Olympic champion Australia laid down the gauntlet to world number three Canada in the women's section of the inaugural Commonwealth Water Polo Championships at the Manchester Aquatics Centre here yesterday. Australia, currently ranked five, defeated Canada 9-6 but only with a 3-1 final quarter in what proved to be an enthralling match. Canada played far better than the day before when beating England 4-2 while Australia understood the importance of the match as both are expected to contest the gold-medal final on Sunday evening.
In men's play, Malta produced a magnificent display in downing a hopeful South Africa 12-9. Malta made all the swimming, leading 12-5 in the final period before letting South Africa control the final three minutes. Malta's Niki Lanzon top-scored with three goals.
Singapore scored its first win with an 8-5 win over Wales, a bigger side but with fewer all-round skills. Wales' David Edwards dominated the match with three goals from centre forward.
In today's game, Malta secured a second win with a 15-8 victory over Singapore with John Valletta scoring four and Paul Privitera getting three.

England came through a gruelling match with New Zealand on day three action from the Commonwealth Water Polo Championships at the Manchester Aquatics Centre here today. In a brutal match in which Kiwi Richard Claridge was excluded for striking, England prevailed 12-9 after trailing 5-4 at halftime and 6-4 soon after.
However, England struck back to lead 8-7 going into the last and secure the victory.
In other men's games, Canada thumped Northern Ireland 16-0 and Australia hammered Wales 22-1 while Malta had to work for its 15-8 victory over Singapore.
In women's play, Canada pummelled Northern Ireland 29-0 and England gave a power display against South Africa, winning 9-3.

Day 3 Media Release

England's men and women secured victories on day three of the Commonwealth Water Polo Championships at the Manchester Aquatics Centre here yesterday. But it was the manner in which the men won their torrid encounter with New Zealand 12-9, which set the pool alight in the final game of the day. It was a rugged match which had the Kiwis 5-4 at halftime and England 8-7 ahead going into the final period. The game had everything from Kiwi Richard Claridge's striking expulsion in the third period to the dismissal from the game on three majors of English high-fliers Neil Bowers and Colin Burgess. Claridge was missed by New Zealand as he had scored three goals and was set for more but England had the superior weight and upset the Kiwi attack. Craig Figes was a consistent scorer on the deep left with four goals while Chris Kirby and Graham Martin-Dye each scored hat-tricks, the latter with two penalty goals. It was the first day of competition for Group B so England joins Canada as unbeaten after Canada trounced Northern Ireland 16-0. In Group A, gold-medal favourite Australia crushed Wales 22-1 to be the only unbeaten team in the group. In women's play, England enhanced its medal chances with a 9-3 victory over South Africa with Liz Green dominant, scoring three goals, two in the final quarter. Canada also had its first win from two games with a 29-0 humiliation of Northern Ireland.

MALTA - 15 J.Valletta (4), P.Privitera (3), J.Paris (2), C.De Bono (1),MM M Pisani (1), N.Lanzon (1), F.Cutajar (1), C.Zammit (1), J.Soler (1)

SINGAPOR - 8 T.Tan (2), M.Lui (1), C.Yee Lau (1), N.Tan (10, N.Eng (1), S.Meng Lee (1), A.Lee (1)

Referees: Tad Detko (ENG), Gaetan Turcotte (CAN).

This was a game of a big strong team against a smaller, more agile team. The stronger Maltese opened the scoring through John Paris, who swam the length of the pitch, received the ball and proceeded to lob Singaporean goalkeeper Ker Wei Ng at 4:18 after both teams lost chances. Terence Tan levelled at 2:56, scoring high on extra man. Forty seconds later, Malta scored on extra, slicing the ball past Ng's right ear to go 2-1 up. Matthew Pisani scored the third goal on extra when he hammered in the ball from top left with just 2.4 seconds showing on the clock. Malta led 3-1 at the break.
Matthew Lui converted his extra-man chance at 5:20 from top right but at the other end, a loose ball was snapped up by centre forward Francesco Cutajar and he made no mistake at 4:56 to have Malta ahead 4-2. Malta applies a full press but Singapore gains the exclusion and Chock Yee Lau scores from a narrow angle one metre out at 4:10. Sai Meng Lee misses a counter chance when lobbing Maltese goalie Joseph Caruana Dingli on the next attack after Malta hit the woodwork. At 2:14, on extra, John Soler passes to the near post and Paul Privitera turns the ball into the net for a 5-3 lead. Nicholas Tan bounces the ball from eight metres for the next goal at 1:47. A Singapore counter breaks down before it almost starts when no-one takes the loose ball. Malta seizes the chance and Jonathan Valletta lobs Ng at 1:15.
Niki Lanzon steers in an extra-man pass to the far post with only 7.3 seconds left on the clock for a 7-4 halftime lead. Singapore scored the first two goals of the third period, Nigel Eng lobbing Caruana Dingli at 4:44 and Sai Meng Lee scoring on extra at 4:04 to narrow the game to 7-6. However, Malta stepped up a gear when John Paris scored from centre forward at 3:46. Malta took a time-out and the resulting tactics saw Privitera score his second from the hear post on extra at 2:51. Valletta gained his second goal from a counter, stopping at five metres, three metres to the left of the goal before shooting and have Malta four goals up, which proved to be the three-quarter time score.
Alvin Lee scored an action goal at 6:07 to become his team's seventh scorer in the match. Charles Zammit scored an action goal from the top for Malta at 5:41. Valletta scored his third on extra at 4:46, receiving the first pass and baulking for five seconds before shooting. Sai Meng Lee's shot nearly crosses the line but Caruana Dingli sweeps it aside. Soler shoots across the cage for an extra-man goal at 3:51 and a 13-7 advantage. Valletta made it four with a straight shot from outside at 3:12. Privitera scores his third on counter at 1:46. Terence Tan sends in a long shot at the end of possession at 1:23 to be 15-8 behind.

CANADA - 29 C.Campbell (8), S.Lize (4), C.Bardecki (3), J.Begin (2),TT T T.Campbell (2), N.Al-Sakkary (2), W.Horn Miller (2), J.Ansell (2), M.Illing (2), S.Gardiner (2)

NIR 0

Referees: Noel Harrod (AUS), Thomas Ng (SNG).

This promises to be a one-sided affair now that Canada is working more cohesively. Tara Campbell received a beautiful cross-pool pass from Joanne Begin to open the expected goal feast at 5:19. Sandra Lize gets the next two at 4:09 and 3:41, the first coming from a pull-on shot on extra and the second on counter when unmarked. Joanne Ansell accepts a long cross pass from near halfway by Cora Campbell to score at 2:00 and see Canada lead 4-0.
Nancy Al-Sakkary scores on action at :59 and Waneek Horn Miller collects one at 0:28. Al-Sakkary finishes the first-quarter slaughter 7-0 after Al-Sakkary turns the centre defence and scores with six seconds left. Christi Bardecki opens the scoring for Canada at 6:39 and Horn Miller follows at 4:52 for 9-0. The Irish are trying to get the ball up the field as often as possible but are invariably losing it, not getting shots away.
The Canadian counter is vicious. The resistance is wilting as Susan Gardiner shoots from halfway and scores at 3:18. Nuala McGurk gets Gardiner ejected and Northern Ireland coach Daniel Marin Catalyn calls time-out. The action earns a rare shot but Canadian goalie Rachel Riddell is up to the save.
Canada hits the crossbar and Northern Ireland gets an excellent opportunity with Mandy Irvine passing high to McGurk on the two-metre who shoots but is blocked by Riddell. Skipper Cora Campbell scores on the next attack at 1:26 as the score climbs to 12-0.
Campbell scored at the start of the third, sending in a left-arm backhand when lightly guarded at 6:46. Campbell did it again at 6:10 on counter, shooting off her swimming stroke with a crooked arm. At 5:46, Campbell broke and this time dragged the ball across the face of the goal, beating the Irish goalkeeper, Sarah Brannigan. Marianne Illing scored her first at 5:21 on counter and Joanne Begin repeated the effort at 4:58 for a 17-0 lead. The Canadians keep pressing as the tournament does not delete the highest winning score so every goal counts. Bardecki gains the counter goal at 4:14 and Begin at 3:30. Northern Ireland gets an exclusion at 2:57 and another time-out. A lob shot is too high. Illing scores on the next attack at 2:17 for a 20-0 scoreline. Ansell scores on the first pass on extra at 1:41. The final Canadian shot of the quarter goes wide.
Northern Ireland uses up two chances and it takes until 5:28 for Canada to score through Lize. Gardiner chimes in 23 seconds later and Cora Campbell returns to the pool for her fifth at 4:27, her sixth at 4:03, her seventh at 3:19 to go 26-0 up. Lize receives the pass from Cora Campbell to score the 27th goal at 2:22. Bardecki scores off a rare Cora Campbell miss at 0:37 and Cora Campbell steals and scores on counter at 0:13 for a 29-0 victory.

CANADA - 16 D.Lazeravic (4), V.Cosic (3), T.Marks (3), K.Mitchell (3), M .Gordon (2), K.Hardisty (1)

NIR 0.

Referees: Andrew Allen (WAL), Ian Melliar (RSA).

This game has the potential to go the way of the last with Vladimir Cosicopening at 6:32. Michael Gordon scores on extra from right-hand catch at 5:43 and then Dusan Lazeravic scores two counter-attacks goals at 5:15 and 4:44. Thomas Marks scores from the top right at 3:34 after Nathaniel Miller made his second steal. Peter Cusick has his side's first shot at goal at 2:38 but goalkeeper Garrett Head saves. Marks scores another at 2:28. Cusick shoots again on extra man but hits the crossbar. Kevin Mitchell scores on the counter at 1:34 after receiving a cross pass. Marks scores on the first pass on extra at 0:1 to lead 8-0 at the quarter.
Gordon comes up from under water and forces Northern Ireland goalkeeper Christopher Hodgekin to take the ball under water. Hodgekin redeems himself by stopping the penalty shot of Cosic. From here the Northern Irish defence improves markedly, pressuring shooters and smothering centre forward. With Hodgekin stopping three and Aidon McMahon even having a shot deep into the quarter, the Irish game had improved. It wasn't until 1:01 that Lazeravic scored from outside, the first of the period. The Irish gain a kick-out have a shot (deflected by Head) and then get another ejection. Cusick and Colin Watters have quick shots in the last five seconds to round out the half. Hodgekin made two excellent saves and the Irish took the attack to Canada for several minutes with an ejection and a corner. Mitchell gains his second at 4:16 when he stayed up and his defender went down. Lazeravic grabbed his fourth at 2:33 and Gordon carved in another at 0:49 for a 12-0 lead.
Mitchell scored his third at 6:32 of the fourth from nine metres and Cosic tipped in a rebound on the line at 5:50. Cosic scored again at 3:21, thistime from the top on extra man. Kent Hardisty scored an easy goal as the defender and goalie dropped at 2:42 for 16-0. Hodgekin stops a power shot at 0:48 and Northern Ireland calls a time-out. The ball is lost. Hodgekin stops a one-on-one from Cosic at point-blank range and has the honour of the last
shot at goal on full time.

AUSTRALIA - 22 N.Thomas (5), T.Neesham (4), N.Falzon (30, D.Semmens (3), T.Whalan (2), T.Franklin (1), A.Richardson (1), R.Moody (1), T.Jenkins (1)

WAL 1 D.Edwards (1)

Referees: Stéphane Roy (CAN), Chris Freebury (ENG)

Trent Franklin scores on Australia's second attack at 5:47, receiving across pass from Thomas Whalan and shooting from outside. Skipper Nathan Thomas steals the ball on defence and races away for a counter goal at 5:16. Olympian Thomas, who played several seasons in the Spanish National League, scores another at 4:37 to go 3-0 up. Franklin hits the crossbar on counter at 3:10. Thomas cracks another at 2:36 on counter. Tim Neesham hits the water and scores at 2:16 after Adam Richardson stole the ball. Veteran Welshman David Edwards has his shot deflected. Nick Falzon blasts in a shot at 0:34 to go 6-0 up. Goalkeeper Laurie Trettel's last-second shot lands in the top of the Welsh net. Edwards was excluded and Neesham scores from left-hand catch at 6:34. Dean Semmens' left-hand lob hits the crossbar, sending Wales on attack. Edwards shoots but too high. Falzon shoots over the top from centre forward.
Australian Ryan Moody scoop the bal just outside the left-hand upright. On counter, Neesham passes to Falzon, who scores at 3:41 and an 8-0 lead. Edwards gains a second major foul, earned by Semmens, who receives the ball from Thomas to score at 2:43. Welsh goalkeeper Andy Knight blocks a Thomas shot with both hands. Adam Richardson goals on counter at 0:40. Thomas scores on counter with just 2.3 seconds left in the half for an 11-0 margin.
Ryan Moody scored from in front at 6:03 of the third and then Knight blocks a Neesham counter shot, staying up with excellent legs. Neesham steals, swims upfield and passes to a breaking Falzon, who makes no mistake with the shot at 3:53. Edwards nearly scores but Trettel saves from inside his goal.
Moody scores on the counter-attack at 2:53 and Australia is 14-0 up. Knight stops a Thomas Whalan point-blank shot. Thomas scores his fifth down the left on counter at 1:10 and Neesham brings up his third at 0:26 from in front to lead 16-0.
Neesham opens the fourth at 4:59 and Thomas and Whalan combined for two goals at 4:24 and 3:45, both off long passes. Edwards raised the roof when he caught Trettel unawares and shot, blocked by Trettel but regained the ball and scored at 3:05 when Semmens had come back to guard. Toby Jenkins scored his first from centre forward at 2:04 for a 20-1 scoreline. Semmens drove in and scored at 1:20.

ENGLAND - 9 L.Green (3), A.Norris (2), S.Winter (2), F.Leighton (1), B. Cowton (1)

SOUTH AFRICA - 3 E.Thomson (1), E.Prigge (1), H.Wilson (1)

Referees: Peter Balzan (MLT), Stephen Knights (NZL)

England began the scoring through Andrea Norris at 4:30 with a long lob shot. Bernice Cowton shot on extra and hit the crossbar but Norris collected the ball, turned and shot from two metres for a 2-0 lead at 0:56. Lisa Knight passed the ball into Liz Green at centre and in one motion she scooped the ball off the water, turned and scored at 0:17 for a 3-0 first-quarter lead.
Fran Leighton scored on counter at 5:05 to give England a 4-0 advantage. Eleanor Thomson scored a deserved goal at the other end at 4:44 for a 4-1 margin. Siobhan Winter scored off right-hand catch, creasing the upright on extra at 3:53 to go 5-1 up. Winter repeated the effort on extra with just eight seconds to spare to give England a 6-1 halftime lead.
Bernice Cowton drove unchallenged, received the pass and semi-lobbed to score at 6:32 to send England 7-1 up but Erika Prigge responded with a centre-forward, backhand goal at 6:08 to narrow the game to 7-2. Game stops for injury to England's Andrea Norris. She retakes the water but subs out immediately after the restart. South Africa gains an ejection and after some outside passing, Helen Wilson drives in, props and gets the ball to score at 1:12 to bring the score to 7-3. South Africa blows a extra chance at the end of the period by not shooting before the hooter. It takes until 3:55 in the fourth before Green scores her second and England's eighth to make the game safe. Green does a repeat from centre forward with a scoop shot at 2:19. Brad Rowe calls a South African time-out at 0:27. The ball is stolen and England's Jim Caulfield calls for a time-out with 17 seconds left. South Africa steals the ball and another time-out is called with less than five seconds remaining.

ENGLAND - 12 C.Figes (4), C.Kirby (3), G.Martin-Dye (3), C.Burgess (2)

NEW ZEALAND - 9 R.Claridge (3), T.Grace (2), B.Adams (2), J.Venter (1), C.Ainley (1)

Referees: Guy Pinker (RSA), Scott Schweickle (AUS)

This was the first clash between the two countries since 1974 in London. England pounced on a sloppy New Zealand error at the start of the match with Chris Kirby racing away with the ball for the first goal at 6:39. A Kiwi had swum past the ball thrown to him. Tim Grace replied on extra at 4:08 when Colin Burgess was excluded. Kirby was ejected and Richard Claridge converted at 1:59 to send New Zealand 2-1 up. Jaques Venter made it 3-1 on extra at 1:16, shooting over English goalkeeper David Bush's head. Neil Bowers threw the ball the width of the pool to Craig Figes, who scored unopposed at 0:56 for England. Figes did the same with Kirby, crossing to him on the far post to score 15 seconds from time, to level the score at 3-3.
It's not until 4:51 that New Zealand edges ahead 4-3 through Claridge on extra after Burgess was sent for his second foul. Sean Love is excluded but two attempts at goal fail to convert for New Zealand. Tim Grace is excluded and Figes screams the ball into goal on right-hand catch at 1:47 to bring the game level at 4-4. Neil Bowers gets sent for his second major and Claridge converts on right-hand catch for the third time with only 17 seconds left. The Kiwis drive for goal after an intercept but the lob from six metres misses leaving them 5-4 up.
Bowers goes for his third exclusion at 6:13 and Grace converts at 6:06. Grace is excluded but England loses the ball instantly. Grace goes for his third major at 5:23 and Figes finds the net at 5:06 to drag the game to 6-5.
Shaun Venter is excluded at 4:37 and England coach Mark Taylor calls a time-out. Burgess drives down the left and receives a cross pass from Michael Cowburn at 4:22 to level the game at 6-6. At 3:16, while on attack, Claridge is sent for the game with substitution for violence. Burgess converts the extra and splashes the Kiwi bench for which he is reprimanded.
At 2:10 New Zealand's Fraser Bickley misses a sitter in front of goal. Burgess goes for his third major and Carl Ainley brings New Zealand level at 7-7 at 1:06 with a shot from the top. Cowburn mesmerises the Kiwis with his tactics and then snaps the ball across to Kirby who scores with 20 seconds left to give England an 8-7 lead. Kiwi skipper Aaron Stockdale is excluded but England shoots wide. Figes is excluded but the Kiwi pass goes astray. A double exclusion on New Zealand, including the second by goalkeeper Sam Lowery, who has checked into the game, sent Graham Martin-Dye to the line at 3:46 and to a 9-7 lead. Brent Adams converted on extra at the other end at 3:15 to narrow it to one.
England calls a time-out immediately but it loses the ball soon after the restart. Figes scored his fourth on extra at 2:00 and then drew a penalty against Stockdale at 1:29. Martin-Dye converted to secure the game for England. Venter and Cowburn are excluded in a double foul after some stern words to each other and the Kiwis win the neutral throw. New Zealand coach
Wouly de Bie calls a time-out at 0:58. A poor pass cedes the ball to England and Kirby, in centre forward, flicks the ball to an unmarked Martin-Dye on the deep right-hand catch. He scores at 0:18 to send England 12-8 up. The Kiwis call a time-out but the long shot bounces back into play and it's a melee with the referee calling a penalty shot on full time for forcing the ball under. Adams swims up and scores the penalty for a 12-9 victory to England.