Sport digest

Before their departure the girls received a timely boost when they learned that Australia, the holders and Olympic champions and Scotland's opponents in the opening match of the World Cup had been held to a 2-2 draw by England who are ranked eleventh out of the 12 nations, two places below Scotland.

Two practice matches have been arranged for them against India, whom they beat on penalties to win bronze in their qualifying tournament in Harare last August and the Dutch Under-21s on Monday.

Sailing

LAWRIE SMITH'S gamble aboard Silk Cut appears to be paying a continuous dividend on leg eight of the Whitbread Round The World Race, as the British boat eats its way back into the nine boat fleet.

Having been 180 miles adrift in second from last, Smith's crew were yesterday holding fifth place, less than three miles behind overall race leader EF Language (Paul Cayard) which was lying third.

Leg 8 Latest Positions - 1, Merit Cup (G Dalton, Monaco) 743.8 miles to finish; 2, Toshiba (P Standbridge, USA) 1.6 miles behind leader; 3, E F Language (P Cayard, Sweden) +16.7 miles; 4, E F Education (C Guillou, Sweden) +18.9 miles; 5, Silk Cut (L Smith, GB) +20.2 miles; 6, Swedish Match (G Krantz, Sweden) +36 miles.

Pools dividends

Littlewoods. Treble chance: 24pts #356,482.50, 22 #290.60, 20 #3.85. Four draws #102.85. Nine homes #980.00. Six aways #61.40.

Vernons. Treble chance: 24pts #109,373.85, 22 #80.50, 20 #2.50.

Zetters. Treble chance: 22pts #245.40, 20 #0.70. Six aways #12. Nine homes #460.20. Four draws 296.70. All draws seven match pool (from all eight draws): 20pts #52.35, 19 #0.80. 1997/8 League champions #20.20 (for #1). Lucky Numbers: 35 7 24 30 28 21.

Brittens. Treble chance: 22pts #43.30, 20 #0.50. Four draws #29. Eight homes #15.25. Six aways #7.40.

Cricket

Surrey duo Mark Butcher and Ally Brown plus Warwickshire's Nick Knight all scored centuries as Texaco Trophy hopefuls made their marks on the opening day of the latest round of championship matches.

Brown raced to an unbeaten 111, reaching his century off 94 balls with fifteen 4s and two 6s, after opener Butcher had scored 106. New Test captain Alec Stewart (59) also made an impression.

Left-hander Knight scored 109 as Warwickshire made 253 for eight in reply to lead Derbyshire by 155. Dougie Brown led Warwickshire's bowling assault by taking five for 40. Championship scores:

At Derby. Derbyshire 98 (D R Brown 5-40); Warwickshire 253-8 (N V Knight 109, D L Hemp 59).

At Riverside. Durham 276 (M A Gough 62, M C Ilott 4-49) v Essex.

At Bristol. Gloucestershire 134 (C C Lewis 6-60, A D Mullally 4-33); Leicestershire 245-5 (V J Wells 120, B F Smith 81 no; A M Smith 4-56).

At Southampton. Surrey 434-5 (A D Brown 111 no, M A Butcher 106, A J Stewart 59, J N Batty 51 no) v Hampshire.

At Canterbury. Kent 186 (M A Ealham 73); Lancashire 90-3.

At Lord's. Middlesex 204 (A R Caddick 4-74); Somerset 157-5 (R J Harden 63, M N Lathwell 52 no; R L Johnson 4-55).

At Northampton. Yorkshire 148 (D E Malcolm 6-54); Northants 158-4.

At Trent Bridge. Nottinghamshire 275 (P Johnson 68, J D Lewry 4-57); Sussex 49-3.

Other Matches

At Fenner's. Glamorgan 342-4 dec (A W Evans 125, A D Shaw 71, A Dale 59); Cambridge Univ 13-0.

At The Parks. Worcestershire 310-3 dec and 93-0 dec (V S Solanki 59 no); Oxford Univ 162-8 dec and 126 (M J Rawnsley 6-44). Worcestershire won by 115 runs.

In Scotland: West League Cup - West of Scotland 114 (C Richards 51; R S Young 6-61); GHK 116 for three (Z Ahmed 57).

American football

Japanese tight end Nachi Abe has flown back to join the Scottish Claymores after successful treatment on his injured calf in Japan. Abe, who has recovered with the help of acupuncture, is fit to face England Monarchs at Murrayfield on Sunday.

Golf

CARLISLE-based Craig Hislop continued to head the Scottish challenge after a two-under-par second round 70 for a total of 141 in the #20,000 Mastercard Tournament at the Wynyard Club.

However, two dropped shots in the last three holes left last year's Scottish amateur champion seven strokes adrift of leader Neil Roderick who fired a flawless 65.

Leading scores: 134 - N Roderick 69, 65. 138 - R Wragg 68, 70; R Hurd 67, 71; J Miller 71, 67. 139 - J Hepworth 70, 69. 140 - M Foster 72, 68; Y Taylor 71, 69. Scottish qualifiers: 141 - C Hislop 71, 70. 142 - E Little 70, 72. 143 - D Fleming 74, 69.

A trio of Scots were reunited with their golf clubs just in time to tee off in the Challenge Tour's Albarella International Open in Italy, but were lost in a glut of low scores.

As Gordon Sherry, Stephen McAllister, and Stephen Gallacher arrived on the island near Venice, their luggage was delayed. They practised with borrowed clubs but their own ones arrived in time for the first round, with Sherry posting a two-under-par 70, McAllister a 71 and Gallacher a 72.

The best placed Scot is Andrew Crerar on 69, six behind, while Andrew McKenna joined Sherry on 70. Other Scots are well down the field, John Carnegie on 71 and Mike Miller on 72. Leading scores (British and Irish unless stated):

63 - M Lanner (Sweden). 64 - P Nyman (Sweden). 65 - M Goggin (Australia), R Gonzalez (Argentina), E Simsek (Germany). Others included: 67 - P Jacobson (Sweden), G Murphy, J Mellor. 68 - S Wakefield. 69 - A Crerar, W Bennett. 70 - D A Russell, D R Jones, G Sherry, A McKenna. 71 - J Carnegie, A Butterfield, R Johnson, J Robinson, S Watson, J Bickerton, S McAllister. 72 - M Blackey, M Miller, S Gallacher. 73 - A Collison, B Ingleby, S Cronin, M Litton. 74 - M Hazelden, P Streeter.

English club Woodsome Hall completed a successful raid north of the Border at Glasgow Gailes yesterday when they claimed victory in the West of Scotland qualifier for the 1998 Volvo Pro-Captain Challenge.

The West Yorkshire club will join Nairn, who won the East of Scotland heat at Gullane on Monday, in the national final at Wentworth on Tuesday May 26. Leading scores:

65 - Woodsome Hall (Michael Higginbottom (pro) & Tim Fielden (capt, 8)(bih); Glenbervie (John Chillas (pro) & Peter Brown (capt, 13); 66 - Cardross (Robert Farrell (pro) & Colin McCash (capt, 6).

Athletics

Sri Chinmoy Road Race, Edinburgh - 1, K Rankin (Falkirk Victoria) 9min 55sec. Over-50 - K Weston (Ferrante AC) 11-12. Over-60 - J Shaw (Ferrante) 12-44. Women - 1, J Thomson (City of Glasgow) 11-58.

PERTH Strathtay Kinnoull four mile/800ft hill race at Perth - 1, P O'Keefe (Edinburgh Uni) 24-38. Veteran, M Laing (Fife AC) 26-34. Youth, A Lemoncello (Fife AC) 26-53. Team, Fife AC (A Milligan, M Laing, A Lemoncello). Women, J Higginbottom (Carnethy) 31-42. Veteran, P Lemoncello (Fife AC) 35-22.

Troon Tortoises 10k Roadrace - 1, T Murray (Spango Valley) 29min 42sec. Veteran - T Coyle (Unattached) 33-29. Women - 1, S Scott ( City of Glasgow) 35-18. Veteran - K Todd (JW Kilmarnock) 39-42.

Ice hockey

EDINBURGH'S new ice hockey team was launched yesterday and it will play next season in the re-vamped 10-strong British League.

Veteran player Scott Neil and Edinburgh TV dealer Raymond Lumsden are masterminding the new project. A new name and logo will be announced next week.

Squash

British champion Simon Parke powered to victory over Mark Chaloner in straight games to set up a clash with world number one Peter Nicol in the UK Packaging Players' Championships at the Connaught Club in Chingford.

Scottish player Nicol took 55 minutes to defeat England captain Chris Walker 17-15, 15-9, 15-9 at Dolphin Square while Parke was beating Chaloner 15-10, 15-10, 17-15 in 47 minutes at the Parklangley club in Beckenham.

The women's final will feature top-seeded England No.2 Cassie Jackman against England No.5 Linda Charman, seeded second.

Norfolk's Jackman needed only 39 minutes to defeat Yorkshire player Jenny Tranfield 9-5, 9-7, 9-1 while Sussex's Charmen was even quicker, taking just 26 minutes to defeat the Suffolk player, Vicky Lankester, 9-2, 9-1, 9-1. Results:

Semi-Final

Men: P Nicol (Sco) beat C Walker (Essex) 17-15, 15-,9 15-9; S Parke (Yorks) beat M Chaloner (Lincs) 15-10, 15-10, 17-15.

Women: C Jackman (Norfolk) beat J Tranfield (Yorks) 9-5, 9-7, 9-1, L Charman (Sussex) beat V Lankester (Suffolk) 9-2, 9-1, 9-1.