McCaw survives in one piece
The solution to today’s Telegraph crossword will appear with your next crossword. Arriving at Klondyke Corner with no blood streaming from his legs or nasty wounds, Richie McCaw let out a wry smile.
The retired All Blacks great completed the first day of the Coast to Coast’s two-day tandem team event yesterday with New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association boss Rob Nichol and was satisfied to be sitting sixth in the open men’s category.
Competing the 2.5km run, 55km cycle and 30.5km mountain run through the Southern Alps together, McCaw and Nichol finished part one of the 243km endurance race in 6hr 48min 54sec – 1hr 21min behind the two-day tandem men’s leaders.
It was a stark contrast from two years ago, McCaw’s first appearance in the Kathmandu Coast to Coast, where he lined up in the mountain run, and cut both legs after slipping on rocks and required stitches upon finishing.
‘‘It went pretty well in terms of we got here and we didn’t hurt ourselves,’’ McCaw said. ‘‘It wasn’t as quick as we perhaps had in mind. Some days are like that. It’s just good we made it.’’
McCaw wasn’t feeling his best throughout the day, but he and Nichol managed to push through.
They were reluctant to offer up a target time before the race, but were content not to come unstuck through the rugged Deception Valley boulders.
‘‘I thought we might have been a little quicker if we’d been feeling a bit better, but it was what it was.
‘‘Couldn’t have gone any quicker I tell you,’’ McCaw said.
Good friends McCaw and Nichol, who are competing under the moniker ‘Best Foot Forward’, have also featured together in the Godzone and Defiance adventure races.
The tandem event involves both competitors doing the entire course over two days together, staying within 50 metres of each other on the bike and run sections, while paddling the Waimakariri River leg together in a double kayak.
McCaw, Nichol and the rest of the two-day tandem competitors will head off early today to knock off the 15.5km cycle, 70km kayak and then jump back on their bikes for the final 69.5km cycle to New Brighton Beach in Christchurch.
Having only done the mountain run two years ago, McCaw said yesterday’s cycle was a new experience.
‘‘It was the first time I’ve been in a bunch like that properly.
‘‘We were hustling along at a pretty good pace. Sitting in there and getting a bit of a free ride was pretty good.’’ The White Ferns had to hold their nerve, but they won their Twenty20 series against India.
Former captain Suzie Bates led the way with 62 off 52 balls, while current skipper Amy Satterthwaite made 23 off 20 as they chased down 136 at Eden Park in Auckland yesterday to take a 2-0 series lead.
Their pursuit came down to the final over, where nine were needed, and Katey Martin began with a four, but was bowled by seamer Mansi Joshi the next ball.
A two to Hannah Rowe, with the second stolen following a rebound off the stumps came next, then a single, then another single, to Leigh Kasperek, and another single to Rowe, which sealed the result.
The four-wicket win secured the three-match series for the White Ferns, who won the first match in Wellington on Wednesday by 23 runs.
Opening with Bates, Sophie Devine helped the White Ferns get off to a fast start, making 19 off 16 balls before she was bowled by Radha Yadav. Katie Gurrey then came and went for four, bringing Satterthwaite to join Bates, who she succeeded as captain last year.
The White Ferns were 62-2 at the halfway stage, but the experienced duo accelerated their scoring and took control of the game.
The pair brought up their 50-run partnership in the 14th over, off 39 balls, and extended it to 61 in the following over, before Poonam Yadav dismissed Satterthwaite.
Bates then fell with 18 required off 16 balls, and there was a further stumble as Anna Peterson was caught in the deep for a golden duck, Arundhati Reddy making the crucial breakthrough.
Earlier, Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues starred for India, just as they did in the first T20 on Wednesday. But while they combined to score 108 runs, nobody else managed more than six as the visitors made 135-6 from their 20 overs.
Mandhana and Rodrigues shared in a partnership of 63 off 46 balls for the second wicket before Rosemary Mair struck in the 10th over, getting Mandhana to offer up a catch to Suzie Bates when she was on 36 off 27 balls.
Rodrigues, 18, was almost singlehandedly pushing India towards a competitive total, making 72 off 53 balls before she was stumped by Martin off Amelia Kerr’s bowling in the penultimate over.
India had made 71 off 58 balls when Mandhana departed, but only added 64 off the final 62 as no-one was able to offer Rodrigues any significant support.
Mair was the pick of the White Ferns’ bowlers in her second international, taking 2-17 off her four overs, including the innings turning scalp of Mandhana.
The series concludes at Seddon Park in Hamilton tomorrow.
(Jemimah Rodrigues 71 off 58, Smriti Mandhana 36 off 26; Rosemary Mair 2-17 off 4) lost to the
(Suzie Bates 62 off 52, Amy Satterthwaite 23 off 20; Arundhati Reddy 2-22 off 4, Radha Yadav 2-23 off 4) by four wickets.
India 135-6
136-6
White Ferns