■ CRICKET
Pink ball in Lord’s debut
Members at the traditional home of cricket were treated to the sight of a fluorescent pink ball being smashed across the outfield when the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) beat Scotland in a one-day match at Lord’s on Monday. The pink ball was being used as an experiment to see if it retained its visibility longer than the white version that has become established in one-day games. The MCC, guardians of the laws of the game, will study feedback from the trial and may consider using a pink ball in county fixtures and one-day internationals if the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) agrees. “MCC were tasked with finding a white ball that lasts the course,” the club’s head of cricket John Stephenson told the BBC. “Kookaburra presented me with a luminous pink ball and I thought it had potential. We decided to play various research games this summer and this is the start of it. At the end of the summer we’ll draw some conclusions which I will report to the ECB,” he said. “The first five or 10 overs in the field it was a bit strange, a bit surreal, but after that it was no problem,” former Kent and England spinner Min Patel said.
■ TENNIS
Mardy Fish to skip Beijing
Mardy Fish, who stunned world No. 1 Roger Federer in last month’s ATP final at Indian Wells, will join Andy Roddick in skipping the Beijing Olympics for a US Open tuneup event. Fish, a silver medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, on Monday committed to the ATP Washington Classic, which will be played from Aug. 9 to Aug. 17 opposite the Olympic men’s tennis tournament. Roddick had already said he would defend his title at Washington rather than represent the US at Beijing because it would offer a better preparation for the US Open, which begins eight days after Washington’s final. Fish, ranked 42nd overall, is the third-ranked US player on the ATP Tour behind sixth-ranked Roddick and eighth-rated James Blake.
■ ICE HOCKEY
Revelers torch police cars
At least three police cars were set on fire in downtown Montreal on Monday night after the Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of their playoff series. Cable news channel LCN caught images of the destructive celebration from a camera in a helicopter. People could be seen smashing a police car before it was set ablaze. Montreal police spokeswoman Annie Lemieux said in a statement on the department’s voicemail that at least three police cars had been set on fire a few blocks away from the Bell Center, where the Canadiens beat the Bruins 5-0. “Many arrests have been made. Fortunately, no one seems to have been seriously injured so far,” Lemieux said.
■ RUGBY UNION
Chavhanga, Moller injured
Former Springboks winger Tonderai Chavhanga and rising prop JD Moller will miss the rest of the Super 14 regular season just as the Stormers’ playoffs bid is heating up. It was confirmed on Monday that Chavhanga suffered a hamstring injury and Moller dislocated his shoulder in the 20-12 win over the Wellington Hurricanes on Saturday at Newlands. Chavhanga will be out for at least four weeks and Moller will miss three to four months, Stormers media manager Frikkie Erasmus said. “It is a huge setback, but we have to deal with it,” Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus said. “The nice thing about it is that Tondi set a high standard ... Now the challenge is there for the rest of the guys to prove themselves.”
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and