The Sports Matrix: Monday 28 March 2011

Vettel begins title defence with win

Sebastian Vettel claimed the first grand prix of the season yesterday with a comfortable victory in Melbourne. He finished 22.2sec ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren. “I got a good getaway, and that was crucial,” the reigning world champion said. MORE

British fail to match 2007 medal haul

Great Britain secured only one gold medal at the World Championships which have just finished in the Netherlands. In 2007 they won seven golds, which set them up for success at the Beijing Olympics. It was the first time Sir Chris Hoy missed a gold since 2007. MORE

Doyle may miss rest of the season

Wolves striker Kevin Doyle could miss the rest of the season – and with it Wolves’ fight against relegation – after suffering medial ligament damage in Ireland’s 2-1 win over Macedonia. Coach Giovanni Trapattoni said he “could be out for two months”. MORE

Strauss may leave one-day role

After England’s fifth consecutive poor showing in a World Cup, there will be questions about Andrew Strauss’s future as oneday captain. England may split the job, but Test vice captain Alastair Cook does not currently play one-day cricket. MORE

Young Brazil side breeze past Scots

Brazil beat Scotland 2-0 in a friendly at the Emirates yesterday thanks to two goals from Neymar. The Santos youngster scored just before the break and then converted a penalty, but complained later of a banana being thrown at him by a fan. MORE

Super 15 show the Southern strength

Crusaders and Sharks displayed the best of southern hemisphere rugby in their Super 15 match at Twickenham yesterday. Crusaders, who won 44-28, were blessed with All Black Dan Carter, while Sharks, from South Africa, were very physical. MORE

Opinion: James Lawton

Nothing we saw from England against the mediocre Welsh on Saturday was cause for real optimism about Fabio Capello’s chances of an ultimate triumph in the European Championship finals next summer. MORE

Wilshere ready to go against Wenger’s wishes

Jack Wilshere wants to play in the summer’s Under-21 European Championship for England, against the wishes of his Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger. The England Under-21 coach, Stuart Pearce, hopes to select the 19-yearold for the tournament but Wenger does not want him to feature now that he is a likely to be a regular in the England senior side. “Listen, this is international football and I want to play any international football,” Wilshere said of this summer’s tournament in Denmark. “It’s up to Stuart Pearce and Fabio Capello. They will talk and see what’s best for me.” Capello will today name his captain for tomorrow’s friendly with Ghana, and will field a side muchchanged from Saturday’s 2-0 win over Wales. MORE

Bellamy: future bright with Speed

Craig Bellamy believes Wales are better set under new manager Gary Speed than ever before. “For the first time I see a future and I really see the national team being able to do something,” he said. “For the first time in my Welsh history it has been right.” MORE

10-try Castleford rout Crusaders

Castleford returned to second place in the table with a comfortable 56-16 win over Crusaders. Cas scored 10 tries, with Kirk Dixon and Daryl Clark getting two each, while the ill-disciplined Crusaders could not cope with three players going to the sin-bin. MORE