 3; Tampa Bay 4, Los Angeles 3.

Ski-ing

Austria's Hermann Maier was barred from competing in the next World Cup giant slalom race after breaking International Ski Federation (FIS) rules in Val d'Isere, the FIS said yesterday.

The federation also fined Maier 25,000 Swiss francs ($14,880) for skiing down the OK piste without permission after he was disqualified from a giant slalom at the French resort shortly before the start of the race.

FIS race director Gunter Hujara told reporters that French organisers in Val d'Isere had started legal action against Maier for endangering the lives of piste officials.

Hujara said Maier reacted to his disqualification by going on to the piste without permission and ski-ing through slalom gates to the bottom ''at race speed''.

Maier will miss next Thursday's giant slalom in the Italian resort of Bormio.

He was thrown out of yesterday's race, which was won by Switzerland's Michael von Gruenigen, for exceeding a one-hour time limit for a pre-race piste inspection.

Meanwhile, Renate Goetschl, the women's world champion, won yesterday to give the Austrians a sweep of the weekend's two speed races.

Goetschl, second in the first of back-to-back downhills on Saturday, sped down the sunbathed Corviglia II course in a time of one minute 36.49 seconds, collecting her second win of the season and the eighteenth of her career.

Italy's Isolde Kostner, a downhill winner in Lake Louise, Canada, was second in 1:36.59 followed by on-form Frenchwoman Regine Cavagnoud in 1:37.13.

Squash

England's Fiona Geaves claimed the Monte Carlo Classic title for the first time by beating compatriot Stephanie Brind 6-9, 1-9, 9-7, 9-2, 9-3 in the 61-minute final in Monaco. Results:

Men: Quarter-finals - R Lavigne (France) beat (1) O Elborolossy (Egypt) 15-11, 11-15, 15-12, 15-6; (5) P Genever (England) beat M Corren (Australia) 17-15, 15-4, 15-9; D Bianchetti (Italy) beat (4) S Meads (England) 14-15, 15-14, 12-15, 15-6, 5-0 retired; (2) J Williams (Australia) beat (6) O Tuominen (Finland) 15-9, 15-9, 3-15, 10-15, 15-5.

Women: Quarter-finals - (1) J Tranfield (England) beat (7) L Briggs (England) 9-3, 9-0, 9-1; (6) H Easton (England) beat K Hannes (Belgium) 9-7, 9-3, 9-4; K Paasivirta (Finland) beat S Mantere (Finland) 9-2, 3-9, 9-10, 9-1, 9-5; (2) S Shabana (Egypt) beat (8) S Pasteris (Italy) 9-6, 9-2, 9-3.

Swimming

Scotland continued to break records on the final day of the BP Scottish Winter Open Meet in Inverness yesterday.

Kirsty Balfour, the Edinburgh 16-year-old who had already broken Jean Hill's 100 metre breast stroke mark, also won over 50 metres, taking Katey Burke's seven-year-old record with a time of 32.70sec.

In the backstroke, Louise Coull bettered her own 100m record from last weekend in Sheffield.

Spurred on by Rosie Cornish, her Angus rival, who beat her into second over 100 metres, the Renfrew teenager won over a metre clear in a new best time of 1min 01.46sec.

In the men's 200m butterfly, Chris Jones, from Edinburgh, won the 200m butterfly in 2min 00.74sec to knock over a second from Paul Latimer's 1994 mark.

Table Tennis

Clear Solutions Aberdeen strengthened their grip at the top of the Scottish Table Tennis League by beating Stirling and Midlands 18-9 in the third round of the league.

Volleyball

Team Caledonia, guided by Tommy Dowens, the former City of Glasgow Ragazzi coach, won the opening round of the Danisco Flexible Volleyball Power League at Jordanhill.

The makeshift team, which is made up of Scotland's junior international squad and senior international players Kenny Milne and Geoff Marshall, beat Kilmarnock 25-15, 13-25, 15-11 in the men's final.

Su Ragazzi won the women's event by beating Troon (2-1), Team Caledonia (2-1), and Aberdeen (3-0).