Cricket Eight spectators died and another 50 were injured during the one-day international

Cricket

Eight spectators died and another 50 were injured during the one-day international between India and New Zealand in Nagpur yesterday.
A section of the back wall on the second level of the recently completed eastern stand at the Vidarbha Association Stadium collapsed as spectators were making their way out during the lunch interval. Three fans were killed and a further five died in hospital.Witnesses said a three-metre wide section of the brick and mortar wall appeared to give way in the crush of people trying to leave the top level of the stand, which seats up to 3,000.Some of the victims fell over the edge as the wall collapsed, plunging some 15 metres to the ground, while others were hit by falling debris. A spokesman said it had been decided to continue with the game because “there would have been a riot if we had suspended play”.The stadium is due to host a World Cup match between Australia and Zimbabwe in March.n Match referee Peter Burge fined New Zealand’s Roger Twose half his match fee for abusive language during the game, won by New Zealand by 99 runs.. Tennis

Spain won the Fed Cup for the third year running when they defeated the United States in the final in Valencia yesterday.

Conchita Martinez’s victory over Mary Joe Fernandez in straight sets secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five final.
Martinez won 6-3, 6-4 in one hour 18 minutes, but Fernandez had chances to take command and keep the contest alive. She consistently failed to hold serve after breaking Martinez numerous times on the slow red-clay surface.Spain took a 2-0 lead after Saturday’s singles as Martinez, the world No 2, defeated Chanda Rubin 7-5, 7-6, and world No 3, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, defeated Fernandez 6-3, 6-2.Spain have now won the Fed Cup four times and have been in the final six times in seven years. The Americans have not won since 1990, although they hold the record of 14 victories.In the ”dead” rubbers, Rubin, a replacement for the injured Monica Seles, defeated Sanchez Vicario 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. In the doubles, Americans Gigi Fernandez and Lindsay Davenport beatVirginia Ruano-Pascual and Maria Sanchez Lorenzo..

Various phrases became associated with Liverpool in the years of plenty. Among them were the dictum “the secret of success is to win when playing badly”, and the complaint “if we lose two matches on the trot everyone calls it a crisis”. Recently the first maxim has been reversed: Liverpool are losing when playing well. In each of the last five matches they have played well, if not for the whole match.

At Middlesbrough on Saturday they were terrible in the first half, but excellent in the second They lost 2-1. In the last five games they have taken one Premiership point from 12 and gone out of Europe. For once, talk of a crisis is accurate.
It is not that Liverpool are going to get relegated The situation is not that critical. But, with Newcastle, the other pre-season favourites, 14 points ahead and disappearing over the Premiership horizon, neither are they likely to win the title.The reason is not difficult to fathom. While the defence can be shaky, a team with the best young goalscorer, the best veteran goalscorer, and the most expensive goalscorer in the country is not scoring goals.

In those last five games they have managed three.Ian Rush is partially exonerated He is injured and has missed the last three games. Although he managed only four goals beforehand he did prove a good partner for Robbie Fowler. Fowler himself is partially excused: he has scored 13 goals this season. Stan Collymore? Guilty as charged.Collymore has scored twice this season, most recently on 16 September, a poor return even given his irregular appearances. He never looked like scoring on Saturday.This is not entirely his fault.