The Week in Review: Sport

TWO figures almost larger than life: one's international career comes to an inglorious end before 50-odd people at Crystal Palace; the other's is resurrected after a politically motivated banishment. Daley Thompson breaks down while attempting to qualify for the Olympic decathlon; Mike Gatting's five-year ban from international cricket for selling his services to South Africa is cut in half, as are those of his co-rebels.

Gatting's name is recalled to the news even before his sentence is reduced as fairly ugly scenes occur involving the players and the umpire during the third Test at Old Trafford. Aqib Javed, the Pakistan fast bowler, is fined half his match fee for intimidating both the umpire, Roy Palmer, and the England No 11 batsman, Devon Malcolm. It was shades of Gatting's celebrated argument with Shakoor Rana in Faisalabad, when Gatting's tenure as the England captain first became shaky.

An intriguing Wimbledon finishes in triumph for the 'designer tramp', Andre Agassi, who further endears himself to tennis followers with a five-set victory over Goran Ivanisevic, who is unpopular because he has such a good serve. But John McEnroe has the final say, on the day after the tournament is supposed to finish, by winning the doubles, 19-17 in the fifth set, with his fellow unseeded former singles champion, Michael Stich.

On wheels, Nigel Mansell takes command of the World Drivers' Championship with victory in the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, setting the scene for another track invasion at Silverstone tomorrow afternoon, and the 79th Tour de France gets underway.