FOOTBALL: Second Division Bury have been left devastated by the death of first-team coach Billy Ayre from lymph node cancer at the age of 49.

The former Hartlepool defender and Blackpool, Scarborough and Halifax manager died peacefully in his sleep with his wife Elaine and children David and Rachel at his bedside.

Ayre contracted the cancer last season and it was thought he had beaten the disease. Manager Andy Preece was left shattered after losing ''one of my best friends in football''.

CRICKET: Muttiah Muralitharan faces a race to be fit for the first Test against England on May 16 after he marked his 30th birthday by tearing a shoulder ligament in the Sharjah Cup final.

He sustained the injury when he fell while fielding early in Pakistan's innings. Pakistan won by 217 runs.

ATHLETICS: World triple jump record holder Jonathan Edwards is having second thoughts about early retirement and may continue until the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Edwards, 36 next month, is in Tallahassee on a five-week warm weather training camp, and the Florida sunshine has rekindled his enthusiasm even for the Commonwealth Games.

He has won every major championship title, apart from the Commonwealth crown. But now Edwards insists he is looking forward to Manchester in July where, after two silver medals, he aims to pick up a gold and join Linford Christie, Sally Gunnell and Daley Thompson in winning a full set of major titles.

''It would be wonderful if I can remain healthy fit and competitive, and am able to compete at the Olympics in 2004," he added.

GOLF: Paul Casey and Andrew Oldcorn might be among the new boys competing in the Seve Trophy at Druid's Glen this weekend, but when it comes to matchplay they are two of the most successful players on view.

When they represented Britain and Ireland as amateurs they became two of only three players ever to achieve a perfect four wins out of four in the Walker Cup.

It happened 16 years apart, Oldcorn at Hoylake in 1983 and Casey at Nairn in 1999.

For Oldcorn it has been a long wait to play international team golf again. And it comes against the Continent of Europe only because Swindon's David Howell broke his arm jogging and had to drop out of Colin Montgomerie's line-up.

Britain and Ireland: Colin Montgomerie (Sco, capt), Paul Casey (Eng), Darren Clarke (N Ire), Padraig Harrington (Ire), Paul Lawrie (Scot), Paul McGinley (Ire), Andrew Oldcorn (Sco), Steve Webster (Eng), Lee Westwood (Eng), Ian Woosnam (Wal).

Continent of Europe: Seve Ballesteros (Spa, capt), Thomas Bjorn (Den), Alex Cejka (Ger), Niclas Fasth (Swe), Mathias Gronberg (Swe), Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Robert Karlsson (Swe), Thomas Levet (Fra), Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa).

BOXING: Julius Long, the 7ft 1in self-styled ''Towering Inferno'', ignited instantly when he came face to face with Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist Audley Harrison yesterday.

''I don't know too much about him, I've just heard he's an overrated bum,'' said Long, who will be Harrison's fourth professional opponent at Wembley Conference Centre on Saturday night.

BOXING: The BBC have confirmed they are interested in broadcasting Lennox Lewis' long-awaited world heavyweight title defence against Mike Tyson, but claim they will not be held to ransom for it. Organisers are believed to want around £5m for the exclusive British television rights to Lewis' WBC, IBF and IBO title showdown on June 8 at The Pyramid Arena in Memphis. But the BBC will refuse to stump up such a massive amount of money for the bout.

SPORT ON TV: GOLF: Worldcom Classic from South Carolina Sky Sports 2 2030 TENNIS: ATP Masters from Monte Carlo Sky Sports Extra 0900; Family Circle Cup from South Carolina British Eurosport 1800