But, as we saw at Leigh, where we had a bit of hiccup, it was down to us not really knowing each other inside out.”McNamara, who joined Wakefield for their official photocall in a church today, may also be praying for rain at the weekend.”Last year there were terrible conditions,” he recalled. “It was pouring with rain and blowing a gale and it was a leveller.”We had beaten Wakefield by 60 points in a friendly only three weeks prior to that. We were a bit complacent and conditions levelled everything out. It was nip and tuck and we managed to get there in the end.”If there is rain and sleet and snow and the wind is blowing on Sunday, that would be an advantage to us.”. After a string of false starts the English Basketball Association has finally been able to announce that the Coventry SkyDome will be the new home for all their national teams. After a string of false starts the English Basketball Association has finally been able to announce that the Coventry SkyDome will be the new home for all their national teams.
The 4,000-seat arena will host the senior men’s European Championship semi-final games against Slovakia and Latvia in November, 12 months after the association had intended starting this season’s round of fixtures at the SkyDome.

But, with the arena unfinished, last November’s opening fixture against Switzerland was moved to Sheffield and last night’s game against Croatia was staged at Birmingham’s NEC.The NEC also helped out the Basketball League earlier this season when they were unable to stage the League Trophy quarter-final and semi-final events at the SkyDome.Ian Mollard, the Association’s director of national teams, said their contract with the SkyDome was open-ended. “Coventry is a perfect central location and the size and set-up of the arena is ideal for basketball,” Mollard added. “We would love to fill bigger venues, but the sport is not at that stage yet and we are very excited about selling our internationals at the SkyDome.”The England men’s team will also play their final game in the semi-final round in Coventry – in February next year against Hungary, who are their opponents in Budapest this weekend.Mollard said that the SkyDome would also stage internationals for senior women, as well as cadet and junior men’s and women’s teams, and was confident of the prospects of a major international tournament being hosted there.He said: “The intention is that basketball will be staged at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and we are hoping to hold an international showcase tournament in Coventry in 2002.”. The International Olympic Committee held its first meeting with ten cities hoping to host the 2008 Summer Olympics to explain new selection procedures which are tougher than in the past. The International Olympic Committee held its first meeting with ten cities hoping to host the 2008 Summer Olympics to explain new selection procedures which are tougher than in the past.
Under new rules prompted by the IOC’s biggest corruption scandal, the cities will face a rigorous review to determine whether they meet the minimum organsational requirements for staging the Olympics.Cities passing that test will become official bidders. The winner will be selected by a secret IOC ballot in Moscow in July 2001 by the organization’s full membership.The other applicants are: Bangkok, Thailand; Cairo, Egypt; Havana; Istanbul, Turkey; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Osaka, Japan; Paris; Seville, Spain; and Toronto.The IOC last December agreed to scrap all visits to candidate cities by IOC members, in a move to prevent the payoffs, lavish gift giving and other improprieties that tarnished Salt Lake City’s winning campaign for the 2002 Winter Games and other recent Olympic bids..

India collapsed for 225 on the first day of the first test against South Africa as the visitors tore through the Indian top order at the Wankhede Stadium Thursday. India collapsed for 225 on the first day of the first test against South Africa as the visitors tore through the Indian top order at the Wankhede Stadium Thursday.
In reply, South Africa was 27 after 8 overs at close, with Gary Kirsten batting on 8 and Herschelle Gibbs on 15.It took the 10th wicket pair of Ajit Agarkar and Murali Kartik to forge the highest partnership of the Indian innings. An unbeaten 41 by Agarkar and a 52-run partnership took India past the 200-mark.Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar chipped in with a courageous knock of 97. But the Indian top order failed to stay at the wicket long enough to exploit the home advantage.On a wicket that offered reasonable bounce, the Indian batsmen did not look unduly troubled at first.

However loose shots ensured a steady stream back to the pavilion.Jacques Kallis was the pick of the bowlers. He took the prize wicket of Tendulkar and finished with three for 30. In his first spell of six overs, Kallis bowled four maidens and gave away just six runs with one wicket.South African captain Hansie Cronje provided effective breakthrough after ineffective spells from spinners Clive Eksteen and Nicky Boje. Cronje troubled the Indian batsmen with his slightly slower pace and impeccable line and length to take the wickets of Ajay Jadeja and Nayan Mongia.Debutant Wasim Jaffer was the first to go when a delivery from Alan Donald crashed into the stumps off an inside edge.V.V.S. Laxman was cautious after being let off on zero by Kallis off the bowling of Shaun Pollock.