Global Sports

In an article in Wisden Cricket Monthly, Engel said two points would still be awarded for winning a series and one for drawing.

But instead of the standings being determined on the difference between the number of series played and the points gained, the table would now be based on the average number of points gained per series.

Revised Standings: 1 Australia, 2 West Indies, 3 South Africa, 4 Pakistan, 5 India, 6 Sri Lanka, 7 England, 8 New Zealand, 9 Zimbabwe.

Connors edges McEnroe in fiery final

IRVING (TEXAS): Jimmy Connors beat John McEnroe 6-7 (2), 6-2, 11-9 in a tumultuous final at the Pricewaterhouse Coopers Champions Senior Tennis tournament yesterday.

It was Connors’ fourth tournament title of the year and netted him $40,000. McEnroetook home $25,000 and still has a 100-point lead on Connors in the Nuveen Masters point standings.

It was the 41st meeting between the Connors and McEnroe and featured vintage play and behaviour from both.

In between service winners, McEnroe sparred with chair umpire Myron Krueger, glared at the linespeople and jawed back and forth with the capacity crowd of 2,827. He served fourteen aces, but overall his serving percentage was a low 50 per cent.

For his part, Connors glared at McEnroe, blasted service returns and, at one point, walked off the court. When the match was over, the two old foes left the court without shaking hands.

Waterproof torch for Sydney Olympics

SYDNEY: Australian scientists believe they have come up with an Olympic flame that will not go out, even if dropped into water, during the Sydney 2000 Games torch relay.

“The flame will work”, Adelaide University’s Gus Nathan said of the design his department is working on to beat problems the Nagano Winter Olympic Organisersran into in February when their flame kept going out.

Nathan said the designers also aimed to minimise the environmental impact of the gas-lit torch and keep it as cheap as possible while ensuring an attractive, bright flame that never went out.

“The same flame has to stay alight from Athens all the way to the opening ceremony, which includes a few aeroplane flights where it will be in a miner’s lamp. There will be 10,000 changes where we have to make sure it doesn’t go out”, Nathan said.

The scientists have used different combinations of fuels and tested the flame in wind tunnels and even in water tanks.

The shape and material of the torch is still a closely guarded secret to be unveiled at a torch launch in January next year.

The relay will be run by ordinary Australians, starting 100 days before the opening ceremony, with runners getting to keep the torch they carry as a souvenir.