Basketball: England given Italian lesson

It will be with a sense of profound relief that the England coach Laszlo Nemeth and his players will leave for Ljubljana this morning and their next Group E fixture against Slovenia on Saturday.

At Coventry's Skydome last night, the Italians showed the sport's administrators and governing body how to run a national team by cruising to a 97-39 victory.

England's players did not need telling. After two training sessions for a short-handed squad they knew what was in store, and now it is time to get on the practice floor.

Italy's coach Carlo Recalcati came without two of his biggest stars, the London-born Carlton Myers and the powerful forward Gregor Fucka. But his squad still enjoys all the benefits Nemeth's lacks; generous funding, a full programme of competitive internationals and training programmes backed by a public which cares passionately about its national team.

England had stayed with Italy early on as the defensive muscle of seven-footers Andy Betts and Mike Bernard kept the scoring low. But from leading just 21-15 at the end of the first quarter, during which only Betts and Tony Dorsey scored for England, Italy broke free.

They outscored England 23-3 over seven minutes, all 10 of their players finding the basket, and swept through, over and wide of England's defence with an irresistible blend of passing and shooting which only constant practice as a team can bring.

At half-time Italy led 51-23, they then opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run and closed it 13-0 to lead 77-31. By now it was just a training session, with Nemeth pondering the work that needs to be done before Saturday and the next time England meet their public, against the Czech Republic in Birmingham on Wednesday.

Scorers: England: Betts 16, Dorsey 8, Gardiner 6, Bernard 3, Baker 3, Williams 3. Italy (leading scorers): Chiacig 16, Righetti 13, Mian 13.