There was a repeat win for Herne Hill international Dave Taylor in the second of this season's Sweat Shop Surrey Cross Country League Division One races on Wimbledon Common, writes Tom Pollack.

From the start, Taylor took control of the five-miles race to win in 26 mins 6 secs from Belgrave's Steve Sharp (26:34) and former Belgrave international Gary Staines (26:45), who is now running for South London Harriers.

Taylor had a 10-metre lead over Sharp at the halfway stage, with Staines some 60 metres down and Rob Howell, from Thames Hare and Hounds, 50 metres back in third, alongside South London Harrier Jason Simpson.

The leading positions changed little during the second half of the race.

Training

Howell retained fourth spot to clock 27:05, ahead of Simpson (27:22) and Matt Wakefield, of Thames, (27:32).

Taylor, who has only been in hard training for about six weeks, opted to miss the British trials for the European cross country championships, being held at Margate the following day.

"I can do a race of this standard and still keep training," he said.

"I still need three or four races before I am fit to race at a higher level."

He has yet to make up his mind whether to go for the British team for the World Championships in March.

With their 10 scoring runners in the top 40, defending champions Thames scored a convincing team win over hosts and first match winners Belgrave to take the lead overall.

Other leading Thames finishers were Simon Wurr (ninth, 27:40), Andy Beevers (10th, 27:44), Nick Altmann (11th, 27:47) and Ben Rey-nolds (17th, 28:17).

Belgrave's first finisher was Knut Hegvold, who was eighth in 27:39. He was also first veteran.

Steve Kennefick fresh from his win in the South of the Thames junior' race the previous weekend finishing 13th place in 27:58, just ahead of team captain Roger Alsop (28:00) and Will Cockerell (16th, 28:09).

Marathon

Thames won the match with 145 points, well clear of Belgrave (226) and Herne Hill (229), with South London Harriers in fourth on 435, ahead of Petersham-based Ranelagh (438).

Ranelagh's first finisher was Hugh Jones, the former London marathon winner, who was 15th in a time of 28:04.

It means Thames lead the league at the halfway stage with 340 points from Belgrave (401), Herne Hill (636), Ranelagh (898), South London Harriers (1044) and Aldershot (1057).

Belgrave took the team honours in the U17 race in which Matthew Jiggins and Paul Cowling finished second and third.

Belgrave's Luke Shuttle was runner-up in the U13 race.

November 23, 2001 17:30