Snooker: Taylor lets his team down

Dennis Taylor failed to prevent Belgium producing a shock victory in the World Cup in Bangkok yesterday and admitted: "I let the boys down."

Taylor lost a 57-minute deciding frame to Bjorn Haneveer as his Ulster trio slipped to a 5-4 Group A defeat. "I'm not pulling my weight," said the 47-year-old former world champion. Taylor has now secured just one of the six frames he has contested in the 20-nation event.

At one stage the Irish threesome led 4-2, with Joel Swail and Terry Murphy making up for their captain's poor form. But a break of 75 enabled Mario to beat Murphy and pull the score back to 4-3, and Delsemme added a break of 58 against Swail and suddenly the match was tied.

Northern Ireland now play the group leaders, the Republic of Ireland, today. In Group B, Canada recorded their second successive 8-1 win to overtake Scotland, who play South Africa this evening. The Canadians defeated Singapore with their only defeat suffered by Alain Robidoux against Bernard Tey.

England slipped 1-0 behind against China when they began their second match in Group C. The world No 5, Nigel Bond, already beaten by Masood Akil, a Dubai accountant, against the United Arab Emirates, lost on a respotted black to Tao Shan.