I’m on the top of the 94 London bus with Vikram Seth, author of A Suitable Boy, reliving whole sections of his new novel An Equal Music, an elegant tale of string quartets, Rochdale and lost love. The battling Eagles, who gained a last-minute 23-21 win over Hull in their previous game, grabbed two tries in the last 11 minutes to take the lead for the first time and make amends for last season’s 24-23 defeat. The Cumbrians trailed 12-0 at half-time but fought their way back to 12-10 midway through the second half. It took a late penalty by prop forward Stuart Dickens and a drop goal from the same player to ease Featherstone through, 15-10.Leigh recorded eight tries as they triumphed 44-24 at Lancashire Lynx. Leopards stormed to a 32-14 lead at the end of the first quarter, led 52-34 at half time, and 66-56 after the third. The Sharks must now win both home games this week to reach the play-off finals at Wembley on the first weekend in May.
Fifth-placed Newcastle Eagles made home advantage count with a 78-76 win over London Towers, but Derby Storm’s boisterous support failed to intimidate Thames Valley Tigers, who won 91-87.Motivated by the mutual antagonism between the teams and coaches, the Tigers pulled away with a 10-5 finale to win, before retreating to their own intimidating Bracknall venue for Wednesday’s second, and possibly decisive, game.Last season Derby coach Bob Donewald, then at Leicester, accused Paul James of underhand tactics in securing the Tigers coaching post at the expense of Mick Bett.

Earlier this season, one of Derby’s repeated brushes with authority followed a game at Bracknell.James said: “It is always very intense because of the history between the teams and between Bob and I. We went up there determined to stand our ground.”The decisive factor, however, came from what Tigers threw at Derby. Seven three-pointers from Casey Arena compensated for what James described as “poor perimeter play and a non-existent inside game” from his team.James said: “A smaller, quicker line-up worked best. Lee Walker scored 16 and Stewart Clark scored 14 and took ten rebounds.”Yorick Williams, playing his first game since suspension following the brawl at Chester in January, scored 19 for Derby. Maurice Robinson scored 16 after being cleared to play by Friday’s appeal against a one year ban for a doping offence in March.Last season a three-pointer from London Towers’ Danny Lewis knocked Newcastle out at the quarter final stage. Eagles’ coach Craig Lynch held his breath again when Lewis launched a long range attempt to snatch victory at Newcastle.A 14-1 run apparently gave Newcastle control at 45-44 and then, after London came back, Andrew Bailey and Ralph Blalock opened a 78-73 lead.

Malcolm Leak’s three-point play set up the chance for Lewis’ match-winning attempt.Eagles leapfrogged to fifth on the final weekend of the regular season, avoiding an anticipated quarter final with runners-up Manchester Giants to face instead fourth-placed London, who they swept 3-0 in the league.”Now we’ve got to get on the road and do it again,” said Lynch of their second leg on Thursday.. GREAT BRITAIN blew their chance of taking over the outright lead of Pool B in the World Championships in Denmark yesterday following a 3-2 defeat by Germany. The Germans were relegated from Pool A last year, but started their campaign in the lower division as the favourites, and with a 100 per-cent record.
Britain twice held the lead in the game at Odense, initially going in front through Paul Adey. Germany were level just over four minutes later when Daniel Kreutzer scored with a soft goal past Stevie Lyle, who had previously been outstanding in his first two matches.A powerplay goal from Nicky Chinn restored Britain’s onegoal cushion, the netminder Robert Muller given no chance with a shot high into the roof from just inside the face-off circle.Tino Boos then pulled Germany level, with Lyle again at fault, the winner coming from Josef Lehner with just over six minutes remaining.Britain had their own chances for an equaliser late on and their coach, Peter Woods, felt they should have come away with at least a point after opening with wins over Slovenia and Kazakhstan.Woods said: “We certainly played well enough to have drawn the game but overall we had some breakdowns today.” The hosts Denmark also have a 100 per-cent record, and head the table along with Germany..

ANTHONY HAMILTON built himself a slender lead ahead of the last session of the British Open final against Fergal O’Brien in Plymouth last night. The Nottingham professional built a deserved advantage as he started and ended the opening session of the day on a high note to lead his Irish stablemate 4-3 with a possible 10 frames to play.
Hamilton, who knocked out the Yorkshireman Jimmy Michie in the opening semi-final on Saturday, was quickly into his stride in a game delayed by 30 minutes because of television commitments involving Sky’s coverage of the FA Cup semi-final between Manchester United and Arsenal at Villa Park.The delay meant that many of the crowd had been waiting for nearly an hour at the Plymouth Pavilions before the first ball was struck.However, the first frame proved to be worth the wait as Hamilton, the world No 11, opened with a break of 24 and then added a run of 110 to take the lead. It was a debate whether to go in to the pits or carry on but the team called me in and we had an excellent stop.”"If there had been another 20 metres I would have caught him, but that’s the way it goes.”Brazilian Senna’s winning margin was as close as Peter Gethin’s at Monza in 1971, when he beat Ronnie Peterson, and denied Williams their fifth success in a row.Senna started from pole position and led until Mansell caught him on lap 40. Suarez at least improved the Prince’s shocking sense of balance, but it would be unrealistic to judge him on the evidence of one fight.Examining Hamed’s career, however, it is difficult not to believe that he is steadily, perhaps irretrievably, going downhill, which is where the fortysomething Detroit legend Thomas `Hit Man’ Hearns has been for some time.

Hearns is the only fighter to win world titles in six weight categories and he added another belt on the show’s undercard, the IBO cruiserweight title. But his 12-rounder with the unambitious American, Nate Miller, both left him dissatisfied and all but emptied the arena. He now knows that his dream of a shot at the light-heavyweight champion Roy Jones and then retirement is highly unrealistic.. The Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez on 13 April, 1986, made history when it was won by one of the shortest distances recorded in the sport of Grand Prix racing This is how the Daily Express reported it.