Sport in brief: Carl Froch ready for his date with ‘destiny’

CARL Froch has vowed to fulfil his destiny by beating fellow champion Andre Ward in “the big one” tonight and crowning himself the best super-middleweight on the planet.

The two men meet in the final of the innovative Super Six tournament in Atlantic City with Froch’s WBC title and Ward’s WBA belt on the line. The tournament, conceived by American TV giant Showtime, has been an admirable success despite a number of logistical problems and withdrawals. “This is the big one. This could be the defining moment for me to become an international superstar. I knew it was my destiny,” said Froch. Ward (24-0, 13 KO wins) is a heavy favourite heading into the bout but Froch (28-1, 20KOs) has recently shown technical skills to prove he has the extra dimension his opponent may be lacking.

CRICKET

Majid Haq last night dedicated his selection to face England next month to his Saltires team-mates. Haq and Kyle Coetzer were yesterday confirmed as the two Scots who will represent an ICC Associate Select against the top Test team in the world next month. And the Clydesdale spinner insists their selection is an honour for the whole of Scottish cricket. Haq, Scotland’s bowler of the year, declared: “It is fantastic for Kyle and me to be picked but I regard it as recognition for the whole Scottish team. We’ve had a great year and there are several guys who could have made it into the select side so it reflects well on everyone.

Team: William Porterfield (captain, Ireland), Saqib Ali (UAE), Kyle Coetzer (Scotland), George Dockrell (Ireland), Majid Haq (Scotland), Hamid Hassan (Afghanistan), Mohammed Nabi (Afghanistan), Boyd Rankin (Ireland), Mohammed Shahzad (Afghanistan), Paul Stirling (Ireland), Christi Viljoen (Namibia) and Craig Williams (Namibia)

ROWING

Great Britain’s elite rowers will take their first step towards Olympic selection this weekend when they compete in the gruelling endurance trials in Boston, Lincolnshire. The Boston trials are the first step in a series of tests which will culminate in the senior trials on the Olympic course at Eton Dorney on 10 and 11 March.

Britain’s leading single sculler Alan Campbell said this weekend is “where it all begins for the Olympics”. Athletes race against each other and the clock on a five-kilometre course.

Olympic lightweight double scull champion Mark Hunter and the women’s world champion double of Anna Watkins and Katherine Grainger will all race in the singles. Pete Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge, Olympic champions in the men’s four, will compete in the pairs.