O'Sullivan well off the pace as El Kamch wins

Sports DigestATHLETICS: Sonia O'Sullivan posted her fastest 3,000-metre time of the season at Gateshead yesterday, but could only finish a well-beaten fifth to Morocco's Zahra El Kamch.

O'Sullivan fell off the pace early in race and finished the length of the straight behind the winner, who clocked 8 minutes 36.24 seconds to O'Sullivan's 8:49.46.

The result is unlikely to do much for the Cobh woman's confidence ahead of next month's World Championships in Paris, where she is down to run the 5,000 metres.

Britain's Jo Pavey was second in yesterday's race (8:37.97), Benita Johnson of Australia third (8:38.06).

The highlight of the meeting was a world record in the pole vault from Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia, who cleared 4 metres 82 centimetres.

The world indoor silver medallist won a $50,000 bonus for adding a centimetre to the mark set by Stacy Dragila of the US two years ago.

TRI-NATIONS: The Springboks pulled off a major upset when they beat world champions Australia 26-22 in the opening match of the Tri-Nations tournament at Newlands on Saturday.

The Boks relied on strong defence, the brilliant kicking of outhalf Louis Koen, who contributed 16 points from four penalties and two conversions, and the virtuosity of Brent Russell, who only came on as a replacement when full back Jaco van der Westhuyzen was forced off with a knee injury soon after the start.

Wallabies full back Matt Burke kicked a drop-goal in the third minute. But the Boks counter-attacked almost from the kick-off and Russell rounded off some brilliant back-line play to cross for a try.

Wendell Sailor went over for a simple try after 24 minutes and Burke converted to give Australia a 10-7 lead. South Africa evened the score with a Koen penalty and reclaimed the lead after 35 minutes when Koen slotted another long-range penalty.

Russell then fielded a cross kick on his 22-metre line and started a counter-attack that ended in lock Victor Matfield going over. Koen converted to give the Boks a 20-10 lead at half-time.

Soon after the break, Phil Waugh barged over from close range and Burke converted. But Koen stretched the lead again with two penalties.

Joe Roff got the last score of the game, touching down in the corner.

CRICKET: England turn their attentions to Test cricket again this week secure in the knowledge that their experiment with younger players has been a resounding success during the last month of one-day international cricket.

Their bold selection of a 15-man squad including six uncapped players seemed flawed initially. But they overcame Pakistan in the NatWest Challenge and beat South Africa three times during the triangular tournament.

The seven-wicket hammering with nearly 30 overs to spare in Saturday's final at Lord's ensured the hosts moved up to third in cricket's unofficial world rankings.

" The results are there in the fielding, the batting and the bowling. There are still areas we can improve on, but it's been a great effort," enthused chairman of selectors David Graveney.

DAVIS CUP: Greece completed the process of whitewashing Ireland in the Euro/Africa Davis Cup second round tie by winning both reverse singles at the Athens tennis Club yesterday, reports Pat Roche.

John Doran had to opt out of his match against Nickos Rovas after winning the first set 6-3 - though he was down a break in the second 4-5 - with a pulled stomach muscle.

Conor Niland lost 3-6 6-3 4-6 to Solan Pappas. The match effectively ended when Greece won the doubles in straight sets on Saturday for an unassailable 3-0 lead.

Yesterday Greece reversed an earlier decision to play their third- and fourth-best players by recalling their singles winners, Konstantinos Economidis and Vassilis Mazarakis, to play John Doran and David Mullins.

The score, 6-2 7-5 6-1, might suggest otherwise but the games were close and it lasted two and a half hours before Doran and Mullins succumbed.

Non-playing team captain Owen Casey said: "Given the conditions, slow clay courts and temperatures above 40 degrees I could not have asked more from the players.They performed as well as they could. Only Peter Clarke (250) on our team has a ranking higher than their second-best player."

CYCLING: The Irish downhill team had their best performance at a World Cup with a strong ride in the fifth round event at Grouse Mountain in Canada, reports Shane Stokes

Gary Houseman of the US won in two minutes 6.94 seconds, with John Lawlor best of the Irish squad in 20th, just over 3 seconds behind. Glynn O'Brien was 22nd, while Jamie Popham (30th), Andrew Yoong (52nd) and Andy Smith (57th) completed the team's fine showing.

Elsewhere, junior rider Fraser Duncan took the first victory of the year for the Team Ireland set-up in Belgium, winning the 90 kilometre Grand Prix Primo on Saturday in Destelbergen, just outside Ghent.

Duncan's team-mate Barry Woods finished 19th in the race.