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| Nicky Little guides Bath to victory over Gloucester Bath 24-8 GloucesterBath claimed their first Premiership home win since April after subduing Gloucester in the West Country derby at the Recreation Ground.The fly-half Nicky Little guided them to victory, landing four penalties as Bath prospered from Gloucester's indiscipline before the substitute Jack Cuthbert and wing Matt Banahan scored late tries.Little added the conversion to Banahan's interception try as the England international marked his return from suspension. The Wales international Nicky Robinson kicked a penalty and the prop Alasdair Dickinson touched down for the visitors.Bath scored 21 points after the break, as Gloucester delivered another below-par performance.Banahan returned for Bath after serving a two-week ban following his dismissal against Northampton earlier this month, while the hooker Lee Mears and prop Duncan Bell also gained recalls. Gloucester, seeking a fifth successive victory over Bath, made one change from the side that defeated Heineken Cup opponents Glasgow last time out as the New Zealand prop Greg Somerville replaced Paul Doran-Jones.Robinson kicked Gloucester into the lead in the ninth minute, but the opening quarter proved a scrappy affair punctuated by two dust-ups between the forwards.Neither side established a grip on the contest, although both teams were disrupted by injuries, with Gloucester's scrum-half Rory Lawson going off and the Bath centre Shontayne Hape requiring treatment for a head wound.Hape returned to the action just before half-time, but Gloucester ended the first period with 14 players after the hooker Scott Lawson was sent to the sin-bin for a late challenge on Bath's Australian flanker Julian Salvi.Bath then produced a promising passage of play, and it ended with Little kicking a short-range penalty that concluded the opening 40 minutes.Bath's full-back Nick Abendanon departed injured at the break – Cuthbert replaced him – and Little's second successful penalty edged the home side 6-3 ahead early in the second half. Bath had upped the tempo, confirmed when Salvi sprinted into Gloucester's 22, but simmering tensions were underlined by a grappling contest between both front rows before Lawson returned.Little completed his hat-trick of kicks 15 minutes into the second period, although it could have been worse for Gloucester after they were forced to defend their line for several phases as Bath sought a close-range touchdown.The visiting defence held firm, yet Little's strike increased Bath confidence levels, and another penalty early in the final quarter took his side further ahead. Bath put the win beyond doubt 12 minutes from time, breaking Gloucester's resistance with a well-worked score for Cuthbert, then Banahan galloped away when he collected Robinson's ambitious pass.Gloucester had the final say, rounding off a spell of pressure that came too late when the Scotland international Dickinson ploughed over.Guinness PremiershipBathGloucesterRugby unionguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Download our 2010 interactive sports calendar Paul Wilson: Arsène Wenger's idea of scrapping throw-ins will not improve football. Indeed it may make it worse guardian.co.uk |
Economy in tatters, but Astor & Black natty Astor & Black Custom Ltd. needs to be let out. feeds.bizjournals.com |
Murray starts title tilt against Anderson • Murray to play South African world No147 on Monday• Katie O'Brien and Elena Baltacha also in action on day oneAndy Murray will play the 6ft 8in South African, Kevin Anderson, in the first round of the Australian Open after qualifying was completed today. Anderson, the world No147, sealed his place in the main draw after beating Germany's Simon Stadler 6-2, 6-4.Murray's match is scheduled third on the main Rod Laver Arena on Monday, with Britain's Elena Baltacha and Katie O'Brien also in action on the opening day. Baltacha, who reached the third round in Melbourne in 2005 and is currently at a career-high 83 in the rankings, faces France's world No106 Pauline Parmentier. O'Brien also plays a lower-ranked opponent in Austria's Patricia Mayr.If Murray gets past Anderson he will come up against either Marc Gicquel or Simone Bolelli, with Jürgen Melzer set to meet him in the third round. The dangerous but unpredictable Frenchman, Gaël Monfils, could be waiting in the last 16, before the task becomes an altogether different proposition.If the seedings work out the fifth seed will have to beat the defending champion, Rafael Nadal, in the quarter-finals, the US Open champion, Juan MartÃn del Potro, in the semi-finals and the top seed, Roger Federer, in the final, in order to capture his first grand slam title.Nadal and Del Potro both begin their campaigns on Monday along with Andy Roddick, while in the women's draw Justine Henin will play her first grand slam match since the 2008 Australian Open following 20 months in retirement. Kim Clijsters also makes her return to Melbourne Park, while the former champion, Maria Sharapova, opens on Rod Laver against fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko.Monday's order of play (selected)Rod Laver Arena: 11:00 (00:00 UK time) (14) Sharapova (Rus) v Kirilenko (Rus), (15) Clijsters (Bel) v Tetreault (Can), (5) Murray (Gbr) v Anderson (Rsa), Luczak (Aus) v (2) Nadal (Spa), Dokic (Aus) v (27) Kleybanova (Rus)Hisense Arena: 11:00 Rybarikova (Svk) v (2) Safina (Rus), (7) Roddick (USA) v De Bakker (Ned), Russell (USA) v (4) Del Potro (Arg), Flipkens (Bel) v Henin (Bel)MCA: 11:00 Wickmayer (Bel) v Dulgheru (Rom), Rufin (Fra) v Tomic (Aus), (5) Dementieva (Rus) v Dushevina (Rus), (8) Jankovic (Ser) v Niculescu (Rom), Ebden (Aus) v (12) Monfils (Fra)Court 7: 11:00 Parmentier (Fra) v Baltacha (Gbr), Grosjean (Fra) v Ilhan (Tur), Gallovits (Rom) v (19) Petrova (Rus), (33) Isner (USA) v Seppi (Ita)Court 10: 11:00 Meusburger (Aut) v Bacsinszky (Swi), Kunitsyn (Rus) v Acasuso (Arg), Mayr (Aut) v O'Brien (Gbr), Lacko (Svk) v Mayer (Arg)Australian OpenAndy MurrayTennisKaty Murrellsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Nadal tumbles out after Australia Day fireworks MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Andy Murray had been warned about the fireworks, the crackle and dazzling burst of color that lights the sky to mark Australia Day celebrations.... hosted.ap.org |