The Davis Cup captain is simply relieved to be able to send out a team

The Davis Cup captain is simply relieved to be able to send out a team. What promised to be a weekend of optimism at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, with expectations of Britain taking another step towards the World Group, appeared doom-laden after injuries eliminated Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski. Vilified though our cricketers are, they at least number more than two at the highest level, although, to be fair, few tennis nations could afford to compete without their top player, let alone both of them.Lloyd, in the circumstances, has chosen Jamie Delgado, 20, and Andrew Richardson, 23, to make their debut against the Zimbabwean brothers Black, Byron and Wayne.Delgado, Britain's No 1 for the occasion on the strength of a world ranking of No 260, opens the tie at noon today against Wayne Black, Zimbabwe's No 2, who is ranked No 271 on the ATP Tour computer. Another Leeds forward, Terry Newton, escaped suspension despite being found guilty of using his knees in the tackle.. David Lloyd, in contrast to his cricketing namesake, is unlikely to be calling up the phrase "we murdered 'em" in relation to a match against Zimbabwe. The former assistant coach Mick Morgan has taken over as caretaker.The Bradford prop Brian McDermott has been suspended for four matches for striking three opponents towards the end of his side's Silk Cut Challenge Cup victory over Leeds last Saturday.

We wish him all the best for the future."Castleford will advertise for a successor, but such is the nature of the coaching merry-go-round that Steve Simms, who left Halifax last month, could be a contender, as would the Castle- ford-born Andy Goodway, should he carry out his threat to resign at Oldham. Harris, on the transfer list at a world record pounds 1.35m since last July, said that he was relieved not to have become the game's first pounds 1m player, although his move is the second- biggest - after the pounds 440,000 paid by Wigan to Widnes for Martin Offiah - in pure cash terms.Dean Bell has put him straight into the squad for tonight's home game against Wigan, although he has not yet decided in which position he will play him.Joyner's departure from Castleford, after four Super League defeats and a Challenge Cup exit at the hands of Salford, ends a 25-year association with his home-town club as player and coach and is further proof that there is little room for sentiment in the modern game.As a parting by mutual agreement was announced, the club's chairman, Philip Hindle, said: "John has been a magnificent servant at the club for a very long time. The Leeds Academy player, Danny Sculthorpe, younger brother of Warrington's Paul, also goes to Wilderspool as part of the transaction."It is Leeds' biggest signing for 45 years," said chief executive Gary Hetherington of the club's record deal. "Although I will need to bring in a couple of new players, I've told the existing players that I've got an open mind and that they are all in my plans if they show me they have something to offer."Van de Velde starts his new job with around pounds 300,000 in the coffers following the sale of Harris to Leeds. Warrington got in first with the announcement that Van de Velde, in charge at Castleford for five years before becoming chief executive of the South Queensland Crushers and later coach at Huddersfield, has replaced his fellow-Australian, John Dorahy, who resigned last week. "They have got some talent here," Van de Velde said. Darryl Van de Velde was yesterday appointed as the new coach of Warrington as they sold Iestyn Harris to Leeds while John Joyner departed from Van de Velde's previous club, Castleford. Romario and Ronaldo scored twice each as the world champions clocked up another rather meaningless success after victories over Lithuania, Cameroon, Bosnia and Poland..

The top four countries qualify.Nor was there any argument over Brazil's 4-0 demolition of a Chile side shorn of its three best players, Salas, Rozenthal and Zamorano, in a friendly in Brasilia. Ecuador still managed to draw 1-1 with Peru.Uruguay beat Venezuela 3-1 in relative peace and quiet, all of which means that the group is still wide open with seven games each to play. The incident, in the 81st minute, led to a penalty which was converted by Mauricio Serna to wipe out Paraguay's lead. But Derlis Soto slid in Paraguay's winner less than two minutes later.In Lima, Ecuador ended with nine men after forward Agustin Delgado was sent off in the 48th minute and the captain, Luis Capurro, followed in the 84th minute for hitting an opponent. After 17 minutes of "injury time", the game ended 2-1 to Bolivia.In Asuncion, the Paraguayan goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert came to blows with Colombia's Asprilla late in the game. Other Argentinian players and Bolivian riot police joined in the fight while spectators hurled projectiles.