the times | Friday July 31 2020 2GM 61
Sport
food, good wine and good cigars”, said:
“It’s a beautiful day. It’s a perfect round.”
His first win was a staggering 28 years
ago at the Belgian Open and the best of
his nine top-ten finishes at the majors
came in 2000 when he was a distant
second to prime-time Tiger Woods at
the US Open at Pebble Beach. He has 21
European Tour wins and played on two
winning Ryder Cup teams.
After his round, many players gath-
ered to applaud him off the final green.
“It made me feel a bit emotional inside,”
he said. “It’s not about business. Golf is
my life.”
Eddie Pepperell had an awful day and
was four over for his round, while
Thorbjorn Olesen was two under on his
return to golf. Last December the Dane,
30, pleaded not guilty to charges of
sexual assault, common assault and
being drunk on an aircraft. He was sus-
pended by the Tour pending his trial
but when the pandemic meant the date
for that was put back to December 2021,
he was reinstated pending the outcome.David Willey says his best cricket is “yet
to come” after being named man of the
match yesterday.
The 30-year-old, who had not played
for England for 14 months, said: “I have
worked quite hard over the last year
and particularly last season to get back
to my best. There was a lot of talk
around the 2015 World Cup about me
being a left-handed bowler who swings
the white ball. I had a lot of success with
that and that is why I got my opportuni-
ties, and the success I had in the first
couple of years for England.
“I was bitterly disappointed to miss
out on the World Cup last year. That’s
what you dream about as a kid, playing
in a World Cup on home soil. I had been
part of the group for four years leading
up to it; I was pretty realistic though. I
wasn’t bowling at my best in the lead-
up, and I knew I was in contention to be
one of the guys missing out.
“It was special to be playing for
England again, my main priority was to
enjoy it. Circumstances have given me
this opportunity. I feel like I am moving
in the right direction and my best crick-
et is probably still to come.”
‘It was special to
be back again’
Elizabeth Ammon
County cricketers have been banned
from going out for dinner or drinking in
pubs for the rest of the season as part of
the ECB’s requirements for the return
of the domestic game.
All county players had to sign up to a
code of conduct, which includes clear
guidance that they must avoid places
where the risk of community transmis-
sion of the virus is higher, which in-
cludes pubs, restaurants and hotel bars.
County cricketers are not subject to
the same testing programme and strict
protocols as international players and
there is no routine testing taking place;
players can come and go from the
grounds as they please, even during
matches.
When the players returned to train-
ing at the beginning of July, they were
all required to “opt in” to playing and
were told they would not be penalised if
they decided the risk was too high and
did not want to play this season, al-
though no one took that option. As part
of that opt-in process all players and
coaches had to sign a code of conduct
document that set out their responsibil-Judd Trump and Barry Hearn led the
criticism of Anthony Hamilton after
the player’s dramatic late withdrawal
from the Betfred World Championship.
The 49-year-old from Nottingham
had qualified to play at the Crucible
Theatre for the first time in 12 years
in a tournament that the government
has designated the only indoor pilot
test event for the safe return of
spectators as Covid-19 lockdown regu-
lations are eased.
Hamilton, an asthmatic who has
been shielding, claimed the move was
“ridiculous” and “too soon”, and said
that he “didn’t want to be part of an ex-
periment” — but initially agreed to
play. However, yesterday he withdrew,
but it was too late to allow for a replace-
ment, angering Trump, the world No 1,
and Hearn, the World Snooker chair-
man.
“Anthony Hamilton withdrew from
the World Championship because he’s
got asthma and he is worried about his
own health. Understandable,” Hearn
said. “But why did he not withdraw
before the qualifying competition? By
getting through he has effectively
stopped someone else from going and
earning a living.
“He entered a competition knowing
there would be fans present if he got
through. He knew the situation. He
hasn’t had asthma starting yesterday.”
Hamilton’s scheduled opponent
Kyren Wilson, will now get a bye into
the last 16.
Trump, the defending cham-
pion, said: “People need to think
of the bigger picture and not
be selfish, a lot of lower-ranked
players struggle to put food on
the table and earn a
living.
“The crowd decision
was announced with
enough time for him to
pull out before qualify-
ing. It’s hard on those he
has taken an opportunity
from. If I was his beatenTrump slams ‘selfish’
Hamilton for costly
Crucible withdrawal
final qualifier, Scott Donaldson, I’d be
very annoyed.”
Hamilton released a statement last
night, saying: “It has been a really diffi-
cult decision for me but after careful
consideration due to my health condi-
tion I have decided not to play.
“I want to apologise to my opponents
at the qualifiers, Sam Craigie and Scott
Donaldson, and assure them that I had
every intention of playing, before doing
a fuller risk assessment.”
Meanwhile, Trump takes to the table
against Leicester’s Tom Ford this
morning with twin goals — to end the
43-year “Crucible curse” of first-time
winners failing to defend their title, and
to complete what could be the greatest
season by a player in the sport.
Having long been tipped as a future
world champion, the pressure almost
visibly fell from Trump’s shoulders
last year after a 18-9 demolition of
the four-times winner John Higgins in
the final. And he has continued that
form this campaign. Going into this
blue-riband event that concludes
the season, Trump has already set a
record of six ranking titles in a single
season.
In making that seven, Trump would
achieve a feat that has eluded Steve
Davis, Stephen Hendry, Ronnie
O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark
Williams — returning to the iconic
arena after a maiden title to claim a
second success. It would also take his
earnings this season to £1.4 million.
Trump said: “Winning six events is a
real achievement, but if I could win the
World Championship that would
probably be the best season of all
time.
“It’s another record to aim at,
especially because of the ‘Crucible
curse’ and nobody ever
defending the World
Championship
after their first
win. The
pressure just
isn’t there for me.
I’ve won it before,
and it feels like a
free shot. I know I’m
playing well, and I’m
probably coming near to
the peak of my game.”Cult hero Jiménez rolls on
Golf
Rick BroadbentCall it a case of close and a cigar as
Miguel Ángel Jiménez marked his
record-breaking turn by threatening
the lead at the Hero Open.
The Spaniard, 56, was making his
707th start on the European Tour at the
Forest of Arden and celebrated a
bogey-free round of 64 by raising a
glass of Rioja by the 18th green along
with his trademark cigar. After Jiménez
surpassed Sam Torrance’s record num-
ber of appearances, the Scotsman
relayed a message via a social media
link. “I was very proud of the record but
can’t give it to anyone better,” he said.
Jiménez’s score of eight under par
took him to two shots off the leader,
his compatriot Sebastián García
Rodríguez.
Already the oldest winner in the
Tour’s history courtesy of his triumph
at the Open de España in 2014, Jiménez,
who puts his longevity down to “goodSnooker
Hector NunnsHamilton apologised to his
qualifying opponentsCounty players banned from
going to pubs or restaurants
they had stumbled to 78 for four in pursuit of 173 to win. Vince, inset, was one of the wickets to fall, edging behind for 25
ities and, as well as pubs and restau-
rants, players have been advised that
they cannot sit together and have a
drink in the hotel bar, even when they
are staying there during four-day
matches in the Bob Willis Trophy,
which starts on Saturday.
The ECB has confirmed that it is
hopeful that T20 Blast finals day on
September 19 will be played in front of
a limited number of spectators.
Edgbaston, which has been home to
finals day for the past few years, has
already been acting as a pilot venue for
crowds returning to live sport. The
ground is due to host 2,500 people on
the first two days of Warwickshire’s first
Bob Willis Trophy match, against
Northamptonshire, starting on Satur-
day. The Kia Oval is the other pilot ven-
ue and will also host 2,500 people in
Surrey’s match against Middlesex.
The ECB has also agreed with the
government and Public Health En-
gland that international matches being
played in a biosecure bubble will go
ahead even if the city they are being
played in (Southampton or Manchester
in this instance) have a spike and lock-
down restrictions are re-imposed there.Elizabeth Ammon
6
Six of James Vince’s past
seven England dismissals
— in all formats — have
come from mistimed
drives. Vince now
averages 24.16 in
ODIstimely reminder
MARC ASPLAND/NMC/POOL