“It’s still going to be hard to have a year like last year, but this is my home tour and I know the courses well.” His other 1995 win came in the Bell’s Cup last month.Els was not the only player celebrating. The 66 of England’s Van Phillips meant the 22-year-old former Walker Cup amateur from Slough earned £12,190 for joint third place with another South African, Warren Schutte, and the Zimbabweans Mark McNulty and Tony Johnstone.The cheque was three times bigger than any Phillips has earned in 16 struggling months as a professional – he has twice failed to win a European tour card – and he said: “It should solve a few financial problems.”I’ve had a lot of doors shut in my face since I left the amateur ranks and I’d like to pay back some of the money loaned to me.”Els began the final day two shots behind the Namibian Trevor Dodds, but overtook him with four birdies in his first seven holes. A 12-footer on the opening green set him off on exactly the right note and then came a hat-trick of birdies from the 482-yard fifth.Scores, Sporting Digest, page 29. RICKET

Pakistan 231 and 250
Zimbabwe 243 and 139Pakistan win by 99 runsAmir Nazir’s first five-wicket return in Tests helped Pakistan to a 2-1 series win with a 99-run victory over Zimbabwe in the third Test in Harare yesterday.Pakistan’s captain, Salim Malik, joins England’s W G Grace (1888) and South Africa’s Hansie Cronje (1995) as one of only three captains to steer their team to victory in a three-Test series after losing the first match.Needing 239 runs to win after taking the last four Pakistan wickets within the first five overs of the day, Zimbabwe were bowled out for 139 when Bryan Strang edged a catch to Shakeel Ahmed in the slips off Aqib Javed.

Amir ended with figures of 5 for 46 from 19 overs.Andy Flower provided the only genuine resistance, making an attractive 35, but when he top-edged a hook off Manzoor Elahi to Amir at mid-on, a Pakistan victory – despite some late spirited hitting from Heath Streak, who made 30 not out – became a certainty.(Fourth day; Pakistan won toss)PAKISTAN – First Innings 231 (Inzamam-ul-Haq 101; H Streak 4-53).ZIMBABWE – First Innings 243 (Aqib Javed 4-53).PAKISTAN – Second Innings(Overnight 235 for 6)Saeed Anwar c Carlisle b Streak 26Shakeel Ahmed c A Flower b B Strang 33Inzamam-ul-Haq c G Flower b Whittall 83*Salim Malik c Carlisle b Whittall 5Ijaz Ahmed c Whittall b Streak 55Aamir Sohail c G Flower b Whittall 19Rashid Latif c A Flower b Streak 6Wasim Akram c Campbell b Brain 4Manzoor Elahi c A Flower b Streak 0Aqib Javed c A Flower b Brain 3Amir Nazir not out 0Extras (3lb 3w 10nb) 16Total (95.1 overs) 250Fall: 1-58 2-72 3-88 4-204 5-230 6-233 7-246 8-247 9-250 10-250.Bowling: Streak 18-5-52-4; Brain 16.1-2-61-2; Whittall 22-3-66-3; B Strang 26-16-27-1; P Strang 13-3-41-0.ZIMBABWE – Second InningsG Flower b Amir Nazir 2S Carlisle b Amir Nazir 0A Campbell c Rashid Latif b Amir Nazir 18*A Flower c Amir Nazir b Manzoor Elahi 35G Whittall c Shakeel Ahmed b Akram 2D Houghton c Rashid Latif b Amir Nazir 5I Butchart c and b Amir Nazir 8P Strang c Ijaz Ahmed b Aqib Javed 5H Streak not out 30D Brain c Inzamam-ul-Haq b Akram 8B Strang c Shakeel Ahmed b Aqib Javed 0Extras (b5 lb5 nb16) 26Total (59.4 overs) 139Fall: 1-2 2-12 3-37 4-68 5-72 6-85 7-95 8-95 9-122Bowling: Wasim Akram 20 1-45-2; Amir Nazir 19-3-46-5; Aqib Javed 17.4- 3-26-2; Manzoor Elahi 3-0-12-1.Pakistan won by 99 runsMan of the match: Inzamam-ul-HaqFirst Test (Harare): Zimbabwe won by an innings and 64 runsSecond Test (Bulawayo): Pakistan won by 8 wktsMen of the series: Inzamam-ul-Haq, Heath StreakPakistan win series 2-1. Intikhab Alam, the Pakistan manager, has dismissed claims that a one-day international against England at Trent Bridge in 1992 was “thrown”. The former Pakistan pace bowler, Safraz Nawaz, has alleged that Pakistan’s players were bribed prior to the match, which England won by 198 runs.
But Intikhab said: “I have known Sarfraz a very long time. He played under my captaincy and has always been a controversial person and to be honest, I don’t believe what he says.”He is saying this after three years It’s ridiculous. We bowled badly and England scored a lot of runs and we lost badly, but does that mean that every time you lose a match you have thrown it away? That’s terrible.”Safraz, quoted in yesterday’s Observer newspaper, claims several matches involving Pakistan were rigged over the last 14 years.

He also said Pakistani secret service officials have spent nine months trawling through leading players’ bank accounts in search of evidence of bribes.. RUGBY UNION

John Davies, the Wales prop, will this week appeal against the 60-day suspension he received after being sent off for kicking Ben Clarke in the head after an hour of England’s 23-9 win at Cardiff Arms Park.
The 26-year-old Neath forward was yesterday being shielded from the media by the Welsh management, who themselves are treading a diplomatic path to avoid upsetting the appeal panel, which will meet within seven days.”John is upset and disappointed at the sending-off,” Robert Norster, the Wales team manager, said. “Having sat before the Five Nations’ disciplinary committee, John will be invoking his right to appeal against his sentence. It is our understanding that the appeal will be heard within seven days. As that is the case, it would be inappropriate for John or anyone else to comment further.”Davies’s dispatch occurred after an intervention by the touch judge Patrick Robin, Didier Men thus becoming the first French referee to send off a player in a major international Clarke said: “A boot connected with the back of the head. I don’t want to whinge but players who kick in the head have got to be sent off.”Davies was judged by a committee consisting of the Welsh Rugby Union chairman, Vernon Pugh, a senior Rugby Football Union committee man, Peter Brook, and an independent chairman, the former Ireland and Lions captain Tom Kiernan.England have a month before going for the Grand Slam against Scotland at Twickenham but Wales must pick up the pieces in time for team selection for their own Scottish match at Murrayfield on 4 March.As well as the suspended Davies, they will be without two players injured against England.