Ingram makes top four for performance against Bangladesh

Peter Ingram's 69 on debut against Bangladesh in Napier on Friday pushed Manawatu's Jamie How's 58 out of third place on the all-time list for New Zealanders in their first one-day matches.

How's first-up effort against Sri Lanka in 2005 was the second-highest on debut for a Kiwi before Martin Guptill made 122 not out last year to knock Stephen Fleming's 90 out of top spot.

The current top four are now Guptill (122), Fleming (90), Ingram (69) and How (58).

Former Palmerston North poker player Kyle Clark brought home a cool A$6200 (NZ$7783) for his 13th place in the $2500 buy-in 6-max short handed no limit Texas Hold `em event at the Aussie Millions in Melbourne last week.

Clark, who used to play football for Red Sox-Manawatu, now lives in Australia and makes his way as an online poker professional.

Just when we thought it was getting harder and harder to get names of athletes correct, New Zealand Football and FIFA have combined to create a head-scratcher for us.

YoungHeart Manawatu striker Des Fa'aiuaso has his name spelt with an apostrophe by New Zealand Football, but FIFA for some reason omit it.

New Zealand Football say they will stick with the apostrophe which will provide some consistency.

One unusual factor which emerged from the Whanganui race meeting last Thursday was the win of Under The Eternal in the day's opening event.

The horse is raced by retired Melbourne accountant Peter Lim, whose religion precludes the horse from racing on Saturdays. "While Peter's faith deems the horse keep away from the action on Saturdays, it also means that it is the horse's "Sabbath", said trainer Robert Patterson. "So he stays in his box or yard for the day.

"Let's hope he turns into a champion mid-weeker" he quipped.

Lim's enthusiasm for racing saw him make the flight from Melbourne to watch Under The Eternal win in the hands of Vincent Ho, an apprentice from Hong Kong who is in New Zealand to further his experience. You wouldn't have known the Palmerston North Panthers had lost their four-year reign as Teams Champs winners at Arena Manawatu on Saturday night.

After the race was over all the Panthers drivers stood on the track and applauded the Nelson Tigers on their victory lap, then signed autographs for all the kids in the pits.

The capacity crowd of 16,000 was treated to a first-time victory lap after the Tigers won the final when their drivers ran around the entire track waving a chequered flag instead of driving around it.

- © Fairfax NZ News