Cracknell calls time on career
Rowing: James Cracknell, winner of two Olympic gold medals, has announced his retirement from the sport. Cracknell, 33, who was appointed OBE in 2004 after the Athens Games where he triumphed again in the coxless fours after victory in 2000, said that his decision had been a difficult one ahead of the 2008 Beijing Games but added: “Retiring is made slightly easier because I’m pretty satisfied with what I have achieved.”Cracknell, who also won six world titles, is to channel his energies into his media interests and is also planning to start his own company.
Caines not able
Athletics: Daniel Caines, the 2001 world indoor 400 metres champion, has pulled out of this weekend’s AAA Indoor Championships in Sheffield. After his victorious return from a year out with a knee injury in Glasgow a fortnight ago, Caines suffered a reaction to the problem.
Dann’s the man
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Boxing: Scott Dann added the Commonwealth title to his British middleweight crown as he knocked out Larry Sharpe, of Canada, in Plymouth last night. Lee Haskins, 22, became Commonwealth flyweight champion in his fourteenth bout, by stopping Anthony Mathias, of Tanzania.
Youngsters fall
Cricket: England lost to Zimbabwe in their final match in group D of the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka, but they had already qualified for the quarter-finals, in which they will play Bangladesh. Zimbabwe scraped home by two wickets after dismissing England for 172.
England hit back
Rugby union: England Under-19 bounced back from last week’s defeat to Wales by scoring six tries in a 34-26 win over Italy at the Stadio Tre Fontaine, Rome. Chris Pennell crossed twice, with the other scores coming from Andy Saul, Hugo Ellis, Olly Dodge and Tom Youngs.
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Greenslade’s title
Bowls: Jason Greenslade, from Sully, near Cardiff, won the WBT Welsh International Open for the first time at Llanelli yesterday when he defeated David Gourlay, the Sydney-based Scot, 11-8, 11-2 in the final. In the semi-finals, Greenslade beat Mark Royal, of Suffolk, 7-6, 7-6.
Matthew through
Squash: Nick Matthew, the fourth seed, joined James Willstrop and Lee Beachill, his England team-mates, in the semi-finals of the British National Championship in Manchester yesterday. Matthew defeated Alex Gough, the Welsh champion, 11-10, 11-4, 11-3.