Kidd’s play for Scots as Irish are turned over in Games warm-up
HOCKEY
Scotland’s Commonwealth Games squad were impressive winners in their preparatory encounter at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre last night and Leigh Fawcett, of Grove Menzieshill, became the eight member to earn a 100th cap, writes Craig Madden.
Nicola Lloyd had a tap in over the keeper from an Aileen Davis pass in the seven minute and, though Megan Frazer, the Ireland captain, equalised six minutes later with a shot from the top of the D, Nikki Kidd restored the hosts’ lead seven minutes from halftime, sliding in on the ball to score. Holly Cram went close to scoring but a defender deflected the ball away before a fine save by the Ireland keeper denied the Scots once more.
Vikki Bunce and Becky Ward were unlucky not to score after the break, then Ireland’s O’Flanagan forced a good save from Amy Gibson in 50th minute and Leigh Fawcett had a goalline stop at a penalty corner. Another Irish penalty corner effort flew wide before the Scots too over once more. Linda Clement, the captain, had a chance five minutes from time and Kidd finally added a third with with two minutes to play. Gibson made another fine save to deny Ireland at the death and seccure a great win. Gordon Shepherd, Scotland’s hard-to-please coach, conceded: “I was happy with the result and parts of the performance.”
The sides meet again tomorrow at the same venue.
BOWLS
Lanarkshire West are the only side sure to be in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cities & Counties Championship on July 5 as the final round of qualifying matches are contested today, writes Anne Dunwoodie. Two sides qualify from each section and they are four clear of Glasgow West and Dunbartonshire West and five ahead of Renfrewshire West in the West Section. In the North, no fewer than six are still in contention as the leading four, all on 8 points, face the other four. West Lothian lead the East on 10 points and 111 shots, two clear of Borders, East Lothian and Edinburgh & Leith with only two shots separating the three. Contenting in the South are Lanarkshire South and Dumfriesshire, on 10 points and 111 and 92 shots respectively, with Wigtown just two points behind.
CANOEING
Crieff’s Fiona Pennie roared back to form to qualify quickest from yesterday’s K1 kayak heats at the slalom World Cup in Prague, writes Lorin McDougall. The 2013 European champion failed to reach the final at the London World Cup a fortnight ago, but was almost two seconds faster than anyone yesterday, clocking 87.87sec. World champions David Florence and Rich Hounslow scraped through to the C2 doubles semi-finals tomorrow in 17th place. Florence had earlier needed just one run to qualify safely for today’s C1 singles semi-finals at the scene of his two world titles last September. He went quickest on the opening run in 85.05sec and DOUBLE UP: Nikki Kidd scored twice for Scotland in their 3-1 defeat of Ireland at Glasgow National Hockey Centre last night opted not to take a second attempt during which three rivals went quicker. Benjamin Savcek from Slovenia, the World Cup leader, improved from 10th to first on his second run.
CYCLING
Scots will be out in force this weekend for the Curlew Cup, the latest round of the British Cycling Women’s Series, writes Colin Renton. Katie Archibald, of Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, is second in the series going into tomorrow’s 62-mile event in Northumberland. Others on the start sheet include her team-mate Charline Joiner as well as the Velosport Pasta Montegrappa duo Claire Thomas and Lucy Coldwell, and the unattached Gemma Neill, who will all be colleagues at the Commonwealth Games.
The field for the accompanying men’s event, the 117-mile Beaumont Trophy, includes Games representatives Jack Pullar (Starley Primal), James McCallum (NFTO) and Evan Oliphant (Team Raleigh), as well as a West of Scotland composite squad headed by Andrew Whitehall. nScotland’s Callum Skinner will be looking to assess his Commonwealth Games preparations when he lines up at the Cottbuser Sprintercup in Germany this weekend. The 21-year-old features in a six-man Great Britain squad that includes the Olympic champions Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes. Today’s sprint has attracted a massive field of 57
SNOOKER
Jamie Burnett, the Hamilton veteran, and Scott Donaldson, the youngster from Perth, bowed out of the Yixing Open in China at the quarter-final stage yesterday, writes Lorin McDougall.
Burnett led the Chinese favourite Ding Junhui 2-1 following two halfcenturies, but Ding turned on the power as back-to-back breaks of 119 and 120 secured a 4-2 victory. Donaldson lost out in a low-scoring encounter with Gloucester’s Robert Milkins who progressed 4-1. Burnett had earlier beaten Cao Xinlong and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 4-0, while Donaldson saw off Long Zehuang 4-0 and Oliver Lines 4-2.
Graeme Dott, the 2006 world champion, went down 4-2 to Norway’s Kurt Maflin. He had a 117 break to lead 2-1 but went down to breaks of 64, 60 and 59 from the world No.34.