But the Namibian is on a roll after recording times of 10.07sec over 100m and 20.41 over 200m this season.. Ireland will play France in the World Cup quarter-final in Durban on Saturday and that is already quite sufficient to constitute a triumph. Mitchell, who has just recovered from a hamstring injury which kept him out of action for five weeks, is one of the few Americans competing in the Golden Gala, with many of the other big names staying in the United States to prepare for the national championships in Sacramento, California, next week.The 200m gives Christie an opportunity for revenge against his winter training partner, Frankie Fredericks, the world champion, who won in St Denis last Thursday when the Briton finished fifth. Regis has had a comparatively settled winter; last year he and his fellow Britons, Tony Jarrett and Gary Cadogan, were caught up in the Los Angeles earthquake.

But a slight recurrence of the Achilles tendon injury which nearly ruined last season has left him with a few doubts to clear.Dennis Mitchell, America’s 100m bronze medallist behind Christie at the last Olympics and World Championships, expressed surprise that he would be in a separate 100m to the one in which Christie is racing in tonight. “There are areas of my hurdling that I can still improve on,” he said.John Regis, who has recently returned from winter training in California with John Smith’s group at UCLA, opens his grand prix season in the 100m and 200m alongside Linford Christie. This year Jackson, 28, believes he can threaten his own world record of 12.91sec, given the right conditions. But in the 110m event, the Welshman has not been beaten since just after he won the world title in August 1993 when he was third in Berlin behind another American, Jack Pierce, and the Olympic champion, Mark McKoy.Since then, he has recorded 29 straight victories, including successful defences of the European and Commonwealth titles. Also in the line-up is his fellow Welshman, Paul Gray, who broke through last summer with a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games behind Jackson and Tony Jarrett.Not present is the man who ended Jackson’s unbeaten run indoors this year – albeit with the same time – America’s world indoor champion, Allen Johnson.

When I asked him why, he said: ‘It’s better for them to experience it than read about it’.”Those facing the Jackson Experience tonight include the 6ft 7ins European silver medallist, Florian Schwarthoff of Germany, and America’s world indoor silver medallist, Courtney Hawkins. “He didn’t know on Monday if all the other main hurdlers would be in Rome,” Arnold said yesterday “But he said he hoped they were out there. All indications are that he will serve emphatic notice of his intention to retain the world 110 metres hurdles title this summer.Jackson, who returned to Britain 10 days ago after three-months’ training in Florida, is in fine shape, according to his long-time coach, Malcolm Arnold. As for the late fun, Connor struck six boundaries and then removed Darren Maddy for a duck and Briers for one..

ATHLETICS

BY MIKE ROWBOTTOM
Colin Jackson makes his outdoor debut at the Golden Gala in Rome tonight, the opening European grand prix of the season. John Stephenson, though, who had contributed 43 to a partnership of 56, took a six off Parsons to go to his half-century.Parsons gained his revenge the very next ball while Hampshire continued to do things by halves, Nicholas reaching his second fifty in successive innings and Giles White top scoring with 62. Terry, pushing forward, then became a disgruntled legbefore victim against the bowling of Gordon Parsons.When Paul Whitaker, who had marked his first-class debut last year by helping himself to 94 against Leicestershire, became the first of five scalps claimed by the wicketkeeper, Paul Nixon, Hampshire were 91 for 3. Here, the bulk of the run-making consisted of three steady half-centuries and a late blast from Connor in evening sunshine to bring up the 300 in the 97th over.Conditions early on had favoured the seamers, Sean Morris taken at slip off the shoulder of the bat in Alan Mullally’s second over and Paul Terry struggling for over half an hour prior to getting off the mark.

On the one hand, win or lose, they have had plenty of opportunity to put their feet up, even if season-ticket holders may have grumbled about being short-changed.Of the five matches each have played prior to their meeting at May’s Bounty, only Leicestershire, on just one occasion, had experienced a fourth day’s play but then, thanks to Cardigan Connor, they appeared to be treading a well-worn path.Still, there should be plenty of scope for prolonging the action on this compact ground upon which Hampshire and Nottinghamshire shared over 1,300 runs last season and Mark Nicholas and Nigel Briers are in a positive frame of mind right now, the sides they lead on a roll and looking to complete a hat-trick of Championship successes.Hampshire’s batting had been their downfall until they feasted on Sussex and cleaned out Glamorgan. I know that several of my friends will be coming and they’ll be right behind me It will give me quite a buzz.”. BARRIE FAIRALL

reports from Basingstoke
Hampshire 319Leicestershire 7-2These two, you might assume, would be well geared up for a return to three-day cricket, judging by the way things have gone for them thus far. I had one or two trials but they had Phil Carrick on the staff and another guy in the seconds and they wanted to give him a try.”It was disappointing but I realised there were other people from Yorkshire who had found success elsewhere and at the end of the day all I wanted to do was play first-class cricket.”I feel proud to play anywhere for England But to do it in Yorkshire is special. If a second chance in Test cricket excites him, to be given it here makes it special indeed.”I wanted to play for Yorkshire. And I’m probably a lot more street-wise than I was four years ago.”Curiously, given that the Leeds ground was the focal point of his boyhood aspirations, this will be his first first-class match at Headingley He was born in Greengates, barely five miles away. I still try to keep things tight; it is no good getting 5 for 150 and losing the game.