Lisa Lomas lost a repeat of the European final when she went down in straight games to Bettine Vriesekoop in Arezzo, Italy, yesterday, writes James Leigh. The England No 1 had been hoping to avenge her defeat by the Dutchwoman in Stuttgart nearly two years ago, but she was beaten 21-19, 21-16, 21-15 on the second day of the European Top 12 tournament. Lomas, who came home early from last week's Commonwealth Championships in Hyderabad feeling unwell, was again taken ill with a fever on the opening day of the Top 12, but continued with antibiotics and courageously scored a four-game victory over the former title holder Daniella Gergelcheva, of Bulgaria. The loss to Vriesekoop was followed by two more losses and Lomas ended with one win from five matches.

ALAN COOKE failed to regain the Commonwealth title he won in 1989, losing 21-15, 21-17, 21-17 to Johnny Huang, the world No 14 from Canada, in the men's singles final here yesterday, writes James Leigh from Hyderabad.

ALAN COOKE saved three match points to squeeze into the final of the Commonwealth Championships here in India yesterday, writes James Leigh from Hyderabad.

Andrew Eden, the newcomer who won twice as England retained the Commonwealth team title on Friday, put up a sterling performance in the second round of the men's singles before succumbing to the world No 14 in four games in Hyderabad, India, yesterday, writes James Leigh. The 20-year-old Lancastrian led the top-

ENGLAND'S men retained their team title at the Commonwealth Championships with a 5-3 victory over Canada, but the women were runners-up after a 3-1 defeat to the top-seeded title holders, Hong Kong, here yesterday, writes James Leigh from Hyderabad, India.

ALAN COOKE, the 1989 champion, hopes both to regain his title and challenge for three medals at the Commonwealth championships starting here today, writes James Leigh from Hyderabad, India. If the Derbyshire player does win the men's singles again, he could earn two golds because England's men are serious contenders for the team event.

For copyright reasons we are not able to provide the full text of the poem on this database. Following are the details of the publication in which it appears.

THROUGH the doors to the ballroom they wafted, women in taffeta and silk, puff skirts and sequins, followed by tall men in black tie. A man staggering along the pavement on Park Lane did not seem much taken by the sight. 'Murderers]' he shouted. His reaction seemed harsh, on a day when even Class War might have opened the champagne. Down the road, Her Majesty had just decided to open Buckingham Palace to hoi polloi, at pounds 8 a head.

HYDERABAD (Reuter) - This southern Pakistani city was in mourning yesterday after two bombs killed 23 people and injured about 100.

IN ONE of New Delhi's smarter residential districts, a young woman strolls towards a crowded bus stop. A middle- aged man on a blue scooter slows down beside her and begins a wobbly kerb crawl. 'Would you come to a hotel with me?' he asks, raising the visor of his crash helmet and stopping. The woman casually approaches him. 'How much money do you charge?' he asks. Without changing the expression on her face, the woman raises her hand and whacks the man across the head.