The Week in Review: Sport

HAVING played badly in the cricket tour of India, England started their tour of Sri Lanka without Graham Gooch or any discernible improvement in standards of play. Defeat in the first one-day international at Colombo prompted the Test and County Cricket Board to concern itself with declining standards. Mysteriously, the standards involved were those of dress and appearance.

Manchester United were left bristling with indignation after visiting Oldham United. Warned by their manager, Alex Ferguson, that an earlier defeat of Liverpool would count for nothing if they lost to bottom of the Premier League Oldham, Manchester United saw the three points that would have extended their lead at the top of the table disappear after 26 minutes when Oldham's Neil Adams scored the only goal of the match.

The England Under-20 team competing in the World Youth Cup in Australia had an inauspicious start in Melbourne when Nick Barmby was booked after 10 minutes. Steve Watson then scored an own goal, but Ian Pearce made partial amends with a late equaliser. Subsequent 1-0 victories against the United States and Turkey earned them a place in the quarter-finals.

A hastily assembled Great Britain rugby league team was too strong for France as they powered to a record score in the country with a 48-6 win at Carcassonne.