The Sport Matrix: Saturday 14 February 2015

Beard follows Rednapp out

QPR yesterday accepted the resignation of Philip Beard, the departing CEO citing “recent senior management changes” as the catalyst behind his decision. The club were left managerless after Harry Redknapp’s resignation, but Chris Ramsey was last night named head coach until the end of the season, after director of football Les Ferdinand recommended him to owner Tony Fernandes.

Youngs: ‘I had to find my feet again’

Scrum-half Ben Youngs has revealed the agony of being out of form last year. “I found it hard to take when Saturday wasn’t the best day of the week any more. But all those people saying I had a point to prove were wrong, because the pressure was off. I had the time to find my feet again, to rediscover the enjoyment in a game of rugby,” he said ahead of England’s Six Nations match against Italy today.

England level series with Kiwis

England Women won their second ODI by 90 runs to level their series against New Zealand yesterday. Captain Charlotte Edwards led by example, winning the toss and choosing to bat, top-scoring with 65 runs as the team made 194. In response, New Zealand failed to gain momentum, losing wickets regularly, with the final one falling on 104 in the 37th over. The third ODI is played tonight.

Amputee Guy makes history over fences

Captain Guy Disney had to settle for an honourable third on Ballyallia Man as the amputee soldier became the first person in Britain to ride over fences with a prosthetic leg in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup at Sandown.

Disney came with a late rattle on Tom George’s 10-year-old, and but for getting in tight to the last would have finished even closer to the winner Cowards Close.

Disney was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade while on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and had his leg amputated below the knee. The 31-year-old politely declined to be interviewed after the race as he said he wanted the winning rider, Jody Sole, to take all the credit.

Ujah hails Britain’s sprinting potential

Chijindu Ujah, Britain’s most recent sub-10-second man, believes sprinting in this country is on the verge of a breakthrough. Ujah, who will compete at the Indoor British Championships today, feels that “this country can go far and see something that we’ve never seen before”.