Oxford won the coxed four category, beating Cambridge by two seconds, but the Light Blues had the faster coxless four by 10 seconds Isis still took the Senior 1 pennant There was little of real guidance to the Boat Race squads. Giving away four stone a man, and on about one third of the weekly training regime, they lost by only nine seconds, but pipped Pinsent and Redgrave, himself now 37, by one second.The Oxford Boat Race squad, racing as Isis B, took three pennants to none for Cambridge, racing as Goldie BC But this does not tell the whole story. Taking second overall came a lightweight crew of amateurs from Notts County. The County crew, stroked by the Irish sculler Gearoid Towey backed by Tom Kay and Gareth Davies, a medallist from the lightweight eight last year, was the vehicle for comeback by 38-year-old Carl Smith, who had won this event five times and wanted a sixth several years after he had hung up his sculls. Tim Foster and Ed Coode are now rivals for the three seat in the Olympic crew, which will not be definitively selected until next April. They were stroked by James Cracknell with Bobby Thatcher at bow. In the battle for overall honours, two quadruple sculling crews finished in front of the Redgrave four The winners, Leander 1, had three coxless fours champions.

They took two fresh partners, Fred Scarlett and Ben Hunt Davis, into their world champion boat and, racing as Leander Club 2, took 34 seconds off the next four home, which featured the Cambridge Boat Race squad racing as Goldie 2. "I wasn't going to quit, it's not even in me."Asked about the prospect of fighting Lewis, Grant said: "That is the fight I want I've wanted that fight since six fights ago.". STEVE REDGRAVE and Matthew Pinsent, in the first outing of a new season which will climax with the Sydney Olympics, secured the coxless fours pennant in the Head of the River Fours on London's Tideway on Saturday. The undisputed heavyweight champion, who returns to London for the first time since his victory over Evander Holyfield this morning, was at ringside with his manager, Frank Maloney, to run the rule over Grant, who is being spoken of as an opponent for Lewis next year. Not only was the 6ft 7in Grant knocked down twice in the opening round, but at the time of the stoppage, midway through the 10th, he was behind on all three judges' cards."I knew when I got knocked down in the first it would be a test of my faith," said the unbeaten Grant, who improved his record to 32-0 with his 22nd stoppage. LENNOX LEWIS saw nothing to concern him in Atlantic City on Saturday night when one of the prospective challengers for his world title, Michael Grant, had to pull himself off the floor twice before stopping Poland's Andrew Golota.

Ward diligently compiled his off 123 balls, hitting only three fours, and went on to make 60, but Solanki was much quicker, clocking up his half-century from 96 balls, with five fours before falling for 59. Marcus Trescothick was deprived of the chance to join them with a half-century by a mix-up that led to him being run out for 45. After David Sales made 22, Rob Turner came in and this morning completed a useful 40. Lunch todayENGLAND A - First InningsM A Gough c Wiseman b Martin 17I J Ward c Hopkins b Wisneski 60V S Solanki b Wisneski 59M E Trescothick run out 45M W Alleyne not out 53D J G Sales c Lawson b Wisneski 22*R J Turner c Wiseman b Wisneski 40R C Irani c Inglefield b Wiseman 8S D Thomas not out 18Extras (lb12 nb5) 17Total (for 7, 120 overs) 401Fall: 1-59 2-114 3-170 4-199 5-237 6-317 7-355.To Bat: M K Davies, A Sheriyar.Bowling (overnight): Bulfin 18-3-69-0; Wisneski 23-7-71-3; Martin 16- 7-36-1; Wiseman 30-7-77-0; Redmond 11-1-31-0; Richardson 1-0-6-0.. Resuming on 53 with the overnight score at 294 for 5, Alleyne moved on to 115 not out by the interval, building on the solid start made yesterday with the help of the left-handed opener, Ian Ward, and the prolific Vikram Solanki, who both made fifties. MARK ALLEYNE continued to play the captain's part for England A this morning, completing a century and steering his side beyond 400 by lunch on the second day of their match against South Island in Christchurch. At Blenheim, stage five, he prudently took no risks around the lake but rattled farm fencing, half ripping off his back bumper.