WORLD CUP SHORT-COURSE SERIES (Peking): Men (selected): 800m freestyle: 1 I Wilson (GB) 7.55.04; 2 J Bucar (Sloven) 8.04.60; 3 Xie Xufeng (Ch) 8.10.18.. Britain’s Ian Wilson, who finished second in Wednesday’s men’s 400 metres freestyle, went one better yesterday to win the 800m freestyle by more than nine seconds from Jure Bucar of Slovenia at the World Cup short-course meeting in Peking. Derbyshire have signed the former Leicestershire and Somerset all-rounder Vince Clarke.. India scored 231 for 4 in 50 overs, but Neil Fairbrother hammered 62 to steer Lancashire to 235 for 8. Lancashire yesterday claimed a two-wicket victory against an Indian Select XI in front of 50,000 fans in Calcutta. They appointed their own chief executive, the former Daily Mirror managing editor, Colin Myler, at the end of last year.In a brief statement yesterday he argued that being linked with the Tote chairmanship was a compliment to rugby league..

Lindsay has courted controversy at home and abroad by brokering the pounds 87m deal with Rupert Murdoch that created Super League and summer rugby.Lindsay has recently seen his power base compromised by the desire of the 12 Super League clubs for greater autonomy. He has held bookmaking interests since 1975 – indeed, he has faced recurring criticism in rugby league over his reluctance to give up those interests – and has had a share in various horses.In rugby league, he made his name as the vice-chairman and then chairman of Wigan, taking most of the credit for transforming them from comatose giants to the most successful club in the world.He has found his four years in charge of the British game as a whole a more intractable proposition. He is said to have been interviewed for the post although he can be considered an outsider in a field which includes two lords, two knights – one of them a Tory MP – and the former boss of the hugely successful Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Lindsay’s own racing credentials are more modest. The Racing Post has named Lindsay, in charge of rugby league since 1992, as a runner for the position of chairman of the Tote – a pounds 75,000 per annum job that will be vacated by Lord Wyatt in April. The game’s chief executive, Maurice Lindsay, may switch horses to his other great sporting love. Baker-Finch, who took six months away from tournament play after a succession of poor results in recent years, is 13 shots behind the leader, Stephen Leaney..

I am more positive this year.”n Ian Baker-Finch made a miserable return with a five-over-par 77 in the first round of the Victorian Open in Melbourne yesterday. I have had a year’s experience and maybe it was a good thing to miss my card. “You have to pace yourself on tour; playing nine events in a row is too many You can get lost on tour playing with your idols each week The year before I was playing only county golf. Webster had to renew his card at the School and on Tuesday retained his Apollo title in wretched conditions at Valderrama, shooting a two-under-par 69 to win by three.”I have always been a very positive player, but I lost confidence last year” he said. The success was short-lived and he missed the cut in his first nine tournaments. The leading amateur at the 1995 Open, he topped the Qualifying School and then won the Apollo Challenge. He always said he would caddie for me in my first year on tour.”Wall is a former winner of the Sunningdale Foursomes, when his partner was Steve Webster, whose father makes the cabs that Wall’s dad drives Webster was the star pupil a year ago.

If I’m doing badly, it will be nice to have a friendly face around.”This is what we have worked hard to achieve for the last 10 years He has given up a lot. “We talked a lot about whether he should come out on tour with me but I think it is the right thing to do. His father is a London cabbie who is both Wall’s caddie and coach.”Dad has been teaching me since I was four,” said the 21-year-old from Sunningdale. The investment has paid off because he is now where he always wanted to be Someone else who knows where he is going is Anthony Wall. “He is helping me to pick out the right things for my game,” said Watts, an organised young man who has kept a daily diary for future reference.While others complain they have found it difficult getting sponsors – apart from Kalle Vainola who had 12 companies chasing the only Finn with a tour card – Watts has a detailed portfolio to show potential backers.”I’m hoping to raise pounds 15,000 to get me going by staging a golf day and inviting local businessmen along,” said Watts, who spent pounds 26,000 in winning pounds 28,000 on the Challenge Tour last season. You can listen to too many people,” Higgins said.Carl Watts, a 25-year-old from Shropshire, brought his coach along too.

“The good thing is you can do as much or as little as you want. There is the chance to work with top coaches John Jacobs, Tommy Horton, Denis Pugh and putting specialist Harold Swash as well as consult psychologists, physiotherapists and fitness experts. “Even if you have been a pro for a long time, and I have been one for 21 years, you have missed out if you have not been here,” Higgins said. I always said I’ll just have one and then stayed on.”The Apollo Week has been an eye-opener for Higgins. He overcame that hurdle but has not given up the day job of being the pro at Patshull Park.”The tour has changed beyond belief in the last eight years Different tour, different world,” Higgins said “Everyone is more dedicated, fitter and they practice more I realise I need to improve I have regrets about wasting my talent in the past I couldn’t stay away from the bar There is so much time to kill. A chance meeting with tour player David Williams rekindled his enthusiasm for the tournament scene and a high placing on the PGA national order of merit meant he was exempt for the Qualifying School.