Indiatake thelead

Shikhar Dhawan struck 94 to help India move into the lead in the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka in Kolkata yesterday. Dhawan hit 11 4s and two 6s in his 116-ball stay and shared an opening-wicket stand of 166 with Lokesh Rahul (73 not out) as the hosts closed on 171 for one, giving them a lead of 49.

Cheteshwar Pujara was unbeaten on two at the other end when stumps were called. Claire Bruce (Metro Aberdeen Running Club) swept to an impressive victory in the women’s division of the Fraserburgh half marathon by slashing more than six minutes off her previous best time for the distance.

Her clubmate Fiona Brian, wife of men’s winner Tom, was the pre-race favourite.

But Fiona decided not to run after being told she is to represent Scotland in the Great Britain European cross-country championship trials at Liverpool next weekend.

Even if Fiona had been competing, an in-form Bruce would undoubtedly have given her a serious challenge.

The Turriff athlete set off strongly and it was clear from very early on that no one was going to be able to live with her pace.

She sprinted round the track to cross the finishing line in 1hr 20min 50sec and only six men were faster. Bruce said: “I am delighted. My previous best was 1:26:57 when I finished 20th at the Alloa half marathon in March, so it’s a big improvement.

“It’s the first time I have run here and I enjoyed the route.

“But there was a section along the old railway line which was very muddy and I slipped a few times.”

She added: “I won a three-mile cross-country race in Aberdeen a couple of years ago but this is my first road-race victory.”

Bruce, who made a significant breakthrough when finishing third in the Great Scottish Run 10km at Glasgow in October, puts her improvement over the past six months down to having a more orderly training plan.

She said: “On the back of my run in Glasgow I thought I could do a decent half marathon and chose

These runners get going at Fraserburgh