Majid Haq last night upstaged the county recruits as Scotland enjoyed a run feast on the opening day of their latest tour match in South Africa, writes William Dick.
Matt Machan, who scored a century last week, looked set to take the batting honours again with a sparkling 91. However, Clydesdale's Haq finished unbeaten on 93 as the Saltires closed on 387-9 in their three-day match with North West Dragons.
Captain Preston Mommsen and all-rounder Josh Davey were also in the runs with 67 and 48 respectively while Stoneywood's Michael Leask hit 32.
Coach Pete Steindl said: "Maj showed real powers of concentration and stuck to his task. It was a fine innings with some quality shots on what was quite a dry tricky wicket to bat on."
However, Steindl added: "Three of our top six batters have made half-centuries which is pleasing but it would have been even better if at least one of them had gone on to make a hundred.Hopefully, the bowlers can have a good day tomorrow."
Haq's hopes of completing a century will depend on Mommsen's decision to declare or bat on for a few overs this morning.
Meanwhile Gloucestershire's Richard Coughtrie and David Murphy of Northants will share the wicket-keeping duties with one taking the gloves for the Dragons' first innings before handing them to his mate for the second.
golf
It is one of the most distinctive voices in golf, with a trademark uplift at the end of the delivery that, to adapt one of Peter Alliss's descriptions, sounds like has he has just been tweaked in the nether regions, writes Nick Rodger.
Ivor Robson's "On the tee . . . " announcement is as much a part of the audio of this Royal & Ancient game as the sounds of the clubs and balls that make their own characteristic clatter on impact.
The popular Scot has been standing like a sentry on the first tee of a variety of championships for almost 40 years, ushering in the proceedings in his own inimitable style.
Earlier this week, those at Robson's home club of Moffat paid tribute to golf's most celebrated starter by awarding him honorary membership. Robson has been a member there for five decades and had a spell as the club master.
Alliss was on hand to present the award to a man who began his career at the 1975 Open Championship at Carnoustie and has been getting things underway in the world's oldest major ever since, while lending his voice to a number of Ryder Cups and countless European Tour events.
"Ivor really is a remarkable individual with a distinctive delivery," said Alliss. "He starts work at 6.30am in all weathers, without wearing an overcoat, for hours on end and never even takes a break. He has given a tremendous amount to the game, he is a quiet and modest man and epitomises all that is good about the game of golf."
Snooker
John Higgins can't wait to play on home turf when top-class snooker returns to Scotland in December.
The World Snooker tour returns to Scotland for the first time in more than two years with a major tournament in Motherwell Higgins is hungry to turn on the style in what he hopes will be a sell-out crowd at the Ravenscraig Sports Facility (December 14-16), writes Neil Goulding.
"It's great we've got a tournament in Scotland, we've really missed it, especially all the Scottish lads," said Higgins. "But the main thing is it gives Scottish kids the chance to watch top-class snooker and hopefully be encouraged to play the game. Scotland deserves to have its own tournament, so it's great news. Hopefully, it will be a stepping stone to something bigger. I hope the crowds will come out and enjoy it."
The winner of the Ravenscraig event will pocket £10,000 from a total prize fund of £50,000, and there are also world ranking points and PTC order of merit points up for grabs.
Most of the game's top players are expected to enter, including Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump, as well as Stephen Maguire and Graeme Dott.
There will be one main TV table and 10 other tables and fans will be able to move between tables to watch the action. The sessions will start at 9am on Friday, December 14 and Saturday, December 15 and at 10am on Sunday, December 16.
Tennis
Former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki reached the Kremlin Cup quarter-finals after easing past Poland's Urszula Radwanska 6-1 6-3 yesterday, writes Rob Moir.
The third seed from Denmark wasted five match points on her serve in the eighth game of the second set before finally ending the 29th-ranked Radwanska's resistance a game later.
The world No.11 now takes on last year's winner Dominika Cibulkova after the fifth-seeded Slovak beat Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 6-2, 6-3 in the second round.
French second seed Marion Bartoli, however, suffered a 6-3, 6-0 thrashing by Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson.
The world No.10 showed little resistance after losing the opening set and conceded the match with a half-hearted forehand into the tramlines after 75 minutes.
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