Graham Gooch All Out

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Graham Gooch has become the first casualty of the Peter Moores era after being dismissed from his job as England batting coach.

Returning head coach Moores was due to meet fellow selectors James Whitaker, Mick Newell and Angus Fraser on Thursday to put together a squad for the one-day international against Scotland on May 9, but the England and Wales Cricket Board preempted that announcement with the news that former captain Gooch was leaving his post.

Gooch has acted as mentor to current skipper Alastair Cook throughout his career, the pair having worked together at Essex prior to linking up at international level, but the opening batsman was in agreement that change was needed.

The 60-year-old began working as England batting consultant in November 2009, with that part-time role made permanent in 2012 before he followed team director Andy Flower's lead in relinquishing limited-overs cricket a year later.

His replacement in that format, Graham Thorpe, is a leading candidate to work with the Test side on a regular basis now, with Mark Ramprakash also highly thought of, though the ECB has made no official comment on Gooch's replacement.

A statement from the governing body read: "ECB today announced Graham Gooch's departure as England batting coach, this will take place with immediate effect."

Gooch said: "I have been incredibly proud to work as England batting coach since 2009. I would like to thank Andy Flower for affording me the opportunity to be involved once again with England and contribute to the success of the team over these past four-and-a-half years.

Change

"I have many fine memories from the relationships formed with the players and staff and I know that I have given my best and I have tried to give it every day.

"After discussions with Alastair Cook he informed me that he was in favour of change.

"Although this was sad news, I respect his, and new coach Peter Moores, right to implement this change of direction. In my opinion Alastair is the right man to captain England, he commands respect and will always put his body on the line for his country.

"I would like to wish Peter Moores and Alastair all the very best as they look to rebuild the fortunes of the England cricket team."

Paul Downton, managing director of England cricket, also paid tribute to work done by Gooch.

He said: "Graham has been an outstanding coach for England over the last four and a half years and is held in the highest regard by all those who have worked alongside him. On behalf of everyone involved in England cricket I would like to thank him for his incredible commitment.

"Graham's record as a player speaks for itself but as a coach his ability to mentor and develop players has helped England achieve a huge amount in recent years."

The lack of news about bowling coach David Saker, who came under scrutiny following England's struggles in Australia during the winter, suggests he may have earned a reprieve under Moores.

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Racing Legends - Mick Fitzgerald

Mick Fitzgerald

Since racing his first winner, Lover’s Secret, at Ludlow in December 1988 at the age of 18, Mick Fitzgerald has slowly but surely built a reputation as one of the finest jockeys in National Hunt racing.

Mick Fitzgerald started his racing career on the pony racing circuit in Ireland, graduating to horse racing at the age of 16 when he joined Wexford trainer Richard Lister’s stable. After finishing school Fitzgerald crossed the Irish Sea and worked in the stables of National Hunt trainer Richard Tucker who provided the young jockey with his first winner.

Climbing the peaks of the racing world was a slow process for Mick Fitzgerald, and it was only in the 1991/1992 National Hunt season that he formed the strong partnership with a trainer that is so important for success in horse racing. Fitzgerald paired up with Nick Henderson in 1991, but despite winning numerous wins on the National Hunt racing circuit it would be another five years before he landed his first major title.

In 1996 Mick Fitzgerald, Cheltenham Festival legend, joined forces with trainer Terry Casey and entered the Grand National on race favourite Rough Quest. Rough Quest did his reputation of race favourite proud, winning Mick Fitzgerald one of the most coveted prizes in horse racing.

Once Mick Fitzgerald had a Grand National win under his belt, his career gathered momentum. At the 1999 Cheltenham Festival Fitzgerald picked up four wins, including the ultimate prize – the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

His excellent display of jump riding earned him his first Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey title. Later in the year Mick Fitzgerald won another of the greatest prizes in horse racing, winning the 1999 King George VI Chase on See More Business.

Not content with a single Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey title, Mick Fitzgerald won another four races at the 2000 Cheltenham Festival winning his second consecutive title. Although Fitzgerald did not ride the winner in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, he did pick up a win in the prestigious Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase.

Apart from his steady maturation into one of the most formidable riders in National Hunt racing, Mick Fitzgerald, Cheltenham Festival legend, is also known as one of the personalities of the National Hunt riding circuit and is a regular guest in television studios.

www.cheltenham.co.uk

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Sizing Europe wins Boylsports Chase

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Sizing Europe won the Boylesports.com Champion Chase for a second time at Punchestown on Tuesday.

The 12-year-old was always travelling well as he repeated his 2012 success, registering an eighth Grade One win for his trainer Henry de Bromhead.

Leading before the second-last fence under Andrew Lynch, Sizing Europe (7-1) went on to deny Ballynagour by five and a half lengths, with Savello third.

Owner Alan Potts said Sizing Europe will now be retired.

There was drama down the back straight where the favourite Hidden Cyclone fell and hampered Module, who was immediately pulled up.

Potts told At The Races: "Fantastic. I could see him winning because there was nothing in that race that had beaten us. Somersby beat us once. We beat him the rest of the times.

"Somersby obviously didn't run the race he could, but Europe was back to his brilliant best."

When asked if Sizing Europe would be retired after what was an emotional triumph, Potts answered: "Yes."

De Bromhead said: "He is just unbelievable, he was running away with Andrew. He was just loving it. I'm speechless."

Sizing Europe was winning for the 21st time from 42 career starts, his first success under Rules coming in a bumper at Naas in 2006.

Also top class over the smaller obstacles, he landed the Irish Champion Hurdle in 2008 by eight lengths from Hardy Eustace.

As a novice chaser Sizing Europe claimed the Arkle at Cheltenham in 2010, beating Somersby, and returned the following year to lift the Queen Mother Champion Chase crown.

Sizing Europe's success was the highlight of the first day of the Irish National Hunt Festival at the County Kildare track.

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Thorpe Released from Hospital

an Thorpe has been released from hospital after recovering from a shoulder infection. The 31-year-old contracted the problem after surgery earlier this year.

Australian media reported the 31-year-old could lose the use of an arm but that was dismissed at the time by his manager James Erskine.

"It looks as though the infections have cleared up. It can always re-infect as it's done twice before but we are hopeful," said Erskine.

Thorpe, Australia's most decorated swimmer, retired after the Athens Olympics in 2004 before making an unsuccessful comeback bid for London in 2012.

He was admitted to rehab for depression earlier this year after being found in a state of confusion by police near his parents house in Sydney.

He had taken anti-depressants and medication for a shoulder injury - sustained in a fall at home - but was not under the influence of alcohol.

Thorpe made his Olympic Games debut in Sydney in 2000, winning three golds there and another two in Athens, but retired in 2006.

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Bayern Tactics Were Wrong - Lahm

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Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm admitted his side got their tactics horribly wrong in the first half of their Champions League humiliation at home to Real Madrid.

The Bundesliga champions were blown away before the break as Madrid raced into a 3-0 lead, 4-0 on aggregate, thanks to two Sergio Ramos headers and a Cristiano Ronaldo effort.

It was an astonishingly inept display from a side which had been the dominant force in Europe over the past 18 months.

Ronaldo added his second at the death to book Madrid's place in the final.

"We're very disappointed because we set our sights high, but suddenly we were 2-0 down after 20 minutes from two set-pieces," Lahm said on the Bayern website.

"That really leaves a bitter taste. I don't think we played well tactically in the first half. The game was too open.

"It was the opposite of the first leg when we controlled the play. I know they hit us on the break last week, but (on Tuesday) it was end-to-end stuff in the first half.

"That's fundamentally not the way we play our football, but it's what Real really like. It totally played into their hands."

Arjen Robben said Madrid were the "world's best counter-attacking team", but added: "A 4-0 defeat at home is a choker."

Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge admitted the loss exposed the limitations of the Bundesliga champions. They failed to find the net against Carlo Ancelotti's side in 180 minutes of football.

Rummenigge said: "We didn't have quite enough passion to cause our opponents serious problems.

"We were obviously unlucky to go two goals behind to set-plays. After that it was obvious Real would make the final.

"Real have a magnificent team at the moment and our limitations have been exposed to a certain extent.

"You get games like these, but we need to hold our nerve. We've been a little spoiled because we made the final twice in a row, and three times in the last four years.

"Despite the anger you feel welling up inside, I think on days like these you have to stay calm, go home and try to do things better as of tomorrow.

"We need to lick our wounds quickly, because we want a much better performance on 17 May in the DFB-Pokal final against (Borussia) Dortmund."

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